Ballack: I want to play for the title with Bayer

Germany captain Michael Ballack wants to play for the Bundesliga title with Bayer Leverkusen in his second stint at the perennial runner-up club.

"We want to become champions in the near future," Ballack told Saturday's edition of the Bild daily. "I have always played for the title in the past 10 years and we can do that at Bayer as well."

Express quoted him as saying: "We have a team that can do it. I will give it all I have over the next two years that this dream comes true."

Leverkusen announced on Friday that Ballack, 33, will return to the club on a two-year contract. Ballack, who misses the current World Cup over an ankle injury, comes on a free transfer after not getting a new deal at English Champions Chelsea.

Ballack won plenty of domestic silverware with Bayern Munich (22202-2006) and Chelsea (2006-2010). But he missed out during his first term in Leverkusen 1999-2002, Bundesliga runner-up in 2000, and Bundesliga, German cup and Champions League runner-up in 2002.

The playmaker is also yet to win a major international trophy.

Ballack told Express that returning to Leverkusen was "a matter of the heart" as he snubbed a reportedly better offer from VfL Wolfsburg. SV Hamburg were said to be interested in him as well.

Uruguay beat South Korea 2-1 to reach quarter-finals

Uruguay beat South Korea 2-1 on Saturday to become the first team to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup in South Africa.

   Striker Luis Suarez scored in each half to set up a clash between the South Americans and the winners of the day's other Round of 16 game between the United States and Ghana.

   Uruguay relied on counter-attacks to wear down the South Koreans, who managed only once to breach their well-organized defence at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth.

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez made one change from the team that beat Mexico 1-0 in their final group game, recalling Villarreal defender Diego Godin in place of Mauricio Victorino.

South Korea coach Huh Jung Moo also made one change, dropping Yeom Ki Hun in midfield in favour of the more defensive Kim Jae Sung.

Uruguay got off to a dream start when Suarez put them ahead after eight minutes, following good work by Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan near the far corner.

Forlan seized on a pass from Edinson Cavani and slotted the ball behind the backs of the South Korean defenders for Man of the match Suarez to stab home from close range for his second goal of the competition.

The goal came just minutes after South Korea almost took the lead through Park Chu Young, whose free kick thundered against the left post with Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera well beaten.

Park Chu Young, one of South Korea's best players along with captain Park Ji Sung, saw another long-distance shot flash narrowly wide in the 32nd minute. He was again in action six minutes later but fired his shot straight at Muslera.

The South Koreans were quick on the ball but their forwards had a tough time against a resolute Uruguay defence that did not concede a goal in their three group stage matches.

Uruguay relied mainly on counter-attacks and their strategy almost paid off shortly before half-time when Maxi Perreira had what appeared to be a justifiable claim for a penalty turned down.

The Benfica defender burst through the fragile South Korean defence and unleashed a shot that hit midfielder Ki Sung Yueng on the arm just inside the are. But German referee Wolfgang Stark ruled the handball was not intentional.

The South Koreans came out stronger after the break, with Manchester United's Park Ji Sung, Kim Jae Sung and Park Chu Young all going close.

The South Korean captain headed a cross from the right on in the 58th minute, but his effort was well saved by Muslera, who plays for Serie A team Lazio.

South Korea deservedly equalized on 68 minutes when Bolton's Lee Chung Yong nodded home a free kick that was headed on to him in the goal area by Victorino, who came on as a second-half substitute for Uruguay.

The goal woke up Uruguay, who began to play with more urgency. Pressing for the winner they forced a corner, which the South Korean defence failed to clear.

Suarez pounced on the ball on the edge of the area, rounded a defender and curled home a shot for 18 metres which went in off the inside of of the right post, leaving the South Korean goalkeeper without a chance.

South Korea almost grabbed a second equalizer three minutes before the end, when substitute Lee Dong Gook fired a weak shot that was parried by Muslera, allowing captain Diego Lugano to clear.

Uruguay, one of six Latin American teams still in the tournament, will meet the winner of Saturday evening's clash between the United States of Ghana in the quarter-final in Johannesburg on July 2.

It is the first time Uruguay have reached the last eight since 1970, when they made it to the semi-finals.

Ghana keep Africa smiling with 2-1 defeat of US

Ghana became the third African side ever to reach a World Cup quarter-final Saturday as they beat the United States 2-1 in Rustenburg.

   Kevin-Prince Boateng gave Ghana a fifth-minute lead, but Landon Donovan levelled just after the hour to take the game into extra-time.

   Asamoah Gyan restored Ghana's lead after 93 minutes, and Ghana held out through a mixture of discipline and desperation to ensure there remains the possibility that the first African World Cup will witness the first African semi-finalist. Uruguay now stand in Ghana's way.

   Scoring goals had been Ghana's problem for some time - they had not got two in a game since a 2-2 draw against Mali in World Cup qualifying in November, and their only two goals in the tournament so far had been penalties - but they went ahead after five minutes.

   The introduction of Samuel Inkoom for Prince Tagoe saw Ghana shift to loose 4-4-1-1 shape, and the result was that they suddenly had runners breaking from midfield to support Gyan, who so often in this tournament had been an isolated figure.

   It was from just such a burst that the opening goal came. Boateng stole the ball in the centre-circle and was culpably allowed to advance. He then calmly slotted a drive inside Tim Howard's right-hand post.

   It was Ghana's first World Cup goal from open play since Haminu Dramani got the opener in their 2-1 win over the US in Nuremberg four years ago.

   With Ghana playing marvellously rhythmic football, the US were reduced to petty fouling, and both Ricardo Clark and Steve Cherundolo were booked inside the opening 20 minutes.

   So concerned was US coach Bob Bradley they he switched shape from 4-4-2 to 4-1-2-3 on the half hour, sacrificing a clearly upset Clark for Maurice Edu.

   The move unnerved Ghana and within five minutes Robbie Findley, shunted to a right-wing role, had cut inside to be denied by the left boot of Richard Kingson.

   Ghana, though, still posed a threat and soon after Howard also saved with his feet to keep out an effort from Kwadwo Asamoah.

   But the momentum had shifted, and after John Pantsil had turned a Landon Donovan cross away from Jozy Altidore, Kingson made a superb sliding block to deny substitute Benny Feilharber.

   The equalizer, though, was coming, and it arrived after 61 minutes, as Clint Dempsey skipped by John Mensah, and was brought down by Jonathan Mensah. Donovan converted the penalty via the inside of the post.

   Michael Bradley sent a drive just wide and Altidore, having gone down in a tangle with John Mensah prodded another effort just off target.

   But Ghana did not wilt before the US charge as Slovenia and Algeria had done before them. Instead, they held out to 90 minutes, and retook the lead three minutes into extra time.

   Gyan, as tireless a front-runner as there has ever been, chased down Ayew's up-and-under, held off Jay DeMerit and crashed in his third goal of the tournament.

   All that was left then was for 27 minutes more of the sort of defending Ghana have produced all tournament.

   It was frenzied and at times desperate, but Ghana had the obduracy to hold the US out. Africa's World Cup remains alive

Tabarez: Let's see how far we can go

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez was looking forward to the quarter-finals after his praise-worthy players beat South Korea 2-1 in a tough match Saturday.

"We have six days to prepare - we are among the eight best teams in the World Cup. It's been such a long time and we've never managed to achieve this goal - our intention is to face our next match and try to win it," Tabarez said after his side's 2-1 win over South Korea in the Round of 16.

Tabarez was full of praise for South Korea.

"It was a very difficult match to play" against a side which Tabarez described as "perhaps the strongest in Asia."

"This confirms how balanced football is around the world," he said.

The coach also said Korea's equalizer proved a turning point in the match.

"The Korean goal was key to our improvement. We realised we could concede a goal and played a better game in the last minutes, and managed to score that spectacular goal that secured victory for us."

   The coach said Saturday's victory in the Round of 16 had huge significance for a small country like Uruguay.

   "There's only 3 million inhabitants in Uruguay and we've waited a long time for something like this and now it's happening," Tabarez said. "The main reason is to give our people joy and I hope the celebrations will continue."

   Tabarez said that the Koreans surprised him tactically with their direct approach. "They imposed their style on the game. The Koreans really had us running up and down," he said. "I think at the toughest time, when the equaliser came, my team reacted well."

   But the coach was happy with the "harmony and unity" in his team.

"This is a very good weapon against any team. Let's see how far we can go on this voyage. We're not building castles in the air - but we don't have to give up on anything before actually playing the matches."

Loew throws Kruse out of Germany squad

VfL Wolfsburg's Max Kruse

 VfL Wolfsburg's Max Kruse was axed from the Germany squad for their friendly internationals against England and Italy after coach Joachim Loew lost patience with the striker's "unprofessional" off-the-pitch behaviour.

Kruse has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons in recent months, including leaving 75,000 euros ($84,435.00) in cash in a taxi last year that resulted in a hefty club fine, and on Saturday he snatched a camera away from a woman who had taken photographs of him in the club grounds.

She turned out to be a reporter for the daily Bild newspaper.

"I want players who focus on football and on the Euros," Loew said in a statement on Monday.

"Last weekend's incident goes against those expectations. Max once again acted unprofessionally. I will not accept that."

World Cup winners Germany take on England in Berlin on March 26 before facing Italy three days later.

Kruse, who joined the Wolves from Borussia Moenchengladbach in 2015, had also been recently warned by his club to improve his diet.

"As recently as last week I made it clear to Max Kruse what I expect from him off the pitch," Loew said. "The Euro is near and the national team has set its sights high. We need players who are focused and are aware of being a role model."

The 28-year-old's suspension concerns only the two matches this month.

The Germans have been drawn in the Euro 2016 Group C along with Ukraine, Northern Ireland and Poland.

Zamparini plans to sell Palermo after chaotic season

Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini

 Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini said on Monday he was preparing to sell the Serie A club after a chaotic season which has seen six coaches sit on the bench, one of them twice.

The 75-year-old, who has run the Sicilian club since 2002 and overseen about 35 changes of manager during that period, told reporters he had "other things to do."

"I've got two more months in Italian football and then I'm leaving," said Zamparini, who has employed several coaches more than once, occasionally reappointing them weeks after their sacking.

"Football has worn me out," he added. "I'll be happy if the new owners are from Palermo."

Palermo have dropped into the relegation zone after an astonishing last few months which have led to differing figures on exactly how many coaches they have employed.

Giuseppe Iachini was sacked in November after two years in charge and replaced by Davide Ballardini, who "fired himself" in early January, according to Zamparini, after he walked out on the team.
 

NO LICENCE

Argentine Guillermo Barros Schelotto was then appointed to the post despite not having a European coaching licence.

He sat in the stands in a supervisory role while, first, Fabio Viviani then Giovanni Tedesco took charge from the bench.

Tedesco was handed the job on a permanent basis at the end of January, giving Schelotto more time to sort out his coaching credentials.

But European soccer's governing body UEFA rejected the Argentine's application for a licence in mid-February and he returned to Buenos Aires.

Zamparini then announced that Giovanni Bosi would coach the team instead of Tedesco, only to fire him after one game and bring back Iachini.

However, Iachini resigned in early March, furious after Zamparini said he had a "losing mentality", and Walter Novellino was handed the reins.

Palermo were in Serie B when Zamparini took over in 2002 and won promotion in 2003-04, ending more than 30 years out of the top flight.

They routinely finished in the top half of the table during the next few seasons, qualified for the UEFA Cup several times and had four players in Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning squad.

They were relegated in 2013 but returned to Serie A at the first attempt.