Australia will host Brazil at MCG on June 13 before the Confederations Cup

AUSTRALIA will play football powerhouse Brazil at the MCG in June in the lead-up to the Confederations Cup.

The Socceroos will meet Brazil on June 13 in a friendly, with the South American giants in Melbourne for a blockbuster clash with Argentina four days earlier.



Australia last met the world No.2 side in 2013 when Brazil won 6-0 in Brasilia, the penultimate game in Holger Osieck’s reign before he was sacked and replaced by Ange Postecoglou for the 2014 World Cup campaign.

Australia also played Brazil at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where they were edged 2-0 in their second group game under Guus Hiddink and last met Brazil on home soil at the 1988 Bicentenary Gold Cup, losing 1-0 at the Olympic Stadium in Melbourne.

The match will be the Socceroos’ farewell before they head to Russia for the Confederations Cup, where they are going to face Cameroon, Chile and Germany.

Headlined by Neymar, Brazil will boast a wealth of world class talent that will arrive in Melbourne. Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino, Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus, Chelsea’s David Luiz and Willian and Juventus’ Dani Alves are some of the headline acts from the Premier League, La Liga and Serie set to hit our shores.

The Socceroos clash will be four days after Brazil take on arch rivals Argentina, which will pit Neymar against his Barcelona colleague Lionel Messi.

TICKETS

Telstra has a pre-sale for customers from 9am on Monday 27 February to 9am Wednesday 1 March, before the window opens for Football Family members from 11am until 11am on Friday 3 March.

Tickets to the general public open from 12pm on Friday 3 March 2017, but pricing details have not yet been released.

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Madrid flex goalscoring muscles to halt Napoli

Real Madrid recovered from a goal down to end Napoli's 18-game unbeaten run in spectacular fashion at the Santiago Bernabéu.

A UEFA Champions League match between two of Europe's most expansive sides always promised much and it did not disappoint – all four goals had the mark of genuine quality. Lorenzo Insigne drew first blood, spotting Keylor Navas off his line and bending a shot in from 30 metres.

Madrid picked themselves up, dusted themselves down and came right back at the visitors. By the 18th minute this round of 16 first leg was level, Karim Benzema rising to head in a gorgeous cross off the outside of Dani Carvajal's boot.

Benzema went close to putting Madrid ahead before half-time, denied by the post, yet the reprieve was brief for Napoli. Fine goals from Toni Kroos and Casemiro – the second a volley – in the opening nine minutes of the second period gave Madrid a 3-1 lead to take to Naples in three weeks.

Key player: Casemiro (Real Madrid)

The No14 is an integral part of this Madrid team, a key piece of the jigsaw. His defensive shielding in front of the back four helps keep them protected and here – Napoli's goal aside – his performance in that sense was exemplary. Add to that a sublime volley that gave his side breathing space.

Fight fire with fire
The talk heading into this fixture was how Madrid were going to cope with Napoli's counterattacking and the answer was simple: fight fire with fire. After falling behind early on, they tightened up defensively and their own version of the break was slick and caused chaos for the visiting defence. The Merengues wanted to take an advantage to Italy and this was a job well done – truth be told, the cushion could have been greater.

Madrid win midfield battle
Maurizio Sarri made a brave decision selecting 19-year-old Amadou Diawara and 22-year-old Piotr Zieliński. They are both highly promising – and confirmed it tonight – but it was Casemiro, Kroos and Luka Modrić who dominated the midfield. The experience will stand the youngsters in good stead and, regardless of how this tie finishes, this Napoli outfit have a bright future.

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76ers expect Ben Simmons to play this season, 'just don't know when'

Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown said he expects to have rookie and No. 1 draft pick Ben Simmons on the court in a game this season.
Our plan is to still see him on the court, playing games," Brown told ESPN on Wednesday. "We just don't know when.
"I fully expect him to play this season. He thinks that, and he's motivated to play."

Both Brown and Simmons are in favor of the 6-foot-10, 240-pound point guard/forward making his NBA debut this season, sources told ESPN. However, the decision ultimately rests with the Sixers management.Simmons fractured his foot at the end of September, and the team is being cautious -- especially after dealing with Joel Embiid and his rash of injuries the past couple of years.

Brown told ESPN that Simmons is running, jumping and cutting but hasn't been cleared for contact. Brown has been training Simmons in individual workouts, and the player also has been doing 5-on-0 drills.  Brown reiterated that Simmons won't be doing any 5-on-5 work over the All-Star break, largely because the players are out of town and it would be difficult to simulate.
"I think he looks good -- even though it's 5-on-0," Brown said. "He's got a great spirit, attitude. The plan is to heal him up, treat him with complete care and then deliver him to the court."

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Super Bowl Sunday Sydney Australia - Was Awesome!!

Ok well I have to admit I was pulling for the Atlanta Falcons we most of our crew was.  Usually the Patriots is my backup team but not this Sunday and Wow what a game congrats to Tom Brady & The Team for a Great Super Bowl!

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FireFan MVP Manny Pacquiao set to fight Jeff Horn In Australia

Brisbane is about to compete for Australian boxing's bout of the century when Brisbane's "fighting schoolteacher" Jeff Horn is confirmed on Wednesday as the contender against "legendary" world welterweight champ Manny Pacquiao in April 2017.

Pacquiao , now 38, is a world boxing celebrity with 11 world titles in a career that has lasted 22 years and was recently elected as a senator in his home country of the Philippines. 

 Horn, 28, is a former teacher at Brisbane's Pallara State School near Forest Lake and is Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk's second cousin, that is, the son of Cr Quirk's cousin. "Manny Pacquiao is a legend in the boxing world," Cr Quirk said.

He is probably the biggest boxing name in the world right now."

He earned $100 million for a May 2015 bout against Floyd Mayweather, billed as "The Fight of the Century" and reportedly donated some of the winnings to hospitals in the Philippines. Brisbane-born Horn, the kind-talking, tough welterweight is the No.2 contender to Pacquiao's crown after turning professional in 2013.



If Suncorp Stadium wins the right to host the fight – which could be confirmed at 1:30 pm Brisbane time – the city would host one of 2017's landmark sporting events. Pundits are predicting almost 50,000 could turn up to see the fight, although venues are also booked in Sydney and other sites on Australia's east coast.

Previous boxing bouts have drawn close to 40,000 people and the first fight between world champion Jeff Fenech and Azumah Nelson drew 38,000 fans.

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Financial giant Goldman Sachs backs out of Raiders' stadium deal

The Raiders' proposed move to Las Vegas was dealt another blow Tuesday afternoon when investment bank Goldman Sachs withdrew its financial support for the project, sources told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.


The news comes a day after billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson angrily withdrew from the Raiders' stadium deal. Adelson had previously committed $650 million to get the $1.9 billion project completed but announced the removal of his stake in a statement Monday.

The Raiders had presented a plan to the NFL and state lawmakers that relied on financial support from Goldman Sachs, with or without Adelson, but sources told Shelburne that the investment bank -- which has deep and longstanding business ties to Adelson -- decided Tuesday that it was no longer comfortable continuing in its business relationship with the Raiders after the deal collapsed with Adelson. Adelson, the CEO of Las Vegas Sands Corp., declared that he had been shut out of talks that led to the lease document presented to the Clark County Stadium Authority.

"We were not only excluded from the proposed agreement," Adelson said, "we weren't even aware of its existence."

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval's office said a lease-agreement proposal submitted last week expressed that the Raiders had intended to pick up the tab for Adelson's pulled $650 million, which would up their total commitment to $1.15 billion for a deal in which they would also accept operation responsibilities and risk. However, sources told Shelburne, that deal was contingent on a loan from Goldman Sachs.

The Nevada State Senate had approved a bill to fund $750 million of the proposed stadium, but support for that commitment largely came from Adelson's connections and influence, and sources told Shelburne that it should not be viewed as a "standing commitment."

The Raiders could find another investment bank to replace Goldman Sachs in the deal, or take on another partner to replace Adelson, in advance of the late-March owners meeting where their relocation to Las Vegas was to be considered. They could also return to Oakland.

"If [Adelson] doesn't think it will pencil out for him, it won't pencil out for Goldman Sachs or anybody else that thinks they want to step up to it," Clark County commissioner Chris Giunchigliani told the San Jose Mercury News on Monday. "I hate to say it, some of my concerns are starting to bear out. I don't think Mr. Davis cared about either community, ours or Oakland. He's using us against each other."

A source told ESPN's Darren Rovell that the Raiders' relocation application to the NFL filed on Jan. 19 also did not include Adelson. On Jan. 12, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that the Raiders had told the NFL that it had assurance from Goldman Sachs that the financial firm would continue to back the team's relocation effort even if Adelson was out of the picture.

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Wow Catch you next time with more sports news - Sports Hub OZ

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