Brazil recall striker Adriano to face Argentina, Chile

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Victor (Gremio)

Defenders: Andre Santos (Fenerbahce), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Maicon (Inter Milan), Filipe (Deportivo La Coruna), Lucio (Inter Milan), Luisao (Benfica), Miranda (Sao Paulo), Juan (AS Roma)

Midfielders: Elano (Galatasaray), Felipe Melo (Juventus), Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos), Josue (VfL Wolfsburg), Ramires (Benfica), Julio Baptista (AS Roma), Kaka (Real Madrid), Lucas (Liverpool)

Forwards: Luis Fabiano (Sevilla), Nilmar (Villarreal), Robinho (Manchester City), Adriano (Flamengo)

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id...cup2010&cc=4716

Michael Owen was over the moon to break his United duck after firing the Reds' fourth goal in the 5-0 hammering of Wigan Athletic on Saturday.

The 29-year-old striker came off the bench on 71 minutes and, after being put through by Nani, produced a vintage finish in front of United's 5000-strong travelling support five minutes from time.

Having failed to put away a handful of chances on his previous two appearances against Birmingham and Burnley, Owen was relieved to finally get off the mark.

"I probably scored the hardest chance I've had!" he joked during an exclusive interview with MUTV. "I had two chances at Burnley and one against Birmingham, but this was the fourth real opportunity I've had.

"I don't think I missed a chance in pre-season, but I've missed a couple since the season started and as ever everyone is quick to write you off. It was as if I hadn't scored for a couple of years! That's something I've had to deal with for ten odd years now and I don't think that will change until I hang up my boots.

"It was certainly a great feeling to score. I'd got a few in pre-season but there's nothing quite like doing it in a competitive game."

With his first goal now under his belt, Owen is confident more will follow.

"I'd be disappointed if people didn't think I could go on from here," he insists. "I obviously believe I can as I have done throughout my career and I certainly expect to score more goals in the red shirt."

Wayne Rooney shrugged off reaching the milestone of 101 United goals, and quickly set his sights on plundering plenty more for the Reds.

The England striker attained a century - reached over 242 games - by heading United's opener at Wigan, then scored again to set the ball rolling towards the next hundred.

"Of course it's nice to score 100 goals for anyone, especially a team like United, so obviously I'm pleased with that," he said. "But the most important thing is the three points.

"It's nice but it's something I'll look back on really when I've finished playing. I've still got a lot of games and a lot of goals left in me, so it's not something I'm really too concerned with at the minute."

The Reds' five-goal romp at the DW Stadium marked a welcome return to form after Wednesday's lacklustre defeat at Burnley, and Rooney took heart from the swaggering nature of the display.

"We played some great football today," he said. "The first half was a bit frustrating. We had chances to score and never took them. In the second half we came out really fast, took the game to Wigan and they couldn't live with us.

"Everyone's delighted that Berba and especially Michael scored. It's a great feeling for the three of us to score today, and Nani at the end, and scoring five goals away from home is difficult in the Premier League, thankfully we've done that."

Elated enough at a five-goal away victory, Sir Alex Ferguson took extra satisfaction from seeing all three of his senior strikers on the scoresheet in the Reds' romp at Wigan.

Wayne Rooney's brace, allied to strikes from Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Owen and Nani sealed a stunning victory over the Latics, and has the Reds' three most experienced forwards off and running for the season.

"Our strikers have scored the goals today, that's the important thing," Sir Alex told MUTV. "That can only do us the power of good, because you know what strikers are like - when they're not scoring they're not the same people.

"It's important for strikers (to be off the mark). If Dimitar and Michael can weigh in with the goals that we expect of Wayne Rooney, then it will make a difference to our game."

Owen and Rooney had particular cause to celebrate their goals; the former registering his first goal in a United shirt, the latter reaching and passing a century - and Sir Alex was delighted for them both.

"It's terrific for a young lad like Wayne to reach that total at that age," he said. "With the years in front of him, it's going to be great for him. We've had players over the years who've taken many years to get to the hundred. For a young lad to do it, it's great.

"Michael's was a fantastic goal. Great run and excellent movement, and a good pass from Nani. Michael Owen has proved himself over the last 10 years to be the best goalscorer in England in that decade, today he showed that again.

"I think it will do him the world of good. Obviously coming to the club and after all the discussion around him joining United after being at Liverpool - it was important to get a goal like that, and the crowd were great with him and that was fantastic."

The United boss also reserved praise for a player at the opposite end of the pitch - goalkeeper Ben Foster, who made two crucial saves before the Reds had run up a huge lead.

"He made two great saves," said Sir Alex. "In the first half from Jason Koumas he made a marvellous save with his left hand. In the second half he was in a position where he had to be agile (to save Hugo Rodallega's header). He managed to knock it out of the way and get the second ball, which was a terrific save.

"Overall I thought they played very well. We had six good chances in the first half, and you'd like to take one or two of them, but the important thing was to be patient, and keep playing the way they were playing."

United's resounding win at Wigan answered plenty of questions posed by last week's shock defeat at Burnley, but Sir Alex and his players insist they were never listening to criticism from outside the club.

A giddy media reaction met the Reds' slip at Turf Moor, with a huge magnifying glass held over the team in terms of tactics and personnel but, as ever, internal inspection was the only reaction within the club's Carrington training centre.

"We can't worry about these things," Sir Alex told MUTV. "We've got to look at the reality of what we're talking about, and the reality of Wednesday was disappointing.

"We're not going to kill ourselves because of it, but we're going to take reminders of it, lessons and experience from it. We all know we've got players with great experience at our club winning trophies over the years.

"We still aren't prepared for the kind of setback we got on Wednesday. It shouldn't have happened, but it did happen, and we had to do something about it. You're always looking for a response. and we got a good one."

Goalscorers Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen echoed their manager's sentiments, insisting that they only have ears for the opinions that truly matter.

"To be honest we're not that concerned what anyone outside the club has to say," said Rooney, scorer of a brace at the DW Stadium. "The people who matter speak to us and that's who we listen to - we don't listen to anyone else."

"It's a similar story for United as it has been for me personally in terms of critics," said Owen. "They've won the league so many times in the last ten years or so and, of course, in the last three

"It's almost inevitable that one bad result leads to people talking about a possible crisis. But you only need to look at what happened on the pitch today to get your answers."

He may have three top-class goalkeepers in front of him, but young stopper Ben Amos is happy to play the waiting game and garner as much experience as he can from Edwin van der Sar and co.

The 19-year-old has worked his way through the Old Trafford ranks since the age of 11 and joined the club's Academy in July 2006.

It wasn’t long before he made his debut for the Reserves and his impressive displays for the second string led to a place on the first team’s pre-season tour of South Africa in the summer of 2008.

Ben featured twice and was later handed his competitive debut in the Carling Cup win over Middlesbrough in September the same year.

He feels he has made big strides forward in the last 12 months and is fully intent on maintaining his progress.

“When you train with players of the calibre of Edwin, Ben [Foster] and Tomasz [Kuszczak], you have to be at the top of your game every day," he told ManUtd.com.

"You continually pick things up and I really feel I’ve improved a lot of aspects of my game in the last year.

“Playing for the first team is what I’ve always dreamt of and it’s what you train for every day. There’s no better feeling than being involved with some of the best players in the world and you just want to be part of it all the time.

“Old Trafford is the kind of stage everyone wants to play on and even though it might be a couple of years off yet hopefully it’ll happen one day.”

With competition for places particularly fierce within United’s goalkeeping ranks, Amos is more than willing to temporarily hone his skills elsewhere.

“I expect I’ll go out on loan at some stage to play some first team football,” explained Amos. “I think that’s what I need to take my game to the next level now.

“You come up against good players at reserve level, but when you go out on loan you’re playing proper men’s football. It’s not necessarily about playing nice stuff, it’s about getting the results you need.

“It tends to bring a lot of young players on and help them mature and hopefully that will be the case with me.”

Stuart Mathieson

August 24, 2009

MICHAEL Owen believes he can go on a goal-scoring run for United after opening his competitive club account against Wigan.

But the former England striker knows he'll remain a constant target for critics.

"It's a nice feeling. I scored quite a few goals in pre-season but there is nothing quite like doing it in the season," said Owen.

"I only played an hour or so at Burnley and had 15-20 minutes in the home game against Birmingham so I've not played 90 minutes yet in total but there has still been quite a lot made of the fact I hadn't scored. It was though I hadn't scored for a couple of years.

Owen pressure

"I probably scored with the hardest chance I've had so far. I had two chances at Burnley and one chance after coming on against Birmingham so Saturday's goal was only the fourth chance I've had in a United shirt.

"I scored four in pre-season and didn't miss a chance, scoring everything in front of me.

"But when the season starts and I miss a couple of chances, as ever, everyone is quick to write you off.

"You have pressure in any game, especially when you play for United. There is a massive pressure to win every game, and that's just for starters.

"Then there is the pressure to justify your place in the team and squad and everything else. So there is always a pressure.

"But in terms of proving anything to anyone else I have had to deal with that for the last 10 or 12 years and that will never change until I hang up my boots.

"I'd be disappointed if people didn't think I could go on from here. I obviously believe I can. I have done that throughout my career so I expect to go on and score more goals in the United shirt."

United future

The champions' 5-0 response to the midweek humbling at Burnley, savagely dispersed the critics.

"It is a bit like me personally over the years, it is the same for Manchester United. They have won the Premier League so many times, including the last three, so it is inevitable that one defeat or even one draw and everyone is mentioning the words crisis," he added.

"Well, we came up with the answer. I don't think anyone really needs to answer it. It is all about what you do on the pitch that answers it."

While 29-year-old Owen was celebrating his first goal for the Reds his ex-England strike partner and potential future international sidekick again, Wayne Rooney, was clocking up his 100th for the Reds with his first of two at Wigan.

"You forget how young Wayne is because he has achieved so much in the game already.

"But it's fantastic to score 100 goals for United at such a young age," said Michael.

"But Wayne is the sort who will already be looking at the next target, the next milestone. To get 100 goals for a club is a fantastic achievement. Not many players do that at any club, let alone United.

"He fully deserves the achievement. I'm delighted for him as I'm sure everyone else is."