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Neuer Shortlisted for FIFA World XI
With 34 clean sheets for club and country, four trophies, and a ticket to the World Cup in Brazil, Manuel Neuer was rewarded with an appearance on the shortlist for the FIFA FIFPro World XI in 2013.
.@Manuel_Neuer has been nominated for the FIFA World XI along with 4 other GKs. Decision due on 13/01/14. #MiaSanMia pic.twitter.com/XHWKKudQC3
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) December 3, 2013
Gianluigi Buffon (Italy, Juventus), Iker Casillas (Spain, Real Madrid CF), Petr Čech (Czech Republic, Chelsea FC), and Victor Valdés (Spain, FC Barcelona) are the other four goalkeepers.
Neuer was on the goalkeeper short list in 2011 and 2012 for the World XI, but Casillas beat him out both times. Casillas has represented his keeper compatriots in the World XI in the last five years, with Gianluigi Buffon the winner the previous three years.
Guardiola: "The Most Important Match until the Winter Break"
Now accustomed to one-off cup games, manager Pep Guardiola restated the importance of a good result in Augsburg.
"For me, it is the most important game that we have until the Winter Break," Guardiola told kicker.de. It is worth noting that FC Bayern still have to host Manchester City in a weeks time.
Guardiola "likes knockout-spiele," something he did not experience when he was in Spain. The Spanish Copa del Rey is two-legged until the final in its final stages, where the Liga BBVA teams join the competition.
Ribéry could return against Werder Bremen
Although the DFB Pokal match will likely to early for a return, Franck Ribéry could be available for the Werder Bremen match at the weekend.
"Wednesday is still too soon. I hope I will go on Saturday," said Ribéry to Bild.
Guardiola told kicker.de, but he has not made a final decision.
"He is feeling much better. We will wait until the last training and then decide," he said.
Vitesse linked to Weihrauch
Courtesy of Ryan Cowper
Transfer Boulevard, a Dutch transfer site, is under the impression that Vitesse could be after Patrick Weihrauch.
The FC Bayern reserve has 15 appearances in the 23 reserve matches, scoring five times. Guardiola has yet to call up Weihrauch into his side despite a rash amount of injuries.
Julian Green has supplanted his spot in the lineup, and maybe in the FC Bayern pecking order with an appearance off the bench against. Once thought of as a possible candidate for the winter camp, Weihrauch might be on the outside looking in now.
Vitesse currently sits atop the Eredivisie on 30 points through 15 matches.
In case you missed it...
...Holger Badstuber told Focus that joining the German National Team to Brazil is "a long way off," although he silenced the rumors that he has played his last match as a footballer. [Goal.com]
...Guardiola was a guest star with "Clowns without Boarders," throwing juggling balls to the clowns and taking a picture with them afterwards [Bild]
DFB Pokal scores from Tuesday
Union Berlin 0-3 1. FC Kaiserslautern
FCK: Willi Orban (18'), Simon Zoller (45+1'), Marcel Gauss (83')
Hamburger SV 2-1 1. FC Köln
HSV: Maximillian Beister (42'), Ivo Iličević (85')
KOE: Adam Matuschyk (54')
1. FC Saarbrücken 0-2 Borussia Dortmund
BVB: Schieber (19'), Jonas Hofmann (49')
FC Schalke 04 1-3 TSV 1899 Hoffenheim
S04: Jefferson Farfan (67')
HOF: Kai Herdling (21'), Kevin Volland (32'), Roberto Firmino (35')
