DS Talk » arrison Afful, Jeffrey Schlupp

ACCRA, Ghana - Ghana picked Michael Essien and Kevin-Prince Boateng in a preliminary 26-man World Cup squad on Monday. The group will be trimmed to a final 23-man squad after a friendly game against the Netherlands on May 31, the Ghana Football Association said. AC Milans Essien and Schalkes Boateng were named after returning to international football last year. They had both asked for time away from the national team in the years after the last World Cup. Ghana captain and striker Asamoah Gyan and midfielder Sulley Muntari were also included and are set to play in their third consecutive World Cups. Ghana was the best-performing African team at the 2010 tournament, reaching the quarterfinals and just missing out on the semifinals after a penalty shootout loss to Uruguay in South Africa. Ghana will play the United States, Germany and Portugal in Group G in Brazil, and opens its campaign against the U.S. in Natal on June 16. Ghana beat the U.S. in the second round of the last World Cup. Coach Kwesi Appiah didnt reveal what his target was for the team that nearly became the first African nation into the last four of a World Cup four years ago. "Once the players are all fit we hope to deliver," Appiah said. "Every coach has a target and l believe in my players and the national team, but l cannot tell where we will get to. The only thing l can say is we will not disgrace Ghanaians." Essien missed the 2010 World Cup through injury and is likely facing his last chance to play at the showpiece in Brazil. Boateng stepped down from national team duties in 2011 but was recalled to Ghanas squad toward the end of the World Cup qualifying campaign late last year. Ghana will play in its third straight World Cup in Brazil. Appiah also picked Marseilles Andre Ayew, Juventus Kwadwo Asamoah and young attacking midfielder Wakaso Mubarak. Defender Jeffrey Schlupp, who plays for Englands Leicester City, was the biggest surprise in the initial squad. The GFA announced Monday that Ghana would play the Netherlands in Rotterdam on May 31 and South Korea in Miami on June 9 in its final World Cup warm-ups before facing Jurgen Klinsmanns U.S. team in Brazil. ___ Provisional squad: Goalkeepers: Adam Kwarasey, Fatawu Dauda, Stephen Adams. Defenders: Samuel Inkoom, Daniel Opare, Harrison Afful, Jeffrey Schlupp, John Boye, Jonathan Mensah, Jerry Akaminko, Rashid Sumaila. Midfielders: Michael Essien, Rabiu Mohammed, Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, Kwadwo Asamoah, Sulley Muntari, Albert Adomah, Wakaso Mubarak, Christian Atsu, David Accam, Andre Ayew, Afriyie Acquah. Forwards: Asamoah Gyan, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Abdul Majeed Waris, Jordan Ayew. Cheap Adidas Shoes USA . 25 against Miami. 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Toronto ended an 0-4-0 skid with Sundays shootout win over visiting New Jersey, but the club could have a difficult time making it two victories in a row tonight. The Maple Leafs have dropped three straight and 11 of the last 12 regular- season meetings against Boston overall and the Bruins have claimed six straight in Beantown.MONTREAL -- The Montreal Canadiens shored up their back end by acquiring veteran defenceman Mike Weaver from the Florida Panthers for a fifth-round pick in the 2015 draft. Weaver, 35, has six assists in 55 games this season but is more known for his defensive prowess. In the past, Weaver has been considered something of a specialist against Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. "If I stay out of the paper, Im doing my job," he said jokingly, as quoted by the Canadiens official website. "Im not a guy whos going to score a lot of points but I do the little things like block shots and penalty killing is my specialty. Id rather block a shot than score a goal so I guess you could say Im a goalies best friend back there." As the Panthers make moves for next season and beyond, general manager Dale Tallon was more than willing to give Weaver a shot to go to the Canadiens. "Were just looking to thhe future.dddddddddddd Montreal was in need of a solid defensive defenceman, and we felt that it was a good thing for Mike Weaver to get into the playoff picture and have a good opportunity to win with Montreal," Tallon said on a conference call Tuesday night. "Hes a great warrior, played his rear end off for us every night, blocked, shots, killed penalties, so I wish him well." Weaver has played in 585 career NHL games with the Panthers, Atlanta Thrashers, Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues. This is the first time he has been traded. Its the second year in a row the Habs went for defensive depth at the blue-line. They traded a fifth-rounder last year to the Kings for Davis Drewiskie, who played nine games for Montreal to finish out the 2013 season. Weaver is in the final season of a US$2.2-million, two-year deal. He is set to be an unrestricted free agent July 1. ' ' '