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Problem of plenty for Bilic
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Champs Greece look to avoid pointless exit
Champions Trophy
Ranatunga fears for game after T20
MCC endorses Pietersen’s switch-hitting
Punjab boys, girls top pools
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Croatia march on, Poles limp out
Klagenfurt, June 17 Already assured of a quarter-final against Turkey, they followed up wins over Austria and Germany with an efficient display against a poor Poland side and should have won more convincingly. The only goal came eight minutes into the second half from Ivan Klasnic, a striker, who has undergone two kidney transplants in the last 18 months. Croatia coach Slaven Bilic said: "We are proud to keep giving our fans so much to cheer about and we should have won by a bigger margin. Croatia will certainly fancy their chances against Turkey and could then face Germany, who they beat last week and in the quarter-finals of the 1998 World Cup or Portugal in the semis. Poland went into the game needing to win by at least two goals to have any chance and with Croatia resting nine first-choice players they could not have had a better situation. However, they looked toothless up front and lacking in midfield creativity, shortcomings that contributed to their single goal return from three games. After 10 minutes Croatia keeper Vedran Runje had to act smartly to punch away a cross just before it reached the head of Jacek Krzynowek but that was the only time he was seriously called into action in the first half. His opposite number Artur Boruc got busier and busier and made two good saves with his feet to deny the ever-dangerous Klasnic. Defender Hrvoje Vejic also flashed a header just wide while Danijel Pranjic should have done better when he shot across goal when clean through. The finishing was spot-on eight minutes into the second half, though, when Pranjic crossed low from the left and Klasnic clipped a first-time shot past Boruc to give them the lead and a subsequent victory they fully deserved.
— Reuters |
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Problem of plenty for Bilic
Croatia's 1-0 win over Poland in their Euro 2008 Group B match has left coach Slaven Bilic spoilt for choice over team selection ahead of Friday's quarter-final against Turkey in Vienna.
With only pride to play for, already-qualified Croatia started with nine reserves but still notched a third victory in a row after Ivan Klasnic, back in top level football after a kidney transplant last year, hit the second-half winner yesterday. ''Our performance showed we are all here for a reason as every single player in the squad has played some excellent football in the group stage,'' said forward Ivan Rakitic. ''I think I have shown the coach that he can have complete faith in my abilities and I am very happy for it,'' he said. Fuming after being left out of the opening 1-0 win over Austria, the 20-year-old Rakitic appears to have won Bilic's confidence with superb performances in the 2-1 defeat of Germany and the Poland game. The Poles had everything to play for but it was Croatia who dominated the match from start to finish and the final score did not flatter Bilic's men. ''We were not afraid to throw the reserves into action because many of them had proved themselves in pre-tournament friendlies,'' a delighted Bilic said. ''They all try to make an impact in every training session and the hard work is now starting to bear fruit.'' Apart from official man-of-the-match Klasnic, particularly impressive were goalkeeper Vedran Runje who stood in for Stipe Pletikosa as well as central midfielders Ognjen Vukojevic and Nikola
Pokrivac. — Reuters |
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Ballack sends Germany through
Vienna, June 17 Germany, needing to avoid defeat to stay in the tournament, looked nervous in the first half yesterday but Ballack's strike from 25 metres at the start of the second changed the game and took them through as Group B runners-up behind Croatia. They will go on to face Group A winners Portugal in Basel on Thursday. It was the first time the three-times winners have reached the quarter-finals since last clinching the trophy in 1996 in England and also gave them only their second win since then in the finals. They started their campaign here by beating Poland 2-0 before losing to Croatia 2-1 on Thursday to put their tournament survival in some jeopardy. ''The team put up a great fight. At the start we should have gone in front and the match would have been easier. The way it worked out we had to fight to the last minute,'' Ballack said. ''It's our own fault we ended up in this situation due to the Croatia match. It meant we couldn't play relaxed.'' Germany coach Joachim Loew described the match as an ''enormous pressure situation - it was a game full of emotions''. Austria, needing a win to stand a chance of going through, gave Germany a few nervous moments, particularly in a first half that ended with the two coaches sent to the stands by the referee after a dispute with the fourth official. Austria coach Josef Hickersberger described Ballack's decisive strike as ''sensational'' and added: ''Unfortunately, we weren't able to do up front what we had hoped.'' Germany should have given themselves the perfect start, and silence the majority of the 51,000 home crowd, when Miroslav Klose ran through the Austrian defence on the right of the area and crossed low for Mario Gomez. The German forward was just a metre out with an open goal but he mishit his shot, the ball flew up high and Gyorgy Garics headed it back off the line. Austria's game plan focused on hitting Germany on the break and the tactic almost paid off in the 19th minute when Erwin Hoffer was put through on goal, only for his control to let him down, giving Jens Lehmann the chance to gather. Ballack's free kick, belted right-footed into the top corner and clocked at 121 kilometres an hour by Germany TV company ARD, should have given the Germans the chance to pick off Austria on the break but they remained cautious. Austria, however, were short of ideas themselves and well before the end they were reduced to taking pot shots mainly from outside the area.
— Reuters |
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Russia get Arshavin boost for decider
Innsbruck, June 17 Russia need to win at the Tivoli-Neu stadium in Innsbruck to book a quarterfinal spot, while a draw would do for Sweden. Arshavin, widely considered Russia's top player, sat out their first two matches - a 4-1 defeat by Spain and a 1-0 win over Greece - and is expected to now take charge of the attack. “Arshavin is a footballer who can make something out of nothing,” the daily Sport Express quoted coach Guus Hiddink as saying. “He can score from anywhere. It's very useful for our team.” Despite the praise, Hiddink has hinted that 27-year-old Arshavin may not get an automatic place in the lineup. “I don't know whether he (Arshavin) will play or not,” Russian media quoted the Dutchman as saying. “The last match he took part in was a friendly against Lithuania (on June 4). Up until then, he had not played much, therefore he may not be in good enough condition to play a whole 90 minutes. We will see.” Assuming he does start, Arshavin would probably play slightly behind striker Roman Pavlyuchenko and Hiddink would have to drop a midfielder, possibly Diniyar Bilyaletdinov who looked tired against Greece and picked up a slight knock. Hiddink added that Sweden were the definite favourites and he expected them to play to win. “I do not think the mentality of the Swedes would allow them to play for a draw. They are open people, who like to win,” he
said. — Reuters |
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Champs Greece look to avoid pointless exit
Neustift (Austria), June 17 Spain is looking for a perfect finish to the group stage, while 2004 champion Greece wants to have some pride and avoid a scoreless and pointless exit. The teams met in a replay of a group match at Portugal four years ago that helped propel Greece's improbable run to its first major trophy. The stakes are far different now, with Spain through to the quarterfinals after victories over Group D rivals Russia and Sweden. Greece is in danger of being the first defending champion to exit the European Championship without scoring. "There is certainly a motivation for Wednesday's game. It could be no other way. It's still a big game," striker Nikos Lymberooulos said. The disappointing defence of the title will be capped by the international retirements of goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis and defender Paraskevas Antzas. Greece's tactics of playing too defensively against Sweden and then unsuccessfully opening up against Russia, plus the weight of expectation heaped on the experienced team was too much to carry. "It's been a tough group for them, but they want to go out with a good taste in their mouth," Spain defender Raul Albiol said. "They'll come out looking to have a good game and to beat us."
— AFP |
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Woods champion
San Diego (California), June 17 Woods, who had forced the 18-hole playoff for the crown with a birdie at the 72nd hole on Sunday evening, worked the magic again yesterday to claim his third US Open title and the 14th major championship of his career. "I think this is probably the best ever," said Woods, who willed himself to the victory despite debilitating pain in his surgically repaired left knee. "All things considered, I don't know how I ended up in this position," added Woods, who hadn't even walked 18 holes since the Masters until Thursday. "It was a long week. A lot of doubt, a lot of questions going into the week. And here we are, 91 holes later." A see-saw battle saw Mediate up by one stroke on the 18th tee. But Woods was not to be denied. With his birdie he matched Mediate's even-par 71 on the Torrey Pines South course, sending the playoff to sudden death for just the third time since the tournament adopted the format in 1954. They returned to the par-four seventh, where Mediate was in trouble off the tee, while Woods found the fairway. Mediate's bunker shot fell in front of a grandstand in a mandatory drop zone. As Woods waited by the green to putt, Mediate's chip rolled past the pin, leaving Woods to putt first for the championship. Woods just missed, putting the pressure on Mediate to keep the playoff alive, but he missed his 18-footer. "Today was just unreal," Woods said. "It just kept ebbing and flowing, back and forth, back and forth." Woods appeared poised to turn the back nine into a victory parade when he took a three-stroke lead through 10. But Woods bogeyed 11 and 12 to see his cushion sliced to one stroke. Both birdied 13, then Woods bogeyed the next - his par putt lipping out - while Mediate birdied and they were even heading into the final four holes. "I felt like I was still in control of the tournament until I missed that putt (at 14)," Woods said. "Then all of a sudden, OK, here we go. Now it's a ball game. Now we're all tied up." At the 15th, Mediate put his second shot from the fairway 25 feet from the pin. Woods, in a bunker, allowed himself to smile when he saw his sand shot left him inside his opponent.
— AFP |
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Champions Trophy
Lahore, June 17 The delegation will inspect the arrangements at the Gaddafi Stadium today, Rawalpindi Stadium on June 19 and National Stadium, Karachi, June 20 before returning on June 21. The delegation will also attend the official launch ceremony of the Champions Trophy at a hotel here tomorrow. Members of the delegation who are arriving today are Chris Tetley, Errol Stewart, Bruce Ewan, Lorinda Rugless, Sybil Fernandes, Jackie Crooks, Sami-ul-Hasan, Aarti Dabas and Andy Atkinson. They will be joined by ICC acting chief executive David Richardson tomorrow. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) faces a number of hurdles in its bid to host the event. With the Gaddafi and Rawalpindi Stadiums still under construction, it will be an uphill task to get them ready on time. The volatile security scenario in the country is also a major stumbling block. — UNI Sydney: Expressing concerns over the unstable security situation in Pakistan, the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA) has cast doubts over the troubled South Asian country's ability to host the Trophy. ''FICA is very concerned about the inherent risks of holding such an event in Pakistan in such a landscape of unrest and volatility and opposition to Western countries,'' FICA chief executive Tim May said. ''FICA is not alone in its concern regarding holding this event in Pakistan, compounded by the timing of the event in terms of the religious celebration of Ramadan and the anniversary of the September 11 attacks in New York,'' he added.
— UNI |
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Ranatunga fears for game after T20
Mumbai, June 17 "It needs only eleven mucks to win Twenty20 games. Even in ODI cricket you need seven to eight intelligent players and a captain while in T20 you need only power-hitters. You don't even need a good captain," said the 44-year-old Chairman of the Sri Lanka Cricket Board here last night. Although the Twenty20 revolution has brought in unimaginable amount of money into the game, especially to the players with the introduction of the billion-dollar Indian Premier League (IPL), Ranatunga said he was concerned about the health of the game. "I agree players were underpaid and deserved to get more. But tell me, is T20 good for the game? My concern is more for the game. I'm afraid that in future everyone would like to become only batsmen and there won't be many willing to take up bowling," said the left-hander who represented his country in 93 Tests and 269 ODIs between 1992 and 2000. Ranatunga, who led Lanka to the 1996 World Cup triumph with his imaginative captaincy and manamangement skills, pointed out the examples of cricket greats Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid to prove his point about his harsh views on T20 cricket. "Sachin Tendulkar is a great player, the finest batsman I have seen. But it was sad to see him try to change his game to suit the needs of Twenty20 cricket (during his stint as captain of Mumbai Indians in IPL). So was the case with Rahul Dravid, another great player," said the scorer of over 12,500 run in international cricket. Ranatunga also expressed concerns that Twenty20 cricket would affect the longevity of players in the international game. "I played for 20 years. But I am concerned for someone like Mahela (Jayawardene, the Lanka captain) who may not be able to last even 15 years (after the advent of T20)," he said. "I'm happy I played cricket at the right time, but unhappy I have become an administrator at the wrong time," he said.
— PTI |
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MCC endorses Pietersen’s switch-hitting Birmingham, June 17 Right-hander Pietersen changed to a left-hander's stance and altered his grip on the bat to hit Styris over the boundary twice during his match-winning 110 not out. The tactic was approved by the Marylebone Cricket Club today. “There's nothing wrong with what he's doing,” Styris told reporters at Edgbaston. “As a bowler you have to think on your feet but it's nothing different to a guy coming down the wicket at you.” “Sometimes you just have to take your hat off and say 'well played'. We all admire good cricket and I think that is what it was.” Styris said New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram, who bats left-handed, had experimented with a changed stance. “I know he has hit balls out of the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) batting right-handed,” he said. “It crossed my mind briefly when I was out there (batting) to play it but if I would have got out, it would have been a double blow.” Off-spinner Graeme Swann, who impressed for England in convincing wins over the Kiwis in Friday's Twenty20 International and Sunday's first of five one-day matches, also backed Pietersen. “It's brilliant, I can't understand the furore it has caused,” Swann said. “It got 16,000 people leaving the ground talking about it. It's a freak of nature how he can do it. Those hits didn't just dribble over the line, they cleared it by a distance.” “Had he been caught, people would have said 'what an idiot', like when (Mike) Gatting reverse swept and lost the World Cup in '87. For Kev to pull it off and to hit it as far as he did was laughable, it was pure KP. He does try it in the nets and he is almost impossible to bowl to when he decides to try things.” — Reuters
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Punjab boys, girls top pools
Jalandhar, June 17 In the boys section, having received a shocking defeat from Jharkhand on the opening day, Chhattisgarh registered a comfortable win against Haryana (60-30). On the other hand, host team Punjab boys defeated Jammu and Kashmir 53-4. With their second win, Punjab boys topped the pool. Punjab girls registered their third victory today morning beating Madhya Pradesh 38-21 and topped the pool. Boys: Pool A: Punjab b J&K 53-4, Pool B: Chhattisgarh b Haryana 62-30, Jharkhand b Uttrakhand 49-4, Chhattisgarh b Uttrakhand 50-4, Pool C: Karnataka b Tripura 57-8, Rajasthan b Tripura 57-8, Pool E: UP b Orissa 43-28, M’shtra b AP 55-16. Girls Section: Pool C: Haryana b Chandigarh 41-2, Pool D: Maharashtra b Manipur 34-6, Pool E: West Bengal b Rajasthan 39-23, Punjab b MP 38-21, Pool F: Jharkhand b TN 39-25, T N b Kerala 27-13, Jharkhand b Uttrakhand 45-1. |
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