Monday, July 6, 1998
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S P O R T | Monday, July 6, 1998 |
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 Croatia's Davor Suker (9) and Zvonimir Soldo (14) are challenged by Germany's Jorg Heinrich (left) and Dietmar Hamann (16) during the Germany-Croatia quarter-final match at the soccer World Cup 98 at Gerland Stadium in Lyon on Saturday. Croatia won 3-0. Germany collapse against Croatia Oliver Bierhoff lost his golden touch and the aging German team ran out of comebacks. Croatia stormed... Sending off was a joke, says Woerns Defender Christian Woerns described his sending off in Germany’s demoralising 3-0 defeat by Croatia in the World Cup quarter-finals last night as a joke.. Sampras lifts title Defending champion Pete Sampras overcame Goran Ivanisevic in a thrilling five-set final today to win his fifth Wimbledon men’s singles title in six years... AAFI selects 33 for Fukuoka meet Amateur Athletic Federation of India (AAFI) has selected a 33-member team to take part in the forthcoming XII the Asian Track and Field Championships to be held in Fukuoka... Anand still winless in Dortmund Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, still looking for his first win here, found himself in an incredibly worse situation... |
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Brazilians
keep the World Cup alive Brazil have always been the team to watch at the World Cup and Friday's quarter-final win over Denmark in a five-goal thriller showed just why they are... Croatia explodes with joy Brazil have always been the team to watch at the World Cup and Friday's quarter-final win over Denmark in a five-goal thriller showed just why they are so popular... Bergkamp...from villain to hero Dennis Bergkamp went from villain to hero as his sublime goal fired Holland into the World Cup semifinal. The Dutch attacker is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world but he has showed a darker side... Lanka enter final Skipper Arjuna Ranatunga struck an entertaining 102 to guide Sri Lanka to a comfortable 87-run win over New Zealand for a final clash against India in the Independence Cup triangular cricket triseries today. The islanders, put in by New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming, rattled up 293 for four in 50 overs...  Sri Lankan Captain Arjuna Ranatunga slams a century against New Zealand. Sri Lanka who beat New Zealand by a huge margin of 87 runs now meets India in the final on Tuesday. |
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Germany
collapse
against Croatia LYON
(France), July 5 (AP) — Oliver Bierhoff
lost his golden touch and the aging German team ran out
of comebacks. Croatia stormed into the semifinals of the
World Cup with a stunning 3-0 victory over the three-time
champion, one of the biggest upsets in soccer history. |
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| Sending
off was a
joke, says Woerns LYON, July 5 (Reuters) — Defender Christian Woerns described his sending off in Germany’s demoralising 3-0 defeat by Croatia in the World Cup quarter-finals last night as a joke. "You only get two or so chances to play at the World Cup — perhaps only one — and I think it was a joke," said Woerns who watched the rest of the match in the dressing room after the dismissal. Veteran Germany Libero Lothar Matthaeus added: "Sometimes FIFA puts referees in who normally only referee second-class games. We have looked at the television replays twice and I don’t think the red card was justified. "But it wasn’t just the referee’s fault. We had our opportunities but the referee played a big role (in the defeat)." Woerns was sent off for a late tackle on Davor Suker in the 40th minute. With the Germans down to 10 men, Croatia then pulled off the biggest victory of their history. The result marked one of Germany’s worst-ever World Cup defeats. It will mark an end of an era for many of the team. Matthaeus, captain Juergen Klinsmann and defender Juergen Kohler are all set to retire from the international game. Others on the wrong side of 30 may be ditched as the Germans look to rebuild a completely new team for the 2000 European championship. But, as one of the younger players in the team, Woerns is expected to be a big part of Germany’s future. He was clearly holding back the tears when he spoke to reporters afterwards. But Matthaeus said: "We were completely demoralised in the dressing rooms afterwards. Christian blames himself but we don’t blame him." Klinsmann, usually very happy to talk to the media, walked past reporters without saying a word after the match. Coach Berti Vogts said the Croats had played in a very provocative way and said the decision has turned the match. "Before the sending-off we were the better team," he said. "It was a provocative way they got the red card. I don’t want to say any more about it. "But the team did everything they could and I am satisfied with them. There is no point in arguing about the card. The Croats are going to Paris and we are going home." Vogts is unlikely to make any quick decisions about his future. It is not in his nature. He said immediately after the match that he would think about his future. There may be calls for him to quit but the fact is that there is no natural replacement ready to take over. Woern’s dismissal may even help Vogts keep his job because it can be seen as a reason for the defeat. When the Germans went out of the 1994 World Cup at the same stage after a defeat by Bulgaria, it was regarded as a national footballing calamity. This time the German public may realise that the team was too old and Vogts cannot be blamed for a refereeing decision and the lack of young talent at his disposal.  |
| Brazilians keep the World Cup alive LESIGNY, France, July 5 (Reuters) — Brazil have always been the team to watch at the World Cup and Friday's quarter-final win over Denmark in a five-goal thriller showed just why they are so popular. The South Americans' nature gifts and desire to take risk helped produce an epic encounter which contrasted sharply with the 120 minutes of goalless football played out by Italy and France a few hours earlier. Brazil coach Mario Zagallo has been accused of inhibiting the natural talent of his players by lumbering them with tedious tasks such as marking and defending. But on Friday, sparked by Denmark's presumption in scoring after just 95 seconds, Zagallo let his players loose. "So many people thought you couldn't see a game like Brazil and Denmark at the World Cup," said Brazil coach Mario Zagallo. "We had the France against Italy game and moments later Brazil against Denmark but it like watching games from different eras." "Italy went on to the pitch with the clear aim of taking the game to penalties. Brazil and Denmark played the sort of game that everyone would like to see all the time." Brazil frequently attacked with seven or eight players and both full-backs, Cafu and Roberto Carlos, swept forward without inhibition, even if it meant leaving huge gaps at the back for the Danes to exploit. A few hours earlier in the Stade de France, the predominant sight had been of two or three French attackers facing eight or nine Italian defenders. Zagallo was in no doubt which bill of fare was preferable. Zagallo was so pleased he even seemed prepared to forgive the mix-up in the Brazil defence when they were caught out by quickly taken free kick for Denmark's first goal. "We had talked about their free kicks in the dressing room I have repeated it several time. It was a terrible lack of concentration," he said. "But it was a victory worthy of Brazil. Brazilian football is really good. We needed to be good to beat Denmark." Brazil were pleased with way they came back after falling behind in the second minute and how they overcame the blow of being pulled back to 2-2 at the start of the second half. "We showed that we have character as well," said midfielder Cesar Sampaio. "When we went behind, we didn't panic, we just kept playing our normal football." A curiosity of Brazil's performance was the way in which the team's top players were overshadowed. Ronaldo, who had been billed as the star attraction before the World Cup, had this thunder stolen by midfielder Rivaldo, who scored two of the goals and took his tally to three — the same as the Inter Milan player. Instead of goalkeeper, Ronaldo turned provider as he set up Brazil's first two goals with incisive passes through the Danish defence. "I thought the whole team played well but if you want to say that Rivaldo had an exceptional game, I won't argue," said Zagallo. "I give him 10 out of 10." "Ronaldo had a very good game without scoring." Left-back Roberto Carlos was outdone by his fellow full back Cafu, who had been heavily criticised before the competition but who was got better with every game. Roberto Carlos had a bad day on Friday. He was booked early on and then could have been sent off if an outrageous dive shortly afterwards had been recognised for what it was by the referee. Denmark scored their second after he attempted to clear the ball with a bicycle kick but embarrassingly failed to make full contact. Veteran striker Bebeto, who many Brazil supporters would like to see replaced by Denilson, repaid Zagallo's faith in him with an excellent performance which was capped when he scored Brazil's equaliser for 1-1. Denilson, who for the third time in five games replaced Bebeto midway through the second half, was ineffective. Brazil's one big worry for Tuesday semifinal in Marseille is that Cafu will be suspended on two yellow cards. His natural replacement is Ze Carlos, who has never played a full international. |
| Croatia explodes with joy JAGREB, July 5 (Reuters) — Croatians turned their attention to tennis favourite Goran Ivanisevic's third Wimbledon final today on the heels of the national team's triumphant World Cup victory over Germany. A delegation of team players may go to London for the final. Croatia, who face France in the semifinals, upset all the odds last night to beat Germany 3-0 in their quarter-final in Lyon — the Germans' worst World Cup defeat for 40 years. A much calmer Ivanisevic was seen on court and after the match admitted he had tried to keep his emotions in check. "Croatia have a great chance and so do I, and if we both win, Jeez, I think the whole of Croatia will be drunk for the rest of the year," he said after the match. Last night indicated his prediction could come true. The whole country exploded with joy seconds after the team demolished the three-time world champions in the biggest sport victory in the country’s short history. Thousands of fans filled the central Jelacic Square, creating a carnival-like atmosphere by shouting, honking horns dancing, waving Croatian flags and throwing fireworks. Television broadcast similar scenes from right across the country. "Croatia’s going to make it to the final. I’m shocked but I’m unbelievable happy," said engineer Bernard Bajan, 29. "I can’t describe it. We’re the best team in the world," said a 19-year-old named Lino. "Maybe if we play as well as today, maybe we will have a chance. It is excellent for our country — not just for football. Our reputation in the world will be higher, people will know what Croatia is." Some 40 persons were slightly injured and three remained in hospital mainly after alcohol-related incidents. But the police said no-one was badly hurt. "They were mainly light physical injuries incurred during celebrations after people had consumed a drop of alcohol," a police duty officer told Reuters. He said 19 trams and seven buses had also suffered damage while around 10 shop and cafe windows had been broken. Some 200 youths watching on a giant screen in a downtown pub and clad in the red and white chequered team shirts, shouted ‘Revenge, Revenge’ when Goran Vlaovic’s 25-metre drive 10-minutes from time put the game out of the reach for the Germans. It was a reference to a painful 2-1 defeat by Germany in the 1996 European Championship, when Croats felt they were a better team but lost due to inexperience and dubious refereeing. But this victory will do more than just raise their profile as a footballing nation. President Franjo Tudjman, 76, said the squad had a historic mission to achieve in France and flew to Lyon to watch the game yesterday. "This means a lot for the self-confidence of the Croatian man, for our homeland," Mr Tudjman said after congratulating the players in the dressing room for their success. |
| Bergkamp...from villain to hero By Sir Geoff Hurst DENNIS Bergkamp went from villain to hero as his sublime goal fired Holland into the World Cup semifinal. The Dutch attacker is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world but he has showed a darker side to his character in France too. Bergkamp may have lit up the quarterfinal against Agrentina with his stunning strike but he should not have even been on the pitch after stamping on an opponent during the previous round against Yugoslavia. The Arsenal striker can argue he was provoked but I don't care if the defender stuck his fingers up his nose, you should never attack an opponent. If the match official had spotted his malicious stamp he would have been banned from the quarterfinals and semifinals for violent conduct. We have seen far to much histrionic rolling around and retaliation in this World Cup. The new rules mean there is hardly a physical contact at all, yet we still see some of the world's best players lashing out. The list of shame already included Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, Patrick Kluivert and Bergkamp and we can now add Agrentina's Ariel Ortega to that list. I just cannot understand what the little playmaker was thinking of when he blatantly head-butted the Dutch goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar. To make matters worse he had just dived over the leg of Jaap Stam in an attempt to cheat the referee into awarding Argentina a penalty. I know Ortega is renowned for not having much upstairs but to behave like that when the opposition are already down to 10 men is insane. His moment of madness wrenched the initiative from his team and handed it firmly back to the Dutch. All it needed was one moment of inspiration from Bergkamp from a Frank De Boer pass and the Argentinians were out of the World Cup final. I can't imagine what the coach, Daniel Passerella, must have said to Ortega in the dressing room after the game. This cheating and gamesmanship must be stamped out of the game as it has already tainted this World Cup. France '98 has seen more diving and feigning of injuries than any other and something must be done urgently. Football is and must remain a full contact sport but the cheats are threatening to wreck the game at the highest level with their histrionics. I am beginning to feel that the only way to deal with it is by sending off players found guilty of diving. Perhaps a quick video replay of the incident could be used to decide whether a player has cheated and if he has, then he should be shown the red card. |
| Anand still winless in Dortmund DORTMUND, July 5 (PTI) — Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand, still looking for his first win here, found himself in an incredibly worse situation of his illustrious career when he was held to a seventh draw in eight games at the Sparkassen chess meeting 1998. The Indian GM was held to a 30-move draw by Hungary’s Zoltan Almasi in the eighth round here last night. Anand now lies in the lower half of the standings with 3.5 points, less than 50 per cent, something which has not happened to him in a very long time. World number three Vladimir Kramnik (5.5 points) escaped defeat at the hands of talented Peter Leko of Hungary and drew his game to share the lead with Michael Adams of England with one round to go in this category-18 tournament. Adams, who shocked Anand in the seventh round, drew with Alexey Shirov of Spain to maintain his claim for the title. In a nimzo-Indian game, Anand playing white, was unable to take advantage of early initiative. Almasi, who had lost to Anand in the world championship qualifiers in Groningen last December, was content with a draw here, a much bigger league tournament. As Anand continued with his winless streak in this tournament, something of a rarity and what worse is score, less than 50 per cent. It could mean a loss of some ELO points for Anand, who is now knocking on the doors of a historic 2800 mark. His tournament rating thus far has been 2645 as compared to his normal 2795. Russia’s Kramnik, the three-time winner here, was at one stage two pawns down and Leko seemed headed for a certain win in a rook and pawn ending. The Russian started with benko opening but Leko, a dangerous player on his day, forced Kramnik into defensive. But Kramnik, true to his form and rating, managed to hang on and Leko was unable to find way home on the last stretch and the players agreed for truce after 52 moves. It would have been the defending champion’s first ever loss in Dortmund. Adams and Shirov drew their game in 33 moves in petroff defence, while Peter Svidler outplayed Vassily Ivanchuk in 33 moves in ruy lopez game. In the last game, Artur Yusupov of Germany managed to win in queen’s gambit against Beliavsky. Results of the eighth round: Kramnik drew with Leko, Adams drew with Shirov, Svidler beat Ivanchuk, Anand drew with Almasi, Beliavsky lost to Yusupov. Points after penultimate round: 1-2 - Kramnik and Adams (5.5 points each); 3-4 - Leko and Svidler (5 each); 5 -Ivanchuk (4); 6-8 - Anand, Almasi and Yusupov (3.5 each); 9 -Beliavsky (2.5); 10 - Shirov (2). |
| AAFI selects 33 for Fukuoka meet NEW DELHI, July 5 (PTI) — Amateur Athletic Federation of India (AAFI) has selected a 33-member team to take part in the forthcoming XII the Asian Track and Field Championships to be held in Fukuoka, Japan, from July 19 to 22. Another trial would be conducted in Bangalore on July 12, to give another chance to the 4X400 m relay (women's) and 4X100 (men's) teams to qualify. The selection committee has also picked athletes, who performed well at the recently-concluded Federation Cup at Chennai but narrowly missed the qualification marks, Lalit Bhanot, the federation's secretary, said. Team: Men: 100 m — Rajeev Balakrishnan, Amit Khanna. 200 — Amit Khanna, 400 m — Paramjit Singh, Lijjo David, 5000/1000 — Gulab Chand, Harish Tiwari, Shot put — Ajit Badhuria, Shakti Singh, Javelin — Satbir Singh, Hammer — Virinder Punia, 4X400 — Paramjit Singh, Lijjo David, P. Ramachandran, Jata Shaker, K.G. Manoj Lal, Dinesh Rawat. Women: 100/200 m — P.T. Usha, Rachita Mistry, 400 m — P.T. Usha, Jyotirmoy Sikdar, 800/1500 — Jyotirmoy Sikdar, Rosakutty, 400 m hurdles — M.K. Asha, High jump — Bobby Alloysius, Shot put — Amandeep Kaur, Discus — Neelam J. Singh, Swarnjit Kaur, Javelin — Gurmeet Kaur, Hammer — Surinder Jeet Kaur, Heptathlon — G.G. Prameela, 4X400 — P.T. Usha, Rachita Mistry, E.B. Shyla, Saraswati Devi, S. Vinita, Tripathi. The participation of the men's 4X100 m relay team — Ravij Balakrishnan, Amit Khanna, Vikram Singh, Anand Menosez and the women's 4X400 team — P.T. Usha, Jyotirmoy Sikdar, Rosa Kutty, K.M. Beenamol, M.K. Asha — is subjected to qualification. |
| Lanka enter final COLOMBO, July 5 (PTI) — Skipper Arjuna Ranatunga struck an entertaining 102 to guide Sri Lanka to a comfortable 87-run win over New Zealand for a final clash against India in the Independence Cup triangular cricket triseries today. The islanders, put in by New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming, rattled up 293 for four in 50 overs and restricted New Zealand - faced with an almost impossible task of making 294 in 41.3 overs at 7.08 an over - to 206 in 39.1 overs. Sri Lanka topped the group with eight points and will meet India in the day-night final to be played at the Premadasa Stadium here on July 7. India, who had sealed the summit clash with the best NRR, finished with six points while the young New Zealand side, frustrated by the active monsoon, went out of final reckoning with just four points gained from as many abandoned ties. ‘Man of the match’ Ranatunga enjoyed two let-offs as he smashed six fours and two sixes in his 98-ball knock and shared a breezy 132-run third wicket stand with his deputy Aravinda De Silva, who underlined his consistency making 62 (82 b, 2 x 4, 1 x 6) for his third fifty of the tournament. The Sri Lankan batsmen put the Kiwi attack to sword after stumper Romesh Kaluwitharana (54) and Sanath Jayasuriya gave a perfect opening stand worth 69 runs. Ranatunga, dropped by Craig Spearman and Fleming, was out in the penultimate over. Opener Nathan Astle gave the Kiwis a glimmer of hope by cracking a brave 74 to help his team reach 100 in 15 overs, but they lost wickets regularly to fold up tamely. Sri Lanka: Jayasuriya c Cairns b Vettori 24 Kaluwitharana c Astle b Harris 54 Aravinda c Fleming b Harris 62 Ranatunga c Fleming b McMillan 102 Upul Chandana not out 27 Marvan Atapattu not out 6 Extras (lb-6, w-12) 18 Total (for four wickets in 50 overs) 293 Fall of wickets: 1-69, 2-92, 3-224, 4-282. Bowling: Chris Cairns 7-0-52-0, Dion Nash 5-0-30-0, Daniel Vettori 10-0-53-1, Chris Harris 10-1-44-2, Paul Wiseman 6-0-32-0, Brian McMillan 7-0-38-1, Nathan Astle 5-0-38-0. New Zealand: B.Young c Mahanama b Perera 3 N.Astle c De Silva b Chandana 74 S.Fleming c Dharmasena b Bandaratileke 20 C.McMillan c Muralitharan b Bandaratileke 5 M.Horne c Kaluwitharana b Muralitharan 4 C.Cairns c Kaluwitharana b Jayasuriya 28 C.Harris b Jayasuriya 2 A.Parore not out 28 D.Nash c Chandana b Muralitharan 3 D.Vettori b Jayasuriya 0 P.Wiseman c Dharmasena b Chandana 16 Extras (lb-10 w-12 nb-1) 23 Total (all out in 39.1 overs) 206 Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-78, 3-86, 4-106, 5-152, 6-154, 7-163, 8-172, 9-176. Bowling: Perera 4-0-34-1, Bandaratileke 9-0-35-2, Dharmasena 2-0-24-0, Muralitharan 10-0-49-2, Jayasuriya 8-0-28-3, Chandana 6.1-0-26-2. |
| Sampras lifts title LONDON, July 5 (Reuters) — Defending champion Pete Sampras overcame Goran Ivanisevic in a thrilling five-set final today to win his fifth Wimbledon men’s singles title in six years. The 26-year-old American came back from a set down to win his 11th Grand Slam title 6-7, 7-6, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in a classic serve-volley final lasting two hours and 52 minutes. Sampras, the world number one, thrust his arms in the air after watching Ivanisevic’s block-volley sail over the baseline to hand him his first Grand Slam title since winning here last year. "I was very, very nervous in the fifth, I was able to raise my game a little," said Sampras. "I just can’t believe I’ve won five of these." The victory ensured Sampras would retain the number one world ranking, but more importantly for the American, it carried him to within one title of Roy Rmerson’s all-time record of 12 Grand Slam singles crowns. Sampras’s victory ended a barren run in the majors after he failed to advance beyond the quarter-final stage in his last three Grand Slams. His victory placed him beside Bjorn Borg and his idol Rod Laver on the all-time list of Grand Slam winners. Ivanisevic, watched by the Croatian Prime Minister Zlatko Matesa, was distraught after his third loss in a Wimbledon final. "In the fifth set I was more tired in my legs and I lost the rhythm with my serve," he said. "I was getting more and more tired. It was the worst moment in my life." Two days earlier, the Croat battled for nearly three and a half hours before beating Richard Krajicek to reach the final. The 26-year-old was clearly exhausted in the final set, twice dropping his serve to hand the title to Sampras. |
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