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| Tuesday, June 27, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Zidane — outstanding
yet again |
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| History repeats itself BRUGES (Belgium), June 26 — Almost 16 years to the day since France beat Spain to win the 1984 European Championship inspired by a magical player in a No 10 shirt, history repeated itself on Sunday. Rijkaard pleased with performance ROTTERDAM, June 26 — Dutch coach Frank Rijkaard went out to praise an all-round team performance by his side in the 6-1 humbling of Yugoslavia, the highest win in the finals of a European Championships.
Cronje
begs for forgiveness
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BRUSSELS, June 26 (AFP) — Holland and France stayed on course for a Euro 2000 final meeting on July 2, both winning their quarterfinals but in vastly contrasting fashions. France beat Spain 2-1 but only because star Spanish striker Raul blazed a last-gasp penalty over the bar. Earlier Zinedine Zidane had put the French ahead after 33 minutes only for Gaizka Mendieta to equalise from a penalty five minutes later. But a minute before the interval Youri Djorkaeff slammed home what proved to be the winner to keep the world champions on course for the continental crown and a semifinal date with Portugal — a repeat of the classic encounter between the two nations in Euro 1984, won 3-2 in extra-time by France at Marseille. Raul, who took the second penalty because Mendieta had been substituted, spurned his glorious chance from the spot after a needless foul by Fabien Barthez on Abelardo and substitute Ismael Urzaiz also missed a sitter in the dying seconds as Spain produced a stirring finale. The manner of France’s victory could not have been in greater contrast to that of Holland. They hammered Yugoslavia 6-1 in Rotterdam’s De Kuip Stadium with only an injury time strike from Savo Milosevic sparing the Balkan side from a whitewash and putting the Dutch through to a semifinal with Italy. Four goals from Patrick Kluivert and a brace from Marc Overmars had put the Dutch on cruise control although goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar made a brilliant save from Predrag Mijatovic after good work from Milosevic. But then the Holland bandwagon started to roll. First Kluivert worked a superb move with Dennis Bergkamp before lifting the ball over Ivica Krajl. Then he scored with a well-taken half-volley after a delightful floated ball from Edgar Davids. After the interval Paul Bosvelt crossed and Kluivert wheeled away to claim his third although he did not seem to touch the ball before Govedarica deflected it past Kralj. But the 23-year-old Barcelona striker ensured himself of at least a hat-trick — regardless of the UEFA’s decision — when he scored after a fine run by Boudewijn Zenden. It was 4-0 and the Dutch were playing Yugoslavia off the park. Next Marc Overmars scored with a ferocious shot that Krajl could only help into the goal and then he grabbed his second and Holland’s sixth when Phillip Cocu’s shot came back off the woodwork. It was fantasy football from the ‘Oranje’ but then Milosevic came up with his fifth goal of the tournament although Yugoslavia looked too embarrassed to celebrate it. Kluivert said himself at the post-match press conference he had only scored three goals, admitting: “I only scored three goals. I am honest.” The UEFA will decide today but for the moment, his four goals stand. Holland coach Frank Rijkaard said: “The boys had a wonderful evening and I’m proud of them. Patrick’s goals were a team performance. If no one gives you the ball you cannot score. “The 11 players gave everything they had. I think the crowd today was our 12th player and that’s a wonderful feeling. We can be glad about that.” Yugoslavia coach Vujadin Boskov said Holland had an advantage over all the other teams because they were playing at home. “I would like to mention how extraordinary the Dutch supporters were,” he said. France, meanwhile, had to show true grit in their 2-1 victory over Spain in the Belgian town of Bruges. They had survived some anxious moments before taking the lead after 33 minutes. Zidane, whose two goals helped the French beat Brazil 3-0 in the 1998 World Cup final, put them in front with a trademark freekick that gave Santiago Canizares no chance. But then Lilian Thuram fouled Pedro Munitis in the French penalty area and Italian referee Pierluigi Collina pointed to the spot. Mendieta converted the penalty to square the scores but just a minute before the interval Djorkaeff struck the hammer blow. Patrick Vieira produced a surging run and fed the overlapping Djorkaeff who fired a ferocious shot past Canizares at his near post. The second half was a less eventful affair although Spanish duo Michel Salgado and Paco were lucky not to be red carded by Collina. But suddenly in the dying seconds there was a dramatic turn of events with French goalkeeper Barthez fouling Abelardo. Raul spooned his spot-kick over the bar and Urzaiz had time to squander another chance for Spain. “It was what we expected,” said Lemerre. “There was a lot of suspense. The essential thing is that we are in the semifinal and we are hoping for much more than that.” Zidane said: “We
had the heart to play a great game this evening. It was
hard to beat this Spanish team, the result proves it. But
the French win is deserved.” |
Zidane — outstanding yet again BRUGES, Belgium, June 26 (Reuters) — Zinedine Zidane has said he was feeling great after looking exactly that way as he inspired France to a hard-fought 2-1 win over Spain yesterday for a spot in the semifinals of Euro 2000. “I’m 28 and I’m at the peak of my powers,” said the gifted playmaker after offering an outstanding display two days after his birthday. “I’m feeling really good. Let’s hope it will continue.’’ Not only did the Juventus player put the world champions in the lead with a superb 32nd minute free kick — his 14th goal for France in 57 appearances. France’s No 10 also orchestrated play with mastery throughout an exciting game. He was at the heart of every move the French made, demonstrating his unique skills and vision. “When we don’t know what to do with the ball, we just give it to him and he works out something,” said wing back Bixente Lizarazu, summing up how vital Zidane is to his team. The 1998 European footballer of the year — who may well win the award this year again if he helps France go all the way simply did everything right. “Zizou, Zizou,” chanted the French fans in the Bruges stadium after he danced passed three Spanish players to set up a perfect cross — which found no takers — in one of the highlights of his awesome performance. “He really is exceptional,” said striker Christophe Dugarry, a close friend of Zidane since the two played together for Bordeaux. “Sometimes you want to stop playing just to watch him.” Zidane’s showing naturally drew comparisons with another French hero, Michel Platini, who was equally brilliant and also scored from a free kick in another great victory over Spain, in the 1984 European final. But everything almost went awfully wrong for France yesterday, Raul firing a penalty kick over the bar in stoppage time. “We were getting ready for extra time,” said Zidane. “It would have been tough for us, but for them as well, and I think we were fresher. But looking at the whole 90 minutes, I think we deserved to win.” The quiet, almost shy, son of north-African immigrants became a French monument when he scored two headed goals in the 3-0 defeat of Brazil in the 1998 World Cup final at the Stade de France. But there could be more to come for the kid from a tough Marseille suburb turned soccer star as another triumph is only two matches away. “I think we’re even stronger than we were two years ago,’’ he said. “we’ve had two years to mature and we’ve got several talented strikers now.’’ But Portugal, who take
on France on Wednesday for a place in the final, will be
well aware that their opponents’ most lethal weapon
remains a balding phenomenon wearing the No 10 shirt. |
Yugoslavia stunned by demolition ROTTERDAM, June 26 (Reuters) — Yugoslavia took solace in an impressive Dutch display of attacking soccer when they went out of Euro 2000 after a 1-6 defeat in the quarterfinals yesterday. Midfielder Dragan Stojkovic, who said the quarterfinal may have been his last match for his country, felt Yogoslavia had begun brightly against the Dutch. “We started to play very well until the first goal from Holland”, the former Olympique Marseille midfielder said. “Just before this first goal, we had a great opportunity to score but Van Der Sar had a great save. And after the first goal from (Patrick) Kluivert, they started to play very, very well.” The 35-year-old, who plays for Nagoya Grampus eight in Japan, admitted the Yugoslavs had been stunned by the Dutch. “They absolutely deserved victory. We were in shock”, he said. The veteran said he would now consider his international future. Asked if he would play again for Yugoslavia, Stojkovic replied: “I don’t think so.” Veteran coach Vujadin Boskov congratulated the Dutch but said they had also had luck on their side. “I think our team succeeded overall at the European Championships as we are, theoretically and practically, among the fifht best teams in Europe,” the former Sampdoria boss said. Boskov (69) also
admitted he had not reorganised his defence well to
compensate for left back Goran Djorovic, who missed the
game because of injury. |
History repeats itself BRUGES (Belgium), June 26 (Reuters) — Almost 16 years to the day since France beat Spain to win the 1984 European Championship inspired by a magical player in a No 10 shirt, history repeated itself on Sunday. France knocked out Spain from Euro 2000 with a dramatic 2-1 victory — inspired by another magical player in a No 10 shirt. On June 27, 1984 at the Parc des Princes in Paris, Michel Platini scored the opening goal of the final as France beat Spain 2-0 to become European Champions for the first and, so far, the only time. On Sunday, Zinedine Zidane, as he has done so many times in the past, again drew comparisons with Platini’s golden heyday of the mid-1980s with another majestic performance that mixed artistry, vision, technical brilliance and sheer hard work. Just as Platini used to do then, Zidane utterly dominated this quarterfinal. He was at the heart of almost every French attack, was always looking for the pass to create something out of nothing, and, just like Platini 16 years ago, he scored the opening goal to set France on their way to victory. And how France — who have now not lost to Spain in eight matches since 1981 — needed him. Spain made France work hard and blew a great chance of their own to force the game into extra time when Raul, of all people, fired a last minute penalty high over the bar. So Spain, the great under-achievers of European soccer, are out and France now face Portugal in the semifinal in Brussels on Wednesday — another match that will rekindle memories of Platini at his finest. Four days before beating Spain in the 1984 final, France came from behind to beat Portugal 3-2 in the semifinal in Marseilles — with Platini scoring the winner a minute before the end of extra time in one of the most exciting internationals played in the last 20 years. It seems unlikely that Portugal can go the distance with France again. Despite that heart-stopping moment in the last minute when Raul fired high over the bar and substitute Ismael Urzaiz headed over the bar with an open goal to aim at deep into stoppage time, France were too clever for Spain. The always had too many options and if Zidane took a creative breather for a moment or two then their second goalscorer Youri Djorkaeff or the seemingly rejuvenated Didier Deschamps, winning his 99th cap for France, took up the mantle. Spanish coach Jose Antonio Camacho admitted: “France, as the world champions, just have that little extra that other teams don’t have. “We did our best to win the game but we just couldn’t match it. I don’t think we deserved to lose — but there is no point in crying about it.” French coach Roger
Lemerre, whose team remains on course to become the first
world champions to win the European title — West
Germany won the European title in 1972 followed by the
World Cup in 1974 — fielded his first-choice
starting line-up after fielding a virtual reserve side in
the 2-3 defeat against the Netherlands last Wednesday. |
Rijkaard pleased with performance ROTTERDAM, June 26 (DPA) — Dutch coach Frank Rijkaard went out to praise an all-round team performance by his side in the 6-1 humbling of Yugoslavia, the highest win in the finals of a European Championships. Although striker Patrick Kluivert scored four goals, Rijkaard said: “I think we really had a good team performance. I can be satisfied and am truly satisfied for all the players who did the work”. Rijkaard said Kluivert, the first player to strike four times in a match at a European Championships, “did a wonderful job but I constantly have to repeat the same words: Kluivert scored four goals but it was part of the team performance’’. He added: “It is really exciting to play like this but it is a team performance. I can mention more than 11 players who did a great job”. Dennis Bergkamp, who played a deeper role between midfield and attack, was also praised. “He has always had a contribution to the Dutch team because he scored a lot of goals. “He is an important part of the whole team and if you see everything fit together it is a wonderful feeling for tonight. “He played a very fine role in that position. I have to pay him a great compliment for the way he played”. Semifinal opponents Italy will be “completely different. We all know Italians play a very defensive kind of football. They have a wonderful defence and a wonderful counter attack. It will be an interesting game’’. Yugoslav coach Vujadin Boskov said of the Dutch: “They played excellently. They had also luck. Every shot went in the net. “It was not a good match. When we lose by six goals, that is negative defeat. But I think our team succeeded at this European Championships since were theoretically and practically eighth in Europe. “We must be realistic. We played without three regular players and we can criticise first myself and then the players, but we played the Netherlands on their own pitch, and with their support it is not easy. “Although they were better, and I compliment them, I think they were lucky this afternoon. “He (Kluivert) scored four goals and the goals speak for themselves. That’s some kind of record. “When somebody scores goals he is always lucky. We made a big tactical mistake. Nobody impeded the Dutch players. They shot and in 90 minutes they had many opportunities and took advantage of them”. Asked about his future,
Boskov replied: “I was never ill and hope I will not
die soon”. |
Hingis, Sampras post wins LONDON, June 26 (DPA) — Top seeds Martina Hingis and Pete Sampras performed as expected as the $ 12.6-million Wimbledon Championships got underway today, each scoring straight-set victories into the second round. Hingis overcame the drama of her first-round exit here a year ago at the hands of Australian Jelena Dokic, returning to the same number 1 court where she fell to the Australian teenager to produce a 6-1, 6-2 sweep of Spain’s Angeles Montolio. Sampras showed no sign of the slight back pain he suffered this week during practice at the All England Club as he beat Jiri Vanek of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. The 28-year-old American has his eye on a record 13th career Grand Slam singles title as well as a seventh Wimbledon crown. He has won the tournament for six of the last seven years, losing only to Dutchman Richard Krajicek in the 1996 quarter-finals. Krajicek, seeded 11th despite a current standing in the game which puts him down in the 70s, put out German lucky loser Michael Kohlmann 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4). “I’ve never seen the guy or watched him play,’’ said the Dutchman. “I heard his first serve was good. You don’t know where he’s hitting the ball. “You have to figure him out, that sometimes takes a bit longer. I needed a couple of games to see how he returned.’’ Kohlmann was brought on as a late replacement only Sunday night when Spain’s Albert Costa pulled out in protest along with compatriot Alex Corretja over not being seeded despite standing in the world’s top 16. “Maybe it would have been more pressure to play Costa,’’ Krajicek said. “But against this guy, there was no extra pressure.’’ Krajicek is one of the handful of big servers along with Sampras, Mark Philippoussis and Greg Rusedski who can always be counted among Wimbledon grass-court title hopes. Italy’s smooth-stroking veteran Gianluca Pozzi knocked out Czech Jiri Novak 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, while Andrei Pavel of Romania defeated Spanish pure clay-courter Alberto Berasategui 6-0, 6-4, 6-2. Third seed Magnus Norman, the French Open finalist, was making his grass-court debut after a back injury, taking on Australian veteran Mark Woodforde. Also on court in first-round contests: Australian Lleyton Hewitt, who beat Sampras for the title a week ago at Queen’s Club, 14th seed Rusedski and 16th seed Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador. On the women’s side, Serena Williams returned from two months away with a knee injury and crushed Swede Asa Carlsson 6-3, 6-2. German Anke Huber, seeded 11th, defeated Briton Jo Ward 7-5, 6-2. Williams is seeded
eighth, a spot she feels is below her potential. “I
don’t feel comfortable down here. I’m always
itchy, I feel weird, it’s just not me.’’ |
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LONDON, June 26 (Reuters) — Two of the world’s leading players, Alex Corretja and Albert Costa, turned their backs on Wimbledon yesterday in a bitter row over seedings on the eve of the grasscourt championships. World No 11 Corretja and Costa, ranked 15, were furious with tournament organisers because they were not seeded. The Spaniards best results have come on hard and clay court surfaces. “They don’t respect our games, they don’t respect our talent, they don’t respect our faith to the tour,” Corretja told reporters. “It was nothing against Wimbledon. It was something that we believe was unfair for the players because you cannot be forced to play a tournament where they don’t respect your ranking.” Costa had been drawn to play Richard Krajicek, the 1996 Wimbledon champion, in the first round. The Dutch player, who is ranked 25 in the world, is seeded 11th. Corretja was to have played fellow Spaniard Alberto Martin. The 16 seeds at Grand Slam tournaments are drawn to avoid playing each other until the fourth round but high world rankings are no guarantee of seeding at Wimbledon. “Let’s say first round you can meet Pete Sampras or Andre Agassi who you (should) never face before the fourth round at least,” Corretja said. Corretja and Costa will not be fined, All-England Club Chairman Tim Phillips said. “The players have already suffered in terms of automatically incurring a zero pointer towards their ranking which cannot be made up at other tournaments, have lost the opportunity to earn prize money...we will not on this occasion levy further penalties against them,” he said. The ATP introduced their new rankings system this year. “We see a main difference this year, since the ATP Tour is forcing us or telling the players to play all the mandatory events, including the nine Masters Series events and the four Grand Slams,” said Corretja. “We believe if the ATP is forcing us to play these tournaments they should respect the ranking.” The ATP system is adjusted by the All-England Club’s order of play committee, which determines the seedings at Wimbledon, to “better reflect player skills on grass”. The Spaniards wrote to the ATP tour complaining about their treatment by the All-England Club. The Chief Executive Officer of the ATP, Mark Miles, said he understood the players’ concerns and said the governing body was partly to blame. Mr Phillips had said on Saturday Wimbledon might change the way it worked out seedings for next year’s championships after the complaints. “We were unwilling to revise the seedings and draw as requested but both organisations have agreed to work together over the next 12 months to determine a seeding system that addresses player prowess on different types of surface,” he said in a statement on Sunday. A third Spaniard, Juan Carlos Ferrero, ranked 13 in the world, had also threatened a boycott but withdrew from the tournament on Saturday because of a lower back injury. Werner Eschauer of
Austria replaces Corretja in the draw and Michael
Kohlmann of Germany will play instead of Costa. |
Cronje begs for forgiveness CAPE TOWN, June 26 (AP) — Hansie Cronje, the disgraced South African cricket captain, today begged for forgiveness for his involvement in illicit gambling deals. “It is not my intention to seek to excuse myself for what I have done,” he said in a statement released to the Cape Times newspaper. “There is no excuse and I have let the (United Cricket Board), the team, the fans and the game down.” “I am bitterly sorry for what I have done and the pain I have caused,” he said. Cronje said he drew some consolation from the fact that he had never fixed a match and had always played to the best of his ability. The government appointed
a commission of inquiry into corruption in South African
cricket after Cronje confessed in April to receiving a
single payment from a gambler — an admission that
sparked the country’s biggest sporting scandal. |
Bangladesh get Test status? DHAKA, June 26 (AP) — The International Cricket Council has granted Test status to Bangladesh, a government source said today. The executive committee
of cricket’s world governing body voted today to
make Bangladesh a full member, a delegate of the
Bangladesh Cricket Board attending the ICC meeting in
London informed the Prime Minister’s office on the
telephone. |
Punjab handball teams announced LUDHIANA, June 26 — S. Raja Rao and Gurpreet Purewal will lead the Punjab handball teams (Men and women) respectively in the Federation Cup to be held at Noida (UP) from June 27 to 30, according to Mr S.S. Channy, President, Punjab Handball Association. The teams (men): Karamjit Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Pawan Kumar, Lachhman Singh, Kulwinder Singh (Sr.), Kulwinder Singh Jr., Pawan Kumar Jr., Baljit Singh, Rajesh Thakur, Sarvpreet Singh, Mukhtiar Singh, Sukhdev Singh and Harpreet Singh. Women: Indu Bala, Anju,
Charanjit Kaur, Karamjit Kaur, Harjinder Kaur, Amandeep,
Harvinder Kaur, Amarjit Kaur and Sharanjit Kaur. Harinder
Sharma and Gurcharan Singh will accompany the teams as
coaches. |
Ghouse
shocks Uppal NEW DELHI, June 26 — Mustafa Ghouse shocked Davis Cupper Vishal Uppal 7-5 (7-5), 6-4 in the $ 26000 Prize Money ITF Men’s Satellite Tennis Masters Tournament at the Delhi Tennis Association court here today. Out of sync with his game of late, Uppal’s resistance petered out as the game progressed though he tried to make a fight of it in the first set, but cracked up in the tie-breaker never to recover. With the seeded players having an off-day, lesser mortals fought it out for a place in the sun, and the results went on expected lines. Ajay Ramaswamy scored the quickest victory when he pipped Vinod Sridhar 6-1, 6-0 while the seasoned Saurav Panja hit back from a set deficit to overwhelm Manoj Mahadevan 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4). In other matches, Kedar
Shah beat Alok Bhide 7-5, 6-1, Alexandre Sikanov of
Russia outplayed countryman Alexey Gavrilov 6-3, 6-2,
Phoemphon Atabut of Thailand stunned John Rom of the USA
6-4, 2-6, 6-2. |
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