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Croatia, Japan rue missed chances
Adriano, Fred sink battling Australia
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USA hold Italy
Referees dull? Think again
Tunisia face uphill task against Spain
Swiss favourites against Togo
Laxman likely to be dropped
Federer equals Borg’s record
Jeev slips to tied 59th
Sports complex opened at SVIET
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Croatia, Japan rue missed chances
Nuremberg, June 18 Croatia, beaten 0-1 by Brazil in their opener last week, take on Australia in a must-win game on Thursday. Japan face the daunting task of having to beat world champions Brazil in their final group game after their 1-3 defeat by Australia. Striker Atsushi Yanagisawa missed Japan’s best chance six minutes into the second half after superbly being fed by Akira Kaji with goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa out of position but fluffing in front of an open goal. Croatia came straight back with Niko Kranjcar poking just wide but they failed to capitalise on their territorial advantage in a scrappy second half. The Croats, who beat Japan 1-0 on their way to the semi-finals of the 1998 World Cup, had the better of the first half with Kranjcar stinging the hands of Japan goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi early on. But the game burst into life in the 21st minute when Japan captain Tsuneyasu Miyamoto conceded a penalty for a clumsy trip on Croatia striker Dado Prso. However, Kawaguchi produced a brilliant save to keep Japan level, plunging low to his left to turn away Srna's firmly struck kick. Kranjcar headed the resulting corner into the side-netting and the same player then lashed a right-foot shot against the bar in the 28th minute, compounding Croatia’s frustration. Kawaguchi was forced into another sprawling save from Ivan Klasnic five minutes before the break as Croatia pushed for the opening goal. Group leaders Australia play world champions Brazil later on Sunday. — Reuters
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Adriano, Fred sink battling Australia
Munich, June 18 Substitute Fred wrapped up the win in the 89th minute, rolling home a rebound after a Robinho shot came back off a post. Australian substitute Harry Kewell had missed a great chance to equalise a minute after coming on in the 56th minute, shooting over an empty goal after keeper Dida dropped the ball. Striker Ronaldo played poorly and was substituted for the second game running in another generally unconvincing performance by Brazil, who beat Croatia 1-0 in their opening game. Australia, who face Croatia in their last game, have three points while Japan and Croatia have one each in Group F. Brazil’s best first-half move came in the third minute. Ronaldo controlled the ball on his chest and flicked the backwards to Kaka who volleyed wide from the edge of the penalty area. If the ball had gone in, the game could have taken a completely different course. Instead, Australia packed the midfield and hustled Brazil out of their stride with tenacious marking and tackling. Brazilian pair Ronaldo and Ronaldinho were both subdued with only Kaka’s penetrating runs offering any threat. Ronaldo, who had a dismal match against Croatia, was again out of sorts and at one point had a heated argument with coach Carlos Alberto Parreira on the touchline. His frustration was complete with a yellow card for playing on after he had been flagged offside. The second half was only four minutes old when Brazil got the breakthrough they badly needed. Ronaldinho picked out Ronaldo, who held off his marker and rolled the ball across the face of the penalty area to Adriano. The Inter Milan striker, also struggling until then, took one touch and placed a low shot beyond goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer’s left hand.
— Reuters |
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USA hold Italy
Kaiserslautern, June 18 Alberto Gilardino gave Italy the lead with a diving header, but an own goal by Cristian Zaccardo brought the USA back on level terms. US striker Eddie Johnson had caused a rumpus earlier in the week by comparing the World Cup to war. It wasn’t warfare, but this gripping contest was far from friendly. Three-time world champions Italy had Daniele De Rossi sent off in the 28th minute for elbowing Brian McBride and the USA’s Pablo Mastroeni shortly followed him down the tunnel for clattering into Andrea Pirlo. The Americans were then reduced to nine men a minute after half time when Eddie Pope picked up his second yellow card. It was only the fourth time in the history of the World Cup that three players had been sent off in the same match. Kasey Keller pulled off two excellent saves to deny Italy substitute Alessandro Del Piero in the closing stages as the USA bravely dug in to snatch a point. The result leaves the group wide open going into the final first round match with Italy on four points, followed by the Czech Republic and Ghana both on three and the USA on one. The Americans, quarter-finalists four years ago, made life difficult for the Italians in the first quarter of an hour, snapping into tackles and creating two half chances which Bobby Convey and Dempsey wasted. Italy absorbed the pressure and took the lead in the 22nd minute after Pope’s foul on Luca Toni wide on the right. Pirlo delivered a low centre into the box and Gilardino stooped to steer the ball past a helpless Keller with his forehead. Italy’s joy lasted just five minutes with a defensive howler gifting the USA an equaliser. Zaccardo swung a boot out
widely to try and clear Convey’s crossed free-kick and succeeded only in diverting the ball past his own keeper, Gianluigi Buffon. Worse was to follow seconds later as De Rossi was rightly sent off for elbowing McBride in the face. —
AFP |
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Referees dull? Think again
Berlin, June 18 Referees may have a reputation for being stern, faceless disciplinarians but scratch beneath the surface and you find an exotic and eclectic cast of characters. And they have a pretty hard time of it all things being considered — do a good job and no one notices, muck up and the flak flies. ‘A Time To Make Friends’ is the World Cup motto but the men in the middle may find that harder to achieve than most. Still the $40,000 plus $100 daily allowance they pocket must help ease the pain of any verbal coming their way from irate players. Russian Valentin Ivanov knows the feeling. He was the referee who turned down France’s appeals for a penalty when Swiss defender Patrick Muller’s hand got in the way of Thierry Henry’s 37th minute shot in Stuttgart on Tuesday. Henry was perplexed by Ivanov’s ruling. “Somebody better explain to me the handball rule,” said the Arsenal attacker. “If the hand stops the ball from going in the goal, it should be a penalty.” Henry probably wasn’t aware though that Ivanov comes from prized footballing stock as the teacher from Moscow is the son of no less an icon than Russian great Valentin Kozmich Ivanov, joint top scorer at the 1962 World Cup. The range of jobs and interests from which this band of brothers are drawn is mind boggling. For instance if the report on Germany’s pulsating 4-2 win over Costa Rica in the opening game was written in iambic pentameter there’s a good reason as the ref that day, Horacio Elizondo, is an Argentine poet. Australia were on cloud nine after hammering Japan 3-1 in Kaiserlautern on Monday which is where the referee that day Essam Abd El Fatah spends a lot of his time as a pilot for Egypt Airways. And players may regret provoking the ire of assistant referee Jean Marie Endeng Zogo who when he’s not running up and down the sideline serves as a prison military superintendent in his native Cameroon. He is also a karate expert and speaks six languages. Football is a stressful business for the health — just ask any German fans watching the host’s last gap win against Poland — and anyone with problems in that department could do worse than book a consultation with one of Zogo’s colleagues, Roman Slysko, a vascular surgeon from Bratislava. Premiership stars who wish to take action against tabloids publishing lewd reports about their not-so-private private life should be addressed to Benito Archundia, a lawyer from Tlalnepantla in Mexico who refereed Brazil’s opening win over Croatia, while if there are any parrot breeders out there then Jorge Larrionda's your man. But if any were looking for a holiday companion they might think twice before choosing Eric Poulat, a computer wizard who lists stamp collecting as his preferred pastime. Swiss managing director Massimo Busacca, in charge of Spain's rout of Ukraine on Wednesday, meanwhile, conceded what many fans have doubted — that referees are, after all, human. “Ours is a thankless task, because everyone expects the referee’s performance to be faultless,” said the 37-year-old who enjoys rustling up a cordon bleu meal in his spare time. “No one wants their team to lose — players, managers or fans... But since we are human, we sometimes make mistakes. Bussacca says that while refs may be flesh and blood it helps to have nerves of steel.
— AFP |
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Tunisia face uphill task against Spain
Kamen, June 18 But while brimming with confidence ahead of playing a team that has failed in eight attempts to add a second victory to its 3-1 World Cup win over Mexico in 1978, the Spain camp is doing a good job staying humble. Aragones may be best known for the apparently racist comments he made about Frenchman Thierry Henry, which caused a furore when it was televised last year. “It’s obvious that on paper and historically Spain is superior than Tunisia,” 26-year-old Barcelona midfielder Xavi, one of Aragones’ midfield motors, said. “But we haven’t seen much of them. We just know that Tunisia are perhaps more technically gifted than Ukraine.” Tunisia on paper should be easy meat for Group H’s hottest side, but no one is taking Lemerre’s side for granted — especially when their World Cup survival could be at stake following their 2-2 draw with Saudi Arabia. Dasmunshi is Match Commissioner New Delhi:All-India Football Federation President Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi has been appointed Match Commissioner for the Spain vs Tunisia tie in the World Cup 2006 at Stuttgart, Germany, tomorrow. Dasmunshi thus becomes the first Indian to earn the rare honour of being appointed as Match Commissioner for any World Cup match. A match commissioner is FIFA’s official representative in the match and his job is to ensure that the match is properly organised and run smoothly. He shall be alert to all incidents and comments surrounding the match itself.
— AFP, PTI
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Ukraine eye tough second hurdle
Hamburg, June 18 Led by former European Footballer of the Year Andriy Shevchenko and strike partner Andriy Voronin, the eastern Europeans were the continent’s first to qualify from a group, including Turkey, Denmark and Euro 2004 champions Greece. Yet they looked helpless against a rampant Spain in Leipzig on Wednesday, with Shevchenko a shadow of his usual self given his lack of match fitness after a month out with a knee injury. They are without experienced central defender Vladislav Vashchyuk after a red card against Spain and unless Shevchenko can find his touch fast they may struggle to beat a Saudi team heartened by an opening draw against Tunisia. Ukraine midfielder Oleg Gusev is a doubtful starter with a knee injury, while Saudi skipper Sami Al Jaber, who scored in the 2-2 draw with Tunisia, has shaken off a thigh problem and is expected to play. The World Cup is Ukraine’s first since it won independence and threw off three centuries of Russian domination in 1991. It is also a welcome distraction from weeks of post-election wrangling by parties that backed the 2004 Orange Revolution but have since proved unable to form a stable government. After qualifying, coach and former Soviet striker Oleg Blokhin even built up hopes that the team could even win the tournament but their beating by Spain crushed those high expectations amid a tide of media abuse back home. “Even given the score, (the loss to Spain) is not necessarily a negative thing,” suggested Shevchenko. A point against Tunisia somewhat redeemed Saudi Arabia for an embarrassing first round exit at the last finals, where they conceded 12 goals and failed to score in three straight defeats. Victory against Ukraine would take them within touching distance of a place in the second round, which would equal their best result at a finals achieved in 1994.
— Reuters
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Swiss favourites against Togo
Dortmund, June 18 Swiss coach Koebi Kuhn and Togo’s German coach Otto Pfister are longtime friends. Pfister’s wife is Swiss; he has a home in the Swiss city of Zurich; and he knows the Swiss tactical style. Many of the Togolese squad have played or currently play in the Swiss league. Switzerland, which reached the World Cup after a 12-year absence and held France to a 0-0 draw in its opener, is looking for a victory to ease its way into the second round. Togo, one of the surprise African qualifiers and the lowest ranked team in the tournament, is fighting for survival after losing 2-1 to South Korea. “For Togo it’s the last chance. We are an outsider, that’s clear,” Pfister commented. Togo has one advantage compared to its match against South Korea. Switzerland’s biggest enemy may well be the heat of the afternoon match. But, as usual, they are prepared.
— AP
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Kuala Lumpur, June 18 The Indians failed miserably to bank on the chances and conceded easy openings to the Aussies, thereby losing momentum early in the match. Troy Elder (6th minute), Matt Naylor (11th and 41st) and Luke Doerner (62nd) scripted the Australian onslaught while Tejbir Singh (22nd) provided some sort of consolation to the Indians. India’s deep defence, marred by poor marking, was exposed in the initial moments of the game with Elder and Naylor’s incisive right wing moves. Both the scorers were left unmarked inside the circle and it was much the same when Naylor scored the third goal for Australia after the change of ends. The result would have been different had Arjun Halappa scored from close in the 4th minute following a right wing counter attack. India managed to get the upper hand midway through the first half when Australia were reduced to 10 men following a yellow card suspension of skipper Brent Livermore. Immediately after, India pulled one back through Tejbir, who put home a loose ball from penalty corner. Early in the second half, Australia virtually clinched the issue when Naylor shot home for a 3-1 lead. India wasted one of their best chances when star striker Gagan Ajit Singh failed to connect a cross from Halappa in the 42nd minute. The match was held up for about 20 minutes following heavy downpour. On resumption, Australia extended their dominance and closed the match by striking their fourth goal from a penalty corner minutes before the final hooter. In their next outing tomorrow, India will take on hosts Malaysia. Kiwis down Argentina
New Zealand erased a two-goal deficit to beat Argentina 3-2 and register their first win at the Sultan Azlan Shah Hockey Tournament at the Bukit Jalil stadium here today. Argentina had raced to a 2-0 lead but couldn’t sustain the pace in the second half, giving ample space to the Kiwis who managed a remarkable turnaround, pumping in three goals to give them a winning start to their campaign. Argentina scored through Matias Damian Vila who flicked in both their goals in the third and 28th minute. After the break, the Kiwi renaissance was led by Hayden Shaw (37th) with a high flick off New Zealand’s first penalty corner. In the 42nd minute, Bevan Hari and Gareth Brooks stringed together a wonderful move before Brooks shot into an empty goal with the Argentinian goalkeeper caught on the wrong foot. The winner came in the 62nd minute when Richard Petherick sounded the boards off a low flick after New Zealand had earned their second penalty corner. Korea hold Malaysia
In another pool A match, hosts Malaysia drew 2-2 with Korea.
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Laxman likely to be dropped
St. Kitts, June 18 The Indians might have done well in dominating the West Indies in the first two Tests but the fact that they have not been able to force a victory in either of the matches must be rankling the team management. National selector VB Chandrashekhar stoked the debate on selection with the observation that a third spinner is perhaps the need of the hour, which is a sign of changing times as Harbhajan Singh is now seen as third option after Virender Sehwag made a strong impression in the two Tests. Since only hints are dropped in the current Indian cricket set-up, it must be presumed, at a certain risk of course, that either Laxman or Yuvraj will be rested. Yuvraj has better chances of being preferred over Laxman, although the reasons are hazy. Laxman has played as significant innings as Yuvraj has in the last eight or nine months. Hints again must be used to draw one’s own conclusions-since there is a pattern in obsession with youth under the Dravid-Chappell dispensation, Yuvraj, ‘the prince charming’, appears to be the frontrunner for the middle order slot. Conclusions are hazardous about a group of men who previously decided to head for a break to St. Maarten after the second Test but then poled their tents in St. Kitts, a clear week before the match. Captain Rahul Dravid though kept asserting through the second Test he was serious about the “break needed for the boys” and as if to underline his point, he asked travelling crews of Indian television channels to excuse them as they headed for a day’s break to Nevis, an adjoining island, on Saturday. If speculation, in the absence of forthrightness from the team, is inescapable then Dravid' s demand for a break must be decoded as an attempt to send across the message that too much cricket is being played and that boys need break to freshen up for the challenges ahead. Surely there are enough examples in the past to suggest overworked players are no good for the team, least of all to themselves. Ashish Nehra was squeezed out of energy when he was played in a first class game in Hobart during the taxing tour of Australia in 2003-04. A couple of years earlier, Zaheer Khan and Ashish himself were spent as force for the remainder of the Caribbean tour after bowling India to win in the Port of Spain Test. But holiday surely was not the need of hour for the under-used Suresh Rainas, Ramesh Powars, Dinesh Kaarthicks and even Harbhajan Singhs. Young bowlers like Munaf Patel and VRV Singh are surely not the case of burn-outs and can do with some more bending of back in the nets. But there is a case for rest for the likes of Sehwag, Dravid, Yuvraj, Kaif, Dhoni and Pathan — six of the team’s lot who should make the cut for the third Test.
— PTI
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Federer equals Borg’s record
Berlin, June 18 “Halle has always brought me luck in recent years. I hope that remains the case.”
Federer, who was less than convincing in his previous two matches against Olivier Rochus and Tommy Haas, took the first set against fifth seed Berdych in 20 minutes. However, the Swiss world No. 1 started making unforced errors and although he served for the set at 5-3, Berdych held and went on to take the tiebreak 7-4. Federer, who lost last week’s French Open final to Rafael Nadal, increased the pressure on Berdych and broke for 2-1 and 5-2 to take the match. Sweden’s Borg, a five-times Wimbledon champion, set the open era record for consecutive wins on grass from 1976 to 1981.
— Reuters
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Jeev slips to tied 59th
Mamaroneck, June 18 Jeev’s third round was punctuated with too many dropped shots and too few pars as he struggled on a difficult course that saw world number one Tiger Woods miss the cut yesterday and seemed to get harder and harder with each passing day. The Indian, however, was not the only one who found it tough to come to terms with the 7,264-yard, par-70 layout. Sharing the 59th position with him were Ben Curtis of the US and Canada's Stephen Gangluff with an overall 16-over 226.
— PTI
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Sports complex opened at SVIET Banur, June 18 Jagatguru Shankaracharya Madhwashram ji Maharaj inaugurated the sports complex in a function organised on the premises of the institute. The Jagatguru emphasised the importance of sports in student’s life and said sports played an important role in academics as well. He said yoga used to be an important activity of gurukuls. Since student had a hectic schedule now, sports could help in increasing their efficiency on various other activities. He also laid emphasis on Sanskrit while releasing academic calendar of the institute on the occasion. Mr Manmohan Kumar Garg (CEO) of the institute, said 2006-07 would be celebrated as the “Year of Sports”. Mr Ashwini Garg, chairman, informed that the Sri Raghu Nath Rai Memorial Educational and Charitable Trust had provided special fund for sports activities. Dr C.S. Rao, Director-Principal, encouraged the students to take part in sports activities and announced special incentives, scholarship and awards for the sportsperson of the college.
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