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The night Spain died
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Is this the end of Spain's reign at the top?
Other clashes
short passes
Brazil acting pricey
Shiv makes cut at US Open
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The night Spain died
Salvador, June 14 They had not conceded five goals in an international since 1963 and though this World Cup is still very much in its infancy, it will take a special team to bounce back after being stunned by Louis van Gaal’s team in this Group B fixture. Spain just could not live with the pace and quality of the Dutch attack who rounded off the rout with a quite brilliant individual goal from Robben who raced away from Sergio Ramos and rounded Iker Casillas before definitively burying the ghosts of Soccer City. Yet with his clever runs, he gave Spain’s skillful passers an important outlet, stretching the Dutch defence, and he should have had an early goal when he broke clear after David Silva had robbed Jonathan De Guzman. Instead his heavy touch gave Ron Vlaar time to make the covering tackle. This is a Dutch team short on tournament experience – all but one of the back five were appearing for the first time in a major tournament – and it showed not least with Bruno Martins Indi. A slip by the Feyenoord centre-back let Silva play in Costa in a promising position on the right but his shot was wild and wayward.
— The Independent |
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Is this the end of Spain's reign at the top?
The once-legendary goalkeeper Iker Casillas (33), record scorer David Villa (32), plus the great midfield pair of Xavi (34) and Andres Iniesta (30) are all likely to feature in at a World Cup finals for the final time in Brazil, meaning that by the time the tournament takes place in Russia in four years it will be a much changed Spanish line-up, a squad in the process of transtition. But was the defeat really that much of a surprise? The free-flowing ‘tiki-taka’ brand of football that the Spanish pioneered has come into criticism in recent years, with fast-paced counter-attacking teams being able to render their possession and passing strategy useless.Xavi, Iniesta and Villa’s Barcelona were thrashed 7-0 on aggregate by Bayern Munich in last year’s Champions League semi-final, showing to the world that ‘tiki-taka’ can be both outplayed and dominated.While Spain may have lost their first match of the 2010 World Cup but recovered to win the tournament, the manner of the humbling in Salvador will not be quite so easy to come back from. By conceding five against the Netherlands, they have now conceded more than they have in the last two World Cups already, their formerly watertight defence is no more. Carles Puyol has recently retired, and Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos played like strangers. — The Independent
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Chile hold off battling Australia in 3-1 win
Alexis Sanchez put Chile ahead from close range after 12 minutes and two minutes later Jorge Valdivia made it 2-0 with a well-struck shot as the South Americans looked in control. Australia fought back strongly, though, and Tim Cahill replied with a trademark header after 35 minutes and thought he had equalized with another early in the second half only to have it ruled offside by an excellent linesman's decision. Both sides went close in an end-to-end second half before Jean Beausejour grabbed a third for Chile in stoppage time, and they will now have to try to get something from games against Spain or the Netherlands, who thrashed the holders 5-1 earlier in the day.
Colombia beat Greece 3-0
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Argentina to unleash attacking riches
Messi scored his 38th Argentina goal in last week’s warmup win over Slovenia, opponents chosen specifically with Bosnia in mind. The Argentina captain will see it as a good omen as he looks to break a World Cup scoring hoodoo dating back to his 2006 debut in Germany and a goalless 2010 finals in South Africa. Messi appears in good shape and mood going into the tournament after a mixed season with hamstring problems and fewer goals than usual with a mere three for Argentina compared with the 13 he notched between June 2012 and June 2013. Argentina, who beat Bosnia 2-0 in a November friendly without Messi thanks to two Sergio Aguero goals, have an average defense compared with to their attacking riches but midfielder Fernando Gago said the key to success would be balance and playing as an 11-man unit. Striker Gonzalo Higuain, the other member of Argentina’s “Fab Four” strike force, played the first half of Thursday’s practice for the reserves in a role coach Alejandro Sabella expects Bosnia danger man Edin Dzeko to play. With Higuain having recovered from a left ankle problem, Argentina should be at full strength against Bosnia in a group which also contains Nigeria and Iran. Bosnia coach Safet Susic, known for his penchant for attacking football, is likely to deploy a more conservative formation against Argentina with top scorer Dzeko as the lone striker operating in front of a five-man midfield. Having qualified for their first major tournament as an independent nation, Bosnia could not have asked for a tougher first appearance on the biggest stage. “We are up against the group favorites and a team whose ambition is to go all the way but nonetheless, we have high hopes of getting something from this game and going through to the last 16,” Susic said. The magnitude of the task has left Susic pondering how to use versatile midfielder Muhamed Besic, whose designated role was to man-mark Messi. Susuc hinted he was prepared to make a tactical U-turn. “It’s a dilemma but I now think it would be counterproductive to sacrifice a player of Besic’s fitness and ability just to man-mark Messi although he would be ideal for that role,” he said.
— Reuters |
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France take on Honduras
Former champions France should put underdogs Honduras to the sword in their Group E opener in Porto Alegre on Sunday although their penchant for self-destruction gives the Central Americans hope of an upset. Les Bleus go into the campaign with a happier, more settled squad under coach Didier Deschamps and will aim to banish the memories of the 2010 tournament in South Africa, when the players revolted against Raymond Domenech and flew home in disgrace after a disastrous showing. Swiss meet Ecuador
Switzerland will look to justify their top seed tag which raised many eyebrows ahead of the draw for the World Cup finals when they take on South American side Ecuador in Brasilia in their opening Group E clash. |
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Flying kebab jokes are not funny, says Germany's 'Doener'
Diego Costa booed by locals
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India beat Korea 3-0 to finish ninth
Akashdeep opened India’s account in the sixth minute by tapping in a square-pass from SV Sunil and then rounded off the scoring with a reverse hit in a crowded circle in the 50th minute. In between, Rupinder Pal Singh converted a penalty stroke in the 42nd minute after his penalty corner flick was stopped by a defender with body on the goal-line. Dutch eves win 7th title
Olympic champions Netherlands beat Australia 2-0 to win the women’s title. In the bronze medal match, Luciana Aymer, playing her fifth World Cup, scored twice as Argentina beat USA 2-1.
— PTI Today’s matches 7th place: Spain v NZ (11.30am) 5th: Belgium v Germany (1.45pm) 3th: Argentina v England (4pm) Final: Australia v Holland (6.45pm) LIVE ON TEN SPORTS |
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Shiv makes cut at US Open
Pinehurst (USA), June 14 At three-over 143, Kapur was tied 33rd to become only the second Indian, after Jeev Milkha Singh to make the cut in an US Open. Kapur birdied the third, fifth and 11th holes. At the top, Martin Kaymer played a bogey-free second round to take a six-stroke lead. The German’s second consecutive 5-under 65 set a 36-hole US Open scoring record of 130.
— PTI |
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Outplayed for the first 44 minutes and trailing to a Xabi Alonso penalty, they came back to inflict a 5-1 hammering on the holders in which both Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben struck twice. Spain came back from an opening defeat by Switzerland in South Africa but it is hard to see how they can retain their title after a demoralising setback like this. 
A game that began at a slow pace in humid conditions almost produced an early goal when Robben put Wesley Sneijder clear. As in Soccer City, though, when Robben was bearing down on his goal, Casillas was equal to Sneijder’s shot, sticking out a strong hand to push it away. It was not the only echo of the 2010 final as Nigel de Jong caught Sergio Busquets in the midriff; no kung-fu kick this time, but a strong arm and while Busquets went down like a drunk on an icy pavement, Nicola Rizzoli, the Italian referee, kept his card in his pocket. For all the talk about the Netherlands’ changes under Van Gaal, the striking feature of the first period was seeing Spain play with a genuine centre-forward in Diego Costa, a striker fresh from a 36-goal season with Atletico Madrid. For Costa, who had appeared twice in friendlies for Brazil, it was the first competitive start for his adopted country and came just three months after his Spain debut. 
The 25-year-old was born less than 200 kilometres from the Arena Fonte Nova, in the town of Lagarto, and his change of allegiance earned him loud boos when his name was read out before kick-off and again virtually every time the ball came anywhere near him.
Like Brazil in 1966, France in 2002 and Italy in 2010 all great teams have to come to an end, so was the 5-1 thrashing by the Netherlands on Friday night the end of the great Spain team and their six-year reign as the best team in the world?
Cuiaba, June 14
Amidst the 40,000 spectators at Cuiaba's brand new Pantanal arena, dominated by Chile's "Red Tide" of fans, the South Americans looked to be coasting to a comfortable victory when Sanchez and Valdivia scored in quick succession. "The ambience really helped the team establish its authority to go after those goals at the beginning," Chile's Argentine coach Jorge Sampaoli said.
Belo Horizonte: Colombia marked their return to the World Cup after a 16-year absence with an attacking display that earned a 3-0 victory over Greece on Saturday, and the early initiative in what looks to be a really tight Group C. The South Americans went ahead after five minutes when great work by Juan Cuadrado set up Pablo Armero. Teofilo Gutierrez poked in the second after 58 minutes and James Rodriguez drove in a left foot effort in stoppage time at the end of another game full of high-paced action. Greece struggled to get a foothold in the match and their hopes of a comeback fell away after Theofanis Gekas crashed a header against the bar from point-blank range after 63 minutes. Colombia will now fancy their chances of topping a group that also contains Japan and Ivory Coast, who meet in Recife later on Saturday.
— Agencies
Rio De Janeiro, June 14
“We know that in the final quarter few teams can play at the speed of Angel (Di Maria), Kun (Aguero), Leo (Messi)… The precision they have at such speed marks the difference,” Gago said. “From my position I have to help them to ensure they get clean ball and give balance to the rear. You need the 11 to attack and the 11 to defend… The forwards have to have high precision and sometimes withdraw to break out in quick counters.”
SANTO ANDRE: Germany midfielder Kevin Grosskreutz said he's fed up with jokes about his two recent run-ins with the law - hurling a spicy kebab sandwich at a fan and urinating in a Berlin hotel lobby. Grosskreutz bristled when asked if he was glad there were no kebabs at the team camp in Brazil.
"You know what, I don't think that's very funny at all," said Grosskreutz, who faced assault charges after a Cologne fan told authorities the Dortmund midfielder had thrown a kebab in his face that burned his eyes. Grosskreutz denied the charge and said he threw the meat sandwich on the ground after the fan heckled him in front of a kebab stand. "And there's also no hotel lobby here either - that's probably going to be your next question," Grosskreutz added, referring to a May incident for which he apologised after urinating in the Berlin hotel after saying he drank too much following Dortmund's loss to Bayern Munich in the German Cup final.
SALVADOR: Diego Costa gave Spain a major boost by coming through any injury concerns to start against the Netherlands, however he was made to feel unwelcome by the locals. The Atletico Madrid strike was born in Brazil, and even turned out twice in the famous yellow jerseys. However, at the end of last year he requested permission to play for Spain having been granted Spanish nationality earlier in the year.Despite having played for another nation, Costa was granted his wish and he made his debut for the reigning world champions against Italy in March this year.
— Agencies
The Hague, June 14
