Fifa’s Van Basten critical of Neymar’s World Cup theatrics

MOSCOW — Neymar’s play-acting at the World Cup made him the butt of plenty of jokes, and also earned the Brazil striker some criticism from FIFA technical director Marco van Basten.

Van Basten, himself one of greatest forwards in the history of the game, said Thursday diving and faking injury is “not a good attitude” and works against Neymar and his team.

“If you are acting too much I think everybody will understand that it’s not going to help you,” the Netherlands great said. “I think he (Neymar) personally should understand his situation.”

Van Basten was asked about Neymar’s theatrics at a briefing with experts appointed by FIFA to analyze tactics and technical trends at the 64-game tournament. One factor they agreed could help explain Neymar’s frustration in Russia: Playmakers face more well-organized defensive lines which are better than ever at denying them space to work.

“The amount of square meters to play in is unbelievably difficult,” Van Basten said.



Neymar was calculated to have spent almost 14 minutes on the turf injured or simulating injury during Brazil’s five games at the tournament.

Some dramatic rolling falls before coming to a stop started a trend in online videos of youth soccer teams practicing faking injury when their coach called out Neymar’s name.

Asked if Neymar had become a joke, Van Basten said “he makes people laugh so also I think that’s a positive thing. It’s always nice if we have some humor in the game.”

Once the world’s best center forward with AC Milan and the Dutch national team, Van Basten has sympathy for players in his old position at this year’s World Cup.



Tight and compact defenses like Sweden and Iceland made it “very, very difficult for the No. 9 to get the ball, to make goals, to influence the game,” he said.

“Normally we say you can play between the lines,” Van Basten said. “But today it’s nearly impossible to get in between the lines. So coaches will have to find solutions. These things go in waves.”


He singled out Croatia playmaker Luka Modric for “reading the game, guiding the game” and leading his team to Sunday’s final against France.

NATIONAL IDENTITY

FIFA panel member Andy Roxburgh said an “incredible variety” of national styles were seen despite most stars playing in Europe.

“Yes, we’ve got globalization. Yes, the influence of the Champions League on players,” the former Scotland coach said. “But all of these players have been brought up within their own country so they have a certain mentality about them.”

Still, the influence of Pep Guardiola’s coaching philosophy was seen across the tournament, Roxburgh said.



Teams favored “high intensity pressing” with players showing “speed of action and speed of thought.”

KEEPERS KEY

Guardiola’s belief in goalkeepers expertly passing the ball with both feet is also shared at the World Cup.

“They are not only there to save the ball and catch the ball,” FIFA goalkeeping adviser Pascal Zuberbuehler said. “They make a lot of decisions from behind, and they know and feel when they have to make the game faster.”

Zuberbuehler, Switzerland’s goalkeeper at the 2006 World Cup, noted England’s Jordan Pickford made more than 50 passes — “a massive high quality from him”— in the semifinal match against Croatia.

It’s an evolution of the “sweeper keeper” role Manuel Neuer showcased in Germany’s 2014 title-winning team.

SET PIECES

With goals from open play at a premium, set pieces from corners and free kicks became more important.

Roxburgh praised England as “kings of the corner kick” at a tournament where teams were rewarded for attention to detail, and delivery of high-quality crosses.



Video review also helped set-piece teams by acting as a deterrent against wrestling and shirt-pulling opponents.

“People now have the freedom to move a little bit more,” Roxburgh said.

BELGIUM BEST

Belgium outwitting Brazil in the quarterfinals was perhaps the best tactical game plan.

Praising Belgium’s tactical flexibility, Roxburgh said “the way (coach) Roberto Martinez set them up was fantastic.”

A 2-1 win in Kazan was built on midfielder Kevin De Bruyne being given a more attacking and central role, and forward Romelu Lukaku playing wider to the right.

AFRICA’S DECLINE

A player in Nigeria’s 1994 World Cup team, Emmanuel Amunike, sees African soccer failing to keep pace. All five teams failed to advance from the group stage in Russia.

“The reality is that dreams without a plan is just an illusion,” the FIFA technical panel member said.

Amunike said Africa’s talent lacks a structure to teach coaches who can develop young players.

“What are the materials we have provided for the African coaches to grow in their knowledge?” he asked.

source: sports.inquirer.net

After so much humiliation, England a source of pride, unity

SAMARA, Russia — So often the source of letdowns and embarrassments, England’s soccer team is a unifying force among players and the nation.

At least in some sections of the country riven by economic, political and social divisions that led to Brexit, reaching the World Cup semifinals is a welcome distraction from the charged atmosphere. It’s a chance to clamber onto traffic lights, fling beer in the air and toast the success of the footballers in an outpouring of delirium not witnessed across England since the last century.

For the first time since the 1990s, England is in the last four of a major tournament. England will play Croatia on Wednesday for a place in the final after beating Sweden 2-0 Saturday.


“The chance to connect everybody through football and to make a difference to how people feel,” England coach Gareth Southgate said, “that is even more powerful than what we are doing with our results. That is very special. I would imagine there is a big party at home. Not for us.”

There is still much work to do if England is to reach its first World Cup final since lifting the trophy on home soil at Wembley in 1966.

But Southgate believes he has instilled the humble mentality in the dressing room that is required to keep the journey going all the way to Luzhniki Stadium next Sunday. Humility has replaced the hubris that defined the celebrity-obsessed David Beckham-era where the furthest the team reached was the quarterfinal stage of any tournament. Just look back on how Harry Maguire, who headed in Saturday’s first goal, reported for England duty for the first time last year with his clothing in a black trash bag rather than designer luggage.

Ambitions appeared to be thwarted for so long by a culture of entitlement as England gloried in the hype and status of being the birthplace of soccer without backing it up with results. And as players started to collect millions in salaries from their clubs, commitment to the national team was called into question.

“We don’t have renowned world-class players yet,” Southgate said, “but lots of good young players who are showing on the world stage that they’re prepared to be brave with the ball, try to play the right way, have shown some mental resilience now.”

At the start of his tenure in 2016, Southgate realized he had to deliver an important message to his players: Any success with England will be greater than anything achieved with their clubs.

“They have been prepared to park their club rivalries at the door,” Southgate said. “We’ve talked about how important it is to have that spirit.”

Also, how to recover from adversity. One of the lowest points for English soccer came two years ago — days after that European Union referendum in Britain — when a team coached by Roy Hodgson was humiliated by Iceland.

“Under pressure they suffered,” Southgate said. “They will have days when they are not able to cope with things.”

But experiencing the misery at Euro 2016 as players — or as a fan in the stadium like Maguire —helped a Harry Kane-led England advance relatively serenely to its first World Cup semifinal since 1990, according to Southgate. England even managed to beat Colombia in the round of 16 on penalties, halting a run of five successive shootout losses at tournaments.

The victories in Russia are also reversing an anomaly. England hosts the world’s richest soccer competition — the Premier League — but hasn’t been able to produce a national team to match. Southgate was on the last England side to reach a semifinal, at the 1996 European Championship, when the team anthem was “Three Lions.” The “football’s coming home” lyric is back in vogue in Russia, ringing out from stadiums to bars among the few thousand fans who defied the logistical challenges to follow the team.

“We have a good balance and the team are together,” 53-year-old England fan Andrew Court said outside the stadium in Samara where Maguire and Dele Alli scored the goals against Sweden.

Southgate, though, is looking beyond the hollow “Football’s coming home” concept.

Reflecting a studious approach, the platform gained from his greatest day in soccer was used to deliver several powerful messages on Saturday. Above all, Southgate wants more Englishmen playing alongside the Premier League imports.

“The more remarkable thing is that we’re in a semifinal,” Southgate said. “We only have 33 percent of the league to pick from. So that is still a huge problem for us, and we’re playing some young players who are barely established at their clubs, never mind international careers.

“But we feel that they’re able to play the way we want to play, playing huge pride, playing with no lack of quality, showing the sort of mentality to work for the group,” he said.

And it’s a group that, Southgate emphasizes, reflects the diversity of England and cuts through the economic divide in England where so much wealth is centered in the south.

Southgate has singled out the less affluent northern towns where players like Maguire are from.

“All of these players come from different parts of the country,” Southgate said, “and they’ll be youngsters watching at home from the areas that they come from. They’ll be inspiring.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Croatia beats Denmark on penalties, sets up QF vs Russia

NIZHNY NOVGOROD, Russia — Danijel Subasic saved three penalties to help Croatia reach the World Cup quarterfinals with a 3-2 shootout victory over Denmark following a 1-1 draw on Sunday.

Ivan Rakitic scored the decisive penalty after Subasic had used his feet to stop an attempt from Nicolai Jorgensen.

Croatia captain Luka Modric, who also scored in the shootout, had a chance to put his team ahead late in injury time but his penalty was saved by Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.


Croatia will next face host Russia in the quarterfinals on Saturday in Sochi.

Denmark took the lead in the first minute when defender Mathias Jorgensen scrambled in a shot that went in off Subasic’s left hand and then the left post. It was Denmark’s fastest ever World Cup goal.

Croatia equalized in the fourth minute with another untidy goal at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium. Henrik Dalsgaard’s clearance hit a teammate and fell for Croatia forward Mario Mandzukic to hook the ball in.

The teams stayed even for the next 116 minutes, including the 30 minutes of extra time.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Falcao scores, Colombia beats Poland 3-0 at World Cup

KAZAN, Russia — Four years after Radamel Falcao was supposed to lead Colombia at the World Cup, he’s doing just that.

Falcao missed the tournament in Brazil with a knee injury and had to wait until arriving in Russia to score his first World Cup goal. It came in Colombia’s 3-0 victory over Poland on Sunday.

“It’s a dream goal,” Falcao said. “I’m happy for the victory, for the team’s performance and the goal that I scored, which I’ve been waiting for for many years.”



The victory kept Colombia in the running for a spot in the round of 16 and knocked out Poland, the first European country to be eliminated.

Falcao, Colombia’s all-time leading scorer with 30 goals, made sure he would stay healthy for this year’s World Cup by sitting out several matches with his Monaco club this season.

So far, so good.

“We always hope that he can score and hope that he can be fit as he was today, and we want to help him,” Colombia coach Jose Pekerman said. “I think the fact that he scored was very important, not just for today but for the matches to come.

“He is a symbol of the national team. He is a symbol of Colombian football.”

Playing some scintillating soccer in Kazan, Falcao scored with the outside of his foot in the 70th minute after a superb pass from playmaker Juan Quintero in the back of the defense.

Yerry Mina scored the first goal in the 40th and Juan Cuadrado completed the win in the 75th.

Both teams lost their Group H openers and knew another loss would end their hopes of advancing. Colombia will next face Senegal on Thursday in Samara with a chance to win the group, while Poland will play Japan in Volgograd.



Senegal and Japan drew 2-2 earlier Sunday and lead the group with four points each.

Mina out-jumped the Poland defense to head in the opening goal from James Rodriguez’s cross, rewarding a spell of domination by the Colombians.

Rodriguez’s through ball after Poland lost possession in midfield led to the final goal. Cuadrado collected the pass and rushed toward the box, timing his shot perfectly to beat goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.

Poland got off to an aggressive start in the hot and humid Tatarstan capital, pressing high and winning most of the duels in the opening minutes.

Colombia gradually settled in, though, with Quintero providing attacking width and Cuadrado proving dangerous with his subtle moves on the edge of the box.

Colombia slowed the pace in the second half, showing good counterattacking qualities. Quintero came close in the 56th minute on the break, but his goal-bound shot took a deflection.

Cut off from the rest of his teammates, Robert Lewandowski had a few attempts but could not convert his rare chances.

GROUP DYNAMICS

Colombia is still alive ahead of its final match against Senegal and can still win the group, while Poland can only hurt Japan’s chances of advancement.

KEY TO SUCCESSES

Given his first start after fully recovering from a calf injury, Rodriguez lived up to expectations. He pressed relentlessly, tracked back and delivered an assist for Mina.

Rodriguez has now been directly involved in nine goals in seven World Cup appearances for Colombia, scoring six and assisting on three. He formed an excellent partnership with Quintero to create some beautiful play for Colombia.

Besides scoring, Mina was also excellent in containing Lewandowski throughout the match.

POOR POLAND

Poland played well for 15 minutes but then faded.

The team was overwhelmed in midfield and looked clueless in attack in another error-ridden display that resulted in an early exit.

Poland has now failed to keep a clean sheet in its last 10 World Cup matches, since beating Portugal 1-0 in 1986.

“The Colombian team was a much better team,” Poland coach Adam Nawalka said.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Kroos scores late to give Germany 2-1 win over Sweden

SOCHI, Russia — Toni Kroos scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time from outside the penalty area, and 10-man Germany rallied to beat Sweden 2-1 on Saturday to stay alive at the World Cup.


Kroos’ goal came off a set play after a foul in the closing minutes of stoppage time. Kroos tapped the ball to Marco Reus, who set it up for Kroos to curl the right-footed shot to the far post. Sweden goalkeeper Robin Olsen couldn’t get his hand on it.

Reus scored in the 48th minute to pull Germany even after Ola Toivonen’s goal in the 32nd put the Swedes in front. Germany finished with 10-men after Jerome Boateng was sent off following a second yellow card with about 10 minutes remaining.


Mexico has six points in Group F, while Germany and Sweden both have three entering their final matches.

source: sports.inquirer.net

WORLD CUP: Spain ready to leave coaching woes in the past

SOCHI, Russia — Spain can’t wait to get the ball rolling and put its coaching woes in the past.

And nothing better than a win against European champion Portugal in its World Cup opener to start moving forward after one of the most chaotic days in the national team’s history.

Spain will have new coach Fernando Hierro on the bench Friday after Julen Lopetegui, who led the team on a 20-match unbeaten campaign since taking over the squad in 2016, was fired Wednesday for accepting the Real Madrid coaching job without informing the soccer federation in advance.



“We need to turn the page as soon as possible,” Spain captain Sergio Ramos said Thursday. “Spain has to be above anybody. The World Cup starts tomorrow (for us) and we have a great game to play against the European champion. Hopefully we will start on the right foot.”

Spain arrived as one of the title favorites thanks to its good performances under Lopetegui, but La Roja was rocked when newly elected federation president Luis Rubiales fired him for not properly handling the negotiations with Madrid. Hierro, a former national team player and Real Madrid captain who had been acting as Spain’s sports director, was hastily picked for the job despite not having any significant coaching experience.

“Very few things will change. There wasn’t a lot of time,” said Hierro, who had previously coached second-division club Real Oviedo and was an assistant to Carlo Ancelotti after Zinedine Zidane left the post in 2014. “We are well prepared. We have been practicing intensely these past weeks and we have confidence in these players and the ideal that has been in place for the last two years.”

Lopetegui, who was officially introduced by Real Madrid back in Spain not long after Spain’s news conference in Sochi, had revamped Spain’s national team after taking over from Vicente del Bosque following the 2016 European Championship.

Ramos, one of the six Madrid players with the national team, said the squad didn’t want to talk about the coaching change anymore and would remain focused on playing soccer.

“The desire of this group to do well hasn’t changed,” he said.

Ramos, who will captain Spain in a World Cup for the first time, dismissed reports that players tried to persuade the federation president to change his decision on Lopetegui.

“This is a decision that doesn’t belong to us. It’s taken by people who have more power than the players,” he said. “We can only do something on the field.”



Ramos said Lopetegui “would remain a part of whatever happens to Spain in this World Cup.”

At the end of the news conference at Fisht Stadium, the outspoken defender said he wanted to leave with a smile on his face.

“This looks like a funeral,” he said. “Tomorrow the World Cup starts for us.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

FIFA impose stadium bans, fines for homophobic chants

FIFA on Friday handed out fines to the football associations of Chile, Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, Paraguay and Peru for homophobic chants by supporters during qualifying matches for the 2018 World Cup.

Chile were banned from playing at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago for two official matches and fined 30,000 Swiss Francs ($30,000, 27,000 euros).

The first match-ban will be served at the next World Cup qualifier against Bolivia, with the second suspended subject to a two-year probation period.

“The proceedings relate to homophobic chants by the team’s fans and follow previous sanctions for similar incidents during the preliminary competition of the 2018 FIFA World Cup,” FIFA said in a statement.

Mexico were fined a total of 35,000 Swiss Francs for two cases, while Honduras were fined 40,000, El Salvador 35,000, Paraguay 20,000 and Peru 15,000 for individual cases related to incidents involving discriminatory and unsporting conduct by fans, including homophobic chants.

Croatia were also ordered to play their next two World Cup qualifiers –- against Turkey on September 5 and Iceland on November 12 -– without spectators and fined a total of 150,000 Swiss Francs for two cases of discriminatory chants by fans, which occurred at friendly matches against Israel and Hungary last March.

source: sports.inquirer.net