WORLD CUP 18. FIRST SEMI-FINAL

WELL, the first semi-final between France and Belgium held yesterday and won by France, was played on a grueling pace where Belgium played better yet they could not send the ball into the net of France because the custodian of France under their bar was extremely in good form. If not for him,  French men would go down by at least 2 to 3 goals after equalizing the goal Frenchmen scored first. Besides the Frenchmen guarded their citadel extremely well even with double marking.  And in the aerial duel, the deep defenders of France were extremely difficult to out beat.

During the second half the men from Belgium mounted heavy pressure on the defensive wall like the great wall of China, erected by Frenchmen giving no chance to their opponents to penetrate the ball past the French custodian who played an exceptionally good game bringing out some beautiful saves.

If France plays defensive game throughout in the final as they played yesterday in the second half then their position will be precarious because you cannot defend your citadel continuously for long since point of saturation will come an thence you are at a loss. “Attack is the best form of defense, proclaimed the Brasilian squad of 1970 World Cup” which finally paid very good dividends.  While defending your citadel you also have to create openings for counter attack. In the second half Frenchmen played with fear and nervousness though the youngster Mbappe was like a shining star in the constellation on French Sky. His dribbling power was excellent though once beaten he surrenders to his opponents to dictate the terms.  This youngster will be a thrill to watch in the semi-final. 

As a whole the game was played on very fast pace both the teams giving their best and as such it was found very interesting to watch.  

Wishing the French team all the best in the final.

A.Veronica Fernandes.

FOOT-BALL TEAMS AND THEIR MANAGERS

The position of the Foot-ball team Managers is very powerful and as such it is very important.   In Brazil it is considered as as the second to that of the National President.  He is considered as a maker of the team or destroyer of the team. He is the man like 12^th member of the team wielding immense powers. In soccer crazy countries like Brazil and some other South Americans when their teams lose they are even ready to  go for the blood of their team Managers if their team returns home empty handed.

In 1966 World Cup when their Italian team returned home with exit blow in the early stage itself, due to the fear of their own Italian people who were waiting outside the Airport to lynch their Manager and players as well, their entire team headed by their Manager gone underground. Sensing the worst happening, on the advice of the intelligence service, the security personnel at the Airport exited the Italian squad thru the back door and hurriedly sent them home without anybody’s notice. But in the next W.Cup tournament held in Mexico, 1970, the same country’s defeated squad returned home after their worst and humiliating defeat in the final against Pele’s Brazil team consisting some of  the genius players Brazil has ever produced, namely the skipper and defender Carlos Alberto Pereira, midfielders Gerson and Clodoaldo, finishers besides Pele, Rivelino and Dr. Tostao, the defeated Italians were welcomed home with the slogans and banners saying “welcome home our heroes because since Brazil this time is unbeatable, we accept you back with our open arms as real heroes of Italy.  You are like Champions of the World minus Brazilians who cannot be defeated even if the entire world joined together”.  Though the Italy’s Mnager was afraid knowing he would be the first target of the ire of his people, thank God fear for life finally turned into pleasure of life.

In 1982 tournament in Spain, Brazilian squad was so powerful that even a street boy in Brazil would say their team will win that year’s World Cup and when their team came to the Airport to fly to Spain, they were given a heroes send off saying “we hail you as world champions now only”.  The Brazilian team then was trained by their genius coach Tele Santana.  However, when they reached to the knock-out stage, Brazil unexpectedly lost to Italy where their rejuvenated Paolo Rossi played havoc singlehandedly with the Brazilians by scoring a magnificent hat-trick minus two beautiful goals of Brazil scored beautifully one by their skipper Dr. Socrates and the other by Falcao. To move ahead Brasil needed only the draw but that they could not achieve.

Then Brazil returned back home where their Manager Tele Santana was not only insulted wherever he was spotted but his house was stoned giving him the shock of his life time.

On the positive note, the position of the team Managers especially of National team is become so important and so lucrative that the chain smoker Team Manager Cesar Menotti of Argentina held World Cup 1978, almost for three months continuously, for every 48 hours he was receiving one offer from all over the World offering him the post of Manger of their Teams, either National or Club. This indicates how important is this post.

When Kuwait embarked on to totally revamp  its policy on Soccer and to build not only a strong national team but also to lay a strong foundation for its foot-ball, Kuwait hired the services of a World best Coach from Brazil, Mario Zagallo who was the Coach of 1970 Brazilian World Cup winning team, who also did his job for the Brazilian squad of 1974. When Kuwait hired Mario Zagallo in 1974 Kuwait was paying him 20,000 dollars per month with everything found. Some foot-ball pundits from all around the globe knowing Zagallo joined Kuwait which is like a foot-ball mosquito, they scorned at Zagallo but Zagallo had confidence in him and besides such a fantastic remuneration who will pay him?  Within a short period he totally changed the outlook not only of Kuwaiti National team but also put a strong base for its junior level soccer.  As a result, within a year Kuwait won the Arab Cup, played not only in the Olympics but also played in the World Cup 82 held n Spain. THIS is the power and importance of the Team mmanager who is capable of creating wonders for this reason the services of expert Team Managers are sought all over the world. 

   

A.Veronica Fernandes.

SEMI-FINALS OF WORLD CUP 18.

Victory to England against Sweden was deservingly gained and loss of home Country  Russia against Croatia is a big blow to them.  But none can do anything about it to undo this loss to Russia.  It was very sad view to see the thousands of vociferous Russian spectators supporting their home team to win this match.   The decider acquired thru the Penalties looked to be very unfortunate even though both the teams fought well to gain the supremacy of this clash.

The first clash between the two European teams  Sweden and England though not so rich in terms of display of the play yet England had an upper hand throughout where skipper Kane played in a heroic role the “captan’s inning” extremely well. He also as  on now is the leading goal scorer  with the tally reaching to 6 goals. Will he succeed in creating a new record by scoring more goals in one tournament than all his predecessors?  Or he will go for “Match Fixing” phenomenon which is very much common in Cricket?

In their first time ever participation in the World Cup tournament held in England in 1966, Portugal was one of the most powerful teams among all the 16 participating teams since this was the maximum number of contestants permitted then.  The increase came later on by 8 teams first and finally by another 8 reaching to the current 32. Portugal had a very powerful team comprising the world best front liner, a Mocambiqan  born Eusebio along with his compatriot and the captain of their team Coluna who like a Wall of Gibraltar stood firm to guard his team’s citadel. Among the others who were of world class standard were the forwards Torres and Jose Augusto.  With this powerful team in the qualifying round itself, Portugal defeated Pele’s Brazil and sent Brazil back home.

Pele was astonished to see in another Portuguese speaking country, Portugal, there appeared in the Constellation of most shining Star in Eusebio whose  goals made Brazil as cockroach in front of Portuguese Lions. After the match Pele came to Eusebio hugged him tightly and gifted his Jersey to Eusebio by saying “ Take my Jersey for you because now YOU ARE PELE”.  The real Pele is no more the king of foot-ball, now you are the King of Foot-ball”.  Then the world Press and commentators flashed this  news to all over the globe.  Immediately then Eusebio scripted his Autobiography titled “MY NAME IS EUSEBIO” which was an English translation, original being in Portuguese the language Eusebio spoke.  Additonally this book was translated into 3 – 4 more languages. In this Autobiography, Eusebio by paying rich tributes to Pele says “Pele is really a great player and do not compare me to him, he has his own uniqueness and greatness as I have mine too. Hence, do not call me Pele but call me Eusebio because MY NAME IS EUSEBIO”.  Before his departure back to Lisboa from England after Portugal lost in the semi-final against the home country England, Eusebio was invited by the then British Premier Wilson and when the British premier got up to welcome Eusebio, in the words of Eusebio himself, “Purely in a Portuguese style I shook hand with the British premier’.

In that book, Eusebio says that when Portugal was qualified to participate in that World Cup tournament in England he was sure to win the award for highest number of individual goals in a particular tournament.  Yet still he decided to have a pact between him and Jose Augusto whose job will be to supply more and more Balls  to Eusebio so that Eusebio scores more goals.  And precisely because Jose Augusto did his job well, Eusebio implemented his plan successfully, finally Eusebio became the highest individual scorer of that tournament.  Portugal that time was so sure to win the Cup but in the semi-final in a last minute change in the venue, the encounter was shifted to Wembley Stadium which was more advantageous to England. Then for the Third Place spot, Portugal clashed with the Soviet Russia whose goal posts were manned by the mighty Keeper Lev Yaschin who was considered as the greatest Goalkeeper this planet has ever produced.  In the second goal Eusebio scored from the Penalty, Eusebio pointed his finger to Yaschin indicating his intention to Yachin that he is shooting the ball to his right corner and he did it but yet Yaschin failed to dive to the direction Eusebio indicated.

After that encounter, a mediaman asked Eusebio why you hit the Penalty so hard?  Replied Eusebio “Penalty means 100% goal and to ensure that it becomes a goal, if by chance the opponent’s goalkeeper puts his hand to the ball to prevent it from going into the net, the power of the shot should break the hand of the goal-keeper and the ball must enter into the net.

Will we ever get to see another Eusebio?

A.Veronica Fernandes.