WORLD CUP 18 - WILL FINAL REACH TO THE ZENITH.

And alas, England is ousted from this year’s World Cup tournament when they were defeated by the Croatians the small and young country in the Eastern Europe having such a small population of approximately 5 millions. Compared to such a mighty country wielding a Veto power in the UNO, England and UK, Croatia  is a tiny geographically political entity which was earlier a part of communist Yugoslavia but in 1991 when Communism  like a pack of Cards collapsed in Soviet Russia and Tito’s Yugoslavia, all the smaller pockets like Croatia seceded from their Communist Masters who earlier swallowed them  in the pre - World War  I and post World War II exactly what India did for some of the smaller states after the British surrendered India to Indians.  Those days Indian stalwarts mainly the Congressmen under the leadership of Nehru using its brute Military might forced some the smaller kingdoms to merge with Delhi.

For example, to bring Hyderabad under his domain Nehru government butchered mercilessly so many people owing allegiance to Hayderabadi Maharaja who was refusing to join with Nehru's Bharat.  In Kashmir their Maharaja also was not ready to join India knowing India one day WILL disgrace them and in the North India so many states including Assam, Sikkim and some more were forcibly brought under India’s banner. This type of hegemonistic policy India imbibed from Soviet Russia was very bad. 

• My beloved Goa was invaded and annexed to India by Nehru like what Hitler did during the World War II makes India a traitor in the eyes of outside World  and  on top of it India shamelessly from the point of Nehru till now talk ill of Hitler calling Hitler a dictator when India in some aspects is worse than Hitler.  h right Indian government had to enter into my Goa and grab it like Nehru’s father property? Did India and its leaders especially Nehru consult us Goans and got our approval for invading Goa and thereby beginning the process of liquidating Goa? Though I am against Portuguese ruling in Goa yet I still feel we were  much better ruled - governed - taken care and better protected in all respects under the colonialists than under this corrupt Bharati regime which was manned by most of the "Rostad" available in this Rostad governed Bharat. It is from the Soviet Russia that India acquired all the Hitlerian tactics otherwise our Goa would have been competing in World Cup today as an independent nation just like Croatia. 
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• As per my information, according to Indian policy, New Delhi is working thru whichever government occupies the Centre's Throne, to deGoanise Goa because Indian policy makers want more and more non-Goans in Goa to alter the demographic structure of Goa tilting against Goans. For  this reason every step the Government takes on GOA it is ferociously supported by the Centre.  The influx of non GOANS  descend on Goa was pushed by those anti-GOA policy makers in Delhi who doles all privileges to Delhikar in Goa.  While many of the small scale merchants coming to Goa from India are financed by their agents including their religious congregations, to purchase land from Goa and buy Shops. 

Coming back to the semi-final match between England and Croatia, the Croatians are the deserving winners though they were caught unaware with the very beautiful early goal that they conceded. But then after  the Croatians roared like Lions usurping all the powers from England and thereby subduing England in every department of the game.  The exchanging and passing of the ball, running, dribbling, heading and protecting their citadel, Croatia excelled well. England with this stuff of players has no right to figure in the final.

When England reached in the final in 1966 World Cup defeating Portugal in the semi-final with the help of questionable referee's decisions, they had gigantic players in their rank then, namely, Gordon Banks under their bar, Geoff Hurst in upfront along with Bobby Charlton, their skipper Bobby Moore orchestrating their moves like a Maestro and others including Jackie Charlton.  Those players created miracles for the home English team to win that tournament. And above all outside the field they had a great general to guide and advise them on anything and everything pertaining to their game, their Team Manager Sir Alf Ramsey.

No doubt both the teams missed sure chances of scoring goals when their attempts hit the posts yet it should be noted that in football each team is having not only 11 players but plus  3, totally making it 14.  Who are the last three? They are the 3 wooden pieces, that is, 2 goal posts and one Cross piece and their role is coming into picture in emergency time only when all the 11 players are beaten.  These three wooden pieces are very important to protect you from conceding goals.

Now the final will be played on Sunday between Croatia and France the country that tasted the victory in this tournament earlier.  Both the countries will enter the field without having a Hero and that both the finalists will be playing without having any individual hero, probably first time in the history of this tournament, it proves again that the game of soccer is necessarily a Team work game and not necessarily individual game. The 3 real heroes namely Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar gone home with their heads down in shame because they proved how shabbily  they performed inspite of their high billing. I think the real hero in the final will be youngster Mbappe of France who has already indicated his skill to play high standard of soccer at this young age. HE will be a thriller to watch in the Final.

My prediction for the final ; CROATIA :2 – FRANCE: 1.

A.VERONICA FERNANDES.

     

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.