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Maradona 'bitter and angry' over Argentina displays
By Andrew Wychrij
Jul 2, 2014 9:21:00 AM
The footballing legend blasted the national team and coach for their approach in the World Cup, criticising the attacking play and suggesting Lionel Messi looks "lonely" up front
Diego Maradona has expressed his rage at Argentina's performances in the tournament, placing the blame firmly at the feet of Alejandro Sabella.
La Albiceleste progressed to the last eight of the competition on Tuesday following a narrow 1-0 extra-time win over Switzerland, with Angel Di Maria scoring in the 118th minute.
Maradona revealed his dismay with how his compatriots have performed so far, suggesting that they have yet to get going and slamming Sabella for not inspiring the team to play to their potential.
"I don't think we've started yet," the visibly emotional 53-year-old told De Zurda.
"The team has no change of pace, no movement at the front. I have something inside of me that is very strong, it's like bitterness, rage, anger. Argentina will have to play much better as a team."
The 1986 World Cup winner also spoke about the overreliance that the South Americans have on Lionel Messi, emphasising that they will need to improve significantly against Belgium in the quarter-finals.
"Messi is very lonely," the fomer national team head coach surmised.
"The Argentina midfield falter much and do not take initiative. If Messi does not take it forward we will fall in the next round as that will be to blame for Argentina's catastrophe.
"The team is playing at 40 per cent of its potential. There are players who have not yet started playing the World Cup.
"Belgium is another matter. If Argentina does not wake up, we're in trouble."
Argentina face the Red Devils in their quarter-final in Brasilia on Saturday.
The United States goalkeeper hailed the striker's impact on Tuesday's last-16 encounter, whilst admitting his disappointment that his team could not find a way past the Red Devils
Tim Howard branded Romelu Lukaku the key difference between the two sides as the United States' World Cup came to an end against Belgium.
The Chelsea forward, who played with Howard during his loan spell at Everton last season, came on at the start of extra time and made an instant impact as he played a hand in setting up Kevin De Bruyne's opener before scoring himself to give the Red Devils a 2-1 win.
Howard, who had kept the Americans in the contest with a series of excellent stops, breaking the record for the number of saves in a World Cup finals game with 15 in total, was full of praise for the 21-year-old's performance.
"They brought big Rom on and he was a handful," the Stars and Stripes shot stopper told Fifa's official website.
"He ran at us, scored a goal, created chances for other guys. Big Rom changed the game."
Despite going 2-0 down, USA forced a dramatic climax after teenager Julian Green's 107th-minute volley and Howard admitted that he was devastated that his team could not find a way to draw level.
"It's heartbreaking, I don't think we could have given any more," the 35-year-old continued.
"We left it all out there. We got beaten by a really good team. They took their chances well. It's heartache, it hurts. But hats off to Belgium, they were fantastic."
The coach believes that his side have plenty of opportunity to get better as the tournament goes on as they prepare for a quarter-final encounter with Germany
Didier Deschamps says that France have the potential to get even better heading into their quarter-final against Germany in Rio on Friday.
Les Bleus progressed beyond the second round after a 2-0 win over Nigeria, with a Paul Pogba header breaking the Africans' resistance before Joseph Yobo sliced into his own net late on.
France have received plaudits for their performances in the World Cup so far, most notably a 5-2 win over Switzerland in the group stages, but Deschamps insists that they have not yet come close to reaching their peak.
"There is room for improvement," the 45-year-old was quoted by L'Equipe.
"The group is young. Even when things are going well, there are always aspects that can be improved."
Deschamps, a World Cup winner in 1998, noted that there a number of aspects to address if France are serious about mounting a challenge for a second World Cup title.
"The precision in technical interchanges, complexity in movement [can be improved]," he continued.
"The defensive aspect is something we can work on. But in the offensive space, it's more complicated. It requires more time to get it right."
France are ready for Germany 'in every department' - Raul
By Andrew Wychrij
Jul 2, 2014 12:41:00 PM
The Spain legend hopes the upcoming quarter-final will treat fans to a spectacle not unlike when the sides met in the 1982 World Cup
Raul is expecting a well-balanced encounter when France take on Germany at the Maracana on Friday and believes les Bleus are fully prepared.
The two sides met in consecutive semi-finals in the 1982 and 1986 Worlc Cups, with Joachim Low's side emerging victorious from both games, the first on penalties after a dramatic 3-3 draw and the second a 2-0 win.
Raul revealed that he has been impressed by Didier Deschamps' side so far and feels they have the opportunity to erase the memories of those two defeats when the sides meet again.
"France looked solid at the back despite coming under pressure," the Spaniard wrote in his column for the Times of India on Didier Deschamps' team's 2-0 last-16 win over Nigeria.
"Their midfield took the game to the Nigerians in the second half and showed power and mobility in [Paul] Pogba, [Blaise] Matuidi and [Yohan] Cabaye. With a big match coming up, Didier Deschamps’ side is looking ready in every department.
"This sets the stage for a truly big quarter-final. Germany and France have been among the impressive sides in Brazil and a clash featuring them reminds one of the classic they had played at the [knockout] stages in 1982.
"France had lost that bruising match on penalties and this time, they look good to throw an equally strong challenge."
The former Schalke player admitted, however, that Germany would present a tough prospect, particularly with players of the quality of Manuel Neuer in their ranks, for the French and stressed that he was relishing the encounter as a result.
"Manuel Neuer stood out [in Germany's 2-1 second-round win over Algeria]," he continued.
"In recent times, the World Cup had rarely seen a goalkeeper play a sweeper's role with such command and assurance.
"The German back four was shaky in the beginning but grew in confidence once their midfielders started asserting themselves. The finishing was the only part missing in what turned out to be a strong German performance.
"Their substitutes played key roles and stretched the wings, which showed that Joachim Low's team can adapt to different situations. I expect a cracker at Maracana between two well balanced sides."
The Germany boss insists that he has made up his mind over the Bayern Munich player's role and defended his tactical approach ahead of the quarter-final against les Bleus
Joachim Low has confirmed that he will continue to utilise Philipp Lahm in the Germany midfield ahead of their upcoming World Cup clash with France.
The Germany captain has played most of his career a full-back but has increasingly been deployed in the centre of the pitch for both club and country.
Low, acknowledging the debate that this has fostered in Germany, dismissed suggestions that he could be swayed from his existing plans, and emphasised that he has decided upon Lahm's role for the rest of the World Cup.
"I took my decisions and that includes Philipp Lahm's role - I stand by it until the end," the 54-year-old told Die Zeit.
"Lahm will only play as right back in case we have a case of emergency on the right wing during the match. Then I'd say: 'Okay, now this is Philipp Lahm's task, he can contribute to the pressure going forward.' But we have to avoid a case of emergency.
"There are several players in our team who can play in different positions offering huge quality. I realise there will always be discussions about who plays and who does not play."
Low also sought to defend Lahm and Mesut Ozil from some of the criticism they have recently received.
"This kind of public criticism is not understandable for me," he said of Ozil, who scored the second in Germany's 2-1 win over Algeria on Monday.
"The same with the criticism of Lahm. Mesut Ozil was the standout player in the tournaments in 2010 and 2012. I can't just forget that. Plus, I always have big faith in my players, even though they're not having a good run."
Ahead of facing France in the Maracana on Friday, Low also was keen to play down concerns over Germany's display against Algeria, stressing that the result should be the focus.
"Should I be disappointed we progressed?" he said.
"We made easy mistakes and lost the ball too often. At a World Cup you can't play fantastically every match. But you have to win and that is what we managed to do."
The Zenit midfielder admits it would be something of a "miracle" for the Red Devils to triumph in Brazil but insists they believe that they can make their "dreams" come true
By Mark Doyle in Salvador
Axel Witsel says Belgium are not afraid of World Cup 2014 quarter-final opponents Argentina and are ready to take the game to the South American nation.
The Red Devils booked their place in the last eight with a dramatic 2-1 extra-time win over United States in Salvador, just hours after the Albiceleste had scraped through thanks to Angel Di Maria's 118th-minute winner against Switzerland.
Witsel says the pressure is now off Belgium, who have only once made it to the semi-finals of the World Cup, and that Marc Wilmots' men will, therefore, have no qualms about taking the game to Lionel Messi and Co.
"Our goal was to reach the quarter-finals," the midfielder told reporters in Salvador. "Now we are here, we can enjoy the next game and I think we have a chance to get through to the semis.
"Argentina are a very good team, with top players like [Lionel] Messi, Di Maria and [Gonzalo] Higuain.
"But we have quality too. We're not afraid of Argentina and we'll go out win the game. Everything that happens for us now is just a bonus.
"I don't know if we can perform a miracle here by winning the World Cup but if you just take things game by game, you can make your dreams come true."
Indeed, Witsel is hoping that anything is possible for a side that exhibited great perseverance and resilience in defeating USA 2-1 at Arena Fonte Nova.
Belgium peppered Tim Howard's goal without shots for 90 minutes but only made the breakthrough in extra-time, going two goals to the good thanks to Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku.
However, the Red Devils were left hanging on after Julian Green pulled a goal back for the US and Witsel admitted he was a relieved man at the full-time whistle.
"It was a frustrating game for us," the Zenit star confessed. "We had so many chances to score.
"We had 38 shots on goal. We shot and we shot but the ball didn't want to go in. So you start to think that maybe USA will score on the counterattack.
"But we gave everything. We kept going and thankfully we won."
After a group-stage exit and off the field controversy, the association's president has expressed his regret following a disappointing campaign for the Black Stars in Brazil
The Ghana Football Association has issued a public apology following the national team's early exit from the World Cup.
Four years ago, Ghana were the pride of Africa as they came within a whisker of becoming the first nation from the continent to reach the semi-finals of the competition, only for Uruguay to knock them out on penalties.
And after exiting this year’s tournament in Brazil at the group stage, FA president Kwesi Nyantakyi apologised to the Ghanaian public for the disappointing campaign.
"Admittedly, the performance of the team fell below the expectation of many Ghanaians," Nyantakyi told a news conference on Wednesday.
"Our inability to qualify for the second round broke many Ghanaian hearts. We wish to offer our unqualified apologies for the disappointment."
Much was expected of Kwesi Appiah's side heading to Brazil, but only one point from a possible nine saw them finish bottom of Group G behind Germany, United States and Portugal.
Disappointing displays on the pitch were coupled with chaos off it, as experienced duo Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng were both handed indefinite suspensions before the final group game for episodes of indiscipline on the training pitch.
Ghana's stay in South America was also overshadowed by rows over squad appearance fees, and needing a win in their final match against Portugal they were beaten 2-1.
The tournament in Brazil was their third consecutive appearance at a finals, and the first time they have failed to progress from the groups.
Essien faces Ghana sanctions over World Cup misconduct
By Kent Mensah
Jul 2, 2014 7:54:00 PM
The former Chelsea ace refused to warm-up ahead of the Black Stars’ final group game with Portugal and the case has been referred to the country's FA for review
Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah has referred midfielder Michael Essien to the Ghana FA over his refusal to warm-up prior to the Black Stars' game against Portugal at the 2014 World Cup.
Appiah confirmed at a press conference in Accra on Wednesday that the AC Milan midfielder, who sat on the bench in the final group game, failed to join the rest of his colleagues in the pre-game preparations.
"I was notified by my technical team that he [Essien] did not warm-up though he was supposed to. It was reported to me and I have added it to my report," Appiah said.
"That was some minutes before kick-off against Portugal. Due to the urgency of the game, we had to carry on and after that I reported his conduct to the GFA in my report for the necessary action to be taken."
Ghana had a torrid campaign in Brazil, losing two games and drawing one to register their worst ever appearance since first making it to the tournament in 2006, with the decisive clash against Portugal ending in a 2-1 victory for the Seleccao.
Two players – Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng – were also sent home over misconduct allegations, while a dispute concerning the players' bonuses caused further consternation within the camp.
Ghana FA president Kwesi Nyantakyi noted that the governing body is "not going to condone any form of indiscipline" as they look to tackle the misconduct issues in Brazil head on.
The African nation's footballing governing body has already issues an apology over the performance of the team during the World Cup.
The president of the United States of America spoke with goalkeeper Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey following the nation's World Cup exit to Belgium
USA president Barack Obama gave national team heroes Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey a phone call following their valiant loss to Belgium on Tuesday.
Jurgen Klinsmann's men lost 2-1 in the last-16 tie after extra-time, with Howard breaking the record for most saves made in a World Cup match (16) while Dempsey scored twice in the group stage to help fire USA to the meeting with Marc Wilmots's side.
Obama congratulated the duo on their monumental effort in Brazil and even jokingly suggested that Howard shave his facial hair so he can avoid constant attention from football fans when back in the country.
"You guys did us proud," the US president said. "As somebody whose first sport was soccer - although I was never that good - to see the way you captured the hearts and the minds of the country is unbelievable.
"You carry yourselves with a lot of class and it makes people really respect the sport. What you guys accomplished is really significant.
"Tim, I don't know how you'll survive the mobs when you come back. You'll have to shave your beard so they don't know who you are."
Watch the full video of Obama's chat with the USA stars below...
The Chelsea winger insists that Marc Wilmots' men have the quality to upset the Albiceleste in what he says is the biggest game of his life
Eden Hazard insists Belgium can beat Argentina in Brasilia this weekend but freely admits that their hopes hinge upon coming up with a way to nullify "the best player in the world" Lionel Messi.
The four-time Ballon d'Or winner has been in sensational form at World Cup 2014, carrying his country through the group stage with four goals in three games before teeing up Angel Di Maria for a 118th-minute winner in Tuesday's last-16 triumph over Switzerland.
Hazard confesses that he is not yet sure what Belgium are going to do to curb Messi's attacking threat, but he is adamant that Marc Wilmots' men have every chance of defeating the Albiceleste.
"I think that we are two good teams," he told reporters in Salvador after his side's 2-1 win over United States.
"I don't know how it will go but, for me, it's 50-50. They have Messi, [Gonzalo] Higuain and [Ezequiel] Lavezzi. But we have a lot of great defenders.
"We know that the best player in the world is in their team. [Their overall form] is good, but they have one very big player and he makes the difference in every game. If we can stop Messi, it'll be easier.
"I don't know how we can stop him. We won't be afraid, though.
"We'll watch some videos and just try to win because it's a big game for this generation of players. It's maybe the biggest game of my life.
"And I hope to continue this World Cup. We can make history."
Hazard's own form has been the subject of much debate, with the Chelsea attacker having failed to find the net in Brazil.
However, the 23-year-old was happy with his performance in the extra-time victory over USA at Arena Fonte Nova and insists that he is not feeling under any pressure to prove himself on the game's grandest stage.
"For me, individually, it was very good tonight [against the States]," he argued. "Creatively, I was good.
"But we all played well and I think we deserved to win.
"And I think the whole team is calm. We don't feel pressure and we play like we do in training. And this is why we're in the quarter-finals."
The Chelsea-owned goalkeeper kept the Barcelona ace out six times last season, so he has no qualms about facing the No.10 in Brasilia on Saturday
Thibaut Courtois says he is looking forward to renewing his personal rivalry with Lionel Messi when Belgium meet Argentina in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
The goalkeeper faced the Barcelona attacker six times in the colours of Atletico Madrid last season and did not concede a single goal to the four-time Ballon d'Or winner.
As a result, facing Messi in the last eight of the World Cup holds no fear for Courtois.
"I know him well from Atletico's games against Barcelona, so it'll be nice to play against him for our countries," the 22-year-old told reporters in Salvador after helping his national team claim a dramatic 2-1 win over United States in the round of 16.
"Hopefully we can win, but we'll see. The good thing is that I don't have to watch videos of him because I know him so well.
"But even if you watch videos of him, he's so unpredictable that it's impossible to study him to know what he's going to do.
"As soon as he finds a way to shoot, he will shoot, so the only thing you can do as a goalkeeper is concentrate at all times.
"You can't think of anything else for one second because at that moment he will score."
Courtois' remarkable powers of concentration were very much in evidence at Arena Fonte Nova. Unlike his American counterpart, Tim Howard, the Chelsea-owned shot-stopper had been given very little to do during 90 scoreless minutes in Salvador.
However, he proved his class in the closing stages of extra-time after USA had brought the game back to 2-1, pulling off a fantastic close-range stop from Clint Dempsey that effectively earned his country a place in the quarter-finals.
"I think that maybe we started the second half of extra-time without enough pressure on the ball," Courtois mused.
"We let them play too easily and they had the quality to score a goal. Then they kept coming at us but I think I made a good save from Dempsey at the end.
"Maybe after we made it 2-0 we thought that the final 15 minutes would be easy. But I knew it would not be like this.
"It's a World Cup; it's always hard. And once they made it 2-1, it was very difficult. But we stayed strong and managed to win."
Belgium are now just three wins away from World Cup glory but Courtois, unsurprisingly, is not looking beyond Saturday's date with Messi in Brasilia.
"Winning this tournament would be incredible but we have to go step by step - and the next step is Argentina," he pointed out.
"So let's try to get by them first and then see what happens in the future. But it's going to be really hard to beat Argentina."
The Fifa president said the tournament in Brazil had gone to plan and criticised those who feared protests and delays to stadium construction would ruin the competition
Fifa president Sepp Blatter has declared the World Cup in Brazil to be a "great success" and criticised those who feared that protests and infrastructure problems would ruin the tournament.
The build-up to football's biggest competition was marred by protests in the country over how much the Brazilian government were spending to host the tournament and numerous problems with construction work on the stadia and fan areas.
However, Blatter has hit back at critics and claims the reduction in protests since initial street demonstrations at the beginning of the tournament prove the success of the event.
"Everyone was wrong," Blatter told a seminar at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Rio de Janeiro where demonstrators protested on the issue of the World Cup costs.
"I'm not saying it's perfect. But everyone said that the stadiums wouldn't be ready on time. They're ready and today Brazil has stadiums which are works of art.
"Where are the protests? Where is the social rage?
"The World Cup is more than a success and I'm happy that Fifa is part of it."
The 78-year-old added: "There are still eight games [to go]. Fingers crossed that they will be on the same level and have the same atmosphere as the others."
Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke backed Blatter and admitted he was pleased with how exciting this summer's tournament in Brazil had been to watch.
"It's definitely the best World Cup when you are talking about football," he told SporTV.
The former Germany player believes Joachim Low must return the Bayern Munich star to the defence from his current place in the centre of midfield
Former Germany captain Michael Ballack has urged Joachim Low to play Philipp Lahm at right-back for the remainder of the World Cup.
The current captain has been utilised as a central midfielder at Bayern Munich for most of the season under Pep Guardiola and Low has followed that example by utilising him in the middle of the park for the national team.
Following the injury to Shkodran Mustafi, Low has been urged to return Lahm to his natural position, but has already insisted he will remain in the centre of midfield. However, Ballack insists the 30-year-old should be put back into the back line.
"I still believe we need Philipp to play in the back four for Germany," he told Times of India. "He is much more valuable there. He has played there for years and has turned into a world-class player and he is one of the best.
"Why should we rob ourselves of Lahm in a position the whole world envies us for? We, as Germany, only weaken ourselves by playing someone else as a right or left-back.
"Lahm is taking away a place in the middle of the park for another world-class player. And that's Bastian Schweinsteiger for me.
"Joachim Low needs to take a wise decision for the remainder of the tournament with Mustafi out, so that we can win the title.
"Low needs to use Lahm as a wing-back and play in the middle with either Schweinsteiger and Kroos or Schweinsteiger and Khedira."
The former Bayern Munich player praised Low for sticking by Mesut Ozil, who he hopes will become more influential in the rest of the tournament.
"I'm surprised by the critical views on Mesut Ozil's performance. For me, he is and remains an extraordinary player for Germany.
"Ozil hasn't had a good tournament so far but maybe his late goal against Algeria in the pre-quarters will give him the confidence to be a match-winner for Germany going ahead.
"Other nations envy us for having players like Ozil and Gotze. But I find it positive that Low backs Ozil through all this criticism. Not only him, Low does it in general with his players."
The 1990 World Cup winner says drastic improvements are needed in Joachim Low's side if they are to beat France on Friday to secure a semi-final spot
Germany have to improve "100 per cent" if they are to overcome France in their World Cup quarter-final, according to Andreas Brehme.
Joachim Low's men are through to the quarter-final of the tournament in Brazil and will play France on Friday for a spot in the last-four.
But Brehme, who won the 1990 World Cup with Germany, believes drastic improvements in Germany's performances are needed if they are to go any further in the competition.
"I’ve enjoyed watching France," he told Fifa's official website. "Our team will have to improve another 100 per cent if they want to win on Friday.
"Our team hasn’t played badly so far and they deserve to be in the quarter-finals. But if we play as we did against Algeria then France will definitely knock us out. They’re a different calibre of opponent.
"Our team know that it’s crunch time now. Germany have always been a tournament side. The lads have got a huge game on Friday so they’ll be focusing on putting in a top-class performance there. As a German player you know when it’s time to step up."
The 53-year-old feels Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer could be one of the key players in the game, and also discussed which players have impressed him most this summer.
"Maybe a world-class player like Manuel Neuer will be the deciding factor. The way he played against Algeria was incredible. In my opinion, he’s been one of the players of the tournament so far.
"I’ve been very impressed by Netherlands’ Memphis Depay, and Arjen Robben is in sensational form as well. I’d have to add Colombia’s James Rodriguez too. Nobody had him on their radar before the tournament started but he’s a superb player.
"No team has been at their best all the way through. Netherlands and France have impressed me the most but our team is also in the running.
"You can’t discount Brazil because they’ve got wonderful individual players and as hosts they have the support of the fans behind them.
"Argentina are vulnerable in defence but are unbelievable in attack. I think we’ve still got a lot of exciting games to look forward to."
World Cup 2014: Family of Andres Escobar to attend Colombia-Brazil game 20 years after his murder
Brother and sister of captain who was shot after own goal put team out in 1994 will wear shirts in his honour in Friday's quarter-final
Memorial: People in Medellin this week walk past a mural commemorating Andres Escobar, who was murdered 20 years ago Photo: AFP
By Jeremy Wilson, in Rio de Janeiro
4:28PM BST 02 Jul 2014
The family of Andrés Escobar will attend Colombia’s World Cup quarter-final against Brazil on Friday, almost exactly 20 years to the day since the defender was murdered following his own goal in the 1994 tournament.
Escobar was only 27 and poised for a move to AC Milan when he was shot dead in Medellín just days after Colombia were knocked out of the World Cup following a 2-1 defeat by the United States.
It was a time of extreme violence and disorder in Colombia and the exact motive for Escobar’s death remains unknown, despite the theory that it was a revenge attack for betting losses that were suffered during the tournament.
Carlos Valderrama, Colombia’s most capped player and a team-mate of Escobar, went on Twitter on Wednesday to remember his former captain. “Andrés Escobar - always in our hearts,” he wrote. “We'll never forget your kindness, your humility and your fight. I miss you bro, I miss you."
Escobar’s sister, María Ester, and brother, Jose, are currently in Rio de Janeiro and will be wearing a No2 shirt with the name ‘Escobar’ at Friday’s quarter-final against Brazil. “He was our little brother, our pride and joy," she said.
"Twenty years is a long time and it's really upsetting to think about, but I prefer to thank God for having given us the chance to have him with us for 27 years, for lending him to us. His life was cut short, but he did important things in that time.
"I wanted to escape Medellín, because there Andrés's death will be talked about in all the news programmes and papers and it would be very tough. I'd rather spend it [the anniversary of the murder] here, with the family, and then hold a memorial service when we go back home."
Fifa's invitation to this tournament has triggered conflicting emotions, especially as the tournament kicked off with Marcelo’s own goal for Brazil against Croatia.
"That brought back very sad, distressing memories, but it helped hammer home that it's part and parcel of the game, that these things happen all the time,” said María Ester. “We're really happy to be here and to have the chance to share in the joy that football can bring, along with everyone else who is here."
The current Colombia squad include two of Escobar’s former team-mates, Faryd Mondragon and Mario Yepes. "Andrés is with them and the rest of the team in spirit," said Escobar’s brother, Jose.
"People should enjoy football with passion, but never forgetting it's a game. [What happened to Andrés] should serve as a cautionary tale: there is no place for violence.
Football should unite the country around a message of peace and love. Sometimes I think it'd be better if people didn't remember Andrés every day, because it's really painful. But he left a mark, so it's normal.”
World Cup 2014: Andres Escobar has become a symbol of peace for Colombians
The charity Jurgen Griesbeck founded as a result of player's murder has held a memorial service on the 20th anniversary of a crime that has shaped Colombia's history
We will remember: Colombia supporters pay tribute to Andres Escobar, who was murdered 20 years ago Photo: EPA
By Paul Hayward, Chief Sports Writer, Rio de Janeiro
9:17PM BST 02 Jul 2014
Jürgen Griesbeck heard the news at 4.30am from his wife, who threw up in their bathroom after telling him Andrés Escobar was dead. The notion that some good can come from the loss of a life is often dubious, but it will feel true to many when Colombia play Brazil in the World Cup.
In Rio de Janeiro, the charity Griesbeck founded as a result of Escobar’s murder, streetfootballworld, held a memorial service on the 20th anniversary of a crime that has shaped Colombian history. It changed Griesbeck’s life, too. He was a PhD student in Medellín but chose another path. “I went to the university and quit,” he says. “It was just so deep I felt I needed to do something with it.”
At the Museum of the Republic here Brazilian schoolchildren sang the hymn written by fans in Medellín, where Escobar was shot six times outside a nightclub after conceding an own goal against America in the 1994 World Cup.
In Hasta Siempre, which Colombian supporters will sing during Friday’s quarter-final in Fortaleza, Escobar is remembered both as a hero and a cautionary tale.
“How many games you played and won; our memory stays forever, your image stays, on a night immortal,” the song runs. “My heart was torn apart, the people felt your love, your name rose into the stands. Forever a champion, may your light never go out.”
For Griesbeck, a German who married a Colombian, the trauma in the family home placed him on a new path to foster social responsibility in football.
“My wife knew him better than I did because she worked as a photographer at the club,” he says. “I remember the feeling was one of complete emptiness.” Like many here in Brazil, Griesbeck worries about the possible consequences on the streets of the host country if Colombia win in Fortaleza.
“Nobody wants this to happen again, what happened 20 years ago,” he says. Nobody wants football to be mistaken for life and death. But while Brazil is braced for convulsions if the journey ends at the quarter-final stage, Colombians now see their team as a symbol of peace and progress.
“In the Eighties you had bombings. It was horrible. In the Nineties you had this gang violence where people would shoot each other,” Griesbeck says. “You could just walk on the wrong side of the street at the wrong moment and someone could kill you just because they wanted to see whether you would fall to the left or to the right.
“In the Nineties the killing of [Pablo] Escobar [Colombia’s most notorious gangster] was the point where the drug cartels began to decompose. Colombia recreated itself. In the early 2000s the authorities in Bogotá and Medellín were very courageous, I would say, in framing policy to make life tolerable in Colombia, and give life to the marginalised people: to create the best architecture in deprived areas, to build libraries all over the city, to reclaim public spaces. All that made Colombia different. And it changed football too.”
Many Colombians carry pictures of Andrés Escobar to games and members of his family will attend this week’s match. His sister, Maria Ester, and brother, Jose, will wear No 2 shirts with the name Escobar on the back. “He was our little brother, our pride and joy,” Maria Ester said.
Colombia’s transformation on the pitch is an endorsement of Griesbeck’s message about football’s capacity to alter lives. He says: “If you compare the performance of the Colombia team 20 years go and today – and the spirit with which they present themselves on the pitch – 20 years ago it was fear and a lack of confidence. It was very difficult. You know about the pressures and the context of that time [the power of the drug cartels]. It was just impossible to be successful.
“Now you see a team that is happy to represent the country, is proud to be on the pitch and isn’t scared of facing Brazil. That’s the journey of Colombia over the last 20 years and football definitely wrote a paragraph in that.
“Not everything in football is right. The power for social good is not developed. You could do so much more if you understood the responsibility and the power football has to change life. That’s not on the agenda yet. I think social responsibility needs to be in the DNA of what football is all about. Then football can be really proud of itself. If not, football as a business will develop – there are so many markets still to be explored – but to keep it relevant to people you have to marry it with a social impact.”
This is no charity worker rhetoric. It is the story of a man’s life, his constructive reaction to a tragic event. “In my life, beyond having a family, it’s the most impactful thing because it changed everything, but it also gave meaning to my life,” Griesbeck says. “In 1994 I was a PhD student – a very normal person who didn’t feel responsible for contributing to society. With that day I became what I am today and it made the last 20 years possible.
“There was a presidential election in Colombia two days after the first match here and the choice was peace, or back to war. People showed up to vote for peace. Football played a part in that election because it mobilised people to go and vote out of national pride and made that five per cent difference. What happens here in Brazil talks to what happens back in Colombia.”
As a Medellín citizen, he probably wants to see Brazil beaten but also stay calm in the wake of a Colombian win, because he has seen the dark force that defeat can let loose: “Brazilians are very into it and I don’t know what happens if Brazil lose. I think we have to be very aware of what football can do if it’s dealt with in the wrong way. It’s a good moment to think about this before we walk into the game on Friday.”
World Cup 2014: Jurgen Klinsmann's next task should be to smash the American system
United States are unlikely to punch their full weight on the world stage as long as the domestic structure of the game is so flawed, unequal and anti-competitive
Thank you and good night: Jurgen Klinsmann and Omar Gonzalez applaud the supporters after their defeat by Belgium Photo: AFP
By Liviu Bird, World Cup nation: USA
5:52PM BST 02 Jul 2014
Until the player development system in the United States receives a major overhaul, the nation of seemingly endless resources and population will continue to fall short of its immense potential at the World Cup. That system, not a lack of talent or one coach at the senior national team level, is what holds the USA back from winning.
Before taking over as United States manager, working as a television analyst for ESPN during the 2010 tournament, Jürgen Klinsmann spoke about the development problems.
“You are the only country in the world that has the pyramid upside-down,” he said in his post mortem on the US’s World Cup exit against Ghana. “You pay for having your kid play soccer because your goal is not that your kid becomes a professional soccer player – because your goal is that your kid gets a scholarship in a high school or in a college, which is completely opposite from the rest of the world.”
The pay-to-play system still persistent at all levels of the American youth game is immensely crippling. Without money to pay for club fees, coaches, uniform costs and travel, players from lower-class backgrounds and immigrant families are often left behind. Equal opportunity still does not exist for anybody who wants to play.
In the US Soccer Development Academy, which was instituted in 2007 to encompass the nation in a higher level of competition at the oldest youth age groups, pay-to-play is slowly being eliminated, particularly among Major League Soccer clubs.
Still, youth clubs have no incentive for developing players for those clubs because they do not receive fees, in line with Fifa’s statutes on the transfer of youth players; the trickle-down effect from clubs that have money is nonexistent. The structure does nothing to reward excellence or punish failure.
At the highest levels, the pyramid is not only upside-down but also closed to all but a select few. MLS is a single-entity structure that allows no true free agency and places emphasis on carry-overs, in particular a reliance on the university system, from other American sports not subject to global forces, such as basketball and American football.
The discussion of instituting a system of promotion and relegation has become taboo to the point that suggesting it is a quick way to be labelled as an unrealistic radical. Instead of promoting competition and the arms race of player development that would follow, the league’s successes (and failures) are shared among all clubs, watering down the essence of a true football pyramid and never allowing ambition to flourish beyond the lowest common denominator.
Ironically, in a nation founded on ideals of free-market capitalism, the current system requires as little financial commitment as possible and discourages teams in the same league from competing for resources. American players at the World Cup are handicapped because they grow up in an environment not subject to the same forces of competition that forges players for their opponents.
Blaming the coach is shallow scapegoating that ignores the larger problem: by the time Klinsmann got his hands on the 23 players who wore the crest in Brazil, the majority had already been ruined.
Just before the World Cup, Klinsmann was handed a four-year contract extension that added the label of technical director to his duties. To this point, he has been outspoken about the changes that need to be made. Now that he holds the steering wheel, people in positions of support must let him make changes to the broken system whose product he is responsible for coaching.
Look no further than the team who knocked the US out on Tuesday for an example of the possibilities. With the profits from hosting Euro 2000, Belgium overhauled their development system to spawn the golden generation still kicking in Brazil. It can be done – and it can be done quickly.
The first step is for those in charge to buy into the real reason for change: footballing improvement, not economic windfall. Profits come as a result of the product on the field, but trying to circumvent the order will not win the US a World Cup.
World Cup 2014: Brazil manager Luiz Felipe Scolari asks psychologist to help his players cope
Manager Luiz Felipe Scolari calls in sports psychologist for urgent session with tearful Neymar and Co ahead of quarter-final clash
Over emotional: Neymar fights back the tears after the Brazil national anthem prior to the game against Mexico Photo: GETTY
By Telegraph Sport, and agencies
10:02PM BST 02 Jul 2014
The growing weight of expectation on Brazil’s players, some of whom have been reduced to tears, has prompted coach Luiz Felipe Scolari to call in the team psychologist for an “urgent” extra session.
The sight of several players appearing to crack under the strain has led to a backlash from former stars, who have demanded that the squad pull themselves together.
The World Cup hosts will carry the hopes of more than 200 million people when they face Colombia in the quarter-final in Fortaleza.
Brazilian media reported that Scolari called sports psychologist Regina Brandão to the squad’s training camp “as a matter of urgency” on Tuesday when she held a meeting with all the players and technical team. The psychologist, who has worked with Scolari for more than 20 years, tried to play down the meeting. “The visit formed part of our initial planning,” she said. “I have classes and I couldn’t be here for long. I speak constantly with the players. We speak to each other on WhatsApp, we speak on the phone, we communicate by email.”
Yet the raw emotions of players have caused concern over whether they are psychologically equipped to deliver a home World Cup triumph.
Poster-boy Neymar also cried during the national anthem at the tournament-opener against Croatia, and tears have never been far away since.
“They cry during the national anthem, they cry at the end of extra-time, they cry before and after the penalties,” said technical director Carlos Alberto Parreira.
World Cup legend Zico said a lack of self-control could damage Brazil’s chances. “There’s a lack of focus during the game, which can hurt Brazil. There are players who get emotional and forget the game. They need to have more control,” he said.
Carlos Alberto, the World Cup captain in 1970, said the team should save their tears until after they have won the final in Rio on July 13.
“The team is crying when they’re singing the anthem, when they get hurt, when they shoot penalties! Come on... Stop crying! Enough!” he said. “They say it’s the pressure from playing at home. But they should have been prepared for this.
“This shows the team is not 100 per cent ready. When you are prepared to win, everything happens automatically. When you’re not, you cry when the result is not positive.”
Neymar insisted last night that using a psychologist was a good idea. “I had never done anything like it before and I am quite enjoying it,” he said. “It is not only us, in football, who are surrounded by emotion every day and need psychologists. I think it could do every person good, to make one more relaxed.
“We have a very good relationship with Regina Brandão. She is a great person. I am learning a lot and I hope to continuing doing it.”
Neymar has scored four goals so far and appears to be Brazil’s source of inspiration. But he denies the team are over reliant on him. “I don’t feel overburdened either on the pitch or off it. I have team-mates who help me by winning the ball back, scoring goals, setting them up,” he said.
The African side returned to their homeland to a hero's welcome and have decided to donate their prize money from the summer tournament to poor people in the region
Algeria's World Cup squad will donate their bonus money to the people of Gaza, striker Islam Slimani has revealed.
After reaching the second round of the tournament, Algeria were eliminated by Germany after an excellent display, taking Joachim Low's men into extra time before succumbing to a 2-1 defeat.
The team returned to Algeria as heroes and the players have opted to donate their prize money from the summer tournament to those less fortunate.
"They need it more than us," Slimani said when asked about why the squad were making the grand gesture.
The revelation comes after Ghana boycotted a training session during the competition following a row with the nation's FA over bonus money.
The dispute was eventually resolved when the country's government flew a plane over to Brazil carrying €2.3 million in cash, only for the side to then be eliminated in the group stage.
Nigeria were also embroiled in a cash-related dispute, with players downing tools at training over fears they would not be paid for playing in the tournament, following a similar episode at the Confederations Cup last summer.
President Goodluck Jonathan intervened to assure the players that payment would be made, though that did little to aid their cause as they were knocked out in the last-16 by France.
Stars of the show: Brazil's Neymar and Colombia's James Rodriguez clash in a quarter-final in Fortaleza on Friday. Photo: AFP
One of the finest generations of goalscorers ever assembled is poised for a climactic shoot-out for the greatest prize in football on Friday as the World Cup quarter-finals get under way.
Karim Benzema’s France play Thomas Mueller’s Germany and Neymar’s Brazil take on Colombia, with World Cup revelation James Rodriguez, in the opening clashes of football’s remaining titans.
The 56 matches so far have been packed with drama. The 154 goals at an average of 2.75 per game, puts Brazil 2014 firmly on course to beat the 171-goal record of France 1998.
Theories for the goal-glut have included law changes, tactical variations, declines in defending and the liberating effect of simply staging a tournament in Brazil, the home of attacking football.
Colombia will have to cool off Neymar if they want to progress to the semi-finals. Photo: AP
Former France manager Gerard Houllier, however, believes the explanation lies in the assorted personnel gathered in Brazil.
“What we are seeing here is that is that we have a generation of outstanding strikers,” said Houllier, a member of Fifa’s technical study group.
“Neymar, [Lionel] Messi, Benzema, [Robin] Van Persie, [Arjen] Robben, Rodriguez – top players.”
The list of sharpshooters will begin to be whittled down from Friday as France face Germany at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro before hosts Brazil take on Colombia in Fortaleza.
Colombia's James Rodriguez unleashes his wonder goal against Uruguay. Photo: AP
Saturday will see Argentina take on Belgium in a repeat of their 1986 World Cup semi-final, while the Netherlands aim to end the fairytale campaign of Central American minnows Costa Rica.
France’s last eight date with Germany sees the two European powers revive a rivalry whose most famous episode occurred at the 1982 World Cup, when the Germans fought back from 3-1 down in extra-time to win on penalties.
With Benzema in top form, France are dreaming of their first World Cup title since their 1998 triumph on home soil, but their focus is solely on Germany.
“Everyone can dream, including me, but I’m a pragmatist and a realist, Friday is the only thing that counts,” said France coach Didier Deschamps.
France's Karim Benzema and Germany's Thomas Mueller are goal hungry. Photo: AFP
In Mueller, Germany also possess their own striking talisman. The Bayern Munich forward has netted four goals so far.
But even Mueller has been outshone by Colombia’s No.10 Rodriguez, who tops the goalscoring charts with five.
The 22-year-old stamped his class on the tournament on Saturday with a stunning volleyed goal to help defeat Uruguay in the last 16, and is now eyeing the scalp of the Brazilian hosts.
The form of Neymar, one goal behind Rodriguez in the standings, could prove crucial to Brazil’s hopes.
Brazil have yet to find their best form and needed a penalty shoot-out win to squeeze past Chile in the last round.
Neymar is not troubled by the absence of the extravagant attacking play the hosts are famous for.
“I don’t want a show. That’s the last thing we are trying to do,” Neymar said.
“We are not necessarily here to produce a spectacle. We are here to run to the end, until we are tired, and come out as winners.
“I would be happy to do nothing in this game if Brazil won 1-0. That would be marvellous.”
The reward for beating Colombia will be a meeting with either France or Germany in the semi-finals in Belo Horizonte on July 8.
Belgium will have to stop Lionel Messi in their quarter-final. Photo: EPA
In the other half of the draw, Argentina captain Messi will be saddled with the burden of providing the inspiration for his misfiring team-mates against a Belgium who survived a gruelling extra-time battle with the United States.
Messi has been named man-of-the-match in each of Argentina’s four games, and it was the Barcelona superstar’s decisive intervention which helped down Switzerland in the second round.
Belgium manager Marc Wilmots said his side can exploit Argentina’s reliance on Messi, believing the South Americans suffer from “a lack of balance”.
“We won’t only be watching Messi – we’ll deal with this Argentina team as a whole,” Wilmots said.
The remaining quarter-final sees the other two in-form attackers of the tournament, Dutch captain Van Persie and Bayern Munich’s Robben, bid to end Costa Rica’s remarkable run to the last eight.
Van Persie and Robben have six goals between them and Costa Rica will need goalkeeper Keylor Navas, hero of the last 16 victory over Greece, to be at his best once more if Los Ticos are to stop the Dutch from reaching their second consecutive World Cup semi-final.
