Monday, July 9, 2018

MONDAY, JULY 9, 2018
35
FIFA WORLD CUP RUSSIA 2018 June 14 – July 15
rld Cup quarter-final clash at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi…on
sults after own goal
racism. Nothing justifies
racism. We are with you
Fernandinho.”
On Friday night, TV Globo
journalist Glenda Kozlowski
wept in front of the cameras,
talking about how distraught
the player’s family was.
In the match in Kazan,
Fernandinho’s own goal in
Croatia defender Domagoj
Vida escaped a FIFA ban
on Sunday after posting a clip
dedicating his country’s victory
over Russia in the World Cup
quarter-final to Ukraine.
Vida scored an extra-time
goal and one of Croatia’s
penalties in a 4-3 shootout win
over the World Cup hosts in
Sochi on Saturday.
Croatia will play England in
the semi-final on Wednesday
and some Russian officials had
called on the football governing
body to take tough disciplinary
measures against the Balkan
team.
The ponytailed 29-year-old
shouted “Glory to Ukraine!” in a
video posted by former Croatia
international OgnjenVukojevic
the 13th minute allowed
Belgium to open the scoring.
The 33-year-old had already
been severely criticised four
years ago, when he was
hauled off at half-time on
Brazil’s way to a humiliating
7-1 loss to Germany in the
semifinals of the 2014 World
Cup.
Belgium’s golden generation
make their mark
•Vida
•Belgium players celebrating
Croatia’s Vida avoids ban over pro-Ukraine celebration
shortly after the match.
Vida has just left Ukrainian
club Dynamo Kyiv and
Vukojevic also played for the
club during his career.
FIFA said it had studied the
video and decided to issue a
warning to Vida but will take no
further measures.
“We can confirm that FIFA’s
disciplinary committee has
sent a warning to the player
Domagoj Vida due to his video
statement,” a spokesperson told
AFP.
Vida told Russian media
after the clip was made public
that he had meant no offence.
“I love Russian people,” Vida
was quoted as saying. “It was
just a joke.”
“Glory to Ukraine!” was a
Long touted as World
Cup contenders thanks
to an abundance of talent,
Belgium claimed their biggest
scalp ever in beating five-time
winners Brazil to reach just
their second semi-final.
A ‘golden generation’
featuring Thibaut Courtois,
Kevin De Bruyne, Eden
Hazard and Romelu Lukaku
exited tamely to Argentina
four years ago and blew a
huge chance at Euro 2016
when on the kind side of the
draw.
Now in their prime, this
group of players is unlikely
to get a better opportunity
to win a major international
tournament than over the
course of the next week, with
France to come in the last
four on Tuesday.
Here, AFP Sports looks at
Belgium’s rich resources in
every area of the field.
Courtois stands tall
The giant Chelsea stopper
needed every inch of his 6 feet
6 inch (1.99 metre) frame
to prevent Neymar hauling
Brazil into extra-time with a
stunning stoppage time save
on Friday.
“I know Neymar likes to
curl it that way. I was ready
and made a good save,” said
Courtois.
“I have been unfairly
criticised a lot this year.
Today I proved again who I
am and why I am here.”
Widely regarded as one of
the world’s best goalkeepers,
Courtois has won two Premier
League titles with Chelsea
and La Liga while on loan at
Atletico Madrid, but his ninesave
display against Brazil
was one of his best yet on the
big international stage.
Last chance for ageing
defence
Trailblazers for a wave
Fernando Hierro, who
stood in as Spain coach
when JulenLopetegui was
sacked on the eve of the
slogan of the former Soviet
republic’s pro-EU revolution
that toppled a Russian-backed
president in 2014.
The revolt was condemned as
illegal by Moscow and sparked a
crisis in relations between the
two neighbouring states.
of Belgian talent to make
their way to the Premier
League, Vincent Kompany
and Thomas Vermaelen have
battled back from years of
injury problems just to make
the squad at the age of 32.
Before Toby Alderweireld’s
own injury problems this
season, he and Tottenham
teammate Jan Vertonghen
had been hailed as the Premier
League’s best defensive
partnership.
However, Vertonghen, 31,
and Alderweireld, 29, also do
not have time on their side.
The pace of KylianMbappe
could cause problems in Saint
Petersburg on Tuesday, but
Belgium will not be short of
experience at the back.
Midfield maestros
Coach Roberto Martinez
had been criticised for not
finding the right balance to
get the best out of De Bruyne
It was followed by Russia’s
annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea
peninsula and a pro-Kremlin
separatist war in eastern
Ukraine that has claimed more
than 10,000 lives.
Vukojevic added in the video:
“This victory is for Dynamo
(Kyiv) and for Ukraine! Croatia
onwards!”
The clip was picked up by
Russian state media and drew
condemnation from some
officials.
“Such actions should be
punished,” parliament’s sports
committee member Dmitry
Svishchyov told the RIA Novosti
state news agency.
“Political, nationalist and
racist slogans are not welcome
at the World Cup.”
early in the tournament, but
the Spaniard’s bold tactical
plan worked to perfection
against Brazil.
MarouaneFellaini took
De Bruyne’s place in a deeplying
midfield role to free up
Manchester City’s player of
the year to play much further
forward and to devastating
effect as he blasted home
Belgium’s second of the night
and his first of the tournament.
Captain Eden Hazard has
been consistently brilliant,
scoring twice against Tunisia
in the group stage, and
providing the teasing cross
from which Fellainiequalised
in a thrilling comeback from
2-0 down to beat Japan 3-2 in
the last 16.
As Belgium tired against
waves of Brazilian attacks
in the second half, Hazard
carried his side up the field,
winning free-kicks and
relieving the pressure -- a sign
Hierro resigns as Spain coach
World Cup, will not continue
in the role, the Spanish
football federation said
Sunday.
Under the former Real
Madrid and Spain defender,
who had little previous
coaching experience, 2010
winners Spain lost on
penalties to host nation
Russia in the last 16.
“After travelling many
kilometres together, the
Spanish Football Federation
and Fernando Hierro
have put an end to their
relationship,” the federation
said.
Hierro declined to
return to his previous
job as the federation’s
technical director and “will
undertake new professional
challenges”, the federation
wrote.
Spain were tipped
among the favourites until
Lopetegui caused chaos
by announcing he would
become Real Madrid’s new
coach after the World Cup.
The federation, fearing
a split between players
of his and this side’s growing
maturity.
Lukaku more than a
goalscorer
Still in the race for the
Golden Boot behind Harry
Kane, with Belgium now
guaranteed two more
matches, Romelu Lukaku
has shown another side to his
game so far in the knockout
phase after scoring four times
in the group stages.
His superb run off the
ball and dummy in the final
seconds against Japan cleared
the space for Thomas Meunier
to tee up Nacer Chadli’s
winner.
Against Brazil, again it
was Lukaku’s link-up play
that proved decisive as he
powered past Fernandinho
and Paulinho on a rapid
counter-attack before feeding
De Bruyne to smash home
from the edge of the area.
•Hierro
from Barcelona and Real,
sacked Lopetegui two days
before Spain’s opening game
against Portugal.
He described it as the
saddest day of his life since
the death of his mother.
Andres Iniesta, the former
Barcelona great who scored
the winning goal in the 2010
World Cup final, retired
from the international team
after the defeat to Russia.