TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2014 SPORTS What did the WCup do for you, Bafana?

CAPE TOWN: In two or 10, or even 20 years’ time State Stadium on their way to beating former The same five African teams that made the a visitor to might turn to a football world champion France. A dysfunctional France last World Cup - Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, fan and ask: “So, what did that 2010 World Cup do team, maybe, but South Africa also almost beat Cameroon and Algeria - qualified again. South for you?” Mexico in an exhilarating opening game. No one Africa, with no hosting rights to save it this time, The South African, with vuvuzela (remember doubted the hosts belonged at the World Cup. couldn’t even win a place in Africa’s 10-team final them?) gripped proudly in one hand, could cite Now, South Africa is nowhere - not even World Cup playoffs, beaten out by Ethiopia, no increased investment in the country. He or she among the 31 teams that qualified for this year’s less. could maybe say there are more tourists coming World Cup in Brazil. Well, not exactly nowhere. It is The last time South Africa qualified for a major than ever before. And, with a satisfied blast on the on FIFA’s radar for an investigation into match-fix- tournament it didn’t host was 2008. It only vuvuzela point out that South Africa has the best ing allegations. And it is still in the news at home - returned to the African Cup in 2013 because no one else could fill in for troubled Libya at a moment’s notice. There are other countries who haven’t repeat- ed for Brazil: Denmark, New Zealand, North SPAIN: Real Madrid’s of Portugal (left) reacts with Athletic Korea, Paraguay, Serbia and Slovenia. But none of Bilbao’s players during their Spanish League soccer match. —AP those have the richest football leagues and best facilities on their continents. South Africa does. The South African team of today plays with- Real held by Bilbao, out its best player after former captain Steven Pienaar gave up internationals to concentrate on his club career with Everton in the Premier Ronaldo sees red League. The national team is now a compact side : Atletico Madrid took advan- conference. drawn mainly from the domestic league, with a tage of Barcelona’s slip-up to go top of La “It was difficult game despite the result sprinkle of Europe-based talent. Liga with a 4-0 victory over and the goals at the end. Real Sociedad So, do fans want too much from their team? as Real Madrid drew 1-1 at caused problems for us despite not having Did the World Cup produce unrealistic expecta- and Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off on good chances to score. It doesn’t bother tions? A friendly win over Spain in November - a Sunday. me to defend but we were finding it tough Spain containing the likes of Andres Iniesta, Xabi Ronaldo was dismissed with 15 minutes to attack and create openings.” Alonso, David Villa and others - says no. It was a left in a hard-fought clash with Bilbao for game that screamed - louder than the vuvuzelas pushing in the face and LITTLE ROOM at Soccer City - of South Africa’s potential. getting involved in a confrontation with Mario Suarez was fit to play his first What’s missing is a little stability. South Africa . game after almost three months out for : In this file photo taken Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, South Africa’s goalkeeper hasn’t had that in the four years since frantic Real were looking to move up to second Atletico who were frustrated by a Sociedad (right) celebrates with fellow goalkeepers Wayne Sandilands (left) World Cup preparations were followed by even with their sixth successive league win and side that packed the midfield and gave and Senzo Meyiwa after a draw with Morocco to advance to the quarterfinals of the more frantic attempts to live up to a new reputa- Jese put them ahead after 65 minutes them little room to build play. African Cup of Nations. Now South Africa is nowhere — not even among the 31 teams tion. South African football needs to take a deep before substitute Ibai Gomez responded A mistake by full back Carlos Martinez that qualified for this year’s World Cup in Brazil. —AP breath. for the Basque side. allowed in Costa who slipped the ball back Salvation may lie again with former World Cup “It is difficult to judge, the pictures sug- for Villa to side-foot home from close stadiums in Africa. “Look at our Soccer City and for the wrong reasons. head organizer Danny Jordaan, now South gest it was all a bit exaggerated,” Real coach range. our Cape Town Stadium.” Sports minister last month African Football Association president. Jordaan Carlo Ancelotti told a news conference of Villa pulled up holding his leg minutes No doubt about that. All valid points, and called the national side “a bunch of losers” and has delivered before, those six shiny new World the Ronaldo red card. later and had to be replaced by Raul Garcia. thanks FIFA. But for now perhaps the most impor- “useless, unbearable individuals” after early elimi- Cup stadiums built and finished on time despite “It was a good game played at a high After the break Sociedad showed more tant thing is still lacking. The thing that really nation on home soil from the lower-level African all the doubters. tempo and we did well in the second half. It attacking intent but Garcia set up Costa to makes football followers proud - a winning Nations Championship. The stark reality for the Fans now want to talk more about goals and could have been different after we went finish clinically and Miranda headed home national team. plastic horn-wielding fans from the big city of wins - like ’s delightful chip over ahead but then they scored a great equalis- a corner with the visitors’ resistance broken. Nearly four years ago, South Africa was the down to the shores of Cape Town Victor Valdes and the glorious 1-0 victory over er. Overall I am happy.” New signing Diego, having come on as a center of the football world. Its players bowed out is that Africa has settled into a football rhythm the world and European champion - and less Atletico moved three points clear of substitute, was also on target three min- of the World Cup group stage with a bang not a and South Africa can’t keep up, no matter how about how many people their Soccer City can Barcelona with victory over Sociedad at the utes from the end. whimper, dancing and singing their way into Free good its stadiums. hold. Even if it is a very nice stadium. —AP Calderon where fans gave an emotional Real began against Bilbao with the in- send-off to former coach and player Luis form Jese on the right wing and Gareth Aragones who died on Saturday. Bale still not fully fit from a calf injury. United must win Real remained third, behind Barca, who The visitors made a good start as both lost at home to Valencia on Saturday, on Ronaldo and Angel Di Maria went close all matches to reach goal difference. After a cagey opening with efforts and Athletic looked shaky at David Villa put Atletico ahead on 38 min- the back. Europe — Smalling utes before going off injured and second- Gradually Athletic came back into the half goals to , Joao Miranda game and began to put pressure on the LONDON: Manchester United must win their 14 remaining and Diego sealed the win. Real defence with Aritz Aduriz turning well Premier League matches to keep alive their hopes of quali- There was a poignant minute’s silence but missing the target from the edge of the fying for the Champions League, according to defender before kickoff for Aragones, the coach of area. Chris Smalling. Spain’s Euro-2008 winning side, and who Jese got the breakthrough when he slid The champions remain marooned in seventh place, sev- put in place the tactics and mentality that home a Ronaldo pass but Gomez equalised en points off fourth-placed Liverpool and England’s final helped them win the 2010 World Cup and with a fine strike from the edge of area spot for Europe’s premier club competition, following Euro 2012. which nestled into the corner. Saturday’s 2-1 defeat by Stoke City. Their first league loss to Aragones, who died on Saturday, played Ronaldo then lost his temper as he Stoke since 1984 was their eighth of the season and came for Atletico for over a decade during the clashed with Gurpegui and Iturraspe and despite United being able to start Robin van Persie, Wayne 1960s and early 1970s as well as coaching was given his marching orders. Earlier on Rooney and Juan Mata together for the first time. the side on four separate occasions. Sunday, Christian Herrera gave Elche a 1-0 The Old Trafford club last missed out on Champions “From above he will be wearing the red win over Almeria and a Ruben Castro dou- League qualification 19 years ago. “Each point that we drop and white and be happy with our effort,” ble gave bottom side a 2-0 victo- makes it difficult for ourselves,” Smalling told the club’s Atletico coach told a news ry against Espanyol. —Reuters website (www.manutd.com) yesterday. “We can only take the next game as it comes, and other teams will drop points as well, but we need to stop dropping points. We Preview ITALY: Juventus forward Fernando Llorente, of Spain, challenges the ball need to put pressure on other teams. with defender Saphir Taider during a soccer match. —AP “We’ve got Fulham and then Arsenal so we’ve got some big games. We’re back at Old Trafford next week and hope- fully the fans will get right behind us and that will lead us Atletico riding high Juve add to Inter woes into the Arsenal game.” Although the arrival of Mata from Chelsea and the before Real clash return of Rooney and Van Persie from injury briefly raised ITALY: Juventus made light work of bitter with eggs and stones on the way to the spirits at Old Trafford, United still have injury problems, rivals Inter Milan on Sunday, winning 3-1 Juventus stadium, cracking a window with Rio Ferdinand and Nani among players still sidelined. King’s Cup semi-final to increase their Serie A lead to nine although causing no injuries. They also lost defenders Phil Jones and Jonny Evans points after AS Roma were washed out “I prefer to think about the game,” during the Stoke match, with the former suffering concus- MADRID: Three points clear at the top of La and Napoli blundered to a 3-0 defeat at coach Walter Mazzarri told a touchline sion and the latter a calf problem. Liga, a shrewd-looking signing in the bag and Atalanta. Stephan Lichtsteiner, Giorgio reporter before kickoff. Carlos Tevez had “We don’t really talk (about the Champions League) but soaring optimism among their fans, Atletico Chiellini and Arturo Vidal put Juventus already forced a brilliant save from Samir we all know if anything that’s the minimum we need to aim Madrid are on could nine ahead of tomorrow’s three goals up in less than an hour Handanovic when Andrea Pirlo curled for,” Smalling said. “If we can get on a good run, we’ve got King’s Cup semi-final clash against Real. against Inter, who have won only once in an exquisite ball over the Inter defence the players - obviously we lost a couple on Saturday, but One of Spanish soccer’s poorer relations, 10 games since Indonesian business and Lichtsteiner scored with a diving we’ve got a week now until we next play so hopefully we under inspirational coach Diego Simeone, tycoon Erick Thohir took over as presi- header. can patch them up and get as many bodies out there as we Atletico are mounting a genuine challenge this term to bitter city rivals Real and dent in November. Chiellini scored from close range two can.” —Reuters Barcelona, the world’s two richest clubs by Second-placed Roma’s match at home minutes after the break and Chilean income. to Parma was called off after only eight Vidal fired home a loose ball A former Argentina midfielder who played minutes when incessant heavy rain left eight minutes later before Rolando for Atletico when they won a and Cup the pitch water-logged. made the score more respectable by PSG ready for double in 1996, Simeone has moulded his German Denis took advantage of pulling one back following a corner. unpretentious but talented and hard-working shocking defending to score twice for Inter striker Rodrigo Palacio missed pivotal phase squad into a formidable unit. They were fur- Atalanta in a 3-0 win over Rafael Benitez’s two excellent chances which could have ther boosted on Friday by the return of Diego inconsistent Napoli who also gifted Maxi turned the game. The Argentine blasted PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc admit- on loan until the end of the season. Moralez the other goal. high and wide when he had a clear run ted yesterday that his team are moving into ‘money time’ The Brazilian playmaker helped Atletico Third-placed Napoli have made a on goal in the first half and headed over as they begin a busy month of February with a League win the Europa League in 2012 during another MADRID: Atletico’s Diego Costa habit of dropping points against mid- the crossbar late in the game when a Cup semi-final at Nantes today. The month ahead will be loan stint and came off the bench to score in scores takes a shot at goal in this table opposition and had drawn their second Inter goal would have had tested crucial to PSG’s season, with the leaders travel- Sunday’s 4-0 league win at home to Real file photo. —AP previous two games. Juve’s nerves. ling to face Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of their Sociedad. The thumping victory on an emo- One of the doubts surrounding Atletico Lazio won 2-0 at Chievo in their first Benitez surprisingly started with for- Champions League last-16 tie and also going to title tional night for the Atletico faithful, who paid was that possibly they did not have enough match without Brazilian midfielder wards Gonzalo Higuain and Marek rivals Monaco on Sunday. tribute to club great and former Spain coach depth in their squad to challenge on three Hernanes, who joined Inter in the trans- Hamsik on the bench and the decision But first they will look to get the better of a Nantes Luis Aragones before kickoff following his fronts. They are also through to the last 16 of fer window, and bottom club Catania back-fired in a dismal first half in gloomy side who lost 5-0 at the Parc des Princes in Ligue 1 last death at the weekend, put them three clear of the Champions League, where they will play month and clinch their place in the final at the Stade de came from behind three times to hold Bergamo, where home fans entertained Barca after the champions were beaten at struggling Italian side AC Milan. France. “We are coming up to the money time, so we Livorno 3-3 after a six-goal second half. themselves by repeatedly letting off home to Valencia on Saturday. However, the capture of Diego as well as need to perform,” said Blanc, who said the focus for now Real also slipped up and were held to a 1-1 Swiss midfielder Innocent Emeghara smoke bombs behind the goal. the recovery from injury of defensive midfield- is solely on winning Tuesday’s semi-final. draw at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday when top er Mario Suarez have come at just the right scored twice and Paulinho converted a Atalanta went ahead two minutes “We are trying to concentrate fully on this tie. The scorer Cristiano Ronaldo was sent off after penalty for Livorno while Argentine trio after halftime when Blerim Dzemail gave time and will allow Simeone more freedom to most important thing in a Cup is to get to the next clashing with Carlos Gurpegui and Ander rotate his players and keep them fresher. Gonzalo Bergessio, Pablo Barrientos and the ball away and Denis scored with a round, especially as the next game will be at the Stade Iturraspe. Real, meanwhile, will be seething after los- Sergio Almiron replied for the Sicilians in low, powerful shot which was badly mis- de France.” The stage is set for Atletico to inflict more ing ground on Atletico and squandering a a match featuring two teams in the bot- judged by Pepe Reina. Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani will miss the game at Cup pain on their detested neighbors, who chance to climb above Barcelona into second tom three. Higuain came on for Napoli and the Stade de la Beaujoire with a thigh injury which is they beat 2-1 in last year’s final held at Real’s on Sunday. Barca lost at Bilbao’s new San Sassuolo, also in the drop zone, gave quickly forced Andrea Consigli to make expected to keep him out for three weeks, but Yohan own Bernabeu stadium. Mames stadium in La Liga in December and new coach Alberto Malesani a losing his first save of the game just after the Cabaye could start for the three-time winners after com- It was the first time they had got the better Real also struggled to cope with the intensity start, going down 2-1 at home to Verona. hour, only to see Atalanta score again ing off the bench to make his debut in Friday’s 2-0 of Real in 14 years in any competition and they of the Basque club’s players. Juventus, who have won all 11 home almost immediately. league win against Bordeaux. “Cavani will start running built on that success with a 1-0 La Liga win, Ronaldo should be available to face games in Serie A this season, have 59 Napoli midfielder Gokhan Inler, on again soon but we didn’t want to aggravate it so we will again at the Bernabeu, at the end of Atletico in the Cup as he will serve the suspen- points and moved nine clear of Roma to the edge of the penalty area, made a not take any risks. We have a big squad and we need to September. “We have the players to compete,” sion that comes with his red card in La Liga, stay firmly on course for a third succes- complete hash of a clearance which use it when there are injuries,” added Blanc. Simeone told a news conference after the while coach Carlo Ancelotti also hopes to have sive title. Napoli are a further six points went straight to Denis who fired past “As for Cabaye, I think he is ready to play. Physically he Sociedad game. “Diego’s arrival will give us record signing Gareth Bale back from injury. behind Roma while Inter dropped to Reina. is fine. He has blended naturally into the squad. If I need what you saw tonight,” added the 43-year-old. On the other side of the draw, record win- sixth, below promoted Verona. Moralez added the third in the 70th to use him I won’t hesitate.” The second semi-final on “A player with attacking ability, personality, ners Barca host Sociedad on Wednesday after minute after Federico Fernandez Wednesday sees Lyon play host to second-tier Troyes at aggression in his play. Whenever he gets the suffering their first home defeat of the season the Stade de Gerland as they continue their quest for SMOKE BOMBS slipped, allowing him to slot the ball ball dangerous things can happen.” against Valencia. —Reuters success on four fronts this season. —AFP Inter said their team bus was pelted past Reina. —Reuters