THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2020 29 ‘We’re not machines’: Injury-hit Brazil, Argentina resume World Cup qualifying Argentina face Paraguay today as Brazil host Venezuela in Sao Paulo tomorrow leaving Argentina coach Lionel Luis Suarez is the joint lead- Neymar will miss Scaloni considering his op-tions ing scorer in qualifying with • if his captain is unavailable. three goals, all of them pen - Brazil’s World Cup Paulo Dybala is again missing alties, carrying over his form qualifier after suffering from the squad along with Ser- from club level with Atletico an injury playing for PSG gio Aguero, although Angel Di Madrid. 71 Maria has been recalled for the Real Madrid Fede goals have been scored Valverde is out with a fractured AFP | London by Lionel Messi in 140 first time in over a year. appearances for Argentina Lautaro Martin- shin and Maxi Gomez is absent ez will likely start u p due to a knee prob-lem for Uru- razil must confront a front while su - guay. growing injury list that per-sub Joaquin Argentine coach Gustavo Al- Bincludes star forward Correa could be faro has vowed to put his Neymar as they resume World We’re not machines,” he said. rewarded for “heart and soul into Cup qualifying this week, while “We saw recent studies show- his winning getting Ecuador Argentina are out to extend their ing it’s more than likely you get goal in the al- to Qatar” after perfect start at home to neigh- injured after four or five matches titude of La they failed to bours Paraguay. come one after an-other (every Paz. qualify for Copa America champions Bra- three days). It’s very worrying Lucas Lionel Messi the 2018 zil host Venezuela in Sao Paulo for us.” Alario has World on Friday chasing a third win in While goalkeeper Alisson also forced his way Cup. as many matches after launching Becker and forward Gabriel Je- into contention after “Right now, Ecuador their Qatar 2022 campaign with Neymar of Brazil leaves the pitch with an injury (file photo) sus return after injury, Brazil scoring seven goals is more a handful of very victories over Bolivia and Peru. His tally of 64 goals leaves him Defender Thiago Silva has will also be without Casemiro, for Bayer Leverk- good intentions than a (fin- However, Brazil coach Tite 13 shy of Pele’s record. tightened up the Chelsea de - and Fabinho. usen in his past ished) team,” Alfaro told will be without Neymar after Despite his latest setback fence since his arrival in Eng- Argentina, who began qual- four Bundesliga FIFA.com. the world’s most expensive play- Neymar will still travel with the land, but the 36-year-old has ifying with narrow wins over appearances. “As I said before, the challenge er injured his thigh while on squad amid hopes that he may warned the crowded global Ecuador and Bolivia, are hoping Uruguay is to convert hope into reality. Champions League duty with recover in time for the trip to fixture list is taking its toll on Lionel Messi will be fit for both meet Colombia I’m not here to manage a team Paris Saint-Germain in Turkey Uruguay on November 17. players. their games against Paraguay in Barranquil- but rather to win.” last month. However, national team co- “You have to keep endlessly and Peru. la on Friday “I have to admit that it’ll be Neymar, 28, bagged a hat-trick ordinator Juninho Paulista said reinventing yourself. We’re los- attempting to a disappointment if we’re not in a 4-2 win in Lima last time out Tite told PSG sporting director ing players infected by Covid-19, Messi dealing with ankle knock bounce back from at the next World Cup,” he add- to surpass Ronaldo as Brazil’s Leonardo that he “would never or others who get hurt because The Barcelona forward is last month’s 4-2 ed, with his team playing away second leading scorer in history. risk a player’s health”. we’re playing too many matches. said to be nursing a sore ankle, loss in Ecuador. to Bolivia on Thursday.

Referees and VAR not good enough, says former boss Hackett Reuters | London

rror-prone Ereferees are not good enough, VAR technology is not fit for purpose and the game has “lost the plot” over handball, former English referees chief Keith Hackett has told Reuters. A number of VAR (Video As- sistant Referee) rulings were disputed last weekend as Leeds United’s Patrick Bamford had a goal ruled out for a T-shirt sleeve offside, while penalties were given for handball against Liverpool and Wol-verhampton Wanderers that were criticised by pundits. Hackett, a Premier League referee until 1994, believes that Referee Craig Pawson refers to VAR before awarding a penalty to Manchester while VAR needs to be exam- City during the match against Liverpool (file photo) ined, officials on the pitch need VAR was brought into the to look at themselves too. league last season, but it re - “The standard of refereeing mains unpopular with some has fallen,” Hackett, who was The standard of English top-flight managers the general manager of the Pro- refereeing has fallen. and fans alike. fessional Game Match Officials When I ran the PGMOL Hackett believes VAR to have Board (PGMOL), the body re- many flaws but its drawbacks sponsible for match officials in we were delivering start with the technology itself, England, said in an interview. 10 or more world which he says does not help “When I ran the PGMOL we class referees on a officials as much as it should. were delivering 10 or more budget of five million “We got VAR wrong from the world class referees on a budget pounds ($6.6 million). word go,” Hackett added. “With of five million pounds ($6.6 mil- Now, we have two goal-line technology, for accu- lion). Now, we have two elite elite referees, from racy and speed of deci-sion, HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa referees, from a budget of over cameras around each goal are 20 million pounds.” a budget of over 20 operating at 500 frames per sec- FIFA, in fact, only allow three million pounds ond. With VAR, the technology DEEPEST CONDOLENCES “elite” referees from each indi- KEITH HACKETT is operating at 50 frames per vidual country. second. That is not enough. “It is run like an old boys’ club ing errors per weekend in the “We should be talking to the now,” Hackett added. There is Premier League now, and even manufacturers -- the equipment no accountability... These guys two or three in one game. The has to be better.” are not amateurs, they are get- standard is not good enough.” How that equipment is being ting six-figure wages – you have During his time in charge of utilised, however, is doing more to deliver. the PGMOL, Hackett was instru- harm than good, according to “They are producing bet - mental in the introduction of Hackett, with dotted lines to ter referees in Europe. You goal-line technology in the Pre- determine an offside causing www.ugecbahrain.com www.coralbahrain.com www.uniglobals.com get three or four key referee- mier League. particular concern.