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Massa on Messi breaks 17Austrian pole 19Iranian hearts SUNDAY, JUNE 22, 2014 Valencia gives Ecuador new life Page 18 FORTALEZA: Ghana’s forward and captain Asamoah Gyan (center) scores during a Group G football match between Germany and Ghana at the Castelao Stadium during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. — AFP Klose encounter in another cracker German equals Ronaldo’s World Cup record FORTALEZA: Miroslav Klose equalled Brazilian leg- half with a leg injury while Ghana’s Kevin-Prince from Sulley Muntari and Christian Atsu, Ghana Mertesacker, playing his 100th game for Germany, stab home from a yard out after Benedikt end Ronaldo’s record of 15 World Cup goals with made way for Jordan Ayew early in the second- switched off at the start of the second. to flick a header beyond Neuer. Hoewedes flicked on Toni Kroos’s corner. the equaliser for Germany in their 2-2 Group G half. Thomas Mueller picked out Goetze running Nine minutes later things got even better for Both sides had late chances to win the game as draw with Ghana in Fortaleza yesterday. With the USA playing Portugal in Manaus into the box and the Bayern Munich midfielder Ghana as Muntari dispossessed Germany captain Jordan Ayew headed over with the German Mario Goetze had given Germany the lead today, the result breathes life back into Ghana’s stopped unconvincingly to head goalwards with Philipp Lahm in midfield and slid the ball through defence again all at sea. At the other end, only a before goals from Andre Ayew and Asamoah Gyan hopes of reaching the last 16. the ball going straight down onto his knee before to Black Stars captain Gyan to smash the ball past superb Kwadwo Asamoah tackle denied Mueller turned the game on its head and threatened to The Germans could be knocked from top of the rebounding past Ghana goalkeeper Abdul-Fatawu Neuer. before Ozil also went close, while Gyan pulled a cause a major upset for the Black Stars. group and must beat Jurgen Klinsmann’s Stars and Dauda, who like his two centre-backs had been The Black Stars broke out in some impressive late shot wide in a frantic finish. But Klose had the last laugh with a poacher’s Stripes in Recife on Thursday to be sure of reaching ball-watching. The lead lasted only three minutes dance moves in celebration wafter Gyan’s goal. The bad news for Germany may not end with goal a yard out 19 minutes from time. The duel the knock-out stages. before Harrison Afful crossed into the box and Ghana were running riot and Germany hanging on just the result as Mueller required extensive treat- between the Boateng brothers failed to materialise Having at times bossed the first half, and only Ayew, on his 50th appearance for the Black Stars, by their fingernails but an inspired substitution by ment at the end of the game after crashing into as Germany right-back Jerome missed the second been denied by two fantastic Manuel Neuer saves climbed above Shkodran Mustafi and the static Per coach Joachim Loew brought Klose into the fray to central defender John Boye’s shoulder. — AFP Football-mad Indian couple off to 9th final KOLKATA: Their World Cup love affair began more than three decades ago in Spain. Now 81-year-old Pannalal Chatterjee and his wife Chaitali, 72, are once more heading from cricket- mad India to the ultimate football fiesta. “This may be my last one, but I am so happy at getting the chance to watch a tournament in Brazil,” Pannalal said during a stopover in Singapore on his way to what will be the cou- ple’s ninth World Cup. “It’s always been my dream to watch the World Cup in Brazil. It’s the Mecca of football,” he told AFP by phone. The Chatterjees, who live in the eastern city of Kolkata, are life- long football fans and Pannalal has been involved as a volun- teer administrator for the sport in eastern India since the early FORTALEZA: This combination of photos shows Germany’s Miroslav Klose flipping to celebrate after scoring his side’s second goalduring the Group G World Cup soccer match between 1970s. They got their first taste of top-level football in 1982 Germany and Ghana. — AP when a friend whom they were staying with in London got them tickets for the tournament in Spain, when a young Diego Maradona first garnered global attention. Farmer’s son who can’t play? Meet CR7’s cousin “Such was the excitement of the tournament that I was determined from then on not to miss any World Cups in the CAMPINAS: He is tall, Brazilian and he’s related to About 100 years later Ronaldo, one of the world’s away by stadium security. future,” said Pannalal. Cristiano Ronaldo. He is, however, terrible at football. most recognisable celebrities, arrived in Campinas, now Although he is no Ronaldo lookalike, Rogers’s height Four years later, the Chatterjees were in Mexico when Meet Rogers Aveiro, a distant cousin of the Portuguese a bustling city of one million, for the World Cup. and features suggest a family link is credible. And his Maradona captained Argentina to victory and lifted the Jules superstar and, for a few weeks at least, living just a short Ronaldo trained in front of thousands of fans this cousin Lais is known for her resemblance to Ronaldo’s Rimet trophy at the Azteca stadium. drive away. week in the stadium built on land once farmed by his sister Katia. “The final between Argentina and West Germany was By pure chance, Portugal have set up their Brazilian relatives the Aveiros. And, they say, he and the rest of “I’ve heard that I look like her but I’ve never seen her. unforgettable. The Argentinians won 3-2 and there was so World Cup base in Campinas, home of a farming family the Portugal team are staying in a hotel built with bricks But I think it’s quite cool. It would be nice to meet her much excitement,” he said. which claims a shared ancestry with the Real Madrid supplied by a business owned by the extended family. and Ronaldo,” says the 19-year-old. While Maradona remains the ultimate hero of Chaitali, her husband is a staunch fan of Brazil and speaks proudly of the forward. Their only son Rogers, 36, lacks the hair gel and The personable Rogers, wearing a Ronaldo shirt and “Ronaldo’s my favorite player,” she adds. “He’s the time Pele agreed to pose with them for a photo. the swagger of his illustrious relative, as well as the rip- Madeira cap, says his friends tease him about the family best player in the world and we’ve got the same blood, The couple, who have no children and live off Pannalal’s pling torso-and, by his own admission, the footballing connection. “My friends and relatives all laugh at me he’s family.” The Aveiros’ feelings for Portugal run deep. monthly pension of 7,500 rupees ($125) from his time as a ability. “I’m a horrible player,” he says. because I’m such a bad player, not like Ronaldo who’s Rogers and his parents Armando and Sandra support shipping clerk, scrimp and save all year round to be able to But backed by a family tree matching their roots to the best in the world now,” he says at the comfortable both Brazil and Portugal at the World Cup, and Madeira afford their trips every four years. “For the last four years, I those of CR7 — full name Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos family home near Campinas. memorabilia dots the house. have been holding back from eating my favourite fish and Aveiro-the Aveiros are quietly adamant about their Well off and not seeking the limelight, the family has Rogers said it would be “awesome” to meet and play many days my stomach has been half-empty to make sure blood ties. never tried to contact the Real Madrid star. Rogers with Ronaldo, even if he’s not the most gifted footballer. that we have enough money for this tournament in Brazil,” he Their story goes like this: two forebears of Ronaldo wanted to watch the public training session, but But the level-headed farmer’s son said Ronaldo, the said. Chaitali also manages to make a bit of money by making and Rogers were brothers, Francisco and Jose, living in couldn’t get a ticket. football and marketing phenomenon with the world at sarees and the couple have a special World Cup fund which Portugal’s Madeira in the late 1800s. “They ran out after about five minutes,” he says. Not his feet, is not even his favorite player. they top whenever they can can. Jose’s son emigrated to Brazil early last century and for him the antics of Andressa Urach, a contestant on Instead, he prefers somebody closer to home. “At the In order to make ends meet in Brazil, the couple have tak- found success as a farmer in the fertile Campinas area the “Miss BumBum” bottom-beauty pageant TV show moment I like Hulk from Brazil. He’s a stronger sort of en some of their own food, including packs of potato chips about 55 miles (88 kilometres) north of Sao Paulo. and a self-avowed lover of Ronaldo, who was escorted player,” Rogers says. — AFP and packets of tea. — AFP.

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