MONDAY, JUNE 9, 2014

GROUP A Divisions threaten BRAZIL Cameroon campaign

YAOUNDE: Cameroon have brilliant “Everybody is ready to listen to ter than in 2010 because we are in a players like Samuel Eto’o but keeping each other and to make sacrifices,” he difficult group.” Record five-time them together holds the key to 2014 told Cameroon media. “We are ready world champions and hosts Brazil are World Cup success as the team makes to give our best for the sake of the overwhelming favorites to top Group a record seventh appearance by an country, our team-mates and our- A, leaving Cameroon, Croatia and African country. selves.” But not everyone is convinced Mexico to scrap for the other second- Squad cliques were blamed for a and Eto’o complained that team- round place. disastrous 2010 tournament in South mates refused to pass him the ball Francois Omam-Biyik, a star of the Africa with the ‘Indomitable Lions’ los- during a play-off in Tunisia late last 1990 squad inspired by Roger Milla, ing all three matches they played. The year. Defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto fears the ‘Lions’ will be among early same cannot happen in Group A this from English second-tier outfit departures from South America. year against hosts Brazil, Croatia and Queen’s Park Rangers condemned “Cameroon cannot get past the Mexico. other players in an interview. first round because although they Captain and star striker Eto’o was “This team compares favorably have quality footballers, the team at the centre of the 2010 storm as with the one which reached the 1990 does not play as a unit. “Everybody some players backed him while oth- quarter-finals in terms of technique believes he is a star and it will be ers sided with deposed skipper and skill. “But when the players meet tough winning against a Brazilian Rigobert Song. they all consider themselves big shots team with home advantage, and French coach Paul le Guen from so-called top clubs and silly little Croatia and Mexico,” he said. replaced ageing Song with former problems spoil the change room German coach Volker Finke plans Barcelona and Inter Milan star Eto’o a atmosphere. to prove the doubters wrong and World Cup heat is on Brazil year before the World Cup. “Many of us are parents with says 33-year-old Chelsea goal The move opened deep wounds young kids, but it is us adults who are poacher Eto’o will play a vital role. RIO DE JANEIRO: A team boasting neers of the five titles we have won relied on friendly games against top with Barcelona midfielder Alex Song, acting like children. We need to “Samuel is back to his best level at Neymar, Oscar and Dani Alves should since then. Those players got there class opponents such as Argentina, a relative of Rigobert, among those change our mindsets and put the Chelsea. He is the best Cameroonian win the World Cup, but Brazil know and made Brazilian history. France and Netherlands after the who shunned the national team for a egos aside.” footballer and can make a big differ- there are no guarantees even when “We built our success on top of World Cup finals in South Africa. long time after the debacle. Haphazard preparations have also ence.” Former Liverpool goalkeeper you host the biggest global sporting them. We are going to try and get Brazil lost to Paraguay in the quar- However, Sevilla midfielder previously hampered Cameroon, who Charles Itandje, centre-back Nicolas spectacle. back to the Maracana for the final ter finals of Copa America in 2011 Stephane Mbia believes Cameroon, have won just one of 12 World Cup Nkoulou, midfielders Jean Makoun Brazil lifted the trophy in 1958, and properly remember the team of however and after the sacking of the first of only three African nations games since the last-eight loss to and Song and striker Benjamin 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. But a the 1950s because they were won- Mano Menezes in November 2012, to reach the World Cup quarter-finals, England 24 years ago. Moukandjo are other key fig- country that clamours for football derful and fantastic and that’s how I’d Scolari had to act to end some worry- can present a united front in Brazil. Mbia said: “We must prepare bet- ures.—AFP perfection keeps looking back to a like Brazilians to think about them,” ing results. They lost to England in his defeat in 1950 when Brazil last organ- said Scolari. first game in charge in February 2013 CAMEROON ised the World Cup. Brazil legend Pele said the 1950 and drew with Italy, Russia and Chile. Some 200,000 people packed Rio finals were “a bad experience” for the But the win over South Africa gave de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium then country. “Now the people are afraid Scolari a 13th victory in 14 games. to see Uruguay beat Brazil 2-1 in a of the same thing happening. But I The coach said he only returned to football ambush that has gone down think it will be different now,” Pele the national team because he is sure in history as the ‘Maracanazo’. told AFP in a recent interview. On that Brazil will win the World Cup. He The angst of 1950 will be hanging paper, Brazil, the only team to have also knows what it is like to reach a over Sao Paulo’s Corinthians stadium played in every World Cup finals, has final and lose. when Brazil play Croatia in the open- little to worry about. Neymar’s speed Scolari coached the Portuguese ing World Cup game on June 12. and finish has made the 22-year-old team that hosted the 2004 European They also face Cameroon and Mexico one of the most feared strikers in the Championships, reached the final in Group A. world. He scored his second interna- Nerves could be jangling if Brazil tional hat-trick in Brazil’s 5-0 thrash- and lost to Greece. “It was a helpful reach the final, which will be back in ing of South Africa in March. experience,” said Scolari. the modernised Maracana, where the Captain Thiago Silva holds the “I now have a better idea of how capacity is now less than 80,000. back four together which allows the we should behave going into a final, Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who fullbacks, Dani Alves in particular, the and how a team playing a final in its guided Brazil to their 2002 triumph, freedom to launch incisive attacks up own country should organise itself wants that 1950 team to be treated the flanks. and approach the match in order to as heros rather than the villains they And with Oscar in midfield con- lift the trophy. are now cast as. stantly prising open opposing “I know we can enjoy the experi- “My vision of 1950 is entirely dif- defences for Chelsea this year, Scolari ence of playing in front of home ferent to what most people think,” has a threatening team. crowds, but at the same time we Scolari said at a recent FIFA work- But that was not so clear when he have to be aware that it will hurt shop. “Before 1950 Brazil had never took over last year. As Brazil did not more if we lose,” he declared philo- reached the final. They were the pio- have to qualify for the finals, they sophically. —AFP Croatia relishing fiery World Cup opener Mexico seek redemption

MEXICO CITY: Mexico are seeking He said being the outsiders become frustrated and demand redemption after winning the could help Mexico after their near more from them,” he told AFP. “The Olympic football gold and then humiliation. “Maybe some will pressure could get to them.” almost failing to qualify for the underestimate us, and this can help For the moment the pressure is World Cup finals. But coach Miguel us demonstrate that we are alright still on Mexico after their near miss. Herrera says it may do the team to and that we can surprise anybody,” Elimination would have cost spon- be treated like outsiders. Herrera told AFP in an interview. sors and broadcasters hundreds of Mexico, who have been to every With Brazil favoured to win millions of dollars in a nation pas- World Cup finals since 1994, will be Group A, Mexico will have to hope sionate about the sport. Mexico also in a tough Group A with hosts and they can take second place. They had to deal with a long-running five-time winners Brazil, Croatia and will play Cameroon first on June 13, saga with Carlos Vela, who plays for Cameroon. They almost did not Brazil on June 17 and Croatia on Spain’s Real Sociedad and is consid- make it that far. Mexico had high June 23. ered the most in-form Mexican play- hopes after they defeated a Brazil Herrera said he hoped Brazil and er but has rejected overtures to team featuring Neymar, Oscar and Neymar will feel the pressure of return to the national squad. When CROATIA Thiago Silva to win the gold medal playing in front of a demanding he took over for the games against at the London Olympics in 2012. home crowd. “Where we can find a New Zealand, Herrera dropped all ZAGREB: Croatia coach Niko Kovac is er to Scotland, with the Balkan side this time.” Despite the enormity of the But they managed only two wins weak point is by taking the ball Europe-based stars and instead only intent on challenging golf legend claiming second, albeit nine points task ahead of them Kovac is relishing and seven goals in 10 games in the away from them a little bit, make used domestic league players. But Walter Hagen’s claim that ‘no one behind Belgium. his date with Neymar and co. “Brazil in North and Central American qualify- time go by without letting them he said Hernandez and dos Santos remembers who came in second’ at Kovac’s elevation from the ranks of the first game with the whole wo rld ing contest. Mexico missed out on hurt us, and then people will will be on World Cup duty.—AFP the World Cup. coaching the Under 21s proved watching will be something,” said the an automatic qualifying place-they Kovac’s Croats, who made the inspired with Croatia ultimately beat- 42-year-old. went to the United States, Honduras Brazil finals through the play-offs, ing Iceland to their fourth Wo rld Cu p Croatia are returning to football’s and Costa Rica-and needed a play- ‘Little Pea’ looks for lift have the dubious honour of opening finals after 1998, 2002 and 2006. The top table after missing out on South off against New Zealand to gain the 2014 football showcase against tense date with Brazil is not the first Africa four years ago. Their best show- their ticket to Brazil. They only got MANCHESTER: to the playoff after bitter rivals, the Four years after leaving one World Cup finals as a new the hosts in Sao Paulo on June 12. time the two countries’ paths have ing came in France ‘98 when they football hero, Mexican striker Javier Hernandez returns to the sport’s With the presence of Brazil casting crossed at a World Cup. secured third spot-Kovac missed out United States, defeated Panama in the last match of the qualifying greatest stage desperate to reignite a spluttering career. a long shadow over Group A the for- Eight years ago the pair met in on that because he had just returned From the moment Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson mer national captain has realistically Germany, with Kovac figuring in the from injury. tournament. The Mexican federation fired plucked Hernandez from the obscurity of FC Guadalajara just before the set his team’s sights on the runners-up side that put up a brave fight before Against Brazil Croatia will be miss- 2010 finals started in South Africa, the diminutive striker enjoyed a spot behind the five-time world succumbing to a Kaka goal in the ing Mario Mandzukic, the striker who three coaches in six weeks before hiring Miguel Herrera, manager of meteoric rise to fame. champions to make it into the last 16. group game in Berlin. Kovac com- scored in the play-offs but also picked Emboldened by his move to United, Hernandez-known as Chicharito Mexico and Cameroon are also in the mented: “We will try to make it diffi- up a red card ruling him out of the 2013 Mexican league champions Club America. (Little Pea) because he is only 1.75 metres (5 feet 9 inches) tall- group. cult for them but it won’t be easy. June 12 curtain-raiser. announced himself to the global audience with two memorable goals. “I think Brazil are the obvious “Look at 2006, though, when we Croatia are captained by the expe- The team’s bad form was all the more surprising because it featured For the first, he came off the bench to score Mexico’s opening goal in a favourites. They are one of the best gave them a very difficult game. Dida rienced Darijo Srna, with the midfield shock 2-0 win over France. In doing so emulated his grandfather Tomas sides in the wo rld, after all. But second made some good saves and Brazil inspiration coming from playmakers Manchester United striker Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez and Villareal Balcazar, who scored against France in the 1954 World Cup. Hernandez, place is wide open,” was his assess- needed a cracking goal from Kaka to Luka Modric and Niko Kranjcar. whose father played for Mexico at the 1986 World Cup finals, then scored ment of Croatia’s prospects. win. With Mandzukic absent in Sao playmaker Giovani dos Santos. The outspoke Herrera has voiced against Argentina in the last 16, though Mexico were beaten. Kovac was parachuted in to steer “I remember that I only played Paulo the attack will be led by the The World Cup success carried over to life with United as he quickly Croatia through the play-offs after about half an hour in that game and likes of Brazil-born former Arsenal optimism since steering the team away from the abyss by trouncing became one of the most clinical forwards in the top-flight and helped Igor Stimac resigned, following had to go off with an injury. I hope I’ll striker Eduardo, veteran Ivica Olic and his new team win the Premier League in his first season.—AFP Croatia’s 2-0 defeat in the final qualifi- be able to have a bit more influence Hull City’s Nikita Jelavic.—AFP New Zealand the two-game play-off in November. Modric — Croatia’s midfield magician

ZAGREB: With his long hair and his Real career made a stuttering were not following. trademark headband Luka Modric start. After a successful four years “That’s why maybe people didn’t would not look out of place shuffling with Tottenham Hotspur in England, appreciate my performance. “This round Stonehenge in a kaftan cele- Modric completed a dream 33 million season, I am at the peak of my game brating the summer solstice. pound (44 million euro) move to and we have good results....I feel real- But rather than dabbling in new Madrid. But his first season under ly, really good.” age mysticism in England, Modric will then boss Jose Mourinho was a When Modric arrived in the be worshipping at the high altar of nightmare. Premier League some suggested, giv- football, the World Cup finals, where Deployed irregularly he suffered en his size, he might struggle to cope Croatia are counting on the inspira- the ignominy of being voted the with the physical demands of the tional playmaker to maintain the worst signing of the year in one English game. stunning form he has produced this Spanish newspaper poll. That bumpy Yet Modric is made out of stern season at Real Madrid. landing in the Spanish capital must stuff, resilience forged in part from Modric’s compact frame has seem light years away now as under growing up in the horrors of the played a giant role in Madrid’s sea- Mourinho’s successor Carlo Ancelotti brutal 1990s Balkans civil war. He son, with the hard to please he has lit up Real’s campaign. prefers not to dwell in public on Bernabeu crowd chanting his name Reflecting on the difference a sea- that traumatic period in which his at every opportunity. son makes Modric, in a rare interview, grandfather was killed and his fami- MEXICO The love-in would have been told the BBC: “Last season I played ly fled their village when he was inconceivable 12 months ago when some good games but our results just six.—AFP