Carlo Keen to Give Bale Shot at Real Redemption

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Carlo Keen to Give Bale Shot at Real Redemption CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Friday, June 4, 2021 | 19 SPORTS Scrambled legs SoCCer CFA plays safe for Team China trip By SHI FUTIAN Syrian camps prompted the Asian [email protected] Football Confederation (AFC) — in agreement with the CFA — to move After this week’s blow of losing the remaining seven Group A match- home advantage for its World Cup es to Sharjah. Despite the change, qualifiers, the Chinese Football the CFA is technically still the host Association has pledged to provide of the event and, therefore, required t h e b e s t a n d s a f e s t p o s s i b l e to make all the arrangements and environment for Team China’s cover the expenses of all four teams. rearranged fixtures in the United “China is still the host of the event Arab Emirates. and we will be responsible for all Li Tie’s team traveled from Shang- teams’ transportation and accommo- hai to the UAE on Thursday, with the dation in Sharjah. But the teams Guam squad, technical officials and should be responsible for their own referees also on board the chartered flights in and out of the UAE,” read a flight. CFA statement on Wednesday. On Monday, all remaining Asian In terms of the health protocols, all zone Group A qualifiers were moved Team China members were tested for from their bio-secure bubble in Suz- COvID-19 on Tuesday, and players hou, Jiangsu province to Emirati city who hadn’t previously been vaccinat- Sharjah, after the Maldives and Syria ed received their first shot before squads were unable to gain entry to leaving China. China due to positive COvID-19 tests. “Team China has taken sufficient As part of the coronavirus preven- epidemic prevention equipment, tion measures for the trip, the CFA including protective clothing, face has rented an entire hotel, which masks and gloves. As sanitizer is not players are forbidden to leave with- allowed to be taken on board the Austria’s Aleksandar Dragovic tackles England’s Harry Kane during a Euro 2020 warm-up match at Riverside Stadium in Middles- out permission. plane, the CFA will buy more upon brough, England on Wednesday. Arsenal teenager Bukayo Saka scored his first goal for England to secure a 1-0 win for the host. REUTERS The CFA has also contacted a arrival in Sharjah,” soccer reporter Chinese restaurant in Sharjah to Zhao Yu revealed on his personal ensure the players can enjoy home Weibo account. cuisine. CFA president Chen Xuyuan “The teams will be under lock- SoCCer has traveled with the squad to over- down after they arrive in the UAE. All see the whole operation. Team China members will only be “The relocation of the host city of able to go to the hotels, training the qualifiers was sudden. Given the pitches and the match stadium, so significance of helping Team China they can avoid interaction with the to prepare for the qualifiers, Chen outside world. Even the bus drivers Carlo keen to give Bale Xuyuan decided to travel with the who take the players to the airports national squad to the UAE to guaran- are required to have COvID-19 tests. tee the quality of the preparation “The CFA has rented an entire work and make decisions decisively hotel. There will be no one else in the at the frontline,” read a Beijing Youth hotel apart from Team China mem- Daily commentary. bers and hotel staff. Everyone will shot at Real redemption Team China enjoyed a 7-0 victory stay in separate rooms and they will over Guam on Sunday in front of only have meals in the hotel.” around 30,000 fans at Suzhou Olym- Now, fans will hope the players can pic Sports Center Stadium. However, shake off any jet lag to deliver on the Ancelotti has ‘strong affection’ for So, once again, the apparently that home advantage was lost when pitch in the searing heat of Sharjah, a easygoing Italian has more than COvID-19 cases in the Maldives and city close to Dubai. Welsh star from first Madrid spell enough work to do. Ancelotti faces several challen- ges. Cristiano Ronaldo is long gone Carlo Ancelotti is ready to give Real Madrid”. and many of the team’s most TOWN PLANNING ORDINANCE (Chapter 131) Gareth Bale another opportunity at Bale played his best for Madrid important players are entering the Real Madrid. during Ancelotti’s first season in twilight of their careers. Luka Mod- REPRESENTATION IN RESPECT OF DRAFT PLAN During his presentation to start charge in 2013-14, when the Wales ric and Sergio Ramos are 35, Karim Pursuant to section 6(1) of the Town Planning Ordinance (the Ordinance), the his second stint as Madrid’s coach winger scored goals in the finals of Benzema and Marcelo 33, and Toni Town Planning Board (the Board) has received representation(s) in respect on Wednesday, Ancelotti said that the Champions League and the Kroos is 31. of the plan(s) as set out in the Schedule. In accordance with section 6(4) he expected Bale to return — and Copa del Rey to help win both The immediate future of Ramos of the Ordinance, the representation(s) are available for public inspection during normal office hours at the following locations - play well — from his loan at titles. gareth Bale is in doubt. The team captain has Tottenham. But Bale, once the most expen- yet to sign a new contract with his (i) the Planning Enquiry Counter, 17th Floor, North Point Government “Gareth hasn’t played much in sive signing in the history of the When Ancelotti first arrived in current deal up at the end of the Offices, 333 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong; and the Premier League, but he did club, later fell out of favor with Madrid in 2013, he had the mission month. (ii) the Planning Enquiry Counter, 14th Floor, Sha Tin Government score goals,” Ancelotti said. “He was Zidane and was eventually sent of restoring some calm to a club Eden Hazard, the club’s most Offices, 1 Sheung Wo Che Road, Sha Tin, New Territories. effective in the final games of the back to Tottenham on loan last sea- that had been through three ten- expensive signing, has also been a The representation(s) are now also available at the Board’s website season when he played consistent- son. In London, he had injury prob- sion-wrought campaigns under bust in his two seasons in Spain. (https://www.info.gov.hk/tpb/en/plan_making/draft_plan.html) for public inspection. In accordance with section 6A(1) of the Ordinance, any person ly. I know him well. If he is motivat- lems early in the season and did not Mourinho. “Hazard is a top talent who has may make comment to the Board in respect of the representation(s). The ed to play, he can have a great win the confidence of Jose Mouri- Under Ancelotti, the club over- been hurt by injuries,” Ancelotti comment should indicate the representation to which the comment relates season. I have no doubt.” nho. He improved in the second came its 12-year wait to conquer a said. “I believe this season he can and should be made to the Secretary, Town Planning Board by hand, post Ancelotti mentioned Bale three half of the campaign, scoring 10 of 10th European Cup. But with no show his true talent.” (15th Floor, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road, North Point, times during the news conference his 11 Premier League goals from Ancelotti insisted that he has yet Hong Kong), fax (2877 0245 or 2522 8426) or e-mail ([email protected]. titles the next year, club president hk), or through the Board’s website (http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb/) not later following his signing of a three- the end of February. Florentino Perez fired Ancelotti. to speak with the club about the than the date specified in the Schedule. year deal with Madrid. Ancelotti Bale said in March that his inten- After a brief stint under Rafa makeup of the squad. But he did Any person who intends to make comment is advised to read the Town counted him among a group of vet- tion was to go back to Madrid. Benitez, Zidane took over and led guarantee that his side would pro- Planning Board Guidelines No. 29B on “Submission and Publication of erans he said he “had strong affec- Ancelotti could ease his return to a the club to three more Champions duce attractive, attacking soccer Representations, Comments on Representations and Further Representations tion for” from his first spell with club whose fans had fallen out with League titles and other trophies. that would compete for trophies. under the Town Planning Ordinance” (TPB PG-No.29B). Submission of the Spanish powerhouse. Bale for his perceived inconsistent Zidane announced he would not “I am going to give it my all to comment should comply with the requirements set out in TPB PG-No. 29B. In particular, if the commenter fails to provide full name and the first four He said that he expects Bale and performances. finish out his contract last week achieve what we did before,” Ancel- alphanumeric characters of HKID card/passport number as required under other players like Isco and Marcelo, The 61-year-old Ancelotti is back and a few days later said in an open otti said. “I have a very good memo- TPB PG-No. 29B, the comment submitted shall be treated as not having who had lost their starting roles at Madrid after securing his release letter that the club didn’t fully value ry of my two years here and I think been made.
Recommended publications
  • Age-Defying Giggs Still Shining at 40
    Sports FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2013 46 Age-defying Giggs still shining at 40 LONDON: With a masterful performance at Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday, Ryan Giggs demonstrated that he remains an integral Villas-Boas player for Manchester United despite the arrival on Friday of his 40th birthday. Having under scrutiny impressed as a substitute in United’s 2-2 draw at Cardiff City, Giggs was restored to the start- as Spurs host ing line-up at the BayArena and orchestrated a 5-0 win that sent his side swaggering into the Man United Champions League last 16. LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur’s meltdown at Belying his advancing years, the Welshman Manchester City exposed serious flaws in dictated the pace of the game throughout Andre Villas-Boas’s project and the young and capped his display with an intelligent loft- coach is under intense scrutiny ahead of ed pass that enabled Nani to score the visitors’ Sunday’s match with Premier League champi- fifth goal in the 88th minute. “I’ve run out of ons Manchester United. Back-to-back games things to say about Ryan,” said United striker against Manchester’s finest always looked like Wayne Rooney. “Actually, during the game, the Bayer centre-half was asking how he is still a yardstick for Tottenham’s progress in the playing at that age.” Alex Ferguson may have wake of the world record sale of Gareth Bale to stepped down as manager after 26 and a half Real Madrid and a raft of expensive new sign- long, glorious years and United may have fall- ings in the close season with the proceeds.
    [Show full text]
  • [Enter Title Here]
    Frontier Economics Bulletin Water Energy Environment Retailing Transport Financial services Healthcare Telecoms Media Post Competition policy Policy analysis and design Regulation Strategy Contract design and evaluation Dispute support services Market design and auctions FEBRUARY 2014 Is Bale the Real deal? THE VALUE OF TOP FOOTBALL PLAYERS The 2013 summer transfer window saw Gareth Bale become the most expensive football player in the world, when he left Tottenham Hotspur for Real Madrid – for a record fee of more than £80m. An analysis of player valuations conducted by Frontier suggests that – even at the time of the deal – Bale’s footballing skills were worth just £66m. So did Real Madrid pay too much for its latest “Galáctico” – or wasn’t it all about the game? Football has long dominated the sports pages of European newspapers, but these days it can increasingly be found in the business pages as well. Europe’s largest clubs are collectively worth billions. Some, such as Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund, are now publicly-listed companies. The performance – or underperformance – of star signings can send clubs zinging up and down the financial charts as well as the football leagues. 2 Frontier Economics | February 2014 But how confident can clubs be that they are getting their money’s worth, when they sign expensive new players? To help address this question, Frontier has developed an economic model that estimates the value of players on the basis of their proven football skills, i.e. their performance so far. The model uses data collected from all transfers over £1m in the English Premier League and Spain’s La Liga – two of Europe’s richest leagues – over the past few seasons.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 ENGLISH TEST Talents and Mentors Programme December 2012 LAWS of the GAME Circle the Correct Answer: 1. Can Th
    ENGLISH TEST Talents and Mentors Programme December 2012 LAWS OF THE GAME Circle the correct answer: 1. Can the referee show a yellow or red card to a player inside the tunnel during the half‐ time interval? a. Yes. A yellow or red card can be shown from the beginning until the end of the match, including the half‐time interval. b. No, the referee must verbally inform the officials and captain of the player´s team. c. No, the referee must verbally inform the player and team officials of the disciplinary action. d. Yes, always. 2. Ten minutes after being sent off, a player re‐enters the field of play with his team in possession of the ball and strikes the goalkeeper inside the goal area. What decision should the referee make? a. The referee allows play to continue. When the ball is out of the play, the referee sends off the offending player again. Play is restarted according to the Laws of the Game. b. The referee sends off the offending player. Play is restarted with an indirect free kick from where the ball was. c. The referee restarts play with a dropped ball from where the player entered the field of play. d. The referee orders the offending player to leave the field of play and restarts play with a dropped ball from where the ball was when the play was stopped. The referee must include the incident in his match report. 3. For an offence to be considered a foul, must it occur on the field of play? a.
    [Show full text]
  • 2011/12 UEFA Champions League Statistics Handbook
    Records With Walter Samuel grounded and goalkeeper Julio Cesar a bemused onlooker, Gareth Bale scores the first Tottenham Hotspur FC goal against FC Internazionale Milano at San Siro. The UEFA Champions League newcomers came back from 4-0 down at half-time to lose 4-3; Bale performed the rare feat of hitting a hat-trick for a side playing with 10 men; and it allowed English clubs to take over from Italy at the top of the hat-trick chart. PHOTO: CLIVE ROSE / GETTY IMAGES Season 2011/2012 Contents Competition records 4 Sequence records 7 Goal scoring records – All hat-tricks 8 Fastest hat-tricks 11 Most goals in a season 12 Fastest goal in a game 13 Fastest own goals 13 The Landmark Goals 14 Fastest red cards 15 Fastest yellow cards 16 Youngest and Oldest Players 17 Goalkeeping records 20 Goalless draws 22 Record for each finalist 27 Biggest Wins 28 Lowest Attendances 30 Milestones 32 UEFA Super Cup 34 3 UEFA Champions League Records UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE COMPETITION RECORDS MOST APPEARANCES MOST GAMES PLAYED 16 Manchester United FC 176 Manchester United FC 15 FC Porto, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid CF 163 Real Madrid CF 159 FC Barcelona 14 AC Milan, FC Bayern München 149 FC Bayern München 13 FC Dynamo Kyiv, PSV Eindhoven, Arsenal FC 139 AC Milan 12 Juventus, Olympiacos FC 129 Arsenal FC 126 FC Porto 11 Rosenborg BK, Olympique Lyonnais 120 Juventus 10 Galatasaray AS, FC Internazionale Milano, 101 Chelsea FC FC Spartak Moskva, Rangers FC MOST WINS SUCCESSIVE APPEARANCES 96 Manchester United FC 15 Manchester United FC (1996/97 - 2010/11) 89 FC
    [Show full text]
  • 2017 Panini Revolution Soccer Club Team Checklist
    2017 Panini Revolution Soccer Club Team Checklist No Parallels Listed - Autograph Parallel Total Print Run listed 28 Teams, 12 Teams with Autographs; Autos = Green; Inserts = Orange AC MILAN Player Set # Team Listed Print Run Filippo Inzaghi Auto 12 AC Milan ?? + 75 Roberto Donadoni Auto 29 AC Milan ?? + 75 Ruud Gullit Auto 31 AC Milan ?? + 16 Alessio Romagnoli Base 11 AC Milan Carlos Bacca Base 12 AC Milan Giacomo Bonaventura Base 13 AC Milan Gianluigi Donnarumma Base 14 AC Milan Ignazio Abate Base 15 AC Milan Juraj Kucka Base 16 AC Milan Mattia De Sciglio Base 17 AC Milan Riccardo Montolivo Base 18 AC Milan Suso Base 19 AC Milan Gianluigi Donnarumma On the Rise Insert 12 AC Milan Alessandro Nesta Revolutionaries Insert 1 AC Milan Andriy Shevchenko Revolutionaries Insert 18 AC Milan Filippo Inzaghi Revolutionaries Insert 10 AC Milan Ruud Gullit Revolutionaries Insert 23 AC Milan Gianluigi Donnarumma Showstoppers Insert 2 AC Milan Carlos Bacca Star-Gazing Insert 5 AC Milan Suso Vortex Insert (retail only) 25 AC Milan GroupBreakChecklists.com 2017 Revolution Soccer Team Checklist AFC AJAX Player Set # Team Listed Print Run Amin Younes Base 149 AFC Ajax Andre Onana Base 142 AFC Ajax Bertrand Traore Base 143 AFC Ajax Daley Sinkgraven Base 144 AFC Ajax Davy Klaassen Base 145 AFC Ajax Hakim Ziyech Base 146 AFC Ajax Joel Veltman Base 147 AFC Ajax Lasse Schone Base 148 AFC Ajax Davinson Sanchez On the Rise Insert 6 AFC Ajax Kasper Dolberg On the Rise Insert 13 AFC Ajax Frank Rijkaard Revolutionaries Insert 11 AFC Ajax Marco Van Basten Revolutionaries
    [Show full text]
  • UEFA Champions League : Is Gareth Bale the Next Big Thing?
    UEFA Champions League : Is Gareth Bale The Next Big Thing? Author : Robert D. Cobb [dropcap]I[/dropcap]n what has been a breakout season in the Premiership, Tottenham’s Gareth Bale may finally be mentioned among the world’s best. The Welsh national has single-handily carried the Spurs to a potential Champions League birth in scoring 24 goals in 40 games. For the sake of argument—as well as removing my own personal Arsenal bias—Bale has done a magnificent imitation of a proverbial one-man wrecking crew at White Hart Lane. In becoming the fourth two-time winner of the prestigious PFA Player Of The Year Award joining Thierry Henry, Alan Shearer and Cristiano Ronaldo, and winning the Football Writer’s Player Of The Year Award, Bale has barely scratched the inner surface of his true talent. Overshadowed by big names such as Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Luis Suarez, Carlos Tevez, Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, it is borderline tragic that few talk of Bale being among the best in the world. And still at the young age of 23, Bale has all the makings and natural scoring talent of becoming the next great thing in football. The only question that remains needs to be answered is if Bale is already there, or is he just beginning? Robert D. Cobb is the Founder/CEO/Senior Editor-In-Chief Of The Inscriber : Digital Magazine, for questions, comments and concerns email me at [email protected] follow me on Twitter @RC_TheInscriber and follow The Inscriber : Digital Magazine on Twitter at @TheInscriber 1 / 1 Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org).
    [Show full text]
  • KPMG Ronaldo Economics
    From Madrid to Turin: Ronaldo Economics footballbenchmark.com What is KPMG Football Benchmark? Consolidated and verified database of football clubs' financial and operational performance. Daily updated and historical tracking of football clubs’ social media performance. Business intelligence tool enabling relevant comparisons with competitors. An ever-growing platform that includes financial and operational data from over 200 European and South American football clubs and social media information for 500+ clubs and 2,000+ footballers. footballbenchmark.com © 2018 KPMG Advisory Ltd., a Hungarian limited liability company and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved. Table of contents 04 Foreword 06 Is Cristiano Ronaldo a good investment for Juventus? 14 Social media and branding implications 17 Extra time © 2018 KPMG Advisory Ltd., a Hungarian limited liability company and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved. 4 From Madrid to Turin: Ronaldo Economics Andrea Sartori Partner KPMG Global Head of Sports [email protected] Foreword Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro represents one of 311 goals in 292 LaLiga games, receiving the Pichichi the brightest football stars of modern football, alongside award three times. The UEFA European Championship Argentinian striker Lionel Messi. In the past 15 years, win in 2016 is another milestone in his career, as it these two phenomenons have battled against each represented the first international title ever achieved by other in order to sit atop the throne as best footballer the Portuguese senior national team.
    [Show full text]
  • Bale Strikes in Vital Madrid Victory
    22 Tuesday, September 19, 2017 SPORTS SPORTS Tuesday, September 19, 2017 23 2017 Rooney hit by Premier league 2018 Table two-year ban Points played Bale Stockport, United Kingdom when driving a woman’s black 1 Man City 13 5 ormer England captain Volkswagen Beetle at around 1 Man Utd 13 5 Wayne Rooney was 2:00 am (0100 GMT) on F 3 Chelsea 10 5 British cyclist marks yesterday banned from September 1 and later arrested 5 driving for two years and and bailed. 4 Newcastle 9 ordered to perform 100 hours Stockport Magistrates’ 5 Tottenham 8 5 strikes of unpaid community work Court was told a breathalyser 6 Huddersfield 8 5 after pleading guilty to drink- test showed Rooney’s alcohol 7 Burnley 8 5 driving. level was 104 microgrammes 8 Liverpool 8 5 The Everton striker in 100 millilitres of breath. The apologised for an “unforgivable drink-drive limit in England 9 Southampton 8 5 record-breaking ride 9 West Brom 8 5 Paris “I am quite looking forward before flying on to Anchorage lack of judgement” following and Wales is 35 microgrammes British cyclist set a new to not getting up at half- in Alaska. in vital his sentencing by a court in per 100 millilitres of breath. 11 Watford 8 5 world record yesterday past three every morning,” His trans-American northern England for being Rooney, 31, was banned 12 Arsenal 7 5 Aby travelling around the Beaumont joked as he set out journey ended in Halifax in nearly three times over the from driving for two years and 13 Stoke 5 5 globe in 79 days -- beating in the dark on the 180-km Canada, where he boarded a drink-drive limit while his ordered to perform 100 hours the fictional exploits of Phileas final stretch in the Loire valley flight for Lisbon.
    [Show full text]
  • Brilliant Bale at the Double in Tottenham's 4-0 Over Burnley
    14 Monday, March 1, 2021 Sports PREMIER LEAGUE QNB Stars League schedule amended after AFC CL dates announced for April QSL schedule will witness a neces- DOHA sary period of suspension in March and April. THE Qatar Stars League “It’ll be an ideal prepara- (QSL) has amended the sched- tory time for the players of our ule for the remaining rounds first national team before they of 2020-21 season QNB Stars play in the European qualifiers League. for the 2022 FIFA World Cup The following decisions Qatar in addition to the partic- have been taken: The Week 18 ipation of our clubs in the AFC matches were rescheduled, to Champions League after the be held over three days (6th, AFC announced its new dates, 7th and 8th March, 2021), which’ll be held during the pe- taking into account the clubs’ riod from 14th to 30th April. participation in the 2021 Amir “If the AFC Champions Cup quarter-finals. League matches are not held as Al Wakrah’s match scheduled in April, as the AFC against Al Gharafa has announced, then in Week 21 has been the 2020-21 football preponed to 16th season will end on March, 2021, due 30th April, as we an- to Al Gharafa’s AFC nounced previously.” Champions League Abbassi ex- play-off against Uz- plained, “Co-ordina- bek club FC AGMK tion and consulta- on 7th April. tions are presently Dates of match- under way with all es in the last three parties concerned in rounds (Weeks order to organize a 20, 21 and 22) of QNB Stars tournament, where QNB Stars League have been revised after League and Second Division the AFC confirmed the dates clubs will compete during the Tottenham Hotspur’s Welsh striker Gareth Bale (right) celebrates scoring his team’s fourth goal, his second ,during the English Premier League against Burnley at Tottenham for the group stage of 2021 league’s break in April, but Hotspur Stadium in London on Sunday.
    [Show full text]
  • Ronaldo Returns to Portugal As Juve Battle to Keep Among Europe's Elite
    Established 1961 15 Sports Wednesday, February 17, 2021 Ronaldo returns to Portugal as Juve battle to keep among Europe’s elite Italian giants face Porto in Champions League last 16 PORTO: Cristiano Ronaldo returns to his native outside the so-called ‘Big Five’ leagues in this sea- Portugal for the first time as a Juventus player as his son’s last 16. Both are two-time European Cup win- side face Porto tonight with the Italian giants fight- ners. For the Turin side, success in Europe this sea- ing to keep up with Europe’s most powerful clubs in son appears even more important as their domestic the Champions League. On the field Juve are still domination shows signs of faltering under Pirlo with finding their feet under novice coach Andrea Pirlo hopes of a 10th consecutive Scudetto in peril. but they crave European glory more than anything A 1-0 defeat at Napoli on Saturday left Juventus having lost five Champions League finals since last eight points adrift of leaders Inter Milan, albeit with winning the trophy in 1996. a game in hand. “This defeat will not bring us down,” Off the pitch, meanwhile, their chairman Andrea insisted Ronaldo. “Let’s raise our heads and think Agnelli is one of the leading figures behind plans to about the Champions League.” Porto, meanwhile, reform the continent’s elite club competition. Agnelli, have drawn their last four games domestically and also the influential chairman of the European Club are 10 points behind league leaders Sporting Lisbon. Association, has long been one of the main backers of a Champions League which guarantees access to Ronaldo v Pepe an elite few and makes it harder for other clubs to Juve’s hopes will be on five-time Ballon d’Or win- gain entry.
    [Show full text]
  • CHINA AIMS to SLAY DRAGONS the Same Momentum­Killing Stop­ Pages That Infuriate Aficionados of the NBA, NHL and NFL
    12 Wednesday, March 21, 2018 SPORTS CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION Time to show FIFA a red card t’s bad enough that soccer is already the only major sport that produces “highlight” reels showing what almost Ihappened during 90 minutes of non­action. Now FIFA, in its infinite wisdom, has ordained that video assistant referee technology (VAR) will be used at this summer’s World Cup finals in Russia, further stultifying a game that’s desperately in need of more pace. FIFA president Gianni Infantino sugar­coated last week’s announce­ ment in Zurich, saying all the right things about building “a more transparent and fairer sport” and giving the living, breathing game officials “much­ needed help” — but it was a hollow endorsement. The landmark decision to use VAR Murray at the World Cup Greig came two weeks aft­ er FIFA’s rules panel voted to write video technology into the laws of soccer, and Infanti­ no has pledged improved commu­ nication with officials and fans to make the system work. World Cup referees will be empowered to call on VAR to review and overturn “clear and From left: Wales’ Gareth Bale, Uruguay duo Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, and China hotshot Wu Lei are some of the big stars expected to light up the second edition of the China Cup International obvious errors,” as well as “serious Football Championship, which opens on Thursday in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. REUTERS AND XINHUA missed incidents” involving goals, penalties, red cards, and mistaken SOCCER identity on sanctions. Sounds good in theory, right? But in the real world, it sucks.
    [Show full text]
  • Top Five Players Who Went from Hopeless to Hero
    #2 THIERRY HENRY He has rightly earned the title as the King of Arsenal, but during his Top five players who went formative years, rarely anyone would’ve expected the extent of success Thierry Henry would go on to achieve in his career. He had enjoyed a decent spell at Monaco but a move to Juventus was where it all went wrong, and he was subsequently branded as overrated, and as a failure by many in the football world. from hopeless to hero The striker was played on the flanks under immense pressure to score goals and failed to live up to the hype. He netted only thrice in 16 appearances in his only season for the Bianconceri. Thierry Henry struggled at Juventus before becoming a sensation at Arsenal #4 VICTOR MOSES But, a change of fortunes followed when he When we see the countless legends the beautiful game has churned out, we always joined Arsenal. Henry’s exploits in England fall for their stardom. However, there is just a handful of us that try to delve into their Victor Moses has been a became the stuff of legend as the Frenchman past and learn about the hurdles they have overcome before earning a name for them- revelation in the football spearheaded Wenger’s Arsenal to a number selves. world under Antonio of accolades, including the golden Premier Also, their fame and limelight come at a heavy price. As much as they are adored Conte. Not many would League trophy that the Gunners won as The during their best days, they receive equally brutal criticism while not performing to have thought that a player Invincibles.
    [Show full text]