THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2014 SPORTS Brazil turning yellow and green with 100 days to Cup RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil on Tuesday Brazilians. There are 100 days to go to the welcome three million domestic tourists at the estimated $11 billion cost of stag- it was getting back on track. marked 100 days to the World Cup finals Cup and the country is in the final furlong and some 600,000 foreign visitors, FIFA ing the tournament, complaining the There also remains work to do at the with President Dilma Rousseff announc- with preparations for the grand fiesta,” president Sepp Blatter says he is sure the cash would have been better spent on Sao Paulo stadium that will host the June ing major public buildings in the host Rousseff said on her Twitter feed. event will prove “exceptional.” poor infrastructure and creaking public 12 opening after a crane fell on the cities would be bathed at night in the “Today, the host cities will be lit up He told FIFA.com: “It will be, in 100 facilities. stands in a November accident which national colors, green and yellow, and in green and yellow to remind people that days, an exceptionally good start for an Although support for protests, which killed two workers. There have been three the 12 stadia while FIFA looked forward the moment everyone is waiting for is on exceptional competition. The Brazilian have been small but on occasion violent, fatal accidents in Manaus-where England to an “exceptional” event. its way,” she tweeted. spirit of the game and the Brazilian ability has been slipping, a Datafolha opinion will take on Italy in their group opener World football body FIFA has criticised “Brazilians are ready to show they to play football makes this World Cup poll last week showed support for staging and due to be inaugurated Sunday-and the country for the slow pace of prepara- know how to receive tourists and con- very, very special. I’m sure it will be a the World Cup had also fallen to a low of one in Brasilia. tions throughout after the giant nation tribute to making this the Cup of Cups.” great, great success” 52 percent from 79 percent in 2008, just Brazil initially indicated all 12 stadiums was awarded the chance to host back in Rousseff’s fellow leftist predecessor Luiz Brazil lost the final in 1950 in the after the country won the right to stage would be ready by the end of last year, 2007 and by Tuesday, five of the venues Inacio Lula da Silva was in charge when Maracana Stadium, which will host this the tournament. The poll put opposition but only half-already used at last year’s had still to be officially inaugurated. the country won the right to host the year’s trophy match in July 13, having to to the Cup at 38 percent from an initial 10 Confederations Cup, made the deadline. But Rousseff said Tuesday was a spe- event for the first time since 1950. wait a further eight years to start their percent. Sao Paulo is slated to host the June 12 cial moment and Brazil was in the final Although FIFA secretary general record collection of five wins in Sweden. The build-up has been plagued by opener between Brazil and Croatia but is furlong to stage the competition for the Jerome Valcke said late last month the Brazilians, currently enjoying the construction delays which saw the city of not expected to be ready until May 15 first time since 1950. country would now have to “break the pleasures of the week-long Carnival fes- Curitiba almost axed from the venue list while Cuiaba and Curitiba also still have “Today is a very special date for all speed limit” to ensure it is totally ready to tivities, have in recent months protested but saved in February after FIFA accepted to put the finishing touches. —AFP China survive scare to reach Asian Cup DOHA: China survived an almighty Thailand’s Adisak Kraisorn scored in Mahmoud. Saudi Arabia had Adnan scored from a tight angle in scare before scraping into next Bangkok to make it 5-2, before already clinched the first berth the 57th minute, but China got out year’s Asian Cup on goal difference Zhang Xizhe slotted the crucial from the group. of jail in the 73rd when Yu thanks to a late penalty in their 3-1 penalty in Sharjah that took China Iraq thoroughly dominated Hanchao was fouled inside the defeat to Iraq yesterday. to the 2015 tournament in China on Wednesday, with penalty area and Zhang slotted The perennial under-achievers Australia. Mahmoud, who scored the winner the ball coolly past goalkeeper looked set to miss out on reaching The dramatic turn of events, in Iraq’s 1-0 Asian Cup final win Jalal Hassan’s outstretched right an 11th successive Asian Cup as played out within minutes of each against Saudi Arabia seven years hand. In Bangkok meanwhile, Mohamad Ghaddar put Lebanon on their way after just two minutes when left unmarked he headed in from a corner, and Hassan TOKYO: Japan’s Yuto Nagatomo (center) kicks the ball against New Zealand’s Maatouk doubled their lead when he capitalised on a weak defensive defense during their Kirin Challenge Cup international friendly soccer header from Thailand’s goalkeeper. match. —AP Teeratep Winothai hit back from the penalty spot but Hassan Ali Saad scored from close range - Japan beat New Zealand again taking advantage of slack defending - to make it 3-1 on the TOKYO: Manchester United bench- ‘BATTLES AHEAD’ stroke of half-time. warmer Shinji Kagawa scored his first Kagawa had set up Japan’s first goal in When Maatouk smashed home international goal for six months in a the fourth minute when he floated a long his second on 46 minutes, and message to his boss David Moyes, as ball towards the back of New Zealand’s with China trailing against Iraq, Japan beat New Zealand 4-2 in a friendly defence line. Okazaki beat Bill Tuiloma and Lebanon were within sight of the yesterday. flicked the ball past Moss in a sliding shot. six-goal swing they needed to A total of four goals in the first 17 min- He did not go into details about his imme- reach the Asian Cup. And there utes, including a brace from Mainz striker diate future at Old Trafford as he has yet to were celebrations on the bench Shinji Okazaki, sealed victory for the Blue convince Moyes, who took over from Alex when captain Roda Antar swept Samurai in their last international match Ferguson at the start of the season. the ball home to make it 5-1 — before coach Alberto Zaccheroni selects “When I go back to Manchester, tough enough to put Lebanon through. his 23-strong squad in early May for the battles will start,” Kagawa said. “I must aim But Adisak doused Lebanon’s World Cup in Brazil. to win all the battles ahead, including inter- hopes when he got Thailand’s sec- Leicester City striker Chris Wood scored national matches,” added the footballer, twice to save the All Whites’ blushes. now in his second season with the Red ond on 76 minutes, around the Kagawa has only played in nine of United’s Devils after helping Borussia Dortmund same time China’s Zhang stepped 27 Premiership matches this season under seal back-to-back Bundesliga titles. up to bury his crucial spot-kick in Moyes without scoring or assisting a goal. In the 11th minute Masato Morishige Sharjah. He was clipped down when he took a headed in his first international goal, off a Malaysia beat Yemen 2-1 away cross from new AC Milan signing Keisuke right free kick from Honda. Honda also set in Group D but their faint hopes of SHARJAH: China’s Rong Hao (right) fights for the ball with Iraqi player Yaser Safa Kasim during Honda and dribbled into the area in the up Okazaki’s second goal with a back-heel qualifying as the best third-placed seventh minute. pass. The Mainz frontman volleyed it in an Asian Cup qualifying match. —AP team were ended by the victories The 24-year-old attacking midfielder with his left foot in the 17th minute. for Iraq and Lebanon. jumped for joy after sinking a shot from Wood pulled one back in the 39th they went three goals down and other but thousands of miles apart, ago, finding the target twice in the Hong Kong and Syria also had the penalty spot past keeper Glen Moss minute for New Zealand, which failed to rivals Lebanon plundered a fifth will have left China’s new coach first half before Ali Adnan scored their flickering ambitions extin- for Japan’s second goal of the night. qualify for Brazil after losing to Mexico in an goal against Thailand in Group B. Alain Perrin in no doubt about the their third after the break. guished when they lost 3-1 to “No matter if it was a penalty kick or inter-continental play-off. As they stood, China were set to size of his task. Mahmoud, who was adjudged Vietnam and 2-1 to Jordan respec- not, I felt happy because a goal is a goal,” Japan, grouped with higher-ranked miss out on a berth as the best While China heaved a sigh of the Most Valuable Player of the tively. Kagawa told reporters after the game Colombia, Ivory Coast and Greece in the third-placed team in all the groups, relief, former champions Iraq were 2007 tournament, got his first from In Doha, Bahrain and Qatar before a sell-out crowd of 48,000 at the World Cup, slowed down after leading 4-1 despite starting the evening three left to celebrate leap-frogging close range in the 23rd minute and played out a goalless draw in a National Stadium.