Established 1961 27 Sports Wednesday, July 4, 2018

SNIPPETS Determined Uruguay ready to spoil French World Cup party

France’s strongest points are attackers, Griezmann and Mbappe

NIZHNIY NOVGOROD: Streetwise and tough yet with a razor-sharp edge, Uruguay have moved serenely into the World Cup quarter-finals, side- stepping the chaos that has swamped former win- ners Argentina, Germany and Spain. Uruguay have shown in Russia they are extremely difficult to beat yet sometimes under- whelming-factors you could have predicted from them before the World Cup. A low-key start and an 89th-minute winner that gave them a forget- table 1-0 win over an Egypt side missing Mohamed Salah has now given way to real hope they can win their third World Cup. With a defence built around the central pairing of Jose Gimenez and the vastly experienced 32- year-old Diego Godin-they also play together at Atletico Madrid-Uruguay have won all four games in Russia, conceding a solitary goal. They are also the only side to have beaten Russia, overwhelming them 3-0 in the group stage in what appeared to be a reality check for the host nation before they went on to stun Spain in the last 16. Uruguay extinguished Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal on a thrilling night in Sochi to reach the quarter-finals, with scoring two brilliant goals. Next up the grizzly, experienced World Cup campaigners take on a young France- NIZHNY NOVGOROD: Uruguay’s players attend a training session at the Sport Centre Borsky in Nizhny including the exciting Kylian Mbappe and Novgorod yesterday, during the Russia 2018 World Cup football tournament. France will face Atletico’s Antoine Griezmann-in Nizhny Novgorod Uruguay on July 6 in Nizhniy Novgorod for their quarter final match of the Russia 2018 World Cup on Friday, bidding for a place in the semi-finals. It football tournament. — AFP is a tough assignment for France and any hope that their stars will enjoy the same space they found in their 4-3 win against a disorganised Argentina played 105 times for his country. If he has not in 1986 Uruguay were labelled “liars and cheaters” have already been extinguished. recovered in time, he could replaced by Cristhian by Alex Ferguson after a bad-tempered match “France’s strongest points are the attackers, Stuani, who has played 42 times for Uruguay, just against Scotland. This time, only Rodrigo Griezmann and Mbappe,” Uruguay’s veteran 16 fewer than Griezmann has appeared for France. Bentancur has been booked. coach Oscar Tabarez said in his understated yet And they are marshalled by Godin, currently 121 It is a remarkable transformation. They have determined way after the Portugal victory. “If you caps and counting. “We always think about not five fewer yellow cards than France and it is the let France have space it will be very difficult.” “El letting our opponent play, that’s one of the things Europeans who have to reshuffle because of a Maestro” Tabarez has been in charge of Uruguay that bothers them,” told suspension to Blaise Matuidi. “In reality, I think for 12 years and has not only forged a strong team AFP. “We try to make sure that strikers don’t feel Uruguay has been a strong, aggressive opponent, who rarely fail to deliver on the big stage, but also comfortable, it’s a good option.” but without any bad intention towards the oppo- a side with an immense work ethic and huge expe- But in this topsy-turvy World Cup, one thing nent,” said Suarez on Tuesday, adding that they rience. At this World Cup, goalkeeper Fernando for Uruguay has notably changed. Surprisingly, the should be proud of their disciplinary record in Muslera and star striker Luis Suarez both collect- team that have received the fewest yellow cards in Russia. Uruguay also have a reputation as World ed their 100th caps. Russia-just one-are Uruguay, known in the past Cup party poopers-including Ghana in 2010 — The main doubt for France is Cavani, who has a to resort to the dark arts to win. and history is on their side. The two nations have calf muscle injury that forced him off against At the last World Cup, Luis Suarez was met three times in the World Cup and Uruguay Portugal. He did not train on Tuesday. Cavani has involved in a notorious biting scandal and as back have not lost once. — AFP

before the team’s next international on Sept. 6 Loew to stay on against France for the newly created Nations League. The 58-year-old has been in charge for 12 years, having taken over after the 2006 World as Germany coach Cup. In 2014 he led Germany to their fourth World Cup title. despite WCup flop He had previously been an assistant to his predecessor Juergen Klinsmann from 2004- 2006. Loew, who prior to Russia had led his BERLIN: Germany coach Joachim Loew will country to at least the semi-finals in all major stay in his post to lead a national team overhaul tournaments, said he was “very grateful for after the current world champions crashed out the confidence that the DFB continues to in the group stage at the World Cup in Russia, place in me.” the German Football Federation (DFB) said “My disappointment is equally big, but I want yesterday. to start the reconstruction with all my strength. I Loew’s contract runs until 2022, having been will now analyse everything with the team, we extended for two years in May. But his side’s will have talks and (I) will draw my conclusions shock exit in Russia after defeats to Mexico and prior to the season start in September.” South Korea and a solitary win over Sweden had Germany’s first-round World Cup exit was its sparked speculation about whether he would earliest in 80 years. The international careers of Joachim Loew keep his job. “We are all firmly convinced that several of its 2014 champions, including Mesut with Jogi Loew, we have a national coach who Ozil, Sami Khedira and Jerome Boateng, remains will analyse (the situation) very precisely, take in doubt. Loew has been in charge for 165 match- was considered a remarkable achievement. the right steps and lead our team back on the es, winning 108, more than any other Germany But they managed just two goals in their three road to success,” DFB president Reinhard coach. Until a few years ago his team were an group matches in Russia to exit the tournament in Grindel said in a statement. Grindel said Loew indomitable attacking force, and their 7-1 demoli- shame, leaving German fans, used to much would present his analysis of what went wrong tion of Brazil in the 2014 World Cup semi-final greater success, bitterly disappointed. — Reuters

the tournament in 2002. “This is football. It is a since 2006, were unable to register a victory, once Upsets and tears, bitter pill to swallow, but a result that we have to again illustrating that organisation and fighting accept,” Shinji Kagawa said. spirit will not get you far at the World Cup if you “I wanted to create a new chapter in history, cannot find the net. Asia makes an but we have realized what a big wall in world soc- The South Korean players were in tears when cer we have to climb.” It is a wall that Asian teams they realised that their 2-0 win over Germany in impact but little have managed to scale only twice: when South Kazan would not send them through to the last 16, Korea reached the semi-finals on home soil in but defeats in their first two matches had left them 2002, and their cousins in the North got to the last with only the slimmest of chances. progress at WCup eight at the 1966 World Cup in England. Japan likewise might have felt unlucky yester- A contingent of five Asian countries competed day morning, but they only made it to the second in Russia for the first time, and at least there were round because they had fewer yellow cards in the KAZAN: South Korea hammered the Germans, four victories to celebrate - a stark contrast with group stage than Senegal. Asia will host the World and Japan very nearly did the same to Belgium, the 2014 finals when the continent went winless. Cup for the second time in Qatar in 2022, when but Asia’s representatives are once again heading Japan’s victory over 10-man Colombia in their automatic qualification for the hosts means the home before the business end of the World Cup opening fixture was the first competitive win for continent could be represented by six teams. gets going. The Samurai Blue looked like providing the continent over a South American side, while will still need a serious upturn in fortunes the biggest shock yet of a tournament riddled with South Korea’s defeat of the defending champions if it is to join the many Chinese sponsors in Qatar, upsets when they led the richly talented Belgians in their final group match was simply extraordi- and it may even have to wait until the floodgates 2-0 with half an hour to play on Monday, only to nary. Iran also opened with a smash-and-grab raid open for the mooted 48-team World Cup in 2026 lose 3-2 in the last minute of stoppage time. of a win over Morocco but they were always up for a place on football’s biggest stage. Understandably, the Japanese were shattered against it in a group that also featured Spain and At the very least, though, the performances of by the end to their dream of reaching the last eight Portugal, while Saudi Arabia beat Egypt in a final Japan and South Korea might stop Asia being the for the first time and becoming Asia’s first World fixture that was the deadest of dead rubbers. first point of call for those who want to argue that Cup quarter-finalists since the continent hosted Only Australia, part of the Asian confederation the World Cup is already too big. — Reuters