SUNDAY, JUNE 15, 2014

Chile hold off battling Australia

FAN FERVOR

CUIABA: ’s (center) celebrates with teammates after scoring his side’s third goal during the group B World Cup soccer match between Chile and Australia in the in Cuiaba on Friday, June 13, 2014. —AP CUIABA: Chile got the victory they needed if they are Valdivia scored in quick succession. “The ambience sprawling save, this time one-handed low to his left. to have any chance of progressing from a daunting really helped the team establish its authority to go Australia had a let-off when Alex Wilkinson got back Group B when they held off a strong Australian fight- after those goals at the beginning,” Chile’s Argentine to clear off the goalline from Vargas but Chile could back to emerge 3-1 winners in another open and coach told reporters. not relax. Cahill again demonstrated his renowned entertaining World Cup match on Friday. Alexis aerial ability when he climbed above his marker Sanchez put Chile ahead from close range after 12 Chile will ‘correct things’ but this time headed over. minutes and two minutes later made it Charles Aranguiz neatly kept the ball in play on the Any hopes of securing a point vanished when sub- 2-0 with a well-struck shot as the South Americans right with defenders scrambling to block him and he stitute Beausejour drilled a low strike into the far cor- looked in control. Australia fought back strongly, chipped into the middle where and ner in stoppage time. Even so, the outcome was a vic- though, and Tim Cahill replied with a trademark Mile Jedinak jostled for the header, the ball falling for tory of sorts for Australia coach Ange Postecoglou, header after 35 minutes and thought he had goalscoring talisman Sanchez to poke home. Chile hired in October to rejuvenate an aging team only to equalised with another early in the second half only were quickly two up, carving through Australia’s be faced with one of the toughest groups in to have it ruled offside by an excellent linesman’s defence before Sanchez squared for Valdivia to rifle December’s draw. “The good thing is that we believe decision. into the roof of the net from the edge of the box. A in our football, we believe in our structure,” said Cahill, Both sides went close in an end-to-end second heavy defeat looked on the cards for the Socceroos who scored his 33rd goal for Australia. “Last week half before Jean Beausejour grabbed a third for Chile but Chile sat back and allowed them to settle. they were questioning whether we could create in stoppage time, and they will now have to try to get Australia’s record goalscorer Cahill got above Gary chances - we did create quite a lot.” After the tougher- something from games against Spain or the Medel to head powerfully home and the striker was than-expected challenge from Australia, Chile recog- Netherlands, who thrashed the holders 5-1 earlier in denied again moments later when his low strike was nized that they need to do better to get to the next the day. Amidst the 40,000 spectators at Cuiaba’s saved by . The lowest-ranked team of stage. They play Spain in Rio de Janeiro on June 18. brand new Pantanal arena, dominated by Chile’s “Red the 32 in began the second half strongly with “This is good to correct things and we need to play Tide” of fans, the South Americans looked to be coast- Cahill’s bullet header ruled out and then veteran mid- more complete games to face the strong teams ing to a comfortable victory when Sanchez and fielder Mark Bresciano forcing Bravo into another ahead of us,” Sampaoli said. — Reuters Football fever grips Pakistan KARACHI: A corner of Karachi will forever over the past 15 years to produce the be Brazil. Seen from overseas, Pakistan’s country’s best football players. Former biggest city this week issued a fresh Pakistan international Aurangzeb Shahmir, reminder of its reputation for chaos and who lives in the neighborhood, said local violence but on its teeming streets, the residents are obsessed with the tourna- more burning topic of interest is the World ment, even if his countrymen have never Cup now under way. The “beautiful game” even qualified for the finals. “When you offers residents of Pakistan’s commercial come to Lyari these days, you will realise metropolis a brief respite from the mael- that the football World Cup is on,” he said. strom of violence that blights their every- day lives. Earlier this week Islamic mili- Load shedding tants laid siege to the city’s airport in a Finding a working television is not easy sophisticated nighttime raid that killed 38 in a city beset by regular power outages. people, the latest in a series of militant Like thousands of fans, Shahmir almost attacks to bring chaos to the country’s missed the opening ceremony on vital economic hub. But in the Lyari neigh- Thursday night after much of the city’s borhood, the talk is all football. southwestern suburbs were plunged into Most of the homes in this gang-blight- darkness. “The power came on just min- ed slum are festooned with the flags of dif- utes before the opening ceremony, so I ferent national teams, with Brazil’s yellow was lucky. But we appeal to the authorities and green colors by far the most popular. to reduce load-shedding (rolling black- KARACHI: A Pakistani football fan demonstrates his skills in front of a mural Local resident Mohammad Ameen was outs) so that we can watch all the match- celebrating the World Cup painted on the wall of a house in Karachi. — AFP busily preparing for his wedding Friday. es,” he said. In Malir, which lies on the west- The timing of the tournament suits Pakistanis are travelling to our country Yet he was equally determined not to miss ern edge of Karachi airport, a football fies- school children, who are currently on their from other parts of the world,” Brazil’s out on any footballing action, despite ta is also under way as people do their holidays and can stay up late into the bak- ambassador Alfredo Leoni told reporters cricket ranking far ahead of football for best to forget about how Pakistan’s avia- ing summer nights. “I am gearing up to in Islamabad on Thursday. “Here in most Pakistanis.”I can’t miss the World tion hub was briefly turned into a war watch matches and there will be no school Pakistan, we’ve given 100 percent waiver Cup,” the 27-year-old said. “I have asked my zone only a few days before. “We started to worry about,” said local student Abbas on visas to Pakistani fans to help them relatives to come early so that we can preparations for the World Cup late Ali Shabbir, an avid football fan. Those enjoy football extravaganza in our coun- wrap up the ceremonies early and I can because of the airport attacks,” said local who can afford it have also taken advan- try,” he added. But for the vast majority of watch the match with my friends.” resident Jalil Baksh, whose house is paint- tage of a recent relaxation of visa restric- Karachi’s estimated 20 million inhabitants, Lyari has overcome miserable facilities ed with a tournament schedule and group tions to go and watch the games in per- a television-and a prayer that the city’s and a notorious reputation for gang vio- standing tables. “But now we can’t wait son. “We have issued visas to around 200 electricity supplies hold up-will just have lence that has killed hundreds of people any more as the festival is on.” people from Pakistan, while some 300 to do. — AFP Winners of World Cup VIVA Vespa Campaign

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