SUNDAY, MARCH 27, 2016 SPORTS ‘He made us champions’ - Barcelona pays hommage to Cruyff BARCELONA: It was Johan Cruyff who most. Like Cruyff said there’s no need to “made us champions”, wept long-time run a lot to control the game and Messi Barcelona fan Jose Gilabert Cortina, a doesn’t run much.” retired printer who joined the thousands of Suddenly, Fidel, the former taxi driver fans who came to the Camp Nou on with grey hair, begins to laugh loudly as he Saturday to pay tribute to the Barca legend. recalls Cruyff’s legendary goal against Dutchman Cruyff, who first moved to Atletico Madrid in 1973 when the striker Barcelona from Ajax Amsterdam in 1973, leapt into the air, twisting his body to score died on Thursday in his adopted city aged as he faced away from goal. 68 after a five-month battle with lung can- And it amuses him now to see top offi- cer. “When he arrived as a player 43 years cials from Barcelona’s eternal rivals Real ago I came to all the matches for the sheer Madrid - such as president Florentino Perez entertainment he provided,” recalled the - come to pay tribute to the player who bespectacled 69-year-old. “changed the face of football”, 43 years “We were a team of losers, it was 14 after Real’s humiliating 0-5 home loss. years since we’d won the Liga and he When Cruyff arrived at Barcelona the changed everything. You would have team were second bottom in the league. thought that football had been trans- But they won 17 games in a row to win formed into another sport,” he recalled with their first La Liga title in 14 years. The rela- tears in his eyes like many of his generation tionship between player, club and fans who mixed with the international crowd became even stronger after he took over as including Spaniards, Chinese, Japanese and head coach in 1988. Moroccans who came to the special condo- In an eight-year spell in charge he won lence area opened by the club at the Camp four consecutive league titles, and Nou. Cruyff’s debut in 1973 “was like a reve- Barcelona’s first European Cup in 1992. lation,” recalled 74-year-old retired taxi driv- er Fidel Diaz Fernandez. CATALAN DUTCH “He was a Dutchman more Catalan than Style and freedom a lot of Catalans,” recalled Franck, noting The style and freedom with which the Cruyff’s insistence on naming his son Jordi 1.80 metre athlete with blue eyes and a (the patron saint of Catalonia), a regional Beatles haircut played was a breath of fresh name banned at the time by the Spanish air during a time when Spanish dictator administration. Franco was still in power. “He supported the Catalans a lot in their “Franco was still in power and you battles,” Franck continued. “Under Franco, couldn’t wear long hair at that time without Cruyff was the first to wear the armband being taken for a transvestite. Cruyff did it,” bearing the colours of Catalonia as cap- GUATEMALA CITY: USA’s De Andre Yedlin (2-R) kicks the ball as Guatemala’s Moises Hernandez (L), Rafael Morales (2-L) and Jean Marquez mark said Fidel. tain,” added Jose. “That he was pro inde- him during their Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup Concacaf Qualifiers’ football match, in Guatemala City, on Friday. — AFP “He was always inventing something,” pendence or not, I don’t know, but he was recalled 70-year-old composer Franck clearly for a self-determination referendum Charles, particularly of Cruyff’s time as a for the Catalans to decide their future.” coach from 1988 to 1996. “I remember a On front of the cameras, the president of Guatemala shock USA 2-0 lovely phrase that he said to the players the region, the separatist Carles before they took to the pitch: ‘guys have Puigdemont, praised Cruyff’s ability to “bet fun’. And they had fun!” on the collective talent”. “On behalf of the “Today it’s Messi who resembles him the country, thank you for all Catalans.” — AFP in World Cup qualifier LOS ANGELES: Guatemala dealt a lackluster “On the international level you cannot make ahead only of St. Vincent and the Grenadines United States a devastating 2-0 defeat in a 2018 the mistakes that led into the two goals, you with none. In Vancouver, Mexico defeated World Cup qualifier on Friday in Guatemala simply cannot allow that,” he said, noting that Canada 3-0 to post their third win in as many City. With goals in the first 15 minutes from the near post was left unguarded on the corner matches. The dominant victory included goals Rafael Morales and Carlos Ruiz and an out- that produced Morales’ goal. from Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, Hirving standing performance from goalkeeper Paulo “The second goal was a sequence of mis- Lozano and Jesus Corona. Motta, Guatemala earned their first ever World takes,” said Klinsmann, as a succession of US Hernandez headed in the opener in the Cup qualifying victory over the USA and players failed to pick up the ball leading to 32nd minute. Canadian keeper Milan Borjan leapfrogged over Jurgen Klinsmann’s men into Ruiz’s chance. came up with a number of saves to keep the second place in Group C in the fourth round of “That’s what Carlos Ruiz is famous for, he’s hosts in the contest before Lozano delivered his qualifying in North and Central America (CON- sniffing around, that’s what he’s done his whole first international goal in the 40th, taking the CACAF). career,” Klinsmann said. “The pitch was fast,” ball through Canada’s half and slotting home a Klinsmann had been bullish heading into Ruiz said. “So one bounce, I think Omar shot. Corona capped the scoring in the 72nd. the match-the first of two in five days against (Gonzalez) didn’t see the bounce. I ran behind Mexico lead Group A with nine points, five Guatemala-saying he was hoping for maximum him and I was one-on-one with Tim Howard.” more than second-placed Canada going into points so the United States could secure their After struggling throughout the first half to their next clash on Tuesday. El Salvador are spot in the final “Hexagonal” phase of qualify- create clear chances, the visitors looked more third in the group on two points after a 2-2 ing before turning their attention to the Copa dangerous early in the second. draw at home to Honduras. America Centenario. Motta, however, made half a dozen solid In Kingston, Johnny Acosta grabbed the BARCELONA: Real Madrid’s president Florentino Perez (L) and FC Barcelona’s presi- Instead the Americans will be in damage saves to keep the US at bay, including stopping equalizer in the 68th minute for Costa Rica in a dent Josep Maria Bartomeu (2ndR) chat as they pay tribute to late Dutch football control mode when they host Guatemala in an 81st-minute attempt by substitute Jozy 1-1 draw against Jamaica that kept the Ticos star Johan Cruyff in a special condolence area set up at Camp Nou stadium, in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday. Altidore. atop Group B. Barcelona yesterday. — AFP Guatemala got off to a dream start when “We said at halftime let’s turn this thing Je-Vaughn Watson had put the Reggae Boyz Morales rose for a corner and nodded it off the around,” Klinsmann said. “There were enough ahead with a diving header past Keylor Navas back of Mix Diskerud and past US goalkeeper chances to win the game, but we didn’t put it in the 16th minute. Tim Howard in the seventh minute. in.” Acosta equalized after Jamaican goalkeeper Suarez strikes as Ruiz made it 2-0 in the 15th when a long The victory gave Guatemala six points from Andre Blake was unable to control a shot from goal kick from Motta rolled untouched past the three matches, one behind Group C leaders Cristian Bolanos. US defence, Ruiz racing onto it and beating Trinidad and Tobago, who battled back from a Costa Rica lead the group with seven points, Uruguay hold Brazil Howard. 1-0 halftime deficit for a 3-2 victory at lowly St. three more than Jamaica and Panama, who “For us it’s obviously disappointing,” said Vincent and the Grenadines. were held to a goalless draw in Port-au Prince RECIFE: Luis Suarez scored on his return rest of the half, with the hosts rampant Klinsmann, who praised the play of Guatemala Levi Garcia’s two goals for Trinidad included by Haiti. The top two teams from each of the from a worldwide ban for biting as Uruguay against a feeble Uruguay who offered only but said the United States made “too many mis- the game-winner in the 82nd minute. nThe three groups advance to the final six-nation fought back from 2-0 down to grab a 2-2 token opposition for long periods. takes”. United States’ four points put them in third, round of qualifying. — AFP draw with Brazil in a pulsating World Cup However Brazil had to wait until the qualifying battle here Friday. 26th minute to grab their second, which Barcelona star Suarez-playing his first arrived after more sorcery from Neymar. international since infamously chomping The Brazilian captain split Uruguay’s on Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini at the 2014 World defence with a wonderful pass that Alvaro France beats Netherlands 3-2, Cup-struck in the 48th minute to complete Pereira could only deflect into the path of a remarkable Uruguayan fightback.