Sports FRIDAY, JULY 29, 2016 Fifty years on, 1966 World Fabregas sees red as Chelsea Cup stirs English senses beat Liverpool PARIS: This Saturday marks 50 years since PASADENA: Chelsea’s Cesc Fabregas was sent English football’s finest hour, when Alf off for a reckless lunge at Liverpool new boy Ramsey’s side beat West Germany 4-2 in an Ragnar Klavan, overshadowing a 1-0 win for the incident-packed 1966 World Cup final at Blues in a friendly at the Pasadena Rose Bowl Wembley. It was England’s first and only here Wednesday. World Cup triumph and, not surprisingly, is The Premier League giants locked horns in still recalled with passion and fondness. the pre-season International Champions Cup in The late Bobby Moore lifted the trophy, a match which was more remarkable for its while Geoff Hurst became the only player to clumsy fouls than free-flowing football. score a hat-trick in a World Cup final which Spanish midfielder Fabregas, 29, could have was full of incident and controversy, some of no complaints as he got his marching orders in which still burns to this day. the 70th minute for sliding late into Klavan with When England started the 1966 tourna- his studs up. By then Californian referee ment, the prospect of winning the title Baldomero Toledo had already been forced to appeared a long way off. An opening goal- show yellow cards to four Liverpool players- less draw with Uruguay saw the team widely with another to come-and one to Chelsea’s criticised, and their matches did not start to Gary Cahill. be sold out until the knockout stages. It was the England defender who got the Comfortable victories over Mexico and 53,000 crowd going in the 10th minute when France saw England safely through to the he rose above several Liverpool defenders to quarter-finals, where Hurst’s late header saw connect with a Fabregas corner for an all-too- off 10-man Argentina in a bruising encounter simple header. Liverpool looked the more at Wembley. The South Americans’ skipper enterprising side for much of the game, creat- Antonio Rattin was sent off for “violence of the ing chances and dominating possession, but tongue”. Ramsey described Argentina as “ani- they lacked a cutting edge up front with striker mals”. Bobby Charlton’s stunning brace then Daniel Sturridge deemed unfit. helped the hosts past a Eusebio-inspired Liverpool’s best chance came in the first half Portugal 2-1 in the semis, before the thrilling when Willian gave away a throw inside his own final at Wembley on July 30, 1966. In front of half and left-back Alberto Moreno was played 96,000 fans, Hurst was imperious in the air in down the left. The 24-year-old Spaniard cut it once more against West Germany to cancel back for Roberto Firmino, who got the ball out Helmut Haller’s early opener, and Martin stuck under his feet and couldn’t pull the trig- Peters’ 78th-minute volley appeared to have ger. The striker had a goal ruled offside min- won it for England. utes later after finishing off a gorgeous And even though Wolfgang Weber exchange of back-heel passes. stabbed in at the back post to force extra- Liverpool pushed for an equalizer in the lat- time, Hurst grabbed what proved to be the er stages, but they were unable to break down winner. The West Ham United striker’s shot a deep-lying Chelsea defense. hit the underside of the crossbar and didn’t LONDON: This file photo taken on July 30, 1966 shows England’s national soccer team The International Champions Cup is an exhi- appear to cross the line, but the Swiss referee captain Bobby Moore holding aloft the Jules Rimet trophy as he is carried by his team- bition tournament involving 17 clubs playing Gottfried Dienst consulted with the linesman mates following England’s victory over Germany (4-2 in extra time) in the World Cup on four different continents, all tuning up for Tofiq Bahramov and awarded one of the final 30 July 1966 at Wembley stadium in London. (From L : Gordon Banks, Alan Ball, their league seasons. most hotly-contested goals in history. In Roger Hunt, Geoff Hurst - who scored three goals, Ray Wilson, George Cohen and Sturridge did not join Liverpool’s traveling Hurst’s mind though, he still has no doubt Bobby Charlton). — AFP party to Southern California, staying at their that it was the right decision. out the competition helping them on their England to international triumph, after Roy base in Palo Alto to complete extra training ses- “I turned away to celebrate but it wasn’t way to glory, England have not had as good Hodgson was the latest to come unstuck in sions. Reds fans had been hoping to see kidology. It was 2-2, in the World Cup final,” a team since. The best chance they had of an embarrassing Euro 2016 exit to minnows Georginio Wijnaldum after the Netherlands he wrote in the Mail on Sunday last week. repeating the feat was probably four years Iceland. international became the club’s sixth summer “For me the clinching piece of evidence is later in Mexico with largely the same side, Perhaps all the failures in the last half a cen- signing following his arrival from Newcastle, Roger Hunt, wheeling away, instinctively, to but they blew a 2-0 half-time lead to lose to tury have helped keep the 1966 final so vividly but he was left out. The £25 million ($33 mil- celebrate. If you’re not sure, you try to put it West Germany in the quarter-finals. recalled. Few are more poignant than those of lion, 30-million-euro) buy is on an intense train- in and Roger didn’t. It might have saved all There were the 1990 World Cup and Euro Tina Moore, the wife of the England captain ing programme designed to ensure he reaches this debate if he had, but I’m glad he didn’t.” 96 heartbreaks to German teams in semi- who died from cancer in 1993 at the age of 51. the fitness levels of the rest of the squad, Hurst added his third in the dying final penalty shoot-outs. 1966 remains the “I can still see Bobby climbing the steps, wip- according to the Liverpool Echo. moments, and the game, watched by an esti- only time England have played in a major ing his hands so as not to soil the Queen’s Also missing were Belgian forward pairing mated 32 million television viewers, went final. Earlier this month Sam Allardyce white gloved hand. I recall laughing and think- Christian Benteke and Divock Origi, who are down in English sporting folklore. Despite became the 12th manager since Ramsey was ing only Bobby would do such a thing, forever focusing on fitness after extended leave follow- controversies both in the final and through- sacked in 1974 to be tasked with leading the gentleman,” she recalled. — AFP ing their involvement in Euro 2016. — AFP Dortmund faces Man City as transfer rumours swirl SHENZHEN: Borussia Dortmund boss who are trying instead to focus players’ to spend time with his wife before she gives reported to be “on the verge” of joining the Thomas Tuchel takes a philosophical attention on preparations ahead of domes- birth. Aubameyang said he was misquoted Sky Blues before the English Premier approach when it comes to dealing with tic seasons that kick off next month. in a report saying he had a desire to leave League season kicks off next month. the distraction of off-season transfer specu- Tuchel was responding to reports from Dortmund and opt for Spanish giants Real. Others apparently in the mix include lation that keeps swirling around his club. Germany-which have been denied-that “There is no deal with Madrid. The only German winger Leroy Sane, Colombian for- “I can’t predict the future,” shrugged the Dortmund’s 27-year-old Gambonese star thing I said is that I promised my grandad I ward Marlos Moreno and 19-year-old German, on the eve of his clash with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang might soon be would play there some day, nothing more,” Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus. Manchester City at the Shenzhen on his way out. Media have suggested he he told the BeIN Sports network. Tuchel is hoping some time away from Universiade Stadium. The two European could be heading to Manchester City or Dortmund, last season’s Bundesliga run- home might help his players keep level heavyweights might be in China, half a Real Madrid. ners up, have also been linked to Liverpool heads despite all the off-season madness world away from where they usually ply “Right now he is our player, he stays our star Moussa Sissoko, though those reports floating around. “If you stand in front of a their trade, but that has not stopped the player,” said Tuchel. “He is a huge personali- have not been confirmed. Manchester City hotel, like we did in Shanghai, and you transfer rumour mill from grinding away ty for us.” Fresh from a breakout season of has said they have no official response to meet a guy who tells you he travelled 26 back home. 39 goals in all competitions for Dortmund, reports they are about to push their off-sea- hours just to come there to stand there for Reports stemming from Europe of a host Aubameyang scored against Manchester son spending spree over the 100 million 24 hours in front of our hotel, it changes of players coming in and out of both clubs United in his club’s 4-1 win in Shanghai last British pound ($130 million) mark.