Sports

Spain Captivates Football World In S’ Africa

Published

14 years ago

July 11, 2010

How things have changed. Spain, once regarded as the serial chokers of world football, a side so averse to the big time they made the Leeds team of the 1970s look like the most resolute finishers in history, are closing in on the prize with all the lynx-eyed resolve of real champions. They may have started the competition with a defeat, but if they wind it up with a win they will demonstrate the fundamental truth of tournament football: it is those who improve who prosper.

Even as they were losing to Switzerland in that first game, however, there was manifold evidence that this was a team that was not about to fold. Unlike France, Italy and England, you could see the quality even in the defeat. The passes were going to feet, the movement was good, all that was lacking was the finishing touch.

And to a degree, that has been their one problem throughout this World Cup: like a big stage Arsenal, they seem to find it aesthetically demeaning to score a goal without first stringing together at least twenty passes.

Which made the goal they scored in the semi to see off the magnificent Germans even more telling. A thumping header of the least sophisticated sort pointed out that their previous failing was being addressed at precisely the right moment: Puyol’s terrific strike indicated this was a team prepared to do whatever it takes to win, even retreating to route one.

Yet, their goal-shyness will have been noted. Spain have won their last three encounters by the only goal scored in the match. If the Dutch can get an early strike (perhaps hoping for an English referee’s first minute penalty indulgence as they benefited from in 1974) that would enforce the Spaniards to do something they have not managed yet to do in the knock-out phase: score twice. That will be the instruction to Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie and Wesley Sneijder: get in there.

The trouble is, that is easier said than done. It is almost impossible to see how you can score against this Spain side. Sure, Switzerland managed it, but that was against a cold team, barely awake. By the time they had roused themselves they prevented even the Germans, who had run riot in three of their previous games, from finding a way through.

And it is little wonder. Not only do the Spanish boast defensive talents of the strength of Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique and Iker Casillas, they protect them with the finest midfield in the world right now. Actually some might dare to claim they are more than that: they are the finest midfield in World Cup history.

Watching Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Xabi Alonso in action is to see the most perfectly balanced central unit it is possible to imagine (it is also to see what Liverpool lost when they allowed Alonso to head home to Real Madrid).

While English midfielders prefer to work in space, Xavi and Iniesta actually seem to relish it if they receive the ball with three men around them. That way they can create space for others. While clod-hopping Englishmen, sulky Frenchmen and arthritic Italians have found the abulani ball impossible to control (Emile Heskey, to quote an ancient joke, was trapping the thing further than Xavi can kick it) the Spaniards quickly mastered its idiosyncrasies, caressing the thing with perfect weight in the pass. Indeed, well as Sneijder, Bastien Schweinsteiger and Mesut Ozil played, it would be hard to argue against the Spanish midfield forming the heart of any best-of XI from this World Cup.

Sports

Chess Championship: Dan-Jumbo Emerges Best Female Player

Published

1 week ago

April 30, 2024

The Tide

The third edition of Naphtail Chess Open Championship which ended on Wednesday in Port Harcourt saw Rivers State born Queen Dan-Jumbo emerged best female player in the tournament following her impressive performance.

It was clash of the Titans as top Chess players in Nigeria gathered to chase honours.

The three days competition was held at Vee Hotel, Trans Amadi ,in Port Harcourt and over 80 players in Nigeria registered for the tournament this championship was recognised by International Chess Federation (FIDE).

Speaking with Tidesports in an exclusive interview on Saturday, Dan-Jumbo said her dream was to become Grand Master in Chess worldwide.

According to her, she started playing Chess at the age of 15 but went into it professionally in 2009 as she represented Rivers State in National Sports Festival (NSF) in Kaduna, the same year.

“I started playing Chess in the early 2000s. I picked the interest through my my elder brother as him and his friends always play Chess in our compound so I began to learn it.

” In 2009 I went to National Sports festival in Kaduna represented Rivers State and I won a silver medal on my board.

“In 2011 and 2012 NSFs I won two Gold medals each hosted by Rivers and Lagos States respectively. While in Edo NSF I won bronze medal” Dan-Jumbo said.

The Asari-Toru, in Rivers State born Chess player use the forum to advice upcoming Chess players to be focus, saying losing a game is part of every competition but the most important thing was that you don’t lose hope.

“My advice for upcoming chess players was that don’t lose focus. Even when you lose, find a way to adjust and get back out”, she added.

Tonye Orabere

Sports

Siasia Blames NFF Over FIFA Ban

Published

2 weeks ago

April 26, 2024

The Tide

Former Super Eagles Coach, Samson Siasia says the Nigeria Football Federation supported FIFA to have him banned for alleged involvement in match-fixing in August 2019.
In a recent interview with Athlist, the 56-year-old, whose ban ends in a few months, said the NFF not only refused to support him but also carried out FIFA’s instruction not to let him know he was under investigation by the world football body.
“Nigeria abandoned me at that time of need; that’s my own take on how this thing played out,” the former Eagles striker and member of the 1994 AFCON-winning squad, said.
“It’s an allegation; they said bribery. What is bribery? Is it not when money changes hands? Was there any proof of that? There were none.
“I spoke with someone who was trying to hire me as a coach in Australia. I didn’t know the guy was a match-fixer, but FIFA knew this guy. Why would they allow him to be around any FIFA tournament?
“So, when they found out through emails, our correspondence about how this guy would take me to Australia, I played in Australia, so I felt it would be nice to go back there.
“We talked about how much salaries, transfers, bonuses, and sign-on fees were, and that was all.
“When FIFA was looking for me, I didn’t even know. I am not affiliated with FIFA; their affiliation is with the NFF. So, they went to the NFF and told them not to let me know that they were investigating me. But if they didn’t tell me, how was I supposed to defend my self Siasia added, “Then they sent me a letter, but it went to my spam. It was two days before the ban that I found out that FIFA was looking for me.
Siasia added, “Then they sent me a letter, but it went to my spam. It was two days before the ban that I found out that FIFA was looking for me.
“Then we started to see how we could communicate with them to see how I could have a hearing. But they said the time had elapsed and I should go to the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport).

Sports

WADA Plans Review Of Failed Tests

Published

2 weeks ago

April 26, 2024

The Tide

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) will launch an independent review after 23 Chinese swimmers were cleared to compete at the Tokyo Olympics despite testing positive for a banned substance.
WADA has said it was not in a position to disprove an assertion from the China Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) that contamination was the source of the heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) for which the swimmers tested positive.
Findings of the independent investigation, led by Swiss prosecutor Eric Cottier, are expected to be delivered within two months.
“WADA’s integrity and reputation is under attack,” said Wada president Witold Banka.
“WADA has been unfairly accused of bias in favour of China by not appealing the CHINADA case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
“We continue to reject the false accusations and we are pleased to be able to put these questions into the hands of an experienced, respected and independent prosecutor.”
United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) Chief Executive Travis Tygart said WADA and CHINADA had swept these positives under the carpet, claims WADA described as completely false and defamatory while adding that it had referred the comments to its lawyers.
Aquatics GB said it was extremely concerned by the allegations, which it said threatened “potential loss of trust and reputational damage to sport”.
WADA was notified of CHINADA’s decision in June 2021, ahead of the delayed Games, and said it had no evidence to challenge China’s findings and that external counsel had advised against appealing.
In addition to the independent investigation, WADA said it will send a compliance audit team to assess the state of China’s anti-doping programme and invite independent auditors “from the broader anti-doping community” to join the trip.
WADA director general Olivier Niggli said: “While not one shred of evidence has been presented to support any of the allegations made against WADA, we wish to deal with the matter as quickly and as comprehensively as possible so that the matter is appropriately handled in advance of the upcoming Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
Details of the positive tests were revealed by the New York Times, which shared reporting with German broadcaster ARD.
China won six swimming medals at the Tokyo Olympics, including three golds.