England told to be bigger than 1966 heroes

REPINO: England manager Gareth Southgate says winning the World Cup would make his players even bigger heroes than the 1966 generation because of the impact of social media and the globalisation of football.

“I’ve met quite a few of those players and we know exactly how they’re held and perhaps, in the modern era, that would be even crazier,” Southgate told Britain’s daily newspapers. “Social media and everything else, the global thing is so much bigger.”

While the England players are tucked away in a sleepy training base in the remote town of Repino, 45 kilometres (28 miles) northwest of St Petersburg, football fever is sweeping the nation back home.

Nearly 20 million viewers tuned in for the win over Sweden and social media is awash with videos of excited fans watching on big screens in bars and parks, fanatically celebrating every England goal.

Southgate admitted he had used the high esteem in which the 1966 team — featuring Bobby Charlton and Bobby Moore — are still held as an inspiration for his players. “We’ve talked, touched briefly, certainly, on the team which won. How they’re still held and revered,” he added.—AFP

Brazil fans welcome team home

RIO DE JANEIRO: Members of Brazils football team, which was knocked out of the World Cup, were applauded by fans greeting the club’s arrival at Rio de Janeiro’s international airport on Sunday.

Five-time champions Brazil lost to Belgium 2-1 on Friday in the Kazan quarter-final. Supporters chanted and cheered the players on as they got off the airplane and appeared in the airport lounge. Players Casemiro and Philippe Coutinho stopped to greet some of the supporters and take pictures with them.

Neymar, regarded as one of the most talented players in the side, was not seen in the disembarkation area. Brazil’s coach, Tite, who was invited to keep managing the Brazilian team even after its World Cup defeat, thanked the fans for their warm welcome.

“I would like to reciprocate this warmth by saying thank you from my heart,” the coach said in brief comments after arriving, while adding he felt terrible bitterness after they were knocked out on Friday.

The defeat was Tite’s first in a competitive match since he took over in mid-2016 and only his second defeat overall.—Reuters

Tour riders wind each other on eve of semi-final

LYON: France and Belgium don’t face off in their football World Cup semi-final until Tuesday night, but their countrymen on the Tour de France are already needling each other like champions.

With 35 and 19 starting riders respectively, France and Belgium are the most-represented teams on this year’s Tour, and several teams feature both Belgian and French riders and staff.

French team AG2R-La Mondiale, for example, features one Belgian rider, Oliver Naesen, as well as chef Benoit Bavay and physiotherapist Sylvie Troka.

“We have the numbers,” team sports director Julien Jurdie said before the start of Sunday’s stage. “Oliver loves football and tomorrow at 8pm, he’ll stay in his bedroom. He shares his room with [Frenchman] Alexis [Vuillermoz[ — one of them might end up with a black eye.

“I’m kind of scared that Benoit won’t cook for us anymore if we win, or worse, he might poison us,” he joked. “One thing is sure: They’ll be the first to have a drink together.”

“I don’t know about scoring goals, though,” said Yoann Offredo, one of two French riders in Belgian team Wanty-Groupe Gobert. “France will win 3-2.”—Reuters

Croatia to go black and blue again in semi-final

MOSCOW: Croatia in the World Cup semi-final? Check. Playing in trademark red-and-white checkerboard shirts? Sorry. For the fifth straight game, Croatia will wear their change shirt of black and dark blue checks to play England on Wednesday for a place in the final at the Luzhniki Stadium.

Only in their opening game in Russia against Nigeria playing in green has Croatia’s team worn the short that is unique in international football and worn almost uniformly by their fans at the World Cup.

It’s not by choice for Croatia and FIFA. All through the knockout bracket, Croatia have faced teams whose first-choice shirt is red or white, and change shirt is white or red.

England, who will play in all-white kit Wednesday, are following Russia in the quarter-finals and Denmark in the round of 16 as Croatia’s opponents. The black and blue colour scheme has been a lucky option for the Croats. They won penalty shootouts in both previous rounds to advance to their first semi-final in 20 years.—AP

Hart plays cricket rather than watch World Cup

LONDON: Joe Hart played cricket on Saturday rather than watch fellow goalkeeper Jordan Pickford keep a clean sheet for England in the World Cup quarter-finals.

The 31-year-old, who played 75 times for England including in nine of the 10 qualifiers, said he was ‘gutted’ at not making Gareth Southgate’s squad and turned out for his hometown cricket club, Shrewsbury.

While England were beating Sweden 2-0, Hart scored six runs batting at number nine and took a catch in his first appearance for the club in 11 years, in a Birmingham League Premier Division match against Knowle and Dorridge. “Joe was a credit to himself, his cricket club and his community yesterday,” tweeted Knowle bowler Chris Cheslin on Sunday.

British media reports suggest that Hart’s club future should be sorted out soon because Manchester City, who have loaned the goalkeeper to Torino and West Ham over the last two seasons, are willing to listen to permanent offers.—AFP

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2018