The Indian Panorama

Tag: Manchester United

  • Ronaldo’s future uncertain at Manchester United

    Ronaldo’s future uncertain at Manchester United

    The weekly social media posts published by Cristiano Ronaldo this offseason typically have shown the soccer superstar half-dressed, muscles bulging, either working out or promoting one of his many brands. Remaining relevant and highly visible is clearly so important to the player who, along with Lionel Messi, is the greatest of his generation. That also extends to the final years of his career on the field, too. It’s why, for the 37-year-old Ronaldo, playing for Manchester United — still one of the world’s most famous sports teams, despite their recent trophy drought — just isn’t enough. He wants to be competing on the biggest stage, winning the biggest trophies while he can. Hence the current standoff with United, which is becoming more damaging and disruptive as the days go by and the new season looms. Publicly, Ronaldo has not yet returned to preseason training with the English club because of what has been described as “personal reasons.” The expectation, recently hired United manager Erik ten Hag repeats on an almost-daily basis, is that Ronaldo will be back before the Premier League begins and be a key member of the squad. The reality, it seems, is different. Ronaldo reportedly wants out after just one season back at Old Trafford, with United no longer in the Champions League or in shape to compete with the best teams in England like Manchester City and Liverpool. United finished sixth last season, 35 points behind first-place City.

    So, while the rest of the United squad has been on tour in Thailand and Australia, getting match-sharp and acquainted with ten Hag and his methods, Ronaldo has been back home in Portugal with his family while his agent, Jorge Mendes, shops around seeking a new club for his most famous client.

    Currently, there is no buyer. And the Premier League season starts in about two weeks. “I don’t know what Cristiano said to the club and to the manager,” said United midfielder Bruno Fernandes, who also plays alongside Ronaldo for Portugal. “I don’t know what’s going on in his head, if he wants to leave. I didn’t ask them that.

    Source: AP

  • Premier League: Focused Chelsea battle to 3-1 win at lowly Norwich

    Premier League: Focused Chelsea battle to 3-1 win at lowly Norwich

    Chelsea put their off-pitch worries to one side as they beat a plucky Norwich City side 3-1 to consolidate third place in the Premier League at Carrow Road on Thursday, March 10. The players at Chelsea, whose Russian owner Roman Abramovich has been placed under sanctions by the British government, did not appear to let the controversy affect them as they swept aside struggling Norwich who look headed for relegation. Chelsea took the lead after three minutes with a Trevoh Chalobah header and soon doubled the advantage when Mason Mount fired home before Kai Havertz wrapped up the win near the end. Norwich had pulled a goal back with a Teemu Pukki penalty. Chelsea, whose fans sang Abramovich’s name throughout the match, are on 56 points from 27 games and moved eight points clear of Arsenal, who are fourth but have two games in hand. Norwich stayed bottom on 17 points.

    Chelsea future uncertain after sanctions against owner Roman Abramovich

    European champions Chelsea are now effectively under the control of the British government after Russian owner Roman Abramovich was placed under sanctions on Thursday. Abramovich, who had been under scrutiny following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, had announced he was selling the Premier League club last week. Yet that process is now on hold, leaving the club, ranked by Forbes as the seventh most valuable in world soccer at $3.2 billion, in a state of limbo. The Russian bought the West London team in 2003 for a reported 140 million pounds ($184 million) and his investment contributed hugely to the most successful era in the team’s history as they won five Premier League titles, five FA Cups and the Champions League twice. His purchase of the club helped transform the landscape of English football with Chelsea breaking the stranglehold of Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool. Abramovich had funded Chelsea via 1.5 billion pounds in total loans through Fordstam Limited, the entity through which he owns the club. In their most recent accounts in December, Chelsea who reported losses of 145.6 million pounds, said they were “reliant on Fordstam Limited for its continued financial support”.

  • Manchester United beat Rostov to reach Europa League quarter-finals

    Manchester United beat Rostov to reach Europa League quarter-finals

    MANCHESTER (TIP): Juan Mata scored the only goal as Manchester United recorded an underwhelming 1-0 victory over FC Rostov on March 16 to reach the Europa League quarter-finals.

    Mata struck 20 minutes from the end of a subdued game, completing a 2-1 aggregate win that sent United into the last eight of Europe’s second-tier club competition for the first time since 1985.

    But victory came at the cost of an injury to world-record signing Paul Pogba, who left the fray with an apparent hamstring injury early in the second half at an unseasonably cold Old Trafford.

    United manager Jose Mourinho said Pogba’s injury was due to “fatigue” and hit out at unnamed “enemies” in an apparent reference to his side’s jam-packed fixture schedule.

    “Normally the enemies should be Rostov, but we have a lot of enemies,” Mourinho told BT Sport.

    “It’s difficult to play Monday with 10 men (against Chelsea). It’s difficult to play now. It’s difficult to play 12 o’clock on Sunday (against Middlesbrough). We have a lot of enemies.”

    United, who have never previously won the Europa League, will discover their last-eight opponents in Friday’s draw in Nyon.

    Mourinho’s men are seeking to add the trophy to the League Cup they won last month and have the extra incentive of knowing it will yield a place in next season’s Champions League.

    Mourinho kept faith with the back three he had deployed in Monday’s 1-0 FA Cup defeat at Chelsea, but whereas it was a defensive tactic at Stamford Bridge, there was very little defending to do against Rostov.

    Decried for a below-par display at Chelsea, Pogba was able to spray diagonal passes around to his heart’s content, such was the Russian side’s stubborn determination to defend the edge of their own box.

    Marcos Rojo had an early header swatted away by visiting goalkeeper Nikita Medvedev, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic putting the rebound against the post from a tight angle.

    Henrikh Mkhitaryan ran through and chipped wide from Mata’s pass and might have won a penalty in the 27th minute following a push by Medvedev, but Lithuanian referee Gediminas Mazeika said no.

    Ibrahimovic also saw a shot deflected over by Medvedev and later left the right-hand post quaking with a thunderous shot, while Pogba’s left-foot curler drew a full-length save from Medvedev.

    Pogba departed in the 47th minute, Marouane Fellaini taking his place, and Rostov briefly threatened to take the upper hand, Sergio Romero saving from Sardar Azmoun and Christian Noboa.

    United also lost Daley Blind after he took a bang to the head, which resulted in the curious sight of Phil Jones coming on as a jobbing left wing-back.

    The hosts finally made the breakthrough in the 70th minute after Mata intercepted a loose pass in midfield and spread the ball wide to Mkhitaryan on the United right.

    The Armenian’s low cross was back-heeled towards goal by Ibrahimovic and Mata charged in at the back post to slam home from close range.

    Aleksandr Bukharov, Rostov’s scorer in the first leg, threatened to peg United back in the 79th minute, but Romero was equal to both his glancing header and Noboa’s dangerous stoppage-time free-kick.

    A major threat to United in the next round could be Schalke, who grabbed a 2-2 draw at fellow German side Borussia Moenchengladbach to sneak through 3-3 on away goals.

    Also narrowly through are in-form Lyon, who went down 2-1 at Roma on the night but held on to progress 5-4 over the two legs.

    “Roma are one of the best teams in the tournament so this is an achievement,” said Lyon coach Bruno Genesio.

    “We were brave and showed a lot of solidarity, virtues which are indispensable against such opposition.”

    Genk advanced to the quarter-finals as expected after they held Belgian compatriots Gent 1-1 at home, easing through 6-3 on aggregate.

    Completing the last-eight line-up are Celta Vigo, Anderlecht, Ajax and Besiktas, who had Cameroon striker and goal-scorer Vincent Aboubakar sent off in the first half but still smashed Olympiakos 4-1 at home. (AFP)

  • Mkhitaryan helps Manchester United to draw in Russia

    Mkhitaryan helps Manchester United to draw in Russia

    ROSTOV-ON-DON (TIP): Henrikh Mkhitaryan bagged a precious away goal as Manchester United came away from their trip to Russia with a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie against Rostov on March 8.

    On an awful pitch, the state of which had United manager Jose Mourinho fuming on the eve of the game, Mkhitaryan turned in the opener 10 minutes before half-time.

    But Aleksandr Bukharov levelled for the home side in the 53rd minute at the Olimp 2 stadium, keeping Rostov hopes alive ahead of next week’s return at Old Trafford.

    The build-up to the match had been overshadowed by United’s complaints about the playing surface and about concerns travelling fans could be targeted by Russian hooligans.

    However, the evening passed off without incident inside the ground, where a little over 200 United supporters were in attendance along with ex-United assistant boss Carlos Queiroz.

    “It was a very good performance in relation to the conditions. It was impossible to play better, impossible to play a passing game,” Mourinho told BT Sport.

    “We played what the game demanded and we played well. We made one defensive mistake.

    “I remember as a kid some matches like this in Portugal — non-league and amateur pitches. To see my players coping with it and the humility to fight for every ball is a good feeling for me.

    “We have an open result for the second leg with a little advantage for us. There are no injuries.”

    The result saw the visitors extend their recent unbeaten run in all competitions to 10 games as Mourinho made seven changes to the team held by Bournemouth last weekend.

    One of those brought back into the starting line-up was Mkhitaryan, and it was he who swept United in front in the 35th minute from close range after good build-up play involving Marouane Fellaini and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

    Nevertheless Rostov, who are seventh in the Russian Premier League but had already won at home to Ajax and Bayern Munich in Europe this season, drew level thanks to a fine goal shortly after the break.

    Timofei Kalachev delivered a ball over the top that was controlled on the chest inside the box and then fired home by Bukharov to secure the draw.

     

  • Taliban couldn’t erase Pak man’s sense of humor

    Taliban couldn’t erase Pak man’s sense of humor

    ISLAMABAD (TIP): A Pakistani man, Shahbaz Taseer, who was held by the Taliban for nearly five years before being abruptly freed this month, is lighting up Twitter with his frank and often-humourous account of his captivity.

    Taseer is a son of Salman Taseer, the liberal Punjab governor assassinated in 2011. He was taken hostage a few months after his father was murdered.

    Taseer has turned down interview requests but this week he took to Twitter — his late father was also a prolific user and early adopter — to share his story in his own words.

    Pakistanis have been riveted as Taseer and his wife Maheen light up the Internet with their funny, loving and often heart-stopping account of his captivity and release.

    When asked what he said to his wife the first time he saw her, he replied: “i told you id come back”.

    She also described the moment of their reunion: “I was crying with happiness, could hardly speak but hugged him and told him I love him”.

    Using the hashtag #AskST, he invited questions from fans eager to find out more about his detention, where according to militant sources, he was shuffled between various extremist groups in Pakistan’s tribal areas.

    Asked whether he remained loyal to his favourite football team Manchester United, he replied: “U can’t be a united fan it’s a family”.

    His wife later chirped in asking “who is number one, me or @ManUtd?”, with Taseer responding: “You… but they are a VERY close second :)”

    Some responses, while light-hearted, hinted at darker times.

    “How the heck did you rewire your brain to not be overwhelmed with the negativity?” one user asked.

    He responded: “just press delete :)”

    Asked whether he was asked to formally join the Taliban he said: “no, they didn’t like my sense of style”, adding that his only friend “was a spider called peter”.

    Some details remain confusing, such as when he was asked if he ever thought of trying to run away from his kidnappers. He responded: “only in my dreams which was good enough.”

    Taseer also recalled phoning his mother from the restaurant he was recovered from in southwest Balochistan province earlier this month.

    He wrote: “i said ‘hey ami i ran away btw the mountain dew is great at saleem hotel kuchlak baluchistan’ she said ‘whose this?’”

    Many of the questions centred around how life had changed during his half decade away from civilisation.

    Earlier in the week he joked that his wife had compared him to Nicholas Brody, the character played by actor Damien Lewis in US drama “Homeland” — a US Marine turned would-be terrorist after eight years in captivity.

    It was a powerful respite to the grim news many Pakistanis have grown accustomed to in the country’s more than decade-long fight against an Islamist insurgency, including Sunday’s bombing of a park in Lahore targeting Christians celebrating Easter that killed dozens of children.

    Pakistani users have responded warmly.

  • HENDERSON SHOWS WORTH AS LIVERPOOL DOWN BURNLEY

    HENDERSON SHOWS WORTH AS LIVERPOOL DOWN BURNLEY

    LIVERPOOL (TIP): Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson underlined his credentials to succeed Steven Gerrard as captain with an impressive goal-scoring performance in a 2-0 Premier League victory over Burnley on March 04.

    Gerrard is set to leave Anfield when his contract expires at the end of the season and join Major League Soccer outfit Los Angeles Galaxy.

    And Henderson, who has skippered the side in the absence of the injured Gerrard, has emerged as the strongest candidate to replace him since the turn of the year, with his leadership qualities coming to the fore.

    However, it was his ability on the ball that made the difference against Burnley at Anfield as he scored one goal and created another for Daniel Sturridge.

    The victory ensured Liverpool kept the pressure up on their rivals for a Champions League place and moved back into fifth place, two points behind fourth-place Manchester United.

    Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers made one change to his starting line-up, recalling Sturridge after leaving the striker on the bench for the 2-1 win over Manchester City last weekend, with Lazar Markovic making way.

    His Burnley counterpart Sean Dyche named an unchanged team for the fourth successive match, which meant that striker Danny Ings, who has been linked with a move to Anfield, led the attack.

    Liverpool almost scored in the first minute when a slick move involving Raheem Sterling and Adam Lallana carved out an opening for Sturridge, who saw his bobbly effort pushed around the post by visiting goalkeeper Tom Heaton.

    Burnley have picked up a point away to both City and Chelsea this season and their defensive organisation was evident as they packed the midfield with bodies and set out to frustrate the hosts.

    It took 20 minutes for Liverpool to create another meaningful opportunity, this time when Henderson’s low shot from the edge of the penalty area was deflected behind by Heaton.

    But shortly before the half-hour mark, the home side had their opening goal.

    Philippe Coutinho’s initial shot was blocked and fell to Henderson 25 yards from goal, and the stand-in skipper struck a powerful half-volley into the bottom-right corner of the net.

    Moments later, Coutinho, scorer of two magnificent goals in Liverpool’s past two league games against Southampton and City, curled over from a similar position to those stunning strikes.

    Two minutes before half-time Sturridge was sent clear of the Burnley defence by Coutinho, only for Heaton to narrow the angle and block his effort.

    The miss did not matter as Liverpool doubled their lead early in the second half, and Henderson was once again instrumental.

    The 24-year-old showed patience as Liverpool built up the play before producing a magnificent right-wing cross that enabled Sturridge to head in from close range.

    Liverpool, on the back of a recent hectic schedule, took their foot of the gas and allowed Burnley to creep back into the contest, with goalkeeper Simon Mignolet nervously clearing a couple of errant back-passes. However, despite Burnley’s spirit and endeavour to find a way back into the game, the home side closed out the contest to collect the three points and notch their seventh win in their last eight matches.

  • Wayne Rooney gives Newcastle a Boxing Day lesson

    Wayne Rooney gives Newcastle a Boxing Day lesson

    MANCHESTER (TIP): Wayne Rooney scored twice as Manchester United rewarded manager Louis van Gaal’s decision to grant his players Christmas Day off by beating Newcastle United 3-1 on December 26. Rooney, relishing the deeper midfield role which he has been assigned recently, effectively decided the contest with two lethal finishes and set up a third goal for Robin van Persie in the second half. But although United won for the 18th time in their last 21 Boxing Day outings, they were obliged to survive a spirited opening quarter to the match from Alan Pardew’s visitors. Rooney settled nerves with an excellently worked 23rd-minute opener, but United had lived dangerously up to that point, despite enjoying a glut of possession. The visitors looked dangerous on the counter-attack and United were fortunate to avoid conceding a penalty when Juan Mata appeared to clip the heels of Yoan Gouffran, sending the Newcastle man clattering to the ground. Just six minutes later, United were indebted to the everimpressive David de Gea as the Spanish goalkeeper flew to his right to keep out a magnificent 25-yard shot from Daryl Janmaat, who had been set up by Newcastle’s teenage debutant Adam Armstrong. The 17-year-old Armstrong was an unwitting accomplice to the opening goal, showing brilliant pace to beat Paddy McNair but then wasting possession by shooting directly at the legs of a United defender. It proved a costly decision by the teenager as Rooney broke upfield and squared the ball for Mata, who, in turn, launched an accurate pass into the area for Radamel Falcao. The Colombian forward seemed poised to shoot from a tight angle, but instead squared the ball for Rooney to convert into a gaping goal. It was an impressive assist from Falcao, who could have single-handedly put the game beyond Newcastle in the first half, given the amount of half-chances that came his way. On 13 minutes, he should have done better from Ashley Young’s left-wing cross, appearing to duck out of the way of the winger’s fiercely hit centre. Then, shortly after United had taken the lead, the onloan Monaco striker did connect with a cross from Young, only to glance his header just wide of the far post. Rooney, however, did not need a second invitation to double United’s lead after 36 minutes with another goal orchestrated by a magnificent Mata pass. After Falcao won the ball back, Phil Jones found Mata, who waited for Rooney to arrive and slipped through a perfect assist for the England captain, who made no mistake with a clinical 12-yard finish. It did not take long for United to punish Newcastle further in the second half, with Rooney this time the provider. He advanced, paused, and then lifted an inviting pass forward for Van Persie, who steered a header past the dive of Jak Alnwick. Not for the first time, a brilliant Young cross was wasted as Van Persie and Falcao both failed to make a connection. Meanwhile, Rooney, seeking a hat-trick, went close with a 19-yard free-kick that soared over the wall and dipped onto the roof of the Newcastle goal. Van Persie also spurned a glorious chance, completely mis-kicking with an attempted volley, while Ayoze Perez, one of the few bright points on the day for Newcastle, forced De Gea into a rare piece of action, low at the foot of his near post, as the game wore down.

  • PAUL SCHOLES ‘SCARED’ ABOUT MAN UNITED’S FUTURE

    PAUL SCHOLES ‘SCARED’ ABOUT MAN UNITED’S FUTURE

    LONDON (TIP):
    Manchester United great Paul Scholes has said he is scared about the club’s future and believes they could spiral into decline in the same way rivals Liverpool did in the 1990s. Scholes, who played for United throughout his whole career and won 11 Premier League titles, says the club need to sign five top players to arrest their current slump that saw them fail to qualify for the Champions League last season.

    United finished seventh in the Premier League in May, having won the trophy the previous year, and began the latest campaign under new manager Louis van Gaal with a disappointing 2-1 home defeat to Swansea City on Saturday. “I am scared for United. Genuinely scared they could go into the wilderness in the same way Liverpool did in the 1990s,” Scholes said in the Independent newspaper on Thursday. “What do they need? Five players. Five proper players who can hit the ground running and turn round a situation that looks desperate.

    Let me be clear: I am sick of having to criticise the club to which I gave my life as a footballer. But United need to arrest their decline.” The defeat by Swansea shredded the closeseason optimism that had been circulating since former Netherlands boss Van Gaal was chosen as the permanent replacement for David Moyes, who was sacked after just 10 months in the role. With many pundits claiming United’s squad needs a root-and-branch overhaul, the club have so far struggled to make a major splash in the transfer market this window.

    While some of the world’s best players have been linked with United, only left back Luke Shaw, midfielder Ander Herrera and defender Marcos Rojo have been recruited to date. United will get the chance to get points on the board when they play Sunderland away on Sunday.

  • Brazil vs Netherlands: Battle of bruised ego

    Brazil vs Netherlands: Battle of bruised ego

    RIO DE JANEIRO (TIP): In the battle between Louis and Luiz, an otherwise irrelevant football fixture has assumed a strange but different meaning for the teams involved. It is called the Losers Final, but for the losing semifinalists, Brazil and the Netherlands, Saturday’s third place playoff game in Brasilia becomes one where damaged reputations can be repaired and hurt egos soothed. Still, all this is just humbug for the hurting Dutch. “This match should never be played, I’ve been saying that for 10 years,” thundered the Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal after his team had been bundled out by Argentinian goalkeeper Sergio Romero in the semifinal in Sao Paulo. In charge of his last match as the Dutch coach before he takes up the job at Manchester United in the coming season, this consolation prize is not what he was looking for as a farewell.

    “There is only one award that counts and that is becoming world champions. The worst thing is that there is a chance you are going to lose twice in a row, and in a tournament in which you have played so well, you go home as a loser. This has got nothing to do whatsoever with sport… not in my view,” he said, mincing no words. His opposite number, Luiz Felipe Scolari, may share the same view in private but at the moment he will clutch at even this Brasil ia straw after what he and his team were made to go through in their semifinal against Germany in Belo Horizinte. Scolari will be forever be known as the Brazil manager under whom the Selecao plunged to its worst-ever defeat in its football history.

    “I know my career will be marked by this defeat,” he said after the 7-1 mauling, but still offered a forwardlooking approach when he said, “We have an obligation to move on, thinking about the next goal, which in this case is the match for third place in Brasilia.” Up until then, nobody had given the thirdplace match any thought, but Scolari saw that as an opening for a belated shot at redemption. “I know it’s a much smaller dream than what we all wanted but we have to honour the shirt of the national team,” he said, attempting to sound sage-like about the freefall of his team.

    Brazil had played before the Argentina- Netherlands semifinal a day earlier, and immediately the wily Scolari had caused a tizzy, briefly deflecting from the larger issue of the 7-1 humiliation and having the uncomfortable glare of the spotlight away from him. The irrepressible Brazilian fan suddenly saw another ‘final’ looming with their bitter, old rivals Argentina in the event of Leo Messi and mates failing against the Dutch.

    All of Brazil’s eyes were firmly trained on Argentina, and Scolari could breathe easy. Later, a triumphant Argentine coach Alejandro Sabella was even asked – in jest – whether he was relieved to avoid a meeting with Brazil in the ‘real final’. Was he scared? Sabella broke into a rare smile, and nodded that it would have been a disaster for Argentina had they been forced to play the Third Place game. “That ‘final’ would have been very tough for us,” he said, but was clever to bring the real issue back into the frame -that Argentina and not Brazil were going to the Maracana on Sunday.

    Recent third-place play-off winners
    2010: Germany 3-2 Uruguay
    2006: Germany 3-1 Portugal
    2002: Turkey 3-2 South Korea
    1998: Croatia 2-1 Netherlands
    1994: Sweden 4-0 Bulgaria
    1990: Italy 2-1 England
    1986: France 4-2 Belgium
    1982: Poland 3-2 France

    NUMBERS GAME
    171 – The 1998 World Cup saw more goals than any other tournament. So far, there have been 167 in 2014

    10 – There have been fewer red cards in the tournament than any other edition since 1986 (8)

    10 – of theNetherlands’12 goals in themeet have come after half-time.

    4 – Second half substitute Ramires had more shots than Bernard, Willian, Hulk and Fred put together (3) against Germany

    0 – Robin Van Persie is yet to score a goal in the knockout stages in his WC career.

  • Fifa bites back: Suarez gets nine-match ban

    Fifa bites back: Suarez gets nine-match ban

    BRASILIA (TIP): Even before the knockout rounds have kicked off, a key South American figure is out of the World Cup. Uruguay striker Luiz Suarez was handed a nine-game ban by FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee following his bite on Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini’s shoulder during the final Group D match in Natal on Tuesday.

    He has also been debarred from taking part in any football-related activity for a period of four months, a sentence which includes a stadium ban whenever Uruguay is playing. He was also ordered to pay a fine of 100,000 Swiss francs ($111,000). Already there is talk of how much this latest ‘bite’ will cost Suarez. Experts reckon a hit of £1 million with Adidas and 888poker both reviewing their relationship with the star.

    This is the heaviest sanction against a player in the tournament’s history. It surpasses the eight-match ban against Italy’s Mauro Tassotti in 1994 for an elbowing which broke the nose of Luis Enrique. This is the third time Suarez has been banned for biting a player during a match. “Such behaviour cannot be tolerated on any football pitch, and in particular not at a FIFA World Cup when the eyes of millions of people are on the stars on the field.

    The Disciplinary Committee took into account all the factors of the case and the degree of Mr Suarez’s guilt in accordance with the relevant provisions of the code. The decision comes into force as soon as it is communicated,” said Claudio Sulser, chairman of the committee. Uruguay will appeal against this decision, the media in Montevideo reported. “The punishment is too strong for the foul,” the country’s football federation’s president Wilmer Valdez told local TV, which reported that the appeal would be filed later on Thursday. The ban prevents Suarez from even entering the stadium for Uruguay’s Saturday’s game against Colombia.

    It will also hit his club career with Liverpool as he cannot play until the end of October. In Natal on Tuesday, Suarez rushed into the rival penalty area looking for a pass and appeared to have collided with Chiellini in the process. As they two men clashed, the Uruguayan was seen sinking his teeth into the Italian’s shoulder. Immediately both fell to the ground and while Suarez was seen holding his teeth, Chiellini kept calling for the attention of the referee, Mexican Marco Rodriguez. Rodriguez saw nothing in the plea and waved on play.

    Uruguay took the lead through a Diego Godin header a minute later to qualify for the Round of 16. Italy were knocked out. This is the second censure for Suarez at the World Cup. In the 2010 quarterfinal match against Ghana, he stopped Asamoah Gyan’s goal-bound attempt with his hand. He was shown a red card and later defended the act by calling it ‘the real Hand of God’. “Stopping a goal with my hand, I believe I did nothing evil to anyone – it was just stopping a goal,” he said later.

    Ghana failed to score off the resulting penalty and Uruguay eventually advanced to the semifinals after winning the penalty shootout. In Brazil here, however, in addition to his brilliant goal-scoring ability and form for Liverpool, Suarez had also arrived on the back of a reputation that bordered on the unpredictable and at times, violent. A favourite of the Kop – the Liverpool faithful – Suarez enjoyed an ambivalent relationship with rest of the Premiership fans who slowly warmed to his goal-scoring abilities but never forgot his other escapades.

    In April last year, he appeared to bite Branislav Ivanovic, Chelsea’s Serbian defender, during a similar goalmouth melee. He was handed a 10-match band and many said it was nothing new, since he arrived in England after having bitten PSV Eindhoven’s Otman Bakkal during his Ajax days in the Netherlands. He was also involved in a racial slur controversy with Manchester United’s French defender Patrice Evra.

  • I have proved a point: LUIS SUAREZ

    I have proved a point: LUIS SUAREZ

    SAO PAULO (TIP): Controversial striker Luis Suarez said he was delighted to prove a point after scoring two goals to see Uruguay to a 2-1 win over England on Thursday, revealing he had taken time to console Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard. The 27-year-old forward has regularly made the headlines for all the wrong reasons since he joined the English Premier League giants in 2011.

    He started last season completing a 10- game ban for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic — a punishment that came a year after he received an eight-game suspension for racially abusing Manchester United’s Patrice Evra. Even before he joined Liverpool, Suarez was dubbed “the cannibal of Ajax” when he bit an opponent’s shoulder and was handed a seven-game ban. “I’m very happy about this victory.

    I wanted to help the team, try to get three important points, but it’s not the final word,” said Suarez, who was voted player of the season by his peers in England. “It was a dream afternoon because we won, because of the way we won, and for what the rival meant to me, for everything that was said, the doubts, and this was a way to demonstrate everything I wanted to prove.” Suarez, back in action just four weeks after knee surgery, put Uruguay ahead with a 39th-minute header before Wayne Rooney equalised.

    But the Uruguayan had the final say when he latched on to a long ball and smashed home the winner five minutes from time after Gerrard mistimed a header in midfield. Suarez, who missed Uruguay’s opening defeat to Costa Rica, said he was delighted to prove to his doubters he was playing at a “world-class level” despite speculation over his fitness. And asked what he told Gerrard after the game, he said: “I said keep going and forget about this game.”

    England boss Roy Hodgson raised the stakes ahead of Thursday’s match in Sao Paulo by insisting Suarez has yet to prove he’s a world class striker. Speaking about Hodgson, Suarez said: “He sees me all year long over there. He knows what I’m worth as a player, as a person, and these things help to build courage and character going forward.” “It’s a very important victory that we wanted, that we needed because we knew it was a crucial and vital game for us,” he added. “We won but we haven’t qualified yet. We need to keep our feet to the ground because we have another game against Italy.”

  • Tendulkar gets life membership at Dubai’s Els golf club

    Tendulkar gets life membership at Dubai’s Els golf club

    DUBAI (TIP): Cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar may now be seen swinging on a different pitch after the legendary batsman was awarded a life membership at The Els Club golf course from Dubai Sports City partner Abdulrahman Falaknaz. “Sachin (Tendulkar) has given so much to the world of sport, both through his performances and also the way he has conducted himself over more than two decades at the very highest level.

    Therefore, it was fitting for us to have given him something whilst expressing our thanks and recognition for all that he has achieved,” said Falaknaz. The picturesque golf course and club, which is designed by legendary South African golfer Ernie Els, is honoured to have Tendulkar as their life member, who graced the clubhouse during his IPL stay as the icon of Mumbai Indians team.

    The Els Club general manager Chris Brown informed that Tendulkar indulged in a nine-hole golf session with teaching professional Jamie McConnell and also received a two-hour lesson from Butch Harmon School of Golf Director of Instruction Justin Parsons. “Having Sachin Tendulkar spend time with us and receive his honorary life membership of The Els Club was a huge pleasure, and his presence extends the list of star names we have had over the past few months,” said a beaming Brown.

    That list of lifetime members includes former World No. 1 Rory McIlroy, Hollywood actor Will Smith and ex- Manchester United and Denmark goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel. But Tendulkar, who retired from cricket last November as the most capped player and the leading runscorer of all-time at international level, is in a league of his own and the club management understands the responsibility of having the batting great on board.

  • 2013: DEFINING EVENTS IN SPORTS

    2013: DEFINING EVENTS IN SPORTS

    When it did finally happen, there was a sense of relief — not just for one man but an entire nation. After a successful 2012, Andy Murray broke one of the biggest hoodoos in sport by ending Britain’s 77-year wait to become the first male to win the Wimbledon title this year, beating the then World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in straight sets. The satisfaction and sheer joy on the Scot’s face was palpable.

    Murder mystery
    How does the story of the first double amputee athlete to compete in Olympics go on from being inspiration to a murder mystery? On the cold morning of Valetnine’s Day, South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius allegedly shot his girl friend Reeva Steenkamp dead in Pretoria. She was found dead in the bathroom with bullet wounds. Oscar says he mistook her to be an intruder. Police cry murder. The case is on.

    Wonder boy
    11

    Two days after Tendulkar played his last Test, Mumbai’s Prithvi Shaw was labelled the next Sachin. And why not, for his achievement was beyond imagination. The 15-year-old entered records books scoring 546 in a Harris Shield game. It is the third highest score going by all the registered scorecards available worldwide.

    Achtung Munchen
    Amidst all the hullabaloo over the English and Spanish league, it was Bayern Munich who kept the fabled German consistency going with their astounding treble. The Bundesliga, German Cup and the UEFA Champions League trophies now sit pretty in the office of the Munich club. The team has a registered fan club in India. And surely in that corner of the country, this was celebrated.

    World at sindhu’s feet
    While Indian badminton was obsessed with Saina Nehwal’s show on the field (and Jwala Gutta’s off it), an 18-year-old Hyderabad girl went on to become the first Indian female to win a singles medal at the World Championships. PV Sindhu was the toast of 2013 in many ways, for she also broke into the top-10. Now, India’s not just about Saina and Sania as far as sportswomen are concerned.

    Champions one last time
    12
    Before departing to England, India’s press conference was quite a scene. MS Dhoni faced questions on IPL spot-fixing, and hardly any on the Champions Trophy. And as Dhoni most often does, he merely grinned. Maybe, the grin signified confidence, as the Men in Blue went on to bag the final edition of the ‘mini World Cup’ being undefeated.

    Spot-Fixing
    If you don’t see bowlers with towels tucked in trousers anymore, blame it on S Sreesanth. The harmless piece of cloth was allegedly used by the pacer as a signal to the bookies during IPL-6. Kerala’s maverick athlete has since has been slapped with life ban for spot-fixing. Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila too have been punished and a horde of bookies arrested. Cricketers now blame Sree for sweaty days.

    Dhawan’s Dabangg act
    13

    Indians fans did not miss Virender Sehwag, not least on that day. Shikhar Dhawan produced one of the most swashbuckling innings to hit the fastest ton on debut against a hapless Aussie attack that could just stand, watch and admire. He finished with 187, and has since gone on to score many a century this year in the shorter format, but that one knock stamped his arrival in world cricket, along with his moustache.

    Fall of the legend
    14

    An inspiration, a champion survivor, author of one of the most amazing book on sports and life. And what a let down. Seven straight Tour de France title winning cyclist Lance Armstrong admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs and was stripped of his titles. The survivor of testicular cancer continues with his fund-raising activities. The America’s global hero proved that at the end of the day, it wasn’t about his bike after all.

    Goodbye, Sir Alex
    So United fans, how does life feel without Sir Alex? In one of the most shocking retirements of the year (Graeme Swann can wait), Sir Alex Ferguson ended his 26-year-old love affair with Manchester United to hang up his boots in May. More than his 13 English League titles, five FA Cups and two Champions League trophies whilst at Old Trafford, the world would miss some of his oh-so-memorable quotes. Have you grabbed his autobiography yet?

    Jacques in the box
    15

    The South African will possibly be one of those greats who will be unsung in their lifetime. Or hopefully, not. As he puts his white flannels away permanently after the ongoing Durban Test, there would be or at least there should be a debate on whether he is the greatest all-rounder. We have had enough of Bradman vs Tendulkar, Lara vs Tendulkar etc, there is room for more debates and Kallis surely deserves it.

    Bale’s €100mn bonanza
    16

    Real Madrid, known as the ‘Galacticos’ in the footballing world, broke their bank once again this summer. This time for 26-year-old Welshman, Gareth Bale who’d lit up the Premier League on fire. And boy did they do it in style. Signed from Tottenham Hotspurs for a staggering 100 million euros, the winger pipped Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer fee by six million euros.