Macron can bless his lucky stars, again, as France wins World Cup

PARIS -- It looks like Emmanuel Macron just got lucky again.

France's thrilling 4-2 triumph over Croatia in the World Cup final on Sunday, their second World Cup after home success in 1998 that ushered in a wave of national optimism, is the sort of good-news fillip most presidents can only dream of.

After 14 months in power, Macron's poll ratings have been falling steadily, down to barely 40 percent. Despite overseeing a raft of economic and social reforms, the 40-year-old former investment banker has earned the label "president of the rich" from many left-wing critics, and the tag has stuck.

Recent controversies over spending on official crockery, a swimming pool built at a presidential retreat, and cutting remarks about the costs of welfare have reinforced the image of a leader out of touch with the people, at least in some minds.

But just as he took advantage of an extraordinary series of lucky breaks during the 2017 presidential campaign, when his strongest conservative rival had to withdraw after a corruption scandal, Macron's fortunes may be about to turn upwards again.

In Moscow to watch the final with his wife Brigitte, Macron was overcome by the victory, standing on the field in the pouring rain to hug each of the players in turn at length and then kissing the World Cup trophy in delight.

In 1998, then President Jacques Chirac's popularity soared on the "World Cup effect" -- an 18-point jump in his ratings according to Ifop pollsters -- helping the ageing Gaullist recover from a humiliating defeat in a 1997 snap election.

Chirac's bonhomie and enthusiastic embrace of 1990s-playmaker Zinedine Zidane's multiracial Black-Blanc-Beur (Black-White-North African) team helped him shake off a string of corruption scandals and he went on to win a second term.

That Macron -- who is still very much in charge and not reduced to a largely ceremonial role as Chirac was under the "cohabitation" regime with the Socialists -- could gain much more than a few points from his current low is unlikely.

But nonetheless, political pollsters say a boost of some kind is not out of the question, at home and abroad.

"It's far from a given that what happened in 1998 will be reproduced in the same way now," Gael Sliman, a pollster with Odoxa, told Reuters. "(But) one could very well see 5, 6, 10 points of popularity gains for the executive.

"It could also have a meaningful impact on French economic morale, people's confidence in the future, their optimism in general, including when it comes to consumer behavior."

LUCKY GENERAL

Macron's lieutenants have sought to play down any suggestion that politics and soccer are linked. They don't want the president to be accused of leveraging the World Cup, even if Macron and his wife were in Moscow to watch the final.

"We have nothing to do with it, but let's rejoice," Macron told his ministers last week, after France beat Belgium in the semi-final, according to spokesman Benjamin Griveaux.

That said, Macron can expect Sunday's euphoria to unleash a wave of renewed self-confidence and national pride, while perhaps enhancing France's reputation internationally.

For the young president, it's somewhat akin to what Napoleon Bonaparte is supposed to have said of his military commanders: never mind their skill, "give me lucky generals."

"You have to be very cautious about a political effect, but maybe there will be a moral effect that will last through the summer," Frederic Dabi of Ifop told Reuters. "I see more of an effect on the image of France abroad, it gives a cumulative effect, it reinforces the Macron chorus of 'France is back.'"

Domestically, the nation could do with a "feel-good" lift.

After years of high unemployment, economic stagnation and a string of deadly Islamist attacks since 2015, the World Cup win may help the nation feel the worst is behind it. That may also help sweeten the pill that the government is shortly to unveil, with unpopular spending cuts due after the summer.

"The second half of the year will be a bit complicated," Ludovic Subran, head of research at Allianz, told Reuters.

"Spending power is down and those French who are not entrepreneurs are complaining. Macron needed this victory."

According to Subran's research, the World Cup will boost French consumption by 0.2 percentage points this year, which in turn will give wider economic growth a 0.1 point lift.

That might be just enough to help Macron sing along to the tune of the French team's 1998 anthem: "I Will Survive."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Pogba dedicates France win to Thai cave survivors

SAINT PETERSBURG, Russia -- Paul Pogba dedicated France's World Cup semi-final win against Belgium to the 12 boys who survived a harrowing ordeal trapped underground in Thailand.

The final five members of a young football team were rescued from a flooded Thai cave on Tuesday after spending 18 harrowing days trapped deep inside, completing an astonishing against-the-odds rescue mission that captivated the world. 

Elite foreign divers and Thai Navy SEALs extracted the final batch of four boys, plus the 25-year-old coach, via a treacherous escape route that required them to squeeze through narrow, water-filled tunnels in darkness. 

Following the 1-0 win in Saint Petersburg, Manchester United midfielder Pogba tweeted: "This victory goes to the heroes of the day, well done boys, you are so strong." 

FIFA boss Gianni Infantino had invited the boys' Wild Boars football team to Sunday's World Cup final last week. 

But FIFA said it had been informed "that due to medical reasons, the boys will not be in a position to travel to Moscow". 

"FIFA's priority remains the health of everyone involved in the operation and we will look into finding a new opportunity to invite the boys to a FIFA event to share with them a moment of communion and celebration," a spokesman said. 

The Thai footballers, aged from 11 to 16, had been stuck deep underground after setting off to explore the cave with their coach after training on June 23. 

FIFA also expressed condolences to the family of a Thai Navy SEAL who died after running out of oxygen during the rescue operation on Friday. "Our thoughts are with his family," FIFA said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Hoops-mad Pinoys finally catch case of World Cup fever

MANILA -- Shirts are selling briskly, crowds pack sports bars to watch matches and football is front-page news. Whisper it quietly, but basketball-crazy Philippines has finally been afflicted by World Cup fever.

For decades, the nation of more than 100 million was on a very short list of global locations that had failed to fall for the beautiful game.

That is beginning to change as football's narrow, but passionate, Filipino following grows fuelled by success of the national team whose new coach is former England great Terry Butcher -- a World Cup semi-finalist with the Three Lions in 1990. 

"Definitely, we do have... World Cup fever," television sportscaster Bob Guerrero told AFP outside a Manila bar where he was watching France knock Argentina out of the global tournament.

"We're hoping that it's going to be a snowball effect and football will really start to grow here in the Philippines," said Guerrero, who works for top TV network ABS-CBN which is airing World Cup matches live.

Grow it may, but at the moment there are only an estimated 1.5 million football-playing Filipinos compared to figures claiming that some 40 million regularly flock to the basketball courts that populate every barangay across the archipelago.

It's a love affair that goes back to the 1900s when basketball was introduced to the archipelago by the Americans. Rather than reject the pastime of their colonial masters, Filipinos made it their own.

Elegance and stray dogs

It became part of the curriculum in schools and since then Philippine squads have played respectably on an international level. Basketball's governing body FIBA has them ranked 30th out of 159 nations, just behind China.

But, until recently Philippine love and prowess in hoops was missing from their football team, a gap evident even in the nicknames of the respective squads.

The Philippines basketball team are dubbed the Gilas, the local word for elegance, while the football team are called the Azkals, which is a slang term for stray dogs.

"When I arrived, the football community was very small," said Azkals captain Phil Younghusband, who made his debut in 2009. "You can probably count in the hundreds the people who were aware of football and playing football."

The former youth player with English Premier League club Chelsea is one of a wave of photogenic foreign-based players of part-Filipino parentage recruited by the Azkals.

In a few short years they have vaulted the team to qualification for the Asian Cup for the first time, and in May they hit their highest ever FIFA ranking of 111th in the world.

That success comes on the heels of the launching last year of the country's first pro-league, the Philippines Football League, which added to the momentum.

Experts say the Azkals' steady rise, which has given fans hope of international success, has been key to the game's growth spurt of popularity in recent years.

"We're small (people). Let's face it we can't be world champions in basketball," said Edwin Gastanes, general secretary of the Philippines Football Federation.

"Our physique, our skill, moves and agility are really very good for football. That's why we have a chance there," he added.

Global goal

The Azkals have never qualified for the World Cup, but Butcher last month made that his goal for the side after they make their Asian Cup debut in the UAE in January.

"There is a hype now," said Francis Castilla from sport marketing firm MMC Sportz. "Everybody wants to jump in on the (Azkals') achievement. "It's the bandwagon. The problem will be how to sustain it."

Other similarly less football-minded nations have seen their love for the game grow via increased television coverage, which marketers say stimulates attendance at stadiums.

It was key in bringing cricket-mad India into the football fold, yet air time is still scarce for the game in the Philippines. Basketball and boxing dominate.

The next steps for Philippine football will be strongly influenced by the nation's youth -- and there are more and more enthralled by the beautiful game.

Kevin Raymond Sales, 15, has been in love with football for years and has been trying to stay up to watch late-night World Cup matches.

He's hooked on the dramatic personal stories of players who rose from poverty or teams from tiny nations taking out powerhouses 10 times their size.

"It's something inspirational and it's inspired me personally to carry on with football, to play the sport with all my heart," he said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FIFA World Cup: Belgium stuns Brazil to reach semifinals

KAZAN, Russia - Belgium struck early and held off a late Brazil fightback to send the five-times champions tumbling out of the World Cup with a 2-1 victory in an end-to-end thriller on Friday that earned them a semifinal against France.

A Fernandinho own goal and a brilliant Kevin De Bruyne strike gave Belgium a spot in the last four for the second time after 1986 and sent Brazil home at the quarter-final stage for the third time in the last four World Cups.

Brazil dominated possession and carved out chance after chance but could not score until substitute Renato Augusto headed home Philippe Coutinho's cross 14 minutes from time.

Roared on by the vast majority of the crowd at the Kazan Arena, the Brazilians poured forward to try and save the game but Roberto Firmino, Augusto and Coutinho spurned gilt-edged opportunities to level the scores.

If Belgium's first goal in the 13th minute had an element of luck, the ball going into the net off Fernandinho's shoulder from a corner, the second in the 31st minute was a shining example of counter-attacking football.

Romelu Lukaku took the ball with his back to goal, turned into space and stormed past Fernandinho up the pitch before releasing De Bruyne on his right for the playmaker to rifle the ball into the net from the edge of the box.

De Bruyne, playing in a more advanced role than he had in Belgium's previous four matches, was at the heart of his team's best work, managing the transition from rearguard defence to attack with vision, pace and accuracy.

This was no repeat of Belo Horizonte four years ago, when Brazil were thrashed 7-1 by Germany in the semi-finals on home soil, and Tite's side kept their shape and composure.

Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, though, made a fine saves from Coutinho and Serbian referee Milorad Mazic waved away penalty appeals from Neymar and Gabriel Jesus.

The Brazilians finally got some reward for their efforts with Augusto's header and Belgium needed a brilliant fingertip Courtois save from Neymar in the last seconds to secure a date with neighbours France in St Petersburg on Tuesday. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FIFA World Cup: England reaps rewards of coach’s meticulous preparation

England's return to the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in 12 years is no fluke as the team reaps the rewards from coach Gareth Southgate's meticulous eye for detail.

A first-ever World Cup penalty shootout win in the last 16, against Colombia, followed months of practice from the spot and psychometric tests on the players to determine who was best placed to handle the pressure.

Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford even switched his water bottle before the shootout for one with where the Colombians preferred to put their penalties written on the side.

"We'd done all the hard work on the training pitch and we were able to execute when we were there," said defender John Stones.

"It's about covering all the bases and making sure that you are taking in every detail to give you the best advantage you can. That's down to the staff, down to the players, the hours on the training pitch."

Much of that preparation comes from Southgate's own experience of missing a penalty in the semifinal of Euro 96.

Had things gone to plan for England, though, he would not even have been in charge in Russia.

After a humiliating Euro 2016 exit to Iceland, England's Football Association backed the experience of Sam Allardyce. 

But his reign lasted a mere 67 days, Allardyce standing down after a single match in charge following a newspaper sting.

- Bold decisions -

Then under-21 manager, the appointment of the affable Southgate was seen as a safe option.

However, he has defied expectations with bold decisions by jettisoning some experienced figures to take the third-youngest squad in the competition to Russia.

Southgate's open and honest attitude has won admirers among a normally hard-to-please press pack and back home, where his popularity has soared.

The choice of the remote wooded town of Repino, 45 kilometers northwest of Saint Petersburg, has allowed the players to get on with the job at hand free from off-field distractions and the tensions that have blighted previous campaigns.

"There's a fine line of where a manager has got to have his football brain in gear, talk about football and know when we're working and then know about when we should relax," added Stones. "He balances that as well as anyone I've seen."

Southgate has certainly left no stone unturned in attempting to transform England's fortunes at major tournaments.

Last year he took the squad on a weekend training camp with the Royal Marines, where mobile phones were confiscated and players made to complete underwater assault courses and camp overnight to foster team spirit.

Weeks later Southgate spent a month travelling around Russia with assistant Steve Holland, scouting potential training bases and the Confederations Cup for an insight into what England could expect on and off the pitch at the World Cup.

The decision was made that England would play with a back three as they did in reaching their past two semi-finals, at Euro 96 and at the 1990 World Cup.

Three center-backs comfortable with playing out from the back in Stones, Kyle Walker and Harry Maguire have allowed England to enjoy far more possession, but they have still relied on set-pieces for seven of their nine goals.

Credit for a new-found danger from dead balls goes to Allan Russell, a one-time journeyman in the lower leagues of Scotland, England and the United States, hired by Southgate as a strikers' coach who has adapted set-piece strategies used in the NFL and NBA to England's playbook.

"He's brought in a lot of new ideas in two years... now we're seeing the results," said Stones.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FIFA World Cup: Japan fans celebrate as Samurai Blue reach next round

TOKYO - Football fans in Japan burst into celebration after their team advanced to the World Cup knockout round despite a 1-0 loss to Poland, exchanging high-fives and hugs in relief that they had squeezed through.

In Tokyo's trendy Shibuya, elated supporters streamed out of sports bars after the final whistle at around 1 a.m. local time, the sound of horns and "Nippon" chants filling the streets as they converged upon the district's iconic pedestrian scramble.

"I'm so relieved. I knew it was going to be a tough game," said 20-year-old student Kousuke Takahashi, adding that the loss didn't take any shine off their overall World Cup performance.

"I never thought we'd make it out of the group stage so I'm happy with the result."

Before the tournament Japan had been given little chance of surviving the group stage but a shock win over Colombia and a draw with Senegal put them on track for their third trip to the World Cup's last 16.

"Congratulations on advancing to the knockout stage!" Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in a tweet. "You can do it in the next one too, Japan!"

Still, the way Japan advanced left a bad taste in the mouth of some supporters, who felt the team had abandoned their Samurai Blue spirit of playing hard until the end no matter what.

With Colombia beating Senegal 1-0, Japan knew they would qualify second in their group on the strength of having fewer yellow cards than Senegal and so were content to play the final several minutes passing around the ball to run down the clock.

"I was so excited before the game. They needed a draw but I really wanted them to win. So I'm embarrassed by the way they were happy to just accept the loss," said Makiko Totsuka, a 30-year-old musician who watched with her friends in a bar.

"Japan's style of play in the second half was a little disappointing," said 22-year-old student Takeaki Sudo, who watched the game at home with his family. "I thought they'd play their Japan style of soccer and get a win."

Japan will face Belgium in the last 16.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FIFA World Cup: Mexico closes in on last 16 with win over South Korea

ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia—Carlos Vela's penalty and a superbly taken breakaway goal by Javier Hernandez gave Mexico a 2-1 World Cup Group F win over South Korea on Saturday, which put El Tri on the brink of a place in the last 16.

Mexico, shock winners over Germany in their opening game, went ahead in the 26th minute when Vela sent goalkeeper Cho Hyun-woo the wrong way from the spot after Andres Guardado's cross hit the outstretched arm of Jang Hyun-soo at close range.

Hernandez added the second in the 66th minute, cutting inside his marker before guiding the ball home to finish off a lightning counter-attack after Mexico won the ball deep in their own half. Son Heung-min pulled one back for South Korea in stoppage time with a spectacular left-foot strike from outside the area.

Mexico lead with six points from two games while South Korea have lost both matches and have only a remote mathematical chance of progressing. Germany (no points) face Sweden (three) later on Saturday. (Reporting by Brian Homewood, editing by Ed Osmond)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FIFA World Cup: Shaqiri snatches last-gasp win for Swiss over Serbia

KALININGRAD, Russia - A thunderous strike by Granit Xhaka and a last-minute breakaway goal by Xherdan Shaqiri gave Switzerland a 2-1 win over Serbia on Friday in a swashbuckling World Cup Group E match tinged with Balkan rivalry.

Serbia went ahead with an Aleksandar Mitrovic header after five minutes to the delight of their fervent supporters at the Kaliningrad stadium.

Xhaka silenced the Serbian contingent in the 52nd minute, however, when he rifled home a loose ball in spectacular style from 25 metres before Shaqiri broke away to win the game at the death.

Xhaka and Shaqiri are among several members of the Swiss squad who are of Kosovar heritage, which added an extra dimension to the match.

Serbia refuses to recognise the independence of its former province Kosovo which broke away 10 years ago.

There was also controversy in the 65th minute when Mitrovic appeared to be held down as he went for a cross but the referee waved play on and there was no video review.

The result left Brazil, 2-0 winners over Costa Rica, top with four points, ahead of Switzerland on goal difference with Serbia on three.

Brazil and Serbia meet in their final game while the Swiss face Costa Rica, already eliminated after losing their first two games.

"We had a rollercoaster ride. They went 1-0 up and we found our balance in the second half," Switzerland coach Vladimir Petkovic told reporters.

Serbia made a flying start and Mitrovic forced Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer into an early save with a close-range header.

Sommer was powerless, however, in the fifth minute when Nemanja Matic won the ball and found Dusan Tadic, whose cross was met with a soaring header from Mitrovic.

With Mitrovic proving a handful for the Swiss defence, Serbia threatened to over-run their opponents and missed another chance when a corner flew across the face of goal and Dusko Tosic just failed to make contact.

Switzerland came right back into the game seven minutes after halftime thanks to Xhaka's fulminating strike after a rebound fell nicely into his path.

Xhaka was almost upstaged by Shaqiri who clipped the crossbar with a curling, dipping shot from the unlikeliest of angles and the match turned into a pulsating end-to-end affair which was brilliantly settled by Shaqiri.

Switzerland cleared a Serbia attack and a through pass sent the diminutive forward scuttling away before he slotted the ball neatly into the far corner.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FIFA World Cup: Croatia routs Lionel Messi's Argentina

Lionel Messi's World Cup dream was left hanging by a thread as Croatia powered into the last 16 with a 3-0 rout of Argentina here Thursday. 

Second-half goals from Ante Rebic, Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic sealed a deserved victory as a poor Argentina were left on the brink of a humiliating first round exit.

The Group D defeat means Argentina have just one point from two games, meaning they will probably have to beat Nigeria in their last game and hope other results go their way to avoid elimination.

The result left Argentinian fans in tears inside the Nizhny Novgorod stadium, while Diego Maradona watched from the stands in stunned disbelief.

Croatia took the lead after a horrendous blunder by Argentine goalkeeper Willy Caballero in the 53rd minute, the stopper chipping a clearance straight to Rebic who lashed home a thunderous volley.

Real Madrid star Modric then produced an electrifying 80th-minute goal before Messi's Barcelona team-mate Rakitic completed the scoring after Croatia sliced apart Argentina's hapless defence in injury time.

The defeat leaves the Argentinians facing an ignominious repeat of their 2002 campaign when they also went out at the group stage after being tipped as possible World Cup winners.

All the attention after the 3-0 defeat will focus on Argentina and Messi but it was also the result of a fine performance by Croatia.

A curiously lifeless and uninspired Argentine display was capped off by Caballero's mistake when he somehow managed to chip the ball just a few yards to Croatia's Rebic, following a Gabriel Mercado backpass.

Rebic volleyed home with aplomb but veteran Caballero will have nightmares for the rest of his days at his mistake -- likely to feature in any list of worst goalkeeping blunders for some time.

And throughout it all Messi, arguably the world's best player, remained a peripheral and largely ponderous figure, briefly flashing to life on too few occasions.

The 30-year-old's dream of winning the World Cup now look remote. 

With all the pre-match attention on Messi it was his Real Madrid counterpart Luka Modric who provided the game's true flashes of genius.

The Croatian was the one player to find space and time in a bruising encounter and it was his moment of magic in the second half which settled the encounter.

Picking the ball up some 25 yards outside the Argentina area, Modric had the option of at least two passes but chose to bide his time before planting a fantastic shot past a hapless Caballero.

Rakitic added a third when the game was up for Argentina. 

They had only threatened briefly before then to equalise with Meza and Messi almost scrambling in a goal in the 64th minute.

Beyond that Argentina looked largely clueless, and increasingly frustrated by Croatia.

They could have taken the lead in the first half but Enzo Perez missed pretty much an open goal from just 12 yards in the 30th minute.

It was to be Argentina's only shot of the half -- and their best chance all evening.

Croatia went when Mario Mandzukic headed inexplicably wide in the 33rd minute from just three yards.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FIFA World Cup: Costa leads Spain past Iran

KAZAN, Russia - Spain squeezed 1-0 past dogged Iran in their World Cup Group B encounter on Wednesday thanks to a fortuitous goal from Diego Costa, but the Europeans suffered a string of second-half scares.

The veteran forward notched his third goal in two games when Ramin Rezaeian's attempted clearance bounced off the Spaniard's leg and into the net in the 54th minute.

Though Spain had besieged the Iranian goal in the first half, they were on the back foot for parts of the second, with Karim Ansarifard rifling into the side netting, and Saeid Ezatolahi having a goal ruled out for offside by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.

The result left Spain joint top of their group with Portugal on four points, but Iran close behind on three going into the third and final set of games. After two defeats, Morocco are out.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FIFA World Cup: Russia blitzes Egypt for 2nd win

ST. PETERSBURG - World Cup hosts Russia virtually booked their place in the second round with a 3-1 win over Egypt on Tuesday that moved them to top of Group A with six points from two games.

A three goal blitz in the space of 15 minutes early in the second half put the Russians firmly in command before Egypt's Mohamed Salah, who had a subdued game on his return from injury, struck from a penalty, awarded after a video review.

Should Uruguay (3 points) beat Saudi Arabia (0 points) on Wednesday, it will ensure the South Americans and the Russians go through to the round of 16 with a game to spare. A draw would also send the hosts through.

It is an unexpectedly positive situation for a Russian side that came into this tournament amidst skepticism and pessimism at home. After the two confident victories, with eight goals, the public appear to have taken the team to their hearts.

Far from being over-awed by the pressure on them to perform, there is a real look of confidence and at times swagger about Stanislav Cherchesov's side, who beat Saudi Arabia 5-0 in the opening game.

Egypt, whose final group game is against the Saudis, have only the slimmest of chances of staying in the tournament although they will at least be hopeful of picking up a first win in what is their third World Cup.

Hector Cuper's side looked confident given the return of their talisman Salah, but the forward was short of full sharpness and made little impact in what was a tight first half.

But just two minutes after the interval, Russia got their breakthrough and they never looked back.

Aleksandr Golovin's cross was punched out by Egyptian keeper Mohamed El-Shenawy, only as far as Roman Zobnin whose low drive was heading wide until Ahmed Fathi's outstretched leg turned the ball into his own net.

Remarkably, it was the fifth own goal of the tournament so far. The record amount for a World Cup is six in 1998.

If there was some good fortune to the opener, the Russians' second was pure quality.

Alexander Samedov pushed the ball out wide to Mario Fernandes, the Brazilian born right back who had powered forward from deep to deliver a perfect pull-back into the path of Denis Cheryshev who slotted home his third goal of the tournament.

Two minutes later it was 3-0 via a route one play, as target man Artem Dzyuba chested down a long ball, bustled past Ali Gabr and drove home.

MANIC CELEBRATIONS

Dzyuba, a throw-back physical center forward who troubled Egypt's defense all night, celebrated in manic fashion.

"The most important thing is we won. The whole country is happy I think, Russia is partying. We are unbelievably happy. Thank you to everyone for the support.

"Every player battled today in every area of the pitch. We didn't give Egypt a centimeter of the pitch. We held back Salah and deserved to win," he said.

Salah, who had not played since going off injured in Liverpool's Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid last month, managed some consolation when he converted from the spot.

The penalty came after a video assistant referee (VAR) ruling that he had been brought down by Zobnin inside the area after the referee had initially awarded a free kick.

"We had a good first half then we had 10-15 really bad minutes and that's why we lost," said Cuper, who immediately faced questions over his future.

"Whether I should stay or not does not depend on me and we still have another match. In a World Cup you have to wait till the very last minute although our chances are minute," he added. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

2018 FIFA World Cup: Kane strikes late to give England 2-1 win over Tunisia

VOLGOGRAD, Russia - England captain Harry Kane scored twice including a stoppage-time winner as he led his side to a last-gasp 2-1 win over Tunisia in their opening World Cup match on Monday.

Kane stooped at the far post to turn in a header in the 91st minute just when it looked like England were going to extend their disappointing run in World Cup tournaments.

Kane had put England ahead in the 11th minute of the Group G game when Tunisia keeper Mouez Hassen could only palm a strong header by John Stones on to the foot of the striker.

England promised to launch their campaign with attacking football and they tore into Tunisia before and after Kane's opener, creating a string of chances only to be let down by a lack of composure in front of goal.

They paid the price when the North Africans were awarded a penalty before the break.

England defender Kyle Walker swung an arm behind him and caught Fakhreddine Ben Youssef in the face and Colombia referee Wilmar Roldan pointed to the spot.

Ferjani Sassi, after appearing to whisper a prayer to himself, scored low to the right of England keeper Jordan Pickford to equalise.

After the break, England struggled to maintain the intensity of the opening period and Tunisia looked more comfortable as they contained their opponents' attack until Kane's winner.

From a Kieran Trippier corner, a glancing header from Harry Maguire found Kane at the back post and he cleverly nodded home to give England a winning start.

The result means Belgium top Group G on goal difference after a 3-0 over World Cup debutants Panama earlier on Monday. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Croatia need own goal and penalty to overcome Nigeria

KALININGRAD, Russia - Croatia beat Nigeria 2-0 on Saturday with an own goal from Oghenekaro Etebo and a penalty from Luka Modric to go top of World Cup Group D, one of the toughest and most unpredictable in the tournament.

Modric's coolly taken 71st minute spot kick gave the scoreline a clear-cut feel, but the fact that Croatia failed to score on their own from open play was testament to some wayward shooting.

While dominating for long periods, they struggled to penetrate the Nigerian defence and failed repeatedly to find the target with speculative shots from well outside the penalty area.

The result puts Croatia in pole position for now after Argentina - their next opponents in the group - were unexpectedly held to a 1-1 draw by Iceland.

Looking ahead to that clash in Nizhny Novgorod next Thursday, Modric told reporters: "It is going to be a difficult match, maybe against the favourites in our group. They have quality but this win will boost our confidence.

"It will be tough, granted, but they will have to play for a win because of the scoreline today that they never expected."

Nigeria coach Gernot Rohr highlighted his team's weakness in defending at set-pieces, and said victory against Iceland next Friday was now a necessity.

"All is possible for the qualification... We keep smiling, we are disappointed, and we will try to be better in the next game," he said.

"Of course it is important now to make at least four points if you want to qualify. We are one point behind now. It is all in our hands. We have the youngest team in the World Cup - let them learn from this, and we will do better."


SCRAPPY OPENER

The first goal came just after the half-hour mark when a Croatian corner from the right was headed across the box and on to striker Mario Mandzukic, whose diving header found its way into the net off Etebo's foot.

Just three days into the World Cup, the scrappy goal added to what is becoming a pattern, following a Moroccan own goal that handed victory to Iran on Friday and a deflected Paul Pogba effort that earned France a 2-1 win over Australia earlier on Saturday.

Until then, Croatia and Nigeria had appeared evenly balanced, with the African side's goalkeeper Ikechukwu Ezenwa untroubled by powerful but long-range shots from Ivan Perisic and Andrej Kramaric - the first going over the bar and the second finishing wide.

As the game heated up, Kramaric headed onto the roof of the Nigerian net, while at the other end Alex Iwobi had a shot charged down and Victor Moses fired over the bar.

Nigeria started the second half with intent as Leon Balogun headed over, but the first half pattern reasserted itself as Croatia imposed their authority while failing to land shots on target.

Their best chance fell to Ante Rebic, but his well struck volley zoomed wide of the goal as he ran onto a pass from Perisic.

Croatia again had their opponents to thank for their second goal, after William Troost-Ekong grabbed Mandzukic in the penalty area, wrapping both arms around him from behind in a tight embrace that would have done credit to an amorous Cossack.

Modric strode up to stroke the ball low into the left-hand corner, giving Ezenwa no chance.

Asked if he had been nervous after Lionel Messi's penalty miss for Argentina against Iceland, the Croatian captain was dismissive.

"I wasn't nervous. I was fully focused on scoring from that penalty spot. Thank God I managed to score - nothing more to be said, really."

(Additional reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar; Writing by Mark Trevelyan in Yekaterinburg; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FIFA World Cup: Neymar begins assault on World Cup with injury woe behind him

For three months, a whole nation feared it might not happen, but Neymar will take to the field with his Brazilian teammates when they kick off their World Cup campaign against Switzerland on Sunday.

The world's most expensive player appears to have recovered fully from the fractured foot that required an operation in March, with the only slight concern being his possible lack of match fitness.

Since suffering the injury in Paris Saint-Germain's game against Marseille in late February, Neymar has managed just 129 minutes on the field.

But those minutes came in Brazil's recent warm-up friendlies, with a goal from the bench against Croatia and then a brilliant strike in a win in Austria last weekend.

"After three months, and having played just a game and a half, he is already playing at a high level. Nobody expected that. Not even him," Thiago Silva, a close friend of Neymar's and a club teammate at PSG, said in a report on Brazilian website Globoesporte.

The 26-year-old, who saw his time on the sidelines as one of the lowest points in his career so far, has looked in excellent spirits this week as Tite's Brazil squad settle into their Russian base -- the speculation about his club future, and links with Real Madrid, seem far away right now.

Home from home 

Neymar has been laughing and joking with his teammates on the training pitch in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, and took time to sign autographs and pose for pictures with supporters at an open training session on Tuesday.

He will be in the starting line-up in Rostov-on-Don, for what will be his first game at a World Cup since being taken off with a fractured vertebra in Brazil's win against Colombia as hosts in the 2014 quarter-finals.

And Neymar's importance in this new-look team -- he is one of only six survivors from four years ago -- is clear from the comments of his teammates in Sochi.

"Neymar is great, thanks to God," goalkeeper Alisson replied to one question about their talisman, while Gabriel Jesus spoke of his admiration for the former Barcelona man.

"I got to know Neymar personally at the Olympics. He treated me very well, and not only me, also my family and friends too," he said.

"He is important off the field as well. He is always giving advice. That is very important. I really believe that having a good relationship, considering one as a brother, lifts you on the field. You run more for your friend."

Brazil came to Russia among the favorites as they look to put firmly behind them the 7-1 semi-final humiliation against Germany four years ago.

While fellow contenders Spain have threatened to implode with the sacking of coach Julen Lopetegui on the eve of the competition, Neymar and the Brazilians are relaxed and at home in pleasant surroundings in Sochi.

The lush green coastline and sea views are reminiscent of Brazil, the Selecao have been enjoying dining with views out over the Black Sea, and they also have access to the beach.

It augurs well for Tite's side as they prepare to face a Swiss outfit ranked sixth in the world in their first Group E game before tackling Costa Rica and Serbia.

Winning a sixth World Cup is the objective, but Neymar will also have personal aims.

Last weekend he scored his 55th international goal, moving level with Romario in Brazil's all-time list. There are now only two players left ahead of him.

A great tournament and he could catch Ronaldo's tally of 62, before eventually targeting the 77 scored by Pele.

"I would say that it's going to happen. Neymar doesn't just have playing well as an objective, he is always looking to score goals," Ronaldo, in Russia on media duty, told Brazilian television.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Football: Ronaldo agrees to $20-M tax settlement, legal source says

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has agreed to pay the Spanish taxman 18.8 million euro ($20 million) to settle a tax fraud claim, a legal source said Friday.

The deal between the fiscal authorities and the advisors of the star comes hours before Ronaldo's Portugal face Spain in the World Cup in Russia.

The agreement still has to be ratified and will likely come with a two-year jail term -- although sentences of up to two years are not generally served in Spain.

The former Manchester United player, who is at the World Cup on the back of a third straight Champions League title with Real, appeared in court last July at Pozuelo de Alarcon, a wealthy Madrid suburb, to answer four counts of tax evasion.

Procecutors allege the five-time Ballon d'Or winner took "advantage of a company structure created in 2010 to hide income generated in Spain from his image rights from tax authorities".

He is alleged to have used companies in low-tax foreign jurisdictions -- notably the British Virgin Islands and Ireland -- to avoid having to pay the tax otherwise due.

In 2014, Spanish authorities say he was late in declaring that year just 11.5 millions euros of revenue earned in Spain for the period 2011-2014 when his earnings in his country of residence totaled 43 million euros. 

The Spanish taxman also found he did not declare 28.4 million euros in image rights agreed for 2015-2020, leaving 14.7 million owing. His legal team had blamed the affair on a simple different interpretation of which revenue he was obliged to declare in Spain.

In May, legal sources indicated that the Portuguese, the world's highest paid sportsman last year with $93 million for 2016-2017 according to Forbes magazine, had proposed making a 14 million settlement.

Had the case gone further, without the player offering a full settlement, he could have faced a fine of a reported 28 millions euros as well as a three-and-a-half-year jail term, according to the Spanish tax office union Gestha.

Ronaldo's big La Liga rival, Barcelona's Argentinian star Lionel Messi, paid a two-million-euro fine in 2016 in his own tax wrangle and received a 21-month jail term, the latter reduced to a further fine of 252,000 euros equivalent to 400 euros per day of the original term.

In a statement issued by the Gestifute sports agency which represents him, Ronaldo insisted last year that he had "never hidden anything, nor have I had the intention of evading taxes".

Prosecutors had alleged a "voluntary and conscious breach of his fiscal obligations in Spain."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Robbie Williams kicks off World Cup with obscene gesture

MOSCOW -- British pop star Robbie Williams caused a stir during his performance at the World Cup opening ceremony in Moscow on Thursday by making an obscene gesture to a camera.

The former Take That frontman raised his middle finger at the end of his performance at the Luzhniki Stadium after appearing to mouth the words "I did this for free."

The 44-year-old performed the opening show alongside Russian soprano Aida Garifullina, with the two singing a duet of his hit solo song "Angels."

Williams had also sparked controversy in Russia two years ago for promoting stereotypes about the country with his song "Party Like a Russian."

He said when his performance at the ceremony was announced on Monday that it was "a boyhood dream" and would be "an unforgettable show."

Williams was performing in front of 80,000 people at the stadium, and a global television audience of tens of millions.

The ceremony was followed by the opening match with hosts Russia routing Saudi Arabia, 5-0.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FIFA World Cup: Messi, the superstar illuminating a small Russian town

Lionel Messi's arrival in Bronnitsy, a quiet town with 20,000 residents some 50km southeast of Moscow, has brought an unprecedented level of attention to a place most renowned for its Archangel Michael cathedral. 

But as the euphoric shouts echoing around a temporary stand suggests, its selection as Argentina's team base camp has transformed it into one of the epicentres of the World Cup. 

Flags bearing Messi's face hang over barriers, while a giant mural of the Barcelona star towers above the people of Bronnitsy as they come to terms with the intense spotlight now fixated on their hometown. 

Never has it been subjected to such scrutiny, and perhaps never again will this town founded in the middle of the 15th century attract such global recognition.

Around 400 fans flocked to Argentina's base camp on Monday for the team's first open training session, each and every one desperate to steal a glimpse of Messi in the flesh.

None of them were yelling "Aguero", "Mascherano" or "Higuain". They were all waiting for Messi to emerge from a building by the training ground and began to eagerly chant his name.

"Messi! Messi!" they screamed, trying to draw the attention of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner. He duly obliged, staying behind to sign autographs and posing for photos at the end of the hour-long session, during which his every touch was warmly applauded.

The bleachers were full to overflowing and trembled with emotion. But supporters there weren't the only ones who didn't want to miss out, Argentina's ambassador to Russia, Ernesto Lagorio, was also in attendance.

"It was great, it went very well, it's been a nice afternoon," he told AFP.

Others like physical education teacher Lucas Ledezma, who waited for the team's bus to arrive last Saturday, repeated that same sentiment.

"We dream that we can do it, I think it's a World Cup the national team deserves, that Messi deserves and that all us Argentines deserve," said the 30-year-old Ledezma, who left the Argentine city of Cordoba in on January 5 and cycled 14,000km to follow the Albiceleste.

- 'Painting a legend' -

If anything is on a par with Messi these days it could be the enormous mural of him that stares out at passers-by on one of the streets adjacent to Bronnitsy's main road.

"When I was painting Messi, I was painting a legend of my time. Messi is one of the best players (in the world)," said 29-year-old street artist Sergey Erofeev, who was commissioned to redesign the wall after winning a competition.

Erofeev, still with paint splattered on his trousers and in broken Spanish that he only recently learned, confessed he has a dream of his own. 

"I want Messi to come and see my work," he said.

Close to Argentina's training base is a house that has been converted into a makeshift sports bar serving "Mate Listo", a version of the caffeine-packed drink popular in South America.

It's impossible to walk through Bronnitsy without hearing Messi's name, mostly in conversations between locals, and his image is everywhere you turn. 

Only his presence, and the stringent security surrounding him, have managed to alter an otherwise peaceful day in a town that has openly welcomed the striker despite struggling to get close to him.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Brilliant Isco leads Spain show of dominance over Italy

MADRID - Two brilliant strikes from Isco and a late goal from Alvaro Morata gave Spain a spectacular 3-0 win over Italy, their nearest challengers in Group G, to move into the driving seat for automatic qualification to the 2018 World Cup.

Real Madrid attacking midfielder Isco, who was deployed in a "false nine" position as a deep-lying striker, curled a free kick beyond the reach of veteran Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon to put Spain ahead in the 13th minute.


Isco then received the ball on the edge of the area and danced past a defender before cracking a low shot into the near bottom corner which again proved too quick for Buffon five minutes before halftime.

Substitute Morata crafted a superb counter-attack with Sergio Ramos to start and finish the move for the third goal which he slotted past former Juventus team mate Buffon 13 minutes from time, rounding off Spain's best performance against Italy since their 4-0 win in the Euro 2012 final.

"I'm very satisfied with the players' response since I've been here, their mentality and commitment is excellent. Perfection doesn't exist, but we played a great game tonight," Spain coach Julen Lopetegui told reporters.

"You can always improve but it's hard to ask how today. We understood the importance of the game, and we have to thank the fans for how they created an atmosphere like the ones we've seen in Paris and Wembley. We felt their presence."

Spain top Group G on 19 points, three ahead of Italy and seven clear of Albania, who beat basement side Liechtenstein 2-0 on Saturday while Macedonia pulled off a surprise 1-0 victory at Israel.

TOP SCORER

The continued absence of top scorer Diego Costa and the explosive form of Marco Asensio compelled Lopetegui to imitate his predecessor Vicente del Bosque and play without a recognised striker, a move which paid off to perfection.

Italy, shorn of influential defender Giorgio Chiellini and fielding four forwards which left little presence in midfield, lacked the intensity needed to counter Spain’s passing machine.

Isco may have given Spain their firepower but they created chances from all areas, with Dani Carvajal, Gerard Pique and Ramos all not far from scoring in the first half, while Italy’s only effort was a header from Andrea Belotti which David de Gea saved.

"Today there was a huge difference between the two teams' level of quality and fitness, and when you consider those differences there's no point talking about the result," said Italy coach Gian Piero Ventura.

The coach would not criticise his captain Buffon for his slow reaction to Isco's free-kick, and said Spain were a far more experienced side than his.

"Many of Spain's players have played in three Champions League finals, there's hardly anyone in our team on that level."

Isco further delighted the 85,000 supporters in his home stadium with an outrageous nutmeg through the legs of Marco Verratti in the second half which nearly lead to Carvajal scoring.

The third goal came from ever reliable substitute Morata, who was denied a second late on by the offside flag.

(Editing by Ed Osmond)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FOOTBALL: US thrash Guatemala, Netherlands down England

US bounce back with Guatemala thrashing

Agence France-Presse

The United States got their flagging 2018 World Cup qualification campaign back on track on Tuesday with a 4-0 thrashing of Guatemala.

A shock 2-0 defeat to the Guatemalans last Friday had left Jurgen Klinsmann's side facing a must-win return fixture in Columbus, where a defeat would have all but eliminated them from North, Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF) zone qualifiers.

But the USA, who have appeared at every World Cup finals since the 1990 tournament in Italy, never looked like being denied all three points as they dominated from the opening minutes.

The result vaulted the Americans over Guatemala into second place in the standings in the four-team Group C, behind Trinidad and Tobago, who defeated St. Vincent and the Grenadines 6-0 on Tuesday.

The top two teams in the group qualify for the final round of competition to determine CONCACAF's World Cup contingent.

-----------------------------------------

Disputed Dutch winner keeps England in check

John Geddie, Reuters

England came crashing down to earth with a frustrating 2-1 loss to an inexperienced Netherlands side at Wembley on Tuesday, failing to build on their defeat of world champions Germany last weekend.

Second-half goals from Dutch forward Vincent Janssen and substitute Luciano Narsingh cancelled out a Jamie Vardy strike in the first half, sapping the optimism around Roy Hodgson's side ahead of this June's European Championship finals.

On paper it should have been a routine victory for England -- a team undefeated at Wembley for 2-1/2 years, brimming with Premier League talent and up against an injury-hit, experimental Dutch outfit that failed to qualify for the Euros.

But history was never on their side. Barring one win in 1996, they have not tasted success against the Netherlands in more than 30 years.


-----------------------------------------

Germany punish Italy to atone for England shock

Reuters

World champions Germany crushed Italy 4-1 in their friendly international on Tuesday to equal their biggest win against their opponents and recover from a surprise loss to England as they put down a marker for the European Championship.

Goals from Toni Kroos, Mario Goetze and Jonas Hector in the first hour gave Italy no chance, with Mesut Ozil then converting a 75th-minute penalty after Sebastian Rudy was brought down.

A more secure defence, with centre-back Mats Hummels playing the full game, meant Italy were made to work hard for a trickle of chances and had to wait until the 84th minute for Stephan El Shaarawy to pull a goal back and deny Germany their biggest victory over their European rivals.

-----------------------------------------

Messi scores 50th Argentina goal in 2-0 win over Bolivia

Luis Ampuero, Reuters

Lionel Messi scored his 50th international goal to help Argentina beat Bolivia 2-0 in a 2018 World Cup qualifier on Tuesday.

The win put Argentina third in the South American group with 11 points from six matches, two points behind joint leaders Ecuador and Uruguay.

Argentina defender Gabriel Mercado, who scored the winner in Thursday's 2-1 away victory over Chile, opened the scoring in the 21st minute against Bolivia.

Argentina were awarded a penalty in the 29th minute after Ronald Eguino fouled midfielder Ever Banega, and Messi made no mistake from the spot to net his 50th goal for Argentina, putting him within six of Gabriel Batistuta's record.

-----------------------------------------

Goals galore for France as Russia are swept aside

Julien Pretot, Reuters

France bristled with goalscoring threat just 10 weeks before they host Euro 2016 as they beat Russia 4-2 in a friendly international on Tuesday.

In the first soccer match at the Stade de France since last November's deadly Paris attacks, Les Bleus played some attractive football and scored through N'Golo Kante, Andre-Pierre Gignac, Dimitri Payet and Kingsley Coman.

Seven players have now scored in two games after Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud and Blaise Matuidi were on target in the 3-2 win against the Netherlands four days earlier.

Alexander Kokorin and Yuri Zhirkov reduced the arrears for Russia, making the most of France's lapses in concentration on a rainy night in the capital.

Security was tight in and around the Stade de France following the attacks in Paris by militant Islamists on Nov. 13 that killed 130 people.

The crowd observed a minute's silence before kick-off in memory of the victims of last week's bombings in Brussels.

-----------------------------------------

Ibrahimovic returns as Sweden draw 1-1 with Czech Republic

Reuters

Sweden, buoyed by the return of captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic, drew 1-1 with the Czech Republic as both sides continued their preparations for Euro 2016 with a warm-up friendly on Tuesday.

The home side, looking to rebound after losing 2-1 to Turkey on Thursday, took the lead in the 14th minute when Marcus Berg converted a cross with a first-time effort past Czech goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik.

The Czechs, who lost to Scotland 1-0 at home last week, levelled in the 26th minute through Matej Vydra's diving header.

The Swedes controlled much of the game and created a number of chances throughout, forcing Vaclik into several sharp saves.

They also welcomed the return of Ibrahimovic, who missed Sweden's friendly against Turkey.

-----------------------------------------

Thousands pay tribute to Cruyff in 14th minute at Wembley

Reuters

Thousands of fans stood and applauded in a moving 14th-minute tribute to Johan Cruyff during the friendly between England and the Netherlands at Wembley on Tuesday.

The great Dutch player and coach, who wore the number 14 shirt for most of his glittering career, died last Thursday from lung cancer aged 68.

"Johan Cruyff 1947-2016" was displayed on the electronic boards surrounding the pitch, while Cruyff's face was shown on the giant scoreboards. The Wembley arch that spans the stadium and can be seen across London was lit up in orange, the national Dutch colors.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Hyundai 'extremely concerned' by FIFA bribery scandal

SEOUL -- Major FIFA corporate sponsor Hyundai Motor said Friday it was "extremely concerned" by the corruption scandal engulfing world football's governing body and was following events "closely."

The South Korean carmaker, which with affiliate Kia Motors makes up the world's fifth largest auto group, signed up in 2010 to become FIFA's official automotive partner until 2022.

Hyundai-Kia is a presenting sponsor for the 2018 World Cup tournament in Russia, along with the likes of Adidas, Coca-Cola, Visa, Budweiser and McDonald's.

But after seven FIFA officials were arrested in Switzerland for bribery, Hyundai and Kia released identical statements that suggested a review of the sponsorship deal.

"As a company that places the highest priority on ethical standards and transparency, Hyundai Motor is extremely concerned about the legal proceedings being taken against FIFA executives and will continue to monitor the situation closely," the Hyundai statement said.

The arrests came as part of a US Justice Department case that named nine officials of football's governing body, and five sports marketing officials, in a number of instances of bribes and kickbacks involving sponsorships over the past two decades.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com