The Tribune...Sports

	S P O R T	Saturday , July 11, 1998
weather n spotlight today's calendar

Brazil will win 5th world title: Zagallo
OZOIR-LA-FERRIERE, July 10 — Mario Lobo Zagallo is in no doubt at all of the outcome of Sunday’s World Cup final.
"I am certain Brazil will be world champions for the fifth time, the Brazil coach said yesterday at the team’s training base at Ozoir-la-Ferriere, 40 kilometres from Paris...
Thuram 'not happy' with his show
CLAIREFONTAINE, July 10 — Brazil should be careful not to upset Lilian Thuram in Sunday’s World Cup final. Like Croatia, they might live to regret it...
Brazil revive tradition of bad defence
OZOIR-LA-FERRIERE (France), July 10 — That great Brazilian tradition of a leaky defence has been revived at the 1998 World Cup...
Suker's Cup is alive
PARIS, July 10 — In a World Cup match neither team wanted to play, Croatia’s striker Davor Suker, at least, has something to aim for in the third place play-off against the Netherlands...
Victory in defeat for Croatians
PARIS, July 10 — Victory even in defeat, goes the saying and it fits perfectly for the young and small country of Croatia after the debutants' exploits in France 98...

Cafu itching to be back for final
MARSEILLE, July 10 — Brazilian right-back Cafu is itching to return for Sunday's World Cup final after sitting out the semifinal through suspension and being replaced by a player making his first international appearance...
It is a personal catastrophe: Blanc
CLAIREFONTAINE, July 10 — One man’s cheat is another’s misfortune. The World Cup has seen some world class acting almost from day one. It has cost people yellow cards, red cards and Laurent Blanc the brightest day of his long career...
Diana tie: Tendulkar World XI skipper
MUMBAI, July 10 — Sony entertainment television would telecast (deferred) the Diana, Princess of Wales memorial cricket match between the Mike Atherton-led mcc XI and Sachin Tendulkar-led Rest of the World XI at Lords on July 18...
Sandeep clinches snooker title
CHANDIGARH, July 10 — An experienced cueman Sandeep Duggal clinched the title in the inaugural Vishnu Pal Singh Memorial Prize-Money Open Snooker Tournament which ended at the Sector 22 Chandigarh Billiards Coaching Centre here today...

Brazil will win 5th world title: Zagallo
OZOIR-LA-FERRIERE, July 10 (DPA) — Mario Lobo Zagallo is in no doubt at all of the outcome of Sunday’s World Cup final.
"I am certain Brazil will be world champions for the fifth time, the Brazil coach said yesterday at the team’s training base at Ozoir-la-Ferriere, 40 kilometres from Paris.
"Brazil has a slight advantage over France", he said. "We have more experience, great players and a tradition of playing in the final. For France, on the other hand, it is the first time.
It will be a game between the four-time champions against a team making its debut in a decisive match.
Zagallo said he was convinced that France would feel the weight of the pressure of their fans and the match. The French were facing their most difficult opponents of the tournament.
The absence of key defender Laurent Blanc, sent off against Croatia in the semi-finals and suspended for the final, will also be a factor, the coach predicted.
His absence will help us. France has lost an important defender.
The Brazilians will be hoping to get some better sleep before the match than they did Wednesday night following France’s 2-1 victory over Croatia in the second semi-final.
Zagallo had to call the police to clear a group of noisy French fans who were causing a racket outside the Brazilian camp.
"The French fans wouldn’t let us get to sleep. But they’ll be the ones who won’t be able to sleep after Brazil win the final", he said.
Meanwhile the players are anxious to prove themselves against the hosts. Rivaldo, who has enjoyed a good World Cup, said all the team’s thoughts were now on the final.
Rivaldo has been included in a FIFA list of candidates for the World Cup’s ideal team, but the midfielder said he was not giving the matter any thought.
The only important thing here is that Brazil win the title. It’s not worth anything being in the best team if we go home without winning the cup.
Neither is Carlos Dunga giving any thought to a personal record: becoming the first Brazilian captain to lift the Cup in two successive World Cup tournaments.
There’s not much sense in thinking about that now. It is important not to be over-confident. We shouldn’t fall into the trap of thinking that we have already won the final simply because we have more tradition, he said.

Thuram 'not happy' with his show
CLAIREFONTAINE, July 10 (Reuters) — Brazil should be careful not to upset Lilian Thuram in Sunday’s World Cup final. Like Croatia, they might live to regret it.
"I’ve known Tutu (Thuram’s Nickname) for years and when he’s angry, you just can’t stop him," France goalkeeper Fabien Barthez said yesterday. "After Croatia scored, I could see that he was very, very upset."
So upset was the right back, who has so little confidence in his shooting that he never practises in training, he scored two goals to win Wednesday’s semifinal for France.
Thuram, who had never scored in 37 previous internationals, cancelled out a goal by Davor Suker seconds after the break by ramming home a Youri Djorkaeff pass in the 47th minute.
Those who said for years that he lacked confidence in front of goal were silenced for good when he hit the winner by curling in a beautiful left-foot shot in the 70th minute.
Thuram confirmed Barthez’s analysis, saying Suker’s goal had made him hungry for revenge.
"I went mad," said Thuram, the quietest man in France’s squad. "We’ve been dreaming of that final since we were kids and we simply couldn’t lose that match. I had to do something."

The Parma player warned French fans, however, not to expect many more goals from him.
The 26-year-old from Guadeloupe, who has been outstanding since the tournament started, said he felt Wednesday’s match had not been his best.
"I’m not that satisfied with my overall performance," he said. "Defensively, I made some mistakes." Suker’s goal came after Thuram was slow to move forward as France attempted an offside trap.
Thuram learned his trade at Monaco before moving to Italy and does not even practise shots at goals because he feels he is so hopeless.
"The other defenders do it in training but he never does", Barthez said. "He thinks he can’t score. When he nears the penalty area, he just passes the ball and rushes back. Maybe he will feel a bit more confident now."
Thuram grew up watching the likes of Michel Platini, Alain Giresse and Jean Tigana, and said he could not believe his generation had gone one step further than players he so admired.
"I still feel that the Platini team was better than ours", he said. "Those guys were my idols and they lost twice in the semifinals (in 1982 and 1986). I find it difficult to realise that we’re playing in the same competition and we’ve done better than them."
The host nation’s adventure, Thuram added, is not over yet.
"We know what we’re here for. We want to win the World Cup."

Brazil revive tradition of bad defence
OZOIR-LA-FERRIERE (France), July 10 (Reuters) — That great Brazilian tradition of a leaky defence has been revived at the 1998 World Cup.
The current side may not quite live up to the great teams of the past in terms of skill but they seem to have moved back to the old Brazilian philosophy of "it doesn’t matter how many goals the team concedes as long as it scores more".
The last great example of a bad Brazilian defence was in 1982.
Some truly suicidal play at the back, including a pass straight to the feet of Italian marksman Paolo Rossi, helped prevent a team that is looked upon as one of the greatest of all time from lifting the World Cup.
Since then, the European idea that the first step to winning is to keep a clean sheet has been adopted by Brazil, albeit reluctantly.
In 1986, the Brazilians let in only one goal but were beaten by France in a quarter-final penalty shoot-out.
Four years later in Italy, the defence was almost as stingy, conceding only two goals in four games.
In the USA, Brazil gave away only three goals in seven games on their way to winning the first title in 24 years.
This time, however, holes have reappeared.
Brazil have already let in seven goals in six games and if they go on to win the trophy, they will become the champion with the worst defensive record, apart from West Germany in 1954.
The Netherlands’ late equalising goal in the semifinal, when Patrick Kluivert rose all alone to head in a cross from close range, was indicative of the failings at the back. The defence looks particularly uneasy about lofted crosses.

Brazil, who have only managed to keep one clean sheet, have looked wobbly from the opening game against Scotland when a rash challenge by Cesar Sampaio resulted in a penalty that allowed the Scots back into the game.
The back four dozed off as they allowed Norway to score two goals in the last seven minutes of a first round game — Norway won 2-1 but Brazil had already qualified — and coach Mario Zagallo is probably still fuming at the early goal they conceded in the quarter-final against Denmark.
The Danes caught Brazil out with a quickly taken free kick something Zagallo said he had warned his defenders about dozen of times before the game. "We went over it time and again in the dressing-room but it still happened," he said.
Brazil came back to lead 2-1 but Denmark again equalised, scoring after Roberto Carlos tried to clear the danger with a bicycle kick but mishit the ball.
All this is a stark contrast to 1994, when the Brazilian goal hardly ever looked in danger of being breached and few people doubted the team would win the title.
On the other hand, Brazil, who have goalkeeper Taffarel, defender Aldair, midfielder Dunga and forward Bebeto as survivors from the 1994 team, have looked more dangerous going forward than four years ago.
In Rivaldo, they seem to have found the midfield playmaker they lacked in the USA.
At times, however, full backs Roberto Carlos and Cafu have gone upfield with reckless abandon to support the attack.
At others, particularly after taking the lead against the Netherlands, Brazil have pulled all their players back in a manner which resembles the Norwegian team that Zagallo so bitterly criticised.
The Brazilians have shown tantalising glimpses of brilliance, far more than in 1994, but have never seemed able to sustain their best for long periods.
This and the defensive failings have led to far more nail-biting a ride through the Cup than in 1994, when they sailed through most games without ever looking likely to lose.
But Zagallo seems happy enough.
"We have been conceding goals but we have been scoring more. As long as that continues we don’t need to worry."

.Suker's Cup is alive
PARIS, July 10 (Reuters) — In a World Cup match neither team wanted to play, Croatia’s striker Davor Suker, at least, has something to aim for in the third place play-off against the Netherlands.
Twenty four hours before the main event, the final between hosts France and champions Brazil, the bridesmaids of the 1998 tournament must try to forget their anguish at missing out and put on a show at the Parc Des Princes.
If comments after the semifinals are any indication Croatia, in their first World Cup, are looking forward to the game a great deal more than the Dutch, who are still bleeding after their penalty shoot-out defeat by Brazil.
Croatia are delighted with their display in France and can claim their own piece of World Cup history via Suker if they help him find the net one more time and become the finals’ outright top goal scorer.
Suker is currently level with Italy’s Christian Vieri and Argentina’s Gabriel Batistuta on five goals. If he scores again, he can realistically only be caught by Brazil’s Ronaldo who put in his fourth on Tuesday against the Dutch.
Suker also has a secondary goal — to catch the eye of top coaches. In France he has shown signs of his best form but, after a season in which he lost his place in the starting line-up Real Madrid appear willing to part with him.
For Dutch striker Patrick Kluivert, a move also seems in the offing and tomorrow gives a chance to impress. The out-of-favour ac Milan striker had seen the World Cup as a way of burying a "terrible" last 12 months.
A red card in the first game was hardly the way to start, but he has scored in the last two matches and could yet salvage a lucrative transfer from the final phase.
As for tomorrow’s match, the Dutch appear the stronger side and their 2-1 defeat of Argentina, who had beaten Croatia 1-0, also suggests they should win.
However, they appear to have taken their semifinal loss much harder than Croatia did their 2-1 defeat by France and may be thinking more of going home than winning a bloodless match.
Dutch coach Guus Hiddink is doing his best to inspire his men. He believes his squad will be fresh tomorrow and determined to prove they are third best in the world.
The Netherlands are again unlikely to start with left winger Marc Overmars who has not fully recovered from a hamstring injury, while Aron Winter and Michael Reiziger are carrying small knocks.
Croatia seem certain to be without injured captain and midfield lynchpin Zvonomir Boban who was blamed for giving away the first goal against France. Defender Dario Simic is suspended.
Whoever wins tomorrow will not walk away as champions, but will be the first World Cup participants to depart with bronze medals — a small consolation for missing the final.

Victory in defeat for Croatians
PARIS, July 10 (PTI) — Victory even in defeat, goes the saying and it fits perfectly for the young and small country of Croatia after the debutants' exploits in France 98.
"We have a saying in Croat. If it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger," said Zejiko Pravdic from Vukovar town. He is one of the thousands of the chequered red and white clad army of fans who reached France to back their team's hostoric entry in the World Cup finals.
The small East European nation, carved out of the former Yugoslavia after 1990, has garnered more attention in the last two weeks than their eight year existence after thrashing the mighty Germany 3-0 in the quarterfinal.
The fans were thrilled to bits when their team made it to the World Cup, but their pockets turned empty as the team, never expected to progress beyond the second round, stunned the world by storming into the semi-finals.
Most stayed in roadside tents and ate frugal meals, with one aim to cheer Croatia. "There was no money in the end. We had to face difficultie. But considering the team's achievement this is nothing," a proud Pravdic said.
"This World Cup has enabled us to re-introduce ourselves to the world. Now people will point out Croatia on the map and say we have a very good soccer team. That gives me a good feeling," coach Miroslav Blazevic said.
The team stunned football pundits when they edged out fancied Romania in the second round. Then they handed out the heaviest defeat in 40 years to thrice champions Germany and suddenly the world began looking for more news on Croatia, even if it was outside the soccer field.
"We are proud a small country of four million have played and beaten some much bigger nations. We have achieved a lot," defender IGOR Stimac said. His experiences during wartime will show the grit and determination of the Croats, who survived the Servian onslaught.
Stimac narrated how he continued to play football with Hadjuk split club with war raging just 20 km away in 1993.
"The bombs fell and we played," he said. "Eventually they were forced to stop when the pitch was shelled during a game between Zadar and Hadjuk in the same year. But I felt privileged to be there.
"It was important for us to play, it was our way of saying we were not afraid of the Serbs. We showed them we were alive. Since then I have felt much stronger on the pitch. What could you be afraid of after that?", he asked.
Croatian jubilation into the second half of the semi-final against France turned into disappointment when French defender Liliam Thuram answered Davour Suker's war cry in style and went on to score the winner to take the hosts into the showdown against Brazil on Sunday.
"We are disappointed we did not win, but we are happy to have come this far. We never dreamt it was possible," Nina Banovic, a hard-core Croatian fan said.
Pero Bogic, owner of the only Croat restaurant in Paris, Cafe Le Torcida, said: "The outpouring of joy was incredible. And it will continue. We're still proud to have done so well."
Bogic also acted as unofficial tour operator for the thousands of Croats who poured in from every corner of the globe to watch their team play.
Zlata Heryevic, who witnessed the nightmarish war in the early 90s, said the smile was back on the faces of the young. "They had forgotten that feeling for so long. First we had the communists, then the war. Now we have unemployment and poverty but at last, we have a reason to celebrate," he said.
The passionate Croatian fans were certainly not afraid to be among the big leagues and they carried the spirit wherever they went in France.
They were not as fanatic as the English hooligans. At the Parisian suburb of St Denis, where France played Croatia at the Stade de France, many Croatian supporters swapped jerseys with French fans and posed together for pictures and wished each other well.
"We don't mind the best team winning. Our glorious effort to play in the semifinal is more than enough for us," Heryevic said.
A victory over the Netherlands in the third place play-off tomorrow will certainly make the Croatians ecstatic again. Empty purses be damned.

Cafu itching to be back for final
MARSEILLE, July 10 (Reuters) — Brazilian right-back Cafu is itching to return for Sunday's World Cup final after sitting out the semifinal through suspension and being replaced by a player making his first international appearance.
"It's much easier on the pitch than it is on sidelines," said Cafu, whose forays down the right flank were sorely missed by Brazil as they beat the Netherlands on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
"Outside you suffer a lot. I can't wait to get back."
Ze Carlos, Cafu's replacement, was making his international debut at the age of 30 and until little more than a year ago sold water melons in market to supplement his football income.
It was an extraordinary move by coach Mario Zagallo, who had included Ze Carlos in the squad for friendlies this year against Germany and Argentina but only played him in pre-cup friendly against Spanish club side Athletic Bilbao.
There is no doubting the ability of Ze Carlos, who has played superbly since joining Sao Paulo in July last year from minor provincial team Matonense.
But the player who postponed his wedding to play in the World Cup was visibly uneasy in his first outing wearing a shirt that, as the local saying goes, weighs a lot.
His team-mates seemed to sense his nervousness. Several times, they choose to step on the ball, change direction and pass to someone else rather than bring him into the game.
Ze Carlos spent much of the match isolated on the right, from where many of the most dangerous Dutch moves — but not their goal — originated.
He grew in stature when Emerson, a defensive right-sided midfielder, was brought on just before the start of extra-time and gave him some back-up.
"I'll give him 10 out of 10," said Cafu, who himself suffered stinging criticism before the competition but has turned out to be one of Brazil's most important players.
"He made his debut in a World Cup semifinal. It's a very difficult game to come in at but he played through the 120 minutes without any problem."
Until this time last year, Ze Carlos was an unknown player who had spent his career playing for a number of small provincial clubs, where wages, are so low that many players supplement their incomes elsewhere.
The cheapest player in the side, he was bought by Sao Paulo, one of Brazil's top clubs, in July last year for $ 300,000 and quickly shot to national prominence.
Cafu, who made his name at Sao Paulo and now plays for as Roma, will be playing his second World Cup final if, as seems certain, he returns on Sunday.
He came on as a substitute in the 17th minute against Italy four years ago after the regular choice Jorginho limped off injured.

It is a personal catastrophe: Blanc
CLAIREFONTAINE, July 10 (AP)— One man’s cheat is another’s misfortune. The World Cup has seen some world class acting almost from day one. It has cost people yellow cards, red cards and Laurent Blanc the brightest day of his long career.
Time and again, French television repeated from every angle how Blanc planted his palm on the chin of Slaven Bilic, yet the Croatian went down holding his forehead as if hit by a sledgehammer.
Red card for Blanc, and fifa’s own sledgehammer inevitably followed late yesterday with a two-match suspension that costs one of the World Cup’s greatest defenders an appearance in the final.
"The referee robbed him off his final," said France’s coach Aime Jacquet.
That there was a foul was beyond doubt. That it deserved an expulsion was another issue. Bilic’s theatrics certainly didn’t help and there are no plans to punish the Croatian.
With 24 hours hindsight, even Blanc recognised the Croatian’s driving force.
"He was trying to win his match,’’ almost trying to apologise for Bilic’s action that cost him the final.
Then again, such stuff is happening close to home for Blanc. In the same press tent where he was exhorting his sorrow, a few days earlier Zinedine Zidane admitted that he feigned a tumble after a challenge from Giuseppe Bergomi in the quarterfinal. It earned the Italian defender a yellow card he did not deserve.
By now, each of the 32 participating nations can surely think of one incident where an opponent tricked or feigned a foul, making unfair play almost an institution in the World Cup.
On day three, Belgian defender Lorenzo Staelens went down like a man struck by lightning when Dutchman Patrick Kluivert shoved him. A foul? Sure. A two-match suspension followed.
To one nation, it’s a clear and obvious penalty. Like the crash of Englishman Michael Owen in the Argentine penalty area. To the other it’s cheating.
None at this World Cup were as bad as Roberto Rojas’ act in 1989.
Goalkeeper Rojas cut himself when a flare was thrown near him during a match in Rio de Janeiro. Losing 1-0, Chile walked off the field in protest, carring the bleeding Rojas on a stretcher.
An inquiry however found Rojas faked the injury and fifa barred him from playing at the national level for life. It barred Chile from the 1990 and 1994 World Cups, banned coach Orlando Aravena and issued lesser sanctions to several other officials and players.
In comparison, the worst fakers get off with a yellow card at worst.
For blanc, all that’s left is a bitter taste in the mouth.
"I have this feeling of having tasted the cake, but now I’m not allowed to touch the cherry," said Blanc. "It’s a personal catastrophe," the 32-year old defender said.
Bilic remained unrepentant.
"I didn’t get him sent off, he did," the Croat defender said.
"He touched me, technically that’s an offence, and the referee saw it."

Diana tie: Tendulkar World XI skipper
MUMBAI, July 10 (PTI) — Sony entertainment television would telecast (deferred) the Diana, Princess of Wales memorial cricket match between the Mike Atherton-led mcc XI and Sachin Tendulkar-led Rest of the World XI at Lords on July 18.
The match would start at 3.30 pm but viewers can see the match from 4.30 pm to 7.30 pm and from 8.10 pm onwards a press note released said here today.
The World XI also includes former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram, dashing opener Saeed Anwar, Sri Lankan vice-captain Aravinda de Silva and his teammate Sanath Jayasuriya, Zimbabwea wicketkeeper Andy Flower among others.
The mcc XI led by former England captain Atherton has four Indians, skipper Mohammed Azharuddin, left hander Saurav Ganguly, leg spinner Anil Kumble and medium pacer Javagal Srinath.
The teams (mcc XI): Mike Atherton (capt), Mohammed Azharuddin, Saurav Ganguly, Anil Kumble, Javagal Srinath, Allan Donald, Brian MacMillan, Ian Healy (wicketkeeper), Glen McGrath, Aamir Sohail and Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
Rest of the World: Sachin Tendulkar (capt), Sanath Jayasuriya, Aravinda de Silva, Wasim Akram, Mushtaq Ahmed, Saeed Anwar, Andy Flower (wicketkeeper), Graeme Hick, Tom Moddy, Chris Cairns and Ian Bishop.
Umpires: Srinivas Venkata-raghavan (India) and David Shepherd (England).

Sandeep clinches snooker title
By Our Sports Reporter
CHANDIGARH, July 10 — An experienced cueman Sandeep Duggal clinched the title in the inaugural Vishnu Pal Singh Memorial Prize-Money Open Snooker Tournament which ended at the Sector 22 Chandigarh Billiards Coaching Centre here today.
He ousted his younger brother Parveen Duggal 4-2 (65-33, 30-73, 80-1, 29-72, 57-24 and 58-47) and pocketed a cash prize of Rs 5,100 while the runners-up received a cash prize of Rs 3,100. Sameer Bhalla and Kamal Kant who finished third and fourth in this tournament will receive a prize of Rs 1,100 each, respectively.
Today, Sandeep Duggal played an excellent game in the final to outplay Parveen Duggal. In the first frame Sandeep Duggal played a fine game and did not let his opponent to come near him and claimed the first frame 65-33 while in another frame, Parveen Duggal bounced back and pocketed the second frame 73-30. In the third frame, Sandeep Duggal who is an experienced player showed his natural class and with beautiful potting made a break of 58 points in the third frame and took the frame with remarkable ease by a margin of 79 points.
In the fourth frame, Sandeep Duggal missed an easy black and taking advantage of Sandeep's bad shot Parveen Duggal bounced back in the game again and bagged the fourth frame 72-29.
The score was 2-2 all. Sandeep Duggal being an attacking player showed some excellent potting and outplayed Parveen Duggal in the fifth frame 57-24. Leading 3-2, Sandeep played attacking game in the sixth frame and was leading by nine points on the yellow ball. Parveen Duggal came back into the game and potted yellow, green and brown. Sandeep potted the blue and played a safe shot but was not able to control the pink. Parveen potted the pink and missed the black ball. Now it was a black ball game and Sandeep showed his excellent black pot in the long pocket and clinching the crucial frame, match and the title 58-47.