BADEN-BADEN, 18 June 2006 — Rarely has the Asia-Pacific had a bigger day in football than today when three of its teams play crunch ties at the World Cup that will draw the attention of millions of soccer fans.
Countless supporters are in Germany to cheer their heroes on and many more across the Asian region will be at home, at bars or in front of giant screen televisions, offering moral support from the other side of the world.
While Asia is rightly regarded as an emerging footballing continent, it still has plenty to prove and nowhere will that be more appropriate than today against some of the top teams in the world. The biggest tie of the day comes when Australia take on mighty Brazil in Munich, but no less engrossing will be South Korea’s attempt to upstage France in Leipzig.
Japan, meanwhile, has everything to play for against Croatia in Nuremberg, where only three points will be enough to maintain a realistic chance of moving into the round of 16 after their morale-sapping 3-1 loss to the Aussies.
Asian champions Japan know they must beat Croatia to put themselves back in the hunt, and coach Zico is likely to switch to a more attacking 4-4-2 formation. His main concern is the fitness of Celtic playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura, who is nursing a bruised right thigh.
“We must score goals against Croatia and concede none. That’s all,” said Zico.
South Korea, semifinalists four years ago when Hiddink was in charge, find themselves sitting on top of their table after one match but know France will be desperate for victory following their 0-0 draw with Switzerland.
Maradona Fined for Speeding at World Cup: Report
Argentinian legend Diego Maradona was fined by German police for speeding on the way to watch his nation thrash Serbia and Montenegro in the World Cup, a report in Berlin said yesterday.
The 1986 World Cup winner had to pay 200 euros (250 dollars) on the spot after his people carrier was stopped for travelling at 120 kilometers an hour (74 miles per hour) on a stretch of road limited to 80 km h near Gelsenkirchen on Thursday, Bild newspaper said in its online edition. Maradona, 45, who has battled against drugs and his ballooning weight in recent years, has been an enthusiastic supporter at both of Argentina’s matches, accompanied by an entourage including his daughter Giannina.
Poland Coach’s Job Possibly on the Line
Pawel Janas’ future as Poland coach could hinge on the team’s result in its final match with Costa Rica. Asked if the Poles’ last World Cup match with the “Ticos” would decide Janas’ fate, the president of the Polish Soccer Federation Michal Listkiewicz said “in a certain sense, yes.”
“Definitely a three-match result of no goals and no points would be a very poor result, let’s not kid ourselves,” Listkiewicz said Friday.
However, Listkiewicz emphasized that the federation would consider the whole of Janas’ three-year stint in charge of the national team, and praised Janas for leading the team to the World Cup. Poland played its 50th match under Janas on Wednesday, losing 1-0 in injury time to Germany. Poland also lost its opener to Ecuador 2-0, and did not advance to the knockout phase.
Sore Loser
Jose Luis Chilavert is a longtime critic of the current Paraguay Soccer Federation leaders. After Thursday’s early elimination from the World Cup, the former Paraguay captain unleashed.
Chilavert called for an investigation into the federation’s finances and questioned the decision to name Anibal Ruiz as team manager.
“How is it possible to name a sad manager, without credentials, with a losing attitude, without mystic and convincing personality?” asked Chilavert in his radio talk show.
Paraguay lost its first two matches against England and Sweden with the same score, 1-0. Thursday’s loss against the Swedes eliminated the Paraguayans, with one game remaining against Trinidad and Tobago. Chilavert, a standout goalkeeper, led Paraguay to the tournament’s second round in 1998 and 2002.
Soccer Talk
Carlos Puyol is a “rono.” England’s “metatarsal” is over. Dida was far from a “fliegenfanger” in Brazil’s opening match. These are some of the expressions players should be using at the World Cup, if a soccer-inspired language catches on.
“Socceranto” fuses jargon, player names and six languages (Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, German, English and French) to create one complete soccer tongue. Drawn from a Polish doctor’s idea of the need for an international language, “socceranto” will make it easier for players, referees, and coaches to communicate — especially with 18 different languages and an unknown number of dialects being spoken at the tournament in Germany. When Puyol intercepted a pass in midfield, then set off on a series of dribbles, including a spin and dragback, to feed Fernando Torres for Spain’s fourth in a 4-0 victory over Ukraine, Puyol was “rono,” or a non-Brazilian player showing the skill and flair to be deemed an honorary Brazilian. England, with the drama over Wayne Rooney’s broken foot, certainly has the curse of the “metatarsal,” described as an injury to a key player before a major tournament.
