Sports

Keeping his legacy alive

Published

2 years ago

18/08/2022

MNN

BOGOTA－So-called sweeperkeepers such as Manchester City’s Ederson, his Brazilian compatriot Alisson Becker at Liverpool and Bayern Munich’s Manuel Neuer are all the rage in modern soccer.

But until FIFA changed the backpass rule 30 years ago, goalkeepers were rarely expected to use their feet to take part in the team’s build-up play other than to punt the ball upfield. They could take their time and throw the ball.

Former Colombia international goalkeeper Rene Higuita－famed for his outrageous overhead scorpion kick－claims he was responsible for the rule change.

“Football greats like Pele and (Diego) Maradona … (were) very good players, but they didn’t change a rule at FIFA,” Higuita told AFP by video call.

In Colombia, the decision to ban goalkeepers picking up a back pass with their hands is known as the “Higuita Rule”.

World soccer’s governing body FIFA decided to act after the 1990 World Cup in Italy came in for huge criticism for dull matches that produced a record low 2.2 goals per game.

Higuita, now 55, argues that in that tournament, he showed the way forward.

FIFA banned the back pass at the next Olympic Games in Barcelona in the summer of 1992, initially to confusion and ire.

“FIFA put an end to something that was awful, in the 1990 World Cup almost all the teams played backward, giving the ball to the goalkeeper,” historian Luciano Wernicke told AFP.

At that World Cup, goalkeepers such as Argentina’s Sergio Goycochea, Luis Gabelo Conejo of Costa Rica and Italy’s Walter Zenga “had the ball in their hands for a huge amount of time,” added Wernicke, an Argentinian.

Higuita stood out, not just for his frizzy locks, but also for his fearlessness with the ball at his feet and an ability to create attacking situations with his passes.

It was not all glory. Higuita’s ball-playing ultimately cost his side.

In the last 16, Higuita was tackled far outside his penalty box by Cameroon’s Roger Milla while trying to dribble past the forward.

Milla then raced away to score the winner and eliminate Colombia. His dancing celebrations of his two goals in that 2-1 win became iconic moments at the tournament.

‘Clueless’ keepers

Higuita, known as “El Loco” (the madman) also took penalties and freekicks, scoring 43 goals in his career.

“Now football is much faster, there’s more movement, every day the goalkeeper has to work a little more on his feet to give something to the team,” said Higuita, who is convinced that he was the reason for the rule change.

While Wernicke recognizes Higuita was unique, he disputes that theory.

“It’s not that the law changed because of Higuita but rather because of all the many goalkeepers who weren’t like Higuita.”

Many keepers, such as Barcelona great Andoni Zubizarreta, were against the new rule, arguing to El Pais newspaper in 1992 that it would “limit the goalkeeper”.

Higuita smiles mischievously when remembering how “clueless “keepers struggled to adapt.

Santiago Canizares, who played for Spain at the 1992 Olympics, recently spoke about how the back-pass rule made him nervous.

“It was a surprise for us,” he told Olympics.com. “We didn’t know that this could become part of our lives.”

The impact was immediate with the next World Cup in the United States in 1994 producing 2.7 goals per game, the highest figure since 1970.

“It is the best rule change in the last 40 years, it made football more dynamic,” said Wernicke.

Whether or not he was responsible, Higuita supports other measures that could help reduce time wasting in soccer－for instance, stopping the clock when the ball goes out of play.

“There is a lot of talk about introducing ‘real time’ like they have in basketball, and that’s not a bad idea,” said Higuita.

Should that happen, Higuita might take the credit.

Sports

Preview: League title battles for City, Arsenal

Published

22 hours ago

19/05/2024

LONDON, May 18 (Xinhua) — The Premier League title race goes to the wire in a dramatic last weekend in England, which will also see an emotional farewell at Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium.

Although many questions have already been resolved before the final weekend in England, with Aston Villa claiming the fourth place in next season’s Champions League and Luton virtually confirmed as the third side to be relegated to the Championship due to their vastly inferior goal-difference to Nottingham Forest, the big question of who lifts the title is still in the balance.

Manchester City have a two-point lead over Arsenal and if they win at home to West Ham, they will lift the title for the fourth consecutive year, irrespective of Arsenal’s result at home to Everton.

However, if Pep Guardiola’s side lose or draw and Arsenal win, Arsenal would be Champions as they have a goal difference advantage.

Both sides have kept their nerve, traded blows and been unstoppable since they dew 0-0 in City’s Etihad Stadium in March, with eight consecutive wins each.

City’s 2-0 win away to Tottenham on Wednesday looks as if it could be the decisive moment, as they held on against a rival that had chances to take a point, but in the end, key saves from Stefan Ortega and the goals of Erling Haaland made the difference.

Ortega will be in goal on Sunday after it was confirmed that Ederson suffered a fractured eye socket making a save on Wednesday, and although West Ham coach David Moyes will no-doubt instruct his players to give everything in his last game at the club, anything other than a Man City win and another title would be a surprise.

Liverpool’s title challenge ran out of steam in the last weeks of the season and they will have to settle for third place in what will still be an emotional afternoon at Anfield as Jurgen Klopp steps down after nine seasons in charge.

Klopp brought the Champions League 2019 and the much-desired 2020 Premier League titles to Anfield and can expect an emotional 90 minutes at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The other main question to be resolved is who finishes sixth and has the chance to play in Europe next season. Chelsea’s run of four wins has given them a three-point lead over Newcastle United and Manchester United, and three points at home to Bournemouth would see Mauricio Pochettino’s side return to continental competition after a year on the sidelines.

A Bournemouth win at Stamford Bridge and a win for Newcastle away to Brentford would see Newcastle move into sixth place, however, Manchester United’s dreadful goal difference means they have no options even if they win away to Brighton.

Erik ten Hag’s side could still have the last laugh, however, if they beat Manchester City in next weekend’s FA Cup final, as that would give them the last Europa League spot.

Other games this weekend see Sheffield United end their difficult season at home to Tottenham, while Burnley also wave goodbye to the elite with a home game against Nottingham Forest.

Strictly speaking, Forest need a point to seal their survival, but they would need to lose 7-0 and Luton Town to beat Fulham 6-0 for Luton to swap places in the relegation zone.

The remaining game sees Crystal Palace at home to Aston Villa, with the home side aiming for their fifth win in six games as they end the season on a high.

Source(s): Xinhua

Sports

The table tennis star Dheema, first Maldivian athlete to qualify for Olympics

Published

2 days ago

18/05/2024

The table tennis star, Fathimath Dheema Ali, who will be partaking in the upcoming Paris Olympic Games, has received a warm welcome upon returning to Male’ City. Dheema showcased her exemplary skills amidst stiff competition from the finest table tennis players in South Asia and emerged victorious in the South Asia Regional Olympic Qualifications. Her triumph signifies a momentous milestone for the Maldives in the realm of international sports.

Upon arrival back to the Maldives, the Minister of Sports, Fitness and Recreation Abdulla Rafiu and senior officials of the ministry along with the President of Maldives Olympic Committee (MOC) Mohamed Abdul Sattar and key figures from the Table Tennis Association of the Maldives extended their heartfelt and warm welcomes to Dheema. The minister organised a special ceremony held in the Youth Centre, commemorating the groundbreaking achievement of Dheema.

Speaking at the ceremony, President of the table Tennis Association Ali Rasheed rejoiced, stating that Dheema’s historic performance marked a significant milestone in the history of the Maldives. Highlighting that this remarkable victory was a result of 10 years of her unwavering commitment and dedication, Ali affirmed that the administration and countries in which she received training played a pivotal role for her success. On this stance, he expressed heartfelt gratitude towards all who were engaged in assisting to ensure this significant opportunity was secured.

While Dheema successfully qualified for the Olympic Games, previously Maldivian athletes competed in the games in invitational (tripartite) opportunities provided. As such, Maldivian athletes have been actively participating and competing in athletics, badminton and swimming since 1988.

Source(s): PsmNews

Sports

Minister announces survey for 20-year sports development plan

Published

4 days ago

15/05/2024

Minister of Sports, Fitness, and Recreation Abdulla Rafiu has announced a special survey for the Maldives’ 20-year sports development plan.

The draft plan was developed in February and focuses on cultivating top athletes by training coaches in schools, hosting major tournaments in the Maldives, and expanding sports associations’ activities in the atolls.

At a press conference, Minister Rafiu highlighted ongoing collaboration with sports associations. He said that detailed work on the long-term policy is available on the ministry’s website. He also said that the survey is a critical part of the process and spans 22 pages and requires time for completion by each association.

Additionally, Minister Rafiu mentioned agreements with Malaysia for training athletes and administrators. He also said that discussions about the plan have taken place with France, and talks are ongoing with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Source(s): PsmNews