Sports

Preview: World Cup semifinals promise pragmatism over brilliance

Published

1 year ago

12/12/2022

DOHA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) — The semifinals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which will see Croatia take on Argentina and France play Morocco, look as if they will be a triumph of pragmatism over brilliance and emblematic of hard work on the pitch.

Croatia reached the semifinals for the second time in four years after a nerve-shredding penalty shootout against Brazil that left the pre-tournament favorites in tears.

The never-say-die spirit of the Croatians, coupled with the excellence of veteran midfielder Luka Modric and defender Dejan Lovren, saw a fine defensive display and shows that a side that has taken many ties in knockout stages of recent major tournaments to extra time, does not know how to give up.

Nearly every team in the last four has a standout player, and for Argentina, of course, it is Lionel Messi, with the 35-year-old playing in what is almost certainly his last World Cup, and looking like a man with a mission as he steered them past Australia in the last 16 and in a shootout against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals.

Messi has able lieutenants in Julian Alvarez and Enzo Fernandez, while shootout hero Emiliano Martinez is an excellent keeper, but the overall feeling of Argentina is that they are a group of players performing above the sum of their parts.

That is credit to the spirit of the Argentine players and coach Lionel Scaloni, but it also implies that Tuesday’s semifinal is going to be tough and tactical rather than brilliant.

Morocco coach Walid Regragui described his side as the “Rocky of this World Cup” after his team beat Portugal to become the first African team to reach the World Cup semifinals, and that is probably a fair description.

With goalkeeper Bono stopping everything that Portugal threw at them, Morocco scored early and then made sure that Portugal didn’t. They showed total commitment to the cause and were cheered on by a stadium of fans willing them on to make history.

The problem could be that a side that is so dedicated to defending will struggle if they actually have to attack at some stage.

Reigning champions France booked their place in the semifinals with a 2-1 win against England in a thrilling game, and the French are perhaps the exception to the rule. A side able to defend as a unit, but with a fearsome attack.

England defended magnificently to stop Kylian Mbappe on Saturday, but they couldn’t stop Olivier Giroud from scoring, while Aurelien Tchouameni’s 17th minute opener was the sort of goal that you simply can’t prepare for as he hit it at over 100km/h, curling it away from keeper Jordan Pickford.

Antoine Griezmann was France’s man for all seasons, laying on two assists and providing cover in midfield as well as he buzzed around the pitch. France coach Didier Deschamps said after the match that he is not looking beyond the semifinals, but as well as team spirit and discipline, France have a bit more in attack that once again could be decisive.

Sports

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

Published

18 hours 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

3 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

Sports

Mbappe announces PSG departure at end of season

Published

1 week ago

11/05/2024

MARSEILLE, May 10 (Xinhua) — Kylian Mbappe confirmed on Friday that he will leave French Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season, without revealing his next destination.

But according to multiple media reports, he will join the La Liga powerhouses Real Madrid after the season ends.

“I wanted to announce to you all that it’s my last year at Paris Saint-Germain. I will not extend and the adventure will come to an end in a few weeks,” Mbappe said in a video posted on social media.

“I will play my last game at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.”

The French international joined PSG on loan from Monaco in 2017 and officially signed with the capital-based side after the season ended for a transfer fee of 180 million euros.

During his seven years with the team, Mbappe helped the club claim six league titles and three French Cup victories, making 306 appearances and scoring 255 goals, becoming the top scorer in the team’s history.

“It’s a lot of emotions, many years where I had the chance and the great honor to be a member of the biggest French club, one of the best in the world,” said the 26-year-old.

“It allowed me to arrive here, to have my first experience in a club with a lot of pressure, to grow as a player of course, by being alongside some of the best in history, some of the greatest champions,” he added.

“It’s hard and I never thought it would be this difficult to announce that… but I think I needed this, a new challenge, after seven years.”

PSG have already secured the Ligue 1 title of this season and reached the French Cup final, where they will compete for the championship against Lyon on May 25th.

However, in the Champions League where the team most aspired to make a mark, they suffered another disappointing exit as they were eliminated in the semifinals after being defeated in both legs by Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund.

Source(s): Xinhua