Beyond The Goal

MOSCOW: Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev used his hand and feet in the penalties to help Russia overcome Spain in a Round of 16 match here on Sunday. On a rain-drenched evening at the Luzhinki Stadium, the 32-year-old showed excellent athleticism by using the heel to deny Aspas in the last shot as the hosts overcame the 2010 winners 4-3 on penalties after match ended 1-1 in extra time. The Russian victory against a top side could be a turning point for sport’s future in the country as it’s still not one of their favourite games. Basketball, volleyball and ice hockey continue to attract the Russians. Lack of international results may have had a deep impact on football not becoming a main sport. Russia has reached the quarterfinals for the first time after 1966 as the erstwhile USSR. Akinfeev was in great form after he made couple of excellent saves in the match including the one from substitute Rodrigo’s fiercely-driven shot while the defenders cleared Carvajal’s second...

By the time the next World Cup takes place in Qatar, Lionel Messi would be 35. Logically, the Argentinian has played his last World Cup at the Kazan Arena on Saturday. But why did the entire world rooted for the Barcelona star at all these World Cups, knowing that he is only good in his club shirt? Comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo over these years have fuelled the expectations of fans across the globe, but Messi had deprived them of further celebrations in Moscow and elsewhere. He may have ignited hopes for his countrymen in the last group match against Nigeria in Saint Petersburg last week, but that wasn’t enough. World Cup is a big tournament and that’s where a player like him should’ve dazzled. In the last one decade since his debut with Barcelona in 2005, Messi enjoyed a near demi-God status across the various continents and also drew comparisons with compatriot Diego Maradona following that epic goal against Villa Real in La Liga. From journalis...

MOSCOW:  Red Square is steeped in history, but these days it has become the centre of the world—at least for the FIFA World Cup. Once a silent witness to defining moments of the Second World War, the iconic square is now alive with colour and sound.  The streets that once echoed with military marches are today lined with shops, sidewalk cafés and hotels buzzing with football fever. Just opposite the Kremlin, visitors encounter some of the world’s finest brand stores and even an ice-cream parlour—an almost surreal contrast to the weight of history that surrounds the area. At the heart of the square, the Fan Zone has become a magnet for children and young supporters, filled with cheers, chants and celebration. The older generation, however, gravitates toward quieter reflections—taking sombre walks past Vladimir Lenin’s mausoleum or pausing to admire the statues that stand as reminders of Russia’s past. In many ways, the tournament has seamlessly merged sport with history. ...

MOSCOW: Englishmen born in the 70s must have watched Geoff Hurst’s celebration video clips perhaps more than the Hollywood classic The Godfather. The English striker’s controversial goal against West Germany in the 1966 FIFA World Cup final at Wembley still gives them kick, but sadly doesn’t inspire their footballers anymore to emulate their team's only World Cup triumph. England’s 1966 World Cup victory is just a piece of memory which the Englishmen flip through the pages after every four years, and they still hope their football teams will emulate Bobby Moore and company. But those who understand the game and have followed English football post 70, would agree the ‘Summer of 66’ was a ‘fluke’ as all their past teams had struggled at the successive World Cups. Even the Indians, who are so much influenced by ‘Made in England’, have never been a die-hard fan of their past colonial masters, who had taught them football. Not just the Indians, everybody who even posse...

MOSCOW: As the most popular football side in the world, Brazil always excite us. Even the media admire them -- more than 200 newspaper journalists and 100 photographers are registered for tomorrow’s Brazil versus Switzerland game. At the Rostov Arena, children have welcomed the Brazilians to the city, with their paintings spread around the city. Such is the love and affection that they’ve been enjoying since ages. Everybody loves the Selecao, but off late Brazil doesn’t resemble the teams of 70s and 80s. The attacking flair, which won them millions of hearts across the globe, is now a thing of the past. The team’s current style is not even a sequel of what Tele Santana had produced at the 1982 and 1986 World Cups and as school children, we were thrilled to watch Socrates-Zico-Elder-Falcao indulge their love of feints, tricks and back heels. The free-flowing approach has been replaced by a more cautious one ever since their players started playing in the gruel...

MOSCOW: There’s something about the African football teams. Hugely talented, but still remain success-starved at the sports biggest platform. During an informal chat with Moustapha Hadji in Doha few years back, the Morocco legend and 1998 World Cup hero said that ‘it’s always difficult to handle a bundle of talents’. Quite rightly so. When you’ve an entire team of excellent footballers, there’ll bound to have ego clashes in the locker room so much so that it becomes difficult for the coaches to handle each of them. Nigeria’s Super Eagles has always been a fantastic squad since the days we’ve started watching Nwanku Kanu, Finidi George and others at the 1994 World Cup. All five of Nigeria’s World Cup finals victories out of their 18 matches have been against European opposition. The Super Eagles beat Bulgaria 3-0 and Greece 2-0 in 1994, Spain 3-2 and Bulgaria 1-0 in 1998, followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina 1-0 in 2014. At this year’s edition, Nigeria has come with one of ...