Al-Sisi reviews Egypt's food security, strategic commodity reserves    Egypt signs strategic agreements to attract global investment in gold, mineral exploration    Syria says it will defend its territory after Israeli strikes in Suwayda    Egyptian Exchange ends mixed on July 15    Suez Canal vehicle carrier traffic set to rebound by 20% in H2: SCA chief    Tut Group launches its operations in Egyptian market for exporting Egyptian products    China's urban jobless rate eases in June '25    Egypt's Health Minister reviews drug authority cooperation with WHO    Egypt urges EU support for Gaza ceasefire, reconstruction at Brussels talks    Pakistan names Qatari royal as brand ambassador after 'Killer Mountain' climb    Health Ministry denies claims of meningitis-related deaths among siblings    Egypt, Mexico explore joint action on environment, sustainability    Egypt, Mexico discuss environmental cooperation, combating desertification    Needle-spiking attacks in France prompt government warning, public fear    Foreign, housing ministers discuss Egypt's role in African development push    Korea Culture Week in Egypt to blend K-Pop with traditional arts    Egypt, France FMs review Gaza ceasefire efforts, reconstruction    CIB finances Giza Pyramids Sound and Light Show redevelopment with EGP 963m loan    Greco-Roman tombs with hieroglyphic inscriptions discovered in Aswan    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Egypt condemns deadly terrorist attack in Niger        Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Egypt's GAH, Spain's Konecta discuss digital health partnership    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    Egypt's Democratic Generation Party Evaluates 84 Candidates Ahead of Parliamentary Vote    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Cabinet approves establishment of national medical tourism council to boost healthcare sector    Egypt's PM follows up on Julius Nyerere dam project in Tanzania    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Messi, Ronaldo take centre stage as World Cup enters knockouts
Published in The Egyptian Gazette on 30 - 06 - 2018

MOSCOW, June 30, 2018 (News Wires) - The world's two greatest players roar into the knockout stage of the World Cup on Saturday, with Lionel Messi's Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal targeting a place in the quarter-finals.
Argentina, the beaten finalists four years ago, escaped by the skin of their teeth after a ragged group phase and will rely heavily on Messi when their ageing team face France in Kazan at 14:00 GMT.
The French, armed with Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann and wonder kid Kylian Mbappe have failed to fire the imagination so far and must sharpen up fast to keep alive their hopes of adding a second World Cup to the title they won on home soil two decades ago.
Before the tournament, France were widely tipped for a run to the final but they have failed to click so far, scoring just three times in three matches.
"Our group games left a mixed impression," France coach Didier Deschamps said.
"It's make or break. We don't have any choice. We have to do everything possible to make sure it goes well for us."
Messi has spent the tournament trying to hold his unbalanced and labouring squad together, even apparently bypassing coach Jorge Sampaoli to give coaching instructions in the 2-1 win against Nigeria that saved the South Americans from a humiliating group-stage exit.
He has scored only once and Argentina's campaign so far has been defined as much by Diego Maradona's increasingly erratic and emotional outbursts as by any signs the two-time winners can reach the final again.
Sampaoli warned his players that Messi cannot do it on his own.
"Leo has such clear vision when it comes to football that he allows us to see things that, sometimes, only a true genius sees," Sampaoli said.
"It's often difficult to be at the level of such a great player. He's a shining light for us all, and we have to do our very best to all try to be at his level."
Ronaldo tore out of the blocks in Russia, smashing a hat-trick in his first game against Spain and he added another goal in the 1-0 win against Morocco.
But Portugal's problem against a Uruguay team with the meanest defence of the tournament could be their over-reliance on the 33-year-old five-time world player of the year.
"We have to play as a team. If Ronaldo plays alone we will lose," Portugal coach Fernando Santos said.
Uruguay won the last of their two World Cups in 1950 but they have high hopes thanks to their stingy defence and two of the world's most prolific strikers, Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez.
The World Cup featured 122 goals in a frequently thrilling first phase and, following Argentina's near-collapse and the stunning failure of holders Germany to advance past the opening stage for the first time in 80 years, the draw is lopsided.
France, Argentina, Portugal, Brazil and Uruguay are all gathered in one section of the competition, with only Spain among recent winners in the other half.
It means that if, for example, England can beat Colombia on Tuesday, they will fancy their chances of reaching a potential semi-final against 2010 winners Spain.
FIFA have declared the video assistant referee system, introduced to the World Cup finals for the first time in Russia, a success.
Pierluigi Collina, the chairman of FIFA's referees committee, said he was pleased with the impact of VAR but that it did not mean all decisions would be perfect.
FIFA said VAR crews conducted checks on 335 incidents during the group stage, helping achieve a 99.3 percent rate of correct decisions.
"VAR doesn't mean perfection," Collina said. "There could still be some wrong interpretation or even mistakes, so it's not a perfection that can be reached having implemented VAR."


Clic here to read the story from its source.