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SPORTS16 Greater KashmirSRINAGAR | July 01, 2014, Tuesday

ARGENTINA VS SWITZERLAND9:30 PM - JULY 1

ARENA CORINTHIANS

BELGIUM VS UNITED STATES1:30 AM - JULY 2

ARENA FONTE NOVA

NETHERLANDS 2 : 1 MEXICOCOSTA RICA 1 (5) : 1(3) GREECE

R O U N D O F 1 6 M AT C H E S R E C E N T R E S U LT S

LIVE TELECAST: SONY SIX AND SONY SIX HD

Mexico vs Netherlands

Robben sorry for World Cup dive, but insists penalty was rightFortaleza, June 30: Dutch striker Arjen Robben has apologized for diving in a bid to get a penalty against Mexico but insisted he did not fake the foul that led to his side’s winning penalty kick.

Mexico’s coach Miguel Herrera launched a furious attack on match referee Pedro Proenca for giving the injury time penalty that Jan-Klaas Huntelaar hit home to seal a 2-1 comeback victory.

Robben was at the centre of both incidents in the World Cup last-16 clash in Fortaleza.

“I really have to say and at the same time apologise in the first half I took a dive and I really shouldn’t do that,” Robben told Dutch broadcaster NOS as he celebrated the vic-tory. “That was a stupid, stupid thing to do but sometimes you’re expecting to be struck and then they pull their leg

away at the last minute.”But the Dutch striker

insisted Proenca was right to point to the penalty spot after he was challenged by Mexi-co’s veteran captain Rafael Marquez. “I was fouled,” he

said. Mexico had been leading until the 88th minute when Wesley Sneijder scored and then Huntelaar put away the penalty. And Herrera said ref-eree Proenca should take no more part in the World Cup.

“The determining factor was the man with the whistle. He put us of the World Cup,” he said. “Although the first goal was down to our mistake, we had the chance to reconsider during the break before extra

time, but at the end when the referee invents a penalty you go out of the World Cup.

“At the very least they can look at this and this gentle-man ought to be going home like us.” Herrera claimed his side had been the victim of poor refereeing in three of their four games in Brazil and a European referee should never have been allocated the game in the first place.

“Out of four matches, we had three where the referee was disastrous. “I don’t under-stand why they had someone from the same confederation. Why not an African, Asian or South American referee? All the doubtful decisions went against Mexico.” Giovani dos Santos’ strike early in the second-half appeared to have Mexico on course for their first quarter-final appearance at a World Cup on foreign soil. AFP

Costa Rica vs Greece

Coach Santos rues waste of extra time as Greece exitRecife, June 30: Greece wasted a golden opportu-nity to beat 10-man Costa Rica in extra time before exiting the World Cup on penalties, coach Fernando Santos said on Sunday.

Leading 1-0, the Costa Ricans struggled to hold on following the dis-missal of defender Oscar Duarte after 66 minutes of the last 16 clash. Greece hauled themselves back into the game to level in stoppage time, but failed to make their numerical advantage count in extra time, eventu-ally losing 5-3 on penalties.

“I don’t think we used the 30 minutes (of extra time) as well as we should. We started it as if it was the last minute of the game, but there was still 30 left,” the Portuguese-born Santos told a news conference. “We just

needed to pass it around well and go into their half of the field and do things well. We were controlling the game, but then we wanted to try to finalise things individu-ally,” said Santos, who was sent to the stands for argu-ing with the referee before the penalty shootout.

He praised Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas, whose superb acrobatic save from Theofanis Gekas’s fourth spot-kick proved to be

the difference between the two sides. “Navas, he was the real protagonist today, he saved three or four goals, two in par-ticular were very good moments for him,” said the 59-year-old, whose contract as Greece coach runs out on June 30.

“Obviously he has to be congratulated, I think

if it wasn’t for him the result would have been different.”

Santos was circumspect about the result that brings the curtain down on his four-year spell in charge of Greece.

“I don’t really like talking about luck or lack of luck, Costa Rica won, obviously they were better in what was expected,” he said. “It can go either way, and it went to Costa Rica, they won and they go on. For that they have to be congratulated.” REUTERS

Angry Algeria coach says Ramadhan is matter for players

Australia, New Zealand set for day-night Test in 2015

Gayle rested for T20Is against NZBarbados, June 30: The West Indies selectors have rested opening batsman Chris Gayle from the back-to-back T20 Internationals against New Zealand on July 5 and 6 at Windsor Park in Dominica.

Gayle, 34, who played in all the three tests of the series against the Black Caps, has been concerned by a back injury and is receiving medical attention for the same. Allrounder Dwayne Bravo was also unavailable for selection as he con-tinues his recover from an injury picked while playing for the Indian Premier League fran-chise Chennai

Super Kings in April.Darren Sammy, who led

the West Indies to the World T20 title in 2012 and the semi-finals in defence of the crown in March in Bangladesh, will captain the 13-man squad. Ottis Gibson will coach the side while Sir Richie Rich-ardson is team manager.

West Indies Squad: Darren Sammy (captain), Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith, Andre Fletcher, Darren Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell,

Christopher Barnwell, Denesh Ramdin,

Krishmar San-tokie, Sunil

Narine, Shel-don Cottrell, S a m u e l Badree.

AGENCIES

Wellington, June 30: Austra-lia and New Zealand cricket officials say their national teams will likely to meet in the world’s first day-night Test match in November next year, either at Hobart or Adelaide.

James Sutherland, Cricket Australia chief, and his New Zealand Cricket counterpart David White said Monday that talks in Melbourne last week advanced plans for the match and both countries “are supportive of the inno-vation and its clear benefits.”

New Zealand is scheduled to tour Australia from late 2015 and Sutherland said the venue for the historic match had been narrowed down to the Adelaide Oval or Hobart’s Blundstone Arena. Play would likely begin at 2 p.m. each day and a pink ball will be used.

The ICC gave its approval in 2012 for member countries to work together on staging

Test cricket under lights. Sutherland said, “We are seri-ous about pushing ahead with the concept of day-night test cricket. We feel it will only strengthen the position and possibilities for Test cricket in many parts of the world. There are many Test matches played during non-holiday periods when adults are at work and kids are at school and that’s not an ideal way to promote the highest form of the game.”

Sutherland also said, “The summer holiday period in Australia really lends itself to Test cricket, but at other times of the year it can be difficult for fans to attend or watch Test matches, be it here or in other parts of the world. That is really at the heart of the issue. The challenge is to try to make Test cricket more accessible for fans.”

ICC chief executive David Richardson said he supported

the idea. “I am pleased that after the ICC board gave its thumbs-up during the 2012 annual conference and fol-lowing extensive trials and debates, we are now at a stage when two of our members are contemplating playing the first-ever day-night Test,” he said. “We’d like one or two warm-up games in similar con-ditions leading up to that Test,” White said while speaking to the New Zealand Herald.

New Zealand chief execu-tive David White supported this idea in Melbourne during the annual ICC conference. “We’re scheduling a trial fix-ture in the upcoming season so we can examine more closely issues such as dew, and its affect on the condition of the ball. Ensuring the ball behaves as closely as possible to the red ball is vital for the success of this initiative.”

AGENCIES

Porto Alegre, June 30: Alge-ria coach Vahid Halilhodzic on Sunday turned on reporters repeatedly asking whether his players are observing Rama-zan on the eve of their World Cup clash with Germany.

Germany that was to take on the Algerians in Porto Alegre on Monday in their last 16 clash, but repeated questions about the Muslim month of fasting drew the coach’s wrath.

“Stop asking me about Ramazan or I will get up and leave,” fumed the Bosnia-born Halilhodzic as Ramazan started on Saturday.

“When you ask the ques-tion, you lack respect and I’d like you to focus on the foot-

ball and nothing else.“This is not the first time

I coach a team with Muslims, I’m a Muslim myself.

“I have always allowed the players to make their own decision.“ The 61-year-old is riled by criticism from the Algerian press who alleged he had advised his players not to follow Ramazan.

“Unfortunately, I have read some newspapers, and one in particular, who con-tinue to tarnish my image and question my honour and integrity,” he fumed.

“They have called for hatred and aggression against Vahid and his entou-rage, that’s disgusting!“

AFP

JKFA to train budding footballersSrinagar, June 30: The J&K Football Association in collaboration with J&K State Sports Council is initiating a football training academy for budding players in 10-14 years age group, at playfield Gindun Rajbagh Srinagar, in collaboration with J&K State Sports Council.

A handout issued here said the academy will be functional for 3 days in a week. It would be func-tional on Friday, Saturday & Sunday every week from 4:30 PM onwards, it added.

The selected footballers shall have to submit their DOB issued by Srinagar Municipal Corporation.

“The trials for selection shall be held from July 15 to 17 (4: PM to 6:30 PM) while Academy will start functioning from August 4. Other instructions shall be intimated by respective Coaches from time to time”, the handout said.

I don't think we used the 30 minutes (of extra time) as well as we should. We started it as if it was the last minute of the game, but there was still 30 left.