Sport IN Uae – 5Uae.com

LONDON // David Beckham may be the biggest name in football but in his home country he mysteriously polarises opinion to the extent that when he wins his record 109th cap this weekend the debate will almost certainly be over whether he deserves it.

The crowd at Wembley will give him a hero’s reception against Slovakia if, as expected, he takes to the pitch to overtake the legendary Bobby Moore and become England’s most-capped outfield player, only 16 behind overall holder, goalkeeper Peter Shilton.

But there is still a significant tranche of supporters, journalists and former players who have reservations about Beckham’s place in football history and resent any comparisons with Moore.

Just listen to the opinion of England’s World Cup winning defender George Cohen, who played alongside Moore in 1966 and feels Beckham has been handed too many “cheap” caps.

“I don’t believe in cameo appearances, and the fact Beckham is about to break Bobby’s record makes me quite angry,” Cohen said. “Beckham hasn’t shown me anything in the last two years that makes me think he will have an impact in the 2010 World Cup.”

So why does Beckham split opinion in the country he has served so admirably?

Jealousy may be a factor, but for a definitive answer you have to delve into the English psyche to find out why so many people are so uncomfortable with the notion of putting their faith in a national hero.

Perhaps it is about being let down so many times in the past – in football terms, of course, England have only won one trophy and that was 43 years ago
Or perhaps the answer is political and Britain’s empire-building of the 19th century has produced a modern generation unable to celebrate their heroes without a tinge of embarrassment.

Whatever the reasons they must be deep-felt because on the face of it Beckham’s contribution to English football and culture is immense.

This is a player who has won league titles, FA Cups and a Champions League trophy during his time with Manchester United, finished top of La Liga with Real Madrid and who will become the first player to clinch titles in all three of Europe’s major leagues if he can do the same with AC Milan in Italy.

This is a player whose crossing of a football is unrivalled in the modern game and whose skill on the ball is more than matched by a desire to win and a willingness to work.

This is a player who was vilified for being sent off in the World Cup in 1998 for a petulant kick at an Argentine opponent but who had the strength of character to score a winning penalty against Argentina in the finals of 2002.

This is a man who conducts himself like an ambassador whenever he appears in public, is humble with his teammates and who is famously a doting father. There really is not much to dislike.

His critics will say he is self- obsessed and secretly manipulative, has allowed off-field celebrity to detract from his football and has achieved fame and wealth way above the level his talent merits.

But most people who have had the privilege to meet Beckham will tell you he is polite, helpful and driven by a desire to earn his place in history.

And those who have seen him play will have memories of spectacular goals, outstanding skill and remarkable character.

The rest of the world certainly appreciates that already, as do the supporters who will fill Wembley this weekend in the hope of seeing him overtake Moore’s record.

But in a very English way you suspect Beckham will only get the appreciation he truly deserves from his home country when he finally hangs up his boots and becomes a legend of the past himself.

With just a single point from four games, the UAE have an almost impossible task ahead as they chase their dream of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. There is a great resolve in the side, though, to script a rise up the table.

“There is nothing impossible in football,” said the UAE’s French coach Dominique Bathenay, mirroring the views of his squad as they prepared for Saturday’s match against North Korea with a 2-1 win over Beijing Hongdeng, who play in League One, the second tier of Chinese football, in Beijing on Monday night.

Ahmed Khalil, Asia’s best youth player, opened the scoring for UAE and Ismail Matar struck the winner in the 84th minute after the Chinese had equalised in the 72nd minute from a penalty.

“Of course, we understand that we are in a very difficult situation,” added Bathenay. “We will be playing against a very strong side at home and they will have their fans behind them.

“But the match against North Korea is our last hope. We cannot do anything but play for a win. Like I said, nothing is impossible and we have to stay positive and cling to our hopes.

“I have great confidence in the players and I am sure they will fulfil their responsibilities. I am positive they will put up a strong performance in Pyongyang and get the result we need.”

The UAE have been training in China for Saturday’s match since last Friday, getting acclimatised to the colder weather they will encounter in North Korea. Bathenay’s side also won their second warm-up in the Chinese capital yesterday, defeating League One team University of Beijing 3-0
Matar again figured among the goalscorers, slotting the second in the 37th minute after Mahmoud Khamis had opened the scores in the 19th minute. Ismail al Hammadi hit the third in the 66th minute.

The team fly to Pyongyang today where a victory against North Korea would serve as a huge boost for the game against Saudi Arabia in Riyadh on April 1.

The UAE lost against both sides at home by an identical scoreline, 2-1. They crashed to a 4-1 defeat in South Korea in their next game before opening their account with a 1-1 draw against Iran in November. They are bottom of Group 2, five points away from third-place and a play-off spot.

Meanwhile, Mazyar Zare’s late goal helped Iran beat Kuwait 1-0 in a friendly at Al Kuwait Stadium. Iran, who are in Group 2 along with the UAE, were preparing for their upcoming qualifier against Saudi Arabia on Saturday.

RIYADH // The new Saudi Arabia coach Jorge Peseiro has dropped the former Asian Player of the Year Yasser al Qahtani from the national squad for a crucial World Cup match on April 1 after the striker missed a practice session.

Al Qahtani, 26, rated the continent’s leading player in 2007, played in Al Hilal’s club match against Al Wehda on Monday night but skipped a national squad session on Tuesday.

“The coach has decided against including Yasser Al Qahtani after he missed the training and didn’t reply repeated phone calls,” the Saudi team manager Fahed al Musebeih was quoted saying in a report posted on the Asian Football Confederation’s website today.

Al Qahtani was already going to miss Saturday’s World Cup match against Iran because of suspension. Peseiro has also ruled him out for the match against UAE four days later.

Iran warmed up for Saturday’s match with a 1-0 win over Kuwait on Monday night, via Maziar Zareh’s penalty in the 84th minute.

The Saudis were held to a scoreless draw in a friendly against the Asian Cup champions Iraq on Sunday.

Saudi Arabia lie fourth in the five-team Group B half way through the final full round of Asian qualifying for the 2010 World Cup with four points.

South Korea lead the group with eight points, one clear of North Korea and two ahead of Iran. The top two teams in Asian Groups A and B earn direct places at the World Cup in South Africa, while the third-place teams in each group play off for a spot in an intercontinental qualifier

Five points adrift of qualification, without a win and struggling to score, the UAE’s hopes of reaching the 2010 World Cup in South Africa are slim at best. And they will face a new obstacle when they play North Korea on Saturday in Pyongyang – an artificial pitch.

The UAE team have spent five days in the Chinese capital Beijing trying to master the astroturf surface, and also the colder conditions they will experience in North Korea.

Two victories in the warm-ups matches against Chinese second division teams dispelled some fears about the surface.

But, there is a worrying precedent that the UAE will not want to follow. England famously fell to defeat against Russia on artificial pitch in Oct 2007, effectively costing them a place at Euro 2008.

However, Fahad Ali, the team’s administrative manager, was confident after the training camp in China.

“We picked Beijing because the city has stadiums with artificial grass.

“The players now have the experience of playing on this surface; they are all fit and confident of getting a good result against North Korea.”

Meanwhile, the new Saudi Arabia coach Jorge Peseiro dropped former Asian Player of the Year Yasser al Qahtani from the squad for the qualifier with the UAE in Riyadh on Wednesday after the striker missed a training session
The coach has decided against including Yasser Al Qahtani after he missed training and didn’t reply to repeated phone calls,” the Saudi team manager Fahed Al Musebeih said on the Asian Football Confederation’s website.

Al Qahtani was already going to miss Saturday’s qualifier against Iran due to suspension.

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The league should be getting interesting at this stage of the season but instead things have ground to a halt.

The Etisalat Cup will rumble on this week to much fan apathy. The second leg of the semi-final takes place this weekend.

The momentum of the season has been lost with yet another break. The international break is inevitable but there is now a week or two either side. The league season cannot be made as long as most European leagues because it involves only 12 teams.

I think there could be a case for condensing the league into a shorter period, thus making it more of a spectacle and keeping the momentum over a season.

One player who has been outstanding in the second half of the season is Andre Diaz. I saw him pre-season for Al Ain and he did not look fit at all.

He was at Al Wasl last season and suffered with a number of injuries. His appearance as substitute against Al Wasl in the final game before the mid-season break proved a turning point. He scored twice to win the game for Al Ain and since then he has been on fire.

He looks incredibly fit compared to the start of the season, his work rate is excellent and the goals have flowed. He has scored eight in the second half of the season and his hat-trick against Al Jazira last week in the Etisalat Cup just went to prove he is well and truly back. I have met him and he is a genuinely nice bloke, so it is great to see him doing so well.

No distractions

This weekend will see the UAE play in North Korea in the World Cup qualifiers. This could be a chance to experiment with youth for the national team coach and for Faisal Khalil to make his long-awaited comeback. The fact it is in North Korea means that there won’t be any distractions for the players.

North Korea is not famed for its shopping or nightlife – it is not famed for anything apart from annoying America. The Etisalat Cup semi-final second legs take place and it looks like plain sailing for Al Ain and Al Wahda. Al Ain are 4-1 up from the first leg and Al Wahda 3-1. The final is on April 14 and could well be Al Ain’s second of the season. I would not expect to see too many first team players out for any of the four sides this weekend as this has always been the UAE equivalent of the League Cup.

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NEW DELHI – Bangalore Royal Challengers owner Vijay Mallya has already spotted an opportunity in the Indian Premier League’s unexpected move to South Africa this season.

Bangalore have six players of South African origin in its squad, including South Africa-born former England skipper Kevin Pietersen, who signed for $1.5 million this season.

Pietersen will lead the Royal Challengers for a few matches before he returns to prepare for England’s home series against the West Indies.

Royal Challengers then have options for a top South African player to lead the team as the line-up includes Jacques Kallis and Mark Boucher. “I have several South Africans in my team, I hope the people there too come out and support,” Mallya told Indian media.

The other South African players in the Royal Challengers squad are Dale Steyn, Roelof van der Merwe and Dillon du Preez. Each team is allowed to play up to four foreigners in the starting 11.

Like Bangalore, the Mumbai Indians have a South African connection.

Former Proteas skipper Shaun Pollock played for the Mumbai line-up last year and led the team when Sachin Tendulkar was injured. Pollock has now taken up an assignment as a mentor and adviser for the Mumbai Indians and has put several players through a training camp in Durban, South Africa.

“I doubt South Africa will be able to get big crowds as we saw in the IPL last year,” Pollock said. “But people here love Twenty20 and appreciate world-class players. I’m sure they will come out in numbers.”

London – England striker Emile Heskey believes supporters at Wembley can be a 12th man now Fabio Capello’s side have won them over.

Home fans have previously jeered England players but they have recorded a 100 per cent start in their World Cup qualifiers and there is a mood of optimism ahead of the clashes against Slovakia and Ukraine.

“Being at home we want to put in a big performance to get the crowd behind us; once they are behind us they are like a 12th man,” said Heskey.

Heskey only has five international goals but fans have appreciated his work-rate since his return to the England set-up and they sung the Aston Villa forward’s name during the victory in Belarus, despite not being on the scoresheet.

That was his 50th England cap – and Heskey feels skipper John Terry will relish his own half century this week, either in the friendly against Slovakia or the qualifier against Ukraine.

“It’s a massive milestone for a footballer and great that I’m playing regularly and able to get that many caps,” Heskey said on thefa.com. “It’s one of the biggest memories of my football career.

Obviously getting 50 caps for your country is a great achievement and a great honour as well. “The shirt I wore has a ‘50 caps’ at the bottom, so I’ve got that framed and the lads got a montage printed of my games and signed it so that was very special.”

Heskey hopes the Slovakia friendly will re-establish the squad’s momentum following the friendly defeat to Spain, then the qualifier against Ukraine will be the focus. England will still be top of Group Six if they lose to Ukraine but victory will mean a giant stride towards South Africa.

“It’s important that we get the spirit from the last qualifiers. We just want to keep going,” he said. “With the lads coming back, we very quickly bed in together and form that unity once again.

“We know the importance of every game and we know that we have to play with 100 per cent commitment, and hopefully we can do that going into these next games. It’s going to be a really good test against Slovakia going into the qualifying game on the Wednesday evening. “It will be a tough game and we know that international football is no pushover so we have to go out there with the same enthusiasm and commitment.” PA

S
NAPIER – Batting time will be key to New Zealand levelling their test series against India on a McLean Park pitch that is likely to produce plenty of runs when the second Test begins today.

New Zealand were hammered by 10 wickets within four days in the first Test in Hamilton and must at least secure a draw to stop the tourists from claiming their first series win in New Zealand since 1968, before next week’s final Test in Wellington.

The hosts were bowled out for 279 twice at Seddon Park, lasting less than a day in their first innings and just over three sessions in their second, while India’s powerful batting line-up ground out 520 in 152.4 overs in their first innings.

“The longevity of the Test match game is what’s catching us out,” New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori told reporters in Napier. “We do things well for maybe a session or two but we’re not doing it well enough for four or five. “That’s what the good teams do. India played so well in that first Test, they seemed to win every key moment.”

EXTRA SPINNER

Vettori said he and coach Andy Moles were “leaning” towards including off-spinner Jeetan Patel to partner him in a twin-spin attack with an out-of-form Kyle Mills the most likely to drop out of the playing eleven.

The wicket at Napier is not likely to have any substantial grass on it after a late decision was made by groundsman Phil Stoyanoff to move it to another part of the wicket block. He had originally hoped to re-seed the same wicket used in the second Test against West Indies last December.

“I top-dressed it but I didn’t quite get the grass growth I wanted so I moved the track over to the right-hand side,” Stoyanoff told reporters. “It’s had a lot of rolling and it’s really, really hard.”

Stoyanoff said the wicket would offer the seamers some early assistance then flatten out to a “belter”, which could play into the Indians’ hands if New Zealand do not bowl well.

New Zealand batsman Daniel Flynn is to undergo a late fitness test after being struck in the hand during the first Test, with Jamie How joining the team in Napier and likely to slot in if Flynn is ruled out before the toss. India arrived in Napier yesterday from Auckland and had just one practice session.

“We’ve had one good hard session and we are ready for the game,” captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said. “We have achieved the first milestone, now it’s important to play the same kind of cricket in the second and third game.” Dhoni said his side would retain the same team that won so convincingly at Seddon Park.

Teams

New Zealand (probable): Daniel Vettori (captain), Tim McIntosh, Martin Guptill, Daniel Flynn/Jamie How, Ross Taylor, Jesse Ryder, James Franklin, Brendon McCullum, Iain O’Brien, Jeetan Patel, Chris Martin.

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Vangipurappu Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel.

Dubai – Those who love Aussie Rules football would surely have relished the thrilling finale to the inaugural AFL Middle East VB Premiership season at The Sevens stadium. At the end of it all, Dubai Heat demonstrated their supremacy across the region with a hard- fought win over the Muscat Magpies in the Grand Final.

But the celebrations were more about the success of a competition which in the minds of many seemed to be pure fantasy only two years ago.

Six teams from three countries had signed up at the outset of the competition. And if any Aussie Rules fanatic failed to catch the fireworks over the last six months, last weekend showed them exactly what they had missed.

Dubai Heat sent out a second string side against fifth placed The Dubai Dragons in the day’s first game.

It proved to be an easy win for The Dragons who showed how far they had come since the competition kicked off last September.

It was then the turn of The Dubai Dingoes and the Abu Dhabi Falcons to showcase their skills in the Preliminary Game to the Grand Final, and they certainly didn’t disappoint.

After squandering an early advantage the Dingoes got their bite back in the second half as four second half goals from Kym Plugger Harris steered the Dubai side to third place with a 10.11.71 to 8.8.56 win. It was a performance worthy of the final itself.

But Dubai Heat and the Muscat Magpies were not to be outdone. The First half saw the Heat take a commanding six goal lead into the main break after a devastating combination of physical and skilful footy.

The Muscat Boys looked rattled and at that stage it appeared the Heat, the region’s most dominant team in recent times, were yet again in a murderous mood. But a classy display from the Magpies’ two country Victorian stars, Simon O Keefe and Benny Goodall, kept the underdogs in the hunt. For once, the Heat’s all conquering run faced a serious threat at the final hurdle. But they proved their worth when it mattered most and deservedly picked up the VB trophy from Jeremy Bruer, the Australian Ambassador to the UAE. Staff report