0 Worst day of my life, says Brazil coach Scolari

Oh No 7-1  !!!!

BELO HORIZONTE: Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said watching his side being crushed 7-1 by Germany in their World Cup semi-final was the worst day of his life as they suffered the most humiliating result in their illustrious soccer history.
"If I were to think of my life as a footballer, as a coach, as a physical education teacher, I think it was the worst day of my life," Scolari told a news conference on Tuesday.
"I'm going to be remembered probably because I lost 7-1, the worst defeat in Brazil's history, but that was a risk I knew I was running when I walked into this position."
It was only the second time that Brazil had lost by six goals and the first was back in 1920. It was by far their biggest defeat at a World Cup.
"I ask the Brazilian people, please excuse us for this negative mistake. I'm sorry that we couldn't get to the final," Scolari said.
"My message for the Brazilian people and fans is that we tried to do what we could, we lost to a great team who had the skill to end the game in just six or seven minutes with four goals."
After taking an early lead, the Germans tore Brazil apart with four goals in six minutes midday through the first half, ending the match as a contest before halftime.
Scolari described the result as "catastrophic" and "terrible" but tried to sound upbeat as he spoke to reporters, insisting several times that "life goes on".
"We lost one match to a great team. When we spoke to them (the Germans) after the match, they said, 'Even we don't know how this happened, five shots, five goals.'"
Scolari said he took responsibility for the defeat but the pain would be shared by the entire squad.
"I think everyone blanked out after the first goal," he said. "There was a lack of control... We got into a little bit of panic and everything went well for them and badly for us.
"They had their best match of the World Cup and we had our worst. That was the difference."
Scolari said he had no regrets about his team selection and that it would have made no difference if his injured striker Neymar had been able to play.
"I don't think there's any reason for anyone to suppose that with Neymar it would have been different. Let's not try to find an excuse in Neymar," he said.
"You have those four, five, six minutes of trouble and Germany made use of those minutes. That has nothing to do with Neymar."
Brazil will face either the Netherlands or Argentina in a third-place playoff match in Brasilia on Saturday - a meagre consolation prize for the hosts and pre-tournament favourites.
"Life doesn't end with this defeat," Scolari said.--REUTERS

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0 Malaysia beri tentangan hebat kepada Liverpool

 

 JARINGAN menerusi sepakan percuma kapten Safiq Rahim dan dua gol daripada Safee Sali jelas membuka mata Liverpool bahawa Malaysia juga mampu melahirkan pemain berkelas dunia.

Penolong jurulatih Liverpool, Steve Clark mengakui kehebatan kapten Malaysia itu dalam meledakkan gol pertama agak mengejutkannya.

Malah menurut Clarke lagi, kemasukan Safee pada 20 minit terakhir permainan berjaya menaikkan semangat pemain negara dengan ketajaman penyudah dan keghairahan memburu gol.

“Bagi saya jaringan pemain No. 8 (Safiq) menerusi sepakan percuma sangat cantik sekali.

“Malah dia juga banyak memainkan peranan dalam gerakan Malaysia,” kata Clark pada sidang media semalam.

“Penyerang No. 10 (Safee) pula bermain dengan hebat. Dua jaringannya serta keghairahannya memburu gol berjaya memberi tekanan kepada kami.

“Ia satu perlawanan yang baik bagi mereka dan saya rasa aksi keseluruhan pemain Malaysia agak bagus. Mereka bertahan dengan baik dan sangat kompetitif,” tambahnya lagi.

Menurut Clarke, kombinasi pemain Liverpool pada babak pertama lebih bertenaga berbanding babak kedua yang disifatkannya bermain secara terbuka.

“Kami bermula dengan baik, banyak menguasai bola dan mencipta peluang.

“Tetapi kombinasi pemain babak kedua agak longgar dan kami banyak kehilangan bola. Jadi sudah pasti saya lebih gembira dengan kombinasi pemain di babak pertama.

“Babak kedua juga permainan sangat terbuka oleh kedua-dua pihak.

“Saya puji tentangan yang diberikan pemain Malaysia kerana mereka dapat menjaringkan tiga gol. Ia sesuatu yang bagus bagi mereka,” tambahnya. — KOSMO

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0 Rajagobal naik angin

TANGKAS...Norshahrul mengasak pemain Arsenal, Ryo Miyaichi, semalam.

SEMANGAT wira 1975 gagal meresap dalam skuad Harimau Malaya kendalian Datuk K Rajagobal apabila tumpas 4-0 pada aksi persahabatan menentang kelab gergasi Liga Perdana Inggeris, Arsenal semalam.

Dua gol pada setiap babak The Gunners itu menceritakan betapa masih banyak kelemahan yang perlu dilakukan Rajagobal bagi menghadapi Singapura pada pusingan kedua Kelayakan Piala Dunia 2014 pada 23 Julai ini.

Dan apa yang dipamerkan pemain negara nyata mengecewakan Rajagobal.

“Saya kecewa dengan permainan yang ditunjukkan kerana mereka tidak menunjukkan permainan sebenar. Ini menyukarkan saya untuk menilai kemampuan pemain sebelum perlawanan dengan Singapura,” katanya pada sidang media selepas perlawanan berakhir.

Pada perlawanan yang berlangsung di Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil itu yang disaksikan lebih 50,000 penonton, kesilapan tonggak pertahanan Mohd Aidil Zafuan Abd Radzak menjatuhkan Jack Wilshere membawa padah apabila pengadil, Mohd Yussof Mat Karim menghadiahkan sepakan penalti kepada Arsenal.

Bintang Wales, Aaron Ramsey tidak berdepan masalah menyempurnakan sepakan itu menewaskan penjaga gol berpengalaman Mohd Nasril Mat Nourdin di minit kelima.

“Saya mahu pemain bermain dengan agresif pada babak pertama untuk memberi tekanan kepada pihak lawan, tapi gol awal Arsenal membunuh permainan ini.

“Kita kena terima realiti mereka pasukan hebat, saya harap pemain dapat mempelajari sesuatu,” kata Rajagobal.

Walaupun cuba mengancam menerusi larian deras di sebelah kiri S Kunanlan namun satu-satunya percubaan bahaya yang dihasilkan Malaysia menerusi sepakan percuma kapten Mohd Safiq Rahim di minit ke-38 berjaya ditepis keluar penjaga gol Wojcieh Szczesny.

Biarpun tanpa bintang Samir Nasri dan Robin Van Persie yang hanya masuk pada babak kedua, The Gunners berjaya menggandakan jaringan menerusi pemain sayap England, Theo Walcott dengan melambungkan bola memerangkap Nasril.

Arsenal terus selesa pada babak kedua apabila percubaan pemain gantian Carlos Vela gagal diselamatkan Khairul Fahmi Che Mat yang masuk menggantikan Nasril pada minit ke-58 dan Tomas Rosicky minit ke-90.

Selepas Malaysia, anak buah Wenger akan berlepas ke China bagi meneruskan Jelajah Asia menentang Hangzhou Greentown, Sabtu ini.

Pada kunjungan pertama Arsenal ke negara ini pada 13 Mei 1975 mereka tumpas 2-0 kepada skuad Malaysia bimbingan Datuk M Chandran menerusi jaringan legenda Datuk Mokhtar Dahari.

Dua hari selepas itu giliran Isa Bakar pula mencipta nama dengan menyumbat gol untuk skuad Harimau Malaya mencatat keputusan seri 1-1 pada perlawanan kedua.

Bagaimanapun zaman berubah, skuad The Gunners ternyata lebih hebat apabila menumpaskan Malaysia 2-0 pada 1999.

sumber- harian metro 14/7/2011

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