Markable

Lionel Messi`s Argentina beat Netherlands 4-2 in a penalty shootout in Sao Paulo on Wednesday to reach the World Cup final for the first time since 1990.  Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero saved penalties by Wesley Sneijder and Ron Vlaar to take his side through.  They will play Germany in Sunday`s final in Rio de Janeiro.  The drab match was the polar opposite of Germany`s 7-1 annihilation of Brazil in the first semi-final 24 hours earlier. But Romero, who barely played for his Monaco club side last season settled matters by repelling spot-kicks from Ron Vlaar and Wesley Sneijder.  It was the second time that Holland, who lost the 2010 final to Spain, were beaten on penalties in a World Cup semi-final. They fell to Brazil in 1998.  "We have given everything and I`m incredibly proud of this team," Dutch star striker Arjen Robben said after.  "It came down to penalties and they simply did better," he told Dutch broadcaster NOS. "To lose like this simply sucks, it hurts."  The result was particularly cruel for Vlaar, who marshalled his defence imperiously throughout the game.  Messi had no answer to the Aston Villa centre-back`s decisive interceptions, but the Barcelona superstar can nonetheless still hope to confirm his greatness in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday when he appears in his first World Cup final.  Although reserve goalkeeper Tim Krul had saved two penalties in Holland`s shootout success against Costa Rica in the quarter-finals, coach Louis van Gaal kept faith in Jasper Cillessen this time.  Romero`s saves from Vlaar and Sneijder put Argentina in a commanding position and with Messi, Ezequiel Garay and Sergio Aguero all scoring, it was left to Maxi Rodriguez to dispatch the spot-kick that sent Argentina into the final.  It was only Argentina`s second win over the Netherlands in nine attempts -- their first since the 1978 World Cup final -- and it enabled Messi and his team-mates to pay appropriate homage to Argentine great Alfredo Di Stefano, who died on Monday aged 88.  Sensational block  Ten days after effectively being ruled out of the tournament with a torn groin muscle, Nigel de Jong made a sensational return to the Dutch midfield on a cool, overcast evening in Sao Paulo.  The AC Milan enforcer quickly set about tracking Messi the length and breadth of the pitch, but it was Argentina who enjoyed the best of the first half.  Messi fired a free-kick through the Dutch wall but it was stopped by Cillessen, while Ezequiel Garay headed over at a corner.  Van Gaal sent on Daryl Janmaat for Bruno Martins Indi at half-time, while de Jong soldiered on until the 62nd minute before giving way for Jordy Clasie, who came on to make his first appearance in Brazil.  As a steady rain began to fall, the game settled into a disjointed rhythm, with Argentina continuing to look the more threatening side.  Enzo Perez, deputising for the injured Angel di Maria, was a steady source of enterprise and he almost teed up Gonzalo Higuain for the opener with a glorious cross that the Napoli man poked into the side-netting.  Sabella sent on Rodrigo Palacio and the fit-again Aguero towards the end of normal time, but his side only made it to extra time thanks to a sensational sliding block by Javier Mascherano to deny Robben on the stroke of full-time.  Van Gaal had triumphed by bringing Krul on for the penalty shootout against Costa Rica, but this time he turned to striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who replaced the shot-shy Robin van Persie.  Holland belatedly registered a shot on target in the 99th minute, Romero saving from Robben.  Palacio and Maxi Rodriguez both squandered chances late in extra time for Argentina, but thanks to Romero, it mattered not.

Heartbroken Brazil captain David Luiz apologised to the nation on Thursday after suffering a record 7-1 World Cup semi-final defeat to Germany.  "Apologies to everybody, apologies to all the Brazilian people," said a tearful Luiz after the mauling in Belo Horizonte.  "I just wanted to see my people smile. We all know how important it was for me to see all of Brazil be happy, at least because of football.  "They were better than us. They prepared better. They played better.  "It`s a very sad day but it`s also a day from which to learn."  The 7-1 drubbing was the worst defeat ever suffered by Brazil in their 100-year history.

 Brazil`s World Cup dream was smashed into oblivion as majestic Germany ran riot to win an extraordinary semi-final 7-1 and send the South American hosts crashing to their worst ever defeat in their 100-year footballing history.  Sixty-four years after Brazil was plunged into national mourning after their loss in the 1950 final, the hosts were torn apart in a defeat likely to be every bit as traumatic as the fabled "Maracanazo."  Germany advanced to Sunday`s final in the Maracana after a brilliant first-half blitz which included a burst of four goals in six devastating minutes.  Thomas Mueller opened the scoring on 11 minutes, punishing poor Brazilian marking at a corner to make it 1-0.  Brazil, badly missing suspended captain Thiago Silva, tried to regroup but there was no respite.  Miroslav Klose`s cool finish on 23 minutes -- which made him the World Cup`s all-time top-scorer with 16 goals -- was the cue for the floodgates to open.  Toni Kroos struck twice in the 24th and 26th minutes to make it 4-0 and then Sami Khedira rounded off another clinical move to make it 5-0 on 29 minutes.  Dead and buried inside half an hour, the crowd at the Mineirao Stadium was stunned into silence.  Many fans burst into tears as they struggled to comprehend the enormity of what had taken place.  After the fifth goal, well before half-time, hundreds of people left their expensive seats.  A section of the crowd chanted sexually-expletive obscenities against the team and President Dilma Rousseff, who up to now had enjoyed a reprieve from protests over the record $11 billion spent to host the tournament.  Across the nation, others fans shouted at their televisions and abandoned public screenings.  Though Brazil rallied at the start of the second half, the torture continued on 69 minutes when Andre Schuerrle swept in Germany`s sixth.  This time boos rang out around the Mineirao as the Germans celebrated.  Schuerrle then grabbed his second on 79 minutes to make it 7-0, and confirm the worst defeat in Brazil`s history.  The previous record loss had been a 6-0 reverse to Uruguay in 1920.  Schuerlle`s second goal was greeted by a burst of applause as Brazilian fans saluted Germany`s wonderful exhibition of attacking football.  A late goal from Oscar was barely applauded by the Mineirao Stadium crowd.  Brazil had gone into the match riding a fervent wave of national emotion, determined to clinch a place in the final to honour injurect striker Neymar.  The crowd roared chants of "Neymar, Neymar" just before kick-off, following a spine-tingling rendition of the national anthem that saw captain David Luiz proudly holding up the injured striker`s No.9 shirt.  But Mueller`s early strike punctured the fervent mood, and when the goals started flying in after Klose made it 2-0 there was no way back for Brazil.  Germany will now play the winner of Wednesday`s semi-final between the Netherlands and Argentina in the final.

 

 Miroslav Klose became the World Cup`s all-time top-scorer after netting his 16th goal in the competition in Germany`s first-half semi-final rout of Brazil.  The 36-year-old, appearing in his fourth World Cup semi-final, put Germany well on course for Sunday`s final in Rio de Janeiro after Thomas Mueller`s early opener.  Toni Kroos then added two more in as many minutes to incredibly put the Germans 4-0 up before Sami Khedira added a fifth on the half hour mark.  Klose had matched Brazilian legend Ronaldo`s record of 15 World Cup goals when he scored the equaliser in Germany`s 2-2 draw with Ghana in the group stages.  This is Klose`s second goal-scoring record in just over a month after he broke Gerd Mueller`s previous mark of 68 goals to become Germany`s top scorer in a 6-1 pre-World Cup friendly win against Armenia.

National cricket all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has been banned for six months from all kinds of cricket activities.     Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) President Nazmul Hasan Papon made this announcement after a meeting, in this regard, on Monday afternoon.     Besides, BCB President also declared that Shakib will not be granted an NOC (No Objection Certificate) to play in overseas competitions including Indian Premier League (IPL) until the end of 2015.     “This punishment is not for a single allegation against Shakib,” BCB President Nazmul Hasan said. “This punishment is the result of a series of controversial incidents of the all-rounder. He (Shakib) was casting a negative impact on the team.  The board president also said that the country’s ace all-rounder doesn’t obey team’s code of conducts even he does not care coach or captain’s directions.    Terming the decision hard and unfortunate, Nazmul, however, also said if Shakib continue doing like that, he would be banned for life.  No contacted national cricketer of BCB can appear on any commercial activities like advertisement without permission hereafter, Nazmul Hasan also said.  Earlier, Shakib Al Hasan appeared before the board of directors of BCB, this noon.     The meeting was held in presence of Shakib to decide the course of action against him for violation of code of conduct of the BCB began at 1.00pm at BCB’s Mirpur headquarters.     On July 3, BCB had asked Shakib to return to the country immediately while he was on his way to Barbados to participate in the CPL that will run from July 11 to August 16.     BCB asked Shakib to return home as he went to play CPL without taking NOC from the board.

Brazil has launched a last-ditch attempt to get badly injured star Neymar fit to play in next week`s World Cup final if Brazil make it.   Local media says team staff held a meeting with the Barcelona player at his home at the weekend in which they discussed his chances of getting on the pitch through painkillers for his fractured vertabrae.   Neymar fractured his third lumbar vertebra in Brazil`s quarter-final victory over Colombia on Friday and was ruled out for the rest of the World Cup, but medical experts say injuries to this vertebra are less problematic physically than to other vertebrae.   However, Brazilian newspaper Globo said even the injections may not be enough.   "There is no guarantee of success, the chances are small," Globo said.   Meanwhile, the hosts are fighting a battle to stop another of their players from missing the semi-final against Germany, with Brazil calling on FIFA to scrap the suspension which has ruled captain Thiago Silva out.   The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said it wanted FIFA to rescind the yellow card awarded against Silva during the bruising win over Colombia.   The card against Silva was "unjustly shown" and the defender should therefore be allowed to face the Germans in Belo Horizonte, the CBF said in a statement.   The Brazilian association also demanded FIFA launch an investigation into the "violent challenge" on Neymar by Colombia`s Juan Zuniga.   Zuniga has apologised for the tackle but insisted there was no intention to injure the opponent.   Neymar cried "I can`t feel my legs" after Zuniga`s knee in the back challenge, Brazil`s coach Luiz Felipe Scolari told Spanish sports daily Marca.   Scolari said the whole team panicked.   Left back Marcelo was first to reach the striker, knelt next to him and asked how he felt, according to Scolari. "He replied: `I can`t feel my legs,"` added the coach.   Marcelo shouted for the team doctor, but doctors are not allowed onto the pitch. "It was a big shock, the image of Neymar being stretchered off to the helicopter, in difficulty, crying," Scolari was quoted as saying.   If Brazil`s appeal of Silva`s suspension fails, they will line up against Germany missing two key players.   But German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger said he believes Neymar`s absence could spell trouble for his team, suggesting it may give the hosts a cause to rally around.   "It`ll bring the (Brazil) team together and they`ll want to win the title for him," Schweinsteiger said.   Schweinsteiger, who will his 107th cap on Tuesday, said he would have preferred to be playing Brazil in the final.   "It`s an honour and a challenge to play against the hosts, but it have would be better to play Brazil in the final," he said.   "It doesn`t matter how much experience you have, to play the hosts in this football-crazy country, I mean that in a positive sense, is something special."   Tuesday`s match is only the second meeting in World Cup history between Brazil and Germany.   The previous meeting was the 2002 World Cup final won by Brazil.   The semi-final line-up was completed on Saturday with Argentina beating Belgium 1-0 to set up a showdown with the Netherlands, who defeated Costa Rica on penalties after a 0-0 draw.   Dutch coach Louis van Gaal awoke on Sunday to be greeted by headlines hailing his decision to substitute goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen for Tim Krul just moments before the end of extra-time as penalties loomed.   The decision proved to be inspired, with Krul saving two Costa Rican penalties as the Dutch progressed.   Krul revealed Sunday he had only been informed of the gambit shortly before the match.   "The manager and the goalie coach told me before the game if we had a substitute left the possibility was there to use me in the penalty shootout," said Krul.   "The whole game I was watching it differently because I knew the possibility was there."

Novak Djokovic ended his Grand Slam drought and Roger Federer`s hopes of a record eighth Wimbledon title with a thrilling five-set victory.   The Serb, 27, came through 6-7 (7-9) 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 5-7 6-4 to win his second Wimbledon and seventh Grand Slam title.   After letting a championship point slip in the fourth set, he won Wimbledon`s first five-set final since 2009. Djokovic had lost his previous three major finals, and will now reclaim the number one ranking from Rafael Nadal.   "After losing the fourth set it wasn`t easy to go on and win the fifth set, I don`t know how I did it," Djokovic told BBC Sport.   "This is the best tournament in the world and the one I always wanted to win so to be able to compete at such a high level I am so grateful."   Federer, 32, had hoped to surpass Pete Sampras with an eighth title and become the oldest winner in modern times.   The Swiss was willed on by much of the 15,000-strong crowd throughout the final, with chants of "Roger! Roger!" ringing around Centre Court when he reeled off five successive games from 5-2 down in the fourth set.   But Djokovic recovered his nerve to fend off break points in the decider and clinch a dramatic win after three hours and 56 minutes, before kneeling on the turf and eating some grass - just as he had done after winning in 2011.   He then headed into the stands to celebrate with his team, including three-time Wimbledon champion Boris Becker, brought in by Djokovic at the start of the year to help end his run of 18 months without a major win.

Dutch goalkeeper Tim Krul was the hero as the Netherlands beat Costa Rica to seal a showdown with Argentina in a heavyweight World Cup semi-final lineup Saturday.  Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal stunned onlookers at Salvador`s Fonte Nova Arena by bringing on Krul to replace Jasper Cillessen in the final seconds of extra-time after 120 minutes had finished deadlocked at 0-0.  But van Gaal`s audacious move paid dividends as Newcastle keeper Krul saved Costa Rican penalties from Bryan Ruiz and Michael Umana to send the Dutch through the last four.  The Netherlands will now play Argentina on Wednesday for a place in the July 13 final after hosts Brazil face Germany in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday.  The team had won only one penalty shootout in five previous attempts at major championships.  But penalty takers Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder and Dirk Kuyt all made no mistake from the spot to beat Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas.  "It`s a dream come true for me," said Krul. "I watched the penalties. We`ve been preparing with all the goalkeepers and the goalkeeper coach."  Van Gaal later said Krul was introduced because he could have a better chance of success in a shootout.  "Every keeper has specific qualities and we felt that he had a better reach, and a better track record to stop penalties," van Gaal said.  "We`d discussed it with Tim, how Costa Rica would shoot their penalties, their sequence. So he was prepared.  "Fortunately it worked out, because if it hadn`t worked out, I would have taken the wrong decision.  "That`s usually how it works out in football."  The unforgettable shootout drama came after a gritty duel that saw the Netherlands dominate for long periods without being able to score.  Sneijder came closest, twice hitting the woodwork in normal and extra-time.  The win means the Netherlands are set for another chapter of their World Cup rivalry with Argentina, which includes the 1978 final won by the South Americans.  Argentina advanced to the semi-final for the first time in 24 years on Saturday after a Gonzalo Higuain strike secured a 1-0 win over Belgium.  Napoli striker Higuain lashed in an instinctive first time shot after eight minutes as Belgium`s hopes of qualifying for the last four wilted in Brasilia.  Argentina`s win snapped a run of two successive World Cup quarter-final exits following failures against Germany in 2006 and 2010.  It is the first time the South Americans have qualified for the last four since the 1990 finals in Italy.  "We produced a very complete match. We weren`t able to create that many chances, but they didn`t make that many clear chances either," Argentina captain Lionel Messi said.  Argentina have now won all five of their matches at the tournament, but they laboured in the group phase and were criticised for a lacklustre display in their 1-0 victory over Switzerland in the last 16.  Beaten coach Marc Wilmots dismissively branded Argentina "an ordinary team with one extraordinary player" after the game, but Messi appeared similarly unimpressed with Belgium.  "All they had were long-range shots," he said.  "They have a lot of tall players but couldn`t do anything with them. We didn`t give them space. The most important thing here is that we won and we got through."  Messi said that he and his teammates took great pride in matching the achievement of Diego Maradona`s 1990 side by reaching the last four.  "This is amazing," he said. "We knew it was going to be difficult.  "Argentina have gone a long time without doing this, and it was us who crossed the frontier."  Wilmots paid tribute to his young side -- and delivered a withering verdict on Argentina.  "We made some very small mistakes, but we learnt a lot tonight. We`re very disappointed, everyone is very down, but I`m very proud of the boys," he said.  "But I`m not at all impressed by Argentina. They`re a very ordinary team with one extraordinary player," he said, referring to Messi.  A hard-fought contest at the Mane Garrincha National Stadium was settled in the opening skirmishes.  A ball from Real Madrid`s Angel di Maria deflected off Belgium defender Jan Vertonghen and fell invitingly into the path of Higuain, who rifled a shot past Thibaut Courtois.

Gonzalo Higuain smashed home an early goal as Argentina dashed the World Cup dreams of much-fancied Belgium with a 1-0 win in the quarter-finals in Brasilia on Saturday.  Higuain struck in the eighth minute at the Mane Garrincha National Stadium to send Argentina into the last four for the first time since 1990 and thwart Belgian hopes of avenging their defeat in the 1986 semi-finals.  Alejandro Sabella`s side will play either the Netherlands or Costa Rica, who face off in the fourth and final quarter-final later on Saturday.  The only black mark for Argentina was an injury to influential midfielder Angel Di Maria that forced him off in the first half and may yet deny him a chance to play in the semi-final.  Hours after Neymar was ruled out of the tournament due to injury and James Rodriguez was eliminated with Colombia, Lionel Messi gave further evidence to suggest the World Cup may yet belong to him. 

 He illuminated Argentina`s play with his trickery and incisive passing and although he failed to score, Higuain`s goal was enough to see off Belgium`s `golden generation`, for whom the occasion proved a step too far.  A symbol of Belgium`s travails, star player Eden Hazard was booked for a crude challenge on Lucas Biglia and then replaced by Nacer Chadli with 15 minutes remaining.  Showing three changes to the team that had laboured to beat Switzerland in the last 16 -- Jose Maria Basanta, Martin Demichelis and Biglia coming in -- Argentina were quick to put Belgium on the back foot.  Messi was at the forefront, freeing Ezequiel Lavezzi for a low cross that Vincent Kompany hacked clear and then playing a central role in Argentina`s opener with a pirouette and pass to Di Maria.  Di Maria`s subsequent pass was intended for the overlapping Pablo Zabaleta, but it flicked off Jan Vertonghen`s right foot and into the path of Higuain, who lashed in his first goal of the tournament.  Messi then produced a cleverly weighted pass to Di Maria, who shifted the ball onto his left foot, only for Kompany to block.  Though seemingly anodyne, it was a moment that could have lasting repercussions for Argentina.  Di Maria injured himself while shooting and had to trudge off in the 33rd minute, with Benfica`s Enzo Perez coming on.  Belgium seemed slightly inhibited, but after Kevin De Bruyne saw a 25-yard shot boxed away by Argentina goalkeeper Sergio Romero, Kevin Mirallas headed narrowly wide from a Vertonghen cross.  Belgium coach Marc Wilmots pushed Marouane Fellaini further forward in the second half, but Argentina continued to threaten.  Higuain twice came close to claiming a second goal, first seeing a shot deflected wide by Daniel Van Buyten and then neatly nutmegging Kompany, only for his shot to clip the bar.  Wilmots reacted by introducing Romelu Lukaku and Dries Mertens, before hooking the ineffective Hazard.  Belgium began to apply pressure, with Fellaini heading a Vertonghen cross over the bar and De Bruyne having a shot deflected wide.  Messi should have made it 2-0 on the counter-attack in stoppage time, only for Thibaut Courtois to rush out and save, but Argentina held on nonetheless to join Germany and eternal rivals Brazil in the last four.