So the ruthless Germans have won the Cup after all? It wasn’t the outcome Wired868 expert Lasana Liburd foresaw. But he has now decreed that tiki-kaiser shall henceforth succeed tiki-taka as football’s dominant style. Liburd’s opinion dovetails with the post-final view expressed by TV6’s Sweet Samba guru Keith Look Loy. …
Read More »Tiki-Kaiser: Götze milks the moment, as Germany conquers the world
Presumably, the German footballers passed the World Cup trophy around at a good tempo with no unnecessary showboating or fumbles. The 2014 World Cup belonged to the efficient, unrelenting Germans in the end. And the baby-faced assassin Mario Götze, who drew ire last year for ditching boyhood club, Borussia Dortmund, …
Read More »2014 World Cup: The stars, wanna-bes and flops!
What players have left their individual stamp on the Brazil 2014 World Cup? Colombia’s James Rodriguez, Argentina’s Lionel Messi, Brazil’s Neymar, Germany’s Manuel Neuer and Netherlands’ Arjen Robben comes to mind. But no player has been at the epicentre of his team’s tactics as well the opposition’s as much Messi. …
Read More »Jogo colapso: Netherlands swats aside sorry Brazil
Hopefully, the Brazilian football federation will locate the black box one day. Never in the history of the World Cup has a host team faced the embarrassment suffered by Brazil, the five-time champions, over the past five days. This was more tiki-torture than tiki-taka. It is one thing to have …
Read More »Romero must fly: Argentina penalises Dutchmen to advance to Rio final
If yesterday’s 2014 World Cup semi-final was a sumptuous feast—albeit a bit rich for Brazilian football fans—then today’s affair was rice and patchoi; unsavoury and forgettable but good enough to take you where you want to go. And, for Lionel Messi and his band of brothers, the next stop is …
Read More »Samba slaughter: PM stumbles into disaster zone as Germany flogs Brazil
Not since the horror trilogy, “Hostel”, has an unsuspecting tourist stumbled into such a mess. Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar left Piarco International Airport for Brazil yesterday evening to enjoy today’s 2014 World Cup semifinal match with her grandson. If her grandson happens to be younger than 18, …
Read More »Warriors’ attorney: TTFA, Warner not off the hook; uneasy about gov’t pay-off
Michael Townley, the British attorney of the 13 World Cup 2006 players, shared the emotions of much of Trinidad and Tobago at the news that the “Soca Warriors” have finally been paid the agreed sum for their participation at the senior FIFA tournament in Germany. Townley told Wired868 that he …
Read More »Warriors, TTFA and Warner respond to PM’s W/Cup settlement
Address from Brent Sancho on behalf of the 13 World Cup 2006 players: I am overwhelmed. On behalf of those of us who have been fighting a long, tough legal battle to get our just due payment for our efforts at the FIFA World Cup, Germany 2006, this moment means more than any …
Read More »PM pays 2006 World Cup players; independent of the TTFA
The 2006 World Cup players finally received payment for their exploits today, eight years after the fact, by Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. This afternoon, in a press conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann’s, Persad-Bissessar stole a march on Sport Minister Anil Roberts, National Security Minister Gary Griffith …
Read More »Lara makes no name for himself at Lord’s
“Indian fans declare excitement,” a pre-match tweet announced, “over chance to see Sachin and 21 other guys whose names escape me.” The source does not identify the tweeter but it could have been ESPNcricinfo Assistant Editor Allan Gardner, the writer of an online preview to yesterday’s pompously named Marylebone Cricket …
Read More »Krul heartbreak for Costa Rica; Argentina, Netherlands in final four
Dutchman Tim Krul might be the first player ever to decide a football match without playing in the active part of the game. Ninety minutes of regulation time plus 30 minutes extra time had expired when Uzbekistan referee Ravshan Irmatov allowed Krul on to the field to replace first choice …
Read More »Sideshow Luiz stuns Colombia; Germany chokes France’s rooster
David Luiz, the Brazilian defender with the “Sideshow Bob” locks, finally took centre stage today as the host nation produced its most assured performance of the 2014 World Cup thus far to edge Colombia 2-1 today. But Brazil was battered and bruised by the final whistle. And we don’t just …
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