stanzapop

Louis Van Gaal’s Genius Tactical Decisions

2014-07-07T03:19:00.003+08:00

The Netherlands entered this World Cup with the lowest expectations the nation has had for a major tournament since the 1960s. Golden generations have come and gone in Dutch football, yet the nation has never lifted the World Cup trophy. For years, the Netherlands squad has been more about big personalities and individual abilities than team play. But Louis Van Gaal, soon to take over Manchester United, has changed this into a team where personalities and individual achievements are taking a backseat to collective accomplishments.

The most recent Dutch sides have had a core group of seven players of note – Robin Van Persie, Arjen Robben, Dirk Kuyt, Wesley Sneidjer, Nigel DeJong, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Rafael Van Der Vaart. This particular group of players has been through a great deal. In 2008, the Oranje took the European Championship by storm ripping through formidable opposition until shockingly losing to Russia in the quarterfinals. In 2010, after years of being easy on the eye and known for a progressive playing style, the Netherlands adopted a more brutal approach to the game, and lost much of the residual goodwill of neutrals, losing 1-0 in the final to Spain in a negative match. In 2012, the side was touted as one of the favorites in the European Championships but instead went home without a point. Entering the 2014 World Cup, this group was aging. And the Dutch lacked the type of highly-touted young players that have been a part of every major Dutch tournament squad since the mid 1980s.

Each of those core players is now 29 or older. Van der Vaart was injured and did not make the World Cup side. The general consensus then was that the six remaining veteran players would not be enough to get the Netherlands even out of the group stage, let alone go deep in the competition. It appeared that yet another generation of Dutch players with high expectations was going to depart the scene without winning anything at the international level.

But what has happened is remarkable. Louis Van Gaal’s side, using a number of younger players who are based domestically, has excelled. The personality clashes of past Dutch sides have disappeared. The group of younger players brought in by Van Gaal has fit specific roles around the aging superstar core of the side.

We’ve seen less shows of demonstrative displeasure with this Netherlands side. There has been less acting out from notoriously volatile players like Robben and Van Persie. Prior to being injured, DeJong was playing with more grace and less recklessness then we’ve seen in years. Kuyt has embraced playing wherever he could to be useful for the side, even lining up as a right-back against Costa Rica on Saturday, just two matches after playing a lone striker against Chile.

Today, when the chips were down, DeJong — whose injury has rendered him out of the tournament — was seen demonstrably cheering his teammates on. In the past, we hardly saw these types of emotions displayed publicly by Dutch stars on the bench. Van Gaal’s controversial decision to bring the excellent goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen off the pitch before the penalty shootout for Tim Krul was genius. What was even more remarkable was how it was embraced by the entire team including Cillessen.

Louis Van Gaal has made the Netherlands into a team. The side drama of the Dutch sides we saw in the 1970s and then especially in the 1990s and 2000s when player and coaching clashes ran roughshod over highly-touted tournament squads seems a thing of the past.

The greatest underachieving nation in terms of trophies in the history of international soccer is perhaps one of sides punching furthest above its weight in this tournament.

NEYMAR is out of WORLD CUP! Poor BRASIL

2014-07-07T03:11:00.000+08:00

Brazil star Neymar was ruled out of the FIFA World Cup™ on Friday with a back injury, team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said. Lasmar told reporters Neymar suffered a fracture in the third verterbra of his back during Brazil's bruising 2-1 quarter-final victory over Colombia.

The hosts and tournament favourites set up a semi-final clash with Germany by disposing of los Cafeteros in an enthralling battle at the Estadio Castelao. Thiago Silva bundled home early on before David Luiz struck a superb 35-yard free-kick, putting the Selecao out of sight despite James Rodriguez's penalty leading to a nervy final ten minutes.

However, the joy of that 2-1 win was tinged with concern over the fitness of star man Neymar, who left the field on a stretcher in the closing stages. The 22-year-old was in tears after taking a knee to the back from Juan Zuniga, with Brazil doctor Rodrigo Lasmar confirming he has sustained a fractured vertebra that will end his World Cup. "It's not serious in the sense that it doesn't need surgery, but he'll need to immobilise it to recover," Lasmar said. "Unfortunately, he's not going to be able to play." Lasmar expects the recovery time to be at least a few weeks, ruling Neymar out of Tuesday's semi-final against Germany and the final, should Brazil get there, on 13 July.

The forward was seen leaving the Estadio Castelao on a drip and, after initial analysis at the stadium, was taken to a local clinic. Neymar was crying in pain and his absence will be a huge blow to Brazil, who will also be missing captain Silva for their semi-final with Germany through suspension.

ciplak mudah terbarai

2011-04-02T02:23:00.000+08:00

tetap merdeka

2011-04-02T02:16:00.000+08:00

yemen

2011-02-03T05:24:00.004+08:00

Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, eyeing protests that threaten to topple Egypt's long-time ruler, indicated Wednesday he would leave office when his current term ends in 2013, after three decades in power.

jordan

2011-02-03T05:23:00.000+08:00

Jordan's Royal Palace says the king has sacked his government in the wake of street protests and has asked an ex-army general to form a new Cabinet.

King Abdullah's move comes after thousands of Jordanians took to the streets -- inspired by the regime ouster in Tunisia and the turmoil in Egypt -- and called for the resignation of Prime Minister Samir Rifai who is blamed for a rise in fuel and food prices and slowed political reforms.

The Royal Palace says Rifai's Cabinet resigned on Tuesday.

Abdullah also nominated Marouf al-Bakhit as his prime minister.

2011-02-03T05:20:00.000+08:00

Gabungan parti politik dan Badan Bukan Kerajaan (NGO) yang menamakan diri mereka sebagai Himpunan Bersama Kebangkitan Rakyat Mesir akan membuat tiga desakan terhadap Amerika Syarikat, Jumaat ini.

Desakan itu akan dibuat dalam himpunan besar-besaran bagi menyerahkan memorandum kepada Kedutaan Amerika Syarikat selepas solat Jumaat 4 Februari ini.

Ketua Penerangan Dewan Pemuda PAS Pusat, Suhaizan Kaiyat berkata, tiga desakan tersebut ialah menggesa Amerika berundur dari Mesir, tidak campur tangan dalam urusan rakyat Mesir memilih pemimpin mereka serta mendesak seluruh dunia memberi tekanan kepada Presiden Mesir, Husni Mubarak agar meletakkan jawatan.

"Kita mengajak seluruh rakyat untuk menyertai himpunan yang akan bermula di Masjid As-Syakirin KLCC selepas solat Jumaat.

"Kita akan berarak dari masjid menuju ke kedutaan Amerika Syarikat dan akan disertai oleh beberapa pimpinan utama Pakatan Rakyat," kata beliau pada sidang media di Ibu Pejabat PAS, dekat sini hari ini.

Menurutnya yang juga pengarah himpunan tersebut, sebanyak lebih 50 NGO telah menyatakan persetujuan untuk turut sama dalam himpunan yang dijangka akan dihadiri lebih 1,000 orang itu.

Antaranya Sekretariat Himpunan Ulama Rantau Asia (Shura), Citizens International, Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Abim), gabungan Mahasiswa Islam Malaysia (Gamis) dan lain-lain pertubuhan.

Tambahnya, mereka turut mempelawa BN dan parti komponennya serta NGO di bawahnya untuk menyertai himpunan ini kerana ianya merupakan isu nasional tanpa mengira fahaman politik, bangsa dan agama.

"Kita mengajak pertubuhan lain yang barangkali tak bersama hari ini seperti Umno, MCA, MIC dan pertubuhan-pertubuhan bukan Islam juga digalakkan untuk hadir. Ini merupakan isu besar yang memerlukan sokongan semua pihak tanpa mengira politik dan agama," katanya.
NOTA:

Berkumpul jam 1.30 hari di Masjid KLCC

Bergerak dari Masjid KLCC pada jam 2.00

Semua dijemput datang untuk menunjukkan
setiakawan dengan warga Mesir.

gong xi fa chai

2011-02-03T05:18:00.001+08:00

fuck off first lady!

2011-02-02T09:48:00.000+08:00

stupid!

leila oh leila! fuck off!

fat lady from bangladesh & egypt! shits!

fat lady from MALAYSIA!

Egypt Set For Mass Protest As Army Rules Out Force

2011-02-02T09:43:00.001+08:00

Egypt's army gave a powerful boost to the country's opposition last night by announcing that it would not use force to silence "legitimate" demands for democratic reforms in the Arab world's largest nation.

On the eve of a million-strong protest planned for today and amid multiplying signs that the US is moving steadily closer to ditching its long-standing ally, Egypt's president, Hosni Mubarak, now has few options left.

Last night, in an apparent attempt to soften popular anger, the Egyptian vice-president said Mubarak had asked him to start a dialogue with all the country's political parties. According to state TV, Omar Suleiman said it would involve constitutional and legislative reforms

world stock market falling!

2011-02-02T09:40:00.000+08:00

The political protests in Egypt have sent world stock markets falling and pushed up the oil price again.

In London, the FTSE fell by 37 points to 0.6% to 5843 this morning, a seven-week low. International Airlines Group, formed by the merger of British Airways and Iberia, fell by nearly 4%, and holiday firms including Tui Travel and Thomas Cook also dropped.

The Japanese stock market had earlier fallen by 1.18% to close at its lowest level in a month. There were also losses in Hong Kong and South Korea as the prospect of widespread disruption hit the markets.

Gary Jenkins, head of fixed income research at Evolution Securities, believes the Middle East has now replaced the eurozone debt crisis as the primary concern in investors' minds.

the revolution has begun

2011-02-02T09:35:00.000+08:00

get lost hosni mubarak

2011-02-02T09:32:00.003+08:00

batu arang

2011-01-16T16:09:00.000+08:00

roll camera! action!

2011-01-16T15:30:00.000+08:00

The Green Hornet - (January 2011)

2011-01-15T20:12:00.000+08:00

X-MEN 4 - (2011)

2011-01-15T20:06:00.002+08:00

Super 8 - (2011)

2011-01-15T20:02:00.000+08:00

Green Lantern - (2011)

2011-01-15T19:59:00.000+08:00

Restless - (January 2011)

2011-01-15T19:51:00.001+08:00

The Mechanic - (January 2011)

2011-01-15T19:41:00.000+08:00

No Strings Attached (January 2011)

2011-01-15T19:36:00.003+08:00

Vanishing On 7th Street (2011)

2011-01-15T19:32:00.000+08:00

world invasion - battle of los angeles (2011)

2011-01-15T19:24:00.003+08:00

kungfu panda 2 (2011)

2011-01-15T19:20:00.003+08:00