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“Argentina’s weaknesses exposed by rampant Germany” plus 5 more- Argentina’s weaknesses exposed by rampant Germany - Hero or villain? The Luis Suárez debate continues - Sneijder eyes unique chance for Holland to make history - Flower weaves his magic as England begin to bloom - Marvellous Martina still making Wimbledon smile - Rugby’s answer to Twenty20 set for curtain raiser Argentina’s weaknesses exposed by rampant Germany Posted: 03 Jul 2010 03:59 PM PDT When Diego Maradona was appointed as manager of Argentina we expected to see an abundance of attacking talent grace the field. We were certainly not left disappointed. The deadly trio of Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuaín and Carlos Tévez showed just how effective they could be on their way to the quarter-finals in South Africa and those who had been critical of Maradona's managerial ability in the past were gradually beginning to be swayed. But on Saturday Germany offered something totally different to what the Argentina legend's side have had to face in the past. Joachim Löw’s side are a team that were quietly confident coming into the competition and have gone on to show exactly how good the current generation of German footballers are. The side that Löw has constructed is rather stereotypically German, with their incredibly efficient and organised football at times making up for an absence of big-name players. This Germany side are solid from back to front, and against Argentina they demonstrated the ability to stifle even the best attacking line-ups whilst pushing forward themselves and being clinical in front of goal. Argentina lack that balance that their conquerors posses. Although the South American outfit have an abundance of attacking talent they are weak at the back and have been fortunate not to have faced a real test up until facing Löw's men. But that is not to say this World Cup has been a complete failure for Argentina, far from it. Most had completely written off the side's chance of progressing to the latter stages in South Africa thanks to Maradona's tactics. Yet they have demonstrated—admittedly against weaker opposition—that they are a forced to be reckoned with. So should Maradona keep his place in the Argentina hot seat? It is difficult to say. Whilst he has succeeded in ensuring Argentina’s attacking players work fantastically together, they are lacking at the back and one must question whether Maradona is the right man to instil the required defensive stability. Germany, clearly now the in-form side at these finals, progress to the semis where they will meet Spain. Hero or villain? The Luis Suárez debate continues Posted: 03 Jul 2010 03:23 PM PDT Luis Suárez's cynical handball in the dying seconds of extra time prevented Ghana from becoming Africa's first ever World Cup semi-finalists. The Uruguayan striker quite rightly received a straight red card for his display of volleyball technique in preventing the African side from clinching a last-minute winner. However, Asamoah Gyan's subsequent penalty miss kept Uruguay in the match and posed an interesting moral question surrounding Suárez’s actions. Normally one tries to keep sport, politics and morality as separate and distinct as possible, but on occasions such as this it becomes increasingly difficult. Some have seen Suárez’s handball as a gamble that ultimately paid off as his side went on to book their place in the last four of the competition. Others have labelled him as a cheat and drawn comparisons with Maradona's infamous Hand of God in 1986. So, on which side should the average neutral viewer fall? Was it a clever gamble or a blatant act of cheating? Imagine if that was the World Cup final between England and, say, Germany, and the scores are level going into the dying seconds of extra time. Bastian Schweinsteiger is tripped by Frank Lampard about 10 yards outside the England penalty area, giving Germany one last chance to threaten. Mesut Özil curls over a free kick, which is met by the head of Miroslav Klose. The ball is destined for the back of the net, until Wayne Rooney intervenes and punches the ball off the line. Rooney is red-carded and Germany have a penalty, which Klose blazes over the cross bar with the last kick of the game. England go on to win the match on penalties. Would you really care that England had won in such a manner? Reading many of the comments from readers on a variety of websites gives the impression that most people would not care if England won the World Cup in such a manner. But, those same people are bemoaning Suárez for cheating. It simply does not add up. Does it come down to the fact that football fans are ultimately hypocritical and clamber up onto the moral high ground at every opportunity? Sadly, it probably is true. Sneijder eyes unique chance for Holland to make history Posted: 03 Jul 2010 11:46 AM PDT Wesley Sneijder believes the Netherlands can win a first World Cup after their shock 2-1 win over favourites Brazil in Friday's quarter-final. The Inter Milan playmaker headed home the winner in Port Elizabeth after a Felipe Melo own goal had cancelled out Robinho's first-half opener. And with underdogs Uruguay to come in Tuesday's semi-final, Sneijder senses a unique opportunity to create history. "This is a unique chance for us to go all the way," said the former Real Madrid man. "This is simply a fantastic feeling. We’ve beaten Brazil 2-1 to progress to the semi-finals." Sneijder admitted the Dutch faced an uphill battle after falling behind before the interval but praised their fighting spirit. "It seemed pretty much impossible to progress at half-time," added the 26-year-old. "However, we told each other during the break that we had to give it our all and that we could still make it to the semi-final. "We started the second half with attacking intentions and were rewarded with a quick equaliser. "I got all the time and space I needed for our second goal and I didn’t hesitate to head the ball home from inside the area." Flower weaves his magic as England begin to bloom Posted: 03 Jul 2010 09:02 AM PDT In the recent upturn of England's fortunes one mastermind sits stern-faced behind the scenes. Since becoming full Team Director in April 2009 Andy Flower has regained the famous urn and led England to victory in the World Twenty20 cup. The biggest change is a simple one. No longer does one England squad compete all formats of the game. Flower and Andrew Strauss have finally dragged England in line with the other nations in selecting specialist squads, distinguishing the difference between Test cricket, 50 over and 20 over matches. England's win in the Caribbean epitomises this fundamental change of attitude to selection. The squad chosen was tailor made for the shortest format including the likes of Michael Lumb, Craig Kieswetter and Michael Yardy. As well as the players chosen for each differing competition, it's the ruthlessness to select men in form. A prime example coming with the rise of Jonathan Trott. After some sterling run scoring for Warwickshire he was fast tracked into the fifth Ashes test at the Oval and scored a magical hundred to set up victory. Flower's ruthlessness has been shown again with the dealing of his spinners. Monty Panesar has not featured since saving the match with the bat in the opening Ashes test match in Cardiff, magnifying the cut throat nature of his management. Graeme Swann has been his number one spinner which has proved to be an invaluable move as the Nottinghamshire man has led the attack on a number of occasions. It's not just Flower's on field changes but his conduct off it. There are stark comparisons between the England boss and former coach Duncan Fletcher. Despite taking over an apparently divided team, the harmony apparent today is an incredible achievement. More so he has made the job his own. Formerly a stubborn and rigid set up, Flower has given the team real flexibility and broken down well established walls around its selection policy. Most importantly England no longer fear Australia. There was almost an expectation to win against the old enemy in the Twenty20 final and this again highlights a shifting attitude change instilled by Flower. This was no flash in the pan, England stormed to a 3-0 lead against Australia in the current five match series and the signs look promising ahead of the series down under. Player performances have been outstanding but it pays to take a look at the wider picture and ensure that those behind the scenes get the credit they deserve. The environment and atmosphere in the England camp built by Flower looks set to see English cricket continue to bloom. Marvellous Martina still making Wimbledon smile Posted: 03 Jul 2010 06:25 AM PDT The headlines on Wimbledon's first Thursday talked of royalty, for it marked the first visit to the Championships by the Queen since Virginia Wade won the UK's last singles title in 1977. The Queen met the current champions, of course, but she also met the woman who many regard as the true queen of Wimbledon, Martina Navratilova. Navratilova's achievements on the tennis court are almost without parallel: 18 singles Grand Slam titles, 31 doubles titles and 10 mixed doubles titles. But her Wimbledon achievements surpass all-comers. She had never even seen a grass court until a week before her first appearance at Wimbledon in 1973, but she was immediately hooked and, aged 18, reached the quarter-finals of what was to become her signature tournament in 1975. This was also the year when, struggling to get visas to travel from the stifling Soviet regime in her Czech homeland, she was forced to defect after a semi-final defeat at the US Open. Missing her family, and with her confidence knocked, it would be almost three years before she and her tennis recovered to win her first singles Slam title: at Wimbledon in 1978. That opened the floodgates, and she embarked on a record-breaking 13-year Wimbledon run during which she won nine singles titles—still a record for men or women—and made at least the semis in every year until 1994 (barring a quarter-final exit in 1991). Navratilova's athletic game and attacking style—coming to the net at every opportunity, a classic use of cross-court slice, a swinging left-handed serve—were made for grass, but her supreme fitness and a willingness to evolve and to work at the tactical game were just as vital. Indeed she claims that this willingness enabled her to win her ninth Wimbledon title in 1990, aged 33. And she still loves Wimbledon with a passion. She has said: "Wimbledon is like a drug. Once you win it for the first time you feel you've just got to do it again and again and again." That is just what she did. In 2000, aged 43, she decided she was not ready to turn her back on tennis, and returned to a limited schedule, not on the 'senior' tour but with the current players on the full tour. She went on to win a dozen more doubles titles, including a 20th title at Wimbledon in the mixed doubles in 2003—a record equalled only by her friend and fellow tennis icon, Billie Jean King. When Navratilova did finally hang up her racket, it was done in style after one final Grand Slam victory at Flushing Meadows with Bob Bryan. She turned 50 a month later. What a treat, then, to have her back at the scene of her greatest achievements, Centre Court, where she has joined another former Wimbledon champion, Jana Novotna, in the Ladies' Invitation Doubles event. Those who stayed on after the men were done with their semis on second Friday were treated to a rather slower style of tennis, but one full of touch, placement, tactics and supreme skill. And as for speed—well, Navratilova still managed to close out the first set with a 92 mph serve. It took the pair a while to hit their stride, but such is the competitive blood that runs in the veins of former champions that the Navratilova team took a tough first set and then raced away with a match-winning second. It was a similar pattern in all three of their round-robin encounters: second set scores of 6-1, 6-2, and 6-1. In each match, Navratilova seemed to blossom as the scoreboard ticked over. Her serve was in good order, she strode to the net to strike her familiar angled, crisp volley, and could still teach many a 20-something player how to kill an overhead. It is hard to reconcile the appearance and game of this woman with these two facts: She is 53, and she underwent surgery for breast cancer just months ago. What's more, a few weeks before that, she took part in the "Hit for Haiti" exhibition at Indian Wells. She was the life and soul of the party, even though she almost certainly knew already her diagnosis. So hers continues to be the story of a courageous, feisty, and generous woman who has always given her time and energy to political and social causes, and who also happens to be one of the world's greatest living athletes. Watching Navratilova in full flow, rushing the net, picking off every shade of volley to perfection, is still one of tennis's joys. So for those who hung around for an extra hour after the headline-grabbing men had finished their day's work, for those who crept down to the vacated front-row seats and soaked up the tennis and personality the queen of Centre Court, it was a night to remember. Let's hope Her Majesty appreciated who the real star of Wimbledon was when she met 'Queen Martina' on first Thursday. Rugby’s answer to Twenty20 set for curtain raiser Posted: 03 Jul 2010 04:47 AM PDT (Photo: Paxie) The Guiness Premiership is set to embrace the shortest format of rugby in a new summer series beginning later this month. The JP Morgan Premiership 7's Series will take place over four weeks in July and August beginning at the Twickenham Stoop on 16 July. Twelve franchises, including Premiership holders Leicester, will be split into three groups of four teams with the winners of each event progressing through to the final in early August. The tournament’s aim is to draw new fans into rugby by showcasing the talent on offer. While 7′s is far more established than its cricket equivalent, it will be taking a leaf out of Twenty20's book in creating a relaxed event with music and entertainment in between a number of 14 minute matches. And England 7's coach Ben Ryan believes it will be more than just an exciting advert for the game. “The fact that we’ve got our young developing players a chance to play here, I can see them and hopefully this will form part of a more concrete pathway through to playing international sevens,” he told ESPN Scrum. FRIDAY 16 JULY 2010, THE TWICKENHAM STOOP – J.P. MORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT PREMIERSHIP RUGBY 7S SERIES Group A: Harlequins, Saracens, London Irish, London Wasps FRIDAY 23 JULY 2010, WELFORD ROAD – J.P. MORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT PREMIERSHIP RUGBY 7S SERIES Group B: Leeds Carnegie, Leicester Tigers, Newcastle Falcons, Sale Sharks FRIDAY 30 JULY, FRANKLIN’S GARDENS – J.P. MORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT PREMIERSHIP RUGBY 7S SERIES Group C: Bath Rugby, Exeter Chiefs, Gloucester Rugby, Northampton Saints FRIDAY 6 AUGUST, VENUE TBC – J.P. MORGAN ASSET MANAGEMENT PREMIERSHIP RUGBY 7S SERIES Final: Featuring the winner and runner up from each Group. 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