Black Immigrant Daily News

The Netherlands are looking to make two statements in its opening World Cup game on Monday against a Senegal team that has to quickly get over the loss of forward Sadio Man?.

The first is strictly about soccer and establishing the team as a contender for the title in Qatar alongside the likes of top-ranked Brazil, defending champion France and Argentina. The Dutch have gained less attention in the buildup to the tournament after failing to qualify for the World Cup in Russia four years ago, but arrive as one of the top teams in Europe.

“I believe in this squad of players,” Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal, who is back for a third spell in charge, said Sunday. “I think we could become world champion.”

The second statement the Dutch want to make at Al Thumama Stadium in Doha centers around the long-running criticism of the World Cup host country’s laws and human rights record.

The Dutch soccer federation is the leader of the “One Love” anti-discrimination movement and Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk is expected to wear an armband with a multi-colored heart-shaped logo in defiance of a FIFA order to keep politics out of the World Cup.

The “One Love” armbands are a criticism of Qatar’s laws criminalizing homosexuality. The England and Wales captains have said that they will also ignore FIFA’s directive and wear them when they open their World Cup play on Monday.

Among international coaches, Van Gaal has been one of the most outspoken critics of letting the small but wealthy emirate host the World Cup, a decision which he has called “ridiculous.” He toned down his criticism earlier this week in his first media conference in Qatar and then declined Sunday to answer any more questions on “political issues” at the World Cup.

“I’m no longer going to speak about political issues. I’m focusing on this match,” Van Gaal said. “And I’m asking all my players to do that and concentrate on the game.”

But while Van Gaal drew a line under his comments on the politics, the Dutch soccer federation reiterated that Van Dijk will still wear the “One Love” armband against Senegal.

The World Cup will likely be the last major coaching assignment for the 71-year-old Van Gaal, who announced this year he has prostate cancer and has been receiving radiation treatment. He rated this squad as better “on average” than the 2014 group he coached to the World Cup semifinals in Brazil.

Netherlands has lost three World Cup finals — in 1974, 1978 and 2010 — and although there’s a long road ahead in Qatar, the Group A game against African champion Senegal is the biggest early challenge for the Dutch and a good indicator of how far they might go. Host nation Qatar and Ecuador are the other teams in Group A.

Netherlands is on a 15-match unbeaten run under Van Gaal but will definitely not start with striker Memphis Depay against Senegal, Van Gaal said. The Barcelona forward should be available later in the World Cup though.

Senegal coach Aliou Ciss? doesn’t have that option for Man?, who was ruled out of the World Cup on Thursday with an injury. The 30-year-old Man? underwent surgery for the right lower leg injury he sustained in a league game for Bayern Munich two weeks ago, removing Senegal’s most potent attacking threat and the heart of the team that won the African Cup of Nations in February for Senegal’s first major soccer title.

“It’s a great shame for Sadio Man? and it’s a shame for the team. And it’s a great challenge for us,” Ciss? said. “All coaches build their team around its best player. But we have a strong team … and our status as African champion gives us a lot of confidence in our abilities.”

Man?’s absence also means no World Cup matchup with former Liverpool teammate Van Dijk, a defender who is playing at his first World Cup at the age of 31. Van Dijk said he phoned Man? the day after he was injured to console him.

“I feel sad for him,” Van Dijk said. “I know how hard he works for this and he wants to be important for Senegal and he has been important the last couple of years. It’s tough.

“Obviously he’s going to be a big miss for them … hopefully we can benefit a little bit from that.”

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Black Immigrant Daily News

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Black Immigrant Daily News

There is an adage which says, “you can find a Bajan anywhere”, and this winter in Qatar at the 2022 FIFA World Cup(TM), you will find sports enthusiast and Black Rock, St Michael resident, Pedro McClean.

McClean has been selected from among 500,000 applicants to be an international volunteer for the biggest show on the sports calendar.

The avid Manchester United and Empire Sports Club fan said he was initially doing research to attend the FIFA World Cup(TM) as a spectator but came across information which requested competent personnel to assist at the tournament in Qatar.

“I’m looking forward to meeting people to be honest, and it is the FIFA World Cup(TM). This is the largest sporting event in the world and the stadium I am registered to will be hosting the final”

“Originally, I was looking for tickets for the games and one of the sections marked volunteer, so I clicked on it, found out what was the procedure, and it was basically a step-by-step process of seven steps.

You had to be fully vaccinated for sure, have some sort of experience and after they read your application, you had to do an interview, which was done in June,” McClean explained.

McClean was deemed the ideal candidate due to his domestic and international experience.

Firstly, as a Concacaf licensed coach, an active member of the Empire Sports Club technical team, and most significantly his tenure in a similar volunteer position at the International University Sports Federation (FISU) games in both Mexico and Taiwan in 2017.

“During my internship, I had worked with the social media team (of FISU), and I was an attach? responsible for team China and it wasn’t even a familiar sport to me, it was actually American football”.

McClean emphasized that one important thing his experiences has taught him, is to always be prepared.

McClean commutes via train to rehearsals ahead of the start of the tournament

“I try to do a lot more research when I get involved. Before I went to Taiwan, I even went and learn a bit of Chinese at UWI every week.

“Mexico was a bit shaky because I didn’t know what I was doing until I got there and then I did a bit of everything, even announcing sometimes”, said McClean.

The Sports Management graduate lauded tutors Marcia Oxley and Dr June Caddle for their tutelage and guidance, which he believes has equipped him for this life-changing experience in the Middle East.

A socialite in the sporting industry, McClean said he is looking forward to experiencing new relationships the most, during his tenure in Qatar. This is his highlight, even though he is deployed to the largest stadium of the tournament; the Lusail Iconic Stadium, which has a capacity of 80,000 and will be the venue for the tournament final.

“I’m looking forward to meeting people to be honest, and it is the.This is the FIFA World Cup(TM) largest sporting event in the world and the stadium I am registered to will be hosting the final. I will be working with spectator services, basically making sure that all spectators are comfortable, and anything relating to the fans.”

According to McClean’s knowledge, he is the only representative Barbados who will be at the World Cup in this capacity, and he believes it due to a lack of information.

“I believe the majority of the time, it’s not knowing.

I did tell a few persons when I found out that I will be doing it and I tried to encourage them, but sometimes people aren’t ready to take that leap of faith”, he said.

McClean advised persons who are sports fanatics like himself and want to contribute to sports at a global level, while enjoying the experience, to do their research, trust the process, have faith, just make that first step.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

The large swathes of empty seats in the second half summed up the Qatar soccer team’s disappointing start to its first-ever World Cup.

The night started with more than 67,000 mostly Qatari fans filling the cavernous Al Bayt Stadium, enjoying an opening ceremony that showcased the tiny Arab emirate to a global audience 12 years after winning the right to host soccer’s biggest event.

It ended with Qatar’s overmatched team trudging off the field, its unwanted place in soccer history secure and with many of its dismayed fans having long disappeared.

The controversy-laced tournament opened Sunday with the 2019 Asian Cup champions getting outplayed in a 2-0 loss to Ecuador, ensuring a host team lost its opening game for the first time at a World Cup.

“I would say we felt bad (for our supporters),” Qatar coach Felix Sanchez said. “I hope in the next game they will be prouder.”

Ecuador captain Enner Valencia scored both of his team’s goals in the first half of a one-sided game that wound up being a damage-limitation exercise for Qatar on one of the biggest nights in the nation’s history.

The match took place after a colorful 30-minute opening ceremony — fronted by Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman and attended by powerful dignitaries including Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — that promoted inclusivity and mankind living “under one tent.”

For many, that would jar with this World Cup being hosting by an emirate where homosexual acts are illegal, one that has come under strong criticism for how migrant workers have been treated building stadiums and tournament infrastructure since Qatar won the scandal-shrouded vote in 2010.

The yearslong scrutiny was never going to stop just because play on the field finally entered the narrative of a tournament dogged by human-rights controversies, yet a win for the host nation would have at least put a favorable light on Qatar, soccer-wise.

Instead, Qatar’s players, fresh from spending seven months together in a pre-tournament training camp under Sanchez, froze in front of an expectant crowd and a disciplined Ecuador team that might just pose a danger to more high-profile opponents over the next few weeks.

“This is just the start of the World Cup,” said the 33-year-old Valencia, who has now scored Ecuador’s last five goals at the World Cup, including three in 2014. “We have to keep dreaming.”

In what might go down as one of the worst displays by a host nation to open a tournament, Qatar had five shots in the match and none of them were on target. The team had only two touches inside the opposition penalty area.

Put simply, Ecuador was just too good for a team only playing at the World Cup because it is the host.

“I wouldn’t say we were na?ve,” Sanchez said. “I would say this was about nervousness … maybe we had too many doubts.”

Valencia thought he had scored in the third minute when he headed in from close range following an acrobatic cross from Felix Torres. After a video review of about two minutes, Ecuadorian celebrations were cut short when the goal was ruled out for a marginal offside.

Ecuador did take the lead, however, in the 16th minute when Valencia — running onto a through-ball — was tripped by Saad Alsheeb after rounding the goalkeeper, who was booked for the challenge. Valencia was nonchalant as he trotted up and converted the spot kick into the bottom corner.

The 33-year-old striker then added his second in the 33rd by heading in a right-wing cross from Angelo Preciado.

With Qatar’s passes often going astray and its defensive raggedness repeatedly exposed, Ecuador had no problem holding onto its lead as Sanchez stood helpless in his technical area and the home fans fell quiet.

Many didn’t return for the second half. And heading into the final quarter of the game, thousands of seats were empty.

It marked a huge contrast to a few hours earlier.

In a party-like atmosphere, camels and Arabian horses lined the entrance to the stadium, a Bedouin tent-inspired venue located in the rather isolated surrounds of the rural town of Al Khor, north of Doha.

And the seven-act opening ceremony lived up to its billing, the highlight being when Freeman extended one yellow-gloved hand to a FIFA World Cup ambassador suffering from a rare spinal disorder in an image representing inclusion in a country facing international criticism over its human-rights record.

Looking on from the luxury seats were FIFA president Gianni Infantino alongside leaders from the Middle East and Africa. Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, drew a thunderous applause in a short speech delivered in Arabic from the suite, with Infantino and the monarch’s father, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, on either side of him.

“I welcome you and good luck to all,” the emir said in his only words spoken in English.

After this display, Qatar will need more than just luck to avoid joining South Africa as being the only host nation to fail to get out of the group stage at the World Cup.

“We have to forget about the pressure and be more competitive,” Sanchez said. “We can do it.”

BEER CHANT

The first half was winding down when a chant came from a large section of vocal, yellow-clad Ecuador fans: “We want beer.” It was a humorous intervention two days after Qatar decided to ban beer sales at the stadiums during the World Cup. It was a late change by the conservative Islamic nation where access to alcohol is strictly limited. Only alcohol-free Bud Zero was sold at the game.

VALENCIA INJURY

In a concern for Ecuador, Valencia — the national team’s top scorer — was substituted in the 77th minute and said after the game he had discomfort in his knee and ankle. “I hope I can be ready,” he said about the team’s next game, against the Netherlands on Friday. Ecuador coach Gustavo Alfaro was under no illusions, though, saying: “Enner, he will play.”

UP NEXT

Qatar will look to bounce back against Senegal, also on Friday.

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