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Australia beat Thais to advance in World Cup qualifying Posted: 15 Nov 2011 06:54 AM PST Brett Holman (left) celebrates his winning goal. Behind him is striker Josh Kennedy. — Reuters pic BANGKOK, Nov 15 — Brett Holman today headed home a late winner to send Australia into the next round of Asia's World Cup qualifying, snatching a 1-0 victory that put Thailand on the verge of missing the 2014 finals in Brazil. Holman popped up unmarked in the area in the 76th minute and nodded home a Brett Emerton cross from five metres to see off a Thai side that battled to stay in the competition but paid a heavy price for missed chances. Australia struggled in the Bangkok heat but ended up winners of Group D with one match left to play, taking 12 points from five games, ahead of Saudi Arabia who meet Oman later today. Datsakorn Thonglao directed most of the Thai attacks, floating the ball out to the wings and pacy winger Suree Sukha, who could have scored twice. Australia were without the injured Harry Kewell, and lofty forward Joshua Kennedy proved largely ineffective, beaten several times in the air and kept at bay by the diminutive keeper Sinthaweechai Hathairattanakool. Kennedy had a chance in the 28th minute and almost put the visitors ahead, bending low and nodding an Emerton cross into the hands of Sinthaweechai. Suree almost broke the deadlock for Thailand in the 35th minute, latching on to a perfect lofted ball from Datsakorn but blasting over the bar from six metres with only keeper Mark Schwarzer to beat. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Phelps ahead of opposition with London Olympics deal Posted: 15 Nov 2011 04:52 AM PST NEW YORK, Nov 15 — The 2012 London Olympics are still more than seven months away but Michael Phelps is already one of the biggest winners. The American swimmer, who has already won a record 14 Olympic gold medals and is expected to add to his glittering stockpile in London, has just signed a lucrative endorsement deal with the International Olympic Committee's newest worldwide partner, Procter & Gamble. Michael Phelps, swimmer with the mostest with a head of hair Head & Shoulders above the competition for confidence. — Reuters pic Under the terms of the deal, which was due to be formally announced later today, Phelps will become the global face of an anti-dandruff shampoo and will feature prominently in their Wash in Confidence campaign. "Michael Phelps is a three-time Olympian and one of the most iconic global athletes of our time," Belen Carazo, the director of global communications for Head & Shoulders, told Reuters ahead of the announcement. "We feel that Michael Phelps is a great ambassador for confidence — when performing at the highest level of sport, there is simply no room for doubt." P&G said the contract with Phelps would run for two years, until 2013. The company would not reveal the financial terms of the deal although industry experts said the swimmer's fee would almost certainly be a seven-figure sum. "At this point of his career, it's not about financial remuneration for Michael," Peter Carlisle, Phelps' agent at sports marketing firm Octagon, told Reuters. "His promotion of a product has to go much deeper and allow him to accomplish more things. "Michael has always wanted to help grow the sport of swimming and he needs global brands that can help him spread his message all over the world." Pulling power Carlisle, who has worked with Phelps for around a decade, has been flooded by endorsement offers for his client but said less than 10 per cent ever got signed because of the complexity of striking a deal with the most decorated Olympian of all time and his ambition to spread his message worldwide. "He's one of the few truly global iconic athletes, but only a few brands can really match him," Carlisle said. "That's why this was such a compelling match for both sides." As much as anything else, the deal with P&G also serves as testimony to Phelps's rising popularity and pulling power after his record-breaking eight-gold medal haul at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. His public image took a battering when the now defunct British tabloid News of the World published photographs of him inhaling from a glass pipe used for smoking marijuana, but he has survived unscathed. Phelps apologised and was suspended by USA Swimming for three months, but his sponsors stuck with him despite ongoing speculation they would ditch him en masse. Only Kellogg's, whose deal with Phelps was about to expire shortly after the pictures were published, did not renew their contract with him. Phelps, now 26, weathered the storm and is steadily adding more companies to his bulging portfolio in the final countdown to London, his fourth and final Olympics before he hangs up his goggles. "Who would have thought, five years ago, that a swimmer would sign a deal for a hair product," Phelps told Reuters in an interview. "But this was a good match and it's a product I have actually used for years because I'm in chlorine so much. "My sponsors are like family. Some have been with me from step one. They have always supported me through the good times and bad times." — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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‘Breaking Dawn’ sees its stars looking to new horizons Posted: 15 Nov 2011 07:21 AM PST LOS ANGELES, Nov 15 — As "Twilight" fans gear up for the emotional roller-coaster of weddings, babies and battles that is "Breaking Dawn — Part 1", the movie's three stars are beginning to look to new horizons. "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1", opening in US cinemas on Friday, has young lovers Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) finally marry in a wedding that has the "Twilight" fan-verse in a frenzy. But wedded bliss doesn't last long for the young couple after Bella finds herself pregnant with a vampire baby that is slowly killing her. Back home, werewolf Jacob Black, played by Taylor Lautner, faces conflict within his own tribe as he chooses to protect Bella and her unborn child. "Lots of milestones are crammed into this one and there's a very accelerated bit of life lived in this movie," said Stewart. The end to the "Twilight" movie series eventually plays out when "Breaking Dawn — Part 2" reaches cinemas in the summer of 2012. But with filming already wrapped up, Pattinson, Stewart and Lautner already are emotional about the end of the saga that turned them into worldwide stars and good friends. "I'll never have anything like that again in any other aspect of movie-making," said Stewart, 21. "It's a very shared love, but to share that with so many people, it is just so unique and it's so rare." Lautner, 19, said the three of them had become very close since making the first "Twilight" movie, released in 2008. "We've gone through a lot with each other," he said. "We have a lot of fun making the movies, and it was definitely a bummer when it all finished." But the young stars already have begun to move on. Lautner took a turn as an action hero in "Abduction" earlier this year, and he stars in the movie version of upcoming young adult sci-fi novel "Incarceron". No more white face Stewart, in 2010, played rock singer Joan Jett in "The Runaways" and a teenage prostitute in "Welcome To The Rileys". She will next be seen in the classic beat generation drama "On The Road", and in the lead role for 2012 fantasy "Snow White and the Huntsman". For Pattinson, 25, there's one thing he won't miss as "Twilight" draws to an end. "Putting a bunch of white face make-up on so you notice all the wrinkles you're getting," the British actor said. "After awhile, it's kind of depressing. I'm looking forward to not seeing that anymore." Pattinson branched out in circus romance "Water for Elephants" opposite Reese Witherspoon earlier this year and has two other movies under his belt — "Bel Ami", in which he plays a young Parisian seducer, and "Cosmopolis". He is still surprised by fan response to the first three "Twilight" movies based on the best-selling novels by Stephenie Meyer. Combined, the three films have made more than US$1.8 billion (RM5.6 billion) at worldwide box offices. "I'd be curious how long it would go on for if we just kept making sequels," Pattinson said. "That would be so strange if it went on for 10 years or something." "Breaking Dawn", directed by Bill Condon and produced by independent studio Summit Entertainment, has generated mixed reviews. Todd McCarthy at The Hollywood Reporter criticised the "dirge-like" pacing and "banal" script. But Variety's Justin Chang said Stewart and Pattinson "have merged so completely with their roles and each other that the sight of the duo's matrimonial bliss — delicately shaded by that sense of transience and loss that attends even happy life transitions — delivers a genuine emotional payoff." — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Tinseltown to tackle Time Lord with Dr Who series Posted: 15 Nov 2011 03:18 AM PST Director Yates "starting from scratch". — Reuters pic LONDON, Nov 15 — Tinseltown is set to take on the Time Lord, with "H arry Potter" director David Yates planning to build a movie franchise based on Britain's hugely popular "Dr Who" series. Yates, who made the last four of eight Potter blockbusters, is teaming up with Jane Tranter, head of the LA-based BBC Worldwide Prods, according to Hollywood trade publication Variety. "We're looking at writers now. We're going to spend two to three years to get it right," Yates told Variety. "It needs quite a radical transformation to take it into the bigger arena." The television series about an eccentric, super-intelligent humanoid alien travelling through time in his "TARDIS", ran from 1963 to 1989 before being rebooted in 2005. The current "Doctor Who" stars Matt Smith as the 11th incarnation of the Doctor, and the series is one of the public broadcaster's most lucrative exports. The series airs in the United States on BBC America. Yates said he would "start from scratch" rather than try and follow on from the existing storyline. There have been two big-screen adaptations of Dr Who already — "Dr Who and the Daleks" in 1965 and "Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D." the following year — both starring Peter Cushing as the Time Lord. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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India’s ‘King of Good Times’ slips off throne Posted: 15 Nov 2011 07:25 AM PST India's "Richard Branson" faces the possible collapse of his debt-ridden Kingfisher Airlines. — Reuters file pic NEW DELHI, Nov 15 — With one of the world's most expensive yachts and a cricket and Formula One team, Kingfisher Airlines' billionaire Chairman Vijay Mallya is known as "King of the Good Times" for a jet set lifestyle that shadowed India's own rise as an economic power. Now India's "Richard Branson", a symbol of the hands-on, publicity-hungry and ambitious Indian entrepreneur, faces the possible collapse of his debt-ridden Kingfisher Airlines — and some soul searching about his extravagance. His troubles have coincided this year with India's own slow growth, high inflation and corruption scandals that threaten the entrepreneurial self-confidence of an Asian economic juggernaut that likes to see itself taking on the world. Like other billionaires including Mukesh Ambani and his US$1 billion (RM3.2 billion) Mumbai home, Mallya both fascinates Indians aspiring for wealth after generations of forced frugality and jars with others in a country where around half live in poverty. "While he was doing well, he was signifying the resurgence of India. To a very large part of the middle class, he was what everyone wanted to be," said Prahlad Kakkar, a well-known advertising executive. "He was the symbol of new India — flamboyant, high-risk, wealthy and not ashamed of it. "Now when everyone is tightening their belts … there is an eerie feeling that he's irresponsible." Flamboyant Mallya was the symbol of new India but critics say his lifestyle has contributed to his airline's problems. — Reuters file pic Kingfisher has become one of the main casualties of high fuel costs and a fierce price war between a handful of airlines which, between them, have ordered hundreds of aircraft for delivery over the next decade in an ambitious bet on the future. Rising crude prices, a depreciating rupee and cut-throat competition have eroded the finances of his airline — named after his famous brand of Indian beer — despite industry passenger growth of nearly 20 per cent this year. The 55-year-old Mallya, with his Branson-style flowing silver hair, is chairman of United Breweries (Holdings), a conglomerate with interests as diverse as aviation, breweries, biotechnology and real estate. The group has annual sales of more than US$4 billion. But it is his ownership of Kingfisher Airlines, which accounts for nearly one in five flights in India, that perhaps made Mallya most famous. He helped transform India's airline business by focusing on services like good food, personal screens on domestic flights and airline ushers who attend to customers as they arrive at the airport. "He altogether brought a different level of service into the domestic skies," said Kapil Kaul, chief executive for the Indian subcontinent and Middle East at the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA), an aviation consulting firm. The man, the brand On each flight, Mallya appears on a recorded message on the inflight entertainment system, boasting of hand-picking each of the airline's hostesses who "have been instructed to treat you in the same way as if you were a guest in my own home". Kingfisher Airlines accounts for nearly one in five flights in India. — Reuters file pic Worth US$1.1 billion, according to Forbes magazine, his lifestyle fascinated many Indians, including the nearly 700,000 that follow him on Twitter. Mallya flies around the world, dining with football stars and Formula One drivers and appearing with models on photo shoots in locales like Mauritius, continuously name-dropping the rich and famous on his Twitter feed. His 312-foot yacht, the Indian Empress cost almost US$89 million. Highlighting his global ambition, Mallya also owns a Scottish whisky company. He once personally flew in his private jet from New Zealand to Scotland with three bottle of whisky found left from British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton's 1907 Antarctic expedition. He built a luxury Kingfisher villa in the beach state of Goa famed for its lavish parties, has befriended Bollywood stars and has a collection of dozens of vintage cars worth millions. He publishes a Kingfisher calendar of beautiful Indian models — often appearing flanked by them in photoshoots. "In Mauritius. The 2011 Kingfisher Calendar is going to rock. Great locations, stunning models ... A lethal brew!" he tweeted. Born into breweries Mallya was the son of Vittal Mallya, a liquor baron whose United Breweries was once a major supplier of British colonial troops in India. He soon made a fortune buying up breweries in the pre-economic reform decades of post-independence India. Mallya both fascinates Indians aspiring for wealth after generations of forced frugality and jars with others in a country where around half live in poverty. — Reuters file pic Vittal's US-educated son Vijay took over the UB Group as chairman in 1983 at the age of 28 and quickly expanded the group. Its core breweries and liquor business has around half the market share in India. Mallaya's lifestyle is not without critics, with some saying it is directly linked to the airline's problems. "Mallya's flamboyant lifestyle is responsible for the debts that Kingfisher Airlines has incurred," radical Hindu leader Bal Thackeray was quoted as saying by local media. "He has many businesses — liquor, IPL and F1 teams. He has many bungalows and a cruise boat. He himself does not know how much he spends on cheer girls during IPL (cricket) matches." The country's main opposition party said it would oppose a state bailout for Kingfisher, which means pressure will remain on Mallya's United Breweries to keep the airline in business. "Those who die must die," Indian auto industrialist Rahul Bajaj told local media, referring to Kingfisher Airlines. Mallya himself says he will bounce back, and often criticises what he sees as a sensationalist press out to get him. "To write the epitaph of Kingfisher airlines constantly is not fair," he told reporters today. — Reuters Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

WWF sounds warning on caviar Posted: 15 Nov 2011 05:51 AM PST WWF warns that poaching and illegal trade in sturgeon caviar in Romania and Bulgaria pose a serious risk to the highly threatened species of fish. — AFP/Relaxnews pic SOFIA, Nov 15 — Poaching and illegal trade in sturgeon caviar persist in Romania and Bulgaria, posing a serious risk to the highly threatened species of fish, the environmental group WWF warned yesterday. A total of 52.5 kilos of illegal caviar, retailing for upwards of €6,000 per kilo, originating in the two countries was reported by European Union member states between 2000 and 2009, the report said. "The real volume of illegal trade is likely to be considerably higher," the report's author Katalin Kecse-Nagy said in the statement, adding: "Any illegal trade poses an unacceptable risk to these highly threatened species." The Black Sea is one of the most important sturgeon fisheries in the world, second only to the Caspian Sea. The Danube, as one of the major feeder rivers and estuaries of the Black Sea, is crucial for the fish. According to the World Sturgeon Conservation Society, the Danube is the only large river system in Europe where protection of existing but dwindling sturgeon stocks is still possible. Fishing and export of sturgeon and sturgeon products of wild origin was banned in Romania in 2006 for 10 years, while Bulgaria is currently under a one-year ban, the WWF said. The WWF report recommended that Sofia and Bucharest strengthen their enforcement agencies, while also insisting on closer monitoring by the EU and more awareness among consumers and traders. "The EU has a major responsibility to regulate the caviar trade because EU member states are the largest consumers of caviar from Romania and the second largest consumer of caviar from Bulgaria," WWF sturgeon expert Jutta Jahrl said. "It is crucial that traders and consumers do not buy unlabelled caviar — this simple act would strike a major blow against the illegal trade," the statement said. "The EU must close every loophole in order to save sturgeons from extinction." Giant Beluga sturgeons, an ancient fish which outlasted the dinosaurs, have been critically endangered by overfishing for their caviar — uncooked roe or eggs — and by cutting off their migration routes and altering their habitat. — AFP/Relaxnews Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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PRU: PAS sasar kerusi campuran letak bukan Islam tanding Posted: 15 Nov 2011 03:04 AM PST KUALA LUMPUR, 15 Nov – PAS melobi untuk mendapatkan kerusi-kerusi bersifat campuran bagi membolehkan calon Dewan Himpunan Penyokong PAS (DHPP) diletakkan dalam pilihan raya umum ke-13. The Malaysian Insider difahamkan PAS tidak mahu meletakkan calon DHPP di kawasan-kawasan yang ia pernah bertanding memandangkan kebanyakan bahagian terbabit adalah majoriti pengundi Melayu. "Mereka boleh bertanding di bawah bendera parti. Itu tiada masalah. Masalah sekarang ialah kesemua kerusi kami majoriti Melayu. Bagaimana mereka boleh bertanding di sana?" kata seorang anggota biro politik. Beliau juga berkata daripada 66 kerusi Parlimen PAS bertanding pada Mac 2008, hanya Kota Raja di mana Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud menewaskan penyandang dari MIC merupakan kawasan majoriti bukan Melayu. Pada Julai lalu, The Malaysian Insider melaporkan bahawa PAS menyasarkan kerusi dimenangi enam calon PKR tetapi meninggalkan parti itu kemudian dan juga kerusi-kerusi lain seperti Kuala Kedah dan Machang. Machang disandang oleh Setiausaha Agung PKR Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Kes fitnah: Permohonan Hisham batal kenyataan Anwar ditolak Posted: 15 Nov 2011 02:12 AM PST KUALA LUMPUR, 15 Nov – Mahkamah Tinggi hari ini menolak permohonan Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein untuk mengetepikan beberapa bahagian dalam kenyataan pembelaan difailkan oleh Ketua Pembangkang Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dalam kes fitnah dibawa oleh Menteri Dalam Negeri itu. Sehubungan itu juga, Hakim Mahkamah Tinggi V.T. Singham mengarahkan Hishammuddin agar membayar kos RM25,000 kepada Anwar. Hishammuddin memohon bagi membatalkan sebahagian kenyataan pembelaan Anwar dalam saman fitnah berhubung video seks memaparkan pelaku mirip ketua pembangkang itu. Hishammuddin yang diwakili peguam Sunil Abraham  memfailkan saman fitnah terhadap Anwar kerana mengeluarkan kenyataan memfitnahnya semasa temu bual dengan media pada 22 Mac lalu selepas membuat laporan mengenai video itu di balai polis Dang Wangi di sini. Hishammuddin, 50, berkata kenyataan itu dilaporkan secara meluas dalam media dan Internet dan difahamkan membawa maksud bahawa beliau bertanggungjawab menayangkan video itu kepada sekumpulan editor dan wartawan di Hotel Carcosa Seri Negara pada 21 Mac lepas. Menteri itu berkata kenyataan itu juga difahamkan membawa maksud yang beliau telah mengaturkan penayangan video itu dan telah berkomplot dengan Perdana Menteri dan pegawai tinggi polis untuk melakukan perbuatan itu. Dalam pernyataan pembelaannya, Anwar berkata kenyataan beliau semasa temu bual dengan media pada 22 Mac, selepas membuat laporan mengenai video itu di balai polis Dang Wangi, diterbitkan berdasarkan perlindungan bersyarat. Anwar mendakwa kenyataan itu diterbitkan berdasarkan perlindungan bersyarat yang dimilikinya atas kedudukannya sebagai Ketua Pembangkang dan Anggota Parlimen kawasan Permatang Pauh, kepada orang awam yang mempunyai hak kepentingan untuk menerima maklumat itu. Lagipun, beliau mendakwa kenyataan yang dipertikaikan itu merupakan komen yang adil terhadap perkara berkepentingan awam dalam menyatakan pendapat beliau bahawa Hishammuddin telah berkompromi dengan perbuatan jenayah kumpulan lelaki yang digelar 'trio' dalam memaparkan video itu walaupun beliau tahu atau sepatutnya tahu mengenai perbuatan mereka. Dalam tuntutan balasnya, Anwar menegaskan kenyataan Hishammuddin dalam sidang media beliau pada 21 Mac, memperlihatkan bahawa beliau  adalah individu dalam video itu seperti mana ditegaskan oleh trio itu. Hishammuddin, dalam jawapannya kepada pernyataan pembelaan Anwar berkata ketua pembangkang itu berniat jahat selepas mengeluarkan kata-kata dalam satu persidangan akhbar yang kemudiannya dilaporkan dengan meluas di media dan Internet. Beliau berkata perkataan yang diterbitkan itu, tidak dipaparkan dengan niat baik dan motif utama Anwar adalah untuk memperlekehkan reputasi Hishammuddin sebagai menteri dan sebagai ahli politik. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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Chest pains Posted: 14 Nov 2011 04:22 PM PST NOV 14 — We need to be the change we wish to see in the world. — Mahatma Gandhi One day a patient walked into the clinic and sat down heavily on the nearest chair. "I have chest pains," he said. "And it is affecting my quality of life." His notes said that his name is Malaysia, and he is 54 years old. His does many things in his job. He provides land for people to build homes on, has a unique history and culture; and most importantly, he promised his people they would grow and prosper. But he is so weak that he can't do that now. They lay him down on the examination table, and the first doctor, Understanding, asked him about the timing of his pain. When does it happen? Malaysia told Dr Understanding that the pain happens usually when there are arguments among the people who live on his land. He said that people argued a lot more, for less, nowadays compared to when he was growing up. Sometimes he would go several weeks and months with the pain in his chest not subsiding, because someone was always arguing about something, somewhere. Dr Understanding was able to explain that the reason he got pain when people argued was because he was being torn between different opinions. The pain came from the splitting of his heart as he tried to support all his people equally. The second doctor to see Malaysia was Dr Equality. Dr Equality asked him if he experienced any other problems apart from his chest pain. Malaysia thought for a moment and said that he could not be sure. Dr Equality pointed out that Malaysia had neglected to mention an ulcer on his leg, which was very big. It must have been growing for some time. Malaysia was surprised to see it, saying that he had not noticed it at all before this. Dr Equality told Malaysia that because his chest pain was in the forefront of his mind so often, he neglected to look after himself in other ways. So much so that he did not even notice his leg ulcer, so he had not done anything to take care of it. Malaysia was getting quite upset at this point. The next doctor was Dr Progress. Dr Progress asked him about the character of his pain. What kind of pain was it? Malaysia told him that the pain was a tight, clenching pain at times, and a subtle dull ache at others. He said the worst stabbing pains came when people tried to divide him up into smaller pieces, and then stretch him at different rates. Dr Progress nodded gravely and said that the stabbing pains came because he was being made to grow at different rates, at different places, in different ways, all at once. Because the lines of separation that they had drawn up were so severe, the pain happened because nobody was willing to cross the borders to lend help to other less able parts. All three doctors agreed that Malaysia was very unwell. They looked over their notes, they took blood, and they tried giving him medicine. Malaysia was very depressed when he heard that he had so many things wrong with him. He asked the doctors: "What is the point of living when things are so bleak and my life is so depressing?" None of them could give him an answer, and his condition slowly deteriorated. One morning Dr Hope, one of the doctors who had thus far not said much to Malaysia, wandered into Malaysia's hospital room. He sat down and had a long talk with Malaysia. He found out that the reason why Malaysia hadn't felt well enough to leave the hospital was that he was afraid of what awaited him in the world outside. During the course of his illness, Malaysia discovered some things about himself that he wished he hadn't. There were big problems to solve, many things to consider, and a lot of changes to be made. He broke down and admitted all of this to Dr Hope. Dr Hope did not need to give any explanation. He sat down and listened. After several hours of talking, Malaysia finally wound up by repeating his question about the point of living. To that, Dr Hope said very simply: "The difference between the person you were when you came in and the person you will be when you go out is that you've managed to figure out where the problems lie and you can now work on fixing them. Your future is your own, but the only way you can recover is to stand up and walk out of this hospital with this goal in mind. There's still a big chance you can turn things around. You just have to be honest to yourself about what needs to be done and move forward." After the doctor left, Malaysia closed his eyes and had the first good night's sleep he had had in a very long time. The next morning, he walked out of the hospital into the sunshine. * Angeline Lee is a medical undergraduate at the University of Bristol. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

Beyond the headlines Posted: 14 Nov 2011 04:06 PM PST NOV 15 — The World Champions were beaten by England! The Germans had to claw themselves back against Ukraine! The Guus got cooked at home to Croatia! The European Golden Boot winner Cristiano Ronaldo may not play in Euro2012! And finally, Leo Messi was POOR against Bolivia! Yes, the Messi-ah had a shocker and truth be told, I have never seen him play this bad ever before! OK, enough of the exclamation marks and down to the business that was the weekend of football. It was a repeat of Switzerland versus Spain from South Africa 2010 as England beat Spain at Wembley. Though the Spaniards will play many games where their opponents will refuse to attack but still get slaughtered, there are exceptions. And the facts do show that the Spanish have been poor in friendly games since becoming world champions. Come next summer, their defence of the European title will require a new and fresh approach from Vicente del Bosque. Can the Spanish get better? They will have to! Sorry, there I go again. Their opponents in that final from three years ago in Euro2008, Germany, are beginning to build a squad that could well give Spain a run for their money from Euro2012 onwards. They were good in patches against Ukraine but showed the same resilience that have made German teams so difficult to beat in competitions over the years. But enough about friendlies, the real competition during the weekend were in the Euro2012 qualifying playoffs, the South American World Cup qualifiers and the SEA Games football. After missing out on the last World Cup with Russia, the question already on most football journalists' minds is "which English club can Guus Hiddink be linked with next?" . . . that is, unless Turkey pull off a miracle by beating Croatia 4-0 in Zagreb. This is certainly the biggest game of Hiddink's career but now that Andre Villas-Boas is firmly entrenched in the Chelsea hot seat, it will be interesting to see where the rumour starts. It will be an equally crucial game for Villas-Boas' country Portugal, too, as they should finish off Bosnia at home to qualify for Polkraine 2012. Else, we could miss the talent of Cristiano Ronaldo in Europe's biggest football showcase. The first leg played in Zenica, Bosnia, could well have been settled if Vedad Ibisevic had not blasted over in the later stages of the game. Then, there's Portugal's former Spurs striker, Helder Postiga, whom I think is not going to shine next summer. Meanwhile, Ronaldo's main rival in world football today, Lionel Messi, continues to disappoint with his performances in an Argentina shirt. I have to admit that his performance in Buenos Aires against Bolivia has got to be the worst I have ever seen Leo Messi play. In the 1-1 draw, with Martin DeMichelis being the best player for Bolivia, Messi showed a lack of imagination. Playing in the hole behind Gonzalo Higuain, thus the most crowded midfield area on the pitch, Messi proceeded to attempt dribbling at every opportunity. He was crowded out every time and made to look quite silly as he continued trying that the entire match. With a little imagination or perhaps a word from his coach, he could have drifted wide to take on defenders, leaving more space for his teammates to exploit. He could have played further forward as a false Number 9 with Higuain going wide left or right. But, Messi stuck to his position with Bolivia's defensive midfielders having a laugh. Quite perhaps, Messi will learn from this game that it is not all about him and that sometimes he has to sacrifice his skills for more intelligence to benefit the team. Finally, moving closer to home, or more specifically, Jakarta for the 26th SEA Games, I am pleased to say that we have a very good 17-year-old central midfielder in Nazmi Faiz, who is currently bossing our Under-23 team. He has been likened to Azizul Abu Hanifah, the best local midfielder I ever played with, and after watching him play, this kid certainly has got the talent to be a star. He occupies the central midfield space between the defensive and middle third while Azizul was the best from middle to attacking third. Perhaps where Nazmi Faiz is quite different is that he tackles like Holland and Manchester City's Nigel de Jong. Finally, after such a long wait in the national football scene, we are beginning to develop squad strength and competition for places in the senior squad that can only benefit our football in the long term. * The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist. Full content generated by Get Full RSS.

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