Meet the Bosnian defender hoping to stop Messi and Aguero |
- Meet the Bosnian defender hoping to stop Messi and Aguero
- 2002: How Beckham banished the ghosts of 98 and saved my birthday
- Opponents still fear Rooney, says Beckham
| Meet the Bosnian defender hoping to stop Messi and Aguero Posted: 09 Jun 2014 07:20 AM PDT The 60-second story This time last year, Sead Kolasinac represented Germany at the U21 European Championship in Israel. Then the Bosnian Football Federation approached him and convinced the defender to switch his citizenship and play for the country of his parents. In the months that followed, Bosnia secured their qualification for the World Cup and Kolasinac's career really took off with Schalke. He established himself as their regular left-back and made six appearances in the Champions League, including the last 16 matches against Real Madrid when he started both games. His full international debut for Bosnia and Herzegovina came in a friendly against Argentina in November, and he immediately won over the hearts of fans. Born and bred in Karlsruhe, Kolasinac came through the youth ranks of his local side Karslruher SC, but spent further portions of his development in Hoffenheim and Stuttgart before joining Schalke in 2011. Over the next two years he played for Germany's U18s, U19s and U21s. Kolasinac is a highly ambitious, extremely confident player who isn't blessed with great technique or creativity, but he makes up for it with a frenetic, combative approach. He rapidly improved by learning to channel it into positive aggression, while managing to keep his cool in tricky situations with a routine well beyond his age – he will only turn 21 on June 20, the day before Bosnia face Nigeria. Why you need to know him Kolasinac instantly became Bosnia's first-choice left-back, although he is yet to make an appearance in a competitive game. He's in great shape and could be a revelation at the World Cup, where his new-old nation will make history with their debut participation in the tournament. He also impressed with his performances for Schalke and began attracting interest from other European clubs, who would like to snatch him before he becomes too expensive – his market value is currently estimated at £4.4 million, according to Transfermarkt. Kolasinac could be on the move this summer already. Strengths Strong, athletic and aggressive, Kolasinac is an exceptional tackler (with 2.9 tackles per game, he's the most successful Schalke player in that department), while his marking and one-on-one game remains his best treat – he's able to stay close to his opponent at all times and pick the best time to dispossess him. Over time, he has also learned how to do that without conceding fouls. His stamina is seemingly endless and his ability to keep cool in tricky situations quite extraordinary for such a young player. Psychologically, he seems to have huge self-esteem and looks confident on the pitch. Weaknesses Kolasinac's attacking play leaves a lot to be desired, and he's practically useless once he crosses the halfway line with the ball at his feet. While he tends to keep his passes short and simple, his crossing is rather poor – as is his overall technique with the ball. He tries to compensate those flaws with a highly energetic, combative approach and usually succeeds in it, but all that suggests his best position may be away from the flank. Perhaps he could become a useful holding midfielder. They said... Schalke head coach Jens Keller: "He has trained very well and played well even with Bayern against Arjen Robben. I have no qualms about him. Sead is a tree – he gets hit on the head, but just shakes it off and continues to play superbly." Did you know? 'The Destroyer', 'The Tank', 'The Bulldozer', 'The Bosnian Hulk', 'The Duracell Bunny' – just some of the impromptu nicknames devised by Bosnia fans for Kolasinac, after seeing the newest member of their beloved Dragons play in the blue shirt. What happens next? Manchester United have already made their move. The player himself confirmed he had been approached over a potential summer transfer to Old Trafford. "Yes, I have an offer from Manchester United," Kolasinac revealed to Dnevni Avaz, a Bosnian daily newspaper, back in late April. "But I will not hurry with my decision. I have to see what Schalke think about it." If he performs well for Bosnia at the World Cup, others could very soon come knocking as well. Talentspotter ratings Shooting 4 • Passing 7 • Heading 7 • Tackling 8 • Pace 7 • Work-rate 9 • Crossing 4 This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 2002: How Beckham banished the ghosts of 98 and saved my birthday Posted: 09 Jun 2014 06:05 AM PDT Chest pounding. Sweat dripping from his brow. Diego Simeone right up in his grill. Ball nestled on the penalty spot. Half-time seconds away. David Beckham stands roughly six strides and a ball strike away from redemption... or ruining my birthday. It was a long journey to that evening in the Sapporo Dome in Japan. It started roughly a year earlier when I entered FIFA's ticket ballot for the boringly named "team specific tickets" or "TST" as they are abbreviated throughout the arduous application process. Thing is, you had to enter the ballot long before your team's qualification was confirmed. Part two of the journey was England vs Greece at Old Trafford. Essentially, until Becks stuffed that free-kick (roughly his 734th attempt of the match) past the silver fox, Antonios Nikopolidis, I wasn't going anywhere near the Far East. Sitting in my South London living room, watching the England team maul Golden Balls in a show of pure joy, the realisation dawned. My TST application was a go. I was going to the World Cup! The draw for the championship meant that the game against Argentina was the second of England's group matches, nestled between the significantly less interesting and exciting clashes with Sweden and Nigeria. After the Scando bash, the Argentina game was riddled not only with historical needle, but also present necessity: if England lost, their World Cup would pretty much be over. Add to that the fact it was my 29th birthday and there was a foreboding brew stewing in front of me. To the day of the game. The Sapporo Dome is a mental venue. It's got a roof (as its name suggests) and, as well as looking like a spaceship, the way it functioned was state of the art. The football pitch could be wheeled in and out of the stadium to let the grass see the light of day and also to allow the auditorium to be converted into a baseball stadium. Walking up to it, wearing my new England shirt lovingly printed with my age and the fact my birthday was today, I had butterflies busting all kinds of moves in my gut. Brilliantly, just prior to leaving Blighty for the Far East, I'd contracted an ear infection, which had required antibiotics that had prevented me drinking… until this day. I took my last pill after breakfast on my birthday and by late afternoon I was beering it up in the Sapporo Beer museum. With a touch of hop-induced courage swilling about, I entered the stadium and headed to my seat. The whole place was a giant patchwork quilt of St George's flags hanging from every available vantage point. It was like a home game. Argentina as a nation were stuck in the mire of a crippling recession at the time and many of their fans were forced to stay home thanks to lack of cash. Hey-ho. Into the Dome Having a roof the atmosphere in the Dome was stuffy and warm, something which only upped the mood of the supporters in the stadium. Kick-off approached and the two teams took to the pitch, England lining up with a few veterans from the showdown in 1998 – the key ones being David Beckham and Michael Owen. England were certainly underdogs for the game, but once I'd been part of a booming national anthem and the game kicked-off, the Three Lions had the better of the action, taking the game to the Argentines. It's at points like this where the hope and belief start to creep in and the more gnarled and experienced fan would suppress these feelings. At that point in my life I hadn't had my heart bust enough times, so I turned to my traveling companion and said, "We're going to win this!" while actually trying to not have a heart attack every time Argentina crossed the halfway line. As the game wore on, Owen was particularly menacing as he made Argentine nerves wobble repeatedly, hitting the post at one point in the first half. Of course it was his run, which was brought to an abrupt halt that gave Beckham his shot to complete his redemption. The now-Tottenham gaffer Mauricio Pochettino, sporting a fantastic mullet-cum-rock hairdo, tripped Owen in his haste to neutralise the threat. The moment of truth arrived. There's something wonderfully paradoxical about a penalty being awarded to your team. The initial burst of great joy (occasionally accompanied by flicking Vs at opposition fans) is soon replaced by the dread and realisation that you're actually going to have to score from the spot and, worse still, watch the whole bloody thing live. Suddenly the stifling atmosphere of the Dome became more oppressive. Beckham set the ball down on the spot and it was clear even from where I was sitting (up the other end of the stadium) that he was struggling to keep his nerves under control. I could see his shoulders rising and falling as he took deep, deep breaths to try and get all his years of experience and practice to overthrow the sheer magnitude of the shot he was about to take. As the ball left his boot, I was aghast. Way too close to the keeper. But then, YES! HE'S DONE IT! HE'S ONLY F***ING DONE IT! Cue chaos in the stands, the hugging and high-fiving of strangers and a thudding heart in my chest, that seemed to re-start only once the players were celebrating by the corner flag. With hindsight, half-time was a welcome breather, because England came flying out of the traps in the second half, not giving Argentina much of a sniff initially. Then there was a passage of play which ended with a David Seaman save for which I would gladly have given him a big kiss had I been able to get on the pitch - an ill-advised cause of action with the ever-twitchy Japanese police looking on. Much of the second half was spent watching through my fingers while willing the ball away from the England penalty area. Sheringham and Scholes both produced fantastic long-range volleys which brought good saves from Pablo Cavallero. By then though, the damage was done to the Argentines, Beckham's redemption was complete - and the final whistle from Pierluigi Collina was like blowing out the candles on the best birthday cake a man could wish for. FourFourTwo's World Cup Guide This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Opponents still fear Rooney, says Beckham Posted: 09 Jun 2014 12:48 AM PDT Heading into his third FIFA World Cup, Rooney, along with current skipper Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, is England's most experienced player despite his relatively young age of 28. The Manchester United star has failed to shine at previous tournaments, with his build-up often overshadowed by fitness concerns. Despite his strong international scoring record, Rooney remains without a goal in eight appearances at World Cup finals but Beckham, who won 115 England caps, believes his former team-mate still worries other teams. "When opposing teams see Wayne Rooney's name on an England teamsheet, it still scares them," he said. "I will always back 'Wazza' because he is a great talent and a great player for England. "It's all about confidence with strikers, but Wazza has always been about more than just scoring goals. "He's a goalscorer, but he works hard for the team and that is what Wayne's game has always been about. If he doesn't score goals, he's either assisting or creating something for the team. He is a creator as well as a scorer. "Every time he has stepped out in an England shirt, he has always given 110 per cent. When Wazza turns up, he always gives everything." Jordan Henderson, meanwhile, believes Raheem Sterling's lack of pre-finals game-time could work to England's advantage when their campaign gets under way against Italy on Saturday. Sterling was sent off shortly after coming on as a substitute against Ecuador on Wednesday, causing him to miss the goalless draw with Honduras on Saturday. "Raheem is a fantastic player," Henderson told reporters. "I think you've seen that in the Premier League and even when he's played for England. "Possibly it could make him a secret weapon because he's not played. Obviously, he will have been disappointed he could not feature, but in training he has looked very, very good, so he'll be thriving on this. "I think he's outstanding, (he) has no fear. For such a young boy he's got great awareness and his knowledge of the game is really good. I think he can be a big plus for us in this World Cup." This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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