James Rodriguez in action during a Colombia national team exhibition at the El Campin stadium in Bogota, Colombia on May 23, 2014. Leonardo Munoz / EPA
James Rodriguez in action during a Colombia national team exhibition at the El Campin stadium in Bogota, Colombia on May 23, 2014. Leonardo Munoz / EPA
James Rodriguez in action during a Colombia national team exhibition at the El Campin stadium in Bogota, Colombia on May 23, 2014. Leonardo Munoz / EPA
James Rodriguez in action during a Colombia national team exhibition at the El Campin stadium in Bogota, Colombia on May 23, 2014. Leonardo Munoz / EPA

James Rodriguez assuming ‘new Valderrama’ role for Colombia at World Cup


  • English
  • Arabic

James Rodriguez has been compared to Colombia’s finest player, the curly-haired Carlos Valderrama, but he will be hoping for a happier ending to his country’s World Cup campaign than that of his predecessor’s generation.

In the possible absence of star striker Radamel Falcao, a lot will be asked of the Monaco star, who will be 23 on July 12, the day before the World Cup final.

While Colombia should get past Group C – where they are pitted against Ivory Coast, Greece and Japan – Rodriguez will need a miracle to be playing in the final as a birthday present.

He and his team-mates should at least escape the fate suffered by Valderrama’s 1994 team-mate defender Andres Escobar.

Escobar scored an own goal in a group stage defeat by the United States – allegedly costing crime bosses huge gambling losses – and was shot dead shortly after returning home.

Rodriguez, who started his career at 16 for Colombian side Envigado FC, has accrued several nicknames in a short space of time. He is the ‘James Bond of Banfield’ after scoring an extraordinary goal for the unfashionable Argentinian side in February 2010, and he has been compared to Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

However, Rodriguez, who also scored one of the goals that secured Banfield their first national title in 2009, prides himself most in having been dubbed ‘El Pibe Nueva’ (the New Kid) as opposed to Valderrama’s ‘El Pibe’.

“It’s an honour to be considered the heir to ‘El Pibe’ at my age,” he told Fifa.com in November.

“Since I was little, I admired Valderrama and I always wanted to be like him. He was my hero and I am proud to wear the number 10 for Colombia while helping the national team return to the World Cup for the first time since 1998.

“I’ve only met Valderrama once and he’s a good person, someone who has done a lot for Colombia. And to be praised by him is an even greater honour.”

Valderrama, who had a more languid laid back style on the pitch than Rodriguez, was unequivocal about how highly he rated the youngster.

“Colombia doesn’t need a new ‘El Pibe’ anymore because James is that ‘kid’ that the national team has been missing in recent years,” he told Deportescl.terra in November 2011.

“He’s often consistent, incredibly talented, and he’s got more passion than any other player I’ve seen in all my years of playing and coaching professional football.

“James has the potential to be the greatest Colombian player to have ever lived, and perhaps as one of the greatest to have ever played the game.”

Rodriguez, who has a daughter Salome with his wife, volleyball international Daniela Ospina, the sister of national team-mate David, has been linked with several English clubs. The price will be huge though after Rodriguez’s successful first season with Monaco following a 45 million euro (Dh227.7m) move from Porto.

However, Rodriguez, who has scored four goals in 21 international appearances, may disappoint them if he sticks to what he said back in 2012.

“The Spanish league is a league that I’ve always watched – it’s different from the English League, which is very physical,” he told Fifa.com.

“The game in Spain is more about technique, and about getting more touches on the ball. That’s why I like it so much.”

Follow us on Twitter @SprtNationalUAE

MATCH INFO

Liverpool 0

Stoke City 0

Man of the Match: Erik Pieters (Stoke)

THE SIXTH SENSE

Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment

Director: M. Night Shyamalan

Rating: 5/5

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champioons League semi-final, first leg:

Liverpool 5
Salah (35', 45 1'), Mane (56'), Firmino (61', 68')

Roma 2
Dzeko (81'), Perotti (85' pen)

Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

THE CLOWN OF GAZA

Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah 

Starring: Alaa Meqdad

Rating: 4/5

PROFILE OF SWVL

Started: April 2017

Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport

Size: 450 employees

Investment: approximately $80 million

Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Fasset%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2019%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Mohammad%20Raafi%20Hossain%2C%20Daniel%20Ahmed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%242.45%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2086%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Pre-series%20B%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Investcorp%2C%20Liberty%20City%20Ventures%2C%20Fatima%20Gobi%20Ventures%2C%20Primal%20Capital%2C%20Wealthwell%20Ventures%2C%20FHS%20Capital%2C%20VN2%20Capital%2C%20local%20family%20offices%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO

Euro 2020 qualifier

Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')

Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)

Turning%20waste%20into%20fuel
%3Cp%3EAverage%20amount%20of%20biofuel%20produced%20at%20DIC%20factory%20every%20month%3A%20%3Cstrong%3EApproximately%20106%2C000%20litres%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAmount%20of%20biofuel%20produced%20from%201%20litre%20of%20used%20cooking%20oil%3A%20%3Cstrong%3E920ml%20(92%25)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETime%20required%20for%20one%20full%20cycle%20of%20production%20from%20used%20cooking%20oil%20to%20biofuel%3A%20%3Cstrong%3EOne%20day%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EEnergy%20requirements%20for%20one%20cycle%20of%20production%20from%201%2C000%20litres%20of%20used%20cooking%20oil%3A%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%96%AA%20Electricity%20-%201.1904%20units%3Cbr%3E%E2%96%AA%20Water-%2031%20litres%3Cbr%3E%E2%96%AA%20Diesel%20%E2%80%93%2026.275%20litres%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

The Beach Bum

Director: Harmony Korine

Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Isla Fisher, Snoop Dogg

Two stars

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 325bhp

Torque: 450Nm

Price: Dh289,000

THE LOWDOWN

Photograph

Rating: 4/5

Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies

Director: Ritesh Batra

Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz

The White Lotus: Season three

Creator: Mike White

Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell

Rating: 4.5/5

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young