Being named after a Russian politician set a course of unorthodoxy for Yeltsin Tejada’s life, so there is no sense of surprise for him in the way the Costa Rica midfielder and his teammates topped a group including England, Italy and Uruguay.
A surprise did come, though, when he learnt who were to be their next opponents.
“We were thinking more about Colombia and the Ivory Coast and in the end came the least expected team,” he said. “Now we have to change the video cassette.”
Even Costa Rica, despite being outsiders themselves, did not believe in Greece.
There were no reasons to. The Greeks had played eight World Cup games and failed to score in seven of them. They looked one of the World Cup’s worst teams and they were up against Ivory Coast’s golden generation.
They won, however, and in such uncharacteristically attacking fashion that they earned a few new admirers in the process.
Georgios Samaras had no qualms about the awarding of a late penalty, despite its controversial nature, as he converted it superbly. Greece had hit the woodwork three times, so it was hard to dispute that they were deserving winners.
So was set up the least likely last-16 tie in this World Cup – the battle of the deserving overachievers.
The Greeks’ victory against Ivory Coast was transformative; defensive dullards were reinvented as intrepid underdogs, while Costa Rica swept all before them in a manner unimaginable before the tournament. Whoever succeeds, a quarter-final place will go to minnows.
Greece rather relish their status. Veteran captain Giorgos Karagounis’s verdict on the Ivory Coast game was significant.
“We prevailed against the odds,” he said after the match. “We had passion and we had fight.”
They are qualities the 37 year old has displayed in abundance into his international career, which has entered overtime. The Ivory Coast game was his 138th cap and would have been his last if Greece had not won.
Karagounis, suspended for the Euro 2004 final and the Euro 2012 quarter-final, is now eligible for a major game, which is something of a rarity for him.
His contemporary, Kostas Katsouranis, is reprieved. The 35 year old's time with the national team would have ended with his sending-off against Japan had his teammates not qualified, but he is available again after a ban.
Those two are the only survivors of the heady days when Greece conquered Europe to win their one major honour.
Greece were spirited in 2004, but the legacy came in the form of negativity, which dominated their tactics for much of the subsequent decade.
It was understandable – why change an approach that had propelled them to glory especially as, to use Karagounis’s words, “it was against the odds”? But it had been scarcely rewarding.
Greece failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, were abysmal in Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup and somehow reached the last eight of Euro 2012, only to be thrashed by Germany.
When this tournament began with a comprehensive defeat to Colombia and then the desperate stalemate with Japan, it looked like the continuation of a theme.
Then, suddenly, they became history makers.
“We came here to advance from the group stage,” Karagounis said. “We’ve never done it before, and we did in a great way.”
Their strengths were outlined simply by the scorer Samaras. “We are a team,” he said. “A team – that’s it.”
They rely on the collective to compensate for individual deficiencies. They have never had a world-class striker, attacking midfielder or winger. Deprived of creativity, they rely on industry.
They only scored 12 goals in a 10-game qualifying group, an indication of their lack of potency. Yet together they defeated the more gifted, but disjointed, Ivorians.
As Costa Rica, their Central American equivalents, can testify, teamwork can take a side a long way.
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021
Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.
Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.
Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.
Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.
Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.
Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.
Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”
Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI.
World record transfers
1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
4. Cristiano Ronaldo - to Real Madrid in 2009/10 - €94m
5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
7. Romelu Lukaku - to Manchester United in 2017/18 - €84.7m
8. Luis Suarez - to Barcelona in 2014/15 - €81.72m
9. Angel di Maria - to Manchester United in 2014/15 - €75m
10. James Rodriguez - to Real Madrid in 2014/15 - €75m
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
RESULT
West Brom 2 Liverpool 2
West Brom: Livermore (79'), Rondón (88' )
Liverpool: Ings (4'), Salah (72')
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
ENGLAND%20SQUAD
%3Cp%3EFor%20Euro%202024%20qualifers%20away%20to%20Malta%20on%20June%2016%20and%20at%20home%20to%20North%20Macedonia%20on%20June%2019%3A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EGoalkeepers%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Johnstone%2C%20Pickford%2C%20Ramsdale.%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDefenders%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Alexander-Arnold%2C%20Dunk%2C%20Guehi%2C%20Maguire%2C%20%20Mings%2C%20Shaw%2C%20Stones%2C%20Trippier%2C%20Walker.%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EMidfielders%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bellingham%2C%20Eze%2C%20Gallagher%2C%20Henderson%2C%20%20Maddison%2C%20Phillips%2C%20Rice.%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EForwards%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFoden%2C%20Grealish%2C%20Kane%2C%20Rashford%2C%20Saka%2C%20Wilson.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
PETER%20PAN%20%26%20WENDY
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Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
