The first round of group matches at the 2014 World Cup did not quite end with a whimper, even if it did bring the second consecutive draw in a tournament that thus far has been fairly free of shared spoils.
South Korea and Russia drew 1-1 in Group H late on Tuesday night in a match that both sides likely left thinking they could have won. Here are some takeaways from the evening:
My kingdom for a keeper
Tuesday’s final two matches provided reminders of what is possible when a goalkeeper is at the top of his game – and what can happen when the last line of defence has an all-too-human moment.
Mexico slowed Brazil’s procession to the knockout rounds with a 0-0 draw, thanks in large part to goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa transmogrifying into a blend of Neville Southall, Lev Yashin and Goro from Mortal Kombat. Ochoa’s standout performance gave the Mexico defence the confidence to step forward and meet the Brazilian attackers head-on, knowing he would be there to erase any slip-ups.
Russia and South Korea did not have that luxury. Neither Igor Akinfeev nor Jung Sung-ryong instilled much confidence in their respective teams, and Akinfeev’s untimely bobble of Lee Keun-ho’s shot must have aroused flashbacks for Russia coach Fabio Capello of Robert Green fumbling Clint Dempsey’s shot into the England net during the 2010 World Cup.
The good news for Akinfeev is that Russia’s next match is less than a week away, giving in a chance to exorcise any mental demons left over from Tuesday. The bad news is that match is against presumptive Group H favourites Belgium, who likely will not be any easier on his nerves.
Progress of a sort
Not much was expected of South Korea after entering the World Cup with losses to Tunisia (1-0) and Ghana (4-0) in their last two warm-up matches. While their inability to hang on to their fortuitous advantage will concern coach Hong Myung-bo, he and his team can take heart in their overall performance against a Russia side that won their European qualifying group.
The Korean defence largely held firm, aside from the inability to clear the ball that led to Alexander Kerzhakov’s equaliser, and the midfield offered much more than the endless running that has been South Korea’s trademark since the 2002 World Cup. Of greater concern to Hong will be solving the absence of goals. Park Chu-young continues to look out of sorts, and Son Heung-min is more of a playmaker than a chance-finisher. Kim Shin-wook may need to make an appearance if South Korea hope to beat Algeria in their next match and avoid needing a win against Belgium to advance.
Slow start for Asia
After the first round of group matches, Asia’s four World Cup entrants have amassed all of two points. Australia and Japan opened with losses despite looking good in stretches, and Iran ground out a 0-0 draw with Nigeria that won them few admirers but one more point than many pundits expected.
While disappointing, it is in keeping with the boom-and-bust cycle Asian sides seem to experience in World Cups. They managed just five points at the 1998 World Cup before earning 14 in 2002 – seven each by Japan and South Korea, zero by China and Saudi Arabia. Asia brought home seven points from the 2006 World Cup before managing 14 in South Africa, with Japan and South Korea both advancing to the last 16.
The continent’s prospects in Brazil remain mixed. Japan and South Korea have winnable ties against Greece and Algeria, respectively, in the next round of matches while Australia face the Netherlands and Iran take on Argentina. At least two more wins might be necessary for Asia to avoid sweating over keeping its four-and-a-half World Cup bids.
Not much for night owls
The 2am starts for the final contest of each matchday are ideal for the more nocturnal World Cup watchers. Those kickoffs have brought some fine matches, such as England-Italy and Ghana-United States.
However, Russia-South Korea was the start of a run of matches that may have nightowls turning in early, or at least reaching for a good book. The next few 2am starts may end up being quality matches, but the names on the marquee do not set the neutrals’ pulses racing.
Wednesday brings Cameroon taking on Croatia in the late kickoff, followed by Japan facing Greece on Thursday, Honduras-Ecuador on Friday and Nigeria-Bosnia on Saturday. The United States and Portugal’s Group G encounter on Sunday is the final 2am match before the simultaneous kickoffs in each group finale.
pfreelend@thenational.ae
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How to become a Boglehead
Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.
• Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.
• Invest early, invest often. It takes time to grow your wealth on the stock market. The sooner you begin, the better.
• Choose the right level of risk. Don't gamble by investing in get-rich-quick schemes or high-risk plays. Don't play it too safe, either, by leaving long-term savings in cash.
• Diversify. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money between different companies, sectors, markets and asset classes such as bonds and property.
• Keep charges low. The biggest drag on investment performance is all the charges you pay to advisers and active fund managers.
• Keep it simple. Complexity is your enemy. You can build a balanced, diversified portfolio with just a handful of ETFs.
• Forget timing the market. Nobody knows where share prices will go next, so don't try to second-guess them.
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Results
6.30pm: The Madjani Stakes (PA) Group 3 Dh175,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
Winner: Aatebat Al Khalediah, Fernando Jara (jockey), Ali Rashid Al Raihe (trainer).
7.05pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,400m
Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
7.40pm: Maiden (TB) Dh165,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Dubai Avenue, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: My Catch, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Dubai Creek Mile (TB) Listed Dh265,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh190,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Golden Goal, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
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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
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
