With World Cup 2014 to start on June 12, The National staff look back at the most memorable tournaments in a weekly series that will take us up to the kick off in Brazil. In the second instalment, Gary Meenaghan and France ‘98.
Davor Suker was 30 years old when he arrived in France to make his World Cup debut. A strong, quick-footed striker, he had travelled to the 1990 finals in Italy as part of the Yugoslavia squad that defeated the UAE 4-1 in the group stages.
Then just 22, Suker never made it on to the pitch during any of his country’s five matches and had to wait until the next year before collecting his first of two caps for the Yugoslav state.
Read more: Gary Meenaghan’s recollection of the 1998 World Cup final
By that time, Croatia had founded a national team of its own and Suker – born in Osijek, a city near the border with Serbia – pledged his allegiance. When the still-new nation of 4.2 million people qualified for their first World Cup in 1998, Suker was plying his trade at Uefa Champions League winners Real Madrid and had scored 34 times in 67 appearances for the Spanish club.
In France, playing in front of Zvonimir Boban and Robert Prosinecki, Suker’s striking prowess was obvious. He finished the tournament with the Golden Boot after netting six times in seven games as Croatia shocked the football world to finish in third place.
Against Germany in the quarter-finals, it was a foul on Suker that changed the game and, against 10 men, the team from a country not even 10 years old showed little compassion, routing the knockout kings 3-0.
Sealing the victory, Suker collected a long diagonal from Aljosa Asanovic, looped it over a hapless Ulf Kirsten, cut in past Jurgen Kohler and fired a powerful strike past Andreas Kopke. Suker later described the win as “the most perfect moment in Croatian football history”.
In the semi-finals, it was Suker again who had his nation cheering. His opening goal against France allowed Croatians to dream of a place in the final. Two goals from Lilian Thuram saw France progress, but Suker was voted third-best player in the world later that year by Fifa.
After spells at Arsenal, West Ham United and 1860 Munich, Suker retired in 2003 and was recognised by Uefa as Croatia’s greatest player. He is now president of the Croatian Football Association, but his lasting legacy will always be his ability to instil belief that the size of a nation need not be a hindrance to their abilities on a football pitch.
“Of all the unimportant things in the world, football is the most important,” he once said. “The charm is that a small country can beat a major one. We proved it and people respected us ever since.”
FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
Recycle Reuse Repurpose
New central waste facility on site at expo Dubai South area to handle estimated 173 tonne of waste generated daily by millions of visitors
Recyclables such as plastic, paper, glass will be collected from bins on the expo site and taken to the new expo Central Waste Facility on site
Organic waste will be processed at the new onsite Central Waste Facility, treated and converted into compost to be re-used to green the expo area
Of 173 tonnes of waste daily, an estimated 39 per cent will be recyclables, 48 per cent organic waste and 13 per cent general waste.
About 147 tonnes will be recycled and converted to new products at another existing facility in Ras Al Khor
Recycling at Ras Al Khor unit:
Plastic items to be converted to plastic bags and recycled
Paper pulp moulded products such as cup carriers, egg trays, seed pots, and food packaging trays
Glass waste into bowls, lights, candle holders, serving trays and coasters
Aim is for 85 per cent of waste from the site to be diverted from landfill
Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tottenham v Ajax, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Ajax v Tottenham, Wednesday, May 8, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
23-man shortlist for next six Hall of Fame inductees
Tony Adams, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Eric Cantona, Andrew Cole, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Viera, Ian Wright.
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Friday (UAE kick-off times)
Cologne v Hoffenheim (11.30pm)
Saturday
Hertha Berlin v RB Leipzig (6.30pm)
Schalke v Fortuna Dusseldof (6.30pm)
Mainz v Union Berlin (6.30pm)
Paderborn v Augsburg (6.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund (9.30pm)
Sunday
Borussia Monchengladbach v Werder Bremen (4.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Bayer Leverkusen (6.30pm)
SC Freiburg v Eintracht Frankfurt (9on)
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
EXPATS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Lulu%20Wang%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nicole%20Kidman%2C%20Sarayu%20Blue%2C%20Ji-young%20Yoo%2C%20Brian%20Tee%2C%20Jack%20Huston%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Farewell
Director: Lulu Wang
Stars: Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma
Four stars
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