Samaras last minute penalty sends Greeks through

Samaras´s penalty robbed the African side of the place in the last 16 as they had fought back to level at 1-1 through Wilfried Bony and were in sight of the point they required to go through.

Greece took the lead in the first-half through Andreas Samaris and Samaras´s late winner ensured they accompanied group winners Colombia, who thrashed Japan 4-1, into the knockout stages.

Greece again showed they play best when the odds are stacked against them as they overcame having to replace two key players including goalkeeper Orestis Karlezis inside the first 25 minutes.

A sluggish Ivory Coast side were caught napping on several occasions including one superb sortie by Greek defender Jose Holebas.

He took the ball out from inside his own penalty area, passed to Giorgios Samaras, and then ran onto the veteran former Celtic forward´s pass to let fly with a fierce effort which came crashing back off the bar.

The Greeks, though, got the goal they deserved three minutes from the break as Cheick Tiote´s underhit pass was seized on by the Greeks and it fell to Samaris who fired under the advancing goalkeeper Boubacar Barry.

The 2004 European champions looked comfortable through most of the second-half with one of the only two players remaining from that side Georgios Karagounis rattling the bar from distance on his 138th appearance for his country.

However, the game turned on its head 16 minutes from time when finally the Elephants put a class move together Salomon Kalou feeding Gervinho, who slipped the ball inside for substitute Wilfried Bony who made no mistake for his second goal of the finals.

Both Karagounis and Ivory Coast icon Didier Drogba were taken off shortly afterwards with the latter receiving a rousing ovation from the almost 60,000 spectators.

However, it was to be the Greek veteran who was to be smiling at the end and looking forward to another big game before he finally hangs up his boots while Drogba bows out. (AFP)

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New-look India aim for a positive start of England tour

Leicester: With an aim to bury the ghosts of a disastrous tour of 2011, a new-look Indian cricket team would be eyeing a positive start to their two-and-a-half-month long tour of England when they take on Leicestershire in a three-day practice game, starting here on Thursday.

The visitors, led by skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, reached London last weekend ahead of what will be a gruelling tour, including five back-to-back Tests, five ODIs and one T20 International. India failed to register a single win in their last tour having lost the Test series 0-4, the five-match ODI series 0-3 and also the lone T20 International.

India suffered the humiliation last time in 2011 despite being equipped with seasoned campaigners like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and, of course, skipper Dhoni himself. But with all of them missing this time, the onus will be on youngsters like Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara to hold fort.

Team India sneaked into the country almost unnoticed with most people either mesmerized by the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Brazil despite England`s poor showing there, or pre-occupied with their cricket team`s first-ever home series loss to Sri Lanka. England`s series loss to Sri Lanka bodes well for Dhoni and his young squad and the hosts will be low on confidence going into the series.

While the usual noise accompanying an Indian team is missing, this team will not be devoid of eyeballs once they take the field against Leicestershire tomorrow. The bigger comparison to the previous tour though lies in this well-planned run-in to the first Test at Nottingham on July 9. Not only do they practice here, but the Indians will also play Derbyshire in another three-day practice match (July 1-3) before finally heading to Trent Bridge. 

That means India will spend a fortnight in England before they turn their attention to the first Test. Additionally, a majority players of this squad have been give time off after IPL 7 and they will be well rested after a long season that included tours to South Africa and New Zealand.

The common thread between those two tours was India`s inability to win a single Test match as also the fact that they were very short trips, allowing very few opportunities to change combinations. With two practice matches to start off a five-Test tour, the Indian team management will have six days of cricket as evidence when picking their eleven form first Test in Nottingham.

India did not have this luxury against either the Proteas or the Kiwis. And the Dhoni-led side need to grab this chance with both hands primarily because this squad is severely lacking in experience of playing in English conditions. With Zaheer Khan missing out on selection, Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir and Ishant Sharma are the only ones in the 18-member squad to have experienced Test cricket in this country.

There is a big question-mark regarding the composition of the bowling attack. With six medium pacers (plus Stuart Binny) and two spinners in the mix, it will be interesting to see which players get time in the middle in this first tour game. The playing eleven for the tour game will reveal key pointers to the bowling composition the Indian think-tank might be contemplating for the first Test.

At the same time, the Indian batsmen need to make full use of the practice match and get quickly accustomed to the conditions that are totally differrnt to the flat-tracks back home. The line-up that takes strike against Leicestershire will also provide a look at where Gambhir fits into the scheme of things.

The left-hander returns to the national side after spending nearly one and half years in the domestic wilderness, even as Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay continue to be the first-choice opening combination in the longer format of the game. It should be noted here that Binny also doubles up as the only back-up batsman available to the side, and going ahead, one of the three openers might have to adjust lower down the order should the need arise.

But it remains to be seen whether Dhoni pre-empt that situation and give an outing to all three batsmen. Meanwhile, for Leicestershire, it will be a break from the hammering they are currently receiving in the County Championship, placed last in the division-two points` table. At best, this is a chance for them to attract fans during the three days, as the T20 tour game versus India in 2011 at the same ground proved to be quite popular.

Teams:

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Capt and WK), Shikhar Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Gautam Gambhir, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Stuart Binny, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Shami, Ishwar Pandey, Wriddhiman Saha, Pankaj Singh, Varun Aaron, Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Leicestershire: Ramnaresh Sarwan (Capt), Matthew Boyce, Nathan Buck, Josh Cobb, Ned Eckersley, Ollie Freckingham, Anthony Ireland, Jigar Naik, Niall O`Brien (WK), Angus Robson, Charlie Shreck, Greg Smith, Scott Styris, James Sykes, Rob Taylor, Shiv Thakor, Michael Thornely, Tom Wells, Robbie Williams, Alex Wyatt.

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Costa Rica Hungry for More Giant-Killing Success

Belo Horizonte, Brazil: Central American minnows Costa Rica are determined to extend their fairytale World Cup run after finishing ahead of England, Italy and Uruguay to top the Group of Death.

Los Ticos had already assured themselves of a place in the last 16 with wins over Uruguay and Italy before clinching first place in Group D with a 0-0 draw against England on Tuesday.

Yet, whilst the world may be stunned by their efforts, those within the camp always believed they could achieve great things in Brazil.

A football mad nation of just 4.6 million people expected much of the most talented squad they had ever sent to a World Cup in their fourth finals.

"For us, it wasn't a surprise because we know the great talent that we have. We will keep working and keep surprising the world," said assistant coach Paulo Wanchope, who enjoyed a six-year career in the Premier League in England with Derby County, West Ham and Manchester City.

Costa Rica's current crop of stars is spearheaded by Bryan Ruiz who cost Fulham $17 million when they signed him from FC Twente three years ago.

Ruiz's guile is complimented by the pace of Arsenal's Joel Campbell, whose goal against Uruguay was further evidence of his burgeoning talent after an impressive season with Greek side Olympiakos, which included a memorable goal against Manchester United in the Champions League back in February.

However, the base of their success has come from their solidity at the other end of the field.

Costa Rica conceded just seven times in 10 games in the final stage of qualifying and have only been breached by an Edinson Cavani penalty in three matches in Brazil.

Goalkeeper Keylor Navas was expected to star after a stellar season in La Liga with Levante, but he hasn't been overly troubled by Uruguay, Italy or England thanks to the organisation of the defence in front of him.

Colombian coach Jorge Luis Pinto can take the majority of the credit for the discipline with which he has drilled his side.

And despite their remarkable success so far, Pinto is determined that their Brazilian journey will not end with a meeting against Greece in the last 16.

"We played the three games with desire, respect and total commitment. We want this to continue," he said.

"We know that what is next to come will be difficult, but we are confident.

"We aspire to more, we want more. All the group is convinced we can." The Costa Rica side of 1990 which stunned Scotland and Sweden before falling to Czechoslovakia in the second round have gone onto become legends in their homeland.

Yet, having already sent Italy and England packing, it would be folly to write off Pinto's surpassing even their achievements come their meeting with the Greeks in Recife on Sunday.

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FIFA Probing Luis Suarez Bite Furore, Lengthy Ban Seen

Natal, Brazil: FIFA have opened disciplinary proceedings against Uruguay forward Luis Suarez after Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini accused him of biting during the South Americans' 1-0 Group D victory at the World Cup on Tuesday.

The probe means Suarez, twice previously banned for biting, may be hit with another lengthy suspension despite escaping punishment during the match.

"FIFA can confirm that disciplinary proceedings have been opened against the player Luis Suarez of Uruguay," the world soccer body said in a statement late on Tuesday.

FIFA said Suarez and the Uruguayan soccer association had until 1:30 am IST on Thursday to "provide their position and any documentary evidence they deem relevant".

 FIFA is probing what it called an apparent breach of two articles of the organisation's disciplinary code. One covers infringements and the other offensive behaviour and fair play.

Suarez and Chiellini clashed in the Italian penalty area 10 minutes from the end of the match which sealed Uruguay's progression and Italy's elimination from the tournament.

Chiellini furiously pulled open his shirt to show the mark to the referee.

Reuters photographs show what appeared to be bite marks on his shoulder and pictures also showed Suarez sitting on the ground holding his teeth immediately after the incident.

The Italians were still complaining about it when Uruguay's Diego Godin scored with an 81st-minute header to secure the win.

"It was ridiculous not to send Suarez off," Chiellini told Rai TV. "It is clear, clear-cut and then there was the obvious dive afterwards because he knew very well that he did something that he shouldn't have done."

Suarez contested that version of events, however.

"Those are situations that happen on the pitch. We were both just there inside the area. He shoved me with his shoulder, and my eye got left like that also," he said in reference to Chiellini's mark.

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez said he did not see the incident, and complained that the forward was being persecuted.

"It seems there is this animosity toward him and he is being persecuted by past events," a visibly agitated Tabarez said when repeatedly being asked about the alleged bite. "There are people hiding behind the tree waiting for something to happen."

TEN-GAME BAN

Liverpool's Suarez was banned for 10 games last year after biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic in a Premier League match and in 2010 he was suspended for seven games for biting PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal while playing for Ajax Amsterdam.

He missed Uruguay's World Cup semi-final against the Netherlands four years ago after being sent off for a handball on the line that denied Ghana what would have been a match-winning goal in the final minute of extra time.

FIFA's rules allow the use of video or "any other evidence" to retrospectively punish players.

FIFA's disciplinary code sets a maximum ban of 24 matches or two years, but the longest suspension FIFA has imposed for an offence in the World Cup was eight games for Italy's Mauro Tassotti for breaking Spain's Luis Enrique's nose in 1994 with an elbow.

Uruguay could potentially play four more games in the tournament and it would be a surprise if Suarez were to be given a ban of a shorter duration.

SUPPORT AT HOME

Opinion in Uruguay, a country of around three million people sandwiched between soccer powerhouses Argentina and Brazil, was divided over Suarez's latest antics.

The 27-year-old is regarded as something of a hero at home, having grown up in a poor family in the northwestern city of Salto where he looked after parked cars to help support his siblings after his parents split up.

"We needed to win, so if you have to hit you hit, if you have to bite you bite," said Barbara Giordano, a 26-year-old law student in Montevideo.

Some Uruguayans, however, were furious.

"This kid can't control his biting and attacking issues," said Luis Lara, a 52-year-old shopkeeper. "That makes all of us Uruguayans look bad."

Suarez's indiscretion sent the world's social media into meltdown and within minutes of the match ending #Suarez was one of the top-trending hash tags on Twitter.

A tweet from former Liverpool striker Michael Owen was typical of a wave of reaction from former players and pundits: "Tell me I'm seeing things. Surely Suarez didn't bite someone again?," he wrote.

"I'm genuinely gutted. I love watching him play more than any other player but he obviously can't control himself."

Suarez, England's Footballer of the Year, scored both goals in Uruguay's 2-1 victory over England having missed the opening match as he recovered from knee surgery, and until the incident had kept control of his temper during a bruising game.

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World Cup 2014: Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal Face Early Exit

Cristiano Ronaldo during a training session at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil

Brasilia: Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal face a sobering early World Cup exit on Thursday even if their world footballer of the year produces pyrotechnics in their final group game against Ghana.

The Real Madrid player came to the World Cup bracketed alongside Argentina's Lionel Messi and Brazil's Neymar as one of a triumvirate of true global superstars.

But while the Barcelona pair have produced moments of sublime skill and goals, the attention surrounding Ronaldo has mainly focused on the health or otherwise of his troublesome left knee.

Portugal -- fourth in the FIFA world rankings -- are rock bottom of Group G with a solitary point from their matches against Germany and the United States, both of whom have four points.

They were pummelled 4-0 by Germany and the fact they still have any chance of progressing at all is down to Ronaldo, who delivered a sublime cross for their equaliser in a 2-2 draw against the United States.

Despite that goal, headed in by Silvestre Varela in the dying seconds of time added on, the cold, hard reality is that if the United States and Germany draw in Recife, Portugal and Ghana, who also have one point, are doomed.

Portugal have insisted throughout the tournament that their star player is fit but he has failed to dominate matches in the way he does for his club and admitted that his side's task is "virtually impossible".

Ronaldo was sanguine after the match against the Americans, admitting that Portugal, despite their lofty ranking, were never among the favourites to lift the World Cup.

"I never thought we would be world champions. We have to be humble and recognise our limitations. There are things we cannot do, like running faster or having more quality," he said.

"At the moment there are better teams and better players than our own," added the 29-year-old, who had an outstanding season for Real that culminated in a 10th Champions League title for the club.

Paulo Bento's side have also had to cope with a one-match suspension for defender Pepe after a red card in the Germany match and an injury to Fabio Coentrao that ruled him out of the rest of the tournament.

Portugal's task is made all the more difficult by their goal difference of minus four, meaning they must score a hatful of goals even to be in the mix. Ghana's goal difference is minus one.

And they are unlikely to have it all their own way when they take on Ghana in Brasilia after the Black Stars gave Germany a fright before Miroslav Klose equalised to rescue a 2-2 draw.

Despite that setback Ghana, who reached the quarter-finals in South Africa in 2010, still harbour hopes of progressing to the round of 16.

The exact make-up of the team is difficult to predict after Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah made four changes for the Germany match from the side that lost their opening game to the United States, bringing in Schalke star Kevin-Prince Boateng, although he was taken off early in the second-half.

"We ran ourselves into the ground and played really well against a team of the calibre of Germany," said defender Harrison Afful.

"We've still got a game to go and we're going to give it our all to go through. If we don't qualify, it won't be for lack of effort."

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10 Lies Fashion Girls Tell

"I have nothing to wear!"

1. These shoes are so comfortable.
Your feet are covered in blisters but you’d rather go down in flames than admit that your gorgeous shoes are killing you slowly. Is there anywhere to sit down…?

2. I don't follow trends.
*Googles 'How to get Cara Delevingne's eyebrows,' then 'how to wear a crop top.'

3. I’m on a budget; I’m not going shopping for the next month!
Going on a shopping cleanse sounded like a good idea until you found out about the Céline outlet—next month for sure

. 4. It’s Altuzarra!
Okay fine, it's Altuzarra for Target *bows head in shame*

5. A $5,000 bag is an investment.
Well according to the fashion math equation, if I wear it every day for the next 3 years that would only be $4.56 per wear and that’s a steal…

6. I’m going to wear so much color this season.
You vow to try bright colors and pastels for spring but somehow end up in an all black ensemble again (with an accent of a red lip—that counts as a color, right?)

7. Of course it’s sample size!
Nobody can know you've cancelled your Pilates sessions 3 times in a row.

8. I’m on my way.
You haven’t even picked out your accessories yet, there’s no way you’ll be there on time. But being fashionably late is your thing anyway.

9. I’m not that high-maintenance.
I just need life’s essentials like food, water, and a Chanel Boy bag. Oh, and those Alexander Wang booties.

10. I have nothing to wear!
The classic, all-time favorite fashion girl lie.

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Why Is It So Hard for Us to Be Feminists?

The big feminism debate has made its way over to Hollywood, and celebrities are quick to take a stand when it comes to the F-word. Shailene Woodley flat-out said, “no” when asked if she considered herself a feminist, while Beyoncé says she is a modern-day feminist. She makes it clear in songs such as “Run the World (Girls)” and “Flawless,” where she includes a quote from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's recent TED talk: “Feminist: the person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.” Meanwhile, Lana Del Rey is simply bored by the idea, because, well, she's Lana Del Rey.

With so many ideas out there about feminism, do we really even know what it means to be a feminist in today’s society? We spoke to Roxane Gay, author of the book Bad Feminist, a collection of essays out in August, about the landscape that shapes modern-day feminism and the women who are making some major strides in the movement.

What can you tell us about your new book 'Bad Feminist' in advance of its release on August 5th?

It's a collection of essays that I've written in recent years of cultural criticism. I'm really looking at the world that we are living in and that we've created. Also, some of the problems that will keep coming around over and over again, like why is music so misogynistic? And why is it still so damn catchy? I want readers to see feminism as a more inclusive space and recognize the importance of claiming feminism. I want them to recognize the ways in which popular culture are damaging for women and people of color, while also acknowledging that it's okay to consume this popular culture. We are, after all, only human. I am offering ideas about how we can be better about the business of being human.

Do you think women feel pressure to conform to gender norms in order to be validated as a woman in today's society?

For so long I resisted embracing the color pink because it is so often mindlessly used to code the feminine. Then I realized, should I not enjoy a color because of how it is misappropriated? No. I reject that. In reading fashion magazines, again, I have long recognized the ways in which such magazines perpetuate damaging ideas for women, but sometimes, I just want to look at pretty clothes. There are a number of things women feel they should be doing to be validated as women, but they are far bigger than thinking pink is pretty or reading glossy magazines.

What does the title 'Bad Feminist' mean? Who are these bad feminists?

Well, I am a bad feminist. I started calling myself a bad feminist as a sort of tongue-in-cheek thing a few years ago, and then I realized I really am a bad feminist in a way. I don't want to disavow feminism the way so many people seem to do. I am a feminist, I am proud to be a feminist, and I want to own that, but at the same time I don't always fall in line with some of the tenants of feminism or the things "good feminists" believe. So, I wanted to own feminism more by acknowledging that not all feminists are perfect.

What can women do to become better feminists?

First of all, own feminism. Feminism is just the idea that women are equal to men. We deserve respect, equal pay, and reproductive freedom. I think that acknowledging feminism and realizing that feminism is not a scary, man-hating idea is one way to be better. Also, to acknowledge that it's not just equality for women, but it's also thinking about the other identities that we inhabit. It's thinking about class, gender, race, and ability. We are all different and have different needs.

Recently, Taylor Swift and Shailene Woodley declared that they are not feminists. Why do you think feminism gets a bad rep?

I think part of it is that they are working from a place of ignorance. They don't know what feminism is. I think that feminism over the years unfortunately has gotten a bad reputation as a movement that's all about man-hating and not shaving your legs. There are all sorts of crazy things that people apply to feminism. These things are simply not true, and if they ever were true, it's because those feminists were working at a time when they had no choice but to be aggressively vigilant because things were that bad for women. I think that some women, and these celebrities, need to educate themselves and understand what feminism actually is. But I think we all have a right to not be a feminist. If you don't want to call yourself a feminist, that is totally fine. I think that journalists need to stop asking the question, ‘Are you a feminist?’ I think it's a ridiculous question. It's the kind of question that is designed to make headlines.

On the other hand, we have celebrities like Beyoncé and Lena Dunham standing up as feminists. What do you make of that?

I think that's amazing. I love when women like that do that. I think Beyoncé has done more for feminism this year than we've seen other women do for quite some time simply because she's so culturally relevant. I think it does a lot of good to see a woman who is young and sexy and is totally empowered and owning, ‘Yes. I'm a feminist.’ It's just fantastic.

How can a woman like Beyoncé balance being sexy and very feminine with feeling strong and empowered?

Women need to realize that femininity and being strong and empowered are not opposites: They go hand in hand. We have to stop viewing strength as something not feminine because I think strength is extraordinarily feminine.

Who are true, modern-day feminist icons?

Even though she's recently deceased, Maya Angelou is one hell of a feminist. I think she did so much for women, especially for black women. She reveled in the joy of being a woman and the unique beauty of black womanhood. And Hillary Clinton… I think she's just a badass. I love how she is so open about her ambition, like she kind of wants to rule the world and good for her! She's not perfect. There are lots of issues we could pick apart, but I admire her a great deal. And Michelle Obama, how can I forget her? She is a quintessential feminist. I think feminists are everywhere. We just have to seek them out.

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