DOHA // Just when an electric meeting in Qatar seemed destined for an unfitting goallessness, a little blur went tearing up the pitch at Khalifa International Stadium and wrought a measure of drama uncommon for a friendly.
That torrential sight would be a familiar light-blue No 10 shirt, and by the time Lionel Messi had finished a fine dash of his singular flair in the wane of added time, Argentina had its first win over Brazil in the last six meetings between the football-furious South American neighbours.
Just beyond one minute into the two added on, Messi started a move in midfield, sending a ball to teammate Ezequiel Lavezzi, a half-time replacement for Gonzalo Higuain. In a brisk second Lavezzi back-passed it to a charging Messi.
As if determined to curtail an odd national-team drought that had seem him score only once in his past nine Argentina matches and twice in his last 17, Messi moved forward barely noticing the four Brazilian defenders surrounding him.
Feigning right, he darted left to elude David Marinho and Thiago Da Silva before setting up a left-footed strike that took the ground route past a wrong-guessing Victory Bagy in the Brazilian goal.
Those clad in light blue in the sold-out crowd of 52,000 exulted, as did some Qataris hoping for goals and as did Sergio Batista, Argentina's former player and newly-appointed manager overseeing just his fourth game for the national side and first since a 1-0 loss to Japan brought his lone blemish thus far.
Messi, bolting to the left corner to celebrate, became mobbed by teammates almost as if the match counted in some competition.
It did count to Qatar in the competition for the 2022 World Cup, as the small Gulf nation showcased the Brazil-Argentina match as part of its final push to convince Fifa of its worthiness for the event football's governing body will bestow in Switzerland on December 2.
All through the day, vendors sold Argentina and Brazil scarves and flags at traffic circles. Fans of each side turned up hours before the match and stood in orderly lines, while some of the 1,000 Brazilian citizens who reside in Qatar sought tickets and noted the difficulty of attaining them in recent weeks.
The stadium lit up part of the city and buzzed with anticipation leading up to kick-off. Some Qataris wore Argentina or Brazil flags over their thobes. The attending football dignitaries included Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager, and the retired French World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane, both supportive of the Qatar bid and seated adjacent to each other in easy chairs in the stadium.
Once underway, the match proved full of the expected creativity even as neither side could score all the way through the first 90 minutes. Messi had several chances for Argentina, including a searing drive in the 39th minute that squeezed just past the left post. Ronaldinho and Robinho, meanwhile, created chances for Brazil, the former looking vivacious on his return to the national side after a 19-month absence and the latter missing the target on two occasions from the edge of the box.
In the 22nd minute, Ronaldinho, the AC Milan playmaker, delighted the crowd by using his right heel off a corner kick in a vain attempt to surprise Nicolas Pareja, the Argentine goalkeeper.
Ronaldinho was eventually substituted in the 73rd minute, just before Robinho's best chance brought some gasps in the five minutes from regulation time, and 17 minutes before the game seemed to end on scoreless until Messi started running.
cculpepper@thenational.ae
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
Dubai – Call 800243
Sharjah – Call 065632222
Ras Al Khaimah - Call 072053372
Ajman – Call 067401616
Umm Al Quwain – Call 999
Fujairah - Call 092051100 or 092224411
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Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km
Price: from Dh362,500
On sale: now
Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Credits
Produced by: Colour Yellow Productions and Eros Now
Director: Mudassar Aziz
Cast: Sonakshi Sinha, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jassi Gill, Piyush Mishra, Diana Penty, Aparshakti Khurrana
Star rating: 2.5/5
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
Things Heard & Seen
Directed by: Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini
Starring: Amanda Seyfried, James Norton
2/5
SPECS
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'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
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
Pathaan
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