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Portugal, Uruguay look to Ronaldo, Suarez to deliver the goods (Preview)
Sochi, June 29 (IANS) Superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez will go toe-to-toe when Uruguay and Portugal lock horns in a FIFA World Cup pre-quarterfinal here at the Fisht Stadium on Saturday.
The marquee match will see two teams who repeatedly punch above their weight looking up to their celebrated talismen to deliver the goods and keep the entire bunch together using their reservoir of experience.
Portugal’s Ronaldo has scored 85 goals in 153 appearances and looks in inspiring form this time barring the last group game where he missed a penalty and was involved in a VAR influenced decision getting away with a yellow card after pulling down an Iran defender.
At the other end is Suarez with 53 goals from 101 games but numerous controversies behind him including an nine-game international ban for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini four years ago.
European champions Portugal qualified for the last 16 after an unconvincing group stage in which they tried to repeat the “solid defence and pace-on-the-break” strategy that won them the 2016 European Championship.
A narrow victory against Morocco was their only win in their first three matches and they will have to improve against Uruguay, who are unlikely to allow spaces behind their defence.
Portugal’s shrewd tactician Fernando Santos would not be too concerned about their draws against Spain and Iran en route to the round of 16 as he is known to be happy with the tag of ugly ducklings.
Santos, 63, is at his second World Cup, having led Greece to the last 16 four years ago.
In attack, Ronaldo will need the support of Goncalo Guedes, Ricardo Quaresma and Andre Silva in attack, while Jose Fonte and Pepe will be at the central defence in front of goalkeeper Rui Patricio. William Carvalho, Jao Mario and Adrien Silva are expected to feature in midfield.
Coming to Uruguay, before their 3-0 win over Russia the talk in the Uruguayan press was that the side may have beaten Egypt 1-0 and Saudi Arabia 1-0, but they were hardly very impressive.
Uruguay may have looked disjointed going forward, but they were imposing in defence and hardly gave their rivals a chance in their first two games. Suarez, along with Edinson Cavani will threaten the Portuguese defence.
Uruguay have yet to concede a goal in Russia, although going forward they have relied mainly on set pieces to score their goals.
Veteran coach Oscar Tabarez is at his third World Cup in his current stint with Uruguay.
Like Santos, the 71-year-old, has also won a continental title, the Copa America in 2011.
Uruguay, going by their form in the group stages, will have the edge over Portugal. But if Ronaldo is in full tilt, the charismatic Real Madrid forward can take the game away from his opponents and take Portugal to their second quarter-final.
To stop Ronaldo, Uruguayan central defensive partnership of Diego Godin and Jose Maria Gimenez, who is set to comeback after missing the third match due to a thigh injury, need to be at their best.
Martin Caceres and Diego Laxalt are expected to be full-backs and the midfield will see Rodrigo Bentancur and Matias Vecino starting.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.