Sports
Midfielder Diaz left out of Chile squad for World Cup qualifiers
Santiago, Sep 29 (IANS) Veteran Pumas UNAM midfielder Marcelo Diaz has been left out of Chile’s national football team for pivotal World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Brazil next month.
The former Hamburg and Celta Vigo player has been a key member of the country’s so-called golden generation, which led the Roja to back-to-back Copa America titles in 2015 and 2016, reports Xinhua news agency.
As expected, Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez and Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal were included in the Roja’s preliminary 19-man squad.
Coach Juan Antonio Pizzi told a news conference he plans to add locally based players to the group in the coming days.
“We believe that the players that have been selected for these matches have the characteristics that we need to carry out our plan,” Pizzi said.
Chile will host Ecuador in Santiago on October 5 before playing Brazil away in the South American zone’s last qualifier five days later.
Pizzi’s side, currently sixth in CONMEBOL’s 10-team standings, must win both matches and rely on other results going their way to secure a berth in Russia next year.
Only the top four teams will earn a direct qualification place while the fifth-ranked team will advance to an intercontinental playoff.
–IANS
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The left-handed batsman from Haryana is garnering praise from all quarters for the way he’s finishing games regularly in the most exciting IPL season.
Gavaskar reckons Tewatia’s whirlwind knock in Sharjah (in IPL 2020) where he smashed West Indies pacer Sheldon Cottrell for five sixes in an over, gave him the confidence that he belongs to the big stage.
Speaking on Cricket Live on Star Sports, Gavaskar said, “That assault on Sheldon Cottrell in Sharjah gave him the belief to do the impossible and the confidence that he belongs here. We saw the impossible (he did with the bat) the other day as well. There’s no twitching or touching the pads (which shows a batter’s nervousness) when he bats in the death overs. He just waits for the ball to be delivered and plays his shots. He’s got all the shots in the book, but most importantly his temperament to stay cool in a crisis is brilliant.”
Gavaskar has also nicknamed the 28-year-old cricketer the ‘ice-man’ and lauded Tewatia’s ability to remain unruffled during the tense moments.
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