SAO PAULO // Former Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk is backing Arjen Robben to outshine Lionel Messi as the Netherlands prepare to take on Argentina for a place in the World Cup final tonight.
The diving controversies which have shrouded Robben’s campaign in Brazil cannot mask the fact that the Bayern Munich star has been the Netherlands’ most consistently effective attacker.
And that leaves van Marwijk confident that the Dutch are holding the trump card heading into the battle with Messi and Argentina in Sao Paulo.
“Argentina have got Messi, we’ve got Robben. And quite frankly, I think the better player is Arjen,” said van Marwijk, the Netherlands’ coach at the last World Cup in South Africa four years ago.
“When I see how Robben is playing in this tournament, I have to admit I’m a little bit jealous. There’s a big difference to 2010,” van Marwijk told Dutch broadcaster NOS television.
“Four years ago, Arjen was injured just before the start of the tournament in a friendly against Hungary. He was carrying the injury for the whole tournament and was never really 100 percent. But this year he’s been unstoppable.”
Van Marwijk believes a fully fit and firing Robben might just have made the difference between winning and losing the 2010 final against Spain.
Robben is haunted by his failure to convert a glorious chance in the final, when he was denied by Iker Casillas after being put clean through on the Spanish goal in normal time.
“It is part of sport, just a moment, a snapshot,” said Robben. “But it will be part of me and part of my career for all of my life.”
But with Robben in his current form, the Dutch can dream of winning the World Cup after three previous defeats in the final. Former international and current coach of PSV Eindhoven Philipp Cocu says simply that Robben, 30, is “in the form of his life”.
“With him in the team there is no reason to fear Argentina. We certainly have as much quality as the South Americans,” Cocu told Voetbal International magazine. “When I see the way Arjen was sprinting in the final minutes against Costa Rica ... it’s incredible,” Cocu added.
Robben has contributed three goals on the Netherlands’ journey to the semi-finals, as well as several decisive interventions such as the darting run which led to the match-winning penalty in the last 16 against Mexico.
But the veteran is also valued for his leadership on and off the pitch.
“When we had the drinks break in the second half against Mexico, it was Arjen who took responsibility to get everyone going, to rally morale,” Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal said.
Midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum says: “Arjen is a captain, a real leader of men. During games, he makes things easier for the other players. Off the pitch he keeps us on our toes.
“On several occasions he has spoken to the younger players about the frustration of Euro 2008, when they beat France, Italy and Romania and then went out in the next round. Arjen stops us from complacency. He demands that we train with intensity.”
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
How to invest in gold
Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.
A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.
Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”
Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”
Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”
By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.
You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.
You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.
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Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
