Colombia knock Poland out

Argentina star Lionel Messi is football's answer to skiing great Alberto Tomba, Poland coach Czeslaw Michniewicz said on Tuesday.

Speaking ahead of Poland's final World Cup group stage match against Argentina in Doha, Michniewicz said his side would need to surround Messi to stop him.

"Messi on the pitch is like Alberto Tomba on the slope, he's able to avoid everyone like Tomba can get around everything," said Michniewicz.

"So we need to put players around Messi because if he can get around (them) easily he will easily score.

"One player cannot stop Messi, we must get players around him."

Even so, Michniewicz says that may not be enough.

"The whole world has been thinking for years about how to stop Lionel Messi and he has made dozens of goals and assists," he added.

"I don't think we'll ever find the final answer to this question."

Poland have their own star striker in Robert Lewandowski, who is following in the Argentine's footsteps as the darling of Barcelona, where he has scored 18 goals in 19 games this season.

Many have billed this as the clash between Messi and Lewandowski, but Michniewicz does not buy into that.

"It's not only a match between Lewandowski and Messi, it's not tennis," said the coach.

"Robert needs his teammates, the same as Leo needs his. We rely on these great strikers but they cannot win on their own."

Michniewicz admitted that as a fan he has long supported Argentina but said he would have no conflicting emotions during Wednesday's game.

"Since I was a little boy I've always rooted for Argentina. They have great fans, a great team, huge personalities like Mario Kempes in 1978 and other players.

"There have been many ups and downs but I have always rooted for Argentina, although I won't tomorrow."

After the death of Colombian Nobel prize winning author Gabriel García Márquez in 2014, University of Texas purchased a few of his belongings and manuscripts which cost around USD 2.2 million. The multitude of manuscripts, documents, letters required more than 40 cartons to be stored. Among these are the manuscripts of 10 published novels, 40 photo albums, 20 scrapbooks, two computers and typewriters. Márquez never wrote using his hand but typed it in his computer. 

Journalist Patricia Lara Salive successfully discovered parts of Márquez's unpublished manuscripts while going through his retrieved belongings. 

After Márquez's death, it became evident that his dream to write the second and third volumes of his autobiography would be unfulfilled. However, one of his novels remains unpublished. Only a handful of people knew about this and when asked about it by his close ones, Márquez would reply, "This August." 

Naturally, everyone was curious to know when the unpublished novel was being written. Christabel Pera from Random House, who has edited a plethora of Márquez's works, said that Márquez had been writing this book for a very long time. His last novel, Memories of My Melancholy Whores, was published in 2004. A year later, he told his Mexican friend Homero Aridjis that he was done with writing. 

Marquez finished writing Memories of My Melancholy Whores by 1999. His close ones had estimated that the unpublished novel was written within the same year as he had recited the first chapter of the novel at a conference in Madrid that year. His biographer Martin Gerald informed that these essays were supposed to be integrated into the books as five separate stories. It is possible that Márquez was planning to tie these stories through a common ground and transform them into a novel. 

The novel, which is divided into five chapters, tells the story of a woman who goes to visit her mother's grave on an island in Colombia once every year. The stories of these chapters are self-contained; readers should not have much trouble reading them separately. 

But the primary question is: why did the books remain unpublished until his death? His friend, the journalist José Salgar, had said that Márquez had finalised the manuscript back in 2008. To a few close acquaintances, Márquez had expressed his dissatisfaction with the fifth and final chapter of his book and had plans to rewrite it. Despite his increasing physical illness, he spent years rewriting the chapter five or six times, but he was not satisfied with the result. 

But, what is the plot of En agosto nos vemos? 

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Thus, we bid goodbye to Gabo and Mercedes

The story of the first chapter begins on 16th August, at 2 PM in the afternoon. 

A steamer is arriving in the dock of an island in Colombia. One of the passengers is the main character of the novel Anna Magdalena; she has turned 52 years old. Twenty years ago, she was married off before wrapping up her studies. Since then, she has led a content married life. Her father was a musician and her mother was a primary school teacher. Three days before her death, Anna's mother had requested to be buried in a specific island in the sea and Anna's father had complied with his wife's last wish.

However, the day Anna's mother's corpse was taken to the island for her burial, she was not allowed to accompany her and this devastated her. On her first death anniversary, Anna accompanies her father to the island in a four hour-long terrifying journey on an engine-run motor-boat across the sea. Through their combined effort, a tombstone is planted for Anna's mother. In the years that follow, Anna comes to her mother's tomb on her death anniversary and places a bouquet to remember her despite all the adversities. Before her marriage, she clearly states to her husband that she is committed to doing this every year during August. 

As the ferry arrives at the dock, Anna is greeted with the heart warming smile of the taxi-driver she has known for a very long time. She checks into the oldest and most rickety hotel which really does not suit her. 

She has been coming to this hotel for the last 28 years, ever since her mother died, and has chosen to stay in the exact same room as she does every year. She uses the same road from the hotel to travel to her mother's resting place and buys flowers from the same African woman.

She reaches her destination—a forsaken graveyard—and finds her mother's tomb before five in the evening. Anna starts having a conversation over there: she tells her mother about her life, shares secrets, and tells her to communicate to her in dreams if she has any advice. She then returns to her hotel, where she waits till the next morning for her ferry. 

This is how 27 years have passed. But, this time, something different started to happen. 

In the hotel, Anna notices a middle-aged man staring at her and then they soon get to know each other. They build an intimate physical relationship in Anna's hotel room. As Anna wakes up from her sleep, she starts feeling guilty about the entire incident and she becomes fearful of what had unfolded. But, where was the man she had met? 

She realises that she had not even asked his name. The room was still fresh from the fragrance of his lavender perfume. While packing her luggage for the return trip, Anna then notices a 20 dollar bill which the man had left for her inside her book. 

The next four chapters of Marquez's novel focus on four different unexpected incidents which happen to Anna. 

En agosto nos vemos is a very short novel, about 150 pages long. For a lot of Márquez's readers, the language of the text may seem different compared to his other works. The syntax is different from Memories of My Melancholy Whores, despite being written in the same time period. While it is true that En agosto nos vemos reeks with references to human sexuality, it is clear that such elements are only used to shine light upon the darker and more private aspects of the human experience.

Given that Márquez's family have shown reluctance in publishing the novel, readers should not expect to read it. Márquez's family, including his wife and two sons, have unanimously decided that they do not want to publish the novel. 

Journalist Patricia Lara Salive thinks that there have been very few edits by Márquez made in the manuscript and therefore it can be counted as an entire manuscript. En agosto nos vemos will remain as Márquez's unfinished work.

According to NPR, the novel will be published by Penguin Random House in hardback, e-book and audio versions next year, with Random House Spain publishing it in all Spanish speaking countries except Mexico. 

Translated from Bangla by Hrishik Roy. 

Polish Football Association (PZPN) president Cezary Kulesza hinted on Monday that former Portugal boss Fernando Santos would be named their new coach.

The PZPN will hold a press conference on Tuesday to announce a new man in charge with Santos heavily linked with the role.

"See you tomorrow at the press conference at the national stadium," Kulesza said on Twitter in a message with a photo of himself alongside Santos attached.

Kulesza also retweeted a congratulatory message from Polish Sports Minister Kamil Bortniczuk.

"Fernando Santos is a coach with a very good resume... successes... and work experience with huge stars," Bortniczuk said on Twitter.

Former England and Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard had also been linked with the position.

Santos, 68, will succeed Czeslaw Michniewicz, who was sacked last month following a last-16 appearance at the World Cup in Qatar.

Poland finished second in their group, beating Saudi Arabia, drawing with Mexico and losing to eventual champions Argentina.

In the last 16 for the first time in 36 years, they went out after a tame 3-1 defeat at the hands of eventual runners-up France.

Heavily panned at home for Poland's approach during the tournament, Michniewicz was further criticised by the PZPN for a "lack of vision on the functioning and the future of the team".

Santos was previously Portugal coach, but quit last month following the team's shock World Cup quarter-final loss to Morocco.

Appointed coach of Portugal in September 2014, Santos won the country's first major title at Euro 2016 and followed it up with the 2019 Nations League.

However, his time in charge also saw last 16 exits at the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020.

Robert Lewandowski scored his first ever World Cup goal as Poland brought Saudi Arabia back down to earth with a bump on Saturday with an 2-0 Group C victory that rejuvenated their tournament campaign.

Lewandowski, who missed a penalty in Poland's opening draw with Mexico and was visibly emotional after finding the net, pounced on a mistake in the 82nd minute to double Poland's lead after Piotr Zielinski had given them a first-half lead.

After completing one of the tournament's greatest ever shocks when they cut Argentina down to size in their opener, the Saudis, who failed to convert a first-half penalty, found Poland a tougher nut to crack at the Education City Stadium.

The win moved Poland to four points, one more than the Saudis, and left them needing a draw in their final game against Argentina next Wednesday to guarantee their spot in the knockouts.

The Saudis, the second lowest ranked team in the tournament, will head into their final match against Mexico with all still to play for, while Argentina play Mexico play later on Saturday.

There were half-chances for both sides before the game sprang to life in the 39th minute when Poland shook themselves from their slumber to take the lead.

Matty Cash skipped down the right and crossed low for Lewandowski who lifted it over the keeper and pulled it back for Zielinski to fire into the roof of the net.

Their hopes of cruising through to halftime, however, were ended four minutes later when Krystian Bielik made minimal contact with the back of Saleh Al-Shehri's leg and he hit the turf.

The referee had initially waved away Saudi appeals but he was instructed to look at the VAR monitor and pointed to the spot, sparking celebrations from the Saudi players.

Those proved premature, however, as Salem Al-Dawsari's low effort was palmed away one-handed by Wojciech Szczesny, who was quickly on his feet to parry the follow up from Mohammed Al-Breik brilliantly over the bar.

Poland could have extended their lead in the second half when Arkadiusz Milik's header rattled the crossbar while Lewandowski hit the post with an effort that deflected off his knee.

Lewandowski, who had drawn a blank in his four previous World Cup games, did not have to wait too much longer, however, for his goal.

Abdulelah Al-Malki slipped and Lewandowski pounced, robbing him of the ball before sliding a tidy finish beyond Mohamed Al-Owais and into the net, with the striker seemingly in tears as he was greeted by team mates.

Poland's Iga Swiatek continued her dominance on Parisian clay with a third French Open crown in the last four years, defeating unseeded Czech Karolina Muchova 6-2 5-7 6-4 in a thrilling final to capture her fourth Grand Slam title on Saturday.

Swiatek has now lost only two out of 26 Grand Slam matches since moving to world number one in April last year and the 22-year-old became the youngest woman to bag consecutive trophies at Roland Garros since Monica Seles, who triumphed from 1990-92.

The U.S. Open champion also joined Seles and Naomi Osaka as the only women in the Open Era to emerge victorious in each of their first four major finals but she was made to work hard despite a fast start.

Swiatek worked the angles superbly from the baseline and blazed ahead 3-0 on a warm and windy afternoon on Court Philippe Chatrier before world number 43 Muchova settled the nerves, got on the board and threatened to break back.

Muchova had chances in the fifth game of the first set but the 26-year-old struggled to finish them off and found herself in more trouble in the next before bailing herself out with a tight hold thanks to a delightful drop shot and backhand winner.

The Czech, who prevailed the only time the pair faced off in Prague in 2019, launched herself into Swiatek's second serve but sprayed far too many errors and allowed her opponent to go up a set in 44 minutes with another break.

Swiatek continued to benefit from Muchova's mistakes from the baseline and at the net to build a commanding 3-0 lead in the second set but the Czech fired a rocket of a forehand to break back and then level at 3-3.

Muchova began to grow in confidence and attacked with more accuracy to heap pressure on Swiatek, who hit a double fault to gift Muchova the chance to even things up in the next game but there was yet another twist in the tale.

After breaking back to make it 5-5, Swiatek surrendered her serve again but saved two set points before Muchova pulled off a magical volley at full stretch to set up another and finally forced a decider.

Muchova was brimming with self-belief, having edged Aryna Sabalenka in a three-setter in the semi-finals, and went ahead in the final set, but Swiatek shrugged off the early break and wrestled back the momentum by winning three straight games.

The Polish top seed dropped serve in the seventh game but broke back instantly and produced a tight hold to inch closer to the title, which she wrapped up when Muchova double faulted to spark emotional scenes on centre court.

Swiatek's third win in Paris put her level with greats and modern day three-time champions Serena Williams, Monica Seles and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario.