Mick Jagger has been a visible presence in the stands at the last few World Cups. In 2010, in South Africa, he was seen in the stands with former U.S. President Bill Clinton, supporting the United States against Ghana. The USMNT went on to lose that match, 2-1, and it was at that World Cup that the legend of the “Jagger jinx” was born.
The U.S. was one of several teams Jagger was seen publicly supporting in South Africa that was eliminated in the knockout rounds. Brazil was another one, and of course the singer’s native England, which was knocked out by one of its greatest rivals, Germany.
Four years later in Brazil, Jagger was back, supporting the home team at the 2014 World Cup with his then-paramour Brazilian model Luciana Gimenez. Gimenez is the mother of Jagger’s youngest son Lucas, who was 15 when he sat in the stands at Estadio Mineirao with his dad and saw Brazil eliminated in the 7-1 loss to Germany in the semifinals of that tournament.
Prior to the 2014 World Cup, Jagger had also predicted good things for Portugal and Italy during concert tour stops in each of the respective countries. Both teams crashed out in the group stage, as did Jagger’s home country England, which finished dead last in its group.
It’s not known who Jagger was supporting at Tuesday’s semifinal if anyone. But if history is anything to go by, it’s probably a safe bet he was backing Belgium. It’s also not entirely certain that Jagger will be present at Wednesday’s match to support England.
But given that he’s off tour and at the World Cup with his sons, and Moscow is just a short flight from St. Petersburg, it seems a fairly safe bet he will be there. In which case, Southgate’s team may get no satisfaction when it takes the field against Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium.
Could Mick Jagger ‘jinx’ derail England’s World Cup hopes?
by Alex Baker
https://sports.yahoo.com/mick-jagger-jinx-derail-englands-world-cup-hopes-213935726.html
Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger was on hand for France’s World Cup semifinal triumph over Belgium on Tuesday. As cameras panned the crowd at Saint Petersburg Stadium, Sir Mick could be seen in the stands sporting a black cap and hoodie, accompanied by his sons, James, 32, and Lucas, 19.
Jagger’s appearance at the match in Saint Petersburg comes two days after the 74-year-old rocker had wrapped up the Stones’ “No Filter” tour in Warsaw. With the British rock legend off tour and seemingly enjoying a bit of downtime with the family, it seems a fairly safe assumption that he will likely attend England’s semifinal match against Croatia in Moscow on Wednesday. And considering Jagger’s past record with supporting teams at the World Cup, that might not be a good thing for Gareth Southgate’s group.
Beware the “Jagger jinx”
Jagger has been a visible presence in the stands at the last few World Cups. In 2010, in South Africa, he was seen in the stands with former U.S. President Bill Clinton, supporting the United States against Ghana. The USMNT went on to lose that match, 2-1, and it was at that World Cup that the legend of the “Jagger jinx” was born.
The U.S. was one of several teams Jagger was seen publicly supporting in South Africa that was eliminated in the knockout rounds. Brazil was another one, and of course the singer’s native England, which was knocked out by one of its greatest rivals, Germany.
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Four years later in Brazil, Jagger was back, supporting the home team at the 2014 World Cup with his then-paramour Brazilian model Luciana Gimenez. Gimenez is the mother of Jagger’s youngest son Lucas, who was 15 when he sat in the stands at Estadio Mineirao with his dad and saw Brazil eliminated in the 7-1 loss to Germany in the semifinals of that tournament.
Afterward, Mick denied the Jagger jinx had anything to do with the loss, which remains the most humiliating in the history of Brazilian soccer.
“OK, I take responsibility for the first German goal,” he told NME. “But not the other six.”
Prior to the 2014 World Cup, Jagger had also predicted good things for Portugal and Italy during concert tour stops in each of the respective countries. Both teams crashed out in the group stage, as did Jagger’s home country England, which finished dead last in its group.
**
It’s not known who Jagger was supporting at Tuesday’s semifinal if anyone. But if history is anything to go by, it’s probably a safe bet he was backing Belgium. It’s also not entirely certain that Jagger will be present at Wednesday’s match to support England.
But given that he’s off tour and at the World Cup with his sons, and Moscow is just a short flight from St. Petersburg, it seems a fairly safe bet he will be there. In which case, Southgate’s team may get no satisfaction when it takes the field against Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium.
Pep effect: Guardiola impact showing on England at World Cup
The Pep effect is back for a third World Cup.
by Steve Douglas
https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/article214420644.html
Titles for Spain in 2010 and Germany in 2014 were attributed partly to Pep Guardiola’s influence on Barcelona and Bayern Munich, whose players filled six starting spots in each final.
Guardiola could be having the same impact on England.
Three players from Guardiola’s Premier League champion Manchester City have become regulars on the England team: Raheem Sterling, John Stones and Kyle Walker. National team coach Gareth Southgate also preaches possession football and insists defenders and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford play the ball out from the back, just like Guardiola has demanded for years.
With one of its most refreshing and ambitious lineups in years, England reached the quarterfinals and will face Sweden on Saturday and is bidding to reach the last four for the first time since 1990.
An indirect Guardiola hat trick may yet be on. Another of his players, Kevin De Bruyne, scored Belgium’s second goal in a 2-1 quarterfinal win over Brazil on Friday.
Stones, a graceful, ball-playing center back, is the epitome of the brave philosophy pursued by Southgate. Stones scored twice in the group stage, has shown composure on the ball and regularly starts attacks from the middle of a back three.
A new admirer of Stones is Lothar Matthaeus. The captain of West Germany’s 1990 World Cup champions recalled that while watching England’s last-16 match against Colombia, he nudged the person sitting alongside him and said: “This Stones is one of the best central defenders in the world.”
“I wouldn’t be here without what he has done for me over the last two years, as a player and as a person,” Stones said of Guardiola, who bought the defender from Everton in 2016 for 47.5 million pounds (then $63 million). “Since I came to City, he always had the right things to say to me and simple things. That is what is important, not flooding your mind and overloading you with too much information. Giving you the right amount and making everything simple.”
Guardiola often talks to Stones during City games, beckoning him to the touchline when there is a break in play. Stones has become a more complete player at City, although he faces competition for his place next season from center backs Vincent Kompany, Nicolas Otamendi and Aymetic Laporte.
Similarly, Walker has become a more versatile defender after a year playing under Guardiola. An attacking right back for City, Walker has been a right-sided center back at the World Cup.
Sterling is coming off his most prolific season, scoring 23 goals in all competitions in his role as an inside forward. He partners with Harry Kane up front and, although he has yet to score at the World Cup, he is a constant menace for defenders. At the 2016 European Championship, just before Guardiola arrived at City, Sterling was criticized by fans and media after England’s round of 16 exit.
“I think going into the Pep effect, he’s definitely had it on us City boys, and we’ve tried to bring what we’ve learned off him into the England squad,” Stones said. “Bringing in a fresh idea, not on the whole game but on certain aspects of it. Everyone does that from their clubs and managers. That is why I think we have got a great combination of players.”
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SPAIN
Spain’s one and only World Cup victory in 2010 was founded on pillars of Guardiola’s Barcelona team that was well on its way to revolutionizing the game by that point: Center backs Gerard Pique and Carlos Puyol; midfielders Sergio Busquets, Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta; and forward Pedro Rodriguez.
Iniesta scored the extra-time goal in the 1-0 final victory over the Netherlands, a play started by Rodriguez.
Under then-coach Vicente del Bosque, Spain adopted the same high-pressing, possession-based brand of football that Barcelona was famous for under Guardiola, and it wowed the world.
“When I watch kids’ football now, I see them playing out from the back,” Southgate said before the World Cup. “I don’t see (coaches) with heads in their hands saying, ‘Get it forward.’ I think that’s an impact of his team, with the likes of Andres Iniesta and Xavi.”
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GERMANY
Joachim Loew’s lineup in 2014 was dominated by Bayern players, coming off a successful and record-breaking first season under Guardiola. Loew was inspired by Guardiola’s preferred quick transitions and passing style and also was moved to play captain Philipp Lahm in center midfield at times, instead of his usual position at right back.
“Guardiola’s ideas are superb,” Loew said.
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(sk)
「ミックの呪い（Jagger jinx）」が本当なら、イングランドは負ける。
「グアルディオラの法則（Pep effect）」が本当なら、イングランドは優勝する。
メディアは勝手なことを言う。
１０年南アフリカ大会で応援するチームが次々と敗退し「ミックの呪い」と言われたが、前回の１４年ブラジル大会ではさらにパワーアップ。カナリア色のユニホームを着た息子と準決勝でブラジルを応援すると、ドイツに１－７と屈辱的な大敗を喫した。１８年ロシア大会でも飛行機を貸したアルゼンチンが早々と負けたりと、その呪いが続いている。だからイングランドは（ミック・ジャガーが応援に訪れれば）敗退するという。
「ジョゼップ・グアルディオラ（「ペップ」）の法則」となると、すごいとしか言いようがない。バルセロナを指揮していた当時の１０年南アフリカ大会ではスペインが優勝。バイエルン・ミュンヘンを率いていた１４年ブラジル大会ではドイツが優勝した。だから１８年ロシア大会ではイングランドが優勝するに違いないという。
本命が次々と敗退するなか、いろいろな「こじつけ」が登場する。