Coaches learn to cope with Cup tension

He increased the risks by chain-smoking on the bench 8212; until Fifa told him to stop.

La Volpe Mexico

He increased the risks by chain-smoking on the bench 8212; until Fifa told him to stop. The intense pressure in Mexico on the him to ensure his team progressed in the tournament, with critics wanting him sacked regardless, may help explain La Volpe8217;s unusual habit of blowing smoke at his reserve players. But he is not the only one under scrutiny back home.

Klinsmann Germany

He has been reincarnated as the elated striker he was a decade ago, celebrating goals with athletic jumps high into the air, flailing arms and euphoric hugs. He began his coaching in 2004 with a studied seriousness, smiling and pumping a clenched fist after goals. But now he seems like a player once again, exploding with joy that seems to uncork tension after two years of battering from critics.

Scolari Portugal

The emotional Luiz Felipe Scolari has prowled his technical area like a tiger, bringing a heightened sense of 8220;gamesmanship8221; by whipping up a storm and doing everything to give his team an advantage. 8220;Sometimes it is like war8230;I am used to that,8221; the Brazilian-bron coach said after beating Netherlands 1-0 to reach the quarter-finals.

Lagerback Sweden

He remained the epitome of Scandinavian tranquility even after his fancied team were ousted by hosts Germany 2-0. Lagerback showed almost no emotion before flying home as his team8217;s golden era drew to a premature close, accompanied by a good old-fashioned bashing in the Swedish media. But Lagerback kept his cool, calmly fending off calls for his head.

Arena US

He will also not be forgotten soon. It did not require any special skill in lip-reading to understand the New Yorker8217;s expletive-filled shouts at the referee who flashed red cards at two of his players in their 1-1 draw with Italy. Arena8217;s use of four-letter commentary to the referee in their 2-1 loss to Ghana could also easily be understood by television viewers around the world.

Paqueta Saudi Arabia

Perhaps the most original coaching strategy in the dugout, though, was used by Marcos Paqueta, Saudi Arabia8217;s fifteenth manager in 12 years. He loved using gadgets. He diagrammed plays in the dugout on a magnetic board, wore small ear plugs and spoke into a tiny hand-held microphone.