Argentina, Croatia ready for World Cup clash as semifinals kick off

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Croatia's players during a training session at the Al Erssal Training Site 3 in Doha on Monday, on the eve of their World Cup semifinal match against Argentina. (AFP)
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Argentina's forward Lionel Messi (C) and teammates take part in a training session at Qatar University in Doha on Monday, on the eve of the World Cup semifinal between Argentina and Croatia. (AFP)
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Argentina's coach Lionel Scaloni gives a press conference at the Qatar National Convention Center in Doha on Monday, 2022, on the eve of the World Cup semifinal between Argentina and Croatia. (AFP)
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Updated 13 December 2022
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Argentina, Croatia ready for World Cup clash as semifinals kick off

  • At the cavernous Lusail Stadium, Messi will attempt to guide Argentina into a World Cup final for the second time in eight years

DOHA: Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni brushed off accusations of poor sportsmanship on Monday as the South Americans prepared for a World Cup semifinal showdown against Croatia.

After three weeks of pulsating action in Qatar, just four teams are left standing as the tournament heads into its home stretch.

Lionel Messi and Argentina face Croatia in the first semifinal on Tuesday, before 2018 champions France take on giant-killing Morocco on the following day.

At the cavernous Lusail Stadium, Messi will attempt to guide Argentina into a World Cup final for the second time in eight years.

Messi, looking to crown his career with victory on football’s biggest stage, was a pivotal figure in Friday’s stormy quarterfinal win over the Netherlands, when tempers on both sides flared and a record 18 yellow cards were shown.

An ill-tempered contest ended with Argentine players appearing to taunt their distraught Dutch opponents before sprinting away to celebrate after a penalty shootout win.

Even the normally mild-mannered Messi was caught up in the acrimony, appearing to shout abuse at unidentified Dutch players during a post-game interview.

But Scaloni defended his players’ conduct in an eve-of-game news conference on Monday, insisting his team had nothing to apologize for.

“The game the other day was played in the right way by both teams. That is football,” said the 44-year-old Argentina coach.

“I don’t buy this idea that we don’t know how to win. The game was played in the right way.”

Messi, who tasted bitter defeat in the 2014 final against Germany, likely has one final chance, at the age of 35, to match compatriot Diego Maradona and lift the World Cup.

Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic said he wanted the match to be remembered as the “greatest game” in the country’s history.

With a population of just 4 million people, Croatia, led on the pitch by Luka Modric, have again defied the odds and stand just 90 minutes from a return trip to the final.

“At back-to-back World Cups to be among the four best national teams, that’s an extraordinary success for Croatia,” said Dalic, whose side were beaten 4-2 by France in the final four years ago.

“However, we want more,” he added. “I’m optimistic and have full confidence in my players. They’ve shown their great quality and strength of character, and deserve to be in the final.”

Croatia, who beat Japan and fancied Brazil in penalty shootouts to reach the last four, have not won a knockout game in normal time at a major tournament since they came third at the 1998 World Cup.

But Dalic said despite the energy-sapping games in Qatar, exhaustion was not even being discussed.

“We are still strong, with energy and enthusiasm, without a doubt,” he said. “We are going to give it our all, just as we have done in previous games.

“Against Argentina we will do the same, we will give our all. We don’t have any injury problems. They don’t feel tired.”

France are strong favorites to beat Morocco and take a step closer to defending their title on Wednesday after overcoming England in the last eight.

But the African team’s run to the semis has caught the imagination of a continent and they have been vocally backed by legions of fans in Qatar.

Morocco, who beat Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in the last round, are the first African or Arab team to qualify for a World Cup semifinal.

The match will have added spice — France was Morocco’s colonial power and hundreds of thousands of people with Moroccan roots live and work in the country.

Demand has been so great that Royal Air Maroc has announced it is laying on 30 extra return flights to take euphoric fans to the Gulf state.

France defender Raphael Varane has insisted that there would be no complacency from the World Cup holders.

“We know Morocco are not here by chance,” he said. “It is up to us experienced players to make sure everyone is prepared for another battle.”


Yazeed Al-Rajhi romps to comfortable victory in Tabuk Toyota Rally 

Updated 11 May 2024
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Yazeed Al-Rajhi romps to comfortable victory in Tabuk Toyota Rally 

  • The Saudi Toyota Championship continues with the Qassim Rally on October 23 to 26

TABUK: Saudi driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi and his German co-driver Timo Gottschalk cruised to an emphatic victory in the Tabuk Toyota Rally and the Saudi extended his lead in the 2024 Saudi Toyota Championship on Saturday.

The Overdrive Racing Toyota Hilux drivers suffered no issues on the final 168km selective section and secured a winning margin of 16 minutes 37 seconds.

“It was good for us,” said Al-Rajhi. “It was not easy, very tricky actually. We have good stages in Saudi now. Before it was flat, flat and now it is more technical with good navigation and you need to focus all the time. Now we look ahead to Baja Greece.”

Dania Akeel and Stephane Duple continued to flourish in the Ultimate category with the second of the Toyota Hiluxes and finished second overall, despite getting lost on the stage for several minutes.

“We had a good day except we lost around four minutes in navigation, that is part of the game,” Akeel said. “Other than that, we had a good day. The stage was narrow and quite twisty and that was good for me to get used to the car, I would love to race this car every day. We will see, I want to develop as a driver as much as I can.”

Saleh Al-Saif and Qatari co-driver Nasser Al-Kuwari rounded off the podium places and topped the Challenger standings in their Dark Horse OT3.

MX Ride Dubai’s Mohammed Al-Balooshi continued his superb run of form in Middle East regional events with the fastest time on the final stage that confirmed another victory for the Emirati on his Husqvarna.

He beat local KTM rider Abdulhalim Al-Mogheera by nearly 15 minutes on the final stage to snatch the win by 27 minutes 45 seconds, his cause helped still further when the Saudi incurred a time penalty.

“I’m really happy, so pumped with this win. I know the task was to open and full attack. The task was difficult and not impossible,” Al-Balooshi said. “I really put my head down, stayed focused and I needed more than two minutes, I got a lot more that that. I am really happy to defend this title in Tabuk, I really like all the races in Saudi Arabia. Abdulhalim (Mogheera) really kept me on my toes. He is progressing well.”

There was a nail-biting finish to the battle in the quads with Haitham Al-Tuwaijri managing to snatch the victory on his Yamaha Raptor from rivals Hani Al-Noumesi and Abdulaziz Al-Shayban. The Saudi’s winning margin was just 25 seconds.

The Saudi Toyota Championship continues with the Qassim Rally on October 23 to 26.


Al-Hilal crowned Roshn Saudi League champions after Al-Hazem rout

Updated 11 May 2024
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Al-Hilal crowned Roshn Saudi League champions after Al-Hazem rout

  • The 4-1 win at Kingdom Arena means the Riyadh giants have now extended their Saudi Pro League record to 19 championships

RIYADH: Al-Hilal wrapped up the Roshn Saudi League title with a comprehensive 4-1 win over Al-Hazem on Saturday at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh.

The victory means that Al-Hilal have now extended their Saudi Pro League record to 19 championships.

Al-Nassr’s 3-2 win over Al-Okhdood on Thursday had delayed Al-Hilal’s coronation for two days at least, but Jorge Jesus and his men knew a win or draw against Al-Hazem would be enough to clinch the title.

Serbian forward Aleksandar Mitrovic, one of the signings of the season, got the party underway with a penalty after 15 minutes but, with nine minutes of the first half left, an unscripted moment saw Faiz Selemani score with a fine left-foot strike after being put through on goal.

Al-Hazem’s joy did not last long however, with Ahmed Al-Juwaid gifting Al-Hilal the lead five minutes later with a bizarre own goal that sailed over goalkeeper Zaid Al-Malki’s head.

The home team scented blood and proceeded to put the result, and the title race, to bed with two goals in first-half added time.

Mitrovic side-footed home from countryman Sergej Milinkovic-Savic’s cross from the left in the 48th minute of the half, and the assister turned goalscorer three minutes later to give Al-Hilal a 4-1 lead at the break.

With Al-Hilal fans already in celebratory mood and the title all but confirmed by the break, the second period inevitably saw the home team take their foot off the pedal.

VAR ruled out what would have been Al-Hazem’s second goal in added time and moments later the final whistle went to confirm the championship for Al-Hilal.

Their fans could finally celebrate a title win that had been on the cards for several weeks. 


Chinese duo Wang Chuqin, Chen Meng take men’s, women’s singles titles at Saudi Smash

Updated 11 May 2024
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Chinese duo Wang Chuqin, Chen Meng take men’s, women’s singles titles at Saudi Smash

  • Wang claims triple crown with success on 24th birthday

JEDDAH: World No. 1 Wang Chuqin and No. 4 seed Chen Meng from China were crowned the winners of the men’s and women’s singles respectively at the 2024 World Tour Saudi Smash table tennis event in Jeddah on Saturday.

Chen took home the women’s crown with a 4-2 win over big-time rival Sun Yingsha in an epic final (6-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8).

Speaking on the stage after the match, Chen told her fans: “I’m very excited, very happy and still find it unbelievable as it exceeded my expectations. Throughout my Saudi Smash journey, each match was a big hurdle.

“I gave my best to make it here and ultimately won the finals. Facing the match against ‘Shasha,’ I hoped that luck would be on my side to clinch the title.

“Despite a few times reaching the finals, I haven’t claimed a title since Singapore Smash 2022. It’s far from easy to turn an opportunity into a victory. I’m really happy.”

Thanks to her victory, Chen also leaves Jeddah with 2,000 International Table Tennis Federation World Ranking points, enough to secure her return to World No. 2.

Meanwhile, in the men’s competition, World Champion Wang proved that he is still the dominant leader, pulling off an impressive victory over the World No. 10 Patrick Franziska from Germany, winning 4-2 (11-2, 11-7, 11-5, 8-11, 10-12 and 11-6) in a thrilling final.

Having already taken the mixed doubles title with Sun Yingsha and the men’s doubles with Ma Long, the men’s singles trophy added the final feather in Wang’s cap in Jeddah as he achieved the Saudi Smash triple crown.

With the win also falling on his 24th birthday, the title provided a perfect celebration.

He said: “I could have taken all three titles in the last Grand Smash; unfortunately, I didn’t. Thanks to the birthday blessings, I’m able to win three titles this time, which I’m happy about.

“It seems like some of these trophies were easier than others to get, but in reality the entire Saudi Smash journey has been long and tough for me, which is also the biggest gain.”


Japan defeat Pakistan in dramatic shootout to win 2024 Azlan Shah Hockey Cup final

Updated 11 May 2024
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Japan defeat Pakistan in dramatic shootout to win 2024 Azlan Shah Hockey Cup final

  • Japan seized an early lead with a field goal in the 12th minute, igniting a fierce contest that ended in a 2-2 draw
  • The electrifying shootout phase led to Japan’s convincing 4-1 victory, helping the team clinch the Azlan Shah cup

ISLAMABAD: In a dramatic conclusion to the 2024 Azlan Shah Hockey Cup on Saturday, Japan defeated Pakistan in a penalty shootout after a tense 2-2 draw, dashing the Pakistan team’s hopes that had reached the tournament final for the first time since 2011 following a series of stellar performances.
Six teams participated in the event, including the tournament Malaysia, Pakistan, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand and Canada. Pakistan won the Azlan Shah Cup title three times in the past and was the second runners-up in the last edition which was also held in Malaysia two years ago.
Prior to facing Japan the second time in the tournament, Pakistan played against New Zealand on Friday in a match that ended in a tie.
“Today is the day we’ve all been waiting for,” the Pakistan Hockey Federation exclaimed in a social media post prior to the match. “The FINAL showdown of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup is here, and our beloved Green Shirts are ready to take on Japan ... Let’s rally behind our team with all our support and cheers as they aim for glory on the field!”

In a riveting showdown, Japan seized an early lead with a field goal in the 12th minute, igniting a fierce contest that saw both teams neck and neck until the final whistle.
As regular time expired with the score deadlocked, the match escalated into an electrifying shootout phase.
When the dust settled, however, Japan had triumphed with a convincing 4-1 victory, clinching the cup and retaining their top position on the leaderboard where they already stood tall with 13 points right ahead of the final.
Pakistan, despite a valiant effort, were on the second place with two draws.

 


Harry Kewell’s Yokohama edge Hernan Crespo’s Al Ain in Asian Champions League final first leg

Updated 11 May 2024
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Harry Kewell’s Yokohama edge Hernan Crespo’s Al Ain in Asian Champions League final first leg

  • Yokohama made a bright start in front of almost 55,000 home fans
  • The second leg will be played in the UAE in a fortnight’s time

YOKOHAMA: Harry Kewell’s Yokohama F-Marinos fought back to claim a narrow Asian Champions League final advantage over Hernan Crespo’s Al Ain on Saturday with a 2-1 first-leg win in Japan.
Mohammed Abbas scored in the 12th minute for United Arab Emirates side Al Ain but Yokohama’s Asahi Uenaka levelled midway through the second half before substitute Kota Watanabe grabbed the winner six minutes from time.
The second leg will be played in the UAE in a fortnight’s time.
Kewell and Crespo were meeting as coaches almost 20 years after facing each other as players in the UEFA Champions League final in Istanbul.
Crespo was part of the AC Milan side that took a 3-0 half-time lead before Kewell’s Liverpool famously came back to draw 3-3 and then win on penalties.
Kewell has led Yokohama to their first Champions League final only four months after taking over at the Japanese club.
Al Ain are the UAE’s most successful club and they are playing in the final for the fourth time, having won it in 2002 and reached the decider in 2005 and 2016.
Yokohama made a bright start in front of almost 55,000 home fans and Elber and Yan Matheus both had attempts at goal within the first five minutes.
But Al Ain threw a spanner in the works with the opening goal just over five minutes later when Abbas stuffed home the rebound after goalkeeper William Popp had denied Soufiane Rahimi.
The UAE side thought they had scored a second in the 30th minute when Matias Palacios fired the ball between Popp’s legs, only for a VAR check to rule it out for offside.
Yokohama had several chances to get back on level terms and Al Ain goalkeeper Khalid Eisa had to tip a Takuya Kida shot onto the crossbar with one of them.
Nam Tae-hee then missed a gilt-edged opportunity in first-half injury time with the goal at his mercy.
Yokohama were much scrappier in the second half but they got their equalizer when Matheus’s cross picked out Uenaka to head home in the 72nd minute.
Yokohama substitute Watanabe put the ball in the net again in the 84th minute only to be flagged for offside.
But the goal was allowed to stand after a VAR check, giving Yokohama a precious lead to take into the second leg.
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