European Qualifiers: Qatar Look to Bounce Back in 'Difficult' Portugal
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Sport SATURDAY 4 SEPTEMBER 2021 DjokovicD storms into US Open 3rd round I camec out on court with the right intensity, the right fofocus. It was important I came up with the goods. I’m very ppleasedl with the level of my tennis. All is going in the right direction.di Novak Djokovic Sport | 11 QATAR 2022: EUROPEAN QUALIFIERS: Republic of Ireland vs Azerbaijan, Serbia vs Luxembourg, Qatar vs Portugal European qualifiers: Qatar look to Guinness World Record bounce back in ‘difficult’ Portugal tie CHINTHANA WASALA before drawing against they did with Serbia, but they THE PENINSULA Ireland. weren't as good as in other They then travelled to the games in defensive terms. It Asian champions Qatar will United States as an invitee to will not be easy to play against be looking to put up an the Concacaf Gold Cup which Qatar. It is a selection with impressive show when they saw them shine against quality," Santos said welcome in-form European Grenada, Honduras and El yesterday. giants Portugal in their fifth Salvador before losing to the Santos said that he is UEFA qualifier at the hosts United States in the expecting an increase in the Nagyerdei Stadion in semi-finals. dynamics, in the circulation Debrecen, Hungary, today. The recent success of the of the ball, which has to be The Portuguese team will Qatar coach Felix Asian giants has made Por- faster when they face Qatar. be without their biggest asset, Sanchez during a tugal coach Fernando Santos "We have to look for five-time Ballon d'Or winner press conference cautious. improvement. Individual Cristiano Ronaldo, but Qatar yesterday. Santos yesterday indi- action is important to dis- coach Felix Sanchez yesterday cated that he is not taking mantle the opponent, but we predicted that the match have to be more collective. Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo holding the against the eighth-ranked very difficult confrontation Previously we conceded few Guinness World Record certificate. Ronaldo team in the world will be a awaits us, against one of the goals, but in the last four became the highest-scoring player in the difficult one. strongest teams in the world. games we have conceded history of men’s international football by Al Annabi suffered a 4-0 But it is a great incentive for eight goals and that is netting his 110th and 111th goals for Portugal defeat in the hands of Serbia our players, who are trying to abnormal. A team that scores in a 2-1 win over Ireland in a World Cup in their previous qualifier improve the image and com- less and suffers more is qualifying match on Wednesday. three days ago, while Portugal pensate for the big loss against unlikely to have good results. were rescued from Ireland by Serbia. So I see that our moti- We have to return to who we Ronaldo who scored the 110th vation is very great," Sanchez are, maintaining our quality Ronaldo gets and 111th goals in his interna- told media during a press con- and playing as a team. We tional career. ference held at the Nagyerdei have to be a well-organised Ronaldo who became the Stadion yesterday. team at all times in the team,” United number 7 highest-scorer in the history "Over the past two days, Santos said, of men’s international football we have tried to correct the Santos also noted that two jersey again with his first goal in that mistakes we made against of his star players, Pepe and match, was released from the Serbia, in order to Palhinha will be absent for REUTERS – LONDON national squad after picking avoid them today's match, but will be up a one-game suspension in ready to face Azerbaijan next Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo will following their 2-1 win on Tuesday. wear their number seven jersey at Wednesday. tomor- Cristiano Ronaldo will not Qatar's strength lightly despite Today's match kicks off at Manchester United once again, the Old Sanchez ranked Por- row's match, affect the Portuguese team, their setback against Serbia. 7.45pm. Trafford club said yesterday tugal as one of the best and I have great which has an arsenal of the "Qatar is a well- balanced Ronaldo spent six seasons at United teams in the world, but confidence that best players in the world," the team, they know what they between 2003-09, winning eight major tro- said that he sees the the players will Spaniard said. want and they always play the phies, and rejoined them this week from match as an oppor- appear differently, Prior to Wednesday's loss, same. With Serbia they Juventus on a two-year deal. tunity to build Al and will give their Qatar have been enjoying a showed some aspects they He donned the number seven shirt Annabi's image fol- best against Por- brilliant record at the never did. They are very during his first stint at the club, following lowing the big loss. tugal," Sanchez said. European qualifiers, having organised and know how to in the footsteps of great United players "Certainly, a "The absence of won their first two matches counter-attack. Something including George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona and David Beckham. United striker Edinson Cavani, who wore number seven last season and in the 1-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday, will switch to 21 -- the number he wears on international duty for Uruguay. “I wasn’t sure if it would be possible to have the number seven shirt again, so I would like to say a huge thank you to Edi for this incredible gesture,” Ronaldo said on United’s Twitter feed. Ronaldo was released from the national team squad after picking up a one-game sus- pension following their 2-1 victory over Ireland on Wednesday. The 36-year-old headed two late goals to give Portugal a 2-1 victory in their World Cup qualifier and received a caution for taking his shirt off while celebrating the winner, meaning he would miss the trip to Azerbaijan on Tuesday. The Portugal captain will also miss Qatar players in action during a practice session yesterday. today's friendly against World Cup hosts Qatar in Hungary. Hargan remains unbeaten with win at La Teste THE PENINSULA – LA TESTE DE three and a half lengths back in BUCH, FRANCE third under Jean-Bernard Eyquem for trainer Mrs JF Hargan (Al MamunMonlau x Bernard. Mkeefa) carried the colours of his “Today Hargan was more owner H H Sheikh Mohammed serious than RB Yas Sir, who is bin Khalifa AlThani to an easy very green and may need Schedule for today success in the French Arabian blinkers next time out,” said Breeders Challenge – Poulains, winning trainer François Rohaut a Group 2 for three-year-old after the race. Purebred Arabian colts and “They both ran well and it geldings, at La Teste De Buch, means that we now have four France, yesterday. very good Arabians in the yard The black colt is trained by and they may all go to Saint François Rohaut and was fol- Cloud. Hargan is a very good lowing up his debut success at horse with a lot of size and the same track in July. potential. We look forward to Ridden by Maxime Guyon, running him next month.” Hargan was quickly into stride Bred by H H Sheikh Moham- on leaving the stalls and ran med's Al Shahania Stud, Hargan keenly though the opening stages is by triple Group one winner Al of the 2,000m contest. Al Mamun Monlau (Muniz), who Muwaiji (Majd Al Arab) moved to stands for Al Shaqab Racing at the lead after 400m and Hargan Jockey Maxime Guyon guiding Hargan to victory at La Teste De Buch, Haras du Grand Courgeon in took cover behind him. Hargan France, yesterday. PIC: ROBERT POLIN France. travelled strongly down the back His dam Mkeefa (Amer) was straight and began to move held before moving smoothly and a half lengths from stable- a top-class performer and won Qatari para-athlete Abdulrahman Abdulqadir Fiqi, a former closer on the home turn. On into the lead 400m out and mate RB Yas Sir (Sir Bani Yas), Group 1s in Newbury and New- world champion and a silver medallist at the Rio Paralympic entering the straight, he was the pulling clear of the field. Despite who was ridden by Valentin market as well as lifting the Qatar Games in 2016, will compete in the men's shot put - F34 event only horse on the bridle and being eased down in the final Seguy, with H H Sheikh Moham- Arabian World Cup (Gr.1 PA) at at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics today. looked to have his opponents strides, Hargan scored by three med's Maguroor (Assy) further ParisLongchamp. Sport SATURDAY 4 SEPTEMBER 2021 11 Pliskova passes Dutch GP: Djokovic storms into Anisimova test in Ferrari one-two three-set thriller after first day US Open third round of practice REUTERS – NEW YORK REUTERS – ZANDVOORT, REUTERS – NEW YORK in the second set when he broke Djokovic but Czech fourth seed Karolina NETHERLANDS the world number one would break right back Pliskova was on the verge Novak Djokovic’s bid for a 21st major title that and then hold serve to take the set and a 2-0 of becoming an early Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc would complete a calendar-year Grand Slam lead. casualty at the US and Carlos Sainz led one-two picked up pace on Thursday as the world Griekspoor had rallied from 2-1 down in Open but overcame at the top of the practice number one cruised into the US Open third his opening match to collect his first ever Grand Amanda Anisimova timesheets after a stoppage-hit round with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 thrashing of Tallon Slam win but there was no coming back against 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-6(7) in a thrilling second opening day at the first Dutch Griekspoor.