Phelps Busy and at Peace in First Months of Retirement
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NBA | Page 6 CCRICKETRICKET | Page 11 Miami Heat Pakistan To Advertise here rally before knuckle Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 falling to down to save the Clippers pink-ball Test Sunday, December 18, 2016 FOOTBALL Rabia I 19, 1438 AH No stopping Chelsea GULF TIMES as they claim 11th straight victory SPORT Page 2 FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT Reigning champs Important win for Kharaitiyat Rayyan hammer three past Arabi Strikes from Koh Myong-jin, Sebastian Soria and a Vivien Assie Koua own goal ensured it was a comfortable evening for Michael Laudrup’s side in the QSL Al Kharaitiyat’s Domingos exults after scoring the winner against Muaither in the QSL yesterday. By Sports Reporter two passes after kick-off , Sagbo Doha picked out al-Yahari who had evad- ed his marker and beaten the off side trap. mm Salal easily beat league Al-Yahari ran towards goal and Al Rayyan players including Sebastian Soria (L) congratulate their Korean teammate Koh Myong-jin after he scored against Al Arabi in the Qatar Stars League strugglers Al Wakrah 3-1 drew a defender before cutting it yesterday. At bottom, Al Rayyan coach Michael Laudrup reacts during the match. at the Qatar SC Stadium as back across the six yard box to a well- UThe Blue Waves continue placed Dheyab al-Annabi who slotted their drop down the table, now sitting home to give The Orange Fortress a By Sports Reporter was bundled down in the box, and the bottom after Al Kharaitiyat registered 2-1 lead. Doha referee promptly pointed to the penalty an important win over fellow strug- Umm Salal all but sealed the three spot. After some time waiting Soria glers, Muaither SC. points when they made it 3-1 on the stepped up and thumped the ball past Umm Salal’s new manager, Mah- 63rd minute. Al-Yahari was again SL champions Al Rayyan se- goalkeeper Rajab Hamza. moud Jaber, was hoping his debut involved in the run of play, deliver- cured Doha Derby bragging Al Rayyan were on the ascendancy would improve the The Orange For- ing a lovely ball to Sagbo down the rights yesterday evening and could have easily had a third but tress’ recent form which has seen right wing who was then able to run Qwith a 3-0 win against bitter Rodrigo Tabata’s curling free-kick them lose their last two. Jaber’s debut at Al Wakrah’s defense before cutting rivals Al Arabi. fl ew just wide of the Al Arabi cross didn’t start well though after Umm it back to the edge of the 18 yard box Strikes from Koh Myong-jin, Se- bar. Again, Al Arabi started the sec- Salal found themselves trailing after where Umm Salal’s number 11, Hilal bastian Soria and a Vivien Assie Koua ond half strongly and perhaps should just fi ve minutes of play. Mohamed, was running in at pace. own goal ensured it was a comfort- have clawed back a goal in the opening Wakrah’s Uruguayan striker, Pablo Hilal smashed the ball on the out- able evening for Michael Laudrup’s minute of the second period. A defl ect- Olivera, received a lay off from his fel- side of his left boot to leave the goal- side who looked the stronger team ed shot came off Al Rayyan defender low South American teammate, Para- keeper with very little chance and bag throughout the tie. Nathan and thumped off the cross bar. guayan Pablo Zeballos, who managed his fi rst goal of the season as it went It was the home side Al Arabi who At the other end Spanish striker Ser- to head down a long cross into his low into the left hand corner of the notched the fi rst chance of the evening, gio Garcia struck a fi ne shot which was path and set him up to hit a volley goal. Umm Salal maintain their mid- and started quickly with the aim of un- well saved by Rajab Hamza. The result- from 24 yards out. table position while Al Wakrah’s sea- settling the reigning QSL champions. ing corner from Tabata curled into the Despite Olivera connecting well son goes from bad to worse. With just a minute on the clock, Al Al Arabi penalty box and was eventu- with the ball and putting it on target, In another match, Al Kharaitiyat Arabi midfi elder Omar al-Amadi fi n- ally stabbed in off the foot of Arabi de- Umm Salal’s goalkeeper Baba Malick registered a vital three points in their ished off a quick passing move to hit a fender Vivien Assie Koua. should have done better and he was quest to beat the drop defeating fellow low drive from outside the penalty area The match was going the way of quick to hold his hands up to apolo- strugglers Muaither 1-0. The game which was comfortably saved by Rayy- the reigning QSL champions and with gise to his teammates. ended with a fl ourish as Kharaitiyat an keeper Omar Barry. 65 minutes on the clock young Qatari With possession fi nely balanced defender Domingos headed the win- Rayyan enjoyed the majority of pos- winger Abdurahman al-Harazi saw his and centred in midfi eld, Umm Salal ner in stoppage time to hand Muaith- session in the opening exchanges but it shot fl ash over the bar. Six minutes lat- managed to fi nd a leveller on the 38th er their fi fth defeat in a row. was Al Arabi who looked livelier on the er, al-Harazi was amongst the chances minute after on-loan Brazilian mid- The fi rst half was a timid aff air break. Striker Imoh Ezekiel went on a again. A slick passing move between fi elder, Alf Santos, played a lovely with both sides reluctant to commit mazy run into the Al Rayyan half but Garcia and Tabata fell to the winger, through ball to Abdulaziz al-Yahari to attacks as they look to preserve the Nigerian international was eventu- but his chipped eff ort inched just wide. who along with Yannick Sagbo was their position in the league. Each side ally stopped by Rayyan defender Mo- Arabi began to dominate posses- able to beat Al Wakrah’s attempted managed just one shot on target and hamed Alaaeldin. sion as the tie went into the fi nal 20 off side trap. not much else to trouble either goal- Koh Myong-jin broke the deadlock minutes. However, The Dream Team Finding themselves two on one keeper. The fi rst 45 minutes ended for Al Rayyan in the 20th minute; a lacked a cutting edge when it mattered. with Al Wakrah’s goalkeeper, al- scoreless with both sides level peg- mele in the Al Arabi penalty area saw Time and time again Al Arabi were shut Yahari squared it to Sagbo once the ging. the ball fall to South Korean interna- down by the resolute Al Rayyan de- goalkeeper had committed, allowing The win gives Kharaitiyat the tional just outside of the penalty area. fence. the big number 13 to make it 1-1 in much-needed three points as they Koh promptly drilled the ball into the The result leaves Al Rayyan within front of an open goal from just three move from the very bottom of the bottom left hand corner for the opener, a point of fourth placed Al Gharafa, yards out. table to replacing Muaither in 12th . much to the delight of the away fans. whilst Al Arabi’s stop-start season Umm Salal took the lead seconds Muaither are suff ering from bad form Five minutes later, the Lions dou- continues with them now in seventh after the second half thanks to yet now second from bottom with nine bled their lead captain Rodrigo Tabata place in the QSL standings. another assist from al-Yahari. Just points from twelve games. Gulf Times 2 Sunday, December 18, 2016 FOOTBALL EPL PREVIEWSPOTLIGHT Guardiola and Wenger weigh Chelsea record style vs substance 11th straight win, Ibra lift s United Chelsea have matched their record of 11 consecutive wins from April to September 2009, achieving the feat within the same season for the first time Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger AFP and Leicester, Guardiola reverted London to a back four for Watford’s visit, leaving skittish centre-back John Stones on the bench. ong portrayed as a lone It gave City a more solid look idealist amid the cut- in defence, but as Guardiola de- throat pragmatism of the mands that his teams dominate Premier League, Arse- possession, he could elect to Lnal manager Arsene Wenger has deploy an extra midfi elder and found a new ally in his Manches- switch back to a back three. ter City counterpart Pep Guar- Fernandinho and Sergio Ague- diola. ro remain suspended for City, They face off at the Etihad Sta- while Ilkay Gundogan is likely to dium today at a time when Guar- miss the rest of the season after diola’s attachment to attacking suff ering anterior cruciate liga- football has itself come under at- ment damage against Watford. tack, following damaging losses Wenger once again faces ques- to Chelsea and Leicester City. tions about his team’s backbone Guardiola was derided after after their 14-game unbeaten run City’s 4-2 defeat at Leicester for ended in a 2-1 defeat at Everton saying he was “not a coach for on Tuesday. the tackles”, but Wenger, often Alexis Sanchez put Arsenal accused himself of prizing style ahead, only for Everton to hit over substance, rode to his de- back through Seamus Cole- fence.