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SUNDAY, JULY 13, 2014 SPORTS

‘Golden Ball’ contenders Rizzoli to referee final ‘I can learn from Wenger’ RIO DE JANEIRO: Four Germans, three Argentines, and one player each from Brazil, RIO DE JANEIRO: Italian Nicola Rizzoli will ref- LONDON: New Arsenal striker Alexis Sanchez has stressed the influence that manager Colombia and the Netherlands were short-listed on Friday for the “Golden Ball” award eree today’s World Cup final between Germany Arsene Wenger had on his decision to join the FA Cup winners from Barcelona. “I feel hap- to the World Cup’s best player. The top ten list included World Cup finalists Germany’s and Argentina at the Maracana, Massimo py to be here. I know this club has a manager who looks after his players, really takes care defender Mats Hummels, right back Philipp Lahm, midfielder Toni Kroos and forward Busacca, FIFA’s head of refereeing told Reuters of them,” the Chile international told the club website (www.arsenal.com) on Friday. Thomas Mueller who has scored five goals. “He is a manager you can learn a lot with. He wants to achieve great things in football on Friday before the official announcement. For their opponents in today’s final, Argentina, winger Angel Di Maria, midfielder and that helped me make the decision to sign. Javier Mascherano and - inevitably - four-goal striker and captain Lionel Messi made Rizzoli, 42, took charge of the all-German “Arsene Wenger’s style of play is a little bit like that of the Chilean national team. the list. Champions League final between Bayern Therefore I’m used to it. Arsenal play well, they play good football and that fits with my Also included was Colombia’s attacking midfielder James Rodriguez, Munich and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley style and that’s why I moved here.” According to media reports, Arsenal have paid Barca widely considered to be the revelation of the tournament and top scorer last year. around 35 million pounds ($59.56 million) for the 25-year-old. so far with six goals in his team’s run to the quarter-final where they Among the other games he has refereed at Sanchez was a key member of the Chile team that reached the last 16 of the were beaten by Brazil. the finals in Brazil are the extraordinary Group 2014 World Cup before losing to hosts Brazil on penalties. He scored two The other two players short-listed were Dutch forward Arjen Robben A match between champions Spain and the goals in four appearances at the finals. “The Arsenal squad is strong so I’m who tormented defences throughout and scored three in the Netherlands on June 13 which the Dutch won looking to win silverware this season. I’m here to win the (Premier) League, Netherlands’ progress to the semi-final, and Brazil’s Neymar who had 5-1. Last season he was involved in an extraor- the Champions League, in fact every title at stake,” he said. “I’m looking for- ward to showing the fans what I can do and why I’m here.” played superbly and bagged four goals before being injured. dinary incident when he awarded a penalty and Arsenal’s lack of striking prowess has been blamed for their failure World governing body FIFA will announce the winner after Sunday’s then changed his mind after five minutes of to challenge for the Premier League title since the departure of Robin final. Uruguay striker Diego Forlan was named best player of the South angry protests during a Serie A match between van Persie to Manchester United in 2012. Their total of 68 goals in 38 African tournament four years ago.—Reuters AS Roma and Sassuolo. —Reuters matches was the lowest of the top four last season.—Reuters Angels down Rangers

ARLINGTON: Garrett Richards allowed five Star break for the first time in his career, get- Francisco Rodriguez, completing St. Louis’ hits over seven innings to extend his personal ting nicked for two early runs and then shut- comeback from a six-run deficit. winning streak to seven decisions as the Los ting down the AL West-leading A’s the rest of Milwaukee has lost six straight and 10 of 11 Angeles Angels handed the Texas Rangers the night. games. Holliday sent the first-pitch their sixth consecutive loss, 3-0 on Friday Hernandez made his 11th straight start from Rodriguez (3-3) into the left-field seats to night. Mike Trout provided Richards all the run going at least seven innings and giving up two break the tie. The Cardinals hit four homers support he needed with a solo home run in earned runs or less. It’s the longest streak for and cut the sliding Brewers’ lead in the NL the fourth inning, his 22nd of the season. an American League since Gaylord Central to one game. Richards (11-2) is unbeaten with a 1.27 ERA in Perry had 11 straight for Cleveland in 1974. Trevor Rosenthal wrapped up six shutout his last eight starts. innings for the St. Louis bullpen with his 28th Albert Pujols and Erick Aybar had two hits GIANTS 5, DIAMONDBACKS 0 , getting two after allowing a each for Los Angeles, and Alex Rios had two Tim Lincecum and two relievers combined leadoff single to Aramis Ramirez in the bottom for Texas. Texas right-hander Nick Tepesch (3- on a five-hitter, and Lincecum drove in a run of the ninth. All-Star Pat Neshek (4- 5) retired the first 10 batters he faced before with a safety squeeze, helping San Francisco 0) tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings for the win. Trout sent a 1-0 sinker 418 feet to center field shut out Arizona. for the game’s first run. Tepesch allowed two Pablo Sandoval homered and drove in RED SOX 8, ASTROS 3 runs in the seventh. The Rangers left eight three runs to break out of a slump that started Rookie Christian Vazquez got his first three men on base, including runners in scoring in late June. The Giants third baseman, hitting major league hits and drove in three runs, position in six innings. just .222 over his previous 16 games, also had while David Ortiz had three RBIs to break open an RBI-double and an infield single. Lincecum the game in the sixth inning for Boston. MARINERS 3, ATHLETICS 2 (9-5) allowed three hits over seven innings and Vasquez, who was playing in his second major Felix Hernandez outpitched Jeff Samardzija fanned Gerado Parra to end a two-on, two-out league game, singled in the third inning, had and Robinson Cano hit a go-ahead double to jam in the seventh. The two-time NL Cy Young an RBI double in the fourth and drove home propel Seattle past Oakland. Award winner, owner of a no-hitter this sea- two more with a double in Boston’s five-run got his 27th save, getting Nick Punto on a son, struck out six and walked two. sixth. Ortiz drove in three runs with a double called strike three to end it with a runner on Even longtime nemesis Paul Goldschmidt in the sixth to make it 8-1. John Lackey (10-6) third. Punto slammed his batting helmet to struggled against Lincecum. The Arizona first rebounded from a tough stretch to allow four ARLINGTON: ’ Erick Aybar connects for a run-scoring single as Texas the ground with both hands and argued with baseman went hitless in three plate appear- hits and two runs with a season-high five Rangers catcher Robinson Chirinos watches in the seventh inning of a baseball game. —AP plate umpire James Hoye, and A’s manager ances against the right-hander. walks in six innings. He had allowed five or Bob Melvin joined in, saying the full-count more runs in each of his previous three starts. METS 7, MARLINS 1 Aaron Loup (3-2) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless pitch missed the strike zone. CARDINALS 7, ASTROS 6 Scott Feldman (4-6) allowed seven runs and David Wright went 4 for 4 with a mammoth innings to get the win. Casey Janssen worked Hernandez (11-2) threw eight strong Matt Holliday hit a solo homer with two tied a season-high with 11 hits in 5 1-3 homer, Lucas Duda also hit a long two-run a perfect ninth for his 14th save. Toronto’s innings. He reached 11 victories before the All- outs in the ninth inning off Milwaukee innings. shot and New York rocked recent nemesis Mark Buehrle labored five innings in pursuit of Henderson Alvarez in a victory over Miami. his elusive 11th victory, departing with a 5-2 PHILLIES 6, NATIONALS 2 Zack Wheeler shut down Miami again and lead that the Blue Jays bullpen couldn’t hold. MLB results/standings Jimmy Rollins homered twice and A.J. Juan Lagares had three hits as the Mets He is 0-5 over seven starts since last winning Burnett pitched 7 2-3 strong innings to lead improved to 6-2 on a 10-game homestand on June 1. that takes them into the All-Star break. Chicago Cubs 5, Atlanta 4; Baltimore 3, NY Yankees 2 (10 Innings); Cleveland 7, Chicago White Sox 4; Philadelphia Philadelphia to its fifth straight victory 6, Washington 2; Cincinnati 6, Pittsburgh 5; NY Mets 7, Miami 1; Toronto 8, Tampa Bay 5; LA Angels 3, Texas 0; Domonic Brown doubled and drove in two Wheeler (5-8) pitched 6 2-3 strong innings REDS 6, PIRATES 5 Detroit 2, Kansas City 1. runs for Philadelphia, which matched its and helped himself with an RBI double. He Brayan Pena’s pinch-hit single in the eighth longest winning streak of the season. It has moved to 2-0 with a 1.05 ERA in five career inning completed another late rally by American League National League starts against the Marlins. Cincinnati, which overcame more injuries to Eastern Division been a surprising run for the Phillies, who had Eastern Division Alvarez (6-4) had been on quite a roll, beat Pittsburgh and keep its momentum W L PCT GB Washington 49 42 .538 - lost 13 of 16 before a four-game sweep of the allowing two runs or fewer in each of his last going toward the All-Star break. Baltimore 51 41 .554 - Atlanta 50 43 .538 - NL Central-leading Brewers in Milwaukee. nine games. He was 4-0 with a 1.04 ERA during Down 5-1 after six innings, the Reds scored Toronto 49 45 .521 3 Miami 44 48 .478 5.5 Burnett (6-8) allowed two runs and five hits NY Yankees 46 46 .500 5 NY Mets 43 50 .462 7 while striking out six and walking four. Bryce that stretch, and the Marlins had won his last twice with the help of third baseman Pedro Boston 42 51 .452 9.5 Philadelphia 42 51 .452 8 Harper homered for the Nationals, who have 10 outings - a club record for one of their Alvarez’s throwing error in the seventh and Tampa Bay 42 53 .442 10.5 Central Division . added three more in the eighth. Central Division lost three of four. Washington right-hander Milwaukee 52 42 .553 - Devin Mesoraco homered with two outs off Detroit 52 37 .584 - Jordan Zimmermann (6-5) abruptly left his St. Louis 51 43 .543 1 start in the fourth inning with an apparent INDIANS 7, WHITE SOX 4 left-hander Tony Watson (5-1) in the eighth, Kansas City 47 45 .511 6.5 Corey Kluber allowed four runs in six and the Reds put together four more singles, Cleveland 46 46 .500 7.5 Cincinnati 50 43 .538 1.5 injury. Chicago White Sox 44 50 .468 10.5 Pittsburgh 48 45 .516 3.5 innings and Nick Swisher hit a two-run homer with RBI hits by Ramon Santiago and Pena Minnesota 42 50 .457 11.5 Chicago Cubs 40 52 .435 11 ROCKIES 6, TWINS 2 in the fifth to lead Cleveland. Kluber (9-6) was- completing Cincinnati’s second big comeback Western Division Western Division Jorge De La Rosa pitched six strong n’t his usual dominant self but pitched well of the week. Curtis Partch (1-0), called up earli- Oakland 58 35 .624 - San Francisco 51 42 .548 - innings, Troy Tulowitzki and Drew Stubbs each enough to win. The right-hander has won er in the day, escaped a bases-loaded threat in LA Angels 55 37 .598 2.5 LA Dodgers 52 43 .547 - hit two-run homers, and Colorado beat three of his last four decisions. Cody Allen the eighth. Seattle 50 43 .538 8 San Diego 41 52 .441 10 struck out the side in the ninth for his 11th Houston 39 55 .415 19.5 Minnesota in the teams’ first interleague meet- Colorado 40 53 .430 11 ing at Coors Field in six years. De La Rosa (10- save. Swisher’s homer off Hector Noesi (3-7) to TIGERS 2, ROYALS 1 Texas 38 55 .409 20 Arizona 39 55 .415 12.5 6) allowed one run and six hits in winning his center field broke a 4-4 tie. Before Swisher’s Anibal Sanchez tossed seven stingy fourth straight and reaching double-digit wins home run, the biggest cheer from the crowd innings, Ian Kinsler and Miguel Cabrera drove in a season for the fourth time in his career. He of 24,652 came when the Indians put a mes- in runs and Detroit squeaked by Kansas City. benefited from a power surge that has seen sage on the scoreboard welcoming home NBA Sanchez (6-3) scattered eight hits without a Tulowitzki hit three homers and Stubbs two in superstar LeBron James, who announced he walk to help the AL Central-leading Tigers their last two games. The Rockies also benefit- was returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers. take their second straight from Kansas City. ed from the return of star outfielder Carlos Chants of “LBJ” were heard later in the game. The second-place Royals dropped 6 1-2 games Gonzalez, who missed the previous 35 games back in the division with two games left because of a benign tumor on his left index ORIOLES 3, YANKEES 2 before the All Star break. finger that had to be excised surgically. Kris Manny Machado led off the 10th inning Salvador Perez drove in the only run for the Johnson (0-1), recalled from Triple A Rochester with a double and scored on a one-out single Royals, who squandered a solid start by Danny on Thursday, gave up five runs on eight hits in by Nick Hundley, giving Baltimore its ninth win Duffy (5-9). He gave up both runs, only one four innings. in 11 games. The AL East-leading Orioles earned, while losing for the fourth time in five extended their margin over third-place New starts. Joe Nathan worked around a single and York to five games. Baltimore has gone to CUBS 5, BRAVES 4 a walk in the ninth inning to earn his 19th extra innings in three of its last five games and Justin Ruggiano hit an RBI single with two save, and gave Detroit its fifth straight win won in the 10th, 11th and 12th innings. outs in the ninth inning and Chicago sent over the Royals at Kauffman Stadium this sea- Atlanta to its fifth loss in six games following a Machado began the game-winning upris- ing with a liner into the right-field corner off son. Nathan got Nori Aoki to ground out on a nine-game winning streak. full-count pitch to end the game. Arismendy Alcantara singled with two outs Adam Warren (1-5). After Ryan Flaherty struck off Jordan Walden (0-1) and stole second. out, Hundley hit a liner into left-center that enabled Machado to score easily. TJ McFarland PADRES 6, DODGERS 3 Ruggiano then got a hit that slipped past Carlos Quentin drove in three runs, Alexi shortstop Andrelton Simmons to win it. (3-2) worked a perfect ninth to earn the victo- ry for the Orioles, who are 9-3 in extra innings. Amarista homered and Jesse Hahn pitched six The Braves scored the tying run in ninth on solid innings, leading the San Diego Padres Christian Bethancourt’s two-out single. Jordan over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hahn (5-2) Schafer stole three bases for Atlanta and was BLUE JAYS 8, RAYS 5 allowed a run and three hits, struck out six and caught stealing once. Cubs starter Jake Arrieta Steve Tolleson’s two-run single snapped a walked four in his seventh major league start. gave up three runs and four hits in 7 2-3 ninth-inning tie and helped Toronto rally after The 24-year-old right-hander has a 1.46 ERA innings. He struck out six and walked three. blowing a four-run lead. Jose Reyes and Jose over his last six outings since Pittsburgh beat Arrieta left with a 4-3 lead but wound up Bautista also drove in two runs apiece for the with a no-decision when Cubs closer Hector Blue Jays, who used a walk and Reyes’ one-out him 4-1 on June 3 in his big league debut. SEATTLE: Mariners closer Fernando Rodney throws in the ninth inning of a baseball game Rondon (2-3) couldn’t hold the lead in the double to set up the go-ahead hit off Grant Huston Street got his 24th save. Dan Haren (8- against the Oakland Athletics. The Mariners won 3-2. —AP ninth. Balfour (0-3). 6) was chased in the fifth.—AP Rio Olympics in the spotlight as World Cup curtain drops

RIO DE JANEIRO: The Rio de Janeiro 2016 President Dilma Rousseff in Brasilia on protests and major problems with security over huge spending for the multi-billion ing-set for August. summer Olympics move firmly into the Friday before returning to Rio to attend and transportation failed to materialise dollar sports event as that directed From cleaning up Guanabara Bay, site spotlight this week with the International the World Cup final. during the month-long tournament seen against FIFA. of Olympic sailing, to speeding up con- Olympic Committee in town to monitor “We are seeing great progress and overall as successful and the IOC are hop- While ordinary Brazilians supported struction on the city’s second Olympic progress and the soccer World Cup wrap- appreciate the commitment of the presi- ing Olympic organisers had drawn valu- their football team, many were angry at sports park in Deodoro, still in its infancy, ping up. The Olympics are the country’s dent and the government of Brazil for the able conclusions for their own 16-day the billions their government spent for to completing key transportation projects second global sports event it has commit- Games,” Bach told reporters. “We believe event. building or refurbishing stadiums and pledged in the bid file, they have their ted itself to staging and following the end they will be very successful.” World Cup-related infrastructure projects work cut out. of the world’s biggest single sports event The German lawyer took charge of the TEST EVENT instead of injecting the cash into social “This is a time where a lot of work is yesterday, Rio enters the final stretch of IOC after winning elections in September “The World Cup is a bit like a test event welfare projects. The IOC would be pump- being done but it is not yet very visible delivering a troubled project. and has been trying to instil a sense of for the IOC,” an Olympic source with direct ing what would amount eventually to but progress is being made. The athletes Called the “worst ever” preparations by urgency with organisers ever since. knowledge of preparations told Reuters about $1.5 billion back towards local village for example is 40 percent com- IOC Vice President John Coates as recently Brazil had to face years of criticism in on condition of anonymity on Friday. “To organisers through revenues generated plete,” the Olympic source said. as April, Rio organisers have been with the run-up to the World Cup with delays in be able to learn from it and use that for the event from sponsors and broad- With the World Cup lights going out their backs to the wall from the start, try- construction and completion of stadiums knowledge for the Rio Olympics.” casters, the official said. over Brazil after Sunday’s final another ing to play catchup with a schedule they forcing world soccer’s governing body The source also said the IOC was The truth, however, remains Rio light will be shining brightly on the coun- had fallen behind. FIFA to say organisers “needed a kick up “explaining, explaining, explaining,” in organisers have no time to waste with try and until 2016 it will resemble more IOC President Thomas Bach met Brazil the backside.” Fears of widespread order to avoid a backlash from citizens the first test event for the Games-sail- that of an interrogation light.—Reuters