McIlroy pulls out of Turkey remains in Rio over Zika fears contention with 16 2-018 win over Czechs THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2016

India win series with 3-run victory Page 17

LYON: Nani, right, of Portugal heads the ball next to his teammate , centre, and Roland Juhasz, left, of Hungary during their soccer Euro 2016 Group F third round soccer match at Stade de Lyon in Lyon, France, yesterday. — AP Ronaldo’s double puts Portugal into last 16

LYON: Cristiano Ronaldo scored two trademark brilliant into the bottom-right corner which gave Portugal goal- goals yesterday to go into European Championship his- keeper Rui Patricio no chance on 19 minutes. At the other tory and rescue Portugal in a 3-3 draw that took them end, a save from Hungary goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly, who into the last 16. has made grey sweatpants the must-have fashion back The 31-year-old opened his account in style with a deft home, saved a swirling Ronaldo free-kick on 29 minutes. backheel flick on 50 minutes, then a bullet header 12 min- Nani had the ball in the Hungary net five minutes from the utes later to twice equalise at the Stade de Lyon. The result break, but his effort was ruled offside. The Fenerbahce for- left Hungary on top of Group F. Portugal squeezed through ward was not to be denied and his crisp finish, after a love- as one of the best third-place finishers but now face a ly pass in from Ronaldo, put Portugal level on 42 minutes. tough match against Croatia. The Real Madrid ace became The game burst into life with four goals in the opening the first player to score at four European championship 20 minutes of the second-half. Hungary regained the lead finals and his 17th match in a Euro tournament was also a just two minutes after the break when Dzsudzsak’s well- record. It was his 128th appearance for Portugal, further struck free-kick took a slight deflection off the Portugal extending the record he set last Saturday, as he made a wall on 47 minutes. record 17th appearance at Euro finals. Following their The stage was set for Ronaldo. The Real superstar made draws with Iceland and Austria, Portugal’s captain had sure he would leave the Stade de Lyon with two records been feeling the pressure. He threw a TV reporter’s micro- when he flicked his shot past Kiraly on 50 minutes to make phone in a lake on the morning of the game in Lyon. But it 2-2. But Portugal’s second equaliser only served to gal- he delivered when it mattered as Portugal equalised three vanise Hungary’s resolve. Dzsudzsak drilled a free-kick off times in a topsy-turvy match-not one for the faint-hearted. the wall, but pounced on the rebound and his left-footed Hungary captain Balazs Dzsudzsak matched Ronaldo by shot deflected off Nani, past Rui Patricio, into the far corner netting two second-half goals as the Mighty Magyars took on 55 minutes for a 3-2 lead. first place in Group F winners. With three draws, Portugal There was, however, no denying Ronaldo. Just advance as third behind Iceland. moments after coming on, Ricardo Queresma fired in a Hungary took the lead in sweltering conditions at the corner and Ronaldo drove his header past Kiraly on 62 Stade de Lyon when veteran Zoltan Gera minutes. unleashed a thunderbolt. There was nothing on when By now it was end-to-end stuff as Hungary’s attacking Portugal fail to clear a corner. midfielder Akos Elek hit the woodwork on 64 minutes as it But the 37-year-old Gera belted a low left-footed drive stayed 3-3 at the final whistle. — AFP SAINT-DENIS: Austria’s forward (up) vies with Iceland’s defender Ari Skulason during the Euro 2016 group F football match between Iceland and Austria at the Stade de France stadium in Saint- Messi fires Argentina Denis, near Paris yesterday. — AFP into Copa America final Traustason winner sets up HOUSTON: Lionel Messi became Argentina’s all-time one team in the world.” “I told the guys there’s nothing to Iceland-England clash record goalscorer as the two-time world champions out- be ashamed of. We have to learn and move forward,” classed the United States 4-0 to reach the Copa America Klinsman said. “We have to keep our heads up and swal- PARIS: Substitute Arnor Ingvi Traustason’s last-gasp winner Gunnarsson’s long throw was helped on into the path of Centenario final here Tuesday. low it. But Argentina are a special team.” fired Iceland past Austria 2-1 in their final Group F match at Bodvarsson who steered past with Austria’s Messi curled in a magnificent 32nd-minute free-kick to Argentina will now face either Chile or Colombia in Euro 2016 yesterday to book a last-16 showdown with defence slow to react. take his total to 55 goals as the United States’ campaign Sunday’s final at East Rutherford, New Jersey-their third England. Jon Dadi Bodvarsson swept Iceland into an 18th- Centre-back Kari Arnason sliced narrowly over after a ended with an emphatic defeat in front of a 70,858 crowd major final in three years after reaching the finals of the minute lead at the Stade de France, with Austria paying corner was only partially cleared, but Austria began to at Houston’s NRG Stadium. The five-time world player of 2015 Copa America and 2014 World Cup. A disastrous dearly for Aleksandar Dragovic’s missed first-half penalty. threaten with Arnautovic testing Halldorsson before the year now has five goals in this Copa America as he aims start for the United States saw the hosts fall behind after Substitute Alessandro Schopf levelled for Austria on the heading over from a cross. And to lead Argentina to their first major title in 23 years. only three minutes when they gifted possession to Messi hour, but Traustason’s 94th-minute strike condemned ’s side should have levelled on 37 minutes The Barcelona superstar also created Argentina’s open- on the edge of the area. The Argentina captain instantly Marcel Koller’s side to a premature exit. when Ari Skulason was penalised for tugging the shirt of ing goal for Ezequiel Lavezzi and was involved in the build- spotted that Lavezzi was unmarked and lofted a first Iceland, the smallest nation to appear at a major finals, inside the area. Dragovic stepped up but the up for their third, scored by Gonzalo Higuain in the 50th time pass through to the China-based midfielder to head will play England in the last 16 in Nice after finishing sec- centre-back fired the spot-kick against the outside of the minute. Messi then laid on the pass for Higuain’s second home. ond in the group, behind Hungary but above Portugal, fol- post as Iceland breathed a huge sigh of relief. Birkir four minutes from time. Argentina might have doubled their lead five minutes lowing a thrilling 3-3 draw in Lyon. Dragovic returned to a Bjarnason thought he had increased Iceland’s lead on 38 “We’ve been playing well from day one and we deserve later, when Ever Banega backheeled to pick out Marcos three-man Austrian defence after suspension, with captain minutes, only for his effort to be correctly ruled out for to be in the final,” said a delighted Messi, dedicating his Rojo, who crossed for Messi, only for the Albiceleste skip- and operating as wing-backs offside. Julian Baumgartlinger’s curling strike from dis- goals tally to the work of his teammates. per to shoot over. Messi was again on the prowl in the in what was a must-win game for the world’s 10th-ranked tance forced Halldorsson to tip over, and Koller rolled the “I’m happy to have the record, and I’m happy to play 14th minute, seizing upon another American mistake to side. Iceland stuck with the same starting XI from their first dice by throwing on and Alessandro Schopf with the teammates that have made it possible. I owe it to burst clear from near halfway before firing a shot which two matches and were almost ahead inside two minutes at for the second half. them,” said Messi, who is now one clear of Gabriel Brad Guzan managed to gather safely. the Stade de France. Gylfi Sigurdsson’s intricate flick found It almost immediately paid off as Alaba swept a low Batistuta’s mark of 54 goals. With Argentina monopolizing possession, it was only Johann Gudmundsson in plenty of space and the Charlton right-footed strike towards the corner, but Arnason’s US coach Jurgen Klinsmann, meanwhile, said his team a matter of time before the South Americans scored Athletic winger hammered a 30-yard drive that crashed superb goal-line clearance denied the Bayern Munich star. had showed Argentina “too much respect” after a display again. The second goal almost came on 22 minutes against the crossbar. Sigurdsson embarked on a marauding run through the which saw them finish with zero shots on or off target. when Messi released Higuain with a quick free-kick into Marko Arnautovic nearly punished Hannes Halldorsson heart of Austria’s midfield but volleyed a difficult chance “I think in general we had too much respect,” the penalty area, only for Geoff Cameron to snuff out the after Iceland’s goalkeeper dallied on the ball, but the just wide. Austria had Iceland pegged inside their own half Klinsmann said while hailing Argentina as the “number danger with a desperate tackle. — AFP. Stoke City player lost his footing with the goal gaping though and it took a piece of individual brilliance on the allowing Halldorsson to scramble clear. Iceland grabbed hour from Schalke midfielder Schopf to breathe life into the crucial opening goal on 18 minutes as Aron the team. — AFP