S45 p o r t s FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2016

Galaxy, Toronto advance in MLS playoffs LOS ANGELES: Emmanuel Boateng scored twice to accelerated past three defenders into the penalty and scored to produce a 3-1 win over lead LA Galaxy to a 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake in area and converted an 8-yard shot inside the left Philadelphia at BMO Field. Giovinco scored in the ’s Western Conference playoffs post. Boateng’s goal compensated for his foul that 15th minute, Osorio in the 48th and Altidore five on Wednesday, while in the East Toronto beat enabled Real Salt Lake to tie the score. Boateng minutes from time as Toronto earned their first-ever by the same score to advance. tripped Javier Morales in the penalty area in the 19th playoff win in their 10-year existence. Alejandro Alan Gordon also scored for the Galaxy, who will minute, and Plata converted the ensuing penalty Bedoya scored in the 73rd minute to bring host the on Sunday in the first kick two minutes later. Boateng added his second Philadelphia back within a goal, but Altidore ban- match of the West’s two-leg semi-final series. Joao goal in the 34th minute, when he sped past defend- ished all hopes of a comeback when he scored on Plata scored for Real Salt Lake, who ended the sea- er Demar Phillips and fired a 12-yard shot with his the counterattack in the 85th minute as Philadelphia son with an eight-game winless streak. left foot from the right side of the penalty area inside pushed for an equalizer. Toronto will next take on Boateng broke a 1-1 tie in the 26th minute. The the far post. New York City FC over two legs, the first on Sunday from Ghana received Gordon’s short pass, In Toronto, Sebastian Giovinco, at BMO Field. — Reuters

Higuain adds even more spice to the Juventus- Napoli rivalry MILAN: Gonzalo Higuain will face former club Napoli for the first time tomorrow since his acri- monious departure for Juventus, adding even more spice to the fierce rivalry between the two sides. The brooding Argentine scored a record 36 league goals for Napoli last season as he led them to the runners-up spot behind Juventus who won a fifth successive title. But instead of staying on to lead another attempt by Napoli to end Juve’s recent domination, he trig- gered a 90 million euro ($98.31 million) buyout clause in his contract, which had two years still to run, and moved to the club. Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri, who brought out the best in Higuain last season, gave a light- hearted answer when asked about the meeting with his former marksman, who has scored six league goals for Juventus so far. “Higuain did well with me and was always hard working in TURIN: Juventus’ (right) scores during a Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Sampdoria at the training. How will I greet him tomorrow? In the in Turin, on Wednesday, Oct 26, 2016. — AP same way that a father would with a son who made him angry,” he said after Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Empoli. Napoli fans, however, have been less forgiv- Dzeko at the double as ing, clearly feeling betrayed by a player who in May said how much he enjoyed playing for their club. “This season I have felt the love. I feel loved here more than I did at any other club I’ve been,” Roma stick to Juventus Higuain said. When news of his move first emerged, supporters gathered in the city centre to tear up pictures of the Argentine and set fire Relief for De Boer as Icardi gives Inter late win to replicas of his number nine shirt. A banner bearing his photograph was tied to a dustcart. MILAN: Edin Dzeko hit his ninth and 10th tions they are now Juve’s biggest rivals. Nerazzurri miss chance after chance. Even at recent games, it was possible to buy league goals of the season as Roma stayed He told Sky Sport: “All we’re thinking toilet rolls with Higuain’s photograph on the in hot pursuit of leaders Juventus with a about is winning our next game, but we’re Icardi on target packaging. Juventus go into tomorrow’s match comprehensive 3-1 win at Sassuolo on happy for this win.” Napoli capitalised on De Boer was given the backing of club as Serie A leaders and are four points ahead of Wednesday. Juventus were given an extra Milan’s earlier collapse to move up to third bosses earlier on Wednesday, but will third-placed Napoli. More than any other fixture incentive to move further clear of their at four points adrift ahead of the sides’ remain concerned at his side’s inability to in Italian football, Juventus against Napoli has scudetto rivals when AC Milan, who clash in Turin this Saturday. Thanks to a finish the easiest of scoring chances. Roma come to be seen as a clash between the rich, stunned the champions 1-0 last weekend battling 2-0 home win over Empoli, with travelled to Sassuolo wary of the Tuscans’ industrial wealth of the north and the much to close the gap to two points, crashed 3-0 Dries Mertens crucially breaking the dead- formidable home form, and were initially poorer south. The city government of Turin is so at Genoa on Tuesday. lock six minutes after the restart, Maurizio proved right when Paolo Cannavaro fired a worried about possible trouble that it has Roma turned pre-match predictions on Sarri’s men are now just two behind Roma. bullet header past Wojciech Szczesny on banned the sales of tickets in the Naples region their head by handing Sassuolo their sec- “The squad is doing well, if you consid- 12 minutes after being left unmarked on for the second time in a row. ond-biggest home defeat of the season to er we lost the league’s top scorer over the the edge of the box. The fact that Napoli have emerged as one of walk away with the spoils, although their summer, and his substitute in September,” Roma missed a series of chances to pull the few teams to genuinely threaten Juve’s seventh win of the campaign was tem- Sarri told Premium Sport in reference to the match level, Radja Nainggolan’s dominance, finishing as runners-up twice in the pered by Alessandro Florenzi crumbling to Gonzalo Higuain’s move to Juventus and screamer coming off the crossbar and last four seasons, has only intensified the rivalry. the ground with a suspected serious knee the serious knee injury suffered by his Dzeko also thumping the bar from a low The last meeting in February proved a pivotal ligamenet injury. Although Juventus replacement, Arek Milik. Milan dropped to Emerson cross before the interval. Dzeko moment in the title race. Napoli went into the underlined their credentials with a classy fourth with Lazio moving up one place to made amends in the 57th minute, latching fixture top of the table with a two-point lead, 4-1 win at home to Sampdoria, which saw fifth after a 4-1 rout of Cagliari that includ- on to Mohamed Salah’s superb cross-field dominated the match yet lost to a late goal by Mario Mandzukic hit his maiden goal of ed a superb double from Ciro Immobile ball to beat with a crisp substitute Simone Zaza. The win took Juventus the season and defender Giorgio Chiellini and a great, final goal from Felipe angled drive. Salah then saw an attempt top of the table and they stayed there for the hit a brace, Roma remain just two points Anderson. Elsewhere, embattled Inter cleared a metre before the line by rest of the season, winning 11 of their last 13 in arrears. Milan coach Frank De Boer saw his survival Gregoire Defrel moments later, but Roma matches. — Reuters A Napoli win against Juve on Saturday hopes boosted by Mauro Icardi’s 88th were soon in the driving seat after Pol could see Roma go top if they beat Empoli minute winner in a 2-1 home win over Lirola came off the bench to clumsily away, but Dzeko played down sugges- Torino that, nevertheless, saw the nervous barge into Dzeko. — AFP