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TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2014 SPORTS Stinging rebuke on Benitez Magnussen eyes record Valdes to miss World Cup BARCELONA: Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes will miss the rest of the season ITALY: Juventus coach Antonio Conte has issued a stinging rebuke to Napoli coach Rafael Benitez after BRISBANE: New coach Jacco Verhaeren says a world 100-metre and Spain’s defence of the World Cup as he will be sidelined for seven months fol- the two bickered over which team had spent the more money. freestyle record is possible for James Magnussen in this week’s lowing knee surgery. Conte, whose side lost 2-0 to Napoli on Sunday, was angry that Benitez had labelled Juventus as the Australian Commonwealth Games swimming trials in Brisbane. “Victor Valdes underwent surgery on his torn anterior cruciate ligament yesterday big-spenders in the run-up to the game. “We were facing a squad which has spent more than 100 million Brazilian Cesar Cielo holds the world record at 46.91 seconds with doctors Ulrich Boenish and Ricard Pruna in Augsburg, Germany,” Barcelona said euros ($137.5 million) and which was built to win, not to take part,” Conte told reporters. from the 2009 Rome world championships, but Dutchman “We have invested 25 million euros in our team, they have spent more than 100. They have spent in Verhaeren says Magnussen is at a “fantastic level” ahead of today’s in a statement on Monday. “They made an incision in the internal meniscus of the one year what we have spent in three, but they are 17 points behind us and out of Europe. “People need six-day selection trials. right knee and the surgery was completed in a satisfactory to get their facts right and not spread misleading messages. I hope Benitez Magnussen, the world 100m champion, has clocked four sub-48 manner. “The estimated time out will be seven months.” will check his calculations.” Juventus are 11 points clear of AS Roma at the second times ahead of the trials and is FINA’s top-ranked sprinter in the The 32-year-old had been primed to push Spain cap- top of Serie A and on course to win their third successive title under event with a year’s best time of 47.59 set in Perth in late January. His per- tain Iker Casillas for his place in goal at the World Cup Conte. They are also in the quarter-finals of the Europa League and sonal best is 47.10. “It’s hard to talk about times but he’s at a fantastic lev- in Brazil later this year given the Real Madrid man’s their stadium will host the final. Napoli, in their first season under el,” Verhaeren said ahead of the trials. “For me, the first objective is to lack of first team action this season. Benitez, are third, a further six points behind Roma, and were knocked make the (Commonwealth Games) team. That might look easy for him Instead, Manchester United’s David de Gea is out of the Europa League by Porto in the last round. Benitez made ref- but it isn’t. “Is he able to improve on that 47.10, and go 46? Maybe. Time likely to go as back up to Casillas and Napoli’s Pepe erences to Juventus’s revenue in the run-up to the game and said they will tell.” Magnussen said he has been working hard on his fitness ahead Reina. It is expected that Valdes has also played his had more strength in depth than Napoli, a remark the Spaniard of the trials. “My general aerobic fitness is at a better level this year to last game for Barcelona when picking up the injury repeated after the match. “It’s not easy, as we don’t have as much what it has been in the past,” he said. “We’ve focused a lot less on speed... in a 3-0 win against Celta Vigo last week after declar- strength in depth as Juventus and it becomes even tougher when so it’s a matter of whether doing all that work on fitness has taken away ing his intention to leave the club when his contract you see Roma ahead of us aren’t making any mistakes,” he said. Napoli from my speed in the first 50. “I’m hoping as I get older and bigger and expires in June. Valdes has been linked with a number of stronger, speed will take care of itself.” Verhaeren, the former coach of were Serie A’s biggest spenders in the summer as they splashed out 37 clubs including Monaco and Manchester City, but has dual Dutch Olympic 100m freestyle champion Pieter van den million euros on Gonzalo Higuain, 12 million on Raul Albiol and over nine made no official announcement on where he will play Hoogenband, took over as Australia’s head coach last October. —AFP million each on Jose Callejon and Dries Mertens. —Reuters next season. —AFP Quiet appreciation Penguins down Blackhawks for new F1 engines PITTSBURGH: Sidney Crosby scored twice in the final five minutes, helping SEPANG: Sebastian Vettel bluntly swore seen. And five years down the line we’ll all the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 4-1 vic- when asked about the new sound of be driving them in our cars back home.” tory over the injury-riddled Chicago Formula One but a more measured Blackhawks on Sunday night. response elsewhere at the Malaysian GET USED TO IT The Blackhawks also lost captain Grand Prix suggests it is not all bleak for Denmark’s Steffen Moller, a former rac- Jonathan Toews to an upper-body the sport’s quiet, hybrid engines. ing driver who now manages new talent, injury in the second period. Toews The engineering marvels that are pro- said Formula One simply had to embrace was hit hard by Penguins defense- pelling F1 cars faster than before, but at a a future of more fuel-efficient motoring. man Brooks Orpik and was holding fraction of the noise and with less fuel, “I know there’s a lot of criticism about his left arm on the bench before have not been widely welcomed in a the sound but we see a lot of electrical heading down the runway. world that revels in the roar of machinery. cars on the road now and Formula One James Neal and Lee Stempniak But even F1 supremo Bernie must be the point where all the manufac- also scored for the Penguins, who Ecclestone, initially a critic, toned it down turers look to find new ideas,” he said. “So won their second straight and after hearing the cars trackside for the for me it’s not about the sound, it’s more snapped a three-game home losing first time this weekend at Sepang. about the top of the performance for streak. Marc-Andre Fleury made 25 “It’s a little better than we thought,” what you can do engineering-wise.” saves in his 36th victory of the sea- said Ecclestone, who watched this year’s Australian sales manager Tim son. Orpik drilled Toews in the corner first race, in Australia, on TV. While F1’s Anscombe, from Perth, said he missed the with 6:30 remaining in the second ear-splitting V8 engines are gone, the tur- old sound but was resigned to the fact period while the two went for a loose bocharged 1.6-litre V6s bring out different that Formula One had to move on. puck. sounds: squealing tyres, the roar of the “You miss that thunder of the old V8s It’s been a rough stretch for injuries crowd and the previously inaudible race but I suppose the times are changing and for the defending Stanley Cup champi- updates over the tannoy. Spectators and that’s the way it’s going to be. Certainly ons, who will be without star forward officials can watch without earplugs, and you miss the atmosphere of that roar Patrick Kane for the rest of the regular the fear of hearing damage, and parents going through you,” said the 47-year-old. season due to a lower-body injury. can bring young children to the track Others were less philosophical. Pete Bryan Bickell is out with an upper- CHICAGO: Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews is hit in the face by a high stick from Pittsburgh without wondering if the noise will Visagie of South Africa, who heads an body injury but is expected to return Penguins left wing Chris Kunitz (14) as Michal Rozsival (32) and Sidney Crosby (87) watch during reduce them to tears. engineering company and races produc- soon. Sheldon Brookbank scored for the first period of an NHL Stadium Series hockey game. —AP tion cars in his spare time, said: “It’s not the Blackhawks, who have lost three LOW EXPECTATIONS the spectacle it used to be. The sound was straight in regulation for the first time scored for the Bruins. Rick Nash and Mats Zuccarello scored goal for Washington. The Capitals have In Malaysia, the response among visit- much nicer. “Even the safety car and the since February 2012. two goals apiece to lead New York to its lost three straight. In the tiebreaker, ing fans was mixed but rarely as damning medical car sound better than the F1 cars RED WINGS 3, LIGHTNING 2 sixth win in seven games. Nashville goaltender Carter Hutton as world champion Vettel’s four-letter going past, honestly.” BRUINS 4, FLYERS 3 David Legwand had a goal and an Derek Brassard also scored for the denied all three Washington shooters.