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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2017

Predators rally, beat Flyers 6-5 Australia coach refuses Portugal and France clinch 12to celebrate raising banner 14 to deny quit reports 15 spots at 2018 World Cup finals

QUITO: Argentina’s Nicolas Otamendi, left, fights for the ball against Ecuador’s Roberto Ordonez during their 2018 World Cup qualifying soccer match at the Atahualpa Olympic Stadium in Quito. — AP Messi treble fires Argentina to WCup

S American champions Chile suffers a shock elimination

MONTEVIDEO: Lionel Messi fired Argentina into of both the 2015 Copa America and the 2016 Copa Argentina, for all of us,” he said. “Obviously there But it was not long before Messi stamped his the World Cup with a brilliant hat-trick on Tuesday America Centenario. Messi, who will turn 31 during was that fear, but today we knew how to play.” The authority on the game, hauling his team back into the as South American champions Chile suffered a shock next year’s World Cup, now has one, perhaps final, striker said he expects Argentina to improve now the contest with a composed opening goal. The equalis- elimination. Messi single-handedly resurrected chance to emulate his idol Diego Maradona by lifting pressure of qualifying has liften. “I think there is er came in the 12th minute when Messi darted for- Argentina’s hopes in a 3-1 win over Ecuador in Quito the World Cup. Relieved going to be a very big ward and quickly released Angel Di Maria down the that drew a line under a chaotic campaign that had Argentina manager change. I think the team left. The Paris Saint-Germain attacker duly returned left the two-time champions in danger of failing to Sampaoli-the third coach will grow much better the favour as Messi raced into the penalty area to qualify. The Barcelona superstar scored twice inside appointed during the qual- now,” he added. poke home a low finish past Maximo Banguera. the opening 20 minutes to give Argentina the lead ifying campaign-could not Eight minutes later Messi fired Argentina into the after Ecuador had stunned the visitors with an open- avoid expressing his grati- Football owes MESSI MASTERCLASS lead with another virtuoso strike, lashing into the top ing goal after from Romario Ibarra after 38 seconds. tude to Messi following Argentina had started corner. Messi then completed his hat-trick with a Messi then completed his hat-trick-the 44th of his Tuesday’s win. a World Cup the day outside the auto- sublime chip in the 62nd minute to make it 3-1. But dazzling career-with a sublime chip in the second “Messi doesn’t owe a matic qualifying positions, while Argentina celebrated, it was a miserable night half to seal the victory. The Argentinian superstar World Cup to Argentina- to Messi needing to secure their for Sampaoli’s former team Chile. The Chileans-win- can now look forward to his fourth appearance at the football owes a World Cup first win in Quito since ners of the Copa America in 2015 and 2016 — were World Cup at next year’s finals in Russia, where he to Messi,” Sampaoli said. 2001 to be certain of soundly beaten 3-0 by Brazil in Sao Paulo to see will attempt once more to lead his country to an elu- “He’s the best player in claiming at least a playoff themselves eliminated on goal difference. sive major title. history. This is a team vic- place. Barcelona’s Paulinho opened the scoring before Since his country’s defeat to Germany in the 2014 tory. They played a brilliant match.” Messi later told It looked as if Argentina’s worst fears were set to Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus bagged a brace to World Cup final, Messi has twice suffered agony at reporters the prospect of not qualifying had weighed become a reality after Ibarra’s opening goal in the secure a win already-qualified Brazil which relegated major tournaments with Argentina, losing the finals heavily on the squad. “It would have been crazy for first minute. Chile to sixth place in the standings.— AFP

ing with the 2018 tournament and a host of sponsors, such as Nike, who had been hoping for plenty of World Cup exposure. Stunned US face major But on a deeper level, the outcome raises a host of questions about whether American soccer truly is progressing. The country did not feature in any World Cup from 1954 to 1986, but after questions after making it to Italia 90 and then hosting the tournament them- selves in 1994, the game appeared to be on the rise. The US reached the quarter-finals in 2002 and more recently World Cup debacle impressed in Brazil four years ago by reaching the second round, finishing above Portugal in their group. COUVA: In one of the biggest upsets of this qualifying cycle, the On the domestic front, Major League Soccer, which began in United States failed to reach the World Cup for the first time in 1996, has produced a stable league for the first time in North more than 30 years and now face some major questions over the America and has grown to 22 teams, many playing in new soccer progress of the sport in the country. specific stadiums. A 2-1 defeat to an already eliminated Trinidad and Tobago “This is an utter embarrassment, with the amount of money meant the US finished an embarrassing fifth out of six teams in that is in Major League Soccer and in this sport, you can’t get a their CONCACAF qualifying group. Mexico topped the stand- draw against Trinidad? You don’t deserve to go the World Cup” ings with Costa Rica in second place while the third automatic said former US striker Taylor Twellman, now a television pundit spot went to Panama. for ESPN. “If this failure does not wake up everyone from US The Central American nation reached the World Cup for the Soccer (Federation) to Major League Soccer to ‘pay to play’ first time in their history thanks to a last gasp 2-1 win over Costa (youth soccer), to broadcasters, everything, then we are all COUVA: United States’ Christian Pulisic, right, jumps for a header with Rica, while Honduras ended fourth and will play Australia over insane.” “That should never have happened with the billion dol- Trinidad and Tobago’s goalkeeper Adrian Foncette, left, and Trinidad and two legs for a place in Russia next year. lars plus that is going into MLS and youth soccer development Tobago’s Daneil Cyrus, during World Cup qualifying soccer match in The impact of the US’s absence will be felt at broadcasters but it did and every single person should look themselves in the Couva, Trinidad. — AP Fox, who take over coverage of the World Cup from ESPN start- mirror,” he added.—Reuters