ARAB TIMES, FRIDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 9-10, 2021 SPORTS 14

Spain and Ireland are yet to offer the same guarantees Bilbao, Dublin unsure on fans for Euro 2020, risk being cut NYON, Switzerland, April 8, (AP): European Championship organizers received assurances from the Netherlands and Scotland about plans Al-Wahda reach ACL group stage with playoff win to allow fans into stadiums in June as coronavi- SEOUL, April 8, (AP): The delayed Asian Iraq’s Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya won a penalty rus restrictions are eased but Spain and Ireland Champions League started with teams shootout 3-2 against Al-Wehda of Saudi are yet to offer the same guarantees. from Uzbekistan, the United Arab Emirates Arabia after a 1-1 draw. Bilbao and Dublin, who are due to stage the and Iraq winning playoff games to move The playoffs from the eastern side of Group E games, risk being cut from the list of into the group stage. the draw featuring teams from Australia, 12 host cities across Europe after providing the Former Ajax coach Henk ten Cate led Myanmar and the Philippines have been lack of certainty to UEFA over the return of Al-Wahda from Abu Dhabi to a 2-1 win pushed back until June due to travel re- spectators. over Al-Zawraa of Iraq, while Jovan Djokic strictions put in place to limit the spread Authorities in Bilbao said the 53,000-capac- scored in the last minute of extra time to of COVID-19. ity San Mamés could have a quarter of seats give Uzbekistan’s AGMK a 1-0 win over Al- The western half of the group stage starts fi lled but that was disputed on Wednesday night Gharafa of Qatar to reach the group stage next Wednesday while the eastern zone is by the Spanish football federation, which said for the fi rst time. scheduled to get underway in June or July. the pandemic conditions meant it was unlikely fans could be allowed by June. there are no guarantees,” said Gijs de Jong, a in its statement, saying it is “conceivable and tournament director in Amsterdam. “However, desirable that spectators can be in the stadium” we remain hopeful that, come June, the situa- for its four games, including a quarterfi nal. SOCCER tion will have improved to the point where we The city with the most games is London, can allow even more spectators to attend.” which will stage seven fi xtures at Wembley The rescheduled European Championship is including the semifi nals and fi nal. Authorities The Football Association of Ireland also said due to open on June 11 in Rome. hope the 90,000-capacity might even be full by it was not able yet to provide assurances on The Italian government informed the coun- the end of the tournament. minimum fan numbers in Dublin as required by Spectators watch during the World Cup 2022 Group G qualifying soccer match between competition organizer. try’s football federation on Tuesday that fans Russia has already confi rmed that St. Peters- The Netherlands and Latvia at the Johan Cruyff ArenA in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on can attend the four Euros matches at Stadio burg’s 65,000-seat stadium will be fi lled to at “We have made our submission to UEFA to- March 27. (AP) day and now await their response once submis- Olimpico. But the government’s scientifi c least 50% capacity for its four games. Denmark sions from all 12 host cities have been received ties want to allow at least 12,000 spectators who have three games in the group stage and a round committee struck a more cautious note on is planning on up to 12,000 fans being allowed and considered,” FAI Chief Executive Jonathan Wednesday, saying it was premature to provide into the four matches at the 38,000-capacity have presented a negative COVID-19 test result of 16 match each. Authorities in the Netherlands a timeline on the return of crowds. Parken Stadium. A similar number could be at- Hill said. into the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam. warned that if the coronavirus situation deterio- England is one of the countries being consid- The situation will be re-examined by the tending games in Romania under government ered to relocate some games. But with Wemb- And the Scottish government determined on rates, then the presence of fans in the Amster- committee in the coming weeks after looking plans for the 55,000-capacity national stadium ley already the location for seven games across Wednesday that up to 12,000 fans could be al- dam stadium will have to be re-evaluated. at levels of coronavirus infections, hospital oc- in Bucharest to be at least a quarter fi lled. a month, including the semifi nals and fi nal, an- lowed into Glasgow’s four games, with Hamp- “We look forward to welcoming 12,000 cupancy numbers and the progress of the vac- Baku, Azerbaijan and Budapest, Hungary are other stadium in the country would be required. den Park at 25% of capacity. spectators to the Johan Cruyff Arena, but we are cination campaign. also due to be part of the hosting of the tourna- The Dutch football federation said authori- Bilbao, Dublin, Glasgow and Amsterdam aware that the coronavirus is unpredictable and The city of Munich was also less committal ment that has been rearranged from 2020. Inter pip Sassuolo to move Soccer Roundup Montpellier, Angers avoid upsets Sociedad scores late to draw 11 points clear atop Serie A with Athletic in Basque derby MADRID, April 8, (AP): Roberto López scored in the 89th minute to give Real Sociedad a 1-1 draw against Athletic Bilbao in the Span- ish league in the second Basque Country derby in four days. Real Sociedad beat Athletic on Saturday in the postponed fi nal of last year’s Copa del Rey, then equalized in the league match only four minutes after its rival had taken the lead. Athletic opened the scoring with a header by Asier Villalibre in the 85th, but López equalized for the hosts with a remarkable curling shot from outside the area into the top far corner. It wasn’t clear if López was attempting a cross or a shot. The result moved Sociedad back Stuttgart’s Konstantinos Mav- into fi fth place with 46 points, 12 ropanos (right), and Bremen’s Milot Rashica challenge for the behind fourth-place Sevilla. Ath- ball during the German Bundes- letic dropped to 10th, further away liga soccer match between VfB from the European qualifi cation spots. Athletic will also play in the fi - Bremen through to nal of this year’s Copa fi nal, facing Barcelona on April 17. German Cup semis Atlético Madrid has a one-point lead over Barcelona in the league REGENSBURG, Germany, April and is three ahead of Real Madrid. 8, (AP): Yuya Osako’s second- Barcelona and Madrid play in the half goal was enough for Werder last clásico of the season on Satur- Bremen to reach the German Cup day in Madrid. Atlético visits Real semifi nals with a 1-0 win over sec- Betis on Sunday. ond-division Regensburg. ❑ ❑ ❑ The Japan forward controlled Marco Friedl’s pass from midfi eld In Paris, top-fl ight teams Mont- on his chest and turned to shoot in- Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez (right), scores against Sassuolo during the Serie A soccer match between Inter Milan and Sassuolo at the San Siro Stadium pellier and Angers avoided upsets side the left post in the 52nd minute. in Milan, Italy, on April 7. (AP) but labored into the French Cup The teams’ quarterfi nal was sup- quarterfi nals with narrow wins posed to be played on March 2, but against fourth-tier opposition. it was postponed due to COVID-19 Dybala helps Juventus earn 1st win in 3 league matches Montpellier is eighth in the fi rst infections among several Regens- division and still in contention for burg players a couple of days after a Europa League spot next season, coach Mersad Selimbegovic was MILAN, April 8, (AP): ing us.” Inter focused on defending and at- utes after making his return from in- while Angers is in midtable. diagnosed with what the club said Romelu Lukaku scored one The match between Inter and Sassu- tempting to score on the counter. jury to help Juventus earn a fi rst win in Montpellier defeated Chateau- was the “highly contagious British olo was meant to be played just before It did so in the second half when Lu- three league matches. briant 1-0 and Angers won by the mutation of the coronavirus.” goal and set up another as the international break but was post- kaku’s through ball released Martínez Dybala had been sidelined with a same score at Sedan, which won The opening minutes of the sec- Inter Milan moved a step poned following a coronavirus out- in the middle and he drilled into the knee injury for more than two months the competition in 1956 and ‘61 ond half had more goal-mouth ac- but he was brought on as a substitute in and fi nished runner-up three times tion than the entire fi rst half. Osako closer to its fi rst Serie A ti- break in the Nerazzurri camp. bottom right corner. before dropping out of professional Inter took an early lead when Ashley Hamed Traorè set up a nervy fi nale the 69th and made it 2-0 shortly after, then missed a chance to make it tle in more than a decade controlling a pass from Rodrigo Bent- soccer a few years ago. 2-0 in the 67th, when Regensburg Young whipped in a cross from the left for Inter when he pulled one back for ancur just inside the area before turn- Angers-born right back Vincent with a 2-1 win over Sassu- for Lukaku’s fl icked header into the far Sassuolo fi ve minutes from time, curl- ’keeper Alexander Meyer blocked ing and fi ring into the far corner. Manceau, who has played 13 years his shot out for a corner. olo. corner. It was the Inter forward’s fi rst ing into the far corner after the Neraz- The Bianconeri had taken the lead in for his hometown club, scored mid- Lukaku headed in the opener in Bremen had to clear off the line headed goal this season. zurri failed to clear the ball. the 13th minute after Federico Chiesa way through the fi rst half. Midfi eld- as the home side made a late surge the 10th minute and provided the Sassuolo dominated possession as Paulo Dybala scored just four min- beat two defenders on the right before er Florent Mollet grabbed Mont- for an equalizer, but the Bundesliga assist for Lautaro Martínez in the crossing for Ronaldo to slot into the bot- pellier’s goal in the 62nd minute. team held on to set up a meeting 67th as Inter moved 11 points clear tom left corner. Lorenzo Insigne con- Second-tier Toulouse, fi rmly on with Leipzig on April 30. of second-place AC Milan with its verted a last-minute penalty for Napoli course for promotion to the fi rst di- Borussia Dortmund is playing 10th successive victory. after Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini vision, earned a 2-1 victory at fi fth- second-division Holstein Kiel in the “Lukaku and Lautaro have been brought down Victor Osimhen. tier side Saumur. other semifi nal on May 1. The fi nal working for so long together, they Napoli remained fi fth, two points Fourth-tier Canet-en-Roussillon, is scheduled to be played in Berlin’s know what positions they have to keep below fourth-place Atalanta and three which caused a big upset by knock- Olympiastadion on May 13. now,” Inter coach Antonio Conte said. below Juventus. The match was meant ing out Marseille in the previous to be played in October and caused round, reached the last eight by “They do so very well, they always play third-tier Red Star. move in synchrony.” much debate when Napoli did not beating third-tier Boulogne-sur- travel to Turin after two of its players Mer 1-0 at home. Rumilly Valli- Monaco beat Metz on penalty It was Lukaku’s 21st league goal of kicks on Tuesday to join defending the season but he remained four behind tested positive for the virus. Napoli eres also advanced with a 4-0 home was handed a 3-0 loss by the Italian win against Le Puy 4-0 in a match champion Paris Saint-Germain in Cristiano Ronaldo in the scoring charts the last eight. as the Juventus forward also netted in league and docked one point but even- between two fourth-tier sides. tually had that overturned on appeal by In the remaining Cup game, The quarterfi nals are being held his side’s 2-1 win over Napoli in an- in two weeks. other rearranged match. the Italian Olympic Committee. Lyon is in Paris on Thursday to SOCCER NWSL, players’ association pursue fi rst CBA

Lukaku joined Inter from Manches- WASHINGTON, April 8, (AP): The guaranteed salaries and insurance. over as full-time executive director. ter United in 2019 for around 80 mil- National Women’s Soccer League and “The collaboration between the The players association was found- lion euros (then $90 million). the NWSL Players Association have league’s clubs and the players has been ed in 2017 and serves as the bargaining “You can see the work that’s been begun negotiations on the league’s fi rst absolutely critical to our collective suc- representative for all NWSL players done with Romelu,” Conte said. “I collective bargaining agreement. cess this past year,” NWSL Commis- who are not allocated by the U.S. and haven’t forgotten how so many people “The sustainability of our League is sioner Lisa Baird said. “On building Canadian national teams. turned up their nose at his arrival, talk- inextricably linked to the stability of on that trust and partnership, and I’m “I’m just really proud of the players ing about an overvalued player. players’ careers,” players association very glad to be working with Meghann and the union, and the leadership from “But right from the start I said that executive director Meghann Burke Burke in her new role as the director, I the players to drive this forward, be- he had arrived here with his potential said in a prepared statement. “Through cause a league that is better for every- and with hard work he could do some- this CBA, we seek to secure stability, body playing in it is certainly going to thing extraordinary. He has made ex- equity, and longevity of a playing ca- SOCCER be better for everyone that comes after ceptional improvements and can do reer in NWSL for all players.” us as well,” Portland Thorns defender still more.” The collective bargaining process Meghan Klingenberg said. “We love to Juventus moved into third. The nine- began in late 2020, the league said. The think we’re all eager to better defi ne the play soccer. We’re passionate about it. time defending champion is 12 points two sides had already worked together relationship between the league and the We want to be soccer players for as long behind Inter, which hasn’t won the on issues including player health and extraordinary women that take the pitch as we can. But also we know that we are league title since 2010. safety and pay ahead of last summer’s each week. I’m grateful to the PA’s lead- leaving a legacy behind. And this is one “Nine matches remain, and every Challenge Cup, played in a bubble in ership thus far in thoughtfully engaging way that we can ensure that sports for win now is worth six points to us,” Utah. The NWSL was the fi rst profes- in this process.” women is left in a better place than when Conte said. “Every time we win, it’s sional U.S. team sports league to re- The players association announced we found it.” The NWSL has 10 teams another big step forward, and not just Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Juventus’ Giorgio Chiellini vie for the ball dur- turn amid the coronavirus pandemic. Monday that Burke, the union’s gen- and will open its ninth season May 15. in terms of our league position: it also ing the Italian Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Napoli at the Players who opted out of the tourna- eral counsel since 2017 and chief oper- The league kicks off its preseason Chal- weighs heavily on those who are pursu- Allianz Stadium in Turin, Italy, on April 7. (AP) ment for personal reasons were still ating offi cer since last year, would take lenge Cup tournament Friday.