Australia complete Myanmar women England demolition boxers land blows to regain15 Ashes for equality WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2013 16 Valladolid limp out of relegation zone Page 19 DETROIT: Detroit Lions tight end Joseph Fauria (left) defended by Baltimore Ravens during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game in Detroit on Monday, Dec 16, 2013. — AP Ravens overpower Lions; Tucker shines DETROIT: Justin Tucker’s powerful leg kicked the Super Bowl who hasn’t missed a field goal attempt since he was 0 for 2 in enough subtle moves in and around the pocket to get up by a pass-interference call against safety Don Carey. champions into playoff gear. Tucker made six field goals, Week 2 at Cleveland, has the NFL’s longest streak since Matt sacked only once. He has been sacked a career-high 42 times Johnson couldn’t catch another pass in Baltimore territory including a franchise-record 61-yarder with 38 seconds left Stover made 36 in a row for the Ravens from 2005-06, this season, but he stayed upright enough to move the ball thrown at him late in the first half. The Ravens took advan- that lifted the Baltimore Ravens to an 18-16 win over the according to STATS. into position for Tucker’s big kick. Flacco was 20 of 38 for 222 tage of that mistake and one by Detroit’s defense on the Detroit Lions in a Monday night matchup with major post- “What can you say about Justin Tucker?” Harbaugh said. yards, including a 27-yard pass to Jacoby Jones to convert a next drive. season implications. Ravens coach John Harbaugh chose to “When we got the ball there, I think at the 45-yard line, I said, third-and-15 from the Baltimore 28 on the game-winning Flacco threw an up-for-grabs pass on third-and-8 from let Tucker try the longest kick of his career - by 5 yards - ‘Hey, are we kicking this?’ ... He said, ‘I got it.’” He sure did. drive. Jones had six receptions for 80 yards, and returned the Lions 44 after avoiding a sack, and the incomplete pass instead of going for it on fourth-and-8 from the Detroit 43. Moments after his clutch kick, Tucker mentioned in a televi- Detroit’s last kick to the Baltimore 33. was negated by Louis Delmas’ helmet-to-helmet hit on “If they send me out there, they have reason to,” Tucker sion interview that his big night also benefited his fantasy Stafford was 18 of 34 for 235 yards with a TD and three Marlon Brown with 16 seconds left in the first half. That flag said. “It’s because they think I can make the kick.” Rookie safe- football team. More importantly, his real club won its fourth interceptions - increasing his five-game total to 10 - for a sea- put the Ravens 15 yards closer to Tucker’s field goal that gave ty Matt Elam sealed the victory with an interception - straight game and maintained control of an AFC wild card as son-low 48 quarterback rating. “This was certainly not my Baltimore a 9-7 lead at halftime. Detroit drove to the Ravens Matthew Stafford’s third of the night - after raising eyebrows the Ravens seek their sixth consecutive postseason berth best game,” he acknowledged. 31 on its first possession of the second half, but Stafford during the week by calling 28-year-old Calvin Johnson “pret- and a chance to defend their Super Bowl title. Johnson had six receptions for 98 yards and dropped two threw a pass behind Bush that was picked off by defensive ty old” and saying the plan was to make the star receiver Detroit (7-7) has hurt its playoff chances by losing four of possibly pivotal passes thrown his way in the first half. “We end DeAngelo Tyson. Baltimore went ahead 12-7 on the next uncomfortable by getting physical with him. Stafford threw a five, falling out of sole possession of first place in the NFC just put every guy on him to try to stop him,” Elam said. “It drive on Tucker’s 49-yard field goal midway through the third 14-yard touchdown pass to Joseph Fauria with 2:21 left, put- North to third behind the division-leading Chicago Bears and was no disrespect meant to Calvin. He’s the best in the quarter. ting Detroit up 16-15. But the Lions were unable to make a 2- Green Bay. “This is a setback, no question,” Lions coach Jim league, so why would I challenge him? Words just got stirred The Lions scored on the ensuing drive - on David Akers’ point conversion and couldn’t prevent Baltimore (8-6) from Schwartz said. “We had control and now we need help. We up.” 40-yard kick - for the first time since the opening minutes of setting up its sensational kicker for his 33rd successful field have to get two wins and let the rest shake out.” Stafford’s The Lions started strong, with Reggie Bush running for a the game. The field goal came after Stafford’s pass into the goal in a row. three interceptions followed a troubling trend for the fran- 14-yard touchdown on the opening drive. Detroit, though, end zone fell incomplete. A replay showed Detroit receiver Tucker’s kick went just inside the right upright and barely chise. He has 12 turnovers, including two fumbles, in his last got in its own way as it often has this year. Johnson dropped Kris Durham had his arm held on the play by Lardarius Webb, had enough distance - eight days after Denver’s Matt Prater five games. Not coincidently, the Lions have been able to a pass that would’ve converted a third-and-15 deep in but there was no penalty flag for pass interference. Tucker’s broke the NFL record with a 64-yard field goal. “I definitely overcome those miscues well enough to win only one game Ravens territory. On the ensuing drive, Tucker kicked his first 53-yard field goal - matching his previous season high - put felt like I got a lot of leg into it, but it jumped up so high I during the slump. of three field goals in the first half - two of which were set up the Ravens ahead 15-10 with 8:06 left. Detroit responded thought I might have gotten under it,” Tucker said. Tucker, Joe Flacco, meanwhile, didn’t turn the ball over and made by penalties against Detroit. Tucker’s next field goal was set with its best drive since its first one. — AP Roma slip 5 points behind Juventus MILAN: Francesco Totti ended his two-month injury absence for Roma post inside 10 minutes. But it was from Strootman’s run down the left but had to settle for a share of the spoils in a 2-2 draw away to Milan, that Roma opened their account, Destro sliding in unchallenged to slot who had Sulley Muntari to thank for a late leveler at the San Siro on the ball home on 13 minutes. It was Milan’s 114th anniversary on Monday. Roma travelled to struggling Milan looking to close the gap on Monday, but there was little to celebrate as the hosts struggled for leaders Juventus to three points after the Serie A champions had rhythm against a well-oiled Roma side and Gervinho’s lightning runs. opened up a six-point gap with an eighth consecutive win on Sunday. However against the run of play Milan found the breakthrough from But despite bossing Milan in almost every department, Roma had to a corner, Zapata meeting Muntari’s header with a bouncing header of settle for their fifth draw in six matches to remain second, five points his own to beat De Sanctis on the half hour. Roma thought they had behind. restored their lead a minute later but Michael Bradley’s effort from a “I’m happy with the performance but not the result because we were tight angle bounced off the goalline. Destro threatened again just in front twice,” said Roma coach Rudi Garcia, who steered his side to a before half time but Milan’s blushes were saved by a timely tackle from Serie A record of 10 opening wins at the start of the season. “When you Daniele Bonera. have so many chances on goal, normally you win. We should have Abbiati failed to appear for the second half and was replaced by scored a third. But taking a point at Milan is not so bad.” Despite Milan’s Gabriel, who after seven minutes failed to stop Strootman’s spot kick domestic struggles, they remain Italy’s sole representative in the after the ‘keeper ran out and fouled Gervinho on the edge of the box. Champions League after exits by Juventus and Napoli last week. Totti replaced Destro in the 64th minute and the Roma veteran was And after batting away questions about their last 16 opponents immediately involved in the build-up which saw Bradley head just wide Atletico Madrid, coach Massimiliano Allegri said: “We played well techni- from six metres out. Until then, Milan had not looked likely to score an cally in the second half, we were braver and took the game more to equalizer. But in the 77th minute Muntari made the best of Balotelli’s lay- Roma even though it left us more exposed to counter attacks.” Roma off to the right on the edge of the area to beat De Sanctis down low to started brightly and opened the scoring before the quarter hour the keeper’s left.