14 Monday, August 10, 2020 Sports Four Al Sadd Players in ACL2018 ‘Dream Team’

QNA the public polls on the-AFC.com, Al Sadd’s centre-back Pedro ing the Qatari star as the left-back in Kuala Lumpur while an XI by OPTA, the official sta- Miguel clinched the fans’ vote for our XI. His 45% share of the vote saw tistics provider for the AFC, is also centre-back and he partners Perse- him hold off Kim Jin-su of Jeonbuk After more than 250,000 votes, included as a comparison. polis’ defender in Hyundai Motors (26%), Shuto Yama- the fans’ Best XI from the 2018 AFC Collecting a huge 89% of the our rearguard. moto of Kashma Antlers (19%) and Champions League has been decided votes, the popular Persepolis custo- Khalilzadeh edged out his club Guangzhou Evergrande’s Li Xuepeng with the final line-up featuring a host dian and 2018 runner-up was out in captain , while Gen (9%). of standout performers from the front by some distance, with Kashima Shoji of , Tianjin’s more than played competition. Antlers’ three-time AFC Champions Kwon Kyung-won and Jeonbuk his part in what was Persepolis’ best The 2018 AFC Champions League winner Kwoun Sun-tae (10%) Hyundai Motors’ Choi Bo-kyung AFC Champions League perfor- League was filled with classic match- coming second. were also in the running. mance to date and the fans have re- and third most votes respectively, Persepolis’ fierce rivals Esteghlal. es, nail-biting moments and fabulous Esteghlal’s attacking full-back Abdelkarim Hassan’s perfor- warded him with a whopping 68% of taking up the other two spots. Al Sadd’s , individual performances and, after (92%) was way out mances in Al Sadd’s 2018 campaign the votes. There were plenty of super strik- who was the tournament’s top scorer, reviewing the competition’s key play- in front ahead of Jeonbuk Hyundai were so impressive that they helped Nemati takes the right side of our ers to choose from to lead our front- rounds out our three-man attack in ers, we present the ‘Dream Team’ as Motors Lee Yong (4%), Kashima Ant- him win the AFC Player of the Year three-man midfield with countryman line but, ultimately, it was Persepo- this exciting-looking all-star team voted by you, the fans. lers’ Koki Anzai (3%) and Guangzhou award at the end of the campaign and Farshid Esmaeili and Barcelona leg- lis targetman Ali Alipour who came from the 16th edition of the AFC 11 players who made the cut on Evergrande’s Zhang Linpeng (2%). the fans have reflected this too, nam- end Xavi, who received the second out on top ahead of Mame Thiam of Champions League.

Al Rayyan’s Boli out for four weeks Al Rayyan striker Johan Boli has been ruled out for four weeks Johnson and Koepka set for with a second degree tear, the club announced on Sunday. Boli picked up the injury last week- end ahead of the club’s match against Al Sailiya. The French- another PGA final showdown born Ivorian has been a major boost to Al Rayyan’s attack with AFP seven goals so far since joining San Francisco the club in January.

Dustin Johnson shot a 65 Saturday to put himself on course for another mouth-wa- tering final round showdown at a PGA Championship with two-time defending champion Brooks Koepka. Johnson and Koepka are no strangers at the PGA Cham- pionship as Johnson nearly chased down Koepka in the final round last year at New York’s Bethpage Black before Stokes to miss rest of losing by two shots. “I’ve been in the hunt a bunch of times in a major. I’ve Pakistan Test series got one major, so having that experience is definitely going to be beneficial tomorrow,” for family reasons said 2016 US Open champion Dustin Johnson of the United States watches a shot from the 15th tee Johnson. during the third round of the 2020 PGA Championship at TPC Harding Brooks Koepka of the United States chips to the 13th green as Ricky AFP Johnson’s five-under 65 on Park in San Francisco, California, on Saturday. (Getty Images/AFP) Elliott looks on during the third round. (Getty Images/AFP) Manchester Saturday got him to nine under (USA) 69-69-65, Paul Casey (ENG) 68-67-68 for the tournament and a one- down the stretch on the back but also a few poor ones.” in Memphis. 204 - Justin Rose (ENG) 66-68-70, Tommy Fleetwood England star Ben Stokes shot lead over fellow Americans nine.” Johnson’s 65 was his eighth Johnson said the key to win- (ENG) 70-64-70, Daniel Berger (USA) 67-67-70, Bryson will miss the concluding two Scottie Scheffler and Cameron Like rugged Bethpage Black, straight round in the 60s at a ning his second career major is DeChambeau (USA) 68-70-66, Tony Finau (USA) 67-70- Tests against Pakistan for 67, Jason Day (AUS) 65-69-70 Champ at TPC Harding Park in TPC Harding Park is a munici- PGA Championship. His eight to stay focused and not worry 205 - Li Haotong (CHN) 67-65-73, Kim Si-Woo (KOR) family reasons, the England San Francisco. History-chasing pal layout that is playing like birdies are the most he has about the leaderboard. 69-68-68, Joel Dahmen (USA) 69-68-68, Xander and Wales Cricket Board an- American Koepka is tied for a major championship course made in any round of a major, “I’m going to just try and Schauffele (USA) 66-70-69, Matthew Wolff (USA) nounced on Sunday. fourth with two others, just two with narrow fairways and deep, bettering the seven birdies he go out and shoot as low as I can 69-68-68 Stokes’s father Ged was 206 - Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 70-67-69, Michaël strokes back of the long-hitting patchy rough that swallows er- made at the 2017 PGA Cham- tomorrow,” he said. “Just take Lorenzo-Vera (FRA) 66-68-72, Bernd Wiesberger (AUT) admitted to hospital in Jo- Johnson. rant tee shots. pionship and the 2014 British what the golf course gives me. It 68-68-70 hannesburg two days before “I’ve been in contention a “I definitely need to hit some Open. doesn’t really matter what other 207 - Jon Rahm (ESP) 70-69-68, Dylan Frittelli (RSA) Christmas last year with a seri- lot, and I’ve got it done a lot of more fairways, because it’s real- But his results have been guys are doing. All I can control 70-67-70, Webb Simpson (USA) 71-68-68, Brendon Todd ous illness while following his times,” said the 36-year-old ly tough playing this golf course mixed in 2020 as he missed the is myself.” (USA) 65-70-72, Patrick Reed (USA) 68-70-69, Patrick son’s progress with the Eng- Cantlay (USA) 73-68-66, Lanto Griffin (USA) 68-68-71, Johnson. “I’ve got to hit fair- from the rough,” said Johnson. cut at the Memorial, withdrew Leading scores after Saturday’s third round land cricket team during their 201 - Dustin Johnson (USA) 69-67-65 Harold Varner III (USA) 72-66-69, Ian Poulter (ENG) ways and a lot of greens. If I can “Obviously the bunkers, too, are from the 3M Open with a bad 202 - Scottie Scheffler (USA) 66-71-65, Cameron Champ 73-68-66. 208 - Kevin Kisner (USA) 67-73-68, Keith tour of South Africa. do that tomorrow, I’m going very tough. I had a few nice up- back after an opening 78 and (USA) 71-64-67 Mitchell (USA) 68-72-68, Victor Perez (FRA) 70-69-69, Ged Stokes, a former New to have a good chance coming and-downs out of the bunkers, finished 12th at the WGC event 203 - Brooks Koepka (USA) 66-68-69, Collin Morikawa Adam Scott (AUS) 68-70-70. Zealand rugby league inter- national, underwent three op- erations and spent 37 days in hospital, with his conditions initially described as “critical” Lydia Ko surges clear at before it stabilised. Tiger Woods suffers He has since continued his recovery in New Zealand. LPGA Marathon Classic Despite his father’s health problems, Stokes was named AFP more putting woes player of the series in Eng- Washington land’s 3-1 Test series win over AFP der par for the tournament,” didn’t come until the 16th hole South Africa. A late flurry of birdies left Lydia San Francisco he said. when he drained a 14 footer to Ko in pole position at the LPGA Woods had four bogeys get to three over for the tour- ‘Strong and stubborn’ Marathon Classic on Saturday An out of sorts Tiger Woods on Saturday, including one nament. Stokes, however, spent time as the former world number struggled on the greens for stretch of three straight on the Wood’s best shot of the at Ged’s beside when Eng- surged into a four-shot lead the second straight day as his back nine, beginning at the day was his approach on 18. land returned to Johannes- Ben Stokes. heading into the final round. PGA Championship hopes par-three 11. He hammered an iron shot burg for the fourth Test at The 23-year-old New Zea- evaporated on Saturday. That came after he made 209 yards from the fairway to the Wanderers. ing the Workington rugby land star rattled off two birdies Woods, who barely made par on No. 10, a hole he had just five feet of the flag stick to He later posted a picture league club and grew up in the in her final three holes to card a the cut on Friday afternoon, birdied the first two days. set up the birdie. of his father leaving hospital, nearby West Cumbrian town of three-under-par 68 and move shot a two-over 72 for the sec- Woods salvaged some Heading into Saturday’s praising him as “strong and Cockermouth. to 16-under at Highland Mead- ond straight round at the TPC pride by making birdie on round, Woods needed to vault stubborn”. Ged and his wife Deb, ows in Sylvania, Ohio. Harding Park in San Francisco. two of his final three holes, past 42 other golfers to get “Stokes will leave the UK Stokes’s mother, have since re- It was the second straight It means the 44-year-old’s clos- ing his round with a to the top of the leaderboard later this week and travel to turned to New Zealand. day that Ko finished strongly. hopes of a 16th major title are five-foot at an event he has won four New Zealand,” said an ECB After impressing in youth On Friday, Ko had birdied the all but extinguished. birdie times previously. statement issued Sunday. cricket, Ben Stokes, now aged 17th and 18th holes to move into “I am frustrated I didn’t putt on Woods said there is much “He will miss England’s two 29, made his name in the first- a one-stroke second round lead get anything going early,” No. 18. more parity among the top Test matches against Pakistan class game with Durham. with a six-under-par 65. Lydia Ko of New Zealand at the said Woods, who finished But his players on the Tour than when at the Ageas Bowl (starting) on At international level, he Ko later revealed that she second hole during the third three rounds at two-over first birdie he went through his dominat- Thursday 13 August and Friday established himself as a lead- had been bothered by a sore round of the Marathon LPGA 212. “I got a couple of bad of the ing run. 21 August. ing all-rounder, starring against back during her round. Classic at Highland Meadows angles and miss shots in day “It is getting tighter and “The England and Wales his native New Zealand during “It started hurting a little Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio, US, spots I can’t play from and I harder to win events,” he said. Cricket Board, along with the England’s dramatic Super Over bit,” Ko said. “I think the key on Saturday. (Getty Images/AFP) made bogeys. “When I look at leaderboard I Stokes family, requests that all win in last year’s World Cup fi- for me tomorrow is even if it “I am happy with the see the same handful of guys. media respects the family’s pri- nal at Lord’s. doesn’t feel 100%, just to go out one-under-par 70 after a round way I finished. It was just “They understand how to vacy at this time.” A quad injury has seen pace- there and hit it confidently and that included three birdies and a fight all day and I didn’t win the majors and how to Outstanding all-rounder man Stokes largely deployed as aggressively. two bogeys. get anything going.” plod along. Stokes played in the England a specialist batsman in recent “Even though the pain is Kang was unhappy with Woods is 10 strokes “The guys who understand side that beat Pakistan by three matches. there I feel like when I hit it her failure to make the most back of second round how to play tough golf courses wickets at Old Trafford on Sat- He did not bowl at all dur- hard, my body is not flinching of several birdie chances that leader Li Haotong with will be up there, crowds or no urday to go 1-0 up in three- ing England’s series-clinching over that area. I just have to not presented themselves during a host of former ma- crowds.” match series. win over the West Indies at Old worry about it.” her round. jor champions near The Harding Park tourna- The England vice-captain Trafford last month and sent After a day of low scoring “Frustrating, annoying and the top of the leader- ment is being played without has been an ever present in down just four overs, albeit for in the second round, the field irritating,” Kang said when board, including two- spectators due to the corona- the side this season and led the a return of 2-11, in the Paki- found the going tougher on Sat- asked to summarize her display. time defending cham- virus restrictions. team in Joe Root’s absence dur- stan opener at the Manchester urday with pin positions making LPGA Marathon Classic leading pion Brooks Koepka. Woods, who usually plays ing the series opener against ground. for a more challenging set-up. scores after s third round: Woods hopes to re- in front of packed galleries the West Indies last month – a His absence from the re- After two birdies and a bo- 197 - Lydia Ko (NZL) 64-65-68 bound Sunday with a solid cheering him on, isn’t using match regular skipper Root mainder of the three-match gey in her first six holes, Ko 201 - Danielle Kang 64-67-70 round to take some momen- the lack of crowds as an excuse. missed to attend the birth of his Pakistan series could lead to a went on a run of nine consecu- 203 - Minjee Lee (AUS) 68-67- tum into a very busy stage of second child. Test recall for top-order bats- tive pars before she began to 68, Jodi Ewart Shadoff (ENG) the PGA Tour season. Tiger Woods plays his shot from Although born in Christch- man Zak Crawley, who was left pull away down the stretch with 67-63-73 “I still have the last round the 12th tee during the final round urch on the South Island of out to balance the side when her late birdies. 204 - Lindsey Weaver 68-69-67 of a major to play. Hopefully of the 2020 PGA Championship at New Zealand, Stokes came to England felt they needed to That left her four clear of 205 - Maria Fernanda Torres tomorrow I will shoot some- TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, England as a 12-year-old when play another bowler because of Danielle Kang, who battled to a (PUR) 70-68-67. thing in red and get it to un- California, US, on Saturday. (AFP) his father Ged got a job coach- Stokes’s fitness problems.