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THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2015 SPORTS Minnows Bhutan, Guam swim with big fish in Asian qualifying HONG KONG: Asian football minnows Bhutan made it to the second round against Iran and Tajikistan, losing 19-0 June 16 and will be watching their operated by Israel to reach the West Bhutan and Guam are hoping to prove the hard way. In March, ranked 209 in and 16-0 respectively. In recent years, opponent kick off at Bangladesh. Bank. In Japan’s group, Afghanistan is they can handle swimming with the big the world, the very bottom, the South the team has been making steady Kyrgyzstan’s Azamat Baymatov, also playing its opening game on for- fish when the second round of regional Asian nation defeated Sri Lanka and progress and under English coach Gary meanwhile, is trying not to get distract- eign soil. Due to the security situation at qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup start travels to Hong Kong on Thursday, five White, peaking at 161 at FIFA’s rankings ed about the game with the Asian home, the South Asian champion will today. Just being in the group stage at days before taking on the relative might last year. Facing Turkmenistan and India champion next week. take on Syria in Iran. Yemen has similar all is a sign of progress for the two teams of China at home. in its first two qualifiers, Guam will look “We are not thinking about Australia,” issues and meets North Korea in the that have been on the wrong side of 200 “These games are a real chance for us to forget its 2-2 draw in Singapore in the midfielder said. “We want to take all Qatari capital of Doha. in FIFA’s rankings in recent years. Guam to know how far we have to go when it March. “We want six points from these three points against Bangladesh and Elsewhere, India takes on Oman climbed sufficiently high enough to comes to the rest of Asia.” Ugyen two games,” White told AP. “If we can get then we can get ready to face Australia while 2022 host Qatar, under new coach avoid March’s first round when 12 teams Tsechup Dorji, the president of the off to a perfect start then we will see with confidence.” Jose Daniel Carreno from Uruguay, faces met on a home and away knockout Bhutan Football Federation, told the what happens. We are full of confidence South Korea, runner up in January’s a tricky trip to the Maldives, looking to basis to progress straight to the second Associated Press. “We have already come and have prepared well for these games. Asian Cup, has to wait for Laos to host recover from a dismal 2015 Asian Cup round, where 40 teams were divided a long way and people are excited and We are where we want to be.” Myanmar and Lebanon to take on where it lost all three games. into eight groups of five. really getting behind the team. We are Guam has been actively recruiting Kuwait. There is also some controversy. There are only 39 teams instead of 40 The winners of each group are guar- looking forward to a good game and players from Major League Soccer, Four time World Cup finalist Saudi in the draw. Indonesia was due to meet anteed a place in the final round of qual- then all the games we have coming up. including La Galaxy star AJ DeLaGarza. Arabia refused to travel to the West Bank Taiwan but was been disqualified. The ification, along with the four-best run- Guam is looking forward to a first ever Australia will wait to see whether to take on the Palestinian team and the southeast Asian nation was suspended ners-up. The eight top seeds, including home World Cup qualifier against Jordan, regarded as favorite for second game has been switched to Jeddah from all international competitions by Japan, South Korea and Asian champion Turkmenistan on Tuesday. spot in Group B, can get off to a winning instead. Saudi Arabia holds no diplomat- FIFA on May 29 due to governmental Australia start their qualification journey In qualifying for the 2002 World Cup, start in Tajikistan. The Socceroos are ic ties with Israel and its team would interference in the operation of the on the road to Russia on June 16. the Pacific islanders played two games preparing for a game in Kyrgyzstan on have had to pass through checkpoints game. —AP Croatia, Italy clash in empty stadium ZAGREB: Croatia and Italy will lock Niko Kovac. will miss injured (midfielder) Luka horns behind closed doors in a Euro “It is tragic for our soccer and the Modric and (defender) Vedran Corluka 2016 qualifier tomorrow after the people that no fans will be allowed through suspension.” Balkan nation were given a crowd ban into the ground,” Kovac told the The Croatians were handed a one- following repeated offences by their Croatian Football Association website match crowd ban after racist chants fans. (www.hns-cff.hr). by their fans during a 5-1 home win In what would have attracted a full “Hence it won’t be an enjoyable over Norway in March, which came on house in Croatia’s Adriatic resort of event but there will be no excuses if the back of incidents they caused dur- Split, the top-of-the-table Group H fix- we don’t get a result. “Under the cir- ing a 1-1 draw against Italy in Milan ture comes as an anti-climax much to cumstances, I’d be happy with a draw, last November. The match in the San the dismay of the home team’s coach especially in view of the fact that we Siro stadium was twice halted after visiting Croatia fans hurled flares on to the pitch. Kovac could be tempted to field an adventurous 4-4-2 formation by part- nering Leicester City striker Andrej Kramaric to Mario Mandzukic up front, while Modric’s absence could unleash Barcelona’s Ivan Rakitic into a free role in midfield. Italy coach Antonio Conte faces a selection headache as goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and midfielder Marco Verratti are doubtful. Buffon is struggling with a left WELLINGTON: Emerson Hyndman of the USA (right) fights for the ball with Colombia’s Steven Lucumi during their elbow injury he sustained against U20 soccer World Cup match. —AP Barcelona in the Champions League final while Verratti picked up a knock on his left calf in training. “Croatia are a very good team and US, Serbia lead way they proved it at the San Siro but we have to qualify,” Conte told the Italian football federation (www.figc.it). into U-20 quarters “We’re working on a different forma- tion (to our preferred 3-5-2), we need to play a system that fits the person- WELLINGTON: Rubio Rubin’s blister- impressive sides in the tournament in Mali-Ghana game had been played in nel.” ing strike and a penalty save by New Zealand. cold and wet conditions. Fatigue after a long club season Zackary Steffen ensured the United Senegal beat Ukraine 3-1 on penal- The weather has affected the could also be a factor at both ends States advanced to the quarter-finals ties after goalkeeper Ibrahima Sy crowds at all of the games in but Croatia’s Dynamo Kiev defender of the under-20 World Cup for the first saved three shots in the shootout to Wellington, with FIFA statistics for the Domagoj Vida is confident the home time since 2007 with a 1-0 win over advance to the last eight after their Austria-Panama group match on June side can take a big step towards next Colombia yesterday. match had ended 1-1 after extra time. 2 putting it at 2,009, the smallest year’s finals in France. “Exhaustion Rubin was at his predatory best Sy had thrived on the pressure and crowd at the 35,000-capacity venue. goes out the window for a big game when he fired a rocket into the roof of played to the decent-sized crowd in Local organising committee head like this, it’s the group’s derby and we the net from 12 yards in the 58th Auckland that went a little way to Dave Beeche had earlier told Reuters are confident as we’ve had a very minute to score the all-important allay fears the tournament was failing that poor weather was always a factor good campaign so far,” said Vida. goal. to attract the attention of fans in rug- in ticket sales in New Zealand’s capital, FLORENCE: Italy’s Davide Astori (right) and Andrea Pirlo attend a training Croatia top the group with 13 points Tab Ramos’s side were reduced to by-mad New Zealand. With the June no matter what sport was played at session of the Italian national team ahead of tomorrow’s Euro 2016 soccer from five games, followed by Italy on 10 men in the final 10 minutes when 20 final at North Harbour Stadium in Wellington Regional Stadium. match against Croatia. —AP 11. —Reuters Kellyn Perry-Acosta conceded a penal- Auckland already declared a sell-out, Beeche had hoped to have about ty and received his second yellow, organisers had been hoping the start 500,000 fans through the gates for the though Steffen saved the spot kick of the knockout phase would push 52 games at the seven venues. Local from Jarlan Barrera, who was incon- them closer to an ‘aspirational’ target organisers said more than 170,000 solable at the game’s end.