6 December 10, 2020 Barca Crisis Deepens as Juventus Four Iranians Nominated for AFC Win in Camp Nou International Player of Week (Zenit, IR Iran) rya Luhansk, scoring a UEFA Eu- 82 minutes, 3 goals, 1 assist, 1 pen- ropa League winner against Premier alty won (5-1 v Ural) League highfliers Leicester City. 90 minutes, 3 key passes (1-2 v (FC Porto, IR Iran) ) 67 minutes, 1 goal, 87% pass accu- This week’s list of outstanding racy (4-3 v Tondela) Asian performances begins with Mehdi Taremi continued his recent Sardar Azmoun, who turned in an goal-scoring form, slamming home a exceptional Russian volley to help FC Porto to three points display against Ural on Saturday. The in a seven-goal thriller against Ton- Team Melli star was directly involved dela. He has now found the net three in all five of Zenit’s goals, scoring times in his last five appearances. three himself to earn Player of the Shahab Zahedi (Olimpik Donetsk, Match honors. IR Iran) Allahyar Sayyadmanesh (Zorya 73 minutes, 2 goals, 4 shots at goal Luhansk, IR Iran) (3-1 v Rukh Lviv) Juventus’ Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (L) walks 14 minutes, 1 goal (1-0 v Leicester In what was an exceptional week past Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi during the (Tasnim) – Iranian for- stars were in unstoppable form. This City) for Iranian strikers, Shahab Zahedi UEFA Champions League group G football match . wards Mehdi Taremi, Sardar Azmoun, week’s 10 contenders produced a 61 minutes, 8 duels won (3-1 v Dni- added two goals, including a superb Allahyar Sayyadmanesh and Shahab combined total of 15 goals, four as- pro-1) volley. Despite playing for mid-ta- MADRID (Dispatches) -- Cristiano Eight minutes later it was 2-0 to Zahedi have been shortlisted for the sists and countless other highlights, On loan, on the pitch and onto the ble Olimpik, the former Persepolis Ronaldo scored two penalties as Ju- Juventus, as Cuadrado found space AFC International Player of the Week. with several other worthy candidates back page, Iranian youngster Allahyar player’s eight goals make him the ventus won 3-0 away to FC Barcelona down the Juventus right and his cross In a week of hat-tricks and his- unlucky not to be nominated, the-afc. Sayyadmanesh made a sensational top scorer in the Ukrainian Premier to leapfrog Ronald Koeman’s side and into the area was met by Weston tory, the continent’s international com reported. cameo appearance for Ukraine’s Zo- League. finish top of UEFA Champions League McKennie, whose volley left Marc Group G. Andre Ter Stegen with no chance. Barca’s first home defeat after 38 Barca’s only responses came Kenin Voted WTA Player of Year; Azarenka Gets Comeback Honor Champions League matches unbeat- through two shots from Lionel Mes- WASHINGTON (NBC) - Sofia round at the U.S. Open, then the en in the Camp Nou came just four si, which were well dealt with by Kenin has been collected the WTA final at the pandemic-postponed days after their 2-1 defeat to Juventus keeper Gianluigi Buffon. Player of the Year award after win- French Open before losing to Swi- Cadiz, and another impotent display Messi tried 11 shots during the game, ning the Australian Open in Janu- atek for the title. must raise questions about Koeman’s seven of which were on target, but he ary for her first Grand Slam title Swiatek, a 19-year-old from future at the club. couldn’t find a way past the Juventus and finishing as the runner-up at Poland, had never won a tour- Both sides went into the final group keeper. the French Open in October. level trophy until her magical two game assured of their place in the last The first half started with Ter Ste- The 22-year-old from Florida weeks at Roland Garros, where 16 of the competition, with Barca fa- gen saving well from McKennie, but went 16-2 at the three major tour- she didn’t drop a set. She finished vorites to finish top and have a more VAR pulled the play back and penal- naments played in 2020 — Wim- the year ranked 17th. favorable last 16 draw after their 2-0 ized Clement Lenglet for a handball bledon was canceled for the first The 23-year-old Podoroska, win in Turin earlier in the group stage. in the build-up, and Ronaldo again time since World War II because an Argentine, also had a break- Koeman brought Ronald Araujo obliged from the penalty spot to of the coronavirus pandemic — through in Paris, making it all the into his side after injury and rested make it 3-0. and ended the abbreviated season way to the semifinals as a quali- Sergio Busquets, but his side were That left Barca needing two goals with a career-best ranking of No. fier ranked 131st before losing to soon trailing after a disastrous start to to lead the group, and although Messi American Sofia Kenin has been named WTA Player of the Year after 4. Swiatek. the game. kept trying and Griezmann hit the winning her maiden Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open. In other honors announced Tues- Azarenka won her first title in Only 12 minutes were on the clock bar, it was not to be. The only good day and based on voting by inter- a players’ vote, Marie Bouzkova beating No. 1-ranked Ash Barty in more than four years, then fol- when Juan Cuadrado got past Araujo, news on the night was Samuel Um- national media members, Victoria was the recipient of the Karen the semifinals and former No. 1 lowed that up by reaching her first who was looking rusty after several titi’s return after a knee injury and an Azarenka was picked as Come- Krantzcke Sportsmanship Award, Garbiñe Muguruza in the final at Grand Slam final in seven years by weeks out, and the young defender impressive 25 minute cameo from back Player of the Year, Iga Swi- and the 10 members of the WTA Melbourne Park. getting that far at the U.S. Open, pulled him down to allow Ronaldo to Riqui Puig - a player Koeman may atek was named Most Improved Players’ Council shared the That triumph made Kenin the where she lost to Naomi Osaka. put Juventus ahead from the penalty regret not using more over the past Player, Nadia Podoroska was the Peachy Kellmeyer Player Service youngest Australian Open cham- Azarenka left the tour in 2016 to spot. three months. Newcomer of the Year and Kris- Award. pion since 2008, when Maria become a mother and her return tina Mladenovic and Timea Babos Kenin entered this year with an Sharapova was 20. It also pro- had some rough patches, includ- were the Doubles Team of the 11-11 career mark in Grand Slam pelled Kenin into the Top 10, ing going a calendar year without Dortmund Clinch Top Spot Year. tournaments and zero trips beyond making her the youngest Ameri- winning a match. Swiatek’s coach, Piotr Sierzput- the fourth round at any of the can to debut so high in the rank- Mladenovic and Babos won two With 2-1 Win at Zenit owski, earned the Coach of the sport’s top four events. But she ings since Serena Williams did it Grand Slam doubles titles this Year award. announced her arrival as an as- in 2002 at 20. season, at the Australian Open and In two categories decided by cending star early in the season by Kenin went on to get to the fourth French Open. UEFA Set to Open Disciplinary Case Over Paris Race Incident check who he is. The black one “The UEFA investigation will tell over there, it’s not possible to act us what really happened and then like that’ after Webo vehemently measures will be taken. I don’t protested against a refereeing deci- think this will lead to a diplomatic sion. scandal, we all condemn such an “Why he say negro?”, Basaksehir incident. Such unfortunate lan- substitute Demba Ba repeatedly guage will be sanctioned. asked match referee Hategan as “I wish the language use were in- confusion reigned on the touchline offensive or neutral, but we must in the Group H match. The Roma- not tolerate such behavior. We will Dortmund’s team players celebrate after scoring their side’s first goal past nian word for black is “negru”. have talks about how we can repair Zenit’s goalkeeper , right, during the Champions League “The Romanian Football Fed- this situation,” he added. group F soccer match between Zenit St Petersburg and Borussia Dortmund at eration sets itself firmly apart from Piara Powar, executive direc- the stadium in St. Petersburg, , Dec 8, 2020. any action or statement of a racist tor of the anti-racism monitoring SAINT PETERSBURG (Re- for offside. Dortmund nearly found Referee Ovidiu Hategan is surrounded by players as the match is interrupted. or xenophobic nature,” the federa- and campaigning group Fare said: uters) - Borussia Dortmund struck the equaliser on the stroke of half- tion (FRF) said in a statement add- “This incident shows the need for twice in the space of 11 second- time through Marco Reus but the MANCHESTER, England (Re- The incident was sparked when ing it was waiting for the UEFA much better training of match of- half minutes to seal a 2-1 victory German’s curling effort cannoned uters) - UEFA has opened a disci- Basaksehir’s assistant coach Pierre report “to know exactly what hap- ficials. Unintentional racism is still at Zenit St Petersburg in the Cham- off the crossbar. plinary proceeding into Tuesday’s Webo was shown a red card for pened and to act accordingly.” racism. If officials cannot set the pions League and clinch top spot Full back Lukasz Piszczek drew Champions League match between protesting against a refereeing de- Reuters approached the FRF for standards by their own behavior in Group F. Dortmund level in the 68th minute Paris St Germain and Ba- cision and the Turkish side then comment from the officials but did they cannot be relied on to deal The victory took Dortmund to 13 after a goalmouth scramble before saksehir when players walked off in alleged that the Romanian fourth not receive an immediate response. with racism on the pitch or in the points from their six games, with Axel Witsel’s powerful left-footed protest at after the Turkish club ac- official Sebastian Coltescu used a “Racism, and discrimination in stands.” Lazio taking second spot on 10 af- strike from the edge of the penalty cused a match official of racism. racist term towards the Cameroo- all its forms, has no place within Powar said the walk-off showed ter a 2-2 draw with 10-man Club area put Lucien Favre’s men in the European soccer’s governing nian. football,” the governing body said the mood among players in relation Brugge, who finished third. lead. body said on Wednesday that it had The players from both teams left in a statement. to racism issues. Dortmund signalled their intent The Russian side threw bodies appointed an Ethics and Disciplin- the field after about 10 minutes of Romanian Sports Minister Ionut “The walk off by both Basakse- early on with a sustained spell of forward in search of a late equal- ary Inspector to “conduct a disci- discussions with Romanian referee Stroe apologised for the incident. hir and PSG together lays down a pressure but the hosts drew first izer but Dortmund held firm to seal plinary investigation regarding the Ovidiu Hategan, a first in Europe- “We firmly condemn any state- marker in Europe. Many players are blood when Argentine winger Se- the victory. incident”. an football. The game, which was ment that could be considered rac- fed up with half measures to tackle bastian Driussi’s deflected shot The game also witnessed a slice of A disciplinary investigation can suspended after 13 minutes, will be ist or discriminatory,” Stroe told racism and are more prepared than ended up in the back of the net af- history, with Dortmund’s 16-year- result in sanctions and match of- completed on Wednesday at 1755 television station Digi24. ever before to exercise their right to ter wrongfooting keeper Marwin old striker Youssoufa Moukoko ficials are covered by UEFA’s GMT with new match officials. “I apologies on behalf of Roma- stop a match,” he added. Hitz. becoming the youngest-ever player disciplinary regulations which are TV footage showed fourth offi- nian sport for this unfortunate in- French Football Federation presi- Zenit looked to have doubled to feature in a Champions League regularly used to punish clubs and cial Coltescu saying in Romanian: cident. It was one incident, it does dent Noel Le Graet praised the their lead 17 minutes later but Sar- match when he replaced Felix players. ‘The black one over there. Go and not represent Romanian sport. players for leaving the field. dar Azmoun’s effort was ruled out Passlack in the second half.