MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2014 SPORTS

Everton sign winger McGeady Defoe dismisses WCup fears Takanashi lifts 15th World Cup

LONDON: Everton have signed Ireland winger Aiden McGeady on a 4-1/2 year contract LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur striker believes that his SAPPORO: Japanese teenage ski jumper Sara Takanashi soared to a record-stretch- from Spartak Moscow for an undisclosed fee, the club announced on imminent move to Major League Soccer side Toronto FC will not jeopar- ing 15th World Cup victory yesterday, her second win in two days, stepping up her Saturday. The 27-year-old, capped 63 times, was presented to Everton fans just before dise his chances of representing England at this year’s World Cup. Defoe, bid for gold at the Sochi Olympics. “I have nothing to worry about,” the 17-year-old kickoff as Roberto Martinez’s side enjoyed a 2-0 league win over Norwich City at 31, is due to join Toronto on a four-year contract at the end of February high school student said about next month’s Sochi Games where women’s ski- Goodison Park. for a reported fee of £8 million ($13.2 million, 9.6 million euros). jumping makes its Olympic debut. “It has sort of been a long time coming,” McGeady told the England manager Roy Hodgson has previously expressed reservations “I want to continue making steady jumps.” It was her sixth victory in seven club’s website (www.evertonfc.com). “There was talk over about players plying their trade in North America, but Defoe sees no rea- World Cup events contested so far in the 2013-2014 season as she the summer that something might happen, but I am just son why he cannot be a member of the squad that goes to Brazil. aims to retain the overall title she first won last year. Takanashi, delighted that it’s done and dusted now. “Hopefully the manager knows what I can do,” Defoe told Sky Sports who is 152 centimetres tall, jumped 97 metres in the first “I have said for a long time now that I wanted to try News yesterday. “I’m 31 and I’ve played in the Premiership my whole round to register the day’s longest distance as snow contin- myself in the Premier League. Now I have a big chance career. There’s not much more I need to prove. “It’s down to the manager. ued to fall on the Miyanomori hill in Sapporo, northern Japan. at a great club, under a good manager. I couldn’t be He picks the squad, but like I’ve always said, if I get picked to play for my Her second jump went 91 metres and she collected a total of happier. It’s a dream move really.” country, I’ll be ready.” 237.1 points. Coline Mattel of France finished second on McGeady, whose contract with the Russian club was Defoe has scored 19 goals for England in 55 appearances and has 219.8 points with jumps of 90 and 91 metres while Russia’s been a regular member of Hodgson’s recent squads. He came off the due to expire at the end of the season, joined Spartak Irina Avvakumova was third at 215.3 after jumping 91 and bench to score Spurs’ second goal in their 2-0 win over Crystal Palace in from Celtic in 2010, helping them become league run- 87.5 metres. the Premier League on Saturday, taking his tally of goals for the north On Saturday, Takanashi won her 14th World Cup event to ners-up in 2011-12. He will join up with Ireland team London club to 143. Defoe’s decision to swap Spurs’ push for Champions mates , James McCarthy and Seamus break her rival Sarah Hendrickson’s record of 13 wins. “I feel League qualification for the relative obscurity of the MLS surprised some really happy,” Takanashi, from the nearby town of Coleman at Everton. McGeady, who has Champions observers, but he said that he felt ready for a change of scenery. League experience, will help Everton’s push for a top-four Kamikawa, declared about her back-to-back home Asked for the thinking behind the move, Defoe cited family reasons, wins. “The (track) condition was not good and I finish and a spot in next season’s edition of the elite having notably lost his father, Jimmy, to throat cancer in 2012.—AFP European club competition. —Reuters jumped with care.”—AFP Bruins see off Sharks

SAN JOSE: Carl Soderberg scored the lone goal with rolling Anaheim won for the 16th time in 17 games Lauri Korpikoski, Martin Hanzal and Mike Ribeiro 7:35 remaining, Tuukka Rask bounced back from with a victory over Phoenix. scored for the Coyotes. The Ducks improved their rough stretch to post his NHL-leading fifth shutout of Ryan Getzlaf scored his 23rd goal of the season in NHL-best record to 34-8-5. Phoenix has lost three of the season as the Boston Bruins beat the San Jose the Ducks’ sixth straight win. Sami Vatanen and Dustin four. Mathieu Perreault had three assists, and Corey Sharks 1-0 on Saturday night. Penner also scored as the Ducks swept the five-game Perry added two for the Ducks. Radim Vrbata assisted Soderberg knocked a loose puck past Antti Niemi season series with the Coyotes. on all three Phoenix goals. for his sixth goal to salvage the finale of Boston’s Jonas Hiller made 28 saves in his 13th straight win three-game California swing. for Anaheim, the NHL’s longest streak since Detroit’s CANADIENS 2, BLACKHAWKS 1 Rask, who made 26 saves, gave up eight goals on Chris Osgood did it in 1996. Andrei Markov scored two goals, including at 1:28 the first two games of the trip as the Bruins were Thomas Greiss started in goal for Phoenix but was of overtime, to lead Montreal past Chicago. Markov outscored 9-4 in losses at Anaheim and Los Angeles. lifted for Mike Smith after the Ducks scored three took a deflected pass from Max Pacioretty and found But they swept the season series with San Jose and times in a span of 5:11 in the second period. Greiss the roof of the net. Carey Price finished with 19 saves handed the Sharks just their second home loss in reg- had 19 saves, and Smith made six. for Montreal. ulation all season. Marian Hossa scored for the Blackhawks. Corey Niemi made 21 saves for the Sharks, who had their Crawford made 36 saves. The Blackhawks have lost six-game home winning streak snapped and were NHL results/standings three games in a row, including two in overtime, for shut out at home for the first time since Feb. 9, 2013. only the second time this season. The Canadiens have won six in a row at home PENGUINS 2, FLAMES 1 Tampa Bay 6, Philadelphia 3; Montreal 2, Chicago 1 against the Blackhawks. Chicago’s last win in Montreal Chris Kunitz and Matt Niskanen scored, and Marc- (OT); New Jersey 2, Florida 1 (OT); Ottawa 2, was on Dec. 3, 2001. Andre Fleury made 27 saves as Pittsburgh handed Nashville 1 (SO); Columbus 6, Winnipeg 3; Colorado Calgary a team-record sixth consecutive regulation 4, Minnesota 2; Anaheim 5, Phoenix 3; Pittsburgh 2, BLUE JACKETS 6, JETS 3 loss at home. Calgary 1; Detroit 3, Los Angeles 1; Boone Jenner and Mark Letestu each scored twice Fleury nearly became the sixth goalie in eight Boston 1, San Jose 0. as Columbus topped Winnipeg, extending the Jets’ games to shut out the Flames, but Mikael Backlund Western Conference losing streak to a season-high five games. The Blue cut into a 2-0 deficit with a goal at 11:29 of the third Pacific Division Jackets scored four straight goals in the second peri- period. That ended Calgary’s goal-less stretch at a W L OTL GF GA PTS od and stretched their winning streak to three. Curtis team-record 196 minutes, 59 seconds. The Penguins Anaheim 34 8 5 160 119 73 McElhinney made 28 saves. earned five points on their three-game road trip San Jose 28 12 6 148 116 62 Ondrej Pavelec stopped 20 saves for the Jets, who through Western Canada. Los Angeles 27 14 5 119 96 59 were booed by the home crowd at the end of the Vancouver 24 13 9 123 114 57 game. James Wisniewski and Derek MacKenzie each SAN JOSE: Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask (right) of Finland, makes LIGHTNING 6, FLYERS 3 had a pair of assists for Columbus. a save next to San Jose Sharksí Tommy Wingels (57) during the first Phoenix 21 14 9 133 136 51 Valtteri Filppula scored the go-ahead goal during a Calgary 15 24 6 101 144 36 period of an NHL hockey game. — AP wild second period as Tampa Bay snapped SENATORS 2, PREDATORS 1 Edmonton 15 27 5 123 164 35 Philadelphia’s 10-game, home-winning streak. Ryan Mika Zibanejad and Jason Spezza scored in the Central Division Malone had two goals, and Alex Killorn, Teddy Purcell, shootout to help Ottawa beat Nashville. Kyle Turris and Martin St. Louis also scored for the Lightning. Chicago 29 8 10 170 129 68 scored in regulation for Ottawa, which has won five of Patriots, Seahawks Jakub Voracek had two goals, and Wayne Simmonds St. Louis 31 8 5 161 99 67 six. Craig Anderson had 31 saves through overtime added one for the Flyers, who were 7-1 in their previ- Colorado 28 12 5 132 115 61 and then stopped Craig Smith and David Legwand in ous eight games. The Flyers hadn’t lost at home since Minnesota 24 18 5 114 119 53 the shootout. Mike Fisher had the lone goal for win NFL playoffs Nov. 5 against Carolina. Dallas 20 17 7 125 135 47 Nashville, which has lost three of four. Marek Mazanec Steve Mason had his worst game for Philadelphia, Nashville 19 20 7 109 137 45 finished with 20 saves. FOXBOROUGH: LeGarrette Blount at times this year, but I think we’ve allowing five goals for the first time in 41 games with Winnipeg 19 23 5 128 145 43 ran the New England Patriots into got a locker room full of believers.” the team since being acquired last April. He was AVALANCHE 4, WILD 2 their third straight American Blount joined Ricky Watters, who pulled for Ray Emery following the second period Eastern Conference Ryan O’Reilly scored twice, including the game- Football Conference championship had five touchdowns for San after he stopped only 12 of 17 shots in the game. Atlantic Division winner with 7:16 to play, as Colorado beat Minnesota. game, while ran Francisco on Jan. 15, 1994, as the Boston 29 14 2 129 98 60 Gabriel Landeskog and Maxime Talbot also scored for for 140 yards and two touchdowns only players with four or more in a DEVILS 2, PANTHERS 1 Tampa Bay 27 14 4 132 109 58 the Avalanche, winners in five of seven. O’Reilly had as the Seahawks won their playoff game. And the six rushing Marek Zidlicky scored with 2.1 seconds showing Montreal 26 15 5 117 107 57 his first two-goal game of the season National Football Conference play- touchdowns by the Patriots tied the on the overtime clock to lift New Jersey to a stirring Detroit 20 15 10 118 126 50 Charlie Coyle had his first career two-goal game for off. 49ers’ total in that game for second win over Florida. Ottawa 20 18 8 131 146 48 Minnesota, which lost for the first time in five games. With just over 3 seconds to go, the Devils called a Semyon Varlamov, 8-0-5 in his last 14 games (13 Blount had four touchdown runs most in playoff history. Toronto 21 20 5 125 141 47 timeout before the final faceoff. Travis Zajac beat starts), made 25 saves in the win. as New England kept Andrew Luck Seattle will host San Francisco or Florida 17 21 7 105 139 41 from a second straight comeback Carolina next Sunday. Seattle last Marcel Goc on the draw, and Jaromir Jagr nudged the puck back to the top of the right circle to Zidlicky, Buffalo 12 26 5 75 120 29 RED WINGS 3, KINGS 1 victory, beating the Indianapolis reached the conference title game Metropolitan Division Colts 43-22 on Saturday. in the 2005 playoffs. who ripped a shot that beat screened goalie Tim Riley Sheahan scored his first NHL goal and assist- Thomas. Pittsburgh 33 12 2 152 112 68 ed on Tomas Tatar’s tiebreaking tally with 7:54 to play Steven Hauschka kicked three Seattle shut out the Saints in the Washington 22 16 6 135 133 50 field goals in blustery conditions as first half, got Lynch’s first 100-yard Jagr earned his 1,724th NHL point, moving him in Detroit’s victory over Los Angeles. Philadelphia 23 18 4 120 125 50 the top-seeded Seahawks beat the game since Week 10 of the regular ahead of former teammate Mario Lemieux and into Daniel Cleary also scored in the third period, and NY Rangers 23 20 3 114 123 49 Saints 23-15 and season and received a spark from seventh place on the league’s career scoring list. Jimmy Howard made 44 saves as the Red Wings advanced to the NFC championship the brief return of Percy Harvin Michael Ryder extended his goal streak to four Carolina 19 17 9 111 128 47 slowed their recent slump by sending Los Angeles to game for the second time in club before he left with a concussion. games, and Cory Schneider made 29 saves in giving New Jersey 19 18 9 106 114 47 its seventh loss in nine games. history. Blount scored on three 2- Lynch scored on a 15-yard run in New Jersey its second straight win. Columbus 21 20 4 126 129 46 Drew Doughty scored his first goal in a month dur- yard runs in the first half, then burst the first half and capped the victory Nick Bjugstad had the lone goal for the Panthers. NY Islanders 17 22 7 126 150 41 ing a two-man advantage, but the Kings couldn’t through the right side of the line with a 31-yard scoring run with 2:40 The frustrated Thomas stormed off the ice at the end Note: Overtime losses (OTL) are worth one point in score in the final two periods of their third loss in 10 and rambled 73 yards into the end left that coach celebrat- of his 34-save performance. the standings and are not included in the loss col- home games. zone, where he placed the ball gen- ed by jumping into offensive line umn (L). Jonathan Quick stopped 23 shots, but also gave up tly on the ground made soggy by a coach Tom Cable’s arms. Lynch stiff- DUCKS 5, COYOTES 3 a juicy rebound on Sheahan’s shot to Tatar, who game-long rain. He finished with armed Keenan Lewis on his way to Hampus Lindholm scored two goals as steam- scored a goal in his third straight game. —AP 166 yards on 24 carries. the end zone for the clinching score On the next series, Luck threw that left CenturyLink Field swaying. his third interception and the While the clinching score lacked Patriots capitalized with Stevan the stunning explosiveness of Kirk moves one ahead as Ridley’s second touchdown run, a Lynch’s “Beast Quake” touchdown Oosthuizen 1-yarder that finished the scoring run against the Saints in the 2010 with 11:12 left. playoffs, this one was more impor- retains Scott falls back in Hawaii The Patriots (13-4) will face the tant. It ensured Seattle would not winner of the game Sunday be the latest No. 1 seed to get Durban title HONOLULU: American Chris Kirk coolly sank a breaking, nine-foot between the Broncos and Chargers. upset by a No. 6 seed in the divi- birdie putt at the par-five last to edge one stroke clear of a tightly It will be in Denver if the Broncos sional round. Lynch finished with bunched leaderboard in Saturday’s third round of the $5.6 million win, and New England will host it if 28 carries and made up for another DURBAN: Defending champion Louis Oosthuizen Sony Open in Hawaii. Kirk, who won his second PGA Tour title at the Chargers win. The Colts (12-6) shaky day passing by Russell retained his title at the Volvo Golf Champions the McGladrey Classic in November, judged the break perfectly as never led. Wilson. Seattle’s offense was a con- event in his native South Africa yesterday after he completed a five-under-par 65 to post a 12-under total of 198 at “It’s just a great achievement,” cern heading into the postseason shooting a final-round 68 for a 12-under-par total. Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and, outside of Lynch, did little to Oosthuizen started the day in fourth place, two That left him one ahead of fellow Americans Harris English (67) said. “People have counted us out quell those worries. — AP shots adrift of overnight leader Tommy Fleetwood, and PGA Tour rookie Will Wilcox, who fired a joint best-of-the day but an eagle at the eighth at the Durban Country 64 to surge into contention in the first full-field event of the year on Club got him into contention. He then birdied four the US circuit. While Masters champion Adam Scott surprisingly of the last six holes to finish a shot clear of compa- failed to mount his expected charge after being ideally placed just triot Branden Grace and two ahead of Dutchman three strokes off the pace overnight, the fans at Waialae were treat- Joost Luiten and Fleetwood. ed to a slugfest at the top of the leaderboard. The Englishman was undone by three bogeys Twelve players held at least a share of the lead during in five holes on the front nine. Oosthuizen, the Saturday’s wildly fluctuating third round before Kirk broke clear 2010 British Open champion, has now won on the with his timely birdie on the 18th green. European Tour in five successive seasons and has “It definitely breaks more than it looks but I remembered hav- started the season with a win on home soil for the ing that putt before ... and thankfully it went in,” Kirk told Golf fourth year running. “It means a lot. There’s some- Channel of his curling birdie putt. thing about this golf course that I love. It’s great in Though conditions were favourable for low scoring on a calm front of the home crowd to get my first win of the morning at Waialae before the breeze picked up a bit in the after- season and hopefully I can build on this and get a noon, Kirk readily admitted he got the most out of his round. “A few more,” he said. few good breaks for me and holes where I missed the fairways, but “I felt really comfortable today, especially on got decent lies in the rough and guessed the flyers just right,” the the back nine. Once I stood over my second on 17, 28-year-old American said after mixing six birdies with one bogey. I saw Branden had made birdie on 18 and I knew it “That’s tough to do out here.” was crucial for me to get within 10 feet to give Wilcox, who secured his card for the 2013-14 PGA Tour via the myself a proper birdie opportunity and I hit it real- lower-tier Web.com Tour last year, realized he was finally living out ly close. “At 18, I just wanted to get it past the pin his dream career as he birdied the last two holes. “Walking down to chip back into that green. I got that right and hit 18, me and my caddie looked at each other and I was kind of hav- a really a good shot.” He added: “It puts pressure ing to pinch myself,” said the 27-year-old from Birmingham, FOXBOROUGH: New England Patriots running back LeGarrette on you defending your title but you always know Alabama. “This is a dream come true to be able to play out here, it’s Blount (29) drags Indianapolis Colts linebacker Jerrell Freeman that you played well last year and you just try to HONOLULU: Chris Kirk hits off the first tee dur- pretty cool. “I felt pretty good coming down 18. It’s nice to play well (50) during the second half of an AFC divisional NFL playoff foot- do the same the next year.”—AFP ing the third round of the Sony Open golf tour- and make the first cut in a season I get to play,” added Wilcox, who ball game. — AP nament at Waialae Country Club. — AP is making only his third career start on the PGA Tour.—Reuters