CRICKET | Page 4 FFORMULAORMULA 1 | Page 7 Coach Arthur Briton issues ODI Hamilton To Advertise here warning to fastest in Call: 444 11 300, 444 66 621 Pakistan Monza Saturday, September 3, 2016 TENNIS Dhul-Hijja 1 , 1437 AH Queen Serena GULF TIMES blasts past King in US Open SPORT Page 8 SPOTLIGHT/ SOUTH AMERICAN WORLD CUP QUALIFYING Messi makes scoring return, Jesus saves Brazil Messi had stunned the footballing world in June by announcing his retirement from international football following an agonising defeat to Chile in the final of the Copa America Centenario “I know how painful it is to suff er a Rodriguez and Macnelly Torres secured groin injury — but Messi’s character the points for Colombia, who would meant he was always going to stay on have won by more had it not been for the pitch tonight.” two missed penalties in the fi nal 10 Argentina’s win came after a superb minutes. backs-to-the-wall defensive eff ort in The win leaves Colombia level with the second half when they had been re- Ecuador and Uruguay on 13 points, just duced to 10 men following the dismissal behind leaders Argentina. of young Juventus striker Paulo Dybala Paraguay meanwhile are level on 12 just before half-time. points with Brazil after scoring a stormy Dybala, 22, was escorted from the 2-1 win over South American champi- pitch in tears after the red card. ons Chile in Asuncion. A fan who jumped onto the field kneels Argentina’s win leaves them in fi rst Oscar Romero and Paulo da Silva to touch Argentina’s Lionel Messi while place in South America’s marathon fi red Paraguay 2-0 up after only nine Uruguay’s Gaston Silva (R) looks on. round-robin qualifying campaign with minutes before Arturo Vidal pulled a 14 points from seven games. goal back just before half-time. Elsewhere Thursday, there was an A fractious second half ended with impressive win for Brazil over Ecuador Chile defender Gary Medel being sent off in the thin air of Quito, which is situ- in the closing stages as Paraguay held on. ated a dizzying 2,850 meters (9,350 feet) In the day’s other game, Bolivia de- above sea level. feated Peru 2-0 in La Paz. Brazil had never won a qualifying game in the Ecuadoran capital before, but two goals from teenage prodigy Gabriel Jesus and a penalty from Ney- mar handed the fi ve-time world cham- pions a 3-0 victory. Jesus, the 19-year-old who signed for English side Manchester City from Palmeiras in August, was outstanding, underscoring his status as the brightest talent in Brazilian football. Jesus won the penalty for the fi rst goal after bursting into the area and drawing a foul from Ecuador goalkeeper Alexander Dominguez. Neymar duly converted before Je- sus doubled Brazil’s lead three minutes from time with a sublime fl icked fi nish AFP for Argentina again following an ago- to deceive Uruguay goalkeeper Fern- defeat in a fi nal with Argentina in as from Marcelo’s low cross to make it 2-0. Montevideo nising defeat to Chile in the fi nal of the ando Muslera at the near post. many years. Jesus, who like Neymar had played in Copa America Centenario. Afterwards Messi paid tribute to “I wasn’t trying to cheat anyone, I Brazil’s gold medal-winning Olympic But that tearful farewell was a distant the rapturous applause he received said what I felt. (Now) I feel happy,” football campaign, then added a third ionel Messi scored the winning memory at Mendoza’s Estadio Malvinas throughout. Messi said. in stoppage time with a crisp fi nish into goal on his return from a short- on Thursday as the Barcelona superstar In the dying minutes one young fan Argentina’s new coach Edgardo Bau- the top corner. lived international retirement orchestrated a 1-0 victory over the two- sprinted onto the pitch and nearly fl at- za meanwhile saluted Messi’s commit- The win left Brazil in fi fth place over- on Thursday as Argentina de- time World Cup winners. tened the fi ve-time world footballer of ment in returning to play despite his all in the standings with 12 points from Lfeated Uruguay to take control of South Messi, showing no sign of the groin the year with a congratulatory hug. niggling groin problem. seven games. America’s 2018 World Cup qualifying injury which had placed a question “I am grateful to the people for the The coach hinted Messi may be rest- In another match on Thursday, Co- race. mark against his participation, lashed treatment, for the love,” Messi said, in- ed for Argentina’s next match, against lombia defeated Venezuela 2-0 in their Gabriel Jesus (L) of Brazil celebrates Messi had stunned the footballing home the winner on 42 minutes, with sisting his retirement announcement in Venezuela on Tuesday. “If he’s not right port city stronghold of Barranquilla. with teammate Neymar after scoring world in June after vowing to never play his low shot taking a wicked defl ection June was genuine as he digested a third we won’t risk him,” Bauza said. Goals from Real Madrid star James a goal against Ecuador. BOTTOMLINE Carreno turns attention to Uzbekistan match By Sports Reporter ceded a goal by making an individual “We want our fans to turn up in huge Japan lodge protest over disallowed goal Doha mistake.” numbers when we play against Uz- With the Uzbekistan match looming, bekistan,” he said. Carreno said that the Iran result should Iran’s coach Carlos Queiroz was all AFP, Tokyo: Japan have lodged a body. Japan’s coach Vahid Halilhodzic atar coach Jose Daniel Car- not weigh down the team. praise for Qatar. formal protest over a controversially was left fuming about the Qatari ref, call- reno has turned his attention ‘’We have now closed the book on the “We had a very diffi cult game,” said disallowed goal which consigned them ing him “unacceptable”, while Keisuke to Tuesday’s home match Iran match, we must now focus on our Queiroz. “It was a tense and highly tacti- to a 2-1 World Cup qualifying defeat to Honda wondered why there was no against Uzbekistan after next game with Uzbekistan. Playing in cal match. It was obvious that Qatar was UAE, an off icial said yesterday. extra off icial watching the goal line. Qwatching his team lose 2-0 to Iran in the Doha will hopefully help us to perform to looking to take advantage of our weak- TV replays showed Takuma Asano’s “I was right at the side of the goal, so I fi nal phase of qualifi cation for the 2018 our standards, but in order to get there, nesses in the fi rst half, therefore we had shot crossed the line in mid-air before know it was in,” the AC Milan forward FIFA World Cup on Thursday. we have to give it our all and we have to be a diffi cult fi rst half. being clawed away by goalkeeper told journalists after the game. The Uruguayan was of the opinion fully prepared when game day comes.’’ “We tried to open up the game in the Khalid Eisa, but the goal was missed by “I question why they did not have an that Qatar deserved a better result, but Meanwhile, Qatar defender Pedro second half and put Qatar under more Qatari referee Abdulrahman al-Jassim. (extra) referee for the final round of was left ruing individual errors that Correia said Qatar had more chances pressure. We had better scoring chances It turned out to be pivotal for Japan, qualifying, in which the levels of compe- cost them three points in Tehran where to score against Iran, adding his team in the second half. who were trailing 2-1 at the time and tition are high,” he said. the hosts struggled for most part of the fought well in Tehran. “This Qatari side is a really good stood to escape with a draw rather than Competitions organised by European game before clinching victory with two “We played a good match,” Correia team because it is organised and they a damaging home defeat. body UEFA have extra referees watch- dramatic injury-time goals. said on Thursday. “We were close to have good players. To be able to win the “We filed a protest... immediately after ing the goal, and World Cups and “I can only say that I’m sorry for the winning since we had more chances to match, we had to fully focus and keep the game, with a claim that the shot European Championships also employ defeat, we will be better in our next score,” the Al Sadd defender said. our opponents under pressure until the should have been judged as a goal,” goal line technology. games,” said Carreno. “Clearly we were in control of the very last moment. We forced them to Japan Football Association spokesman Japanese internet-users slammed “We had a good match, the teams game for most parts of the game,” he retreat. Futoshi Nagamatsu said. referee al-Jassim on social media, while were aware of one another’s strengths said. “There’s no doubt that a loss is “I think the goal we scored revealed The Asian Football Confederation some also praised the calm reaction of and weaknesses. Both teams had lim- never pleasing. We will continue to work the truth about the game and if one of confirmed it had received a complaint Asano.