14 Sunday, July 7, 2019 Sports Marquez takes seventh ‘Invincible’ Brazil banking straight pole in Germany

AFP SACHSENRING, GERMANY on defence against Peru MARC Marquez continued his recent dominance of the Sach- Chile 3-0 in the last four. senring by taking pole for Sun- The hosts, yet to concede a goal in the “It’ll be a great final, a really day’s German MotoGP. tournament, face Peru in the final difficult match. We can’t think It is the seventh straight it’s already won, we have to play year that the Spaniard will start whom they thrashed 5-0 earlier it,” said Casemiro. the race as pole-sitter. The last “They’ve eliminated great six years, the Honda rider went AFP the break, while Brazil captain teams –Uruguay and Chile – on to win the race. RIO DE JANEIRO and Ar- we have to respect them.” “I am very happy but the thur both got away with bla- It’s only the second time Yamaha and Suzuki riders are Marc Marquez after taking pole BRAZIL will be looking to tant off-the-ball fouls inside the Peru have reached the Copa fi- going really strong,” said Mar- at the Motorcycling Grand Prix of maintain their defensive invin- area on Manchester City pair nal in its 103-year history. quez. Germany in Hohenstein-Ernstthal cibility against Peru in Sunday’s Aguero and Nicolas Otamendi They beat Colombia in a The 26-year-old, who leads on Saturday. (EPA-EFE) Copa America final, midfielder respectively. play-off in Caracas in 1975 after the championship standings by Casemiro says. Brazil have identified the each side had won at home in a 44 points, set a new lap record His mechanics – and the The hosts have yet to con- main threat to their defensive two-legged title decider. of 1min 20.195sec, edging out team doctor – appeared to have cede a goal in the tournament, invincibility on Sunday at Rio And their first title in 1939 the French youngster Fabio fixed the problem as he finished including when they thrashed de Janeiro’s iconic Maracana on home soil came at the end of Quartararo who will start from just 0.205sec behind Marquez. Peru 5-0 in a group- stadium: Peru forward a single five-team tournament second on his Yamaha. Quartararo was being stage match earlier in Paolo Guerrero. He’s a played in a round-robin format. Quartararo, who began pressed all the way by Maverick the competition. player well known to “We’ve got to approach from pole before finishing sec- Vinales, who won in Assen last And keeping their Brazilian fans having it calmly. It’s true that we’ve ond in last week’s Dutch GP in week. The Spaniard was just goal intact will be key spent the last seven achieved something very im- Assen, had a scare in morning 0.006sec slower and completes to lifting a ninth Copa years playing in the portant after many years,” said practice when his Yamaha de- the front row on his Yamaha. crown, according to country. forward Raul Ruidiaz. veloped steering problems, the Alex Rins went off the track the Real Madrid man. The 35-year-old “We’re aware and calm that vibrations causing serious pain early on but came back to take “Ending the com- scored the winning there’s one more step to glory. in his right shoulder. fourth on his Suzuki. petition without con- goal for Corinthians in We need to play with our feet on ceding a goal is one of our aims,” the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup the ground and give everything said Casemiro. “And if we don’t final against Chelsea. on the pitch to make it happen.” concede a goal, it’s not just Currently playing for In- Brazil, in stark comparison, Quick read thanks to the guys at the back, ternacional in Porto Alegre, he have won the Copa eight times those up front help us a lot and previously helped Corinthians and finished runners-up on a Unsung hero Teunissen grabs chance, and that makes the difference.” win the Sao Paulo state cham- further 11 occasions, a record yellow jersey at Tour de France The woodwork also made pionship in 2013 and Flamengo bettered only by Uruguay and a difference in Brazil’s 2-0 to do likewise in the Rio state Brazil’s players during a training session at the Granja Comary sport Argentina. From 1997 to 2007, WHEN Dutchman Mike Teunissen woke up on Saturday morning the semi-final victory over arch ri- championship four years later. complex in Teresopolis, Brazil on the eve of Copa America final.(AFP) Brazil won four out of five edi- last thing he imagined was that a few hours later he would be present- vals Argentina, as did referee “He’s a player who deserves tions of the Copa, missing out ed with the Tour de France yellow jersey by the greatest rider in the his- Roddy Zambrano’s refusal to special attention for everything tional team.” tacularly from that set-back, only in 2001 when the Selecao tory of cycling. That is exactly what happened, however, as the 26-year- consult VAR twice when Lionel he’s done in the past,” said One of those was two weeks though, first ousting Uruguay turned up in Colombia without old grabbed the chance of a lifetime with both hands to claim a slender Messi and his team-mates were center-back Marquinhos. ago at the Corinthians Arena in on penalties in the quarter- leading lights such as Ronaldo, victory on the opening stage of the race and become the first Dutch- claiming a penalty. “I know him well, I played Sao Paulo when Guerrero was final, in a match in which they , and Rob- man to wear yellow since 1989. To make it doubly sweet, it happened Sergio Aguero headed with him for a bit at Corinthi- kept quiet while Peru when into were clearly second best, and erto Carlos – four crucial play- in Brussels, the home city of five-times Tour champion Eddy Merckx who against the bar in the first half ans and I’ve played against a defensive meltdown. then in a stunning performance ers in their World Cup success presented him with the maillot jaune on the 100th anniversary of the and Messi rattled the post after him several times for the na- They’ve bounced back spec- to beat the outgoing champions the next year. introduction of the unmistakable sporting garment. (REUTERS)

Nigeria beat holders Cameroon in AFCON thriller Sweden down England to finish third at World Cup REUTERS finishers in the group, meet one ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT of the tournament’s form teams without the Liverpool attacker, NIGERIA ousted holders and who is returning to Anfield after bitter rivals Cameroon from suffering calf and thigh injuries the Africa Cup of Nations (AF- during the group phase. CON) as they scored twice in “Naby is our star player. He three minutes to come from won the Champions League, so behind and win a thrilling last- when you have one of the best 16 match 3-2 on Saturday. players on the continent, who Odion Ighalo gave Nigeria plays in a big club but who is a 19th-minute lead but Came- not able to help us, it’s a big loss, roon hit back with two goals in it’s not easy,” said the 31-year- quick succession before half- old Traore, who plays in the time from Stephane Bahoken with Borussia Moe- and Clinton Njie. nchengladbach. Ighalo levelled again for Ni- “We would all have liked geria in the 63rd minute amid Nigeria’s forward Alex Iwobi (centre) celebrates his goal with team- that he is with us, not only for suspicions of offside before Alex mates at the Alexandria Stadium on Saturday. Nigeria won the 2019 his quality in the game but also Sweden ended their women’s World Cup campaign on a high beating England 2-1 in Saturday’s third- Iwobi snatched the winner for Africa Cup of Nations Round of 16 match against Cameroon 3-2. (AFP) for the confidence he brings to place play-off in Nice. Sofia Jakobsson’s first-half strike proved to be the winner. England were looking the jubilant Super Eagles three the group by knowing that we to claim the bronze medals for a second successive World Cup, but it was Peter Gerhardsson’s side who minutes later. in their previous two games, minute when Ahmed Musa have a very great player with us finished third for a third time. Kosovare Asllani gave Sweden an 11th-minute lead before Jakobsson It was a scrappy opening struck twice in three minutes. chested the ball into the path of who can make the difference.” curled in an excellent second mid-way through the first half, and although Fran Kirby quickly pulled one with misplaced passes by both Christian Bassogog wrig- Ighalo to volley home. But Traore said there was back, England could not find an equaliser. It was a second defeat in under a week for ’s sides until Nigeria went ahead gled past his marker on the right Three minutes later, Ighalo a positive to be drawn from Lionesses, after suffering their third straight major tournament semi-final loss when beaten 2-1 by in the 19th minute with an un- and sent a perfect cross into the turned provider as he set up Keita’s absence reigning champions the United States on Tuesday. tidy goal. area, leaving Bahoken with the Iwobi who beat Andre Onana “There are other play- Cameroon’s defence failed formality of turning the ball into with a calm finish to set off wild ers who also have qualities. It to deal with a free kick into the net in the 41st minute. celebrations among the Nigeri- brings us even closer together, the area and Kenneth Omer- Nigeria had barely time to an players, officials and media. knowing that we cannot count NBA free agency uo found Ighalo who reacted recover when Cameroon struck on Naby Keita and that now we quickly and scored with a shot again with Bahoken turning Guinea say they can will have to do it as a team. Leonard picks LA Clippers, George to join after trade from OKC that was deflected into the net. provider as he flicked the ball overcome Keita’s loss “We know that tomorrow The Nigeria defence still on to Clinton Njie who raced for algeria clash will be a very tough match. alge- KAWHI Leonard is going home to play for the Los Angeles Clippers, reportedly agreeing to a multi-million looked vulnerable as a wild past Olaoluwa Aina and drilled Naby Keita’s departure from ria has played the best football at dollar deal less than a month after leading the Toronto Raptors to their first championship. miskick by Omeruo gave Cam- the ball into the net. the Africa Cup of Nations is a this tournament so it will be like Leonard will be joined in Los Angeles by all-star forward Paul George, who the Clippers are reported to be eroon a corner and they also Goalkeeper Victor Akyepi big blow for Guinea but they a final for us because we know getting in a separate trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, American sports broadcaster ESPN reported handed Cameroon a chance made a desperate last-ditch can overcome it, captain Ibra- we are playing a better team on Friday night. The two-time NBA finals MVP Leonard grew up in Riverside, California just outside of Los which Pierre Kunde Malong save to prevent a Nigeria own him Traore said on the eve of than us,” he told Saturday’s pre- Angeles. He will join a young Clippers team that will give him a similar starring role to what he had with the wasted by firing over. goal early in the second half their last-16 meeting with al- match news conference. Toronto Raptors. The Thunder will receive Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari and a package of NBA But the game turned dra- before the game took another geria on Sunday. “We have nothing to lose, draft picks in exchange for George, ESPN said. If he does make the move, Leonard is expected to sign a matically before halftime as twist. Guinea, who qualified as the pressure will be on our four-year, $142 million contract with the Clippers. Leonard led the Raptors to their first title in franchise his- Cameroon, who had not scored Nigeria levelled in the 61st one of the four best third-placed opponent.” tory when they beat the Golden State Warriors in six games in the NBA finals.(AFP) US expect but Dutch could be a stubborn surprise in final REUTERS over the fitness of her star while Wiegman saw no prob- number nine. America’s strong LYON, FRANCE player. Left winger Lieke Mar- lem with the attitude of Sun- but sometimes rather rudimen- tens, who won the FIFA Best day’s opponents. tary central defenders will need SUCH has been the confidence Women’s Player award in 2017, “I just think they have a lot to be alert to her. of the United States women’s was taken off at halftime in the of confidence, I think that is The Dutch defence is solid team in their ability to win a re- semi-final win over Sweden OK,” she said. “They have won but it is in midfield where the cord fourth World Cup that the suffering from continued pain a lot and are at the top level all gems are to be found – Danielle major controversy surrounding in a toe injury. the time and it is a little bit part van de Donk is the creative hub ’s side has been about The Barcelona player of the culture I think. That is of the side while their victory plans. picked up the injury during a just the way it is,” she said. is adept in dead-ball situations The defending champions goal celebration in the round of For Sunday’s game to be and a tireless grafter. are certainly expected to win 16 win over Japan and despite anything other than a corona- What is noticeable about Sunday’s final against Euro- the best efforts of medical staff tion, Wiegman will need her the Dutch is that, even in games pean champions, the Nether- is still far from sure of starting key players to deliver the per- where they have not been at lands, and it would require a the final. formance of their lives but, their flowing best, they have a major upset for the Dutch to “She is preparing for the while lacking the power and stubborn ability to dig in and leave Lyon with the trophy. game. We are not sure if she physical presence of the Ameri- then punish a slip. “The US are favourites, can start, but we are working The ’ players attend a training session in Oullins near Lyon ahead of their France 2019 cans, the Dutch have no short- “The Netherlands are a we are the underdog - and we on it. We don’t know the out- Women’s World Cup final against USA.(AFP) age of talent. tremendous team, they’re Eu- are fine with that,” said Dutch come yet so we will decide to- The 22-year-old centre for- ropean champions, they’ve got coach , whose morrow (Sunday) morning,” tions that the Americans’ con- have been quick to reject. a “certain lightness” about ward has a lot of talented players and a hopes of pulling off a surprise said Wiegman. fidence has crossed into arro- American midfielder Meg- their approach which some scored 61 goals in 80 games coach who knows what she’s could be hampered by doubts There have been sugges- gance, a notion that both teams an Rapinoe said that there was misinterpret as “aloofness” for her country and is a classic doing,” said Ellis.