6 February 20, 2021 Mehdi Taremi Helps Porto 2022 FIFA World Cup Asian to Beat Juve 2-1 Qualifiers Postponed to June on Friday. The AFC said that it had made a joint decision with football’s glob- al governing body FIFA to post- pone a series of qualifiers for both the 2022 World Cup and the 2023 AFC Asian Cup, which had been scheduled to take place on March Iranian forward Mehdi Taremi 25 and 30. The decision was made after “tak- TEHRAN (Dispatches) – Iranian to another poor start at the begin- ing into consideration the existing forward Mehdi Taremi has helped ning of the second-half as Moussa travel and quarantine restrictions Porto beat Juventus 2-1 in the first leg Marega made it 2-0 at the Dragon caused by the COVID-19 pandem- of UEFA Champions League. Stadium. ic across the continent and follow- Rodrigo Bentancur sold Wojciech , who is on loan at Szczesny short, which led to Me- Juventus from Fiorentina, halved the ing a process of close consultation hdi Taremi sliding in to put Porto in deficit with eight minutes to go, but with Asia’s member associations,” front just one minute into the match Porto held on for a crucial 2-1 win. said Asian football’s governing Wednesday night. The second leg will be held on body. And ’s side got off March 9 at the Juventus Stadium. The matches scheduled for March are instead set to be played in June on a centralized basis as part of a Nets Win Fifth Straight Game This Dec 7, 2020 handout picture released by the International Federation of Association Foot- rescheduling of the competition. ball (FIFA) shows the trophy displayed on stage before the UEFA preliminary draw for the FIFA With restrictive travel and quar- With 109-98 Victory Over Lakers World Cup 2022 in the Hallenstadion in Zurich. antine regulations currently in place, Asian teams have not played KUALA LUMPUR (Xinhua) - A for the 2022 FIFA World Cup have COVID-19 restrictions, the Asian any FIFA World Cup qualifiers series of Asian qualifying matches been postponed until June due to Football Confederation (AFC) said since November 2019. Djokovic, Osaka Reach 9th Final in Melbourne MELBOURNE (Dispatch- title in a storm of power hit- es) - Defending champion No- ting on Thursday, humbling vak Djokovic declared himself the American great 6-3 6-4 to fighting fit for the Australian reach her second Australian Open final after ending the in- Open final. credible run of Russian quali- In a rematch of their tumul- fier Aslan Karatsev with his tuous 2018 U.S. Open de- Kyrie Irving dribbles past Lakers defender in white jersey tight shot “best match” of the tourna- cider, Osaka underlined her LOS ANGELES (AP) — James trip with Kevin Durant missing ment on Thursday. status as the new queen of Harden scored 23 points, Joe Har- his third straight game with a Russia’s Daniil Medvedev women’s tennis and soaked ris added 21 with six three-pointers strained left hamstring. lived up to Novak Djokov- up the cheers from the Rod and the Brooklyn Nets routed the Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot ic’s praise as the “man to Laver Arena crowd as fans short-handed Los Angeles Lakers scored 15 points and hit five of 109-98 on Thursday night for their the Nets’ 18 3-pointers, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic serves to Russia’s Aslan Karatsev during beat” at the Australian Open returned to the Grand Slam season-best fifth straight victory. LeBron James scored his their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in when he charged into his first after a five-day lockdown. Kyrie Irving had 16 points and 35,000th career point while get- Melbourne, Australia, Feb 18, 2021. Melbourne Park final with an Williams, however, was left seven rebounds as Brooklyn eas- ting 32 points, eight rebounds and impressive 6-4 6-2 7-5 win match against Taylor Fritz Djokovic’s more unlikely in tears. ily won this matchup of NBA seven assists for the Lakers. Kyle title contenders and improved to Kuzma added 16 points and 10 over Stefanos Tsitsipas on less than a week ago. semi-final opponents, the The 39-year-old cut short her 4-0 on a five-game West Coast rebounds. Friday. Yet he has put that aside and world number 114 put up a post-match news conference af- The Serbian world number will have two days off to re- decent show at Rod Laver ter breaking down when asked Ex-Olympic Athlete Hashimoto one eased into his ninth de- cover before Sunday’s final. Arena as fans returned to whether she had just had a bad cider at Melbourne Park with Djokovic has never failed Melbourne Park following a day at the office. Chosen as Head of Tokyo 2020 a 6-3 6-4 6-2 win under the to win the tournament after five-day lockdown. “I had so many opportuni- lights at Rod Laver Arena making the semi-finals and ties, ... it was just ... I made and will battle Daniil Med- he will be heavily favored Osaka Ends Williams’ too many mistakes there vedev for the title. to claim a record-extending Record Bid and easy mistakes,” said the Djokovic’s tournament ap- ninth title at his favourite American. “Not like .... I peared on a knife edge when Slam on Sunday. Naomi Osaka ended Serena was on the run or anything. he suffered an abdominal in- While Karatsev would Williams’ bid for a record- They were just easy, easy jury during his third round have been regarded one of equaling 24th Grand Slam mistakes. Man United, Tottenham Enjoy Big Wins, Milan Held held to a 2-2 draw at Red Star heartbeat of Manchester United Belgrade as the competition re- and the Portuguese sumed on Thursday. opened the scoring after 27 On night of high-scoring minutes with his 20th goal of In this Sept 17, 2020 photo, then Japan’s Minister for the Tokyo matches, United crushed Real the season. Olympic and Paralympics Games Seiko Hashimoto delivers a speech Sociedad 4-0 in a game played He curled in his second af- during a press conference at the Prime Minister’s office in Tokyo. in Turin because of COVID-19 ter 57 minutes before Marcus TOKYO (Dispatches) - Japa- ing held amid the pandemic. restrictions between the UK and Rashford and Daniel James nese athlete-turned-politician Seiko Hashimoto announced her selec- Spain with Bruno Fernandes completed the rout. Hashimoto has been chosen as presi- tion shortly after submitting her dent of the Tokyo 2020 organizing resignation as Olympics minister scoring a brace for his side. Tottenham’s domestic form committee, replacing a man who re- to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Tottenham won 4-1 away has been woeful but they signed after setting off a furore with who encouraged her to make the against Austrian side Wolfsberg claimed a first away win in the sexist remarks. Games successful. in the Puskas Arena in Budapest knockout phase of the Europa Hashimoto, who competed in “As someone with an athletic Tottenham’s Son Heung-min (right) celebrates with teammate while Swiss side Young Boys, League since 2008 to put one seven Summer and Winter Olym- background, I will carry out safe pics as a cyclist and a skater, now Games for both athletes and citi- Gareth Bale after scoring his side’s first goal during the first Scotland’s Rangers and Olym- foot in the last 16. leg of the Europa League round of 32 soccer match between faces a raft of tough issues at the zens,” she said at a news confer- piakos all hit four. Gareth Bale set up Son Heung- helm of one of the world’s biggest ence. Wolfsberger AC and Tottenham Hotspur at the Puskas Arena Arsenal drew 1-1 in the “away” min before scoring a classy sec- sporting events with less than half She replaces Yoshiro Mori, an stadium in Budapest, Hungary, Feb 18, 2021. leg of their tie against Benfica, ond as he marked a rare start a year before its delayed start. 83-year-old former prime minister, She must ensure athletes and of- who resigned as Tokyo 2020 presi- LONDON (Dispatches) - with emphatic away wins in their although the match was played with a strong display before be- ficials are kept safe from the coro- dent last week after saying women Manchester United and Totten- Europa League last 32 first-leg in Rome. ing substituted midway through navirus, while also facing strong talk too much. ham Hotspur built hefty leads matches but AC Milan were Fernandes has become the the second half. public opposition to the Games be-