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14 Established 1961 Sports Sunday, December 17, 2017 South Korea win East Asia title as North Korea restore pride Kim doubles up in historic four-goal thrashing of Japan TOKYO: Beanpole striker Kim Shin-Wook fired a Kobayashi own goal after the interval and should real- quick-fire double as South Korea thrashed fierce ly have added more. rivals Japan 4-1 to capture a fourth East Asian cham- The North Koreans were beaten 1-0 by Japan and pionship title in Tokyo yesterday. South Korea in their opening two matches-both Earlier, forward Jong Il-Gwan scored with a deli- played against the backdrop of souring political rela- cious free kick as North Korea salvaged a measure of tions following Pyongyang’s recent missile launches. pride by drawing 1-1 with China. Hosts Japan only They looked to be heading for another defeat needed to avoid defeat against South Korea after tak- against Marcello Lippi’s China after Wei Shihao swept ing six points from their opening two games but failed home a Zhang Wenzhao cross after 28 minutes. But to deliver when it counted. Jong equalised 10 minutes from time when he curled The Blue Samurai, who like the Koreans have home a free kick from the edge of the box that Lionel qualified for next year’s World Cup in Russia, got off Messi would have been proud of, sparking wild cele- to a flying start when striker Yu Kobayashi convert- brations on the North Korea bench and from several ed a penalty after just three hundred pro-Pyongyang minutes. ethnic Koreans in the crowd. But the towering Kim Despite United Nations headed the equaliser 10 sanctions against North minutes later, before Jung Japan failed Korea over its nuclear Woo-Young slammed home weapons programme, their a superb free kick midway to deliver footballers were allowed to through the first half. Kim compete in the tournament profited from some abject when it counted after the Japanese govern- Japanese defending to ment waived travel restric- extend South Korea’s lead tions. with a low left-foot shot 10 The biennial East Asian minutes before the break. tournament was first held in TOKYO: South Korea’s players and officials celebrate their victory on the podium during the men’s event Missing the likes of Tottenham forward Son Heung- 2003 when South Korea won it for the first time, a awarding ceremony of the EAFF E-1 football championship in Tokyo yesterday. — AFP Min against a Japan side also without their Europe- year after reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup based regulars, the Koreans were gifted a fourth via a as co-hosts with Japan. — AFP Inter Milan lose Lukaku did score the first-half winner Mourinho on Wednesday as United beat unbeaten record Bournemouth, 1-0, at Old Trafford, but has looked below par for the past two faces months, with just three goals in 15 games. with shock “There will be a bit of rotation,” said Mourinho without directly addressing Udinese defeat Ibrahimovic the Lukaku situation. “I’ll change a few players from match MILAN: Inter Milan lost their Serie A dilemma to match, because I think it is almost impossible for players to play all these unbeaten status after a shock 3-1 home matches in December and the beginning defeat to Udinese yesterday that puts their MANCHESTER: Jose Mourinho must of January.” position at the top of the league under threat. decide whether now is the time to recall Lukaku’s goal did at least lift the Inter stay temporarily top on 40 points Zlatan Ibrahimovic to his starting line-up mood at United, which was pretty low after their first defeat of the season, which as Manchester United prepare to visit after last Sunday’s home defeat by came thanks to a Rodrigo De Paul penalty West Brom in the Premier League today. neighbours Manchester City. It was a and Antonin Barak tap-in adding to Kevin The former Paris Saint-Germain strik- result that left Mourinho’s side still sec- Lasagna’s opener after Mauro Icardi had er has played 73 minutes in five substi- ond in the league but now 11 points equalised for the hosts. But they can be over- tute appearances since returning from behind Pep Guardiola’s leaders and with taken by Napoli, who are one point behind cruciate knee ligament damage against diminishing hopes of getting back into Inter in second, if they win at Torino later. The Newcastle in November. the title race. loss for Luciano Spalletti’s side also gives There were fears that Ibrahimovic’s Mourinho tried to put the 38 points third-placed Juventus, themselves just two career may be finished after he suffered his side have accrued into some per- points back, the opportunity to leapfrog their the injury during a Europa League quar- spective. “We are second. The number of old rivals Inter at Bologna today. ter-final victory over Anderlecht in April. points could be first in other seasons, but Inter looked like they were set to maintain The 36-year-old’s return to fitness came we are second,” said Mourinho. their unbeaten record and momentarily sooner than most expected, although it is MILAN: Inter Milan’s Uruguayan midfielder Matias Vecino fights for the ball with “We go one match at a time and let’s extend their lead at the top when Icardi lev- clear that Mourinho is wary of asking see at the end of the season how many Udinese’s French midfielder Seko Mohammed Fofana during the Italian Serie A football elled the scores with a smart volley just 71 him to do too much too soon. points we have and where we are.” A fur- match Inter Milan vs Udinese yesterday. — AFP United’s manager suggested a week ther setback off the pitch came with seconds after Lasagna’s 14th-minute opener. ago that Ibrahimovic, who has yet to Mourinho’s confirmation that centre- But despite dominating, the hosts could score since his comeback, is not yet back Eric Bailly, who has not played not find the breakthrough, and were punished video assistant referee to check that the ball elled in the 68th minute when Milan Skriniar ready to play a full 90 minutes, but the since November 5, needs ankle surgery just after the hour mark. Inter defender had not gone out before the Udinese right- thumped Antonio Candreva’s cross off the form of Romelu Lukaku may cause a and is likely to be out for the next three Davide Santon compounded a poor display back reached the ball, he awarded the penalty bar, but were punished when Barak finished a rethink soon. months.— AFP by handballing Silvan Widner’s cross, and from which De Paul gave the away side the lightning break with 13 minutes left to sink the after referee Maurizio Mariani consulted the lead. Inter continued to push and almost lev- home side. — AFP NHL result/standings Nash shines Vancouver 4, San Jose 3 (OT); Detroit 3, Toronto 1; Carolina 5, Buffalo 4 (OT); New Jersey 5, Dallas 2; NY Rangers 4, Los as Rangers Angeles 2. Western Conference topple Kings Central Division WL OTLGFGAPTS Nashville 20 7 4 106 85 44 St. Louis 21 10 2 105 84 44 NEW YOK: Rick Nash scored a tiebreaking goal with Winnipeg 18 9 5 108 92 41 3:27 left in the third period to help the New York Minnesota 17 11 3 91 88 37 Rangers to a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Chicago 16 11 5 98 85 37 Friday night at Madison Square Garden. Henrik Dallas 18 14 1 98 97 37 Lundqvist stopped 33 shots for the Rangers, who had Colorado 15 14 2 96 101 32 lost three of four entering the game. Chris Kreider and Pacific Division Kevin Hayes also scored for New York. J.T. Miller Los Angeles 20 10 3 100 77 43 added his fifth of the season into an empty net with Las Vegas 20 9 2 107 95 42 53.4 seconds remaining. The Kings have dropped two San Jose 17 10 4 85 75 38 straight games after winning eight in a row. Marian Calgary 16 13 3 91 99 35 Gaborik had a goal and an assist and Torrey Mitchell Anaheim 14 11 7 86 92 35 scored for the Kings, who received 24 saves from goal- Vancouver 15 14 4 87 100 34 tender Jonathan Quick. Edmonton 13 17 2 93 105 28 Arizona 7 22 5 76 118 19 DEVILS 5, STARS 2 Eastern Conference Brian Boyle made his 100th career goal a memorable Atlantic Division one as New Jersey beat Dallas at the Prudential Center. Tampa Bay 23 6 2 117 75 48 Steven Santini, Blake Coleman and Nick Lappin also Toronto 20 13 1 109 97 41 scored for the Devils. Boyle had three points and Brian Boston 15 10 4 84 82 34 Gibbons added two assists. The Stars, who lost for the Montreal 14 14 4 87 100 32 time on their four-game road trip, received goals from Detroit 12 13 7 86 103 31 Martin Hanzal and Alexander Radulov. The loss kept NEW YORK: Marian Gaborik #12 of the Los Angeles Kings skates in his 1000th NHL game against the New York Florida 12 15 5 93 110 29 Ken Hitchcock from becoming only the third coach in Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Friday in New York City. The Rangers defeated the Kings 4-2.