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P15 2 Layout 1 Established 1961 15 Sports Wednesday, March 7, 2018 Four-goal Goulart gives Cannavaro first AFC Champions League win Kashiwa Reysol register their first win in this year’s competition HONG KONG: Fabio Cannavaro’s Guangzhou a 2-0 home win over Japan’s Cerezo Osaka courtesy of Evergrande roared back from 2-0 down yesterday with goals from Andres Tunez and Edgar Silva. four second-half goals from Ricardo Goulart complet- Last season Italian Cannavaro led Tianjin Quanjian ing a sensational AFC Champions League victory 5-3 to Champions League qualification and his former over Jeju United. charges took a shock lead in the 10th minute in Jeonju On a night when it rained goals, Cannavaro’s former when a partially cleared corner was volleyed home club Tianjin Quanjian were thumped 6-3 at 2016 win- sweetly by right-back Zhang Cheng. ners Jeonbuk Motors, whose giant striker Kim Shin- The towering Kim saw one header disallowed before wook bagged his first Champions League hat-trick. the 6ft 6in (1.98m) target man rose in 24th minute to Evergrande, the club who have declared they want to head the equaliser. Three minutes before half-time field an all-Chinese side Jeonbuk were ahead by 2020, had to thank courtesy of Han Kyo- their two prolific Brazilian won. Brazilian Ricardo forwards for the victory Lopes swept home over their Korean visitors. before Kim bagged two The Chinese champions Towering more to complete his found themselves 2-0 hat-trick in the 64th down after 29 minutes at Kim’s header minute and captain Choi the Tianhe Stadium to Bo-kyung then found goals from Jin Seong-uk disallowed the net to make it 6-1. A and Magno Cruz. But late Zhao Xuri header Goulart’s goal spree and an Alexandre Pato thrilled the raucous home penalty were only con- crowd after fellow solations for the visitors Brazilian Alan’s opener deep into first-half stoppage time as Jeonbuk made it three wins from three matches to go had given Guangzhou a lifeline. The 2006 World Cup- five points clear at the top of Group E. winning captain Cannavaro had endured a stuttering start Kashiwa Reysol registered a first win in this year’s at the southern Chinese city club since taking over from competition and join Tianjin on four points after labour- Luiz Felipe Scolari, who led Evergrande to a seventh suc- ing past Hong Kong’s Kitchee 1-0 in Japan thanks to cessive Chinese Super League (CSL) title last year. Junya Ito’s 66th-minute winner. Kitchee remain rock Evergrande drew both their previous Group G bottom of Group E without a goal or a point so far in GUANGZHOU: Guangzhou Evergrande’s Zheng Zhi (R) fights for the ball with Jeju United’s Ryu Seungwoo matches and lost their CSL opener 5-4 to derby rivals their debut AFC Champions League campaign but will during the AFC Champions League group stage football match between China’s Guangzhou Evergrande Guangzhou R&F on Friday. But they now lead Group G have another chance when they host Kashiwa at Hong and South Korea’s Jeju United in Guangzhou yesterday. — AFP by a point from Thailand’s Buriram United, who enjoyed Kong Stadium next week. — AFP United fight back to beat Putin plays football Palace 3-2 with Infantino 100 LONDON: Manchester United’s Nemanja Matic volleyed days before WCup a stunning added-time winner as they fought back from two goals down to beat Crystal Palace 3-2 at Selhurst Park MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin played foot- and climbed to second place in the Premier League on ball with FIFA boss Gianni Infantino in the Kremlin Monday. Palace, who have never beaten United in the yesterday as a festive Russia marked 100 days Premier League, took the lead after 11 minutes when before the start of the World Cup. The footage Andros Townsend ran onto Christian Benteke’s square ball and struck a left-foot shot that deflected off Victor from Putin’s reception office was released by foot- Lindelof past goalkeeper David de Gea. ball’s world governing body in a tweet featuring The hosts went 2-0 in front three minutes into the sec- legends of the beautiful game juggling the ball and ond half when Jeffrey Schlupp took a quick free kick after doing tricks. a foul on Benteke and left back Patrick van Aanholt raced The clip ended with Putin heading one back to at goal before firing past De Gea to put Palace in the driv- Infantino after a heavily edited kickabout set to ing seat. Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee. United pulled a goal back seven minutes later when the “Some people just can’t wait for the greatest show unmarked Chris Smalling headed in Antonio Valencia’s on earth,” FIFA said in the tweet. cross and equalised in the 76th when Alexis Sanchez’s LONDON: Manchester United’s Serbian midfielder Nemanja Matic (L) watches as Crystal Palace’s Dutch Others playing around with the official Telstar effort came back off the bar and Romelu Lukaku turned defender Patrick van Aanholt crosses the ball during the English Premier League football match between 18 World Cup ball included ex-England midfielder two defenders to fire home. Crystal Palace and Manchester United at Selhurst Park in south London on Monday. — AFP Wayne Rooney and Argentina’s Diego Maradona. Matic then snatched the points when his volley from 25 Brazil’s Ronaldo juggled by the beach while metres curled away from diving keeper Wayne Hennessey Sweden’s Thomas Brolin had his fun in the snow. into the top corner to put United back into second spot on ther two points behind. With nine games left, Palace are The game was then an absorbing end-to-end battle as Putin is known for his sporting prowess, taking 62 points, 16 behind Manchester City, and left Palace in the third from bottom with 27 points but only a point outside both sides attacked but United found the equaliser when part in Judo matches, skating, diving and playing relegation zone. the safety zone. Sanchez’s shot was deflected onto the bar and came back ice hockey. A judo black belt and all round sports “It was a nice goal,” said Matic. “I am happy for the for Lukaku who managed to find some space inside the fan he is hoping to use the World Cup to showcase team, not because I scored but because we won and RASPING DRIVE area and fired home. Russia and boost its image at a time of fraid rela- picked up the three points. We showed character after When Townsend struck the opening goal it was the first The game was still on a knife edge but United started tions with the West. going 2-0 down and they had the crowd behind them. time Palace had led United in the Premier League and the to pile on the pressure and the almost inevitable break- Russia is hosting its first World Cup on June 14- “We are delighted to have turned it around. Every point home fans could hardly believe their eyes when their through came when the ball fell to the visitors’ Serbia mid- matters and it’s so important to win games like this.” July 15 in 11 host cities stretching from its western Dutch international Van Aanholt beat De Gea at his near fielder Matic who instinctively struck a superb shot into exclave of Kaliningrad near Poland to United’s win put them nine points ahead of fifth-placed post with a rasping drive. the top corner. Yekaterinburg in the Urals. champions Chelsea in the battle for the top four which However, Palace’s second goal stung United into life and It was the first time United had come from two goals brings a place in next season’s Champions League group they were soon back in the match when Valencia clipped a down to win a Premier League game since December 2013 Numerous Russian cities are planning events to stage. It also took Jose Mourinho’s team back above cross to the far post where Smalling was lurking on his while Palace, who have failed to beat United in 18 Premier commemorate 100 days before the start of the 32 Liverpool, who are two points behind before the pair clash own to direct a header back across Hennessey’s goal into League meetings, had never lost in the competition with at team tournament. Moscow is staging an open air at Old Trafford on Saturday, with Tottenham Hotspur a fur- the far corner. least a two-goal lead. — Reuters concert for 6,000 volunteers while Russia’s north- ern capital Saint Petersburg is unveiling a count- down clock. “It is important to show Russia the way it really is: open, hospitable and modern,” Sports Minister Pavel Kolobkov was quoted as Brave Tottenham saying yesterday by RIA Novosti. Russia’s preparations for the showpiece event must play free are going largely according to schedule but still being clouded by scandal and global disputes. Fan violence that made Russians infamous at the Euro against Juve 2016 in France returned last month during a Europa League match in Spain between Spartak LONDON: Mauricio Pochettino says his brave Moscow and Athletic Bilbao.— Reuters Tottenham Hotspur team must play with freedom against Juventus today as they seek to book their place in the Champions League quarter-finals. Tottenham battled back from 2-0 down with goals from Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen to earn them a Matches on TV 2-2 draw in Turin last month - a result that means they are favourites to progress.
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