ARAB TIMES, THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2021 SPORTS 14 Dortmund reach CL quarter-finals Haaland stars again

DORTMUND, Germany, Sevilla keeper and cut the ball back for Haaland’s easy fi nish. March 10, (AP): Erling Sevilla’s frustrations and Dort- Haaland sent Borussia mund’s confi dence grew in tandem Dortmund into the Cham- after the goal. Haaland displayed remarkable pions League quarterfinals strength and precision to score his sec- for the first time since 2017 ond after the break, but the goal was with two goals in a heated taken back through VAR - Haaland was adjudged to have fouled Fernando, 2-2 draw with Sevilla. whom he bundled over with his shoul- Haaland took his season tally to der - and a penalty was awarded for an 10 goals for Dortmund to advance earlier infringement on the Norwegian with a 5-4 win on aggregate. The by Koundé, who had been pulling his team won the fi rst leg jersey for a Reus cross. of their last- Yassine Bounou – the Sevilla goal- keeper known as Bono – saved Haa- 16 tie 3-2 in land’s penalty, then the forward’s second Seville, where effort from the rebound, but VAR inter- Haaland also vened again and ordered another penalty scored two. as Bono was marginally off his goal line. The Norwe- gian has 20 alto- gether in just 14 SOCCER appearances in Europe’s premier “I missed and then he cheated. So tournament in then I took it again and then I scored his young career, Haaland when he didn’t cheat,” Haaland said. and he was the Haaland scored at the second attempt key factor in Dortmund moving on. – third including the disallowed goal – in “I’m tired, but the next round feels the 54th and was then booked for taunt- very good,” Haaland said. ing the goalkeeper with his celebration. Youssef En-Nesyri scored twice for Several Sevilla players ran after the for- Sevilla to set up a dramatic fi nale. ward and referee Cüneyt Çakır had to The visitors attacked from the start work to keep tempers in check. and had Dortmund pinned back for Haaland said Bono had taunted him much of the opening 30 minutes. Lucas after his fi rst penalty miss. Ocampos tested Dortmund goalkeeper “When he was screaming in my face early on before playing after the fi rst one, I was thinking, oh, the ball through ’s legs to set it’ll be even better to score another up , who fi red narrowly wide. goal. And, yeah, that’s what happened. Dortmund’s defenders were desper- So it was nice,” Haaland said. ately just booting the ball away as the Can then conceded a penalty for a pressure continued, but the home side foul on substitute . capitalized on some indecision in Se- En-Nesyri hammered the spot kick villa’s buildup play for Haaland to score in off the underside of the crossbar in with Dortmund’s fi rst real chance on a the 69th to set up a nervy fi nale. Sevilla counterattack in the 35th minute. still needed two goals to force extra “We knew that they were going to time but had already proved capable of come out very hard and, yeah, when scoring them in the fi rst leg. we scored the goal, they needed to Diego Carlos was fortunate to es- have two or three, I don’t remember. cape with a yellow card for catch- But, then we scored, 1-0 at halftime, ing Haaland in the face with his arm. that was very good,” Haaland said. Tempers continued to fray and the muscled Jules Koun- bookings continued. Çakır managed to dé off the ball, and passed it avoid sending anyone off. to , who played a fi ne En-Nesyri scored in the sixth minute Sevilla’s Ivan Rakitic (left), challenges Dortmund’s during the Champions League, round of 16, second leg soccer match between Borus- ball for . The Dortmund cap- of injury time but it was just too late sia Dortmund and Sevilla FC in Dortmund, Germany, on March 9. (AP) tain stayed cool in front of the outrushing for Sevilla. ‘New gig still feels fresh’ ‘Light at the end of the tunnel’ Neville era starts at Miami, Anniversary marks progress of pandemic, not the end PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida, MLS opens training camps March 10, (AP): The backdrop was Coach, former Olympian Zimmerman suspended a navy blue board fi lled with 33 lo- MIAMI, Florida, March 10, (AP): gos of The Players Championship. says the excitement for Sitting next to PGA Tour Commis- Gymnastics test event for Tokyo Olympics canceled his new gig at Inter Miami still feels sioner Jay Monahan was the gold fresh, even though he took the job in trophy as he spoke about scrapping TOKYO, Mach 10, (AP): A gymnastics by the U.S. Center for SafeSport for Zimmerman, 47, will be barred from January. the tour’s premier event last year and test event in Tokyo for the Olympics that a coverup of an alleged sexual abuse any skating events run by the U.S. fed- Neville led England to the Wom- would have included athletes from out- incident involving two of his students. eration or Olympic committee, and how golf made it through the COV- side Japan was canceled on Tuesday. Zimmerman, inducted into the U.S. also prohibited from attending any fa- en’s World Cup semifi nals in 2019. It ID-19 pandemic. was expected that he’d take the team The Japan Gymnastics Association Figure Skating Hall of Fame, is a 2002 cility run by those groups. At least there wasn’t a “Mission and international governing body FIG Olympian who won three U.S. pairs The alleged incidents took place to the Olympics in Tokyo this sum- Accomplished” banner. mer, but he left early to join David said the All-Around World Cup sched- championships and a world bronze in Florida and involved French pairs It’s tempting to think that way. uled for May 4 was off. It was to be medal with skating partner Kyoko skater Morgan Cipres, who was Beckham’s Monahan mentioned the phrase team. the last of an artistic gymnastics series Ina. He can appeal the decision, which coached by Zimmerman. Cipres was “light at the end of the tunnel” on doubling as Olympic qualifi ers, but the could carry as much as a two-year ban. investigated by SafeSport for alleg- “I think I came here three or four three occasions during his news con- weeks ago, and even now when I other two World Cups in Germany and edly sending lewd photos in 2017 to a ference Tuesday, which typically is Britain were also previously canceled 13-year-old female skater also coached walk into the building, I drive down more of a “State of the Tour.” This because of the coronavirus pandemic. OLYMPICS by Zimmerman. SafeSport looked into the I-95 and I turn off and I just see was a state of the pandemic. The Tokyo World Cup will be re- accusations from the girl’s parents that the stadium and I see the complex, The news felt mostly positive. placed by a local event with only Japa- The suspension, announced Tues- Zimmerman intimidated her in an ef- it makes me really proud,” Neville In this March 7, 2018 file photo, The tour has played 36 out of the nese gymnasts to test the venue for the day by SafeSport on its website, de- fort to silence her because Cipres and said. “It makes me feel as if I’m part England head coach Phil Neville 39 weeks since it returned, stopping Olympics. tailed the charges as an abuse of pro- his pairs partner, Vanessa James, were of something really special. And that walks onto the field before a She- Travel restrictions were cited as a cess, emotional misconduct and failure headed for the 2018 Winter Olympics Believes Cup women’s soccer only because of holidays, not an out- hasn’t changed yet.” break. It never had more than three prime reason for the cancellation. The to report an incident. USA Today first in South Korea. Inter Miami offi cially opened match against the United States in Tokyo Olympics are to open on July 23. reported the suspension. SafeSport Cipres, who lives in France, and Orlando, Florida. (AP) players test positive for the corona- training camp this week, along with virus at any one tournament. Meanwhile, figure skating coach investigates sexual abuse in Olympic Zimmerman have previously declined most other MLS teams. also start the season in Florida. It was Memories are still fresh from last John Zimmerman has been suspended sports. to comment on the allegations. Neville, 44, takes over for Diego unclear where the third Canadian Alonso, who guided Miami through year. Players received a text late at team, the Vancouver Whitecaps, will night after the fi rst round saying that ready. No one is. McIlroy read about Texas doing Florida and pause. its coronavirus-shortened inaugural play. “It’s funny, because a year into it away with its mask mandate and he “The idea is great and the idea you’re season last year. The Players Championship was can- LAFC coach was celed and there would be no tourna- you think, ‘OK, we hopefully will was OK with it, because part of him comfortable with, but then when you Miami made the playoffs, marking opening camp this week - like Nev- actually start to live it, it’s like, ‘Whoa, just the seventh time that an expan- ments for at least a month (it turned be done now.’ The vaccine is rolling likes the idea of people having free- ille - with similarly lofty ambitions. into three months). Bernd Wiesberg- out and there’s light at the end of the dom to choose. But then he would maybe this is a little too soon,” McIlroy sion franchise reached the postsea- But for Bradley, they include the said. “You are certainly going to have son, fi nishing the regular season er caught the last fl ight home to Aus- tunnel,” Rory McIlroy said. walk into a bustling restaurant in hope that the team will have fans in tria. Kevin Na found a banana in one that coming back.” 7-13-3. But the club fell to fellow ex- the stands come the start of the sea- And that’s why Monahan, while pansion team Nashville in the open- of the pockets of his golf bag, which son. otherwise would not have been dis- pleased with how far golf has come, ing round. “The news about the possible re- remains guarded. Miami parted ways with Alonso, covered for months. turn of some fans to our stadium, that “We’ve seen surges. We’ve seen paving the way for a reunion between part is incredible,” Bradley said. “All Neville and Beckham, who played the unpredictable, the uncertain na- of us are so excited for the day when, GOLF ture of this pandemic and this vi- together with Manchester United and safely, we have our incredible fans on England’s national team. rus,” Monahan said. “While we see back in the stadium and there’s some Monahan remembers missing light at the end of the tunnel and the As a player, Neville’s Manches- atmosphere. That has been so impor- ter United teams won six Premier the opening tee shot for the fi rst progress we’re making and the hope tant to LAFC from the beginning.” time since he joined the PGA Tour that’s in front of us ... you still have League titles and three FA Cups. He Except for two games at the start appeared in 59 matches with the na- as executive director of The Play- to remind yourself that you’ve got to of last season, most MLS teams ers Championship. He had been in focus on your plan and your proto- tional team from 1996 to 2007. were prevented from allowing fans His new job ramped up consider- a boardroom at the TPC Sawgrass cols and make sure we’re doing ev- in their stadiums. There were a few clubhouse with the rest of the ex- erything we can to keep health and ably Monday, even though the team exceptions when the teams returned had trained unoffi cially for a week. ecutive staff for a meeting that lasted safety as our No. 1 priority.” from the MLS is Back tournament in The Arnold Palmer Invitational Florida. more than 12 hours and ended with the decision to stop playing. last week was the fi rst of seven con- SOCCER The 2021 MLS season begins secutive tournaments that are open April 17, a start date that was pushed “I will be there on Thursday. I look back after the league and its players forward to it,” he said. “Just proud, to the general public at a reduced “I think as a coach, what you look renegotiated their collective bargain- most importantly, to be back here a In this March 13, 2020 file photo, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan capacity. The target at Bay Hill was for, you look for reactions, you look ing agreement. year later - proud of our players, proud reacts to a question during a news conference at The Players Champion- 5,000 and it felt twice as large. A for people trying to make an impact, Four MLS teams started camp ear- of all the caddies, everybody that has ship golf tournament, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. (AP) majority, but certainly not everyone, you look at the conversation that you ly this year in preparation for CON- worked so hard to get us back to this was wearing masks. have, and about the words being spo- CACAF Champions League play, point in time. And candidly, to do so in Monahan doesn’t know when golf ken. And everyone is doing and say- including Portland, Philadelphia, At- a really inspiring way. or any sport can return to normal, ing the right things at this moment in lanta and Columbus. “I think this is an important week or even when the light gets a little time,” Neville said of his fi rst impres- The new season comes at a some- for us every single year,” he said, brighter. sions. “We have a long way to go.” what turbulent time for Miami. The “but particularly so this year.” Former Masters champion Danny Neville is among six coaches tak- team is breaking in a new coach and He won’t be the only one watch- Willett had to withdraw from The ing over MLS teams this year. Greg sporting director Chris Henderson. ing. The Players Championship is Players on Tuesday because of a Vanney moved from Toronto to the MLS is also investigating the team’s allowing 20% of capacity for specta- positive coronavirus test. The tour LA Galaxy while Chris Armas, let signing of Blaise Matuidi last August tors, which will be somewhere short had gone four tournaments over the go by the Red Bulls last September, and whether it broke the league’s sal- of 10,000 people (no one knows last three weeks without one, its lon- took Vanney’s place at Toronto. ary guidelines. exactly what “capacity” means on gest stretch since six weeks between Former Argentine star Gabriel Neville is embracing the challeng- a golf course). The tickets sold out positive tests last summer. Heinze is the new head coach at At- es of his new job – even in the midst one hour after they went on sale last There is an anniversary this week, lanta, Hernán Losada has taken over of ongoing coronavirus concerns. month. a reminder of when it all started. Mc- at D.C. United, and Wilfried Nancy “We’re going to make sure that we Instead of players sharing the Ilroy is still the defending champion was hired to replace in push the players, we raise the level $15 million purse like they did last from his 2019 victory. He shot 72 in Montreal. of expectations, and we put high year - a generous gesture by the tour the fi rst round last year and was al- Montreal will play home games demands on them. We’re training for players who went an entire year ready nine shots behind Hideki Mat- to start the season at Inter Miami’s a lot of double sessions this week,” without purses being cut - the winner suyama. Now they start over. stadium in Fort Lauderdale because he said. “We want to make sure that gets $2.7 million. In this Feb 28, 2021 file photo, Kevin Kisner tees off on the 13th hole during There is progress. There are fans. of travel restrictions between Canada from the fi rst week we hit the ground Back to normal? the final round of the Workday Championship golf tournament, in Braden- But it’s best to keep eyes on the and the United States. Toronto will running really fast.” Not quite, because golf isn’t ton, Florida. (AP) road instead of the rearview mirror.