6 November 9, 2020 Tokyo Holds 1-Day Gym Iran’s Motahari Nominated for Meet to Show Olympics Best Forward of 2020 ACL May Be Possible pions League (West) to present a star-studded cast. Part of an exciting Esteghlal frontline, Motahari joined the Teh- ran giant from Zob Ahan in early 2020 and scored on his second AFC Champions League appearance for them – a 2-1 loss to Al-Ahli Saudi in February – before making a cru- cial contribution in Doha. With his side a goal down against Iraq’s Al-Shorta, substitute Mo- tahari pounced on a loose ball to level the scores and secure a 1-1 draw. That result left qualification in TOKYO (AP) — The good news enter Japan. the Iranian side’s hands as it went for the Tokyo Olympics is that Ja- Will tens of thousands of non- on to claim a 3-0 win over Al-Ahli pan on Sunday held a one-day ex- Japanese fans be allowed to at- to progress to the next round at Al- hibition gymnastics meet in front tend, or will the Games be for Shorta’s expense. of several thousand fans with 22 only Japanese spectators? Motaahri will compete with Pe- athletes participating from Russia, Tokyo organizers and the In- dro Conde, Igor Sergeev, Almoez China and the United States. ternational Olympic Committee TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Esteghlal the Best XI from the ACL West Asia nament, the-afc.com has selected Ali, Welliton, Baghdad Bounedjah They were joined by eight from have given few details and con- football team forward Amir Arsalan stage. seven standout performers who and Abderrazak Hamdallah in the Japan. crete plans are not expected un- Motahari has been nominated for Using match data from the tour- completed the 2020 AFC Cham- poll. The non-Japanese entered after til next year when a vaccine and a 14-day quarantine at home and rapid testing might be available were largely kept penned up in to resolve some problems. Zverev Stops Nadal to Set Up Medvedev Final in Paris their Tokyo hotel in strict isola- Japan is officially spending PARIS (Dispatches) - Top the net which Nadal could not tion. They also underwent PCR $12.6 billion to organize the seed Rafael Nadal’s bid for a reach. tests daily in Japan. Olympics, although a govern- maiden Paris Masters title was Zverev broke Nadal again in The event is the latest — a Jap- ment audit last year said it was halted on Saturday when the the third game of the second anese baseball stadium was filled twice that much. All but $5.6 bil- Spaniard was beaten 6-4 7-5 in set. to capacity last week — intended lion is public money. the semifinals by German fourth A frustrated Nadal punched to show that the postponed To- Over and above this, estimates seed Alexander Zverev. his racket head when he failed kyo Olympics can open in just suggest the postponement will Nadal, who reached the fi- to convert two break points in under nine months. cost another $2 billion to $3 bil- nal at Bercy in 2007, was only the sixth game, but held his But there are more difficult lion. The University of Oxford briefly in contention as he sur- nerve to save four break points numbers that the Olympics must published a study in September rendered his serve three times. in the next game and then final- overcome. showing these are the most ex- The 20-time Grand Slam ly broke Zverev to make it 4-4. Next year’s Games will involve pensive Summer Olympics on champion broke back after fall- But an erratic and agitated 11,000 athletes from 206 nations record. ing 4-2 behind in the second set Nadal was conceding too many and territories, all affected differ- Gymnastics organizers also but it was a brief comeback as chances on his serve and, after ently by COVID-19. Add to this said the southern Japanese city Germany’s Alexander Zverev returns the ball to Spain’s Rafael Nadal the 23-year-old Zverev stole his Zverev broke him for a third 4,400 more Paralympians and of Kitakyushu will hold the 2021 (not in frame) during their semi-final game of the Paris Masters tennis serve again in the 11th game. time, he sat shaking his head thousands more officials, judges, world championships in artistic tournament in Paris, Nov 7, 2020. He then served it out, prevail- during the changeover. VIPs, media, broadcasters and and rhythmic gymnastics on Oct. ing on his second match point Medvedev, who qualified with opening set for the third time in Earlier, Medvedev reached the sponsors who will also need to 17-31. when Nadal’s forehand flew a commanding 6-4 7-6(4) vic- his four matches. Zverev won Paris Masters final for the first wide. tory against Canadian Milos 78% of points on first serve time after beating Milos Raonic Zverev will look to claim Raonic. compared to 60% for Nadal and 6-4, 7-6 (4) in a contest between Messi Helps Barcelona to First his fourth Masters title against Nadal was broken to love in led 9-1 in aces in that set. He big servers. He secured the win Russian third seed Daniil the third game and dropped the clinched it with a sliced shot at with a smash at the net. League Win in Five Games Late Lazio Strike Denies Juve Victory TURIN (Dispatches) - Ecuadorian Inzaghi’s team had plenty of possession striker Felipe Caicedo scored a 95th-min- but had failed to test former Arsenal ute equalizer as Lazio denied Juventus keeper Szczesny up until the goal. victory in Serie A at the Stadio Olimpico. Juve looked far more potent each Caicedo turned and fired past time they surged forward. Ronaldo was Wojciech Szczesny in the 95th min- again their standout player in the final ute after great wing-play from Joaquin third. Aside from the goal, the former Correa. Real Madrid player struck the wood- Cristiano Ronaldo scored his sixth work with a shot, produced a drive that goal in four league games when he con- missed the post by a foot and also saw verted Juan Cuadrado’s cross to give his thumping free-kick punched over Juve the lead in the 15th minute. the bar by Pepe Reina. They remain third, three points be- The forward was substituted with 15 hind AC Milan who play Verona at minutes of the match remaining after 19:45 GMT. appearing to suffer a knock in a chal- The result will be a bitter blow for lenge. Lionel Messi’s first six goals of the season for Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo (second right) has scored in each of his first four coach Andrea Pirlo and his men, who Lazio move up to ninth in the Serie A Argentina were penalties. Serie A games this season were rarely troubled by Lazio. Simone table with 11 points. BARCELONA (Dispatches) - penalty spot after Aissa Mandi was Half-time substitute Lionel Messi sent off for handling Dembele’s turned the game around for Bar- shot on the line - a decision made Bayern Edge Dortmund to Recapture Lead in Bundesliga celona as they beat Real Betis for a after a lengthy video assistant ref- BERLIN (Dispatches) -- Bayern as Raphael Guerreiro exchanged Both sides continued to attack and Leroy Sane finished off Lewan- first La Liga win in five games. eree review. Munich have rallied back from one passes with Marco Reus, who slot- remained dangerous as Kingsley dowski’s assist into the bottom-left Ousmane Dembele gave Barca Messi played a one-two with goal down to defeat Borussia Dort- ted home into the roof of the net Coman rattled the woodwork in the corner to make it 3-1 in the 80th the lead with a powerful effort and Sergi Roberto, who backheeled the mund 3-2 in the Bundesliga, reclaim- to give German international goal- 51st minute before Dortmund goal- minute. Antoine Griezmann had a penalty ball into his path and he smashed it ing the lead in the table. keeper Manuel Neuer no chance. keeper Roman Burki denied the It looked like Bayern had sealed saved. into the roof of the net. David Alaba, Robert Lewandows- However, Dortmund’s joy was Frenchman two minutes later. the deal ahead of time, but Dort- Antonio Sanabria smashed home That was his first goal of the sea- ki and Leroy Sane were on target short-lived as Bayern restored par- Haaland shrugged off Bayern mund’s prolific striker Haaland an equalizer just before half-time. son for club or country which was for the German record champions. ity in dying seconds of the first half defender Jerome Boateng before kept the game alive after beating But Messi came on at the break not a penalty. The previous six had Dortmund had the better start as through Alaba, whose deflected pulling wide from a tight angle mo- Neuer following Guerreiro’s pass and had a hand in Griezmann’s all been from the spot. Erling Haaland approached Bay- free-kick found the top-right cor- ments later. into his path three minutes later. equalizer and scored twice him- He thought he had a hat-trick ern’s goal dangerously in the 17th ner. Neuer had to be on guard after Dortmund pressed for an equalizer self before teenager Pedri hit a late afterwards but his goal was disal- and 21st minute. After the interval, Bayern came Lucien Favre’s men increased the and should have restored parity, but fifth. lowed for a Roberto offside. Bayern thought they had opened out with guns blazing and made a pressure, as Reus and Thorgan neither Haaland nor Reus was able The Barca captain dummied Al- It was a much needed win for the scoring three minutes later, but perfect start to the second half after Hazard tested Bayern’s custodian to level the scores despite golden ba’s pass, taking two defenders and Ronald Koeman, whose side had Lewandowski’s goal was ruled off- Lucas Hernandez’s pinpoint cross in quick succession in the 70th chances in the closing stages. goalkeeper Claudio Bravo out of only picked up two points from the side by VAR. allowed Lewandowski to turn the minute. With the result, Bayern Munich the equation, to leave Griezmann previous four league games. Just before the break, Dortmund tide with a header from close range Bayern showed their clinical na- top the table while Borussia Dort- with a tap-in. They move up to eighth, one stunned Bayern with the opener in the 48th minute. ture in front of the goal, as joker mund slip to third position. He then put Barca ahead from the point behind Real Betis.