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FORMULA 1 | Page 4 NHL | Page 5 Hamilton Penguins beat and Vettel Predators locked in to retain title duel Stanley Cup Tuesday, June 13, 2017 TENNIS Ramadan 18, 1438 AH Wimbledon will be GULF TIMES complicated, says clay king Nadal SPORT Page 3 2018 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS Qatar face South Korea in must-win encounter today ‘Our chances are low, not impossible. Maybe after the game, we can speak more about the future. But now I want to focus on the game. The players want to give their best for the country, irrespective whether it will be our first or last game’ By Sports Reporter Doha atar have had a lot of ‘now or never’ matches dur- ing their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign. But today’sQ encounter against South Korea is eff ectively the last opportunity for them to get a win and keep alive their weak chance of qualifi cation. It’s still a mathematical chance and depends uncomfortably on the results of other teams but it’s all that Qatar has got. This is their eighth Group A match and they will have the advantage of playing at home. The match will be played at the Al Sadd stadium and the home team will be hoping that the pitch and the fans will help turn the result in their way. Qatar are currently at the bottom of the group with just four points from their seven matches so far. Iran, who already qualifi ed after they defeated Uzbekistan 2-0 yesterday, are table toppers with 20 points. In second place is South Korea who will be hoping to defeat Qatar today and move closer to qualifi cation. Qatar has three matches Qatar national team players take part in a training session ahead of their third round Group A 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against South Korea. The match will take place at 10pm today. PICS: Fadi Al Assaad left and that means that they can get a ask but not impossible. ing in good leagues in Europe. But I calls in this campaign. It started with but coach Fossati believed that he has maximum of 13 points. That will only “Our chances are low, not impossi- have confi dence in my players that they 2-0 loss to Iran where they had con- the bench strength to replace him. “I be good enough for third place, which ble. Maybe after the game, we can speak will do a good job. That is essential if we ceded goals in the 94th and 96th have big confi dence in the player who will give them the chance to advance more about the future. But now I want want to beat a high-level opponent like minute. Then the home loss to Uz- will take Sebastian’s place. He’s a very to the fourth round. The winner of this to focus on the game. The players want South Korea,” he added. bekistan where they fell behind in the important place for. But because I don’t fourth round will face the fourth placed to give their best for the country, irre- In the previous encounter between 86th minute and ended up losing. All have a Messi, Ronaldo or Suarez, I be- team in the CONCACAF standings for a spective whether it will be our fi rst or these two teams, Qatar was leading 2-1 of these near-misses have proved very lieve we cannot be dependent on one slot in the 2018 World Cup. last game,” said Qatar coach Jorge Fos- after the fi rst half. But two quick goals costly. Qatar will need to pull up their player,” said Fossati. This scenario means that Qa- sati during the pre-match press confer- within the fi rst 13 minutes of the second socks and produce a performance that Everybody in the team will have to tar has to win all their remaining ence yesterday. half by South Korea resulted in Qatar they can be proud of. step up and deliver if Qatar are to pull Qatar’s Hassan al-Haydous during matches and also hope that all other “We recognise the quality of our op- ending up on the losing side. The home team will be without the off a win today and keep alive their practice yesterday. teams above them stumble. A high ponents. They have many players play- Qatar have had many such close services of suspended Sebastian Soria hopes. It’s do-or-die like never before. BOTTOMLINE South Korea match good platform to prepare for home World Cup in 2022: Qatar players By Sports Reporter sati’s side will fi ght hard to match op- ers who have been together from the plays slick, modern football.” Doha ponents whose starting line-up will under-19 level and have been achieving Ali added: “Son Heung-min is amaz- feature many players with big match signifi cant things. We will be joined by ing on the left, and they have a gifted experience in top European leagues. a group of gifted youngsters currently winger on the right as well. In the mid- wo Qatar internationals be- “The match against South Korea will be coming through the world-class infra- dle, they have fantastic players link- lieve that Qatar’s third round a good platform to prepare for the home structure and coaching system of As- ing up with Son, such as our own Nam Group A 2018 FIFA World World Cup in 2022,” said Hassan, who pire, so things look positive.” Tae-hee. I saw the away game in Suwon TCup qualifi er against South scored Qatar’s fi rst goal in the 2-2 draw in Hassan’s 20-year-old compatriot Ali last October and it was a tactical lesson, Korea today will prove valuable for the friendly against North Korea on 6 June. is seeking his fi rst competitive interna- watching from the sidelines how their the development of ‘Al Annabi’, as the “We will focus on getting the basics tional cap following his appearance as a midfi eld and the centre-forward linked national team looks towards the 2022 right against them. For instance, our substitute in the friendly against North up with Son.” FIFA World Cup at home. Abdelka- full-backs, including me, will have to be Korea. He said he will use the experi- His Lekhwiya teammate Nam, who rim Hassan and Almoez Ali, past and careful as they have very speedy wingers ence of playing against a top Asian side was voted QFA Player of the Year 2017, present holders of the Qatar Football who can take advantage of the space if we to continue his technical development has been a constant source of inspiration Association’s (QFA) Under-23 Player of make overlapping runs. The collective and fuel his dreams of being the main for Ali this season. “I have added many the Year award, view the game against experience of playing against such teams striker for the host nation of the 2022 facets to my game this year, learning the the Asian powerhouses as an opportu- will be signifi cant as the team prepares FIFA World Cup. fi ner nuances of shooting inside the box nity to gather further experience at the for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.” “We have all been together for quite from Youssef El Arabi, and intelligent highest level. Hassan emphasised that Qatar’s some time now at the age-group level,” movement and use of space from Nam. Al Sadd left-back Hassan, a 23-year- plans for the 2022 FIFA World Cup will said the Lekhwiya forward. “Playing He is a terrifi c player, and I am looking old with 60 international caps to his be focused on youth. “For the tourna- against South Korea is a good way to forward to playing against him and hope- name, told www.sc.qa that Jorge Fos- Qatar’s Abdelkarim Hassan (left) with national coach Jorge Fossati. ment, we will have a core group of play- measure ourselves against a team that fully beating his team.” Gulf Times 2 Tuesday, June 13, 2017 FOOTBALL WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS WATCH OUT Italy coach Ventura Wales draw as fi res Spain warning Spain, Italy stay neck and neck Italy’s coach Gian Piero Ventura. (Reuters) ‘It was a great point... You expect a tough game here. Everything I asked of the AFP Milan three qualifi ers to play following players they did it. That’s the type of togetherness these boys have got’ their Madrid clash on Septem- ber 2, it is being billed as decisive taly coach Gian Piero Ventura for both as they look to secure has warned that failure to get it top spot and the sole automatic right against Spain in a crucial qualifying place. World Cup qualifi er next Sep- The runners-up up will be Itember could prove costly. forced to a qualifying play-off . Goals from Lorenzo Insigne, “Our fi rst half will serve as a Andrea Belotti, Eder, Federico lesson for our next game, in Ma- Bernardeschi and Manolo Gab- drid. If we head to Spain trying to biadini in a 5-0 rout of Liechten- do things too quickly, we’ll end stein sent unbeaten Italy to their up messing it up,” said Ventura. fi fth win in Group G in Udine on “In the second half we did Sunday. things as we should have, we But a lack of clinical fi nishing played with a lot more lucidity meant the Azzurri failed to pile and the chances came, and even- on even more goals that could tually so did the goals.

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