FRIDAY, JULY 26, 2019 16

Exciting semi-final battles United edge out Spurs set for FIVB U21 Worlds

Manchester United• starlet Angel Gomes hits winner as tempers flare against Tottenham Hotspur

Anthony Martial also on• target as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men finish tour of Asia in style

AFP | Shanghai, China Italy players celebrate during the match

eenager Angel Gomes TDT | Manama squeezed in the winner TODAY’S SCHEDULE 10 minutes from time as he stage is set for a pair of TManchester United beat Tot- Tthrilling semi-final match- 11.30am: Egypt vs Morocco, tenham Hotspur 2-1 in an occa- es today in the FIVB Volleyball China vs Bahrain sionally bad-tempered friendly Men’s U21 World Champion- 2pm: Tunisia vs Puerto Rico, yesterday in Shanghai. ship 2019, being held in Bah- Argentina vs Korea French striker Anthony Mar- rain. 4.30pm: Cuba vs Canada, tial put Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Italy and Brazil head into Italy vs Russia United ahead in the first half, the knockout games as favour- 7pm: Czech Republic vs Poland, before Spurs substitute Lucas ites, having each swept their Brazil vs Iran Moura replied with a scrappy three matches in the second effort in the second. Anthony Martial of Manchester United in action with Jan Vertonghen of Tottenham Hotspur round. But they are set to face After wholesale changes from a pair of quality opponents, both sides -- Solskjaer swapped Despite the fierce humidity ly winger James in a heap by the with the Italians taking on fel- 2017 edition of this tourna - out all 11 starters at the break there was an edge to the Inter- corner flag, suspecting a stamp low-European side Russia and ment. They both lost, however, -- Spurs had looked the more national Champions Cup game by the Spurs midfielder. the Brazilians battling Asian and Russia eventually claimed dangerous, before the 18-year- not always present in pre-sea- Tottenham captain Kane an- champions Iran. the bronze medal while Brazil old Londoner Gomes struck. son friendlies. grily waded in and there was a Italy and Russia face off had to settle for fourth. Victory makes it four wins KNOW WHAT Alli should have scored when scuffle, with Gazzaniga leaving in the first final four clash at The Russians are the most from four pre-season games for all alone minutes later but he his goal to join in and several 4.30pm, while Brazil and Iran successful team in the tourna- United. scuffed his shot with only David United players also involved. lock horns next at 7pm. All are ment, having won the gold 10 The Norwegian Solskjaer, un- de Gea to beat. Andreas Pereira, a combative welcome to attend the matches times previously. Brazil won der pressure to prove that he is Tottenham’s Moussa Attacking midfielder Alli, midfield presence for United, at Shaikh Isa Sports City in four times while Italy and Iran the man to take United back into Sissoko appeared to perhaps frustrated with him- was next to be booked after he Riffa. Entrance is free. are both searching for their the Champions League, named a stamp on Man Unit- self, was booked on 12 minutes cut down Kane. Young Spurs Italy won a maximum nine first under-21 world title. strong side that included wanta- ed’s Daniel James that after a second late challenge defender Japhet Tanganga was points in Pool F of round The winners in Saturday’s way midfielder Paul Pogba and sparked a tense pe- at a full Hongkou Stadium. He yellow-carded too. two, flexing their muscles in last four will move on to the new signings Daniel James and riod in which players was booed off when subbed on Spurs, fresh from a 3-2 win straight-set wins over hosts gold medal game on Saturday, Aaron Wan-Bissaka. squared up an hour. over Juventus in Singapore on Bahrain and Argentina and July 27, while the losing sides Counterpart Mauricio Martial, whose United career Sunday, brought South Korean taking a four-setter against will face off for the bronze Pochettino fielded a more ex- has threatened to peter out at forward Son Heung-min on at Iran. medals the same day. perimental team, but started times, made no mistake on 21 the break in place of Kane. Bra- Brazil did the same in Pool Aside from the final four, the England international duo minutes when he rifled the ball zil’s Moura also came on. E, giving up just a single set several classification matches of and , just four minutes when Martial under Gazzaniga from close United face Norwegian side throughout the phase in a 3-1 are also scheduled for today. along with new man Tanguy fired across stand-in goalkeeper range. Kristiansund in their next triumph against Russia, while Headlining the schedule is Ndombele. Paulo Gazzaniga, but his power- United were incensed when friendly, on Wednesday, while enjoying three-set victories Bahrain’s match with China, United nearly took the lead on ful effort struck the post. left the spright- Spurs play Real Madrid. against China and Korea. set for an 11.30am start. Both The Italians are the only teams are hoping to finish as team in the world champi - high as fifth, as are Argentina onship who have yet to taste and Korea who are contesting defeat, as they had also taken the same classification group. all three of their games in the Playing for ninth to 12th Liverpool sign off on US tour with first round. places are the Czech Repub- Both the Brazilians and Rus- lic, Canada, Cuba and Poland; sians, meanwhile, are return- while for 13th to 16th are stalemate against Sporting Lisbon ing to the semi-finals after also Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia and appearing in this phase in the Puerto Rico.

AFP | Washington European champs. Marcus Wendel tied the game game in the fourth minute for Liverpool finished with no at 2-2 in the 53rd minute with a the 18-time Portuguese champs. iverpool wrapped up their victories to show from their right footed shot from the cen- Fernandes right footed a seem- Ponting pinpoints mature Stokes LUS tour with a 2-2 draw three-match stateside tour but tre of the box to the bottom right ingly harmless long shot that Wednesday against Sporting did manage to salvage a tie corner after being set up by mid- Liverpool goalkeeper Simon as England’s key Ashes threat CP as the English Premier side against the reigning Portuguese field star Bruno Fernandes. Mignolet mishandled before it failed to win a game in their first champions at Yankee Stadium in Fernandes and Wendel also went into the net. AFP | Sydney trip abroad since being crowned New York. combined on the first goal of the Divock Origi and Georgin- io Wijnaldum scored goals for he new maturity of World the Reds who played all three TCup hero Ben Stokes poses exhibition contests in iconic the biggest threat to Australia’s American sports venues. Ashes bid, said Ricky Ponting, Jurgen Klopp’s side was miss- who compared him to Andrew ing several of their top players, Flintoff as the “real heartbeat” including forwards Roberto of the England team. Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Stokes played a crucial role Sadio Mane, who were taking a in England’s World Cup tri- break after competing in COPA umph, re-establishing himself America and African Cup of Na- as a key player after an off-field tions. Goalkeeper Alisson also incident that had threatened decided not to make the trip. his career. Liverpool came into the The all-rounder was banned contest wondering how they and fined by the England and England’s Ben Stokes holds his bat managed to drop their first two Wales Cricket Board for bring- in his teeth ahead of a ‘super over’ games. They lost a 2-1 decision ing the game into disrepute during Cricket World Cup final to Spanish club Sevilla on Sun- following a street brawl during day at Boston’s Fenway Park, a night out in Bristol in 2017. been impressed with how hard following a 3-2 defeat to Ger- It saw him stripped of the Stokes has worked to redeem many’s Borussia Dortmund at Test vice-captaincy, and he himself. Notre Dame Stadium on Friday. missed the last Ashes tour “It seems like he’s playing Sporting’s Luciano Vietto had to Australia before being with a lot of maturity,” former one of the best scoring chances cleared of criminal charges in Australia captain Ponting told of Wednesday’s game but was a high-profile court case. cricket.com.au late Wednes- stopped twice in a row from Ponting, who was Australian day. “He doesn’t seem like he’s point-blank range by Mignolet coach Justin Langer’s assis- in much of a rush now as he Liverpool’s Joel Matip (centre) in action against Sporting Lisbon just before the half. tant during the World Cup, has might have been.