WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2013 SPORTS

Egypt star reaches milestone Iraq sacks Serbian Messi tax case delayed

JOHANNESBURG: Midfielder Mohamed Abou Trika became the ninth BAGHDAD: Iraq’s football association fired the national team’s MADRID: The case involving Barcelona star Lionel Messi and his father on Egyptian footballer to reach the 100-cap milestone when he lined up Serbian head coach yesterday, blaming a string of “bad results”, after tax evasion charges has been delayed until September 27, a court state- against Guinea yesterday in a World Cup qualifier. the squad failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. ment confirmed yesterday. Messi was due to appear in court in the coastal Although one of the greatest footballers produced by Africa, the 34-year town of Gava near Barcelona on September 17, the day before Barcelona has never played for a European club, preferring seven-time African cham- “The association unanimously decided to relieve the coach of his duties and to appoint Hakeem Shakir as the national team coach,” start their Champions League campaign against Ajax. pions Al-Ahly for most of his career. However, the Argentine’s lawyers had asked for that date to be changed An attacking midfielder in the twilight of a career that has brought many Iraqi Football Association Vice President Abdulkhaliq Massud told due to commitments on another case on the same day. Messi and his individual and team honours, Abou Trika still dreams of a first appearance AFP. Vladimir Petrovic lasted just five months in the job, and will be father Jorge Horacio Messi are accused of trying to deceive the Spanish tax- at the World Cup tournament. Egypt have already won Group G with five replaced by the national youth team’s head coach. man to the tune of four million euros ($5 million, £3.4 consecutive victories, giving them an unassail- Petrovic had signed a one-year contract for $800,000 when he million) by ceding the player’s image rights to com- able five-point lead over Guinea ahead of the was hired. Shakir takes over as the Iraqi national squad tries to quali- panies based in tax havens such as Belize and final mini-league fixture at Red Sea resort El- fy for the 2015 Asian Cup, with a match against Saudi Arabia sched- Uruguay. They are alleged to have drawn up deals Gouna. The Pharaohs are set to face Ivory Coast, in Britain and Switzerland to ensure that the uled for October 15. Ghana, Algeria, Nigeria or Cape Verde in a two-leg income passed straight into the tax havens without play-off during October and November, and the FIFA in July barred Iraq from hosting international football friend- passing through Spain. However, Messi’s lawyers winners qualify for Brazil. Abou Trika has been vot- lies due to a surge in violence, reversing a decision to allow the have claimed the 26-year-old has scrupulously com- ed CAF Africa-based Footballer of the Year three country to host matches three months earlier. plied with Spanish legislation and will pay any times and was a key figure when Egypt won the 2006 Iraq’s national team has struggled to replicate their stunning suc- amount he is found to owe. Last week a judge’s ruling and 2008 Cup of Nations titles. A man with strong cess in the 2007 Asia Cup when they emerged triumphant, giving confirmed that Jorge Horacio Messi paid 5.02 million views, he was yellow carded during the 2008 Africa the country a rare national symbol as it was grappling with a brutal euros to the tax authorities as a corrective payment Cup for lifting his shirt and displaying “Sympathise in August for the four million euros due in tax with Gaza”.on his t-shirt.—AFP Sunni-Shiite sectarian war.—AFP plus interest.—AFP Braves snap losing streak

MIAMI: Evan Gattis drove in two runs to highlight Atlanta’s highest-scoring inning in more than a month as the Braves snapped a four-game slide by beating Miami 5-2 on Monday. Justin Upton, Freddie Freeman and Gattis all doubled to lead off what became a five-run fourth, Atlanta’s biggest inning since a five-run fifth against Philadelphia on Aug. 2. Kris Medlen (13-12) was the beneficiary that night against the Phillies and again on Monday, getting the win after allow- ing six hits and two runs in 6 1-3 innings. Atlanta (86-57) passed idle Boston (87-58) for baseball’s best record. Chris Coghlan tied a career high with four hits for Miami, which lost for the 24th time in its last 34 games. Ed Lucas added a two-run double in the seventh for the Marlins. Marlins starter Henderson Alvarez (3-4) gave up no hits in the first three innings, before Atlanta got to him in the fourth. Craig Kimbrel worked the ninth for his 45th save in 48 tries. Atlanta has not lost more than four straight at any point this season.

CUBS 2, REDS 0 In Cincinnati, Travis Wood beat Cincinnati for MIAMI: First baseman Freddie Freeman No 5 of the attempts to pick off Chris the first time in his career, repeatedly pitching out Coghlan No. 8 of the . —AFP of threats for seven innings. earlier in the evening when the Los Angeles for clinching the NL West title to eight. Wood (9-11) finally beat the team that traded Dodgers beat the . Adrian Gonzalez, Andre Ethier and Hanley him after the 2011 season. He was 0-4 in his career, Angel Pagan hit a one-out single off reliever Ramirez also went deep in the Dodgers’ biggest including three losses this season. He allowed six Adam Ottavino (1-3) and took third on Marco power display in almost seven years. hits and fanned seven. Kevin Gregg gave up a dou- Scutaro’s single. Belt, who doubled in the tying run Ricky Nolasco (13-9) won his seventh straight ble in the ninth while earning his 31st save in 35 in the eighth, hit a 1-2 pitch over the head of left decision over eight starts. Uribe beat out an infield chances. Ryan Sweeney and Luis Valbuena home- fielder Charlie Culberson for his second game-end- single to third base in the seventh against Heath red off Bronson Arroyo (13-11), who had won his ing hit this season. Bell to drive in the Dodgers’ final run, capping his last four starts against the Cubs. Arroyo allowed DJ LeMahieu singled and doubled to extend his first four-hit game since April 23, 2001, against seven hits over seven innings, striking out six. career-high hitting streak to 11 games, and Nolan Atlanta. It was the first time the Dodgers hit as The Reds were coming off a week when they Arenado scored from second base on an infield many as six home runs in a game since Sept. 18, got six wins in seven games against St. Louis and groundout for the Rockies. Buster Posey hit his 2006, when they hit seven. the NL West-leading Dodgers. 15th home run of the season for San Francisco. Uribe was the eighth player in the majors this Cincinnati is 13-4 against the Cubs this season. season to hit three homers, and the first Dodger to Overall, Cincinnati has won 12 of its last 15 and 22 DODGERS 8, DIAMONDBACKS 1 do it since Ethier on June 26, 2009, against Seattle. of its last 27 against Chicago. In Los Angeles, Juan Uribe homered in each of It was Uribe’s first three-homer game. Los Angeles’ his first three trips to the plate as Los Angeles con- first four homers came off Randall Delgado (4-6), NATIONALS 9, METS 0 nected six times in all in reducing its magic number who threw 70 pitches over 2 2-3 innings. —AP In New York, Gio Gonzalez was inches from a no-hitter as Washington hit five home runs in the rout. Gonzalez (10-6) held the overmatched Mets MLB results/standings BALTIMORE: Ichiro Suzuki No. 31 of the flies out to left field in the sec- hitless into the seventh before pinch-hitter Zach ond inning against the at Oriole Park. —AFP Lutz broke up the bid with a soft single for New Baltimore 4, NY Yankees 2; Cleveland 4, Kansas City 3; 2, Cincinnati 0; Washington 9, NY Mets 0; York’s only hit. Lutz swung at the first pitch of the Atlanta 5, Miami 2; Minnesota 6, LA Angels 3; Pittsburgh 1, Texas 0; 5, Detroit 1; Houston 6, inning and hit a looper that landed on the first Seattle 4; LA Dodgers 8, Arizona 1; San Francisco 3, Colorado 2 (10 innings). Orioles and Indians roll base line, taking out a chunk of chalk well behind the bag. The left-hander struck out eight and Eastern Division Eastern Division BALTIMORE: Chris Tillman took a three-hit- with a scoreless seventh. walked two for his second career shutout and W L PCT GB Atlanta 86 57 .601 - Boston 87 58 .600 - ter into the eighth inning and the fourth complete game, improving to 5-0 in his last Washington 74 69 .517 12 Baltimore Orioles beat the New York WHITE SOX 5, TIGERS 1 Tampa Bay 78 64 .549 7.5 Philadelphia 66 77 .462 20 six starts against the Mets. Baltimore 77 66 .538 9 Yankees 4-2 on Monday in a game that fea- In Chicago, Chris Sale gave up a run and Denard Span and Ryan Zimmerman hit back-to- NY Mets 64 78 .451 21.5 tured an on-field confrontation between four hits in eight innnigs, denying Max NY Yankees 76 68 .528 10.5 Miami 53 89 .373 32.5 back homers to start the game. Jayson Werth and Toronto 67 76 .469 19 the teams’ managers. Scherzer his 20th win, and Miguel Cabrera Entral Division Tyler Moore also connected off Carlos Torres (3-4), Central Division St. Louis 83 60 .580 - With the victory, the Orioles moved was ejected in the first inning as the White Detroit 82 62 .569 - roughed up by Washington for the second time in Pittsburgh 82 61 .573 1 within 1 1/2 games of idle Tampa Bay for Sox beat the Tigers. Sale (11-12) won for six weeks. Wilson Ramos added a three-run shot off Cleveland 77 66 .538 4.5 the second AL wild card. The Yankees fell the fifth time in six decisions. Kansas City 75 69 .521 7 Cincinnati 82 63 .566 2 reliever Greg Burke. The Nationals won their third Milwaukee 62 80 .437 20.5 three games behind Tampa Bay. Scherzer (19-3) gave up five runs and six straight and fifth in six games. Minnesota 62 80 .437 19 Tillman (16-5) allowed two runs and four hits in four innings as he lost consecutive Chicago White Sox 58 85 .406 23.5 Chicago Cubs 61 82 .427 22 Western Division hits in seven-plus innings. He walked none starts for the first time this season after Western Division GIANTS 3, ROCKIES 2 Oakland 83 60 .580 - LA Dodgers 84 59 .587 - and struck out nine, matching his career Boston beat him Sept. 3. In San Francisco, Brandon Belt’s RBI single with Arizona 72 71 .503 12 high. Both dugouts emptied briefly after It was Detroit’s fifth loss in six games, Texas 81 62 .566 2 one out in the bottom of the 10th gave San LA Angels 67 76 .469 16 San Diego 65 77 .458 18.5 the first inning, when Orioles manager dropping the Tigers’ lead in the AL Central Francisco its second straight walkoff win. Seattle 65 79 .451 18.5 Colorado 66 79 .455 19 Buck Showalter angrily exchanged words to 41/2 games over Cleveland. Cabrera was The defending World Series champions, howev- Houston 48 96 .333 35.5 San Francisco 65 79 .451 19.5 with Joe Girardi after the Yankees manager ejected after arguing that he was hit by a er, were eliminated from contention in the NL West apparently said something to Baltimore pitch. third base coach Bobby Dickerson. Showalter had to be restrained by home ASTROS 6, MARINERS 4 South Korea lifters plate umpire Ed Hickox. Alex Rodriguez hit In Seattle, Jonathan Villar’s two-run sin- his 652nd homer. gle highlighted a four-run ninth inning as leave for Pyongyang the Astros rallied to beat the Mariners in INDIANS 4, ROYALS 3 front of the smallest crowd in Safeco Field SEOUL: A delegation of South Korean weightlifters left for In Cleveland, Ubaldo Jimenez struck out history. Pyongyang yesterday to take part in a regional competi- 10 in seven innings and Asdrubal Cabrera, Abraham Almonte hit his first major tion that could see the South’s flag raised and national Yan Gomes and Carlos Santana each hit league homer, a two-run shot in the sev- anthem played officially for the first time on North Korean solo homers, leading the Indians to a win enth inning, to give the Mariners a 3-2 lead. soil. The two Koreas have only resumed dialogue in recent over the Royals in a matchup between two Seattle reliever Charlie Furbush got out of a weeks after months of tensions earlier this year appeared teams in the thick of the AL wild-card jam in the eighth, but in the ninth the to take their frayed ties to the brink of war as Pyongyang chase. The Indians, who won despite hav- Astros broke through. threatened missile and nuclear attacks against the South ing only five hits, stayed even with Danny Farquhar (0-3) walked Marc and its ally the United States. Baltimore, 11/2 games back of Tampa Bay Krauss and Carlos Corporan with one out, The visit was approved by Seoul’s Unification Ministry for the second wild-card spot. The Royals and Jimmy Paredes’ run-scoring single tied last week after Pyongyang promised to guarantee the safe- dropped to four games behind the Rays. the game at 3. Villar then gave Houston a ty of the South Korean delegation, the ministry said. Jimenez (11-9) allowed one unearned two-run lead with his hit to center. Kevin The North also agreed to allow the South Korean flag to run and didn’t walk a batter. The right-han- Chapman (1-1) pitched a scoreless eighth be raised if one of their lifters gets on the podium, and will der left with a 4-1 lead after throwing 99 to earn the win. play the South’s anthem if one of their athlete’s wins gold. pitches, but Alex Gordon hit a two-run Kim Ki-dong, vice president of Korea Weightlifting homer off Cody Allen in the eighth. Royals INTERLEAGUE Federation, said he hoped the visit would boost relations starter Ervin Santana (8-9) gave up the PIRATES 1, RANGERS 0 between the two neighbors. three homers. In Arlington, clinching their first winning Kuwaiti Mohammad Al Attar “No matter what the results (of the competition) will be, season since 1992, rookie right-hander I hope our visit to Pyongyang at this point in time, when TWINS 6, ANGELS 3 Gerrit Cole had a career-high nine strike- competes at Red Bull Art of the South and North are divided, would develop a good In Minneapolis, Trevor Plouffe had two outs over seven innings to outpitch Yu momentum to boost sports exchanges,” he said ahead of hits and drove in the tying and go-ahead Darvish and lead the Pirates to a victory Motion in Santorini Island the team’s departure. runs as the snapped a 10- over the Rangers. The delegation of 22 lifters and 19 officials from the fed- game home losing streak with a victory The Pirates (82-61) didn’t get a runner to he world’s best exponents of the art with my continuous training I hope I can eration flew to Beijing from Gimpo International Airport in over the Angels. second base against Darvish (12-8) until of free running will come together in achieve a leading position in this presti- Seoul. They were then to board a connecting flight to Plouffe’s two-run, two-out double in the Marlon Byrd’s two-out double in the sev- TSantorini, Greece for Red Bull Art of gious event. “ Pyongyang. The lifters were invited to compete in the 2013 fifth inning tied the game 3-all, and his enth. He came home when Pedro Alvarez Motion. The event, which had its inaugural On September 14 the world’s elite will Asian Cup and Interclub Weightlifting Championship from bases-loaded sacrifice fly off Cory Rasmus followed with a double. staging in Vienna, Austria back in 2007, will be ready to impress the crowd with their Sept. 11-17 in the North Korean capital. (0-1) in the seventh put the Twins ahead as Pittsburgh had lost a season-high four see 18 athletes each performing against tricks, runs and drops. The traditional paved Lifter Cheon Jung-pyung was well aware of the signifi- the Twins won at home for the first time games in a row since getting their 81st vic- the stunning backdrop of the idyllic Greek narrow streets, terraces and domes will be cance of the visit. “We’re going into North Korea, which is a since Aug. 15, avoiding the longest home tory last Tuesday at Milwaukee to guaran- island. the playground for the athletes, including big issue in history,” he said. “I’ll make sure to sing the losing streak since the franchise started in tee their first non-losing season in more Red Bull athlete Mohammed Attar will the top eight of Red Bull Art of Motion South Korean national anthem there.” The last time South Washington in 1901. than two decades. represent Kuwait hoping to achieve a lead- 2012. Six more athletes will join the compe- Korean athletes competed in North Korea was in 2003 for The home skid was the Twins’ longest Darvish is 0-3 his last five starts, all ing position in the championship. “Two tition through the online qualifier. an inter-Korean basketball and soccer event. since moving from Washington in 1961. Rangers losses. The Japanese right-hander years back I gained extensive experience Freerunners from all parts of the globe In July, the North Korean women’s national football The Senators lost 10 straight home games struck out six while allowing one run and from my first participation in the Red Bull have the unique chance to apply with a team received a warm welcome in the South when they in 1957. Casey Fien (4-2) earned the victory four hits over seven innings.—AP Art of Motion that took place in Failaka and video to qualify. competed in the East Asian Cup.—Reuters