Blatter Attends Match, Says
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FOOTBALL | Page 3 FORMULA 1 | Page 6 Argentina’s Hamilton Messi seeks boosted for redemption ground-breaking against Croatia F1 triple-header Thursday, June 21, 2018 FOOTBALL Shawwal 7, 1439 AH Ronaldo earns GULF TIMES edgy Portugal 1-0 win against Morocco SPORT Page 2 REPORT IRN 0-1 ESP Lucky Costa goal sees Spain past Iran It was Costa’s third goal in this World Cup AFP Spain coach Fernando Hi- ing close in the fi nal minutes Kazan, Russia erro welcomed Real Madrid’s when midfi elder Mehdi Tare- Dani Carvajal back into the mi headed just over. starting line-up following his Shortly after the restart an lucky Diego Costa recovery from a hamstring Isco corner was fl icked on by goal handed World injury suff ered in the Cham- Costa to Gerard Pique but his Cup hopefuls Spain pions League fi nal win over eff ort was cleared off the line. their fi rst win of the Liverpool. Sergio Busquets’ drive AWorld Cup although dogged With Lucas Vazquez re- from 20 yards was then par- Iran came close to causing a placing Atletico Madrid mid- ried by Beiranvand, who major upset yesterday. fi elder Koke, it gave La Roja palmed the rebound away The victory in Kazan puts a distinctively Real Madrid before Lucas Vazquez could the 2010 winners on course feel. pounce. for the last 16. By the end of a pulsating Some great vision from Costa, who scored twice in opening half in which Iran’s Iniesta, and a slice of luck, a 3-3 opening draw with Por- defence thwarted the few real however broke Iranian hearts tugal in Sochi, courted con- chances La Roja were able when Costa spun and latched troversy early in the Group B to create, Hierro’s men left on to the ball before seeing encounter when he stepped the pitch looking rather red- his shot rebound off Ramin on the toes of Iran ‘keeper Ali faced. Rezaeian and into the net. Beiranvand as he waited to Costa got so frustrated Spain, however, were still kick the ball out. with Iran’s defensive tac- fl attering to deceive. His gesture went unpun- tics that he approached Bei- On a rare counter goal- ished, and the Atletico Ma- ranvand and provocatively keeper David De Gea was left drid striker required another stepped on his toes, leaving irate when Taremi rose to stroke of luck on 54 minutes the ‘keeper in visible pain. head a metre wide. when his shot came off Ram- It went unpunished by Moments later, the sta- in Rezaeian to beat Beiran- Uruguayan referee Cunha, dium erupted when Ezatolahi vand after he had been sent who had awarded France a fi red through a packed Spain through by Andres Iniesta. historic fi rst VAR-assisted area to beat De Gea but the The entire Iranian bench penalty that saw Antoine assistant referee’s fl ag was poured onto the pitch when Griezmann score Les Bleus’ up. Saeid Ezatolahi fi red an opener in a 2-1 win over Aus- In the fi nal quarter hour equaliser for the Lions of tralia. Iran battled for a late equal- Persia just before the hour. Spain resumed in more iser, but after Vahid Amiri But the thousands of Ira- positive fashion after the showed class to nutmeg nian supporters that fi lled the break, Beiranvand forced to Pique deep on the left and fi re stadium with the sound of produce heroics twice in the over an inviting cross, Tare- vuvuzelas throughout were space of four minutes. mi’s thundering header fl ew left disappointed when it was But Iran refused to buckle, just over the bar as a relieved Spain’s Diego Costa ruled out for off side. Carlos Queiroz’s men com- De Gea looked on. celebrates after scoring a goal against Iran yesterday. (Reuters) SPOTLIGHT ‘Better me than the players’: Southgate, Never mind Neymar — does Coutinho hold the keys for Brazil? England’s fi rst AFP the wake of Neymar’s departure for says he is not motivated by personal injury casualty Sochi, Russia Paris Saint-Germain, the two players glory. fi nd themselves playing on the same “I don’t like to speak about myself. side of the pitch for their country. It is not something I have in my head,” AFP hatever becomes of Brazil “For me the last six months have he says. Repino, Russia at this World Cup will in- been really good,” said the softly- But the question is whether he is evitably be seen through spoken Coutinho as he appeared for the man to dictate the rhythm of the the prism of Neymar the media at the Brazilian team’s game for Brazil, with Tite — whose ngland manager Gareth Southgate Wand his state of fi tness, but Philippe training camp in the Black Sea resort players call him The Professor — se- admitted his World Cup celebra- Coutinho has already shown that he of Sochi this week. lecting him on the left of a midfi eld tions will be more muted for the re- could hold the keys for Tite’s side. “In terms of my role in the national three. mainder of the tournament after Coutinho’s trademark, curling team, we have a squad of great play- Rather than starting on the wing, Edislocating his shoulder while out running strike from outside the box in Sun- ers. Everyone knows his responsibil- he fi nds himself behind an attack of yesterday. day’s 1-1 draw against Switzerland ity.” Willian, Gabriel Jesus and Neymar. Southgate leapt from the bench in joy as that kicked off Brazil’s campaign in Renato Augusto has made way, Harry Kane scored an injury-time winner Russia capped a performance that led TENDENCY TO DISAPPEAR while Fernandinho, brilliant for Man- to get England’s campaign off to a winning to him winning the man of the match The former Liverpool player was left chester City, is also reduced to the start against Tunisia on Monday. award. out of the squad by Luiz Felipe Scolari role of substitute. “I might not be celebrating any goals as Neymar, meanwhile, only showed four years ago, but became key for his Brazil legend Zico has accused athletically in future,” joked Southgate, in a fl ashes of his genius. country when they sought to rebuild Coutinho of “disappearing” from statement from the Football Association af- On other occasions he appeared to in the wake of the 7-1 humiliation games at times, but he does off er a ter being treated in hospital near England’s slow Brazil down, and his inability against Germany in that year’s semi- very diff erent profi le to the more ro- training base in Repino, 45 kilometres north- to change the game for the Selecao is fi nals. bust Paulinho or Casemiro alongside west of Saint Petersburg. “The doc has made hardly a surprise given it was just his After being reduced to the role of him. it clear that punching the air is not an option.” second start since a foot operation in spectator in 2014, his introduction to “I have already played in that po- England have been blessed by a lack of March. the Brazilian camp in Russia involved sition a lot for Liverpool, and some- injuries in the build-up to their bid to end In contrast, Coutinho looks in being the victim of an ‘ovada’ — he times for Barcelona. In terms of dis- a 52-year wait to win a major international prime form coming into tomorrow’s was chased by his teammates before appearing, I just always try to do my tournament. game against Costa Rica in Saint having an egg cracked over his head best,” he said. And Southgate said he was happier to take Petersburg, fresh from a successful and being showered in fl our to mark “Sometimes things don’t come off the blow rather than one of his players. bedding-in period at Barcelona after his 26th birthday. the way we want them to and people “It is better this is me than one of the his 160 million euro ($194mn) switch Coutinho is the same age as Ney- he had contributed four goals in a friendly. comment, but I just need to keep in players,” he added. “I am just a bit gutted there in January. mar, and capable of being just as de- storming second half to Brazil’s qual- However, while Neymar appears to my head the idea of helping the team because I was on for my record 10k time!” While he moved to the Camp Nou cisive. ifying campaign, and netted another be driven by the prospect of being the in the way I know how and the way ‘O England’s campaign continues on Sunday as part of Barcelona’s rebuilding in Before his strike against the Swiss in Austria in their fi nal warm-up world’s best player, Coutinho himself Professor’ Tite needs.” against Panama. 85 international goals for Cristiano Ronaldo is a new record for a European player 2 Gulf Times Thursday, June 21, 2018 REPORT POR 1-0 MAR Morocco, who failed to convert Ronaldo earns edgy their chances, have no points and cannot progress to the Portugal 1-0 win second round Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates his goal during the match against Morocco yesterday. (Reuters) Reuters tournament after four minutes, fol- Moutinho swung in a cross from a Moscow lowing his last-gasp equaliser in a short corner and Ronaldo duly bur- hat-trick in the 3-3 draw with Spain, ied the header.