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Home , Diego Maradona, Ronaldinho

Sports FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2013

Ronaldinho free kicks rescue

SAO PAULO: scored from two free kicks to second bookable offence two minutes later. half. Corinthians goalkeeper Cassio was injured in a col- rescue a 2-2 draw for South American champions Another exquisite Ronaldinho free kick seven min- lision with Inter forward Leandro Damiao as he cleared Atletico Mineiro at home to Brazilian champions utes from time salvaged a point for the Roosters. a cross, then Fabricio collected the rebound and fired Fluminense. A referee was given a police escort off the Mineiro, who have sat on their laurels since winning the into an empty net. field at halftime after controversially disallowing a Libertadores Cup in July and fielded second-string The referee at first signalled a goal but then awarded in Internacional’s 1-0 win over Corinthians while teams in several games, are 13th in the 20-team table a foul to Corinthians, generating furious protests from Cruzeiro’s 3-1 win at Bahia kept them top of the with 21 points from 17 games. Former Real Madrid and the hosts. He was escorted off at halftime by riot police Brazilian championship in other games on Wednesday. coach Vanderlei Luxemburg’s Fluminense, last wielding truncheons and plastic shields. Cruzeiro (37 Mineiro fell behind when a defensive blunder gifted year’s champions, are 16th with 19 points, one place points) stayed four clear of Atletico Paranaense at the a 12th-minute goal to Fluminense’s Wagner but above the relegation zone. top. First-half goals from Borges and Everton Ribeiro equalised in first-half stoppage time when Ronaldinho , another former Brazil coach, saw his put them in control in front of a sparse 9,000 at the won a free kick and scored with a shot which went in off Internacional side end a run of six straight draws by Fonte Nova, one of Brazil’s World Cup stadiums. Fahel the crossbar. In a generally scrappy game which pro- beating Corinthians 1-0. Argentine Andres D’Alessandro pulled one back for Bahia before former Sevilla, Malaga, duced more than 50 fouls, Rhayner put Fluminense scored the winner with a deflected free kick, although AS Roma, Real Madrid and Brazil striker Julio Baptista back in front in the 73rd minute only to be sent off for a Inter were fuming after a disallowed goal in the first completed the scoring. —Reuters

Maradona and Romario demand more transparency

SAO PAULO: Diego and Romario have joined forces to attack the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL), saying it has failed to share the wealth generated by the sport in the region. Former captain and ex- Brazil striker Romario, now a member of his country’s congress, are long-standing critics of the football establishment in the region. The pair met with 20 South American clubs and a group of Uruguayan lawyers to demand change in the way football is administered. “We have seen, with astonishment and great sadness, that foot- ball is for just a few,” Maradona told reporters after a meeting of the group in Sao Paulo on Wednesday night. “It doesn’t belong to the clubs, the supporters or the players. So we are going to form a commission to unmask these people who do so much harm to the game. “It’s very serious, but thanks to all of us who are not afraid of those people ... we are here so that we can have a more transpar- ent football,” he added. Romario described CONMEBOL as worse than the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), which he has fre- quently criticized. “The situation is really much more serious than we imagined,” he said. “What has been presented here is one of the biggest dis- graces that I have seen. I couldn’t imagine that there was an institu- tion which ... did so much harm to the sport. “We have to get more people together. The clubs, the ex-players and the current players TOKYO: People walk around Tokyo Big Sight convention center which Tokyo plans to use as the main media center and have to take the fight to CONMEBOL. It’s a movement for trans- venues for fencing, taekwondo and wrestling for the 2020 Olympics if Tokyo wins the Olympic bid. — AFP parency and dignity in football. “With this commission that we are going to form, we are going to see what has happened to all this Tokyo dangles dollars in bid to grab Games money.”—Reuters : Tokyo’s Olympic bid team yesterday dangled dol- some 230km from the stricken plant. “Right now Tokyo’s radiation lar signs in front of the IOC, with a vow to leverage Asia’s massive level is comparable to , Paris and New York and here as Portugal turn to marketing potential were it awarded the right to stage the 2020 well,” Takeda said. “It’s absolutely safe.” Instead, the Japanese team Summer Games. The Japanese attempted to play a trump card in were hoping to appeal to the IOC’s business sense in the high- youngsters as the face of a Fukushima crisis threatening to derail their hopes of stakes contest. staging the world’s greatest sporting extravaganza. Tokyo stressed injuries mount its economic strength and the opportunities available by tapping GREAT POTENTIAL Asia as it continues to try to woo members of the International It promised to showcase Asia’s great potential and highlighted : Portugal called up forward Nelson Oliveira and Olympic Committee (IOC). the opportunity offered by choosing a city in the world’s largest uncapped trio Adrien Silva, Lica and Anthony Lopes for Some 100 IOC members will tomorrow choose between continent. Fujio Cho, President of the Japan Sports Association and today’s World Cup Group F qualifier against Northern Ireland Istanbul, Madrid and Tokyo for the host city of the Games. While honorary chairman of Toyota Motor Corp, said the Olympic to replace players who are sidelined through injury. The Tokyo focused on finances, Istanbul placed athletes at the centre of Movement could only benefit with Tokyo as host. “Asia is the only changes announced by the Portuguese Football Federation its bid, promising them an unrivalled experience, and Madrid high- continent in the world with more people living within its territory came after Ruben Micael and Danny, forward lighted its support and backing at home. Tokyo had been seen as than outside,” he said. Hugo Almeida and goalkeeper Beto were ruled out. an early favorite, with Madrid hurt by Spain’s ongoing economic “Consequently it is the largest market in the world, with billions Stade Rennes striker Oliveira and winger Lica are in woes and Istanbul suffering from anti-government protests, the of passionate sports fans.” Much talk among commentators has great shape after good starts to the seasons at their clubs, escalating war in neighboring Syria and a series of doping scandals. been about the state of the Spanish economy - seen as Madrid’s with 22-year-old Oliveira netting three league goals and 24- Achilles heel - and Takeda highlighted that Japan had recently year-old Lica one. goalkeeper Lopes, 22, FINANCIALLY SAFE reported its lowest rate of unemployment since October 2008. replaces second-choice keeper Beto in the squad while 24- But while Tokyo had been regarded as a financially safe choice, Japan’s July 2013 figure of 3.8 percent - in stark contrast to the year-old Silva, who has caught the eye as the boss of many commentators and people close to the city-selecting process Spanish figure of some 26 percent - is an indication of the strength Sporting’s midfield, was called in for Braga’s Micael. Group in Buenos Aires are now saying the Spanish bid is gathering pace of the country’s economy, according to Takeda. leaders Portugal are favorites to win the match in Belfast but fast. The Argentine capital was abuzz with talk of Fukushima after While Tokyo spoke of the economy and benefits of unlocking Paulo Bento’s team will, however, be wary of a fiery Northern trade and economics minister Toshimitsu Motegi told Reuters that Asia’s potential, Istanbul bid chiefs spoke of their city’s history and Ireland side who held them to a 1-1 draw last year and Japan’s government is in touch with experts in the United States focused on athletes, promising them an unrivalled experience were shocked Russia 1-0 in Belfast last month. Portugal top Group F and elsewhere on ways to control the crisis. the Turks to win the contest. “Imagine being a marathon runner with 14 points from seven matches, two points above second- Tokyo’s case can hardly have been helped by the news once crossing continents over the Bosphorus Bridge, a triathlete racing placed Russia, who have one game in hand. Israel are third more placing Fukushima squarely in the spotlight. But bid leader alongside Istanbul’s 2,500 year-old city walls or a volleyball player with 11 and Northern Ireland are fourth with six. — Reuters Tsunekazu Takeda told reporters he had written a letter to IOC spiking for the match with the Bosphorus at your back,” Turkish IOC members to stress radiation was not a threat to Tokyo, located member Ugur Erdener told reporters.—Reuters