S p46 o r t s FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2017 Marchisio brace lifts Juventus over PSG MIAMI: Claudio Marchisio’s second-half double was enough for Juventus to see off Paris Saint-Germain 3-2 on Wednesday and send the French champions home from the United States on the back of two consecutive defeats. The Italian international scored the goal of the game, a fiercely struck effort in the 62nd to restore Juve’s lead after PSG’s equaliser on 53 minutes. Although Unai Emery’s team battled hard, as the clock ticked down Moise Kean was brought down in the box allowing Marchisio to win it from the penalty spot. It was a tough call on PSG defender Layvin Kurzawa, who appeared to become entangled with Kean, but Juventus were not complaining about a decision which capped a decent night’s work for the Italian giants. Any of the 44,444 who came to the Hard Rock Stadium would have been acutely aware that Miami is preparing itself for the arrivals of European titans Barcelona and Real Madrid tomorrow in what’s being billed as the glittering showpiece of this sum- mer’s International Champions Cup friendly tournament. Yet while La Liga’s finest wait in the wings, this was a chance for two other stellar clubs to whet the appetite of the voraciously soccer ZWIJNDRECHT: Defender Wendie Renard (C) and teammates attend a training session of France’s women national soccer mad inhabitants of South Florida. It was PSG’s last match in the team within the UEFA Women’s Euro 2017 football tournament in Zwijndrecht. — AFP United States before leaving to meet Monaco in Morocco on Saturday, prior to returning home to fine tune preparations for SOCCER the start of the domestic season. Emery’s side have endured a difficult time Stateside, both on and off the pitch. The results - a penalty win over Roma follow- ing a 1-1 draw before being roundly beaten by Tottenham Hotspur in Orlando last Saturday - have been compounded by a France, Austria reach very public-and so far unresolved-attempt to prise the Brazilian forward Neymar from Barcelona. Emery, who admitted PSG are still working on transfer targets but refused to be drawn on specific names, said: “We are look- women’s Euro q-finals ing at how the players are performing rather than the results and I have been pleased.” Nevertheless, the PSG manager’s mood ROTTERDAM: A late Camille Abily free- showed a lot of running, willingness, In a rare Iceland chance, Fanndis wouldn’t have been lifted by a chastening first 45 minutes. Their kick sent 10-woman France through to the determination and tactically we were Fridriksdottir narrowly missed the goal on tormentor in chief was the excellent Argentina international Euro quarter-finals after a 1-1 draw against great.” “It was a real pity-we fought so 26 minutes. midfielder Paulo Dybala, 23, who went close to opening the Switzerland, alongside newcomers Austria hard, and then we concede such a goal. The Austrians kept Gunnarsdottir busy scoring on 28 minutes when his free-kick was tipped over by who routed Iceland 3-0 on Wednesday. In We were so, so close to beating France. I until the end, as the Iceland keeper had to Areola just three minutes after compatriot Angel Di Maria forced Breda, Switzerland took the lead on 19 can just hope my team learn from this.” handle second-half attempts by Laura Italian veteran Gianluigi Buffon into an excellent save. minutes when Eve Perisset was sent off for Austria never left any doubt about who Feiersinger, Zadrazil and Sarah Puntigam. Juan Cuadrado, the Colombian former Chelsea winger, was bringing down Ramona Bachmann and was going to dominate the game in “Today we were very quiet and controlled also in the mood to shine and went close soon after but it was Ana-Maria Crnogorcevic slammed in a Rotterdam, with Nicole Billa testing the game in most phases,” said Austrian left to Dybala and another Argentinian to open the scoring. header from the ensuing free-kick. Gunnarsdottir three times in the first half. coach Dominik Thalhammer.—AFP In the 76th minute, Abily’s free-kick MARCHISIO HAS FINAL SAY somehow slipped through the fingers of Gonzalo Higuain , who scored 24 goals in his first season in Swiss goalkeeper Gaelle Thalmann, follow- Cowboys’ Elliott smiles for fans, Turin following his record breaking 90 million euros move from ing Crnogorcevic’s foul on Eugenie Le Napoli last summer, sent the ball inside to Dybala who instantly Sommer. In Rotterdam, Austria cruised to shuns media as issues loom returned it straight into the path of the 29 year-old-who an easy win against Iceland to seal top OXNARD: Ezekiel Elliott stopped for a although Elliott’s name didn’t appear in advanced on goal before calmly beating Alphonse Areola in the spot in Group C with first-half goals by few moments to greet military person- the police report. 45th minute. It was a brilliant finish matched only by Marchisio’s Sarah Zadrazil and Nina Burger, and a late nel and pose for a few pictures on the Dallas police halted the investigation 62nd minute piledriver which restored the Old Lady’s lead after strike by substitute Stefanie Enzinger. opening day of training camp. Just like when the man who was punched could- GonÁalo Guedes had tapped home a Di Maria cross to bring the Zadrazil fired home on 36 minutes, that, the star running back of the Dallas n’t be reached. Jones has said he doesn’t scores level on 53 minutes. capitalising on a howler by keeper Cowboys darted out of a large crowd of have any other details on the incident. Some sloppy play from PSG substitute Layvin Kurzawa saw Gudbjorg Gunnarsdottir who failed to deal reporters and ran toward a fence to sign While Elliott waits for word from the the lively Kean win possession and his center was powerfully with an easy cross. Burger nodded in a few autographs. NFL, he’s preparing for an encore to his driven past Areola by the Italian international midfielder. Zadrazil’s flicked header eight minutes lat- Last year’s NFL rushing leader as a 1,631-yard season that helped the Buffon’s replacement Carlo Pinsoglio enjoyed an impressive er, and Enzinger volleyed home on 90 rookie isn’t talking to media members Cowboys take the top seed in the NFC at second-half run out and his brilliant stop to deny Jese on 74 minutes to round off the scoring. France because of lingering issues off the 13-3 before losing to Green Bay in a divi- minutes would have drawn approval from Juve’s legendary started on a high, with Claire Lavogez’s field, but Elliott is still hamming it up sional playoff. captain.—AFP blast saved by a diving Thalmann. But things got complicated as Perisset left the with adoring fans. And he’s also going Elliott, who turned 22 the day the pitch in tears, with France struggling through complete workouts a year Cowboys reported for camp in against the solid Swiss defence. after a hamstring issue limited his time California, wasn’t the only rookie sensa- Thalmann kept out Abily’s low shot, in camp. tion for Dallas. Dak Prescott won NFL while Swiss skipper Lara Dickenmann saw “I’m not even worrying about Zeke Offensive Rookie of the Year honors with an effort repelled by Sarah Bouhaddi. After because that guy loves football,” said one of the best debuts for a quarterback the equaliser, France held off Switzerland’s receiver Dez Bryant, who had his share in league history. And Prescott has pressure, with Crnogorcevic firing wide of trouble upon entering the league in proven to be a solid citizen off the field and Bachmann shooting straight at 2010. “I understand it’s more than foot- after having to answer to a drunken Bouhaddi. “Believe me, it’s a great satis- ball. He’s got a great supporting cast driving charge in his college town of faction,” said French coach Olivier and he can’t lose with guys like us Starkville, Mississippi, after the Cowboys Echouafni. “We believed in it right to the around him.” drafted the former Mississippi State end and our equaliser, considering we had The NFL has been investigating Elliott standout. ten against eleven for so long, was thor- for more than a year over a domestic vio- oughly deserved.” “It was quite a night lence complaint that prosecutors in Ohio BAD DECISIONS and it was quite unexpected. We didn’t declined to pursue. Owner Jerry Jones Prescott has since been cleared in panic, though. seems less convinced than he was a few the case, but was emphatic a year ago in months ago over whether the former saying it wouldn’t happen again. “I’ve Ohio State star will get suspended. Elliott made probably as many bad decisions MIAMI GARDENS: Mario Mandzukic #17 of Juventus con- FANTASTIC DAY potentially damaged his standing a week as any of these guys have, only being 23, trols the ball against Thomas Meunier #12 of Paris Saint- At half-time, I knew we’d get a chance before training camp by getting involved so I’m definitely not one that I can point Germain first half during their International Champions with a free-kick, and so it was.” Swiss in a bar fight that ended with a 30-year- fingers and be mad,” said Prescott, who Cup 2017 match at Hard Rock Stadium on Wednesday in coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg said the old man getting punched in the nose, turns 24 tomorrow.—AP Miami Gardens, Florida.