6 April 18, 2018 Persepolis, Esteghlal Beat FIFA Probes Russia Rivals in AFC Champions Over Racist Chants TEHRAN (Press TV) - Iran’s Persian as Group C table-toppers. Gulf Pro League professional soccer Separately, Esteghlal Tehran chalked clubs Persepolis and Esteghlal have up a 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal registered valuable victories over their in Group D. rivals in the group stage of the 2018 Asian Al Hilal started the match in a stronger Football Confederation (AFC) Champions fashion, and its first attempt on goal League, and progressed to the next level of came in the sixth minute, when Achraf the tournament. Bencharki was about to score the opener On Monday evening, red-clad but his header from the edge of the six- Persepolis players beat Al Sadd Sports yard box sailed over the bar. Club of Qatar 1-0 in front of about The Saudi team then mounted a number 40,000 spectators at Azadi Stadium in of attacks in a bid to break the deadlock. western Tehran. Mokhtar Fallatah received the ball Persepolis, backed by a vociferous from Mohmmed Al Burayk’s cross in home crowd, needed less than three the 19th minute and dribbled forward to minutes to go in front. The photo shows a view of the match between Iran’s Persian Gulf Pro attempt a strike. His shot was, however, Midfielder Paul Pogba, second left, and Ousmane Dembele, third left, Mohammad Ansari whipped in a tricky League professional soccer club Persepolis (players in red) and Al saved at the bottom left corner. appear for France in a recent international friendly against England cross from the left wing, which Al Sadd Sadd of Qatar in the group stage of the 2018 AFC Champions League Finally, Esteghlal took the lead in the defender Morteza Pouraliganji fell for at Azadi Stadium, western Tehran, Iran, on April 16, 2018. 36th minute. Yasser al-Shahrani made and inadvertently headed past his own a defensive mistake after he failed to PARIS (AFP) - FIFA has opened “All international matches are disciplinary proceedings against World played under the jurisdiction of FIFA. keeper to give the hosts an early lead. to scoring in the first half, but their efforts Bounedjah’s cross in the 62nd minute. clear the ball in the penalty area, and Cup hosts Russia over monkey chants We opened it to understand what The visitors then went to great lengths were not particularly effective. However, the referee disallowed the goal Esteghlal’s 30-year-old Vouria Ghafouri heard during a friendly international happened for ourselves. We have sent in search of an equalizer. Spanish Al Sadd footballers heaped pressure on for offside. fired a shot into the center of the net. against France, a spokesman told AFP inquiries to the interior department.” midfielder Xavier Hernández Creus, Persepolis goalpost after the re-start, and Persepolis maintained its narrow lead Al Hilal tried very hard to level the on Tuesday. Baranov added that the RFU was better known as Xavi, and Algerian looked more dangerous. afterwards, and advanced to the 2018 score in the second half, but all to no Manchester United midfielder “in dialogue with FIFA. We are ready forward Baghdad Bounedjah came close Boualem Khoukhi finished off AFC Champions League knockout stage avail. Paul Pogba and Barcelona winger to send them our findings -- there is Ousmane Dembele were allegedly no problem there”. Durant, Thompson Sink Spurs; D-Wade Stuns Sixers targeted by racist chanting during the Russian football chiefs are under match in Saint Petersburg last month. pressure with just two months to go LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Kevin Durant and Klay “They took it to us first half,” Warriors coach Steve “We have no further comment at before the start of the World Cup Thompson handed San Antonio a painful shooting Kerr said. this stage,” the FIFA spokesman told on June 14 as the domestic game lesson as Golden State took a grip on their Western The Warriors now head to San Antonio for game three AFP. has been once again tarnished by Conference playoff duel on Monday. on Thursday. The Russian Football Union (RFU) incidents of racism and hooliganism. Durant and Thompson both weighed in with 30-point In the Eastern Conference, Dwyane Wade produced said it was ready to cooperate with During last month’s friendly, an games as the Warriors powered to a 116-101 win that a vintage performance as the Miami Heat ended ended FIFA’s probe. AFP photographer heard imitation puts the NBA champions 2-0 up in their best-of-seven Philadelphia’s 17-game winning streak to level their “We launched our own internal monkey noises aimed at Dembele, series. series 1-1. investigation the day after the match,” while internet users reported similar The Warriors -- still missing the injured Wade, 36, scored 28 points in 25 minutes as Miami RFU anti-discrimination officer abuse from sections of the 50,000 talisman Stephen Curry -- outclassed a physical San stunned the 76ers’ home crowd into silence with a 113- Alexander Baranov said. crowd targeting Pogba. Antonio from three-point range in a devastating display 103 victory. of scoring. It was a superb display from Wade, a three-time NBA Golden State made 15 of 31 attempts from three-point champion who started this season with Cleveland before Thiem Saves Match Point, Reaches range, contrasting sharply with San Antonio, who could re-joining Miami in February before the trade deadline. only muster four from 28 attempts. Wade’s experience proved crucial throughout, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich pinpointed his team’s inspiring a first-half fightback to wipe out the 76ers’ 3rd Round at Monte Carlo failure to threaten from distance as the principal factor early lead before shepherding Miami to the win in a in the loss. nervy finale. “The ball has to go in the basket,” Popovich said. Wade, who also had seven rebounds and three assists, “That’s the difference in the ball game. They shot 50 was backed by 20 points from Goran Dragic and 18 percent of threes; we made 14 percent, four of 28 or points from James Johnson. something. That’s tough to overcome. Philadelphia meanwhile were left reflecting on their San Antonio started strongly, with LaMarcus Aldridge first loss since early March, jolting their momentum as -- who finished with 34 points -- driving the Spurs the series heads to Miami for game three on Thursday. forward as they shaded the first period 25-23. Ben Simmons led the Philadelphia scoring with 24 The visitors continued to rally in the second quarter points, with Dario Saric adding 23 and Marco Belinelli Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers goes up and had moved into a 53-47 at half-time. 16. for a shot against Kelly Olynyk (L) and Hassan But Golden State’s relentless pressure and offensive Sixers coach Brett Brown later was forced to respond Whiteside of the Miami Heat during Game Two variety inevitably began to tell in the second half. to a profane social media post from injured star Joel of the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoff Durant finished with 32 points, six rebounds and six Embiid, who wrote of his frustration at being “babied” assists while Thompson had 31 points with five assists. after watching the defeat from the sidelines. Mourinho Set to Drop Players for United’s FA Dominic Thiem MONACO (AP) -- Dominic happy that I played two hours and Cup Semi-Final Thiem saved a match point and 40 (minutes).’’ MANCHESTER, England before facing Spurs at Wembley. beat Andrey Rublev of Russia 5-7, Thiem has reached the French (Reuters) – Manchester United Asked if he would rotate his 7-5, 7-5 in the second round of the Open semifinals for the past two manager Jose Mourinho is ready to players for the midweek league Monte Carlo Masters on Tuesday. years. He next meets 12-time drop established players for the FA game on the south coast, Mourinho Rublev was serving for the match Grand Slam champion Novak Cup semi-final against Tottenham indicated that some of those who at 5-4, 40-30 but hit a forehand Djokovic or Borna Coric of Hotspur on Saturday after the Old played against West Brom would narrowly wide. Fifth-seeded Croatia, who play their second- Trafford club’s weekend defeat by feature again at Bournemouth Thiem broke him with backhand round match on Wednesday. Premier League bottom side West because they had lost their place pass down the line and held for In the second round later Tuesday, Bromwich Albion. for the semi-final. 6-5. fourth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov of United suffered a shock 1-0 Asked to clarify if he meant those The Austrian was 15-40 up Bulgaria faced Pierre-Hugues home loss to West Brom on who performed badly against West on Rublev’s serve and clinched Herbert and seventh-seeded Lucas Sunday, handing the title to Brom would not play against victory on his first match point, Pouille played Mischa Zverev. Manchester City, and Mourinho Tottenham, Mourinho said: “Yeah. when Rublev double-faulted with In remaining first-round play, said his team were the “masters What is the criteria for a manager a weak serve into the net. there were wins for Gilles Simon of of complication”. They next visit to choose a team? I only know one ‘’I was 10 centimeters from France, Marco Cecchinato of being out of the tournament,’’ a Italy and Jan-Lennard Struff of Bournemouth on Wednesday criteria: (it) is the way you play. Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho relieved Thiem said.