26 Established 1961 Sports Monday, May 27, 2019 Valencia stun Barcelona to win Copa del Rey ‘Beating Barcelona to win the cup is very special, we deserved to win’

SEVILLE: Barcelona wanted a trophy to ease their Bartomeu. “I think he has done a great job,” added Champions League heartache but instead fell to anoth- Gerard Pique. “But it does not depend on us.” er shock defeat as Valencia pulled off a thrilling 2-1 vic- They came here as favourites, but only just, their tory on Saturday to win the Copa del Rey. 1,457 consecutive days as Copa del Rey champions Chasing a record fifth consecutive triumph, Barca under threat, from their own sense of deflation, key were undone by a relentless and gutsy Valencia side, players out injured and Valencia’s recent surge. who hung on after Lionel Messi pulled a goal back to If Barca’s season all but ended three weeks ago, set up a dramatic finish in Seville. By then, Valencia Valencia’s arguably found life a few days later, as they were already two up, Kevin Gameiro and Rodrigo scor- moved into the top four for the first time and then held ing twice in 13 frantic first-half minutes, after the latter on to qualify for the Champions League. spurned a golden early chance that could have spared Winning their first trophy since 2008, in the club’s them a nerve-shredding last 17 minutes. centenary year, completes a remarkable comeback Messi drove the comeback effort and Goncalo campaign that, after 15 games, had them languishing in Guedes twice should have wrapped it up for Valencia, 15th. “We have made history,” said captain Dani Parejo. missing a one-on-one and then an open goal before the Gameiro added: “In the difficult moments we stayed final whistle sparked pandemonium. Valencia’s coach close. I don’t have the words to describe it.” Marcelino, who might have been sacked when his team Some saw a metaphor in Barcelona’s pre-match tifo, were four points off relegation in January, raced around spelling out ‘All Together’ splitting down the middle, the pitch in a frenzy. Barcelona’s players sank to their while there were key absentees from their starting line- knees. up too, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Luis Suarez and “We always had faith,” said Marcelino. “Beating Ousmane Dembele all injured. Barcelona to win the cup is very special. We deserved Valencia should have been ahead within five minutes, to win.” Messi admitted on Friday his team had still not Clement Lenglet’s error sending Rodrigo clear but his recovered from the “hard blow” suffered against finish was brilliantly scooped off the line by the recov- Liverpool and certainly they seemed too easily dis- ering Gerard Pique. Barca, with Sergio Busquets in the heartened here, finding their fight only once it was too centre of a back three, settled but lacked zip and in the late. Messi also threw his support behind Barcelona’s 23rd minute they were behind. Jose Gaya scuttled in SEVILLA: Valencia players celebrate with their trophy after winning the 2019 Spanish Copa del Rey (King’s Cup) final coach Ernesto Valverde but it remains to be seen behind Nelson Semedo and his pull-back wrong-foot- football match between Barcelona and Valencia at the Benito Villamarin stadium in Sevilla. — AFP whether the backing of the board remains after two ed everyone except Gameiro, who fired in. dreadful defeats have now spoiled such a brilliant La Semedo had been beaten down the left and soon Liga success. after Jordi Alba was outrun down the right, by Carlos tered their first shot on target in the 43rd minute. brushed the post. “I’m fine,” Valverde said. “When a coach loses you Soler, whose cross needed only to be nodded down and Malcom and came on for Semedo and Pique fired wide as Valencia dropped deeper. Finally, want to go again, to fight to overcome the next chal- in by Rodrigo for number two. Arthur during the interval, as Barca turned the screw. Messi broke through, the post this time his friend after lenge. I know losing for this club is hard.” “I do not Barcelona stirred before the break. Ivan Rakitic Messi might have turned the match but after wriggling Lenglet’s header struck the woodwork and landed think it’s the coach’s fault,” said president Josep Maria volleyed and then headed wide, before Messi regis- through his sumptuous flick towards the far corner kindly at his feet. — AFP Lewandowski fires Bayern Munich to Kohli eyes WCup domestic double glory as captain : dedicated victory to departing team mates Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli’s reputation as one of after Bayern Munich wrapped up a domestic double cricket’s great entertainers is well-established, with a 3-0 win over RB Leipzig in the German Cup final but the India star will not be completely satisfied on Saturday. until he leaves an indelible mark by winning the Goals from Lewandowski and Kingsley Coman World Cup as captain. sealed victory for Bayern in an enthralling game at the Kohli has been instrumental in building on Olympic Stadium in Berlin. Both Robben and Ribery Indian cricket’s rich legacy after taking over the came off the bench to make their final appearance in a captaincy from Mahendra Singh Dhoni. After Bayern shirt, and Lewandowski hailed the iconic duo helping India reclaim the number-one Test rank- after helping Bayern to victory with a goal either side of ing, the 30-year-old led his team to a first-ever half time. Test series triumph in Australia in January. “These titles are for Franck and Arjen, they have But it is the possibility of winning the World done so much for the club and we have to thank them,” Cup as skipper that most inspires the flamboy- the Polish striker told public broadcaster ARD. The win ant batsman, who has amassed 10,843 runs in sees Bayern lift the golden German Cup trophy for the 227 one-day international matches, including 41 19th time in their history, just a week after securing a centuries and 49 fifties. seventh successive title last Saturday. Kohli still fondly remembers being part of the “It was a difficult season at times, but I think we can 2011 World Cup-winning team under Dhoni, now say that in the end, it was a very good season,” MUNICH: Bayern Munich players celebrate with the trophy after the German Cup (DFB Pokal) Final football who lifted the title on Indian soil, and would love said Lewandowski. The campaign has been particularly match RB Leipzig v FC Bayern Munich at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. —AFP to emulate his predecessor by leading his coun- tough for Bayern coach Niko Kovac, who has faced try to their third world title. constant criticism both from inside and outside the club “I would put the win in Australia at a par with in his first year in charge. Both sides probed rather frantically for an opener in Coman had a free run at goal and rounded goalkeep- the World Cup. Look, you cannot place a World Yet the fans chanted Kovac’s name before and after the first half, and denied Yussuf Poulsen er Peter Gulacsi shortly before half-time, but his shot Cup win below anything else,” Kohli told the the final whistle as Bayern ended their season on a high. with a reflex save on ten minutes. It was Bayern who was cleared on the line by Ibrahima Konate. Emil Times of India newspaper before departing for “It will take a few days to sink in that it is now actually broke the deadlock, though, Lewandowski flicking in a Forsberg had a similar chance for Leipzig just after the the tournament in England and Wales. over, but it was good to go out with the double,” superb header in the 29th minute after a fine move on break, but came off second best in a one-on-one with “It is a global tournament and the signifi- Robben told ARD. the left from Coman and . Neuer. — AFP cance and the charm of the tournament is some- thing else. It is always going to be the most important tournament in world cricket.” Kohli the bases in the ninth inning on just three defied critics who had questioned his poor pitches, before Christian Vazquez roped Mets’ Nido hits showing on the team’s 2014 tour of England by a two-run single into left field on the hitting 593 runs, including two hundreds, in the second pitch he saw. walk-off in 13th five-Test series last year. But India still crumbled to a 4-1 defeat, show- ANGELS 3, RANGERS 2 ing he cannot will the side to victory on his own. After giving up two runs in the top of to beat Tigers Kohli’s captaincy has often been criticised, with the ninth, Los Angeles rallied for two in former India opener Gautam Gambhir saying the the bottom of the inning to defeat Texas DETROIT: Tomas Nido homered lead- batsman has “loads to learn” as a leader. in Anaheim, Calif., and end a five-game ing off the bottom of the 13th inning Kohli scored 464 runs in the recently con- losing streak. Angels pinch hitter Jared Saturday night as the New York Mets cluded Indian Premier League Twenty20 tour- Walsh looped a single into shallow left finally outlasted the Detroit Tigers, 5-4. nament but his side Royal Challengers with two outs, scoring Kole Calhoun The Mets are 5-1 on a seven-game Bangalore ended last in the eight-team table. from second with the winning run and homestand. The Tigers have dropped 10 When captaining India, Kohli has never shied giving Walsh his first major league RBI. of 11. The Mets loaded the bases with away from relying on the experience of Dhoni, Shawn Kelley (3-1) was aiming for his one out and failed to score in the bottom who is often seen calling the shots from behind sixth save, but he gave up a one-out sin- of the 11th before the Tigers did the same the stumps. gle to Luis Rengifo before Calhoun dou- thing in the top of the 12th. Nido, who “It seems like he is happy to see Dhoni han- bled to right-center, scoring Rengifo was the last player on the Mets’ bench dle some aspects of his captaincy, especially in from first to tie the score at 2-2. Calhoun when he entered in the 11th inning, the last 10 overs when he can focus on his finished 3-for-3 with a walk, solo home capped a four hour and 11-minute duel fielding and take important positions in the run and the RBI double. when he hit his first walk-off homer off field,” former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar Buck Farmer (3-4). Hector Santiago (1-0) told AFP. PADRES 19, BLUE JAYS 4 tossed two innings for the Mets, who NEW YORK: Pete Alonso #20 of the New York Mets is forced out as Josh Harrison “But he is not completely dependent on Austin Hedges hit his first career received two homers and four RBIs from #1 of the Detroit Tigers completes a double play in the eighth inning at Citi Field in Dhoni, that would be wrong to suggest.” Kohli, grand slam, Hunter Renfroe and Wil catcher Wilson Ramos, who left for a New York City. — AFP who became the fastest batsman to reach Myers each homered twice and visiting pinch-runner in the 11th and was 10,000 ODI runs last year, is already tipped to San Diego set a franchise record with replaced by Nido. The two-homer game overtake one of the many records held by Indian seven homers while defeating Toronto. seventh inning helped lead New York tory and a doubleheader sweep over was the eighth of Ramos’ career and his batting icon Sachin Tendulkar. Ian Kinsler and Eric Hosmer also home- past host Kansas City in the first game of Kansas City. Cameron Maybin drove in first since last June 25. He has hit 66 centuries across all international red for the Padres. Hedges had five RBIs a day-night doubleheader. J.A. Happ (4- three runs, and Austin Romine was 3- formats since his ODI debut in 2008, with and Myers had four. Right-hander Cal 3) picked up the win after giving up for-4 with two RBIs in the nightcap. ASTROS 4, RED SOX 3 Tendulkar holding the record for 100 hundreds in Quantrill (1-2) struck out nine in six three runs on four hits in six innings. The Yankees hit safely in five of their Carlos Correa capped a three-hit his 24-year-old career. Kohli’s aggressive on-field innings to earn his first career win for Relying mostly on his fastball, Happ first seven opportunities with runners night with a walk-off single, as Houston demeanour though has ruffled a few feathers. San Diego. Quantrill, who is from nearby struck out 10 Royals. Scott Barlow (1-1) in scoring position and have now won answered Boston’s ninth-inning rally with His verbal duel with Australia skipper Tim Port Hope, Ont., and the son of former took the loss. He gave up four runs on seven straight and 11 of their last 12 one of its own. Correa singled to right Paine during the Perth Test in December was major league pitcher Paul Quantrill, four hits in 1 1/3 innings. Starter Jakob games. They continued their domi- field with the bases loaded off Red Sox criticised by Manjrekar, who said the star allowed three runs on two hits, both Junis surrendered three runs over six nance against the Royals in this centu- reliever Matt Barnes (2-1), who allowed a should behave “responsibly”. Regardless of his home runs, and two walks in his fourth innings. ry. Since 2000, the Yankees have won leadoff double to Aledmys Diaz before outspoken nature, Kohli’s consistency, attack- career start. 16 season series, with three splits and issuing walks to Alex Bregman and ing style and supreme fitness levels make him YANKEES 6, ROYALS 5 (GAME 2) just one Royals series win (2014). The Michael Brantley to load the bases. The the standout player in this edition of the 50- YANKEES 7, ROYALS 3 (GAME 1) New York scored five runs in the Yankees are 100-43 in the 2000s Red Sox had rallied against Astros closer over World Cup. — AFP Roberto Osuna (3-0) in a blur, loading Luke Voit’s two-run home run in the second inning, then held on for the vic- against Kansas City. — Reuters