THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2017 SPORTS

Vikings owners join group trying to bring MLS to Nashville

NASHVILLE: The owners of the The expansion fee being charged by the door, soccer-specific venue to the 68,000- brother, is owner and president. Leonard ticket sales. They are a strong addition to Minnesota Vikings have joined a group league is $150 million. “We’ve been pas- seat U.S. Bank Stadium that opened for Wilf, their cousin, is owner and vice our bid.” trying to bring a Major League Soccer sionate about soccer for a long time, and the Vikings last year. Minnesota United, chairman. Nashville is one of 12 cities that sub- expansion franchise to Nashville, after a we believe very strongly in its future in led by owner Bill McGuire, is playing out- “They know sports and sports busi- mitted bids for four expansion franchises, failed bid to bring a club to their the United States,” Mark Wilf said in a side at the University of Minnesota for ness, and they are well-known and with both Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham enclosed NFL stadium. phone interview with The Associated two seasons until its new stadium opens. respected for their professional sports in North Carolina, Cincinnati, Detroit, Zygi Wilf, Mark Wilf and Leonard Wilf Press. “Really, our interest hasn’t wavered The Wilfs, who made their fortune in experience,” Ingram said in a statement Indianapolis, Phoenix, Sacramento and are minority partners in the Nashville since our efforts to bring MLS to real estate out of the family business released by his group. “The Wilf family San Diego in California, St. Louis, San project, according to Nashville Soccer Minnesota.” founded in New Jersey, bought the brings expertise in a number of areas Antonio and Tampa-St. Petersburg in Holdings CEO John R. Ingram. Terms of Minnesota United FC joined the MLS Vikings in 2005. Zygi Wilf is owner and like stadium development, fan experi- Florida. The MLS is expected to announce their investment haven’t been disclosed. this season. The league preferred an out- chairman. Mark Wilf, Zygi’s younger ence, marketing, communications and two sites later this year. —AP

No PSG contact over Sanchez, says Wenger

LONDON: Arsenal manager Arsene time off after playing at the Confederations Wenger said yesterday he has had no con- Cup with Chile. tact with Paris Saint-Germain regarding Wenger said the forward had sustained Alexis Sanchez, who will miss the start of an abdominal injury and was likely to miss the season through injury. Sanchez, 28, has both Friday’s game against Leicester and been linked with a move to PSG, who have the trip to Stoke City on August 19. “He has just completed a world-record 222 million a little abdominal strain that he caught on euros ($260 million) swoop for Barcelona Sunday morning in training, before he superstar Neymar. came to Wembley (for last Sunday’s But Wenger said he had not heard from Community Shield),” Wenger said. PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and “He had a scan two days ago and he’s referred to French media reports suggest- out for a while. I don’t know if it is two ing PSG are more interested in signing weeks or one more week, but he will not be Monaco’s Kylian Mbappe. “It’s a long time I available. I think he will not play at Stoke, didn’t speak to Nasser, because it’s certainly yes.” Wenger added: “For us Alexis Sanchez very busy to complete the transfer of is a loss, of course. But we have all the other Neymar,” Wenger told a press conference at players prepared in pre-season and they Arsenal’s London Colney base. are all ready. Asked if he expected Al-Khelaifi to get in “It can happen in pre-season and any- touch, Wenger replied: “No, no. I think if way, I don’t think I would have included you read the French papers, they are on him on Friday night. I don’t think I would Mbappe’s case to finish their transfer mar- have started him.” ket.” Wenger was coy, though, when he was Speaking after Arsenal beat Chelsea on asked if any bids had been tabled for penalties at Wembley, Wenger revealed he Sanchez. was looking to trim his squad before the “I can’t tell you that at the moment,” said transfer window closes, but he said no and Jose Mourinho the Frenchman, whose side open their departures were currently imminent. campaign at home to “No,” he replied when asked if any play- SOCCER Leicester City tomorrow. “I just think we are ers were poised to leave. “Yesterday I had not open-what I said to you many times-to the managers’ meeting and was talking any offers, anyway.” with the other managers in the other clubs. Sanchez, who has also been linked with It looks like everywhere there is many, Manchester City, has not played for Arsenal many players and a bit of congestion at the Guardiola returns to in pre-season after being granted extra moment everywhere.” — AFP Threatened by Trump, Man City drawing board LONDON: Rattled by a chastening first season in but united by football England, Pep Guardiola has gone back to the drawing board in an attempt to fashion Top 10 Premier League NEW YORK: New York’s most unlikely football this country-this friendship will last forever,” Manchester City into Premier League champions. league meets every Saturday in the Bronx. Its he said. Expectations were sky-high when Guardiola players are minors who arrived from Central alighted in Manchester after years of being transfers of 2017-18 America without their parents, with no docu- A BROKEN SYSTEM courted by City, but a title challenge failed to ments or money. They made the dangerous Although the US government does not materialise and his side did not make a mark in LONDON: Ahead of Arsenal’s home game with right flank for Tottenham have turned him into journey here with one goal in mind: to escape provide them with an attorney, the teenagers any of the cup competitions. They return to the Leicester City in the curtain-raiser to the new England’s first-choice number two. the violence and poverty of their homelands. must fight in court to stay here. Most depend fray this weekend having spent around £200 mil- Premier League season tomorrow, AFP Sport Now, the 50 or so members of the “Union” upon help provided by lawyers doing pro lion ($261 million, 221.3 million euros) on players selects the 10 biggest transfers of the close season: league face deportation. Football acts as sort bono work. Thanks to his lawyer Jodi and Guardiola believes an exciting new team is Monaco (FRA) to Manchester City; £43 million of collective therapy for them, a place to Ziesemer, who is handling around 700 cases taking shape. Romelu Lukaku Portuguese playmaker Silva pitched up at City briefly forget the tragedies of the past and of unaccompanied Central American minors “With all respect to the players, last season we Everton to Manchester United; £75 million after his 11 goals and 12 assists inspired Monaco to the new threats they face from the adminis- for Catholic Charities, Teofilo is close to obtain- were one of the oldest teams in the Premier After four increasingly prolific seasons at glory and a place in the Champions League tration of President Donald Trump. ing the green card that will allow him to stay. League. We didn’t buy full-backs for five, six years,” Everton, Belgium striker Lukaku has been given semi-finals. The 22-year-old is expected to line up “When you’re playing football, you are not But around 60 percent of unaccompanied said Guardiola. “We decided last season we could another shot at the big time with Manchester on the right flank for City, as he did at Monaco, but thinking of your immigration case, or people minors have to go before a judge and prose- change the team to make the team younger for United. Lukaku, 24, has been brought in to replace is likely to have been earmarked as the long-term who want to hurt you back home, or that a cutor on their own, with no lawyer and often the next four or five years. “Danilo is 26, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and will hope to do a better job successor to his namesake David Silva. judge may deport you,” said Elvis Garcia without even speaking English, a situation (Benjamin) Mendy is 23, Bernardo (Silva) is 22, of impressing manager Jose Mourinho than he Callejas, who is both coach and counsellor to Ziesemer calls “ridiculous” and a symptom that Ederson is 23, so we bought players who are managed during their time together at Chelsea. Tiemoue Bakayoko the young players. “the system is broken.” “These kids are fleeing going to be stable for the next years.” There were Monaco (FRA) to Chelsea; £40 million “You’re going after the ball, your main goal horrific situations, abuse, they are fleeing some promising signs last season-an opening sal- Alvaro Morata The third player to have left Monaco for is to win, play as a team and just have fun.” death threats,” she said, noting that the situa- vo of 10 straight wins, a stunning Champions Real Madrid (ESP) to Chelsea; £58 million England, France midfielder Bakayoko will make Garcia Callejas, 27, founded the league in tion has only deteriorated since Trump League victory over Barcelona-but City never With Diego Costa having been very publicly Chelsea’s midfield an even more intimidating 2014, when a record of almost 70,000 minors became president on the back of promises to found any consistent form. frozen out by manager Antonio Conte, Chelsea prospect. Tall and muscular, the former Rennes flooded across the Rio Grande into the United deport millions of undocumented migrants. Guardiola seemed unprepared for the rude broke their transfer record to sign 24-year-old player will provide a redoubtable physical pres- States without their parents. The president has also linked these minors physicality of English football and was derided for Spain striker Morata. He made an inauspicious ence alongside the buzzing N’Golo Kante. with the rise of the dangerous street gang saying he was “not a coach for the tackles” after a start to his Chelsea career by squandering his KIDS AGAIN MS-13, which he has vowed to eradicate. one-sided 4-2 defeat at Leicester City. City’s foot- spot-kick in a Community Shield penalty Nemanja Matic Garcia Callejas is a migration counsellor “Things have taken a dramatic turn since the ball was, occasionally, dazzling and they were only shootout loss to Arsenal. for Catholic Charities. He arrived unaccompa- Trump administration in terms of how coop- outscored by champions Chelsea and Tottenham Chelsea to Manchester United; £40 million nied in the United States when he was just 15, erative the government is in resolving these Hotspur, but finding an effective defensive config- Benjamin Mendy Deemed surplus to requirements at Chelsea dodging border guards in El Paso, Texas to cases,” Ziesemer said. “Before this govern- uration gave Guardiola a constant headache. John Monaco (FRA) to Manchester City; £52 million following Bakayoko’s arrival, Matic moved to make it. He is also a huge football fan-his ment, attorneys were much more cooperative Stones looked shaky following his big-money Saddled with an ageing group of full-backs, Pep United to link up with Mourinho, who previously office is adorned with the banners of his in not actively fighting to deport kids that move from Everton and Guardiola’s dissatisfaction Guardiola found it difficult to play the kind of brought him back to Chelsea from Benfica in favorite teams, Barcelona and Paris Saint- were very young, or in therapy, or had med- with his full-back options saw midfielders thrusting football he loves in his maiden campaign 2014. A stylish but steely holding midfielder, the Germain. He visits detention centers to inter- ical issues,” she said. Fernandinho and Jesus Navas deployed in the as Manchester City manager. He has taken remedi- 28-year-old Serbia international will provide a view recently arrived minors from Central wide defensive positions. There should not be any al action during the close season, most notably counterweight for the forward runs of last year’s America and determine if they qualify for any LOOKING FOR A FUTURE shoehorning of players into unfamiliar roles this forking out £52 million to make France left-back star signing, . kind of protection. When he founded the Teofilo is the youngest of five brothers. season after Guardiola signed three top-level full- Mendy the game’s most expensive defender. Union league, he had just three boys from After his mother died when he was two, he backs-, Benjamin Mendy and Danilo-at Ederson Honduras on board, and used trash cans as was raised by his grandmother. But when she a combined cost of around £124 million. Benfica (POR) to Manchester City; £35 million goalposts. Now he has more than 50 boys died, he was left practically alone. At 14, he Lyon (FRA) to Arsenal; £46.5 million rising to The goalkeeping situation gave Guardiola from across Central America and the league is and a brother travelled to the Rio Grande on AGUERO-JESUS CONUNDRUM £52.6 million constant problems during his first season at the backed by the South Bronx United club, the roof of a Mexican cargo train nicknamed Guardiola hopes to have put his goalkeeping France striker Lacazette had been poised to Etihad Stadium, with Claudio Bravo proving an which has included the league in a number of “The Beast” for the number of migrants who problems to bed as well, having reacted to Claudio join Atletico Madrid, only for the Court of inadequate replacement for Joe Hart, who was its social programs. die or are maimed on it. Bravo’s travails by bringing in Brazil goalkeeper Arbitration for Sport to uphold a transfer ban loaned out to Torino. Guardiola moved to reme- “The kids that we work with have to grow On the banks of the river, the brothers said Ederson from Benfica in a £35 million deal. against the Spanish club. Arsenal stepped in, dy the problem by signing 23-year-old Brazilian up very fast,” he said. “But on the football a quick goodbye to each other “so that we Bernardo Silva, meanwhile, arrived from breaking their transfer record to sign the 26-year- Ederson, who became the world’s second most pitch, they can be kids again.” Since 2014, wouldn’t cry. I swam across with a bag of Monaco, further strengthening a stellar attacking old, who was the top-scoring Frenchman in expensive goalkeeper after Gianluigi Buffon. more than 200,000 unaccompanied clothes tied to my wrist.” Now Teofilo is finish- department that also contains Sergio Aguero, Ligue 1 in each of the last three seasons. teenagers and children have arrived in the ing high school but cannot forget Honduras. , Leroy Sane, David Silva, Kevin De Mohamed Salah United States from Mexico and Central He closes his eyes as he recalls what he miss- Bruyne and . “Manchester City Kyle Walker Roma (ITA) to Liverpool; £34 million America, according to the US Border Patrol. es most: “The sunshine, the beach, coconuts, have the best team on paper,” ex-England mid- Tottenham Hotspur to Manchester City; £45 million A bright light in a gloomy transfer window for Teofilo Chavez is a promising 17-year-old my friends, my grandmother, my father, the fielder Owen Hargreaves told the Premier League The second of Manchester City’s three new Liverpool. Egyptian winger Salah did not get a player who dreams of going pro. He was 14 plantations near my house.” The youngest official website. “It took a bit of an adjustment for full-backs (the other being Brazilian Danilo), look-in during his previous spell with Chelsea, when he left Corozal, on Honduras’ Caribbean player in the league is 15-year-old Yefri, who Pep Guardiola, but City are my favourites.” Walker arrived from Spurs after Dani Alves opted but he excelled in Serie A with Fiorentina and coast, to stay with his aunt and uncle in the arrived three months ago from Guatemala Back-up goalkeeper Willy Caballero, full-backs to join Paris Saint-Germain over rejoining forces Roma, scoring 35 goals in 81 games. denotes fee Bronx. “These are the first friends I made in with his 11-year-old brother. —AFP Pablo Zabaleta, Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy and with Guardiola. Walker’s flying raids down the as reported by British media. —AFP wingers Jesus Navas and Nolito have all left, while the unwanted Joe Hart has gone out on loan again to West Ham United. Guardiola has tested out a three-man defence in pre-season, with Stones lin- ing up alongside Nicolas Otamendi and captain Vincent Kompany, whose ability to remain fit will once again be under scrutiny. Playing three at the back may enable Guardiola to associate Aguero and Jesus in attack, after he generally used a single-striker system last season following Jesus’s arrival in January. Even more so than his old foe Jose Mourinho across town at Manchester United, if Guardiola cannot at the very least orchestrate a sustained title challenge, his gilded reputation will take a sizeable hit. Last sea- son was the first time in his managerial career that he finished a campaign without having added at least one trophy to his collection. NEW YORK: Against a backdrop of Yankee Stadium players for South Bronx United go Another season without silverware will raise through their warm-ups before a match at Macombs Dam Park in New York. South serious doubts as to whether he really is the man Bronx United is composed of minors from Central America who arrived alone to the to carry City to the summit of European football Romelu Lukaku United States. — AFP for the first time. —AFP