FFORMULAORMULA 1 | Page 4 GGOLFOLF | Page 5 Hamilton Green wins admits sport fi rst major at needs ‘dramatic Women’s PGA overhaul’ Championship Tuesday, June 25, 2019 CRICKET Shawwal 22, 1440 AH Morgan won’t tell GULF TIMES fans how to react to Smith and Warner SPORT Page 7 FOOTBALL We need more experience against top sides: Sanchez Qatar exit Copa America after Argentina win crucial Group B match in Porto Alegre to qualify for the quarter-finals Agencies Porto Alegre, Brazil oach Felix Sanchez ad- mitted his side lacked experience against top sides as Qatar bowed out Cof the Copa America with their second defeat in Group B on Sun- day. Qatar, who needed to beat Argentina to make the quarter- fi nals, fell 2-0 in Porto Alegre but not before pushing Lionel Messi and Company to the limit, some- thing that will give the young team plenty to cheer about. Sanchez said that his team “made mistakes, perhaps be- cause of lack of experience” at crucial moments in their three games. “We may have lacked the great experience at crucial moments, and yes, these games were very demanding for us,” Sanchez told a news conference after the 2-0 loss to Argentina. Qatar players posing ahead of their match against Argentina at the Gremio Arena in Porto Alegre, Brazil, “In addition to the feeling of on Sunday. regret, we are aware that we must continue to work to compete and acceleration towards Qatar’s area get better results in the next edi- before slipping a pass to Aguero, tion of Copa America,” the Span- who dragged his left-footed shot iard added. wide under pressure. Qatar will make another Copa Qatar were sporadically dan- America appearance next year Qatar coach Felix Sanchez watches the action on Sunday. gerous on the break and Portu- along with Australia, the other guese-born Ro-Ro stole in at the invited team to the world’s oldest beat Paraguay 1-0 in the other Paraguay progress. with greater calmness,” said back post to meet a Karim Boud- tournament. Group B match to secure a place Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni Martinez. iaf cross but couldn’t direct his The coach said his team con- in the last eight for both Peru, recalled Manchester City for- “There was pressure, we had to volley on target. ceded two goals due to “small who fi nished third in Group A, ward Aguero for the crunch tie win to progress and we’re happy. Up the other end, Nicolas Ota- errors”. and Uruguay, currently second in against Qatar while Martinez Now we have to work hard.” mendi headed over from close “We fi rmly believe that com- Group C. kept his place at the expense of With the weight was lifted range when it looked easier to peting in these tournaments is Argentina, who finish sec- Angel Di Maria. from Argentina’s shoulders, they score. Argentina almost scored the way to improve, gain experi- ond in Group B behind Colom- Asian champions Qatar made played with a freedom expected a second after Qatar goalkeeper ence and the right level to fi ght bia, will play Venezuela at Rio a calamitous start when a weak of a side boasting talents such as Saad al-Sheeb spilled a header these teams,” Sanchez said. de Janeiro’s iconic Maracana headed clearance from Tarek Sal- Aguero and fi ve-time Ballon d’Or by Martinez causing a scramble “The overall performance of stadium in the quarter-finals, man fell to Martinez 12 yards out, winner Lionel Messi. in the box, but neither Aguero the team and each individual while tournament debutants but the Inter Milan forward sent Qatar’s talented forwards nor Martinez could poke the ball An Argentina fan during the match. player was very upscale, we leave and guests Qatar are out. Para- his volley over the top. looked dangerous when they did home. Al-Rawi almost made with the feeling that we were able guay, on two points, must wait He didn’t have to wait long for venture into the fi nal third. amends for his earlier gaff e with al-Sheeb with a shot from out- his industry deserved with a pur- to compete well,” he added. and see what happens in the another chance though as Bas- Hasan al-Haydos got in be- a free-kick at the end of the side the area. poseful run past two defenders In the match, an early goal Group C clash between Japan sam al-Rawi played a ball across hind the Argentina backline and half but his shot, which passed Qatar made few chances before sending a cross-shot into by Lautaro Martinez and Sergio and Ecuador before finding out his box and straight to the feet tried to chip Franco Armani but through the Argentina wall, cli- but when they did, Akram Afi f the far bottom corner eight min- Aguero’s late second gave Argen- if they qualify as one of the two of the Argentina forward, who the goalkeeper got a touch to di- ped the outside of the upright. snatched at his eff ort from dis- utes from time. tina a 2-0 win that qualifi ed them best third-place finishers. scuff ed a shot into the bottom vert the ball behind, although Another direct Messi run set tance when a smarter move Qatar shared points with former for the Copa America quarter- Peru, with four points, are sure corner after just four minutes. the linesman’s fl ag was up and it up Aguero but his shot was de- would have been to play in a run- champions Paraguay in a 2-2 draw fi nals. of that while only a draw between “The goal came early and that wouldn’t have counted. fl ected over by Boualem Khoukhi. ner from midfi eld. and then conceded a late goal Already-qualifi ed Colombia Japan and Ecuador would see allowed us to approach the game Messi burst into life with an Aguero then drew a save from Aguero fi nally scored the goal against Colombia in a 1-0 loss. SPOTLIGHT Qatar duo win Swiss beach volleyball Qatar make it fi ve championship Geneva: Qatar beach volleyball team won first in a row at Asian place in the Swiss national championship after beating Switzerland 2-0 in the final. Beach Handball Qatar’s Ahmed Tijan and Sherif Younis defeated the By Sports Reporter ing victory. Qatar won all their Swiss duo 21/18 and 27/25 to Doha fi ve matches, semi-fi nal and fi nal win the trophy. without dropping a set. The tournament was part of Incidentally, Qatar had also Qatar’s team preparations atar won their fi fth defeated Oman in the fi nal of for participation in the FIVB straight Asian Beach previous edition of the champi- 2019 Beach Volleyball World Handball title after a onships held in Thailand in May Championships in Hamburg, 2-0 victory over Oman 2017. Germany, from June 28 to Qin the fi nal of the seventh edition This time the Maroons had a July 7 for men and women, of the championship in Weihai, training camp in Thailand, where with a prize of one million China, yesterday. they faced local club teams and dollars. Qatar also confi rmed qualifi - the Thai national team. Qatar will participate in the cation for both the 2019 ANOC Now Qatar players will focus World Championships with World Beach Games in Qatar in on winning a medal at the IHF two teams. Qatar A play in October and the 2020 IHF Beach Championships. In the previous Group D along with Belgium, Handball Championships to be years, Qatar had fi nished tenth Czech, and Sierra Leone, held in Italy. in 2010 in Turkey, 7th in 2012 in while Qatar B are in Group E Qatar were the overwhelming Amman, 3rd in 2014 in Brazil, 3rd along with Russia, Brazil, and favourites for the title and they in 2016 in Hungary, and ninth in the USA. justifi ed tag with a command- 2018 in Russia. Gulf Times 2 Tuesday, June 25, 2019 FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT FOCUS Colombia brimming Copa America starts with confi dence for Copa last eight AFP coming here and not playing, Salvador, Brazil and then playing such an impor- tant match,” added Cuellar. “But anew in quarters when you have very good players, olombia will take “a lot it’s easy to play.” of confi dence” into the Colombia will play the Group Copa America quarter- C runners-up in the quarter- fi nals after winning fi nals, likely to be either Uruguay CGroup B with a perfect record or Chile — although Japan are following Sunday’s 1-0 success still in with a very slim chance. for Argentina: Messi over Paraguay, match-winner Paraguay will watch on nervous- Gustavo Cuellar said. ly when Japan play Ecuador last Portuguese coach Carlos Que- night as their progress depends iroz made 10 changes to his side on that result, having dropped ‘Qatar are a very worthy team with a great future, with young players’ with Colombia already guaran- from second to third in Group B teed to top Group B, but the sec- courtesy of Argentina’s 2-0 win ond string still proved too strong over Qatar. for Paraguay, and even had a goal Whoever wins out of Japan and a penalty award cancelled in and Ecuador will qualify for the second half by VAR. the quarter-fi nals as one of the “We create a lot of dangerous two best third-placed fi nishers chances, we’re on the right path alongside Peru from Group A.