FIFA U-20 World Remain in Control of Their Own Destiny
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FFOOTBALLOOTBALL | Page 3 GGOLFOLF | Page 6 Juventus America’s too good for Koepka warns United on he can get Ronaldo return even better Thursday, October 25, 2018 CRICKET Safar 16, 1440 AH Kohli fastest to GULF TIMES reach 10,000 runs in ODIs SPORT Page 7 FOOTBALL/ AFC UNDER-19 CHAMPIONSHIP Qatar storm into quarters aft er 4-0 win over Taipei INDONESIA ALSO QUALIFY FOR LAST EIGHT BUT UAE ELIMINATED AFC six goals in less than an hour against Jakarta Qatar. Todd Rivaldo Ferre, Indonesia’s three-goal super sub against the Qa- atar progressed to the AFC taris, remained on the bench through- U-19 Championship quar- out the opening 45 minutes but he was ter-fi nals yesterday as a hardly needed as Indonesia were large- Q4-0 win over Chinese Taipei ly the better team. helped them fi nish top of a tight Group Despite that, the decisive goal was A. the result of sheer opportunism, with Qatar, Indonesia and the UAE all Witan robbing Emirati defender Yousef fi nished on six points but the Emiratis Ali of the ball 40 yards from goal before were eliminated on the basis of goals outpacing in the vicinity and slamming scored in matches between the three the ball home from just inside the pen- teams. Yesterday, the UAE crashed to a alty area. 1-0 defeat at the hands of hosts Indo- With the crowd electrifi ed, the nesia, the only goal coming from Witan Emiratis had to negotiate a tricky ten- Sulaeman. minute period to limit the damage to A fl urry of second half goals ensured one, with the ever-dangerous Ali Saleh the nervy victory for Qatar who had earning a free kick, and forcing Mu- gone into the game knowing that only hammad Riyandi into a solid save upon a win would have guaranteed them a taking it, to give the West Asians a mo- ticket through to the last eight. ment of respite. Qatar, the 2014 title winners will With Qatar and Chinese Taipei now meet the yet to be decided run- locked at 0-0 in the other match, both ners-up in Group B, with Sunday’s en- sides were going to the quarter-fi nals counter sure to be a titanic tussle given as things stood at half-time, but both that both a spot in the semi-fi nals and knew they required a positive result to a berth at next year’s FIFA U-20 World remain in control of their own destiny. Cup will be up for grabs. Rivlado Ferre was introduced at On what proved to be a tense night the break, local hopes suff ered a ma- of football, Qatar came close to break- jor blow in the 53rd minute, when ing the deadlock on 11 minutes when Nurhidayat was sent off for a second Abdulrasheed Umaru thumped a fi erce bookable off ence after bringing down angled drive against the bar, before Omar Ahmed Saleh. goalkeeper Li Guan-Pei did well to The complexion of the game changed deny Mohamed Waad Abdulwahhab in an instant, and it was the visitors and Umaru in quick succession shortly who began to look more threatening, after. although the Garuda Muda were still Umaru was once again foiled by Li able to produce moments of promise in the 27th minute, while Hashim Ali’s when they ventured forward. clever fl ick from a corner failed to beat Qatar players celebrate after beating Chinese Taipei and qualifying for the quarter-finals of the AFC Under-19 Championship in Indonesia. Qatari goals in Bogor meant United the alert Chinese Taipei custodian Arab Emirates could no longer aff ord to shortly after half-hour mark. Qatar’s ascendancy showed no sign broken and the East Asians failing to Hashim Ali bagging his second of the Meanwhile, Indonesia started in lose, and they had their best chance of In the fi nal moments of what had of abating, but more resolute Chinese must a genuine opportunity of their game with a delightful curling eff ort a spirited fashion with Egy Maulana the game so far when Ali Saleh volleyed proved to be a dominant yet decid- Taipei defending forced them to wait own, Qatar added a second through that beat Li’s despairing dive. Vikri and Sadil Ramdani both causing wide from 12 yards in the 74th minute. edly frustrating half for the Qataris, Li until the 57th minute before taking the Hashim Ali courtesy of a deft fi nish Qatar rounded off the scoring on 86 early headaches for the Emiratis. In a chaotic fi nale, and despite seven did supremely well to repel a rasping lead with substitute Khaled Mansour four minutes later. minutes when Umaru expertly con- With newfound defensive organi- minutes of additional time, Indonesia Umaru drive from 12 yards and Ahmed drilling a shot across Li and into the As chances became few and far be- verted a penalty after Khaled Moham- sation and a 30,000-strong crowd held on to secure not only a famous Suhail planted a header narrowly wide net. tween, Qatar pressed for a third and it med had been brought down in the area roaring them on, the hosts bore little victory, but also an improbable trip to of the target much to his annoyance. With Chinese Taipei’s resolve clearly duly came with 13 minutes remaining, by Chiu Po-Jui. resemblance to the side that conceded the last eight. WORLD GYMNASTICS America’s Biles takes centre stage in Doha By Sahan Bidappa “It’s really exciting to American has set her eyes on that elu- competition and hopefully we’ll bring Doha inspire the younger generation. sive medal. back some medals. It will be good. We’ll I remember being so little and “I’ve never medalled in uneven bars make memories,” she added. looking up to some of fi nal but I’ve only been in one,” Biles More than 500 gymnasts from 76 ll eyes were on Simone Biles my heroes, and hopefully said last week when asked the event she nations will converge at the Aspire as she trained at the Aspire they’re looking up to me” would most like to win aside from the Dome, with three medal-winning na- Dome on the eve of the Artis- team competition. “Maybe if I could tions in the Team fi nals for both men tic Gymnastics World Cham- in 2016. There is an excitement in the make a bar fi nal, that would be pretty and women earning team berths di- Apionships. The Olympic champion air to see the Texan on stage with Biles cool because I think of all the med- rectly to the 2020 Olympic Games in holds court wherever she goes and it set to nail a vault routine never been als you can get and the fi nals you can Tokyo. The line-up in Doha includes was no diff erent in Doha. attempted at the big stage before. She participate in, I always admire the bar 22 world and Olympic gold medallists At 21, Biles is already one of the gave a glimpse of what to expect in workers just because it’s so hard men- from 13 nations. greatest gymnasts ever to grace the Doha, when she performed Cheng with tally and physically,” she added. The competition will determine sport, and by the time she winds up her an extra half twist at the USA Gymnas- Biles is the only member of the US the winners of eight sets of medals for career she could be perched alone at the tics’ selection camp earlier this month. women’s team of six who has competed men – team, all-around, fl oor exer- top, at least in terms of the medals won. Her closest challenge for the all- at an Olympics or in a world cham- cise, pommel horse, rings, vault, paral- A quadruple gold medallist at Rio around title will come from compatriot pionships team competition, but still lel bars and horizontal bar. There will Olympics, Biles is already a three-time Morgan Hurd, who claimed the crown they are the overwhelming favourite. be six for women – team, all-around, world all-around champion, three- in Montreal last year, in Biles’ absence. If they do stand on top of the podium vault, uneven bars, balance beam and time world fl oor champion, and two- “It’s really exciting to inspire the in Doha next week, the US will earn a fl oor. time world balance beam champion. younger generation. I remember being sixth straight Olympic or world title — The Japanese men and Ameri- And if she adds another gold in Doha, so little and looking up to some of my the longest female run of dominance in can women are the reigning Olympic she will become the fi rst woman in his- heroes, and hopefully they’re looking the sport since the 1970s Soviet teams. champions from Rio and defending tory to win four world all-around titles. up to me,” she said after Tuesday’s po- “We have a lot of rookies in our team world champions from the 2015 World What adds more spice to the World dium training at Aspire Dome. and a couple veterans, but the veter- Championships in Glasgow. The team Championships – the fi rst ever to be The lone apparatus that Biles has not ans are excited to shine some light on competition is not held at the world held in the Middle East – is that Biles conquered internationally is the un- the rookies and lead them through the championships in post-Olympic years.