WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 SPORTS Al Hilal demand probe into ‘black spot’ final RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal have its competitions, and the need to ensure demanded an investigation into the con- the absence of any effect of betting troversial AFC Champions League final, offices scattered among football”. calling it a “black spot” on Asian football Saturday’s game ended in ugly scenes as and raising suspicions about possible Al Hilal’s Nasser Al-Shamrani spat at match-fixing. Matthew Spiranovic, sparking a melee. Al The Saudi giants took aim at the Asian Hilal players also removed their runners- Football Confederation (AFC) after going up medals as soon as they received down 1-0 on aggregate to Western them. Sydney Wanderers in a two-legged final Al Hilal urged the AFC to investigate which ended in acrimony on Saturday. who was responsible for selecting the Al Hilal had several penalty appeals match referees, claiming they waved waved away over the course of the two away two “explicit penalties” in the first legs and Japanese referee Yuichi leg and four in the second. Nishimura, known for a spot-fix blunder The club took particular issue with the at this year’s World Cup, took charge of appointment of Nishimura, who was de- the second fixture. “What happened in selected from World Cup duty after giv- the second leg of the AFC Champions ing hosts Brazil a highly debatable penal- League final is a black spot in the history ty in their tournament opener against of Asian football and looting of the right Croatia. “Appointing him as a referee for of an entire people who has been wait- the match is a big mistake that requires ing for happiness and enjoyment of fair investigation and causes punishment,” competition,” a statement said. the statement said. It added that “blunders” in the final There was no immediate response “appeared suspiciously and tarnished the from the AFC. The Wanderers became reputation of the AFC, which raised the first Australian team to win the Asian many questions about the AFC champi- title and they were mobbed by fans on onships and the integrity and fairness of their return to Sydney. — AFP Klose scores twice as Lazio survive fightback MILAN: Miroslav Klose scored twice in a back after the break when Lazio’s Edson minute to help Lazio beat 10-man Braafheid deflected the ball into his own Cagliari 4-2 on Monday, although they goal three minutes after the re-start. had to survive a second-half fightback Cagliari had Colombia forward Victor from the unpredictable Sardinians. Ibarbo sent off in the 73rd minute for Lazio raced to a 3-0 halftime lead as retaliation on Lulic, who escaped with a Stefano Mauri turned in Lucas Biglia’s yellow card, but the visitors still scored shot in the seventh minute before former again through substitute Joao Pedro Germany forward Klose sprang into with six minutes left. Substitute Ederson action. sealed Lazio’s win with a goal in stop- Klose, who became the World Cup’s page time. LONDON: Crystal Palace’s Marouane Chamakh (background) competes for the ball with Sunderland’s Sebastian Larsson (foreground) during the highest scorer with 16 goals after scoring Lazio’s fifth win in six games lifted English Premier League soccer match. — AP twice in the tournament in Brazil this them to third in Serie A with 19 points year, added the second from close range from 10 games, three behind neighbors in the 25th minute after Senad Lulic nod- AS Roma and a further three adrift of ded Antonio Candreva’s pass into his leaders Juventus. Cesena and Verona Fletcher’s brace sinks Palace path. One minute later, the 36-year-old drew 1-1 in Monday’s other game, featur- struck again with a shot which deflected ing two sides in the lower half of the off Luca Ceppitelli. Cagliari came straight table. — Reuters chased victory. Fletcher scored the third on a minutes of medical attention on the pitch with breakaway in added time to wrap up the points central defender Brown replacing him in a Sunderland 3 and ease the pressure on manager Gus Poyet. reshuffled back four that had Vergini moving out “I am pleased because it was a day that was to the right. all about winning, fighting, playing ugly when Towards the end of the first half Vergini you have to and pass when you have to,” Poyet almost put Sunderland further ahead when Palace 1 told the BBC. “We scored three goals but Julian striker Connor Wickham pulled the ball back to Speroni made a couple of good saves as well.” the edge of the box where the Argentine Palace boss Neil Warnock added: “It is a cruel volleyed a stinging shot that brought a reflex LONDON: Sunderland striker Steven Fletcher game football. We have ended up losing 3-1 diving save from Speroni. scored in each half to help his beleaguered side which on paper looks a poor defeat but I can’t Palace’s equaliser 10 minutes into the second earn a much-needed 3-1 win at Crystal Palace in fault the lads tonight but decisions change half came from Sunderland’s fourth own goal of their Premier League match at Selhurst Park on games.” the season, an indication of their defensive Monday. problems. Sunderland’s second league win of the sea- PENALTY APPEALS Goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon made a brilliant son, after conceding 10 goals with no reply in Palace had two penalty appeals turned down save on the line from Marouane Chamakh’s their previous two matches, lifted them out of in the first half, one in the opening minute when header but Frazier Campbell backheeled the ball the relegation zone to 15th place with 11 points Frazier Campbell ran onto a headed pass by into the middle and the unfortunate Brown from 10 matches and left Palace 17th with nine. Marouane Chamakh and went down when chal- turned it into the net. “I couldn’t believe we The visitors went ahead after half an hour lenged by Santiago Vergini, though the scored another own goal,” said Poyet. “Wes when Fletcher rose to direct a header into Julian Argentine did not appear to make contact. Brown could not believe it himself. I don’t know Speroni’s bottom right hand corner from Patrick The second appeal came in Palace’s first if you can train that out of players but we need van Aanholt’s cross after the left back was fed attack after they had conceded the opening to get back to basics.” out wide by midfielder Jordi Gomez. goal to Fletcher when Van Aanholt looked to Sunderland’s Vergini powered another effort Palace equalised thanks to an own goal by have brought down Wilfried Zaha on the right at goal close to the hour only for compatriot substitute Wes Brown in the 55th but Gomez put edge of the box though the challenge appeared Speroni again to make the save but there was lit- Sunderland back in front against the run of play to be just outside. tle the keeper could do to keep out Gomez’s by rifling a low shot from the left into the bot- Van Aanholt hurt his shoulder in the tackle precise finish and Fletcher’s last-gasp goal that tom far corner in the 78th minute as Palace and was carried off on a stretcher after three sealed the points. — Reuters Macleod gets Scotland call LONDON: Rangers midfielder Lewis Macleod was (Nottingham Forest/ENG), Graham Dorrans (West Forwards: Steven Fletcher (Sunderland/ENG), yesterday awarded his first call-up for Scotland’s Bromwich Albion/ENG), Darren Fletcher (Manchester Lewis Macleod (Rangers), Chris Martin (Derby 2016 European Championship qualifier at home to United/ENG), Shaun Maloney (Wigan /ENG), James County/ENG), Stevie May (Sheffield the Republic of Ireland and friendly at home to McArthur (Crystal Palace/ENG), James Morrison (West Wednesday/ENG), Steven Naismith England. The 20-year-old has been capped at every Bromwich /ENG), Charlie Mulgrew (Celtic). (Everton/ENG). — AFP international level from under-16 to under-21 and has impressed national coach Gordon Strachan with his recent performances, scoring seven goals in the Scottish Championship. “I get good reports from our coaches, people who have played against him, people who have worked with him, and I look ITALY: Lazio’s Marco Parolo (left) and Cagliari’s Albin Ekdal vie for the ball during a forward to seeing him,” Strachan told a press con- Serie A soccer match between Lazio and Cagliari, at Rome’s Olympic stadium. — AP ference. “I saw him in the first game of the season and I caught up with videos and obviously other people watch games. So it is easy to find out if a Corinthians head to US player is playing well. We think it will be good for us to have him along.” Stoke City full-back Phil Bardsley has been for training, marketing recalled following an injury to Aston Villa’s Alan Hutton, while Celtic midfielder Charlie Mulgrew SAO PAULO: Corinthians are to visit “For a long time now the club has returns after injury and suspension. the United States on a pre-season tour been looking for an opportunity to Scotland host the Irish at Celtic Park-where in 2015, in an attempt by the Brazilian promote itself in the U.S.,” said Edu Strachan, like Ireland coach Martin O’Neill, once side to both prepare for the new foot- Gaspar, the former Arsenal player who managed Celtic-on November 14 before returning ball season and promote the club in is now Corinthians Director of Football.