6 July 18, 2020 Real Madrid Seal Spanish Title Iran Remain 2nd in Asia, 33rd in With Win Over Villarreal World in FIFA Ranking TEHRAN (dispatches) – Iran national football team has remained in the 33rd position with 1,489 points in the newly published FIFA World Rankings on Thursday. Japan is the best Asian team in the ranking with 1500 points and South Korea is third with 1464 points. The FIFA Ranking has remained unchanged since April as the world keeps fighting against the spread of the novel coronavirus and all international football fixtures, including friendlies, were put on hold. Real Madrid’s players celebrate winning the Liga title after the Spanish League Belgium remains top ahead of France and Brazil, while England football match between Real Madrid CF and Villarreal CF at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium in Valdebebas, on the outskirts of Madrid, on July 16, 2020. and Uruguay are 4th and 5th respectively. MADRID (Dispatches) - Real while their Santiago Bernabeu Madrid clinched a record-extend- home is being renovated. ing 34th La Liga title with one “To return after spending three Hamilton on Top as Mercedes Dominate in Hungary game to spare by beating Villarreal months locked in our homes and BUDAPEST (AFP) - Lew- Jules Bianchi, many teams and 2-1 at home on Thursday thanks to to win 10 matches in a row is in- is Hamilton topped the times drivers remembered the former two goals from their leading scorer credible, but I always believed in ahead of team-mate Valtteri Marussia driver and Ferrari Karim Benzema. my team and knew we could win Bottas as Mercedes dominat- tester. Real have 86 points after 37 it,” said Real goalkeeper Thibaut ed Friday’s opening practice The session ran with few inci- games, seven more than deposed Courtois. for this weekend’s Hungarian dents. Pierre Gasly was unable champions Barcelona who were Messi Rages as Barca Lose Grand Prix. to take part in his Toro Rosso beaten 2-1 at home to Osasuna. La Liga, Risk Getting The defending six-time world due to a power unit problem, a Benzema fired through the legs Even Worse champion clocked a best lap in setback in start contrast to the of keeper Sergio Asenjo to put Barcelona made it all about the one minute and 16.003 seconds smooth progress made by Mer- Madrid ahead after 29 minutes Champions League and after sur- to outpace the championship- cedes whose drivers each ran and converted a penalty in the rendering La Liga to Real Ma- leading Finn by 0.086 seconds, 37 laps, the most by any team. 77th to help Real on their way drid, now it is all they have left. both men running on hard The Hungarian race, being to a remarkable 10th consecutive Winning the title last season for tyres. run for the 35th consecutive league win since the season re- an eighth time in 11 years was Sergio Perez was third for the year, is the third to be run this sumed after the COVID-19 stop- never going to be enough. Win- much-improved Racing Point year in the COVID-19 delayed page. ning the double had not been ei- team ahead of his controversial season and takes place behind Benzema had put the ball in the ther the year before. ‘pink Mercedes’ team-mate closed doors and under strict- net moments earlier after an au- La Liga and the Copa del Rey Lance Stroll, Daniel Ricciardo Lewis Hamilton topped the times ahead of team-mate Valtteri Bottas ly-controlled protocol condi- dacious pass from the spot kick had become Barca’s default, their of Renault and Sebastian Vet- as Mercedes dominated Friday’s opening practice for this weekend’s tions that do not allow anyone by original penalty taker Sergio domestic dominance taken for tel, who offered some hope for Hungarian Grand Prix. from the travelling F1 circus to Ramos but it had to be re-taken granted and then diminished by Ferrari, by taking sixth. Charles Leclerc was seventh Hungaroring circuit, 25 kms go anywhere other than their due to encroachment. disappointment in Europe. The Racing Point team are in the second Ferrari ahead of north of Budapest, Dutch- hotels, the circuit or the airport. The French forward then A mess of a season could still be under investigation follow- Max Verstappen in the lead- man Verstappen was the first Bottas won the season-open- stepped up to take the penalty saved by the Champions League ing a protest by Renault that ing Red Bull, Lando Norris of to top the times, but once the ing Austrian Grand Prix and himself and slammed it into the but even the most optimistic of challenges the legality of their McLaren and Esteban Ocon in Mercedes were on track they Hamilton last Sunday’s Styr- bottom corner to score his 21st fans expect the worst against 2020 car, which bears a strong the second Renault. quickly found their rhythm to ian Grand Prix. Bottas leads league goal of the campaign. Bayern Munich, Barcelona’s resemblance to the 2019 title- On a cool, damp morning take control. Hamilton by six points in the Villarreal pulled a late goal probable opponents in the quar- back through Vicente Iborra and ter-finals. winning Mercedes. with intermittent rain at the Five years after the death of title race. should have snatched an equal- Many, including Lionel Messi, iser in added time, while Real’s are worried even about getting Marco Asensio thought he had past Napoli, with the pandemic- Tokyo Olympic Venues Lined Up, Schedule Unchanged added a third goal later on but it delayed last 16 matchup poised Yoshiro Mori and CEO Toshiro er a small, non-public event for was ruled out by VAR for offside. at 1-1. “I said long ago that if we Muto. Thursday inside the new national After the match Real captain continued in this way, it would be They spoke from Japan to a full stadium to mark one year to go. Ramos hoisted the Liga trophy very difficult to win the Cham- session of the IOC membership Organizers have teased a possible into the air at the empty Alfredo pions League and that has been meeting online. appearance of the Olympic flame. di Stefano stadium, where the shown to be the case in La Liga Estimates in Japan say the delay IOC President Thomas Bach said Madrid side have been playing too,” said a frustrated Messi after will cost $2 billion to $6 billion, earlier this week that “multiple their final games of the season the loss to Osasuna on Thursday. with Japanese taxpayers picking scenarios” are being thought about up the bills. Olympic officials have to pull off the Olympics next year. not given any overall cost estimate. He said empty stadiums were an Berlin Tennis Event Chief The opening ceremony for the option, but not a preference, in the Olympics will be on July 23, 2021. long list of possibilities. Casts Doubt on U.S. Open However, women’s softball and “It includes all different counter- soccer will open on July 21, men’s measures: quarantine, you name soccer on July 22, and archery and it,” he said. “But, Olympic Games FILE - In this March 30, 2020, file photo, a man jogs past the Olympic rings in Tokyo. rowing on July 23. behind closed doors is clearly On July 24, the first full day after something we do not want. We TOKYO (AP) - The 42 venues for The Athletes Village and the main the opening, the first medal event are working for a solution of the next year’s delayed Tokyo Olympics press center have also been lined will be the women’s 10-meter air Olympic Games which, on the one have been secured and the compe- up for 2021. rifle. hand is safeguarding the health of tition schedule will remain almost That was the message delivered Unlike the large, public celebra- all the participants, and on the oth- identical to the one that would have Friday to IOC members by Tokyo tion of a year ago, local organizers er hand is also reflecting the Olym- been used this year. organizing committee President at the last minute have put togeth- pic spirit.” Fans Allowed Back Into English Sports Events From Next Week LONDON (AP) -- Spectators will Stadium capacities will still be be allowed back into some sports restricted and staggered entry events in England from next week times, social distancing measures BERLIN (AFP) - The head of exhibition tournament in Berlin, as coronavirus prevention measures and one-way systems will be re- an exhibition tennis tournament in which Rittner is overseeing. are tested ahead of a planned wider quired. Barriers or screens will Berlin says she has doubts the U.S. The event is being used as a reopening of stadiums in October. have to be installed where social Open will go ahead at the end of Au- model for the ATP and WTA, the Domestic cricket on July 26- distancing cannot be maintained gust as planned amid the coronavi- men’s and women’s tennis tours 27 is set to be the first sport that when buying food and merchan- rus pandemic. respectively, which are due to next fans are allowed to watch in per- dise or betting. Fans will be told Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, month. son since March. Some specta- not to attend if they could have the United States is the hardest-hit The women’s WTA tour is sched- tors will also be allowed into the been exposed to COVID-19.