SUNDAY, MARCH 5, 2017 SPORTS Ozil prays in Turkish Soccer lawmakers mull Goggia wins Olympic during German anthem tennis-style penalty shootout test event in Korea LONDON: Soccer’s lawmakers are looking to make penalty JEONGSEON: Italian skier Sofia Goggia stormed to her first World Cup victo- BERLIN: Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil has revealed in his autobiography that shootouts even more unpredictable by adopting the format used ry in the downhill yesterday, beating Lindsey Vonn and Ilka Stuhec to win he prays in Turkish on the pitch during the German national anthem before for tiebreakers in tennis. Teams currently alternate in shootouts, the 2018 Olympic test event at Jeongseon.oggia clocked one minute, 38.80 international matches. “Just before kick-off, I pray. It’s become a tradition of but the International Football Association Board says research seconds to edge out American star Vonn after the former Olympic champion mine. It’s always the same text. I pray in Turkish,” he writes in his shows the first team taking kicks has a 60 percent chance of win- set the early pace with a time of 1:38.87. She also prevented Stuhec from autobiography ‘Die Magie des Spiels’ (The Magic of the Game), ning. IFAB is seeking trials in the lower-levels of soccer with a new clinching the downhill World Cup-at least mathematically-by moving to released on March 16 in German. “I learnt these prayers as a pattern that would see the order mixed up between teams A and within 97 points of the Slovenian at the top of the standings child from my parents,” he added. “I say then after getting up, B to ABBAABBAAB. This mirrors tennis, where after the first point before the final race later this month. Stuhec, the recently after eating and during the national anthem.” The 28-year-old in tiebreaks - with the score 6-6 at the end of sets - the opponent crowned world champion, finished third in 1:39.03 and bar- Gunners star, a devout Muslim, was born in Gelsenkirchen and then serves the next two points and so on. “We believe that the ring a major upset should wrap up the World Cup title at his parents are Turkish immigrants. He has been criticised for not ABBA approach could remove that statistical bias and this is Aspen, Colorado on March 15. “I sincerely didn’t think I singing while the German anthem is played, but reveals that something that we will now look to trial,” Scottish Football could win today so I am pretty happy,” Goggia told during that time he prays for guidance in the match. Association chief executive Stewart Regan said after Friday’s IFAB reporters after denying Vonn a 78th World Cup win. “I’m “Even as a small boy, I prayed on the football pitch meeting. “It would mean the first 10 kicks are taken under the so honoured to ski with a legend-she inspires me,” she before playing and I have kept doing it, because it ABBA system and then when it gets to next-goal-wins then it added, referring to Vonn, who unusually chose to ski gives me a lot of strength and confidence,” he said. would revert to alternate penalties.” There is a more immediate first after setting the fastest times in both practice The 2014 World Cup winner made his debut for change coming to soccer on regular penalties in matches from runs at the venue for next year’s Pyeongchang Germany in 2009 and has since made 83 appear- June, with yellow cards no longer awarded for “stopping a prom- Olympics. “Today beating her, I am super ances, scoring 21 goals. —AFP ising attack” if there was a clear attempt to play the ball. —AP touched. — AFP RUGBY Milner-Skudder grabs hat-trick as Hurricanes hammer Rebels WELLINGTON: Nehe Milner-Skudder Milner-Skudder scored with one of his grabbed a hat-trick of tries in a brilliant first touches in the 17th minute, jinking return from injury as the Wellington through two defenders to canter over the Hurricanes destroyed the Melbourne line near the right post after flyhalf Rebels 71-6 in their Super Rugby match Beauden Barrett set him up with an incisive yesterday. run and pass. Sidelined for a year after shoulder sur- Minutes later, Barrett created the next gery, the fleet-footed All Blacks back try, too, with a deftly placed kick that Aso grabbed the Hurricanes’ first try early and pounced on and bolted 40 metres up the crossed twice late in the game to continue touchline to cross at the right corner. the defending champions’ rampaging start Laumape then crashed through a defen- to the season. sive hole off the side of a scrum in the 27th Inside centre Ngani Laumape and minute, with Aso grabbing his team’s winger Vince Aso each scored a brace of fourth try in a 15-minute burst. tries, with Matt Proctor, Reed Prinsep, Ardie Aso set up Proctor for the Hurricanes’ Savea and his brother Julian also touching fifth a minute before halftime, drawing two down in the 11-try rout at Wellington defenders out wide before a sumptuous Regional Stadium. off-load to the outside centre near the right The Hurricanes, who obliterated Japan’s touchline. Sunwolves 83-17 in a Super Rugby record Barrett’s conversion put the home side victory in Tokyo last week, have now scored 31-6 up at the break and the carnage con- 24 tries from their opening two matches of tinued after half-time. Ardie Savea was the the season. “It’s obviously been a pretty beneficiary of an explosive run from his good start,” Hurricanes captain Dane Coles brother Julian two minutes into the second said at the sunbathed stadium. half, with Prinsep grabbing another 15 min- “It was just good how we carried on that utes later. attack from last week ... I thought when we Julian Savea was rewarded with a try of were direct and kept things simple we his own in the 65th minute. After grabbing opened them up.” his second in the 71st minute, Milner- The Hurricanes started slowly and Skudder had his third gift-wrapped four trailed 6-0 after the ninth minute following minutes later by a quality off-load from penalties to Rebels inside centre Reece replacement back Jordie Barrett. Hodge. But it was all downhill from that Laumape completed the Rebels’ humili- point for the visiting Rebels, who were sim- ation by intercepting a pass and running 90 ilarly belted by the Auckland Blues at home metres for the Hurricanes’ final try three in the season-opener last week. minutes from the final hooter.—Reuters KRANJSKA GORA: Austria’s Marcel Hirscher, center, winner of an alpine ski, men’s World Cup giant slalom, celebrates on the podium with sec- Late try seals win for ond-placed Norway’s Leif Kristian Haugen, left, and third-placed Sweden’s Matts Olsson, in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, yesterday.—AP Sharks over Brumbies ALPINE SKIING CANBERRA: Outside centre Lukhanyo Am veteran Tendai Mtawarira bulldozed his scored in injury time to give the Coastal way over next to the posts to narrow the Sharks a gritty 27-22 win over the ACT gap. Lambie converted the try then kicked Brumbies in their Super Rugby clash in his second penalty to make it 15-13 at the History-maker Hirscher Canberra yesterday. Am scooped up a kick break. The Sharks started the second half ahead from replacement fullback Curwin the stronger of the two sides and took the Bosch and crashed over with the last play lead for the first time with Lambie’s third of the game to consign the Brumbies to penalty. With the Sharks dominating pos- wins sixth W Cup title two consecutive losses to start their sea- session and territory, the Brumbies began son. After a narrow loss to the Queensland to feel the pressure and two more penalties Reds in the opening week when captain saw the visitors skip away to a 22-15 lead KRANJSKA GORA: Austrian Marcel Hirscher massive 0.96sec lead over Norway’s Henrik with a combined time of 2min 24.31sec. It Pat Lambie missed a last minute penalty midway through the second half. wrote himself into the history books yester- Kristoffersen. was his third victory in the Slovenian resort attempt, the Sharks will head back to But the Brumbies slowly worked their day, his victory in the giant slalom guaran- But the 28-year-old Salzburg native was and 44th on the World Cup circuit Sweden’s Durban full of confidence for their clash way back into the game and were back on teeing him a record sixth consecutive overall made to wait for his triumph as rain and fog Matts Olsson rounded out the podium, at against the NSW Waratahs next weekend. level terms when Wallabies centre Tevita World Cup title. Hirscher’s sixth crystal globe swept in, leading to very bad visibility in the 0.67sec. “Conditions were definitely not easy,” “You could see the excitement in our group Kuridrani crossed next to the posts 10 min- bettered the record of Luxembourg’s Marc upper section of the course. Hirscher said. “There was a lot of waiting in when we scored that try at the end,” utes from fulltime. However, despite having Girardelli (1985, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1993) and The race was interrupted after the first 20 the rain. “It was a pretty hard and tough Lambie said. “We needed to get the win possession and field position the home equalled the ladies’ mark set by Austrian skiers down the second run in the hope of fight, that second run.