WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2013 SPORTS Egypt star reaches milestone Iraq sacks Serbian coach Messi tax case delayed JOHANNESBURG: Midfielder Mohamed Abou Trika became the ninth BAGHDAD: Iraq’s football association fired the national team’s MADRID: The case involving Barcelona star Lionel Messi and his father on Egyptian footballer to reach the 100-cap milestone when he lined up Serbian head coach yesterday, blaming a string of “bad results”, after tax evasion charges has been delayed until September 27, a court state- against Guinea yesterday in a World Cup qualifier. the squad failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. ment confirmed yesterday. Messi was due to appear in court in the coastal Although one of the greatest footballers produced by Africa, the 34-year town of Gava near Barcelona on September 17, the day before Barcelona has never played for a European club, preferring seven-time African cham- “The association unanimously decided to relieve the coach of his duties and to appoint Hakeem Shakir as the national team coach,” start their Champions League campaign against Ajax. pions Al-Ahly for most of his career. However, the Argentine’s lawyers had asked for that date to be changed An attacking midfielder in the twilight of a career that has brought many Iraqi Football Association Vice President Abdulkhaliq Massud told due to commitments on another case on the same day. Messi and his individual and team honours, Abou Trika still dreams of a first appearance AFP. Vladimir Petrovic lasted just five months in the job, and will be father Jorge Horacio Messi are accused of trying to deceive the Spanish tax- at the World Cup tournament. Egypt have already won Group G with five replaced by the national youth team’s head coach. man to the tune of four million euros ($5 million, £3.4 consecutive victories, giving them an unassail- Petrovic had signed a one-year contract for $800,000 when he million) by ceding the player’s image rights to com- able five-point lead over Guinea ahead of the was hired. Shakir takes over as the Iraqi national squad tries to quali- panies based in tax havens such as Belize and final mini-league fixture at Red Sea resort El- fy for the 2015 Asian Cup, with a match against Saudi Arabia sched- Uruguay. They are alleged to have drawn up deals Gouna. The Pharaohs are set to face Ivory Coast, in Britain and Switzerland to ensure that the uled for October 15. Ghana, Algeria, Nigeria or Cape Verde in a two-leg income passed straight into the tax havens without play-off during October and November, and the FIFA in July barred Iraq from hosting international football friend- passing through Spain. However, Messi’s lawyers winners qualify for Brazil. Abou Trika has been vot- lies due to a surge in violence, reversing a decision to allow the have claimed the 26-year-old has scrupulously com- ed CAF Africa-based Footballer of the Year three country to host matches three months earlier. plied with Spanish legislation and will pay any times and was a key figure when Egypt won the 2006 Iraq’s national team has struggled to replicate their stunning suc- amount he is found to owe. Last week a judge’s ruling and 2008 Cup of Nations titles. A man with strong cess in the 2007 Asia Cup when they emerged triumphant, giving confirmed that Jorge Horacio Messi paid 5.02 million views, he was yellow carded during the 2008 Africa the country a rare national symbol as it was grappling with a brutal euros to the tax authorities as a corrective payment Cup for lifting his shirt and displaying “Sympathise in August for the four million euros due in tax with Gaza”.on his t-shirt.—AFP Sunni-Shiite sectarian war.—AFP plus interest.—AFP Braves snap losing streak MIAMI: Evan Gattis drove in two runs to highlight Atlanta’s highest-scoring inning in more than a month as the Braves snapped a four-game slide by beating Miami 5-2 on Monday. Justin Upton, Freddie Freeman and Gattis all doubled to lead off what became a five-run fourth, Atlanta’s biggest inning since a five-run fifth against Philadelphia on Aug. 2. Kris Medlen (13-12) was the beneficiary that night against the Phillies and again on Monday, getting the win after allow- ing six hits and two runs in 6 1-3 innings. Atlanta (86-57) passed idle Boston (87-58) for baseball’s best record. Chris Coghlan tied a career high with four hits for Miami, which lost for the 24th time in its last 34 games. Ed Lucas added a two-run double in the seventh for the Marlins. Marlins starter Henderson Alvarez (3-4) gave up no hits in the first three innings, before Atlanta got to him in the fourth. Craig Kimbrel worked the ninth for his 45th save in 48 tries. Atlanta has not lost more than four straight at any point this season. CUBS 2, REDS 0 In Cincinnati, Travis Wood beat Cincinnati for MIAMI: First baseman Freddie Freeman No 5 of the Atlanta Braves attempts to pick off Chris the first time in his career, repeatedly pitching out Coghlan No. 8 of the Miami Marlins. —AFP of threats for seven innings. earlier in the evening when the Los Angeles for clinching the NL West title to eight. Wood (9-11) finally beat the team that traded Dodgers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks. Adrian Gonzalez, Andre Ethier and Hanley him after the 2011 season. He was 0-4 in his career, Angel Pagan hit a one-out single off reliever Ramirez also went deep in the Dodgers’ biggest including three losses this season. He allowed six Adam Ottavino (1-3) and took third on Marco power display in almost seven years. hits and fanned seven. Kevin Gregg gave up a dou- Scutaro’s single. Belt, who doubled in the tying run Ricky Nolasco (13-9) won his seventh straight ble in the ninth while earning his 31st save in 35 in the eighth, hit a 1-2 pitch over the head of left decision over eight starts. Uribe beat out an infield chances. Ryan Sweeney and Luis Valbuena home- fielder Charlie Culberson for his second game-end- single to third base in the seventh against Heath red off Bronson Arroyo (13-11), who had won his ing hit this season. Bell to drive in the Dodgers’ final run, capping his last four starts against the Cubs. Arroyo allowed DJ LeMahieu singled and doubled to extend his first four-hit game since April 23, 2001, against seven hits over seven innings, striking out six. career-high hitting streak to 11 games, and Nolan Atlanta. It was the first time the Dodgers hit as The Reds were coming off a week when they Arenado scored from second base on an infield many as six home runs in a game since Sept. 18, got six wins in seven games against St. Louis and groundout for the Rockies. Buster Posey hit his 2006, when they hit seven. the NL West-leading Dodgers. 15th home run of the season for San Francisco. Uribe was the eighth player in the majors this Cincinnati is 13-4 against the Cubs this season. season to hit three homers, and the first Dodger to Overall, Cincinnati has won 12 of its last 15 and 22 DODGERS 8, DIAMONDBACKS 1 do it since Ethier on June 26, 2009, against Seattle. of its last 27 against Chicago. In Los Angeles, Juan Uribe homered in each of It was Uribe’s first three-homer game. Los Angeles’ his first three trips to the plate as Los Angeles con- first four homers came off Randall Delgado (4-6), NATIONALS 9, METS 0 nected six times in all in reducing its magic number who threw 70 pitches over 2 2-3 innings. —AP In New York, Gio Gonzalez was inches from a no-hitter as Washington hit five home runs in the rout. Gonzalez (10-6) held the overmatched Mets MLB results/standings BALTIMORE: Ichiro Suzuki No. 31 of the New York Yankees flies out to left field in the sec- hitless into the seventh before pinch-hitter Zach ond inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park. —AFP Lutz broke up the bid with a soft single for New Baltimore 4, NY Yankees 2; Cleveland 4, Kansas City 3; Chicago Cubs 2, Cincinnati 0; Washington 9, NY Mets 0; York’s only hit. Lutz swung at the first pitch of the Atlanta 5, Miami 2; Minnesota 6, LA Angels 3; Pittsburgh 1, Texas 0; Chicago White Sox 5, Detroit 1; Houston 6, inning and hit a looper that landed on the first Seattle 4; LA Dodgers 8, Arizona 1; San Francisco 3, Colorado 2 (10 innings). Orioles and Indians roll base line, taking out a chunk of chalk well behind American League National League the bag. The left-hander struck out eight and Eastern Division Eastern Division BALTIMORE: Chris Tillman took a three-hit- with a scoreless seventh. walked two for his second career shutout and W L PCT GB Atlanta 86 57 .601 - Boston 87 58 .600 - ter into the eighth inning and the fourth complete game, improving to 5-0 in his last Washington 74 69 .517 12 Baltimore Orioles beat the New York WHITE SOX 5, TIGERS 1 Tampa Bay 78 64 .549 7.5 Philadelphia 66 77 .462 20 six starts against the Mets. Baltimore 77 66 .538 9 Yankees 4-2 on Monday in a game that fea- In Chicago, Chris Sale gave up a run and Denard Span and Ryan Zimmerman hit back-to- NY Mets 64 78 .451 21.5 tured an on-field confrontation between four hits in eight innnigs, denying Max NY Yankees 76 68 .528 10.5 Miami 53 89 .373 32.5 back homers to start the game.