WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2014 SPORTS Messi: I need to change ‘chip’ Test game at the Arena Toure dampens City joy BUENOS AIRES: Lionel Messi wants to change the Barcelona “chip” in his head LONDON: Midfielder Yaya Toure is upset with Manchester City after an appar- to an Argentina one to do well at the World Cup, the national captain said yes- SAO PAULO: Corinthians have hastily arranged a second league ent birthday snub and could leave the Premier League champions, his agent terday. Messi told reporters on arrival in Buenos Aires that he would try to put game at their stadium later this month after FIFA said it wanted to said yesterday. a disappointing season in Spain behind him with Barcelona failing to win a test the venue with a bigger crowd ahead of the World Cup’s open- According to Dimitri Seluk, who represents the Ivory Coast international, major trophy for the first time in six years. “Now I must think of the national ing match there in June. Toure was dismayed that, despite the club giving him a 31st birthday cake, the team and change my chip,” Messi, who signed a new contract with Barcelona Corinthians are to play Cruzeiro at the Arena Corinthians on May owners did not personally congratulate him at a post-season party in Abu on Monday, said. “Many times it was the reverse, I’d go to Barcelona and play 29, just two weeks before the stadium hosts the opening game in Dhabi. Former Barcelona powerhouse Toure, whose goals were instrumental in well, let’s hope it’s the other way round. When I join my friends at the Group A between Brazil and Croatia, the club said. City’s second title in three seasons, could even seek a move, Seluk said. “He got (Argentine FA training) complex it’ll be another story.” The game “will count on the operation and services of some a cake but when it was Roberto Carlos’s birthday, the president of (Russian Before Messi won over Argentina fans with his performances in the World aspects of a FIFA World Cup match,” a statement on the Corinthians side) Anzhi (Makhachkala) gave him a Bugatti,” Seluk told BBC Sport. Cup qualifiers, he was criticised in his home country for not replicat- website (www.corinthians.com/br) said. Corinthians lost 1-0 at home “I don’t expect City to present Yaya with a Bugatti, we only asked that they ing his Barcelona form in the light blue and white striped nation- to Figueirense at the Arena Corinthians on Sunday in front of 36,000 shook his hand and said ‘we congratulate you’. It is the mini- al shirt. Messi headed from Ezeiza international airport on the paying fans in the first official game to be held at the ground. mum they must do when it is his birthday and the squad is outskirts of the capital to his home town of Rosario for a break FIFA, however, expressed concern that the stadium was still all together. “Of course Yaya is upset about this. It is his before beginning training next week under coach Alejandro incomplete and wants to see another game. “Arena de Sao Paulo still birthday and nobody said anything or shook his hand, so Sabella for the tournament in Brazil starting on June 12. needs 100 per cent from everybody to guarantee necessary struc- he does not feel comfortable,” added Seluk, who said City “This wasn’t my best season, I’d have liked to finish it differ- tures are in place for opener,” FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke sent a Twitter message wishing Toure a happy birthday. ently but it was the whole (Barcelona) group, not only at an said on Twitter. “The most important thing is a human relationship individual level, rather a slump of the whole team,” “A test event does not compare to the scale, needs and global and maybe this is his opportunity for Yaya to find said Messi, surrounded by reporters with micro- attention of the opening match of the World Cup. “The opening phones and cameras and autograph-hunting fans World Cup match attracts 65,000+ watching live in the stadium and that. If City don’t respect him, then easy - Yaya in the arrivals sector at Ezeiza.—Reuters a billion on TV. 24 Days to Go.”—Reuters will leave. No problem.”—Reuters Pistorius to start mental evaluation next week PRETORIA: Oscar Pistorius will start a tion could affect both the verdict and, if period of psychiatric evaluation at a Pistorius is convicted, the sentencing. government institution next week, a She saw three possible outcomes: judge ruled yesterday as she postponed -An “extreme” conclusion in which the star athlete’s murder trial until June the panel decides Pistorius was unable 30. to distinguish between right and wrong, A panel of mental health experts is or act in accordance with that under- now to decide if the double-amputee standing, because of an anxiety disorder runner can be held criminally responsi- when he killed Steenkamp. Such an out- ble for killing his girlfriend. come, according to Phelps, would result Judge Thokozile Masipa took just a in a verdict of “not guilty by reason of few minutes to read out her ruling that mental illness.” the Olympian must present himself at 9 -The panel basically agrees with the a.m. on Monday and every weekday defense witness, Dr. Merryll Vorster, who after that at the Weskoppies Psychiatric said Pistorius was able to distinguish Hospital in Pretoria. Pistorius will be between right and wrong but had the treated as an outpatient, Masipa ruled, anxiety disorder, possibly bolstering and will be allowed to leave the facility Pistorius’ argument that he was acting in the South African capital each day at in “putative self-defense” because he 4 p.m. or when “formally excused” by feared his life was in danger from a per- hospital authorities. The period of eval- ceived intruder. uation will be for no more than 30 days, -The panel contradicts Vorster and the judge said, and will depend on how says Pistorius does not have an anxiety long the panel of four experts needs to disorder, possibly casting doubt on the observe Pistorius and compile a report defense’s argument that Pistorius had a for the court. The panel will consist of long-held fear of crime and felt anxious three psychiatrists and a clinical psy- and vulnerable when he shot chologist, Masipa said. Steenkamp. CLEVELAND: Indians’ Jesus Aguilar hits a sacrifice fly off Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Phil Coke in the seventh inning. —AP Pistorius, 27, claims he shot Reeva Judge Masipa said yesterday that the Steenkamp, 29, by mistake through a panel should determine whether any toilet stall door in the pre-dawn hours mental illness may have affected of Feb. 14, 2013, thinking she was an Pistorius’ capacity to be “criminally Indians down drowsy Tigers intruder. The prosecution says he mur- responsible” for killing Steenkamp. She dered her during an argument. said the panel would evaluate “whether CLEVELAND: Michael Brantley homered with striking out eight. He didn’t allow a runner past Overbay got the final out in Atlanta’s five-run A psychiatrist called by Pistorius’ he was capable of appreciating the two outs in the 10th inning off Al Alburquerque, second base until the ninth, when manager Bo eighth.\ defense lawyers recently testified she wrongfulness of his act or of acting in giving the Cleveland Indians a 5-4 win over the Porter pulled him after two-out infield singles by believes the runner had an anxiety dis- accordance with an appreciation of the drowsy Detroit Tigers on Monday night. Mike Trout and Albert Pujols. REDS 4, NATIONALS 3 order from childhood which may have wrongfulness of his act.” Brantley connected on a 3-2 pitch from Howie Kendrick followed with a two-run Todd Frazier’s two-run homer in the 15th contributed to him killing Steenkamp. The world-famous disabled athlete Alburquerque (1-1), driving it into the Tigers’ triple off Josh Zeid, who got C.J. Cron on a inning lifted Cincinnati over Washington. That prompted the chief prosecutor to faces 25 years to life in prison if found bullpen to end Cleveland’s four-game losing grounder to end the Angels’ third loss in 11 Brandon Phillips singled off Ross Detwiler (0-2) ask the court that he be sent for inde- guilty on the premeditated murder streak. Scott Atchison (1-0) pitched a perfect games. Dexter Fowler and Chris Carter also to open the inning and, with one out, Frazier pendent psychiatric tests. charge. He is free on bail. 10th, retiring Miguel Cabrera and Victor drove in runs for the Astros (17-28), who still homered to center. The drive ended a scoreless Kelly Phelps, a senior lecturer in the Masipa’s ruling came on day 33 of Martinez for the first two outs. Detroit’s JD have the AL’s worst record despite six wins in streak of 27 2-3 innings by the Nationals’ public law department at the University proceedings in the trial, which started Martinez hit a pinch-hit homer in the ninth to tie their last eight games. bullpen. of Cape Town and a legal expert observ- March 3 and was initially predicted to it 4-all, but the Tigers couldn’t muster more mag- Logan Ondrusek (1-2) worked two innings for ing the trial, said the psychiatric evalua- last three weeks.—AP ic in extra innings. The Tigers, who arrived just BRAVES 9, BREWERS 3 the win, allowing an RBI single to Greg Dobbs in three hours before the first pitch because of Freddie Freeman and Justin Upton homered the bottom of the 15th before getting Danny travel delays from Boston, had their 11-game to help Mike Minor win his second consecutive Espinosa to fly out to deep right to end the 4- road winning streak ended.