Valtteri Bottas makes most of Hamilton’s troubles to win in Sochi PAGE 15 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2020 2021 Gold Cup draw tonight: Qatar seeded in Pot 4 Asian Cup champions Qatar are the seventh guest nation to compete in a Gold Cup and the first since 2005, joining the ranks of Brazil (1996, 1998, 2003), Colombia (2000, 2003, 2005), Peru (2000), Ecuador (2002), South Africa (2005) and South Korea (2000, 2002). AGENCIES AFC Champions Qatar, in a Gold Cup tournament. Concacaf Gold Cup prelims Stage Draw MIAMI (FLORIDA) who will guest in the compe- The draw ceremony in Miami will be broadcast live and The draw will be broad- seeded teams and draw pot (to Pots (based on August tition, are in the fourth pot hosted by Emmy award winning TUDN sportscaster cast live and hosted by qualify three teams via knock- 2020 Concacaf Ranking) CONCACAF (Confederation with the winning three teams Lindsay Casinelli and Fox Sports Lead Soccer Analyst Emmy award winning out for Gold Cup group stage). Pot 1 (pre-seeded teams): of North, Central America from the preliminary quali- and United States Men’s National Team legend Alexi TUDN sportscaster Lindsay Pre-seeded teams: Haiti, Mexico (Group A), USA and Caribbean Association) fiers which will be played the Lalas. A number of the national team head coaches Casinelli and Fox Sports Guatemala, Trinidad and To- (Group B), Costa Rica (Group will conduct the draw for the week before the finals start in Lead Soccer Analyst and bago, Cuba, Guadeloupe and C) and Honduras (Group D) 2021 Gold Cup with 16 teams July 2021. will be participating virtually in the evening event. United States Men’s Nation- Bermuda. Pot 2: Jamaica, Canada, looking to win Concacaf’s Qatar are the seventh al Team legend Alexi Lalas. Pot 1: French Guiana, Guy- Panama and El Salvador most prestigious national guest nation to compete in a lombia (2000, 2003, 2005), Along with South Korea, A number of the national ana, St. Vincent and the Gren- Pot 3: Martinique, Cura- team tournament. The draw Gold Cup and the first since Peru (2000), Ecuador (2002), Qatar will become the second team head coaches will be adines, Barbados, Montserrat cao, Suriname and Grenada is set to take place on Monday 2005, joining the ranks of South Africa (2005) and South nation from the Asian Football participating virtually in the and Bahamas Pot 4: Three Prelims (September 28). Brazil (1996, 1998, 2003), Co- Korea (2000, 2002). Confederation (AFC) to appear evening event. Concacaf Gold Cup Group Winners and Qatar (Group D). Late Kasir strike sees Persepolis through TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK DOHA A late worthy header (88th minute) from Isa Al Kasir off a flag kick for Persepolis saw the hopes of Al Sadd and an entire nation sink in the 2020 AFC Abderrazak Hamdallah’s sixth goal of the 2020 AFC Champions League Champions League Round of saw Al Nassr edge Al Taawoun 1-0 to make the quarter-finals of 2020 16 at the Education City Sta- AFC Champions League at the Education City Stadium on Sunday. dium on Sunday. The 1-0 win saw the Ira- nian club secure a place in the quarter-finals for the third Hamdallah stars as time in four years. The shock goal left Al Sadd and its fans stunned and Al Nassr complete coach Xavi Hernandez said, “I feel very sad. This was a good chance to qualify. quarter-finals line-up “I think the game was re- ally equal. We had more pos- AFC Taawoun wall, but his shot hit session, more shots and better DOHA the side netting. opportunities, but as I told the Khalid Al Ghannam ap- players, in this competition ABDERRAZAK Hamdal- plied pressure on defender you make just one mistake and lah’s sixth goal of the 2020 Ahmed Asiri, winning the ball you’re out. AFC Champions League was deep inside the Al Taawoun “We made a mistake from enough to send Saudi Ara- half then moving into the a set-piece, a corner, and we The late Isa Al Kasir (in red) header off a corner did it for Persepolis as they won 1-0 to make it to the quarter-finals of 2020 AFC Champions bia’s Al Nassr into the quar- penalty box. Al Ghannam didn’t focus. This is football. League at the Education City Stadium on Sunday. The is the third time in four years that the Iranian club has made it to the last eight. ter-finals with a valuable 1-0 looked to square for Hamdal- We controlled the game, we victory over compatriots Al lah who had the goal at his created chances, we had a very moved into space on the right Taawoun FC in the Round of mercy, but Yaseen Barnawi good attitude and we were We apologise to our fans: Hassan Al Haydos and crossed it for Kasir who 16 on Sunday. made a vital interception be- aggressive. We were focused AL Sadd captain Hassan Al Haydos expressed disappointment after the 1-0 beat his marker to the ball and Al Nassr were looking to fore the ball could reach the until the last minute, but one loss to Persepolis, which saw the Wolves go out of the AFC Champions League. applied the finish but his effort make it back-to-back quarter- Moroccan striker. mistake and we are out. This Speaking after the game, Al Haydos said, “All the players wished to reach the hit the upright. final appearances, while for Al Attempting to escape the is the competition, and this is farthest stage in the Champions League. We had ambitions and a big dream, It was daja vu nine min- Taawoun this was their first- tight marking imposed on football. We have to accept it but unfortunately we did not succeed in this match against Persepolis. utes later as the two players ever AFC Champions League him, Al Taawoun’s Austral- and learn from our mistakes. “We apologise to our fans who had placed great hopes in us for this tourna- combined again, and once knock-out stage appearance. ian forward Mitchell Duke “It’s a pity because after a ment and the loss is painful. In such matches, there are small details that more Resan’s cross found Ka- The first real chance of came deeper and sent an an- game like that, normally you settle things in the end, and this is what happened. Al Sadd lost and exited sir in space but this time the the game fell Al Nassr’s way gled cross from the right for have to win. Sometimes, foot- the tournament because of a set-piece, from which the Persepolis goal ball ricocheted against the at the quarter-hour mark the onrushing Hassan Kadesh ball is not fair.” came. In matches like this, we must be focused throughout the 90 min- crossbar. when Awad Al Faraj em- who struck it on the half-volley The Al Sadd coach also rued utes, from the first moment until the final whistle. With 15 minutes left, barked on a jinking run down wide off target. the absence of VAR (video as- “Everyone bears responsibility and I am the first to take responsibility. We promise our fans that we Akram Afif dribbled down the the left and fed Pity Martinez Al Taawoun’s defensive sistant referee) in the competi- will do our best in the upcoming challenges,” he added. (TNN) left flank and cut back to Nam who controlled and tried to resilience was finally broken tion. “In my humble opinion, Tae-hee who took it first time find the bottom corner but in the 76th minute and it was it’s a big shame that this com- with his left but goalkeeper put too much bend into it, naturally Al Nassr’s talisman petition, the best in Asia, does Xavi also said: “We must ac- We have to compete better. If goalkeeper Hamed Lak in the Lak was present to save. sending it wide. Hamdallah who opened the not have VAR. It’s a big shame. cept the reality, we lost today be- we do that, we may go further 13th minute and Mohammed Afif tried his luck again Head coach Rui Vitoria’s scoring on the night. “If we had VAR today, cause of small details. We were in this competition.” Jadoua’s effort from distance in the 82nd minute, cutting men dominated the pro- Sultan Al Ghannam won there would be a penalty for controlling the game and cre- The two sides had met in went agonisingly close on the inside from the left but again ceedings for the entirety of the ball back from Cedric us. I don’t want to talk about ated enough chances to score, the semi-finals of the 2018 wrong side of the post. Lak was untroubled, comfort- the first half, restricting Al Amissi and whipped a cross referees because I know that we had many shots from outside AFC Champions League, with A quick break from the left ably saving. Taawoun to a few half chanc- towards the far post which was their job is really difficult, and the box, and many corners. In Persepolis emerging 2-1 win- flank saw Persepolis’ Ehsan As the two teams looked es, but by the time the half- missed by Asiri allowing Ham- sometimes football is very fast, my opinion, we were better than ners on aggregate to reach Pahlavan dribble down the set to head into extra time, it time whistle arrived, there dallah to control and fire home and you have to make deci- Persepolis in footballing terms, the final.