Established 1961 15 Monday, December 14, 2020 Sports Everton overpower 1-0; end Chelsea’s long unbeaten run Victory lifts Everton up to seventh LIVERPOOL: Chelsea spurned the chance to go Calvert-Lewin, signed for just £1.5 million from top of the Premier League as Gylfi Sigurdsson’s Sheffield United four years ago, who is keeping penalty earned Everton a vital 1-0 win in front of Everton’s European ambitions afloat. The Premier 2,000 fans at Goodison Park. A first defeat in 18 League’s top scorer failed to add to his 14 goals games, excluding penalty shootouts, leaves Frank this season, but was too quick for both Thiago Lampard’s men still two points adrift of Silva and Mendy to a loose ball and was wiped Tottenham and Liverpool at the top of the table. out by the Senegalese ‘keeper. They can extend that advantage to five points Richarlison had to be convinced to allow when they are in action on Sunday. Victory lifts Sigurdsson to take the penalty and the Icelandic Everton up to seventh and within just one point of international made no mistake. Chelsea were the top four. nearly level almost immediately as James’s shot Reece James and Mason Mount hit the post for from outside of the box was turned onto the the visitors, but they were made to pay for one inside of the post by Jordan Pickford. Kurt rash moment from goalkeeper Edouard Mendy as Zouma then fired too close to the England num- he bundled over Dominic Calvert-Lewin and ber one, whilst Olivier Giroud was crowded out Sigurdsson coolly slotted home the resultant when the goal was gaping after Pickford crashed spot-kick. A £220 million ($291 million) spending into his own defender Yerry Mina from a long spree had seemingly transformed Chelsea into ball forward. title contenders, but the Blues badly missed the Everton had one just one of their previous sev- creativity of the injured Hakim Ziyech and en games after a blistering start had taken them Christian Pulisic to break Everton down once the top of the table in October. However, the limited Toffees went in front. number of home fans, returning to Goodison for Carlo Ancelotti’s men had slid down the table the first time since March, were given a huge win after a blistering start to the season and the need to cheer as the hosts held out with relative com- for Everton’s own big spending to finally pay off fort after the break. The closest Chelsea came to with European football was laid bare when the an equalizer was a Mount free-kick that came LIVERPOOL: Chelsea’s English defender Reece James slides in to foul Everton’s Brazilian midfield- er Allan during the English Premier League football match between Everton and Chelsea on club announced losses of nearly £140 million for back off the post after wrong-footing Pickford 10 December 12, 2020. —AFP the 2019/20 season on Friday. However, it is minutes from time. —AFP goal and you get a group of guys that Columbus Crew buy into that, no one is going to stop us from getting there,” an emotional hammer Seattle; Crew coach Caleb Porter said after the club added a second MLS Cup to Kuwait Football win the MLS Cup the one they captured in 2008. Seattle, meanwhile, were denied a LOS ANGELES: Lucas Zelarayan third MLS title in five years, unable to League roundup scored twice as the Columbus Crew recover despite a determined second By Abdellatif Sharaa beat Seattle 3-0 to win the 2020 MLS half. Despite the body-blow of losing Cup on Saturday, denying the Nagbe and Santos, the Crew came KUWAIT: Qadisiya Sports Club football team Sounders a second straight Major out determined to take advantage of enjoyed being on top briefly after winning their League Soccer crown. Zelarayan, the their home-field advantage. 12th round match of Kuwait Football League Argentine midfielder who formerly In the 17th minute, Columbus for- (ranking phase) against Sulaibkhat 2-1 on starred for Tigres in Mexico, opened ward Gyasi Zardes had a clear first Saturday. Qadisiya dominated the match and the the scoring in the 25th minute and chance, his effort saved by Seattle’s victory increased their point total to 25 while sealed the Crew’s second MLS Cup Swiss keeper Stefan Frei. The Crew Sulaibkhat remained with 5 points - rendering triumph in the 82nd at MAPFRE seized the lead in the 25th minute, them out of contention to remain in the premier Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Zelarayan firing a left-footed shot league. Qadisiya’s goals were scored by Abdoul He set up Derrick Etienne’s 31st- from near the back post past Frei after Sissoko in the 25th minute while the second goal minute strike on the way to Man of a deep cross from Harrison Afful. COLUMBUS: Jonathan Mensah #4 of Columbus Crew brings his team the was scored in the 27th minute by Eid Al-Rashidi. the Match honors. “I think we took Columbus doubled the advantage six MLS Cup after a 3-0 win over the Seattle Sounders during the MLS Cup The second match saw Nasr team regained advantage of every single moment minutes later when Haiti international Final at MAPFRE Stadium on December 12, 2020. —AFP the top spot after beating Tadhamon 3-1 and that we had,” Zelarayan said through Etienne curled in a right-footed shot grabbing 26 points. Both teams exchanged an interpreter. “We tried to be strong after Zelarayan faked an attempt from needed to get out of our funk,” said Zelarayan delivered the final dagger in attacks and Nasr’s Ahmad Al-Riyahi was able to every time we had the ball, and I think the top of the box and followed up Schmetzer. But there would be no mira- the 82nd, firing a left-footed shot into score with a well targeted header in the 35th we capitalized on every single oppor- with the pinpoint pass. cle comeback like the one that saw the the top corner after a deft pass from minute. Tadhamon attempted to score a badly tunity that we had.” With some 1,500 A Sounders side featuring three Sounders score three goals in the last 15 Colombian Luis Diaz. The match needed equalizer in the first half and lost its spectators in the stands amid continu- players in the MLS’s 2020 best XI- minutes in the Western Conference final capped a 25th MLS campaign upend- Nigerian defender Ibaboy Bakr to injury. ing Covid-19 restrictions, the Crew Jordan Morris, Uruguayan Nicolas against Minnesota. Columbus managed ed by the coronavirus pandemic. Play The second half began with a bang as shrugged off the absences of key con- Lodeiro and Peru’s Raul Ruidaz — to contain Morris and Ruidiaz, who was suspended between March and Tadhamon’s Abdelwahab Al-Saleeli scored at the tributors Darlington Nagbe and Pedro couldn’t manufacture a shot on goal, showed their usual commitment but had July, resuming with the “MLS is Back” start of the second half. This goal motivated Santos-both ruled out after positive and coach Brian Schmetzer brought in no quality opportunities. tournament in a quarantine bubble in Tadhamon. This situation continued until the 90th coronavirus tests. Sweden’s Gustav Svensson and Lodeiro, a former Ajax and Boca Orlando, Florida, that two teams had minute of the match when Talal Al-Ajmi was able “When you have a vision that’s Australian Brad Smith at half-time in Juniors player saw a shot in the 71st to withdraw from because of coron- to score Nasr’s second goal from a pass by strong, when you assign a value to a hopes of turning things around. “We minute glance off the near post. avirus cases. —AFP Ahmad Al-Riyahi. The referee awarded Nasr a penalty right in the 95th minute of the match which substitute Mishal Fawaz scored after which until the end, we must be satisfied with work well game, we can. That hurts, yes it hurts.” Egos too the referee blew the whistle and ended the match. Real Madrid take derby done.” His team were in front after 15 minutes when were hurting. Casemiro headed home a corner from Toni Kroos. Portuguese star Joao Felix showed his displeas- honors as Atletico lose That was reward for Real’s early pressure which ure at being replaced by Saul on the hour. Suarez had seen Karim Benzema denied by a fine save from allowed himself an ironic smile when he too was their unbeaten record Jan Oblak moments earlier. Atletico, who also made benched in favour of Geoffrey Kondogbia in the the Champions League knockout round in midweek, 73rd minute. “Joao Felix, if he plays, he wants to MADRID: Real Madrid reignited their La Liga title struggled to make any impression and star striker contribute more, he wants to finish the 90 minutes,” push on Saturday beating leaders Atletico 2-0 as Luis Suarez was an anonymous figure up front. Real said Simeone. “But I can’t explain his behavior.” In their city rivals suffered a first league defeat of the went 2-0 up after 63 minutes with Kroos again the stark contrast, Zidane could be especially pleased season. Real, who salvaged their Champions League provider. His pass eventually fell for Dani Carvajal for Casemiro who had returned from COVID-19 campaign in midweek by making the last 16, moved who unleashed a 30-metre drive which hit the post quarantine while Carvajal had recovered from a to third in the table, three points behind Atletico.