SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2016 SPORTS Pogba’s game not about the goals: Deschamps PARIS: France coach Didier Deschamps League last weekend but Deschamps scores, all the better. I know he likes pen in sport,” lamented visiting coach 2015. A total of 130 people were killed in insists there is an awful lot more to Paul said: “He is not a goal-scorer. He can scoring but it is not what I or the team Janne Andersson, whose team had gone the attacks, including one man when Pogba’s game after the Manchester score goals and has done so but I don’t expect from him.” France are three in front through a superb Emil Forsberg three suicide bombers blew themselves United star found the net again in his especially expect him to do that. points clear of Sweden at the top of free-kick at the start of the second half. up outside the Stade de France while country’s 2-1 win over Sweden on Friday. “All the better that he did so today Group A four games into European qual- Deschamps responded: “I saw that he France were playing Germany in a The world’s most expensive player but I am much more happy with his ifying for the 2018 World Cup thanks to was slightly offside. His tibia was offside. friendly. A minute’s silence was held for headed in France’s equaliser before overall performance which followed on Payet’s 65th-minute winner. It wasn’t given, and all the better for us. the victims to mark the anniversary Dimitri Payet got the winning goal in the from what he did in the Netherlands. There was a touch of controversy “But there was also a cross and an before the Sweden game, while France’s World Cup qualifier at the Stade de “For Manchester he is used in a differ- about the goal, however, as Antoine error that led to the goal. It could have president Francois Hollande was in France on Friday. ent position in a different system. He Griezmann was in an offside position in been given. There wasn’t much in it and attendance. “Time goes on but nobody It was Pogba’s eighth goal for his gave us a lot of fluidity with the ball and the build-up. The striker’s presence then it went in our favour. I understand the will forget, or can forget, what hap- country and followed his winner in the was good at winning possession back,” led to goalkeeper Robin Olsen fumbling anger and disappointment of my pened,” said Deschamps. 1-0 victory away to the Netherlands last Deschamps added. a cross, allowing Payet to score. Swedish colleague.” “We need to go on but it is important month. The 23-year-old also scored a “When Paul is playing like that and “Sweden deserved a better result. It is The game was played almost exactly to show our solidarity to the victims, superb volley in United’s 3-1 win at has a good partnership with Blaise a bit of a shame because the second a year on from the terror attacks that their families and everyone who was so Swansea City in the English Premier Matuidi it is important for the team. If he goal was offside, but these things hap- struck Paris on Friday November 13, deeply affected a year ago now.” —AFP Payet shines as France beat Sweden PARIS: France midfielder Dimitri Payet who survived we must remember.” scored the winner after setting up the Security was tight, with some 1,200 equaliser in a 2-1 victory over Sweden in a stewards and 400 police officers deployed top-of-the-table clash as they opened up a in and around the stadium but there were three-point lead in World Cup qualifying no incidents reported. Group A at the Stade de France on Friday. The visitors went ahead in the 54th LIVELY OPENING minute through Emil Forsberg before Paul Sweden, who lost their backbone after Pogba and Payet hit back with goals in the goalkeeper Andreas Isaksson, midfielder 58th and 65th minutes respectively to put Kim Kallstrom and talismanic striker Zlatan France on 10 points ahead of Sweden after Ibrahimovic all retired from international four games. football, still proved a tough nut to crack. The Netherlands, who travel to France pressed high, leaving little Luxembourg on Sunday, are in third place breathing space for the Swedes, who on four points. looked dangerous on set pieces. A minute’s silence was held before kick- Les Bleus had their first clear chance in off to mark the first anniversary of the Paris the 15th minute when Payet’s curled shot attacks that killed 130 people on Friday was parried away by Robin Olsen. Nov. 13 when bars, restaurants and the sta- However, after a lively opening 20 min- dium where Les Bleus were playing a utes, France faded while Sweden grew into friendly against Germany were targeted. the game, threatening with a couple of French president Francois Hollande, sharp counter attacks. who was also at the France v Germany The visitors went ahead nine minutes game last year, attended Friday’s match into the second half, when Forsberg’s 25- along with invited presidents of the French metre free kick flew past keeper Hugo Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 clubs. Lloris. France reacted swiftly, however, with “We have to remember. One year ago, Pogba heading home from Payet’s free kick COLUMBUS: Carlos Vela #11 of Mexico battles for the ball with Jermaine Jones #13 and Matt Besler #5 of the United States in the second half almost to the day, we were here for a four minutes later. In the 65th, Olsen fum- during the FIFA 2018 World Cup Qualifier at MAPFRE Stadium on Friday in Columbus, Ohio. — AFP friendly game and three bombs were deto- bled a cross into the path of Payet, who nated, with one man being killed,” Hollande coolly turned the ball home to give France told French TV. the points. Sweden next face Belarus on “We have to remember there were 130 March 25 when France, who host Ivory Marquez header earns people who died and hundreds of others Coast in a friendly on Tuesday, visit who were injured. For them and for those Luxembourg.— Reuters Mexico’s dramatic win OHIO: Rafael Marquez headed in a late winner Costa Rica defeated Trinidad and Tobago 2- to secure Mexico’s dramatic 2-1 victory over 0 and Panama beat Honduras 1-0 as each road the United States in a CONCACAF World Cup side earned the opening three points. Matches on TV qualifier match in Ohio on Friday. The US also lost veteran goalkeeper Tim (Local Timings) With emotions running high, ‘El Tri’ deliv- Howard who was forced out of the game in ered a brutal knockout punch to the the 40th minute with what appeared to be a World Cup 2018 Americans as Marquez directed a header into leg injury. goal off a corner kick in the 89th minute to The 37-year-old went down when taking a European Qualifiers deflate the hosts who had dominated during a goal kick, and was replaced by Brad Guzan. feisty second half. Klinsmann said he does not expect Howard Bulgaria v Belarus 20:00 The match between rivals featured eight to make the trip to Costa Rica for Tuesday’s AD SPORTS 3 HD yellow cards and a team-wide pushing match game and the goalkeeper will undergo an MRI between both sides in extra time for an explo- yesterday. Luxembourg v Netherlands 20:00 sive start to the Hexagonal. “The groin is sore for sure, we’ll find out AD SPORTS 3 HD The showdown took on extra meaning just more tomorrow,” Howard said. “I’m disappoint- Hungary v Andorra 20:00 days after the US elected Donald Trump as ed for the group. We gave as good as we got, AD SPORTS 5 HD President. Trump has threatened to build a and in the end a set piece let us down.” Switzerland v Faroe Islands 20:00 wall along the border between the two coun- Miguel Layun opened the scoring for AD SPORTS 5 HD tries in a proposed crackdown on illegal immi- Mexico in the 20th minute and ‘El Tri’ looked Cyprus v Gibraltar 20:00 gration. oise to build a big lead as they spread out the “Mexico had the better first half, in the sec- Americans and ran free in space. AD SPORTS 4 HD ond half we were outstanding,” US coach The US survived the assault then complete- Belgium v Estonia 22:45 Jurgen Klinsmann told reporters. ly shifted the momentum in the second half AD SPORTS 5 HD “Overall, it was a very intense and exciting where Bobby Wood tied the match in the 49th Greece v Bosnia & Herzegovina 22:45 really quality battle. Now this puts us on our minute after a nice run and pass from team AD SPORTS 1 toes going down to Costa Rica (Tuesday) to try mate Jozy Altidore. Mexico held on to get the AD SPORTS 1 HD SAINT-DENIS: French President Francois Hollande (L) shakes hands with the newly to get three points.” final say in the closing minutes. “We were elected president of the French Professionnal Football League Nathalie Boy De La Tour Mexico persevered through cold weather working to get this result. I think we deserved Portugal v Latvia 22:45 (R) during the 2018 World Cup group A qualifying football match between France and and physicality, however, and joined the trend this, and three points puts us in good posi- AD SPORTS 4 HD Sweden at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on Friday.