SOCCER
Chile and Peru draw
Chile and Peru on Friday missed the chance to take a big step toward Copa America quarter-final qualification, playing out a dour 0-0 draw in their Group A opener in Arlington, Texas. The teams were striving to join Argentina on three points after the defending champions’ 2-0 victory over Canada, whose qualification hopes have been boosted by the draw. The stalemate reflected Chile and Peru’s struggles in the CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying, where they have jointly managed just four goals across 12 matches. Chile’s Alexis Sanchez squandered the game’s best opportunity in the 16th minute. The former Inter and Arsenal forward missed a golden opportunity when he received Victor Davila’s low cross, only to send his close-range effort soaring over the crossbar. Chile showed more attacking flair, but failed to execute the crucial final pass in a first half marred by injuries, with Peru’s Luis Advincula subbed off in the 35th minute and Chilean midfielder Diego Valdes being replaced at halftime. Peru’s Miguel Araujo nearly broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute, forcing Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo into an acrobatic save with a well-connected header from Sergio Pena’s free-kick. Bravo’s performance in goal capped a special night for the former Barcelona and Manchester City player, who at 41 years, 2 months and 16 days became the oldest-ever Copa America player.
Photo: AFP
RUGBY UNION
England beat Japan
England yesterday beat Japan 52-17 in an eight-try performance at the National Stadium in Tokyo. It was the first time England played an official Test match in Japan. The hosts took an early 3-0 lead, but Chandler Cunningham-South put England ahead with a try in his first Test start as England marched to a 26-3 halftime lead.
BASEBALL
A’s pitcher wins weird
Oakland Athletics pitcher Sean Newcomb on Friday picked up a win with a pickoff and without officially facing a batter in their 6-5 victory against the Minnesota Twins. With Oakland trailing 5-4, Newcomb came on in relief of Lucas Erceg to face Minnesota’s Willi Castro with Austin Martin on first and two outs in the eighth inning. With a 1-1 count on Castro, the left-handed Newcomb picked off Martin to end the inning. Shea Langeliers hit a two-run homer off Jhoan Duran in the bottom of the eighth to give the A’s the lead and Mason Miller pitched the ninth and sealed the win. Oakland said that Newcomb (1-0) was the first pitcher in their 124-year history to earn a victory without facing a batter.
Japanese badminton star Chiharu Shida on Tuesday told Chinese fans to “stop stalking” her, adding that she was “very scared” by the unwanted attention. Shida, who won women’s doubles bronze at the Paris Olympics last year, has a strong following in China partly because of her engagement with the local culture. The 27-year-old, currently competing at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, has been dubbed the “Badminton Goddess” by fans and media. She hit out at some supporters on Tuesday, accusing them in an Instagram post of taking their fandom too far. “Every time we compete in China we always experience the harm
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) have shown the team do not need star power to win trophies and with the French Ligue 1 title won with six games to spare, the French champions would look to finish the season without losing, manager Luis Enrique said on Saturday. A 1-0 victory over Angers SCO at the Parc des Princes helped PSG win their fourth straight Ligue 1 title and a record-extending 13th overall. PSG can still break Nantes’ 30-year-old record of 32 games unbeaten. Although Nantes lost one game en route to the title, no French club has ever gone an entire league
THREES KINGS: The Celtics claimed a piece of league history by setting a new record for the number of threes in a season, ending their game with 1,370 Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun on Friday combined for 65 points as the Houston Rockets halted Oklahoma City’s 11-game winning streak with a statement 125-111 victory. In a potential Western Conference finals preview, the Rockets produced a dominant all-round performance to jolt the top-seeded Thunder’s all-conquering preparations for the post-season. Green finished with 34 points from 11-of-24 shooting, while Turkish big man Sengun made 31 points as second-placed Houston improved to 51-27. Oklahoma City grabbed the lead in the opening minutes of the first quarter, but Houston soon knocked the Thunder out of their stride with a physical approach to move into the
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) has failed in an attempt to persuade the PGA Tour to deliver serious concessions in exchange for a US$1.5 billion investment, leaving elite golf no closer to reconciliation just days from the season’s first major. The PGA Tour’s stance would give credence to the rising sense that the organization has increasing confidence in its position after a turbulent period caused by the formation of the Saudi-backed LIV Tour. Sources indicate that in correspondence sent to the PGA Tour last week, PIF sought assurances that the LIV circuit could continue to operate and that PIF governor Yasir
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