PARIS: Megan Rapinoe stole the headlines again as her brace took the United States through to the semifinals of the women’s World Cup on Friday, the holders beating France 2-1 in Paris to puncture the hopes of the host nation.
Rapinoe’s free-kick five minutes into this quarter-final evaded a sea of bodies in the box on its way into the net to stun the home crowd at the Parc des Princes.
The USA then soaked up pressure before delivering the knockout blow midway through the second half when Rapinoe turned in Tobin Heath’s center, although Wendie Renard pulled a goal back late on for France to set up a tense finish.
Jill Ellis’s team held on and they go through to a semifinal against England in Lyon next Tuesday as they seek to retain their crown and win a fourth World Cup in eight editions.
“This is so special to beat the host nation in the Parc des Princes. You can’t ask for any more than this,” said Rapinoe.
The pink-haired Rapinoe has been crucial on the field in this run, while dominating headlines off it thanks to her spat with President Donald Trump over her refusal to attend any post-tournament reception at the White House.
The 33-year-old had already scored twice in the win over Spain in the last round. Here, she took her tally for the tournament to five goals on the occasion of her 157th cap.
Meanwhile, France will leave their own tournament with more than a few regrets.
Ellis praised the hosts, saying: “That’s a fantastic team we played tonight, and that is the most intense match I have ever been a part of.”
Nevertheless, that will be scant consolation for them. They were the only team to defeat the USA in the two years leading up to the World Cup and they did not really do themselves justice here before an expectant crowd.
Coach Corinne Diacre had been set the target of going all the way to the final on home soil, yet that always looked a tall order from the moment the draw was made last December and they were set on a quarter-final collision course with the best team in the world.
“It’s a failure in a footballing sense, we can’t hide from that. We are far from fulfilling our objective,” said Diacre.
“I hope we at least won people’s hearts tonight and since the start of the tournament.”
Only once before had they even made it to the semifinals, and for the second World Cup running their adventure ends in the last eight, the same stage at which they went out of the 2016 Olympics and the last three European Championships.
Having started this tournament with a first-half blitz against South Korea in the opening game, Les Bleues never really reached the same heights again.
The country’s leading sports daily L’Equipe had called this “the challenge of a lifetime,” and in that context conceding the opening goal so early on a sweltering Parisian evening was a disaster.
Alex Morgan was fouled by Griedge Mbock outside the area to the USA left, and Rapinoe’s low delivery went in without taking a touch, passing through the legs of France skipper Amandine Henry en route.
The home side then had lots of the ball but rarely really troubled USA goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.
Their opponents had not created much either, although they made their intent clear right at the start of the second half as a Samantha Mewis strike drew a fine save from Sarah Bouhaddi, who then did well to keep out Heath’s follow-up.
The second goal arrived in the 65th minute, with Morgan and Heath combining down the right before the latter’s ball across goal was turned in by Rapinoe.
France did not give up and set up a frenzied finale as they reduced the deficit nine minutes from time, Renard evading her marker to head in Gaetane Thiney’s flighted free-kick for her fourth goal of the tournament. But the USA saw out the victory.
Rapinoe knocks out hosts and fires USA into World Cup semifinals
Rapinoe knocks out hosts and fires USA into World Cup semifinals
- The Americans will travel to Lyon to face England
- Wendie Renard’s thumping 81st-minute header gave home fans at the Parc des Princes hope
Tennis legend Boris Becker discharged from bankruptcy court in England
- Chief Insolvency and Companies Court Judge Nicholas Briggs said it would be “perverse” not to end the case given the efforts Becker made
- Becker, 57, was deported to Germany two years ago after serving 8 months in a London prison
LONDON: German tennis legend Boris Becker was discharged from bankruptcy court in London after a judge found Wednesday he had done “all that he reasonably could do” to repay creditors tens of millions of pounds.
Becker fell far short of repaying his creditors in full, but Chief Insolvency and Companies Court Judge Nicholas Briggs said it would be “perverse” not to end the case given the efforts Becker made.
“On the spectrum of bankrupts who range from ‘difficult as possible and doing everything to frustrate the trustee’s inquiries’ to ‘co-operative, providing information and delivering up assets’, Mr. Becker clearly falls on the right side of the line,” Briggs wrote.
Becker, 57, was deported to Germany two years ago after serving 8 months in a London prison for illicitly transferring large amounts of money and hiding 2.5 million pounds ($3.1 million) in assets after he was declared bankrupt in 2017.
He had been convicted in a London court on four charges under the Insolvency Act, including removal of property, concealing debt and two counts of failing to disclose estate. He was acquitted of 25 other charges, including nine counts of failing to hand over Grand Slam trophies and his Olympic gold medal to bankruptcy trustees.
He was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison, but was released early under a fast-track deportation program for foreign nationals.
Becker rose to stardom in 1985 at the age of 17 when he became the first unseeded player to win the Wimbledon singles title. He went on to become the world No. 1 player, winning two titles at Wimbledon, two at the Australian Open and one at the US Open.
He retired from professional tennis in 1999 and worked as a coach, television commentator, investor and celebrity poker player.
Becker blamed laziness and bad advice for his financial problems that led him to declare bankruptcy after owing creditors nearly 50 million pounds ($62.5 million) over an unpaid loan of more than 3 million pounds ($3.75 million) on his estate in Mallorca, Spain.
Attorney Katie Longstaff said at a High Court hearing last month that the joint trustees did not oppose his effort to end the case but did not support it because he still owed about 42 million pounds ($52.5 million).
Becker’s lawyer, Louis Doyle, said the two sides had reached a settlement that includes a “substantial sum” the tennis great must pay. The agreement “includes the outstanding trophies,” Doyled said, adding Becker “can’t do more than he has done to bring us to this point.”
Cricket World Cup ‘stepping stone’ to building US fanbase for Olympics
- New York, Dallas and Florida will be venues for T20 World Cup to be held in June
- International Cricket Council says tournament would help sport leave a mark in US
New Delhi: Next month’s T20 World Cup will help build cricket’s profile and popularity in the United States ahead of its appearance at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, the sport’s world body said.
The showpiece 20-over event will be co-hosted by the West Indies and the United States in June with New York, Florida and Dallas as venues.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) said it was confident the tournament would help the sport leave a mark in a land where baseball rules.
“The fact that a World Cup has come to the US — the largest sports market in the world — that in itself has generated a lot of interest,” Chris Tetley, the ICC’s head of events, told reporters in a media roundtable on Tuesday.
“This is a key stepping stone for the promotion of the game toward 2028 and beyond in terms of providing world-class cricket for the massive existing fanbase that the sport already has in the US,” he added.
“We are trying to give them something they haven’t had on their doorstep before and maybe pique the interest of the American sports community by telling them that cricket’s actually an older sport in the US than baseball.”
T20 cricket will feature as one of five new sports at the Los Angeles Olympics.
Cricket’s only previous appearance at an Olympics was in 1900 in Paris, where a team from Great Britain defeated France.
Nassau County’s Eisenhower Park, near New York, has seen a 34,000-seater temporary stadium, with a drop-in cricket pitch, constructed.
It will host the hotly-anticipated India-Pakistan clash on June 9 among its eight scheduled World Cup games.
“We are really happy with the pitch,” said stadium manager Damian Hough.
“Everything that we have done has exceeded expectations. I can’t predict scores, that’s for the batters.
“We hope that we have got a typical T20 pitch where there is good bounce, good pace and value for shots. Obviously you want batters to play shots all around the ground.”
Hough and his team introduced drop-in pitches more than a decade ago at Adelaide Oval, where he is head curator.
But creating the stadium in Nassau County has seen different challenges, including growing the pitch in the sub-tropics of Florida before transporting it 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) north through multiple climatic zones.
Tetley said the stadium would be dismantled after the T20 extravaganza, but the “world-class facilities” would leave a lasting legacy for cricket in the United States.
Turkish Kung Fu champion slams threat to strip him over Gaza protest
- Necmettin Erbakan Akyuz, 22, says he will not ‘back down’
- Probe launched into his actions by sport’s governing body
DUBAI: Turkish Kung Fu champion Necmettin Erbakan Akyuz, who raised the Palestinian flag during a European championship contest in solidarity with Gaza, has said he stands by his decision.
Responding to the European Kung Fu Federation’s threat to strip him of his title, the 22-year-old reportedly said on Wednesday: “If I had raised the Israeli flag there instead of the Palestinian flag, the (federation) would not have imposed this penalty on me.”
Akyuz won his division in the European Kung Fu Championships held on Dec. 17, 2023, in Istanbul.
Ben Necmettin Erbakan Akyüz
— Necmettin Erbakan Akyüz (@neakyuz) April 29, 2024
Madalyaların en güzelini aldım
Mazlumların sesi olmak adına yaptığım hareketten dolayı Avrupa Federasyonu soruşturma açtı
Yaptıklarımdan dolayı pişman değilim, verilecek kararlarım nezdimde hiçbir kıymeti yoktur.
NEHİRDEN DENİZE ÖZGÜR FİLİSTİN . pic.twitter.com/Jpo8yjEnP1
As he stood on the podium, he raised the Palestinian flag and performed the Dabke, a traditional Palestinian dance.
“Opening an investigation, withdrawing the championship title, issuing sanctions and withdrawing all the world and European championships that I own … if you think that you can scare me with these things and make me back down, then you are truly fools,” he said.
Akyuz added that he did not break any rules and said the federation has “no values, no humanity, no conscience, no manhood, no honor, no dignity.”
Delighted Al-Hilal coach Jesus praises ‘extraordinary’ Abdulhamid after King’s Cup semifinal win
- The Saudi right-back scored a late winner to take his team to the final on May 31
JEDDAH: Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus has revealed his delight at his team’s 2-1 win over Al-Ittihad in the semifinals of the King’s Cup on Tuesday night, with particular praise for the “extraordinary” match-winner Saud Abdelhamid.
Brazilian forward Michael had given Al-Hilal the lead in the 25th minute at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah before Serbian teammate Sergej Milinkovic-Savic was sent off three minutes before half time.
Morocco international Abderrazak Hamdallah equalized for the reigning Saudi Pro League champions after 67 minutes, before Abdulhamid scored in the 81st minute to take his team to the King’s Cup final on May 31. They will meet the winners of Wednesday’s second semifinal between Al-Nassr and Al-Khaleej.
“Saud Abdulhamid is extraordinary. In the 90th minute he is still going at full speed,” said Jesus. “He can always improve, and I expect the best from him. Saudi players in general are open to developing tactically.”
He added: “We fought for more than 60 minutes (with the one-man) deficiency, and after conceding the equalizer we were better in transitions and controlled the match.”
The Portuguese coach has set his sights on completing a hat trick of triumphs this season.
“We have three championships this season,” Jesus added. “The league is close, we already achieved the (Saudi) Super Cup, and now we have reached the (King’s) cup final. This is a wonderful thing, and we are continuing to achieve our goals.”
He added that excluding Salman Al-Faraj from the starting lineup had been a “tactical” decision.
Maxey magic fires Sixers past Knicks, Bucks stay alive
- Maxey led the Sixers back from the brink of defeat in the fourth quarter with a late burst of scoring before dominating in overtime
- Donovan Mitchell rattled in 28 points as the Cavaliers ground out a 104-103 win over Orlando Magic
LOS ANGELES: Tyrese Maxey produced a 46-point gem as the Philadelphia 76ers stunned the New York Knicks 112-106 in overtime to keep their NBA Eastern Conference playoff hopes alive on Tuesday.
Maxey led the Sixers back from the brink of defeat in the fourth quarter with a late burst of scoring before dominating in overtime to ensure a Game 6 back in Philadelphia.
The Knicks, leading the best-of-seven series 3-1 heading into Tuesday’s game, had looked poised to clinch after Jalen Brunson helped the second seeds take a six-point lead with 29 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
But Maxey drained a three-pointer from 24 feet and then hit a stunning 34-footer from the logo with nine seconds left to send a pulsating duel into overtime.
It looked as if the Knicks had reclaimed the initiative after Brunson scored five points to give New York a five-point lead before a raucous Madison Square Garden.
Yet Maxey and NBA MVP Joel Embiid had other ideas, launching a 9-0 run to give the Sixers a 106-102 advantage. New York pegged it back to 106-106 but the Sixers regrouped and pulled clear again to seal victory.
“Season on the line, we fought for 53 minutes and never gave up,” Maxey said.
“Even when we were down late guys still went out there and made plays — that was big time.”
A pumped-up Maxey could be seen roaring in defiance after helping the Sixers take the game to overtime in the fourth quarter.
“I was saying some things that my grandma probably wouldn’t like,” he said. “I’m a happy guy but I absolutely hate losing.”
Maxey’s 46-point haul included seven three-pointers while Embiid posted a triple-double of 19 points, 16 rebounds and 10 rebounds.
Tobias Harris added 19 points for the Sixers while Kelly Oubre Jr. finished with 14.
Brunson led New York’s scoring with 40 points while Josh Hart had 18 and O.G. Anunoby 17.
Game 6 is in Philadelphia on Thursday.
In other games, the injury-hit Milwaukee Bucks stayed afloat by beating the Indiana Pacers, winning 115-92 to extend their series to Game 6.
Milwaukee, trailing 3-1 and missing injured stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, looked to be heading for an early postseason exit after Indiana raced into a 31-23 first-quarter lead.
But the Bucks cut loose though in the second and third, outscoring Indiana 64-36 to take control.
Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis led Milwaukee with 29 points apiece while Malike Beasley added 18.
Tyrese Haliburton top scored for Indiana with 16 points but endured a frustrating night against a sterling Milwaukee defensive effort.
Game 6 takes place in Indiana on Thursday.
In Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell rattled in 28 points — including 14 in the fourth quarter — as the Cavaliers ground out a 104-103 win over the Orlando Magic to take a 3-2 lead in their Eastern Conference first round series.
Orlando had fought back from 2-0 down to level after recording emphatic wins in Games 3 and 4 in Florida.
But Cleveland dug deep to ensure they will head back to Orlando for game six on Friday with a chance of clinching the series.
“It’s not gonna be pretty but it’s the playoffs,” Mitchell said after Cleveland’s win.
“The fourth quarter — that’s what I do. But I’ve got to play better for my group.
“We’ve played well at home as a group. Now we’ve got to go down there in a hostile environment and handle our business.”
Paolo Banchero led Orlando’s scorers with 39 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
