LAUSANNE: FIFA said Monday it regretted the chaotic scenes that preceded the suspension of the World Cup qualifier between Brazil and Argentina and a decision on possible disciplinary action would be taken “in due course.”
The match at Sao Paulo’s Neo Quimica Arena on Sunday was halted when Brazilian health officials ran onto the pitch seven minutes after kick-off, triggering a melee involving team officials and players from both sides.
The officials intervened just hours after health authorities in Brazil said four England-based players in Argentina’s squad should be placed in “immediate quarantine” for breaching Covid-19 protocols.
“FIFA regrets the scenes preceding the suspension of the match between Brazil and Argentina for the CONMEBOL qualifiers of the FIFA World Cup 2022 which prevented millions of fans from enjoying a match between two of the most important football nations in the world,” football’s world governing body said in a statement.
“The first match official reports have been sent to FIFA. This information will be analyzed by the competent disciplinary bodies and a decision will be taken in due course,” FIFA added.
Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) said the Argentinian Premier League players — Giovani Lo Celso and Cristian Romero of Tottenham, and Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez and Emiliano Buendia — had given “false information” when they entered Brazil.
Romero, Lo Celso and Martinez were all in Argentina’s starting line-up for Sunday’s game, prompting the intervention of ANVISA officials.
In scenes of confusion on the pitch, Argentina captain Lionel Messi and his teammates left the field while Brazil’s squad began a practice game.
After the game was abandoned, Messi criticized the intervention of the Brazilian officials.
“We’ve been here for three days, why are you doing this just now?” he said on Argentina’s TyC network.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni told reporters that “at no time were we told that they could not play the game.”
The Argentina team arrived back in Buenos Aires early Monday.
FIFA ‘regrets’ chaos at abandoned Brazil v Argentina match
https://arab.news/j8d2d
FIFA ‘regrets’ chaos at abandoned Brazil v Argentina match
- The match at Sao Paulo on Sunday was halted when Brazilian health officials ran onto the pitch 7 minutes after kick-off
- "FIFA regrets the scenes preceding the suspension of the match between Brazil and Argentina," FIFA said
Collins and Alexandrova set up semifinal showdown at WTA Miami Open
- Collins reached the semifinals of Miami six years ago as a qualifier and at 53rd is the lowest ranked semifinalist in the tournament
- Thursday will see the opening semifinal with three-time Miami winner Victoria Azarenka up against fourth-seeded Elena Rybakina
MIAMI: Danielle Collins and Ekaterina Alexandrova will meet in the semifinals of the WTA Miami Open after victories in the last eight on Wednesday.
Collins powered into the last four with an emphatic 6-3, 6-2 win over France’s Caroline Garcia before Alexandrova emerged triumphant from a near two-hour three set battle with American fifth seed Jessica Pegula.
Thursday will see the opening semifinal with three-time Miami winner Victoria Azarenka up against fourth-seeded Elena Rybakina, the highest ranked player left in the tournament.
Garcia went into the match against Collins on the back of an upset win over third-seeded American Coco Gauff but was unable to get a foothold against the Floridian.
Garcia still appeared to be troubled by an injury to her right shoulder and received some treatment early in the second set.
Collins broke to go 5-3 up in the first set and then held serve for the set, then in the second set broke in the third game and never looked back as she wrapped up the win in one hour and 19 minutes.
Collins reached the semifinals of Miami six years ago as a qualifier and at 53rd is the lowest ranked semifinalist in the tournament.
The 30-year-old American is now 4-0 against Garcia and has yet to lose a set to the Frenchwoman but said the numbers didn’t tell the true story.
“I think against someone like Caro, it forces me to be more concentrated. I know I don’t want to give her an inch or she can get in there,” Collins said.
Garcia said she had felt the pace of back-to-back tournaments.
“It’s been a long two weeks for the body for me, between the back at the beginning and then the she shoulder which came back,” she told reporters, adding that the shoulder issue was a recurrence of a previous injury.
“I think it’s nothing too serious but (shoulder) is always quite problematic for a tennis player,” she said, before adding that Collins had played “an amazing match.”
Collins intends to retire at the end of the year but while she agreed she had a relaxed look to her play, she rejected the idea that it was a result of her impending departure from the sport.
“I think I feel pretty relaxed, but that could be due to a number of things. I’ve got a new hobby. I’m playing some more golf, running more, Pilates, all of these different things,” she said.
“My dog is here. I’m feeling relaxed because I get to be with him at night. I don’t know,” she said with a smile.
Alexandrova beat home favorite Pegula 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, showing plenty of grit in a third set where both players showed signs of fatigue.
Pegula broke to go 4-3 up in the first and broke again to clinch the set but the Russian fought back, breaking in the first game of the second set.
Again 14th seed Alexandrova broke early in the third but she let Pegula back into the set when she double-faulted on break point to leave the set balanced at 3-3.
The pair produced a fantastic rally in the subsequent game which Pegula was able to hold, but at 4-4, Alexandrova struck the decisive blow with Pegula going long on a back-hand return on the second break point.
The Russian held to grab the win and fell to her knees in joy at the result.
Alexandrova, who upset world number one Iga Swiatek in the previous round, said it was tough to break down Pegula’s gritty defense.
“I couldn’t understand how it was possible to return that ball it was always back. She was everywhere so I needed to do something,” she said. “I tried to wait and use any opportunities that I got.”
The win was Alexandrova’s third against a top five player this year and she said her success was the result of developing patience.
“You have to wait and wait and something is going to come — and then you have to use it,” she said.
Chelsea and Lyon advance to the Women’s Champions League semifinals
- Chelsea advanced 4-1 on aggregate after winning the first leg in Amsterdam 3-0
- The French champion advanced to the semifinals for a record 13th time after a 4-1 win over Benfica
LONDON: Emma Hayes’ hopes of going out on the ultimate high at Chelsea moved a step closer on Wednesday as the London club reached the Women’s Champions League semifinals after a 1-1 draw with Ajax.
Chelsea advanced 4-1 on aggregate after winning the first leg in Amsterdam 3-0.
Hayes takes over the US women’s national team at the end of the season, when she will lead their bid to win Olympic gold in Paris.
Before that, she is aiming to win a quadruple of trophies with Chelsea — including the Champions League for the first time.
The Women’s Super League champion had effectively secured their place in the next round after a dominant performance in the first leg of the quarterfinals at Ajax. And they extended their overall advantage to 4-0 on aggregate after Mayra Ramirez’s goal in the 33rd minute at Stamford Bridge.
Chasity Grant scored in the 65th to give Ajax some consolation and a 1-1 draw on the night.
While Chelsea are searching for their first Women’s Champions League trophy, Lyon are hunting a record-extending ninth.
The French champion advanced to the semifinals for a record 13th time after a 4-1 win over Benfica.
Delphine Cascarino and Kadidiatou Diani scored two goals each as record eight-time champion Lyon won 6-2 on aggregate at Groupama Stadium after a 2-1 first leg win in Portugal.
Cascarino’s goal in the first leg had set up Lyon’s comeback win after trailing 1-0 at halftime of that match. And she tightened the French champions’ control of the tie when she opened the scoring in the 43rd of the second leg with a long-range chip to put Lyon ahead on the night.
Marie-Yasmine Alidou evened the score two minutes later, but Cascarino restored the home team’s lead with a powerful effort from distance in the 51st.
Diani put Lyon 3-1 ahead in the first minute of stoppage time and scored her second five minutes later.
Lyon were playing in the quarterfinals for a record-equaling 15th time, while Benfica became the first Portuguese team to advance to this stage.
Lyon last won the trophy in 2022 and will play either Hacken or Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals. Chelsea face either defending champion Barcelona or Brann.
PSG and Barcelona both won their quarterfinal first-leg matches 2-1 and will host their respective second-leg games Thursday.
The home-and-away semifinals will be played on April 20-21 and 27-28.
Hyderabad beat Mumbai after highest-ever IPL total on record-breaking day
- It rained boundaries in Hyderabad’s innings with 18 sixes and 19 fours as the South African pair of Heinrich Klaasen (80 not out) and Aiden Markram, who hit 42, posted an unbeaten stand of 116
- Tim David smashed an unbeaten 42 in a late charge but the chase was beyond reach as Mumbai ended on 246-5 — the team’s highest IPL total
HYDERABAD, India: Sunrisers Hyderabad posted 277-3 for the highest-ever Indian Premier League total and went on to beat Mumbai Indians by 31 runs in a six-hitting festival on Wednesday.
Australia’s Travis Head made a 24-ball 62 and Abhishek Sharma, inspired by talking to West Indies legend Brian Lara, smashed 63 after Hyderabad batted first and went past the previous IPL best of 263-5 by Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2013.
It rained boundaries in Hyderabad’s innings with 18 sixes and 19 fours as the South African pair of Heinrich Klaasen (80 not out in 34 balls) and Aiden Markram, who hit 42, posted an unbeaten stand of 116.
“Head is one of my favorite batters, I really admire his batting. Had a great time with him,” said Abhishek.
Mumbai replied strongly in the match which witnessed 38 sixes for another IPL record, bettering the 33 hits over the fence clubbed three times in earlier seasons.
“The wicket was good but, no matter how good or bad you bowl, if the opposition get 277 that means they batted very well,” Mumbai skipper Hardik Pandya said.
He added: “The bowlers were good. It was tough out there. Close to 500 runs were scored so the wicket was helping the batters.”
Left-handed Tilak Varma stood out with his 64 in 34 balls for Mumbai but the effort was not enough on a batting-friendly pitch in veteran batsman Rohit Sharma’s 200th IPL match.
Rohit smashed a 12-ball 26 and fellow opener Ishan Kishan made 34 to give Mumbai a flying start but the innings lost momentum after 10 overs due to the ever-increasing asking rate.
Tim David smashed an unbeaten 42 in a late charge but the chase was beyond reach as Mumbai ended on 246-5 — the team’s highest IPL total.
It was records galore as the match also featured the highest run aggregate of 523 runs in 17 years of the IPL.
Hyderabad skipper Pat Cummins was the best of the bowlers with 2-35 in his four overs of pace, leading his side to their first win of the season and said “it was an amazing game.”
Earlier the left-handed Head, dropped on five by David off Pandya, reached his fifty in 18 balls and after his departure Abhishek reached his half-century off just 16.
The team’s 100 came up in only seven overs and Hyderabad posted the tournament’s highest ever total in the first 10 overs of 148-2.
Abhishek, a left-hand batsman, fell after his 23-ball blitz but there was no respite for the bowlers who were at the receiving end of some punishing batting.
“I had a chance to talk to Brian Lara (West Indies batting great and IPL commentator) last night, that really helped me,” he revealed.
Mumbai’s South African import Kwena Maphaka had a bruising introduction to IPL when the 17-year-old left-arm quick went for 66 runs in his four overs.
Five-time winners Mumbai, who had a change in captaincy after Pandya took over from the experienced Rohit, and Hyderabad started this edition with a loss each.
Red Bull cliff divers conquer Jazan wadis
- Two-time World Series stop winner Catalin Preda was in awe of the cliff search experience
- “It was beautiful to see the majesty and the special nature of these particular spots,” said Preda
JAZAN: Cliff divers Catalin Preda of Romania and David Colturi, from the USA, became the first to dive into Saudi Arabia’s wadis on Tuesday in the run-up to the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2024.
During a hike and dive experience through the rough and rugged natural landscapes of Wadis Lajab and Al-Rough in Jazan, Preda and Colturi explored canyons, valleys, waterfalls and freshwater ponds.
A two-time World Series stop winner, Preda said he was in awe of the Kingdom’s cliff search experience.
“It was beautiful to see the majesty and the special nature of these particular spots. Arriving at the locations was absolutely mind blowing, seeing what they actually look in real life, only having seen a couple of pictures,” said the Romanian.
At 2.15 million sq. km, Saudi Arabia’s arid climate makes it the largest country in the world devoid of rivers, lakes or areas of lush natural vegetation. The duo had to embark on an expedition to discover hidden pools for their diving adventures.
In Jazan, the Kingdom’s heartland and an area noted for its fruit production, Preda and Colturi found what they were looking for in the form of two wadis with fresh water and dramatic views. This also meant interesting rock formations and unique take-off spots.
American Colturi said: “In Al-Rough, there’s a slanted cliff, and so you’ve got to work your way up and stand on a little bit of an angle, but decent footing. In Lajab, it’s a lot more contained. You’ve got the boulder rock, you’ve got the slanted wall with the 13-meter take offs, and then you’ve got the high perch around 20 meters.”
Describing the dives themselves as the most difficult challenge, the 34-year-old added: “From the 15 years that I’ve been in cliff diving, it was a unique and cool opportunity to do our art form in such a beautiful location.”
As the cliff divers headed back to prepare for the 15th season of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, which starts in Athens on May 26, Preda summed up the adventure: “A trip full of discoveries and trials from the very beginning. Some battle scars as well, but a truly memorable experience.”
Prosecutor seeks 2-1/2-year jail term for Spain’s ex-soccer chief Rubiales over kiss
- Prosecutor Marta Durantez charged Rubiales with one count of sexual assault and one of coercion for his alleged actions
- Hermoso and her teammates said the kiss was unwanted and demeaning
MADRID: A prosecutor at Spain’s High Court is seeking a prison sentence of 2-1/2 years for former soccer federation chief Luis Rubiales over his unsolicited kiss on player Jenni Hermoso, a court document seen by Reuters on Wednesday showed.
Prosecutor Marta Durantez charged Rubiales with one count of sexual assault and one of coercion for his alleged actions in the aftermath of the kiss, offenses carrying jail terms of one year and 18 months, respectively.
Rubiales, 46, grabbed Hermoso and kissed her on the lips on Aug. 20 of last year during the awards ceremony after Spain’s victory in the women’s World Cup in Sydney, making global headlines and causing a national debate in Spain about sexism.
Hermoso and her teammates said the kiss was unwanted and demeaning, but Rubiales argued it was consensual and denied any wrongdoing.
The prosecutor also accused the former coach of the women’s national team, Jorge Vilda, the current sporting director of the Spanish federation (RFEF), Albert Luque, and the RFEF’s marketing chief, Ruben Rivera, of coercing Hermoso into saying the kiss was consensual.
The indictment said the three officials harassed Hermoso by exerting “constant and repeated acts of pressure” directly on the player and through her friends and family. They each face 18 months behind bars as well.
All three denied wrongdoing when they appeared before the court.
Durantez also said Rubiales should pay 50,000 euros ($54,080) in damages to Hermoso, with another 50,000 euros to be jointly paid by Rubiales, Vilda, Luque and Rivera.
In addition, she requested a restraining order barring Rubiales from coming within 200 meters of Hermoso and from communicating with her for the next seven-and-a-half years.
If convicted and sentenced as requested by the prosecutor, Rubiales would not necessarily have to go to prison. Spain’s criminal code allows judges to “exceptionally” suspend jail terms if — as in this case — none of the sentences imposed individually exceeds two years.
Rubiales has been named in a separate corruption probe that shook the RFEF last week, when police searched the federation’s headquarters and an apartment belonging to Rubiales, arresting seven people.
A Spanish court has been investigating since June 2022 if Rubiales committed a crime of improper management when the RFEF agreed with former Barcelona player Gerard Pique’s Kosmos firm to move the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia, a judicial source told Reuters then.
Rubiales, who was in the Dominican Republic during last week’s searches, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and told El Espanol newspaper he would cooperate with the investigation.
A court source said his lawyers told the judge he would return from the Dominican Republic on April 6.