Costa Rica going to World Cup, beat New Zealand in playoff

Costa Rica's goalkeeper Keylor Navas (C) punches the ball clear during the FIFA World Cup 2022 inter-confederation playoff match between Costa Rica and New Zealand on June 14, 2022, at the Ahmed bin Ali Stadium in Qatar. (AFP)
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Updated 15 June 2022
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Costa Rica going to World Cup, beat New Zealand in playoff

  • Costa Rica completed a 32-nation World Cup lineup by withstanding a New Zealand team that rallied from the early setback to dominate possession and create more and better scoring chances

AL RAYYAN, Qatar: Costa Rica’s core of stars like Keylor Navas, Joel Campbell and Bryan Ruiz created national soccer history in a memorable run to the 2014 World Cup quarterfinals.

They were all still there Tuesday, all with more than 100 appearances, all key to a 1-0 win over New Zealand in a World Cup intercontinental playoff in Qatar.

All earned a ticket back to Doha for Costa Rica in November and their third straight World Cup tournament together.

“Today is a joyful day,” said Navas, the captain and goalkeeper whose saves late in the game preserved the lead earned by Campbell’s third-minute goal. “We played many finals to be here, we played many matches in which we knew we couldn’t make any mistakes. And today was another one of those.”

Costa Rica completed a 32-nation World Cup lineup by withstanding a New Zealand team that rallied from the early setback to dominate possession and create more and better scoring chances.

New Zealand pressed, and Navas responded, even after going down to 10 men for the last quarter of the match in the air-conditioned Ahmad bin Ali Stadium on the outskirts of Doha.

Two key decisions after video review went against the Kiwis, canceling out a possible equalizing goal by Chris Wood in the 39th and ensuring a red card in the 69th for a foul by Kosta Barbarouses. The midfielder was on the field as a substitute for just nine minutes.

In the tense late stages, Navas rose to push away a curling left-foot shot by Clayton Lewis and got down to block Wood’s low drive.

It lifted Costa Rica to a World Cup place that looked unlikely after a slow start last year in the eight-team North American qualifying group.

“This squad shows what it is like to be Costa Rican. They never quit, they always give 100 percent,” said coach Luis Fernando Suárez, whose players reeled off four straight wins in February and March to earn the playoff entry.

New Zealand failed again in the final qualifying test. The latest Kiwis loss in intercontinental playoffs followed exits against Mexico for the 2014 tournament and Peru four years later.

Costa Rica coach Suárez scored his own World Cup hat trick. He previously took Ecuador to the 2006 tournament and led Honduras there in 2014.

“It is an obsession that I always pursued. To be in this position is beautiful,” Suarez said.

A tough World Cup assignment awaits as Suarez and his team will face two of the past three champions in Group E. Spain are the first opponent on Nov. 23, then Japan and Germany.

Costa Rica scored from their first attack when Campbell, the former Arsenal forward, muscled between two defenders near the penalty spot to meet a low cross from teenager Jewison Bennette. Campbell directed a left-foot shot low into the far corner of the net.

A World Cup place was the perfect gift for Bennette, who turns 18 on Wednesday.

North American soccer now matches traditional power South America in having four teams at the last of the 32-nation World Cups.

Costa Rica joins Canada, the US and Mexico — the three co-hosts of the expanded 48-team tournament in 2026 — which advanced directly in March from regional qualifying.

Peru’s playoff loss to Australia on Monday in Qatar meant the South American challenge is just Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and — for now — Ecuador.

Ecuador’s place is being challenged by Chile in a dispute over an alleged ineligible player. Chile are targeting an appeal after FIFA shut down a disciplinary investigation last week.

Chile’s pending appeal means Tuesday’s playoff is not yet the last word on the World Cup lineup and not even the last game in the three-year global qualifying program.

FIFA has ordered Brazil and Argentina to replay their game abandoned last September in chaotic scenes. Brazilian health officials came on the field to dispute the quarantine status of some Argentina players.

The last official qualifier is scheduled for Sept. 22, just two months before the Nov. 21-Dec. 18 tournament.


Juventus readmitted to ECA after failed Super League revolt

Updated 5 sec ago
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Juventus readmitted to ECA after failed Super League revolt

Juve abandoned the ECA in order to push for the so-called European Super League
“I am pleased to welcome Juventus back to our family. Now, all top division clubs in over 20 countries are ECA members,” Al-Khelaifi said during the ECA’s General Assembly

ROME: Juventus have been readmitted to the European Club Association (ECA) after the Serie A club’s failed bid to create a continental Super League, the organization’s chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi said on Thursday.
Italy’s most successful club, Juve abandoned the ECA in order to push for the so-called European Super League, which was launched in April 2021 but quickly collapsed after fan anger and threats from governing bodies UEFA and FIFA.
“I am pleased to welcome Juventus back to our family. Now, all top division clubs in over 20 countries are ECA members,” Al-Khelaifi, who is also president of Paris Saint-Germain, said during the ECA’s General Assembly in Athens.
Juve, then chaired by Super League crusader Andrea Agnelli, intended to be one of 12 founder clubs alongside the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and a clutch of teams from England’s Premier League.
Since the original Super League project failed, Agnelli has been hit with two lengthy bans from Italian football after the country’s football federation found him and Juventus guilty of a series of financial offenses.
The project is still technically alive and being pushed by A22 Sports Management, who are promoting a redesigned version of the breakaway continental competition with 64 teams playing in three divisions.
In December last year the European Union’s Court of Justice ruled that a ban of the Super League enforced by the sport’s existing governing bodies was against EU law.

Triple centurion Brook happy to break Dad’s club record

Updated 22 min 39 sec ago
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Triple centurion Brook happy to break Dad’s club record

  • 25-year-old smashed a career best 317 that, coupled with Joe Root’s 262, helped visitors pile 823-7
  • With a big 267-run lead over Pakistan in first innings, England then caught the home team napping at 152-6

MULTAN, Pakistan: England’s rising batting star Harry Brook said he was delighted he had finally eclipsed his father’s highest club score, when he hit a triple hundred against Pakistan in Multan on Thursday.

The 25-year-old smashed a career best 317 that, coupled with Joe Root’s 262, helped visitors pile 823-7 declared — fourth highest total in all Test cricket — England’s third best.

With a big 267-run lead over Pakistan in the first innings, England then caught the home team napping at 152-6. At close, Pakistan still needed 115 to avoid an innings defeat on the final day Friday.

Brook said his father’s highest score was the target.

“I just wanted to get past my dad’s high score 210,” said Brook of his father David’s score in a club match for Burnley in 2001.

Brook had missed a chance of surpassing dad’s best when he scored 186 against New Zealand at Wellington last year.

“I said that to you guys before, I was pretty happy when I got past his score, to be honest.”

Brook said he was satisfied to contribute in team’s strong position.

“I am lost for words, to be honest, I’m just happy that the team’s in a in a strong position to win the game tomorrow morning. It’s an incredible thing.”

Brook and Root enjoyed a run feast on a flat Multan stadium pitch, adding a big 454 for the fourth wicket, England’s highest partnership in Tests.

It eclipsed the 411-run fourth-wicket partnership by Peter May and Colin Cowdrey against the West Indies at Birmingham in 1957.

“It was wonderful batting with Rooty,” said Brook. “We spoke about the game moving forward and going out there after lunch to try and put the foot down and get a decent lead.”

“It makes you feel so comfortable when you’re watching him at the other end, he makes the game look so easy, and he’s playing the ball so late and making the balls look slow.”

Brook completed his triple century with a boundary off part-timer Saim Ayub, reaching the mark off 310 balls before he top-edged a sweep off the same bowler and was caught by Shan Masood.

Brook cracked 29 fours and three sixes in his 439-minute stay at the crease.

It was Brook’s sixth Test century and his fourth against Pakistan following his three in as many Tests when England routed Pakistan 3-0 in 2022.


Saudi Logistics Services partners with Jeddah GT Race 2024

Updated 10 October 2024
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Saudi Logistics Services partners with Jeddah GT Race 2024

  • SAL Jeddah GT Race 2024 will take place at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Nov. 29 and 30
  • SMC’s acting CEO, Mansour Almokbel said: ‘This partnership represents a significant step toward fulfilling our common goals’

JEDDAH: Saudi Motorsport Co. and Saudi Logistics Services have signed a partnership agreement, making SAL the title partner of the inaugural 2024 Jeddah GT Race, it was announced on Thursday.
According to the partnership, SAL will become the main partner for the race that will be renamed SAL Jeddah GT Race 2024 scheduled to take place at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit on Nov. 29 and 30.
The six-hour race will be the longest circuit motor race to be staged in Saudi Arabia.
The agreement reaffirms SAL’s commitment to social responsibility and its dedication to supporting the community and the national economy through various initiatives, programs, and collaborations with different entities, such as the SAL Jeddah GT Race 2024.
SMC’s acting CEO, Mansour Almokbel said: “This partnership represents a significant step toward fulfilling our common goals, contributing to achieving the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and improving the quality of life in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Thunyan Al-Thunyan, president of logistics solutions at SAL, said: “We are thrilled to partner with Jeddah GT Race 2024 as the title sponsor, in which we collaborate to reflect SAL’s ongoing commitment toward supporting Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, while also showcasing our dedication to excellence and innovation in logistics, by contributing to the success of the motorsports races and other international mega events happening in Saudi Arabia.”
The collaboration will contribute to the advancement of motorsports in Saudi Arabia and further strengthen SAL’s strategic partnership with SMC, which plays a pivotal role in the comprehensive development of motorsports in the region.
The SAL Jeddah GT Race 2024 will feature two major global races the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS, and the exciting GT4 European Series Powered by RAFA Racing Club, which will also include the longest racing event in Saudi Arabia’s history.


Former England manager Gareth Southgate says he won’t coach in the next year

Updated 10 October 2024
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Former England manager Gareth Southgate says he won’t coach in the next year

  • “I won’t coach in the next year, for sure. I’m certain of that,” Southgate said
  • “I need to give myself time to make good decisions”

ATHENS: Former England coach Gareth Southgate said Thursday he will be taking a year away from a club or national team job, after speculation he could be a target for Manchester United.
“I won’t coach in the next year, for sure. I’m certain of that,” Southgate said during an on-stage interview to an audience of hundreds of soccer officials at a European Club Association meeting.
Southgate stepped down from the England job in July, two days after losing in the final of the European Championship for the second straight tournament. England lost 2-1 to Spain in Berlin, three years after losing the title match to Italy in a penalty shootout at its home Wembley Stadium in London.
His eight years in the job transformed England’s record and reputation in international soccer, also reaching a semifinal and quarterfinal at back-to-back World Cups.
Criticized by some fans for being too cautious, Southgate won praise for restoring his players’ enjoyment of being with the national team, protecting them from criticism, and being a thoughtful commentator on social issues during a polarizing period in British society.
“I need to give myself time to make good decisions,” Southgate said. “I’m fortunate that there are lots of opportunities presenting themselves.”
Southgate distanced himself even before Euro 2024 from speculation he could be a target for Man United, which has made a poor start to the season under coach Erik ten Hag.
“Clubs can only be successful if everything is aligned right the way through the club,” said Southgate, whose previous experience of club management was with Middlesbrough, for three years after he finished playing there in 2006.
“And I also know that maybe the smarter people sit in the boardrooms and the coaches are a little bit more dispensable than you think when you’re there,” he said.
The 54-year-old former England defender said he was “at an age where I want to work with good people” and was interested by the business side of soccer.
“I am not just set on being a coach moving forward,” Southgate said, adding he had been asked to speak at Harvard.


England in sight of victory against Pakistan after Harry Brook’s triple hundred

Updated 10 October 2024
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England in sight of victory against Pakistan after Harry Brook’s triple hundred

  • Brook smashed 317 and Joe Root a record-setting 262 in England’s mammoth 823-7 declared
  • It was a familiar story of second innings failure for Pakistan, with a top order collapse before 50

MULTAN: England’s bowlers sparked a Pakistan batting collapse after a brilliant triple century by Harry Brook and Joe Root’s double hundred had them closing in on victory in the first Test in Multan on Thursday.

Brook smashed 317 and Root a record-setting 262 in England’s mammoth 823-7 declared, giving the visitors a 267-run lead.

Pakistan in reply were struggling on 152-6 at the close of the fourth day, with Agha Salman unbeaten on 41 and Aamer Jamal on 27 not out.

The pair added a fighting 70 for the seventh wicket, with the home team still needing 115 runs to avoid an innings defeat.

Pakistan’s collapse marked a quick turnaround to the match after a flat Multan stadium pitch saw 1,379 runs scored for the loss of just 17 wickets.

Brook and Root earlier put on 454 for the fourth wicket as England piled up the fourth-highest total in Test cricket history.

England’s Joe Root plays a shot during the First Test between England and Pakistan at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan on October 10, 2024. (REUTERS)

It was England’s highest in Tests, eclipsing the 411-run fourth-wicket partnership by Peter May and Colin Cowdrey against the West Indies at Birmingham in 1957.

England declared their innings 33 minutes before tea and Chris Woakes dismissed Abdullah Shafique with the first ball of the innings.

It was a familiar story of second innings failure for Pakistan as skipper Shan Masood (11), Babar Azam (five) and Saim Ayub (25) were dismissed before the total passed 50.

Masood was dropped twice on five and seven but miscued a shot off pace bowler Gus Atkinson, who also had Azam caught behind with a sharp delivery.

It became 5-59 when Mohammad Rizwan fell for 10 to fast bowler Brydon Carse.

Saud Shakeel and Agha took Pakistan to 82 when spinner Jack Leach came into the act, getting Shakeel caught behind for 29.

Atkinson has figures of 2-28 and Carse 2-39.

Brook and Root enjoyed a run-feast with career-best knocks.

England's Joe Root and Zak Crawley (R) run between the wickets during the second day of the first Test cricket match between Pakistan and England at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan on October 8, 2024. (AFP)

Brook completed his triple century with a boundary off part-timer Ayub, reaching the mark off 310 balls before he top-edged a sweep off the same bowler and was caught by Masood.

“It is amazing,” said the 25-year-old Brook.

“I am lost for words, to be honest, I’m just happy that the team is in a strong position to win the game... It’s been an incredible thing.”

He cracked 29 fours and three sixes in his 439-minute stay at the crease.

Root – who broke Alastair Cook’s England Test run record of 12,472 on Wednesday – fell short of a triple hundred when he was trapped leg-before by Agha after a marathon 10 hour-stay during which he hit 17 fours.

Ayub (2-101) and Naseem Shah (2-157) were the most successful Pakistan bowlers.

Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi, center, plays a shot as England's Jamie Smith, center, and Joe Root watch during the second day of the first test cricket match between Pakistan and England, in Multan, Pakistan, on Oct. 8, 2024. (AP)

England resumed on 492-3 in the morning and looked for quick runs, which Root and Brook provided despite Pakistan’s defensive leg-side bowling, adding 166 runs in 29 overs in the session.

Root’s previous best of 254 was also against Pakistan at Manchester in 2016.

Brook’s previous best was 186, scored against New Zealand at Wellington last year.

Pakistan’s only chance came in the first hour when Root, on 186, failed to keep down a pull shot off Shah but Azam spilled the regulation chance at mid-wicket.

Root took full advantage and with a single off spinner Salman completed his sixth Test double-century, which came in 517 minutes off 305 balls.

Pakistan were without frontline spinner Abrar Ahmed, who suffered a fever and did not take the field on Thursday.