Stars shine bright: Giannis, Luka, Jokic lead the way at EuroBasket

Stars shine bright: Giannis, Luka, Jokic lead the way at EuroBasket
Greece's Giannis Antetokounmpo, right, drives around Ukraine's Bogdan Bliznyuk during their EuroBasket Group C match in Milan Tuesday. (AP)
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Updated 07 September 2022

Stars shine bright: Giannis, Luka, Jokic lead the way at EuroBasket

Stars shine bright: Giannis, Luka, Jokic lead the way at EuroBasket
  • Antetokounmpo’s point total was the most in a EuroBasket game since Dirk Nowitzki had 43 for Germany in 2001

MILAN: The stars showed up at EuroBasket on Tuesday in a big way.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 41 points in 27 minutes for Greece, Luka Doncic had 36 points for Slovenia and two-time reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic scored 29 points for Serbia — three of the world’s best players all leading their teams to big group-stage wins at the European championships.

There’s one more group-stage game left for each to play, and then a trip to Berlin awaits since Greece, Slovenia and Serbia have all clinched spots in the 16-team knockout round that begins Saturday.

Antetokounmpo’s point total was the most in a EuroBasket game since Dirk Nowitzki had 43 for Germany in 2001. And when he heard that stat, all Antetokounmpo did was nod.

“I try not to rate my performance,” Antetokounmpo said. “I just try to go out there and have fun as much as possible, try to focus as much as I can on what I can control, try to bring energy any way possible. ... But I’ll say this: I think this is one of the years where I feel very, very excited to go out there on the court and play with my teammates.”

As Antetokounmpo did, Doncic also deflected credit after the game. Told that Germany’s postgame reaction was “Luka Doncic happened,” Doncic replied by saying “Slovenia happened.” 




Slovenia's Luka Doncic in action with Germany's Daniel Theis. (Reuters)

“The whole team was ready,” Doncic said. “Everybody who stepped on the court was fighting, whether they played one minute or 30. I’m really proud of this team.”

Doncic was asked after the game if he or Antetokounmpo was in a better position to break the EuroBasket single-game scoring record.

Doncic didn’t hesitate with his answer: He picked Antetokounmpo.

“I would bet on Giannis,” Doncic said. “Why? Because he’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.”

GROUP C

GREECE 99 UKRAINE 79

At Milan, Antetokounmpo simply overpowered Ukraine and ensured that Greece would finish atop their group.

Antetokounmpo — who got Monday off to rest — had his 41 points and nine rebounds in just 27 minutes to lead Greece (4-0).

He was 13 for 18 from the floor, 15 for 18 from the foul line.

“It was very easy to prepare the team because it is absolutely clear what Greece does when Giannis is out there,” Ukraine coach Ainars Bagatskis said. “They play really aggressive basketball. And if you don’t put against them the same aggressiveness, even higher aggressiveness, then you have big problems.”

Nick Calathes and Tyler Dorsey had 13 apiece for Greece.

Issuf Sanon and Svi Mykhailiuk each scored 16 for Ukraine (3-1), while Alex Len and Illya Sydorov added 10 apiece. Ukraine led by seven at the half, before Greece won the third quarter 32-11.

ESTONIA 94 GREAT BRITAIN 62

Henri Drell scored 20 points, Siim-Sander Vene added 18 and Estonia had no trouble on the way to its first win of the tournament.

Maik-Kalev Kotsar scored 15, Kristjan Kitsing added 14 and Janari Joesaar finished with 11 for Estonia (1-3).

Myles Hesson scored 14 for Great Britain (0-4), with Carl Wheatie and Patrick Whelan each scoring 12.

ITALY 81 CROATIA 76

Simone Fontecchio and Nicolo Melli each scored 19 points to lead Italy (2-2).

Bojan Bogdanovic led Croatia (2-2) with 27 points, while Ivica Zubac scored 13 and Dario Saric added 10.

Both teams are headed to the knockout round.

GROUP B

SLOVENIA 88 GERMANY 80

At Cologne, Germany, Doncic’s 36 points came with him making 14 of 25 shots. He also had 10 rebounds for Slovenia (3-1).

Goran Dragic scored 18 points and Mike Tobey added 10 for Slovenia.

“We showed what we are made of,” Dragic said.

Dennis Schroder scored 19 points, Andreas Obst had 14 and Maodo Lo added 13 for Germany (3-1).

LITHUANIA 87 HUNGARY 64

Lithuanian basketball is known for a lot of things, including passionate fans.

They go everywhere to cheer for their national team. And Tuesday, they even cheered for France — for good reason.

Lithuania topped Hungary and that, combined with France’s win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, means the last qualifying spot out of Group B is still unclaimed. It’ll be decided Wednesday when Lithuania plays Bosnia and Herzegovina, the winner moving on to Berlin and a round-of-16 game, the loser heading home eliminated.

“Lithuanian fans are the best,” France guard Evan Fournier said.

If France had lost Tuesday, Lithuania would have been eliminated. Instead, those Lithuanian fans serenaded the French with cries of “Merci!” for keeping their national team’s hopes alive.

“It feels amazing,” Lithuania forward Domatas Sabonis said. “They travel to every championship to support us. It’s sad we couldn’t give them a win over the weekend, but we’re glad we could give them one today and the goal is to give them another one tomorrow.”

Jonas Valanciunas scored 21 points on 10-of-13 shooting and Sabonis added 19 for Lithuania (1-3).

Marius Grigonis had 15 points and Rokas Jokubaitis added 10 for Lithuania. Zoltan Perl scored 16 for Hungary (0-4), while David Vojvoda and Rosco Allen each finished with 10.

FRANCE 81 BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA 68

Thomas Heurtel’s 3-pointer with 5:49 left put France ahead to stay and started a game-ending 22-7 run for the winners, who were already assured of a spot in the round of 16.

Guerschon Yabusele scored 15 for France (3-1), while Heurtel and Fournier each had 14 and Rudy Gobert posted an 11-point, 12-rebound performance.

Jusuf Nurkic, Miralem Halilovic and Dzanan Musa all had 14 for Bosnia and Herzegovina (2-2), while John Roberson had 13 and Edin Atic finished with 10.

GROUP A

TURKEY 78 BELGIUM 63

At Tbilisi, Georgia, Alperen Sengun scored 24 points, Furkan Korkmaz had 16 and Turkey (3-1) remained tied atop Group A.

Ercan Osmani added 12 for Turkey.

Haris Bratanovic scored 15 for Belgium (2-2) and Hans Vanwijn scored 11.

SPAIN 82 MONTENEGRO 65

Spain (3-1) clinched its berth in the round of 16, with Dario Brizuela leading the way with 18 points.

Willy Hernangomez scored 14 for Spain, while Jaime Pradilla and Lorenzo Brown added 12 apiece.

Vladimir Mihailovic scored 18 for Montenegro (2-2), which got 11 from Marko Simonovic and 10 from Kendrick Perry.

BULGARIA 92 GEORGIA 80

Dee Bost had 33 points and 12 assists, Aleksandar Vezenkov finished with 28 points and 14 rebounds, and Bulgaria kept its hopes alive.

Pavlin Ivanov scored 17 for Bulgaria (1-3).

Goga Bitadze scored 21 for Georgia (1-3), while Thaddus McFadden had 19, Alexander Mamukelashvili scored 13, and Giorgi Shermadini and Duda Sanadze scored 10 apiece.

GROUP D

SERBIA 89 ISRAEL 78

At Prague, Jokic was 11 of 13 from the floor and also grabbed 11 rebounds for Serbia (4-0), while Vasilije Micic added 19. 




Serbia's Nikola Jokic grabs a rebound during the EuroBasket Group D match between Serbia and Israel in Prague Tuesday. (AP)

Nikola Kalinic and Ognjen Jaramaz each scored 10 for Serbia.

Yam Madar scored 20 for Israel (2-2), while Deni Avdija had 14 and Roman Sorkin added 11.

POLAND 75 NETHERLANDS 69

Poland was down by 13 in the third quarter before closing the game on a 39-20 run to tune up for its knockout-stage appearance.

Michal Sokolowski scored 24 for Poland (3-1), which got 16 from Aleksander Balcerowski and 10 from Jakub Garbacz.

Charlon Kloof led the Netherlands (0-4) with 26, and Yannick Franke scored 13.

FINLAND 98 CZECH REPUBLIC 88

Lauri Markkanen continued his strong tournament with 34 points and 10 rebounds, and Finland clinched its berth in the round of 16.

Sasu Salin scored 23 and Petteri Koponen added 14 for Finland, with Elias Valtonen finishing with 11.

Vojtech Hruban scored 22 for the Czech Republic, with Jan Vesely adding 15 and Patrik Auda and Jaromir Bohacik scoring 13 apiece. The Czechs play Israel on Thursday and, according to FIBA, could reach the knockout stage with a win.

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

First-round play in Groups A and B concludes, with Groups C and D getting the day off before they finish their round-robins on Thursday. Friday is an off day and the knockout round in Berlin starts Saturday.

Group A: Turkey (3-1) vs. Spain (3-1), Bulgaria (1-3) vs. Belgium (2-2), Georgia (1-3) vs. Montenegro (2-2). The Turkey-Spain winner will win the group. Bulgaria and Georgia are in must-win scenarios.

Group B: Lithuania (1-3) vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (2-2), France (3-1) vs. Slovenia (3-1), Hungary (0-4) vs. Germany (3-1). France, Slovenia (which wins the group with a victory) and Germany have already qualified, Hungary is eliminated and the Lithuania-Bosnia game is the one that matters most.


Curry scores 39 to lead Warriors rally over Pelicans

Curry scores 39 to lead Warriors rally over Pelicans
Updated 11 sec ago

Curry scores 39 to lead Warriors rally over Pelicans

Curry scores 39 to lead Warriors rally over Pelicans
  • Boston Celtics’ chances of overtaking Milwaukee Bucks for the top seed in the East took a hit with an ugly 130-111 loss to the lowly Washington

LOS ANGELES: Golden State erased a 20-point deficit to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 120-109 on Tuesday, with Stephen Curry scoring 39 points as the Warriors edged ahead of Minnesota into sixth place in the Western Conference.

Curry drained five of his eight three-pointers in the second half as the reigning NBA champion Warriors came alive, surging past the Pelicans to win a sometimes sloppy, often scrappy contest and boost their chances of avoiding the play-in tournament for teams placed seventh through 10th in each conference.

Golden State star Draymond Green and New Orleans’ Brandon Ingram received double technical fouls with 3:45 left in the second quarter after they exchanged words in the wake of Green’s foul on the Pelicans player — which was upgraded to a flagrant.

Green’s collision with Herbert Jones sparked some more shoving, and with 14 turnovers in the testy first half, the Warriors were down 17 at the break.

They opened the third quarter on an 8-0 scoring run and had cut the deficit to four points going into the fourth.

“We started playing with some heart and intensity,” Green said of the difference in the second half.

Jordan Poole’s reverse layup early in the fourth gave the Warriors their first lead since the first quarter, 95-94, and they didn’t trail again.

Poole scored 13 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, and Klay Thompson added 17 for the Warriors.

Ingram led the Pelicans with 26 points and Trey Murphy added 21, but New Orleans coach Willie Green said his team’s lackluster start to the third quarter was fatal.

“We started, I believe it was eight-zip,” he said. “Two turnovers. You can’t give this team any life. Once they get going, once this building gets going, it’s tough to stop them.”

Elsewhere, the Boston Celtics’ chances of overtaking the Milwaukee Bucks for the top seed in the East took a hit with an ugly 130-111 loss to the lowly Washington Wizards.

Perhaps caught looking ahead to a Thursday clash with the Bucks, the Celtics were lackadaisical on defense, unable to stop a Wizards team missing two key players in Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma.

Kristaps Porzingis scored 32 points for the Wizards and Deni Avdija added 25.

Jayson Tatum returned from a one-game absence to lead the Celtics with 28 points. Marcus Smart had four three-pointers in the first half, but overall, Boston connected on just 11 of 44 from three-point range.

They trailed by 13 at halftime and by as many as 23 in the second half.

“It was just one of those nights,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “Very rarely has that happened to our team. Just one of those off nights.”

The Toronto Raptors outscored the Miami Heat 62-36 in the paint in a 106-92 victory.

Pascal Siakam scored 26 points and Scottie Barnes added 22 along with a career-high 12 assists for the Raptors — as the Heat failed to gain ground in their bid to avoid the play-in round.

With Jimmy Butler sidelined by a sore neck, the Heat dropped a second straight game.

Tyler Herro scored 33 points and Bam Adebayo added 21 points and 12 rebounds for Miami, who cut the deficit to 10 with less than four minutes to play only for their charge to stall.

Dejounte Murray starred late as the Atlanta Hawks edged the playoff-bound Cleveland Cavaliers 120-118.

Murray made three free throws to put the Hawks up 115-113 with 2:14 remaining, then came up with a steal and a basket that pushed the lead to four in the final minute.

He finished with 29 points to lead the Hawks, who remained tied with Toronto for the eighth-best record in the East.

Atlanta withstood a 44-point effort from Donovan Mitchell, who tied LeBron James’s Cavaliers franchise record of 10 games of 40 or more points in a season.


Messi scores 100th Argentina goal in Curacao romp

Messi scores 100th Argentina goal in Curacao romp
Updated 27 min 32 sec ago

Messi scores 100th Argentina goal in Curacao romp

Messi scores 100th Argentina goal in Curacao romp
  • Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner opened the scoring against Curacao on 20 minutes
  • Lionel Messi came into the game as his country’s all-time record goalscorer

SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO, Argentina: Argentina captain Lionel Messi on Tuesday scored his 100th international goal for the reigning world champions as they romped to a 7-0 friendly win over outclassed Curacao.
Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi opened the scoring against the Caribbean island minnows on 20 minutes in Santiago del Estero.
It came 17 years after he opened his Argentina account in a 3-2 defeat to Croatia in March 2006.
The 35-year-old soon added another just after the half-hour mark to make it 3-0, and then completed his hat-trick on 37 minutes with the fifth as Argentina toyed with their overmatched opponents.
It was his seventh hat-trick for the national team.
“You cannot describe Messi in words,” said fellow goalscorer Nicolas Gonzalez.
“He’s the best in the world and he shows it match after match, day after day. Every time he touches the ball, he makes you smile.”
Messi came into the game not just as his country’s all-time record goalscorer, but with more goals than the next two top marksmen — Gabriel Batistuta on 56 and Sergio Aguero with 41 — put together.
This was Argentina’s second match since winning the World Cup in dramatic style against France in Qatar in December — triumphing 4-2 on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw — and it was always going to be about Messi reaching 100 goals.
Now with 102, he remains third in the all-time list, behind great rival Cristiano Ronaldo (122) of Portugal and Iran’s Ali Daei (109).
Messi had come up short on Thursday last week when he notched his 99th goal for the Albiceleste as Argentina toiled in their homecoming celebration match against Panama.
The Central Americans had held out until the 78th minute before 21-year-old MLS sensation Thiago Almada broke their resistance.
Messi then scored direct from a free-kick a minute from time — his 800th goal in professional football — in front of 83,000 delirious fans in Buenos Aires.
Curacao, ranked 86th by world governing body FIFA, could only hold out for 20 minutes before Messi took a pass from Giovanni Lo Ceslo, cut inside his marker onto his weaker right foot and fired a low shot into the bottom corner.
The referee was then seen on live television throwing the ball to someone on the side of the pitch as DirecTV commentators speculated that it was heading “straight to the museum.”
Three minutes later Gonzalez outjumped goalkeeper Eloy Room to head home from four yards.
Gonzalez turned provider as Messi scored the first of three goals in four minutes, this time with his left foot.
He then laid off the ball for Enzo Fernandez to make it four with a shot from distance before Lo Celso released Messi behind the defense to notch his treble.
Argentina took their foot off the gas in the second half, with only a generously-awarded Angel Di Maria penalty and close-range finish from Gonzalo Montiel adding to the score.
But the 42,000 fans present remained in party mood throughout, waiting for their heroes to lift the World Cup trophy in front of them.


Elena Rybakina hits 10 aces in Miami for 12th straight win

Elena Rybakina hits 10 aces in Miami for 12th straight win
Updated 29 March 2023

Elena Rybakina hits 10 aces in Miami for 12th straight win

Elena Rybakina hits 10 aces in Miami for 12th straight win
  • The 23-year-old, who represents Kazakhstan, improved to 20-4 in 2023, including a run to the Australian Open final in January
  • Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner all beat seeded opponents in straight sets

MIAMI GARDENS: Reigning Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina extended her winning streak to 12 matches by delivering 10 aces — her fourth consecutive outing with at least that many — in a 6-3, 6-0 victory over 25th-seeded Martina Trevisan on Tuesday in the Miami Open quarterfinals.

Rybakina has 46 aces through four matches at the hard-court tournament in Florida and a WTA-leading 201 this season.

The 23-year-old, who represents Kazakhstan, improved to 20-4 in 2023, including a run to the Australian Open final in January and a title at Indian Wells, California, last week.

She is trying to become only the fifth player to win the women’s trophies at Indian Wells and Miami in the same season. Top-ranked Iga Swiatek did it a year ago; she withdrew from Miami this time because of a rib injury.

“Of course it would be amazing to achieve something like that,” the 10th-seeded Rybakina said about the prospect of completing what’s known as the Sunshine Double, “but it’s still far away.”

So far in Rybakina’s career, 13 of her 18 semifinal appearances have come on hard courts. She will face No. 3 Jessica Pegula or No. 27 Anastasia Potapova for a berth in the final.

Trevisan reached the French Open semifinals in 2022.

In fourth-round men’s action Tuesday, No. 2 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas was beaten 7-6 (4), 6-4 by No. 14 Karen Khachanov, while defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, Taylor Fritz and Jannik Sinner all beat seeded opponents in straight sets.

Alcaraz, who returned to No. 1 in the ATP rankings last week, got past Australian Open semifinalist Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-4 to set up a meeting against Fritz, the top-ranked American man and seeded ninth in Miami.

Fritz compiled twice as many winners, 22, as unforced errors, 11, and only dropped serve once during a 6-3, 6-4 victory over No. 7 Holger Rune. That put Fritz into his first quarterfinal in seven appearances in Miami — and his first matchup against Alcaraz, a 19-year-old from Spain who won the US Open in September for his first Grand Slam title.

“I’m really excited for it,” Fritz said. “I think that a lot of people are really excited for that, too.”

No. 10 Sinner eliminated No. 6 Andrey Rublev 6-2, 6-4 and has yet to drop a set in the tournament.

Sinner’s next opponent will be unseeded Emil Ruusuvuori, a 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 winner against No. 26 Botic van de Zandschulp.


McTominay stars as Scotland down Spain, Croatia see off Turkey

McTominay stars as Scotland down Spain, Croatia see off Turkey
Updated 29 March 2023

McTominay stars as Scotland down Spain, Croatia see off Turkey

McTominay stars as Scotland down Spain, Croatia see off Turkey
  • Manchester United midfielder McTominay gave the hosts a dream start by slotting home Andrew Robertson's cutback in the seventh minute
  • Switzerland made it two wins from two games in Group I with a comfortable 3-0 success against Israel

PARIS: Scott McTominay scored twice as Scotland claimed a famous 2-0 victory over Spain at Hampden Park in Euro 2024 qualifying on Tuesday, while Croatia won in Turkey.

Steve Clarke's Scotland won their opening match in Group A 3-0 against Cyprus on Saturday but usurped that result with a stunning performance against three-time European champions Spain.

It was their first victory over Spain since 1984 and probably their best result since beating France in 2007.

"The manager said before getting on the bus for the stadium: 'This is your chance to create a legacy as a Scotland player'," said McTominay.

"These are the sort of nights in 20-30 years you remember as a player. When you watch back the game you say I was there. It's what the game is about."

Manchester United midfielder McTominay gave the hosts a dream start by slotting home Andrew Robertson's cutback in the seventh minute.

Ryan Christie went close to a second before Joselu, who scored twice on his debut against Norway at the weekend, hit the crossbar for Spain.

Lyndon Dykes missed a golden chance to double the Scots' advantage in first-half added time, but dinked the ball over the bar after racing through on goal.

McTominay made no such mistake six minutes after the restart, though, drilling home a fine left-footed volley after excellent work from Kieran Tierney.

Spain piled on late pressure but failed to create many clear-cut chances as Scotland held on to the delight of a raucous crowd in Glasgow.

The loss is a serious early setback for new Spain coach Luis de la Fuente who took over from Luis Enrique following a World Cup last-16 exit to Morocco.

"It's clear that the two chances they had they put away and we tried, we hit the woodwork twice, we had a lot of chances, above all in the first half," Spain midfielder Rodri told Teledeporte.

"We have to improve these lapses, and these things that cost us against these teams."

Scotland are top of a difficult Group A that also includes Erling Haaland's Norway and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's Georgia.

The Georgians played out a 1-1 draw with Norway in the other Group A game in Batumi.

The Scandinavians took the lead through Alexander Sorloth, playing in place of the injured Haaland, in the 15th minute.

But Metz forward Georges Mikautadze equalised on the hour mark to ensure Georgia did not start their bid to qualify for a first major tournament with a defeat.

"It would have been worse if we had stood here and not created chances. We had some incredible chances today. That's life," said Norway coach Stale Solbakken.

World Cup semifinalists Croatia eased to an impressive 2-0 win in Turkey to kickstart their Group D campaign after an opening draw with Wales.

Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic netted a first-half double with both goals coming from Mario Pasalic assists.

Croatia are level on four points with Wales after Rob Page's side beat Latvia 1-0 for their first win since the retirement of Gareth Bale.

Striker Kieffer Moore headed home the winning goal for a dominant Wales in the 41st minute.

Switzerland made it two wins from two games in Group I with a comfortable 3-0 success against Israel.

Goals from Ruben Vargas, Zeki Amdouni and Silvan Widmer helped the Swiss follow up a 5-0 thrashing of Belarus in style.

Romania also boast a 100 percent record in the group after edging out Belarus 2-1, while Kosovo have two points from as many matches after a 1-1 draw with Andorra.


Farewell: Herve Renard signs off as Saudi Green Falcons head coach

Farewell: Herve Renard signs off as Saudi Green Falcons head coach
Updated 29 March 2023

Farewell: Herve Renard signs off as Saudi Green Falcons head coach

Farewell: Herve Renard signs off as Saudi Green Falcons head coach
  • Perhaps the most enduring image from the game was the warm hug Salem Al-Dawsari gave the coach after equalizing just before half time
  • By then, French media had confirmed that Renard had agreed a deal to fill the vacant position as manager of the French women’s team

Herve Renard’s four-year reign as manager of the Saudi national team ended on Tuesday with a whimper as his team fell to a 2-1 friendly defeat in Jeddah at the hands of Bolivia.

The lasting image from a disappointing game, from the Saudi perspective, was perhaps the moment when Salem Al-Dawsari, who has shone during Renard’s time in charge, hugged the coach warmly after he equalized just before the break.

It was a touching moment that, even at that stage of the game, looked like a fond farewell to a tactician who was leaving to coach the French national women’s team.

 

 

That deal was reported by French media during the game as being done, and confirmed by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation a few minutes after the final whistle.

The visitors grabbed the winning goal in the second half to make it four wins in Asia for South American teams in the space of a day, after South Korea, Japan and Australia had all lost at home.

Few Saudi fans will have cared much about that. They left the game disappointed, especially with the porous defense that was on display. The Green Falcons have made progress under Renard but while there will be plenty for his successor to work with, there is also plenty still to do.

There were warning signs early on; in the seventh minute, Mohammed Al-Owais struggled to deal with a back-pass but recovered in time to make the save.

But then, after some promising moves from the hosts, the South Americans took the lead. Jaime Arrascaita’s low cross from the left should probably have been dealt with by Abdulelah Al-Amri but the Al-Nassr centre-back failed to clear and Marcelo Moreno was waiting to take advantage and poke the ball home from close range.

Saudi Arabia tried to push forward but, as was the case during their 2-1 loss to Venezuela on Friday, they struggled to carve out any clear openings. That began to change in the last 10 minutes of the first half, however. Their best chance up to that point came in the 35th minute when a free-kick fell to Al-Amri in the area but his shot on the turn went straight into the arms of goalkeeper Guillermo Viscarra.

Saleh Al-Shehri went closer five minutes later from a Mohammed Kanno cross but the striker’s shot from close range was blocked by Jairo Quinteros — illegally so according to the referee after he consulted the pitch-side monitor.

Up stepped Al-Dawsari, calmly sending Viscarra the wrong way and the ball into the bottom right-hand corner. It was his sixth successful penalty kick since missing one against Poland in the second game of the Qatar World Cup.

There was plenty of energy on display after the break. Abdul Aziz Al-Bishi, recalled to the side, chested the ball too hard when through on goal just before the hour, and seconds later Abdullah Al-Hamdan was perhaps relieved to see the offside flag raised as he shot straight at the goalkeeper while unmarked in the area. In the 65th minute, Al-Amri had the ball in the net but Al-Hamdan was offside.

Then Bolivia were back in front and it was another poor goal to concede. Al-Owais parried a low cross back into the area, Diego Medina fed the ball to Carmelo Algaranaz and the substitute had the luxury of time to juggle the ball, turn and fire a low shot into the bottom corner.

Saudi Arabia tried to get back on level terms but were unable to get the breakthrough they needed. All thoughts turned to Renard when the final whistle sounded, signaling the end of what will be remembered as a successful era, despite recent results.