FIFA rules panel to debate more stoppage time in games

FIFA rules panel to debate more stoppage time in games
Fourth referee Salima Mukansanga shows the extra time during a World Cup group D soccer match between Tunisia and France at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022. (AP/File)
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Updated 08 February 2023

FIFA rules panel to debate more stoppage time in games

FIFA rules panel to debate more stoppage time in games
  • Changes agreed on March 4 can take effect next season
  • Organizers such as individual domestic leagues have not followed FIFA's example

ZURICH: The 10-plus minutes of stoppage time that were a regular feature of games at the World Cup in Qatar are back on soccer’s agenda.
FIFA’s rule-making panel known as IFAB put additional time on the agenda published Wednesday for its annual meeting next month. Changes agreed on March 4 can take effect next season.
Talks are scheduled on “possible measures to create fairer conditions for both teams in terms of the amount of time available in a match, with a particular focus on a stricter calculation of additional time.”
Games of 100 minutes became routine at the last World Cup as referees followed FIFA advice to add on more accurate amounts for stoppages due to goal celebrations, injuries, video reviews and substitutions.
The directive was part of a long-standing FIFA aim to create more active playing time on the field and give fans and viewers better value.
It led to record-setting long games at the World Cup with a slew of stoppage-time additions of more than 10 minutes early in the tournament.
Though a head injury helped to cause 14-plus minutes of stoppage time in the first half of England-Iran, there were more than 13 minutes added to the second half of Saudi Arabia’s stunning 2-1 win over eventual champion Argentina.
The United States’ 1-1 draw with Wales on the second day of the tournament kicked off at 10 p.m. in Doha and finished the next day once almost 11 minutes were added to the second half.
Organizers such as individual domestic leagues have not followed FIFA’s example, though some said they were unwilling to change policy midseason and would revisit the subject in the offseason.
FIFA trials at the Club World Cup in Morocco of live broadcasts during video reviews of communications between match officials will also be discussed at the IFAB meeting in London.
Other subjects include allowing an extra substitute for teams when a player sustains a suspected concussion, though not the emergency temporary replacements requested by the global players’ union FIFPRO and some head injury experts.
The IFAB panel includes representative of FIFA and the four British soccer federations. The voting structure weighted toward FIFA means soccer’s world body can veto any proposal.


Lewandowski hits two as Liga leaders Barca cruise past Elche

Lewandowski hits two as Liga leaders Barca cruise past Elche
Updated 02 April 2023

Lewandowski hits two as Liga leaders Barca cruise past Elche

Lewandowski hits two as Liga leaders Barca cruise past Elche
  • The Polish forward has endured a small dip in form recently but was back to his lethal best to continue the Catalans’ procession toward the title

ELCHE, Spain: Robert Lewandowski struck twice as Barcelona moved 15 points clear at the top of La Liga with a comfortable 4-0 win at Elche on Saturday.
The Polish forward has endured a small dip in form recently but was back to his lethal best to continue the Catalans’ procession toward the title.
Ansu Fati also found the net for the first time since October in the league and Ferran Torres rounded out the comfortable win, as Xavi was able to play some reserve players ahead of Wednesday’s Copa del Rey semifinal clash with Real Madrid.
Elche, playing under new coach Sebastian Beccacece for the first time, are bottom of the table and never seemed likely to trouble the runaway league leaders. Champions Madrid, second, host Real Valladolid on Sunday.
“We’ll see what Madrid do tomorrow, (but) if we win our games, we will be champions,” Eric Garcia told Movistar.
“The coach told us all at the start of the season, everyone is important.
“We have an important game on Wednesday and he was able to rest some players.”
Barca coach Xavi took the chance to experiment by deploying Garcia in Sergio Busquets’ usual pivot role, and made several other changes to his usual side.
Torres and Fati started on the flanks, the latter having made headlines this week after his father complained about the Barca number 10’s lack of minutes.
“(Goals) always give confidence to the forward, today it went perfectly,” Xavi told Movistar.
“Two goals for Robert, one for Ferran, one for Ansu, and Ansu’s work — he ended up exhausted, that’s the truth.
“Aside from the goal, that is very positive for him and his confidence, how he worked for the team, it’s really important for me, and the goal is a consequence of his work and his talent.
“I’m especially happy for Ferran, Ansu, the players that maybe deserved goals, today they scored.”
Lewandowski broke the deadlock after 20 minutes with his first goal in four league matches, scuffing a finish into the ground, with the ball looping over a defender and into the net.
The Polish international and the top goalscorer in the league grabbed his 16th and 17th strikes of the campaign — he has 27 across all competitions.
Barcelona should have increased their lead in the first half but Lewandowski nodded over from Torres’ cross from just six yards out, while Elche defender Omar Mascarell slid in to clear a Jules Kounde effort off the line.
Gavi pulled the strings in midfield as Barcelona dominated at the Martinez Valero stadium, securing a 20th clean sheet of the season in the top flight.
Fati stretched Barcelona’s advantage 10 minutes into the second half, running from the halfway line with the Elche defense backing off, before drilling into the bottom corner.
Lewandowski pounced again after Gavi won the ball back for the third and then played a fine long ball to Torres, who drifted inside and slotted home the fourth.
Xavi handed midfielder Aleix Garrido, 19, his debut in the final stages, as the hosts showed a few signs of life.
Fidel Chaves headed against the crossbar but like so many other sides this season, Elche could not beat Marc-Andre ter Stegen, with the German goalkeeper denying Josan Fernandez.
Elche are 14 points from safety with 11 matches remaining.


Aston Villa leapfrog Chelsea into top half of Premier League

Aston Villa leapfrog Chelsea into top half of Premier League
Updated 01 April 2023

Aston Villa leapfrog Chelsea into top half of Premier League

Aston Villa leapfrog Chelsea into top half of Premier League
  • Defeat saw Chelsea drop into the bottom half of the table to increase the pressure on Blues manager Graham Potter
  • This was Villa's fifth away win since Unai Emery became manager of the Birmingham club in October

LONDON: Aston Villa climbed above Chelsea and into the top half of the Premier League table with a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Ollie Watkins gave Villa an early lead before a superb strike by John McGinn, fresh from starring in Scotland’s shock Euro 2024 win over Spain, made it 2-0 in the 56th minute.
Defeat saw Chelsea drop into the bottom half of the table to increase the pressure on Blues manager Graham Potter, with the London club booed off the field by their own supporters at full-time.
This was Villa’s fifth away win since Unai Emery became manager of the Birmingham club in October and they have now won 16 points on the road, a tally equalled only by champions Manchester City in that period.
All 10 of Chelsea’s league wins this season have come against bottom-half opponents, but this reverse meant they drop into 11th place in the table.
Villa moved up into ninth, one point off Liverpool in eighth, and just two points off a European place.
Emery’s men almost gifted Chelsea the lead soon after kick-off when goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez rolled the ball short to Boubacar Kamara, who was dispossessed by Mykhailo Mudryk.
The Ukrainian, however, was denied by Martinez when one-on-one with the Argentina World Cup-winner.
Villa responded quickly, Watkins pulling a shot wide before McGinn hit the crossbar in the 15th minute with a curling shot.
But the in-form Watkins broke the deadlock in the 18th minute, capitalizing on a slack header from Marc Cucurella before lobbing the ball over Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Martinez preserved Villa’s lead by diving low to his left to deny Kai Havertz.
Chelsea were on top, playing attractive and attacking football but with no goals to show for their efforts.
In the match as a whole, Villa only had five shots on target to Chelsea’s 27 but, significantly, they made two of them count.
Villa captain McGinn doubled the lead in style with a well-struck curling effort from 25 yards out.
Chelsea worked hard but rarely threatened a goal, with the one consolation for the Blues the sight of defender N’Golo Kante, a 2018 World Cup winner with France, coming off the bench in the 57th minute as he made his first senior appearance for the Blues under Potter, having been sidelined since August.


Bayern put four past Dortmund on Tuchel debut to go top

Bayern put four past Dortmund on Tuchel debut to go top
Updated 01 April 2023

Bayern put four past Dortmund on Tuchel debut to go top

Bayern put four past Dortmund on Tuchel debut to go top
  • A shocking own goal from Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, as well as two trademark poacher's finishes from Thomas Mueller had Bayern 3-0 up by the 25th minute
  • Kingsley Coman added a fourth shortly after half-time to send Bayern two points clear of the visitors

MUNICH, Germany: Bayern Munich went back to the top of the Bundesliga on Saturday, defeating Borussia Dortmund 4-2 at home to give Thomas Tuchel a winning start as coach of the Bavarian giants.
A shocking own goal from Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, as well as two trademark poacher’s finishes from Thomas Mueller had Bayern 3-0 up by the 25th minute.
Kingsley Coman added a fourth shortly after half-time to send Bayern two points clear of the visitors despite two late consolation goals.
“We need the desire to get better, because we have to get better,” Tuchel said, although he praised his side’s “desire to fight for the ball.”
“It was the result we absolutely wanted.”
Dortmund came into the match in the unfamiliar position of first place, one point ahead of Bayern, who fired coach Julian Nagelsmann in favor of Tuchel last week.
Tuchel, who won a German Cup title during a two-year stint in charge of Dortmund, only had one training session with Bayern but it was Kobel who gifted them a flying start in the 13th minute.
The ‘keeper, who returned after a five-week injury layoff, charged out of his box to try, and clear Dayot Upamecano’s long pass, but could only make the faintest of contacts with the ball before watching helplessly as it rolled into the net.
Mueller scored from a corner just five minutes later and pounced when Kobel spilled Leroy Sane’s shot five minutes after that.
“Sometimes there are crap days and today was one of them,” Kobel told Germany’s Sky, blaming himself for the defeat.
But Dortmund coach Edin Terzic backed his ‘keeper, saying: “We can’t forget that this man is the reason we were on top of the table.”
Unlike earlier in the season when Dortmund came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at home with Bayern, there would be no miracle comeback this time around, with Coman sliding the ball under Kobel early in the second half.
Emre Can converted a consolation penalty after Serge Gnabry fouled Jude Bellingham in the box, while Dutch forward Donyell Malen added a second for Dortmund in the last minute of normal time.
Munich have won their last nine home league matches against Dortmund, scoring 37 goals and conceding just eight in the process.
Dortmund will need to regroup after the defeat, their first league loss in 2023, ahead of their German Cup quarter final at RB Leipzig on Wednesday.
Bayern face Freiburg twice in the space of a week, once at home in the Cup on Tuesday and then away in the league on Saturday.
Union Berlin kept up their surprise pursuit of the Bundesliga title with a 3-0 victory over rock-bottom Stuttgart.
Second-half goals from Sheraldo Becker, Kevin Behrens and an own goal from former Union player Genki Haraguchi took the third-placed side to just two points behind second-placed Dortmund and four from Bayern.
“After half-time, we played like we should,” said Union coach Urs Fischer.
Mainz dealt fifth-placed Leipzig’s bid for Champions League football next season a blow, winning 3-0 at the Red Bull Arena.
Freiburg missed a chance to take advantage of Leipzig’s loss, drawing 1-1 at home against struggling Hertha Berlin.
Bayer Leverkusen handed Schalke their first defeat in nine matches, winning 3-0 away thanks to second-half goals from Jeremie Frimpong, Florian Wirtz and Sardar Azmoun.
Elsewhere, a goal from Germany forward Felix Nmecha in the sixth minute of injury time stole a point for Wolfsburg, who drew 2-2 at home against Augsburg.


Saudi Women’s U-17 national team captain aims to inspire Saudi girls

Saudi Women’s U-17 national team captain aims to inspire Saudi girls
Updated 01 April 2023

Saudi Women’s U-17 national team captain aims to inspire Saudi girls

Saudi Women’s U-17 national team captain aims to inspire Saudi girls
  • At 16, Majd Alotaibi is one of the youngest players in the women’s First Division

RIYADH: Majd Alotaibi is dreaming big.

The captain of the U-17 Saudi Women’s National Football Team — established in February —hopes to inspire other girls across the Kingdom and dreams of winning the FIFA World Cup with the Green Falcons.  

The U-17 team, led by Croatian coach Stella Gutal, consists of 28 players and is captained by Alotaibi, who is one of the youngest players in the Saudi women’s First Division, in which she represents Al-Yamamah FC.

Alotaibi started playing football in 2013, aged six, in a team coached by her father, who was a professional football player himself.   

“My dad used to be a player so I felt like football was in my blood,” Alotaibi told Arab News. “It’s been a big part of my life since I was young.” Her family and friends “and everyone cheering me on” are her main motivation, she added. And she hopes to be a source of motivation for others too. “Being one of the youngest players in the (league and national team) means that I have to inspire younger girls,” she added. 

She is quick to credit her teammates at Al-Yamamah as well, saying: “I would like to thank my teammates first of all, because they helped make it easier for me; because I’m one of the youngest, they take care of me.”  

Alotaibi stressed that discipline and dedication are crucial for anyone hoping to become a professional.

“If you love the game and you want to do amazing things and achieve a lot, you need to believe 100 percent in what you’re doing,” she explained. “Always being there on time, always the first person on the field, last person off the field. If you have passion for something, you’re going to achieve a lot of great things.” 

On March 24, Saudi Arabia’s Women’s National Team entered the FIFA world rankings after nine international matches over the previous year.  

“Currently the Saudi national team is ranked 171 out of 188 national teams. That just proves how hard we have been working in such a short time so, inshallah, in the future you will see how far we come,” Alotaibi said.  

After a recent victory in an international friendly match, the team gathered for official pictures, and Alotaibi mimicked Manchester City star Erling Haaland’s ‘yoga meditation’ goal celebration.  

 “I know it’s Haaland’s move, but I was happy and wanted to celebrate and that was the first thing that came to mind,” she said. “Now it’s become a thing.”

She has another signature pose where she brings her hands together to create the letter “M.”

“It’s M for Majd,” she said. “Inshallah, for upcoming matches when I score, I will do it.” 

For now, Alotaibi is focusing on her career with Al-Yamamah and the Saudi national team, but would she consider a move in the future?

“What’s next for me is I want to become the best player in the league,” she said. “Regarding (other) clubs… to be continued.”


Gabriel Jesus ends drought as Arsenal beat Leeds 4-1 in EPL

Gabriel Jesus ends drought as Arsenal beat Leeds 4-1 in EPL
Updated 01 April 2023

Gabriel Jesus ends drought as Arsenal beat Leeds 4-1 in EPL

Gabriel Jesus ends drought as Arsenal beat Leeds 4-1 in EPL
  • Jesus converted a first-half penalty for his first goal since Oct. 1 to give Arsenal the lead
  • Ben White added the second goal shortly after the halftime break

LONDON: Gabriel Jesus ended a six-month scoring drought by netting twice as Premier League leader Arsenal beat Leeds 4-1 on Saturday to maintain some breathing space atop the standings.
Jesus converted a first-half penalty for his first goal since Oct. 1 to give Arsenal the lead, and then made it 3-0 with a simple finish from close range in the 55th. The Brazilian striker had played 17 games for club and country without a goal, a stretch that was also interrupted by a lengthy spell on the sidelines after being injured at the World Cup.
Ben White added the second goal shortly after the halftime break and Granit Xhaka headed in a late fourth as Arsenal maintained an eight-point gap over defending champion Manchester City, which have a game in hand.
Leeds pulled a goal back with a deflected shot by Rasmus Kristensen to make it 3-1 in the 76th, but the loss leaves the visitors just a point above the relegation zone.
After City battered Liverpool 4-1 in the early game, Arsenal were under pressure to respond but nearly went behind inside 10 seconds for the second time in their last three home league games. Leeds almost replicated Bournemouth’s feat of scoring straight from the kickoff at the Emirates with a quick attack down the right flank, but Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale kept out Kristensen’s shot that time.
Bukayo Saka was on the bench for Arsenal for the first time in the league since December 2021 because of a minor illness, and the Gunners’ attack seemed to lack their normal fluidity for the opening 30 minutes — although Jesus wasted a great chance in the 11th when he headed over the bar from six yards out. Instead it was Ramsdale that had saves to make as he had to deny Crysencio Summerville and Jack Harrison in quick succession shortly after the half-hour mark.
But Arsenal went ahead after Luke Ayling tripped Jesus in the area and the Brazilian converted the spot kick by sending Illan Meslier the wrong way and slotting his shot down the middle.
It was all Arsenal in the second half, as White was on hand at the far post to steer in a low cross from Gabriel Martinelli in the 47th to double the lead.
Jesus then played a neat interchange with Leandro Trossard, who broke into the area and squared the ball back for the striker to slot into an empty net.
While Kristensen gave the visitors some hope when his shot deflected off the back of Oleksandr Zinchenko to wrongfoot Ramsdale, Arsenal responded with a rare headed goal from Xhaka, as the Switzerland midfielder met a cross from Martin Odegaard to seal the win.