Messi scores 100th Argentina goal in Curacao romp

Messi scores 100th Argentina goal in Curacao romp
Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi remains third in the all-time goalscorer list, behind great rival Cristiano Ronaldo (122) of Portugal and Iran’s Ali Daei (109). (AFP)
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Updated 29 March 2023

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.


Heat rout Celtics to book NBA Finals showdown with Denver

Heat rout Celtics to book NBA Finals showdown with Denver
Updated 13 sec ago

Heat rout Celtics to book NBA Finals showdown with Denver

Heat rout Celtics to book NBA Finals showdown with Denver
  • Jimmy Butler had 28 points, seven rebounds and six assists while Caleb Martin added 26 points and 10 rebounds to spark Miami
  • The Heat, seeking a fourth NBA title and first since 2013, last reached the NBA Finals in 2020, losing to the Lakers

BOSTON:The Miami Heat advanced to the NBA Finals on Monday by routing Boston 103-84 and denying the Celtics a historic comeback from down 3-0 in the series.

Jimmy Butler had 28 points, seven rebounds and six assists while Caleb Martin added 26 points and 10 rebounds to spark Miami, which will visit Denver on Thursday to begin the best-of-seven championship final.

Taking full advantage of an injury to Boston star Jayson Tatum in the opening seconds and a cold-shooting start by the host Celtics, the Heat avoided becoming the first team in NBA history to lose a playoff series after taking a 3-0 lead.

Miami recovered from a gut-punch of a Game 6 defeat, falling on a last-second tip-in, to win the Eastern Conference final 4-3, silencing a loud Boston crowd after the opening minutes.

“We stayed together as a group and as a team,” Butler said. “We talked about going to get a tough one on the road and we did just that.

“But we’re not satisfied. We’re happy. We’re ecstatic. But we’ve got one more to get.”

The Heat, seeking a fourth NBA title and first since 2013, last reached the NBA Finals in 2020, losing to the Lakers.

The Nuggets, into the NBA Finals for the first time, swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference final and have not played since May 22.

Miami stretched the lead as high as 17 points in the second quarter — a margin the Heat hadn’t squandered to lose a game all season — but Boston pulled within 52-41 at halftime.

With Tatum hurting, Derrick White scored eight straight points to lift the Celtics within 59-51.

But Caleb Martin sank a baseline jumper just before the third-quarter buzzer, giving him nine in the period, to put Miami ahead 76-66 entering the fourth.

Martin sank a three-pointer to ignite a 7-0 Miami run to open the fourth quarter for an 83-66 edge, matching the Heat’s largest lead to that point.

The Celtics went nearly four minutes without scoring and never again threatened, finishing a woeful 9-of-42 from three-point range.

“We shot 21 percent from three,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “The defense was still there.

“They gave it everything they had. That’s the most important thing to take from this. We failed, but it’s not because the guys didn’t have a sense of togetherness and character.”

Tatum, who finished with 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting, turned his left ankle landing awkwardly after a baseline jumper in the game’s opening seconds.

He stayed in the contest but grimaced often and the prolific scorer took only one shot in the first 17 minutes.

“He just tried to play through it as best he could,” Mazzulla said.

An 18-6 Heat run to close the first quarter gave Miami a 22-15 lead with the Celtics matching their season low for first-quarter points.

Boston went 0-for-10 from three-point range in the first quarter, missing the first 12 from beyond the arc overall, and made only 6-of-23 from the floor in the opening period.


Spalletti confirms he’s leaving Serie A champions Napoli and taking year off

Spalletti confirms he’s leaving Serie A champions Napoli and taking year off
Updated 30 May 2023

Spalletti confirms he’s leaving Serie A champions Napoli and taking year off

Spalletti confirms he’s leaving Serie A champions Napoli and taking year off
  • In his second season at Napoli, the 64-year-old Spalletti coached the team to their first Serie A title in 33 years
  • Former Barcelona and Spain coach Luis Enrique is reportedly being considered to replace Spalletti, as is former Napoli coach Rafael Benitez

NAPLES, Italy: Luciano Spalletti has confirmed he is leaving Serie A champions Napoli and will not coach next season.

“I need to take a year off. I’m a bit tired and I want to be with my daughter Matilde,” Spalletti said on the sidelines of a transfer market symposium on Monday.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis revealed on RAI state TV on Sunday that Spalletti requested a sabbatical year.

“He’s a free man. After 50 years in the film business, when someone comes to you and says, ‘I’ve given my all, a part of my life is ending, I still have a contract with you but I would prefer to take a sabbatical year,’ what do you do? Do you stand in his way?” De Laurentiis posed. “You’ve got to be generous in life. … He’s given a lot and I thank him for that. Now it’s only fair that he does what he wants to do.”

In his second season at Napoli, the 64-year-old Spalletti coached the team to their first Serie A title in 33 years. They won with five rounds to spare.

Spalletti still has one more match with Napoli against Sampdoria on Sunday, after which the team will be presented with the Serie A trophy — their third in club history after Diego Maradona led the team to the 1987 and 1990 titles.

Spalletti becomes the second coach in three years to leave a team that has just won the league — after Antonio Conte parted ways with Inter Milan after the 2021 title.

Napoli sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli — the man who overhauled the squad by signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Kim Min-jae — is also reportedly leaving and could join rival Juventus.

The Serie A title was the one big trophy missing in Spalletti’s career after previously managing Roma and Inter Milan and winning the Russian league with Zenit St. Petersburg.

“Sometimes you leave someone you love,” Spalletti said. “A city like Naples deserves much more than the norm. … You’ve got to ask yourself if we’re still up to the task or not. And since I don’t think that will be the case, I’m taking a step back.”

Former Barcelona and Spain coach Luis Enrique is reportedly being considered to replace Spalletti, as is former Napoli coach Rafael Benitez.


Alcaraz, Djokovic face brief trouble late in straight-set victories at French Open

Alcaraz, Djokovic face brief trouble late in straight-set victories at French Open
Updated 30 May 2023

Alcaraz, Djokovic face brief trouble late in straight-set victories at French Open

Alcaraz, Djokovic face brief trouble late in straight-set victories at French Open
  • Before the start of the tournament, Djokovic called Alcaraz the logical pick to take the trophy
  • Part of the group of past Grand Slam champions who won Monday were Stan Wawrinka and Sloane Stephens

PARIS: Pretty much everyone expects to see, and likely wants to see, Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic face each other in the French Open semifinals. There’s work to be done first, of course, and both began their journeys at Roland Garros with straight-set victories Monday against opponents making Grand Slam debuts.

These were supposed to be straightforward chances to ease into the clay-court tournament for the two popular picks to win the men’s trophy — and it turned out that way, other than a brief late blip for each.

Djokovic, a 22-time major champ seeded No. 3, was up first in Court Philippe Chatrier, facing 114th-ranked Aleksandar Kovacevic, a 24-year-old from New York.

Djokovic served for the victory at 5-4 in the third set but got broken there. Not surprisingly, he quickly righted himself and won 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (1).

“Made me work for my victory,” Djokovic said.

“I played really well and held things under control for 2 1/2 sets and then lost my serve and things got a little bit on a wrong side for me,” said the 36-year-old Serb, who can break the men’s mark for most Slam titles he currently shares with Rafael Nadal, the 14-time French Open winner sidelined by a bad hip. “But I managed to hold my nerves and played pretty much a perfect tiebreak.”

Next came Alcaraz, a one-time major champ seeded No. 1, in Court Suzanne Lenglen, facing 159th-ranked qualifier Flavio Cobolli, a 21-year-old from Florence, Italy.

Alcaraz held three match points to close things at 5-3 in the third set but couldn’t convert, then found himself at 5-all minutes later. Not surprisingly, he quickly righted himself and won 6-0, 6-2, 7-5.

Before the start of the tournament, Djokovic called Alcaraz the logical pick to take the trophy, given his recent form on clay: 21-2 as of Monday, with three titles.

Hard to argue.

On the other hand, Djokovic also noted that he loves the best-of-five-set format of majors and not-so-accidentally mentioned the 22-1 gap in such championships.

Other seeded men advancing on Day 2 in Paris included No. 12 Frances Tiafoe, No. 14 Cam Norrie, No. 15 Borna Coric, No. 18 Alex de Minaur, No. 19 Roberto Bautista Agut and No. 26 Denis Shapovalov. Among the seeded women moving into the second round: No. 5 Caroline Garcia, No. 14 Beatriz Haddad Maia, No. 20 Madison Keys and No. 22 Donna Vekic.

Seeds on the way out included No. 12 Belinda Bencic and No. 16 Karolina Pliskova in the women’s bracket and No. 10 Felix Auger-Aliassime and No. 25 Botic Van de Zandschulp in the men’s.

Part of the group of past Grand Slam champions who won Monday were Stan Wawrinka and Sloane Stephens.

Wawrinka edged Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-7 (2), 1-6, 6-4 across more than 4 1/2 hours, while 2017 US Open title winner Stephens defeated two-time major finalist Pliskova 6-0, 6-4.

“One of the big reasons why I keep playing is to relive those emotions. It was special today again to be here, a lot of support, a lot of fans here. It helped me a lot today to stay in the match and to keep fighting for it,” said Wawrinka, a 38-year-old whose three major titles include the 2015 French Open but has dealt with a series of injuries in more recent years. “If I can stay five more minutes on court, I will do it.”


Chennai win Indian Premier League in stunning finish against Gujarat

Chennai win Indian Premier League in stunning finish against Gujarat
Updated 30 May 2023

Chennai win Indian Premier League in stunning finish against Gujarat

Chennai win Indian Premier League in stunning finish against Gujarat
  • Victory gave Chennai a record-equaling fifth title, and gave retiring batter Ambati Rayudu a sixth IPL title
  • The league needed three days to play the final

AHMEDABAD, India: Chennai Super Kings won a sensational Indian Premier League final against the defending champions Gujarat Titans off the last ball on Tuesday.

Chennai were squeezed by medium-pacer Mohit Sharma in the last over to need 10 runs off the final two balls. Sharma got his length wrong and Ravindra Jadeja hit a straight six. Sharma then got his line wrong and Jadeja hit a four to fine leg to complete a stunning five-wicket win.

“I was just thinking I need to swing hard, as much as I can,” Jadeja said. “Where the ball will go, I was not thinking about that. I was backing myself and looking to hit straight, because I know Mohit can bowl those slower balls.”

Victory gave Chennai a record-equaling fifth title, and gave retiring batter Ambati Rayudu a sixth IPL title, tying him with Rohit Sharma as the league’s most successful players.

“It’s a fairytale finish,” Rayudu said. “I’m fortunate to have played in really great sides. I can smile for the rest of my life.”

The league needed three days to play the final. It was washed out on Sunday, started late Monday and finished after 1:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday. But it was worth it.

Gujarat was made to bat first and posted 214-4 — the highest ever total in a final — highlighted by 96 from Sai Sudharsan.

Rain halted Chennai’s chase in the first over for nearly 2 1/2 hours, and reduced the target to 171 in 15 overs. Chennai needed every single ball to make a thrilling 171-5.

A fantastic launch was shared by openers Devon Conway, 47 off 25 balls, and Ruturaj Gaikwad, 26 off 16. They raised a half-century stand within the four-over powerplay, including 17 runs in legspinner Rashid Khan’s first over.

Spinner Noor Ahmad removed both openers in the same over but Chennai kept coming hard. Ajinkya Rahane added 27 off 13, and Rayudu punished a loose Mohit Sharma with 6-4-6 before he was caught and bowled next ball.

Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni also fell to Mohit Sharma, for a duck, leaving Shivam Dube, an unbeaten 32 off 21, with Jadeja.

Dhoni, Chennai’s only captain in its history, said after leading the team to a 10th final and fifth title that he will keep going.

“The easy thing for me to say is, ‘Thank you,’ and retire,” he said “But the hard thing to do is to work hard for nine months and try to play one more IPL season. … The amount of love I have received from CSK fans, it would be a gift for them to play one more season.”

Mohammed Shami bowled a brilliant penultimate over to give Mohit Sharma a cushion of defending 13 runs in the final over. Mohit Sharma, who ended up with 3-36, conceded just three runs off the first four deliveries until Jadeja’s last-gasp heroics.

Earlier, Chennai’s early lapses in the field gave Gujarat momentum. Deepak Chahar missed catching chances against Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha.

Gill, who top-scored in the tournament with 890 runs, made 39 off 20 before he stumped by Dhoni. Saha made 54.

Sudharsan sharing two half-century stands; 64 with Saha and 81 off 33 with captain Hardik Pandya.

Sudharsan smashed eight boundaries and six sixes and dominated the death overs. He was in sight of a deserving century in the final over until pacer Matheesha Pathirana pinned with a superb yorker.

“We tick a lot of boxes and we play with our heart,” Pandya said. “We’ve always been a team that has stood together and no one gave up. We win together and we lose together, maybe one of those games today.

“I’m very happy for him (Dhoni). Destiny had this written for him. If I had to lose, I don’t mind losing to him. Good things happen to good people.”


Romarinho, Faisal Fajir voted Roshn Saudi Pro League players of the week: Sofascore

Romarinho, Faisal Fajir voted Roshn Saudi Pro League players of the week: Sofascore
Updated 29 May 2023

Romarinho, Faisal Fajir voted Roshn Saudi Pro League players of the week: Sofascore

Romarinho, Faisal Fajir voted Roshn Saudi Pro League players of the week: Sofascore
  • Both players were rated 8.4 for their performances by Sofascore

RIYADH: Al-Ittihad’s Brazilian forward Romarinho and Moroccan attacking midfielder Faisal Fajr of Al-Wehda have been voted Roshn Saudi Pro League players of the week for round 29. 

Both players were rated 8.4 for their performances by Sofascore.

The team of the week included Al-Batin goalkeeper Meshaal Huriss, defenders Ahmed Hegazy and Ahmed Sharahili from Al-Ittihad, as well as Mohammad Salem from Al-Raed.

In the midfield category, Al-Hilal’s Saud Abdulhamid and Juan Pedroza from Al-Batin joined Romarinho and Fajr. 

Mohammad Al-Qahtani from Al-Hilal, Leandre Tawamba from Al-Taawoun and Igor Coronado from Al-Ittihad were all voted in the striker’s category.

Four players from Al-Ittihad made the team of the week for round 29 as they clinched the Saudi Pro League title after defeating Al-Fayhaa 3-0. 

The wait to crown the league’s top scorer goes on for another week, as Abderrazak Hamdallah at Al-Ittihad sits on 20 goals, while Odion Ighalo from Al-Hillal has 19 goals.