GERMANY
Goetze nets brace on debut
Germany international Mario Goetze scored twice as he made his Bayern Munich debut on Sunday in the European champions’ 4-1 friendly win at Hungary’s Gyori ETO. Bayern opened the new Bundesliga season with a 3-1 win at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach on Friday, but Munich coach Pep Guardiola gave Goetze 30 minutes off the bench in the friendly at the Hungarian champions. The 21-year-old, who cost Bayern 37 million euros (US$49.3 million) from rivals Borussia Dortmund, scored his first goal just two minutes after coming off the bench, then added a second just before the final whistle. He had five shots on goal in his 30 minutes and looked sharp 103 days after tearing his hamstring against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League semi-final as a Dortmund player. “For a first appearance, it could have gone worse,” Goetze said. “It was only a friendly, but for me it was something special.” Less than 48 hours after the ’Gladbach win, Guardiola included just Thomas Mueller from the starting lineup from Friday’s Bundesliga opener. Both Spain under-21 captain Thiago Alcantara and Javi Martinez played for Bayern, as Gyor took a 40th-minute lead with a well-taken goal from Leandro Martinez. Bayern leveled through Xherdan Shaqiri on 58 minutes, before Goetze came off the bench to give his side the lead after hitting the post, then drilling home the rebound. Shaqiri added his second and Bayern’s third, before Goetze picked up a wayward back-pass, dribbled around the defense and lobbed the goalkeeper just before the final whistle.
NETHERLANDS
Old players haunt Feyenoord
Former players continued to haunt Feyenoord as they lost their second match of the season on Sunday, 4-1 at home to Twente. Having lost 2-1 to PEC Zwolle on the opening day of the season, Feyenoord have suffered their worst start to a season for 50 years, with half of the six goals they have leaked being scored by former players. On Sunday, they were reduced to nine men as they lost their first home league match since November 2011 — a 28-match run. Jordy van Deelen was dismissed 12 minutes into the second half after conceding a penalty that Dusan Tadic converted to put Twente 2-1 ahead after Kyle Ebecilio, a former Feyenoord youth player, had equalized Graziano Pelle’s opener for the hosts. Tadic made it 3-1, also from the penalty spot, after 73 minutes, by which time the hosts were playing with nine men after Stefan de Vrij received a second yellow card. It went from bad to worse for Ronald Koeman’s side when Luc Castaignos, another Feyenoord old boy, made it 4-1 in the 79th minute. Reigning champions Ajax did no better, losing 3-2 at AZ, despite twice leading through goals by Christian Eriksen and Siem de Jong. Viktor Elm scored AZ’s winner after 74 minutes. Ajax finished with 10 men after Ricardo van Rhijn was sent off. Groningen beat Utrecht 2-0 to join three other clubs at the top.
SERBIA
Red star lose opener again
Two late goals gave FK Javor Ivanjica a shock 4-2 home win over 10-man Red Star Belgrade on Sunday as the 1991 European champions continued their routine of losing the opening game of the season. Red Star’s fourth successive opening-day defeat piled the pressure on Slovenian coach Slavisa Stojanovic after they were also eliminated by Ukraine’s Chernomorets Odessa in Europa League qualifying on Thursday last week. “We were absolutely dreadful and devoid of any creativity, all I can do is congratulate the hosts for their well-deserved win,” Stojanovic said.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care