First-half goals from Nani and Cristiano Ronaldo gave Portugal a 2-1 win over Belgium in a friendly game on Tuesday.
Nani broke down the left flank and curled a right-foot shot beyond the reach of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois in the 20th minute. Five minutes before the interval, Ronaldo got his 56th international goal with a glancing header.
Romelu Lukaku pulled one back for a lackluster Belgium side with a header in the 62nd minute as a series of substitutions weakened the home team’s first-half dominance.
Belgium, without injured key players Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany and Kevin de Bruyne, never showed anything like the form that has made them FIFA’s top-ranked team. A 36th-minute effort from Dries Mertens was their first shot on goal.
Courtois kept Belgium in the game in the early stages, denying the home team four times in as many minutes. After some fancy footwork on the left by Ronaldo, Courtois flung himself low to his right to keep out powerful shots from Joao Mario and Adrien Silva. Then he got his fingertips to headers from Nani and Ronaldo, with the Real Madrid forward’s effort bouncing off the crossbar.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely