SERIE A
Romagnoli scores stunner
Alessio Romagnoli on Wednesday scored a spectacular goal as AC Milan beat Genoa 2-1 in Serie A action to move into the Champions League places. Romagnoli, a centerback, met a punched clearance from goalkeeper Andrei Radu with a lobbed volley from beyond the area. The winner made up for Romagnoli’s own-goal earlier, after Suso had given Milan an early lead. Milan moved level on points with fifth-placed SS Lazio, but ahead on goal-difference, ahead of the rest of the games in the round. It was the opportunity this season for Milan to take stock of their position after the Genoa game was postponed from August after 43 people died in the Morandi Bridge disaster. Suso opened the scoring with a blistering shot five minutes into the first half. The left-footed Spaniard has scored nine of his past 11 Serie A goals with shots from outside the area. After the break, Romagnoli’s deflection of a powerful shot from Christian Kouame ended up in his own goal.
COPA DEL REY
Real Madrid advance
Real Madrid on Wednesday began life without Julen Lopetegui with a comfortable win in the Copa del Rey, while Barcelona struggled to defeat a third-division opponent. Barcelona needed an injury-time goal to win 1-0 against Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa, while Madrid cruised to a 4-0 victory over third-tier UD Melilla in their first-leg, round-of-32 match. Interim coach Santiago Solari was on the bench as Madrid won with goals from Karim Benzema, Marco Asensio, Alvaro Odriozola and Cristo Gonzalez in a match played in the Spanish enclave in Africa. It was Madrid’s first game since Lopetegui was sacked on Monday, a day after the team were crushed 5-1 by Barcelona at the Camp Nou, their fifth loss in seven matches in all competitions. “I’m happy because the team worked hard and showed character,” Solari said. “The players showed they are fully committed.” Benzema scored his sixth goal of the season from close range after a low pass by Odriozola in the 28th minute and Asensio added to the lead with a one-timer from near the penalty spot after a nice touch by youngster Vinicius Jr on the final play of a rainy first half. Vinicius Jr helped set up Odriozola’s 79th-minute goal, his first with the club. Odriozola then made the cross for the injury-time goal by Gonzalez, also his first with the main squad.
SOUTH KOREA
National team bans Jang
Defender Jang Hyun-soo has received a lifetime ban from playing for the national team and fined 30 million won (US$26,448) after he was found to have falsified records relating to his military service exemption. All able-bodied South Korean men must complete almost two years of military service, but athletes can earn exemptions by winning a medal at the Olympics or gold at the Asian Games. As part of the exemption conditions, athletes must undergo four weeks of basic military training and undertake more than 500 hours of community service over a three-year period. Jang, who has 58 caps and was part of the team who won gold at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, admitted to submitting false records detailing how many hours of community service he performed. The Ministry of Sports also gave Jang an additional five days of compulsory service.
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