Jean-Philippe Mateta on Friday scored a hat-trick as FSV Mainz 05 routed SC Freiburg 5-0 to swap spots and move into 12th place in the Bundesliga.
Freiburg made the better start and even struck the crossbar early on, but a mistake from Alexander Schwolow got Mainz under way in the 20th minute. The Freiburg goalkeeper’s attempted pass went straight to Mainz midfielder Jean-Paul Boetius, who gratefully returned it to the unguarded net.
Boetius set up Mateta’s first on a counterattack six minutes later and was again involved when he played Spanish defender Aaron in to set up Mateta’s second in the 33rd minute.
Freiburg had almost 75 percent possession, were winning more challenges and had more efforts on goal.
Coach Christian Streich made two changes at the break, but Freiburg found Mainz goalkeeper Florian Mueller in excellent form — and were again dealt a lesson in efficiency.
Karim Onisiwo made it 4-0 in the 73rd minute — again set up by Boetius — four minutes before Mateta rubbed salt in Freiburg’s wounds by completing his hat-trick.
LIGUE 1
AFP, BORDEAUX, France
Olympique de Marseille’s hopes of European competition suffered a setback on Friday, when they slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Girondins de Bordeaux in a battle between French clubs with ambitious American owners.
The loss left Marseille in fifth place, one point off a UEFA Europa League spot, but eight from the UEFA Champions League places with seven games left.
“It’s almost impossible now,” to reach the Champions League, Marseille striker Florian Thauvin said. “It’s a little hard to take, but we have lost too many stupid points.”
Marseille, chasing a first win at Bordeaux in 42 years, went behind after 27 minutes when Francois Kamano scored from the penalty spot.
Nicolas de Preville hit the second for Bordeaux in the 71st minute.
“I am so proud of the team,” said Bordeaux owner Joe Da Grosa, who enjoyed the bragging rights over compatriot Frank McCourt, the Marseille supremo.
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
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was