SOCCER
Ten Hag rues lapse
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag on Wednesday said that his side had failed to maintain their intensity in their 1-1 UEFA Europa League draw with Dutch side Twente and should have pushed to finish the visitors off before they had the chance to equalize. Christian Eriksen put United ahead in the first half at Old Trafford, but was at fault for Twente’s equalizer in the 68th minute, when a lapse of concentration allowed Sam Lammers to steal the ball and score. “We kept them alive, we were 1-0 up, controlling the game,” Ten Hag told reporters. “You have to be consistent and keep going in the second half, we dropped the level and gave the goal away.” In other games, Alkmaar beat IF Elfsborg 3-2, Bodo/Glimt downed Porto 3-2, Galatasaray beat PAOK 3-1, Midtjylland and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim drew 1-1, Dynamo Kyiv lost 3-0 against SS Lazio, Ludogorets were defeated 2-0 by Slavia Prague, OGC Nice and Real Sociedad drew 1-1 and RSC Anderlecht beat Ferencvaros TC 2-1.
Photo: EPA-EFE
TENNIS
Taiwan’s Wu advances
Tony Wu yesterday beat Denis Yevseyev of Kazakhstan in a walkover to advance to the quarter-finals at the Nonthaburi Challenger IV in Thailand. Yevseyev was trailing 6-4, 6-1 in the second set of their round-of-16 match when he called a halt. Wu is to play Dalibor Svrcina of the Czech Republic today for a place in the semis. In the men’s doubles, Taiwan’s Ray Ho and British partner Joshua Paris lost 6-4, 2-6, 10-7 in the quarter-finals to Australian duo Blake Bayldon and Thomas Fancutt.
OLYMPICS
Toyota ends sponsorship
Toyota Motor chairman Akio Toyoda yesterday said that the company would not renew its 10-year contract as a top sponsor for the Olympics and Paralympics following the Paris Games. The world’s biggest automaker, which had already suggested it would not renew the contract when it expired, would continue to financially support athletes, Toyoda said on the company-owned media channel.
RUGBY UNION
Beauden Barrett to start
New Zealand veteran Beauden Barrett yesterday was recalled to start at flyhalf in the second Bledisloe Cup Test against Australia in Wellington. Damian McKenzie, who has started all eight games in the No. 10 shirt for New Zealand this season, drops to the bench for tomorrow’s clash. Barrett, 33, is to make his 131st appearance for the All Blacks, who retained the Bledisloe Cup with a 31-28 win over Australia in Sydney last week. Coach Scott Robertson told reporters he had always planned to start with Barrett. McKenzie “has started every game until now and we’ve got to give guys opportunities,” he said Robertson backed McKenzie to have an impact off the bench. “He’s had a great season to date. There’s areas of his game he can get better, but he can come on and game-manage what we need to do to finish the match.”
The pressure was already on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso before their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League raised further questions about his future. Arsenal remain perfect in this season’s competition and three points clear at the top of the standings after a 3-0 win against Club Brugge, while defending champions Paris Saint-Germain were held 0-0 at Athletic Bilbao. The clash between Madrid and City was the standout game of the round amid reports this week that Alonso had lost control of the locker room. Speculation over his position is likely to intensify after the latest
‘HIGH STANDARD’: The Thunder are on track for a Finals-Cup double after they scored 22 three-pointers in equaling the best 25-game start to a season in NBA history The Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday bagged a 16th straight victory, thrashing the Phoenix Suns 138-89 to romp into an NBA Cup semi-final clash with the San Antonio Spurs, who stunned the Los Angeles Lakers 132-119. NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points to lead the reigning NBA champions Thunder, who improved to 24-1 to equal the best 25-game start to a season in league history. They dominated from start to finish to book their place in the final four of the in-season tournament in Las Vegas, where they are tomorrow to take on the Spurs. The New York Knicks and
TOP OF THE TABLE: Evann Guessand put the visitors ahead early in the game and Flavius Daniliuc equalized before Youri Tielemans got the winner in the second half Aston Villa on Thursday extended their winning streak to eight games in all competitions with a 2-1 victory against Basel in the UEFA Europa League to secure at least a playoff spot. Villa were tied with Olympique Lyonnais, who beat Go Ahead Eagles 2-1, and Midtjylland, 1-0 winners over Genk, atop the standings of the second-tier European competition on 15 points with five wins from six games. They have bounced back from a poor start to the season and are third in the Premier League, including a 2-1 victory over leaders Arsenal on Saturday. At St Jakob-Park in Basel, summer signing Evann Guessand
Tony Jefferson intercepted a Jalen Hurts pass in overtime to give the Los Angeles Chargers a 22-19 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday in an NFL thriller between playoff contenders. Justin Herbert, playing a week after surgery on his broken left (non-throwing) hand, withstood a career-high seven sacks to throw for 139 yards and a touchdown for the Chargers. Cameron Dicker kicked five field goals, including the 54-yard game winner in overtime. The Chargers defenders forced Hurts to throw four interceptions and surrender a fumble for a career-worst five turnovers as the Eagles fell to 8-5 with a third
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