LEAGUES CUP
Messi has two assists
Lionel Messi on Wednesday had two assists, including one in the final seconds of the match, to help lift Inter Miami over Atlas 2-1 in their Leagues Cup opener. It was Messi’s first game since he and teammate Jordi Alba were suspended for one match by Major League Soccer for skipping the All-Star game. He connected with Marcelo Weigandt for the winning score in the final minute of stoppage-time. “It’s a competition that we always do well in,” Messi said in Spanish during a post-match interview with Apple TV. “I think we did a great job against a great team.” Messi also assisted on Telasco Segovia’s goal that opened the scoring. He received a through-ball from Sergio Busquets and sent it to Segovia for an easy finish in the 58th minute. Rivaldo Lozano scored the equalizer for the Guadalajara club in the 80th minute before Weigandt’s goal in the 96th minute that had to be confirmed by the video referee after he was originally ruled offside.
Photo: Sam Navarro / Imagn Images
PREMIER LEAGUE
Burnley offer VR experience
Newly promoted Burnley are offering their fans a virtual-reality (VR) viewing experience, meaning they can enjoy being at the club’s Turf Moor from their room. A partnership with VR experts Rezzil would mean a “first of its kind” immersive broadcast of Burnley’s pre-season friendly against Italian club SS Lazio on Saturday next week. Fans who acquire special headsets would be able to take a virtual seat inside the stadium, complete with match day commentary and in-stadium audio. “It reflects our forward-thinking approach to fan engagement and our commitment to global supporters,” Burnley chairman Alan Pace said. “Our mission is to provide the best experiences to fans, and by entering into the world of virtual reality, they can get closer to the game than ever before.” Manchester-based company Rezzil provides VR technology to help train athletes and provide analysis in sports. Last year it signed a four-year partnership deal with the Premier League aimed at revolutionizing fan engagement. “We’re thrilled to collaborate with Burnley FC and the Premier League to bring fans a truly next-generation football experience,” Rezzil cofounder Andy Etches said.
SUPER LEAGUE
Dog bites Carles Perez
Aris Thessaloniki winger Carles Perez has been sidelined after sustaining a groin injury in a dog attack, Spanish media reported on Wednesday. The 27-year-old Spaniard was reported to be walking his own dog when he was bitten in the genitals by another dog during an attempt to separate the animals. The incident left him with a deep wound, requiring treatment in a hospital. Perez featured in the Greek side’s 2-1 loss to Araz-Nakhchivan in the first leg of the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa Conference League. Local media reported that he would be unavailable for the return fixture in Thessaloniki.
‘DEVASTATED’: Argentina’s win was a reversal of their 28-24 defeat last week, with Australian forward Fraser McReight adding that ‘we did the same thing last week’ Argentina flyhalf Santiago Carreras punished an undisciplined Australia with 23 points off the tee as the Pumas held on grimly for a 28-26 win in Sydney yesterday to breathe new life into their Rugby Championship campaign. A try-fest beckoned in afternoon sunshine at Sydney Football Stadium, but Argentina needed only one through captain Julian Montoya, with Carreras doing the damage with seven penalties and a conversion in front of a sell-out crowd. A week after letting a 14-point lead slip in a 28-24 defeat to Australia in Townsville, Argentina saw most of a 21-point advantage erased in the final quarter as the
ELEVEN STRIKEOUTS: Blake Snell allowed two singles and two walks against the Rockies as he ended a personal three-game skid with his first win since Aug. 16 Blake Snell on Wednesday struck out a season-high 11 in six innings, while Mookie Betts hit a grand slam in the eighth as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Colorado Rockies 9-0 for their fourth straight win. Helped by their third series sweep of the Rockies this MLB season, the Dodgers increased their National League West lead to three games over the San Diego Padres, who lost 2-1 at home to the Cincinnati Reds. Betts went four for five with five RBIs, capped by his seventh career slam on a 3-0 pitch from reliever Anthony Molina to make it 8-0. Andy Pages and
Captain Vijay Kumar led the way yesterday as the Hsinchu Titans claimed the Taiwan Premier League title at the Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Taipei’s Songshan District (松山), beating PCCT by 27 runs. The weather was a topic again, but not the rain that played a role in previous matches in the often-delayed tournament. Kumar, who made 80 not out from 63 deliveries, and teammate Vishwajit Kumar (58 from 43) rescued the Titans from a precarious state at the end of the power play in the T20 match. The visitors were put in to bat and struggled to 26-3 as PCCT
China’s state-run People’s Daily newspaper on Monday published an essay about Chinese basketball it said was written by LeBron James, but a representative for the NBA star said on Thursday that the article was based on a series of interviews. The paper, better known as the mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party, had said James authored the essay, “Basketball is a Bridge that Connects Us,” a tribute to Chinese players and fans of the sport written in the first person. “LeBron James Pens an Article in the People’s Daily,” read a post published on the newspaper’s official WeChat account. On Thursday, a representative
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