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SPORT
THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 2013
Lions brush aside below-strength Force, Healy injured
British and Irish Lions’ Jamie Heaslip is tackled by Sam Norton-Knight of the Western Force during their match in Perth yesterday. — Reuters
Iran end Qatar’s World Cup inals hopes
DOHA — Iran boosted their chances
of clinching an automatic berth from
Asia at next year's World Cup inals
with a 1-0 win over Qatar in their crucial
qualifying game here on Tuesday.
Iranian-Dutch striker Reza Nournia
struck the vital goal in the 66th
minute to end 2022 World Cup hosts
Qatar's hopes of reaching the inals.
It was the irst time Iran had beaten
Qatar in four qualifying matches
for the Brazil tournament.
Their three previous matches, including
two in the third and penultimate
phase of qualifying, had ended
in draws.
Tuesday's victory took Iran to 10
points in group A, and with two more
games in hand, the Asian giants look
set for their fourth appearance in the
World Cup inals.
Qatar's already slim hopes of qualifying
for football's showpiece event
depended on a victory over Iran, and
for the better part of the irst half
they appeared on course with speedy
moves that occasionally caught the
Iranians napping.
Former Asian Player of the Year
Everton conirm
Roberto Martinez
as new manager
LONDON — Everton conirmed
one of the worst kept secrets in
football yesterday when they announced
Roberto Martinez as
their new manager.
The Spaniard leaves his role as
Wigan manager to replace David
Moyes, who will oficially take over
at Manchester United on July 1.
Everton said 39-year-old Martinez
would be oficially unveiled
at a press conference.
His arrival at Goodison was
already given the green light
by Wigan chairman Dave Whelan,
who said the two clubs had
agreed compensation for his departure.
And Whelan said there were
no hard feelings between himself
and Martinez.
"I'm sorry to lose him but we
will always be friends for the rest
of our lives," Whelan said. "But he
is going to a great club with great
supporters." — dpa
Portugal round off long season with World Cup qualiier against Russia
LISBON — Cristiano Ronaldo and his
Portugal team-mates must avoid going
into holiday mode too soon as they
round off a long season with a tricky
World Cup qualiier against European
Group F leaders Russia tomorrow.
Sitting third in the group, Portugal
cannot afford another below-par
performance like last year's 1-0 defeat
in Moscow. With Ronaldo having
been rested in his club Real Madrid's
inal two La Liga games, it would be
easy for him to be putting his feet up
but Portuguese Football Federation
Vice-President Humberto Coelho is
conident the forward is focused on
business.
"He always gives it all for the national
team. Physically, it's not the
best time of the year to play but other
players had long seasons too," Coelho
said.
"Russia are comfortably on top,
with two games in hand an one point
ahead, but we do not intend to drop
the goal of reaching the precious second
place, which gives us access to
the play-off."
Group winners qualify for next
year's World Cup inals in Brazil,
while the eight best runners-up will
play off over two legs for the remaining
four places.
While the Portugal players are being
urged to wait a few more days before
enjoying some relaxation, some
of Russia's were shown by Russian
Khalfan Ibrahim came close to beating
the Iranian defence on a couple
of occasions, but Qatar's irst real
chance came in the 30th minute when
media last week to be smoking and
drinking together on a night out.
Portuguese media picked up on it
widely and when they asked striker
Hugo Almeida what he made of the
footage, he was pretty sympathetic.
"Sometimes it's important to unwind
at the end of a long season, after
so much effort and constant psychological
pressure," he said.
Portugal coach Paulo Bento said
that as well as end-of-season fatigue,
another issue making preparations
dificult was the fact his players were
scattered around Europe with their
clubs while most of the Russians play
in their domestic league.
"We have players spread around
many championships so it's more dif-
icult for us to prepare," he said. "It's a
handicap but not an excuse."
Only seven of Portugal's 25-man
squad played for a club of their home
nation this season.
Centre back Pepe is suspended for
the game at the Luz stadium while
Ronaldo, Nani and Fabio Coentrao,
three of the country's key performers,
are all racing to recover from small
knocks. Bento's side are especially
keen to qualify for the World Cup as
it is being held in fellow Portuguesespeaking
Brazil and know that since
they are behind Israel on goal difference
with both having played six
games, they must avoid any more
slip-ups.
Hassan Haydos found himself clear
just inside the penalty area. However,
much to Qatar's dismay his cracking
shot slammed the crossbar. — AFP
Iran’s Khosro Heidari (right) ights for the ball with Qatar’s Ibrahim
Majed during their match in Doha on Tuesday. — Reuters
"We have to take (the) initiative
and command the match for most
of the time," Bento said. "We have no
margin of error given the mistakes
(we have already made)."
Russia coach Fabio Capello, who
will be without injured forward Alexander
Kokorin, hailed his team's good
start to the qualifying campaign but
said the job was far from done.
"We started well and left our rivals
behind. But the qualifying tournament
is a long way to go and we
have no right to relax until we win
our place in the World Cup inals,"
the Italian told the Rossiiskaya Gazeta
newspaper.
"We have played just four matches
(out of 10) and the most serious
clashes are still ahead. I expect tough
opposition in every one of the remaining
matches."
BOSNIA, MONTENEGRO TRY TO
EDGE CLOSER TO WORLD CUP
Bosnia and Montenegro, both on
course for a irst World Cup appearance,
face key matches in the European
qualiiers tomorrow which
could end with the unlikely sight of
either Albania or Iceland topping a
group.
Russia take their 100 per cent
record to Portugal, unbeaten Italy
have a tough match in the Czech Republic
in Group B while France, Spain,
Germany and Netherlands will all sit
out the action.
Austria host Sweden in a match
which is crucial in deciding which
team inishes second behind likely
Group C winners Germany.
The winners of the nine European
groups qualify directly for Brazil next
year and the eight best runners-up
go into two-leg playoffs for four more
places.
The campaign has already produced
several surprises, no more so
than in Group H where tiny Montene-
PERTH — The British and Irish Lions
began their tour of Australia with a
thumping 69-17 win over an inexperienced
Western Force side yesterday
but prop Cian Healy suffered a suspected
ankle ligament injury.
The Force had been criticised for
ielding an under-strength 23, which
featured seven players who had not
played Super Rugby, but the spirited
side managed to score two tries of their
own and disrupt a couple of lineouts.
Lions coach Warren Gatland said
he would have preferred to face
tougher opposition but was pleased
that with the form of a number of his
players, many of whom were making
their irst appearance on the tour.
One of which was captain Brian
O'Driscoll, who scored his irst try
for the Lions 12 years ago in Perth
when they beat Western Australia
and crossed for two more in a strong
display in the centres along with England's
Manu Tuilagi.
Leigh Halfpenny was given the kicking
duties over Irish lyhalf Jonny Sexton
and the Welsh fullback repaid that
vote of conidence with a supreme
display with the boot as he slotted all
11 attempts from dificult positions to
surely cement a test berth.
Gatland said Sexton was disappointed
not to be kicking the goals but
the Leinster lyhalf did get the Lions
on the scoreboard with the opening
try in the 10th minute of an impressive
display with ball in hand.
The Force had talked about roughing
up the Lions before the game but it
was the tourists that were accused of
foul play when the action was halted
for a long period in the 18th minute after
Force scrumhalf Brett Sheehan accused
Healy of biting him when defending
at a ruck near their own try line.
The television match oficial, though,
South Korea salvage last-gasp
draw against Lebanon
BEIRUT — South Korea's Kim Chi
Woo struck seven minutes into added
time to salvage a 1-1 draw away
to bottom side Lebanon in a World
Cup qualiier on Tuesday that put his
relieved side top of Group A.
Kim's free-kick was delected off
the defensive wall into the net after
Hassan Maatouk's 12th minute strike
had put the unfancied hosts ahead in
Beirut.
Korea lead the section with 11
points from six games ahead of Uzbekistan
on goal difference. Iran are
third with 10 after their 1-0 victory
over Qatar (7) in Doha earlier on
Tuesday.
Lebanon remain bottom with
ive points and, like Qatar, have now
played seven matches and have only
one remaining.
The top two from the group qualify
directly for next year's inals in
Brazil, while the third-placed team
will still be in with a chance of joining
them via the play-offs.
Maatouk raised Lebanon's hopes
of pulling off an upset win over South
Korea when he slotted Mohamad
Haidar's cross into the bottom lefthand
corner of the Korean goal.
The stunned Koreans went on the
attack but Lee Chung Yong hit the
post after combining well with Lee
Dong Gook.
The visitors mounted several
raids but Lebanese goalkeeper Abbas
Hassan thwarted them time and
again to preserve the hosts' lead at
halftime.
After the break Korea's forwards
spurned a hatful of chances.
In the 72nd minute, Kim Keehee
headed Kim Chi Woo's cross against
the post and seven minutes later
Lee Dong Gook failed to slot home
from close range after Hassan denied
Kwak Taehwi.
Deep into stoppage time Korea
found a fortunate equaliser when
Kim's left-foot free-kick was delected
into the net. — Reuters
gro, who played their irst full international
only six years ago, top the table
with four wins and two draws in six
matches. They will take a ive-point
lead over second-placed England if
they can beat Ukraine at home, leaving
Roy Hodgson’s team with the unappetising
prospect of a two-leg playoff
to reach Brazil.
Third-placed Poland could also
close the gap on England to one point
if they win in Moldova, putting further
found no evidence when reviewing
the tape, with both coaches offering
little insight on the issue with the matter
to be settled by the citing commission.
The Lions regathered after the
halt in play with O'Driscoll scoring his
irst try after switching passes with
Wales winger George North, but the
game was again stopped for a lengthy
period in the 35th minute when Healy
screamed out in pain as his leg twisted
in the tackle.
"It's not broken but they think its
ligament damage so we will have to
wait 24, 48 hours and see what happens
from that," Gatland said.
After the prop was taken off on a
stretcher, English lanker Tom Croft
crossed for another score to send the
tourists into halftime 27-3 up.
Impressive Irish No 8 Jamie Heaslip
added another try at the start of the
second half before former Wallaby Richard
Brown crossed for the Force after
avoiding a tackle by Sean O'Brien.
The Lions roared back, though, and
Healy's replacement Mako Vunipola
bulldozed over for another ive pointer
as the replacements came on to test
a weary looking home side.
Tommy Bowe, O'Driscoll and Owen
Farrell took advantage of a yellow
card for Stubbs to score tries in the
last 20 minutes with substitute lock
Geoff Parling scoring the ninth in the
inal moments to inlate the scoreboard.
But Lions second row Alun
Wyn Jones saw his night end early
with the tourists irst yellow card of
the trip for a ruck infringement.
The Lions next head to Brisbane
to take on the Queensland Reds on
Saturday at Lang Park, the venue of
the irst of the three Tests against the
Wallabies on June 22 with Force coach
Michael Foley purring about their talents.
— Reuters
Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo (centre) warms up with team-mates during a training session. — AFP
pressure on Hodgson’s team.
Group G leaders Bosnia, who have
13 points from ive games, should be
too strong as they visit lowly Latvia
with Greece, who are three points behind
them, travelling to Lithuania
Bosnia, who joined Fifa in 1996
and have yet to qualify for a Major
tournament, have blasted 18 goals
so far, 12 of them coming from their
strikeforce of Edin Dzeko and Vedad
Ibisevic. — Reuters