DT_20190709

Tuesday, 9 July 2019
Daily Tribune
SPORTS
D23
U.S. WINS WORLD CUP
Goal unlocked
It’s unbelievable
LYON, France — The United States
retained the women’s World Cup as a Megan
Rapinoe penalty and a superb Rose Lavelle
strike gave the reigning champion a 2-0
victory over a battling Netherlands side in
the final in Lyon.
Having been kept at bay by the brilliant
Dutch goalkeeper Sari van Veenendaal
throughout the first half, the US finally
went ahead just after the hour as Rapinoe
stroked home from 12 yards to end the
tournament as joint top scorer on six goals.
There was an air of inevitability about
the pink-haired 34-year-old, the star of this
World Cup on and off the field, putting the
US ahead.
It also seemed inevitable that the
breakthrough goal here should come from
a VAR-awarded penalty with French referee
Stephanie Frappart initially giving a corner
before pointing to the spot following a review.
The whippet-like Lavelle, another
standout performer over the last month,
got the second in the 69th minute, killing
off Dutch hopes of a comeback.
The victory underlines the US’ status
as the dominant force in international
women’s football as it claims the World
Cup for the fourth time in eight editions.
“It’s unbelievable. Everybody in our
group put in so much effort. I don’t know
how to feel right now. It’s ridiculous,”
Rapinoe told the BBC.
She ended the tournament with the
Golden Ball for the best player ahead
of England’s Lucy Bronze and teammate
Lavelle while also winning the Golden Boot
as her six goals came from fewer minutes
on the field than teammate Alex Morgan
or England’s Ellen White.
The US was already the first team to
appear in three consecutive finals and
Jill Ellis becomes the first coach to win
Superal, Malixi
make waves
Ace took a gamble on No. 7,
crossing the lake off the mound
that left her with 180 yards to the
green and made the birdie
Two Filipina rising stars primed up for
the Junior World as Eagle Ace Superal
and Rianne Malixi ruled their respective
age-group divisions in varying fashions
in the 12th FCG Future Champions Golf
International Championship at the Singing
Hills Golf in El Cajon, California over the
weekend.
Superal showed some spunk and pulled
through in a pressure-packed finish, hitting
a clutch birdie on the par-5 No. 7 for a huge
three-shot swing to salvage an even-par 71 and
foil Chinese-Taipei’s Chun-Wei Wu by three in
the girls’ 13-14 division with a 141 total.
Wu, who double-bogeyed the seventh,
ended up with a 74 for a 144.
Malixi earlier completed a wire-to-wire
triumph in the 11-12 play as she fired a 69 and
71 for a 140 and routed United States-based
Thai Natrada Pongsasin (70-74) and Arianna
Lau (71-73) of Hong Kong by four.
Wu matched Superal’s opening 70 and the
duo, teeing off at the backside of the par-71
Willow Glen, remained tied with eight holes
left in the 36-hole championship before the
Taiwanese pounced on the Filipina’s bogey
on No. 2 to take command.
But after both traded bogeys on No. 5,
Superal birdied the par-3 No. 6 from six feet
and surged ahead as Wu three-putted for
bogey. Gaining control and momentum, Superal
hacked a solid drive on the next hole to set up
It’s really special
because we built
something together
RIO DE JANEIRO — Depleted
Brazil held on to win the Copa
America on home soil despite
Gabriel Jesus’s dismissal with a
3-1 victory over Peru on Sunday.
Jesus scored the decisive goal
after a penalty from Peru captain
Paolo Guerrero canceled out
Everton’s opener for hosts
Brazil at Rio de Janeiro’s
Maracana stadium.
A last minute penalty
from substitute
Richarlison sealed
a win for Brazil,
which handed
the South American
giants their ninth Copa
triumph and first since 2007.
Jesus’s evening went sour 20
minutes from time as he was sent
back-to-back World Cups since Italy’s
Vittorio Pozzo in the 1930s.
The US was the only non-European
team to make it to the quarterfinals, but
it had already ended the hopes of the host
and England before denying the Dutch a
dream double success, two years after they
won Euro 2017 on home soil.
Whether the Americans can continue
this domination on to the next World Cup
remains to be seen, not least because
Rapinoe is already in the twilight years
of her career.
Everybody in our group put in so
much effort. I don’t know how to
feel right now. It’s ridiculous.
After sitting out the victory over
England in the last four due to a
hamstring problem, Ellis brought
Rapinoe back to the starting lineup.
She later went off to a loud ovation from
the massed ranks of US fans.
At a tournament, which has showcased
the improving standards of goalkeeping
in women’s football, the excellent Van
Veenendaal prevented the US from winning
by a greater margin.
The 29-year-old, who has spent the
last four years at Arsenal, had already
excelled in her team’s win over Sweden
in the semifinals.
Here, she allowed her team to withstand
an onslaught from the holder towards
halftime, saving well from Julie Ertz and
bettering that by producing two superb
stops in quick succession in the 38th
minute, keeping out a Samantha Mewis
header and then turning the ball onto the
post when Alex Morgan diverted Rapinoe’s
low centre towards goal.
Morgan was thwarted again moments
later as she tried her luck from 20 yards
and the European champions held out
until the interval.
AFP
EAGLE Ace Superal displays her trophy after
ruling the 13-14 division of the 12th FCG Future
Champions Golf International Championship at
the Singing Hills Golf in El Cajon, California.
an easy birdie then watched her rival succumb
to pressure and holed out with a 7.
“Ace took a gamble on No. 7, crossing the
lake off the mound that left her with 180
yards to the green and made the birdie. It
was a bold move but she did it and earned
a three-stroke lead,” said Team The Country
Club coach Nestor Mendoza.
Not even a three-putt miscue on the 17th
could shake off Superal, who hit a perfect
drive on No. 18 and set up an easy par to
wrap up her first major junior crown which
Princess also won back in 2010.
Superal and Malixi’s victories should
augur well for their campaign in the Junior
World, which gathers the world’s leading and
rising age-groupers, starting Tuesday.
Brazil lifts Copa crown
off for a second booking.
The Manchester City striker was in tears
as he left the field, making obscene hand
gestures, angrily kicking a water bottle and
almost knocking over the VAR booth.
Brazil’s players rallied after the dismissal
however to claim a battling victory.
“It’s really special because we built
something together,” enthused captain
Dani Alves.
Earlier, after a minute’s silence was
held for bossa nova legend Joao Gilberto,
who died on Saturday, underdog Peru
made a confident start and didn’t
appear overawed by either their
opponents or the occasion.
But it quickly became
apparent that they were up
against more accomplished
players.
AFP
DANI Alves of Brazil lifts the trophy
after defeating Peru in the final
match of the Copa America football
tournament at Maracana Stadium in
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
AFP
PLAYERS of the United States celebrate after winning over Netherlands in the Women’s World Cup football finals at the Lyon
Stadium in Lyon, France.
AFP
Foton to extend hot streak
It’s good that we’re back on
track, but it’s still too early to
celebrate
BACOOR CITY — After posting
back-to-back victories, Foton
marches to warpath anew as it
tackles dangerous Cignal in the
Philippine Superliga All-Filipino
Conference Tuesday at the Bacoor
Strike Gym here.
Action kicks off at 7 p.m. with the
Tornadoes hunting their fourth win to
keep their spot at the upper half of the
standings of this prestigious women’s
club tourney.
Meanwhile, Petron and Generika-Ayala
If he makes a return to the U19
World Cup in 2021, I expect him to
be a monster
Future Gilas stars
Gilas Pilipinas Youth team lost its final game
to New Zealand, 70-76, to finish 14 th in the FIBA
U19 Basketball World Cup in Heraklion, Greece
over the weekend.
It was such a heart-breaking loss considering
how our boys led, 68-63, in the final minutes
before th Kiwis unleashed a searing 13-2 finish
kick to douse the Filipinos’ hopes of ending the
tournament on a winning note.
Despite the setback, Gilas Youth squad’s Grecian
campaign will be remembered not for how many wins
it notched, but for the barriers it broke.
Let us remember that not since 1979 has any
Philippine team made an appearance in the FIBA U19
World Cup. This crew snapped 40 years of nothingness
and that alone is worth celebrating, no matter what
rabid detractors or haters want to say.
That’s an indication that this current generation of
players born from 2000 to 2002 has the potential to be
quite special.
I mean, this generation of players has actually sent
two teams to world-level tournaments, which are the
U17 World Cup in Argentina last year and the U19 World
Cup this year.
There’s actually a good chance this generation
will send another team to a world level competition if
next year’s U18 Gilas Youth qualifies through the U18
Asia Cup.
Guys like Kai Sotto, Carl Tamayo, Gerry Abadiano,
and Terrence Fortea were there for both the U17 and
U19 World Cups, and Kai is expected to banner next
year’s U18 team as well. The 7-foot-2 center may actually
play in the next U19 World Cup. Imagine that.
But aside from Sotto, there are some players who
made a big impression in Greece.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was Carl Tamayo of
National University (NU).
At 6-foot-7, Tamayo has the size to be a center in
local leagues, but in Gilas Youth, he was mostly a stretch
four, who uses his quickness to blow by bigger foes and
his shooting to punish defenders who would be foolish
enough to leave him open.
Tamayo has the chance to be a superstar, for sure.
This early, he is a Most Valuable Player favorite
for the coming University Athletic Association of the
Philippines (UAAP) Season 82 Juniors tournament,
where the Bullpups are expected by many to go backto-back.
Tamayo will be among the blue chip recruits
for the summer of 2020, and it won’t be shocking if
his college decision makes headlines everywhere.
I saw flashes of his potential last year in Argentina, where
despite injuring his ankle in a tuneup game against
Canada, he continued to showcase his on-court brilliance.
This time around, he was healthy and really
impressed, averaging 12.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.6
triples per game while serving as Kai’s chief frontcourt
partner.
Tamayo was second overall in scoring for the team
right behind fellow NU stalwart Dave Ildefonso.
The second-generation basketball star-in-the-making
had a good rookie season for the Bulldogs in UAAP
Season 81, but he has definitely shown the growth in
his game in Greece, where he put up 16.6 points, 5.4
rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.7 triples per contest.
Ildefonso is poised to be NU’s top dog in Season 82, and
I expect he will get a call-up to the senior Gilas squad
clash for the solo second spot in the 4:15
p.m. battle.
With Filipino-American Kalei Mau
doing damage, F2 Logistics remains
on top of the standings with six
straight victories while Petron and
Generika-Ayala are tied for second
with a 4-1 win-loss mark.
Foton is at third with 3-3 while
Cignal and PLDT Home Fibr are trying
to catch up with 2-3 and 2-4 cards,
respectively.
That makes the battle between
Foton and Cignal very exciting as
the Tornadoes are looking to stretch
their winning streak to three to
join the heavyweights on top of the
leaderboard as this tourney enters
the crucial stretch of the first round
Hot Take Hoops
Enzo Flojo
of eliminations.
Tornadoes’ coach Aaron Velez said
they won’t take the HD Spikers lightly,
knowing that they have a deadly brew
of veterans in Rachel Anne Daquis and
Jovelyn Gonzaga and young guns in
Mylene Paat, Alohi Robins-Hardy, May
Luna and Norielle Ipac to carry the load.
“We’re taking it slowly and surely.
We don’t want to rush ourselves or get
top excited,” said Velez, who will bank
anew on his tall frontline bannered by
Jaja Santiago, Elaine Kasilag, Dindin
Manabat and Maika Ortiz.
“It’s good that we’re back on track,
but it’s still too early to celebrate.
What we need is to put in work and
the results — be it good or bad — will
surely follow.”
in a few years’ time.
Look out for him in the
PBA as well, where his size
(he stands around 6-foot-4),
quickness, shooting, and
explosiveness make him a
really tantalizing prospect.
Tamayo’s teammate at
NU, Gerry Abadiano, also
stepped up.
To be honest, I expected
Abadiano to play second
fiddle to Rome-based Dalph
Panopio at the point guard
spot, but he played beyond
expectation.
The 5-foot-11 scoring guard showed laser-like focus on
offense all tournament long, scoring 8.4 points per game
while shooting 46 percent from beyond the arc.
He was severely tested on defense by bigger guards
throughout their campaign, but Abadiano could clearly
hold his own offensively speaking.
Like Tamayo, expect Abadiano to be a highly recruited
player after UAAP Season 82 is done.
One kid who didn’t get a lot of hype but who also
delivered was Ateneo de Manila University big man
Geo Chiu.
The burly 6-foot-9 center played more minutes than
expected, especially after AJ Edu’s injury, but he showed
his value, especially on the defensive end.
Billed as the “Bulldozer,” Chiu was a veritable great
wall for coach Sandy Arespacochaga’s second unit. Yes, he
didn’t score in bunches, but his size, heft, and IQ made
him invaluable on defense.
Against China, in particular, Chiu was a delight,
practically nullifying the presence of United States
National Collegiate Athletic Association player Michael
Wang while also grabbing nine rebounds and swatting
away two shots.
That’s an indication that this current generation
of players born from 2000 to 2002 has the
potential to be quite special.
He will be a great addition to the Blue Eagles’ frontline
in Season 82, where he is expected to play backup to
Angelo Kouame and Isaac Go.
Lastly, how about Sotto?
The 17-year-old beanpole didn’t exactly dominate
the way some people wanted him to, but he still gave a
strong account of himself considering how he had to carry
much of the frontline load after Edu’s injury and how
he battled against older guys who have been plying their
trade in the United States or in Europe the past few years.
This was the kind of competition and experience Sotto
needed to better gauge his own development against
other world-class talents.
Scouts everywhere got a glimpse of both his strengths
and weaknesses, and there is no doubt in my mind Sotto
will keep on improving as he commits to training harder
on the international stage.
Will he stay in the US or play in Europe? Your guess
is as good as mine, but I foresee that he will be even
tougher and stronger in the years to come.
If he makes a return to the U19 World Cup in 2021, I
expect him to be a monster. All these point to a bright
future for Gilas basketball, and I am pretty sure more
than a few guys from this U19 squad will be added to the
possible pool for the 2023 World Cup that we will co-host
with Indonesia and Japan.
By then, Edu and Ildefonso will be 23, Tamayo, Chiu,
and Abadiano will be 22 and Sotto will be 21 — all ripe and
ready to mix it up with the big boys at the senior level.