Sports

KOBE, Japan — Barcelona legend Andrés Iniesta produced a magical display on his Asian Champions League debut Wednesday to inspire Japan’s Vissel Kobe to a 5-1 thrashing of Malaysia’s Johor Darul Ta’zim. 

The 35-year-old, who won four European Cups in a glittering career with the Spanish giants, set up the home side’s opening goal after 13 minutes, threading a defence-splitting pass for hat-trick hero Keijiro Ogawa to lob over goalkeeper Farizal Marlias.

A handball by Iniesta’s former Barca teammate Thomas Vermaelen allowed the visitors to equalise from the spot through Safawi Rasid on 27 minutes.

But parity vanished less than 60 seconds later when Kyogo Furuhashi slammed in a shot from the edge of the box to restore Kobe’s advantage, before Brazilian striker Douglas forced a sharp save from Marlias.

With Iniesta spraying passes from deep, Vissel could have been out of sight by half-time in their Group G opener, especially if their players had been on Iniesta’s wavelength. 

World Cup winner Iniesta, who joined the J-League club on a monster, three-year deal almost two years ago, played a key part in Kobe’s third goal 13 minutes into the second half.

The little sorcerer conjured a filthy no-look pass for Gotoku Sakai, who teed up Ogawa for the bleach-blond striker’s second of the night, before Douglas added a brilliant solo goal seven minutes later.

As the floodgates threatened to open, Iniesta dinked an inch-perfect cross onto the head of Ogawa to complete his hat-trick after 72 minutes.

He was substituted to a standing ovation two minutes from time, turning to bow to the pitch as is the Japanese custom, before taking his place on the bench.

Iniesta, who captured 32 major trophies with Barcelona, is chasing a third title with Kobe after helping them to their maiden Emperor’s Cup triumph in January and a first Japanese Super Cup last weekend.

Nine-man Jeonbuk

Elsewhere, in Group H, Ange Postecoglou’s Yokohama F Marinos won 2-1 in an entertaining clash with Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, who finished with nine men.

Teruhito Nakagawa twice went close for Yokohama before he set up the opener, crossing to Keita Endo who half-volleyed the visitors ahead just after the half-hour.

Endo also had a hand in Yokohama’s second, when his cross was intercepted by unfortunate Jeonbuk defender Kim Jin-su who prodded the ball into his own net.

In a chance-filled first half, Jeonbuk also had their moments, but Yokohama could have gone further ahead when Ado Onaiwu had a shot cleared off the line and Nakagawa fired narrowly wide.

Jeonbuk’s chances of a comeback sank when Son Jun-ho received his second yellow card, but a moment of madness from Yokohama goalkeeper Yuji Kajikawa gave the hosts hope with 10 minutes left.

Kajikawa needlessly charged out to intercept a long ball and missed it completely, gifting substitute Jo Kyu-seong an empty net. However, Jeonbuk soon lost their second player when Lee Yong was carded twice in two minutes.

Only two games were played on Tuesday as ties involving Chinese teams — Guangzhou Evergrande in Group G, and Shanghai SIPG in Group H — have been postponed until April over the deadly coronavirus.

PARIS — Swedish athletics star Armand Duplantis says his efforts to shed his “fat college kid” physique paid off as he soared to a new world record in the pole vault, and promptly promised more.

Duplantis, known by his nickname “Mondo”, sailed over 6.17 metres at an indoor meeting in the Polish city of Torun on Saturday.

The 20-year-old, born in the United States to American father and coach Greg — himself a former pole vaulter who cleared 5.80m — and Swedish hepathlete mother Helena, had almost broken the record at a meeting just days earlier in Duesseldorf.

He will have a chance to improve the mark in indoor meetings in Glasgow on Saturday, and then in France at Lievin on February 19 and Clermont-Ferrand four days later — in the pole vault, athletics’ governing body no longer makes any distinction between indoor and outdoor records.

Duplantis’ performance marks him out as a clear favourite for the Olympic title in Tokyo this year. 

He claimed silver at October’s World Athletics Championships in Doha behind American Sam Hendricks just months after turning professional having attended Louisiana State University on an athletics scholarship.

Duplantis credits a new fitness drive with success on the same pole he used in the Qatari capital.

“I couldn’t do much with it in Doha because I was just a big fat college kid at the time, I guess,” said Duplantis.

“I’m a lot more in shape now so I can get a lot more out of the pole.”

Duplantis, in an interview with World Athletics, also credited a more professional approach he has adopted this season.

“Before I was a high school kid, and I was a college kid. On Friday night, Saturday night, I was a college kid. I don’t regret that,” he said.

“But I wanted to take this to 100 per cent, and be a professional. And I’m having the most fun I’ve ever had in my life.”

Duplantis’ new record beat by one centimetre the previous best set six years ago by France’s Renaud Lavillenie, the 2012 Olympic champion.

“Have a good day baby, but not too good,” Lavillenie texted Duplantis before his competition in Torun.

‘Absolute idol’

Duplantis openly admits that growing up in a track and field-crazy family that even had their own vaulting apparatus in the garden, “Renaud was my absolute idol.”

“There is no other person I’d want to take [the record] from.

“The support he’s given me through this whole process too, has been phenomenal.”

Lavillenie’s former coach Damien Inocencio said Duplantis’ main strength was his natural speed, a real asset over 30-40 metres down the runway towards the plant and a propelled take-off.

“Two years ago he ran a 100m in 10.56 seconds, so that comes naturally. He’s also a good size [1.81m] and a real competitor with a great mental strength,” said Inocencio.

Jean Galfione, who won Olympic pole vault gold for France in 1996, added: “He vaults in a very specific way.

“When he beat the world record, it looked easy. All vaulting fundamentals are exceptionally mastered.

“He arrives fast and importantly doesn’t lose his speed because he’s efficient on his final moments of his approach. He loads the flexion of the pole and very quickly unleashes it.”

Duplantis, who announced his prodigious talent to a wider audience when he won the European outdoor title in Berlin in 2018 with a vault of 6.05m, a world junior record, acknowledged that the world record in Torun had not come as a surprise.

He opened with an easy clearance at 5.52m and then went on to clear 5.72, 5.92 and 6.01m at first attempts. A first effort at 6.17m was solid before the history-making vault on his second attempt.

“I knew I had it in me,” he said. “I knew it was a possibility. In Dusseldorf I had a great attempt at it — but you never know when you’ll be in that kind of shape again, in world record shape again.

“After that first attempt [in Torun], I thought, ‘yeah, I just need two more attempts at this and I got it’. I was pretty confident that I had it.”

The question on everyone’s lips is whether “Mondo” can go higher in what is one of the most technical events in track and field, but often one of the most gripping to watch.

“Of course,” Duplantis said, happy to make world record attempts a habit.

“Sure. If I feel good, why not go to 6.18?”

MILAN — Inter Milan moved top of Serie A on Sunday after storming back from two goals down to snatch a 4-2 win over AC Milan in a pulsating derby at the San Siro.

Inter pull level on 54 points with Juventus, who lost 2-1 at Hellas Verona on Saturday, but are ahead of the champions on goal difference thanks to a thrilling second half turnaround after Ante Rebic and Zlatan Ibrahimovic had put Milan 2-0 up at the break.

Lazio are just a point behind in third after Felipe Caicedo scored the only goal in a hard-fought win at Parma earlier on Sunday.

“It’s a special night because in the first half we were in great difficulty like we hadn’t been this season. There was the risk of taking a hammering,” said Inter boss Antonio Conte.

“Credit to these lads because they were able to resist the blows which means that we are ready for something good.

“It’s absolutely too early to talk about things that we can still dream of today.”

Milan had dominated the first half with Inter struggling to deal with Ibrahimovic, who soared above Diego Godin before knocking down for Rebic to tap the opener past Daniele Padelli.

Stefan De Vrij blocked another cross to deny Rebic a second tap in, but Franck Kessie flicked on for a waiting Ibrahimovic to turn in the second.

The comeback began five minutes after the break when Brozovic lashed home a stunning volley and two minutes later Mattias Vecino finished off an Alexis Sanchez pass to level the scores.

De Vrij put Inter deservedly ahead with a superb diving header with 20 minutes to go, and after Ibrahimovic hit the post for Milan Romelu Lukaku then headed home substitute Victor Moses’ cross three minutes into injury time to maintain Inter’s charge for a first Serie A title in a decade.

Milan’s collapse means they missed the chance to move into the Europa League places and sit 10th.

“It’s difficult to explain. The first half was almost perfect, the second half the opposite.” said Ibrahimovic.

“We conceded the first goal and the squad lost faith, then conceded a second and everything fell apart.

“Inter in the first half didn’t look like a team who were second but then demonstrated why they were after the break.”

Lazio in the mix

Caicedo kept Lazio’s own dream of a first ‘Scudetto’ in 20 years alive as a 1-0 win over Parma moved the Romans second in Serie A.

Simone Inzaghi’s side are right in the title discussion after extending their unbeaten run to 18 league games.

Their last Serie A defeat was in September to Inter Milan, who they host next weekend at the Stadio Olimpico.

“We are trying to stay in there, fighting against the battleships. With this spirit, we can advance very well,” said Inzaghi. 

“Sunday will be a great game against a great team.” 

Caicedo broke through just before the interval as the Ecuadorian volleyed home after Parma failed to clear a ball into the box.

Napoli’s struggles continued as they collapsed to a 3-2 defeat at home to Lecce.

Last season’s runners-up had rekindled hopes of European football next season after league wins over Juventus and Sampdoria, and by eliminating Lazio from the Italian Cup.

Gianluca Lapadula netted a double, opening the scoring after half an hour, with Marco Mancoscu sealing victory with a superb free-kick eight minutes from time.

Arkadiusz Milik had levelled for Napoli just after the break with Jose Callejon reducing the deficit late on.

The hosts were furious at being denied a penalty for a challenge on Milik, with the Pole booked for diving.

“I don’t understand why they don’t go to VAR when it’s a debatable one,” said Gattuso. “It would have taken a minute to see if Milik had been fouled.”

Napoli are 11th, four points off the Europa League places, with Lecce three points above the relegation zone.

Elsewhere, Mario Balotelli’s Brescia earned a point with a 1-1 draw at home against Udinese in new coach Diego Lopez’s first game in charge of the basement club.

Jeremie Boga scored late to grab a 2-1 win for Sassuolo at SPAL.

MANCHESTER, United Kingdom — Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola admitted his side could be set for an overhaul in the summer after falling 22 points behind Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.

Guardiola will definitely lose David Silva, who has already announced he will leave the club after a decade at the end of the season.

However, the Catalan coach does not believe he needs the same degree of change as after a difficult first season in Manchester when the arrival of six new players inspired a romp to the title with a record 100 points.

“This group of players has done something unique — they have won the last six of the last seven domestic trophies in England. I admire them and I suffer with them when they don’t get what they deserve,” said Guardiola.

“Of course we have to do something because David Silva is leaving and in some other positions we are going to do it, but I don’t know how many or how much because the market is always difficult.

“There are still are two or three months to go and things can change a lot in that time.”

City could still turn a hitherto disappointing campaign into a glorious one as they face Aston Villa in the League Cup final in three weeks’ time, have progressed into the fifth round of the FA Cup and are preparing for a blockbuster Champions League last 16 clash with Real Madrid.

“There are still incredible nice things still to fight for,” added Guardiola.

“We are in the EFL Cup final in three weeks, we are still in the FA Cup, we want to try and finish second in the league and we have two big games against Real Madrid in the Champions League.”

One of those who could be sacrificed by City to make room and resources for summer signings is John Stones.

The England international has been scarcely used by Guardiola this season despite a lack of cover at centre-back due to the departure of Vincent Kompany and injury to Aymeric Laporte.

Stones could easily miss out on a place in Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2020 due to his lack of match practice, but Guardiola insisted his priority has to be doing what is best for City.

“He has good points and some have to improve. It is simple, he is a still a young central defender,” said Guardiola.

“I have to think about every game and make decisions about tomorrow and day after day, not for the future.

“Of course, John, like everyone, has a chance to play more games in the rest of the season, but I have to decide whether to choose them.

“They have to play here as best as possible then after that go to the national team.”

AMMAN — Jordanian amateur Shergo Kurdi made history by becoming the first player from the GCC and Middle East countries to earn Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points with his runner-up finish at the Journey to Jordan tournament held last week at the Ayla Golf Club in Aqaba, according to the Jordan Olympic Committee News Service. 

Sixteen-year-old Kurdi shot rounds of 70, 70 and 69 to aggregate seven-under par 209, which gave him a tied second position behind champion David Langley of England.

Kurdi finished tied alongside England’s Jamie Rutherford and Tom Sloman, which means he earns one invaluable OWGR point, first ever for a player from the region that now hosts six events on the European Tour annually, including the season-ending DP World Tour Championship.

The most significant aspect of a player achieving the Official World Golf Ranking status, especially from developing golf nations, is that it is mandatory if their home country wants to become a part of the Olympics. The eligibility for Olympics is through the Olympic Golf Ranking (OGR), which is completely based on OWGR. Golf made a return to the quadrennial Games in 2016 and has caught the fancy of most leading players. Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have gone on record recently on how much they want to be a part of the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

“I think it is a fantastic achievement for me to get OWGR points and I am really surprised that I am the first player from the region to do so,” Kurdi told organisers..

“Obviously, this is going to be a great help for me when I try to qualify for the 2024 Olympic. Representing Jordan in the Olympics has always been one of my biggest dreams in the game.

“I am so proud that I have done this playing in Jordan because it is not very easy to perform well when you are playing in your home country.

“I want to thank the Masri family of Ayla Oasis Development who have given me such great support, and also to Mr Sahl Dudin, the managing director of Ayla Oasis. My dad deserves a special mention as he was brilliant on my bag this week, encouraging and pushing me to give my best all week. Obviously, his support over the years is something that has kept me going.”

Kurdi also had a special; word of thanks for the MENA Tour by Arena, the only regional tour which provides a pathway to Olympics for the players by offering OWGR points.

“I really want to thank the MENA Tour for what they have done for golf in the region. I have obviously benefited hugely from the increased level of competition. They are a professional tour, but they have been very encouraging of us amateurs by giving us this fantastic opportunity,” added Kurdi.

“There are players from all around the world playing on the MENA Tour and I have learned a lot just being a part of it. I really hope that more players from the Middle East realise the immense value of being part of the tour.”

David Spencer, tour commissioner, MENA Tour by Arena, said: “We are so proud of Shergo and what he has managed to achieve at such a young age. 

“The MENA Tour by Arena was established with this specific objective in mind and we feel validated of all the work that has been put behind the Tour. Having a player from the region qualify for the Olympics is our cherished objective, and Shergo is now well on his way.”

The MENA Tour by Arena returning to the world schedule after a year of restructuring in 2019 and featured 10 tournaments. The number of tournaments have been increased to 11 this season and various incentives are on offer for the members, including guaranteed starts in several European, Challenge and Asian Tour events.

AMMAN — Faisali host Syria’s Wathba on Monday while Jazira play Dhofar in Oman on Tuesday as both Jordanian teams kick off participation in the 17th Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup — the second-tier Asian club competition.

After an impressive local season, Jazira were close to winning the 2018/19 AFC Cup title last year, but they failed to make it to the competition final after they lost the West Asia zone final to Lebanon’s Ahed, who eventually won the title. Wihdat were eliminated in the semis of the West Asia zone.

Twelve West Asian teams will play in three groups with the top team from the each  group in addition to the best second placed team advancing to the semifinal round of the zone and the winner advancing to the eventual competition final against the East Asia champ.

It has been 13 years since Jordanian teams won the AFC Cup. Faisali won in 2005 and 2006 and Shabab Urdun won in 2007. Other Jordanian teams participating in previous editions include Ramtha, Hussein, That Ras and Ahli.

Kuwait Club and the Iraqi Air Force Club are AFC Cup record winners having been crowned champs three times each.

Earlier this year, the continents’ leading competition — the AFC Champions League — saw Faisali eliminated by Kuwait Club in the preliminary round. Jordanian teams have never before made it past the ACL preliminary round. In the 2018 and 2019 editions, Faisali were knocked out, while Wihdat were knocked out in 2017, 2016 and 2015 and Shabab Urdun in 2014.

On the Arab scene, Shabab Urdun reached the Round of 16 of the Arab Club Champions Cup, but were the eliminated although they had ousted titleholders Tunisia’s Etoile Sportive Du Sahel in the preliminary round. 

As the local season kicked off, the Jordan Football Association Shield has reached its semifinal round which will see Wihdat take on Shabab Urdun and Ramtha go up against Sarih.

Last season, Faisali were crowned Jordan Professional Football League champs and combined it with their 20th Jordan Cup title. Jazira were second and Wihdat third in the league. Wihdat beat Jazira to win the 36th Jordan Super Cup.

MILAN — Cristiano Ronaldo on Saturday became the first Juventus player to score in 10 successive Serie A games but the champions fell 2-1 at Hellas Verona to leave an opening to their title rivals.

Ronaldo — who turned 35 this week — broke through after 65 minutes, to hit his 15th goal in 10 games and take his league tally to 20.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is closing in on the all-time Serie A record of scoring in 11 consecutive games held by Gabriel Batistuta and Fabio Quagliarella.

But Juventus paid for defensive errors with Fabio Borini pulling Verona level with quarter of an hour to go, before veteran striker Giampaolo Pazzini won the match for the promoted side from the penalty spot four minutes from time following a Leonardo Bonucci handball.

Lazio are four points behind the leaders in third before they travel to Parma.

The defeat was the third this season for Maurizio Sarri’s side, but second in three games after losing 2-1 at Napoli just two weeks ago.

“We have to understand that winning is not a foregone conclusion,” blasted Sarri. 

“We need to get it into our heads that we can’t have lapses in concentration as happened this evening.

“We dropped points through carelessness.”

Verona meanwhile are up to sixth after extending their unbeaten run to eight games days after earning a creditable goalless draw at Lazio.

“We’ve created a group of hungry kids,” said Verona coach Ivan Juric. 

“Heart played a big role, the lads were tired but they gave it everything.”

Atalanta consolidate fourth place

Earlier Atalanta consolidated fourth place with a 2-1 win at Fiorentina that ended the Bergamo side’s 27-year away winless run against the Tuscan club.

Federico Chiesa’s scorcher just after half an hour gave mid-table Fiorentina hope of another win over Atalanta, whom they eliminated from the Italian Cup at their Stadio Artemio Franchi last month.

But Duvan Zapata tapped in four minutes after the break to level the scores before Ruslan Malinovsky came off the bench to seal victory with 18 minutes left, giving Atalanta their first win away at the “Viola” since 1993.

Gian Piero Gasperini’s side pull three points clear of fifth-placed Roma in the race for the Champions League following the capital club’s 3-2 home defeat to Bologna on Friday, but are still eight points behind Lazio.

“These are three very important, key points. We haven’t won here for 27 years, and we were up a against an in-form team,” said Gasperini.

Atalanta host Roma next weekend before they play at home against Valencia in the Champions League last-16, having qualified for the competition for the first time this season.

“We have to exploit Roma’s difficulties and our home advantage in the next match,” added Zapata. 

“If we do well against the ‘Giallorossi’ it will set us up for the Champions League match against Valencia.”

Moreno Longo started his reign as Torino coach with a 3-1 home defeat to Sampdoria, with the struggling Genoa club’s goals coming in a nine-minute second-half spell.

Torino, in 12th, have now lost four games in a row, conceding 16 goals, and could fall further off the Europa League pace by the end of the weekend.

Claudio Ranieri’s Sampdoria are now 16th, seven points clear of the relegation zone.

MADRID — Lionel Messi admitted in December he could soon retire but Barcelona’s frenzied attempts to make the most of his final years appear to be having the opposite effect. 

As Athletic Bilbao’s players celebrated Inaki Williams’ 94th-minute winner at San Mames on Thursday night, Messi stood still in the centre circle, hands on his hips and staring down at the ground in front. 

He had missed a chance to win it, his shot saved by Unai Simon, just moments before Williams’ flicked header crept inside the post to send Barca out of the Copa del Rey before the semifinals for the first time in 10 years.

Messi has been the inspiration and saviour of this Barcelona team, his finger prints on their string of La Liga titles more than anyone else’s. 

But as Bilbao proved, when Messi misses, Barca are there to be hit, their insecurities known and ready to be exposed.

The political turmoil now engulfing the club stems in part from desperation, not to waste Messi’s final years or at least to be seen to be trying to make the best of them. 

He will be 33 in June and said at the Ballon d’Or presentation retirement was “approaching”, but a sense of time running out haa long-lingered at Camp Nou. 

When Messi won the Champions League in 2015, aged 27, the assumption was there would be more but instead there has been only disappointment, three quarter-finals and one semifinal, the last two tournaments ending in capitulation. 

The fear of a repeat and another year squandered was instrumental in the decision to sack Ernesto Valverde last month, even if players insisted losses to Roma and Liverpool were not down to their coach. 

After the clumsy appointment of Quique Setien, in which Xavi Hernandez was approached but not persuaded, and then a botched January transfer window, when strikers were targeted but not signed, frustration grew. 

In an interview with Diario Sport on Tuesday, the club’s sporting director Eric Abidal then called out Xavi, who remains close to many in the dressing room, and shifted responsibility onto the players. 

Alba speaks out

As the most powerful among them, Messi was implicated most. 

He hit back, insisting “everyone should take responsibility for their actions” and that not naming names “tarnished all the players”. 

Jordi Alba joined in the rebuke on Thursday night. “Those facing the music are the players and the coaching staff,” he said. “Enough shit is thrown at us from the outside, we don’t have to throw it at ourselves from within.”

In the middle of it all, Setien is trying to usher in a new style of play mid-season, more in-keeping with the club’s DNA and better suited to Messi. 

Setien said on Wednesday his “obligation” was to focus on football but that has been a concern as well, two defeats in his opening six games leaving Barcelona out of the cup and three points behind in the league. 

A clause in Messi’s contract means he could leave for free at the end of the season, but the situation is likely to need to deteriorate further for that to become a realistic possibility. 

No club in Europe can offer guaranteed success in the Champions League and Messi said in October he was against uprooting his family and three children from the city he has called home for close to two decades.

But lurking over the next month is a Champions League tie against Napoli and the Clasico against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, when failure would be harder to swallow.

First, Barca play away at Real Betis on Sunday before two home games against Getafe and Eibar could offer a chance to reset. 

If they falter, Real Madrid look primed to capitalise even if they were jolted by cup defeat too on Thursday in a 4-3 loss to Real Sociedad. Madrid play away on Sunday at Osasuna.

AMMAN — Four teams have reached the semis of the 33rd Jordan Football Association Shield — the first of the 2020 football season competitions — which will see Wihdat play Shabab Urdun and Ramtha take on Sarih.

Twelve Jordan Professional Football League teams played the first round in three groups with the top team in each group, and the best overall second placed team advancing to the semis.

Sarih topped group A, Ramtha topped Group B, and Shabab Urdun topped group C, while Wihdat advanced as best second place team.

Eliminated teams include reigning champs Faisali, who lost to Sarih, as well as Jazira, who lost to Shabab Urdun.

As the season gets into full swing, the Super Cup will see Faisali play Jazira on February 28.

Last season, Faisali were crowned league champs and combined it with their 20th Jordan Cup title. Jazira were second and Wihdat third in the league. Wihdat beat Jazira to win the 36th Jordan Super Cup. 

Wihdat were the last winners of the Shield competition in the 2017/2018 season. The competition was not held last year. Looking back at the history of the Shield tournament, Wihdat are a record nine time winners, Faisali seven, Ramtha five, Hussein three, Jazira and Amman and Shabab Urdun twice each, Kufrsoum and Yarmouk once each. Hussein were finalists seven times. Amman have since scrapped football, while Qadissieh were relegated and have since merged with Shabab Urdun.