Sports

AMMAN — Jazira will play the Iraqi Air Force Club in the 15th Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup West Asia Zone final set for September 18 in Amman and October 2 in Iraq.

Jazira overcame Faisali in the semifinal tying 1-1 before winning 1-0, as the Iraqi Air Force Club beat Lebanon’s Ahed 3-1 and tied 2-2 to qualify.

The winner from the West Asia zone final will face the winner from the rest of the Asian zones to decide the AFC Cup titlist with prize money set at $ 1.5 million for the champion. 

Jazira will aim to have a shot at the title after completing a good season. They finished runner-up in the league and Jordan Football Association (JFA) Shield, and will now play the Jordan Cup.

The AFC Cup was previously won three times by Jordanian teams. Faisali won titles in 2005 and 2006, while Shabab Urdun won in 2007. Other Jordanian teams that competed are Wihdat, Jazira, Ramtha, Hussein and That Ras. This season, a Jordanian club again has a chance at the title if they win the zonal final of the second-tier Asian club competition. Last year, Iraqi Air Force Club won the AFC Cup for the second year running.

After Faisali finished runner-up to Tunisia’s Tarajji in the last edition of the Arab Clubs Championships including two wins over Egyptian veterans Ahli, the reigning Jordanian League and Cup champs were eliminated from the 2018 AFC Champions League play-off match and failed to reach the group stages of Asia’s elite club competition and settled to play the AFC Cup. Jordanian teams have never before made it past the ACL preliminary round. Wihdat were knocked out in 2017, 2016 and 2015, while Shabab Urdun were eliminated in 2014.

Locally, so far this season, Wihdat won their 16th league title and beat Jazira to win the JFA Shield. Faisali beat Jazira to win the 35th Jordan Super Cup while Jazira ousted Faisali, while Shabab Urdun eliminated Wihdat to reach the Jordan Cup final.

Kevin Durant poured in a team-high 37 points and Klay Thompson chipped in 28 as the Golden State Warriors claimed the opener of the Western Conference finals and snatched home-court advantage with a frenetic 119-106 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday at Toyota Centre.

While Durant served as a midrange gunner, recording three rebounds and one assist, Thompson scorched Houston from the perimeter, hitting 6 of 15 3-point attempts. That tandem worked in concert whenever the Rockets mustered a rally, offsetting relatively quiet efforts from Stephen Curry (18 points, eight assists) and Draymond Green (five points, nine rebounds, nine assists).

“He’s one of the best scorers ever,” Houston coach Mike D’Antoni said of Durant. “I thought he was extremely good. But we can withstand that. We can’t withstand turning the ball over and giving up so many wide open threes.”

Warriors coach Steve Kerr, said: “We want to keep the ball moving. But obviously Kevin is the ultimate luxury because a play can break down and you just throw him the ball. He can get you a bucket as well as anybody on Earth. This is why anybody would want him on their team.

“You think about a couple years ago, and we’re in the finals and we couldn’t quite get over the hump. Kevin is the guy that puts you over the hump. I don’t know what you do to guard him. He can get any shot he wants.”

Green added two blocks and two steals to anchor the Golden State defence.

Durant and Thompson combined for 11 points while Golden State stretched a three-point lead to 76-70 midway through the third quarter. Durant then scored the final six points of the third before Thompson tallied the first seven of the fourth to provide the Warriors a working margin.

James Harden paced the Rockets with 41 points and seven assists while Chris Paul chipped in 23 points and 11 rebounds. However, excluding Eric Gordon, who scored 15 points off the bench, the Rockets received precious little from their role players. And with Golden State featuring their usual brand of ferocious half-court defence, the Rockets didn’t have nearly enough firepower.

The Warriors shot 52.5 per cent overall and outpaced the Rockets 18-3 in transition. Houston will host Game 2 on Wednesday night at Toyota Centre before the series shifts to Oakland, California.

“They did a really good job,” Harden said of the Warriors. “If you miss the shots or if you turn the basketball over, they’re out. They’re getting dunks, they’re getting threes. I’m not sure how many transition points they had, but it was too many. That’s what they thrive on. So we’ve got to do a better job of not turning the basketball over, taking better shots and getting back and matching up.

“There were a couple times where we didn’t guard anybody, and they got a dunk or an open three. That can’t happen.”

Harden and Durant were incendiary from the start, combining for 25 points on 10-for-16 shooting in the first quarter. Golden State needed to survive the early emotional salvo from the Rockets, with Houston dashing to a 12-4 lead behind eight points from Harden.

“We’re in the Western Conference finals. They are going to come out with a lot of energy,” Durant said. “We’re going to take that first punch and keep punching.”

The Rockets stretched the lead to 21-15 on a Clint Capela dunk after the Warriors were caught scrambling defensively.

“You’re not going to come in and just knock them out,” D’Antoni said. “There were too many times where we had mental lapses. We didn’t switch properly, turned the ball over and missed too many layups. We need to do a better job of staying up mentally.”

Golden State began to work their way back behind Durant, whose 3-pointer late in the first quarter cut the deficit to 25-22. Durant converted consecutive baskets midway through the second quarter to push Golden State to a lead. The Rockets responded with a 7-0 spurt, but the Warriors closed the half with a Nick Young 3-pointer for a 56-56 deadlock.

The Rockets struggled to maintain any offensive rhythm, finishing with 16 turnovers to undermine their best efforts. Golden State gave the ball away nine times.

Houston shot 45.9 per cent from the floor. Each team hit 13 3-pointers.

LONDON — Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes he can now enjoy the “perfect” preparation for the Champions League final after Liverpool confirmed their spot in next year’s competition with a 4-0 rout of Brighton.

Led by Mohamed Salah’s record-breaking 32nd Premier League goal of the season, Liverpool’s victory at Anfield on Sunday secured fourth place, five points clear of Chelsea, who failed to apply any pressure in losing 3-0 at Newcastle.

Liverpool face Real Madrid in the Champions League final in Kiev on May 26, but can rest at ease that a return to the competition is not dependent on beating the Spanish giants.

And Klopp is now hopeful an injury-hit Liverpool squad can rest up to be at their best in Ukraine.

“Some people have asked me if two weeks is too long and I say: ‘no, it is perfect’,” Klopp said.

“That is for us like a little pre-season to the game. Everyone can imagine the boys need a bit of rest.

“This was the perfect final of the season, of a very exciting season, and a very intense season.”

Should Liverpool come out of the blocks against Madrid with the same poise and intensity that has characterised their season and blew Brighton away, then the 12-time European champions could be in for a real shock.

‘Oscar’ worth Salah

Salah was once again the talisman as he fired home after 26 minutes to relieve some of the tension inside Anfield and, in doing so, he surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez and Alan Shearer’s joint-tally of 31 goals in a 38-game Premier League season to add the Golden Boot to his multiple Player of the Year accolades.

“He was fantastic,” Klopp added. “I think especially the last few weeks were really difficult.

“I can’t imagine how difficult it must be if everybody tells you every day how brilliant you are but not only that, they give you an Oscar, an award for this and award for that, for getting out of the car without an accident.

“It is really difficult to stay focused but he is focused. He now has two weeks to prepare for our biggest game and now I am really looking forward to it. Now, we will be ready and this qualification gives us a big boost.”

After Salah’s intervention, Liverpool remained dominant but could not turn that into more goals until Dejan Lovren rose highest in a crammed penalty area to nod past Matthew Ryan and kill the contest off after just 40 minutes.

After the interval, Liverpool provided two further moments of cheer as Dominic Solanke slammed home his maiden Reds’ goal after 53 minutes before Andy Robertson also got his first for the club.

Brighton had already secured their survival by beating Manchester United last weekend.

But manager Chris Hughton admitted Liverpool had been far too good for his side, and wished them luck in becoming the first English side to win the Champions League in six years.

“They’re a team that we’re all hoping can win the Champions League in a few weeks time,” said Hughton.

“We would’ve taken [finishing 15th] if it had been offered to us. It’s very difficult to evaluate your best moments in the game but this is right up there because I know how difficult it is to stay up.”

AMMAN — German champion Ariano Blanik took first place while his countrywoman Julia Rick took first place at the 14th International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation’s (IWWF) Jordan Ayla Cable Wakeboard World Cup 2018 in Aqaba on Saturday.

Blanik was followed by German rider Dominik Gohrs in second place and Louis Mistaudy from France. In the women’s category, Rick was followed by Australian Courtney Angus in second place and Maxine Sapulette from Netherland.

Competitions during the championship reached their peak during the semifinals and finals as participants brought forth some stellar displays of athletic ability, offering wakeboarding enthusiasts a singular experience that is worthy of its global status. Throughout the tournament, Ayla’s teams continued to provide support to participating delegations, maintaining the services at its world-class facilities under the supervision of the IWWF.

IWWF had selected Ayla to host the global championship due to its proven track record in hosting world-class sporting events, its expansive sports and leisure facilities, and the overall readiness of its premises and staff to host such a large-scale event.

The championship is another major achievement in Aqaba’s longstanding track record, as the city has demonstrated its capacity to host large-scale events, thus highlighting its status as a premier global destination for tourism and investment. 

The Secretary General of the Jordan Olympic Committee (JOC) Nasser Majali said: “This championship demonstrates Jordan’s professional capacity to host large-scale sporting events as well as the level of trust that international sports unions have in this ability. As the Jordan Olympic Committee, we truly appreciate the remarkable work being done by Ayla in representing Jordan by hosting such major events and targeting various sports and maintaining strict standards of professionalism.”

The managing director of Ayla, Sahl Dudin, highlighted the tremendous success of the event, lauding the efforts of all the organising committees and the consistent follow-up by the representatives of the IWWF. He also underscored Ayla’s great pride at hosting such a championship, which he noted will reinforce Aqaba’s position on the global sports map. 

Dudin also underscored the key role played by the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority for providing essential support to Ayla during the organisation of the event, in addition to emphasising the work done by other partners such as Central Trade and Auto, Turkish Airlines, the Jordan Tourism Board, Zain, Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts, and Jordan Express Tourist Transportation.

Dudin also commended the efforts of the security agencies and the Civil Defence Directorate toward facilitating the various logistics required for hosting such an event, which also contributed to its level of success.

HRH Prince Feisal, JOC president, presented the champions with their trophies. The event was also attended by the president and senior members from the IWWF, in addition to several officials from Aqaba.

AMMAN — The Jordan Professional Fooball League has ended and Wihdat are champs for the 16th time.

In a season in which the champion and relegated teams were unclear early on, Jazira who led the league in most stages in the past two years, achieved an advance spot and ended up second, while Faisali let go of their title and ended up third.

Wihdat took home JD120,000, Jazira JD80,000 while Faisali settled for JD35,000.

Ramtha finished fourth, Shabab Urdun fifth, followed by Ahli, Baqa’a and That Ras. Aqaba and Hussein held on to their places leaving Manshieh and Yarmouk to be relegated.

In the last week of matches, Wihdat beat Jazira 4-0, Ramtha beat Ahli 3-0, Shabab Urdun beat Yarmouk 2-1, Aqaba beat Faisali 1-0 to move up the standings as did Baqa’a when they beat That Ras 2-1, while Manshieh beat Hussein 3-2.

Jazira and Faisali will play their return leg Asian Football confederation (AFC) Cup semifinal on Monday after they tied 1-1 last week. They are hoping to reach the AFC Cup zonal final and have a shot at the eventual title.

So far this season, Jordan Cup champs Faisali beat Jazira to win the 35th Jordan Super Cup. League champ Wihdat also beat Jazira to win the Jordan Football Association (JFA) Shield. In the Jordan Cup, Jazira ousted Faisali, while Shabab Urdun eliminated Wihdat to reach the final.

Last seaon, Faisali won their 33rd league title after a four year break and combined it with the Jordan Cup. Ahli beat reigning league champs Wihdat to win the Super Cup, Shabab Urdun beat Faisali to win their second Shield title after they first won in 2007. Sarih and Sahab were relegated and replaced by Aqaba and Yarmouk from the First Division.

LIVERPOOL — Juergen Klopp’s big challenge this weekend is to keep his Liverpool players focused on Brighton when the temptation is to look towards Real Madrid.

Liverpool’s first Champions League final since 2007 offers a spectacular end to a thrilling campaign, yet there is still work to do to qualify for next season’s competition.

Fourth-placed Liverpool need to avoid defeat against Brighton at Anfield on Sunday in their final Premier League match to ensure they hold off Chelsea in the battle for a top-four finish.

While Klopp’s side have produced some exceptional performances to reach their showdown with Real in Kiev, particularly in their quarter-final victory over Manchester City and the home leg of their semifinal against Roma, their domestic form has dipped over the past month.

They have collected just six points from their past five league matches, failing to beat either of the bottom two, and their top-four place suddenly started to look wobbly after last Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Chelsea.

In the end, Klopp was grateful to a favour from the person who was best man at his wedding — the Huddersfield manager David Wagner — whose side earned a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday to damage fifth-placed Chelsea’s chances of overtaking Liverpool.

Klopp has suggested he will resist the temptation to rest Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk or any of his other key players in order to keep them fresh for the Champions League final, noting the fact that it does not take place until 13 days after the Brighton game.

“As long as we are not 100 per cent in the Champions League, this last game is the most important of the season,” he said.

“I’ve said it a few times, all the things we’ve done so far have built a basis, we have to use the basis. The basis is obviously good because if we win against Brighton we are in the Champions League.

“That’s good but there is still a job to do. I have no problem with that. That’s the situation but it’s no problem to play the game, we have to play it anyway so now we have to win it, that’s it.”

Confident Salah

Much of the focus at Liverpool remains on Egypt forward Salah, who won three player of the year awards on Thursday — two given to him by his club, and one by the Football Writers’ Association.

Salah, who has 43 goals for Liverpool this season, has been a little below his best lately, and is without a goal in three matches.

There is a sense that he is one player who could do with a break, but there is little sign of him getting one, as he prepares to join up with his international squad for the World Cup shortly after the Champions League final.

While his goals have become less frequent, his fellow forwards have not entirely managed to plug the gap.

Having scored in all but one league match in the first three months of 2018, Liverpool have failed to find the net in three of their past five top-flight games.

Salah, though, always carries a threat, and has promised that he is in good shape to rediscover his best form as Klopp’s side look to secure two wins that will turn a very good season into an unforgettable one.

“I’ve not scored for two Premier League games but I’m fine,” Salah said.

“We have a game on Sunday then the Champions League final and I’m sure we will help each other.”

AMMAN — Mohammed Tayseer has stormed to victory in the second round of the Jordan Speed Test Championship held at the Royal Automobile Club on Friday, according to the Jordan Motorsport News Service.

The 2016 champion set a blistering pace in the two qualifying races before clinching a third win in the final race when it mattered to take home maximum championship points.

He set the fastest time in the first race in 1 minute 27.76 seconds before taking the second run in a time of 1:26.30. The top 10 fastest then went through to the third and final run, only for Tayseer to go even faster in 1:26.17 in his Mitsubishi.

Championship leader and first round winner, Husam Salem, came in second in 1:28.45, 2.28 seconds behind, with Ghaith Wreikat and Rami Kaghado finishing third and fourth.

In the Rear Wheel drive category, Mohammed Naqawa was the fastest home, finishing an impressive sixth overall, while Mohammed Al Azzeh completed the fastest lap in the Front Wheel class.

An impressive 51 cars entered the second round of the National Series, which is organised by Jordan Motorsport. The third round of the five-round series will be held on June 28.

BARCELONA — Lewis Hamilton is back on top of the World Championship as Formula One returns to Europe, but the Mercedes driver faces a big battle to stay ahead of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel in Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix.

Vettel is going for his fourth pole position in a row, and at a circuit that should be a proper benchmark of performance after a thrilling and sometimes chaotic first four races of the season.

The German has never before started from the top slot in Barcelona, however, whereas Hamilton — with more poles than anyone in the history of the sport (73) — has done so in three of the last four years and won twice.

Pole matters because only three of the last 17 races at the Circuit de Catalunya, albeit also three of the last seven, have been won from anywhere else on the grid.

Past performance may provide some comfort to Hamilton but he knows his four-point advantage over fellow four times world champion Vettel owes a lot to luck and that Ferrari have true pace.

“There’s two weird races which have kept us within the mix but you can’t rely on those for the 17 or however many are left,” Hamilton said after being gifted the win in Azerbaijan two weeks ago.

“We need ultimate performance and confidence in the car,” added the reigning champion.

“I’ve got the pace within me, the car has got the pace within it but we’re not unlocking it...we’ve definitely got to improve in lots of areas.”

Barcelona, resurfaced with smoother asphalt but holding no surprises after weeks of pre-season testing there, could come as something of a relief to Vettel after two chaotic races off the podium following two wins.

It is also where the technical battle between the teams, now within easy reach of their factories and enjoying the first use of their palatial paddock “motorhomes” this season, really starts to heat up.

“It’s the first step of the development race that looks like it could run to the very end of the season,” commented Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.

“It will be interesting to see how much performance the teams can find with their upgrades and what impact those upgrades will have on the team ranking — both at the front and in the midfield.”

Spain is also no stranger to drama, with the two Mercedes drivers colliding in 2016 in a race that saw Dutch teenager Max Verstappen win on his Red Bull debut.

Verstappen arrives this time after being cast in the doghouse along with Australian teammate Daniel Ricciardo for a collision in Baku.

Barcelona, with good memories for both, offers a chance to hit the reset button.

“We have many updates coming, hopefully they will be positive and we can be even closer to the front, but of course everybody else will also bring new parts,” said Verstappen, whose teammate won in China. 

“It could be quite a defining moment for the season and I’m interested to see how everyone will perform.”

Meanwhile, Williams failed in a bid to overturn a three-place grid penalty imposed on Russian Sergey Sirotkin for this weekend’s Spanish Formula One Grand Prix.

The former champions had sought a review of five incidents at the April 29 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, arguing that significant and relevant new elements had emerged. The stewards unanimously rejected that, however.

Sirotkin had crashed into the back of the Force India driven by Mexican Sergio Perez, who ultimately finished third in a chaotic race in Baku, on the opening lap with the Russian retiring immediately.

The stewards said the incident “was not similar to other first lap incidents where cars were side-by-side. The penalty was similar to other penalties for similar collisions and was consistent with the minimum grid penalties given previously”.

Williams had questioned the stewards’ decision in relation to other collisions.

They had also referenced the response to McLaren’s Fernando Alonso, who was hit on the first lap and limped back to the pits with two punctures before rejoining with a badly-damaged car and finishing seventh.

That was one place ahead of Williams’ Canadian teenager Lance Stroll.

Race director Charlie Whiting, who was present in the meeting convened by teleconference, noted that Alonso returned to the pits while the Safety Car was deployed.

He had also taken care to avoid the racing line and keep clear of following traffic.