SAITAMA, Japan: Brazilian Rafael Silva smashed a late winner as Japan’s Urawa Reds beat 10-man Al Hilal 1-0 on Saturday to win the Asian Champions League for a second time.
The forward, who scored in last weekend’s 1-1 first-leg draw in Riyadh, blasted a superb winner two minutes from time for Urawa, who were last crowned continental champions in 2007.
Japanese teams have struggled in Asia’s premier club competition since Gamba Osaka lifted the trophy a year later and the Reds were under the cosh for much of the return game in Saitama.
But the visitors, chasing a first Asian title since 2000, lacked end product and their cause was not helped by the dismissal of midfielder Salem Al Dawsari in the 78th minute.
Al Dawsari fizzed a first-half shot just over with arguably Al Hilal’s best chance of the match before Syria striker Omar Kharbin curled a free kick just wide before the break.
At the other end, Reds striker Shinzo Koroki had a header brilliantly saved before Silva almost broke the net with his late rocket to dash Saudi hopes.
Urawa’s victory qualifies them for next month’s Club World Cup in the UAE.
Japan’s Reds in 1-0 win over Al Hilal to take Asian Champions League title
Japan’s Reds in 1-0 win over Al Hilal to take Asian Champions League title
Flick demands Barca focus more after Liga slump
“It’s like we’re not playing well, we’re not focussed and this is what we have to do”
BARCELONA: Barcelona coach Hansi Flick called on his team to show more concentration in La Liga on Saturday after a dismal run of domestic form.
While the Catalan giants are flying high in the Champions League, second in the group with direct qualification to the last 16 already secured, domestically they have dropped behind their title rivals.
Barcelona have won just one of their last eight league games and trail league leaders and reigning champions Real Madrid by seven points.
The Blaugrana, third, are also five points behind Atletico Madrid going into this weekend’s round of fixtures.
“I think you can have a feeling that in La Liga we’re missing 5-10 percent, it’s like that and this is what we have to change,” Flick told a news conference ahead of Sunday’s home clash with Valencia.
Last weekend Barcelona could only muster a 1-1 draw against Getafe, 16th.
“I think in Getafe it was our fault we didn’t end this match with three points — it has nothing to do with Getafe,” continued Flick.
“It’s like we’re not playing well, we’re not focussed and this is what we have to do.
“We have to be focussed from the beginning to the end of the match and this is what I want from the team.”
Valencia, 19th, are playing well under new coach Carlos Corberan and are hoping to fight their way up the table.
“They stabilized their defense and they really know how to play football,” said Flick.
“Their defense is doing really well and we have to create chances and score goals — it’s not so easy.”
Atletico Madrid host Villarreal while Real Madrid visit Valladolid, both on Saturday.
‘Best honeymoon ever’: Keys hails reluctant husband-coach after Slam win
- “I feel like this is the best honeymoon ever. This is perfect,” a beaming Keys said
- “I have the most supportive, best husband in the entire world, who didn’t even want to coach me”
MELBOURNE: Madison Keys paid tribute to her coach and new husband Bjorn Fratangelo saying it “was the best honeymoon ever” after winning her first Grand Slam title on Saturday aged 29 — and then revealed he did not even want the job.
The American battled injury and self-doubts last year and curtailed her season early, in October, to get married.
“I feel like this is the best honeymoon ever. This is perfect,” a beaming Keys said.
The former teen prodigy, who first won a WTA match at 14, has now finally got her hands on a major after beating two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in the Australian Open final.
“I have the most supportive, best husband in the entire world, who didn’t even want to coach me,” Keys said on Channel Nine TV straight after lifting the trophy.
“And I was like, please, please come with me.
“So it took some arm-twisting, and he has just been the most supportive, and he’s fully believed in me every step of the way.”
Keys is the fourth-oldest first-time winner of a major since the Open Era began in 1968.
She overcame fierce three-set challenges from both the two top seeds, Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek, in the semifinal and final.
“I have absolutely the greatest team,” Keys said.
“They have really believed in me in the moments that I didn’t believe in myself.
“They helped me completely rebuild after some pretty gnarly injuries last year.
“And if it wasn’t for those three people who have been cheering me on all week through all of the three-set matches, I wouldn’t be here.”
Keys is on a tour-leading 12-match unbeaten streak after lifting the Adelaide International trophy two weeks ago and will move up to world number seven, equalling her career-best ranking from 2016.
“I think dealing with some of the injuries that I dealt with last year really kind of forced me into some changes.
“It made me kind of have to stop being stubborn and listen to my husband.
“It pushed me to get a little bit uncomfortable and be okay with that. And I feel like buying into that just set me up to start playing some really good tennis.”
Prince Sultan champions E1 Jeddah GP’s theme of ‘Race for Change’
- UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF, the world’s only all-electric boat race, kicked off 2nd season with E1 Jeddah GP on Friday
JEDDAH: Prince Sultan bin Fahd bin Salman, chairman of the Saudi Water Sports and Diving Federation, has championed the E1 Jeddah GP’s theme of “Race for Change” as a key part of Saudi Arabia’s sporting ambitions.
Qualifying for the E1 Jeddah GP, which begins a second season of the UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF, took place on Friday with Team Brady, the 2024 Champions of the Water, first in the campaign’s opening race. Team AlUla, on their debut, set the fastest single lap time on water but had to settle for second qualifying spot overall. Racing Team Aoki rounded off the qualifying podium.
Presented in partnership between E1, the Saudi Ministry of Sport and SWSDF, the main E1 Jeddah GP race will take place on Saturday.
Speaking on the sidelines of the E1 Jeddah GP, Prince Sultan said of the “Race for Change” theme of this year’s race: “The first step of change is information; you have to tell people. You have to show people. If we don’t have more events like E1 where there is a high level of competition with the future of mobility in terms of electric, hydrogen and alternative methods of mobility, then I don’t think as many people would be as interested in it.
“The reason you have seen car racing develop as big as it is is because it is accessible; people can drive cars and the reason they want to do it is because they see the races. The thing with electric mobility is that more and more people are going to be interested in the racing and hopefully this is going to be the starting point for making it accessible for everyone.”
Prince Sultan added: “You inspire the next generation by showing them that it’s possible and by giving them access. Yesterday, we had an open day for 150 to 200 schoolchildren and when they’re here doing all of this, then it stays (in their minds).”
E1 features top teams owned by some of the best-known celebrities in the world such as Tom Brady, Will Smith, Didier Drogba, Rafael Nadal, Steve Aoki and more. Teams have two pilots — one male, one female — powering futuristic, all-electric RaceBirds. Following the Jeddah event, the E1 season continues at six different marine locations —including Doha, Lake Como, Monaco, and Miami — across the globe throughout the year.
Asked what he enjoyed most about E1, Prince Sultan said: “The competition. Honestly, I’ve never before seen such friendly competition here. When you speak to the pilots and team members, it feels like one big family — until they’re on the water. When they’re on the water, it’s fierce competition. The moment they leave the water, we joke and laugh about it, and congratulate each other on the results, but the competition is there properly. It’s positive competition; it’s not negative competition.”
The UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF, the world’s only all-electric raceboat championship, aligns with the vision of the Saudi Water Sports and Diving Federation, which promotes sustainable practices and broad participation across all levels of society.
Oban Duncan hoping for Didier Drogba inspiration in quest for E1 Jeddah GP success
- Team Drogba female pilot, 19, from Loch Lomond in Scotland, is the youngest competitor in the UIM E1 World Championship
JEDDAH: A teenage all-electric speedboat pilot from the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond hopes the wise words of Chelsea legend Didier Drogba can inspire her to success at the E1 Jeddah GP on Saturday.
Oban Duncan from Balloch, who celebrated her 19th birthday on Jan. 14, is the female pilot for Team Drogba, one of the celebrity-owned teams in the UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF, a competition entering its second season.
The current Champions of the Water are Team Brady — owned by NFL legend Tom Brady — but, backed by the former Champions League-winning striker, Duncan believes a triumph in Jeddah would be the perfect platform for Team Drogba this campaign.
Speaking beside the sun-kissed coastal waters of the Red Sea in temperatures of 26 degrees Celsius while her hometown of Balloch in Loch Lomond braces for a huge storm called Storm Eowyn this weekend, Duncan said: “I think a win in Jeddah would definitely put us in good form for this season. Testing for us has gone really well the past couple of days.
“I think absolutely everyone I’ve spoken to thinks Didier is amazing and he is an amazing team owner. I couldn’t have picked a better team. He’s so invested in the team and wants us to do well, which is great, and even when he can’t make events, he always tries to call or text just to say, ‘hope everything goes well.’ He’s so committed to us doing well but understands when it doesn’t go quite the way we want as well.
“We had a really tough race in Venice last year and it was really tough for me personally, and he sort of took me to one side at the race and was like, ‘look, we’ve all had tough races. You’ve shown that you’re a good pilot and we can get through this as a team. We know that you can do it.’ And it really meant a lot coming from him, from all his background and extensive knowledge of being a sportsman to understand that, yes, it’s one race and we still have a whole season ahead of us. He’s really great. He’s such a lovely guy. Last year for my birthday he gave us signed footballs and stuff, which was really nice. And Gabrielle, his partner, is amazing as well. She’s sort of taken me under her wing, which is so nice.”
Duncan is by far the youngest pilot in the UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF, which also has teams owned by the likes of Will Smith, Rafael Nadal, Steve Aoki and the just-announced Team AlUla championed by Lebron James competing. Championing equality in sport, each team has a male pilot and a female pilot in the all-electric RaceBirds — with Duncan’s Kuwaiti teammate Yousef Al-Abdulrazzaq at Team Drogba more than double her age at 44. But do not be deceived about Duncan’s experience; she began competitive boating in Scotland from the age of eight.
Duncan said: “My mum and dad have had boats and jet skis since I was little, so I grew up around them. I just found out I loved it. I must have spent thousands of hours on Loch Lomond going round and round in circles trying to learn as much as I can learn. It’s home water for me, it works.
“About a year and a half ago now, I was contacted by E1 to test drive the boat. They needed a female pilot to try it and see their opinions on it. So, I went out for a day to test in Italy, and then we had a couple more test days with E1. From there, Team Drogba contacted me to be a pilot and it’s just grown massively from there. There are much worse jobs out there than this! It still doesn’t feel real. It’s amazing.”
She added: “For E1 to have equal male and female pilots, it’s definitely made a huge difference. I think season one has shown that there isn’t a huge difference between male and female pilots and that we can all compete against each other and just be as good as each other. It’s completely mixed, which is great. I think it should 100 percent encourage more women to get into it. There’s also work being done trying to bring women into engineering as well, in terms of motorsport engineering, and I’ve seen great success with that.”
This season’s opener in Jeddah comes under the theme “Race for Change.” Following the Jeddah event, the E1 season is held at six different marine locations across the globe, including Doha, Monaco, Lake Como and Miami.
Presented in partnership between E1, the Saudi Ministry of Sport, and the Saudi Water Sports and Diving Federation, qualifying for the E1 Jeddah GP took place on Friday, with the main race on Saturday. The UIM E1 World Championship presented by PIF is the world’s only all-electric raceboat championship. It transcends traditional racing and champions a vision of revolutionizing marine transportation, with the introduction of charging points at race venues marking a shift toward greener marine practices.
Duncan said: “We came to Jeddah last year and sort of fell in love with the place. We absolutely love it. It’s a beautiful race. The course is really challenging but great at the same time. We had a couple of days off where we got to go out on boats, which is not what you’d expect us to do! We went for a swim around and just enjoyed the peace and quiet because although it’s the hustle and bustle of a city, it’s a beautiful city and a gorgeous sea at the same time.”
She added: “We’re based in Loch Lomond, but it feels like we’re never there. But when we’re home, it’s just nice to have a break and enjoy the fresh air, the cold weather. I love to be home when we’re at home, but I couldn’t fault the travel. We’d never get to see places like Jeddah otherwise.”
But while Jeddah is home this weekend and Loch Lomond will always be home, perhaps the place by the water with the deepest place in Oban Duncan’s heart is the Scottish west coast town after which she is named.
She said: “My mum and dad like Iona and all of those sorts of names and then were like, ‘Oban … love that.’ They actually got their wedding rings from the jewelery shop in Oban. They really love the place so we try and go as often as we can to see it and take it in, because it is a beautiful place. We just love the place.
“People from Scotland think my name is so different, which is great, and people that aren’t from Scotland don’t initially get it — and then once you explain it, they do, which is amazing. I think I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t have an unusual name. I think it sort of makes me who I am.”
Australian Open: Keys upsets 2-time champion Sabalenka in women’s final for 1st Grand Slam title
- Madison Keys is the first woman since Serena Williams in 2005 to defeat both of the WTA’s top two players at Melbourne Park
MELBOURNE: Madison Keys of the United States upset two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 in the Australian Open final on Saturday night to collect her first Grand Slam title at age 29.
By adding this win over the No. 1-ranked Sabalenka to an elimination of No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the semifinals on Thursday — saving a match point along the way — Keys is the first woman since Serena Williams in 2005 to defeat both of the WTA’s top two players at Melbourne Park.
Keys, ranked 14th and seeded 19th, was playing in her second major final after being the runner-up at the 2017 US Open.
She prevented Sabalenka from earning what would have been her third women’s trophy in a row at the Australian Open — something last accomplished by Martina Hingis from 1997-99 — and her fourth major title overall.
