RIO DE JANEIRO: Two long droughts ended on Saturday at the Copa America final: Argentina won its first major title since 1993 after a 1-0 win against Brazil. And Lionel Messi finally lifted his first major trophy for the national team, filling in one of the biggest gaps in his decorated career.
Argentina’s winning goal at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro came in the 22nd minute after Rodrigo de Paul made a long pass to Ángel di Maria. The 33-year-old veteran striker counted on some sloppy defending from left-back Renan Lodi to take control and lob it past goalkeeper Ederson.
When the match ended, a tearful Mess i was thrown into the air by some of his joyous teammates. Once criticized by Argentina fans for his quietness, he went to the few hundred guests chanting his name at the Maracana and celebrated. Messi kissed the trophy before lifting it into the air during the presentations’.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni made five changes from the starting lineup that beat Colombia on penalties in the semifinal.
Gonzalo Montiel, Cristian Romero, Marcos Acuña, Leandro Paredes and Ángel di María took the places of Nahuel Molina, Nicolás Tagliafico, Guido Rodríguez and Nicolás González.
Brazil, a team recognized for its steadiness, did not make any changes from the team that advanced to the final.
The teams were cautious early in the match, barely offering chances.
Neymar tried hard with dribbles and passes, but the Selecao barely threatened Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the first half. Argentina sat in the back, hoping for counter-attacks.
Brazil coach Tite tried to change the dynamic of the match by replacing defensive midfielder Fred for Roberto Firmino, and managed to do so for much of the second half. But though the Selecao had more ball posession there were few real opportunities.
Messi’s performance in the final was not as impressive as in previous matches of the tournament, during which he scored four goals and had five assists. He had a clear opportunity in the 88th minute, tried to dribble Ederson, but the Brazilian goalkeeper stopped him.
The title, however, provides the superstar some relief after all the questions throughout his career on his effectiveness playing for the national team.
The South American trophy is a relief for Argentina, which won its last major title when Messi was only 6 years old. Saturday’s victory in Rio gave the team its 15th Copa America title, equaling Uruguay’s total. Brazil has won the South American title nine times.
Messi’s Argentina beats Brazil 1-0, wins Copa America title
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Messi’s Argentina beats Brazil 1-0, wins Copa America title
- Saturday’s victory in Rio gave Argentina its 15th Copa America title, equaling Uruguay’s total
- Brazil has won the South American title nine times
World No. 1 Sabalenka ready for more Slam success
- Sabalenka: I love Australia and I always come here hungry and always come here ready
- The 26-year-old enjoyed a sensational 2024, reaching seven finals and winning four titles, including the US Open
BRISBANE: World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka says she is “fresh and ready to go” in her bid for a third straight Australian Open title, warning she has plenty of room for improvement.
The 26-year-old enjoyed a sensational 2024, reaching seven finals and winning four titles, including the US Open.
Her year was kickstarted by defending her Australian Open crown, beating China’s high-flying Zheng Qinwen in the final.
Should she win it again, she will become the first woman to claim three straight Melbourne Park singles titles since Martina Hingis between 1997-1999.
“I feel fresh and ready to go,” the Belarusian said, according to the WTA website Thursday, after arriving for the Brisbane International which starts on Sunday ahead of the Australian Open from Jan. 12.
“I love Australia and I always come here hungry and always come here ready.
“I feel all the support here, and I think that’s the best thing about Australia, that people are really, really, into tennis.”
Sabalenka also began 2024 in Brisbane, reaching the final without losing a set only to crash to Kazakstan’s Elena Rybakina in the decider.
She spent time in the off-season at her home in Florida before heading to the Middle East to prepare for Australia and will use the Brisbane tournament to fine-tune her Grand Slam preparations.
“You work hard on lots of things in the pre-season,” she said.
“The first tournament before the major tournament is the one where you can try it out and see what’s going to work well for you, and what’s not.”
Despite her rise through the ranks to be the player to beat heading into 2025, Sabalenka said there were still parts of her game that need work.
“Oh, there is so many things to improve,” she said.
“I mean, I’m not that good with maybe my game at the net in singles. There is a lot of things to improve in my touch game.
“There is so many things, even my serve is not as good as I want it to be, so there is always (elements) to improve.”
Mahomes throws 3 TDs as Chiefs clinch AFC’s top seed by breezing past the skidding Steelers 29-10
- Kansas City (15-1) spent three hours toying with the Steelers (10-6) like a cat batting around shreds of leftover wrapping paper
PITTSBURGH: Andy Reid donned a Santa Claus suit in a giddy Kansas City Chiefs locker room on Christmas Day, then handed his team a present it increasingly looks like it deserves: home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.
How Reid managed to slide into the costume so quickly after Kansas City’s clinical 29-10 victory over the reeling Pittsburgh Steelers to lock up the top seed in the AFC for the fourth time in seven years is a mystery (though he hinted there’s an elf involved).
How Reid’s team manages to pull away from the pack year after year is not.
A lot of Patrick Mahomes. A dash of Travis Kelce. A splash of speed. A defense that quietly goes about its business, even when its leader is standing on the sideline in sweatpants.
Yes, it has been ugly — by Kansas City’s lofty standards — at times while the Chiefs have chased a third straight championship. Yet as the playoffs loom, the group that looked so vulnerable for most of the season suddenly seems to be rounding into form.
And the road to the Super Bowl will once again go through Arrowhead Stadium. Just the way the Chiefs like it.
“Getting the No. 1 seed is important,” Mahomes said after throwing for 320 yards and three touchdowns. “It’s like winning a playoff game.”
Even if how the Chiefs locked it up didn’t exactly feel like one.
Kansas City (15-1) spent three hours toying with the Steelers (10-6) like a cat batting around shreds of leftover wrapping paper. The Chiefs raced to an early 13-point lead and were never really threatened by Pittsburgh, which has dropped three straight to see its chances of capturing the AFC North take another hit.
“That sucked, to be blunt,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.
It often does when Pittsburgh is on one side of the line of scrimmage and Mahomes is on the other. Mahomes is now 4-0 against the Steelers with 17 touchdowns against just one interception. He connected on first-half scoring tosses to Xavier Worthy and Justin Watson and added a history-making 12-yard touchdown flip to Kelce to seal it in the fourth quarter.
The grab was the 77th scoring reception of Kelce’s career, breaking a franchise record set by Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez. The 35-year-old Kelce celebrated by dunking the ball over the goal post, a nod to Gonzalez’s signature move. The gesture drew a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, though it hardly mattered. Harrison Butker made the longer extra point and the Chiefs were firmly in control.
“It’s just showing Tony some love,” Kelce said with a laugh on the day he joined Gonzalez and Jason Witten as the only tight ends to reach 1,000 receptions. Kelce finished with eight catches for 84 yards while playing for an offense that is starting to get its swagger back.
The defense wasn’t bad either, even with five-time Pro Bowl defensive end Chris Jones sidelined by a calf injury. Jones’ teammates hardly looked gassed while playing for the third time in 11 days.
“It was tough,” cornerback Trent McDuffie said. “I mean, three games in 11 days is crazy for anybody. But I thought we handled it very well.”
The Steelers did not. Pittsburgh went 0-3 during the span, a brutal stretch against Super Bowl contenders Philadelphia, Baltimore and Kansas City in which the Steelers looked outclassed.
Perhaps more troubling than the losses is the way they played out. Pittsburgh lost each contest by at least 14 points and could find itself starting the postseason on the road after playing fast-and-loose with the two-game division lead it enjoyed just three weeks ago.
“I think that there’s highs and lows in every season,” Pittsburgh quarterback Russell Wilson said after throwing for 205 yards with an ill-timed pick in the end zone in the first quarter. “We’ve got to make sure that we end this last game on the right footing and right belief.”
That hasn’t been an issue in years in Kansas City. Not with Mahomes at the controls. He spread his 29 completions to eight different players, including a career-best eight to Worthy and four to Hollywood Brown, whose return from injury has given the Chiefs another playmaker in what is starting to look like another stacked deck.
“We’re playing, especially offensively, our best football of the year,” Mahomes said.
Looks like it. The two-time MVP hardly bothered by the ankle injury he suffered against Cleveland, throwing touchdowns to cap Kansas City’s first two drives. And while the Steelers drew within 13-7 and 16-10, they never had the ball with a chance to take the lead in the second half.
Instead, the Chiefs — who spent most of the first three months of the season squeaking by most weeks — zoomed away with the No. 1 seed and several weeks to rest before a bid for a three-peat that certainly looks doable.
Injuries
Chiefs: RB Isiah Pacheco left in the second half with a rib injury.
Steelers: DT Cam Heyward exited briefly in the fourth quarter but managed to return.
Up next
Chiefs: finish up the regular season by heading to Denver.
Steelers: host Cincinnati in the regular-season finale.
Inspired by ‘incredible’ Ronaldo, Matheus Nunes eyes success with Manchester City and Portugal
- The 26-year-old spoke to Arab News about the role his mother played in his career and moving from Brazil to Portugal at a young age
MANCHESTER: As a child growing up without a father in a favela in Rio de Janeiro, Matheus Nunes had a couple of familiar figures to inspire him to a footballing dream and better life.
One was his mother, Catia, who combined raising and supporting her family with the odd appearance for a local team as a goalkeeper.
The other was Brazil and Barcelona icon Ronaldinho.
Both provided the “magic” that has now seen the Rio-born Nunes starring for Manchester City and Portugal, the country where he moved to as a youngster.
“My mum was my hero,” the 26-year-old told Arab News exclusively. “I learned from her — and she used to play football as well.
“She was a goalkeeper, trying to save my shots. It was just in Brazil, not professionally, but she played in friendlies, local games with friends — she was always playing,” he said.
“She was, what you call, a tomboy. She had about 12 cousins and, compared to her age, she was the only girl in their age group so she was always doing men’s stuff.
Nunes continued: “Football-wise, my first hero was Ronaldinho. I enjoyed everything about him.
“I watched all of his videos on YouTube when I was young. I don’t know how to describe it but, for me, if he’s not the best footballer of all time, he’s probably one of them.
“It was magical watching him. He was the guy who made me fall in love with football.”
So too, inevitably, did Cristiano Ronaldo, once Catia moved the family to Portugal and Nunes learned English and all about the Premier League from his Sunderland-supporting stepfather, John Greenman.
Long before the forward joined Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo starred at Lisbon side Sporting — a club Nunes would also later join — before successful spells at Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus.
When he was called up by Portugal for his international debut against Qatar in 2021, Nunes admitted being a bit star-struck when meeting Ronaldo, now 39 and still scoring goals for club and country.
“He’s incredible, a machine to be still playing now,” said Nunes. “I don’t know if I will ever be able to do that, but he’s just incredible.
“I’m not going to lie, I was a bit nervous when I first met Cristiano. But it wasn’t just him, but a lot of the big players I met when I first went to the national team. I had only played with them in video games before, so it was a great moment.
“My first gift when I was two was a football, so everything led to this. I didn’t try to be a professional in Brazil because I came to Portugal when I was very young,” Nunes said.
“But, after I arrived in Portugal, it was only then that I switched my mindset and said I am going to try to be a footballer here.
“That’s kind of why I chose Portugal as the country I wanted to play for, because Portugal opened doors for me to in terms of professional football.”
However, Nunes’ path to being a professional was far from easy and he combined playing for Portuguese fifth-tier side Ericeirense while working in a bakery.
His break came at Estoril in 2018, before Sporting signed him one season — and just six appearances — later.
Such was Nunes’ rise that, three years on, English side Wolverhampton Wanderers paid a club-record £38 million ($48 million) for him — and Manchester City followed with £47 million at the start of last season.
Nunes, though, has struggled for a starting spot and the chance to show his best form at the Etihad, despite lifting the Premier League and Club World Cup in his debut season.
While he has been given more opportunities — and impressed when played in a more favored attacking role — Nunes has had to help City fill holes due to their injury issues.
Deputising at full-back, he conceded a late penalty with a foul on Amad Diallo that allowed Manchester United to snatch a dramatic 2-1 comeback victory in the derby earlier this month.
That was one of nine defeats for City in their last 12 games — a disappointing run that has seen them drop down to seventh in the Premier League — leaving them 12 points behind leaders Liverpool, and in danger of missing out on the next stage of the Champions League.
With a home game against Everton on Boxing Day and trip to Leicester City on Sunday, boss Pep Guardiola will hope for a much-needed change of fortune to keep his side in contention for a top-four place.
Nunes himself is determined to make his mark in the best league in the world.
“In England you have the best players in the world, the best teams and the games are so intense,” he said.
“In Portugal there is a lot of quality as well, but here you can see every week it’s above the other leagues, and why you want to play here.
“It’s been tough because I haven’t got the minutes I wanted. But I want to play every week and you have to be ready if the manager calls you or not. I want to play, I want to win.”
Saudi Arabia leave it late to down Yemen in Gulf Cup
- After losing to Bahrain in the opening match of Group B, the Green Falcons needed the victory and got it — but only just
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia came back in dramatic fashion to defeat Yemen 3-2 on Wednesday to keep their hopes of advancing to the semifinals of the 26th edition of the Arabian Gulf Cup very much alive.
After losing to Bahrain in the opening match of Group B, the Green Falcons needed the victory and got it — but only just.
Amazingly, Yemen, ranked 99 places below their neighbors at 158 in the world, were two goals ahead by the half hour at the Sulaibikhat Stadium in Kuwait. The first came in the eighth minute. Abdulwasea Al-Matari was given plenty of space to cross from the left for Harwan Al-Zubaidi to arrive at the middle of the six yard box just before Ali Al-Bulaihi to send a header into the net. It was Yemen’s first goal against Saudi Arabia in eight Gulf Cup games.
If that stunned the six-time World Cup participants, then worse was to come after 27 minutes. Al-Bulaihi had not seen the run from Abdul Sabarah when he headed a long pass back towards Mohammed Al-Owais but the Sanaa-based star nipped in to slip the ball past the goalkeeper with a first time shot from the edge of the area.
While it was starting to look very bleak for the Green Falcons, on the half hour, they were back in the game. Musab Al-Juwayr floated over a free-kick into the area and there was Mohamed Kanno to head home powerfully.
Three minutes before the hour and the three-time Gulf Cup winners were back on level terms. Radhawan Al-Hubaishi handled in the area and Al-Juwayr stepped up to score from the spot, the midfielder’s second goal in successive games.
Then, deep into injury time, Abdullah Al-Hamdan scored the winning goal to mean that Saudi Arabia are still in contention for a last four place. The Al-Hilal forward swept home from close range as Al-Bulaihi’s header was saved by the goalkeeper.
It was a big goal and a decisive moment but improvements must be made against Iraq on Saturday.
South Africa aim to seal its place in WTC final in test series against Pakistan
- The Proteas need to win one of its remaining two test matches in this WTC cycle to guarantee a place at the Lord’s final next year
- Pakistan have long been struggling in test matches in South Africa, losing 12 and winning two of 15 test matches since first tour in 1995
CENTURION: South Africa will be eyeing a place in the World Test Championship final with an all-seam attack against Pakistan in the first test, starting Thursday.
The Proteas need to win one of its remaining two test matches in this WTC cycle to guarantee a place at the Lord’s final next year and captain Temba Bavuma believes expectations have risen in his team to do well in the two-test series.
“There’ll be pressure that comes with that,” Bavuma said. “But to be honest with you, we’re coming into the series to win the series 2-0. We understand that for us to do that, there’s certain things that we need to do as a team: keep things simple, keep doing the small things right, and allow the results to take care of itself.”
South Africa has included four fast bowlers in the lineup with Corbin Bosch, who consistently bowls above 140 kph, set to play his first test at his hometown.
Seasoned fast bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen will team up with Dane Paterson and Bosch to challenge Pakistan's batters on an expected pacey Centurion pitch where fast bowlers have a clear advantage over the last six years, picking up 227 wickets with spinners dismissing only 16 batters.
Heading into the tests, South Africa's top-order batters did struggle against Pakistan in a rare 3-0 ODI whitewash with Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton and Tristan Stubbs all failing to read the offspin bowling of Salman Ali Agha in the opening game of the series.
“Whether it’s easy, whether it’s hard, we’ve got to find a way to do it,” Bavuma said. “Whatever, I don’t know, trauma that was there ... guys will have to deal with it.”
Pakistan have long been struggling in test matches in South Africa, losing 12 and winning just two of the 15 test matches since it first toured the country in 1995. Pakistan's below-par show in South Africa includes its lowest test score of 49 at the Wanderers in 2013.
Pakistan are lying at No. 7 in the WTC points table and Aaqib Javed is its fourth head coach in this WTC cycle with Mickey Arthur and Mohammad Hafeez quitting after one series. Jason Gillespie resigned just two weeks before Thursday’s test.
Gillespie, who was hired by the Pakistan Cricket Board in April, had a horror start to his two-year contract when Bangladesh swept Pakistan in Pakistan 2-0 in the test series before England won the first test at Multan.
Gillespie was removed from the selection panel and Javed masterminded Pakistan’s back-to-back wins against England on two engineered spinning pitches where Noman Ali and Sajid Khan bagged 39 wickets.
But Pakistan has brought in only Noman Ali for the two-test series in South Africa and is still contemplating whether to follow South Africa and go with an all-out pace attack.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, who played in the preceding white-ball series in South Africa, has been surprisingly left out for the test matches.
Naseem Shah and Babar Azam return to the test fold after missing the last two home tests against England while selectors have recalled seamer Mohammad Abbas after three years with the left-arm seam option of Mir Hamza in the squad.
Abbas took 90 wickets in 25 test matches from 2017 to 21 before he ran out of selectors’ favor despite his consistent performances for Hampshire in England and in domestic first-class cricket.
