PARIS: Two-time gold medallists Argentina joined Morocco and Egypt in securing their places in the quarter-finals of the men’s Olympic football on the final day of the group stage on Tuesday.
All four sides in Group B were tied on three points going into the last matches, but Javier Mascherano’s Argentina qualified by beating Ukraine 2-0 in Lyon while Morocco eased through with a 3-0 victory against Iraq in Nice.
Morocco, winners of last year’s Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations, finish with the same number of goals scored and conceded as Argentina but go through as group winners because of their superior head-to-head record.
Morocco beat Argentina 2-1 in their opening game, but only after a last-gasp equalizer for the South Americans was disallowed after a VAR review and the final minutes of the game were completed in an empty stadium following crowd trouble.
Morocco will play a quarter-final tie on Friday in Paris against the runners-up in Group A, while the winners of that section will face Argentina in Bordeaux.
Group A will be completed later Tuesday with France needing just a point against New Zealand to secure top spot.
The United States and Guinea are also in Group A, but there is now the possibility of a showdown between Thierry Henry’s French side and Argentina — two of the leading contenders — in the last eight.
Thiago Almada’s superb strike gave Argentina the lead against Ukraine just after half-time and substitute Claudio Echeverri sealed their victory late on, following in to score after a Kevin Zenon shot was parried.
Morocco made short work of Iraq with all their goals coming in the first half.
Amir Richardson, son of former NBA star Michael Ray Richardson, headed Morocco in front and Soufiane Rahimi made it 2-0 from close range just before the half-hour mark for his fourth goal at the tournament.
The third goal, in the 37th minute, was a tremendous strike by Abde Ezzalzouli, who came in from the left and smashed a shot into the far top corner.
Earlier, Egypt reached the quarter-finals with a surprise 2-1 win over already-qualified Spain, with Ibrahim Adel scoring both goals.
Adel gave Egypt the lead in Bordeaux with a superb strike late in the first half and added another on 62 minutes, pouncing to score after possession was given away by Spain’s Jon Pacheco.
Samu Omorodion pulled one back late on for Spain, but Egypt held on for the win that allowed them to leapfrog their opponents and snatch first place in Group C.
Egypt, captained by former Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny, will play their quarter-final on Friday in Marseille against the runners-up in Group D, which contains Japan, Paraguay, Mali and Israel.
Egypt lost in the quarter-finals three years ago to Brazil, who went on to beat Spain in the final.
Spain’s last-eight tie will be in Lyon against the winners of Group D.
Morocco join Argentina in men’s Olympic football knockouts
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Morocco join Argentina in men’s Olympic football knockouts
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- Morocco, winners of last year’s Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations, finish with the same number of goals scored and conceded as Argentina
- Head-to-head record after fiery clash in opening round sees Atlas Lions top the group
Roglic wins ‘crazy’ record-equalling fourth Vuelta
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- The Slovenian wrapped up his fifth-career Grand Tour when he finished second in the closing time-trial on the streets of Madrid won by Stefan Kung
- His success completed Slovenia’s domination of the 2024 Grand Tours, with his countryman Tadej Pogacar winning the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France
MADRID: Primoz Roglic won the Vuelta a España for a record-equalling fourth time on Sunday, the perfect pick-me-up after crashing out of the Tour de France.
The Slovenian wrapped up his fifth-career Grand Tour when he finished second in the closing time-trial on the streets of Madrid won by Stefan Kung.
“It’s crazy — already four, I just want to enjoy it” he said before hugging his wife Lora and children.
Australia’s Ben O’Connor finished runner-up overall with Spain’s Enric Mas completing the podium.
With the sun setting on the streets of the Spanish capital Roglic, 34, drew level with Spaniard Roberto Heras for number of wins in the season’s third and closing Grand Tour.
Roglic finished the race 2min 36sec up on O’Connor, with Mas (Movistar) third at 3:13.
After 81 hours, 49 minutes and 18 seconds in the saddle an exhausted but happy Roglic said: “This is nice! The more you go to an end, you just want to finish it off.
“There’s a lot of sacrificing, not only by me, but also my family, everyone around me. We all live for it. I just feel happy I can do it.
“I really appreciate all the support from the people around me.”
Roglic, riding for Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe team, had to fight for the red jersey after a gruelling race that began three weeks ago in Portugal and featured some of the toughest climbs the sport has to offer.
He won stage four to take the overall lead but then O’Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale team) burst to the top of the general classification by almost five minutes.
Roglic slowly chipped away at the Australian’s massive cushion with a bunch of strong mountain place finishes.
He reclaimed the leader’s red jersey after his third win on stage 19.
This Vuelta triumph went a long way to making up for the disappointment of his Tour de France-ending crash before stage 13.
His success completed Slovenia’s domination of the 2024 Grand Tours, with his countryman Tadej Pogacar winning the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France.
“Incredible” observed Roglic of his country’s success.
While he may not have won, O’Connor was jubilant over his breakthrough first ever Grand Tour podium.
“I wasn’t expecting this, I expected to be good but not second overall. This calls for a pretty big celebration!” said the 28-year-old Aussie, who wore the red jersey for 13 stages.
Kung took the final day honors for his first Grand Tour stage win at the last throw of the dice in his 12th appearance in either the Giro, Tour or Vuelta.
“It’s been a long time in the making” the Swiss time trial expert said.
“It’s always nice if you win with more than half a minute,” added Kung, who completed the 24km 21st stage 31sec faster than Roglic.
“It shows that you were the best, there was no coincidence.”
One of the big names in the peloton who failed to make it to Madrid was Wout Van Aert.
The Belgian star claimed three Vuelta stages to occupy the top of the points (green) and mountain classifications only to suffer a heavy fall which not only ended his race but also his season.
With Van Aert’s race cut short, the mountains and green jersey competitions, went to two Australians — Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates) and Kaden Groves (Alpecin Deceuninck).
Paris Paralympics close with a party after ‘historic summer’
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- More than 4,400 athletes from 168 Paralympic delegations partied despite persistent rain
- Estanguet said the closing ceremony marked the end of six weeks of Olympic and Paralympic fervor in the City of Light
PARIS: The Paralympics closed on Sunday with a giant music-fueled party as chief Paris 2024 organizer Tony Estanguet said the Games and the Olympics had created a “historic summer.”
The Paralympic flame and cauldron were extinguished before a concert featuring the best of French electronic music capped off proceedings at a packed Stade de France.
More than 4,400 athletes from 168 Paralympic delegations partied despite persistent rain.
Estanguet said the closing ceremony marked the end of six weeks of Olympic and Paralympic fervor in the City of Light.
The former Olympic gold medal-winning canoeist said that period would remain “etched in people’s memories.”
“This summer, France had a date with history, and the country showed up,” he said.
“This summer when people talked to each other, this summer when France was happy,” said Estanguet, referring to how France had been left deeply divided by snap elections just weeks before the Olympics opened.
The next Paralympics will take place in Los Angeles in 2028.
In the official handover, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo passed the Paralympic flag to International Paralympic Committee president Andrew Parsons, who gave it to Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass.
Broadway star Ali Stoker then sang the American national anthem before a film was shown of a band performing on a Californian beach as skateboarders and wheelchair athletes performed tricks.
Despite initial fears about ticket sales, the Paralympics took place in mainly full stadiums, benefiting from the feelgood factor from the highly successful Olympics which ended on Aug. 11.
Parsons said the Paris Paralympics had shown that “change starts with sport.”
The level of the sport in Paris, the organization and the gender parity of the competitors had set a “benchmark” for future Paralympics, he said.
The hour-long electronic concert was kicked off by composer Victor Le Masne as LED bracelets worn by the crowd and athletes on the field lit up the stadium.
The 24-artist show with highlights including French synthesizer legend Jean-Michel Jarre, Cassius, Busy P and Kungs was rounded off in style by DJ Martin Solveig, who finished his set with 2010 hit “Hello” and then Daft Punk’s “One More Time.”
China finished top of the medals table in Paris, as they have at every Paralympics since Athens in 2004.
They had 94 golds, followed by Britain with 49 and the USA with 36.
Ukraine’s athletes overcame the formidable obstacles posed by their country’s war with Russia to finish in seventh place with 22 golds and host nation France were eighth with 19 golds.
In amputee track athletes Hunter Woodhall and 19-year-old Ezra Frech, the USA have found charismatic faces who are sure to play a prominent role in the buildup to LA2028.
On the final day of competition, Switzerland won both Paralympic wheelchair marathons while the Netherlands secured back-to-back women’s wheelchair basketball titles, denying the USA.
Early in the morning, Catherine Debrunner propelled her racing wheelchair through the streets of Paris to win the women’s marathon.
The 29-year-old Swiss athlete added to the four gold medals she has already won on the track at these Games, ranging from the 400 meters to the 5,000m.
Marcel Hug, 38, made up for a disappointing Games on the track by dominating the men’s wheelchair marathon, finishing three minutes and 40 seconds ahead of Hua Jin of China.
The Netherlands scored a convincing 63-49 win against the USA to retain the women’s wheelchair basketball title they won at Tokyo 2020.
The Americans must wait until 2028 on home soil before trying to win a title that their men secured for a third Games in a row on Saturday. The USA women’s last title came at the 2016 Rio Games.
Yang wins first PGA Tour Champions title in a playoff over Langer. Wallace wins in Switzerland
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- Matt Wallace of England won his first European tour title in six years when he closed with an even-par 70
ST. LOUIS: Y.E. Yang forced a playoff with a 6-foot par putt for a 5-under 66 and made a 10-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole against Bernhard Langer to win the Ascension Charity Classic on Sunday for his first PGA Tour Champions title.
The 67-year-old Langer was trying to win for the 18th consecutive season on the 50-and-older circuit and nearly did. He hit a shot out of the rough to 15 feet on the 18th hole at Norwood Hills and made birdie for a 64.
They finished at 13-under 200.
Yang’s par putt sent them to a playoff at 13-under 200.
Missing from the playoff was Stewart Cink, going for his second straight win on the PGA Tour Champions. He had a one-shot lead until a bogey on the 17th hole, where Yang made birdie for a two-shot swing. Cink shot 67 and finished third.
European Tour
Matt Wallace of England won his first European tour title in six years when he closed with an even-par 70 and made an 8-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to beat Alfredo Garcia-Heredia in the Omega European Masters.
Garcia-Heredia birdied the 18th hole for a 66 to make up a four-shot deficit against Wallace.
They finished on 11-under 269.
Wallace, who won in the Dominican Republic on the PGA Tour last year to end a five-year drought, picked up his fifth career European tour title.
Andrew “Beef” Johnston had two straight birdies and pulled within one shot until he had to settle for three pars at the end for a 66 to finish alone in third, his best finish in four years.
Other tours
Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen of Denmark earned an instant promotion to the European tour when he won his third Challenge Tour event of the year, closing with an 8-under 64 to rally for a one-shot victory over John Axelsen in the Big Green Egg German Challenge. ... Kensei Hirata won for the second straight week on the Japan Golf Tour, this one over 72 holes, as he closed with a 6-under 66 for a one-shot victory over Travis Smith in the Shinhan Donghae Open. The tournament was tri-sanctioned with the Asian Tour and Korea PGA. Hirata won last week in Japan in a tournament shortened to 36 holes by bad weather. ... Fatima Fernandez Cano of Spain closed with a 5-under 67 for a one-shot victory Ingrid Lindblad of Sweden in the Guardian Championship on the Epson Tour. ... Will Cannon birdied the par-5 18th for a 1-under 69 and a one-shot victory in the Fortinet Cup Championship on the PGA Tour Americas in Canada. ... Rio Takeda held off a late charge from Miyu Yamashita and closed with a 3-under 69 for a one-shot victory in the Sony JLPGA Championship on the Japan LPGA. Yamashita birdied three of her last five holes for a 66. ... Hyunjo Yoo closed with a 3-under 69 for a two-shot victory in the KB Financial Group Star Championship on the Korea LPGA. ... Greig Hutcheon of France rallied with a 64 for a two-shot victory in the Legends Open de France, is first title on the European Legends Tour.
Ronaldo scores late winner as a substitute for Portugal as 10-man Spain overpower Switzerland
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- Ronaldo failed to score at all in five games at the recent European Championship, but Portugal coach Robert Martinez has kept faith with the country’s greatest ever player
- Fabian Ruiz scored twice for Spain in their 4-1 win at Switzerland, with the recently crowned European champions emerging victorious despite playing the majority of the game with only 10 men
LONDON: Cristiano Ronaldo is showing just why Portugal are persisting with him at the age of 39.
Make that a record-extending 132 international goals for the five-time world player of the year after Ronaldo came on as a halftime substitute and slotted home an 88th-minute winner for Portugal in their 2-1 victory over Scotland in the Nations League on Sunday.
Minutes earlier, Ronaldo had struck both posts within a matter of seconds. Indeed, he was an ever-present danger in Lisbon, demonstrating he is far from finished as a force in international soccer — especially against the likes of a struggling Scotland.
Ronaldo failed to score at all in five games at the recent European Championship, but Portugal coach Robert Martinez has kept faith with the country’s greatest ever player and is reaping the rewards.
On Thursday, Ronaldo scored his 900th career goal — spanning games for club and country — in a 2-1 win over Croatia.
The quest for 1,000 began three days later and he didn’t disappoint, despite only playing one half.
In stoppage time, a spectator got on the field and attempted to get a selfie with Ronaldo, but was stopped by security. That happened repeatedly at Euro 2024.
Scotland went ahead through Scott McTominay in the seventh minute before an equalizer from the edge of the area by Bruno Fernandes in the 54th.
Enduring Modric
Luka Modric turns 39 on Monday but, like Ronaldo, remains as integral as ever for his country.
The Real Madrid midfielder again demonstrated his enduring quality by clipping home an exquisite free kick from the edge of the box in Croatia’s 1-0 win over Poland.
It was Modric’s 27th goal in 180 appearances for his country, which left him tied with former Spain defender Sergio Ramos as the second highest-capped European players in men’s international soccer — only behind Ronaldo with 214.
Robert Lewandowski, another veteran at age 36, hit the goal frame for Poland, who beat Scotland 3-2 in the first round of Nations League group games on Thursday.
Ruiz shines for Spain
Fabian Ruiz scored twice for Spain in their 4-1 win at Switzerland, with the recently crowned European champions emerging victorious despite playing the majority of the game with only 10 men.
Center back Robin Le Normand was shown a straight red card in the 20th minute for bringing down Breel Embolo as the last man, by which time Spain was leading 2-0 thanks to Joselu’s header from Lamine Yamal’s cross in the fourth minute and Ruiz’s goal in the 13th after Nico Williams’ shot was saved.
Zeki Amdouni pulled a goal back for the Swiss before halftime but substitute Ferran Torres set up Ruiz for his second goal then scored himself to clinch Spain’s first win of its Nations League title defense. The team drew 0-0 at Serbia on Thursday.
Eriksson tribute
Swedish soccer fans paid tribute to one of the country’s most famous coaches — and then celebrated the further blossoming of the team’s new strikeforce.
There was a minute’s silence before Sweden’s home match with Estonia in honor of Sven-Goran Eriksson, who died on Aug. 26 after battling cancer. An image of Eriksson was shown on the big screens in the Strawberry Arena just outside Stockholm.
Sweden won 3-0, with Viktor Gyokeres — with two goals — and Alexander Isak scoring. They also each scored in a 3-1 win in Azerbaijan on Thursday, with the Swedes showing improved form after missing out on qualification for both the World Cup in 2022 and this year’s Euros.
There was another Scandinavian win as Denmark beat Serbia 2-0 thanks to goals by Albert Gronbaek and Yussuf Poulsen.
Sinner sweeps to US Open title for second Grand Slam triumph
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- World number one Sinner, who won his maiden Slam at the Australian Open in January, became the first Italian man to triumph in New York with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 victory
NEW YORK: Jannik Sinner won his second Grand Slam title of 2024 on Sunday when he swept aside Taylor Fritz in the US Open final, shattering American hopes of a first male champion at the majors in 21 years.
World number one Sinner, who won his maiden Slam at the Australian Open in January, became the first Italian man to triumph in New York with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 victory.
For 23-year-old Sinner, it was a 55th match win of the season and sixth title.
After his 21-year-old rival Carlos Alcaraz pocketed the French Open and Wimbledon titles to take his majors collection to four, the two men have cemented their places as the powerhouses of tennis’s new era.
World number 12 Fritz was bidding to be the first American man since Andy Roddick in New York in 2003 to win a major.
He was backed by A-list celebrity support among the 23,000-strong crowd inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Pop queen Taylor Swift watched alongside boyfriend and NFL star Travis Kelce while Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey was hard to miss as he donned a Stars and Stripes headband.
Sinner raced to a 2-0 lead in the first set before Fritz settled and levelled for 2-2.
The 26-year-old American saved a break point on the back of an exhausting 23-shot rally in the fifth game but soon slipped 4-3 down.
Sinner pounced again with a third break to claim the opening set as Fritz fired a backhand long.
The two players had only dropped serve a combined 20 times over six rounds each at the tournament before Sunday’s final.
That strength shone through in the second set with the first nine games all service holds until the 10th.
Sinner then carved out two set points but only needed one, a deep forehand forcing Fritz into a desperate scramble before he buried his return limply in the net.
By that stage of the final, Sinner had committed just nine unforced errors to the 19 of Fritz in an a illustration of his control of the court.
Fritz, the first American man in any Grand Slam final since Roddick at Wimbledon in 2009, saw three break points come and go in the first game of the third set.
But Sinner served up his fourth double fault of the final to hand Fritz a 4-3 lead.
With his back to the wall, the Italian top seed then broke back in the 10th game as Fritz served for the set and held for 6-5.
He went to two championship points when a disheartened Fritz ballooned a running forehand and sealed victory when the American netted.