Sports
Junaid Siddique to play in T10 League
Former Bangladesh opener Junaid Siddique will take part in this year’s T20 League in the UAE. He will represent Maratha Arabians, the franchise confirmed.
Maratha Arabians are the current champions of the T10 League.
Junaid is the second person from Bangladesh after Mohammad Saifuddin who will play in this league.
Read: Tigers trounce Oman A in warm-up match
The left-handed batter played his last international match in November 2012. Despite not being in the national setup, he has been a regular face in the domestic circuit.
He represented Bangladesh in 19 Tests, 59 ODIs and seven T20Is. He has more than 2000 runs under his belt in international cricket. He has two centuries-- one each in Tests and ODIs.
He played a total of 78 T20s in domestic cricket and scored 1489 runs with four fifties.
Ballon d'Or 2021: Meet the Nominees
The names of the 30 players who have been shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or 2021 award were published on Friday (October 8) by France Football magazine. There was speculation that they might give two awards this year, given the fact that the previous year's ceremony was canceled because of the Covid-19 epidemic. However, France football has only published the names of the nominees for this year's award. All the expected names have been selected for the award. Argentina's Lionel Messi leads the latest poll to win the trophy for the record seventh time. Let's take a look at the 2021 Ballon d'Or nominees.
The Ballon d'Or 2021 Candidates
Here are the players that have been shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or 2021 award by France football. Italy have a maximum of five players, followed by England with four, France, Spain, and Portugal with three, Argentina and Belgium with two, and Norway, Denmark, Algeria, Croatia, Egypt, Uruguay, Poland, and Brazil with one each.
Goalkeepers
Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG & Italy)
Italian goalkeeper Donnarumma is the only goalkeeper in the list. He played a pivotal role in Italy’s EURO 2020 win.
Read: Ballon d'Or 2021: Five favorites to win the coveted award
Defenders
Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea & Spain)
Spanish defender Azpilicueta won the Champions League with English side Chelsea.
Ruben Dias (Manchester City & Portugal)
Defender Ruben Dias was named Premier League’s player of the season 2020-2021.
Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus & Italy)
Bonucci won EURO 2020 with Italy earlier this July.
Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus & Italy)
Juventus and Italian Captain Giorgio Chiellini was the heart of Italy’s defense that won the EURO 2020.
Simon Kjær (AC Milan & Denmark)
Danish defender Simon Kjær had a terrific season with both AC Milan and Denmark.
Read Premier League club Newcastle bought by Saudi sovereign fund
Midfielders
Jorginho (Chelsea & Italy)
Playmaker Jorginho won two of the biggest trophies this summer. He helped Chelsea to win the Champions League 2021 and also played an important role for Italy to win UEFA European Championship 2020.
Pedri (Barcelona & Spain)
Barcelona’s young midfielder Pedri had an outstanding season with both club and country.
Luka Modric (Real Madrid & Croatia)
Croatian midfielder Luka Modric played his part with Real Marid and earned a place in the 30-man shortlist for Ballon d'Or 2021 award.
Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City & Belgium)
Belgium midfielder Kevin was one of the star players for Manchester City last season and won the Premier League with the Citizens.
Phil Foden (Manchester City & England)
Foden is an excellent talent. This attacking midfielder showed his true class with both Manchester City and England in EURO 2020.
N'Golo Kante (Chelsea & France)
Kante was so instrumental in Chelsea’s Champions League triumph last May.
Mason Mount (Chelsea & England)
Mount is a young promising playmaker. He won the Champions League with Chelsea.
Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan & Italy)
Barella won Serie A with Inter Milan and EURO 2020 with Italy's national side.
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United & Portugal)
Bruno was the best performer for Manchester United in the 2020/2021 season.
Read Brazil wins and Argentina draws away in World Cup qualifiers
Forwards
Lionel Messi (PSG & Argentina)
Messi finally won a trophy with the Argentina national side. He won Copa America 2021 and also won Copa del Rey with FC Barcelona.
Neymar (PSG & Brazil)
On an individual level, Neymar had a decent season with PSG.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United & Portugal)
Ronaldo was the top scorer in the 2020-2021 Italian Serie A season. He has been the top performer for Manchester United in the current season.
Kylian Mbappe (PSG & France)
Mbappe played well for both club and country and deservedly earned a place in the top 30 list.
Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich & Poland)
Bayern Munich striker broke several records in the 2020/2021 Bundesliga season.
Erling Haaland( (Borussia Dortmund & Norway)
Haaland was brilliant with Borussia Dortmund last season. He is an excellent finisher.
Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan & Argentina)
Martinez helped Inter Milan to win Serie A for the first time in 10 years. He also played an important role in Argentina’s Copa America 2021 victory.
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool & Egypt)
Salah was the top performer for Liverpool in the 2020/2021 season.
Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea & Belgium)
Lukaku inspired Inter Milan to win Serie A last season.
Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City & Algeria)
The Algerian forward won the Premier League with Manchester City.
Harry Kane (Tottenham & England)
Kane was the top scorer in the 2020/2021 Premier League season.
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid & France)
Benzema was the most consistent performer for Real Madrid in the 2020/2021 season. Karim has been playing well for France since making his comeback earlier this year.
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City & England)
Sterling had a stellar tournament with England in EURO 2020. With Manchester City, he also won the Premier League.
Read: Ballon d'Or 2021 Predictions: Lionel Messi in Pole Position to win
Bottom Line
The Chatelet Theatre in Paris will host the Ballon d'Or 2021 award ceremony on November 29. This year, there is no obvious favorite because a notable number of players are deserving of the honor. Therefore, panelists will have to consider a variety of factors before voting for a nominee. Individual performance (goals and assists), as well as silverware, are two important factors to take into account. Even though Lionel Messi is often considered the favorite to win the 2021 edition, Jorginho, Lewandowski, Kante, or Benzema cannot be ruled out.
IPL 2021: Who will play whom in the playoffs?
The IPL 2021 playoff lineups were confirmed after the end of the thrilling round-robin league phase on Friday (October 8). The table-topping Delhi Capitals are one of the early favorites to win the Indian Premier League's 14th edition. Probably, this is the final season of veteran cricketer MS Dhoni. Not to mention, all of Chennai's players would be keen to give Dhoni a proper farewell by winning the Indian Premier League. In Qualifier 1, both teams will compete for a spot in the final. On the other hand, Royal Challengers Bangalore will face Kolkata Knight Riders in the elimination match. Let's take a look at the favorites of the playoffs round.
IPL 2021: Lineups for the Playoffs
Qualifier 1 (DC vs. CSK)
Venue: Dubai International Cricket Stadium | Date: October 10 | Time (BST): 8 pm
Verdict: Delhi favourite to beat CSK
At the end of the IPL 2021 round-robin league stage, Delhi Capitals came out on top of the point table. Delhi gained 20 points in the league phase by winning 10 games and losing four. Importantly, Delhi defeated Chennai in both of their league matches. In comparison to Chennai, Delhi's squad contains more talented young players and a good number of them are in tremendous forms. As a result, team Capitals will be more confident against the Super Kings ahead of the qualifier 1 encounter on Sunday. On the other side, Chennai have some experienced players who are expected to outperform the opponent in terms of game strategy and on-field displays.
READ: Tigers trounce Oman A in warm-up match
Delhi Capitals probable playing XI
Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Axar Patel, Ravi Ashwin, Kagiso Rabada, Avesh Khan, Anrich Nortje, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (Captain & wicket-keeper), Ripal Patel, Shimron Hetmyer,
Chennai Super Kings probable playing XI
Faf du Plessis, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Robin Uthappa, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Josh Hazlewood, Ambati Rayudu, Moeen Ali.
Read KKR vs. PBKS: KL Rahul guides Punjab to 5-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2021
Eliminator (KKR vs. RCB)
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium | Date: October 11 | Time (BST): 8 pm
Verdict: Kolkata favourite to beat RCB
Shakib Al Hasan played in the last two Kolkata's round-robin league fixtures, helping his side to finish fourth in the points standings. Kolkata squad is now on a roll, and they have found a winning formula that they can rely on. Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore would be the Kolkata Knight Riders' eliminator opponent. The Bangalore team is also formidable enough to crush the opposite bowling lineups on any given day. Both teams have some extraordinary players and they won a round-robin league match against each other once. Therefore, this fixture promises to be fascinating.
READ: T20 World Cup warm-up match: Bangladesh take on Oman A Friday
Kolkata Knight Riders probable playing XI
Shubman Gill, Venkatesh Iyer, Rahul Tripathi, Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson, Shivam Mavi, Varun Chakravarthy, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan (captain), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper)
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s probable playing XI
Virat Kohli (captain), Devdutt Padikkal, AB de Villiers, Dan Christian, Shahbaz Ahmed, George Garton, KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Glenn Maxwell, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Read IPL 2021: Shakib's Kolkata leads over Mustafiz's Rajasthan in the playoffs race
Qualifier 2 (DC/CSK vs. KKR/RCB)
Venue: Sharjah Cricket Stadium | Date: October 13 | Time (BST): 8 pm
The winner of the eliminator and the loser of qualifier 1 will compete for a final spot in the qualifier 2 match. Chennai and Delhi are the two most consistent teams in this year's IPL. Interestingly, whoever wins qualifier 2 will be the favorite to win the competition, because playing two playoffs will make them stronger heading to the final.
READ: I didn't ask for votes in BCB election: Nazmul
Despite having some quality players in the squad, Kolkata and Bangalore have failed to maintain consistency in this campaign and this could halt them to advance to the final. However, it will be a knockout game, and the competing teams will try their best to reach the final.
Bottom Line
According to the playoff schedule, the Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings are the two hot favorites to advance to the IPL 2021 championship match. Meanwhile, if Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore can effectively execute their strategies on the field, they will have a chance. Both Kolkata and Bangalore teams can lose momentum at crucial stages of a game, which can put a halt to their progress. Fans of the Indian Premier League are anticipating an entertaining playoff round this year.
Read IPL 2021: Will Shakib Al Hasan Play in a crucial MI vs. KKR match?
Tigers trounce Oman A in warm-up match
Riding on the half-centuries of Mohammad Naim and Liton Das, and a tremendous innings of 49 off just 15 balls by Nurul Hasan Sohan, Bangladesh defeated Oman A in a warm-up match by 60 runs on Friday.
It was an unofficial practice match for the Tigers ahead of the T20 World Cup, which is set to begin on October 17 in the Gulf state.
The hosts won the toss in Friday’s match and opted to bowl first. But they conceded 207 runs in 20 overs.
READ: T20 World Cup warm-up match: Bangladesh take on Oman A Friday
Naim and Liton amassed more than 100 runs in the opening stand. Naim was slow and steady, while Liton played power cricket as he scored 53 off just 33 deliveries with six fours and one six.
However, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim and Afif Hossain failed to impress with the bat. While Soumya and Afif scored 8 and 6 respectively, Mushfiqur suffered a golden duck.
Sohan came in at number six and quickly put up 49 runs off just 15 balls with seven big sixes. Shamim Hossain also did well, scoring 19 off 10. Naim was the highest scorer for Bangladesh, posting 63 off 53 with three hours and two sixes. Bangladesh totalled 207 for four wickets.
However, Oman tumbled for 147 for nine wickets in 20 overs. Left-handed Bangladeshi pacer Shoriful Islam bagged three wickets while Mohammad Saifuddin took two. Nasum Ahmed, Mahefi Hasan and Afif scalped one wicket each.
READ: Nazmul becomes BCB president for next four years
Bangladesh will play two official warm-up matches against Sri Lanka and Ireland on October 12 and 14, respectively, ahead of the World Cup in the UAE. In the first round of the World Cup, Bangladesh will take on Scotland, Oman and Papua New Guinea.
Premier League club Newcastle bought by Saudi sovereign fund
Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund completed a buyout of Premier League club Newcastle on Thursday, giving hope to fans dreaming of a first title in almost a century but concerning human rights activists that the kingdom had gained a foothold in the world's richest soccer league.
Supporters descended on the club's St. James' Park stadium, some chanting "we are Saudis, we do what we want" and others singing "we've got our club back" amid the promise of long-desired investment.
The 300-million-pound ($409 million) takeover had been pursued since 2017 but stalled and then collapsed last year over concerns about how much control the Saudi state would have in the running of Newcastle amid scrutiny over piracy of sports broadcasts and human rights violations in the kingdom.
It led to a protracted legal fight that only ended this week when the Public Investment Fund offered assurances to the Premier League that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and in turn the state, would not have any say in the team.
PIF has bought 80% of the club — which is in the relegation zone after seven matches — with the wealthy British-based Reuben brothers and financier Amanda Staveley's PCP Capital Partners owning the rest.
"The big change was the control issue," Staveley told The Associated Press. "We needed to demonstrate there was sufficient separation between PIF and the Saudi state, and that has been determined that there is."
But while the crown prince will not have a place on Newcastle's board of directors, he remains chairman of the PIF. The fund's governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan will be on the board at the northeast English club as non-executive chairman.
"The crown prince is chairman of a lot of entities in Saudi," said Staveley, who will also be on the club's board. "PIF is very much an autonomous, commercially driven investment fund, and it does not operate as part of the wider state. So there is that separation."
The Premier League's approval of the new owners and directors means 15 of its clubs are either owned or part-owned by overseas investors.
"All parties have agreed the settlement is necessary to end the long uncertainty for fans over the club's ownership," the league said in a statement. "The Premier League has now received legally binding assurances that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will not control Newcastle United Football Club."
The takeover ends the 14-year ownership by British retail tycoon Mike Ashley, who has been widely viewed as a figure of scorn in the one-club city.
His ownership has been marked by chronic underinvestment in the playing squad, his use of Newcastle as a vehicle to promote his business interests, and of a general lack of ambition despite the club attracting regular home crowds of more than 50,000.
Newcastle has not won a major trophy since the 1955 FA Cup and its last league title was in 1927.
"Newcastle is like a magical, very beautiful, rough diamond," Staveley said in a telephone interview. "But it needs some nurturing and polishing. But it's a star."
With no wins and only three points from seven games, the poor start to the season means the future of manager Steve Bruce will be assessed before the next game next week — at home to Tottenham on Oct. 17 — after the international break.
The club will be seeking a transformation in the same manner enjoyed by Manchester City in 2008 after its takeover by another Middle Eastern entity — Abu Dhabi — that was also brokered by Staveley.
A key impediment to the Newcastle takeover was the pirating of sports broadcasts from Qatari-owned beIN — including of Premier League games — by an entity the World Trade Organization said was facilitated by the Saudi state. The Saudis declared beIN illegal in 2017 as they launched a wider economic and diplomatic boycott of Qatar alongside the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain over accusations Doha supports extremism. The tiny, super-rich nation of Qatar denied the charge and the boycott ended this year.
The Premier League was among the sports organizations that protested against the pirating of its games by the renegade beOutQ operation.
Saudi Arabia is expected to soon lift its ban on beIN, but Staveley said that wasn't what ended the impasse over the takeover.
"The piracy — those issues had been resolved," Staveley said. "This debate was just about control for us."
Newcastle was challenging the Premier League's decision not to approve the takeover at a Competition Appeals Tribunal whose latest hearing was last week.
But there was a lingering ethical dimension to whether PIF was approved as owners. Amnesty International wrote to league chief executive Richard Masters last year to say the takeover could be exploited by Saudi Arabia to cover up "deeply immoral" breaches of international law, citing human rights violations and the role of the crown prince.
Amnesty raised concerns with Masters about the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul after U.S. intelligence services said they believe the slaying came at the crown prince's orders. The kingdom has denied that.
"We can understand that this will be seen as a great day by many Newcastle United fans," Sacha Deshmukh, chief executive of Amnesty International UK, said Thursday. "But it's also a very worrying day for anyone who cares about the ownership of English football clubs and whether these great clubs are being used to sportswash human rights abuse.
"In our assessment, this deal was always more about sportswashing than it was about football, with Saudi Arabia's aggressive move into sport as a vehicle for image-management and PR plain for all to see."
Responding to Amnesty's complaints, Staveley again tried to create a distinction between PIF and the Saudi leadership despite the funding being from the state fund.
"We understand the concerns," Staveley said. "And that is why my partner is PIF."
T20 World Cup warm-up match: Bangladesh take on Oman A Friday
Bangladesh national cricket team will take on hosts Oman A Friday night as part of their preparation for the T20 World Cup which is set to begin on October 17.
This practice match will be telecast live on T Sports – a private satellite channel based in Dhaka – at 8:30pm Bangladesh time.
Read: T20 World Cup: Bangladesh team reaches Oman
Also, the match will be broadcast live on the T Sports YouTube channel.
Ahead of the World Cup, Bangladesh are scheduled to play two warm-up matches in the UAE on October 12 and 14 against Sri Lanka and Ireland.
Read: Young Tigers eager to flourish in T20 World Cup
To play the matches, the Tigers will fly to the UAE from Oman on October 9, and they will return to Oman on October 15.
In the first round of the World Cup, Bangladesh will face Scotland, Oman and Papua New Guinea.
Court says Ronaldo rape lawsuit in Vegas should be dismissed
A federal magistrate judge in Nevada has sided with Cristiano Ronaldo’s lawyers against a woman who sued for more than the $375,000 in hush money she received in 2010 after saying the international soccer star raped her in Las Vegas.
In a scathing recommendation to the judge hearing the case, Magistrate Judge Daniel Albregts on Wednesday blamed Kathryn Mayorga’s attorney, Leslie Mark Stovall, for inappropriately basing the civil damages lawsuit on leaked and stolen documents shown to be privileged communications between Ronaldo and his lawyers.
“Dismissing Mayorga’s case for the inappropriate conduct of her attorney is a harsh result,” the magistrate wrote in his 23-page report to U.S. District Judge Jennifer Dorsey. “But it is, unfortunately, the only appropriate sanction to ensure the integrity of the judicial process.”
Also read: Will Cristiano Ronaldo be Able to Revive Manchester United's Glory?
“Stovall has acted in bad faith to his client’s — and his profession’s — detriment,” Albregts decided.
Stovall and other attorneys in his office did not immediately respond Thursday to telephone and email messages about Albregt’s report.
A date for Dorsey to take up the recommendation was not immediately set.
Ronaldo’s attorney in Las Vegas, Peter Christiansen, issued a statement calling Ronaldo’s legal team “pleased with the court’s detailed review ... and its willingness to justly apply the law to the facts and recommend dismissal of the civil case against Mr. Ronaldo.”
The Associated Press generally does not name people who say they are victims of sexual assault, but Mayorga gave consent through Stovall and attorney Larissa Drohobyczer to make her name public.
Albregts noted the court did not find that Ronaldo committed a crime and found no evidence his attorneys and representatives “intimidated Mayorga or impeded law enforcement” when Mayorga dropped criminal charges and finalized the $375,000 confidential settlement in August 2010.
Ronaldo, now 36, is one of the most recognizable and highly paid players in sports. He has captained his home country soccer team, Portugal, and plays for the English Premier League club Manchester United. He spent several years playing in Italy for the Turin-based club Juventus.
Also read: Ronaldo reportedly breaks coronavirus rules on 2-day break
Mayorga, 37, is a former teacher and model who lives in the Las Vegas area. She said in her lawsuit filed first in state court and moved to federal court that Ronaldo or his associates violated the confidentiality agreement by allowing reports about it to appear in European publications in 2017. She seeks to collect at least $200,000 more from Ronaldo.
She met Ronaldo at a nightclub in June 2009 and went with him and other people to his hotel suite, where she said he assaulted her in a bedroom, according to the lawsuit. She was 25 at the time. He was 24.
Ronaldo’s attorneys have acknowledged the soccer star and Mayorga had sex, but said it consensual and not rape.
Mayorga went to Las Vegas police, but the investigation was dropped at the time because Mayorga neither identified her alleged attacker by name nor said where the incident took place, Steve Wolfson, the elected prosecutor in Las Vegas, said in 2019.
Wolfson decided not to file criminal charges based on a new investigation by Las Vegas police in 2018 because he said too much time had passed and evidence failed to show that Mayorga’s accusation could be proven at trial beyond a reasonable doubt.
Word of the financial settlement became public after the German news outlet Der Spiegel published an article in 2017 titled “Cristiano Ronaldo’s Secret” based on documents obtained from “whistleblower portal Football Leaks.”
“The article makes it clear that these documents included privileged communications ... between Ronaldo’s European and U.S. attorneys about the settlement,” Albregts wrote.
Stovall “acted in bad faith by asking for, receiving, and using the Football Leaks documents to prosecute Mayorga’s case,” the magistrate judge found.
“Although Stovall never received — or even sought — an ethics opinion ... he had multiple opportunities to recognize the privileged nature of the documents, starting with the 2017 Der Spiegel article, which quotes privileged communications.”
Albregts rejected Stovall’s argument that using the documents was justified because Stovall wasn’t the one who stole them and he couldn’t prove they were stolen.
The attorney’s efforts to make confidential documents public through court filings were “audacious,” “impertinent” and “abusive,” the magistrate said.
Albregts recommended Dorsey also dismiss Stovall’s claim that because Mayorga had learning disabilities as a child and was pressured by Ronaldo’s representatives she lacked the mental capacity to sign the 2010 confidentiality agreement.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled early this year that it would be up to Dorsey to decide that question.
“Mayorga's case against Ronaldo would probably not exist had Stovall not asked for the Football Leaks documents,” Albregts wrote, and Mayorga’s knowledge of the documents’ contents "cannot be undone.”
“There is no possible way for this case to proceed where the court cannot tell what arguments and testimony are based on these privileged documents,” he said.
Brazil wins and Argentina draws away in World Cup qualifiers
Leaders Brazil and second-place Argentina had uninspiring performances in their World Cup qualifying matches on Thursday, but gained key competition points as they try to secure their direct spots for Qatar next year.
Playing without Neymar, Brazil won 3-1 at Venezuela, and Argentina had a goal less draw at Paraguay.
Brazil trailed bottom-of-the-table Venezuela until the 71st minute, when Marquinhos leveled the match in Caracas. Gabriel Barbosa scored the second goal from the spot in the 85th minute and substitute Antony scored the third from close range in added time.
Also read: South America World Cup 2022 Qualifiers: Argentina, Brazil to face Uruguay in October
Lionel Messi was not enough for Argentina to break Paraguay's powerful defensive line. The two goalkeepers, Argentina's Emiliano Martinez and Paraguay's Antony Silva, were the best on the pitch.
Brazil leads with 27 points and Argentina has 19. Uruguay has 16 in third place after a 0-0 draw with Colombia. Ecuador can also reach 16 points if it tops Bolivia at home.
The top four teams secure a spot at next year’s World Cup in Qatar. The fifth-place team will enter a playoff against a team from another confederation.
VENEZUELA 1, BRAZIL 3
Brazil coach Tite picked a starting lineup with many new players he wanted to test. But left-back Guilherme Arana and midfielders Fabinho and Gerson were below par for most of the match.
Venezuela's goal came in the 11th minute, when Yeferson Soteldo crossed from the right towards Eric Ramirez. Two Brazilian defenders, Fabinho and Marquinhos, slipped at the same time and gave the Venezuelan a clear chance to head the ball to the right of goalkeeper Alisson.
Brazil struggled in creation until the break, but things improved after Everton Ribeiro left for Raphinha. The winger was key for the Seleção to become more dynamic in the second half.
Also read: PSG vs. Man City 2021: Messi Scores as Paris Saint-Germain Beat Manchester City
Raphinha took the corner kick that landed on Marquinhos' head to level the scoring in the 71st minute. He then started the play that ended in Barborsa being fouled in the penalty box. And then he gave the low cross that allowed Antony to score near the final whistle.
“We started in much worse shape than we could,” Marquinhos said. “But as we can see set pieces can make all the difference in a match, and it did today.”
Brazil's next match will be at Colombia. Venezuela will face Ecuador.
PARAGUAY 0, ARGENTINA 0
Argentina had three opportunities in the first 12 minutes of the encounter in Asuncion, which indicated a win was on the way for the Copa America champions. But Paraguay's Silva made key saves to keep his team in contention.
The second half was very different, with both teams creating chances. Argentina had the best one from a long-distance shot by Papu Gomez, but it was stopped by Silva.
It was the 11th draw between the teams in South American World Cup qualifying history.
“We failed to score, especially in opportunities that were very clear,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said at a news conference. “What matters is that the team never relaxed and kept trying.”
Argentina will face rival Uruguay on Sunday. Paraguay, with 12 points and so far out of qualifying spots for the World Cup, will travel to Chile.
Ecuador will face Bolivia and Peru will host Chile later on Thursday
SAFF Championship: Bangladesh lose 0-2 to Maldives
Bangladesh national football team tasted their first defeat in the five-nation SAFF Championship 2021 as hosts the Maldives beat them 2-0 Thursday.
After a scoreless first half at the National Football Stadium in the Maldives capital Male, striker Hamza Mohamed put the hosts ahead in the 55th minute with a bicycle-kick off a header (1-0).
Ali Ashfaq, named man of the match, added another in the 74th minute from a penalty (2-0).
Read: SAFF Championship: 10-man Bangladesh come from behind to draw with India
The Maldives won the spot-kick as Bangladesh's Sohel Rana made a rash tackle inside the danger zone.
The archipelagic state wrapped up the win they deserved after dominating the match against the men in red and green.
Five Bangladeshi booters – Md Ibrahim, Yeasin Arafat, Jewel Rana, Tariq Kazi and Jamal Bhuiyan – were cautioned with yellow cards. However, goalkeeper Anisur Rahman Zico pulled up some brilliant saves.
Bangladesh last beat the Maldives in SAFF Championship in Dhaka in 2003.
Read: Bruzon era starts brightly as Bangladesh beat Sri Lanka in SAFF opener
Despite Thursday's defeat, the men in red and green remained in second place of the standings with four points from three matches after beating Sri Lanka 1-0 and playing out to a 1-1 draw with India.
So far, Nepal have dominated the competition with an unbeaten run, securing six points from two matches. Bangladesh will face the Himalayan nation on October 13 at 5pm at the same venue.
Club Cup Hockey: Abahani, Mohammedan make flying start
Dhaka Abahani Limited and Dhaka Mohammedan SC made flying start in the SIBL Club Cup Hockey Tournament outplaying their rivals in the opening day’s matches at the Maulana Bhashani National Stadium here on Thursday.
In the day’s opening match, Dhaka Mohammedan SC outplayed Ajax SC by 8-2 goals featuring four goals by Ashraful Islam in the 16th, 25th, 36th and 58th minutes.
Read: Victory Day Hockey: Army, Navy earn comfortable wins
Rajib Das struck, Sarwar Morshed and Nasir Hossain scored one each for the black and whites Mohammedanx while Sabbir Hossain and Mosharaf Hossain Kuti contributed one each for the Elephant Road outfit Ajax SC.
In the day’s 2nd match, Dhaka Abahani crushed Police AC by 5-0 goal.
Read: Women's Hockey: Narail DSA crush Jashore 4-0
Shafiul Alam Shisir struck twice, Roman Sarkar, Pushkar Khisa Mimo and Arshad Hossain scored one goal for the sky blues Dhanmondi outfit Abahani.
Earlier, Additional Managing Director of the meet sponsor SIBL M Tajul Islam inaugurated the meet Thursday afternoon.