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LONDON: Liverpool held their nerve to win the FA Cup for the first time since 2006 after a dramatic penalty shoot-out against Chelsea as the quadruple chasers kept their history bid alive on Saturday. Jurgen Klopp’s side won 6-5 on penalties at Wembley as Greek defender Kostas Tsimikas was the unlikely hero with the decisive kick after Alisson Becker kept out Mason Mount’s effort. A hard-fought final had finished a 0-0 draw after extra-time, setting the stage for a nerve-jangling shoot-out that featured misses by Chelsea’s Cesar Azpilicueta and Sadio Mane, whose shot was saved by Edouard Mendy when he had a chance to clinch the trophy. For the second time this season, Liverpool emerged victorious against Chelsea on penalties, having already beaten them 11-10 following another 0-0 draw in the League Cup final in February. Liverpool’s triumph keeps them in the hunt to become the first English team to win all four major trophies in a single season. With two prizes already secured, the Reds will hope for a slip from Premier League leaders Manchester City, who are three points clear of them in the title race with two games left for both teams. Even if Liverpool are unable to win a second English title in three seasons, they could still cap an astonishing campaign by winning the Champions League final against Real Madrid in Paris on May 28. With that ambition in mind, Klopp’s only concern as he danced jubilantly in front of the Liverpool supporters amid a swirling mist of red flare smoke was whether his team will be at full strength against Real. Liverpool lost Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk to injuries that could rule them out of their last two Premier League games next week and will spark fears about their ability to recover in time for the Champions League final. Liverpool have won both domestic cups in the same season for the first time since 2000-01, with Klopp getting his hands on the famous old trophy for the first time. For Chelsea, it was a painful third successive FA Cup final defeat after previous losses to Leicester and Arsenal. Liverpool made a blistering start as they swarmed forward in a blur of swift passes and relentless pressing. Diaz should have put Liverpool ahead after accelerating onto a sublime pass from Trent Alexander-Arnold, who caressed the ball through Chelsea’s defense with the outside of his boot. Diaz’s tame shot was saved by Mendy, but the ball was still rolling toward goal until Trevoh Chalobah scrambled back to hack clear at the last moment. With Tuchel gesticulating furiously on the touchline, Chelsea dug in and finally turned back the red tide. Mount led their first serious raid, crossing for Christian Pulisic to clip his shot just wide. Pulisic carried the fight to Liverpool again moments later, slipping his pass to Alonso, who should have scored but took a poor first touch and scuffed his shot straight at Alisson Becker. Diogo Jota wasted a golden chance to give Liverpool the lead soon after his introduction as Salah’s replacement, the Portugal forward volleying over from Andrew Robertson’s cross. Chelsea were on the offensive after the interval and Pulisic’s strike was well saved by Alisson before Alonso’s free-kick cannoned off the bar. But Klopp’s self-proclaimed “mentality monsters” haven’t come this close to a quadruple without remarkable fortitude. They wrestled back the momentum and Diaz clipped the outside of the post before Robertson volleyed against the woodwork. In the spring heat, and with both teams having played at least 60 games in a marathon season, it was no surprise fatigue became a factor in a tame extra period that never looked like producing a winner. Tuchel had sent on his penalty-saving specialist keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga ahead of the League Cup final shoot-out in a move that backfired. Tuchel stuck with Mendy this time, but the result was still the same. Klopp admitted Liverpool’s remarkable season would be a disappointment if they only finished with the League Cup, but he no longer has to worry about that.
BERLIN: ROKiT Venturi Racing claimed victory in the first part of the 2022 Berlin E-Prix double-header weekend after Edoardo Mortara triumphed at the Tempelhof Circuit after starting from pole position on Saturday.
Throughout the day in the German capital, the Monegasque team showed promising pace and capitalized on its performance in qualifying for the seventh race of Season 8.
From Group A, Mortara successfully advanced to the duel stages while teammate, Lucas di Grassi, narrowly missed out on the top four to qualify 13th.
In the quarter and semi-finals, Swiss-Italian Mortara beat out Andre Lotterer and Antonio Felix da Costa before facing Alexander Sims in the one-on-one pole position shootout.
By defeating the Mahindra driver by 0.137 seconds, Mortara secured his first pole position in Formula E and ROKiT Venturi Racing’s first since the 2015 London E-Prix.
When the race got underway, the ROKiT driver obtained a strong getaway from the front row to lead into Turn One while Lucas slipped to 14th before making progress back through the field.
Navigating a path around Oliver Rowland, Sam Bird, Sergio Sette Camara and Jake Dennis, the Season 3 champion ascended to 10th before settling into a rhythm as the race evolved.
Mortara maintained the lead at the head of the field, meanwhile, and activated his first Attack Mode with 22 minutes remaining to fall to second before repassing Lotterer one lap later.
After running as high as eighth, a slow puncture forced Lucas to pit and later retire from the race to leave Mortara as ROKiT Venturi Racing’s sole challenger.
Opting to overcut Stoffel Vandoorne and André Lotterer on race strategy, Mortara repassed the pair with only seven minutes remaining after activating Attack Mode for the final time.
Despite facing pressure from behind, the Swiss-Italian defended his lead to extend his advantage to 1.787 seconds in the closing laps to take his fourth Formula E victory and second of the season.
“Edo was flawless today and converted his first Formula E pole position into what proved to be a dominant win,” team principal Jerome D’Ambrosio, said. “Because of the nature of the circuit and energy consumption, it is not easy to lead a race here in Berlin but he drove an incredible race from start to finish.”
He continued: “On the other side, Lucas, unfortunately, had a slow puncture from the beginning of the race and he did very well to recover to the top 10 under those circumstances.
“His pace was very strong but eventually, the car became undrivable, today we have shown the pace that we’re truly capable of and let’s try to repeat this result in Race Two, hopefully with both cars scoring strong finishes.”
Mortara added: “I think we can be very happy about how we executed the race today, it was amazing to take my first pole position in qualifying, especially after coming close to it quite a few times this season.”
He continued: “Because energy consumption is quite high in Berlin, it is always difficult to lead because it allows the guys behind to under consume with the slipstream.
“For that reason, it was mega that we were able to keep the lead for the entire time and be able to build a gap so we could take both Attack Modes without losing too much track position.
“Coming off the back of two DNFs, it was important to have a good result this weekend and I hope we can be strong again tomorrow,” he added.
Di Grassi, his teammate said: "Qualifying was very tight today and we didn’t improve on the second run, starting from 13th we knew we had good pace to finish top 5, unfortunately a puncture in Lap 2 finished our race early and we had to retire. We fight back tomorrow."
By scoring 28 points, Edo holds fourth in the World Drivers’ Championship with 77 points while ROKiT Venturi Racing advanced to third in the Teams’ Standings on 114 points.
The 2022 Berlin E-Prix double-header will continue on Sunday, 15 May, with a race on the clockwise configuration of the Tempelhof Circuit.
NEWCASTLE: Eddie Howe has revealed that Newcastle United will take a slightly altered summer transfer approach in contrast to their January window raid. The Magpies added five players in the winter window to become the biggest spenders in world football as they added Bruno Guimaraes, Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, Matt Targett, and Chris Wood. While hardened Premier League experience was required for a relegation battle, United do not expect to be in the same kind of fight next season, especially as their current form is more Champions League than championship. And as a result, Howe is expecting to be able to add a different type of player when the window opens in the Premier League on June 10 — with bringing down the average age of the squad paramount. “Yeah, definitely,” said the head coach when asked whether younger players would be targeted. “I think January, in a specific window, we felt we needed Premier League experience, Premier League-ready, and we couldn’t take chances on younger players with different levels and who would take time to adapt to the team. We were after a very specific player in January. I think that changes now. “We need to look at the age of the squad, it goes without saying that every year the squad gets a year older. Before you know it, if you’re not careful you can become imbalanced, and that’s something we need to consider and think about going forward.” While Guimaraes and Targett are both in their mid-twenties, Burn and Wood, both 30, and Trippier, 31, are at the more experienced end of the spectrum. Howe is not ruling out some experienced additions this summer — with Leicester City and Denmark’s Kaspar Schmeichel linked in recent days — however, younger models are preferred. He said: “I think it’s all about balance and I think it’s about the positions, so that’s not to say we won’t sign experienced players. It is what the position needs and requires, rather than necessarily the age of the player. “But I am aware that we have a number of players who are of a certain age, 30 or above, and you’ve got to be careful, you’ve got to look at it and make sure you’re not too weighted in one direction because that can have a negative impact on performances. It’s something we’re very aware of.” Evolution not revolution has been the mantra Howe has adopted of late as he attempts to bat away any unrealistic expectations about the summer ahead. Links to world stars are unlikely to even be considered — Juventus’ Paulo Dybala is one of the latest names to crop up in conversations — although that does not stop the tabloids from coming to the same conclusion. Quality not quantity is another rule set for United’s transfer brokers this summer. But just how many players will walk through the door at St. James’ Park? “It’s difficult to tell. There are so many unknowns, but yeah, I’m always a firm believer that you don’t want to make too many changes. Too many incomings can have a negative effect on the group. Those numbers were right for January and that was what the team needed,” said Howe. “There weren’t too many where we lost our feel. The feel was enhanced by the players we brought in. Their attitudes and mentality was very good and instantly you felt the uplift from those players. That’s not always the case when you sign new players. The balance can be rocked. I have to be mindful of that this summer. “That is a good line, evolution not revolution. I’ve adopted it and I continue to use it.” Guimaraes and Allan Saint-Maximin have both gone public in recent weeks with recommendations of players they’d love to see United and Howe target. While Bruno went for fellow Brazil international Lucas Paqueta, ASM would love to see Ludovic Blas, of Nantes, in black and white stripes next season. Does Howe take their player tips on board? He said: “I have signed players from many different sources over the years, in many different ways. I’ve never cut off any recommendation from anybody. But of course, I’d have to go through the right process of watching and analyzing the player to see if he’s right for the team. “I’m aware of Bruno’s relationship, not just with him (Paqueta) but many of his ex-players. Certainly, it helps to have players play at the very highest level because those relationships and opinions can be very valuable.”
BERLIN: Robert Lewandowski banged in his 35th league goal on the final day of the Bundesliga season Saturday as Bayern Munich contradicted reports their top-scoring striker could join Barcelona this summer. “’Lewy’ has a contract until June 2023,” Bayern director Hasan Salihamidzic said before Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Wolfsburg. “There have been no conversations between Bayern Munich and other clubs. Our position is clear.” Bayern insist Lewandowski will stay, yet German media outlets claim the 33-year-old has refused to sign an extension and wants to join Barcelona for next season. A crisp Lewandowski header from a Thomas Mueller cross put Bayern 2-0 up after defender Josip Stanisic netted his first Bundesliga goal for the visitors. Wolfsburg clawed their way back as Danish forward Jonas Wind scored, then veteran striker Max Kruse levelled for the hosts. Erling Haaland signed off his final appearance for second-placed Borussia Dortmund in a 2-1 home win over Hertha Berlin. The Norwegian star is set to complete a long-awaited move to Manchester City for next season. Haaland equalized from the penalty spot in the second half to cancel out Ishak Belfodil’s early goal for Hertha at Signal Iduna Park. Dortmund’s 17-year-old striker Youssoufa Moukoko came off the bench and grabbed the winner, just seconds after replacing Axel Witsel. The defeat pushed Hertha into 16th, which means a relegation play-off against the team which finishes third in the second division, currently Hamburg. There were dramatic scenes in Stuttgart where Japan midfielder Wataru Endo scored a stoppage-time winner to seal a 2-1 win over Cologne. The win saw Stuttgart claw their way to 15th and guaranteed survival next season. Stuttgart striker Sasa Kalajdzic made amends for having a first-half penalty saved by heading in the resulting corner 26 seconds later. Cologne equalized when veteran French striker Anthony Modeste headed in his 20th goal of the season until Endo struck. Stuttgart fans stormed the pitch at the final whistle to kick off the celebrations. Cologne finish seventh to qualify for the Europa Conference League. Union Berlin will play in the Europa League next season after finishing fifth after Nigeria striker Taiwo Awoniyi netted twice to seal a 3-2 win. Union raced into a 2-0 lead as Grischa Proemel gave the hosts an early lead before Awoniyi converted a penalty. Bochum roared back as Simon Zoller headed in a goal, then Eduard Loewen levelled before Awoniyi grabbed a late winner. Freiburg finished sixth and punched their Europa League ticket despite losing 2-1 at Bayer Leverkusen, whose Argentinian defender Exequiel Palacios scored the winner seven minutes into stoppage time. Arminia Bielefeld joined Greuther Fuerth in being relegated from Germany’s top flight despite a 1-1 draw at RB Leipzig, who finished fourth and qualified for the Champions League. Germany midfielder Jonas Hofmann scored twice as Borussia Moenchengladbach thrashed Hoffenheim 5-1. Brazil defender Tutu and Colombia striker Rafael Borre hit the net as Eintracht Frankfurt tuned up for Wednesday’s Europa League final against Rangers with a 2-2 draw at Mainz.
MADRID: Eden Hazard will stay at Real Madrid next season as the Belgian is determined to prove his worth after a nightmare three years, Carlo Ancelotti said on Saturday. Hazard was one of the best players in the world when he joined Real Madrid for an initial 100 million euros in 2019 but he has been plagued by injury problems since moving to Spain. The 31-year-old underwent surgery on his right ankle at the end of March in the hope of solving the latest in a long line of fitness issues. Even when available this season, Hazard has been reduced to a bit-part role in the team but Ancelotti insists the plan is not for him to leave this summer. “We haven’t spoken about that, the plan is quite clear,” Ancelotti said in a press conference. “He has a lot of motivation because he hasn’t had a good time these last few years and he wants to show all of his quality, which for many reasons he hasn’t been able to do.” Hazard is available again and could face Cadiz on Sunday after his latest operation removed a metal plate that was inserted to stabilize his ankle in March 2020. But he faces a fight to establish himself in Real Madrid’s starting line-up next season, with Vinicius Junior emerging as one of the team’s most explosive players this term and Kylian Mbappe expected to arrive from Paris Saint-Germain this summer. “With a squad like Real Madrid’s you always play a lot of games,” Ancelotti said. “There’s tiredness and we will rotate, even if we haven’t much this year. “I think the quantity of minutes isn’t so important, it’s about the quality,” Ancelotti added. “We have a clear example in Rodrygo. He hasn’t played a lot of minutes but he’s played with great quality and made the difference.” Ancelotti said Karim Benzema will be rested against Cadiz, despite the Frenchman being one goal away from overtaking Raul in the list of Real Madrid’s all-time scorers. Benzema and Raul are level on 323 goals for Madrid, behind only Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 450. Vinicius and Thibaut Courtois will also sit out for the La Liga champions as Ancelotti looks to keep his players fresh for the Champions League final against Liverpool on May 28. “I will give them a rest because they deserve it,” Ancelotti said.
China ended weeks of speculation and officially withdrew from hosting the 2023 AFC Asian Cup on Saturday, the continent’s football confederation said.
The announcement sparked speculation over which country will be named as the replacement, with Qatar expected to take over.
The decision came as no surprise as China struggles to contain the spread of COVID-19. In the past few weeks, the East Asian Football Championships, due to be held in July, had been switched to Japan, while the 2022 Asian Games, due to take place in Hangzhou in September, were postponed.
“The Asian Football Confederation acknowledges the exceptional circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the relinquishment by China PR of its hosting rights,” the AFC said in a statement.
It added that China “had made this very difficult but necessary decision in the collective interests of the AFC Asian Cup 2023, which has also provided the AFC the required time to assess the situation regarding the hosting of the AFC Asian Cup 2023.”
The focus now is on where and when the 2023 Asian Cup will be held. Qatar are front-runners to step in and stage the competition in January 2024. The 2022 World Cup host will have the stadiums, facilities and know-how to do the job.
However, the decision will not be taken in isolation as there is 2027 to consider. Qatar and Saudi Arabia are front-runners in the bidding for that tournament, ahead of India and Iran. If Qatar replace China then the coast will then be clear for Saudi Arabia to stage the following competition three years later. This is currently the most-talked about solution at the AFC, and would be acceptable to both Qatar and Saudi Arabia, but there are still issues to iron out.
It would mean three consecutive tournaments in West Asia: The UAE in 2019, Qatar in 2023 and Saudi Arabia in 2027. That would not go down well in some parts of the continent. Perhaps the ideal solution would be for South Korea, who originally planned to bid for the 2023 Asian Cup but withdrew in favor of China, to step in either alone or with Japan.
However, an official at the Korea Football Association told Arab News that while they would have discussions in the wake of China’s withdrawal, it is unlikely that they will rekindle their earlier efforts.
Japan seems to be even less enthusiastic — neither politicians nor the general population seem especially interested in staging a huge tournament with COVID-19 still lingering. East Asia, which has not hosted the tournament since 2004, may not be happy at the prospect of the tournament becoming a Western affair, but just does not have the will to do anything about it.
Southeast Asia could be another option, as in 2007 when Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand came together, but it is unlikely they would be able to get themselves organized in time even if the desire was there. China may want the 2027 tournament, but is not in a position to be making any demands.
Time is of the essence. China have given up the tournament over a year before it was due to kick off and this was because of the AFC’s insistence on either a guarantee or a withdrawal. Organizing a 24-nation competition takes time, which is why the confederation will want a replacement announced sooner rather than later. It will not be a major problem if the tournament is held in January 2024 as that gives a few extra months to prepare.
The continent’s flagship tournament appears to be coming back to West Asia sooner than expected, but there are sure to be some deep discussions at the AFC Congress due to be held on Wednesday.