Messi, Suarez inspires Barca to 3-1 comeback victory over Real Vallecano

Agencies
March 10, 2019

Madrid, Mar 10: Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez might have been rested but instead both played and scored as Barcelona came from behind to beat Rayo Vallecano, ahead of their crunch Champions League second leg against Lyon.

Raul de Tomas' scintillating strike gave struggling Rayo a surprise lead at the Camp Nou but Messi converted a penalty and Suarez finished a brilliant passing move to seal a 3-1 win, after Gerard Pique had headed in an equaliser on Saturday.

When Barca kicked off, Atletico Madrid had just completed their own 1-0 victory over Leganes, although Diego Simeone was more cautious, resting Antoine Griezmann, Alvaro Morata and Saul Niguez, with Tuesday's trip to Juventus in mind.

"It is normal when there is an important game on Tuesday," said Simeone, who substituted Griezmann at half-time.

"He was not injured, he had just given all that he had to give." There was always a risk that La Liga's top two might take their eye off the ball, given Barcelona's last 16-tie with Lyon hangs in the balance after a goalless draw in France, while Atletico hold a 2-0 lead over Juve but can expect an onslaught in Turin.

"We have a crucial match on Wednesday," Ernesto Valverde said.

"We know the importance it has for many reasons -- because of the opponent, the competition and because we have seen what has happened to other big teams already."

Yet both avoided slip-ups to leave Real Madrid even further adrift in La Liga before they play away at Real Valladolid on Sunday. Barca stay seven points clear of Atletico and, temporarily at least, move 15 ahead of Real.

Even with a two-goal cushion for the final eight minutes, Ernesto Valverde kept Messi and Suarez on until the end, which may have surprised some, given he was accused of exhausting key players last season at the expense of success in Europe.

Messi's appearance was his 443rd for Barcelona in La Liga, moving him ahead of Andres Iniesta and behind only Xavi Hernandez, on 505, in the club's all-time list.

Samuel Umtiti started his second match in three months after recovering from a knee injury.

"Little by little he is reaching his level," said Valverde.

Entirely forgettable

But Philippe Coutinho was underwhelming again, despite being picked ahead of Ousmane Dembele.

He poked an early chance wide after a Messi cross and De Tomas put Rayo in front soon after, driving at Pique before unleashing a sizzling shot past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Pique headed one Messi free-kick wide and then another in at the near post, nipping in front of Rayo goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski to nod in his sixth goal of the season.

Dembele came on for Arthur Melo at half-time and Coutinho dropped deeper, but it was right-back Nelson Semedo that earned the penalty, after a foul from Jordi Amat. Messi made no mistake.

Rayo's belief, and energy, melted away and Barca's third was their best of the night. Suarez freed Dembele down the right and he found Suarez again with a pull-back. Instead of shooting, Suarez bounced the ball off Ivan Rakitic in the area before finally tapping home.

There was nothing as free-flowing at the Wanda Metropolitano where perhaps the greatest show of creativity came from Leganes, whose players wore shirts with the name of their mothers on their backs to celebrate International Women's Day on Friday.

The first half was almost entirely forgettable but despite the absence of attacking punch, Griezmann came off at half-time for Thomas Lemar, with no visible sign of an injury.

Griezmann would have taken the penalty soon after, won by Angel Correa with some quick feet in the area, which lured Kenneth Omeruo into a clumsy challenge. Saul stepped up and missed, but tucked in the rebound after Andriy Lunin could only push the ball back into his path.

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News Network
June 23,2020

Karachi, Jun 23: Pakistan cricketers Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf and rookie Haider Ali on Monday tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

"The Pakistan Cricket Board has confirmed three players - Haider Ali, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan - have tested positive for Covid-19," said the PCB in a statement.

"The players had shown no symptoms until they were tested in Rawalpindi on Sunday ahead of the Pakistan men's national cricket team's tour to England."

The infected players will go into self-isolation.

"The PCB medical panel is in contact with the three who have been advised to immediately go into self-isolation," the statement said.

Earlier this month, former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi was tested positive for the deadly virus.

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News Network
June 19,2020

Jun 19: The BCCI is open to reviewing its sponsorship policy for the next cycle but has no plans to end its association with current IPL title sponsor Vivo as the money coming in from the Chinese company is helping India's cause and not the other way round, board treasurer Arun Dhumal said on Friday. Anti-China sentiments are running high in India following the border clash between the two countries at Galwan valley earlier this week. The first skirmish at the India-China border in more than four decades left at least 20 Indian soldiers dead. Since then, calls have been made to boycott Chinese products.

But Dhumal said Chinese companies sponsoring an Indian event like the IPL only serve his country's interests.

The BCCI gets Rs 440 crore annually from Vivo and the five-year deal ends in 2022.

"When you talk emotionally, you tend to leave the rationale behind. We have to understand the difference between supporting a Chinese company for a Chinese cause or taking help from Chinese company to support India's cause," Dhumal said.

"When we are allowing Chinese companies to sell their products in India, whatever money they are taking from Indian consumer, they are paying part of it to the BCCI (as brand promotion) and the board is paying 42 per cent tax on that money to the Indian government. So, that is supporting India's cause and not China's," he argued.

Oppo, a mobile phone brand like Vivo, was sponsoring the Indian cricket team until September last year when Bengaluru-based educational technology Byju's start-up replaced the Chinese company.

Dhumal said he is all for reducing dependence on Chinese products but as long as its companies are allowed to do business in India, there is no harm in them sponsoring an Indian brand like the IPL.

"If they are not supporting the IPL, they are likely to take that money back to China. If that money is retained here, we should be happy about it. We are supporting our government with that money (by paying taxes on it)."

"If I am giving a contract to a Chinese company to build a cricket stadium, then I am helping the Chinese economy. GCA built the world's largest cricket stadium at Motera and that contract was given to an Indian company (L&T)," he said.

"Cricketing infrastructure worth thousands of crores was created across country and none of the contract was awarded to a Chinese company."

Dhumal went on to say the BCCI is spoilt for choice when it comes to attracting sponsors, whether Indian or Chinese or from any other nation.

"If that Chinese money is coming to support Indian cricket, we should be okay with it. I am all for banning Chinese products as an individual, we are there to support our government but by getting sponsorship from Chinese company, we are helping India's cause."

"We can get sponsorship money from non-Chinese companies also including Indian firms. We can support our players any way but the idea is when they are allowed to sell their products here, it is better that part of money comes back to the Indian economy."

"The BCCI is not giving money to the Chinese, it is attracting on the contrary. We should make decision based on rationale rather than emotion," he added.

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News Network
February 18,2020

Feb 18: Spinner Poonam Yadav claimed three wickets as India geared up for the ICC women's T20 World Cup with a thrilling two-run win over the West Indies in a low-scoring warm-up match in Brisbane on Tuesday. Electing to bat, India posted a lowly 107/8 in their stipulated 20 overs before returning to restrict the West Indies to 105/7. Chasing 108 to win, West Indies were comfortably placed at 57 for one in 13 overs when Deepti Sharma struck, cleaning up opener Lee-Ann Kirby (42) to trigger a collapse. Soon skipper Stafanie Taylor (16), Chedean Nation (0) and Deandra Dottin (1) were back in the hut as West Indies slipped to 67 for five in the 17th over.

Hayley Matthews (25) and Chinelle Henry (17) blasted three fours and a six in the 19th over to leave them with 11 to get off the last six balls.

Henry blasted Poonam for a four but the Indian dismissed Matthews in the fourth ball.

West Indies needed three runs off the last ball but Henry was caught by Veda Krishnamurthy.

Earlier, India's top-three failed to fire as they were reduced to 17 for three in 3.1 overs.

Opener Smriti Mandhana (4) lasted just six balls, while Jemimah Rodrigues (0) failed to open her account.

Young Shafali Verma blasted a couple of fours before being caught by Britney Cooper off Shamilia Connell (2/20).

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (11), too, didn't stay long, while Krishnamurthy was cleaned up by Afy Fletcher (1/26), as India slumped to 52 for five in 11.2 overs.

Deepti Sharma made a 32-ball 21 before becoming a victim of Anisa Mohammed (2/16), while Pooja Vastrakar (13) was removed by Aaliyah Alleyne (1/9).

Stafanie taylor then got rid of Taniya Bhatia for 10. Shikha Pandey finally smashed a 16-ball 24 to give some respectability to the total.

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