Spain World Cup win, US woes blow Olympic basketball wide open

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics basketball suddenly looks wide open after reigning champions the United States suffered their worst World Cup, Spain triumphed and Argentina surprised.

World Cup bronze medallists France, and Australia, who were edged out of the medals but pushed eventual winners Spain all the way in the semi-finals, will also be in contention.


And not forgetting Serbia, who along with Gregg Popovich’s young Team USA were the favourites in China but were also surprise victims in the quarter-finals.

The Tokyo Games are just over 10 months away and after some downtime following their exertions at the World Cup, teams will begin training their sights on next summer.

“It’s exactly what I knew it to be because I’ve been involved with it before and in this day and age basketball in other countries is not a secret,” Popovich said after his team’s disappointing seventh-placed finish.

“So it’s not like there’s an epiphany or revelation to be made.


“There are wonderful teams and wonderful coaches all over the world so there’s no surprise in any of that.”

If the United States can convince the likes of double gold medallist LeBron James to play in Tokyo, they will be favourites to make it four Olympic titles in a row.

But it remains to be seen whether the flak flying Team USA’s way after the China debacle scares the A-listers away or stings them into action.

‘Spain not the most talented’

Spain’s World Cup triumph, sealed with a comprehensive 95-75 victory over surprise finalists Argentina on Sunday in Beijing, was built on defence and teamwork honed from playing together down the years.

They also had Ricky Rubio, the Phoenix Suns point guard who was named tournament MVP, and the experience and international knowhow of Marc Gasol.


Rubio described the Spain team as “a family”.

In contrast, the US roster was one of the youngest in China and was thrown together at the last minute. The players were still getting to know each other as the tournament began.

“We were not the tallest or most talented, or in the odds when the tournament started, but we worked hard,” said Spain’s coach Sergio Scariolo, an assistant at NBA champions the Toronto Raptors.

“They didn’t lose faith in themselves, and basketball rewarded them.”

Disappointment fires Australia

Australia brought the Americans’ run of 78 consecutive wins in major competitions and exhibition games to an end just before the World Cup, a forewarning of what was to come.

The Boomers led Spain for much of their thrilling semi-final, only to lose in double overtime. They similarly ran out of gas in their bronze-medal match against France.

It left Australia still searching for a medal in the worlds or Olympics — a barren run that they hope they can finally snap next summer.

Mitch Creek, their forward, hopes that the Boomers will have all their players for Tokyo — they were missing Philadelphia 76ers Jonah Bolden and Ben Simmons in China.

“This team is going to be a very powerful team when it comes to the Olympic Games,” he warned.

The Australians are still simmering from their one-point defeat to Spain in the bronze-medal match at Rio 2016.


“We haven’t forgotten about the previous Olympics, the fourth place there,” he said.

“And we’re certainly not going to forget about this World Cup campaign.

“So there’s a lot we can take out of this and build upon.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Gasol gets historic double, Spain dominates Argentina for Fiba World Cup gold

BEIJING — Spain has captured its second World Cup championship, defeating Argentina 95-75 on Sunday to give Marc Gasol a rare double-title year.

Tournament MVP Ricky Rubio scored 20 points and Sergio Llull added 15 for Spain (8-0), the ninth team to make it through a World Cup or world championship unbeaten. Gasol scored 14 for the winners, who never trailed.

For Gasol, it was historic.

The Toronto Raptors center becomes the second player to win an NBA title and a FIBA world gold medal in the same year, joining Lamar Odom — who did it for the Los Angeles Lakers and USA Basketball in 2010.

Gasol is also the 19th to win either an NBA or WNBA crown along with a gold medal, either of the Olympic or World Cup variety, in the same year. And he’s the first to accomplish that feat while representing a nation other than the U.S.

When Spain won its first title in 2006, it was Pau Gasol — Marc’s older brother — leading the way. This time, it was the not-so-little brother who led his nation to gold, hoisting the World Cup trophy three months after getting his hands on the NBA’s Larry O’Brien Trophy for the first time.


Gabriel Deck scored 24 points for Argentina (8-1), which got off to a slow start and played uphill the rest of the way. Luis Scola was held to eight points, shooting 1 for 10 from the floor.

Spain led 43-31 at the half, riding the strength of two big runs.

Spain ran out to a quick 14-2 lead, only to have Argentina answer with an 11-0 spurt. But when that ended, Spain came back with a 17-1 run and took what was then its biggest lead at 31-14.

Scola, even at 39 years old still Argentina’s best player throughout the tournament, didn’t get on the scoresheet until he made a pair of free throws with 2:57 left in the third. But they only cut the Spain lead to 19, and by then the Argentinian fans — who stood in the stands a few rows from their team’s bench, singing and chanting for much of the game — were relatively quiet.

They probably had a good idea what was coming.


There was one last gasp from Argentina, an 11-4 run to open the fourth quarter and cut Spain’s lead to 12 with 6:30 left. But Llull’s three-point play on the next Spain possession pushed the lead back to 15.

TIP-INS

Argentina: This was the third FIBA World Cup medal for Argentina, making it the fifth nation with that many after the United States (12), Yugoslavia (10), the Soviet Union (eight) and Brazil (six). Another four nations have two medals, including Spain. … Argentina fell to 2-8 all-time against Spain in World Cup or Olympic competition.

Spain: It was the fourth consecutive FIBA title game to be decided by double digits. … It was also a double-title year for Spain coach Sergio Scariolo; he’s an assistant on Nick Nurse’s staff in Toronto. … Everything went Spain’s way early — even air balls. Rudy Fernandez took a corner 3 that sailed long by about two feet, landing in the hands of Juancho Hernangomez. He laid in the miss to start a three-point play, part of Spain’s 14-2 game-opening run.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

Joining Rubio on the all-tournament team were Gasol, Scola, France’s Evan Fournier and Serbia’s Bogdan Bogdanovic.

DIGNITARIES

Among the big names in attendance on the final day of the World Cup: Chinese basketball legend Yao Ming, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, FIBA ambassador and five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant, and Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili — both four-time NBA champions with San Antonio.

5 WITH 2

Spain is the fifth nation to win the World Cup (or its predecessor, the world championship) at least twice. The U.S. and Yugoslavia are five-time champions, the Soviet Union won three titles and Brazil has won two.


UP NEXT

Argentina: Qualified for 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Spain: Qualified for 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Luis Scola moves into No. 2 spot on Fiba World Cup scoring list

At 39, Luis Scola is not slowing down.

He’s moving up.

Scola climbed into the No. 2 spot on FIBA’s all-time World Cup scoring list on Monday, his 23 points helping Argentina hold off Nigeria 94-81 in a Group B game at Wuhan, China, to clinch a berth in the second round.

Scola — whose five World Cup appearances are tied for the most by any player — also had 10 rebounds for Argentina (2-0). He’s up to 611 points in his World Cup career, passing Australia’s Andrew Gaze’s total of 594, and is now second only to Brazilian scoring great Oscar Schmidt’s 906 points in the tournament.

“As I have said before, this is more than a game to me,” Scola said. “I love representing my country.”

Gaze, working in China as a broadcaster for this World Cup, offered a congratulatory message when Scola passed him on the scoring list.


“You’re a champion,” Gaze said. “You’ve dedicated yourself to the national team for many years and I can’t be more happy for you and your achievement.”

Scola was the youngest player on Argentina’s team that went to the 2002 world championships, the precursor to the World Cup.

Those days are long gone.

He’s now the oldest player on Argentina’s roster by more than 11 years, with the second-oldest being 28-year-old Facundo Campazzo. Of the 384 players in this World Cup, only 40-year-old Angola forward Eduardo Mingas and 39-year-old Brazil forward Alex Garcia are older than Scola. Garcia has him by just about two months.

Monday was Scola’s 35th career World Cup game, and his 29th reaching double figures in scoring.


“He’s our leader,” Campazzo said.

Josh Okogie led Nigeria (0-2) with 18 points.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Jonas brother testifies at FIFA bribery trial about concert

NEW YORK — The United States trial of three former South American soccer officials charged in the FIFA corruption scandal took another odd twist on Thursday with surprise testimony by pop star Kevin Jonas about attending a Paul McCartney show in Argentina.

Prosecutors called the former member of the Jonas Brothers to bolster earlier testimony by a government cooperator that one of the defendants, Juan Angel Napout, had been bribed with pricey McCartney tickets in 2010. The defense had questioned whether the concert ever took place.

Jonas, 30, did not have personal knowledge about Napout or the bribes but confirmed the ex-Beatle had performed at River Plate Stadium two days before a Jonas Brothers show at the same venue, just as prosecutors contended.

“Any time you get to see Paul McCartney it is pretty special,” the onetime teen heartthrob told a jury in federal court in Brooklyn when asked by Assistant US Attorney Kristin Mace how he liked the show.

Asked on cross-examination to name the song McCartney opened with, Jonas responded, “We actually arrived two songs late. The traffic is kind of bad going with 85,000 people to one concert.”

According to a set list archive on McCartney’s website, the opener was “Magical Mystery Tour.”

Jonas’ appearance — unannounced until he took the witness stand and lasting perhaps three minutes — took less time than lawyers’ arguments over whether he should be there in the first place. Defense attorneys argued that calling him as a witness would create a needless spectacle. But the judge agreed with Mace’s position that it was necessary to hear from “somebody in the audience to establish one fact.”

The episode came at a trial that has seen a juror dismissed for sleeping, and defendant Manuel Burga was accused of threatening another cooperator over testimony about tens of millions in bribes paid to soccer officials. Prosecutors said Burga stared at the witness and ran his fingers across his throat in a slicing motion, prompting the judge to place further restrictions on his house arrest even though Burga’s lawyer claimed his client merely had an itch.

Napout, former president of Paraguay’s soccer federation; Burga, ex-president of Peru’s federation; and Jose Maria Marin, former president of Brazil’s federation, have pleaded not guilty to charges they participated in a vast conspiracy involving tens of millions in bribes paid in exchange for help winning lucrative commercial rights to the World Cup and other major tournaments.

The Jonas Brothers broke up in 2013. The New Jersey siblings formed the band in 2005 and built a fan base through their connection to the Disney Channel.                       /kga

source: entertainment.inquirer.net

Messi lifts Argentina, Sanchez saves Chile in World Cup qualifiers

The first four in South American qualifiers have automatic qualifying positions for the next World Cup and the fifth will be in an international playoff for a spot.

The home victory eased some of the pressure on coach Edgardo Bauza, who received the dreaded vote of support from Argentina’s football association during the week.

In Santiago, Alexis Sanchez scored twice after returning from injury to give Chile a 3-1 win over Uruguay. Chile is now fourth, with 20 points, and Uruguay remained second with 23.

Leaders Brazil beat eighth place Peru 2-0 in Lima to move closer to securing a spot at Russia 2018. Teenage striker Gabriel Jesus, who will soon move to Manchester City, scored his fifth goal in six games for the five-time World Cup champions.

Elsewhere, third-placed Ecuador beat bottom-of-the -group Venezuela 3-0 at home and now has 20 points. Venezuela was stuck on five.

Ninth-placed Bolivia had a 1-0 victory over seventh place Paraguay and now has seven points. Paraguay is on 15.

The 13th round of South American World Cup qualifiers will be played in March 2017.

ARGENTINA 3-0 COLOMBIA

Messi opened the score with a perfect free kick to the left of Colombia goalkeeper David Ospina, on 9 minutes.

Only 13 minutes later, Messi managed to dribble through the Colombian defense and cross to striker Lucas Pratto, a contentious choice by coach Bauza ahead of Juventus targetman Gonzalo Higuain.

Argentina could have scored many more goals in the second half, with Messi still leading the efforts. The third only came at 83 minutes after the Barcelona star began a play with a backheel kick. Seconds later he stole the ball from a Colombia defender, cut into the penalty area and put in a smooth low cross he found Angel Di Maria, who effortlessly scored.

Colombia’s coach Jose Pekerman said his team clearly felt the absence of two key defenders: suspended Oscar Murillo and injured Yerry Mina.

After the defeat against Brazil, Messi openly said he was disappointed with Argentina’s performance, and used an expletive to say the team needed to improve to qualify for Russia 2018. On Tuesday, with an increased box-to-box awareness throughout the match, Messi led by example rather than words.

Words were also in short supply after the game. On behalf of the whole team, Messi said no players would speak to the press, in response to a wave of criticism in Argentinian media.

CHILE 3-1 URUGUAY

Uruguay scored first against Chile, through South American qualifiers top goalscorer Edinson Cavani, at 16 minutes.

But Chile, the Copa America champions, responded to pull one of their best wins in the tournament so far. That was largely thanks to a superb performance by Arsenal striker Alexis Sanchez, who returned from injury, scored a brace and is now just one goal short of Marcelo Salas as the top goalscorer ever for La Roja.

The beginning of the turnaround began with striker Eduardo Vargas nodding a cross from the left to level the score in the dying moments of the first half. At 60 minutes Uruguayan goalkeeper Fernando Muslera failed to save a powerful shot by Sanchez from the edge of the box. At 75, Sanchez scored again, in a smooth finish in front of Muslera.

Uruguay had a chance to make it 3-2, but Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo stopped a penalty taken by striker Luis Suarez.

Chile and Uruguay will each carry a major problem for their next match in South American qualifiers, which could be critical to both. Chile will not have midfielder Arturo Vidal against Argentina and Uruguay will miss Suarez against Brazil.

PERU 0-2 BRAZIL

Brazil did not need to be at its best in securing a 2-0 victory over Peru in Lima; the sixth in a row for the leaders of the South American qualifiers under new coach Tite.

After a lackluster first half, Brazil went ahead in the 57th minute when Peru’s defense gave the ball away inside the penalty box to 19-year-old Gabriel Jesus, who made an easy and calm finish.

In the 77th minute, the Peruvian defense again was at fault, allowing Jesus to set up midfielder Renato Augusto for another simple finish.

Brazil ends the year with 27 points, which was enough to qualify in other editions of the South American qualifiers. Only months ago it was lagging sixth under previous coach Dunga.

Peru, who started dreaming of going to their first World Cup in 32 years after a 4-1 victory at Paraguay last week, will stay at eighth position with 14 points.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Messi Argentina return in doubt, Aguero out injured

Lionel Messi’s return to international duty with Argentina could be delayed by a groin injury his club side Barcelona stated on Monday.

Messi was set to return for the two-time world champions’ World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Venezuela after reversing his shock decision to retire from international football in June.

“The player will travel to Argentina to join his national team and the development of the pain (he is suffering) will determine his availability for the scheduled matches,” Barca said in a statement.

Argentina have already suffered a double injury blow as Sergio Aguero and Javier Pastore pulled out of the squad on Monday.

Aguero injured himself in Manchester City’s 3-1 victory against West Ham at the weekend. He has pulled a muscle in his left calf, according to the Argentine federation’s medical staff.

Paris Saint-Germain’s attacking midfielder Pastore also misses out due to a torn right calf muscle.

Messi had announced his international retirement after Argentina lost in the Copa America Centenario final against Chile on penalties, Messi crucially missing his penalty in the shoot out.

It was the third time Messi’s Argentina had lost a major final in three years after a 1-0 World Cup final defeat to Germany in 2014 and another penalty shootout reverse to Chile in the 2015 Copa America.

The five-time World Player of the Year reversed his decision three weeks ago after new Argentina manager Edgardo Bauza payed him a visit in Spain to change his mind.

Argentina host Uruguay in Mendoza on Thursday before travelling to face Venezuela in a second World Cup qualifier on September 6.

Argentina sit third out of 10 teams in South American qualifying after six of 18 rounds of matches. The top four automatically qualify for the World Cup in Russia.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Argentina finally scores a few goals, edges Chile 2-1

SANTIAGO, Chile—Argentina, which had scored only two goals in its first four South American World Cup qualifiers, scored that many in the first 24 minutes Thursday in a 2-1 victory over Chile.

Argentina improved to eight points in five matches with a strong victory over Chile, which won last year’s Copa America—the continental championship.

Argentina was the runner-up in the 2014 World Cup, but has been below par qualifying for Russia in 2018.

Felipe Gutierrez scored for Chile in the 10th minute, but Angel di Maria leveled in the 19th and Gabriel Mercado got another five minutes later.

It was a bad start in qualifying for new Chile coach Juan Antonio Pizzi, who replaced Jorge Sampaoli.

Ecuador, the leader in South American qualifying, salvaged a 2-2 draw with Paraguay on Angel Mena’s equalizer in second-half stoppage time. Ecuador improved to 13 points in five matches. Paraguay improved to eight, happy to get away with a point at 2,850 meters (9.350 feet) in Quito.

Enner Valencia gave Ecuador a 1-0 lead in the 19th, but Dario Lezcano scored the next two in the 37th and 58th to give Paraguay hope of a victory.

In La Paz, Bolivia, Edwin Cardona scored in second-half stoppage time to give Colombia a 3-2 victory over Bolivia.

Colombia improved to seven points and Bolivia stayed near the bottom of the standings with three.

James Rodriguez and Carlos Bacca scored first half goals, but Bolivia rallied in the second half as Colombia got tired in the thin air in La Paz located 3,600 meters (11,800 feet) above sea level. Juan Arce and Alejandro Chumacero scored, before Cardoza netted the winning goal for the visitors.

Raul Ruidiaz scored in second-half stoppage time to salvage a 2-2 draw for Peru at home to Venezuela. A first-half penalty from Romulo Otero and Mikel Villanueva’s 57th minute strike gave the visitors a 2-0 lead before Paolo Guerrero reduced the deficit in the 61st.

Uruguay play away to Brazil on Friday in the northeastern city of Recife.

In the next series of matches Tuesday, it’s: Colombia vs. Ecuador, Uruguay vs. Peru, Argentina vs. Bolivia, Venezuela vs. Chile and Paraguay vs. Brazil.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Argentina starts talks with ‘vulture’ creditors

NEW YORK, United States—Argentina’s new government began negotiations with hedge fund creditors Monday, amid reports it wants them to write off up to a quarter of their bonds to settle a long-running dispute.

Finance Secretary Luis Caputo arrived Monday morning at the New York offices of the US court-appointed mediator Daniel Pollack in a fresh effort to end a debt battle rooted in the country’s $100 billion default in 2001.

Major Argentine newspaper Clarin said the government, which took office in December, planned to propose a 15 percent cut in the debt. Business newspaper El Cronista meanwhile reported that the reduction sought would be about 25 percent.

“We don’t expect any news today,” said Caputo as he arrived for the talks.

Argentina’s access to global financial markets has been tightly restricted for years due to the dispute with the hedge funds demanding to be paid the full value of the bonds they hold, even though some 93 percent of the country’s creditors accepted hefty write-downs of their bonds in debt restructurings years ago.

In 2012 a New York court backed the claim for 100 percent payouts sought by the hedge funds, NML Capital and Aurelius Capital Management.

But Argentina’s former leftist president Cristina Kirchner refused to negotiate, branding them “vultures.”

Buenos Aires said the funds bought up Argentine debt cheaply around the time of the default and then refused to take part in the restructuring.

Kirchner though was replaced in December by a new conservative president, Mauricio Macri, who is seeking warmer foreign relations and has vowed to strike an agreement.

Even so, a deal would challenge the country’s finances. The hedge funds together with other so-called holdouts are claiming about $10 billion in total, which the court ruled had to be paid before Buenos Aires repays any other creditors.

On Friday a group of New York banks agreed to lend the country $5 billion to strengthen its foreign currency reserves, hit in part by the Macri government’s move in December to devalue the currency.

That would increase the reserves to around $30 billion, still relatively small for the size of the Argentine economy.

Macri has rolled back various protectionist policies of his predecessors, lifting currency and export controls and eliminating electricity subsidies.

He said such measures are necessary to make the economy competitive. His critics warn they will hurt poorer Argentines.

source: business.inquirer.net

World Cup: Germany not expecting any more Argentine gifts

Germany have been given a helping hand by opponents Argentina in beating them at the last two World Cups but they do not expect any more South American gifts in Sunday's (Monday, PHL time) final at the Maracana.

Their 2006 quarter-final win came after Argentina took a second-half lead but then replaced playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme with the more defensive Esteban Cambiasso while Lionel Messi was kept on the bench.

Germany seized the initiative, drew level and then won on penalties amid huge criticism of Argentina coach Jose Pekerman.

Four years ago, Germany took advantage of Diego Maradona's coaching naivety and cavalier approach as they tore the Argentines apart 4-0 again in the last eight.

Germany coach Joachim Loew and his opposite number Alejandro Sabella agree that Argentina have progressed since then.

"Our team is more conservative than four years ago, we are looking to triumph via a different path," Sabella told reporters on Saturday. "The teams are different although most of the players are the same.

"We'll give our all as always, with sacrifice, humility, hard work, being down to earth, giving before receiving, protecting one another, so that Argentina can be a champion again. We will do our best. More than that we cannot do."

ATTACKING POWERS

Loew said that Argentina were much more than Messi.

"They have other attacking powers like Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria. This team does not live solely on Messi. They have a good compact organisation, better than in 2010," he said.

"They can pressure opponents with their first line of attack early on, but they also sometimes fall back, and what is also one of their strengths - through defending and ball possession they bring Messi, Di Maria and Aguero quickly into the game."

"They can be behind the ball with eight or nine and then launch quick attacks."

Germany will be trying to win the World Cup for the fourth time, and also become the first European team to win the title in South America, while Argentina are aiming for a third crown.

The teams have already met in two finals with Argentina winning in 1986 and Germany getting revenge four years later.

Despite being among the most successful sides in their respective continents, neither team has won a trophy recently.

Germany's last success was at Euro 96 in England while Argentina won the 1993 Copa America in Ecuador.

Germany are favorites, having hammered Portugal 4-0 in the group stage and Brazil 7-1 in the last four, while Argentina managed five successive single-goal wins before edging past the Netherlands on penalties in Wednesday's semi-final. - Reuters

source: gmanetwork.com