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SPORTS SECTION E

THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 2018

US OPEN, Page 2

Pintard: Bahamas can become Caribbean hub for aspiring MLB players By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

everal initiatives that have been discussed ad nauseam took centre stage for Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Michael Pintard yesterday as he noted the impact his ministry will have on this administration’s budget. In his contribution to the 2018/19 Budget Debate, Pintard addressed several issues in the local sporting community which will be affected by the budget, most notably the stagnant construction of the Andre Rodgers National Baseball Stadium, a restructuring of the national subvention programme and the establishment of national sports academies. Listing the “six pillars” set to reorganise the way

the administration and we have the capacity to the country at large build over the course approaches sports, Minof the next four years. ister Pintard said his One is the baseball administration plans to stadium. complete the construc“The Ministry of tion of the new Andre Youth Sports and CulRodgers National Baseture is the client, the ball Stadium. executing agent is the “We believe that in Ministry of Works, and order to help cultivate Minister of Works is in additional elite athprocess of ensuring that letes, it is important we the funding is available have facilities throughfor us to continue the out the Commonwealth work on the baseball PINTARD of the Bahamas where stadium and to include it is financially feasible. Some additional fields surrounding the work has already begun in this stadium and to install the ‘IT’ regard by previous administra- infrastructure,” he said. tions – Free National Movement “As the public would be aware, and Progressive Liberal Party. we have more than 25 professional Some of those initiatives have baseball players. We believe that stalled because of financial rea- through attracting amateur, high sons, because of inappropriate school as well as collegiate athplanning. We intend to clearly letes, we have a capacity to on a outline which facilities we believe regular basis, stage a wide range

of athletic competitions in the stadium to gradually grow the revenue associated with it, but more importantly to inspire the next generation of Bahamian professionals who we believe will make a mark on the international scene. We also believe we can become the hub in the region for players who are interested in joining MLB teams or competing in other jurisdictions.” The groundbreaking for the stadium’s construction took place on November 7, 2014. Construction has been on hold for over a year with no definitive timeline set to resume or an estimated completion of the project. By establishing proper facilities, the ministry seeks to bring the much talked about National Sports Academies to fruition. “We believe that the ministry has the capacity to help federations, associations and

clubs produce and cultivate elite athletes. “If you look at our budget many of our programmes are organised in a way to accomplish this. Toward this end we believe one key component of our strategy is the establishment of sports academies. Toward this end, we have already appointed a working group that is diligently reviewing all work done previously in the ministry toward this end. “Included in this group, is really in our mind, the architect of the Centres of Excellence, Mr Martin Lundy. We are already making progress in terms of having discussions with existing sports academies to write a memorandum of understanding so that we might support the work they are already engaged in. In addition, we have begun discussions with

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Charlton named Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year By Purdue Athletics WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana – Senior Devynne Charlton was named the Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year, the conference office announced yesterday. The award is voted on by the conference coaches. Charlton won three Big Ten titles and was the NCAA runner-up in the 100-metre hurdles this outdoor season. Charlton’s award is a repeat after also being named the Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year last year. Last month, she repeated as Big Ten Track Athlete of the Championships. She is one of just two women in Big Ten history to win both Big Ten Athlete of the Year and Big Ten Athlete of the Championships awards for the outdoor season in backto-back years. The only other woman to do so was Tonja Buford of Illinois in 1992 and 1993. Charlton capped her career with a first team All-America honour after her second-place finish at the NCAA Championships with a time of 12.77 seconds in the pouring rain. She was the highest finisher on the track of any individual in the conference. At the Big Ten Championships, Charlton defended three titles, as she won the 100-metre dash, 100-metre

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DEVYNNE CHARLTON, of the Purdue University Boilermakers women’s track and field team, competes during the 2017 NCAA National Championships last June in Eugene, Oregon. Charlton was named the Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year, the conference office announced yesterday.

BAAA to host top junior, senior athletes in the Nationals By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net FOR consecutive weekends, the BAAA will host its top athletes at both the junior and senior

levels as they vie for national titles and national team roster spots. Rosamunde Carey, president of the BAAA, began to galvanise support as they announced title sponsors for both the senior and junior meets. First up will be the junior nationals this weekend June 15-16 at the original Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium, sponsored by Caribbean Bottling Company. The championships will serve as a qualifier for the IAAF Junior World Championships, scheduled for July 10-15 in Finland, and the Youth Olympic Games, scheduled for Buenos Aires, Argentina, September 11-23. “We have combined the youth and junior nationals so that we can get more participation and competition from the athletes.

The countdown is on for two action-packed weekends of competitive track and field. “We believe that this year’s nationals will be the most scintillating to date primarily because of the competition between both the senior and junior athletes. But also because of the investment, ingenuity that our featured partners will bring to the table. “Collaboratively, the federation and our corporate citizens have designed a number of events, leading up to and including the championships,” Carey said. “The history of our national championships has been one that has been lost over time by our national trials for athletes to just qualify for national teams, but this new executive has sought to reinstate the original intent for the nationals and that is at the end

of all of your hard work, when you win that medal you will be crowned the national title in that event, you will have the title of national champion for the entire year. That is something that you ought to strive for. Receiving that accolade and applause in front of your home crowd as a national champion,” he said. The Senior nationals are scheduled for June 22-23 at the new Thomas A Robinson National Stadium and will be sponsored by Kalik. “We expect all of our elite athletes to participate in this event,” Carey said. “Even though this is considered an off year, we have a number of international events coming up that we have to field teams to compete in. All of our senior athletes should be here to compete.

The championships will serve as the qualifier for the Central American and Caribbean Games, set for Barranquilla, Colombia, July 20 to August 3 and the NACAC Senior Championships in Toronto, Canada, August 10-12. For the first time, NACAC will be offering prize money for the top finishers in the championships, which is expected to boost the participation of the top athletes in the region to compete. Queswell Ferguson, Kalik brand manager, said as the “beer of the Bahamas” celebrates its 30th anniversary, the partnership with the BAAA allows Commonwealth Brewery to act as a responsible corporate citizen.“Kalik, the beer of the Bahamas, is very pleased to be

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PAGE 2, Thursday, June 14, 2018

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Woods looking for win, the final piece of his return to golf By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) — Tiger Woods returned to the US Open for the first time in three years and hardly anyone noticed. Then again, it was late Sunday afternoon. Shinnecock Hills was practically empty. “A bizarre experience,” said Jordan Spieth, who played nine holes with him. Such a quiet moment was rare for Woods in his celebrated return following four back surgeries. A year that began with intrigue soon gave way to hysteria over anticipation of his first victory in nearly five years. That time has not arrived as Woods heads into the second major of the year. “Golf is always frustrating,” Woods said Tuesday after going nine holes with Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau, winners of the last two PGA Tour events. “There’s always something that isn’t quite right, and that’s where we as players have to make adjustments. You’ve seen the tournaments I’ve played this year. There’s always something. Hopefully, this is one of those weeks where I put it all together and even it out. And we’ll see what happens.” It has been 10 years since Woods won his last US Open, his 14th and last major. All it takes for him to temper any frustrations is to look back at last year, when he didn’t know if he

would even play another US Open. He was at a low point in his career and his personal life. While recovering from fusion surgery — his fourth surgery on his back in three years — he was arrested on a DUI charge and found to have a mixture of two painkillers, the sleeping aid Ambien, the anti-anxiety drug Xanax and the active ingredient for marijuana in his system. He entered a clinic to get help and pleaded guilty to a reckless driving charge that kept him out of jail. Asked about the video of his arrest and how his life has changed, Woods replied, “It’s gotten better.” That seems like longer than a year ago because Woods has been such an active part of the PGA Tour again. In some instances, he looks like the same Woods. He hit one drive past Johnson on the par-5 fifth hole Tuesday that left him a 2-iron to the front of the green. He had two chances to win in March, missing a long birdie putt on the last hole in Innisbrook and hitting a drive out-of-bounds on the 16th hole at Bay Hill the following week. But no trophies. No fist pumps. “There’s two ways of looking at that,” Woods said. “I’ve given myself chances to win, which I didn’t know if I was ever going to do again. And then again, not happy with the fact that I didn’t win because I loved how it felt being there. ... And so,

DUSTIN Johnson hits off the fourth tee as Tiger Woods looks on during a practice round for the US Open Golf Championship Tuesday in Southampton, N.Y. The 118th US Open starts today. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) yeah, I’ve had my opportunities. Also, I’m very thankful to have had those opportunities. I didn’t know if I was going to have them again.” What kind of opportunities will Shinnecock Hills offer? Tuesday was the busiest day of practice under a clear sky, warm weather and a course that just about everyone is raving about. Woods played nine holes in the afternoon Sunday and Monday — a change from the days when he would sweep the dew off the grass first thing in the morning — and nine holes Tuesday morning. And while the crowd was relatively sparse for his

morning round, there is no mistaking when Woods is around. Jason Day was on the putting green when only a few people were around. And then suddenly, there was a gathering. “He rolls up and there’s 30 guys on the putting green, and it was hard to do your work,” Day said. “But that’s just the Tiger effect, and everyone wants to see him. Everyone wants to see what he looks like and how big he is or just see, I guess, the myth behind Tiger Woods. ... It is definitely bigger, always bigger when he’s in contention on Sundays. And if he’s in contention this Sunday, then it’s going to be huge.”

Woods last played in the US Open in 2015 at Chambers Bay. He was coming off the highest score of his career, an 85 in the third round at the Memorial, and never stood a chance on the course built over a former gravel pit. He shot rounds of 80-76 and was gone by the weekend, and before long, he was gone from golf with the first of his back surgeries. Three years from his last US Open, five years from his last victory, and so much has changed. Johnson returned to No. 1 in the world with his sixshot victory last week at the St Jude Classic, the 18th of his career, all since Woods

won his last US Open. He replaced Justin Thomas, the PGA champion who turned 25 in April. Woods will play with both of them when the first round begins today. “I can see that there may be a sense of ... this is the last kind of push that he needs for his career,” Day said. “But at the same time, I know that he’s still hungry. I think he’s hungry for that next win and trying to get — not the monkey off his back, because he’s done it so many times — but just coming back and competing and playing well against our generation now. And I think that’s what he’s looking forward to.”

Tiger’s digs for the week is more than a dinghy By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) — Tiger Woods brought his yacht, Privacy, to a US Open in New York and missed the cut for the first time in a major. That was 12 years ago when the Open was at Winged Foot.

He can only hope for a different outcome at Shinnecock Hills. “Staying on the dinghy helps,” Woods said with a grin. The 155-foot yacht is said to include a Jacuzzi, gym and movie theater. It doesn’t sound as though Woods has spent much time ashore except for being at

Shinnecock Hills for his first US Open in three years. “Sag Harbor is a cute little town,” he said. “I’ve only been there for a few days now. I haven’t really got a chance to walk about a little bit, but certainly will this week. So far, it’s been nice to kind of get away from the tournament scene and go there to my

dinghy, and just really enjoy it.” Woods at least has been able to avoid the traffic that has led to commutes of close to two hours from the official hotel depending on the time of morning. Most players have rented homes in the Southampton area. Woods said he stayed with Shinnecock Hills members when he played as an amateur in the 1995 US Open, and near the course in 2004. The Hamptons has no shortage of yachts, and someone suggested to Woods that it must feel odd not to have the biggest ship in New York. “I’m not opposed to that,” Woods said. PLAYOFF FEVER Jordan Spieth now knows that when he’s tied for the lead after 72 holes on Sunday, his work is not done. The USGA has changed its playoff format for all its open championships. If the US Open goes to a playoff, it will be a two-hole aggregate playoff (followed by sudden death if still tied), instead of an 18-hole playoff. Spieth was asked about the two-hole playoff. “It’s the first I’ve heard of that being an option,” he said. “It’s still 18 holes, right?” Wrong. “I guess the strategy changes a little from an entire round, but I honestly had no idea that it even changed,” he said. “I was even looking at a weather forecast for Monday, thinking, ‘What’s it look like if you happen to work your way into a playoff?’ So shows you what I know.” He wasn’t alone. Justin Thomas was asked about the new format and conceded that he wasn’t aware it changed to a twohole aggregate until he was at lunch. It wasn’t clear if he read a memo from the USGA or the transcript of Spieth’s news conference about four hours earlier. BACK TO NO. 2 If you blinked, you might have missed Justin Thomas’ reign atop golf’s world ranking.

The PGA champion took the top spot in May. It’s gone, with Dustin Johnson’s win at Memphis last weekend catapulting him to No. 1, with Thomas just behind. Of course, a win at Shinnecock Hills in the US Open this week would push Thomas back to the top. “It didn’t affect me, or it wasn’t that hard on me because I couldn’t do anything about it,” Thomas said. “I wasn’t playing. I played one tournament and had a good tournament, finished eighth. And D.J. won, so it’s not like he didn’t play well and didn’t earn it or anything. He won a golf tournament and a great tournament. So there’s nothing I can be upset about for that.” Thomas could even laugh a bit about the ranking. “I saw something that was just hysterical on social media,” he explained, “how a lot of the times, you know, when teams or players or whatever it is go on long runs, like the last time this happened. “I mean, a little biased but often a scenario is last time Tennessee beat Alabama in football, you know, like iPhones weren’t alive yet and stuff like that.” So what was Thomas’ “last time” moment? “I saw something so funny yesterday,” he said. “It was like the last time that I wasn’t ranked No. 1 in the world, and it was like (Alex) Ovechkin didn’t have a Stanley Cup and Rickie (Fowler) wasn’t engaged. That was it. I thought it was pretty funny, whoever came up with that.” SPIETH AND HIS PUTTER For all the attention on the short putts Jordan Spieth has missed this year, he still is regarded as one of the best putters in golf. That’s the club that effectively won the British Open for him last summer. Spieth faced a tough question Tuesday, however, when asked if there was someone he regarded as better. He paused. “A lot of great putters out here,” he said, buying time.

“That’s why they’re out here,” he said, buying even more time. He finally took the safe way out by saying that no single players come to mind, though he made it clear his confidence isn’t shaken on the greens. “I’d still like to bet on myself, if I can,” he said. Spieth said he prefers to think about who makes putts in big moments, and whether the ball is holed with the right speed and right break. He has made plenty of those, not only at Royal Birkdale last summer but at Chambers Bay on the par-3 16th and even at the Tour Championship in 2015 when he won the FedEx Cup. And he hasn’t forgotten Tiger Woods. “Nobody’s done that better in the last 20 years than Tiger as far as clutch putting goes,” he said. TRAILER LIVING Jason Day has learned that life in a motor home can be rewarding on the PGA Tour. He also has learned it can be messy when Bubba Watson is around. Day is staying in what he calls “the bus” in a parking area close to Shinnecock Hills for the US Open. The Australian uses the RV for about 15 tournaments a season, and several other tour golfers have joined him. One is Watson. “Bubba just got one this year, and I’m very kind of more private, and he’s, yeah, he’s a little bit more outgoing,” Day recalled, a wide smile on his face. “And I think we’re at Augusta, and he walks under my bus, and he’s like, ‘Hey, man, what are you doing?’ “I’m just sitting in the bus watching TV. He’s like OK. And he’s standing there. And I’m like, do you want to come inside? And he’s eating a burrito, and he decides to come in and talk to me for about 30 minutes. He gets his burrito all over the ground and then just leaves. “Actually, it’s nice to have people like that around, you know, to mess your bus up when you need them to.”

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Thursday, June 14, 2018, PAGE 3

Tennis players put in quality fitness training with MacFit LOCAL tennis players Danielle Thompson, Larikah Russell and brother and sister Justin and Savannah Roberts got a chance to get in some quality fitness training yesterday from MacFit trainer Jimmy Mackey. Thompson and Russell are preparing to represent the Bahamas at the American Zone II Fed Cup competition from July 18-21 in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Russell is the player/ coach, while Thompson is the number two seeded player behind Kerrie Cartwright. The other member of the team is Simone Pratt.

Justin and Savannah Roberts, both home from school, are working out to stay in shape. Impact Tennis Academy, headed by Ricardo Demeritte, is facilitating the training sessions. However, Impact Tennis Academy, does not act as the manager/agent for Justin and Savannah. Impact Tennis Academy is working closely with Thompson, Russell, Cartwright, Emma Weech and Kevin Major Jr in helping them with a non contractual agreement with their transition from the collegiate to the professional ranks.

BAAA to host top junior, senior athletes in the Nationals FROM PAGE 1 the title sponsor of the BAAA Senior National Championships. “We are celebrating 30 years and we are very delighted to do all that we can toward the sustenance of athletics and to have the athletes join in the celebration,” Ferguson said. “We definitely would not be doing it the Kalik way if we did not have a party or add to the celebration. So one of the features this year we will be bringing to the Senior Championships, on the 23rd following the event we will sponsor a live band and a Junkanoo rush-out so that all of the athletes can truly enjoy the celebration with the beer of the Bahamas. Once again Commonwealth Brewery as a corporate citizen is always pleased and satisfied to do everything that we can to support local culture and sports activities.”

TENNIS players Danielle Thompson, Larikah Russell, Justin Roberts and Savannah Roberts with MacFit trainer Jimmy Mackey (second from left).

Minister Pintard: Bahamas can become Caribbean hub for aspiring MLB players FROM PAGE 1 federations, who through their parent organisations are prepared to invest heavily in creating Centres of Excellence, High-Performance facilities in this region,” Pintard said. “In the cultivation of elite athletes, we believe that all facilities ought to be accessible, and we are in discussions with the NSA. I’ve had the opportunity to sit in meetings with them and the federations to discuss the fee structure to make sure elite athletes and their friends who are interested in coming home have access to those facilities and other facilities that are on the drawing board in a variety of places, including Moore’s Island, Abaco and Grand Bahama so that we do not discourage those athletes through the price structure.” The new budget will also include a revision of the elite athlete subvention programme,

currently with an endowment of $1.4 million. The new programme looks to include coaches in the programme as well. “We have completed a revised draft of our subvention programme. This document will now be delivered to Cabinet and then published pending Cabinet approval. To date, we have a little over $1.4 million dedicated to athletes that are on subvention. We do intend to ask Cabinet to transition this committee outside of the ministry so that it is quasi-government, enabling it to raise capital to increase the amount of fund needed to subvent Bahamian athletes since we are exploding on the international scene in multiple sports,” Pintard said. “Our assistance to various organisations in this country goes beyond the subvention that we give them on a regular basis, which exceeds $420,000 per annum. We are also engaged in funding multiple trips for the majority of the federations that are presently travelling internationally. This is unsustainable the

rate that it is going and that is why we have asked federations to provide a calendar at the beginning of the year so we can plan with them to approach corporate citizens locally and internationally. We are working in tandem to make sure that we work out a consistent formula on how to fund these national championships and how to engage these federations so they take greater responsibility for the events we host annually.” The Government spent approximately $8 million to host the Commonwealth Youth Games, more than $1 million on the CARIFTA Track and Field Championships with another $350,000 still outstanding. “While the approach of this administration is different because we have expended a tremendous amount of money in the past five years on various sporting events. We understand in these austere times, there is a demand for us to fully explain the return on investments. That, however, does not mean we ought not to recognise what contributions have

been made previously. It is important for us in our view to build on all success in the past that improves on brand and reputation in this country as a sports destination,” Pintard said. “The major international events, that some have scoffed at, including policymakers, have the potential to put millions, tens of millions, hundreds of millions of eyeballs on the Bahamas, in other words, to grow the brand and reputation of this country and through targeted marketing, increase the number of heads in beds.” Some of the other pillars in the programme include utilising sports in a variety of ways - as a vehicle to fight obesity and non-communicable disease; as a means to generate employment and income; as a vehicle to develop character and wellrounded citizens; as a means of healthy recreation and to achieve higher education. “Millions of dollars that have been allocated to education have come about as the result of the

CHARLTON BIG TEN ATHLETE OF THE YEAR from PAGE 1

SHOWN (l-r) are Rochelle Bastian, assistant secretary of Bahamas Aquatics, and Leah R Davis, group marketing and communications manager, Bahamas First Corporate Services. Photo: Ronnie Archer

BAHAMAS FIRST SPONSORS THIS YEAR’S NATIONAL SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS BAHAMAS First General Insurance Company recently announced its sponsorship of the 2018 Bahamas National Swimming Championships. This year’s event is scheduled for this weekend, June 16-19, 2018 at the Betty Kelly Kenning National Aquatic Centre. Leah Davis, group marketing and communications manager, presented a

cheque to Rochelle Bastian, Bahamas Aquatics Federation. She said: “Bahamas First is committed to supporting positive activities and opportunities for young Bahamians. We are happy to be able to sponsor this year’s Swimming Championships and we wish the athletes participating and the organisers the very best for this premier swimming event.”

hurdles and was a member of the gold-medal 4x100metre relay team. That performance earned her the Big Ten Track Athlete of the Championships. She led the conference with 24.5 points scored at the Big Ten meet. This year, Charlton broke school records in the 100metre dash and 100-metre hurdles. Her top time in the dash was 11.22 seconds, while her top hurdle time was 12.70 seconds. Both were regional qualifying times, though she only entered in the hurdles. At the regional, she finished with the second best time to qualify for the NCAA Championships. The award is another for one of the most decorated athletes in Purdue athletics history. The 11-time event Big Ten champion, who also led the Boilermakers to an outdoor team title in 2017, wrapped up her career with nine All-American honours, including seven first team nods. She had a pair of runner-up finishes at NCAA Championships with one in

sporting prowess of a number of Bahamians in a wide variety of disciplines. We are presently cataloging coaches, individuals and agencies who have historically facilitated Bahamians obtaining scholarships overseas. We are helping to coordinate scouts who can come in and see the talent we have on display,” Pintard said. “We believe that sports is a powerful vehicle to ensure higher education. One of the programmes we have presently is to provide a substantial subvention to the University of the Bahamas so that Family Island athletes and other student-athletes can benefit financially and obtain a first-class education. We are also collaborating with the Ministry of Education in this regard as the ministry plays a pivotal role in financing a number of our athletes who are presently overseas. We are also active in discussions encouraging corporations and companies that do business in the Bahamas to include scholarship funding for Bahamians in general but for athletes in particular.”

the 60-metre hurdles, as well as this year’s 100-metre hurdles, and a third-place finish. She earned five first-team All-Big Ten honours and was once on the second team. This is her third Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year honour, with two outdoors and one indoors. She has four career Big Ten Athlete of the Championship honours with two each indoors and outdoors. She also picked up the 2017 Great Lakes Track Athlete of the Year for the outdoor season and was named the Purdue Women’s Athlete of the Year by the school’s athletic department. Charlton, a Bahamian, was tabbed the nation’s Collegiate Female Athlete of the Year and Collegiate Female Track Athlete of the Year by the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations in 2016. She also has five Golden Pete awards, voted by Purdue’s athletic department, for Female Athlete of the Year and Female Performance of the Year. Charlton will leave Purdue with school records in the 60-metre dash, 60-metre hurdles, 100m dash, and 100m hurdles, second in the 4x100m relay, third in the indoor 200m dash and fifth in the outdoor 200m dash. She

scored 29.25 career points at NCAA Championships and an incredible 146.25 points at Big Ten Championships. Charlton was the first woman in school history to win the 60m dash Big Ten title, which she did in 2017. She became the first woman to win the conference title in the 60m hurdles in 2016 and then defended her title the following year. She was a member of Purdue’s first-ever Big Ten title in the 4x100m relay, which won in 2015. The Boilermakers then won the next three, including two which she was a part of. Charlton won the 100m dash in 2015, the first Boilermaker to do so since 1982 – the first year the event was contested at a Big Ten Championships. She now has three conference titles in the event and is one of just four women in conference history to win three. Charlton won the 100m hurdles conference title in 2017 before defending it this year, making her the first Boilermaker to defend that title since 1984 and 1985 when Alicia Bass did so. Charlton also won three Big Ten Athlete of the Week awards during her career, including one this outdoor season.

PAGE 4, Thursday, June 14, 2018

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FREEMAN’S BAT POWERS BRAVES 2-0 By GEORGE HENRY Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Nohitter or not, Mike Soroka knew the Braves would be cautious and not let him overexert his right shoulder. “The first time I even thought about what was going on was going out for the sixth,” he said. “It was happening so quickly. You get into a rhythm that way, and that wasn’t bad as well.” Soroka did not allow a hit until the seventh inning, Freddie Freeman homered and drove in both runs, and the Atlanta Braves beat the struggling New York Mets 2-0 yesterday. Soroka, the youngest pitcher in the major leagues and one of baseball’s top prospects, returned from a shoulder strain that sidelined him since May 17 to outpitch NL ERA leader Jacob deGrom in a game that lasted only 2 hours, 12 minutes. Making his fourth career start, Soroka (2-1) gave up one hit, one walk and struck out four in 6 1/3 innings . He had a simple game plan. “Pitch my game and let them adjust to my game as opposed to the other way

around,” Soroka said. “I think we did a really good job of that.” Freeman, the NL batting leader, has hit safely in 23 of his past 24 games. He drove in the first run with a single in the fourth off deGrom (4-2). He homered off Jeremy Blevins in the eighth .Freeman has five homers in his past seven games and 14 overall. Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said that Soroka would be on a pitch count, so it was no surprise when he replaced him with A.J. Minter after Michael Conforto singled to begin the seventh after 74 pitches. The Mets have lost 10 of their past 11 and 17 of their past 21. They went 3-6 at SunTrust Park this season against the NL East-leading Braves. DeGrom (4-2) allowed seven hits and one run and struck out seven in seven innings and threw 86 pitches. He began the game leading with majors with a 0.81 ERA since April 21, but trailed 1-0 in the fourth when Dansby Swanson doubled with one out and scored on Freeman’s single. The punchless Mets have scored 10 runs in their past

ATLANTA Braves’ Freedie Freeman, right foreground, gets a high five from manager Brian Snitker after the Braves defeated the New York Mets 2-0 yesterday. (AP) 87 innings. They’ve lost deGrom’s past five outings even though he’s allowed only five runs over that span. “He threw seven really stressful innings, especially the last couple of innings,” New York manager Mickey Callaway said. “He had to grind thorough there and did a great job of keeping us in the game and giving us a chance to win like he does every time.” Conforto moved to second on a wild pitch by Soroka in the seventh, but didn’t advance when Minter

struck out Brandon Nimmo and Jay Bruce popped up. Soroka’s other base runner was Bruce, who walked to begin the second and was erased on a double play. Arodys Vizcaino earned his 12th save in 14 chances in a shaky ninth. Nimmo doubled with two outs, advancing Conforto to third, before Bruce popped up to end it. DeGrom said he wasn’t blaming teammates for the lack of run support, but third baseman Todd Frazier summed up the state of the Mets’ offence.

RAYS EDGE BLUE JAYS IN 9TH By DICK SCANLON Associated Press ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Matt Duffy’s RBI single with two outs in the ninth drove in the game’s only run in the Tampa Bay Rays’ 1-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday. Duffy drove in Mallex Smith, who doubled with one out and moved to third base on a ground ball. Diego Castillo (1-0) got his first major league win after pitching two innings of relief. Ryan Tepera (3-2) pitched the final 1 2/3 innings for the Jays, who were swept in the three-game series and have lost five of six to the Rays this season. It was the 12th time the Blue Jays have scored one run or none this season. Curtis Granderson had the first three of Toronto’s five hits, leadoff singles in the first, third and fifth innings and was the only runner to reach third base until Smith in the ninth. With two outs in the Toronto ninth, Aldemys Diaz hit a line drive that was caught by left fielder Johnny Field near the top of the wall. Toronto starter J.A. Happ, who was 3-0 in his five previous starts, gave up one

hit and three walks in five innings. Rays starter Wilmer Font gave up two hits in 3 1/3 innings. TRAINER’S ROOM Blue Jays: 3B Josh Donaldson (left calf tightness) will run the bases Thursday and if all goes well could join Triple-A Buffalo on Friday. Rays: OF Johnny Field was back in the lineup after missing two games with a sprained knee. SIXTEEN NOT-SO SWEET Thursday’s game at New York marks the start of a 16-game stretch in which the Rays will play only the Yankees, Astros and Nationals. “We’re going to really see what kind of team we have here against the best in the league,” Blake Snell said. UP NEXT Blue Jays: RHP Aaron Sanchez (3-5, 4.33 ERA) will pitch Friday night against the Washington Nationals in the opening game of a five-game homestand. Rays: LHP Blake Snell (8-3, 2.30 ERA) will start in Thursday night’s opener of a four-game series at Yankee Stadium against Domingo German (0-4, 5.32). Snell is 3-0 with a 0.38 ERA in his past four starts.

Tigers 1B Miguel Cabrera leaves with season-ending injury DETROIT (AP) — Miguel Cabrera ruptured his left biceps tendon Tuesday night, an injury that will sideline the slugger for the rest of the season, and the Detroit Tigers lost 6-4 to the Minnesota Twins. The two-time AL MVP will have surgery this week, the Tigers said. Cabrera, playing his 12th game since missing 26 with a hamstring strain, exited in the third inning and underwent an MRI during the game. Ehire Adrianza hit his first career grand slam to help Minnesota rally. Ryan Pressly (1-1) got three outs for the win, and Fernando Rodney pitched the ninth for his 14th save. Louis Coleman (3-1) was charged with the loss. ASTROS 6, ATHLETICS 3 OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Evan Gattis hit a threerun homer and drove in five runs, Carlos Correa returned from a four-game absence and homered on the first pitch he saw, and the Astros earned their sixth straight win. Lance McCullers Jr. (8-3) pitched seven innings of tworun ball. Ken Giles got three outs for his 11th save in 11 tries. Correa was back in the lineup at shortstop after missing a series sweep at Texas with soreness in his right side. Oakland’s Daniel Mengden (6-6) was charged with six runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. MARINERS 6, ANGELS 3 SEATTLE (AP) — Mitch Haniger and Ryon Healy each homered twice as the first-place Mariners shook off two homers by Mike Trout for the second consecutive night. Trout took sole possession of the major league lead with 23 home runs. He also hit a pair in the Angels’ 5-3 loss Monday night at Safeco Field. Mike Leake (7-3) allowed one run in six innings for Seattle, which has won three straight and 10 of 12. Edwin Diaz worked the ninth for his big league-best 25th save. Angels right-hander Jaime Barria (5-2) surrendered two earned runs in five innings. DODGERS 12, RANGERS 5 LOS ANGELES (AP) — Joc Pederson, Max Muncy and Yasiel Puig homered off Bartolo Colon, sending the Dodgers to the victory. The 45-year-old Colon (3-4) has allowed 19 homers this season. He recorded his 2,500th career strikeout against Muncy in the first. The Dodgers pounded out 16 hits in winning their second straight game. Edward Paredes (1-0) got the win with a scoreless inning of relief. Daniel Corcino pitched three innings for his first save.

YANKEES 3, NATIONALS 0 NEW YORK (AP) — Didi Gregorius homered twice for New York, Washington slugger Bryce Harper left in the eighth inning after he was hit by a pitch for the second time, and the Yankees earned their 10th win in 12 games. Harper fell to the ground in pain when hit on the right elbow by a 90 mph pitch from CC Sabathia (4-1) in the fifth inning. The 2015 NL MVP came out after he was hit on the left foot by Dellin Betances’ 89 mph slider leading off the eighth. Gregorius drove a hanging curveball from Tanner Roark (3-7) into the Yankees bullpen in right-center during New York’s two-run second. He sent a fastball into the right-field second deck leading off the sixth for his fourth multihomer game. Sabathia allowed four hits in 5 2/3 innings. Aroldis Chapman pitched a perfect ninth for his 18th save. BREWERS 4, CUBS 0 MILWAUKEE (AP) — Chase Anderson pitched seven innings of one-hit ball, and the Brewers moved back into first in the NL Central. Anderson (5-5) struck out six and walked two. The Brewers had been shut out in Anderson’s three most recent starts against Chicago. Travis Shaw hit a pair of two-run doubles for Milwaukee, which had dropped seven in a row against Chicago. Cubs right-hander Tyler Chatwood (3-5) worked five innings, yielding four runs, three earned, and five hits. RED SOX 6, ORIOLES 4 BALTIMORE (AP) — Home runs by Rafael Devers and Andrew Benintendi helped Eduardo Rodriguez win his fifth straight start, and Boston extended Baltimore’s losing streak to six games. Rodriguez (8-1) gave up two runs and eight hits over 5 2/3 innings to increase a career-best run of success that began on May 20 against the Orioles. Joey Rickard homered for the Orioles, who own the worst record in the big leagues (19-47). David Hess (2-3) stumbled in his sixth big league start, allowing five runs in 3 1/3 innings. Baltimore reliever Zach Britton made his season debut, six months after undergoing surgery for a ruptured right Achilles tendon. The lefty pitched a scoreless seventh. WHITE SOX 5, INDIANS 1 CHICAGO (AP) — Yoan Moncada and Yolmer Sanchez homered to lead off Chicago’s three-run first, and James Shields won for the first time since opening day. Shields (2-7) gave up one run and four hits in seven

DETROIT Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera slides into first after fielding the grounder hit by Minnesota Twins’ Logan Morrison (99) for the out during the third inning Tuesday night in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) innings after going 12 starts and 13 appearances without a win. Joakim Soria got one out for his ninth save. Moncada and Sanchez connected on consecutive pitches from Adam Plutko (3-1), helping the White Sox beat the AL Central leaders after losing their first four meetings this season. Cleveland had won five of six.

Ender Inciarte added a pair of RBI singles to help Atlanta shake a rough West Coast trip, when it lost four of six. The Braves moved ahead of Washington for first in the NL East by beating a Mets team that has lost nine of 10 and 16 of 20. New York’s Zack Wheeler (2-5) was charged with six runs in 5 2/3 innings.

PHILLIES 5, ROCKIES 4 PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Aaron Nola struck out 10 in another dominant performance and Scott Kingery hit a three-run homer, leading Philadelphia to the win. Nola (8-2) allowed one run and four hits in 6 2/3 innings, lowering his ERA to 2.27. Seranthony Dominguez escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the ninth for his third save. Kingery drove a 1-2 pitch from Jon Gray (6-7) out to left-center to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead in the first. He added a sacrifice fly in the third. The Phillies have won two in a row for the first time since a three-game winning streak May 13-17. The Rockies have lost five straight and nine of 11.

DIAMONDBACKS 13, PIRATES 8 PHOENIX (AP) — Jon Jay got his first three hits for Arizona, including a three-run homer, and the Diamondbacks won their fifth game in a row with a sloppy victory over Pittsburgh. Nine of the runs were unearned. Jay, acquired Thursday in a trade with Kansas City, was hitless in 12 at-bats for the Diamondbacks before his leadoff single in Arizona’s six-run first inning. His opposite-field homer in the eighth broke the game open after the Pirates had rallied from an 8-0 deficit to trail 10-8. Starling Marte hit a threerun homer, doubled and made a diving grab in center field for the Pirates. Fernando Salas (4-4) got the win. The Diamondbacks have scored 51 runs in the last five games. They’ve won 11 of 14 and lead the NL West by three games over the surging Dodgers. The Pirates have lost six of eight. Arizona jumped on Trevor Williams (5-4) in the first with six runs, two on Ketel Marte’s seventh triple. Five runs were unearned thanks

BRAVES 8, METS 2 ATLANTA (AP) — Ozzie Albies hit a grand slam and Freddie Freeman homered during Atlanta’s six-run sixth inning. Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz pitched five scoreless innings before departing with triceps tightness. Shane Carle (4-1) got two outs for the win.

to three Pirates errors, two on one play. MARLINS 3, GIANTS 1 MIAMI (AP) — Trevor Richards pitched six effective innings for his first major league win, helping the Marlins top the Giants. Richards (1-3) allowed two hits in his seventh major league start. The 25-year-old right-hander struck out two and walked three. Brandon Crawford’s groundout in the first inning drove in the only run for the Giants, who had just three hits. Kyle Barraclough pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save in six chances. JT Riddle had a two-run double for Miami, and Starlin Castro had two hits and knocked in a run. San Francisco right-hander Chris Stratton (7-4) permitted three runs and four hits in seven innings. PADRES 4, CARDINALS 2 ST. LOUIS (AP) — Eric Hosmer homered for San Diego, and the Padres carried a perfect game into the sixth inning of their 10th win in 14 games. Matt Strahm started the bullpen game and retired nine batters on 36 pitches, including four strikeouts. It was the team’s third bullpen start this season while left-hander Joey Lucchesi recovers from a right hip strain. Adam Cimber (3-2) retired the next six with two strikeouts before Harrison Bader broke up the perfect game with an infield single in the sixth.

Brad Hand pitched the ninth for his 20th save. Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas (7-2) allowed three runs and six hits in six innings. REDS 5, ROYALS 1 (10 INNINGS) KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Joey Votto hit a basesloaded triple for Cincinnati in the 10th inning after Billy Hamilton slipped out of a rundown. Hamilton got hung up between third and home when Kevin McCarthy (4-3) tipped Tyler Barnhart’s line drive with his glove. McCarthy picked up the ball behind the mound and threw home, and Hamilton looked done until he sidestepped Alcides Escobar’s tag and dived back safely into third base to leave the bases loaded with one out. Votto then tripled to the right-center wall, and Eugenio Suarez singled home Votto. David Hernandez (2-0) worked an inning for the win. RAYS 4, BLUE JAYS 1 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Wilson Ramos homered, and six Tampa Bay relievers combined for a five-hitter. With right-handers Chris Archer and Jake Faria on the disabled list, Tampa Bay is using relievers to start three times through the rotation. Austin Pruitt (2-3) pitched 2 2/3 innings for the win, and Sergio Romo worked the ninth for his second save. Ramos put the Rays up 2-0 with his two-run drive off Jaime Garcia (2-5) in the third.

THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, June 14, 2018, PAGE 5

World Cup soccer kicks off today and lasts for a month in Russia IS the Summer Olympics the world’s greatest sporting event? Increasing numbers of fans around the world would say no. Their peference: The soccer World Cup, which kicks off today in Russia and lasts for a month. Betting on and passions around this 21st World Cup have reached new highs in many countries, and the sense of worldwide anticipation is unprecedented. Fans have largely forgotten the tawdry practices of FIFA, the governing body of world soccer, where corruption reached levels that compelled an FBI investigation and the resignation of many key FIFA officials only a few years ago. There is a broad suspicion that many of those corrupt officials played a nefarious role in awarding this tournament to Russia eight years ago, and the 2022 competition to the United Arab Emirates. There was talk for a while of moving the games out of those soccer nonhotbeds and to Europe or the Americas. But too much planning had already taken place, and now Russia and its ambitious president Vladimir Putin will host these games and UAE is still on track four years hence. The good news is that FIFA just awarded the 2026 World Cup to a NAFTA-like coalition of Canada, Mexico and the US, and that at least one of the venues will be in Florida, very likely in Miami. Notable absentees from this year’s competition are former powerhouses Italy and the Netherlands, as well as the United States, whose failure to qualify led to the dismissal of its German coach. South American power Chile is also absent. No Caribbean nation is represented. But the 32-team field is studded with traditional strength. The tournament is organised into eight groups of four teams whose assignments are determined by world rankings-based seeding. Of these eight groups, six have a virtually prohibitive favourite; only two seem initially competitive. While the World Cup has witnessed memorable upsets, most are notable because they tend to be rare. Betting the favourites, particularly in the early round-robin groupings where each team plays the other three teams in the group once, is a smart play. The secondplaced finisher in each group also advances, and the competition here is considerably sharper and there are many fewer clear favourites. • Here are the Seer’s predictions for the initial rounds: Group A: Uruguay and Egypt to advance; Russia and Saudi Arabia

THE BLIND SEER’S PREDICTIONS FOR THE INITIAL ROUNDS... eliminated. Uruguay, which despite its relatively small size has won two world cups (1930 and 1950) and hosted one, is heavily favoured. Leading marksmen Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani should ensure safe progress here. While there is a question about the match fitness of Liverpool scoring phenomenon Mohamed Salah, he has proven resilient in the past and if he plays to his considerable potential, Egypt should move on. Group B: Spain and Portugal to advance, Morocco and Iran eliminated. Spain is a soccer giant, with club superstars at many positions and a talented coach in Julen Lopetegui who will aim to take home the champion’s trophy ahead of his next job managing three-time defending European champion Real Madrid. Many will watch the match-up between Spain and Real’s current Portuguese superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo, whose prodigious scoring in big tournaments should advance Portugal to the next round. Group C: France and Denmark to advance, Peru and Australia eliminated. The French, who won the world title eight years ago in Paris, are loaded with talent led by forward Antoine Griezmann and a strong supporting cast. They should coast through a fairly weak division. Many observers favour Peru to advance, but the Seer feels Denmark has enough big game tested talent behind Tottenham’s brilliant playmaker Christian Eriksen to advance. Group D: Argentina and Croatia to advance, Iceland and Nigeria eliminated. The spectacular

ARGENTINA’S MANUEL LANZINI, left, Giovanni Lo Celso, second right, and Angel Di Maria, right, congratulate teammate Lionel Messi, second left, after his hat trick during a friendly soccer match between Argentina and Haiti at Bombonera stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on May 29. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) Barcelona striker Lionel Messi plays for Argentina, the losing finalists four years ago in Brazil. That should be enough for this round. Iceland made the Sports Illustrated cover recently, which might jinx them. Croatia boasts worldclass talent at several positions and should advance. Group E: Brazil and Serbia to advance, Switzerland and Costa Rica eliminated. Brazil, which has perhaps the world’s richest soccer tradition and hosted this tournament four years ago, still stings from its pathetic performance then. A more mature striker in Neymar now leads the squad, which is favoured to win the whole tournament by many. There should be little trouble in this round for Brazil. The Serbs will field a tough squad likely to feel quite at home in Russia and anchored by solid defensive play. They are the pick for second place. Group F: Germany and Sweden to advance, Mexico and South Korea eliminated. The defending

champion Germans return several key veterans this year and their progress through the first round is virtually assured. Many pick them to win the title. Sweden is not a particularly popular pick to also advance, with Mexico favoured by more observers. But El Tri are inconsistent and may be too reliant on mercurial Xavier “Chicharito” Hernandez up front. Group G: England and Belgium to advance, Panama and Tunisia eliminated. This is almost an intramural match, since so many Belgian stars (Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany, Thibaut Courtois) play for big English clubs. The Belgians have a load of individual talent and are managed by English Premier League veteran skipper Roberto Martinez, but the Seer sees an English upset to win the group, led by Tottenham’s Harry Kane and Deli Alli. Group H: Colombia and Poland to advance, Senegal and Japan eliminated. This is the most

unpredictable of the eight groups, since any team but Japan could emerge in first place. Colombia is the pick to prevail, with too much sheer talent and depth for the others. While many favour Senegal, Poland is the Seer’s choice to advance, led by the prolific Bayern Munich scorer Robert Lewandowski and two battle-tested goalkeepers. The Seer foresees four European group winners and four from South America. They will join seven more European second-place finishers and Egypt in the next round. The Seer will return to account for these choices and offer more before the next round starts on June 30. ****** The Seer last offered a prediction in the NBA finals, and felt little anxiety in supporting the slam-dunk prospects of the Golden State Warriors. They swept Cleveland. For 2018, the Seer is 7-6.

PANEL: SPORTS BETS ON PHONES HAVE HUGE GROWTH PROMISE By WAYNE PARRY Associated Press ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — When a New Jersey racetrack and a casino start taking bets on sporting events today, they will be part of an industry primed for tremendous growth, much of it taking place on smartphones, according to a panel of national gambling experts. Speaking yesterday at the east Coast Gaming Congress at Harrah’s casino in Atlantic City, a panel of sports betting and technology company representatives predicted the fastest-growing segment of sports betting will be bets made on smartphones as games are being played. While bettors always will want to bet on the outcome of a game before it begins, many also want to predict particular plays or developments within a game, the panelists said. So in addition to wagering on whether the New York Yankees would beat the Boston Red Sox, many gamblers also would want to bet on whether Yankee Aaron Judge would hit a home run just as he arrives at the plate, or how many batters Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale would strike out in a particular inning. Such betting is the main element of growth in the European sports betting market. “The growth of inplay has been a huge driver,” said Neale Deeley, vice president of Sportradar US, a data company that works with more than 70 sports federations and leagues around the world on fraud detection, including the NBA, NHL and Major League Soccer. “Mobile and in-play were absolutely made for each other,” added Lee Richardson, CEO of Spectrum Gaming Group, a gambling consulting firm near Atlantic City. “It’s what customers want to do.”

(AP Photo/John Locher)

PEOPLE make bets in the sports book at the South Point hotel and casino in Las Vegas. The forum came a day before New Jerseyans were to begin placing their first legal sports bets. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy was to place the state’s first legal sports bet 10:30 am today at Monmouth Park, a horse racing track near the Jersey shore in Oceanport.

Thirty minutes later and about 70 miles to the south, Atlantic City’s Borgata casino will start taking sports bets. No other New Jersey racetrack or casino has announced plans to begin taking bets within the next few days, although most if not all are expected to do

so eventually. The Golden Nugget casino and the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, near New York City say they’ll have sports betting operations up and running by the start of football season in September. New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement issued its regulations for sports

betting providers Wednesday, clearing the last major obstacle for it to begin. The state won a United States Supreme Court case last month clearing the way for all 50 states to offer legal sports betting if they choose. Experts at the conference cautioned against unduly optimistic projections of

sports betting revenue and tax money for states; the activity accounts for about two per cent of Nevada casinos’ total winnings. In New Jersey, Moody’s has estimated sports betting could initially bring in $108 million, or about four per cent of the state’s annual gambling revenue.

PAGE 6, Thursday, June 14, 2018

THE TRIBUNE2

2 2

FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN £100 CA letters in the highlighted squares to reve2

FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN £100 CASH read down the TO ENTER: call 0904 161 1604 and leave you letters in the highlighted squares to reveal the mystery to 84915. calls cost £1.50 plus your word. telephone

at midnight tonight. or send your grid containing

JUDGE PARKER

TO ENTER: call 0904 161 1604 and leave your B73 answer details, orpos te CARPE DIEM Sutton coldfield 9BT. and Entries must be

to 84915. calls cost £1.50 plus your telephone network helpline number.company’s ● The winner will beacce the at midnight tonight. or send your grid containing the answer in the shaded NEED HELP? call 0904 161 1609 for 5 extra Sutton coldfield B73 9BT. Entries must be postmarked by January 31 a nAmE helpline number. ● The winner will be the first random correct ent NEED HELP? call 0904 161 1609 for 5 extra clues! calls cost £1.50 p ADDrESS

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Can you make two common five-letter words from the nine letters given, each letter only once? you can= 534. Today’s answers: Beginnerusing = 3; intermediate = 348; advanced – but only if one letter features in both words in the squares on the right. There’s at least one way to do it, and you have to have the right letter at the crossover – but which one is it? Can you make two common five-letter See if you can find the answer within words from the nine letters given, our target time. If you need help, ring our can clue-line below to find out the using each letter only once? you crossover – but only if one letter features in bothletter. solution tomorrow.

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CALVIN & HOBBES

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T E T r n I o o X

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call 0907 181 2585 for today’s Target solution *Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge.

CRYPTIC PUZZLE 2 His true array is shaggy, naturally (7)

8 Immensely bad characters help to make progress (5)

3 Facilitated a seed’s germination (5)

9 Drew out the card (7)

5 He gains nothing but pleasure from his activities (7)

11 Insist on having things just right (5) 12 Drifting fish return, by the way (6) 14 It takes a good deal to satisfy him (6) 17 Descriptive of a great sea power (5) 19 The way that leads to conflict (7)

4 Company guard (6)

6 Spare accessory (5) 7 So I’d tip her for an important post in journalism (10) 8 It’s not private correspondence, so slit the envelope (4,6) 13 Maintained the member took part in the crooked deal (7) 15 A blood count? (7)

21 Just betrothed, but started fighting (7)

16 Cultivated Scandinavians (6)

22 Fool quietly follows a friend (5)

18 Discover and get rid of weeds, perhaps (3,2)

23 Lacking inspiration, he goes for a walk (10)

20 Come again about the dog (5)

Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution

Yesterday’s Easy Solution

Across: 1 Exempt, 4 Sapper, 9 Macbeth, 10 Stair, 11 Tales, 12 Patient, 13 Sounding out, 18 Hearing, 20 Extra, 22 Icing, 23 Ousting, 24 Tether, 25 Ostler.

Across: 1 Praise, 4 Caruso, 9 Replica, 10 Alert, 11 Sweep, 12 Interim, 13 Cartography, 18 Chaucer, 20 Lisle, 22 Evoke, 23 Coveted, 24 Speedy, 25 Cranky. Down: 1 Perish, 2 Ample, 3 Snippet, 5 Await, 6 Unearth, 7 On time, 8 Saving grace, 14 A la mode, 15 All over, 16 Access, 17 Deadly, 19 Creed, 21 Sit-in.

Down: 1 Enmity, 2 Excel, 3 Press on, 5 Asset, 6 Plateau, 7 Rarity, 8 Whipping boy, 14 On a diet, 15 Greases, 16 Thrift, 17 Cadger, 19 Ingle, 21 Trial.

EASY PUZZLE

10 Dora gets upset on cue, perhaps, in the country (7)

*SP: Spoke – Helpline 0333 202 3390

Down

1 Something to eat for the pin-up girl? (10)

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Down 2 Put an end to (7) 3 Represent as similar (5) 4 Encourage (6) 5 Against the law (7)

11 Gluttony (5)

6 To dodge (5)

12 Moral principles (6)

7 Nonsense (10)

14 Strongly in favour

8 Indoor team

of (3,3)

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17 Staff of office (5)

13 Misanthropic (7)

19 An aerial (7)

15 Country

21 Full of enthusiasm (7)

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22 A stone fruit (5)

16 Italian city (6)

23 Parapet of rail and

18 Beat strongly (5)

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THE TRIBUNE

Thursday, June 14, 2018, PAGE 7

HEIGHT EFFECT: ARGENTINA SIZES UP ICELAND AT WORLD CUP

LOPETEGUI FIRED By DAVID BRANDT AP Sports Writer

By DEBORA REY Associated Press BRONNITSY, Russia (AP) — In theory, two-time World Cup champion Argentina really shouldn’t be fearful of facing Iceland, which is making its first appearance at the tournament. But there is a bit of worry in the Argentina camp: the height effect. Icelandic footballers are the tallest at the World Cup in Russia, with an average height of 1.85 metres (over six feet), making them especially strong in aerial duels in defence and attack. It’s a weapon that Iceland will try to use to counter the individual brilliance of Lionel Messi and other players when the two teams face each other Saturday in Group D. Because Argentina is among the shortest teams at the tournament at 1.79 metres (just over five-feet-10 inches), coach Jorge Sampaoli has put special emphasis on height during tactical work at the team’s training centre in the Moscow suburb of Bronnitsy. “It’s going to be a very tough match,” goalkeeper Wilfredo Caballero said yesterday. “They defend well as a group, with two very tight lines. It will be difficult to get in through the middle. We’ll have to use the wings.” In training, Sampaoli tried out a zonal defensive system involving centre backs Nicolas Otamendi

ICELAND’s captain Aron Gunnarsson celebrates at the end of the World Cup Group I qualifying soccer match between Iceland and Kosovo in Reykjavik, Iceland, on October 9, 2017. (AP Photo/Brynjar Gunnarsson) and Marcos Rojo. Other taller players in the Argentina team including Maximiliano Meza, Lucas Biglia and Angel Di Maria will man-mark their towering rivals. “Over the past week, we have been working on specific issues like set pieces,” said Nahuel Guzman, another Argentina goalkeeper. “The team is convinced that

the coach’s approach is key. Hopefully we’ll be able to demonstrate it in Saturday’s match.” Guzman added that Argentina should be “patient, move the ball to create space and increase the speed of play with two or three touches. It will be a very laborious match. We’ll have to know how to deal with the

anxiety.” Iceland is seen by many as a straightforward opponent for Argentina, which won the 1978 and 1986 World Cups and has Messi and other star players. But Caballero isn’t taking anything for granted. “As it is the first game of the World Cup, it is difficult to start playing at the best level,” he said.

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 92° F/33° C Low: 72° F/22° C

TAMPA

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

Clouds and sun, a t‑storm in spots

Partly cloudy, a t‑storm in spots

Clouds and sun, a t‑storm in spots

Periods of sun, a t‑storm in spots

Partial sunshine

Some sun

High: 86°

Low: 77°

High: 86° Low: 79°

High: 87° Low: 78°

High: 87° Low: 77°

High: 86° Low: 76°

AccuWeather RealFeel

97° F

87° F

99°-89° F

100°-88° F

99°-84° F

97°-82° F

almanac

ABACO

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 78° F/26° C

4‑8 knots

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 74° F/23° C

4‑8 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 74° F/23° C

WEST PALM BEACH

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 79° F/26° C

SPAIN has made a coaching change just two days before the start of the World Cup in a move that will be heavily scrutinised over the coming weeks. Was it a surprise move? Absolutely. But the history of coaching dismissals in soccer and every other sport is littered with strange timing, strange decisions and strange circumstances. Now Julen Lopetegui’s case joins them. Lopetegui was fired as Spain’s national team coach yesterday after accepting a job to lead Real Madrid next season. He will be replaced by Fernando Hierro for the country’s match against Portugal on Friday. Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales said firing Lopetegui wasn’t ideal, but had to happen after Madrid’s announcement. “It’s a difficult situation, but we are not the ones who determined the action that had to be taken. The federation has its values and it has to maintain them,” Rubiales said. “It may look like a weakness now, but with time this will make us stronger.”

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 74° F/23° C

MIAMI

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 75° F/24° C

4‑8 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 84° F/29° C Low .................................................... 76° F/24° C Normal high ....................................... 87° F/31° C Normal low ........................................ 74° F/23° C Last year’s high ................................. 91° F/33° C Last year’s low ................................... 78° F/25° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 1.11” Year to date ............................................... 20.78” Normal year to date ................................... 10.70”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 77° F/25° C

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 79° F/26° C

KEY WEST

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

4‑8 knots

6‑12 knots Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

8:45 a.m. 9:17 p.m.

2.8 3.7

2:55 a.m. ‑0.5 2:52 p.m. ‑0.8

Friday

9:39 a.m. 10:09 p.m.

2.8 3.6

3:47 a.m. ‑0.6 3:45 p.m. ‑0.7

Saturday

10:34 a.m. 11:03 p.m.

2.8 3.5

4:40 a.m. ‑0.5 4:41 p.m. ‑0.6

Sunday

11:32 a.m. 11:58 p.m.

2.8 3.4

5:34 a.m. ‑0.5 5:39 p.m. ‑0.3

Monday

12:32 p.m. ‑‑‑‑‑

2.7 ‑‑‑‑‑

6:30 a.m. ‑0.3 6:40 p.m. ‑0.1

Tuesday

12:56 a.m. 1:35 p.m.

3.2 2.7

7:27 a.m. ‑0.2 7:45 p.m. 0.1

Wednesday 1:55 a.m. 2:39 p.m.

2.9 2.7

8:25 a.m. ‑0.1 8:51 p.m. 0.3

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:20 a.m. 8:01 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

7:11 a.m. 9:05 p.m.

First

Full

Last

New

Jun. 20

Jun. 28

Jul. 6

Jul. 12

CAT ISLAND

tiDes For nassau

ANDROS

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 79° F/26° C

W S

LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

6‑12 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 84° F/29° C Low: 81° F/27° C

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 88° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

6‑12 knots

7‑14 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday: Today: Friday:

WINDS S at 4‑8 Knots WSW at 4‑8 Knots E at 4‑8 Knots ESE at 4‑8 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots SSE at 4‑8 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots S at 6‑12 Knots S at 4‑8 Knots S at 4‑8 Knots W at 4‑8 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots SE at 4‑8 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots ESE at 7‑14 Knots ESE at 6‑12 Knots ESE at 8‑16 Knots SE at 7‑14 Knots SE at 4‑8 Knots SSE at 3‑6 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots E at 6‑12 Knots SE at 6‑12 Knots SSE at 4‑8 Knots

WAVES 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 0‑1 Feet 0‑1 Feet 3‑5 Feet 2‑4 Feet 3‑5 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑2 Feet 3‑5 Feet 2‑4 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet 4‑7 Feet 3‑6 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑2 Feet 1‑3 Feet 1‑3 Feet 2‑4 Feet 1‑3 Feet

VISIBILITY 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles 5 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 5 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 80° F 80° F 82° F 82° F 83° F 81° F 82° F 82° F 81° F 81° F 77° F 77° F 81° F 81° F 83° F 83° F 82° F 82° F 82° F 82° F 82° F 81° F 82° F 81° F 80° F 80° F

Covering The Bahamas for over 40 years. NEW PROVIDENCE | GRAND BAHAMA | ABACO | ELEUTHERA | EXUMA

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PAGE 8, Thursday, June 14, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

FIFA WORLD CUP 2018

REPEATS?

Germany looks to become first back-to-back Cup champ in half-century BY RONALD BLUM

AP Sports Writer

AFTER RAISING THE WORLD CUP eight miles from Copacabana Beach four years ago, Germany hopes to lift the trophy four miles from the Kremlin on July 15 and become the first repeat champion in more than a half-century. The soccer world gathers at 12 stadiums in 11 cities across the European portion of Russia starting June 14 for a 32-day, 64-match championship. Much has changed since Brazil, when Die Mannschaft humiliated the host Selecao 7-1 in the 2014 semifinals, then left Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana Stadium with a 1-0 extra-time win over Argentina on Mario Goetze’s 113th-minute goal. The United States will be missing from soccer’s showcase after seven straight appearances. Four-time champion Italy will be watching from home for the first time since 1958, its streak of 14 consecutive appearances ended by a playoff loss to Sweden. The Netherlands, which lost the 2010 final to Spain, missed out after slumping to third in its qualifying group. And Chile failed to qualify after consecuJOSHUA tive Copa America titles. KIMMICH, Iceland and Panama are World Germany Cup debutantes, Peru is back for the first time since 1982, and Egypt ends an absence dating to 1990. Germany and Brazil are the pretournament favorites, and France is fancied behind them with a young roster. England will try to end more than five decades of hurt since winning its only major title on home soil at Wembley in 1966. Mexico will try to advance past the second round for the first time since 1986, but El Tri opens against Germany and its likely second-round opponent is Brazil. There also has been a generational change within FIFA. Many of its leaders have moved from penthouses to prisons following indictments by the U.S. Department of Justice that detailed kickbacks to be as much a part of soccer as free kicks. Expect controversy on a regular basis. FIFA’s Congress votes June 13 on the host of the 2026 tournament, and a joint bid by the U.S., Mexico and Canada is competing against Moroc-

co — where most of the infrastructure would have to be built — on a ballot that includes a SAT-like none-of-the-above option. Following the drug-testing scandal that engulfed the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, FIFA’s medical committee chairman said no Russians will be involved in collection of urine and blood samples, which will be flown to Lausanne, Switzerland, for analysis. VAR will be the acronym of the moment: video assistant referees in soccer-speak, instant replay for most viewers at home. And as soon as the final whistle of the tournament is blown at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, attention will shift to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, moved to Nov. 21 through Dec. 18 because of summer desert heat and compressed to 28 days because it is in the middle of the European club season. Gianni Infantino, who succeeded the disgraced Sepp Blatter as FIFA president in 2016, has discussed increasing the World Cup field from 32 to 48 in 2022, four years ahead of schedule. Some of the top story lines likely to dominate play in Russia:

MESSI AND RONALDO Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have split the last 10 FIFA Player of the Year awards, and this is likely their last chance to win a World Cup. Messi turns 31 on June 24, two days before Argentina finishes the first round against Nigeria, and has lost four finals with the Albiceleste. Ronaldo, 33, helped Portugal win the 2016 European Championship for its first major title. BREAKOUT STARS? Brazil’s Neymar, England’s Harry Kane, Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, France’s Antoine Griezmann and Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne are stars who could lift themselves into Player of the Year contention with stellar World Cups. BACK TO BACK Italy in 1934 and ‘38, and Brazil in 1958 and ‘62 are the only teams to win consecutive World Cups. Germany was 10-0 in qualifying, the only European team with a perfect record, and outscored opponents 43-4. PLAY IT AGAIN Following the first use of goal-line technology at a World Cup in 2014, FIFA has expanded off-the-field decision-making. A video assistant ref can notify the referee by headset of the need to reverse a decision if there is a “clear error” involving goals and their buildups, penalty kicks, straight red cards, and mistaken identify for red and yellow cards. ICE ICE BABY Iceland at about 335,000 becomes the least-populous nation to appear in a World Cup, a mark that had been held since 2006 by Trinidad and Tobago at 1.3 million. SPLIT SCREEN? The World Cup final starts two hours after the beginning of the Wimbledon men’s singles final. If Spain and Rafael Nadel are playing for titles, and the tennis isn’t decided in straight sets, which station to turn to? PAGE DESIGN BY BIG SKY DESIGN CENTER | BOZEMAN, MONTANA CONTENT BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS; ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS

BY THE NUMBERS 0 — The winners of the Confederations Cup warm-up tournament have never gone on to win the World Cup the following year. 3 — The last three European winners of the World Cup didn’t advance from their group as defending champions. 4 — Games will be played across four time zones in Russia — from Kaliningrad in the west to Yekaterinburg in the east. 5 — Brazil is the most successful team in World Cup history with five titles, followed by Italy and Germany with four. 12 — The most goals in a World Cup match came in the 1954 quarterfinals when Austria beat Switzerland 7-5. 12 — A dozen stadiums will be used for the 64 games, including two venues in Moscow.

16 — FIFA was seeking 34 World Cup sponsors, but it has only attracted this many. 32 — This could be the last World Cup with 32 teams with FIFA exploring expanding to 48 teams in Qatar in 2022. 45 — Essam el-Hadary will become the oldest person to play at a World Cup match if he features for Egypt in Russia. The 45-year-old goalkeeper is looking to eclipse the record set by Colombia goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon, who was 43 when he played at the last World Cup in Brazil. 106 — Germany has played 106 World Cup matches and scored 224 goals — more than any other country. The four-time champions have 66 wins, 20 draws and 20 losses. 58,151 — Of the 2.9 million seats at the World Cup, 58,151 are reserved for VIPs and VVIPs.

66,000 rubles — The most expensive ticket for the final on July 15 costs 66,000 rubles ($1,000). The cheapest for non-Russians is 27,300 rubles ($445). 173,850 — The highest attendance at a World Cup match came at the Maracana in 1950 when 173,850 watched Uruguay beat Brazil 2-1 to win the tournament. It was the last time FIFA used a round-robin format rather than a knockout phase, culminating in a final. 38 million — The World Cup winner will receive $38 million from a $400 million prize fund 209 million — FIFA will pay clubs from a $209 million fund for releasing players to national teams for the World Cup. 5.656 billion — FIFA’s projected revenue over four years of $5.656 billion is mostly generated from World Cup broadcasters and sponsors.

PLAYERS TO WATCH At the last World Cup, Colombia forward James Rodriguez became one of the stars of the tournament with his trickery and eye for a spectacular goal. Expect others to step up at this year’s tournament. Here’s a look at some young players hoping to make a big impact at the World Cup in Russia:

BENJAMIN MENDY

When France won the World Cup in 1998, it was formidably effective down the left flank. Playmaker Zinedine Zidane would wait for left back Bixente Lizarazu to push up and they would swap passes with devastating speed. France has a left back in the making in Benjamin Mendy. Quick, powerful and skillful, the 23-year-old Mendy excelled for Monaco when it won the French league and reached the Champions League semifinals in 2017. It earned him a move to Manchester City, where a serious knee injury curtailed his progress. He recovered to play in City’s last few games of the season. The attack-minded Mendy is also quick enough to track back when a move breaks down.

MARCO ASENSIO

Marco Asensio runs with the power and grace of former Brazil midfielder Kaka. The 22-year-old Spain midfielder likewise possesses a ferocious shot from outside the penalty area, excellent close control and endless stamina. Asensio has a full passing range, too, either quickly to feet when playing it short, or hit with a golfer’s precision so the ball drops perfectly when playing it long. Asensio has shown his tactical versatility when playing for Real Madrid, and is lethal on counterattacks with quick one-twos. Xavi Hernandez and Andres Iniesta were the heartbeat in Spain’s midfield when it won the 2010 World Cup. It could be Asensio’s time to shine.

LEROY SANE

Leroy Sane was shortlisted for the Player of the Year award and voted the English Premier League’s Young Player of the Year. The son of a professional player and an Olympic gymnast, the 22-year-old Belgium left winger has speed, balance and agility that revive memories of a young Ryan Giggs when he was at Manchester United. Sane scored 10 goals in City’s record-breaking league campaign and set up 15 others — second in assists behind teammate Kevin De Bruyne. City manager Pep Guardiola says Sane can become one of the world’s best players and is impressed by the timing of his runs and his delivery.

OUSMANE DEMBELE

Ousmane Dembele is even quicker than France teammate Kylian Mbappe. The 20-year-old forward is lethal launching runs from deep and is near-unstoppable when he’s in full flow. Dembele displayed his vast repertoire in a Spanish league game for Barcelona against Villarreal recently. Receiving the ball near the halfway line with his back to play, he flicked it with his heel and beat three players before passing for Philippe Coutinho to score. Dembele also scored a superb solo goal: a mixture of strength, skill and speed. Turning again from midfield, he took the ball past several players and dinked it over the goalkeeper. His exquisite finish had a touch of former Brazil great Ronaldo about it.

TIMO WERNER

Timo Werner overcame injury and a mid-season slump to reaffirm his status as Germany’s leading striker. The 22-year-old forward is virtually assured of his starting place on the national team after helping Leipzig claim a Europa League place. He finished strongly with two goals and two assists in his last two games. Werner scored 21 goals in all competitions this season and looks back to his best. Werner has explosive pace, strength and the ability to open up space and create opportunities for himself and teammates. The hard-working forward has scored seven goals in 12 appearances.

SPAIN IN CHAOS 2 DAYS BEFORE WORLD CUP AFTER COACH FIRED By JOSEPH WILSON Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Some people in Spain agree that national team coach Julen Lopetegui had to go. Others believe the chaos on the eve of the World Cup just made a bad situation worse. Lopetegui was fired yesterday, two days before Spain’s opening match against Portugal, because he accepted a job Tuesday to coach Real Madrid next season. “It is clear to me that this was poorly handled and that the national team will be harmed by it,” Spain fan Jordi Casares said. “Madrid put its interests first, as did Lopetegui, and (Spanish federation president Luis) Rubiales was left in a very tough spot. Nobody thought about what was best for the national team.” Television and radio commentator Manolo Lama, summing up the state of bewilderment caused by the decision, said the team’s success

will rely solely on the players. “Our World Cup is in the hands of (Sergio) Ramos, (Andres) Iniesta, (David) Silva, Diego Costa and company,” Lama wrote on Twitter. “Only they can put out this fire. Now more than ever (we must) be with our players.” However, former Spain great Xavi Hernandez said the federation did the right thing. “I think Rubiales acted correctly and was looking out for the federation, which should be above any single individual,” Hernandez told sports daily Marca. “It wasn’t an easy situation but I think he did the right thing. The players have seen things like this before and I am sure they are going to have a good World Cup.” Spain left for the World Cup in Russia free of distractions and with high hopes of competing for the title it won in 2010.After all, Lopetegui had impressed by leading the national team to the top of its qualifying group and had kept it undefeated in 20 matches

JULEN LOPETEGUI since taking over from Vicente del Bosque in 2016. But Madrid’s announcement that Lopetegui would replace Zinedine Zidane at Real Madrid immediately caused controversy around the Spanish national team. Rubiales then announced his decision to part ways with Lopetgui, saying the federation was “compelled to act” because of the betrayal.

Sergio Ramos was the first Spain player to speak up. “We are the national team. We represent this emblem, these colours, our fans, a country,” the Spain captain wrote on Twitter. “Our responsibility and commitment is to you. Yesterday, today and tomorrow, together.” Gerard Pique, Ramos’ partner in Spain’s defence, dug deep into sports history to encourage his teammates. He cited the example of the 1989 University of Michigan basketball team, whose coach Bill Frieder was fired for announcing he would change schools the following season just before the NCAA tournament. Michigan went on to win the national title. “University of Michigan. Basketball. 1989. NCAA Champion. It wouldn’t be the first time it happened. Everyone united, more now than ever,” Pique wrote on Twitter. Last month, Lopetegui agreed to a contract extension through 2020. But Real Madrid’s surprise statement on Tuesday that Lopetegui

has signed a three-year deal to coach the three-time defending Champions League champions changed things. Criticism of Real Madrid and Lopetegui was spreading as Rubiales flew to Spain’s base camp in Krasnodar, Russia. Rumours began to fly that Lopetegui’s job was in danger. Rubiales, the former head of Spain’s players union who was elected as federation president last month, said he was forced to fire Lopetegui because he had been left in the dark by his coach and by Madrid. Former Spain great Fernando Hierro was named coach a short time later. The daunting task of refocusing the team on Friday’s match against European champion Portugal is now on Hierro’s shoulders. But if Spain gets eliminated after the group stage, many in the country will lay the blame firmly on Lopetegui, Rubiales and Madrid president Florentino Perez.