Stars shine brightly for Portugal and Uruguay
Ronaldo, Suarez prove to be difference-makers, score lone goals in wins
MOSCOW — Cristiano Ronaldo walked out for warmups at sun-splashed Luzhniki Stadium with diamonds affixed to each earlobe and a new goatee sprouting from his chin — like a goat, get it? Greatest of All Time.
He sparkled, even before the opening whistle of Portugal’s World Cup match against Morocco. And then he validated his flashy look with another glittering goal.
Gems removed, Ronaldo headed in Joao Moutinho’s cross after Bernardo Silva’s short corner kick in the fourth minute to become the career international scoring leader among European players, and followed with one of his look-at-me-me-me celebratory runs.
Ronaldo’s tournament-high fourth goal stood up for a 1-0 win over a tenacious Moroccan team on Wednesday, putting the European champions in good position to advance to the World Cup’s knockout rounds. Prolific scorer, pretty boy. Acrobat, diver. Winner, whiner. Goatee and goals are turning this into Ronaldo’s World Cup at 33, past the age considered a soccer player’s prime.
“He’s like a port wine,” Portugal coach Fernando Santos said via a translator. “He knows how to refine his capacity and age at his best.”
Ronaldo’s competition with Lionel Messi is the great Millennial rivalry in sports,
SLO-PITCH
Four of the eight playoff championships have been decided so far in the Penticton (Co-Ed) Slo-Pitch League.
In Div. 1A, VBS Diggers needed to beat undefeated Phanatics twice in the double-elimination format and they did just with 15-9 and 9-8 wins Monday at Lion’s Community Park.
The Diggers had knocked off four-time defending champions and No. 1 playoff seed Family Tree Care Dirtbags in the semifinal.
Div. 1B: No. 4 seed Clancy’s Cariboozers completed an undefeated playoff run by beating Brat Pack 13-7 in the final.
Div. 2A: No. 2 beat No. 1 as Diamond Edge Stucco Chillin came all the way back to beat Kekumbas 17-8 and 18-7 in the final on Tuesday.
Div. 4B: Direct Tappin It became the first No. 1 seed to win a playoff title as they beat I’d Hit That 12-9 to finish unbeaten in the postseason.
Three other division finals were decided Wednesday night.
The last of the playoff finals goes tonight as unbeaten Hood Rats need to win just once soccer’s version of Ali vs. Frazier, Bird vs. Magic, DiMaggio vs. Williams.
They’ve split the last 10 FIFA Player of the Year awards. Ronaldo has won four Champions League titles with Real Madrid in the past decade, while Messi has three with Barcelona.
Ronaldo covets attention. After the first of his three goals against Spain in Portugal’s opener last week, Ronaldo stroked his chin as he ran in celebration. Adidas is running an advertisement featuring Messi with a real goat.
Ronaldo’s 85th goal moved him one ahead of Ferenc Puskas into sole possession of second on the international scoring list, trailing only Ali Daei’s 109 goals for Iran.
“It was beautiful for me,” Ronaldo said. against the No. 1 seed Hustling Squirrels at 6:30 p.m. at Lion’s Park. A Squirrels win forces a deciding game at 8 p.m.
Meanwhile, the Summerland (Co-Ed) SloPitch League playoffs in all three divisions go this Friday and Saturday at the Dale Meadows Complex.
LACROSSE
Jordy Barr scored five goals as the Vernon Tigers beat the South Okanagan Flames 19-9 on Monday at Memorial Arena to clinch first place in the Thompson Okanagan Junior Lacrosse League.
Brett Olsen and Jake Pelletier each had hat-tricks as Vernon (9-0-2) stayed unbeaten on the season with one game remaining.
Jake McLeod fired five goals for the Flames (1-7-2-1), who did not win any of their six home games this season.
The Flames, tied for last place in the fourteam league with the Armstrong Shamrocks, finish up regular season play this Monday on the road against the second-place Kamloops Venom.
Vernon visits Kamloops in their last game on Saturday.
The Tigers also got two goals apiece from Kaden Doughty and Quinn Stanhope, with
URUGUAY 1, SAUDI ARABIA 0
ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia — With a single goal, Luis Suarez settled the fate of four teams in the group stage of the World Cup.
The controversial striker, who was making his 100th appearance in his national team’s light blue, scored Wednesday to give Uruguay a 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia and a spot in the round of 16.
The result, though, had a domino effect in Group A. It also put host Russia into the next round while eliminating both Saudi Arabia and Egypt at the same time.
Suarez knocked in a corner kick from Carlos Sanchez in the 23rd minute for his 52nd goal for his country in that century of matches. Drayden Harshenin, Caden Colmorgen and Conor Webb tacking on singles.
Liam McLaren had two and Ben Olsen and Chace Moog one apiece for the Flames, who were outshot 52-33.
Vernon opened up a 5-0 lead and never looked back. It was 8-2 after one period and 15-6 after 40 minutes.
GOLF
Helen Benallick edged out Diana Leitch in a three-hole playoff for the Summerland Golf and Country Club ladies’ Dot Foreman Low Net Trophy on Tuesday. The two golfers were tied at 69 after 18 holes.
Other top finishers were Vijai Vaagen 70; Linda Brussee, Carol Mulligan tied at 72; Kathy Larkin 73; Ellen Clay, Frances Colussie tied at 74; Janis Goll, Lynne Karaim, Lil Smith, Pat Stohl and Maribel Rothfield tied at 76.
KP flight winners were Leitch in the first and Vi Ward in the second. Long putt winner on No. 9 was Mulligan and on hole 18 it was Vi Ward. Goll won the deuce pot.
The Penticton Golf & Country Club ladies’ day Tuesday was a N.E.T. game, using the nine holes beginning with those letters (2, 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 18), less one-half the handicap.
Flight 1 winners (0-25 handicap) were Laura Mansell 31.5, Jean Arnett at 33.0 and Joan Eaton by countback at 34.0.
Flight 2 winners (26-plus handicaps) were Judy Hillier by countback at 31.5, Pat Fleming at 31.5 and Ria Waldie 32.5.
The team of Don Smith, Don Allbright, Dueane Sly and Jack Kinniburgh carded a 117 to post a five-shot win at the Twin Lakes Golf Resort senior men’s day “best 2 net” outing on Tuesday.
Second place at 122 went to Ron Johnson, Glen Jolliffe, Bill Rogocky and Les Stevens. Third place at 124, by countback, went to Gary Kennedy, Ron English, Dave Myles and Ron Ebner.
Bob Biro had closest-to-the-pin on No. 2, Jolliffe on No. 8 and Morris Kruger on No. 14 had long putts and Kruger, Kinniburgh, Lyle Lowenberger, Gerry Chalmers and Larry Thompson shared the deuce pot.
The team of Doug Anderson, David Konarski, Gord Bogan and Les Proudfoot logged a 115 to claim a two-shot win at the Penticton Golf and Country Club senior men’s day “two best net” event on Wednesday.
Second place at 117 went to Bruce Johnston, Warren Orriss, Chris Cottrill and Al Cartwright.