Messi matches Pelé scoring record
Lionel Messi has another individual scoring milestone, but he sure doesn’t have a team that looks like a champion.
Messi equaled Pelé’s alltime club scoring tally on Saturday in a 2-2 draw with Valencia. His 643rd career goal for host Barcelona since his 2004 debut matched Pelé’s tally for Santos from 1957-74.
Messi is Barcelona’s and the Spanish league’s alltime leading scorer. In January 2018, he became the most prolific scorer among Europe’s top leagues when he reached 366 league goals, surpassing Gerd Mueller’s Bundesliga mark of 365. Messi had already surpassed Gerd Mueller’s single-year goal mark by scoring 86 times in 2012.
Pelé congratulated the Argentina forward on social media: “Like you, I know what it’s like to love wearing the same shirt every day. Like you, I know that there is nothing better than the place we feel at home.
“Cong ratulations on your historic record, Lionel,” Pelé added. “But above all, congratulations on your beautiful career at Barcelona. Stories like ours, of loving the same club for so long, unfortunately will be increasingly rare in football.”
MEWI S IS U. S. FEMAL E PLAYER OF YEAR>> Samantha Mewis is the 2020 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year.
Mewis, a 6- foot midfielder, garnered 45% of the vote. Crystal Dunn finished second and Lindsey Horan third.
Mewis, 28, played in eight of the nine Team USA games this year, with six starts. She scored four goals at the 2020 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying tournament.
Mewis played all five games for the North Carolina Courage at the NWSL Challenge Cup before joining Manchester City in England in early August. She scored six goals in 17 matches there and helped her team win the delayed FA Cup with a 3-1 victory over Everton on Nov. 1.
Golf
GOALS GALORE POSSIBLE FOR LPGA’S KIM>> Sei Young Kim is in position to defend her title in the CME Group Tour Championship, take player of the year honors, win the money title and possibly even move to No. 1 in the world.
Kim took a one- stroke lead over top-ranked Jin Young Ko into the final round of the LPGA Tour season, shooting a 5-under 67 in warmer conditions at Tiburon Golf Club to reach 13- under 203 in Naples, Fla. Ko had a 69.
“Really good chance to chase everything,” Kim said. “If I play well tomorrow, good chance.”
For Kim to take the No. 1 spot in the world from Ko, she would have to win today and have Ko finish solo 10th or worse. Ko has held the top spot for 73 weeks in a row.
Georgia Hall was third at 10 under after a 68.
Lexi Thompson ( 7 1), Brooke Henderson (66), Charley Hull (66), Minjee Lee (66) and Austin Ernst (69) were 9 under. CHARLIE WOODS HAS STAR TURN IN DEBUT>> The guy with a swoosh on his shirt and a Tiger head cover on his driver looked pretty good. So did Tiger Woods.
Charlie Woods, the 11-year- old son of the 15time major champion, made his national TV debut in the PNC Championship. And according to his dad, he played just like he does at home.
Never mind that he had some 250 people following along, more than his dad had watching him at the Masters. Charlie confidently twirled his club before shots, quickly picked up the tee on his drives and even pumped his fist on the par-5 third hole with a 3-wood into 3 feet for eagle.
They finished the scramble format at 10-under 62, four shots behind Matt Kuchar and son Cameron.
“I don’t really care about my game,” Woods said. “I’m just making sure that Charlie has the time of his life. And he’s doing that.”
Charlie Woods is the youngest to play in this 36-hole event that began in 1995 for major champions and their sons, and now includes all family members.
He loves the game enough to start playing in a few junior events, and he had no qualms playing before a crowd or the cameras.
Skiing
KILDE WINS AGAIN>> Aleksander Aamodt Kilde returned to the top of the overall World Cup standings after winning the classic Saslong downhill in Val Gardena, Italy, for his second victory in two days.
After triumphing in Friday’s super- G, the defending overall champion from Norway finished the downhill against a backdrop of the Italian Alps 0.22 seconds ahead of Ryan Cochran-Siegle.
The American earned his first career podium finish as he led a strong showing by the U.S. ski team, with Bryce Bennett in fourth, Jared Goldberg in sixth and Travis Ganong in 14th. BREAKTHROUGH FOR GOGGIA>> Sofia Goggia made a gutsy run to win a women’s World Cup downhill in Val D’isere, France, for her first victory in the discipline in almost two years.
A day after finishing runner-up to Corinne Suter in a race on the same hill, the Olympic champ from Italy turned the tables and beat the Swiss World Cup downhill champ by 0.24 seconds.
American Breezy Johnson, who had her first career podium result on Friday, was 0.27 seconds back for another third-place finish.