Injured Pulisic, Reyna ‘unlikely’ for Jamaica WCQ match
NEW YORK (AP):
HRISTIAN PULISIC and Gio Reyna were left off the United States roster for the next three World Cup qualifiers because of injuries, and Weston McKennie returned after being dropped for two games for violating team COVID-19 protocols.
Pulisic, the team’s star attacker, has been sidelined since spraining an ankle in Honduras on September 8, and Reyna, a starting midfielder, since injuring a hamstring in El Salvador on September 2. United States coach Gregg Berhalter said neither is back in full training.
“I wouldn’t rule them completely out,” Berhalter said yesterday. “I think that it is unlikely.”
The 13th-ranked United States play No. 59 Jamaica in Austin, Texas, on Octover 7, then travel to 68thranked Panama three days later, and host No. 44-ranked Costa Rica on October 13 in Columbus, Ohio.
McKennie, a top American midfielder, started in the 0-0 draw in El Salvador, then was sent home for violating coronavirus protocols and missed the 1-1 tie at home against Canada and the 4-1 come-frombehind win in Honduras.
“There’s a certain amount of trust
Cthat Weston needs to rebuild with the group and he’s willing to do that,” Berhalter said. “His behaviour was unacceptable. He took responsibility for it and we move on. We really do move on. But will he be held accountable in the future? Absolutely. That’s going to be part of it. And he understands that. The group understands that.”
Pulisic, McKennie and Tyler Adams, the team’s central young core, have started together just once, against Ecuador in March 2019.
Paul Arriola, the DC United winger, Columbus forward Gyasi Zardes, Valencia midfielder Yunus Musah and Lille forward Tim Weah are on the 27-man roster after missing the initial qualifiers because of injuries.
Venezia midfielder Gianluca Busio and Mallorca forward Matthew Hoppe were picked after settling in with new clubs, along with Tenerife right back Shaq Moore, who joined them on last summer’s Concacaf Gold Cup champion team.
Panama is on the British government’s COVID-19 red list, which requires a 10-day quarantine when entering England. Pending possible United Kingdom rule changes on Monday, Englandbased players Zack Steffen, Antonee
Robinson and Tim Ream will not travel to Panama and will train with staff in Columbus.
US ROSTER:
Goalkeepers: Sean Johnson (New York City), Zack Steffen (Manchester City, England), Matt Turner (New England).
Defenders: George Bello (Atlanta), John Brooks (Wolfsburg, Germany), Sergiño Dest (Barcelona, Spain), Mark McKenzie (Genk, Belgium), Shaq Moore (Tenerife, Spain), Tim Ream (Fulham, England), Chris Richards (Hoffenheim, Germany), Antonee Robinson ( Fulham, England), Miles Robinson (Atlanta), DeAndre Yedlin ( Galatasaray, Turkey).
Midfielders: Kellyn Acosta (Colorado), Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig, Germany), Gianluca Busio (Venezia, Italy), Luca de la Torre (Heracles, Netherlands), Sebastian Lletget (LA Galaxy), Weston McKennie (Juventus, Italy), Yunus Musah (Valencia, Spain), Cristian Roldan (Seattle).
Forwards: Brenden Aaronson (Red Bull Salzburg, Austria), Paul Arriola (D.C.), Matthew Hoppe (Mallorca, Spain), Ricardo Pepi (Dallas), Tim Weah (Lille, France), Gyasi Zardes (Columbus).
An unbeaten 50 from Australian Glenn Maxwell topped a typically boundary-studded half-century from West Indies lefthanded opener Evin Lewis, as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) beat Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets in the Indian Premier League (IPL) yesterday.
Maxwell struck six fours and one six from 30 balls, and RCB chased down a target of 150 in 19 overs to bag two points and cement third in the standings on 14 points.
Lewis, a member of the Windies 15-member squad for the ICC Twenty20 World Cup that will also take place in the United Arab Emirates and Oman, got a timely boost of form and confidence.
His top score of 58 from 37 balls, which included five fours and three sixes, propelled the Royals to 149 for nine from their 20 overs.
In the chase, RCB were quick out of the blocks as their captain, Virat Kohli, creamed three fours in the first over.
Fellow opener Devdutt Padikkal got a reprieve in the third over and added three fours in the next two overs. But the left-hander got out in the final over of the power play, as Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman bowled him for 31 to give RCB the breakthrough.
In the seventh over, Kohli was brilliantly run out when Riyan Parag made a diving stop at point and then his direct hit at the non-striker’s end caught the RCB captain short of his ground.
KS Bharat and Maxwell joined forces and put on 69 to take RCB closer to victory, cashing in on every scoring opportunity to ensure RCB were never under any run-rate pressure.
Bharat miscued a pull to deep fine leg off Mustafizur in the 16th over after scoring a well-compiled 44, but Maxwell and South African AB de Villiers took RCB over the line.
Earlier, Lewis indulged himself and helped the Royals get off to a flying start with Yashasvi Jaiswal, and they reached 50 without loss at the close of the power play.
Jaiswal collected two fours in the seventh over off Daniel Christian and then followed it up with a six in the ninth over from the same bowler, who dismissed Jaiswal in the same over to give RCB a muchneeded ease.
Lewis brought up his 50 in the 10th over before Royals reached 100 in the next over.
But the West Indies opener fell in the 12th over and RCB started to claw their way back into the match.
His dismissal triggered a period of instability in the Royals’ batting and they lost six wickets for 27 in the space of 32 balls.
Harshal Patel, who had taken a hat-trick in RCB’s previous match against Mumbai Indians, went on to bowl a sensational three-wicket final over, dismissing Riyan Parag, Chris Morris and
Chetan Sakariya as the Royals stumbled.