FC Goa pip Kerala Blasters to regain ISL top spot
KUWAIT CITY, Jan 26: As FC Goa, along with ATK and Bengaluru FC, are locked in a compelling three-way battle for the top spot in the league stage of the Indian Super League which guarantees a spot in the AFC Champions League, FC Goa earned a hard-fought 3-2 win over Kerala Blasters at the scoresheet for the Goans, attacking midfielder Hugo Boumous stepped up as the hero for the Sergio Loberacoached outfit.
With a tap-in in the first half and a volley in the second, he inspired his side to an important victory which sees them at the top of the table, two points off second-placed Bengaluru FC.
The dual strikes took Boumous’ tally to six goals – two fewer than Goa’s top scorer Coro.
Although Kerala succumbed to a defeat, their forward Ogbeche put up a commendable display. The FrenchNigerian delivered an all-round performance with a goal, an assist and a vital contribution in defence.
The striker set up Messi Bouli for the opening goal before slotting a header to bring up the equalizer.
In the first half, Ogbeche had rescued Kerala with a goal-line save to block Mourtada Fall’s header. On several occasions, Ogbeche also cleared the danger from set-pieces. on the same pitch, they struggled to achieve any real momentum. During the second match the pitch played much slower and India bowled expertly to restrict New Zealand’s total.
Martin Guptill made 33 in a 48-run opening partnership with Colin Munro and Tim Seifert made an unbeaten 33 at the end of the innings but New Zealand weren’t able to reach a total that could stretch India’s deep batting lineup.
Rohit Sharma (8) and captain Virat Kohli (11) were out relatively cheaply but Rahul and Iyer (44) sped India towards a comprehensive victory.
Dube came to the crease shortly before the end and quickly brought the match to a conclusion.
New Zealand’s total was inadequate, even on a slower pitch, and India almost toyed with the home side as they made their way to a comfortable win.
New Zealand named the same team that lost the first match of the series and batted after winning the toss, just as they batted when they were outplayed in the first match of the series.
The match raised further questions about the coaching and captaincy of the New Zealand team after their humiliating Test series loss in Australia last month. New Zealand showed again Sunday they haven’t the talent to compete with the best teams in the world. he struggled in the 2018 Olympics short program, soared far above the ice – and the competition – to win the short at nationals. His margin is so massive, 114.13 points to 100.99 for secondplace Jason Brown, that Chen probably could power skate through Sunday’s free program and still win.
That’s how it tends to go for Chen, who is on target to become the first man to win four consecutive US titles since Brian Boitano in 1988. Not even flu-like symptoms that curtailed his training earlier this month, nor the heavy class load at Yale, nor being separated by a continent from his coach, Rafael Arutunian, slows him.
In pairs, Aleza and Chris Knierim won their third US crown even though they finished second in the free skate to Jessica Calalang and Brian Johnson. Ice dance went to Madison Chock and Evan Bates.
Chen set the US championships high in last year’s short program at 113.42. His free skate and overall totals from 2019 clearly are in reach. It sometimes seems even the ceiling of the arena is
Nathan Chen performs during the senior men’s short program at the US Figure Skating Championships on Jan 25 in Greensboro, North
Carolina. (AP)
within reach as he takes off on quads or triple axels.
It didn’t look like Chen had much that needs fixing in his program to “La Boheme”. It was graceful, lyrical, almost relaxing to watch, but also as difficult as any men’s short routine gets. He nailed a quad flip, quad toe loop-triple toe loop combination and a triple axel.
Brown, the 2015 national champ who won team bronze at the 2014 Sochi Games, has massively improved his technical skills since moving to Canada to train with renowned coach Brian Orser. Slowed by a concussion and what he calls “struggles” over the last year, the highly entertaining Brown has begun mastering the more difficult jumps.