The Malaysian Insider :: Sports
The Malaysian Insider :: Sports |
| Neymar stunner as Brazil beat South Korea Posted: 12 Oct 2013 07:14 AM PDT The Barcelona forward curled his shot past Korean goalie Jung Sung-Ryong just before half-time, with Chelsea's Oscar getting the visitors' second shortly after the break. Neymar, 21, had been in doubt for the game after a heavy fall in training, and he was targed with some tough challenges and constant attention in front of a near-capacity crowd. But the young idol had the last laugh at Seoul World Cup Stadium when he thumped his strike over the wall and to the right of Jung, who got a hand to the ball but could not keep it out. Neymar was targeted from start to finish as Hong Myung-Bo's team, already qualified for next year's World Cup, opted for tactics of harassment and frustration. The Brazilian threw up his hands in exasperation and had a few testy moments with other players, even getting into a shoving match near the teams' benches late in the first half. After a tepid start to the game, Neymar had taken the ball in midfield and danced through defenders before threading a pass to Oscar, whose shot travelled over the bar. But after being brought down for the umpteenth time, Neymar took matters into his own hands as he opened the scoring with his free kick. Brazil doubled their just three minutes into the second half. Paulinho put Oscar through and the midfielder went past the helpless Jung before putting it into the gaping net. South Korea brought on Son Heung-Min in the 65th minute, hoping the Bayer Leverkusen winger could add some spark to the lethargic attack. And the home side were more lively in the last half-hour, with Lee Chung-Yong heading a corner wide in the 68th minute. It was as close as South Korea came to score in the match, as the five-time World Cup champions outclassed the hosts. South Korea will next host Mali on Tuesday, while Brazil will take on Zambia on the same day in Beijing. - AFP, October 12, 2013. |
| Nadal dumped out of Shanghai Masters by Del Potro Posted: 12 Oct 2013 07:06 AM PDT The giant Del Potro, fresh from winning the Japan Open, went into the semi-final at the Qizhong Tennis Center trailing 8-3 in head-to-heads, but rocked Nadal with a double break in the first set and kept up the pressure to win 6-2, 6-4. Earlier, top seed Djokovic swept aside Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2, 7-5 to earn the chance to defend his title. Nadal has enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career, winning 10 titles including the French Open and the US Open, and came into the match with all eyes on yet another showdown with Djokovic. But the 13-time Grand Slam champion was given the run-around by the sixth seed, who launched a sustained and blistering all-court attack from the start, achieving the rare feat of out-hitting his illustrious opponent. Dominating from the baseline on both forehand and backhand sides, Del Potro raced into a 4-0 lead in the first set as Nadal desperately searched for a foothold. A single break was enough in the second set for the inspired Argentine, who hit a total of 28 winners and 31 unforced errors, landing 80 percent of first serves. Nadal, by contrast, failed with all six of his break point opportunities. In the first semi-final, Tsonga landed just 46 percent of first serves in an ultimately one-sided first set, and despite an improved showing in the second he cracked in the 12th game as Djokovic completed a straight-sets win. "I think I raised my game today compared to last night's match," said Djokovic, who lost his cool midway through the second set over a couple of line calls before he found his focus again. "Of course, I would wish to get even a better performance tomorrow for the most important match this week. But we'll see." The Serbian, 26, broke to love in the second game, helped by two double faults, and had a break point to establish a 4-0 lead as Tsonga struggled to gain a foothold. The seventh seed dug deep, securing a break of his own to peg Djokovic back to 3-2, but his form then dipped again and he lost the next three games. A more balanced second set involving a break apiece looked to be heading towards a tie-break, but the Serb secured the decisive break, claiming victory on his second match point. Nadal and Djokovic are among three players who have already secured their places at next month's elite World Tour Finals, featuring the season's top eight players. Tsonga and Del Potro are among those hoping to secure one of the remaining five places. - AFP, October 12, 2013. |
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