Sports

Jones, Gushue drop first games at Beijing Olympics – TSN

Published

3 years ago

February 11, 2022

BEIJING — Any lingering disappointment from her first Olympic loss was quickly erased when Jennifer Jones walked through the interview area at the Ice Cube on Friday.

She passed by Chinami Yoshida as the Japanese vice was telling a reporter how excited she was that Jones was representing Canada because it’s her “favourite team.”

The two players embraced and shared a hug. “You are my idol,” Yoshida told her.

Win or lose, there’s a certain mystique that Jones brings to a room, even after an 8-5 round-robin defeat. That presence extends to the ice as well and could be a factor against a less-experienced opponent deeper in the competition.

On this day, Japan’s Satsuki Fujisawa outplayed the Canadian side by putting the pressure on early and not letting up. She was perfect through five ends and any second-half mistakes were minimal.

“They played outstanding,” Jones said. “They didn’t give us a sniff. We’d have maybe a slight opportunity and then they’d make a great shot.”

Jones, who ran the table at the 2014 Sochi Games, fell to 1-1. Her rink made a few sweeping errors in the early going and never really settled into a rhythm.

“It was going to be really hard to go through undefeated,” Jones said. “It’s just such a deep field. We knew that was going to happen.”

Switzerland and the United States posted victories to remain unbeaten at 3-0. Silvana Tirinzoni beat Russia’s Alina Kovaleva 8-7 and Tabitha Peterson defeated China’s Yu Han 8-4.

Canada fell into a five-way tie at 1-1. South Korea’s EunJung Kim outscored Great Britain’s Eve Muirhead 9-7 in the other women’s game.

In evening men’s play, Switzerland’s Peter de Cruz beat Canada’s Brad Gushue 5-3. That left Sweden’s Niklas Edin (3-0) as the lone unbeaten skip in the 10-team draw.

Canada fell into a four-way tie at 2-1 with Switzerland, Great Britain’s Bruce Mouat and defending champion John Shuster of the United States.

Mouat beat Norway’s Steffan Walstad 8-3 and Russia’s Sergey Glukhov hammered Denmark’s Mikkel Krause 10-2 in the other late matchup.

In the Japan-Canada game, Fujisawa stole single points in three of the first five ends and notched a deuce when she had hammer in the third.

Canada cut into the lead when Fujisawa made her first error of the game, a flashed open hit in the sixth end. Any momentum from that Jones deuce was snuffed in the seventh after Kaitlyn Lawes hogged a stone, setting up a Japanese pair.

Jones and Lawes threw under 70 per cent while Fujisawa led all back-end players at 88 per cent.

“Jen is a great player and so is Kaitlyn, but when you’re trying to make tough shots every end, it’s difficult,” said Japanese coach J.D. Lind.

The next curling generation has arrived at the Beijing Games and many of the game’s top young players grew up watching Jones excel.

In addition to her Olympic gold, she has won six national titles and two world titles. Now 47, she will soon reach the milestone of 100 career games played wearing Canadian colours.

It’s all part of the aura that accompanies the veteran skip. Many of the sport’s younger stars cite her as a major influence.

“If they watched me and I had any influence on what they’ve done to help the sport of curling, that is to me the greatest compliment you could ever receive,” Jones said.

“I’m very humbled by it.”

Gushue, meanwhile, scored a deuce in the sixth end to pull even with de Cruz, but a force and a steal gave the Swiss skip a two-point lead entering the 10th.

Switzerland ran Canada out of rocks to win it.

“Our expectation wasn’t to go through undefeated by any means,” Gushue said. “We know it’s going to be a struggle and a grind to get into the playoffs.

“This just makes it a little bit more of a grind.”

In early men’s games, Switzerland beat Russia 6-3 and the U.S. topped Great Britain 9-7. Sweden dumped Italy’s Joel Retornaz 9-3 and China’s Xiuyue Ma edged Denmark 5-4.

Russia improved to 2-2 while Norway and China sat at 1-2 ahead of winless Italy (0-2) and Denmark (0-3).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2022.

Follow @GregoryStrongCP on Twitter.

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Sports

Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

___

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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