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CA’s Gushue knocks off SK’s McEwen to claim sixth career Brier title

Published

8 months ago

March 12, 2024

REGINA — Brad Gushue further cemented his place in Canadian curling history Sunday.

He became the first man to skip teams to six national men’s championships with a 9-5 win over Saskatchewan’s Mike McEwen in Regina.

Gushue, third Mark Nichols and lead Geoff Walker won the sixth Briers of their careers and third straight to match records held by Randy Ferbey of Edmonton.

Ferbey also claimed six crowns, including four as a skip when Ferbey also three-peated between 2001 and 2003.

“This is why I play. This is why I love the game. I love this moment. To see it all come to fruition after the hard work this week is so cool,” Gushue said. “It isn’t about how many. It’s about this moment here and I’m going to enjoy the next couple hours. We’ve got an early flight so hopefully we make it.”

Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., said he felt “a little pop” in his leg late in the game.

“I think it’s just me being 43, to be honest,” the skip said. “I don’t think it’s anything serious.”

E.J. Harnden in his second season with Gushue collected his third national title. His first was in 2013 with Brad Jacobs.

Gushue will represent Canada at the men’s world championship March 30 to April 7 in Schaffhausen, Switzerland and return to the 2025 Montana’s Brier in Kelowna, B.C., as defending champion.

His team collected $108,000 in prize money Sunday. An Olympic berth in the 2025 trials was also theirs pending a top-six ranking in Switzerland.

Gushue, Nichols and Walker played in their eighth Brier final together and Harnden his fourth.

The four men brought that big-game experience to prevail over Saskatchewan, which came agonizingly close to ending the province’s 44-year Brier drought.

Urged on by the roars of Sunday’s full houses at the Brandt Centre, McEwen ousted top-seeded Brendan Bottcher of Alberta 7-3 in the afternoon’s semifinal before battling back against Gushue to pull within a point in the sixth end.

Gushue scored two in the second end and three in the fourth, while holding McEwen to singles in the third and the fifth for a 5-2 lead.

But missed peels on guards by the defending champions in the sixth allowed Saskatchewan to put two stones on the button and another at the top of the four-foot rings to cut off Gushue’s access

McEwen drew to nibble the button to count three. Gushue’s tap was slightly heavy. A measurement determined a steal of two for the hosts to trail 5-4 while a tournament-high 5,734 attending chanted “three, three.”

Saskatchewan had the opposition under pressure in the seventh when McEwen drew to the top edge of the button under partial cover. But Gushue’s thin double takeout for the deuce and a 7-4 lead drew fist pumps from the skip.

Momentum continued to swing to Gushue in the eighth when Saskatchewan third Colton Flasch left all three opposing stones in the rings on an attempted triple hit. McEwen drew against four stones for a point.

McEwen’s attempt at a high guard with his first stone of the ninth didn’t reach the hog line and was pulled, which gave Gushue the chance at a game-sealing deuce for the win.

“We beat him (last) Saturday night. Unfortunately, he’s defending champion, he’s hard to put away on Sunday night,” McEwen said. “We have everything to be proud of what we did in six months. This is a great team, and we’re not done yet.”

A Saskatchewan team reached a Brier final for the first time since 1995.

“Despite the result today, this was a hell of an accomplishment,” McEwen said.

Gushue won Canada’s first Olympic gold medal in men’s curling in 2006, but it took more than a decade to claim his first Brier.

He has said winning his first in his hometown was stressful because of the pressure to produce a mythical curling moment.

But the Brier ice was broken for Gushue after that. His teams have since played with the confidence that makes them perennial contenders. Sunday’s victory in Regina was Gushue’s second in that city after a dominating performance there in 2018.

International gold medals have been harder to get. Gushue’s lone world title was in 2017 in Edmonton.

He was second to Scotland’s Bruce Mouat in 2023 and Niklas Edin in both 2022 and 2018. Gushue was the Olympic bronze medallist in Beijing in 2022. The 2020 world championship was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic

Fuelled by the fortunes of the host team, Regina’s Brier drew 101,401 to the building over 11 days.

Rachel Homan won February’s Canadian women’s curling championship in Calgary. Homan, Tracy Fleury, Emma Miskew and Sarah Wilkes will wear the Maple Leaf at the women’s world championship March 16-24 in Sydney, N.S.

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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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