PARIS — Shinji Kagawa struck in the dying minutes as Japan defeated France for the first time 1-0 at the Stade de France on Friday night.In the 88th minute on a counterattack led by Yasuyuki Konno, Manchester United midfielder Kagawa finished off a cross by Yuto Nagatomo to give Japan its first win against Les Bleus in six meetings.Previously, Japan had lost four and drawn once to France. The two teams last played at the 2003 Confederations Cup where the French won 2-1."It was a team effort," Kagawa said. "I just happened to be the one who scored from a great counter made by the entire team."Kagawa, though, said Japan still has a lot of catching up to do with the elite in world soccer.The Asian champions had a quiet first half and had it not been for another outstanding performance in goal by Eiji Kawashima, could have been embarrassed by the hosts, who only played Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema for the first half and Bayern Munich's majestic Franck Ribery the last 20 minutes.Alberto Zaccheroni's side next plays Brazil — another team Japan has yet to beat — on Tuesday in Wroclaw, Poland, to wrap up its European tour."We've got to do much better," Kagawa said. "Every player on the team has to play with more confidence. They could have had us because there were moments when we were completely exposed.""(Brazil) are a more technical side than the team we played today. But I think we can be encouraged by the fact that our defense didn't concede, even though we were on our heels for large parts of the game."Japan fought an uphill battle with Keisuke Honda, nursing a bruised right calf, on the bench and first-choice striker Ryoichi Maeda having been shipped home earlier in the week also with injury."It's a very good result," Zaccheroni said. "We were a bit shy in the first half but I thought we came out of our shell in the second."We moved the ball around well, found space and had some good moments."LONDON — World and European champion Spain romped to a 24th straight qualifying win on Friday, although no one in the country was able to see it.Pedro Rodriguez scored a hat trick as the world's best team routed host Belarus 4-0 in one of a group of big wins for Europe's leading nations in 2014 World Cup qualifying.Yet celebrations were muted in the debt-ridden country after no broadcaster paid to televise the national team's match for the first time in 29 years.Spain's wasn't the most convincing win of the third round of regional qualifiers, with Germany handing Ireland its worst loss since 1971, 6-1 at Dublin.Wayne Rooney celebrated being handed the temporary England captaincy by scoring twice in a routine 5-0 win over San Marino, taking his goal total in international matches to 31, fifth on the country's all-time list.But Italy was again unconvincing in beating Armenia 3-1, and the Netherlands managed only a comfortable 3-0 win over Andorra, which is 201st in the rankings.However, Euro 2012 semifinalist Portugal, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, couldn't make the most of its dominance against Russia and lost 1-0 in a match between the top two teams in Group F.Belgium enhanced its burgeoning reputation as a growing force in Europe with a 3-0 win in Serbia.
Showing posts with label notches. Show all posts
Showing posts with label notches. Show all posts
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
Darvish notches 9th victory
SAN DIEGO — Once Yu Darvish settled down after the second inning, the San Diego Padres didn't have a chance.
Racking them up: Texas starter Yu Darvish fires a pitch against San Diego in the first inning on Wednesday. The Rangers won 4-2. APDarvish held San Diego to five hits over eight innings and got his first major league hit to help the Texas Rangers beat the Padres 4-2 on Wednesday for their sixth straight win.Darvish (9-4), who struck out eight and walked three, leads all big league rookies with nine victories. He pitched for Japan at Petco Park in the 2009 World Baseball Classic."He just couldn't find his rhythm to get the ball where he wanted to," manager Ron Washington said of Darvish, who allowed a two-run single to Padres starter Anthony Bass in the second inning."He just kept emphasizing what he needed to do. After the second inning, when they scored those runs, he finally did it," noted Washington. "Once he found it, he was on from there on. He just began to pound the strike zone. The sixth, seventh and eighth innings were innings that a good pitcher shows you he's not going to be denied. Once we took the lead, it was over."Yorvit Torrealba, who was with the Padres in 2010, drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the sixth to bring in Josh Hamilton with the go-ahead run. The Rangers swept the three-game series and improved to 12-3 in interleague play, the best in the majors this year."I asked the interpreter to tell the pitching coach, Mike Maddux, and Wash, I think it was somewhere around maybe after the third inning, I know my pitch count is up a little bit, but please don't base me getting taken out just on pitch count," Darvish said through an interpreter, after throwing 122 pitches. "I can throw into the seventh, eighth still, it's no problem. But if you guys feel like it's the right situation to take me out, or maybe my approach or the substance of my pitching is not good, then that's fine. I have no problem with that."Washington had reliever Mike Adams warming up in the eighth just in case, but Darvish finished the inning."I reminded him that we had tomorrow off so I probably would have five days between starts (as is common in Japan)," Darvish said. "Throwing 130 pitches in Japan is a matter of course"As the game went on, my body got warmed up and began to respond like I normally expect it to."Joe Nathan pitched the ninth for his 15th save in 16 chances.The Padres have lost five of six since their only three-game sweep of the season, at Seattle last week. San Diego (24-46) has the worst record in the majors.Darvish allowed multiple baserunners in the first two innings. He walked consecutive batters with one out in the first before getting Chase Headley to line out to second baseman Ian Kinsler, who doubled Cameron Maybin off second to end the inning.After Alexi Amarista's double down the left field line was interfered with by a fan, putting runners on second and third with two outs in the first, Bass singled just inside first base to give the Padres a 2-0 lead. Bass then stole the first base of his career."We had some good at-bats early," Padres manager Bud Black said. "Anthony got the big at-bat there in the second inning. We had some guys on but it seemed as the game went on, he got stronger. He threw his pitches in and around the plate more consistently."Darvish hit a broken-bat single in the third for his first big league hit. He was promptly doubled off first after Amarista, the second baseman, caught Kinsler's liner, ending the inning.Darvish wasn't all that thrilled with the hit."I think if I was a hitter I might feel extreme joy, but as a pitcher, I don't feel as much so," he said.Alberto Gonzalez, who was with San Diego last year, singled with two outs in the fifth to bring in David Murphy, who walked and stole second.Bass left with inflammation in his right shoulder after allowing one run and three hits in five innings. He struck out two and walked one.The Rangers went ahead in the sixth with two runs on two hits and three walks off three relievers. With one out, Michael Young singled, Hamilton doubled and Adrian Beltre walked to load the bases against Dale Thayer (0-2). Nelson Cruz grounded to Headley at third base. Rather than going for the bag and then throwing to second, Headley threw to second for the second out but Amarista's throw to first didn't get Cruz, and Young scored.Alex Hinshaw came on and walked pinch hitter Craig Gentry. Brad Boxberger came on and walked Torrealba to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead.Young hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh.
Racking them up: Texas starter Yu Darvish fires a pitch against San Diego in the first inning on Wednesday. The Rangers won 4-2. APDarvish held San Diego to five hits over eight innings and got his first major league hit to help the Texas Rangers beat the Padres 4-2 on Wednesday for their sixth straight win.Darvish (9-4), who struck out eight and walked three, leads all big league rookies with nine victories. He pitched for Japan at Petco Park in the 2009 World Baseball Classic."He just couldn't find his rhythm to get the ball where he wanted to," manager Ron Washington said of Darvish, who allowed a two-run single to Padres starter Anthony Bass in the second inning."He just kept emphasizing what he needed to do. After the second inning, when they scored those runs, he finally did it," noted Washington. "Once he found it, he was on from there on. He just began to pound the strike zone. The sixth, seventh and eighth innings were innings that a good pitcher shows you he's not going to be denied. Once we took the lead, it was over."Yorvit Torrealba, who was with the Padres in 2010, drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the sixth to bring in Josh Hamilton with the go-ahead run. The Rangers swept the three-game series and improved to 12-3 in interleague play, the best in the majors this year."I asked the interpreter to tell the pitching coach, Mike Maddux, and Wash, I think it was somewhere around maybe after the third inning, I know my pitch count is up a little bit, but please don't base me getting taken out just on pitch count," Darvish said through an interpreter, after throwing 122 pitches. "I can throw into the seventh, eighth still, it's no problem. But if you guys feel like it's the right situation to take me out, or maybe my approach or the substance of my pitching is not good, then that's fine. I have no problem with that."Washington had reliever Mike Adams warming up in the eighth just in case, but Darvish finished the inning."I reminded him that we had tomorrow off so I probably would have five days between starts (as is common in Japan)," Darvish said. "Throwing 130 pitches in Japan is a matter of course"As the game went on, my body got warmed up and began to respond like I normally expect it to."Joe Nathan pitched the ninth for his 15th save in 16 chances.The Padres have lost five of six since their only three-game sweep of the season, at Seattle last week. San Diego (24-46) has the worst record in the majors.Darvish allowed multiple baserunners in the first two innings. He walked consecutive batters with one out in the first before getting Chase Headley to line out to second baseman Ian Kinsler, who doubled Cameron Maybin off second to end the inning.After Alexi Amarista's double down the left field line was interfered with by a fan, putting runners on second and third with two outs in the first, Bass singled just inside first base to give the Padres a 2-0 lead. Bass then stole the first base of his career."We had some good at-bats early," Padres manager Bud Black said. "Anthony got the big at-bat there in the second inning. We had some guys on but it seemed as the game went on, he got stronger. He threw his pitches in and around the plate more consistently."Darvish hit a broken-bat single in the third for his first big league hit. He was promptly doubled off first after Amarista, the second baseman, caught Kinsler's liner, ending the inning.Darvish wasn't all that thrilled with the hit."I think if I was a hitter I might feel extreme joy, but as a pitcher, I don't feel as much so," he said.Alberto Gonzalez, who was with San Diego last year, singled with two outs in the fifth to bring in David Murphy, who walked and stole second.Bass left with inflammation in his right shoulder after allowing one run and three hits in five innings. He struck out two and walked one.The Rangers went ahead in the sixth with two runs on two hits and three walks off three relievers. With one out, Michael Young singled, Hamilton doubled and Adrian Beltre walked to load the bases against Dale Thayer (0-2). Nelson Cruz grounded to Headley at third base. Rather than going for the bag and then throwing to second, Headley threw to second for the second out but Amarista's throw to first didn't get Cruz, and Young scored.Alex Hinshaw came on and walked pinch hitter Craig Gentry. Brad Boxberger came on and walked Torrealba to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead.Young hit a sacrifice fly in the seventh.Friday, May 18, 2012
Gatlin notches another win in 100
SEOUL — Justin Gatlin of the United States won 100 meters in 9.93 seconds on Wednesday at a meet in Daegu, South Korea.American sprinter Carmelita Jeter won 100, covering the distance in 11.11 seconds and extending her yearlong domination of the event ahead of the London Olympics this summer.Gatlin is a 2004 Olympic gold medalist. He is set to lead the American challenge of world-record holder Usain Bolt and his Jamaican team at the London Games. Bolt skipped the Daegu meet.Americans have dominated sprint and hurdles races with Aries Merritt taking 110-meter hurdles in 13.21 seconds, and Dawn Harper winning the 100 hurdles in 12.65 seconds.
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