Sports

AUSTIN, Texas — Awarding double points for the final race of the Formula One season is a gimmick but one that American fans may understand more than most, according to the country’s last world champion Mario Andretti.

With an unprecedented 50 points available to the winner in Abu Dhabi on November 23, the title battle between Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg looks set to go down to the wire with possibly a shock outcome.

It could be that 2008 champion Hamilton ends the season with 11 wins (currently nine) to Rosberg’s five (four at present) but still walks away without the second crown he covets.

Andretti, the 1978 champion with Lotus, shrugged at the possibility.

“[American fans] are probably the only ones that can understand that because of NASCAR,” the 74-year-old told Reuters at the US Grand Prix, the 17th of the season’s 19 races.

“You talk about gimmicks and look at the way the NASCAR championship is going,” he smiled. “It’s almost ridiculous.”

NASCAR has changed its Chase format this year from 10 rounds to decide the title to a series of three-race groupings with four drivers eliminated from contention after each and the points reset.

The final four drivers will then fight it out for the title at Miami’s Homestead track on November 16 with the highest finisher winning.

That has left six times winner Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr already out of the reckoning while Ryan Newman could become champion without winning a race.

The champion 

“It is what it is,” said Andretti. “With the double points in Abu Dhabi, you would hope that the champion is not the one that wins because of that. Because there will always be an asterisk (alongside his name).

“But then again, he’s still the champion. Anyway you look at it, somebody is going to be happy and somebody is not going to be happy.”

“If I am second or third and I mathematically have a chance because of double points, I’m going to love it. If I’m leading going in, then I’m going to hate it.”

Hamilton leads Rosberg by just 17 points at present with mechanical failure a constant worry for the Mercedes pair who have both suffered blanks this year.

Andretti said that whatever the outcome, it had been a ‘fabulous’ championship.

“It’s going to be riveting because these two guys can fight it out in earnest, clearly and do whatever. Take each other out or whatever,” he laughed.

“They both deserve to be champions. And this is the thing to remember. Nobody needs to put their head down, they both did a fabulous job.

“It [double points] is a gimmick but it’s equal for everyone to deal with. Everyone knows it’s there.”

Andretti, who won his title with six wins in a championship tinged with tragedy after the death of his Swedish teammate Ronnie Peterson at Monza, said ultimately the novelty was probably worth trying out.

“Does it serve the series? It probably does.”

AUSTIN, Texas — Formula One’s (F1) struggling teams played down talk of a possible boycott of Sunday’s US Grand Prix on Friday as argument over division of the sport’s revenues grew more heated on Friday.

With the indebted Marussia and Caterham teams in administration and absent from Austin, there was speculation that others could refuse to race in protest at what they see as an unfair playing field.

Britain’s Times newspaper reported in its Saturday edition that despair had turned to anger with Lotus, Sauber and Force India — who have all had their own financial problems — discussing the possibility of not racing.

“It is 50-50 whether it happens but what else is there?,” one unnamed executive was quoted as saying. “The small teams have complained for months and warned what was going to happen but no one listened.”

Lotus principal Gerard Lopez told Reuters that he knew nothing about such a plan, which would revive painful memories of the farcical 2005 US Grand Prix at Indianapolis when only six cars took part in the race after those using Michelin tyres all withdrew.

That race was widely held up as F1 shooting itself in the foot in a key market for sponsors and the car manufacturers.

“I’ve just found out about the story now, so my answer is no. I’ve no idea. I have to say a bit surprised,” Lopez said. “I’ve had a meeting with them [the other teams] about the cash distribution and so on, and that’s it.

“I’m not aware of this. I don’t even know where this comes from,” he added.

Force India team bosses also professed to be unaware of the suggestion, while there was nobody at Sauber immediately available for comment.

However, Force India deputy principal Bob Fernley suggested there was an agenda at play, however, and said more teams risked folding unless something was done.

“Two teams have now gone and I think the commercial rights holder is comfortable to thinking there might be 14 cars next year. How many do they want to lose?,” he told Reuters.

“He [commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone] thinks there could be 14 cars next year. So the question is, if we are driving teams out of the business to what agenda is it? And what’s the game?”

The Times quoted Ecclestone as saying there was a risk of two more teams falling by the wayside.

“If we lose another two teams that is what will happen,” he said. “We need [them] if they are going to be there performing properly and not moving around with begging buckets.”

Fernley spoke after a news conference that went on for nearly an hour and that also spoke volumes about the crisis engulfing the sport.

The Sauber, Lotus and Force India bosses all sat on the back row while in front of them, emphasising the division in the paddock, sat McLaren’s Racing Director Eric Boullier and Mercedes motorsport head Toto Wolff.

The calls of the back row for a revision of how the revenues were divided, in a sport with turnover in excess of $1.5 billion a year but where the big teams get far more than the less successful ones, seemed to fall largely on deaf ears.

“If you look at the budgets of Marussia and the highest spender, whether it is Ferrari or Red Bull, we are talking about a gap from $70 million to $250 million,” said Wolff.

“So if you want to start with a cost cap, how do you do that? Do you make two thirds of the people redundant in the big teams? How does it function?”

Wolff said teams had always come and gone in F1 and the sport was a tough business.

“Maybe Formula One is just a different ball game,” he said.

This is the pinnacle of motor racing and if you want to compete at the pinnacle you need to have the resources.”

BERNE — Playing the 2022 World Cup in April and May would be the “best solution” for the tournament and would have the least impact on the football calendar, according to the association representing European clubs (ECA).

ECA said that, provided matches kick off in the evening, the heat in Qatar would be “less extreme than the temperature experienced in some previous World Cups (i.e. Mexico 1986, USA 1994, Brazil 2014)”.

It also suggested that domestic cup competitions could be played after the World Cup in a “cup-only” period in countries with heavy domestic schedules, and that the international friendly date in March be scrapped.

The April/May proposal will be put forward on Monday to the FIFA task force which has been set up to decide when the tournament should be played.

The task force begun discussions in September when the January/February and November/December periods were put forward in addition to the traditional June/July slot, which is also under consideration.

June/July is considered an outsider because of the extreme heat in Qatar at that time. FIFA President Sepp Blatter has said the tournament cannot be played then.

“In our opinion, this proposal is the best option. It takes into account the climate issue while preserving the traditional running of a club football season,” said ECA President Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in a statement.

“The impact on national team fixtures and UEFA Club Competitions remains limited and the proposal has no impact at all on the Winter Olympics or the confederations’ tournaments in 2023. This proposal needs to be seriously considered by all stakeholders: it is an achievable solution.” 

Mid-April finish 

ECA’s proposal envisages that the European club season will end in mid-April when the Champions League final would be played, rather than late May, and that players would be released to train with their national teams on April 18.

The World Cup would start on April 28 and end on May 29.

To allow for the April finish, ECA said that European leagues would have to start two weeks earlier than usual and there would have to be two or three additional rounds of domestic midweek league games.

The Champions League Round of 16 may also be played over two weeks instead of the usual four, it added.

ECA said that the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), used to estimate the effect of temperature, humidity, wind speed and sun radiation, would vary between 29.4^oC and 30.3^oC if its suggested kickoff times and dates were adhered to.

These would be 1800, 2030 and 2300 local time for group matches and 1900 and 2200 for the knockout stage. Cooling breaks at FIFA matches are considered when the WBGT reaches 32^oC.

However, World Cup organisers have promised that stadiums will be cooled to lower temperatures using new technology.

AUSTIN, Texas — Lewis Hamilton will be aiming for a big win in Texas this weekend, even if the Formula One starting grid is the smallest he has ever known it with the absence of backmarker teams Marussia and Caterham.

The 29-year-old Mercedes driver can become the first British driver to win 10 races in a single season and join Nigel Mansell and the late Jim Clark as the only Britons to win five races in succession.

Another triumph at the Circuit of the Americas, where he won the inaugural race in 2012, would also set him apart from his compatriots with 32 victories — one more than the record he currently shares with 1992 champion Mansell.

But most important of all, Hamilton can land another big psychological blow on German teammate and title rival Nico Rosberg who is 17 points adrift with 100 still to be won from the last three races.

Hamilton loves the Texas circuit, whereas Rosberg has mixed feelings about it, and arrives with Mercedes on a high after wrapping up the constructors’ title in Sochi.

The intention is to turn the focus back to the track after a gloomy week for the sport dominated by talk of financial crisis and teams going into administration, while seriously injured French driver Jules Bianchi is ever-present in everyone’s thoughts.

“We still have three races left to decide the Drivers’ Championship — starting in Austin, which is one of the best weekends of the year,” said the Briton this week.

“A lot of the American side of my family come to the race, plus I won the first ever Formula One Grand Prix at the circuit back in 2012, so it’s a special one for me.

“I really enjoy going there and I’m looking forward to another great race — hopefully ending up with another Stetson hat on the top step of the podium.”

Rosberg’s record is less happy, with the German’s best finish in Austin a ninth place last year when Hamilton was fourth.

“It’s still all to play for... and I won’t be giving up the fight until the flag drops in Abu Dhabi,” he said. “Hopefully we can keep the entertainment going right to the end for the fans out there enjoying the contest.”

Driver duel

With the constructors’ title out of the way, the driver duel will move up a gear even if mathematically it is still a three-way battle.

Red Bull’s Australian Daniel Ricciardo, the only driver other than the Mercedes duo to win races this year, is 92 points adrift of Hamilton but as good as ruled out.

So too is quadruple world champion teammate Sebastian Vettel, last year’s race winner, who is in danger of collecting an engine penalty that will see him starting from the pitlane in Austin.

“I think the reality is that Sebastian will take a sixth engine in Austin because it’s inevitable he’s going to have to use it,” team principal Christian Horner said after Russia. “I don’t think this engine can really go too much further.”

It could be that the German does very little mileage before the race to save the new engine, something that makes him just as unhappy as the fans will be.

“The rule is completely stupid,” he said. “So the people turn on the television and see a driver who just stands around and has nothing to do.”

Mercedes-powered Williams should be in the mix, however, with Valtteri Bottas on a fine run of form.

At the back, there will be the empty spaces where Marussia and Caterham usually line up after both teams went into administration within the space of a week. That leaves just 18 cars, the smallest number since 2005.

It also gives Sauber, who have yet to score this season, marginally more of a chance of regaining ninth place from Marussia in what is almost a home race for Mexican Esteban Gutierrez.

“I am looking forward to having great support from our fans there, which gives me extra motivation,” he said. “The track in Austin is one of my favourites, I love driving there.”

AMMAN — Interesting matches are lined up as Week 6 of the 63rd Jordan Professional League kicks off on Thursday.

Ramtha kept their lead after a fifth consecutive win (3-1) over neighbours Hussein. They will play Manshieh, who lost to titleholders Wihdat (3-1).

Wihdat are second and will face Shabab Urdun who went down 2-1 to Jazira as they jumped to third. Faisali, who were held 0-0 by Baqaa, are fourth and play That Ras.

Last week, Sarih scored their first win 1-0 over Ittihad Ramtha to climb up five spots to sixth. They will next play Hussein, who dropped to ninth. 

Ahli held That Ras 0-0 and moved up from last. They will play Ittihad Ramtha. 

Jordan Cup quarters  

This week, the Jordan Cup Leg 1 quarter-final matches saw Ahli hold Ramtha 1-1, That Ras beat Jazira 1-0, Wihdat beat Sarih 1-0 and Faisali beat Manshieh 2-1.

Leg 2 will be contested starting December 1. Baqaa, Shabab Urdun  and Hussein were eliminated earlier in the competition in which only league teams are competing this year. 

Wihdat won the first major competition of the 2014/15 football season calendar after they beat Baqaa 2-0 in the 32nd Super Cup.

Last season, Wihdat won the Jordan Professional League for the 13th time, and beat Baqaa to win the Jordan Cup while Shabab Urdun beat That Ras to win the Super Cup. The Jordan Football Association Federation Shield was not held.

AMMAN —  The U-19 women’s team is now gearing up to host Group A Asian qualifiers for the Asian Football Confederation U-19 Women’s Championship in 2015.

The team lost 2-0 to Amman Club this week and earlier drew its U-16 counterpart 1-1 in two matches. Following disappointing results of the U-16 as well as women’s senior teams, the U-19 squad will be under heavy scrutiny at home.

The team will play Lebanon, India and Uzbekistan in qualifiers in Amman from November 3-9 with the hope of qualifying for the second time after Jordan was the first Arab team to play in the 3rd AFC U-19 Women’s Championship finals in 2007. 

Fourteen teams will contest the qualifiers in four groups for four slots to the final, with the group leaders moving to the 2015 AFC U-19 Championship, which will be the 8th edition of the tournament. The top three teams qualify for the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. 

 “We are preparing according to a set plan and we will give it our best. We have had many obstacles, but we are trying to overcome them,” coach Khader Eid was quoted by the local media as saying following this week’s friendly.

This week, the U-16 girls football team returned home after failing to grab the sole qualifying berth from Group B Asian qualifiers for the 2015 AFC Under-16 Women’s Championship. Jordan only managed one win — 8-1 over the UAE. They lost to India (6-3), Iran (6-1) and Bangladesh (1-0). Jordan had qualified to the AFC U-16 Women’s Championship once in 2013. 

Earlier this year, the senior women’s team exited Round 1 of the Asian Games, tying Taiwan 2-2, losing to China 5-0 and suffering a crushing 12-0 defeat to Japan. Similarly, they exited the first round of their first AFC Women’s 2014 Asian Cup where they were the only Arab team to have ever qualified.

Jordan will host the 2016 U-17 Women’s World Cup and is now gearing up to implement executive plans to prepare four stadiums as well as 16 practice fields. Jordan beat bids from Uruguay, South Africa, Ireland and Bahrain. 

The Kingdom dropped four spots to 57th in the lastest FIFA Rankings but is still the top ranked Arab team and 12th ranked Asian team. Jordan won the West Asian title twice in 2005 and 2007, conceded to the UAE in 2010 and 2012 and regained it in 2014 as Iran, Lebanon, as well as, two-time champs and titleholders UAE missed the event.

BERNE — Germany dominated the FIFA Player of the Year shortlist, with six nominees among the 23 candidates announced on Tuesday, while the 10-man coaching shortlist was full of anomalies and controversy.

Juergen Klinsmann was included among the coaches after leading United States to the last 16 of the World Cup but Jorge Luis Pinto and Jose Pekerman, who took Costa Rica and Colombia respectively to the quarter-finals, were overlooked.

Jorge Sampaoli, whose hugely entertaining Chile side knocked out defending champions Spain on their way to the last 16, and Vahid Halilhodzic, who took an inspirational Algeria to the knockout stages, were also ignored.

On the other hand, there was room for Bayern Munich’s Pep Guardiola, even though his team’s most important match of the year, a Champions League semifinal at home to Real Madrid, ended in a 4-0 defeat.

Almost inevitably, Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho also sneaked in despite failing to land a trophy on his return to Stamford Bridge.

The players’ list showed similar anomalies and appeared to be based more on European club football than FIFA’s flagship tournament.

Manuel Neuer, Thomas Mueller, Toni Kroos, Mario Goetze, Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger were six players from world champions Germany to be included and beaten finalists Argentina had three, Lionel Messi, Angel Di Maria and Javier Mascherano.

Last year’s winner Cristiano Ronaldo was duly named along with his Real Madrid teammates Gareth Bale (Wales) and James Rodriguez (Colombia).

Manchester City and Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure was the only African player short-listed, Neymar was Brazil’s sole representative, and there were none at all from CONCACAF region or Asia.

Notable absentees included United States goalkeeper Tim Howard and Costa Rica stopper Keylor Navas, both outstanding in Brazil, and Costa Rica defender Giancarlo Gonzalez, who many critics saw as one of the tournament’s most influential players.

FIFA, who organise the award jointly with France Football, said the final three candidates for both awards, officially known as the Ballon d’Or, would be announced on December 1 with the award ceremony in Zurich on January 12.

“The list of 23 male candidates has been drawn up by football experts from the FIFA Football Committee and by a group of experts from France Football,” FIFA said.

“The list of ten coaches has been drawn up by the committee for Women’s Football and FIFA Women’s World Cup and by the FIFA Football Committee, as well as by a group of experts from France football.”

LONDON — Charlie Austin scored twice to lift Queens Park Rangers off the bottom of the Premier League with a 2-0 home win against Aston Villa on Monday.

Manager Harry Redknapp was under pressure after his struggling side had won just once in their opening eight games but a goal in either half from Austin helped lighten the mood at Loftus Road.

Aston Villa, beaten in their last five games without scoring a goal, started brightly but Austin calmed the home fans’ nerves when he lashed an excellent half volley into the bottom corner with 17 minutes gone.

As the visitors went in search of an equaliser the QPR striker struck again after 69 minutes with a deft side-footed finish inside Villa keeper Brad Guzan’s near post from an Eduardo Vargas cross.

The win lifted Redknapp’s side to 19th on seven points, ahead of Burnley on four, while Villa dropped to 15th in the table with their search for a league goal extending to over eight hours.

“It was an excellent performance,” Redknapp told Sky Sports television. “They dominated possession in the second half but once we put an extra man into midfield we started seeing more of the ball and hit the post before scoring a second.

“There’s no reason why Charlie Austin can’t score a lot of goals this season, I’m pleased for the lad.

“There’s nothing in the league in terms of points,” added Redknapp. “We’re only four points behind Hull in 10th.”

Villa had previously played last season’s top five league teams in consecutive fixtures, enduring a miserable run of four straight defeats, but any hopes of picking up easy points at QPR were soon dispelled.

All of QPR’s points this season have come at home and they proved to be difficult opposition again for Paul Lambert’s side.

Scenes of jubilation from the home fans were in stark contrast to Lambert’s men, who must be wondering where their next league goal is coming from.

Prolific marksmen Christian Benteke made only his second start since March but he drew a blank as Villa’s inability to score became almost farcical.

The visitors had started like a team determined to get back to the winning ways that had seen them reach as high as second in the table in the opening weeks of the season.

But the hosts turned the tide when Bobby Zamora nodded a long ball down to the edge of the area for Austin to finish.

Ciaran Clark nearly equalised after the restart when Benteke headed down to the defender but he failed to apply the finish only metres from Robert Green’s goal.

To compound Villa’s miseries Austin quickly made it 2-0, making the miss even more costly.

Vargas nearly added a third when substitute Junior Hoilett put him through on goal but the Chilean fired straight at Guzan.

Villa’s on-loan midfielder Tom Cleverley nearly ended their wait for a goal with 10 minutes to go but Green parried his volley and QPR’s Sandro made an important tackle from Clark at the rebound.

BARCELONA, Spain — Real Madrid’s commanding 3-1 win over Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday leaves the two Spanish giants poised to dispute the title that escaped them last season.

Barcelona arrived in the capital unbeaten and aiming for a win that would have increased their lead over Madrid to seven points.

Instead, Madrid’s comeback dealt Barcelona their first league loss of the season and closed the gap to just one point through nine rounds.

The title race could barely be tighter at this early stage. The mood, however, in the rivals’ home cities was entirely different on Sunday morning.

Madrid-based sport daily Marca splashed the headline “They Ate Them Alive!” and fellow Madrid-friendly AS declared “That’s The Way Madrid Wins”, playing on a common anti-Madrid chant at rival stadiums.

Meanwhile, SPORT summed up the sentiment in Barcelona with “A Disappointing Leader” after Barcelona faded fast following Neymar’s fourth-minute opener from a pass by newcomer Luis Suarez.

Lionel Messi could only manage one good scoring chance that Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas did well to turn away, and Barcelona’s defence went from shaky to shambles in the second half.

But Barcelona can take heart from Suarez’s surprisingly strong return after a four-month ban from competitive matches for biting an Italian opponent at the World Cup.

Although still not fit for a full match, in his 69 minutes the Uruguay forward offered the most constant threat Barcelona could muster, setting up Neymar’s opener and almost getting a second assist for Messi that would have made it 2-0.

His sturdier frame —  compared to Messi and Neymar — was clear by the way he held his own against Madrid’s physical defenders, and he showed no signs of rust from his long layoff.

“The result doesn’t sink us,” said Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez. “We believe in what we are doing.”

Coach Luis Enrique, however, faced questions over why his team failed to compete in the second half, and the first-year manager will surely be scrutinised for his decision to take Xavi off with his team down 2-1 and not to start speedy back Jordi Alba.

Madrid lost its two league “Clasicos” last season, but overall it has turned the tide against Barcelona since the departure of former coach Pep Guardiola in 2012.

Under Guardiola, Barcelona dominated Madrid with a record of nine wins, four draws and 2 losses. Since then, Madrid has won five, drawn two and lost three.

Madrid roared back from Neymar’s early goal and shredded Barcelona’s record of eight clean sheets to start the season.

The hosts offered an unbeatable mix of their traditional counterattacking style with a new willingness to dispute the hallmark possession of their fierce rivals.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored for an 11th straight game when he levelled with a penalty in the 35th minute after Gerard Pique had clumsily handled in the area.

Pepe then headed in a corner in the 50th minute before Karim Benzema capped his excellent performance with a goal after a collective defensive gaffe to put an early end to the contest in the 61st minute.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti got it right by replacing the injured Gareth Bale with another midfielder, Francisco “Isco” Alarcon, to equal forces with Barcelona in the middle.

“We saw a Real Madrid that also knew how to keep possession of the ball,” Madrid defender Sergio Ramos said. “They are not the only ones who can pass. It was a day to enjoy. We knew how to handle the phases of the match, when we needed to launch counterattacks and when to keep possession, something which they are used to dominating. And that hurt them a lot.”

The result also benefited the other top teams in the league, leaving five sides within two points.

Sevilla pulled into second place level with Barcelona on points with a 2-1 win over Villarreal on Sunday, while Valencia and Atletico Madrid also won this round to sit two points behind the pacesetters in fourth and fifth.

Yet given the even greater collection of talent Madrid and Barcelona have amassed this season, the league title will likely come down to the two powerhouses who shared nine straight trophies before Atletico’s triumph last season.

SYDNEY — Western Sydney Wanderers goalkeeper Ante Covic thinks Al Hilal had been “arrogant” ahead of last weekend’s Asian Champions League final first leg and had underestimated the A-League side.

Covic was one of the Wanderers’ heroes on Saturday at Parramatta Stadium as the Australian club, playing in their maiden campaign, secured a 1-0 lead to take to Saudi Arabia for next weekend’s second leg.

While twice-Asian champions Al Hilal completely dominated all but 15 minutes of the match, they were unable to breach the home defence and paid the price when substitute striker Tomi Juric slotted home the winner after 64 minutes.

“Everyone’s slowly finding out that we’re no mugs out there on the field and we’re a team that’s got to be respected,” Covic told reporters in Blacktown on Monday.

“It’s a little bit of arrogance on their behalf coming into a game and thinking they deserve something without having to put in the effort.”

Al Hilal’s Romanian coach Laurentiu Reghecampf appeared not to have learned the lesson of Saturday’s reverse, afterwards confidently predicting a second-leg victory for the well-funded club at their King Fahd Stadium.

Reghecampf expected Al Hilal’s passionate following — more than 65,000 fans are expected to pack the stadium on Saturday night — would play their part in overcoming the Australians.

Covic said, however, that the tournament’s new boys had learned plenty about playing the region’s powerhouses away from home during their quarter-final, second leg against reigning champions Guangzhou Evergrande in August.

Wanderers players were awoken by telephone calls in their hotel rooms the night before the game, were involved in a coach crash on the way to the match and pelted with water bottles at the stadium.

They lost 2-1 on the night but went through on away goals and Covic warned Al Hilal fans that the incidents had only served to harden their resolve.

“We’re not going to be intimidated,” Covic added.

“We’re not going to care what they’re going to throw at us. We were in China with 50,000-odd people throwing bottles and yelling at us. We couldn’t even walk off the field without security coming to get us, so that’s not going to faze us.

“We’re going out there with the mindset that something will happen.

“We saw that in China and it was kind of annoying when it happened but I remember when the bus crash happened, it was a very, very [suspicious] bus crash.

“But I remember the boys going ‘oh yeah, this is what you’ve got for us’ but it really fired us up.”