Page 22 - aruba-today-20170610

A22 SPORTS
Saturday 10 June 2017
Pulisic scores twice, U.S. beats Trinidad 2-0 in qualifying

PAT GRAHAM ond goal. “Now, we can
AP Sports Writer go into Mexico and play
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. with our minds clear.”
(AP) — After sliding to Kenwyne Jones nearly put
score a goal with his left the Soca Warriors on top
foot, Christian Pulisic got in the 33rd minute, beat-
back up, raced for a cor- ing goalkeeper Tim How-
ner and glided across the ard to a cross but putting
grass on both knees. a header off the cross-
Just a teenager showing bar. Clint Dempsey, John
exuberance. Brooks and Altidore all had
Pulisic rescued the United good chances, but T&T
States with a pair of sec- keeper Jan-Michael Wil-
ond-half goals, and the liams made several sprawl-
Americans beat Trinidad ing saves.
and Tobago 2-0 on Thurs- “There was hardly any dif-
day night to move into ference between both
third place at the halfway teams,” Trinidad coach
point in the final round of Dennis Lawrence said. “I
World Cup qualifying. think the altitude affected
Pulisic, an 18-year-old phe- the tempo in the game.
nom from Hershey, Penn- Both teams struggled with
sylvania, ended a frustrat- it. What cost us were errors
ing start for the U.S. offense in our end.”
with a goal in the 52nd After helping Borussia Dort-
minute, then added an- mund win last month’s Ger-
other in the 62nd. man Cup final, becoming
“They were tough in the the youngest American to
first half, definitely,” Pulisic earn a medal for a Europe-
explained. “They had a U.S. midfielder Christian Pulisic, left, works the ball past Trinidad & Tobago defender Akhenaton an club, Pulisic had anoth-
lot of guys behind the ball Edwards during the first half of a World Cup soccer qualifying match Thursday, June 8, 2017, in er breakthrough moment
and we couldn’t work our Commerce City, Colo. with his second two-goal
way through them. Once Associated Press game for the U.S.
we got the first one, it kind Darlington Nagbe went
of opened up.” around a defender, drib-
Pulisic made his interna- coach Bruce Arena said. year’s tournament in Rus- wins and three draws since bled upfield and passed to
tional debut 15 months “He’s a natural for the sia. Mexico leads with 13 Arena replaced Jurgen the top of the arc, where
ago and has seven goals game. He sees the game points, followed by Costa Klinsmann as coach in No- Dempsey flicked the ball
and five assists in 15 ap- very well.” Rica (eight), the U.S. (sev- vember. The team’s big- ahead to the sprinting
pearances, including four After crashing to an 0-2 en), Panama (six), Hon- gest test in Arena’s second Nagbe. The midfielder put
goals and three assists in his start in the hexagonal of duras (four) and Trinidad stint comes Sunday at Mex- the ball back to right back
last four contests. He has the North and Central (three). ico. DeAndre Yedlin, who sent
scored or assisted on seven American and Caribbe- The fourth-place team ad- “This was a big game. We a diagonal pass toward
of the last eight American an region, the U.S. is back vances to a playoff against needed the three points,” the far post. The onrushing
goals. among the top three, Asia’s No. 5 nation. said Jozy Altidore, who had Pulisic slid and scored from
“He’s having fun,” U.S. which earn berths at next The Americans have three the assist on Pulisic’s sec- 4 yards.q

3-on-3 basketball added to 2020 Tokyo Olympic program

GRAHAM DUNBAR The overall athlete quota executive board meets urban and will include Wrestling will lose 56 plac-
AP Sports Writer for 28 core sports will be again in Lausanne on July more women,” IOC Presi- es, sailing and shooting will
LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) 10,616 athletes in Tokyo, 9-10, IOC sports director Kit dent Thomas Bach said in a each lose 30 and swimming
— The IOC added 3-on-3 including 64 in 3-on-3 bas- McConnell said. statement. will have 22 fewer.
basketball to the 2020 To- ketball. There will be eight Track cycling will add The IOC expects women to How exactly to cut 105 ath-
kyo Olympic program on teams in each of the men’s men’s and women’s madi- account for 48.8 percent of letes from track and field
Friday in an effort to give and women’s tournaments son races in 2020 — in a ve- the athletes in Tokyo. will be discussed with the
the games a more youthful of the half-court format lodrome about 130 kilome- Events confirmed Friday IAAF at its world champion-
and urban appeal. which was introduced at ters (80 miles) outside Tokyo are in addition to decisions ships in London in August,
In another move toward the 2010 Youth Olympics in — and swimming will add last August to include sports McConnell said.
street sports, BMX Freestyle Singapore. men’s 800-meter freestyle climbing, skateboarding, He noted that some sprint
cycling will join the Olym- “The dream of a path from and women’s 1,500 free- surfing, baseball and soft- relay places typically went
pics for the first time among the streets to the Olympic style. ball, and karate in the To- unused.
a net increase of 15 gold Games has become reality Swimming also gets a kyo program. “We think the number is
medals for a 321-event pro- for all the basketball com- 4x100-meter mixed med- Among sports losing ath- manageable within the
gram. munity,” said Patrick Bau- ley relay among a broad lete places, weightlifting sport while maintaining uni-
However, the International mann, the secretary gener- increase in mixed gender will have 64 fewer in Tokyo versality,” said McConnell,
Olympic Committee cut al of basketball governing events, including a 4x400 after reporting dozens of referencing the IOC’s poli-
285 athlete places from the body FIBA. mixed relay on the track. doping cases in retested cy of ensuring athletes from
2016 Rio de Janeiro Games An urban Tokyo venue for “I am delighted that the samples from the 2008 Bei- lower-ranked countries can
with track and field losing 3-on-3 basketball could be Olympic Games in Tokyo jing Olympics and 2012 compete on the Olympic
105 spots. announced when the IOC will be more youthful, more London Games. stage.q