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sports Diabierna 14 Januari 2022
Brazil excludes unvaccinated Lodi from World Cup qualifiers
(AP) — Brazil coach Tite sibility.” He didn’t clarify
on Thursday announced whether Lodi could be called
his squad for two upcom- up for future matches where
ing World Cup qualifier his vaccination status doesn’t
matches, leaving out in- affect travel.
jured star Neymar and
noting that defender Re- “We respect them, we have
nan Lodi wasn’t selected our opinion, but we don’t
because he hasn’t been oblige any athlete to get
vaccinated against CO- vaccinated,”assistant man-
VID-19. ager Cesar Sampaio added.
But Jorge Pagura, president
“Renan Lodi has jettisoned of the national soccer con-
his opportunity to be called, federation’s medical comis-
because he’s unvaccinated,” sion, said that they “prioritize
Tite told reporters. “That was those who have a full vacci-
the information we got (from nation cycle, in accordance
the Brazilian soccer confed- with a worldwide scientific
eration’s medical staff). He concept.”
lost the opportunity to be-
come a candidate, because The squad also doesn’t in-
he’s not vaccinated.” clude forward Neymar, who
is still recovering from an
The team’s director, Junin- ankle injury suffered in late
ho Paulista, noted that Lodi November.
wouldn’t have been able to mained on the pitch and (Barcelona), Emerson Royal (Olympique de Marseille),
enter Ecuador, where the Meanwhile, FIFA has yet played. We stayed and did the (Tottenham), Alex Sandro Everton Ribeiro (Flamengo),
team will play on Jan. 27th in to decide on the outcome right thing. In legal terms, of (Juventus), Alex Telles (Man- Lucas Paquetá (Lyon) and
Quito. He would also need of Brazil’s suspended game the country, we did the right chester United), Éder Mil- Philippe Coutinho (Aston
to enter a five-day quarantine against Argentina in Sao Pau- thing,” Tite said. “Now, I’m itão (Real Madrid), Gabriel Villa);
when flying to Brazil ahead lo in early September. The waiting on FIFA and what its Magalhães (Arsenal), Mar-
of the Feb. 1 match against game was stopped after seven final response will be.” quinhos (PSG) and Thiago Forwards: Antony (Ajax),
Paraguay in Belo Horizonte. minutes due to four Eng- Silva (Chelsea); Vini Jr (Real Madrid), Ro-
Asked whether the deci- land-based Argentina players Squad: Goalkeepers: Alisson drygo (Real Madrid), Gabriel
sion to exclude Lodi was allegedly breaching corona- (Liverpool), Ederson (Man- Midfielders: Bruno Gui- Jesus (Manchester City),
due to travel restrictions or virus protocols. Three of the chester City) and Weverton marães (Lyon), Casemiro Matheus Cunha (Atletico de
his failure to get a shot, Tite players were on the field at (Palmeiras); (Real Madrid), Fabinho Madrid), Raphinha (Leeds)
responded that he views vac- the time. (Liverpool), Fred (Man- and Gabriel Barbosa (Fla-
cination as “a social respon- “In terms of sport, we re- Defenders: Daniel Alves chester United), Gerson mengo). ___
Shaun White all but wraps up spot in his 5th Olympics
(AP) — Shaun White all but wrapped up a spot in his
fifth Olympics on Thursday when he qualified for the
finals of a contest in Switzerland and his nearest Amer-
ican pursuer failed to move on.
White finished fifth in the qualifying round, while Chase
Blackwell failed to make it to Saturday’s 12-man final.
It means White, who came into the event as the fourth-
ranked American in the World Snowboard Points List, cannot
fall further down in that ranking, while Blackwell, who was
fifth, cannot move up. The U.S. has four spots on the men’s
halfpipe team and is expected to use those rankings to fill out
the last three spots.
Taylor Gold has already secured a spot with a podium finish
at a qualifying event in Colorado last month. Chase Josey and
Lucas Foster are also in line to earn spots.
White can still use Saturday’s final to build confidence. It’s
a final that will feature the top three finishers from the last
Olympics — White, Japan’s Ayumu Hirano and Australia’s
Scotty James.
White is in pursuit of his fourth Olympic gold medal. How-
ever, his lead-up to the Beijing Games has been rough. He
was diagnosed with COVID-19, the lingering effects of which
forced him to pull out of last week’s qualifier in Mammoth
Mountain, California. Earlier, a broken binding hampered his
run at the Dew Tour in Colorado.
He made a last-minute decision to travel to this week’s World
Cup event in Switzerland, which is the last contest before
coaches pick the U.S. team. The team is expected to be cho-
sen next week and finalized no later than Jan. 21.