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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.
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