Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Tuesday 26 sepTember 2017
Atlanta keep home streak going against Impact

ATLANTA (AP) — Hector Vil- minute, which put him in day, extended its club-
lalba and Jeff Larentowicz the lead for the Golden record home unbeaten
each scored and Brad Gu- Boot award. streak to 24 games. Los An-
zan had his second straight The Timbers, who started geles hasn’t won an away
shutout as Atlanta beat the day in third place in the game in the series since
the Montreal Impact 2-0 in Western Conference be- 2007.
Major League Soccer on hind Vancouver and Kan- Salloi opened the scoring in
Sunday to extend United’s sas City, won their fourth the 18th minute on a calm
home unbeaten streak to straight at home. redirection of Rubio’s cross.
12 games. Orlando City’s chances of Rubio made it 2-0 in the
Atlanta moved into third making the playoffs grew 35th. Seth Sinovic ran past
in the Eastern Conference, slimmer with the loss. The the defense for a through
three points back of play- slumping Lions, who have ball and crossed it to a
off-clinching New York City won just one game in their wide open Rubio for an
FC. Montreal trails the New past 11, were in second-to- easy finish.
York Red Bulls by three Portland Timbers’ Diego Valeri taps in a goal during an MLS soc- last place in the East. The Romain Alessandrini bent
points for the final playoff cer match against the Orlando City SC in Portland, Ore., Sun- team won six of its first sev- in a free kick in the 58th for
spot. day, Sept. 24, 2017. en games of the season. Los Angeles. It was the first
Villalba opened the scor- Associated Press Toronto FC and NYCFC time this season Sporting
ing in the 28th minute with sure for much of the match. cord scoring streak to nine have already clinched KC allowed a goal directly
a long-distance shot for his On the offensive side, straight games and Port- playoff spots. from a free kick.
12th goal of the season. the Impact’s best scoring land beat Orlando City. SPORTING KC 2, GALAXY 1 Sporting KC had some
Larentowicz scored his first chance came in the 72nd Valeri moved in front of KANSAS CITY, Kansas (AP) chances to make it 3-1.
goal for Atlanta in the 73rd minute on Michael Sala- NYCFC’s David Villa for — Daniel Salloi and Diego Graham Zusi’s deflected
by knocking in Julian Gres- zar’s close-range shot on most goals this season with Rubio each scored in the shot in the 65th came back
sel’s cross. a breakaway but Guzan 20. first half as Sporting Kan- to his feet and his second
Gressel’s eighth assist of stayed low to defend the The Argentine midfielder sas City beat Los Angeles attempt from close-range
the season is the second near post. scored on a penalty kick in to move within one point was denied by Clement
most for a rookie in MLS his- TIMBERS 3, ORLANDO CITY 0 the 15th minute to extend of first-place Vancouver in Diop. Ike Opara’s open
tory. PORTLAND, Oregon (AP) the streak. Fans chanted the Western Conference. header at the end of Zusi’s
Montreal goalkeeper Evan — Diego Valeri scored “M-V-P! M-V-P!” after his Kansas City, which won the corner kick sailed wide in
Bush faced intense pres- twice to extend his MLS-re- second goal in the 59th U.S. Open Cup on Wednes- the 67th.q
Thomas from the PGA of America pionship).
— Make the Presidents Cup
as player of the year. Bal-
lots were sent out Monday team (check).
Continued from Page 17 to PGA Tour players for — Better than 0.25 in the
Thomas, however, was the their vote, and there’s little strokes-gained putting sta-
one making all the putts. doubt how that will turn tistic (0.289).
On more than one oc- out. Thomas also won the — Better than 1 in strokes
casion, they were on the PGA Tour money title with gained tee-to-green (1.33).
same line and Thomas just over $9.9 million. — Top 10 in the all-around
holed his putt from a lon- Along the way, Thomas statistical category (No. 6)
ger distance, while Spieth ticked off plenty of goals. — Top 30 in scrambling
missed. Over the next few He had kept them to him- (No. 28).
days, Spieth couldn’t help self on his phone, not willing — Sub-70 scoring average
but smile at the observa- to disclose them until the (69.36).
tion that Thomas was do- season was over. It ended — Top 10 in half of his starts.
ing to him what Spieth had on Sunday at East Lake (“I missed by one,” he said.)
done to so many other when he was runner-up for Hey, he can’t have it all. But
players. the first time in his PGA Tour he has plenty this year, the
In some respects, it was like Justin Thomas holds the trophy after winning the Fedex Cup after career, and it was enough least significant of which
that all year. the Tour Championship golf tournament at East Lake Golf Club to capture the FedEx Cup. might be the $10 million
Thomas went into a brief in Atlanta, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017, in Atlanta. He pulled out his phone bonus.Cash only matters
lull, missing six cuts in 14 Associated Press and began to read them to Thomas when he loses
events after Hawaii. He eth were projected to tie, would have known what to when the screen switched a bet.The difficulty is what
had a few flashes of bril- which would have meant do with themselves.” over to an incoming phone that list looks like next sea-
liances, such as his 63 in the a sudden-death playoff Thomas was a birdie short call from his grandfather. son. Thomas said when he
U.S. Open. Spieth caught to decide the $10 million of winning the Tour Cham- “Hey, Grandpa, can I call finally gets time to reflect
up with three victories, in- bonus. That was unlikely to pionship, though the Fe- you back? I’m in the mid- after this week’s Presidents
cluding the third leg of the happen, but fun to con- dEx Cup title was never in dle of a press conference,” Cup, he’ll spend time with
career Grand Slam at the template, even for Thomas doubt over the last three Thomas said. Spieth and Woods — two
British Open. when he saw the projec- holes. The list: players he knows well who
Thomas had the best finish- tions on a video board. In the 11-year era of the — Make the Tour Champi- can appreciate big years
ing kick. “I think I laughed when FedEx Cup, he joined Spi- onship (check). — and ask them how to re-
He won his first major at I saw it,” Thomas said. “I eth and Tiger Woods as the — Win at least once set goals and manage ex-
the PGA Championship. thought, ‘Honestly, this only players to win the Fe- (check, check, check, pectations.
He won at the TPC Boston probably will happen and dEx Cup in a season with check, check). “And then we will go off to
by outlasting Spieth on the golf world will com- at least five victories and a — Be in the final two groups Malaysia again,” he said.
the back nine. The FedEx pletely blow up and lose its major. of a major on Sunday (U.S. That’s where the winning
Cup title came down to mind if Jordan and I were The awards already are Open, PGA Champion- started this season. The out-
the last day, and at one in a playoff for the FedEx rolling in. Thomas clinched ship). look no doubt will be differ-
point, Thomas and Spi- Cup.’ I don’t think anybody the points-based award — Win a major (PGA Cham- ent a year later.q