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SPORTS Friday 20 March 2020
Atlanta United star Josef

Martinez undergoes knee surgery

By PAUL NEWBERRY
ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta
United star Josef Martinez
underwent surgery on his
right knee Wednesday,
more than two weeks after
he tore the ACL during the
league-opening match at
InterMiami co-owner David Beckham, right, talks with head Nashville.
coach Diego Alonso during an MLS training session, Thursday, Martinez posted an update
March 12, 2020, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. on his Instagram page after
Assocated Press the operation at University
of Pittsburgh Medical Cen-
MLS targets May ter. The striker was smiling

and giving a thumbs-up as
10 return, considers he posed in his bed along- Atlanta United players hold a Josef Martinez jersey representing
side one of his physicians,
extending into December Dr. Volker Musahl. the injured player as they take the field to play FC Cincinnati in
an MLS soccer match Saturday, March 7, 2020, in Atlanta.
Also performing the sur-
Associated Press
gery was Dr. Freddie Fu,
NEW YORK (AP) — Major son and playing MLS Cup in the Pittsburgh-based ortho- to share that I'm blessed the opening round of the
League Soccer is targeting December, as the league pedic specialist who was that my knee surgery today CONCACAF Champions
a May 10 return to play and did prior to the 2019 sea- hailed for saving Zlatan went well," Martinez wrote. League.
will consider pushing back son," the league said in a Ibrahimović's career af- The 26-year-old Venezu- After he was injured, United
its championship game by statement. ter the star striker ruptured elan went on to thank the played two more games
a month into December. The MLS championship knee ligaments in 2017. hospital, his doctors, his — a 2-1 victory over Cincin-
After announcing a 30- game had been sched- Martinez was injured Feb. teammates "and most of nati in the MLS home open-
day suspension last week uled for Nov 7. 29 in a 2-1 victory over all the city of Atlanta for er and a 3-0 loss at Mexi-
because of the new coro- On its website, the league Nashville to open the Major the unconditional support. can powerhouse América
navirus, the league said announced the May 10 tar- League Soccer season. He Also, everyone in Venezu- in the opening leg of the
Thursday it will follow last get for a return date. is expected to be out for ela and around the world CONCACAF quarterfinals
weekend's recommenda- Teams have played two much of he year, though for the good wishes and — before all competitions
tion from the Centers for matches in their 34-game, the season is now on hold support. God bless and were halted for at least a
Disease Control and Pre- regular-season league because of the new coro- protect us all in these chal- month in an effort to stem
vention to not hold events schedule. Inter Miami, the navirus outbreak. lenging times." the virus from spreading.
involving more than 50 expansion team co-owned "In the midst of the humani- Martinez, the league's 2018 It could take up to six
people for eight weeks. by former England captain tarian crisis we are all liv- MVP and one of its most months for Martinez to re-
"MLS remains focused on David Beckham, had been ing through, in which more dynamic offensive play- cover from his injury, which
playing the entire 2020 sea- preparing for its home than ever we need to think ers, scored two goals in a means he might be able
son and is evaluating all opener at its temporary about and take care of two-legged victory over to return before the end of
options, including pushing stadium in Fort Lauderdale, each other, just wanted Honduran club Motagua in the season. q
back the end of the sea- Florida.q
A day after musher wins Iditarod,

others face woes on trail

By MARK THIESSEN lives in Girdwood, Alaska, dman reports the area
ANCHORAGE, Alasak (AP) it's the third straight year was experiencing a large
— Nearly a third of the 57 he's encountered problems coastal storm, which was
mushers in this year's Idi- late in the race, including affecting the trail.
tarod Trail Sled Dog Race getting lost in a blizzard A search and rescue team
have quit the race be- two years ago and his dogs helped Petit and his dog
fore finishing, including a quitting on him last year. team to a shelter cabin.
musher who activated an Petit on Thursday activated Nordman spoke to Petit on
alert button seeking rescue his alert button between a satellite phone to confirm
Thursday morning because the checkpoints of Elim that both the musher and In this March 20, 2019, file photo, Iditarod musher Nicolas Petit,
of weather conditions. and White Mountain, which his team of 11 dogs were of France, poses with two of his dogs in Anchorage, Alaska.
Thomas Waerner of Norway is the second-to-last check- fine. Assocated Press
won this year's race, cross- point in the race. Petit told him he intends
ing the finish line in Nome, "In combination of weather to wait out the storm at another Being Sea coastal there the year before.
Alaska, early Wednesday. and resulting trail condi- the cabin, and then then storm. He recovered to fin- This year's race started
Eighteen other mushers tions, Petit was not able to mush to either Elim or White ish second. March 8 in Willow for 57
have completed the race continue, and by activat- Mountain to arrange trans- Last year, his dogs quit run- mushers. Since then, 17
by Thursday morning with ing his SOS, Petit scratched," port off the trail. ning in nearly the same lo- have voluntarily withdrawn
another 20 still on the trail. the Iditarod said in a state- Two years ago, Petit had cation as 2018. He blamed form the race and one
For musher Nicolas Petit, a ment. a healthy lead in the race it on the dogs having a bad was removed for not being
native of France who now Race marshal Mark Nor- until he got lost in blizzard in memory from getting lost competitive.q