Toyota City, Japan, Feb 18, 2022 - (JCN Newswire via SEAPRWire.com) - The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team has its sights set on a successful second event for its new GR YARIS Rally1 car on Rally Sweden (February 25-27), the only true winter round of the FIA World Rally Championship season held on high-speed roads covered in snow and ice.2022 GR YARIS Rally1The team intends to build on a promising start to the WRC's new Rally1 era at Rallye Monte-Carlo last month, where the hybrid-powered GR YARIS proved reliable and fast on its debut and was only cruelly denied victory on the penultimate stage.With Sweden not part of Sebastien Ogier's programme of selected rallies this season, Esapekka Lappi will make his first start in the team's colours since 2018. Kalle Rovanpera will open the road in Sweden as the highest-placed driver in the standings after finishing fourth and winning the Power Stage on Rallye Monte-Carlo. Elfyn Evans was part of the lead battle on round one before a small but costly mistake ended his chances of a strong result; he will hope for a repeat of the championship's last visit to Sweden in 2020 when he scored his first victory for Toyota. As on every round this season, Takamoto Katsuta will drive an additional GR YARIS Rally1 for TGR WRT Next Generation.For this year, Rally Sweden has moved further north to a new home in Umea, the largest city in northern Sweden. Its location is closer to the Arctic Circle than to the capital city Stockholm, which means extreme winter conditions are more likely. The stages will all be brand-new to the WRC but the characteristics that make it one of the most popular and spectacular rallies on the calendar will remain. Special studded tyres bite into the surface to provide grip on roads that are lined with snow banks, which drivers lean on to carry more speed through the corners.Cars are set-up in loose-surface specification and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing has prepared over recent weeks with two days of testing on snow and ice for each driver: one in Finland and one in Sweden.After a shakedown on Thursday, the rally will get underway on Friday morning with a loop of three stages to the north of Umea. This will include the longest stage of the rally, Kamsjon, at 27.81 kilometres. All three will be repeated in the afternoon before a short "sprint" stage in Umea itself rounds out the day. A longer version of the Umea stage is run twice on Saturday, as are two other tests to the west of the city. Sunday's closing leg takes place to the north-west with a pair of stages run twice.For more information, visit https://toyotagazooracing.com/wrc/release/2022/rd02-preview/. Copyright 2022 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. (via SEAPRWire)
PARIS (REUTERS) - Brothers Elias and Mikael Ymer comfortably won their singles rubbers against Canada as seven-times champions Sweden made a roaring start in the Davis Cup Finals in Madrid on Thursday (Nov 25). The tournament began on Thursday with 18 finalists set to compete in six groups of three across three cities – Madrid, Turin and Innsbruck. Eight teams qualify for the knockout rounds and the final taking place in Madrid on Dec. 5. Elias eased by Steven Diez 6-4 6-2 before younger brother Mikael enjoyed a 6-4 6-4 victory over Vasek Pospisil. Andre Goransson and Robert Lindstedt made it a clean sweep for Sweden with a 7-6 (5) 6-4 win over Pospisil and Brayden Schnur. Mikael was impressive on serve, winning 80 per cent points on his first serve and facing just one break point. “I tried to stay in the moment and tried to enjoy it. At the end it’s just a game, even if it’s a lot we are playing for,” said the 23-year-old, who is ranked 93 in the world. “When you play someone like Vasek who’s so good in his offence it doesn’t give me, especially with my toolbox, it doesn’t give me a lot of other options then to try to counter.” Former US Open champion Marin Cilic and Borna Gojo gave 2018 victors Croatia a 2-0 lead over Australia in Turin before compatriots Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic completed the sweep in a doubles dead rubber against Alex de Minaur and John Peers. Gojo fired eight aces to secure a 7-6(5) 7-5 victory over Alexei Popyrin, who is 215 rungs above the Croatian in the ATP rankings, while Cilic came back from a break down in the third set to edge past de Minaur 6-1 5-7 6-4. “This is great path for me for going forward for next matches,” said Cilic. “If I can build up on this, build up on this form, it’s going to be fantastic.” More on this topic Related Story Tennis: Djokovic won't want to risk missing Australian Open, says Tiley Related Story Tennis: ATP calls time on calls of nature The Czech Republic’s Tomas Machac caused a huge upset on his Davis Cup debut when the 21-year-old, ranked 143 in the world, beat Richard Gasquet 7-6(3) 6-2 to give his side a 1-0 lead in Innsbruck before the French side rallied back to win the tie. Gasquet fired more winners at an empty Olympiahalle arena, which has no fans due to Austria’s reintroduction of a Covid-19 lockdown, but the 35-year-old made several unforced errors and allowed Machac to win five games in a row at one point. Adrian Mannarino levelled the tie by downing Jiri Vesely 6-7(1) 6-4 6-2 before Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut handed France a 2-1 victory following a 3-6 6-4 6-3 win over Jiri Lehecka and Machac. Defending champions Spain begin their Group A campaign on Friday in Madrid when they take on Ecuador. ATP Cup winners Russia are also in their group, with world number two Daniil Medvedev and number five Andrey Rublev in the team. More on this topic Related Story Tennis: Zverev dethrones Medvedev to win second ATP Finals title Related Story Tennis: World No. 1 Barty caps year by getting engaged
STOCKHOLM (AFP) - Viktor Claesson secured Sweden a 2-1 victory over Spain in World Cup qualifying on Thursday (Sept 2) for a third win in three games and top spot in Group B. Valencia midfielder Carlos Soler scored five minutes into his Spain debut, but Alexander Isak replied almost instantly for the hosts in Stockholm. Claesson grabbed the winner just before the hour as Sweden kept their 100 per cent record intact to move two points clear of Spain with a game in hand. "I think we're better than what we ourselves believe, honestly. We could have won the match by a lot more. I'm proud. We're a really good team," said Sweden winger Dejan Kulusevski. Defeat for Spain leaves Luis Enrique's side at increasing risk of entering the play-offs with only the group winners guaranteed a place at the 2022 finals in Qatar. "We didn't deserve to lose," said Spain defender Jordi Alba. "The first half was excellent and it was a shame that they equalised immediately." "We have no margin for error now," he added. "We need to improve things. There's still a lot to play for, difficult matches - and we need to win them." Spain return home to face Georgia on Sunday having made an unconvincing start to the group. The 10 group runners-up will head into the play-offs along with two teams from the Nations League. The game started promisingly for Spain in front of some 16,000 fans in Sweden as Soler steered in Alba's cross on the half-volley. But Soler was partly at fault for Sweden's equaliser, his pass getting away from Sergio Busquets and allowing Isak to steer in superbly from the edge of the area. The two nations drew 0-0 in the group stage of Euro 2020, but this was a far more open affair as the pace of Isak, Kulusevski and Emil Forsberg kept the Spain defence on alert. Juventus attacker Kulusevski, who missed the game against Spain at the Euro after testing positive for Covid-19, had a drive turned away by the foot of Unai Simon. Sweden goalkeeper Robin Olsen kept the scores level just after half-time when he bravely palmed away as Ferran Torres and Alvaro Morata both sought to apply a finishing touch from close range. Spain's inability to clear a corner proved their undoing on 57 minutes. After a deep cross, the ball was worked back to Claesson who sneaked a low shot between Simon and the near post, notching the decisive goal for the second time in three qualifiers. Now in pole position in the group, Sweden play Uzbekistan in a friendly this weekend before resuming their qualifying campaign away to Greece on Sept 8.
SEVILLE, SPAIN (AFP) -Spain finally have lift-off at Euro 2020 after a 5-0 hammering of Slovakia on Wednesday (June 23) sent them through as runners-up in Group E, with Croatia their opponents in the last 16 on Monday. Luis Enrique described his team as a bottle of cava about to be popped and they certainly exploded in Seville, where a scoring frenzy felt cathartic and could yet prove transformative for their chances in the knock-out stages. Spain were even about to progress as group winners until Viktor Claesson scored in the 94th minute against Poland to secure top spot for Sweden. Slovakia finish third and are out. After two tension-filled draws against Sweden and Poland, Spain were left scrambling to qualify, with Luis Enrique admitting he would have taken any position in the group as long as it meant going through. But Spain ran riot at La Cartuja, their early anxiety heightened by Alvaro Morata's missed penalty and then quickly eased by two dreadful mistakes by Slovakia's goalkeeper Martin Dubravka. The first was an own goal that will surely go down as one of the strangest moments of the tournament before another Dubravka error allowed Aymeric Laporte to head in. With the shackles off, Spain let loose in the second half as Pablo Sarabia, Ferran Torres and another own goal from Juraj Kucka confirmed an emphatic win, even if Croatia and Luka Modric will provide a much sterner test next week. Spain monopolised the ball in the first half but for 30 minutes, it was a familiar story of chances missed and frustration growing. Spain were awarded a penalty as Jakub Hromada went to clear but instead lashed into the leg of Koke. Morata had deferred the spot-kick to Moreno against Poland and this time took charge, only to whip the ball at a comfortable height for Dubravka to palm away to his right. It was the fifth consecutive penalty Spain have missed. Dubravka nightmare They might have crumbled but instead persevered, even as Sarabia and Pedri both kicked the air before finally Dubravka stepped in to give them a helping hand. Lubomir Satka's scuffed clearance fell straight to Sarabia, whose dipping shot banged against the top of the crossbar and flew upwards. Dubravka was under it and as he tried to flick the dropping ball over his own crossbar, he succeeded only in flapping it into his own net. More on this topic Related Story Football: Sweden top Euro group in last-gasp 3-2 win sending Poland home Related Story Football: Ronaldo double rescues Portugal in dramatic Euro draw with France Related Story Football: Late Goretzka equaliser against Hungary sends Germany into Euro last 16 Spain breathed a sigh of relief and just before half-time they made it two. Dubravka was again at fault, this time edging out only to see Moreno steer the ball away from him in the area and cross it back in. Laporte did brilliantly to loop his header into the top corner. Slovakia threw Michal Duris and Stanislav Lobotka on at half-time but Spain were liberated and within 10 minutes, it was three. This time, it was not a mistake but a slick move that made it, Jordi Alba pulling back to Sarabia, who steered into the corner. Morata came off when he might have wanted to stay on and his replacement scored almost with his first touch, Torres applying a superb flick to Sarabia's cross to the front post. It got worse for Slovakia, a scrap in the box resulting in Kucka hacking Pau Torres' header into his own net for a fifth. Spain were briefly top, only for Sweden to snatch a winner. More on this topic Related Story Football: Will Southgate let England off the leash at Euro 2020? Related Story On The Ball: Marauding full-backs and lopsided formations turning Euro 2020 on its head
SEVILLE, SPAIN (AFP) - Spain's new team struggled with the familiar problems on Monday (June 14) as a string of missed chances allowed Sweden to hang on for a goalless draw in their Euro 2020 opener in Seville. Alvaro Morata wasted the best opportunity of a dominant first half, in which Spain churned out 419 passes, the most of any team on record in the opening 45 minutes of a European Championship fixture. But Luis Enrique's team lost their rhythm after the interval and Sweden might even have won it, the excellent Alexander Isak hitting the post before his strike partner Marcus Berg missed a sitter from two yards out. A goalless draw leaves Spain playing catch-up in Group E after Slovakia earlier pulled off a shock 2-1 victory over Poland, raising the stakes for the game between Spain and Poland on Saturday, when a loser would be left struggling to qualify. Another failure to convert possession into chances was reminiscent of recent disappointments for Spain, most notably when they were frustrated by Russia at the 2018 World Cup, before going out on penalties. In the wake of that defeat, Luis Enrique was tasked with launching a new era as coach, a project that involved promoting a fresh crop of players but also a more direct, penetrative style. His team were impressive in the first half, a far cry from some of the ponderous passing displays that made Spain look out of date in recent major tournaments. But the second half drifted, perhaps through a lack of confidence or even sharpness, given the team were unable to train together for most of last week, separated according to protocol after Sergio Busquets, still absent, and Diego Llorente tested positive for Covid-19. Sweden coach Janne Andersson, meanwhile, promised on Sunday his team would "run like hell" and they not only defended resolutely but carved out arguably the two best chances of the match. Ibrahimovic's heir apparent Isak impresses Isak, the 21-year-old, who scored 17 goals for Real Sociedad last season, showed why he is one of the most rated young strikers in Europe and Spain would have been relieved when Andersson took him off with 20 minutes left. The Spanish host city was switched to Seville after Bilbao was unable to guarantee Uefa's desired number of fans and with 12,517 supporters inside La Cartuja, the atmosphere was as warm as the weather, with the temperature over 30 degrees Celsius. Kick-off was briefly delayed while one of the nets was fixed and on the sideline Luis Enrique sat perched on the edge of an ice-box. His team swarmed all over Sweden in the opening 10 minutes, racking up 100 passes to their opponents' 13. All Spain lacked was a finishing touch as Jordi Alba and Ferran Torres fired over early crosses before Dani Olmo's header was brilliantly pushed wide by Robin Olsen. Twenty minutes was up before Sweden found a foothold in Spain's half, a throw-in up the pitch prompting Andersson to leap off the bench and applaud. More on this topic Related Story Football: Skriniar lifts Slovakia to win over Poland Related Story Football: Schick stunner for Czechs leaves Scotland reeling But Spain kept passing and the chances kept coming, Koke steering wide after another tired Sweden touch in the area and then ballooning over after he met Alba's ball in. The best opportunity fell to Morata, the ball finding him in the box after Marcus Danielsson failed to clear Alba's clip, but with the goal gaping he curled his finish wide. Already, Spain seemed to feel the weight of their misses and Sweden almost landed a sucker-punch, Isak's finish diverted by Marcos Llorente onto his own post. The game drifted after the break and Spain faded, their earlier urgency fizzling into something much less convincing. Sweden should have taken the lead as Isak twisted and turned in the box, making enough space to drag a ball to the back post where somehow Berg failed to score. Both teams made changes for the last 20 minutes, among them Isak going off for Sweden and Morata departing for Spain, replaced by Gerard Moreno. Spain surged in the final minutes and Moreno almost grabbed a winner, his flicked header flying towards goal but kept out by the right foot of Olsen, who intervened again in injury time to deny Pablo Sarabia. More on this topic Related Story Football: Euro 2020 host Saint Petersburg tightens virus restrictions
LISBON • No Cristiano Ronaldo, no problem. That was the takeaway from Wednesday's Nations League match, as Portugal made light of their star player's absence due to a positive Covid-19 test to see off Sweden 3-0 and stay top of their group. A Diogo Jota brace and another strike from Bernardo Silva were enough to stay level on 10 points with France and hold on to first place in League A Group 3. Ronaldo, who posted a photo of himself on social media watching the match on television wearing a Portugal top, was forced to leave the national team camp after returning a positive test for Covid-19 on Tuesday. The Juventus forward returned to Italy on Wednesday to continue his self-isolation. His Portugal teammates had few problems dealing with Sweden, who have now lost all four of their Nations League matches and are rock bottom of the group. The Swedes are three points behind Croatia, who were beaten 2-1 by France in Zagreb. "We are not better without Ronaldo, but the team had shown before that we're capable of succeeding without him," Portugal coach Fernando Santos said. "We were well-organised offensively, 3-0 is a great result. We did some very good things, then we let Sweden create a few problems for us before we regained control of the game. Sweden could have scored a goal or two, but we too could have scored more. "This team will always be better with Cristiano, but we are still able to fight for our goals." Silva curled home the opener in the 21st minute thanks to unselfish play from Jota, who laid on the ball for the Manchester City midfielder instead of going for goal himself when in a promising position. Fellow Premier League star Jota made it two just before the break when, completely unmarked, he chested down Joao Cancelo's beautifully flighted pass and slotted home. The new Liverpool signing then put the result beyond any doubt in the 72nd minute with a superb individual goal, weaving in from the left before drilling a low finish past Sweden goalkeeper Robin Olsen. 3 In 76 games with Portugal, Fernando Santos has lost just three competitive matches. "It was an excellent night, and one of my best performances for my country," Jota said, before adding that there was "no pressure" to replace Ronaldo. "The coach chooses the eleven for each game. We are professionals and, if the boss chooses 11 players to enter the field, these are the ones who have to work." Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes also said that it felt like business as usual despite not having Ronaldo on the pitch. He said: "We were not asked to play any differently (without him), our ambition remains the same. But it is obvious that it is easier to win with the best (player) in the world." Meanwhile, Italy lost top spot in League A Group 1 after a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands in Bergamo. The Azzurri had won 1-0 in Amsterdam last month but have now been held in three of their last four matches, including Sunday's goalless draw against Poland in Gdansk. Roberto Mancini's side dropped to second in their group on six points, one behind the Poles, who beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 3-0. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE