World Sports News in Brief

Copa America: Vidal own goal breaks Uruguay drought in 1-1 draw with Chile

Arturo Vidal put through his own net to give Uruguay their first goal in five games and grant them a point in a gripping 1-1 Copa America encounter with Chile.

Uruguay's Edinson Cavani in action with Chile's Francisco Sierralta. (Photo: Reuters)
Uruguay's Edinson Cavani in action with Chile's Francisco Sierralta. (Photo: Reuters)

Eduardo Vargas put Chile ahead in the 26th minute with a fierce angled drive but Luis Suarez pounced on a knock down midway through the second half to pressure Vidal into scoring an own goal.

* Switzerland advanced to the last 16 of the European Championship on Monday without kicking a ball, as the results from matches in other groups worked to their benefit. They will next play either Group B winners Belgium, or the winners of Groups E or F, which will be decided on Wednesday.

* Qatar will only allow people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to attend next year's World Cup and is in talks to secure one million doses in case global immunisation efforts lag, the prime minister said. The Gulf Arab state hosts the four-week tournament in November 2022 and the president of global soccer body FIFA has said the matches would be held in full stadiums.

* Chelsea midfielder Billy Gilmour tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday (Jun 21), dealing a huge blow to Scotland's hopes of making it beyond the group stages of a major tournament for the first time at Euro 2020. Gilmour picked up the man-of-the-match award in Friday's 0-0 draw against England at Wembley in his first international start.

* Up to 10,000 fans will be allowed at Tokyo Olympics events, organisers said on Monday (Jun 21), warning that competition could move behind closed doors if COVID-19 infections surge. The decision, which comes just weeks before the opening ceremony, ends months of speculation about whether spectators will be allowed at the pandemic-postponed Games. Overseas fans were banned in March.

* The 2021 season of the Singapore Premier League (SPL) will resume on Jul 17, while this year’s Singapore Cup has been cancelled, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) said on Monday (Jun 21). Matches will continue to be played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 situation in Singapore.

* Former Nigeria national team coach Samson Siasia, who was banned from the game for life for match fixing by world governing body FIFA, has had his sanction reduced to five years, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) said on Monday.

* Mark Cavendish was named in the Deceuninck-Quick Step team for the Tour de France on Monday, days after team manager Patrick Lefevere said the UK sprinter would remain at home for the Grand Tour starting on Saturday.

* German company Volocopter performed on Monday a first flight of its electrical air taxi in France at a show in Le Bourget airport and said it aimed to have a service in operation for the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024.

* Canada's Denis Shapovalov has decided not to compete at the Tokyo Olympics due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the world number 12 said on Monday (Jun 21). The 22-year-old Shapovalov is the latest player to opt out of the Olympics as Spaniard Rafa Nadal and Austria's Dominic Thiem both announced last week they would not compete in the July 24-Aug. 1 men's tennis tournament in Tokyo.

Reuters