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Roundup
Real Madrid Caps Dominant Year With Another Title
Real Madrid defeated San Lorenzo of Argentina, 2-0, in the Club World Cup final in Marrakesh, Morocco, on Saturday, bolstering its case to be considered the best soccer team in the world.
The title added to Madrid’s 2014 trophy haul, which includes titles from the Champions League, the Copa del Rey and the European Super Cup. The club will carry a 22-game winning streak into 2015.
Sergio Ramos scored the first goal Saturday, leaping up and heading in a Toni Kroos corner kick in the 37th minute.
Loosely defended in the penalty area, Gareth Bale doubled Madrid’s lead in the 51st minute. The shot slipped under the body of the San Lorenzo goalkeeper Sebastian Torrico and went in.
This was Madrid’s fourth world club championship and its first in the Club World Cup format.
Madrid dominated San Lorenzo, the South American champion, in an often scrappy final in Marrakesh’s Grand Stade.
In its streak of 22 wins, a Spanish record, Madrid has scored 81 goals and allowed 10.
Madrid Manager Carlos Ancelotti was emphatic after the game, saying, “Real Madrid is now the best team in the world.”
BARCELONA ROUTS CóRDOBA Luis Suárez’s long wait for a goal in the Spanish league ended as he helped give Barcelona a 5-0 win over Córdoba, with Lionel Messi scoring his team-leading 14th and 15th league goals of the season.
After putting Barcelona ahead two minutes into the game at Camp Nou, Pedro Rodríguez passed in the 53rd to Suárez, who scored his first goal in eight league matches after a four-month biting ban. Suárez had scored twice in the Champions League.
“I was able to score, and that leaves me at peace,” Suárez said. “I am a striker, and I have to score goals, but I am helping the team win games. That’s why I don’t obsess about it.”
SILVA LIFTS MANCHESTER CITY David Silva came to the rescue of Manchester City, which was playing without a target striker, when he scored two goals in a 3-0 victory over visiting Crystal Palace in England’s Premier League.
The victory moved City into a tie for first place, at 39 points, with Chelsea, which was to face Stoke City on Monday.
In another important game, Manchester United’s pursuit of the leaders stalled with a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa, its first dropped points in seven games.
Elsewhere, Southampton beat Everton, 3-0, to end a run of four successive league defeats; Tottenham Hotspur notched a 2-1 home win over Burnley; Queens Park Rangers striker Charlie Austin scored three goals as the team fought back from a 2-0 deficit to win, 3-2, at home against West Bromwich Albion; and Hull City’s troubles continued with a 1-0 home defeat by Swansea City.
DORTMUND LOSES AGAIN Borussia Dortmund’s misery was extended by a 2-1 loss at last-place Werder Bremen, the 10th defeat of the season in Germany’s Bundesliga for Dortmund, the 2011 and 2012 champion.
Davie Selke scored one goal and set up another as Bremen climbed out of last place and left Dortmund second-to-last after 17 games.
P.S.G. SHOWERED IN BOOS Paris St.-Germain’s stuttering form continued as the team, the defending champion of France’s Ligue 1, was held to a goalless draw at home against Montpellier amid booing at Parc des Princes.
It was the first 0-0 draw at home in nearly two years for P.S.G., which fell to its first league defeat of the season at Guingamp last weekend. That result came days after its unbeaten season ended at Barcelona in the Champions League.
STADIUM COST RISES IN RUSSIA The falling value of the ruble has caused a 16 percent increase in the projected cost of rebuilding Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium, which will host the final of the 2018 World Cup.
The ruble has lost almost half of its value against the United States dollar this year, raising the price of imported building materials.
Inside the World of Sports
Dive deeper into the people, issues and trends shaping professional, collegiate and amateur athletics.
No More Cinderella Stories?: Expansion of the N.C.A.A. men’s basketball tournament has been a popular topic. But adding more teams could push small schools like Oakland, which upset Kentucky, out of the action.
Caitlin Clark’s Lasting Impact: People have flocked to watch the Iowa basketball star on TV and in person. But will her effect on the popularity and economics of women’s sports linger after her college career ends?
Gambling Poses Risks for Leagues: The situation involving the former interpreter for Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger and pitcher, shows that when it comes to wagering on games, professional leagues have more than just the players to watch.
Unionization Efforts: How is a football team different from a marching band? The National Labor Relations Board is considering this question as it tries to determine whether some college athletes should be deemed employees.
Delayed Gratification: Doping rules, legal challenges and endless appeals have left some Olympic medalists waiting for their golds.
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