60

metres from goal is where Flamengo substitute Rodinei received the ball en route to sealing a 2-1 win over Fluminense with the very last kick of the Campeonato Carioca 2017 on Sunday. In what was surprisingly the first final between the competition’s two most successful sides in 22 years, Flu, who lost the first leg 1-0, led for almost the entire match until Paolo Guerrero’s late equaliser. It made the 33-year-old Peruvian the first foreigner since Argentinian Narciso Doval in 1976 to finish as the Campeonato Carioca’s outright leading marksman. Rodinei then picked the ball up in his own half, sprinted upfield and, with 95 minutes and 14 seconds on the clock, grabbed Flamengo a third consecutive victory over Fluminense at the Maracana for the first time in 13 years. O Mengão haven’t lost in Rio de Janeiro state in 12 months, while they have won as many Campeonato Carioca crowns this century (nine) as Botafogo, Fluminense and Vasco put together (three apiece).

35

successive victories is what Brazil made it to end an eight-year wait to lift the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup trophy. A Seleção, who conquered four of the first five editions of the tournament, last failed to win in a 6-5 extra-time loss to Russia in the 2015 quarter-finals. Goalkeeper Mao helped them beat Tahiti 6-0 – no team has won the final by a greater margin – and become the first team to keep a clean sheet in it. The 38-year-old also extended his record of appearances in the competition to 46 and became the first player to win five Beach Soccer World Cups.

16

goals in eight games is what Sandro netted to help Kitchee dramatically snatch the Hong Kong Premier League title from their Flower Market Road neighbours. Kitchee failed to win their last three home matches of 2016, and when they finished the following month with a 1-0 loss at Southern District, the trophy appeared to be all but Eastern’s. Eastern, who were unbeaten all season, required only a draw against Kitchee on the final day to retain their crown. In front of a sell-out crowd, however, Sandro’s hat-trick inspired a 4-1 win that saw Kitchee finish the season with 24 points from a possible 24 and their eighth national championship.

7

goals without reply is what France put past Faroe Islands to record the biggest victory in UEFA U-17 Championship history. It eclipsed Denmark’s 6-0 win over Finland in 2002 and Spain’s 7-1 defeat of Luxembourg in 2006. Amine Gouiri hit a hat-trick against the Faroes, while he was Les Bleuets’ solitary scorer in the 3-2 loss to Hungary and the 2-1 reverse of Scotland, leaving the Lyon starlet having averaged a goal every 33 minutes in Group B. Another on-song sharpshooter in a qualifying tournament for October’s FIFA U-17 World Cup has been Jann-Fiete Arp. The Germany No9 netted a 12-minute treble against Bosnia-Herzegovina and a 34-minute one in a record-equalling 7-0 thumping of Republic of Ireland. It helped the Germans record the highest number of group-stage goals of all time in any UEFA men’s competition (15).

3

nutmeg-the-keeper goals is what Chelsea became the first team in Premier League history to score against Middlesbrough on Monday. Diego Costa snuck it between Brad Guzan’s legs for the opener, Marcos Alonso did the same for the second, and Nemanja Matic followed suit to seal a 3-0 success. Cesc Fabregas set up the final goal to become the first-ever player to record double figures in assists in six Premier League seasons – Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney have done it in five. The result made Chelsea the third club to reach 300 Premier League victories after Manchester United and Arsenal, and confirmed Middlesbrough’s fourth relegation from it, tieing the unwanted record shared by Crystal Palace, Norwich City and Sunderland. Since Alen Boksic’s 11th-hour penalty snatched a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge in 2001, Boro have not scored in 13-and-a-half hours away to the Blues in all competitions.

Quick hits 50 per cent of Atletico Madrid’s La Liga games this season have been 0-0 at half-time.

33successive home victories was the Serie A record Juventus had ended by a 1-1 draw with arch-rivals Torino.

15 Eredivisie goals is what Kasper Dolberg became the first Ajax teenager to score since Patrick Kluivert – the father of Justin, who has provided several assists for the Dane – in 1995/96.

13 attempts is what it took Arsene Wenger to win the battle of brains with Jose Mourinho for the first time in the Premier League. Arsenal’s 2-0 victory ended Manchester United’s club-record run of 25 games unbeaten within a Premier League season.