Arsenal collected the Community Shield after beating Chelsea 4-1 in a penalty shootout on Sunday that used an experimental format mixing up the order of the spotkicks.
Arsenal players celebrate after scoring during the English Community Shield soccer match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017. (AP Photo)
After the traditional curtain-raiser to the English season ended 1-1 after 90 minutes, Olivier Giroud scored the winning penalty. The striker ensured the FA Cup holders opened the season just as they finished the last campaign — by beating the Premier League champions to secure silverware at Wembley Stadium.
It was a meeting at English soccer's national stadium in March that saw soccer's lawmakers agree to test out a new pattern that would see the order mixed up between teams A and B to ABBAABBAAB.
Arsenal's Sead Kolasinac, right, celebrates scoring his sides first goal during the English Community Shield soccer match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017. (AP Photo)
Only six penalties were required in Sunday's game after Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and striker Alvaro Morata both missed in succession. Arsenal duo Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Giroud then both converted their kicks to clinch the victory.
Chelsea had led during the game, with Victor Moses scoring inside a minute of the second half.
Chelsea's Victor Moses, left, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's first goal during the English Community Shield soccer match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium in London, Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017. (AP Photo)
But Arsenal leveled immediately after gaining a man advantage. Pedro Rodriguez, wearing a mask after being injured on Chelsea's pre-season tour of Asia, was dismissed in the 80th minute for a studs-up sliding challenge on Mohamed Elneny.
It proved even costlier when the resulting free kick by Granit Xhaka was headed in by new defensive recruit Sead Kolasinac.
CLEVELAND (AP) — The injuries continue to pile up for the snake-bitten Boston Red Sox.
On Tuesday, the club lost first baseman Triston Casas indefinitely with a broken rib on his left side that he injured while taking a hard swing in Saturday's game at Pittsburgh.
Casas, who had been placed on the injury list with a strain, underwent tests in Boston that revealed the fracture. Manager Alex Cora said there is no timetable on when the 24-year-old will be back.
“He'll be out for a while,” Cora said before the Red Sox fell 4-1 in the opener of a three-game series at Progressive Field. “We just have to be patient. It has to heal on its own, so we just have to be patient.”
It's been one injury after another since training camp for the Red Sox.
They've already lost right-hander Lucas Giolito, the club's top free-agent signing, for the season with an elbow injury. Shortstop Trevor Story is also done until 2025 with a shoulder fracture suffered earlier this season.
Second baseman Vaughn Grissom has been out with a hamstring injury and the pitching rotation has been in shambles with Nick Pivetta (elbow) and Garrett Whitlock (oblique) dealing with injuries.
Cora expects Casas, who was batting .244 with six homers and 10 RBIs, to return at some point this season. Cora said Casas told him that his rib was bothering him last week in a series against the Guardians.
On Saturday, Casas injured himself while fouling off a two-strike pitch in the first inning. He drew a walk and was replaced defensively in the next half inning.
“He's still in a lot of pain and it's difficult to rest that way,” said Cora, who texted with Casas earlier in the day. "Obviously, he's disappointed, but it is what it is. There's nothing we can do, just got to be patient."
Cora said Boston's lineup will miss Casas' presence.
“He's a force,” Cora said. "We saw that last year in the second part of the season. He was really good and then he got hurt. He's very important, but we've got to keep going, man, and we're not going to stop."
With Casas out, Cora said Bobby Dalbec will get most of the playing time at first. Dalbec has been in a prolonged slump dating to last season and entered the series batting just .033.
He snapped a 0-for-19 drought on Friday with a double against the Pirates.
“We're going to play him a lot,” Cora said of Dalbec. “Obviously, the front office is studying the situation and looking around to see if we go somewhere else for that. I talked to Bobby today. He's done if before. In '21 he was really good for us and hit the ball out of the ballpark and played good defense.”
The Red Sox did have one thing go their way.
Outfielder Tyler O'Neill was re-instated on Tuesday after being in concussion protocol following a scary collision last week at Fenway Park with third baseman Rafael Devers. O'Neill sustained a gash on his head that required eight stitches.
Devers has been slowed by a bone bruise in his knee and hasn't played since April 17. Cora decided not play him against the Guardians because of wet field conditions. Devers will play Wednesday, Cora said.
Also, the Red Sox placed catcher Tyler Heineman on the 10-day injured list with a right hamstring strain.
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Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora stands in the dugout in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
Boston Red Sox's Triston Casas, left, rounds first base after hitting a solo home run off Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Quinn Priester, right, during the first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Boston Red Sox's Triston Casas is congratulated after his two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Wednesday, April 10, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Boston Red Sox's Triston Casas rounds third base after hitting a solo home run off Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Quinn Priester during the first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Friday, April 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
