Page 1060 - Sports
Tearful Morata earns win for Chelsea as Arsenal roll past Qarabag
An emotional Alvaro Morata snapped his recent goal drought to secure a 1-0 win for Chelsea over Hungarian champions Vidi in the Europa League on Thursday, as Arsenal cruised to a 3-0 victory away to Qarabag in Azerbaijan. Spain striker Morata, without a goal since August 18, wasted a terrific chance in the first half at Stamford Bridge but atoned with a sharp finish on 70 minutes to put Chelsea ahead. Substitute Ross Barkley also headed against the crossbar, while Kepa Arrizabalaga -- the world's most expensive goalkeeper -- produced an excellent save to deny Istvan Kovacs a late equaliser. "If after a goal he wants to cry, I hope to see him cry very often," Chelsea coach Maurizio Sarri said of Morata, who scored for just the second time in 10 outings this season. "It's very important for him to score. I think it's very important for him to play a very good match. He played a very good match." Chelsea head Group L with a maximum six points with PAOK -- 4-1 winners over BATE Borisov --
Liverpool seek to regain title momentum as Man City visit
Liverpool welcome Manchester City to fortress Anfield on Sunday hoping to lay down a marker against the Premier League champions and regain momentum for a tilt at a first title in 29 years. Both sides can only be separated by City's superior goal difference at the top of the table having dropped just two points each in unbeaten starts to the league season after seven games. However, Liverpool's perfect run of seven straight wins to begin the campaign in all competitions has come unstuck in the past week. Defeat by Chelsea with a much-changed side in the League Cup was followed by a well-earned point against the same opponents at Stamford Bridge thanks to Daniel Sturridge's brilliant late equaliser. Yet, more worrying for Jurgen Klopp was an uncharacteristically lacklustre display in losing 1-0 to Napoli in the Champions League on Wednesday. "This was a reality check on how things must not go," warned midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum. Liverpool were outplayed for large spells in Italy ...
Neymar on form, but Di Maria key cog for Tuchel's PSG
Neymar may have grabbed the headlines with a hat-trick as Paris Saint-Germain thrashed Red Star Belgrade in their midweek Champions League match, but Angel Di Maria is proving vital to the French giants' strong start to the season. The 6-1 hammering of Red Star at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday was already the second time this term that all of Di Maria, Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe have scored in a game. That only happened twice in the entirety of last season, when the Argentinian was often overlooked by former coach Unai Emery for the biggest matches. The attacking trio dubbed 'MCN' last year has become a four-pronged front line under new boss Thomas Tuchel, with Di Maria starting both of PSG's Champions League games so far, having failed to even complete 90 minutes once in the competition in 2017/18. "It's a gift to work with a player like Angel, he's a great professional, who works hard in training, can play in multiple positions, at a top level and is totally ...
Mourinho searching for defensive answers at Man United
Jose Mourinho's defence is causing him headaches as he tries to turn around a woeful start to Manchester United's season against a struggling Newcastle United. United have not been this badly off seven games into a league campaign since 1989 but Saturday's visit of a Newcastle side in the bottom three offers a chance to lift the mood at Old Trafford. Mourinho's team are languishing in 10th spot in the Premier League having conceded 12 goals, a figure they did not hit until December 17 last season. A large part of the problem is the manager's seeming inability to settle on a first-choice defence. He has started with nine different defensive combinations in 10 competitive fixtures across three competitions this season. "We don't have the technical quality to build from the back," Mourinho complained this week, although the inability to keep out opponents is also vexing him. Mourinho does not appear to have complete confidence in any of his four senior centre-backs -- Chris Smalling, ...
ISL 5: NEUFC edge past 10-man ATK with last-minute goal
Ten-man ATK were handed their second successive defeat by NorthEast United FC who edged past the former champions 1-0 in an Indian Super League (ISL) clash here at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Thursday.
Chess Olympiad: India defeats Netherlands and Peru
Indian open and women's team on Thursday won their matches against the Netherlands and Peru, respectively, in the 10th round of the 43rd World Chess Olympiad at Georgia.
Indian men beat Holland; women defeat Peru
The Indian men came back into the reckoning for a medal after defeating a strong Holland team 3-1 while the women won 3-1 against Peru to keep hopes alive for a top five finish in the 43rd Chess Olympiad here Thursday. The Indian think-tank finally rested Viswanthan Anand, probably saving him for the final contest Friday as they might still have a chance to hit at the medal depending upon how other results shape up. Krishnan Sasikiran and B Adhiban won convincingly against Jorden Van Foreest and Loek van Wely respectively on the third and fourth board while P Harikrishna played out a worthy hard-fought draw with Anish Giri on the top board. Vidit Gujrathi drew with Erwin L'Ami. A 3.5-0.5 victory might just help in boosting India's chances in the last round. The Indian women's team should have won 4-0 but for a blunder by Koneru Humpy in what looked like a winning position against Peru. Humpy mistimed her tactical finesse and ended on the losing side against Deysi Cori. The Indian men .
Cristiano axed from Portugal national squad
Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo's name was given amiss when Portugal coach Fernando Santos released the roster of the national squad for the upcoming fixtures against Poland and Scotland. The former Manchester United forward will not be featuring in either of the matches. The announcement will undoubtedly boost the morale of both Poland and Scotland when the two teams lock horns with Portugal.According to the website marca.com, the decision to exclude Ronaldo was taken after holding consultations with Santos and the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, Fernando Gomes.The news of him being dropped from squad happens to coincide with the timing of a rape allegation having been made against former Real Madrid forward.Earlier Ronaldo, denied the charges leveled against him via Twitter, writing: "I firmly deny the accusations being issued against me. Rape is an abominable crime that goes against everything that I am and believe in. Keen as I may be to clear my name, I refuse
Punjab Govt increases cash prize for medal winners
The Punjab government has approved the enhanced cash awards under the new Sports Policy-2018, thereby increasing the prize money for medal winners of the prestigious tournaments like Olympics, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games.Under the new policy, the cash prize of the gold medal winners in Olympic/Paralympic Games has been enhanced to Rs. 2.25 crore while the silver and bronze medal winners would get Rs. 1.5 crore and Rs. 1 crore respectively.The gold, silver and bronze medalists of the Asian Games/Para Asian Games will now get Rs. 1 crore, Rs. 75 lakh and Rs. 50 lakh respectively.As regarding the Commonwealth Games/Para Commonwealth Games, the gold, silver and bronze medal winners would get Rs. 75 lakh, Rs. 50 lakh and Rs. 40 lakh respectively while those winning gold, silver and bronze medals at the World Cup championships would be richer by Rs. 80 lakh, Rs. 55 lakh and Rs. 45 lakh respectively.The gold, silver and bronze medal winners of the World University Games/Championships
Sharma holds two-shot advantage in Rd 3
Chandigarh's Akshay Sharma, who won the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) event in Noida last month, found himself in contention once again at the Kensville Open, on Thursday. The 28-year-old Akshay came up with a four-under-68 in round three to take a two-shot lead at seven-under-209 at the Kensville Golf & Country Club.Tapy Ghai of Gurugram, the overnight leader, slipped to tied second place after an even-par-72 took his score to five-under-211. Ghai was joined by Sri Lankan N Thangaraja (68), Mukesh Kumar (69) of Mhow and Kapurthala's Ashbeer Saini (69) in joint second.Akshay Sharma (71-70-68), lying overnight tied third and two off the lead, produced five birdies at the expense of a lone bogey to move into the sole lead in round three.Sharma, fresh from his maiden win on the PGTI, began the day on a bright note with birdie on the first where he landed his approach two-feet from the pin. He followed that up with a massive 45-feet conversion for birdie on the fifth.Akshay, .
Southgate rewarded for World Cup run with new contract
Gareth Southgate has been rewarded for guiding England to this year's World Cup semi-finals with a new contract, the Football Association (FA) announced on Thursday. The 48-year-old's new deal will see him through to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and see his pay rise to a reported ?3million ($3.9million) per year. "I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead the national team through the next two major tournaments," said Southgate, whose previous deal was due to expire after the Euro 2020 finals. "The job remains an incredible privilege and a true honour. Experiencing at first hand how the nation united behind the team this summer was something special and it will be great to see how far this young squad can go in the years to come." Southgate, who ultimately saw England beaten 2-1 by Croatia in their first World Cup semi-final since 1990, said he was fortunate to have a great back-up team -- his assistant Steve Holland was also awarded a new contract, and the players performing on ..
Napoli charged by UEFA after fans set off flares in Liverpool game
Napoli have been charged by UEFA after fans set off flares during the team's 1-0 win over Liverpool in the Champions League in Naples. Lorenzo Insigne's late winner sent Carlo Ancelotti's side top of Group C after two games, one point ahead of Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool. But on Thursday the Italian side were charged by European football's governing body for breaching disciplinary regulations, with fans allegedly setting off flares in the home end. Paris Saint-Germain have also been charged after fans set off flares and for crowd trouble in the game against Red Star Belgrade. The Serbian side face charges over crowd trouble and for fans' "illicit chants". The cases will be heard by UEFA on October 18.
Former England batsman Compton retires from cricket
Former England batsman Nick Compton announced his retirement from cricket on Thursday. The 35-year-old grandson of England great Denis Compton did not play for his county Middlesex in 2018. South Africa-born Compton played 16 Tests for England, scoring two hundreds. "After almost two decades of professional cricket, I am announcing my retirement from the game I love so much," Compton, who helped Middlesex win the 2016 County Championship, said in a club statement. "Of course, the pinnacle of my career was following in my grandfather Denis Compton's footsteps, having achieved my dream of playing and winning Test series for England," added Compton, who also played for Somerset in between two spells with Middlesex. Compton, who scored more than 12,000 first-class runs at an average of 40.42, including 27 hundreds, was the first of 12 batsmen who partnered Alastair Cook at the top of England's order in the six years after Andrew Strauss retired in 2012. But following back-to-back hundreds
Embattled Ronaldo to miss Portugal internationals: coach
Cristiano Ronaldo has been left out of Portugal's next four internationals, the national coach Fernando Santos said Thursday, days after rape allegations against the Juventus star resurfaced. Santos told a press conference that he and the president of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) Fernando Gomes talked to Ronaldo and "we agreed that the player was not available for this or the next call up". "I will not reveal the details of the conversation we three had," said Santos when pressed by reporters. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner missed the two internationals Portugal played in September. At the time, Santos suggested that the 33-year-old's absence was temporary and intended to help the star attacker adapt after his move from Real Madrid to Juventus. "This is not what I am saying now," Santos said on Thursday when asked if the explanation was the same. The omission comes as Ronaldo, one of the world's most successful and highly-paid sportsmen, faces down allegations of ...
Embattled Ronaldo given federation president's backing
Cristiano Ronaldo has been given the backing of the Portuguese football federation president (FPF) as he fight accusations of rape. Real Madrid and Portugal star Ronaldo on Wednesday firmly denied claims by a former American model that he raped her in a Las Vegas hotel in 2009. And FPF president Fernando Gomes spoke up on Wednesday to offer his support to the embattled 33-year-old. "I believe what he said... bcause I've known Ronaldo for many years and I can attest to his good character," Gomes said. Gomes added that he stands in "total solidarity with Cristiano Ronaldo at a moment in which his reputation under question". Ronaldo was left out of the national team announced on Thursday for upcoming international matches, although his absence is not believed to be linked to the allegations that threaten the reputation of the five-time world player of the year. Ronaldo on Wednesday issued a statement to vehemently deny allegations by former model Kathryn Mayorga, who claims Ronaldo raped
ATK suffer second successive defeat
Northeast United FC defeated former champions ATK by a solitary goal in an Indian Super League football fixture at the Saltlake Stadium Thursday. The home side, who kicked off the fifth ISL season with a 0-2 loss to Kerala Blasters, were reduced to 10 players in the 32nd minute when Sena Ralte was sent off for a sloppy challenge. The visitors found the winner through Rowllin Borges from a 89th minute corner by Federico Gallego. It was the Highlanders' first win against the Kolkata franchise from five matches as the win took the Eelco Schattorie-coached side to the top of the table with four points from two matches. ATK still struggled to get off the blocks and they remain at the bottom of the 10 team standings. NEUFC had last beaten ATK way back in October in the 2016 season. ATK had a brilliant chance in the 52nd minute against the run of play when Noussair floated in his free kick from the left side but Everton Santos flicked it on towards the far post with his head. Captain Manuel .
Shaw marvellous, let's not compare him with Sehwag: Ganguly
Terming Prithvi Shaw's debut hundred as 'marvellous', former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Thursday refused to compare the teenage sensation with Virender Sehwag. Shaw should be given time to travel around the world and score runs everywhere.
Shaw will do well in Australia: Ganguly
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Thursday heaped praise on Prithvi Shaw for his sensational hundred on Test debut and said the 18-year-old can do well in countries like Australia. Shaw on Thursday became the youngest Indian batsman, fourth overall, to score a hundred on Test debut during the first match against West Indies in Rajkot. "What stands out is the way he batted, big temperament. He dominated the bowlers on way to his hundred. Big game, first match, he just played the way he knew," Ganguly said at the announcement of the fifth edition of Tata Steel Kolkata 25K running event to be held on December 16. "It's positivity, temperament and attitude to batting which is fantastic. Playing the U-19 World Cup and playing a Test math for India is completely different. What I saw today was extremely pleasing to the eye and hopefully he can play for India for a long long time." With the series in Australia coming later this year, Ganguly said Shaw would do well there as the young ...
I didn't try anything different: Shaw on debut ton
Indian batsman Prithvi Shaw, who smashed a blistering century in his debut Test against West Indies on Thursday, revealed that he tried to keep things simple while batting and did not look to do things in a different way.The 18-year-old further admitted that he was nervous ahead of his Test debut but after spending some time on the pitch he started gaining confidence."I always try to play on my merits. In this match as well, I went with the same mindset. I did not make plans to do something different. While playing, I kept on remembering the innings I played during my first matches for India A," Shaw said in a press conference."Obviously, I was nervous as it was my first test. But after playing first five-ten overs, I gained confidence. The ball was coming nicely on the bat, boundaries were coming. There was nothing like pressure. I was trying to dominate the bowlers as I like to do," he added.Reflecting on his non-inclusion in the playing XI for the recently-concluded Test series ...
Goa National Games in March-April next year: Official
The much-delayed 36th National Games in Goa will be held from March 30 to April 14 next year, officials said on Thursday. Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) Executive Director V M Prabhudesai made the announcement after a meeting with visiting officials of the Indian Olympic Association. Chairman of Games Technical Conduct Committee Mukesh Kumar and his two other IOA colleagues S M Bali and Dhanraj Choudhary visited the state to take stock of the preparedness of the Games which were earlier scheduled to be held next month. "Opening and Closing ceremonies will be held at PJN Stadium, Fatorda. Opening ceremony will be on March 30 and closing ceremony will be on April 14," Prabhudesai said at a media conference. Prabhudesai said shooting and cycling events will be held in New Delhi as Goa does not have facilities for these two sports. "The state government has decided to hold the two sports in New Delhi. Earlier, we wanted to hold them in Kerala but now the GTCC officials have also ...