Page 1446 - Sports
Record-breaking keeper saves penalty, but Egypt fall to Saudis
Essam El Hadary, the oldest player ever to appear at a World Cup, marked his record achievement with one outstanding penalty save for Egypt but was powerless to stop a second in a 2-1 defeat by Saudi Arabia today. The 45-year-old goalkeeper flew to his right to make a spectacular stop in the 39th minute from Fahad Al-Muwallad's spot-kick, awarded for handball, at the Volgograd Arena. But Saudi Arabia scored deep into stoppage time in both halves, with Salem Al-Dawsari's last-gasp winner securing their first World Cup victory since a run to the last 16 in 1994. Mohamed Salah's Egypt still have not recorded a World Cup finals win in three appearances, despite the Liverpool talisman's superb opening goal. El Hadary was 45 years and 161 days old when he took to the field as the two already-eliminated teams in Group A played only for pride. He smashed the age record set by Colombia goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon, who was aged 43 years and three days when he played against Japan in Brazil in ...
Prajnesh, Nagal out of Wimbledon qualifiers
In-form Prajnesh Gunneswaran and Sumit Nagal crashed out of the Wimbledon Qualifiers, losing their first rounds in London, today. Prajnesh, who is in the form of his life, could not play to his potential due to an abdominal strain, losing 1-6 4-6 to Germany's Tobias Kamke. Interestingly, the Indian left-hander had lost to Kamke, ranked 228 as compared to 165 of Prajnesh, at the Australian Open qualifying also at the same stage. "I just could not serve due to abdominal strain," a dejected Prajnesh told PTI from London. The result means that Prajnesh will now have to wait for the next season to make an attempt to earn an appearance in the main draw of the Grand Slams as he will miss out on US Open qualifiers because he will compete for India at the Asian Games, which is clashing with the Qualifiers at Flushing Meadows. 239th ranked Sumit Nagal, who is going through a rough patch, suffered his eighth straight first round defeat when he was thrashed 2-6 0-6 by Poland's Kamil Majchrzak, ...
Uruguay win group as Suarez inspires 3-0 win over 10-man Russia
Luis Suarez helped fire Uruguay into the last 16 of the World Cup as Group A winners today after opening the scoring in their 3-0 win over host nation Russia, who had a man sent off. A pinpoint free-kick from the Barcelona star and an own goal from Denis Cheryshev put Uruguay 2-0 up inside 23 minutes in Samara before Edinson Cavani added their late third in Samara. Russia were reduced to 10 men after 36 minutes when right-back Igor Smolnikov was sent off for two yellow cards in a match that will be a reality check for a team that easily won its first two matches. This is the first time Uruguay have won all three group games at a World Cup finals. The South Americans will play their last-16 tie in Sochi this Saturday against the Group B runners-up, either Spain, Portugal or Iran. Russia, who had sealed their spot for the last 16 before the match, will have the consolation of a day's extra rest and huge support at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium when they face the Group B winners on ...
World Cup: Saudi Arabia pip Egypt in final Group tie
Saudi Arabia ended their FIFA World Cup 2018 campaign on a winning note, edging past Egypt 2-1 in their final Group A game at the Volgograd Arena here on Monday.
Shooter Lajja shines in 18th KSS Memorial championship
It all came down to the last shot of the 50 metre Rifle 3 position women's category and the 2013 ISSF World Cup silver medallist Lajja Goswami kept her composure to shoot 10.3 to clinch the top spot in the fifth national selection trials at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range here on Monday.
Guerrero: "I want to hug" Jedinak for the support he gave me
Peru captain Paulo Guerrero has said he will give his Australian counterpart Mile Jedinak a "big hug" before they face off in Tuesday's vital Group C FIFA World Cup game.
No mercy for Messi, promise Nigeria ahead of World Cup showdown
Nigeria will take delight in ending potentially Lionel Messi's last World Cup for Argentina despite their love and admiration for the five-time world player of the year, promised Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr. Victory for the Africans in Saint Petersburg on Tuesday will send Argentina home in disgrace after failing to win a game in Russia and send Nigeria into the last 16. "We love this great player, Messi, everybody loves him," said Rohr on Monday. "The question is not if it is the last World Cup for him or not, the question is for us to be qualified. "We are not here to watch him playing. We are here to make a result, we are professionals. "We are here to defend the colours of Nigeria and we know in football there is no mercy, no pity, everybody wants to win and we cannot make any gifts even if we like very much this player." Messi carried Argentina through a troubled qualifying campaign but has so far failed to fire in Russia, missing a penalty in a 1-1 draw with Iceland before ...
Zlatan on the mind for wistful World Cup Swedes
Zlatan Ibrahimovic retired from international football two years ago but Sweden's former talisman looms over their World Cup campaign like only he can. It is only too tempting for Sweden fans to wonder what might have been had the former Paris Saint-Germain player been in the side for Saturday's match against Germany, which ended in a painful last-gasp defeat. Or allow themselves to imagine what impact Ibrahimovic could have had this Wednesday, when Sweden face Mexico in a make-or-break final group game in Yekaterinburg. Now 36 and in the twilight of his career at LA Galaxy, the giant forward hit 62 goals in 116 games for Sweden before quitting the international scene in 2016. There was speculation in the build-up to the World Cup that he might make a dramatic return and the much-travelled Ibrahimovic, who also played for Manchester United and Barcelona, mischievously dropped numerous hints. But Sweden coach Janne Andersson did not court him. "Zlatan is very welcome to call me" -- and
Advancing to last 16 in 1st World Cup would be huge success: Iceland coach
Iceland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson on Monday said it would be a huge success to advance to the knockout round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in his country's first-ever World Cup appearance.
Deschamps says France won't offer Denmark any favours
France coach Didier Deschamps said his team will be going all out to win their final World Cup group game against Denmark on Tuesday as they look to wrap up first place. Deschamps is expected to make several changes for the encounter in Moscow with France guaranteed a spot in the last 16 following wins over Australia and Peru. Denmark require just a point to join France in the knockout stages, and could even pip Les Bleus to top spot in Group C with a victory. "We are not going to give them a helping hand. Our goal is to guarantee first place and two results will allow that," Deschamps told reporters at the Luzhniki Stadium on Monday. "I would never say to my team that we're playing for a draw. I want my team to go out onto the pitch without any ambiguity and to do everything to win this match. "I'm sure Denmark will also be playing to win." Deschamps admitted he could rest players in danger of suspension, with midfield trio Paul Pogba, Blaise Matuidi and Corentin Tolisso all a ...
Germany's Hummels fit to play vs South Korea, Rudy doubtful
German defender Mats Hummels will be fit to play in the team's final Group F match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup against South Korea, but it remains to be seen if midfielder Sebastian Rudy can take the pitch, assistant coach Marcus Sorg said on Monday.
Japan train after Senegal draw keeps World Cup hopes alive
Japan's squad took part in a recuperative training session here on Monday, a day after it kept its last-16 hopes alive with a gritty display to grind out a 2-2 draw against a strong Senegal team.
Lewandowski calls on Poland to save face after World Cup elimination
Poland skipper Robert Lewandowski has urged his team to salvage some pride in their final World Cup game against Japan as they faced up to the disappointment of an early elimination from the tournament. The Poles came to Russia with high hopes but a comprehensive 3-0 defeat at the hands of Colombia on Sunday confirmed they will not make it out of their group. It followed a 2-1 defeat against Senegal in their opening game in Group H and made them the first European team to be knocked out of the tournament. "Right now we realise we didn't do well enough but that is something we cannot overcome," said Bayern Munich striker Lewandowski in a press conference at the team's base in Sochi. "We fought as much as we could but that was all we could do, bearing in mind the problems we had before the World Cup in terms of injuries and form." Poland impressed in qualifying but their friendly results before the World Cup were mixed and a shoulder injury suffered by defensive stalwart Kamil Glik just
Ryan family's World Cup adventure a hit in the pocket for Australia 'keeper
There is no chance of Mathew Ryan getting homesick at the World Cup -- the Australia goalkeeper has paid for 27 members of his family to come out to Russia and support him and the Socceroos. "It is the first time other than my mother and my sister that I've paid for my family to come across and watch," Ryan said on Monday, ahead of Australia's crucial final group game in Russia against Peru. "Obviously a World Cup doesn't come around every so often, so the chance to share something like this with them, it was a no-brainer. "I asked my family members if they were interested, if they were able to come across, and half of them said yes, so half of them are still at home. It's a little better for the bank account I guess!" The 26-year-old goalkeeper from New South Wales has had his family in tow as he played in both of Australia's matches so far, a narrow 2-1 defeat at the hands of France and then a 1-1 draw with Denmark. "There is nothing better than being able to treat your family well .
England World Cup TV audiences beating royal wedding
A peak television audience of more than 14 million saw England beat Panama 6-1 in the World Cup, again beating viewing figures for the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the BBC figures said today. Harry Kane scored a hat-trick in Sunday's match as Gareth Southgate's men secured their place in the last 16 in England's largest ever win at a World Cup finals. The BBC said 14.1 million people watched the match on its main terrestrial BBC One channel -- a UK audience share of 82.9 percent -- with 2.8 million live stream requests on its online platforms. BBC chiefs said the average match audience was 12.8m. It was 16.6m for England's opening match of the World Cup, the 2-1 win against Tunisia. The royal wedding on May 19 had an average audience of 11.5 million. The figures do not include the audience for the build-up and post-match coverage, and do not take into account those watching in pubs or on giant public screens.
Looking to beat Denmark, win Group C, says France coach
France coach Didier Deschamps on Monday said he is looking for a win against Denmark in his last match of Group C although a draw will be enough to qualify for the knockout round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Alli trains as Southgate plans for Belgium World Cup match
Dele Alli was back training today, sprinting and kicking balls, as Gareth Southgate planned ahead for England's final World Cup group game against Belgium. Alli's availability would be a boost and his participation at England's base in Repino suggests the midfielder is close to recovering from a thigh strain he picked up in the side's opening win against Tunisia. But with qualification already secured and a strong argument emerging for finishing second rather than first in Group G, Southgate must decide whether key players, including Alli, are in need of a rest or if he sticks to a winning formula. While the eleven that started Sunday's match against Panama were spared training after their crushing 6-1 win, England's substitutes were put through a running session and did some ball work. Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Alli's replacement against Panama, was bright and composed in Nizhny Novgorod, his shot cannoning off Harry Kane and into the net for England's sixth. But Alli possesses a goal ...
Desperate Australia in must-win World Cup clash against Peru
Australia's long-suffering fans are bracing for another World Cup anti-climax tomorrow when the Socceroos face a Peru side desperate for a victory that may send their opponents home. Pipped 2-1 in the final minutes by France and left agonising over their failure to win a thrilling 1-1 draw against Denmark, Australia face the South Americans for the first time knowing even a win could end their hopes of remaining in Russia. Coach Bert van Marwijk led his native Netherlands to the 2010 final, where the Dutch were undone by Andres Iniesta's extra-time winner for Spain. So far in Russia, the 65-year-old has been both encouraged and frustrated by a side showing marked improvements defensively but little progress in the creative play that leads to goals. "Scoring," said Van Marwijk when asked prior to their crunch Group C match against Denmark what Australia lacked most. "We have to play and create more chances." Failure to beat the Danes in a match that did have bright spots such as ...
Football meets philosophy in Kaliningrad, hometown of Kant
In Kaliningrad, a Russian outpost sandwiched between Poland, Lithuania and the Baltic Sea, philosophy and football are coming together as fans troop through a small museum dedicated to the World Cup host city and its most famous resident, Immanuel Kant. Players themselves could learn a little from one of history's great thinkers, Serbia supporter Vojin Lukovic suggested. "To take their time, to analyze things," he said. "Slow down a bit." The German philosopher who died in 1804 lived most of his life in Kaliningrad when it was the German city of Koenigsberg. It became part of the Soviet Union after World War II and now serves as an important Russian naval base and is home to a university named for Kant. The philosopher's simple tomb lies at the rear of an imposing red-brick cathedral that dominates a small island on the walking route between the downtown fan zone and the city's new stadium that is hosting four World Cup group stage matches. Philosophy and football may sound like ...
35th anniversary of World Cup win: Kapil's Devils stay relevant
It's seven years now and Mahendra Singh Dhoni's six off Nuwan Kulasekara at the imposing Wankhede Stadium is still etched in the memory of millions. Those who who were present at the stadium and also those who watched it on television. However, notwithstanding Dhoni's heroics, it's the bunch of upstarts, which upstaged the best cricket team of their generation 35 summers back at the 'Mecca of Cricket', which still remain refreshingly relevant on this day and age. 'Kapil's Devils' had upset all equations during their 43-run win against Clive Lloyd's West Indies at the hallowed Lord's on this very day 35 years back. Many would agree that Dhoni's winning six is the lasting memory of the 2011 final and everything else is a kind of blur. The classy Mahela Jayawardene century, the gutsy Gautam Gambhir, whose 97 set it up for Dhoni's final flourish. Blame it on excessive cricket where you just flip from one game to another. But, cut to the highlights of the 1983 final, shown a zillion times .