Page 561 - Sports
Tiger joined by DeChambeau, Mexico's Ancer in WGC opener
Tiger Woods, a 14-time major winner, is paired with Mexico's Abraham Ancer and American Bryson DeChambeau in the first two rounds of the WGC Mexico Championship, organizers announced Monday. Woods, whose 80 career US PGA titles are two shy of Sam Snead's career record, shared 15th in last week's tour event at Riviera and remains a fan favorite at age 43 even though he last won a major crown at the 2008 US Open. His group was among four featured threesomes announced early for the first two rounds of the matchup at Club de Golf Chapultepec, which will be the first competitive event played by Woods in Mexico. Woods owns a record 18 WGC titles from nine different locations worldwide. DeChambeau has won four of his past 10 worldwide starts, two of them in last year's PGA Tour playoffs. Ancer won last December's Australian Open and ranks sixth on the list of Internationals team qualifiers for the team showdown later this year in Australia against an American squad to be guided by ...
Italian side kicked out of Serie C after 20-0 defeat
Italian third-tier side Pro Piacenza were on Monday excluded from Serie C after fielding a team of just seven players in a 20-0 defeat by league rivals Cuneo, governing body Lega Pro announced. Financially troubled Pro Piacenza, a side from northern Italy, have been unable to pay their players and staff, who have been on strike for several weeks. Before Sunday's game at Cuneo in Piedmont, northern Italy, bottom club Pro Piacenza had already forfeited three matches and a fourth would have seen them kicked out of Serie C. So they took to the pitch with seven players, all teenagers born between 2000 and 2002. An eighth player could not initially start having forgotten his identity papers, and came on after an hour. One of the two players born in 2000 was named on the match sheet as the coach, with a team physiotherapist even taking to the pitch at one point to substitute a player who was suffering from cramps. Italian Football Federation president Gabriele Gravina had slammed the match ..
'Spygate' Leeds fined 200,000 pounds but no points deduction
Leeds United have escaped a points penalty in their quest to be promoted to the Premier League after it was announced Monday they had been fined GBP 200,000 (USD 259,000, 229,000 euros) and reprimanded for spying on their opponents. Leeds faced an investigation by the English Football League after veteran manager Marcelo Bielsa admitted sending someone to spy on Derby at their training ground ahead of a match last month. The club formally admitted a breach of Regulation 3.4 which states: "In all matters and transactions relating to the League, each Club shall behave towards each other Club and The League with the utmost good faith." Many were uncertain, however, whether Bielsa had committed a specific offence and the EFL now plan to clarify the situation by introducing a new rule that bans teams from viewing opposition training in the 72 hours immediately before a match, unless invited to do so. EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey, announcing the punishments against Leeds, said Monday: ..
No chance Icardi going to Juventus, says Inter president Zhang
Inter Milan's Chinese president Steven Zhang on Monday ruled out selling unsettled Argentine forward Mauro Icardi to Serie A rivals Juventus. It follows comments from Juventus sporting director Fabio Paratici that the champions would keep an eye on the striker's situation in the summer after he was stripped of the captain's armband during the week. "Will Icardi ever join Juventus? No, never," said Zhang after a shareholders' meeting at the San Siro on Monday. "This has been spoken about a lot in the past week and a lot of confusion has been created. I would like to put an end to this topic because the club has already made a decision and continuing to talk about it doesn't help us to achieve our goals. "Icardi is a great player, he's a professional and a very important member of our family. We are in negotiations to renew his contract, and he's an important player for this club." Icardi, who turns 26 on Tuesday, watched from the stands with his wife and agent Wanda Nara as Inter beat .
Orlando signs Portuguese winger Nani to three-year deal
Portuguese winger Nani, a four-time Premier League champion and 2008 UEFA Champions League winner with Manchester United, signed a three-year contract Monday with Orlando City of Major League Soccer. The 32-year-old who helped Portugal win the 2016 European crown joined the Florida side on a free transfer from Sporting Lisbon. "This is an exciting day for our organization," Orlando City executive vice president of soccer operations Luiz Muzzi said. "Nani brings tremendous experience to our roster. He's a dynamic winger with quality abilities to move and cross the ball, impact games and lead the offensive play." The Lions need all those things after a miserable 2018 campaign, with only eight wins and four drawn from 32 matches for the second-worst record in MLS, last in the Eastern Conference with 28 points. Nani had nine goals in 58 appearances with Sporting as a teen star before joining compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo in 2007 at Old Trafford, where he would remain through 2014 with 41 ..
Zlatan vows to 'break every record in MLS this season'
Los Angeles Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic set an exceptional challenge for the upcoming Major League Soccer season on Sunday, vowing to rewrite the league record book this year. The 37-year-old Swedish superstar unveiled new Galaxy jerseys in a flashy entrance, then told a crowd of fans his ambitious plans for the 2019 campaign. "This season I will bring something to you. I will break every record in the MLS this season," Ibrahimovic said. Zlatan scored 22 goals and set up 10 others in 27 MLS contests last season, launching him into the new season with great expectations. The Galaxy, who host their season opener against Chicago on March 2, went 13-12 with nine drawn last season to miss the MLS playoffs by a single point. Among the more impressive MLS records Zlatan would be trying to shatter are goals in nine consecutive games, an assist in eight consectuve matches and four goals in one half. Josef Martinez of Atlanta set the one-season MLS goals record with 31 in 34 games played .
Kolarov, Fazio score to edge Roma closer to Champions League berths
Defenders Aleksandar Kolarov and Federico Fazio both scored in the second half as Roma closed in on the Champions League places with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Bologna on Monday. Eusebio Di Francesco followed their Champions League last 16, first-leg win over Porto last week by consolidating fifth position and are now just a point behind AC Milan in fourth. "We couldn't afford to fall behind today. We're happy with the three points, less so with the performance," said Di Francesco. Champions Juventus are 13 points clear of second-placed Napoli after Cristiano Ronaldo sealed a 3-0 win against Frosinone on Friday. Napoli lost points after being held to a goalless draw against Torino while Inter Milan are a further seven points behind in third after beating Sampdoria 2-1. Atalanta and Lazio are three points behind the Romans in sixth after losing to AC Milan (3-1) and Genoa (2-1) respectively at the weekend. Roma could thank Swedish goalkeeper Robin Olsen for keeping them in the game ...
'We were confused': Sarri frustrated as Chelsea woes mount
Under-fire Maurizio Sarri admitted his Chelsea flops played "confused" football as they crashed out of the FA Cup with a tame 2-0 defeat against Manchester United on Monday. Sarri was subjected to calls for his sacking from angry Chelsea fans during the troubled team's fifth defeat in their last 10 games. Booed off at the final whistle, the beleaguered Blues manager felt Chelsea deserved better after the FA Cup holders started the fifth round clash on top. But he conceded they lacked direction and focus in a tepid second half surrender. "Tonight we were unlucky because we played a very good first half and at the end of the half the score was 2-0," Sarri said. "We gave them a few opportunities. We played confusing football in the second half. After the first half it wasn't easy to play with that score." Toothless Chelsea managed only two shots on target all night and the limp second half display suggested the players are hardly doing everything in their power to save Sarri. Sarri has ..
Dortmund drop more points at bottom side Nuremberg
Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund dropped more points in the title race on Monday when they were held to a goalless draw at bottom side Nuremberg. Dortmund are now just three points ahead of second-placed Bayern Munich, the defending champions who won 3-2 at Augsburg on Friday, with their lead slashed from nine points after drawing their last three league games. "That was definitely too little from us, we have to pick up points again," said forward Mario Goetze. "They didn't make it easy for us by standing deep, but we must improve." Even without injured playmaker Marco Reus, plus defenders Lukasz Piszczek and Manuel Akanji, this was another below-par display from the league leaders. Nuremberg were hammered 7-0 at Dortmund last September, but this was a vastly improved display from the hosts and the draw was celebrated like a win on the home bench. It was their first game under caretaker coaches Marek Mintal and Boris Schommers after both head coach Michael Knoeller and director of
Sarri on the brink as Pogba fires United into FA Cup last eight
Paul Pogba drove Manchester United into the FA Cup quarter-finals and pushed Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri closer to the sack as the troubled holders crashed to a 2-0 defeat on Monday. Pogba set up United's opening goal for Ander Herrera with a majestic cross and the France star added the second himself as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side produced a commanding display at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea's lacklustre fifth round exit -- their first FA Cup defeat since the 2017 final -- was another painful blow for Sarri, who is facing a fight to save his job following a dismal debut season. Chelsea suffered their heaviest defeat for 28 years when they were thrashed 6-0 at Manchester City earlier this month, an indignity that came just weeks after a humiliating 4-0 loss at Bournemouth. Amid claims Sarri has lost the support of his players, the former Napoli boss watched ashen-faced as Chelsea collapsed again for a fifth defeat in their last 10 games. Sarri was subjected to chants of "you don't know
Gundogan relishing coming home with Man City after Schalke snub
Having been rejected as an eight-year-old by Schalke 04, Ilkay Gundogan is relishing returning to Gelsenkirchen with Manchester City in what could potentially be a one-sided Champions League clash. While Pep Guardiola's high-flying City are top the Premier League table, Schalke, Wednesday's opponents in the last 16, first-leg clash, are just above the Bundesliga's relegation places and struggling to score goals down in 14th place. Like City's Germany winger Leroy Sane, Gundogan, 28, began his career at Schalke's academy, but despite having been rejected as a child after only one season, there will be no element of revenge come kick-off at the Veltins Arena. "I have (forgiven them), but it wasn't always so," Gundogan told German magazine Kicker with a grin. "At the time, due to growth spurts, I had physical problems and couldn't play any sports for half a year, so I dropped out. Three or four years later, Schalke attempted to contact me, but I was a bit resentful. "I just wanted to ...
Guardiola relishes quadruple quest as City seek to conquer Europe
As their Premier League title rivals Liverpool sunned themselves in Marbella last week, Manchester City were getting muddy in Newport on Saturday to keep alive the prospect of a historic clean sweep of four trophies. City's focus switches from south Wales to Schalke on Wednesday for the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie before a Wembley final against Chelsea on Sunday for the right to lift the first silverware of the season in the League Cup. A decade into the club's Abu Dhabi ownership, the importance for City to win the Champions League for the first time would have made it easy for the English champions to prioritise Europe this season. However, after romping to the league with a record 100 points last year, it is another piece of history that Pep Guardiola's side now crave by outdoing even Manchester United's treble of league, Champions League and FA Cup in 1998/99. Two weeks on from smashing Chelsea 6-0, City will be heavy favourites to retain the League Cup this ...
Barcelona wary of weakened Lyon as they look to exorcise ghost of Rome
The ghost of Rome still haunts Lionel Messi and Barcelona as they find themselves in Lyon for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday. The Spanish champions won the domestic double last season in Ernesto Valverde's first campaign as coach at the Camp Nou, but that achievement was marred by the nature of their exit from Europe. After beating Roma 4-1 at home in the first leg of their quarter-final tie, they collapsed in the return in Italy, going out on away goals after a humiliating 3-0 defeat. This season they have been driven by a desire to put that behind them and end Real Madrid's recent dominance in the competition that has yielded three successive titles. Impressive in the group stage, now they arrive at Lyon's 59,000-seat Groupama Stadium seeking a first away win in the knockout phase in six attempts since a 2-0 victory at Arsenal in February 2016. "That shows that it is a hard competition, but challenges are there to be overcome," said Valverde on Monday
'It's like a final' - Atletico meet Juve in a clash of high stakes
Massimiliano Allegri told Juventus not to be afraid of Atletico Madrid but for one of these teams their worst fears in this season's Champions League are about to become a reality. Crashing out in the last 16 would be unthinkable for two clubs that were among the favourites when the draw for the knock-out stages was made in December. "Those that have ambition are not afraid," Allegri said, after his side were drawn to play Atletico, with the first leg on Wednesday at the Wanda Metropolitano. "It's like a final, we cannot put a foot wrong," Atletico boss Diego Simeone said. Juventus and Atletico Madrid have reached 12 European Cup finals between them, with last season's game in Kiev the first in five years in which neither had featured. Atletico went on to win the Europa League instead, proving themselves too strong for Europe's second-tier competition, while Juventus were dumped out by eventual winners Real Madrid, undone by a controversial Cristiano Ronaldo penalty in the 98th ...
Odisha: State's first high performance centre inaugurated
Odisha Government on Monday inaugurated its first high-performance centre in the state for realizing its dream of becoming a global sports destination.With intent to provide quality sport in the State, this high-performance centre is established by professional shooter Abhinav Bindra's 'Abhinav Futuristics Pvt. Ltd' with the help of Government of Odisha.The centre was inaugurated by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in the presence of Bindra.Speaking about the inauguration, Chief Minister Patnaik said, "the inauguration of this HPC will encourage athletes to use Sports Science to enhance their performance. Coaching has always been good in Odisha, but now with best available technology, our athletes will have access to a state-of-the-art, world-class sports medicine and rehab setup."The founder of the ABTP Centre, Abhinav Bindra stated, "The ABTP Centre's have been made with the aim of encouraging athletes to use Sports Science to add value to their training routine. With cutting ...
Baby Leagues show way in Kashmir Valley
The sight of packed stands with snow-clad trees in the background, overlooked by the gargantuan Himalayan peaks have become synonymous with I-League this season in Kashmir.Not too far away from the TRC Ground, where Real Kashmir play their football, the children of Jammu and Kashmir have taken to the football fever, coming in hordes to feed their addiction.Baby Leagues have become the new rage in the state-so much so that neither have the children been deterred by the cold nor have their parents stopped them from playing the beautiful game.As many as three Baby Leagues are going on despite the heavy snowfall in the region-Kashmir United Baby League (Srinagar), Snow Etihad Baby League (Pulwama), and Ladakh Baby League (Leh)."The Baby Leagues in Kashmir have really helped kids get more involved in the sport in recent times. For me, the bigger thing is that football helps the children stay involved in an activity that they like, and keeps them away from drugs and other social evils," ...
Three double-headers announced among 12-match schedule for Ireland Women
Ireland women's team will face West Indies, Zimbabwe and Scotland in a busy year ahead of a T20 World Cup Qualifier campaign in late summer and fans will be able to enjoy three T20I double-headers with the men's team in July.The release of the 2019 fixtures comes off the back of the commencement of the development of a new women's cricket strategy and the recent announcement of the first-ever women's part-time contracts to be offered in 2019 and ahead of another World Cup qualifying campaign."We played 19 fixtures home and away, which culminated in an appearance in the Women's T20 World Cup in the Caribbean, saw top-class fixtures at home, and a tour to Zimbabwe," Cricket Ireland quoted head coach of women's team Aaron Hamilton, as saying."This season we are to take women's international fixtures around Ireland and the schedule has allowed us to create three double-header events, where men's and women's T20 Internationals will share the bill. The larger goal for the squad at this ...
East Bengal, Mohun Bagan join fight to seek clarity on I-League future
Eight I-League clubs, including giants Quess East Bengal and Mohun Bagan, on Monday shot off a letter to All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Praful Patel seeking an "urgent appointment" to discuss the future of teams after the ongoing season.
Nigel Short slams AICF for disenfranching Maharashtra chess
FIDE vice-president and Grand Master Nigel Short has hit out at the All India Chess Federation for disenfranchising the Maharashtra Chess Association among others. "Given the extraordinary work that the #Maharashtra Chess Association does - putting on tournaments & bringing in stars like @vishy64theking and @viditchess for coaching - it is disappointing that they (+ a further 16 state associations) have been disenfranchised by the AICF," the England player, a former world number three, tweeted Sunday. He had recently criticised the Indian chess body for being embroiled in several litigations including for derecognising some players for featuring in unauthorised tournaments and also being involved in several litigations. The AICF is embroiled in a case regarding derecognition of some players for playing in unauthorised tournaments. It was fined by the Competition Commission of India last year for infringing on the provisions of Section 4 of the Competition Act ...
Odisha gets its first high-performance centre
Abhinav Bindra Targeting Performance Centre, the first high-performance centre in Odisha, was on Monday inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at Kalinga Stadium here.