
Bob Bradley fired by Toronto, which promoted Terry Dunfield to interim coach
Struggling Toronto FC has fired Bob Bradley, who doubled as the Major League Soccer team’s head coach and sporting director
2023-06-27 04:48

3 moves Suns need to make after Bradley Beal trade to win a title
The Phoenix Suns opened the NBA offseason floodgates with a blockbuster trade for Bradley Beal. How can they fill out the roster around Beal, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker?Under new owner Mat Ishbia, the Phoenix Suns have been starkly unafraid to make splashy moves. First it was the Kevin Duran...
2023-06-19 06:17

England World Cup squad announcement: Five key decisions Sarina Wiegman must make
This time last year, Sarina Wiegman’s plans were in place ahead of the Euros. The Lionesses manager had settled upon a core of players during her first season in charge and her squad announcement for the tournament featured few surprises. Once the Euros began, Wiegman was able to name the same starting line-up for all six matches, as England won their first major international tournament in 56 years at Wembley. How the Lionesses could do with the same stability ahead of the World Cup. A year later, Wiegman will take England into a second major international tournament as one of the favourites, but with injuries and fitness concerns disrupting their preparations and forcing a rethink in some key areas of the team. Now the domestic club season is over, Wiegman will name her 23-player squad for the World Cup on Wednesday 31 May, with England’s opening game of the tournament against Haiti in Brisbane less than eight weeks away. Here are some of the biggest questions Wiegman has to answer as the England manager names her squad for Australia and New Zealand. Fitness concerns Injuries, injuries, injuries. England’s build-up to the World Cup has been dominated by one topic. Leah Williamson and Fran Kirby are out, that’s for sure, but there is less certainty elsewhere. It looks like the World Cup will be too soon for Beth Mead, the winner of the Golden Boot at last summer’s Euros. The Arsenal forward suffered an ACL injury in November and although Mead says her recovery is “ahead of schedule”, there are no guarantees that she will be ready for England’s opening game against Haiti on July 22. The date of England’s squad announcement, May 31, is early, which has given players like Mead less time to recover and Wiegman less time to assess her options. There is a chance that Wiegman takes a risk and selects Mead hoping she is available for the knock-out stages in August, but it would be a big ask for the 28-year-old to return at that stage of the tournament after such a long time out. Wiegman faces further questions over the fitness of Millie Bright and Lucy Bronze, two of her most experienced and trusted players. Bright has been out since March due to a knee injury while Bronze underwent keyhole surgery on her knee in late April. Both are expected to be fit, however. Replacing experience It’s not just Williamson and Kirby who England will miss at the World Cup. Injuries to the pair have highlighted the collective loss of experience in the squad from the Euros, with Ellen White and Jill Scott having retired following England’s victory that summer. Add in Williamson, Kirby and Mead, and that’s a total of 431 international caps that have been lost in 12 months - as well as four starters from England’s Euros-winning side. How Wiegman replaces that experience will be crucial to England’s chances in Australia. The 71-cap Jordan Nobbs has made a return to the international fold after her decision to join Aston Villa in January, but her lack of game time in recent England matches raises questions over whether Wiegman is truly convinced. There has even been talk of former England captain Steph Houghton making a return. The centre-back returned from injury to feature for Manchester City over the final weeks of the season and has not given up hope of a call-up. Has in-form England done enough? Rachel Daly was England’s left back as they won the Euros but is now leading the race to be their starting No 9 for the Euros. Daly won both the WSL player of the year and Golden Boot awards after hitting a stunning 22 goals for Aston Villa this season. She faces a battle with Alessia Russo, who has been Wiegman’s first choice since the Euros, to be England’s starting striker, but there are others who are pushing for the place as well. Among them, Bethany England could not have done more to get a World Cup place after scoring 12 goals in 12 games for Tottenham since leaving Chelsea in January. England was in the Euros squad but did not play a minute in the tournament and the striker has missed out on the last two England squads, with Brighton’s Katie Robinson instead receiving a call-up. England’s strongest position is in the wide attacking areas, with Lauren James, Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly competing for two spots in the starting line-up, so whoever is included will be expected to challenge Daly and Russo. Nikita Parris found form over the final few weeks of the season while Ebony Salmon made the first three squads post-Euros. Who starts instead of Williamson? The England captain’s injury means Wiegman will need to decide upon a new centre-back pair for the World Cup. Millie Bright and Alex Greenwood appear to be Wiegman’s first choice, but that requires moving Greenwood from left back and relies upon Bright’s fitness, so there could be a few places up for grabs. For a 23-player squad, Wiegman is likely to select eighth defenders. The Dutch coach tends to favour defenders who are capable of playing multiple positions, with Chelsea’s Jess Carter, Manchester United’s Maya La Tissier and Manchester City’s Esme Morgan adept in both centre-back and full-back areas. Arsenal’s Lotte Wubben-Moy, who was initially left out of April’s squad before replacing the injured Bright, is less versatile, but impressed for the Gunners over the final weeks of the season when Williamson was sidelined. Wubben-Moy was a key member of the Euros squad and was the driving force behind England’s legacy pledge, but her place in the World Cup group looks unclear. Much could depend on Bright’s fitness. Finding the balance and depth in midfield Keira Walsh is the cornerstone of England’s team but Wiegman is still searching for an ideal balance around her in midfield. Georgia Stanway and Ella Toone have been used as twin-eights but Australia found success when beating the Lionesses in April when they shut Walsh down, with England missing the creativity of a player like Fran Kirby to unlock the door. There may be matches in Australia when Wiegman may favour another midfielder to sit alongside Walsh - with one of Stanway or Toone asked to push forward into the No 10 areas that Kirby so often thrives in. Manchester United captain Katie Zelem and Manchester City’s Laura Coombs are contenders alongside Jordan Nobbs for the position, while Jess Park is seen as a wildcard option having made the last two squads. The 21-year-old is another fitness doubt, however, after she was ruled out for the rest of the season with a shoulder injury. Read More England’s World Cup squad: Who’s on the plane, and who’s got work to do? When is the Women’s World Cup and what are the fixtures? Making World Cup squad would be ‘stuff of dreams’, says Man City’s Laura Coombs Ella Toone upbeat on England’s chances at World Cup despite injury setbacks Predicting England’s World Cup squad: Who’s on the plane?
2023-05-30 17:40

Vanna White will continue to serve as 'Wheel of Fortune' co-host through 2026
Pat Sajak may be saying goodbye to "Wheel of Fortune" next year, but his longtime co-host Vanna White is sticking around for the time being.
2023-09-20 06:44

Amazon Games will publish new Tomb Raider game
The follow-up to 2018's 'Shadow of the Tomb Raider' has landed a major publisher.
1970-01-01 08:00

Ovechkin at 38 resumes his pursuit of Gretzky's NHL goals record, 73 back going into the season
Alex Ovechkin is old and gray now — at least by hockey standards
2023-10-11 23:25

Tribute to Sinéad O'Connor appears on Irish hillside ahead of funeral
An installation paying tribute to Sinéad O'Connor has appeared on an Irish hillside in Bray, the town where her funeral will be held on Tuesday.
2023-08-07 18:12

US leads call to triple nuclear power at COP28
More than 20 nations including the United States called for a tripling of nuclear energy to drive down emissions on Saturday as world leaders assembled for a second day...
2023-12-02 15:39

Analysis-What rate hike? Investors eye ECB rate cuts as economy weakens
By Yoruk Bahceli and Naomi Rovnick Traders are standing firm on bets that the European Central Bank will
2023-09-15 01:18

Muchova shocks Sabalenka to reach French Open final, Swiatek eyes title
Unheralded Karolina Muchova saved a match point as she stunned world number two Aryna Sabalenka to reach the French Open final on Thursday, while Iga Swiatek hopes to stay on...
2023-06-09 00:57

Hot Prime Big Deals Day Alert: 40% Off Womanizer Vibrators
If you’ve been wondering what to shop during Amazon Prime’s Big Deals Days on October 10 and October 11, we’re here to help with a sizzling hot tip. While deals on cookware and affordable fall fashion are plentiful, it’s the discounts on sex toys that have us really hot and bothered. Familiar (and Amazon-famous) vibrators’ prices are being slashed right and left; the orgasm gods really aren’t messing around this year. Instead, they’re blessing your wallet (and clitoris) with some incredible luxury vibes at super-budget price points. But with so many deals, how’s a girl to know which vibrator is really worth the purchase? Per ushz, we’ve got you covered.
2023-10-11 02:53

Ireland's Land Acts and the decline of the 'Big House'
Irish partition meant landlords and estates were affected differently north and south of the border.
2023-06-18 13:43
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