
Max Verstappen tops rain-hit final practice for Spanish Grand Prix
Max Verstappen finished fastest in a rain-hit final practice session for the Spanish Grand Prix. Verstappen completed his speediest time in the early minutes before it started drizzling at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya. The double world champion finished two tenths clear of Sergio Perez in the other Red Bull, with Lewis Hamilton third, four tenths back. Hamilton completed only eight laps as he elected not to run in the slippery conditions, despite the chance qualifying – which takes place at 4pm local time (3pm BST) – could also be disrupted by showers. Behind Hamilton, Carlos Sainz finished fourth for Ferrari, one place ahead of his countryman Fernando Alonso in his Aston Martin. George Russell finished sixth for Mercedes. The one-hour running was suspended for nine minutes after Logan Sargeant crashed out. Sargeant lost control of his Williams through the high-speed final corner, before sliding into the gravel and grazing the wall. Verstappen will head into qualifying having finished fastest in all three sessions as he bids to extend his 39-point championship lead over team-mate Perez. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
2023-06-03 19:45

Ferrand-Prevot wins cross-country marathon mountain bike gold
Pauline Ferrand-Prevot won the cross country mountain bike world title on Saturday making the Frenchwoman favourite to take gold at the...
2023-08-12 21:36

Diners Making Over $125,000 Are Spending Less at Ruth's Chris and Capital Grille
Darden Restaurants Inc. is seeing more “softness” among households with incomes above $125,000 compared to last year, Chief
2023-09-21 22:01

Top five players in MLS' 2023 22 under 22 - ranked
Ranking the top five players from MLS' 2023 22 under 22 list.
2023-10-13 07:15

Dolly Parton used to create her own makeup with 'stuff that grew wild in the fields'
Dolly Parton says that she had to utilise what she could forage during her rural upbringing to create her own makeup.
2023-10-12 20:15

A change too far? England’s last roll of the dice comes up short
England had covered the gaps, they had filled the holes. They had adjusted, adapted, repositioned, created a new formation, and reached a first World Cup final. Then England changed again. Down 1-0 at half time in the World Cup final, Sarina Wiegman went for a last roll of the dice, a double substitution that saw Alessia Russo and Rachel Daly brought off and Lauren James and Chloe Kelly come on. That 3-5-2 that was England’s revelation of the tournament, that changed their World Cup? It was binned. England went back to 4-2-3-1. They disposed of the wing-backs and brought on the wingers. They stopped pressing Spain and abandoned their plan. With it, and for the first time at the World Cup, the Lionesses did not find the change that was required. James and Kelly brought moments of improvement, but the truth is that England were at their most dangerous when Lauren Hemp and Russo were combining as a front two. Hemp’s switch to a central role took away the threat that was everywhere in the first half and left Wiegman searching for something else. On came Beth England. Up went Millie Bright. But this was a situation England could not overcome. In a tournament that has been defined by England’s ability to adapt and solve the problems they have faced, the changes that were required against Spain were a step too far. Mary Earps’s save from Jenni Hermoso’s penalty gave England some momentum, but this was a final that stuttered and in the second half never found its rhythm, where stoppages played into Spain’s hands and covered the defensive frailties they had previously shown through the tournament. “When Mary saved the penalty I thought we’d go on and score the goal,” Wiegman shrugged. “But we didn’t.” Wiegman felt England improved with the changes and they certainly played with a better balance. But by then the game had changed and in its final moments, Spain managed to stay in control. While England never found the right combinations, Spain never quite felt threatened. While England played with two systems, neither one quite arrived at the right time. Perhaps this was always the natural conclusion for a World Cup that hit its first hurdle in November when Beth Mead suffered a torn ACL, then when England lost Leah Williamson, and then Fran Kirby; the deflating end to a tournament where Wiegman has not had the same consistency or continuity of last summer’s Euros, and where winning the final was beyond the resilience of this side. Perhaps it’s also the rebalance from last summer’s quarter-final in Brighton, where Spain were the better team and lost after England found a moment of magic through Georgia Stanway’s equaliser. England couldn’t produce another one; despite the introductions of Kelly and James, England were at their most threatening when they played into an open, frantic match, even if it left them more vulnerable at the other end and, ultimately, led to Olga Carmona’s winning goal. It was a quality finish, the moment to crown Spain’s golden generation, a magnificent team of sharp passers and quick minds. Aitana Bonmati was the clear player of the tournament and no one will be surprised when the Ballon d’Or follows at the end of the year. They looked a class above England, but the regret is that a head coach who appears to have no impact on how his team plays in Jorge Vilda did not need to have a tactical approach to beat the Lionesses. England gave Spain what they wanted. Wiegman committed to a brave plan but it gave England a hard time. They had pushed high and pressed Spain, hoping to force the error, with Lucy Bronze and Daly defending as forwards as much as wingers, gambling on a misplaced pass. But Spain were too good. They responded by playing through England, isolating a back three that had found strength in its unity. Spain pulled an already stretched team further out of shape and created another problem for England to solve. Bronze’s misadventure then led to another one. As Carmona fired past Earps, Bronze immediately sank to the pitch, as if her legs had been cut from beneath her, the sort of reaction that told you everything about where the goal had come from. It was a run that was too ambitious when what England needed to do was move it faster. Bronze was crowded out, England were outnumbered, and suddenly it was left to Russo to follow Carmona’s run. That was a gap in the team that England could not cover. There had been such a fine balance to it, an open game where the first goal was always going to be crucial. While the final was goalless, England had chances that came from their high press and then found spaces to hit Hemp down the channels. But when Spain scored, the space vanished and Wiegman needed to try something else to protect her side, even if it meant England lost some of their unpredictability. To reach this stage was a triumph of the team’s approach and its mentality; a campaign that always managed to deliver answers. Eventually, and on the biggest stage of all, England were unable to find another. Read More England suffer World Cup heartache as brilliant Spain show Lionesses what’s missing Jorge Vilda: Spain’s World Cup coach at the heart of a civil war England v Spain LIVE: Women’s World Cup final result and reaction as Lionesses suffer heartbreak England players ‘heartbroken’ after World Cup final defeat to Spain England suffer World Cup heartache as brilliant Spain show Lionesses what’s missing Sarina Wiegman has already made the biggest decision of England’s World Cup
2023-08-20 22:42

Italy shocks banks with 40% windfall tax for 2023
By Angelo Amante, Giuseppe Fonte and Valentina Za ROME (Reuters) -Italy dealt a surprise blow to its banks and sent
2023-08-08 19:35

Adin Ross gives Drake $100K from gambling win after rapper congratulates streamer: 'I know you need it'
During a Kick stream, Adin Ross playfully pretended that Drake was strapped for cash and gave him $100,000 during the broadcast
2023-11-11 18:30

Pache's pinch-hit, 2-run HR rallies Phils past Marlins for record-tying 13th straight road win
Pinch-hitter Cristian Pache hit a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning as the Philadelphia Phillies rallied to beat the Miami Marlins 4-3 on Friday night and match the franchise record with their 13th straight road victory
2023-07-08 09:35

McIntosh topples Ledecky in US Open 400m free
Canadian teen Summer McIntosh clocked a meet-record 3min 59.42sec to win the 400m freestyle at the US Open ahead of...
2023-12-01 08:46

Beijing claims US citizen jailed for life in China was decorated spy who worked undetected for decades
Beijing claims an American citizen jailed for life in China earlier this year is a decorated spy who had worked for US intelligence for more than three decades, as it ramps up a campaign warning citizens to guard against foreign espionage.
2023-09-12 10:52

Rain on the radar as Wimbledon keeps eye on weather
Tucked away at the heart of Wimbledon sits an unassuming office that is one of the most critical cogs in the entire...
2023-07-12 00:51
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