List of All Articles with Tag 'sport'

Belgian cyclist Remco Evenepoel had a tough day at the Giro d'Italia on Wednesday after the world champion and pre-race favorite was involved in two crashes, the first involving a dog.

Schalke, Leipzig and Cologne are the three teams standing between Bayern Munich and the Bundesliga title

The Golden State Warriors beat the Los Angeles Lakers 121-106 in Game 5 of their Western Conference semifinals playoff series to keep their season alive.

Sweltering deserts, giant rainforests and dangerous wildlife are just some of the hurdles that Russell Cook says he'll encounter as he attempts to complete the gargantuan task of running the length of Africa.

Former NFL star JJ Watt has put his old Chelsea allegiances to one side because he believes he can make a big difference at Championship-winning Burnley. The 34-year-old, who retired from playing last year, has been in Lancashire this week to enjoy Burnley’s final game of the season and take part in Tuesday’s trophy parade after he and his wife Kealia, a former United States international, became investors in the club. Watt has previously said he was a Chelsea fan but that is in the past for the three-time NFL defensive player of the year. “I’m a massive football fan and I’ve been looking for the right opportunity for a long time,” Watt told the PA news agency. “Burnley is a club that has been around since 1882, it’s got incredible support in a great town and I’m very much looking forward to helping create the vision that Alan (Pace, chairman) and Vincent (Kompany, manager) have for the club. “With a club like Chelsea if I got involved, I couldn’t do anything, I couldn’t have any impact in what is a $6billion club. But if you come to a club like Burnley you have the chance to make a difference, the chance to make an impact. “I don’t hide the fact I used to be a Chelsea supporter but I’m all Burnley now.” While the Premier League is now awash with investment from around the world, most of that is channelled into the big six clubs or those in London. Turf Moor is a long way from the more glamorous image of the top flight, but Watt, who grew up in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, said that appealed to him. “I’m from a small town in Wisconsin and I grew up watching the Green Bay Packers,” said Watt, who spent 10 seasons with the Houston Texans and two with the Arizona Cardinals. “Every bit of evidence says Green Bay is not a big town and there’s no reason for them to be great but I think that something special can happen in a small town, especially when you have a manager like Vincent Kompany and a chairman like Alan Pace, and supporters like we have here.” Watt admitted he felt a bit of out of place at Tuesday’s parade – “I don’t feel like I deserve to be here because I just joined” – but he has quickly got involved in several aspects of the club, even sitting in on a meeting looking ahead to the summer transfer window. Having taken some inspiration from the impact Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have had at Wrexham, just promoted to League Two, Watt said he wanted to take Burnley global. There will also be a particular focus on improving the women’s team at Burnley, who play in the National League North, the third tier of the pyramid. “I’m going to be helping to increase the global brand,” Watt said. “We want to help create interest and excitement around Burnley Football Club and tell the story of the town and get people to understand how great of a place it is. “(The women’s team) is a big part of what we want to do. Women’s football is on the rise globally and we want to make sure Burnley is a part of that rise.”

On a night of thrilling sensory overload, it is Internazionale left with the feeling that matters most: victory, and in the match that matters most. That it was 2-0 at the San Siro, from the most thrilling of starts, went some way to finishing this Champions League semi-final when it had barely begun, putting Simone Inzaghi’s fine cup team on the brink of the grandest final in club football. It still could have been much worse for AC Milan, who badly missed their best player in Rafael Leao. It meant they had no answer – either at the back or front – to Inter’s individual stars. Edin Dzeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan plundered lightning bolts of early goals. One of a few remaining hopes for Milan is that Leao’s return can spark a comeback that had some embers in that second half. There was also the almost irrational manner that Inter started the game, as much borne of the emotion of everything that was happening as any imposed idea. The same can happen in the second leg, especially since Milan were the “home” side here. Stefano Pioli at least has to ensure they believe that. That’s what much of this came down to, as the entire occasion ratcheted up to something that went beyond a sporting spectacle. These two teams didn’t just come together for a historic derby in the most prestigious of competitions. They came together for something bigger. This was in truth a deeply rich cultural occasion as much as a sporting fixture, the profound history of the latter context enriching the former. It was also a truly sensory experience. The noise and colour were of another plane, vintage sights and sounds like those huge Italian banners being waved like battle flags amid raucous chanting afforded a new air. There is something important to that. These are two grand clubs who had largely been left behind by the forces enveloping the wider game, but who were still picked off by such interests. It was understandably cast as a semi-final that only happened due to the luck of the draw, with the prize for the winner being the misfortune to get well beaten by the victor of the “real” final in the actual final. Even some of the players had a Europa League feel, a combination of Premier League has-beens and Premier League yet-to-bes. And it still produced an occasion unlike anything the Champions League has experienced in recent years. It was deafening. It was also, fittingly for something so sensory, entirely organic. The owners of major clubs – be they equity firms, states or industrialists – may be seeking to buy this but it is something that can only come from the history and context. Imbued in that stadium-wide roar that greeted the final “champions” of the competition theme was the shared history of 10 European Cups each. As to the present, and who will enjoy the prize of that next Champions League final, it was Inter who initially attacked with that atmosphere much better. They were going with the vivid flow of it all, actually playing to the occasion in a way that arguably better suited them. The two opening goals were vibrant illustrations of this, Milan apparently unable to even impede a briefly unstoppable force. For the first, a Hakan Calhanoglu corner was acrobatically turned in by Dzeko in what felt like one unbroken move. For the second, the effervescent Federico Dimarco just surging through to set up Mkhitaryan for the finish to a flowing move that just seemed to sear through Milan. It was at that point that Inter looked like they would score with every attack, the physical force of their individual stars looking better equipped for the occasion than Milan’s more methodical system. That system was also frequently at the brink of breaking down, like when Simon Kjaer and Fikayo Tomori again got themselves into the most awful mess dealing with a Lauturo Martinez run. It was just as well the Argentine decided to go down, ensuring the penalty was ruled out, and Milan were not yet out of the tie. Mike Maignan did a good enough job of that himself, producing at least two brilliant reactive saves. The contrast between the approaches did condition the game further, though, and actually ensure Inter weren’t far out of sight too early. With Inzaghi’s side primed to respond to Milan with individual bursts, it was little surprise that Pioli’s system began to assert itself more in general play – even if he did have to bring Junior Messias on for Ismael Bennacer to ensure that. Brahim Diaz started to run the game. Sandro Tonali hit the post. Messias shot when he should have passed. This was where they were missing their own star in Leao. The Milan crowd behind Andre Onana’s goal could sense something. They tried to draw with more sensory overload, the end glowing demonically with red flares, a firecracker loudly exploding. There was no late eruption from Milan, though. They kept to the system without ever cutting through. Their fans still roared encouragement at the end. Inter’s players ran to theirs. This isn’t over. It might just take a while for anyone watching to get over. Read More The Milan derby crowns Serie A’s return - here is why it means so much more AC Milan are back – but not as how you remember them Man City vs Real Madrid is the ‘real’ Champions League final Milan derby creates thrilling sensory overload that shows how football should be AC Milan vs Inter Milan LIVE: Champions League semi-final result and reaction False 9? Edin Dzeko shows the value of an old-fashioned centre-forward

What the papers say Newcastle have rekindled their interest in England midfielder James Maddison, according to the Daily Telegraph. The 26-year-old has been linked with a move away from Leicester in the summer. Timothy Castagne, 27, is another Leicester player who could be on his way out with Arsenal keen on the Belgian full-back, reports the Daily Mirror. Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, 22, is also on the Gunners’ radar. The Premier League is the likely destination for England striker Tammy Abraham, 25, with Roma prepared to sell for £40million, according to the Daily Mirror. Manchester United are believed to have watched the ex-Chelsea forward. Hugo Lloris, 36, has been offered a move away from Tottenham to Saudi Arabia. The Times reports the France goalkeeper will triple his salary with the move away from London. Social media round-up Players to watch Lautaro Martinez: Manchester United are tracking the Argentina striker, 25, at Inter Milan.Manuel Ugarte: The Sporting Lisbon midfielder, 22, is catching the eye of Liverpool who are reportedly ready to pay the Uruguayan’s £52million release clause. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Joseph Woll stopped 24 shots in his first playoff start, Mitch Marner and William Nylander had the goals and the Toronto Maple Leafs staved off elimination by beating the Florida Panthers 2-1 in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series Wednesday night.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist as the Edmonton Oilers beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1 to even their second-round playoff series at two games apiece

Wigan produced one of the biggest upsets in FA Cup history when they beat Manchester City 1-0 at Wembley, on this day in 2013. Ben Watson’s late header clinched a fairytale win for the Latics, who won their first major trophy just 35 years after becoming a Football League club. Roberto Mancini’s big-spending City, who won the FA Cup in 2011, were overwhelming favourites having been crowned Premier League champions in 2012. The Latics were in the Premier League’s bottom three and were given little chance after beating Bournemouth, Macclesfield, Huddersfield, Everton and Millwall to earn their chance of glory. But manager Roberto Martinez said: “We all know Manchester City are the major favourites, and rightly so. But there are many examples of major upsets in the past. It can happen, but we will have to be perfect.” In the event, it proved a perfect afternoon for Wigan’s on-loan Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Joel Robles, who saved from Yaya Toure, Sergio Aguero, Samir Nasri and most notably denied Carlos Tevez with his legs to keep Mancini’s all-stars at bay. Having weathered a storm, the underdogs went close when Shaun Maloney’s free-kick hit the crossbar and they gained fresh impetus six minutes from time when City defender Pablo Zabaleta was sent off for a second bookable offence. The decisive moment came in the final minute of normal time when Watson met Maloney’s corner at the near post and glanced a header over the helpless Joe Hart. Wigan chairman Dave Whelan, who had famously broken his leg while playing for Blackburn in the 1960 final, revealed afterwards he had envisioned the victory in a dream several weeks earlier. The then-76-year-old, who had led the team out, said: “I did predict all this and it was a fantastic dream. “It was a lovely dream that night and it’s come true.” Mancini was sacked by City two days later and was replaced by Manuel Pellegrini on June 14, nine days after Martinez had departed Wigan to replace Manchester United-bound David Moyes as Everton manager.

Stephen Curry had 27 points and eight assists, Andrew Wiggins added 25 points, seven rebounds and five assist, and the defending champion Golden State Warriors staved off elimination by beating the Los Angeles Lakers 121-106 in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals Wednesday night

Jalen Brunson had 38 points, nine rebounds and seven assists while playing all 48 minutes in a season-extending performance, and the New York Knicks beat the Miami Heat 112-103 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals