Neco Williams believes Armenia can do Wales a favour against Croatia and help them qualify for Euro 2024. Wales’ automatic qualification hopes were taken out of their own hands on Saturday by a wounding 1-1 away draw to Armenia and Croatia’s 2-0 victory in Latvia. Croatia will secure the second spot behind already-qualified Turkey by beating Armenia in their final qualifier on Tuesday. But were Armenia to draw or win in Zagreb, that would leave the door open for Wales who would then take second place by beating Turkey at the Cardiff City Stadium on the same evening. “Armenia are a top team,” wing-back Williams said of opponents who have damaged Wales’ qualification more than any other by taking four points from them. “They have got some very good players and, hopefully, they can do a job on Croatia like they did against us. “We still have a chance because you never know what’s going to happen. “It’s not in our hands and we have got to wait for the other results. There’s a lot of luck in football, and hopefully it will be on our side.” Wales lost 4-2 to Armenia at home in June and they were shaken again within five minutes of the Yerevan return. Lucas Zelarayan, who had scored twice in Cardiff, punished some sloppy Welsh defending and Armenia appeared in control until the final seconds of the first half. But Wales were gifted a lifeline when Nair Tiknizyan headed Connor Roberts’ long throw in to his own net. Williams said: “It was a tough game, end to end, and a lot of running. “Both teams were going for the win and probably at times it looked scrappy. “As soon as the lads came in after the game you could feel that, frustration. No-one talked and it felt like a loss. “But we take a point from it and all we can do now is focus on our last game against Turkey. “If we get the three points there you never know what’s going to happen.” The odds are that Wales will end up in the play-offs in March, the same route they negotiated to reach the 2022 World Cup by overcoming Austria and Ukraine. Finland, Iceland, Poland and Ukraine are all potential opponents this time, although the fixtures will not be determined until after the final qualifiers across Europe. “It could be something for us,” said Williams. “We did it for the World Cup and, if it does happen, we’ve still got a chance. “If we don’t qualify through the group, do it that way.” Daniel James admitted the early Zelarayan goal before a hostile Republican Stadium crowd had thrown Wales out of their stride. James said: “They scored early and you know it’s going to be difficult because it’s a tough place to come. “We dug deep and got back in the game, but we couldn’t get that second goal. “We’ve just got to pick our heads up and get ready for the next game against a very good Turkey team.” Central defender Chris Mepham will miss the Turkey game through suspension after picking up his third yellow card of the campaign in Yerevan. Read More On this day in 2019: Mauricio Pochettino sacked by Tottenham Stephen Kenny confident with Republic of Ireland’s solid base for bright future England full-back Kieran Trippier not taking his place at Euro 2024 as a given Wout Weghorst fires Netherlands to Euro 2024 as Ireland end with whimper Saracens overcome injuries to England stars in thrashing of Harlequins Erling Haaland’s injury is not serious – Norway boss Stale Solbakken

Celtic suffered more Champions League pain at Parkhead as Lazio scored a stoppage-time winner soon after the home side were denied a goal following a lengthy VAR check. With the score at 1-1, substitute Luis Palma fired home in the 81st minute after Daizen Maeda had attempted an overhead kick from Alistair Johnston’s cross, and the VAR officials decided he was offside. There was a bigger blow to come when former Barcelona and Chelsea forward Pedro headed home from fellow substitute Matteo Guendouzi’s cross five minutes into stoppage-time to secure the Italian club a 2-1 win in Group E. Celtic had taken an early lead through Kyogo Furuhashi but Matias Vecino levelled following a 29th-minute corner. Brendan Rodgers’ side looked the likelier team to find a winner but their 10-year wait for a home victory in the Champions League group stage continues and the ninth defeat in that 11-game run would be the most difficult one to take after a largely encouraging performance. The tie was a resumption of hostilities from four seasons ago when Celtic triumphed home and away against Lazio in the Europa League, their victory in Rome sealed by Olivier Ntcham, who appeared on a massive pre-match banner among the home fans in the standing section. Celtic settled quickly and Furuhashi netted his first goal in eight Champions League appearances 12 minutes in. The Japanese striker’s finish went through the dive of goalkeeper Ivan Provedel after he was played through by a first-time pass from Matt O’Riley after positive play from Maeda. The atmosphere went up a notch but Celtic did not build on their advantage. Despite having plenty of possession in the aftermath of the goal, most of it was inside their own half and the occasional slack pass put them in danger. They had a chance on the break when Yang Hyun-jun played Maeda in behind but the Japanese attacker mis-kicked his ambitious effort. Lazio’s territorial advantage paid off when they won three headers in a row from Luis Alberto’s corner. Joe Hart appeared to have saved the third one from Vecino but the Lithuanian referee ruled the ball had spun behind the line before being clawed away. Celtic got back on the front foot and O’Riley forced a good save from a first-time strike before getting back to make an important interception to foil a counter-attack. The start of the second half was finely-balanced. Felipe Anderson failed to make the most of receiving the ball in yards of space inside the Celtic box before the home side came close from a free-kick. Provedel made a good stop from Reo Hatate’s low drive and Johnston fired over from the rebound. Cameron Carter-Vickers made his comeback from a hamstring injury after a seven-week lay-off when he replaced Nat Phillips while Palma came on for Yang, who had enjoyed some good moments but generally failed to make the most of his possession. Hart got down well to save Daichi Kamada’s 20-yard drive before Paulo Bernardo snatched at a half-chance at the other end moments after coming on. Celtic continued to make the running. Palma was briefly bearing down on goal before Alessio Romagnoli slid in to win the ball, Liam Scales attempted an overhead kick which flew over and Furuhashi was denied from close range. Palma thought he had scored what would have been one of the best-worked goals in the Champions League this week after a lengthy passing move that went from back to front and side to side. The Honduran winger was booked for taking his shirt off in celebration before the VAR team delivered worse news, and a crushing blow would soon follow to leave Celtic bottom of their group without a point. Read More Newcastle’s local heroes stun PSG to twist a tale of geopolitical tension Kylian Mbappe frustrated as PSG humbled by Newcastle in Champions League Man City rely on Julian Alvarez to beat RB Leipzig as Erling Haaland falters Is Celtic vs Lazio on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Champions League Kylian Mbappe frustrated as PSG humbled by Newcastle in Champions League Man City rely on Julian Alvarez to beat RB Leipzig as Erling Haaland falters

More competition is coming to Texas for Arch Manning in the form of the Longhorns' newest four-star commit, KJ Lacey.With KJ Lacey committing to Texas on Saturday, here comes another promising quarterback Arch Manning may have to compete with in Austin.Lacey is a four-star quarterback i...

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The transfer portal has become the go-to place for college basketball coaches to immediately upgrade their rosters

Tyson Fury’s promoter Frank Warren has dismissed Anthony Joshua’s win over Robert Helenius as a ‘bore’. Joshua put in a patient performance before knocking out Helenius in the seventh round on Saturday, edging closer to a fight with Deontay Wilder. It was a much-needed stoppage win for “AJ”, 33, but Warren has said he was not impressed by the former champion’s showing. “I thought it was pretty boring up until the knockout,” Warren told Boxing Social on Tuesday (15 August). “That’s what it was. I agree with the crowd, who were booing! “It was a bore, it was a bore up until then. He caught him with a big shot, but let’s get it right: He’s the guy who’s got a big punch, and the other guy – when he fights at that level – normally gets knocked out when he steps up. “What happened, happened. I know it was a last-minute [replacement] and all that. I don’t read anything into it. You’ve not learnt any more about AJ from that fight, coming out of it, than you did going into it.” Warren also played down Joshua’s chances against Wilder, who fought Fury to a controversial draw in 2018 before losing to the “Gypsy King” in 2020 and 2021. “Tyson’s [nearly] beaten Wilder three times, so if [Joshua] beats Wilder – I don’t think he will – so what? Tyson’s probably taken a lot of miles off of his clock. Tyson did a job on him in that second fight, certainly in the third fight. “I don’t think he’d beat Wilder, but that’s irrelevant.” A fight between Briton Joshua and American Wilder is in the works for January 2024. Saudi Arabia is expected to host the heavyweight clash, if it comes to fruition. Wilder, 37, last fought in October, stopping Helenius in the first round. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Anthony Joshua has the blueprint to beat Deontay Wilder – is he brave enough to use it? Anthony Joshua must sort out his boxing life as Deontay Wilder superfight looms Deontay Wilder’s coach reveals American’s reaction to Anthony Joshua knockout Joshua has the blueprint to beat Wilder – is he brave enough to use it? Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder in January? Key questions answered Deontay Wilder’s coach reveals American’s reaction to Anthony Joshua knockout

The Tim Hortons NHL Classic is a game to watch in the 2023-24 season. Here's everything you need to know about the game.

Lee Johnson claims his Hibernian side were up against an Aston Villa side with “almost superhuman” qualities in their 5-0 Europa Conference League thrashing at Easter Road. It was the Midlands club’s first European tie in 13 years and the first leg of their qualifying play-off tie was won by the interval thanks to three headers, two by England international Ollie Watkins and one from Jamaica’s Leon Bailey. Watkins grabbed his hat-trick three minutes after the restart with and Douglas Luiz adding a fifth from the spot in the 74th minute to make next week’s second leg at Villa Park all but academic. It was Johnson’s 500th competitive game in management and he tried to put the defeat into context as he turned his attention to the visit of Livingston in the Premiership on Saturday. He said: “I think we have a really good, honest bunch of players. I trust them and they give their all every day. “There is a difference. Premier League players now are almost superhuman in their athleticism. It’s the super-elite from all over the world and that’s what you get. “It was a good experience, and I don’t think it will affect confidence going into the Livingston game. “But the physical recovery is really key for us because we are a team that needs to use our running power and our physicality at our level to maximise our performances. “I’m still proud of the club for being at this level on this stage. The reality is we have an English League One budget against a fantastic multi-international standard Aston Villa. “It was clear there was a gulf in class, I can’t deny that. “At half-time we wanted to salvage some pride and look like we were going to go and win the half. We started it pretty well and got behind them, but that’s the difference – one break, one poor positional error, one quality pass and a great finish. “Having played against Premier League teams in the past, you cannot make positional errors because they’re punished. “So I hope this experience is a good one, because your lessons can become your teacher. We can grow from having felt the quality of the athleticism, the touch and the tactical work that Villa did tonight.” Villa boss Unai Emery was pleased with the way his side approached their biggest away win in Europe. He said: “If we weren’t competitive and serious we could have had problems. “We spoke before the match about how we had to respect the opponents and be focused and consistent in our game plan. “We knew if we weren’t we could have lost. We were focused and disciplined and consistent for 90 minutes. That is the mentality I want to create here.” Emery revealed he replaced goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez with Robin Olsen for the start of the second half because the World Cup winner “had a small pain and we didn’t want to take a risk with him”. Former Hibs favourite John McGinn captained Villa and was a powerhouse in midfield to the delight of his boss. “He is amazing,” said Emery. “I know you love him here more than me, but I think he is amazing. “He always wants, from the first minute to the 90th minute, to run and to be competitive. “I am very happy with him. And not only as a player, as a person as well. His commitment is very high. “He is always positive, always smiling. In bad moments, in good moments, he always keeps the same mentality. It is fantastic.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Great Britain’s Josh Kerr wins stunning 1500m gold at World Championships Aymeric Laporte announces Manchester City departure Bernardo Silva signs new Manchester City contract

Nick Castellanos played hero for the Philadelphia Phillies again and then may have given them an NSFW postseason mantra to carry through to the World Series.

Ivan Toney looks set to be the big target in the remaining days of what could be the most frantic transfer window yet, as all of the Premier League's old so-called “big six” will be seeking major deals right up to the close of the market on Friday night. The situation has been influenced by the influx of Saudi Pro League money, which has caused every Premier League club to delay and disrupt their plans, right up to Manchester City who usually have all business done by now. They are likely to get a deal done for Wolves’ Matheus Nunes, although the player’s willingness to go on strike – sensing a rare opportunity as City cast around for other attacking players – could make it go very late. Manchester United meanwhile want a midfielder – preferably Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat, possibly Tottenham Hotspur’s Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg or Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch – and now a temporary left-back due to Luke Shaw’s injury. The Old Trafford hierarchy have been in talks with a series of clubs over potential deals, from Lyon’s Nicolas Tagliafico to Barcelona’s Marcos Alonso. Arsenal are looking for a right-back, and Tottenham Hotspur a full-back, along with a forward player likely to be Nottingham Forest’s Brennan Johnson. Talks over the latter are understood to have been hugely frustrating, though, with very little common ground between negotiation teams led by Spurs’ Daniel Levy and Forest’s Evangelos Marianakis. As one involved source quipped: “Imagine trying to get a deal done between those two”. Forest had initially set a price of £40m for Johnson, which Brentford had met, only for the midlands club to make further demands. They would also prefer not to sell to Brentford as they are seen as a potential rival in the Premier League table. Brentford have not yet given up, though, as there is understood to at least be a £15m difference between Forest and Spurs. Chelsea may yet move for Johnson depending how far they get with bigger targets up front, as Mauricio Pochettino wants a forward who can play across the attack. Toney represents that, and there is an increasing feeling a deal could be struck in the last few days in the window, although Brentford would want £80m. Liverpool are meanwhile investigating whether they can do one more midfield deal. There is still interest in Cheick Doucoure of Crystal Palace but they have so far been put off by price. Wilfried Ndidi may be considered as relegated Leicester City are willing to do business in the last few days of the window. Read More Man United identify £5m transfer option to cover Luke Shaw’s injury Roma set to sign Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku on season-long loan

Atlanta Braves legend John Smoltz could not possibly be more bullish on this year's squad.At 58-24 heading into their final series before the All-Star Game, the 2023 Atlanta Braves look be on the verge of something special.Although the five-time reigning NL East champions won the World ...

VIDEO: Bill Belichick hilariously throws challenge flat.