Ella Toone: England’s understated big game player in profile
Like international teammate Chloe Kelly, Manchester United midfielder Ella Toone will forever be remembered for scoring in the Euro 2022 final at Wembley last July. While Kelly’s winner and celebration made the headlines, in truth it was Toone’s equaliser that was the finer finish, the substitute staying onside to beat the German defence, latching onto an exquisite pass from Keira Walsh and delicately lofting the ball over Merle Frohms into an empty net. She had already netted a crucial equaliser against Spain in the quarter-finals of the same tournament when the Lionesses were beginning to look beaten and has since scored in another final for England, the Finalissima to be exact, setting her side on the path to a 4-2 win on penalties over the South American champions Brazil. Women’s World Cup LIVE: Latest updates as England face Haiti Growing up outside Wigan, Toone, 23, began her playing career with Astley and Tyldesley Girls, where she was spotted by United and drafted into its youth set up in 2007 at the age of just eight, her potential obvious even then. However, after finding her opportunities for advancement limited, she left in 2013 at 14 to join Blackburn Rovers, breaking into the first team in 2015 and scoring an impressive 13 goals in 20 appearances. Between 2016 and 2018 she was with Manchester City, but played for them just five times before returning to United for its inaugural season in the FA Women’s Championship. She has gone on to play 99 times for the Red Devils and score 34 goals, appearing to particularly relish turning out against Leicester, having scored four against them and then five over the course of two separate encounters in 2019. Like Rachel Daly, it was Phil Neville who first called her up for England duty and nurtured her talent at international level, work that has continued under Sarina Wiegman and which has seen her bag two hat-tricks in qualifying for the World Cup against Latvia and North Macedonia. She will be expected to start this time around in place of the injured Fran Kirby. Read More How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule
2023-07-22 18:23
CW Announcer Delivers Epic 'Fboy Island' Ad Read During Virginia-North Carolina Game
The world is a complicated place and the CW broadcasts college football games now, best to just get used to it. Virginia's shocking upset victory on the road ov
2023-10-23 21:51
Vikings get RB Cam Akers in trade with Rams, after run-deficient start
The run-deficient Minnesota Vikings have acquired running back Cam Akers in a trade with the Los Angeles Rams
2023-09-21 08:45
Sevilla promise strong action against supporter who racially abused Vinicius Jr
A Sevilla supporter was ejected from their LaLiga match with Real Madrid after allegedly directing racist abuse towards Vinicius Jr during the 1-1 draw. The Brazil international played 88 minutes of the fixture at Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan where Madrid captain Dani Carvajal’s header 12 minutes from time cancelled out David Alaba’s own goal. Vinicius Jr later posted on social media about being on the receiving end of racism during the match on Saturday night, which Sevilla have now confirmed was the case. A club statement read: “Sevilla FC would like to communicate that, after detecting xenophobic and racist behaviour, a member of the public was identified, ejected from the stadium and handed over to legal authorities. “The individual will also be subject to the club’s vigorous internal disciplinary protocols and have their membership revoked. “Sevilla FC condemns all racist and xenophobic behaviour and will work closely with the authorities to ensure that action is taken accordingly. This behaviour does not belong at Sevilla FC.” Vinicius Jr was in the thick of the action throughout the draw, denied a penalty at the end of the first half before he was booked five minutes from time after he clashed with Sevilla goalkeeper Orjan Nyland, which sparked a brief melee between both sets of players. It was only back in May when Madrid filed racism directed at Vinicius Jr as a “hate crime” to the Spanish State Attorney General’s Office following a string of alleged racist attacks aimed at the 23-year-old. LaLiga called at the time for a legislation change to allow them to impose punishment on clubs for episodes of racist abuse and Vinicius Jr has stressed once more the need for change, especially with Spain hoping to host the 2030 World Cup alongside Portugal and Morocco. “Congratulations to Sevilla on the quick positioning and the penalty in another sad episode for Spanish Football,” Vinicius Jr said in a social media post. “Unfortunately I have access to a video of another racist act at this Saturday’s game, this time carried out by a child. So sad there is no one to educate her. I invest, and I invest a lot, in education in Brazil to train citizens with different attitudes. “The face of today’s racist is stamped on websites as on several other times. I hope the Spanish authorities do their part and change the legislation once and for all. These people need to be criminally punished too. “It would be a great first step to prepare for the 2030 World Cup. I am here to help. “Sorry to sound repetitive but it’s episode number 19. And counting.” Read More Steve Borthwick upbeat about England’s future after agonising World Cup defeat United’s first-half display did little to honour Sir Bobby Charlton – Erik ten Hag Diogo Dalot ensures Manchester United honour Sir Bobby Charlton with victory Rory McIlroy open to idea of investing in Man Utd after buying stake in Alpine Mikel Arteta pinpoints moment Arsenal made ‘phenomenal’ response at Chelsea Gary O’Neil insists Wolves win at Bournemouth not about revenge over former club
2023-10-22 07:29
Ferrari's Sainz wins Singapore GP to end Red Bull win streak
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2023-09-17 22:19
Langston Love scores 20 for No. 20 Baylor in 96-70 win over NAIA's John Brown University
Langston Love matched his career high with 20 points, RayJ Dennis scored 16 points with eight assists and six steals and 20th-ranked Baylor won its home opener 96-70 over NAIA team John Brown
2023-11-10 03:53
Mike Tomlin just keeps making excuses for Kenny Pickett and Steelers offense
Mike Tomlin won't be caught speaking bad about Kenny Pickett, Matt Canada, or anyone with an actual responsibility to perform for the Steelers offense.
2023-11-20 06:29
Harry Maguire says he can deal with pressure after ‘banter’ from Scotland fans
Harry Maguire laughed off his Hampden Park hounding as a “little bit of banter” as the under-fire defender said he can cope with pressure from the stands and on his England place. Little more than two years ago, the centre-back was an ever-present for Manchester United and earned a place in the Euros team of the tournament after helping Gareth Southgate’s side reach the final. But a drop in form and club game time, including being replaced as United captain, has led pressure and criticism to ratchet up on Maguire to a point that his international manager snapped following Tuesday’s 3-1 friendly win against Scotland. Furious Southgate said the treatment of Maguire is “ridiculous”, “a joke” and “beyond anything I’ve ever seen” – a narrative that he believes led to home fans goading him mercilessly in Glasgow. Every pass Maguire made was met by an ironic cheer after being brought on as a half-time substitute at Hampden Park. “Well, it pretty much takes the pressure away from my team-mates and puts it all on myself,” Maguire said. “It makes them play better, for sure. “It is a little bit of banter and it is a hostile environment, coming away to Scotland. “We wanted to put on a performance and we have dominated from start to finish. We have given them a goal, which is a bit unfortunate you could say. “But, yes, it was a great reaction from us all. We stayed calm, we stayed composed. I think it was a hostile environment. “We knew coming here, when you hear the national anthem and the way they disrespect that, we knew it would be hostile and in the second half I got most of it. “I am happy to go with that, don’t worry about that.” Maguire was touched by the away support’s backing in Glasgow as Scottish fans attempted to rattle him. “No, I would not say I am a person who struggles with pressure mentally,” Maguire said. “I have been through a lot in the last couple of years and I have been Manchester United captain for nearly four years. “You take a huge lot of responsibility and everything that comes with it and that is a lot of bad as well as good. “But it was a huge honour and of course it is a hostile environment here, which is how I described it, and they piled pressure on myself. I would not say I am used to it but I can deal with it.” Maguire is grateful for the backing of Southgate, whose faith he believes he repaid with his performances in Scotland and away to Ukraine when he made his first start of the season on Saturday. The 30-year-old brushed aside suggestions he was rusty but wants the rhythm back of playing week in, week out, saying he is confident that “the luck will turn” if he keeps working hard. Maguire now turns his attention to the fight for his place at United, where a lack of minutes could put his place at Euro 2024 in jeopardy – something he says is “too far away” to worry about. West Ham did offer him a route to regular action in the summer but the defender said “we didn’t come to an agreement” and United were happy for him to stay. “Of course, my England career is a big priority,” he added. “And so is my club career. “I considered everything and I know, at the moment, when I have not started a game in the first four games of the season, the story comes to me. “I finished off last season with two very strong performances for England and I have played in all five matches to help put us where we are in qualifying, so I need to keep performing when I get chosen. “Listen, at club football, I want to play games, I want to play football. “The first four weeks were hard because it was one game a week and the manager didn’t select me but we have lots of games coming up now and I am sure I will play lots of games.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Great Britain make winning start with Davis Cup success against Australia That is not my story – Joe Marler and Danny Cipriani differ on rugby’s mavericks Ben Stokes apologises to Jason Roy after breaking his England ODI record
2023-09-14 06:26
Diogo Dalot withdraws from Portugal squad for November internationals
Manchester United have revealed why Diogo Dalot has withdrawn from Portugal's squad for their final Euro 2024 qualifiers this month.
2023-11-14 18:25
Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb looks to continue hot streak against porous Panthers defense
The Carolina Panthers will look to do Sunday what few defenses have been able to accomplish of late: slow down Dallas Cowboys' prolific wideout CeeDee Lamb
2023-11-17 06:29
No identity, no intensity: How Southampton were relegated from the Premier League
Fresh from losing the small matter of 1,063 councillors, Rishi Sunak turned up to see his club lose their Premier League status. With supporters like him, Southampton may not need enemies. Then again, perhaps they were their own worst enemies as their 11-year stay in the top flight ended with a wretched relegation. They are the club owned by Sport Republic, supposedly the experts in studying the data, but the numbers were unflattering: the worst ones used to be the 9-0 scorelines Ralph Hasenhuttl occasionally suffered. But then Southampton went down with one point from their last eight games. They are guaranteed to get their lowest points total in the era of three per win. They could end their campaign with exactly 50 per cent of their points coming against Chelsea and Leicester and a grand total of 12 against everyone else. They have taken just 14 points against the bottom nine teams. And all that in a season when they spent around £140m. James Ward-Prowse argued after last week’s defeat to Nottingham Forest that they had learned nothing all season; more accurately, they forgot lessons of previous years, when Hasenhuttl had run the club on a budget, when they had a better mentality and a more united dressing room. Southampton initially lost their identity and intensity amid a sad end to the Austrian’s tenure. Yet demotion can be traced more to others, to Sport Republic and Nathan Jones, to a series of decisions. The most flattering assessment is that Southampton were overly optimistic and idealistic; more probably, they were misguided, naïve and at times just plain wrong. Sacking Hasenhuttl when 18th and spending the majority of the rest of the season in 20th is an illustration of how choices at boardroom level made things worse; finishing the campaign under the caretaker Ruben Selles after failing in an odd attempt to get Jesse Marsch an example of how plans went awry. The Spaniard should at least finish second in Southampton’s manager-of-the-year contest; he had some decidedly mixed results, but by then Saints needed an escapologist. Selles’ interim reign highlighted some of the paradoxes of Southampton. Six of his nine points came against Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal. Four of Hasenhuttl’s came at the expense of Chelsea and Arsenal too; if it suggested Southampton were more suited to the European Super League than the Premier League, they kept on procuring bonus points. But compile a league table without the supposed big six and they are miles adrift. The apparently winnable games weren’t winnable. That was especially apparent at St Mary’s. Nottingham Forest have got one away win this season: at Southampton. Everton and Wolves have two apiece: in each case, one was in Hampshire. For good measure, Saints lost at home to Crystal Palace, Brentford and Bournemouth under Selles. Jones had a clean sweep: his four home fixtures were against Brighton, Forest, Aston Villa and ten-man Wolves. They were four of the kind Southampton needed to target. They lost all four. Jones’ reign was more of a cameo, with eight league matches barely more than a fifth of the season. Yet the fixture list afforded him fixtures where Southampton probably required ten points. They took just three. They were playing catch-up ever since, drained of momentum, sucked to the foot of the table, only escaping it briefly in March. Those eight games capsized their chances. Fault can be found with Jones, with his strange selections and multiple formations and style of play that prompted the crowd to chorus “your football is sh*t”. More lies with those who appointed and anointed him, Southampton compiling a one-man shortlist at a time when Villa and Wolves were targeting the Europa League winners Unai Emery and Julen Lopetegui, who both went on to have transformative effects. Southampton went for Jones, a great overachiever at Luton but – and it does not require hindsight to say this – lacking the temperament, persona or credibility needed to survive in the Premier League spotlight. The Jones interlude proved a bizarre 94 days starring a man who declared himself one of the best coaches in Europe, containing an unnecessary and public argument with the manager of Havant and Waterlooville and involving a sliding-doors scenario where he settled down with a Welsh girl and became a PE teacher. Only Southampton supporters were disappointed when Jones was dismissed, because he had offered neutrals too much unwitting entertainment. It meant that even the subsequent home FA Cup defeat to Grimsby was not the most ignominious part of the season. Jones was not Sport Republic’s only mistake. CEO Rasmus Ankersen’s excellent record in the transfer market as Brentford’s director of football suggested he would be a fine fit for Southampton who, especially in the first few years after promotion in 2012, excelled at finding players, polishing them up and selling them for sizeable profits. Indeed, in Romeo Lavia, Armel Bella-Kotchap and Carlos Alcaraz, they unearthed three who are destined for better things, though relegation reduces the price Southampton can demand. Yet a policy was taken too far. Too many other signings scarcely seemed ready. Southampton seemed to overlook or underestimate the pragmatic realities of staying in the league. Crucially, they left themselves too weak in both penalty boxes. Hiring head of recruitment Joe Shields from Manchester City and allowing him to send the best part of £50m back to City came at a cost, for all Lavia’s promise. Juan Larios and Samuel Edozie were not ready for the Premier League. Gavin Bazunu, a £16m gamble of a goalkeeper, had never previously played above League One. His save percentage is a miserable 54. Go by charts for post-shot expected goals and he was the worst keeper in the Premier League. Go by the naked eye and there were too many damaging errors. Selles eventually dropped him, but too late. Meanwhile, Southampton’s focus on the future seemed to blind them to the pragmatic need for a striker for now. Danny Ings was never really replaced, though his exit was camouflaged by Armando Broja last season. The one forward Southampton did buy last summer, Sekou Mara, got a lone league goal: only Che Adams, Ward-Prowse and Alcaraz have more than two. And in the season Southampton started to spend, they did it in scattergun style. After Hasenhuttl’s years of austerity, their expenditure approached £150m . Factor in Duje Caleta-Car and Joe Aribo and six of last summer’s eight main arrivals failed. January seemed to consist of throwing good money after bad. Alcaraz is a huge talent but Jones’ Luton crony James Bree wasn’t good enough. Kamaldeen Sulemana was the quickest player at the World Cup but rarely uses his pace to accomplish anything. Southampton sought another kind of physicality from Paul Onuachu, the 6ft 7in centre-forward who was prolific in Belgium. ‘Tall Paul’ dropped out of the team after three games, out of the squad a couple of months later. Most damningly, Mislav Orsic, a scorer in the World Cup’s third-placed play-off, was given six minutes of Premier League action and soon banished from the squad. This, it is fair to say, was no masterplan. Jones had his favourites, Selles his, but there was no continuity, no cohesion, no chemistry. Along with Arsenal, Southampton had the youngest team in the Premier League. Along with Chelsea, they used the most players. Each statistic tells a tale. Saints were too callow at times. Whereas Hasenhuttl used to prefer to work with small groups, they ended up with too many players after incoherent splurges in successive windows. Amid the ever growing cast list, there should have been the basis of a fine Premier League team – Kyle Walker-Peters, Romain Perraud, Mohammed Salisu, Bella-Kotchap and, when fit again, Tino Livramento in defence, Lavia, Ward-Prowse, Alcaraz and Stuart Armstrong in midfield – but glaring weaknesses in goal and attack would have always rendered theirs a tough task. But that was a consequence of awful judgements, in the transfer market and in a managerial hunt that consisted of arrowing in on the wrong man. In their own way, Sport Republic made Southampton the Chelsea of the south coast, thinking they were cleverer than everyone else, spending too much and getting far worse. Read More Standards have not been good enough – Ruben Selles on Southampton’s relegation Southampton relegated by defeat to Fulham as Aleksansdar Mitrovic returns with a goal Coventry City aiming to come full circle after journey to hell and back Dean Smith counting on character and decision-making in Leicester survival fight Arsenal won’t stop digging for Premier League prize, Mikel Arteta vows Roy Hodgson: I won’t be telling Southgate to pick Eberechi Eze for England
2023-05-14 14:59
Braves RHP Charlie Morton goes on IL with finger issue, making him ineligible for NLDS
The Atlanta Braves took another blow to their injury-plagued rotation, placing right-hander Charlie Morton on the 15-day injured list
2023-09-25 00:16
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