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Philadelphia Phillies fans weren't happy with how Game 7 of the NLCS ended, so they let NBC Sports Philly hear about it.

After the euphoric evisceration of Paris Saint-Germain, this was the downbeat sequel Newcastle did not want. After the feelgood stories of the Geordie boys scoring in the Champions League came a tale of gritty realism, of meeting their match in the teeming Tyneside rain. There was no triumphant farewell to Sandro Tonali, either: instead Newcastle lost to a goal by a midfielder they considered signing in the summer, in Felix Nmecha, and who Borussia Dortmund bought instead. With Tonali likely to be banned for the rest of the season – he could learn his fate within days as an investigation into alleged breaches of betting rules nears its conclusion – Nmecha gave Newcastle an added reason to rue their choice. Nmecha was handed what seemed an unenviable task, hired from Wolfsburg, charged with replacing Jude Bellingham at the Signal Iduna Park. And if that feels impossible, his first Dortmund goal kickstarted their European campaign. Edin Terzic’s team had failed to find the net in their opening two games and if they looked like possible casualties in the competition’s group of death, it now looks like Newcastle could instead. The margins were narrow, the width of the woodwork that denied Callum Wilson and Anthony Gordon but Dortmund inflicted their first defeat in this competition since Barcelona in 2003. Now Newcastle will head into the rematch in Germany without Tonali. If his debut season in England ends early, it also came to an anti-climactic conclusion. The Italian came off the bench with 25 minutes to go, making scant difference to a game Dortmund were already controlling. They were everything PSG were not, boasting the combination of organisation, team spirit and running power the French champions failed to show on Tyneside. Newcastle could not blow Dortmund away with their power: not when the visitors had a similar speed, and were lighting quick on the break. Nor could their crowd intimidate them into defeat: not when the travelling Germans were still more vocal. Instead, they encountered a team who could cancel out their strength, with a similar emphasis on high energy. It was not effort Newcastle lacked, but then it never is. Dortmund supplied a touch of class; arguably two, given the role of a pair of players in their goal. Given how well they defended, perhaps it was apt it began with a challenge. Nico Schlotterbeck halted Gordon with an immaculate tackle, surged clear and kept going, collecting Marco Reus’s return pass and squaring for Felix Nmecha to sidefoot in. For a few seconds, the centre-back looked more Beckenbauer than Schlotterbeck. The midfielder, who has something of Bellingham’s elegance, showed his technique with the finish. It had been threatened. The opening 10 minutes could have yielded two goals at either end, but thereafter in the first half Dortmund were the more dangerous. The scoreline would have been greater but for terrific saves at either end. If footballing goalkeepers have captured the Zeitgeist, Newcastle have a goalkeeping goalkeeper. Nick Pope was their saviour in San Siro and he threatened to reprise that role. A first-minute stop from Donyell Malen was excellent: better still was a superb double save to deny the Dutchman and Niclas Fullkrug. Malen produced a curiosity of a performance, adopting a shoot-on-sight policy and mustering six efforts before the break. Yet he was a sign of Dortmund’s counterattacking menace: their speed on the transition brought back memories of Jurgen Klopp’s blistering side a decade ago. Kieran Trippier, so often a great strength for Newcastle, was made to look a weak link as Dortmund found space behind him. At the other end, meanwhile, Gregor Kobel made twin early saves from Gordon. His best save came early in the second half, repelling Wilson’s shot. And when Wilson beat Kobel with a late header, it bounced back off the bar. It was not Dortmund’s only reprieve: in the 94th minute, Gordon’s shot looped up off Sebastien Haller, over Kobel and on to the bar. Gordon was relentless, probably Newcastle’s best outfield player, yet Wilson’s prominence was a sign their plans were going awry. Eddie Howe had demoted the striker and selected Alexander Isak, but he limped off inside a quarter of an hour. When the substitute Jacob Murphy hurt his shoulder a few minutes after coming on, Newcastle may have, in effect, lost three players, given Tonali’s imminent suspension. And yet Dortmund were depleted, too, minus Julian Brandt, stripped of the stricken Emre Can before half-time. But there was a resourcefulness and a resilience to them, a willingness to them. A team with a lone defeat in the Bundesliga in 2023 were not to be beaten. And as Newcastle lost instead, it prompted the question of whether the anomaly was this underwhelming evening or the glorious night they demolished PSG. Read More Howe provides update on Isak and Murphy injuries after Dortmund defeat Newcastle player ratings as Callum Wilson struggles as Alexander Isak replacement Newcastle vs Borussia Dortmund LIVE: Latest Champions League updates Newcastle and Dortmund share same glaring hole before Champions League clash Eddie Howe opens up on ‘hardest part ahead’ for Sandro Tonali Sandro Tonali is the latest victim of football’s double standards

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By Steve Keating SANTIAGO In a bid for Olympic medals, U.S. Swimming likes to cast a big net,

Eddie Howe felt Newcastle were dealt a “lesson” on the fine margins of the Champions League as Borussia Dortmund handed the Magpies a first defeat of their campaign. After a goalless draw at AC Milan and a 4-1 win over Paris St Germain last time out, Newcastle were brought back down to earth as Felix Nmecha’s controlled finish gave Dortmund a 1-0 victory. On a rain-sodden night at St James’ Park, Callum Wilson was denied by a superb save from Gregor Kobel then the crossbar while Anthony Gordon’s deflected strike also came off the goal frame late on. Newcastle, though, lacked some impetus as a nine-game unbeaten run in all competitions came to an end, leaving them third in Group F, level on four points with Dortmund and two behind table-topping PSG. “It was always going to be tight,” the Newcastle boss said. “There are top-quality teams in the group. Tonight is a blow, especially (losing) at home. A lesson in how fine the margins are going to be. “The ball just wouldn’t go in for us. It was one of those nights. Callum had the first chance of the second half, that was a good one and then we hit the bar twice but just couldn’t force it in. “Credit to the players, we never gave up, we kept doing the right things. We looked like a goal threat. But we have to be at our best to win and if you dip below that, it is tough to get results at this level. “Any mistake you make is liable to get punished. We made one and seconds later we conceded so there is stuff we could have done better and when we analyse in the cold light of day, we will take a lot.” A return trip to Dortmund in a fortnight’s time could prove instructive as to whether Newcastle will progress to the last 16 on their first appearance in Europe’s elite club competition in 20 years. Their loss on Wednesday night was compounded by Alexander Isak limping off a quarter of an hour in with what appears to be a recurrence of a groin strain while second-half substitute Jacob Murphy was withdrawn five minutes after his introduction with a suspected dislocated shoulder. “You look at some of the injuries, they are quite difficult to get your head around but we have to adjust,” Howe said. “We can’t analyse too much, we have to regroup the players. We’re still in a very good position in the Premier League and Champions League. “(The return game against Dortmund) is going to be hugely important. The next two away games, the league table looks very, very tight so they are great games for us, we have to approach them like that. “Our lads are very honest and very focused on trying to win and achieve, there are some tired bodies and we have to recover for (the Premier League game at) Wolves (on Saturday).” Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic hailed the display of Nmecha, who settled the contest after exploiting some space on the edge of the area and coolly slotting Nico Schlotterbeck’s cross beyond Nick Pope. Nmecha, a former Manchester City youngster, was signed by Dortmund from Wolfsburg in the summer to fill the vacancy left by England midfielder Jude Bellingham, who left the Bundesliga club for Real Madrid. “Felix is a brilliant player and we know about his potential and his talent and we knew he could improve our game – he had a fantastic game,” Terzic said. “He finally managed to score, he had many opportunities in the first games of the season. This was a different role, he played more attacking. He had a rocky start in Dortmund and now he is in good form.” As for Howe’s comments about Newcastle being given a lesson by Dortmund, Terzic responded: “That is nice to hear but it is just half-time, we face each other in a couple of weeks. “We deserved in the first half and protected in the second half. We needed to be passionate, have some luck and a good goalie and we had all of that.” Read More Brendan Rodgers believes Celtic proved they can match ‘top-level’ team Pep Guardiola: I don’t judge Erling Haaland on scoring goals Erling Haaland scores Champions League brace while PSG ease past AC Milan Former Everton boss David Moyes pays tribute to ‘wonderful man’ Bill Kenwright David Moyes hopes West Ham and Olympiacos fans behave in Greece Moeen Ali eager to get anxious England playing with a smile again

Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker has retired, which could be bad news for the Atlanta Braves.

Pep Guardiola claimed there is no pressure on Erling Haaland to score more goals after the Norwegian’s double sank Young Boys on Wednesday. Haaland struck twice in the second half as the holders claimed a hard-fought 3-1 win over the Swiss side in their Champions League Group G encounter on the artificial surface at Bern’s Wankdorf Stadium. The game had been in the balance after Meschack Elia had cancelled out Switzerland international Manuel Akanji’s opener with a superb strike. Haaland’s goals were his first in six Champions League games while his effort against Brighton on Saturday ended a three-game scoreless run – relative barren spells for a player who plundered 52 in total last season. Guardiola said: “There is the impression after last season that he has to score seven goals every single game. That is impossible. “But he is scoring a lot of goals and if people want him to fail because he doesn’t score 50 goals it doesn’t matter. He is always there. “The second goal was really good and he had other chances. The important thing is to create them. “Maybe in the right moment of the season he will be there, better than now, but he has already scored a lot of goals and we are really pleased. “I’ve told him many times I don’t judge him for scoring goals, although I know he wants to score goals. He has the desire to improve and I don’t have doubts about that.” City’s victory, sealed with a Haaland penalty and a clever late finish, was their third in succession and took them a step closer to the knockout stages. They could reach the last-16 for an 11th consecutive season with a follow-up win over the same opposition at the Etihad Stadium in a fortnight. “The result was good and in general it was a really good performance,” said Guardiola, whose side had 26 attempts on goal. “We could have scored more goals but is the important thing is to create the chances.” Guardiola added that Phil Foden did not play because of a “small problem” while Julian Alvarez, who had a goal disallowed after coming off the bench, was not able to play the full game. Young Boys coach Raphael Wicky felt his side gave a good account of themselves. He said: “That courage and passion, we can be proud of what the team delivered, but you need a perfect game against a team like this. We couldn’t do it. “Perfect means taking your chances and not conceding from set-pieces. We’re disappointed with the result, but we can be proud of the team’s performance.” Read More Erling Haaland scores Champions League brace while PSG ease past AC Milan Former Everton boss David Moyes pays tribute to ‘wonderful man’ Bill Kenwright David Moyes hopes West Ham and Olympiacos fans behave in Greece Moeen Ali eager to get anxious England playing with a smile again Esme Morgan pleads for patience and politeness from England’s autograph hunters Self-confessed ‘golf tragic’ Dan Carter keen to boost participation in Ireland

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (Reuters) -Feyenoord beat visitors Lazio 3-1 on Wednesday thanks to a double from Mexico's Santiago Gimenez and a