List of All Articles with Tag 'al'

Monday was a brutal day for many of the US Open's top women's seeds, as the number of genuine contenders in New York was whittled down significantly.

The NWSL Challenge Cup has reached its second to last stage with four teams fighting for one prize. Here's everything you need to know about the final four and how they match up.

The Spanish football federation has apologised for the “enormous damage” caused by the actions of its suspended president Luis Rubiales. The 46-year-old has been provisionally barred from all football activity for an initial 90 days by FIFA while it investigates his conduct at last month’s Women’s World Cup final in Sydney. Rubiales kissed Spain midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the trophy presentation, something Hermoso has said she did not consent to. However, Rubiales has refused to resign over the matter. Now, the current president of the Spanish federation (RFEF), Pedro Rocha, has written a letter distancing the organisation from Rubiales’ actions, saying he is “ashamed” by them. “The damage caused to Spanish football, to Spanish sport, to Spanish society and the values ​​of football and sport as a whole have been enormous,” Rocha’s letter said. “Mr Rubiales’ actions do not represent the values ​​defended by the Spanish federation, nor the values ​​of Spanish society as a whole. “His actions must be attributed solely and exclusively to him, since he is the one solely responsible for those actions before society, before the sports governing bodies and, if applicable, before justice. “To be clear, this position was that of Mr Rubiales, not that of the RFEF. We feel especially sorry and ashamed for the pain and additional distress this has caused.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Justin Steele of the Chicago Cubs has planted himself right in the thick of the NL Cy Young race after another dominant outing.

England were joined for training by three members of the Under-20 set-up as preparations continued for the matches in Ukraine and Scotland. Gareth Southgate’s side men head to Poland to take on Ukraine in a Euro 2024 qualifier on Saturday, before heading to Glasgow for a friendly three days later. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jack Grealish withdrew from the initial 26-man selection on Monday through injury, with 21 of the remaining players taking part in the full session at St George’s Park the following day. Callum Wilson, Bukayo Saka and uncapped Levil Colwill were not involved in training due to load management, with Lewis Hall among the three prospects brought up from the England Under-20s squad to help make up the numbers. The talented 18-year-old left-back joined Newcastle on a season-long loan from Chelsea last month, with an obligation to buy depending on performance-related criteria. Fellow Chelsea product Bashir Humphreys was another involved. The 20-year-old defender is on loan at Sky Bet Championship outfit Swansea. Tottenham midfielder Alfie Devine was the other to link up with the senior squad for training. The 19-year-old is currently on loan at League One side Port Vale. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Four-time NBA champion and perennial all-star Stephen Curry is among the new investors in Israeli cybersecurity startup Upwind

A few years ago, Declan Rice said he would have passed. Now, however, the £105m man assumed responsibility, shot and, via a deflection off Jonny Evans, gave Arsenal a 96th-minute lead against Manchester United. As Gabriel Jesus scored an even later goal, it was not technically the winner. But Rice was the scorer of the de facto decider in the sort of match that can define seasons and establish reputations. Perhaps particularly for central midfielders, given that it is a fixture that evokes memories of Patrick Vieira against Roy Keane. Vieira scored the winning penalty in an FA Cup final shootout against United; Keane scored a disproportionate number of his United goals – five, almost 10 percent – against Arsenal. Rice’s first in Arsenal colours came at United’s expense. The most expensive Englishman ever can appear something of a throwback player: called a defensive midfielder, but often an all-rounder, in the way the Frenchman and the Irishman were. His post-match interview was conducted next to Keane who, like Graeme Souness, a similarly dominant and brilliant midfielder and another whose punditry could focus more on personalities than tactics, subscribes to the great man theory of history: as a footballing great himself, he tends to argue that matches are determined by the determination of individuals, by a willingness to seize the moment, by winning a personal battle. It suits him to argue games are won by warriors, not formations involving inverted full-backs or box midfielders. Football has grown more complex, the tactical intricacies of managers such as Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola reducing the significance of going mano a mano with the opposition’s alpha male. And yet, in the age of the £100m midfielder, perhaps Rice has a responsibility to be more than just another cog in the wheel, to be the match-winner at least sometimes. If it is simplistic to demand a tangible impact that always equates with his price tag for a player whose contribution stretches far beyond goals and assists, he is nevertheless charged with improving Arsenal. Turning one point into three and winning a game against rivals is a way of doing that. And if philosophies and systems seemed to have reduced the reliance on the individual, there is evidence in the midfields of Arteta and Guardiola that football can still come down to big players producing big deeds at big moments. Ilkay Gundogan spent the first half of his Manchester City career as a neat passer. In the second half, he was transformed into the man for the big occasion, the scorer supreme who could use his footballing intelligence to find space and his technique to finish. It was, in part, why he became captain; by the time of his FA Cup final brace, he felt more Roy of the Rovers than Sergio Busquets. As the defensive midfielder, Rodri’s primary responsibilities were to engineer perpetual possession and to cut off counter-attacks. Yet as the Spaniard grew in stature, he has tended to deliver crucial contributions: most obviously the Champions League final winner and most recently the superb late decider at Sheffield United but a pre-Rice Arsenal can probably still remember and regret his injury-time winner at the Emirates Stadium on New Year’s Day in 2022: if the sense is that managers like Guardiola and Arteta want their midfielders to be elegantly robotic, executing a strategy with practised excellence, the importance of individual interventions is still apparent. Rice need only gaze across the Arsenal midfield to see. Martin Odegaard joined with certain similarities to Gundogan: obviously an assured passer, he has turned himself into an accomplished scorer as well as a regular skipper. The Norwegian’s two goals this season, a nerveless penalty at Crystal Palace and a swift equaliser against United, were signs of his substance, of a capacity to deliver when it matters. That Rice did likewise feels auspicious. He has cost the sort of sum that used to be reserved for attackers. Chelsea created the £100m midfielder and now have two of them, a £222m double act. That can seem the product of a shift in thinking, recognising the significance of dictating a game. But there is still the need to decide it. Enzo Fernandez has shown his incisive passing as he has become increasingly creative: that he only has two assists in their colours is in part a reflection of others’ poor finishing. But the Argentinian has a lone goal himself, and that was against AFC Wimbledon of League Two, while he missed a penalty at West Ham. Moises Caicedo’s Chelsea career has only spanned 205 minutes on the pitch and, while Fernandez has been used as a No 10 of late, the Ecuadorian’s deeper role means he is likely to score fewer goals than the World Cup winner or Rice. Nevertheless, at such a colossal cost, each was bought to make a difference. And when, deep into added time, it seemed Arsenal would drop two points, Rice did. Read More Arrest after Roy Keane allegedly headbutted at Emirates Stadium Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus hopes he has seen the last of knee niggles Declan Rice rises to the moment as Arsenal avoid disastrous slip-up

Today's Saudi Pro League news includes Al-Ittihed being set to make a last ditch attempt to sign Mohamed Salah. Jadon Sancho could avoid spending a season on Manchester United's bench if he moves to the division and Jamaal Lascelles has been linked with A

Jadon Sancho’s future at Manchester United appears uncertain after a public falling-out with manager Erik ten Hag. It is the latest instalment in what has been a frustrating spell at Old Trafford for the England international. Here, the PA news agency looks at where it has gone wrong. What has happened? Ten Hag did not include Sancho in his squad for Sunday’s game at Arsenal, saying the player had not reached the required “level” in training. This was quickly disputed by Sancho in a strong statement on social media. The 23-year-old claimed he had been made a “scapegoat” for a long time and that claims about his conduct in training were “completely untrue”. Coming after two difficult years at the club, it raised questions over his future. What were the previous issues? Sancho’s United career does not seem to have ignited. Considered one of England’s brightest young prospects, he arrived amid much fanfare in the summer of 2021, but illness initially restricted his involvement. Then there was the turbulence of manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer being replaced by Ralf Rangnick before Ten Hag’s arrival last summer. Confidence clearly suffered and Sancho was unable to find any consistent form. What has happened under Ten Hag? Sancho’s performances did not significantly improve after Ten Hag’s arrival last summer and he was consequently overlooked for England’s World Cup squad. Ten Hag went on to criticise his “fitness state” and revealed he spent time training away from the squad on an “individual programme”. Since then opportunities have been restricted by the form of Marcus Rashford and further competition from Antony and Alejandro Garnacho. Is wasn’t meant to be this way was it? Absolutely not. Sancho was highly rated in Manchester City’s academy and the club were disappointed to lose him when he opted to join Borussia Dortmund in 2017. Some questioned whether that move was wise and suggested he should have stayed to work under Pep Guardiola, as Phil Foden did, but it seemed to pay off. Sancho had four highly fruitful years in Germany and became an established international. He seemed ready for the move in 2021, but it has simply not gone to plan. What happens next? After going public with his grievances in the way he did, it seems unlikely he will be back in the United side any time soon. He would need to settle his differences with the manager and then convince him he is playing well enough to be selected. That could take time. There have been suggestions a Saudi Arabian club could offer an immediate way out, but there has been no firm interest reported. It could be a quiet few months ahead. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Leeds release prop Zane Tetevano to return to New Zealand after heart surgery Chris Dobey keen to bring major darts trophy to St James’ Park Artificial intelligence could replace referees within 30 years – expert

Manchester United Plc shares slid in US premarket trading on Tuesday after a report in the Mail On

Jorginho is set to stay at Arsenal despite interest from Super Lig side Fenerbahce and Saudi Pro League teams.

Manchester United winger Antony has denied accusations of physical aggression towards his former girlfriend, which have seen him dropped from the Brazil squad. In an interview with Brazilian website UOL – which also published photographs and screenshots of messages between the pair – Gabriela Cavallin claims she was attacked by Antony “with a headbutt” in a Manchester hotel room on January 15, leaving her with a cut head which needed treatment from a doctor. Cavallin, a social media influencer, also alleges she was punched in the chest by Antony, which she claims caused damage to a silicone breast implant which required corrective surgery back in Brazil. Another alleged incident is claimed to have taken place at a house on May 8, with Cavallin saying she suffered a cut finger while trying to protect herself, accusing Brazil international Antony of throwing a glass cup towards her as well as then taking her passport. Cavallin is said to have filed a report to the Sao Paulo Civil Police concerning allegations of physical and verbal abuse by Antony while on holiday in Brazil during June 2022, when she was pregnant, as well as making a separate complaint to Greater Manchester Police (GMP). Writing on Instagram, Antony, who signed for United from Ajax in an £85.5million deal in September 2022, protested his innocence in response to what he called “false accusations”. “Out of respect for my fans, friends and family, I feel obliged to speak out publicly about the false accusations I have been the victim of,” Antony said. “From the beginning I have treated this matter with seriousness and respect, providing the necessary clarifications before the police authority. The police investigation is under judicial secrecy, and therefore I cannot make its contents public. “However, I can calmly state that the accusations are false and that the evidence already produced and the other evidence that will be produced demonstrate that I am innocent of the accusations made. “My relationship with Gabriela was tumultuous, with verbal insults from both sides, but I never committed any physical aggression. “At each moment, whether in testimony or in an interview, she presents a different version of the accusations. I trust that the ongoing police investigations will demonstrate the truth about my innocence. Brazil international Antony “Therefore, I come to vehemently deny the accusations made and inform you that I remain at the entire disposal of the Brazilian authorities to clarify whatever is necessary. “I trust that the ongoing police investigations will demonstrate the truth about my innocence.” In a statement to Telegraph Sport, GMP said: “Greater Manchester Police is aware of the allegations made and enquiries remain ongoing to establish the circumstances surrounding this report. We will not be commenting any further at this time.” Manchester United had no comment on the matter when contacted by the PA news agency on Monday evening. Following the emergence of the allegations, Brazil confirmed Antony had been withdrawn from the squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Bolivia and Peru, with Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus called up as a replacement. “Due to the facts that became public this Monday, involving striker Antony, from Manchester United, and which need to be investigated, and in order to preserve the alleged victim, the player, the Brazilian team and the CBF, the entity informs that the athlete has been withdrawn from the Brazilian team,” a statement from the Brazilian Football Confederation read. “To replace him, coach Fernando Diniz called Gabriel Jesus, who was pre-selected on a list of 36 players, sent to FIFA.” The allegations against Antony come after United announced last month that Mason Greenwood would leave the club. Greenwood was suspended by the Old Trafford club on January 30, 2022 over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online. The case, where the forward faced charges including attempted rape and assault, was discontinued by the Crown Prosecution Service in February and he has since joined Spanish side Getafe on loan. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live I can’t wait to get started – Mason Greenwood trains with Getafe for first time Leeds release prop Zane Tetevano to return to New Zealand after heart surgery Chris Dobey keen to bring major darts trophy to St James’ Park