List of All Articles with Tag 'al'

He's back!

While the top three spots in this week's MLB Power Rankings didn't change, there was plenty of shifting under them, thanks in part to the red-hot Seattle Mariners.

RFEF have a high risk plan to try and save under fire president Luis Rubiales following his behaviour and conduct after the Women's World Cup final.

Dennis Allen’s New Orleans Saints hoped to wrap up a perfect preseason when they hosted the Houston Texans on Sunday night.

How Erling Haaland's goal record through three Premier League games compares between his 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons.

The Spanish Football Federation (Rfef) is set to hold an ‘extraordinary and urgent’ meeting today after president Luis Rubiales was suspended by Fifa for kissing Women’s World Cup winner, Jenni Hermoso, on the lips in an act the footballer says she did not consent to. Rubiales sparked controversy with his actions towards Hermoso after Spain won the World Cup last week. The 46-year-old has repeatedly refused to take responsibility for his actions blaming a “false feminism” witchhunt for the criticism levelled at him and vowed he would fight to clear his name in court if necessary. Fifa have banned Rubiales from all football-related activity for 90 days over his conduct and have launched an investigation into his behaviour. The Spanish FA president is also not allowed to contact Spanish midfielder Hermoso or those close to her after she released a statement condemning the Rfef’s pressuing actions since the incident occured. Following his refusal to resign, the Spanish women’s national team signed a letter stating their intent not to play for the country until Rubiales is removed from his role and the coaching staff - excepting manager Jorge Vilda - have all walked out. Follow all the latest updates as the Spanish Football Federation deal with the latest fallout from Luis Rubiales’ actions: Read More One week after sullying the Women's World Cup, Luis Rubiales is now a Spanish soccer outcast Spanish FA launches ‘sexual violence protocol’ against Luis Rubiales ahead of urgent meeting Punishing the World Cup kiss sends an important message about sexism in football

For Spain, lifting the Women’s World Cup should have been a moment of celebration. Instead it laid bare

Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny are official, Simone Biles won the U.S. championship, California won the Little League World Series and more in the Roundup.

Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou has confirmed Giovani Lo Celso will feature in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup tie at Fulham, but the door appears closed on any Tanguy Ndombele comeback. Lo Celso and Ndombele both signed for Spurs in big-money moves during the summer of 2019, but have spent the majority of the last four years out on loan. Postecoglou’s June arrival provided everyone with a clean slate and, while Lo Celso came off the bench at Bournemouth on Saturday to make his first competitive Tottenham appearance in 18 months, Ndombele is in a different boat. Ndombele is part of a group alongside five other first-teamers who have not featured in any of the Australian’s three matchday squads and they could all leave the club before the summer transfer window shuts at 11pm on Friday. “Gio’s been a bit unlucky. He did well when he came on for us. I thought all the subs did really well just to help us control the game,” Postecoglou reflected. “We’ve got a game Tuesday night and he’ll play. It will be, for want of a better word, a fun week. We’ve got plenty going on for sure. “I’m just dealing with what’s in front of me. Unless I get told otherwise, I’ll work with the group I’ve got and focus on Tuesday night.” Ex-Spurs captain Hugo Lloris, Djed Spence, Eric Dier, Japhet Tanganga and Sergio Reguilon are the players alongside Ndombele who have yet to be involved this season. Tottenham are eager to find new homes either permanently or temporarily for the six players given the club currently have a squad of 31 aged 21 or over. Spurs must submit a list of 25 players to the Premier League on September 13 for the first half of the season and everything points towards Ndombele being elsewhere by that point. It will be, for want of a better word, a fun week. We’ve got plenty going on for sure. Ange Postecoglou on the transfer window closing Asked specifically about Ndombele, Postecoglou admitted: “Tanguy is in a boat with a few other guys. I said the other day that we’ve got five or six players more than we can name on a list. “All these things come down to decisions that people make, whether it’s individual players, whether it’s myself. “I’m sure this week those kind of things will work themselves out. Tanguy’s still training, he’s working hard at training, but that midfield area, we’re going really well at the minute. “You saw the guys who started, (Oliver) Skippy’s been really good, Pierre (Hojbjerg) and Gio have been training well. “It’s been pretty competitive in that area. I think this week a lot of those things I expect to get resolved.” Postecoglou could line-up with a midfield three of Skipp, Hojbjerg and Lo Celso at Fulham, but he is not expected to make wholesale changes. Guglielmo Vicario may still feature in goal while captain Son Heung-min and Richarlison are likely to play up front. Richarlison will be desperate to score after three games without a goal and will face old boss Marco Silva but Postecoglou scoffed at the notion of trying to play the Brazilian into form. “No, I pick teams that I think will win games,” he said. “I will put Richy in the team because I think we can win the game with him in the team, not because I am trying to get him into a certain space. “We want to win games of football and we want to play the game a certain way. Every time I pick a team that is all that’s in my head. “I love winning. I don’t care if it is a cup competition, playing in the car park or on a rooftop. We just need to go out there and try to win.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Sheffield United goal shows Erling Haaland’s mentality – Juanma Lillo Tom Moody expects Gus Atkinson to show what he can do on the world stage The sporting weekend in pictures

Reports in Spain claim Real Madrid could be without injured Vinicius Junior for longer than initially thought.

Manchester City assistant Juanma Lillo says Erling Haaland’s mentality helps set him apart from most other goalscorers. Haaland missed a first-half penalty and several other chances in Sunday’s 2-1 Premier League win at Sheffield United before finally breaking the hosts’ stubborn resistance at Bramall Lane. The Norway striker headed City into a second-half lead and after substitute Jayden Bogle fired a late Blades equaliser, Rodri smashed home City’s winner to send them top of the table with three straight wins. Lillo, who took on the head coach’s role as Pep Guardiola recovers from back surgery, said: “Today would have been difficult for any striker, how it played out in the first half. “Of course there was the situation with the penalty, which is frustrating for anyone, but that could happen to any striker, not just Erling. “What it does show is that, and not just because he scored, because he came close on a couple of other occasions as well, came really close with (another) header, that it really shows his mental fortitude to keep going and keep going. “That’s something that’s really difficult to find and he showed it throughout. “He’s a very young lad and his mindset is so good that, OK he’s missed a penalty, but he’s come back now and he wants to keep going and keep trying to score these goals.” The Blades’ central back three of captain John Egan, Jack Robinson and Anel Ahmedhodzic were key to their side’s disciplined rearguard action, which stifled Haaland for large parts of the game. Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom, who could not hide his disappointment at failing to hold on for a point, said: “I’m not going to tell you the plan because we may do it again next time. “The central defenders enjoyed that challenge. Haaland enjoyed that challenge and got really wound up. “He was really pleased with his goal obviously. He’s a big, big threat.” The Blades introduced latest signing Cameron Archer to the Bramall Lane faithful before kick-off and Heckingbottom expects more transfer activity between now and midnight on Friday when the window closes. “We’ve lost players but that’s changed our resources, so we’re doing as much as we possibly can to come out of the window in the best possible shape,” he added. “I’ve been pleased with the signings and pleased with them as characters, as people and buying into what we’re about. “You can see in the performance. The reason I’m so disappointed about not having a point is for the players and the fans. “You could see the reaction, everyone’s together on it, everyone knows what we’re trying to do. “That’s the reason I’m really upset about the point. How crucial it will be at the end of the season, who knows?” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Tom Moody expects Gus Atkinson to show what he can do on the world stage The sporting weekend in pictures Police investigate after brick attack on Aston Villa bus after win at Burnley

Jurgen Klopp insisted he has never experienced anything like 10-man Liverpool’s dramatic comeback win at Newcastle in his long managerial career. The Reds were trailing 1-0 and were down to 10 men following skipper Virgil van Dijk’s first-half dismissal before substitute Darwin Nunez struck twice to claim all three points at St James’ Park. Asked what the stunning comeback said about the spirit of his team, Klopp said: “Absolutely everything. In my more than 1,000 games as a coach, I never had a game like this, that is the truth. “There have been other games, but with 10 men in an atmosphere like this against an opponent like this… It’s not that I can’t remember, I’m pretty sure it never happened because these moments are rare and super-special. “But I thought the boys deserved it today because with 10 men, we played better and gave Newcastle a proper game. “Three things were clear at half-time: Trent [Alexander-Arnold] cannot get another yellow card; we cannot concede a second and if that happens we have a chance, and that’s what the boys obviously did.” Nunez had been introduced as a 77th-minute replacement for Alexis Mac Allister – who was sent off against Bournemouth last weekend before his red card was rescinded – with the Reds resisting Newcastle’s efforts to kill the game off, twice with the help of the woodwork. The £85million Uruguay international endured a difficult first year on Merseyside, but he took his latest chance with both hands. Klopp said of Nunez: “Everything will be fine, it is just maybe it had to be like this. If he hadn’t been that angry and started the game today, he wouldn’t have scored in the last six minutes or whatever. “Let’s take it like that.” As the game reached the 80-minute mark, the Magpies looked to be heading for victory courtesy of former Everton man Anthony Gordon’s 25th-minute strike, with Van Dijk having departed prematurely shortly afterwards, sent off for felling Alexander Isak on his way to goal. Klopp said: “I don’t think it is a red card. There’s pretty much no contact, very little, but what can I say? The decision is like this and I cannot change it. “Would I whistle in a training game? Definitely not, but there are reasons why I am not a ref.” However, Nunez pounced on an uncharacteristic error by Sven Botman to level with nine minutes remaining and then repeated the dose in stoppage time from Mo Salah’s through-ball to clinch victory. Magpies boss Eddie Howe, who had earlier seen Alisson Becker pull off a spectacular save to turn Miguel Almiron’s shot on to the crossbar before the Paraguay international later fired against a post, admitted his team had been made to pay for not being ruthless enough. Howe said: “I thought we played really well today. The opening stages of the game can’t be forgotten by me in regards to the team’s performance and reflection on how the game went. I thought we were excellent, individual performances were really strong. “The sending-off almost harms us, really, in the match, although the chances were there for us to kill the game and I think the second goal changes everything. “We didn’t get it and when Nunez comes on, they’re looking for one moment – and they didn’t just get one, they get two and they took them.” Read More Better than Barcelona? Liverpool add another late winner to the Klopp mythology Newcastle vs Liverpool LIVE: Premier League result and reaction Liverpool lucky with availability of centre-backs this season – Jurgen Klopp Liverpool are under pressure from Saudi Arabia – on and off the pitch Eddie Howe urges Bruno Guimaraes to learn from social media criticism He’s essential to Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp dismisses Mohamed Salah transfer talk