List of All Articles with Tag 'al'

It remains business as usual for Harry Kane despite reports Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy held a meeting with Bayern Munich officials on Monday. Bayern remain intent on prising Kane away from Spurs and are expected to imminently lodge a new bid for the 30-year-old England captain, who is now into the final 12 months of his contract with the Premier League club. Levy is reported to have met with Bayern chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen and technical director Marco Neppe in London, while Kane trained with the rest of the Spurs squad to continue preparations ahead of Sunday’s pre-season friendly at home to Shakhtar Donetsk. The scrutiny surrounding Kane’s future does not show any signs of going away, with the German club public about their interest all summer. Bayern honorary president Uli Hoeness claimed last month personal terms had been agreed between Kane and the Bundesliga champions, while two bids for the forward were reportedly turned down in July. Spurs have offered Kane a new contract, which is a significant increase on his current £200,000-a-week terms, but no decision will be made on the new deal while speculation over his future continues, the PA news agency understands. Kane is not the only experienced Tottenham player with uncertainty hanging over them, with captain Hugo Lloris so far unable to secure a move away. The former France goalkeeper was allowed to remain at the club’s training ground in Enfield to “explore prospective transfer opportunities” while Ange Postecoglou’s team toured Perth, Bangkok and Singapore last month. However, 36-year-old Lloris is no closer to a departure from Spurs and one potential avenue has closed after Paris St Germain signed young Spanish goalkeeper Arnau Tenas on Sunday. Lloris was one of several members of Tottenham’s bloated squad expected to leave, but Giovani Lo Celso looks set to be thrown a chance to turnaround his career with the club. Lo Celso signed for Spurs in summer 2019 for £55million but, after playing under a string of managers, had spent the past 18 months away from north London on loan at Villarreal. Argentina international Lo Celso has caught the eye of new boss Postecoglou this summer, though, and after scoring in friendlies against West Ham and Lion City Sailors, the midfielder is likely to remain part of the squad moving into the Premier League season. Offers will be listened to for various other senior players and young duo Alfie Devine and Dane Scarlett are being lined up for loan moves away. Devine and Scarlett were part of a large Tottenham contingent for the Asia-Pacific pre-season tour, but it is felt the best next step for their development would be to secure a loan away from Spurs for the 2023-24 campaign. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Ben Stokes lauds player of the series Chris Woakes after England earn Ashes draw On this day in 2020: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leads Arsenal to FA Cup glory Handshake warning as Elina Svitolina defeats Victoria Azarenka at DC Open

Megan Rapinoe, 38, burst onto the global stage at the 2011 World Cup in Germany when she scored a screamer against Colombia and celebrated by grabbing an on-field microphone placed near the corner flag and crooning Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA”. A star was born. Since then, the iconic 5’6” neon-haired winger has won gold at the London 2012 Olympics, bronze at the Tokyo 2020 games and both the 2015 and 2019 FIFA World Cups as an integral part of the US Women’s National Team (USWNT). She was named player of the tournament at her last World Cup in France four years ago after scoring six – including a spotkick in the final against the Netherlands – and picked up both the Golden Boot and that year’s Ballon d’Or Feminin. Rapinoe also caused a major political stir back home when she was caught on tape declaring “I’m not going to the f***ing White House” in the event that her side secured the trophy, expressing her disdain for the divisive policies of then-president Donald Trump and advising her teammates to “think hard” before accepting any honours from his administration. She has since continued to use her celebrity to campaign for LGBT+ rights causes and for equal pay for women, speaking on that issue at 1600 Pennsylvania at the invitation of Trump’s successor, Joe Biden. As a player, this summer’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand marks Megan Rapinoe’s last hurrah as she has announced her retirement at the end of the coming season. She arrives in the southern hemisphere having made 199 appearances for the USWNT, scoring 63. Rapinoe was born in Redding, California, on 5 July 1985, one of five children including a twin sister, Rachael, who was also a professional footballer. Her brother Brian first turned his sisters on to the sport and Megan has since spoken movingly about his subsequent battle with drugs and struggle to stay out of prison. As a teenager in high school, Rapinoe played for Elk Grove Pride in Sacramento before enrolling at the University of Portland in Oregon, where she proved herself a prolific goalscorer for the Portland Pilots. Turning professional thereafter, her club career has taken her from the Chicago Red Stars and Philadelphia Independence to the short-lived MagicJack team in Boca Raton, Florida, to Sydney FC in Australia, the Seattle Sounders and to Olympique Lyonnais in France. Get all the latest Women’s World Cup odds here Since 2013, she has played for OL Reign in Tacoma, Washington, favouring the US Pacific Northwest region as her partner Sue Bird, retired basketball superstar, plied her trade nearby for Seattle Storm. Read More FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today

US Women’s National Team (USWNT) striker Alex Morgan, 34, is one of the biggest stars in women’s football, already an Olympic gold medallist and a two-time World Cup winner. The American is heading into her fourth FIFA Women’s World Cup and ranks in the top 10 in USWNT history in goals, assists and multi-goal games. Morgan first caught the eye a decade ago at the 2011 World Cup in Germany when she was the youngest player in the American squad but, undaunted by the international spotlight, scored in both the semi-final and final as the US finished runners-up to Japan. Since then, she has gone from strength to strength, shrugging off her old nickname of “Baby Horse” to be described as a “full-on stallion” by her international teammate Megan Rapinoe. Morgan has become an icon and an inspiration to young girls around the world and is also a New York Times Best-Selling author and film star, playing herself in Alex and Me (2018), even serving with the US State Department on a diplomatic mission to Tanzania in 2017. She has not entirely avoided controversy, however, having been kicked out of the Epcot theme park at Walt Disney World resort in Bay Lake, Florida, in October 2017 along with a group of friends said to be “highly impaired” and “verbally aggressive”, an incident for which she swiftly apologised. Morgan also raised eyebrows at the 2019 World Cup in France when she scored against England in the semi-final and celebrated with a tea-sipping celebration, appearing to mock her opposition, although she has since claimed the gesture was misunderstood. Born in the California suburb of Diamond Bar near San Dimas on 2 July 1989, Morgan was a multi-sport athlete known for her speed at high school and did not begin playing football exclusively until she was 14 and joined local club side Cypress Elite. Get all the latest Women’s World Cup odds here She was soon playing for the Olympic Development Program’s regional and state teams as well, which she credits as integral to her development, and was called up to the US under-20 women’s team at 17, only for an anterior cruciate ligament injury to set back her progress. Morgan subsequently attended UC Berkeley, taking a degree in Political Economy while playing for the California Golden Bears from 2007 to 2010, finishing her college career with an impressive haul of 46 goals. Turning professional in 2011, the same year she announced her arrival at the World Cup, Morgan played for Western New York Flash, before moving to Seattle Sounders for a season, where she played with international teammates Hope Solo and Rapinoe, before being transferred again and spending two years with Portland Thorns FC. In 2015, she joined Orlando Pride in Florida, where she has been even since, barring short spells with Lyon in France in 2017 and Tottenham in England in 2020, where she made just four appearances but scored twice as she continued her return to match fitness after taking time away from the game to give birth to her first child, a daughter, Charlie Elena Carrasco, on 7 May 2020. She subsequently returned to Orlando Pride before signing for San Diego Wave in 2022, scoring an impressive 20 in 28 games so far. Her husband, Servando Carrasco, whom she met at university and married in 2014, is also a footballer, currently playing as a defensive midfielder for Fort Lauderdale FC. Morgan helped Team USA capture gold at the 2012 London Olympics highlighted by her goal in the semi-final win against Canada and subsequently picked up a bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Games, winning the 2015 and 2019 World Cups with the USWNT either side of those honours. Read More FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Trinity Rodman: The emerging USWNT talent with a famous father in profile World Cup updates and final score from USWNT and Vietnam Rice makes Arsenal debut and Crawley hits Ashes ton – Thursday’s sporting social

What the papers say Tottenham have named their price for Harry Kane as Bayern Munich continue their pursuit of the England striker, reports The Sun. Mail Online says the German club are willing to bid up to £85 million for the 30-year-old – still well short of the £100 million asking price. Wales international Brennan Johnson has emerged as a potential target for Tottenham if Kane leaves, according to the Daily Mirror. Nottingham Forest have already rejected a bid of £35 million from Brentford for the forward, 22. Manchester United are eyeing up two potential replacements for Harry Maguire, according to the Daily Mail. Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo, 23, and Everton centre-half Jarrad Branthwaite, 21, are both seen as long-term alternatives if Maguire leaves. West Ham are poised to move on from Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, 28, after a second aproach as they look for a replacement for Declan Rice, according to the Guardian. Manchester United’s Scott McTominay, Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher, Fulham’s Joao Palhinha and Ajax’s Edson Alvarez are among their potential alternatives. Social media round-up Players to watch Levi Colwill: The English defender, 20, is set to stay with Chelsea after interest from Liverpool. Carlos Borges: West Ham are close to completing a £14 million deal for the Manchester City winger, 19. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang once again lit up an empty Wembley Stadium as his brace ensured FA Cup final victory over 10-man Chelsea on this day three years ago. The striker, who downed Manchester City with two goals in the semi-final, equalised with a penalty he had won himself to cancel out Christian Pulisic’s early opener. Chelsea then lost Cesar Azpilicueta and Pulisic to injury before Aubameyang brilliantly added his second to secure a 2-1 victory and then lifted a record 14th FA Cup for the Gunners. His only false move of the day was dropping the trophy in front of his team-mates before eventually raising it above his head. For head coach Mikel Arteta, this was a first piece of silverware just eight months after taking charge of the side. He was only appointed as Arsenal head coach in December 2019 and had to deal with the coronavirus outbreak, including contracting COVID-19 himself, and constant talk about losing his biggest players. But this triumph continued his love affair with the world’s oldest cup competition, having won the FA Cup as a player with Arsenal and as assistant at Manchester City. “I think so,” he replied when asked if this was the greatest moment of his whole career. “I am really proud of what we have achieved because I know the difficulties and everything we have been through. “For me personally it has so tough the last six months with a lot of things that have happened in our lives but I had just one mission when I came here and that was to make the players and staff believe we could do it. “We had to change that energy and that mentality and just by seeing them in the dressing room all together, and the way they enjoy their profession and their time together, it makes me more proud and as a consequence of that after we can achieve things and win titles together.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

England and the United States will look to book their place in the knockout rounds of the Women’s World Cup as the group stage deciders continue in Australia and New Zealand. The Lionesses face China in their final fixture of Group D, with the Lionesses knowing that a win or a draw would be enough to seal top spot and confirm a meeting with Nigeria in the last-16. Sarina Wiegman’s side will be without key midfielder Keira Walsh and their hopes of reaching the knockout stages will be in danger should they lose to China, with Denmark facing Haiti for the other qualification spot. Elsewhere, the United States must avoid defeat to Portugal in order to advance to the last-16 and keep their title defence alive. Defeat would see the defending champions eliminated, with Netherlands facing Vietnam in the other Group E decider. Follow the latest World Cup scores, updates and news in today’s live blog: Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today How to watch England vs China: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup fixture Women’s World Cup group tables and standings: How can each team qualify?

MLB Rumors: Houston Astros could land reunion with Justin Verlander if they get aggressiveJustin Verlander has been on a roller coaster ride through the last few weeks before the 2023 MLB trade deadline. One day, he's certainly a goner as the Mets struggle. The next day, he's a lock to s...

Angel Hernandez is back and still making terrible calls.

Super political action committees allied with Republican presidential candidates revealed their first fundraising data of the 2024 cycle,

The Oakland Athletics traded their expiring southpaw reliever, Sam Moll, to the Reds for Top 30 prospect Joe Boyle. Who won the trade?For the better part of the season, Reds fans and media have been calling for Cincinnati to add another lefty to their bullpen.That wish has finally come true ...

MLB Rumors: Dodgers trade deadline push focused on 2 targetsThe Los Angeles Dodgers have a clear need for MLB-ready and postseason-ready starting pitching. Not only do they have a huge hole here, but they have two very clear targets in mind.Justin Verlander has been on their radar ever since h...

After a disappointing series against the first-place Orioles, Yankees skipper Aaron Boone provides fans with more excuses for failure, showing a clear lack of urgencyAfter a disappointing series loss to the Baltimore Orioles, even with the return of Aaron Judge, Aaron Boone looks like he has no ...