List of All Articles with Tag 'al'

Jason Knight has admitted the Republic of Ireland’s new generation must develop a ruthless streak if they are to fulfil their potential. A difficult Euro 2024 Group B campaign drew to its seemingly inevitable conclusion on Saturday evening when a 1-0 defeat by the Netherlands in Amsterdam sent the Dutch through to next summer’s finals in Germany and Ireland home to lick their wounds. Stephen Kenny’s men knew in advance of the game at the Johan Cruyff Arena that even the safety net of a play-off place via the Nations League had evaporated, and they were left to reflect upon home and away defeats by France, the Netherlands and Greece and a return of just six points at Gibraltar’s expense to show for their efforts. Asked what lessons they had learned, Bristol City midfielder Knight said: “It’s fresh, but playing against Holland and France is about having a clinical edge. “That’s been a large part of all the games we’ve been equal in: they’ve taken their chances and we haven’t. We defended well in large of parts of all the games. Looking back briefly off the top of my head, we lacked a bit of creative spark and those goals when we needed to capitalise. “The confidence is good. We’re playing some good attractive football at times. We’ve fallen on the wrong side of results against good teams. France and Netherlands aren’t minnows of world football. “There’s confidence within the group and definitely confidence we’ll turn it around.” Knight, 22, is one of the flag-bearers for Kenny’s drastically overhauled squad which has seen the manager promote from the Under-21 ranks and promote a front-foot approach. His efforts have met with limited success – Ireland have won just six of the 29 competitive games they have played under his charge, and that bottom line is perhaps the most potent weapon in the armoury of those calling for change. Kenny is out of contract after Tuesday night’s friendly against New Zealand at the Aviva Stadium and his future will be decided at a meeting of the Football Association of Ireland’s board on November 28 when members consider a review of the campaign. Whatever the outside noise, the 52-year-old’s his players remain steadfastly behind him and Knight reiterated that message when asked about the future. He said: “Well, my view is that the manager is still here and we’re treating it as so. The manager has been great to me and the players. We want to be winning more games for him, but we’ll see what happens.” Defeat in Amsterdam came courtesy of Wout Weghorst’s 12th-minute strike, although the game was not as close as the scoreline suggested and but for some less than effective finishing and the efforts of Republic keeper Gavin Bazunu, Ronald Koeman’s men could have had qualification tied up long before the final whistle. Knight said: “We wanted a good performance and result, which ultimately we didn’t do. There were good parts to it. We just lacked a bit of creativity and cutting edge up top. “There’s no doubt they’re a good team, but we can certainly be better in all aspects of our game, especially creating and scoring goals.” Read More Neco Williams confident Armenia can aid Wales’ Euro 2024 qualification bid On this day in 2019: Mauricio Pochettino sacked by Tottenham Stephen Kenny confident with Republic of Ireland’s solid base for bright future England full-back Kieran Trippier not taking his place at Euro 2024 as a given Wout Weghorst fires Netherlands to Euro 2024 as Ireland end with whimper Saracens overcome injuries to England stars in thrashing of Harlequins

Two of the hottest teams in the NFL are set to put their winning streaks on the line on Sunday Night Football.

Neco Williams believes Armenia can do Wales a favour against Croatia and help them qualify for Euro 2024. Wales’ automatic qualification hopes were taken out of their own hands on Saturday by a wounding 1-1 away draw to Armenia and Croatia’s 2-0 victory in Latvia. Croatia will secure the second spot behind already-qualified Turkey by beating Armenia in their final qualifier on Tuesday. But were Armenia to draw or win in Zagreb, that would leave the door open for Wales who would then take second place by beating Turkey at the Cardiff City Stadium on the same evening. “Armenia are a top team,” wing-back Williams said of opponents who have damaged Wales’ qualification more than any other by taking four points from them. “They have got some very good players and, hopefully, they can do a job on Croatia like they did against us. “We still have a chance because you never know what’s going to happen. “It’s not in our hands and we have got to wait for the other results. There’s a lot of luck in football, and hopefully it will be on our side.” Wales lost 4-2 to Armenia at home in June and they were shaken again within five minutes of the Yerevan return. Lucas Zelarayan, who had scored twice in Cardiff, punished some sloppy Welsh defending and Armenia appeared in control until the final seconds of the first half. But Wales were gifted a lifeline when Nair Tiknizyan headed Connor Roberts’ long throw in to his own net. Williams said: “It was a tough game, end to end, and a lot of running. “Both teams were going for the win and probably at times it looked scrappy. “As soon as the lads came in after the game you could feel that, frustration. No-one talked and it felt like a loss. “But we take a point from it and all we can do now is focus on our last game against Turkey. “If we get the three points there you never know what’s going to happen.” The odds are that Wales will end up in the play-offs in March, the same route they negotiated to reach the 2022 World Cup by overcoming Austria and Ukraine. Finland, Iceland, Poland and Ukraine are all potential opponents this time, although the fixtures will not be determined until after the final qualifiers across Europe. “It could be something for us,” said Williams. “We did it for the World Cup and, if it does happen, we’ve still got a chance. “If we don’t qualify through the group, do it that way.” Daniel James admitted the early Zelarayan goal before a hostile Republican Stadium crowd had thrown Wales out of their stride. James said: “They scored early and you know it’s going to be difficult because it’s a tough place to come. “We dug deep and got back in the game, but we couldn’t get that second goal. “We’ve just got to pick our heads up and get ready for the next game against a very good Turkey team.” Central defender Chris Mepham will miss the Turkey game through suspension after picking up his third yellow card of the campaign in Yerevan. Read More On this day in 2019: Mauricio Pochettino sacked by Tottenham Stephen Kenny confident with Republic of Ireland’s solid base for bright future England full-back Kieran Trippier not taking his place at Euro 2024 as a given Wout Weghorst fires Netherlands to Euro 2024 as Ireland end with whimper Saracens overcome injuries to England stars in thrashing of Harlequins Erling Haaland’s injury is not serious – Norway boss Stale Solbakken

England boss Gareth Southgate says he can “take far fewer gambles” with his Euro 2024 squad compared to the previous two tournaments. Next year’s competition will see a return to relative normality after the delayed, Covid-impacted Euro 2020 and an unprecedented winter World Cup in Qatar. Increased 26-man squads were introduced for both of those tournaments, but UEFA has confirmed the size of selections will return to 23 players in Germany. “It makes it a different sort of thought process because you’ve had that leeway in the last couple of tournaments to take players that weren’t going to be fit for the first couple of games,” England boss Southgate said. “Or a bit of cover in certain positions that you might or might not have needed. “This time the physical conditioning of players is going to be really important. The ability for players to bat out six, seven games. “We know having been to the end of two tournaments that physically the demands on that is far greater than we would have known had we not been through that experience, so we know that is a huge requirement. We can take far fewer gambles than we were able to take for the last two tournaments where it was 26 England boss Gareth Southgate “If you can only sort of take two for each position, players that are adaptable are helpful, players that can play more than one position are helpful. “But equally players that are physically vulnerable we will have got to think very carefully about.” The enlarged selection at Euro 2020 helped Southgate include Jordan Henderson and Harry Maguire. The former had not played since the February due to groin surgery and the latter missed six weeks with an ankle injury, returning to action in England’s final group game and going onto be earn a place in the team of the tournament. As for Qatar, Southgate was able to include Kyle Walker and Kalvin Phillips despite a lack of fitness following groin and shoulder surgery respectively. Asked if players needed to be fit to be on the plane to Germany, he said: “I wouldn’t say all 23. “But we can take far fewer gambles than we were able to take for the last two tournaments where it was 26.” Long-serving number one Jordan Pickford is sure to be a key part of the squad next summer and is away with England at a time when his club side are in the headlines. It was announced in the hours before Friday’s 2-0 win against Malta that Everton had been deducted 10 points after being found to have breached Premier League financial rules. “I haven’t spoken to Jordan about it,” Southgate said ahead of Monday’s final Euro 2024 qualifier away to North Macedonia. “The rest at the minute is speculative, so we’ll just have to see as and when anything happens. “He has coped really well with a couple of really difficult seasons at Everton, where they’ve been in the lower reaches of the league. “So, if the ultimate decision is as has been said – I am guessing there will be some sort of appeal – then it’s a scenario he’s been through and actually been a really important player for.” Read More On this day in 2019: Mauricio Pochettino sacked by Tottenham Stephen Kenny confident with Republic of Ireland’s solid base for bright future England full-back Kieran Trippier not taking his place at Euro 2024 as a given Wout Weghorst fires Netherlands to Euro 2024 as Ireland end with whimper Saracens overcome injuries to England stars in thrashing of Harlequins Erling Haaland’s injury is not serious – Norway boss Stale Solbakken

Scotland welcome Norway to Hampden Park in their final Euro 2024 qualifier, although Steve Clarke’s side have already safely secured their passage to next summer’s tournament. Scotland’s marvellous start to qualifying saw them win their first five games, eventually securing their place at Euro 2024 when Spain beat Norway 1-0 last month, although they have begun to falter since – losing to England, Spain and France before needing an injury-time equaliser from Lawrence Shankland to snatch a draw in Georgia earlier this week. It took 87th and 89th-minute goals from Lyndon Dykes and Kenny McLean respectively for the Scots to nick a 2-1 win in Norway earlier in the qualification campaign but the visitors will be without talisman Erling Haaland this time round after he picked up a foot injury during the friendly win over Faroe Islands on Thursday. Scotland’s second place in the group, and automatic qualification for Euro 2024, is already secure but there are seeding implications to the otherwise dead rubber in Glasgow. If they beat Norway by two goals or more, they will almost certainly be in pot two, while a one-goal victory, a draw or a defeat will likely see them in pot three. However, the way things are shaping up, it does not look like there will be a major benefit to being in pot two as opposed to pot three. Here’s everything you need to know, while you can get the latest match odds and tips here. When is Scotland vs Norway? Scotland vs Norway is due to kick off at 7.45pm GMT on Sunday 19 November at Hampden Park in Glasgow. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match on ViaPlay Sports 1, with coverage starting at 7pm. All of Scotland’s Euro 2024 qualifiers are being shown on ViaPlay, which requires a ViaPlay Total pass subscription. The match can be accessed by downloading the ViaPlay app or through providers such as Sky, Virgin Media or Prime Video. It can also be streamed directly on the ViaPlay website. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help: get great deals on the best VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider. Team news Erling Haaland’s absence is the big news after he failed to recover from a foot injury sustained against the Faroe Islands on Thursday. Without Haaland, Alexander Sorloth and Arsenal skipper Martin Odegaard who remains out with an undisclosed issue, Norway may struggle to make attacking inroads, although Celta Vigo’s Strand Larsen will likely start and Mohamed Elyounoussi could be reintroduced on the left flank. Scotland didn’t suffer any further injury woe against Georgia on Thursday, although Kenny McLean impressed as a half-time substitute and may start. With first-choice goalkeeper Angus Gunn injured, Zander Clark was given the nod between the posts last time, so Liam Kelly may be tested on the international stage this time out. Stuart Armstrong and Lawrence Shankland are likely to come into contention for a start too after combining for the late equaliser in Tbilisi. Predicted line-ups Scotland XI: Kelly; Porteous, McKenna, Cooper; Ralston, Armstrong, McGregor, Taylor; McGinn, McTominay; Shankland Norway XI: Dyngeland; Ryerson, Ostigard, Ajer, Wolfe; Berge, Berg, Aursnes; Bobb, Larsen, Elyounoussi Odds Scotland win: 6/5 Draw: 21/10 Norway win: 5/2 Get latest odds and our tips here Prediction A Haaland-less Norway may struggle to pierce the Scottish defence and Steve Clarke’s men will ensure the Tartan Army can celebrate ending the qualifiers on a high. Scotland 2-0 Norway Read More Erling Haaland ruled out of Norway match – only a week before Man City v Liverpool Steve Clarke praises Scotland for keeping their heads after late draw in Georgia Scotland secure late draw in Georgia after Kvaratskhelia brace Clarke targets winning return for Scotland after back-to-back defeats Is Georgia vs Scotland on TV? Channel, time and how to watch On this day in 2019: Mauricio Pochettino sacked by Tottenham

Tottenham sacked manager Mauricio Pochettino on this day in 2019. The sudden and unexpected decision came less than six months after the Argentinian had guided Spurs to the Champions League final. Pochettino had been in charge for five-and-a-half years but paid the price for a poor start to the 2019-20 season. He left Spurs 14th in the Premier League table after winning just three, and collecting only 14 points, from their opening 12 games of the campaign. “Regrettably domestic results at the end of last season and beginning of this season have been extremely disappointing,” said chairman Daniel Levy. “We were extremely reluctant to make this change. It is not a decision the board has taken lightly, nor in haste.” Pochettino left Southampton to take over at Spurs in May 2014 and led them to the League Cup final in his first full season but lost to Chelsea. They pushed Leicester for the title in 2016 but ultimately finished third. They were runners-up the following year and third again in 2018. Their run to the Champions League final in 2019 included memorable wins over Manchester City and Ajax in the knockout stages but they were beaten by Liverpool in the showpiece in Madrid. They also won only three of their final 12 Premier League matches of that season and it was the continuation of that form that eventually cost Pochettino. His period in charge had also spanned Spurs’ move from their old White Hart Lane stadium to their new arena on the same site, with home games played at Wembley for 18 months. Spurs wasted little time in replacing him, with his successor Jose Mourinho appointed the following day. Pochettino returned to the game as Paris St Germain manager in January 2021, and after leaving the French club 18 months later he took charge at Chelsea this summer. Read More Stephen Kenny confident with Republic of Ireland’s solid base for bright future England full-back Kieran Trippier not taking his place at Euro 2024 as a given Gareth Southgate admits he will ‘take far fewer gambles’ in his Euro 2024 squad Wout Weghorst fires Netherlands to Euro 2024 as Ireland end with whimper Saracens overcome injuries to England stars in thrashing of Harlequins Erling Haaland’s injury is not serious – Norway boss Stale Solbakken

College GameDay location, schedule, TV info, and guest picker for Week 13 of the 2023 college football season to get your Saturday started off right

College football rankings projections for the Week 13 CFP rankings after a wild Saturday with Washington, Michigan and Texas surviving, Georgia and Alabama dominating, and more chaos in the Top 25.

More MLB rumors as the Braves trade Kyle Wright to the Royals in a shocker, the Red Sox get bad injury news, and the Dodgers hatch a bold free agency plan.

The USC Trojans' season ended with a whimper in a 38-20 loss to UCLA on Saturday. What bowl game can USC fans expect?

The Atlanta Braves have traded away Kyle Wright, Michael Soroka and more over the past few days. Are there any other expendable players who could be dealt?

Somehow, the offseason is here. Not only we will have an expansion draft, but the second year of free agency will shake up rosters even more. Here are our top-10 NWSL free agents.