List of All Articles with Tag 'al'

A weird situation.

The Miami Dolphins are looking to take the next step under Mike McDaniel. Here's what a dream season would look like.Last season ended with a first-round exit for the Miami Dolphins. High expectations rammed head first into injury complications and a loaded conference schedule. The AFC is a...

The Cardinals are almost surely trading starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery before the deadline, and St. Louis might have a perfect partner.The only questions about the St. Louis Cardinals' trade deadline plans are where the pieces they send away will end up and what the Red Birds will get b...

These Green Bay Packers cut candidates are in a tough spot that could find them off of the roster by the end of training camp in the 2023 preseason.After another tumultuous offseason, the Green Bay Packers are now truly beginning the post-Aaron Rodgers chapter of the franchise with the beginning...

The Atlanta Braves should be getting back Max Fried in the rotation within the next week or so.All that stands between Max Fried and his long-awaited return to the Atlanta Braves rotation is one last rehab start at Triple-A Gwinnett.It has been a frustrating year for the Braves' ace. He...

MLB Rumors: Phillies trade with Mets for Tommy Pham, Mark Canha on the tableThe Philadelphia Phillies possibly stumbled onto an unexpected solution at first base coming into the weekend. On Friday night, Bryce Harper moved to the infield after serving as the designated hitter since returning from ...

Kyle Pitts loves the energy this revamped Atlanta Falcons defense could manifest this season.While most people believe that the Atlanta Falcons could have one of the most explosive offenses in the NFC next year, it is all going to come down to if the defense rises to the occasion in The ATL....

As the world waits to find out whether or not Shohei Ohtani gets traded and to where, he has revealed some pertinent information on his talks with LA.This year's MLB trade deadline might as well be called the Shohei Ohtani deadline because that's the news that everyone is waiting on. W...

Carlo Ancelotti has said that he is optimistic about the upcoming season as Real Madrid's incoming signings, including Jude Bellingham, prepare for pre-season tour in America. The manager beleives he has a plan to replace the output of Karim Benzema.

Georgia Stanway’s retaken first-half penalty was enough to earn England a nervy 1-0 victory over World Cup debutants Haiti in their Group D opener at Brisbane Stadium. This was not the decisive victory most had predicted for the European champions and world’s number-four side against a team 49 places below them in the FIFA rankings. Haiti came close to levelling more than once, including a late second-half chance denied at the last by Mary Earps’ outstretched foot. While the Lionesses ultimately walked away with all three points, it was an underwhelming performance that will leave boss Sarina Wiegman with plenty of questions ahead of Friday’s meeting with Denmark. England fans were out in full force ahead of kick-off in the Queensland capital, where ‘Football’s Coming Home’ could be heard from a riverside rally and ex-Arsenal forward Ian Wright posed in a Lotte Wubben-Moy shirt beneath Story Bridge. For so much of the build-up of this tournament, the conversation around the Lionesses centred on their ongoing dispute with the Football Association over bonus payments and other commercial issues. On a clear Thursday night, England wanted their football to do the talking, yet it was Haiti who enjoyed the first spell of attack, winning an early corner before Chloe Kelly, the hero in last summer’s Euro 2022 final, tested Haiti goalkeeper Kerly Theus with a curled effort. One of the biggest dilemmas for Wiegman ahead of this tournament was who she would entrust as her number nine and – for this opener at least – it was Alessia Russo who led the England attack and rolled an early effort at Theus. England fans, who by the noise inside the stadium comprised the majority of those in attendance, felt their hearts leap to their throats when Roselord Borgella broke free and was one-on-one with Earps but rolled her effort past the far post. The Lionesses thought they had won a least a penalty when Dayana Pierre-Louis clattered into Kelly on the byline and appeared to clip her knee with a stud, but the Haitian midfielder got away with just a yellow card after it was determined – following a lengthy VAR check – that Russo had committed a foul in the build-up. Soon after that decision, however, Batcheba Louis was punished for a handball and Stanway stepped up to the spot. Theus sparked a jubilant Haitian celebration when she saved Stanway’s first effort, but VAR again intervened and Venezuelan referee Emikar Calderas ruled the keeper had encroached and the penalty was retaken. Stanway did not make the same mistake twice as she fired low into the left corner for what felt like an uneasy lead at the end of a stop-start first half. Melchie Dumornay, the 19-year-old midfielder bound for Lyon after this tournament, forced Earps into a leaping save shortly after the restart before Russo was twice denied in quick succession. Chelsea’s Lauren James made her World Cup debut after replacing Hemp, just ahead of another nervy moment for England when Dumornay found Haiti skipper Nerilia Mondesir in plenty of space before Jess Carter recovered the ball. James tried to get something started by delivering a cross to Russo, who came close but saw her attempt tipped over the crossbar, before Bright skied an effort and Theus picked crosses from Alex Greenwood and James out of the air. On came Rachel Daly for Russo in the 76th minute as Haiti pushed for an equaliser, which nearly came via Roseline Eloissaint but for the outstretched foot of Earps to deny the substitute from 18 yards out. Carter’s well-timed challenge broke up another Haiti run into the Lionesses’ final third, with Earps able to punch away the resulting corner. The chances came for the Lionesses to double their advantage but never the finishing touch as England finished with the result, but probably not the performance, they wanted. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live England’s chances of winning fourth Ashes Test set back by rain Brian Harman hoping history repeats itself after claiming huge halfway lead Denise O’Sullivan hails ‘unbelievable’ Ireland fans at World Cup

With the retirement of England’s record goalscorer Ellen White in the wake of last summer’s Euros triumph, much of the responsibility for providing the side’s attacking threat could now fall upon the shoulders of Alessia Russo. Russo, 24, who has just moved from Manchester United to Arsenal on a free transfer, grew in influence as that tournament progressed, regularly emerging from the bench to replace White and scoring twice in a 5-0 thrashing of Northern Ireland, as well as netting arguably the goal of the tournament in the semi-final: an utterly outrageous backheel to embarrass Sweden. Born and raised in Maidstone, Kent, Russo is of Sicillian heritage and took to football from an early age, both her father Mario and older brother Giorgio having played at non-league level. Women’s World Cup LIVE: Latest updates as England face Haiti Rising through the youth ranks of first Charlton Athletic and then Chelsea, she briefly appeared for Brighton and Hove Albion in 2017 before enrolling at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she spent two years playing college soccer for the North Carolina Tar Heels alongside Lotte Wubben-Moy, scoring an impressive 28 goals across 58 games over two seasons before having to curtail her time in the United States because of the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Subsequently signing for Manchester United, she has scored 22 goals in 48 games for the Red Devils over the last three seasons, form that has earned her the attention of Sarina Wiegman and a move to the multiple title-winners, where she will link up next season with Lionesses’s teammates Leah Williamson, Wubben-Moye and Beth Mead and European greats Vivianne Miedema and Stina Blackstenius. The goalscoring form of both Rachel Daly and Bethany England last season means Russo’s place in the starting lineup as White’s natural replacement is by no means a given, however. Read More How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener 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

Chloe Kelly has already secured her place in English football history after coming off the bench in last summer’s Euro 2022 Final to stab home the winner in extra-time as Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses beat Germany 2-1, tearing off her shirt and whirling it maniacally in the air in one of the most instantly-iconic celebrations Wembley has ever seen. Kelly had almost missed the tournament with a knee injury but returned to triumph, her moment of euphoria as joyous and empowering a moment as any sport anywhere has ever produced. Since then, she was England’s top scorer in February’s Arnold Clark Cup and scored the winning penalty against Brazil to win the Finalissima, proving once again that she is a big game player of the very highest calibre. Women’s World Cup LIVE: Latest updates as England face Haiti Still only 25, the Londoner grew up in Hanwell, just a bus ride away from the national stadium, the youngest of seven siblings who credits her career to playing street football with her five brothers from a young age. Starting out at Queens Park Rangers, she was soon spotted by Arsenal and progressed through the Gunners’ youth ranks to make her senior debut against Watford at 17, scoring just 22 minutes into that match. In 2016, she was loaned out to Everton, who later made the signing permanent. She would score 16 times for the Toffees in 45 appearances before moving to Manchester City in 2020, where she has since netted another 16 in 48. At international level, she has worked her way up from under-17s to the senior squad, making her Lionesses debut versus Austria in November 2018 in a 3-0 win. With Beth Mead ruled out, Kelly will be competing with the likes of Lauren James for a starting place on the right-wing for England in Australia and New Zealand this month, where her directness again promises to terrify opposition defences. Read More How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule