List of All Articles with Tag 'ball'

Reggie Bush is suing the NCAA for defamation. Whether or not he wins the court case, he has the upper hand on the NCAA in this one.

No. 1 ranked quarterback Julian Lewis is shunning his home state and choosing to play football at USC in 2026.

Lee Johnson claims his Hibernian side were up against an Aston Villa side with “almost superhuman” qualities in their 5-0 Europa Conference League thrashing at Easter Road. It was the Midlands club’s first European tie in 13 years and the first leg of their qualifying play-off tie was won by the interval thanks to three headers, two by England international Ollie Watkins and one from Jamaica’s Leon Bailey. Watkins grabbed his hat-trick three minutes after the restart with and Douglas Luiz adding a fifth from the spot in the 74th minute to make next week’s second leg at Villa Park all but academic. It was Johnson’s 500th competitive game in management and he tried to put the defeat into context as he turned his attention to the visit of Livingston in the Premiership on Saturday. He said: “I think we have a really good, honest bunch of players. I trust them and they give their all every day. “There is a difference. Premier League players now are almost superhuman in their athleticism. It’s the super-elite from all over the world and that’s what you get. “It was a good experience, and I don’t think it will affect confidence going into the Livingston game. “But the physical recovery is really key for us because we are a team that needs to use our running power and our physicality at our level to maximise our performances. “I’m still proud of the club for being at this level on this stage. The reality is we have an English League One budget against a fantastic multi-international standard Aston Villa. “It was clear there was a gulf in class, I can’t deny that. “At half-time we wanted to salvage some pride and look like we were going to go and win the half. We started it pretty well and got behind them, but that’s the difference – one break, one poor positional error, one quality pass and a great finish. “Having played against Premier League teams in the past, you cannot make positional errors because they’re punished. “So I hope this experience is a good one, because your lessons can become your teacher. We can grow from having felt the quality of the athleticism, the touch and the tactical work that Villa did tonight.” Villa boss Unai Emery was pleased with the way his side approached their biggest away win in Europe. He said: “If we weren’t competitive and serious we could have had problems. “We spoke before the match about how we had to respect the opponents and be focused and consistent in our game plan. “We knew if we weren’t we could have lost. We were focused and disciplined and consistent for 90 minutes. That is the mentality I want to create here.” Emery revealed he replaced goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez with Robin Olsen for the start of the second half because the World Cup winner “had a small pain and we didn’t want to take a risk with him”. Former Hibs favourite John McGinn captained Villa and was a powerhouse in midfield to the delight of his boss. “He is amazing,” said Emery. “I know you love him here more than me, but I think he is amazing. “He always wants, from the first minute to the 90th minute, to run and to be competitive. “I am very happy with him. And not only as a player, as a person as well. His commitment is very high. “He is always positive, always smiling. In bad moments, in good moments, he always keeps the same mentality. It is fantastic.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Great Britain’s Josh Kerr wins stunning 1500m gold at World Championships Aymeric Laporte announces Manchester City departure Bernardo Silva signs new Manchester City contract

He was not a fan of Ball's response to his report yesterday.

Bernardo Silva has committed his future to Manchester City after he signed a new contract with the club until 2026. Silva has again been linked with a summer switch away from the Etihad Stadium, with Barcelona reportedly chasing his signature for a number of years. The Portugal international has ended speculation over his future for now by signing a new deal after his previous terms were due to expire in 2025. “I’ve had six incredible years at Manchester City and I’m delighted to extend my time here,” Silva said. “I am going into my seventh season at City. Since I arrived, I can only remember one season where we weren’t successful, so to be here until now meant trophies, meant winning a lot and I like to win. It is good to win. “It is not easy to be a winning team. It is a very good feeling and I wanted to keep it that way. We heard that four in a row was never done in the Premier League before, so we want to try that. Bernardo Silva “It has been a dream in terms of what we have achieved, the prospects of what we can still do. In six years, we have won five Premier Leagues, one Champions League and all of the cups. I couldn’t have it much better to be honest. “What we achieved last season is something unique and we are going to try and grab that opportunity again this season. “We heard that four in a row was never done in the Premier League before, so we want to try that because it is so tough.”

Manchester City midfielder Maximo Perrone has joined Spanish side Las Palmas on a season-long loan, the Premier League champions have announced. The 20-year-old Argentinian joined City from Velez Sarsfield in January and has since made two substitute appearances for Pep Guardiola’s side. Perrone has also been an unused substitute twice this term but will now continue his development with the Gran Canaria-based LaLiga club. A statement from City read: “Maximo Perrone has joined Spanish La Liga side UD Las Palmas on loan for the 2023/24 season.” City, meanwhile, are hoping to complete the signing of Belgium winger Jeremy Doku from Rennes. The 21-year-old was due to complete formalities with the treble winners after they agreed a fee of £55.5million with the French club earlier this week. Doku will become City’s third signing of the summer transfer window after the arrivals of Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol. City have also been linked with Wolves midfielder Matheus Nunes and Eberechi Eze of Crystal Palace, with a move for West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta now seeming unlikely. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Manchester United have received interest in Mason Greenwood after the decision was taken for the homegrown forward to leave Old Trafford, the PA news agency understands. The 21-year-old has been suspended by the club since January 30, 2022 over allegations relating to a young woman after images and videos were posted online. Greenwood was facing charges including attempted rape and assault until the Crown Prosecution Service announced six and a half months ago that the case had been discontinued. The forward remained suspended by United throughout that period and the club announced on Monday it had been mutually agreed he would leave following an internal investigation. United are working with Greenwood’s family to help find the right move and PA understands the club have received multiple expressions of interest in the young forward. Clubs in the free-spending Saudi Pro League have been strongly linked with the one-cap England international but Steven Gerrard has rubbished speculation that he could join his side Al-Ettifaq. The former Rangers and Aston Villa manager labelled a story saying his team were considering offering the 21-year-old a deal as “fake news”, while it has been reported a move for the player is seen as too risky by Saudi clubs. Teams in Turkey and Italy have been linked with Greenwood, who is under contract until 2025, with the option of a further year, and is understood to remain on full pay. United boss Erik ten Hag will be asked about the investigation at Friday’s press conference previewing the Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest. Saturday’s match is set to see more protests against the ownership, with the 1958 supporter group planning an hour-long sit-in after the match as fans look to keep pressure on the Glazers. It is now nine months since the owners announced they were conducting a strategic review, with the sale of United one option being considered. PA understands the Glazers have been warned about an intense backlash if they do not sell following bids from Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Sources close to prospective owner Sheikh Jassim were awaiting updates on their offer as of Wednesday, so too those close to fellow bidder Ratcliffe as the interminable process drags on. On the field, United have some squad shaping to do before the transfer window closes on September 1. Fenerbahce goalkeeper Altay Bayindir is understood to have undergone a medical and could possibly sign if back-up Dean Henderson departs. A return to Forest had been expected earlier in the summer, but a move to Crystal Palace is potentially on the cards. United are looking to ship out centre-back Eric Bailly and Ipswich, managed by former United coach Kieran McKenna, have made a move for left-back Brandon Williams. Scott McTominay looks set to stay having been of interest to West Ham, who defender Harry Maguire rejected a move to last week. Donny van de Beek’s future remains unclear. Facundo Pellistri and Alvaro Fernandez have attracted loan interest, while youngster Noam Emeran is closing in on a permanent move to Dutch side Groningen.

The Women’s World Cup final had barely started and England realised they were in a bind. Spain’s possession was dragging the players all over the pitch and completely distorting Sarina Wiegman’s shape, which meant they had to press that bit higher. As soon as they did that, however, Aitana Bonmati and those around her just passed their way into even more open space. “That’s the quality of Spain,” a magnanimous Wiegman said afterwards, almost resigned to their superior quality. But that is also a new twist on a vintage problem, one which may point to the future for both England and the game. It’s just over a decade since Premier League midfielders – and the rest of the world – were finding the exact same challenges against Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Sergio Busquets in the men’s game. The comparisons have already been made with this Spanish midfield, led by Aitana. The success of Spain’s men ended up influencing the entire sport, creating a spate of technically adept players, which has now come full circle. Frenetic pressing reigns for men, but it took over a decade. The women’s game is at the other side of the curve. Spain represent the extreme example of an ongoing transformation, that has already seen the technique of European academies take the game – and the ball – away from the United States. It is going to have increasing influence. It may also pose a problem for England. Because, in recent years, English academies have been among the few in Europe not producing this type of player. It is why, for all the optimism after another international final, there is an issue to work out if this is to be the start of an era rather than just the end of a cycle. There isn’t a single English midfielder at any of the top WSL clubs in Arsenal, Manchester City or Chelsea. At least one manager in the division is known to have complained about it, pointing to a lack of quality coming through in that area. “There’s no one in the pipeline,” one involved source says. England is obviously still producing a lot of talent, but it’s mostly in other positions. There’s also a feeling that this tournament – and especially that landmark final against Spain – showed England are missing exactly that approach. That is something that has been said before. An obvious response here is that Georgia Stanway is at Bayern Munich and Keira Walsh at Barcelona. That’s part of the issue, though. Stanway is superb in that role but was made isolated by Spain's superior numbers here. The Barcelona players deeply respect Walsh as a world-class midfielder, but not primarily for that pace of pass. The main point was that Spain were able to just play around and through them. And, having had such success with this, the rest of the world is going to seek to emulate Spain further. England may not be able to in the same way, for some time, because they lack that kind of player. It similarly points to a schism that was already evident throughout this World Cup, and again goes back further in the men’s game. Spain’s midfield technique both comes from and facilitates a deeper ideology. Without that, Wiegman had to go to a more pragmatic approach. That may have to continue if she does stay in the job, but could be an even bigger issue for her successor. That doesn’t mean it is a terminal problem, or even completely prohibitive to more trophies. English academies are still producing so much talent in general. They just need to get back to thinking about a specific type of talent in midfield, and also about how to stop such players. It is the future of the sport. Read More Fans wait overnight for Lionesses return – but team use private airport exit Spanish president’s kiss was an abuse of power that never should have happened Women’s World Cup 2023 LIVE: England head home after final heartbreak Lionesses receive surprise reception as they start journey back to England England’s impact will last far longer than pain of World Cup final defeat How not to win a World Cup: Spain, Jorge Vilda and the story of a complicated victory

Entirely possible he gets a boost in the polls as a result.

The antics of Spain’s football federation president Luis Rubiales at Sunday’s World Cup final highlight the level of “misogyny and sexism” within the organisation, American star Megan Rapinoe has said. Rubiales issued an apology on Monday for kissing Spain midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the trophy presentation ceremony, something Rapinoe described as a “physical assault”, and was also pictured grabbing his crotch in celebration of his country’s win over England in Sydney. He is still facing calls to resign, with Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez describing the apology as “insufficient”. The Spanish federation (RFEF) announced on Tuesday night it had called an extraordinary meeting of its general assembly for Friday, and that “internal proceedings” were open in relation to integrity issues arising from the trophy ceremony. Rapinoe, who featured in the World Cup for the United States, told American magazine The Atlantic: “There was another picture that signals such a deep level of misogyny and sexism in that federation and in that man (Rubiales) at the final whistle, just grabbing his crotch. “What kind of upside-down world are we in? On the biggest stage, where you should be celebrating, Jenni has to be physically assaulted by this guy.” Fifteen Spain players were involved in a dispute with the federation prior to the finals, with the coaching methods of Jorge Vilda reportedly among their concerns. However, the RFEF refused to budge, with a statement saying those involved would only be able to return to the national team “if they accept their mistake and ask for forgiveness”. “Think how much that Spanish team had to shoulder: some of the players who stood up way back last year still aren’t on the team,” Rapinoe said. “Maybe that was something that galvanised them, but you shouldn’t have to have that.” Rubiales said on Monday the kiss happened “in a spontaneous way” and “without bad intention” but said it “seems like it has caused a commotion”. Hermoso initially said on social media she “didn’t like” the kiss but a statement on her behalf was later released by the RFEF in which she described it as “spontaneous”. FIFA has so far not issued any comment on the matter, and nor has UEFA, for whom Rubiales is an executive committee member and a vice-president. World players’ union FIFPRO described Rubiales’ behaviour as “deeply lamentable”, adding: “Uninitiated and uninvited physical gestures towards players are not appropriate or acceptable in any context. “This is especially true when players are put in a position of vulnerability because a physical approach or gesture is initiated by a person who holds power over them.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Luke Donald losing sleep over Ryder Cup wild card selections Keely Hodgkinson predicts ‘good race’ against Athing Mu in 800m final Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink calls for patience at Chelsea under Mauricio Pochettino

A battle of Scotland vs England takes place in one of Europe’s admittedly less-than-stellar occasions on Wednesday, with Scottish Premiership outfit Hibernian hosting Premier League side Aston Villa in the Europa Conference League play-off. With a place in the group stage up for grabs, a positive first-leg result feels imperative for Hibs if they are to give themselves a chance of making it through to the competition proper - which would be their first true European campaign since a 2005/06 Uefa Cup first-round exit, aside from a few Intertoto Cup appearances. Domestically, matters haven’t gone well for Hibs though this term; despite coming through two qualifying rounds in Europe already, beating Andorran side Inter Club d’Escaldes and Swiss outfit Luzern, it’s so far two defeats from two in the SPL. Aston Villa were thrashed by Newcastle before hammering Everton in a topsy-turvy pair of fixtures themselves at the start of 2023/24. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the game and get all the latest football betting sites offers here. When is Hibs vs Aston Villa Hibs face Villa in the first leg of their play-off tie on Wednesday 23 August, with kick-off set for 5:45pm BST. Where can I watch it? The game will be broadcast live on BBC Scotland, while it can be streamed on the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website. What is the team news Hibs should have Jake Doyle-Hayes back from an injury lay-off, while Dylan Vente should be fine to start after going off injured at the weekend. Dylan Levitt will not play, however. For Villa, there may be a debut for new loan signing Nicolo Zaniolo, while John McGinn will hope to face the club he spent over three years with before signing for Villa in 2018. Youri Tielemans and Jhon Duran will hope to feature after coming off the bench to good effect in the weekend win over Everton, but Philippe Coutinho went off injured in that game and joins Alex Moreno, Jacob Ramsey, Emi Buendia, Tyrone Mings and Leander Dendoncker on the sidelines. Predicted lineups Hibs - Marshall, Fish, Hanlon, Stevenson, Miller, Jeggo, Boyle, Newell, Obita, Vente, Doidge. Villa - Martinez, Cash, Carlos, Torres, Digne, Kamara, Tielemans, Zaniolo, Diaby, McGinn, Watkins Odds Hibs 21/2 Draw 19/4 Villa 2/11 Get all the latest football betting sites offers here. Prediction Villa don’t need to go all-out to get the win away from home, but probably can do if they attack the same way they did at the weekend. Hibs 1-2 Aston Villa. Read More Unai Emery can draw on his own Europa legend to write Aston Villa history Everton condemn ‘vile’ racist abuse aimed at midfielder Amadou Onana Are Everton the first crisis club of the season? Unai Emery hails ‘amazing’ Aston Villa captain John McGinn after Everton rout Unai Emery Aston Villa masterclass delivers humiliating defeat for hapless Everton Pep Guardiola applauds Manchester City’s mentality following Newcastle victory

Former Chelsea forward Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has stressed the need for Mauricio Pochettino to be given time but knows not all of the club’s big-money signings will handle the pressure. The Blues are without a win after two matches of this season’s Premier League after an encouraging 1-1 draw at home to Liverpool was followed up by Sunday’s 3-1 defeat at West Ham. Chelsea have spent more than £350million on transfers this summer, which has taken their overall outlay under Todd Boehly’s Clearlake Capital consortium to nearly £1billion since he completed his takeover at the end of the 2021-22 season. Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Mykhailo Mudryk are among the club’s biggest buys but while Pochettino insisted in July there is “no patience” in football, Hasselbaink has called for calm. LiveScore ambassador Hasselbaink told the PA news agency: “Look, it is a project. Chelsea is a project and it will take time. “You need to give time. They have a lot of players, a lot of talented players but they need to gel and that takes time. It doesn’t matter how much money you throw at it. “The only way they will learn is by playing and having that pressure. You will see some of them will make it and be able to handle it, but some, as always is the case, they won’t handle the pressure. That is the nature of the beast. “I do think Chelsea have bought well, really well with a lot of young players and the most important thing now is to trim the squad because there is still a lot of players. “Then mould it and everyone can get to know each other.” Hasselbaink reflected on Chelsea’s stuttering start to the season after being put through his paces by youngsters during a session put on by Bloomsbury Football, a grassroots charity who provide weekly football sessions for young people in London. Bloomsbury Football are set to receive a £5,000 donation from LiveScore, who have launched a Life-changing Goals campaign to mark their 25th anniversary. LiveScore will donate £25 to charity for every goal scored in the world’s top 25 leagues on the weekend of September 2-3, while goals scored at grassroots level and shared with the global sports media brand on social media will also trigger a donation. An overall total of £25,000 is set to be donated by LiveScore with £20,000 going to a mental health charity partner. Chelsea will host Nottingham Forest on September 2, after they entertain Luton this Friday, and Hasselbaink suggested a top-five finish, which should be enough to secure qualification for UEFA’s new-look Champions League format from 2024 given England’s coefficient rating, would be success this season. “I think to get in the Champions League this year it is the top five isn’t it, so look without getting ahead of everything, it is a project,” Hasselbaink added. “There are a lot of things that have changed in the last two years at Chelsea. It is not the Chelsea any more that we had, but they are building to that again. “It is different and what you really want as soon as possible is to get a win behind your belt because from there you try to get momentum, which will get people confidence. “The Liverpool game showed they can compete with the best but second half against West Ham you can see there are a lot of things to work at. “It will not change overnight, that is just a fact and everybody in football knows that but I think they have a lot and they are on the right track. “With all due respect to everyone who was there last year, I think they look a lot better than last year.” :: To get involved with LiveScore’s Life-changing Goals campaign, head to LiveScore’s official social media channels to find out how you can share your goal with #LiveScore25 and #LifeChangingGoals.