List of All Articles with Tag 'ball'

England toiled to a 1-1 draw in North Macedonia as their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign came to a lacklustre close. Gareth Southgate’s side secured qualification to next summer’s finals in Germany last month and a forgettable draw in Skopje was at least enough to confirm them among the top seeds for December’s draw. Debutant Rico Lewis endured a night to forget at the Tose Proeski Arena as he conceded a controversial first-half penalty which Jordan Pickford saved before Enis Bardhi turned home the rebound. Captain Harry Kane came off the bench and played a part in the leveller as Jani Atanasov scored an own goal but England failed to find a winner. England showed six changes from the team that limped to a 2-0 win over Malta on Friday night as Kyle Walker captained his country for the first time – but it was another disjointed display from a team Southgate is aiming to lead to the top of the world rankings. Declan Rice was among those to come back into the starting line-up but, having called on England to conclude their unbeaten 2023 with a “bang” it instead ended with a whimper. England were as toothless in the first half as they had been in the drab victory over Malta on Friday night, although Rice did come close to opening the scoring with a low strike that cannoned off the base of the post. A tame header from Ollie Watkins followed before the hosts started to get a foothold, mainly due to England’s own poor defending. Midway through the half and Harry Maguire gifted possession to Bojan Miovski, who slipped in Eljif Elmas. Manchester United defender Maguire then seemed to barge Elmas off the ball inside the box but no penalty was forthcoming despite the protestations of the home side. However, Macedonia would be awarded a penalty 10 minutes before the break, Lewis’ stray hand catching Miovski as he attempted to head clear, with referee Filip Glova pointing to the spot after consulting his pitchside VAR monitor. Pickford made a fine stop to keep out Bardhi’s spot-kick but the Macedonia skipper was alive enough to turn home the rebound. England had been as blunt as the side that toiled against Malta three days ago and it took until first-half stoppage time for the visitors to have a shot on target, albeit a tame effort from Lewis. Trent Alexander-Arnold then stung the palms of Stole Dimitrievski and, in the last action of the half, England were left calling for a penalty of their own as Maguire stooped to meet the resulting corner and was caught by Elmas’ boot – this time, though, Glova was unmoved. England thought they were level less than two minutes after the restart but Jack Grealish saw a close-range finish ruled out for offside following another lengthy VAR check. Watkins, given a chance to once again show he has the capabilities to be the back-up to Kane at the Euros, had an ineffectual evening and was replaced by the skipper for the final quarter of the contest. Kane – who was missing from the starting XI of a competitive England game for the first time in over two years – was immediately involved, his run to meet Phil Foden’s corner saw him tracked by Atanasov, who inadvertently deflected the set-piece into his own goal. Southgate shuffled his pack as Marcus Rashford, Cole Palmer and Kalvin Phillips came on in the closing stages but, other than a wayward free-kick from the former, there were no real chances for England to seal victory. Macedonia head coach Blagoja Milevski had said on the eve of the contest that his side would show a “new face” from the one thrashed 7-0 at Old Trafford in June and they certainly put England’s nose out of joint here. Southgate will call for an improved performance in the two March friendlies when Brazil and Belgium visit Wembley but it was ultimately another successful, and unbeaten, qualification campaign under the 53-year-old. Read More Phil Taylor to retire from darts at the end of next year Everton’s 10-point penalty ‘grossly unjust’ and should be suspended, says MP Rob Page: Wales not entertaining Euro 2024 play-off talk before Turkey qualifier Mayor of Liverpool writes to Premier League over ‘excessive’ Everton penalty 5 talking points ahead of Republic of Ireland’s friendly against New Zealand Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds push on with Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground plans

Thanksgiving week means plenty of multi-team events in college basketball. How will the Top 25 teams fare in Week 3?

England have travelled to Skopje for their final outing of the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign as they take on North Macedonia this evening. The Three Lions are hoping to see out qualifying without a loss as they are unbeaten through their seven matches so far, winning six and drawing once against Ukraine. They have already secured a place at the tournament in Germany next summer and are guaranteed to finish top of Group C. Gareth Southgate’s side defeated Malta 2-0 at Wembley on Friday night but they were sluggish and disjointed throughout meaning the manager will be looking for a much-improved performance in tonight’s contest. North Macedonia sit fourth in the group having only beaten Malta so far. Earlier in the campaign they drew 1-1 with Italy and put up a good fight against the European champions last time out before fading to a 5-2 defeat. With home advantage on their side as well, the hosts will make things challenging for England if they are not at their best. Follow all the action from this Euro 2024 qualifier below plus get the latest odds and tips right here:

Everton’s 10-point penalty for breaching Premier League financial rules should be suspended until an independent regulator can examine the case, a Liverpool MP has said. Ian Byrne, the Labour member of parliament for Liverpool West Derby, has tabled an early day motion in the House of Commons concerning the club’s plight. Everton were found by the independent commission which imposed the sanction to have acted “irresponsibly” in exceeding permitted losses over a three-year period by £19.5million. Byrne’s motion criticises the commission’s “cavalier approach to points deductions” and argues that the Premier League “can no longer fairly govern top-flight football without independent scrutiny and legislation”. The motion’s text describes the sanction as “grossly unjust” and as a “punishment lacking any legal or equitable foundation or justification for the level of sanction”. Byrne’s motion also notes that financial rather than sporting penalties were handed down to the clubs who sought to join the European Super League in 2021. The motion urges the Government to immediately establish an independent regulator and “requests the suspension of all proceedings and sanctions made by the commission until the regulator makes its own determinations”. An independent regulator for the top five tiers of the English game moved a step closer earlier this month, with the inclusion of the Football Governance Bill in the King’s Speech. Everton have already indicated their intention to appeal against the commission’s sanction, with the appeal expected to be heard during the course of the current season. The club could face compensation claims from other teams in relation to the case, although no other club has yet confirmed an intention to do so. The Mayor of Liverpool, Steve Rotheram, wrote to Premier League chief executive Richard Masters on Monday to highlight what he felt was the “excessive” nature of the sanction imposed. “The decision to deduct 10 points from Everton is excessive considering the club’s willingness and proactivity in collaborating with the Premier League to ensure all dealings were FFP compliant when it was clear they were close to breaching the rules,” Rotheram wrote. “There are a number of mitigating factors in Everton’s transgression in relation to debt ceilings that are in effect geo-political and therefore outside of their control. “As many people have pointed out, the punishment imposed appears severe for the charge in question and sets a new precedent. “I completely support the club’s appeal and would urge you to take a more balanced approach and consider alternative forms of punishment that do not unfairly penalise the club’s players and supporters. “As a founding member of both the Football League and the Premier League, Everton are an important part of the fabric of English football. They deserve to be treated with respect.” Read More Rob Page: Wales not entertaining Euro 2024 play-off talk before Turkey qualifier Mayor of Liverpool writes to Premier League over ‘excessive’ Everton penalty 5 talking points ahead of Republic of Ireland’s friendly against New Zealand Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds push on with Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground plans Talking points as Wales look to pip Croatia to Euro 2024 spot in final round Australia handle pressure as India come up short – Cricket World Cup uncovered

Deion Sanders may not have changed college football forever.

Rob Page says Wales are not entertaining any play-off talk with their full focus on beating Turkey and qualifying automatically for Euro 2024. Wales must overcome Turkey in their final qualifier on Tuesday and hope Croatia do not beat Armenia in order to secure a top-two spot in Group D. The Dragons are guaranteed a play-off place in March but it is not a route Wales want to tread, with Page and Ian Mitchell, head of performance psychology, addressing the topic with the players ahead of the sell-out Cardiff City Stadium clash. Page said: “We’re having no talk of play-offs. If we’re talking play-offs, we may as well call the game off on Tuesday. That’s our mentality and attitude. “We’re fully focused on the job we’ve got and we don’t want any regrets when that final whistle goes. “We were aware that (play-offs) would be the talking point because of the disappointment of the Armenia game. “I addressed that at a meeting with the players and I got Mitch to speak about it as well. “We’re not admitting defeat and thinking ‘why not?’ because potentially we can qualify if the other result goes our way. “What I don’t want to do is walk off at the end of the game, the result’s gone for us, and we could have taken charge of it.” Wales had automatic qualification in their own hands before Saturday’s 1-1 draw in Armenia when Page’s side were perhaps fortunate to return home with a point. Croatia took advantage by winning 2-0 in Latvia to move into second spot behind already-qualified Turkey. Page suggested that he would be kept informed of events in the Croatia game in Zagreb on Tuesday as Wales seek to bounce back from their disappointing weekend performance. Luton defender Tom Lockyer is expected to replace the suspended Chris Mepham and make his first competitive appearance since September 2021. Brennan Johnson and Daniel James could also return to sharpen up the attack against opponents who beat Wales 2-0 in June and warmed up for their trip to Cardiff by beating Germany 3-2 in a Berlin friendly on Saturday. Page said: “What we do need, from minute one, is energy. “Off the back of (Turkey’s) result against Germany and the threat they pose, we have to have energy in that team. “This is the first time in a while that we’ve had two competitive games in quick succession. “We’re not blessed with a pool of players coming in that are not playing too much domestically. “There potentially could be changes, or at least coming off the bench and having an impact.” Wales are attempting to make a fourth major tournament in five and qualified for the last two – Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup – on emotion-charged nights at the Cardiff City Stadium. Skipper Ben Davies said: “We’ve put in some amazing performances in Cardiff over the years, and we’ve had some special nights there. “We’re not panicking as a group, we still have a chance. Our job is pretty simple, we have to win our game. “Playing in major tournaments for your country is the pinnacle and that dream is still there.” Read More Mayor of Liverpool writes to Premier League over ‘excessive’ Everton penalty 5 talking points ahead of Republic of Ireland’s friendly against New Zealand Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds push on with Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground plans Talking points as Wales look to pip Croatia to Euro 2024 spot in final round Australia handle pressure as India come up short – Cricket World Cup uncovered On this day in 2015: Eddie Jones appointed England’s first overseas head coach

Bet365 is giving new users a guaranteed $150 bonus with any $5 bet today! Find out how to claim this exclusive promo before it expires here.

The Mayor of Liverpool has written to the Premier League over what he says is the “excessive” 10-point penalty handed to Everton for breaching league financial rules. An independent commission imposed the sanction on the Toffees after the club were found to have exceeded permitted losses over a three-year period by £19.5million, with the decision announced on Friday. Liverpool Mayor Steve Rotheram has now written to the league’s chief executive Richard Masters to express his “deep concern” over the sanction. “The decision to deduct 10 points from Everton is excessive considering the club’s willingness and proactivity in collaborating with the Premier League to ensure all dealings were FFP compliant when it was clear they were close to breaching the rules,” Rotheram wrote. “There are a number of mitigating factors in Everton’s transgression in relation to debt ceilings that are in effect geo-political and therefore outside of their control. “As many people have pointed out, the punishment imposed appears severe for the charge in question and sets a new precedent. “When compared to sanctions handed to other clubs for financial infringements it surpasses previous penalties. “In 2010, when Portsmouth entered administration, a case of serious mismanagement, they were hit with only a nine-point penalty. For falling into administration a second time in three years, in 2012, they faced a 10 point deduction. The implication that Everton’s actions are somehow more egregious is frankly ludicrous. As a founding member of both the Football League and the Premier League, Everton are an important part of the fabric of English football. They deserve to be treated with respect. Liverpool Mayor Steve Rotheram “I completely support the club’s appeal and would urge you to take a more balanced approach and consider alternative forms of punishment that do not unfairly penalise the club’s players and supporters. “As a founding member of both the Football League and the Premier League, Everton are an important part of the fabric of English football. They deserve to be treated with respect.” The club immediately indicated they would appeal against the sanction, with the appeal process expected to be completed within the course of the current season. Everton could also now face compensation claims against them over the case, however no club has so far commented publicly to indicate their intention to make a claim. Read More 5 talking points ahead of Republic of Ireland’s friendly against New Zealand Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds push on with Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground plans Talking points as Wales look to pip Croatia to Euro 2024 spot in final round Australia handle pressure as India come up short – Cricket World Cup uncovered On this day in 2015: Eddie Jones appointed England’s first overseas head coach The sporting weekend in pictures

The South Carolina Gamecocks are enjoying a stellar season, thanks to coach Dawn Staley and standout players like Raven Johnson who is fueled by her 'revenge season' mantra.

The entire college football world will descend on Ann Arbor this weekend as No. 2-ranked Ohio State battles No. 3 Michigan. The winner will go to the Big Ten Ch

Charlotte Hornets star LaMelo Ball has begun wearing a neck bandaid, and it's not due to injury. It's to satisfy league rules the NBA believes he is violating.

Barcelona midfielder Gavi has torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, the club have confirmed. The 19-year-old suffered the injury playing for Spain in their Euro 2024 qualifier against Georgia on Sunday, limping off the pitch in the opening 25 minutes. Barca said in a statement that tests carried out on Monday morning have shown he has “a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and an associated injury to the lateral meniscus”. He will undergo surgery in the coming days. The extent of the injury is a big blow for Barcelona, who are currently third in LaLiga, with Gavi having established himself as a key player in their squad since making his debut at 17 years old in August 2021, making 111 appearances already. He won the league title with Barca last season and has played 15 times for them this term. Spain went on to win the match against Georgia 3-1 and Barcelona team-mate Ferran Torres celebrated his second-half goal by holding Gavi’s shirt up. Speaking after the match, Spain boss Luis de la Fuente described the win as “bittersweet”. He said: “It’s one of the most bittersweet victories I’ve ever had. As far as I can remember, it’s the hardest, the bitterest of moments, to see an important player like Gavi sustain an injury like that. “It’s a very difficult moment for the player, for his club, for the RFEF (Spanish Football Federation), for the national team and for all his team-mates. In the dressing room it felt like we had lost. This is the ugly side of football. “Football is a risky activity occasionally, something we often forget to appreciate. It was an unfortunate incident, but Gavi was perfectly fit to play the game and it was just unlucky, really, really unlucky.” Read More Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds push on with Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground plans Talking points as Wales look to pip Croatia to Euro 2024 spot in final round Australia handle pressure as India come up short – Cricket World Cup uncovered