List of All Articles with Tag 'f'

Kieran Trippier could have been trading the Champions League for the Championship. When his Newcastle career had the falsest of false starts, his debut a dispiriting defeat to Cambridge, the temptation was to wonder quite what he had swapped Atletico Madrid for. Sixteen months later, the answer is becoming clearer: with one more win, Trippier will be back in the Champions League. For Dan Burn, Newcastle’s takeover and the concurrent injections of ambitions and funds initially brought a different sense. By his own admission, it seemed his chance of playing for Newcastle, the club he supported in his boyhood in Blyth, was over. Now an unconventional journey from non-league to Champions League will be completed with one more victory. Burn represents the feelgood story in Newcastle’s rise, the ungainly, endearing local who, at 31, scored a first league goal for United to enable them to imagine dates with Barcelona or Bayern Munich. Trippier has proved still more of a catalyst. Two swings of a set-piece specialist’s right book brought two goals – one headed in by an opponent, one a teammate – though only one qualified as an assist. But, even as Callum Wilson added to his rich vein of form with a goal and an assist in an emphatic end, full-backs powered Newcastle forward. Money has helped but when Trippier agreed to be the first signing of the new regime, he brought credibility, offering others reasons to join. Bruno Guimaraes, who followed him to St James’ Park in January 2022, illustrated his impact again with the injury-time fourth against Brighton; without Trippier, would he have signed? A trailblazer has been a leader in other respects: the armband resides with Trippier and he is on course to become the first player since Alan Shearer two decades ago to captain Newcastle in the Champions League. Shortlisted for the Premier League player of the year award earlier in the day, he helped restore Newcastle to winning ways. After a solitary point from their previous two games, albeit from fine performances, Newcastle have momentum again. Monday’s game against a Leicester side seemingly in freefall could end their exile from Europe. They have the insurance policy of a final-day trip to Chelsea. They would not need either result if Liverpool were to lose on Saturday; the chances, though, are that Newcastle will do it in front of their own public. Given their home form – this was a fifth win in six on their own turf – it might feel fitting. Brighton had seemed to provide the greatest obstacle in the final fortnight of a season of overachievement but the conquerors of Arsenal could not produce a repeat performance in the North East. Newcastle prevailed after the almost statutory ferocious start at St James’ Park, the latest demonstration of this side’s running power, but because of two late goals and the platform laid by the class of Trippier’s dead-ball delivery. It is a way of adding another dimension as a corner and a free kick sufficed instead. He received inadvertent assistance from Deniz Undav; the cliché of a game of two halves had a certain truth in his case. In a disastrous first, Brighton’s German striker scored an own goal and conceded the free kick for Newcastle’s second. In a more auspicious second, he added to his strike against Arsenal by scoring against another of the top three, beating Nick Pope after racing on to Billy Gilmour’s pass. It means Newcastle only have a solitary clean sheet in their last 16 league games. They built from the back in the first half of the season. Defenders had to show a solidity in a nervy second half but proved the best form of attack before the break. When Trippier whipped in a corner, Undav only succeeded in glancing his header beyond Steele. When Trippier curled in a free kick, Burn, all 6ft 7in of him, rose highest to plant in a header; it was one way of repaying Brighton for allowing him to get his dream move last January. Brighton had performed a demolition job on Arsenal four days earlier; this, however, was a weaker Albion with Alexis Mac Allister, Evan Ferguson and Julio Enciso benched. Roberto de Zerbi sent for the cavalry when he brought them on in a triple substitution. And then, when they threatened to procure a point, the dam burst. Steele had made stunning saves from Miguel Almiron and Alexander Isak. Wilson had missed a sitter. But then his golden run continued. Wilson’s seventh goal in five games was slotted past Steele after Almiron carried the ball from deep in his half and released him; that, in turn, stemmed from Trippier winning possession by his own corner flag. Wilson then had the selflessness to tee up Guimaraes for a tap-in. His alliance with Eddie Howe began nine years ago, when Bournemouth signed the striker from League One Coventry. And now a very different league beckons for both. Read More Eddie Howe: Football must learn from my confrontation with fan Eddie Howe responds after angry fan enters Newcastle technical area during Leeds draw

Atlanta United makes another power transfer sale move and agree to selling Brazilian winger Luiz Araújo to Flamengo. The reported eight-figure transfer will see Araújo remain with the club through June 24.

Mike Budenholzer was fired by the Milwaukee Bucks but he's a championship-winning coach with a great track record. These three teams should snap him up.Mike Budenholzer has been one of the best coaches in the NBA for the last decade. He has spent all 10 of his years coaching in the Eastern ...

The Los Angeles Dodgers are getting some high heat after uninviting a prominent local LGBTQ charity group from their upcoming Pride Night at Dodger Stadium on June 16.

Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, FIFA pulled all the stops for a dramatic unveiling of the tournament’s branding in Los Angeles.

Packers Rumors: What's the plan with Zach Tom in 2023?Zach Tom played an unexpectedly crucial role for the Green Bay Packers offensive line as a rookie in the 2022 season. He played just shy of 500 snaps and spent time all along the offensive line, seeing at least 80 snaps at four different p...

Ligue 1 striker Folarin Balogun opts for international play with the U.S. over England but at FC Dallas, Jesús Ferreira puts in excellent work to be considered the next U.S. no. 9.

Stetson Bennett is on the field for Los Angeles Rams practice and he's already stirring up significant buzz.The Los Angeles Rams selected Stetson Bennett with the 128th pick in April's NFL Draft, giving priority to his remarkable list of accomplishments at the collegiate level with Geo...

The San Antonio Spurs were big winners on lottery night; our latest NBA Mock Draft goes through Victor Wembanyama's presumed new home and every first-round pick.The 2023 NBA draft order is set after the lottery gods once again blessed the San Antonio Spurs with the No. 1 overall pick and a ...

A major professional team playing in a minor league venue would’ve been unheard of just a few years ago

Lakers star big man Anthony Davis doesn't seem to have taken kindly to Stephen A. Smith's mocking his injury, unfollowing the ESPN personality on Twitter.Though his defense on Nikola Jokic warranted criticism, Anthony Davis played like one of the best players on the floor for Game 1 of...

Jude Bellingham's brother Jobe is set to leave Birmingham City and join Sunderland this summer.