Sam Pittman has Arkansas trending up. QB KJ Jefferson and the Hogs will try to take the next step
Arkansas coach Sam Pittman has improved Arkansas in each of his three seasons since taking over in 2020
2023-08-15 18:16
Dortmund gears up to challenge Bayern again after blowing chance for German soccer title
Borussia Dortmund has had the summer to brood on how it blew its chance to dethrone Bayern Munich
2023-08-15 17:25
Track world championships the latest play by Orbán's Hungary for global sports spotlight
A country spends millions to deliver a major international sports event to the world
2023-08-15 17:19
AC Milan, Inter and Juventus aim to bring the Serie A title back up north after Napoli success
Figuring out which team will challenge Napoli for the Serie A title is anyone’s guess
2023-08-15 17:18
Ares Weighs Loosening Crystal Palace Ties to Focus on Chelsea
Ares Management Corp. is considering loosening ties with Crystal Palace FC as it explores an investment in rival
2023-08-15 16:55
Man United vs Wolves: Ten Hag expresses relief as Red Devils win Premier League opener
Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag said he was “pleased” after Wolves were denied a late penalty at Old Trafford in their opening Premier League fixture. United’s debutant goalkeeper Andre Onana clattered into Sasa Kalajdzic deep into added time, but referee Simon Hooper did not react and VAR Michael Salisbury deemed there was no foul, with an incredulous Gary O’Neil instead booked for his reaction to the decision. Ten Hag’s side won the tight game 1-0, with defender Raphaël Varane scoring the winning goal in the 76th minute.
2023-08-15 15:58
Anthony Joshua has the blueprint to beat Deontay Wilder – is he brave enough to use it?
Anthony Joshua has a complicated legacy, but an incomplete one. The Olympic gold medalist was the darling of British boxing, before a few underwhelming performances and results confirmed sneaking suspicions that he was not the combatant many hoped he was, but now he is intent on proving that he is more of a boxer than a brand. Deontay Wilder’s legacy is altogether simpler. The American is probably the hardest hitter that boxing has ever seen, harnessing hellish power but not the technical abilities to win his biggest fights – a trilogy of bouts with Tyson Fury. Now, Joshua and Wilder face the riskiest proposition of their careers: a clash years in the making. It is the boxing equivalent of a high-wire walk at 1,300 feet, with no harness to save you. One wrong move and either heavyweight’s legacy would be irrevocably changed. The bout, planned for Saudi Arabia in January, is not only the most explosive prospective fight in all of boxing, but also one of the most alluring. There is an argument that fans crave this match-up more than Joshua vs Fury, which looks ever more likely to be an imbalanced affair, and Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk, which would be a display of sporting mastery but might lack the brutal edge that viewers seek. In one corner: Joshua, a former two-time unified world champion with a record of 26-3 (23 knockouts); in the other: Wilder, a former WBC champion whose record stands at 43-2-1 (42 KOs). Joshua, 33, and Wilder, 37, are two of the most devastating punchers in their division, but while “AJ” is technically sounder, the “Bronze Bomber” has an unfaltering to his cause – a commitment that could prove decisive. Joshua once had that same conviction, but it has wavered in the wake of his trio of losses. Since being stunned by that Andy Ruiz Jr TKO in 2019, Joshua has appeared gun shy, save for his knockout of Kubrat Pulev. This change was evident in his back-to-back points defeats by Usyk, in his decision win against Jermaine Franklin in April, and even in his victory over Robert Helenius on Saturday. Prior to knocking out the Finn in the seventh round, Joshua told his coach Derrick James, “It’s hard to find the right hand,” though the Briton was reaching for that shot rather hesitantly. Of course, Helenius was a short-notice replacement for a much more familiar foe, Dillian Whyte, so Joshua was right not to rush, but there is a feeling that he could have found the finish earlier. Even so, it does not matter that it did not come as quickly as it did for Wilder against Helenius, when the American clubbed the 39-year-old out of consciousness in Round 1 in October. What matters more is that Joshua’s tentative forward and lateral movement would leave him dangerously exposed against Wilder, who has dropped every single man he has fought. “You can’t stand there jabbing against Wilder, it doesn’t work against Wilder,” David Haye said on Saturday, although it should be said that Joshua used that shot well at the O2 Arena. Wilder’s coach Malik Scott, meanwhile, had this to say: “I know that [Joshua] only has three or four rounds in the ring with Deontay Wilder before he gets knocked out. AJ wants to overthink and sit back and play that game, and we’re not gonna allow that. Deontay’s coming to send him to the next dimension, and that’s his intention. When he’s not punching at you, he’s punching through you. The difference is the violent aspect; Deontay is way more violent with his hips and bad-intention punches than AJ will ever be.” That may be a biased analysis, but that does not mean it is wrong. There is a serious risk that Joshua would not see the fourth round of a meeting with Wilder, unless he can take confidence from his own, beautiful finish of Helenius and rediscover the nasty edge that poked out on occasion during his come-up. When Joshua sensed the end against Whyte in 2015, he could not help but grin and wind up his compatriot by pretending to wind up his right hand. Joshua would need not only to be vindictive against Wilder, but proactive. Wilder has the ability to end that fight early, but so does Joshua. Wilder’s chin has held up largely well in his 46 professional fights, and it took volume of output for Fury to stop him in 2020; however, Fury relied on his growing punching power to defeat Wilder in 2021, and the “Gypsy King” cannot pulverise opponents like Joshua can. If Joshua could bring himself to close the range against Wilder, avoiding the American’s looping shots and taking a direct approach – defending by attacking – he would have a good chance. Yet he must also beware the kind of sneaky, short attack with which Wilder transported Helenius to a different universe – a punch with no pull-back, which looked innocuous in the moment. James’s gameplan would be crucial for Joshua, whose mentality would also determine the pattern of the fight – and maybe its outcome. Joshua can beat Wilder, the question is whether he would be brave enough to. Read More Anthony Joshua must sort out his boxing life as Deontay Wilder superfight looms Deontay Wilder’s coach reveals American’s reaction to Anthony Joshua knockout Anthony Joshua takes swig of Conor McGregor’s Irish stout after Helenius knockout Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder in January? Key questions answered Deontay Wilder’s coach reveals American’s reaction to Anthony Joshua knockout The sporting weekend in pictures
2023-08-15 15:20
Spain vs Sweden LIVE: Women’s World Cup team news as Alexia Putellas returns for semi-final
Spain face Sweden in the first Women’s World Cup semi-final as both nations go in search of their first tournament crown. Sweden produced their best performance of the World Cup to defeat Japan 2-1 in the quarter-finals, knocking out the team of the tournament with a display of high-tempo pressing while continuing to take their chances at set-pieces. Centre-back Amanda Ilestedt is Sweden’s top-scorer with four goals so far, with the defender in the race for the World Cup golden boot. Spain required Salma Paralluelo’s extra-time goal to defeat Netherlands and have navigated a player mutiny under head coach Jorge Vilda to reach their first ever World Cup semi-final. Despite uncertainty off the field, Spain have shone on it, led by Barcelona stars Aitana Bonmati and the returning Alexia Putellas. The winner will play either England or Australia in Sunday’s World Cup final. Follow live updates from Spain vs Sweden as the semi-finals get underway, and get all the latest Women’s World Cup odds here Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today The Lionesses will need to beat an entire nation in the grip of World Cup fever Women’s World Cup golden boot: Who’s leading the top-scorer standings?
2023-08-15 15:15
Sandro Tonali cements himself as Newcastle legend after reserving table in local Wetherspoons
Sandro Tonali arrived as one of Newcastle’s major signings this summer, and it looks like he’s adapting to the British way of doing things pretty quickly. In fact, the midfielder looks to have cemented his status as a bit of a fan favourite already after putting in a fantastic debut performance and then reserving a table in a local Wetherspoons. The 23-year-old was spotted down the pub with a reservation, and it looks like he was celebrating his first Newcastle game in Saturday's 5-1 hammering of Aston Villa at the boozer. An image, shared by fan page NUFC Gallowgate on Twitter, shows a table booked at a ‘Spoons under the name “Tonali”. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter A second picture shows the midfielder posing for a picture with a fan in a Newcastle shirt. It’s not taken long, but he’s clearly already established himself as a cult hero. Tonali impressed during his first game in black and white, scoring inside the first six minutes and putting in a strong performance throughout. The Italian international arrived for a fee believed to be in the region of £60 million from AC Milan in the summer, becoming the most expensive Italian player of all time. Alexander Isak also scored two goals in the game on Saturday (August 12) with Callum Wilson and debutant Harvey Barnes also adding their names to the scoresheet. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-08-15 14:56
Football rumours: West Ham growing frustrated with Harry Maguire delays
What the papers say West Ham may yet pull the plug on a deal for Harry Maguire, according to The Telegraph. The Manchester United defender has been rumoured to be on the way to London Stadium for some time, but the paper says the Hammers’ management are growing increasingly fed up with the amount of time it is taking to finalise the deal and may decide to walk away if it continues to drag on. A host of Premier League and Serie A clubs are said to be lining up to sign Lille midfielder Carlos Baleba. The Daily Mail reports Liverpool, Newcastle, AC Milan and Juventus are all interested in the 19-year-old, with Brighton believed to be leading the charge for his signature. The Newcastle Chronicle says the Magpies have reached out to Arsenal over full-back Kieran Tierney. Any deal could be hard to come by for the north-east club however, with the Gunners reportedly likely to refuse to budge on their £30million price tag for the 26-year-old. And the Daily Mirror reports Arsenal defender Gabriel is the latest player to be targeted by the Saudi Pro League. Social media round-up Players to watch Hugo Ekitike: RMC Sport says Everton have opened talks with Paris St Germain over a loan deal for the 21-year-old forward. Nicolo Zaniolo: Aston Villa are on the verge of sealing a loan deal for the Galatasaray midfielder, according to Sport Italia. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live
2023-08-15 14:55
VAR correct not to award Wolves late penalty – Man Utd goalkeeper Andre Onana
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana believes referee Simon Hooper and VAR were right not to award Wolves a last-gasp penalty in Monday night’s Premier League clash at Old Trafford. United opened their league account for the season in unconvincing fashion as Raphael Varane’s header 14 minutes from time was enough to earn a 1-0 victory that was barely deserved. Indeed, it looked like Wolves might get the chance to equalise from the penalty spot at the death when debutant Onana appeared to clatter into Sasa Kalajdzic, but the goalkeeper got away with it. Wolves boss Gary O’Neil said Onana tried “to take the centre-forward’s head off” and claimed Premier League referees’ boss Jon Moss apologised to him for the decision after the match. But asked if it was a penalty, Onana said: “No, goalkeepers make decisions, sometimes you are right, sometimes you are not. “I made a decision and I am responsible for everything. For me it was contact between two big guys and nothing happened. But for us, the most important thing was to win and I am happy for the victory. “Of course I was confident (it would not be given).” Onana made his Premier League debut following his summer move from Inter Milan. The Cameroon international, who worked with Erik Ten Hag at Ajax, has big boots to fill following on from David De Gea, and his style differs greatly from the Spaniard as he likes the ball at his feet. But he insists it is a case of him adapting to his new surroundings rather than the United defence changing their game. “Listen, I think I’m playing with some of the best defenders in the world because playing for Manchester United is not something easy,” he said. “I think I’m the one who has to adapt because United is a very big club and I’m proud to be able to perform here and proud to play alongside these defenders and if something has to change, I think we will do it. “At the moment everything is going right and we just have to continue working like this and I think it will be OK by the end of the season.” Few will have seen a performance like this coming from Wolves, whose plans for the season were thrown into disarray last week when boss Julen Lopetegui left, just five days before their opener, with O’Neil coming in. O’Neil, who was sacked at Bournemouth after keeping them in the English top flight last season, will have been thrilled at what he saw as his new side put in a slick counter-attacking display that had United on the run for the majority of the game. But old failings returned as they could not score with any of the 23 shots they had, which will have brought back memories from last season, where they registered just 31 times. “I think we keep doing more like today,” O’Neil said. “My initial thoughts around them not scoring enough goals last year was, we need to arrive in good areas, with good numbers more. “We have enough talent in the group so if we arrive in good numbers, the boys will score goals, no doubt. “I don’t think today was a reoccurrence of the pattern you saw last year. I think if the lads play that game 100 times, they score in 99 of them. “Keep arriving in those areas, keep working with the players to improve understanding and how many times we arrive and the lads will score some goals.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Football rumours: West Ham growing frustrated with Harry Maguire delays On this day in 2008: Britain beat ‘invincible’ France to Olympic sprint gold Gary O’Neil claims referees’ boss told him Wolves should have had penalty
2023-08-15 14:53
Bethancourt homers and singles in run, Rays beat Giants 10-2
Christian Bethancourt homered and singled in a run to back Tyler Glasnow’s fourth straight winning decision, and the Tampa Bay Rays won their first game since placing All-Star shortstop Wander Franco on the restricted list, beating the San Francisco Giants 10-2
2023-08-15 13:22
