List of All Articles with Tag 'sport'

Watch live as players and coaches hold a press conference ahead of Lionel Messi’s expected Inter Miami debut, in an MLS Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul. Argentina’s World Cup-winning captain completed his move to the US on a deal running to 2025. Messi, 36, revealed last month he had decided to join the Florida side as his contract with Paris St Germain came to an end. With the deal now officially done, Messi is in line to make his debut for his new employers on Friday 21 July against Mexico’s Cruz Azul. “I’m very excited to start this next step in my career with Inter Miami and in the United States,” the football legend said in a statement. “This is a fantastic opportunity and together we will continue to build this beautiful project. The idea is to work together to achieve the objectives we set, and I’m very eager to start helping here in my new home.” Read More Cristiano Ronaldo takes swipe at Messi and claims Saudi Pro League ‘better’ than MLS Miami welcomes Lionel Messi – Monday’s sporting social Lionel Messi ‘excited and happy’ to be at Inter Miami as he’s unveiled to fans

Stewart Cink turned 50 this year and now is eligible for the PGA Tour Champions

It’s looking set to be the biggest tournament in the history of the Women’s game, and a small part of footballing history has already been made at the Women’s World Cup. People tuning into the opening games have seen VAR used like never before at a senior tournament. Changes are being trialled by FIFA this summer and now people inside the stadium and at home are able to hear the officials after the video assistant referee reviews take place in real time. While it was previously trialled at the Men's Club World Cup and the Men's U20 World Cup, it’s the first time it’s been used at a senior level international tournament. The first moment fans got to see it in action came during New Zealand’s game against Norway, when a penalty was given to the Kiwi's for handball following a VAR review. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter After watching the footage back on the pitch-side monitor, referee Yoshimi Yamashita addressed the crowd and said "the decision is... penalty". The decision was greeted with cheers by the crowd, and the new VAR format could be a regular feature football fans will get used to seeing in most formats soon. One of the people who really liked the new changes was Ian Wright, who was watching in the stands. The former England and Arsenal legend posted a video of himself reacting the decision, saying: "I like the way the referee done that!" He wrote in the caption: "That new VAR business was good." Others praised the step, but said they wanted to hear more information about the review while it was taking place, not just after the decision was made. “This was [an] excellent start - but maybe hearing the discussion too when reviewing like in cricket and rugby,” one said. Another added: “Thought it might be the VAR talking through the decision with the ref, not just the ref saying what the decision is. When the ref goes to the screen we know the decision is likely to be given so hardly need it announcing when fans can see the ref anyway.” One more said: “Good step in the right direction but we need to hear the conversation between room & ref.” “Step in the right direction. Maybe this particular decision didn’t really need any more explaining. But would be good to hear more on some other decisions over the coming days,” a user commented. 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.

England’s Mary Earps has revealed the public high of winning Euro 2022 and being named FIFA women’s goalkeeper of the year resulted in an unwelcome private battle to “feel human again”. The Manchester United keeper, set to start in the Lionesses’ World Cup opener against Haiti on Saturday, has cemented her place as England’s number one since the arrival of boss Sarina Wiegman, whom Earps often credits for reigniting a career she once thought had ground to a halt. Though the 30-year-old loved “experiencing almost how the Kardashians live” at FIFAs swanky February awards ceremony in Paris, she was surprised by the corresponding lows in the aftermath. Earps, speaking from England’s team hotel in Brisbane, said: “I was speaking with Micah Richards and Jamie Carragher, and we were talking about the difference between winning a tournament and then having a disappointing tournament and how different it’s to come back from that. And I was saying for me personally, I felt like that was the hardest thing I ever did. “Okay, that’s an exaggeration. Not the hardest thing I ever did, but it was the hardest footballing thing to come back to. “Like you’ve been on this massive high for so long and then you come back to normal life where you are not in this bubble, you’re not living in this little world, you’re not surrounded by people. “And it’s absolutely a life of privilege, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a lot to adjust to coming back and going back to training every day. It was hard to find your feet as to what normal felt like. And it probably took me till after December to feel human again Mary Earps “Not at that intensity, not at that pressure, but also with that comes an incredible adrenaline rush. And not having that every day, it was hard to find your feet as to what normal felt like. And it probably took me till after December to feel human again. “And then obviously the FIFA Best came and I felt like I had to start all over again. “It’s a privilege to be in that situation and a problem that I would love to have every single year, but it was definitely hard to adjust.” England vice-captain Earps may need to repeat that process again should the Lionesses, among the tournament favourites, lift the trophy that has eluded them in five previous World Cup appearances. At the beginning of 2021, Earps was on the verge of quitting football altogether. Her contract at United was coming to an end and she had not featured for England since November 2019. Yet Wiegman saw something in Earps when she took the reins in September 2021 and recalled the Nottingham native and 2019 World Cup veteran as part of her first selected squad, handing her a fresh start in England’s 8-0 victory over North Macedonia to begin the World Cup qualifiers. Earps, who was also offered a new deal with United, has seized the opportunity with both gloves ever since and was instrumental in ensuring four of the Lionesses’ six matches in their unbeaten run to lift the Euro 2022 trophy were clean-sheet victories. Perhaps Earps’ path is most aptly illustrated by her journey to and from the FIFA awards, where she had a personal security guard named Johnny and the “surreal” experience of discussing the finer points of goalkeeping with Argentinian World Cup winner Emiliano Martinez and Arsene Wenger. Earps took EasyJet on the way there, but flew business class on the way back, where she was closer to the front than she had ever been in her life. Yet before the Golden Gloves, the first-class keeper was determined to elevate England to new heights. She added: “I always thought it was there. I didn’t think that it would burn as deeply as it’s burning. It’s like a fire in your belly that I’ve always had. But I think you’re always trying to achieve things that you don’t know if it’s going to be possible. “You’re like, that’s what you’re striving for, you’re striving for this excellence and you’re constantly on this pursuit of, ‘How far can I go? How high can I go?’ “And to actually achieve those things just makes me want to fill my cabinet with even more trophies and medals really. It doesn’t make me feel like, ‘Job done’, which I thought that it would. It makes me just want to do more, do better.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Matt Doherty returns to Wolves after Atletico Madrid exit England will temper sweet temptation to be at peak for World Cup – Lewis Ludlam Zak Crawley’s rapid century puts England on top in fourth Ashes Test

BBC presenter Nicky Campbell has highlighted the sexist attitudes surrounding the Women’s World Cup after posting some of the messages he’d been sent during his radio show. Campbell had been discussing the tournament on his BBC Radio 5 Live programme. It began on Thursday morning (July 20), with co-hosts New Zealand pulling off a shock 1-0 victory over Norway. The Women’s World Cup is taking place Down Under this summer, and despite the fact that more eyes than ever before will be on the women’s game, sadly not everyone is going to be supporting the tournament. Campbell posted a selection of messages he had been sent during the course of his show, labelling the people who sent them “dinosaurs”. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter One read: “Why do women feel they have to compete in every sport nowadays you don’t get men [who] want to compete in netball etc.” Another simply said: “Women’s football is a joke.” “Hi Nicky, Sorry but I don’t think women should be playing football or rugby, it’s not a good look. Not ‘everyone’ thinks it’s great, it’s just the way it’s promoted, U guys always have to praise it up.” Replied with a picture of a dinosaur, and commented: “Not many of these ones but hilarious texts on women’s football this morning.” Thankfully, there are plenty of people excited to support their national side during the tournament, with all eyes on the road to the final on August 20. Sarina Wiegman’s England side are looking to add the World Cup to their collection after victory in the Euros in 2022, but they’ll have to do so despite a number of injuries to key players in the squad. 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.

Republic of Ireland international Matt Doherty has completed a return to Wolves on a free transfer. The defender has signed a three-year deal with the Molineux outfit, after making more than 300 appearances during his first spell at the club. Doherty left Wolves after a decade of service to sign for Tottenham in 2020 but departed Spurs in January on a free transfer and joined Atletico Madrid on a six-month deal. After the 31-year-old made only two appearances during his brief stint in Spain, he has now returned to England and will work under Julen Lopetegui. Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs said: “We’re really happy Matt’s back and he’s one the manager really wanted when he knew he was available. “After Spurs and Atletico Madrid, he’s hungry to prove himself again and will add strength in depth to the full-back area, providing competition and making us better in those positions. “He knows the club and what it means to play here – he’s been successful at Wolves before and knows what the fans want. “For us, it’s another homegrown player, but one who can share his knowledge and the required standards across the group, so he will be able to slot back in no problem.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Zac Crawley is unbeaten on 132 after England launched into Australia’s bowling post-lunch and rocketed to 239-2 on day two of the fourth Ashes test at Old Trafford

Regan Smith raced to the top of the swimming world while still in her teens

A bipartisan group of senators is proposing new oversight of college sports and the NCAA

Australia got off to a winning start at the Women’s World Cup by beating Ireland 1-0 despite the absence of star striker Sam Kerr

So much was happening when Mary Fowler made her Women’s World Cup debut in Australia’s opening 1-0 win over Ireland

Australia get away with it, Ireland will feel they should have got something. Both can take some encouragement from their opening game of the Women’s World Cup, while England can take encouragement from how beatable these possible last-16 opponents look. This absorbing first game for the co-hosts was so much more engaging than a single penalty from Steph Catley and a narrow 1-0 suggested. Some of that might have been down to Sam Kerr’s injury for the opening two matches. The truth is it makes Australia a completely different team. That’s also why it could have been a lot worse for the hosts. A proud if frustrated Ireland would have felt they should have had so much better, though. Many would certainly have expected worse going into this game. Australia have been seen as potential champions, a huge wave behind them, and significant momentum. That might return with Kerr, but it is for now a disruption, an uncertainty. It also can’t be discounted that nerves could have added to that. The context was key to all of this. This was the biggest match the hosts had ever played, the move to Stadium Australia symbolising that. It was also the biggest match Ireland had ever played, since it was their first ever World Cup game. They rose to that to add to Australia’s issues. Ireland have always been a defensively drilled team under manager Vera Pauw but, as befitting the occasion, there was an escalation. It wasn’t just the team giving more. There was more to the approach. It often felt as if a good defensive unit evolved into systemic hard challenges, reminiscent of a Diego Simeone side. Australia, already missing Kerr and the manner she naturally links the entire team together through her central attacking role, were further disrupted and broken up. There was little fluency to their play. There couldn’t be. Ireland were too disruptive. Louise Quinn was one of a few Irish players meeting everything at the back but it went right up the pitch. Arsenal’s Katie McCabe was typically willing to lead the way. She was so committed she suffered injury to her fingers, but was also fortunate not to be further sanctioned for a particularly abrasive challenge on Hayley Raso. Their encounters on the left developed into a proper battle, mostly in the right way - although not without some edge. The issue was maybe how the use of McCabe took away from some of her edge, but it was necessary against a superior side. It just always carries some risks of its own. There was almost a Chekov’s tackle just before half-time, when Marissa Sheva went in very heavily on Katrina Gorry. Ireland were always on the brink of giving something more on way, even as they attempted to give up no space. The only surprise was maybe how early it came, given that it looked like it was going to become one of those matches where the home side were forced to the limits of their patience. As it was, shortly after half-time, Australia lofted a ball forward. If Raso’s position in the box was anticipated, less likely was that it was Sheva marking here. The forward had her hands all over Raso’s back and the Australian finally had the recompense for a lot of punishment in the game. Her team had a badly needed penalty. Catley stepped up, the atmosphere suddenly ratcheting up. The delay only added to the nerves. Catley didn’t show any. She hammered the ball right into the top corner. Australia had their reprieve and, temporarily, enjoyed a release. There was an extended spell when they were enjoying much more space around the Irish box. That only served to show, however, how much they miss Kerr. Australia had about 10 minutes when Ireland looked affected by the goal but couldn’t maximise it. Pauw’s team in turn sensed this and really picked it up. They began to get at the hosts, to get around them. McCabe’s superb set-piece deliveries were constantly causing problems. For one, the ball fell back to Heather Payne in a free position near the penalty aree, only for the winger to swipe at it. It said enough that Australia goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold was already time wasting by this point. It actually meant there was more time for anguished chances for Ireland. As late as the 96th minute, the ball fell back to McCabe, only for the team leader to not fully get behind the shot. She immediately got behind a brilliant cross, though, that Louise Quinn could only head wide. Australia were relieved. Ireland could take huge pride, and they will surely challenge Canada and Nigeria for second place in this group - and maybe a knock-out game against England. Australia, however, take the three points. It’s a start. It could have been worse for the hosts, but it needs to get a lot better. Read More Women’s World Cup 2023 LIVE: Australia defeat Ireland after Sam Kerr blow as New Zealand stun Norway Women’s World Cup teams: Every squad and key players to watch What TV channel is the Women’s World Cup on? How to watch every match