List of All Articles with Tag 'sports'

The Philadelphia Phillies are sticking with the same team that got them to the NL Championship Series and made no changes to their roster ahead of Game 1 against the Arizona Diamondbacks

Booing by England supporters greeted the name of captain Owen Farrell when the team was announced before their Rugby World Cup quarterfinal in Marseille on Sunday

The Nice public prosecutor’s office opened a preliminary investigation Monday targeting soccer player Youcef Atal on charges “of defending terrorism” after he shared an antisemitic message on social media

IOC president Thomas Bach says presidential term limits “are necessary.”

Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton got questions about the same topic more often than he could remember this summer: The money, the money, the money

Jonathan Sexton is a retired player now

Ukrainian champion Shakhtar Donetsk says that Dutch coach Patrick van Leeuwen’s contract has been terminated after just three months in charge

Serial qualifiers? It’s still too early to say, but for any Scotland supporter who cannot remember the 1998 World Cup in France or the years before, these are dizzying times indeed. The Tartan Army are heading to Euro 2024, their second successive appearance at the European Championships, and just their second men’s major international tournament in 25 years. Hampden has rediscovered its roar, and it is set to carry Scotland on their march to Germany next summer; tens of thousands will make the journey –many had already booked their tickets before this weekend – and it is all thanks, by and large, to Steve Clarke. If Clarke has brought the good times back, it is worth remembering the dark days he inherited on his appointment in 2019. Scotland were barely able to fill half of Hampden as their men’s major tournament drought extended past two decades. A 3-0 defeat to Kazakhstan proved to be the end for Clarke’s predecessor, Alex McLeish, and rock bottom for Scotland; there was no hope, and no hint of the immense progress Clarke has since been able to achieve with what are still fairly limited resources. Automatic qualification from a tricky Group A was secured with two games to go, owed to a phenomenal start that featured the stunning wins against Spain at Hampden and Norway in Oslo. After the ultimately disappointing performances at the Covid-delayed Euro 2020 finals and defeat to an inspired Ukraine in the play-offs for the 2022 World Cup, Scotland took to their task with focus and clarity, forged from the cohesion and spirit Clarke has brought to the national team over the course of his tenure. If Scotland are famously one of those sides that always do things the hard way, progress to Euro 2024 has been serene by comparison. Under the guidance of the calm and measured Clarke, Scotland has become an environment where players want to play, mirroring a club side with the relationships within the group and the organisation of their approach. There can be no doubting anyone’s commitment to the Scotland cause – and that has not always been the case in recent years – while Clarke’s management style is to never allow anyone to get too high or feel too low. For all that Scotland’s 2-0 victory over Spain in March was a memorable night at Hampden, the key to qualification was that Clarke ensured his squad kept their feet on the ground when there was still a job to be done. Clarke would be the first to point out that further improvements are still required ahead of Euro 2024 – England’s performance and Jude Bellingham’s class at Hampden last month made that perfectly clear – but Scotland will head to Germany believing they can be much more competitive than when they returned from the international wilderness. For one, that long wait, with the emotions it brought with it, is over. Scotland’s squad is settled and largely unchanged from the summer of 2021, and Clarke’s team have the experience of a major tournament to build on. And, as anyone who celebrated a significant birthday, a graduation, or a wedding will remember, the summer of 2021 was a strange time, with the UK only just coming out of spells of Covid lockdown. Scotland’s return required the full experience of the Tartan Army, especially with two games at Hampden and a third against England at Wembley, but a long-awaited party was dampened. Germany will bring full numbers and see Scotland at full voice; it will undoubtedly help a team who will aim to punch above their weight. While there is a notion that successive appearances at the European Championships are a sign of some sort of Scottish “golden generation”, the reality is somewhat different. This Scotland squad certainly has talent and quality, but it is also one with gaps and holes, and is far weaker than the results under Clarke suggest. But the 60-year-old has found solutions and made improvements with the options at his disposal, while creating a culture within the group that has lifted standards and expectations. In simple terms, it is astute management at every level. Scotland, for a while, seemed cursed by having two world-class players in Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney, but both being left-backs. There is now a genuine partnership between Robertson and Tierney within Clarke’s system, which is built upon a back three that has kept four clean sheets in six games so far in qualifying. Angus Gunn has made an assured start at goalkeeper after taking over from the veterans David Marshall and Craig Gordon, while Aaron Hickey represents a significant upgrade on Stephen O’Donnell at right wing-back – which was another problem position at Euro 2020. The lack of a world-class striker – the Tartan Army would accept at least one Premier League-calibre option, with both Lyndon Dykes and Che Adams plying their trade in the Championship this season – has been mitigated as well. For all that Dykes and Adams have always put in huge shifts when leading the line, often a thankless task in any case, Scotland’s goals have been scored by another player with whom Clarke has performed miracles – Scott McTominay. Underappreciated and perennially dismissed at Manchester United, and used as a centre-back at Euro 2020 as his country struggled to fit him into the side, McTominay has been the revelation of Scotland’s campaign. Deployed now as an attacking midfielder and given licence to break forward into the box, McTominay’s return of six goals in as many games has been beyond anyone’s expectations – as many as Erling Haaland. That McTominay’s success has come within the organisation and structure Clarke has installed is no coincidence; international tournaments often show how countries can rise as a collective, and Morocco, Switzerland and Wales are also recent examples that will give Scotland hope that they can extend their trip to Germany by reaching the knockout stages. “I said after Euro 2020 that we wanted to be serial qualifiers again, and reaching successive Euro finals shows the progress we’ve made,” said Clarke, typically level even as Scotland’s progress was confirmed. “We will raise a glass tonight to celebrate, but then it’s back to work tomorrow in preparation for our friendly against France.” There will have been many back home, however, who will have instead been raising a glass to him, much longer into the night. Read More Scotland qualify for Euro 2024 after Spain result confirms place Andy Robertson injury: Scotland provide update on dislocated shoulder against Spain Steve Clarke congratulates Scotland players for becoming ‘serial qualifiers’ after reaching Euro 2024

(Reuters) -Shares of Manchester United fell about 10% on Monday after reports that British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe is looking to

The Miami Marlins have announced Kim Ng is leaving the team after three seasons as general manager

Cricket’s return to the Olympic program for the 2028 Los Angeles Games drew an enthusiastic response from around the world

KSI accused Tommy Fury of “robbery” and called for an appeal after the boxer’s majority decision victory over the YouTube star at a sold out Manchester Arena. Fury claimed the bragging rights in the battle of the two social media giants, but the fight was marred by the scrappy spells of action and multiple clinches. Fury, who was less impressive than when he defeated Jake Paul in Saudi Arabia in February, extended his record to 10-0 as a professional. But he was mocked by KSI after the fight, with the YouTube star and Prime founder insisting: “That is a robbery bro.” Fury was docked a point for repeatedly punching to the back of KSI’s head, but the fight was scored 57-56 in his favour by two judges. A third judge scored the contest 57-57, but pictures of the scorecards leaked on social media appeared to show that Rafael Ramos had added up his scored incorrectly, and had actually awarded the fight 57-56 to Fury. If that is correct, Fury should have given declared winner by unanimous decision. KSI continued: “How many jabs did you land? Look at your face, look at your eyes. I’m the YouTuber, you are the boxer so you have to win? “He is the man who is one who is supposed to be the pro boxer. He hit me on the back of the head over and over. It is outrageous. I want to appeal. I need to see it again. I felt like I won that.” How much was the Tommy Fury vs KSI purse? The total purse for the fight has not been officially confirmed, but reports suggest it was in the region on £10m. The split has also not been made official, but further reports claim KSI made slightly more than Fury, although the YouTuber is said to be investing his fee back into Misfits boxing. Tommy Fury vs KSI scorecards Judge 1 Round 1: 10-9 Round 2: 9-9 Round 3: 9-10 Round 4: 9-10 Round 5: 9-10 Round 6: 10-9 Total: 56-57 Judge 2 Round 1: 10-9 Round 2: 9-9 Round 3: 9-10 Round 4: 9-10 Round 5: 10-9 Round 6: 9-10 Total: 56-57 Judge 3 Round 1: 10-9 Round 2: 10-9 Round 3: 9-10 Round 4: 9-10 Round 5: 9-10 Round 6: 9-10 Total: 56-57 Read More KSI may have lost to Tommy Fury, but he’s winning where it really matters Tommy Fury crowned king but relax - Misfits’ bad boxing will not end the sport as we know it Jake Paul immediately mocks KSI after defeat to Tommy Fury KSI vs Tommy Fury prize money: How much did the fighters earn? Great entertainment or overrated nonsense? – the future of crossover boxing Dillon Danis reveals next move after loss to Logan Paul