FACT FOCUS: No head trauma or suspicious circumstances in drowning of Obamas’ chef, police say
Social media users are sharing false claims about the drowning death of former President Barack Obama’s personal chef on Martha’s Vineyard this week
2023-07-27 06:48
Jimmy Buffett: Margaritaville singer dies aged 76
The Margaritaville musician is also remembered as a successful author and entrepreneur.
2023-09-04 02:25
Gauff battles into US Open second round
American teenager Coco Gauff battled into the second round of the US Open on Monday with a stormy three-set victory...
2023-08-29 10:21
Casemiro promised to fix Manchester United - the FA Cup final can prove that he has
Manchester United were pointless and headed for humiliation. As Brentford scored four goals in a half – and the first half at that – and Erik ten Hag’s reign began amid farce, a footballer who had starred in four Champions League final victories reached for his phone. United’s most high-profile transfer target texted his agent. But not to back out of a deal. The message, instead, was to tell United he would “fix” it. It was a sign of Casemiro’s confidence. If that self-assurance is a product of a career of rare success – the Carabao Cup took his trophy count to 21 – many another would have been deterred by the impression United were in crisis. They might have stayed at Real Madrid. Not him. “No second thoughts at all,” he recalled. “But to be honest I did say that. I was speaking to my agent, and with John [Murtough, United’s director of football] too about this afterwards. I’d said this after it had happened because I was also very excited and I was aware that my period at Real Madrid had come to an end and I was really upbeat about coming here and taking on this new project, this new challenge. It was clear in my mind.” Eight months later, it is tempting to contemplate an alternative reality where, after missing out on Frenkie de Jong last summer, Casemiro was put off by the shambolic display at Brentford, where instead of being a £63 million method of transforming a team, there was still a void at the heart of the midfield. “I knew that it wouldn’t be an easy challenge because it was a tough defeat to take but I think the excitement of coming here and making a change,” he reflected. Which he did: Casemiro provided a boost to United’s self-esteem even before he played, his unveiling at half-time of the win over Liverpool a sign of the club’s status. United only lost three of the first 32 games he started. He scored and was player of the match in the Carabao Cup final. United took 75 points from the 36 league matches after he joined and finished third. “We knew that it was a project in which you wouldn’t start winning things overnight,” he said, but they could complete a cup double at Wembley on Saturday. It appears as though he has fixed it. “It’s impossible for a single player to change performances but as a squad you can,” he demurred. Yet a turning point was October’s 6-3 defeat to Manchester City. Casemiro watched two-thirds of it from the bench: Ten Hag was still picking Scott McTominay ahead of him and if the Dutchman has made relatively few missteps, that seems one. The Brazilian marked his first Premier League start with an assist for Cristiano Ronaldo’s winner at Everton the following week. His first goal came a couple of weeks later, an injury-time equaliser at Chelsea. Each was a sign he tended to make telling contributions. Tallies of seven goals and six assists may be more than most expected; so, in a different way, are his two red cards. But they underline his centrality. He has been a fulcrum for United, the man at the heart of everything. Which is how he thinks it ought to be. City’s galaxy of gifted midfielders mean Casemiro’s skills as a nullifier will be required if Kevin de Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva are to be kept quiet at Wembley. “When people talk about central defensive midfielders, they forget that you need to help your teammates, you need to defend, to slot in between the centre-backs, cover any gaps that the full-backs or midfielders leave,” said a man who forged a reputation as the world’s best holding midfielder in Madrid, before offering an explanation for his greater productivity. “These are the basic principles for a central defensive midfielder. Of course, beyond that, people want you to score goals, to pass the ball, to get the team playing because football’s changed. In the past it would be the No. 10 that would be required to do that.” He can be both destructive and constructive presence, which he sees as a sign of the evolution in tactics. “I saw an interview with [Juan Roman] Riquelme once talking about central defensive midfielders and specifically [Sergio] Busquets,” Casemiro explained. “He said that often the team didn’t play well because the central holding midfielder hadn’t played [well] and people forget that throughout the history of football, it was the No. 10 who was the playmaker. The central defensive midfielder was always someone that helped the centre-backs, helped in the midfield, helped the full-backs, filled in and stopped counter attacks. The way that central defensive midfielders have had to adapt has changed a lot.” But he will hope some things stay the same. He has an outstanding record in finals; with Real, United and Brazil, he has only lost one, in the 2018 European Super Cup. “Without doubt it’s a significant stat,” he said. He also has experience of getting the better of City; Real trailed for 178 minutes of the Champions League semi-finals last season and yet still overcame Pep Guardiola’s team. “They play very good football and have a great manager and great players but every game is a different story, a different film,” he said. But if the movie of United’s season started in ignominy and ended in glory, the Casemiro biopic might have a certain monotony, if only because he has won so much, so often. Read More Manchester United are obsessed with stopping Man City – their history depends on it The unlikely Manchester United answer to derail Man City’s treble hopes How Raphael Varane transformed Manchester United: ‘You need the character to fight’ Andre Marriner retires from refereeing Bruno Fernandes nets Man Utd winner in comeback against Fulham to clinch third Manchester United owe Champions League return to one man
2023-06-03 00:26
Hyundai Motor breaks ground on $1.5 billion EV plant in South Korea
By Heekyong Yang ULSAN, South Korea Hyundai Motor Co on Monday broke ground on a 2 trillion won
2023-11-13 09:29
How a lonely mountain lion led to the creation of the world's largest wildlife overpass
It sounds like the plot of a Disney movie: a mountain lion named P-22, trapped from finding a mate by the Los Angeles freeway, becomes famous and inspires the construction of the world's largest wildlife overpass.
2023-10-08 18:27
Fund for French police officer who shot teen dead dwarfs one made for victim's family
After a police officer in France shot dead unarmed 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk during a traffic stop in Paris last week, two fundraisers were set up. One, to support the teen's mother. The other, for the family of the police officer who shot him.
2023-07-05 03:48
Analysis-China holds the key to avoiding Argentina's IMF default. The price tag is unknown
By Jorgelina do Rosario and Karin Strohecker LONDON A helping hand from China saw Argentina avert a default
2023-08-02 21:25
Fed's Bowman says more US rate hikes likely will be needed
The U.S. Federal Reserve will likely need to raise interest rates further to bring down inflation, Governor Michelle
2023-08-06 00:26
‘I left that night as his wife’: Jada Pinkett opens up on Oscars slap, says she will remain by Will Smith's side
'Even though we hadn’t been calling each other husband and wife in a long time, I said, ‘I’m his wife now. That’s who I am,' Jada Pinkett Smith said
2023-11-15 04:28
Toyota Global Sales, Output Hit Record 5.6 Million Vehicles
Toyota Motor Corp.’s global sales climbed 8.3% in April to September from a year earlier to a record
2023-10-30 14:45
The Tucky Belt on 'Shark Tank': How and where to buy $30 DIY hack for unlimited crop tops?
Discover the Tucky Belt, Brooke Knaus' ingenious $30 DIY hack for limitless crop top styling, as seen on 'Shark Tank'
2023-05-20 06:59
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