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College football realignment rumors have now given us an idea of how much the Big Ten is willing to offer Oregon and Washington as the Pac-12 crumbles.On Thursday night, Arizona triggered a wave of college football realignment rumors as the Wildcats reportedly moved closer to leaving the Pac-12 ...

The Arizona Wildcats look ready to put the final nail in the Pac-12 coffin with deep discussions to join the Big 12 reportedly progressing.The Pac-12 may not survive Thursday night.According to Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports, the Arizona Wildcats are now a "hard lean" to join the Big 12...

The first day of the 2023 Leagues Cup knockout round has been played seeing, two teams that did not have to play in the Group Stages. The soccer world also got to see four teams move on and four teams play their last match in this tournament.In the 2023 Leagues Cup, the soccer world has seen tea...

Product kiosks are popping up at Costco locations, casting doubt over the role of human product demonstrators.

Marcus Rashford has revealed how Wayne Rooney is willing him to break his Manchester United goalscoring record. Rooney tops the list of all-time scorers at Old Trafford with 253, but having recently signed a new five-year contract, 25-year-old Rashford looks in a good position to one day overhaul that tally. The 30 goals he scored last season, which was the most prolific campaign of his career, saw him move to 123 and more look set to follow with Erik ten Hag seemingly unlocking Rashford’s full potential. And Rashford says the man whose record he wants to take is cheering him on. Asked by Gary Neville on the Overlap, in partnership with Sky Bet, whether he can surpass Rooney’s record, he said: “Hopefully I will. “You never know what’s going to happen, but I’m all about scoring goals and trying to make assists. There’s definitely a chance that it can happen. “I’ve actually spoken to Wazza about it – he wants me to do it. “He said it would be good for me to do it as I’ve grown up at the club. Hopefully I get the opportunity to try and make it happen.” After such a prolific season last term, Rashford believes he could hit 40 goals if he can stay fit in the forthcoming season. “Before last season, I always said let’s get to 20 – for a winger a good benchmark,” he added. “But this season, I’ve hit 30 so we have to try and push it now and go above and beyond. “Towards the end of the season, I was struggling with a few injuries, and I probably wasn’t quite at it – that’s when the goals started to dry up a little bit. “If I can keep that side of it under taps, I feel like I can go on and get 35 or 40.” United look well placed to finally start challenging again under Ten Hag’s strict regime. Rashford felt the force of the disciplinarian last season when he was dropped from the starting XI for the game at Wolves after being late for a team meeting. The forward came off the bench to score the winner in a 1-0 victory, but revealed he was just one minute late. “I learned from pre-season, a couple of the lads were late and it was important to implement his rules there and then,” said Rashford, who also “100 per cent” agreed with Ten Hag’s decision. “I wasn’t even that late – I don’t think he was being harsh, late is late – but it was probably about 45 seconds, a minute late. “I already knew what was going to happen because of the rules he implemented in pre-season. “I am not going to sit and argue about it, because we’ve got a game to win. There is a time and place to speak to him, but if we win the game nobody really cares.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Castleford complete shock loan signing of Leeds half-back Blake Austin Josko Gvardiol set for Manchester City medical after £77.5m deal agreed Jack Crowley gets chance to stake claim for World Cup spot against Italy

The upsets at the Women’s World Cup group stage started on the opening day and ended with the biggest of all. Germany, the two-time champions and among the tournament favourites, are out before the quarter-finals for the first time in their history, a result that ranks as both the most stunning shock the tournament has ever seen, while also simply continuing the theme of the greatest group stage ever played at the Women’s World Cup. After all, hadn’t we learned to expect the unexpected? A 1-1 draw against South Korea sealed Germany’s fate, following their dramatic 2-1 defeat to Colombia earlier in Group H. It meant Morocco, making their Women’s World Cup debut, progressed ahead of the side who thrashed them 6-0 in the opening round. The first-ever 32-team Women’s World Cup and the decision to expand from 24 teams has been a resounding triumph: rather than creating a more predictable group stage, it has done the opposite and led to wonderfully chaotic, thrilling tournament football. Germany, Canada and Brazil, all sides ranked in the top 10 in the world, are out, while Jamaica (43rd), South Africa (54th) and Morocco (72nd) are through to the last-16. It can no longer be said that the group stages of the Women’s World Cup are a foregone conclusion and that the tournament only starts when the knockouts begin. New Zealand’s opening victory against Norway set the tone, with Colombia’s last-second win against Germany standing out as the highlight of a tournament that has so far had it all. To add to that, Jamaica reaching the last-16 with their draw against Brazil, Nigeria’s stunning victory against Australia, and South Africa’s dramatic comeback against Italy were all brilliant moments from a group stage that delivered the unpredictability and drama of knockout football. The number of shocks and upsets throughout illustrated that the progress and development of women’s football since the last World Cup has been felt just as much throughout the world than its traditional powers. The gap to the top has closed: the professionalisation of top European leagues and beyond has improved standards at the biggest clubs, and is providing more opportunities to players from across the globe. Several countries that do not have a strong domestic league, such as Colombia and Jamaica, instead now feature a core of players who are based in Europe. It means that even if playing conditions are lacking within their national organisations, players such as Colombia and Real Madrid’s Linda Caicedo, Nigeria and Barcelona’s Asisat Oshoala, and Jamaica and Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw are able to raise standards and expectations when they return to their national teams. The level of coaching has also improved, with teams who are not among the traditional powers now confident in setting up organised, defensive structures in order to restrict the attacking talents of their more favoured opponents. The goalkeeping at this World Cup has also taken another huge step forward, which has been proved by player-of-the-match displays from Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie, Philippines’ Olivia McDaniel, Ireland’s Courtney Brosnan and Jamaica’s Rebecca Spencer. Strong defensive bases have made teams more resilient, and upsets possible. The World Cup needed this, too, and the decision to increase the field to 32 teams has paid off more than anyone expected. There were some fears that the expansion had come too soon, and that certainly would have been the assessment had the seeded teams all coasted through unopposed, as they did in 2019. But that was not the case and there were only a handful of one-sided contests, with the majority of groups going down to the final round, setting the stage for classic World Cup drama. Morocco led the eight teams making their debuts at the World Cup, but most of the others had moments to celebrate. Haiti deserved more from Group D but shone in their display against England. Ireland were also unlucky to only come away with a point, but their performances against Australia and Canada made an impact back home and there will be a homecoming parade in Dublin. Portugal were one of the most tactically and technically interesting sides at the tournament and were inches away from knocking out the USA. Philippines and Zambia, who were ultimately a disappointment, both had historic wins and sparked moments of national celebration. The question, and obvious hope before the World Cup, is how those moments inspire further progress and, crucially, investment. Many of the debuting countries did far more than that at their first World Cup, offering competitive performances, and they can look at how Jamaica and South Africa have battled against the odds to improve from four years ago. Both Jamaica and South Africa lost every game when they made their debuts in France, but have now advanced to the knockout stages four years later. But what also makes Jamaica and South Africa’s success even more remarkable is what they have had to overcome. Their success is owed to the players and the work of their immediate support staff, and that alone. Along with Nigeria, they have reached the knockout stages despite their federations, not because of them. Before the World Cup, Jamaica’s players said their preparations for the tournament had been disrupted by a lack of financial support, planning and communication from the Jamaica Football Federation. They went public with their grievances in an open letter to the JFF, where they expressed their “utmost disappointment” that training camps and warm-up fixtures had not been organised before the World Cup. At the same time, Jamaica have relied on two separate crowdfunding campaigns to help cover the costs of their travel to Australia and New Zealand. After their historic qualification to the 2019 World Cup, which was also supported by crowdfunding campaigns, led by Cedella Marley, the daughter of Bob Marley, it felt like Jamaica were back to square one as the progress they had fought for off the field had not been matched by meaningful change off it. Yet the response of the players has been to aim higher and further, despite the lack of support or respect they have been shown. After knocking out Brazil, Jamaica’s progress was hailed as “undoubtedly the proudest moment in Jamaica’s football history” by the country’s sports minister Olivia Grange. However, it should also come as a moment of huge embarrassment to the country’s federation, with Jamaica’s success actually creating a spotlight for the lack of support they have received. “We put the dispute to bed for the tournament but the better we do, the more pressure it creates,” said Jamaica’s goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer after keeping a famous clean sheet against Brazil. "We hope they’re looking at us and do what they should be doing." The federations of South Africa and Nigeria are under the same spotlight. South Africa’s first-ever World Cup win against Italy to seal their spot in the last-16 capped a stunning turnaround after their players went on strike before the tournament, boycotting their final warm-up game against Botswana over bonus payments and player contracts. The dispute centred around Fifa’s prize money for the World Cup and a guarantee that it would be distributed to the players. Before the World Cup, Fifa announced an increase in its total prize money to $152m (£126m), which included a payment of £30,000 (£24,000) for each player at the tournament. For the players representing South Africa and Nigeria, that is set to double after reaching the last-16, a life-changing sum, but the prize money will only be distributed to the players by the federations, it does not mean players are guaranteed to receive it. It created uncertainty for South Africa, who only reached an agreement with their federation that their money would be released days before the tournament. The picture looks less certain for Nigeria, who were locked in their own pay dispute with the federation before the World Cup. Nigeria’s head coach Randy Waldrum has said he hasn’t been paid in seven months, and that some players had not been paid in two years. After Nigeria stunned Australia in the group stages, former England and Arsenal striker Ian Wright simply tweeted: “Pay them”. There may be people within some of the federations who point to the success stories of the Women’s World Cup as evidence that developments in the game are creating an equal playing field, and that further financial support is not merited. The reality and the lesson throughout this brilliant group stage is that if this is what can be achieved despite the lack of support, imagine what could be done if there was. With that in mind, there is no reason why any team inside the top-50 in the world shouldn’t be capable of the same if the right foundations are built. For now, those teams who have stunned the World Cup and remain at the tournament can continue to show why it was wrong not to support them before their unexpected success. Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s World Cup golden boot: Who’s leading the top-scorer standings? When do England play next? Women’s World Cup fixtures and route to the final Brazil and Marta exit World Cup as Jamaica makes history When does USWNT play next? World Cup schedule and route to the final Germany suffer Women’s World Cup elimination after South Korea draw

By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS More than 75 countries will "commit to take action to end the use

RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol is set for a medical at Manchester City in the next few days after the two clubs agreed a 90 million euros (£77.5million) deal. The Bundesliga side were said to be holding out for a fee of 100m euros (£86m) for the Croatia international, but City have been able to push the transfer through at a price that suits them. The 21-year-old is due in Manchester before the end of the week for a medical, the PA news agency understands. Gvardiol would add competition on the left side of City’s defence, having helped Croatia reach the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup and then the final of the Nations League, where they were beaten by Spain. Midfielder Mateo Kovacic is so far City’s only summer signing, with the Croatian having moved from Chelsea in June. City saw captain Ilkay Gundogan leave for Barcelona on a free transfer and Riyad Mahrez last week completed a switch to Saudi Arabia club Al-Ahli in a £30m deal. The Premier League champions will take on Arsenal in the FA Community Shield at Wembley on Sunday. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

David Moyes is intent on bringing Harry Maguire and James Ward-Prowse to West Ham for the new season, but it is understood the club's recruitment team has been attempting to put longer-term options forward. The discussions have fed into reports of growing tension at the Europa Conference League winners, as they still have not spent any of the £105m brought in for Declan Rice, and are the only Premier League club to not yet make a signing. Moyes, buoyed by bringing in the club's first trophy for over three decades, feels he should be backed with targets he wants and has specifically named Maguire and Ward-Prowse. West Ham would be willing to do the deal for the deposed Manchester United captain if they can get him for £20m, but the Old Trafford club are holding out for north of £30m. Maguire himself has up to now been willing to fight for his place, but may have to accept reality if the club accepts an offer. Ward-Prowse is in a different position given Southampton's relegation, and he does have a few suitors. Moyes, of course, admires his dead-ball delivery, in a team that specifically attacks through set-pieces. Read More A new era for old empires? How a summer of rebuilding could change the Premier League Chelsea have a Conor Gallagher problem and Tottenham could be the perfect solution A thousand matches later and David Moyes finally has his crowning glory

The 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand is approaching the knockout stages and has already provided some astonishing games, goals and upsets. England’s 6-1 thrashing of China, the surprise early eliminations of Brazil, Canada and Germany and an underperforming USA’s narrow escape from Group E have been just some of the stories of the tournament so far. While one of the host nations, New Zealand, failed to qualify for the round of 16, Australia are still going strong and offering plenty for the home fans to cheer about. The Matildas’ opening game against the Republic of Ireland at Stadium Australia in Sydney on 20 July attracted 75,784 fans, the largest crowd ever to attend a women’s football match in the country and the third-biggest to ever see a game in the history of the World Cup. A crowd of 42,137 had seen the Kiwis’ 1-0 win over Norway a day earlier, setting the equivalent record for New Zealand and revealing the extent of local excitement about the tournament Down Under. While there are no further fixtures scheduled at New Zealand’s Dunedin Stadium in Otago or Waikato Stadium in Hamilton or at the Perth Rectangular Stadium in Western Australia, here is a guide to the remaining venues with Women’s World Cup matches still to play. Brisbane Stadium, Queensland, Australia Also known as Lang Park or the Suncorp Stadium and nicknamed “The Cauldron”, this multipurpose arena in the Brisbane suburb of Milton was opened in 1914 and has a capacity of 56,851. Often used for rugby league and union, it is home to the Brisbane Broncos, the Dolphins, the Queensland Reds and the Queensland Maroons, as well as the A-League football side Brisbane Roar. Upcoming fixtures (all kick-off times given in GMT) Round of 16: England vs Nigeria (8.30am 7 August 2023) Third quarter-final: TBD vs TBD (8am 12 August 2023) Third-place play-off: TBD vs TBD (9am 19 August 2023) Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand New Zealand’s national stadium was opened in 1900 and has a capacity of 40,536. It is primarily used for rugby union fixtures in winter and cricketing Tests in summer. The Blues, Auckland Rugby and Auckland Cricket all call it home while the all-conquering All Blacks have made it a feared arena for touring sides to visit, having not been beaten at Eden Park since 1994. It is also notable for having hosted the 1987 and 2011 Rugby World Cup finals. Upcoming fixtures Round of 16: Switzerland vs Spain (6am 5 August 2023) Second quarter-final: TBD vs TBD (8.30am 11 August 2023) First semi-final: TBD vs TBD (9am 15 August 2023) Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, Australia Also known as Coopers Stadium, the home of A-League side Adelaide United was first opened in 1960 and is one of the smaller venues hosting games at the the World Cup with a crowd capacity of just 13,327. Upcoming fixtures Round of 16: France vs Morocco (12pm 8 August 2023) Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, Victoria, Australia The spectacular home of rugby league side Melbourne Storm, Super Rugby team Melbourne Rebels and the A-League rivals Melbourne Victory FC and Melbourne City FC was opened in 2010. It has a comparatively low capacity of just 28,870, however, which has proven a source of contention given that it will be hosting what is, potentially, one of the games of the tournament: the round of 16 clash between free-scoring Sweden and the current world champions USA. Upcoming fixtures Round of 16: Sweden vs USA (10am 6 August 2023) Round of 16: Colombia vs Jamaica (9am 8 August 2023) Stadium Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia One of the most impressive venues at this tournament is Stadium Australia, built in 1999 to host the 2000 Olympic Games, with an original capacity of 115,000 that has since been reduced to around 80,000. It is also one of the tournament’s busiest, hosting Australia’s next game as well as quarter-final and semi-final matches before the World Cup final itself on Sunday 20 August. Stadium Australia otherwise ordinarily plays host to everything from Aussie rules football and cricket to rugby league and rugby union matches. Upcoming fixtures Round of 16: Australia vs Denmark (11.30am 7 August 2023) Fourth quarter-final: TBD vs TBD (11.30am 12 August 2023) Second semi-final: TBD vs TBD (11am 16 August 2023) Final: TBD vs TBD (11am 20 August 2023) Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Also known as the Allianz Stadium, the Sydney Football Stadium was built in 1988, played a key role in the 2000 Olympics and has been completely revamped in time for this World Cup, reopening last summer and now boasting a capacity of 38,841 Upcoming fixtures Round of 16: Netherlands vs South Africa (3am 6 August 2023) Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand Affectionately known as “The Cake Tin”, the home of rugby sides the Hurricanes and Wellington Lions and A-League outfit Wellington Phoenix was built in 1999 and has a capacity of 31,089. Upcoming fixtures Round of 16: Japan vs Norway (9am 5 August 2023) First quarter-final: TBD vs TBD (2am 11 August 2023) Read More Women’s World Cup 2023 LIVE: Latest scores and updates as Germany battle for knockout spot Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s World Cup group tables and standings: How can each team qualify? When does USWNT play next? World Cup schedule and route to the final Germany suffer Women’s World Cup elimination after South Korea draw Women’s World Cup group tables and standings: How can each team qualify?

Southampton boss Russell Martin says James Ward-Prowse and Romeo Lavia will be involved in Friday night’s Sky Bet Championship opener at Sheffield Wednesday “as it stands”. Both players have been linked with an exit from St Mary’s this summer following last season’s relegation from the Premier League, with Ward-Prowse linked with Fulham and West Ham and Lavia attracting bids from Liverpool. But a transfer for either men have yet to materialise and Martin will utilise them at Hillsborough. “Both will be involved tomorrow night, as it stands, I dont know what will change between now and then,” he said in his pre-match press conference. “Do I think they will be Southampton players at the end of the window? I have not got a clue. What I hope, what I think, is probably very different. “It would be pointless for me to come out and say, ‘I think they will be here, I don’t think they’ll be here’, because ultimately I have no control over that. “If they are both not here, or one is not here it is because the club and the player think they have something which is beneficial for everyone. “That will be the case, that is why it has dragged on and why it will probably continue to drag on. But while they have been here, both have been great and both will be involved tomorrow night. As it stands.” Kamaldeen Sulemana is injured and will miss the trip to South Yorkshire, while Sekou Mara is a doubt. Read More Football rumours: Harry Kane will not sign new Tottenham deal Women’s World Cup LIVE: Scores, updates and latest news Josko Gvardiol close to making £77.5m move to Manchester City

Former NFL star Tom Brady has become a minority owner of Championship club Birmingham City. The seven-time Super Bowl champion, recognised as one of the sporting greats, has partnered with the club’s holding company Knighthead Capital Management LLC and becomes chairman of a new advisory board. The club say Brady will “apply his extensive leadership experience and expertise across several components of the club, including working alongside the sports science department to advise on health, nutrition, wellness, and recovery systems and programs”. He said on the club’s official website: “Birmingham is an iconic club with so much history and passion and to be part of the Blues is a real honour for me. “BCFC is built on teamwork and determination and I’m excited to work alongside the board, management and players to make our second-city club second to none. “I’ve been part of some amazing teams in my day, and I’m looking forward to applying my perspective to create that same success here in Birmingham.” Brady has partnered up with Knighthead Capital on several other ventures and new Blues chairman Tom Wagner is looking forward to Brady’s “direct impact”. He said: “Tom Brady joining the Birmingham team is a statement of intent. We are setting the bar at world class. “Tom is both investing and committing his time and extensive expertise. As chair of the advisory board Tom will have a direct impact on the club. The men’s, women’s, and academy teams are going to benefit from the knowledge. “The goal that Tom has committed to own is to make Birmingham a respected leader in nutrition, health, wellness, and recovery across the world of football. “A commitment to Blues fans was made on Monday May 8 2023, to add experts from the world of sport and football to the team, putting in place the building blocks for future success. With Garry Cook as CEO, Hope Powell as women’s technical director and now Tom Brady we are off to a fast start. “Success does not come overnight. It takes time. But when you have great leaders in place everything becomes possible.” Read More A new era for old empires? How a summer of rebuilding could change the Premier League Man United join Lavia chase as midfield transfers shape the market Liverpool left with midfield muddle – but Reds have reason for optimism A new era for old empires? How a summer of rebuilding could change the Premier League Man United join Lavia chase as midfield transfers shape the market Liverpool left with midfield muddle – but Reds have reason for optimism