List of All Articles with Tag 'sport'

It seems everyone in the world of tennis was riveted by Novak Djokovic’s victory over Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the last tournament for both ahead of the U.S. Open

The Women’s World Cup final had barely started and England realised they were in a bind. Spain’s possession was dragging the players all over the pitch and completely distorting Sarina Wiegman’s shape, which meant they had to press that bit higher. As soon as they did that, however, Aitana Bonmati and those around her just passed their way into even more open space. “That’s the quality of Spain,” a magnanimous Wiegman said afterwards, almost resigned to their superior quality. But that is also a new twist on a vintage problem, one which may point to the future for both England and the game. It’s just over a decade since Premier League midfielders – and the rest of the world – were finding the exact same challenges against Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Sergio Busquets in the men’s game. The comparisons have already been made with this Spanish midfield, led by Aitana. The success of Spain’s men ended up influencing the entire sport, creating a spate of technically adept players, which has now come full circle. Frenetic pressing reigns for men, but it took over a decade. The women’s game is at the other side of the curve. Spain represent the extreme example of an ongoing transformation, that has already seen the technique of European academies take the game – and the ball – away from the United States. It is going to have increasing influence. It may also pose a problem for England. Because, in recent years, English academies have been among the few in Europe not producing this type of player. It is why, for all the optimism after another international final, there is an issue to work out if this is to be the start of an era rather than just the end of a cycle. There isn’t a single English midfielder at any of the top WSL clubs in Arsenal, Manchester City or Chelsea. At least one manager in the division is known to have complained about it, pointing to a lack of quality coming through in that area. “There’s no one in the pipeline,” one involved source says. England is obviously still producing a lot of talent, but it’s mostly in other positions. There’s also a feeling that this tournament – and especially that landmark final against Spain – showed England are missing exactly that approach. That is something that has been said before. An obvious response here is that Georgia Stanway is at Bayern Munich and Keira Walsh at Barcelona. That’s part of the issue, though. Stanway is superb in that role but was made isolated by Spain's superior numbers here. The Barcelona players deeply respect Walsh as a world-class midfielder, but not primarily for that pace of pass. The main point was that Spain were able to just play around and through them. And, having had such success with this, the rest of the world is going to seek to emulate Spain further. England may not be able to in the same way, for some time, because they lack that kind of player. It similarly points to a schism that was already evident throughout this World Cup, and again goes back further in the men’s game. Spain’s midfield technique both comes from and facilitates a deeper ideology. Without that, Wiegman had to go to a more pragmatic approach. That may have to continue if she does stay in the job, but could be an even bigger issue for her successor. That doesn’t mean it is a terminal problem, or even completely prohibitive to more trophies. English academies are still producing so much talent in general. They just need to get back to thinking about a specific type of talent in midfield, and also about how to stop such players. It is the future of the sport. Read More Fans wait overnight for Lionesses return – but team use private airport exit Spanish president’s kiss was an abuse of power that never should have happened Women’s World Cup 2023 LIVE: England head home after final heartbreak Lionesses receive surprise reception as they start journey back to England England’s impact will last far longer than pain of World Cup final defeat How not to win a World Cup: Spain, Jorge Vilda and the story of a complicated victory

Scotland have an all-new front row and Darcy Graham back on the wing for their final Rugby World

Jason Kelce has mixed fun and football like no one else for the Philadelphia Eagles

A record label has released an unofficial Mary Earps goalkeeper shirt for charity, following the ongoing row with Nike, who won't sell merch of the Golden Glove winner. Jack Clothier, the 41-year-old founder of Alcopop Records in Oxford, took on board the 90,000-strong petition, and designed the top, which will be sold for £15, with proceeds going to Football Beyond Borders. "It seemed like a very weird decision to take the criticism from Mary herself and not do something about it", he said. "They should be supporting people who are genuinely inspiring a whole new level of athletes." Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Some bad news for Kyle Walker. Manchester City’s oldest player, the third-choice goalkeeper Scott Carson excepted, has age-defying speed and prides himself on his pace. And yet there may come a point in the near future when he finds himself only the second-quickest player on their right flank. Jeremy Doku’s acceleration impressed even Kylian Mbappe – “I have never seen someone develop so much strength from a standstill as him,” – football’s answer to Usain Bolt said in 2021, and his arrival in England might not be welcomed by opposing full-backs who are not as fast as Walker. If the Rennes winger signs as immediate replacement for Riyad Mahrez, in a sense he is more of a belated successor to Leroy Sane: the sprinter, the roadrunner with the scorched earth policy. And part of the intrigue behind his £55m deal is because, in various ways, Doku is the antithesis of a Pep Guardiola winger; certainly of a recent Guardiola winger. Think of Mahrez, Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva and a common denominator is a midfielder’s skillset, a capacity to retain possession, often while cutting infield. In contrast, Doku is likelier to run forwards, often at a rate of knots, taking on defenders. He averaged more than 10 dribbles per 90 minutes last season. He had the most successful take-ons in Ligue 1 in 2020-21 and the second most last season, behind only Lionel Messi (and third only in the five major European leagues, in a table topped by Vinicius Junior). If the sense is that Grealish has been a more restrained player at City, exhibiting more positional discipline, running wild and free less often than at Aston Villa, Doku can be a spectacular solo artist. Perhaps the pick of his goals for Rennes was a burst from his own half against Ajaccio, taking him past three defenders. It was the sort that City rarely score these days but also one they rarely try to. And Doku invites comparisons with Allan Saint-Maximin and Adama Traore, two great entertainers and crowd-pleasers with the ability to torment defenders with electric surges but who can lack productivity. Doku’s goalscoring return – six in 37 games for Anderlecht, 12 in 92 for Rennes – is mediocre and emulating Sane, who scored 14 and 16 in successive seasons for City, or Mahrez, who got 24 and 15 in his last two campaigns, would require a dramatic improvement. Yet while he only registered two assists in Ligue 1 last season, his expected assists per 90 minutes was the joint fourth best in the division – his teammates missed too many of the chances he created. Nevertheless, he has the feel of a project player for Guardiola: it is easy to imagine melodramatic, if rather incomprehensible, gestures from the touchline if Doku is so busy on solo runs that he fails to pick out colleagues. But that speed and ability to commit several opponents comes with a capacity to mean other City players will be free; the key then will be the decision-making of when to pass and who to find. Certainly, Doku is young enough to learn: a prodigy at still just 21. He has been touted for the top for years. Doku’s father suggested that, on a visit to Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp saw his son as a successor to Sadio Mane. He has been on many shortlists, scouted by everyone. That Rennes paid a club record €26m (£22m) for a teenager seemed designed with resale value in mind and, while he did not realise his potential with them, they will pocket a healthy profit with a £55m sale. At international level, Roberto Martinez first capped him for Belgium at 18 but, while Doku excelled in the Euro 2020 quarter-final exit to Italy, he was given just 18 minutes in last year’s World Cup. With Eden Hazard in international retirement, he could take over from one of his country’s golden generation. For City, he might add another dimension or look a Plan B. His counter-attacking menace may be less relevant when teams defend deep against the treble winners, as they often do. Perhaps, though, it could make him more useful against more ambitious opponents, who are often the better sides. Or maybe he suggests another shift in their style of play. Guardiola used false nines but then got a towering, prolific centre-forward in Erling Haaland. His full-backs were often midfielders by trade until he started playing centre-backs there recently. His wingers often had certain similarities with midfielders – in the cases of Silva, Grealish and Phil Foden, they have spent much of their careers infield – but Doku is more dribbler than distributor, more touchline sprinter than tiki-taka passer. And, before he even gets on the pitch, his training-ground contests with Walker could be well worth watching. Read More Football rumours: Arsenal put £50million fee on Folarin Balogun as rival circles Pep Guardiola to miss Man City matches after emergency surgery Man City agree £55m fee for winger - which could see Cole Palmer depart

Logan Paul vs Dillon Danis has been added to the KSI vs Tommy Fury fight card in October. YouTube star Paul has boxed before, drawing with KSI in an amateur bout and losing to his now-business partner in a professional contest, and the American has also taken on Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition fight. Now Paul, 28, will return to the boxing ring – having spent much of the last year in the wrestling ring with WWE – as he fights Danis on 14 October. Danis, 29, is an ex-teammate of UFC star Conor McGregor and has fought in MMA promotion Bellator. The American is best known as a jiu-jitsu practitioner, and he withdrew from a boxing match with KSI (real name Olajide Olatunji) in January. Upon Tuesday’s announcement of the upcoming fight at Manchester’s AO Arena, Paul said: “Almost two years after fighting the greatest boxer of all time, I am so pumped to return to the boxing ring. “Manchester, I hope you are ready for a night you will never forget, because The Prime Card is delivering in a big way, with KSI and I on either side of a double main event. “The world has seen the energy, athleticism and showmanship I’ve brought to WWE, but this October I plan on reminding everyone that I can bring it to boxing, too.” Paul and KSI launched the energy-drink company Prime together in 2022. Danis added: “I couldn’t care less what Logan Paul has done in the WWE, because when he is in the boxing ring, he is in a completely different world. It’s a world of pain, a world where he doesn’t have control, and it’s my world – not his. “On 14 October, in Manchester, Logan Paul is getting beat down.” Paul’s younger brother Jake, 26, has boxed more frequently than his sibling, compiling a 7-1 pro record. On Saturday, Jake Paul beat ex-UFC fighter Nate Diaz on points in Dallas. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More KSI vs Tommy Fury: When is fight and how to watch KSI vs Tommy Fury press conference features flipped tables and thrown cake as Logan Paul and Dillon Danis get heated Don’t sneer at the boxing crossovers – they’re lucrative, successful and here to stay Tommy Fury and KSI press conference chaos as John Fury flips and kicks over tables KSI vs Tommy Fury press conference features flipped tables and thrown cake KSI vs Tommy Fury press conference LIVE: Logan Paul and Dillon Danis face off

KSI and Tommy Fury will fight each other in a boxing match in October, as their brewing rivalry threatens to boil over. YouTube star KSI, 30, has fought several times, notably drawing with Logan Paul in 2018 then beating him in 2019, and most recently fighting Joe Fournier to a No Contest. KSI (real name Olajide Olatunji) knocked out Fournier with an illegal elbow in May, and the result was later overturned. Meanwhile, Fury – half-brother of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson – is unbeaten like KSI but with much more professional experience. The 24-year-old is 9-0 as a pro, having most recently beaten Jake Paul on points in February. After KSI’s contest with Fournier, ex-Love Island contestant Fury entered the ring for a face-off, and the pair will share a ring again when they square off in October. Here’s all you need to know. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. When is the fight? KSI vs Fury will take place at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday 14 October. No timings for the event have yet been announced, but the main card is likely to begin at 7pm BST (11am PT, 1pm CT, 2pm ET). Ring walks for the main event are likely to follow at around 10pm BST (2pm PT, 4pm CT, 5pm ET). How can I watch it? The event will air live on the streaming platform Dazn. It will be available to existing subscribers, and it will also be purchasable on Dazn Pay-Per-View for non-subscribers. A Dazn subscription is available to purchase here, with monthly plans starting at £9.99. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the KSI vs Tommy Fury fight then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help: get great deals on the best VPNs in the market. Who else is fighting? Logan Paul, KSI’s opponent-turned-business partner at their Prime energy-drink company, will fight in the evening’s other ‘main event’. He will box Dillon Danis, former teammate of UFC icon Conor McGregor. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More KSI vs Tommy Fury press conference features flipped tables and thrown cake as Logan Paul and Dillon Danis get heated Terence Crawford’s masterclass puts him in conversation to be an all-time great Justin Gaethje stuns Dustin Poirier with brutal head-kick knockout at UFC 291

Men are airing their annoyance at plans to make a bronze statue to celebrate the Matildas at the World Cup. The Matildas, who came fourth in the Women’s World Cup, were celebrated in Brisbane on Sunday and handed the Keys to the City by the Lord Mayor. During the celebrations, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed that a statue will be built in honour of the team. “We’re going to increase the legacy funding for women’s football including upgrades to major venues where football is played across Queensland,” Palaszczuk said. “But wait there’s one more thing. As a lasting tribute to 2023 Matildas we will build a statue at Suncorp Stadium. “There are plenty (of statues) there, celebrating our male sporting champions, it’s time we celebrated women as well… you deserve your place amongst the greatest.” British TV host Piers Morgan was one of the first to complain about the announcement, retweeting the news writing: “A statute for coming 4th? Is this a joke?” Sky News Australia host Laura Jays responded to Morgan, offering to explain what the team means to Australia. “Long lunch and I’ll explain the Matildas effect,” Jays said. “Half the country watched the match. This is a country that is dominated by men’s AFL and NRL.” “It’s a big deal. And the start of something very big for women’s sport.” However, she failed to get Morgan to consider her, and millions of Matildas’ fans perspective, simply replying to Jays with: “Never had you down as a participation prize fan.” Many also disagreed with Morgan in the comments, sharing how ‘proud’ they are of the Matildas, and that they had united the country. However, it seems Morgan isn’t the only man frustrated the idea of the statue writing. Former Australian NBA star Andrew Bogut wrote on Twitter: “Matildas did well… Statue? No. A Gold/First Place is a statue and over the top celebration worthy achievement,” he wrote. Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios shared his opinion about the news: “Agree. Great effort! Statue for fourth is nuts but they had us all on the edge of our seats! Next time.” Morgan later doubled-down on his comments, responding to some on Twitter by saying, “mate, no offence but the Matildas got beaten by England, and even lost the 3rd/4th play-off.” Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter 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.

The coach of Spain’s Women’s World Cup champion soccer team is facing scrutiny after footage emerged showing him touching the chest area of a female assistant while celebrating the only goal of the final

The antics of Spain’s football federation president Luis Rubiales at Sunday’s World Cup final highlight the level of “misogyny and sexism” within the organisation, American star Megan Rapinoe has said. Rubiales issued an apology on Monday for kissing Spain midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the trophy presentation ceremony, something Rapinoe described as a “physical assault”, and was also pictured grabbing his crotch in celebration of his country’s win over England in Sydney. He is still facing calls to resign, with Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez describing the apology as “insufficient”. The Spanish federation (RFEF) announced on Tuesday night it had called an extraordinary meeting of its general assembly for Friday, and that “internal proceedings” were open in relation to integrity issues arising from the trophy ceremony. Rapinoe, who featured in the World Cup for the United States, told American magazine The Atlantic: “There was another picture that signals such a deep level of misogyny and sexism in that federation and in that man (Rubiales) at the final whistle, just grabbing his crotch. “What kind of upside-down world are we in? On the biggest stage, where you should be celebrating, Jenni has to be physically assaulted by this guy.” Fifteen Spain players were involved in a dispute with the federation prior to the finals, with the coaching methods of Jorge Vilda reportedly among their concerns. However, the RFEF refused to budge, with a statement saying those involved would only be able to return to the national team “if they accept their mistake and ask for forgiveness”. “Think how much that Spanish team had to shoulder: some of the players who stood up way back last year still aren’t on the team,” Rapinoe said. “Maybe that was something that galvanised them, but you shouldn’t have to have that.” Rubiales said on Monday the kiss happened “in a spontaneous way” and “without bad intention” but said it “seems like it has caused a commotion”. Hermoso initially said on social media she “didn’t like” the kiss but a statement on her behalf was later released by the RFEF in which she described it as “spontaneous”. FIFA has so far not issued any comment on the matter, and nor has UEFA, for whom Rubiales is an executive committee member and a vice-president. World players’ union FIFPRO described Rubiales’ behaviour as “deeply lamentable”, adding: “Uninitiated and uninvited physical gestures towards players are not appropriate or acceptable in any context. “This is especially true when players are put in a position of vulnerability because a physical approach or gesture is initiated by a person who holds power over them.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Luke Donald losing sleep over Ryder Cup wild card selections Keely Hodgkinson predicts ‘good race’ against Athing Mu in 800m final Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink calls for patience at Chelsea under Mauricio Pochettino

The first press conference to promote KSI’s fight against Tommy Fury in October descended into chaos on Tuesday, when Tommy’s father John Fury fumed at the “antics” on-stage and flipped a number of tables in anger – but one UFC fighter believes Fury should now “follow it up” and “smack someone”. The comments from Darren Till, a British mixed martial artist with an 18-5 win/loss record, come as the “absolute horse s***” event also saw Dillon Danis walk on wearing a Toy Story alien hat (in reference to Logan Paul’s infamous 2017 ‘suicide forest’ video) and Paul bring out a birthday cake for his rival depicting a bloodied Danis on the canvas. Till told gambling website SafeBettingSites: “The press conference was everything we expected: cringeworthy and embarrassing. “I thought Tommy and Dillon came across better than I expected. John’s John isn’t he? He likes to make a kerfuffle and do nothing about it, so what can you say? “It’s big John Fury! We all have to love him.” The UFC middleweight, who has been filmed sparring with Tyson Fury in the past, added: “Obviously I'm mates with Tyson and the Fury family and they’re a good bunch but how many outbursts can you have without actually doing something? “Now it’s time for him to follow it up and have an outburst and then smack someone!” In further surprising remarks from the fighter, Till claimed Danis – who had to pull out of a fight against KSI earlier this year – “100 per cent” won’t show up for his fight against Paul on 14 October. “He’s not going to take the fight, I’m sure of that, but I’m ready to step in any time and they can contact me or my management. All the details are on Twitter [X].” And then, in comments which will likely irritate KSI, Till noted the YouTuber did “look a little bit scared” during his face-off against Tommy Fury and that “Jake Paul’s probably the only guy who’s beating any real fighters at the moment”. While KSI co-founded Prime with former boxing opponent Logan, the YouTuber has had a long-running feud with Jake ever since he defeated content creator Joe Weller in 2018 for his first fight and called out the “It’s Everyday Bro” rapper in an interview afterwards. After Jake Paul took on Tommy Fury himself in a boxing match earlier this year, and secured his first loss, KSI released a video in which he said, while bursting out laughing: “They said you can’t beat a professional fighter, and they were right! You couldn’t!” Previous opponents for the younger Paul brother have included former basketball player Nate Robinson, ex-MMA star Ben Askren and former UFC champion Tyron Woodley. While KSI claimed during Tuesday’s press conference that “people are going to look at me differently” if he is victorious, Tommy Fury insisted “YouTube boxing will be done” if he defeats the rapper. However, Till believes the form of boxing is “here to stay”. “Jake’s at the forefront and Tommy’s already beaten him, although it was a close fight. I think influencer boxing is here to stay and we just have to make do with it because it's where the money is,” he said. KSI and Logan Paul take on Tommy Fury and Dillon Danis respectively on 14 October in Manchester. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter 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.