List of All Articles with Tag 'sport'

Harry Kane put the uncertainty over his future to one side to score four times in Tottenham’s 5-1 pre-season friendly win over Shakhtar Donetsk. Kane has been the subject of interest from Bayern Munich all summer and the German club are reported to have lodged their latest bid for the forward on Friday. An apparent self-imposed deadline of midnight was also set by Bayern, but there has been no further news on the outcome of that bid and Kane showed no signs that he was distracted by grabbing a hat-trick in 55 minutes against Shakhtar while being continuously serenaded by the home crowd. Sunday’s fixture was new boss Ange Postecoglou’s first match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and he was introduced before kick-off to strong applause. The decibel level were raised even more when Kane’s name was announced after he was included in the starting line-up and given the captain’s armband in the absence of Hugo Lloris. After Kane had two early shots saved, he scored the first of his four-goal salvo in the 38th-minute when he fired home from the penalty spot after James Maddison had been brought down in the area. Shakhtar did level on the verge of half-time when Kevin Kelsy headed in from close-range, but it was soon back to the Kane show. Maddison again combined with his England team-mate in the 50th-minute when his floated crossed was nodded in at the back post by Kane. The hat-trick was completed five minutes later when Son passed into Dejan Kulusevski, who slipped the ball between Mykola Matviyenko’s legs and Kane drilled into the bottom corner. Spurs’ record goal-scorer had already heard several renditions of ‘he’s one of our own’ before his treble but a section of the South Stand chanted ‘we want you to stay’ after his third goal. There was still time for one more Kane goal when substitute Manor Solomon saw his curled shot saved and Kane was there to tap in from close-range in the 79th-minute. Postecoglou replaced the forward a minute later and Kane left the pitch to a standing ovation before he responded with applause to all four corners of the ground. Academy graduate Dane Scarlett replaced Kane and scored with the last kick of the game with a fine left-footed effort from Kulusevski’s cross. The full-time whistle followed and Kane walked over on his own to each side of the stadium to clap the fans still in attendance in what Tottenham supporters will hope is not the last time they have seen their all-time leading goal-scorer. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Leicestershire-born Ashleigh Plumptre out to beat England at Women’s World Cup Dozens of triathletes stuck down with diarrhoea and vomiting after ‘swimming in s**t’ Finn Russell expects different challenge from full-strength France next week

Ex-England youth international Ashleigh Plumptre insists it was a simple choice to switch allegiances to Nigeria, who on Monday night could knock her native country out of the World Cup. Leicestershire born and raised Plumptre, 25, has represented England from under-15 to under-23 level, but in January 2022 received FIFA’s approval to join the Super Falcons. Plumptre, who three weeks ago left Leicester after making 79 appearances for the Women’s Super League side, grew up with a half-Nigerian dad whose own father was born in Lagos. The defender said: “For me, it wasn’t difficult because I knew exactly what I wanted from football and I think that just came down from understanding who I am. On my journey, I’ve learned more about myself and I know what I want from football. “And I always say, ‘for me, it’s more than just playing.’ It sounds really weird but I always say I’m not obsessed with football, specifically, I’m obsessed with what I can learn about myself from playing. “And that’s why playing for Nigeria would probably be the most fulfilling thing I could do. “Not to say that my experiences were ever bad with England, they never were, but it was just more that my life went on a different course. “And I’m like, hmm, this is important for me, for my sister, for my family and for the young people who identify as being mixed heritage.” In an interview for the Nigerian Football Federation, Plumptre describes her younger half-sister Bayleigh Bisi as having a darker skin tone and different hair texture, which initially led to her more strongly resonating with their Nigerian heritage. Plumptre feels her own journey is entwined with her sibling’s – going so far as to say that the road to this World Cup, which saw world number 40 Nigeria oust Olympic champions Canada en route to the knockouts, is one shared by them both. She added: “I feel like people have different reasons for wanting to play for a different country. “For me, obviously, I grew up playing for England and I enjoyed my time with them but I always say it was always more of a life decision than a football decision. “I felt like I had a responsibility to try and play for Nigeria, if I could. “And that just came from experiences within family. I’ve got my younger sister, I used to coach an under-12s team with girls with mixed heritage girls, and I feel like I have a responsibility to learn about my heritage and I have the privilege of being able to play football and use that to be able to learn, so it came about like that for me.” Nigeria have contested all nine World Cups, reaching the quarter-finals in 1999. Should they wish to equal or better that feat they will have to find their way past European champions England. Plumptre is prepared to face the Lionesses, a side which includes several former team-mates. She said: “I was like, ‘it’s gonna end up that way’. I know a lot of the players, I grew up playing with a lot of them, play against them. So I would completely relish that opportunity. I would love to play them.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Harry Kane puts speculation to one side with four goals in Tottenham friendly Dozens of triathletes stuck down with diarrhoea and vomiting after ‘swimming in s**t’ Finn Russell expects different challenge from full-strength France next week

Megan Rapinoe wanted a different finish for her final Women’s World Cup

Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund reported a $15.6 billion comprehensive loss for 2022 after the value of its

Tim Anderson is not in Chicago’s starting lineup while Cleveland’s José Ramírez is playing as Major League Baseball weighs likely discipline following a fight and wild brawl in Saturday night’s game

The Community Shield is always a game for the calendar - the official opening of elite action in England’s men’s game. This time around it’s treble-winners Manchester City and last season’s Premier League runners-up Arsenal who meet at Wembley, fighting for the first prize of the new campaign. Mikel Arteta has added the likes of Declan Rice and Kai Havertz to his squad this summer, while Mateo Kovacic has traded Chelsea for Man City as a replacement for Ilkay Gundogan. While not usually a match which foretells the fortunes of the season ahead, it’s still an intriguing opportunity to see where these respective squads are ahead of the opening game of the 2023/24 league next term. Follow live updates from the Community Shield at Wembley below:

The United States got the result that was coming, but in a manner that no one could have predicted. The USA’s reign of dominance at the Women’s World Cup is over; after two consecutive titles and four overall, they suffered their earliest-ever exit from the competition at the hands of a familiar opponent. After victories over the USA at the previous two Olympics, Sweden struck again. This time it was by the finest of margins, with Lina Hurtig’s winning penalty crossing the line by barely an inch, awarded by VAR amid confusion, madness and heartbreak. It brought one of the most successful eras in sport to a close. The USA set the standard and led the way at the Women’s World Cup, but now the rest of the world has caught up. Megan Rapinoe could only laugh, and then cry, as her penalty was blazed over the bar. Player of the tournament in 2019 and a winner in 2015, her final touch at her final World Cup in 2023 was an ignominious one. Kelley O’Hara, another stalwart of the USA’s golden age, also missed at a crucial moment, setting up Hurtig’s final blow. The USA will now turn to a new generation, but this defeat will leave its mark. Sophia Smith, the next star of the USA team, missed the chance to send the defending champions through to the quarter-finals, firing high and wide. That could have been her moment, instead it could also spell the end for Vlatko Andonovski. The head coach faced an arduous task in following the two-time World Cup winner Jill Ellis, but he has now resided over the USA’s worst ever campaign at the tournament. His substitutions, or lack of them, against Sweden contributed to their undoing. But defeat, although perhaps not like this, always felt inevitable. It could have come even earlier. After scraping past Portugal in the group stages, the writing felt on the wall. Yet the USA were improved against Sweden. Had it not been for an outstanding performance from goalkeeper Zecira Muscovic, then the USA may have survived long enough to face former foes Japan in the quarter-finals. Muscovic was sublime, another goalkeeper to win player of the match at this World Cup, yet the ironic twist was Sweden won the shoot-out without her needing to make a save. A painful exit at least offers the USA a chance to start again. How they needed it, with a squad that looked trapped between sending out the old generation in a blaze of glory and bringing in the new. The problem for the USA as it attempts to build its next great team is that they are no longer the powerful force in women’s football. The past four years has seen the stunning rise of the European club game and its league, powering England and Spain to new heights, while the past two weeks at the World Cup has demonstrated how other countries around the world have been lifted up by advances in coaching and player development. The USA are no longer at the forefront of that change: the best players in the world are being born in countries like Colombia, and are being nurtured at the powerhouses in Europe. This will be a wake-up call not just for the USA but their entire structure, from its domestic league to its youth development. There was plenty of evidence at this World Cup that the USA’s next line of talent aren’t at the level of previous generations. The USA may have been hit by injuries ahead of the tournament, and were certainly held back by Andonovski’s stale tactics, but none of Smith, Alyssa Thompson or Trinity Rodman lived up to the expectations, especially when compared to the young talent elsewhere at the World Cup. The USA again played a front three that showed little cohesion, a collection of straight lines that failed to connect. There was Rodman, and then Lynn Williams, charging down the right wing, unable to find the crosses. Alex Morgan herself starved of service and confidence, struggling to find the space to make an impact, or the finishing to make her chances count. Smith represents another disjointed fragment, who would surely be starting through the middle if not for Morgan’s history at the World Cup. There was very little change from the bench: Andonovski’s side were more competitive in midfield against Sweden, but failed to find an extra gear when they were clearly on top. The problem for the USA was everyone wanted to be the match-winner: Rapinoe, looking to take a thrown in quickly at the halfway line after coming on as a substitute in extra time, instead launching the ball downfield to where she should have been standing. A different USA side, perhaps of four years ago, wouldn’t have allowed this to reach its dramatic but wildly unpredictable conclusion. It’s been a brilliant World Cup, but this wasn’t a classic, at least in terms of attacking plan. Instead, it was a classic of a different genre, that of a tense and nervy knockout stage clash. Sweden were passive: they had an opportunity to trouble the USA, given the noise around the build-up to the fixture, but ceded control. Sweden played for moments from set-pieces, as if feeding off scraps. The inswinging deliveries from Joanna Andersson targeted USA goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and a packed six-yard box. Naeher at least dealt with the threat, punching and swinging to clear the danger; Sweden offered little else. For the first time in three games, the USA had the brighter moments: Smith struck at Muscovic after finding space on the right, with Rodman also able to create some moments of danger when roaming inside. Lindsey Horan, goalscorer against Vietnam and the Netherlands, hit the crossbar with a header on the half-hour, the USA almost using Sweden’s strength against them. Horan threatened again in the second half, curling a first-time shot that beckoned the far corner before Muscovic made an excellent diving stop to her left. The contest was destined for extra-time from as early as the first half - it took until the 85th minute for Sweden to have their first shot on target - but much of that was also down to the outstanding Muscovic. The goalkeeper kept Sweden alive with her best save of the match, denying Morgan’s late header when the USA striker seemed set for her moment of the World Cup. Instead, after she was spurned again by Muscovic with a snap-shot, Morgan soon departed. A joint-winner of the Golden Boot in 2019, Morgan left goalless at the World Cup in 2023. Morgan could only watch on at what happened next, powerless to stop what in the end was the inevitable. This was a World Cup too far, for a team who need a new plan. Read More From Megan Rapinoe’s miss to VAR drama: How the USA and Sweden’s penalty shoot-out unfolded Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Sarina Wiegman reveals stunning Keira Walsh fitness update on eve of Nigeria clash Women’s World Cup golden boot: Who’s leading the top-scorer standings? South Africa exit the Women’s World Cup having left their mark When do England play next? Women’s World Cup fixtures and route to the final

A player for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles who was accused of raping and kidnapping a woman in 2019 has been acquitted of the charges, according to documents filed in Guernsey County Court in Ohio.

Lina Hurtig’s converted her penalty and Sweden knocked the United States out of the World Cup 5-4 on penalties after a scoreless draw at the Women’s World Cup

Reigning champions the United States were knocked out of the Women’s World Cup after the VAR intervened in a dramatic penalty shoot-out against Sweden. Lina Hurtig’s winning penalty was found to have crossed the line following a check with the VAR officials after USA goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher appeared to have saved the effort. Replays showed the ball had just crossed the line and Sweden were able to celebrate a 5-4 win on penalties after a goalless draw in the last-16 clash in Melbourne. The back-to-back defending champions led 3-2 in the shoot-out but misses by Megan Rapinoe and Sophia Smith opened the door for Sweden to take it to sudden death. Goalkeeper Naeher scored for the United States but with their next effort Kelley O’Hara hit the right post to give Hurtig the chance to win it. Her shot was blocked by Naeher, who then reached behind her to claw the ball away as it looped up in the air, but she was a fraction too late to stop Sweden moving on to the quarter-finals. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

Randy Waldrum was described by one federation official as the worst coach to ever lead the Super Falcons to a Women’s World Cup when he dared speak up about pay and conditions for the Nigeria women’s team

The United States’ Women’s World Cup hopes are on the line as the defending champions face Sweden in the last-16 in Melbourne. The USA only scraped through Group E as runners-up, with the four-time champions avoiding an early exit by the narrowest of margins as Portugal hit the post in stoppage time Vlatko Andonovski’s side are under pressure after failing to win two World Cup group stage matches for the first time in their history, and face a Sweden side who cruised into the last-16 with three wins out of three. Sweden defeated the USA 3-0 on their way to winning the Olympics silver medal two years ago, and the side ranked third in the world will be confident that they can pull off the upset. Earlier, Jill Roord scored her fourth goal of the tournament as the Netherlands marched into the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over South Africa at Sydney Football Stadium. Follow live updates from USA vs Sweden as the World Cup last-16 continues. Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? When do England play next? Women’s World Cup fixtures and route to the final