Month: July 2020

Categories
Golf Sports News

Rahm becomes golf number one

Jon Rahm wiped away a tear of joy after replacing Rory McIlroy as world number one by winning the Memorial Tournament.

A three-over-par 75 was enough to win on nine under, three clear of American Ryan Palmer (74), with Matt Fitzpatrick (68) third on five under, with fellow Englishman Matt Wallace (72) one back.

Rahm is the second Spaniard, after Seve Ballesteros, to top the rankings.

“I’ve accomplished a lifelong goal and any time I can join Spanish history with Seve is incredible,” said Rahm.

“But it’s hard to process right now because golf feels secondary. I lost two family members in the [coronavirus] quarantine.

“There are so many things going through my mind right now that have nothing to do with golf.”

This was the sixth PGA Tour event since professional golf resumed in the United States after an enforced three-month shutdown and had been been earmarked as the first to allow fans in to watch. 

However, last week the PGA Tour said the remaining nine events of this season would take place behind closed doors as cases of coronavirus continue to soar in the country.

Categories
F1

Lewis Hamilton wins Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton moved into the world championship lead for the first time this season with a dominant victory in the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver pulled out an eight-second lead in three wet laps at the start of the race before switching to dry tyres, and controlled the race from there.

Hamilton even had time to stop for fresh tyres with three laps to go to grab the extra point for fastest lap.

Valtteri Bottas failed in an attempt to pass Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for second, giving Hamilton a five-point championship lead over his team-mate after three races.

Verstappen’s second place was extraordinary, for he crashed on the laps to the grid and damaged both his front wing and suspension.

The Red Bull mechanics worked wonders to change his left front push-rod on the grid in the time permitted and get him into the race and he then drove a superb race to hold off Bottas at the end.

Categories
football Sports News

Chelsea defeat United to get to final

Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea endured a Wembley nightmare as Chelsea strolled to victory and set up an FA Cup final date with Arsenal.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ditched his usual FA Cup keeper Sergio Romero to keep faith with De Gea – but the experienced Spain international produced two horrendous errors either side of half-time to gift Chelsea two goals.

De Gea made a flimsy attempt to deal with Olivier Giroud’s flick in first-half stoppage time then weakly fumbled Mason Mount’s tame 20-yard shot into the net moments after the restart.

Chelsea’s excellent performance fully merited this victory and United’s abject misery after a dreadful performance was complete when captain Harry Maguire diverted Marcos Alonso’s cross into his own net at the near post with 16 minutes left.

Frank Lampard’s side were in complete control from first to last as they comprehensively ended Manchester United’s 19-match unbeaten run in all competitions.

Bruno Fernandes pulled a goal back from the penalty spot late on after Callum Hudson-Odoi fouled Anthony Martial but it could not even be described as a consolation as Chelsea closed out the win

Categories
football Sports News

Real Madrid end Title winning season with a draw

Champions Real Madrid drew their final La Liga game which relegated opponents Leganes to the second division.

Celta Vigo’s goalless draw at Espanyol was enough to keep them up by a single point at the expense of Leganes.

Captain Sergio Ramos netted his 12th goal of the season by heading in from Isco’s cross for Real, who had wrapped up the title in their previous game.

Bryan Gil and Roger Assale netted either side of Marco Asensio’s strike but it was not enough for the visitors.

Leganes needed to find a late goal to leap out of the bottom three and Oscar broke forward in the 96th minute, but lashed his effort over from the edge of the area.

Zinedine Zidane’s side will look to overturn a 2-1 first-leg loss against Manchester City in the Champions League last 16 when they return to action in August.

Categories
football Sports News

Messi breaks Xavi record as Barcelona win


Lionel Messi won his seventh La Liga golden boot – and his fourth in a row – after scoring twice in Barcelona’s win over Alaves on the final day.

The Barca captain finished on 25 goals, four clear of Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema.

The game was not of importance as Real clinched the La Liga title on Thursday.

Messi rounded the keeper to make it 2-0 and swept in a fifth – with teenager Ansu Fati, Luis Suarez and Nelson Semedo scoring the other goals.

Riqui Puig, Messi and Arturo Vidal all hit the woodwork before Fati opened the scoring.

This is the first time La Liga’s top scorer has managed fewer than 30 goals since Mallorca’s Daniel Guiza 12 years ago.

Barca, who only named five out of a possible 12 substitutes, host Napoli in the Champions League last-16 second leg on 8 August, having drawn 1-1 in Italy.

Categories
football Sports News

“THIS LEAGUE IS UNFORGIVING” : TIM KRUL BITTERED AFTER BURNLEY LOSS.

Norwich City goalkeeper, Tim Krul has provided an honest assessment of the Burnley game on Saturday, after a 2-0 defeat to the Clarets.


Speaking to the club website, he said: “It’s difficult to find words if I’m honest. I think we’ve let ourselves down a little bit over the last few weeks, I’ve said it before. At the start of the season I definitely thought we had enough in this squad to be staying up.


“There’s obviously been more reasons, I don’t want to chuck too many excuses on it but with injuries, seeing Zimbo [Christoph Zimmermann] back today is the only positive. We’ve definitely missed him this year, he’s a rock.
“All centre-halves have been injured in some way this season and I think there’s been a big doubt. To analyse today, you nearly can’t.


“I’m really proud of the effort in the second-half, the way we defended with nine men, Ben [Godfrey] in particular blocking and heading everything with Zimbo. It’s hard that he scored an own goal. If you go with nine men in the second-half, the game is over.”


“Zimbo is a massive player for us, he’s shown it for years now and he’s a leader we’ve been missing. I’m pleased to see him back, he’s been working extremely hard in the background, but at the end of the day the season is over and that’s the hardest thing to take.”


Speaking on performances since the restart, Krul says although the right intentions were in place, the quality simply hasn’t been present.
“We’ve been in some games; we just haven’t been able to nick a draw and it’s frustrating. This league is unforgiving, and you can see that today. It’s hard enough with eleven men and to go down with nine is highly disappointing.


“Fans are not here; we haven’t been able to give them anything after the break. It’s been very disappointing since we have returned. 
“We haven’t been able to turn things around, the intentions were there, we’ve worked hard. The quality just hasn’t been there the last few months.”

Categories
football Sports News

ARSENAL DEFEAT MAN CITY

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta outmanoeuvred his mentor Pep Guardiola as the Gunners reached the FA Cup final with victory at Wembley.

Arteta, who left his job as Manchester City assistant manager to succeed Unai Emery at Arsenal in December, now has a chance to mark his first season in charge with major silverware when they face Chelsea or Manchester United in the final on 1 August.

The match-winner was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the world-class striker Arsenal are desperate to secure on a new long-term contract, as he ruthlessly exposed City’s defensive deficiencies.

Aubameyang had already shot straight at Ederson with one clear chance but there was no escape for City after 19 minutes when he showed great technique to steer home Nicolas Pepe’s cross with the outside of his foot at the far post.

City dominated possession after the break but squandered their opportunities and Aubameyang made them pay once more in the 71st minute when he raced away on the angle to slide a composed finish under the keeper.

Categories
football Sports News

Bielsa has street named after him in leeds

Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa is set to have a street named after him after he led the club to Premier League promotion.

The Yorkshire side have endured a 16-year long exodus from the English topflight after suffering relegation back in 2004.

Bielsa’s side secured promotion and the Championship title without kicking a ball as West Brom’s shock defeat to Huddersfield and Brentford loss to Stoke City left them at the summit of the second division and crowned champions of the league.

According to the Athletic, the Argentinian manager will be honoured in Leeds by having a street named after him.

A street close to Leeds’ Trinity centre in the heart of the city is now set to be named ‘Marcelo Bielsa Way’ and a mock-up sign has been doing the rounds on social media.

There was more good news for Bielsa, as it was revealed that their promotion to the topflight will earn them a £200million windfall.

That influx of cash will allow him to spend enough to attract some big names to Elland Road as they prepare to rub shoulders with the countries best.

Dr Rob Wilson, a football finance expert, told reporters that promotion ‘should bring up to £140m in the first season for the club’.

If Leeds are then immediately relegated, they will still be set to receive £70million in ‘parachute payments’, guaranteeing the club over £200m.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

Norwich go out on a whimper

Norwich boss Daniel Farke said the two first-half red cards which played a crucial role in his side’s defeat by Burnley were “naive, inexperienced, stupid and not professional”.

Emiliano Buendia was shown a straight red for elbowing Ashley Westwood, after referee Kevin Friend watched a replay on the pitchside monitor.

Nine minutes later, Josip Drmic’s high-studded tackle on Erik Pieters received the same punishment, before Chris Wood’s scuffed overhead kick put Burnley in front on the stroke of half-time.

“Burnley reacted in a way that an experienced, established, smart Premier League side should react. They wanted to break up our rhythm. They tried to null ourselves a little bit, bring hectic into the game, tried to provoke a little bit,” Farke told BBC Sport.

“I’m not accusing them because that’s exactly what you have to do if you’re an experienced team. My players walked into this trap and there were two red cards which of course was crucial to the game.

“You have to call this situation naive, inexperienced, stupid and not professional – all the words fit. The players know what they have done for this team. The red cards are not a doubt.”

It had been an uneventful opening half an hour before Norwich’s capitulation, with just one shot on target from either side.

The hosts defended well at times in the second half to keep the score down but Burnley’s victory was confirmed when Ben Godfrey poked the ball into the back of his own net with 10 minutes remaining.

Norwich become only the third club in the Premier League to lose five in a row at home without scoring, while Burnley move above Arsenal into ninth place.

Categories
football Sports News

Bale left out of squad for Madrid last game

Gareth Bale has been omitted from Real Madrid’s 22-man squad for their final La Liga game of the season against Leganes on Sunday.

Bale was an unused substitute in the game which secured Real’s 34th Spanish league triumph, a 2-1 win over Villarreal on Thursday night.

The Welshman has made two appearances in Madrid’s 10 matches since the season restarted after lockdown in June.

Eden Hazard also misses out on Zinedine Zidane’s squad.

Bale has made headlines in recent weeks for his actions while sitting alongside fellow substitutes during matches, and he appeared to be on the fringes once more as Zidane’s team celebrated the title.

The forward, who turned 31 on the day his side won the league, was pictured standing at a distance with arms folded as manager Zidane was thrown in the air by some of the Real players.

Bale has made only 16 La Liga appearances all season, starting 12 matches.

Hosts Leganes are 18th in the table, a point behind Celta Vigo, and must beat the newly crowned champions to avoid relegation from the Spanish top flight.