Speaking about the game, Churchill coach Alfred Fernandes said, “We are going good and we have a lot of quality in the team. Hopefully, the success of the team will continue and we have a very respectable position by the end of the season. They were playing with a back five so it was difficult for us to get the opening. When we got the openings, the luck was not there....
The Punekars had a disappointing season having collected 17 points from as many fixtures. Dave Rogers will surely make a handful of changes from the side which was thrashed by The Blues. However, the back four will most likely remain the same with the likes of Kolunji and McFaul operating as centre-backs and Chhetri and Lalrinzuala guarding the either sides of the defence. As for the visiting side, Surinder Singh and company will look to avoid finishing on the last position in the league after having missed out on a spot in the Federation Cup....
Barely a couple of weeks ago, Chennai defeated East Bengal here on the same ground. Will it give confidence to them ahead of their match against another Kolkata rival? When asked this question, Nawaz firmly denied and said Thursday match is a different challenge for them. “I don’t think so. For me, it doesn’t matter. Whenever we take the field, we want to give our full effort. Tomorrow it’s a different ball game....
NEROCA FC too have had a poor start to the league as they found themselves in eighth place in the league table before the game kicked off. Both the teams were desperate for a win as a win could have taken both the sides out of the danger zone. The game started with both the teams taking a cautious approach and getting a feel of the opponents. Slowly the game came into life with both the teams creating more than a few chances....
Last year both the teams finished close to each other at the fifth and sixth place in the league standings, divided by just two points. Both the teams came into the game with a positive mindset and wanted to win the game, to get their respective I-League seasons of too a bright start. It was Lajong who took the early lead in the first half through a Mahesh Singh wonder strike....
Interestingly, as many as seven Indian Super League clubs have fielded their reserve teams in the I-League 2nd Division. While the criteria for making it to the final round will be to top the group or end up as the best second-placed finisher, the seven reserve sides will not be making next round. With a total of four spots up for grabs, TRAU FC have already qualified for the final round, as they are assured of the top spot in Group C with 20 points....
I’m a Hispanic American from a working-class neighborhood. I’m also a progressive. But this hasn’t stopped me from noticing a trend in recent years that goes a long way toward explaining why Latinos are defecting for the GOP: It’s because Democrats don’t take Latino voters seriously. I live in Chula Vista, California, a 20 minute drive from the Mexican frontier. My city’s population is 60 percent Hispanic, and while Chula Vista maintains a steadfast blue majority, people here are socially conservative, or at least fairly traditional....
Zidane has overseen four consecutive draws in all competitions ahead of Saturday’s away match against Real Betis in La Liga. The former France international has been limited in what he can do with his squad as the vast majority have been away on international duty, but he believes his players have come back with the right mindset. Zidane stressed hard work would be his remedy with Madrid facing another four fixtures before the end of the month....
Smith was subjected to chants of ‘Cheater! Cheater!’ on occasions by some of the almost entirely pro-India crowd during the Cricket World Cup clash between the two nations at The Oval on Sunday. However, Kohli could be seen at one stage during India’s innings gesturing to a section of the ground to support Smith, who is back playing again after serving a one-year ban for his part in the ball-tampering scandal that rocked Australian cricket in 2018....
“I would like his power (laughs). I would love to have his equanimity at the end of the innings. Dhoni is just fantastic to bat with at the end of the innings because he is so cool and he has got it all planned out,” Hussey was quoted as saying by IPLT20.com. “While I sometimes get nervous thinking, ‘Oh we’re falling behind the rate’, he is very positive all the time saying, ‘No need to worry, we are right on target’ - very assured and very confident throughout,” he said....
According to the co-editor of IAAF’s National Records for all countries project Heinrich Hubbeling, the list of suspected Indian athletes includes the likes of jumpers Renjith Maheswary (triple jumper), Ankit Sharma (long jumper) and sprinters Dutee Chand and Srabani Nanda. The German officer, who is also an employee of Asian Athletics Association also said that several other athletes from countries all over the world are also being suspected for the same cause....
But the 34-year-old received news he didn’t expect — or want to hear — when he arrived at Royals camp. General manager Dayton Moore, manager Ned Yost and pitching coach Cal Eldred informed him he would serve as a relief pitcher moving forward. From an organizational perspective, it made sense for Kansas City to try something else. Kennedy had pitched to a 5.06 ERA the previous two years, and his durability waned in that time....
New Delhi - The $1 million Indian Badminton League (IBL) today announced that men’s singles World No.16 Daren Liew of Malaysia has replaced Hong Kong shuttler Wong Wing Ki in the Delhi Smashers franchise. Wong got injured at the ongoing World Championships in Guangzhou, China. The IBL governing council approved the request from the Smashers after his unfortunate layoff was conveyed to them by the Hong Kong Badminton Association....
The enigmatic frontman took the call to head into international retirement at the end of Euro 2016. He has, however, suggested that he would be willing to return to the fold for one final outing for his country on the grandest of stages. A commercial partnership with gambling platform Bethard has threatened to scupper those plans – as a result of FIFA regulations relating to betting – but Ibrahimovic insists nothing will prevent him from being in Russia if he decides to take that path....
Ibrahimovic, 36, retired from international football after Euro 2016, having scored a record 62 goals in 116 appearances for his country. There were suggestions the striker could return for the World Cup, but he was overlooked, and Sweden have shown few signs of missing the superstar as they topped Group F to reach the last 16. Ibrahimovic said he was delighted to see his nation performing so well on the world stage....
Chelsea pegged back by Brady stunner Leaders Chelsea are hot favourites to be crowned champions, but Ibrahimovic feels United - who are already in the EFL Cup final - have the potential to win three trophies, while tipping the other sides chasing the Blues to end up empty handed. The striker played as United defeated Watford 2-0 at Old Trafford on Saturday to move within two points of second-placed Tottenham, despite remaining sixth in the table....
The stakes were high between Ibrahimovic and Beckham before England defeated Sweden in the World Cup quarter-finals. Sweden’s all-time leading scorer Ibrahimovic proposed that Beckham take the LA Galaxy star to IKEA and buy him any item of his choice for his new Los Angeles mansion if Sweden won. If England won, Ibrahimovic agreed to accompany Manchester United icon Beckham to an England game in the country’s shirt before enjoying fish and chips at half-time....
The 26-year-old has not played for Luciano Spalletti’s side since being stripped of the captaincy earlier in February and has again been left out of the squad to face Cagliari on Friday. The Argentina international had complained of a knee problem, but club medics appeared unable to find any significant problems when conducting tests last week. He has been heavily linked with a move away from the San Siro amid reports he has played his last game for Inter, although his agent and wife Wanda Nara insists he is happy to stay at the club....
Du Plessis was fined his entire match fee for the second Test in Hobart. But he was allowed to participate in the ongoing third Test in Adelaide. Cricket South Africa said on Thursday that du Plessis has decided to appeal the decision, to which the ICC responded on Friday. “The ICC is disappointed that Faf du Plessis has chosen not to accept the findings of Match Referee Andy Pycroft and will instead exercise his right to appeal....
In a press release, ICC’s Chief Executive Dave Richardson said, “The ICC has approved these matches because we believe they can play a significant role in the long-term development of cricket in the USA and our ongoing efforts to unify the USA cricket community.” He added, “Having the ICC World T20 Champions playing India in Florida will undoubtedly inspire both existing and new fans and players, but perhaps more importantly, the sanction fees will be invested into the ICC’s ongoing work to lay a sustainable foundation for the development of cricket in America....
