Zinedine Zidane allowed the Portugal international to rest in the last round of the Copa del Rey, but a scare versus Sevilla has prompted his recall Cristiano Ronaldo has returned to Real Madrid’s Copa del Rey squad as the La Liga leaders prepare to face Celta Vigo in the quarter-finals. Ronaldo was absent from both legs in the previous round against Sevilla, as a 3-0 win and thrilling, last-gasp 3-3 draw took Zinedine Zidane’s side through.
Month: January 2017
TRINITARIAN (profanity alert):
Belichick’s diverse background may be rare among head coaches, but it’s common among his assistants. He gravitates toward staff members who possess similar flexibility, whether it comes from working with the offense and defense alike or from working in different parts of the organization.
Zidane backs Navas and defends Benzema as Madrid aim to bounce back
The pair were criticised for their performances at the weekend, but the Frenchman has said that it is impossible to be perfect for 90 minutes Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane dismissed speculation over Keylor Navas’ future as “rumours” after the goalkeeper’s performance in Sunday’s 2-1 La Liga defeat to Sevilla came under scrutiny. Costa Rica international Navas was criticised for failing to keep out Stevan Jovetic’s dramatic winner, as Sevilla came from behind to end Madrid’s Spanish record unbeaten run in stoppage time.
Deportivo bring in Kakuta from Hebei after CSL rule changes
The former Chelsea youngster has secured a La Liga return, having previously represented Rayo and Sevilla in Spain’s top flight Gael Kakuta has left Hebei China Fortune to join Deportivo La Coruna’s La Liga relegation fight in the wake of new Chinese Super League regulations relating to how many overseas players teams can include. The 25-year-old French winger has agreed a switch on loan to the Riazor until the end of this season.
Liverpool frustrated as uncertainty over Joel Matip’s availability continues
… able to play him at Home Park. He said: “I would consider lining him up tomorrow but I don’t know if I can. From the sports side it would make sense – perfect game for him, but I am not sure if I can.” Regarding contact with FIFA, he added: “FIFA …
Rafael Nadal eases past Florian Mayer at Australian Open
Rafael Nadal had to apologise for his Mallorcan time-keeping but there was nothing sloppy about the Spaniard’s tennis as he swept aside Florian Mayer to reach the Australian Open second round. After defeating Mayer 6-3 6-4 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena, Nadal came into his press conference staring at his watch.
Sagna fined and warned for social media post
Manchester City defender Bacary Sagna was fined 40,000 pounds on Tuesday and warned about his future conduct after a post on social media that appeared to accuse a referee of bias.
Manchester United move to keep Antonio Valencia at Old Trafford
Antonio Valencia will remain at Manchester United until 2018 after the club triggered a one-year extension clause in his contract. The 31-year-old has become a key player at Old Trafford since joining from Wigan in 2009, making 271 appearances, scoring 21 goals and winning six trophies.
Tottenham expect Jan Vertonghen to miss two months
… Europe’s top leagues… and they are a village club with a 29-year-old manager McGregor asks for the time as UFC star sports pocket watch-themed loafers after filing for trademark on ‘Notorious’ nickname Manchester United fear Depay may not leave in …
Re: Morning Coffee – Tue, Jan 17
But traditional statistics don’t show the whole picture as Joseph does not look like the same player he was last season on the defensive end. What has traditionally been his calling card has been a clear area of struggle for him.
Manchester United’s Paul Pogba is booked for diving by referee Jon Moss
The Football Association has confirmed it is talking to the Scottish Football Association about the pros and cons of taking retrospective action against players who dive. Introduced in 2011, the SFA’s rule 201 gives a disciplinary panel the power to impose two-game bans for acts of simulation missed by the match officials or rescind yellow cards for players who were incorrectly adjudged to have dived.
Jenkins, Brunson, lead No. 1 Villanova past Seton Hall 76-46
Jay Wright went home for a short break between a pregame meal and the latest Villanova game when his wife greeted the championship coach with a breaking news update: The Wildcats were again No. 1. Yup, just another top billing for the national champs.
Gonzaga Commit Zach Collins Enjoying Watching His Future Team in Vegas
One of the biggest recruits of the Mark Few era at Gonzaga lives just around the corner from the WCC Tournament. Zach Collins, who is a senior at nearby Bishop Gorman High School, talks about choosing GU and what it’s like to watch his future team play so close to home.
No. 10 FSU, No. 24 South Carolina ready for 2 ranked teams
Both the 10th-ranked Seminoles and No. 24 South Carolina have two games against ranked foes to headline the week for teams in the AP Top 25 .
Former Man Utd manager Van Gaal says he may not coach again
The 65-year-old Dutchman has not led a team since being fired by Manchester United in May last year following a disappointing two-year tenure that followed one of his greatest triumphs – leading the Netherlands to the semifinals of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. In comments to Dutch daily De Telegraaf published Tuesday, Van Gaal says that he considered himself on a sabbatical after being axed by Manchester, “but now I don’t believe I will return to the coaching profession.”
More
Dennis Schroder scored 28 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 22 seconds left, to lead the Atlanta Hawks to a 108-107 victory over the New York Knicks on Monday. The Knicks had three attempts at a desperately needed victory after, but Derrick Rose, Carmelo Anthony and Joakim Noah all couldn’t convert before time expired.
Federer’s 17 Majors Stack up Nicely Against Everyone Else
The 64 players contesting second-round matches at the Australian Open on Wednesday have won a total of 36 Grand Slam singles titles. One guy, however, has nearly half of them.
What wedding? First things first for Serena Williams
It wasn’t until after another routine opening-round beatdown that Serena Williams offered a startling glimpse into the ruthlessly compartmentalized mindset that accompanies her to the Grand Slams. She was engaged recently to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, but said she wasn’t going to fully process the life-changing, milestone event — until February.
Mark Phillips: Is this really what we want? *H&H Vip*
… CIC track. Isn’t that a safety worry? I understand the FEI wants more nations at Olympics so that equestrian sports appear more global. Surely the easy solution is to involve more qualified individuals from around the world rather than trying to get …
2017 NFL Draft Preview: Christian McCaffrey
The man who broke Barry Sanders all purpose yardage record is headed to the NFL among a rich crop of running backs. So how does he separate from the rest and where does he fit best for his skill set? But first let us remember what he has done for the Cardinal.
Free speech clash: Justices considering offensive trademarks
… that oppose the use of the Redskins name filed a brief in the Slants case calling the adoption of “racial names” by sports teams “an especially derogatory trademark that warrants regulation.” As for the Slants, the band just released a new song …
Mercedes-AMG confirms Valtteri Bottas for ’17 F1 seat
It’s official: Valtteri Bottas will take 2016 F1 Drivers Champion, Nico Rosberg ‘s seat in the Mercedes-AMG F1 team’s now-vacant seat for the 2017 season. The 27-year-old Finn joins the 2014, 2015 and 2016 F1 Constructors’ champion with nine podium finishes under his belt, though he is still on the hunt for his first F1 race win.
Airport shooting suspect back in court for bail hearing
In this Jan. 9, 2017, file photo, Esteban Santiago is taken from the Broward County main jail as he is transported to the federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Just weeks before a gunman opened fire at Fort Lauderdale’s airport, he walked into an FBI office in Alaska telling authorities the government was controlling his mind and that he was having terroristic thoughts.
Emance & Pisano On Guard For Mary Star High Girls Basketball
Whenever Mary Star High girls basketball steps onto the floor for a gamea there’s no secret in what the Stars love to employ. So far, it has produced a 13-5 record, a second Firebaugh Tournament championship, and a surprise No.4 ranking in the most recent CIF-Southern Section Division 5A poll.
John McEnroe says Andy Murray’s world number one status brings added scrutiny
Andy Murray’s behaviour and barking at his box will come under greater scrutiny now he’s world number one, according to former bad-boy of tennis John McEnroe. Murray eased into the Australian Open second round on Monday with a straight-sets win over Illya Marchenko but the Scot still found cause for stress.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic says Paul Pogba can handle the Manchester United pressure
Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes Paul Pogba can cope with the constant focus at Manchester United, with the veteran striker finding such external pressure child’s play compared to his own high standards. Jose Mourinho’s men are on a 16-match unbeaten run having overcome a bumpy start to the season, thanks in no small part to key players hitting form.
Your Opinion
After another improbable throw from Aaron Rodgers that propelled the Green Bay Packers to a playoff win, coach Mike McCarthy was asked if it was the best one yet from his star quarterback. The Scranton Sewer Authority sale is an opportunity for urban Northeast Pennsylvania communities to address problems that threaten Lackawanna River water quality and cause flash flooding, one of the region’s top environmental advocates said.
Johanna Konta battles her way to victory in Australian Open first round
Johanna Konta could not deliver the same brilliance that won her the title in Sydney last week but still proved too strong for Kirsten Flipkens in the Australian Open first round. The British number one produced a scratchy performance in her opening match on Margaret Court Arena but it is a sign of her rising class that she could still convincingly overcome Flipkens, under-ranked at 70th in the world, 7-5 6-2.
Sam Allardyce ‘scared’ by prospect of failure at Crystal Palace
Sam Allardyce has revealed how “scared” he is that Crystal Palace will fail in the “crisis” of their battle to avoid relegation. The Eagles manager is also concerned about the damage a potential failure would do to his reputation as a survival specialist.
Lutalo: Keep it real Harleen
… and kickboxing. Martial arts world silver medalist Harleen Kaur says her nomination for a British Ethnic Diversity Sports Award will spur her on to achieve even more ‘Fighting Machine Harleen’ told Sky Sports last week of her Olympic aspirations, …
LVG’s Man Utd highlights
The former United manager appears to have called time on his coaching career , saying he is unlikely to take another job for family reasons. He has been out of work since leaving United last May, with his two-year spell ending with victory in the FA Cup final over Crystal Palace .
Will Canadian Lindell Wigginton be the next star produced by Oak Hill Academy?
New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony leans in on Toronto Raptors forward DeMarre Carroll during first half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Sunday, January 15, 2017. Lindell Wigginton of Dartmouth, N.S., is the first Canadian basketball player to attend the fabled Oak Hill Academy in the tiny town of Mouth of Wilson, Va.
Top 25 Capsules
Karlie Samuelson scored 15 points with four 3-pointers and Hall of Fame Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer moved within four victories of No. 1,000 for her career as the 10th-ranked Cardinal beat Arizona 73-46 on Friday night.
Bpa in Round 1? Who Would that Be?
One thing we know about Reg is he mines the draft for quality. Remember when he drafted Khalil Mack? I loved the guy at that place, BUT WE HAD NO QUARTERBACK! Am I the only one who went bonkers when he passed up QB with that pick? It didn’t matter what the team needed, Reggie wanted the BPA.
3 players Raiders should target in the draft
ILB Zach Cunningham : Raiders need a versatile linebacker that can cover TEs. If Cunningham is available Reggie will finally take an ILB early in the draft.
The Pacers’ C.J. Miles on the legacy of Martin Luther King
Before the Indiana Pacers scrapped their way to an ugly 98-95 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, C.J. Miles addressed the crowd to honor the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. The 12-year veteran briefly spoke of equality and justice, elements King was murdered for believing in. Such universal truths are in a precarious spot to begin 2017 as Donald Trump prepares to become the leader of the free world.
Pliskova, Konta win 1st-round matches at Australian Open
Karolina Pliskova and Johanna Konta had their Grand Slam breakthroughs last year, and both prepared for the season’s first major with title runs in Australia. They both won their first-round matches at the Australian Open in straight sets on Tuesday, and are growing in confidence.
No. 9 UNC Tops Syracuse 85-68 for Williams’ 800th Career Win
Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams earned his 800th career victory when Isaiah Hicks scored 20 points to lead No. 9 North Carolina to an 85-68 victory over Syracuse on Monday night.
Penguins halt Capitals’ win streak at 9 in wild 8-7 victory
Conor Sheary scored 34 seconds into overtime and the Pittsburgh Penguins ended the Washington Capitals’ nine-game winning streak with a wild 8-7 victory Monday night that included nine second-period goals. Sheary had two goals and an assist for the Penguins, who snapped a three-game losing streak.
Student,19, reveals how she survived horror crash
Student, 19, who survived horror car crash by clinging to a tree in a freezing river for 12 HOURS reveals how she survived the accident that killed her best friend Griffin held onto a tree during the winter storm and swam across the next morning before climbing a hill of thorny bushes to flag down a passing driver Natalie Griffin survived a car crash by clinging onto a tree for 12 hours in a freezing creek after her best friend Jenna Santos died in the wreckage After narrowly surviving a car accident that killed her best friend, 19-year-old college student Natalie Griffin has spoken out about the harrowing near-death experience.