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Klopp plays down Mane's anger at Salah

Published in Soccer
Saturday, 31 August 2019 15:06

Jurgen Klopp confirmed Sadio Mane was "upset with a situation in a game" following the forward's angry reaction during Liverpool's 3-0 victory at Burnley, but that "everything is fine."

The Senegal international was atypically furious while making his way to the bench after being substituted on 85 minutes, seemingly at Mohamed Salah's decision moments earlier not to slide a simple pass to him in the box to increase his side's advantage.

James Milner, Joe Gomez, Jordan Henderson and Roberto Firmino all tried to calm the speedster down as he remonstrated with Andreas Kornmayer, Liverpool's head of fitness and conditioning.

Klopp admitted Mane, who had scored Liverpool's second of the evening at Turf Moor and is typically the most timid player in the squad, "looked different to how he looks usually."

The manager revealed he spoke to the player in the dressing room to ascertain and sort out the issue.

"He was upset, that was obvious," Klopp said. "Sadio cannot hide his emotions and I like that. It's all sorted.

"We spoke about it and everything is fine. We are individuals, we are emotional. It was a situation in the game he wasn't happy about -- that's completely fine.

"Would he do it in exactly the same manner again? Probably not, but it happens. Nothing happened, he didn't say any wrong words.

"Of course, I can understand that it's a little story. Thank God we are now away for a week, so if you write something about it, we will not read it anyway. And after a week, nobody can remember anymore, so it's a really cool moment to do it. But it is all good really, all fine."

The win was a record 13th in a row for Liverpool in the Premier League and saw them stay at the top of the table with four wins from four to start the campaign.

Sources: Texans finalizing deal for Tunsil, Stills

Published in Breaking News
Saturday, 31 August 2019 15:28

The Houston Texans are finalizing a trade with the Miami Dolphins for left tackle Laremy Tunsil, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Saturday.

Wide receiver Kenny Stills also is going to Houston in the deal, a source told ESPN's Cameron Wolfe.

The Texans are sending a package that includes two first-round picks and one second-round pick to Miami, which continues to load up on draft capital, a source told Schefter. There was no immediate word on if more parts to the package were involved.

Tunsil is now expected to be protecting Deshaun Watson's blindside this season. The quarterback will be happy to have the upgrade in protection; last year, Houston's 62 sacks allowed were the most by a playoff team since the 1999 Detroit Lions.

Tunsil, who is under contract this year and has a fifth-year option for 2020, was a first-round draft pick (13th overall) of the Dolphins' in 2016. He started 44 games for Miami over the past three seasons.

Dolphins quarterbacks were sacked on 10.1% of their dropbacks in 2018, 31st of 32 teams in the NFL.

Stills joins an already dynamic offense led by Watson and star receiver DeAndre Hopkins. Since entering the league in 2013, he has hauled in 259 receptions for 4,138 yards (with 32 touchdowns). His 16.0 yards per-catch-mark is the fourth-best mark in the NFL since 2013.

Houston was busy on cut-down day Saturday.

It acquired running back Carlos Hyde from the Kansas City Chiefs in a trade for guard Martinas Rankin. In another trade, it acquired second-year cornerback Keion Crossen from the New England Patriots, a source said. And star defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is in Seattle and about to sign his franchise tender, which will enable the Texans to trade him to the Seahawks, a source said.

Rays reschedule O's game because of hurricane

Published in Baseball
Saturday, 31 August 2019 15:07

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles will play a single-admission doubleheader Tuesday with Hurricane Dorian looming.

Wednesday's finale of a three-game series at Tropicana Field was moved up to Tuesday.

Weather forecasts Saturday had the hurricane possibly staying off the east of Florida, but the projected path of the storm has been changing.

One of the parking lots at Tropicana Field was closed Saturday for the staging of FEMA equipment.

The Class A Florida State League and rookie-level Gulf Coast League have ended their seasons early due to the hurricane.

GB's Murray & Skupski into US Open third round

Published in Tennis
Saturday, 31 August 2019 12:04

Britons Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski reached the third round of the US Open doubles with a straight-sets victory.

The 15th seeds, whose first Grand Slam together ended with a first-round defeat at Wimbledon in July, beat Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis and Argentine Juan Ignacio Londero 6-3 6-4.

They will face India's Rohan Bopanna and Canada's Denis Shapovalov next.

Fellow Briton Luke Bambridge also advanced with Japanese partner Ben McLachlan.

They upset Croatian ninth seeds Nikola Mektic and Franko Skugor 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-3 to set up a meeting with French duo Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin.

Dan Evans and Cameron Norrie are in doubles action later on Saturday, while Murray will play a second match of the day when he teams up with American Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the mixed doubles.

The 33-year-old Scot has lifted a doubles title at Flushing Meadows every year since 2016.

He won the men's doubles with Bruno Soares in 2016, the mixed doubles in 2017 with Martina Hingis and in 2018 with Mattek-Sands.

Other Britons also featuring in the doubles on Saturday are Joe Salisbury and Jonny O'Mara.

The only Briton left in the singles at Flushing Meadows is Johanna Konta, who faces third seed Karolina Pliskova in the fourth round on Sunday.

Russian fifth seed Daniil Medvedev has been fined £7,400 ($9,000) for his behaviour during a US Open third-round win where he was booed by the crowd.

Medvedev, 23, was fined £4,100 ($5,000) for unsportsmanlike conduct and £3,300 ($4,000) for a visible obscenity.

He snatched a towel from a ball person and then made an offensive gesture to the fans on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

After beating Spain's Feliciano Lopez, Medvedev thanked the crowd for giving him "the energy to win".

The world number five received an unsportsmanlike conduct code violation for snatching a towel in the first set and later put his middle finger up on the side of his head.

He escaped punishment for the gesture because it was unseen by umpire Damien Dumusois but was later replayed on a television screen in the stadium.

Medvedev was also booed while he was interviewed on court after the match, and said: "I want all of you to know, when you sleep tonight, I won because of you. The energy you gave. The more you do this, the more I win."

Medvedev faces German qualifier Dominik Koepfer next and said he would try to improve his behaviour.

"I am working on myself and hopefully I will be better next time," the Russian added.

US Open 2019: Rafael Nadal through to fourth round

Published in Tennis
Saturday, 31 August 2019 13:51

Rafael Nadal powered past Chung Hyeon into the US Open fourth round, capitalising on the extra rest he enjoyed before facing the South Korean.

The Spanish second seed, who had a walkover in the previous round, had not played since Tuesday and it showed in a dominant 6-3 6-4 6-2 win.

By contrast, Chung had come through three rounds of qualifying and spent nine hours more on court.

Nadal faces 14th seed John Isner or 2014 champion Marin Cilic next.

'Merciless' Nadal marches on

With defending champion Novak Djokovic and 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer in the opposite side of the draw, Nadal has - on paper at least - a more favourable route to a potential fifth US Open final.

Any concerns over the Spaniard's fitness after he withdrew from this month's Cincinnati Masters because of fatigue have been dispelled here with two ruthless displays in his two matches.

The 18-time Grand Slam champion did not face a single break point against Chung, who was a top-20 player and Australian Open semi-finalist last year.

He sealed the first set with an ace, the second when he forced the South Korean to hit long and then took victory on his first match point with a rasping forehand winner.

"Nadal is merciless," former player Jeff Tarango said in BBC Radio 5 Live commentary. "I don't think I've ever seen a human being, animal, or any kind of species, more competitive than Rafa Nadal. Ever. The dude is always competing. He always has to be playing something or winning at something. He never stops."

Last year Nadal reached the semi-finals here but was forced retire at the end of the second set against Juan Martin del Potro because of a knee injury.

On his way there he had come through two four-setters and a five-setter, which he says took their toll, and so the fact he has reached the second week at Flushing Meadows by spending little more than four hours on court could help him.

Against Chung, he had dispensed with the tape he usually has strapped around his knees.

"The tape is not working any more," he told the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd. "But I'm happy to be playing on the hard court. I'm trying to play a bit more aggressive. I'm happy to be in the fourth round one more time."

Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend would not be drawn on whether the win over Georgia has changed his World Cup plans.

Centre Rory Hutchinson impressed, scoring two tries on his first Test start, while number eight Matt Fagerson also stood out.

Townsend names his final 31-man squad for Japan on Tuesday.

"The more players that are playing and training well the harder it will be to get it down to 31 players," he said.

"The big positive is that it looks like we haven't picked up any injuries as well. It looks like we'll have a full squad minus Sam Skinner to select from."

The 44-10 win in the Dinamo Arena was Scotland's first away win from home in 14 months, and followed a win against France at Murrayfield which avenged a humbling defeat in Nice seven days previous.

Scotland raced into a 20-0 lead and never looked back, scoring a total of five tries.

"It gives us something to build on next week, it's a nicer feeling in the changing room," Townsend told BBC Scotland.

"We went to a different venue with a noisy home support, with a team we're not used to playing [against] and we adapted well, we were focussed we looked fit and we were accurate."

Centre spots up for grabs - analysis

Former Scotland and Lions prop Peter Wright on BBC Sportsound

I think he'll have picked them all apart from the centres. If he is not taking Huw Jones, then that performance [as a substitute] probably reinforces that decision. My concern with him is he's struggled for form for a wee while. I think in attack he's got it, he's scored a number of tries at the highest level. It's defensively I would be slightly concerned. But one of the reasons you potentially take him is he can create something out of nothing.

I know Rory Hutchinson has played well for Northampton but that's not international rugby. I'm really old fashioned and I think you earn your position over more than two games.

Scotland hooker Fraser Brown on BBC Sportsound

Sam Johnson has the ability to straighten the line, run really hard, break tackles and get you over the gain-line. There's something to be said for having assuredness and good defenders at 12 and 13 because it gives you solidity. It allows you to bring those other players [Finn Russell, Sean Maitland, Tommy Seymour] into the game in another way.

The Wales bench felt like the waiting room for an audition at the Principality Stadium on Saturday.

Some had already taken their turn, others on the pitch were in the midst of theirs, while some were still sitting on the sidelines waiting for their opportunity.

Ireland were the opponents but, with World Cup squad places at stake, Wales' players also saw their own team-mates as rivals.

A few glances exchanged, the odd nod of recognition, an eagerness to impress. Anticipation. Nerves.

In the role of casting director was Warren Gatland, sitting in the stands with his coaching team, running the rule over the candidates one last time before naming Wales' 31-man World Cup squad on Sunday.

Debutant Owen Lane was given a chastening introduction to Test rugby as he was turned over inside two minutes, but the Cardiff Blues wing responded well with a smartly-taken try in the second half.

His regional colleague Jarrod Evans, meanwhile, endured a difficult first Wales start. His replacement in the second half, Rhys Patchell, may now be viewed as the favourite to be Dan Biggar's fly-half understudy in Japan.

Gatland had said beforehand that Evans and Patchell were in a straight shootout for the second 10 spot for the World Cup, and Patchell's assured display - rounded off nicely with a try - appeared to settle that debate in his favour.

"Some people put up their hand. We had a few questions answered," said Gatland.

"It was good from that point of view. A lot of players getting their first start and it was tough for them."

Answers for Gatland then, but the players were still in the dark.

"What I believe is neither here nor there. I don't make the decision," said Patchell.

"I can only do what I can do. My opinion has no clout - I don't pick the squad."

The most important opinion belonged to Gatland, who was taking charge of his final match in Cardiff as Wales head coach before his 12-year reign comes to an end after the World Cup.

Not that the New Zealander wanted this occasion to be about him. An inscrutable sort who tends to keep his feelings to himself, the 55-year-old was more concerned about the weighty responsibility of not only selecting his final 31 but of breaking the bad news to the nine who will miss out.

He knows how it feels to be left out of a World Cup squad, having suffered that fate with the All Blacks in 1991.

But even as a hardy character who would rather deflect attention towards others, Gatland admitted this last Cardiff match day as Wales coach stirred the emotions.

"I was a bit choked up and lost for words," he said.

"It was emotional. I have loved my time in Wales and even coming off the pitch I was quite emotional thinking it was the last time here and going down Westgate Street and to the stadium.

"I would just like to say a big thank you. This is a special nation with special people and very passionate and kind."

That rare show of emotion did not last long.

Gatland had to rush back to Wales' training base at the Vale of Glamorgan Resort for a meeting with his staff during which they would decide on the final 31-man squad for the World Cup.

What started as an extended training group of 42 players had already been reduced by two tournament-injuries to number eight Taulupe Faletau and fly-half Gareth Anscombe.

Now it was time for the final cut.

Gatland had been open about the fact he had already decided on the vast majority of his squad months ago; that only six or seven places remained up for grabs.

That is where the significance of this match against Ireland came into play.

Scott Williams or Owen Watkin? Hallam Amos or Lane? Gatland had plenty of dilemmas going into this game and, despite the defeat, there were plenty of answers too.

"We're disappointed with the result but I'm happy with a lot of what we got out of today," he added.

The remaining decisions will not be snap judgements.

Gatland will have forensically analysed his players over the course of the past 12 weeks, packed with intense training camps and these warm-up fixtures.

This World Cup has been years in the making, and there will be swathes of data - not just Saturday's loss to Ireland - which will influence the last few selection calls.

The players will learn their fate at 14:00 on Sunday afternoon. They have been given four different options: hearing the news via a telephone call, text, email or finding out live.

Gatland says breaking bad news to omitted players is the hardest part of his job.

Once he has navigated that unenviable task, he will turn his attention back to the World Cup - and his mission of ending his Wales tenure on the most spectacular high.

"There is a very special part in my heart for Wales and a nation of 3.3m. We have massively overachieved in the last 12 years or so, and we are not finished yet," said Gatland.

"If we are mentally and physically right and we go out there and we are on our game we can beat any team in the world.

"I honestly believe we will go a long way in this World Cup."

William Byron Earns Another Crown Jewel Pole

Published in Racing
Saturday, 31 August 2019 12:15

DARLINGTON, S.C. – William Byron is making a habit of winning the pole for crown-jewel races in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Driving a neon green-and-yellow No. 24 Chevrolet Camaro themed after Cole Trickle’s iconic Days of Thunder ride from the 1990 movie, Byron sped to his third pole in as many marquee events this season, notching the top starting spot for Sunday night’s Bojangles’ Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.

Byron topped Saturday afternoon’s steamy qualifying session with a fast lap of 28.510 seconds (172.487 mph) in his City Chevrolet-sponsored entry, flying the banner for the Rick Hendrick-owned dealership carrying the same name.

It marked his fourth pole of the season, tying Kevin Harvick for the most in the Cup Series, and his first at Darlington.

Appropriately, Byron had a movie reference waiting for NBC Sports pit reporter Dave Burns after officially securing the Busch Pole Award for NASCAR’s most-grueling event.

“I guess we dropped the hammer on that one,” Byron quipped. “It was good, though! The car was really good for us. We luckily did a mock run yesterday. We had enough time to do one at the end of P1 (first practice), and I feel like that helped us propel our qualifying effort a little bit more, because we kind of knew what the grip level was going to be like and had an idea of what our balance was going to be.

“To have the City Chevrolet No. 24 on the pole is an awesome feeling, and now we’ll see what we can do for 500 miles Sunday night.”

Byron became the third driver to win the poles for the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500 in the same season, joining Fireball Roberts (1962) and Bill Elliott (1985).

“It seems like we’ve put more effort into those marquee qualifying efforts, just knowing how important track position is and knowing that if we can have that first pit stall all day long and all night long, it’s going to be a big deal,” Byron noted. “It’s a really long race, though, and we want that victory. We just have to run all 500 miles and stay in it.

“It’s cool, though. Any time you can make a little piece of history like that, it’s a neat feeling.”

Defending Southern 500 winner Brad Keselowski will join Byron on the front row after a lap of 28.576 seconds (172.088 mph) with his No. 2 Miller Lite Throwback Ford Mustang.

The Chip Ganassi Racing pair of Kyle Larson and Kurt Busch will share the second row of the grid – starting third and fourth, respectively – with Daniel Suarez completing the top five.

Byron’s teammate Jimmie Johnson will start sixth, followed by Joey Logano, Chase Elliott, two-time Southern 500 winner Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney.

Among the top 10 starters, only Keselowski, Johnson and Hamlin are former Southern 500 winners.

Kyle Busch experienced engine issues with his No. 18 Toyota Camry on his qualifying lap, relegating him to 33rd on the time sheets and likely to the rear of the field for Sunday’s race after an engine change.

To view complete qualifying results, advance to the next page.

Union shock Dortmund for first Bundesliga win

Published in Soccer
Saturday, 31 August 2019 13:00

Promoted Union Berlin stunned title contenders Borussia Dortmund 3-1 on Saturday to earn their first ever Bundesliga victory that left their opponents three points off the top.

Marius Buelter gave the hosts a shock lead in the 22nd minute, but their joy was short-lived with Dortmund forward Paco Alcacer stabbing in an equaliser three minutes later.

Instead of turning the game around, however, as they had done in both their previous league games when they fell a goal behind, Dortmund conceded again.

Buelter slotted in on the rebound after keeper Roman Buerki had done well to stop a shot. Sebastian Andersson then completed a fine passing move in the 75th to score their third.

Sebastian Andersson then completed a fine passing move in the 75th to score their third as the Alte Foersterei stadium erupted in song and fans lit flares.

"Obviously we are very disappointed," said Dortmund's Julian Brandt. "We have to learn from this. We are responsible for the way we play. We should have avoided falling behind in the first place."

The Ruhr valley club's first loss of the season leaves them on six points in fifth place, three behind leaders RB Leipzig, who are on nine after their 3-1 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach. Union are on four points.

Champions Bayern Munich demolished Mainz 05 6-1 to climb into second place on seven points.

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