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Halep beats Rybakina to win Dubai title for second time

Published in Tennis
Saturday, 22 February 2020 10:23

World number two Simona Halep has won her 20th WTA title, beating Elena Rybakina 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) in the Dubai Tennis Championships final.

The Romanian, who reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January, struggled in the first set but fought back to lift the trophy.

Rybakina, 20, playing her fourth final this year, took the two-time Grand Slam winner to a third-set tiebreak.

"I played so hard, I really wanted to win this tournament," said Halep.

World number 19 Rybakina broke into the top 50 in September and in 2020 has reached the finals of the Shenzhen Open and St Petersburg Ladies Trophy as well as winning the Hobart International.

Victory at the Aviation Club Tennis Centre is former world number one Halep's first title of 2020.

"I have such crazy emotions right now, it has been a great match," Halep added.

"Rybakina is still really young and has many years ahead of her in the game.

"It was a little bit tough, I was too nervous. You have to fight for every ball, I think I gave my best this week."

Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem on the right track

Published in Table Tennis
Saturday, 22 February 2020 09:49

Thus in their fourth ITTF World Tour mixed doubles final, they struck gold; previously they had won in 2019 in the Korea Republic and Australia, whilst being the runners up in China.

Most notably in Korea Republic, they beat China’s Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen in the final; the only pair since the mixed doubles event entered the ITTF World Tour at the Kaisa China Open in May 2018 to have beaten the celebrated Chinese duo on the international scene.

“We were very determined to win this final; we prepared from early in the morning. The match started well; after the first game then it was a bit shaky in the second. I think it was very important to win the third game to hold a lead. We were up 4-0 and 7-4 but then it became tight. I remember it was 8–6 when Petrissa played an amazing counter topspin. We decided to stop to calm down a bit and reset. It proved to be the right decision as we won the game and lost the next one so technically we could have lost 3-1. In the last end, we just played point by point not thinking about the outcome and fighting hard. It paid off. We are very happy with our gold medal here in Budapest as it was well earned.” Wong Chun Ting

Furthermore, you can add one more title to their collection; they emerged successful at the 2018 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals.

Proving a point

Success; that success proves a point, in an age when the favoured mixed doubles partnerships are a left hander partnering a right hander, Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem underline the fact that two right handers can prove most successful.

Wong Chun Ting, a pen-holder, is very adept near the net, his heavy top spin play from both backhand and forehand complements the close to the table counter top spin style of play extolled by Doo Hoi Kem.

Furthermore, in this day and age when the so-called “banana” backhand return of serve, forearm vertical, wrist relaxed and racket circumnavigating the ball to produce a cocktail of sidespin and topspin, is popular; is it not better to have two right handers on duty? Surely for the right hander in the traditional partnership with a left hander, to effect such a return is very difficult and means running across the path of your partner.

The facts

It would seem that is not the thinking of the wise and wonderful. A total of 19 ITTF World Tour mixed doubles events have been staged; other than China’s Liang Jingkun and Chen Xingtong, who won in 2018 in Japan, Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem are the only all righthander to strike gold. Overall 16 of the 19 titles have been won a left and right handed pair.

Equally consider the pairs who finished in runners up spot; in addition to Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem, the only right handed silver medallists are China’s Ma Te and Wu Yang; last year in Bulgaria, they were beaten in the final by Japan’s Jun Mizutani and Mima Ito.

Thus taking runners up into account, no less than 17 of the 19 pairs who have finished in second place form a left handed and right handed combination.

Similar scenario

Equally, on the seven occasions when mixed doubles has been on ITTF Challenge Series agenda, on five occasions the winning partnership has been left and right hand, on four occasions for the runners up.

Last year right handers Kilian Ort and Wan Yuan won in Lagos, likewise Slovakia’s Lubomir Pistej and Tatiana Kukulkova were the runners up in Oman, the same for DPR Korea’s An Ji Song and Kim Nam Hae in Pyongyang.

However, the stand out final is that last year in Asuncion, at the 2019 ITTF Challenge Plus Paraguay Open, Puerto Rico’s Brian Afanador and Adriana Diaz beat Brazil’s Vitor Ishiy and Caroline Kumahara to secure the top prize.

Add the Grand Finals to the equation, it is the only time on the ITTF World Tour or at an ITTF Challenge Series tournament that all four finalists in a mixed doubles event have been right handed.

Win over Italy lifts pressure, says Scotland boss Townsend

Published in Rugby
Saturday, 22 February 2020 09:41

Scotland can now play with the "pressure lifted" after a gritty first Six Nations win against Italy, says head coach Gregor Townsend.

Tries from Stuart Hogg, Chris Harris and Adam Hastings earned a 17-0 win.

It came after defeats by Ireland and England without scoring a try, on the back of a poor World Cup campaign.

"I'd like to think we'd go into our last two games with any pressure that might have been on our shoulders lifted," Townsend told BBC Scotland.

"Maybe we didn't play as fluently, partly because of the way Italy were playing, but also maybe because we knew how important a game and result was for us to now kick on in the championship."

In a scrappy match with 17 turnovers, Scotland kept Italy scoreless, having only conceded one try against both Ireland and England.

Townsend paid credit to defence coach Steve Tandy, who replaced Matt Taylor shortly before the tournament, and believes the win can provide a platform for the final two matches of the tournament.

They host France at Murrayfield in two weeks' time before finishing against Wales in Cardiff.

"The performance wasn't perfect by any means, but the defence was almost perfect when you have a zero against you," he added.

"When you take the best bits of attack from this game and the Ireland game and put that together we can be a real threat for France, and Wales the following week."

Hogg's superb individual effort opened the scoring in Rome, providing the perfect response to costly errors by the Scotland captain in the last two matches.

"It was world class," Townsend said of the try. "He almost had another with a few similar line breaks in the second half.

"He's been full of positive energy and shown good leadership through a tough time losing games and there are other distractions."

Vegas Xfinity Qualifying Washed Out, Snider On Pole

Published in Racing
Saturday, 22 February 2020 10:10

LAS VEGAS – Despite the fact that he’ll have to fall to the rear in a backup car, Myatt Snider will still lead the field off pit road to start Saturday’s Boyd Gaming 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Snider earned the top starting spot on the NASCAR Xfinity Series grid when qualifying was rained out Saturday morning at the 1.5-mile Nevada oval, setting the field by the rule book.

The Xfinity Series rule book sets the grid by the 2019 owner standings for the first three races of the year in the event of a qualifying washout, then reverts to the 2020 owner points starting with the fourth race of the year at Arizona’s Phoenix Raceway.

Snider’s No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Childress Racing has the owner points from the championship-winning No. 2 entry that earned the Xfinity Series title last year with Tyler Reddick, provisionally slotting the 25-year-old on the pole.

However, a Friday practice crash that relegated Snider to a backup car will put him to the rear of the field before the green flag waves to officially start the 300-mile event.

Chase Briscoe, whose No. 98 Ford Mustang has the points from Cole Custer’s No. 00 that was last year’s title runner-up, will line up on the front row.

Harrison Burton starts third for Joe Gibbs Racing, followed by JR Motorsports’ Justin Allgaier and JJ Yeley, whose Jimmy Means Racing entry has the points that Briscoe’s No. 98 accrued last season.

Austin Cindric, Noah Gragson, Michael Annett, Brandon Jones and Daniel Hemric – making his return to the NASCAR Xfinity Series this weekend – fill out the first five rows of the grid.

The Boyd Gaming 300 is scheduled for a 4 p.m. ET start, live on FOX Sports 1, the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.

LINEUP: NASCAR Xfinity Series; Las Vegas Motor Speedway; Feb. 22, 2020

1. Myatt Snider
2. Chase Briscoe
3. Harrison Burton
4. Justin Allgaier
5. JJ Yeley
6. Austin Cindric
7. Noah Gragson
8. Michael Annett
9. Brandon Jones
10. Daniel Hemric
11. Justin Haley
12. Riley Herbst
13. Brett Moffitt
14. Joey Gase
15. Joe Graf Jr.
16. Jeremy Clements
17. Robby Lyons II
18. Ray Black Jr.
19. Brandon Brown
20. Josh Williams
21. David Starr
22. Jesse Little
23. Alex Labbe
24. BJ McLeod
25. Ross Chastain
26. Matt Mills
27. Vinnie Miller
28. Mason Massey
29. Timmy Hill
30. Stephen Leicht
31. Joe Nemechek
32. Ryan Sieg
33. Kyle Weatherman
34. Chad Finchum
35. Tommy Joe Martins
36. Landon Cassill

McFadden Wins At Perth To Clinch World Series Crown

Published in Racing
Saturday, 22 February 2020 10:30

KWINANA BEACH, Australia – James McFadden clinched his fifth QSS World Series championship with a thrilling win at Perth Motorplex Saturday, after title rival Kerry Madsen failed to finish with a broken front end.

McFadden entered the final event of the season with a 42-point lead over Madsen, expanding the gap to 64 after securing Revolution Racegear Fast Time honors and logging third- and fourth-place finishes in his heats.

However, Madsen had a nightmare start to his campaign, battling motor issues in time trials and qualifying 16th. That sparked a motor change prior to the heats, which thankfully produced a win and third that slotted Madsen 11th on the main event grid.

McFadden lost his provisional front row starting spot when Brad Maiolo and Cory Eliason raced through the Gold Shootout, but he wasted no time in assuming second behind Eliason at the start of the main event.

Taylor Milling brought out the first caution after driving over Madsen’s right rear and crunching the wall, and the contact with Madsen cast concern over the fitness of the No. W2, however the car looked fine on the restart, locking in to fourth within two laps.

However, Madsen rolled to a stop in turn three with a broken right front stub axle, seeing his pursuit of a maiden World Series championship fade away.

Ben Ellement endured a large spill shortly after the restart to bring on the third and final caution of the race, and with Madsen out of the picture, McFadden threw away any need for conservation on the restart.

He aggressively pursued Eliason, who produced another blistering launch to leave the field behind. Eliason was amazing in traffic and had fans nervously watching, as he systematically disposed of everyone in his path, with passes on any and every line of the track.

Meanwhile, McFadden watched from behind, contemplating his moves down the stretch.

Meanwhile Dave Murcott was chipping away from ninth on the grid, usurping Maiolo’s hold on third at lap 23 as Jason Kendrick was working his way forward from 12th to fifth along with Brock Hallett, who’d eventually claim the American Racer Hard Charger Award by climbing from 19th to eighth.

But McFadden was looming in the closing stages, and with three laps remaining started to hint at being within striking distance of Eliason after exploring a higher groove.

On the final lap, McFadden closed in and breathtakingly drove around the No. W26 coming through turn four to the checkered flag, claiming the win by just .097 seconds.

Brooke Tatnell finished ninth and locked in third in points behind Madsen with the Ray Scott Transport team, while Jock Goodyer took Rookie of the Year honors by three points.

The finish:

James McFadden, Cory Eliason, David Murcott, Bradley Maiolo, Jason Kendrick, James Inglis, Rusty Hickman, Brock Hallett, Brooke Tatnell, Ben Van Ryt, Lucas Wolfe, Jock Goodyer, Ryan Lancaster, Jason Pryde, Tom Callaghan, Mitchell Wormall, Callum Williamson, Andrew Priolo, Adrian Haywood, Lynton Jeffrey, AJ Nash, Ben Ellement, Kerry Madsen.

The chase officially began the moment Alex Ovechkin's 700th NHL goal crossed the goal line behind the Devils' Mackenzie Blackwood in Newark. Shattering Wayne Gretzky's sacred record of 894 career goals is an ambition that has shifted from possibility to probability. Ovechkin is 34. He hasn't missed a game to injury since 2016.

The chase is on.

"If anybody's going to do it, it's obviously him," said Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews, who was an 8-year-old when Ovechkin scored his first NHL goal in October 2005. "I think he can break that record. And it's going to be pretty sweet to see it."

Ovechkin has acknowledged the chase. "It would be nice. I'm not going to lie," Ovechkin told ESPN late last season. "But it's still a long way to go."

Gretzky, who retired in 1999 at age 38, has acknowledged the chase, saying it would be "great for the sport" and that he would be the first to shake Ovechkin's hand were he to become the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer.

"I'm a big believer that records are made to be broken," Gretzky told NHL.com at the All-Star Game. "What I accomplished, I'm very proud of. It's hard to do what I did, and it's really hard to do what he's doing now. But there's no question in my mind that he has a real legitimate chance of doing it. The two things that you need; you've got to stay healthy, and he's proven that over his career. He plays hard and he stays healthy. And, secondly, you've got to be on a good team -- and he plays on a good team."

It's impossible not to acknowledge the chase, because the math fuels it.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, if Ovechkin maintains his career average of 0.61 goals per game, he would pass Gretzky during the 2023-24 season when he's 38 years old. If he slows to 0.50 goals per game, he would break Gretzky's record at age 39 during the 2024-25 season.

"We're used to hearing the crazy stats about him all the time. And it becomes normal, even though it's far from it," said Capitals defenseman John Carlson, Ovechkin's teammate since 2010. "I think you take it for granted a little bit, what kind of career he's had."

The hallmarks of Ovechkin's career -- the way he scores, his durability and his temperament -- have some of the best goal scorers in NHL history convinced he can break Gretzky's record.

"I really believe that it's possible, and I never thought it was going to be possible," said Bernie Federko, a Hockey Hall of Famer. "You look at the numbers that Wayne put up, you think, 'No one is ever going to score that many goals.' But the way Alex shoots the puck, the way he always hits the net, the fact that he always keeps himself in good shape ... he has the possibility of doing it."


The shot

The differences between Ovechkin and Gretzky are stark, and not just because one is a Russian rock star and the other is a Canadian hockey deity.

As goal scorers, Ovechkin is a winger with a hard, seemingly unstoppable shot, while Gretzky was a center whose shot velocity meant "you could wear driving gloves and catch one of his shots, and it wouldn't hurt," according to former NHL goalie Chico Resch.

"If you sat down and said, 'Name the four best goal scorers in hockey,' my name probably wouldn't come up. My playmaking has probably overshadowed my goal scoring a little bit," Gretzky told Sports Illustrated in 1994. "Some guys are just pure goal scorers. I don't know if I was a pure goal scorer. I didn't have a very hard shot."

Ovechkin, in contrast, does. (He won the NHL All-Star Game hardest shot competition at 101.3 MPH in 2018.) But it's not just the speed of the shot but the volume and the accuracy. Ovechkin has led the NHL in shots on goal 11 times, and he leads the league again this season. Gretzky, the man who coined the mantra, "You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take," only led the league in shots four times.

Gretzky said the key to Ovechkin's scoring prowess is that "he hits the net all the time," and frequently from the same area of the ice: the left circle of the offensive zone, better known as "The Ovi Spot." As of March 2019, 43.4% of his goals had been scored from that location, per NHL.com.

"The way he shoots the puck ... on the power play, he scores a lot of goals from the same area. It's a pretty indefensible play. I mean, 700 goals is a lot of goals," said Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane.

No one has scored more power-play goals than Ovechkin in the past 30 years. They account for about 37% of his goal total -- Gretzky's power-play goals accounted for 22.8% of his career haul.

"It truly amazes me what Ovi's been able to do. I mean, he stands in the same spot, basically," said Federko. "He's a shooter. I think guys like that are really in tune to what they're doing. He's a natural goal scorer. It's mechanical. He's learned so much. It's really in the same spot, but he floats around and finds the soft spots. And he's able to get the shots every time."

Evgeny Kuznetsov has played with Ovechkin since 2013-14, bearing witness to that shot on a nightly basis. "When you're watching the tape, you still don't know how that puck goes in," he said. "But he's hungry for those goals. There's something inside him where he knows where he always has to be. I think you have to be born with it. That taste inside you. You want to score, you want to score, you want to score."

Some players are just simply born with it, which is why so many of Ovechkin's peers -- and opponents -- are in awe of his offensive output.

"It's an honor to share the ice with him and watch him write his own history," said Buffalo Sabres star Jack Eichel. "I think he has a chance. He's got [fewer than] 200 goals to go. I can't imagine him not playing four more years and getting 50 goals a year. He's not slowing down at all."

Eichel entered the NHL in 2015-16, discovering a league that was faster, younger and more offensively inclined than it had been in 20 years. But also featuring goalies well ahead of their counterparts in the 1980s.

"What [Ovechkin] has been able to do, year in and year out, I don't think anyone has ever seen it [before]. Especially in this day and age. Nowadays, you look at the goalies ... you guys interview them. You see how big they are, and their gear. It's so hard to score in this league," Eichel said.

"It's just such a statement about what he's doing. That doesn't take away from what people did before. We're using composite sticks, and they didn't. There's so many variables that go into it. Nowadays, speaking for his consistency of scoring and other teams knowing what he's going to do and he still does it ... it's just so impressive."

Therein lies the other juxtaposition between Ovechkin and Gretzky. Between his first and last 40-plus-goal campaign, Gretzky never played in a season with an average team goals per game less than 3.46 league-wide. Last season was only the second time in Ovechkin's 15-season career that the team goals per game rate broke 3.00. The goalies are better. The athletes are better.

"We're very proud of our era. But the game itself is better than it was in the 1980s," Gretzky told SportsPulse in 2019. "It's tougher to score now. I'm the first guy to sit here and tell you that I played in the right era. It's harder to score points now than when I played."

Hall of Famer Mike Bossy finished second to Gretzky in goals scored from 1979 to '89, with 451 in 599 games.

"I hate comparing eras. Everyone played in their own era. Who knows what kind of shape Ovi would have been in had he played during my day? Or if he played with a wooden stick? Or if he played with the red line in?" said Bossy, referencing the rules change that allowed two-line passes that was adopted before Ovechkin's rookie season. "So I hate comparing eras, with Ovi or with myself or with anyone that came in between. Goal scorers are goal scorers no matter when they played."

Does Bossy think Ovechkin can set an NHL goal-scoring record?

"A lot of people have been asking me if he can get to Gretzky's goal mark, and my answer is that if he wants to, I think he can," Bossy said. "If he stays healthy."


The durability

In October 2006, Ovechkin was hit on the ankle by a shot from Capitals teammate Shaone Morrisonn. He limped off the ice to the dressing room. There was concern that his sophomore season could be derailed by an unfortunate friendly-fire injury, but Ovechkin played in Washington's next game.

The reason, according to his now-famous quote delivered to the media?

"Russian machine never breaks."

The next 14 seasons have supported this. Ovechkin has missed more than four games in a season once. Since 2016, he's missed three games to injury, and two to suspension for skipping the All-Star Game. Only Patrick Marleau (1,148) and Eric Staal (1,144) have played more games than Ovechkin (1,135) since he entered the league.

"Mother Nature gave me a hell of a body. My parents, or whatever. I got lucky. It's a tough sport. Anything can happen out there," Ovechkin told ESPN. "I changed my training last couple of years. My training, not my diet. I'm not a big diet fan. I tried to diet once. Didn't work well."

Of course, durability becomes more of a concern with age. Ovechkin turns 35 on Sept. 17, 2020, and he's played a brand of heavy hockey throughout his career.

"I think in the end, what's going to be the most telling thing about Ovi is his longevity, playing the way that he does. He really hasn't changed his style of play over the years. Still hits as much," said Bossy.

Only five players in NHL history have scored more than 150 goals after turning 35 -- Teemu Selanne (232), Mark Messier (171), Brett Hull (155), Jaromir Jagr (154) and Mark Recchi (153) -- and all but Jagr are in the Hall of Fame. (Jagr, 47, has continued his career in the Czech Republic.)

Carlson believes that Ovechkin's age is part of his motivation.

"Once in a while he's got to let people know when they're saying he's getting too old," he said. "He certainly hasn't slowed down at all in his career, so I don't expect him to [slow down] any time soon. He's a treat to watch, to learn from and to play with. He has a legitimate chance at the record. He's put himself in a position to do so."


The mentality

In 1986, Bossy became the fastest player in NHL history to hit 500 goals, needing just 647 games. But chasing Gordie Howe's scoring record along with Gretzky wasn't in the cards, as he retired in 1987 because of injuries after 10 years in the league.

"From a personal standpoint, I didn't start my career wanting to play 20 years in the National Hockey League. Don't ask me why. I didn't know how long I wanted to play. When I started, my goal was to play 10 years and score 50 goals every year. Because of injury, I only played 10 years and missed out on the 50 goals one year because of the injury," said Bossy. "If I would have been healthy, I'm sure I would have continued playing a little. And if the numbers would have kept on mounting, I know myself enough where if I was approaching something of that sort I would have considered it. But it's all hypothetical. I never realistically entered that mindset."

Ovechkin is obviously in that mindset, now that Gretzky's record is on the horizon. The closest Bossy came to a record was in 1981, when he became the second player in NHL history at the time to score 50 goals in 50 games.

"I went through it one season, where I got the 50-in-50, and everyone was thinking I was going to beat Phil Esposito's record of 76 goals [in a season] -- that was before Gretzky started scoring an obscene amount of goals every year," Bossy said. "I remember answering those questions a lot, so I can imagine Ovi's going to go through having to answer those questions for as long as he continues to play."

Federko grew up an admirer of Gordie Howe, and because of the legend's longevity, he was briefly his contemporary. When Gretzky was chasing Howe's record, Federko wasn't convinced he would break it, because he wondered if the attention would break him.

"We didn't know. There was so much attention on him. People are usually pretty right when they spot someone that's really special, and he had so much press," Federko said. "But you look at the pressure that Wayne had on him. Was he going to live up to that hype? But he showed everybody they were absolutely right in thinking what they did."

Sports fans have seen many elite athletes crack under the weight of history. There's a reason Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak has stood as a Major League Baseball record since 1941, a reason no one has seriously threatened it since 1978. Not only does it take extraordinary skill to set a mark like that, but it takes exceptional mental fortitude to assail it.

But Bossy thinks goal scorers like Ovechkin are different. There's a belief that's inherent to them, where slumps and slowdowns don't frustrate them for too long.

"You know, I think he's like a lot of other goal scorers. We were in Washington earlier this season, and we pulled up his stats," Bossy said. "He had like five goals in his last 15 games. He wasn't on pace to do much of anything. Then all of a sudden he can put together a string of seven or eight games where he's going to get 10 or 12 goals. Goal scorers are like that. They go on streaks. They get that boost of confidence. Not only does that go throughout the year, it goes throughout your career. You finish a season with 50 or 60 goals, and you're like 'Oh s---, I can do this again next year.' He's in that mode."

Kuznetsov has marveled at that consistency and Ovechkin's drive.

"It's hard to be motivated in his position, probably. He already scored a lot of goals. But he's still going out there. Still focusing on the goals. That's really hard to do," he said. "Every player sees the hockey differently, right? But for him, he knows where he has to be, and where he's shooting. It's something that's pretty much impossible to learn. You have to be born with it."

What if Ovechkin tops Gretzky? What if that mechanical, unstoppable shot, combined with his durability and mental toughness, gets him to 895 goals or more? What if the Great 8 overthrows The Great One atop the all-time goals list?

"You're probably never going to see me on the ice again. [Retirement] right away. See ya," Ovechkin told ESPN earlier this season, laughing.

Kuznetsov believes that if Ovechkin breaks the record, it will be his record for quite a long time.

"The people that follow him and follow the hockey league know that he's so close right now. Not just to Gretzky, but to [outscoring] every player that's probably ever going to play hockey again," he said. "And I don't think there are any players in the next 50 years, maybe 100 years, that are going to reach that milestone. It's that impossible."

Sources: Conmebol threaten ban over FIFA 20

Published in Soccer
Saturday, 22 February 2020 10:00

South American football's governing body Conmebol have threatened a continental ban to any team who don't release their rights to EA Sports, according to ESPN Brasil sources.

Several clubs across the continent have contracts with rival sports gaming company, Konami, who produce Pro Evolution Soccer, while Conmebol themselves were also had a deal with the Japanese company until 2019.

However, from 2020, they agreed rights with EA Sports and have requested all clubs release their commercial and naming rights for the FIFA series and threatened those who do not comply with expulsion from the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana.

Sources have told ESPN Brasil that Athletico-PR, Atletico-MG, Corinthians, Palmeiras and Sao Paulo have all questioned the demand.

The quintet, along with Copa Libertadores holders Flamengo, Argentine duo Boca Juniors and River Plate, as well as Chile's Colo Colo have exclusive contracts with Konami.

Italian club Juventus were dropped from FIFA 20 and renamed "Piedmonte Calcio" after they signed an exclusive deal with Konami.

Braithwaite: 'I won't wash my kit' after Messi hug

Published in Soccer
Saturday, 22 February 2020 11:38

Martin Braithwaite joked he won't wash his Barcelona kit after getting a hug from new teammate Lionel Messi during a 5-0 win against Eibar on Saturday.

Braithwaite, who signed for Barca from Leganes on Thursday for €18 million, was introduced for the final 20 minutes and made an immediate impact with a cross for Messi's fourth goal of the game.

The Danish international was also involved in his new club's fifth; Braithwaite's shot was saved by goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic but Arthur Melo netted the rebound.

"Messi congratulated me [for the pass]," Braithwaite told reporters when asked what the Argentine said during their embrace. "He's a great guy. He tried to make me feel comfortable and looked to find me with his passes.

"I won't wash my kit after the hug he gave me [laughs]. Honestly, I am really happy to have been able to set him up for a goal."

Barca were given special dispensation by La Liga to sign Braithwaite this week as a replacement for Ousmane Dembele, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season.

The former Middlesbrough forward, who will only be allowed to play in league matches, was given a warm welcome by home supporters when he replaced Antoine Griezmann.

"The ovation was really special," Braithwaite said. "It's something that I saw on television when I was little, how they treat the new players [here], and suddenly to be here and experience that from the fans is incredible. I am really proud.

"I feel really good here, surrounded by fantastic players. I tried to run and move, which is what I have to do, and my teammates found me. It's been amazing. I am really happy."

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0:34

Braithwaite's underwhelming tekkers during Barca unveiling

Barca's newest signing Martin Braithwaite struggled to string any sort of juggling sequence together.

Barcelona coach Quique Setien was impressed with what he saw from his new signing and tipped him to make a contribution in the final phase of the campaign.

"Braithwaite did more than I expected, much more," Setien said in a news conference. "Honestly, I think we have made an extraordinary signing. He's going to adapt perfectly to what we need.

"We've seen he has good movement this afternoon, but beyond the goals he was involved in, he's good in space and he understands the game so well. He is an extraordinary player and he's going to help us a lot."

While Braithwaite impressed on his debut, Messi once again stole the show. The Barca captain had gone four league games without scoring, but his four-goal haul against Eibar took his season tally to 23 in all competitions.

With this win, Barca went them two points clear of Madrid at the top of La Liga, although Zinedine Zidane's side can reclaim the lead when they meet Levante later on Saturday.

Setien said the win was "just what was needed" ahead of a testing week, in which his side visits Napoli for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday, then face Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu five days later.

Ronaldo equals goal record in 1,000th game

Published in Soccer
Saturday, 22 February 2020 10:29

Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo equalled a Serie A record of scoring in 11 consecutive matches against SPAL -- a game which is being recognised as his 1,000th career appearance.

Ronaldo put Juve 1-0 ahead against SPAL as he equalled the record set by Gabriel Batistuta with Fiorentina in the 1994-95 season and matched by Fabio Quagliarella with Sampdoria in the last campaign.

- Watch live Serie A football on ESPN+

However, it is worth noting that only Batistuta played and scored in 11 consecutive matches, with Ronaldo having missed the 2-0 victory over Brescia last weekend. His last league match without a goal was the 1-0 victory over AC Milan on Nov. 10.

Only one other active player -- Juventus teammate Gianluigi Buffon, with 1,088 matches -- has notched 1,000 career appearances. Ronaldo's total, however, includes two games with Sporting CP's B team in 2002 and 2003, leading to a dispute about their inclusion.

Ronaldo, 35, started his career at Sporting CP, who he appeared for 31 times for the first team, with his debut having come before the first of those two B-team games.

He joined Manchester United in 2003 and made 292 appearances before moving to Real Madrid in 2009, for whom he turned out for 438 times.

The five-time Ballon d'Or-winner has been at Juventus since 2018 and this is his 73rd match. He has 164 caps for Portugal.

Ronaldo has won the Champions League on five occasions -- once with United and four times with Madrid. At international level, he captained Portugal to success at Euro 2016.

Super-sub Jesus seals Man City win at Leicester

Published in Soccer
Saturday, 22 February 2020 08:40

Gabriel Jesus scored a late winner as Manchester City edged Leicester to a 1-0 win in the Premier League on Saturday.

Jesus found some space on the right-hand side of the 18-yard box before dispatching the ball past Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. The goal was later confirmed by VAR after it was checked for offside.

Schmeichel had earlier saved striker Sergio Aguero's penalty on 62 minutes after VAR ruled for a handball on Dennis Praet, who blocked Ilkay Gundogan's shot with a raised elbow.

Jamie Vardy went close early in the contest, getting in behind City's back line before hitting the post during the ensuing one-on-one.

Schmeichel kept the match goalless in the first half with two superb saves from midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and Aguero.

Leicester maintained steady pressure on City throughout the match, easily able to have snatched the three points had they not squandered a succession of missed chances.

City remain second, moving to seven points ahead of Saturday's opponents Leicester, cutting Liverpool's lead at the top of the Premier League to 19 points.

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