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Neymar booed before scoring winner in return

Published in Breaking News
Saturday, 14 September 2019 11:39

Neymar suffered a torrent of abuse on his Paris Saint-Germain return against Strasbourg in Ligue 1 on Saturday after his failed return to Barcelona and ended the match scoring the winner in injury time.

The Brazil international started the clash at Parc des Princes and was treated to a rough ride from the French champions' supporters and from the notorious Ultras. PSG struggled throughout the match and it was left to Neymar to spare their blushes with a stunning overhead winner in the first minute of stoppage time.

Meeting a corner from the left, Neymar adjusted superbly and his acrobatic effort hit the post on its way in, before he ran off and celebrated wildly with his teammates.

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In PSG coach Thomas Tuchel's starting XI from the start, the Ultras were given their chance to let Neymar know their feelings and they did not hold back, living up to their prematch promise to give the €222 million man a hard time.

Neymar was the subject of derogatory and explicit chanting, and at one point the abuse was directed towards his father and agent.

Booed, jeered and whistled each time he touched the ball, the PSG Ultras were relentless in their pursuit of their No. 10. Neymar told PSG he wanted to leave in the summer and he was strongly linked with a return to Barcelona, the club he left for Paris in 2017.

Lionel Messi said: "I would have liked for Neymar to have returned. Honestly, I'm not sure if Barca did all they could to sign him but I know it is difficult to negotiate with PSG.

"I am not disappointed. We have a spectacular squad that can challenge for all, even without Ney."

Neymar's day started by teasing the launch of PSG's third kit via social media before opting to avoid the usual red carpet entry that would have given fans the chance to heckle him.

After that, Neymar was met by a wall of noise when his name was read out during the prematch starting XI announcements.

Ahead of the match, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo had warned Neymar to expect a backlash from the PSG fans and urged him to return to his best form and inspire Les Parisiens to Champions League glory.

Kentucky gets SF Clarke, No. 4 prospect in 2021

Published in Breaking News
Saturday, 14 September 2019 11:50

Top-five prospect Terrence Clarke announced his commitment to the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday afternoon, giving John Calipari his second top-50 pledge in three days and his fourth in the past two months.

A 6-foot-7 small forward from Brewster Academy (New Hampshire), Clarke is ranked No. 4 in the 2021 class. However, he is expected to reclassify into the 2020 class, which would mean he could enroll at Kentucky for the 2020-21 season.

Clarke chose the Wildcats over a final six that also included Boston College, Duke, Memphis, Texas Tech and UCLA, although Kentucky had emerged as the heavy favorite down the stretch. Memphis coach Penny Hardaway was expected to visit with Clarke earlier in the week but changed plans after it became clear Clarke was Lexington-bound.

Playing for Expressions Elite on the Nike EYBL circuit during the spring and summer, Clarke averaged 16.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. He also contributed 4.3 assists in his first 13 games -- including four games of six assists or more.

Assuming Clarke does reclassify into 2020, he would join a Kentucky recruiting class that is the best in the country right now. Top-10 prospect B.J. Boston committed over the summer, as did top-50 wing Cam'Ron Fletcher. Top-50 forward Lance Ware picked the Wildcats on Thursday after Calipari visited him earlier in the week.

Clarke's expected reclassification likely takes Kentucky out of the running for five-star wings Jalen Green and Joshua Christopher, as the perimeter is crowded with Clarke, Boston and Fletcher. The Wildcats are still in need of a pure point guard and another forward in the 2020 class, though, with the likes of Devin Askew, Cade Cunningham, Greg Brown, Isaiah Todd and Scottie Barnes among the remaining targets.

Kentucky finished with the No. 3 recruiting class in 2019, the first time since Calipari took over in 2009 that the Wildcats didn't land the No. 1 or No. 2 group.

Jays' Gurriel returns after 30-game absence

Published in Baseball
Saturday, 14 September 2019 11:51

Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. has been activated off the injured list after missing 30 games with a left quad strain, the team announced Saturday.

He is in the starting lineup as the designated hitter for Saturday's game against the New York Yankees.

Gurriel suffered the Grade 1 strain against the Yankees on Aug. 8 while running down the first-base line to leg out an infield single.

He is batting .279 with 19 home runs and 47 RBIs this season.

Braves' Freeman back in action after elbow 'flare'

Published in Baseball
Saturday, 14 September 2019 11:36

Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman is back in the lineup Saturday after exiting Friday's game with elbow soreness.

The All-Star left in the fourth inning of Friday's 5-0 win against the Washington Nationals in what the Braves called a precautionary move.

After the game, Freeman said he has dealt with a spur for years and it was tweaked when he made a backhand defensive play on a ground ball in the bottom of the third.

"I jammed my elbow on that play, so it just kind of flared up," Freeman said. "I've had it, I've felt it, I've dealt with it, I've played through it. Just today, it was a little bit more than I expected. ... I got some treatment, did some really good stuff. Everything calmed down around it. It's just a sharp spur, and sometimes you can't control having it jam into something like that. My elbow just went into a weird spot when I made that backhand play.

"I've always been able to play through it and deal with it the last couple of years. It's never affected me, and I don't anticipate this affecting me at all."

The Braves lead the National League East by 9½ games entering Saturday's game against second-place Washington.

Freeman, who turned 30 years old on Thursday, entered Friday's action hitting .303 with 38 home runs, and was tied for the major league lead with 117 RBIs. He has played in all but one of the Braves' 148 contests this year. Last season, he was one of five MLB players who appeared in 162 games. In 2017, he missed six weeks with a fractured wrist, but he has never been on the injured list due to elbow problems.

ESPN's Eddie Matz contributed to this report.

PHOTOS: 49er Gold Rush Classic

Published in Racing
Saturday, 14 September 2019 09:00

Garcia, Shinkwin share lead into final round at KLM Open

Published in Golf
Saturday, 14 September 2019 04:53

AMSTERDAM – Sergio Garcia and Callum Shinkwin shot 6-under 66s and shared the lead at 15 under after the third round of the KLM Open on Saturday.

Playing together in the second-to-last pairing at The International on the outskirts of Amsterdam, Garcia and Shinkwin traded birdies all day.

Garcia drew level on the par-5 18th, just missing a tricky eagle putt over a slope on the undulating green before tapping in for birdie, while Shinkwin could manage only a par after finding a bunker behind the green with his second shot.

The Spaniard has made just one bogey in the first three rounds.

"That's always a nice thing to have on a week," Garcia said. "Enjoying that, and we'll try to do more of the same tomorrow."

Nicolai Hojgaard, an 18-year-old Dane, was alone in third place, two strokes back.

Abraham scores 3, own goal in Chelsea win

Published in Soccer
Saturday, 14 September 2019 09:58

Tammy Abraham scored a hat trick and an own goal as Chelsea secured an impressive 5-2 victory against Wolves at Molineux on Saturday.

Chelsea scored three goals in the first half including a wonder strike from Fikayo Tomori as they picked up their second Premier League win under Frank Lampard.

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It was an even affair until the half hour mark when the visitors opened the scoring in sensational style.

The ball was cleared from a short corner and it fell to Tomori who produced a fantastic curling effort into the roof of the net.

The visitors doubled their lead three minutes later when Abraham picked up a loose ball in the area and finished past Rui Patricio.

Abraham got his second just before the break when he produced a fine header from a Marcos Alonso cross.

The striker completed his hat trick early in the second half when he collected a long pass from Jorginho and dinked the ball into the net.

With seven goals in five games, the 21-year-old Abraham is now the Premier League's top scorer, one ahead of Manchester City's Sergio Aguero.

"I hope this is my season. I have to keep working hard in every training session, every game. Every game I want to prove myself to the gaffer," he said.

The hosts scored two goals late on through an Abraham own goal and Patrick Cutrone but Mason Mount scored Chelsea's fifth with the last kick of the game.

Wolves coach Nuno Espirito Santo was deeply disappointed by his side's performance, which featured plenty of slick passing but very little in the way of defensive stability.

"That was a bad, bad performance. We started the game well but the mistakes we made, we cannot go and repeat them. We know they cannot happen again," he said.

"It was defensive errors, the game changed with the goal. We lost concentration. I am dissatisfied. There is no point being angry at them, but I need them to get better."

Chelsea, who host Liverpool next week, are up to sixth on eight points while Wolves, who visit Crystal Palace looking for their first win of the season, are 19th on three points.

7/10 Maguire keeps former club Leicester quiet

Published in Soccer
Saturday, 14 September 2019 10:33

MANCHESTER, England -- An early Marcus Rashford penalty proved to be decisive as Manchester United secured their first win since the opening day of the season with a 1-0 victory against Leicester City on Saturday.

Positives

United's penalty demons have been banished, for the time being at least, thanks to Rashford's assured finish from the spot in the eighth minute. Meanwhile, a first clean sheet since the 4-0 victory over Chelsea in August will do Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side the world of good.

Negatives

Early goals tend to open games up, but United were unable to capitalise on a great start. A distinct lack of creativity will be a cause for concern ahead of the start of their Europa League campaign next week.

Manager rating out of 10

7 -- The absence of Paul Pogba meant Solskjaer had to freshen things up in midfield, and his decision to star Nemanja Matic gave the United side a much more solid look when out of possession.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK David De Gea, 7 -- A great save with his feet to deny James Maddison early on, and had to be alert to tip over a long-range Ben Chilwell effort on the half-hour mark.

DF Aaron Wan-Bissaka, 6 -- A typical no-nonsense display from the 21-year-old. Never troubled out wide by an often tricky Leicester attack, but didn't get forward to do much attacking of his own.

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DF Victor Lindelof, 6 -- An uncertain start saw him get himself in an almighty mess to give Maddison a glorious chance in the opening five minutes, but recovered well to deliver an assured display.

DF Harry Maguire, 7 -- Plenty of attention on the former Leicester man in the buildup, but had a relatively quiet afternoon, with Jamie Vardy providing very little threat in the final third.

DF Ashley Young, 6 -- A cagey first half meant he had little to do from a defensive point of view, but as Leicester grew in belief he was given a stiffer examination in the final half hour, particularly after the introduction of Leicester's Ayoze Perez.

MF Scott McTominay, 7 -- A performance full of aggression and enterprise from a player who has had a good start to the season. The Scotland international drove his team forward, and enjoyed a well-fought physical battle with Maddison.

MF Nemanja Matic, 6 -- The Serbian was making his first Premier League start of the season, and looked rusty at times on the ball, and was replaced with a quarter of the game remaining when he started to look leggy, although his presence made the United unit a tough one to break down.

MF Andreas Pereira, 7 -- Forced a good save from Kasper Schmeichel with an early free kick from the corner of the penalty area. A solid, energetic display from the Brazilian.

MF Juan Mata, 6 -- Given the free role by Solskjaer in behind Rashford, the Spaniard knitted things together nicely in the United midfield without providing that extra moment of quality needed in a game that never quite caught a spark. Replaced by youngster Tahith Chong for the final 20 minutes.

MF Daniel James, 6 -- Didn't see as much of the ball when compared to previous games, but chipped in with occasional moments of danger to give Leicester food for thought. Booked for a challenge on Maddison late on. Replaced in injury time by Axel Tuanzebe.

FW Marcus Rashford, 7 -- Clever play to draw the foul from Caglar Soyuncu for the early United penalty, which he confidently dispatched, and almost added to his tally in sublime passion with a curling free kick that crashed off the bar in the closing stages.

Substitutes

MF Fred, 6 -- Came on for his first appearance of the season in an attempt to stifle the creativity of Maddison, and the Brazilian provided some excellent pressing to break up Leicester's build-up play.

MF Tahith Chong, 6 -- Slotted into the No. 10 role and showed some nice flashes of skill to beat defenders. An encouraging cameo from the 19-year-old.

DF Axel Tuanzebe, N/R -- Not enough time to make an impact.

LIVE: Man City visit Norwich

Published in Soccer
Saturday, 14 September 2019 10:10

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Australian selection to be overhauled for T20 era

Published in Cricket
Saturday, 14 September 2019 08:46

Australia's selection panel is to be overhauled over the next six months, with the imminent retirement of Greg Chappell and the expiry of Trevor Hohns' contract at the end of the home summer ushering a generational change to better reflect the Twenty20 era the game has now spent more than a decade in.

Reshaping the way Australian teams are chosen is a key plank of the job for the new head of national teams Ben Oliver, who commenced his role at the outset of the Ashes series after a lengthy interim stint by Belinda Clark. Kevin Roberts, the Cricket Australia chief executive, has flagged it to be one of the first issues he and Oliver will address upon his return home from England, via a brief visit to Pakistan that is part of CA's wider efforts to improve relationships with other boards.

Nevertheless, there have already been plenty of moves afoot around the selection area, ever since ESPNcricinfo revealed that Chappell would exit at the end of the Ashes. Discussions have revolved around whether or not the current panel format should be retained or pared down to a single selection convener working with the national team coach Justin Langer and the state and Big Bash League coaches, and also the need for more contemporary voices, particularly relevant to T20. The likes of Cameron White and Michael Klinger have been raised as possible selectors, though there is also a view that selection, complete with an ever more comprehensive use of statistics and analytics, is a skill requiring more than playing experience.

"Certainly we need to take into account the sorts of experience that are required," Roberts said. "If you look at the shape of the panel now, one of the things we'd like to have more of in the future is more experience in T20 games as an example. So rather than targeting an individual person, it's really about determining what are the characteristics or capabilities we need among the panel and who are the people in Australian cricket who can fulfil those.

"I think it's knowledge of the T20 game, whether it be playing, coaching, and various other roles in the T20 game. So I probably wouldn't describe it as generational change but I would absolutely say it is a matter of having a really deep knowledge of T20 cricket. A lot of Australians have been involved in the IPL and the BBL as well and some of those are young, some are not so young. Really it's about the experience they've had as opposed to when they might've been born.

A hallmark of Roberts' tenure so far has been to repeatedly emphasise the need for deeper and better relationships between CA and the state associations, something he said needed also to be reflected in the way selection was done. "The main thing I would say is certain is that we need to deepen the links through the state system and domestic competitions and make sure that we've got the best possible view of all players who are in contention to play," Roberts said.

"What sort of form are they in, how's their physical health, how's their mental well-being. That's a key consideration these days in all walks of life and the same certainly goes for players. One of the benefits of splitting the old role and having Ben Oliver playing the national teams role and Drew Ginn the high performance role working with the states is Drew can then work with the states and make sure we've got a very clear overview of the top X number of players, their position in terms of form, physical and mental well-being and everything else that contributes to how they're going as a player. I'm really looking forward to that coming to fruition too."

"I don't think there's another leader in Australian men's cricket that could've done the job that Tim Paine has done over the last 18 months." CA chief Kevin Roberts

Following the successful retention of the Ashes, the next major goals for Australian cricket are the women's and men's Twenty20 World Cups on home soil in 2020, while balancing a sustained bid to contest the first World Test Championship final in 2021. Roberts was rich in his praise for Langer and the Test captain Tim Paine, declaring that no other figure in Australian cricket could have led the team through the choppy waters of 2018 and into the success of this Ashes tour.

"I don't think there's another leader in Australian men's cricket that could've done the job that he's done over the last 18 months," Roberts said. "I also think he's only been able to do that job because if you think about his challenges over the years he was almost out of the game for a number of years with a smashed finger. He gained some life experience during that time that's really set him up to be the leader that he is and without that I'm not sure he could've done it the way that he has.

"We've just been so happy with the way he's led from the front and there's no thought of succession planning at this stage. He's got our support to continue leading from the front the way that he has done so far. We couldn't be happier with the performance of Justin or Tim in terms of the cultural transformation of the men's team and what that's contributed to Australian cricket more broadly."

Most pointedly, the Australians have avoided run-ins with officialdom or opponents since the Newlands scandal, returning a clear rap sheet in terms of ICC code of conduct breaches for more than 18 months. "Look at the commitment they've made to make Australians proud, and also the commitment we've all made as an organisation," Roberts said. "We've said before it's a professional sport so the goal will always be to win and we shouldn't hide from that.

"The opposition should always know they're in a contest when they play against Australian but at the same time the non-negotiable expectation we have of ourselves on and off the field is we compete with respect. And Justin has really led that strongly, a values-driven culture. Tim has complemented Justin brilliantly and led with real courage. They deserve huge credit. There's been so many milestones in the way the men's team has performed on the field, but the way they've done it as well.

"If you look at the code of conduct charges, or the lack thereof, over the Australian summer, no code of conduct charges against the men's team - first time in many many years and not surprisingly that saw a similar trend right across Australian cricket because of the role models the men are. The women's team are obviously outstanding ambassadors for the game and for our country as well. It's brilliant to know I can sleep soundly at night in the knowledge we've got a men's team and a women's team living the sort of values and behaviours that we aspire to as a sport."

As for the use of the Dukes ball in Sheffield Shield cricket, something that better equipped the likes of Marnus Labuschagne, Matthew Wade and Michael Neser for their selection on this tour, Roberts indicated that CA should maintain a habit of ensuring players are bred to be versatile. "I think if you ask Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Steven Smith they'd say it's been tremendously successful, coming into this day Josh and Pat were averaging less than 20 and going for about two and a half runs an over and of course Steve has shot the lights out with the bat," he said. "In all seriousness we need to keep preparing our players to play in different conditions overseas, whether it be the swinging ball or the spinning ball."

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