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The 2019 Hockey Hall of Fame class, which will be revealed Tuesday, is one of those tricky transition-year groups, sandwiched in between the mortal locks of 2018 (Martin Brodeur, Martin St. Louis) and 2020 (Jarome Iginla).
At least that's true of the male players, because there's one icon of women's hockey who is going to the head of the class this year.
Who joins her? Let's break down the field by devising our own set of odds.
Lock: Hayley Wickenheiser, center (first year of eligibility)
The lock of all locks. The Canadian icon has four Olympic gold medals, with 18 goals in 26 games, and seven golds in IIHF world championships action. A star in every sense of the word, to the point where she's synonymous with women's hockey in Canada. In a year when other candidates all have caveats and flaws, Wick is the only eligible player whose immortality can't be debated.
Near lock: Daniel Alfredsson, right wing (third year of eligibility)
The former Senators captain had 444 goals (No. 63 all time) and 1,157 points (No. 54 all time) during his 17-year run with Ottawa (and that other year in Detroit). He won the Calder Trophy, although no other individual hardware, and won Olympic gold and silver for Sweden.
Is he destined for the "great, but not a Hall of Famer" bin? Or will the selection committee succumb to the flood of fans in Ontario who would make the trek to the Hall for induction weekend to celebrate the Senators' franchise standard-bearer and one of the game's greatest ambassadors? We figure he'll be in ... although we felt that way last year, too.
3-1: Rod Brind'Amour, left wing (sixth year), Alexander Mogilny, right wing (10th year); Jeremy Roenick, center (seventh year)
There's a sense as the Hall of Fame selections draw closer that another forward will likely get the nod for enshrinement.
Mogilny had two of the best offensive seasons of the past 25 years, with 76 goals in 1992-93 and 55 goals in 1995-96. While those two seasons are by far his best, he finished with a stellar 1.04 points-per-game average (38th all time, in a career that included playing in the trap era) in 990 career games over 16 seasons. He's also a Triple Gold Club member, and there are only 28 of them in history. Just as important to anything he did on the ice, he was the first Soviet defection to the NHL, a landmark moment in hockey history. The selection committee has been much more open to Russian candidates in recent years, with three of the past four classes including former Soviet players. Will the trend continue with Mogilny?
The test for Roenick is how much emphasis the committee puts on the "fame" part, because at his peak, very few NHL players could rival his star power. His 513 career goals rank him 40th all time, although it's a number that doesn't guarantee enshrinement; just ask Pat Verbeek (522) and Pierre Turgeon (515) about that. His 0.892 points-per-game average puts him right with Hall of Famer Joe Nieuwendyk. No awards. No Stanley Cups. No gold medals internationally. But few players have had more cultural impact than Roenick in his prime.
Thanks to his stint as Carolina Hurricanes head coach, Brind'Amour's stock has skyrocketed recently. There's a case to be made for the former Hurricanes, Flyers and Blues center as one of the best 200-foot forwards of his era. He had 1,184 points (50th) in 1,482 career games, including 452 goals (58th). He won the Selke Trophy in consecutive years from 2005 to '07 in his mid-30s. He had 18 postseason points in the Hurricanes' 2006 Stanley Cup win. He had longevity, intangibles and a heck of a career. One to watch.
5-1: Defensemen Sergei Gonchar (second year), Kevin Lowe (18th year), Doug Wilson (23rd year), Sergei Zubov (seventh year)
Would the selection committee make it four straight seasons without a defenseman in the class? That's hard to believe, which means one assumes a player from this list gets in.
Gonchar played 1,301 games and amassed 811 points, which is 17th all time for defensemen. He won the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2009.
Lowe got a full endorsement from former teammate Wayne Gretzky at the 2018 Hall of Fame induction as the player he felt most deserved to be in the Hall who wasn't. He was the backbone of six Stanley Cup championship teams, including five with the dynastic Oilers who have already produced six Hall of Famers.
Wilson is the latest in a line of NHL greats whose wait time would seem to indicate he's not getting in but whose candidacy continues to be trumpeted by prominent voices. Wilson ranks seventh in NHL history among defensemen with 0.81 points per game (at a minimum of 1,000 games played). He won the Norris Trophy in 1983 and finished in the top four of the voting four times. Is the 23-year wait finally over, or will it never be?
Zubov's points-per-game rate was 0.72, putting him on par with the legendary Nicklas Lidstrom. He also has two Stanley Cup wins. The analytics community loves him as an overlooked immortal from the 1990s. Dallas Stars fans will basically fight you if you don't agree he should be in the Hall.
10-1: Curtis Joseph, goalie (seventh year)
A classic case of stats vs. impact. CuJo is fifth in career wins (454), sixth in games played (943), but he never won a Vezina Trophy (despite being in the top four five times) nor a Stanley Cup. To date, Ed Giacomin is the only Hall of Fame goalie not to have won a Cup. Goalies rarely get into the Hall of Fame -- Martin Brodeur last season was just the seventh since 1990 -- which also isn't working in his favor.
20-1: Theo Fleury, right wing (13th year); Steve Larmer, right wing (21th year), Boris Mikhailov, right wing (35th year); Chris Osgood, goalie (fifth year)
A quartet of worthy candidates, each of whom has a unique angle to his bid for immortality: Fleury's endearing offensive flourish, the Soviet top-line dominance of Mikhailov and the postseason heroics of Osgood. Larmer is the new addition to this tier, as there seems to be a renewed appreciation for his scoring prowess (64th in goals, with 441) and consistency. Plus, he has a Calder and a Stanley Cup. Alas, none of them seems like the total package for the Hall.
25-1: Dan Boyle, defenseman (first year), Patrik Elias, forward (first year), Vincent Lecavalier, center (first year)
The only freshman candidates worthy of consideration, and none of them look like first-ballot guys.
Elias has two Stanley Cups to his credit, and had 1,025 points in 1,240 games from 1995 to 2016 with the New Jersey Devils. That puts him 13th in points in the NHL during that span and 14th in points per game. Internationally, Elias had 33 points in 40 games. He's generally considered one of the NHL's most underrated talents in recent history, and there's certainly been a reconsideration of his impact after his retirement.
Lecavalier certainly has the most star power of the three. He played 1,212 games, primarily with the Lightning (1998-2013) before finishing up with the Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings. He had 949 points, including 421 goals, putting him 16th in goals-per-game average during his career. He won the goal-scoring title in 2006-07 with 52 tallies, as well as the Stanley Cup in 2004. A star player, and a consistent one, but a first-ballot Hall of Famer he is not.
Of the three, Boyle might have the most compelling case, given his scoring prowess as a defenseman: 605 points in 1,093 games. From 1998 to 2018, only Nicklas Lidstrom, Gonchar and Zdeno Chara had more points than Boyle among defensemen. He has a Stanley Cup and an Olympic gold, but no individual titles. Let's not discount the storybook journey of Boyle to the NHL: an undrafted player ends up playing nearly 1,100 games in the NHL.
30-1: Keith Tkachuk, left wing (sixth year); Pierre Turgeon, center (ninth year)
Oh, they've got numbers: Tkachuk's 538 goals are the 32nd most in NHL history, and there's no Hall of Fame-eligible player with more points than Turgeon (1,327) who isn't already enshrined. The Hall doesn't always shy away from stat compilers -- we see you, Dino Ciccarelli -- but these two haven't had any buzz for their candidacies in quite a while.
40-1: The field
There are goal scorers (Peter Bondra, Pat Verbeek) and all-around performers (Dale Hunter) and a few other newbies who populate the field. Then there's former Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas, who absolutely dominated his position for a span of five years and won two Vezinas and a Conn Smythe before disappearing from the public eye.
There's also Brad Richards, in his first year of eligibility, with two Stanley Cups and a Conn Smythe to his credit. Finally, there's Canadian hockey icon Paul Henderson, still trying to prove that one goal in 1972 could earn one an even higher level of immortality than it already has.
Prediction
Hayley Wickenheiser, Daniel Alfredsson, Sergei Zubov, Alexander Mogilny, Jim Rutherford (builder).
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After earning his first PGA Tour victory in nearly 11 years, Chez Reavie reached a new career best in the Official World Golf Rankings.
Reavie held off a hard-charging Keegan Bradley to capture the Travelers Championship on Sunday, his first win since the 2008 RBC Canadian Open. It comes on the heels of a T-3 finish at the U.S. Open and moved Reavie from 48th to 26th in the latest rankings.
Bradley went from 40th to 29th after his T-2 finish, while fellow runner-up Zach Sucher went from 505th to 147th after his best career finish on Tour.
The top 10 in the rankings featured two changes, as Rory McIlroy moved past Justin Rose at No. 3 without either player hitting a competitive shot. Bryson DeChambeau jumped two spots to No. 8 after his T-8 finish at Travelers, dropping Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele to ninth and 10th, respectively.
Brooks Koepka remains world No. 1 for another week, followed by Dustin Johnson, McIlroy, Rose and Tiger Woods. Francesco Molinari stayed at No. 6, with Justin Thomas, DeChambeau, Cantlay and Schauffele rounding out the top 10.
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Ryan Palmer managed to hang on to an Open bid by a thin margin despite not teeing it up last week in the Travelers Championship.
The top 20 in FedExCup points after Travelers earned exemptions into The Open next month in Northern Ireland if they were not already exempt. That group included Palmer, who hung onto the 20th spot and has now accrued 998 points this season - just 13 more than reigning Open champ Francesco Molinari, who finished T-57 in Connecticut but came up short of passing Palmer. The American teamed with Jon Rahm to win the Zurich Classic in April, and now he'll make his second Open appearance in the last three years.
While five slots were set aside for top-20 players to qualify, 17 of the top 20 were already exempt for the season's final major. Others to clinch spots in the Portrush field Sunday include Travelers winner Chez Reavie, who moved from 35th to 12th with his victory, and Charles Howell III, who is currently 15th in points.
The same top-20 cutoff applied to the European Tour's Race to Dubai, meaning David Lipsky, Kurt Kitayama, Robert MacIntyre, Richard Sterne and Erik van Rooyen all now have spots in The Open. Choon Hwang and Dong-Kyu Jang both qualified via high finishes at the Kolon Korea Open, while Ireland's James Sugrue qualified by winning the British Amateur.
This week the Open Qualifying Series continues with the Rocket Mortgage Classic, where the top two players not otherwise exempt (among the top eight) will earn spots at Portrush, while the top three not otherwise exempt (among the top 10) at the European Tour's Andalucia Valderrama Masters will also qualify.
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Backboard! Daly hits ball way right, off grandstands, to 10 feet
Published in
Golf
Monday, 24 June 2019 05:43

John Daly played his way into the mix in the final round of the American Family Insurance Championship, but he knew he was going to have to do something special over the last couple of holes to snatch a win on the PGA Tour Champions for the first time in over two years.
When he hit his approach shot into 18 green at University Ridge Golf Club it was going dead right … like, way right. That’s until he got the bounce of his life after his ball hit in the grandstands, ricocheted around, bounced down on the green and 10 feet away from the hole. Almost like he called 'backboard.'
Daly missed his birdie putt but still carded a 6-under 66, which was good enough for a tie for fifth, his best finish of the season on tour. He finished two shots behind the three players who ended up in a playoff for the title, Jerry Kelly, Retief Goosen and Steve Stricker. Jerry Kelly won the playoff and the event with a birdie on the third playoff hole.
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Major League Soccer has announced the full 26-man squad for next month's All-Star game against Atletico Madrid in Orlando.
The league on Friday revealed MLS' Fan XI selections, which included LAFC's Carlos Vela, D.C. United's Wayne Rooney, Orlando City's Nani, LA Galaxy duo Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Jonathan dos Santos, and veteran U.S. stars Graham Zusi of Sporting Kansas City and Atlanta goalkeeper Brad Guzan.
The final 15 team selections were made on Monday. All-Star coach James O'Connor selected 13 names and league commissioner Don Garber picked the final two participants.
Look who's heading to Orlando ?We're revealing the roster for the 2019 #MLSAllStar Game pres. by @Target! https://t.co/TIZjfTOtz0
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 24, 2019
The notable names from Monday's selections include MLS single-season record goalscorer Josef Martinez of Atlanta United, MLS all-time leading scorer Chris Wondolowski, young LAFC star Diego Rossi, Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando and U.S. youth international Paxton Pomykal of FC Dallas.
The MLS All-Stars will face 10-time La Liga champions Atletico at Orlando City's Exploria Stadium on July 31.
Last year's MLS All-Stars lost on penalties to Serie A champions Juventus after the match finished 1-1 in regular time.
FULL ALL-STAR TEAM:
Goalkeepers: Andre Blake (Philadelphia Union), Brad Guzan (Atlanta United), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
Defenders: Matt Hedges (FC Dallas), Kemar Lawrence (New York Red Bulls), Romain Metanire (Minnesota United FC), Leandro Gonzalez Pírez (Atlanta United), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Chicago Fire), Walker Zimmerman (Los Angeles Football Club), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
Midfielders: Ezequiel Barco (Atlanta United), Diego Chara (Portland Timbers), Jonathan dos Santos (LA Galaxy), Mark-Anthony Kaye (Los Angeles Football Club), Nicolas Lodeiro (Seattle Sounders FC), Gonzalo "Pity" Martínez (Atlanta United), Maxi Moralez (NYCFC), Nani (Orlando City SC), Paxton Pomykal (FC Dallas), Alejandro Pozuelo (Toronto FC), Diego Rossi (Los Angeles Football Club)
Forwards: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (LA Galaxy), Josef Martínez (Atlanta United), Wayne Rooney (D.C. United), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes), Carlos Vela (Los Angeles Football Club)
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VALENCIENNES, France -- The head of women's soccer in Africa wants Cameroon to face punishment for the conduct of players in their Women's World Cup loss to England.
The Cameroon team rebelled against three officiating decisions in a 3-0 loss to England in the round of 16 on Sunday. After the game, Cameroon manager Alain Djeumfa accused officials of a "miscarriage of justice."
- Cameroon blasts officials after loss to England
- FIFA Women's World Cup: All you need to know
- Full Women's World Cup fixtures schedule
Isha Johansen, who sits on the Confederation of African Football executive committee and is president of the women's soccer body, says she is "proud of our African female teams" in the tournament.
But Johansen believes the game "reflected badly not only on African women's football but African football on the whole" and wants punishments imposed.
"It is an issue which will be addressed and dealt with at the appropriate levels of governance," she added on Monday.
According to the official from Sierra Leone, the CAF should take action even if FIFA doesn't pursue a case against the Cameroon team.
As Cameroon players seethed and wept at times on the field, there was at least one high-profile advocate of their behavior: the head of the FIFA administration.
FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura tweeted that the Cameroon players "inspired many young girls,'' with "passionate and talented play on the field that made your fans proud and your country is proud of you.''
The view from the Confederation of African Football was very different. But Samoura endorsed the conduct of players who openly undermined the authority of referee Quin Liang by forcing delays to restarts as they huddled to protest against England goals.
The loss was marked by three decisions that Cameroon felt were unjust, with two involving the video assistant referee (VAR). The first incident was a call by Liang to award England an indirect free kick for a back pass in the 13th minute that led to Steph Houghton's opening goal.
Ellen White gave England a 2-0 lead in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time with a goal awarded after an offside call was correctly overruled by the VAR. Cameroon vehemently protested the call, having seen it replayed on the video screen.
Rather than immediately restarting play after the goal, the Cameroon players all gathered together in a huddle and spoke to each other for a few minutes before finally taking the kickoff.
Cameroon players were angered again at the start of the second half when Ajara Nchout's goal was denied because of another VAR review for offside. Cameroon's players came to the touchline and were visibly upset at the call, and play was temporarily halted again.
ESPN's Tom Hamilton and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Inside Liverpool's transfer policy: how patience helped them become European champions
Published in
Soccer
Friday, 21 June 2019 14:41

Towards the end of his seven-year stint as manager of Borussia Dortmund, Jürgen Klopp would often wonder "what if?"
What if Nuri Sahin, Mario Gotze, Robert Lewandowski and Shinji Kagawa had remained on his team instead of being seduced away by Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Manchester United respectively? What if that supremely talented, young and cohesive team he constructed were able to develop together for a few more seasons? It was natural for Klopp to wonder because to him, the answer was obvious: BVB would have celebrated at least one Champions League triumph having lost the 2013 final to Bayern and counted more Bundesliga titles than the two they won in that period from 2008-15.
While the 52-year-old has a larger-than-life appreciation of the chaos created by football through its unpredictability and emotional pull, what the Liverpool manager truly covets is much more sensible: consistency and continuity. At Anfield, those two things are crucial to a side that registered a club-high 97 league points last season before winning a sixth European Cup by overcoming Tottenham in Madrid, the first trophy under Klopp.
- When does the transfer window close?
- Ogden: Liverpool best fit for De Ligt
- Marcotti: Liverpool's UCL win is just the beginning
While Dortmund could never quite shelter themselves from football's mega-spending predators, a powered-up Liverpool have been able to tie down their major assets with minimal fuss.
Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson, Joe Gomez, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson have signed new, extended contracts with Liverpool over the past year. Virgil van Dijk wants to agree a new deal and Divock Origi has been offered new terms, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Joel Matip and James Milner among those expected to be next in line. In a market where many of the game's chief forces like Real, Bayern, Barcelona and Man United have to spend considerably to reconstruct their squads, the Merseysiders have prioritised a policy of retention.
As one source explained to ESPN FC: "Those clubs would happily trade places with Liverpool. We have stability at a time when so much is left up in the air around Europe, especially with regards to the future of some big players [Neymar and Paul Pogba to name just two], which makes the landscape volatile."
Liverpool's security is a product of the collaborative relationship between Klopp, sporting director Michael Edwards and Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon. It's made the club an easy sell to top targets and a place where their existing superstars believe they can achieve their ambitions. It's also in sharp contrast to the previous regime, in which former captain Steven Gerrard would literally be texting the names on Liverpool's wishlist to encourage them to move. (At one time, with a mix of hope and embarrassment, he reached out to Toni Kroos, Willian and Alexis Sanchez in this fashion.) The legend was the club's biggest draw but given that the Reds weren't consistently in the hunt for top honors at home or in Europe, lining up alongside him was not a viable reason for high-calibre players to join.
How Liverpool built this team
Since his appointment in October 2015, Klopp has made Edwards' job easier through his clear vision for the on-field product. Liverpool have a stylistic profile to recruit for, and Klopp has made the sales pitch and negotiation process smoother. Their mutual respect and trust -- Edwards and Klopp have an "open-door policy" at the office -- allows the club to enact a unified strategy: there are no competing egos or agendas at play. Where politics, a lack of transparency, flaws in structure and no coherent plan can reign supreme at an elite level -- Man United being a case in point -- there is one vision at Liverpool that everyone subscribes to.
Gordon, owner FSG's main representative at the club, can therefore underwrite the pair's transfer plans with complete conviction in their process. Along with Klopp and Edwards, he believes Liverpool's roster is one of the most valuable, harmonious and enviable in Europe.
The key pieces have been acquired steadily over time, but the past two years have seen the majority of players arrive as Klopp's vision for the on-field tactics has taken root.
Left-back Robertson, signed from Hull City for £8 million in July 2017 -- the bulk of his cost settled by squad player Kevin Stewart moving in the opposite direction -- would now fetch over £65m given the valuation of Man United target Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Firmino, Salah and Mane, brought in for less than £100m combined, are among Europe's most feared and productive forwards.
Liverpool made Van Dijk the world's most expensive defender at £75m but could demand nearly treble that for him if a team made inquiries. Both midfielder Fabinho (£43m) and his countryman goalkeeper Alisson (£65m), pivotal in winning the Champions League, were recruited at a fraction of what they'd be worth in 2019. Pundits and fans have cited the purchases of the Brazilian pair and Van Dijk as a reason for the club to reach deep into their pockets again but in each of those transfers, they did not spend for spending's sake.
There was a long-held need to secure an aerially dominant centre-back, comfortable in possession and defending large spaces, as well as a pedigreed goalkeeper and a progressive midfield anchor. All three players signed were Liverpool's premier targets in those respective positions, their prices offset by the departure of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona last January for £142m.
Those ins, and one substantial out, marked a sea change for the club compared to the recent past, when they would be paralysed by big sales. Inadequate replacements were signed when Xabi Alonso, Javier Mascherano and Luis Suarez left. These days, they're ready to fortify once their star players are sold.
With the Klopp-Edwards-Gordon triumvirate, Liverpool have been measured rather than manic in the market. They didn't get flustered when Southampton accused the club of tapping up Van Dijk in the summer of 2017, which forced them to publicly apologise and withdraw interest. While there was overwhelming pressure for the Reds to move on from the embarrassing saga and secure any other centre-back that summer, they chose instead to patiently work behind the scenes on successfully repairing the relationship with Saints at the highest level in order to make the transfer happen. Liverpool were ridiculed for not bringing in an alternative in that window, but the transfer of Van Dijk last January has arguably been the most significant signing of the Klopp era.
This new-found patience has been applied to other business. When Roma looked to take advantage of Loris Karius' errors in the Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid in Kiev just over a year ago, demanding £90m for Alisson that May, they did not blink. Liverpool refused to operate out of desperation, negotiating to seal a total package £25m below the asking price in mid-July.
As Nabil Fekir's £53m move from Lyon crumbled at the final stage during the same window due to a medical that flagged the extent of underlying damage to his right knee, Klopp was not panicked into sourcing another expensive playmaker, despite Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain being expected to miss nearly all of 2018-19. Xherdan Shaqiri joined for £13m from relegated Stoke City to provide squad depth as the manager rotated his front three throughout the season, while the fullbacks were empowered to become the team's key creative source.
Liverpool are undoubtedly an attractive proposition given their continental success, upward trajectory and the feel-good factor around the place, but it is the no-waste approach that allows them to strike if another "transformer" -- the word used at Melwood to describe Van Dijk and Alisson -- is within reach in the future.
Why the Reds will be quiet this summer
Klopp does not feel "the best squad he has worked with" is greatly in need of a blockbuster buy in 2019. Summer business expected to be minimal, largely centred around squad depth and dependent on exits. The club are equipped to act should opportunities arise that blend into their long-term picture, but the manager is convinced there is automatic room for improvement within the existing group.
Fabinho and Naby Keita, who needed months to adapt at Anfield after moving from Monaco and RB Leipzig respectively, don't need a settling-in period again this summer. Oxlade-Chamberlain, restricted to just four matchday squads last season as he recovered from multiple ligament damage, is close to optimum condition and is a major feature of Klopp's future plans.
The performances of Gomez and Matip alongside van Dijk have created proper competition at centre-back, where Dejan Lovren has fallen to fourth choice. The Croatian, valued at £25m, wants to be a regular starter, but Liverpool have fielded no concrete offers for him as yet, and he could ultimately decide his best option is to remain and fight his way back up the hierarchy. Simon Mignolet, too, could stay as backup to Alisson if no suitable club emerges for his services.
1:27
Burley: Griezmann would be fantastic for Liverpool
Craig Burley makes the case that Atletico Madrid and France star Antoine Greizmann would be just what Liverpool need to challenge Manchester City further next season.
More can be expected from Shaqiri and Adam Lallana, who suffered an injury-plagued 2018-19, and stayed behind at Melwood after the Champions League final to do extra fitness work. The midfielder has opted for a shorter offseason break in order to return to peak physical state, with Klopp and assistant manager Pep Lijnders informing him his versatility will be an important asset during a packed schedule.
Origi, scorer of several defining Liverpool goals last term, like the 96th-minute winner against Everton, a double in the phenomenal Champions League comeback against Barcelona and the decisive strike to seal the Champions League final, will not be sold in this window. The highly rated Rhian Brewster, 19, will step up after striker Daniel Sturridge's release, and there will be no blockage to the pathway of exciting prospects like 17-year-old defender Ki-Jana Hoever.
Liverpool had hoped to sign Lloyd Kelly from Bristol City to deputise for Robertson at left-back but were trumped to the £13m deal by Bournemouth, who could guarantee more minutes. There is still a necessity to strengthen there, even though James Milner and Gomez can both fill in. Nathaniel Clyne could cover both fullback positions but is primed to depart permanently after having spent last season on loan at Bournemouth.
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With City planning a £120m push for Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodri and full-back Joao Cancelo from Juventus after their domestic treble, there has been a demand for Liverpool to match their rival's spending. But the champions of Europe aren't about to copy and paste the approach of others. Liverpool have faith in their processes, and Klopp has complete confidence in his squad.
A month before the Reds departed the Allianz Arena with a 3-1 win over Bayern in March, the Bundesliga giants arrived at Anfield for the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie with an obstructive approach, aiming to contain the explosiveness of Salah, Firmino and Mane rather than underscore their own strengths. Klopp felt it was the highest compliment they could pay Liverpool, likening it to the respect Man City had shown his side at the same ground in a goalless Premier League draw earlier in the season.
"We have to start looking at ourselves like how other teams see us," he said. "They have a lot of respect for us, but I am not sure we always have the same amount of respect for ourselves."
After Liverpool were crowned Europe's best in Madrid, Klopp told his backroom staff that the team believing in themselves was one of the most fundamental and enjoyable development processes he had overseen during 18 years of management. Now he will hope everyone sees what the opposition and the squad themselves do, regardless of the money that changes hands in this window.
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MLS Power Rankings: Rooney and DC drop, as Timbers make move
Published in
Soccer
Monday, 24 June 2019 03:48

We're a little lost here at the rankings. After the Gold Cup break which Major League Soccer instituted to (checking notes...) limit the damage done by international call-ups during the month of June, the league is back at it. Week 16 (as it turns out) brought six games involving 12 teams.
It wasn't a full schedule, but it was enough to cause some waves in the Power Rankings and leave some scratching their heads. Aren't all the internationals still away?
You get a pass if you missed most of the six-game slate, considering that the USMNT was playing at the same time as five of the games on the schedule. Do try to catch up!
Previous rankings: Week 15 | Week 14 | Week 13 | Week 12 | Week 11 | Week 10 | Week 9 | Week 8 | Week 7 | Week 6 | Week 5 | Week 4 | Week 3 | Week 2 | Week 1
1. LAFC (11 wins, 4 draws, 1 loss)
Previous ranking: 1
Next MLS match: June 28 at Colorado, 10 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+
The talk of Tinsel Town this week was LAFC's win over Portland in the U.S. Open Cup and the chase for three trophies. No American MLS club has ever won the U.S. Open Cup, the Supporters Shield, and the MLS Cup in the same season. The odds are long but Bob Bradley might have the team to do it.
2. Philadelphia Union (9-4-4)
Previous ranking: 2
Next MLS match: June 26 vs. New England, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
The Union handled the loss of Corey Burke due to a visa issue well enough, but the Jamaican's departure left a hole at striker that needed to be filled. Philadelphia did that this week with the signing of German-American Andrew Wooten. Wooten's output in the 2.Bundesliga was impressive -- will it translate to MLS?
3. New York City FC (5-8-1)
Previous ranking: 4
Next MLS match: June 29 vs. Philadelphia, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Dome Torrent & Co. scored an Open Cup win in D.C. during the Gold Cup break, a nice boost of confidence ahead of the resumption of the schedule on June 29 against Philadelphia. Torrent might be the happiest man in the Bronx now that NYCFC is playing with, as he says, "personality."
1:50
NYCFC take down Rooney & D.C. to advance to quarters
Alexandru Mitrita and Ismael Tajouri-Shradi scored to cancel out Wayne Rooney's opener as NYCFC booked their spot in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals.
4. LA Galaxy (10-1-6)
Previous ranking: 5
Next MLS match: June 29 at San Jose, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+
When the question of who will score the goals for the Galaxy besides Zlatan Ibrahimovic comes up, no one answers "Emmanuel Boateng." The speedy winger is only good for a smattering of goals a year, so counting on him for big contributions is questionable. That smattering has to happen sometime, though ... like on the road in Cincy to lead LA to a win.
5. Atlanta United (8-2-5)
Previous ranking: 7
Next MLS match: June 26 at Toronto, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+
The bad news is that Atlanta will still be missing Josef Martinez when the schedule resumes in Toronto on Wednesday. The good news is that Brandon Vazquez might be a fine option for Frank de Boer in Martinez's stead fresh off a two-goal performance in United's Open Cup win in Columbus.
1:19
FC Dallas shake off Open Cup upset by cruising past Toronto
Dominque Badji's two-goal night helped FC Dallas move past their midweek loss to USL Championship side New Mexico United by beating Toronto FC 3-0.
6. FC Dallas (7-4-6)
Previous ranking: 10
Next MLS match: June 26 vs. Vancouver, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN+
FC Dallas's young guns handled short-handed Toronto FC on Saturday and again reaffirmed FCD's position as the best developer of talent in MLS. Luchi Gonzalez rolled out a lineup with six homegrown players (while three other FCD alums appeared for the USMNT), but it's not known if he threw them a pizza party after the game.
7. Houston Dynamo (7-3-4)
Previous ranking: 3
Next MLS match: June 29 at New England, 7.30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Pity the Dynamo, who took a trip to Portland missing a couple of key players to play a Timbers team missing ... nobody. Facing the crowd and the absence of Alberth Elis, the task for Wilmer Cabrera's team was always going to be difficult. What matters now is not letting the loss -- and the poor defensive showing -- carry over into future games.
8. DC United (7-6-4)
Previous ranking: 6
Next MLS match: June 26 vs. Orlando, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+
United dropped out of the Open Cup in midweek via a depressing home loss to NYCFC. Wayne Rooney's goal from open play was the lone bright spot for a team that has lived in the land of mediocrity for two months. Everyone in D.C. is eyeing Wednesday's home date with Orlando as a way to break out of the doldrums.
9. New York Red Bulls (7-3-6)
Previous ranking: 8
Next MLS match: June 28 vs. Chicago, 8 p.m. ET
RBNY's five-game unbeaten run came to an end just before the break with a loss in Philly, albeit with a makeshift group beset by injuries and international call-ups. Bradley Wright-Phillips' injury is in something like it's 83rd month with no end in sight, giving an "overachieving" vibe to everything happening in Jersey.
10. Montreal Impact (8-3-7)
Previous ranking: 9
Next MLS match: June 26 vs. Portland, 8 p.m. ET
How weird is this Montreal Impact season so far? Despite sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference as the schedule resumes post-Gold Cup break, Remi Garde's team has a -7 goal differential and can claim a single winning streak -- all of two games -- up to this point.
11. Seattle Sounders (7-5-4)
Previous ranking: 11
Next MLS match: June 29 vs. Vancouver, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+
The Sounders lost an Open Cup match to the hated Timbers, but the bigger blow they suffered during the break was losing Will Bruin to a season-ending knee injury. Until Raul Ruidiaz and Jordan Morris return from international duty, that leaves 17-year old Alfonso Ocampo-Chavez as the Sounders' lone forward.
12. Orlando City (5-3-7)
Previous ranking: 13
Next MLS match: June 26 at DC United, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+
It's been just over a year since the Lions fired Jason Kreis and brought in James O'Connor as his replacement. At the time of Kreis' ousting, Orlando City was 6-1-8 for a total of 19 points. In 2019 under O'Connor, the club is 5-3-7 through 15 games for a total of 18 points. Maybe it's not just the coach?
13. Colorado Rapids (4-4-9)
Previous ranking: 18
Next MLS match: June 28 vs. LAFC, 10 p.m. ET
The Rapids' start was so poor that even a six-game unbeaten run hasn't lifted them from the foot of the Western Conference table for long. That move might be coming soon, though, with Portland just a point ahead and three teams within striking distance. Colorado can even dream of the playoffs -- seventh place is just four points away.
14. San Jose Earthquakes (5-4-6)
Previous ranking: 15
Next MLS match: June 26 vs. Houston Dynamo, 10.30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
We'll say it: The Quakes are fascinating. Does that mean they're good? The jury is still out on that. Even if Matias Almeyda doesn't turn San Jose into world beaters, there's enough happening in NorCal to think they'll be around come playoff time. The way of the warrior leads to the postseason?
2:07
Portland put on a show in rout of Houston
Four different scorers found the back of the net for Portland as they cruised to victory at home against the Houston Dynamo.
15. Portland Timbers (5-2-7)
Previous ranking: 19
Next MLS match: June 26 at Montreal, 7.30 p.m. ET, ESPN+
The bare minimum for Portland in their second home game of the year against a weakened Houston side was a win. The 4-0 romp (that included Brian Fernandez's fourth-straight game with a goal to start his Timbers career) was much more than the bare minimum. It might even be a launching pad.
16. Minnesota United (6-3-7)
Previous ranking: 12
Next MLS match: June 29 vs. FC Cincinnati, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPNdeportes
The Loons are one of the teams hoping Open Cup success carries over into the MLS schedule. United executed a thrilling second-half comeback on the road in Houston to secure a place in the Open Cup quarterfinals, with Darwin Quintero leading the way. Getting the Colombian back to his best is big.
1:26
Katai and Chicago settle for draw against RSL
Aleksandar Katai's free kick put Chicago ahead, but Albert Rusnak's penalty ensured Real Salt Lake went home with a point on the road.
17. Real Salt Lake (6-2-8)
Previous ranking: 16
Next MLS match: June 29 vs. Sporting KC, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+
RSL didn't get the Fire much on the road in Bridgeview, but neither did they create much themselves. One point is probably good enough, but there can't be much comfort in Utah for a team play so close to the playoff margins. The good news is that RSL is back home to play Sporting on Saturday after three straight trips east.
1:42
Vancouver storms back to steal a point against Colorado
Fredy Montero and Yordy Reyna helped Vancouver overturn a two-goal deficit to earn a share of the points against the Colorado Rapids.
18. Vancouver Whitecaps (4-7-6)
Previous ranking: 22
Next MLS match: June 26 at FC Dallas, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Maybe it's just the way it seems, but the 'Caps appear to have quite a few comeback draws in their own building. Vancouver needed a late equalizer (after a glorious free kick from Yordy Reyna) to get a point against Colorado on Saturday and while that's better than losing, it's not quite good enough.
19. New England Revolution (4-4-8)
Previous ranking: 20
Next MLS match: June 26 vs. Philadelphia, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
The Bruce-olution in New England is as much about the vibe around the team as it is about selection or tactics. There's a long-term project to be led, but Bruce Arena is already making a difference just by being Bruce. Wednesday will be a big test of that difference with the first-place Union in town.
1:19
FC Dallas shake off Open Cup upset by cruising past Toronto
Dominque Badji's two-goal night helped FC Dallas move past their midweek loss to USL Championship side New Mexico United by beating Toronto FC 3-0.
20. Toronto FC (5-4-6)
Previous ranking: 14
Next MLS match: June 26 vs. Atlanta, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN+
The Reds will just try to hold on until Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, and Jonathan Osorio return from the Gold Cup. So far, not so good with a 3-0 loss in Frisco. Next up is a Wednesday clash with Atlanta at BMO Field, a tough ask for Greg Vanney's team.
21. Sporting Kansas City (4-7-5)
Previous ranking: 21
Next MLS match: June 29 at Real Salt Lake, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Peter Vermes was never one for style points anyway, so it's fine that Sporting can't afford to be worried about them. Sunday's win over Columbus on the road in Ohio won't win any awards for aesthetics considering the poor finishing on the display. Luckily for Vermes & Co., it doesn't matter how you win, just that you do.
22. Chicago Fire (4-7-6)
Previous ranking: 23
Next MLS match: June 29 at NY Red Bulls, 8 p.m. ET
One point, at home, against a team traveling across the country and missing a key player. That doesn't feel much like a response to recent comments from both Dax McCarty and Veljko Paunovic about commitment and effort, especially since the Fire forced Salt Lake keeper Nick Rimando into a single save.
23. Columbus Crew (5-2-10)
Previous ranking: 17
Next MLS match: June 29 vs. Orlando, 7.30 p.m. ET
Last week, we mentioned the whiff of desperation in the air ahead of Sporting's visit to Columbus. SKC left with three points and the clouds descended further for the Crew. The USMNT contingent won't be back for awhile and Federico Higuain won't be back at all. Now David Accam might miss time. There's no easy way out.
24. FC Cincinnati (3-2-12)
Previous ranking: 24
Next MLS match: June 29 vs. Minnesota, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPNDeportes
It's not getting better in Cincinnati, at least in terms of results. Progress can be difficult to measure when losses are coming fast and furious, but it does look like FCC has improved under Yoann Damet. At some point, though, that progress has to manifest as victories.
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West Indies allrounder Andre Russell has been sidelined from the remainder of the World Cup with a knee injury. Top-order batsman Sunil Ambris, who hit a career-best 148 in the tri-series in Ireland last month, has been approved by the ICC as Russell's replacement.
ALSO READ - Kimber: West Indies have gambled on Russell's knees, and it hasn't worked
Russell has had a history of knee issues, and was seen limping heavily during his 2 for 4 against Pakistan in what was only his second ODI since the 2015 World Cup. Although he returned for the game against Australia, his knees didn't make it through his second spell. He bowled only two overs against England and then six overs against Bangladesh. His wonky knees then ruled him out of the game against New Zealand in Manchester, where Carlos Brathwaite replaced him and nearly powered West Indies home with a stunning century.
Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo were among like-for-like replacements for Russell in West Indies' reserves, but they have opted for a possible opener in Ambris, who was the second-highest scorer in the tri-series against Bangladesh and Ireland, with 278 runs in four innings at an average of 92.66 and strike rate of 101.83.
Ambris could cover for Evin Lewis, who had hurt his hamstring in the field in the first over of the match against New Zealand and consequently limped off the field. He returned to bat at No. 8 and bagged a three-ball duck.
West Indies have won just one of their six matches, meaning they are unlikely to qualify for the semi-finals. They next face one of the tournament favourites, India, at Old Trafford on June 27.
West Indies' updated squad: Jason Holder (capt), Fabian Allen, Darren Bravo, Carlos Brathwaite, Sheldon Cottrell, Shannon Gabriel, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope (wk), Evin Lewis, Ashley Nurse, Nicholas Pooran, Kemar Roach, Sunil Ambris, Oshane Thomas
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The nail-biting win over West Indies at Old Trafford was the kind of result that gives teams a lot of self-belief, but it has come at a significant cost for New Zealand. Their main batsman, the only one to have scored more than 200 runs at this World Cup, is now on notice because they failed to maintain a good over rate in those tense final moments. Captain Kane Williamson is now one over-rate offence from being suspended for a match.
Williamson has been fined 20% of his match fee for New Zealand's slow over rate against West Indies, and the other players 10% of theirs. Another over-rate breach during the tournament will be deemed a second offence, which will bring with it a suspension for Williamson.
It will be particularly disappointing for New Zealand that it has come to this: the last time New Zealand were tardy with their overs was way back in the Champions Trophy in 2017. Behind India - who are immaculate with their over rates - New Zealand are the most disciplined side in the world when it comes to finishing their overs in the allotted time. And in the first match in which they batted first at this World Cup and were put under pressure while defending their total, New Zealand were found to be slow. In the matches between their two offences, the closest match they had when batting first was a 15-run win. It will be a small concern that they were slow when put under that pressure.
"We will be talking about that, it's certainly something we don't want," Gary Stead, New Zealand's coach, said. "Our record's been really good, and I think the moment the other night was something that probably got to everyone. It was so noisy, and the atmosphere was so good that it was really hard and difficult to hear. When you get in those pressure moments, sometimes you need to take a bit of extra time to be clear on it, but the West Indies were slow as well."
On the clock, even West Indies were at least 26 minutes late in finishing their overs, but the ICC match referee makes allowances for injury breaks and other timeouts before handing out these fines. West Indies were deemed to be just in line with the over-rate requirement, and New Zealand to have exceeded it. And they finished the innings off in 49 overs. Had the match gone the distance there might have been a bigger penalty coming their way.
However, New Zealand sound confident they don't need to do anything dramatic. They won't suddenly start playing two spinners just to maintain over rates. Stead knows the last time it happened was when he wasn't even the coach. He knows they just need to reinforce the little disciplines to make sure they are on the right side of that ledger. It is just more significant because it is Williamson, who has been streets ahead of the other New Zealand batsmen in this tournament, with 373 runs at an average of 186.50 and two Man-of-the-Match awards to his name, for two masterful centuries in difficult conditions.
"I understand the ICC have got things they need to clamp down on as well, that's part and parcel of it, but we don't want to lose Kane so that's something we'll be chatting about," Stead said.
The ICC has come down hard on over-rate offences in limited-overs tournaments. In this World Cup, a captain cannot be absolved of over-rate responsibilities even if the team decides to switch captains, like Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene did at the World T20 in 2012.
The relevant ICC playing condition says: "If the Team Captain plays in a match without being the nominated Captain for that match, he will be deemed to be the Captain should any penalties be applied for over rate breaches under the ICC Code of Conduct unless he is off the field for wholly acceptable reasons for the entirety of his team's fielding innings."
However, should New Zealand feel that their last league match will have no bearing on their final standing in the league table, they can rest Williamson if they want to be extra safe. But, as Stead said, it hasn't caused any panic in the ranks because they know they have managed it for two years. They just need to be mindful of it when the pressure is on.
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