Month: March 2022

Coming out of defence with the ball in hand is a balancing act.

Go too slowly, and the opposition has time to set up its defence, and the chance to score is greatly diminished. Going too quickly, and failing to pull it off, can leave your side exposed and the red carpet to goals is laid out for the other team.

The balance is extremely fine, a tense struggle between risk and reward. The best rebounding defenders can sum up the play a fraction of a second after getting the ball, seeing how it might unfold. Rich is one of the finest in the competition at weighing up the options, and choosing correctly.

After years of injury and positional uncertainty, Rich’s fortunes were changed with the arrival of new coach Chris Fagan, who entrusted Rich to make the most of his strongest weapons, and instilled the belief his best footy was still ahead of him.

Fagan’s rebuild at the Lions started with shoring up the defence, and that necessitated Rich’s full-time move down back. That proved Rich with positional certainty, and a clear use for his dangerous left boot.metasports

After his first season, legendary key forward Jonathan Brown called him probably the best kick he had played with — some honour considering the ranks of the three-peat Lions.

The insider midfielder has long been considered the most valuable role on the ground, critical to determining the cut and thrust of the game. But some inside football circles call Rich’s current role the most important; transitioning the ball from defence to attack is critical to the ebb and flow of the modern game.

It was the first time Barcelona’s women’s team played a match at the Camp Nou in front of fans. It had played at the stadium before but behind closed doors because of restrictions prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.

The team usually play its matches at the much smaller Johan Cruyff Stadium, which holds about 6,000 fans. The Camp Nou can hold 99,000 people.

The match sold out quickly after free tickets for club members were snapped up two months in advance. The cheapest tickets for non-members were priced at up to 15 euros ($22).

A stadium-wide mosaic featured the words “More than Empowerment” on the grandstands of the Camp Nou.

“Culers, the world record for attendance at a women’s football match is ours!” Barcelona wrote on Twitter.

The Catalan club advanced to the semifinals 8-3 on aggregate after winning the first leg 3-1 in Madrid last week.

Putellas scored one of the goals for Barcelona, which will face either Arsenal or Wolfsburg in the semifinals.metasports

Organisers said 91,553 people were at the venue in Barcelona for the game on Wednesday.

The previous crowd record for any women’s game was 90,185 for the 1999 World Cup final between the United States and China at the Rose Bowl.

“I don’t have the words to describe it,” Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas said.

“As we have done throughout the campaign, we will work closely with Graham to ensure the team has the necessary resources, support and the approach required to achieve the best possible outcome and ultimately qualification to our fifth consecutive FIFA World Cup.”

Football Australia CEO James Johnson said Arnold retained the organisation’s support.

“Graham has Football Australia’s support and after nearly four years in the role, still has the opportunity to finish the job he was appointed to in 2018 and see through his commitment to the national team,” he said. 

“We now turn our sights to the difficult play-off stage in June, our final opportunity to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

The Socceroos came third in their Asian group after a series of draws and losses, putting pressure on Arnold’s tenure as critics called for a new coach to see out the campaign.metasports

The team will play the UAE in June, and if wins will play Peru for a spot in the World Cup.

Allan Border held back tears and gave thanks to his old teammate.

“I feel sorry for the people around Australia who never met him,” Merv Hughes said.

“You’re the greatest Australian that I know,” Brian Lara said.

“I always felt honoured to be in your presence.”

Occasionally someone in the crowd shouted out: “Love ya Warnie.”

Warne’s brother Jason gave his second eulogy in 10 days. The first was when close family and friends held a private service at St Kilda Football Club’s home ground in Moorabbin.

“For Shane and I, everything was a competition,” Jason said.metasports

“But we never got angry at each other for very long.”

The pop star dedicated a song, Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me, to Warne’s children Brooke, Jackson and Summer.

Good friend Chris Martin, of Coldplay, appeared from a tropical forest singing Yellow. Robbie Williams sat in a room of large, glowing candles and performed Angels. Ed Sheeran strummed Thinking Out Loud.

Almost every sporting hero and Hall of Fame entertainer featured in the ceremony. There were recorded messages from Kelly Slater, Sachin Tendulkar, Kylie and Dannii Minogue, and Greg Norman.

Mr Warne was reading his speech.

“Looking forward to a future without Shane is inconceivable,” he said.

“Shane loved life and lived for sport. He was a person who could make everybody feel very special.

“You were taken too soon, and our hearts are broken. Rest in peace, mate. Love ya. Mum and Dad.”

Famous musicians sent videos to be played on the large screens.

“He loved to play cricket and he loved life,” Elton John said.

There have been several high-profile four-player team moves in recent weeks on the domestic scene. Some big-name Canadian curlers, notably Laura Walker and Kirk Muyres, have declared their intention to focus on mixed doubles, which was added to the Olympic program in 2018.

“I do think it’s an exciting way to still be part of the sport at a high level but not necessarily having to commit to a full-time men’s or women’s team,” Weagle said.

Weagle said she’s not closing the door on a potential return to women’s team curling later in the quadrennial. She’ll likely re-evaluate plans after next season, she said.

Her next women’s team appearance with Team Jennifer Jones will come at the April 12-17 Players’ Championship in Toronto.

The 37-year-old lead won a world title in 2017 with Team Rachel Homan’s Ottawa-based rink. She left that team in 2020 and joined the Winnipeg-based Team Jennifer Jones, which recently announced its members would be going their separate ways at the end of this season.

“They gave me an opportunity to join the team and to have a really exciting new chapter of my curling career and I’ll always be grateful for that,” Weagle told The Canadian Press from Ottawa.

Weagle won her first national title in 2013 and took bronze at the worlds that season. She earned world silver a year later before helping the Homan team run the table in 2017 to end Canada’s nine-year world women’s title drought.

Three-time national champion Lisa Weagle plans to step back from women’s team curling next season to focus on the mixed doubles discipline.

Weagle, who represented Canada at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games and at last month’s Beijing Olympics, is currently ranked No. 1 in the national mixed doubles rankings with John Epping.

The Canadian women’s alpine team makes its way to  Calgary for physical testing from April 24-26, meanwhile, the team lead staff meet at the Alpine Canada headquarters from April 15-26. 

‘I definitely believe that creating a strong culture or even helping to continue that and evolve, will help them grow as athletes,” Harjo said. “I’m really excited to see what they’ve accomplished so far — I think, bodes well for the future of the team.”

The experience Harjo brought to the table made her the main target for the Canadian team heading into the next season. 

“It’s relief and excitement,” Alpine Canada high performance director Phil McNichol told CBC Sports. “It’s not easy to find someone as good as Karin to come in and provide leadership and quality at the level we’re looking for.”

Although the Canadian women’s team fell short of their goals at the Beijing 2022 Olympics, the strong World Cup results point toward future success. Young athletes Cassidy Gray, Britt Richardson and Kiki Alexander competed on the World Cup circuit this year, taking the next step in their careers and ensuring Canada’s future at the top level. 

Pascale St-Onge, Canada’s Minister of Sport, said the federal government has been making para sport a priority for years, pointing to the $6 million annually it gives to the CPC compared to $800,00 to the COC.

“The mandate we have and the CPC has is to build athlete’s careers and help them in their training, traveling, and so that they can perform,” St-Onge said. “There needs to be a culture change in our society to ensure our Paralympians are recognized and celebrated as much as the Olympians.”

St-Onge said she’s been having conversations with the CPC to ensure a fund to reward Paralympians for medals financially is established.

“I’m making it a priority to find solutions with the CPC because I don’t want to continue this inequity between Olympians and Paralympians,” she told CBC Sports. “This needs to be fixed. I want to ensure that on the international stage, Canada is still perceived as a very inclusive and progressive country.”

But she said Wednesday the CPC is substantially healthier now, allowing the organization to focus on things like a money for medal fund.

“You have people now who want to make a personal statement and personal commitment for the things that count,” O’Neill told CBC Sports. “The gap in this one situation and recognition is such a key symbol. For Sanjay and his family to make this commitment is just phenomenal.

“It’s such a statement. It’s inspiring. And for our athletes there’s such appreciation to be acknowledged and recognized in this way.”

O’Neill said the CPC has had a number of conversations over the last couple of days with sponsors who are understanding the importance of getting the money for medals fund established and sustainable into the future. 

Para nordic skier Mark Arendz won four medals at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games to bring his career total to 12.

“On behalf of all my fellow Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 Paralympians, a huge thank you to Sanjay for this gift,” Mark Arendz, a four-time Paralympic nordic skier who won four medals in Beijing, said in a statement. “This is a significant step forward in the recognition of Canadian Paralympic athletes who work and train so hard to compete on the world stage.metagame

“I am optimistic that Sanjay’s generosity will serve as a catalyst for greater equality for Canadian athletes with a disability that so proudly represent our country.”

The COC’s bonus program, called the Athlete Excellence Fund, is entirely funded through its own marketing sponsorships, separate from the CPC. Each organization governs everything to do with their respective Games.

But Sindhu then held her nerve and won the last five points out of six to capture the first game. Sindhu went off the blocks too quickly in the second game as she gathered a massive nine points lead at the mid-game break. After the change of the ends, with such a massive lead, the experienced Indian shuttler never faced any actual resistance in the game. Sindhu comfortably won the second game by 21-8. 

With this win, Sindhu now has a head-to-head record of 16-1 against the Thai player.Sindhu got to a fast start in the final as she gathered a 3-0 lead in the first game.

But Thai shuttler refused to get overpowered as she levelled the game at 3-3. The first game moved at a steady pace and with the score of 9-9 on board, the two impressive points gave Sindhu an 11-9 lead at the first interval.It was neck to neck battle after the resumption as Ongbamrungphan raised her level to get in a point difference against the Indian at 16-15.metagame

Battling it out at court 1, the double Olympic medallist Indian defeated Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand by 21-16, 21-8 in 49 minutes.

India`s ace shuttler PV Sindhu on Sunday claimed the Swiss Open 2022 women`s singles crown at St. Jakobshalle arena in Basel.

The South American Football Confederation said Suarez’s 29 goals came in 62 games, two games more than Messi, and his latest was typically spectacular, a bicycle kick from four meters out with 11 minutes remaining. Federico Valverde doubled Uruguay’s lead in the final moments of the match to cement a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for the side under Diego Alonso.

Alonso took over from Oscar Tabarez in December last year after four successive defeats put their qualification hopes in jeopardy and he has since guided his new charges to four straight wins.
Uruguay finished third in the qualifying group behind Brazil and Argentina and ahead of Ecuador, who took the fourth automatic qualifying place.

“Special night, special game, special shirt and a goal,” Suarez wrote on social media alongside a picture of him holding his shirt from the match. “What more could I ask for in unique and unforgettable moments for my country?”metagame

Luis Suarez moved ahead of Lionel Messi as the top scorer in South American World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday (March 29) with a bicycle kick that helped Uruguay win 2-0 over Chile. With this victory, Suarez’s Uruguay qualified for the Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022. Uruguay’s participation in the World Cup was in doubt until the win over Chile on Tuesday (March 29) in the final of the CONMEBOL qualifier.

North Macedonia rarely troubled Diogo Costa in the Portuguese goal in the first period but started brightly after the interval.

However, Fernandes put paid to any thoughts of another big scalp for the visitors after a swift counterattack set Diogo Jota down the left. His pinpoint delivery sat up nicely for the goalscorer to double his tally, hitting a neat first-time finish at speed. 

Bruno Fernandes put in an impressive display, scoring in each half in Portugal’s play-off against North Macedonia with Ronaldo and Diogo Jota providing assists to lead their country to its sixth consecutive World Cup. 

“Goal achieved, we’re at the Qatar World Cup,” Ronaldo said on Instagram. “We’re in our rightful place! Thank you to all the Portuguese people for the tireless support! Let’s go Portugal!”

In Porto, Portugal looked as if they might be set for a long evening, with both skipper Cristiano Ronaldo and Diogo Jota going close in the first 30 minutes. Fernandes then intercepted a stray pass just after the half-hour mark before combining well with the Portugal captain and drilling a low strike past Stole Dimitrievski. 

Cristiano Ronaldo who is set to appear in his 5th FIFA World Cup in Qatar, took to social media to celebrate the momentous achievement on Tuesday.