Latest news with #LoriEwing
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Soccer-Man United can beat anybody says Amorim after promising signs in defeat
By Lori Ewing HT Image MANCHESTER, England, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Manchester United lost to Arsenal in their opener on Sunday but Ruben Amorim remained full of optimism and said his rebuilt team can now beat anybody in the Premier League as the club try to put last season's woeful 15th-place finish behind them. Riccardo Calafiori headed home from an early corner to give Arsenal a 1-0 win, with a weak challenge from goalkeeper Altay Bayindir one of United's few mistakes on an afternoon that sent their fans home from Old Trafford feeling positive. "We have players to win any game in the Premier League," said Amorim, flashing a rare smile after the scowl he wore for most of last season. "We were more aggressive than last year. We went one against one all the game and we pressed high. We had quality with the ball." Close-season signings Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo injected pace and creativity into United's attack, with the ex-Wolves man, who had three shots on target, arguably the best player on the pitch. "We did a lot things right," Amorim said. "We were more aggressive and brave. In certain moments I think Bryan and Cunha helped a lot. We stuck to the plan even when the stadium was nervous, we continued to play the way we played and that will help us in the future. "(The fans) want that feeling again. We go to Old Trafford and we are not going to get bored. We need to win more than last season but they want to see something and feel something." United also looked more composed defensively than last term, but the error from their Turkish keeper begged the question about that position in Amorim's team. Arsenal's William Saliba backed into Bayindir, who feebly batted the ball with one hand into the path of Italian Calafiori for an easy close-range header. Amorim said United needed to match Arsenal's physicality on the corner. "If you can watch the goal, I think (players) are allowed to do a lot of things in the corners. We need to do the same," he said. "But when you touch that way the goalkeeper, he needs to use his hands to catch the ball, not to push players, or he chooses to push players and let the ball past. "But again, (it) is the rules. If he's allowed, we need to do the same thing." Bayindir was selected ahead of usual starter Andre Onana, who has had only three training sessions after recovering from injury. Onana made mistakes himself last season but Amorim shrugged off questions about any changes in that position. (Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Ken Ferris)
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Soccer-Jota remembered by Liverpool in emotional tribute at season opener
By Lori Ewing HT Image LIVERPOOL, England, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Emotional Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah buried his face in his hands as the Anfield crowd gave a heart-wrenching rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone" in tribute to beloved forward Diogo Jota ahead of the Premier League season-opener on Friday. The reigning champions honoured the Portugal forward with a minute's silence before the kick-off against Bournemouth as Jota's death in a car crash alongside his brother Andre Silva last month cast a sombre cloud over the pre-game proceedings. The players stood arm-in-arm with heads bowed, while fans wiped away tears and the words "Rest in peace Diogo Jota and Andre Silva, you'll never walk alone," were displayed around the pitch. Liverpool manager Arne Slot reflected on how the squad had coped following the death of their teammate. "The squad is far better than I expected five or six weeks ago," the Dutchman told Sky Sports before kick-off. "At the moment in time you feel, will it ever be possible to play again or will it ever be possible to get them going again? "But as I said many times they have conducted themselves so, so well in that period of time, when we first heard the news (about Jota's death) and afterwards. "On both sides they were great. As human beings but also they understood that they needed to be professional footballers again so we had to work hard and that is what they started doing." Jota scarves and banners dotted the crowd, while "Diogo" shirts dominated those worn by fans pouring into the stadium. Fans in two stands held placards that spelt out "DJ 20" and "AS 30" in Portugal's red, green and white colours. The Liverpool players will wear a "Forever 20" emblem on their shirts this season, while the club has retired Jota's No. 20 shirt across all levels of the club, including the women's team and academy, after consultation with Jota's family. After 20 minutes and 20 seconds of Friday's game, the Anfield crowd stood and cheered and sang their Jota song, set to the tune of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising". (Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Ken Ferris)
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Soccer-Title dreams and redemption: Premier League teams gear up for new campaign
By Lori Ewing HT Image MANCHESTER, England, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Fresh off a dominant title-winning campaign, Liverpool kick off the new Premier League season on Friday as the team to beat, as the Reds have transitioned from Juergen Klopp's high-octane chaos to a more measured possession-based style under Arne Slot. Liverpool host Bournemouth in the season's curtain-raiser on what is sure to be an emotional night at Anfield after the July 3 death of forward Diogo Jota in a car crash. Liverpool, who locked up last year's title with four matches to spare, had a bold and ambitious summer, signing Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, who headline a revamped attack that promises to be among the most explosive in the league. They also added pace at fullback by acquiring Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez. Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk remain central pillars. The key question is can Liverpool's new-look defence hold firm to support a title repeat? Slot is cautiously optimistic. "The reason that it is so difficult is there are so many competitors who can also win the league here," he said on Thursday. "To win it once is already very, very special. That is unbelievable if you are able to do it (twice) in this league. This year it is probably going to be harder than before." Bournemouth finished ninth last season. Manchester City travel to Wolverhampton on Saturday as Pep Guardiola looks to restore his revamped team to their former glory after last term's third-place disappointment. Rodri, whose absence last season due to a serious knee injury contributed to City's poor campaign, is facing a race to get fit for their opening match after picking up an injury during the FIFA Club World Cup. The Ballon d'Or winner has returned to training, but Guardiola said he will not be "really, really fit" until after the September international break. City finished 13 points behind Liverpool last season. Wolves were 16th. Perennial contenders Arsenal, who have finished second three seasons running, travel to Old Trafford on Sunday to play Manchester United in a much-anticipated clash of two revamped teams. Desperate to break the second-place cycle, the Gunners added quality and depth in signing Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard to bolster the midfield, and Viktor Gyökeres to help solve their long-standing striker issue. Arsenal's defence remains elite — and will be put to the test against United's brand new front three of Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha, and Bryan Mbeumo. After their dismal 15th-place finish last season under new boss Ruben Amorim, United have been in full rebuild mode, with expectations high but patience wearing thin. The Red Devils are aiming for a top-four finish and a return to European football. But United remain a wild card. The big question is can Amorim quickly galvanise his new-look squad into a competitive force, or will this be another frustrating season of transition? The three promoted clubs get a taste of England's top flight this weekend with Sunderland hosting West Ham United and Burnley travelling to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, and Leeds United hosting Everton on Monday. (Reporting by Lori Ewing in Manchester, England; editing by Pritha Sarkar)
Hindustan Times
03-08-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Athletics-Hughes completes sprint double with 200m victory at UK Championships
By Lori Ewing HT Image MANCHESTER, England, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Zharnel Hughes stormed to victory in the men's 200 metres at the UK Athletics Championships on Sunday in Birmingham to complete the sprint double and secure a spot in that event at next month's World Championships in Tokyo. Hughes, who won the 100m on Saturday, clocked 19.90 seconds to break the competition record, becoming the first runner to duck under the 20-second barrier at a British championship. "Winning the 100m yesterday was pretty cool, but I wanted the 200m title more," Hughes said. "My coach will get me a lot sharper for the Championships - I'm excited to see what I can do in Tokyo." Dina Asher-Smith held off newly-crowned 100m champion Amy Hunt to win a women's 200m that was determined by a photo finish, with both clocking 22.14, also a championship record. "It was an excellent race, we needed a photo-finish because neither of us knew who had won," Asher-Smith said. "But I am happy to come here and run a low-22, it is a fantastic time." Daryll Neita, who was disqualified for a false start in Saturday's 100m -- but is still eligible to race that distance in Tokyo, according to UK Athletics -- was third in 22.30, to secure the 200m world qualifying time. Max Burgin won the men's 800m in a fast 1:43.92, while Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Georgia Hunter Bell clocked 1:59.53 to win her first British women's 800m title. Hunter Bell is undecided whether she will run the 800m or 1500m or both in Tokyo. "How cool would it be to follow in the footsteps of the great British athletes like Seb Coe, Kelly Holmes, Steve Cram, who did double up, and were successful – it's hard to decide," she said. World 1500m champion Josh Kerr moved up to the 5,000m and raced to victory in 13:44.73. "It was always going to be tough out there over the last mile but I really enjoyed the first eight laps," Kerr said. "That was fun." (Reporting by Lori Ewing in Manchester, England; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
The Star
04-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Soccer-Chelsea given huge fine for breach of financial rules
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Chelsea v Brentford - Stamford Bridge, London, Britain - December 15, 2024 General view of a corner flag inside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Hannah Mckay/File Photo (Reuters) -Chelsea have been fined 31 million euros ($36.50 million) by UEFA for breaches of its financial rules, while Aston Villa, Barcelona and Olympique Lyonnais were also levied with large fines, UEFA announced on Friday. The punishments come with the potential for far harsher fines down the road, with Chelsea risking being hit with a further 60 million euros if they do not get their finances in order. Barcelona must pay a 15 million euro fine, with UEFA fining Lyon 12.5 million and Aston Villa five million. The teams agreed to settlement agreements which cover periods of two, three or four years, with the clubs' final targets to be fully compliant with the football earnings rule by the end of their specific settlement period. Additionally, Lyon agreed on an exclusion from the 2025/26 UEFA club competitions should the French authority (DNCG) confirm the club's relegation to Ligue 2. ($1 = 0.8493 euros) (Reporting by Lori Ewing; editing by Clare Fallon)
