Much-changed Newcastle dumped out of FA Cup by third-tier Sheffield Wednesday

Newcastle United's Chris Wood and Sven Botman look dejected after the defeat to Sheffield Wednesday. (Reuters)
Newcastle United's Chris Wood and Sven Botman look dejected after the defeat to Sheffield Wednesday. (Reuters)
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Updated 08 January 2023
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Much-changed Newcastle dumped out of FA Cup by third-tier Sheffield Wednesday

Much-changed Newcastle dumped out of FA Cup by third-tier Sheffield Wednesday
  • Squad depth appear lacking for 3 competitions
  • Coach Eddie Howe bemoans missed chances

SHEFFIELD: Fighting on three fronts proved a step too far for Newcastle United as they were dumped out of the Emirates FA Cup by League One Sheffield Wednesday.

Prior to the Hillsborough cup upset, head coach Eddie Howe claimed he believed he had the strength of squad, without injuries, to ensure he kept fires burning in not only the Premier League, but also the two cup competitions.

However, calling on his reserves only proved the point that Newcastle do not have the strength in depth to maintain a charge across the board in English football.

“Bitterly disappointed to go out, I thought the performance was OK. We created enough chances to win the tie and their goalkeeper made a number of great saves but we weren’t clinical enough when those presentable opportunities were there,” said Howe.

“We have to accept the defeat and Sheffield Wednesday battled for everything, as we did, but it wasn’t to be.”

 

Protecting ‘very small squad’

“We have a very small squad and have to protect that squad for games ahead. We felt we were strong enough to win the game today and I stick by that based on the first-half performance where we had chances to score, we just weren’t clinical in front of goal.

“We haven’t experienced defeat a lot this season and it’s very painful, you don’t want to lose any game.

“We were determined to do well in this competition but it wasn’t to be and there’s always things to learn. We created chances tonight similar to the Leeds game that we didn’t win where we will kick ourselves when we look back at some of those moments and think how we didn’t score.”

The result now brings into sharp focus Tuesday’s return to action, where Howe will almost certainly call on the likes of Callum Wilson and Nick Pope to give the Magpies the best possible chance of progressing to the Carabao Cup semifinal. Leicester City stand in the way of their first League Cup last-four spot since 1976.

Change was the order of the day for Howe this time, though, much to the team’s detriment.

The head coach made eight adjustments to the side who battled to a 0-0 draw with Premier League leaders Arsenal on Tuesday night.

The big team selection news was interesting from both a positive and negative perspective, with one huge name missing out — and another returning to the starting lineup after nearly four months out of action.

Alexander Isak was named in the starting XI, with rarely-used Allan Saint-Maximin missing out on the squad altogether, despite being expected to play. The Frenchman’s absence was due to an illness, according to Howe.

 

Missed chances

As is so often the case in this famous old competition, chances were free-flowing and the pace frenetic from the off.

Elliot Anderson, back in the side for the first time since the third round of the Carabao Cup, had a header from close range from a Matt Ritchie cross sail over the top.

At the other end a Jamal Lewis throw was jumped on by Liam Palmer as Jacob Murphy switched off but the Wednesday man fired wide from 18 meters.

Isak, a surprise inclusion in many ways due to his numerous return false dawns, could have had two goals in the opening 45, missing two gilt-edged chances as his rustiness due to a lack of football showed.

A Javi Manquillo dinked cross found the Swede perfectly in the middle but he somehow headed straight at Cameron Dawson in the Wednesday goal. The same combination with Manquillo finding Isak, this time in space on the edge of the area, but his powerful shot was again denied by Dawson.

An Anderson error, one of many for United’s midfielders, saw the youngster play in Josh Windass but this time, he fired wide. It was a warning United did not heed.

The incredibly below-par Murphy had two chances before the break to edge the travelling Magpies in front. He was sent clean through on the break in one instance but delayed his decision-making and was caught in possession by the chasing pack. Then, again, sent through, Murphy meekly attempted a lob over the keeper only to see the ball barely reach the touchline in front of the 4,500 travelling United fans.

At the break, Chris Wood was brought on to replace Isak, in a prearranged move — and while United can normally rely on the New Zealander, this was not one of those games, with the striker missing what proved to be a game-defining chance in the dying embers of this one.

Prior to that, the hard work was done by the home side, and so easily undone by United.

A clever turn by Mark Byers away from the advancing Anderson and Sean Longstaff opened up the spaces for Wednesday to attack and a Dominic Iorfa cross was flicked home by Windass. The striker was obviously offside when he netted, but some poor officiating and a lack of VAR, saw the effort stand.

An uphill struggle got all the more steep just 14 minutes later as Windass added his second, this time in much more accomplished manner, curling past the helpless Dubravka after Newcastle’s usually reliable backline was again carved in half after Joelinton failed to deal with a high ball.

Anderson, far from his best on the day, then squandered a brilliant chance to score as Dawson threw out a sprawling leg to save his close-range strike.

 

Too little too late

United did, however, halve the deficit with the arrival of their cavalry, namely Kieran Trippier. The England fullback curled in a corner onto the head of Wood who drew the save from Dawson, only for fellow sub Bruno Guimaraes to turn home from inside the penalty box. There was more than a hint of offside about that one too.

While the substitutions and the goal sparked Newcastle into life, somewhat, their FA Cup hopes could not be revived, with man-of-the-match Windass striking the bar before Wood missed a sitter, blazing high into the Sheffield night sky when played through on goal by Joelinton.

In defense of his selections, Howe said: “The Leicester game was on the horizon for us and we picked a team based with this game in mind and another Premier League game at the weekend.

“If that game wasn’t there the team selection would have possibly been different today. We are trying to juggle everything and make sure we are strong enough to win and I thought we were there but obviously that didn’t materialize.”

While defeat hurts, it could yet prove a blessing in disguise for United.

As was proven, having the numbers and quality to compete is a luxury often confined to those in the so-called Premier League “Big Six.” And while plucky United are right in there bloodying the noses of those established clubs, they are still a long way off truly competing.

This Hillsborough embarrassment was a case in point.


Canelo Alvarez puts unified belts on line against Charlo in ‘hometown’ match

Canelo Alvarez puts unified belts on line against Charlo in ‘hometown’ match
Updated 29 September 2023
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Canelo Alvarez puts unified belts on line against Charlo in ‘hometown’ match

Canelo Alvarez puts unified belts on line against Charlo in ‘hometown’ match
  • He is back at Vegas again, this time as the unified super middleweight champion preparing to face junior middleweight champ Jermell Charlo on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena
  • Even though Charlo (35-1-1) is the one moving up, he is 4 inches taller than the 5-foot-8 Alvarez and has a 2 1/2-inch reach advantage

LAS VEGAS: It didn’t take long for Saul “Canelo” Alvarez to consider Las Vegas his second home.

He came here to fight Jose Cotto on May 10, 2010, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, and right away Alvarez felt the support from his Mexican compatriots.

Alvarez won that fight by technical knockout in the second round, the first of many trips to Las Vegas. He is back again, this time as the unified super middleweight champion preparing to face junior middleweight champ Jermell Charlo on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.

“I think it’s the capital of boxing,” Alvarez said of Las Vegas. “I just feel (it’s) like coming home because a lot of Mexicans go there and support me. So that’s why I like fighting in Vegas, and there’s a lot of history there.”

The 33-year-old Alvarez has been a big part of that history, whether it’s beating Gennadiy Golovkin twice with another fight ending in a split draw, or defeating Shane Mosley, Daniel Jacobs or Sergey Kovalev. His favorite memory is of the one-sided unanimous decision over Miguel Cotto in November 2015.

“He’s a great champion,” Alvarez said in the ring after that fight, “but now it’s my era.”

Alvarez (59-2-2) has the chance to add to his legacy when he faces the 33-year-old Charlo, who is moving up two weight classes for this fight.

Even though Charlo (35-1-1) is the one moving up, he is 4 inches taller than the 5-foot-8 Alvarez and has a 2 1/2-inch reach advantage. Alvarez said his experience will help him counter the size deficiency.

“I’ve been in the ring with a lot of styles, all kind of fighters,” Alvarez said. “My whole career, I’ve been fighting with (boxers) taller than me, so I know how.”

Charlo, who lives in Houston, already is talking about a rematch, which likely would come if he beats Alvarez.

“I don’t think Canelo has faced a fighter of my caliber,” Charlo said. “He’s been in there with great fighters, but there’s something I bring to the table that’s a lot different than anyone he’s seen. I defy the science of boxing.

“I’m one of the guys from the younger era and I’ve been fighting my whole life. What I’ve been through in life, a lot of people can’t compare to that. I deserve to be in my position and now I get to prove my worthiness.”

If Alvarez prevails, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has declared David Benavidez will be his mandatory challenger for the super middleweight belt.

But Alvarez has not committed to facing Benavidez, a 26-year-old who is 27-0 with all but four by knockout. If Alvarez beats Charlo and turns down Benavidez, the WBC likely would vacate his championship.

“I’m going to win (versus Charlo), but I don’t know what is next,” Alvarez said. “I’m going to sit down with my team and talk about it because I’m 100 percent focused on this fight.”

As for his potential options post-Charlo, Alvarez said his intention would be to “make the best fights out there. We will see after this fight.”

The fight with Charlo should be enough on its own to capture Alvarez’s focus, especially given his most recent bouts.

He lost by unanimous decision to Dmitry Bivol in May 2022, though all three judges had the fight close at 115-113. Alvarez rebounded with a unanimous decision a year ago over Golovkin and then easily beat John Ryder in May on the scorecards. But Triple G had seen his best boxing days, and Ryder was simply outclassed.

Charlo will tell a lot more about where Alvarez truly stands. The odds are in his favor by a considerable amount — Canelo is minus-480 at FanDuel Sportsbook.

“I never overlook any fighter” Alvarez said. “I know what he’s going to bring and I’m ready. He hasn’t experienced this kind of level of fight.

“I want history for my career. I want to achieve a lot of things. This is another one of them and I can’t wait.”

Alvarez’s trainer, Eddy Reynoso, said this has been one of Canelo’s most intense training sessions.

“We’ve left behind the injuries and setbacks and we’re ready to show that Canelo is prepared to put on a great fight for the fans,” Reynoso said. “We’re very motivated to be here in Las Vegas for a great fight. We’re going to prove how motivated we are by giving the fans a great fight.”


Atletico Madrid improve to 5th in Spanish league standings with 2-0 win at Osasuna

Atletico Madrid improve to 5th in Spanish league standings with 2-0 win at Osasuna
Updated 29 September 2023
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Atletico Madrid improve to 5th in Spanish league standings with 2-0 win at Osasuna

Atletico Madrid improve to 5th in Spanish league standings with 2-0 win at Osasuna
  • Before beating Madrid, Atletico were coming off a draw at Lazio in the group stage of the Champions League and a 3-0 loss at Valencia in the Spanish league
  • Barcelona kick-start the weekend round by hosting Sevilla on Friday

MADRID: Atletico Madrid kept the momentum going from their win against rivals Real Madrid by beating Osasuna 2-0 in the Spanish league on Thursday.

Antoine Griezmann and Rodrigo Riquelme scored a goal in each half for Atletico, who are in fifth place and right outside the Champions League spots.

Atletico beat Madrid 3-1 at home on Sunday, with Griezmann scoring one of the goals for Diego Simeone’s team.

“It was important not to get caught up with what happened against Real Madrid and to come here to win,” Griezmann said. “We are improving and we have to keep working to keep improving.”

Atletico have a game in hand after their match against Sevilla earlier this month was postponed because of storms in Madrid.

Griezmann opened the scoring with a shot from a tight angle in the 20th minute, and Riquelme sealed the victory in a breakaway in the 81st, not long after Osasuna had a goal disallowed because of a controversial foul on a defender inside the area in the 75th. Osasuna coach Jagoba Arrasate was sent off for complaining about the referee’s decision.

Both teams played with 10 men from the 85th after Osasuna’s Chimy Ávila and Atletico’s Álvaro Morata were sent off following an altercation between them. Spanish media said the two continued arguing with each other heatedly on their way to the locker rooms at El Sadar Stadium.

The result extended Osasuna’s winless streak to five matches in all competitions. They dropped to 14th place with the loss, the third at home in the league.

Before beating Madrid, Atletico were coming off a draw at Lazio in the group stage of the Champions League and a 3-0 loss at Valencia in the Spanish league.

In other results, Real Betis’ winless run reached four matches in all competitions after a 1-1 draw at second-to-last-place Granada, who were coming off three losses in a row. Assane Diao put the visitors ahead in the 51st before Granada’s Lucas Boyé equalized in the 67th.

Celta Vigo remained on the edge of the relegation zone after a 1-1 draw at home against Alaves. The hosts opened the scoring with an own-goal by Rafael Marín in the 35th and Alaves equalized through Samuel Omorodion in the 73rd.

Celta, who had no shots on target, played a man down afer Luca de la Torre was sent off in the 68th.

Girona top the standings after defeating Villareal 2-1 on Wednesday for their sixth straight victory. They are one point ahead of Real Madrid — who beat Las Palmas 2-0 on Wednesday — and two points ahead of fellow Catalan club Barcelona, who drew 2-2 at Mallorca a day earlier.

Barcelona kick-start the weekend round by hosting Sevilla on Friday. Girona host Madrid on Saturday.


Japan trump Samoa again to stay in Rugby World Cup quarterfinals hunt

Japan trump Samoa again to stay in Rugby World Cup quarterfinals hunt
Updated 29 September 2023
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Japan trump Samoa again to stay in Rugby World Cup quarterfinals hunt

Japan trump Samoa again to stay in Rugby World Cup quarterfinals hunt
  • The Japanese reached the quarters for the first time at their home World Cup in 2019 but their form and results this year suggested they were way off the pace to challenge again

TOULOUSE: Japan teamwork trumped Samoa individual power and won their Rugby World Cup match by a surprisingly comfortable 28-22 on Thursday.

With Argentina expected to earn a bonus-point win against Chile on Saturday, Japan’s last Pool D match with the Pumas next week will be a winner-takes-all fight for a quarterfinal spot.

Samoa’s bid for a first quarterfinal since 1995 was terminated, and their second straight defeat advanced idle pool leader England to the quarterfinals.

The Japanese reached the quarters for the first time at their home World Cup in 2019 but their form and results this year suggested they were way off the pace to challenge again. But they were patient and smart and disciplined at Stadium de Toulouse, and Samoa was not.

A late converted try gave Samoa 90-odd seconds to pull off a miracle comeback. It forced a lineout on halfway but the throw-in was stolen — the only lineout Samoa lost all night — and Japan beat Samoa for a third Rugby World Cup in a row.

Fullback Lomano Lemeki, playing after the tournament-ending injury to Semisi Masirewa, highlighted his first start in nearly two years with breaks that led to Japan’s first two tries for ageless back-rowers Pieter Labuschagne and Michael Leitch.

They led 17-3 until Shota Horie’s yellow card canceled a yellow to Samoa’s Jonathan Taumateine, and Samoa drove hooker Seilala Lam over the line just before halftime.

Samoa’s second yellow card in the 47th cost it dearly. Winger Ben Lam, in only his second test, shoulder-tackled Labuschagne in the head.

Before the card was upgraded to red by the bunker, Japan turned the penalty into a corner lineout and mauled captain Kazuki Himeno for a third try.

Rikiya Matsuda couldn’t convert from the sideline, missing his first goalkick in the tournament after 13 successive shots across three matches. But then he made two more penalties for 25-8 and 28-15 to keep the scoreboard pressure on Samoa as it desperately and vainly rallied.

Samoa’s cause wasn’t helped by injuries. Captain and lock Chris Vui was a late withdrawal, then minutes into the match flanker Taleni Agaese Seu limped off. Late in the first half, inside back D’Angelo Leuila had to leave.

Leuila’s exit put goalkicking duty back on flyhalf Christian Leali’ifano, who missed his first chance but converted the second and third tries in the last 15 minutes scored by Duncan Paia’aua and himself.

But it was too late for the Samoans after owning so much of the game; 93 rucks won to 58 and making Japan tackle 184 times, more than twice as many as Samoa. But Samoa too often overplayed, running out of support and getting turned over.

Lam left Samoa short for the last half-hour and contributed to Samoa hurting itself more than Japan.


Saudi football club Shabab to host Roma during Riyadh Season

Saudi football club Shabab to host Roma during Riyadh Season
Updated 29 September 2023
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Saudi football club Shabab to host Roma during Riyadh Season

Saudi football club Shabab to host Roma during Riyadh Season
  • The club is set to mark the their diamond jubilee with a match against the Giallorossi

RIYADH: One of Saudi Arabia’s oldest football club is set to mark the their diamond jubilee with a match against Roma, one of Italy’s iconic clubs.

The Saudi club was founded in Riyadh in 1947 and their name, Shabab, means youth in Arabic.

Playing on the club’s youthful name and its long history, Saudi entertainment chief Turki Al-Sheikh wrote on X that the “Old man of clubs” will mark its diamond jubilee by facing the Giallorossi during Riyadh Season, a key fixture on the Saudi entertainment calendar.

Al-Sheikh did not mention when the match will take place, nor did Shabab.

The Riyadh club have won the Saudi league six times along with half a dozen national cups.

Roma, who have made a slow start to their Serie A campaign this season with only six points from 5 games, have won the league three times and  league competitions 11 times.

The next Supercoppa Italiana will be played in Saudi Arabia on Jan. 4, 2024, with the final on Jan. 8 and will see champions Inter attempt to defend the cup from Napoli, Lazio and Fiorentina. Super cup games have been hosted in the Kingdom since 2018, except for two years due to Covid restrictions.


Al-Hilal to play home games at Boulevard Hall in Riyadh 

Al-Hilal to play home games at Boulevard Hall in Riyadh 
Updated 29 September 2023
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Al-Hilal to play home games at Boulevard Hall in Riyadh 

Al-Hilal to play home games at Boulevard Hall in Riyadh 
  • The project has a capacity of 26,000 seats and is expected to be handed to the club in January

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal have found a new home for their matches this season with the under-construction Boulevard Hall in Riyadh.

Entertainment authority chief Turki Al-Sheikh said during a live on Instagram that they have reached a SAR40 million a year agreement with Al-Hilal president Fahd bin Nafel with a grace period of the first 6 months.

Al-Sheikh thanked Prince AlWaleed bin Talal, a long standing backer of Al-Hilal and founder of the Kingdom Holding Company, for contributing SAR25 million, thus renaming the stadium the Kingdom Arena.

The project has a capacity of 26,000 seats and is expected to be handed to the club in January.

Bin Nafel said the new filed will meet all requirements of the Saudi Pro League, FIFA and, AFC.

Al-Hilal will play the first match in the new stadium in January for the Riyadh Season Cup.

Per the agreement, Al-Sheikh said the Kingdom Arena will host entertainment events off season.

Bin Nafel said the club is working on packages for foreign tourist where they come and spend two days in Riyadh and visit entertainment hubs in addition to attending the games.

The new facility holds 20 VIP cabins and a sky lounge with a capacity of 360 persons.