Tag: Sport

Queen’s 2017: Day One

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Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gregor Dimitrov and Kyle Edmund all starred on opening day. 

The grass court season is finally upon us, meaning the return of Queen’s– one of the most prestigious tour events which also serves as perfect preparation for Wimbledon. It’s been a tough day for all the players, with such blistering hot temperatures in West London. Here is how each match on Centre Court unfolded on the opening day.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga bt. Adrian Mannarino (6-2, 6-2)

Fifth seed and world number 10 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga opened proceedings with a straight sets win over fellow Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.

The crucial game of the match came during the opening set, when a 12-minute grudge match finally ended with Tsonga claiming an all-important break to go 4-2 up.

Mannarino struggled after that, and needed a medical time-out at one point after feeling a pain in his back.

Tsonga stepped up a gear to make easy work of the second set. The 2008 Australian Open finalist served well, and used his ferocious forehand to his advantage as he aims to make it to a first Queen’s final since 2011.

Gregor Dimitrov bt. Ryan Harrison (6-3, 6-1)

Bulgarian Gregor Dimitrov was comfortable from start to end as he beat American Ryan Harrison in straight sets.

The world number 11 took just 54 minutes to win the match, and dropped just four games along the way.

Harrison was hampered by too many unforced errors, which lead to him throwing balls into the crowd and slamming his racket in frustration. He was ultimately cautioned by the match umpire.

Dimitrov was different class however. The number six seed held his serve well, and played some magnificent shots from the baseline. The 2014 Queen’s champion showed flashes of just what he can do on a grass court and will go into the second round full of confidence.

Donald Young bt. Nick Kyrgios (7-6, Ret)

Nick Kyrgios’ retired from his first round match with American Donald Young with injury.

The Australian and number nine seed had yet to win a match at Queen’s prior to the tournament, and had his right leg heavily strapped up at the beginning of the match.

With the match closely fought, a slip during the ninth game of the first set ultimately cost Kyrgios, as he seemed to pull his left groin after his awkward tumble.

The world number 20 was sluggish around the court following the slip due to the injury he suffered, and struggled to compete in the tiebreak, which Young won 7-3.

The American used his powerful forehand to push Kyrgios around the court, and could be one to watch in this tournament. He very much held his own against the ninth seed, but the question following this match will be whether the Australian will return in time for Wimbledon, which starts in just two weeks time.

Denis Shapovalov bt. Kyle Edmund (7-6, 4-6, 6-4)

Two of tennis’ promising prodigies came face to face in the final match of the day, with 18-year old Denis Shapovalov shocking Queen’s by beating Britain’s Kyle Edmund.

Edmund, who has grown into a fine young player, was looking to make a mark on home soil. He made it through to the quarter-finals in this tournament last year, and wanted to try and at least make it to the same stage this time around.

However, the world number 44 struggled against the impressive Shapovalov. The Canadian, who won the junior Wimbledon last year, served well and played aggressively. He was rewarded with a first set win, beating Edmund 7-4 in the tiebreak.

Edmund recovered well, and got that all important break early on before wrapping up the second set 6-4.

The final set had a similar tone to the first, with both players struggling to break away from their opponent. The Canadian eventually found that elusive break in the final game, and will celebrate the biggest win of his very short career to date.

Shapovalov for certain has a bright future ahead of him, and will be a name to watch out for in the coming years. For Edmund, it’s about regrouping and rebuilding ahead of Wimbledon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

MLS: Vital win for Real Salt Lake, back-to back victories for DC United, and defeat on the road again for Houston Dynamo.

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Here is a round up of all the action on a busy Saturday in America’s top division. 

It’s always common that a team improves dramatically when a manager comes in at a football club. Mike Petke and Real Salt Lake are no different.

On Saturday night, RSL made light work of Vancouver Whitecaps with a 3-0 win at the Rio Tinto Stadium.

Battling against the torrential snow, the home side finally went in front after Albert Rusnak ran into the box, cut in on his right foot, and fired the ball into the bottom left corner.

The 22-year old Slovakian then provided the assist for RSL’s second of the game when he picked out a free Yura Movsisyan. The striker curled his shot into the bottom right corner for his third of the season.

Rusnak claimed yet another assist when his corner was met on the volley by Luke Mulholland as the home side finally ended their longest winless run at home in the club’s history.

It was RSL’s first win at Rio Tinto Stadium in seven matches, and first in MLS for thirteen. You could sense the relief from the players and fans at the final whistle.

Petke, who took charge of the side following the sacking of Jeff Cassar earlier in the season, couldn’t be more proud of his team.

“We want to play for the supporters. The support they show this team is amazing. Tonight was a building block, a stepping stone,” he told RSL.

“I am very happy for the players. They showed they wanted it more in that second half when the conditions were almost unplayable.”

Pekte’s team would like to replicate the recent upturn in form of DC United, who made it two wins on the bounce with a 2-1 victory against New York City FC.

Lloyd Sam (who was making his 100th MLS start) opened the scoring, capatalising on a Frederic Brilliant mistake to slot the ball past Sean Johnson in the New York goal.

Sam almost got his second but his fierce shot was parried by Johnson, but Luciano Acosta did double the host’s lead when tapped in the rebound.

David Villa scored with a low shot into the bottom right corner to set up a nervy finish but it was Ben Olsen’s side that held on for all three points.

Goalkeeper Ben Hamid made some crucial saves when the score was 0-0, and he says that DC are now challenging their MLS rivals after a tough start.

“We’ve had to roll with the punches, and we got punched pretty hard in the beginning of the season,” he told the Washington Post.

“But we’ve now started throwing some punches of our own.”

DC are level on points with New England Revolution, after they defeated Houston Dynamo 2-0 at the Gillette Stadium.

Kei Kamara and Juan Agudelo grabbed the goals for the home side, who are now unbeaten in their last three MLS matches.

For the Dynamo their inconsistent form continues. Despite a 100% home record, the team from Texas are yet to pick up a point on the road this season.

Kelyn Rowe told the press after the game: “We knew we had to come out hard. They are a good team, but we were at home and we had to make a stand.

“We did a very good job defensively. We made sure they didn’t have any clear cut chances.”

Elsewhere, Chicago Fire defeated Coloumbus Crew 1-0, and LA Galaxy picked up a crucial 2-0 win over Montreal Impact.

Toronto FC and Atlanta United played out an entertaining 2-2 draw, whilst San Jose and Seattle shared the spoils with a 1-1 draw.

Portland won at winless Philadelphia Union 3-1 and FC Dallas picked up three points after defeating Minnesota United 2-0.

BHAFC: Two years of Chris Hughton.

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From relegation candidates to promotion favourites, Chris Hughton has transformed Brighton and Hove Albion into a formidable Championship side in just 24 months. 

Following two Play-off semi-final defeats to Crystal Palace and Derby County respectively, the 2014-15 season was beginning to look like a disastrous campaign for Brighton.

Manager Sami Hyypia, who had replaced Oscar Garcia at the start of that season, resigned after registering just one win in 18 league games, leaving the club in the bottom three with half the season to go.

On New Year’s Eve 2014, club chairman Tony Bloom unveiled Hughton as the new Seagulls boss on a three-and-a-half year contract.

Having previously taken Newcastle United up and guided Birmingham City to the Play-Offs, Hughton had the vital experience of the league, but more importantly, he had the man-management skills needed to help rejuvenate a squad lacking belief.

Two players to have benefited massively from Hughton’s man-management are goalkeeper David Stockdale and striker Sam Baldock. They were signed for the club when Hyypia came in, and both endured poor starts to their Albion careers.

Since Hughton’s come in, both have grown in ability and confidence, which has lead to them both becoming two of the first names on the team sheet.

Another quality Hughton has brought to the south coast is an improved recruitment team.

An early sign of this was the signing of Beram Kayal from Celtic in January 2015.

The Israel international midfielder was influential in the middle of the park for the Seagulls, helping them to survive in England’s second tier.

The Sussex side ended the season in 20th position, six points clear of relegation.

The summer of 2015 saw major changes at the Albion, with Gaetan Bong, Liam Rosenior, Tomer Hemed, Niki Maenpaa, Conor Goldson, Uwe Hunemeier, Jamie Murphy all joining the club- along with the returning Bobby Zamora.

Although the fans, players and the manager didn’t expect Brighton to struggle again in 2015-16, no-one would have expected what was to come.

The Seagulls went 21 games unbeaten- a club record- spanning from August to December.

Hughton’s simple use of 4-4-2 was proving effective, with the two central midfielders holding and breaking up play, they were able to set up counter-attacks for the two wingers and strikers. The tiki-taka style Poyet and Garcia implemented at the club had now finally evolved into the attacking style fans had been hoping for since the club moved to the Amex five years ago- and that is thanks to Hughton.

The quality continued to come through the doors, with Anthony Knockaert and Jiri Skalek signing in January of this year.

But more importantly, the belief and character within the dressing room was unlike any seen at the club before. Fans began to believe that promotion was very much possible, and that had an effect on the players.

The only thing lacking was a goalscorer. Hemed was the team’s top-scorer with 17 goals, but Zamora was second with just seven. In this division it’s not just about winning, but winning convincingly.

Michael Keane’s equaliser in stoppage time for promotion rivals Burnley at the Amex in April was an agonising blow, and a home draw to Derby County in the penultimate game of the season left the Seagulls on the verge of missing out on automatic promotion by the faintest of margins.

A final day showdown with Middlesbrough up at the Riverside was always going to be a tough match, and although the game ended a draw, Boro went up automatically by a single goal.

The players were on burnout after a long 46-game campaign, and were undone by Sheffield Wednesday in the Play-offs.

Worries of a Play-off hangover were squandered by Hughton, claiming the club would come back stronger both mentally and physically.

His wisdom, calmness and genuinely nice personality instantly reassured fans. They knew with Hughton in charge they could compete with the likes of Newcastle, Aston Villa, Norwich and Sheffield Wednesday.

The signing of Glenn Murray on a season-long loan from Bournemouth has another fantastic piece of business from Hughton, as well as the record £4.5m deal for the services of Ireland international Shane Duffy and the capture of Northern Ireland midfielder Oliver Norwood.

Hughton has proved his worth by keeping the same belief in the squad since he came in and that has reflected in Brighton’s results this season.

Having lost just twice all campaign, the club are currently on a 17 games unbeaten since September.

The difference this season is the jump in quality on the pitch. The team is now able to keep up wins without playing well- which is always a sign of a good side.

Duffy and Lewis Dunk have formed a rock-solid partnership, meaning that Brighton have the best defensive record in the league.

Murray, Baldock and Knockaert has also formed a fearsome partnership up top, with the three contributing to a majority of the Seagulls goals this season.

Under Hughton, Brighton have picked up 96 points in the calendar year, the most out of any side in the top four divisions.

Going into 2017 and Hughton’s third year in charge, the Seagulls are second in the Championship. They are just one point behind leaders Newcastle but more importantly they are eight clear of third placed Reading, with a much healthier goal difference.

Promotion to the Premier League with this team would be his most memorable achievement, and it would make 30,000 fans dreams come true.

 

 

 

Whoever comes in at Swansea has a major job on their hands.

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Bob Bradley’s ill-fated tenure at Swansea City ended on Tuesday night following a 4-1 home defeat to West Ham United on boxing day. 

The 58-year old became the first ever American to manage in the Premier League, but he only lasted 11 games and 85 days at the Liberty Stadium.

Swansea won just twice during Bradley’s brief spell, with the team conceding 29 goals in that time.

Once again, pundits and fans alike have questioned the mentality of the Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins and American owners Stephen Kaplan and Jason Levien.

Ever since Brendan Rodgers left south wales for Liverpool in 2012, the club have sacked four managers in four years- Michael Laudrup, Garry Monk, Francesco Guidolin and Bradley. As a result, the constant change in management has slowly affected the Swans’ league stature.

After five seasons of mid-table stability, the club now faces a major battle to avoid relegation to the Championship.

So who should take over the managerial reigns at a club short of confidence and lacking Premier League quality.

Wales boss and former Swansea player Chris Coleman (left) is thought to be one of the front-runners, along with Bayern Munich assistant manager Paul Clement (centre) and unemployed Gary Rowett (right).

Ryan Giggs is not being considered for the job, according to BBC Sport.

Of the three listed above only Chris Coleman has Premier League experience as a manager.

The 46-year old previously managed Fulham in the top flight between 2003-07, winning 61 of his 171 matches.

Clement and Rowett have proven their worth in the Championship, with both unlucky to lose their jobs at Derby County and Birmingham City respectively.

Clement was assistant to Carlo Ancelotti at Chelsea between 2009-2011, during which the west London club won the Premier League in 2010.

Rowett is yet to coach in the top flight, and considering the job that needs to be done at Swansea, he would be a major gamble.

The club needs a man with experience and knowledge of the league. Sam Allardyce would have been a good fit, but he was snatched up by Crystal Palace last week.

He replaced Alan Pardew, and if he is looking for a quick return to management, then he should consider the Swansea job should he be approached.

The owners have money they can give him to buy better players, especially in defence, and his work at Newcastle United and Palace (pre-2016) has proved his worth in this division.

What we definitely know is that Alan Curtis will take charge of Swansea’s home match against Bournemouth on Saturday, with the club hoping to have their new manager installed before the crucial six-pointer at Palace (Even more incentive for Pardew you’d think) on Tuesday.

Following that is an FA third round match at fellow Premier League strugglers Hull City, before tough fixtures against Arsenal (H), Liverpool (A) and Southampton (H) to end the month.

The new manager will need to improve a fragile defence that has only kept three clean sheets all season and struggled to defend set-pieces.

Ashley Williams has not been replaced since he departed for Everton in the pre-season, and the club needs to try and buy a central defender who will be vocal and command the defensive line.

Barnsley’s Marc Roberts and Leeds’ Pontus Jansson are two players that have impressed in the Championship this season, but could they make the jump up to the Premier League? Would buying from the league below show a lack of ambition?

Perhaps a loan move for Liverpool’s Mamadou Sakho would be better?  We are really pulling at strings here. There aren’t too many defenders in England available that have good Premier League expereince.

The team has also been heavily reliant on Icelandic international Gylfi Sigurðsson. The 27-year old is Swansea’s most influential player with five goals and five assists this season.

Striker Fernando Llorente hasn’t lived up to the expectation many had of him, and club-record signing Borja Bastón still needs to adapt to English football since his summer move from Atletico Madrid.

A proven goalscorer is needed to help the club at the top end of the pitch.

Chelsea pair Marco Van Ginkel and Kenedy  could be good loan signings for the club, if they can afford their wages.

These are some suggestions, as its been proven that players from other leagues in Europe aren’t always the best solution short-term, just look at how Aston Villa turned out last year.

Whoever comes in, they really do have a job on their hands.

 

 

Moments of 2016: Conor McGregor makes history at UFC 205.

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It’s been a rollercoaster year for the Notorious, but by the end of it, he became the most decorated UFC fighter in history.

This time last year, Connor McGregor defeated Jose Aldo in just 13 seconds to win the UFC Featherweight title.

The question was, what would he do next? A rematch seemed unlikely. The Notorious was done with the Brazilian, and instead began a quest to become the first double-weight champion in the sports history. The next class up was Lightweight, and the Irishman already had his eyes on the champion: Rafael Dos Anjos

The pair were expected to face each other at UFC 196 in March, but Dos Anjos broke his foot in training and had to withdraw.

Instead, McGregor moved up a further class to Welterweight to fight Nate Diaz. Many insisted the move up would be too big a jump, and although the 28-year old  comfortably made the weight, he lost via submission in the second round. It was his first UFC defeat.

Once again the question was where would McGregor go from here? This next fight would make or break his UFC dream of winning two championships at the same time.

A return to Featherweight was an option, but instead he wanted to prove all his doubters wrong in a rematch with Diaz.

The pair met once again at UFC 202 in August.

The event would beat the record for highest Pay-Per-View sales in UFC history, but more importantly, it allowed McGregor to get his vengeance. The Irishman battled though five gruelling rounds, and won via majority decision.

“The motherf***ing king is back!,” exclaimed the Notorious.

It was a victory that re-sparked the belief and confidence he had back just after the Aldo fight.

He had regained his focus, and when he challenged Eddie Alvarez for the Lightweight belt at UFC 205 in November, many made the Irishman favourite for the fight.

UFC 205 was a special night. It was the first UFC event to be held in New York City, and was the scene for a piece of history to unfold in front of the world.

McGregor was in a league of his own, and comfortably made light work of Alvarez inside two rounds.

“I know I’ve been mean to some of the guys on this roster, and I want to take this chance to apologise….to absolutely nobody!,” he said after the fight.

“Now where’s my belt?”

He has done what no-man has achieved before. Yes, he has had to give up the Featherweight title as he can’t defend two at the same time, but everyone knows he cannot be laughed at anymore.

He has the company on its knees. The UFC might have new owners, but that won’t stop the Irishman running the show.

So what next for the Notorious in 2017? He has revealed he expects to become a father, and that could have an effect on his availability to fight in the second half of the year. Maybe that means he has a mega-fight lined up in the spring time, and one last hurrah before some time out of the octagon.

A super-mega fight with Floyd Mayweather has been suggested for months now, and the Irishman has recently received a boxing license, but that rumour still remains in the shadows.

Perhaps the best move for him would be to stick to Lightweight and own the division. There are some fighters in this division that would love to fight the Notorious- and who wouldn’t- seeing as he is the poster-boy of the UFC.

A maker of his own legacy, and  notorious inside and out of the Octagon, this man has helped the brand become more popular in the UK and other countries.

Usain Bolt will probably win the overseas Sports Personality of the Year award, but if someone was to challenge him all the way, it would have been Conor McGregor.

 

 

 

 

RYDER CUP 2016: WILL IT BE A EUROPEAN QUADRUPLE OR AN AMERICAN VICTORY AT LAST IN MINNESOTA?

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If there is one sporting event that America is desperate to win, it’s this weekend’s Ryder Cup.

USA have seemingly been in Europe’s shadow in recent times, having only won the competition once in the last eight attempts (2008).

This year’s edition is set to be USA’s most opportune to finally claw back some of the pride that has been lost through their last three outings.

After losing to Colin Montgomerie’s Europe in 2010 at Celtic Manor, the world witnessed an incredible turnaround which the European media entitled: ‘The miracle at Medinah’. Martin Kaymer successfully putted the ball to complete one of the greatest sporting comebacks in modern sporting history.

Two years ago was arguably the worst the Americans have played at a Ryder Cup, with Europe winning comfortably 16.5 – 11.5.

Europe have an incentive of their own however. Since the introduction of a continental team back in 1979, Europe have never won the Ryder Cup four times consecutively.

Although on paper the USA team looks as strong as ever, the Europeans may fancy their chances with the majority of the team in decent form going into the weekend.

Let’s meet the teams.

TEAM EUROPE

Captain: Darren Clarke

Vice Captains: Thomas Bjorn, Padraig Harington, Paul Lawrie, Ian Poulter, Sam Torrence

Clarke has featured in five of these tournaments as a player and brings some key experience to what is a team full of Ryder Cup rookies. Having only lost in one Ryder Cup he has competed in (1999) he will be looking to add to all that success as a captain. Let’s not forget he is a former Open Championship winner and he did lead Europe to victory earlier this year in the 2016 EurAsia cup.

His vice-captaincy selections are to me spot on. Bjorn has never lost a Ryder Cup match in his career and was also a vice captain for 3 previous Ryder Cups under Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie, and José Maria Olazábal.

The mix of youth and experience is key for the players out there doing the dirty work, so to have the likes of Ian Poulter and Sam Torrence in your corner is always a bonus.

Golfers: Rafa Cabrera Bello, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Sergio Garcia, Martin Kaymer (Captain’s Pick), Rory McIlroy, Thomas Pieters (Captain’s Pick), Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Andy Sullivan, Lee Westwood (Captain’s Pick), Danny Willett, Chris Wood.

Team Europe may contain three of the current top 10 in the world rankings (McIlroy, Stenson and Willett) but it’s a team full of debutants.

Six of the 12 representing Europe are contesting their first Ryder Cup and to go to the States is no easy task. They can expect an atmosphere like no other on a golf course- hostile to put it lightly. 

Saying that, there are champions in this team. Willett won the Masters earlier in the year, with Stenson claiming his first major title at the Open in July and McIlroy winning the FedEX cup only last weekend.

Captain picks Westwood and Kaymer bring that needed Ryder Cup experience with them. They will be the players Europe hope can score points in the opening couple of sessions to ease the nerves.

The rookies all bring something to the table. Cabrera Bello is one of the most consistent on the European Tour, Fitzpatrick is only 22 years old and is already a European Tour event winner. Sullivan proved his worth in the EurAsia Cup, winning three out of three matches.

Some will look at the rookies and question whether the team can cope, however I think that Europe has a strong, well-balanced team and will push America right up until the final day.

Main Concern: The inexperience of the team.

Main Strength: The motivational skills of the Captains, playing and supporting as a team.

TEAM USA

Captain: Davis Love III

Vice Captains: Jim Furyk, Tom Lehman, Steve Stricker, Bubba Watson, Tiger Woods

Love III becomes the eighth American to captain a Ryder Cup team more than once, but will look to do better than in 2012 where his team collapsed in the Singles. The 1997 PGA Champion played in six Ryder Cups as a player and has 21 titles to his name on the PGA Tour.

The American vice captains are some of the best golfers the country has had in recent times, with the most notable being the infamous Tiger Woods. With 79 PGA titles and 14 major championships to his name, Woods knows a thing or two about winning on the big occasion, however his Ryder Cup record is shocking. He has only won one in seven he has taken part in. Some will be surprised by Watson’s selection as a Vice Captain, having been a regular for the team in both the Olympics this summer and President’s Cup last year. The two time Masters Champion played under Love III in 2012.

Golfers: Rickie Fowler (Captain’s Pick), J.B. Holmes (Captain’s Pick), Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Matt Kuchar (Captain’s Pick), Phil Mickelson, Ryan Moore (Captain’s Pick), Patrick Reed, Brandt Snedeker, Jordan Spieth, Jimmy Walker

The American team features four of the top 10 in the world rankings (D. Johnson, Spieth, Reed, Fowler) and boasts a side full of major championship winners.

Phil Mickelson plays in his 11th Ryder Cup, the most appearances by any American in the competition and provides two players worth of experience. His opening round at The Open in July was one to just admire and more showings like that this week will put the USA team in a strong position.

Dustin Johnson and Jimmy Walker both won their maiden Major titles this year (US and PGA respectively). Johnson’s devastating driving distances always sets himself up nicely for a birdie or even an eagle.

The captain picks similarly to Europe provide experience in Matt Kuchar and J.B. Holmes, so the head to head between them and Westwood/Kaymer could be a decisive factor as to where the trophy will be heading come Sunday.

Main Concern: Too many individuals. Can they work well as a team especially with the pressure that comes with being tournament favourites.

Main Strength: Arguably the strongest USA squad to play in a Ryder Cup (on paper).

THE COURSE

The Ryder Cup is being held at the Hazeltine Golf Course in Minnesota. This is a tough course to get to know quickly, with the last major championship taking place here back in 2009. Half of the holes have water hazards surrounding the fairways/roughs/greens and with a par score of just 71, one cannot afford to see their ball go for a dip.

This course is best suited to long distance drivers, as the course stretches over 7,000 yards. The likes of Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy will be licking their lips at the prospect of driving down this course.

Be mindful of the seventh hole, a hole Johnny Miller (a two-time major winner) called the ‘toughest par four he has ever played’. The tee shot must carry 220 yards over Hazeltine Lake while the green itself is a raised peninsula which falls off on all sides.

When Hazeltine hosted the US Open in 1970, nearly half of the field failed to break 80 in the first round. The course received much negative press as a result.

CONCLUSION

The way the course is laid out it will take a miracle for this to be over before Sunday. Each and every session in the Foursomes and Fourballs will be crucial as both teams will want a significant lead going into the singles on Sunday. Europe may be in confident mood, but I think this course suits the American team more.

More importantly, the American team know what the Ryder Cup is about, for 6 rookies to go to America and beat the USA in their own backyard with the hostile crowd, would in my opinion top the European victory in 2012.