Home Blog Page 310

Paralympic Cycling: Both Irish athletes ride personal bests

Team Ireland had two more athletes taking to the Velodrome this morning in Tokyo hoping to improve on Richael Timothy’s performance yesterday

Ireland’s cycling action began early in the morning at 02:00 Irish Time.

Katie-George Dunleavy, Eve McCrystal – Women’s B 1000m Time Trial

Dunleavy piloted by McCrystal went in the final three heats of the women’s time trial. They were looking to push out one of the top three spots all held by members of Team GB but this would be a tough proposition for the usual endurance cyclist.

The pair began their first of four lung-bursting laps with good speed, keeping the bike straight and hugging the line well.

At the halfway point they were two seconds off the leaders with a lot of work to do. After a final push, they finish the one-kilometer race in 1:09.044. The pair managed an average speed of 52.141 km/hr throughout the race.

This heartbreakingly left Dunleavy in fourth place at the time, just outside of medal contention, just over two seconds behind the leader.

The pair ultimately finished in sixth place overall, just over a second longer than the medal times. The Netherlands ‘ Larissa Klaasen took gold while Team GB’s Aileen McGlynn took silver and Belgium’s Griet Hoet got bronze.

Ronan Grimes – Men’s C4-5 1000m Time Trial

Grimes rode in ninth in the Velodrome at 06:00 this morning. This quick race also required riding at break-neck speeds for four laps of the track.

The Irishman did well getting off to a decent start. He completed the one-kilometer race in 1:08.262 which was a personal best for the cyclist.

Sadly this was not enough for him to land in the medal positions but he can be immensely proud to ride so well at his first Paralympic Games.

Manchester City Target Kane To Stay At Spurs

Tottenham Hotspur centre-forward Harry Kane has confirmed that he will stay at the club this summer after Manchester City had several bids for him rejected.

City wanted Kane to replace Sergio Aguero as their number nine after the Argentinian’s departure.

The Spurs striker confirmed his intention to stay at the club on social media on Wednesday morning, ending a long transfer saga.

Kane said on his social media accounts: “It was incredible to see the reception from the Spurs fans on Sunday and to read some of the messages of support I’ve had in the last few weeks.

“I will be staying at Tottenham this summer and will be 100% focused on helping the team achieve success.”

The 28-year-old made his first appearance of the 2021/22 season against Wolves at the weekend.

The English forward came off the bench for the final 18 minutes of the game and picked up a yellow card in added time.

Kane did not travel to Portugal with his Spurs teammates for their Europa Conference League play-off first leg loss to Pacos de Ferreira.

The decision was made by Kane, manager Nuno Espírito Santo and the club.

This was on the back of his apparent refusal to turn up for pre-season training, with links to Manchester City still arising since last season where the striker contributed to 50 goals in 49 games.

Kane was not involved in his side’s opening day Premier League victory over Manchester City.

Manchester City have had several bids for the striker rejected this summer by Daniel Levy and Pep Guardiola has admitted he is interested in signing the England and Spurs captain.

The news of his non-departure comes as a surprise after everything that took place in the saga.

Kane will line out at White Hart Lane once again this season for Spurs.

Tickets On Sale For Ulster Interpro Opener v Munster

Tickets have gone on sale for the 2021 Women’s Interprovincial Championship game between Ulster and Munster.

You can click the link here to buy your tickets.

Ulster Rugby is set to welcome spectators back to Kingspan Stadium for its first fixture of the 2021/22 season on Saturday, August 28th at 4:30 pm.

The competition returns after a year away and will be televised on TG4 and the BBC iPlayer for those unable to attend any games.

Here are the ticketing details for those able to attend the first game of interprovincial action for Ulster and Munster.

The game will be an all-ticket event, meaning that all tickets must be pre-purchased before the game – no tickets will be available at the ground on match-day.

Seated tickets in the Grandstand are available to purchase in pods of two, three, four, five and six for the game.

There will be one metre of social distancing between all pods that attend the match.

Standing tickets will be available for the interprovincial clash on the Promenade.

General sale tickets will be priced at £10 for adults and £5 for under-18s and will be available to purchase from Tuesday at 10 am.

Ulster season ticket holders for the 2021/22 season can claim a free ticket for the match.

They can do so via Account Manager up until 5 pm on Friday, August 20th.

All Season Ticket holders have been emailed with details on how to claim their free ticket, plus full terms and conditions.

For group bookings, Ulster Rugby are asking those who wish to enquire to contact the ticket office at tickets@ulsterrugby.com / 028 9049 3222 (option 1).

To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all supporters, Ulster Rugby would ask all supporters to follow the latest public health guidance in relation to COVID-19 restrictions.

They are also advising that supporters travelling to the game attending the fixture should test themselves using Rapid COVID-19 tests before they attend, and on days 2 and 8 after the event, in order to identify any positive cases.

To see all fixtures for the tournament, click here.

Chelsea’s Bakayoko ready for loan move to AC Milan

Many may forget but Tiemoue Bakayoko was once a promising signing, expected to be Chelsea’s future midfield general

Antonio Conte first signed the French midfielder from AS Monaco after what was a great season. In a squad that included Kylian Mbappe, Fabinho, and Bernardo Silva they reached the Champions League semi-final.

Although Fabinho stole the headlines in the center of midfield his partner Bakayoko was still very highly rated. Even though he signed for Chelsea in 2017, he has not played a competitive match for the club since 2018.

Three managers and plenty of loan moves later and it is clear that he has no future in Stamford Bridge. Along with Ross Barkley and Danny Drinkwater, Bakayoko has not even been handed a squad number for the year at Chelsea.

One club that he rekindled some form with was Italian giants AC Milan a few years ago. Milan are looking to loan the player again as they push for Champions League football in Italy.

Even though his contract runs out at the end of the season, Chelsea do not look likely to sell the player. Instead, they will use a contract extension clause to prolong his stay till 2023.

This move could make the Blues between €1 million and €1.5 million with an option to buy next summer. Bakayoko is still estimated to be worth €15 million, hitting his prime at 27 years old.

Chelsea will want to look elsewhere for their next center midfield option. The club has been heavily linked with a move for Saul Niguez from Atletico Madrid.

The Blues will have to continue to battle with Manchester United for the Spanish workhorse’s signature. It will be an expensive move with the Madrid club wanting nothing less than €60 million to let go of the player

 

Manchester City The Desired Destination For Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo is looking to engineer a move away from Juventus with Manchester City his top priority, according to reports in France (L’Equipe).

The 36-year-old has been with Juve for the past three years after joining the club in the summer of 2018.

The Portuguese forward has scored 101 goals in 134 games for the Old Lady and has won two Scudettos, two Italian Super Cups and one Coppa Italia in his time there.

Ronaldo’s contract at the club expires next year and a move away may suit both parties as the Italian giants could get cashback for the former Real Madrid star.

He has been linked with a move to Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain in recent weeks and has even publicly addressed the speculation surrounding him.

The all-time Portuguese national team top scorer did not start Juventus’ opening day draw with Udinese, playing 30 minutes from the bench.

The club’s Vice President Pavel Nedved spoke on the topic and is quoted by GFFN: “We are not going to try to create sensationalist stories when there are none. It was a decision we shared with the player. At the beginning of the season, he is naturally not at top form.”

Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes is looking to get a part-swap deal that includes the striker’s countryman Bernardo Silva, who wants to leave the English champions.

Aymeric Laporte is another name mentioned that could be part of a deal but City boss Pep Guardiola has been impressed with him recently.

The Portuguese captain could be seen as an alternative to Harry Kane.

Mendes is confident that a deal can be done and that his star client can get his move.

It remains to be seen whether Ronaldo will add to the exciting 2021 summer transfer window or if this saga will fail to come to fruition.

Leeds looking for new striker and midfielder by Deadline Day

Manager Marcelo Bielsa appears to be very happy with his squad but competition will be needed to improve results this season

Leeds have finally gotten their first points of the season after a well-needed comeback draw against Everton. This came after a disappointing thrashing to Manchester United in the opening game of the season.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side improved on this with a strong performance beating Crewe 3-0 in the EFL Cup. In this game, the manager tried out a few rotation players and some in new positions. Although it was an easy victory some players did not seem as comfortable against such a lower league side.

The club is still linked with a few signings before the end of the deadline day. Could these signings push Leeds up a gear and compete for the top ten?

A young player with Premier League experience that Leeds have been linked heavily with is Josh Brownhill. The Burnley midfielder is being lined up as a backup for star Kalvin Phillips and could give some well-needed competition in the squad.

The rumors of this transfer going through have heated up in the last month with reports of Leeds making inquiries into the player in recent weeks.

It would not be a cheap investment with Brownhill being valued at an estimated £15 million.

Another likely signing for the Yorkshire club is Danish striker Mikkel Damsgaard. The young forward was thrust into the limelight after some great performances in Euro 2020 where Denmark reached the semifinals.

He currently plies his trade with Sampdoria in Serie A. If Leeds will want his signature, they will need to compete with Liverpool and Aston Villa in the transfer market.

The 21-year-old has an estimated market value of €20 million but would likely go for more.

The Whites have also been looking at more experienced players to bulk up their squads. Bielsa has been looking at Man United’s Daniel James and Liverpool’s Divock Origi.

James had previously been linked with Leeds before signing for the Reds two years ago. Both signings would be more expensive for the club and it is likely that they might pursue a loan move to make sure they suit Bielsa’s system.

Wolverhampton v Man United – Preview, Lineups, Betting, TV Coverage

Wolverhampton v Man United – Preview, Lineups, Betting, TV Coverage

Wolves will host Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Man United at Molineux on Gameweek 3 of the 2021/2022 Premier League season.

Wolves will go head-to-head with title contenders Manchester United on Sunday in what is a must-win game for the home side. While a win for United will keep them in contention for a possible title charge.

Wolves Retrospective

After current Tottenham manager Nuno Espírito Santos left Wolves at the back end of last season, he was replaced by Portuguese manager Bruno Lage.

The former Benfica coach has been in charge of Wolves past two league games. Seeing his squad lose to Leicester City and Tottenham, both by a 1-0 scoreline.

Still yet to score this season, they face tough opposition here, and is a must win game in some aspects. Starting of with 3 losses from 3 is not a particularly good start.

It os way to early for relegation talk, but a constant run of losses will fire them in that direction.

Manchester United Retrospective

After a great start to the new season, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his squad had to settle for a 1-1 draw away to Southampton in a dull affair.

Falling behind to a Fred own goal, in form Mason Greenwood continued his impressive run of goals with the equaliser that saved them a point.

Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane are yet to make their full debut for the club and will bolster their defence and attack when they finally do start to get a continued run of games.

Date, kick-off time and venue

This game between West Ham United and Crystal Palace will kick-off at 4:30 pm BST (British Summer Time) on Sunday, August 29, 2021, at the Molineux Stadium.

Where to watch Wolves v Manchester United

The game will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League starting at 4 pm.

Wolves v Manchester United team news

First team players Willy Boly is out with a thigh injury but may feature from the bench. While Pedro Lomba Neto is ruled out with a knee injury, with his return unconfirmed.

Marcus Rashford is still recovering from shoulder surgery, while Phil Jones, Alex Telles and Eric Bailly are all out.

Edison Cavani is set to make a return to action.

Wolves v Manchester United prediction

Wolves showed a lot of bravery and some good overall play against Tottenham, only losing to a penalty.

They should have come out with a draw with a one-on-one that was saved by Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris but came out with a loss.

Man United looked flat against Southampton and could not continue their hot form from their opening day win over Leeds.

In this game, I see Wolves knicking a win here. I believe both teams will score but I have that sly feeling an upset will happen.

Prediction: Wolves 2-1

Predicted Line-Up

Wolves Predicted XI – (3-4-3)

J. Sá, M. Kilman, C. Coady, R. Saiss, N. Semedo, R. Neves, J. Moutinho, Marcal, F. Trincao, R. Jiménez, A. Traore.

Manchester United XI – (4-2-3-1)

D, Gea, L. Shaw, H. Maguire, V. Lindelof, R. Varane, A. Wan-Bissaka, S. McTominay, Fred, P. Pogba, B. Fernandes, J. Sancho, M. Greenwood.

Wolverhampton v Man United – Preview, Lineups, Betting, TV Coverage

Betting Odds

Wolves To Win: 15/4

Draw: 12/5

Manchester United to Win: 3/4

For more news and stories on all things, Premier League click here.

West Ham United v Crystal Palace – Preview, Lineups, Betting, TV Coverage

West Ham United v Crystal Palace – Preview, Lineups, Betting, TV Coverage

West Ham United will host Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace at the London Stadium on the Gameweek 3 of the 2021/2022 Premier League season.

This game will be an interesting game for both teams. The last time these two sides met was in last season’s tie at Selhurst Park where David Moyes’s side came out 2-3 victors. West Ham also took 4 points from 6 from Crystal Palace in the 2020/2021 season.

West Ham United Retrospective

The Hammers enjoyed a surprisingly successful 2020/2021 season, finishing sixth, only missing out on Champions League football by 2 points.

This season so far, they have carried on last season’s fine form into their first two fixtures of the current season.

Beating Newcastle away from home 2-4 and on Monday night, hammering European hopefuls Leicester City 4-1 at home to go top of the Premier League with two wins from two.

Scoring 8 goals and conceding 3, they are one of few in-form teams that have carried on their impressive run from last season.

Michail Antonio has scored 3 goals in 2 games with a brace in their 4-1 win over Leicester being a standout.

David Moyes has turned a lot of people’s heads, turning West Ham from relegation favourites into European contenders.

Crystal Palace Retrospective

In his first competitive game as manager, Patrick Vieira oversaw his team lose 3-0 away to Chelsea.

Last week, during their first home game of the season, Palace drew 0-0 to newly-promoted Brentford at Selhurst Park.

Even at such an early stage, Palace and Vieira will be hoping for a win to kick start their season after an inevitable poor start.

They will now face off against an in-form West Ham United who will come into this match as heavy favourites and have home advantage.

Date, kick-off time and venue

This game between West Ham United and Crystal Palace will kick off at 3 pm BST (British Summer Time) on Saturday, August 28, 2021, at the London Stadium.

Where to watch West Ham United v Crystal Palace.

The game will not be televised live on any UK channel.

West Ham United v Crystal Palace team news

Winston Reid and Arthur Masuaku are major doubts for this game, with but sustaining knee injuries in recent weeks.

For Palace, Michael Olise is reportedly out until mid-September with a lower back injury.

While Eberechi Eze is suffering from lower leg problems and will be ruled out for the foreseeable future.

West Ham United v Crystal Palace prediction

Expect Crystal Palace to drag on their poor start to the Premier League with a loss here.

West Ham is in fine form and does not look like they are slowing down anytime soon with two impressive back to back victories, scoring 8 goals in the process.

With Michail Antonio scoring for fun and is on the verge of becoming West Ham’s all-time Premier League goalscorer, Palace and co should be fearful coming into this game.

Prediction: West Ham United 2-0

Predicted Line-Up

West Ham United Predicted XI – (4-2-3-1)

L. Fabianski, V.Coufal, C. Dawson, A. Ogbonna, A. Cresswell, T.Soucek, D. Rice, J. Bowden, P. Fornals, S. Benrahma, M. Antonio

Crystal Palace XI – (4-3-3)

V. Guaita, J. Ward, J. Andresen, M. Guehi, T. Mitchell, C. Gallagher, C. Kouyaté, J. McArthur, W. Zaha, C. Benteke, J. Schlupp.

West Ham United v Crystal Palace – Preview, Lineups, Betting, TV Coverage

Betting Odds

West Ham United To Win: 8/15

Draw: 14/5

Crystal Palace to Win: 5/1

For more news and stories on all things Premier League click here.

Leicester Star Jonny Evans Included In NI Squad Despite Injury

Leicester City centre-back Jonny Evans has been included in Ian Baraclough’s Northern Ireland squad for the first international break of the season.

The Leicester star has been included in the national team’s squad to face Lithuania, Estonia and Switzerland.

The news comes after Brendan Rodgers said that the 33-year-old’s situation would be reassessed after the international break.

“It’s just ongoing with Jonny and the injury,” Rodgers said. “We said we would see where he’s at after the international break. He’s not near to playing as of yet.”

Evans has not played a game for City since aggravating up an injury in the 2021 FA Cup final against Chelsea.

The Northern Irish centre-half has been struggling with a foot problem for several months and initially pulled up on it in a Premier League game against Newcastle United but was passed fit for the cup final.

Baraclough has vowed not to risk the defender’s long-term fitness during the September international break.

“Jonny is definitely going to be a doubt but I wasn’t going to name the squad without him if there was a small chance he was going to be involved,” said the boss. “He hasn’t started training with Leicester yet so it is a big ask for him to be involved but through conversations with him and Brendan, we all know the situation.

“Nobody is going to put him at risk when he’s not quite ready and gamble on him. If he can play a small part in the 10 days that we have together, we’ll give him every chance of that.

“We hope that we see him back fit and playing. We’d like to have him among our ranks, Leicester certainly would like him to be involved in their campaign so fingers crossed, but it is a doubt, I have to say.”

Paralympic Table Tennis: Judge Fails To Overcome Ping

Ireland’s Colin Judge fell to Chinese table tennis star Zhao Ping in the first round of Group G of the Class 3 men’s singles event at the 2020 Summer Paralympic Games in Tokyo in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The World number six made it difficult for Judge from the start and his nerves showed as he surrendered the first set 11-6.

The Dubliner got into the game and took it to Zhao in the second set, pulling one back and forcing a third set to determine the winner.

The Paralympian was level with Zhao late in the second set with a win needed to stay in the game.

Judge produced an impressive finish to keep himself in contention, scoring multiple points on the bounce to set up a promising final set.

However, it was not to be for the Irishman, as Zhao won the deciding set as comfortable as he took the first – an 11-6 victory.

The Paralympic athlete can still progress in the event if Zhao wins his second match of the tournament this evening against Brazilian Welder Knaf.

Zhao will play Knaf at 4:00 am Irish Standard Time – Judge will face Knaf after this match in his second match of the Paralympic games regardless of the result.

To see how Ireland’s other Paralympians performed on the first day, click here.

1...309310311...609Page 310 of 609

EDITOR PICKS

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

ABOUT US

SportsNewsIreland is an Irish website launched in 2009 to offer sports fans in Ireland an alternative and independent source to keep them up to date with all the news from around the country. Every week we bring you live score updates from all levels of GAA, rugby, soccer, racing and athletics. Contact

Contact us: Email: info@sportsnewsireland.com

FOLLOW US

Design by SportsMediaIreland.ie