A very emotional Emma Hayes said her Chelsea team simply “don’t want to lose” after they became the third club in 20 years to reach the Women’s Champions League final having lost the first leg of the semi-final.
“The fear of losing is sometimes greater than the will to win. That’s quite ironic. I drove here today and I was like: ‘We’re not going to lose this,’” the manager said as she gripped a glass of champagne.
Chelsea see off Bayern to set up first Champions League final with BarcelonaRead more
“I’ve played this out in the Curnock Street estate [in Camden, north London, where Hayes grew up]. I’ve entered that pitch every day as a nine-year-old about to play in the Champions League final.…
At half-time on Tuesday night, England had a problem. They were in control of their World Cup Group B fixture against Wales but had not scored. For momentum, for the fans, for keeping critics in the media and online at bay, something needed to change. And so, five minutes after the restart, Marcus Rashford stepped up and smashed a free-kick into the top corner from 25 yards.
The Manchester United forward followed up with the final goal in the 3-0 victory. Taking a long pass on the run, he chopped inside the Welsh left-back Connor Roberts, beat him definitively with a stepover, then drove the ball between the legs of the goalkeeper Danny Ward. It was an exhilarating, exuberant moment and, as he turned towards the crowd and his teammates, Rash…
Nothing can prepare a defender for it; the demands and the pressure, the intensity, the sheer remorselessness. They might have heard the stories, especially at major tournaments. But until they have done it, they do not know. Yes, playing in front of the England goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, is certainly something else.
“It’s just the amount of talking,” the centre-half Marc Guéhi says with a smile. “It is a lot but it is good. I would say I am not particularly used to Jordan and it is a bit of a shock at first. But when you look at it, he is fantastic. It’s constant communication, constantly making sure you are staying alert and his clean sheet record speaks for itself.”
Phil Foden returns to England camp at Euro 2024 after b…
Several memorable plays were made during the San Francisco 49ers’ 24-9 victory against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday. There was Deebo Samuel’s back shoulder catch that he turned into a 50-plus yard touchdown, as well as Jeff Wilson Jr.’s touchdown run that first gave the 49ers the lead. The 49ers not blocking Aaron Donald on one play was an error so bad that it was comical, unless your name is Jimmy Garoppolo. For him, it might have been terrifying. Then, of course, there was the Talanoa Hufanga interception that put the 49ers comfortably in the driver’s seat on their way to a victory. However, the actual most memorable play was made by the Rams. One of those annoying moments when a fan made it onto the field happened on Monday, and security had trouble corralling the man. A…
Another day, another report of costs increases for the Olympics. Just a few days after we learned that the Rio organizing committee’s debt from the 2016 Summer Games was more than three times higher than what it was originally supposed to be, we have a report that cost overruns are already plaguing the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. This time it’s the cost of the opening and closing ceremonies that has gone up. The ceremonies, which were originally budgeted at the bargain basement price of $82 million—that’s just $40 million per ceremony— will now cost $117 million. That’s an increase of 43 percent. I don’t know what the “right” price tag is for spectacle like the opening and closing ceremonies. The biggest event I’ve ever put together was my mother’s 70th birthday party …
Some people are fans of the Philadelphia Eagles. But many, many more people are NOT fans of the Philadelphia Eagles. This 2018 Deadspin NFL team preview is for those in the latter group. Read all the previews so far here. Your team: Philadelphia Eagles Your 2017 record: 13-3. Super Bowl champions. You know, if you had told me prior to last season that my team’s home stadium would play host to one of the greatest Super Bowls ever, and that the New England Patriots would find themselves beaten and humiliated in that game by an unheralded backup quarterback, and that a long-suffering fanbase would finally experience True Football Ecstasy … I think I would have been overjoyed at the prospect. I would have been positively GIDDY at the news. All my football wishes coming true! And yet…
With the NFL giving up its tax-exempt status, we assumed that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s 2014 salary was the last that would have to be publicly reported. But thanks to some logistical issues, the league had to reveal the commissioner’s salary one last time. This means that Goodell was hit with a $2.1 million pay cut, continuing a downward trend that began in 2012, when he earned $44 million. The intriguing thing about this pay cut is that it comes on the heels of Goodell’s complete and embarrassing mishandling of a variety of scandals within the league, including the Ray Rice fiasco. His 2014 pay was approved before Rice and Ballghazi and the league’s meddling in concussion research could be taken into account, so this is the first time we’ve been able to get a sense…
With two outs in the ninth in a tie ball game, Starling Marte tripled off the right field wall, and came home on a throwing error on the relay. He was called out at the plate. A year ago, this game would have gone to extra innings. But thanks to replay review, the Pirates got to enjoy some delayed gratification. After a review of just 1:14, umpires declared Marte safe, the game over. Marte was asked whether he's a fan of instant replay. "Yeah," he joked. "Sometimes I like it." Tough luck for Giants starter Tim Hudson, who went 8 and two-thirds while giving up just the two runs, one earned. If it's any consolation, he wouldn't have earned the complete game (loss) had it gone to extras. ''Replay is going to provide the final conclusion,'…
Just watch this Christmas-themed compilation of the best serves, saves and spikes from the 2011 Table Tennis season, then try to tell me these guys aren't athletes. (Revised conventional wisdom for 2012: they are athletes, but their sport is dumb.) [ via Kottke.org] …
data-mm-id=”_b8ay3hql9″>The New England Patriots were unable to continue their torrid start on the defensive side of the ball once the schedule picked up and they played teams that were not from New York or Washington. No one will deny that the unit is talented enough to be considered one of the best in the NFL, but all that talk about its place in history next to the truly great defenses of the past has rightfully been put to bed. One player, however, has not slowed down one bit: Stephon Gilmore. The South Carolina product is having the best season of his career, and one of the better seasons we've seen from any cornerback in this new pass-happy NFL. As the best player at the most important non-quarterback position in the league, with the season he's having, Gilmore should r…