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Manchester United Urge Fans To Stay Away If Matches Resume

If the Premier League get their wish to play at clubs' normal stadiums rather than at neutral venues, then United will have four home league matches to play.Aware of the danger of supporters gathering in large groups during the health crisis, United have pleaded with their fans to stay away from matches and watch on television."We share your disappointment that you will not be able to watch United in person from within the stadium, but we would encourage you to give your continued loyal support from the comfort and safety of your home," United said in an email to supporters on Tuesday."To help with that, the Premier League and their media partners will work to deliver the very best broadcast coverage of our games."We also ask for your co-operation not to travel to any stadiums at which we are playing on matchdays."By supporting from home and following Government guidance, you will be playing your part to keep your friends, your family and all United fans safe."This united effort to stay at home will give us the best chance of protecting the health of everyone in our community." Read the full article

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Coronavirus: Premier League Comes Up With "Project Restart" To Finish Season, Says Report

The Premier League is eyeing a resumption of the season on June 8, behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic, and reaching a climax on July 27, according to The Times. The paper claims football chiefs, along with other sports governing bodies, have been holding talks with the British government about when they can resume and at only "approved grounds". The Premier League has 92 games remaining since it suspended the season on March 13 with Liverpool agonisingly close to their first-ever EPL title.The Times says Premier League bosses shared their idea 'Project Restart' with the shareholders last week.The matches would be played behind closed doors -- a maximum of 400 people would be permitted to attend including media though only if they tested negative for the virus -- and at selected stadia to limit stretching the limited resources of the medical services.Extra changing facilities would be introduced to ensure social distancing measures were in place whilst players would be required to turn up for training individually and already in their kit.They have also suggested August 22 as the date for the start of the 2020/21 campaign. The main sticking point, though, remains the lack of tests available.Should the season be unable to resume -- the Dutch championship was abandoned without promotion or relegation on Friday -- it would be a financial nightmare for the clubs.Measures being taken to alleviate some of that has seen the EPL link up with DLA Piper -- a law firm that has advised on TV rights deals for the league in the past -- on an emergency loan fund, with a maximum of $12.4 million per club.Some clubs have taken measures agreed with their players to ease the financial burden.Southampton, West Ham United, Sheffield United and Watford have agreed deferrals with their first-team squads while the majority of Arsenal's players have agreed a 12.5 percent wage reduction. Read the full article

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Dean Jones Shares Hilarious Video Of Australian Comedian Andy Lee Trying To Catch A Ball. Watch

Dean Jones, the former Australian cricketer, shared a fun video of Australian comedian Andy Lee. In the catching challenge video, Andy Lee can be seen hitting the ball high in the sky over his bungalow's roof. As soon as he hits the ball, Andy starts running through his house to catch the ball. Andy catches the ball but funnily enough, falls in his swimming pool after losing his balance in the video. To this, Dean Jones took to Twitter and said," Great job Andy .... But .. any time someone falls in the pool while attempting the catch.. it's a 6.. reload start again".According to Andy Lee, it took him 68 minutes and 52 attempts to finally catch the ball. He also revealed that he lost 12 tennis balls during the process. Great job Andy.... BUT .. anytime someone falls into the pool while attempting to catch.. it's a 6.. reload start again.. https://t.co/HrnqqTk2AC — Dean Jones AM (@ProfDeano) April 10, 2020 Dean Jones made his debut for Australia on January 30, 1984, against Pakistan in an ODI. Soon after, Jones made his Test debut against West Indies in the same year. Dean Jones played 52 Test matches for his country and scored 3,631 runs with an average of 46.55. He scored 11 Test centuries with a career-best score of 216 runs.The right-handed batsman featured in 164 ODI's and scored 6,068 runs with an average of 44.61. He retired from international cricket back in 1994.With the coronavirus pandemic bringing all sporting events to a standstill, sports personalities from around the world have been finding ways to keep their fans entertained. India is currently under a 21-day lockdown and chances are that it can affect the upcoming edition of the IPL.The BCCI had announced that the IPL will begin from April 15, after it got postponed from its original date of March 29. It will be interesting to see if BCCI still goes ahead with the revised schedule as coronavirus cases rise in the country. Read the full article

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French Football Club Doctor "Commits Suicide" After Coronavirus Diagnosis: Report

"Devastated, Reims cries for Bernard Gonzalez," said a statement released by the Ligue 1 club. © AFP French Ligue 1 club Reims were on Sunday in mourning for long-serving club doctor Bernard Gonzalez who committed suicide after being diagnosed with coronavirus, sources confirmed. "Devastated, Reims cries for Bernard Gonzalez," said a statement released by the Ligue 1 club. "Not just the club but also hundreds of men and women in Reims." Contacted by AFP, Reims mayor Arnaud Robinet said he had been made aware of the suicide of the 60-year-old, who had worked at the club for over 20 years, by the local prefecture."I was told Doctor Gonzalez had left a note in which he mentioned that he had tested positive for COVID-19."A medical source also confirmed to AFP the existence of this letter but added that the doctor had appeared "to be in good shape two days ago"."I am shocked by his death because he was someone I had known for many years," said Robinet."No only was he the club doctor, but he was also the GP of many people in Reims. He was known for his human and professional qualities."He will be missed by the football family and all those in Reims who met him."Reims club president Jean-Pierre Caillot said he was "stunned" by the news."This pandemic has struck Reims in the heart. A great personality and great professional of the sport has left us," said Caillot.More than 8,000 people have died from the coronavirus in France. Topics mentioned in this article Football Read the full article

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Can Only Battle Coronavirus By Staying Indoors: Cheteshwar Pujara

"Most of us are following the government guidelines on lockdown but there are still some who are taking the virus casually. They don't realise that they could too be affected."Every single person is a soldier at the moment. If you stay indoors, you are fighting the battle for your own country. There has to be a collective effort else we can't win this," said India's Test batting mainstay.After helping Saurashtra win their maiden Ranji Trophy title last month, little did he know that he would be spending all his time at home.Pujara is enjoying the "forced" break and most of his time goes into entertaining his two-year-old daughter.The closest he has got to a "hit in the nets" is by playing with a plastic bat."That is also for entertaining my daughter. No serious stuff. All of that can wait at the moment," he said.But a gym at home means he is not compromising on his fitness."I usually take everything in a positive way. Sometimes you need to take a break as a sportsperson and there can't be a better time. We just won the Ranji and it is the right time to take three to four weeks off."Luckily I have a gym at home. Being a small town guy, I can't go out to the gym and train there (because he will be mobbed). With gym at home, I can still do my strength sessions, cycling and running. I also do yoga which helps a lot," said Pujara.He was supposed to play county cricket in the UK but that too has been postponed at least till May 28 and faces cancellation.Considering the current circumstances, Pujara might have to wait till the Australia tour starting November to play his first competitive game since the Ranji Trophy final.But he is prepared for any eventuality."I would still have some first-class games before the Australia tour. I am prepared for anything. This is the time when we can't just be thinking about sporting events. First, we have to win this battle against coronavirus," he said."A person's life is much more important than a sporting event. All the sporting events (including Olympics) have been postponed. One has to be prepared as we are going through rare times."We just need to make sure the virus is contained and things get back to normal. After that we can talk about the game."Pujara has fond memories of the previous Australia tour in 2018-19 when India won their maiden Test series Down Under.He was named the player of the series for scoring 521 runs at 74.42, including three hundreds.His long hours in the middle and pacers' stellar performances made all the difference."I would still say it was a collective effort. Yes, I did perform exceptionally well. I am happy about that, no doubt, but when we go back again you have to start from the scratch. It (past performance) will help me for sure but one has to prepare again. You can't take your past glories to the current series," he signed off. Read the full article

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Manchester City Midfielder Says Liverpool Deserve To Be Premier League Champions

Liverpool should be awarded the Premier League title if the season cannot be completed due to the coronavirus pandemic, says Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan. Jurgen Klopp's men were a tantalising two wins away from their first league crown since 1990 when the season was suspended earlier this month. The shutdown is currently due to last until April 30. Premier League chiefs are due to meet on Friday, with no indications of when football will resume. Gundogan, whose side trail Liverpool by 25 points, told German broadcaster ZDF that if the season could not be finished, Klopp's side deserved the title."It would be OK for me," he said. "As a sportsman you have to be fair."The 29-year-old German international, who has won the Premier League title with City for the past two seasons, said it was unlikely that he and his teammates could resume training at the end of April."Honestly, I can't imagine (that happening) and also, I don't know how realistic it is," he said.Figures on Sunday revealed that 1,228 people with coronavirus have died in Britain. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is among more than 19,500 people who have tested positive for COVID-19.Aleksander Ceferin, president of European football's governing body UEFA, said on Saturday that the 2019/20 campaign could be "lost" if it could not be restarted by the end of June.Gundogan conceded that Premier League chiefs were faced with a difficult choice."There are different opinions," he said. "For clubs who have had a very good season, it obviously wouldn't be nice if it was cancelled now."On the other hand, for clubs who aren't doing as well and are maybe in the relegation places, an abandonment would obviously suit them."Cancellation would have a knock-on effect on the second-tier English Championship, with both Leeds United and West Brom occupying the two automatic promotion places.Gundogan said he would be willing to take a pay cut if English clubs followed the examples of Serie A leaders Juventus and his former club Borussia Dortmund."Of course I think it's OK, that goes without saying -- (but) there's been no discussion in England yet," he said. Read the full article

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Coronavirus: Novak Djokovic Donates 1 Million Euros To Help Serbia Combat Coronavirus

Tennis world number one Novak Djokovic said Friday he was donating one million euros ($1.1 million) to help his native Serbia buy respirators and other gear to combat the coronavirus. The player was speaking in a video conference from the southern Spanish city of Marbella, where he and his family are currently hunkering down under nationwide lockdown orders. "Our donation is for the purchase of life-saving respirators and other sanitary equipment," said the tennis star.Normally based in Monaco, the family's stay in Spain is "a pure coincidence", according to his spokesperson.The 32-year-old said he was working on keeping a "positive spirit" and enjoying the family time with the tennis season thrown into chaos by the pandemic.The men's ATP and women's WTA Tours have been suspended until June 7, with the French Open postponed and Wimbledon facing possible postponement or even cancellation."I don't remember spending so much time with my family since I became a father," added Djokovic, who declined to discuss tennis matters and told reporters he was passing time by reading a book on the "history of the Serbs".He also said he plans to start "posting physical exercises I do in our apartment on social networks". Djokovic thanked China for sending several shipments of medical equipment and doctors to Serbia, where they are now helping guide Belgrade's COVID-19 strategy.Seven people have died and more than 450 are known to be infected with the respiratory disease among Serbia's seven million population, according to authorities. "I thank China from the bottom of my heart on behalf of myself and the entire nation," he said. Read the full article

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Coronavirus: FIFA Monitoring COVID-19 Threat In India With Women's U-17 World Cup In Mind

World football governing body, FIFA, on Wednesday said it is monitoring the developments arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic in India, which is scheduled to host the Women's U-17 World Cup in November. FIFA said it is also exploring "alternative solutions". The coronavirus outbreak has so far claimed lives of over 20,000 people across the world while infecting more than 4,25,000. In India, the pandemic has affected over 600 people besides 10 deaths."FIFA is currently monitoring developments regarding the coronavirus outbreak in India to decide the future of the U-17 Women's World Cup which is slated to be held in the country in November," the apex body said in a statement after PTI inquired."With public health and safety in mind, FIFA is also working with the Local Organising Committee to identify any potential impact on preparations for the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup India 2020, as well as finding alternative solutions to upcoming events that were planned in India in the lead up to the tournament," it added.Sixteen teams will take part in the World Cup, of which only three have sealed their berths.India has qualified as the host nation, while North Korea (winner) and Japan (runner-up) progressed from the Asian qualifiers.The pandemic has led to either cancellation or postponement of all sporting events lined up in the coming times, the biggest being the Tokyo Olympics and Euro.FIFA is also working with representatives of all confederations regarding dates for their respective qualifying tournaments.The World Cup is scheduled to be held from November 2 to 21 with matches to be played in Navi Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bhubaneswar and Guwahati.  Read the full article

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Coronavirus: Indian Sports Fraternity Salutes COVID-19 Fighters - Watch

#JantaCurfew pic.twitter.com/MMtjDpHVfe — Sjoerd Marijne (@SjoerdMarijne) March 22, 2020 Joining the #JantaCurfew is the Indian Women's Hockey Team's support staff! #IndiaKaGame @SjoerdMarijne @waynelombard pic.twitter.com/fOgJQw5yBT — Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) March 22, 2020 Wearing the team's jersey, the players positioned themselves on different floors of the building and clapped in tandem. Former India cricketer Virender Sehwag took to Twitter to share his gratitude. "A big Salute to all the warriors who are working tirelessly. May this pass soon and may there be peace, peace and peace. Om Shanti Shantih," he tweeted. A big Salute to all the warriors who are working tirelessly . May this pass soon and may there be peace, peace and peace. Om Shanti Shantih — Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) March 22, 2020 Wrestling superstar Bajrang Punia also posted a video, showing a lot of people beating the plates, in solidarity with the medicos and all those who provide essential services. "I thank all the health-care workers and all the people in the frontline fighting COVID-19. You are the real heroes I salute you," Bajrang tweeted. I thank all the health-care workers and all the people in the frontline fighting COVID-19. You are the real heroes I salute you pic.twitter.com/U9FxPpJCup — Bajrang Punia (@BajrangPunia) March 22, 2020 Former India captain and coach Anil Kumble took to Twitter to express his gratitude. "Thank you to all the heroes who are helping us in fighting COVID-19. Let us stay strong and continue our fight," he tweeted. Thank you to all the heroes who are helping us in fighting COVID-19. Let us stay strong and continue our fight. #SocialDistancing #JanataCurfew — Anil Kumble (@anilkumble1074) March 22, 2020 The Olympic-bound athletes such as weightlifter Mirabai Chanu and sprinter Hima Das also joined the people of the country in the appreciation act as they were also seen clapping from the SAI centre in Patiala. Thank you all the doctors, nurses, caregivers, armed forces, support staff, airport staff & everyone else out there working relentlessly for us in these difficult times. #IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/Uh5je9dBtf — Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (@mirabai_chanu) March 22, 2020 Star woman wrestler Vinesh Phogat also posted a video of her mother beating a steel plate with a big spoon. In another tweet, she posted, "Salute to all those who are working tirelessly. What a feeling to see India on a united front against this battle.!! " pic.twitter.com/AwlM0NxnFc — Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) March 22, 2020 Shooter Heena Sidhu also shared a video, shot from the balcony of her house, along with a tweet that read, "Here is the video from my balcony! What atmosphere!! Here is the video from my balcony! What atmosphere!! Thankyou everyone for fighting back and our heartfelt appreciation to all those who are fighting this disease by putting their lives on the line. #thankyou #IndiaFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/UxaHZd9QZZ — Heena SIDHU (@HeenaSidhu10) March 22, 2020 "Thankyou everyone for fighting back and our heartfelt appreciation to all those who are fighting this disease by putting their lives on the line." Read the full article

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Kevin Durant, 3 Brooklyn Nets Teammates Test Positive For Coronavirus: Report

Kevin Durant is reportedly among four Brooklyn Nets players who have tested positive for the new coronavirus and are in isolation. The injured Durant, who has yet to play for the Nets since signing for the club last year, confirmed to The Athletic website he had tested positive for the virus. "Everyone be careful, take care of yourself and quarantine. We're going to get through this," Durant was quoted as saying. News that the two-time NBA Finals MVP was among those who had contracted the virus came soon after the Nets confirmed four players had tested positive for COVID-19."Four Brooklyn Nets players have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus," the team said in a statement. "Of the four, one player is exhibiting symptoms while three are asymptomatic."All four players are presently isolated and under the care of team physicians."The Nets said they were notifying known contacts of the players including those from teams who played against the Nets shortly before the NBA shut down its season indefinitely on March 12.The last team to play the Nets was the Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers, who were stunned 104-102 by Brooklyn on March 10.The Lakers said in a statement Tuesday they had been informed of the four Nets players testing positive and have been in touch with their own players and staff."Given the exposure risks from our game against the Nets on March 10th we are following the next steps of our COVID-19 procedures and protocols that are established in consultation with various health officials, the NBA and our UCLA Health doctors," the Lakers said.The Nets said all players and members of the team travel party had been asked to isolate themselves and monitor their health.The four cases more than double the known number of cases of COVID-19 among NBA players.Utah Jazz defensive standout Rudy Gobert was the first NBA player to test positive -- his illness triggering the NBA's current closure.Teammate Donovan Mitchell and Christian Wood of the Detroit Pistons have also tested positive for the virus.Woods was tested after reporting flu-like symptoms to the Pistons medical staff.Mitchell was tested after Gobert's positive test, but had not experienced symptoms."I don't have any symptoms," Mitchell said in an interview broadcast by ABC television on Monday. "I could walk down the street (and) if it wasn't public knowledge that I was sick, you wouldn't know it. I think that's the scariest part about this virus." Read the full article

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Tottenham Defender Jan Vertonghen's Family Robbed At Knifepoint

Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac last year were targeted by armed moped riders. © AFP Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vertonghen's family was held at knifepoint at their London home during a burglary when the Belgium star was away on Champions League duty with his club. The incident happened on March 10 when four men wearing balaclavas held Vertonghen's wife and two children at knifepoint at their home. They stole electrical items before fleeing but left the family unharmed, reports goal.com. The incident occurred when Vertonghen was away with Spurs for the 0-3 Champions League loss to RB Leipzig.Police later carried out a scene examination, including door-to-door checks, and found that Vertonghen's family was not the only one targeted during the burglary."We have been supporting Jan and his family through this terribly traumatic time and we encourage anyone who has any information to come forward to help the police with their investigation," a spokesman for Hotspur said.A statement issued by the Metropolitan Police read: "Police were called to a residential address in NW3, at 19.49hrs on Tuesday, March 10 to report of a burglary. Officers attended."Mesut Ozil and Sead Kolasinac last year were targeted by armed moped riders while driving through north London. Read the full article

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Coronavirus: Delhi Government Bans IPL Matches, Other Sporting Events

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Friday made it clear that no sporting activity will take place in the national capital, including the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. Addressing a press conference, Sisodia said: "We have decided to ban any sports activity where people will gather in huge numbers like the IPL. Social distancing is important to curb the breakout of coronavirus." In its order, the Delhi government said: "In exercise of the powers conferred by the Delhi Epidemic Diseasees, COVID-19, Regulations, 2020 under the Epidemic Diseases Act 1987, it is hereby directed that sports gathering (including IPL)/conferences/seminars beyond 200 people are prohibited in NCT of Delhi for the purpose of prevention and control of the outbreak of epidemic disease namely COVID-19."Welcoming the order, AAP MP Sanjay Singh said: "It is the need of the hour and we welcome the decision as you cannot have such mass gatherings at this point in time. You cannot decide who has the virus and it is best to avoid the situation."A total of seven matches in IPL 2020 -- beginning March 29 -- were slated to be played at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium on March 30 (Delhi Capitals vs Kings XI Punjab), April 10 (Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore), April 13 (Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings), April 19 (Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders), May 3 (Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad), May 6 (Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians) and May 13 (Delhi Capitals vs Rajasthan Royals).Clouds have been hovering over the IPL 2020 in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak which has infected 75 people in India so far and has resulted in death of one person in Karnataka.The Sports Ministry has already made it very clear to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) along with other national federations that any event that has to be held amid the coronavirus outbreak will have to be behind closed doors.Speaking to IANS, Union Sports Secretary Radhey Shyam Julaniya said on Thursday that if a sports event is unavoidable and has to be organised, it should be done ensuring there is no public gathering."All national federations, including the BCCI, have been told to adhere to the guidelines and advisory issued by the ministry of health and public welfare. We have also told them to avoid any public gathering and if a sporting event has to be organised, it should be done without gathering of people."It is the state government who has to manage the crowd and who have the power under the epidemic diseases act (Epidemic Act of 1897). If it is unavoidable and it has to be organised, then they should do it without collecting the crowd," he pointed.The central government on Wednesday suspended all visas, barring a few categories like diplomatic and employment, in an attempt to prevent the spread of coronavirusAll the eight franchises have already said that they are okay with the idea of the IPL being held with empty stands. But they wish for their foreign players to be made available from the start of the season.Speaking to IANS, an official of one of the franchises said that with the government making its stance clear and the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaring the coronavirus outbreak a "pandemic", there is no other option than to play the match behind closed doors."See, the gate money is no issue as these things are insured. As for the fans, it is disappointing, but we don't really have much of an option as we have to abide by the diktat of the central government and even WHO has declared the outbreak a "pandemic". Read the full article

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Bayern go clear at top as Bundesliga faces virus threat - football

Thomas Mueller scored as Bayern Munich opened up a four-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga with a 2-0 victory over Augsburg at the Allianz Arena on Sunday, while the spread of the coronavirus threatened to curtail the season.Bayern lacked fluency in the opening stages despite scoring 13 goals in their previous three Bundesliga games, but did enough to edge closer to an eighth straight title.German health minister Jens Spahn on Sunday called for the cancellation of all gatherings of more than 1,000 people in the country over fears surrounding the spread of the new coronavirus.But the German league immediately reacted, insisting that it was “out of the question” that the season would be delayed beyond its scheduled finish on May 16, a week before the German Cup final.Cases of COVID-19 in the country reached close to 850 on Sunday.Bayern extended their unbeaten run to 15 games despite starting slowly.It was not until near the end of the first half when the home side looked like troubling the scorers, with Mueller shooting over the crossbar with just the keeper to beat.Mueller made no mistake in the 53rd minute however, collecting a long ball from Jerome Boateng and side-footing into the net.The goal, reminiscent of the prolific Mueller of a decade ago, continued his recent strong form under manager Hansi Flick.Since Flick took over, Mueller has scored six Bundesliga goals and assisted 12 more in 15 games.Augsburg had several chances to equalise on the counter. Their best opportunity came when Florian Niederlechner had two bites at the cherry just two yards from goal in the 80th minute.He had his first effort saved by Manuel Neuer and was unable to take advantage of a fortunate bounce from the rebound, shooting straight into the desperate Bayern defence.Niederlechner found the back of the net in the 89th minute, but the goal was later ruled out for a marginal offside near the halfway line.Leon Goretzka put the game beyond doubt with a goal in second-half stoppage time after being expertly fed by Serge Gnabry before dribbling the ball past keeper Andreas Luthe.Mueller blamed his side’s slow start on “a failure to invest in running - both on and off the ball” but praised his teammates for coming out “more forcefully in the second half”.“We didn’t show the killer mentality that we’ve shown in recent weeks. We can thank Manu (Neuer) that it didn’t go to 1-1 in the 80th minute,” Mueller told Sky.Flick echoed Mueller’s sentiments. “We knew that it was going to be a difficult game - and the first half proved that,” he said.“Augsburg stood deep and worked hard to close all available space.” In Sunday’s other game, 16th-placed Fortuna Duesseldorf head to 15th-placed Mainz in a crucial game in the clubs’ relegation battle. Read the full article

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Champions League: Alisson Becker Ruled Out Of Liverpool's Atletico Madrid Showdown

Champions League holders Liverpool face Atletico at Anfield trailing 1-0 after the first leg in Spain. Klopp hopes the injury is not serious, but he admitted Alisson may not return until after the international break later in March. "Unfortunately Ali is out. He had a little incident in training before the Chelsea game," Klopp told reporters on Friday. "We all thought it was nothing and it was clear he would not play anyway, the plan was he was on the bench. "There, we thought, 'Come on, we don't have to take any risks' so left him out of the squad. "There was a scan the next day and they found something. So now he is out. We will see next week for sure and then we will see. "Next week no, that means Atletico. I don't want to say no (to the Merseyside derby on March 16) but I don't know if he will be available. "He is not available for tomorrow and then the next week. We have to judge the situation anew. "I would say after the international break 100 per cent. Whatever we can get before that, we will see." With Alisson sidelined, Liverpool will have to rely on reserve 'keeper Adrian, whose mistake led to Chelsea's opening goal for Willian on Tuesday.   Read the full article

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Gokulam vs East Bengal: 9-Man Gokulam Hold East Bengal To 1-1 Draw In I-League

Gurwinder Singh replaced Asheer Akhtar at the back, while Kassim Aidara made his return to the line-up.It was Gokulam who came all guns blazing after kick-off and caught the visitors napping on a couple of occasions in the first 15 minutes.It took the hosts only nine minutes to go in front through skipper Joseph, who had a crack from just outside the box and found the back of the net.The visitors found their way back into the game in the 24th minute, when Juan Mera's mazy run was recklessly intercepted by Naocha Singh inside the box, conceding a penalty and his first yellow card of the game.New signing Victor Perez stepped up for the spot-kick and converted successfully to restore parity for QEB.The tempo of the game dropped a couple of beats following the equaliser, as either side struggled to penetrate for the remainder of the half.Marcos Jimenez De La Espada had a crack from distance, which wasn't far away for a speculative strike but that's how it remained going into the break, a goal apiece.Gokulam made a horrendous start to the second half as they went down to 10 men.Naocha Singh was given his marching orders as he was shown a second yellow and subsequently, a red card for yet another bookable offence.The hosts showed resilience despite going a man down and continued to threaten and test EB's resistance.Nathaniel Garcia's immaculate long ball found Joseph, who could only get a head to the end of the delivery, but Mirshad was well-positioned to collect.On the break, Abhash Thapa went on a solo run and after having made his way inside the Gokulam box, forced a quality save out of Ubaid.In the 72nd minute, Juan Mera showcased his flamboyance by making yet another delightful run, completely leaving Andre Etienne at bay and when he had the opportunity to shoot, went for an audacious chip over the keeper instead.To his agony, the woodwork came to Ubaid's rescue.Salman, in the 81st minute, seemed to have done everything right with his right-footed curler but Mirshad made amends for his earlier error and produced an excellent save to tip it over the bar.10-men Gokulam almost it won it at the death when substitute Lalromawia's perfectly placed shot found the back of the net to send the home crowd over the fence, but the celebrations were short-lived since the linesman had his flag up for offside.Protesting the decision, Haroon Amiri was shown his second yellow card of the day, as Gokulam ended up with nine men, minutes before the full-time whistle was blown.East Bengal remain at fourth place with 20 points, while Gokulam Kerala rise a place above to sixth with 19. Read the full article

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Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney Star As Australia Thrash Bangladesh By 86 Runs

Australia strolled to back-to-back victories at the Women's T20 World Cup as a potent opening partnership between Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney helped the hosts beat Bangladesh by 86 runs. Healy's return to form continued as she made a carefree 83 to hit the top of the tournament's run-scoring charts, ably supported by Mooney who ended unbeaten on 81. Sri Lanka gave them a fright three days earlier but there were no such scares for the hosts as Bangladesh only managed 103 for nine in reply and Meg Lanning's side climbed to second in Group A.Healy began with bristling intent, peeling three boundaries from Jahanara Alam's opening over as Bangladesh's seven-strong off-side field failed to foil the opener.Salma Khatun opted to take pace off the ball with five overs of spin in the Powerplay but Healy rocked back and cleared long-on to take the score to 53 without loss from the first six overs.The keeper-batter made it look easy as she struck sixes over long-off and then midwicket from Khadiza Tul Kubra, bringing up a brutal 26-ball fifty.Mooney turned over the strike before showing her own strength down the ground with three boundaries in as many overs, helping bring up the first T20I century partnership for the openers.Their first reprieve came when Rumana Ahmed beat Mooney's bat and Nigar Sultana Joty was ponderous in whipping off the bails, saving the batter's skin.Mooney reverse swept for four to take the stand to 122, Australia's highest partnership for the first wicket in T20Is.The breakthrough finally came when Healy sliced to point off Salma, departing for 83 from 53 balls.The final two overs went for 30 runs and Australia rose to 189 for one from their 20 overs, their second-highest total at the Women's T20 World Cup.Brief Scores: Australia 189/1 (Alyssa Healy 83, Beth Mooney 81 not out; Salma Khatun 1/39); Bangladesh 103/9 (Fargana Hoque Pinky 36; Megan Schutt 3/21, Jess Jonassen 2/17) Read the full article