Barca shred Valencia to restore La Liga shine

Barca shred Valencia to restore La Liga shine
Barcelona's Polish forward #09 Robert Lewandowski celebrates scoring his team's sixth goal during the Spanish league football match between FC Barcelona and Valencia CF at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in Barcelona on January 26, 2025. (AFP)
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Updated 27 January 2025
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Barca shred Valencia to restore La Liga shine

Barca shred Valencia to restore La Liga shine

BARCELONA: Barcelona blew away a miserable Valencia 7-1 on Sunday to get back on track in La Liga with a ruthless victory.
Fermin Lopez struck twice for the Catalans in the first half, along with goals from Frenkie de Jong, Ferran Torres and Raphinha which gave Barcelona a commanding five-goal lead at the break.
Hugo Duro pulled one back early in the second half before Robert Lewandowski pounced for Barca, followed by a Cesar Tarrega own goal, with the third-placed hosts earning just their second win in their last nine league matches.
Hansi Flick’s side trail La Liga leaders Real Madrid by seven points and second-placed Atletico Madrid by three.
Flick shuffled his pack against Valencia in order to spark a response given the club’s poor domestic form.
The coach began with Lewandowski and Ronald Araujo on the bench, while Pedri was absent because of a stomach bug, leading to De Jong, Ferran Torres and the superb Lopez all starting.
It took just three minutes for De Jong to open the scoring, with teenage star Lamine Yamal crossing for him in the area virtually unmarked, and he fired home.
Barcelona soon had their second, with Torres tucking home from Alejandro Balde’s cross, in similar fashion to the first goal but from the opposite flank.
The hosts moved three goals ahead in the 14th minute when Lopez clipped a fine ball over the top for Raphinha to run onto.
The Brazilian winger rounded Giorgi Mamardashvili and rolled home for his 12th league goal of the season.
Valencia, without the suspended Cristhian Mosquera, were struggling badly in defense and Barcelona broke in seemingly at will.
Lopez collected a perfectly measured Pau Cubarsi long pass for the fourth and although it was initially ruled offside, the decision was corrected by VAR.
Valencia thought they had won a penalty when Wojciech Szczesny brought down Hugo Duro but play was eventually brought back for a foul on Jules Kounde after another video review.
Lopez rattled home the fifth on the volley before half-time when Raphinha’s effort hit the post and fell nicely for him with the goalkeeper stranded.
Hugo Duro pulled one back for Valencia early in the second half from Diego Lopez’s low cross and Flick responded by sending on La Liga’s top goalscorer Lewandowski.
The Polish forward finished clinically for his 17th league goal of the season after being sent through by Lopez for Barca’s sixth on the night.
Barcelona netted their seventh when Torres’s hammered cross was deflected into his own net by Tarrega.
Seven goals did not flatter Barcelona by any means and the thrashing is a setback for Carlos Corberan’s Valencia, 19th and four points from safety.
Earlier Athletic Bilbao, fourth, could only produce a 0-0 draw at home against Leganes, and now trail Barcelona by two points.
Relegation-battling Getafe earned an impressive 3-0 win at Real Sociedad to climb to 14th, while Rayo Vallecano came from behind to beat Girona 2-1.


New Zealand chasing 136 to win second Pakistan T20

New Zealand chasing 136 to win second Pakistan T20
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New Zealand chasing 136 to win second Pakistan T20

New Zealand chasing 136 to win second Pakistan T20
  • Skipper Salman Ali Agha top-scores with 46 as Pakistan end innings at 135-9 off 15 overs
  • Four Kiwi bowlers took two wickets, including seamer Ben Sears and Jimmy Neesham

Dunedin, New Zealand: Captain Salman Agha top-scored with a rapid 46 as Pakistan posted 135-9 off 15 overs in the rain-reduced second Twenty20 against New Zealand on Tuesday.

The home side will chase 136 in Dunedin to go 2-0 up in the five-match series after winning the opener by nine wickets in Christchurch on Sunday.

Salman launched a recovery after Pakistan were sent in and lost opener Hasan Nawaz without scoring for the second time in the series.

They were 19-2 in the fourth over before the skipper embarked on a 28-ball knock that featured four fours and three sixes.

Shadab Khan was aggressive in the middle order with 26 off 14 balls and Shaheen Shah Afridi was unbeaten on 22 off 14.

Four New Zealand bowlers took two wickets, including seamer Ben Sears and all-rounder Jimmy Neesham, who were both recalled, in place of Tim Robinson and Kyle Jamieson.

Pakistan’s one change was the introduction of seamer Haris Rauf for leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed.

The start was delayed for 90 minutes because of rain at University Oval.
 


Pakistan Tekken 8 team delivers historic victory in Seoul, dismantling South Korea

Pakistan Tekken 8 team delivers historic victory in Seoul, dismantling South Korea
Updated 37 min 8 sec ago
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Pakistan Tekken 8 team delivers historic victory in Seoul, dismantling South Korea

Pakistan Tekken 8 team delivers historic victory in Seoul, dismantling South Korea
  • Pakistan wins with seven of the best players from both countries taking part in special Tekken 8 team event
  • Winning team included Pakistan’s Arslan Siddique, considered one of the greatest Tekken players in the world currently

ISLAMABAD: A team from Pakistan delivered a historic victory in Seoul this week in a special Tekken 8 event, dismantling South Korea’s long-standing dominance in competitive Tekken esports.

South Korea had for years been the leading force in competitive Tekken until Pakistan’s Arslan Siddique, better known as Arslan Ash, began to gain prominence by winning major international tournaments. He is a five-time EVO champion, having emerged victorious in EVO Las Vegas 2019, 2023, 2024 as well as EVO Japan 2019 and 2023.

Considered one of the greatest Tekken players in the world currently, Ash became the first professional gamer in 2023 to win the global Tekken 7 title four times. Ash also won the Tekken World Tour Finals 2023 and has made the Tekken battle between Pakistan and South Korea one of the most enduring and celebrated storylines in the esports community.

“Pakistan is the best Tekken region in the world again,” Ash posted on X, after Pakistan’s win against South Korea, with seven of the best players from each country taking part. 

The players participating in the Pakistan team event were TM|Arslan Ash, DRX|Knee, Falcons|Atif, KDF|Ulsan, Falcons|Farzeen, Varrel|Rangchu, QAD|TheJon, KDF|CBM, Fate|Numan Ch, VIT|JeonDDing, ROC|Usama Abbasi, KDF|Mulgold, TM|Hafiz Tanveer and DRX|Chanel.

“With yet another Pakistan Tekken victory, the nation has cemented its position at the pinnacle of competitive Tekken,” Pakistan’s top tech news and media outlet, TechJuice, reported on Monday.

“Once seen as challengers, Pakistan’s Tekken warriors have rewritten history, proving that the Tekken esports landscape belongs to them.”


March Madness tips off with First Four in Dayton

March Madness tips off with First Four in Dayton
Updated 18 March 2025
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March Madness tips off with First Four in Dayton

March Madness tips off with First Four in Dayton
  • The Tar Heels (22-13) seemed a long shot to make the tournament with a 1-12 record in Quadrant 1 games, but were chosen Sunday
  • The No. 11 seed is the lowest ever for North Carolina, who are making their 54th NCAA Tournament appearance, second-most to Kentucky’s 62

DAYTON, Ohio: North Carolina was a controversial selection for the NCAA Tournament, but the Tar Heels can silence some skeptics with a win over San Diego State on Tuesday night at the First Four.

The winner will face No. 6 seed Mississippi on Friday in Milwaukee.

The Tar Heels (22-13) seemed a long shot to make the tournament with a 1-12 record in Quadrant 1 games, but were chosen Sunday thanks to a strong nonconference schedule and other metrics.

“I didn’t listen to bracketology,” North Carolina coach Hubert Davis said Monday. “I didn’t listen after our name was selected on CBS. I didn’t listen to the telecasts. I haven’t listened to anybody’s comments in regards to selections, seedings. I know that we’re really excited to be a part of this, and we’re looking forward to tomorrow night.”

UNC’s inclusion fueled some conspiracy theories, with athletic director Bubba Cunningham being chair of the selection committee.

Rules state that Cunningham could not participate in the debate about his team, so the vice chair, Sun Belt Conference commissioner Keith Gill, presided over discussions about the Tar Heels.

The knock against North Carolina was a lack of Quad 1 wins. But the Tar Heels played the nation’s fifth-toughest nonconference schedule, which included games against No. 1 NCAA Tournament seeds Auburn and Florida, No. 2 seeds Alabama and Michigan State, and a trip to Kansas, which earned a No. 7 seed.

And the Tar Heels had higher rankings in the NET (36th), KenPom (33rd) and BPI (25th) than West Virginia, Indiana, Ohio State and Boise State, the first four teams left out of the field.

Additionally, they finished slightly ahead of the Mountaineers for best among that group in Wins Above Bubble (WAB), a metric added this year looking at how many more or fewer wins a team has against its schedule compared to what a bubble team would expect.

Regardless, San Diego State (21-9) isn’t going to make things easy for the Tar Heels.

The Aztecs lead the nation in field goal percentage defense (.378) and rank 13th in defensive efficiency.

“I think our identity is in our defense and our effort,” forward Jared Coleman-Jones said. “I think that if we play really good defense and we play with effort and we play with swagger, I think everything else is going to handle itself.”

RJ Davis carries the load for the Tar Heels, averaging 17 points and 3.7 assists per game.

The No. 11 seed is the lowest ever for North Carolina, who are making their 54th NCAA Tournament appearance, second-most to Kentucky’s 62.

Despite the questions about their resume, the Tar Heels practiced on Sunday and prepared to play.

“I think we’ve all kind of felt the hate, the disagreement, all that,” guard Seth Trimble said. “We’re just running with it. We definitely feel like we’ve got something to prove.”

Familiar foes

When No. 11 seeds Texas and Xavier play on Wednesday night in Dayton, it will mark the fourth time since 1990 the teams have met in the NCAA Tournament.

The Longhorns (19-15) beat the Musketeers 83-71 in the 2023 Sweet 16. In 2004, Xavier beat Texas 79-71 to reach the Elite Eight before losing to top-seeded Duke 66-63.

Zach Freemantle returned from injury and averaged 19.8 points during a seven-game winning streak to close the regular season, helping the Musketeers (21-11) return to the tournament after missing out last year.

The First Four extends the standout freshman season for Longhorns guard Tre Johnson, who led the SEC in scoring with 19.8 points per game.

The Longhorns and Musketeers were firmly on the bubble entering Selection Sunday. The winner will face No. 6 seed Illinois on Friday night in Milwaukee.

“It’s so difficult to make the tournament,” Xavier coach Sean Miller said. “There’s so much invested. We played our best basketball as we entered March.”

Unlikely dancers

Saint Francis (PA) made an unlikely return to the University of Dayton Arena after becoming the 19th team to reach the NCAA Tournament with a losing record.

The Red Flashes (16-17) lost their season opener 87-57 to the Dayton Flyers on Nov. 4, and few would have predicted they’d return to the same building in March.

“We’re obviously very excited we’ve already played here before,” Saint Francis guard Riley Parker said. “The first game we played here didn’t turn out our way, so we’re just trying to come back here and make it right.”

Saint Francis are making theirvsecond NCAA Tournament appearance, first since 1991.

The Red Flashes face Alabama State (19-15) in a matchup of No. 16 seeds on Tuesday night. The Hornets’ last tournament appearance was in 2011. The winner will face No. 1 overall seed Auburn on Thursday in Lexington, Kentucky.

Teams with losing records entering the NCAA Tournament have gone 0-18.

Deep threat

No. 16 seeds American (22-12) and Mount St. Mary’s (22-12) meet in Dayton on Wednesday night, with the winner earning a date with No. 1 seed Duke in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday.

The player to watch for American is 6-foot-9 Matt Rogers, who leads the team with 59 3-pointers. His 1.7 made 3s per game ranked 12th in the Patriot League.

Dola Adebayo leads Mount St. Mary’s with 13.2 points per game. The Mountaineers averaged more than 70 points per game and shot 34 percent from 3-point range this season.

The two Washington D.C. area programs have a long history. This will be the 71st meeting between the schools. American leads the series 37-33, including four straight wins entering Wednesday.


Messi out of World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil due to adductor injury

Messi out of World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil due to adductor injury
Updated 18 March 2025
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Messi out of World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil due to adductor injury

Messi out of World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil due to adductor injury
  • Inter Miami said Messi underwent an MRI “to assess the extent of the discomfort in his adductor region”
  • Argentine media initially reported Messi suffered a sore left thigh on Sunday during Inter Miami’s 2-1 victory

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina: Lionel Messi will miss Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers against Uruguay and Brazil over the next eight days because of an injury to his adductor.

The 37-year-old Messi was not included in the 25-man squad announced on Monday by coach Lionel Scaloni. Later Monday, Inter Miami said Messi — the reigning Major League Soccer MVP — underwent an MRI “to assess the extent of the discomfort in his adductor region,” an injury that the team said occurred in Sunday’s win over Atlanta United.

“The examination’s findings confirmed the presence of a low-grade injury in the adductor muscle,” Inter Miami said. “His clinical progress and response to treatment will determine his availability for competition.”

Argentine media initially reported Messi suffered a sore left thigh on Sunday during Inter Miami’s 2-1 victory.

Argentina, who lead South America, will visit second-placed Uruguay on Friday and host fifth-placed Brazil four days later at Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires.

Messi was not the only absentee for the two matches that could seal Argentina’s qualification. Also ruled out were Paulo Dybala, Gonzalo Montiel and Giovani Lo Celso.

Scaloni also dropped Alejandro Garnacho and Claudio Echeverri from the larger squad announced on March 2.

Messi, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner who captained and led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup title, has been sidelined several times by Inter Miami this season because of injury concerns.

This month, Messi missed three games but returned on Thursday for the second leg of the round-of-16 CONCACAF Champions Cup tie against Cavalier SC.

Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said Messi was fit to start against Atlanta on Sunday. Messi scored in the 20th minute, just before he was reported to have been injured.


McIlroy wins Players Championship title in playoff

McIlroy wins Players Championship title in playoff
Updated 17 March 2025
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McIlroy wins Players Championship title in playoff

McIlroy wins Players Championship title in playoff
  • Spaun, whose recovery out of the bunker left him with a long, unsuccessful birdie putt, could only par

MIAMI: Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy cruised to a St. Patrick’s Day victory at the Players Championship on Monday, defeating J.J. Spaun in a playoff at TPC Sawgrass.

The four-time major champion completed the three-hole shootout in 1-over par, while Spaun’s challenge wilted after a disastrous triple-bogey on the second playoff hole.

McIlroy had finished tied at the top of the leaderboard with Spaun following Sunday’s storm-hit final round after failing to hold on to a three-shot lead with five holes to play.

But after returning to the course on Monday in bright, breezy conditions, there was no sign of a repeat of the late stumble by McIlroy on Sunday that had allowed Spaun to force his way into the first playoff of his career.

McIlroy struck first on the opening playoff hole, the par-five 16th, crushing a 336-yard drive straight down the fairway before reaching the green in two.

Spaun,meanwhile, looked out of sorts from the get-go, finding the fairway rough off the tee before landing his second shot into the greenside bunker.

McIlroy failed to make his 33-foot eagle putt but calmly rolled in an awkward five-footer for birdie.

Spaun, whose recovery out of the bunker left him with a long, unsuccessful birdie putt, could only par.

After that early wobble, things got worse for Spaun at the par-3 17th island hole, with the American plunging his tee-shot into the water behind the green.

Spaun then missed a long 10-foot putt for double bogey and eventually finished with a triple-bogey six.

While McIlroy missed his birdie chance and a 10-footer to save par, his bogey four still left him three shots clear heading to the 18th.

McIlroy’s tee-shot on the last went well wide of the right fairway, but Spaun was unable to exert pressure, also going wide of the fairway.

Both players reached the green in three and missed their par putts. McIlroy coolly tapped in for bogey to seal victory.