PARIS: Israel’s Nations League soccer match against host France next month will take place in “usual conditions,” French authorities said Tuesday, a day after Italy hosted Israel in the same competition without incident despite security concerns.
Laurent Nuñez, the Paris police prefect, said in a statement that the match at the Stade de France on Nov. 14 will be played “under the usual conditions for a Nations League match and will of course be open to the public.”
Italy beat Israel 4-1 in the Nations League on Monday, with the game being played against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East which has spread to Lebanon after more than a year-long war in Gaza.
It was the first match Israel have played outside neutral Hungary this year. After the Israel-Hamas war started on Oct. 7 last year, the national soccer team played in Kosovo and Andorra last November.
All Israel matches since then have been in Hungary, including last month’s game against Belgium in the Nations League after the Belgian Football Association refused to host the game for security reasons.
France will host Israel in the Nations League ‘under usual conditions,’ French authorities say
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France will host Israel in the Nations League ‘under usual conditions,’ French authorities say
- The match at the Stade de France on Nov. 14 will be played “under the usual conditions for a Nations League match and will of course be open to the public”
- Italy beat Israel 4-1 in the Nations League on Monday
Manchester United stretch loyalty of ‘numbed’ Chinese fans to the limit
- Manchester United once claimed to have more than 100 million followers in China
- But like supporters of the club everywhere their loyalty is being put severely to the test
Manchester United once claimed to have more than 100 million followers in China, Yan among them, but like supporters of the club everywhere their loyalty is being put severely to the test.
As an illustration of United’s fall from grace in China and beyond, tickets for Friday’s friendly at the 40,000-capacity Hong Kong Stadium against the city’s representative team were still available on Thursday afternoon.
Tickets also appeared on resale websites with their prices slashed 50 percent.
United were beaten 1-0 in Malaysia by a Southeast Asian XI on Wednesday and booed off, a fresh low in a dismal season for Ruben Amorim’s bedraggled men.
“Every season ends with the same old story with no sign of recovery,” said Yan, a supporter for 23 years and organizer of a United fans’ association in Shenzhen, just across the border from Hong Kong in mainland China.
Amorim’s side left for Asia on Sunday, hours after concluding their worst season since 1974, to play friendlies in Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong.
The Old Trafford club made no attempt to hide the motivation for flying across the world straight after a draining and demoralizing campaign that saw them come 15th in the Premier League and fail to lift a trophy.
“Tour fixtures drive significant additional revenue which help make the club stronger, allowing us to keep investing in success on the pitch,” chief executive Omar Berrada said.
This week’s Asia visit will generate about $10 million (£7.8m) for United, the BBC reported.
China has the world’s second-biggest economy and second-biggest population, making it a vital market.
United’s finances are under scrutiny with co-owner Jim Ratcliffe implementing steep cuts since buying a minority stake just over a year ago.
The club recently announced a further 200 redundancies were planned after 250 jobs were cut last year.
Ratcliffe claimed in March that the Red Devils would have “run out of money at Christmas” otherwise.
From Kuala Lumpur, where it was 32 Celsius (90 Fahrenheit) at kickoff on Wednesday, it is a four-hour flight to a similarly sticky Hong Kong.
July friendlies in the city between Tottenham and Arsenal, and Liverpool and AC Milan, sold out within hours of going on general sale.
No such luck for United for their exhibition match with the Hong Kong team, and with a day until kickoff they face the ignominy of playing in front of empty seats.
The 39-year-old fan Yan said that the United supporters club in Shenzhen has about 2,000 members.
That number has hardly grown in the past few years, he said.
Older fans make up the vast majority of members.
“I can’t think of any words we can use to attract new fans because the team has a bad record and no standout stars to recruit younger fans,” said Yan.
He Zhiyi, a United fan for more than a decade, is flying to Hong Kong from the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu.
She had hoped to see the squad parade the Europa League trophy, but Amorim’s side lost 1-0 to Tottenham in the final.
With it went United’s hopes of sneaking into the Champions League, which would have brought badly needed revenue, prestige and pulling power.
“The team is all over the place – players, coaches and management are not moving in one direction,” said the 32-year-old He, a football content creator and author.
“It feels like the team is killing the enthusiasm of the fans, as if the romance can’t be sustained anymore.”
Zhang Chongqian, also from Chengdu, said United’s “spirit and traditions” have been lost.
“In recent years, our fans (in China) gradually stopped watching Manchester United or even football,” the 38-year-old lifelong supporter said.
Zhang will not join those fans abandoning his side, even after the poorest season in the club’s recent history.
“Manchester United have been experiencing a period of sinking,” he said.
“But there are still so many fans who will never give up on them.”
Thunder overwhelm Timberwolves to reach NBA Finals
- Oklahoma City advances to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012
- Thunder captured the best-of-seven Western Conference finals series 4-1
WASHINGTON: Oklahoma City, sparked by 34 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012 by routing Minnesota Timberwolves 124-94 on Wednesday.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA Most Valuable Player, added eight assists and seven rebounds as the Thunder captured the best-of-seven Western Conference finals series 4-1 and will host game one of the NBA Finals on June 5.
“This is a step in the right direction but we have a lot more work to do and we know that and that’s what we’re focused on so let’s buckle up and get ready,” said Gilgeous-Alexander.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do to get to our ultimate goal and this is not it. That’s all that I’m focused on.”
Oklahoma City will face the Eastern Conference champion, either the Indiana Pacers or New York Knicks, for the NBA title.
Gilgeous-Alexander, a 26-year-old Canadian who was named the series MVP, could become the first NBA scoring champion since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000 to win an NBA title in the same season.
Chet Holmgren added 22 points and Jalen Williams netted 19 for the Thunder, whose average age of 25.6 years makes them the youngest team in the NBA Finals since Portland in 1977.
“We have 17 dudes on the roster who will bring it every single game whether it’s a closeout game or not,” Holmgren said.
“It’s a step in the journey. We still have a season to play (in the Finals) so we’re not done.”
Williams was proud of the way players have melded into a team.
“We’ve been through ups and downs this entire season and that has only brought us closer. We’ve been able to bond and get better and that’s why we’re here now,” he said.
“We’ve still got a job to do but it’s very exciting.”
Julius Randle led Minnesota with 24 points while Anthony Edwards added 19 for the Timberwolves, who have never reached the NBA Finals.
“They came ready to play. We didn’t,” Edwards said. “They dominated the game from the tip.”
Oklahoma City have never won an NBA title, although the franchise won a crown as the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979 before relocating in 2008, and the Thunder last reached the finals in 2012, losing to Miami.
The Thunder had the best record in the NBA this season at 68-14.
“These guys are uncommon,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “They do everything right. They are professional. They are high character... They are competitive and most of all they are team first.”
From the start Oklahoma City overpowered Minnesota in epic fashion, as the visitors suffered a nightmare performance when it mattered most.
“We kept our foot on the gas for 48 minutes,” Daigneault said. “The tone we set in the game was really good from the jump.”
“We were beat by the better team,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said. “This hurts.”
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 12 points in the first quarter as the Thunder grabbed a 26-9 lead, holding the Timberwolves to their lowest points total in any quarter all season.
“They came out and punched us,” Minnesota’s Mike Conley said.
Minnesota shot 3-for-20 in the first quarter, 1-of-9 from three-point range, and lost four turnovers.
Minnesota missed 10 of their first 11 shots as Oklahoma City jumped ahead 11-3 then closed the quarter on a 13-2 run.
The Thunder rolled to a 48-20 advantage early in the second quarter on the way to a 65-32 half-time lead as Minnesota surrendered a season-high 14 first-half turnovers while making only 12 baskets.
The Timberwolves trailed by as many as 37 points before reducing the deficit to 88-62 after three quarters, but never looked like overcoming the Thunder’s dominant performance.
“It hurts,” Conley said. “For me it’s going to take a while to dissect what we weren’t able to do.”
Agha and Hasan star in Pakistan’s win over Bangladesh in first T20
- Agha struck a career-best 56 to guide Pakistan to 201-7
- Hasan took 5-30 to dismiss tourists for 164 in 19.2 overs
LAHORE: Skipper Salman Agha hit a career best knock and pacer Hasan Ali grabbed his first five wicket haul as Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 37 runs in the first T20 international in Lahore on Wednesday.
Agha struck a career-best 56 to guide Pakistan to 201-7 before Hasan took 5-30 to dismiss the tourists for 164 in 19.2 overs at Qaddafi Stadium.
The win gives the home team a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Allrounder Shadab Khan, who also struck a quick 48, then dismissed rival skipper Litton Das for a 30-ball 48 to break a fighting 63-run stand for the third wicket that lifted Bangladesh from 37-2.
Litton hit three sixes and a boundary and had steadied the innings with Towhid Hridoy who scored 17, but the later batters could not capitalize on the platform.
Pacer Hasan ended Jaker Ali’s knock of 36 (21 balls with three sixes and a boundary), Tanzim Hasan for one and Shoriful Islam for five to cap a succesful return to international cricket after a year-long injury lay-off.
Hasan said he was happy and satisfied.
“The last eight months were very tough because it was a career-threatening injury, so I am happy to have contributed to the team’s win,” said Hasan, who underwent elbow surgery last year.
“I did hard work during the rehab and it’s a reward for that hard work,” said Hasan.
Bangladesh skipper Litton was unhappy.
“All over the game, we didn’t bowl well, bat well and field well,” said Litton. “We have to come back strongly with two games still to play.”
Earlier, Agha struck a 34-ball 56, with eight fours and a six, while Hasan Nawaz’s 22-ball 44 with four sixes helped Pakistan pass 200 after the hosts won the toss and chose to bat.
The captain, whose previous T20 best of 51 not out came against New Zealand in March, added 48 for the third wicket with Mohammad Haris and 65 for the fourth with Nawaz.
Pakistan were struggling at 5-2 after the loss of openers Saim Ayub, for a duck, and Fakhar Zaman in the first two overs.
Shadab scored a 25-ball 48 to help Pakistan add 58 in the last five overs.
All six Bangladesh bowlers were among the wickets, with left-arm seamer Islam taking 2-32 in three overs.
The remaining two matches are on Friday and Sunday, also in Lahore.
Defending champion Panthers head back to Stanley Cup Final with 5-3 Game 5 win over Hurricanes
RALEIGH, N.C.: Carter Verhaeghe broke a tie off a feed from Aleksander Barkov with 7:39 left and the defending champion Florida Panthers advanced to their third straight Stanley Cup Final, beating the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 on Wednesday night in Game 5.
The Panthers beat the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final for the second time in three seasons. The Panthers will face the winner of the Western final between Dallas and Edmonton, with the Oilers up 3-1 in that best-of-seven series to put them within a win of a rematch with Florida for the Cup.
Sam Bennett added an empty-net goal with 54 seconds left by skating down a loose puck straight out of the penalty box after Florida had held up against a critical late power play for the Hurricanes.
That capped a wild night that saw the Hurricanes jump to a 2-0 lead, then Florida answer with three second-period goals, only to see Carolina’s Seth Jarvis beat Sergei Bobrovsky midway through the third to tie it at 3.
When it was over, the Panthers posed for pictures on Carolina’s home ice during the presentation of the Prince of Wales Trophy for the conference winner. Some Hurricanes fans remained defiant, offering scattered “Let’s go, Oilers!” chants.
The angst is appropriate considering how Florida has now twice ended Carolina’s push to its first Cup Final since winning the franchise’s lone title in 2006 when now-coach Rod Brind’Amour was captain.
Florida had won the first three games of this series but lost 3-0 at home Monday night as the Hurricanes averted a second straight sweep against Florida. But by the final horn Wednesday, the Panthers had won all three games in Raleigh in the series, pushed their road winning streak in these playoffs to five games and earned an eighth postseason road win overall.
A major test: Golfers face new track at 80th US Women’s Open
- The LPGA schedule has reached its summer stretch, when majors dominate the landscape
- The hottest player of the year is World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, who has five top-fives and won her most recent start, the Mizuho Americas Open
ERIN,Wisconsin: When it comes to the USGA’s desire to challenge the best players in the world, the US Women’s Open is no different from the men’s version.
“It’s the biggest test in the game of golf,” world No. 1 Nelly Korda said. “Definitely has tested me a lot. I love it.”
The LPGA schedule has reached its summer stretch, when majors dominate the landscape. This week, a field of 156 (including 26 amateurs) will test themselves at the 80th US Women’s Open at Erin Hills in Erin, Wisconsin
The championship’s winning score has been just 3 or 4 under par in three of the last five editions, and players are planning for another stiff test in Erin Hills’ US Women’s Open debut. The most difficult major is also the most lucrative: It featured a record $12 million in prize money in 2024, a number expected to rise again this week.
Erin Hills is on the lengthier side for the ladies as a par-72, 6,829-yard track. That won’t faze Korda, one of the longest drivers in the women’s game, but she’s got an eye on the various fairway bunkers that threaten to eat up tee shots.
Korda is having a much different start to this season than in 2024, when she won five starts in a row and seven tournaments in total. She’s notched three top-10 finishes but no victories just yet.
“Definitely have had a bit of good and a bit of bad,” she said. “Kind of a mix in kind of every event that I’ve played in. I would say just patience is what I’ve learned and kind of going back home and really locking in and practicing hard.”
With one more week in the top spot of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Korda will become the first American woman to spend 100 weeks at No. 1 in her career.
She’s hardly the only player chasing history this week. Lydia Ko of New Zealand is building toward a career Grand Slam after picking up the Women’s British Open last August. She has yet to win the US Women’s Open or Women’s PGA Championship.
“It’s a great golf course. I think it’s fun,” Ko said of Erin Hills. “I don’t think it’s, like, for one type of player, which is something that I tend to really prefer because it kind of brings the whole field into it. Hopefully I can hit some good shots and get a few good lucky bounces and kind of go from there.”
Ko, who captured the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore, is one of 12 different players to win the first 12 events of the LPGA season. Mao Saigo of Japan won the Chevron Championship last month, emerging from a five-woman playoff, a record for a women’s major.
The hottest player of the year is World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, who has five top-fives and won her most recent start, the Mizuho Americas Open. She’s just 22, but she’s keen on adding her first major to her resume.
“I think to me, (the Women’s PGA), British Open and US Open definitely going to test my patience,” Thitikul said. .”.. Playing in tough conditions, tough course, tough mental, because it’s a big stage playing against all the best players in the world, but patience has always been the key that I want to keep until the final round.”
The defending champion is Japan’s Yuka Saso, who became the youngest two-time winner of the US Women’s Open (also 2021).
“I think the USGA prepares me very, very well for this event with its amateur championships,” the 23-year-old said. “But I think I’m used to it, and I think I really need to come here early and really need to get to know the golf course as much as I can in a short period of time.”
