NETHERLANDS
PSV go on the rampage
Belgium’s Dries Mertens scored a hat-trick as PSV Eindhoven crushed Excelsior Rotterdam in a 6-1 rampage in the Dutch league on Sunday. PSV moved into third with nine points after four matches, three behind leaders Twente, who beat VVV Venlo 4-1 on Saturday. Ajax, 4-1 winners over Vitesse Arnhem on Friday, are second with 10 points. Mertens opened the scoring for PSV after 30 minutes, but Mitchell te Vrede equalized for Excelsior six minutes before the interval. PSV sealed their third straight win in the first six minutes after the break, with Ola Toivonen and Mertens on target, before Jeremain Lens and Toivonen with his second completed the rout. AZ Alkmaar cruised to a 3-0 win at Groningen to move into fourth with nine points. Feyenoord slipped to fifth after being held to a 2-2 draw by nine-man Heerenveen.
SWITZERLAND
Neuchatel players petrified
Players from Swiss Championship side Neuchatel Xamax have admitted to being petrified by the club’s Chechen owner, with one of them claiming he feared for his life, according to the Web site 20minutes.ch on Sunday. The players were reacting after Bulat Chagaev had stormed into the changing room following Neuchatel’s draw with Lausanne on Saturday and terrorized them, while he had to be physically restrained by his armed bodyguards from assaulting coach Joaquin Caparros. “This cannot go on like this,” a player told the Web site — which also cited a player saying that he feared for his life — under condition of anonymity. “It is impossible to work under these conditions. Everyone’s confidence is completely shot. It has reached a point where if we make a bad pass or we fail to control the ball, that we are afraid of the consequences. Today [Saturday night], there was almost a punch-up with the coach. Mr Caparros answered him [Chagaev] back and the bodyguards prevented Chagaev from throttling him.”
ENGLAND
Spurs to offload Palacios
Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp says midfielder Wilson Palacios has undergone a medical examination at Stoke City. The Honduras international has not played for Spurs this season and the transfer window closes tomorrow. While confirming Palacios’ impending move, Redknapp said he did not want Peter Crouch to follow him to Stoke, with the striker also linked with a transfer to the Britannia Stadium. “People say we want to sell Crouch to Stoke and it’s in the papers every day ... as far as I know he is staying,” Redknapp said. England midfielder Scott Parker could be joining Spurs after West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce confirmed that “there are some negotiations going on.”
BRAZIL
Fans shot, coach has stroke
Two supporters of Palmeiras suffered gunshot wounds and were taken to hospital on Sunday after fighting between fans and police that marred the team’s 2-1 victory over Corinthians in a Sao Paulo derby. In further drama to hit the Brazilian championship, Vasco da Gama’s young coach Ricardo Gomes had emergency surgery in hospital after suffering a stroke during his team’s 0-0 draw with Flamengo. “Two fans of a supporters’ organization who came from the city of Sao Paulo were shot,” an officer of the Sao Paulo State police said after the incident. The match at the Engenhao was interrupted during the second half when the 46-year-old Ricardo suffered pains while on the bench and was taken to hospital, where the diagnosis was a stroke with hemorrhaging.
Manchester United on Tuesday confirmed Michael Carrick as interim manager until the end of the season, tasking him with leading the Red Devils back into the UEFA Champions League. “Having the responsibility to lead Manchester United is an honor,” said Carrick, 44, who won 12 major trophies in his 12-year playing career at United. The former midfielder previously had an unbeaten three-game stint as caretaker boss at Old Trafford in 2021. Carrick then took on his first permanent managerial role at second-tier Middlesbrough in October 2022 and was sacked in June last year after the club finished 10th in the
Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg on Wednesday was ruled out for the second half of their 118-109 loss to the Denver Nuggets after the No. 1 pick sprained his left ankle in the first half. Flagg was called for a foul while defending against Peyton Watson and turned the ankle as he fell to the floor with 6 minutes, 1 second left in the second quarter. Flagg limped to the bench and continued to the locker room, but returned for the final 2 minutes, 35 seconds before the break. The 19-year-old did not come out for the second half before the announcement that
Yassine Bounou on Wednesday saved two penalties, while Youssef en-Nesyri netted the decisive spot-kick as hosts Morocco secured a 4-2 shoot-out victory over Nigeria following a 0-0 draw in a tense Africa Cup of Nations semi-final in Rabat. Morocco, seeking their first continental title in 50 years, are to face 2021 winners Senegal in Sunday’s decider in Rabat, while Nigeria take on Egypt in the third-place playoff tomorrow. The 120 minutes before the shoot-out had few clear-cut chances for either side, but it was Morocco who created more opportunities, although they were denied by some fine saves from Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali. Nigeria
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Sunday sparked defending champions Oklahoma City to victory, while Anthony Edwards led Minnesota’s last-minute fightback to beat San Antonio. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points while adding eight assists and five rebounds in the Thunder’s 124-112 home victory over Miami, improving the NBA’s best record to 33-7 after outscoring the Heat 70-53 in the second half. “We locked in defensively. We were finally able to get some stops,” Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins said. “We were able to get out in transition a little bit, get going offensively and find the flow.” Jalen Williams scored 18 points, while
RSS