SPAIN
Getafe rally to claim win
A late goal by Pablo Sarabia gave Getafe a 2-1 comeback win against RC Celta de Vigo in La Liga on Monday. Charles had given the visitors the lead when he latched on to a long throw-in and beat Getafe goalkeeper Jordi Codina in the 15th minute. Alvaro Vazquez leveled with his third goal of the season by running up the right flank after collecting Sarabia’s pass and shooting past goalkeeper Sergio Alvarez in the 19th. Diego Castro missed a penalty for Getafe in the 78th minute, but Sarabia beat Alvarez in the 86th for the winner after being set up by a back-heel from Croatian midfielder Jorge Sammir. Getafe climbed to 14th place on 20 points, while Elche are 17th on 17.
ENGLAND
Magpies stick with Carver
Newcastle United have put caretaker manager John Carver in charge for the rest of the season, the club said on Monday. The 50-year-old has been at the helm for four matches since Alan Pardew left to join Premier League rivals Crystal Palace. Newcastle, who are 11th in the table, extended Carver’s deal, despite the fact he has yet to win a game. “At the beginning of this process it was my desire and intention to appoint an individual to the position of head coach, who would be available to start immediately,” managing director Lee Charnley told the club’s Web site. “Having now explored at some length the options available to us at this time, the decision has been taken to defer the appointment of a permanent head coach until the end of the season. The head coach will be a long-term appointment that will play a major role in shaping the future on-field progression of Newcastle United and it is vitally important that we get the right individual.” Newcastle travel to Hull City on Saturday.
ITALY
Parma end Cassano contract
Antonio Cassano is on the look out for yet another club as Serie A’s bottom side Parma ripped up his contract on Monday after the striker asked for unpaid wages. A club statement said the agreement had been mutual. The former AS Roma, Real Madrid, UC Sampdoria, AC Milan and Inter player has been the one shining light for Parma this season, with the northern Italian club on only nine points from 20 games and 10 points from safety. Cassano, 32, has scored five league goals, but his request for unpaid wages did not go down well with the club, who underwent a takeover last month. He went to talk to fans after Sunday’s home defeat by AC Cesena, but was threatened by one supporter. The colorful former Italy international has had run-ins with many clubs down the years, but Italian media have sympathized with him this time and hometown club Bari 1908 in Serie B are favorites to sign him.
ITALY
El Shaarawy out injured
Versatile forward Stephan El Shaarawy’s bid for a move away from AC Milan has been scuppered after he was sidelined for at least six weeks on Monday with a fractured foot. El Shaarawy has been tipped for a move to England, possibly Everton, in a bid to relaunch his career as the fallen Serie A giants continue to struggle in Italy’s top flight. El Shaarawy, who only returned to the Milan fray earlier this season following a lengthy injury layoff, suffered the injury late in Milan’s 3-1 defeat to SS Lazio on Saturday. He underwent medical tests in Amsterdam, which revealed he had “fractured the base of his fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot,” Milan said. El Shaarawy will have to undergo “conservative treatment... for about six weeks,” the statement said.
The pressure was already on Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso before their 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Wednesday in the UEFA Champions League raised further questions about his future. Arsenal remain perfect in this season’s competition and three points clear at the top of the standings after a 3-0 win against Club Brugge, while defending champions Paris Saint-Germain were held 0-0 at Athletic Bilbao. The clash between Madrid and City was the standout game of the round amid reports this week that Alonso had lost control of the locker room. Speculation over his position is likely to intensify after the latest
‘HIGH STANDARD’: The Thunder are on track for a Finals-Cup double after they scored 22 three-pointers in equaling the best 25-game start to a season in NBA history The Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday bagged a 16th straight victory, thrashing the Phoenix Suns 138-89 to romp into an NBA Cup semi-final clash with the San Antonio Spurs, who stunned the Los Angeles Lakers 132-119. NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points to lead the reigning NBA champions Thunder, who improved to 24-1 to equal the best 25-game start to a season in league history. They dominated from start to finish to book their place in the final four of the in-season tournament in Las Vegas, where they are tomorrow to take on the Spurs. The New York Knicks and
TOP OF THE TABLE: Evann Guessand put the visitors ahead early in the game and Flavius Daniliuc equalized before Youri Tielemans got the winner in the second half Aston Villa on Thursday extended their winning streak to eight games in all competitions with a 2-1 victory against Basel in the UEFA Europa League to secure at least a playoff spot. Villa were tied with Olympique Lyonnais, who beat Go Ahead Eagles 2-1, and Midtjylland, 1-0 winners over Genk, atop the standings of the second-tier European competition on 15 points with five wins from six games. They have bounced back from a poor start to the season and are third in the Premier League, including a 2-1 victory over leaders Arsenal on Saturday. At St Jakob-Park in Basel, summer signing Evann Guessand
Tony Jefferson intercepted a Jalen Hurts pass in overtime to give the Los Angeles Chargers a 22-19 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday in an NFL thriller between playoff contenders. Justin Herbert, playing a week after surgery on his broken left (non-throwing) hand, withstood a career-high seven sacks to throw for 139 yards and a touchdown for the Chargers. Cameron Dicker kicked five field goals, including the 54-yard game winner in overtime. The Chargers defenders forced Hurts to throw four interceptions and surrender a fumble for a career-worst five turnovers as the Eagles fell to 8-5 with a third
RSS