TodayPrice

Category: Sports

  • College basketball star Hank Gathers collapses on court, dies

    College basketball star Hank Gathers collapses on court, dies

    On March 4, 1990, Loyola Marymount University star senior forward Hank Gathers sprints down the court during a West Coast Conference tournament game, leaps and catches an alley-oop pass, slams down an emphatic dunk, and, after jogging back to midcourt, collapses to the floor. Although he briefly regains consciousness, he is rushed to a hospital, where he dies. “This is the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced,” Loyola Marymount coach Paul Westhead tells the media.

    Gathers, a 6-foot-7, 23-year-old who led the nation in scoring and rebounding as a junior, had collapsed on the court during a game earlier in his senior season. He quickly recovered, and doctors were unable to fully ascertain what was wrong with him. (An autopsy would later reveal he suffered from a heart disorder known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.)

    Despite being prescribed heart medication, Gathers was cleared to play again and, after a few sluggish performances, appeared to be back to his old self after a 48-point, 13-rebound game against an LSU team that featured Shaquille O’Neal.

    Loyola Marymount’s opponent in the West Coast Conference tournament game was the University of Portland—a team that featured a guard named Erik Spoelstra. He would become a become a championship-winning head coach of the Miami Heat.

    After Gathers’ collapse, the game and tournament were cancelled and Loyola Marymount was awarded the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Led by Bo Kimble, Loyola Marymount advanced to the Elite Eight despite being seeded 11th. Kimble made his first free throw in the tournament left-handed, a tribute to Gathers, who had begun to shoot free throws left-handed to fix one of the few shortcomings in his game.

    Gathers’ name is often brought up as a cautionary tale for any athlete diagnosed with a heart condition. “[Gathers] was an outstanding young man as an athlete and as a human being,” Loyola Marymount athletic director Brian Quinn told the Los Angeles Times. “We’re all better people for having the opportunity to know him and be his friend.”

  • Mianne Bagger becomes first transgender athlete to play in pro golf tournament

    Mianne Bagger becomes first transgender athlete to play in pro golf tournament

    On March 4, 2004, Mianne Bagger, a golfer from Denmark, makes history at the Women’s Australian Open as the first transgender athlete to compete in a professional golf tournament. Bagger shoots an underwhelming 84 (12 over par) in her first round, but that is a footnote to the historic performance.

    Bagger told reporters it took her a while to overcome the nervousness associated with the feat: “I don’t know where my swing was. … I was pretty numb the first seven holes. I couldn’t feel much below my shoulders.”

    Bagger, who was assigned male at birth in 1966, began playing golf as an 8-year-old. She was photographed with star golfer Greg Norman in Golf World magazine as a 14-year-old. However, she struggled with her sexual identity as a teen, stopped playing golf, and felt “thoroughly depressed…suicidal.” She had gender-affirming surgery in 1995 and resumed playing golf again at age 32 in 1998.

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    Some questioned whether the 5-foot-10, 150-pound Bagger would have a physical advantage over the field. Bagger told Jay Schadler of ABC-TV’s Primetime she would not, and her competitors welcomed her participation at the Australian Open.

    In 2004, Bagger qualified for the Ladies European Tour and had a couple decent showings in her career. In addition to leaving a legacy as the first transgender professional golfer, her advocacy caused several golf associations, such as the LPGA, to amend their bylaws to remove “female at birth” requirements.

  • What is behind Hojlund’s goal drought?

    What is behind Hojlund’s goal drought?

    Another bad result for Manchester United and another game without a goal from their misfiring forwards.

    United’s penalty-shootout loss to Fulham in the FA Cup was the 18th consecutive game in which Rasmus Hojlund has failed to score since netting a double against Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on 12 December.

    During that time Joshua Zirkzee has also managed just one goal in 16 games for a United side that has toiled in the final third of the pitch.

    And with United chasing an equalizer against the Cottagers, it was the Denmark international – signed from Atalanta in a deal worth up to £72m in 2023 – that made way for teenager Chido Obi.

    Hojlund, 22, managed just one shot – and that went wide of the near post from Christian Eriksen’s cross – on an afternoon when he struggled to have an impact.

    Zirkzee, 23, also only had one effort on goal – a flick that also missed the target – while 17-year-old Obi had three and forced Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno into an outstanding reaction save.

    So, with Hojlund’s form another cause of concern at a club dealing with numerous issues on and off the pitch, TodayPriceNG Sport looks at United’s attacking shortcomings.

    Hojlund an ‘isolated’ figure

    United manager Ruben Amorim recently blamed a lack of service for Hojlund’s barren run in front of goal.

    And their options in that regard have been diminished with Amad Diallo out injured, the out-of-favour Marcus Rashford shipped out to Aston Villa on loan, and Antony now at Real Betis until the end of the season.

    During February, there was even a comical situation when the Brazil winger had scored more goals for the La Liga side (three) than United’s players had between them at that point in the month.

    Yet Amorim is in control of the personnel and tactics and noticeable frustrations were stirring around Old Trafford even before kick-off on Sunday when Alejandro Garnacho was left on the bench.

    Until his introduction in the 53rd minute, United’s Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot – two full-backs playing in wing-back roles – had struggled to provide any sort of attacking threat whatsoever.

    When the Argentina winger came on the dynamic of the match shifted, United played with more purpose and had six shots on target in the second half compared to two before the break.

    Garnacho was also involved in Bruno Fernandes’ equalizer as United finally got players forward, unlike the first period where Zirkzee and Hojlund lacked support.

    “I think United play too slow, the ball speed is too slow and for the centre-forwards, they are just waiting around,” said former United captain Wayne Rooney on TodayPriceNG Match of the Day.

    “Sometimes I made mistakes and had a bad game but I had good players around me. Hojlund is getting no help. He’s having to try to hold the ball and use his body. He is making runs and is willing but is a little isolated.

    “Not just Hojlund but Joshua Zirkzee has given up the ball too many times. There is not enough creativity and they are not holding up the ball for the midfielders and defenders to support them, so it’s a bit of both.”

    Rooney calls Amorim ‘naive’ for saying Man Utd want Premier League title

    Match of the Day 2: Deeney feels sorry for Hojlund

    Where’s the service?

    ‘I feel sorry for Rasmus Hojlund’ – Troy Deeney

    Hojlund had to wait until 26 December for his first Premier League goal last term.

    But that prompted a purple patch of eight goals in eight games, with an injury-interrupted first season at the club ending with 16 goals in 43 matches.

    However, he has only managed seven in 35 fixtures in all competitions this term and that drop-off appears no surprise given he has averaged 1.5 shots per game over the course of the season while making just 3.5 touches on average in an opponent’s penalty area.

    Garnacho (8.4), Diallo (7.3), Rashford (5.1) and Zirkzee (4.7) have all had more touches in the opposition box than the Dane.

    That same quartet plus Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro also average more shots on goal than Hojlund, who registered 12 goals in 21 appearances for Sturm Graz and another 10 in 34 games in Italy.

    Those figures also look woefully low when you consider that Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz had 16 touches between them in the Manchester City penalty area in their Premier League victory just over a week ago.

    Obi also managed six against Fulham in six minutes less and another cause for concern is that Hojlund’s numbers have dropped since 19 December to 1.3 and 3.1.

    Chris Sutton, who won the Golden Boot as joint-top Premier League goalscorer when he was with Blackburn in 1997-98 can relate to Hojlund’s experience, having endured a miserable spell when at Chelsea where he went 21 games without a goal.

    “The first thing I consider when any striker is being criticised is whether he is getting loads of chances? I’m not so sure Hojlund is,” Sutton told BBC Sport.

    “He is suffering, as a lot of strikers do, from that chronic lack of confidence which leads to a lack of belief and hesitancy. When strikers go on runs like the one he is on, it plays on your mind. It is probably affecting all his game, not just in front of goal, and the longer it goes on the worse it gets.

    “Is the effort there? Yes, absolutely. Could he be doing better? Of course he could be but you could say that about virtually every Manchester United player.

    “You have to remember that United are not just under-performing a little bit, they are miles off it. There is an argument that, under Ruben Amorim, they have got worse than they were under Erik ten Hag.

    “His issue at United is that, as well as trying to find some form, all strikers are reliant on service and he is not getting much.”

    Analysis – Hojlund’s ‘confidence shattered’

    Chief football news reporter, Simon Stone

    Hojlund’s valuation jumped up a huge amount in a very short space of time with moves from Copenhagen to Sturm Graz and then Atalanta.

    And even though his goal record was not exceptional, comparisons were drawn at the time with fellow Scandinavian forward Erling Haaland due to the size, strength and speed of both players.

    While United were convinced of his potential to develop into a top-class centre-forward, he has not fulfilled that and although he has shown glimpses of his finishing power, his confidence now looks shattered.

    He never looked like getting in a position to score against Fulham and is not the sort of forward that drops deeper and gets involved in the build-up play.

    The Dane was also not helped by Garnacho being named as a substitute given he seems to be the one player in the current squad that can stretch a game and provide some support.

  • Eight-second goalkeeper rule – what happens next?

    Eight-second goalkeeper rule – what happens next?

    From this summer onwards, goalkeepers will be allowed eight seconds from catching the ball to releasing it, in the latest attempt to cut down on time-wasting.

    Positive results in trials across England, Italy and Malta have prompted the games rule-makers, the International Football Association Board (Ifab), to change the law for the start of the 2025-26 season.

    Where does this apply?

    This rule will be implemented worldwide by 1 July, at all levels of the game from elite to amateur.

    It will also be in place for the Club World Cup, which runs from 15 June to 13 July.

    How will referees punish it?

    Referees will punish goalkeepers holding on to the ball for more than eight seconds by awarding a corner to the opposition.

    How will referees indicate it?

    Goalkeepers will be warned by the referee when they have five seconds remaining to get rid of the ball. The referee will raise their arm and start a visual countdown with their hand.

    Wasn’t this already a rule?

    Yes. Well, kind of, as it was rarely enforced. The current law states if a goalkeeper holds on to a ball for six seconds, then an indirect free-kick is awarded to the opposition.

    What has Ifab said about the rule change?

    During trials, Ifab said there had only been four instances where goalkeepers have been penalised in hundreds of matches, even with the rule being strictly applied.

    Ifab technical director and former Premier League referee David Elleray told The Times: “Good law changes are where you have a very strong deterrent which everybody implements and then the problem effectively disappears.

    “If it speeds up the game, if it’s more positive, it means that it could be one of those very effective deterrents.”

    What can we expect?

    The Club World Cup features Manchester City and Chelsea, so Premier League fans will be able to see how Ederson, Stefan Ortega, Robert Sanchez or Filip Jorgensen cope with that countdown for the first time.

    More corners, at least at the start of the season. Set-piece coaches will start receiving even more air-time.

    Early casualties. We already know how strictly rules are enforced when they are first brought in – just ask Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard, who both got handed second yellow cards early this season for delaying the restart.

    The sound of the crowd sarcastically counting down when the opposition goalkeeper picks up the ball.

    Expect players to get involved, too. If a team is trailing in the dying minutes of a game and a goalkeeper has the ball, there will be players who tell the referee to count quicker… or even count for them.

    Are there any stats – which keepers waste time?

    Unfortunately, there are no Opta statistics available for this particular ‘dark art’ metric – but you only have to watch football semi-regularly to spot a goalkeeper catching and diving to the ground in elaborate stages.

    Elleray gave an example involving Brighton stopper Jason Steele from their 3-1 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford in September 2023.

    Steele held on to the ball for an average of 14.8 seconds, compared to Andre Onana’s average of 4.8 seconds.

    Exploring the ‘dark arts’ in Man City v Arsenal

    What impact has longer added time had on matches?

    Does football need a 60-minute ‘stop-clock’?

    ‘Rules being made by people who never played’ – what do ex-keepers think?

    Former England and West Ham goalkeeper Rob Green:

    Back in the day there was the six-second rule and that has slowly faded away – I don’t know why – I think that was enough of a deterrent. Maybe they are thinking the punishment being a bit more lenient may get things going. It seems a strange one to reintroduce, but if we can get more football in the 90 minutes then I’m all for it.

    As a percentage there’s only around a 4% chance of scoring from a corner so it isn’t that much of a threat but at the end of the game, the last thing your team-mates want to do is defend a set-piece if you’re winning.

    I think we see it every year, they will implement it right from the start but in a couple of years’ time we may be having this same conversation.

    Former England and Tottenham goalkeeper Paul Robinson:

    These rules are being made by people that have clearly never played the game. They are giving corners?

    Goalkeepers used to have six seconds – then that went out the game so goalkeepers have started game management and timewasting. Now they are giving an extra two and it’s eight.

    ‘I feel for the refs’ – what BBC reporters and commentators think

    Shamoon Hafez:

    It feels like a rule that may be strictly enforced when first implemented, before it gets forgotten about.

    Just think back to how much injury time was being played when officials decided to clamp down on time-wasting and how much is added on now.

    It also feels like there could be a pantomime scenario during matches, with players and the crowd counting the seconds when the keeper has ball in hand.

    Burnley striker Ashley Barnes was signalling seconds on his fingers in Saturday’s FA Cup game against Preston as Freddie Woodman held on to the ball. How many other players will we see attempting to pressure the referee into enforcing the new rule?

    Alex Howell:

    It will be interesting to see what impact the eight-second rule has on the way teams think about their build-up play.

    It could also then have a knock-on effect on the way teams press. The trend with a lot of teams is to press high to keep the opposition under pressure, but maybe now knowing the ball has to be released in eight seconds could push sides even further forward and impact the speed of games everywhere.

    Conor McNamara:

    I have quite a bit of sympathy for the referees who are going to have to implement this.

    In essence, the law was to be a deterrent to stop excessive holding on to the ball for 20 seconds and more. But in this highly-analytical world we now live in, any new ‘measurable initiatives’ will be given the full ‘offside by a toe-nail’ treatment.

    The conspiracy theorists will love it all.

    Also, to implement this to the letter of the law, the poor referees will have to start shouting five-second countdowns each and every time a goalkeeper has had the ball in their hands for three seconds.

    Semi-automated offsides may divert some of the personal insults away from the officials, but implementing this new law will see the individual referees catch plenty of slack again.

    Alistair Bruce-Ball:

    One thing’s for certain – goalkeepers would be wise not to hang on to the ball against Arsenal next season given their prowess from corners.

    Anything that prevents players from time-wasting is obviously to be applauded but I can already foresee arguments about the consistency in the application of this law.

    I also wonder if it’s something the referees will be very hot on in the first couple of weeks before it gets forgotten, not deliberately but subconsciously, and the time allowed starts slipping.

    Nick Mashiter:

    Nottingham Forest’s Matz Sels will be on red alert with the new eight-second rule.

    The goalkeeper has been booked twice for time-wasting this season, while Jose Sa at Wolves has also been known to slow the game down to his side’s advantage.

    The Premier League is already played at a frantic pace and this will only help maintain that speed, but the focus could be better served improving the video assistant referee and avoiding prolonged delays – including the eight-minute wait to rule out Milos Kerkez’s goal for Bournemouth against Wolves on Saturday – which only frustrate fans and slow the game down further.

    John Murray:

    An interesting move but how often we will see it implemented, I wonder?

    I suspect it is simply another tool to try and increase the amount of playing time, which the authorities have been working on for some while.

    And the likelihood is it will be used only very much as a last resort and more as a warning to make it clear to goalkeepers that they need to get on with it.

  • Crowds of 273 to Champions League – rise of Europe’s ‘hottest property’

    Crowds of 273 to Champions League – rise of Europe’s ‘hottest property’

    At the time it felt like a surprise appointment for semi-professional Haverfordwest County of the Cymru Premier.

    Three years on, and with the manager who joined them on New Year’s Eve 2021 leading his current side into a Champions League knockout tie against Aston Villa, it seems scarcely believable.

    Nicky Hayen was the first Belgian to manage in the Welsh Premier League and remains one of only a handful of non-British or non-Irish managers to do so.

    The 44-year-old’s ascent to the latter stages of Europe’s top-tier competition with Club Brugge, who knocked out Europa League holders Atalanta in the play-offs, has been as rapid as it has been impressive.

    Now he is being touted as one of Europe’s “hottest properties”, and one pundit even suggested Hayen could be Arne Slot’s replacement at Liverpool.

    Few of the 273 present at Bridge Meadow Stadium when Hayen recorded the biggest home win of his Haverfordwest tenure – a 6-1 thumping of Cefn Druids – would have predicted their manager would be in such conversation only a few years later.

    But for Haverfordwest chairman Rob Edwards, who remains close friends with Hayen and shares regular messages with him, it comes as no surprise.

    “The guy was a workaholic,” recalls Edwards, whose house Hayen shared while living in west Wales.

    “I would wake up at 8am and he’d be dressed, watching clips of opposition, doing analysis. I’d go to bed at 11pm and he’d be up, watching clips and doing analysis.”

    Club Brugge took the lead before losing 3-1 at Manchester City in January

    Hayen, a former defender who played more than 400 games in Belgium and the Netherlands, reached Wales largely via coaching, technical director and caretaker manager roles in Belgium and Saudi Arabia.

    His major managerial breakthrough at Waasland-Beveren ended in Covid-impacted relegation to the Belgian second tier.

    He connected with Edwards via a mutual contact in Belgium and, backed by a Uefa Pro Licence and stellar presentation, wowed the board during the interview stage.

    “We just wanted to listen to every word he said,” explains Edwards, who took over the club in 2020 and made Hayen his first managerial appointment the following year.

    “We decided he was the person we wanted and did all we could to get him. Fortunately, he turned up.”

    The experience and professionalism Hayen brought to the part-timers had an immediate impact, taking them from second-bottom to the verge of the European play-offs in fewer than six months, implementing a possession-based, passing approach rarely witnessed in the Welsh top flight.

    “You could see by the impact he had on the players,” says Edwards. “He didn’t try to over-coach them – just give them very detailed stats about the opposition, very detailed analysis.

    “He spent his time getting to know the players. He was very methodical. He asked about their welfare; he was worried about the mental side of the game as well.

    “He managed to get a really amazing standard out of players we probably didn’t realise had it in them.

    “For me, it was a massive learning curve working with someone at that level, but he was very calm. He wasn’t a shouter in the dressing room – he spoke and you listened.

    “Despite not being the loudest, most aggressive, he had an aura – you just wanted to listen to him.”

    It is to Hayen’s credit that he slipped seamlessly into life in the Pembrokeshire market town, despite having to leave his family in Belgium.

    “There are 14,000 people who live in Haverfordwest. It’s a beautiful part of the world but a bit of a culture shock,” says Edwards.

    “He wasn’t really too concerned about what was around him. He was focused on the football. He embraced the culture and didn’t try to change anything drastically. But he was just obsessed with football.

    “He is a family man, doesn’t drink, doesn’t use social media. He just gets his head down. He deserves everything he gets.”

    Club Brugge have won five of their 10 Champions League games this season

    Edwards knew the day would come, but he was hoping the club would get a little longer with Hayen at the helm.

    When, in the summer of 2022, an approach arrived from Club Brugge to take over their Under-23s, Club NXT, it proved impossible for Hayen to turn down.

    “It was a little bit of a surprise,” says Edwards. “I wasn’t expecting to have any dialogue with a club like Club Brugge.”

    Hayen stepped in as first-team assistant after Scott Parker was sacked in 2023, before getting his chance as interim manager when Ronny Deila left last March.

    There, Hayen found former Sint-Truiden team-mate and ex-Liverpool and Sunderland goalkeeper Simon Mignolet to confide in.

    “When [Deila] stepped down with 10 games to go last season, Nicky stepped in and won nine of them and they came out of nowhere to win the league. That was a real statement,” says Edwards.

    It was during that run that Jan Mulder, the former Ajax and Anderlecht striker turned pundit, made a prediction for Hayen’s future.

    “Next year [he] will play a series of matches in the Champions League, attracting the attention of Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Bayern and Manchester,” Mulder wrote in Humo, external in May 2024.

    “Nasser Al-Khelaifi of Paris St-Germain also joins the fight for his signature at the last minute. Personally, I think that the great Nicky Hayen will replace Arne Slot from Zwolle as manager of Liverpool within two years.”

    The first part of Mulder’s premonition has proven to be true – Hayen’s Brugge beat Villa, Sporting and Sturm Graz in the group phase, as well as drawing with Juventus and Celtic.

    The Belgian champions followed up by defeating Atalanta in both legs of their play-off for a 5-2 aggregate victory.

    Prior to that second leg in Italy, Hayen explained how before games he always talks to his mother, who passed away four years ago.

    “What he has achieved in the Champions League is just incredible. Club Brugge over the years have had far better sides on paper, but he is getting an incredible tune out of them,” says Edwards.

    “He is a workaholic, fanatical and leads from the front. I guess that is why a lot of these younger players who are coming through are working so hard for him and having great success.”

    Hayen’s brief tenure in Wales also set the platform for Haverfordwest’s future. In 2023, under Tony Pennock, they qualified for Europe for the first time in 19 years and only the second time in their history, reaching the Europa Conference League second qualifying round.

    “It’s great for the club to be associated with someone like that,” says Edwards.

    “It seems like it is only the start for him. I would love for him to go on. I am sure there will be opportunities to manage even higher if he carries on.

    “He is probably one of the hottest properties in Europe.”

  • Real Madrid watching Palace’s Wharton – Tuesday’s gossip

    Real Madrid watching Palace’s Wharton – Tuesday’s gossip

    Real Madrid are watching Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, Liverpool to face Joshua Kimmich competition and Bart Verbruggen on Chelsea’s radar.

    Real Madrid scouts have checked on England midfielder Adam Wharton since the 21-year-old’s return to first-team action at Crystal Palace. (Mail), external

    Inter Milan are emerging as strong rivals to Liverpool for the signing of Germany midfielder Joshua Kimmich as the 30-year-old enters the last few months of his contract with Bayern Munich. (Teamtalk), external

    Brighton’s Netherlands goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, 22, is on Chelsea’s radar for a potential summer move. (GiveMeSport), external

    Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal have expressed an interest in signing Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, and the 21-year-old Slovenia striker has a release clause that can be activated this summer, which is set to be worth 80m euros (£66m). (Sky Sport Germany), external

    Brighton’s Brazil striker Joao Pedro, 23, wants to join Liverpool this summer. (Football Insider)

    Canada forward Jonathan David has turned down Lille’s bid to extend his contract and the 25-year-old is ready to leave the club as a free agent this summer. (Nicolo Schira), external

    Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is set to make a decision on the long-term future of England forward Jack Grealish, 29, amid plans for a squad overhaul. (Football Insider), external

    Liverpool have opened talks with Conor Bradley over a new five-year contract that could see the Northern Ireland right-back, 21, earn a 650% pay rise. (Sun), external

    Brentford and Fulham have both expressed an interest in signing Mexico centre-back Johan Vasquez, 26, from Genoa. (GiveMeSport), external

    Fulham and Sporting are chasing Greece right-back Georgios Vagiannidis, with Sporting having made Panathinaikos an offer of 10m euros (£8.3m). (Football Insider), external

    Germany centre-back Jonathan Tah, 29, will leave Bayer Leverkusen as a free agent at the end of the season. (Nicolo Schira), external

    There have been new and positive talks between Leroy Sane and Bayern Munich over a new contract for the Germany winger, 29. (Sky Sport Germany), external

    Everton are set to make a raft of key appointments before the end of the season – with a possible overhaul of recruitment and more influence for manager David Moyes. (i paper – subscription required), external

    Former Atletico Madrid transfer guru Andrea Berta is believed to be among the potential candidates to replace Edu as Arsenal’s sporting director. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

    NWSL club Gotham FC are in advanced talks with Women’s Super League side Manchester United over the proposed loan signing of Brazil forward Geyse, 26. (Guardian)

  • Pegula flies Austin finalists to Indian Wells on private jet

    Pegula flies Austin finalists to Indian Wells on private jet

    After competing in the finals of the ATX Open on Sunday, McCartney Kessler, Zhang Shuai, Yue Yuan and Anna Blinkova faced a lengthy trip to their next event in Indian Wells – until Jessica Pegula stepped in.

    American Pegula, who beat compatriot Kessler 7–5 6–2 in the singles final in Austin, offered the four players use of her private jet to fly straight from Texas to California.

    The world number four even waited until after the doubles final – which saw Yue and Blinkova beat Kessler and Shuai 3-6, 6-1 10-4 – to ensure everyone could make the 1,263-mile trip.

    The players would have otherwise faced a stopover in Los Angeles or trips to airports in Dallas and Houston, leaving little time to prepare for Indian Wells, which begins on Wednesday.

    “She could have left right after her singles final, but she is such a selfless and generous girl,” China’s Zhang posted on Instagram.

    “This message is not to show I took the jet, [I] just wanted to appreciate and transfer the love.”

    Russian Blinkova and China’s Yue shared Zhang’s story on Instagram and also thanked 31-year-old Pegula, whose billionaire parents own NFL’s Buffalo Bills and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres.

    Blinkova has been drawn to play Kessler in the first round at Indian Wells, while Yue will play Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska.

    Pegula, seeded fourth, has been given a first-round bye. Zhang will enter the doubles event later in the tournament

  • Vinicius Jr wants new Real deal amid Saudi interest

    Vinicius Jr wants new Real deal amid Saudi interest

    Vinicius Jr says he is “living the dream” at Real Madrid and wants to sign a new deal with the Champions League holders.

    The Brazil forward, 24, has two years left on his current contract and is rumoured to be a transfer target for the Saudi Pro League.

    “I am very calm because my contract lasts until 2027 and I hope to renew my contract as soon as possible because I am happy here,” he said.

    “I am living the dream of playing with the best players in the world, the best coach, the best president, the best fans. Here everybody loves me so much. I couldn’t be in a better place.”

    Vinicius left Flamengo to join Real in 2018 and has won three La Liga titles and the Champions League twice.

    Real continue the defence of their European crown on Tuesday, when they host neighbours Atletico in the first leg of their last-16 tie, and Vinicius goes into the game with 102 goals from 300 appearances for the club.

    “My child dream was to make it here,” he added. “Now I have managed to make it to here, I am writing my story.

    “I have won but I can still win much more and make it into the history of the club. That is very complicated because many good players have been here, legends, and I want to be just like them.”

    Real ‘asked me to stay in Madrid’ for Ballon d’Or ceremony

    Vinicius won the first major individual honour of his career in 2024 as he was named the Fifa Best men’s player of the year.

    He also narrowly missed out on winning the Ballon d’Or to Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri, when Real boycotted the ceremony in Paris.

    The European champions said their representatives would not go where Real are “not respected” after learning Vinicius would miss out on the prestigious award, according to reports from news agency AFP and Spanish media.

    Asked about missing the ceremony, he said: “I did what the club told me to do. The club asked me to stay in Madrid so I calmly stayed and now we wait for the next one.”

    Vinicius added: “I have never dreamt about winning the Ballon d’Or but, of course, once you are so close to win it, you want to win it.

    “I am going to have many chances to win other awards and silverware with this club which is more important. I have won two Champions Leagues so far and I am here to win many more.”

  • Nwaneri set to match Bellingham, Foden’s UCL feat

    Nwaneri set to match Bellingham, Foden’s UCL feat

    Ethan Nwaneri is set to join an exclusive troupe of English players when Arsenal face PSV Eindhoven in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

    The 17-year-old has quickly become an indispensable member of Mikel Arteta’s squad in the absence of Bukayo Saka, who is not expected back from a hamstring problem until after the March international break.

    Nwaneri has been unable to complete the full 90 minutes in either of Arsenal’s last two Premier League games with Nottingham Forest or West Ham United, but the 2007-born talent was only suffering from cramp in both fixtures.

    As a result, Nwaneri is almost nailed-on to reprise his role on the right wing at the Philips Stadion, which will see the Premier League’s youngest-ever player make his first start in the Champions League.

    Such an appearance would be a particularly momentous one for Nwaneri, as only two English players have previously started a Champions League knockout game aged younger than 18, Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham.

    Foden was also 17 when he started for Manchester City against Basel in a 2017-18 last-16 second leg, while a 17-year-old Bellingham was named in the first XI for Borussia Dortmund in a 2020-21 last-16 first leg versus Sevilla.

    However, Nwaneri will fall just short of becoming Arsenal’s youngest-ever Champions League player in the knockout rounds, as Cesc Fabregas was 17 years and 309 days old when he appeared against Bayern Munich in 2005.

    Nwaneri will be 17 years and 348 days old by the time Tuesday’s first leg rolls around, where the England U-19 international endeavors to build on an eye-catching record of seven goals in all tournaments this season.

    Nwaneri started and scored in Arsenal’s last league-phase game, a 2-1 victory over Girona, where he produced his trademark finish of cutting inside from the right and bending an effort into the corner.

    That narrow success marked Arsenal’s fourth straight win in the Champions League, and the Gunners are now aiming to earn five consecutive triumphs in a single edition for the first time since 2005-06, where they finished as runners-up to Barcelona.

  • Tella eyes Bayern slip

    Tella eyes Bayern slip

    Bayer Leverkusen forward Nathan Tella remains optimistic that the reigning German champions can retain the Bundesliga title in the 2024/25 season despite trailing Bayern Munich by eight points, TodayPriceNG Sports reports.

    With 10 games remaining, Leverkusen have amassed 53 points and are still miles behind their rivals who lead the pack with 61 points.

    Tella enjoyed a successful debut campaign last term as Bayer won their first Bundesliga title, having previously finished as runners-up on five occasions.

    Despite the wide gap between them and their rivals this season, the Nigerian forward believes the title race is far from over.

    “Anything is possible,” Tella said after Bayer’s 4-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.

    “I’ve often seen teams collapse at the end. If we just focus on what we can do, there is no reason why we can’t increase the pressure further.”

    Bayer Leverkusen drew 0-0 with Bayern Munich on February 15 before Vincent Kompany’s side picked up wins against Eintracht Frankfurt and Stuttgart.

    Although a comfortable win against Eintracht, it was a different story against VfB, who held the Rekordmeister to a level game heading into the break. Defensive errors ultimately cost Stuttgart taking any points from Bayern, who have upcoming games against Union Berlin, St. Pauli, and Augsburg.

    Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen meanwhile must keep winning and hope that Bayern drops points. After their 4-1 win at Eintracht, they host Werder Bremen at the weekend before going to Stuttgart.

    Between match-day 25 in the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen will face each other in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League as well.

    Speaking on the tie, Tella said, “Everyone is looking forward to it,” before discussing his form after failing to break into the starting lineup at the beginning of the season. “I’m happy about all the games I get to play,” Tella added.

    “At the beginning of the season, I didn’t play much and now I’m getting more minutes in the team. I’m happy with myself and that the team is getting good results.”