Group items tagged

Rayo Vallecano are finally in a position to dream of La Liga survival. Photograph: Javier Etxezarreta/EPA In the middle of Rayo Vallecano's dark days, when they'd been beaten 15 times in 20 games and the goals were flying in; when they'd let in five from Atlético Madrid, five from Málaga, five from Villarreal, four from Espanyol, four from Sevilla, four from Barcelona, three from Madrid, three from Osasuna, and three from Valladolid; when they plummeted to 19th and stayed there for 11 long weeks; when the only reason they didn't fall further was that Betis were even worse; when even a glimmer of hope, a 4-1 win over Málaga, immediately gave way to a six-goal hammering; and when relegation wasn't an "if" but a "when"; there was a phrase that got repeated over and over: Paco Jémez will die with his ideas. Paco Jémez, though, had other ideas. Not because Rayo's coach was going to back down on his principles - "any club that signs me knows what it's getting," he insisted - but because he didn't have any intention of dying at all. Even when Rayo were a disaster, Jémez had his defenders. Off the pitch, that is. Last season, only two teams in Europe had the ball more than Rayo did: Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Early this season, when Rayo played Barcelona, they had more possession than them, the first team to manage it in 316 games. They threw men into attack, they were fun to watch, and parading the touchline in a dizzying array of multicoloured elbow patches and waistcoats, pink shirts and purple ties, Jémez urged them forward, always. In a country that values the aesthetic, or in which some do, he was eulogised for the way his teams played de tú a tú: as equals. Rayo didn't simply defend - sometimes they didn't defend at all - but instead they went for it. And, mostly, they lost. Rayo took the ball off Barcelona and Jémez declared himself "very proud". But they were beaten 4-0. They went to the Camp Nou where they were praised by Barcelona's

AFC Leopards have been fined Sh500,000 after the club fans caused the abandonment of their Kenyan Premier League game against Thika United a fortnight ago. The KPL Leagues and Competitions Committee also awarded two goals and three points to Thika United for the match that was abandoned in the 83rd minute. Thika were leading by a solitary goal by the time of abandonment. (READ: Fans disrupt AFC, Thika United league match) According to KPL Chief Executive Officer Jack Oguda, the committee found Leopards guilty of causing the abandonment of the game after their fans invaded the pitch before the end of the match. Referee Nassur Doka tried to restore normalcy but when it became clear it was becoming a security risk, he decided to call off the game. The chaotic Leopards fans engaged the police in running battles in and out of the Nyayo Stadium causing damage to private and public property. "The verdict is out and Leopards will have to pay Sh500,000 and forfeit the match. Thika United have been awarded the three points and a 2-0 win margin," said Oguda. The decision means Leopards remain 12th on the 16-team KPL log with 14 points from 13 matches after the league body opted not to dock the 13-time Kenyan champions points. Last week, Leopards Secretary General George Aladwa demanded that KPL awards the club three points claiming that Thika United, being the home team, failed to ensure there was enough security during the game. "Thika United were the home team, they should have provided enough security. Their players also refused to return to the field of play even after calm had been restored," said Aladwa. "We therefore demand that AFC Leopards be awarded the three points," he added.

History was about to be written by minnows Hong Kong in the ongoing Asia Cup 2018 being held in the UAE. Anshuman Rath's side produced a spirited show against an over-confident India and fell short by a paltry 26 runs in the end. India just about survived a scare. Here are the discussion points.

The IPL moves to the North after an enthralling weekend of cricketing action. Two teams who've been on either end of the league table are all set to lock horns. Delhi Daredevils are struggling at the bottom of the table with only 2 points in 5 games, while Kings XI have been in dreamland ever since the mighty Jamaican was included in their squad. They are placed 2nd on the table, only decimals away from the southern kings. Two new skippers, two brilliant students of the game and 2 massive points at stake. Moreso, for Kings XI who this year are certain to make it to the playoffs. It's DD vs KXIP, match number 22 at the Feroz Shah Kotla.

Manchester United have endured a difficult start in the 2019-20 Premier League season. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side has collected just five points from four games. They haven't won in the last three and host Leicester City at Old Trafford on Saturday. United cannot afford to drop points.

Official T20 rankings by team, matches, Qfy matches, points and rating from the International Cricket Council. Rankings information and FAQ.

Official T20 rankings by team, matches, Qfy matches, points and rating from the International Cricket Council. Rankings information and FAQ.

Official ICC Rankings for Test Cricket. Rank, matches, points and rating for the top 10 teams. Reliance ICC Test Ranking for Cricket teams.

Official ICC Rankings for Test Cricket. Rank, matches, points and rating for the top 10 teams. Reliance ICC Test Ranking for Cricket teams.

Trigger Point Mobility For Overhead Squats Besides being an overall difficult movement it can be even more challenging for those who lack mobility and range of motion in certain areas of the body. Just because you don't have proper shoulder range of motion doesn't necessarily mean your shoulder is the root cause of the problem.

Bangladesh are all set to face India in the Asia Cup 2018 final on September 28. The Tigers roared aloud in a virtual semi-final encounter against Pakistan to knock them out from the tournament. Bangladesh posted 239 on the board and in reply, Pakistan managed just 202. Here are the key points.

Some ghosts of Petron Blaze's past just came back to haunt it. Mark Isip scored a game-high 22 points, but former players within the San Miguel Corp. group enabled Air21 to charge and sustain a 97-76 wire-to-wire win over the Boosters Friday in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Charles Barkley is no fan of Kevin Durant joining the Warriors. (Scott Halleran/Getty Images) Kevin Durant's decision to sign with the Golden State Warriors in free agency has engendered a host of strong and loud reactions from all over the sporting world, with many pointing to the formerOklahoma City Thunder star's past public critique of those who choose to join other superstars to form super-teams rather than joining already-elite squads to pursue titles as evidence that the 2014 NBA Most Valuable Player has gone soft or lost his edge. Hall of Famer and Turner Sports NBA commentator Charles Barkley's job, primarily, is to have strong and loud reactions, and he strongly and loudly sided with those upset by Durant's decision during a Wednesday morning appearance on ESPN Radio's "Mike and Mike" show:

Each treadmill, no matter how much it costs, will need to be repaired at some point. It is the law of production process; there is always expiration date of everything.

Click here to update the direct Hours 22:55 - We talk with the insistence of a mini retreat for Padua after Saturday's game with the view of the Citadel in midweek with Juve Stabia 22.00 - From its official website, the Modena express their thoughts regarding the Law on the stages : " The Modena Football Club takes note of the statements by Deputy Prime Minister Angelino Alfano, who proposed to facilitate the task of the football club and to provide them with a new stadium or stadiums with modern features that can be a point of reference and aggregation of the city with the goal of

A week ago (as I write this) Manchester United looked imperious and unassailable at the top of the Premier League. Two straight defeats and the story is quite different. While they still hold a lead in the Premier League, a Liverpool win tomorrow would cut that back to one point. The real story is not arithmetical, however, but psychological. Liverpool, on the back of convincing wins against Man United and Real Madrid, will take fresh confidence from their rivals' defeat at Fulham today, and revitalise their belief that they can still win the title. Chelsea, having lost to Tottenham today, failed to capitalise on their opportunity to close the gap.

So much in sport revolves around key moments and turning points during competitions. Losing focus and motivation at critical times always damages performance.