MANCHESTER: With four of Europe’s most-prolific scorers, England has the firepower to end a nearly 60-year wait for silverware.
How Gareth Southgate deploys his riches could determine whether it is finally a glorious summer for the Three Lions or if the wait to add a trophy to England’s lone World Cup — won in 1966 — drags on.
England will lean on record scorer Harry Kane yet again at the European Championship in Germany but will also look for contributions from Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer.
“There’s definitely more options in the attacking areas,” Southgate said.
Southgate led England to the 2018 World Cup semifinals and the final of the last Euros — losing to Italy at Wembley Stadium — but he’s has been accused of being overly cautious.
“We’ve got a pretty set style of playing, the players enjoy that and we’ve had good results doing that. So we are not going to move far away from what we’ve been,” he said.
What that means, exactly, is not clear. Southgate has turned to young and unproven players after injuries and lack of form convinced him to omit regulars Marcus Rashford, Jordan Henderson and Kalvin Phillips. There will be a natural evolution because of that.
In what could be his final tournament as England manager, Southgate has packed his squad with bold, attacking options.
Kane finished his first season at Bayern Munich empty-handed but with a career-best 44 goals in 47 games to lead Germany’s scoring chart.
Bellingham, in his debut season at Real Madrid, scored 23 goals, won the Spanish league and topped it off with the Champions League title. Foden scored 27 in all competitions for Premier League champion Manchester City and was England’s footballer of the year.
Arguably the biggest bonus for Southgate is the emergence of Palmer, who was a fringe player at City before joining Chelsea for $51 million last summer.
The 22-year-old Palmer scored 27 goals in his first season of regular senior soccer. Only double golden boot-winner Erling Haaland scored more league goals in England.
It is an enviable depth of attacking talent, with Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and City winger Jack Grealish among Southgate’s other options.
“You can see across that forward line the number of goals they’ve scored for their clubs this year,” Southgate said. “So you need those options. You need people to be able to come in and refresh the team.”
England has so many options that Southgate could afford to leave out Rashford and Raheem Sterling, who have been important players in previous tournaments.
He has picked players for now — but also ones that could serve England for years to come. Even if his contract is due to expire at the end of the Euros, Southgate is still looking to the future.
But England fans are hungry for success now after the relative disappointment of exiting in the quarterfinals of the last World Cup. That was the first backward step since Southgate’s appointment in 2016 when there were doubts about whether he was the right candidate to end the nation’s search for a men’s trophy.
England was within a few penalty kicks of winning the last Euros, having led against Italy in the final. Southgate had gambled by bringing on Rashford and Jadon Sancho as substitutes at the end of extra time for the shootout. Both missed their spot kicks, as did Sako.
Still, Southgate has exceeded expectations — but the trophy wait goes on.
On the face of it, England’s forward line for the Euros could pick itself, with Foden and Palmer either side of Kane and Bellingham operating behind as a No. 10.
Perhaps only their lack of playing time together would convince Southgate to turn to Saka, who is a more established member of the England setup than Palmer. The 24-year-old Foden, too, is yet to fully stamp his mark on the team, despite now being a six-time title-winner with City.
It is not just about the players, but the system.
Southgate has preferred to deploy two more defensive-minded midfielders in the past — but his squad is without longstanding options in those areas in Henderson and Phillips.
Manchester United’s exciting teenager Kobbie Mainoo, Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher or Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold look like the likeliest to partner Declan Rice behind Bellingham in the advanced role.
“Clearly the profile of our midfield, for example, looks different and so the team will evolve because of that,” Southgate said.
The danger is that England could be exposed without a more disciplined figure in the guise of Henderson or Phillips alongside Rice. With a defense that has doubts over it because of injuries to key players Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw, Southgate will think carefully about the shield he puts in front of it.
The strongest defensive units tend to go far in tournament soccer and England’s route to being runner-up in 2021 was built on the foundation of conceding just two goals in the entire competition. The winner, Italy, conceded four.
The challenge, as ever, is to get the balance right, and while Southgate has twice come close to lifting a trophy, his team has lacked that extra ingredient to get over the line.
With a forward line full of match winners at some of the biggest clubs in Europe, England looks equipped with players capable of providing the cutting edge in those decisive moments that tournament soccer produces.
England boasts firepower with Kane, Bellingham, Foden and Palmer to go far at Euro 2024
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England boasts firepower with Kane, Bellingham, Foden and Palmer to go far at Euro 2024
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Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese announces injury after teams ends 7-game skid with 92-78 victory over Sparks
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- Says on social media that her historic WNBA rookie season is over
- Chicago is battling for the WNBA’s final playoff spot, currently tied with Atlanta for the eighth position
CHICAGO: Angel Reese’s historic rookie season is over.
The Chicago Sky forward said on social media Saturday night that she has a season-ending injury, but didn’t specify what it was. She was listed on the team’s injury report with a wrist injury.
“What a year. I never would have imagined the last bucket of my rookie season would be a 3 but maybe that was God saying give them a taste of what they will be seeing more of in Year 2 lol,” Reese wrote. “Through it all, I have showed that I belong in this league even when no one else believed. All I have ever wanted was to come into the W and make an impact. I can confidently say I have done that and will strive to keep doing so.”
Reese finishes the season averaging 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds. It’s the highest rebound average in the history of the league. Reese also set the rookie record with 26 double-doubles — her last coming in a win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday night.
Reese finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds for her rookie record 26th double-double of the season and the Chicago Sky snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 92-78 victory over the Sparks.
Reese made 9 of 15 shots with a 3-pointer and all five of her free throws as Chicago (12-22) remained tied with the Atlanta Dream for the final spot in the postseason with six games remaining.
Chennedy Carter finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in her return for the Sky. Carter had not played since Aug. 25 due to health and safety protocols. Kamilla Cardoso totaled 12 points and nine boards.
Dearica Hamby had 21 points, five assists and four steals to lead Los Angeles (7-27), which has lost three in a row and 10 of its last 11. Rookie Rickea Jackson added 17 points and six rebounds.
Jackson’s layup gave Los Angeles a 19-13 lead with 2:43 left in the first quarter. Diamond DeShields and Rachel Banham hit back-to-back 3-pointers to pull Chicago even. Hamby made 1 of 2 free throws with three seconds left to give the Sparks a 20-19 lead.
Banham had nine points by halftime on 3-for-3 shooting from beyond the arc and Carter also scored nine to help Chicago build a 48-42 lead.
Reese took over in the third quarter, scoring 11 points to push Chicago’s lead to 75-61.
The Sparks fell to 2-16 on the road this season. Chicago won for just the fifth time in 17 home games. The Sky won all three matchups with the Sparks this season.
Sabalenka downs Pegula to win US Open thriller
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- World number two Sabalenka triumphed 7-5, 7-5 to add the New York title to her back-to-back Australian Open victories
NEW YORK: Aryna Sabalenka won the US Open and her third Grand Slam crown with a thrilling victory over a gallant Jessica Pegula in a rollercoaster final on Saturday.
World number two Sabalenka triumphed 7-5, 7-5 to add the New York title to her back-to-back Australian Open victories.
Pegula went down fighting, however, recovering from 0-3 and break point down to lead 5-3 in the second set before Sabalenka came through.
The 26-year-old from Belarus clubbed 40 winners to become the first woman since Angelique Kerber in 2016 to capture both hardcourt majors in the same season.
“I’m speechless. So many times I was close to the US Open title and finally I got it,” said Sabalenka, the runner-up last year and semifinalist in 2022 and 2023.
“Never give up on your dream. Work hard. I’m super proud of myself.”
Pegula had arrived in New York with a title in Toronto and runner-up spot to Sabalenka in Cincinnati.
She had won 15 out of 16 matches on the North American summer hard court swing.
“I wish she would have at least let me get one set. We had a tough match in Cincinnati a few weeks ago and she’s one of the best in the world,” said the American.
“She’s super powerful and isn’t going to give you anything. She can take the racquet out of your hand.
“I’m just glad I was able to stay in there and keep taking opportunities.”
Sabalenka lost the 2023 US Open final to Pegula’s compatriot Coco Gauff and she struggled to settle in during the early stages on Saturday as a flurry of errors handed the home favorite a break for 2-1.
But the powerful Sabalenka levelled immediately and broke again for 4-2.
A capacity crowd of 23,000 included sporting royalty such as Olympic 100m gold medallist Noah Lyles, NBA star Steph Curry and former Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton watched on.
Most were behind Pegula but the 30-year-old was defenseless against the remorseless hitting of the world number two, whose screams echoed beneath the closed roof of the cavernous Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Pegula, who had knocked out world number one Iga Swiatek and then battled from a set and break down to see off Karolina Muchova in the semifinal, clung on.
From 2-5 down, she hit back for 5-5, breaking Sabalenka as the Australian Open champion served for the set.
In a marathon 12th game, however, Pegula saved four set points but not the fifth.
Sabalenka had unleashed 25 winners and committed 23 unforced errors to Pegula’s nine and 11, illustrating a dramatic contrast of styles in the 60-minute opener.
For the second match in succession, Pegula was soon a set and break down again, a double fault allowing Sabalenka to move ahead 3-0.
Incredibly, the 30-year-old stormed back to lead 5-3 before Sabalenka broke in the 10th game as her opponent attempted to level the final.
Sabalenka held her nerve to claim victory when Pegula went long with a weary drive.
Martin roars to victory in San Marino sprint
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- Martin has not won a GP since May but his consistency has helped him accumulate a decent advantage
MISANO ADRIATICO: Jorge Martin claimed a statement victory in Saturday’s sprint race at the San Marino and Rimini Riviera MotoGP, extending his overall lead over reigning champion Francesco Bagnaia with a stunning performance.
Pramac rider Martin is 26 points in front of pole-sitter Bagnaia ahead of the main event Grand Prix on Sunday after charging to an unexpected second sprint win of the season.
The Spaniard, who won at Misano Adriatico last year, started in fourth on the grid but got away like lightning and was ahead of Bagnaia by the first turn.
He comfortably held off Ducati’s Bagnaia for the rest of the 13-lap sprint and crossed the finish line 1.495 seconds in front of his Italian rival, improving his position at the top of the standings.
“Today I expected maybe to be fighting with Pecco (Bagnaia) but I didn’t expect to do that start,” said Martin.
“I even had a gap to keep for the last two laps so super happy. For tomorrow it’s another story but I feel confident that we are in a good way, super good and super fast.”
Martin has not won a GP since the French back in May but his consistency has helped him accumulate a decent advantage as he searches for his first MotoGP title. The 27-year-old had finished second in both the sprint and GP at four of the previous five events and his display on Saturday means he cannot be overtaken in the standings this weekend by Bagnaia, regardless of what happens in Sunday’s race.
It was a big blow for Bagnaia, who was favorite to cut the gap separating him from Martin after claiming pole position with a record-breaking fastest lap at the “Marco Simoncelli” circuit earlier on Saturday.
Two-time champion Bagnaia is riding with injuries to his shoulder, neck and collarbone after crashing out of last weekend’s Aragon MotoGP but looked in great form before Martin left him for dust.
“I’m absolutely not happy ... The start was a disaster, I lost first position and from that moment it was very difficult,” said Bagnaia.
“In any case, second position after what happened last week is OK. We will work to improve the start because it was a disaster and try to be in a better shape tomorrow.”
Bagnaia is at least helped by this weekend being the first of two in a row at the Misano, as the same circuit is being used later in September for the Emilia Romagna GP which replaces the canceled race in Kazakhstan.
Marc Marquez, a double winner at Alcaniz last weekend, had a harder time in Italy and lost ground on Martin, dropping to 77 points off the summit in third after finishing the sprint in sixth place.
Six-time champion Marquez battled up the rankings from his starting position of ninth on the grid, but has been caught on 234 points by Enea Bastianini.
Carsley makes flying start as England interim boss in win over Ireland
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- Rice and Grealish, who both snubbed Ireland to represent England, scored in the first half of Carsley’s maiden game in charge following Gareth Southgate’s exit
- Carsley has stepped up on a temporary basis while the Football Association seek a permanent successor to Southgate
DUBLIN: England interim manager Lee Carsley enjoyed a dream debut as goals from Declan Rice and Jack Grealish silenced their Ireland tormentors and inspired a 2-0 win in Saturday’s Nations League opener in Dublin.
Rice and Grealish, who both snubbed Ireland to represent England, scored in the first half of Carsley’s maiden game in charge following Gareth Southgate’s exit.
Southgate quit after England’s heartbreaking Euro 2024 final defeat against Spain in July.
Carsley, who guided England Under-21s to European Championship glory last year, has stepped up on a temporary basis while the Football Association seek a permanent successor to Southgate.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe and former Chelsea manager Graham Potter are said to be among the leading contenders.
But Carsley’s hopes of landing the job himself were boosted by England’s confident display in the Nations League Group B2 victory at the Aviva Stadium.
It was a bold statement of intent from the 50-year-old, whose adventurous England were a far cry from the staid unit that twice finished as Euro runners-up under Southgate despite rarely playing to their potential.
England’s first win in Dublin since 1964 has to be placed in context given the poverty of opposition provided by Ireland
Ireland’s new manager Heimir Hallgrimsson is a qualified dentist and he may find the job of rebuilding his struggling team proves more painful than root canal treatment.
Carsley stuck by his controversial decision not to sing ‘God save the King’ before kick-off, a move that antagonized the more patriotic sections of England’s fanbase.
Birmingham-born Carsley has Irish grandparents, which allowed him to win 40 Ireland caps during his playing career, but he said on Friday that he has never sung a national anthem because he prefers to focus on the match ahead.
If Carsley, whose next game comes against Finland at Wembley on Tuesday, continues to mastermind this kind of eye-catching performance, the debate over his anthem stance will quickly be forgotten.
This was only England’s second trip to Dublin in 29 years after a 1995 friendly between the teams was abandoned when visiting fans rioted at Lansdowne Road.
Promoting “a new era of friendship” between countries with a tortured political past, Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer swapped football shirts ahead of the match.
There was still a hostile reception for Rice and Grealish, who were jeered by the 50,000 crowd for changing their allegiance to England despite representing Ireland at senior and Under-21 levels respectively earlier in their careers.
Neither was bothered by the taunts as Rice starred and Grealish, omitted from the Euro squad, seized the chance to shine as England’s number 10 in the absence of Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden.
Carsley’s nerves were exposed when he mistakenly sat on the Ireland bench before kick-off, but England eased their novice manager’s anxiety in the 11th minute.
Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon, who got just one minute of playing time at the Euros, accelerated onto Trent Alexander-Arnold’s raking pass for a shot that was saved by Caoimhin Kelleher.
Gordon worked the rebound back to Harry Kane and his strike deflected to Rice, who planted a fine finish into the top corner from 12 yards.
Rice took the diplomatic approach as he refused to celebrate the goal, instead opting for a placatory gesture that suggested he wanted to bury the hatchet over his England switch.
Playing with far more freedom and imagination than they could muster under Southgate, England struck again in the 26th minute.
After Alexander-Arnold and Kobbie Mainoo exchanged passes, Grealish capped a flowing move, meeting Rice’s cutback with a fine finish into the bottom corner from 10 yards.
There was no hiding Grealish’s delight as he celebrated in front of England’s supporters and put his fingers in his ears to suggest he wasn’t bothered by the Irish abuse.
England had to knuckle down more in the second half as Ireland found some momentum, but they were never in danger of blowing the lead as Carsley’s audition got off to the perfect start.
Klopp celebrates ‘school reunion’ on return to Dortmund dugout
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- “It was like a school reunion,” Klopp told Sky Germany, adding “it’s what I always dreamed of: that we’d meet again in life and just have a good time together”
- Dortmund also said goodbye to defender Mats Hummels
BERLIN: Former Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp said his return to the club’s dugout in Saturday’s testimonial match was “like a school reunion,” nine years after his last match as club coach.
Dortmund bid farewell to team stalwarts Jakub Blaszczykowski and Lukas Piszczek, with each captaining a side featuring several club legends as well as current manager Nuri Sahin.
Blaszczykowski’s side, coached by Klopp, won 5-4 in front of 82,000 fans at a sold out Westfalenstadion.
“It was like a school reunion,” Klopp told Sky Germany, adding “it’s what I always dreamed of: that we’d meet again in life and just have a good time together.
“It’s like coming home. There are so many great memories. It’s nice to see the fans again.”
Klopp spent seven years as Dortmund coach, winning two Bundesliga titles, one German Cup and taking the team to the 2013 Champions League final at Wembley, where they lost to archrivals Bayern Munich.
Klopp, who stepped down as Liverpool boss at the end of last season citing exhaustion, is yet to return to coaching, having said in July “as of today, that’s it for me as a coach.”
The coach poked fun at the aging players, saying “we had a lot of excess weight in attack, midfield and defense today.”
Dortmund also said goodbye to defender Mats Hummels, who left the club for Serie A side Roma in the summer.
Hummels, who played 508 games for Dortmund, was one of only a few current players to take the pitch.
He said afterwards “it’s a mix of joy and sadness.
“I’ve spent a lot of my football life here.”