LONDON: The romance of the FA Cup was rekindled on a weekend when soccer’s goliaths had never looked so vulnerable but the string of top-flight second XIs who fell or stumbled said much about where the competition now ranks.
Staid and predictable and in danger of becoming little more than a sideshow, the FA Cup was given the equivalent of life-saving surgery as Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Norwich City, Queens Park Rangers and Aston Villa were dumped out by lower league clubs.
Those who fell, however, made wholesale changes, choosing to rest top players and blood inexperienced youngsters with important midweek Premier League games uppermost in the minds of under-pressure managers.
QPR boss Harry Redknapp described the 4-2 defeat by third-tier Milton Keynes Dons as “disgusting” but he retained only two players from the side that drew with West Ham United the weekend before.
Perhaps making a point to the club’s powerbrokers about the paucity of his squad, Redknapp clearly chose to prioritise their fight to avoid relegation.
Norwich’s elimination was less excusable. The Canaries enjoy the relative comfort of a seven-point cushion over the bottom three but still made six changes against Luton Town before becoming the first top-flight side in 24 years to lose to a minor league club.
The reality of the modern English game is the Premier League and Champions League are financial behemoths and clubs are less interested in silverware than keeping their noses in the money trough.
If top-flight survival is threatened or there is even an outside chance of reaching the promised land of a top-four place and Champions League qualification, then the FA Cup takes a back seat.
Liverpool reached the FA Cup final and won its poorer sibling, the League Cup, last season but still sacked manager Kenny Dalglish after their stumbling league form ended in an eighth-place finish.
Dalglish was later quoted as saying that not even an FA Cup victory would have kept him in his job.
It was perhaps with those words ringing in his ears that Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers made five changes to his side at third-tier Oldham Athletic on Sunday including dropping captain Steven Gerrard to the bench.
Liverpool were roughed up 3-2 by Oldham in a defeat that hinted at the fact that cultured Premier League sides had forgotten how to deal with the old-fashioned high ball into the box, part of the staple diet of lower division clubs.
Rodgers then chose to point the finger at those he had drafted in.
“I was disappointed with the young players. We’re trying to give them experience and let them see what it’s like to play for Liverpool,” he told reporters.
Liverpool are seventh in the league but it seems the outside chance they have of finishing in the top four made changes inevitable.
It is unlikely that 22-year-old center back Sebastian Coates or 19-year-old full back Jack Robinson will be retained when Liverpool get back to league business against Arsenal on Wednesday.
The seven-times FA Cup winners were not alone in concentrating on their Champions League potential.
Tottenham made five alterations for a 2-1 defeat at second-tier Leeds United while Chelsea also changed five players as they twice came from behind to draw 2-2 at third-tier Brentford.
Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson said the world’s oldest knockout competition was now just a shop window for players on the fringes of squads, an opportunity for individualism to replace the team ethic embraced by lower league giant-killers.
The former Ireland international also suggested the FA Cup had lost its lustre for players used to Premier League luxury.
“What a sad sign of the times it is that the wages in the Premier League are so fantastic that for many players top-flight football is the be-all and end-all,” he wrote in the Daily Mirror.
“The brutal truth is the FA Cup for some players has gone down the scale in terms of competitions they want to do well in.”
A drastic solution such as giving the winners one of the four Champions League places would undoubtedly encourage teams to place more emphasis on the competition in the future.
FA Cup remains in doldrums despite weekend of shocks
FA Cup remains in doldrums despite weekend of shocks
Baniyas impress on opening day of Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship
- Al-Jazira in second place, MOD UAE third
ABU DHABI: Baniyas Jiu-Jitsu Club seized an early lead on the first day of the fourth round of the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship, which was held on Friday at Zayed Sports City’s Mubadala Arena.
The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation-organized event drew strong competition from local clubs, with competitors across youth, adult, and master divisions. Al-Jazira claimed second place, while MOD UAE rounded out the top three.
Yousef Abdullah Al-Batran, board member of the UAEJJF, praised the generosity of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, in doubling the championship’s prize money.
He said the move reflected the UAE leadership’s commitment to the development of top-level sports, especially jiu-jitsu, which has become the country’s national sport.
Al-Batran said: “The fourth round of the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship is especially important. It marks a key moment in the competition and gives us a chance to evaluate club performances and how well the athletes are prepared to continue their success in the upcoming stages.”
Jasem Al-Marzooqi, the CEO of the Advanced Military Maintenance Repair and Overhaul Center, who was attending the event, affirmed that the strong organization of the event reflected the UAE’s ambition to position itself as a leading global sports destination.
He said: “The championship is progressing with every round. Both the technical and organizational levels show how successful the overall system is, giving athletes the ideal environment to grow and excel.”
Igor Lacerda, the coach of the Sharjah Self-Defense Sports Club’s youth team, said: “This round once again confirms the incredible progress the Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Jiu-Jitsu Championship is making across the board. It gave us as coaches extra motivation.
“We focused our preparations on the mental and tactical aspects, and we are working to make the best use of our athletes’ capabilities. From the start of the season our goal has been clear: to strongly compete for the title. We believe this path requires consistent performance and discipline.”
Bouchaib El-Idrissi of Morocco, who was representing Baniyas, took gold in the men’s masters’ brown/black belt 62 kg division, and said: “This achievement means a lot to me, especially since I faced an opponent in the final who was 20 years younger.
“This championship is a unique platform for athletes of all ages to showcase their talent and chase their goals. I sincerely thank the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation and the organizers for the tremendous effort they put into delivering such a professional event and creating a competitive environment that matches our ambitions and pushes us to give our best.”
4Aces, inspired by Reed and Warner, top both leaderboards at LIV Golf Dallas
- Both players shot 5-under 67s at Maridoe Golf Club, emerge as co-leaders on individual leaderboard
CARROLLTON: Teammates Patrick Reed and Harold Varner III fed off each other to lead the way during Friday’s first round of LIV Golf Dallas presented by Aramco.
They will hope to do the same on Saturday.
Reed and Varner each shot 5-under 67s at Maridoe Golf Club to emerge as co-leaders on the individual leaderboard, while also helping the 4Aces to a commanding advantage in the team competition.
It was a dominating day for the 4Aces, with captain Dustin Johnson contributing a 2-under 70 that included chip-ins for a birdie and an eagle on his first two holes. It was the kind of performance reminiscent of the 4Aces’ dominance during the inaugural 2022 LIV Golf season when they won four consecutive regular-season tournaments, then claimed the season-ending Team Championship.
The 4Aces won twice in 2023 but nothing since, and their only individual win was Johnson’s victory last year. Friday’s fast start presents an opportunity to reinforce their status as one of the league’s big dogs.
At 9-under as a team, they are six shots ahead of Crushers GC, who have won the last two tournaments and have the hometown support with captain Bryson DeChambeau being a local resident. The Crushers were the only team on Friday in which all four players shot par or better.
“The biggest thing is to keep the throttle down,” said Reed, among the league’s best players without a LIV Golf win. “Even though we have a lead now, (we will) start tomorrow as if everyone is even par and try to go win the day as a team and build on the lead.”
On a course that became more difficult throughout the day, Varner had the only bogey-free round through 17 holes. Although his tee shot on his last hole, the par-4 ninth, left him with an awkward lie, he managed to find the green — but then three-putted for the only blemish on his card. Even so, it was his best round, relative to par, this season.
“I’ve been hitting it unbelievably this whole year and I just happened to make a couple of putts today,” said Varner, who has six top-20 finishes this year. “I don’t think there’s like a genie in a bottle or anything like that but I felt like I was going to play well.”
Reed’s round was highlighted by a chip-in eagle at the par-5 second, allowing him to keep up with Varner in a threesome that also included teammate from 4Aces Thomas Pieters, the team’s leading points producer this season, who shot a 3-over 75.
“Harold is out there playing some solid golf, hitting some quality golf shots,” said Reed, who has five top-three finishes in his LIV Golf career. “It’s always nice when you’re seeing that because you can feed off of it. Obviously it was a bonus chipping in there for eagle.”
Varner did not even think the eagle was his teammate’s best chip of the day. He cited Reed’s third shot at the par-5 13th from an awkward lie out of the greenside rough 30 yards from the pin.
Varner said: “He chips it, somehow shimmies it through the rough, misses the bunker and it goes to four feet — and he misses the putt. But it was the best chip, best shot I saw. It will be the best shot in all of golf on this golf course this week, without a doubt.”
The closest pursuer to the individual co-leaders is Legion XIII captain Jon Rahm, whose 4-under 68 included an eagle at the par-4 sixth. His strong iron play allowed him to overcome an off-day with his driver, as he hit just five fairways.
Fireballs GC’s Abraham Ancer is solo fourth. He had a share of the lead until a double bogey on his final hole left him shooting 69. His seven total birdies on Friday led the field.
“Definitely (it) hurts to finish the way I finished with a double bogey,” Ancer said. “(It) just felt like I just lost a little bit of concentration on that par 3. Other than that, I felt great.”
Reed, Varner and Rahm will be in the final group off the first tee on Saturday. Rahm has been the league’s most consistent player since joining LIV Golf prior to last season, but is looking to start turning his top 10s into wins. Meanwhile, Reed and Varner are hoping to turn this weekend into a 4Aces’ party.
Varner said: “The team camaraderie in the locker room, I think we’re having a lot of fun. Maybe too much fun.”
TEAM SCORES
LIV Golf’s new scoring format this season now involves all four scores counting in every round in the team competition (click here for more on the new format). Here are the results and scores for each team after Friday’s round one of LIV Golf Dallas presented by Aramco.
1. 4ACES GC -9 (Reed 67, Varner III 67, Johnson 70, Pieters 75)
2. CRUSHERS GC -3 (Lahiri 70, Casey 71, DeChambeau 72, Howell III 72)
3. LEGION XIII E (Rahm 68, McKibbin 71, Hatton 74, Surratt 75)
4. FIREBALLS GC +2 (Ancer 69, Puig 70, Garcia 75, Ballester 76)
5. STINGER GC +3 (Oosthuizen 71, Schwartzel 72, Burmester 74, Grace 74)
T6. IRON HEADS GC +6 (Kozuma 72, Jang 74, Lee 74, Na 74)
T6. MAJESTICKS GC +6 (Westwood 72, Poulter 73, Stenson 73, Horsfield 76)
8. HYFLYERS GC +9 (Tringale 72, Ogletree 73, Steele 75, Mickelson 77)
T9. RANGEGOATS GC +10 (Campbell 73, Schniederjans 74, Watson 75, Uihlein 76)
T9. CLEEKS GC +10 (Bland 70, Kaymer 73, Meronk 77, Rottluff 78)
11. SMASH GC +15 (McDowell 70, Kokrak 73, Gooch 79, Koepka/Carrera 81)
12. RIPPER GC +16 (Herbert 75, Leishman 75, Smith 75, Jones 79)
13. TORQUE GC +17 (Pereira 72, Muñoz 76, Niemann 78, Ortiz 79)
Wild Cards: Kim 75, C. Lee 80
Al-Hilal captain Al-Dawsari out of Club World Cup with hamstring injury
- This means Al-Dawsari will miss Monday’s round of 16 clash against Manchester City
- Al-Dawsari played a pivotal role in Al-Hilal’s campaign in the Club World Cup
Al-Hilal captain Salem Al-Dawsari will miss the remainder of the Club World Cup with a hamstring injury, the Saudi club said on Saturday.
“Medical tests have confirmed that Salem Al-Dawsari has suffered from a hamstring injury. He will be undergoing a treatment and rehabilitation program that will last between four to six weeks,” Al-Hilal said in a statement via X.
This means Al-Dawsari will miss Monday’s round of 16 clash against Manchester City.
Al-Dawsari played a pivotal role in Al-Hilal’s campaign in the Club World Cup, after scoring the opening goal in the team’s 2-0 victory over Pachuca on Friday in the third round of the group stage.
The win against Pachuca secured the four-times Asian champions qualification for the last 16 after they finished second in Group H behind Real Madrid.
Alexandra Eala makes tennis history for Philippines by reaching Eastbourne final
- In Saturday’s final she will face 19-year-old Australian Maya Joint
- It will be the youngest Eastbourne final since 1981
EASTBOURNE, England: Alexandra Eala became the first Filipino to reach a WTA Tour final as she beat fellow qualifier Varvara Gracheva 7-5 2-6 6-3 at the Eastbourne Open on Friday, while lucky loser Jenson Brooksby will meet holder Taylor Fritz in the men’s final.
Left-hander Eala, ranked 74th in the world, edged a tight first set before losing five games in a row in the second as the match appeared to be slipping away.
But the 20-year-old regrouped in the decider and survived a tough seventh game before breaking her French opponent’s serve to lead 5-3. She then enjoyed a love service game to seal victory.
In Saturday’s final she will face 19-year-old Australian Maya Joint who beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 7-5 6-3.
It will be the youngest Eastbourne final since 1981 when Tracy Austin faced fellow American Andrea Jaeger.
“I’m super happy because that was a tough match and there were some really tough moments,” an emotional Eala, who is based in Mallorca and trains at the Rafa Nadal Academy, said on court.
“It was tough physically and mentally because she is a tough player and also came from qualifying.”
Eala’s run will not have gone unnoticed by Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, who has been drawn to play her in the first round at the All England Club next week.
Krejcikova reached the quarter-finals at Eastbourne but withdrew with a thigh injury on Thursday.
Joint continued her impressive run as she reached her first WTA final on grass, coming from 5-3 behind in the opening set against Pavlyuchenkova to take control.
“I’m very excited,” the 51st-ranked Joint said on court. “I’ve learned to love playing on grass this week.”
Three-times champion Fritz overcame Spanish sixth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3 3-6 6-1 and will now face fellow-American Brooksby after the lucky loser beat French fourth seed Ugo Humbert.
Fritz broke the Spaniard’s first service game as he comfortably won the first set, and while Davidovich Fokina fought back to force a decider, the American broke twice in the last set to reach the final for the fourth time.
Brooksby won his first ATP title in April at the US Men’s Clay Court Championship, where he began as a wildcard in the qualifying rounds and his 6-7(7) 6-4 6-4 win over Humbert sees the American make it to another final.
“I think it’s a lot less pressure when you don’t expect to be in the main draw and get the opportunity,” Brooksby said.
“You just want to make the most of it.”
Humbert came from 5-3 down to win the opening set on a tiebreak, before Brooksby bounced back despite the Frenchman’s battling spirit.
The American took a 3-0 lead in the next two sets and Humbert drew level on both occasions, but Brooksby clinched both sets with a break of serve.
SmackDown thrills Riyadh as WWE delivers goods for fans
- Giulia wins WWE US Women’s Championship title at expense of Zelina Vega
- Surprise appearance by global superstars Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton
RIYADH: WWE delivered an electrifying spectacle in the Saudi capital on Friday night, as Kingdom Arena roared with excitement for SmackDown, a flagship event under Riyadh Season 2025. Fans packed every seat, demonstrating once again Saudi Arabia’s growing passion for world-class sports entertainment.
The night began with a surprise appearance by global superstars Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton, whose entrance drew thunderous applause as they built anticipation for their highly awaited clash on Saturday at the Night of Champions.
Orton addressed the jubilant crowd, saying: “I am honored to be in your country. You are a great people with a wonderful culture. Saudi Arabia is amazing — every time I travel 15 hours to come here, I feel happier than the time before.”
The action inside the ring did not disappoint. In a fierce contest for the WWE US Women’s Championship, Eimi Gloria Matsudo, better known by her ring name Giulia, showcased her brilliance with a decisive win over the experienced Zelina Vega, capturing the title for a third time and cementing her status among the division’s elite.
Tiffany Stratton retained her title in one of the night’s most brutal encounters, overcoming Nia Jax in a punishing Last Woman Standing match that had been simmering for weeks. The high-intensity showdown saw the arena’s surroundings reduced to chaos before Stratton finally sealed her victory.
Tag team action added to the drama as The Street Profits defended their titles against The Wyatt Six in a heated bout that ended in a chaotic no-contest. The titleholders retained their belts, but with tensions unresolved a rematch seems all but certain.
In a performance that ignited the fans, Andrea and Reina Faklis overcame the team of DAW in a hard-fought contest, closing with a spectacular finishing move that brought the Kingdom Arena to its feet.
Meanwhile, rising star JC Mateo delivered a statement performance with a smart, resilient victory over veteran Jimmy Uso, reinforcing his status as a name to watch in the future.
Eyes across the Kingdom now turn to Saturday’s blockbuster King and Queen of the Ring event, promising even more high-octane drama. A showpiece undisputed WWE Championship clash will see John Cena face CM Punk in a bout certain to rekindle memories of their iconic rivalry. Rhodes and Orton will square off in the King of the Ring final, while Jade Cargill goes head-to-head with Japanese superstar Asuka for the Queen of the Ring crown.
Other headline matchups include a US Championship battle between Jacob Fatu and Solo Sikoa, a no-holds-barred Street Fight pitting Rhea Ripley against Raquel Rodriguez, and a highly anticipated contest featuring Sami Zayn against Karrion Kross — all set to cap a monumental weekend for WWE fans in Riyadh.
