Category Sports News

Manager Sarina Wiegman says England have been given reassurances there are no safety concerns about their Women’s World Cup qualifier against Ukraine being held in Turkey as the conflict in the Middle East widens.

The Lionesses play in Antalya at 17:00 GMT on Tuesday because Ukraine are unable to play in their home country as a result of the war with Russia, which is in its fifth year.

On Saturday the US attacked Iran as part of a joint operation with Israel, sparking retaliatory strikes across the Middle East.

The Iranian regime has responded with attacks on US assets and countries in the region with a US military presence, including Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq.

Turkey borders Iran and Iraq and is close to Cyprus, where an Iranian drone crashed into a British RAF base on Sunday. Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon have also exchanged strikes.

“Yes, we did have reassurances. We are in close contact with the government and the people here that are responsible,” said Wiegman.

“We’re fine here but we’re keeping an eye on it. We’re in contact all the time with the responsible authorities.

“Of course, you’re concerned about what’s happening in the world. When we think, or our government thinks it’s unsafe, we will go back. At this moment, we don’t have signals of that.”

England travelled to Turkey last Wednesday for a training camp but it is unclear how many fans will attend the match following the weekend’s developments, with some supporters and several media outlets already choosing to withdraw.

Wiegman says the fact Ukraine are having to host the match in Turkey because of conflict in their home country following Russia’s invasion is “really sad”.

“We have great facilities here and the climate is really good so we can prepare really well. But the reason we’re here is not nice,” she added.

“You want Ukraine to be able to play in their home country. They had to travel a lot themselves to get here. The things they have in front of them in their country is really horrible.

England are in a group with Ukraine, Iceland and Spain, with only the top team qualifying automatically for the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil.

Midfielder Georgia Stanway hopes England can get off to a winning start this week when they face Ukraine, before hosting Iceland at the City Ground on Saturday.

“Our main task is to qualify as fast as possible but we also understand the process behind it and what it takes to get to a Euros and a World Cup,” said Stanway.

“We know it’s super difficult. We need to make sure we’re adapting, evolving and changing our game. We know our opposition are getting better and better.”

Stanway has announced she will be leaving Bayern Munich when her contract expires at the end of the summer.

She says she is “very close” to confirming her future, with extensive talks with Arsenal ongoing over a pre-contract agreement.

“I’ve absolutely loved my time at Bayern and it has probably been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life,” said Stanway.

“From the moment I got there, it felt like home. I still love it but I just came to the conclusion that I always want to have good memories at Bayern.

Lionel Messi scored twice as Inter Miami fought back from two goals down to beat Orlando City 4-2 in the Florida derby.

The reigning champions, who lost their season opener against Los Angeles FC last month, looked set for another defeat when goals from Marco Pasalic and Martin Ojeda put Orlando 2-0 up inside 25 minutes.

But after midfielder Mateo Silvetti’s stunning 25-yard drive just after half-time gave Miami hope in Orlando, the Argentina legend grasped control of the game.

The 38-year-old scored his first goal of the season to equalise in the 57th minute with a left-footed strike from the edge of the area, then set up midfielder Telasco Segovia to score with five minutes remaining.

Messi sealed victory in the 90th minute when his low free-kick crept past Maxime Crepeau and he celebrated with a signing gesture towards the touchline.

“He’s the best player to ever play this sport. He’s a leader, and as a leader, he inspires others, but he also often needs to be inspired himself,” said Miami coach Javier Mascherano.

“He has the ability to create chances like no-one else, and that’s what allowed us to turn the game around.”

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has now scored 898 goals for club and country, including 79 in 90 appearances for Miami.

As goals go, you don’t get much better than Youssef Chermiti’s two for Rangers in Sunday’s draw with Celtic, especially his overhead kick opener.

Comparisons to Scott McTominay’s opener for Scotland in the World Cup-qualifying clinching 4-2 win against Denmark in November quickly followed.

But where does it rank in Old Firm encounters of the 21st Century? Let’s have a look back at previous stunners in the fixture.

Sunday’s 2-2 draw was far from the first derby Martin O’Neill has overseen as Celtic manager. In his first, way back in 2000, Celtic won 6-2, with Henrik Larsson scoring an audacious chip over Stefan Klos.

Bert Konterman’s rising long-range strike secured a 2-1 extra-time win over Celtic in the 2002 Scottish League Cup semi-final at Hampden. Rangers went on to win the trophy.

Three years later, Shaun Maloney, now Celtic’s assistant manager, lit up a League Cup derby win with an outstanding effort from distance at Celtic Park, the opener in a 2-0 success.

When Walter Smith returned to Rangers as manager in 2007, he brought with him the knack of recording unlikely wins in derbies. A March 2007 victory at Celtic Park was sealed by Ugo Ehiogu’s overhead kick.

Celtic needed a win over Rangers in April 2008 and Shunsuke Nakamura’s unstoppable shot from long range set them on their way to a 2-1 win. They eventually won the league on the last day.

Four months later, Pedro Mendes produced a trademark piledriver as part of a 4-2 Rangers victory at Celtic Park.

The second goal in a 4-0 win in a September 2022 win, Jota’s chip showed all the class of Larsson’s 22 years earlier.

Kyogo Furuhashi had an outstanding scoring record in the fixture and his beauty of a left-foot strike proved to be the winner in a December 2023 win for eventual champions Celtic.

And, last season, Hamza Igamane matched that power with a late winner in Rangers’ 3-2 Celtic Park victory.

The third of Chermiti’s four goals against Celtic this season will live long in the memory.

Cognizant Classic – final leaderboard

-17 N Echavarria (Col); -15 T Moore (US), S Lowry (Ire), A Smotherman (US); -13 R Castillo (US); -11 N Hojgaard (Nor), W Mouw (US), K Mitchell (US)

Ireland’s Shane Lowry says he had the Cognizant Classic “in my hands but threw it away” as he found water off the tee on both the 16th and 17th holes to blow his three-shot lead.

The Ryder Cup star looked set for victory at Palm Beach Gardens but double bogeys on those two holes allowed Colombia’s Nico Echavarria to win on 17 under par.

Lowry ended two shots behind on 15 under for a share of second – the same position he finished in the Dubai Invitational earlier this year.

At Dubai Creek, Lowry made a double bogey on the final hole to finish runner-up and the 38-year-old admits his failure to close out victories stings.

“I’m obviously extremely disappointed. I had the tournament in my hands, and I threw it away,” said Lowry, who holed the putt that retained the Ryder Cup for Europe last year.

“I’d say I was beaten that day in Dubai. But I beat myself today. That’s twice this year now. I’m getting good at it.

“What can I say? I played unbelievable all day, and one bad shot on 16 completely threw me for the last three holes. This is going to be hard to take.”

On the last 13 times Lowry has entered the final round of a solo tournament in the top three he won just once – The Open in 2019.

He says missing out in Florida was particularly difficult because he is still waiting for his first victory in front of his four-year-old daughter.

“I only wanted it for her. I don’t care about anything else. I wanted it so bad. Just to see her little ginger hair running down the 18th green would have been the most special thing in the world,” he said.

“I thought I had it. I thought I was going to win.”

Four birdies as well as an eagle on the 10th had Lowry cruising towards victory before it unravelled in the final three holes.

Echavarria, 31, took advantage by carding five birdies in a five-under 66 that secured his third PGA Tour victory.

Cognizant Classic – final leaderboard

-17 N Echavarria (Col); -15 T Moore (US), S Lowry (Ire), A Smotherman (US); -13 R Castillo (US); -11 N Hojgaard (Nor), W Mouw (US), K Mitchell (US)

Ireland’s Shane Lowry says he had the Cognizant Classic “in my hands but threw it away” as he found water off the tee on both the 16th and 17th holes to blow his three-shot lead.

The Ryder Cup star looked set for victory at Palm Beach Gardens but double bogeys on those two holes allowed Colombia’s Nico Echavarria to win on 17 under par.

Lowry ended two shots behind on 15 under for a share of second – the same position he finished in the Dubai Invitational earlier this year.

At Dubai Creek, Lowry made a double bogey on the final hole to finish runner-up and the 38-year-old admits his failure to close out victories stings.

“I’m obviously extremely disappointed. I had the tournament in my hands, and I threw it away,” said Lowry, who holed the putt that retained the Ryder Cup for Europe last year.

“I’d say I was beaten that day in Dubai. But I beat myself today. That’s twice this year now. I’m getting good at it.

“What can I say? I played unbelievable all day, and one bad shot on 16 completely threw me for the last three holes. This is going to be hard to take.”

On the last 13 times Lowry has entered the final round of a solo tournament in the top three he won just once – The Open in 2019.

He says missing out in Florida was particularly difficult because he is still waiting for his first victory in front of his four-year-old daughter.

“I only wanted it for her. I don’t care about anything else. I wanted it so bad. Just to see her little ginger hair running down the 18th green would have been the most special thing in the world,” he said.

“I thought I had it. I thought I was going to win.”

Four birdies as well as an eagle on the 10th had Lowry cruising towards victory before it unravelled in the final three holes.

Echavarria, 31, took advantage by carding five birdies in a five-under 66 that secured his third PGA Tour victory.

Cognizant Classic – final leaderboard

-17 N Echavarria (Col); -15 T Moore (US), S Lowry (Ire), A Smotherman (US); -13 R Castillo (US); -11 N Hojgaard (Nor), W Mouw (US), K Mitchell (US)

Ireland’s Shane Lowry says he had the Cognizant Classic “in my hands but threw it away” as he found water off the tee on both the 16th and 17th holes to blow his three-shot lead.

The Ryder Cup star looked set for victory at Palm Beach Gardens but double bogeys on those two holes allowed Colombia’s Nico Echavarria to win on 17 under par.

Lowry ended two shots behind on 15 under for a share of second – the same position he finished in the Dubai Invitational earlier this year.

At Dubai Creek, Lowry made a double bogey on the final hole to finish runner-up and the 38-year-old admits his failure to close out victories stings.

“I’m obviously extremely disappointed. I had the tournament in my hands, and I threw it away,” said Lowry, who holed the putt that retained the Ryder Cup for Europe last year.

“I’d say I was beaten that day in Dubai. But I beat myself today. That’s twice this year now. I’m getting good at it.

“What can I say? I played unbelievable all day, and one bad shot on 16 completely threw me for the last three holes. This is going to be hard to take.”

On the last 13 times Lowry has entered the final round of a solo tournament in the top three he won just once – The Open in 2019.

He says missing out in Florida was particularly difficult because he is still waiting for his first victory in front of his four-year-old daughter.

“I only wanted it for her. I don’t care about anything else. I wanted it so bad. Just to see her little ginger hair running down the 18th green would have been the most special thing in the world,” he said.

“I thought I had it. I thought I was going to win.”

Four birdies as well as an eagle on the 10th had Lowry cruising towards victory before it unravelled in the final three holes.

Echavarria, 31, took advantage by carding five birdies in a five-under 66 that secured his third PGA Tour victory.