Revitalised Ozil boosts Arsenal

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Arsenal climbed into the Premier League’s top four after a laboured victory over a gutsy Leicester City.


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London - Arsenal climbed into the top four with a laboured 2-1 win over a spirited Leicester City, while Liverpool continued their push up the Premier League table with a pulsating 3-2 victory at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday.


Mario Balotelli's first league goal for Liverpool sealed a topsy-turvy game at Anfield that they twice led through Lazar Markovic and a Steven Gerrard penalty before being pegged back by the in-form Harry Kane and Mousa Dembele.


Arsenal, with a revitalised Mesut Ozil in a central role, led 2-0 through Laurent Koscielny and Theo Walcott before basement side Leicester's record signing Andrej Kramaric got his first goal for the club as they dominated the second half.


Fourth-placed Arsenal have 45 points from 25 games - two clear of sixth-placed Spurs and three ahead of Liverpool in seventh - though they could be displaced by Manchester United in fifth who host lowly Burnley on Wednesday.


“The performance wasn't the best at times but we got the three points and we ground it out in the end,” Arsenal goalscorer Walcott told Sky Sports.


“I can't believe they're bottom of the league as they played some very good football. I think they're one of the best teams who have come to the Emirates this year. If they continue playing like that they won't be there much longer.”


Queens Park Rangers claimed their first points away from home this season with a 2-0 victory at Sunderland thanks to goals from Leroy Fer and Bobby Zamora.


Hull City climbed out of the relegation zone with a 2-0 victory at home to free-falling Aston Villa - courtesy of goals from Nikica Jelavic and Dame N'Doye - subjecting the Midlands side to a fifth successive league defeat in the process.


At Anfield, striker Daniel Sturridge, on his first Premier League start after a long-term injury, was one of Liverpool's liveliest players and could have scored twice inside 13 minutes.


First the England international's tame shot was saved by Hugo Lloris before the France goalkeeper made a stunning, instinctive save to keep out his rasping drive minutes later.


Liverpool were not to be denied in the 15th minute though when Markovic's low shot squirmed past Lloris.


Tottenham's Kane, fast becoming one the Premier League's most feared forwards, restored parity for the visitors in the 26th minute with a neat turn and low finish.


Sturridge could have given Liverpool the halftime lead but his audacious backheel clipped the post after an unfortunate mix-up between two Spurs defenders.


The second period was only eight minutes old when Liverpool regained the lead through captain Gerrard who converted a penalty won by Sturridge's mazy run.


Tottenham responded and only a fantastic Simon Mignolet save prevented Erik Lamela bringing the sides level again.


Moments later Dembele bundled home Kane's scuffed cross and, as both sides pushed for a late winner, it was Liverpool and the much-maligned Balotelli who pounced with a close-range finish.


The visit of Leicester provided Arsenal with the perfect opportunity to rebound from their bitter 2-1 north London derby defeat at rivals Spurs on Saturday.


With Ozil orchestrating their attacking play, Arsenal opened the scoring when Koscielny converted the German's corner in the 27th minute.


But in an encouraging first half for the visitors, Leicester belied their lowly position to cause a number of problems with quick and enterprising counter-attacks.


As their confidence grew they were dealt a blow when Walcott doubled Arsenal's lead, reacting quickest to convert Ozil's parried shot.


Leicester were unperturbed and started the second half brightly, pulling back a goal through 9 million pounds ($13.73 million) record signing Kramaric in the 61st minute.


The visitors dominated the rest of the match and were unlucky not to leave the Emirates with a point As they remained four points adrift at the bottom of the table.


Leicester have 17 points from 25 games behind Burnley, who have 21, with Villa and Queens Park Rangers on 22, West Bromwich Albion and Hull City with 23 and Sunderland on 24.


Reuters






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News sport : Non-call helps Notre Dame survive rough outing at Clemson

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It looked for a long time Tuesday night like No. 10 Notre Dame's blowout loss last weekend against Duke might cost it two games.


The Fightin Irish were beaten so bad by the Blue Devils - a 30-point drubbing - they seemed to have a hangover on the road at unranked Clemson. The Tigers nabbed an early eight-point advantage and it was a dogfight from there.


Clemson had a chance to win in the final minutes but missed two jump shots in the final 12 seconds and saw a chance at a massive upset slip through it fingers. Notre Dame escaped with a 60-58 win, but the Tigers have a legitimate argument that Steve Vasturia fouled Rod Hall in the final seconds and Hall should have been on the foul line with a chance to tie.


Vasturia clearly knocked Hall to the floor as both went after a loose ball but officials allowed play to continue.


Once again, Notre Dame has guard Jerian Grant to thank for keeping it in the game and providing a chance to steal a win -- and that's exactly what this was -- late. Grant scored 22 points, including a jumper with 47 seconds left that proved to be the deciding points. Fellow guard Demetrius Jackson added 11, including several badly needed buckets in the final minutes to help get the Irish over the top.


Clemson had even more success on the offensive glass against Notre Dame than Duke did, gradding 13 offensive rebounds. Buit the Tigers didn't make 60 percent of their shots against Notre Dame the way the Blue Devils. They shot 43 percent and made only five of 17 attempts from behind the arc.Forward Jaron Blossomgame scored 17 points with 14 rebounds for Clemson, which has lost two straight after a four-game win streak.


A little better shooting night from the Tigers and Notre Dame might have been really searching for answers. As it is, the Irish have to feel fortunate to have survived this one with the proverbial ugly win.


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[Kyle Ringo is the assistant editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at kyle.ringo@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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News sport : Kyle Korver to replace Dwyane Wade for East, giving Hawks four All-Stars

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Mere hours after Dwyane Wade announced he'd miss the 2015 NBA All-Star Game due to injury, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver named his replacement on the Eastern Conference All-Star roster — Kyle Korver of the Atlanta Hawks. (Good thing he was going to be in New York for the weekend anyway.)


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It's the first All-Star nod for the 33-year-old Korver, who is averaging a career-best 12.9 points per game while shooting an NBA-leading 52.8 percent from 3-point land and 92 percent from the foul line, along with a career-high 51.6 percent mark from the field, for Mike Budenholzer's East-leading 43-10 Hawks. Considering only former marksman and current Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr has ever put up 50/50/90 shooting splits over the course of a full season — and his work for the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls comes with the asterisk of insufficient amounts of field goals and free throws made to qualify for their respective leaderboards — there's a decent argument to be made that Korver's in the midst of not only the best year of his career, but the single best shooting campaign in league history.


While Korver's accuracy, and the attention to detail that produces it, is remarkable enough, it's the sheer threat of him getting clean looks that's made him such a lethal and influential part of Atlanta's offense this season. Defenders have to pay extra attention to him, knowing they can't stray more than a hair's breadth away from their marks to help on other Hawks lest they open up a better-than-a-coin-flip Korver triple try, which distorts coverages and creates room for his teammates to operate.


The Hawks have scored an average of 112 points per 100 possessions with Korver on the floor this season, and 98.2 points-per-100 when he hits the bench, according to NBA.com's stat tool. That's the difference between having the league's No. 1 offense and its third-worst unit, and the largest disparity on the Hawks' roster. And, perhaps as importantly, Atlanta's defense operates just about as well with Korver on the floor (100.4-per-100 allowed) as off it (100.3-per-100 given up), making him just about a pure upside play whenever he checks in. He's a difference-maker, plain and simple.


Korver's selection represents sour news for several other Eastern hopefuls, like Milwaukee Bucks point guard Brandon Knight, Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic and Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love, all of whom had reasonable cases for inclusion. But there's a certain poetic justice in Korver getting recognition this year; in an era in which floor-spacing, perimeter shooting, ball movement, smart team defense and execution are perhaps more paramount than ever, Korver's crafted himself into something like the perfect perimeter role player, and that deserves to be celebrated.


Korver becomes the fourth Hawk named to the Eastern squad, after teammates Paul Millsap, Al Horford and Jeff Teague were voted in as reserves by NBA coaches. This marks the first time since 2011 that four teammates have appeared in the midseason exhibition; Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics suited up for the East that year.


More NBA coverage:





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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!



Stay connected with Ball Don't Lie on Twitter @YahooBDL, "Like" BDL on Facebook and follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr for year-round NBA talk, jokes and more.






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News sport : Alabama RB Tyren Jones suspended indefinitely

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Alabama running back Tyren Jones works through drills during an Alabama NCAA college football practice, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014, at the Thomas-Drew Practice Facility in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/AL.com, Vasha Hunt) Alabama running back Tyren Jones has been suspended indefinitely, the university’s athletic department announced Tuesday. No explanation or timeframe was given for the rising redshirt sophomore’s suspension.


“Tyren Jones has been suspended indefinitely for conduct not to the standard of the Alabama football program,” head coach Nick Saban said in a statement through Alabama media relations.


Jones, who was also suspended by the program for a week last October, was fourth on the team in rushing in 2014, racking up 224 yards and two touchdowns on 36 carries as a redshirt freshman. He finished the season third on the depth chart at running back behind Derrick Henry and T.J. Yeldon. Jones also saw action on special teams for the Crimson Tide.


Jones, who redshirted in 2013, is expected to compete for carries along with Henry and Kenyan Drake, a rising senior who suffered a serious leg injury early in the 2014 season.


Additionally, the program is bringing in five-star Damien Harris and four-star Desherrius Flowers in its 2015 class to add to the mix at running back.


Another running back, rising junior Altee Tenpenny, announced his intent to transfer from Alabama in January.


For more Alabama news, visit TideSports.com.


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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : DL coach Jerry Montgomery leaving Oklahoma for NFL job

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Sep 7, 2013; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners defensive coordinator Mike Stoops (right) linebacker coach Tim Kish (center) and defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery during the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. (Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports) Oklahoma’s Jerry Montgomery is the latest college assistant to head to the NFL in the days after National Signing Day.


Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops confirmed Tuesday that Montgomery, the Sooners’ defensive line coach who was recently promoted to co-defensive coordinator, has agreed in principle to join an NFL staff. Though the NFL team was not named in Oklahoma’s release, The Oklahoman is reporting that Montgomery is headed to Green Bay.


“This is a rare opportunity for Jerry and his family to join one of the finest organizations in the National Football League,” Stoops said. “I appreciate the positive impact that Jerry has made with our defensive line the past two seasons, as well as his many other contributions to Oklahoma Football. The NFL is getting a fine man and a very talented football coach. I support Jerry’s decision to further his career goals working with one of the most stable and successful franchises in pro football.”


Montgomery has coached the Oklahoma defensive line for the past two seasons and emerged as one of the top recruiters on Stoops’ staff. He arrived at OU in February 2013 after spending two seasons at Michigan. He previously coached at Wyoming and Northern Iowa.


“My family will be forever grateful to Coach Stoops for providing me with the privilege of learning from him and the rest of his staff at the University of Oklahoma,” Montgomery said. “The past two years have been invaluable helping me grow personally and professionally. It’s truly been an honor to coach such a wonderful group of student-athletes at OU, and I’ll continue to follow their progress closely.


“I have been offered an unbelievable opportunity to pursue my dream of coaching in the National Football League. There are very few jobs that I would have even considered. Our family has been blessed to have represented the University of Oklahoma, and we will always have a great appreciation for our time working for Coach Stoops and the Sooners.”


With Montgomery out the door, Stoops said he has already begun the search for his replacement.


“The University of Oklahoma continues to be an attractive destination for some of the nation’s elite coaches and players,” Stoops said. “I have already begun the search process to bring another talented defensive line coach into our program. On behalf of our entire staff, we wish Jerry, Natalie and their family the very best.”


Montgomery joins a growing list of assistants to leave the college ranks for the NFL recently including Ohio State running backs coach Stan Drayton, Florida defensive line coach Terrell Williams, and UCLA defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.


For more Oklahoma news, visit SoonerScoop.com.


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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : House budget committee votes to temporarily close South Carolina State

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South Carolina State is facing such budget issues that a South Carolina House of Representatives budget committee has voted to shut the university down.


The budget panel voted Tuesday to close the university on July 1, 2015. It would re-open in 2017 after a two-year closure. As part of the shutdown, all athletic programs, including football, would be suspended.


The plan needs to pass the South Carolina House and Senate. The school faces a $10 million deficit and just 14 percent of students graduate within four years.


From The State:



House budget writers said they were frustrated the school sought $6 million from lawmakers this year to pay off a state loan given last year. S.C. State also is receiving another $12 million from the state to help with crisis.




S.C. State leaders said they could not cut curriculum, faculty or athletics, Merrill said. Then administrators suggested $50 million in new funding over the next few years to improve the school’s academic programs.




Those spending plans lacked specifics, Merrill said, and that sent panel members to a boiling point.




“We are looking at a bankrupt institution,” Merrill said. “There seems to be unwillingness to make the cuts that are necessary. ... No one takes any pleasure in recommending this.”



South Carolina State competes at the FCS level in college football. It played Clemson this year and lost 73-7. It is not on the schedule for either Clemson or South Carolina in 2015.


Last season, the Bulldogs went 8-4 and 6-2 in the MEAC. It was one of four teams that ended the season tied at the top of the conference.


According to The State, students with a 2.5 GPA could get scholarships to attend other public state schools or historically black schools.


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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Brendan Gaughan to drive No. 62 starting at Atlanta

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Brendan Gaughan will be the primary driver for the No. 62 Premium Motorsports car in 2015.


The team announced that Gaughan would take over as driver at Atlanta, the second race of the season. The No. 62 will be driven by Brian Scott in the Daytona 500. Both Scott and Gaughan drive for Richard Childress Racing in the Xfinity Series.


The No. 62 team was founded after buying the assets and points of the No. 36 from Tommy Baldwin Racing. TBR ran the No. 36, primarily with Reed Sorenson driving, as a teammate to the No. 7 car and Michael Annett in 2014. The No. 7 car will remain in 2015 and be driven by Alex Bowman, who came over from BK Racing. Annett will drive for HScott Motorsports in 2015.


Got all that? Good.


Premium, owned by Jay Robinson, a longtime owner in the Xfinity Series, will have two entries in the Daytona 500. Mike Wallace is attempting to qualify the No. 66 car.


Slugger Labbe, formerly Paul Menard's crew chief, will be Scott's crew chief in the Daytona 500. Gaughan's crew chief will be Zach McGowan.


Gaughan ran full-time in the Sprint Cup Series in 2004, when he drove the No. 77 car to four top 10 finishes and a 28th place finish in the points standings. Since then he has six starts in the Cup Series, all coming in 2010 or later. Last season, Gaughan won two races in the Xfinity Series and finished eighth in the points standings.


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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Dwyane Wade won't play in the All-Star Game, opening a spot on the East roster

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Dwyane Wade isn't giving the jersey back, NBA. Don't even think about it. (Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports) Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade announced Tuesday that he will miss this weekend's 2015 NBA All-Star Game due to the pulled right hamstring that's kept him sidelined for the last two weeks.


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The 33-year-old Wade was voted to a reserve slot on the Eastern Conference All-Star team by NBA coaches late last month, marking the 11th All-Star berth of his illustrious career. But after missing Miami's last six games with the balky wheel — with absence No. 7 coming Wednesday, when the Heat renew acquaintances with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena — Wade decided it'd make more sense for him to wait to return to the court until after the All-Star break, affording him ample time to rest, rehabilitate and make an honest go of getting healthy enough to pair with Chris Bosh for a post-All-Star playoff push.


Miami sits at 22-29 after Monday's win over the New York Knicks, tied with the Charlotte Hornets for the seventh and eighth seeds in the East, a game up on the Brooklyn Nets and 2 1/2 games clear of the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics. While the emergence of big man Hassan Whiteside has helped spark Erik Spoelstra's club, injuries and stagnant offense have made it difficult for the Heat to stay afloat amid the dregs of the lesser conference, and Wade knows he needs to be as healthy as possible for the stretch run, according to Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press:


"I felt like this was best," Wade said. "I wasn't going to play much either way. I think with the circumstances, I think the smartest thing to do is let someone else come in and really enjoy the All-Star experience. ... I think I owe it to the Heat fans to at least play in a Heat jersey first [rather] than go out there in the All-Star Game and play a couple minutes." [...]

"We're going to make to make sure we're playing our best basketball," Bosh said. "And hopefully this thing can come together." [...]

"It's going to be an interesting second half of the season for us, because we've got something to play for," Wade said. "We'll see how we respond."

With Wade bowing out of this weekend's festivities, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver must now make his third selection for an All-Star injury replacement, after tabbing DeMarcus Cousins to step in for Kobe Bryant and choosing Damian Lillard to take Blake Griffin's spot on the Western squad. His choice seems likely to come down to one of the following:


• Sharpshooter Kyle Korver, whose blistering 52.8 percent mark from 3-point land leads the NBA and helps open up so much opportunity for his teammates on the East-leading Atlanta Hawks;


• Brandon Knight, the leading scorer and assist man for the surprising 29-23 Milwaukee Bucks, and one of only 11 players averaging at least 17 points, five assists and four rebounds per game this season (the other 10 are all All-Stars);


• Kevin Love, who's got a better case than you might think despite all the static surrounding his spot with the Cleveland Cavaliers at the moment;


•Aand Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic, carrying the offensive load for a team in turmoil and joining All-Star Cousins as the only other player in the league averaging at least 19 points and 11 boards per night.


Which way Silver will lean remains unclear, but Wade knows who he'd pick if he had his druthers:



Wade wasn't the only veteran guard to share that opinion on Tuesday afternoon:



Silver could soon have another slot to fill. After aggravating the left knee on which he knows he'll need surgery during Monday's loss to the Heat, Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony said Tuesday that he was very sore, casting doubt as to whether he'll be able to suit up for the Knicks' Wednesday meeting with the Magic in Orlando or the All-Star Game itself:



More NBA coverage:





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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!



Stay connected with Ball Don't Lie on Twitter @YahooBDL, "Like" BDL on Facebook and follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr for year-round NBA talk, jokes and more.






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News sport : What was the most shocking upset in NFL history? (Podcast)

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Welcome to the latest Shutdown Corner podcast! On today's fists-flying episode, we have:


• A look back at the famed Buster Douglas upset of Mike Tyson, 25 years ago Tuesday (0:25 mark)


• What were the most shocking moments in NFL history, both on and off the field? (11:04 mark)


• Talk of gambling, both recreationally and professionally. You in? (20:04 mark)


• What would it take to get the NFL to sanction gambling? (27:27 mark)


All this and more as part of the Shutdown Corner Podcast. Listen via the player or via your preferred podcast downloader, and while you're listening ...


Subscribe via iTunes right here.


Non-iTunes subscription link here.


Leave us a nice review here.


The Shutdown Corner podcast is the product of Kevin Kaduk (@KevinKaduk), Frank Schwab (@YahooSchwab) and Jay Busbee (@JayBusbee). New episodes every week during the offseason, with bonus episodes when you least expect it. Enjoy!


____

Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.



And keep up with Jay over on Facebook, too.







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Sundowns blitz sinks Swallows

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Mamelodi Sundowns unleashed an avalanche of attack in the opening quarter on Moroka Swallows to cruise to a 4-1 at the Lucas Moripe Stadium.


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Pretoria – Defending Premiership champions Mamelodi Sundowns unleashed an avalanche of attack in the opening quarter on Moroka Swallows to cruise to a 4-1 at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Tuesday evening.


Sundowns came out guns blazing in the first half in search of a positive start to the New Year after a lukewarm first-half of the season. The Brazilians had a blistering passage of play that yielded four goals.


They opened the scoring through a header in the box from captain Alje Schut in the 13th minute after an accurate free-kick delivered Teko Modise.


A minute later it was striker Cuthbert Malajila's turn to score after being the recipient of cross from Anthony Laffor on the edge of the box.


Malajila completed his brace In the 21st minute with an easy tap-in after a square pass from Siyanda Zwane.


Having played a key role in much of the goals, Modise grabbed a goal of his own when Swallows goalkeeper Greg Etafia misjudged the midfield maestro's free-kick that wobbled into the back of the net in the 24th minute.


With four goals to the good, Sundowns were in cruise-control and with Swallows yet to pose any threat to the defence.


The industrious Laffor nicked the ball from Swallows defender Luvhengo Mungomeni and drove a powerful shot over an unconvincing Etafia in the 40th minute.


With seconds to go before the end of the first-half Mzikayise Mashaba in attempting an acrobatic clearance in the box fouled Felix Obada.


Winger Luyolo Nomandela on-loan at Swallows, converted the penalty with aplomb against his parent club to make it 4-1 at the interval.


In the second half Sundowns showed a thirst for more goals with Modise looking for his brace with a curling shot outside the box in the 52nd minute.


The Dube Birds came to life in the second half after a disappointing first half.


Swallows midfielder Lantshene Phalane fed a through ball to running Nomandela on the right flank, but his cross found no recipient on the end of it as it eluded every header in the box.


Sundowns midfielder Bongani Zungu in the defensive midfield position thwarted a counter-attack from Obada with a well-timed tackle in a dangerous position.


The Soweto club launched another attack on the Sundowns defence but Schut held firm with a clearance inside the box.


Sundowns were able to hold on for their ninth victory of the season much thanks to a comprehensive showing in the opening half. – Sapa






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Tuks battle past Chippa United

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The University of Pretoria claimed only their second home victory of the season, beating Chippa United 2-1 in a league clash.


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Pretoria – Atusaye Nyondo and Denver Mukamba netted either side of half-time as the University of Pretoria claimed only their second home victory of the season, beating Chippa United 2-1 in a league clash in Pretoria on Tuesday night.


Nyondo racked up his fifth Premiership goal of the season before Mukamba scored after half-time to hand Tuks three valuable points, taking them to eighth in the league standings after 18 games.


In their first game since the Premiership took a break in late December, both teams looked eager to get back into the swing of things, but it was Sammy Troughton's troops that came out on top, thanks to a composed performance from his strikers in particular, who looked hungry from the outset.


Taking charge of his first game since being hired in January, Ernst Middendorp had to watch on as his Chippa outfit fell to their eighth loss of the campaign, making a losing start to his tenure as Chilli Boys boss.


The hosts settled quicker and were in with the first of the early chances, with Mukamba trying his luck from distance twice in the space of six minutes.


Both, however, were straight at goalkeeper Mbongeni Mzimela.


Mzimela would have hoped for more of the same from the Tuks attackers, but with Geofrey Massa hitting the side-netting on 19


minutes and then threatening again soon after, it looked increasingly more unlikely that he would have a quiet night in goal.


His luck ran out 10 minutes before the break when a fierce long-range effort came flying in from Thabo Mosadi's thunderous left boot.


Mzimela parried the shot straight up into the air and struggled to get back to his feet, allowing Nyondo to swoop in and guide the ball over the line when it hardly needed a touch.


Tuks carried their lead into the half-time break and looked content to sit back and defend their advantage after the whistle for the second period.


Chippa, meanwhile, were hoping for better in front of goal, having managed just a single effort on goal in the entire first half, and a tame one at that.


An inspired half-time change from Middendorp saw Erick Chipeta come on for Siyabonga Zulu.


Chipeta, with his first touch of the ball, drew Chippa level after 53 minutes with a stunning header from Andile Mbenyane's free-kick.


Washington Arubi was beaten for pace and power as Chipeta scored his first ever goal for the Port Elizabeth outfit, giving Middendorp some welcome relief as he watched on nervously from the side.


But his joy was short-lived when, just four minutes later, Mukamba sent Tuks back in front with his first goal for the Pretoria team, where he is on loan from Wits.


Mukamba rounded-off expertly inside the box, clipping the inside of the post before the ball bulged Mzimela's net for a second time.


Middendorp made efforts late in the half to bolster his options in attack, but the former Bloemfontein Celtic tactician cut a frustrated figure on the side of the pitch, while his charges struggled to make any real impact in the dying minutes.


Mhlengi Cele somehow managed to bungle a shot with two minutes left on the clock, the ball refusing to go into the net after a goalmouth scramble with Arubi seemingly beaten and on the ground.


But that would be the last of the action as AmaTuks held on for dear life at the end, sealing the points in a game that only came to life in the dying embers.


For Tuks, a fifth game on the trot without defeat, which as eased the pressure after a poor start to the season which threatened to derail their entire season. – Sapa






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Van Gaal hits back at Allardyce

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Riled Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal waved a sheaf of statistics at reporters to refute suggestions that his direct tactics were turning the team into “long ball United”.


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London - Riled Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal waved a sheaf of statistics at reporters on Tuesday to refute suggestions that his direct tactics were turning the team into “long ball United”.


West Ham United manager Sam Allardyce had spoken out about United's “thump it forward and see what happens” approach in grabbing a stoppage-time equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Upton Park on Sunday.


Although no stranger to the route one approach, Allardyce hit a nerve and stung the volatile Van Gaal into a spirited response ahead of Wednesday's home Premier League match against Burnley.


Producing four pages of evidence, he questioned Allardyce's reasoning and suggested reporters copy the sheets and “then maybe you can go to Big Sam and he will get a good interpretation.”


“We are playing ball possession play and after 70 minutes (at West Ham) we don't succeed in spite of many chances in the second half, then I changed my playing style,” the Dutchman said.


“And then, of course, with the quality of (Marouane) Fellaini, we played more forward balls. We scored, so I think it was a very good decision of the manager.


“But, when you see overall the long balls, and what is the percentage of that, then West Ham United have played 71 percent of the long balls to the forwards and we 49 (percent).”


Gangly midfielder Fellaini came on as a late substitute against West Ham, with the Belgium international playing a central role in winning the aerial battles and disrupting the defence.


Van Gaal had acknowledged at the time that the introduction of Fellaini had changed the team's style of play but said it was warranted in the circumstances.


“You have to see the data and you have to put the data in the right context,” he said on Tuesday.


“When you have 60 percent ball possession, do you think that you can do that with long balls? Yes, long balls, in the width, to switch the play. You have to look at the data and then you will see we did play long balls, but long balls wide, rather than to the striker.


“A ball to the forward striker is mainly called long-ball play. Because I expected this question, I have made an interpretation of the data for this game and then I have to say that it is not a good interpretation from Big Sam.” – Reuters






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Bumper TV rights deal for Premier League

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Pay-TV group Sky has agreed to pay 4.2 billion pounds ($6.4 billion) to show 126 live English Premier League matches a season from 2016 to 2019.


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London - Pay-TV group Sky has agreed to pay 4.2 billion pounds ($6.4 billion) to show 126 live English Premier League matches a season from 2016 to 2019, smashing analysts' forecasts to beat fierce rival BT to the best games.


After one of the most high-profile broadcast auctions of recent times, the Premier League said that Sky had won five of the seven rights packages, including the most popular Sunday afternoon matches showing the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal.


With BT paying 960 million pounds to show 42 games a season, the two companies will shell out a combined 5.2 billion pounds over three years, well above the 4 billion pounds analysts had expected and a 68 percent rise on the current contract.


Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore said he was surprised by how much the matches had fetched, but he noted that the game was the beneficiary of the two media giants using football to draw and retain customers on their platforms for TV and broadband internet.


“These are huge companies doing huge things in a market that has gone way beyond football,” Scudamore told a press conference.


Sky, which is 39 percent-owned by Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox, has built its business around offering exclusive programming such as premium sports and drama to customers who it seeks to tie in to combined telephony and broadband packages.


But it has faced a far greater challenge in recent years, since the deep-pocketed BT copied its business model by buying up broadcast rights to attract customers to its new superfast broadband platform.


The 169-year-old telecoms company had already ramped up the pressure on Sky by winning the right to show all the live European Champions League matches for three years from the 2015/16 season, forcing Sky to up its game in the English auction to retain its position as a leading sports broadcaster.


Scudamore said the League had received a broad interest in its rights but would not say who else had bid to show the games, which feature world-class players such as Diego Costa, Robin van Persie and Alexis Sanchez.


After three days of bidding, Sky won the right to show matches on Sunday afternoons and early Saturday games, while BT will show Saturday evening matches.


“We went into the Premier League auction with a clear objective and are pleased to have secured the rights that we wanted,” Sky Chief Executive Jeremy Darroch said in a statement.


“Our strong performance across the board gives us financial strength and flexibility. We have a clear plan to absorb the cost of the new Premier League deal while delivering our financial plans.” – Reuters






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News sport : Steve Mason sidelined 2-3 weeks with lower-body injury

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The Philadelphia Flyers’ playoff hopes were already on thin ice. Sitting nine points behind the Boston Bruins for the final Eastern Conference wild card spot, destiny is not in their control.


On Sunday, those barely existent hopes took a blow when goaltender Steve Mason injured himself during a TV timeout. The prognosis? According to general manager Ron Hextall, he’ll be out 2-3 weeks with a “lower-body injury.”


Here’s how it happened:



It’s another tough break for Mason, who's now been injured three times in the last month and a half. He’s played well this season, given the defense in front of him. Currently, he's third in the NHL in even strength save percentage (.938) among goaltenders with at least 25 starts.


It’s now Ray Emery’s net for the time being and the Flyers have called up 2012 second-round pick Anthony Stolarz to backup.


Given the Flyers' position in the standings and Mason's value and injury history this season, shouldn't they just shut him down for the year?


From The 700 Level:


This isn’t the same situation when the Flyers last knew they probably weren’t going to make the playoffs back in 2013. Then, they played Mason, who had recently been acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets, a ton down the stretch over Ilya Bryzgalov because they needed to see what they had in a guy who just received his desperately needed change of scenery.

They know what they have in Mason this time around. They have a bona fide No.1 goalie they can’t risk having more damage done to before next season when a fresh slate is on the table and a new journey toward the Stanley Cup Playoffs begins.

It's a good thought. And knowing the Flyers' history with goaltenders, maybe let Mason get a few extra months in the healing process. The goalie graveyard in Philadelphia is already quite full.


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