Liverpool beat gritty Palace

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Seven-times FA Cup winners came from behind to book a place in the quarter-finals with victory at Crystal Palace.


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London - Alan Pardew's dream of reprising a celebrated 25-year-old FA Cup triumph was scuppered by Liverpool as the seven-times champions came from behind to book a place in the quarter-finals with a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace on Saturday.


This year's shock-laden competition had continued with second-tier Blackburn Rovers' 4-1 thrashing of Premier League Stoke City.


Yet Liverpool were determined not to become the latest illustrious victims as two second-half goals in nine minutes from Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana turned their fifth round tie around.


At Selhurst Park, the home fans had unveiled a vast banner of Palace manager Pardew in his playing heyday when the midfielder's most famous goal had knocked out the then mighty Liverpool in the 1990 Cup semi-final.


Once Frazier Campbell had put Palace ahead after 15 minutes, it even seemed as if their new boss might pen another high-flying Eagles' story. But goals from Sturridge after 49 minutes and Lallana (58) ruined the script.


Earlier, record signing Brown Ideye scored twice as West Bromwich Albion also progressed to the quarter-finals with an emphatic 4-0 victory against West Ham United at the Hawthorns.


So it was left to Championship side Blackburn to follow up the fourth round shocks, which saw Chelsea beaten by Bradford and Manchester City defeated by Middlesbrough, with a Josh King hat-trick inspiring their win over Stoke.


Peter Crouch gave Stoke a 10th minute lead but Blackburn restored parity with King's header after 36 minutes.


After Stoke's Geoff Cameron was dismissed for a last-man tackle, Rudy Gestede gave Blackburn the lead on the verge of halftime.


King fired home his second and Blackburn's third in the 50th minute before he raced clear of a lumbering Stoke defensive line to complete his hat-trick in the 55th minute.


Reading also sealed a place in the last eight with a 2-1 defeat of Derby County.


Liverpool are among the Premier League's 'big three' fancied to lift the trophy, with favourites Arsenal hosting Championship leaders Middlesbrough on Sunday and Manchester United visiting Preston North End on Monday.


Nigerian Ideye, signed from Dynamo Kiev in July but yet to shine, applied a simple finish to give West Brom a 20th-minute lead against West Ham and James Morrison added a second before the break with a stunning long-range strike.


Ideye headed his second, and fourth in his last three matches, in the 57th minute and Saido Berahino completed the rout after West Ham substitute Morgan Amalfitano was dismissed for a poor challenge and a shove to the face of Chris Brunt.


“Right now I am very happy for the team and for myself for the two goals today,” Ideye told BT Sport. “As you can see we were on top of the game from the goalkeeper to the attack.”


After a lively and even opening, the marauding Craig Dawson won possession in West Ham territory before rolling a perfect low cross into the path of Ideye who stroked home.


Craig Gardener came within inches of adding a stunning second but his rasping long-range shot shuddered against the bar with West Ham goalkeeper Adrian well beaten.


The hosts did not have to wait long to double their lead when Morrison added a spectacular second in the 42nd minute.


West Ham's Mark Noble surrendered possession and Morrison was allowed space on the edge of the box before letting fly with an unstoppable thunderbolt.


The hosts continued their dominance after the break and Ideye generated great power and placement from a standing start to head home Stephane Sessegnon's deflected cross.


Substitute Amalfitano was brought on in the 60th minute but stupidly got a red card when he followed a rash challenge with a petulant shove in the face of Brunt.


West Ham's misery was compounded when Berahino fired in from an acute angle for his fifth goal in three FA Cup appearances this season. – Reuters






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Chiefs struggle against minnows

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Kaizer Chiefs CAF Champions 2015 League dream got off to the worst possible start when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Township Rollers of Botswana at the FNB Stadium.


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Johannesburg – Kaizer Chiefs CAF Champions 2015 League dream got off to the worst possible start when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Township Rollers of Botswana at the FNB Stadium on Saturday night.


A goal through Matthew Rusike in the sixth minute sent good signals that Amakhosi were about to make their dreams clear in a competition they never previously taken seriously.


But when the visitors' Boy Buries slammed home the equaliser into the bottom-right corner with a clinical left foot in the 47th minutes, it was clear how much Chiefs needed to apply themselves if they were to triumph with the second round coming in a fortnight time in Botswana.


With Kingston Nkhatha having left a void in Chiefs' striking force, Bernard Parker was not helpful as he missed two glaring chances in a space of two minutes to the dismay of his fans in the first half.


By bringing skipper Itumeleng Khune and Rusike into the fray, Chiefs looked like a side ready to dismantle Rollers. But as they fluffed and puffed despite a resounding opening, coach Stuart Baxter should be worried with the league and the Champions League to play for.


Despite bringing in Mandla Masango and George Maluleka for George Lebese and Siphiwe Tshabalala early in the second half, Chiefs failed dismally to take charge of the game.


And when Parker missed a sitter in the 61st minute after a nice interchange play from evergreen Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Baxter got the message that the CAF Champions League is not for the faint-hearted.


The visitors, who must be commended for their sterling defensive tactics, hoping to kill off the game at home in two weeks, brought in South African born Manqoba Ngwenya to intimidate Chiefs defence marshalled by reliable Erick Mathoho and Tefu Mashamaite.


Following their inspiring goalless draw against Bloemfontein Celtic on Wednesday to stretch their unbeaten record to 18 league matches, Amakhosi's 2015 dream is under siege unless they start reproducing their indomitable performances that made them the team to beat.


With a fighting spirit such as they displayed in Johannesburg, Rollers will be confident of a rare win when they meet again in Botswana. – Sapa






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News sport : South Carolina four-star DE signee arrested for petit larceny

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Shameik Blackshear (via Rivals) South Carolina signee Shameik Blackshear was arrested Friday at Bluffton High School following an incident where he’s accused of stealing a purse and a safe from a home on Feb. 7.


According to a Bluffton Police Department spokesman Maj. Joe Manning, the victim and two other witnesses saw Blackshear take the items from the home. The contents of the purse and safe were valued at $1,390.


Blackshear was charged with one count of petit larceny.


He was taken to Beaufort County Detention Center and held overnight and released Saturday morning on a $1,092.50 personal recognizance bond.


South Carolina said it was aware of the incident and that it was waiting for the legal process to work out. Blackshear has a scheduled court date for March 3.


Blackshear was a four-star defensive end, who was rated as the No. 5 player in the state of South Carolina. Blackshear, who was the Gamecocks first signee of the 2015 class, missed parts of the past two seasons with injuries, including a torn ACL he suffered last September.


For more South Carolina news, visit GamecockCentral.com.


- - - - - - -


Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!


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News sport : Denzel Valentine gives Michigan State a win it badly needed

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It might take awhile for Denzel Valentine’s smile to subside.

The hometown product drained a 3-pointer with 3.2 seconds for Michigan State on Saturday to break a tie game and ultimately beat No. 23 Ohio State 59-56. Valentine raced around a screen at the top of the arc, caught a pass and let the game-winner fly. It found the bottom of the net to the delight of thousands clad in white and coach Tom Izzo.


Ohio State had a chance to tie with 3.2 seconds left but turned the ball over on the inbounds pass. The Buckeyes nearly won the game despite going 8 minutes, 42 seconds at the end of the first half and beginning of the second half without making a field goal.


The Buckeyes clawed back to regain the lead with 5:19 remaining but they couldn’t hold off the Spartans who probably needed this one worse facing a daunting schedule down the stretch of the regular season.


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Michigan State must play four of its final six on the road, including trips to rival Michigan, Illinois and No. 5 Wisconsin and the regular season finale at Indiana. The Spartans have won three of their five Big Ten road games this season and lost one by two points.


So going on the road four times over the next month doesn’t necessarily mean bad outcomes are waiting, but Michigan State is definitely in a better position having won Saturday.


The game figured to be a nail-biter. It was the seventh time in the past eight meetings the game was decided by four points or less.


Four Ohio State starters scored in double figures, but coach Thad Matta got only three points from his bench.


Valentine scored a game-high 17 for the Spartans thanks to his clutch shot at the end. Branden Dawson scored 15 and Izzo got 20 combined points off the bench from Matt Costello, Travis Trice and Marvin Clark Jr.


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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 : Dikembe Mutombo, John Calipari headline finalists for Hall of Fame 2015 class

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Dikembe Mutombo speaks during the Hall of Fame announcement at Madison Square Garden. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports) NEW YORK — The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 15 finalists for enshrinement in the Hall's Class of 2015 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, with four-time Defensive Player of the Year Dikembe Mutombo headlining the list of prospective honorees with NBA ties.


“To me, it’s like a dream come true," said Mutombo, whose illustrious 18-year career included eight All-Star berths — three with the Denver Nuggets, four with the Atlanta Hawks and one with the Philadelphia 76ers — as well as stints with the New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks and Houston Rockets. "Being from Africa, who would have ever thought that my name would have been called to the Basketball Hall of Fame? I never dreamed of playing basketball to reach this level."


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Joining Mutombo among NBA-related candidates to make the final cut are 39-year veteran NBA referee Dick Bavetta, former New Jersey Nets and current University of Kentucky head coach John Calipari, longtime NBA coach and two-time Coach of the Year Bill Fitch, seven-time All-Star and former Boston Celtics great Jo Jo White, five-time All-Star point guard Tim Hardaway, four-time All-Star big man Spencer Haywood and three-time All-Star lead guard-turned-mayor of Sacramento Kevin Johnson.


Hardaway, Haywood and Johnson have made the final round before; it's the first time for the others, including Calipari, who took a few moments away from his pursuit of a perfect season with his No. 1-ranked Wildcats to express his gratitude at being named a finalist:





Other finalists for enshrinement include Lisa Leslie, a three-time WNBA Most Valuable Player, two-time WNBA champion and four-time Olympic gold medalist who was the first player to dunk in a WNBA game; longtime University of Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan, who won four NCAA Division III national championships as the head coach of UW-Platteville; Robert Hughes, who won a record 1,333 games during a long career as a boys' high-school coach in Texas; and Leta Andrews, who surpassed Hughes' mark with 1,416 wins during 52 years of coaching girls' high-school ball in the Lone Star State.


Finalists need to receive 18 of 24 votes from the Hall's Honors Committee to earn election, so it's not yet certain which of the 15 announced Saturday will make the final cut. If Mutombo's one of them, though, he's left absolutely no mystery as to how he'll celebrate.



The Hall on Saturday also announced five "direct-elect" enshrinees in the Class of 2015, led by former Boston Celtics coach and longtime team color commentator Tommy Heinsohn, who was inducted as a player back in 1986, making him one of only four people — along with John Wooden, Lenny Wilkens and Bill Sharman — to be inducted as both a player and a coach.


He'll be joined by Louie Dampier, the ABA's all-time leader in points, assists, minutes and games played; John "Wonder Boy" Isaacs, who played for the legendary, barrier-breaking all-black Harlem Renaissance in the 1930s and '40s and helped pioneer the motion offense; Australian playing and coaching legend Lindsay Gaze; and George Raveling, former Washington State and Iowa head coach George Raveling, who now serves as the director of international basketball for Nike.


The Hall announced Saturday that longtime former player, coach and executive Rod Thorn, who now serves as the league's president of basketball operations, will receive the Hall's John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award, and that photographer Rich Clarkson and University of North Carolina broadcaster Woody Durham will receive the Hall's Curt Gowdy Award.


The final Class of 2015 will be announced on Monday, April 6, before the NCAA Men’s Championship game, and will be enshrined in the Hall in Springfield, Mass., on Sept. 10 and 11.


2015 NBA All-Star Game coverage from Yahoo Sports:



- - - - - - -


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 : Report: Yankees offer up Stadium as A-Rod's next apology tour venue

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The Alex Rodriguez apology tour has already made stops at MLB headquarters in New York and the Yankees offices, where he met with owner Hal Steinbrenner, team president Randy Levine and general manager Brian Cashman on Feb. 10. Where will it go next? As of that face-to-face meeting, the Yankees were anticipating some sort of press conference or video apologizing to the fans for his actions. Should he go with the press conference, they were happy to offer up Yankee Stadium as the venue.


This according to Teri Thompson, Bill Madden, and Nathaniel Vinton, who each contributed to the latest New York Daily News A-Rod update. Of course, they're quick to point out the offer is about far more than the Yankees simply being kind. They want to do everything they can to lessen the circus that will undoubtedly surround A-Rod once he reports to spring training site in Tampa. Honestly, it's not likely this gesture would make a difference, but you had to expect they'd try.


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At this time, A-Rod has yet to respond to the offer. No public apology appears to be in the works either, but it's the hope of league officials that A-Rod will take that step before returning to the field.


“He owes it to the Yankees fans who are paying money to see him play next year to explain himself,” one baseball official told The News. “They deserve an explanation.”

And just how extensive should that explanation be?


Some observers also believe that if Rodriguez hopes someday to be voted into the Hall of Fame, he would need to explain his admitted steroid use and his role in Biogenesis, one of the most damaging drug scandals in the game’s history.

That would be a lot to get off his chest and a lot for fans to absorb. The timing probably wouldn't be the best either, regardless of location, as it would undoubtedly create a new line of questions and therefore a new line of distractions heading into camp. With that said though, the sooner he does come forward with his explanation, the sooner people might consider moving on, so it would be quite interesting to see how far he would go with it.


Again, as of right now there are no plans set in stone for A-Rod to meet with the media or address the fans, which probably has the Yankees pretty nervous. However, with position players not scheduled to report until Feb. 26, there's still time for their preferred resolution.


More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:



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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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Blackburn Rovers stun Stoke

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Second-tier Blackburn Rovers reached the FA Cup quarter-finals by coming from behind to beat 10-man Stoke City .


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Norway striker Josh King scored a hat-trick as second-tier Blackburn Rovers reached the FA Cup quarter-finals by coming from behind to beat 10-man Stoke City 4-1 on Saturday.


Stoke manager Mark Hughes saw his side take a 10th-minute lead against his former club at Ewood Park when Peter Crouch volleyed home at a corner, only for King to head in an equaliser in the 36th minute.


After Geoff Cameron was sent off for holding King back, Rudy Gestede put Blackburn in front with a penalty on the stroke of half-time before King completed his treble with quick-fire goals early in the second period.


Earlier, Brown Ideye continued his fine recent form by scoring twice as West Bromwich Albion beat a woeful West Ham United 4-0 at The Hawthorns to also reach the last eight.


The Nigeria striker, West Brom's £10 million ($15.2 million, 13.4 million euros) record signing, scored either side of a 25-yard strike from James Morrison to take his tally to four goals in three games.


West Ham substitute Morgan Amalfitano was sent off after shoving Chris Brunt in the face and Saido Berahino added a fourth to rubber-stamp West Brom's progress to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2008.


“It was a good performance and we're very pleased, but there's still a long way to go in the league and we need that bit of luck with the next draw,” West Brom manager Tony Pulis told BT Sport.


“Brown Ideye was fantastic. He is scoring goals and that takes the weight off your shoulders, and he looks a good player.”


Five-time winners West Brom have now won five of the eight matches since Alan Irvine was succeeded as manager by Pulis, who is bidding to emulate his achievement of guiding Stoke City to the final in 2011.


Blackburn and West Brom were joined in the quarter-finals by Reading, who won 2-1 at fellow Championship side Derby County courtesy of a late strike by former Portsmouth, Middlesbrough and Everton striker Yakubu.


Liverpool tackle Crystal Palace later on Saturday, when Brendan Rodgers's side will attempt to arrest a run of six games without victory at Selhurst Park.


Holders Arsenal host Middlesbrough on Sunday, while third-tier giant-killers Bradford City, conquerors of Premier League leaders Chelsea in round four, take on Sunderland at Valley Parade.


Manchester United face a third consecutive tie against lower-league opposition on Monday when they visit third-division Preston North End. – AFP






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Pirates ease past Stars

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Orlando Pirates good form under interim coach EricTinkler continued on Saturday as they beat Platinum Stars in a Premiership match.


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Johannesburg – Orlando Pirates fairytale under interim coach EricTinkler continued on Saturday as they beat Platinum Stars 2-0 in a Premiership match at the Royal Bafokeng Stadiu m.


Goals through Lehlohonolo Majoro in the 45th minute – his seventh of the season – and from substitute Lennox Bacela at the death, gave the Sea Robbers something to brag about as they recorded their second successive win in 2015.


As for Stars, the writing is on the wall for Coach Allen Freeze as they have now collected a solitary point out of a possible six at home to remain 15th on 18 points after 18 matches.


The win sees Bucs occupying position four with 32 points, 15 behind runaway leaders Kaizer Chiefs.


But a moment of madness in the 62nd minute saw Majoro's go from hero to villain when he was red-carded for stamping on winger Makudubela and there is no doubt that Pirates will miss his Midas touch in front of goals.


Compact and playing as a unit, the visitors showed grit and hunger as they passed the ball around with ease and when Issa Sarr's header went inches wide, it was clear how much Pirates have improved under Tinkler.


But Stars were not to be undone as former Bucs striker Ndumiso Mabena nearly gave them the lead when his shot when inches wide with keeper Brighton Mhlongo at his mercy.


Rampant and in mean mood, Majoro, looking for his second successive goal was unlucky to hit the side netting from a Sifiso Myeni pass in the 37th minute.


Expected to correct the wrongs of their previous game against Mpumalanga Black Aces at home that ended in a disappointing draw, Stars allowed Pirates captain Oupa Manyisa enough space to cleverly locate Majoro in the 45th minute.


The hosts started the second half with clear intentions but winger Mogakolodi Ngele's well-taken free-kick could not beat the visitors' keeper Brighton Mhlongo in the 58th minute.


Pirates' crowd favourate Thabo Rakhale came in for an out of sorts Thabo Qalinge two minutes later but instead of surging forward, the winger was forced to play too deep following Majoro's moment of unprofessionalism.


When Bacela benefitted from Manyisa's unselfish play to score his third goal of the season, it was clear how much Tinkler wanted to be installed coach by Khoza at the end of the season. – Sapa






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News sport : Utah QB Travis Wilson cuts his locks for kids with cancer (Photo)

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We’re a little late on this story, but it was still worth noting…


Utah quarterback Travis Wilson will be sporting a new look this spring after cutting off his shoulder-length hair and donating it to the Jesse Rees Foundation. The foundation helps children and their parents with emotional and final support while fighting cancer.



Wilson paired with the foundation last year after hearing about it while he was coaching at Elite 11 camp in the summer.


During the Utes 2014 season opener against Idaho State, Wilson and the team invited 6-year-old Matthew Burr to serve as an honorary captain. Burr joined the Ute Walk to the stadium before the game, he was on the field for the coin toss and received a T-shirt and a signed football.


Wilson told the Salt Lake Tribune after the game that he hoped to bring other kids out for similar opportunities.


Wilson isn't the first quarterback to donate his hair to a cancer charity. Former quarterback Jordan Wynn, who is now the quarterbacks coach at Hawaii, also donated his hair in honor of his late grandmother, who died from the disease.


For more Utah news, visit Utezone.com.


- - - - - - -


Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!


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Chippa, Maritzburg in stalemate

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Chippa United and Maritzburg United both continued their poor form, playing to a 1-1 draw in their mid-table Premiership clash.


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Johannesburg – Chippa United and Maritzburg United both continued their poor form on Saturday, playing to a 1-1 draw in their mid-table Premiership clash at Wolfson Stadium in Kwazakhele.


Both sides fluffed chances within the first half-hour, with George Akpabio firing a header wide for the Chilli Boys and Nhlanhla Vilakazi blasting an attempt wide to the right for the Team of Choice.


Akpabio found the breakthrough in the 36th minute, however, when he was set up by Gert Barends and hit the back of the net.


Vilakazi was in the thick of things again on the hour mark, in search of the equaliser, but his effort was saved by Chippa shot stopper Mbongeni Mzimela.


Maritzburg continued to push forward and they eventually levelled the scores with 15 minutes left in the game through Ghanaian striker Mohammed Anas.


With an opportunity to regain their advantage a few minutes later, Andile Mbenyane's shot for the Chilli Boys was denied by Maritzburg keeper Virgil Vries who produced a finger-tip save.


Faced with the last real attempt of the match, Mxolisi Ntshingila was wayward for Chippa in the dying stages as the teams settled for a share of the points.


Both sides stretched their winless streaks to six successive league fixtures as they continued to struggle in their attempts to lift themselves clear of a tight mid-table battle. – Sapa






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Sherwood named new Villa boss

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Aston Villa have appointed former Tottenham Hotspur manager Tim Sherwood as their new boss until the end of the 2018 season.


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London - Struggling Aston Villa have appointed former Tottenham Hotspur manager Tim Sherwood as their new boss until the end of the 2018 season, the Premier League club said on Saturday.


Sherwood, 46, replaces Paul Lambert who was sacked by the Midlands club after they were beaten 2-0 against fellow strugglers Hull City on Tuesday, their fifth successive league defeat.


Goal-shy Villa, who have scored just 12 times in 25 Premier League games this season, are 18th in the table having won none of their previous 10 games.


“It is a great honour to manage one of the biggest clubs in English football. I can't wait to get started and I'm really looking forward to the challenge,” Sherwood said in a statement on the club website (www.avfc.co.uk).


Tom Fox, Aston Villa chief executive said: “Randy and I are really pleased that Tim has decided to join the club.


“Tim had a fantastic career at Tottenham, not only in his brief spell as first-team manager but, just as importantly, in the role he played in developing young talent.


“We are determined to build a football operation with a long-term vision and a commitment to youth development.


“We strongly believe Tim has the qualities to get the best out of our current squad and help us build and develop for the future.”


Villa, who have 13 games to preserve their record as an ever-present in the Premier League, host bottom-of-the-table Leicester City in the FA Cup on Sunday. – Reuters






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Baggies hammer West Ham

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A resurgent Brown Ideye scored twice as West Bromwich Albion progressed to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup with an emphatic 4-0 victory against West Ham United.


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London - A resurgent Brown Ideye scored twice as West Bromwich Albion progressed to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup with an emphatic 4-0 victory against West Ham United at the Hawthorns on Saturday.


Ideye applied a simple finish to give West Brom a 20th-minute lead and James Morrison added a second before the break with a stunning long-range strike.


Ideye headed his second, and fourth in his last three matches, in the 57th minute and Saido Berahino completed the rout after West Ham substitute Morgan Amalfitano had been dismissed for a poor challenge and aggressive shove to the face of Chris Brunt.


Later on Saturday Liverpool travel to Crystal Palace, Stoke City visit Blackburn Rovers and Derby County host Reading in an all Championship (second tier) tie. – Reuters






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Paulista poised to make Arsenal debut

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New signing Gabriel Paulista could make his Arsenal debut in Sunday's FA Cup fifth-round tie against Middlesbrough.


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London - New signing Gabriel Paulista's English is still “a problem” according to manager Arsene Wenger but the Brazilian defender could make his Arsenal debut in Sunday's FA Cup fifth-round tie against Middlesbrough.


The 24-year-old who joined the Gunners from Spanish side Villarreal last month for a reported 11.3 million pounds ($17.1 million) is yet to make his debut.


After his arrival Wenger said the language barrier could cost his side goals and is yet to be convinced that the problem has been alleviated.


“Look, it is a problem,” Wenger told reporters. “When you don't speak English and you don't understand, 'Come out, come back, right, left'.


“It is a problem for a defender. You need to know the key words. 'Referee! Offside! Foul!


“But he has the physicality and motivation. He has an opportunity to show that now.”


German World Cup-winning defender Per Mertesacker is expected to be rested when holders Arsenal host the Championship leaders at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, opening up a gap for Gabriel.


He was an unused substitute in Arsenal's last three matches and has struggled to break the settled partnership of Mertesacker and France international Laurent Koscielny.


Wenger cited the pressure on modern day players as his reluctance to play Gabriel but said his lack of English could be advantageous in terms of not reading press criticism.


“The players are always under tremendous pressure because everything they do is analysed by the pundits and the press,” Wenger added.


“The modern player has to live with that - resistance to stress has to be stronger than it was 10 years ago.


“He will not read the press. He will just focus on his game - that is one of the advantages.” – Reuters






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Van Gaal unsure of what system to play

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Louis van Gaal admits he is no closer to discovering Manchester United’s best formation after seven months at Old Trafford.


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Louis van Gaal admits he is no closer to discovering Manchester United’s best formation after seven months at Old Trafford.


The Dutchman has reverted to a back four in recent games — despite confessing it leaves him ‘twitching my a***’ — and has come under fire for playing striker Wayne Rooney in a deeper role


.Asked if he knows his best system, the United boss said: ‘No, I don’t think so, and that’s also the difficulty of this system. I have played five or six systems and I’m still looking for the balance. But results are not bad and we’re scoring goals.’


Paul Scholes has become the latest former United player to criticise Van Gaal’s side, saying that watching United is ‘miserable’.Van Gaal’s response was: ‘I don’t worry about that. It’s not so interesting. Scholes is one of the fans and fans can criticise us, not a problem.’ Van Gaal admitted United were lucky to beat Burnley in midweek and warned they will go out of the FA Cup if they play as badly again at Preston in their fifth-round tie on Monday.– Daily Mail






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News sport : Andrew Wiggins wins BBVA Rising Stars MVP as World beats USA, 121-112

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NEW YORK — Barclays Center seems to agree with Andrew Wiggins.


The first time he was here, back in June, the Cleveland Cavaliers made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft and, just as important, he earned top marks in the unofficial rookie fashion show. For his second trip, in November, after the blockbuster trade that made him a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves, he scored 17 points on 12 shots and grabbed four rebounds in a road win over the Brooklyn Nets.


And now, in his third visit, he won the first Most Valuable Player award of a career that gets brighter by the day.


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Wiggins scored 22 points in 23 minutes on 8-for-11 shooting, adding six rebounds, four assists, a block and a steal to lead the World team to a 121-112 win over the USA in Friday's rebooted international incident of a Rising Stars Challenge. After receiving his MVP trophy from TNT's Rachel Nichols — a trophy that his Timberwolves teammate-turned-Friday night adversary Zach LaVine dutifully polished to begin their shared postgame media availability — Wiggins made a point of shouting out his home and native land:



Wiggins took top honors in a breezy but balanced contest that saw 13 first- and second-year players score in double figures, thanks in large part to impressive finishes like this finish of a long-distance alley-oop from Atlanta Hawks point guard Dennis Schröder:



... and this nice-and-easy reverse 360 throwdown on the break:



For quite a while, though, his Wolves teammate LaVine matched him step for step, sending a charge through the somewhat laconic Barclays crowd by throwing this slick yo-yo-style cut dribble in the paint and finishing with a flourish:



"In practice, you know, we go at each other just the same we did out there," said LaVine, who tied Victor Oladipo for the U.S. team lead with 22 points, hitting nine of his 11 attempts, including a pair of triples, to go with four rebounds, two assists and a steal in 21 minutes. "One day, he might have — if we scrimmage, he might have 20; one day I might have 20 [...] It goes up and down like that. But we compete like we did out there in practice every day."


LaVine's weekend is just getting started, as he'll be back under the bright lights on Saturday night to compete in the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest. According to Wiggins, we should be ready for something special.


"You guys are in for a surprise. Trust me — it's going to be crazy," he said, smiling ear to ear. "I can't say nothing [about what LaVine's got planned]. Just know: I almost fainted. I never seen a dunk like that. I've never witnessed it live before in my life."


No pressure, Zach.


U.S. forward Shabazz Muhammad (10 points, five rebounds, one assist, one block) and World center Gorgui Dieng (14 points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals, one block) also acquitted themselves well on a night that indicated just how much young talent Flip Saunders and company have to work with in Minneapolis.


"Me and Zach, Shabazz, AB [Anthony Bennett] and Gorgui, Glenn [Robinson III], we're growing better every day," Wiggins said after the game. "We're getting better as a unit every day."


"It just shows the future [...] It shows us rising."


"Rising" was, of course, the order of the day in a game typically dominated by alley-oop flushes and unmolested drives through the paint. One player who didn't get the "no defense" memo, though, was Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert.


The 7-foot-2 Frenchman has made a name for himself in the early stages of this season as a shot-swatting menace. (It's a pretty great name, too: "The Stifle Tower.") He brought his penchant for rim protection to bear on Friday, much to the chagrin of Philadelphia 76ers big man Nerlens Noel, before turning defense into offense:



... and even, at one point in the early going, doing it all himself by taking the ball the length of the floor for a slam:



Clearly, everybody else did get the no-defense memo.


LaVine and Jazz point guard Trey Burke kept the U.S. in it during the final few minutes, but the World pulled away late thanks to strong play from Wiggins and Gobert. They sealed the deal by grabbing a loose ball after Gobert blocked an attempt by Nets big man Mason Plumlee, racing down the court and hammering home a surprisingly heavy dunk past the day-late-and-dollar-short defense of the Detroit Pistons' Kentavious Caldwell-Pope:



Chicago Bulls power forward Nikola Mirotic chipped in 16 points and made four of six 3-pointers for the World. Nets swingman Bojan Bogdanovic added 16 points in 17 1/2 minutes on his home court. Burke finished with 17 points and four assists for the U.S.


In the end, though, Barclays belonged to Wiggins, the young Wolf who's slowly but surely learning how to hunt for himself, and who made a major impression on the two mean coaching on Friday night.


"What a fantastic talent," said Atlanta Hawks assistant coach Kenny Atkinson, who led the World team. "He's so versatile. Athletic, obviously. Can shoot. I mean, he has a world of talent, and it's exciting. When you coach an athlete like that, a first pick, it's like, 'Wow.' [...] You know, we're in the NBA every day, and we see a lot of talented players. But sometimes you can see the guys that really can surprise you. And he's one of those guys."


"I think we've got rearrange this game," said Alvin Gentry of the Golden State Warriors, who coached Team USA. "I think it should be North American against the World. Then that way, we get Canada. If we get Canada, we have Wiggins on our team."


2015 NBA All-Star Game coverage from Yahoo Sports:



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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!



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