Suarez set for Anfield return

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,,,,,

Luis Suarez will return to Anfield later this month with a host of former Liverpool and other stars for a unique charity match.


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Luis Suarez will return to Anfield later this month with a host of former Liverpool and other stars for a unique charity match.


The game, organised by the Liverpool FC Foundation, will see Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher each captain a side they have selected.


Players involved in the March 29 fixture include Barcelona’s Suarez, Fernando Torres, Pepe Reina, Dirk Kuyt, Xabi Alonso, Thierry Henry, John Terry and Didier Drogba.


Some Liverpool first-teamers and academy players will also feature.


Proceeds raised from the event will help fund the foundation’s community programmes, which benefit young people and adults throughout the city.


STEVEN Gerrard may not be the key to Liverpool’s success any more. This season, they have won 40.9 per cent of their 22 league matches with Gerrard, but without him they have won all six, including Wednesday’s clash with Burnley (see table right).


WithWithout


Gerrard Gerrard


22 Games6


9 Wins6


6 Draws0


7 Losses0


28 Goals For14


1.3 Goals per game2.3


28 Goals Against2


1.3 Goals Against0.3


per game


40.9 Win %100


1.5 Pts per game3 – Daily Mail






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News sport : Blazers' Wesley Matthews leaves game with left ankle injury

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The Portland Trail Blazers may be facing the loss of one of their key players for the rest of the regular season and beyond. Shooting guard Wesley Matthews, a pending free agent and the franchise's career leader in made three-pointers, suffered an apparent left leg injury with 10:10 remaining in the third quarter of Thursday night's game against the Dallas Mavericks. While the Blazers have not yet released a diagnosis, the early indications are not good.


Matthews went down while catching the ball and attempting to drive to the basket in transition. Replays show his left leg buckling as he planted it, without any other contact, after which he fell to the ground in pain. Matthews immediately grabbed the area around his left ankle and heel. He attempted to get up a few seconds later before lying down on his back and putting his hands over his heads. You can watch the scene here:





The Blazers announced several minutes later that Matthews would be ruled out for the rest of the game:



TNT sideline reporter Rebecca Haarlow reported that she heard Matthews bang a table loudly in the dressing room. She also said that Blazers owner Paul Allen left the locker room shortly thereafter shaking his head.


The circumstances of the injury have compelled many observers to wonder if Matthews suffered a torn Achilles tendon, which would keep him out for the rest of the season and require a lengthy rehabilitation process. That would be a nightmare scenario for both the Blazers and Matthews, who has looked set to sign a lucrative contract as an unrestricted free agent this summer.


Even a more minor injury would be problematic for Portland. Although he does not have the national profile of other players, Matthews is one of the top two-way guards in the NBA and an excellent outside shooter. His 173 three-pointers rank fourth in the league for 2014-15, and he broke Terry Porters' all-time franchise despite playing in just his fifth season with the Blazers. Matthews has also been one of the most durable players in basketball — he has missed only 13 games over his entire career, all during the 2012-13 campaign.


The Blazers went on to beat the Mavericks 94-75, holding the visitors to 37.5 percent shooting from the field and 2-of-16 from beyond the arc. Nicolas Batum led the way with 15 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, and a block.


At 41-19 and third place in the highly competitive West, Portland can ill afford to lose such a major player for a significant amount of time. The Blazers have a capable replacement for Matthews in recently acquired veteran Arron Afflalo, but they brought him in to improve a very thin bench, not as an insurance policy. All-Star power forward LaMarcus Aldridge is already playing through a torn ligament in his left thumb — an injury that had threatened to keep him out for several months — and the team was forced to play without Robin Lopez for roughly six weeks while he recovered from a broken hand.


We will provide updates on Matthews's status when more information becomes available.


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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at efreeman_ysports@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Davidson proving doubters wrong as it moves into first place in A-10

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Davidson's Brian Sullivan celebrates his 3-pointer against Virginia Commonwealth during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Davidson, N.C., Thursday, March 5, 2015. (AP Photo/Bob Leverone) Davidson coach Bob McKillop is giving Dayton's Archie Miller a run for his money when it comes to the best coaching job of the season in the A-10.


[DraftKings: Play March Madness Fantasy College Hoops. $20 Entry. $20,000 Guaranteed Cash Prizes.]


The award is likely to go to Miller, who had to overcome losing his two best big men, but McKillop deserves some consideration with the remarkable job he has done guiding the Wildcats to within one win of at least a share of the A-10 regular season title in their first season in the conference.


Davidson dominated VCU, the team expected to win the conference back in the preseason, on Thursday with hot shooting and strong guard play handling VCU's havoc in a 82-55 win.


The Wildcats are once again looking like that mid-major team no one is going to want to see in the postseason.


Davidson earned its eighth consecutive win and is positioning itself for an NCAA tournament bid in a season in which it was widely predicted to finish at or near the bottom of the conference. The Wildcats close the regular season on Saturday at Duquesne. A win in that game combined with a Dayton loss at La Salle would give McKillop and his team and outright regular-season championship. The Wildcats will earn the No. 1 seed in next week's confernece tournament if they win their finale because they hold the tiebreaker over Dayton. .


Davidson is one of the best offensive teams in the nation and it showed in its ability to handle VCU's high pressure defense. The Wildcats lost at VCU 71-65 in early January but avenged that defeat by making 11 3-pointers on Tuesday and shooting 50 percent in the game. The Wildcats had 20 assists on 29 made field goals.


Five players scored in double figures for the Wildcats, led by guard Tyler Kalinoski who finished with 22. Kalinoski combined with backcourt mates Brian Sullivan and Jack Gibbs to make nine 3-pointers and score 48 points.


- - - - - - -


[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 : Cubs honor Ernie Banks with special No. 14 hats

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(AP Photo)

The Chicago Cubs opened Cactus League play on Thursday with two split-squad games and they did so with Ernie Banks on their minds and Mr. Cub surely there in spirit. Banks, a beloved and culturally important figure in Chicago, died in January at the age of 83.


In both games, Cubs players took the field sporting blue hats with a big No. 14 on the front.




[Yahoo Sports Fantasy Baseball: Sign up and join a league today!]


The special caps were just one of the special nods the franchise prepared to honor Mr. Cub on Thursday. Before the game against the Athletics at the Cubs' facility in Mesa, Ariz., there was a pregame video tribute and a moment of silence. Banks' No. 14 was also mowed into the grass in center field.


The Cubs will continue to wear a patch on their uniforms in memory of Banks throughout the 2015 season, and there are many more tributes to come for the Chicago legend this summer.


More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:





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Israel Fehr is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him at israelfehr@yahoo.ca or follow him on Twitter.






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News sport : Dunk City will not return to the NCAA tournament this March

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Bernard Thompson's college career ended Thursday night in the cruelest fashion imaginable.


The Florida Gulf Coast senior missed the potential game-tying free throw with 1.4 seconds left in the Atlantic Sun semifinals, condemning the second-seeded Eagles to a heartbreaking 63-62 loss to third-seeded South Carolina Upstate.


FGCU trailed by three points in the dying seconds of regulation when Thompson zoomed up court and drew a foul attempting a top of the key 3-pointer. Thompson calmly made the first two foul shots for his 24th and 25th points of the night, but his third attempt was inches long and caromed off the back rim as time expired.


The missed free throw sent South Carolina Upstate to the Atlantic Sun title game to face top-seeded North Florida. It also ensured FGCU will not have a chance to reenact its swashbuckling 2013 NCAA tournament run when it upset Georgetown and San Diego State, earned the moniker 'Dunk City' and became the first No. 15 seed to reach the Sweet 16.


The last two remaining rotation players from that team are Thompson and point guard Brett Comer, both of whom were brilliant on Thursday. Thompson sank five 3-pointers and Comer scored 15 points and added seven assists, but they did not get enough help from their teammates.


Now Thompson and Comer may have played their last game in an FGCU uniform. All the Eagles (22-10, 11-3) can hope for is a berth in a lesser postseason tournament.


(Thanks for the video, Naples Daily News)


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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : NASCAR: Kurt Busch still suspended despite lack of charges

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NASCAR said Thursday afternoon that Kurt Busch is still indefinitely suspended despite the Delaware Department of Justice announcing that it wouldn't press criminal charges against the driver regarding an allegation of domestic assault.


"NASCAR is aware of the Delaware Department of Justice announcement today regarding driver Kurt Busch," a statement said. "As we disclosed Monday, he has accepted the terms and conditions of a reinstatement program and is activelly participating in the program. Kurt Busch's eligibility for reinstatement will continue to be governed by that program and the NASCAR Rule Book, though the elimination of the possibility of criminal charges certainly removes a significant impediment to his reinstatement."


The sanctioning body hasn't publicly said what the timeline for Busch's reinstatement would be either before or after the announcement of no charges.


Earlier Thursday, the Delaware DOJ said there wasn't enough evidence to satisfy the burden of proof in the allegations by Busch's ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll. She said Busch had slammed her head against the wall of her motorhome multiple times.


NASCAR indefinitely suspended Busch on Friday, Feb. 20 after the county commissioner assigned to the request for a protection order hearing between Driscoll and Busch said that Busch had more likely than not committed an act of domestic abuse against Driscoll. The commissioner had granted Driscoll a protection order against Busch earlier in the week.


Barring a quick reinstatement before Sunday's race at Las Vegas, it will be the third race Busch has missed in 2015. Regan Smith, who has filled in for Busch in the first two races of the season, is set to replace him again in the No. 41 car.


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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 : Chicago student wins $10,000 shooting-contest bet with Bulls' Jimmy Butler

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You know how you can tell Jimmy Butler's got a monster payday coming this summer? He's already putting stacks on shooting contests.



[Follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball]


During a Wednesday visit to Phoenix Military Academy as part of a partnership with cereal-maker Kellogg's aimed at helping address the problem of childhood hunger in America, Butler — who's in the midst of working his way back from a sprained left elbow — challenged the school's entire junior class to a shooting contest. It soon proved costly, as detailed on the school's website:


Butler wagered that for every junior who made a free-throw shot, he would donate $50 towards the school. The class came up with a total of $550. Soon after that, he then went on to say that if he made a 3-point shot with one hand, he would donate $10,000 to the school. He made the shot easily and then challenged junior Jabaree White to do the same for another $10,000. Butler gave White three tries to make the shot in and he nailed it in one, which got the class real [riled] up and screaming in joy.

All told, the academy's students wound up ringing up $20,000 worth of donations from Butler, which is a pretty good rate of return for a few free throws and jumpers. And while some NBA players might not love paying up after making wagers on after-practice shooting competitions with one another, I'd imagine Butler won't mind writing this particular check too much.


Hat-tip to James Herbert of CBSSports.com.


- - - - - - -


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 : Fantasy Baseball Rankings: First Base

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

More rankings: Top 250 | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | C | OF | SP | RP


[Baseball 2015 from Yahoo! Fantasy Sports: Join a league today! ]


























































































































































































































































































































































































1B Rankings

Yahoo! Sports

Composite


Brandon

Funston


Andy

Behrens


Scott

Pianowski


Dalton

Del Don


FantasyPros

All Experts

1. Miguel Cabrera (DET) 1221view
2. Paul Goldschmidt (ARI) 2113view
3. Jose Dariel Abreu (CWS) 3332view
4. Jose Bautista (TOR) 4454view
5. Anthony Rizzo (CHC) 6546view
6. Edwin Encarnacion (TOR) 5665view
7. Freddie Freeman (ATL) 11887view
7. Adrian Gonzalez (LAD) 81079view
9. Buster Posey (SF) 77912view
10. Albert Pujols (LAA) 99158view
11. Prince Fielder (TEX) 10131211view
12. David Ortiz (BOS) 13111113view
13. Joey Votto (CIN) 12151310view
14. Todd Frazier (CIN) 15121014view
15. Victor Martinez (DET) 14161416view
16. Carlos Santana (CLE) 16141615view
17. Chris Carter (HOU) 23181719view
18. Chris Davis (BAL) 17272017view
19. Jonathan Lucroy (MIL) 18191927view
20. Matt Adams (STL) 19172623view
21. Eric Hosmer (KC) 21242320view
22. Brandon Belt (SF) 22222522view
23. Adam LaRoche (CWS) 20212130view
24. Mark Trumbo (ARI) 24232224view
25. Lucas Duda (NYM) 26201834view
26. Brian McCann (NYY) 25252826view
27. Brandon Moss (CLE) 28282921view
28. Justin Morneau (COL) 27312425view
29. Mike Napoli (BOS) 32262728view
30. Steve Pearce (BAL) 39343418view
31. Billy Butler (OAK) 33303035view
32. Michael Cuddyer (NYM) 30373131view
33. Joe Mauer (MIN) 31293337view
34. Adam Lind (MIL) 34333233view
35. Pedro Alvarez (PIT) 29–3729view
36. Chase Headley (NYY) 35323536view
37. Mark Teixeira (NYY) 40363932view
38. Michael Morse (MIA) –383639view
39. Kennys Vargas (MIN) 36––38view
39. Lonnie Chisenhall (CLE) 374038–view
41. Stephen Vogt (OAK) –35––view
42. Allen Craig (BOS) 38–––view
43. Ryan Howard (PHI) –39––view
44. C.J. Cron (LAA) –––40view
44. Justin Smoak (TOR) ––40–view

FantasyPros aggregates and analyzes fantasy baseball rankings and projections from 100+ sites.






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News sport : VOD: Ohio State unveils national championship highlight video

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Ohio State doesn’t start spring practice until next week, so there’s no shame in basking in the glory of its remarkable national title run for a few more days.


To commemorate that College Football Playoff title win over Oregon, the program unveiled a cool highlight package of the game with some intimate behind the scenes footage.



The 42-20 win clinched the eighth national championship in program history and the first in Urban Meyer’s tenure as head coach.


Now the Buckeyes will switch gears and move their attention toward the 2015 campaign.


Spring practice begins on March 10, followed by the team’s spring game on April 18.


For more Ohio State news, visit BuckeyeGrove.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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Van Gaal denies rift with Giggs

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Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal reacted angrily to suggestions he had fallen out with assistant Ryan Giggs.


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London - Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal reacted angrily to suggestions he had fallen out with assistant Ryan Giggs.


“We have a very bad relationship,” the Dutchman said with heavy sarcasm when asked about their relationship at a news conference ahead of the FA Cup quarter-final against Arsenal at Old Trafford on Monday.


“I am very irritated because of this question because everybody can see we have a very good relationship.


“We work very hard together and not only with Ryan, with all the staff and players. I am not pleased.”


British media had questioned the relationship between the manager and Giggs after the United great, sitting alongside Van Gaal at Wednesday's 1-0 Premier League win over Newcastle United, showed little reaction to his side's late goal.


While Van Gaal punched the air and celebrated, jubilantly shouting and tapping Giggs on the cheek with his fist, the Welshman remained tight-lipped.


“Has Ryan Giggs lost patience with Louis van Gaal's philosophy at Manchester United,” asked the Daily Telegraph in a headline.


United have been far from convincing since the Dutchman replaced David Moyes but are still fourth in the table behind leaders Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal.


Van Gaal has come under scrutiny for implementing a number of different formations and playing England forward Wayne Rooney in central midfield as United have struggled to keep pace in the title race. – Reuters






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News sport : Kevin Garnett rips Nuggets: 'They quit on Brian Shaw. I thought they'd quit again'

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in ,,,,,,,

The Denver Nuggets improved to 2-0 in the Melvin Hunt era on Wednesday night, scoring a 100-85 road win over the Minnesota Timberwolves thanks in large part to a 34-16 second quarter and a balanced attack featuring nine players chipping in at least six points, led by an 18-point, 14-rebound outing from forward Kenneth Faried. That the Nuggets, dismal as they've been in a campaign that led to the firing of head coach Brian Shaw earlier this week, notched a victory over the West-worst Wolves isn't stunning in and of itself, but, given the circumstances, it sure seemed to catch recently returned pack leader Kevin Garnett by surprise.


While KG might not always deign to speak with the media, he tends not to pull punches when he decides to, and that was certainly the case in the Target Center locker rooms on Wednesday night:





[Follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball]


Q: Did you kind of expect Denver to come out with that life, that zip after the last two days?

Garnett: No, to be honest. they quit on Brian Shaw. I thought, you know, they'd quit again. A quitter is a quitter. That was my take on that. But if you've got any kind of self-pride about your future, then you want to anticipate someone playing hard. But no, I didn't really think about the Denver Nuggets or how they was going to come out tonight. I was more concerned about us, and us going forward, and being better.

Minnesota head coach Flip Saunders, however, did anticipate Denver's proverbial "dead cat bounce," according to Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:


“We just didn’t play enough with a sense of urgency,” said Saunders, who guaranteed a better effort Saturday against Portland. “Any time you have a coaching change, they’re going to play with a great amount of energy. They drove the ball at us.”

After failing to put consistent efforts together to the bulk of the season and seeming content, even eager, to merely play out the string in this miserable lottery-bound campaign, the Nuggets have showed signs of life these last two games, totaling 32 fast-break points and 53 assists on 81 made baskets, seemingly seeking to get up and down and share the ball.


"It's fun playing like that," Hunt said after the game, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press. "I can't say that enough. Who wouldn't want to play that way? Sharing the basketball, teammate gets a basket, teammate gets a dunk. That's fun basketball."


And yet, it's tough not to see any fun the Nuggets are having as coming at the expense of the 48-year-old Shaw, who said in a Wednesday statement he was "very proud of the effort" that he and his staff put in during his tenure in Denver, which ended with a record of 56-85. And that's not sitting well with some well-respected NBA veterans.


Garnett joins a pair of Shaw's former players from his time as an assistant with the Indiana Pacers, power forward David West and swingman Paul George, in defending the longtime player and first-time head coach after his ouster in Colorado:




Shaw might not have taken the right approach to his first head-coaching gig, looking to downshift a team built for the uptempo system of George Karl into a more deliberate, half-court oriented unit and speaking plainly when his players fell short of his expectations, which they did often this season. But the comments from the likes of Garnett, West and George indicate the level of respect Shaw's accrued from vets around the league, and points toward just how little regard some hold for the work turned in by the mix of players in the Denver locker room this season.


Garnett finished with 11 points on 5-for-6 shooting to go with six rebounds, two assists and one block in defeat. The Wolves were +5 in his 21 minutes of floor time in the loss, as the 38-year-old veteran continues to provide on-court value in his return to Minnesota. Apparently, his defensive acumen extends to some folks beyond the Wolves' locker room, too.


- - - - - - -


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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Cisse, Evans charged for spitting

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Newcastle United striker Papiss Cisse and Manchester United defender Jonny Evans will face charges of spitting at each other.


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London - Newcastle United striker Papiss Cisse and Manchester United defender Jonny Evans will face charges of spitting at each other during a Premier League match on Wednesday.


The Football Association said the incidents, unseen by match officials, had been caught on video and reviewed by a three-man panel of former elite referees who agreed unanimously that both should have been sent off.


Both players were given until Friday evening to respond and face heavy punishments.


While Cisse has already apologised for his behaviour, Northern Ireland international Evans issued a statement on Thursday denying wrongdoing.


“I have apologies to make to a lot of people today,” Cisse, who appeared to spit towards Evans in response to the United player apparently spitting in his direction, told the Newcastle website (nufc.co.uk).


“Firstly to my team mates and to our supporters, secondly to Jonny Evans, and thirdly to every football fan who saw the incident between myself and Jonny.


“I reacted to something I found very unpleasant. Sometimes it is hard not to react, particularly in the heat of the moment. I have always tried hard to be a positive role model, especially for our young fans, and yesterday I let you down.”


Cisse's statement was in marked contrast to the one put out by Evans, whose side won the match 1-0.


“I am shocked to have seen the media coverage from last night's match. I would like to make it clear that I did not spit at Papiss Cisse,” he said.


“I was totally unaware of any spitting incident and had assumed that the issue at the time was with the challenge and his attempted retaliation to the tackle from the floor.


“It is not in my character or in my nature to spit at anybody nor is it something I have ever done or would ever do. It is certainly not something that I did last night.”


Both managers, United's Louis van Gaal and Newcastle's John Carver, said they had not seen the incident which did not result in either player being cautioned at the time.


Senegal's Cisse said he expected the incident to cause himself and the club “problems”.


“I hope children out there playing football for their clubs and schools this weekend will know better than to retaliate when they are angry,” he said.


“Perhaps when they see the problem it now causes me and my team they will be able to learn from my mistake.” – Reuters






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Reid signs long-term West Ham deal

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Defender Winston Reid has ended months of uncertainty about his future by agreeing a new six-and-a-half-year contract with West Ham United.


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London - New Zealand centre half Winston Reid has ended months of uncertainty about his future by agreeing a new six-and-a-half-year contract with West Ham United.


“It's one of those things that took a bit of time, but we got there in the end and I'm very happy to be here for the next part of my career,” the 26-year-old told the club website (www.whufc.com) on Thursday.


West Ham said several leading European teams had expressed an interest in Reid, who joined the London club in August 2010.


Tenth-placed West Ham, who lost 1-0 at home to Premier League leaders Chelsea on Wednesday, are without a fixture this weekend. – Reuters






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Robinho back in Brazil squad

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Robinho and Marcelo are back in Brazil's squad for upcoming friendlies against France and Chile.


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Sao Paulo – Robinho and Marcelo are back in Brazil's squad for upcoming friendlies against France and Chile.


Brazil will play France at Stade de France on March 26 and Chile at Emirates Stadium in London on March 29. The games will serve as preparation for the Copa America in June, which will be Brazil's first official competition since its elimination in the semifinals of the World Cup.


Brazil hasn't played since beating Turkey 4-0 and Austria 2-1 in friendlies in November, when Robinho and Marcelo didn't play.


Marcelo hadn't been called up by Brazil coach Dunga since Brazil's first friendlies after the World Cup. The 31-year-old Robinho, who was a starter when Dunga coached Brazil in the 2010 World Cup, has been thriving with Brazilian club Santos.


“Robinho has been playing well and is a reference to other players,” Dunga said Thursday. “That is very important.”


Dunga also picked Neymar, David Luiz, Thiago Silva, Oscar, Willian and Philippe Coutinho. Striker Diego Tardelli became the first national team player to be selected from a Chinese team.


Among the players left out were Ramires, Luiz Adriano, Alex Sandro and Kaka, who is now playing in the United States.


“We are trying to observe as many players as we can,” Dunga said. “This is not a definite list. We have these friendlies, the Copa America and then the World Cup qualifiers, which will be our most important matches of the year.”


Brazil will debut in the Copa America against Peru on June 14. World Cup qualifying will begin later in the year, when Brazil will play four matches in the South American qualifying group.


Squad:


Goalkeepers: Jefferson (Botafogo), Marcelo Grohe (Gremio) Diego Alves (Valencia)


Defenders: David Luiz (Paris Saint-Germain), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain), Miranda (Atletico Madrid), Fabinho (Monaco), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Filipe Luis (Chelsea), Danilo (FC Porto)


Midfielders: Luiz Gustavo (Wolfsburg), Fernandinho (Manchester City), Elias (Corinthians), Souza (Sao Paulo), Oscar (Chelsea), Roberto Firmino (Hoffenheim), Willian (Chelsea)


Forwards: Neymar (Barcelona), Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool), Diego Tardelli (Shandong), Robinho (Santos), Douglas Costa (Shakhtar Donetsk) – Sapa-AP






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News sport : Giants TE Larry Donnell OK after his plane skids off runway at LaGuardia

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New York Giants tight end Larry Donnell was on his way from Atlanta to New York to sign his exclusive rights free-agent contract when the plane he was on skidded off the runway.


Thankfully, everyone was OK. The runway at LaGuardia Airport was snowy and the Delta commercial flight skidded upon landing at about 11 a.m. No injuries were reported, according to the New York Daily News. Donnell was OK, his agent confirmed to the Daily News, and he posted a picture from the scene on his Instagram account. New York Newsday reported he was flying to New York to sign his contract tender offer.



Donnell made a name for himself last season when he scored three touchdowns in a Monday night game at Washington on Sept. 25. He finished the season with 623 yards and six touchdowns, a nice breakout in his second NFL season.


On his way to handle a mundane task to officially get going on his third season with the Giants, Donnell and others on the plane got quite a scare.


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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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