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Tag: Cup

  • De Minaur Helps Australia End 19-Year Wait For Davis Cup Final Berth

    De Minaur Helps Australia End 19-Year Wait For Davis Cup Final Berth

    Alex de Minaur raced past Marin Cilic on Friday at the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga to spark an inspired semi-final comeback victory for Australia against 2021 finalists Croatia.

    De Minaur dominated his singles rubber against Cilic, breaking the World No. 17’s serve four times for a 6-2, 6-2 win that levelled the tie at 1-1 after Borna Coric had earlier defeated Thanasi Kokkinakis. Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson then delivered a stunning serving display against Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic in the doubles to secure their nation a 2-1 victory in the tie and its first appearance in a Davis Cup final since 2003.

    “It’s been a long time,” said Australia captain Lleyton Hewitt after his team’s victory. “Obviously we are a very proud Davis Cup nation. I’m just thrilled for these boys, they deserve to go out there and get the opportunity to play in the final of a Davis Cup, and now it’s going to happen on Sunday.”

    Hewitt played in his country’s previous Davis Cup final appearance, a 2003 victory against Spain in Melbourne. Australia will take on Italy or Canada in Sunday’s final as it bids to lift the Davis Cup for the 29th time.

    Purcell and Thompson were not broken once as they downed 14-time tour-level titlists Mektic and Pavic 6-7(3), 7-5, 6-4 in a raucous atmosphere in southern Spain. That win completed a turnaround victory after Coric had earlier moved Croatia ahead with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph against Kokkinakis.

    “There’s nothing like it, honestly, there’s nothing like it,“ said Purcell after he and Thompson’s dramatic two-hour, 14-minute victory. “That’s the best thing I’ve ever experienced ever. Anything for the green and gold, honestly.”

    “We were [just] holding serve,” added Thompson. “I feel like we did a good job of that. The opportunities weren’t coming, but we hung in there and eventually we did get a couple of opportunities and we took them on the first go each time. Doubles can change so quickly, and it did.”

    What is the format for the 2022 Davis Cup Finals?
    The group stage of the 2022 Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals took place across four cities — Bologna, Glasgow, Hamburg and Valencia — from 13-18 September. Sixteen nations competed in four round-robin groups of four teams. The top two teams in each group advanced to the knock-out stage. The knock-out stage is taking place in Malaga this week, with the final on Sunday.

  • (Video) Wayne Hennessey sent off in World Cup after head-high karate kick

    (Video) Wayne Hennessey sent off in World Cup after head-high karate kick

    Wayne Hennessey was sent off for Wales in the World Cup after chopping down the Iran attacker with a head-high karate kick.

    Wales will have been desperate for a win after only managing a draw in their opening game. With England left to play, failing to win against Iran would have been catastrophic for their chances of qualifying.

    Hennessey certainly didn’t help the situation. The Wales goalkeeper rushed off his line to meet the Iran attacker, before proceeding to perform a karate kick towards the striker’s head.

    Pictures below from FOX Soccer and BEin Sports.

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  • Bolelli/Fognini Hold Nerve To Keep Italy’s Davis Cup Dream Alive

    Bolelli/Fognini Hold Nerve To Keep Italy’s Davis Cup Dream Alive

    Simone Bolelli and Fabio Fognini kept alive Italy’s hopes of a first Davis Cup title since 1976 on Thursday in Malaga, where the doubles duo edged Tommy Paul and Jack Sock 6-4, 6-4 to clinch a hard-fought quarter-final win against the USA.

    Bolleli and Fognini, who have lifted five tour-level titles together, including two this season, clinched the only break of serve in each set in the decisive doubles match to give Italy a 2-1 victory against the 32-time champions.

    “I am really happy, I am here with my ‘brother’ and we played really well,” Fognini told daviscup.com after helping Italy reach the semi-finals of the team event for the first time since 2014.

    “I am happy for me, for Fabio, for the team,” added Bolelli. “It was really tough, but it is great to be through to the semi-finals.”

    Bolelli and Fognini’s doubles heroics came after the two teams had split an engrossing pair of singles rubbers in Spain. Lorenzo Sonego downed Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 7-6(7) to give Italy the early advantage, while there was also a nerve-wracking tie-break in the second match between Lorenzo Musetti and Taylor Fritz. The American saved two set points in the first set before wrapping a 7-6(8), 6-3 win to level the tie, but Fritz’s win was ultimately in vain as Bolelli and Fognini held firm in the doubles.

    Italy’s semi-final opponent on Saturday will be Canada after Felix Auger-Aliassime led his country to a comeback win against Germany in Thursday’s evening quarter-final action.

    After Jan-Lennard Struff had edged Denis Shapovalov 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(2) in the opening singles rubber, Auger-Aliassime’s 7-6(1), 6-4 triumph against Oscar Otte left the tie to be decided by the doubles. Despite Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz racing to the opening set, Vasek Pospisil and Shapovalov found their range on return to break their opponents’ serve three times en route to an impressive 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 win to the delight of the vocal Canadian supporters in the crowd.

    “Huge credit to Felix, first of all, for bringing the team on the board,” said Shapovalov after he and Pospisil had secured Canada’s second semi-final in four years. “He saved us out there today… It’s always a pleasure to play with Vasek. It’s always awesome to share the court with him and we bring some firepower.”

    “We got a bit of momentum and having the crowd support helps us to carry the momentum through to the end,” said Pospisil. “It’s a challenge to be sharp out there, but given the circumstances I thought we played really well.”

    What is the format for the 2022 Davis Cup Finals?
    The group stage of the 2022 Davis Cup by Rakuten Finals took place across four cities — Bologna, Glasgow, Hamburg and Valencia — from 13-18 September. Sixteen nations competed in four round-robin groups of four teams. The top two teams in each group advanced to the knock-out stage. The knock-out stage is taking place in Malaga this week, with the final on Sunday.

  • Inaugural United Cup Field Set

    Inaugural United Cup Field Set

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    The 18 countries are now confirmed for the first edition of the United Cup, a new annual mixed teams event taking place across Brisbane, Perth and Sydney from Thursday 29 December to Sunday 8 January 2023.

    Bulgaria will join Greece and Belgium in Group A in Perth. Kazakhstan will join Poland and Switzerland in Group B in Brisbane.

    A blockbuster opening session in Perth will feature world No.4 Stefanos Tsitsipas of top seeded country Greece, up against former world No.3 Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria on Thursday 29 December at RAC Arena.

    On day one in Brisbane, Tokyo Olympic gold medallist and recently crowned Billie Jean King Cup winner Belinda Bencic of Switzerland will meet Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva at Pat Rafter Arena.

    The United Cup, an ATP-WTA event presented in partnership with Tennis Australia, offers USD $15 million in prize money and up to 500 Pepperstone ATP and 500 WTA rankings points.

    Brisbane, Perth and Sydney will host the group stage from Thursday 29 December to Wednesday 4 January 2023.

    Each host city will feature two groups of three countries, competing in a round-robin format.

    Each tie will comprise two men’s and two women’s singles matches and one mixed doubles match to be played across two days.

    Group winners in each city will play off for one of three semifinal spots.

    Three City Champions will advance to the United Cup Final Four in Sydney to be played at Ken Rosewall Arena from Friday 6 to Sunday 8 January. The next best performing team from the group stage will complete the quartet.

    Group stage tickets for adults will start from $40 and from $20 for children 14 years and under. Family passes (two adults and two children) will start from $100.

    Perth tickets

    Sydney Tickets

    Visit Official Tournament Website

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  • Arsenal star set to start ahead of Manchester City man for England at World Cup

    Arsenal star set to start ahead of Manchester City man for England at World Cup

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    Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka is set to start for England in their opening World Cup game ahead of Manchester City youngster Phil Foden.

    With England facing Iran in their opening game of the World Cup, fans across the country will be debating their starting elevens with each other. Of course, the decision ultimately lies with Gareth Southgate, and a report on Sunday has given us some early team news.

    According to the Telegraph, Arsenal winger Saka is set to start for England, with Manchester City youngster Foden set to miss out.

    Bukayo Saka or Phil Foden, who would you start for England?
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    Kyle Walker and James Maddison have both been ruled out through injury but this is all we know so far regarding Southgate’s England selection.

    Without showing any disrespect to Iran, England should have enough firepower to win their opening game, regardless of who Southgate picks in the positions which are up for debate.

    Foden will undoubtedly be immensely disappointed to not start for his country. The Manchester City wizard has been in excellent form for his club this season and is one of England’s most technically gifted players.

    The post Arsenal star set to start ahead of Manchester City man for England at World Cup appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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  • Big blow for France as Karim Benzema limps out of training just a day before the World Cup

    Big blow for France as Karim Benzema limps out of training just a day before the World Cup

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    France could be without star striker Karim Benzema for their opening fixture against Australia.

    L’Equipe (via Get French Football News), had reported that Ballon d’Or winner is suffering from hamstring and knee strains. And those reports turned out to be true when he limped out of the training session on Saturday.

    And he is not the only Frenchman who is an injury concern for the reigning World champions. Their long list of injured players includes Ngolo Kante, Paul Pogba, Presnel Kimpembe, and Mike Maignan, who have all been ruled out of selection.

    Manchester United’s Raphael Varane and Barcelona’s Jules Kounde are also a doubt for the opening game as they continue to recover from their injuries.

    If Benzema fails to recover in time, Didier Deschamps will have to turn to AC Milan striker Olivier Giroud who has an excellent record for the national team. He is only two goals short of Thierry Henry’s record of 51, which the former Arsenal and Chelsea man will be aiming for in Qatar.

    He was also the leading striker in France’s 2018 World Cup campaign playing a huge role in their triumph. That year Benzema was not selected for the squad due to the off-the-pitch controversies involving him and former teammate Mathieu Valbuena.

    Benzema limped out of the training session on Saturday

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    Benzema’s injury will be a huge blow for France considering the form that the striker is in. Benzema led Real Madrid to a La Liga and Champions League double last season, scoring 44 goals in 46 games. And his incredible season culminated in him winning the Ballon d’Or in October, ahead of Sadio Mane and Kevin de Bruyne.

     

    The post Big blow for France as Karim Benzema limps out of training just a day before the World Cup appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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  • these workers who died on construction sites in Qatar… The human toll of the World Cup

    these workers who died on construction sites in Qatar… The human toll of the World Cup

    Between the conditions for awarding the competition, the environmental impact of air-conditioned stadiums or the authoritarian regime in Qatar, there is no shortage of controversy around the 2022 World Cup. But one subject is even more sensitive than the others: the human toll of the competition. Many workers have indeed lost their lives to build the infrastructure of the competition.

    qatari world cup stadium

    Who are these workers?

    Among the 3 million inhabitants of Qatar, around 85-90% of the population is made up of foreign workers. Qatari citizens occupy positions of responsibility and they have been accustomed for decades to resorting to foreign workers to occupy the most difficult jobs, such as that of workers on construction sites. Tens of thousands of workers from Africa and Asia (particularly Bangladesh, India and Nepal) were hired en masse to build the stadiums and infrastructure of the competition. Some estimates suggest the number of 35,000 foreign workers present in Qatar at the height of the works.

    How many deaths on construction sites?

    As is often the case with any calculation, even the most macabre, different versions are opposed… Officially, the organizers recognize only three workers who died on the construction sites following a work accident: two Nepalese and a Briton. The Qataris also recognize 37 other deaths on the construction sites, but according to them they are not consecutive to a work accident. These would be deaths caused by “cardiovascular diseases”.

    The NGO Amnesty International deplores this obscure classification and estimated in its last annual report that the category “cardiovascular diseases” risks ” hide a high number of deaths that are, in fact, unexplained “. It counts 2,800 such deaths in Qatar between 2011 and 2020 among foreign workers. The Team recently explained that the exhaustion and overwork imposed on these workers can fall into this category and, even if it is not strictly speaking a work accident, it is indeed a death resulting from the presence of these workers on construction sites…

    At the other end, the British newspaper The Guardian published a shock survey in February 2021, putting forward the dramatic figure of 6,500 workers who died on the World Cup sites. The Team however, believes that this figure, based on data collected from five Asian countries, is overestimated because it would be a global mortality and which does not only concern the construction sites of the World Cup. The human toll of the competition would therefore be between the 3 or 40 deaths recognized by Qatar, and the 6,500 deaths deplored by The Guardian. A range unfortunately too wide to get a precise idea…

    Dramatic working conditions

    One thing is certain: foreign workers who come to Qatar must work and live in undignified conditions. Like the Further Investigation broadcast on October 13 on France 2, news reports have highlighted that migrants are often crammed into substandard housing. They sleep in bunk beds and in the most total promiscuity. Most are subject to hellish speeds, with sometimes only two days off per month for some according to testimonies. It is clear that this frenetic pace can result in deaths from overwork…

    What measures from Qatar?

    Faced with the growing controversy, the host country of the World Cup took several measures, including the establishment of a minimum wage, but most of them came late, in 2020, when the bulk of the work had already been completed. Officially abolished, the kafala (or sponsorhip) system would continue in practice. This makes employers all-powerful and forces workers to obtain the agreement of their boss to change jobs or receive an exit visa to leave the Emirate… Other workers find themselves trapped in another way because forced to repay the loan they took out to pay the “recruitment fees” guaranteeing them a place as a worker in Qatar…

    Just before the World Cup, the Emirate also caused controversy by refusing to create a compensation fund for foreign workers killed or injured on the construction sites of the competition. The host country hides behind the support and insurance fund created in 2018 for foreign workers not receiving a salary. “Every death is a tragedy (but) there are no criteria for establishing this compensation fund. Where are the victims? Do you have the names? How can you get these numbers? If a person entitled to compensation has not received it, let them come forward and we will help them.“, only replied the Minister of Labor, Ali bin Samikh al-Marri, in an interview granted to theAFP. A dialogue of the deaf…

  • Louis van Gaal names Netherlands squad for World Cup

    Louis van Gaal names Netherlands squad for World Cup

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    Louis van Gaal has named his 26-man squad to represent the Netherlands at the forthcoming World Cup.

    The Dutch team will kick off their tournament against Senegal on November 21 meaning captain Virgil van Dijk may reunite with former Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane, should the forward be fit to play. They will also face hosts Qatar and Ecuador in their quest to top Group A.

    Netherlands are currently eighth-placed in FIFA’s rankings of national teams and are above the likes of Portugal, Germany and Croatia.

    Van Gaal has included some young talents that are in form at their respective clubs including Jeremie Frimpong, Xavi Simons Jurrien Timber. Prolific goalscorer Cody Gakpo has also received a call-up after an outstanding start to the season with PSV; scoring 13 goals and assisting 17 in all competitions.

    Manchester United’s summer signing Tyrell Malacia is on the list after taking no time at all to adjust to the pace and physicality of the Premier League.

    More Stories / Latest News

    The squad in full

    Take a look at the full squad below.

     

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  • FIFA World Cup 2022 Group E Odds, Picks, and Props

    FIFA World Cup 2022 Group E Odds, Picks, and Props

    As Gary Lineker famously said, “soccer is a game where 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and the Germans always win.” Oddsmakers don’t think Germany will win this time. They’re giving odds longer than +1000 on Hansi Flick’s boys winning the 2022 World Cup. Actually, they don’t even think they’re going to win Group E!

    But what do we think? Which of the following four teams will finish top of the group table – Germany, Spain, Costa Rica, or Japan? Which of them will advance to the knockouts from the no.2 position, and which will pack their suitcases after the group phase? To find out, just keep on reading our Group E preview!

    FIFA World Cup 2022 Group E Winner Prediction – Germany (+100)

    Spain is seen as the favorite to win Group E. Bookies are giving -110 on this team to finish above everyone else in the group. We, however, have to disagree with bookmakers. We think that Germany will do better than Spain.

    The thing is that Germany has an excellent squad in 2022, with young, athletic players who have plenty of experience playing big games.

    Sure, they haven’t been playing vintage soccer lately – they have a 1-4-1 record in competitive games in 2022 – but there’s an explanation for that.

    The Germans took time to adjust to the ways of their (relatively) new boss, Hansi Flick. He took charge of the national team last year after leaving Bayern Munich, a team with which he won a sextuple. That makes him one of only two coaches that have won six different titles in one season. Knowing this, you know that the Germans are led by a real expert in Qatar.

    Group E Runner-Up Prediction – Spain (+150)

    Germany and Spain are the two teams from Group E that are advancing to the knockout phase of the 2022 World Cup – we have zero doubts about it. The only doubt is in which order will they go there.

    Oddsmakers think Spain will finish first, but we think it’s going to be Germany that wins Group E. In our opinion, Spain is most likely to finish in second place.

    We think that both Germany and Spain will win the games against the other two teams from Group E. What this means is that the group winner will be decided in Spain vs Germany game on November 27. We don’t think Spain will win that match.

    Best Group E Prop Bet – Germany to Win 9 Points in Group E (+330)

    Germany Exact Group Points – 9 Points is our top prop bet for Group E. We’re sure the Germans will destroy Japan in Round 1, as well as Costa Rica in the third round. In Round 2, however, they’re going to have a very difficult job against Spain.

    Still, knowing that Flick’s boys love to play against big opponents, we think they might win that game as well.

  • Sadio Mané package for the World Cup!

    Sadio Mané package for the World Cup!

    The ax fell for Sadio Mané. The Bayern Munich striker, star of Senegal, will not play the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The former Liverpool goleador injured his tendon on Tuesday in the Bundesliga.

    Sadio Mané, Senegal

    Deputy to Julian Nagelsmann, dinosaur Toppmöller had nevertheless displayed his optimism. “He was shot in the leg, which caused him a little nerve pain. Nothing serious. His participation in the World Cup should not be compromised. But the hours that followed Sadio Mané’s injury exit on Tuesday evening against Werder Bremen (6-1, 14th day of the Bundesliga) got the better of the Bayern Munich striker’s participation in the 2022 World Cup at the Qatar, scheduled from November 20 to December 18. According to daily information The Teamthe 30-year-old player is forfeited for the competition and will not be able to hold his place in the list which will be retained by his coach Aliou Cissé.

    11 goals this season

    The shattering news has not yet been confirmed by Bayern Munich and the Senegalese Football Federation. Touched in the leg and replaced by Leroy Sané in the 20th minute of play yesterday, the former center forward of Liverpool suffers from the tendon, according to our colleagues, and will be away from the field for several weeks. Winners of the last African Cup of Nations, after a victory in the final against Egypt on penalties, the Lions of Teranga will thus be deprived of their star. In a group A within their reach for qualification in the round of 16, the Senegalese will face the Netherlands (November 21), Qatar (November 25) and Ecuador (November 29) without him.

    Bought last summer by Bayern Munich against a check for 32 million euros, the native of