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CONMEBOL wants FIFA protection after virus postponements

By - Mar 25,2021 - Last updated at Mar 25,2021

ASUNCION — CONMEBOL on Tuesday urged FIFA to protect its member federations after the postponement of South America’s latest round of World Cup qualifiers over coronavirus restrictions.

There were meant to be two rounds of CONMEBOL qualifiers this week but the governing body called them off.

This was because several European clubs threatened not to release their players, fearing they would be subject to COVID-19 quarantine rules and thereby miss club games.

Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool had threatened to prevent players from flying overseas for internationals should they be required to quarantine on their return.

“We’re asking President [Gianni] Infantino and FIFA to keep working eagerly to protect our associations and our football,” said CONMEBOL President Alejandro Dominguez during the federation’s annual congress in Paraguay on Tuesday.

“We’re the only confederation in the world that maintained its qualification format and it’s because we adhere to the motto of ‘clear rules’ and that’s why we understand matches must be decided on the field of play,” added Domínguez.

However, world football’s governing body chief Infantino, who took part in the virtual meeting, said it would be tough to find a solution to the competing interests between Europe and South America.

“We’re going to have to agree on the future international calendar in the next few months, in the next year, and here it’s clear that a continent with historical traditions such as South America will play an important role,” said Infantino.

However, he added that “it’s the daily battle of a federation president, a confederation president and the FIFA president”.

All 10 South American countries remain on the UK government’s red list of nations for which strict travel restrictions apply.

UK-based players returning from those countries are subject to 10 days quarantine upon their return meaning they could miss up to three club matches.

Other countries such as France also currently employ travel restrictions that would affect returning footballers.

And another congress guest, Aleksander Ceferin, the president of European football’s governing body UEFA, expressed a desire to find a solution that suited everyone.

“The situation is still very difficult but the end of this pandemic is approaching,” he said.

“There is very good cooperation between UEFA and CONMEBOL. That’s why were united and why we know that we can emerge from this with the minimum possible wounds.”

CONMEBOL’s decision to postpone two rounds of qualifiers has created a problem for the region to complete its programme ahead of next year’s World Cup in Qatar.

It was already forced to reprogramme its first four matchdays after those were postponed due to the global pandemic.

Brazil currently top qualifying after winning their opening four matches while fellow continental giants Argentina are just behind after three wins and a draw.

Barty on the road again in Miami after pandemic absence

By - Mar 25,2021 - Last updated at Mar 25,2021

World No. 1 Australia’s Ashleigh Barty trains in Florida on Monday (AFP photo)

MIAMI — World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty is preparing to spend the rest of the season on the road as she prepares to defend her Miami Open title this week in her first overseas appearance since the pandemic.

The 24-year-old from Queensland elected not to travel outside Australia after the WTA Tour resumed last year, skipping both the US Open and the rescheduled French Open at Roland Garros in September.

However, with Covid-19 in retreat in several parts of the world, and authorities more adept at managing safety protocols, Barty has travelled to Florida for the first stop on what should be a gruelling year.

The Aussie got a taste of international travel in the age of coronavirus when her journey to the United States ended up taking nearly 50 hours.

“It was a long one,” Barty said Tuesday. “It was about 48 hours door-to-door. We had a flight cancellation leaving Australia, another flight cancellation when we got to L.A. It was quite a wriggle around.

“Tough playing tennis after travelling again. Quite a while since I’ve done that. I’m looking forward to feeling good in another day’s time.”

Barty, who will face either Hailey Baptiste of the United States or Slovakia’s Kristina Kucova in her opening game, said she is excited for the season ahead despite finding leaving Australia difficult.

“It was quite hard to leave and quite emotional to me,” she said. “But I think we’re excited to have the opportunity to play the whole season. We’re looking at staying away the whole season.”

 

Relaxed Osaka

 

The biggest threat to Barty’s hopes of defending her 2018 Miami crown is likely to come from Japan’s Naomi Osaka, who is also in the field in Florida.

Osaka is brimming with confidence after winning her second US Open title last September before backing it up with the Australian Open last month.

Barty, who exited in the quarter-finals in Melbourne, has controversially retained her No. 1 spot despite Osaka’s recent dominance due to the pandemic-adjusted rankings rules.

Asked to comment on Osaka’s form, Barty revealed she had hardly watched the Japanese star — or any other player — during the last year.

“I don’t watch a lot of tennis,” Barty said. “I’ve probably seen all of 30 or 40 minutes of tennis over the last 12 or 13 months. It’s not something that I ever flick on and watch.

“Having not played Naomi, either, it’s hard for me to really comment.

She’s certainly on an exceptional run. She knows she can bring her best to the biggest tournaments. That’s what we all strive to do.”

Osaka meanwhile said Tuesday that she is taking success in her stride, and has learned to manage expectations in the past 12 months.

“I would say the biggest stress is just me thinking about disappointing my team with my result,” Osaka said. “Like, if I happen to lose, I wouldn’t feel sad for myself, I would feel sad for the people that travel with me.”

“Just reflecting on that, understanding that I’m not perfect, I’m not going to win every match, but it’s my effort level that matters.”

The women’s field in Miami was deprived of a star name on Sunday, when Serena Williams withdrew from the tournament as she recovers from oral surgery.

On court in early round games on Tuesday, elder sister Venus Williams crashed out at the first hurdle, losing 6-2, 7-6 (12/10) to Kazakhstan’s Zarina Diyas.

Germany seeks redemption as Loew starts swansong

By - Mar 23,2021 - Last updated at Mar 23,2021

BERLIN — Germany will seek redemption for November’s humiliating thrashing against Spain as Joachim Loew’s squad look to get the fans back behind them by winning their first three World Cup qualifiers.

Germany hosts Iceland in Duisburg on Thursday before facing Romania away on Sunday, then play North Macedonia three days later back in Duisburg.

“We want to start the European championship year with an exclamation mark and please our fans again,” Loew said after naming teenagers Jamal Musiala, 18, and Florian Wirtz, 17, in his squad.

“Our ambition and goal is to get ourselves into a good starting position with three wins.”

A fortnight ago, Loew announced he will step down, after 15 years in charge, following the European championships, due to take place from June 11-July 11.

He badly needs convincing wins to restore their fans’ faith in the Mannschaft following November’s 6-0 rout by Spain which handed Germany its heaviest defeat since 1931.

In the aftermath, a survey of German fans by magazine Kicker showed 89 per cent felt Loew had failed to rebuild the team since crashing out of the 2018 World Cup in the group stages.

As Germany team director Oliver Bierhoff acknowledged on Monday, the Mannschaft must “set an example” after the disgrace of the thrashing in Seville.

It is a far cry from July 2014, when Loew could seemingly do no wrong after masterminding Germany’s World Cup triumph in Brazil. 

The 61-year-old is desperate to end on a high at the Euros after three lean years which have badly tarnished his glittering legacy.

The three World Cup qualifiers are his last chance to look at options before naming his squad for the European championships.

He has high hopes for Bayern Munich midfielder Musiala, who has dual nationality and has opted to play senior football for Germany despite two appearances for England U-21 last November.

Likewise, Leverkusen’s Wirtz, the youngest ever scorer in the Bundesliga, is considered a bright prospect and has also been called up by Loew for the first time.

The head coach wants to see his players working hard in training to win starting places for Germany.

“We want to see in the training sessions and matches which players are imposing themselves, who definitely wants to be there,” said Loew.

He has been able to call up five Premier League players after Germany relaxed some of the COVID-19 travel restrictions at the weekend.

Nevertheless, Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan, Chelsea trio Kai Havertz, Timo Werner and Antonio Ruediger plus Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno will be placed in a “working quarantine” within the Germany camp.

The five will only be allowed contact with other players during training, team meetings and matches. Meals will be taken separately.

“The situation is aggravated, but we are not complaining,” Bierhoff added.

There is also no room for Dortmund captain Marco Reus who has struggled for consistency after a lengthy injury lay off.

Loew is also refusing to reverse his 2019 decision to end the international careers of Thomas Mueller, Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng.

Mueller is in arguably the form of his career with four assists in as many Bundesliga games.

Emotional Ibrahimovic returns to Sweden squad

By - Mar 23,2021 - Last updated at Mar 23,2021

Sweden’s forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic plays the ball during a training session of Sweden’s national football team in Stockholm on Tuesday, prior to their World Cup qualifier against Georgia on Thursday (AFP photo by Jonathan Nackstrand)

STOCKHOLM — An unusually reserved and humble Zlatan Ibrahimovic had to hold back the tears on Monday as he arrived in Sweden ahead of his return this week to the Swedish national squad after nearly five years away.

Veteran striker Ibrahimovic showed a more sensitive side to his usually brash public persona when he was asked about what his two teenage sons, Maximilian and Vincent, thought of his international comeback.

“It’s not a good question you’re asking. I had Vincent here, who actually cried when I left him. But it’s OK, it’s OK,” he said with tears in his eyes.

Speaking to reporters days ahead of Sweden’s 2022 World Cup qualifier against Georgia on Thursday, the often boastful 39-year-old acknowledged he was much more “patient both on and off the field” than when he announced the end of is international career after Euro 2016.

“Right now you’re thinking: ‘He’s much too nice and much too humble’,” Ibrahimovic joked.

Sweden’s most successful player, the AC Milan forward retired from international football with 116 caps and 62 goals for his national team.

He announced his return to the squad in his usual style last week on Instagram with a picture of himself in the Swedish team kit with the caption “The return of the God”.

But “Ibra” said on Monday he didn’t want to be given a spot on the team for his past achievements but because he “deserved” it.

He is in good form this season for Milan, with 15 goals in as many Serie A games, including the opener in Sunday’s 3-2 win at Fiorentina which kept the pressure on league leaders Inter Milan.

He also said he didn’t mind no longer being team captain, a role now taken by Alexander Granqvist, who plays for Swedish club Helsingborgs.

In a another sign of a “new chapter”, Ibrahimovic said he had asked to don the number 11 on his jersey rather than the 10 he used to sport.

“I asked nicely if I could have the 11,” he said, adding that teammate and Real Sociedad forward Alexander Isak had graciously agreed to give up the number.

 

‘Best in the world’

 

Ibrahimovic and Sweden’s head coach Janne Andersson, who also attended the press conference, have had public arguments in the past but both of them insisted repeatedly those disagreements were now behind them.

Andersson travelled to meet Zlatan in Milan in November last year after the star attacker had said in an interview that he missed playing for Sweden.

“When we parted we had put everything that happened before behind us,” Andersson said. 

Glimpses of the old Ibrahimovic did however make an appearance. 

“If you ask me I’m the best in the world,” Zlatan said as he broke into laughter.

He also said he had promised Andersson he would “decide matches”.

“I have my experience, I know what I’m good at.”

The question of whether the top scorer would ever return to the national team has often divided the Scandinavian nation.

Some fans have pined to see him back on the pitch, while others argued he no longer had a place on a team that has managed to qualify for top international competitions without him.

Andersson, who took over the squad in 2016, has over the years worked to build a team with a collective ethos and little tolerance for diva antics.

Questions had therefore emerged about Ibrahimovic’s place on the team.

Noa Bachner, football pundit for Swedish daily Expressen, told AFP that Ibrahimovic “knows he’s entering into a much more flat hierarchy where he can’t expect to be elevated in the same manner.” 

Formula One welcomes return of Schumacher name

By - Mar 23,2021 - Last updated at Mar 23,2021

PARIS — For the winner of the Formula Two world championship to make the step up to F1 is a natural progression that would not normally raise an eyebrow — but when that driver carries a famous name things are bound to be a little different.

Mick Schumacher, son of the seven-time world champion Michael, is the young driver in the spotlight as he makes his Formula One debut for Haas in Bahrain on Sunday, but he thoroughly merits his drive. 

After starting his career in karting, Mick went on to win the Formula 3 European championship in 2018 and the Formula Two title in 2020. 

Not a bad CV for a young man who turns 22 on Monday. 

But this week, the noise around him will echo with reminders of his father whose last race in a glittering career came in Brazil at the end of the 2012 season.

The 52-year-old Michael Schumacher has not been seen in public for more than seven years after a skiing accident, witnessed by Mick, in the French Alps left him with severe brain injuries.

But he remains the touchstone for his son.

“I definitely look at what he achieved, and I try to learn from it,” said Mick in February.

For the younger generation who arrived on the scene too late to see Michael in action, or those who only remember him from his underwhelming comeback with Mercedes, it is easy to forget how Schumacher dominated the sport every bit as much as Lewis Hamilton does today. 

He won two titles with Benetton before taking the big move to Ferrari with whom he won another five titles. 

“He’s been the benchmark for so long and for me he’s still the benchmark, so I’ll always refer to him,” said Mick.

“That’s on the sporting side, and on the human side, I’ll always admire how his consistency across all those years and how he kept his feet on the ground. 

“That’s something I appreciate very much, but also something I can learn from and carry through my career.”

 

‘Not easy’

 

Former world champion Nico Rosberg, whose father Keke had won the title in 1982, 24 years before he debuted in F1, highlighted the extra pressure that Mick would face having a famous father. 

“It’s not easy to be the ‘son of’,” Rosberg told website Sport1.

“And with Mick, it is 10 times more difficult, because Michael’s era was not so long ago and he was much more successful.

“I hope Mick can put that aside and concentrate well on his job — because otherwise it takes a lot of the fun away.”

Even without the pressure of the spotlight, it was never going to be an easy entrance for Mick. 

His Haas team are likely to feature in the middle and rear of the pack while his teammate, fellow rookie Nikita Mazepin perhaps faces even greater pressure. 

He is also a “son of” although not Formula One aristocracy. Rather, his billionaire father Dmitry Mazepin is a non-executive director of Russian company Uralkali, who are the main title partner of the Haas team.

There is a good chance, however, that Mick will fare better than his dad did when he turned out for Jordan in his first Grand Prix in Belgium in 1991. 

Michael Schumacher did brilliantly to qualify in seventh but a failed clutch meant he did not make it beyond the opening lap of the race itself.

Whether he will come anywhere close to 91 race wins and seven world titles, only time will tell. No pressure at all. 

Mourinho still ‘soul’ searching as Tottenham bounce back at Villa

By - Mar 23,2021 - Last updated at Mar 23,2021

BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom — Jose Mourinho has demanded his Tottenham players maintain the level of desire they showed in bouncing back from a difficult week to win 2-0 at Aston Villa on Sunday.

Spurs threw away a 2-0 first-leg lead to crash out of the Europa League with a 3-0 defeat by Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday, four days on from losing the north London derby 2-1 to Arsenal.

But they rekindled their hopes of a top-four Premier League finish as Carlos Vinicius and Harry Kane were on target at Villa Park.

Mourinho made eight changes in an attempt to summon a response from his side’s collapse in the Croatian capital and got the result he needed, even if the performance still left much to be desired.

Vinicius was partnered alongside Kane in a change to a 4-4-2 formation, with Gareth Bale and Dele Alli both dropped to the bench despite the absence of Son Heung-min through injury.

However, Mourinho said effort and not tactics was the key to change in fortunes for Spurs.

“Good result. Total credit to the players for an incredible attitude, incredible effort,” said Mourinho.

“I think our next challenge is not to play like this as a reaction of an awful performance, but to play like this, with this soul, as a permanent thing.

“This is not about tactics but about attitude. The players gave everything.”

The manner of defeat to Dinamo and the harsh words of Mourinho and captain Hugo Lloris afterwards sparked speculation over how long the former Chelsea, Real Madrid and Manchester United boss would be given to turn Tottenham’s fortunes around.

Mourinho is expected to be given the chance to end Tottenham’s 13-year wait to win a trophy in the League Cup final against Manchester City on April 25.

And there is still life in Tottenham’s final nine league games of the campaign now as they climb up to sixth and close to within three points of fourth-placed Chelsea.

“In the last couple of games, the attitude dropped below our standards,” said Kane.

“[Today] you saw everyone fighting, putting their bodies on the line and that’s what we’ll need to give the top four a push.”

 

Grealish absence felt

 

Villa have been a different side without the presence of Jack Grealish due to injury over the past month and once again his invention was missed.

In six games since Grealish picked up a leg injury, Villa have picked up just five points to end their chances of a surprise push for the top four.

“I said to them ‘we can’t wait for Jack to come back’,” said Villa boss Dean Smith. “Everybody knows how good a player he is and not many have taken that chance [in his absence].”

Spurs had barely threatened until one long ball over the top opened up Villa on 29 minutes.

Emiliano Martinez rushed outside his box to clear, but the loose ball fell to Lucas Moura, who exchanged passes with Kane before crossing for Vinicius to tap home his first Premier League goal since joining on loan from Benfica in October.

Kane then lured Matty Cash into an unnecessary lunge inside the box as the ball was rolling harmlessly out for a goal kick 22 minutes from time.

Referee Mike Dean pointed to the spot for a soft penalty, but Kane did not care about the nature of the award as he sent Martinez the wrong way for his 27th goal of another outstanding individual season.

PSG go top as Mbappe scores 100th Ligue 1 goal

By - Mar 23,2021 - Last updated at Mar 23,2021

Paris Saint-Germain’s French forward Kylian Mbappe (right) shoots and scores his second goal against Lyon during their French L1 match in Decines-Charpieu on Sunday (AFP photo by Jeff Pachoud)

PARIS — Kylian Mbappe warned he is “only just getting started” after scoring his 100th goal in France’s top flight as Paris Saint-Germain swept aside title rivals Lyon 4-2 on Sunday to move to the top of Ligue 1 following a shock defeat for previous leaders Lille earlier.

Mbappe netted twice at the Groupama Stadium with Danilo Pereira and Angel Di Maria also on target before Islam Slimani and Maxwel Cornet pulled goals back for the home side.

The result allowed Mauricio Pochettino’s team to move into first place on goal difference from Lille, who were beaten 2-1 at home by struggling Nimes in a huge blow to their own title hopes.

Lyon would have gone top themselves with a victory but instead they remain three points off the lead in third place, while Monaco are another point back in fourth after winning 4-0 at Saint-Etienne on Friday.

Mbappe is Ligue 1’s leading scorer with 20 goals this season and has reached a century of goals in France’s top flight in 142 appearances at the age of just 22.

“I knew I was just two goals away. It’s a new step in my career, another step towards history. These are things that stay with you,” Mbappe told Canal Plus.

“I am only just getting started. I still have a lot of years in front of me to perfect and improve my game so I think it can only get better.”

It was a perfect night for PSG, as the reigning champions bounced back from a surprise 2-1 home loss to relegation-threatened Nantes last week and claimed a win against a direct rival in the title race for the first time this season.

They also saw Neymar return after a month-and-a-half, and nine games, out injured. The world’s most expensive player came on as a substitute, replacing Mbappe midway through the second half.

Mbappe was close to his electrifying best and the World Cup winner opened the scoring 15 minutes in, following up to find the net after Marco Verratti’s shot was parried by Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes.

Marquinhos then nodded down a Presnel Kimpembe cross for Pereira to slam in and make it 2-0 just after the half-hour mark, and any hopes Lyon had of a comeback were blown away at the start of the second half.

First Di Maria whipped in a free-kick from wide on the right that evaded everyone on its way into the net, and then Verratti released Mbappe to break clear and finish for his second of the game on 52 minutes.

PSG took their foot off the pedal after that and allowed Lyon back into the game with Algerian striker Slimani firing in from outside the box just past the hour mark before Cornet made it 4-2 inside the final 10 minutes.

“We played well, we won, we have taken back first place and now we’ll try not to give it up,” Mbappe added.

 

‘No excuse’ for Lille

 

Pochettino’s side are next in action after the international break on April 3 when they entertain Lille in another top-of-the-table encounter.

Lille had been top at the start of the day but their hopes of a first title in a decade suffered a major blow against Nimes.

Goals from Senegalese striker Moussa Kone and captain Renaud Ripart, either side of Xeka’s equaliser for Lille, gave Nimes a victory which lifted them out of the automatic relegation places.

Lille have now won just twice in league games and been eliminated from both the Europa League and French Cup in recent weeks.

“We didn’t perform well. There is no excuse, but there are eight matches left until the end of the season and the battle goes on,” Lille captain Jose Fonte told Canal Plus.

“Our rule number one is to defend well, not concede goals, and then we will get chances in every game, but we didn’t do that and when you don’t defend together as a team it is always difficult.”

Nimes move up into the relegation play-off position while Nantes, held 1-1 by Lorient, slip to 19th.

Lewandowski hits hat-trick as Bayern thrash Stuttgart

By - Mar 22,2021 - Last updated at Mar 22,2021

BERLIN — Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick on Saturday as Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich romped to a 4-0 home win over Stuttgart despite losing Alphonso Davies to a red card in the 12th minute.

Stuttgart Chief Executive Thomas Hitzlsperger described Lewandowski’s performance as “something above world class”.

The result keeps Bayern four points clear at the top after second-placed RB Leipzig won 1-0 at Arminia Bielefeld on Friday.

Lewandowski has scored 35 league goals this season to leave him just five short of Gerd Mueller’s all-time Bundesliga record of 40, set in 1971/72.

“I just keep thinking from game to game and not how many more goals I have to score,” said Lewandowski, who netted with his left foot, right foot and head for a “perfect” hat-trick.

Davies received an early red card at the Allianz Arena for a tackle on the ankle of Stuttgart’s Japan midfielder Wataru Endo.

“After that we woke up,” said Lewandowski. Bayern responded with a burst of three goals in five minutes.

Lewandowski beat two defenders to tap home a Serge Gnabry cross on 18 minutes.

A superb exchange of passes between Leroy Sane and Thomas Mueller set up Gnabry to score Bayern’s second on 22 minutes.

Just 77 seconds later, Lewandowski headed home Mueller’s cross and the Poland star wrapped up his treble six minutes before half-time with a low shot.

“We paid dearly. They scored with every chance,” said Stuttgart sporting director Sven Mislintat.

Davies and Jerome Boateng will both be suspended for Bayern’s April 3 showdown at Leipzig. Boateng picked up a first-half yellow card, his fifth this season.

 

Haaland equaliser

 

Elsewhere, Erling Braut Haaland rescued Borussia Dortmund with two goals, including a late equaliser, in a 2-2 draw at strugglers Cologne.

The 20-year-old Norway star stormed off the pitch at the final whistle as Dortmund’s defensive weaknesses were again exposed.

Dortmund were heading to defeat before Haaland struck on 90 minutes after also giving the visitors an early lead.

Dortmund’s England midfielder Jude Bellingham gave away a first-half penalty when a VAR review showed he had blocked a shot with his arm and Ondrej Duda netted the spot-kick.

A mistake by Dortmund defender Thomas Meunier allowed Germany Under-21 winger Ismail Jakobs to fire Cologne into a 2-1 lead with an hour gone.

Haaland hit the post with a towering header before stabbing in Dortmund’s equaliser.

Fifth-placed Dortmund are four points from the Champions League spots.

Eintracht Frankfurt, the club immediately above them, cruised to a 5-2 home win over Union Berlin as Portugal striker Andre Silva netted twice.

Wolfsburg consolidated third place with a 2-1 win at Werder Bremen as Dutch striker Wout Weghorst hit what proved to be the winning goal just before the break.

Later, Borussia Moenchengladbach ended their slide down the league table with a 3-0 win at bottom side Schalke with goals by Lars Stindl and Stefan Lainer.

Gladbach are ninth while Schalke are 12 points from escaping the bottom three. 

James injury rocks Lakers in loss to Hawks, depleted 76ers cruise past Kings

By - Mar 22,2021 - Last updated at Mar 22,2021

Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks passes against Dennis Schroder of the Los Angeles Lakers during their NBA game in Los Angeles, California, on Satuday (AFP photo by Michael Owens)

LOS ANGELES — LeBron James crashed out of the Los Angeles Lakers’ 99-94 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday with a right ankle injury that will sideline the NBA superstar indefinitely.

The Lakers superstar collapsed to the Staples Centre court in agony after a collision with Atlanta’s Solomon Hill in the second quarter, crying out in pain and clutching his right ankle.

The 36-year-old returned briefly to hit a three-pointer before limping back to the locker room, knocking over a chair in frustration.

ESPN later reported that an MRI scan revealed a high ankle sprain and that James faced an “indefinite” injury layoff.

Depending on the severity, high ankle sprains can take anywhere from a few weeks up to several months to recover from.

James did not speak to reporters, but tweeted later that he would return as soon as possible.

“Nothing angers and saddens me more than not being available to and for my teammates!” James wrote. “I’m hurt inside and out right now. The road back from recovery begins now. Back soon like I never left.”

A lengthy layoff for James would be a devastating blow to the reigning champion Lakers, who are already without star Anthony Davis as he recovers from Achilles tendon trouble.

“It’s certainly going to be a challenge any time you’re undermanned,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. “But if you play team first basketball and you defend at our level you’ll have a chance to win and that’ll be our mindset.”

Lakers teammates Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell admitted that the sight of James leaving the arena was unnerving.

“We do forget he’s human sometimes, to see him in pain like that,” said Harrell, who was unhappy with Hill’s dive for the ball that led to James’s injury.

“We don’t feel like it was one of those basketball-type plays,” Harrell said. “He had to go through his leg to get the ball.”

With James missing, the Lakers offence struggled to get in the groove as the Hawks — fuelled by 27 points and 16 rebounds from John Collins — notched their eighth straight victory, the longest active streak in the league.

The Lakers fell to 28-14 to remain in second place in the Western Conference behind the Utah Jazz.

The Hawks improved to 22-20, tied for fourth with the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference led by the Philadelphia 76ers — who beat the Sacramento Kings 129-105 despite the absences of three injured starters.

Shortly before tipoff, the Sixers announced that Ben Simmons would be sidelined with a sore left knee.

Joel Embiid missed his fourth straight game with a bone bruise in his left knee and Seth Curry was out with a sprained left ankle.

Tobias Harris led the Sixers with 29 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. Shake Milton added 28 points and Danny Green chipped in 18.

Despite the lack of star-power, the 76ers set an early tone, scoring 42 points in the first quarter. They led wire-to-wire, pushing their advantage to as many as 36 points.

The Milwaukee Bucks kept the accelerator down, notching their sixth straight victory 120-113 over the San Antonio Spurs.

Two-time reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo had 26 points and a season-high 15 assists to go with eight rebounds for Milwaukee.

Khris Middleton scored 23 points and Jrue Holiday added 21.

 

Grizzlies bounce back

 

In Memphis, the Grizzlies got the better of short-handed Golden State, turning the tables on the Warriors a night after losing to them with a 111-103 victory.

Jonas Valanciunas scored 19 points and pulled down 15 rebounds.

Dillon Brooks scored 19, Brandon Clarke scored 16, Ja Morant chipped in 14 with eight assists and the Grizzlies clamped down defensively in a tight fourth quarter to get the win.

The Warriors were without Stephen Curry for a second straight game as he recovers from a bruised tailbone. Kevon Looney, James Wiseman and Eric Paschall were all sidelined by coronavirus contact tracing.

Man City late show books place in FA Cup semi-finals

By - Mar 22,2021 - Last updated at Mar 22,2021

Manchester City’s English midfielder Raheem Sterling runs with the ball against Everton during their English FA Cup quarter-final match in Liverpool, England, on Saturday (AFP photo by Paul Ellis)

LONDON — Manchester City’s quest for an unprecedented quadruple of trophies remains intact after seeing off Everton 2-0 to reach the FA Cup semifinals on Saturday as Southampton also booked their place in the last four.

City were far from their flowing best at Goodison Park, but goals in the final six minutes from Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne booked City’s place in the semifinals for the fourth time in five seasons.

Pep Guardiola described the clash as the toughest his side have had since November as they recorded a 25th win in 26 matches in all competitions.

“It was the toughest game since the last international break we had. We have been incredible in terms of results and performances [over that period],” said Guardiola.

“Tonight was so difficult, they have experienced players behind the ball with two up for the counter-attack.

“It was incredible commitment from my players. An incredible victory.”

City won the domestic treble of Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup for the first time in English football history two seasons ago and are firm favourites to repeat that feat.

Guardiola’s men are 14 points clear at the top of the Premier League, face struggling Tottenham in the League Cup final next month and were drawn against Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Friday.

Oleksandr Zinchenko cleared Everton defender Yerry Mina’s header off the line with the best effort either side mustered before half-time.

Joao Virginia started in goal for The Toffees for just the second time due to injuries to regular goalkeepers Jordan Pickford and Robin Olsen.

However, the 21-year-old Portuguese stopper produced a brilliant save early in the second-half to prevent Raheem Sterling converting Fernandinho’s pinpoint low cross.

Guardiola was forced to introduce Riyad Mahrez and De Bruyne off the bench in the final quarter.

But it was Aymeric Laporte who opened Everton up as he broke forward from centre-back before Virginia brilliantly turned the Frenchman’s initial effort onto the crossbar.

Gundogan was following up, though, to head into an empty net and end the resistance from Carlo Ancelotti’s men.

De Bruyne then wrapped up the tie with a thundering finish in stoppage time as Everton appealed in vain for a high boot by Mahrez on Mina.

 

Chance to ‘write history’

 

Southampton cast aside their Premier League struggles to ease past Bournemouth 3-0 to reach the semifinals.

Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side have slumped into the Premier League relegation battle after losing 10 of their last 12 top-flight matches.

But the Saints have been immune to those woes in the FA Cup and booked a place in the Wembley semifinals thanks to Nathan Redmond’s double after Moussa Djenepo’s opener.

While Premier League survival is the priority, Hasenhuttl insisted the FA Cup was a “big target” and he made just two changes against a Bournemouth team who sat seventh in the Championship.

“I’m definitely happy, not only for coming to the next round but also for seeing a performance from my team that was very lively and by far one of the better ones in the [recent] past,” said Hasenhuttl.

“I said in January that now is the time to take this chance because it’s always a good chance for a smaller club like we are to write history.”

In Sunday’s two quarter-finals, Manchester United travel to Leicester in a clash between the teams second and third in the Premier League, while Chelsea aim to continue Thomas Tuchel’s unbeaten start in charge at Stamford Bridge against managerless Sheffield United.

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