Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
Soccer-Morocco beat Portugal to go through to World Cup semi-final
Mococco extended their dream run at the World Cup on Saturday as they out-thought and out-fought Portugal in a 1-0 win to become the first ever African country to reach the semi-finals thanks to a towering headed goal from Youssef En-Nesyri. In the 42nd minute, En-Nesyri leapt above the Portugal defenders to meet a Yahya Attiat-Allah cross, getting just enough of his head to the ball to tip it past goalkeeper Diogo Costa, who misread its flight and crashed into his own defender.
Soccer-Man Utd looking to signing new forward, says Ten Hag
Manager Erik Ten Hag said Manchester United are looking to bring in a new forward to plug the gap left by Cristiano Ronaldo after his departure from the Premier League club in the wake of an explosive interview with TalkTV. Ronaldo said, in the interview with Piers Morgan last month, he felt betrayed by the club and did not respect Ten Hag.
NBA roundup: Warriors blitz Celtics in Finals rematch
The Golden State Warriors picked up where they left off in June, riding Stephen Curry’s long-range shooting and a defense that frustrated Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum for a 123-107 victory Saturday night in a rematch of the NBA Finals in San Francisco. Klay Thompson poured in a game-high 34 points, Curry had 32 and Jordan Poole 20 as the Warriors were able to outgun the league’s top offensive team without Andrew Wiggins, who missed his third straight game with a strained right adductor.
Mixed Martial Arts-Light heavyweight title bout at UFC 282 ends in split draw
The UFC’s light heavyweight championship will remain vacant after a title bout between Poland’s Jan Blachowicz and Russia’s Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 282 ended in a controversial split draw at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday. The headline event was initially supposed to be a bout between Jiri Prochazka and Glover Teixeira, but Prochazka was forced to vacate his title due to a serious shoulder injury.
Soccer-I’ll have to live with penalty miss, says Kane
England skipper Harry Kane said he will have to live with the penalty miss that condemned his team to a World Cup quarter-final exit against reigning champions France on Saturday. The striker had drawn his side level in the Al Bayt Stadium with a successful spot kick that saw him match Wayne Rooney’s record haul of 53 goals for England.
Analysis-Soccer-France leave England wondering what might have been
The French cockerel crowed long and hard into the night on Saturday after France beat age-old rivals England 2-1 to reach the World Cup semi-finals and send their neighbors home. On a patch of verdant grass incongruously sat in the middle of a parched Qatari desert, the reigning champions repelled England’s assaults and broke English hearts.
NHL roundup: Maple Leafs slide by Flames in OT
Mitchell Marner scored a power-play goal 43 seconds into overtime and the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the visiting Calgary Flames 5-4 Saturday night. Marner scored his 12th goal of the season on an assist from William Nylander, who had two goals and three assists. Marner also had an assist to extend his point streak to 22 games, which is already a team record. The Maple Leafs have picked up at least one point in 14 straight games (11-0-3).
Soccer-Portugal fans plunge into sadness after World Cup elimination
Portugal fans were overcome with sadness and frustration on Saturday after their fancied team crashed out of the World Cup to Morocco, a lower-ranked side that had already ousted Spain. Supporters, many wearing scarves in the green and red colors of the Portuguese flag as they watched the match in Lisbon’s bars and restaurants, had hoped to see their country reach the semi-finals. For them, the result was deeply frustrating.
Soccer-Giroud sends France into World Cup semis as England miss late penalty
Olivier Giroud sent France into a World Cup semi-final with Morocco as his late header after Aurelien Tchouameni’s opener clinched a gutsy 2-1 win over England on Saturday with Harry Kane blazing a penalty over the bar six minutes from time.
Four years ago Giroud did not manage a shot on target in the entire tournament as France won the title but in Qatar he now has four goals and has become his country’s record goalscorer along the way.
Top 25 roundup: No. 8 Alabama rallies to beat No. 1 Houston
Noah Clowney scored 16 points, including the go-ahead layup with 1:12 remaining, to lift No. 8 Alabama to a 71-65 victory over host and top-ranked Houston on Saturday. The Crimson Tide’s second win over the AP poll’s top-ranked team in as many months made them the first with multiple wins over the season’s top-ranked team before Jan. 1 since Duke in 1965-66. Alabama (8-1) beat then-No. 1 North Carolina 103-101 in four overtimes on Nov. 27. Duke knocked off then-No. 1 UCLA on Dec. 10 and 11 in 1965.
(With inputs from agencies.)
