Kyrgiakos tempted by Reds challenge August 20, 2009 GREEK international Sotiris Kyrgiakos says joining Liverpool is the biggest challenge of his career. The Reds yesterday agreed a £1.5m deal for the defender, who only last week committed himself to a four-year contract extension at AEK Athens. The 30-year-old former Rangers player will undergo a medical at Anfield today with a view to completing [...]
Toothless Villa undone by goal inside a minute August 20, 2009 ASTON VILLA conceded a goal in Vienna after just 40 seconds, and it proved decisive as Rapid went on to win the first leg of their Europa League play-off. Bosnian Nikica Jelavic headed the opener and the hosts went on to dominate a Villa side featuring four changes from the weekend. Rapid’s Christopher Drazan was [...]
Rodwell brace ushers Toffees towards groups August 20, 2009 TEENAGER Jack Rodwell and Louis Saha scored two apiece as Everton put one foot in the Europa League group stage with an emphatic first-leg play-off win. A Saha volley opened proceedings before England Under-21 midfielder Rodwell scored his first from 20 yards. The youngster completed his brace with a fine drive before Saha’s low angled [...]
Johnson to be sidelined for eight weeks August 20, 2009 STRIKER Andy Johnson set Fulham on their way to a comfortable win before having his evening ended by a dislocated shoulder. Johnson struck after just three minutes against the Russians but was taken off after being floored by a blatant body-check in the second half. He faces eight weeks out. Further goals from American midfielder [...]
SPORT IN BRIEF August 20, 2009 Zhirkov plays down surgery fearCHELSEA winger Yuri Zhirkov has denied reports he needs an operation to cure the knee problem that has prevented him making his Premier League bow. Zhirkov is not expected to return before the Blues face Burnley on Saturday week, but the Russian summer signing said suggestions of surgery “don’t correspond to [...]
Bolt seals sprint double and another new record August 20, 2009 JAMAICAN sprint sensation Usain Bolt smashed another world record to claim 200m gold at the World Championships – and then claimed he hadn’t run a good race. Bolt, who earlier this week in Berlin obliterated his own best time to set a new benchmark in the 100m, again left the field trailing in his wake [...]
Champion Murray and Federer into Masters last eight August 20, 2009 BRITAIN’S Andy Murray made smooth progress into the last eight of the Cincinnati Masters with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Radek Stepanek. The new world No2 let an early lead slip before taking the opening set, and then went on to cruise through the second against the 16th-seeded Czech.Defending champion Murray will face unseeded Frenchman [...]
SPORT IN BRIEF August 20, 2009 Dar Re Mi stuns Sariska at YorkRACING: Jimmy Fortune led 11-2 shot Dar Re Mi to a huge shock in the Yorkshire Oaks, beating red-hot favourite Sariska. Victories in the Epsom Oaks and Irish equivalent helped send off Sariska as 4-11 favourite at York, but Michael Bell’s filly, ridden by Jamie Spencer, had no answer [...]
Australia to upset Freddie’s farewell fling at the Oval August 19, 2009 ENGLAND vs AUSTRALIA TODAY 11AM – SKY SPORTS 1 HAVINGcrammed 4,542 runs, 1,211 overs and five balls, 13 innings and four Tests into just six weeks, nothing separates England and Australia heading into the fifth and final match of this fascinating Ashes series. With the outcome teetering on the sharpest knife edge the last chapter [...]
In-running trading hints August 19, 2009 ANDREW Strauss’s side may be encouraged by the Oval being Australia’s worst ground of those employed for this series in terms of win ratio, with just six victories in 34 visits. However, Australia have the momentum of the Jamaican 4x100m relay squad following their crushing defeat of the Three Lions in Leeds and England’s quest [...]