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Articles by Backa Topola
France's blistering finish flattens Belgium to provide Zidane with first home win
MICHAEL OLISE CAME off the bench to inspire France to a 4-1 win over Belgium in the Nations League, handing Zinedine Zidane his first home victory since taking charge. Dodi Lukebakio put Belgium on course for their first competitive win over Les Bleus in 45 years when he fired the visitors in front in the first half at the Stade de France.
Northern Ireland rue Isaac Price penalty miss as they draw with Georgia
ISAAC PRICE MISSED a late penalty as Northern Ireland were held to a goalless draw by Georgia which nevertheless keeps them top of their Nations League group. Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili guessed right to keep out Price’s 84th-minute spot-kick after a combination of Nodar Lominadze and Saba Sazonov fouled Ruairi McConville as he sent a header against the crossbar during a goalmouth scramble.
Accusations of trash talk and hypocrisy: How Israeli media covered Sunday's match
THE SECOND OF two controversial Nations League matches between Ireland and Israel concluded last night in a near-empty stadium in Bǎcka Topola, Serbia. This time, the teams drew 1-1: an improvement for Israel on the 0-3 defeat they suffered the previous weekend in Hungary. The match was played on the anniversary in the Hebrew calendar of the 7 October attack by Hamas at a festival which killed over 1,300 people. Sunday’s game, much like the previous, came with its own set of altercations.
Irish 10s on fire as the provinces strike back
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Djokovic advances to China Open final as Medvedev out for hitting fan with ball
NOVAK DJOKOVIC ADVANCED to the China Open final on Monday after Daniil Medvedev was disqualified in the second set, when a ball that came off the Russian’s racquet hit a spectator. A man sitting in the stands behind Medvedev’s side of the court was seen holding his face and escorted out of his seat after being hit, as Djokovic was serving for the match with the score at 7-5, 5-3. 11th-ranked Djokovic will play world number nine Alex de Minaur for the title on Tuesday in Beijing.
F1 urged to ‘have a hard look at themselves’ after Bahrain Grand Prix chaos
FORMULA ONE HAS been urged to take a “hard look” at the regulations following the unprecedented software glitches which overshadowed Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. This season’s new engines – which rely on 50-50 split between combustion and battery power – have already faced severe criticism. And the sport’s contentious regulations are again back in the spotlight after multiple drivers were struck down by failures ahead of Sunday’s rain-hit round, forcing the start to be abandoned.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor takes legal action against police over search warrants
ANDREW MOUNTBATTEN-WINDSOR IS taking legal action against Thames Valley Police in a bid to quash search warrants which led to his arrest, with a private High Court hearing to take place on Thursday, a judicial spokesperson has said. The former Duke of York was arrested on his 66th birthday earlier this year on suspicion of misconduct in public office following allegations he shared sensitive information with Jeffrey Epstein during his time as the UK’s trade envoy.
Smotherman wins maiden PGA Tour title as Power finishes 21st in Utah
JOURNEYMAN GOLFER AUSTIN Smotherman claimed the first PGA Tour victory of his career on Sunday, sealing a two-stroke triumph at the Bank of Utah Championship. Smotherman, 32, carded a closing three-under-par 68 at the Black Desert Resort in Ivins to finish on 25 under. Check out the final Bank of Utah leaderboard here That was good enough for the world number 121 to hold off Doug Ghim in second place, who shot a final-round 69 for a 24-under total.
Fresh legal bid launched against Drumcree march as Kneecap show up to support residents
A FRESH LEGAL bid against the planned Orange Order march in Portadown is to be heard at the Court of Appeal in Belfast today. Lawyers for the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition are arguing that the Parades Commission “materially misdirected itself” on the police assessment of the potential for disorder and had not given an “accurate representation of the evidence received from PSNI” in its decision.
Hallgrimsson: 'I felt that was kind of the intention to try to intimidate us'
An editorial note re: The 42’s reporting on the Uefa Nations League matches between Ireland and Israel is available to read here. HEIMIR HALLGRÍMSSON REITERATED his belief that the Republic of Ireland and Israel should be kept apart by Uefa in future competitions. In another fractious encounter between the two teams, a member of the Irish backroom staff, fitness coach Damien Doyle, also accused an Israeli player of spitting at him as the teams left the pitch at half time.
US pulls its B-1 bombers out of British airbase following suspected terror plot
THE UNITED STATES confirmed on Sunday that it has withdrawn all B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford, a British airbase at the centre of a counter-terrorism probe after a mysterious security incident last month. Police were called to the base in south-west England on 27 September after a local farmer reported a group of men with several vans engaged in “suspicious” activity. The scare forced evacuations at 85 homes near the airbase, which was used by the United States to launch strikes on Iran.
Brazilian election heads to run-off after Jair Bolsonaro's son tops poll over President Lula
RIGHT-WING SENATOR FLAVIO Bolsonaro pulled off a surprise first-place finish ahead of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Sunday’s election, which heads to a run-off in three weeks as neither clinched a majority. In a result that defied opinion poll projections showing Lula in the lead, Flavio Bolsonaro scored 47% of the vote to the incumbent’s 45%.
Ronaldo-less Portugal into knockouts, Man United star nets winner for Dutch
League A, Group 2 Greece 0 Germany 0 Netherlands 2 Serbia 1 Group 4 Portugal 2 Norway 1 Wales 0 Denmark 1 League B, Group 3 Kosovo 1 Austria 1 Republic of Ireland 1 Israel 1 League D, Group 1 Malta 1 Andorra 0 Group 2 Azerbaijan 1 Lithuania 0 PORTUGAL BECAME THE first team to reach the quarter-finals of the Nations League when they beat Norway 2-1 on Sunday, but Jurgen Klopp’s Germany were frustrated by Greece.
Ireland cut short news conference before Israel game
AFP, BACKA TOPOLA, Serbia Add TT as Preferred Source The Republic of Ireland’s news conference on Saturday on the eve of their second UEFA Nations League match against Israel in Serbia was cut short as head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson fielded questions from Israeli journalists. Ireland on Tuesday last week beat Israel 3-0 in Hungary in their first match following a turbulent build-up in which the Irish players voted to fulfil the fixture despite unease among the team over the war in Gaza.
Max Verstappen earns first win of the season at chaotic Bahrain Grand Prix
Max Verstappen in action at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Victory Verstappen took the lead after an early safety car and led home the Mercedes of championship leader Kimi Antonelli. RED BULL’S MAX Verstappen took his first win of the season at a chaotic Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia on Sunday that only started on the second attempt 1hr 40min late because of rain.
US Marine arrested on suspicion of murdering woman in Japan
A US MARINE stationed on Japan’s southern island of Okinawa was arrested on suspicion of the murder of a Japanese woman, police said. The suspect has been named as 20-year-old Devin Jacob Ballard, while the woman has been identified as 39-year-old Anna Yagi, according to The Japan Times. Ballard “killed the 39-year-old woman at a hotel in Naha and stole her wallet on Saturday,” a local police spokesman told AFP.
Taoiseach says football match boycott may ‘harm’ Ireland with no benefit to Palestinians
ONE FOOTBALL MATCH is not going to get the Israeli government to “change direction” on policies towards Palestinians, the Taoiseach has contended. Micheál Martin said that a boycott of the Republic of Ireland men’s international team’s next fixture against Israel on Sunday could do harm to Ireland with “no consequential gain” for Palestinians.
Scotland see off North Macedonia to give boss Sebastien Pocognoli his first win
SASSUOLO FORWARD KIERON Kieron Bowie broke his Scotland duck with a wonder strike to set Sebastien Pocognoli on the way to his first victory as head coach on a night of landmarks in North Macedonia for the dominant visitors. The impressive Scots eased to a deserved 2-0 Nations League triumph in Skopje, ensuring a trip to the Balkans to cherish for captain Andy Robertson as he notched his 100th cap to move within two of record holder Sir Kenny Dalglish.
Yamal on target as Spain hold off Czechia
LAMINE YAMAL CONTINED his superb goalscoring form as Spain secured a 3-1 win over Czechia on Saturday in the Nations League. The world champions moved three points clear of England at the top of Group A3, after Thomas Tuchel’s side demolished Croatia 7-0 earlier on in Rijeka. Spain cruised into a two-goal lead with Yamal and captain Rodri Hernandez on target but Jiri Slama gave the Czechs a chance by pulling one back with 20 minutes to go.
Young out-half Charlie O'Shea stars as Munster power to bonus-point win against Bulls
MUNSTER HAVE THEIR first win of the new URC season, Clayton McMillan’s side building on the promising signs in last weekend’s defeat to Glasgow by delivering a more comprehensive, ruthless performance to record a bonus-point win against the Bulls. This will be remembered as the night Charlie O’Shea announced himself to the Thomond Park faithful. O’Shea, 20, shot up the out-half queue after Jack Crowley and Tom Wood were ruled out of the first half of the season.
Fernandes hails Portugal's 'greatest symbol' Ronaldo, calls for unity
PORTUGAL PLAYMAKER BRUNO Fernandes said Cristiano Ronaldo remains the country’s greatest footballing icon despite walking out on the squad this week after finding out he would not start a match. The 41-year-old superstar said Wednesday he had left the team after coach Jorge Jesus said Ronaldo would not start against Denmark in the Nations League, a match Portugal won 4-2 without him.
Leinster snatch late bonus point in Durban defeat to Sharks
LEINSTER’S SOUTH AFRICAN safari ended in a bonus-point defeat after a hard-fought battle with the Sharks, adding a point in Durban to the two they earned in last week’s narrow loss to the Lions. It was a tight tussle from beginning to end, but the match was ultimately decided up front, where the visitors were outmuscled in the set pieces. The Sharks were boosted by the return from Springbok duty of three of their big names—Eben Etzebeth, Ox Nche and Thomas du Toit — and their presence was felt.
Seventh heaven for England in Nations League rout of Croatia
HARRY KANE AND Bukayo Saka both struck twice as England ran riot in a 7-0 rout of abject Croatia in the Nations League on Saturday. Thomas Tuchel’s side ripped Croatia to shreds in Rijeka to make it two wins from their first three matches in their Nations League group. England captain Kane’s double extended his record goal tally for his country to 89. But the Bayern Munich striker was far from the only stand-out performer for England.
Galway's Liam Nolan earns maiden professional win in Abu Dhabi
LIAM NOLAN RECORDED the first victory of his professional golf career as he shot a final-round 65 to win the Abu Dhabi Challenge by four shots. Galway native Nolan, who earned just shy of €50,000 for his maiden win as a pro, also catapulted from 43rd to 12th in the Road to Mallorca standings with three events remaining. The top 15 at season’s end will be promoted to the DP World Tour.
Co-pilot on FlyDubai plane ‘attacked captain with axe’
THE CO-PILOT on a FlyDubai flight that nearly crashed last week attacked the captain with the cockpit’s crash axe in a “terrorist” incident, according to United Arab Emirates officials. The UAE statement cited the attorney general as saying the co-pilot also tried to take control of the plane during Wednesday’s attack on the Israel-bound flight with 182 people on board. Passengers and crew intervened to subdue the co-pilot and stabilise the plane.
TSC vs West Ham EN VIVO Europa League Jornada 5
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