1 2 月, 2023

Equinoz’s ‘Cybernetics’ Was Sold Out in 4 Minutes on playNomm NFT Marketplace

NFT auction on playNomm for a pre-drop event of NFT Korea Festival. Artwork was sold out at its highest buyout of US$ 16,937 in 4 minutes. Seoul, Korea, February 01, 2023 – (SEAPRWire) – On January 31st, on NFT marketplace playNomm (CEO, Sung-Uk Moon), Equinoz’s, one of Superchief Gallery NFT artists, artwork recorded a sold out 4 minutes into the auction, through the artist’s all-time high buyout price. As a second pre-drop edition of the upcoming “NFT Korea Festival” in March, Equinoz’s ‘Cybernetics’ was revealed and started a 7-day auction on January 31st. The auction was supposed to be carried out until February 8th. However, in just 4 minutes into the auction, this artwork was bought out by a collector for 40,120 LM, equivalent of US$ 16,937, ending the auction. Equinoz is a 3D artist who creates delicate and intertwined images between virtual and reality, under the theme of “Visible Future”. He is an active artist selling on many other NFT platform such as Open Sea and Super Rare, and also works in various fields such as games, commercial videos, music, clothing brands, etc. As a pre-event of the NFT Korea Festival, three NFT auction is held on playNomm NFT marketplace. The 1st drop was Shavonne Wong’s ‘Light in the Shadow’ which was sold for 65,800LM, equivalent of US$26,776. As the 2nd drop, Equinoz’s ‘Cybernetics’, has achieved an early sold out with a high buy out price, expectations are growing for the 3rd auction starting on February 16th with the artwork of Davey Perkins. The NFT Korea Festival is to be held on March 7th and 8th 2023, at DDP, Seoul. A collaboration with Superchief Gallery NFT, this will be one of the largest gathering of NFT industry and Web 3.0 leaders in Asia. There will be over 120 pieces of NFT artwork from 120 Global and Korean NFT artists on display, renown Web 3.0 leaders sharing their thoughts and views, and many more exciting events at this NFT festival. The NFT marketplace 2.0 playNomm is the first service platform of LeisureMetaverse project. It is evaluated as having a unique tokenomics, based on an Act To Earn (A2E) reward model, and combining the utilities that can be used in real life. “We have experienced a lot of interests and sold out for our 1st and 2nd limited pre-drop, even in this crypto winter. Through this, we could tell that users are still very interested in NFTs. So, starting with the NFT Korea Festival at DDP in March, playNomm will make a step in expanding the NFT ecosystem and becoming the global NFT Hub.”, said playNomm. Social Links Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nft_korea_festival/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/NFTKOREAFEST Media Contact Brand: playNomm Inc. Contact: Media Team Email: contact@playnomm.com Website: https://m.playnomm.com SOURCE: playNomm Inc. The article is provided by a third-party content provider. SEAPRWire ( https://www.seaprwire.com/ ) makes no warranties or representations in connection therewith. Any questions, please contact cs/at/SEAPRWire.com Sectors: Top Story, Daily News SEA PRWire: PR distribution in Southeast Asia (Hong Kong: AsiaExcite, EastMud; AsiaEase; Singapore: SEAChronicle, VOASG; NetDace; Thailand: SEAsiabiz, AccessTH; Indonesia: SEATribune, DailyBerita; Philippines: SEATickers, PHNotes; Malaysia: SEANewswire, KULPR; Vietnam: SEANewsDesk, PostVN)

26 3 月, 2022

Tennis: Kyrgios stuns Rublev in 52 minutes at Miami Open

11 12 月, 2021

Football: Late Brentford rally floors Watford

LONDON (AFP) - Brentford moved into the top half of the Premier League after scoring twice in the final six minutes to beat Watford 2-1 on Friday (Dec 10). Watford were heading six points clear of the relegation zone thanks to an Emmanuel Dennis header midway through the first half. But despite missing talismanic striker Ivan Toney who tested positive for coronavirus, the Bees turned the game around in a dramatic finale. Brentford captain Pontus Jansson powered home a header for his first goal for the club from Marcus Forss' flick on. Substitute Saman Ghoddos then lured William Troost-Ekong into a rash challenge inside the box four minutes into stoppage time. Bryan Mbuemo took responsibility from the spot in the absence of Toney and coolly sent Daniel Bachmann the wrong way to secure just Brentford's second win in nine league games. Thomas Frank's men climb to ninth, 10 points clear of the relegation zone in their first season in the top flight of English football for 74 years. Watford could end the weekend in the bottom three if Burnley beat West Ham on Sunday. More on this topic Related Story Football: Tottenham into top six with smooth win over Brentford Related Story Football: Man United face Villa, Leicester host Watford in FA Cup third round

8 12 月, 2021

Football: Perfect Liverpool knock Milan out of Champions League

MILAN (AFP) - Liverpool made it a perfect six Champions League wins from six on Tuesday (Dec 7) with a 2-1 victory at AC Milan which knocked one of Europe's most storied clubs out of the Champions League. Fikayo Tomori had given Milan hope they could make the last 16 with his tap-in just before the half hour mark at the San Siro but a quick reply from Mohamed Salah and Divock Origi's nodded finish 10 minutes after the break ensured Jurgen Klopp's side finished Group B on 18 points. Serie A leaders Milan, who were missing half their starting back four and three other first team players including forwards Rafael Leao and Ante Rebic, failed in ther attempt to make the last 16 for the first time since 2013. Stefano Pioli's side have looked an accomplished side domestically this season but were punished for picking up just one point from their first four group matches. Klopp made a raft of changes from the Reds' side which squeezed past Wolves at the weekend but there was still a obvious gulf in class between the two teams. Milan struggled to put a second-string Reds outfit under much pressure in the tame opening stages. The closest either side came to scoring was a Tomori header in the eighth minute that Alisson Becker had no trouble saving, while Neco Williams' shot two minutes earlier dribbled into Mike Maignan's arms. Out of nowhere the San Siro exploded into life thanks to Tomori's 29th-minute opener, which fell to him on a plate after Alisson could only pat the ball out to the England international. However, their joy only lasted six minutes as Salah netted his 20th goal of the season, pouncing after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain did brilliantly to wriggle free and fire a stinging shot at Maignan. More on this topic Related Story Football: Walker sent off as Man City crash in Champions League at Leipzig Related Story Football: Mbappe and Messi on target as PSG beat Brugge 4-1 in Champions League And Milan's hopes of making it through all but vanished 10 minutes after the break as Origi looped home Liverpool's second on another rebound, this time from Sadio Mane's shot after Tomori gifted the Senegal forward possession on the edge of his own box. From there Liverpool easily held off the home side, with Alisson rushing out to block Franck Kessie's finish when put clean through the only real danger Milan managed to pose with five minutes remaining. More on this topic Related Story Football: Clinical Real sink 10-man Inter to win Champions League group Related Story Football: Atletico grab unlikely last 16 Champions League spot

8 12 月, 2021

Football: Walker sent off as Man City crash in Champions League at Leipzig

LEIPZIG, GERMANY (AFP) - Kyle Walker was shown a late red card as Manchester City suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at RB Leipzig on Tuesday (Dec 7), but City still advanced to the Champions League’s last 16 as group winners. Walker was dismissed seven minutes from time for kicking Leipzig striker Andre Silva, who had earlier doubled the hosts’ tally after Dominik Szoboszlai gave Leipzig a first-half lead. “We showed today that with courage and will we can beat everyone,” Szoboszlai told DAZN. Before Walker’s dismissal, City had pulled a goal back when Riyad Mahrez finally headed past Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi, who had previously pulled off a string of saves. Walker will now be banned for the first leg of the last 16 tie. “Right now, we don’t know exactly what went wrong – we’ll have to sit down and analyse this,” said City left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko. “That we had won the group before the game had nothing really to do with our performance.” Despite PSG’s 4-1 win against Club Brugge, City will go into Monday’s draw as Group A winners while third-placed Leipzig head into the knock-out stages of the Europa League. After the final whistle, City coach Guardiola could not hide his irritation on the sidelines at the near-deserted Red Bull Arena as the game was played behind closed doors due to high numbers of Covid-19 cases in Saxony. “We had already qualified with one game left from a tough group so I am more than satisfied with the performance in every single (European) game,” Guardiola said. “We struggled in the first half today, but generally we have played well in the group stages.” Leipzig rallied in their first game since American coach Jesse Marsch was sacked after inconsistent results. His assistant Achim Beierlorzer was on the home bench. “That was the reaction we had wanted – and expected – to see,” said Leipzig chief executive Oliver Mintzlaff, who fired Marsch on Sunday. Leipzig's Brian Brobbey and Manchester City's Fernandinho (front) vie for the ball during the match. PHOTO: AFP In the build-up, Guardiola warned Kevin De Bruyne that he faces a fight to win back a regular place in the City side after a campaign marred by injuries and a coronavirus infection. The Belgium midfielder fired wide after 17 minutes with the goal at his mercy, then had a thumping free-kick saved by Gulacsi in his best chances of the game. Leipzig took the lead against the run of play when Konrad Laimer unleashed a superb pass which beat three defenders and put Szoboszlai in behind the City defence. The attacking midfielder kept his nerve, rounded City goalkeeper Zach Steffen and fired into the empty net with 24 minutes played. More on this topic Related Story Football: Perfect Liverpool knock Milan out of Champions League Related Story Football: Mbappe and Messi on target as PSG beat Brugge 4-1 in Champions League Leipzig nearly made it 2-0 with half-time approaching when Szoboszlai squared to Silva, but the Portugal striker headed straight at Steffen. Guardiola responded at half-time by swapping England midfielder Phil Foden, who had an ankle knock, for Raheem Sterling, but Leipzig still held firm. A huge roar from the home bench echoed around the stadium when Silva thumped home Emil Forsberg’s final pass to make it 2-0 on 71 minutes. Leaking a second goal caused City to rally and they pulled one back when Oleksandr Zinchenko floated in a cross to the back post which Mahrez buried. Walker’s dismissal only served to reduce City’s numbers for the final seven minutes as Leipzig held on. More on this topic Related Story Football: Clinical Real sink 10-man Inter to win Champions League group Related Story Football: Atletico grab unlikely last 16 Champions League spot

8 12 月, 2021

Football: Mbappe and Messi on target as PSG beat Brugge 4-1 in Champions League

PARIS (REUTERS) - Already-qualified Paris St Germain finished the Champions League group stage in style as Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi bagged doubles in a 4-1 home win over Club Brugge on Tuesday (Dec 7). France forward Mbappe put the Ligue 1 side 2-0 up in the first seven minutes and Messi added a third before the break plus a fourth with a penalty after the interval. PSG were guaranteed second place in Group A before kickoff while Manchester City, who lost 2-1 at RB Leipzig on Tuesday, had already secured top spot and finished with 12 points, one ahead of Mauricio Pochettino's Paris side. Brugge were eliminated from European competition after finishing bottom with four points, three behind Leipzig. Visiting goalkeeper Simon Mignolet clumsily punched Nuno Mendes's cross into the path of Mbappe who fired home after two minutes and the striker was at it again five minutes later when he volleyed past the Belgian from Angel Di Maria's pass. Mbappe is the youngest player to reach 30 goals in the Champions League, less than two weeks before his 23rd birthday. Messi added the third seven minutes before halftime with a trademark curled attempt from outside the area and although Mats Rits pulled one back in the 68th, PSG were always in control. Messi wrapped up a comfortable victory with a 76th-minute spot kick after being brought down by substitute Ignace Van der Brempt. More on this topic Related Story Football: Perfect Liverpool knock Milan out of Champions League Related Story Football: Walker sent off as Man City crash in Champions League at Leipzig

7 12 月, 2021

Football: De Bruyne must fight for Man City spot, says Guardiola

MANCHESTER (AFP) - Pep Guardiola has warned Kevin De Bruyne that he faces a fight to win back a regular place in the Manchester City side after a campaign marred by injuries and a coronavirus infection. The Belgium midfielder returned to action as a substitute against Watford on Saturday (Dec 4) but has been told he will start Tuesday's Champions League match in Leipzig, City's final fixture in Group A. The 30-year-old suffered ankle ligament damage at Euro 2020 that prevented him from starting a Premier League game until late September but was just starting to find his form when he tested positive for Covid-19. "Kevin, at the moment he got coronavirus, was growing in his physical condition and it was a setback," Guardiola said on Monday. "But that is normal because people who have suffered coronavirus, in the next days, feel so empty. "It is step by step. He played his first 30 minutes and tomorrow he will start. We'll see how many minutes he can play." Despite his pedigree, De Bruyne will have to battle for a starting spot at a club where competition for starting places is intense, with Bernardo Silva described by Guardiola as the best player in the Premier League at the moment. "He has to come back and fight for a position like everyone else," said Guardiola. "Kevin doesn't have to show absolutely anything to me but he has to come back to being himself and show himself he's back, and do what he has to do. Like he has done the last five or six years, every single three days. "Of course the competition is so necessary and he knows it, but Bernardo knows it, and (Ilkay) Gundogan knows it, and all the wingers and strikers know it. "They know they have to play good, (whether) playing five minutes, 10 minutes or 90 minutes." City have already secured top spot in Group A and Guardiola is likely to make a number of changes for the game in Germany, confirming that youngsters Cole Palmer, James McAtee, Romeo Lavia, Joshua Wilson-Esbrand and Conrad Egan-Riley will travel. "For them it's an incredible experience to be in Europe and see how the opponents behave, how good they are," he said. "Maybe tomorrow some of them can play minutes because we have five substitutions." More on this topic Related Story Football: Man City to decide on Grealish for Villa trip, de Bruyne yet to train Related Story Football: De Bruyne says dead feeling in face won't affect his play

29 11 月, 2021

Floorball: Uphill task for S’pore women’s team to reach world c’ships play-off round

SINGAPORE - With one loss and a draw in the group stage, Singapore now face an uphill task if they are to advance in the Women's World Floorball Championships. They drew 5-5 with the National Floorball Federation of Russia (NFFR) at the IFU Arena in Uppsala, Sweden on Sunday (Nov 28). The Russians were 2-0 up after seven minutes but Singapore pulled one back through Ong Ying Rui in the 12th minute. Good saves by both goalkeepers kept the score at 2-1 after the first period. Angela Model later equalised for Singapore 10 minutes into the second period before two goals in quick succession through captain Michelle Lok and Shannon Yeo gave the Republic the lead. The Europeans then levelled the score through Anastasiia Bulbash and Mariia Basargina, who scored her second of the game in the 10th minute of the last period. The final 10 minutes of the match saw frantic pressing by both sides and the Russians appeared set for victory after Mariia Kitaeva scored with just one minute left. But Model grabbed a last-second equaliser and her second goal of the game to earn a point for her team. Captain Michelle Lok, 27, said: "We felt more confident today and enjoyed the game more. The team did not give up until the last whistle was blown. (In the last 10 minutes, we) focused on converting our shots into goals, as the game was not over yet. "We had hoped for a win to put ourselves in a good position for top two in the group. Nevertheless, I am glad the team fought and scored the equaliser with four seconds left. "Though it may seem like the odds are against us, I am confident that my team will fight hard to finish in the top two. No matter what the results are, I am already proud of my team." The result takes Singapore level on points with the Russians with one point each. In the other Group D match on Sunday, Norway thrashed Estonia 11-1 to make it two wins in two and lead the group with four points. Estonia, who beat Singapore 4-3 on Saturday, are second with two points. The top two teams in Group D will qualify for the first play-off round. More on this topic Related Story Floorball: S'pore suffer 4-3 loss to Estonia in World Women's C'ship opener Related Story Floorball: S'pore eager to return to Women's World C'ship stage after a tough two years The team will take on ninth-ranked Norway in their final group stage match on Monday. National coach Lim Jin Quan, 29, said: "We had a nervous start but I strongly believed in the team’s resilience. The scoreline did not affect our morale and we managed to pull through. "We were gunning for the win. However, watching the team bounced back from their mistakes was truly heartening. "The team defended well against the technically strong opponents. We were able to deny their goal-scoring opportunities. We are approaching tomorrow’s match with an open mind and will be gunning for the best against the strong opponents. "We will give our all and play with no regrets." At the last edition in 2019 held in Neuchatel, Switzerland, Singapore finished a historic 12th place. Their previous best position was 16th, achieved in 2015 and 2017. Singapore is the next host, staging it in 2023, nearly two decades after the Republic last hosted the event in 2005.

12 11 月, 2021

Football: Germany rout Liechtenstein in World Cup to give Flick record-breaking start

WOLFSBURG, GERMANY (REUTERS) - A makeshift Germany team crushed Liechtenstein 9-0 in a World Cup qualifier on Thursday (Nov 11) as Hansi Flick recorded the best ever start for a Germany coach with his sixth win in six games in charge. With five players sidelined due to defender Niklas Suele's Covid-19 infection, coach Flick had to make sweeping changes to his lineup. But the already-qualified Germans eased past Liechtenstein, who were down to 10 men after 11 minutes, with two goals each from Thomas Mueller and Leroy Sane to top Group J with 24 points, nine ahead of second-placed North Macedonia. The hosts went ahead with an 11th-minute Ilkay Gundogan penalty after Jens Hofer was sent off for kicking Leon Goretzka with a high challenge in the face. It got worse for the visitors who conceded three goals in three minutes, starting with Daniel Kaufmann stabbing in for an own goal in the 20th. Leroy Sane made it 3-0, slotting in from a perfectly timed Goretzka pass and Marco Reus added another. With Flick's predecessor Joachim Loew, who received an official farewell before the game, watching from the stands Germany struck again four minutes after the restart with Sane before late goals from Mueller and Ridle Baku. Mueller bagged his second in the 86th before another own goal by Liechtenstein, this time from Max Goeppel, ended their miserable evening. Germany play Armenia on Sunday.

12 11 月, 2021

Football: China’s World Cup qualifying hopes hit as Oman claim point

HONG KONG (REUTERS) - China's hopes of qualifying for the World Cup suffered another blow on Thursday (Nov 11) as a header from Oman's Amjad Al Harthi 15 minutes from time earned a 1-1 draw with Li Tie's side. The Chinese, needing a win to keep pace with the teams above them in Group B of Asia's preliminaries for Qatar 2022, remain in fifth place in the six-nation standings, nine points behind leaders Saudi Arabia with four points from five games. Oman are fourth on seven points as the qualifiers reach the halfway point, but are now two points behind third-placed Japan. The top two finishers in each of the two groups in Asia's preliminaries qualify automatically for the finals, while the third-placed nations enter a series of playoffs for a possible fifth Asian berth at the World Cup. China took the lead through Wu Lei after 21 minutes when the striker netted for the third time in two matches at Sharjah Stadium, where Li's team have been forced to play their home matches due to strict quarantine regulations in China. The forward was quickest to react after Zhu Chenjie rose to meet Xu Xin's corner, with Wu poking in from seven metres. Luo Guofu almost doubled China's lead later in the half, only for Omani goalkeeper Faiyz Al Rashidi to save the Brazil-born striker's downward header at full stretch. Branko Ivankovic's side fought back in the second half and goalkeeper Yan Junling was unable to keep out Al Harthi's delicately flicked header 15 minutes from time. Saudi Arabia lead Group B by three points despite being held to a 0-0 draw by Australia in Sydney on Thursday, while Japan's 1-0 victory over Vietnam moved Hajime Moriyasu's side within a point of the second-placed Socceroos. In Group A, a late penalty earned Dick Advocaat's Iraq a 1-1 draw with Syria in Doha as they moved up to fourth place. Omar Al Somah had put the Syrians in front with a near-post volley 10 minutes from time but Amir Al Ammari converted a penalty six minutes later to equalise for Iraq after a lengthy VAR check following a foul on Ali Al Hamadi by Ahmad Ashkar. The draw was Iraq's fourth in five games and their tally of four points moves them ahead of the United Arab Emirates and within a point of third-placed Lebanon. Iran remain in pole position with 13 points following a late 2-1 win over the Lebanese, while South Korea are two points behind in second after they defeated the UAE 1-0 in Goyang.

5 11 月, 2021

Football: Conte enjoys winning start with Spurs in frantic Vitesse clash

LONDON (REUTERS) - Antonio Conte got a crash course in what he can expect as Tottenham Hotspur's new manager after the Italian's first game in charge ended in a 3-2 home victory over Vitesse Arnhem in the Europa Conference League on Thursday (Nov 4). Conte, who replaced Nuno Espirito Santo this week after the Portuguese was sacked 10 Premier League games into his first season, watched his side tear into a 3-0 lead after 28 minutes with Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura on target plus an own goal. He then watched Vitesse score twice in seven minutes before halftime in a frantic tie complete with three red cards and an outbreak of crowd trouble amongst the visiting supporters. Defender Cristian Romero saw red for Tottenham on the hour while visiting defender Danilho Doekhi and goalkeeper Markus Schubert were later sent off for the Dutch side. In the end Spurs held on for the three points which boosted their hopes of making progress in Europe's third-tier club competition. They are now second in Group G with seven points, three behind leaders Rennes, who beat Slovenian side Mura 1-0. More on this topic Related Story Football: Conte arrival has raised expectations at Spurs, says Lloris Related Story Football: Conte the 'hammer' brings high demands and glittering CV to Tottenham

24 10 月, 2021

Football: Chelsea and City on fire, Everton implode

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND (REUTERS) - Premier League leaders Chelsea hammered bottom club Norwich City 7-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday (Oct 23) and Manchester City cruised to a 4-1 win at Brighton & Hove Albion, while Everton collapsed to a shock 5-2 defeat at home to Watford. England international Mason Mount struck a hat-trick for Chelsea who showed no lack of firepower despite the absence of injured forwards Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner. Mount opened the scoring in the eighth minute before winger Callum Hudson-Odoi scored 11 minutes later when he collected a fine pass from Mateo Kovacic and provided a cool finish. A third Chelsea Academy product got on the scoresheet three minutes before halftime with a delightful chip from wing-back Reece James. Ben Chilwell made it four just before the hour mark against the winless Canaries, whose troubles worsened with an own goal from Max Aarons in the 62nd minute and a sending off for Ben Gibson after a second yellow card two minutes later. Mount's penalty was saved by Tim Krul late in the game but VAR showed the keeper had moved off his line and when the kick was retaken Mount made no mistake. He capped a fine performance with a tap-in from Ruben Loftus-Cheek's pass in the 91st. Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel, whose side lead the standings on 22 points after nine games, was delighted to see Mount get his first treble for the west London club. "To have the hat-trick for Mason is huge because that's a massive moment for him. He's very proud, he put a lot of pressure on himself," the German coach said. "I feel (he is) playing with a bit more freedom in the last few matches and this is what we need. There were a lot of games, and still are a lot of games, for him at a very young age." Manchester City remain two points behind Tuchel's side after another impressive display on the south coast. Phil Foden scored twice for Pep Guardiola's side as they opened up a 3-0 lead within the opening 31 minutes. The visitors were on the front foot from the outset at Brighton and took a 13th minute lead through Ilkay Gundogan after a mistake from home goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. City soon extended their lead as Foden got his first of the match, steering Jack Grealish's square pass into the net in the 28th minute, before the 21-year-old got the final touch on Gabriel Jesus' shot to make it 3-0 three minutes later. Alexis Mac Allister's penalty nine minutes from time gave Brighton some consolation but City substitute Riyad Mahrez restored the three-goal advantage in stoppage time. Sixth-placed Manchester United host Liverpool, who are third, in the North-West derby at Old Trafford on Sunday. Four goals Rafa Benitez's Everton were 2-1 up at home to promoted Watford but then conceded four goals inside 13 minutes as they collapsed to a surprise loss. Josh King, the former Bournemouth forward who was on loan at Everton last season, scored a hat-trick on his return to Goodison Park as new Watford boss Claudio Ranieri enjoyed a much-needed win for the Hornets, who are 14th on 10 points. Ranieri's first game in charge, last week, ended in a 5-0 home defeat by Liverpool but the Italian said he had been able to benefit from a full week with his players. "Of course today my philosophy was very clear. The players worked with me one week together and slowly, slowly I'm sure we will get better together," he added. More on this topic Related Story Football: Chelsea's rout of Norwich quashes talk of striker crisis Related Story Football: Leaders Chelsea thump sorry Norwich 7-0 in Premier League Benitez was puzzled by the defeat, which left his side in eighth place on 14 points. "I think it is difficult to explain when you are winning 2-1 and concede four goals in a few minutes. We need to understand how to manage the game, especially managing when you are winning," he said. Leeds United's disappointing start to the season continued as they needed a stoppage-time goal from Spanish striker Rodrigo to scrape a 1-1 home draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers. Rodrigo's penalty cancelled out Hwang Hee-chan's early goal for the visitors. Newcastle's first game since the departure of manager Steve Bruce ended in a 1-1 draw in the capital after Callum Wilson's acrobatic strike cancelled out Christian Benteke's opener for Crystal Palace. Ivory Coast winger Maxwel Cornet scored twice for winless Burnley in their 2-2 draw at Southampton. More on this topic Related Story Football: Foden double inspires Man City to 4-1 win at Brighton Related Story Football: Man City's Foden enjoying life on the wing as goals continue to flow

20 10 月, 2021

Football: Salah double helps Liverpool beat Atletico 3-2 in Champions League as Griezmann sees red

MADRID (REUTERS) - Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah netted a double, including the winner, as they secured a 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid, whose forward Antoine Griezmann also scored twice but was sent off in a gripping Champions League clash on Tuesday (Oct 19). Salah fired home the winner from the spot after Griezmann had seen red for a dangerous high boot, but the action was not over in a compelling encounter, with Atletico awarded a penalty of their own, before it was overturned following a VAR review. The win kept Liverpool top in Group B on nine points, five ahead of second-placed Atletico and Porto in third, with AC Milan pointless at the foot of the table. “Honestly, how you win it, I couldn’t care less. The dirty ones are the really important ones. When we are flying we win the games anyway, but on a night like this getting three points is really massive,” Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp told BT Sport. Salah opened the scoring with a deflected effort in the eighth minute and Naby Keita added a second with a thunderous volley five minutes later as Liverpool looked set to crush Diego Simeone’s side. However, Liverpool’s defence imploded shortly afterwards and Atletico came roaring back, with Griezmann at the centre of the action. First he steered home a Koke shot in the 20th minute to reduce the deficit and 14 minutes later he drew his side level, a superb first touch opening up the space in front of him for a clinical finish low past Alisson’s left hand. After a frenetic opening 45 minutes, Liverpool finished the first half on the ropes, but a reprieve was not long coming as the second period got underway. Yannick Carrasco forced an early save from Alisson but then Griezmann was shown a straight red card seven minutes after the break for carelessly planting his foot in the face of Roberto Firmino as he challenged for a high ball. Simeone’s reaction was to keep urging the home crowd on and his team looked capable of hanging on with 10 men until another costly lapse. Defender Mario Hermoso conceded a penalty by barging into Diogo Jota, and Salah made no mistake from the spot to put Liverpool back in the lead. However, Liverpool seemingly tripped themselves up again when Atletico Madrid were awarded a penalty after Jota appeared to bundle over Jose Maria Gimenez, but the decision was overturned after a lengthy VAR review. Former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez came off the bench and flashed a stoppage-time shot over the bar before being booked for an angry exchange with the referee as he sought to find an equaliser for his side. With seven minutes of stoppage time added on, Liverpool were left hanging on, but they managed to see the game out. More on this topic Related Story Football: Man City crush Brugge to re-energise Champions League push Related Story Football: Messi and Mbappe lead PSG to Champions League victory against Leipzig Related Story Football: Benzema scores in Champions League rout for Real Madrid on eve of his trial

20 10 月, 2021

Football: Man City crush Brugge to re-energise Champions League push

BRUGES, FRANCE (AFP) - Riyad Mahrez scored twice as Manchester City delivered “one of their best” Champions League performances to thrash Club Brugge 5-1 on Tuesday (Oct 19) and re-emphasise their status as major contenders for a first European crown. Joao Cancelo gave City a deserved lead on the half-hour and Mahrez converted a penalty just before the break as Pep Guardiola’s side bounced back in style from last month’s loss to Paris Saint-Germain. Kyle Walker added a third early in the second half and 19-year-old Cole Palmer bagged his first Champions League goal minutes after coming on as a substitute. Hans Vanaken pulled a goal back to the delight of the home supporters but Mahrez capped a thumping City victory with his second of the night. “It was one of the best performances in Europe we’ve done so far,” said Guardiola. “We are all delighted. We were so good.” The win leaves City side with six points after three games in Group A, with the champions of England and Belgium to meet again in two weeks in Manchester. “If we can take three more points, to have nine points with two games left, we’ll be close to qualifying for the next round,” added Guardiola. Ederson returned in goal for City after flying direct to Belgium last week following Brazil’s 2022 World Cup qualifiers, while Jack Grealish replaced Raheem Sterling in the front three. Viewed as the weakest team in a group also featuring 2020 semi-finalists RB Leipzig, Brugge had surprisingly held PSG to a 1-1 draw in their opening game of the section at the Jan Breydelstadion. City, facing Brugge for the first time, twice had the ball in the net inside the opening 15 minutes. Grealish’s lob was ruled out for a push on Clinton Mata, with Rodri’s tap-in disallowed for offside. Foden runs show Phil Foden fired into the side-netting after running onto a long ball, the England international’s free roaming as a false nine constantly troubling Brugge. It came as little surprise Foden created the opening goal for Cancelo, chipping a delightful ball over the defence that the Portugal defender poked through the legs of former Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. Stanley Nsoki chopped Mahrez down in the area late in the first half, the Algerian doubling City’s lead as he sent Mignolet the wrong way from the spot. Mahrez nearly struck again before half-time but Mignolet beat away his first-time strike from Foden’s lay-off. Walker all but put the match out of reach on 53 minutes when Mahrez and Kevin De Bruyne combined, the latter rolling through for Walker to drill low past Mignolet. Mignolet denied Foden with his legs as City continued to stream forward. Not even a spate of changes could check their momentum as Palmer scored three minutes after replacing De Bruyne. More on this topic Related Story Football: Salah double helps Liverpool beat Atletico 3-2 in Champions League as Griezmann sees red No sooner had Belgium star De Bruyne walked off to warm applause from the home supporters than Palmer curled in from Raheem Sterling’s assist. Mignolet saved well from Sterling after he escaped in behind the defence, with Ederson producing a sharp stop to turn away Charles De Ketelaere’s diving header. Brugge refused to fold and Hans Vanaken steered in a consolation nine minutes from time, but the game finished as it started, with City flexing their muscle as Mahrez burst clear to complete the rout. “We were realistic before the game. We know what the difference in quality is between the two sides,” said Brugge coach Philippe Clement. “You know you need a lot of luck today and extraordinary performances from every player to get points from one of the two best teams in the world.” More on this topic Related Story Football: Messi and Mbappe lead PSG to Champions League victory against Leipzig Related Story Football: Benzema scores in Champions League rout for Real Madrid on eve of his trial

13 10 月, 2021

Football: Ronaldo nets hat-trick as Portugal rout Luxembourg

FARO (REUTERS) - A 58th career hat-trick from Cristiano Ronaldo helped Portugal stroll to a 5-0 home win over Luxembourg in Group A of World Cup qualifying on Tuesday (Oct 12). The treble, which meant Ronaldo became the first man to net 10 international hat-tricks, takes his tally to 115 international goals from 182 caps as he continues to pull away as the top men's international goalscorer of all-time. Victory ensures Portugal remain a point behind leaders Serbia, who moved onto 17 points with a 3-1 home win over Azerbaijan, with a game in hand and superior goal difference. Portugal had the game all but won within the first 18 minutes. Ronaldo struck twice from the penalty spot before his Manchester United team mate Bruno Fernandes made it three as he fired in following good work from Bernardo Silva. The forward then missed two gilt-edged chances either side of the break as he sought a third, before being denied a spectacular hat-trick goal when Anthony Moris kept out his acrobatic overhead kick. Portugal did not have to wait long for their fourth, however, as midfielder Joao Palhinha headed in from the resulting corner with just over 20 minutes to go. Ronaldo was not to be denied as the hosts pushed on, netting three minutes from time with a header from close range. Next month Fernando Santos's Portugal side travel to Ireland before then hosting Serbia in what could be a winner-takes-all fixture to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

9 10 月, 2021

Football: Germany, Netherlands edge closer to World Cup finals

PARIS (AFP) - Germany needed a late winner from Thomas Mueller to beat Romania 2-1 while the Netherlands eked out a 1-0 win in Latvia to stay on course for the World Cup finals on Friday (Oct 8). Four-time world champions Germany now have a six-point lead in Group J after their win in Hamburg. However, it was another rollercoaster evening for the European giants. Romania took a shock ninth minute lead when Rangers winger Ianis Hagi ghosted through the defence and fired past Germany goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, a late replacement for injured Manuel Neuer. Serge Gnabry equalised with his 20th goal in 30 internationals after 52 minutes. Mueller then came off the bench for his 107th Germany appearance to claim his 40th international goal nine minutes from time. The result extends Germany's lead at the top of Group J ahead of Monday's next qualifier away to North Macedonia. A win in Skopje would put the Germans on the brink of punching their World Cup ticket. Davy Klaassen scored with a fine volley after 19 minutes in Riga to give the Dutch the three points in a 1-0 win over Latvia which kept them in charge of Group G. They have a two-point advantage over Norway who drew 1-1 with third-placed Turkey. Kerem Akturkoglu gave the Turks, coached for the first time by Stefan Kuntz, a sixth-minute lead in Istanbul. However, his maiden international goal was cancelled out by Kristian Thorstvedt four minutes before the interval. Former German international Kuntz was brought in to replace Senol Gunes who was axed after Turkey were thumped 6-1 by the Netherlands last month - one of the worst losses in their history. In Group E, Aaron Ramsey and Daniel James inspired Wales to a 2-2 draw with the Czech Republic in Prague. Both teams have eight points in the fight for the second spot in Group E, trailing runaway leaders Belgium with 16, but Wales have a game in hand. Ramsey, skippering the team in the absence of the injured Gareth Bale, opened the scoring on 36 minutes following a Neco Williams cross. The Czechs were level a minute later when goalkeeper Danny Ward cleared a half-shot, half-pass from Filip Novak and Jakub Pesek was ready with a rebound. The hosts went ahead with a farcical own goal on 49 minutes as Ramsey back-passed, but Ward was not ready and the ball rolled over his foot and slid in at the lefthand post. James equalised for Wales on 69 minutes as he blasted the ball past goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik following a superb pass from second-half substitute Harry Wilson. Croatia, the runners-up to France in the 2018 World Cup, still lead Group H after a 3-0 win in Cyprus. Ivan Perisic, in first-half injury-time, and goals in the last 10 minutes from Josko Gvardiol and Marko Livaja secured the three points. Croatia have 16 points as do Russia after the 2018 hosts beat Slovakia 1-0 thanks to a 24th-minute own-goal by Milan Skriniar.

8 10 月, 2021

Football: Hernandez fires comeback kings France into Nations League final

TURIN, ITALY (AFP) - Theo Hernandez shot France into a Nations League final with Spain on Thursday (Oct 7) with a last-gasp strike which earned Les Bleus a thrilling 3-2 win from two goals down against Belgium. AC Milan full-back Hernandez netted his first France goal in the 90th minute of his second international appearance after France had come back from 2-0 down at half-time at the Allianz Stadium in Turin through strikes from Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe. Didier Deschamps’ side will face La Roja in Sunday’s final at the San Siro in Milan after an exciting encounter which Belgium thought they had won in the final minutes when Romelu Lukaku netted from Yannick Carrasco’s cross. However with the Red Devils players still celebrating, Lukaku’s first-time finish was ruled out for offside. And with the match looking like it was heading to extra-time, Hernandez collected the ball on the left before rifling home the winner. He had started the match alongside his brother Lucas Hernandez, making the pair the first two brothers to play for France since Herve and Patrick Revelli featured in a friendly against Romania in 1974. “Winning that match from where we were proves the strength of character of this team,” Deschamps told TF1 after the match. “Nobody thought it possible at half-time, and I understand that looking at the score, but they were here to not leave anything on the pitch and to play in the final.” Mbappe shows class The match had been fairly even for most of the opening period, although Hugo Lloris had to be at his best to stop Kevin De Bruyne’s close range finish in the fourth minute. Three minutes later Benjamin Pavard should have done better when he met Mbappe’s cross from the left with a volley that he sent straight at Thibaut Courtois. Mbappe, who became the youngest ever player to earn 50 caps for France, also fired too close to Courtois midway through the first half. Belgium’s opening goal came eight minutes before the break, Carrasco cutting inside Pavard and then drilling a low shot between Lloris and his near post. And three minutes later Lukaku, who flopped in the same stadium last week in a Chelsea shirt, doubled Belgium’s lead with his sixth goal in six games for his country. The 28-year-old did brilliantly to spin Lucas Hernandez while collecting De Bruyne’s pass down the right flank before charging into the box and slamming home a high shot that again beat Lloris at his near post. Left with a tough task to make the final France came out firing after the restart, and Mbappe was the key to drawing them level. First he burned Carrasco in the 58th minute before sending in a low cross that Antoine Griezmann couldn’t turn in. Then, four minutes later, he tricked his way past Youri Tielemans and passed to Benzema, who flashed home despite being surrounded by Belgium defenders. He then crashed home the spot-kick which set up an exciting finish after Tielemans’ clumsy foul on Griezmann was spotted following a VAR check. De Bruyne and Paul Pogba then both had shots well saved before frantic finale saw Lukaku score what he thought was the decisive goal and Pogba smash a free-kick against the bar. Hernandez then snatched a win which highlighted all the qualities which made the French world champions. More on this topic Related Story Football: Spain end Italy's unbeaten run to reach Nations League final

1 10 月, 2021

Football: Super-sub Kane bags hat-trick for Spurs in Conference League win

PARIS (AFP) - Harry Kane scored a hat-trick after coming off the bench to seal a 5-1 win for Tottenham Hotspur over Slovenian champions Mura in the Europa Conference League group stage on Thursday (Sept 30). Dele Alli's penalty and a goal from Giovani Lo Celso put Spurs in control after just eight minutes in north London, but a brilliant volley from Ziga Kous cut the deficit shortly after half-time. Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo introduced Kane, Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura for the final 30 minutes, a triple change that helped the struggling Premier League club wrap up a much-needed victory. Lucas played through for Kane to stab home on 68 minutes, and the England forward struck again after sweeping in from Son's cross. Kane, yet to score in the league this season, completed his treble in the closing minutes after a slick pass from Lo Celso. "We made it harder than we needed to," Kane told BT Sport. "It was nice to come off the bench and score a few goals." Three straight league defeats have cranked up the pressure on Nuno, who was named Premier League manager of the month for August after leading Spurs to wins in their first three matches. Another tricky test awaits in the shape of Aston Villa at home this weekend, but this was a morale-boosting result and sent Tottenham top of Group G on four points. "Us as players and staff need to stick together and work hard. Our recent form has not been great but we need to try to turn it round next game," said Kane. "Every striker wants to score goals. I probably wasn't expecting to come on today but it's nice to get the minutes. Whenever you see the ball hit the back of the net it's a good feeling." Spurs lead Rennes on goal difference after the French side came from behind to beat Vitesse Arnhem 2-1 in the Netherlands. Chris Smalling and Tammy Abraham scored as Jose Mourinho's Roma eased to a 3-0 victory away to Zorya Luhansk of Ukraine in Group C. More on this topic Related Story Football: Nuno vows not to crack under Spurs pressure Related Story Football: Spurs must take blame for Kane's struggles, says Nuno Stephan El Shaarawy put Roma ahead early in Zaporizhia and Smalling headed in a second on 66 minutes before Abraham struck shortly after coming on as a substitute. Roma top their section with a maximum six points as they bounced back from a weekend derby defeat by Lazio in Serie A. Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt are second on four points after a 0-0 draw away to CSKA Sofia in Bulgaria. Union Berlin recorded their first points with a 3-0 win over Maccabi Haifa, while former European Cup winners Feyenoord defeated Slavia Prague 2-1 to go top in Group E.

15 9 月, 2021

Football: Gosens rescues Atalanta with late Champions League point at 10-man Villarreal

VILA-REAL, SPAIN (AFP) - Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini said he was "satisfied" after Germany's Robin Gosens claimed a late equaliser in Tuesday's (Sept 14) 2-2 draw at 10-man Villarreal in the Champions League. Gosens' effort in the final 10 minutes kept the Italians above Manchester United in Group F after the English club lost to Young Boys earlier in the day, in the first game of this season's competition. French midfielder Francis Coquelin was shown a red card in the closing moments for Villarreal, last season's Europa League winners, after pulling Teun Koopmeiners' shirt. "I am satisfied, we played against a great team. We played really well for the first 30 minutes. We were strong enough to keep the ball possession because if you lose the ball too many times against them, they can punish you," Gasperini told Sky Italia. "We hoped to win it when we went one man up, then, in the end, Juan Musso saved us," he added. Villarreal midfielder Dani Parejo praised his side's reaction to Coquelin's dismissal before Gerard Moreno had an injury-time header blocked on the line. "We are leaving with a bittersweet taste because we wanted victory," Parejo told Movistar+. "I think the team gave everything. With one less player the team believed in victory until the end, but it could not be." Villarreal coach Unai Emery started Argentina pair Geronimo Rulli and Juan Foyth after last weekend's La Liga trip to Alaves was postponed following the extended international window for South American World Cup qualifiers. Gasperini made four changes from Saturday's Serie A loss to Fiorentina as Juan Musso, making his competition debut aged 27, was picked ahead of Marco Sportiello in goal. Atalanta, making just their third appearance in the Champions League, were rewarded for their early control of the game as Switzerland midfielder Remo Freuler opened the scoring after just six minutes. Colombia forward Duvan Zapata held the ball up well in the box and his lay-off was slightly deflected by Etienne Capoue before Freuler hit home. The Italians' dominance of the game at Estadio de la Ceramica, witnessing its first Champions League group game since December 2011, stopped seven minutes before the break. Super-sub Miranchuk Villarreal left-back Alfonso Pedraza found midfielder Manu Trigueros inside the box and the Spaniard hammered home the equaliser for his second goal in as many games this season. Gasperini's side started the second half as they did the first but Zapata could only hit the crossbar above Rulli, who was on the bench as Argentina's game with Brazil was abandoned earlier this month, eight minutes after the interval. Atalanta failed to make the pressure count and were punished with 17 minutes to play. More on this topic Related Story Football: Young Boys strike late to stun Ronaldo's Man United in Champions League Related Story Football: Lukaku earns Chelsea narrow Champions League win over Zenit Freuler miscontrolled outside his box and Netherlands winger Arnaut Danjuma pounced with a powerful half-volley. Gasperini pushed his side to look for an equaliser, bringing Aleksei Miranchuk on for Matteo Pessina, and the move paid off with seven minutes left. Josip Ilicic hit a low cross into the feet of Russia attacker Miranchuk who softly guided the ball along to Gosens to beat Rulli comfortably. Things worsened for Emery less than two minutes later as midfielder Coquelin was shown a second yellow card. The visitors were unable to make the most of the extra man in midfield and Emery's men even had a chance to claim a late three points as Moreno's header, four minutes into additional time, was superbly saved by Musso. More on this topic Related Story Football: Sevilla draw with Salzburg in Champions League after four first-half penalties awarded Related Story Football: Lewandowski, Mueller propel dominant Bayern to easy Champions League win at Barca

9 9 月, 2021

Football: Praet scores for Belgium in a narrow World Cup qualifier win over Belarus

KAZAN, RUSSIA (REUTERS) - Dennis Praet's first-half goal secured a narrow 1-0 away win for Belgium over Belarus in Kazan on Wednesday (Sept 8) to move them closer to World Cup qualification. The midfielder's 33rd-minute strike maintained Belgium's unbeaten run in Group E as they advanced to 16 points, nine points ahead of the Czech Republic, who have played one game fewer, and Wales, who have two games in hand. Praet steered a snap effort wide of Belarus goalkeeper Sergei Chernik after being teed up by a short pass from Alexis Saelemaekers, two minutes after Michy Batshuayi had the ball in the net but his effort was ruled offside. Belgium, top of the Fifa rankings, scored eight goals against Belarus at the start of the World Cup qualifiers in March but this time looked tired after a third game in six days, having beaten Estonia and the Czech Republic in their previous two qualifiers. They were without suspended Romelu Lukaku and Jan Vertonghen and elected to spare Thibaut Courtois, Yannick Carrasco and Axel Witsel the long trip to Russia, where Belarus were forced to host the game because of flight sanctions. Captain Eden Hazard started on the bench and only came on after an hour but failed to provide the expected spark. His free kick four minutes from fulltime, however, did force a sharp save out of Chernik. Belarus, who did not trouble Belgium in the game, have now lost four of five qualifiers and sit second from bottom in the group. More on this topic Related Story Football: Poland strike late to end England's perfect record Related Story Football: Sane inspires Germany to big win over Iceland