Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
Soccer-Antony strikes as Man United fight back to sink Barca
Brazilian forward Antony stepped off the bench to send Manchester United through to the Europa League last 16 as the hosts came from behind to beat Barcelona 2-1 in Thursday’s playoff second leg and progress 4-3 on aggregate. After a frantic start, Barca were awarded an 18th-minute penalty when Bruno Fernandes was adjudged to have fouled defender Alejandro Balde and Robert Lewandowski just squeezed the spot-kick home.
WTA roundup: Coco Gauff reaches Dubai semis
Fifth-seeded Coco Gauff won an all-American quarterfinal on Thursday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, beating Madison Keys 6-2, 7-5 in the United Arab Emirates. Gauff saved the only break point she faced in the 81-minute match, and she converted four of her five break opportunities.
Soccer-UK commentator John Motson dies aged 77
British soccer commentator John Motson has died aged 77, his family announced in a statement on Thursday. Popularly known as “Motty”, Motson started working on the BBC’s flagship soccer highlights show Match of the Day in 1971.
NBA roundup: Malik Beasley leads revamped Lakers to win
Malik Beasley scored 25 points and Austin Reaves added 17 as the new-look Los Angeles Lakers earned a 124-111 victory Thursday over the visiting Golden State Warriors in the first game back from the All-Star break for both teams. After his lowest-scoring first half of the season, LeBron James finished with 13 points on 5-of-20 shooting for the Lakers, who won for the third time in their last four games (with two of those victories against the Warriors). Anthony Davis scored 12 points with 12 rebounds for Los Angeles.
ATP roundup: Jiri Lehecka upsets Doha top seed Andrey Rublev
Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic took down Russian No. 1 seed Andrey Rublev 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open on Thursday in Doha. Rublev, who survived a third-set tiebreaker to beat Dutch opponent Tallon Griekspoor in the previous round, fired 10 aces but couldn’t break Lehecka’s serve in the second or third sets. Lehecka won 14 of 15 total service games despite Rublev holding a 36-26 edge in winners.
Soccer-Sergio Ramos retires from Spain duty with parting shot at coach
Spain’s most capped player Sergio Ramos announced his international retirement on Thursday after being told by new coach Luis de la Fuente that he was not part of his plans. The 36-year-old Paris St Germain defender, who won the World Cup in 2010 as well as two European Championships, has not played for Spain since March 2021, yet said he should have been given the chance to show he could still be of service to his country.
Aaron Rodgers emerges from darkness retreat
Aaron Rodgers returned to the light. The Green Bay Packers star quarterback emerged from his four-day darkness retreat Wednesday in Oregon, the facility’s owner told ESPN.
Jeff Bezos taps investment firm while mulling Commanders bid
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos hired investment firm Allen & Company as he considers bidding on the Washington Commanders, the Washington Post reported Thursday. Allen & Company handled the two most recent sales of NFL franchises, the Denver Broncos last year and the Carolina Panthers in 2018.
Cricket-Australia captain Cummins to miss Indore test to be with ailing mother
Australia captain Pat Cummins will miss the third test in India after returning home to be with his ailing mother in Sydney, Cricket Australia said on Friday. Steve Smith will lead the side in Indore, where the match begins on Wednesday, in absence of skipper and paceman Cummins.
Cricket-Yorkshire admit to losing documents relating to racism allegations
Yorkshire have confirmed documents and data relating to allegations of racism against the county cricket club were deleted or lost during the tenure of a previous regime. Yorkshire had admitted to four amended charges brought by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) after an investigation into racism claims by former player Azeem Rafiq, who alleged in 2021 he had been a victim of institutional racism at the club.
(With inputs from agencies.)
About The Author
