RelatedPosts Pirlo not out to copy anyone after Juventus’ comfortable opening win Juve’s Pirlo gamble makes new Serie A season the most open for years Pirlo bags UEFA coaching badge Juventus’ strong start to the new Champions League campaign continued with a comfortable victory against Bayer Leverkusen at the Allianz Stadium. Strikes from Gonzalo Higuain and Federico Bernardeschi had eased Maurizio Sarri’s men in control in Turin, before Cristiano Ronaldo added further gloss to the scoreline late on. Leverkusen stopper Lukas Hradecky almost extended the hosts lead in the second half, but clawed the ball off the line after attempting to turn beyond the onrushing Sami Khedira inside the penalty area.Tags: Bayer LeverkusenChampions LeagueJuventusMaurizio Sarri read more

RelatedPosts Neymar risks seven-game ban, Gonzalez 10 Neymar, four others sent off as Marseille grab rare win at PSG Neymar ‘super happy’ to return to training with PSG Paris Saint-Germain will be without at least six of their star players when they start the defence of their Ligue 1 title on Thursday night at Lens.On Thursday night, the club confirmed another three players had tested positive for coronavirus. Although the club declined to name the trio, they are understood to be the Brazilian defender Marquinhos as well as goalkeeper Keylor Navas and striker Mauro Icardi.They were part of a group of players who holidayed on the Spanish island of Ibiza with family and friends after the team’s 1-0 defeat in the final of the Uefa Champions League against Bayern Munich in Lisbon in 23 August.On Wednesday, PSG confirmed positive tests for three players. Although club officials refused to identify the troika, the daily sports newspaper L’Equipe and the news agency AFP named Neymar as well as the Argentines Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes.The six who are in quarantine will miss PSG’s opening fixture at Lens on 10 September and the club’s second match three days later at the Parc des Princes against Marseille who had a similar problem at the start of the season when four people from the club tested positive for the illness.Under Ligue de Football Professionnel guidelines, PSG will have to play the games as long as 20 of the 30 squad players are fit. Even without Di Maria and Neymar, PSG boss Thomas Tuchel can call on France’s World Cup winner Kylian Mbappé as well as the Germany international Julian Draxler for the forward line.Internationals from Italy, Senegal and Spain in the shapes of Marco Verratti, Idrissa Gueye and Ander Herrera could make up the midfield of a putatively weakened side.Other internationals such as Germany’s Thilo Kehrer and France’s Fresnel Kimpembe could be part of the PSG backline.Tags: Ligue 1Paris Saint-GermainPositive coronavirus read more

Share This StoryFacebookTwitteremailPrintLinkedinRedditWhatsappThe Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___A person with knowledge of the situation says Auburn’s football team has canceled its last two practices because of issues related to COVID-19 after positive tests this week. North Carolina athletic director Bubba Cunningham says the school will begin football and other fall sports without fans at home because of the pandemic.In an open letter to fans Friday, Cunningham says the restriction will last through September for football, men’s and women’s soccer, field hockey, volleyball and cross country. In addition, tailgating won’t be allowed on campus.“This decision … was the only way we could move forward with competition,” Cunningham says. “Our student-athletes want to play, and we must do so as safely as possible.Cunningham says the hope is to potentially allow some fans in October, though that would potentially come only after school officials and medical experts evaluate safety conditions. He also says school officials “remain hopeful that we will be able to safely cheer together in large groups again this season.”The school has canceled all in-person undergraduate classes in favor of online-only instruction after multiple coronavirus clusters on campus since students returned for the fall semester. ___A player has tested positive for the coronavirus ahead of a women’s tennis tournament in Prague.Tournament director David Trunda says the unidentified player was isolating in her hotel room and will be re-tested. Trunda says the player didn’t meet any other participants in the tournament.All 150 players are tested on arrival and have to wait in their hotel rooms for the results.The event is for players who would have been at the U.S. Open qualifying tournament. It opens on Saturday. August 28, 2020 It wasn’t clear how many players, coaches or others tested positive. Auburn coach Gus Malzahn remains scheduled to speak to reporters Saturday. Auburn spokesman Kirk Sampson would only confirm that the Tigers hadn’t practiced Wednesday or Thursday as scheduled.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss details.Malzahn had previously said the Tigers had gone two straight weeks without a positive. He said Auburn still had four players going through protocols when the team began practice on Aug. 17.The Tigers are scheduled to open the season Sept. 26 against Kentucky.___ ___Roma has canceled its opening preseason training session as a precautionary measure after a third player tested positive for the coronavirus.Right back Bruno Peres says on Instagram he has tested positive. He adds that he’s well and has no symptoms.Roma goalkeeper Antonio Mirante and winger Carles Pérez previously tested positive.Two Roma youth team players also have COVID-19. Associated Press The IJF says the events “aim to offer qualification points for the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games.”Some continental-level competitions are also planned later in 2020.___More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports The Latest: Source: Virus caused Auburn to can practices Tuscany region president Enrico Rossi says local health authorities have approved limited spectators for the Tuscan Grand Prix on Sept. 13.Rossi tells the Gazzetta dello Sport “the circuit contains three big tribunes that are well spaced apart so the limit of 1,000 people per the national rules on public events can reasonably be considered as the capacity limit for each tribune.”Official government approval is expected by Saturday.Fans will have their temperature taken upon arrival and be asked to observe social distancing procedures and wear masks if it is approved.The only spectators at the Italian GP in Monza a week earlier will be 250 specially invited health workers. Tickets are only available to club members older than 12 and will be issued after a draw. Tickets will be personalized “in order to ensure legally-required tracking of visitors.”Those attending will need to wear a mask until reaching their allocated seat and they will need to put it on again when leaving.The game will take place 100 years after then-German champion Nuremberg played Union in the first match at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei in Köpenick on Aug. 7, 1920.___An upcoming Formula One race in Italy could be open to 3,000 fans. The club says it will perform another round of virus tests on Saturday before deciding whether or not to go forward with training.Serie A is scheduled to start Sept. 19.___Union Berlin plans to celebrate its stadium’s 100th birthday by playing in front of supporters for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic broke.The Bundesliga club says it will host Nuremberg in a pre-season friendly on Sept. 5 and that up to 5,000 people can attend. Hygiene measures will apply. U.S. Open qualifying was canceled this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.___The International Judo Federation says it is restarting events which should feed into qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics.International judo events started to be affected by the coronavirus in February when Chinese teams withdrew from competing in Europe. Cancellations began in March.The governing body says World Judo Tour events will be organized in Budapest, Hungary, in late-October and Tokyo in December. read more

Although it’s hoped to play the first group matches in the competitions on the second Sunday of that month that probably won’t happen if Tipperary are successful in the National Leagues.Secretary of the County CCC Tom Maher says they would ideally like to start the club championship as early as possible – however the earliest date they can be sure of is April 30th..

Betsson rolls out new Group Affiliates site August 7, 2020 Submit Affiliate concerns: Maintaining trust in the modern market July 9, 2020 Share Related Articles Rightlander tackles non-compliant affiliates with Fast Track report April 7, 2020 StumbleUpon Share Ahead of Betting on Sports 2017 (12-15 September), Bookies.com Managing Director Matthew Glazier, part of the ‘Super Affiliates’ session at next month’s event, spoke to SBC News about what he’s looking forward to at #boscon2017, where betting can work together more closely with sport and what sports partnership has stood out over the last 12 months.SBC: Why is it important for you to speak at Betting on Sports?MG: There are many affiliates and operators attending the conference. Having worked in both spheres, I can hopefully provide some insight for both panel discussions. Regarding Super Affiliates, there can be an in-depth discussion of the current affiliate landscape and an examination of the relationship between operators and affiliate partners. For the cricket panel discussion, we can look at the recent Unibet sponsorship and how this sport can potentially create uplift for the coming years.SBC: What are you looking forward to at Betting on Sports?MG: The opportunity to be part of another successful SBC event. I greatly enjoyed participating in BOFCON at Stamford Bridge and it will be an opportunity to attend more panel discussions and playing a fuller role in proceedings. It’s also a great opportunity to catch up with old faces, former work-mates and discuss the latest issues of the day. There is a great roll call of talented professionals in attendance and it’s likely to be the biggest SBC event thanks to the great work that the guys put in.SBC: Where can betting work together more closely with sport?MG: It’s a tricky question. Betting’s relationship with sport will always be slightly uneasy given that there should be a focus on youth development for each sport, particularly when it comes to international level. The English FA recently severing ties with betting companies illustrates that many sports governing bodies are trying to distance themselves from betting. The betting industry generally needs to take a more responsible attitude, although some operators have already started moving in this direction.SBC: What sports betting partnership has stood out in the past 12 months?MG: It’s clear that bookmakers are diversifying with the different sports that are seeing investment and sponsorship. Unibet were recently involved in the Giro d’Italia, while we have seen the same operator move into cricket sponsorship. I was also impressed by Unibet (again) and their sponsorship of Aston Villa’s shirt, especially the special markets that were created for the beginning of the football season. I enjoyed seeing Betfred sponsoring the World Snooker Championship again and they tend to do that particularly well if you visit the Crucible.SBC: Describe your perfect sporting eventMG: I enjoy a day of hospitality at the races, football or cricket like anyone else. However, I’m ultimately a grassroots football fan and love nothing better than following Tranmere Rovers on the road. At BOFCON, I could hot foot it to Aldershot on the train and watch Rovers in the National League play-offs. Stood under a huge oak tree in the away end while the rain poured down, Micky Mellon’s side did the business with a 3-0 win. read more

AddThis Sharing ButtonsShare to FacebookFacebookShare to TwitterTwitterShare to MoreAddThisALPENA, Mich.– A local charity, Friends Together, held their annual Pig Roast on Sunday, accommodating for COVID–19.The parking lot at the Fletcher Road Depot was bustling today as people came by for the annual Friends Together Pig Roast. The get–together is one of the charity’s major fundraisers for the year, supporting their work assisting families struggling with cancer.Indoor and outdoor seating continued from previous years, now with a mandatory mask policy and social distancing measures.Another COVID–19 adaptation was the emphasis on take out, allowing people who might have otherwise skipped the event to still get food.The event also featured a raffle and live entertainment.AddThis Sharing ButtonsShare to FacebookFacebookShare to TwitterTwitterShare to MoreAddThisContinue ReadingPrevious Local Teen Hosts Board Game OnlineNext Community Turns Out for Local Car Show read more

As countries the world over continue qualification rounds for next year’s World Cup, Italy’s bad boy Mario Balotelli has said the country will be the team everyone should fear in Brazil.This was the view of the controversial striker, who scored in the Azzurri’s 2-1 victory against Czech Republic Monday night – a victory that saw them, along with the Netherlands, become the first European side to qualify for the finals.FormidableAnd the AC Milan attacker says they should be counted amongst the title contenders in Brazil.I think we’re among the favourites, he told RAI Sport.There are one or two teams above us, but they should fear us, not the other way around, he continued. Winning goalMario Balotelli scored the winner as Italy came from behind to beat the Czech Republic 2-1 to seal Group B.Balotelli stepped up to hit the winner past Petr Cech from the spot in the 54th minute to set the four-time champions on the road to Brazil. read more

Newly capped Black Stars player Bernard Mensah is giving little away in terms of information as speculation on his future intensifies.The 20-year old midfielder has been linked to European giants Manchester United, Monaco or a reunion with his former coach Rui Vitoria at Benfica after a stellar season at European club Vitoria Guimaraes.But the Ghana international is currently tight lipped on his future.“I don’t know anything about this (transfer). I just leave this for my management and my club,” Mensah told Joy Sports.“For me everyone wants to move forward and when it happens for me to move forward and my club and agent accepts, I just have to move forward.”The former Fetteh Feyenoord player was however dreaming of player at the highest level as he perceives it to be every player’s dream. “This is what every player wants. To play in the highest level, to play in the Champions League, Europa League. So if it is time for me to move forward, I will be happy.”Bernard Mensah made 21 appearances for Vitoria Guimaraes last season scoring a single goal.– read more

Advantage ClippersSmall ForwardMatt Barnes, Clippers, 10.1 ppg, 4.0 rpgKawhi Leonard, Spurs, 16.5 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 2.3 spgBarnes is having a good season from the 3-point line, shooting very respectable 36.2 percent, second-highest of his 12-year career. He’s tough as they come but sometimes lets his feisty nature get in the way with technical fouls. But even if that doesn’t play a role, the 35-year-old Barnes can’t compare to the 23-year-old Leonard. Besides his offense, the quick-handed Leonard led the league in steals this season.Advantage SpursPower ForwardBlake Griffin, Clippers, 21.9 ppg, 7.6 rpgTiago Splitter, Spurs, 8.2 ppg, 4.8 rpgIf Splitter plays, he could be listed as the center with Tim Duncan as the power forward. But the feeling is that Splitter will be on Griffin defensively and that the Clippers’ DeAndre Jordan might play more on Duncan, though that could change depending on what combination of bigs the Spurs have on the floor. Splitter missed the final six games with a calf injury, but he practiced Friday. He gained the support of his teammates since joining the starting lineup in February. “We’re going to need him, especially in that series,” Parker told the Associated Press. Griffin is having another fine season, but his dunks are down with him taking his game more outside. Still, he’s Blake Griffin.Advantage ClippersCenterDeAndre Jordan, Clippers, 11.5 ppg, 15.0 rpg, 2.2 bpgTim Duncan, Spurs, 13.9 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 1.9 bpgJordan was an absolute beast on the boards this season, especially over the last 2 1/2 months. He averaged 17.2 rebounds in February, 17.3 in March and 16.3 in April. But he is limited on offense, and he shoots only 39.7 percent from the free-throw line. Hack-a-DJ will take place. Duncan is almost 39, but he is still a very solid player and unflappable. He has been around for all five of the Spurs’ titles and again, that can have immeasurable value. Interestingly, when asked this week if he is going to guard Duncan, Jordan gave the best answer when he said, “I hope so.”Advantage SpursBenchThe Clippers have sixth-man Jamal Crawford, but he has to regain his shooting rhythm after missing 17 consecutive games with a calf injury. His return to form is vital. The Spurs have Manu Ginobili, who, at 37, remains a solid piece of San Antonio’s puzzle; he has won four titles with the Spurs. After Crawford, the Clippers figure to have Austin Rivers, Hedo Turkoglu and Glen “Big Baby” Davis in their rotation. Spencer Hawes may or may not see some action as he has really struggled, but it won’t be shocking to see Lester Hudson get a minute or two when the game still counts because of his defense. The Spurs’ bench combination of Ginobili, Marco Belinelli, Boris Diaw, Patty Mills, Cory Joseph and Aron Baynes is superior.Advantage SpursPredictionThe Spurs won 14 of their last 16 regular-season games and 21 of their last 25. The Clippers won 14 of their last 15. Since the Spurs have so much championship experience — and since it seems everybody and their brother is picking them to win this — they seem the obvious pick. But the gut feeling here is Clippers in seven games. Advantage ClippersShooting GuardJ.J. Redick, Clippers, 16.4 ppgDanny Green, Spurs, 11.7 ppgRedick is having a career year in his ninth campaign. Not only was his season scoring average a personal best, so were his shooting percentages of 47.7 overall and 43.7 from 3-point range, sixth in the league. Redick’s 200 3-pointers were fifth most in the NBA. Green also shoots well from distance, as his 41.8-percent ratio attests. He’s made 191. Point GuardChris Paul, Clippers, 19.1 ppg, 10.2 apgTony Parker, Spurs, 14.4 ppg, 4.9 apgChris Paul led the league in assists this season. His coach, Doc Rivers, says he’s on a mission. Paul has never been past the second round of the playoffs in what is now a 10-year career, so that is part of the reason for that. He’d also like to get the Clippers past the second round for the first time in franchise history. Parker’s numbers don’t compare with Paul’s. A month away from his 33rd birthday, Parker is longer in the tooth than the soon-to-be 30-year-old Paul, but Parker has won four NBA titles with the Spurs. That kind of experience goes a long way. Newsroom GuidelinesNews TipsContact UsReport an Error read more

MORE: Get the latest March Madness odds from Sports Insider2020 Big East Tournament oddsSeton Hall +250Villanova +300Creighton +350Providence +550Butler +600Marquette +700Xavier +800Georgetown +3300St. John’s +4000DePaul +5000The Pirates could have locked up the outright regular season title in the Big East with a win in one of their last two games, but they fell to conference co-champions Villanova and Creighton. A previous loss to Creighton led to Seton Hall having to settle for the No. 3 seed in the Big East Tournament by way of the tiebreaker, and that means the Pirates have a difficult test in the quarterfinals in Marquette.Myles Powell was one of the Big East’s leading scorers with 21 points per game, but he made fewer than 40 percent of his field goals and hit just 30.6 percent of his threes. Fortunately, Sandro Mamukelashvili is more efficient than his teammate. The Georgian is knocking down 54 percent of his field goals and draining 43.4 percent of his threes.Seton Hall is rated behind Creighton and Villanova by both Ken Pomeroy and Bart Torvik, so it’s unwise to bet them at this price. The Pirates have the toughest road to the title of the three favorites, and there’s a good chance they are underdogs per the CBB betting odds against both the Bluejays and Wildcats if they meet in the semifinals and finals.MORE: Tracking every automatic bid for 2020 NCAA TournamentVillanova has one of the best offenses in the conference. Saddiq Bey has been a lights-out shooter this season, making over 45 percent of his threes, and Collin Gillespie, Jermaine Samuels, and Justin Moore have all proven they can take over games when needed.The Wildcats won seven of their past eight games to claim a share of the Big East title, but this team is not as stolid on defense as in seasons’ past. They are outside the top 100 in terms of effective field goal percentage, so ‘Nova cannot afford a poor shooting performance.The best value on the board is Creighton. The Bluejays are the No. 1 seed in the Big East Tournament, and that will give them an easier path to the Big East Championship Game than either of the two teams listed ahead of them. Creighton will face the winner of Georgetown and St. John’s on Thursday, and if the Bluejays win that game, they will take on either Providence or Butler in the semifinals.Creighton is the highest-rated team in the Big East by multiple metrics, too. The Bluejays have won 11 of their past 13 games, and they are hitting 38.7 percent from three-point range. They are likely to be without second-leading scorer Marcus Zegarowski as he deals with a knee injury, but Creighton has a wealth of shooters on the roster. Ty-Shon Alexander and Mitch Ballock are both knocking down over 40 percent of their threes, while Christian Bishop has been a force in the low post. The Big East has been ruled by Jay Wright and Villanova in recent years. The Wildcats have won the past three Big East Tournaments (and four of the past five), and they have earned at least a share of the regular season championship in six of the past seven seasons. Despite that success, ‘Nova is not the odds-on favorite to take down the nets in Madison Square Garden over the weekend.Seton Hall has been installed as the favorite in the eyes of the sportsbooks instead, and the Pirates will be gunning for just their second Big East Tournament title since 1993. MORE: SN’s latest March Madness Field of 68 bracket projectionsComing into the Big East Tournament, Providence has won six straight games. Those victories likely punched the Friars’ ticket to the Big Dance, but a trip to the Big East Championship Game would erase any lingering doubt. The Friars are excellent at defending the perimeter, allowing opponents to make just 31.1 percent of their baskets, and they match up well with the Bluejays. However, they will find it difficult to get past Butler, as the Bulldogs are favored in their quarterfinal matchup.Although Xavier will have to win four games in four days to win the Big East Tournament, the Musketeers have been given a decent shot of achieving the feat by the oddsmakers. They need to win as many games as possible to get off the wrong side of the bubble, but they were 2-10 against the six teams that finished ahead of them in conference play. While Xavier should have little trouble with DePaul, the Musketeers will be underdogs in their next three games. read more