Category: News

[ad_1] Belgium have been knocked out of the 2022 World Cup following a goalless draw with Croatia. Roberto Martinez’s side, who are are ranked second in FIFA’s world rankings only behind Brazil, finished the group stage with just four points to their name. Their early exit could spell the end of Belgium’s so-called ‘golden generation’ which includes the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard. Belgium rarely tested Croatia despite knowing they almost certainly needed to claim all three points to prolong their stay in Qatar. In…

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[ad_1] Croatia defender Josko Gvardiol has spoken about speculation linking him to Chelsea. The 20-year-old centre-back excelled during his country’s 0-0 draw with Belgium on Thursday afternoon, a result which sent his nation into the World Cup knockouts. Asked by The Athletic about a potential move to Chelsea, the RB Leipzig player replied: “About me and Chelsea? I don’t know. You know what happened in the last few months. To be honest, I have no idea. “My agent is taking care of this and we will see. Right now, I’m…

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[ad_1] In Paris, somewhere in the Louvre, in halls packed with tourists snapping selfies in front of all things beautiful and gift shop-worthy, there’s a sculpture that gets largely overlooked. Unlike the gods around it, this one is incomplete. “We cannot know his legendary head / with eyes like ripening fruit,” Rainer Maria Rilke wrote of the decapitated marble torso. But the poet was fascinated by this broken, perfect body that seemed “suffused with brilliance from within”. He lingered on the “placid hips”, the shoulders, the way the stone itself…

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[ad_1] It’s becoming quite the crowded place, the Metropolitan Division, as the NHL’s Christmas mini-break approaches. The Devils cooled off with losses to the Islanders and Rangers (in overtime) in back-to-back games, and another to Dallas on Tuesday. A six-game winning streak has resuscitated Pittsburgh, which got off to a rough start, while a five-game streak has done the same for the Capitals, who are now back in the discussion. The Rangers have now won four in a row and may be turning a corner, while the Hurricanes have been…

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[ad_1] CHICAGO — The Blackhawks might not be the biggest game in town these days, but Jonathan Toews is still Jonathan Toews, still one of the most recognizable athletes in Chicago. So he hears it. In fact, he hears it quite a bit. He heard it Monday night at the Blackhawks’ season-ticket-holder party at the Field Museum. He’s heard it from passers-by at restaurants. He’s heard it from random people, stopping him in the street. The phrasing varies from stranger to stranger, but the gist of the question is always…

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[ad_1] Welcome to this year’s edition of the NHL Future Rankings, where we attempt to predict how the NHL standings will look in three years’ time. This is done by evaluating a team’s current and future players, the market and the people who own and run the team. Panelists from The Athletic were assigned to different categories. Voters were asked to rate each team on a scale of 1-10 with a view to how this area could impact the team winning games in the 2025-26 season. The following weighting system…

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[ad_1] For the second year in a row, and the sixth since 2014, the Bears aren’t playing relevant games in December. Well, as far as the playoffs go. They’re plenty relevant to their draft position, and for the players, there is still a lot at stake in the final four games. Facing three teams with double-digit wins should help general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus with their final evaluations. Strong performances against the Eagles, Bills, Lions and Vikings can do a lot for a player’s future, in Chicago…

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[ad_1] CINCINNATI — It’s inevitable. A quarterback will come along every few years and be dubbed “the next Tom Brady.” The assessment is, of course, completely unfair for any young player, and the odds of any quarterback playing in 10 Super Bowls like Brady is preposterous. But then a call from Kevin Faulk delivered more validity than hyperbole. Faulk played 12 seasons with Brady in New England, winning three Super Bowls while catching 310 passes on his way to induction in the Patriots Hall of Fame. The two have remained…

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[ad_1] THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — And then there were four. The 4-9 Rams aren’t actually mathematically eliminated from postseason contention just yet, though a lot (a lot) would have to go right for them to make the playoffs. Even if they win out from here (Packers, Broncos, Chargers, Seahawks) they still have about a 1 percent shot at the wild card. But there is still a benefit to be gained from a season like this, if the Rams look at it the correct way. Most of their star or starter players…

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[ad_1] Lionel Messi scored in his landmark 1,000th game as Argentina survived a late scare to beat Australia 2-1 and book a quarter-final date with the Netherlands. The Paris Saint-Germain forward netted a 789th senior goal in the first half at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium to keep alive his chances of winning the major trophy that has so far eluded him in his likely final World Cup. That 35th-minute opener broke Australia’s promising resistance, but Manchester City’s Julian Alvarez struck what proved the decisive goal (57) after an own-goal…

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