KUALA LUMPUR: Pelumba Moto3 negara, Khairul Idham Pawi tetap bersemangat untuk beraksi di Kejuaraan Grand Prix Motosikal Dunia (MotoGP) walaupun terpaksa menunda perjalanannya ke Sepanyol.
Pelumba yang terkenal dengan jolokan Super KIP itu mengakui teruja untuk beraksi di Litar Jerez, Sepanyol dan berharap keputusan mengenai status pelepasan mereka ke negara itu dapat diketahui secepat mungkin.
“Daripada pihak MotoGP, Dorna Sports (pemegang hak eksklusif komersial dan televisyen MotoGP) dan kerajaan Malaysia semua sudah pun lulus, hanya satu pihak iaitu kerajaan Sepanyol yang tidak beri kebenaran.
“Saya dan juga pelumba Malaysia lain terpaksa tunggu surat kebenaran daripada Kesatuan Eropah untuk membenarkan kami masuk ke Sepanyol. Saya sendiri tidak pasti bila akan berlepas, mungkin hari Isnin atau Selasa depan. Saya harap dapat terima keputusan secepat mungkin,” katanya dalam kenyataan, pada Sabtu.
Pelumba berusia 21 tahun itu dijadual berlepas ke Sepanyol pada pagi Jumaat namun terkandas di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) susulan peraturan baharu Kesatuan Eropah hanya membenarkan warga 15 negara memasuki kesatuan itu, dengan Malaysia tidak termasuk dalam senarai berkenaan.
Selain Khairul Idham, wakil Malaysia yang dijadual menyertai saingan GP Sepanyol adalah Hafizh Syahrin Abdullah dari Aspar Team dan Kasma Daniel Kasmayudin dari ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team, yang akan bersaing dalam kategori Moto2.
GP Sepanyol di Litar Jerez berlangsung dari 17 hingga 19 Julai menjadi pusingan kedua musim 2020 selepas saingan pembukaan di GP Qatar pada Mac lepas.
Bagaimanapun, selepas perlumbaan di Qatar, Kejuaraan MotoGP musim ini ditangguhkan berikutan penularan wabak COVID-19.
ROMA – Pil pahit harus ditelan Lazio usai tumbang 0-3 dari AC Milan di pekan 30 Liga Italia 2019-2020. Juru taktik Gli Aquilotti, Simone Inzaghi, menyebut timnya kurang beruntung. Ia berharap anak asuhnya tetap menunjukkan semangat pantang menyerah hingga akhir perburuan scudetto.
Lazio harus menerima kenyataan bermain tanpa striker andalannya Ciro Immobile. Penyerang yang sudah mengoleksi 29 gol itu menjalani hukuman larangan bermain satu pertandingan akibat akumulasi lima kartu kuning usai laga kontra Torino.
Celakanya, Lazio juga harus merumput tanpa pemain tersubur kedua mereka, Felipe Caicedo, dengan alasan yang sama. Tumpulnya lini depan tuan rumah dimanfaatkan betul oleh AC Milan untuk menggelontorkan tiga gol ke gawang Thomas Strakosha.
Simone Inzaghi mengatakan, dua gol pertama yang merobek gawang timnya itu hanya sebuah keberuntungan. Tembakan Hakan Calhanoglu pada menit 23 sempat mengenai pemain belakang, sementara penalti Zlatan Ibrahimovic sudah diamankan Strakosha, tetapi bola bergulir melewati garis gawang.
“Kekalahan ini memang membebani kami di papan klasemen. Akan tetapi, kami juga tidak beruntung. Kami kebobolan sebuah gol yang membentur pemain sendiri, lalu penalti yang hampir diselamatkan Thomas Strakosha,” papar Simone Inzaghi, seperti dikutip dari Football Italia, Minggu (5/7/2020).
West Ham United v Chelsea FC – Premier League | Michael Regan/Getty Images
It’s an exciting time to be a Blue. Frank Lampard, club legend is at the wheel, a dynamic and bold crop of academy products are blessing Stamford Bridge on a weekly basis, and the west Londoners are being linked with Europe’s elite talents.
TImo Werner and Hakim Ziyech have already signed on the dotted line to join the Lampard revolution, and the gifted name of Kai Havertz is also being tipped to make the familiar trip from the Bundesliga to the Premier League this summer.
It’s very exciting indeed. But with Chelsea flexing their financial muscles in this coming transfer window, they should do so with a degree of caution. The Premier League giants are already home to some of football’s greatest starlets, and with their young boss keen to help them grow into the next group of superstars, recruitment must be necessary, and not opportunistic.
Now, we’re not saying ‘Chelsea don’t need Havertz because they have Ross Barkley’, don’t get it twisted. But the likes of Christian Pulisic, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Tammy Abraham must be wondering what future they possess at Stamford Bridge with this summer’s influx of offensive jewels.
And before we all start drawing up ideal Chelsea XI’s for next season, sporting adventurous 2-4-4 formations or Ziyech in the holding midfield role, we should accept that some of these stars are going to miss out on regular football. There’s no other way around it.
The Blues are blessed with a posse of wide players who boast bags of talent and energy, and that was summed up by the brilliant Pulisic on Saturday evening. The American orchestrated the 3-0 win over Watford from wide, torturing his marker and generally being a pest for his entire time on the field.
The winger won a penalty for the second goal, could well have won another late in the second half, and carved out chance after chance for his teammates. It speaks volumes of a player when he can be so selfless on the ball, yet still be the standout performer by a country mile.
Whisper it quietly, but there were shades of Eden Hazard in the 21-year-old’s dominance and authority on the pitch. He’s got so much time to improve, too.
But Pulisic was not alone in excelling. In a summer where transfers may be hard to pull off, with teams uncertain on their finances due to the coronavirus crisis, Chelsea already own a brilliant alternative in the form of Willian.
Although he is advancing in years, and can flit in and out of games, the 31-year-old provides an experienced head in a team of youth and vibrance. Is it really worth splashing £60m on another forward, when that money could be put to better use in the defensive half of the field?
That’s a question for the Chelsea board to answer, as they line up their targets for the summer window. But Lampard should be satisfied with the attacking options at his disposal, especially given that his backline has been the cause of his headaches throughout the season.
In the end, the bottom line for their spending spree should be: strengthen where necessary, and utilise what they have. But most of all – protect and nurture Pulisic at all costs, the boy is special.
Liverpool mới đây đã thua Man City đến 0-4 ở vòng 32 Ngoại hạng Anh, chỉ ít ngày sau khi họ vô địch giải đấu mùa 2019/20.
Đây rõ ràng là một trong những thất bại nặng nề trong lịch sử của CLB, dù nó không ảnh hưởng mấy đến danh hiệu vô địch. Hãy thử điểm mặt những trận thua nặng nề tương tự của đội bóng thành Anfield.
Chelsea có màn trả thù ngọt ngào gần nửa năm sau thất bại ở bán kết C1 trước chính Liverpool.
Đoàn quân của Jose Mourinho với sự xuất sắc của Didier Drogba đã ‘nghiền nát’ Liverpool ngay tại Anfield.
Một màn trình diễn đáng quên trong lịch sử Liverpoo. Sami Hyypia bị đuổi chỉ bốn phút sau khi trận đấu bắt đầu, Van Nistelrooy sút pen thành công và mở ra một cơn ác mộng tại Old Trafford cho đội khách.
Trận thua bốn bàn không gỡ trước Chelsea mùa 2001/02 khi đó đã tạo tiền đề khiến cho Liverpool không thể đuổi kịp Arsenal trong cuộc đua ngôi vô địch.
Những bàn thắng của Graame Le Saux rồi Hasselbaink khiến The Reds gần như buông xuôi tại Stamford Bridge.
Trận thua thảm 1-5 của Liverpool trước Coventry CIty vốn đã đi vào lịch sử với tư cách là một trong những khoảnh khắc mang tính biểu tượng của Ngoại hạng Anh.
Kể từ mùa 1976/77 đến đầu những năm 90, Liverpool mới có một trận thua nặng nề đến như vậy.
Thời điểm đầu những năm 80, Coventry City là một đội bóng đáng gờm. Bằng chứng là họ đã hủy diệt Liverpool bốn bàn không gỡ trong một trận cầu cuối năm 1983.
Đây chính là thất bại nặng nề nhất mà Liverpool từng phải gánh chịu. Trận cầu thuộc khuôn khổ vòng 5 Carling Cup diễn ra vào 2007.
Đối thủ của Liverpool khi đó là Arsenal, đội bóng đã loại họ ở FA Cup chỉ ít ngày trước đó với tỉ số 3-1. Ít ai dám nghĩ rằng Liverpool thua với tổng cộng chín bàn chỉ sau hai trận gặp Arsenal.
Đây là thất bại nặng nề đầu tiên của Liverpool ở mùa 2019/20, và hơn thế nữa, nó khiến cho đội bóng mất cơ hội phá kỷ lục bất bại của đoàn quân Arsenal ‘Invincibles’. Chẳng ai ngờ một Liverpool thắng như chẻ tre từ mùa 2018/19 đến tận đầu năm 2020 lại có thể bị hủy diệt bởi Watford.
GRAND PRIX Amerika Syarikat dan Brazil mungkin tidak dapat berlangsung susulan peningkatan mendadak kes COVID-19 di kedua-dua negara itu.
Peneraju Mercedes F1 Toto Wolff berkata perlumbaan di Amerika, Mexico dan Brazil dijadual berlangsung secara berturut-turut pada penghujung Oktober dan November.
“Melihat kepada keadaan di negara-negara tersebut ketika ini, tak mungkin kita akan pergi ke sana,” katanya, menurut laporan BBC pada Jumaat.
Formula One masih berharap agar dapat melangsungkan antara 15 dan 18 perlumbaan sepanjang tahun ini.
Perlumbaan berkenaan bakal berlangsung di Austin, Texas dan Sao Paolo, Brazil.
Kalender Formula One kini menyaksikan hanya lapan perlumbaan tersenarai – kesemuanya di Eropah yang berlangsung dalam tempoh 10 minggu akan datang.
Kini, Formula One sedang giat bekerja untuk menyenaraikan fasa berikutnya.
Grand Prix Kanada di Montreal berlangsung pada bulan September.
Shanghai pula bakal melangsungkan dua perlumbaan.
Di Asia Barat pula, Formula One mempunyai cadangan untuk menyelesaikan perlumbaan di Bahrain dan Abu Dhabi.
LONDON – Chelsea akan melakoni matchday ke-33 Liga Inggris 2019-2020 dengan menghadapi Watford pada Minggu 5 Juli dini hari WIB. Meski Chelsea diunggulkan dalam pertandingan ini, namun sang manajer, Frank Lampard, sadar Watford memiliki ancaman yang bisa membuat timnya menyesal.
Saat ini, Watford menempati posisi ke-17 klasemen sementara, alias hanya satu strip di atas zona merah. Watford mengoleksi 28 poin, hanya unggul satu angka atas Aston Villa yang berada persis di bawahnya. Untuk menyelamatkan diri dari degradasi, Watford tentunya diwajibkan meraih poin penuh.
Maka dari itu, Lampard meyakini bahwa lawannya tersebut akan tampil habis-habisan pada pertandingan nanti. Hal inilah yang kemudian membuat Lampard mengingatkan para pemainnya untuk tetap waspada agar tidak kembali kehilangan poin.
Sebagaimana diketahui, pada pertandingan sebelumnya Chelsea menelah kekalahan dengan skor 2-3 dari West Ham United. Sama halnya dengan Watford, West Ham juga merupakan tim yang berada di papan bawah dan membutuhkan poin untuk menghindari degradasi.
“Mereka tim yang berbahaya dan dengan Nigel Pearson (sebagai manajer) mereka telah menunjukkan keinginan nyata untuk keluar dari masalah. Dia datang pada saat yang sangat sulit, tetapi ada semangat di dalamnya sehingga saya tidak akan terlalu memperhatikan hasil terbaru,” ujar Lampard, seperti dilansir dari laman resmi Chelsea, Sabtu (4/7/2020).
Dwight Yorke scored 65 goals across 152 appearances for Manchester United | Gary M. Prior/Getty Images
Exclusive – As one of the finest strikers the Premier League has seen, if anyone is going to offer Mason Greenwood advice on how to manage his career, then Manchester United legend Dwight Yorke is among them.
Netting 65 goals in 152 appearances for the Red Devils, the Trinidadian striker is well versed in the art of scoring.
The 48-year-old sat down with 90min to discuss a variety of topics regarding his former side, including what sort of character Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is, where United need to improve and how he keeps in such incredible physical condition.
“I have to be honest, I couldn’t be bothered to watch United for a number of years, I kind of switched off,” Yorke confessed. “In recent times, though, since the lockdown, my love for football has come back again as seeing United do what they’re doing has filled me with more excitement.”
One of the main reasons for that heightened enthusiasm is the emergence of Greenwood, whose 15 goals for the season have catapulted him into the limelight in a breakthrough campaign. Yorke couldn’t hide his admiration for the Englishman, but offered some timely advice about how to stay grounded.
“At 18, to be in the starting lineup for Manchester United is like a dream come true,” he said. “You pinch yourself every morning. You’ve seen Marcus Rashford and Wayne Rooney make that progress and Mason Greenwood is no different.
“He needs to keep his feet on the ground and continue to do what he’s doing because at 18, what are you supposed to tell a kid? You don’t want to give him too much information, you just want to let him enjoy himself.
“We knew he was a gem but we’re surprised with the leap he’s made in such a short space of time.
“Ole is the most level-headed footballer I’ve ever come across, so he [Greenwood] has the right person and the right management. It’s up to the manager now to protect him and let him enjoy his football.”
Having touched on his former teammate, Yorke elaborated on what Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can offer United, insisting that he isn’t not the confrontational type, but that he’s invested well so far and got the Red Devils playing an exciting brand of football.
“He’s never been one for confrontation, he doesn’t like that kind of stuff, unless he’s changed recently. When we were playing he was never a big personality in our dressing room, he didn’t have much say in the dressing room so to speak. He just got on with his job which he was very good at.
“He’s been given a great opportunity to be at the club, he’s in a unique position. Ultimately as a manager, he will be judged on what he’s won and what he’s done at the club. At the moment he’s seemed to have turned things around. He’s bought well in Bruno Fernandes, who has been a revelation, and he’s got everyone playing the attacking style of football.”
Heading into the summer window, movement is expected to take place at Old Trafford before the new season, and Yorke claimed his former side should be looking to bring in up to three players – including Jadon Sancho.
“I would buy possibly two or three more players,” he said. “I’d go for a centre-half alongside Harry Maguire, I think that’s important, although Victor Lindelof has done reasonably well I think. Another midfielder, if possible, behind the likes of Bruno. Although, Nemanja Matic has been great since he’s come back. So that’s a new player in itself!
“Fred initially struggled but he now looks much better, while Scott McTominay still has some development to do. You want competition among yourselves everyday. You need to get the players competing against each other. If I was Ole right now, that’s what I’d try to recreate. Bring in Jadon Sancho, young players with pace.”
One thing that is noticeable talking to Yorke is his imposing frame. Just as during his playing days, he looks as fit as ever. Confessing that working out is ‘in his DNA’, he reveals he trains every day to keep in such good shape.
He finished: “I set the benchmark for everybody when they see me. I’ve always been that way, I go to training every morning, which for me, is going to the gym. It’s in my DNA. If I don’t got to the gym in the morning I’ll go in the afternoon. I don’t get out of bed at six in the morning or anything like that, though!”
