Alves left Barca in the summer of 2016 after eight seasons at Camp Nou, but the Brazilian (who is now at Paris Saint-Germain) remains the player with the most assists for Messi at the Catalan club (42). For much of that time, Messi operated down the right and it was on that flank where he and Alves built up a memorable rapport, which carried on even when the Argentine moved into a central role....
The Argentine star takes his place on the bench for Ernesto Valverde’s La Liga leaders after playing the full 90 minutes in Thursday’s 1-0 win over Valencia in the Copa del Rey. Coutinho, meanwhile, who came off the bench against Los Che, makes just his second start in La Liga following his January move from Liverpool. He partners the returning Paulinho, Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta in midfield, while Ivan Rakitic drops to the bench....
Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale) led at the summit of the penultimate Col du Glandon climb and showcased his descending capabilities ahead of the 17 hairpins of Lacets de Montvernier. MORE: Tour de France 2015 in photos | Stage 18 winner, results | Tour spectators are ‘out of control’ Having raced the scenic climb on the recent Criterium du Dauphine this year, Bardet always looked in control and again descended in rapid fashion to hold off his nearest challengers....
The England international travelled to London on Thursday to discuss a potential switch to the reigning Premier League champions. Everton 16/1 to win the Europa League A £35 million deal was believed to be close, but the 23-year-old eventually decided against completing a switch at this stage. Barkley has now sought to clarify his decision, pointing out that he never passed a physical examination with the Blues and that he intends to reassess the issue of his future in January....
Speaking with Newsweek, Avery, a Republican who owns Bravery Brewing in Lancaster, said, “I’m never gonna be the governor of California, but somebody like me needs to run. I think for a person like me it would be absolutely impossible.” He continued, “I would say that almost any small-business person that’s being affected the way my company’s been affected, who lives in California, would fantasize or think about ‘I can do a better job....
Madrid or Barca? Theo prefers La Liga move to Premier League “I’m going to give my all to beat Lionel Messi,” he said this week, currently sitting second to the five-time Ballon d’Or winner in the continental goal chart, two goals behind. Though his rivals started well, the striker drew a blank on his first game of the season with Wolfsburg, but he got underway in his next appearance – turning out for Sporting after making a €10 million move at the end of August....
The Baseball Hall of Fame welcomes four new members this afternoon: Craig Biggio, Randy Johnson, John Smoltz and Pedro Martinez . Here’s all you need to know about the annual induction cermony in Cooperstown, N.Y: HALL OF FAME: Classic SN covers | Least-deserving Hall of Famers What TV channel will carry the 2015 Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony? The entire ceremony will be broadcast on MLB Network. Pre-ceremony coverage begins at 11 a....
Bud Selig Chances of being inducted this year: 90 percent Why he could get in: Love him or hate him — and chances are, you weren’t terribly fond of him — Bud Selig might be the best commissioner in baseball history. Annual revenues for the sport went from $2 billion to $9 billion under his watch while the majors added four teams. Sure, he also presided over a strike, cancelled World Series, and the Steroid Era and once wrote to a fan that he considered Abner Doubleday baseball’s true founder....
Jeff Idelson, president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame since 2008, works with the Hall of Fame’s senior staff team and Board of Directors to set the voting rules, which have changed in several respects over the past decade. He offers his opinions on several major issues relating to how the voting process is and should be run. MORE: The greatest pitching performance you’ve never heard of SPORTING NEWS: The rule that voters may select only 10 candidates each year is the most heavily debated part of the Hall of Fame election process....
The midfielder, who joined from Manchester United in March, arrived earlier this week and head coach Veljko Paunovic put him directly in the XI for the Fire’s home match against the Montreal Impact. Crew acquire Manneh from Whitecaps Schweinsteiger will line up as part of a three-man midfield, alongside Juninho and ahead of Dax McCarty, who will slot into a holding role. Schweinsteiger had made just one start for Manchester United this season, which came in the FA Cup....
Having seen his game time limited at Stamford Bridge over the first half of the 2017-18 campaign, a winter switch was expected for the Belgium international. He was, however, forced to wait until deadline day before seeing a deal pushed through, with the intricate pieces of a striking puzzle eventually falling into place. With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang heading to Arsenal from Dortmund and Olivier Giroud swapping Emirates Stadium for Stamford Bridge, the path was cleared for Batshuayi to depart for Germany....
The striker moved to Signal Iduna Park on loan on transfer deadline day to replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who joined Arsenal in a £55 million deal. The Gunners allowed Olivier Giroud to move to Chelsea after landing Aubameyang for a club-record fee, prompting Batshuayi to head to the Bundesliga in pursuit of regular first-team football. Stoger plans to include the 24-year-old in Dortmund’s squad for Friday’s clash with Cologne and hopes he hits the ground running as he attempts to force his way into Roberto Martinez’s plans for the World Cup in Russia....
But Clinton is nothing if not an optimist. At the end of last week, there he was, in his shirt sleeves, working into the night on the wording of a compromise that would get him out of a jam with the nation’s military and senior members of his own party. For the second week in a row, Clinton’s most notable accomplishment was his ability to get out of a scrape of his own making....
For many Japanese, their lawmen’s best is no longer good enough. After decades of praiseworthy service, the 230,000-member National Police Agency is under fire for corruption, inefficiency and downright incompetence. According to the latest government statistics, violent crime is at a 23-year peak, and while still modest by American standards, Japan’s murder rate is now higher than England’s. The problem goes beyond simple numbers. Over the past decade, economic recession and the breakdown of traditional families has led to a rash of sex crimes and serial killings–many committed by troubled youths....
There is something decidedly science fiction about the sight of the hazy burnt orange skies above the Bay Area, with legions of residents sharing photos of the bizarre weather event. Blade Runner 2049 came out in 2017 and the long-awaited follow-up up to the 1982 sci-fi classic is noted for its visually stunning cinematography, in particular, distinctively orange and hazy scenes set in a desolate future Las Vegas. Ominous and looming, there are even reports of ash falling from the sky....
The Brazil international found the net early in the first half with a low shot from 20 yards out that took a deflection off Luiz Gustavo on its way past Koen Casteels. All eyes were on Costa ahead of Tuesday’s game following his recent comments that he could be on the move come the end of the season in order to get more playing time elsewhere, even if Carlo Ancelotti was quick to downplay suggestions the winger could leave....
Robben came off the bench in the first leg - a 5-0 thumping of the Turkish champions in Munich - but started and scored in a 6-0 Bundesliga demolition of Hamburg on Saturday. Bayern’s massive advantage ahead of Wednesday’s trip to Istanbul gives Heynckes freedom to rest some of his key players, with Robben set to sit the game out. “James [Rodriguez] is training with the team recently, but of course he’s an option, just like Thiago,” Heynckes told reporters....
Bayley was teaming up with RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch to take on the Women’s Tag Team Champions, Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss. However, the match would end in a disqualification after Sasha Banks hit Lynch with a Backstabber. After the bell, Banks would lay into Lynch with steel chair shots. Bayley stops Sasha, taking the chair from her. After Sasha asks what she’s doing, Bayley looks around and then gives a smirk to Banks before hitting Lynch over and over again with chair shots of her own....
The report is not related to the domestic and sexual assault scandal that rocked the Baylor program and led the school to fire head coach Art Briles, Kendal Briles’ father. Baylor suspended Kendal Briles and Wallis for one game in 2015 and prohibited them from recruiting off-campus for 12 weeks after impermissible evaluations and contacts with Dallas-area prospects. MORE: Baylor hires Matt Rhule as head coach “Complying with NCAA regulations is a fundamental expectation of all Baylor coaches, staff, student-athletes and supporters,” first-year athletic director Mack Rhoades said in a release Wednesday (via Fox Sports)....
However, the regents’ expected move isn’t based solely on an accusation of failed university leadership. MORE: Explaining the Title IX implications for Baylor “The feeling is if the board got rid of Art, they’d be sitting in a $300 million mausoleum instead of that new football stadium,” one source described as being “close to the situation” told HornsDigest.com. The school has been under increasing scrutiny for claims of at best its inaction or at worst its active effort to keep quiet or cover up at least six female Baylor students’ reported allegations that they were raped or assaulted by Bears football players from 2009 through April 3, 2016....
