Cristiano Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane at peace, but Real Madrid still not winning

September 28, 2016

Madrid, Sep 28: Real Madrid solved one of its problems during its trip to Germany in the Champions League: Cristiano Ronaldo made peace with coach Zinedine Zidane.

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Now it needs to find a way to start winning again.

The 2-2 draw at Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday was the third consecutive for Madrid in all competitions, raising questions about the team’s potential to repeat as Champions League champion, and to end a four-year title drought in the Spanish league.

“I am frustrated,” Zidane said. “We played a good game in attack and defense and it was a great effort from everyone. We played the game we wanted. At the end, the same (draw) again, it’s the third match. I’m frustrated for the players because it’s undeserved.”

Dortmund’s equalizer came in the 87th minute, when Madrid appeared in control.

One of the positives that came out of the result was that Zidane got a much warmer handshake from Ronaldo, who created a bit of turmoil after going on a little rant because of his substitution in the league setback at Las Palmas on Saturday. He didn’t even look at Zidane while reaching for the coach’s extended hand on the sidelines.

After scoring Madrid’s first goal in Dortmund, he immediately pointed to the bench and rushed to celebrate with his teammates. He also exchanged a moment with Zidane, apparently trying to erase doubts about any problems in their relationship.

Ronaldo and his teammates have been struggling to put together the type of top-notch performances that led them to the European final last season, failing to capitalize on scoring opportunities and being unable to put games away.

“We need one more goal. When you are only one goal in front, things like this can happen,” Zidane said. “We are in a slump but we will keep working, and we will change things soon.”

Madrid’s first draw was at home against Villarreal, and then it tied Las Palmas after conceding a late goal. In its Champions League opener against Sporting Lisbon, it was losing until the 89th when it rallied to win.

Madrid remains unbeaten, and is in decent shape both in the Champions League and La Liga, but new setbacks could start putting Zidane’s team in a difficult position in both competitions. Madrid is tied with Dortmund atop Group F with four points from two matches. It leads the league after six games, one point ahead of Barcelona.

Madrid’s next chance to snap its winless streak is on Sunday in La Liga against Eibar at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

“Even though we’ve drawn the last two games in the league, we don’t want to keep playing badly,” Madrid midfielder James Rodrigues said. “On Sunday, we have to go out looking for a win.”

All three draws came against teams with yellow uniforms. Eibar’s colors are has blue and purple.

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News Network
January 18,2020

Hobart, Jan 18: In a dream start to her second innings after a two-year break, Sania Mirza lifted the WTA Hobart International trophy with partner Nadiia Kichenok after edging out Shaui Peng and Shuai Zhang in the final, here on Saturday.

The unseeded Indo-Ukrainian pair pipped the second seed Chinese team 6-4, 6-4 in one hour 21 minutes.

Playing her first tournament after giving birth to son Izhaan, the 33-year-old Sania has begun well in the Olympic year as she warmed up for the Australian Open in style.

It is Sania's 42nd WTA doubles title and first since Brisbane International trophy in 2007 with American partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

Sania did not compete on the WTA circuit in the entire 2018 and 2019 seasons to start a family with Pakistani cricketer husband Shoaib Malik.

Sania and Nadiia began by breaking the Chinese players in the very first game of the match but only to drop serve in the next.

The two pairs played close games towards the end and at 4-4, 40-all, Sania and Nadiia got the crucial break, earning the opportunity to serve out the set.

There was no twist in 10th game with Sania and Nadiia comfortably pocketing the first set.

The second set could not have started better for them as they broke the Chinese rivals to take early lead and consolidated the break with an easy hold.

The game of the Chinese was falling apart as they dropped serve again in the third but broke back immediately to repair some damage.

Sania and Nadiia were now feeling the heat at 0-30 in the sixth game but Peng and Zhang let them hold serve for a 4-2 lead. The Chinese though kept fighting and made it 4-4 with another break in the eighth game.

The Indo-Ukraine team raised its game when it mattered as it broke Peng and Zhang for one final time in the ninth and served out the match in the next game.

Sania and Nadiia split USD 13580 as prize money and eared 280 ranking points each for their winning effort.

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Agencies
June 7,2020

Mumbai, Jun 7: The Mumbai airport became home for a 23-year-old Ghanaian footballer for 74 days after he got stranded there due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown that led to cancellation of flights.

The ordeal of Randy Juan Muller reminded people of Tom Hank's character in the Hollywood film "The Terminal", and it ended after Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the Shiv Sena, reached out to help him.

Muller has now shifted to a local hotel and is waiting for airlines to resume operations so that he can fly home.

The Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) also provided him all help, including food, and allowed him to use the airport WiFi network to make calls, an official said.

Muller, a Ghana national who used to play for a club in Kerala, was scheduled to fly home by Kenya Airways flight when the lockdown was announced and he found himself stranded at the Mumbai airport.

"He would spend his time at the airport's fancy artificial gardens and somehow buy food from stalls and pass his time with the airport staff. Muller told me the airport staff was very helpful," Yuva Sena office-bearer Rahul Kanal said.

A security officer at the airport gave him mobile phone to call his family back home.

A Twitter user brought Muller's plight to the notice of Maharashtra Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray following which Kanal reached out to the footballer and helped him move into a hotel.

On Saturday, Muller thanked Thackeray and Kanal for their help.

"Thank you Aaditya Thackeray, Rahul Kanal. Thank you very very so much. I appreciate what you have done. Salute," he said.

Kanal in a tweet said when he met Muller at the airport, the latter cried with happiness.

"Have no words to salute his willpower and fight for survival in such circumstances at this age," Kanal said.

An official at the Mumbai International Airport Ltd said the footballer was provided all help.

"All personnel at the airport, including from MIAL and CISF, gave him every possible help during his stay at the airport. Besides food, he was also allowed to use the airport WiFi network to make calls. Airport staff would recharge his phone at their own expense," the official said.

The 2004 film "Terminal" of Steven Spielberg was about a man stranded at a US airport after being denied entry into the country and a military coup back home.

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Agencies
August 1,2020

Bengaluru, Aug 1: Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are aiming to set up their preparatory camp for the 13th edition of the tournament from early August.

This year's IPL was slated to commence from March 29 but the tournament was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Recently, the IPL Governing Council chairman Brijesh Patel had confirmed that the 13th edition of the mega event will commence on September 19 in the UAE.

As per a report in ESPNcricinfo, CSK players have been asked to report to Chennai first, following which they will leave for Dubai via a charter flight only after approval from the Indian government.

The IPL Governing Council will meet on August 2 to finalise the schedule and other key arrangements for the tournament. Also, the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) around securing eight teams for 51 days across three venues will be formally established in that meeting.

CSK, who has the oldest squad in the IPL, are looking for a month's preparation before ahead of the tournament.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, the side was the first team to start their training camp in March. Senior players like Suresh Raina and Ambati Rayudu had begun training their training in December 2019.

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