Italy keep England at bay, win crucial Group D match 2-1

June 15, 2014

England win

Manaus (Brazil), Jun 15: Italy were truly class in their 2-1 win against an aggressive England as Claudio Marchisio and Mario Balotelli struck in either half for the Azzurri in a crucial and gripping Group D contest, here today.

Italy lost skipper and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon hours before the start of the clash due to injury but did not allow the setback to affect their performance. Salvatore Sirigu was excellent under the bar in the absence of legendary Buffon, making spectacular saves.

In a fascinating first half, Italy surged ahead on a set-piece goal in the 35th minute by Marchisio and England retaliated two minutes later through Daniel Sturridge, brilliantly fed by Wayne Rooney and Raheem Sterling.

England attacked relentlessly but it was young Balotelli, the hero of Italy's Qualifying campaign, who found the winner for the Azzurri early in the second half. He headed home a sumptuous pass from Antonio Candreva, five minutes into the second half and that proved decisive in the outcome.

England's failure to get the equaliser meant that they have made a losing start to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years and remained winless against Italy in a competieve match since 1977.

The clash was a repeat of a 2012 European Championship quarterfinal between the two teams and the Italians prevailed yet again.

Rooney, who has been struggling playing from the left, had a brilliant chance to equalise after getting a pass from Leighton Baines but he hit wide in the 62nd minute.

Italy kept England at bay for the remainder of the session to walk through with three points. Nevertheless, Sturridge and Sterling were outstanding for England.

An upset 3-1 win for Costa Rica over Uruguay early in the day in Fortaleza means that England now have an enormous challenge to advance to the second round from Group D.

Uruguay badly missed star striker Luis Suarez as Costa Rica rallied from a goal down to stun Copa America champions. Two goal in three minutes from Joel Campbell and Oscar Duarte rocked the Uruguay defence. Substitute Urena made it 3-1 for his side, capitalising on a pass from Campbell, minutes before the whistle.

In a Group C match in Belo Horizonte, Colombia made a grand return to the World Cup finals after 16 long years with a superb 3-0 win over Greece. It was their best ever result in World Cup finals. At Manaus, both England and Italy played very fast, skillful and engaging game from the start, and it was Liverpool winger Raheem Sterling, who took the first aim at the goal with a stunning shot from 25 yards after beating two men in midfield.

He almost pulled it off for the British side, playing at a former colonial post, but the shot crashed into the side-netting.

Consistent English raids put Italian defence under some pressure. It was Sterling again creating a chance as he charged from the left and sent a perfect cross but Danny Welbeck could not reach to that.

Welbeck was quickly back in action as he puts in a low cross after beating a defender, Daniel Sturridge was inches away from a tap-in.

Italy got their first corner in the 33rd minute and immediately struck with a sensational set-piece. Receiving from the right corner, Andrea Pirlo lets the ball go through his legs towards Claudio Marchisio, who stopped the ball shot it into the net through the legs of both Wayne Rooney and Gary Cahill.

But Italy's joy was short-lived as two minutes later England levelled on counter attack. In a flowing move, Sterling sent the ball rolling from left towards Rooney, who had enough space to send a cross and Daniel Sturridge latched on the half volley to slam home the equaliser.

Italy regained the lead in the 50th minute when Antonio Candreva sent a pass to Balotelli, who nodded in easily.

England came close to getting equaliser on a few occasions but Rooney missed two chances. In the 77th minute, England failed to capitalise on a free kick as Baines' brillant shot over the wall and into the corner was spectacularly saved by Italian goalkeeper Sirigu. In the dying moments, Andrea Pirlo's free-kick from right to left hit the crossbar.

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News Network
June 3,2020

Colorado, Jun 3: Formula One boss Chase Carey has said that races will go ahead even if a driver tests positive for coronavirus.

His remarks come as organisers revealed a revised 2020 calendar and the schedule for the first eight races was put in the public domain.

"An individual having been found with a positive infection will not lead to a cancellation of a race. We encourage teams to have procedures in place so if an individual has to be put in quarantine, we have the ability to quarantine them at a hotel and to replace that individual," the official website of Formula One quoted Carey as saying.

"Some things we'd have to talk through and work through. The array of 'what ifs' are too wide to play out every one of them, but a team not being able to race would not cancel the race. I do not think I could sit here and lay out the consequences," he said.

Carey added the organisers will be having the necessary procedures in place so that the race does not get cancelled if a driver ends up testing positive for coronavirus.

"But we will have a procedure in place that finding infection will not lead to a cancellation. If a driver has an infection, teams have reserve drivers available," Carey said.

"We would not be going forward if we were not highly confident we have necessary procedures and expertise and capabilities to provide a safe environment and manage whatever issues arrive," he added.

The Formula One 2020 season will be beginning with the Austrian Grand Prix in July.

F1 currently expects the opening races to be closed events but hopes that fans will be able to attend again when it is safe to do so.

The season will kick off with the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring on July 5, followed a week later by a second race on the same track.

The Hungarian Grand Prix will follow a week after that, before a break. There will be then two back to back races at Silverstone, followed by the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.

The Belgian Grand Prix will follow that, with the Italian Grand Prix at Monza a week later on September 6.

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News Network
January 8,2020

Indore, Jan 8:  India skipper Virat Kohli has added yet another feather to his cap by becoming the fastest player to score 1,000 runs in T20I cricket as a captain. Kohli played an unbeaten knock of 30 during India''s seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the second T20I of the ongoing three-match series on Tuesday evening.

Kohli achieved the milestone of scoring 1,000 runs as captain in his 30th T20I inning. He is the second Indian and sixth overall after MS Dhoni to have achieved the feat. Dhoni had scored 1112 runs in 62 T20I games as captain.

Faf du Plessis (1273 runs from 40 games), Kane Williamson (1083 runs in 39 games), Eoin Morgan (1013 runs in 43 games) and Ireland''s William Porterfield (1002 runs in 56 games) are other captains on the list.

During India''s emphatic victory at the Holkar Stadium, Kohli also surpassed team-mate Rohit Sharma, who has been rested for the series, as the top run-getter in the T20Is. Kohli now has 2663 runs from 71 innings.

Both had finished 2019 as joint top-scorers in T20Is, with 2633 runs each.

India, already with an unassailable lead of 1-0 in the series, will now face Sri Lanka in the final T20I on Friday in Pune. The first match between the two teams was called off without a ball being bowled due to wet patches on the pitch in Guwahati last Sunday.

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News Network
May 9,2020

May 9: Filipina weightlifting star Hidilyn Diaz noticed live-streamed concerts were collecting money for coronavirus relief and was struck by inspiration: why not raise funds with an online workout?

Since then the Olympic silver-medallist -- and strong contender for her country's first Games gold -- has made enough money to buy food packs for hundreds of hard-hit families in the Philippines.

Diaz has done it all from Malaysia, where she was training to qualify for the now-postponed Tokyo Olympics when much of the world locked down against the virus in March.

"I thought (distribution) would be impossible because I'm not physically present," Diaz, 29, told news agency.

"It's a good thing that I have trusted friends and trusted family members who understand why we need to do a fundraising."

That circle of supporters has handed out the packages, which include vegetables, eggs and rice, to more than 400 families.

The food was bought with donations from about 50 people who joined sessions that lasted up to three hours, and gave them a rare chance to train with an elite athlete.

Diaz rose to fame in 2016 after snagging a surprise silver in the 53 kilogramme category in Rio, becoming the Philippines' first female Olympic medallist and ending the nation's 20-year medal drought at the Games.

Two years later, she won gold at the Asian Games in Indonesia.

However, her quest to qualify for Tokyo is on hold ahead of the Games' rescheduled opening in July 2021.

"I thought all the hard work would soon be over... then it was extended," she said. "But I'm still thankful I can still continue with (the training) I need to do."

Still, the lockdown broke her daily training regimen, keeping her away from weights for 14 days for the first time in her career.

"I felt like I was losing my mind already. I've been carrying the barbell for 18 years and all of a sudden it's gone. Those were the kinds of anxiety that I felt," she said.

But she got access to some equipment, and with her coach's urging, got back to work. She was relieved to find her strength was still there.

Instead of a Tokyo berth, the past months have been about a different kind of accomplishment for Diaz: helping her countrymen get through the coronavirus crisis.

Rosemelyn Francisco's family in Zamboanga City, Diaz's home town, is one of the first to get help from the athlete's initiative, and is deeply grateful.

Her family was not wealthy to begin with, and the pandemic has cost her husband his construction job.

"The food she donated has all everything we need, including eggs," said Francisco, 27.

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