Category: Sport

France staked their declare to be contenders for Girls’s Euro 2025 by beating holders England 2-1 on Saturday and becoming a member of the Netherlands on the prime of Group D.

Marie-Antoinette Katoto and Sandy Baltimore netted inside three minutes of one another in direction of the top of the primary half as Les Bleues deservedly defeated England in Zurich.

Laurent Bonadei’s workforce are stage on three factors with leaders the Dutch, who cruised previous Wales 3-0 earlier on Saturday, after placing an enormous blow within the battle to qualify from probably the toughest group on the match.

France face underdogs Wales subsequent on Wednesday whereas England have an enormous conflict with the Netherlands, once more on the Letzigrund Stadium.

The French have been higher everywhere in the pitch, pushed by the glowing wing play of Baltimore and Delphine Cascarino, whereas Keira Walsh’s beautiful strike with three minutes remaining made the scoreline flatter unconvincing England.

Not even Lauren James’ return to the beginning XI might encourage England, the Chelsea star manner under her finest because the Lionesses struggled to place any strain on France till it was too late.

Alessia Russo thought she had given England the lead within the sixteenth minute when she prodded dwelling on the rebound after Pauline Peyraud-Magnin saved out Lauren Hemp’s shot, just for the objective to be dominated out for a razor-thin offside within the build-up.

From there, France took the initiative, pushing England again into their very own half and dominating possession, they usually had a deserved lead by way of Katoto within the thirty sixth minute when the Lyon ahead guided dwelling Cascarino’s low cross.

And three minutes later Baltimore made the scoreline precisely signify the steadiness of play with an exquisite particular person objective, simply skipping round Lucy Bronze and Leah Williamson earlier than rifling her end into the highest nook.

Walsh discovered the highest nook with England’s first strike heading in the right direction and Sarina Wiegman’s workforce virtually snatched some extent within the dying moments when Selma Bacha cleared Michelle Agyemang’s shot off the road and saved the consequence for France.

– Miedema’s century –

Vivianne Miedema scored her a hundredth worldwide objective because the Netherlands swept previous Wales to take the initiative within the group.

Manchester Metropolis striker Miedema opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time in Lucerne with an attractive curling strike, finishing her century of targets for her nation.

Victoria Pelova and Esmee Brugts netted the opposite targets after the break to present Wales a impolite awakening of their main match debut.

“They defended very well and I’m glad my objective helped to begin all of it up,” mentioned Miedema.

“Within the second half, you noticed that we are able to play a bit extra, and finally we additionally scored two actually good targets.”

Andries Jonker’s workforce are prime on objective distinction whereas Wales have already got their work lower out to qualify.

Rhian Wilkinson’s aspect might simply have been behind earlier than Miedema, who was a doubt for the match after struggling a hamstring damage in April, struck, as Jill Roord crashed a rocket of a shot off the submit within the thirty fifth minute.

Pelova doubled the Oranje’s lead two minutes after the break when she rifled dwelling from Danielle van de Donk’s move, and the Arsenal midfielder arrange Brugts to make completely certain of the factors within the 57th minute with an ideal deep cross.

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Former Chicago White Sox nearer Bobby Jenks died Friday after a battle with Stage 4 adenocarcinoma, a type of abdomen most cancers. Jenks was 44 years outdated.

The 2-time All-Star and 2005 World Sequence champion revealed his situation throughout a February 2025 interview with MLB.com from a hospital mattress in Portugal, the place he moved to be nearer to his spouse’s household.

Jenks spent six of his seven MLB seasons with the White Sox. He posted back-to-back 40-save seasons in 2006 and 2007 and compiled 86 saves over his last three seasons in Chicago, however is most well-known within the South Facet for closing out the Fall Traditional in 2005, with a future pope in attendance for Recreation 1.

Throughout the 2007 season, Jenks retired 47 consecutive batters. He spent the 2011 season, his final in MLB, with the Boston Purple Sox.

In Could 2021, Jenks started working because the pitching coach for the minor-league Grand Junction Rockies. The following season, he was promoted to supervisor and gained the league’s Supervisor of the 12 months award after serving to the staff win a championship.

Jenks spent the 2023 season because the Princeton WhistlePigs’ pitching coach earlier than he returned to managing with the Windy Metropolis ThunderBolts later that yr.

A father of six, Jenks and his spouse, Eleni, moved to Portugal in October 2024. Not lengthy after they relocated, he was recognized with deep vein thrombosis in his proper calf and later handled a number of blood clots in his lungs. Early in 2025, he seen that his power degree was reducing, and after testing at an area hospital, it was found {that a} tumor had fashioned in his chest.

Jenks instructed MLB.com that the tumor unfold into his abdomen lining, his bones, his decrease again and his hips.

As Jenks was coping with his well being battle, his household was affected by the Palisades hearth, which triggered them to lose their house and private belongings, aside from his 2005 World Sequence ring.

Ive acquired one suitcase left to my identify, Jenks mentioned. Its all gone. The whole lot else Ive ever achieved. I’ve all the things, first to first. All these issues are irreplaceable.

Wimbledon high seed Jannik Sinner crushed Pedro Martinez to achieve the final 16 with out shedding a set on Saturday whereas title rival Novak Djokovic targets his one hundredth victory on the match.

Sinner took only one hour and 55 minutes to demolish 52nd-ranked Martinez 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 in a Centre Court docket masterclass, although the Spaniard was fighting a shoulder situation.

The 23-year-old will face Bulgarian nineteenth seed Grigor Dimitrov or Austria’s Sebastian Ofner within the fourth spherical on the All England Membership.

Sinner has misplaced simply 17 video games throughout his first three matches at this yr’s match, in distinction to defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, who has proven patchy kind on path to the final 16.

The Italian returned from a doping ban in Could, shedding the Italian Open closing to Alcaraz and squandering three championship factors towards the Spaniard within the French Open closing final month.

His finest efficiency at Wimbledon was a run to the semi-finals in 2023 and he reached the quarter-finals final yr.

“Each time you attain the second week of a Grand Slam it’s a really special day,” stated Sinner, who acknowledged Martinez’s discomfort together with his shoulder.

“Much more particular right here in Wimbledon, so I’m very completely happy to be within the second week.”

Afterward Centre Court docket, Djokovic will resume his bid for a record-breaking twenty fifth Grand Slam crown.

The seven-time champion, locked with the long-retired Margaret Court docket on 24 majors, is aiming to achieve the fourth spherical for the seventeenth time in his twentieth look at Wimbledon.

A 3rd-round conflict towards Serbian Davis Cup teammate Miomir Kecmanovic will maintain few fears for the sixth seed, who has not misplaced towards his Forty ninth-ranked compatriot in three earlier conferences.

If Djokovic beats Kecmanovic he’ll attain a century of victories on the All England Membership, a feat solely surpassed by eight-time champion Roger Federer, who gained 105 occasions on the lawns of southwest London, and Martina Navratilova, who chalked up 120 victories.

“If I play like this, I really feel like I’ve an excellent probability towards anyone, actually, on the Centre Court docket of Wimbledon, a spot the place I perhaps really feel essentially the most comfy on any court docket,” Djokovic stated after beating Britain’s Dan Evans within the second spherical.

Djokovic’s first Wimbledon win got here towards Argentine Juan Monaco 20 years in the past, when Kecmanovic was aged simply 5.

– Swiatek’s title probability –

Former champion Elena Rybakina grew to become the newest star to endure a shock exit, shedding to Denmark’s Clara Tauson 7-6 (8/6), 6-3.

Rybakina, the Kazakh eleventh seed, gained her maiden Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2022 and reached the semi-finals final yr.

However the 26-year-old’s hopes of one other robust run had been ended by Twenty third-seeded Tauson in a third-round tie on Court docket Two.

Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva thrashed American world quantity 55 Hailey Baptiste 6-1, 6-3 in simply 78 minutes on Court docket One.

The 18-year-old, seeded seventh, is among the few main gamers left within the girls’s draw.

World primary Aryna Sabalenka is the one participant remaining from among the many high six seeds.

Iga Swiatek has quietly gone about her enterprise at this yr’s Wimbledon however could have watched the mass exodus of her high rivals with curiosity.

The five-time Grand Slam champion is seeded eighth on the All England membership after slipping down the rankings, although she is now again on the earth’s high 4 after reaching the Unhealthy Homburg closing final week.

The Pole, who faces American Danielle Collins within the third spherical, has by no means been past the quarter-finals on the All England Membership.

Swiatek, who has gained 4 titles on the French Open clay, was crushed by former Australian Open finalist Collins on the Italian Open in Could.

Defending girls’s champion Barbora Krejcikova can also be in motion on Saturday towards American tenth seed Emma Navarro.

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Chelsea added England under-21 worldwide winger Jamie Gittens to their array of attacking expertise on Saturday from Borussia Dortmund.

The Blues will reportedly pay an preliminary £48.5 million ($66 million) for the 20-year-old, who was in Chelsea’s academy as a youth participant, with an additional £3.5 million in add-ons.

Gittens ultimately moved to Manchester Metropolis’s academy earlier than signing for Dortmund in 2022.

He made 107 appearances for the German giants, scoring 17 objectives, 12 of which got here within the Bundesliga and Champions League final season.

“It’s an awesome feeling to hitch such a giant membership as Chelsea,” stated Gittens.

“I can’t wait to be taught from everybody within the group and to push myself to the max right here. It’s an incredible feeling.”

Gittens grew to become Chelsea’s fifth signing of one other big-spending summer time, becoming a member of forwards Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, midfielder Dario Essugo and defender Mamadou Sarr.

Brazilian rising star Estevao Willian, 18, may even be part of the Premier League giants, in a deal agreed final yr, after scoring in opposition to Chelsea in Palmerias’ 2-1 Membership World Cup quarter-final defeat on Friday.

Gittens, although, is not going to be eligible to function in Chelsea’s semi-final in opposition to Fluminense on Tuesday or the ultimate ought to the Blues progress.

“Jamie Gittens’ profession exemplifies the event of prime abilities at BVB,” stated Dortmund CEO Lars Ricken.

“We found him very early, signed him virtually without charge, repeatedly developed him in our youth academy, and offered him with taking part in time on the highest skilled stage.

“Jamie has repaid that belief with dedication, efficiency, and objectives. His switch again to his house nation could be extremely worthwhile for us.”

Chelsea are underneath stress to recoup a few of their switch spend in gross sales over the approaching months.

On Friday, they have been fined 31 million euros by UEFA for 2 breaches of economic sustainability guidelines, with an additional 60 million euros suspended as a part of a four-year settlement settlement.

Furthermore, Chelsea, who’ve certified for the Champions League, can’t register any new gamers for European competitors until they earn extra from switch gross sales than they spend on new signings.

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