Scott Murray's Blog, page 17
June 18, 2024
Portugal 2-1 Czech Republic: Euro 2024 – as it happened
Francisco Conceição won it late for Portugal after Lukáš Provod scored Euro 2024’s latest long-range screamer
1 min: The Czechs on the front foot early doors, with Schick and Souček making a nuisance of themselves down the right. For a second it looks as though they’ve combined to open Portugal up, but the ball rolls out for a goal kick.
Portugal get the ball rolling. If this is half as good as the Turkey-Georgia show, we’ll be doing very well. Goals, please!
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June 15, 2024
US Open golf 2024: third round – as it happened
The former PGA and Open champion Collin Morikawa has made a significant move on a day when low scores are at a premium. The Californian steers in a right-to-left 20-footer on the last for birdie, and fist-pumps the air before signing for a 66 that’s surely unlikely to be bettered today. Good luck to anyone who manages it. A bogey-free round; in fact he’s not dropped a shot now for 21 holes. He’s level par, and should none of the leading bunch pull away – and the course isn’t going to get any easier as the sun continues its baking processes – he’ll have an outside chance at the very least tomorrow.
Sam Bennett only qualified for this US Open last week at nearby Duke University. The 24-year-old Texan is certainly making the most of the opportunity: an opening round of 69, yesterday’s 72, and early birdies today at 2 and 5. It’s no great surprise that he’s going for it: there’s a tattoo on his arm that reads “Don’t wait to do something”, a facsimile from a note his father wrote to him before he died. Bennett’s already proven his chops in a major, too: he won the Silver Cup at Augusta in 2022 after opening the week with a pair of 68s. He turned pro not long after. He’s -1 overall.
Continue reading...June 14, 2024
US Open golf 2024: second round – as it happened
Ludvig Åberg is the halfway leader at Pinehurst No.2 after adding a 69 to his opening 66 to end on 5-under, a shot clear
An extremely careless bogey for Rory McIlroy on 11. Wedge in hand, 137 yards out, the pin in the middle of the green, he pulls his approach down a bank to the left. A chip up to six feet, but a missed putt, and that’s the 2012 and 2014 champion’s first backwards step of the week. A blemish-free card yesterday, but it didn’t take long to spoil things this morning. Another par for Scottie Scheffler, who hasn’t done anything particularly impressive so far today, but hasn’t made any silly mistakes either.
-5: Cantlay
-4: McIlroy (2*), Åberg
-3: Pavon
-2: DeChambeau (2), Finau, Bhatia
June 13, 2024
US Open golf 2024: first round – as it happened
Rory McIlroy shares the first-round lead after a bogey-free 65 put him level with early pacesetter Patrick Cantlay
Patrick Cantlay splashes out confidently from a greenside bunker at 11 to join the group at -1. Meanwhile Frederik Kjettrup, a 24-year-old qualifier from Denmark, freshly out of Florida State, strides after his 30-foot putt on 5. In it drops for the second eagle of the morning, and having bounced back in perfect fashion from a dropped stroke at 4, moves to -1 as well.
It all goes wrong for Tom McKibbin at the par-three 15th. His tee shot doesn’t make it over the false front of the green. Then what looks like a delicate chip up trundles through the green and over the back. He can only get his third to 15 feet, and the bogey putt is always missing on the right. Falling just the wrong side of some fine lines with each shot, and suddenly that’s a double bogey and the 21-year-old Northern Irish prospect is suddenly back in the pack at +1.
Continue reading...June 7, 2024
England 0-1 Iceland: Euro 2024 warm-up – as it happened
Iceland deservedly won at Wembley as England’s Euro 2024 preparations came to a disappointing end
1 min: No pitch invaders yet, so that’s a plus point for Wembley’s security team.
England kick off. The atmosphere is polite.
Continue reading...June 3, 2024
England 3-0 Bosnia and Herzegovina: Euro 2024 warm-up – as it happened
Cole Palmer, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Kane scored the goals as England started their Euro 2024 warm-up slowly but soon improved
Bosnia and Herzegovina get the party started. Pickford, already none too popular with the locals due to his Sunderland connection, slices a simple clearance straight to Hajradinović. The keeper’s very fortunate the next pass, towards Demirović, is overhit. Goal kick. Relief for Pickford.
The teams are out! England will play tonight in purple change shirts, while Bosnia and Herzegovina wear white. A fun end-of-season, pre-tournament vibe at St James’ Park. We’ll be off in a minute!
Continue reading...June 2, 2024
Yuka Saso wins 2024 US Women’s Open – as it happened
An unforced error by the leader Minjee Lee on 3. From the first cut to the left of the fairway, just 50 yards out, she carves her wedge into sand to the right of the green. Then a blast out races hysterically across the dancefloor and nearly ends up in a bunker on the other side. The ball stops in the fringe but she’ll have a testing up-and-down to limit the damage to bogey.
Hinako Shibuno is the latest member of the leading pack to start moving backwards. A careless lip-out from a couple of feet on 3 costs the 25-year-old from Japan a shot. But there’s another player looking to make a late run and get themselves involved; Arpichaya Yubol, a 22-year-old from Thailand making her US Open debut this week, has opened her final round briskly with birdies at 1 and 4, and is homing in on the peloton at level par.
Continue reading...June 1, 2024
Borussia Dortmund 0-2 Real Madrid: Champions League final 2024 – as it happened
Dortmund were the better side in the first half, but didn’t take their chances, and Real Madrid secured their 15th title with a much-improved second-half performance
You’ll Never Walk Alone. It’s an anthem for Borussia Dortmund as well, and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s most terrace-friendly ditty is currently ringing around Wembley. Up in the posh seats, the aforementioned Kloppo sings and sways in the emotional style. A pfenning for all of the conflicting thoughts running through the head of the former Liverpool boss right now. He looks healthy and happy and about ten years younger. Premier League management is a job of work all right.
Dortmund have Jurgen Klopp, so Real need a celebrity fan of their own in attendance. Step forward Jay-Z, who is at Wembley to support his Roc Nation Sports client Vinicius Júnior. In other news, the Wembley turf is looking lush, so while Jay-Z has 99 problems … no, you deserve better than that. I’m sorry for even thinking about it.
Continue reading...May 29, 2024
Olympiakos 1-0 Fiorentina: Europa Conference League final – as it happened
Ayoub El Kaabi scored the late winner as Olympiakos became the first Greek club to win a European trophy, condemning Fiorentina to another defeat in the final
5 min: Olympiakos take the corner quickly, Fortounis rolling in from the right for Rodinei, who is in space but can’t get a shot away. His low cross is cleared and Fiorentina counter, Kouamé bombing down the left and finding Gonzalez on the right. Gonzalez dribbles in and tees up Belotti, who slices wide left. More of this and we’ll be well entertained this evening!
4 min: Chiquinho feeds Podence down the left. Podence cuts infield and takes a whack from the left-hand edge of the D. Terracciano sees it late but manages to tip around the right-hand post.
Continue reading...May 25, 2024
Celtic 1-0 Rangers: 2024 Scottish Cup final – as it happened
Adam Idah capitalised on Jack Butland’s late error to secure a 42nd Scottish Cup for Celtic
Celtic get the ball rolling. Hampden is rocking.
The teams are out! Celtic are nominally the home side, but for the first time this season, both sets of fans have been let into the stadium. So the Scottish Gas Men’s Scottish Cup final atmosphere, fuelled by 22 years of pent-up anticipation plus over a season gone without the opportunity to shout at each other, is pretty much as you’d imagine. It’s hotter than the Cookability Roadshow! It is warm in Mount Florida, to be fair.
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