Scott Murray's Blog, page 53
June 16, 2022
US Open golf 2022: first round – as it happened
One of those aforementioned birdie-pars at 15 for Rory McIlroy. He shoves his tee shot at 15 into thick oomska down the right. Forced to gouge out, he leaves himself with a 15-foot downhill putt to save his par ... and he rolls it confidently into the centre of the cup. That’s his second fine scramble already: he drove into trouble down the right of 13, but found the front of the two-tier green and made a very testing two-putt par. McIlroy currently playing with the confidence of a man coming off a final round of 62 and victory at last week’s Canadian Open.
Abraham Ancer finished in the top ten at the PGA last month. The 31-year-old Mexican won’t be repeating his Southern Hills heroics this week. He’s been forced to withdraw after falling ill, and Patton Kizzire will take his place. Rickie Fowler is the next cab on the rank should anyone else withdraw.
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June 14, 2022
England 0-4 Hungary: Nations League – as it happened
England suffered their worst home defeat in 94 years as Hungary – shades of 1953 and all that – stunned the nation with a dominant performance
5 min: It’s a gorgeous sunny evening in Wolverhampton, by the way. No need for the famous Molineux floodlights just yet.
4 min: Saka makes ground down the left. The ball’s switched to Walker on the other flank. His shot is blocked. A confident start from England, but then they started well against Italy too. Can they keep it up this time?
Continue reading...The Fiver | The Socceroos go full Tuchel-Kepa to find their flamin’ World Cup hero
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Yesterday’s STOP FOOTBALL edition of the Fiver touched upon the STOP FOOTBALL seemingly interminable nature of the current season, which STOP FOOTBALL started in 2019 and has taken in one pandemic, two lockdowns, one Euros, a Copa América, an Africa Cup of Nations, an Olympic Games, withdrawal from the single market, insurrection at the Capitol, and 33 editions of the Nations League. The next scheduled opportunity for everyone to dismount the treadmill and get some rest is next summer, after the completion of the Ethics World Cup and all the surrounding competitions that particular farce is going to ruin. STOP FOOTBALL STOP FOOTBALL STOP FOOTBALL PLEASE CAN SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE STOP IT.
Continue reading...June 11, 2022
England 0-0 Italy: Nations League – as it happened
England remain bottom of Group A3 after another toothless Nations League performance
4 min: Abraham is checked by Gatti, 30 yards from the Italian goal, in a fairly central position. Ward-Prowse wedges the free kick into the mixer, Maguire’s presence causing a bit of bother, the ball breaking to Mount, who sails a harmless shot into Donnarumma’s midriff.
2 min: A huge chance for Italy to take an early lead. Pellegrini slips a pass down the inside-right channel to release Frattesi into the England box. He’s one on one with Ramsdale, albeit facing a bit of an angle. He drags his shot across the keeper and wide of the left-hand post. He certainly should have hit the target at the very least. He probably should have scored.
Continue reading...June 10, 2022
Austria 1-1 France, Denmark 0-1 Croatia: Nations League – as it happened
Kylian Mbappé rescued a point for the world champions in Austria, while Luka Modrić inspired Croatia to victory
Andreas Cornelius is in the thick of it in Copenhagen. First he blazes wildly over the bar from the edge of the Croatian box, then he’s booked for an over-zealous aerial challenge on goalkeeper Dominik Livaković, who requires some treatment after being whacked upside the head.
The first corner of the evening in Vienna is forced by Maximilian Wöber, who worms his way down the left with great purpose. Austria load the box. William Saliba heads it clear. France go up the other end through Kingsley Coman, who is unceremoniously brought down from behind by Stefan Lainer. The Austrian right-back goes into the book.
Continue reading...The Fiver | Northern Ireland, Billy Bingham and a life less ordinary
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Norn Iron went two goals down within 20 minutes against Kosovo yesterday, and, well, they weren’t going to turn that around, were they. This latest fiasco led to the 500-strong travelling Green and White Army chanting “cheerio” at manager Ian Baraclough, who has won just three of 19 competitive games in charge. “Let’s not be negative,” retorted Baraclough, who went on to make the claim that Paddy McNair, injured on the morning of the match, would have made some sort of difference, before adding gnomically: “I understand the fans’ frustration but there are ways to losing a game of football and that’s it.” No, we’re none the wiser either, and we’ve even held it up to the light and looked at it from various angles.
Continue reading...June 8, 2022
Wales 1-2 Netherlands, Republic of Ireland 0-1 Ukraine: Nations League – as it happened
8 min: Scotland are all over Armenia like a cheap suit. Andy Robertson drags a shot across the face of goal that’s tipped around the post by David Yurchenko, then Callum McGregor flashes a header straight at the keeper. Where was this Scotland last week? Admittedly Armenia are no Ukraine, but then ask the Irish about that.
5 min: Nearly a fast start for Scotland at Hampden against Armenia. Andy Robertson crosses deep from the left. His opposite number and full debutant Anthony Raltson meets it and cuts back for Stuart Armstrong, whose diagonal shot pings off the base of the left-hand post and away.
Continue reading...The Fiver | Jack Grealish freed from the shackles of tactical diktats
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It was a good evening in the Nations League for Harry Kane, who tripped over his own feet and nudged himself one goal closer to the increasingly meaningless all-time England scoring record. It was an even better evening for Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish, back on the scene again after a year of having his style cramped at Manchester City. Freed from the shackles of tactical diktats, Villa Jack cavorted gaily on the left wing during a 13-minute cameo in which he set up the equaliser and teed up Kane for what surely would have been the winner had the striker not been in the process of tying his legs in knots again. Oh Harry! Oh Pep!
Continue reading...June 7, 2022
Germany 1-1 England: Nations League – as it happened
Harry Kane’s late penalty salvaged a draw for England in Munich
3 min: Rudiger flicks the corner on at the near post. Muller prepares to trundle home, like his namesake Gerd, at the far post. Before he can do so, Walker does extremely well to flick out for another corner. Nothing comes of the second one. Fast start by Germany, though, and a very shaky one by England.
2 min: Havertz takes a whack at Pickford from distance. Pickford claims easily enough, but upon setting England off on the attack, Tripper carelessly concedes the first corner of the match. Kimmich will take from the right.
Continue reading...The Fiver | England, Germany and a low-energy state of Nations League affairs
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Gareth Southgate and the lads went for a nice walk in Budapest last weekend. They took in Heroes Square, St Stephen’s Basilica, the magnificent parliament buildings, Buda Castle and the rolling blue Danube, and at some point during their relaxed stroll around the vibrant Mitteleuropean wonder, they absent-mindedly lost their opening Nations League fixture. Ah well, never mind, who cares. Not The Fiver, that’s for certain. Nor, we strongly suspect, do you. The players surely can’t be bothered, if their signal disregard on Saturday for giving new England broadcaster Channel 4 bang for their buck is anything to go by. This much we know.
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