2 h. ago Tony Popovic nears World Cup deadline with negatives piling up for the Socceroos

A callow Australia side confirmed in defeat by Venezuela that the head coach needs his big hitters back before facing Colombia in New York A day before Australian football looked to its past, Tony Popovic sent out a side to face Venezuela focused on its future. Nineteen years and 364 days ago, the Golden Generation defender had been part of the side that defeated Uruguay in a shootout to end 32 years of heartbreak and send the Socceroos back to the promised land. Two decades on, here he was in the dugout of Shell Energy Stadium, tinkering and experimenting before a sixth-straight World Cup for Australia.Popovic had named an XI with three debutants – the most in 12 years – and a player in Nestory Irankunda that hadn’t been born when John Alosi scored that famous penalty. Continue reading...

Events

15 h. ago Man United latest: Truth behind row emerges and Ruben Amorim targets wonderkid

Manchester United have been making headlines during the international break and MEN Sport brings you all the latest

Events

16 h. ago Passive Socceroos problems exposed in disappointing defeat to Venezuela

Australia lose 1-0 to La Vinotinto as Jesús Ramírez scores in 38th minuteDebutant goalkeeper Patrick Beach impresses in friendly in HoustonHouston, do we have a problem? After starting the Tony Popovic-era with a 12-game unbeaten run, an experimental Socceroos lineup fell to their second-straight defeat, going down 1-0 to Venezuela at Houston’s Shell Energy Stadium. While there was a certain level of fight to their 2-1 loss to the United States last month, this was a much more passive, disappointing defeat.Just 20 minutes in, the 50th-ranked Venezuelans had three-quarters of possession, which only fell to two-thirds at half-time and 66% at game’s end. It was a sharp contrast between the approach of interim boss Fernando Aristeguieta and his predecessor Fernando Batista, who was sacked after they failed to qualify for the World Cup with an average possession rate of just 39.3% during the qualification campaign. Continue reading...

Politics

19 h. ago Venezuela v Australia: men’s international football friendly – live

Updates from the Socceroos’ match in the USKick-off at Shell Energy Stadium is 8.30pm CST/1.30pm AEDTAny thoughts? Get in touch with an emailThe players are out on the pitch at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston with Advance Australia Fair the first national anthem to sound out. Venezuela’s Gloria al Bravo Pueblo – Glory to the Brave People – is up now.This is the second meeting been Venezuela and Australia – but the first in more than 21 years – after the sides played out a 1-1 draw in a friendly in February 2004. Paul Agostino opened the scoring for the Socceroos, while Juan Arango equalised for Venezuela in the dying stages. Continue reading...

Society

46 h. ago WAG Taylor Ward shares first photo of newborn baby after giving birth to second child with footballer Riyad Mahrez

WAG Taylor Ward has shared a first photo of her newborn baby boy, after giving birth to her second child with footballer Riyad Mahrez.  This summer Taylor, 27, gathered friends and family for a lavish celebration, where she and husband Riyad, 34, opened a giant box to discover they’re expecting a baby boy. And now...

Events

5 d. ago Paul Gascoigne opens up about Ricky Hatton friendship after 'heartbreaking' death

Former footballer Paul Gascoigne has shared some memories of his friend and legendary boxer Ricky Hatton

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5 d. ago Paul Gascoigne opens up on Ricky Hatton friendship after his 'heartbreaking' death

Former footballer Paul Gascoigne has shared some memories of his friend Ricky Hatton after the legendary boxer tragically passed away in September at the age of 46

Events

6 d. ago ‘They treat men like vending machines’: Inside the hidden world of social media sperm selling

Parenthood can seem an impossible dream for many, and online sperm donor groups offer a solution, but they can be a murky world A man going by the name “Rod Kissme” claims to have “very strong sperm”. It may seem like an eccentric boast for a Facebook profile page, but then this is no mundane corner of the internet. The group where Rod and other men advertise themselves is a community where women and couples come, in many cases, to fulfil a lifelong dream: parenthood.There is a growing number of online sperm donor groups on social media. They offer people the chance of parenting children in an unregulated, dangerous but surprisingly straightforward way. Continue reading...

Politics

7 d. ago ‘We could be winning or losing – it doesn’t matter as long as we’re together’: the friendships forged on football terraces

It starts with singing, banter or enthusiastic goal celebrations – and leads to so much more. Six groups of fan friends share how they metLike so many football fans, I have my own routines and rituals with which I tie together the home games of a league season. Last year, one such routine involved the older gentleman in the seat to my right. I’d nod hello and, above the strains of pre-match music, ask him what he thought of Norwich’s chances – 23 times I asked, and 23 times he replied along the lines of: “We’ll probably get thumped” or “I don’t see where our goals are coming from.” A shred of contempt would be spared for the referee. Always, the referee was known to him and, always, I’d be forewarned that this or that referee was an “arsehole”, a “wanker”, or – once – “an arsehole and a wanker”.This neighbour of mine was a retired engineer, a Norfolk boy, and a follower of both first team and academy, home and away. He was just one of thousands with a season ticket at the back of Ca...

Sport

8 d. ago At Sydney’s mighty arms convention, weapons are sold as ‘solutions’. No one mentions the people they will target

As protesters outside condemn war, inside the Indo-Pacific International Maritime Exposition the defence minister praises the ‘beautiful, menacing and extremely cool’ technology on showGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastInside the heavily guarded, aseptically cool halls of the Indo-Pacific International Maritime Exposition, Australia’s defence minister, Richard Marles, describes it as, for some in the room, “a kind of Disneyland the happiest place on Earth”.Standing outside, facing barricades and a broad line of armed police, those protesting the very presence of the arms conference in Sydney view it is anything but. Continue reading...

Events

8 d. ago Man United starlet called up to Australia's senior team after Ruben Amorim show of faith

Manchester United youngster James Overy has been called up to the Australia national team for this month's friendlies against Venezuela and Colombia, with several new faces in the squad

Politics

9 d. ago India beat Australia by 48 runs in fourth men’s Twenty20 international – live reaction

India take 2-1 lead with one match to play in T20 seriesAustralia lose 52 for 9 to be all out for 119 on the Gold Coast5th over: India 38-0 (Abhishek 13, Gill 24) Xavier Bartlett changes ends but it’s much the same story for the right-arm quick. Abhishek swings wildly but fails to make contact but Gill is making scoring look easy as he clobbers another boundary through midwicket - that’s his fourth from 16 balls without taking any risks.4th over: India 31-0 (Abhishek 12, Gill 18) Nathan Ellis is the first change after causing India all sorts of problems through this series with six wickets in three matches. But Gill takes a liking to him straight away with a flick off the pads for four. The right-hander picks up two more from much the same stroke then adds another boundary with a crunching straight drive. Continue reading...

Society

1 week ago Eni Aluko ‘astounded’ by Barton post comparing her to serial killers, court told

The former England women’s footballer told Liverpool Crown Court the pair had previously exchanged ‘friendly, supportive’ private messages.

Events

1 week ago Australia v India: third men’s Twenty20 international – live

Updates from the T20I at Bellerive OvalThe cricket in Hobart starts at 7.15pm AEDT / 1.45pm IDTAny thoughts? Get in touch with an emailTravis Head is swinging hard from the first ball of the over and races to six with a boundary at fine leg but skies a slog from wide outside off as the India skipper runs back from mid-off to grasp a tricky catch in windy conditions.Arshdeep Singh has marked out his run up and Travis Head is waiting at the other end of the wicket as Australia and India get going in Hobart Continue reading...

Society

2 w. ago New Zealand edge home to beat England and seal series sweep: third men’s ODI – live

Over-by-over updates, 1am GMT start, 2pm localSign up to The Spin newsletter | And email Jim1st over: England 3-0 (Smith 1, Duckett 2) England off the mark with a streaky outside edge as Smith throws bat at ball. A decent first over from Duffy. I reach into the leftover Halloween chocolate and pull out some Love Hearts. DREAM BIG is the instruction.A moment’s silence for young Ben Austin, who died after being hit in the nets while practising in Melbourne. Continue reading...

Society

2 w. ago A Sudanese massacre foretold: the grim familiarity of the RSF’s rampage through El Fasher

Atrocities unfolding in El Fasher since it fell to paramilitary forces follow a bleak pattern seen in Rwanda, Liberia and Sudan itself, including lack of international actionHundreds of patients and staff massacred at a hospital; unarmed men of fighting age separated and shot at close range; civilians trying to flee stripped of their belongings and extorted for ransom; perpetrators filming much of the violence themselves.The reports of atrocities that have emerged from the Sudanese city of El Fasher since it fell to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces last weekend follow a familiar pattern. Continue reading...

Events

2 w. ago Australia v India: second men’s Twenty20 international – live

Updates from the T20I at the MCG in MelbourneAny thoughts? Get in touch with an emailJosh Hazlewood is at the top of his mark with Shubman Gill on strike as a huge roar goes up around the packed MCG.The India and Australia women’s teams played a classic World Cup game just under 24 hours ago with the former stunning the defending champions to chase down the 339-run target. Raf Nicholson covers the semi-final upset, including Jemimah Rodrigues’s incredible century that steered India into a final against South AfricaRodrigues was dropped three times by Australia, on 52, 83 and 106, eventually finishing unbeaten on 127 as the seven-time world champions uncharacteristically cracked under the pressure of defending 338. Running back from mid-off, Tahlia McGrath spilled the third of those chances from Rodrigues in the 44th over, while Annabel Sutherland sent down two wides in a wayward 48th over which cost 15 runs. Continue reading...

Society

2 w. ago Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes Plan Life in London as Hollywood 'Feels Stale'

Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes Plan Life in London as Hollywood 'Feels Stale'  International Business Times UK

Politics

2 w. ago Kirsty Gallacher's celeb pals rally around her after she was 'kicked like a football' in unprovoked street attack

Presenter Kirsty Gallacher has been flooded with well wishes and support from her famous friends after she was "kicked like a football” by a stranger in central London

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2 w. ago Kirsty Gallacher flooded with well wishes from famous friends after being 'kicked like football'

Kirsty Gallacher appeared tearful during the Instagram video posted on Wednesday evening.

Events