Sports
Liverpool 4-0 Shocks Barcelona, Greatest Champions League Comeback Of All
This was the supposed to be the competition that mattered the least of the two that remained in the last days of Liverpool’s epic 2018-2019 season but over the course of 99 extraordinary minutes, suddenly it felt like this team, in this time, had found their calling at last.
No team comes back from three down to score four without reply against Barcelona in the second leg of a Champions League semi-final without wondering if the hand of destiny is not ushering them down an alternative path to glory. Monday night and Manchester City edged the Premier League just a little further from Liverpool’s grasp and then came Tuesday night when the response at Anfield was, quite frankly, stupendous.
This kind of comeback in a Champions league semi-final has never happened before against anyone, let along the Barcelona of the era of Lionel Messi, a man on a mission and having greatly declared his genius in the conclusion of the first leg. That this comeback happened without Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, assorted others, plus Jordan Henderson on one leg and Andy Robertson carted off at half-time will just add to the legend.
It was Robertson’s replacement, Georginio Wijnaldum who got goals two and three in the second half and the matchwinning hero was another dedicated occasional, Divock Origi – Jurgen Klopp’s specialist in the improbable. He struck his first on seven minutes, and the second with 11 minutes remaining and perhaps the greatest miracle Klopp has achieved is that in between times he was the best striker on the pitch, in some company.
Madrid on June 1, will be the ninth European Cup final of Liverpool’s history, this one against Tottenham Hotspur or Ajax Amsterdam, Klopp’s second in two years, and you have to think that they will be favourites for their sixth title, whoever the opposition. The kings of the comeback might just have outdone themselves this time, and by the end of the night there was no thought given to the league title.
It can take a while for the Champions League to serve up the best stuff but on nights such as these it is worth the wait. This was football played right on the edge, and if Liverpool were the team that had to risk it all then that mood seemed to creep into the way that their opponents played too.
There was a grievance that Messi that carried throughout the game borne of an early tangle with his Scottish equivalent, the Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson. The game’s greatest player spent more time wagging a finger and admonishing his opponent than he usually dedicates to the missteps of mere mortals. It required Jordan Henderson to come running over in the end and shove Messi away although even the Liverpool captain seemed to be asking himself whether he was permitted to lay hands on the man in question.
Whatever Messi did after that seemed to have rather more of a malevolent intent than the usual indifference with which he routinely inflicts pain on the opposition. Alongside him Luis Suarez simply did what he has always done and which he did to some effect at Anfield for a period of his career. In those days, of course, when he was straining every sinew in the Liverpool cause it really felt that he could do no wrong in their eyes but you suspect that they knew not all of it was right.
Even so it was quite something to hear their former favourite being called a “cheat” by the Kop and then told in even more direct terms what they would have liked him to do. You could argue that the simulation and the lobbying of the referee are among the least serious of the charges that could be laid against Suarez, but then memories are short.
Against all this as a backdrop Liverpool scored the early goal they so badly needed. A mistake from Jordi Alba meant that possession was turned over deep in Barcelona territory on seven mnutes and Sadio Mane was able to poke the ball into the path of Henderson’s surging run. He sidestepped Gerard Pique beautifully and the rebound from his saved shot fell to Anfield’s man of the moment, Divock Origi, to score.
A slow burner of a start from Barcelona, who had been treated to a late fireworks display outside their Liverpool hotel the previous night. But they came good after that and this game was soon a great attacking drama. Messi’s twisting, burrowing runs into the Liverpool half were the main incursion and there was so much else to see. A set of fine saves from Alisson for one, as the home team inevitably opened up.
Then there were the tackles too. Fabinho booked for thundering into Suarez. Milner on the same opponent. Henderson down for a long period of treatment on his right knee after colliding with Alba. Sergio Busquets jumping into Fabinho for a high ball. Messi, who had been on the ground at the time, never quite got over Robertson shoving his head. The full-back had originally landed on top of him. Robertson never came out for the second half, a collision with Suarez off the ball having done for him.
Robertson had been treated for a while on the pitch in the first half, his problem seeming to have come from a relatively innocuous fall although it is upon such details that great new plans are hatched. Forced to make the change, Klopp brought on Wijnaldum and within ten minutes the tie was level.
The collapse of Barcelona was a surprise to say the least, given how they had managed to get a hold on the game after the strong start made by Liverpool. Klopp had moved Milner back to left-back, pushed Mane up alongside Origi and moved Shaqiri to the left midfield position. The first goal came from the right when Alexander-Arnold was once again the provider and Wijnaldum ran onto the cross.
Within two minutes he had scored a second, emerging unmarked to head in a cross from the newly-configured left side, when Milner had slipped a ball down the line for Shaqiri to cross. Barcelona’s three-goal lead had been erased and it was all they could do at that point just to stay in the game. They had been pressed into submission all over the pitch and whatever hope they had was in those runs from Messi. Philippe Coutinho barely made the hour mark before he was replaced with Nelson Semedo.
And then to the winner, created by a corner from Alexander-Arnold that deceived the Barcelona defence. He walked away as if to leave it to Shaqiri, dashed back and with the away defence asleep, Origi took the ball first time, dispatching it into the top corner. It was that kind of night, one for the brave and the bold – and there was only one team that managed that.
International
US ELECTION: Second Attempt To Assassinate Pres. Trump Fails, Other Historical Assassination Attempts
This time it was Ryan Wesley Routh sticking out an AK-47 Riffle through a fence beside the golf course in Florida where Mr Trump was playing, but before he fired a shot, the Secret Service spotted him.
On Sunday the 15th of September, there was a second attempt to assassinate the 45th US President, Donald John Trump, while golfing at his Trump’s International Golf Course in Florida.
On July the 13th, a would-be assassin, Matthew Crook, shot at him during a rally in Butler Pennsylvania, nicking his right ear, killing a bystander and injuring others, raising urgent concerns about Trump’s security as he campaigns for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination,
This time it was Ryan Wesley Routh sticking out an AK-47 Riffle through a fence beside the golf course in Florida where Mr Trump was playing, but before he fired a shot, the Secret Service spotted him.
Ryan had fled the scene but was later apprehended by the Secret Service unlike Matthew Crook who was gunned down on the spot in July.
Though President Trump confirmed safe and unhurt, but the incident puts the Secret Service under new scrutiny.
The two failed assassination attempts on President Trump have raised questions about who is trying to get the 45th US President and Republican Party’s Presidential nominee for the November elections out of the way at all cost.
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There have been allegations and accusations of the Democrats, while others point fingers at the Republicans, globalists, etc. but a matter of life and death, more especially, concerning the US 45th President must not be politicised.
According to reports, these “incidents involving President Donald Trump have prompted a bipartisan call for the condemnation of violence and a reflection on the state of political discourse in the country. It is a moment that requires leaders and citizens alike to reaffirm their commitment to a politics free from violence and intimidation.”
The FBI described the incident as an “attempted assassination,” marking the second time in two months that Trump has been targeted. The attack occurred while Trump was golfing, prompting swift action from the Secret Service, which fired at the assailant before he fled the scene.
The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii, was armed with an AK-47-style rifle with a scope and was hiding in the bushes near the edge of the golf course. According to local law enforcement, Routh was spotted about 400 to 500 yards from Trump. He fled the scene but was apprehended shortly after by sheriff’s deputies on Interstate 95.
RYAN WESLEY ROUTH
This assassination attempt intensifies ongoing concerns about political violence in the US, especially amid the ongoing presidential campaign. Given Trump’s polarizing role in American politics, these incidents underscore the heightened risks faced by presidential candidates in an increasingly charged political environment.
This assassination attempt intensifies ongoing concerns about political violence in the US, especially amid the ongoing presidential campaign. Given Trump’s polarizing role in American politics, these incidents underscore the heightened risks faced by presidential candidates in an increasingly charged political environment.
The recurrence of such attempts is alarming, particularly as Trump continues to hold public events and rallies. The fact that Routh, armed with a semi-automatic rifle, was able to get within shooting distance of Trump again raises serious questions about the level of protection being provided. Trump’s status as a former president, rather than a sitting one, has led to a lighter security detail, but his public visibility and controversial nature make him an ongoing target.
These incidents are also likely to increase scrutiny on the US Secret Service and its ability to secure candidates, especially as the 2024 presidential election draws near. Political violence has been a growing concern in recent years, with fears that it could escalate as the election nears.
Trump’s campaign, already shaped by his legal battles and public appearances, now faces the additional challenge of ensuring his personal safety amid the threats against him.
Here are some historical examples of political violence:
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln (1865): The 16th President of the United States was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, an actor and Confederate sympathizer, at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. This event marked the first assassination of a U.S. president.
Wilmington Insurrection (1898): In Wilmington, North Carolina, white supremacists overthrew the local government, which was elected with a significant African American voter base, in a violent coup that left many African Americans dead or expelled from the city
The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (1914): The heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne was assassinated by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb nationalist, leading to the outbreak of World War I.
The October Revolution (1917): The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, overthrew the Russian Provisional Government in a coup, leading to the establishment of the Soviet Union.
The Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi (1948): Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of the Indian independence movement against British rule, was assassinated by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu nationalist.
The Troubles in Northern Ireland (Late 1960s-1998): A complex conflict characterized by sectarian violence, paramilitary operations, and political strife between mainly Protestant unionists and mainly Catholic nationalists.
The Rwandan Genocide (1994): Political violence escalated into a genocide against the Tutsi population, with estimates of up to a million people killed.
The Assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (1995): Rabin was assassinated by Yigal Amir, an Israeli ultranationalist, due to his role in the signing of the Oslo Accords.
Sports
2024 Women’s U20 World Cup: Nigeria drawn with Germany, Korea Republic, Venezuela
Cup holders Spain are in Group C alongside three-time winners USA, Paraguay and another African representative team, Morocco.
2022 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup quarter-finalists Nigeria have been drawn to play three-time winners Germany, Venezuela and Korea Republic in Group D of this year’s FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals.
The final competition, which will welcome 24 teams for the first time, will be staged in four venues in three cities in Colombia, 31st August – 22nd September.
Cup holders Spain are in Group C alongside three-time winners USA, Paraguay and another African representative team, Morocco.
Two-time winners Korea Democratic People’s Republic will contend with Argentina, Costa Rica and the Netherlands in Group F, while hosts Colombia are up against Australia, Cameroon and Mexico in Group A.
Full draw
GROUP A: Colombia, Australia, Cameroon, Mexico
GROUP B: France, Canada, Brazil, Fiji
GROUP C: Spain, USA, Paraguay, Morocco
GROUP D: Germany, Venezuela, Nigeria, Korea Republic
GROUP E: Japan, New Zealand, Ghana, Austria
GROUP F: Korea DPR, Argentina, Costa Rica, The Netherlands
Kamaru Usman has been handed a massive 180-day medical suspension after breaking his nose against Jorge Masvidal.
The Nigerian Nightmare, 33, suffered a broken nose as he retained his UFC welterweight title last weekend.
He will also be forced to avoid any contact for at least three weeks while the nose heals.
Meanwhile, Masvidal, 35, will miss a month himself due to a forehead laceration sustained in his defeat.
The American veteran took the fight on just six days’ notice but failed to pull off a miraculous win.
Masvidal has now been handed a 30-day medical suspension to allow a nasty gash on his face to heal.
As with Usman, he will be forced to avoid any contact work for three weeks. Vanguard
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