Sports
Lucas Moura pulls off another English miracle as hat-trick sends Tottenham into Champions League final
When all hope appeared to be gone, when the race appeared to be run, when the bodies seemed drained and spent, when they were 3-0 down in a Champions League semi-final with less than 45 minutes to go, then do not worry about a thing.
Just as the Ajax crowd finished its traditional half-time rendition of Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds”, just as they began to believe that their dream of seeing their team reach the final against Liverpool, they were silenced. Spurs scored. Spurs found a way. They had the will.
A hat-trick by Lucas Moura did it as they fought their way back with courage and bravery and undying belief to go through on away goals – the same method by which they eliminated Manchester City in the quarter-finals. And this was just as dramatic with Moura’s final goal coming deep in injury-time, just around the same time as the one ruled out by City’s Raheem Sterling.
It meant that over this epic tie Spurs led for just the final two minutes of added time and they are through, through to the first European Cup final in their history, through to face Liverpool in what will be only the third final in European competitions to be contested by two English teams.
What a worthy final it will be. Two excellent, courageous sides led by two charismatic, remarkable managers. Mauricio Pochettino and Jurgen Klopp are kindred spirits in the way they connect with their players, with the fans and the energy and soul they bring. They manage two sides who are Monsters of Mentality.
Afterwards Pochettino dissolved in tears. This time there was not the primal roar that greeted eliminating City. It was far too emotionally taxing for that; it felt even more overpowering. He really is magic, Mauricio Pochettino, you know?
Harry Kane brushed aside his ankle injury to sprint on the pitch, dodging through the red-and-white-shirted Ajax bodies as this sparkling young Dutch side collapsed in disbelief at what had just happened to them, when it appeared that Spurs were going the way of Real Madrid and Juventus.
But Spurs do not give up. Pochettino never gives up. Often during this Champions League run they have appeared out and yet they have survived. They have picked themselves up and brushed off the adversity and the dwindling numbers and the stacked odds.
Heroes have emerged. New heroes, superheroes Pochettino called them all, and this was Moura’s night as the Brazilian scored three brilliant goals of pace and skill and tenacity. But it was also a night for that warhorse of a striker, Fernando Llorente, who came on at half-time because Pochettino had no-one else he could turn to, and, in old-fashioned parlance, put himself about.
Llorente made a significant difference and not least in the decisive goal. There was a long punt forward from Moussa Sissoko, the kind of hit-and-hope that was all he could summon at that stage with Llorente showing his wiles to back into and unbalance Ajax’s brilliant young captain, Matthijs de Ligt, who had started the scoring.
The centre-forward improvised to knee the ball into the path of Dele Alli who brought it down and had the vision to see Moura running past him, beyond his right shoulder, and laid a clever pass into his path through a defender’s legs to steer a low shot through the legs of another defender to beat goalkeeper Andre Onana. A goal and a double nutmeg.
Miracles do happen. And they happen on consecutive nights in this Champions League, it appears, which is undeniably the most extraordinary football competition in world football; incomparable for its drama, quality and ability to defy the odds. Let no man tinker with it. After the Miracle of Merseyside, here was the Amazement in Amsterdam.
Spurs were 1-0 down at kick-off and 2-0 soon after and 3-0 not long after that, and that, it appeared, was that. They had been out-run, out-manoeuvred and out-powered and it was summed up by Ajax’s goals. For the first, De Ligt simply left his marker, the far smaller Kieran Trippier, to attack a corner and thump a header in front of Alli and past Hugo Lloris. For the second, Ajax carved down the Spurs right with Dusan Tadic cutting the ball back to Hakim Ziyech who had pulled away to create space and whip a thunderous shot across Lloris and into the net.
In between, Heung-min Son had struck a post and opportunities were missed by him and by Christian Eriksen and Spurs appeared dispirited. Goals had been tough to come of late, and they did not have Kane, but they were creating chances and surely Pochettino had hammered that home at half-time.
Despite Ajax’s dominance it felt like a Spurs goal might just change things and so that theory was tested, with the nature of the strike also helping, as Danny Rose skilfully surged ahead to find Moura who pushed it forward to Alli. Suddenly Moura had the chance to use his speed and he sprinted, bursting through between the Ajax defenders to side-foot past Onana.
And then there was more, much more, and more from Moura who superbly scored again. It came after Onana had somehow, one-handed kept out Llorente’s point-blank shot. Just as it seemed the chance had gone, Moura capitalised on a mix-up involving the goalkeeper and his defenders, showed tenacity and skill to hold off challenges and swivel before shooting into the corner.
Just 204 seconds separated the goals and Spurs only needed one more. They would also need luck – and plenty of it. Ajax tried to kill the tie off and should have done so but were wasteful, with Ziyech shooting narrowly wide and then striking the post, and Lloris fortunate when he beat the ball out from De Ligt only for it to spin narrowly past Nicolas Tagliafico.
The tension was becoming unbearable but when masked-man Jan Vertonghen’s header struck the cross-bar, with his follow-up cleared off the line, it appeared Spurs’ hope was gone. Not that they saw it that way. Every little thing is going to be all right, as the song says.
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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