Sports
Valencia stun deflated Barcelona to win Copa del Rey
Barcelona wanted a trophy to ease their Champions League heartache but instead fell to another shock defeat as Valencia pulled off a thrilling 2-1 victory on Saturday to win the Copa del Rey.
Chasing a record fifth consecutive triumph, Barca were undone by a relentless and gutsy Valencia side, who hung on after Lionel Messi pulled a goal back to set up a dramatic finish in Seville.
By then, Valencia were already two up, Kevin Gameiro and Rodrigo scoring twice in 13 frantic first-half minutes, after the latter spurned a golden early chance that could have spared them a nerve-shredding last 17 minutes.
Messi drove the comeback effort and Goncalo Guedes twice should have wrapped it up for Valencia, missing a one-on-one and then an open goal before the final whistle sparked pandemonium.
Valencia’s coach Marcelino, who might have been sacked when his team were four points off relegation in January, raced around the pitch in a frenzy. Barcelona’s players sank to their knees.
Messi admitted on Friday his team had still not recovered from the “hard blow” suffered against Liverpool and certainly they seemed too easily disheartened here, finding their fight only once it was too late
Messi also threw his support behind Barcelona’s coach Ernesto Valverde but it remains to be seen whether the backing of the board remains after two dreadful defeats have now spoiled such a brilliant La Liga campaign.
They came here as favourites, but only just, their 1,457 consecutive days as Copa del Rey champions under threat, from their own sense of deflation, key players out injured and Valencia’s recent surge.
If Barca’s season all but ended three weeks ago, Valencia’s arguably found life a few days later, as they moved into the top four for the first time and then held on to qualify for the Champions League.
Winning their first trophy since 2008, in the club’s centenary year, completes a remarkable comeback year that, after 15 games, had them languishing in 15th.
Some saw a metaphor in Barcelona’s pre-match tifo, spelling out ‘All Together’ splitting down the middle, while there were key absentees from their starting line-up too, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele all injured.
Valencia should have been ahead within five minutes, Clement Lenglet’s error sending Rodrigo clear but his finish was brilliantly scooped off the line by the recovering Gerard Pique.
Barca, with Sergio Busquets in the centre of a back three, settled but lacked zip and in the 23rd minute they were behind. Jose Gaya scuttled in behind Nelson Semedo and his pull-back wrong-footed everyone except Gameiro, who fired in.
Semedo had been beaten down the left and soon after Jordi Alba was outrun down the right, by Carlos Soler, whose cross needed only to be nodded down and in by Rodrigo for number two.
Barcelona stirred before the break. Ivan Rakitic volleyed and then headed wide, before Messi registered their first shot on target in the 43rd minute.
Malcom and Arturo Vidal came on for Semedo and Arthur during the interval, as Barca turned the screw. Messi might have turned the match but after wriggling through his sumptuous flick towards the far corner brushed the post.
Pique fired wide as Valencia dropped deeper. Finally, Messi broke through, the post this time his friend after Lenglet’s header struck the woodwork and landed kindly at his feet.
There were 17 minutes to survive and with six left, Messi headed over. The Valencia fans roared and then again when Messi was dispossessed by a sliding challenge.
Messi drove from the edge of the area but it was blocked and Guedes twice should have wrapped it up, first missing a one-on-one and then an open goal when Jasper Cillessen had gone up for a corner. He was perhaps as relieved as anyone when the whistle blew.
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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