soccer predictions calculate each team's chances of winning each match and the league title across 26 leagues.
Chelsea defender Marcos Alonso sees their clash with Tottenham as a must win in the top four race.
Alonso will not let go of his belief the Blues could still mount a late-season charge without victory in that game - but admits they will be up against it.
Read more on Tribal FootballMOSCOW — The Russian Football Union is warning players against drinking “exotic tea” or smoking shisha pipes as it tries to avoid any doping cases ahead of its home World Cup. In a guide to help players avoid failing drug tests by accident, the RFU says players should be wary of accidentally consuming banned substances. […]
The post No ‘exotic tea’ or shisha – Russian football’s guide on doping appeared first on Inquirer Sports.
Toronto FC midfielder Jonathan Osorio spoke to Sportsnet 590 The FAN about playing for Canada last weekend, his initial impressions of new Canadian national team coach John Herdman, and TFC balancing its MLS and CONCACAF Champions League commitments.
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Ngezi Platinum began yet another title onslaught with a victory over promoted Herentals in their opening match of the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League season at Baobab Stadium in Mhondoro/ […]
The post Ngezi battle past new boys Herentals appeared first on The Standard.
HIGHFIELD’S famed Takashinga Cricket Club has churned out a lot of top cricketers such as former Zimbabwe captains Tatenda Taibu, Prosper Utseya, Hamilton Masakadza and Elton Chigumbura since the turn […]
The post A blessing out of Takashinga appeared first on The Standard.
THE FA Cup has reached round six with eight teams still plotting their paths to Wembley.
But will the quarter-finals involve a replay? Here’s all you need to know.
Things got ugly as Man City were beaten by Wigan in the FA Cup fifth round replayGetty Images - Getty
What’s different this year in the FA Cup quarter-finals?
Since 2016, the quarter-final stage has undergone a few changes.
The first is that the round itself is no longer called the “sixth round” but the quarter finals.
Do FA Cup quarter-finals go to replays or extra-time?There will now be NO replays. Teams will play to victory, with extra-time and penalties if needed.
Who is playing in the FA Cup quarter-final?This year’s FA Cup quarter-final ties are as follows:
Swansea vs Tottenham
Manchester United vs Brighton
Wigan vs Southampton
Leicester vs Chelsea
Fans being milked by the football club they support isn’t exactly a new thing.
From back in the old days when there were riots over Bovril prices (probably) to the deluge of complete sh*t they pass off as merchandise, if there’s coins in fans’ pockets, clubs will try and take them.
So it was little surprise to see Spurs’ announcement of season tickets in their new stadium being some of the most expensive in Europe, which has triggered a football-wide debate over the importance of attending games and whether fans are turning away from a matchday experience.
FREE £20 BET Sun Bets have an excellent offer when you sign up and bet a fiverThe Emirates last weekend – one of the most expensive tickets in EnglandGetty Images - Getty
Man City captain and future Lord of football Vincent Kompany weighed on Twitter with some wise words regarding the positives of atmospheric stadiums against profit producing ticket price increases so we have asked our contributors to give their personal opinion on why people are or are not going to football matches.
PLAY DREAM TEAM WEEKENDER Pick seven players to win £10k!Less empty seats leads to a better TV product (
money) but also better atmosphere, which in turn affects testosterone levels and territorial behaviour in players, therefore increasing home advantage. There’s financial value in every added league point too. #Football https://t.co/jeUzXcKziH
— Vincent Kompany (@VincentKompany) March 13, 2018
But what’s the fuss all about? Well, it turns out having fans in stadiums is pretty important, so we’ve had a little debate about it.
Let’s start with a voice from the terraces, a Spurs fan who has been a season ticket holder at Wembley and an avid follower of his team.
Sean Cook, Spurs fanThis season has been my first as a season ticket holder and unlike fans of other clubs, my seat hasn’t been in my home stadium.
The move to Wembley is something Spurs fans have been forced to deal with for the greater good. This was always on the cards, and like most I’ve embraced it.
What Wembley has enabled me to do, is to see my team every week. Tickets for White Hart Lane were like gold dust, with a random ballot system and a healthy loyalty point total your only chance of entry.
It had even got the stage whereby if you’d offered me a seat at £100+ to see West Brom at home last season, I probably would have bitten your hand off.
I would happily choose to see Spurs in the flesh over watching them on TV. I’m currently able to watch the best striker in the world score goals in the Champions League surrounded by his mates. But this is of course a very privileged position to be in.
The novelty will inevitably wear off, especially with the possibility of paying £1500 next season to witness our inaugural season in the new stadium. The price is making me think twice about renewing my ticket, don’t get me wrong, but deep down I know nothing will stop me being part of my club’s history.
Fortunately for fans unable to go to games frequently, Spurs are on TV quite a bit. But for me it still doesn’t come close to the real thing.
Sure, watching on your sofa in the warm is no bad thing, but there truly is no feeling quite like being amongst the smells, sounds and sights of your fellow fans on match-day.
Spurs fans are being treated to a new stadium but it will put a dent in their wallettwitter@SpursOfficial
Then we turn to our resident Leeds fan who unfortunately (or fortunately, dependent on form) lives 200 miles from where his team plays.
Nick Elliott, Leeds fanWhy don’t I go to more games?
For a start, I’m a Leeds fan living in London. The extra travel time means going to a game is considerably more time-consuming than jumping on a bus to Selhurst Park or hopping on the tube Stamford Bridge. It’s not an afternoon, it’s an all-dayer at the very least.
Then there’s the cost, not just of the train but the tickets. £40 to watch Leeds in the Championship this season. And given our form over the last few months, that’s near-on daylight robbery.
As a football journalist (and I use that term in the loosest way possible) I have to work most weekends and so that means half-watching Leeds on a dodgy stream at my desk in London Bridge rather than trying to mask my southern accent in the Revie Stand at Elland Road.
I’d love to go to more games; a rousing chorus of ‘Marching on Together’ still gives me goosebumps if I’ve foolishly allowed myself to believe a comeback is possible.
However, if I supported a team in London, I doubt I’d buy a season-ticket. London offers the alternative of spending that money one weekend at a time in search of other pursuits.
I’m off to Elland Road in April though, having strategically selected the Sunderland fixture for my next trip north. We’ll beat them at least, won’t we?
Elland Road hasn’t been the happiest of places recentlyReuters
Some people just love the game and no matter the cost will trudge out to see 22 men kick a ball round a pitch every week, let’s hear why from our lower league man.
Andrew Butler, Leyton Orient fanI disagree with Jessie J (remember her?), it is all about the money, money, money.
Cheaper tickets will soften the blow of having to go through all that – why waste time and money when you can just waste time?
I basically spend most of my money on going to football matches, which doesn’t leave me with much left when I have to tentatively open the banking app on my phone.
So I can totally understand it when football fans decide they want to stay at home and watch it on TV from the comfort of their own sofa, beer in hand and not risking the threat of death from exposure.
While I personally think the live experience is unmatched by TV, you can’t argue when someone says they can’t be bothered with the hassle of going to a match which involves either parking 20 minutes away or getting overcrowded public transport, cramming into a queue to get in, drinking a warm pint that cost £6 in five seconds flat prior to kick-off, potentially watching your team lose before having to make your way home through matchday traffic.
The cost? Anywhere up to about £100 in some cases, and your precious day off. Top use of time.
And for balance, we’ve included one of our contributors who takes his football seriously but doesn’t have a team himself.
We should be envious of how the fans are treated in GermanyGetty - Contributor
Jack Kennedy, neutral
With ticket prices at an all-time high, pints and food setting you back a fair bit and a pretty hefty TV subscription wasting away at home, as a neutral why go to a football match?
Although I don’t have that tribal following of a team, I’m still a huge fan of the game and like nothing more than watching a match on the weekend – but for me you can’t beat the TV experience.
Let’s start with the positives; a comfy seat to sit and watch the game in, no-one who thinks they’re the next Jose Mourinho screaming tactics at the players from 100 yards away, the warmth of the fire in your local and an direct route to beer before, during and after.
Better yet, the TV coverage is so strong and comprehensive that watching the game on the box is a completely different prospect to being in the stands.
You get unrivalled expert analysis to enhance to your viewing, access to brilliant stats from their boffins and some good banter from the pundits – everything that will make you look like a genius next time you’re having a debate in the pub.
Yes you miss out on the singing and the ‘atmosphere’ but I’d take a comfy chair with a cold one over freezing my b*****s off at Spotland any day of the week.
COMMENT: Marcus Rashford has the headlines today. And why not? Two goals for the local lad. And against Liverpool. But this was Romelu Lukaku's game. His best in a Manchester United shirt. And the most significant of his career.
This was the 75m player Jose Mourinho was convinced he had. He didn't score on Saturday. But he walked away with two assists. Well, one-and-a-half. But most decisively, Lukaku left Old Trafford knowing he has now produced on the biggest stage. Against the biggest opponent. And under the greatest scrutiny. Yes, Rashford's name is on the scoresheet. But it was Lukaku who decided this game.
Read more on Tribal Football
Spurs have announced a bottle partnership after crashing out of the Champions League.
Mauricio Pochettino’s were knocked out of Europe by Juventus despite scoring two away goals, meaning they’ve now got to focus on the FA Cup and putting the pressure on in the Premier League.
Daniel Levy has moved quickly to offset the financial loss from exiting Europe by agreeing a bottle partnership.
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How the bottles will look
Lee Satchell, the spokesman behind the deal, said: “We couldn’t think of anyone better to represent bottles than Spurs.
“They are one of history’s great bottlers. Few have done it with as much hope, class and excitement as Spurs do.
“There’s going to be two types of bottled water. One’s your plain English hard water, which will be modelled by Eric Dier and Harry Kane.
This will get you Kaned
“The other is a sparkling variety that can only be made under extreme pressure. That’ll be manufactured in Leicester and Chelsea.
“Dele Alli is going to be the face of that brand, given his history in aquatics.
“Each bottle will be priced at £24.49. We tried to tell Daniel Levy that that was a bit high, given the competition, but he wouldn’t budge.”
*SPOILER ALERT. ALL QUOTES IN THIS ARTICLE ARE MADE UP FOR THE PURPOSE OF A CHEAP LAUGH. FOR MORE FOOTBALLING COMEDY CLICK THE BANNER BELOW*
A minute's silence. A minute to honor Davide Astori. The Italian player, captain of Fiorentina, who died unexpectedly at 31 in the night between Saturday and Sunday.
This is what the audience at Nou Camp in Barcelona did as tribute to him before Barcelona took on Atletico Madrid. This is what UEFA has decided to do before every match of the next days of the Champions and Europa League.
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Brighton fullback Ezequiel Schelotto insists there is no bad blood with Arsenal's Sead Kolasinac.
The Bosnian put in a hefty challenge on Schelotto in Sunday's clash, leaving the Argentine flat on the ground.
Read more on Tribal Football
