Brazil, led by Neymar, crushed the U.S. men’s soccer team in the most embarrassing fashion in a friendly Tuesday night. What was really great about the Brazilians’ 4-1 rout was how they did it. MORE: International soccer rivalries | USA loss a momentum-killer | Men in Blazers’ Roger Bennett discusses American soccer Hulk put Brazil up 1-0 while standing wide open in front of the goal mouth, but from there it was the Neymar show....
Neymar was named permanent captain following Tite’s decision to scrap his rotation policy after the World Cup in Russia, where the Selecao were surprisingly eliminated in the quarter-finals. Wearing the armband, Neymar made a winning start as captain – scoring in Brazil’s 2-0 victory over the United States in Friday’s international friendly. Neymar was heavily criticised at the World Cup after exaggerating fouls but former Brazil midfielder and captain Silva believes the captaincy will help the 26-year-old become more responsible....
The winger’s fate was the talk of the transfer window with the Blaugrana reportedly willing to offer three players in exchange for the Brazilian. In case you didn’t know Neymar joined Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona for a world-record fee of €222 million in one of the most high profile moves of all-time. The Brazilian arrived amidst much fanfare and has performed exceptionally. However, he has so far failed to help the Parisians make a mark on the UEFA Champions League, a competition the French giants want to win desperately....
Brazil international Neymar took a back seat as Barca recorded a 3-0 LaLiga win over Sevilla on Wednesday, Messi scoring a first-half brace after Luis Suarez’s opener. Neymar, 25, has nine league goals and 12 assists this season and is considered the man to eventually replace star Messi, who turns 30 in June. Sampaoli believes the former Santos attacker is ready for the task of taking over from arguably the world’s best player....
By the second half, Neymar already was wearing a Barca polo. After the match ended, he was sporting a backwards hat while chatting with Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba. For now, the persistent rumours claiming he’s leaving Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain were quiet Barca’s La Liga odds “The news on Neymar is he’s very happy to talk with some of his friends from Manchester,” Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde said at his post-match news conference....
Neymar was ruled out of the Copa America with a ligament rupture in his right ankle sustained during Wednesday’s 2-0 friendly win over Qatar. The 27-year-old left the ground in tears as he was carried down the tunnel in the first half before the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) confirmed the PSG forward’s absence from the Copa America, which gets underway on June 14. PSG reassessed Neymar and the Ligue 1 champions said he will not require surgery after being diagnosed by the club’s doctors....
Manchester City were looking forward to seal the signing of the striker in the summer and were prepared to spend whatever it took to land the star. But Santos president, Luis Alvaro de Oliveira, has stated that Neymar wont be leaving the club in the summer and he will see out his contract, which is valid till 2014. This also means his links to Spain and Bayern Munich have been rubbished....
Nicosia Fighters have won just two of their six ECS T10 Cyprus matches and are rooted to the bottom of the points table. Meanwhile, the Nicosia Tigers have won the only game they’ve played so far and occupy fourth spot in the standings. NFCC vs NCT Probable Playing 11 Today NFCC XI Abdullah Al Tasmin, Alvi Chowdhury (C), Shahjalal Talukder, Mahamudul Sajib, Abdus Shukur, Abrarul Hoque, Ramjan Hossain, Kamrul Mahmud (wk), Munna Rahman, Jubraz Morol, Naeem Khan...
The Black Stars who are eyeing a fifth African title will begin their campaign against Uganda at the Stade de Port-Gentil on Tuesday. And Pinnick whose administration has seen the Nigeria senior national team miss two Afcon tournaments seems to be rooting for Ghana to emerge as champions. He paid a courtesy call to the Black Stars’ camp on Monday afternoon ahead of their clash with the Cranes in Port-Gentil....
The Cowboys are 2-5 and technically still in the race for the NFC East division crown, but they are missing their starting quarterback Dak Prescott (ankle) for the season, and backup QB Andy Dalton will probably miss this week’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles with a concussion. Third-string rookie QB Ben DiNucci will start if Dalton can’t play. Even with Dalton, Dallas didn’t look anything close to a playoff team in last Sunday’s 25-3 loss to Washington....
There’s going to be a surprise quarterback at number three. Even though the name has gotten some steam lately, the big three receivers should go early. But considering the depth of this NFL Draft class, there could be a late run on edge rushers; I have only one running back going in the first round. Notably, two of my top ten overall prospects will not hear their names called in the first round due to injuries....
The Packers opened as four-point favorites against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game at Lambeau Field on Sunday afternoon, but the line has since moved to 3.5. The line, meanwhile, hasn’t moved for the Chiefs, who enter the AFC Championship Game on Sunday night against the Buffalo Bills as three-point favorites. On the face of it, there’s nothing surprising about oddsmakers considering Kansas City and Green Bay as the likeliest teams to meet in Tampa Bay on February 7 for Super Bowl LV....
Forty-yard dash times are stupid. MORE: NFL Combine results There, I said it. The main event of the NFL Combine is exciting and an easy story, sure, but a quick look at its history, coupled with the utilization of basic logic, shows judging a player based on his 40 time would be like judging a singer based on how loud their voice is. There are other factors involved. If you need more proof, check out the list of the fastest times in NFL Combine history, and who ran them....
We exist to pinpoint sleepers and high-value DFS picks each week by compiling a list of sleepers and/or dark-horse picks to help you win some cold, hard cash. The more value players you add, the more money you’ll have left for proven weekly studs at other roster spots. WEEK 11 DFS: Best stacks | Lineup Builder If you read this column last week, you would have benefited from our advice to plug low-cost, high-value players into your Week 10 DFS lineups....
But there’s no guarantee any of them will actually select a quarterback, especially in a class where there is no consensus No. 1 or No. 2 prospect at the league’s most important position. MORE: Top 10 QBs in 2017 draft Given those teams’ recent track records, they also are unpredictable in addressing the position — which has played a big factor in their collective QB neediness. For now, those five teams have quarterbacks attached to them in many mock drafts....
Nashville’s weather forecast calls for rain, including potential thunderstorms, on Thursday, which could become especially prevalent during the start of the draft (8 p.m. ET), according to meteorologist Scott Unger. The current location of the draft is a stage on First and Broadway in downtown Nashville, with a canopy covering the outdoor seating. The added element of concern is due to metal bleachers, which would make the outside venue more dangerous if there is lightning in the area....
But then Pittsburgh receiver Cobi Hamilton caught a 26-yard touchdown pass to give the Steelers a 27-24 overtime victory over the Browns in Week 17 to put Cleveland on the clock. The Browns began the year with 14 straight losses before knocking off the Chargers last week for their only win. The Browns have the top pick but will also pick 12th in a selection acquired last April from the Eagles (7-9)....
Teammates with Rashad Weaver, whom Pro Football Focus ranked as the highest-graded Atlantic Coast Conference pass-rusher in 2020 at 90.0, and the duo presented headaches for opposing quarterbacks. The Associated Press named Jones II as a second-team All-American in 2020. The redshirt senior from Chesapeake, Virginia, is tied for fifth in Division I FBS with nine sacks in 11 starts. 2021 NFL Draft prospect Patrick Jones II’s profile Weight: 261 pounds...
The soon-to-be-junior could have been in the conversation for the No. 1 pick in the last two NFL Drafts. Lawrence has led the Tigers to a pair of College Football Playoff championship appearances and is 25-1 as a starter at the college level. Lawrence is not the only talented player in next year’s quarterback class. Sporting News breaks down the top 10 quarterbacks for the 2021 NFL Draft. NFL MOCK DRAFT 2021:Projecting where Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields & other top prospects will go...
