Gordon Lyons commits to attending GAA match amid criticism
Northern Ireland’s Communities Minister has pledged to attend a GAA match this year.
US Sport News
US not taking Australia lightly despite pundits’ barbs
IRVINE, USA: The United States are refusing to buy into suggestions that Friday’s World Cup Group D clash with Australia in Seattle will be straightforward, with winger Tim Weah saying the Americans are focused on preparation rather than outside noise. CBS Sports analyst and former MLS player Mike Grella described the match as a “lay-up” for the US and called Australia the “weakest team in the group.” US great Landon Donovan, now a Fox Sports analyst, tipped the Socceroos to finish bottom before the tournament and described coach Tony Popovic as “smug.” But Weah said the comments had no bearing on the US team’s approach. “All the talk is nonsense to me,” Weah told reporters at the team’s base camp in Irvine on Tuesday. “When you look at the Australian team, they are a young team that have a lot of fight, a lot of grit and a lot of hunger, just like us. “So we respect them in the same way that we would respect any other opponent. I don’t know what the media is trying to do, but we’re not really focused on that.
Iran World Cup coach says ‘impacted’ by politics but ignoring ‘hype’
LOS ANGELES: Iran’s coach Amir Ghalenoei said on Sunday political tensions and visa issues have damaged his side’s preparations for the World Cup but insisted his players will not “pay attention to any of the hype.” Iran have arrived at the tournament under the shadow of a bitter diplomatic row, after the United States — in military conflict with Iran for months — refused to issue visas for some team support staff. They play their opener against New Zealand in Los Angeles on Monday, marking the first time that a World Cup host has hosted a country with which it is at war. The Iran team bus, accompanied by a police motorcycle escort, was met by a small group of anti-regime protesters at training late Sunday. Much larger demonstrations are planned outside the stadium by members of the Iranian diaspora opposed to the nation’s hard-line regime, and there have been threats that the Iran team could walk off the pitch if anti-government banners are displayed. “We are here to perform a good match, a high-quality match. We don’t pay attention to any of the hype and anything that goes on around us,” Ghalenoei said in a press conference in response to a question from AFP. “Naturally, all teams have their own problems, and in many countries, many things happen that have nothing to do with football.” The coach said his team are simply at the World Cup to “represent the respectful people of Iran, be it the Iranians inside Iran or the Iranian diaspora.” “We are not political people...
Saudi World Cup fans buzzing in Miami as players countdown to Uruguay opener
RIYADH: Saudi soccer fans in the US took part in a celebratory march in Miami on Saturday as the countdown begins to the Green Falcons’ opening World Cup game.
Iran says US revoked World Cup ticket allocation for supporters
TEHRAN: Iran’s football federation on Tuesday said the United States has revoked its allocation of tickets for its World Cup group games, accusing the co-host of obstructing the attendance of Iranian supporters under the shadow of a bitter diplomatic row. The US has presented a number of bureaucratic hurdles for Iran at the global football spectacle, including refusing to issue visas for some of its support staff, as the two countries remain at war after the US and Israel attacked the country in late February. “With less than three days remaining until the start of the 2026 World Cup...
Wemby fever in Paris extends to Roland Garros locker room: Tiafoe, Shelton want to see Spurs in NBA Finals
PARIS: Between Roland Garros, the Champions League final, and Game 7 of the NBA Western Conference finals all happening today, the term ‘Super Saturday’ doesn’t suffice when describing the vibes here in Paris.
World Cup transit sticker shock hits fans with tickets to matches in some US host cities
NEW YORK: Dubbed the “Sommermärchen,” or “Summer Fairy Tale,” the 2006 World Cup in Germany was a widely praised showcase for a modern, unified nation that was welcoming to fans from around the globe. Part of that success was the “KombiTicket,” which gave fans free access to local public transportation on match days. Since then, World Cup host countries have invested heavily in getting fans to and from matches, especially in Russia in 2018, where even long-distance trains between host cities were free, and Qatar in 2022, where free metro access helped turn stadium-hopping into part of the tournament experience. Then came the United States. Already reeling from astronomical ticket prices, expensive flights and exorbitant hotel costs, fans have been outraged to discover that getting to some stadiums via rail will come with another hefty bill: $98 round-trip train fares in New Jersey and $80 in Massachusetts — trips that normally cost NFL fans $12.90 and $20, respectively. Officials insist they aren’t trying to rip off fans, but are instead just trying to cover the costs of security and expanded train service without being a drain on taxpayers. Yet fans see it as just another way that tournament organizers are burdening fans who are already paying huge sums to visit the US, a huge, car-centric country where public transit has long been an afterthought in many locales. Unlike past hosts, some state and local officials have been less willing to swallow the costs, arguing they should be covered by FIFA, the international soccer body that stands to rake in billions of dollars from the event. Finding a solution from overseas “Planning for this World Cup has been a nightmare from start to finish,” said Scotland-born Rory
Kimi Antonelli wins the Miami Grand Prix for his third straight F1 victory
MIAMI GARDENS: Kimi Antonelli won the Miami Grand Prix on Sunday for his third consecutive Formula 1 victory as the 19-year-old Mercedes drivers continued to show he’s a legitimate championship contender. Antonelli started from the pole but had a slick start on a damp surface at the Miami International Autodrome. Threats of heavy rain led F1 to move up the start of the race by three hours, and there was an early morning heavy thunderstorm with lightning strikes directly over the Hard Rock Stadium, but it had cleared by the time the event began. Still, the first 25 laps were attacked by the drivers as if the rain could return at any moment, and it led to early chaos, even for Antonelli. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari had a spectacular start from third and surged to the lead when Antonelli went wide off course trying to defend.
Verstappen wins US Grand Prix and McLaren’s Norris pulls closer to teammate Piastri in F1 title hunt
AUSTIN, Texas: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen raced to his third victory in four races Sunday at the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, while McLaren’s Lando Norris took a huge chunk out of teammate Oscar Piastri’s championship lead by finishing second. Piastri was a distant fifth, allowing Norris to pull within 14 points with five grand prix and two sprint races to go. Verstappen is also closing fast with his late-season charge. Verstappen now trails Piastri by 40 points, and Norris by 26, in third place, and has put the McClarens on notice he intends to chase them all the way to the end of the season. Piastri and Norris are trying to win their first career drivers championship. Verstappen is hunting his fifth in a row, and his dominant form of late has given him a real chance to get it. He also won the sprint race Saturday after the two McLarens ran into each other on the first turn and crashed out. “It was an unbelievable weekend for us,” Verstappen said. “The chance is there. We just need to try to deliver these kind of weekends until the end.”