CRICKET
Taiwan players eye Iceland
Three Taiwan-based players this week said that they were interested in an invitation to play in a T20 tournament in Iceland in July next year. Iceland Cricket on Tuesday wrote on social media that it was hoping to host Munich Cricket Club. “Unfortunately, they now cannot come, so we have a space for a touring team then,” the governing body said. It would be five T20 matches, one against each of Iceland’s domestic clubs, from July 4 to 6 in Reykjavik, it said. On the Taiwan Cricket Facebook page — which is not operated by the national cricket association — Chetan Pundora and Bivan Singh Waraich yesterday wrote: “I am in,” while Vishwajit Tawar posted a gif indicating that he was packed and ready to depart. All three are top performers in Taiwan. “Iceland itself is a fascinating land, a land of northern lights, and I am sure those lights will shine brighter above a cricket ground,” Pundora told the Taipei Times later in the day. “Let’s play cricket in beautiful Iceland and explore it together.” The national cricket association had not responded to a request for comment as of press time last night.
FOOTBALL
Bill Bergey dies aged 79
Bill Bergey, a five-time Pro Bowl linebacker who played in a Super Bowl for the Philadelphia Eagles, died on Wednesday, the team announced. He was 79. His son, Jake, posted on social media that Bergey died of cancer. Bergey had been open about his fight with the disease over the past few years. Bergey, who was inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame in 2009, said he had a form of jaw cancer since 2021. “I didn’t give it the old: ‘Why me?’ or anything like that,” he said last year. “I just thought that I had to fight it just like I would fight anything else that I needed to fight.” Bergey was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1969 and made one Pro Bowl appearance for them before he was traded ahead of the 1974 season. Bergey’s career took off in Philadelphia and he became one of the more popular Eagles players in his era. He made the Pro Bowl in 1974, 1976, 1977 and 1978, and was named an All-Pro in 1974 and 1975. Team owner Jeffrey Lurie said Bergey “gained the respect of players and coaches across the league for his blue-collar work ethic and hard-nosed play. Bill exemplified what it meant to be an Eagle in every way, and proudly represented the team in the community well after his playing days were over.”
SOCCER
City at risk: Guardiola
Manchester City are at risk of missing out on next season’s UEFA Champions League due to their dip in form, manager Pep Guardiola said. City, who are looking to qualify for Europe’s top club competition for a 15th straight season, have won just one of their past eight Premier League games and are seventh, 12 points behind leaders Liverpool. Guardiola’s side are four points behind Nottingham Forest, who occupy the fourth and final Champions League qualification berth. “When I said before, people laughed. They said: ‘Qualifying for the Champions League is not a big success,’ but I know it because it happens with clubs in this country,” Guardiola said. “They were dominant for many years and after they were many years not qualifying for the Champions League. The one team that has been in the Champions League for the past years has been Manchester City. Now we are at risk.”
After fleeing Sudan when civil war erupted, Al-Hilal captain Mohamed Abdelrahman and his teammates have defied the odds to reach the CAF Champions League quarter-finals. They are today to face title-holders Al-Ahly of Egypt in Cairo, with the return match in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, on Tuesday next week. Al-Hilal and biggest domestic rivals Al-Merrikh relocated to Mauritania after a power struggle broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary force. The civil war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced more than 12 million people, according to the UN. The Democratic Republic of the Congo-born Al-Hilal
Matvei Michkov did not score on Monday, but the Philadelphia rookie had a hand in both goals as hosts the Flyers earned a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Ryan Poehling and Jamie Drysdale got the goals for the Flyers (31-36-9, 71 points), who won their third straight. Michkov and Travis Konecny assisted on both. Ivan Fedotov stopped 28 shots to earn his first win since March 1, ending a personal six-game losing streak. Zachary L’Heureux got the lone goal for Nashville. Michael McCarron and Brady Skjei got the assists for the Predators (27-39-8, 62 points), who have just four goals in their
Arminia Bielefeld on Tuesday pulled off a major upset in the DFB-Pokal by defeating defending champions Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2-1 in their semi-final. The third-division team came from behind after Jonathan Tah gave the visitors a 17th-minute lead. Marius Worl replied three minutes later and Maximilian Groser scored Bielefeld’s second goal just before the break. The home team looked more likely to add to that tally as the Leverkusen players looked jaded. “I’m just proud of this team,” Bielefeld coach Mitch Kniat said as most of the fans the small stadium sang around him. “No one will sleep in the city tonight.” Patrik Schick went
Marcus Rashford’s first goals for Aston Villa on Sunday inspired a 3-0 win against Preston North End that sent his side into the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in 10 years. Rashford struck twice in the second half at Deepdale to end Preston’s stubborn resistance before Jacob Ramsey wrapped up Villa’s long-awaited return to the last four. Villa are to face Crystal Palace — 3-0 winners at Fulham on Saturday — in the semi-finals at Wembley Stadium in London. Revitalized since joining Villa on loan from Manchester United during the January transfer window, Rashford is beginning to show the form that
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