Bagnaia is 1st Italian to win MotoGP title since Rossi in 09
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 07, 2022
THE NATION
Francesco Bagnaia finished ninth in the Valencia Grand Prix on Sunday to become the first Italian MotoGP champion since Valentino Rossi in 2009.
Spaniard Alex Rins won the race in Valencia, while Fabio Quartararo was fourth to finish 17 points behind Bagnaia after blowing a big lead from early in the season.
Quartararo was 91 points ahead after the first nine races.
The 25-year-old Bagnaia won seven races, including four in a row at one point.
“The hardest race of my life,” Bagnaia said. “The most important thing is that we won the championship. It’s a really great day.”
“We did it. I am so happy and super proud because I deserved this victory; Suzuki deserves this victory. During all the weekend I tried to stay calm with all the emotions and all these things, but in the grid in the last minute when you say goodbye to the team members I was crying. “
A Ducati rider hadn’t won a title since Casey Stoner in 2007, and it had been 50 years since an Italian rider had won a MotoGP title with an Italian bike.
Rins’ win at home came in his farewell from Suzuki. It was his fifth MotoGP career win.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag feels the performance was unacceptable during the 3-1 defeat to Aston Villa.
A fourth loss of the league campaign brought a good run of form to a crashing end, as the Reds made a poor start, falling 2-0 behind inside 11 minutes, and conceded again soon into the second half, despite Jacob Ramsey’s own goal pulling one back before the interval.
During his post-match interviews with the official broadcasters, including MUTV, and at his post-match press conference, the manager offered an honest assessment of the disappointing 90 minutes.
WE WEREN’T READY
“We lost the game at the start of the first half, start of the second half. That’s not acceptable. You have to be ready for the game, we were not. We have to be more sharp. I said it was up to us. It was up to us. We didn’t keep the ball. We let them run at the start of the game, we didn’t get the right organisation but especially we didn’t follow the rules in defending and we lost battles. It’s not acceptable. A player has to take responsibility to be ready. It looked like they were fresher and that’s never acceptable.”
SMALL DETAILS
‘I think the free-kick [from Lucas Digne] is stoppable because the wall is too far [over]. Okay, these small details, but small details make a difference in top football. The details are everything to us because we were not fresh. When you start the game, you always have the attitude and I think that was one of our best standards, as we were really on the front foot and ready to play in all the games to now. Today, we were not.”
INITIAL COMEBACK
“I think that stage [end of first half] was the best part of the game for us. We created chances, with [Alejandro] Garnacho and [Cristiano] Ronaldo. Good chances and it was also well played but then we are back in the game and it’s really disappointing we conceded right after half-time. It’s crucial and we lost the game at the start of the first half and the start of the second half.”
WIN YOUR BATTLES
“The result is clear. That never lies. In football, you get your earnings. Today we were not good enough. You have to read the game. You have to get the right organisation and not concede two goals. That was totally unnecessary because then you have to stay together, compact and win your battles. Stay on the ball. It’s everything we didn’t do.”
TOO MANY CROSSES INTO THE BOX
“No, I think it was stupid to do that [often look for Ronaldo in the air]. We delivered too many quick crosses in from too far away. There was too much forcing and we didn’t have to. We have to find the crosses in the right moments. The right moment was when Christian Eriksen did so in the first half, and the moment was when he found Cristiano in the pocket at the far post. That was the right moment.”
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery celebrates after Jacob Ramsey scores their third goal as Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag looks on
DID WE STILL HAVE BELIEF IN THE SECOND HALF? “Yes, for a long time, I did. I think, if you get back in the game at 3-2, then everything is possible. I have to say they fight for it, to get that goal, but we didn’t get it and only the last part, the injury time, the belief was gone. Before that, the belief was there and if you get the goal, 3-2, then anything can happen.”
HOW DO WE RESPOND? ”It is a setback. This is a process and I know it will not only go up. Setbacks will come and we have to deal with that.”
Guardiola explains his reaction to Haaland’s 95-minute winner
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 06, 2022
THE NATION
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola hailed his “exceptional” players after they beat Fulham 2-1 – despite playing with ten men for 65 minutes.
Joao Cancelo was sent-off as Andreas Perieira’s penalty equalised a Julian Alvarez goal.
Erling Haaland then gave City the win with a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time – a result which sees Guardiola’s men leapfrog Arsenal at the top of the Premier League for 24 hours at least.
“Everyone was exceptional. 65 minutes against Fulham to play the way we played, the moment of my period in Manchester by far, the score at the end and the celebrations with our people. We don’t win the Premier League today, of course, but this moment makes sense of our jobs. All of us. Seeing the faces of our crowd. Making the pitch walk was really good.” said Pep Guardiola
“The penalty was not the best penalty I’ve seen in my life but I say he hit it strong. Always I say about Riyad. If you do soft to one side it’s 50/50, if it’s strong it’s 75/25. Leno, I know him from Germany, an incredible saver of penalties, a really good one. Finish good, today the destiny at the end looks like everything was against us, we could do it.”
Road to Qatar: Timeline and major milestones as 2022 World Cup nears kick off
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 05, 2022
THE NATION
The road to Qatar 2022, arguably the most controversial men’s FIFA World Cup in the history of the competition.
From the outset Qatar’s World Cup journey has been subjected to heavy international scrutiny and corruption allegations, while the country’s treatment of migrant workers and its criminalization of LGBTQ+ relations have also been in the spotlight.
Here is a timeline of events and major milestones since Qatar won the bid to host the 2022 World Cup.
May, 2010 – Qatar present bid to former FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, with the backing of France legend, Zinedine Zidane.
December, 2010 – Blatter, announces Qatar 2022 as the winning bid, for the Gulf state to become the first country in the Middle East to win the hosting rights of the FIFA World Cup.
May, 2011 – Former FIFA vice-president, Jack Warner, who was suspended due to an ongoing corruption investigation, leaks a classified FIFA email alleging Qatar bribed officials in order to secure the 2022 World Cup hosting rights.
2013 – A number of reports including one by Amnesty International reveal wide spread abuse of migrant workers in Qatar’s construction sector, all working under the Kafala system.
2015 – The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland starts criminal proceedings against top FIFA officials for criminal mismanagement and money laundering in connection with the allocation of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
2015 – FIFA announce a change to the timing of the 2022 World Cup due to the extreme temperatures in Qatar in the summertime.
2017 – Construction on the newly renovated Khalifa International Stadium finishes as it becomes the first tournament-ready venue for Qatar 2022.
2019 – Qatar sets a new world record in turfing the Al Wakrah Stadium, one of the venues for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
2019 – Parts of Qatar’s new metro service open to the public.
2019 – First glimpse of Sudan-born Dr. Saud Abdulaziz Abdul Ghani’s outdoor cooling technologies for FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
2019 – Qatar hosts the 2019 World Athletics Championships.
2019 – Qatar hosts the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup.
2020 – Qatar hosts AFC Champions League 2020 matches.
2021 – Qatar hosts the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup.
2021 – Qatar hosts the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup.
2021 – David Beckham signs a deal with Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy to become a Qatar 2022 ambassador.
2021 – Qatar 2022 venue Stadium 974 became the first fully demountable stadium in the history of international football’s showpiece tournament upon its competition.
2022 – Lusail Stadium, the setting for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 opening ceremony and final is the last stadium to be completed.
2022 – Several human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, call on FIFA president Gianni Infantino to set up a compensation fund for families of workers who died in the build-up to the World Cup.
2022 – Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini were acquitted on charges of defrauding FIFA by a Swiss criminal court.
2022 – Several World Cup captains including England captain, Harry Kane, announce they will wear an anti-discrimination armband at Qatar 2022.
World Cup the test of Qatar’s expensive bid to develop homegrown talent
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 05, 2022
THE NATION
When Qatar play Ecuador in the World Cup showpiece opener on Nov. 20, an 18-year, billion dollar national project to build a respectable – and possibly competitive – national squad will be put to the test.
Victory in that opening match, the team’s first appearance at global soccer’s showpiece event, would give Qatar vital points and the momentum needed to make it through to the last 16.
Most of Qatar’s World Cup side – the majority of whom are nationals and expatriates born, raised and naturalised in Qatar – were scouted as kids and came up through the ranks of the $1.3 billion Aspire Academy.
Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, brother of Qatar’s ruling emir, established Aspire in 2004 to develop homegrown players — six years before Qatar’s national team automatically qualified for the 2022 World Cup when it was named host country.
Many of the side – including star duo Akram Afif and top-scorer Almoez Ali – have been playing together under Spanish-born coach Felix Sanchez since 2014, when he led them as an Under-19 Qatari side to the AFC youth championship title.
In Qatar, Sanchez is credited with instilling a distinctly Spanish style of “one touch, small pass, good teamwork, possession-based play”, said Ahmed Hashim, editor of Qatar Football Live, a twitter channel.
Since June, Sanchez has taken Qatar’s players to training camps in Spain and Austria.
They emerged to play a string of friendlies in September, losing to Canada and Croatia’s Under-23’s and drawing with Chile and, in recent weeks, winning friendlies against Nicaragua, Guatemala and Honduras.
The mixed performance suggests the Gulf Arab state are no heavyweights – the team might not stand a chance against their other World Cup Group A opponents Senegal and the Netherlands.
But the Qatari side have surprised in the past, most famously when they won the Asian Cup in 2019 after a dramatic 3-1 final win over Japan and a 4-0 thrashing of tournament hosts United Arab Emirates in the semi-finals.
Welsh dragon ready to roar after lengthy World Cup absence
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 05, 2022
THE NATION
Wales’ preparations for their first World Cup in 64 years were dogged by poor form and injuries but after qualifying confidently they will be champing at the bit to get to Qatar where their knockout hopes could hinge on a “Battle of Britain”.
Rob Page’s side made the World Cup via the playoffs, overcoming Austria and Ukraine to reach the global showpiece tournament for the first time since 1958.
That followed a group-stage campaign in which they finished second behind Belgium after suffering a solitary defeat in eight matches.
While the wheels came off after they booked their spot in Qatar — with four defeats in five games ensuring they dropped out of the top tier of the Nations League — Wales will head to tournament targeting at least the last 16.
After winnable games against the United States and Iran, they face a familiar enemy, England, in their final Group B match but there will be no trepidation.
Having played Belgium, only recently deposed from the top of the FIFA rankings, three times in the last 12 months, losing once, Wales know they are no pushovers for the top sides.
And there will be plenty of fire in the Welsh Dragon after such a lengthy absence from the tournament.
Welsh dragon ready to roar after lengthy World Cup absence
There have been 15 World Cups since Wales last reached the finals and the last goal they conceded at the tournament was scored by a 17-year-old Pele, the great Brazilian’s first in the competition.
Wales’ qualification for Qatar is testament to the excellent work of Page, who initially took charge of the team on an interim basis when then-manager Ryan Giggs was arrested in November, 2020.
The former defender, who won 41 caps for Wales, led them to the last 16 at Euro 2020 before sealing their World Cup qualification and earning a four-year contract.
Yet it has not been all plain sailing for Page, who has now gone five matches without a victory and had his preparations plagued by injuries to key players including Aaron Ramsey, Joe Allen, Ben Davies and Harry Wilson.
There are also question marks over the form of captain Gareth Bale since he joined Major League Soccer side Los Angeles FC, perhaps the last stop in a career that seems to be winding towards its close.
TMBThanachart Bank (ttb) joined hands with Eastspring Investments to hold a charity running event ”ttb Eastspring parkrun 2022” to fundraise for three foundations for children.
Previously, the bank donated around 40 million baht for the surgery costs of more than 1,500 children.
This year, the bank aimed to collect funds from selling tickets and donations to donate to three organisations including Children’s Hospital Foundation, Foundation for Slum Child Care, and ttb Foundation.
Ratchanok bares teeth – and muscles – ahead of badminton World Tour Finals
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 05, 2022
Thai No 1 Ratchanok Intanon has shown off her toned muscles as she prepares for battle in the World Tour Finals.
Sports fans were wowed by the firm abs on display in photos posted by the badminton star on Friday. Ratchanok’s impressive core strength is usually concealed by the sports attire she wears on the court. But the photos posted on Instagram showed her wearing a crop top that revealed the work she puts in at the gym.
She qualified for the season-ending finale after winning the Super 750 Malaysia Open and securing the runners-up spot at the Super 500 Indonesia Masters.
She also won a bronze medal with the Thailand national team at the Uber Cup.
8 in 10 Thais to follow World Cup, England named as favourite team: Survey
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 05, 2022
More than three-quarters of Thais say they will follow the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with England ranking as their favourite team, according to a KBU Sport Poll survey.
KBU Sport surveyed 1,381 people from November 1-3 for its “World Cup Phenomenon and Thai Society” poll from November 1 to 3.
The tournament kicks off in Qatar on November 20.
Asked whether they were interested in the World Cup, respondents replied as follows:
78.66% were interested
17.03% were undecided
4.31% were not interested
Asked how they would follow the tournament:
46.33% said social media
38.87% said television
8.05% said radio
4.63% said newspapers
1.05% said in Qatar
1.07% – said other methods
Asked which team they will support:
39.57% said England
24.88% said Germany
21.09% said Brazil
9.61% said Argentina
2.74% said Spain
2.11% said other teams
Asked which team would win the tournament:
29.02% said Brazil
27.35% said France
21.68% said England
12.90% said Argentina
6.77% said Spain
2.28% said other teams
Asked how the World Cup phenomenon would affect everyday life in Thailand:
34.60% said more gambling problems
28.11% said more crime
23.88% said stress and anxiety problems
7.33 % said health problems and sleep deprivation
4.00% said career and study-related problems
2.08% said other problems
Japan is the favourite Asian team among Thai fans, who were disappointed when the Thailand national team failed to qualify for the World Cup.
Thais are interested in the tournament because it is the world’s premier showcase of national footballing talent, commented Rattapong Boonyanuwat., director of Kasem Bundit University’s Centre of Innovation for Human Capital Development.
This year, interest in the tournament has risen from the 72.09% of respondents who said they would follow the 2018 World Cup, he added.
However, he said their expectations of tournament-related gambling problems increased significantly.
Respondents also wanted the tournament’s matches to be broadcast live for free, he added. No Thai broadcaster has bought the rights to air World Cup matches with just two weeks remaining before the tournament kicks off.
Guardiola praises Pique after retirement announcement
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 05, 2022
Reuters
Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola praised Gerard Pique after the Barcelona defender announced he will retire from football when LaLiga breaks for the World Cup this month.
Pique, 35, won two Champions League titles under Guardiola at Barcelona.
Pique said in a video posted on social media that Saturday’s league clash with Almeria will be his last at Barcelona’s Camp Nou after 14 years with the Catalan giants following his return from Manchester United in 2008.
Barcelona will travel to Osasuna on Tuesday for their final fixture before the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 World Cup.
“Surprise news. I know his mum and dad, he is an incredible human being, huge personality,” Guardiola said on Friday (November 4). “A player for the big games, never not in the highest level. All the big clubs need these kind of players.
“He won everything for Barcelona and Spain. The time arrives, the future will be bright, he’s a smart guy. An honour to be his manager, we spent an incredible four years together.
Turning to domestic matters Guardiola added that Premier League top goalscorer Erling Haaland is “much better” and could return to action against Fulham on Saturday.
Guardiola did not risk Haaland for City’s Champions League clash with Sevilla in midweek, given they had already sealed top spot in their group, after the Norwegian picked up a knock against former club Borussia Dortmund the previous week.
Haaland, who has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water following his close season move to Manchester, scoring 22 goals across all competitions already, could be given the chance to add to his incredible tally on Saturday.
“He’s much better, we’ll decide today,” Guardiola told a news conference on Friday. “A good step, he starts training today. We see this afternoon. We consider his opinion, the doctor’s opinion, (if he will play) 90 minutes or less minutes, we’ll see.”
The City boss, whose side are two points behind leaders Arsenal ahead of the weekend’s games, said England internationals Kalvin Phillips and Kyle Walker are still not fit to make the matchday squad.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery celebrates after Jacob Ramsey scores their third goal as Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag looks on
Welsh dragon ready to roar after lengthy World Cup absence
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