DUBLIN: England interim manager Lee Carsley enjoyed a dream debut as goals from Declan Rice and Jack Grealish silenced their Ireland tormentors and inspired a 2-0 win in Saturday’s Nations League opener in Dublin.
Rice and Grealish, who both snubbed Ireland to represent England, scored in the first half of Carsley’s maiden game in charge following Gareth Southgate’s exit.
Southgate quit after England’s heartbreaking Euro 2024 final defeat against Spain in July.
Carsley, who guided England Under-21s to European Championship glory last year, has stepped up on a temporary basis while the Football Association seek a permanent successor to Southgate.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe and former Chelsea manager Graham Potter are said to be among the leading contenders.
But Carsley’s hopes of landing the job himself were boosted by England’s confident display in the Nations League Group B2 victory at the Aviva Stadium.
It was a bold statement of intent from the 50-year-old, whose adventurous England were a far cry from the staid unit that twice finished as Euro runners-up under Southgate despite rarely playing to their potential.
England’s first win in Dublin since 1964 has to be placed in context given the poverty of opposition provided by Ireland
Ireland’s new manager Heimir Hallgrimsson is a qualified dentist and he may find the job of rebuilding his struggling team proves more painful than root canal treatment.
Carsley stuck by his controversial decision not to sing ‘God save the King’ before kick-off, a move that antagonized the more patriotic sections of England’s fanbase.
Birmingham-born Carsley has Irish grandparents, which allowed him to win 40 Ireland caps during his playing career, but he said on Friday that he has never sung a national anthem because he prefers to focus on the match ahead.
If Carsley, whose next game comes against Finland at Wembley on Tuesday, continues to mastermind this kind of eye-catching performance, the debate over his anthem stance will quickly be forgotten.
This was only England’s second trip to Dublin in 29 years after a 1995 friendly between the teams was abandoned when visiting fans rioted at Lansdowne Road.
Promoting “a new era of friendship” between countries with a tortured political past, Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer swapped football shirts ahead of the match.
There was still a hostile reception for Rice and Grealish, who were jeered by the 50,000 crowd for changing their allegiance to England despite representing Ireland at senior and Under-21 levels respectively earlier in their careers.
Neither was bothered by the taunts as Rice starred and Grealish, omitted from the Euro squad, seized the chance to shine as England’s number 10 in the absence of Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden.
Carsley’s nerves were exposed when he mistakenly sat on the Ireland bench before kick-off, but England eased their novice manager’s anxiety in the 11th minute.
Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon, who got just one minute of playing time at the Euros, accelerated onto Trent Alexander-Arnold’s raking pass for a shot that was saved by Caoimhin Kelleher.
Gordon worked the rebound back to Harry Kane and his strike deflected to Rice, who planted a fine finish into the top corner from 12 yards.
Rice took the diplomatic approach as he refused to celebrate the goal, instead opting for a placatory gesture that suggested he wanted to bury the hatchet over his England switch.
Playing with far more freedom and imagination than they could muster under Southgate, England struck again in the 26th minute.
After Alexander-Arnold and Kobbie Mainoo exchanged passes, Grealish capped a flowing move, meeting Rice’s cutback with a fine finish into the bottom corner from 10 yards.
There was no hiding Grealish’s delight as he celebrated in front of England’s supporters and put his fingers in his ears to suggest he wasn’t bothered by the Irish abuse.
England had to knuckle down more in the second half as Ireland found some momentum, but they were never in danger of blowing the lead as Carsley’s audition got off to the perfect start.
Carsley makes flying start as England interim boss in win over Ireland
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Carsley makes flying start as England interim boss in win over Ireland
- Rice and Grealish, who both snubbed Ireland to represent England, scored in the first half of Carsley’s maiden game in charge following Gareth Southgate’s exit
- Carsley has stepped up on a temporary basis while the Football Association seek a permanent successor to Southgate
Time for Mancini and Saudi Arabia to deliver in must-win clash against Bahrain
- After last week’s 2-0 loss to Japan, the Green Falcons cannot afford another slip as they sit third in Group C of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup
LONDON: Saudi Arabia’s World Cup qualifier with Bahrain in Jeddah on Tuesday is just one out of 10 games for Roberto Mancini’s team in Group C but there is already a feeling that this is a must-win clash in more ways than one.
The first and biggest is that the Green Falcons need the points after a mixed start in the first three games of the third round of qualification. A 1-1 draw against Indonesia was followed by a 2-1 win over China in September.
And then, last week, Japan came to King Abdullah Sports City and went home with a 2-0 victory. As things stand, Saudi Arabia are third, level on four points with Australia in second, and Bahrain in fourth.
Only the top two qualify automatically for the World Cup while third and fourth advance to the next stage. Japan have nine and are surely heading for first place. Mancini admitted as such.
“We knew Japan were strong contenders to top the group, and now we will focus on competing with Australia for second place,” he said.
At this stage, the Italian will probably feel that his team are three points short. Mancini would have wanted and expected a win against Indonesia and a draw against Japan.
Had that been the case then they would have been three points clear of Australia. With the Socceroos playing in Japan on Tuesday and likely to lose, a win against Bahrain would have put Saudi Arabia six clear.
That would have been a fantastic position to be in but there is no point thinking too much about that now. The focus has to be on beating their neighbors and hoping they end Tuesday three points clear in second.
Mancini also needs a win and solid performance to lift the mood. Losing to Japan is no disgrace. The Samurai Blue are the best team in Asia by some distance, but their clear cohesion, identity and playing style was in contrast to that of Saudi Arabia’s.
Mancini, at just over a year in the job, has still to stamp his identity on the team and there are doubts as to whether he has the players really believing in his methods. Any sign of progress in this regard against Bahrain would be welcome.
Ever since the start of the year and the Asian Cup, there has not been much to shout about.
Before the tournament started Mancini dropped a bombshell. Veteran Salman Al-Faraj and Sultan Al-Ghannam were left out of the preliminary list, then goalkeeper Nawaf Al-Aqidi was excluded from the final squad.
The coach accused them of not wanting to play in friendly games. The Asian Cup ended at the last-16 stage with the boss leaving the pitch and heading down the tunnel before the penalty shootout against South Korea had ended.
It is fair to say that there has yet to be a really exciting, impressive or surprising performance under Mancini, the former English Premier League-, Serie A- and European Championship-winning coach.
His willingness to look outside the big clubs for talent and also trust in youth has been refreshing but he has complained on multiple occasions about the lack of playing time that several players are getting at their clubs.
“The only problem we have, three years ago all the Saudi players played every game,” he said. “Today, 50, 60 percent don’t play in the game and this is the only problem that we have.”
The coach has a point. There are players who have found themselves down the pecking order as their clubs have signed world-class foreign talent. This is especially evident at both ends of the pitch: goalkeepers and attackers.
Firas Al-Buraikan has been a regular for Al-Ahli and Abdullah Radif has played a reasonable amount for Al-Hilal, but Saleh Al-Shehri has had little time with Ittihad and Mohammed Maran has barely featured.
It is not ideal but it is what it is and Mancini’s job is to get the best out of what is available to him.
It has not happened yet. In three games, there have been three goals: one own goal and two set pieces. Against Japan, they played with an unfamiliar four-man defense, did not look like scoring and there were issues at the back but they were against a very good team.
Now this is Bahrain and fans will be less accepting of excuses.
Even so, Bahrain won in Australia in the opening game, sitting back to frustrate the Socceroos and then hitting on the counter, and that may well be their approach in Jeddah.
They later lost 5-0 at home to Japan and then needed a 99th-minute equalizer to draw 2-2 with Indonesia.
Compared to the passing and movement of the Samurai Blue, this is going to be a more physical test for Saudi Arabia and it should be one they are more suited to.
It has to be because one thing is for sure, this is a must-win game not just for the hopes of a top-two finish but for Mancini’s future in the job.
A scrappy 1-0 victory would be enough but a free-flowing performance and a convincing win would go down as well as the sun over the Red Sea.
Dubai Basketball back to winning ways with dominant display in Serbia
- Victory ensures a record of 3 wins and 1 loss after round 4 of the ABA League
DUBAI: Dubai Basketball got back on the winning trail again in Europe’s ABA League following a dominant 87-74 victory over Serbia’s Borac Mozzart on Sunday night.
The win was marked by a powerful defensive performance that restricted the home team’s captain, Marko Josilo, to only six points across 34 minutes of play.
Dubai Basketball went into the round-four game in Cacak looking to bounce back from last week’s last-gasp defeat against Mega MIS — and they responded with an impressive performance to take their record to 3-1.
Danilo Andusic set the pace all night long for Dubai, with 16 points, while Ahmet Duverioglu had a game-high seven rebounds.
With Borac Mozzart focusing heavily on Dubai’s captain, Klemen Prepelic, they had no answer for Isaiah Taylor, whose 13 points, three rebounds and six assists proved decisive in handing the Serbian team their first home loss of the season.
By the end of the first quarter, Dubai held a narrow lead of 24-23. The hosts levelled the scores early in the second, but head coach Jurica Golemac’s side took it up a gear with captain Prepelic dropping a three-pointer when his team needed him most.
Nate Mason, who missed the last game due to an injury, added another two, but some strong play saw Borac Mozzart take a 33-29 lead.
Dubai’s Awudu Abass and Andusic then stepped up with crucial points including a three-pointer to turn the momentum and give their team a healthy 47-36 advantage at halftime.
By the end of the third quarter, Dubai had stretched their lead to 71-63, and in the last 10 minutes they held off Borac Mozzart to close out for a key win on the road.
The home fans gave the game a special atmosphere with their boisterous support of their team at the Cacak Sports Hall.
Dubai’s Jacorey Williams commented post-game: “It was loud, the fans here are great and they’re passionate; they let us know all night that there would be no easy points.
“It was great to leave with a big team win, but shout-out to the fans, Cacak Sports Hall is one of the toughest places to play.”
Dubai Basketball’s next game will be on Sunday, Oct. 20 when they take on Spartak Subotica at Coca-Cola Arena.
Leweling rockets Germany past Dutch and into Nations League quarterfinals
- A beaming Leweling told Germany’s ZDF network “we won as a team, I scored the 1-0, we won 1-0, but we did well and I’m just happy I could help out
MUNICH, Germany: A 63-minute rocket from debutant Jamie Leweling gave Germany a 1-0 win over a limp Netherlands in Munich on Monday and a first appearance in the Nations League knockout rounds.
The Stuttgart forward was called off the bench after an injury to club teammate Deniz Undav in the warm-up.
Leweling had an early goal ruled out for the tightest of offsides before blasting in a loose ball from a Joshua Kimmich corner.
A beaming Leweling told Germany’s ZDF network “we won as a team, I scored the 1-0, we won 1-0, but we did well and I’m just happy I could help out.
“The Dutch are a top nation, but we played a good game nevertheless. We used the chances that we had well.”
Captain Kimmich told reporters the side were proud to overcome a long injury list.
“There were just three players on the field in comparison to five weeks ago against Holland (a 2-2 draw in the Netherlands), that’s why we are proud of what we did.
“You could see how happy we are, how proud we are of the performance today.
“We had lots of new players, some young players, unfortunately lots of injuries but you didnt notice much of a difference.
“Jamie had an outstanding debut — it’s not often the Allianz Arena gives you a reception like that — he did well.
Oliver Baumann, at 34 the oldest debutant goalie in Germany history, pulled off a spectacular save from Donyell Malen in the final minute to protect Germany’s victory.
The Netherlands, missing suspended captain Virgil van Dijk, were poor until the dying stages. They stayed second in the group but only on goal difference ahead of Hungary, who beat Bosnia 2-0.
Before the match, the hosts bid farewell to international veterans Manuel Neuer, Thomas Mueller, Ilkay Gundogan and Toni Kroos, who have all stepped down since the home Euros in the summer.
Since starting his reign one year ago to the day with a 3-1 away win over the United States, coach Julian Nagelsmann has been willing to ignore big names in favor of in-form players.
Injuries to key players including Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen forced Nagelsmann into seven changes, the injury to Undav, who scored both goals in Germany’s win over Bosnia on October 11, forced a last-minute reshuffle.
The coach gave Leweling and Oliver Baumann their first caps, while Aleksandar Pavlovic and Angelo Stiller started for the first time.
Leweling appeared to have started his Germany career perfectly when he gave the hosts the lead after just two minutes, but a lengthy video review found Serge Gnabry offside in the build-up.
Despite pressing the Dutch into a series of mistakes playing out from goal, Germany failed to carve another clear opportunity in the first half.
The visitors posed little threat to debutant Baumann’s goal, failing to register a shot in the first half.
Leweling’s stunning strike jolted the match into life with just under half an hour remaining.
Xavi Simons rattled the crossbar late as the Dutch hinted at a possible comeback, with Malen also going close but failing to break through.
Ronnie O’Sullivan Snooker Academy opens at Boulevard City in Riyadh
- The 7-time world champion attended the launch and played the first shot on the academy’s main table
RIYADH: The Ronnie O’Sullivan Snooker Academy opened in Riyadh’s Boulevard City on Monday, with the seven-time world champion on hand to play the first shot on its main table.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest snooker players of all time, O’Sullivan was joined at the launch by leading figures from the Saudi sports sector, including Faisal Bafarat, CEO of the Kingdom’s General Entertainment Authority, and Nasser Al-Shammari, president of the Saudi Snooker Federation, who oversaw the inauguration ceremony.
The academy’s founders say it will offer snooker enthusiasts a dedicated space in which they can hone their skills and compete in local and international tournaments, with the wider aim of boosting the profile and development of the sport in the Kingdom.
The opening of the academy is in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 relating to the development of sport and youth development in the Kingdom, by helping to provide local players with the coaching and experience that can prepare them to compete on a global stage.
Youth taekwondo competitions conclude at Saudi Games
- Adult taekwondo competitions will continue on Tuesday
RIYADH: The youth taekwondo competitions of the third Saudi Games concluded on Monday at Boulevard 2 in Riyadh.
Shaddad Al-Amri, president of the Saudi Taekwondo Federation, awarded the winners their medals during the ceremony.
In the 48 kg category, Abdullah Mushrif from Al-Shabab claimed the gold medal, with Khaled Al-Shahrani from Abha securing silver. Bronze medals were awarded to Alai Addin Al-Sisi (Al-Ahli) and Nawaf Al-Bishi (Al-Hilal).
Abdulrahman Al-Shahrani (Abha) took gold in the 55 kg category, while Tariq Zawawi (Herra) won silver. Bronze medals went to Abdulaziz Abu Faleh (Al-Hariq) and Abdulrahman Al-Jabri (Al-Nassr).
The 63 kg category saw Abdullah Al-Dosari (Al-Noor) win gold, with Issa Mjarshi taking silver. Bronze went to Firas Al-Aliyo (Al-Salam) and Rayan Al-Harthi (Al-Ittihad).
Rakan Al-Agha (Al-Ahli) secured the gold in the 73 kg category, while Nawaf Hussein (Al-Hilal) took silver. Bronze medals were awarded to Faisal Al-Mutairi and Ibrahim Al-Dosari (both from Al-Shabab).
In the +73 kg category, Ahmad Bin Qasim (Al-Shabab) won gold, with Youssef Al-Madawi (Abha) taking silver, and Al-Hur Al-Hamadah (Al-Taraji) claiming bronze.
The adult taekwondo competitions will continue on Tuesday with the 49 kg category for women and the 58 kg and 80 kg categories for men.
