‘Premier League clubs will want Gerrard & Lampard’
Wayne Rooney does not believe it will be long before his former England team-mates Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are being lined up for Premier League managerial roles, saying that it is ‘the right time for English managers to step forward’.Gerrard and Lampard have each taken their first steps in management this season, with Liverpool legend Gerrard moving on from his role with their academy to assume charge at Rangers, while Lampard has taken the reins at Derby County.Rooney, who left boyhood club Everton earlier this year to move to MLS side D.C. United, played with the pair at international level for 11 years between 2003 and 2014, and expects them to move onto bigger things at the top table of English football in the not-too-distant future. Article continues below Editors’ Picks Man Utd ready to spend big on Sancho and Haaland in January Who is Marcus Thuram? Lilian’s son who is top of the Bundesliga with Borussia Monchengladbach Brazil, beware! Messi and Argentina out for revenge after Copa controversy Best player in MLS? Zlatan wasn’t even the best player in LA! “I think it is brilliant for those two,” the 32-year-old told the Mail on Sunday . “It is the right time for young English managers to step forward.“I am sure in two or three years there will be clubs in the Premier League coming to try to snatch them away.”The former Manchester United striker, who has seen a rejuvenation following his departure to the USA from Merseyside this summer, also laid out his plans to move into management himself, reiterating a desire to move to the dugout when his playing days are over.“Football is what I know. It is what I have done my whole life,” Rooney added.”I just think it a shame when you see players who have had careers like mine, when they have been footballers from a young age, you see them finish and they just walk away from the game.
“A good way to start out as a manager is to, first of all, be honest with your players, but also know your players and know how to manage them.”I think man-management is more important sometimes than the training you do.”Rooney’s D.C. United defeated Eastern Conference rivals Minnesota United 2-1 on September 13 and take on New York Red Bulls today.Gerrard’s Rangers drubbed Dundee 4-0 on September 15 and next face Villarreal in their first group stage game of this season’s Europa League, while Lampard’s Derby County will look to bounce back from a 1-0 loss to Rotherham when they host Blackburn Rovers on September 18. Check out Goal’s Premier League 2019-20 fantasy football podcast for game tips, debate and rivalries.
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New Delhi, May 16 (PTI) Union minister Vijay Goel today urged the newly elected BJP councillors to “work aggressively” towards bringing development in slum areas of Delhi with a special focus on sanitation.Addressing a gathering of party councillors, who would soon assume charge, the youth affairs and sports minister also asked them to contribute to the Centres Adopt a Slum programme.”Under the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) of our (sports) ministry, slums would be adopted in the 11 districts of Delhi. We should work on developing these slums to such a degree that even PM Modiji appreciates it.”As councillors, we are garlanding you on your new job, but remember each garland is a responsibility … and you must work on it,” he said.The Union minister said Delhi has about 700 slums and education, health, sanitation, law and order are the areas where they face major issues. In the first phase, 100 slums will be adopted.Goel was speaking at a felicitation function hosted at his official residence here. The BJP had won 181 of the 270 wards in the MCD polls, and nearly half of the councillors are women.”About 100-120 councillors participated in the meet. None of the three women mayoral nominees attended the function,” a senior party member said.The BJP is set to get all its three mayors elected unopposed, polls for which would be held soon.Goel also said his ministry has changed the age limit for NYKS membership to 15 to 29, following which “now, we have about 1.5-2 lakh youth members. Also, we have Nehru Yuva Volunteers, who used to get only Rs 2,500 as a stipend. We have raised it to Rs 5,000″.advertisement”As part of our outreach programme, we will hold our first Slum Run on May 26. This would cover six Delhi Assembly constituencies including Wazirpur, Model Town, Chandni Chowk, Timarpur and Burari. Eventually, we will have a city-level final event, but that would be held in a stadium,” the minister said.”The idea is to take development to slums and make them feel integrated … and not consider them as dirt-filled places. Also, we plan to have Rotary and Lions Club adopt slums here and then business houses and industries, but we will decide as to which slums would be given,” he added.”We have asked the councillors to fill up a form, wherein they will give details about their areas so that we can make them partners in this programme. The NYKs will help in this mission,” Goel said.South Delhi MP Parvesh Verma recalled the contribution of his father as a councillor before he became the chief minister of Delhi.”In 1977, my father was a councillor and I know of his dedication. He believed in civic service and would even enter the sewer and clean it himself, before any safai karmachari would, to send out a message of greater public good,” he said.The BJP had fielded all fresh faces in the municipal polls this year, and the party now says the new hands would be guided by old leaders.Renu Jaju, 52, who won from Shalimar Bagh (North) in the NDMC on a BJP ticket, said, “I may be a first-time councillor, but I have been a party worker for 30 years. I will work in the areas of health, education and sanitation.” PTI KND GVS
The Aaj Tak Salaam Cricket 2017 brought together some of the most iconic names in the cricketing world and there were some expected fireworks right through the day, especially when the likes of Sourav Ganguly and Shane Warne came face-to-face with Michael Clarke watching on.Ganguly had, in 2001, tamed Australia in that historic series which the hosts won 2-1 after bouncing back from a defeat at the Wankhede Stadium. It was in the course of that iconic series that the then Indian captain Ganguly, had got to the Australians’ nerves by delaying the toss.Sixteen years later, Shane Warne, who was an integral part of Steve Waugh’s team, said he was okay with what Ganguly did in his home turf and thought it was a smart, aggressive move to derail the Aussies by coming out late for the toss.However, Ganguly, who was present along with Clarke for the session titled “Warnie, Pup and Dada” show, reiterated that Warne wasn’t as accepting of the tactic back in 2001: “Everytime I came out to bat , he would pitch the ball outside leg and remind me to play the game in the right spirit.”Known for their wit and humour, both Ganguly and Warne kept ‘sledging’ each other as the audience burst into laughter. However, their mutual respect was palpable.”I have seen Warne sledge me throughout. We were playing for different counties and he would see me come out and he would sledge me. Even when it was Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, he would come at the toss and start sledging me from there itself. And all this happened for a period of 10 years. But he’s a fabulous bowler and the best I have faced. I have played against Muttiah Muralitharan too and I’m lucky to get some runs against both of them,” Ganguly said.advertisementWarne said he got sledged by Ganguly in equal measure.: “Sourav never said a word back – can you believe that ?”But Warne showed his admiration for Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Virender Sehwag – known as the Fab 5 of Indian cricket and said their contributions towards Indian cricket was immense. “Don’t ever underestimate how good these guys are – I would much rather bowl to the modern day Indian guys than these guys. India became one of the best sides in the world under Sourav,” Warne said.Warne said sledging Ganguly made the legendary Indian batsman more determined than ever: “I sledged him thinking I could get him out this time but that only made him more determined. It was under Sourav that India because one of the best sides from one of the better sides because he gave them the toughness, the feeling of not going under any team.”Clarke, who had captained Australia with great success after Ricky Ponting stepped aside, said he was lucky to play the game alongside legends such as Warne and Ganguly.”The players I idolised I got to play with and against – it’s a great example of why you play the game. They were so competitive on the field. That’s why the game is so special.”Shane would always want to get Sourav out and Sourav would want to stay and you see this friendship now, this is how the game (is played).”So tournaments like the Champions Trophy or the recent India-Australia series, there were lotsd of talks of competitiveness and on the friendship between Steve Smith and Virat Kohli. You want to win and you’re so passionate about it. That’s why you play so hard on the field.”But Virat Kohli and Steve Smith would be no different to these two in 5-10 years when they’ll be sitting here talking about the good times. Because we are so competitive, that’s why we respect each other so much. And thats why I idiolise these two.
Skipper Angelo Mathews has stated that India has one of the best bowling attacks in the world and thus Sri Lanka batsmen need to come out with a good performance in Thursday’s fixture in Champions Trophy at the Oval.The Indian bowling attack has so far been unstoppable in the tournament. While they demolished Bangladesh and New Zealand in the warm-up encounters, they dismissed arch-rivals Pakistan in their opening game of the tournament in just 38.4 overs.In what could be expected as a seam-friendly surface at The Oval, Sri Lanka can expect a stern challenge from the India pacers, especially Umesh Yadav.”If you talk about India, the batting line-up has always put teams under pressure, but this bowling lineup is quite different,” ESPNcricinfo quoted Mathews as saying at the press conference on the eve of the match against India.”They’re one of the best in the world. You get a good balance of spin and pace, and they’re all different to each other, and they’ve got a fantastic bowling attack. For the batters it will be hard work, especially on this greenish wicket, but we’re just hoping for a good performance tomorrow,” he added.The Men in Blue would be brimming with confidence after they thrashed Pakistan by 124 runs (D/L method) at Edgbaston on Sunday and would go into their match against Sri Lanka at the Oval to be played on Thursday as clear favourites.On the other hand, Sri Lanka find themselves in a do-or-die situation after being thrashed by South Africa in their opening match.advertisementThese comments from Kohli come after former skipper Kumar Sangakkara said that Sri Lanka should play with arrogance against India on Thursday.”I would personally like this young Sri Lanka side to walk out at The Oval and play with the arrogance and abandon of youth,” Sangakkara wrote in his column for the International Cricket Council (ICC).”They should express their talent and play a really positive brand of cricket. If they are able to do this, then they have a chance of pulling off an upset, but it will not be easy an India team that so confidently overwhelmed Pakistan on Sunday,” he added.The familiar foes are meeting for the first time in One-Day Internationals since November 2014, when India walloped Sri Lanka 5-0 in a home series.In the subsequent two-and-a-half-year period, the teams have gone in contrasting directions and find themselves at different ends of the ODI spectrum.Squads:India: Virat Kohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicketkeeper), Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ajinkya Rahane, Dinesh Karthik.Sri Lanka: Angelo Mathews (Captain), Dinesh Chandimal, Niroshan Dickewalla (wicketkeeper), Chamara Kapugedara, Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera, Thisara Perera, Sekkuge Prasanna, Nuwan Pradeep, Suranga Lakmal, Lakshan Sandakan, Lasith Malinga, Asela Gunaratne, Nuwan Kulasekara, Upul Tharanga.
Having suffered defeats in their previous matches, India and South Africa face a do-or-die battle in their quest for a semi-final spot when they meet in a Group B contest of the Champions Trophy cricket tournament at The Oval here on Sunday.India suffered a seven-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka in their last group match while Pakistan beat South Africa via the Duckworth-Lewis method.India must have faced the biggest reality-check in the tournament, having lost to Sri Lanka even after registering a formidable total of 321/6 after being asked to bat first. The toss might have had its own effect on the match with India captain Virat Kohli always willing to chase first.Kohli might look to replace middle-order batsman Kedhar Jadhav with star off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin alongside left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja who might just add to the balance of the team.Indian openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan have been in good nick and will look to give India a good start against South Africa.Kohli and Yuvraj Singh will look to click in Sunday’s tie after failing to reach double digits against Sri Lanka. Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Hardik Pandya meanwhile, will look to inflict some damage on the opposition bowlers lower down the order.The bowling department will be a matter of concern for India with only pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar being able to produce a wicket against Sri Lanka while the others failed to provide breakthroughs.Pacers Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya bowled economically but failed to take any wickets.advertisementFor South Africa, neither the batting nor bowling looked to have clicked after a 19-run defeat by the Duckworth-Lewis (D/L) method against Pakistan in their previous match.David Miller was the only batsman who was amongst the runs, scoring 75 against Pakistan. Pacer Morne Morkel was the only successful bowler among the Proteas with figures of 3/18.South Africa will look to heavily improvise in both the departments to give their side any chance to win against India.South Africa captain AB de Villiers’ form in the series has also been a matter of concern for the side, having scored only 4 runs in two matches, and will try to come back big against India.The South African bowling unit comprising of Kagiso Rabadda — the top ranked bowler in the ICC rankings — fellow pacers Wayne Parnell, Morne Morkel and Chris Morris along with their lone leg-spinner Imran Tahir are a lethal unit on paper, but have failed to produce wickets at regular intervals.Squad:India: Virat Kohli (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jadhav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Dinesh Karthik, Ajinkya Rahane.South Africa: AB de Villiers (captain), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), David Miller, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Keshav Maharaj, Farhan Behardien, Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwayne Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada.
French Formula One rookie Esteban Ocon needs to change his attitude and understand what racing is about, Force India team mate Sergio Perez said on Thursday as tension between the two showed no sign of easing.The pair collided in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on June 25, costing both a likely place on the podium and the team plenty of points.Force India have reminded both that the team comes first, with Baku following a row in Canada when Ocon was angry that Perez had not given way. The drivers have yet to clear the air.Mexican Perez left no doubt about his lingering annoyance when he spoke to reporters before Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix, pinning the blame on the 20-year-old – who refused to accept it.”I think what happened in Baku was just totally unacceptable from the team point of view,” Perez said.”I think simply Esteban has to understand what racing means. Racing means just racing another car, not crashing into the other car.”If you just push your team mate into the wall then that’s not the right thing. I expect him to be intelligent enough to understand what he did wrong and change a bit his attitude for the benefit of the team.”Perez was defending third place from Ocon when they collided after a safety car re-start, with the Frenchman suffering a puncture and car damage. He finished sixth while Perez had to retire.Ocon said he had flown to the team’s Silverstone factory directly after the race for a debrief that concluded the incident had been 50-50.advertisement”It was both of our fault,” he said. “There were things that he did that were not right, there were things I did that were not right.”The Frenchman saw no need to change his approach and bristled at the suggestion he did not know what racing was about.”I’ve been finishing more than 40 single-seater races in a row, I am European champion and GP3 world champion so I don’t think I’m really lacking experience either on racing or wheel-to-wheel fights,” he said.”I am not going to change my attitude. I think it’s been working well since the beginning of the year together with the team and the way we work.”The only thing I think we will change is just to be careful on what we do when we race.”
Under Virat Kohli, India have dominated Test cricket like never before. In 28 matches with Kohli at the helm, India have won 18 matches and lost only three. The remaining seven were drawn.However, the perenially charged-up skipper has hardly ever gone in with a settled XI. That can partly be attributed to a string of injuries to key players. Then there is the matter of bringing back established players even at the cost of rookies who performed admirably under pressure (read: Karun Nair and Jayant Yadav).Kohli and the rest of the team management cannot be faulted for their tactics. India have won eight successive series and they are well on course to wrap up a second whitewash within a year.But the world number one Test team has been jolted in their charge with the suspension of top Test all-rounder and bowler Ravindra Jadeja. His 70 and five-for in India’s historic innings win in Colombo won him the man-of-the-match but he also earned three demerit points for throwing the ball dangerously at Malinda Pushpakumara.Photo Credit: Ravindra Jadeja Official Twitter India have R Ashwin of course and in all likelihood, Kuldeep Yadav will replace Jadeja at Pallekele for the final Test starting August 12. But India have also called in Axar Patel to the squad as a back-up, just in case.Patel, the team felt was a like-for-like replacement, giving him the nudge over Jayant, who impressed with bat and ball against England at home in the winter of 2016.Kuldeep had a memorable Test debut in Dharamsala when Kohli was forced to sit out with a shoulder injury. The young left-arm chinaman bowler ripped through the Australian batting line-up in the first innings and served notice to the other star spinners – in the West Indies, he was the pick of India’s bowlers and has since been screaming for a spot in the final XI of the Test team.advertisementBut therein lies the problem for Kohli. He has strongly advocated the case for playing only five regular batsmen. Ashwin did the job at number six with Wriddhiman Saha and Jadeja bringing up the rear.In Sri Lanka, Hardik Pandya has emerged as India’s latest all-round option because Kohli felt he needed more balance in the lower order. But Jadeja’s absence upsets the apple cart.Kuldeep’s bowling has threatened to dismantle the best but he has not yet been tested with the bat in the course of his young international career. Axar has not yet made his Test debut but his batting has been impressive in limited-overs cricket.So what does Kohli go with? This team believes in backing up players who have spent time in the dressing-room. Axar, talented as he is, was not even considered for the England and the Australia series the previous season.India have already won the series but Kohli would surely be gunning for a 3-0 whitewash over the Sri Lankans. Will he show faith in his batsmen and all-rounders and play Kuldeep? Or will he play safe and strengthen the lower-order with Axar?Who said captaining the world’s best Test teams was easy?
Right-arm pacer Lasith Malinga will lead Sri Lanka in the absence of injured Chamara Kapugedara in the fourth ODI of the five-match series against India in Colombo on Thursday.Kapugedera, who was roped in as the captain in place of suspended Upul Tharanga, hurt his back during Sri Lanka’s six-wicket defeat in the third ODI against India in Pallekele, which ruled him out of the remainder of the series.Malinga’s appointment is the fifth captaincy change to the Sri Lankan side in their last seven competitive matches.Sri Lanka Cricket confirmed that Malinga would captain the team in Colombo this week, two months after being fined and handed suspension for comments he made following the ICC Champions Trophy in June, cricket.com.au reported.The shift in captaincy comes a day after the Sri Lankan selection committee, headed by Sanath Jayasuriya, stepped down.Sri Lanka’s selection panel released a lengthy statement confirming they had resigned following a horror stretch that has seen them win just four of their past 15 matches across all formats.The committee had been at the receiving end of coach Nic Pothas, who said that ‘too many cooks’ were spoiling his efforts to revive the national team besides blaming outside interference for a string of poor performances in the recent times.Sri Lanka had been captained by two in the preceding Test series, which the hosts went on to lose by 0-3. Veteran spinner Rangana Herath stood in for skipper Dinesh Chandimal in the opening Test before Chandimal returned for the final two matches of the series.advertisement
Television actor Ashish Sharma , who essayed the role of Lord Ram in Siya Ke Ram, knows how to impress his fans.He has upped his game with the latest bold and smoking hot photo shoot along with wife Archana Taide.He can be seen sporting a gothic look- wearing dark kohl, nose ring and braided hair-do.Pictures courtesy: Instagram/ archanataideThe two lovebirds got married on January 30, 2013. They got married thrice, in a Hindu wedding ceremony in Jaipur, a Christian wedding in Goa–as Archana is a Catholic, and finally a court marriage.He will soon be making a comeback on the small screen with Prithvi Vallabh. The show will hit the screens from January 20.Watch: Rishta Likhenge Hum Naya: Diya is the new maharani of Kesar Mahal
Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez recieved some backing from his manager after his lacklustre performance against relegation-threatened West Ham United on Wednesday.Arsene Wenger said that the entire team has to improve and not just Sanchez after the Gunners’ goalless draw at London Stadium.”He is (very ambitious) but in situations like that, you do not want to focus on one player. You focus more on the collective attitude of the team to keep them focused on the quality of our game,” Wenger told Standard Sport.”We create chances. (The goals) will come. It’s difficult to say he’s had a dip. He tried tonight, he did fight. It was difficult because they defended very well as well.”The Chilean, who has been one of Arsenal’s most important players in recent seasons, has just scored four Premier League goals this campaign. He last scored in Arsenal’s win over Huddersfield Town on November 30.?? It was 10 against 10 in the final third and we couldnt find an opening because they defended very well. We created chances but lacked the sharpness.??#WHUvAFC pic.twitter.com/ygiSkxdNuk- Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) December 13, 2017Arsenal’s form has mirrored the Sanchez’s, with the north London side winless in their last three league games and slipping to seventh in the table after managing to keep just three of 22 shots on target at the London Stadium.Wenger also said that the defeat to second-placed Manchester United earlier this month and a lack of preparation time were also factors in Arsenal’s meek display during the stalemate.advertisementArsenal host 16th-placed Newcastle United, who are winless in eight league games, on Saturday.(Courtesy: Reuters)
Williams has put on hold the announcement of their second driver for the 2018 season until January.Canadian teenager Lance Stroll was retained by Williams but the second driver’s seat is left vacant after the retirement of Felipe Massa in 2017 season. The 2018 season, which has 21 races in its calendar, will start in Australia on March 25.Russian Sergey Sirotkin appears favourite for the drive, the only remaining vacancy on the starting grid, rather than Poland’s comeback hopeful Robert Kubica.Williams have said their decision would be based on performance and have given few hints about who is likely to succeed now retired Brazilian Massa at the former champions.Sirotkin, a 22-year-old development driver for the Renault team this year, has been backed by Russian billionaire Boris Rotenberg and his SMP Racing.Rotenberg’s brother Arkady is a close ally and former judo partner of President Vladimir Putin.Leaving aside his significant backing, the Russian impressed in post-season testing in Abu Dhabi after he was passed over by Renault when that team were looking to replace Britain’s Jolyon Palmer.Both he and Kubica, 33, were at the factory last week for debriefs and further assessment, with media reports suggesting Russian Daniil Kvyat was also in the frame after being dropped by Red Bull and Toro Rosso.Russia, which pays handsomely for the right to host a grand prix in Sochi, currently has no Formula One driver contracted to race next year.Kubica was tipped as a future champion before a 2011 rally accident partially severed his right arm, and while there are some lingering doubts about his ability to race without full movement the Pole has said he has no problems and is fitter than ever.advertisementKubica has tested twice for Williams this year, as well as with Renault, and his case for the seat is being argued by former world champion Nico Rosberg, who is acting as a go-between.Williams’ head of performance engineering Rob Smedley said last month he hoped a decision on the driver would be made by Christmas but that the team was in no hurry.”There’s no reason for us to rush into it,” he said then. “We are the best remaining seat so we have that advantage in our armoury. We can wait and we can evaluate every little bit and do all the due diligence necessary.”(Courtesy: Reuters)
Two wins and a tie were the result of the collective Greek soccer teams’ effort – who put on a clinic resulting in many goals and, simply put, good soccer. In the Cosmopolitan League, the Greek-American Atlas beat the Central Park Rangers 3-0, and Pancypreos outplayed Polonia to the tune of a 4-0 score. In the Metro Soccer League, Kerkyra New York played Gotham with heart and passion to a 3-3 tie.{40331}Atlas showed that the tables have turned in the Cosmopolitan League this year not only by beating the Rangers, but by showcasing great soccer skills and ball- movement in the process, especially in the first half, all the while remaining unfazed by their opponents. Christos “Megas” (as his teammates call him) Megaloudis scored one goal and Orob and Gates followed his lead by scoring goals of their own. Awaiting Atlas at the top of the standings was team Richards who have the same record. Perhaps the team that really showed the others how it’s really done, however, was Pancypreos, which doled out a four-goal performance to Polonia to record their first win of the tournament. {40327}{40338}In the Metro Soccer League, although Kerkyra New York didn’t win, they played a hard-fought game and showed great resiliency in their 3-3 tie with Gotham. Vasili Goudeli’s team matched Gotham’s game intensity and although it took until the 80th minute for the first goal of the match to be scored, many quickly followed. The final game’s final goal was the equalizer in the final seconds and came off of the header of Kerkyra’s Gizas. TweetPinShare0 Shares
NEW YORK — Bartolo Colon let the trade talk get to him — a dozen years ago, when he was dealt from the Indians to the Expos.Baseball is now long gone in Montreal, but the 41-year-old pitcher is still going strong — and certainly won’t get distracted by any rumors.Travis d’Arnaud went 3-for-4 with a three-run homer, Colon made his second straight strong start, and the Mets crushed the Phillies 7-1 on the night of July 28.“That’s when I really noticed this is a business,” Colon said of the 2002 trade. “Really after that I quit paying attention.”D’Arnaud hit one of three Mets doubles as they took a 4-0 lead in the first. Then the catcher’s seventh home run of the season broke the game open in the fifth.Colon (10-8) retired the first 20 batters in his last outing July 23d against Seattle, eventually allowing two runs on three hits in 7 1-3 innings in a 3-2 win. He wasn’t as dominant this time. But staked to a big lead, he was never in much trouble either, scattering 10 hits over 7 2-3 innings.With the Mets up 7-0 in the sixth, the Phillies loaded the bases after umpire Jerry Meals ruled that Daniel Murphy’s foot didn’t touch the bag on a two-out force play at second base. New York challenged, and the call stood on review.But Colon promptly struck out Cody Asche to end the threat. The big right-hander was taken out after 121 pitches upon allowing his only run on consecutive two-out doubles in the eighth.“You’re not just looking at a guy who’s got experience,” Manager Terry Collins said. “This guy is down to earth. He’s calm. He’s not rattled by anything. He’s an inning-eating machine.”A.J. Burnett (6-10), like Colon a veteran who could attract suitors before Thursday’s trade deadline, also was coming off a stellar outing. But after throwing 131 pitches July 23d, one shy of his career high, Burnett got off to a shaky start this time.Curtis Granderson walked to open the bottom of the first, and Murphy drove him in with a double. Lucas Duda had an RBI single and Juan Lagares a two-run double later in the inning. Lagares snapped an 0-for-17 slump.Burnett settled down, retiring 11 of the next 13 batters with four strikeouts. But with two outs in the fifth, he walked Duda. Chris Young singled, then d’Arnaud made it 7-0.“There was no life, nothing,” Burnett said. “Balls were in the middle, were not on the corners. So, yeah, it was a brutal effort.”Catcher Carlos Ruiz was 4 for 4 with Philadelphia’s only RBI. The Phillies left 12 men on base. They had 13 hits, but 11 of them were singles.(RACHEL COHEN, AP Sports Writer) TweetPinShare0 Shares
NEW YORK — A few frustrated — and creative — New York Jets fans have created a website urging the team to fire General Manager John Idzik just 24 games into his tenure.FireJohnIdzik.com is a creation of a few season ticket holders as the Jets are off to a 1-7 start that includes seven straight losses. It highlights the “Idzik Hall of Shame,” criticizing some of the GM’s moves, such as signing Mike Goodson and Dimitri Patterson.The fans are trying to raise money to put up a billboard in the vicinity of MetLife Stadium to push their cause, and are selling T-shirts with Fire John Idzik printed on them.Coach Rex Ryan said he understands that “nobody is happy,” but adds that winning will “subside some of the other stuff.”TweetPinShare0 Shares
ATHENS — Defending Greek champion Olympiakos has signed former Porto coach Vitor Pereira, in a bid to reverse a string of disappointing league results.The 46-year-old Portuguese, who comes from Saudia Arabia’s Al-Ahli, has signed a two-and-a-half year contract, Olympiakos officials said.Pereira replaces Spaniard Michel Gonzalez, who was sacked Jan. 6.Olympiakos is one point behind PAOK in the Greek league, and is playing in the Europa League after being knocked out of the Champions League.Team owner Vangelis Marinakis said at Pereira’s official presentation that he expects to win the Greek championship “by every means.TweetPinShare0 Shares