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Hong Kong to host Man City, Chelsea, Inter and Juventus in pre-season friendly  English and Italian football giants Manchester City, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Juventus will square up for pre-season friendlies in Hong Kong in August, the clubs announced on Tuesday.Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, currently arm-wrestling Arsenal for the Premier League title, will take on Inter Milan on Saturday, August 1, spearheaded by their Norwegian goal machine Erling Haaland.The match will kick off the “Hong Kong Football Festival” at the city’s futuristic 50,000-seat Kai Tak stadium.The gleaming arena opened a year ago, featuring a roof that can be closed and air-conditioning to combat the fierce summer heat and humidity in Hong Kong.Chelsea will play Juventus on Wednesday August 5 to round off the mini-tournament.Inter, under former Romanian international Cristian Chivu, is eight points clear at the top of Serie A as it looks for a 21st title, second only to Juventus which has won a record 36 Italian top-flight championships.Juventus is fourth and looking to secure a Champions League spot under Luciano Spalletti.Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to win the Club World Cup in the United States last year but has since parted company with then manager Enzo Maresca.Liam Rosenior took charge but is under pressure to keep his job after Chelsea lost five of its last six Premier League matches to drop to sixth, seven points adrift of the Champions League places.It remains to be seen whether Rosenior will still be in charge when Chelsea land in Hong Kong as it also lost 2-8 on aggregate to PSG in the Champions League last 16 this season.All teams will hold open training sessions ahead of the matches giving Hong Kong fans an extra chance to see star players such as City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, Inter’s Lautaro Martinez and Juventus’s Dusan Vlahovic.The action does not stop there for fans in the football-mad southern Chinese city, as Bayern Munich and Aston Villa have already announced they will play a friendly in Hong Kong on Friday, August 7.During pre-season last year, 50,000 sell-out crowds in Hong Kong watched Liverpool play AC Milan and Tottenham face Arsenal in the first north London derby outside of the UK.Tens of thousands also turned out to watch the teams’ open training sessions.Published on Apr 21, 2026  #Hong #Kong #host #Man #City #Chelsea #Inter #Juventus #preseason #friendly

Hong Kong to host Man City, Chelsea, Inter and Juventus in pre-season friendly

English and Italian football giants Manchester City, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Juventus will square up for pre-season friendlies in Hong Kong in August, the clubs announced on Tuesday.

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, currently arm-wrestling Arsenal for the Premier League title, will take on Inter Milan on Saturday, August 1, spearheaded by their Norwegian goal machine Erling Haaland.

The match will kick off the “Hong Kong Football Festival” at the city’s futuristic 50,000-seat Kai Tak stadium.

The gleaming arena opened a year ago, featuring a roof that can be closed and air-conditioning to combat the fierce summer heat and humidity in Hong Kong.

Chelsea will play Juventus on Wednesday August 5 to round off the mini-tournament.

Inter, under former Romanian international Cristian Chivu, is eight points clear at the top of Serie A as it looks for a 21st title, second only to Juventus which has won a record 36 Italian top-flight championships.

Juventus is fourth and looking to secure a Champions League spot under Luciano Spalletti.

Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to win the Club World Cup in the United States last year but has since parted company with then manager Enzo Maresca.

Liam Rosenior took charge but is under pressure to keep his job after Chelsea lost five of its last six Premier League matches to drop to sixth, seven points adrift of the Champions League places.

It remains to be seen whether Rosenior will still be in charge when Chelsea land in Hong Kong as it also lost 2-8 on aggregate to PSG in the Champions League last 16 this season.

All teams will hold open training sessions ahead of the matches giving Hong Kong fans an extra chance to see star players such as City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, Inter’s Lautaro Martinez and Juventus’s Dusan Vlahovic.

The action does not stop there for fans in the football-mad southern Chinese city, as Bayern Munich and Aston Villa have already announced they will play a friendly in Hong Kong on Friday, August 7.

During pre-season last year, 50,000 sell-out crowds in Hong Kong watched Liverpool play AC Milan and Tottenham face Arsenal in the first north London derby outside of the UK.

Tens of thousands also turned out to watch the teams’ open training sessions.

Published on Apr 21, 2026

#Hong #Kong #host #Man #City #Chelsea #Inter #Juventus #preseason #friendly

English and Italian football giants Manchester City, Chelsea, Inter Milan and Juventus will square up for pre-season friendlies in Hong Kong in August, the clubs announced on Tuesday.

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, currently arm-wrestling Arsenal for the Premier League title, will take on Inter Milan on Saturday, August 1, spearheaded by their Norwegian goal machine Erling Haaland.

The match will kick off the “Hong Kong Football Festival” at the city’s futuristic 50,000-seat Kai Tak stadium.

The gleaming arena opened a year ago, featuring a roof that can be closed and air-conditioning to combat the fierce summer heat and humidity in Hong Kong.

Chelsea will play Juventus on Wednesday August 5 to round off the mini-tournament.

Inter, under former Romanian international Cristian Chivu, is eight points clear at the top of Serie A as it looks for a 21st title, second only to Juventus which has won a record 36 Italian top-flight championships.

Juventus is fourth and looking to secure a Champions League spot under Luciano Spalletti.

Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to win the Club World Cup in the United States last year but has since parted company with then manager Enzo Maresca.

Liam Rosenior took charge but is under pressure to keep his job after Chelsea lost five of its last six Premier League matches to drop to sixth, seven points adrift of the Champions League places.

It remains to be seen whether Rosenior will still be in charge when Chelsea land in Hong Kong as it also lost 2-8 on aggregate to PSG in the Champions League last 16 this season.

All teams will hold open training sessions ahead of the matches giving Hong Kong fans an extra chance to see star players such as City’s Gianluigi Donnarumma, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, Inter’s Lautaro Martinez and Juventus’s Dusan Vlahovic.

The action does not stop there for fans in the football-mad southern Chinese city, as Bayern Munich and Aston Villa have already announced they will play a friendly in Hong Kong on Friday, August 7.

During pre-season last year, 50,000 sell-out crowds in Hong Kong watched Liverpool play AC Milan and Tottenham face Arsenal in the first north London derby outside of the UK.

Tens of thousands also turned out to watch the teams’ open training sessions.

Published on Apr 21, 2026

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#Hong #Kong #host #Man #City #Chelsea #Inter #Juventus #preseason #friendly

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Deadspin | Masyn Winn powers Cardinals past Astros for extra-innings win <div id=""><section id="0" class=" w-full"><div class="xl:container mx-0 !px-4 py-0 pb-4 !mx-0 !px-0"><img src="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28767583.jpg" srcset="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/28767583.jpg" alt="MLB: St. Louis Cardinals at Houston Astros" class="w-full" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><span class="text-0.8 leading-tight">Apr 19, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (0) hits a single against the Houston Astros during the sixth inning at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images<!-- --> <!-- --> </span></div></section><section id="section-1"> <p>Masyn Winn, whose two-out single sparked a four-run uprising in the fifth inning, delivered a bases-clearing double in the top of the 10th that lifted the St. Louis Cardinals to a 7-5 win over the host Houston Astros and a three-game interleague series sweep.</p> </section><section id="section-2"> <p>Winn plated Ivan Herrera, Jordan Walker and Ramon Urias by driving an 0-1 fastball from Houston left-hander Bryan King (0-1) into the left-field corner. Winn, a Houston-area native, finished 5-for-15 with seven RBIs in the series.</p> </section><section id="section-3"> <p>The Astros countered the Cardinals’ four-run fifth by scoring three runs with two outs in the bottom of the eighth. Yordan Alvarez ignited the comeback with his third home run of the series and 10th of the season, a solo shot off JoJo Romero before Jose Altuve singled and Christian Walker worked a 10-pitch walk. Isaac Paredes followed by snapping an 0-for-20 skid with a two-run single to right-center off Cardinals closer Riley O’Brien (3-0) that tied the game at 4-4.</p> </section><section id="section-4"> <p>Houston seized a 1-0 lead in the third against Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore when Taylor Trammell produced his first career triple with one out in the frame. Trammell scored when Carlos Correa lifted a sacrifice fly to Victor Scott II in shallow center, with Scott short-hopping his throw home off the mound.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-5"> <p>Liberatore allowed one run on three hits and two walks with four strikeouts over six innings.</p> </section> <section id="section-6"> <p>Astros starter Mike Burrows retired the first 14 batters he faced and had a two-strike count on Winn before the bottom suddenly fell out beneath him in the fifth. Winn bounced a 2-2 slider into left for the Cardinals’ first hit before Nathan Church walked and Pedro Pages reached on an infield single to Paredes at third that loaded the bases.</p> </section><section id="section-7"> <p>Scott tied the game with a bases-loaded walk that plated Winn, and JJ Wetherholt delivered a two-run single to right that scored Church and Pages and chased Burrows. Herrera greeted reliever Steven Okert with a single that capped the four-run rally.</p> </section><section id="section-8"> <p>Burrows allowed four runs on three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings. All three starters for the Astros in the series surrendered four earned runs.</p> </section><section id="section-9"> <p>–Field Level Media</p> </section></div> #Deadspin #Masyn #Winn #powers #Cardinals #Astros #extrainnings #win

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We Didn’t Know You Could Be Obsessed With A Floor Cleaner, But This One Is Worth It

Austria vs. Algeria isn’t exactly the kind of match that soccer fans have circled on their calendar when it comes to the World Cup. Set to take place at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday night, it’s not exactly a match brimming with star players, potential Golden Boot winners, or elite club talent — but it’s rich in historical hatred. That has transformed a relatively ho-hum Group Stage match into must-watch television when it comes to drama.

As it stands, both teams are tied with three points in Group J after beating Jordan and losing to Argentina. The only thing keeping Austria ahead is their 0 goal differential, to Algeria’s -2. This makes the math pretty darn easy for Saturday night: If Algeria wins, they’re through to the knockout round, if Austria either wins or ties, then they’re through. The drama comes from a similar scenario that happened in 1982 when Austria and Algeria shared a group, and an incident that’s so infamous it has its own title in three different languages, translating as: “The Disgrace of Gijón,” “The Shame of Gijón,” and “The Match of Shame.”

The 1982 World Cup in Spain was the first cup Algeria ever qualified for. Little was expected out of the debuting nation, especially when it was announced they would share Group 2 with Austria, Chile, and powerhouse West Germany. Written off by everyone outside of Algiers, things took a dramatic turn in the opening game when Algeria stunned West Germany in one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. The 2-1 win was so unimaginable that it was compared to South Korea’s win over Italy at the 1966 World Cup for the greatest upset of all time.

It immediately made Algeria stand out, and it seemed plausible they might actually be able to put up a fight. The team lost 2-0 to Austria in their second game, but fought back to beat Chile 3-2. At the time a win was worth two points and a draw was one, which left Algeria second in the standings behind Austria with one game to play. They would need to wait to see what happened between West Germany and Austria to decide their fate.

We don’t need to hundreds of years of world history to understand the relationship with Austria and Germany outside of the fact they were allies for generations, and the two German-speaking nations faced off in the final match of the group. The group had four possible outcomes depending on what happened.

  1. Austria wins, meaning that Austria and Algeria advance
  2. Austria and Germany tie, meaning that Austria and Algeria advance
  3. West Germany wins by fewer than three goals, meaning Austria and West Germany advance
  4. West Germany wins by four goals or greater, meaning West Germany and Algeria advance

There was one scenario, No. 3, that would cause both nations to guarantee they would advance. West Germany had to win the game, but not beat Austria so badly that it took their goal differential below Algeria. The Disgrace of Gijón was on.

It’s unclear when the teams made a non-aggression pact, but it was clear from the kickoff that this wasn’t going to be a normal game. West Germany scored within the first 10 minutes with relative ease, then the game ground to a halt. For 80 minutes, the sides passed the ball inside their own half — often kicking back to the keeper who would then deliver a long ball into the other side of the field, at which point the other team would just pointlessly pass the ball around. If anyone found themselves close to a scoring opportunity they would wildly shoot the ball off target, just to preserve the 1-0 score until the final whistle.

There was so much disgust from everyone observing that there were in-game protests. Booing rang out through the stadium as fans realized what Austria and West Germany were doing, while German radio announcer Eberhard Stanjek refused to commentate the game any longer. It was similarly decried in Austria, where TV announcer Robert Seeger told viewers to turn off the game.

After 90 minutes it was over. West Germany won 1-0, meaning they would go through to the knockout round with Austria. Algeria was left holding the bag, being eliminated by goal differential. Algeria appealed to FIFA, but the governing body said that neither team had broken the rules — even if they had gone against the spirit of the game.

This brings us to Saturday night. 34 years of anger over “The Disgrace of Gijón” has a chance to be rectified with vengeance. If Algeria beats Austria, they will advance and eliminate the team that screwed them over in 1982. Sure, the players on both teams might not remember — but Algerians do, and this would be a small measure of justice. That mans the game on Saturday night means much, much more than a simple Group Stage game, it’s for national pride.

#Austria #Algeria #World #Cup #grudge #match #years #making">Austria vs. Algeria is a World Cup grudge match 34 years in the making  Austria vs. Algeria isn’t exactly the kind of match that soccer fans have circled on their calendar when it comes to the World Cup. Set to take place at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday night, it’s not exactly a match brimming with star players, potential Golden Boot winners, or elite club talent — but it’s rich in historical hatred. That has transformed a relatively ho-hum Group Stage match into must-watch television when it comes to drama.As it stands, both teams are tied with three points in Group J after beating Jordan and losing to Argentina. The only thing keeping Austria ahead is their 0 goal differential, to Algeria’s -2. This makes the math pretty darn easy for Saturday night: If Algeria wins, they’re through to the knockout round, if Austria either wins or ties, then they’re through. The drama comes from a similar scenario that happened in 1982 when Austria and Algeria shared a group, and an incident that’s so infamous it has its own title in three different languages, translating as: “The Disgrace of Gijón,” “The Shame of Gijón,” and “The Match of Shame.”The 1982 World Cup in Spain was the first cup Algeria ever qualified for. Little was expected out of the debuting nation, especially when it was announced they would share Group 2 with Austria, Chile, and powerhouse West Germany. Written off by everyone outside of Algiers, things took a dramatic turn in the opening game when Algeria stunned West Germany in one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history. The 2-1 win was so unimaginable that it was compared to South Korea’s win over Italy at the 1966 World Cup for the greatest upset of all time.It immediately made Algeria stand out, and it seemed plausible they might actually be able to put up a fight. The team lost 2-0 to Austria in their second game, but fought back to beat Chile 3-2. At the time a win was worth two points and a draw was one, which left Algeria second in the standings behind Austria with one game to play. They would need to wait to see what happened between West Germany and Austria to decide their fate.We don’t need to hundreds of years of world history to understand the relationship with Austria and Germany outside of the fact they were allies for generations, and the two German-speaking nations faced off in the final match of the group. The group had four possible outcomes depending on what happened.Austria wins, meaning that Austria and Algeria advanceAustria and Germany tie, meaning that Austria and Algeria advanceWest Germany wins by fewer than three goals, meaning Austria and West Germany advanceWest Germany wins by four goals or greater, meaning West Germany and Algeria advanceThere was one scenario, No. 3, that would cause both nations to guarantee they would advance. West Germany had to win the game, but not beat Austria so badly that it took their goal differential below Algeria. The Disgrace of Gijón was on.It’s unclear when the teams made a non-aggression pact, but it was clear from the kickoff that this wasn’t going to be a normal game. West Germany scored within the first 10 minutes with relative ease, then the game ground to a halt. For 80 minutes, the sides passed the ball inside their own half — often kicking back to the keeper who would then deliver a long ball into the other side of the field, at which point the other team would just pointlessly pass the ball around. If anyone found themselves close to a scoring opportunity they would wildly shoot the ball off target, just to preserve the 1-0 score until the final whistle.There was so much disgust from everyone observing that there were in-game protests. Booing rang out through the stadium as fans realized what Austria and West Germany were doing, while German radio announcer Eberhard Stanjek refused to commentate the game any longer. It was similarly decried in Austria, where TV announcer Robert Seeger told viewers to turn off the game.After 90 minutes it was over. West Germany won 1-0, meaning they would go through to the knockout round with Austria. Algeria was left holding the bag, being eliminated by goal differential. Algeria appealed to FIFA, but the governing body said that neither team had broken the rules — even if they had gone against the spirit of the game.This brings us to Saturday night. 34 years of anger over “The Disgrace of Gijón” has a chance to be rectified with vengeance. If Algeria beats Austria, they will advance and eliminate the team that screwed them over in 1982. Sure, the players on both teams might not remember — but Algerians do, and this would be a small measure of justice. That mans the game on Saturday night means much, much more than a simple Group Stage game, it’s for national pride.  #Austria #Algeria #World #Cup #grudge #match #years #making

India vs Ireland, 1st T20I LIVE score: IRE 51/3 (7); Harshit, Arshdeep put IND on top against IRE, no Sooryavanshi debut  Many eyes will be trained to see if Vaibhav Sooryavanshi makes his India debut when it takes on Ireland in the first T20I between the sides at the Civil Service Country Ground in Belfast on June 26.If he plays, Sooryavanshi will become the youngest player to debut for the Indian men’s team, and the second-youngest overall behind Gargi Bannerjee, who played for India at 14 years and 165 days.Sooryavanshi has forced his name into national contention after a record-shattering IPL 2026 season in which he won the Orange Cap award for most runs.However, the early indications are that Sooryavanshi will have to wait his turn to play behind India’s settled top-order of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, and Ishan Kishan.  #India #Ireland #1st #T20I #LIVE #score #IRE #Harshit #Arshdeep #put #IND #top #IRE #Sooryavanshi #debut

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