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Lukaku scores 2 in Roma’s 4-1 win at Cagliari. Dybala exits with an apparent injury

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:37:38 GMT

ROME (AP) — Romelu Lukaku is making an immediate impact at Roma. Paulo Dybala, meanwhile, remains injury prone.Lukaku scored twice in Roma’s 4-1 win at last-place Cagliari in Serie A on Sunday to raise his tally to seven goals in eight matches across all competitions with the Giallorossi.“A lot of things were said about me but I worked hard over the summer,” Lukaku said. “I’m a professional.”Dybala exited the match in the first half with a left knee issue.Lukaku used his chest to redirect in a cross from Rick Karsdorp following a set up from Leonardo Spinazzola early on. Then he took a pass from Leandro Paredes to score again with a precise shot from inside the area in the 87th.Houssem Aouar had put Roma ahead a minute before Lukaku’s first goal and Andrea Belotti also scored for the Giallorossi after replacing Dybala.Nahitan Nandez converted a late penalty for Cagliari.Lukaku, who joined Roma on loan in August, has also been key in the Europa League. He scored the winner in R...

Max Verstappen follows up F1 title with victory in Qatar Grand Prix

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:37:38 GMT

LOSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Max Verstappen followed up his third Formula One title with yet another race win Sunday as he eased to victory in the Qatar Grand Prix and lapped his teammate Sergio Perez in the process.The Red Bull driver, who clinched the title in Saturday’s sprint race, started on pole and was comfortably ahead of the rest of the field on his way to his 14th Grand Prix win in 2023.Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris finished second and third in a double podium finish for McLaren.The two Mercedes of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton started behind Verstappen on the grid but collided at the first corner, ending seven-time champion Hamilton’s race. Piastri charged through for second place as Fernando Alonso and Charles Leclerc ahead of him slowed to avoid the crash.Safety concerns over the tires meant drivers were banned from using the same tires for more than 18 laps. That meant a minimum of three pit stops in the 57-lap race, so strategy played a prominent role.___AP a...

AP Top 25: Oklahoma jumps to No. 5, Miami slides after epic gaffe and hoops schools make history

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:37:38 GMT

Oklahoma moved up to No. 5 in The Associated Press college football poll Sunday, Miami’s late-game gaffe nearly cost the 25th-ranked Hurricanes a spot in rankings and six basketball blue bloods made some history.No. 1 Georgia, coming off its best game of the season, a rout of Kentucky, regained some of the first-place votes it lost in the AP Top 25 last week when it needed a late rally to stay unbeaten at Auburn.The Bulldogs got 50 first-place votes after 35 last week. No. 2 Michigan received 11 first-place votes as the Wolverines roll along unbeaten and untested.No. 3 Ohio State and No. 4 Florida State each moved up a spot and received a first-place vote.Oklahoma jumped seven after beating Texas on Saturday to re-enter the top 10 for the first time since mid-September of last year, when it started tumbling toward a 6-7 season.The Longhorns slipped six spots to No. 9.No. 6 Penn State held its spot, as did No. 7 Washington and No. 8 Oregon a week before their Pac-12 showdown.US...

Wolves hold Aston Villa to 1-1 draw in Premier League

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:37:38 GMT

WOLVERHAMPTON, England (AP) — Aston Villa missed the chance to climb into the Premier League’s top four after it was held to a 1-1 draw at Wolverhampton on Sunday.Pau Torres equalized for Villa in the 55th minute, just two minutes after Hwang-Hee Chan had given Wolves the lead. Villa nearly scored a winner after Wolves’ Mario Lemina was sent off in stoppage time for a second booking as Ollie Watkins hit the post with the final touch of the match.Villa would have gone above Liverpool with a win but stayed a point behind in fifth place. For Wolves, it was another solid point following last week’s surprising 2-1 win over Manchester City to continue their progress under manager Gary O’Neil.After a first half with few real chances, Wolves grabbed the lead after 53 minutes when Pedro Neto sent in a low cross for Hwang to poke in his fifth league goal of the season from close range.But the celebrations were cut short just two minutes later when Villa hit back. The hosts failed to cle...

Tonga ends Rugby World Cup with win against Romania

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:37:38 GMT

LILLE, France (AP) — Tonga leaves the Rugby World Cup with a win after overpowering Romania 45-24 in their pool finale on Sunday.Both teams were drowned by Ireland, South Africa and Scotland in the deepest pool of the tournament, but against each other the ‘Ikale Tahi and Oaks found a contest in which they could express more of themselves and produced an entertaining, 10-try farewell.Tonga blasted to 21-3 and Romania came back to close within four points twice. Tonga pulled away in the last quarter when its zippier backs added three more tries for seven in total.The Tongans’ highest score and biggest margin in Rugby World Cup history ensured a win at a fifth consecutive tournament.Despite a prideful end, Romania finished on the bottom of Pool B with a bunch of unwanted records in their tournament history: Most points conceded (287), most tries conceded (43), and record defeats to their last six opponents.Tonga’s physicality steamrolled Romania in the first quarter ...

Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad says it is holding 30 Israelis captive in Gaza

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:37:38 GMT

BEIRUT (AP) — Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad says it is holding 30 Israelis captive in Gaza.Source

Colts lose rookie QB Anthony Richardson against Titans with right shoulder injury

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:37:38 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson left Sunday’s game with a right shoulder injury late in the first half. The Colts said he was questionable to return.The rookie was hurt at the end of a 4-yard run with 4:29 to play. He appeared to go down awkwardly and also took a hit to the shoulder.Richardson stayed down for several minutes before walking slowly to the injury tent and eventually to the locker room.He was the fourth overall selection in April’s draft and has made four starts this season, but only has finished one game. ___AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFLSource

Bayern eases to 3-0 win over Freiburg but Bayer Leverkusen returns to top of the Bundesliga

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:37:38 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Kingsley Coman scored twice as Bayern Munich eased to a 3-0 win over Freiburg but it was Bayer Leverkusen which returned to the top of the Bundesliga on Sunday.Goals from Coman and Leroy Sané gave the 11-time defending champion its fifth win from seven league games and extended Freiburg’s miserable run in Munich. Freiburg has never beaten Bayern in Munich in 24 attempts in the Bundesliga.Coman opened the scoring in the 12th minute when what looked like an intended cross flew over the Freiburg goalkeeper, Noah Atubolu, and in off the far post.Sané made it 2-0 in the 25th when he played a one-two with Harry Kane through a host of players before finishing for his sixth goal of the season.Sané scored again before the break, with a brilliant finish inside the far post after he played the ball through a defender’s legs, but the goal was ruled out through VAR for an apparent offside.Freiburg failed to put any notable pressure on Bayern, which was content to maintain pos...

Mac Jones benched again as Patriots get shut out by Saints 34-0

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:37:38 GMT

FOXBORO — Patriots head coach Bill Belichick made an ominous statement early last week when he said the “formula” to winning, based on Week 3’s result over the Jets, was to not turn the ball over or allow any sacks.You can guess how the Patriots fared Sunday against the Saints when quarterback Mac Jones threw a pick-six, another interception and fumbled an errant pitch to running back Rhamondre Stevenson deep in their own territory.Related ArticlesNew England Patriots | Patriots lose three key players Week 3 vs. Saints New England Patriots | Patrots inactives: J.C. Jackson, Jonathan Jones both dressing vs. Saints New England Patriots | Patriots-Saints preview: Can Bill Belichick and Mac Jones stop the bleeding? New England Patriots | Patriots make series of transactions day before game vs. Saints New England Patriots | NFL notes: The Patriots have failed Mac Jones, but they need quarterback to save them...

Bruins make room for John Beecher

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 11:37:38 GMT

The Bruins got under the 23-man NHL roster limit on Sunday, but there’s a good chance that they aren’t done shifting bodies around.The B’s waived veteran forwards A.J. Greer and Patrick Brown, clearing the way for their 2019 pick John Beecher to the make the team as the fourth-line center. The 6-foot-3, 215 Beecher has had a strong camp and earned the spot with his speed and long reach.That put the B’s roster at 22 players with Danton Heinen still in camp on a tryout agreement but they are currently too tight against the cap to sign him.If they want to sign him – and considering he’s still here with the season opener on Wednesday, it’s a good bet that they do – they could send rookie Mason Lohrei down to Providence without having to expose him to waivers. Or perhaps they’re thinking to make a trade on the back end that would allow the prized defense recruit Lohrei to develop at the NHL level. We shall see.As of right now, it looks like at le...