Erik ten Hag says there can be no excuse for Manchester United's "unacceptable" second-half display after they let a two-goal lead slip in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Aston Villa.
Jadon Sancho's third goal of pre-season and a Matty Cash own goal put United in a commanding position at half-time in the friendly at Optus Stadium in Perth.
However, the Red Devils were unable to see out a fourth win in four outings, as Leon Bailey pulled one back and Calum Chambers headed in a 93rd-minute leveller.
While disappointed his side dropped off after the break, Ten Hag is glad it happened in a friendly rather than in a competitive contest.
"I said in the dressing room, a drop of focus is unacceptable, but I'm happy because now I can tell them it cannot happen [again]," he said in his post-match news conference.
"[At the start of the second half you] have to get out of the dressing room and back in your plan and your focus and back to your performance and that is what we didn't do.
"We had a lot of movement behind the defending line, scored two great goals, so we were 2-0 up at half-time, and then our focus dropped."
United's fourth and final friendly in 11 days on their tour of Thailand and Australia was played in wet conditions, with concerns raised over the quality of the pitch ahead of kick-off.
Ten Hag did not want to use the playing surface as a reason for their shortcomings.
"It can be that the guys are tired, but that's not an excuse. They have to perform and it is what we didn't do in the second half," he said.
"It was the focus. I don't want to make excuses about the pitch or weather. No matter what, we have to perform.
"Football is a sport of mistakes and we have to decrease the mistakes. That's clear, but I have seen a lot of progress in these two weeks.
"In the first half I saw really good football, really controlling and dominating the game, but we have to learn from what happened in the second half.
"It's not possible that you go 2-0 [ahead] and then throw it away."
United face Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano next weekend in their final outings ahead of taking on Brighton and Hove Albion in their opening Premier League match.
Gabriel Jesus has revealed he was persuaded to join Arsenal after Edu and Mikel Arteta 'surprised' him with data on his career and how he can improve his game.
The Brazilian forward joins the north London side after five trophy-laden years at Manchester City, where he worked with Arteta during his spell as assistant manager to Pep Guardiola.
Jesus' arrival comes amid a period of transition within Arsenal's attack, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joining Barcelona in January and Alexandre Lacazette returning to Lyon on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract.
Arsenal's capture of Jesus is a major statement of intent and comes in a recruitment drive that has seen the Gunners splash over £100 million for the second season in a row, with Oleksandr Zinchenko the latest arrival having also swapped City for Arsenal.
Giving up Champions League football to join Arsenal, the decision to move came in a crucial period for Jesus ahead of the World Cup later this year and Jesus has admitted he was 'surprised' by what was presented to him.
Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz has been penalised for excessive engine usage, meaning he will start the French Grand Prix from the back of the grid.
Sainz sits in fourth place in the drivers' championship, and finished the final practice in second place.
However, he will now start Sunday's race from the back after Ferrari took their fourth new engine of the season, one more than is permitted.
This penalty has been added on to the 10-place sanction that he had been given for the new electronics control unit that Ferrari opted for on Friday.
He will be joined at the back of the grid by Kevin Magnussen of Haas, who was penalised for changing power unit components.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen was fastest in the final practice, with the reigning champion clear of Sainz's Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc, who finished third quickest.
Leonardo Bonnuci feels Matthijs de Ligt's comments on his desire to depart Juventus showed a lack of respect to the Bianconeri, after the latter completed his move to Bayern Munich.
The Netherlands international sealed his switch to the Bundesliga champions from Turin earlier this month, ending his three-year stint at the Allianz Stadium.
De Ligt made no secret of his desire to move away from Juve, particularly after missing out on the Scudetto in each of the last two seasons.
But while Bonucci wishes his former defensive partner the best, he admits he had to address some of his words before he departed.
"De Ligt’s exit didn’t surprise me because certain comments made it clear he didn’t want to stay at Juventus," the Italy international stated after the Bianconeri beat Guadalajara 2-0 in a pre-season friendly in Las Vegas.
"But I think at the end of the day, you need to be respectful. The group he was with for three years helped him grow, and the club invested in him.
"I wish him the best, but certain comments he made on international duty were not very nice. We spoke about it after our holidays, and he understood.
"Bayern are a great club, but just being at a top club doesn’t mean you are guaranteed to win."
Bonucci, meanwhile, has not given up hope of completing his club trophy cabinet.with Juventus, despite their recent drop in form.
A multiple Serie A and Coppa Italia winner during his time in Turin - along with a Euro 2020 triumph with the Azzurri - the Champions League remains the last major club honour to elude him, having been a beaten finalist on two occasions.
"When I joined, my dream was to have a great career and win everything," he added. "I’ve almost achieved it; I’m 90 per cent there. I’m just missing that tiny piece, which hurts us Juve fans.
"Let’s hope that over the next two years of my contract we can find stability in Europe again. Winning is always difficult. The first step is to reach the quarter-finals, then you need luck.
"In a season so unique, anything can happen, so why not believe in Juve’s future in Europe?"
Bernarda Pera claimed her second WTA title in as many weeks by defeating Anett Kontaveit 6-2 6-4 in the Hamburg European Open final.
The world number 81 continued her rich vein of form, having also captured the Budapest Grand Prix crown last weekend.
Pera, who won four out of six break points, stretched her winning streak to 12 matches, while she has also now reeled off 24 sets without reply.
Kontaveit had prevailed as a commanding straight-sets winner when the pair faced off in the opening round at Wimbledon four weeks ago.
Champion in St Petersburg and runner-up to Iga Swiatek in Doha, the Estonian became the fourth player to appear in at least three finals this season after Swiatek, Ons Jabeur and Veronika Kudermetova.
But the top seed was broken in the opening game by Pera, who won 16 out of 19 points on her first serve as she stormed through the first set.
The American then rescued two break points in the second set, while converting two of her own to secure consecutive breaks and move to the brink of the title.
Kontaveit dug deep; breaking back and winning eight of the next 11 points to stay alive at 5-4, but a long forehand in the next game sealed the deal for Pera.
Juventus winger Juan Cuadrado believes "a very strong Juve is being born" ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.
The Colombia international was speaking after a 2-0 friendly win over Mexican side Guadalajara in Las Vegas; Marco Da Graca and Mattia Compagnon on target at the Allegiant Stadium.
Juventus struggled at the beginning of last season, but they soon picked up under head coach Massimiliano Allegri and finished fourth in Serie A to ensure Champions League qualification.
While they have lost key defender Matthijs de Ligt to Bayern Munich, the Bianconceri have brought in the likes of Angel Di Maria and the returning Paul Pogba on free transfers, as well as Bremer from Torino.
Cuadrado was positive about both the Guadalajara win and the future of Juventus, telling the club's official channels: "[It was] a beautiful evening, even if it was a friendly match.
"For us, it is always important to seek victory, and we have. Chivas are a good team, but we now want to also do well in the next matches.
"A very strong Juve is being born, with many quality players, great new arrivals."
And it is clear that head coach Allegri is putting the players to work ahead of the forthcoming Serie A campaign.
When asked what the boss was asking of them in pre-season, Cuadrado replied: "Run, run, run."
Erik ten Hag believes Manchester United's 2-2 draw with Aston Villa in Australia will provide important experience for the forthcoming season, following a second-half fightback from Steven Gerrard's side.
Jadon Sancho scored his third goal in four pre-season games with a first-half volley, which was added to by an own goal, but Leon Bailey pulled one back for Villa in the second half before Calum Chambers' equaliser in the dying moments.
The draw ends United's perfect pre-season run so far, having won each of their three games prior to the clash against their fellow Premier League side, but Ten Hag has seen the positives and believes the setback can provide an education for the upcoming season.
"First half, it was a decent performance, second half, we came back out of the dressing room and we had to control the game but we gave it away. That is no good, so that is a lesson," he told MUTV.
"From the players, the team, I think there has been a lot of progress. There's been some positive aspects.
"In the end there was a setback but that is also a part of the season because a season is not always getting up, you will also have setbacks that you have to deal with."
United face Atletico Madrid in Oslo later this week in their penultimate pre-season match, before bringing their preparations for 2022-23 to a close against Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford next Sunday, and Ten Hag has outlined how he wants his team to continue to play in those games.
"We now play a different type of football against different systems, I think that will also be the case when we play the two Spanish teams," he added.
"What we want is to play proactive football, we want to play with initiative, we want to play attacking football. That is also what we have seen today over a long period but in the end, you have to control the game and that's what we didn't do."
Kyler Murray had no desire to continue his NFL career anywhere other than with the Arizona Cardinals, the quarterback said after signing a five-year, $230.5million contract extension.
Murray and the Cardinals finally reached agreement on a deal that contains $160m guaranteed on Thursday, rewarding him for three seasons of largely stellar play and Arizona's first playoff appearance since 2015 last season.
Negotiations between the two franchises had not always appeared to be harmonious, particularly in late February when Murray and his agent Erik Burkhardt released a statement seemingly urging the Cardinals to prioritise signing the former to a long-term deal rather than simply talking about it.
But, with the saga behind them, Murray is now fully focused on his ultimate goal in the NFL.
"My job is to fulfill my promise and bring a championship here. There's no question about it," Murray said.
"There's no other place that I wanted to be this whole time. And I mean that."
Murray prompted a heated reaction on social media when he deleted all photos relating to the Cardinals from his Instagram account following his appearance in the Pro Bowl.
"All the social media stuff and all that, that's going to happen regardless," Murray added. "Play good, they love you. Play bad, they hate you.
"It is what it is. That's just this day and age. You've got to have tough skin. So, I've grown up in it. So, it's nothing new."
Before being selected as the first overall pick by Arizona in 2019, Murray was picked ninth overall in the 2018 MLB Draft by the Oakland Athletics and signed a contract with the A's.
Asked if this extension ends any prospect of Murray eventually switching to baseball, Cardinals general manager Steve Keim interjected and could not resist a dig at the A's, who have parted with a host of their stars in recent times and have the second-lowest payroll in MLB at $48.5m.
"Did you guys see the payroll of the Oakland A's versus this contract?" Keim replied. "Enough said."
Lando Norris believes McLaren's porpoising ahead of the French Grand Prix is a positive, stating it shows the team are heading in the right direction.
McLaren have been unable to keep pace with the likes of Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes so far this season, sitting joint-fourth in the Constructor's Championship alongside Alpine with 81 points.
Meanwhile, Norris sits seventh in the Drivers' Championship after a difficult campaign that has seen just one podium finish, coming at Imola in April, and has finished outside the top five in every race since.
McLaren have introduced a new aero package for the French Grand Prix and, while it has resulted in porpoising, Norris believes that is a sign that things are on the right track.
"It felt like I had a decent amount. The last few races we've had quite a bit at times, Silverstone we had a lot as well, so I'm not surprised. Not a shock," he said.
"Yeah, I'm hoping it's kind of a good thing that, if we can improve the car, sometimes that promotes porpoising.
"Apart from Red Bull, it seems like it's what Ferrari and Mercedes have had a lot of, and they are obviously a lot quicker than us.
"But I think, as we're trying to improve the car, sometimes we expose this phenomenon and yeah, it's maybe not a bad thing. Sometimes it means you're heading in the right direction."
Norris was sixth-fastest in FP2 on Friday, ahead of team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, with both running the new aero package for the second session after the Australian also ran it in FP1 – and Norris admitted the car felt 'different' to drive.
"Just different, I wouldn't say trickier. It's just the feeling you get behind the wheel, you're so sensitive, you get so used to things," he explained.
"As soon as something feels just a little bit off, you have to figure out why that's happening and what it's doing, what the reasoning is for it, and then how to overcome it and maximise it again.
"So I guess I'm playing a little bit of catch-up and just trying to understand all of that, comparing to Daniel, but at the same time, it's been good we've been able to compare data easily today, because we chose that strategy of me not having it, him having it."
Five-time 100m World champion, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, admits the Jamaica team would benefit greatly from more relay practices but is confident they will have the ability to cause plenty of damage in the final on Saturday.
On Friday, a second-string team that featured a quartet of Briana Williams, Nataliah Whyte and Remona Burchell, and Kemba Nelson, made it to the finals with very little drama, after finishing behind Great Britain with a time of 42.37.
Even so, the Jamaican team’s changeovers were significantly slower than that of the British team who won the event with a time of 41.99. Great Britain's combined changeover splits were clocked at 6.26, with the second place Jamaicans coming in at 6.77, the second slowest in the field. The Jamaicans have also had their fair share of mishaps when it comes to getting the stick around in previous games. Most notably, the team failed to complete the baton changes at the 2008 Olympic Games where they were heavy favourites.
“If I’m being honest, we don’t do a lot of relay practice in Jamaica which I think can be a downfall for us. I think if we had time to have relay camps we would be better at the 4x100s,” Fraser-Pryce said on Friday.
With that being said, the Jamaicans have a solid record at the World Championships recently and have won the event at 4 of the last 6 editions. With 100m champion Fraser-Pryce, 200m champion Shericka Jackson and Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah to join the line-up, for the final, the team has plenty of firepower left in reserve.
“We just pray to God when the finals come we will have a blistering run and we will have Shericka (Jackson) with that 21.4, listen it’s over!” the athlete quipped.
The Jamaica men's team, who once dominated with quartets led by the legendary Usain Bolt, also advanced out of the heats but as one of the fastest losers. Competing in heat 2 the quartet of Ackeem Blake, Kemar Bailey-Cole, Conroy Jones and Jelani Walker finished fourth in 38.33.
Sydney McLaughlin broke her own world record by almost three-quarters of a second to win 400m hurdles gold at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon on Friday.
The American, who claimed double gold at Tokyo 2020 last year, including in this event, blew past her rivals to post a new world-best time of 50.68 seconds.
It marked a further reduction on the previous world record she set last month with a remarkable 51.41 seconds, and now means she possesses five of the six fastest times in the race's history.
The Netherlands' Femke Bol, who nabbed bronze last year in Japan, came home second for silver behind the 22-year-old, with 52.27, while United States team-mate Dalilah Muhammad.settled for bronze.
"The time is absolutely amazing and the sport is getting faster and faster," said McLaughlin. "I only get faster from here."
McLaughlin is now expected to consider a potential switch in her field, with a move to the 400m flat a likely option.
Everton are to offer free tickets to Ukrainian refugees on Merseyside for their pre-season friendly with Dynamo Kyiv later this month, the club has announced.
The encounter, part of the Ukrainian Premier League outfit's Match for Peace initiative, was already set to deliver proceeds towards humanitarian charities supporting the nation's citizens following their invasion by Russia.
The Toffees, who signed Vitaliy Mykolenko from Dynamo in January, and made a £500,000 contribution to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal in March, will now go a step further, with displaced natives set to be allowed free entry.
The club are working with councils around the Merseyside area to ensure invitations are handed out for the match, which will be played on July 29, to those housed through the government’s Homes For Ukraine scheme.
"We are committed to doing all we can to help those people impacted by the shocking war in Ukraine," manager Frank Lampard stated.
"This game provides a spotlight on that fundraising activity and by raising funds together, we can help those affected by the ongoing conflict."
New York Yankees star Aaron Judge extended his league-leading home run tally as he connected on number 35 and 36 for the season in his side's 7-6 away win against the Baltimore Orioles.
With the game scoreless in the third inning and with two outs, the Yankees were able to keep the frame alive with a walk to Joey Gallo and a base hit for D.J. LeMahieu, setting up Judge to bring them both home with a 436-foot blast over the left-field wall.
The Orioles struck back nearly instantly, starting their half of the third with a Ramon Urias single, followed by a Jorge Mateo RBI double and a RBI base hit for Cedric Mullins to trim the margin to 3-2.
All-Star catcher Jose Trevino made it 4-2 for the Yankees when his double brought around Josh Donaldson to score in the fourth inning, and an inning later Judge did it again, this time with a monstrous 465-foot solo bomb for his 36th home run of the season.
He is six home runs clear of Kyle Schwarber (30) in second place, and nobody else has more than 28.
The ice-cold Gallo also hit a solo home run to make it 7-3 in the seventh frame, and it proved to be a crucial run as Anthony Santander hit a three-run shot in the bottom of the same inning to make it 7-6.
But the Yankees bullpen was up to the task of defending the lead, with Michael King collecting three outs from the three batters he faced, before Clay Holmes came in for the five-out save.
With the win, the Yankees move to 65-30 for the season, two games clear of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros for the best record in baseball.
Blue Jays score 28 at Fenway Park
The Toronto Blue Jays made a mess of the Boston Red Sox, with an 11-run fifth inning headlining an outrageous 28-5 victory, the most runs ever scored by the Blue Jays in a single game.
There were some horrific fielding mistakes from the Red Sox, with none worse than center-fielder Jarren Duran losing track of a fly-ball in the third inning with bases loaded, allowing Raimel Tapia to come around for an inside-the-park grand slam. It was the first inside-the-park grand slam since 2017.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr finished six-for-seven at the plate, Tapia batted in six runs, Danny Jansen batted in six runs, and nine Blue Jays finished with multiple hits.
Astros snap Mariners' 14-game winning streak
The Seattle Mariners' winning streak has been broken at 14 games, one shy of their franchise record set back in 2001, losing to the Houston Astros 5-2 after rookie All-Star Julio Rodriguez was a late scratching due to wrist soreness.
A strong pitching performance from Astros starter Jose Urquidy kept the Mariners scoreless through the first five innings, allowing the visiting side to build a strong 5-0 lead highlighted by solo home runs to Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez and Martin Maldonado.
The win ties the Astros with the Dodgers for the second-best record in the majors at 62-32.
Matthew Tkachuk will be trading his winter coat and gloves for sunglasses and sandals after a blockbuster trade sent him from the Calgary Flames to the Florida Panthers on Friday.
In a deal with two of the league’s best players swapping teams, the Panthers acquired high-scoring forward Tkachuk from the Flames in exchange for Jonathan Huberdeau, defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, prospect Cole Schwindt and a conditional 2025 first-round draft pick.
Tkachuk, coming off career bests of 42 goals, 62 assists and 104 points this past season, signed an eight-year extension with Florida, a deal that will keep him with the team through the 2029-30 season. He said earlier in the week that he would not sign a long-term contract to stay in Calgary and that led to trade talks, with no shortage of teams hoping to land the 24-year-old.
''Matthew is a tenacious, physical competitor who possesses a tremendously unique skillset,'' Panthers general manager Bill Zito said. ''He is a consistent elite offensive contributor and has emerged as one of the most complete and dynamic young players in the National Hockey League. We are thrilled to be able to add a generational talent to our lineup.''
The Flames, who recently lost standout forward Johnny Gaudreau to free agency, get back a big-time playmaker in Huberdeau, who tied a career best with 30 goals last season, while setting personal bests with an NHL-high 85 assists and 115 points. Only Connor McDavid (123) had more points last season than Huberdeau, the Florida franchise leader in games, assists and points.
''We would like to thank Jonathan and MacKenzie for their immense contributions to the Florida Panthers, both on and off the ice, during their tenures in South Florida,'' Zito said. ''They have both blossomed into exceptional athletes and people. Their contributions as players and people made an indelible mark on our franchise.''
Weegar tallied eight goals with 36 assists last season in 80 games for the Panthers, who had a league-best 122 points in 2021-22 and won a playoff round for the first time since 1996 before they were swept by Tampa Bay in the second round.
Both Huberdeau and Weegar are set to be unrestricted free agents next summer.
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