Emma Hayes' unbeaten record as the United States head coach continued as her side remained perfect following their 2-1 win over Australia in Group B. 

Hayes, who took charge of the USWNT in May, has won six of her seven games at the helm, conceding just twice in that time. 

The USA, along with Spain, are the only two sides to win all of their games at the Paris Olympics so far and will have great confidence heading into the knockout stages. 

Trinity Rodman's second goal of the tournament two minutes from half-time sent them on their way, as Korbin Albert's 77th-minute strike saw her become the the youngest substitute scorer for the USA at the Olympics since Mallory Swanson against Colombia in 2016. 

Alanna Kennedy's late strike would take some of the shine off an otherwise impressive display, but the United States dominated from the first whistle. 

Hayes' side accumulated an expected goals (xG) of 2.82 from the 21 shots they had compared to Australia's 0.46, ending the match with 71.7% possession. 

The United States will face Japan in the quarter-finals of the tournament, while Australia face a nervous wait to see if they qualify as one of the best third-placed teams. 

In the other Group B encounter, Germany confirmed their place in the knockout stages alongside the United States following a comfortable 4-1 win over Zambia. 

Lea Schuller opened the scoring in the 10th minute, with Klara Buhl adding the Germans second of the afternoon shortly after the restart. 

Zambia captain Barbra Banda threatened to make the encounter a more difficult affair with her fourth goal of the tournament two minutes later. 

But Schuller and Elisa Senß would add further gloss to the performance soon after to secure second place in the group. 

Germany's triumph sets up a meeting with the runners-up of Group A, which could be either one of Colombia, France, Canada or New Zealand. 

Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram stunned gold medal favourites Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal to reach the semi-finals of the Paris Olympics. 

In what could be Nadal's final appearance at Roland-Garros, the American duo showed no mercy, prevailing in straight sets 6-2 6-4 to advance to the next round. 

After beating Roman Safiullin to reach the quarter-finals of the singles earlier that day, Alcaraz started slowly as the Spanish pair found themselves immediately behind. 

Nadal and Alcaraz would close the gap to 3-2, but their American opponents would continue their dominance, taking the next three games to see out the first set. 

The Spaniards started much better in the second, with the pairs trading blows and each holding their own serve. 

But the decisive break would come in the seventh game, with Krajicek and Ram going to within two games of producing an unlikely upset against the pre-tournament favourites. 

The Spaniards then missed two break points to take the game to 5-5, with the Americans missing two match points of their own in a thrilling final set. 

But it was Krajicek and Ram who would emerge victorious, dumping out Nadal in what may be his last dance on the court. 

They will face Czech Republic duo Adam Pavlsek and Thomas Machac for a place in the final on Saturday. 

Data Debrief: Nadalcaraz no match for American duo

The fairytale ending for Nadal has come to an end, but it took an impressive display from Krajicek and Ram to do so.

The Americans won 25 of their 57 return points compared to Nadal and Alcaraz's 19, and converted all three of their break points. 

Milan have announced the signing of Strahinja Pavlovic from Salzburg on a four-year contract.

The Rossoneri have brought him in for a reported fee of €18million, with the option for the Serbian to extend his stay by another year.

Pavlovic joined Salzburg in July 2022, helping the team to the Austrian Bundesliga title in his first campaign.

He then made 26 starts for Salzburg last season as they secured a second-place finish in the league, netting three goals, all of which were headers.

The defender is Paulo Fonseca's second major signing since replacing Stefano Pioli at Milan, following Alvaro Morata to San Siro.

Mercedes have revealed George Russell's own weight loss during the Belgian Grand Prix contributed to his disqualification.

Russell had pulled off a remarkable victory from sixth on the grid by using a one-stop strategy, edging to victory ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton by half a second.

However, the 26-year-old's car failed a post-race weight check, coming in at 1.5kg below the weight limit, and Hamilton was promoted to first place.

A report after the race confirmed the car had initially been compliant with the minimum weight but by keeping the tyres for longer, they lost more rubber.

The underbody 'plank' still complied with the regulations during the post-weight check, but had eroded more than expected.

Now, Mercedes have explained how the car lost so much weight during the race.

"The car can lose quite a lot of weight during the race. You get tyre wear, plank wear, brake wear, oil consumption.

"The drivers themselves can lose a lot, and in this particular race, George lost quite a bit of weight.

"George's car was the only one that had the problem, and it is because things like the tyre wear was much higher. It looks like we lost more material on the plank.

"We will collect all that data though, look at how we can refine our processes because, clearly, we do not want that to happen in the future."

Marta left the field in tears after being sent off for a dangerous high tackle during Brazil's 2-0 defeat to Spain in their final Group C game at the Olympics.

The Brazil great narrowly missed Olga Carmona's head with an out-of-control attempt to reach the ball in first-half stoppage time, receiving a straight red card in what could turn out to be her final-ever Olympic game.

Brazil needed a win to secure a place in the knockout rounds, but now they face a nervous wait to see if they will be one of the two best third-place teams in the last eight – a match they would have to play without their captain.

Athenea del Castillo eventually got the breakthrough after 68 minutes, before Alexia Putellas scored in the 107th minute to ensure they stayed perfect to top the group.

It was a dominant performance by La Roja, who created an expected goals tally of 2.75 from 27 shots compared to Brazil's 0.3 from 10 efforts.

Spain will face the best third-place team from either Group A or B in the quarter-final on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Japan also secured a spot in the knockout rounds with an emphatic 3-1 victory over Nigeria.

Japan stunned Brazil in the second group game and continued their momentum by getting the job done in the first half.

Maika Hamano and Mina Tanaka put them 2-0 up before Jennifer Echegini pulled one back for Nigeria.

However, Hikaru Kitagawa's strike just before the break restored Japan's two-goal cushion and held onto that lead to set up a meeting with the winners of Group B in the next round. 

Iga Swiatek edged past Danielle Collins to book her place in the semi-finals of the Paris Olympics. 

The top ranked seed was pushed all the way by her American opponent, but came through a third-set decider to win 6-1 2-6 4-1 after Collins was forced to retire. 

Swiatek asserted her dominance early on, racing into a 3-0 lead and remained in control for the rest of the first set, with Collins no match for the Pole. 

However, Collins started with a three-game lead of her own in the second set, looking a completely different player to the one who first stepped out on Court Suzanne Lenglen. 

The world number one did have two chances at 5-2 down to put the pressure back on her opponent, but Collins remained composed to take the game to a deciding third set. 

But Swiatek would find her rhythm once again, racing into a four-game lead as Collins took a medical timeout off-court. 

The American would emerge back on court to win her first game of the set but retired immediately after, handing the win to her opponent. 

Swiatek will continue her quest for a fifth success at Roland-Garros on Thursday where she will face Zheng Qinwen, who beat Angelique Kerber. 

Data Debrief: Swiatek marches on, just

Swiatek's love affair on the clay courts in the French capital continued, but it did not come without its nervy moments. 

Despite dominating the opening set, Collins was impressive with her serve, scoring seven aces in the contest compared to Swiatek's two. 

Swiatek's triumph saw her become the first Polish player in history to reach the Olympics semi-finals in the singles.

Eddie Howe is hopeful that Newcastle United can bring in a new signing soon after their resounding 4-1 win over Urawa Reds in Japan on Wednesday.

Alexander Isak opened the scoring early on before Rio Nitta levelled for the J. League side. Nick Pope then saved a penalty before Jacob Murphy scored a brace, netting either side of half-time.

Lewis Hall then rounded off the scoring just after the hour mark to ensure Newcastle made it two wins from two in pre-season.

Howe was keen to protect his players during the game as Isak was removed early on, but he was also forced to play Joelinton in defence for the final 10 minutes without a ready replacement.

Newcastle are looking to expand their squad depth, and when asked about transfer plans, Howe gave a small hint that someone could be coming soon.

"I hope so, but I have no idea how close things are," Howe said after the game.

"I hope so. We are working hard to make things happen."

Newcastle beat Hull City 2-0 in their opening pre-season match on Saturday and are currently in Japan for their tour.

The Magpies will face Yokohama before flying home to host Girona and Brest at St. James' Park, and Howe was pleased with what he saw in their second friendly as they step up their preparations for the new Premier League season.

"I thought it was a good game and good conditions to improve our fitness levels," he added.

"It was a little bit cooler at kick-off but still a hot and humid day. It has certainly helped the players, but we still have lots to improve on. I thought mentally we could not complain about the players."

Angelique Kerber's tennis career came to an end in the Paris Olympics quarter-finals after Zheng Qinwen pulled off an impressive comeback win on Wednesday.

The former world number one fought hard, but in the end, could not hold off the sixth seed, who won 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 7-6 (8-6) at Roland-Garros.

The pair traded breaks in the first set, needing a tie-break to separate them before Kerber edged in front. And while the German matched her opponent for much of the second, Zheng won the final three games to force a decider.

It would take another tie-break to decide the winner after a battling third set, and though Kerber rallied after three consecutive match points, she lost her serve on the penultimate point, and Zheng took full advantage.

Zheng will face either world number one Iga Swiatek or Danielle Collins for the right to play for a medal.

Data Debrief: Kerber says goodbye

Kerber announced before the tournament that this was to be her last, and she pushed to the very end in what turned out to be her final game.

The 36-year-old won three grand slams in her career and has already made history in Paris by reaching the most women's singles quarter-finals at the Olympics (three) since 1988, equalling Arantxa Sanchez Vicario.

She is also one of only 15 players to stay 30+ weeks at the world number 1 spot since the WTA Rankings were first published in 1975 (34 weeks in total at #1).

West Indies seamer Jayden Seales and batsman Kavem Hodge have been rewarded for their standout performances in the recently-concluded Test series against England, as both achieved career-best moves up the latest ICC Men’s Test bowling and batting rankings on Wednesday.

Though West Indies suffered a 3-0 whitewash in that ICC World Test Championship series, Seales emerged as a standout performer, as he earned the player of the series award for his 13 wickets snared across all three games.

That performance saw the 22-year-old Trinidadian move seven places up to a career-best 26th position, joining teammate Jason Holder, who held firm in that position.

Veteran seamer Kemar Roach remains the top-ranked West Indies bowler at 17th, with Alzarri following Seales and Holder as the next best-ranked player at 31st. Kyle Mayers (37th), Shannon Gabriel (43rd), Gudakesh Motie (52nd), Roston Chase (59th), Shamar Joseph (64th), Jomel Warrican (66th), and Rahkeem Cornwall (82nd) are the other Caribbean bowlers in the top 100.

On the batting chart, Hodge inched up three places to 72nd, following a credible display in the three-match series. The 31-year-old Dominican tallied 216 runs, including a maiden Test century.

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite remains the highest-ranked West Indies batsman at 41st, with out-of-favor Jermaine Blackwood slipping to 52nd. Wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua da Silva (62nd), Holder (70th), Mayer (76th), Tagenarine Chanderpaul (86th), and Roston Chase (92nd) are also in the top 100.

Meanwhile, England batter Joe Root reclaimed the number one Test batting position after scoring 87 in the first innings of the third and final match against West Indies in Birmingham, which his side won by 10 wickets.

This is Root’s ninth stint as number one. His first tenure at the top of the rankings commenced in August 2015, and he was last at the top in June last year after a fine performance in the opening match of the Ashes series, also in Birmingham.

While Root overtook Kane Williamson to take the top spot, Babar Azam, Daryl Mitchell, Steve Smith, and Rohit Sharma have all gained a spot each as Harry Brook slipped to seventh position after attaining a career-best third position last week.

In the weekly update to the rankings that also takes into consideration performances in the Ireland versus Zimbabwe Test in Belfast, England captain Ben Stokes, who struck 54 in the first innings in Birmingham and a quickfire 57 not out off 28 balls in the second, has moved up four positions to 30th in the batting rankings.

Zimbabwe’s Sean Williams has re-entered the rankings in 33rd position after scores of 35 and 40, while England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith’s knock of 95 has lifted him 31 places to 64th position.

England fast bowler Mark Wood’s Player of the Match performance of two for 52 and five for 40 has lifted him into the top 20 of the bowling rankings for the first time in his career.

Gus Atkinson of England (up four places to 46th), Blessing Muzarabani of Zimbabwe (re-entered in 50th position), and Mark Adair of Ireland (up three places to 63rd) are other notable gainers in the bowling rankings.

Jurgen Klopp has distanced himself from taking on the vacant England job, saying it would be "the biggest loss of face in the history of football". 

Klopp, who left Liverpool at the end of last season after a nine-year stay on Merseyside, is one of many names linked with taking over from Gareth Southgate. 

Southgate led England to back-to-back European Championship finals, failing to win in both and stepped down from his role after their defeat to Spain at Euro 2024. 

The last time the Three Lions employed a foreign manager came back in 2008, when Fabio Capello was announced as Steve McClaren's replacement. 

Klopp was asked at an International Coaches' Congress in Wurzburg whether he had been offered a way back into management since leaving Liverpool. 

"At the moment, there is nothing at all in terms of jobs. No club, no country," Klopp said.

“England? That would be the biggest loss of face in the history of football if I said I’ll make an exception for you.”

England's first game following Southgate's departure will be against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin on 7 September in the UEFA Nations League.

Klopp said his reasoning for leaving Liverpool was because he was "running out of energy" having helped the Reds win eight major honours during his time at Anfield. 

However, the 57-year-old did not rule out a return to the dugout in the future, expressing his desire of working in football again. 

"Let's see what it will look like in a few months. Nothing is coming through at the moment," he said.

"As of today, that's it for me as a coach. I didn't quit on a whim, it was a general decision.

"I've also coached the best clubs in the world. Maybe we can talk about it again in a few months.

"I still want to work in football and help people with my experience and contacts. Let's see what else there is for me."

Carlos Alcaraz produced another stunning display as he stormed past Roman Safiullin in straight sets to book a place in the quarter-finals at the Paris Olympics.

The Spaniard, who overcame fitness concerns in his win over Tallon Griekspoor in the last round, dominated on Court Suzanne Lenglen to win 6-4 6-2 in an hour and a half.

Alcaraz made his intent clear from the start, breaking Safiullin twice in the opening three games to race into the lead.

The Russian regained his footing shortly after to make it a more even affair, but he managed just one break as Alcaraz cruised through the first set.

The 21-year-old made a similar start in the second and twice threatened to take a three-game advantage over his opponent, but Safiullin successfully defended two break points to make it 3-2.

He could not do the same on his next serve though, and Alcaraz won the last three games in a row to set up a meeting with the United States' Tommy Paul in the last eight.

Data Debrief: Just no stopping Alcaraz

Alcaraz has reached the quarter-finals in every high-profile tournament he has entered, winning the last two such events at the French Open (at Roland-Garros) and Wimbledon.

He is also the youngest player to make the men's singles quarter-finals at the Olympics since Novak Djokovic in Beijing 2008.

Brentford have confirmed that record signing Igor Thiago has had successful surgery on his meniscus injury sustained in pre-season, but will be out of action until late 2024.

Thiago, who arrived from Club Brugge for £30million in July, picked up the injury in Brentford's 5-2 win over AFC Wimbledon earlier this month. 

The Brazilian had scored twice on his first appearance for the club against the League Two side, but was withdrawn from the action at half-time. 

Thiago was expected to be the replacement for Brentford's all-time top scorer Ivan Toney, but the recent news makes a move for the England international now less likely. 

The 23-year-old scored 29 goals in 55 appearances in all competitions for the Belgian side last season, helping them claim a 19th Jupiler Pro League title. 

Thomas Frank's side continue their preparations for the new campaign this weekend against Watford, before facing Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg in their final pre-season outing.

The Bees welcome Crystal Palace to the Gtech Community Stadium on the opening day of the Premier League season, searching for a first win over their opponents since a 2-1 victory in the League Cup back in 1977. 

 

 

Anna Karolina Schmiedlova cruised past Barbora Krejcikova to book her place in the Olympics semi-finals on Wednesday.

Following up her impressive win over Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini, the Slovakian brushed aside the All England Club champion 6-4 6-2 in just under 90 minutes at Roland-Garros.

Schmiedlova raced into a 3-0 lead and dug deep to hold off Krejcikova's fightback when she clawed it back to 4-4, getting a vital break in the final game to take the first set.

It was a much better start in the second by the Czech as she got a first-game break, but Schmiedlova put together a remarkable six-game winning run to put the match beyond any doubt.

She will face either Croatia's Donna Vekic or Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk in the final four.

Data Debrief: Schmiedlova loves an upset

Schmiedlova (world no. 67) is the lowest-ranked women's singles semi-finalist at the Olympics since tennis returned to the summer program in 1988 - Na Li (#42) in Beijing 2008 was the previous lowest.

She had to come from behind to edge out Paolini, but after a dominant performance in which she had no double faults, she will be backing herself to cause more problems in the next round. 

Son Heung-Min scored a first-half brace as Tottenham continued their perfect run in pre-season with a 4-3 victory over Team K League in South Korea on Wednesday.

On home soil, the forward scored twice in 10 minutes, with Dejan Kulusevski and Will Lankshear also hitting the target for Ange Postecoglou's side.

Oberdan set the game up for a nervy finish after Stanislav Iljutcenko's double, but they could not find a winner at Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Kulusevski got the ball rolling, latching onto Son's saved effort before picking out the bottom corner to edge Spurs in front before the South Korean delighted the crowd with two clinical finishes.

Second-half substitute Iljutcenko scored two goals in as many minutes shortly after his introduction, though Lankshear stuck out a leg to give Spurs a two-goal cushion with 23 minutes to go.

Oberdan's strike was the pick of the bunch, with a wonderful looping volley from outside the box after Spurs failed to clear a corner, and Brandon Austin had no chance of stopping it from hitting the back of the net. 

Data Debrief: Perfect homecoming for Son

Son certainly made his mark in his 63 minutes on the pitch in Seoul, having the joint-most shots (four), with all of them on target, and his expected goals of 0.56 was only bettered by Lankshear (0.74).

Postecoglou could not have asked for a better pre-season, with Spurs winning all five of their pre-season friendlies so far. With a double-header against Bayern Munich to come before their Premier League opener away at Leicester City, the North London side look to be in good nick.

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