Defending champions Garvey Maceo secured a 2-0 home win over their closest challengers, Vere Technical, to take over top spot in Zone N of the ISSA/Digicel daCosta Cup on Saturday.
Penalties from Nevaughn Myrie in the 48th minute and Orlando Lawrence in the 91st means Garvey Maceo now find themselves top with 13 points from five games, three points ahead of their Saturday opponents. Foga Road also has 10 points in third thanks to a 1-0 win over Kemps Hill at home.
Irwin, after three straight draws, returned to winning ways with a 2-0 win over Green Pond at Green Pond to remain top of Zone A. They now have 18 points from eight games. Green Pond has 10 points from seven games and started the day in second but were passed after 12-time champions Cornwall College secured a crucial 4-0 win over Anchovy at Irwin to move to 12 points from their seven outings.
At the Orchard Sports Complex, Frome Technical comfortably beat Hopewell 5-1 for their sixth win in as many games to lead Zone B ahead of Rusea’s who has 15 points from their six games.
William Knibb leads Zone C with a perfect 15 points from five games after a 9-0 hammering of Muschett High at Muschett. So far, they have amassed 33 goals and are one of only two teams yet to concede a goal in this year’s daCosta Cup, the other being Zone E leaders STETHS. Cedric Titus can also boast a perfect record through five games in Zone C after a 2-1 win over Herbert Morrison at Herbert Morrison.
The only Zone D game on Saturday saw Petersfield got to Godfrey Stewart and get an important 4-1 win over the hosts to strengthen their hold on second in the zone. Going into the game, Petersfield had 12 points, 10 behind leaders Manning’s, while Godfrey Stewart had nine but had played one more game than their opponents.
STETHS are still perfect after eight games in Zone E thanks to a comfortable 6-0 win over Sydney Pagon at home. As previously mentioned, the five-time champions have still yet to concede a goal and have scored 20. In the day’s other zone game, Munro College beat Maggotty 1-0 at home to join B. B Coke on 13 points from eight games, eleven points behind the leaders from St. Elizabeth.
Zone G leaders Holmwood Technical were held to a 0-0 draw by Mile Gully at home to move to 14 points from six matches, four points ahead of Christiana High who beat Alphansus Davis 2-1 at Alphansus Davis. Mile Gully also has 10 points in third. Christiana has played a game less than both Holmwood and Mile Gully.
Clarendon College now has 18 points from a possible 18 in Zone H after a 3-0 win over Lennon High at Toll Gate. Edwin Allen are now seven points behind in second after a 5-0 win over Thompson Town at home. Lennon are four points behind Edwin Allen in third.
Marcus Garvey got their first win of the season in their sixth game in Zone I by beating Ocho Rios 1-0 at Drax Hall.
There were 17 goals in three games in Zone J. Westmoreland Oval was the venue as leaders Tacky and Annotto Bay battled to a 3-3 draw. Tacky now have 16 points from eight games. St, Mary High moved within three points of Tacky in second thanks to a 3-1 win over Wycliffe Martin High at the latter. St. Mary Tech are third with 11 points after going to Horace Clarke and beating the hosts 4-2.
Fair Prospect battled to a 4-4 draw with Port Antonio at home in Zone O for their first point of the season while leaders Happy Grove and second-placed Titchfield both have nine points from five games after a 2-2 draw at Hector’s River.
Hurtig the hero after late goal sends Arsenal into Champions League quarters
Lina Hurtig's 89th minute winner ensured Arsenal progressed to the quarter-finals of the Women's Champions League after edging Juventus 1-0 on Thursday.
After being frustrated for large parts of the encounter, Hurtig bundled home from close range after Martina Lenzini's poor clearance to book the Gunners' place in the last eight.
Despite Arsenal dominating the early exchanges, it was Juventus who had the first sight of goal, though Eva Schatzer's effort was easy for Daphne van Domselaar to gather.
In a first half that saw just two shots on target, both coming from the visitors, Renee Slegers' substitutes proved to be the difference for Arsenal.
Slegers introduced Beth Mead, Stina Blackstenius and Hurtig late on, with the latter somehow putting Kim Little's cross over the bar from five yards out.
However, the Swede would atone for her earlier error, combining with fellow substitute Blackstenius to net against her former club and send them out of the competition with two group games remaining.
Meanwhile, in Group D, Barcelona edged closer to the quarter-finals of the competition with a convincing 4-1 victory over St. Polten at the Generali Arena.
The reigning champions are still three points behind Manchester City following their 2-1 win over Hammarby, and know a win against the Swedes next month will see them progress.
Kika Nazareth opened the scoring in the 20th minute after capitalising on a mistake by Kamila Dubcova, notching her second nine minutes later from close range.
Barca found themselves three goals up at the break when Vicky Lopez netted her first goal in the competition to put the result beyond doubt.
There was also a landmark moment for Alexia Putellas, who netted her 200th goal for the club with a well-taken effort into the far corner.
Valentina Madl took some of the shine off an otherwise impressive display from the visitors, who have now taken their tally to 20 goals from their four matches in the competition.
Guardiola agrees two-year contract extension with Man City
Pep Guardiola will be Manchester City manager for at least two more seasons after 2024-25, after he signed a two-year contract extension on Thursday.
The 53-year-old was coming to the end of his City deal, which was due to expire at the end of the current campaign, but he has opted to remain at the Etihad Stadium.
The deal itself will take Guardiola's tenure at the club to over a decade, making him City's longest-serving manager since Les McDowall in 1963.
There had been suggestions that he may leave at the end of the season following the announcement that director of football Txiki Begiristain was on his way out.
Guardiola was strongly linked with the England job after Gareth Southgate resigned in the wake of their Euro 2024 final defeat, but the Football Association appointed Thomas Tuchel last month.
“Manchester City means so much to me," Guardiola said. “This is my ninth season here; we have experienced so many amazing times together. I have a really special feeling for this football club.
“That is why I am so happy to be staying for another two more seasons.
“Thank you to everyone for continuing to trust and support me – The Owner, The Chairman Khaldoon, Ferran, Txiki, the players and, of course, the fans… everyone connected to Manchester City. It has always been an honour, a pleasure and a privilege to be here.
“I have said this many times before, but I have everything a manager could ever wish for, and I appreciate that so much.
“Hopefully, now we can add more trophies to the ones we have already won. That will be my focus.”
Having been appointed in 2016, Guardiola is by some distance Manchester City's most successful manager of all time, having won 18 major trophies during his time at the club.
That list includes their first-ever Champions League triumph in 2023 and six Premier League titles, including an unprecedented four on the spin.
He also boasts a 72.04% win percentage across all competitions, which is unsurprisingly the highest of any full-time City manager in history.
Shaw at the double as Man City progress in Champions League
Khadija Shaw scored twice as Manchester City beat Hammarby 2-1 to seal their place in the Women's Champions League quarter-finals.
Gareth Taylor's team entered Thursday's game with a perfect record in Group D, and their fourth win in as many European matches ensured they finished in the top two.
Shaw—the leading scorer in the Women's Super League this season with eight goals—put them ahead in the 31st minute, driving into the area after taking in Yui Hasegawa's pass before seeing her shot deflect into the top corner.
Shaw was booked for celebrating in front of the home fans despite appearing to have objects thrown at her from the stands, and Hammarby should have levelled when Julia Blakstad fired wide 10 minutes later.
The hosts did draw level three minutes into the second half as Ellen Wangerheim tapped home while City's Laura Blindkilde Brown was down appealing for a free-kick.
That parity was short-lived, though, as Shaw blasted into the top corner from 25 yards out, taking her overall tally for this season to 12 goals in all competitions.
In Group C, meanwhile, Bayern Munich lost their perfect record as they played out a 1-1 draw with Valerenga, boosting Arsenal's hopes of topping the pile.
Jovana Damnjanovic came off the bench to put Bayern ahead 15 minutes from time in Norway, but Elise Thorsnes headed home following an 88th-minute corner to snatch a point for the hosts.
Arsenal could now move within a point of Bayern when they face Juventus in Group C's other match later on Thursday.
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