Everton set heights high with Traore
Press Association The 6ft 8in Ivory Coast international has signed on loan from Monaco, whom he only joined early in the month from Anzhi Makhachkala for a reported £16million. Traore rejected West Ham, who had already obtained a work permit for the striker, for Martinez’s purer footballing principals and the Toffees boss insists they will not change even with the biggest of big front men up top. Romelu Lukaku’s ankle injury, likely to keep him out for several weeks, means there is a void at centre-forward following the sale of Nikica Jelavic to Hull but Traore is still at least 10 days away from full fitness after a hamstring problem. It means either Kevin Mirallas and Steven Naismith will be asked to fill in during the interim but Traore’s anticipated inclusion will not prompt a change of tactics for Martinez. “What we don’t want is to rush Lacina and then he breaks down and we can’t have him for the whole season,” said the Spaniard. “His size will give you the wrong impression of the way he is as a footballer. “He is technically very gifted, he has a real understanding of the space and combination play around him and is really quick with his penetrating runs, he is a real athlete. “All those aspects make us a little bit different because we haven’t got that sort of player with that presence and height. “But we will never change the way we are as a team; our footballing concepts are really clear but the personnel changes bring little tricks and different aspects of our attacking play. “Romelu has been very influential and you don’t have many opportunities to replace him on a like-for-like basis but the flexibility and different combinations and partnerships we have in the final third are exciting. Everton manager Roberto Martinez may have signed one of the tallest players in European football but he insists Lacina Traore’s giant stature reflects the club’s ambition and not a change in style. “We have options up front; Romelu has been in outstanding form and has been leading the line and having the opportunity but we have other players who have been showing good signs and are desperate to help the team and that is what we need. “I am happy we can do different things to still be a good force going forward.” Traore knows he needs game time in order to be in the best shape to secure a place in Ivory Coast’s World Cup squad this summer. He believes a spell working under Martinez can assist him in that, which is why he opted for Everton over West Ham who were first in line and had already secured a work permit before the Merseysiders joined the race for his services. “I looked at the styles of play of the two teams we are talking about and the way in which Everton play is more of a passing side and that style suited my technical ability,” said the 23-year-old. “Also I looked at where they were in the league and they (Everton) were quite well off for points in the league so I think with that sort of emphasis on skill and the passing game I am hoping I can settle in as quickly as possible with my style of play. “I am pleased I have made this choice and I am standing by my choice of this club. “It was a bit of a surprise (Monaco immediately loaning him out) and something I had not thought of but it was a proposition the club came up with to send me to get more experience and improve as a player. “I want to be able to be performing at my absolute top level if I can and I am aware at the back of my mind the World Cup is looming.” 
“For myself and those close to me it would be incredible but also for the bigger picture – the fans and the entire country. “There have been quiet moments when my mind has wandered but there is a lot of football to be played yet. “One thing’s for sure, Friday could be a huge step for us.” McAuley’s central-defensive partner in Torshavn is likely to be his new club colleague after Jonny Evans ended his long association with Manchester United to join the Baggies last week. Although Evans has not featured in this campaign after being frozen out at Old Trafford, McAuley anticipates him having no problems if called upon. “Jonny Evans was in a difficult situation when he was at Manchester United and not playing many games,” said McAuley. “But that has changed now and I am delighted he has joined my club. “He hasn’t been involved at the club yet but from watching him in training in the past few days with Northern Ireland, he’s looked like himself. He’s been sharp, on the front foot and he will have no problems whatsoever.” Michael O’Neill’s men head into a double header with the Faroes and Hungary well poised to reach the finals of a major tournament for the first time since the 1986 World Cup. They lie in second place in Group F, one point behind Romania and two ahead of Hungary, with just four games remaining. Monday’s meeting with the Hungarians in Belfast has been billed as a monumental clash to determine Northern Ireland’s qualifying fate, but McAuley has always highlighted Friday’s trip to the Faroe Islands as an important contest in the race to reach France next summer. “I’ve always thought this game was pivotal in this campaign,” said the West Brom defender. “After we won the Finland game everyone said the Romania game (that Northern Ireland drew) was must-win. In many ways that looked after itself but I always looked at this one because of the timing of the game too. “We have six points up for grabs and if we are unbeaten in those two games and hopefully win both, we will take a massive stride to the Euros – and of course there is a chance that two wins would actually see us qualify.” McAuley concedes his thoughts have drifted to what it would be like to represent his country at a major international tournament, something generations of Northern Ireland players have never experienced. The 35-year-old has 51 caps to his credit and has been a Barclays Premier League regular over the past four seasons at The Hawthorns but admits it would be special to make history for Northern Ireland. “You can’t not think about what it would be like to qualify,” he admitted. “I’d love to be in the squad to qualify, for selfish and personal reasons – like having my wife and children see me play at a major tournament; it really keeps me focused. Press Association Gareth McAuley believes Northern Ireland’s trip to the Faroe Islands should be viewed as the “pivotal” point of their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign.
Abdulrahman Bashir and Emeka Nwabulu have been named among the players to vie for the June edition of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) – League Bloggers Awards (LBA).The two players put in very important contributions for their clubs in June. Bashir scored three times for Nasarawa United while Nwabulu kept four clean sheets in five appearances for Wikki Tourists.Bashir has come good this season for Nasarawa United, scoring 11 league goals, after struggling at Enyimba and Lobi Stars since he left ABS FC, the club where he made his name.However, Bashir and Nwabulu will have to contend with the pair of El-Kanemi Warriors teenage winger Hussaini Bata and Shedrack Oghali of Warri Wolves for the player’s award in June.Oghali’s return for Wolves in the month under review saw him help the Warri club get a point at Kano Pillars in a 2-2 draw in which he scored both goals. Before then, he netted the equaliser that helped Wolves avoid defeat at home in a 2-2 draw with Heartland having gone two goals down.Bata scored three important goals at home for his team against Enugu Rangers, Warri Wolves and Abia Warriors to earn himself a place among the NPFL-LBA shortlists.Four coaches – Gbenga Ogunbote (3SC), Abdu Maikaba (Wikki Tourists), Solomon Ogbeide (Sunshine Stars) and Kabiru Dogo (Nasarawa United) – are the men in line for the manager’s award for June.Ogbeide is the only man to have guided his side to an unbeaten streak in June in the NPFL this season. His team, Sunshine Stars, picked up eight points out of 12 including a point in the 3-3 draw at Akwa United after clawing their way back from 1-3.Relegation-threatened Shooting Stars Sports Club (3SC) under Ogunbote in June got 10 points out of 15, losing just a game out of five to Lobi Stars while they became the first side to claim full points at the Agege Stadium in Lagos against MFM FC.Maikaba masterminded Wikki’s good show in June from the dugout as they took 13 points out of 18 in six games including a 1-0 win at Ikorodu United and a scoreless draw at Heartland. Wikki also defeated storied oppositions in Enyimba and Kano Pillars in the month under review.Dogo got among the nominees for June after Nasarawa United’s wins over Oriental teams Enyimba and FC Ifeanyiubah as well as Niger Tornadoes. But they suffered a 0-2 loss at MFM FC in between their decent run in June.The winners for both NPFL-LBA categories for June will be announced next week.Share this:FacebookRedditTwitterPrintPinterestEmailWhatsAppSkypeLinkedInTumblrPocketTelegram
Everton Director of Football, Steve Walsh and Manager, Ronald Koeman, have fond words for the pacy Onyekuru whom they regard as one for the future.Onyekuru made his senior debut for Nigeria in the 3-0 friendly win over Togo earlier this month in France.Similarly, Everton is also hoping to make a formal announcement soon on the deal for Malaga’s Spain Under-21 striker Sandro Ramirez, who has also had a medical and agreed personal terms.The Premiership team will pay £5.2m for 21-year-old Sandro, the transfer fee release clause inserted into his contract when he left Barcelona last summer, but official confirmation has been delayed by his involvement in the European Under-21 Championship, where Spain played Italy in the semi-final last night Everton has already signed England Under-21 goalkeeper Jordan Pickford from Sunderland for £30m and Ajax captain Davy Klaassen in a £24m deal.Toffees boss Koeman and Director of Football Walsh are now expected to intensify their pursuit of Burnley’s £25m-rated England defender Michael Keane and Swansea City’s Iceland midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson.The Toffees are also considering a £10m for Burnley striker Andre Gray.Share this:FacebookRedditTwitterPrintPinterestEmailWhatsAppSkypeLinkedInTumblrPocketTelegram To go on loan at AnderlechtFemi Solaja with agency reportNigeria striker Henry Onyekuru, 20, is close to sealing a £7million deal with Everton.The KAS Eupen forward who scored 22 goals for the Belgian top-flight club last season, has been linked with Arsenal, West Ham United and clubs throughout Europe. He’s understood to have had a medical with Everton on Monday.Sources in England hinted yesterday that may not join the fray at Everton in the coming season as he is going to be loaned out to Anderlecht for the next 12 months to continue his development in the Belgian league.
Facebook Twitter Google+ If Syracuse’s run to the championship game of the 2013 Big East tournament was the “James Southerland Show,” its quarterfinal matchup with Pittsburgh was the second act.On college basketball’s biggest stage, the Syracuse sharpshooter carried his long-range stroke from the previous afternoon. He connected on all six of his 3-point attempts to lead the No. 19 Orange to a 62-59 triumph over No. 17 Pittsburgh at Madison Square Garden on March 14, 2013.Southerland set the Big East tournament record for made 3s without a miss as he dropped 20 points on the Panthers, and would eventually break the record for most 3s in tournament history.“When I’m shooting the ball, it’s just making sure every shot goes in and I’m really focused, making sure I help my team out as much as possible,” Southerland said after the game.In the Orange’s first game of the conference tournament, Southerland drilled 6-of-9 from 3-point territory to spearhead SU’s 12-point victory over Seton Hall.AdvertisementThis is placeholder textAnd a day later, it was more of the same.The Orange built a 25-15 lead by the 5:31 mark of the first half behind a trio of 3s from the senior forward — including two in a span of two minutes, sparking a quick 10-0 SU run.When the Panthers bit back with a 12-5 spurt, Southerland countered with his fourth and fifth triples of the game and Syracuse took a 13-point edge into the locker room.In the second half, however, Pittsburgh whittled away enough to draw within five points with six minutes left on the clock. But on SU’s next possession, Southerland cut to the right wing and knocked down a catch-and-shoot 3 off a pass from Michael Carter-Williams to push SU’s lead to eight.“It’s a great feeling,” Southerland said. “I didn’t realize I was 6-for-6 until I looked down at the paper now. I don’t think about it. I just go out and play and make sure I make every shot.”Pittsburgh still managed to climb back. Talib Zanna’s layup with 31 seconds left cut the deficit to one point, but Carter-Williams drained four foul shots in the final 27 seconds to clinch the win.Southerland’s first-half damage proved to be too much for the Panthers to overcome, and the Orange was able to close out the Big East chapter of the Syracuse-Pittsburgh rivalry with a Big East tournament victory.“We just had great ball movement,” head coach Jim Boeheim said after the game. “Got the open guys, and James just got good looks and he made them.”— Compiled by Phil D’Abbraccio, asst. copy editor, pmdabbra@syr.edu Comments Published on January 17, 2014 at 4:12 am
Facebook Twitter Google+ BALTIMORE — For the seventh time of the afternoon, it was a one-goal game.From 12 yards out, Holden Cattoni dropped down and whipped a sidearm shot past Dominic Lamolinara to bring Johns Hopkins within a goal with 9:38 left in the game.The weight of playing so much defense in the second half had nearly worn Syracuse down from its four-goal lead. The Orange needed stops if it was going to stave off the Blue Jays.And the defense delivered. Syracuse’s defense hung just tough enough.“It was a team effort on defense today,” senior Matt Harris said. “I feel like every time the ball was on the ground on our end, we picked it up and made a successful clear and especially when we’re having a tough day at the X, that’s huge for us.”AdvertisementThis is placeholder textWith a stout defensive effort, SU held Johns Hopkins to just three first-half goals. But as the Blue Jays won faceoff after faceoff in the second half, the Orange’s defense finally wilted and allowed two separate 3-0 JHU runs — which were all scored by sophomore attack Ryan Brown.But after Cattoni’s goal, the No. 10 Syracuse (4-2, 0-2 Atlantic Coast) defense clamped down and held No. 3 Johns Hopkins (5-1) scoreless the rest of the way to seal a 12-10 upset Saturday at Homewood Field. Dominic Lamolinara made 11 saves in his 60 minutes in the cage while Harris moved from his usual midfield location to join SU’s set defense.“We’ve seen so much of the Hopkins offense…doing a great job picking mismatches,” SU head coach John Desko said, “and we thought we’d jump into a zone when we did that and it turned out to be a good matchup for us to slow some of that down. It took away the inside the crease area. We wanted to stay in the middle and force the outside shots.”Defender Sean Young knocked down a pass in front of the cage from JHU’s Brandon Benn, then scooped it up and dished it out. On that possession, attack Kevin Rice buried Syracuse’s first goal of the day.The Orange started with some man-to-man defense in the contest, but mostly utilized a tight zone that took away lanes and limited openings for Johns Hopkins’ attack. The Blue Jays often had to fire shots from the outside, which gave Lamolinara ample time to pick up the ball and make a play on it.“In the end, the first half killed us and I don’t think we executed very well,” JHU head coach Dave Pietramala said.In the third, Harris — who would also net the Orange’s 10th goal of the game — grabbed a loose ball in the box and flipped it ahead for a clear and an SU goal that extended the lead to two.With Harris moving down to the defensive zone, Desko said, he brings senior leadership and communication to a group with two new starters from the end of last season.“Matt coming down the past two weeks, we’ve gotten a lot better at communicating,” Lamolinara said. “He’s a captain. He’s been down there before, so he’s got all that experience. He just knows how to take advantage.”But in the fourth quarter, Brown put the finishing touches on his eight-goal performance. The Blue Jays took complete control of the faceoff X and threatened to mount a comeback, down 10-6 going into the final period.But after Cattoni’s goal cut the deficit to one, SU had no choice in the final stretch but to lock down.A tough defensive stand forced a 30-second shot clock violation. Scott Firman forced a turnover, and midfielder Drew Jenkins pounced on it and cleared it to SU’s side of the field. Attack Dylan Donahue alertly snatched a pass to thwart a clear with 3:15 left, and then delivered the dagger a minute later.Johns Hopkins still had some life in the final two minutes, but Lamolinara’s leg got a piece of the last shot of the game to deflect it and ensure the score stayed more than a one-goal difference.“I thought defensively we did a much better job than we have in the past,” Desko said. “We got stops and we got the ball out to the other end of the field and that turned into goals.” Comments Published on March 15, 2014 at 5:53 pm Contact Phil: pmdabbra@syr.edu | @PhilDAbb
New York Times journalist Adam Nagourney sat down with Professor Bob Shrum Thursday afternoon in the Von KleinSmid Center as part of the latest “Political Conversations” series, presented by the Department of Political Science in partnership with the Political Student Assembly.Red state, blue state · Professor Bob Shrum (left) and The New York Time’s Adam Nagourney (right) speak about the election on campus. – Christine Yoo | Daily TrojanThe theme for the discussion was, “What Happened in the Midterms — and What Happens Next?” The midterm elections saw the G.O.P. add to their majority in the House of Representatives and retake the majority in the Senate, which the Democratic Party had held for the past eight years. Shrum began by noting the failure of the Democrats to turn out voters in the midterm election.“There was this vaunted turnout operation, supposedly modeled on what Obama did, and it didn’t seem to matter at all,” he said.Nagourney, who is the Los Angeles bureau chief for The New York Times agreed, but noted that the reasons for the low turnout were unclear.“I’m not sure what went on,” he said. “The Democrats put a ton of money into voter identification and voter turnout, and you don’t see any evidence that it made much of a difference.”A central theme of the discussion was the tendency of Democratic candidates across the nation to distance themselves from Obama and his policies, rather than embrace them. According to Nagourney, the Democrats should have made the opposite decision — recognizing that Republican voters were going to vote for Republican candidates no matter how visible Obama was.“I think they made some tactical mistakes in how they used or did not use the President,” he said. “I think it would have made more sense to have the President out there more.”Shrum said the same mistake was true of immigration reform, which the Democrats avoided promoting over the summer on the grounds that it would cost them moderate Senate seats in the election.“I wonder if President Obama would have been better off if he had done the immigration thing,” he said.With regard to the Senate election in Colorado, Shrum partially blamed the lack of Latino turn out for the Democrat’s loss, something that might have been helped if immigration reform had been passed.“Latino turnout in Colorado was pathetic,” Shrum said. “People were angry because [Democrats] hadn’t kept their word.”Nagourney also attributed the Democrats’ poor midterm performance to the rise of ISIS and Ebola, and the perception that Obama was not in complete control of either of those issues.“People were feeling threatened and that things were out of control, in the sense that Obama was not showing leadership,” he said. “He came across as someone who was overwhelmed and didn’t know what to do, even if that wasn’t the case.”Nagourney said that Obama can be a strong communicator about big issues like ISIS and Ebola when he wants to be, but despite that, was pessimistic about the chance for cooperation with Republicans in the next two years.“Obama is very capable when making a case,” Nagourney said. “But there is no prospect they are going to work together.”Nagourney cited the presence of Tea Party Republicans who prevented immigration reform and forced the shutdown of the government as proof that the trend will continue.Both Shrum and Nagourney developed core tenets for the Democrats in midterm elections going forward: the need to involve the President more, communicate the effectiveness of their policies and select better candidates.Nick Spear, a sophomore majoring in political science, said the event was important because it highlighted campaign strategy.“There is a lot more that goes into the elections than just the campaign ads you see on TVs,” he said. “There is a lot of strategy that goes into it, and it’s interesting to see how it’s enacted over the whole nation.”Mathew Goldstein, a senior majoring in political science, said the discussion was vital to maintain the engagement of younger voters at USC.“It covered a lot of stuff from a reliable source,” he said. “There are a lot of people here, and it’s always good to see young people engaged and asking questions. A lot of stuff was brought up about the future, which is good because that’s what’s going to impact people.”
For the second year in a row, Bo Ryan’s Badgers are back in the Sweet 16.This year, more than any other, I’ve pressured myself into asking how this man continues to pull out such results.Following the Wisconsin men’s basketball team’s 60-57 win Saturday, I took a step back and looked at the season as a whole. Speaking as a Wisconsinite who’s witnessed Ryan’s entire career at UW, I couldn’t help but stand aghast at what the team has accomplished so far this year.This has nothing to do with the fact that the team has forced me to take a knife and fork to my words prior to the tournament. I picked it to lose to Vanderbilt in the second round and publicly called it a team that’s “not made for tournaments.”Dine, Elliot! Dine!All year, when I considered how good this team was, I compared it to the year before and concluded it fell shy of that usual standard.The statistical differences seem negligible. The 2010-11 Badgers shot .441 from the field and .374 from three-point land, compared to .425 and .362 this year. The 2010-11 Badgers scored 67.8 points per game, while the current squad scores 64.But it’s been painfully obvious in several games that the team missed Jon Leuer and Keaton Nankivil. Last year, Wisconsin had two players – Leuer and Jordan Taylor – average just over 18 points a game. Nankivil backed them up with 9.7. Put it all together and you have 46.1 points coming from three players alone.The offense was smooth. Taylor was unbelievable. And the team couldn’t be bothered to win consistently at home or play well on the road.Remove Leuer and Nankivil and nobody averages more than 14.7 (Taylor) points per game on this year’s team. And beyond that, there’s Ryan Evans (11.1) and Jared Berggren (10.3) combining for 36.1 points.With Leuer and Nankivil gone, the onus to score fell hard on Taylor. Scoring droughts lasted nigh of half a period of play. Near team-wide timidity left Wisconsin playing hot potato until someone – usually Taylor – was forced into an ugly shot as the shot clock expired.I’ve grown up watching Wisconsin’s slower-paced brand of basketball, but watching the team play when those syndromes kicked in gave me real anxiety. It’s not easy to watch. This team had three first-time starters on its roster and acted like it.And yet Ryan still ushered them to a kind of success that last year’s time didn’t have. This year’s squad has won away from the Kohl Center (on Selection Sunday, Ryan said the win at Purdue convinced him he had an NCAA tournament team on his hands), it won a game in the Big Ten Tournament (a first since 2008) and so far it has matched the Sweet 16 run that last year’s team closed out the season with.Ryan’s teams have varied in talent ever since he arrived in Madison, but every year it’s the same old drill – at least a fourth-place finish in conference and a date at the Big Dance.But this has to be one of his best performances yet as a coach. Last year’s team truly lived and died by its shooting, but the 2011-12 team, which has not shot as well as it did last year, has the 11th-best opponent shooting percentage in the nation, and the Badgers have won even when shots were not falling.I don’t believe Ryan is in the upper-echelon of college basketball coaches. He’s certainly one of the best in the country, but Tom Izzo, Mike Krzyzewski, or Rick Pitino et al, guys that have made a career out Final Four appearances, have clearly separated themselves from Ryan.And I don’t think a Final Four appearance this season would bump Ryan up – although it certainly would be quite a vindication of sorts for him. The upper echelon of college basketball coaches, as I mean it here, is more exclusive than that. You need multiple trips to the finals to join that club.But watch two specific YouTube videos of Ryan in the locker room with his team. One, right after a particularly strong defensive effort in a road win against Ohio State features a deadpan-faced Ryan addressing his team by mimicking a defensive slide drill, while saying “Let’s get on the bus.”He looks a little silly when he does it and doesn’t act particularly excited. But his team erupts in cheers and mobs him.The other features the team, fresh off the win against Vanderbilt, and Ryan looks at Taylor and Rob Wilson – the two seniors on the team – and says, with a hint of a crack in his voice: “There’s no way you and me are done, or you. No way.”We may have been watching a team overachieve all season, but all along the way we’ve been watching a master at work on the sidelines.Elliot is a senior majoring in journalism. What kind of legacy does Bo Ryan have? Let him know by emailing ehughes@badgerherald.com or tweeting @BHeraldSports.
The former recovered from a 10-0 half-time deficit against Division 2A’s bottom side Corinthians to take the spoils from their trip to Galway.Playing with a strong breeze in the second period Ormond got tries from John Hayes, Lemeki Vaipulu, Anthony Grey and Derek Corcoran which propelled them to a 26-10 victory.Cashel defeated UCC to keep their hopes of a top four finish alive. They led for much of the encounter with the Cork side at Spafield, eventually running out 18-13 winners.Andrew Wallace and James Maxwell scored tries for Cashel with Pat O’Connor kicking two penalties and a conversion.
‘I’m happy at Crystal Palace’ – Jordan Ayew says amid transfer speculation “I am compared with Drogba and Eto’o,” he said during a Facebook Live. “However, I am neither of them. I am Emmanuel Sheyi Adebayor and I will always do what I want.“I do what I want, I eat what I want, and this is the most important thing. Of course, there will be those who criticise me because I did not create a foundation in Lome.”The former Manchester City and Arsenal forward said he will not make a donation after feeling mistreated.“For those saying I do not donate, let me be very clear: I do not donate,” he added. “It is very simple.“It is like some people believe that I brought coronavirus to Lome. It is very unfortunate, but that is how it is and that is how this country is.”Drogba and Eto’o recently reacted with outrage when French professors discussed the possibility of using Africa as a testing ground for coronavirus vaccines on television.Adebayor also said that he would not be pressured by others to spend his own money.“I’m just living my life, I’m just enjoying myself,” he added. “A lot of people are coming on my page and asking why are you not doing a charity.“For God’s sake. Why are you asking me to do a charity? I do what my heart asks me to do, not what you people ask me to do.“I hate it. If I have 10,000 in my pocket and someone comes across my page and will say use that 10,000 to do something.“Whatever you have in your pocket, use it as you wish. It’s as simple as that.” Tags: CoronavirusEmmanuel AdebayorTogo Ivory Coast FA elections: Asamoah Gyan backs Didier Drogba Emmanuel Adebayor has defended his refusal to donate to Togo capital Lome’s coronavirus battle and distanced himself from fellow African football stars Didier Drogba and Samuel Eto’o.The 36-year-old, who now plays for Olimpia in Paraguay, said he does not want to be compared with Drogba and Eto’o and feels criticised because he has not established a foundation in his hometown.
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