Showing posts with label Aaron Ramsey. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aaron Ramsey. Show all posts
Thursday, 19 January 2017
Saturday, 2 April 2016
Geraint Thomas Returns to Flanders
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| Getty Images |
Team Sky's Geraint Thomas returns to action for the first time since withdrawing from the Volta a Catalunya in Sunday's Tour of Flanders.
The 29-year-old Welshman won the Paris-Nice stage race in early March, but struggled with fatigue in Spain.
Thomas was favourite going into the 2015 Tour of Flanders, but has had a low-key build up this time.
"There's less expectation around me [but] we've got a super strong team," Thomas told BBC Radio Wales.
"We've got lots of cards to play so as long as one of us is on the top step on the podium that would be awesome."
Team Sky have never won one of cycling's big five annual one-day races - known as "The Monuments" - and Fabian Cancellara of Leopard Trek is the fancied rider this year.
Thomas believes he has benefited from resting after his withdrawal in Catalunya.
The double Olympic gold-medallist also thinks his team are closer to claiming victory after disappointments in previous years.
"It's all good now, I'm feeling healthy," he added.
"I had maybe four days off because I was run down after Paris-Nice, but I'm better now so it was a good call in the end.
"In previous years in some of the warm-up races I've been right there, but this is the big one everyone wants to do well in.
"And over the years for one reason or another it hasn't quite happened but hopefully this can be the year. I guess time will tell."
Team Sky (at the Tour of Flanders): Michal Golas, Christian Knees, Michal Kwiatkowski, Gianni Moscon, Salvatore Puccio, Luke Rowe, Ian Stannard, Geraint Thomas
The "Five Monuments" of cycling
Milan-San Remo - First raced in 1907
Tour of Flanders - First raced in 1912
Paris-Roubaix - First raced in 1896
Liege-Bastogne-Liege - The oldest of the five, first raced in 1894
Giro di Lombardia - Raced in early autumn since 1905
Thursday, 17 December 2015
First Win for Nevile Brothers
Santi Mina’s header put Valencia ahead after eight minutes and Álvaro Negredo slotted home having been played in by André Gomes after 31 minutes.
Neville, in his third match in charge, decided against making too many changes despite a 3-1 lead from the first leg against the third-tier side.
Eibar overturned a 3-0 first-leg loss as a Mikel Arruabarrena penalty completed a 4-0 win over 10-man Ponferradina. The top-flight side showed their priority was La Liga by resting nine players from the team that drew with Valencia on Sunday and still won, although the first-half dismissal of Jesus Berrocal made a big difference.
Mirandes of the second tier knocked out Malága as Lago Junior’s goal secured a 1-0 win on the night and 3-1 aggregate triumph.
Óscar De Marcos hit a first-half opener as Athletic Bilbao hammered Linense 6-0 and went through 8-0 on aggregate.
Rayo Vallecano advanced on goal difference against Getafe after losing 3-1, having won the first leg 2-0 while Las Palmas knocked out Real Sociedad after a 1-1 draw put them through 3-2 on aggregate.
Barcelona had reached the last 16 after beating Villanovense in a tie brought forward due to their participation in the Club World Cup. Real Madrid were thrown out of the competition having fielded an ineligible player in their first-leg game against Cádiz.
Sunday, 18 October 2015
Republic Face Bosnia Herzegovina
The Republic of Ireland have been paired with Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Euro 2016 play-offs.
The first leg will take place in Bosnia-Herzegovina on November 12, 13 or 14, with the return game on November 15, 16 or 17.
The winner on aggregate - using away goals if necessary - will then go into the main tournament draw, which will take place on December 12.
Martin O'Neill's men missed the chance of automatic qualification when they were beaten 2-1 by Poland in their final group game, leaving them third in the group and forcing them to settle for a play-off spot.
Bosnia finished third behind Belgium and Wales in Group B but took four points off Chris Coleman's side, drawing 0-0 in Cardiff last October and winning 2-0 in Zenica earlier this month.
Five of their seven previous attempts at making major finals via the play-off route in the last 50 years have ended in heartache.
Full draw
Ukraine v Slovenia
Sweden v Denmark
Bosnia-Herzegovina v Republic of Ireland
Norway v Hungary
Friday, 4 September 2015
Bale Drives Wales to EURO
Gareth Bale insists Wales remain focused on qualifying for next summer's European Championships after victory in Cyprus moved them to within one win of their first major tournament in 58 years.
Chris Coleman's side can book their place at next summer's showpiece event - potentially their first major tournament since the 1958 World Cup - with victory at home to Israel on Sunday after Bale's 82nd-minute header sealed victory in Nicosia.
And, while admitting he did not have his best game in a Wales shirt, the Real Madrid forward was pleased to have put his side on the brink of an historic achievement.
"I don't think I had the best of games tonight but when there's a chance, hopefully I can tuck it in," he told Sky Sports.
"Sometimes it happens like that. Luckily enough I did tonight and it has given us an important three points.
"We knew the task coming in and obviously there has been a lot of media surrounding us. We know what we have to do [against Israel] but we're a strong team.
Gareth Bale's 82nd-minute header put Wales one win away from qualification for the European Champion
"We're together and we know what our capabilities are. We're one unit and we know what we need to do now (to reach Euro 2016)."
On their last trip to Cyprus - a Euro 2008 qualifier in 2007 - Wales struggled to deal with the humid conditions and lost 3-1 as they failed to qualify for the tournament in Austria and Switzerland.
However, eight years on, Wales leave Cyprus on the verge of qualification, and Bale was pleased to have built on previous experiences.
"I think the game was a bit more than tough," he added. "We that knew coming over here, from previous experiences where we haven't done too well mainly because of the humidity.
"It wasn't too hot today but the humidity was incredible. We had a game plan, kept it tight and luckily enough we were able to nick a goal and that has put us in a great position."
Saturday, 7 September 2013
Wales Bale Out for Safety
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| Getty Images |
Wales manager Chris Coleman says he was not prepared to risk Gareth Bale in their 2-1 defeat away by Macedonia.
World-record signing Bale was named on the bench for the World Cup qualifying loss in Skopje, which finally ended Wales' slim hopes of making the finals.
But despite that, Coleman said Bale's lack of match fitness after injury meant he was never going to play.
"We cannot risk Gareth Bale or any of our players, we've got to send them back to their clubs," Coleman said.
"He's only probably trained three or four times in the last two months.
"He's such an athlete and he wanted to come. He came the evening of his unveiling in Madrid, he's trained the next day, he's trained three days - he's not ready.
"We can't take that risk. If he comes on and, God forbid, anything happens, then how is that building a relationship with Real Madrid?
"We know we need to win the game but we're also looking at the bigger picture.
"We can't be sending back players injured because we're taking chances - it's not fair on them."
Wales now need to beat Serbia in Cardiff on Tuesday to maintain any hope of claiming third place in Group A, which would boost their seeding when the draw for Euro 2016 qualification is made.
Coleman said there was an outside chance Bale could come off the bench against Serbia.
"He's never going to be ready to start, it's as simple as that," Coleman said. "The fact he's turned up and is trying to be fit for us is such a huge positive and if he's ready then he may play a part.
"We'll see how he reacts between now and Tuesday."
Coleman, who suffered the embarrassment of arriving late in Skopje on Thursday after missing the team flight from Cardiff because of a lost passport, said he regretted a missed opportunity to beat Macedonia.
Ivan Trickovski had given Macedonia the lead after a deflected free-kick fell kindly, but Wales fought back through an Aaron Ramsey penalty he won himself.
However, sloppy play on the edge of Wales' own area let Aleksandar Trajkovski snatch a late winner for the home side.
"I'm gobsmacked really. You know anything can happen and you get nervous but I was very confident," said the Wales boss.
"Even when we went 1-0 down there was a feeling about us and an atmosphere about us that was positive and I felt that we were going to win the game.
"[Craig] Bellamy hits a post, Ramsey sticks a penalty in and we were always the one in the ascendency. Half-time came too quickly for us.
"What's missing at the minute is really sticking the knife into teams when we're on top and finishing them off."
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