That's the way to go, says Koeman as Barca hit top gear

Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman was glowing with pride after his side's 3-2 win over Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday and said the performance was a benchmark for the remainder of the season. Barca fell behind in the third minute on an Inaki Williams goal during a counterattack but responded emphatically with goals from Pedri and a resurgent Lionel Messi either side of halftime before Iker Muniain struck late for the hosts. "That's the way we need to continue. I felt like we controlled the game the whole time and there were barely any dips in our play," Koeman told a news conference. The win lifted Barca into third place in the standings and led Koeman to reassess previous pessimistic comments about his side's faint chances of catching leaders Atletico Madrid, who lead the Catalans by seven points with two games in hand. "The title race is still open because the season is very long. There can be injuries, teams can have downturns and a side that looks very good can end up struggling," he said. The Dutchman also praised Messi, who produced arguably his best performance of the season and was unlucky not to grab a hat trick. The Barca captain has had a relatively poor season by his own standards but his scores took him on to nine goals for the campaign, making him the joint top scorer in La Liga. "Messi has given everything since day one, he has spent so many years at the very top level but it seems that now he has become even more effective," Koeman said. "He has always shown us his skill and his commitment but today he gave us his goals too." On 18-year-old playmaker Pedri, Koeman added: "He plays with so much maturity despite his age and most importantly he uses his head."

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Of mice and men: Keeping track of Ronaldo and co

Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal team-mates may be surprised to learn the video and data analysis their coaches use was devised by scientists who used it to track the behaviour of mice, monkeys and human eye movements. Ruben Saavedra, the Spanish CEO of Metrica Sports, says it is not a stretch to transfer the use of data to track the behaviour of mice and rats to the task of tracking "movement of players on the pitch". Saavedra and Argentinian co-founder Bruno Dagnino -- who studied the eye movements of monkeys and humans -- found they shared more than an interest in science when they were studying for their PhDs in the Netherlands. "We had two things in common: as Barcelona and Argentina fans, Lionel Messi was an easy link, and we were the only people on our courses who loved football," Saavedra told AFP in an interview. "There are lots of nerds in science who do not have other hobbies and so he and I could talk football, which was nice." The final part of the puzzle was complete with another Argentinian, Enzo Angilletta, who had a video production company. Togther they developed a system that integrates data with video analysis, which had been done only manually before. By marrying data and video they created what its developers call a "workflow of football analysts". "Presenting graphs and raw data was not enough for clubs," said Saavedra. The process is unusual in that it analyses technical skills and positioning during matches, rather than simply measure distance covered. Thus, the national teams of Portugal and Paraguay, and clubs as far afield as Melbourne Victory and Santos in Brazil have benefited from the video and data analysis product, with the top clubs paying more 100,000 euros ($122,000) a year. Thanks to that level of income, Metrica have been able to produce a free plan, Play Basic, a version of the analysis tool which is available to download for free to anybody. It has already attracted a diverse clientele from academies in Africa to amateur players and coaches from rugby union, cricket and ice hockey. "A few years ago we had to have cameras in stadia but it has evolved," he said. "Now we can track any game on any video with our new technology. "We are working to automate the manual work in acquiring the data so it will be affordable for some clubs, who now can only dream of having it." Saavedra likes to think of Metrica Sports as a 'mini-Tesla', the electric car company, beginning with a high-end expensive product which can then by used to channel funds into the development and launch of a more affordable one. "I like saying we follow the kind of model Tesla followed even if they are a huge company compared to Metrica. "The first clients fund investment and development of technology which benefits them and at same time allows us to develop new technologies to cut costs. "Making this technology accessible to teams like Stockport County or academies in Vietnam was possible because we partnered with the elite clubs first." - 'Click of a button' - However, while the price may stay at six figures for the elite clubs and national sides, the amount of time saved on the weary eyes of their respective video analysts is immeasurable. "It was a very manual process before and this saves them tonnes of time," said Saavedra. "Previously, a video analyst would sit and pause the match at every instance he wanted recording, that could take four or five hours to watch the whole game. "With Metrica Sports, they simply click a few buttons and that same work is done in two or three minutes." Saavedra uses an example of a coach telling two defenders never to be further than a specific distance from play. "We can write an algorithm that shows every moment when they are further away than they should be as directed by the coach. "They can see the lines showing distance, red for further, yellow for closer, just at the click of a button." The process is unusual in that it analyses technical skills and positioning during matches, rather than simply measure distance covered. Saavedra's enthusiasm reflects his lack of regret at ditching neuroscience despite studying it for 14 years. "I say football used to be my hobby and neuroscience was my job," he said. "I flipped that and it is awesome."

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Keane says Fernandes must do more in big games for Man Utd

Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes' ability to inspire the team has drawn comparisons to talismanic former player Eric Cantona but ex-captain Roy Keane believes the Portuguese must do more in big games following their League Cup exit on Wednesday. United were beaten 2-0 by Manchester City, who reached their fourth straight final thanks to second-half goals from defender John Stones and Fernandinho, while Fernandes had a quiet game. Fernandes made a big impression after joining from Sporting Lisbon last year, with 27 goals and 17 assists overall, and his impact has been likened by former United players to that of Cantona who helped end their 26-year wait for a league title in 1993. "It's not easy winning football trophies. Fernandes has had praise for the last few months and people have been comparing him to Cantona. He didn't really do much tonight," Keane told Sky Sports on Wednesday. "The top players turn up in the big occasions. And that's what the Cantonas used to do – they get their hands on trophies. That's where this team are a little bit short." United have now lost at the semi-final stage in their last four Cup campaigns and Keane said that they needed fresh blood to take the next step. "They probably need one or two more players to come into this squad, no doubt, and they need the mentality and confidence of winning a semi-final to get them over the line," he added. "You then get momentum and they just didn't quite have it (against City)."

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Serena, Barty to headline Australian Open warm-up tournaments

World number one Ashleigh Barty and 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams will spearhead the two WTA tournaments in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open, with the top 32-ranked women split evenly across the simultaneous events, organisers said Thursday. The onslaught of Covid-19 has forced a radical change to how the early 2021 tennis season will look, with the Australian Open pushed back three weeks to February 8. Players will arrive in Australia from January 15 and undergo a mandatory two-week quarantine before two WTA 500 and two ATP 250 events are held alongside the ATP Cup, all at Melbourne Park. Organisers have branded it the Melbourne Summer Series and named each tournament after areas of Victoria state. That will see the women play the Gippsland Trophy and Yarra Valley Classic from January 31-February 6, marking Barty's first appearance in 11 months after opting out of the US and European swing last year over coronavirus fears. As well as Williams, the likes of world number two Simona Halep, defending Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and previous Australian Open winners Naomi Osaka, Victoria Azarenka and Angelique Kerber will take part. The leading men's stars, including Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, will compete in the 12-team ATP Cup, which will be run at the same time and at the same venue. Those that didn't qualify will play in two ATP 250 tournaments -- the Great Ocean Road Open and Murray River Open, featuring top names including David Goffin, Stan Wawrinka, Grigor Dimitrov and Nick Kyrgios. "There's no doubt this will be an historic week of tennis, and is the biggest-ever Australian Open lead-in week we have seen," said Tennis Australia's major events chief Cameron Pearson. "While we know the circumstances are unique this year, it is a huge coup to secure such strong playing fields."

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Of mice and men: Keeping track of Ronaldo and co

Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal team-mates may be surprised to learn the video and data analysis their coaches use was devised by scientists who used it to track the behaviour of mice, monkeys and human eye movements. Ruben Saavedra, the Spanish CEO of Metrica Sports, says it is not a stretch to transfer the use of data to track the behaviour of mice and rats to the task of tracking "movement of players on the pitch". Saavedra and Argentinian co-founder Bruno Dagnino -- who studied the eye movements of monkeys and humans -- found they shared more than an interest in science when they were studying for their PhDs in the Netherlands. "We had two things in common: as Barcelona and Argentina fans, Lionel Messi was an easy link, and we were the only people on our courses who loved football," Saavedra told AFP in an interview. "There are lots of nerds in science who do not have other hobbies and so he and I could talk football, which was nice." The final part of the puzzle was complete with another Argentinian, Enzo Angilletta, who had a video production company. Togther they developed a system that integrates data with video analysis, which had been done only manually before. By marrying data and video they created what its developers call a "workflow of football analysts". "Presenting graphs and raw data was not enough for clubs," said Saavedra. The process is unusual in that it analyses technical skills and positioning during matches, rather than simply measure distance covered. Thus, the national teams of Portugal and Paraguay, and clubs as far afield as Melbourne Victory and Santos in Brazil have benefited from the video and data analysis product, with the top clubs paying more 100,000 euros ($122,000) a year. Thanks to that level of income, Metrica have been able to produce a free plan, Play Basic, a version of the analysis tool which is available to download for free to anybody. It has already attracted a diverse clientele from academies in Africa to amateur players and coaches from rugby union, cricket and ice hockey. "A few years ago we had to have cameras in stadia but it has evolved," he said. "Now we can track any game on any video with our new technology. "We are working to automate the manual work in acquiring the data so it will be affordable for some clubs, who now can only dream of having it." Saavedra likes to think of Metrica Sports as a 'mini-Tesla', the electric car company, beginning with a high-end expensive product which can then by used to channel funds into the development and launch of a more affordable one. "I like saying we follow the kind of model Tesla followed even if they are a huge company compared to Metrica. "The first clients fund investment and development of technology which benefits them and at same time allows us to develop new technologies to cut costs. "Making this technology accessible to teams like Stockport County or academies in Vietnam was possible because we partnered with the elite clubs first." - 'Click of a button' - However, while the price may stay at six figures for the elite clubs and national sides, the amount of time saved on the weary eyes of their respective video analysts is immeasurable. "It was a very manual process before and this saves them tonnes of time," said Saavedra. "Previously, a video analyst would sit and pause the match at every instance he wanted recording, that could take four or five hours to watch the whole game. "With Metrica Sports, they simply click a few buttons and that same work is done in two or three minutes." Saavedra uses an example of a coach telling two defenders never to be further than a specific distance from play. "We can write an algorithm that shows every moment when they are further away than they should be as directed by the coach. "They can see the lines showing distance, red for further, yellow for closer, just at the click of a button." The process is unusual in that it analyses technical skills and positioning during matches, rather than simply measure distance covered. Saavedra's enthusiasm reflects his lack of regret at ditching neuroscience despite studying it for 14 years. "I say football used to be my hobby and neuroscience was my job," he said. "I flipped that and it is awesome."

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Messi shines as impressive Barca win in Bilbao

Lionel Messi was at the top of his game as Barcelona earned a 3-2 win at Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday to move up to third in La Liga. Athletic got off to a dream start in their first match under new coach Marcelino when forward Inaki Williams latched on to a low through ball and raced towards goal, beating one defender before firing low into the net in the third minute. Barca quickly responded, however, with a sensational team goal, Messi delivering a superb pass to pick out Frenkie de Jong by the byline and the Dutchman volleyed the ball back across the area for 18-year-old Pedri to head home. Messi and Pedri combined beautifully to put Barca ahead, the youngster receiving a pass from the Argentine before returning it with a delightful backheel and Messi rolled the ball into the bottom corner in the 38th minute. Messi struck again in the 62nd minute to finish off another brilliant team move and missed a couple of chances to complete his hat-trick, although Iker Muniain made for a tense finale by scoring for Athletic in the 90th. The win took Barca above Real Sociedad and into third in the standings on 31 points, seven behind leaders Atletico Madrid who have two games in hand on the Catalans.

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Ageless Tom Brady out to prove he's still a postseason threat with Bucs

Six-time champion Tom Brady's postseason begins on Saturday, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback bids for a Super Bowl berth far from the chilly embrace of his former New England Patriots. After a productive season with 40 touchdown passes, his most since 2007, Brady and the Bucs will visit the Washington Football Team in the Wild Card round, as the seemingly ageless 43-year-old looks to prove he is still a reliable postseason threat. "It all comes down to one game," Brady told reporters after the Bucs' 44-27 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. "It's one football game, who plays well, who executes when the pressure is on." His former rival Peyton Manning is the only starting National Football League (NFL) quarterback to have brought home a Super Bowl ring with multiple teams - one of a scarce few achievements Brady has yet to reach in his 21 seasons. But Brady, who wrote in April that he would join the Bucs "to see how great I can be," is on the right track, casting aside late-season concerns over his ability to get the ball downfield to close out the season with 399 passing yards in the regular-season finale. Asked if he had to pick one player he was most proud of, head coach Bruce Arians diplomatically told reporters this week that there were many - but then singled out Brady. "I'd probably have to say Tom for what he's been through," said Arians. "What he's done - 40 touchdowns with a new team - learning all that verbiage, it was not easy." Triumphing over Washington will not be a breeze either, with three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans not participating in practice on Tuesday after a knee injury and linebacker Devin White, who had 140 tackles in 2020, on the Reserve/Covid-19 list. “They’re an extremely well-coached team,” said Arians. Of particular concern for Brady will be rookie defensive end Chase Young, already a Pro Bowler, who boldly declared "Tom Brady, I'm coming!" after the 7-9 Washington's sloppy 20-14 win over the Philadelphia Eagles to book a spot in the playoffs. "He's a hell of a player," said Arians. "We'll have our hands full but it's one of those games where you better watch what you wish for."

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Conor McGregor promises 'masterpiece' vs. Dustin Poirier

Conor McGregor is poised to paint a pretty picture in his return to the octagon on Jan. 23. Well, the 32-year-old Irishman actually went a bit beyond that when addressing his upcoming bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. "I promise a masterpiece," McGregor wrote Monday night on Twitter. Whether McGregor (22-4) puts forth a masterpiece against Poirier (26-6) is up for debate, considering he last fought at UFC 246 on Jan. 18, 2020. The former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion needed just 40 seconds to register a TKO of Donald Cerrone. McGregor didn't require much more time than that the last time he faced Poirier. He needed just 1:46 to record a first-round TKO of Poirier in a featherweight bout at UFC 178 in 2014.

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Barca's Koeman has list of transfer targets and departures

Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman revealed on Tuesday that he has made a list of players he wants to add and let go in the January transfer window, whilst acknowledging the club's frail financial situation may not allow him to get the personnel he wants. While Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane likes to repeat that his squad is the best and needs no additions or departures, Koeman made it clear he would like some new arrivals to help his side recover from their worst La Liga start since 1987-88. "Every coach always looks at the month of January as a chance to improve their squad and I'm the same," he told a news conference on the eve of their game at Athletic Bilbao. "All I've done is to come up with a plan of players that could leave and a list of players that it would be interesting to bring in. But it depends on the club." Barca are unlikely to hand the Dutchman a transfer war chest, however, as the novel coronavirus pandemic has hit their revenues and the club recently announced it had been forced to delay January payments to players. Carles Alena looks like being the first player to head out of the door as Koeman said the midfielder has been given permission to find a new team on loan. Spanish media said he has agreed to join Getafe. Barca, who are fifth on 28 points from 16 games and trail leaders Atletico Madrid by 10 having played a game more, have lost 1-0 on their last two visits to Athletic in all competitions and last scored there in a 2-0 win in 2017. The Basques are ninth on 21 from 17 matches and will be playing their first game under new coach Marcelino, who has happy memories of his last match against the Catalans when his Valencia side beat them 2-1 in the 2019 Copa del Rey final.

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Slaven Bilic named Beijing boss after West Brom sacking

Slaven Bilic was named coach of Chinese Super League Beijing Guoan on Wednesday, three weeks after he was sacked by Chinese-owned West Bromwich Albion. The 52-year-old from Croatia has signed a contract until the end of 2022 and replaces Frenchman Bruno Genesio, Beijing said. Bilic, who was an imperious central defender as a player, will be expected to have the club from the Chinese capital competing for the CSL title. Under Genesio Beijing again fell short in a coronavirus-disrupted season which ended in November with Jiangsu Suning dethroning Fabio Cannavaro's Guangzhou Evergrande as champions. Announcing Bilic's appointment on the Twitter-like Weibo, Beijing praised the former Croatia boss for his tactical nous and strong leadership. Beijing's squad includes French-born Congolese striker Cedric Bakambu, Brazilian international midfielder Renato Augusto and London-born Chinese international Nico Yennaris. Bilic, who also played for and managed West Ham United, was sacked by West Brom last month with the club one place off the bottom of the English Premier League. Bilic, who was replaced by Sam Allardyce, had been at The Hawthorns since 2019 and led them to promotion out of the second-tier Championship. Bilic joins former Newcastle United, Liverpool and Real Madrid coach Rafa Benitez in China. The Spaniard manages Dalian Pro. The new CSL season starts in the spring but is likely to take place in a secure "bubble" to thwart virus infections.

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American striker Morgan tests positive for Covid-19

United States international and twice World Cup winner Alex Morgan said on Tuesday she and her family tested positive for Covid-19 over the Christmas holiday and are all recovering well. Morgan, who is married to former Major League Soccer player Servando Carrasco and gave birth to her first child last May, returned to the United States last month after a five-game spell with Tottenham Hotspur in the Women's Super League. "Unfortunately, my family and I closed out 2020 learning that we had contracted Covid while in California over the holidays," Morgan said on Twitter. "We are all in good spirits and recovering well. "After our isolation is completed, I will follow US Soccer's return to play guidelines to ensure my body is fully recovered and I can join my teammates back on the field soon. Be safe and happy new year." The 31-year-old Morgan joined north London club Tottenham from Orlando Pride in a bid to regain match fitness following the birth of her child after the Covid-19 pandemic truncated the National Women’s Soccer League. 

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'End of an era' as Chinese football's star power fades

In January 2017 Brazil international Oscar moved from Chelsea to Shanghai SIPG for an Asian-record 60 million euros, prompting a warning from Arsene Wenger that Chinese clubs were distorting the global transfer market. But four years later it is a very different story after the Chinese Football Association imposed a series of measures to cool extravagant spending in the Chinese Super League, markedly dimming its star power. Six months after Oscar's arrival the CFA slapped a 100 percent tax on incoming foreigners, with the levy going to developing Chinese youth players. Then last month the CFA said that overseas players cannot earn more than three million euros a year. Domestic players also saw their salaries capped. "CSL club expenditure is about 10 times higher than South Korea's K League and three times higher than Japan's J-league," said CFA president Chen Xuyuan. "But our national team is lagging far behind. The bubbles not only affect the present of Chinese football, but also its future." All players must now have new contracts, according to the state news agency Xinhua, adding that teams can sign "supplemental agreements" with players whose existing deals were above the cap. That means Oscar, the 29-year-old attacking midfielder, will continue to earn more than 20 million euros a year for the time being. But the message is clear: the days of inflated transfer fees and salaries to lure star players from Europe are over. Oscar's fellow Brazilian and SIPG team-mate Hulk, 34, a 55.8 million euro purchase in 2016, left the club last month when his contract expired. Italian forward Graziano Pelle was another high-profile exit this week, even if like Hulk his best days are behind him. Tuesday's Soccer News said their departures "heralded the end of the super-luxury foreign players era". - Reining it in - As well as Oscar, some of the big names who arrived in recent years remain in the CSL, notably former Barcelona midfielder Paulinho and ex-Manchester United star Marouane Fellaini. But the pool is shrinking and the last major signing in the CSL was Marko Arnautovic from West Ham United in July 2019 for 25 million euros, again to Shanghai SIPG. In a recent interview with AFP, CFA secretary general Liu Yi denied that the loss of foreign stars made the CSL a turn-off and pointed out that China is still attracting top coaches, such as Champions League winner Rafa Benitez at Dalian Pro. But Liu said that "the benchmark is not supposed to be about spending, it's about sustainability. "The profile (of the CSL) has already been there because of the big spending -- Oscar, Hulk etc. "But now we are looking at better governance, a more sustainable business model and better youth academy system to develop youth players to make our national team more competitive. "Some big players are still playing here but has that helped the development of the local players?" - 'Thrifty Super League' - Gareth Bale came close to joining Jiangsu Suning in 2019 before Real Madrid pulled the plug and Wayne Rooney also once explored a move to China. But ahead of the new season in the spring, and with the coronavirus pandemic lingering ominously, nobody is talking about players of that calibre moving to the CSL anymore. Instead, teams are looking at loans, free transfers or signings under the 45 million yuan (5.7 million euros) threshold that would trigger the 100 percent transfer tax. Writing in the Oriental Sports Daily, columnist Ge Aiping said that the CSL "peaked" in 2015 and 2016 as the star names rolled in. "You didn't know which way a game was going until the end, Britain's Sky Sports broadcast the league to the world and the market value of the league was at a record," he wrote. Along with the CFA measures, most CSL clubs can no longer afford to invest like they did, he said. The league which had then-Arsenal manager Wenger fretting as a threat to the Premier League has been replaced by a "frugal" version. "Which is better -- the 2015 and 2016 Chinese Super League or the 'thrifty Chinese Super League' starting in 2021?" asked Ge. "From a viewing standpoint, of course it is the former. "However, the trend in the past few years shows that an overheated Chinese Super League is not sustainable. "A frugal Chinese Super League can at least reserve strength for better development."

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Barca's Koeman has list of transfer targets and departures

Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman revealed on Tuesday that he has made a list of players he wants to add and let go in the January transfer window, whilst acknowledging the club's frail financial situation may not allow him to get the personnel he wants. While Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane likes to repeat that his squad is the best and needs no additions or departures, Koeman made it clear he would like some new arrivals to help his side recover from their worst La Liga start since 1987-88. "Every coach always looks at the month of January as a chance to improve their squad and I'm the same," he told a news conference on the eve of their game at Athletic Bilbao. "All I've done is to come up with a plan of players that could leave and a list of players that it would be interesting to bring in. But it depends on the club." Barca are unlikely to hand the Dutchman a transfer war chest, however, as the novel coronavirus pandemic has hit their revenues and the club recently announced it had been forced to delay January payments to players. Carles Alena looks like being the first player to head out of the door as Koeman said the midfielder has been given permission to find a new team on loan. Spanish media said he has agreed to join Getafe. Barca, who are fifth on 28 points from 16 games and trail leaders Atletico Madrid by 10 having played a game more, have lost 1-0 on their last two visits to Athletic in all competitions and last scored there in a 2-0 win in 2017. The Basques are ninth on 21 from 17 matches and will be playing their first game under new coach Marcelino, who has happy memories of his last match against the Catalans when his Valencia side beat them 2-1 in the 2019 Copa del Rey final.

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Kyrgios out of Australian ATP Cup team as world ranking slips

Nick Kyrgios has paid the price for a year of inaction over Covid-19 concerns after he was ruled out of Australia's team for next month's ATP Cup after his world ranking slipped to number 46 following a 11-month absence from the ATP Tour. The 25-year-old last played a competitive match at Acapulco in February after deciding to remain at home in Australia when the circuit resumed in Europe and North America after a hiatus. Each nation have two singles slots that will be taken by their top-ranked players and Australia's challenge at the ATP Cup will be led by Alex de Minaur and John Millman who are ranked 23 and 38, respectively. The duo will be joined by doubles players John Peers and Luke Saville as Australia look to improve on their semi-final finish at last year's inaugural tournament. The ATP Cup will be held from Feb. 1-5 in Melbourne ahead of the Australian Open, the year's first Grand Slam, and the event will feature world number one Novak Djokovic and second-ranked Rafa Nadal. "The players are looking forward to stepping up and representing their countries again, and the field, including defending champions Serbia and finalists Spain, is strong," tournament director Tom Larner said. "This is a format that shows off the passion of the players and we're expecting some spectacular tennis action." The draw for the ATP Cup will take place on Jan. 20. Kyrgios, often branded "polarising" for his long rap sheet of indiscretions, had been a galvanising force in raising funds and awareness for Australian bushfire relief efforts during the ATP Cup last year. He will now play in Melbourne 2, one of two ATP 250 events being held alongside the ATP Cup. Melbourne Park is also hosting two WTA 500 tournaments alongside the event.

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Querrey defends escape from Russia, says he did it for family

American Sam Querrey, who was sanctioned by the ATP for breaching Covid-19 protocols at the St Petersburg Open in October, has defended his actions, saying he did what he felt was right as a father and a husband. Querrey left Russia in a private jet with his wife and baby son after all three tested positive for the virus before the start of the tournament, sneaking out of their hotel early in the morning without informing reception. The ATP, the men's governing body, handed the 33-year-old a suspended $20,000 fine which will be lifted if Querrey does not commit further breaches of health and safety protocols related to Covid-19 within a probationary six-month period. "I ... had to make a decision between 10 p.m. and 10 a.m. the next day," Querrey told Sports Illustrated in an interview. "I had my wife there, and I had my baby there, and as a human decision, I was like, 'Hey, I don't feel comfortable with this.' So we made the decision to charter a plane and leave." Querrey said he was ready to quarantine in the tournament hotel for two weeks after testing positive but after two days he was told he was no longer welcome at the hotel and doctors would determine if they had to quarantine in a hospital instead. The American said lack of clarity made it necessary for him, his wife, and their seven-month-old son to fly to London and quarantine at an Airbnb. "I felt as a father and a husband there's a human element to this, and I had to do what I feel like is right," he said, adding that the flight cost him about $40,000 plus and he had to also pay for the stay in London for two weeks. "I wasn't willing to let our family go to a hospital for a minimum of two weeks where we were at." Querrey said he was "frustrated" with the media coverage of the incident. "It made it seem like I just got Covid and bounced. I didn't feel how it was portrayed after that was fair," Querrey said.

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'End of an era' as Chinese football's star power fades

In January 2017 Brazil international Oscar moved from Chelsea to Shanghai SIPG for an Asian-record 60 million euros, prompting a warning from Arsene Wenger that Chinese clubs were distorting the global transfer market. But four years later it is a very different story after the Chinese Football Association imposed a series of measures to cool extravagant spending in the Chinese Super League, markedly dimming its star power. Six months after Oscar's arrival the CFA slapped a 100 percent tax on incoming foreigners, with the levy going to developing Chinese youth players. Then last month the CFA said that overseas players cannot earn more than three million euros a year. Domestic players also saw their salaries capped. "CSL club expenditure is about 10 times higher than South Korea's K League and three times higher than Japan's J-league," said CFA president Chen Xuyuan. "But our national team is lagging far behind. The bubbles not only affect the present of Chinese football, but also its future." All players must now have new contracts, according to the state news agency Xinhua, adding that teams can sign "supplemental agreements" with players whose existing deals were above the cap. That means Oscar, the 29-year-old attacking midfielder, will continue to earn more than 20 million euros a year for the time being. But the message is clear: the days of inflated transfer fees and salaries to lure star players from Europe are over. Oscar's fellow Brazilian and SIPG team-mate Hulk, 34, a 55.8 million euro purchase in 2016, left the club last month when his contract expired. Italian forward Graziano Pelle was another high-profile exit this week, even if like Hulk his best days are behind him. Tuesday's Soccer News said their departures "heralded the end of the super-luxury foreign players era". - Reining it in - As well as Oscar, some of the big names who arrived in recent years remain in the CSL, notably former Barcelona midfielder Paulinho and ex-Manchester United star Marouane Fellaini. But the pool is shrinking and the last major signing in the CSL was Marko Arnautovic from West Ham United in July 2019 for 25 million euros, again to Shanghai SIPG. In a recent interview with AFP, CFA secretary general Liu Yi denied that the loss of foreign stars made the CSL a turn-off and pointed out that China is still attracting top coaches, such as Champions League winner Rafa Benitez at Dalian Pro. But Liu said that "the benchmark is not supposed to be about spending, it's about sustainability. "The profile (of the CSL) has already been there because of the big spending -- Oscar, Hulk etc. "But now we are looking at better governance, a more sustainable business model and better youth academy system to develop youth players to make our national team more competitive. "Some big players are still playing here but has that helped the development of the local players?" - 'Thrifty Super League' - Gareth Bale came close to joining Jiangsu Suning in 2019 before Real Madrid pulled the plug and Wayne Rooney also once explored a move to China. But ahead of the new season in the spring, and with the coronavirus pandemic lingering ominously, nobody is talking about players of that calibre moving to the CSL anymore. Instead, teams are looking at loans, free transfers or signings under the 45 million yuan (5.7 million euros) threshold that would trigger the 100 percent transfer tax. Writing in the Oriental Sports Daily, columnist Ge Aiping said that the CSL "peaked" in 2015 and 2016 as the star names rolled in. "You didn't know which way a game was going until the end, Britain's Sky Sports broadcast the league to the world and the market value of the league was at a record," he wrote. Along with the CFA measures, most CSL clubs can no longer afford to invest like they did, he said. The league which had then-Arsenal manager Wenger fretting as a threat to the Premier League has been replaced by a "frugal" version. "Which is better -- the 2015 and 2016 Chinese Super League or the 'thrifty Chinese Super League' starting in 2021?" asked Ge. "From a viewing standpoint, of course it is the former. "However, the trend in the past few years shows that an overheated Chinese Super League is not sustainable. "A frugal Chinese Super League can at least reserve strength for better development."

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American striker Morgan tests positive for Covid-19

United States international and twice World Cup winner Alex Morgan said on Tuesday she and her family tested positive for Covid-19 over the Christmas holiday and are all recovering well. Morgan, who is married to former Major League Soccer player Servando Carrasco and gave birth to her first child last May, returned to the United States last month after a five-game spell with Tottenham Hotspur in the Women's Super League. "Unfortunately, my family and I closed out 2020 learning that we had contracted Covid while in California over the holidays," Morgan said on Twitter. "We are all in good spirits and recovering well. "After our isolation is completed, I will follow US Soccer's return to play guidelines to ensure my body is fully recovered and I can join my teammates back on the field soon. Be safe and happy new year." The 31-year-old Morgan joined north London club Tottenham from Orlando Pride in a bid to regain match fitness following the birth of her child after the Covid-19 pandemic truncated the National Women’s Soccer League. 

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New Zealand complete Test series sweep over Pakistan with crushing win

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Klopp says Liverpool were denied penalty but makes no excuses for Saints shock

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said it was baffling that the Premier League champions were not awarded a penalty in Monday's 1-0 loss at Southampton and claimed other teams would not have been denied by the officials. Liverpool fell behind to a second-minute lob by former striker Danny Ings and had a penalty claim dismissed when Georginio Wijnaldum's shot from inside the box was blocked by the hand of Jack Stephens. The league leaders were left frustrated again when Kyle Walker-Peters went unpunished after bringing down Sadio Mane in the penalty area. "The best situations we had were with Sadio having the ball at his feet," Klopp told Sky Sports. "For anyone to say he's a diver is the biggest joke...He had two situations where other teams would get a penalty. "The handball, I don't know who will explain that to me. In these situations we were unfortunate...I hear Manchester United had more penalties in two years than I had in 5-1/2 years. I have no idea if that's my fault, or how that can happen. "But it's no excuse for the performance. We cannot change it, we have to respect the decisions. We can change our performance. That's our focus now." Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said the club had forgotten how to play in the final minutes of games after going three league matches without a win. "I didn't see that coming, I expected a reaction on the back of two poor performances. We've just seen another one," Carragher told Sky Sports. "Liverpool's away form this season is so poor...That's a big worry, in terms of what they're creating away from home. It's nowhere near enough." Liverpool face Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round on Friday before a league clash against United on Jan. 17.

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Australian Open players to be shifted to new quarantine hotel

Australian Open organisers have been forced to tear up a quarantine accommodation plan for international players a month before the Grand Slam following a threat of legal action from apartment owners at a luxury hotel in Melbourne. Tennis Australia and government authorities had arranged for players to serve a 14-day mandatory quarantine at the Westin Melbourne ahead of the Feb. 8-21 Australian Open. On Tuesday, the plan was scrapped after apartment owners at the Westin complained they had not been properly consulted and would seek an injunction against it. "Following consultation between the owners of The Westin Melbourne, the hotel's existing residents and Covid-19 Quarantine Victoria the decision has been made to accommodate players and their support teams arriving in Melbourne for the upcoming ATP at an alternate hotel location," the Westin said in a statement. Graeme Efron, a lawyer representing the owners, told Reuters the quarantine plan was "never going to get through". "It was the epitome of hubris that they thought people would go along with it without being consulted," he said. International players at the Australian Open are expected to arrive in Melbourne from mid-January. Victoria state Police Minister Lisa Neville told reporters on Tuesday an alternative quarantine hotel had been secured for the players, which would be "stood up today or tomorrow". Many of the world's top players are planning to compete at tournaments at Melbourne Park in the week before the Grand Slam. World number one Novak Djokovic and second-ranked Rafa Nadal are scheduled to play at the team-based ATP Cup, meaning they would need to arrive in Melbourne at least two weeks before the Feb. 1-5 tournament to complete quarantine in time. Melbourne, capital of Victoria state, was the epicentre of Australia's largest second wave outbreak of Covid-19, which started at two quarantine hotels for international arrivals. More than 18,000 infections were recorded in Victoria during the outbreak and nearly 800 deaths. Victoria recorded four new cases of COVID-19 in Melbourne on Tuesday, including one in hotel quarantine.

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