Conspiracy of nihilism suits Chelsea and pragmatic Thomas Tuchel | Barney Ronay  

Chelsea’s manager set up his team in such a way as to give Porto no hope and can now picture a Champions League triumph

And so the Tuchel revolution roars on. In a manner of speaking. The second-best thing anyone could say about the second leg of Chelsea’s 2-1 aggregate defeat of Porto in Seville was that it was, on balance, an act of cardiovascular exercise. Everyone involved burned some calories.

The best thing – arguably the only thing – is that Chelsea cruised through without a scratch and will now take their place in the semi-finals of the Champions League, setting up a mouthwatering denouement to their own peculiar season of two halves.

Has a player played more games in a league season than their team?  

Plus: retrained goalkeepers, more kits inspired by musicians, and grounds named after long-dead folk

• Mail us your questions or tweet @TheKnowledge_GU

“Beitar Jerusalem midfielder Yarden Shua has made 27 league appearances this season, even though Beitar have only played 26 games,” explains Simon Burnton. “He played two games for Maccabi Haifa before the Israeli league’s lockdown in September, but when he moved to the capital Beitar had only played once. Has anyone previously played more games in a league season than their team?”

Kedon Slovis and USC's offense don't show much in spring game at Coliseum   -40%

USC got to perform in front of fans Saturday at the Coliseum in its spring game. But the offense struggled behind makeshift lines.

There are 42 unbeaten football teams following Southern Section spring season  

Spring football season results in 42 unbeaten teams in Southern Section

Pure greed: Gary Neville takes aim at clubs involved in European super league   -1%

• ‘It’s a criminal act against football fans,’ says Neville
• ‘Deduct them all points ... take their money off them,” he adds

Former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville has reacted furiously to reports that several Premier League clubs have agreed to take part in a new breakaway European super league.

Related: Premier League condemns European super league after English clubs sign up

Fulham denied victory at Arsenal by last-gasp Eddie Nketiah equaliser   20%

This was one of those afternoons from which nobody, even if they happen to have grasped a point in the seventh minute of stoppage time, goes home feeling happy.

All Arsenal really gained from Eddie Nketiah’s poached equaliser was a modicum of self-esteem, given a win was imperative if they were to keep any degree of heat on the European spots. How that will rankle with Fulham, who were seconds from a win that would have given them a fresh glimmer of light in the survival race. They surely have too much to do now; the Championship looks certain to be their next destination while Arsenal seem set for mid-table, hoping against hope that the Europa League offers salvation.

Player-driven womens lacrosse league, with an individual scoring system, is coming to Maryland   4%

Athletes Unlimited is reimagining women’s pro sports with an innovative model that makes every game count.

Liberia: NPA Pythons Hit Barrolle 59-57 to Set Up Game Three in LBA Best of Three Play-Offs   18%

[FrontPageAfrica] Monrovia -- NPA Pythons fought back to beat Mighty Barrolle 59-57 in game two of the Liberia Basketball Association (LBA) First Division Best of three play-offs, Wednesday night at the Open Air Sports Commission on Broad Street.

Covid-19: Japanese city cancels torch relay 100 days before Olympics   -3%

A western Japanese city cancelled the Tokyo Olympics torch relay over spiking coronavirus cases on Wednesday, the second area to scrap the event as the clock ticks down to the postponed Games.

Ansar on the cusp of title after Nejmeh slip-up   -11%

Ansar eased past Shabab al-Sahel 2-0 Sunday to set up a tantalizing finish to the Lebanese Premier League after bitter foes Nejmeh could only muster a goalless draw against Ahli Aley.

First mens open lacrosse league to kick off Israel's inaugural season  

Teams will play an 18-game regular season schedule with the top three squads advancing to the playoffs

Grey market for console gaming imports rebounds after crackdown   22%

Rwanda: Jean-Damascne Sekamana - the Legacy of His Three-Year Leadership At Ferwafa   11%

[New Times] "We must work together as a group to improve the game. We need teamwork to reach our target. This way, we shall be able to take Rwandan football to a higher level"

Top high school football games this week   16%

A look at the top high school football games this week: Mater Dei vs. St. John Bosco and

Yankees Finally Get Past Rays With Four-Run 10th   10%

A rough series ended with a win. Meanwhile, the Mets’ game against the Marlins was suspended, rankling Marcus Stroman.

NRL considers stricter rules for taking players off for head knocks   -20%

After a weekend of controversy over the on-field handling of head knocks, the league’s medical advisory panel will consider tougher protocols on game day.

Unacceptable, undignified: UEFA tells referees to stop seeking players' autographs   -33%

UEFA has told match officials it is unacceptable and undignified to seek autographs from players, after a referee's assistant asked Erling Haaland to sign red and yellow cards after Borussia Dortmund's Champions League game at Manchester City.

Citing Israel, Tucker Carlson defends 'replacement theory' and responds to the ADL  

Fox News to Anti-Defamation League: We won’t fire Tucker Carlson for endorsing a white supremacist theory

FM Home Loans league: All American Poly wins in overtime  

B-Woods, Yeshiva League Pass, Tommy’s Midrash Ballers improve to 2-0

Timo Werner keeps it simple to hit his highest note for Chelsea | Barney Ronay   11%

Thomas Tuchel asked his forward to pare his game back to a very specific movement at Wembley – and it worked

It is a sporting truism that some athletes “get better” by not playing. Absence is flattering to the reputation. Time dims the bad bits and illuminates the good. The problem for Timo Werner in this dynamic, the one flaw in the plan, is that there haven’t actually been any good bits yet.

Or at least, not enough. And not until now. Instead Werner has been a frantic presence in west London, a £50m player whose basic footballing range has been seriously questioned. Most recently he was compared by one pundit to a non-scoring Jamie Vardy – which is, let’s face it, no Jamie Vardy at all, a case of Bez minus the dancing.

Bayern Munich criticise boss Hansi Flick for going public with exit wish   10%

Bayern Munich have condemned head coach Hansi Flick for breaking ranks and publicly revealing he wants to leave at the end of the season.

'Our time has come': Israeli women's soccer league seeks formal recognition   25%

FIFA accreditation would make teams treat players better and increase the league’s exposure, local association argues

Detroit Red Wings blanked by Chicago Blackhawks, 4-0: Game thread recap   -13%

Detroit Red Wings game time, TV channel, radio info, score, live updates and analysis as they play the Chicago Blackhawks

Womens Euro 2022 power rankings: breaking down all 16 finalists | Suzanne Wrack   23%

After a round of games that included surprises in the friendlies and confirmed the final 16, we look at how the teams shape up

Europe’s most successful team made light work of Australia and Norway and with six different goal scorers across the two games their threat is evident. They will have a point to prove next summer with the reigning Olympic champions having failed to qualify for this summer’s Games because they did not get beyond the quarter-final stage of the 2019 World Cup. However, conceding goals against top-10 teams (and the 11th in the case of Norway) – two to Australia, one against Norway and twice in a defeat against the Netherlands in February – will be a concern.

John Egan delivers blunt assessment of relegated Sheffield Uniteds season   -50%

Sheffield United captain John Egan has delivered a blunt assessment of the Blades’ awful season after they were finally relegated.

Justin Turner and Max Muncy power Dodgers to sweeping win over Rockies   50%

Justin Turner and Max Muncy each hit home runs as the Dodgers extend their winning streak to six games with a 7-5 series-sweeping win over the Rockies.

Ghana: Kotoko Target Revenge Over Olympics   20%

[Ghanaian Times] It may not be a title-defining game yet, but this afternoon's Ghana Premier League (GPL) block-buster between Great Olympics and Asante Kotoko, has a lot at stake.

San Clemente tops Mission Viejo on last-second field goal  

Junior Sean Harry made a 25-yard field goal as time expired to give San Clemente a 10-7 victory over Mission Viejo to win the South Coast League title.

European Super League: UK Government condemns troubling and damaging plans for breakaway competition   -6%

The Premier League said earlier on Sunday that the plans would ‘destroy’ the premise of open competition

The Joy of Playing Soccer With Strangers   -35%

Joining a pickup game can be a way of freeing yourself from the fear of failure.

'A good gesture': Mikel Arteta backs Arsenal players for taking knee video   25%

Mikel Arteta revealed that a group of senior Arsenal players asked him whether they could take a knee prior to their resounding Europa League quarter-final win at Slavia Prague, with the club and Uefa giving the green light. Arteta was also proud of his side's performance and credited them for being 'brave and efficient' under pressure

• Mikel Arteta backs Arsenal’s players for taking knee before Slavia Prague win

Ghana: FA Urged to Deal With Law Breakers   -40%

[Ghanaian Times] The Dormaahene Osagyefo Nana Agyemang Badu I has urged the leadership of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to deal with clubs that flout the regulations of the game to guarantee its sanity.

Kristina Vogel: 'When the world isn't nice for everyone it annoys me'   37%

Kristina Vogel is set to realize her dream of going to the Olympic Games in Tokyo, but not the way she had originally planned.

Maxwell might just end up being player of the IPL: Vaughan  

Former England skipper Michael Vaughan feels Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell might end up as the player of the tournament in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.

Patrick Marleau ties Gordie Howe's NHL record for games played   10%

San Jose forward Patrick Marleau tied Gordie Howe's NHL record for career games played, appearing in his 1,767th on Saturday as the Sharks faced the Minnesota Wild.

Bielsa pips Pep as United beat City, plus using xG in Scrabble Football Weekly   25%

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Jonathan Wilson and Barney Ronay to discuss Leeds’ win at Manchester City and the race for the top four

We start at the Etihad Stadium as Leeds become the first promoted team in 13 years to win away at a team that sits top of the Premier League. What level of credit does Bielsa deserve for the performances we’ve seen by Leeds this year?

We then move on to the battle for the Champions League as Manchester United, West Ham, Chelsea and Liverpool all win to further their chances. Could Leicester pay a heavy price after three of their key players missed the defeat at the London Stadium following a Covid-19 related breach?

Roundup: Freshman Tim Larkins has winning debut as starting quarterback for Hart  

Tim Larkins, 14, leads Hart to football victory over West Ranch in Foothill League play on Thursday.

This $109 gaming chair has become my ultimate WFH accessory  

Israel basketball: Top-tier matchups down to wire   18%

B-Woods edges Yeshiva League Pass, which misses a shot in the final seconds ■ In lacrosse, Sha’ar Hanegev takes first with two wins

Classic YouTube | Crucible classics, Matthew Hayden catches and a vaccinated vaulter   5%

This week’s roundup also features plenty of football nostalgia, Shannon Courtenay and the art of trailer racing

1) Nostalgia aplenty in this weekend’s Premier League fixtures. West Ham play Newcastle nearly 35 years to the day since John Lyall’s Hammers walloped them, three different goalies and all, 8-1. Spurs visit Everton, whom they thrashed 4-1 on the opening day of the 1984-85 season – Everton went on to win the title – and by whom they were thrashed 4-1 in the semi-finals of the 1994-95 FA Cup. Leeds host Liverpool, a fixture that yielded the famous ruck between Billy Bremner and Kevin Keegan during the 1974 Charity Shield and which was settled, in August 1995, by Tony Yeboah’s thunder-expletive.

2) The world snooker championship begins on Saturday, so let’s relive Alex Higgins’ unbelievable 69 break from his semi-final against Jimmy White in 1982 and his 135 to clinch the title. Here’s frame 24 of the 1992 final between Stephen Hendry and Jimmy White, featuring the former’s famous broon, part one and part two; and Ronnie O’Sullivan’s frankly revolting 92 against Ali Carter in the 2012 final. In this year’s qualifiers, Louis Heathcote produced this piece of wizardry: