Bale Stunner See Real Madrid Beat Liverpool In Champions League Final
Bale made his mark on another Champions League final with a magnificent overhead kick to put Real 2-1 up after 64 minutes.
Liverpool had already suffered the devastating blow of losing top scorer Mohamed Salah midway through the first half with a shoulder injury sustained in a challenge with Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos when calamity struck for Karius.
Six minutes after half-time, the German inexplicably threw the ball against Karim Benzema, who was not even challenging with urgency, and watched in horror as the ball rolled behind him into the net.
Liverpool recovered from the shock to equalise through Sadio Mane before Bale stepped off the bench to score his wonder goal.
There was to be no comeback from Liverpool this time and Karius's misery was complete when he fumbled Bale's hopeful 30-yard shot behind him to seal Real's win.
It sealed Real's record 13th win in this competition, and their fourth in five seasons to give coach Zinedine Zidane this third triumph in three years.
For Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, it was disappointment again he lost his third successive final since arriving at Anfield, having suffered defeats in the League Cup and Europa League finals of 2016.
Ten-Man Fulham Hold Off Villa To Seal Premier League Return
Captain Tom Cairney was their goalscorer, finishing neatly underneath Villa goalkeeper Sam Johnstone after latching onto Ryan Sessegnon's pass midway through the first half.
A fractious game ended with Fulham down to 10 men after centre-back Denis Odoi was sent off for two bookable offences both for fouls on Jack Grealish.
Villa were furious that Ryan Fredericks escaped a card during a first-half tangle with Grealish, the Fulham right-back landing studs first on Grealish's leg, while the Villa man was later booked for a lunging tackle on Cairney.
Fulham spent 13 successive seasons in the top flight before their relegation in 2014 and the hope is that the nucleus of this team, helped by the financial backing of owner Shahid Khan, can see them become an established Premier League club again.
Warriors Rout Rockets To Tie Series
The defending champions' win tied their NBA Western Conference final series at 3-3, forcing a decisive game seven at Houston on Monday.
Klay Thompson scored 35 points, Stephen Curry scored 29 and Kevin Durant added 23 as the Warriors rallied.
They are aiming for a fourth successive NBA finals appearance, while Houston last made the finals in 1995.
Houston's James Harden had dominated the early stages as they marched to a 39-22 lead after the first period, and he finished with 32 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.
But Golden State's defence finally got to grips with the Most Valuable Player candidate, limiting him to only 10 points in a second half in which the Warriors outscored the Rockets 64-25.
Harden, though, said his side remains confident of sealing the series.
"We know what we have to do. We're still confident. We're a confident group. We've just got one chance," he said.Thompson insisted the Warriors remain equally focused, adding:
"If we take the same focus and execute the game plan like we should, I have all the confidence in the world in this team."The winners will meet either Cleveland Cavaliers or Boston Celtics in the NBA finals. Their Eastern Conference final is also tied at 3-3 with the decider played on Sunday.
Semenya To Be Hit By New IAAF Rules
The new ruling affects female athletes who have a 'Difference of Sexual Development' - that means testosterone levels 5 nanomols or above.
To comply and be able to race they must be recognised by law as female or intersex, blood testosterone levels must be lower than 5 nanomols for a period of at least six months (control with hormonal contracepties) and maintain blood testosterone levels of below 5 nanomols continuously to be eligible to race.
The original rules, introduced in 2009, came as a response to concerns about female athletes, including the two-time 800m Olympic champion, with naturally high levels of testosterone having an unfair competitive advantage before they were suspended by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2015.
The CAS ruling resulted from a legal challenge by Indian sprinter Dutee Chand and invited the IAAF to commission scientific research to justify its testosterone ceiling for female athletes.
Semenya, who had a gender verification test at the 2009 World Championships after winning 800m gold the first of three world titles at the distance, has competed under intense scrutiny during her career and most recently claimed an 800m and 1500m double at the Commonwealth Games in Australia.
"This is not about cheating. No hyperandrogenic athlete has cheated," IAAF president Lord Coe said on the subject last month.
"This is about our responsibility as a sport federation to ensure a level playing field. It is for us to decide the rules, to draw the lines for competition.
from Bola Esho's Blog
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