Feyenoord Rotterdam’s fans won’t be crossing Europe.
On Monday, Feyenoord received a copy of a document issued to SSC Napoli by the Prefetto della Provincia di Napoli, confirming “no Dutch fans will be welcome in Stadio San Paolo” for the Champions League game between the two clubs on Sept. 26.
“It is much to Feyenoord’s regret that coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side will not benefit from the support of the club’s fans in the second Champions League Group F match,” Feyenoord said. “In response to the decision of the Italian authorities, the club has decided not to organise a trip for the Feyenoord Business Club. The squad will be accompanied by no more than a small group of officials.”
In 2015, before a Europa League match between Feyenoord and AS Roma in Rome, 23 of the Dutch club’s supporters – 6,500 of whom were thought to have descended upon Italy’s capital – were arrested, and 19 were charged. Drunk fans caused damage to buildings and hurled bottles at riot police. The return leg in the Netherlands was then overshadowed by crowd trouble and included an apparent incident of racism, as the game was suspended when an inflatable banana was thrown on the pitch.
OAKLAND — Marshawn Lynch got hyphy on the sideline, the Oakland native dancing and celebrating his homecoming and a big Raiders lead with more than 12 minutes to play Sunday. It only got better from there for the Raiders in a 45-20 victory over their old AFL rivals, the New York Jets, with Lynch scoring his first touchdown since 2015 and receiver Michael Crabtree tying a career best with three TD catches.
What it means: The Raiders are 2-0 for the first time since 2002, when they started out 4-0 en route to a Super Bowl appearance. They also served notice to the rest of the NFL that they are, indeed, a force to be reckoned with this season. Because, sure, Oakland was a two-touchdown favorite over the woebegone Jets, but the Raiders again excelled in all three phases of the game — Lynch, Crabtree, the offensive line and quarterback Derek Carr doing their thing, the defense stifling the Jets and gunner Johnny Holton forcing and recovering a muffed punt when the Raiders needed a spark.
What I liked: The Raiders brought the heat to Jets quarterback Josh McCown, sacking him four times. Mario Edwards Jr. had 1.5 sacks, giving him two in two games, and reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack had a devastating “full eclipse” sack in the third quarter, the All-Pro edge rusher seemingly stripping the ball from the Jets quarterback mid-sack. Alas, McCown was ruled down. The Raiders, who had a league-low 25 sacks last season without a single sack coming from a defensive back, also blitzed strong safety Karl Joseph, who recovered a fumble he caused. Denico Autry shared a sack with Edwards.
What I didn’t like: The preponderance of flags thrown at the Raiders, who had four personal fouls in the first half alone and finished with nine penalties for 79 yards. Bruce Irvin’s slam tackle of Matt Forte jump-started the Jets after the Raiders jumped to a 14-0 lead, and New York closed to within 14-10 shortly thereafter. The Raiders led the NFL in flags (181), penalties accepted against (155) and penalty yardage (1,310) last season. Still, they had only five penalties in the season opener last week at Tennessee.
Fantasy fallout: If you started Crabtree as a receiver, you are grinning larger than maybe even he was after each of his three TD catches, from 2, 26 and 1 yards. It was the second time in his career he caught three touchdowns passes in a game; he also had three against the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 2 last year.
Gareon Conley’s debut: The Raiders’ first-round pick did not start; he entered the game in Oakland’s nickel defense as the right outside cornerback as starter TJ Carrie slid inside. Conley showed some volleyball skills in breaking up a long ball down the left sideline, timing his leap perfectly and essentially spiking the ball toward an oncoming Reggie Nelson, but hit it too hard.
What’s next: The Raiders travel across the country for a Sunday night prime-time game at Washington. Oakland leads the all-time series 7-5, though Washington has won the past two meetings, both in Oakland. The Raiders won 16-13 at Washington in 2005, Norv Turner’s final win as Raiders coach.
Three Premier League clubs took the pitch as part of Wednesday’s Champions League agenda, and, while two of them manufactured strong performances, it was the same old story for the other.
Liverpool rues missed chances once again
Liverpool entered the interval with a 2-1 lead over Sevilla, but, as if something was in the air at Anfield, it just felt like one of those games where the Reds would succumb to an equaliser and regret squandering first-half opportunities.
Sure enough, Sevilla found an equaliser out of nothing. After nobody bothered to challenge Luis Muriel in the 72nd minute, the Colombian forward flicked the ball towards Joaquin Correa, who, unmarked, slotted it past Simon Mignolet. It was deja vu for Reds supporters, whose minds instantly hit rewind in order to reminisce over Roberto Firmino’s failure to convert a penalty kick.
But it would unfair to single out Firmino’s miss. Liverpool was lively in attack throughout the majority of the game and outshot Sevilla 11-2 in shots off target and 7-3 in shots on target. When your defence is about as stable as four drunk giraffes standing atop of one another, you can’t afford to be wasteful.
1 – Roberto Firmino is the 1st Liverpool player to miss a penalty in the Champions League since Steven Gerrard v Marseille (Dec 2007). Post.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 13, 2017
Just like the first matchday of the Premier League, when Liverpool conceded a 93rd-minute equaliser at Watford, a combination of missed chances and awful defending cost the Reds two points. This time, however, it happened on home soil.
Manchester City can absolutely dream of European success
Don’t listen to Pep Guardiola. Before Manchester City’s invasion of Feyenoord Rotterdam, the Catalan manager said: “I don’t know now if we’re able to compete for the titles because we’re in the process of growing. We are not dreaming.” Perhaps he was being humble. Perhaps he was setting himself up for the possibility of failure. Either way, the Citizens can dream of conquering Europe.
City was nothing short of excellent at Feyenoord. The Citizens, who reportedly spent £220.5 million during the summer transfer window, showed what money can buy with a 4-0 victory. They required all of two minutes to open the scoring, as John Stones tallied his first of two goals, and, by the final whistle, they had equalled their biggest-ever win in the Champions League.
4 – Feyenoord’s 0-4 v Manchester City is their heaviest home defeat in all European competitions. Powerless.
— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) September 13, 2017
The result will also do wonders for City’s confidence on the road. The Citizens had won none of their last six away games in the Champions League, allowing 14 goals in the process.
City will inevitably come across tougher obstacles, but, until that happens, its supporters can set the bar as high as they want.
Tottenham should feel good about playing at Wembley Stadium
Entering Tottenham Hotspur’s match versus Borussia Dortmund, Spurs had yet to tally three points at Wembley Stadium, falling to Chelsea and earning a draw against Burnley after a season in which they struggled to adjust to playing at the iconic ground. But any suggestions of a prolonged curse can be confined to the Premier League.
Tottenham was worth three points in its 3-1 triumph over Dortmund. Although Der BVB outplayed Spurs at certain times in the first half, the English club was ultimately the better team at Wembley and even had luck going in its favour, as the visitor had two goals disallowed – one by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and another by Christian Pulisic.
Aubameyang has a perfectly good goal disallowed. Wembley is clearly Tottenham’s lucky ground.
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) September 13, 2017
Harry Kane was as efficient as ever, scoring two goals with his left foot. In a group that also boasts Real Madrid, the English striker will be relied upon for advancing to the knockout phase.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Giants believe there is a “good chance” wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. will play Monday night against the Detroit Lions, but the decision is still “up in the air,” a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The team will know more about Beckham’s status after Sunday, the source said.
Beckham, who missed the Giants’ opener last Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys, was officially listed as questionable for the second straight week with an ankle injury. He was a limited participant in practice Thursday and Friday, his first two practices since getting hurt on a hit by Cleveland Browns cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun four weeks ago.
Odell Beckham Jr. is expected to be a game-time decision on Monday night. AP Photo/Ron Schwane
“The biggest thing is, you don’t want to put a player out there that is going to do any harm to himself or injure himself any more than he is,” Giants coach Ben McAdoo said Saturday. “It is an injury. It’s a tough injury. He’s fighting through it and doing everything he can to get back, but we’re going to be smart with him.”
The Giants didn’t practice Saturday. Instead they spent the afternoon at the team facility taking care of their bodies before a workout Sunday at about 85 percent.
Beckham is expected to be a game-time decision Monday night.
Hart, Robinson and Beckham were all limited during Friday’s practice. Beckham ran some routes against air but was more involved than the previous day. He also did some running and skipping during warmups and made an impressive one-handed, left-handed grab in the back of the end zone during an offensive drill.
“He looked good. Looked like he’s improving,” wide receiver Roger Lewis said.
It’s progress after Beckham did not practice and worked on the side with trainers most of last week. He admittedly wasn’t close to playing against the Cowboys.
This week there appears to be more optimism.
“He responded well to treatment,” McAdoo said after practice Friday. “He responded well to his work [Thursday]. Got a little bit more [Friday], but he’s still limited.”
Beckham said Thursday that he was dealing with a 6-8 week injury. But that timetable could vary or change depending on the individual.
The Pro Bowl receiver has spent endless hours at the facility and at home treating and rehabbing the injury. Beckham said Thursday he “felt good” and was itching to get back on the field.
