Mike Nykoluk, the first full-time NHL assistant, died Monday at age 87.
Nykoluk was hired by the Philadelphia Flyers as an assistant to Fred Shero in 1972 and helped guide them to the Stanley Cup in 1974 and 1975. He was also an assistant to Shero for two seasons with the New York Rangers (1978-80).
In a statement, the Flyers said, "The Philadelphia Flyers are saddened to hear of the passing Mike Nykoluk. Mike was the first assistant coach in Flyers history and is widely considered the first full-time assistant coach in the National Hockey League. He served Hall of Fame head coach Fred Shero for three seasons and was instrumental in bringing back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 1974 and 1975 to the city of Philadelphia. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mike's family during this difficult time."
Nykoluk coached the Toronto Maple Leafs for four seasons (1980-84). He was 89-144 with 47 ties in 280 regular-season games and 1-6 in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Prior to his coaching career, Nykoluk scored four points (three goals, one assist) in 32 games as a forward for the Maple Leafs in 1956-57.
He played 14 seasons in the American Hockey League, and he's sixth in AHL history in points (881), third in assists (686) and fifth in games played (1,069). Nykoluk won the Calder Cup with Hershey in 1959 and 1969 and was inducted into the American Hockey League Hall of Fame in 2007.
Andrew Chisholm works at the Ski Technicians Association of Canada Centre of Excellence in Canmore, Alta., a research hub designed to support ventures that might increase Olympic medal counts.Handout
Andrew Chisholm wasn’t even alive at the time, but he has heard the stories of what happened when the miracle substance was first used, in secret, on the ski racing circuit. “I think it was in the mid- to late-1980s when the Italians first started waxing with pure fluorocarbon powders,” said Mr. Chisholm, an assistant coach and ski technician with Biathlon Canada. “It wasn’t even fair. Their skis were so much better than everyone else’s, and nobody could figure out what they were doing.”
Mr. Chisholm was referring to perfluorinated compounds, or PFCs – chemicals that almost magically repel water, grease and dirt, and that can therefore add extraordinary glide to skis and snowboards. After the Italian triumphs in the eighties, he said, whispers began to circulate about the special source of the country’s speed. PFCs became a standard component of snow wax, and eventually any national team that was serious about competing had “tens of thousands of euros of fluorocarbon powders in their wax boxes.”
Wax techs – the hard-working roadies who prep skis and boards – would constantly test different approaches, looking for a unique alchemy of powders and waxes and application techniques that, along with grinding and finishing, might give their athletes an edge over racers from other countries.
But after research emerged showing the compounds are harmful to humans and animals, governments and international sport federations began to ban them.
And so, with an eye to next month’s Beijing Winter Games, snow-sport teams around the world, including a collection of Canadian teams with which Mr. Chisholm is involved,have spent the past few years experimenting with new treatments that might make up for the loss of PFCs, in hopes of discovering advantages over other countries similar to the one the Italians once had.
“It’s really turning into an arms race again,” Mr. Chisholm said.
That’s a fitting analogy, because PFCs were first deployed in a different kind of arms race. Discovered in a DuPont lab in 1938, the compounds were found to be all but indestructible. That made them extremely helpful during the development of the atomic bomb, when the U.S. military needed seals and gaskets that could withstand corrosion in uranium-refining plants.
In peacetime, manufacturers exploited PFCs’ amazing ability to repel other substances, deploying them in a wide array of consumer products, from non-stick cookware (sold under the brand name Teflon) and carpet treatments (3M’s Scotchguard) to athleisure wear, Gore-Tex, paints and food packaging.
But the same quality that gives PFCs their superpower also became their Achilles heel.
In scientific terms, the compounds consist of long chains of carbon and fluorine, elements that bond so strongly that almost nothing can tear them apart. That’s why they’re known as “forever chemicals.” While this property makes them excellent at beading rain off umbrellas, it also means they take, well, forever to break down in the bloodstreams of humans and animals. That puts them in a class known as PBTs: persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals.
An Estonian service technician waxes skis before a cross-country race at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler.Elaine Thompson/The Associated Press
Last year, the International Ski Federation, which governs ski and snowboard competitions in many countries, introduced a ban on the materials. Strictly speaking, only one type of fluorocarbon has been banned: perfluorooctanoic acids, or PFOAs, which are known colloquially as C8s because they consist of spines of eight carbon atoms. Fluorocarbons known as C6s, which are shorter and are believed to take less time to break down, are still permitted.
For the moment, though, the ban is effectively a voluntary one, because proper enforcement is impossible: after years of development, a hand-held sensor device, which could give a quick and accurate reading of the presence of flourines, isn’t yet ready for use. “The current way to test for all of this stuff is to fill a room with helium, and you burn everything inside and you see what’s left over,” explained Mr. Chisholm, who noted with a chuckle that the method isn’t great “if you want your skis back, after.”
Even a less intrusive test, which would involve scraping a tiny sample of wax from the base of a ski or board, could cause a significant difference in performance.
National sports organizations have signed a pledge not to use C8s, but apparently not everyone is on board: Earlier this month, the Norwegian news service NRK reported that the International Ski Federation had confirmed the presence of C8s on equipment during a recent competition in Falun, Sweden, that included Norwegian and Swedish Olympians. Authorities have not said exactly which competitors used tainted skis.
With strict enforcement ofthe ban looming, Canada’s snow-sport federations realized they had to improve their technological approaches to ski and board prep. When the pandemic halted athlete training and many other activities, it helped spur an innovation that Mr. Chisholm and others believe is already paying dividends.
“We have a pretty European-based sports system, and when we couldn’t get to Europe because of COVID, it made us really centralize what we have in Canada,” Mr. Chisholm said. In addition to his position with Biathlon Canada, he also serves as the ski and board technology co-ordinator for Own the Podium, the national not-for-profit dedicated to helping Canada win more Olympic and Paralympic medals.
In Aug., 2020, techs from Alpine Canada, Nordiq Canada, Biathlon Canada and the national snowboard cross team moved into a new workshop and laboratory in Canmore, Alta., where they could learn from each other, share techniques and brainstorm together.
“We have 30 to 40 things that we have to look at that are constantly in flux,” said Blake Lewis, the lead technician for the snowboard cross team. “There’s a lot of trial and error and testing.”
Mr. Chisholm and Blake Lewis, lead technician for the snowboard cross team.Handout
The new research and development hub, officially known as the Ski Technicians Association of Canada Centre of Excellence, or STAC COE, is partly funded by Own the Podium, which works with National Sports Organizations (NSOs) to prioritize investments in ventures it believes could increase medal counts.
“I see them a little bit like a Dragon’s Den kind of thing,” said Mr. Lewis, regarding Own the Podium’s input into the Centre’s activities. “We go, ‘Hey, we’ve got this idea.’ And they poke holes in it a little bit and challenge us. And in the end, if they see value in it, they’ll help fund it or help us find some funding or convince our NSOs to work together.”
The techs are understandably wary of talking too much with the press about what they’ve learned so far by working together. National teams “have advantages for short windows, and we want to keep ours for the window that we have,” Mr. Lewis said.
Mr.Chisolm agreed. For the first season or two after the ban on C8 fluorocarbons, he said, “there is going to be some pretty big disparity in ski performance” between countries. He acknowledged that he has spent a lot of time using high-end, computer-controlled grinders to imprint different microscopic patterns on the bases of skis.
“If you look at the bottom of your ski, it’s not smooth as glass,” he explained. “There’s a little structure on there, and different shapes and depths, and everything that we can play with.” One pattern might work well in damp, warm conditions, channelling water away from a ski’s base, while a different pattern would be better for a dry, cold clime.
“Fluorocarbons are like a Band-Aid. They can cover up some less-than-great work on all of the different parts of ski preparation and make the ski run pretty well. But now we don’t have that any more, so it’s going to be about trying to find what’s the next best thing,” Mr. Chisholm said. “There will be things that will be good in this new era we’re going into, but it’s going to be a big battle to figure out what is that thing.”
The Centre of Excellence is a demonstration of the power of collaborative work across different sports disciplines, he added.“I really think it’s going to give us an advantage that we haven’t had, going into the Olympics. Maybe we won’t have the best thing out there, but we’re for sure going to be right in with everyone else at the Olympics, because of what’s happened at the COE.”
Our Olympic team will be writing a daily newsletter to land in your inbox every morning during the Games. Sign up today to join us in keeping up with medals, events and other news.
HAMILTON -- Canada continued its march to Qatar 2022 on Sunday, bundling the 11th-ranked United States out of its way in a 2-0 victory.
With four games remaining in the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying, the 40th-ranked Canadian men are turning heads while turning aside all comers in the region. Unbeaten Canada is on the verge of booking its ticket to soccer's world showcase for the first time since 1986 -- and only the second time ever.
But with a game in El Salvador looming on Wednesday, coach John Herdman is not looking too far ahead -- yet.
"We've got a long way to go. We're not qualified yet," he said. "The first thing we said when we brought the boys together at the end of the game is, 'it's not done. It starts again -- tomorrow. We've got El Salvador.'
"We're not there yet. We need some more points. I won't let these boys off the hook. They'll get a little bit of time to enjoy the moment and then we're back at it. And we've got to keep staying humble. Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves."
El Salvador can't be looking forward to the Canadian men's visit. Canada (6-0-4, 22 points) has won five straight, tops the eight-team standings and boasts a 12-0-4 record in three rounds of qualifying.
Also Sunday, No. 63 Panama won 3-2 at home over No. 57 Jamaica. In later games, it was No. 49 Costa Rica at No. 40 Mexico, and No. 70 El Salvador at No. 76 Honduras.
The Canadians went ahead early on a chilly afternoon Sunday at Tim Hortons Field with an opportune goal through Cyle Larin and then stood their ground, bending but not breaking as the Americans -- who had 64 per cent possession -- probed the home defence without success.
It came down to Canada finishing chances and the Americans unable to take theirs. Still it made for a tense finale as the U.S. pressed hard through five minutes of extra time.
Sam Adekugbe added the insurance goal in the 95th minute, on a solo rush after the Americans were caught deep in the Canada end. It was his first goal in 26 international appearances.
Canada took the lead after just seven minutes when a Matt Turner goal kick hung up in the wind. Kamal Miller headed to the ball to Jonathan Osorio, who flicked it to Larin. The Besiktas striker played a give-and-go with Jonathan David and beat Turner with a right-footed shot as defenders struggled to catch him.
It was Larin's record 23rd goal for Canada in his 46th appearance, moving him past Dwayne De Rosario atop the men's scoring list. Canada's Christine Sinclair is the world's all-time leading goal-scorer with 188.
"Goooaall. Congrats Cyle Larin, well done young man and a great way to capture leading scorer," tweeted De Rosario. "Keep it going."
It was also the kind of rapid-fire goal that the Canadian men, always dangerous in transition with their speed and finishing ability, have become known for.
"One thing that separates Canada from most of the other teams in the group is the quality of their strikers and their ability to finish a really small amount of chances," said U.S. coach Gregg Berhalter. "They didn't have many chances in this game but they were able to finish it off.
"And that first one is a great example. It's a play out of nothing that two quality players make and gives them the win."
The U.S. (5-2-3, 18 points) faced losing second place in the table to Mexico pending later results.
In addition to the overwhelming edge in possession, the Americans outshot Canada 13-8. But the Canadians held a 4-3 edge in shots on target and made it count.
"It's hard for me to remember a performance away from home this dominant without getting a result," said Berhalter. " The result hurts, the performance doesn't hurt.
"I'm proud of the guys, proud of the way they competed."
The Canadians were coming off a 2-0 win Thursday in Honduras, their first victory there since 1985, while the Americans downed El Salvador 1-0 in Columbus.
Come March, the top three teams will book their ticket to Qatar 2022 while the fourth-placed side will face an Oceania country to see who joins them in representing North and Central America and the Caribbean.
Sunday's game sold out within hours with Canada Soccer expecting a crowd of 24,000. But stricter pandemic-related restrictions limited the crowd to 12,000, after the first ticket sale was voided and a smaller second one was held.
Despite such limits, there was plenty of atmosphere. The Canadian bus arrived at the stadium Sunday to cheers, flares and streamers from jubilant fans lining barriers.
Herdman, an English native who grew up attending matches in nearby Newcastle, was blown away by the reception.
"It's everything we dreamed of. It's the first time I've really felt like I'm living in a football country," he said. "It was amazing. The flares were going off. It was like Liverpool arriving for a Champions League game."
It was -5 C, feeling like -7, at the 3 p.m. ET kickoff, and got colder as the afternoon wore on. Despite the chill, there was a festive feel with flag-waving fans singing along to "Sweet Caroline" while waiting for teams to take the field. The crowd then delivered a passionate rendition of "O Canada."
Goalkeeper Milan Borjan, who grew up in Hamilton, got the fans out of the seats with a spectacular reflex save in the 43rd minute, using his right hand to claw away a Weston McKennie header off a Christian Pulisic corner. The Red Star Belgrade 'keeper, who made two crucial saves in the win over Honduras, pounded the Canada badge on his chest after denying the Americans.
Borjan, who made another two out-of-this-world saves Thursday in Honduras, notched his 28th shutout in 60 appearances for Canada.
"I have no words for the performances he has been putting out there for us and making these huge huge saves for us in big big moments," said Osorio, who led the post-game drum-banging celebration in front of the fans.
Canadian defender Steven Vitoria was cautioned for a professional foul in the 31st minute, a second yellow that means he will miss the El Salvador game.
The U.S. had 64 per cent possession in the first half but only one of its seven shots was on target in the first 45 minutes.
The visitors finished with 10 men with defender Chris Robinson limping off in the dying minutes and Berhalter out of subs.
Canada was without Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies, who has been sidelined by myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, after testing positive for COVID-19.
"Time to show #canmnt is here to stay. Good luck to my teammates tonight," Davies tweeted before kickoff.
Once again, the 21-year-old from Edmonton still managed to entertain, livestreaming on Twitch as he watched the game and celebrated the goals.
Influential midfielder Stephen Eustaquio was also still missing, in wake of reports in Portugal he had tested positive for COVID.
Herdman made four changes to his starting 11, introducing Miller, Osorio, Mark-Anthony Kaye and Richie Laryea. Borjan captained the team with Atiba Hutchinson rested.
Tyler Adams captained the U.S. for the seventh time, losing for the first time while wearing the armband.
The U.S. was missing defender Brooks Lennon (ankle) and forward Tim Weah, who was unable to get into Canada due to his vaccination status.
Canada and the U.S. tied 1-1 when they met in Nashville in September in both teams' second outing of the final round.
While the Americans lead the overall series between the two North American rivals at 16-10-12 (12-2-7 since 1990), Canada has a 7-4-4 edge in World Cup qualifying.
Bungles no more, Cincinnati is headed to the Super Bowl.
Matching the biggest comeback in an AFC championship game, the Bengals rallied from an 18-point hole to stun Kansas City 27-24 in overtime Sunday for their first trip to the big game since the 1988 season. The team that won only two games two years ago, earning them the top overall draft pick that they used on quarterback Joe Burrow, pretty much dominated the Chiefs after the first quarter.
Rookie Evan McPherson made a 31-yard field goal to win it.
The Bengals (13-7) reached their third Super Bowl; they lost to the 49ers in 1982 and 1989. Kansas City (14-6) hosted its fourth straight AFC championship contest, and is 2-2 in those. The Chiefs won the NFL title for the 2019 season.
In the NFC title game later Sunday, the Los Angeles Rams (14-5) hosted San Francisco (12-7) at SoFi Stadium, the site of the Feb. 13 Super Bowl.
Cincinnati, winner of the AFC North, hadn’t won a postseason game since 1991 before beating Las Vegas, then earned a road victory in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history when it eliminated top-seeded Tennessee. The AFC West champion Chiefs routed Pittsburgh and then won a classic in overtime against Buffalo to get to their fourth consecutive conference title game.
On Sunday, Burrow led them back and McPherson, making like a 10-year veteran, kicked four field goals in the game, including the winner after Vonn Bell's interception of Patrick Mahomes on the opening series of overtime got Cincinnati the ball.
“We’ve been a second-half team all year," said Burrow, who missed six games in 2020 with a knee injury. "You don’t really want to be that way, but that’s kind of how it’s worked out. Our defense really stepped up in the second half and on offense we made plays when we had to. ... It was just a great overall team effort.”
The other 18-point rally in the AFC championship game came in the 2006 season when Indianapolis beat New England 36-34. Burrow can take note that the quarterbacks in that contest were Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
“We’ve overcome a lot of deficits this year," coach Zac Taylor said. "We always believe in all three of our phases. Everyone stepped up. We’re not done yet.”
Rafael Nadal got to 21 first, breaking the men's record for most Grand Slam singles titles and doing it the hard way by coming back from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev in an almost 5 1/2-hour Australian Open final that didn't finish until the early hours of Monday morning in Melbourne.
Nadal was broken when serving for the championship at 5-4 in the fifth set but made no mistake two games later by served an ace to earn three championship points and converted it on the first attempt.
The 35-year-old Spaniard now has one more major title than Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, his long-time rivals in the so-called Big Three.
The 2-6, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 win that started Sunday night was delayed in the 84-minute second set when a protester jumped onto the court, and then finished early Monday morning, Nadal also became just the fourth man in history to win all four of the sport's major titles at least twice.
"Good evening. No, good morning!" Nadal, looking at his watch, told the crowd at Rod Laver Arena when he finally got up for his acceptance speech at 1:30 a.m.
WATCH | Nadal wins 21st Grand Slam title:
Rafael Nadal wins Australian Open, breaks men's singles Grand Slam title record
4 hours ago
Duration 3:01
Rafael Nadal stormed back to defeat Daniil Medvedev in a thrilling five-set contest to capture the Australian Open. His 21st men's singles Grand Slam victory moves Nadal past Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic for the most in history. 3:01
In the background, Rod Laver, the aging Australian tennis great, was in the stands holding up his smartphone to capture the scenes. A woman nearby held up a sign that stated: "Rafa is the GOAT."
For now, in terms of men's major titles at least, Nadal is the Greatest Of All Time.
Nadal said it had been "one of the most emotional matches in my tennis career," and he praised Medvedev for the part he played in the five-hour, 24-minute final. It was the second longest Australian Open final ever, after Nadal's loss to Djokovic in the 2012 decider that lasted 5:53.
Without a doubt, [it's] probably been one of the most emotional months in my tennis career.— Australian Open champion Rafael Nadal
Nadal's victory was even more remarkable considering he flew to Australia with just two matches under his belt in the second half of 2021 because he was sidelined with a chronic foot injury that can be treated but not cured. He also had a bout of COVID-19.
"For me, it's just amazing. Being honest, one month and a half ago, I didn't know if I'd be able to play on the tour again," Nadal said. "Without a doubt, [it's] probably been one of the most emotional months in my tennis career.
"The huge support I've received for the last three weeks will stay in my heart for the rest of my life."
Celebration nearly spoiled
Nadal won his first Australian Open title in 2009 and lost four other finals at Melbourne Park before his dramatic win over U.S. Open champion Medvedev. His conversion rate in major finals is now 21 out of 29. Federer and Djokovic each have 20 majors from 31 finals appearances.
Medvedev, who was aiming to be the first man in the Open era to win his second Grand Slam title at the very next major, was ever-so-close to spoiling another 21st celebration.
Djokovic was chasing the same record at the U.S. Open last year, and a calendar-year Grand Slam, when Medvedev beat him in straight sets in the final.
Federer also had his chance at 21, but Djokovic stopped that when he saved match points before winning the 2019 Wimbledon final.
Federer posted an Instagram message he addressed "to my friend and great rival."
"A few months ago we were joking about both being on crutches. Amazing. Never underestimate a great champion," Federer wrote. "Your incredible work ethic, dedication and fighting spirit are an inspiration to me and countless others around the world."
Djokovic praised Nadal's "amazing achievement" in a Twitter post that added: "Always impressive fighting spirit that prevailed another time."
Medvedev now joins Andy Murray among those who've lost the final at the next major tournament after their career breakthrough at the highest level.
It was just the fourth time Nadal has rallied from two sets down to win a best-of-five-set match, and the first since a fourth-round victory in 2007 at Wimbledon over Mikhail Youzhny.
Medvedev made Nadal go the distance and win from two sets down in the Australian Open final. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
He is the first Australian Open champion to come back to win after dropping the first two sets of the final since Roy Emerson in 1965.
Chair umpire urged to quiet crowd
Medvedev continued his love-hate relationship with Australian crowds, following trouble in earlier victories over Nick Kyrgios and Stefanos Tsitsipas. He stayed calm for the first two sets before complaining about the yelling and noise between first and second serves.
After Nadal broke him in the third game of the fourth set, on a double-fault, Medvedev walked to the changeover giving an ironic thumbs-up to the crowd.
There was an exchange of breaks but Nadal got the upper hand after a long game when he converted his seventh breakpoint with an angled backhand winner.
Medvedev urged chair umpire John Blom to shut the crowd up.
"Step up Man, it's the final of a Grand Slam. Please is not enough," he said. "They're idiots. With idiots, please doesn't work."
Medvedev recovered his composure for his post-match speech, praising Nadal for his incredible endurance.
"Tough to talk about [5 1/2] hours and losing. I want to congratulate Rafa," the 25-year-old Russian said. "What he did today was amazing.
"You're an amazing champion."
Krejcikova, Siniakova are women's doubles champs
Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova moved a step closer to a career Grand Slam in doubles when they won their first Australian Open title on Sunday, beating Anna Danilina and Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-4.
The Czech pair had already won twice at the French Open to go with a Wimbledon title and Olympic gold medals. But their win on Sunday gave them their fourth Grand Slam title in five finals and their first on hard courts.
The top seeds were forced to fight all the way by their unseeded rivals, dropping a set for the first time at the tournament and battling two hours 42 minutes before clinching their victory.
Siniakova first served for the match at 5-2 in the third set, but Danilina of Kazakhstan and Haddad Maia of Brazil broke her serve to prolong the match. Krejcikova finally served out the match at the next opportunity.
Jacob Markstrom's 15 stops earned him his seventh shutout of the season. He improved to 16-10-5.
The game was scoreless at the end of regulation despite a 31-15 edge in shots for Calgary. The Flames got the deciding goal when Gaudreau took an Elias Lindholm drop pass, and from 25 feet out picked the low corner on Thatcher Demko on a slapshot.
Calgary (21-13-6) has won three straight at home while outscoring the opposition 13-2. The team will close off the pre-all-star break portion of its schedule with back-to-back road games starting on Tuesday in Dallas. They'll play Arizona on Wednesday.
Vancouver (19-19-6) saw its three-game road winning streak come to an end. The Canucks are 3-1-3 in their last seven.
It was the Flames' first 1-0 overtime victory since Blair Jones scored the winning goal in a win over Anaheim on Jan. 12, 2012.
Markstrom's best stops came in the opening minute of the third period when Bo Horvat found open space down the right wing, but Markstrom got a blocker on it.
It was Horvat's first game back after missing five games in COVID protocol. The Canucks captain centered a line with Elias Pettersson and Conor Garland.
Also just out of COVID protocol and making his first start since Jan. 18 was Demko, who missed four games. He made 31 saves. His record dropped to 17-14-2.
Scoreless through 40 minutes, Calgary enjoyed the best chances of the first couple periods.
At 14:22 of the second, Gaudreau was awarded a penalty shot after he was hooked from behind by Luke Schenn while on a breakaway.
Gaudreau has been on a tear with 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 12 games since the Flames returned from an 18-day break in the schedule due to a team COVID outbreak.
However, on the penalty shot, Demko got an arm on his rising shot, deflecting the puck over the net. Gaudreau has one goal on three career penalty shots.
The Flames got a golden opportunity early in the game to surge ahead. Thirteen minutes into the first period, Vancouver defenceman Tyler Myers was assessed a match penalty for a check to the head after his heavy hit along the end boards on Trevor Lewis shook up the veteran Flames forward.
But up against the league's worst-ranked penalty kill, Calgary only mustered two shots and wasn't able to create any dangerous chances while allowing the Canucks to register their only shot of the period -- a Tyler Motte backhand.
The Flames finished 0 for 4 on the power play. Vancouver was 0 for 3. The Canucks got two power plays in the last half of the third period, but failed to generate a shot on either.
NOTES: Vancouver defenceman Tucker Poolman (upper body) did not play after getting injured last game. Taking his spot was Noah Juulsen... It was the first of four meetings between the two clubs, who faced each other 10 times last season.
It was a moment of brilliant and audacious skill on the pitch, the likes of which have rarely been produced by a Canadian not named Alphonso Davies.
But then, Jonathan David isn’t your average forward, and although often overshadowed by Davies, he is just as important to a Canadian side looking to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1986.
Canada’s 2-0 victory in Honduras on Thursday in a crucial CONCACAF qualifier owed so much to the team’s overall discipline and professionalism, as well as some spectacular saves from goalkeeper Milan Borjan.
It was David’s spectacular goal in the 73rd minute, though, that put the dagger through the surging Hondurans and sealed an important victory for Canada, who sits atop the qualifying table with a slender one-point lead over the United States.
David, a 22-year-old native of Ottawa, should be front and centre again for Canada when it hosts the U.S. on Sunday at Hamilton’s Tim Hortons Field in another marquee World Cup qualifier.
With the game in Honduras still hanging in the balance, David settled the matter with a highlight-reel goal that rivalled the one scored by Davies in Panama last October.
Liam Fraser played a pinpoint 40-yard pass from deep inside the Canadian half to David, who adroitly controlled the ball with his chest, headed it forward, and then chipped past Luis Lopez from 24 yards out as the goalkeeper rushed off his line. Just like that, after three sublime touches -- at full speed, no less -- the ball was in the back of the net and the game was essentially over. The life was knocked out of the Hondurans with a perfectly executed counter-attack, capped off by David’s exquisite finish.
“Watching (David) on that transition, and the goal that he scored, I mean, that was special,” Canadian coach John Herdman told reporters after the game.
His efforts didn’t go unnoticed south of the border, either. Former U.S. international Taylor Twellman took to Twitter and lauded David for his “ridiculous finish” against the Hondurans, and also argued that the Canadian is “the best forward in CONCACAF” at the moment.
This finish is ridiculous from David. Playing at such a high level and not really arguable……the best forward in @Concacafpic.twitter.com/upI7wAgAHz
It’s hard to argue otherwise. David has plundered four goals for Canada in this final round of qualifying, to increase his overall tally to 19 goals in 25 appearances (19 starts) since making his national team debut in 2018. He’s only four goals away from becoming Canada’s all-time scorer, a record jointly held by teammate Cyle Larin and the retired Dwayne De Rosario.
The U.S. is not without talent up front, but their front-men have let them down thus far. The Americans have scored 13 goals in nine games of the final round of CONCACAF qualifying, good enough for the second-best attack. But only three of those goals have been scored by a forward -- and Ricardo Pepi has accounted for all three.
How American coach Gregg Berhalter must be looking upon Herdman with sheer envy, and how he would love to have a dangerous scorer like David in his squad.
“When you think about Jonathan David, he’s got the quality. He’s one of Europe’s top strikers right now,” Berhalter said in the build-up to Sunday’s contest.
With Davies ruled out this entire international window due to myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle, David has been looked upon to serve as the main reference point in attack for the Canadians. He proved to be too much to handle for the Hondurans, even when he wasn’t in possession.
That’s the thing about David -- it’s not just his fantastic goals that instantly go viral, the slaloming runs through defences, and powerful shots that keep opposing goalkeepers on their toes. He is an intelligent player, whose work off of the ball is just as impressive as when it’s at his feet.
Against Honduras, Larin had a quiet night and was subbed out after an ineffective 60 minutes of action. At the same time, the scoring chances had not fallen for David, but he remained dogged and determined to make something happen for himself, constantly hunting for the ball and harrying Honduras’ players near him in an attempt to win back possession.
As fabulous as his goal was, David’s work rate was just as impressive -- maybe, more so.
"If you watched him all night, he put that cover shadow on the centre midfielders, he was always in a position to deny those two centre midfielders that switching opportunity," Herdman said. "To find a player to do the dirty work when they're coming into environments like this, that's not easy."
John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 20 years for several media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer. TFC Republic can be found here.
Tom Brady is retiring from the NFL after an unprecedented career in which the quarterback won seven Super Bowls and set numerous passing records, his company's Twitter account said Saturday.
The 44-year-old goes out after leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title last season and NFC South championship this season.
ESPN reported Brady's retirement on Saturday, citing unidentified sources.
Brady had cited a desire to spend more time with his wife and children despite still playing at the top of his game. He led the National Football League this season in yards passing (5,316), touchdowns (43), completions (485) and attempts (719), but the Buccaneers lost at home to the Los Angeles Rams last Sunday in the divisional round.
Brady won six Super Bowls with the New England Patriots in 20 seasons playing for coach Bill Belichick. He joined the Buccaneers in 2020 and led them to the second Super Bowl title in franchise history.
Brady leaves the game as the career leader in yards passing (84,520) and TDs (624). He's the only player to win more than five Super Bowls and was MVP of the championship game five times.
Widely considered the greatest quarterback to play the game of football, Brady won three NFL MVP awards, was a first-team All-Pro three times and was selected to the Pro Bowl 15 times. He was 243-73 in his career in the regular season and 35-12 in the playoffs.
Ash Barty will no longer need to overthink the 1970s when she prepares for the Australian Open.
The top-ranked Barty recovered from 5-1 down in the second set to beat Danielle Collins 6-3, 7-6 (2) in the final on Saturday night, ending a 44-year drought for Australian women at their home Grand Slam tournament.
The pressure is off the 25-year-old Aussie, who has made a remarkable career comeback after taking time off — missing every Grand Slam tournament in 2015 and '16 — and briefly flirting with taking up a professional cricket career after three first-round exits at the majors in 2014.
The usually reserved Barty let out a yell of sheer delight when she finally ensured she was the first Australian singles champion here since Chris O'Neil won the women's title in 1978.
"Yeah, it was a little bit surreal," she said from Melbourne. "I didn't quite know what to do or what to feel, and I think just being able to let out a little bit of emotion, which is a little bit unusual for me, and being able to celebrate with everyone who was there in the crowd, the energy was incredible tonight."
WATCH | Barty ends Australian drought with final victory:
Ashleigh Barty wins Australian Open title to end Australia's 44-year drought
5 hours ago
Duration 2:43
World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty defeated Danielle Collins 6-3, 7-6 (2) to win the Australian Open women's single title. The victory marked the first win by an Australian at the competition since Chris O'Neil in 1978. 2:43
Barty now has Grand Slam singles titles on three surfaces, adding the hard court at Melbourne Park to her win on grass at Wimbledon last year and on clay at the 2019 French Open. She joins Serena Williams as the only active players on the women's tour with majors on all three surfaces.
"This is just a dream come true for me," the 25-year-old Barty said. "I'm just so proud to be an Aussie."
Evonne Goolagong Cawley, a tennis icon with seven Grand Slam singles titles and a trailblazer for Indigenous athletes from Australia, was a surprise guest to present the champion's trophy to Barty, who is part of a new generation of Indigenous stars.
'So much love'
O'Neil was involved in the night, too, after carrying the trophy into the stadium for the pre-match ceremony.
"I'm an incredibly fortunate and lucky girl to have so much love in my corner," Barty said, thanking her coach and support team, her family, the tournament organizers and the crowd.
Barty hadn't dropped a set and had only conceded one service game through six matches, against American Amanda Anisimova in the fourth round.
The 28-year-old Collins was the fourth American to take on Barty in four consecutive rounds. Barty had beaten Anisimova, Jessica Pegula and 2017 U.S. Open runner-up Madison Keys in straight sets.
Collins had spent more than four hours longer on court than Barty in her previous six matches, having to come back from a set and break down to beat Danish teenager Clara Tauson in the third round and rally from a set down to beat Elise Mertens in the fourth.
Barty took the first set after saving a break point in the fifth game and then breaking in the next.
Not to be outdone, Collins hit back quickly, unloading with her powerful ground strokes and relying on her high-intensity game, breaking Barty's serve in the second and sixth games to take a 5-1 lead.
Collins twice served for the set and twice was within two points of leveling the match and taking her first Grand Slam final to a deciding set.
Boisterous crowd
She led 30-0 in the seventh game of the set, but started to lose momentum when Barty jumped on a second serve and sent a return winner down the line. Another forehand winner just caught the baseline and then Barty got a breakpoint chance with another powerful forehand.
Collins went to the chair umpire to complain about people making noise during the point and got booed heavily by the crowd. The umpire asked fans to refrain from shouting during play, as a courtesy to both players.
When Collins hit a backhand wide to drop the game, she got another loud boo from the crowd.
Barty picked up the energy from an almost full house in Rod Laver Arena, despite government restrictions on ticket sales in the COVID-19 pandemic.
She won five of the next six games to force a tiebreaker and then took control by racing to a 4-0 lead.
"As an Aussie, the most important part of this tournament is being able to share it with so many people," Barty said. "This crowd is one of the most fun I've ever played in front of. You relaxed me, forced me to play my best tennis."
Barty had reached the quarter-finals at her home major in the three previous years and was the top seed for the third straight year, but her best run until Saturday at Melbourne Park was a semifinal loss to eventual champion Sofia Kenin in 2020. The pressure of home expectations had taken a toll in the past. This time, she said, she was just rolling with it.
There were pockets of fans in gold shirts with Barty printed on the front in red, mimicking the logo of Vegemite, the famous Australian condiment. Other fans wore the canary yellow shirt of the national World Cup-winning limited-overs cricket team — a nod to one of Barty's other sporting passions.
Australian flags and the red, black and yellow Aboriginal flag were waved around the crowd. Cathy Freeman, who draped both flags around her to celebrate her gold medal in the 400 meters at the Sydney 2000 Olympics — one of the defining images of those Games — was sitting adjacent to the baseline in Rod Laver Arena in full support.
Barty congratulated Collins and told her she "absolutely" belonged in the Top 10, adding: "I know you'll be fighting for many of these in future."
The run to the final was the best at a Grand Slam so far for Collins, who reached the semifinals in Australia in 2019 and the quarter-finals at Roland Garros.
She paid tribute to her longtime mentor Marty Schneider and her boyfriend Joe Vollen, who were in the stands for support.
"Thank you for believing in me," she said, crying. "I haven't had a ton of people believing me in my career. To support me every step of the way means everything to me."
'Special Ks' win men's doubles title
Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis — he so-called Special Ks — have won the Australian Open men's doubles title with a 7-5, 6-4 win over fellow Australians Matt Ebden and Max Purcell.
The victory was the first by a home pairing at Melbourne Park since Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge — widely known as the Woodies — in 1997.
Kyrgios and Kokkinakis entered the tournament on a wild card and became heavy crowd favourites as they took out seeded teams from the second round to the semifinals.
They received the winners trophy from Woodforde and Woodbridge.
"I don't know how we're doing this, to be perfectly honest," said Kyrgios, who lost in the second round of the singles draw to U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev.
Not only did the Canadian men's national soccer team record a huge 2-0 win in Honduras on Thursday night, it got help on the out-of-town scoreboard.
As a result, there is a chance -- albeit slim -- that Canada could nail down a spot in the 2022 World Cup next week.
Here's what has to happen:
• Canada must beat the United States in Hamilton on Sunday and then record a road win against El Salvador on Wednesday.
• Panama must do no better than recording one tie in its next two games (vs. Jamaica on Sunday and at Mexico on Wednesday).
• Costa Rica must lose one of its two games (at Mexico on Sunday and at Jamaica on Wednesday).
Even if Canada does not secure a spot next week, it is in great shape.
Each Concacaf team has three games left in late March after this window. Canada is five points up on fourth-place Panama with the top three teams earning direct berths to the Qatar World Cup (Nov. 21-Dec. 17).
The fourth-place team will face the winner of the Oceania region in June for another World Cup spot.
TEAMS THAT HAVE QUALIFIED
Qatar Germany Denmark Brazil France Belgium Croatia Spain Serbia England Switzerland Netherlands Argentina Iran
Newest Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane says he's looking forward to playing with the two best players in the world and adding to the team "in a positive way."
Dogged by controversy for much of his career, Kane met with the media on Friday alongside general manager Ken Holland and head coach Dave Tippett, and faced multiple questions about his off-ice behaviour. He downplayed the controversy around the incidents of his past that drew social-media ire from Oilers fans after they learned of the official signing on Thursday, calling accounts of some of the stories "inaccurate" and "completely untrue," although he didn't specify.
"For me, life is a process," said Kane, 30. "You're not going to have the same mindset or act the same way from 14 to 20 to 25 to now I'm 30. You live and you learn. I think everybody in this has made lots of mistakes, they're just not documented, they're just not publicly recorded, they're not questioned. I'm not sitting here saying I'm perfect, but for me, it's just part of life, making mistakes, living, learning from them.
"I view myself as a leader. It's funny that people think I'm going to come in and I'm just some kid on a playground that's going to disrupt everything. That's just not the case. ... I'm an experienced guy coming in, I'm looking to add to the group in a positive way."
Asked what he's learned from his experiences, he replied, "We don't have enough time to talk about all the things I've learned today, my goodness."
Holland also faced a few questions about signing a player with an off-ice reputation, but said he didn't do any soul-searching. Instead, he spoke to many people who had crossed paths with Kane in the past as well as the Oilers' leadership group and others with the team. Holland talked up Kane's size, strength, ability to fight and goal-scoring ability as reasons he was signed.
"My message to the fans: I've done my due diligence, talked to a lot of people," said Holland, in his third year as GM with the club. "We're trying to win, it's a move made to make our team better."
Kane encouraged fans to keep an open mind and see what he brought to the table.
"For me, I know I can bring obviously some more scoring, a physical presence," said the six-foot-two, 210-pound left-shooting winger. "I like to play with an edge and a bit of a mean streak, bring a different identity ... to this group."
He was clearly motived by the chance to play with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
"The more conversations we had, and the further the process continued, it just became more and more evident that this was the best fit for me, and it was a great fit for both sides," the Vancouver native said. "I'm really excited to be here."
Kane will fly out with the team to Montreal and is slated to make his NHL season debut in Saturday against the Canadiens.
Kane had 22 goals and 22 assists for 44 points in 56 games last season for the San Jose Sharks. Kane also has played for the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise and Buffalo since being drafted by the Thrashers fourth overall in 2009. In five games with the AHL's San Jose Barracuda this season, Kane had two goals and six assists for eight points.
The Oilers signed Kane to a one-year deal on Thursday, hours after the NHL said its investigation into whether or not the embattled forward had breached COVID-19 protocol produced "insufficient evidence" to determine a violation knowingly occurred.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed by the club, but Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported that the contract would be worth $750,000 in salary and $625,000 in signing bonus, which means a cap hit of about $2.1 million. Friedman added that the contract has a full no-movement clause.
The NHL said its probe into whether or not Kane breached COVID-19 protocol during cross-border travel found "insufficient evidence" to conclusively determine he knowingly misrepresented his "COVID-19 status or test results in connection with international travel."
That investigation centred on Kane testing positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 21 and then flying to Vancouver on Dec. 29. At that time, Kane would have still been in the 10-day AHL COVID-19 protocol. When the Sharks terminated Kane's contract on Jan. 9, they said it was for “breach of his Standard Player Contract” and “violation of the AHL COVID-19 protocols.”
The NHL initially supported the Sharks' move, saying it was "satisfied the club has sufficient grounds to effectuate a termination." After his contract was terminated by the Sharks, the NHLPA filed a grievance on Kane's behalf. It was not immediately clear how the NHL's investigation into the cross-border travel situation would impact the grievance.
Before the season began, Kane was suspended for 21 games for the use of a fake COVID-19 vaccination card. When he was eligible to return, he joined the Barracuda, where he had eight points in five games.
The COVID-19 protocol-related issues have not been the only incidents in a controversy-laden stretch for Kane.
The NHL also investigated allegations of domestic assault made by Anna Kane, his estranged wife, in a divorce filing, ultimately saying they "could not be substantiated."
Anna Kane also said Evander Kane had bet on NHL games, including ones he played in with the Sharks, influencing their outcomes for his own financial benefit. The NHL's investigation into those claims did not find evidence he had bet on hockey games.
Despite the bevy of off-ice concerns that accompany Evander Kane, stemming from his actions this season as well as years prior, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid believes his team's partnership with the embattled forward can be a fruitful one for all involved.
"I think it's important we acknowledge that there have been some issues," McDavid said during his post-game comments on Thursday. "But he's coming in and we trust Kenny [Ken Holland, the Oilers' general manager], we trust the leadership and the group. We have some older guys that don't wear letters that are a huge piece of that room. We think he can come in and he can help us on the ice."
The Oilers officially announced they had signed Kane partway through Thursday's game, a 3-2 win, against the Nashville Predators.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed by the club, but Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman previously reported that the contract would be worth $750,000 in salary and $625,000 in signing bonus, which means a cap hit of about $2.1 million. Friedman added that the contract has a full no-movement clause.
Prior to the deal being struck, McDavid was consulted about the possibility of Kane's addition.
"[Holland] does a great job of keeping an open line of communication and he's very good to his players," McDavid said. "He's been very good to us, and we had a conversation about it. We fully trust [Holland] and his decision-making in putting together a roster."
Though the exact timing of the announcement was unexpected, the substance of it wasn't, marking the end to a weekslong saga which culminated in an NHL investigation into whether or not Kane had breached COVID-19 protocols during cross-border travel in his time with the San Jose Sharks organization.
That investigation, which ultimately found "insufficient evidence" to conclusively determine a violation knowingly occurred, centred on Kane testing positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 21 and then flying to Vancouver on Dec. 29. At that time, Kane would have still been in the 10-day AHL COVID-19 protocol.
It wasn't the first COVID-19 protocol-related issue Kane was at the centre of this season. Before training camps began, Kane was suspended for 21 games for the use of a fake COVID-19 vaccination card.
For his part, Oilers head coach Dave Tippett said he wasn't concerned about Kane's off-ice behaviour, pointing to the team's leadership group as a reason to believe the future wouldn't mirror the past.
"It's on everybody," Tippett said. "It's on him, it's on us [the coaches], it's on the leadership group, it's on everybody. You have to welcome the guy and see where you're at with everything. The conversations I had with him this week, he was in a very good frame of mind."
The sentiment was largely echoed by leaders on them Oilers themselves.
Darnell Nurse, an alternate captain for the club, made special note of the growth of the leadership group itself as a cause for optimism.
"I'd say over the course of the years as our leadership group has gotten older, and more established in the league, there's a culture we're starting to create around the room," Nurse said, when asked how the Oilers' internal leadership could help set standards for players to adhere to. "The thing about when you have a good team and good culture is you can bring players from the outside and drive them into that culture, and let them embrace it."
To the extent that reaching out to Kane and bringing him into the Oilers' culture can start with conversations, the process was already underway before the ink on the deal dried.
Kane and McDavid had spoken, the Oilers captain said, though he didn't divulge many details of what was discussed.
"We had a conversation like anyone when we're looking to add a piece," McDavid said. "I had a really good conversation and explained to him we're a team that is looking to go on a run and, obviously, if he can come in and add to that in any way possible, then that's what we're looking for. He was great at acknowledging there's maybe going to be some backlash.
"And I think it's a good opportunity for both sides. For him to come in and re-establish himself in the NHL, and for us to add a player of his calibre. I think it's a good opportunity for both sides."
The backlash over Kane's signing, of course, does not exclusively stem from his COVID-19 protocol issues.
Earlier in the year, the NHL also investigated allegations of domestic assault made by Anna Kane, his estranged wife, in a divorce filing, ultimately saying they "could not be substantiated."
Anna Kane also said Evander Kane had bet on NHL games, including ones he played in with the Sharks, influencing their outcomes for his own financial benefit. The NHL's investigation into those claims did not find evidence he had bet on hockey games.
The 30-year-old Kane had 22 goals and 22 assists for 44 points in 56 games last season for the Sharks. Kane also has played for the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise and Buffalo since being drafted by the Thrashers fourth overall in 2009.
It was not immediately clear when Kane might take to the ice for the Oilers, and will largely hinge on the status of his conditioning. He'll take part in a press conference on Friday at 11 a.m. ET / 9 a.m. MT.
"We'll get a chance to spend some time with him, see where he's at, see where he thinks he's at conditioning-wise and he'll come on the road and we'll get a feel for where he's at," Tippett said. "He's played some games this year in the American League, and I know he's been skating hard for the last week. ...You get him on the ice and see where he's at and evaluate from there."
Rafael Nadal reacts after winning the first set against Matteo Berrettini during their semi-final match at the Australian Open, in Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 28.The Associated Press
Rafael Nadal is within one victory of a men’s record 21st Grand Slam singles title.
He’ll have to beat second-seeded Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final on Sunday to make history. And Medvedev is chasing a piece of history of his own after beating Stefanos Tsitispas 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in a heated semi-final on Friday. The U.S. Open champion is aiming to be the first man in the Open era to win his second Grand Slam title at the next major tournament.
Nadal advanced to the final in Australia for the sixth time with a 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 win in a mostly lopsided contest against seventh-seeded Matteo Berrettini in the first of the men’s semi-finals.
Medvedev had a more tempestuous and challenging run to back-to-back Australian Open finals. He had to deal with a hostile crowd in his second-round win over Nick Kyrgios, had to save a match point and rally from two sets down to beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in a nearly five-hour quarter-final win. Then he had to regain his composure after an angry outburst in the second set of the semi-finals.
The Russian yelled at chair umpire Jaume Campistol in the changeover after serving a double-fault to concede a late break, getting a code violation for a visible obscenity when he made a gesture with his arm to the pro-Tsitsipas crowd, and then demanded that his opponent be cautioned for receiving coaching from his father – in Greek – from the stands.
Medvedev returned after Tsitsipas converted his third set point to level the match and he again urged the umpire to give the French Open runner-up a code violation.
He then took a five-minute break, took control late in the third set and then reeled off the last five games after Tsitsipas was eventually cautioned for coaching.
Nadal’s run to a 29th Grand Slam final has been comparatively serene.
After the last point, he stopped, beamed a wide grin and then punched the air three times.
Nadal arrived in Australia not knowing how long he would last after months off the tour dealing with a serious foot injury and then a bout of COVID-19. He skipped Wimbledon after losing in the French Open semi-finals to Novak Djokovic, and didn’t play at all after August.
“Every day has been an issue in terms of problems on the foot. Doubts still here … probably for the rest of my career,” Nadal said. “But for me it’s amazing … (to) just compete and play tennis at the high level again, facing the most important players of the world.”
Last month, he wasn’t even sure he’d be able to return to the tour. But he won a tune-up tournament in Melbourne and has taken six straight matches at the first Grand Slam event of the year.
One more and he’ll break the record of 20 major championships he shares with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. Nadal would also become just the fourth man to win all four Grand Slam titles at least twice.
Nadal’s win over Wimbledon runner-up Berrettini, under a closed roof at Rod Laver Arena, because of heavy rain, was his 500th on hard courts at tour level.
But he’s only won the Australian Open once, in 2009, and adding a second was his primary focus.
“For me, it’s all about the Australian Open more than anything else,” Nadal said in his on-court interview. “I have been a little unlucky (here) in my career with some injuries. I played some amazing finals with good chances.”
He lost classic five-set finals at Melbourne Park to Djokovic in 2012 and Federer in ‘17. Nadal lost to Stan Wawrinka in 2014 and against Djokovic three years ago.
“I feel very lucky that I won once,” he said. “I never thought about another chance in 2022.”
Nadal broke Berrettini’s opening service games in the first two sets and, after dropping the third set on a rare service lapse, he rallied to finish off the match in just under three hours. That in itself was a relief after his long quarter-final win over Denis Shapovalov.
Nadal was the only member of the so-called Big Three who had a chance to break the deadlock in Australia this time.
Federer is out while recovering from knee surgery. Djokovic, who has won nine of his Grand Slam titles at Melbourne Park, was deported after an 11-day visa saga on the eve of the tournament because he failed to meet Australia’s strict COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
“To be able to be where I am today, I really can’t explain in words how important is for me in terms of energy, in terms of personal satisfaction, in terms of being very thankful,” Nadal said. “For me it’s something completely unexpected.”
He said he was taking a different approach to life now, but not at game time.
“Of course always with competitive spirit that I have, because I can’t go against that. It’s my personal DNA,” he said. “But in some way, I don’t know, just be what I am and be able to have the chance to compete at this level, it’s a positive energy for me to keep going.”
Medevedev will need to take a calmer approach after beating Tsitsipas in the semi-finals for the second year in a row at Melbourne Park. He lost to Djokovic in last year’s final, but then beat the No. 1-ranked player for the U.S. Open title.
He said he regretted his outbursts at the umpire, explaining it was in the heat of the moment in a very emotional tournament.
“I’m going to play again against one of the greatest,” Medvedev said of Sunday’s final. “Again, I’m going to play somebody going for the 21st Slam. I’m ready.”
Canada's Jonathan David, right, vies for the ball with Honduras' Maynor Figueroa during their FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Concacaf qualifier match at the Olimpico Metropolitano Stadium in San Pedro Sula, Honduras on Jan. 27, 2022.AFP/Getty Images
Ten years is a long time in soccer. Just ask Atiba Hutchinson.
In 2012, Hutchinson was in the starting lineup as Canada visited the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano in the second-largest city in Honduras, San Pedro Sula, confident of advancing in World Cup qualifying. However, the Canadians came up short – and then some – in an 8-1 humbling. Four years later, the scoreline was better, but the result remained frustratingly the same for Canada and Hutchinson, as a 2-1 loss brought another premature end to another World Cup dream.
But this is 2022, a time when Canadian men’s soccer players are just as likely to win the Lou Marsh Trophy as they are to hoist cherished European soccer trophies, and that dream is still very much alive after Hutchinson captained Canada to a 2-0 win in Honduras on Thursday. Hutchinson, one of just three holdovers in the squad from that 2012 game, can now look forward to a titanic showdown with the United States on Sunday after playing all 90 minutes at 38 years of age to ensure Canada finally turned the page on an ugly chapter in the country’s soccer history.
“It was a real disciplined performance tonight,” said head coach John Herdman. “You don’t come and try and play like Barcelona on a pitch like this in these environments, you come here to grind a result and get what you need.”
An early own goal and an insurance marker from Jonathan David were enough to earn the victory, just Canada’s second in the Central American nation. The win keeps Canada unbeaten and atop the eight-team final World Cup qualifying in the CONCACAF region, one point ahead of the United States and two clear of Mexico, who both won on Thursday.
Just as important, fifth-placed Costa Rica hung on for a 1-0 win over fourth-placed Panama later on in the evening, leaving Canada now five points clear of fourth place. With five more games to go, the top three teams after 14 games will qualify for the World Cup in Qatar in November. And the fourth-placed team faces a one-game playoff against a team from the Oceania region for a final shot at qualification.
But the Canadian men are flying the flag high right now, heading into Sunday’s showdown with the United States at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton.
As Herdman told the BBC in the hours leading up to the game, the Canadian men’s team “is a sleeping giant. It is ready to put itself into the sporting consciousness of the genuine Canadian sports fan.”
Up until Thursday, Canada’s sole win in Honduras was on Aug. 25, 1985, when George Pakos scored the lone goal of the game to put Canada within touching distance of the 1986 World Cup. The following month, Tony Waiters’s team wrapped up the country’s solitary successful World Cup qualification campaign with a home win over Honduras in St. John’s.
How times have changed though. While Pakos paid the bills by finding employment as a water-meter technician throughout his mostly amateur career, the current crop of Canadian men have their bills – along with some of more lavish trappings of celebrity – taken care of by the likes of German giant Bayern Munich, French champion LOSC Lille and Turkey’s double-winning Besiktas.
But the most famous – and gifted – among the current crop of World Cup contenders, Alphonso Davies, missed Thursday’s game after contracting COVID-19 and subsequently developing myocarditis, more commonly known as inflammation of the heart. Still, eager to still be part of the action, the Bayern Munich defender played host to an online watch-along party on Twitch.
If a missing talisman wasn’t enough to flatten any spikes of overconfidence among the Canadian fan base, there was news that midfield linchpin Stephen Eustaquio – who had started seven of the eight final-round World Cup qualifiers – was also out after only recently recovering from COVID.
The opening exchanges certainly suggested that it was going to be a long night, with Honduras earning two quick corner kicks as it carried much of the play. But in the absence of Davies, Tajon Buchanan, the other speedy winger on Herdman’s roster, made Honduras pay.
Zipping down the right side, Buchanan, who recently moved to Belgian side Bruges, cut into the penalty area and unleashed a cross that was turned into his own net by Honduran centre back Denil Maldonado.
The early goal apart, it was largely a workmanlike effort from Herdman’s squad, with goalkeeper Milan Borjan called on a few times to bail out the team in front of him. In particular, his saves to deny an onrushing Romell Quioto of CF Montreal at the end of the first half, before a stunning one-handed save in the second half on a header from Kervin Arriaga, will live long in the memory.
The Red Star Belgrade goalkeeper preserved Canada’s slim advantage just long enough for David to add an exclamation point, with the Lille forward, currently second in scoring in France’s Ligue 1, running onto a through-ball and neatly lobbing Luis Lopez in the Honduran goal.
Herdman singled the French title winner out for his cool head after the 22-year-old picked up his 19th international goal in just his 25th appearance for the senior men’s team.
“He can produce that moment,” the English coach said. “And it was quite late in the game, he put a big shift in and he’s still there ready. … I’ve called him this before, that sort of ice man. Just that ice in his veins in big moments.”
Canada and Honduras kicked off this final round of World Cup qualifying with an underwhelming 1-1 draw in Toronto last September. The pair have gone in vastly different directions since that night at BMO Field.
Canada, now ranked 40th in the world, has won five and tied four to top the eight-team qualifying group by a point over the United States. After Sunday’s game, Canada flies to El Salvador for its third and final game in this international window, to be held next Wednesday.
Honduras, on the other hand, has drawn two and lost six games, and finds itself ranked 76th on the planet and propping up the standing with just three points.
:format(jpeg)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tgam/YOI3QRVSNJESVNH6NXVWPAIFSU.jpg)
:format(jpeg)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tgam/6LE5XTPIHJNV3EOJASGGBAFXIU.jpg)
:format(jpeg)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tgam/2YHUORZVMBGO7AG2WUCBKQBT7Q.jpg)
:format(jpeg)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tgam/LO4UBVHLMFN6VKII6BAL5X53IM.jpg)
:format(jpeg)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tgam/Q6NWLXJAGRJPLEGZZWQ54DBUJE.jpg)