The Guardian

Australian manager Jon Brady and New Zealand striker Ben Waine have guided League One strugglers to quarter-finals The Port Vale manager, Jon Brady, left Australia as a 17-year-old to chase his dream of playing in the United Kingdom. Spells at Brentford, Swansea and Wycombe did not make a first-team debut a reality. The sacrifice would not be wasted as determination to make a career in England gr…

Manchester City midfielder can leave if ‘not happy’ ‘My wish is that Rodri could stay as long as possible’ Pep Guardiola will not stand in Rodri’s way if the midfielder wishes to leave Manchester City for Real Madrid, though the manager believes he will stay at the club beyond this summer. During the international break Rodri, whose contract expires in June 2027, was asked about reports that Real…

The first Championship match of Roy Hodgson’s half-century-long coaching career was not an easy one to watch but, at the end of it, the Bristol City interim head coach was shrugging his shoulders and smiling. A seesaw second half at Charlton, stuffed full of late chances for both teams, was enough to make even the youngest coach’s heart race. “There were a few five-minute periods where I thought:…

Hosts make French side pay for yellow cards Saints progress to tie against Bath or Saracens Butter-fingered hosts Northampton held off ill-disciplined visitors Castres to win 49-41 on Friday night to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup. The French side collected two yellow cards in three minutes in the first half and another with 10 minutes left but they were also undone by their poor t…

Wrexham rally against West Brom to boost playoff push Leicester earn precious point against Preston Jack Rudoni came off the bench to score twice as Championship leaders Coventry moved 11 points clear of second-placed Millwall with a 3-2 victory against Derby . The midfielder had been out of action since 28 February but returned to devastating effect as Coventry made it eight wins in nine league …

UConn-South Carolina at 7pm ET, UCLA-Texas at 9.30pm Can anyone thwart a Huskies three-peat? Our predictions Email beau.dure@theguardian.com with your thoughts Thanks, Ella and Stephanie, for making me cry. (I went to Duke. The Blue Devils came agonizingly close to a championship a few times, but they needed some rebuilding by the time Kara Lawson took over.) Would anyone know anything about the …

Son of NBA star Carlos Boozer led Blue Devils to 35 wins Other freshmen winners went No 1 or No 2 in NBA draft Cameron Boozer was at the center of everything for Duke this season. The 6ft 9in forward proved tough enough to score through physical play. Rangy enough to space the floor and shoot from outside. Deft enough as a passer to find teammates, whether against constant double teams coming for…

Strong is Huskies’ first winner since Paige Bueckers in 2021 ‘Low-key superstar’ has led undefeated team to Final Four Sarah Strong of UConn was named the Associated Press women’s basketball Player of the Year after leading the Huskies to an undefeated season, setting the stage for a run to the Final Four. Strong became just the fifth player to win the award in her sophomore year, joining Oklahom…

Starting at Manchester City in the FA Cup, Arne Slot must show doubters his plan for a team in transition can succeed There were more important reasons for Jürgen Klopp’s return to Liverpool last Saturday , but it was apposite his presence reminded Anfield of the unshakable bond and belief they once shared, the joy his football brought. Those pillars of Klopp’s reign are weakening under Arne Slot…

Sublime stint at Bayern Munich has made home audiences appreciate a man who isn’t flash or twinkly but is his country’s best footballer Everyone has their favourite mental comfort food, the stuff that makes you feel good in troubled times. Maybe you like baking bread and listening to history podcasts about Nazi atrocities. Maybe it’s watching Notting Hill in a Hugh Grant mask. Perhaps you love to…

Northern Irishman bristles at suggestions he has peaked as he returns to Augusta with the same intensity as always It was an opening which depicted more than a decade of toil. “I’d like to start this press conference with a question,” said Rory McIlroy. “What are we all going to talk about next year?” The wait was over. McIlroy had not only won the Masters , not only ended an 11-year wait for a f…

Wicketkeeper hits ton against Warwickshire and impresses alongside Tom Lawes on season’s opening day The County Championship whirred back into life on Good Friday, with 3 April its earliest start in history. By extension, Rory Burns claimed the record for its earliest dismissal, with Surrey’s captain run out 10 minutes into the day’s play at Edgbaston in a scene usually reserved for the village g…

Charlie Johnston-trained horse won at prices up to 25-1 ‘I backed her twice, I couldn’t believe how she drifted’ Charlie Johnston picked up a decent bonus on top of the trainer’s share of the prize money after backing Timeforshowcasing for the Burradon Stakes at Newcastle on Friday at prices up to 25-1, and could now fast-track his filly into Classic company at either Newmarket or the Curragh nex…

St Helens 34-24 Wigan On-loan hooker scores twice in last 10 minutes The derby rarely fails to ­disappoint, but just when you think this 130-year-old rivalry ­cannot get any more ­unbelievable, this happens. The scoreline looks ­unremarkable, but that tells only a fraction of the story of the 367th meeting between St Helens and Wigan. The pre-match talk was not who would win, it was how many Wiga…

UConn men and women are both in the Final Four 20,000 customers of Jordan’s Furniture could be repaid College basketball players aren’t the only ones poised to win big in this year’s March Madness. A New England furniture chain is offering to reimburse customers for products bought earlier this year if both the UConn men’s and women’s basketball teams reach the championship games. Continue readin…