Restoring an Atmosphere, if Not Yet an Aura, in Manchester

MANCHESTER, England — In the last five minutes of a nerve-shredding 1-1 draw on Sunday, as his team swarmed forward and Liverpool seemed to tilt and teeter, Manchester United Manager José Mourinho got what he wanted. He had asked his club’s fans — so frequently accused of sitting on their hands, waiting to be entertained — to create a…

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Cavaliers-Warriors Rematch Carries Meaning for Past and Future

OAKLAND, Calif. — No team is immune from the rigors of the N.B.A. schedule, not even royalty like the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers are on their most extended trip of the season, a stretch that has already included five games in five cities. They have persevered through illness, injury, snowstorms and personnel moves to win three of…

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Andy Murray, No. 1 and Newly Knighted, Still Has Room for More

MELBOURNE, Australia — “So Ivan, are you calling Andy ‘Sir’?” Ivan Lendl paused and then laughed, which would surely seem strange to those in the front row of the players’ box who know him only as Andy Murray’s stone-faced coach. “Definitely not,” Lendl said, chuckling some more before heading off down the crowded main hallway inside Rod Laver Arena…

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Government Approves $ 3.4m for AFCON

Outgoing Sports Minister Nii Lante Vanderpuye has confirmed that the budget for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations has been slashed from US$ 5.4 million to US$ 3.4 million. The budget includes team’s training tour of UAE where they will camp for 11 days at the Al Ain training centre. Also factored in are bonuses and appearance fees for…

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About Utah: Looking to slide Ghana into the games

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, USA — When Akwasi Frimpong got on the phone earlier this year and called the Ghana Olympic Committee, the conversation went something like this: Akwasi: “I’d like to compete for Ghana in the skeleton, I’ve got my own sled and it will cost you nothing.”  GOC: “Fine.” Some men want to be the first person…

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GFA happy with Nii Lantey’s exit as Sports Minister

Kwesi Nyantakyi has expressed the delight of the GFA to see Nii Lantey Vanderpuye leave as the Minister of Youth and Sports on January 7 Ghana Football Association President Kwesi Nyantakyi has expressed his delight over the exit of the Sports Minister Nii Lante Vanderpuije. The Sports Minister who doubles as Member of Parliament for the Odododiodoo Constituency has…

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Waris, Dwamena dropped from Ghana’s final 23-man AFCON squad – debutantes Ofori, Tekpetey named

In-form striker Abdul-Majeed Waris and Austria second tier top scorer Raphael Dwamena were surprisingly dropped in favour of debutantes Ebenezer Ofori and Bernard Tekpetey in Ghana’s final 23-man squad for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Gabon. Coach Avram Grant also axed Turkey-based midfielder Attamah Larweh who was part of the provisional squad named on Monday. This…

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President Xi’s Great Chinese Soccer Dream

QINGYUAN, China — The 48 soccer fields of the vast Evergrande Football School in south China seem barely enough for its 2,800 students. Against a backdrop of school spires that seem modeled on Hogwarts, the young athletes swarm onto the fields nearly every day, kicking, dribbling and passing in the hope of soccer glory and riches. “Soccer will be…

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At Chelsea, Antonio Conte’s Personal Touch Proves a Winning One

Everyone at Chelsea agrees on the who. The players, the coaches and the platoon of staff members behind the scenes all say that, in six months as manager, Antonio Conte has transformed the club. He has given a team that seemed to have lost its shine the veneer of a champion. Nobody has any doubt about that. After all,…

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Chelsea’s Streak Ends at 13 With Loss to Tottenham

LONDON — Dele Alli bolstered his growing reputation by putting a stop to Chelsea’s 13-match winning streak, scoring two goals on headers on Wednesday to give Tottenham Hotspur a 2-0 home victory over the Blues, the Premier League leaders. Defense has been the bedrock of Chelsea’s three-month hot streak, but Alli found space to score nearly identical goals, one…

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