Unai Emery reveals how Arsenal chief Josh Kroenke reacted to shocking Granit Xhaka outburst
Xhaka has been left ‘devastated’ by the abuse (Picture: Getty)‘Xhaka is the current captain, but I don’t think he will be captain anymore after what he did at the weekend,’ Nicholas told Sky Sports.‘The fact he didn’t instantly apologise tells you he’s upset, angry and I’m sure it’s a horrible feeling for him.‘But that anger must be controlled. If you don’t have a thick skin you can’t be a footballer.More: FootballBruno Fernandes responds to Man Utd bust-up rumours with Ole Gunnar SolskjaerNew Manchester United signing Facundo Pellistri responds to Edinson Cavani praiseArsenal flop Denis Suarez delivers verdict on Thomas Partey and Lucas Torreira moves‘The fans will always be an element of the football club and they’re bigger and better than anything else involved.‘He has to take his medicine but I’ll be surprised if he comes back in any capacity to play for Arsenal again.’On Wednesday night, Arsenal face Premier League leaders Liverpool in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup but Xhaka will not be involved.MORE: Parlour names the player Arsenal should have signed to be captain instead of Xhaka Advertisement Unai Emery reveals how Arsenal chief Josh Kroenke reacted to shocking Granit Xhaka outburst Granit Xhaka clashed with Arsenal fans during the Premier League clash against Crystal Palace (Picture: Getty)Unai Emery has revealed how Arsenal chief Josh Kroenke reacted to Granit Xhaka’s shocking outburst at the Emirates on Sunday.Xhaka, who was named Emery’s permanent captain last month, threw his arms up in the air and cupped his ears after his substitution during the 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace was greeted by sarcastic cheers.The frustrated Switzerland midfielder was seen mouthing ‘f**k off’ towards the Arsenal supporters and took off his shirt before storming down the tunnel. Comment Metro Sport ReporterTuesday 29 Oct 2019 11:21 pmShare this article via facebookShare this article via twitterShare this article via messengerShare this with Share this article via emailShare this article via flipboardCopy link186Shares Advertisement Josh Kroenke agreed with Unai Emery’s assessment of the incident (Picture: Getty)Emery condemned Xhaka for his reaction and says Josh Kroenke, son of Arsenal owner Stan, also agreed that the captain was ‘wrong’ to engage with the supporters.AdvertisementAdvertisementADVERTISEMENTThe under-fire Gunners boss also says he has the backing of Kroenke despite Arsenal’s mixed start to the new season and the apparent lack of progress since Arsene Wenger left.Emery said: ‘We are responsible, the club and I.More: FootballRio Ferdinand urges Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to drop Manchester United starChelsea defender Fikayo Tomori reveals why he made U-turn over transfer deadline day moveMikel Arteta rates Thomas Partey’s chances of making his Arsenal debut vs Man City‘We know our responsibility is to help everybody, and also when we are making some mistakes to recognise it.‘Sunday for example, after the match, Josh Kroenke was also in the dressing room speaking with me. We were speaking for 10 minutes about the situation but all the time helping each other.‘He’s supporting me, he’s supporting the players, we were talking about the circumstance with Granit Xhaka, saying that he was wrong and we need to manage that with him. Emery: Granit Xhaka was wrong to swear at fansTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Play VideoLoaded: 0%0:00Progress: 0%PlayMuteCurrent Time 0:00/Duration Time 12:45FullscreenEmery: Granit Xhaka was wrong to swear at fanshttps://metro.co.uk/video/emery-granit-xhaka-wrong-swear-fans-2036436/This is a modal window.Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.TextColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentWindowColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaqueFont Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%Text Edge StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadowFont FamilyProportional Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall CapsReset restore all settings to the default valuesDoneClose Modal DialogEnd of dialog window.‘And yesterday the same, it was the day off for us and the players but we were here also, I was here and also I was speaking with Raul, with Edu, and also speaking with Xhaka.‘But now preparing the match tomorrow is the most important, but also we need the time managing different situations.’Following Sunday’s events, Arsenal hero Charlie Nicholas cannot see a way back for Xhaka.
SHARE Email Facebook Twitter Budget News, Jobs That Pay, Press Release, Workforce Development Allentown, PA – Today, Governor Tom Wolf joined Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Davin, and local business and community leaders at the Carpenters Apprentice School in Allentown to discuss the different approach he is taking to Pennsylvania’s budget and outline his plans to improve workforce training and create jobs.“Over the last two years I have worked to increase the number of residents with college degrees and high-value industry-recognized credentials while expanding economic opportunities for residents and businesses,” said Governor Wolf. “Today, I am happy to highlight how these plans will benefit the Lehigh Valley region through increased support of training and apprenticeship opportunities for all Pennsylvanians.”The governor’s budget includes an initiative to support manufacturing that links job training to career pathways, ensuring that training leads not simply to any job, but to careers that provide higher pay and opportunities for advancement.“It’s an honor to host Governor Wolf at our new training facility where we will be training the next generation for family-sustaining wages in the construction industry,” said Kevin Lott, former president of the Lehigh Valley carpenters union, Local 167 of the Northeast Regional Council of Carpenters. “The Carpenters Joint Apprenticeship Training Program allows carpenter apprentices to earn wages and benefits that enable them to provide for themselves and their families, while learning from the most-experienced professionals both in the classroom and on-site. We appreciate Governor Wolf’s commitment to supporting the middle-class.”We’ve created or retained more than 30,000 jobs in the Lehigh Valley, leveraged more than $848 million in outside funding, and have provided direct funding of over 100 million dollars to the Lehigh Valley. Governor Wolf’s budget proposal will continue and expand upon the successes we’ve already accomplished, so that the Lehigh Valley and the rest of Pennsylvania can continue to thrive.The 2017-18 budget continues to invest in 21st century manufacturing, workforce development and training programs while also implementing new safeguards to ensure taxpayer dollars for economic development projects are spent appropriately and intended outcomes are met.Governor Wolf plans on investing in job creation by:Partnering with the commonwealth’s research universities and Industrial Resource Centers to accelerate manufacturing technology advancement and adoption, foster manufacturing innovation and commercialization, and build a 21st century workforce.Creating a new apprenticeship grant program to ensure workers can receive training aligned to business workforce needs, funded with revenue recovered from companies that fail to live up to previous commitments made when they received state assistance.Investing $5 million in a manufacturing training-to-career grant program to partner with technical programs and community colleges to develop new training programs that align with their workforce needs. Like Governor Tom Wolf on Facebook: Facebook.com/GovernorWolf Governor Wolf Details a Different Path Forward in Allentown, Announces His Plan to Support Job Training, Manufacturing February 08, 2017
Do you ever wonder what it takes to keep some school’s athletic boosters happy? Some fans crumble when their coach wins at an 80% level because he/she doesn’t win the sectional every year. I think I recall a couple of coaches like this. Others grumble because he/she doesn’t win games by a large enough margin. In other words, they don’t run the score up on an opponent when they get them down. Others win state titles but when they have a bad year they are let go because–I guess–they aren’t playing the right players or the ones they are playing are not winning. Some schools find real clever ways to get rid of a successful coach when they run out of favor by rewriting the job description. When the school does this, they must open it up to new applicants. They usually extend an invitation to the present coach to apply, but you know darn well they are not going to hire them back. Most of the time someone in a system has enough power to tilt the scales so that the administration is put in a situation that requires some kind of action or they will be the next ones to feel the wrath of the powers that be. What normally occurs is the new coach doesn’t have any more success than the predecessor and the whole process goes into action again. In fact, the new coach usually does worse. What it boils down to is you win when you have good athletes–you lose when you do not!
Sally and I went to St. Louis Cemetery to check on a couple of graves when we noticed two interesting tombstones. On the way into the cemetery, the first stone you see is the motorcycle image on Buddy Riley’s grave. Just beyond that is the headstone for Dave Laudick’s grave. I had not really paid attention to the complete imagery on these stones until it was mentioned by someone that we should check them more carefully.I knew that Buddy Riley loved Kentucky basketball. All around his residence were Wildcat symbols. On the front of his stone is a UK emblem. On the back of Dave Laudick’s stone is an IU insignia. Those of you who knew Dave are aware of his passion for not only Batesville sports but his passion for IU. They used to kid each other all the time about who had the best college basketball team. A fun rivalry has gone beyond the grave. Both of these men are greatly missed by their families and friends and will never be forgotten.
December 2, 2017 Police Blotter120217 Batesville Police Blotter120217 Decatur County EMS Report120217 Decatur County Fire Report120217 Decatur County Jail Report120217 Decatur County Law Report
By Scott OwenSHAWANO, Wis. (May 7) – Former track champions Jerry Wilinski, Dan Michonski, and Lucas Lamberies each scored their first wins of the season Saturday at Shawano Speedway.Second row starter Chucky Forstner led the first two laps of the Xtreme Motor Sports IMCA Modified feature before Jeremie Hedrick asserted himself with an outside pass. Hedrick led through lap 12 when the caution flag flew.On the next lap, Wilinski took the lead from Hedrick with an inside pass. Lance Arneson and Marcus Yarie joined Wilinski and Hedrick in the top four on lap 15. Yarie went three-wide with Arneson and Hedrick the next time around to grab second.Yarie pressured Wilinski the rest of the way but Wilinski would not be denied the victory. Yarie finished second, Arneson third, Forstner fourth and Hedrick fifth.Michonski raced his way to second by the fourth circuit and set a course for leader Gary Kasperek. Michonski went to the outside of Kasperek on lap eight to take the lead away as Travis Van Straten took over third.Over the last half of the race, Michonski solidified his lead and went on to win his first feature of the year.The Karl Chevrolet Northern SportMod feature saw Tyler Thiex lead the first three laps before spinning and handing the lead to Brock Saunders. On the restart, Saunders was immediately pressured by Jordan Bartz.On lap eight, Lamberies passed Bartz to take second and then moved to the inside of Saunders on lap 11 and took the lead away. A lap 17 caution bunched the field up and set up a three lap dash to the finish. Lamberies was able to hold off Wyatt Block and Saunders over the remainder of the race to score his first feature win of the year.
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert has praised the way his young squad are handling the pressure of being involved in a Barclays Premier League relegation dogfight. Lambert feels his players will reap the benefits of the experience gained this season should they manage to survive. Villa will be bidding for a third successive league win for the first time in nearly three years when they take on Liverpool on Easter Sunday. He said: “The lads have kept on going. We’ve been around and about there (the bottom three) for the whole season. They are handling the pressure of it, so it’s not new for them, they know exactly what they’ve got to try to do.” Press Association
He added: “The fact they are not wilting under everything is great. It’s nothing new for us going into this game. It might be for a few others. “When you start to win games, you start to pull other people into it who maybe feel a bit edgy over it. We are only four points away from 11th. A few weeks ago, everyone thought 11th spot would be miles clear of trouble. “It just shows you, one or two wins, you pull everyone back into it. If we can win Sunday it certainly puts pressure on people and keeps you looking up the table, which everyone wants to do.” Lambert is happy with the performances of his side in recent weeks and the progress being made by his players. He said: “It (a relegation battle) is not something you want to go through. But in a roundabout way, if we survive this season, it might be a blessing because you’ve been through really tough times at various points in the season. “The year’s experience will certainly help the players. There’s no two ways about it. They are getting better every game. The lads have the belief they know they can go and win games.” Midfielder Fabian Delph will return for the Villa Park clash after completing a two-game ban, while record signing Darren Bent, midfielder Karim El Ahmadi and defender Nathan Baker have been declared fit. Lambert will check on the fitness of centre-back Ciaran Clark (shoulder) and midfielder Brett Holman (hamstring) before finalising his side. 
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — South Carolina coach Frank Martin will chair a new committee formed by the National Association of Basketball Coaches to address issues of race and discrimination not only within intercollegiate athletics but society at large.The NABC’s board of directors announced the new committee Thursday, saying in a statement that “coaches can and should lend their voices to making a difference on the national, regional and local levels.” But the college coaching association also wants to ensure that the concerns of student-athletes also are being addressed.The board also released a set of recommendations for coaches, including holding in-person or virtual meetings to discuss current events and racial injustice; stressing a team’s commitment to diversity and inclusion; establish Election Day as an annual team day off; and encourage meetings with law enforcement leaders and others outside the department.COLLEGE FOOTBALL-FLORIDA STATE-NORVELLCoach apologizes for misstatement Associated Press Update on the latest sports UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA has set a new schedule for early entrants to the NBA draft to withdraw and return to school.Players will now have until 10 days after the NBA scouting combine or Aug. 3, whichever comes earlier.The original June 3 deadline was set to come 10 days after the completion of the combine, but the NBA postponed the combine amid the coronavirus pandemic and has yet to announce a new date.VIRUS OUTBREAK-NHLNHL OK’s opening of team facilities, finalizes playoff format as Pens player tests positive The NCAA announced five weeks ago that it would move forward with a plan to allow athletes to earn money for endorsements, personal appearances and social media content, among other things.Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith has said there will be no caps on how much an athlete can earn. Smith led the Knight Commission that produced the recommendations approved by the Board of Governors.Still, the issue of a possible antitrust exemption for the NCAA has been raised because some states suspect the NCAA will use “guardrails” to put limits on athletes and their ability to maximize their earning potential in a free market.NABC-RACIAL RECONCILIATION COMMITTEESouth Carolina’s Martin to chair hoops committee on race The All-Star race is now slated for July 15, two months after it was scheduled to be run before being postponed by the coronavirus pandemic.NASCAR will keep its scheduled twin-bill weekend later this month at Pocono Raceway. Kansas Speedway will host the Cup Series for a Thursday night race July 23.NASCAR-VIRUS OUTBREAK-INDIANAPOLISIndianapolis Motor Speedway slams door on fans at BrickyardINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis Motor Speedway will hold the July 4 IndyCar-NASCAR doubleheader without fans. UNDATED (AP) — The National Hockey League is allowing team facilities to reopen and players to take part in voluntary on- and off-ice workouts beginning Monday.Players can skate or work out in groups of up to six at a time. Unlike training camps scheduled to begin sometime in July, these workouts are not mandatory for players.The league also has nailed down the final details of a playoff format if the season can resume.Every playoff series will be a best of seven after the qualifying round and teams will be re-seeded along the way instead of bracketing.The announcement came on the heels of the Pittsburgh Penguins revealing one of their players tested positive for the coronavirus. The team said the unidentified player was not in Pittsburgh, was isolated after experiencing symptoms and has recovered. The NHL has not yet announced the start of voluntary workouts or a firm timeline for training camps and the resumption of games.Each conference will play its postseason games in a separate hub city to be announced. The top four teams in each conference will compete in a round-robin to determine seeding, while the next eight teams in each conference will battle for a spot in the opening round. The seven other teams have received spots in the draft lottery.MLB-SEASON NEGOTIATIONSPlayers holding firm on stance for prorated payNEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball is no closer to framing an agreement to starting the season. — Premier League club Tottenham is borrowing $220 million by using the Bank of England’s emergency pandemic loan scheme to cope with the absence of spectators from its stadium and the cancellation of two NFL games it was to stage this year. The north London club revealed the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic as the Premier League advanced plans for the competition to end its 100-day shutdown in two weeks.— Premier League clubs have agreed to allow five substitutions per match but allowing for only three pauses to bring on substitutes. They will adopt the temporary change when the league resumes on June 17 amid the pandemic. Premier League clubs have also agreed to temporarily increase the number of substitute players from seven to nine.— All referees in Italy’s top soccer league have tested negative for the coronavirus. The Serie A referees and some from the second division were tested at the Italian federation’s training headquarters on the outskirts of Florence. They will remain there until June 10 to have further tests and continue training and preparing for the resumption of Serie A on June 20.— The International Olympic Committee is in talks with insurers over compensation for the postponed 2020 Tokyo Games. The IOC pays for insurance against the cancellation of an Olympics, but it is unclear if its policy covers a one-year postponement. The IOC said last month it set aside $650 million to cover potential extra costs for the postponement. Costs for organizers in Japan are expected to run to billions of dollars.— Rafael Nadal says if he had to decide right now he wouldn’t play in the U.S. Open, but he wants to wait and see what happens with the coronavirus pandemic. The 19-time Grand Slam champion thinks it’s important that there be two requirements for tennis to return: assuring everyone’s health and making sure players from all countries can travel. All sanctioned tennis has been on hold since March. Track officials had been optimistic it could be the first major sporting venue to have fans back in the stands this summer. Instead, the stands will be empty much like the rest of the tracks since major racing resumed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic last month.IMS officials made the decision after consulting with local and state officials.SPORTS-VIRUS OUTBREAKMLS: training can resume; 7 Arkansas St athletes positive; Tottenham borrows $220MUNDATED (AP) — A day after announcing a deal with its players’ association to resume the season with a tournament in Florida, Major League Soccer says teams may resume training. The league Board of Governors has approved a 22-team format for restarting the season in late July at the Disney campus near Orlando, Florida. The format calls for each team playing eight games to determine playoff seeding plus the possible utilization of a play-in tournament for the final spot in each conference postseason field.The 22-team plan includes all teams that were holding playoff spots when the season was stopped, plus all other clubs within six games of a postseason berth. That means 13 teams from the Western Conference and nine from the East.The players association has a call on Friday to approve the plan as well, the final step as the league attempts a reboot.COLLEGE BASKETBALL-NBA DRAFTNCAA sets deadline for withdrawal from NBA draft UNDATED (AP) — Florida State football coach Mike Norvell has apologized after a star player accused him of lying about personally connecting with each player to discuss the police killing of George Floyd and ensuing protests against racial injustice.Defensive tackle Marvin Wilson said last night on Twitter that he and his teammates were “outraged” by Norvell’s characterization of the contact the white, first-year coach had with the players. Wilson, who is black, went back to social media on Thursday to say the matter was settled.TRACK-BERRY’S PROTESTBerry ‘disappointed’ with USOPC in aftermath of Floyd deathUNDATED (AP) — Olympic hammer thrower Gwen Berry wants an apology from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee for shaming her last summer. MLS says each player and staff member must complete two tests for the coronavirus 24 hours apart, 72 hours ahead of the start of training.Every player also must have a test for antibodies and a physical. Testing for antibodies will take place every three months.Testing providers must be authorized by the FDA or Health Canada.In other sports developments related to the coronavirus outbreak:— Seven Arkansas State athletes have tested positive for COVID-19 and are self-isolating for 14 days. Chancellor Kelly Damphousse said the seven athletes are from three sports, and all were asymptomatic so far. Damphousse said contact tracing has begun, and anyone who has been exposed to any of the seven athletes will be required to quarantine for 14 days. Players have reaffirmed their stance for full prorated pay, leaving a huge gap with teams that could scuttle plans to start the coronavirus-delayed season around the Fourth of July and may leave owners focusing on a schedule as short as 50 games.More than 100 players, including the union’s executive board, held a two-hour digital meeting with officials of the Major League Baseball Players Association on Thursday, a day after the union’s offer was rejected by Major League Baseball.Management on Sunday pitched an 82-game schedule that included a sliding scale for prorated salaries, with the richer players receiving a reduced share. The union countered on Tuesday with a 114-game schedule with prorated salaries and no adjusted scale.VIRUS OUTBREAK-NFLNFL coaches allowed to return to team facilities on Friday BREES-SOCIAL MEDIABrees says he ‘completely missed the mark’ in flag commentsNEW ORLEANS (AP) — Drew Brees is apologizing for comments that he now says were “insensitive and completely missed the mark” when he reiterated his opposition to Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling during the national anthem in 2016Those remarks, in an interview with Yahoo, drew sharp criticism from fellow high-profile athletes and others in the wake of George Floyd’s death.Los Angeles Lakers great LeBron James, New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins and former NFL player Martellus Bennett were just some of the high-profile athletes to criticize Brees on their Twitter feeds. James says he couldn’t believe Brees was still confused about what Kaepernick was trying to do. The Lakers’ star says kneeling was not about showing disrespect to the flag or the military but instead about police brutality.In an Instagram post Thursday, Brees said he was apologizing to his friends, teammates, New Orleans, the black community, the NFL community and “anyone I hurt with my comments.” He says his words “lacked awareness and any type of compassion or empathy” and had become “divisive and hurtful.”NCAA-COMPENSATING ATHLETES-CONGRASSUNDATED (AP) — Federal legislation setting guidelines for college athletes to pursue money-making opportunities could be proposed within a month.Ohio Rep. Anthony Gonzalez plans to introduce the bill and says there will be no blanket antitrust exemption for the NCAA. The Republican congressman says it’s imperative for Congress to act in time to render moot the array of state laws that are being considered or already have passed and are slated to go into effect as soon as next year. Division I schools are not supposed to have fewer than six sports for male athletes. CMU announced last month it was dropping men’s track and field, citing university-wide budget cuts. That leaves the school with five men’s teams: baseball, basketball, cross country, football and wrestling.Central Michigan requested the waiver after losing revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic.,Tampa Bay Lightning advance to face Dallas Stars in Stanley Cup finals, beating New York Islanders 2-1 in OT in Game 6 UNDATED (AP) — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has told the 32 clubs in a memo obtained by The Associated Press that coaching staffs may work from team complexes starting Friday.Previously, only up to 75 people per day could be at the facilities, with coaches and players not seeking treatment for injuries barred. The maximum number of club employees in each facility will be increased to 100, subject to governmental regulations and implementation of health protocols developed by the NFL’s medical staff.NASCAR-SCHEDULE CHANGESNASCAR makes final alterations to scheduleCHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR is set to run its All-Star race on a Wednesday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway and added one more weeknight Cup Series race as part of its latest revised schedule through July. June 4, 2020 She captured headlines when she used her turn on the gold-medal podium at the Pan-Am Games to raise her fist as a show of her frustration with America’s treatment of blacks. The USOPC put Berry on a 12-month probation for her gesture.It’s a gesture that has taken on new meaning in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death and the protests that have followed. Berry found it galling the USOPC recently issued a statement saying the organization “stands with those who demand equality.”COLLEGE SPORTS-CENTRAL MICHIGAN-NCAA WAIVERCentral Michigan gets NCAA waiver to reduce men’s athletic programsUNDATED (AP) — Central Michigan says it has received a two-year waiver from the NCAA regarding the minimum Division I sports sponsorship requirements. Share This StoryFacebookTwitteremailPrintLinkedinRedditVIRUS OUTBREAK-NBAAP source: NBA owners approve 22-team season restart planUNDATED (AP) — The NBA continues to take positive steps toward resuming a season that was suspended in March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
After two losses last weekend at No. 1 BYU, the USC Trojans men’s volleyball team is heading on another weekend road trip featuring consecutive matches against Mountain Pacific Sports Federation members UC Irvine and UC San Diego.The pair of tight road losses against BYU — in four and five sets respectively — has shown the No. 5 Trojans (3-2, 2-2) a clear picture of their deficiencies as well as their strengths.Spiked · Senior middle blocker Steven Shandrick goes up for a block in a home contest. The Trojans are looking to stop a two-match skid. – Carlo Acenas | Daily Trojan“It’s very easy to walk out of Provo with our heads held high,” USC head coach Bill Ferguson said. “It’s great to know that our process is working. We’ll be good at the end of the season, but we’ll stub our toes early.”Searching for more effective blocking and a more balanced offense, the Trojans have found the weekend schedule to be an advantage. Instead of bisecting the week with Wednesday and Friday matches, the new schedule allows them to focus practice time for both shoring up deficiencies from the previous week and preparing schematically for matches to come.“Having the weekend matches early in the season gives us more time to practice,” Ferguson said. “It’s different than last year, but it’s working out for us.”No. 2 UC Irvine has tremendous athleticism, depth and experience and is known especially for strength at the service line and a balanced, high-paced and precise attack.“They don’t have one guy that carries them,” Ferguson said. “You have to be sound everywhere. We need to weather the storm at the service line from [outside hitter Jeremy] Dejno and [opposite Carson] Clark, find balance in our own offense and be sound blocking, or else they’ll expose us.”On the defensive side, the Trojans will have to continue to have production from all three front-row blockers. If one of them lapses for even a split second, UCI has shown that it will attack those spaces with quick and precise offense.“For a lot of teams, speed like Irvine’s is a big advantage because they just aren’t used to it,” said senior outside hitter and co-captain Tony Ciarelli. “But our offense is just as fast, if not faster, than theirs is, so the advantage is somewhat taken away.”Clark is one of the nation’s elite players, with top-notch skills attacking, serving, blocking and defending. Ciarelli will be matched up against him.“I need to show Carson [Clark] something different every time I go up to block,” Ciarelli said. “He’ll figure it out and take advantage of it if I don’t mix it up.”The second match will be a mental check for the Trojans. UCSD is ranked at the bottom tier of the conference. Even though their ranking does not indicate a competitive match between the teams, Ferguson said the Trojans need to bring the same intensity and focus as they would against a top-ranked team.“In the past, teams like that tend to give us trouble and sometimes we walk in there taking them lightly,” said senior middle blocker and co-captain Steven Shandrick. “But they’re just as important. We need to be mentally prepared. They’re going to give us their absolute best.”First serve for both matches is at 7 p.m.
After beating Maryland 2–1 and Marquette 1–0, the University of Wisconsin men’s soccer team (5–4–1, 2–1 Big Ten) faced a grueling road test against No. 5 and previously undefeated Michigan State (8–1–2, 2–1 Big Ten). The Badgers stunned the Spartans in overtime through a 96th-minute golden goal from sophomore Alex Alfaro, handing them their first loss of the season.“Huge win against an extremely talented Michigan State team,” Badger Head Coach John Trask said in a conversation with UW Athletics post-match. “They are very well coached. It was a battle.”The first half saw the Badgers struggle to get anything going, managing only one shot. On the other side, the Spartans managed to get off five shots in the half, including two quality chances from their leading goal scorers Ryan Sierakowski and DeJuan Jones. However, they were denied by goalie Dean Cowdroy, who ended the match with five saves and his fifth shutout of the season.Men’s soccer: Badgers grind out road win over Marquette, look toward Michigan StateThe University of Wisconsin men’s soccer (4–4–1, 1–1 Big Ten) claimed their second consecutive road win with a 1–0 victory Read…The second half saw the Badgers manage three more shots compared to two by the Spartans, but either side failed to break through, forcing the game into overtime after 90 minutes of play.In the 6 minute mark of overtime, the Badgers played the ball towards the penalty area of Michigan State. After several deflections and failed clearances from Michigan State, Alfaro took the ball from the edge of the box and struck it with his right foot, sailing it past Spartans goalkeeper Jimmy Hague into the left corner of the goal for his first goal of the season and the winner.Volleyball: Badgers falter in tough matchup versus No. 6 Gophers, Purdue up nextThe University of Wisconsin women’s volleyball team had a tough start to their brutal road trip on Wednesday night. No. Read…“We figured we were going to have to score on that type of play,” Trask said. “Fair dues on the goal, and props to Isaac and Alex for keeping it alive. Great goal by Alfaro—what a timely goal for his first one of the season.”Up next, the Badgers will host a trio of games, including local derbies with Milwaukee (6–3–1, 2–0–1 Horizon) and Green Bay (5–4–1, 2–2–0 Horizon) on Oct. 3 and 10, respectively, with a Big Ten game against Rutgers (2–6–1, 1–3–0 Big Ten) sandwiched in between on Oct. 7.