Soccer: Champions League
Louis van Gaal said he wanted to “kiss” Memphis Depay after the Dutch midfielder scored two and set up the third in Manchester United’s 3-1 win over Club Brugge in the first leg of their Champions League playoff at Old Trafford last night - and who could blame him.
Memphis, who was deployed in his favoured starting position on the left rather than as a traditional No 10, was integral in seeing United past a limited Club Brugge side who had taken the lead early on.
“When you score a goal then you are the hero,” Van Gaal told reporters. “I want to kiss him tonight, because when you score two goals and give an assist also, then normally in the world you are the hero.”
Meanwhile the Republic of Ireland squad was announced yesterday for the latest batch of European qualifiers, beginning with Gibraltar and Georgia. One man who again was not included was Aston Villa starlet Jack Grealish.
Manager Martin O’Neill said though that he does expect Grealish to make clear his international intentions (Ireland or England)within a matter of weeks after having met with the player, his father, Kevin, and agent, Dave Manasseh, 10 days ago in order to make the case for the highly rated teenager to choose Ireland.
GAA: Championship
This morning Darragh Ó Sé is discussing his own county's All-Ireland semi-final in his weekly column, Kerry versus Tyrone this Sunday. The ex All Star midfielder never won against Tyrone in championship football in Croke Park and he says he fears a siege mentality developing in the Ulster county following the national furore over Tiernan McCann's dive against Monaghan.
“Meath were physical but they weren’t ferocious. Armagh were eventually but even when they beat us in 2002, they didn’t have that all-out fury that we met against Tyrone the following year. What they hit us with was unprecedented. And it changed Kerry football. It took us a few years and a few more beatings to accept that we had to change but we did because we had to. Don’t let anyone in Kerry tell you otherwise.”
Golf: US Amateur
Paul Dunne battled food poisoning and exhaustion to qualify for Wednesday's first matchplay round of the weather-delayed US Amateur Championship.
The 22-year old British Open hero birdied the par-five 18th on the South Course from around eight feet for a one under 69 and a level par aggregate of 140. That will be more than good enough to make the top 64 when the second strokeplay qualifying round is completed today after Tuesday’s delayed start prevented 54 players in the 312-strong field from completing 36 holes.
Athletics: IAAF
Sebastian Coe, the double Olympic champion who led the organising committee of London's 2012 Games, has this morning been elected as the president of the world governing body for athletics.
Ahead of the world championships in Beijing and against a backdrop of doping allegations that have brought the sport to its knees, Coe defeated Ukrainian former pole vaulter Sergey Bubka and will now be tasked with restoring the reputation of the sport.
Rugby: World Cup
Irish flanker Seán O'Brien says World Cup places will really be up for grabs in the upcoming World Cup warm-up game against Wales.
“There is a fear there that if you make a mistake you might not get a second chance,” he says of Irish coach Joe Schmidt.
“That’s his philosophy. That’s the pressure he has on us to perform and make sure we do our role.”
What to watch out for:
For the cricket fans the 1st ODI between South Africa and New Zealand is live on Sky tonight.
Sky Sports 2 from 11.25am
The big one tonight though is the Champions League qualifier between Celtic and Malmo FF.
BT Sport Europe from 7pm
