English soccer heads ask Zuckerberg, Dorsey to act on racism
The leaders of English soccer have asked the heads of Facebook and Instagram to show basic human decency by taking more robust action to eradicate racism and for users identities to be verified. There has been growing outrage that players from the Premier League to the Womens Super League have been targeted with abuse on Twitter and Facebook-owned Instagram. “The language used is debasing, often threatening and illegal,” the eight English soccer leaders, including from the Football Association and Premier League, wrote to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey and Facebook chairman Mark Zuckerberg. The letter was signed by the CEOs of the English Football Association (Mark Bullingham), Premier League (Richard Masters), English Football League (Trevor Birch), Professional Footballers’ Association (Gordon Taylor) and League Managers’ Association (Richard Bevan). Threats of violence on social media have also alarmed English soccer this week.
Southampton wins 2-0 to keep Bournemouth in drop zone
Bournemouth's goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale saves a penalty during the English Premier League soccer match between Bournemouth and Southampton, at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, England, Sunday, July 19, 2020. (Mike Hewitt/Pool Photo via AP)BOURNEMOUTH Southampton showed little mercy to south coast rival Bournemouth on Sunday with a 2-0 win in the Premier League after late VAR drama. Southampton substitute Che Adams compounded the hosts misery by doubling the advantage in the final moments at the Vitality Stadium. In-form Saints striker Ings also had a second-half penalty saved by Bournemouth goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, damaging his pursuit of the golden boot. Victory for Southampton ensured a small piece of history in its remarkable recovery from last Octobers 9-0 humiliation at the hands of Leicester.
De Gea mistakes see Chelsea beat Man U to reach FA Cup final
(Andy Rain, Pool via AP)LONDON At least David De Gea was spared having a crowd inside Wembley to witness his latest mistakes in the Manchester United goal. Gifted goals to beat United 3-1 on Sunday, Chelsea will be returning to the national stadium on Aug. 1 to face Arsenal in an all-London FA Cup final. Olivier Giroud's close-range deft touch from Cesar Azpilicueta's cross was pushed into his own goal by De Gea. De Gea hadnt played in the competition since the 2018 final when Chelsea beat United. It means Frank Lampard's first season as Chelsea manager will end with a cup final.
Leicester jeopardizes Champions League hopes with collapse
A 4-1 capitulation at relegation-threatened Bournemouth on Sunday summed up Leicester's form since the Premier League returned from its three-month coronavirus-enforced shutdown. I would say a big apology to the supporters because that was unacceptable for a Leicester team," Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers said. Fifth could, however, clinch England's fourth and final Champions League place if second-place Manchester City's Champions League ban for next season is confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on Monday. Arsenal and Tottenham, though, are realistically in a scrap for a Europa League place. Palaces run of five straight Premier League defeats is now manager Roy Hodgsons equal worst sequence in the competition.
Bournemouth in free fall as fairy-tale journey hits problems
Bournemouth's manager Eddie Howe walks on the field at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Bournemouth and Liverpool at the Vitality stadium in Bournemouth, England, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019. So, a decade later, Howe will be putting Bournemouth’s current plight in the context of its perilous recent history. Bournemouth is in free fall in the Premier League, with its injury-ravaged team having lost five straight matches to drop within a point of the relegation zone. It is brave — some might say reckless — but it’s a philosophy that Howe, seven years into his second spell as Bournemouth manager, hasn’t wavered from. The current Bournemouth squad is the youngest since the club came into the Premier League, with many of the leaders no longer regulars.