Sideline reporter isn’t always the easiest job, though it sometimes carries plenty of glamour. In the case of TWC Sportsnet reporter Kelli Tennant, it also requires steadiness in the face — or back of the head — of adversity.
Our friends at Soccerly have the story and video of Tennant’s shot to the head. It’s actually amazing how quickly she regroups — in an instant — after getting blasted by a Whitecaps shot during warmups before Vancouver’s match with Los Angeles.
Patrick Vieira was fired on March 17 after going 11 games without a win (0W-5D-6L) after the calendar turned over to 23, leaving Crystal Palace (27 points – 12th place) closer to the relegation battle than they have any business being. Speaking of having no business being in the relegation battle, Leicester (25 points – 17th place) sit just one point and one place above the bottom-three ahead of Saturday’s trip to south London.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Crystal Palace vs Leicester.
[ MORE: How to watch Premier League in USA ]
Hodgson came out of retirement to take over until the end of the season, at which point Vieira’s (still to-be-chosen) permanent replacement will take charge with another summer of squad turnover to come. Though they sit nearer to mid-table than the bottom-three heading into matchweek 29, the gap between Crystal Palace and 18th-place West Ham is only three points, meaning they could tumble as far as 17th with another defeat (pending results elsewhere). Wilfried Zaha’s six Premier League goals lead the way for Crystal Palace this season, but the Ivorian international hasn’t scored since Nov. 6 (11 appearances, all starts). Since Zaha’s last league goal, Palace have scored just seven goals in 15 games (1W-5D-7L).
Leicester’s winless run isn’t quite as long as Palace’s (only five games – 0W-1D-4L) since the Foxes inexplicably scored four goals in back-to-back victories over Aston Villa and Tottenham at the start of February. Since then, two goals in five games and three clean sheets against. In fairness, they have faced Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Brentford during the slide, which is perhaps the reason that Brendan Rodgers is still in the job through the recent international break. The other defeat, by the way? It was to last-place Southampton. James Maddison and Harvey Barnes are level on nine goals each, while forwards Patson Daka, Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy have combined to score eight PL goals this season.
OUT: Sam Johnstone (calf) | QUESTIONABLE: Vicente Guaita (hamstring), Joachim Andersen (calf), James McArthur (illness), Nathan Ferguson (undisclosed)
OUT: Ryan Bertrand (knee), James Justin (achilles), Youri Tielemans (ankle), Jannik Vestergaard (undisclosed) | QUESTIONABLE: Harry Souttar (ankle), Victor Kristiansen (ankle), Jonny Evans (undisclosed)
Premier League injury news: It’s time to take a look at which players might be unavailable for matchweek 29 of the 2022-23 Premier League season, due to injury.
[ MORE: How to watch the Premier League on NBC ]
Prior to every matchweek this season, we’ll update this Premier League injuries page with the latest news and update, so make sure to check back regularly to see how your favorite — or least-favorite — club is getting on.
Let’s check out the latest Premier League injury news, below.
OUT: William Saliba (back), Eddie Nketiah (ankle), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee), Mohamed Elneny (knock) | QUESTIONABLE: Thomas Partey (undisclosed), Kieran Tierney (calf)
OUT: Jed Steer (calf) | QUESTIONABLE: Philippe Coutinho (thigh), Matty Cash (calf), Boubacar Kamara (ankle), Leander Dendoncker (undisclosed)
QUESTIONABLE: Marcus Tavernier (thigh), Illia Zabarnyi (foot), Junior Stanislas (undisclosed)
OUT: Kristoffer Ajer (calf), Vitaly Janelt (knee), Keane Lewis-Potter (knee), Shandon Baptiste (suspension) | QUESTIONABLE: Mads Roerslev (thigh)
OUT: Tariq Lamptey (knee), Adam Lallana (thigh – out for season), Jakub Moder (knee) (undisclosed)
OUT: Thiago Silva (knee), Armando Broja (knee) | QUESTIONABLE: Reece James (thigh), Raheem Sterling (hamstring), N’Golo Kante (hamstring), Mason Mount (abdominal), Cesar Azpilicueta (head), Edouard Mendy (shoulder), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (back)
OUT: Sam Johnstone (calf) | QUESTIONABLE: Vicente Guaita (hamstring), Joachim Andersen (calf), James McArthur (illness), Nathan Ferguson (undisclosed)
OUT: Andros Townsend (knee) | QUESTIONABLE: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (thigh)
OUT: Aleksandar Mitrovic (suspension – MORE), Willian (suspension – MORE), Neeskens Kebano (achilles), Layvin Kurzawa (knee) | QUESTIONABLE: Shane Duffy (calf)
OUT: Tyler Adams (hamstring – out for season), Stuart Dallas (thigh), Adam Forshaw (groin) | QUESTIONABLE: Wilfried Gnonto (ankle), Maximillian Wober (hamstring)
OUT: Ryan Bertrand (knee), James Justin (achilles), Youri Tielemans (ankle), Jannik Vestergaard (undisclosed) | QUESTIONABLE: Harry Souttar (ankle), Victor Kristiansen (ankle), Jonny Evans (undisclosed)
OUT: Thiago Alcantara (hip), Joe Gomez (undisclosed), Stefan Bajcetic (undisclosed), Calvin Ramsay (knee) | QUESTIONABLE: Luis Diaz (knee), Darwin Nunez (ankle), Konstantinos Tsimikas (ribs)
OUT: Phil Foden (illness), Benjamin Mendy (suspension – MORE) | QUESTIONABLE: Erling Haaland (groin – MORE)
OUT: Casemiro (suspension), Alejandro Garnacho (ankle), Christian Eriksen (ankle), Donny van de Beek (knee), Mason Greenwood (suspension – MORE) | QUESTIONABLE: Raphael Varane (undisclosed), Marcus Rashford (knock), Anthony Martial (hip), Marcel Sabitzer (knee)
OUT: Miguel Almiron (thigh), Emil Krafth (knee), Ryan Fraser (undisclosed) | QUESTIONABLE: Allan Saint-Maximin (thigh), Sven Botman (illness), Anthony Gordon (ankle), Nick Pope (knock)
OUT: Taiwo Awoniyi (groin), Scott McKenna (thigh), Willy Boly (thigh), Dean Henderson (thigh), Giulian Biancone (knee), Omar Richards (calf) | QUESTIONABLE: Brennan Johnson (groin), Chris Wood (thigh), Cheickou Kouyate (thigh), Andre Ayew (knee), Serge Aurier (knock), Wayne Hennessey (knee), Ryan Yates (shoulder)
OUT: Armel Bella-Kotchap (shoulder), Valentino Livramento (knee), Juan Larios (adductor) | QUESTIONABLE: Che Adams (calf)
OUT: Rodrigo Bentancur (torn ACL – out for season), Yves Bissouma (foot), Emerson Royal (knee), Ben Davies (hamstring) | QUESTIONABLE: Richarlison (undisclosed), Hugo Lloris (knee), Ivan Perisic (calf), Ryan Sessegnon (thigh)
QUESTIONABLE: Lukasz Fabianski (face), Michail Antonio (calf)
OUT: Hugo Bueno (hamstring), Matheus Nunes (suspension), Diego Costa (knee), Sasa Kalajdzic (torn ACL), Jonny (suspension), Hee-Chan Hwang (undisclosed), Chiquinho (knee) | QUESTIONABLE: Boubacar Traore (groin)
With nine teams currently separated by four points, from 20th to 12th places, the 2022-23 Premier League relegation scrap is not only set to last until the final day, but the final two months of the season are sure to be one of the wildest roller-coaster rides of all time.
Three clubs will be relegated from the Premier League (and replaced by three teams from the EFL Championship, of course) at season’s end. Never before have this many clubs been this close to the bottom-three, and the bottom of the table, at this point of a season.
[ MORE: Latest Premier League table for 2022-23 season ]
Below is everything you need to know about the relegation scrap set to unfold over the final eight weeks of the 2022-23 season…
Crystal Palace – 27 points, 12th place
Wolves – 27 points, 13th place
Leeds – 26 points, 14th place
Everton – 26 points, 15th place
Nottingham Forest – 26 points, 16th place
Leicester – 25 points, 17th place
West Ham – 24 points, 18th place
Bournemouth – 24 points, 19th place
Southampton – 23 points, 20th place
2022: 36 points
2021: 29 points
2020: 35 points
2019: 35 points
2018: 34 points
2017: 35 points
2016: 38 points
2015: 36 points
2014: 34 points
2013: 37 points
2012: 37 points
2011: 40 points
2010: 31 points
2009: 35 points
2008: 36 points
Fulham: 2021 (promoted 2022 – 1 season in PL)
Bournemouth: 2020 (promoted 2022 – 1 season)
Aston Villa: 2016 (promoted 2020 – 4 seasons)
Newcastle: 2016 (promoted 2017 – 6 seasons)
Wolves: 2012 (promoted 2018 – 5 seasons)
West Ham: 2011 (promoted 2012 – 11 seasons)
Southampton: 2005 (promoted 2012 – 11 seasons)
Crystal Palace: 2005 (promoted 2013 – 10 seasons)
Leeds: 2004 (promoted 2020 – 3 seasons)
Leicester: 2004 (promoted 2014 – 9 seasons)
Manchester City: 2001 (promoted 2002 – 21 seasons)
Nottingham Forest: 1999 (promoted 2022 – 1 season)
Chelsea: 1988 (promoted 1989 – 34 seasons)
Brighton: 1983 (promoted 2017 – 6 seasons)
Tottenham: 1977 (promoted 1978 – 45 seasons)
Manchester United: 1974 (promoted in 1975 – 48 seasons)
Liverpool: 1954 (promoted 1962 – 61 seasons)
Everton: 1951 (promoted 1954 – 69 seasons)
Brentford: 1947 (promoted 2021 – 2 seasons)
Arsenal: 1913 (promoted 1915 – 103 seasons)
There are 23 remaining head-to-head matchups between the nine teams currently in the relegation battle.
Crystal Palace: 8 games (1 against every other team)
Wolves: 4 games
Leeds: 5 games
Everton: 4 games
Nottingham Forest: 4 games
Leicester: 6 games
West Ham: 5 games
Bournemouth: 6 games
Southampton: 4 games
GENEVA — Indonesia was stripped of hosting the men’s U20 World Cup on Wednesday only eight weeks before the start of the tournament amid political turmoil regarding Israel’s participation.
FIFA said Indonesia was removed from staging the 24-team tournament scheduled to start on May 20 “due to the current circumstances” without specifying details.
The decision came after a meeting in Doha between FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Indonesian soccer federation president Erick Thohir.
Israel qualified last June for its first U20 World Cup. But the country’s participation in Friday’s scheduled draw in Bali provoked political opposition this month.
Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation and does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, while publicly supporting the Palestinian cause.
Indonesia’s hosting was cast into doubt on Sunday when FIFA postponed the draw.
It is unclear who could now host the tournament, which was scheduled to be played in six stadiums in Indonesia. Argentina, which did not qualify for the tournament, is reportedly interested in hosting.
“A new host will be announced as soon as possible, with the dates of the tournament currently remaining unchanged,” FIFA said.
The Indonesian soccer federation could be further disciplined by FIFA. A suspension could remove Indonesia from Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, which starts in October.
FIFA seemed to remove all blame Wednesday from Thohir, the former president of Italian club Inter Milan – the team Infantino supports – and a former co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers.
[ MORE: Manchester City vs Liverpool: How to watch live, stream link, team news ]
FIFA staff will continue to work in Indonesia in the months ahead, the governing body said, “under the leadership of President Thohir.”
Soccer and public authorities in Indonesia agreed to FIFA’s hosting requirements in 2019 before being selected to stage the 2021 edition of the U20 World Cup. The coronavirus pandemic forced the tournament to be postponed for two years.
But Indonesian President Joko Widodo said Tuesday evening that his administration objected to Israel’s participation. He told citizens that the country agreed to host before knowing Israel would qualify.
Israel qualified by reaching the semifinals of the U19 European Championship. The team went on to lose to England in that final.
Israel plays in Europe as a member of UEFA after leaving the Asian Football Confederation in the 1970s for political and security reasons.
FIFA bills the men’s U20 World Cup as “the tournament of tomorrow’s superstars.”
Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and Paul Pogba are previous winners of the official player of the tournament award, and Erling Haaland was the top scorer at the 2019 edition.
