Sports

Man City 1-0 PSG (Agg: 3-2): Kevin De Bruyne strike gives City unprecedented semi-final spot 

Man City reached the Champions League semi-final with a 3-2 aggregate win over PSG following a 1-0 second-leg victory at the Etihad.

Kevin De Bruyne's 76th-minute curling effort into the bottom corner from 20 yards put the game beyond the French champions, saving Sergio Aguero's blushes after his first-half penalty miss.
Aguero had shot wide after being brought down by goalkeeper Kevin Trapp during a first period dominated by the hosts, while Joe Hart kept hold of City's advantage in the second-half with saves from Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva and Edinson Cavani.

 

Sergio Aguero is fouled by Kevin Trapp inside the area in the first half 

 

 

 The result means City will appear in their first European semi-final since the 1971 Cup Winners' Cup, and the Premier League side will find out their opponents in Friday's draw in Nyon.Yaya Toure stayed on the bench for City, who brought back five players after the 2-1 win over West Brom at the weekend, while PSG were again without key midfielder Marco Verratti.With the score at 2-2 from the first leg, PSG settled after a frantic start, Ibrahimovic forcing Hart into the first save of the game with a fierce 30-yard free-kick.Aguero then had two half-chances to give City a further advantage, first shooting wide from an angle after De Bruyne's through ball, before missing Trapp's post by a yard from just outside the area.The first-half's big talking point came just before the half-hour mark when Aguero was brought down by Trapp's trailing leg inside the area. The penalty was given, but despite protests from the City players for a red card, the PSG goalkeeper was only shown a yellow by Spanish referee Velasco Carballo.Aguero stepped up to take, but shot low and wide past Trapp's left-hand post as PSG were let off.

 

Record-breaking Vlaicu eyes more milestones

Romania's record points scorer Florin Vlaicu hopes to join a select band of players to have scored 1,000 test points as he sets his sights on appearing at a fourth Rugby World Cup.

At 29 years of age, Romania's record points scorer Florin Vlaicu is still young enough to be in contention for a fourth Rugby World Cup in 2019.

And with plenty of rugby to be played between now and then, the goal-kicking centre is on course to go to Japan as one of international rugby’s most prolific points scorers.

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Vlaicu is one of three current internationals bidding to join Dan Carter, Jonny Wilkinson, Neil Jenkins, Ronan O’Gara and Diego Dominguez in the ‘1,000-point club’.

So far he has accumulated 706 points – three behind Georgia’s Merab Kvirikashvili and five points shy of Ayumu Goromaru of Japan – in 90 test appearances.

“I am very proud to be the highest points scorer for Romania. I’ve worked very hard over the last nine years, but I don’t want to stop here, I want to reach 1000 points.A regular in the Oaks’ side for much of his 10-year international career, Vlaicu is just two tests away from drawing level with second-row Cristian Petre as the most-capped player in the history of Romanian rugby.
“To reach 90 caps (against Georgia last month), it is something wonderful. It never crossed my mind that I would play that many times for my country when I made my debut against Ukraine in 2006. Hopefully I can stay healthy and get to 100.”

Comeback kings

Vlaicu highlights Romania’s Pool D encounter with Canada at Rugby World Cup 2015 as one of his most memorable moments in the Oaks' jersey.
The Bucharest-born player nervelessly slotted a penalty with three minutes left to complete the biggest comeback in the tournament’s history.
The Romanians trailed 15-0 early in the second half after Canada had scored tries either side of the break through wingers DTH van der Merwe and Jeff Hassler.
But converted scores from captain and number eight Mihai Macovei in the 53rd and 74th minutes to get the Europeans back to within a point. With Canada on the ropes, up stepped Vlaicu to finish the job off.
“I felt fulfilled and relieved but I knew there were still three minutes left in which we had to be focused. In the end, we were very happy to get the victory," he recalled.
“We’d planned for two victories when we left for the World Cup, to qualify automatically for the next tournament in 2019, but Italy’s experience told in the final game.
“I look back on the tournament with fond memories, it was the best of the three World Cups I've played in.”
Romania will now have to qualify for Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan in three years’ time via the Rugby Europe Championship.
“We have a long road ahead but it’s not impossible, I am sure we will qualify," he said.
“I think it will be special because it’s played in Asia, in Japan, and everyone wants to get there.”

EPL: Spurs keep title race alive after Leicester's fifth straight win

Tottenham Hotspur hammered late arriving Manchester United 3-0 in the English Premier League Sunday but is still seven points behind runaway leader Leicester with games running out.

Leicester's earlier 2-0 win at relegation struggler Sunderland temporarily opened up a 10-point gap but Tottenham responded in some style with its first home league win over United in 15 years.

"The performance was perfect in the second half," Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said.

The visitor was caught in heavy London traffic on the way to White Hart Lane, reaching the ground with only 15 minutes to the scheduled kick off, which was delayed for half an hour.

Miami Open: Novak Djokovic becomes leading tennis prize-money earner

Novak Djokovic eased past Kei Nishikori 6-3 6-3 to claim a record-equaling sixth Miami Open crown and become the all-time leading prize-money earner in tennis.

The world No. 1 earned $1,028,300 for his final defeat of the Japanese star, taking his total career prize money to $98.2 million -- surpassing Roger Federer's $97.9 million.

The Serb took just an hour and 26 minutes to see off his Japanese opponent at the Crandon Park Tennis Center Sunday. In doing so, he matched Andre Agassi's impressive haul of tournament victories at the prestigious Masters 1000 event.

Djokovic's first Miami title arrived in 2007, and he won it again in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015.

"I have a very special connection to this tournament," Djokovic said on court as he picked up his winner's check, edging his career prize-winnings above those of Federer.

"Back in 2007 at Miami it was the biggest tournament that I had won," the World No.1 continued. "It has been a springboard for everything that has come after that."

  Jayasuriya to return as chairman of selectors

 Sri Lanka won the 2014 World T20 and a Test series in England during Sanath Jayasuriya's previous term as chairman of selectors

Sanath Jayasuriya is set to take over as Sri Lanka's chief selector once more, a little over a year after he stepped down from the role. The board has virtually confirmed Jayasuriya's appointment, but is waiting on the sports minister's approval before it makes a formal announcement.

"In wanting to take Sri Lankan cricket to a new path, we have put some changes in place," SLC president Thilanga Sumathipala told Divaina. "As such, we are expecting to appoint Sanath Jayasuriya as the new chairman of selectors."

Former wicketkeeper-batsman Romesh Kaluwitharana and former offspinner Ranjith Madurasingha are also expected to be part of the committee, according to SLC vice president Mohan de Silva.

Jayasuriya will replace Aravinda de Silva, who had only signed on for a two-month role ahead of the World T20. SLC has not finalised the Jayasuriya-led committee's term, but "hopefully," Mohan de Silva said, "it will be up to the next [2019] World Cup."

The SLC vice president also said that while Aravinda's committee is due to select the Test squad for an upcoming England tour, it will now do so in consultation with Jayasuriya, "in order to provide continuity".

With present selectors Kumar Sangakkara and Lalith Kaluperuma out of the country, Jayasuriya will effectively become a selector of that committee, before he takes over the reins at the end of April.

Jayasuriya previously held the post from January 2013 to March 2015. During that period, Sri Lanka won a World T20 and a Test series in England, both in 2014, before suffering a quarter-final exit at the 2015 World Cup. It was Jayasuriya's committee that formalised Angelo Mathews' assumption of the Test and ODI captaincy. However, the period had also been beset by public disagreements between Jayasuriya and senior players - particularly Mahela Jayawardene.

Former Sri Lanka seamer Eric Upashantha, who had served in the previous Jayasuriya-led committee, has been linked to the forthcoming announcement as well.

Sri Lanka have major tours on the horizon. Following the three-Test tour of England, Australia are scheduled to visit Sri Lanka for a full tour in July and August. An away tour to South Africa is also scheduled at the end of the year.