adplus-dvertising
Connect with us

News

Hajrullahu kicks record-tying eight FGs to lead Argos past Alouettes 37-31

Published

 on

 

TORONTO – Lirim Hajrullahu gave the Montreal Alouettes the boot Saturday night.

Hajrullahu kicked a CFL record-tying eight field goals to lift the Toronto Argonauts to a 37-31 win over the Montreal Alouettes.

“I did not know eight was the record,” Hajrullahu said. “We knew this was a tough opponent and we wanted to come out and get that (win).

“The East is heating up and so are we.”

Hajrullahu’s 27-yard field goal — his club record-tying seventh — at 12:43 of the fourth put Toronto ahead 34-31. Montreal took over at its 34-yard line with 2:10 remaining but turned the ball over on downs at its 39-yard line with 1:24 to play before an announced BMO Field gathering of 14,856.

That set up Hajrullahu’s 37-yard kick at 14:11 that put Toronto up 37-31. It tied the CFL record set in 1984 by Dave Ridgway and later tied by Mark McLoughlin and Paul Osbaldiston (both in 1996).

Montreal began its final possession at midfield but Tyshon Blackburn’s interception with 22 seconds remaining ended the threat and cementing the win for Toronto.

Toronto (8-7) earned its second win in three contests this season against Montreal (11-3-1). The Alouettes clinched first in the East — and home field for the division final — with the Ottawa Redblacks’ 29-16 road loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders earlier Saturday.

But Montreal linebacker Darnell Sankey said that was the furthest thing from the Alouettes’ mind on Saturday.

“We were going out there to win a football game,” said Sankey, who had six tackles and a sack. “We’re not going to use that as an excuse, we didn’t come out and play our best game, for whatever reason.

“Props to Toronto … they came out and executed their game plan better than we did. They were the better team tonight.”

Toronto moved to within a point of second-place Ottawa (8-6-1) in the East Division and four points ahead of fourth-place Hamilton (6-9). The Argos host the Redblacks on Oct. 19.

“Lirim was huge, you’ve got to make those kicks,” said Toronto head coach Ryan Dinwiddie. “(But) we’ve got to finish in the red zone.

“We can’t have eight field goals. I know it tied a record but I’d settle for one to score some touchdowns.”

Toronto’s offence rolled up 517 net yards, including 234 yards rushing. Ka’Deem Carey led the way with 90 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries while adding three catches for 49 yards.

“This (win) is huge,” Carey said. “This could turn our season around and I’m going to make sure it turns our season around.”

Makai Polk had five receptions for a game-high 103 yards for Toronto. Starter Chad Kelly was 19-of-30 passing for 287 yards and an interception.

“Disappointing we didn’t run the ball well enough on second down,” Dinwiddie said. “We knew Montreal would let us run on first down, they wanted to get us in that second-and-five, do you pass it or do you run it?

“We didn’t move the chains as much as I wanted on second down but I have to go look at it. We didn’t play a great football game, we played good enough to win but we’ve got to continue to get better.”

Montreal came in allowing a CFL-low 19.6 offensive points per game but was ranked eighth against the run (112.1 yards per game). Toronto had the CFL’s second-ranked ground attack (118.4 yards per game).

Alouettes’ quarterback Cody Fajardo completed 20-of-29 passes for 225 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Cole Spieker recorded three catches for 99 yards and a TD.

Montreal made it 31-31 on Dominque Davis’s one-yard TD run at 8:45 of the fourth, then Fajardo’s pass to Tyler Snead for the two-point convert. Hajrullahu’s 35-yard field goal at 3:15 had put Toronto ahead 31-23.

Deonta McMahon scored Toronto’s other touchdown. Hajrullahu also had a convert.

James Letcher Jr. and Walter Fletcher had Montreal’s other touchdowns. Jose Maltos added three converts and two singles.

Hajrullahu’s 49-yard field goal to end the half made it 22-22 and capped a wild finish to the second. Letcher’s 100-yard punt-return TD at 14:42 put Montreal ahead 22-19 after Fajardo’s 35-yard TD pass to Spieker at 13:27, and Maltos’ ensuing 84-yard kickoff single cut Toronto’s lead to 19-15.

Toronto dominated the opening half, rushing for 155 yards and holding the ball for more than 20 minutes. However, it managed just one touchdown and five times had to settle for field goals.

Carey had Toronto’s lone TD of the half on a five-yard run at 10:00 that put the Argos ahead 19-7. It capped a solid seven-play, 90-yard march.

Fajardo put Montreal ahead 7-3 with a 10-yard TD strike to Fletcher at 6:30. It was set up by Dionte Ruffin’s 27-yard interception return to Toronto’s 10-yard line in a light drizzle.

UP NEXT

Alouettes: Bye week.

Argonauts: Bye week.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2024.

Source link

Continue Reading

News

World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann retires from international soccer after 10 years with France

Published

 on

MADRID – World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann, one of France’s most influential players over the past decade, took the soccer world by surprise Monday when he announced the end of his international career with Les Bleus.

The 33-year-old Atletico Madrid forward, affectionately nicknamed “Grizou” by his supporters, has played 137 matches with France, scoring 44 goals during a successful 10-year tenure.

Griezmann — Atletico’s s all-time record scorer — started with France in 2014 in a friendly match against the Netherlands then quickly established himself as a stalwart of the team coached by Didier Deschamps with his versatile talent and influence as both a goalscorer and an assist provider.

Only two players, Hugo Lloris and Lilian Thuram, have played more international games with France than Griezmann.

“It’s with a heart full of memories that I close this chapter of my life,” Griezmann said in a message posted on Instagram. “Thank you for this wonderful tricolor adventure and see you soon.”

Griezmann is fourth on France’s list of all-time scorers behind Olivier Giroud, Thierry Henry and Kylian Mbappe. He played a key role in helping France to a runner-up finish at the 2016 European Championship, where he was the player of the tournament, won the 2018 World Cup and the Nations League three years later with his French teammates.

“After 10 incredible years, marked by challenges, successes and unforgettable moments, it is time for me to turn a page and make way for the new generation,” he said. “I was lucky enough to experience some incredible moments alongside some exceptional teammates. We have shared victories that will remain forever engraved in our memories.”

Deschamps praised Griezmann’s collective spirit and lauded a “selflessness that is rare among attacking players.” In addition to his attacking skills, Griezmann is also rated for his ability to defend and sense of sacrifice.

“Even if his club career is not over, Antoine was and will remain a monument to French football, one of the greatest players in its history,” Deschamps said in a message relayed by the French soccer federation. “In addition to his 44 goals and 30 assists, his contribution to the results we have achieved over the last decade is immense.”

After a disappointing showing at the European Championship earlier this year, where France lost in the semifinals, Griezmann had lost some of his influence in Deschamps’ team. His final appearance in the France kit was in September in a 2-0 win over Belgium in a Nations League match when he came on as a late substitute.

Although Griezmann has admitted he struggled at the Euros, he was expected to keep on playing with France until the 2026 World Cup.

In his retirement message, Griezmann thanked Deschamps for his support over the last decade despite the coach’s decision to make Mbappe France captain ahead of him last year following Lloris’ retirement. Griezmann had previously said Deschamps’ snub had been difficult to stomach.

“It has often been said that Antoine was my darling,” Deschamps said. “We had indeed forged a very strong relationship, which will remain intact. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for everything, my Grizou.”

Griezmann didn’t say how long he’ll continue with his club career. His contract with Atletico runs until 2026.

___

AP soccer:

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



Source link

Continue Reading

News

MLB’s postseason is on the way, but first, a photo finish for the NL wild-card race awaits Monday

Published

 on

The Major League Baseball playoffs are approaching and a Shohei Ohtani vs. Aaron Judge matchup in the World Series looms as an enticing October possibility.

But first, the National League needs to get its waterlogged mess of a playoff race out of the way.

While the rooting interests of baseball fans vary widely, there’s little doubt MLB and television executives are drooling over the potential matchup between two of the top sluggers of this generation. Ohtani recently became the first player to have 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in one season while Judge hit 58 homers.

On top of that, Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers) and Judge (New York Yankees) play in the nation’s top two media markets for two of the sport’s most storied franchises.

Of course, there will be 10 other teams trying to block those teams from the Fall Classic. Last season, the Texas Rangers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4 games to 1 for their first title in franchise history.

Here’s a look at what’s coming:

Who’s in the MLB playoffs? Who’s still fighting?

The Diamondbacks are going to be big fans of the New York Mets or Atlanta Braves for a few hours on Monday afternoon.

They’re just not sure which one.

The National League playoff race comes down to a doubleheader between the Mets and Braves on Monday. The two games were moved to the day after the scheduled end of the regular season because of Hurricane Helene, which washed out two games of the crucial Mets-Braves series last week.

The Mets (88-72) and Braves (88-72) will both make the playoffs if they split the doubleheader. But if there’s a sweep, the Diamondbacks (89-73) will sneak into the bracket as the No. 6 seed while the team that gets swept is eliminated.

Once the first game is over, the D-backs will know who they’re supporting. They’ll go through a light workout at Chase Field on Monday in case their season continues.

The Dodgers, Phillies, Brewers and Padres have already clinched four of the six NL playoff spots. Both the Brewers and Padres will host a Wild Card Series starting Tuesday while the Dodgers and Phillies earned some rest by claiming the top seeds.

The American League’s bracket is set. The No. 6 Tigers travel to face the No. 3 Astros while the No. 5 Royals are on the road against the No. 4 Orioles in the two Wild Card Series starting Tuesday. The Yankees and Guardians are the top seeds.

How does baseball’s wild-card round work?

The best-of-three wild-card format is in its third season. The format was changed in 2022 from the sudden death one-game format that was in place since 2012 with the exception of the COVID-19 pandemic-affected 2020 season.

Six teams each from the American League and National League qualify for the postseason, including the three division winners in each league. The three wild-card teams in each league are the teams with the best record that didn’t win their division.

The top two division winners with the best records in each league get a bye and don’t have to play in the wild-card round. Those four teams get a few days of rest. Those teams are the Yankees and Guardians in the American League and the Phillies and Dodgers in the National League.

The wild-card round will feature four series: The No. 6 seed will play at the No. 3 seed in both the AL and NL. The No. 5 seed will play at the No. 4 seed.

One big advantage for the higher seed in those wild-card series is they get to host all three games.

Rule changes

Many of baseball’s recent rule changes are still in effect during the postseason, including the pitch clock, a ban on extreme infield shifts and a limit to how many times a pitcher can disengage from the rubber. The pitch clock has been a huge change for the sport and widely celebrated, cutting game times by about a half-hour.

There is one rule that doesn’t make the postseason cut: the so-called “ghost runner” in extra innings.

During the MLB regular season, if a game goes to extra innings, a runner is placed at second base to start the 10th inning when each team bats. That won’t happen in the postseason. Extra innings will be played just like the previous nine.

Betting favorites

The Dodgers are the current betting favorites to win the World Series at +325, followed by the Yankees (+450) and Phillies (+450), according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

How to watch

The wild-card rounds will be broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC. The later rounds will be split between FS1, TruTV, TBS and Fox.

Postseason schedule

Wild-card series: Oct. 1-3

Division series: Oct. 5-12

League Championship series: Oct. 13-22

World Series: Oct. 25-Nov. 2

___

AP MLB:



Source link

Continue Reading

News

CDPQ increases stake in dairy company Saputo with $378M share purchase

Published

 on

MONTREAL – The Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec has increased its stake in dairy company Saputo Inc.

The Quebec investment manager says it has acquired 13.5 million shares at a price of $27.96 per share for a total of about $378 million.

CDPQ now owns 19,152,378 common shares of Saputo for a 4.51 per cent stake.

It acquired the shares as part of a sale of 40 million shares of the company by Francesco Saputo for general estate and succession planning.

A wholly-owned subsidiary of Jolina Capital Inc., Lino Saputo and other members of the Saputo family acquired the other 26.5 million shares.

Francesco Saputo still holds 2.5 million Saputo shares.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 30, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:SAP)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending