Nations League state of play: promotion, relegation and race for finals

Nations League state of play: promotion, relegation and race for finals

The UEFA Nations League involves promotion and relegation as well as the chance to reach the UEFA EURO 2020 play-offs. Here we keep track of the situation for all 55 hopefuls, with updates to follow after every batch of fixtures. Don't forget to remind yourself how it all works, should you need it.NATIONS LEAGUE STANDINGS Team-by-team state of playAlbania: C1 – position to be confirmedTo play: 14/10 v Israel (a), 17/11 v Scotland (h)Andorra: D1 – position to be confirmedTo play: 13/10 v Georgia (a), 16/10 v Kazakhstan (a), 15/11 v Geor... UEFA.com - News

Mookie Betts, Red Sox Play Stellar Defense In Victory Over Rangers

Mookie Betts, Red Sox Play Stellar Defense In Victory Over Rangers

Boston’s bats had it rolling Tuesday night at Fenway Park, but the Red Sox’s defense had an equally impressive night. On a night in which the Sox used six pitchers, the gloves rose to the occasion to help preserve an 8-4 win over the Texas Rangers. No one more so than Mookie Betts, who robbed Nomar Mazara of a two-run home run in the fifth inning. After the game, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Xander Bogaerts shed light on the importance of playing good defense. To hear what they had to say, check out the video above from “NESN Sports Today,” presented by People’s United Bank. < !... NESN.com

Rodney Hood Explains Why It’s Been ‘Tough’ To Play With LeBron James

Rodney Hood Explains Why It’s Been ‘Tough’ To Play With LeBron James

Rodney Hood was expected to be a key role player for the Cavaliers when Cleveland dealt for the 25-year-old forward at February’s NBA trade deadline. But things don’t always go as planned. After averaging a career-high 16.8 points per game through 39 games to start the season with the Utah Jazz, Hood’s production has considerably dipped in Cleveland. In fact, Hood has failed to see the court in six of the Cavaliers’ playoff games, including Thursday’s NBA Finals Game 1 loss to the Golden State Warriors. That said, Hood’s tenure with the Cavs understandably has been tough, and being grouped into the intense spotlight that surrounds... NESN.com

Miami Sports Anchor Exposes Mario Chalmers For Lying About Old Heat Play

Miami Sports Anchor Exposes Mario Chalmers For Lying About Old Heat Play

Fair warning to current or former Miami athletes: avoid lying at all costs. Unless, of course, you want Steve Shapiro on your trail. The WSVN-TV reporter went on air Monday night and completely exposed former Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers for lying about something totally irrelevant. Essentially, Chalmers, who now plays for the Memphis Grizzlies, took credit for sparking a 2010 Heat play that involved LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. There was just one problem, though: Chalmers was on the bench during the play. Watch Shaprio bust Chalmers in the video below: Well done, Steve. Hard to fathom Chalmer’s motivations for lying about... NESN.com

Champions League semi-finals: Real Madrid scouting

Champions League semi-finals: Real Madrid scouting

How they got hereP10 W7 D1 L2 F26 A12 Group H runners-up: W3-0 v APOEL (h), W1-3 v Dortmund (a), D1-1 v Tottenham (h), L3-1 v Tottenham (a), W0-6 v APOEL (a), W3-2 v Dortmund (h)Round of 16: W5-2 v Paris – W3-1 (h), W1-2 (a)Quarter-finals: W4-3 v Juventus – W0-3 (a), L1-3 (h)Possible starting XINavas; Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Marcelo; Casemiro, Modrić, Kroos, Isco; Benzema, RonaldoStyle of play

Here’s What Alex Cora Is Happiest About Amid Red Sox’s Stellar Start

Here’s What Alex Cora Is Happiest About Amid Red Sox’s Stellar Start

BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox have been firing on all cylinders to start the 2018 season. The starting pitching has been superb, the hitting has been timely and the team’s resiliency has resulted in a few hard-fought, exciting wins. But for new Red Sox manager Alex Cora, what he’s happiest about through Boston’s 8-1 start to the campaign is what he’s seen with the gloves. “Defense,” Cora said prior to Tuesday’s game against the New York Yankees. “I know there’s numbers and errors and stuff that you take into consideration and errors are not as important as it was when we used to play. But when you make the routine play, you... NESN.com

Patriots’ Marquis Flowers Fires Back At Critics Of His Play In Super Bowl LII

Patriots’ Marquis Flowers Fires Back At Critics Of His Play In Super Bowl LII

The New England Patriots weren’t able to capture their sixth Super Bowl title, and one member of the Patriots’ much-maligned defense is sick of the blame game. Linebacker Marquis Flowers, who tallied one combined tackle in New England’s Super Bowl LII loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, went on a tweet storm Monday in which he fired a shot at Eagles tackle Lane Johnson, as well as local Boston media who called him out as part of the Patriots’ problem in their Super Bowl defeat. Yikes. Flowers’ anger is understandable. New England’s defense was shredded by Nick Foles and the Eagles’ offense, giving up 538 yards with cornerback Ma... NESN.com