Philippe Coutinho’s Barcelona career is up and running.
Three weeks after his $170M move from Liverpool to Camp Nou, the 25-year-old came off the bench in the 68th minute as the Catalans progressed to the Copa del Rey final, beating Espanyol 2-0 on the night and 2-1 on aggregate.
Coutinho was denied his first assist when Luis Suarez squandered a gilt-edged scoring opportunity after the Brazilian had squared the ball into the Uruguayan’s path.
Suarez said he would try harder next time after shooting directly at the keeper.
Coutinho, who until had been nursing a thigh injury, was just happy to get going.
“For me it was a great night,” he said. “Very special to play my first minutes for this club. I leave here very happy and excited.”
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Evergreen Federer eyes 20th slam
You have to go back to July 2003 when Roger Federer competed in his first gram slam final.
On Sunday at the Australian Open he will contest his 30th in a quest to win a 20th major title.
The 36-year-old will be fresh, too. He spent just 62 minutes on court after his semifinal opponent Hyeon Chung was forced to retire in the second set.
A seventh final in Melbourne awaits Federer on Sunday where he will face Marin Cilic.
The omens are good for Federer – he has an 8-1 head-to-head record against Cilic – the Croat’s only win came en route to his 2014 US Open title.
Federer crushed Cilic in straight sets at last year’s Wimbledon final, but their most recent match-up came unexpectedly during the winter break.
“We actually saw each other on vacation,” Federer revealed after his semifinal win.
“We played together in the Maldives a couple of months ago. We were both looking for a hitting partner and we were both there. It was the weirdest thing!
“I told him the practice in the tropics helped us get to the final this time around.”
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Tiger’s ‘fun’ return
“A little rusty” was Tiger Woods’ assessment after shooting a level par opening round at the Farmers Insurance Open on Thursday.
Woods is seven shots off the pace - set by compatriot Tony Finau - but showed glimpses of his former self narrowly missing out on a hole-in-one at the par 3 16th.
“I still feel the same excitement, the same nerves,” said Woods, a seven-time winner of the event. “I was probably a little rusty, but it was fun to compete again.”
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USA Gymnastics ultimatum
The fallout from the Larry Nassar sex abuse scandal continues.
The US Olympic Committee (USOC) has threatened to withdraw USA Gymnastics’ status as a governing body unless its remaining board members resign by next Wednesday (January 31).
Three top board members resigned earlier this week, but the Indianapolis-based governing body has 18 other board positions.
“We do not base these requirements on any knowledge that any individual USAG staff or board members had a role in fostering or obscuring Nassar’s actions,” Scott Blackmun, CEO of USOC wrote, according to a letter obtained by CNN.
“Our position comes from a clear sense that USAG culture needs fundamental rebuilding.”
Nassar, a former national team doctor, was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison on Wednesday.
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‘Mythical’ mascots
And finally, organizers of the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan have revealed the tournament’s official mascots.
The “mythical, lion-like” creatures christened “Ren” and “G” have faces shaped like a rugby ball and are seriously fluffy.
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Their purpose? “To spread the spirit of rugby from Japan to Asia and to the rest of the world,” say organizers.
Look out for them in cyberspace, too.