Tottenham Hotspur launch their final preparations for the fast-approaching Premier League season on Wednesday when they take on a MLS all-stars side featuring former Spurs striker Robbie Keane in the US league's mid-season exhibition.
“It’s going to be a tough game and that’s what we want,” 21-year-old striker Harry Kane said Monday in Denver, where he and his teammates have been training since the weekend.
“It’s not long until the season starts, and we need to see what we need to work on,” Kane said. “For me, it’ll be my first game of the pre-season, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Keane, a three-time MLS champion with LA Galaxy, has received his third all-star nod, but had to miss the 2013 and 2014 editions because of injury.
The Ireland great is especially eager to get his chance against the club he starred for in two spells between 2002 and 2011.
“The all-star game is a big occasion for the league and something you see over here in basketball, baseball and NFL,” Keane told Tottenham’s website. “Every player in the MLS wants to be involved in this game.
“This is a special one for me because it’s against Tottenham, my club, the club where I felt I made my name and had a big impact ... this is a big deal for me.”
Spanish forward David Villa of New York City FC, Brazilian Kaka of Orlando City and former Liverpool star Steven Gerrard – Galaxy’s latest high profile acquisition – will all be available to MLS all-star coach Pablo Mastroeni.
Gerrard was selected for the team along with Frank Lampard as one of two commissioner’s picks by MLS chief Don Garber – before either had kicked a ball in league competition.
Gerrard has since made a solid debut for Galaxy, while Lampard’s debut for NYCFC is on hold because of a nagging calf injury that will also see him miss Wednesday’s contest.
Another former Tottenham player, American Clint Dempsey, will be available for the hosts, the Seattle Sounders target-man having just won top-scorer honours in the Gold Cup despite the United States’ disappointing fourth-placed finish in the North and Central American and Caribbean regional tournament.
Kyle Walker said he and his fellow Tottenham defenders will have to be on their toes against the talent-laden MLS side.
“We’ll have to be on our game,” he said. “It will be a good test for us and it’s one I’m definitely looking forward to.”
Whatever the outcome, Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino said there would be no repeat of the post-game incivility shown last year by Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola in refusing to shake hands with his counterpart Caleb Porter after the all-stars’ 2-1 triumph.
Guardiola was displeased with the physicality of the contest, particularly a rough tackle on Bastian Schweinsteiger.
“We expect a very tough game,” Pochettino said. “But I would never not shake hands with the opposing coach.”
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Uefa Nations League: How it works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
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Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
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The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
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'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Business Insights
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