Even the greatest players in the world can still get nervous.
After Cristiano Ronaldo finally broke his duck for Juventus, scoring both goals in the 2-1 win over Sassuolo, the Portuguese superstar admitted the wait for his first had made him “anxious.”
Having failed to find the net in his first three games for the club, he won’t have scored many easier goals than his first in black and white, standing in the right place at the right time to tap home from two yards.
Ronaldo’s second was much more like the goals we had come to expect in La Liga, finishing a rapid counterattack with an unerringly accurate strike into the bottom corner.
“I was a little bit anxious as expectations were high,” he told reporters after his brace. “I really wanted to score, so I’m happy. Of course, there was attention after my arrival in Turin, but life is like that.
“I’m happy. I’m working well and my teammates have helped me to adapt to this championship.”
Victory made it four wins from four for “The Old Lady’ in Serie A this season, but the day was soured by the red mist which descended on Douglas Costa.
With the match in stoppage time, the Brazilian went on a rampage, throwing a elbow and a headbutt at Federico Di Francesco and then spitting in his face.
He was shown a red card by referee Daniele Chiffi and is now expected to receive a lengthy ban. The Brazilian went on to call his actions “ugly” in an Instagram post.
“I would like to apologize to all of Juventus fans for this wrong reaction in today’s game,” he wrote.
“I want to make it clear that this isolated incident does not match what I have always shown in my career.”
Simon Yates completes British hat-trick
Simon Yates’ overall victory in the Vuelta a Espana ensured a British clean sweep in cycling’s three Grand Tours for the first time in history.
The 26-year-old built up an unassailable lead going into Sunday’s processional final stage into Madrid to add the “red jersey” to the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia titles won by Geraint Thomas and Chris Froome in 2018.
It is also the first time three different riders from the same nation have won the three Grand Tours in the same year and ensures British riders have won nine of the last 20.
Remarkably, a British rider had never won a Grand Tour until Bradley Wiggins’ victory in the 2012 Tour de France.
“It’s astonishing really,” Yates told reporters. “Growing up I was so accustomed to seeing the French, Italian and Spanish riders lead the way.
“So for myself, Chris and Geraint to all win a Grand Tour in the same year just shows how far the sport has come in this country.
“It’s been an unbelievable day. I really just enjoyed the moment, I don’t know what else you can do in those situations.”
South Africa ends nine-year drought
South Africa recorded a stunning 36-34 victory over the All Blacks on Saturday to register its first win in New Zealand since 2009.
The All Blacks hadn’t lost on home soil since that defeat to the Springboks nine years ago and were looking for their 40th consecutive home win.
The pre-match form book made for grim reading for South Africa, which had lost its last six meetings with the All Blacks by an average of 23 points.
Despite trailing trailing 24-17 at halftime, New Zealand almost leveled the scores in the dying moments after Beauden Barrett hit the post with his attempted conversion from Ardie Savea’s late try.
But a weekend of shocks was initially kicked off by Argentina, which ended a 35-year wait for victory against Australia Down Under.
Not since the two sides first met in 1983 had Los Pumas managed a win on Australian soil.
Both upsets came in The Rugby Championship, an international competition contest annually by Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and South Africa.
After Australia’s defeat, coach Michael Cheika told reporters that 21-year-old Lukhan Tui had informed his teammates he would no longer play for the Wallabies after his sister was involved in an altercation with a fan.
Cheika explained that the incident started with Tui’s sister being pushed by the other fan straight after the final whistle.
Retiring from the sport at half-time
Buffalo Bills cornerback Vontae Davis shocked even his own teammates Sunday when he decided to retire from the sport at halftime of the team’s 31-20 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
The 30-year-old started the game but told coach Sean McDermott at the interval that he was “done” with the sport.
Davis suggested that his body could no longer cope with the rigors of playing regularly in the NFL and said he had no intention of disrespecting his teammates and coaches.
“This was an overwhelming decision,” he wrote in a statement. “But I’m at peace with myself and my family.”
But his teammate Lorenzo Alexander, a linebacker for the Bills, said he “don’t have nothing to say about Vontae.”
“I’m going to give him a little bit more respect than he showed us today, as far as quitting on us in the middle of the game,” he told ESPN.
Hailey’s Hand
When eight-year-old Hailey Dawson threw the opening pitch at Angel Stadium on Sunday, she completed a journey which had taken more than three years.
Her pitch ahead of the Los Angeles Angels’ match against the Seattle Mariners was the 30th and final on her list of all MLB stadiums.
It’s all part of her “Journey to 30,” her attempt to pitch at all 30 MLB grounds in an effort to raise awareness for the need of affordable prosthetics for children.
Hayley was born with Poland syndrome, which left her right hand without its middle three fingers and she now wears a 3D-printed prosthetic hand.
Stadium No. 1 in her journey was the Baltimore Orioles’ Camden Yards, where she pitched to her favorite player Manny Machado with her robotic hand.
“It’s really bittersweet,” Yong Dawson, Hailey’s mother, told MLB.com. “We’re excited that it’s come to this end, but it’s also going to be sad to watch it end. We’ve been on the go for so long.
“The Orioles were our favorite team,” said Yong, explaining Hailey’s father was a huge Orioles fan. “But as we’ve gone through this thing, it’s kind of like we don’t have a favorite team anymore.”
