data-mm-id=”_lpmosom41″>You might need some extra peanuts and cracker jacks. The 2019 World Series begins tonight in the Lone Star State (8:08 p.m. ET, Fox) and it promises to be a good one. Houston's Astros will seek their second title in three seasons, while the Artists Formerly Known as the Montreal Expos play their first Fall Classic under the Washington Nationals moniker.After two, or, in Washington's case, three, rounds of playoff action, we've seen the typical heroes rise to the occasion, as Jose Altuve, Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, and Justin Verlander have each made their impact felt across the postseason. However, this World Series could bring about heroes and happenings you never saw coming…Jake Marisnick Will Get a Big Hit At Some PointIf anyone's feeling upset about the Astros' thrilling ALCS victory, it's the outfielder Marisnick. He was, and remains, a big talking point in the game's fateful ninth inning, despite never stepping into the batter's box, as some analysts have advocated that the New York Yankees should've walked Altuve to get to him. Altuve, of course, crushed the winning two-run shot.Having had to listen to 72 hours of sports talk dictate that he wouldn't have gotten an equally clutch winning hit, Marisnick will no doubt be eager to prove himself to the baseball public. Adding to his fuel is the fact he missed the entirety of the Astros' 2017 World Series run with an injury. Vindication and baseball collaborate in mysterious ways. Marisnick could well go down as the latest hero off the bench, a trademark of the Fall Classic. Washington Takes Game 1 on Long RestNo one probably celebrated the Astros' win over the Yankees, a sixth game clincher, more than the Nationals. They were about to go full 2007 Colorado Rockies. Everyone knows you never go full 2007 Colorado Rockies. To recap, Colorado coasted through wins in the NLDS and NLCS in seven games after taking a Game 163 from San Diego. Their own dominance might've been their undoing. Faced with nine days off after the Boston Red Sox's matchup with Cleveland went seven games, the rusty Rockies were swept in four games by an AL opponent in a winning groove.The Nationals, off for seven days, are in a good spot heading into the game with Scherzer taking the hill. A strong rotation, one set to see Strasburg go later this week, could be the true difference between they and previous iterations of NL champs like those Rockies. Batting against Gerrit Cole will be tough, but Scherzer, eager to shed a mediocre postseason label, could be the ultimate difference maker. The Series Goes At Least SixSome believe the thriller between Houston and New York was the true World Series, leaving Washington to play for a participation trophy on the World Series field. Heck, the relatively long layoff of one week have some already putting the series rings on Houston's fingers. But with two teams so evenly matched, especially on the pitcher's mound, it's hard to envision this one ending so quickly. The Nationals have been through a lot of playoff heartbreak and have successfully killed the narrative that they're playoff chokers. Taking down a dynasty of destiny could be a lot to ask for, but there might be no better team up for the challenge.
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Ronald Koeman is hopeful that striker Romelu Lukaku will be fit to face Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Belgium forward, who has been linked with the likes of Manchester United and Bayern Munich, missed Tuesday s EFL Cup loss to Norwich City due to an injured toe.
Koeman confirmed he trained alone on Thursday, but said the 23-year-old would likely be ready play a part on the south coast.
He did training separate to the group today [Thursday] and we expect him to train normally in the morning, he said. If that happens, he will be fit for the weekend.
Asked whether there had been any progress regarding a new contract for Lukaku, the Dutchman added: No, I don t know at the moment. It s not my job.
The surprise 2-0 loss to the Ca…
England boss Roy Hodgson has warned that tonight s game against San Marino may not be a goal feast
England boss Roy Hodgson has warned Three Lions fans that tonight’s Euro 2016 qualifier against San Marino may not be a ‘goal feast’, despite the fact that San Marino are the rated as the joint-worst team in the world rankings alongside Bhutan.
Cautious
The England boss was cautious in his latest press conference.
He told : We re not trying to play anything down, but I must also say we re not trying to suggest this is going to be a goal feast. It might, but it might well not be.
As I ve said in my programme notes, it s one of these games where you do rely on a lot of people s understanding of the situation and understanding of the game.
…
Liverpool are set to turn their attention to Ezequiel Lavezzi after their attempts to sign Edinson Cavani spurned by Paris Saint Germain, .
Cavani had been top of Brendan Rodgers wish list, though PSG president has insisted that the Uruguay international will remain at the club through the next transfer window.
Lavezzi, who switched to Paris from Napoli a year before Cavani made the same move, has started just two league games this season and could be allowed to make way in January.
In total, the 29 year old has made ninety appearances in all competitions for PSG, scoring twenty-three goals and was part of the squads the won back to back league titles in 2012 and 2013.
Laurent Blanc’s side currently sit third in the French top flight, seven points…
Coach Slaven Bilic named a full-strength Croatia squad on Monday for upcoming World Cup 2010 qualifiers against Belarus and England early next month.
Croatia face Belarus at home on September 5 before travelling to London for a showdown with England four days later.
Bilic s 24-man squad features several players from the English Premier League including the in-form Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric and Brazil-born Arsenal striker Eduardo Da Silva.
The only player missing is defender Robert Kovac due to an injury. The Dinamo Zagreb veteran was not expected to make the starting line-up for the two qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
After seven matches, Croatia sit second in World Cup qualifying Group Six on 14 points, seven behind leaders Eng…
Borussia Dortmund star Marco Reus has passed his driving test – two years after he was hit with a massive fine for using a fake licence.
The Germany international was found to have been using a counterfeit Dutch licence when he was pulled over by police in November 2014. A Dortmund court fined him €540,000 for the offence.
Reus was forced to sit out Euro 2016 after struggling with a groin injury in the latter stages of the 2015-16 season, but it would appear he has made effective use of his time.
According to reports in Germany, Reus passed his theory and practical examinations on Monday and and he collected his licence prior to Dortmund training early on Tuesday.
Yes, it s true that I ve passed my driving test, he told Bild after driving to train…
Shinji Kagawa helped himself to a first-half brace and Andre Schurrle scored a maiden Borussia Dortmund goal as Thomas Tuchel s side eased to a 3-0 DFB-Pokal win at Eintracht Trier.
Dortmund s fourth-tier opponents famously subjected them to a 2-1 defeat in this competition back in 1997, but there was never the slightest hint of a repeat after Tuchel named a strong line-up and was rewarded by a dominant display.
Kagawa could find his place under threat from Mario Gotze this season following the latter s return from Bayern Munich, but, with the 2014 World Cup winner sidelined due to a minor thigh complaint, the Japanese took the opportunity to impress.
Gotze s compatriot Schurrle, a close-season recruit from Wolfsburg, was involved in much of Dortmund s impress…
It looked like 10-man Fulham were going to keep Chelsea frustrated until Mason Mount intervened.
The midfielder fired home with 12 minutes remaining to secure a 1-0 victory, just the Blues second in their past seven Premier League games.
It was fitting that Mount proved the match-winner following another exemplary display in the Chelsea midfield, settling the contest with his second goal from outside the box this season.
The 22-year-old has 11 goals and 10 assists in 78 career appearances as a Premier League player for Chelsea. At the same age, Lampard (for West Ham) had scored 18 times and set up a further eight, but having played 44 further matches.
Ahead of Tuesday s trip to Leicester City, the Chelsea boss said of his struggling stars: There are thin…
Milan came from behind to clinch a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Salzburg in their Champions League opener, as Alexis Saelemaekers cancelled out a superb solo goal from Noah Okafor.
Okafor s outstanding strike gave Salzburg the lead midway through an evenly matched first half, only for Saelemaekers to smash home an equaliser shortly before the break on Tuesday.
Stefano Pioli s men failed to build on the Belgium international s effort but almost grabbed a stoppage-time winner through Rafael Leao, who was denied by the frame of the goal.
Having failed to escape the group stages in the Champions League last season, however, the Serie A champions may still be relieved to escape without defeat ahead of meetings with Dinamo Zagreb and Chelsea.
Both sides created open…
Brazil are champions of the 2009 South American Sub-20 Championships as the only remaining rivals, Uruguay, were held to a 2-2 draw by Paraguay.
Jonathan Urretaviscaya put Uruguay in the lead after 13 minutes but two goals from Aldo Paniagua, both in the first half, turned things around in Paraguay s favor.
Santiago Garcia scored back for Uruguay on 73 minutes but it wasn t enough to win this match and keep pressure on final group leaders Brazil.
For Brazil, this is their tenth Sudamericano Sub-20 title after 1974, 1983, 1985, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1995, 2001 and 2007.
…
A Nigerian football star sentenced to 40 lashes in Sudan for driving under the influence of alcohol insisted on Thursday on his innocence and said he could not imagine himself being flogged.
I am not guilty of this crime and I cannot even imagine myself being flogged so I don t put my mind there, said Stephen Worgu, 20, who plays for Sudanese first division outfit al-Merreikh of Omdurman, Khartoum s twin city.
On Tuesday, a Khartoum court condemned the young footballer to 40 lashes and ordered him to pay a fine of 50 Sudanese pounds (20 dollars) for alcohol consumption and 200 Sudanese pounds for driving under the influence.
Article 78 of the penal code in the conservative, mainly Muslim state forbids alcohol consumption.
Worgu, a Nigerian Christian who…