Classic YouTube: League Cup finals, a 46mph fastball and a snooker howler
1) It’s the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, though Spurs have dispensed with José Mourinho, a winner in 2005 (featuring a Steven Gerrard own goal), 2007, 2012 when John Terry got the winner and 2017, the Zlatan Ibrahimovic show. Manchester City are chasing their fourth straight League Cup, a feat previously achieved by Liverpool when they beat Everton in a 1984 final replay, the winner scored by Graeme Souness. Spurs last won the competition in 2008, beating a Chelsea team only recently managed by, yes, José Mourinho. Sunday is the 60th time a club will lift the Alan Hardaker Trophy. Enjoy this Wembley classic from 1967: QPR v West Brom featuring a young Rodney Marsh.
2) Fan favourite Willians Astudillo AKA ‘La Tortuga’ was pressed into service as a pitcher for the Minnesota Twins in the MLB this week. The Venezuelan utility player produced a fearsome 46mph fastball during the defeat by the Oakland Athletics, reaffirming his legendary status with fans who appreciate his ‘non-athletic build, multi-positional flexibility, and highly aggressive batting style’:
3) Staying with sport across the pond, did Villanova quarterback Daniel Smith mean this acrobatic touchdown pass? It appears so.
4) Who’d be a snooker player? You slog around the circuit, battle through several rounds of qualifying to reach the Crucible – and then this happens.
5) It’s the conclusion of the National Hunt season on Saturday, with the final meeting of the season at Sandown, as is traditional. Here’s Desert Orchid winning what used to be known as the Whitbread Gold Cup in 1988. And here’s AP McCoy riding a winner only he could turn into a winner.
6) West Brom’s former midfield hero Zoltan Gera is 42 today, so let’s enjoy his sweet half-volleyed strike against Liverpool on the opening day of the 2012-13 season. As an extra-special treat, here’s Zoltan accepting the club’s goal of the season award from Baggies fan Adrian Chiles.
7) Last but not least, it would be remiss of us not to include the photographer at a football match in Ireland who had his shoelaces surreptitiously tied to a fence by some absolute comedian:
Our favourites from below the line last week
1) In the NBA, Luca Doncic and Stephen Curry remain unreal.
2) There are professional fouls in football and then there are professional fouls in football.
3) Dan Evans getting the better of Novak Djokovic.
4) How about the fastest try in Super League history? Look away now, Huddersfield. It’s up there with this beauty.
5) The NHL’s ‘wrong sport’ moments.
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