Wir suchen Dich! » 1998 World Cup. Two Malta players

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Claressa Shields won a gold medal as the most dominant fighter in London at the first Olympic womens boxing tournament. After reigning atop the amateur sport for the ensuing three years, the ferocious American middleweight was favored to win gold again in Rio de Janeiro.And here came this Irish boxing coach trying to change her game.Oh, we clashed heads quite a bit in the first few months, Billy Walsh said with a grin. It came to the stage where she was going or I was going.Shields also smiles at the memory of her introduction to Walsh, the respected amateur coach who took over the U.S. boxing team late last year. The fearsome puncher from hardscrabble Flint, Michigan, and the soft-spoken ex-Olympic fighter from County Wexford disagreed over everything from training methods to their relationship in the corner.They fought through it all to form a bond theyve carried into Brazil.He understands me as a fighter, and Im pretty different from all the other fighters, Shields said after a recent workout with Walsh at the Olympic Training Center. I used to tell him, `You want me to win an Olympic gold medal, just let me do what I do, OK? But then he taught me a lot of things, and Im teaching him a little bit.Walsh is the womens head coach for USA Boxing, but he essentially is in charge of the entire eight-person Olympic team. Shields success in London, along with the cachet of womens boxing in general, allowed the once-beleaguered organization to attract funding to hire the elite coach who built Irelands remarkable amateur program.But no U.S. amateur is more important than Shields, who built on her teenage dominance in London with two world championships and a Pan-Am Games gold. Now a smooth 21-year-old team leader with major endorsement deals, Shields was understandably resistant to alterations in her winning formula when Walsh arrived in Colorado Springs.I had to explain to her I wasnt trying to change her, Walsh said. What I said to her was, `What you did in London wont be good enough in Rio. Everybody has been watching you, studying you, getting better to beat you. Weve got to keep ahead of the posse. So the tools Im giving you are to make you better, so you can fight any girl at any distance in any situation.Their disagreements occurred in several areas, including their training philosophies. Shields has precise standards for her own daily workouts, and she often does extra work after practice when she doesnt feel tired enough. When Walsh tried to give her a morning off, she would show up anyway.Walsh also wanted Shields to learn different fighting strategies, particularly in case she needed to change her strategy late in close bouts -- something Shields hasnt experienced much in her career.Their initial interactions were perplexing for Shields, who had recently split with Jason Crutchfield, her longtime personal coach in Michigan.She recalls being surprised by Walshs screaming from the corner in the first round of their first fight together: Why do you have your hands down? Put your hands up!I have to come back to the corner, and hes like, `That was a very close round, Shields added. And Im like, `No, I won that round clearly. He wasnt used to being in my corner. Its different. So then when I won (the fight) 3-0, I said, `Coach Billy, we have to sit and watch the fight together. We sit and watch, and I said, `What was close about that? Listen, whatever you tell me to do in the corner, Im going to do, but youve got to be calm. Dont be freaking out in the corner.According to Walsh, the conflict culminated shortly before Christmas.I said, `You go home and think about it, OK? Walsh recalled. `Im going to be here until 2020. Youre going to be here for a few months. Ive got to implement the program. I want you a part of it, but here are my rules and regulations. This is what we need to be doing. So she went home, had a good think about it, came back in, and we started all over again.With Shields living in Colorado Springs over the next six months, they gradually developed the shorthand necessary for fighters and trainers to communicate. They also got to know each other outside the ring after Walsh learned about the tragic dimensions of Shields difficult upbringing from watching a documentary about her life that describes her fathers imprisonment and her mothers struggles with addiction.I went to see it and I said, `Wow, Walsh said of the film. I began to find out how she lived. Sometimes you can say things that might not be inappropriate, but could be pushing someone in the wrong way when its a very sensitive area. I had to learn on my feet.Walshs connection with Shields now appears strong, and they banter after workouts with the familiarity of old friends.When they come together in the corner in Rio, the coach and the fighter are confident they share the language to win gold again.I wasnt sure if I was going to win the battle, Walsh said. Some days I still struggle with her to win the battle, but weve been getting there and working well. 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The U.S. wrestler and retired mixed martial artist says he was visiting his brothers farm in Saskatchewan and decided he wanted to hear what the premier had to say.TRNAVA, Slovakia -- Until Adam Lallana pounced in the fifth minute of stoppage time, Sam Allardyce was about to become the first England manager in 34 years to fail to win his opening game.Instead, Lallanas late goal against Slovakia showed Allardyce he just might gain the fortuitous breaks his predecessors havent enjoyed.And the former Bolton, Sunderland and West Ham manager wondered what role a newly-obtained lucky penny had to play in the winning start to World Cup qualifying.A father and his son in a wheelchair came to the hotel this morning and asked if it was OK to have a picture, Allardyce said after Sundays 1-0 win in Trnava. When we finished, he said: `Let me give you a lucky coin. Here it is. I had it with me in my pocket. We won, so itll stay with me.Im not really superstitious but Im going to keep it. Its got us a last-minute winner. I wonder how far it will take us.The first target is just making it to the finals in Russia in 2018. Then Allardyce will need his players to provide more of a threat than they did against Slovakia. It was a turgid England performance reminiscent of Roy Hodgsons final game in charge -- the loss to Iceland in the round of 16 at the European Championship in June.Even after gaining a man-advantage from the 57th minute, when Martin Skrtel received a second yellow card for another foul on Harry Kane, the visitors struggled to break through Slovakias resistance in their first game in Group F.Sloppy goalkeeping helped Lallana score his first England goal in his 27th international after his shot went through Matus Kozaciks legs.Its been a long time coming, Lallana said. I put pressure on myself to score goals and I knew it was only a matter of time.It was pretty nerve-wracking at the end because the 10-man scenario means you must win, a giddy Allardyce said in his post-match television interview, struggling to begin his answer while still laughing at his good fortune.ddddddddddddIt was difficult to break them down ... but we got what we deserved.It took until the 65th minute for England to hit the target for the first time. Wayne Rooney hit a low shot straight at Kozacik as the captain became Englands most capped outfield player, surpassing the record he held with David Beckham, by making a 116th appearance.We didnt panic, I think thats the main thing, the 30-year-old Rooney said. We stuck to our plan, we kept our shape and tried to penetrate them in the right areas but also without giving them too many chances.---MALTA 1, SCOTLAND 5Robert Snodgrass gave Scotland the early edge over neighbor England in Group F with a hat trick on the Mediterranean island as the team chases its first tournament appearance since the 1998 World Cup. Two Malta players -- Jonathan Caruana and Luke Gambin -- were also sent off in the second half for fouling Snodgrass.Scotland only got going in the second half, after Alfred Effiongs header had canceled out Snodgrass opener. Surprise starter Chris Martin restored Scotlands lead in the 53rd minute and Snodgrass was on target again on the hour from the penalty spot after being clipped by Caruana. Snodgrass completed his treble after substitute Steven Fletcher netted, while Gambin saw red in stoppage time.---LITHUANIA 2, SLOVENIA 2Slovenia staged a late fightback to rescue a point, with Bostjan Cesar heading in the equalizer in the third minute of stoppage time. Rene Krhin started the comeback in the final 15 minutes after Fedor Cernych and Vykintas Slivka gave Lithuania a 2-0 half-time lead. ' ' '