Usain Bolt’s time with the Central Coast Mariners is being met with public criticism as Andy Keogh, a forward with A-League rivals Perth Glory, questions the Jamaican’s technical ability and says his arrival has been insulting to the rest of the league.
The Irishman described the legendary sprinter as having a first touch “like a trampoline” and doesn’t forecast a future for Bolt in the professional game.
“He’s not going to be able to make it,” Keogh told Off the Ball. “It’s nice to have the attention on the A-League but him playing here, that’s not for me.”
Bolt was offered a contract by the Mariners after playing in two trial matches for the club, and previously turned down a deal with Maltese outfit Valletta FC. Football Federation Australia is also willing to part-finance Bolt’s terms to ensure he joins the country’s elite division.
“He’s shown a bit of potential but it’s a little bit of a kick in the teeth to the professionals that are in the league,” Keogh said.
Bolt is being kept out of Mariners training for the time being so they can focus on their domestic campaign. The Gosford club faces Melbourne City on Saturday and is looking to fare better in the 2018-19 term after finishing bottom of the A-League last season.
HOUSTON — Less than a week after Deshaun Watson had to take a 12-hour bus ride to Jacksonville to ensure he could play in the game due to lung and rib injuries, the Houston Texans quarterback threw for five touchdowns in the team’s 42-23 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night.
It took until the eighth game of the 2018 season, but the Texans’ offense looked like the version the team was hoping for entering the year, and Houston finally got a glimpse of the quarterback who lit up the NFL last season before he tore his ACL in early November.
“We were executing, sticking to the details, playing free,” Watson said. “We got our swagger back today. We just wanted to have fun and try and light up the scoreboard in prime time, and that’s what we did.”
Watson has been playing hurt after injuring his lung and ribs in the Texans’ Week 5 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. He was listed with a chest injury on the injury report all week but was a full participant in practice.
The quarterback said he “felt great” on Thursday night and that he had plenty of time to rest between games.
“The biggest thing was more mental,” Watson said. “And then getting a lot of rest and treatment and rehab. And then having three days off — it’s going to be fun. A lot of fun.”
Watson is the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era with multiple games with five touchdown passes within his first two seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The Texans had 427 net yards and scored on all four of their red zone opportunities.
Texans QB Deshaun Watson is the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era with multiple games with five touchdown passes within his first two seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information. AP Photo/Michael Wyke
“I said earlier in the offseason, I think we’ve got the best offense in the NFL,” wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins said. “What we put up tonight against a pretty good defense, what we’ve shown in these past five games that we’ve won, we’re up there with the best of the best.”
Watson also threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Hopkins, who caught six passes for 82 yards and two touchdowns. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Hopkins had 8.6 yards of separation on his 49-yard score, and 0.5 yards of separation on his next touchdown. Those were the most wide-open, and tightest-window touchdown passes, respectively of Watson’s career.
“I don’t even know how explosive we can be. I know it’s top-notch, and we just have to keep working,” Watson said.
Thursday’s victory puts the Texans at 5-3 at the midway point of the season and ensures an outright lead in the AFC South entering Week 9. Houston now has won five games in a row after its 0-3 start to the season. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Texans were one of 233 teams to start 0-3 in the Super Bowl era. They are just the fifth team to go to 5-3 immediately after going winless in their first three games.
Texans coach Bill O’Brien praised his young quarterback for helping turn Houston’s season around.
“I think the type of guy he is, if you’re around him every day, I think he’s the type of guy that gives everybody hope,” O’Brien said. “He’s a great guy in the locker room, works very hard, young player, young player that’s getting better and better. Very level-headed guy, not an overly emotional guy.
“I think he’s exactly what you’re looking for in a starting quarterback.”
As the injured Argentine watched from the stands with his fractured right arm in a sling, Rafinha and Jordi Alba struck either side of half-time as the hosts ran out 2-0 winners over Inter at Camp Nou.
Though the Blaugrana were not at their scintillating best without their talisman, they still produced enough to move to within two points of sealing their spot in the Champions League round of 16 with three group games still to play.
LLUIS GENE / AFP / Getty
Barcelona, perhaps surprisingly, boast a higher Champions League win percentage without Messi than they do with him in the XI, and they looked unflustered in the absence of their biggest star.
Luis Suarez, as he did after Messi’s withdrawal against Sevilla, stepped up to shoulder the burden of leading La Blaugrana from the front.
The Uruguayan created the opening goal, showing tremendous vision to float a delightful ball into the box from deep for Rafinha, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Inter, to volley home a composed finish.
Rafinha has scored his first goal for Barcelona in any competition since February 2017 against Atlético Madrid in LaLiga.
Against the side he spent the second half of last season on loan with. ? pic.twitter.com/MLpHolUhUq
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) October 24, 2018
Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic kept his side within one goal and in with a fighting chance as time wore on, but after Philippe Coutinho had hit the bar, Ernesto Valverde’s side made sure to continue their 100 percent record in Europe this season with seven minutes remaining.
Tremendous interplay between Ivan Rakitic – who was excellent in partnership with Arthur in central midfield – Arturo Vidal, and Alba saw the latter surge up the flank from left-back and finish neatly to double the advantage and leave Barca eight points ahead of third place with three matches to play in Group B.
It was an accomplished way to lay down the final preparations for Sunday’s El Clasico bout with Real Madrid, and proved there is joy to be had even in Messi’s absence.
RENTON, Wash. — Seattle Seahawks linebacker K.J. Wright and tight end Ed Dickson are expected to make their season debuts Sunday against the Lions in Detroit.
Coach Pete Carroll was noncommittal on Wright’s availability earlier in the week, but on Wednesday he said he’s anticipating that both Wright and Dickson will play Sunday as long as they don’t suffer any setbacks in the meantime.
K.J. Wright has been out since late August after a setback following arthroscopic knee surgery. Stephen Brashear/Getty Images
That’s why Carroll answered in the affirmative when asked if the Seahawks, who are coming off their bye, are as healthy as they’ve been all season.
“We’re in pretty good shape,” Carroll said.
Wright has been sidelined because of what Carroll called a setback in his recovery from arthroscopic knee surgery in late August, which was initially expected to keep him out only a few weeks.
The Seahawks have cycled through replacements at Wright’s weakside spot, first starting rookie Shaquem Griffin in the opener. They then signed Mychal Kendricks, who played there for the next three games until he was suspended indefinitely in connection with his pleading guilty to insider trading charges. Austin Calitro has also seen time there, and more recently, Seattle has moved Barkevious Mingo over from the strong side.
Wright is now back in the spot he manned for most of his first seven seasons in Seattle.
“He brings a lot to the team,” middle linebacker Bobby Wagner said. “Another guy who’s kind of been through so much, been through the ups and downs of this team, this organization, has so much experience, extremely, extremely smart football player, very instinctive. We’ve been playing together for seven years, so we have communication that can’t be replicated, and he makes plays. He’s going to make adjustments and things of that nature, so I’m extremely excited to have him back. I think the last time we saw him he was making big hits and all that stuff, so that’s what I’m expecting from him.”
Carroll said that while he hasn’t seen much of Dickson in practice because he’s been out for so long, the four seasons the tight end spent with the Carolina Panthers gives the Seahawks an idea of how he can help them.
“He was involved with all kinds of stuff, and he’s been placed all over the field, he’s been in the backfield, he’s been out of the backfield,” Carroll said. “All of that really gives us confidence that there’s stuff that we can do with him that we’re looking forward to. But really he has not practiced with us very much, so we’re kind of opening up the Christmas present here. It’s kind of fun to get him going.”
