Latest news with #Sorensen
Scotsman
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Revealed: How Hibs Euro rival's first Easter Road experience whetted appetite
Europa League second qualifying round tie in Denmark tomorrow night Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Midtjylland skipper Mads Bech Sorensen already has one game against a Hibs XI on his CV. But the Dane would never claim to have been through the full Easter Road experience. The former Brentford centre-half revealed: 'I actually played against Hibs six years ago, so I've been to the stadium once before. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I think it was their reserves we played. I remember it as quite intense. A good match. I can't even remember the results. It was a good experience. 'There was no spectators at all. We played at the stadium but with no crowd. 'It will be a little bit different next week. I hope it will be better from what I've heard. It should be a great atmosphere. Sorensen has experience in UK 'I've played in the UK. I've played a few Scottish sides before. Hopefully, it should help me and the team. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'They all share the same quality. Hard work. They are all hard-working. 'You know it'll never be easy when you play Scottish sides, they'll work hard, they'll be physical, they'll make it a tough day, no matter what. 'But Hibs looks like a tactically good team. They want to play with the ball. They have quite a good flow when they build up. So of course we need to set the pressure on up front.' European success vital to Midtjylland model Midtjylland's status as European regulars is vital to the model of a club founded in 1999. Upstarts, pioneers, new kids on the block, they've built their reputation on achieving success beyond the Danish Superliga. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It's very important, it's one of the main goals every season,' said the skipper, who will lead his team into Europa League action at home to Hibs tomorrow. 'We always go for the championship - and we want to get into the group stages of Europe. 'For that, you need to be consistent. We have a young team but very talented, but we need the consistency to be there to be in Europe every single year.' Midtjylland are motivated by more than just Europe, of course. The disappointment of losing the title to arch-rivals Copenhagen – by just a single point, not less – last season is still very much part of their motivation. So can they compete on two fronts? After dropping points on the opening weekend of league action, with a couple of individual howlers contributing to a 3-3 home draw against newly-promoted Odense Boldklub, it will be a tricky proposition. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Speaking from his club's £20 million training ground, a remarkable facility that includes Midtjylland's own primary school, the usual array of pitches plus a whole heap of facilities shared by everyone, meaning the youngest prospect can bump into the club captain at any time, Sorensen said: 'We want to seek revenge, we want to win the championship, because it was close. 'The year before we did it on the last day, so of course a bit disappointed, but it only motivated us more. We need to have a good season; we need to win the championship back. And we need to do well in Europe as well.'
NBC News
11-07-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Bipartisan support picks up for a natural disaster review board
As Texans seek answers about the Hill Country floods, some top meteorologists and policymakers are calling for the creation of a disaster review board modeled after the National Transportation Safety Board, which investigates all civil aviation accidents and major transportation incidents. The idea of a nonpartisan, independent board to review weather-related disasters is nothing new, but it appears to be gaining fresh traction after the flooding in Texas left more than 120 people dead and another 170 missing. During his Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday to lead the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Neil Jacobs endorsed the idea when Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, asked what he would do to ensure that Americans can better respond to emergency weather warnings. 'We also need more data and doing post-storm assessments,' Jacobs said. 'One of the things that I've envisioned, because I've worked on several aviation accidents with NTSB, is something along the lines of what they do but for weather disasters because we need the data to understand what went right, what went wrong, whether people got the warnings.' Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have taken this torch up before. Sens. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and Bill Cassidy, R-La., have introduced several bills since 2020 that would create a Natural Disaster Safety Board modeled after the NTSB. Rep. Katie Porter, D-Calif., and several GOP colleagues have introduced companion bills in the House. In 2022, the House approved legislation that included a measure to create a Natural Disaster Safety Board, but it died in the Senate. The bills would have created an independent, seven-member board with subpoena power to perform fact-finding and identify the underlying causes of disasters' impact without assigning blame. Cassidy and Schatz did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether they think there's renewed momentum on Capitol Hill for creating a disaster review panel. Porter is no longer a member of Congress. In an email to NBC News, Congress' only meteorologist, Rep. Eric Sorensen, D-Ill., said he was working with colleagues to create an NTSB-styled program to investigate deadly storms. 'It would be amazing if meteorologists could have access to investigative reports that help us to figure out what — if anything — went wrong and what we can do in the future to be better,' Sorensen said, adding that 'clearly the tragic floods in Texas would benefit from such a report.' Sorensen's state was also hit with a powerful deluge this week, with about 5 inches of rain falling in 90 minutes over Garfield Park, on Chicago's west side, prompting multiple rescues. The Chicago and Texas floods were two of four extreme rainfall events in less than a week that researchers would expect once every thousand years. In meteorology and disaster management circles, the concept of an independent board to review disasters has percolated for years. Mike Smith, a meteorologist and former senior vice president at Accuweather, has been pushing the idea since Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
West Australian
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Talent agency Scene to Believe recruiting dozens of WA Santas in lead up to Christmas
Christmas may still be five months away, but the North Pole is already recruiting dozens of special helpers to spread magic in the lead up to the big day. Talent agency Scene to Believe is on the hunt for dozens of West Australians to spread the spirit of Christmas and dress up as Santa, Mrs Claus and their elves this festive season. Santa character manager Viviana Diaz said the demand for Santa's had skyrocketed and said she was looking to hire around 40 Santas this Christmas. 'Every year we have more and more bookings (for people to meet Santa), more people are looking for joy and hope,' she said. 'Everyone that is Santa is here because they have it in their heart, it's just lovely to work around kind people. 'You don't have to look like Santa, you have to have the personality to be Santa, so you have to be caring and sharing.' Ms Diaz said successful applicants were sent to 'Santa School' to learn the secrets of Christmas. 'At Santa School we learn about posture, we also learn how to approach different personalities and how to connect with people,' she said. 'You are going to (learn) how to walk and how to perform your 'ho ho ho's.'' Ray Sorensen has been donning the red suit for the past eight years and says it feels like being on holiday 'all year round.' 'I just love it,' he said. 'I keep coming back purely because of the children and the people that I meet. 'It's a joy to watch (the children) overcoming challenges like the frightened child ... sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. 'Generally children don't really understand (what's going on) until they (are told) three magic words: Christmas, Santa, presents.' Mr Sorensen said the secret to being the perfect Santa was to 'be yourself' and 'love the children.' 'Don't expect anything, just go with them and get the empathy that you have within yourself,' he said. 'You'll have times when it's going to be really sad ... the tears and the joy make it all wonderful.' His advice to young ones to stay on the nice list? 'Be kind, be helpful, tidy your room ... and pick up your clothes and toys,' Mr Sorensen said. 'It's just the little things that you do to make your parents and grandparents happy, it's those little things that make the difference.'
Vancouver Sun
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Valour FC looks for 'miracle' against Whitecaps in Canadian Championship quarterfinal
Despite playing the Vancouver Whitecaps to a 2-2 draw in the opening leg of their Telus Canadian Championship quarterfinal, Winnipeg Valour FC coach and general manager Phillip Dos Santos knows the odds are stacked against his Canadian Premier League team getting a result in Wednesday's return leg at B.C. Place . Dos Santos, a former Vancouver assistant coach, calls the Major League Soccer club 'arguably one of the best teams in North America and CONCACAF.' 'It would be a miracle, and that's the truth,' he said. 'But we've seen it. It's football, it's pro sports. … The truth is with the 2-2 (draw) we gave ourselves a chance to now play for one game. In football, crazier things have happened.' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'Is it the most important game of the club history? It's definitely up there,' he added. CF Montreal, trailing 1-0 after the first leg, hosts Hamilton Forge FC in the other quarterfinal second leg Wednesday. Vancouver is after its fourth-straight Voyageurs Cup, a feat only Toronto FC has accomplished (2009-12). The Whitecaps needed an 80th-minute goal from Ali Ahmed to pull even at Princess Auto Stadium in the first leg May 20. Sam Adekugbe opened the scoring for Vancouver in the sixth minute before Rocco Romeo and Bruno Figueiredo answered for Valour in the 28th and 51st minute. Both Vancouver goalscorers have since been sidelined by injury, playing for Canada. 'We've played a lot of football since. It's like you're starting a new competition,' said Whitecaps coach Jesper Sorensen. The Dane expects Valour 'to bring everything they've got.' 'I expect it to be a battle,' he added. 'And I expect them to want to battle. I hope we can avoid the battle by moving the ball very fast, but we'll have to see.' Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter and striker Brian White return from Gold Cup duty with the United States. 'It's good finally to have this group back together. … We haven't been together in more than a month,' said Sorensen. 'And I think having the entire group back so we can progress instead of just fixing things on the fly, that will be important for us right now.' The two players return in differing form. While Berhalter played a lot of minutes for the U.S., White didn't, so is not in the game shape he was when he left the Whitecaps, Sorensen noted. The Valour game is also the first of four fixtures in 11 days for Vancouver, which is coming off a 3-0 loss at the lowly Los Angeles Galaxy and has gone 2-3-0 since the 5-0 loss to Mexico's Cruz Azul on June 1 in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final. 'We've not even talked about the Cruz Azul game yet because it doesn't make much sense when players who were a big part of it have not been here,' said Sorensen. Valour, seventh in the eight-team CPL at 2-8-2, is coming off a rough stretch against the league's top three teams, losing 3-0 at No. 1 Atletico Ottawa, 5-0 to No. 2 Forge, and 3-1 at No. 3 Halifax. The Winnipeg side has won just one of its last six league outings (1-4-1) since the first leg of the quarterfinal. Still, Valour midfielder Kian Williams says he feels no pressure facing the MLS side. 'I feel like there's more pressure for them,' said the 25-year-old from England. Dos Santos spoke fondly about his time with the Whitecaps. He spent 2-1/2 years as an assistant to his brother Marc Dos Santos before both were let go in August 2021. 'At the end of the day, you were a part of a top organization, that is now collecting the fruits of the hard work and the struggles that they had to go through,' he said. 'I keep an eye on them. I have a lot of friends there still.' Dos Santos says his young son still wears a Whitecaps jersey. Valour defeated League1 B.C.'s TSS Rovers 1-0 in the first round while Vancouver had a bye. A draw will be held to determine the tournament semifinal pairings. After flying west for the cup game, Valour heads east to Toronto to play York United. The Whitecaps visit Colorado on Saturday.
Global News
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Global News
Valour FC looks for ‘miracle' against Whitecaps in Canadian Championship quarterfinal
Despite playing the Vancouver Whitecaps to a 2-2 draw in the opening leg of their Telus Canadian Championship quarterfinal, Valour FC coach and general manager Phillip Dos Santos knows the odds are stacked against his Canadian Premier League team getting a result in Wednesday's return leg at B.C. Place Stadium. Dos Santos, a former Vancouver assistant coach, calls the Major League Soccer club 'arguably one of the best teams in North America and CONCACAF.' 'It would be a miracle and that's the truth,' he said. 'But we've seen it. It's football, it's pro sports … The truth is with the 2-2 (draw) we gave ourselves a chance to now play for one game. In football, crazier things have happened.' 'Is it the most important game of the club history? It's definitely up there,' he added. CF Montreal, trailing 1-0 after the first leg, hosts Forge FC in the other quarterfinal second leg Wednesday. Story continues below advertisement Vancouver is after its fourth straight Voyageurs Cup, a feat only Toronto FC has accomplished (2009-12). The Whitecaps needed an 80th-minute goal from Ali Ahmed to pull even at Princess Auto Stadium in the first leg May 20. Sam Adekugbe opened the scoring for Vancouver in the sixth minute before Rocco Romeo and Bruno Figueiredo answered for Valour in the 28th and 51st minute. Both Vancouver goalscorers have since been sidelined by injury, playing for Canada. View image in full screen Vancouver Whitecaps goalkeeper Isaac Boehmer, front left, hoists the Voyageurs Cup as goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka, back right, applauds after Vancouver defeated Toronto FC on penalty kicks during the Canadian Championship final soccer match, in Vancouver, on Wednesday, September 25, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck. DD 'We've played a lot of football since. It's like you're starting a new competition,' said Whitecaps coach Jesper Sorensen. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The Dane expects Valour 'to bring everything they've got.' 'I expect it to be a battle,' he added. 'And I expect them to want to battle. I hope we can avoid the battle by moving the ball very fast but we'll have to see.' Story continues below advertisement Midfielder Sebastian Berhalter and striker Brian White return from Gold Cup duty with the United States. 'It's good finally to have this group back together … We haven't been together in more than a month,' said Sorensen. 'And I think having the entire group back so we can progress instead of just fixing things on the fly, that will be important for us right now.' The two players return in differing form. While Berhalter played a lot of minutes for the U.S., White didn't so is not in the game shape he was when he left the Whitecaps, Sorensen noted. The Valour game is also the first of four fixtures in 11 days for Vancouver, which is coming off a 3-0 loss at the lowly Los Angeles Galaxy and has gone 2-3-0 since the 5-0 loss to Mexico's Cruz Azul on June 1 in the CONCACAF Champions Cup final. 'We've not even talked about the Cruz Azul game yet because it doesn't make much sense when players who were a big part of it have not been here,' said Sorensen. Valour, seventh in the eight-team CPL at 2-8-2, is coming off a rough stretch against the league's top three teams, losing 3-0 at No. 1 Atletico Ottawa, 5-0 to No. 2 Forge and 3-1 at No. 3 Halifax. The Winnipeg side has won just one of its last six league outings (1-4-1) since the first leg of the quarterfinal. Story continues below advertisement Still, Valour midfielder Kian Williams says he feels no pressure facing the MLS side. 'I feel like there's more pressure for them,' said the 25-year-old from England. Dos Santos spoke fondly about his time with the Whitecaps. He spent 2 1/2 years as an assistant to his brother Marc Dos Santos before both were let go in August 2021. 'At the end of the day you were a part of a top organization, that is now collecting the fruits of the hard work and the struggles that they had to go through,' he said. 'I keep an eye on them. I have a lot of friends there still.' Dos Santos says his young son still wears a Whitecaps jersey. Valour defeated League1 B.C.'s TSS Rovers 1-0 in the first round while Vancouver had a bye. A draw will be held to determine the tournament semifinal pairings. After flying west for the cup game, Valour heads east to Toronto to play York United. The Whitecaps visit Colorado on Saturday.
