Miguel Ibarra will add a little of homegrown star power to AV Alta, the new USL League One soccer team set to kick off in Lancaster in March.
Lazio raise expectations with two victories over Napoli in 72 hours | Nicky Bandini
Marco Baroni’s team have been a surprise package this season: shaking off a wobbly start to win 11 of 12 games
Less than 72 hours after kicking off a Coppa Italia game at home to Napoli, Lazio lined up to face a different team dressed as the same one. Their opponents on Sunday wore the club badge of the opponents they had beaten 3-1 on Thursday, yet none of the faces were familiar.
That was because Napoli’s manager, Antonio Conte, had made a full 11 changes to his starting team. He would not say outright that he had deprioritised the cup, but it was clear he viewed the players used on Thursday as his second string.
Continue reading...Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action
Fulham’s Antonee Robinson shines against Bukayo Saka, Tottenham squander another lead and woe at Old Trafford
There are numerous issues when taking over a team mid-season. One is that a new head coach might not have the right players for his plan and he has very little time to implement what he wants with those he does. Ruben Amorim has arranged his players – in various combinations – into his preferred 3-4-3 formation and it is clear what the strategy is, although there are flaws. The defence is struggling, where the three centre-backs are not performing their main duty of keeping clean sheets. Against Forest every set-piece looked like it might result in a goal. Only Nikola Milenkovic did score from a corner but the others were more farcical as André Onana got confused by Morgan Gibbs-White and a seemingly harmless Chris Wood header was allowed to drop in off the post. Maybe chopping and changing is Amorim’s issue and he needs to back a first-choice back three to allow them to settle and offer a foundation to build on. Will Unwin
Continue reading...Former Manchester United coach Mike Phelan off to Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth
- Veteran coach reunited with former Old Trafford star
- Argyle languishing in 22nd place in Championship
The Plymouth manager Wayne Rooney has drafted in the former Manchester United coach Mike Phelan as he attempts to drag the club out of the Championship relegation zone.
The 62-year-old, who spent nine years coaching at Old Trafford in two spells, the first of them under Sir Alex Ferguson, has been appointed as the assistant head coach following the departure of Pete Shuttleworth.
Continue reading...European football: Atlético stun Sevilla as Griezmann settles seven-goal thriller
- France attacker scores injury-time goal for 4-3 win
- Napoli miss chance to return to top with Lazio loss
A second-half double from Antoine Griezmann earned Atlético Madrid a stunning 4-3 comeback home win over Sevilla in La Liga on Sunday, as the hosts claimed their ninth straight win in all competitions.
Atlético made a dominant start at home, with Griezmann hitting the crossbar before Rodrigo De Paul opened the scoring in the 10th minute, hammering a rocket from the edge of the box and into the top corner. Dodi Lukebakio equalised just two minutes later with a powerful low strike following a corner before Isaac Romero put Sevilla ahead after a quick counterattack in the 32nd minute, shooting across Jan Oblak, who could only get a finger to the ball.
Continue reading...Championship: Sheffield United back on top but West Brom’s Fellows denies win
Sheffield United returned to the top of the Championship but had to settle for a point as Tom Fellows’s second-half equaliser secured West Brom a 2-2 draw at The Hawthorns.
United moved a point ahead of Leeds as they extended their unbeaten run to eight matches, while the home side drew for the 10th time in 11 games. Torbjørn Heggem nodded in his first goal of the season to give West Brom a deserved lead, but the visitors turned the game around with two goals inside 98 seconds courtesy of Callum O’Hare and Tyrese Campbell to take a half-time lead.
Continue reading...Fulham 1-1 Arsenal: Premier League – as it happened
Raúl Jiménez gave Fulham the lead then William Saliba equalised for Arsenal – of course from a corner – before Bukayo Saka’s late winner was disallowed for offside
Email! “Especially big shout out for Lukic amongst Fulham’s ex-Arsenal contingent,” chuckles Mammillaria Hahniana. “Respect.”
He just goes on and on.
Continue reading...Tottenham 3-4 Chelsea: Premier League – as it happened
Cole Palmer scored two penalties, the second a Panenka, as Chelsea came from 2-0 down to win a pulsating game
“Caicedo will invert in possession, playing next to Lavia,” says our man Jacob Steinberg. “Fernandez pushes on and it becomes a 3-2-5.”
The way we describe formations is outdated, isn’t it? I know this sounds a pretentious but you really need to list two formations – one with and without the ball. <Two Banks> Ideally 4-4-2 and 4-4-2 </Two Banks>
Continue reading...LA Galaxy partied like it was 2014 but prepared for 2024 in MLS Cup victory
Original glamour club fell on lean times before it decided to adapt to a league that has changed beyond recognition
You can tell MLS has been around a while because on Saturday it held a nostalgia-soaked tribute event featuring two classic clubs.
The Los Angeles Galaxy and the New York Red Bulls? What is this, 2014? It seemed that way as Dejan Joveljić scored what proved to be the goal that won MLS Cup and celebrated with a wobbly Robbie: an unsteady homage to the cartwheeling Galaxy legend Robbie Keane. The Irish striker scored the decisive goal against the New England Revolution 10 years ago, the last time the Galaxy reached the final.
Continue reading...Column: MLS Cup final lacks star power but sheds light on shift in league
While the Galaxy and Red Bulls lacked the starpower of Lionel Messi and Inter Miami, the MLS Cup finalists are emblematic of model franchises.
The Galaxy are back after beating Red Bulls for the franchise’s sixth MLS Cup title
Exactly 10 years to the day after their last MLS Cup win on the same field, the Galaxy became the first team in 23 years to go from eight or fewer wins to a title.
LA Galaxy see off New York Red Bulls for record-extending sixth MLS Cup title
- Galaxy beat NYRB 2-1 for record sixth MLS Cup title
- Early goals from Paintsil, Joveljić hold up in victory
- LA Galaxy 2-1 New York Red Bulls – as it happened
Joseph Paintsil and Dejan Joveljic each scored early to lift the LA Galaxy to their record sixth MLS Cup title and first since 2014 in a 2-1 victory over the visiting New York Red Bulls in Saturday’s final in Carson, Calif.
Paintsil’s fourth goal of the playoffs and Joveljic’s sixth helped the Galaxy prevail despite missing attacking midfield star Riqui Puig, who suffered a torn ACL helping LA to a Western Conference final victory over Seattle last Saturday.
Continue reading...European football: Bayern go six clear at top, Real Madrid close on Barcelona
- Jamal Musiala scores twice in 4-2 win over Heidenheim
- Betis level late against Barça; Real Madrid beat Girona
Two second-half goals from the substitute Jamal Musiala put Bayern Munich six points clear at the top of the Bundesliga with a nervous 4-2 home victory over Heidenheim.
The Bavarian club, who take on Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League on Tuesday, were without the injured Harry Kane, Manuel Neuer and Serge Gnabry. Eager to bounce back from their midweek German Cup defeat by Bayer Leverkusen,the hosts were in control from the start and took an 18th-minute lead when unmarked Dayot Upamecano headed in.
Continue reading...MLS Cup live updates: Lineups, highlights, how to watch LA Galaxy vs. New York Red Bulls
Follow live as the LA Galaxy's star power meets the New York Red Bulls' gritty Cinderella run.
Manchester United 2-3 Nottingham Forest: Premier League – as it happened
Nikola Milenkovic, Morgan Gibbs-White and Chris Wood got the goals as Nottingham Forest emerged as more than worthy winners
Everton P-P Liverpool
Aston Villa 1-0 Southampton
Brentford 4-2 Newcastle United
Crystal Palace 2-2 Manchester City
Manchester United v Nottingham Forest
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