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Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Alphonso Davies spoke to the media after Monday’s practice about the club’s win over Real Salt Lake, and how coach Carl Robinson expects him to make an impact.
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Filipino international goalkeeper Neil Etheridge and Welsh club Cardiff City moved a step closer to promotion to English Premier League after a vital 2-0 away win over Hull City, 2-0, on Saturday in their English Championship clash.
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BARCELONA, Spain — Andres Iniesta means so much more to Barcelona than the 30-plus titles he helped add to its trophy case. The Spaniard, who is leaving the club at the end of the season, was pure elegance with the ball, and a popular player off the field. As Barcelona president Josep Bartomeu put it, […]
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TORONTO — Canadian international Scott Arfield is set to leave Burnley for Glasgow Rangers.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche confirmed the move and the Scottish Sun reported that Arfield, whose contract with the English Premier League side expires at the end of the season, has agreed to a three-year deal with Rangers. Scottish reports say Rangers plan to announce Arfield’s signing before Sunday’s Old Firm clash at Celtic.
"Rangers contacted the club, through the right channels, to speak about Scotty," said Dyche, who brought Arfield to Burnley. "He wanted a new challenge and the Rangers’ one is an inviting one for him. He was a Rangers fan as a kid and also this a really good opportunity for him."
A native of Livingston, Scotland, Arfield qualifies to play for Canada through his Toronto-born father. Arfield’s grandfather was in the military and was briefly stationed in Canada.
The 29-year-old Arfield debuted for Canada in March 2016 and has won 12 caps for Canada.
Dyche called Arfield "a big part of our successes."
"Scotty has been an amazing servant to us, the way he conducts himself as a professional, the way he is around the community when needed to be, and then on the pitch he has been a very important player for the number of years he’s been with us," Dyche was quoted on the Burnley website.
"We are always respectful of our players and we’re not going to jeopardize anything in their future if something that comes along that’s to their benefit and Scotty feels this one is."
MUNICH — For once, Real Madrid didn’t need Cristiano Ronaldo to score. After finding the net in every Champions League game this season, Ronaldo had to let others grab the spotlight on Wednesday as Madrid ended Bayern Munich’s unbeaten record at home this season with a 2-1 win in the first leg of their Champions […]
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GUADALAJARA, Mexico – MLS is desperate to have one of its teams to win the CONCACAF Champions League for the first time. Mexico’s Liga MX is desperate to continue its complete domination of the tournament.
Something will have to give on Wednesday night when Toronto FC take on Chivas Guadalajara in the second leg of the finals at Estadio Akron.
Liga MX teams have won every CONCACAF Champions League since the inaugural tournament in 2008-09. All but two of the previous finals have been all-Mexican affairs: Real Salt Lake (2011) and the Montreal Impact (2015) made it to the final before TFC joined the exclusive club this year.
The Reds booked their spot in the championship series by beating Tigres and Club America, two of the best teams from Mexico, in the previous rounds. Now they have to beat a third Liga MX side in order to become the first non-Mexican outfit and the first MLS club to win this competition.
This two-legged final, which began last week when Chivas earned a 2-1 win at BMO Field in the first leg, is being touted by some in the media as a battle of MLS vs. Liga MX, as a test of how much MLS has closed the gap on the Mexican first division, considered the top league in North American soccer.
But Toronto captain Michael Bradley doesn’t view it that way. Asked by a Mexican reporter during a Tuesday press conference if Liga MX is still superior despite TFC’s amazing run to the final, Bradley downplayed the idea that this series will ultimately determine where MLS stands in relation to Mexico’s top league.
“I don’t know. I’ve never played in Liga MX,” Bradley stated.
“In the end, this tournament for us has never been about trying to determine which league is better. …. [For us] this tournament has been about the opportunity to win a very important, a very prestigious trophy. Nothing more.”
When pressed about it later on, Bradley reaffirmed that he’s not the least bit interested in such debates.
“We have a very good team, and MLS is a very good league. People sometimes get so caught up in this discussion, and the insecurity of how good the league is, or people trying to compare it with other leagues around the world. It’s a useless discussion,” Bradley said.
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There’s no doubt that MLS teams have done very well in this year’s Champions League. The Seattle Sounders made it to the quarter-finals, while the New York Red Bulls bowed out in the semifinals, losing to Chivas.
Toronto has already taken on and defeated two of the big heavyweights from Liga MX, and yet reporters still ask questions about how MLS ranks against the Mexican league. That rather misses the point of MLS teams’ strong showing in this year’s competition.
“This is exactly what this tournament has needed: genuine competition. Mexican clubs have dominated, which has led to the Champions League becoming a bit boring. Not this year, though. Even going into the second leg of the final, I don’t think anybody is writing off Toronto. They can score two goals in a game, and that’s what makes this so exciting,” said Tom Marshall, a Guadalajara-based reporter for ESPN.com.
“This is being billed as the ultimate litmus test as to where MLS is. I think that’s the wrong way to look at it. What this competition has needed for a long time has been genuine competition and intrigue. You’ve had these two-legged series this season that have been very difficult to predict. This season with the MLS vs. Liga MX matchups, that’s what we’ve got.”
He later added: “Maybe Toronto won’t win [the Champions League] this year, but it certainly looks like they’re going to win it in the very near future.”
Marshall argues that TFC’s impressive run to the final has earned the respect of the Mexican press, but that shouldn’t be misinterpreted as a general respect of MLS.
“Toronto is the team in this tournament that has stood out, and shown such authority. There’s no escaping how over the last few years that Tigres and Club America have been the most successful teams in Mexico, and Toronto knocked both of them out. And they’ve knocked both of them out playing the second leg in Mexico – that’s a massive achievement. Something like that doesn’t go unnoticed in the Mexican press. So, there’s a general respect for Toronto FC,” Marshall explained.
Respect for MLS will come from Liga MX, but that will take more time.
“A lot of this dialogue is about extremes. You have people at one end of the spectrum that say MLS is a long way behind, that it’s not a good league. And then you have people at the other end who say that MLS is right behind Liga MX, and that it’s only a matter of a couple of years before they overtake Liga MX. The reality is somewhere in the middle,” Marshall opined.
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – In sizing up what is being called the biggest game in club history, Toronto FC coach Greg Vanney delved into the past to remind everyone that his team has previously been in this situation.
TFC enters Wednesday’s second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League final at a distinct disadvantage after last week’s 2-1 loss at home in the opener to Chivas Guadalajara. That result means all Chivas need is a draw in the return match to lift the trophy. Even a 1-0 loss would be good enough for the Mexican outfit to win the aggregate series on the away goals rule.
TFC, on the other hand, has to score at least two goals to have a chance at becoming the first MLS team to win the Champions League. TFC dispatched Tigres and Club America, two of the biggest and best sides from the Mexican Liga MX in the previous two rounds of this competition, having done so with the decisive second leg of both of those series held in Mexico.
Now, the Reds need a third consecutive result on Mexican soil, but Chivas may be the toughest test yet. They’ve conceded just one goal in this year’s competition, and it came away from home.
Still, Vanney likes his team’s chances ahead of Wednesday’s tilt at Estadio Akron, nicknamed “the UFO” by the locals for its resemblance to a flying saucer. At the last press conference before the game, he drew the Mexican media’s attention to TFC’s epic Eastern Conference playoff series against the Montreal Impact in 2016 as evidence of his side being able to come from behind in a two-game series.
For those who need reminding, Toronto trailed 3-0 after 53 minutes of the first leg in Montreal, before scoring twice in a losing effort. Then in the second leg at BMO Field, the Impact took the lead. The Reds battled back, and tied the score on aggregate, before bagging two goals in extra time to win the game and the series.
The circumstances are a little bit different this time around. What hasn’t changed is that Toronto needs to score and go out and attack in order to pull off the comeback like it did against Montreal.
“I don’t need to [remind] our players where we’re at and what we need to do. We’ve been in this situation before. It’s been a little while because, in fairness, whether it’s in the MLS playoffs or in this tournament, we’ve never been behind and had to play from that situation,” Vanney said.
“[In 2016] when we went to Montreal, we were down 3-0. It was an incredible two legs that we won in the end. We had to attack in the second leg, and we did, and the game was wide open. We took advantage of all of our opportunities.
“We know what the outcome has to be, we know we have to score at least two goals. I don’t need to convince the guys to go set up and attack.”
Vanney also takes comfort from the fact that his team created plenty of scoring opportunities in last week’s loss to Chivas at BMO Field. He’s confident TFC can do likewise on Wednesday, and finish them off this time. His team will take its time in trying to break down Chivas, although he certainly wouldn’t mind an early goal.
“If they score first, we continue to do what we’re doing. It’s a long game, we’re not in a rush. We’re not trying to do anything crazy; we can approach this one play at a time,” Vanney offered.
Vanney faces some major selection headaches ahead of Wednesday’s game. Defenders Justin Morrow and Chris Mavinga, who have both dealt with injuries the past few weeks, didn’t originally travel with the team to Mexico. They are expected to be in attendance for the second leg, but won’t play.
Influential playmaker Victor Vazquez is in Guadalajara, but the Spaniard remains questionable due to an ongoing nerve issue in his back. At full strength, the return of Vazquez would be a big boost for Toronto. However, he admitted he’s still trying to get back to full match fitness, so it’ll be interesting to see how he’ll be deployed, whether as a starter or coming off the bench, if he’s cleared to play on Wednesday.
“I’m feeling better. Happy to train a bit with the group. We’re going to decide in the next couple [of hours] what we’re going to do for Wednesday and the game. … I’m feeling well. Much better than before. I don’t have any issue, I don’t have any pain,” Vazquez said.
He later added: “We will see what we can do, if I can help. We’ll see on Wednesday, but I’m sure I’m going to be there at least on the bench, and try to do my best to help the team. But I think with the guys we have, we can do it.”
To be sure, TFC is up against it. Needing to score twice is bad enough, but they need to score twice against a stingy Chivas side. It’s a daunting task, but captain Michael Bradley feels that Toronto has the experience to overcome the odds Wednesday night in Guadalajara.
“We have a group that draws on all of the big experiences that we’ve had together over the past few years. We’ve played finals, we’ve played two-legged series, we’ve been ahead we’ve been behind, we’ve had to play on the edge, we’ve had to defend leads, we have big experiences in moments like this. We’re going to step on the field and go for it,” Bradley stated.
Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini has torn a muscle in his left knee, <a
Only 180 minutes separate the Champions League semifinalists from a final in Kiev, Ukraine. What makes these matchups in the semis even more enticing are the storylines.
The major theme surrounds Mohamed Salah facing Roma for the first time since his transfer to Liverpool in the summer. Then there is Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, who have a number of players who have represented both sides. Jupp Heynckes, now the coach of Bayern, also won the Champions League with Madrid back in 1998.
With so much riding on these semifinals, here is a crash course on each matchup.
Liverpool vs. RomaPotential Liverpool XI (4-3-3): Karius; Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson; Oxlade-Chamberlain, Henderson, Milner; Salah, Firmino, Mane.
Potential Roma XI (3-4-1-2): Alisson; Manolas, Fazio, Jesus; Florenzi, Strootman, De Rossi, Kolarov; Nainggolan; Schick, Dzeko.
Where the games could be won or lost
Liverpool’s front three is the clear area of focus for Roma. Manager Eusebio Di Francesco will likely deploy a back three again, just like the Barcelona and Lazio games recently. That will help the Giallorossi press Liverpool in the wide areas. It also allows the defence to cover more ground and thus restricting space for the Reds trio.
In order for Liverpool to circumvent those tactics from Roma, it needs Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to make those driving runs forward in midfield. Oxlade-Chamberlain was very active off the ball versus Manchester City in the quarterfinals, which helped the Merseyside club overwhelm City. Roberto Firmino will be crucial as well because the Brazilian likes to drop deep to provide link-up play and he never stops pressing the opponent.
Considering Roma’s midfield faced very little resistance from Barcelona in the second leg of the quarterfinals, it will be intriguing to see how the midfielders respond to that intense pressure.
Roma’s key player to watch: Daniele De Rossi. The 34-year-old turned back the clock and delivered a man-of-the-match performance at the Stadio Olimpico against Barca on April 10. As brilliant as he was, De Rossi also had plenty of time to pick out passes and dictate the tempo of that game. Now the captain has to replicate that showing against a ferocious Liverpool side. Will he have the legs to do it again?
Liverpool’s key player to watch: Virgil van Dijk. Everyone is well aware of Salah, Mane and Firmino, which is why the potential difference-maker will be van Dijk. The Dutch centre-back has been nothing short of solid since arriving from Southampton in January. But he has a stern test with Edin Dzeko, who tormented Gerard Pique and Samuel Umtiti a couple of weeks ago. Dzeko is deceptively fast and strong in the air, so this should be a fun individual battle.
Prediction: Liverpool defeats Roma 3-1 on aggregate. Liverpool has not conceded once in its last four Champions League matches at Anfield, while Roma has failed to score in its previous three away games. A potentially decisive first-leg victory should be enough for the Reds.
Bayern Munich vs. Real MadridBayern Munich potential XI (4-3-3): Ulreich; Kimmich, Boateng, Hummels, Alaba; Rodriguez, Martinez, Thiago; Muller, Lewandowski, Ribery.
Real Madrid potential XI (4-4-2): Navas; Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo; Casemiro, Modric, Kroos, Isco; Benzema, Ronaldo.
Where the games could be won or lost
Most matches are usually determined by the superior midfield. There will be plenty of individual quality on display for both sides which should make this a very fluid and entertaining pair of games.
Luka Modric and Toni Kroos are usually technically superior to the opposition midfield duo but this is not the case against Bayern Munich. Thiago and James Rodriguez are two elite passers who can easily out-pace the Madrid partnership. Thiago is also a very underrated defender. He’s adept at recovering possession off an opposing player and orchestrating the game.
This adds even more responsibility onto the shoulders of Javi Martinez and Casemiro. The midfield anchors will be tasked with snuffing out any runs into the final third by the opposing midfield and circulating the ball forward for any potential counter-attacks. With the full-backs likely pushed up high, that means there will be even more space to exploit.
Bayern Munich’s key player to watch: Thomas Muller. The German international bagged a hat-trick last Wednesday in Bayern’s 6-2 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the DFB Pokal semifinals. He also added a goal and an assist in the Bundesliga victory versus Hannover four days later. Look for Muller to drift inside behind Robert Lewandowski to make up the numbers against Madrid’s midfield quartet as well.
Real Madrid’s key player to watch: Isco. The Spaniard was sensational in the 3-0 victory over Juventus in the first leg of the quarterfinals. He did not misplace a single pass and assisted Cristiano Ronaldo’s opener. The 26-year-old is devastating on the break, so Bayern will have to be wary of his influence on the ball.
Prediction: Real Madrid defeats Bayern Munich 4-3 on aggregate. There is little separating these two sides, but Cristiano Ronaldo is unstoppable these days and could decide this matchup on his own. Ronaldo has scored in 12 consecutive matches with a total of 22 goals in that span. Not even Juventus and Atletico Madrid – two of the best defences in Europe – could shut down the Portuguese star. Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels aren’t the most agile defenders, either, which might be the determining factor.
HOUSTON — With its top stars sidelined in preparation of the second leg of Toronto FC‘s CONCACAF Champions League final against Chivas Guadalaraja in Mexico next week, head coach Greg Vanney still expected his reserves to compete against Houston Dynamo on Saturday.
Despite their efforts, Toronto FC fell 5-1 to Houston, putting the defending MLS Cup champions 17 points back of first place in the Eastern Conference.
"It was an opportunity to get some guys that haven’t played a lot of minutes this year, but are important parts of the team," Vanney said. "It was also an opportunity to see some of our younger players play. So it assesses where everybody is at, and that’s what we took out of the night.
Romell Quioto had a goal and two assists and Joe Willis made six saves for the Dynamo (2-2-2), who snapped a four-game winless streak.
Mauro Manotas, a 22-year-old in his fourth season with the Dynamo, scored in the third minute, Jose Leonardo Ribeiro da Silva made added a goal in the seventh. Quioto poked it away from Toronto’s Julian Dunn-Johnson to Manotas, who took a couple steps and tapped it in from just inside the box to open the scoring and Leonardo trapped a clearance and rolled it just inside the post from the top of the area.
Quioto beat Dunn on the left side and, after his cross was deflected by a defender, Eric Alexander finished from point blank range to make it 3-0 early in the second half.
Mitchell Taintor headed home a corner kick from Ager Aketxe for his first MLS goal to put Toronto (1-4-0) on the board in the 52nd minute, but Quioto fed Alberth Elis for a goal in the 60th and then capped the scoring in the 77th.
Vanney said a number of the team’s reserves impressed him, including midfielder Liam Frazer and defenders Jason Hernandez and Ryan Telfer.
"For a lot of them, it’s little details, being a little less naive in some moments but I think some guys did all right. In the end, I think the game probably should’ve been seven or eight to four, so having said that, we had good moments in the attack, but we had too many breakdowns defensively," he said.
Midfielder Alan Mino said he and his fellow backups were out to prove they can contribute to the team going forward.
"I think the team’s focus right now is the CONCACAF Champions League," Mino said. "The last couple of games some of us who might have had the opportunity to play has been playing, in my case, this is my first game, but there is a reason we are here, and we need to show why."
Toronto FC will take on Chivas on Wednesday at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara. They lost the opening leg 2-1 at home Tuesday.
Vanney said after the final the team will shift its focus back to its long climb back up the MLS standings
"Last year, at the end of six games we had seven points and won the league by 13 or 14 points, so it’s doable," he said.
"It’s not something we had planned for, but sometimes when you play games in between CONCACAF finals you have to do what you have to do. We were fortunate enough that the league was able to move some of the earlier games around, but somehow not in the stretch here in the final, so we prioritized trying to win the final for the CONCACAF, and it is what it is."
MADRID — Atletico Madrid lost 3-0 at Real Sociedad on Thursday, leaving Barcelona one victory away from clinching the Spanish league title. Barcelona, which drew 2-2 at Celta Vigo on Tuesday without most of its regular starters, can secure its 25th crown at Deportivo La Coruna on April 29. The Catalan club faces Sevilla in […]
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LONDON — Five players who helped Manchester City become English champions for the third time in seven years have been included in the Premier League’s team of the season. Sergio Aguero, Kevin De Bruyne, David Silva, Kyle Walker and Nicolas Otamendi were picked in the team, which is selected by fellow players in the Professional […]
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GENEVA — Top European leagues are set to oppose FIFA plans for adding more teams and playing days at the 2022 World Cup.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino wants to study a 48-team tournament plan that would add 16 teams, 16 extra games and at least four days to the scheduled 28-day event kicking off in November 2022 in Qatar.
That schedule would likely take another round of weekend fixtures from the English Premier League, Spain’s La Liga and others which already must shut down in mid-season.
"We are not prepared to make any changes on the calendar for expanding the 2022 World Cup." Lars-Christer Olsson, CEO of the 32-member European Leagues group, said on Monday.
"We have already been flexible to allow the World Cup to be played in the (Qatari) winter and have agreed the dates," Olsson said, adding "we are not prepared for the duration of the World Cup to be any longer."
Infantino’s support last week for a 48-team World Cup ahead of the agreed expansion for the 2026 edition comes more than seven years after Qatar won hosting rights from FIFA’s then-executive committee.
Qatar bid to stage a 32-team, 64-game tournament in June-July 2022 despite the searing desert heat, with a pledge to develop stadium cooling technology.
In 2013, FIFA started consulting soccer officials worldwide in an 18-month process that reached an expected conclusion — to push back the schedule and play in cooler months, with a Nov. 21-Dec. 18 schedule.
That shorter, 28-day program — instead of the typical 32-day tournament — was a concession to Europe where most World Cup players are employed, and leagues wanted the shortest possible forced shutdown.
FIFA’s calendar for national-team games, which mandates when clubs must release players, has a Monday, Nov. 14, 2022 call-up date for World Cup teams.
An extra four days on the 2022 World Cup program would likely mean moving up the World Cup program, and taking the Nov. 12-13 fixture dates away from European leagues.
"FIFA seems to be on an expansion drive," said Olsson, who this year joined UEFA’s executive committee to represent the leagues. "It’s time people thought about the players — they need time to rest. It cannot just be money deciding how football should be organized."
European clubs were the most vocal opponents of a November-December tournament before FIFA agreed on the switch to winter three years ago.
Soon after the accord, FIFA and the European Club Association representing more than 200 members signed a new working deal which guaranteed clubs worldwide a $209 million share of World Cup revenues from each of the 2018 tournament in Russia and the 2022 edition in Qatar.
The money is distributed on a daily rate for players involved in the tournament to each club which employed him during the two previous years.
The ECA declined to comment last week when the 2022 World Cup expansion idea was announced on Thursday in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at a meeting of South American soccer body CONMEBOL which was attended by Infantino.
FIFA does not pay a share of World Cup revenues to the European Leagues group.
The 2022 expansion plan could require Qatar to share hosting duties with some regional neighbours.
The gas-rich emirate is completing eight stadiums for a 64-game tournament, though FIFA’s ideal design for a 48-team, 80-game tournament calls for 12 venues.
Infantino’s suggested feasibility study to look at 2022 tournament expansion could be agreed on at scheduled meetings in Moscow ahead of the World Cup kicking off on June 14.
MANCHESTER, England — What do you get when you combine the world’s most coveted coach, financial backers with bottomless pockets, and the most talented group of players in the country? Answer: One of the most ruthless, convincing title triumphs in the 26-year history of the English Premier League. Manchester City wrapped up the title on […]
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Wolverhampton Wanderers secured promotion to the Premier League for next season after Fulham conceded a stoppage-time equaliser on
Jurgen Klopp says he will watch Liverpool's two European Cup final victories in Rome ahead of his side's Champions League semifinal with
NYON, Switzerland — Two-time defending champion Real Madrid will play Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinals in a clash off clubs with a combined 17 European titles. The two European powers have never met in the final but this will be their seventh semifinal meeting in the 63-year-old competition. The first leg is in […]
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Jese
Stoke manager Paul Lambert insists their battle to avoid relegation will not be distracted by reports that Jese Rodriguez has not reported to training for two days.
According to multiple reports, on-loan Paris Saint-Germain forward Jese is AWOL after failing to appear for training for a second day running on Thursday after his latest spell of compassionate leave to visit his sick son in Spain.
The news comes just a week after Saido Berahino was banished to the under-23s after turning up late...
Roma forward Edin Dzeko said he was relieved to have <a
Pep Guardiola has said Liverpool's team bus will not be subjected to the welcome that Manchester City endured and he hopes the match will
Paul Pogba says he still feels "disappointed" despite Manchester United's dramatic derby win over Manchester City.
The Frenchman
Don’t look now, but the Philippines is just one win away from qualifying to the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup in France.
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PRAGUE, Czech Republic — Antoine Griezmann bagged his 17th goal of 2018 to seal Atletico Madrid’s 2-0 victory over Sporting in the first leg of the Europa League quarterfinals Thursday.
Alexandre Lacazette marked his return to the starting lineup with two goals to lead Arsenal past CSKA Moscow 4-1 in a game played amid a political crisis over the poisoning of a former spy and his daughter in Britain last month.
Leipzig edged past Marseille 1-0 while Lazio ended Salzburg’s unbeaten run of 35 games with a 4-2 win in Rome.
The second legs will be played on April 12.
Here’s a look at the action:
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ATLETICO ON TOPAtletico, the Europa League winner in 2010 and 2012, showed Sporting no mercy.
Midfielder Koke struck after just 22 seconds following an inviting ball from Diego Costa.
Atletico, which has won all its Europa League games since dropping out of the Champions League earlier this season, then made it 2-0 when France striker Griezmann grabbed his 17th goal of 2018.
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ARSENAL CRUISEArsenal stretched its winning streak to five games in all competitions with a fluent display of attacking football against CSKA.
After a good move in the ninth minute, Hector Bellerin collected the ball on the right before sending in a low cross for Aaron Ramsey to score.
CSKA quickly levelled when Aleksandr Golovin curled a free kick from 20 metres over the defensive wall and into the top corner.
Arsenal then restored its lead as Lacazette converted a penalty in the 23rd minute after Mesut Ozil was fouled.
Five minutes later Ramsey produced a bit of magic, volleying a pass from Ozil with his heel beyond goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev.
Lacazette completed the scoring with a left-footed shot from inside the area after Ozil had set him up in the 35th minute.
The striker also scored from the spot on Sunday in a 3-0 victory over Stoke after returning from knee surgery as a substitute.
In a disappointing season that sees Arsenal occupying sixth place in the English Premier League, way behind in the race for one of the four Champions League berths, the Europa League is the club’s last chance of a trophy.
Winning European football’s second-tier competition would give Arsenal a route back into the Champions League.
"We know it’s not over," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. "We have to go there with the right focus and try to win the game."
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UNBEATEN STREAK OVERSalzburg had not lost a game since a 1-0 defeat at Sturm Graz in the Austrian league on Aug 27 but Lazio captain Senad Lulic put his team ahead after eight minutes.
Valon Berisha equalized for the Austrian champion with a penalty in the 30th minute.
Lazio went back in front when Marco Parolo produced a backheel from a Luis Alberto pass before substitute Takumi Minamino equalized again for Salzburg.
The Italian club was not to be denied, though, as substitute Felipe Anderson and Ciro Immobile added two late goals.
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WERNER ON TARGETGermany striker Timo Werner scored in the dying seconds of the first half, his fourth Europa League goal, to give Leipzig victory against Marseille.
BARCELONA, Spain — Roma made the already daunting task of beating Barcelona that much harder after scoring two own goals to help the Spanish side secure a 4-1 victory in the opening leg of their Champions League quarterfinal on Wednesday. The pair of own goals by Daniele De Rossi and Kostas Manolas plus some sloppy […]
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TURIN, Italy — Cristiano Ronaldo latest masterpiece was so good even the opposing fans had to stand up and applaud. Ronaldo pulled off a spectacular overhead kick to score his second goal of the night on Tuesday as his Real Madrid beat Juventus 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal. Even by […]
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Jurgen Klopp has backed Mohamed Salah to win the Player of the Year Award in recognition of his goal scoring.
Salah scored his 37th
Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini believes Champions League quarterfinal opponent Real Madrid are about more than just Cristiano Ronaldo,
Spurs' 3-1 win at Stamford Bridge showed the gulf between them and Chelsea. For once, the dominant team in London is Tottenham, with a bright future ahead, while Chelsea face a hard summer outside the top four. Mark Ogden »
SEATTLE — Jeisson Vargas doesn’t like to talk much. His scoring — and his Montreal Impact teammates — say plenty about him.
Vargas scored on a point-blank shot in the 60th minute, and the Impact beat the short-handed Seattle Sounders 1-0 on Saturday night.
"A lot of times, guys with that (quiet) type of personality aren’t great on the field, but he has been fantastic for us," goalkeeper Evan Bush said of Chilean native Vargas, who is in his first MLS season. "I came in here and said congratulations to him, and he was laughing and smiling, just like a kid.
"His personality and enthusiasm and playful attitude he has to play the game, it’s infectious, and you can sense that."
Montreal won its second straight after an 0-2-0 start, with both wins coming against the last two MLS Cup winners — 1-0 against defending champion Toronto on March 17, and now against 2016 titlist Seattle.
"I’m quite pleased with the results, and I’m quite pleased with the way we played the game," coach Remi Garde said. "We went under pressure in the second half, even though we were a man up. We knew Seattle was a good team, especially in home games. We have these two games in a row, so we’re going to try to keep this momentum."
The Sounders are 0-3-0 for the second time in club history. They also dropped three in a row to start the 2016 season before winning the MLS Cup.
"While we had some good moments — we had a couple of sequences where we were able to keep possession in their field, win the ball back, stuff like that — it’s not as good as we would have liked," Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said. "I thought the chances we created with 10 men were pretty decent. Some of those set pieces we were dangerous on."
Ignacio Piatti set up Vargas’ goal. Piatti had the ball on the top right side of the 6-yard box. He tried to get closer to the net, but couldn’t get psat Seattle defender Roman Torres. Piatti passed it back toward the top of the 6, and Vargas sent a wide-open shot into the back left corner, his second goal of the year.
Vargas nearly had one in the first half when he launched a 26-yard free kick over a five-man Seattle wall. But Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei lunged and slapped it away from the left post and over the top.
"That was a big goal, and I’m really happy for him," defender Ken Krolicki said. "He could have had the one in the first half. But one goal is all you need if you defend well."
Seattle, which has yet to score this season, had a player sent off with a red card for the third straight game. This time, it was defender Kelvin Leerdam in the 40th minute after he undercut Daniel Lovitz when the Impact defender leaped for a ball on the left side near midfield. As the two got up and scuffled after the foul, Leerdam slapped Lovitz on the left side of his head.
A video review was called, and referee Ismail Elfath came back from it to send Leerdam off the field. Lovitz was issued a yellow for the scuffle.
That was the second game in a row Seattle has lost a player to a straight red following a video review. Clint Dempsey was ejected in the 37th minute of a 3-0 loss at Dallas on March 18. Tony Alfaro picked up a second yellow and subsequent red in the 83rd minute of a season-opening 1-0 defeat to Los Angeles FC on March 4.
The Sounders have been down a man for 110 of the 270 minutes they’ve played this year.
"I get it – guys get heated in the heat of the moment," Schmetzer said. "But that’s when you have to be most composed. That sort of stuff is going to stop."
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