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PARIS — Neymar took a whack to the face, played on with cotton tissue in his bloodied mouth, and grabbed his second goal as Paris Saint-Germain won at Nice 3-0 in the French league on Saturday.
The Brazil forward was caught by Wylan Cyprien’s flailing arm as they contested the ball near the hour mark of an otherwise one-sided contest.
Cyprien was sent off for a second yellow card, and Neymar sat down for a while and had a little blood wiped from his mouth with a sponge. He got up and carried on, playing on for several minutes as he ran around with the makeshift plaster device protruding from his mouth.
Neymar had already done damage of his own to Nice, expertly curling PSG in front midway through the first half from the edge of the penalty area. The ball fizzed past goalkeeper Walter Benitez before he could react and lodged in the bottom right corner.
That was enough for league leader PSG’s eighth straight win.
France star Kylian Mbappe returned from a three-game ban and was desperate to score for PSG, but too much so. He fluffed a good chance right at the start of the second half by taking too many touches. After his shot was blocked near the line, attacking midfielder Christopher Nkunku stroked in the rebound to make it 2-0.
PSG has struggled in the past at Nice, which always reserves a vitriolic welcome, but should have scored several more. When Neymar eventually got the third goal, it was in the second minute of injury time as Mbappe set him up for an easy tap-in.
With seven goals, Neymar is one ahead of Marseille winger Florian Thauvin at the top of the scoring chart.
Later Saturday, Lyon was looking to beat Nantes at home and reclaim second spot from local rival Saint-Etienne.
KUALA LUMPUR – Asia's football body said Thursday it was considering using Virtual Assistant Referee (VAR) technology "at some stage" at the Asian Cup – just 100 days before the tournament kicks off in the United Arab Emirates.
The post So near, so VAR – 100 days out, technology eyed for Asian Cup appeared first on Inquirer Sports.
MANCHESTER, England — Jose Mourinho has stripped Paul Pogba of the Manchester United vice captaincy, but wouldn’t offer an explanation for the decision. Mourinho insisted that it wasn’t because of a dispute with the World Cup-winning France midfielder who returned to United in 2016 for 105 million euros (then $116 million). Mourinho told broadcaster Sky […]
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Luka Modric ended Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's decade-long domination of football's individual awards by being crowned FIFA's best player of the year on Monday.
The post Modric crowned world’s best, ends Ronaldo-Messi era appeared first on Inquirer Sports.
Atletico Madrid continued their resurgence with a comfortable 2-0 victory away to Getafe on Saturday evening.
Thomas Lemar was the star of the show, with the Frenchman smashing a shot against the bar that rebounded off the keeper for the first, before coolly slotting the second in what Los Rojiblancos fans will be hoping is a taste of things to come.
Getafe were then reduced to 10 men for a nasty stamp on Saul Niguez by Ivan Alejo with 20 minutes to go and they had little trouble in seeing out the...
The Chibuku Super Cup kicks off this weekend, with the league's traditional giants eager to make amends in Zimbabwe's premier knockout tournament after finding themselves reduced to mere spectators in the title race.
First on the park are ailing giants Dynamos, who will look to set aside their league woes and focus solely on the job of getting past Bulawayo City in their first-round assignment at Rufaro Stadium on Saturday.
Twenty-four hours later, Highlanders begin their own journey to redemption...
NYON, Switzerland — Cristiano Ronaldo should learn next Thursday if he is banned from playing at former club Manchester United in the Champions League. UEFA says its disciplinary panel will judge the case of Ronaldo’s first Champions League red card on Sept. 27. Ronaldo tangled with Valencia’s Jeison Murillo, appearing to tug at the defender’s […]
The post UEFA to judge Cristiano Ronaldo red-card case next week appeared first on Inquirer Sports.
Lionel Messi netted a hat trick for Barcelona against PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday, so you could rest assured that Cristiano Ronaldo would have wanted to put on a show in his return to Spain on Wednesday.
The refereeing crew for the Champions League Group H fixture between Juventus and Valencia had other ideas, though, sending off the Portuguese superstar for what they believed was an attempt to strike defender Jeison Murillo’s head.
Ronaldo was trying to escape from the defender for a cross, and Murillo fell to the ground after a minor tangle. Offended by the attempt to dive, Ronaldo confronted the Valencia player which set everything off.
After German match referee Felix Brych consulted with his linesman, he walked over to Ronaldo and issued the red that immediately sent the 33-year-old into tears.
As with most things Cristiano Ronaldo, Twitter was set alight after No. 7 was sent off.
154 Champions League games
1 red card
Cristiano Ronaldo leaves the pitch in tears after being sent off. pic.twitter.com/8OVS4yNi6A
— Squawka News (@SquawkaNews) September 19, 2018
Ronaldo red card = tears pic.twitter.com/PjFXpZ4xno
— 442oons (@442oons) September 19, 2018
ZURICH — FIFA President Gianni Infantino is still not convinced it’s a good idea to play Spanish league games in the United States. Infantino says on Tuesday he would “prefer to see a great MLS game in the U.S. rather than La Liga being in the U.S.” His statement repeated comments made last month in […]
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The FC panel are cautiously optimistic of Manchester United's chances of advancing from Group H, indicating Jose Mourinho must fix their current problems fast.
FC's Paul Mariner finds it tough to choose Man United to advance from Group H, noting the current negative climate of the club.
Shaka Hislop saw a complete performance from Manchester United in their win over Watford, but still sees room for improvement.
ESPN FC's Craig Burley would like to see Paul Pogba talking more with his play than with the media as his soap opera with Jose Mourinho continues.
When Manchester United last played in Bern -- a 1958 friendly after the English FA refused to let Sir Matt Busby's side play in the European Cup -- almost no travelling supporters made the trip.
Almost, but not zero: Eve Dewhurst, the wife of Keith, a journalist who covered the match for the Manchester Evening Chronicle, flew alone to Switzerland having had her enthusiasm for football sparked by watching the World Cup a few months earlier.
When assistant manager Jimmy Murphy told Busby she had made...
Joshua Kloke, soccer reporter for The Athletic, joins Sportsnet 590 The FAN to discuss Toronto FC‘s wild 5-3 win over the LA Galaxy, Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s comments about Michael Bradley, and how the MLS needs this kind of drama going forward.
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MOSCOW— Of the four people who protested on the field during the World Cup football final in Moscow, one is now in intensive care and another spent part of the week in a jail cell. Two months since the tournament ended with France beating Croatia, the tolerant image presented by Russian law enforcement to the […]
The post Two months after World Cup final, Russia police no longer relaxed appeared first on Inquirer Sports.
VANCOUVER — A blockbuster deal involving the teenage star of the Vancouver Whitecaps is one of the great stories in world soccer, says the league’s commissioner.
Don Garber said Alphonso Davies’ record-breaking transfer also shows the strength of the league.
The Whitecaps signed a US$22-million transfer deal in July that will see the 17-year-old Canadian midfielder play for German soccer giant Bayern Munich next year.
"Having a kid that’s getting a record transfer fee associated with him being developed in Major League Soccer has the rest of the world looking and saying the league is on the rise, getting the game right and needs to be taken seriously," Garber said in Vancouver Friday, where he spoke with media and toured the Whitecaps training facility.
"It says a lot about the (Whitecaps’) ambition, it says a lot about the potential for developing players here in Canada and it says a lot about Alphonso Davies."
Garber met Davies during the recent bid for the 2026 World Cup when the young man spoke to FIFA members on behalf of Canada Soccer. Their paths crossed again at the MLS all-star game in August, where Davies was the commissioner’s pick.
"He’s just a wonderful young man," Garber said. "I’m really happy for him, pleased for his family and happy for the Whitecaps."
The transfer — the biggest ever in the league’s history — is both a blessing and a curse, Garber said, because it stokes further interest from international clubs in talented young athletes developed by MLS teams.
The league is also growing, adding teams in Cincinnati, Miami and Nashville over the next two years, increasing competition for star players at home, too.
Garber said the MLS’ biggest challenge at the moment is managing growth as it moves from 23 to 26 clubs.
"It used to be sort of figuring out how we could be viable," he said. "And now it’s, with all the momentum that we have, how do we make sure we’re making the right decisions?"
Decisions have to be made about whether resources should be invested in player development, marketing, facilities or other areas, he added.
One thing that won’t change as the league grows, Garber said, is the high-quality of soccer on the field.
Anyone concerned about a lack of available talent should know that clubs continue to access a global pool of players as they groom their own young stars, the commissioner said.
Even the league’s three Canadian teams are spending tens of millions of dollars to develop talent and that’s affecting the national soccer program, he added.
Last weekend, the Canadian men’s team trounced the U.S. Virgin Islands 8-0 in a CONCACAF Nations League qualifier.
Davies is one of four Whitecaps players on the national squad.
"People that love the game here should be thinking about what positive impact that’s had on the Canadian national team," Garber said. "So I think the future is bright for soccer in Canada."
BARCELONA, Spain — After patiently waiting his turn, Saul Niguez is doing more than just making the most of it. The 23-year-old Atletico Madrid player is revolutionizing what it means to be a Spanish midfielder. Saul didn’t play a single minute for Spain at the World Cup. Instead, he watched his country manage only one […]
The post From unused sub to scorer, Saul redefines Spanish midfielder appeared first on Inquirer Sports.
Spain's anti-doping agency has closed its investigation into Russia and Valencia winger Denis Cheryshev, who fell under suspicion after his father Dmitri told Russian media that his son had taken an injection containing "growth hormone" to treat an injury.
"The AEPSAD has closed the investigation, the decision has been communicated to the player, the Russian anti-doping agency and the World Anti Doping Agency [WADA]," a spokesman for the Spanish Agency for Health Protection in Sport, which is responsible...
Paris Saint-Germain's Angel Di Maria insists Kylian Mbappe, Edinson Cavani and Neymar have a good relationship, despite previous disputes over penalty kicks.
Paris Saint-Germain face a continued wait for midfielder Adrien Rabiot to decide over a contract extension with little progress made between the Ligue 1 champions and the France international, a source close to the club has revealed to ESPN FC.
The source also added that Marco Verratti is on the cusp of a new long-term deal and RMC Sport recently reported that Angel Di Maria will soon sign an extension through 2021.
Rabiot, 23, is into the final 12 months of his current deal and other sources recently...
MADRID — Luis Enrique couldn’t have asked for a much better start as coach of Spain’s national team. Two matches, two convincing wins against top opponents in the UEFA Nations League.
Spain followed its gritty 2-1 win against England at Wembley Stadium last week with a 6-0 rout of World Cup runner-up Croatia on Tuesday, keeping Enrique perfect since taking over as La Roja’s coach.
It was the biggest defeat ever for Croatia, which was playing its first competitive game since reaching the World Cup final in Russia.
The victory left Spain comfortably ahead in Group 4 of the top-tiered League A in Europe’s newest soccer competition, in good position to reach the tournament’s final four in June.
In the other League A match on Tuesday, Belgium won 3-0 at Iceland in its Nations League debut.
The Nations League gives UEFA’s 55 member countries competitive games and eliminates often meaningless friendlies.
Luka Modric’s Croatia threatened early in the southeastern Spanish city of Elche, but Spain took control of the match by scoring three goals in 11 first-half minutes.
Saul Niguez, who is becoming an undisputable starter in Enrique’s team, headed in a cross by Dani Carvajal in the 24th minute, then Marco Asensio hit two remarkable long-range shots in the 33rd and 35th to give La Roja a comfortable lead before halftime. His second strike bounced off the post and the back of goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic, who was awarded an own goal.
Asensio, who was not among the starters against England, also set up Rodrigo’s goal early in the second half with a perfect through ball behind the defence.
Sergio Ramos, one of the remaining members of Spain’s golden generation, added the fifth goal with a header off a corner kick in the 57th minute, and Isco closed the scoring in the 70th after another set up by Asensio.
Croatia, which lost the World Cup final to France, fell apart after defender Sime Vrsaljko had to be substituted due to an injury just minutes before Spain’s first goal.
Croatia’s biggest defeat had been a 5-1 away loss against England at Wembley in 2009.
The Croats were making their Nations League debut after playing European champion Portugal to a 1-1 draw in a friendly last week.
Enrique took over Spain after the team’s elimination against Russia in the round of 16 of the World Cup. Spain was coached by Fernando Hierro in Russia after Julen Lopetegui was fired two days before the tournament.
Asensio was one of the few changes Enrique made to the team that beat England on Saturday. The former Barcelona coach also added defender Jose Luis Gaya and midfielder Dani Ceballos to the starting lineup. They replaced Marcos Alonso, Thiago Alcantara and Iago Aspas.
Just like it did against England, Spain was aggressive without the ball on Tuesday, pressing high and playing a more direct game that takes the focus away from short passes, something that has become a characteristic of Enrique’s team.
BELGIUM THRIVES
Belgium earned a comfortable win over Iceland thanks to a pair of goals by Romelu Lukaku and one from Eden Hazard.
Lukaku and Hazard, whose goal came off a penalty kick, were two of Belgium’s top players in its third-place campaign at the World Cup.
Belgium had defeated Scotland 4-0 in a friendly last week in Glasgow.
Julien Laurens confirms Liverpool's interest in PSG's Adrien Rabiot and explains why the Frenchman doesn't want to commit to staying in Paris.
Alejandro Moreno says Kylian Mbappe needs to learn to walk away after he was sent off in PSG's win at Nimes for reacting to a bad challenge.
Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel said Alphonse Areola will be his starting goalkeeper over Gianluigi Buffon.
Areola and Buffon have split playing time thus far as Tuchel prepares Areola for the Champions League with Buffon suspended for the first three group-stage matches.
Tuchel said in an interview with RMC Sport's "Breaking Sport" programme that developing academy graduates such as Areola is important.
"The decision is not final, but I told Alphonse that, in my opinion, he is in pole position...
CULIACAN, Mexico — Diego Maradona, whose public battles with cocaine made him soccer’s poster child for the perils of substance abuse, is setting up camp in Mexico’s drug cartel heartland as the new coach of a second-tier team. Draped in official club gear, the Argentine soccer legend arrived this weekend in Culiacan, home turf of […]
The post Maradona to coach soccer club in Mexico’s cartel heartland appeared first on Inquirer Sports.
Sprint legend Usain Bolt’s football training has been put on hold after he flew out of Australia for a “previously planned commitment,” his A-League club has said. The Jamaican superstar is pursuing his long-held dream of playing professional football and arrived in Gosford, 75 kilometres (47 miles) north of Sydney, last month for training with […]
The post Usain Bolt takes break from Australia football training appeared first on Inquirer Sports.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Neymar and Brazilian teammates showed young American players how large a gap they must overcome.
Roberto Firmino scored in the 11th minute off a cross from Douglas Costa, who burst down a flank past 21-year-old left back Antonee Robinson. Neymar added a penalty kick in the 44th minute after a debatable foul call, and Brazil overwhelmed the rebuilding U.S. 2-0 in an exhibition Friday night.
"I don’t think we were afraid. I think just maybe a little nervous here and there," interim U.S. coach Dave Sarachan said. "There could have been a situation where maybe the shoulder slump, the confidence, was blown."
The U.S. has two wins, two losses and three ties under Sarachan, who took over last October after the Americans failed to qualify for the World Cup. New general manager Earnie Stewart said this week a permanent coach will be announced later this year.
Just 32,469 attended the match at MetLife Stadium, a possible site of the 2026 World Cup final, and Brazilian supporters outnumbered Americans by about a 10-1 margin. When Brazil beat the U.S. 2-0 in August 2010 shortly after the venue opened, the game drew 77,223.
In its first match since a quarterfinal loss to Belgium at the World Cup, Brazil improved to 18-1 against the U.S. — with 11 straight wins since a 1-0 defeat in the 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup. The Selecao has outscored the Americans 41-12, including 17-2 since the U.S. took a two-goal lead in the 2009 Confederations Cup final — a game Brazil won 3-2.
"In the first half we didn’t defend, press as a team," centre back John Brooks said. "It was like one at a time. And when you press a team one at a time like Brazil, they play easily out of the back."
Playing in New Jersey for the first time since losing to Costa Rica in a World Cup qualifier at Red Bull Arena last September, the U.S. did not force a save from goalkeeper Alisson until the 71st minute. All U.S. starters were 25 and under and the average of 23 years 117 days was under 24 for the fifth straight match.
Midfielders Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and Wil Trapp struggled for possession. The Americans were missing their top player, 19-year-old midfielder Christian Pulisic, who has an unspecified muscle injury.
"If we had Christian tonight, I can’t say we’d have the ball 40 more per cent of the time," Sarachan said.
Bobby Wood, the lone forward in a 4-1-4-1 formation, rarely had touches, and Sarachan said Pulisic and Jozy Altidore remain among the top American attackers.
"We don’t have a plethora of forwards in our pool," Sarachan said. "That’s an area where we still need to improve that position."
Brazil went ahead when Costa beat Robinson, and Firmino split defenders Matt Miazga and Brooks and with his right foot directed the ball past goalkeeper Zack Steffen for his eighth goal in 26 international appearances.
"I probably overthought that I had to get too tight to him, and by the time I had settled my feet, he’d already made his mind to go and I didn’t reallt have a chance of catching him," Robinson said.
Neymar converted a penalty kick after the questionable call by Mexican referee Fernando Guerrero, the fourth official for U.S. loss at Trinidad and Tobago last October that eliminated the Americans in World Cup. Fabinho played a 1-2 with Firmino and cut into the penalty area. Trapp appeared to give him the slightest of pushes, and Fabinho tumbled past Brooks.
Neymar stutter-stepped in his run-up, Steffen dove to his right and the striker softly kicked the ball in the other way for his 58th goal in 91 international appearances, third in Brazilian history behind Pele (77) and Ronaldo (62). Neymar scored at MetLife eight years ago in his international debut.
Steffen kicked out his left foot in the 51st minute to save Neymar’s 6-yard shot off a pass from Costa, and Miazga cleared the ball off the line. The best U.S. chance was McKennie’s left-footed shot off a Kellyn Acosta pass in the 66th, which went wide.
"The ability to connect passes was a difficult chore for our group early in the game," Sarachan said, "and when you concede possession against a team like Brazil, it makes it hard. You do a lot of chasing."
Notes: Sarachan will run the team for Tuesday’s friendly against Mexico in Nashville, Tennessee, and likely for exhibitions on Oct. 12 against Colombia at Tampa, Florida, and versus Peru four days later at East Hartford, Connecticut. The U.S. also plays England and Italy in November. … The temporary grass field installed over the artificial turf had some brown patches and was immediately removed to prepare for the New York Giants’ opener Sunday against Jacksonville. … The section of American Outlaws behind one goal held up photos of Clint Dempsey before the match in honour of the U.S. star, who announced his retirement on Aug. 29. … Brooks will head back to Wolfsburg and miss Tuesday’s game. … Arthur made his Brazil debut in the 60th minute, Lucas Paqueta in the 70th, Richarlison in the 75th and Everton in the 80th. Dede entered in the 80th, his first appearance in five years.
The Team Canada captain, who makes his living as a midfielder for Scottish Premiership side Rangers, discusses coming off playing a club rivalry game vs. Celtic to playing an international vs. the U.S. Virgin Islands this weekend, playing under John Herdman, the quality of Canadian team, and the talent that is Alphonso Davies.
The post Scott Arfield: Herdman came in at perfect time to lead Canada’s team appeared first on Sportsnet.ca.
France star Antoine Griezmann insists he deserves to be on the podium for this year’s Ballon d’Or after winning the World Cup and major silverware with Atletico Madrid. Griezmann came third in 2016 in the voting behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi for the most prestigious individual award in football, despite not winning anything. That […]
The post Griezmann pleads case for Ballon d’Or after FIFA snub appeared first on Inquirer Sports.
ESPN FC's Julien Laurens and Gab Marcotti explain why Mario Balotelli's hopes of returning to Serie A this summer were dashed.
MILAN -- Italy coach Roberto Mancini bemoaned the dearth of Italian players in Serie A as he focuses on youth in his attempt to get the Azzurri back to the top of international football.
The national team is at a low point after missing the World Cup for the first time in nearly six decades.
According to statistics cited by Italian national news agency Ansa, only 30 percent of footballers who ply their trade in Serie A are eligible to play for the national team -- compared to 60 percent 12 years...
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Tottenham forward Son Heung-min will get to skip military service. Son avoided the service obligation when South Korea defeated Japan 2-1 in the Asian Games soccer final on Saturday. The South Korean government rewards holders of Asian Games gold medals and all Olympic medals with the exemption. Military service is compulsory for […]
The post Tottenham’s Son avoids military duty with Asian Games gold appeared first on Inquirer Sports.
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