World Soccer Talk: February 2019

Thursday, 28 February 2019

Where to find Atlético Unión vs. Boca Juniors on US TV and streaming

If you’re trying to find out how you can watch Atlético Unión vs. Boca Juniors in the Superliga Argentina, you’ve come to the right place, which you can also stream to your TV.

In previous years, it’s been difficult to find the game on US airwaves, but here’s all of the info you need below.

Match: Atlético Unión vs. Boca Juniors

Kickoff: Friday, 7:10pm ET

Looking to watch Atlético Unión vs. Boca Juniors online from your work, home or on the go? If you live in the USA, there are several options to catch all the action.

We Recommend:

Worldwide except South America, Mexico, Central America and Caribbean.

Here are all of the details of where you can watch it via legal streaming:

Who: Atlético Unión vs. Boca Juniors
What: Superliga Argentina
When: Game kicks off at 7:10pm ET / 4:10pm PT; Friday, March 1, 2019
Where: Live on Fanatiz (free 14-day trial)

The Fanatiz app is available in HD for Android tablets/smartphones, Apple tablets/smartphones, Amazon Fire, Apple TV and Roku. Plus it works with Chromecast so you can cast it to your TV.

Fanatiz now streams Argentina Superliga, Copa Argentina, Bolivar home matches, Peruvian Liga 1 and Colombia First Division — and — LaLiga, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, Ligue 1, Turkish Super Lig, Portuguese Primeira Liga, Dutch KNVB Cup, Ecuadorian league and other competitions. Fanatiz also streams games from beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Español, GolTV en Español, TyC Sports International and RCN Nuestra Tele International.

Soccer fans can subscribe to Fanatiz for only $9.99 per month, with a 14 day free-trial. But even better, Fanatiz is offering an exclusive deal to readers of World Soccer Talk where you can get 50% off Fanatiz for the first 3 months of service.

To get the 50% discount, visit the Fanatiz website (the offer is not available via the app) and then enter coupon code wstfz2 at checkout to get your savings.

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Where to find Leeds United vs. West Brom on US TV and streaming

If you’re trying to find out how you can watch Leeds United vs. West Brom in the US, we have all of the details for you about the Championship match.

The match will be shown live on US streaming (and you can watch it on your TV too).

League: EFL Championship

Genre: Sports

Looking to watch Championship matches online from your office, home or on the go? If you live in the USA, there are several options to catch all the action.

We Recommend:

US Only.

Here are all of the details of where you can watch it via legal streaming:

Who: Leeds United vs. West Brom
What: EFL Championship
When: Game kicks off at 2:45pm ET / 11:45am PT; Friday, March 1, 2019
Where: Live on ESPN+ (free 7-day trial)

With ESPN+, you can watch Leeds United vs. West Brom and tons more Championship games with a 7-day trial. With the legal streaming service, you can watch the game on your computer, smartphone, tablet, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Chromecast, PlayStation 4 and XBOX One.

Now with ESPN+, you can stream Serie A, UEFA Nations League, Championship, League One, League Two, FA Cup, League Cup, Coppa Italia, Supercoppa Italiana, Eredivisie, Danish Superliga, Chinese Super League, Indian Super League, Australian A-League, Sweden’s Allsvenskan, MLS out-of-market games and USL.

ESPN+ is only $4.99/month after a free 7-day trial.

In addition to all of the soccer coverage, ESPN+ also includes a selection of live games from MLB, MLS, NHL, select PGA TOUR golf, Top Rank Boxing and Grand Slam tennis from Wimbledon to the US Open and Australian Open. Plus you get instant access to your favorite college sports like football, basketball, lacrosse, softball and more.

There’s also the daily ESPN FC show, 30 For 30 documentaries, exclusive access to studio programs and more.

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S. American federation rejects US proposal for Americas event in 2020

Asuncion (AFP) – CONMEBOL, the South American football confederation, on Thursday rejected a US proposal for a new intercontinental tournament next year, noting that it would overlap with next year’s Copa America and did not have FIFA’s approval.

Carlos Cordeiro, the head of the US Soccer Federation, had written to the 10 federations that make up CONMEBOL offering to stage the new event featuring the best teams from North, Central and South America as well as the Caribbean.

The event, which would have strongly resembled the successful 2016 Copa America Centenario held throughout the United States, would have been held at the same time as the 2020 European Championship.

The proposed event would guarantee nearly $200 million to be shared amongst the invited teams and their ruling bodies, according to The New York Times.

The winners of the tournament would have earned more than $11 million.

But in a letter to Cordeiro, CONMEBOL chief Alejandro Dominguez said the logistical details were too difficult to overcome.

“The lack of approval and scheduling by FIFA of a Continental Cup for 2020, an essential condition for it to be held… makes it impossible for CONMEBOL and its member associations to accept the invitation,” said the letter obtained by AFP.

Dominguez also expressed surprise that the US proposal came “shortly after, in January 2019, CONCACAF rejected our invitation to participate in the 2020 edition of the Copa America.” He was referring to the governing body responsible for football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

He also lamented that the US and Mexican football federations “sadly” and “inexplicably” declined invitations to take part in the 2019 Copa America in Brazil.

After the Brazil event, CONMEBOL plans to switch the Copa America to the same schedule as the European Championship from 2020. No host nation has yet been allocated for the 2020 event.

CONCACAF had welcomed the US proposal, saying the event would complement its own regional championship, the Gold Cup.

Dominguez again invited Team USA to play in the 2020 Copa America.

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From broken back to goal-scorer: remarkable comeback for Aussie Raso

Sydney (AFP) – Six months ago Australian international Hayley Raso broke her back in the US National Women’s Soccer League and faced the prospect of never playing football again.

But she had a dream to be at this year’s women’s World Cup in France and with the aid of medical staff, a wheelchair and a walking frame, she has battled back from near-disaster.

Remarkably, the 24-year-old returned to the field as a substitute in Australia’s 2-0 win over New Zealand at the Cup of Nations in Sydney on Thursday, and capped the moment by scoring a blinding goal.

Just three minutes after coming off the bench late in the second half, she rounded a defender and drilled the ball into the net for an incredible return.

“I think it was just overwhelming for me,” she said of getting on the scoresheet.

“I’m just so excited to be out here playing again and to get a goal topped it all off.”

Portland winger Raso’s life crumbled last August when she collided with Washington Spirit goalkeeper Aubrey Bledsoe and was stretchered off in agony.

X-rays showed three broken vertebrae in her back and she has had to learn how to walk again.

Raso told broadcaster ABC she remembers the moment vividly — her legs numb and her World Cup dreams crushed.

“I couldn’t do anything at that moment, I was just in so much pain, I couldn’t move my body,” she said. “I can remember just saying: ‘Help me, help me’. I knew that something bad had happened.”

She spent a week-and-a-half in hospital before a gruelling rehabilitation process.

“I had a few episodes where I passed out because of the pain and I went into shock,” she said.

“Eventually I was able to get up, slowly and with a lot of help.

“I was firstly in a wheelchair then I went to using a walking frame and I was just taking really small steps trying to get around the hospital.”

Incredibly, she recovered sufficiently to make her return to football for Brisbane Roar in late January before getting the call-up from Australia.

“This injury pushed me to my absolute limits,” she said on Twitter recently.

“This whole journey was an extreme mental and physical battle. I didn’t think I’d make it out, but I am so happy to start my next chapter.”

World governing body FIFA wished her well ahead of her comeback for the Matildas on Thursday.

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New-look Atlanta chase MLS repeat as new season kicks off

Los Angeles (AFP) – A new-look Atlanta United launch the defence of their Major League Soccer crown on Sunday as the new season kicks off with FC Cincinnati looking to become the latest expansion side to make a mark on the competition.

Less than three months after Atlanta crowned their meteoric rise with victory in the MLS Cup over Portland, the champions start their campaign against Wayne Rooney and D.C. United.

The Eastern Conference clash at Audi Field will be a difficult first test for Atlanta, who have had to absorb the departure of title-winning coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino and star player Miguel Almiron in the close season.

Martino has been replaced by former Dutch international Frank de Boer, returning to management after a disastrous spell at Premier League side Crystal Palace, where he was sacked after five games and 77 days in 2017.

De Boer has been entrusted with rebuilding a team that saw Paraguay international Almiron leave for Newcastle United in January.

Atlanta had already planned for Almiron’s departure by recruiting Argentine midfielder Gonzalo “Pity” Martinez from River Plate.

Martinez, who helped River win last season’s violence-scarred Copa Libertadores, hopes to use his spell in the MLS as a stepping stone to Europe, the latest South American player aiming to follow Almiron’s route.

“I think the level in this league is really growing, and this is a club who’s doing things well,” Martinez said.

“They’re coming off a championship, so those are the things that motivated me to come. … (The chance to move on to Europe) was a factor, too. You see players leaving MLS for Europe, so that played into my decision.”

On Sunday, Martinez will likely line up against D.C. star Rooney, the former Manchester United and England striker who transformed the club’s season last term.

– Raising standards –

Rooney, who will captain D.C. United this season, said Almiron’s departure reflected well on the growing maturity of MLS, which enters its 24th season in rude health.

“I think that’s great for this league to have players going over, to England, to Spain wherever they go and to perform,” Rooney said. “It will give fans around the world and in Europe maybe a different opinion on MLS.”

Rooney, who scored 12 goals in 21 games for United last season, admits he had been impressed by standards in MLS since his arrival last July.

“I think the standard of play maybe took me by surprise a little bit with the amount of quality there is in the league,” he said.

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Conmebol rejects US proposal for Americas event in 2020

The event, which strongly resembles the successful 2016 Copa America Centenario held throughout the United States, would have been held at the same time as the 2020 European Championship.

The proposed event would guarantee nearly $200 million to be shared amongst the invited teams and their ruling bodies, according to The New York Times.

But in a letter to Cordeiro, CONMEBOL chief Alejandro Dominguez said the logistical details were too difficult to overcome.

CONCACAF — the governing body responsible for football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean — had welcomed the US proposal, saying the event would complement its own regional championship, the Gold Cup.

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Fanatiz adds beIN SPORTS and GolTV to strengthen soccer offerings

Streaming service Fanatiz has added beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Español and GolTV en Español to its programming to offer soccer fans even more choices when it comes to watching the Beautiful Game.

Fanatiz already had channels TyC Sports International and RCN Nuestra Tele International. But with the addition of the English-language and Spanish-language beIN SPORTS channels as well as the Spanish-language GolTV, Fanatiz now features a very attractive offering to soccer fans especially considering that the price remains $9.99 per month, and they offer a free 14-day trial.

The addition of the new channels means that Fanatiz now streams Argentina Superliga, Copa Argentina, Bolivar home matches, Peruvian Liga 1 and Colombia First Division — and — LaLiga, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, Ligue 1, Turkish Super Lig, Portuguese Primeira Liga, Dutch KNVB Cup, Ecuadorian league and other competitions.

SEE MORE: Schedule of Superliga Argentina games on US TV and streaming

Soccer fans can subscribe to Fanatiz for only $9.99 per month, with a 14 day free-trial. But also, Fanatiz is offering an exclusive deal to readers of World Soccer Talk where you can get 50% off Fanatiz for the first 3 months of service.

To get the 50% discount, visit the Fanatiz website (the offer is not available via the app) and then enter coupon code wstfz2 at checkout to get your savings.

SEE MORE: Interview with Fanatiz CEO about new Latin American soccer streaming service in USA

In addition to a wide array of soccer leagues, what Fanatiz offers consumers is a cost-effective way to access the beIN SPORTS channels for less than $10 per month with the bonus of having GolTV en Español, TyC Sports International and all of the Superliga games from Argentina.

The Fanatiz app is available in HD for Android tablets/smartphones, Apple tablets/smartphones, Amazon Fire, Apple TV and Roku. Plus it works with Chromecast so you can cast it to your TV.

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Choupo-Moting becoming PSG cult hero in absence of Neymar, Cavani

Paris (AFP) – His signing at the start of the season was ridiculed by many, but Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has succeeded in winning over the supporters at Paris Saint-Germain as he stands in for the French champions’ injured superstars.

The giant Cameroon international forward joined PSG just as the transfer window was closing last August, swapping a Stoke City side who had just been relegated from the English Premier League, for the Champions League.

Choupo-Moting signed a two-year deal with the unenviable task of acting as a back-up for the Ligue 1 side’s front three of Kylian Mbappe, Edinson Cavani and Neymar.

Opportunities have been limited as a result, but the 29-year-old has played an increasingly important role in recent weeks with both Neymar and Cavani out.

Just seven of his 21 appearances have been starts, although that includes his side’s last two outings.

He has not scored since netting on his Ligue 1 debut at Rennes back in September, which makes it harder to see him as a credible alternative to the ‘MCN’.

Nevertheless, on Wednesday he set up one goal in a 3-0 French Cup quarter-final win over Dijon. The Parc des Princes crowd now have a song in honour of their new cult hero, and television cameras even caught Mbappe joining in as he enjoyed a rest on the bench.

“He went through a bit of a tough spell, but he has his confidence back again,” said coach Thomas Tuchel, under whom the German-born striker played at Mainz in the Bundesliga earlier in his career.

“We are enjoying having him, just as we are trying to ensure he enjoys being with us,” said defender Presnel Kimpembe. “He is a really clever lad and we need him on the pitch.”

– Cavani nearing comeback –

Choupo-Moting, whose wages are estimated to be around 30 times lower than Neymar’s, will hope to keep his place when PSG go to struggling Caen on Saturday.

Neymar is still expected to be out for around a month with a metatarsal injury, but Cavani could make his comeback after three weeks on the sidelines with a hip problem.

Mbappe may also start with PSG seeking an eighth successive win before they face Manchester United in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie next Wednesday, defending a 2-0 first-leg lead.

PSG are 17 points clear of second-placed Lille at the top of Ligue 1, while Caen are in the relegation zone and lost 3-1 at Lyon on Wednesday in the French Cup quarter-finals.

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Spurs desperate to stop the rot against Arsenal

London (AFP) – Tottenham could dream of an unlikely Premier League title challenge just a week ago but back-to-back defeats against Burnley and Chelsea mean their top-four place is in danger as they prepare to host Arsenal.

Spurs’ lead over their north London rivals is down to four points, with Manchester United and Chelsea also close behind in the race for the final two Champions League places next season.

To make matters worse, Mauricio Pochettino’s men still have to travel to title-chasing Liverpool and Manchester City in the final 10 games of the league campaign.

Pochettino has routinely hailed the incredible effort of his squad to stay in the title race as long as they have done, particularly in finding late winners to beat Fulham, Watford and Newcastle without the injured Harry Kane.

The England captain is now back in the fold but despite defying World Cup fatigue and struggling with a lengthy injury list, no new signings and having to endure another season at their temporary home of Wembley, it is possible Spurs are finally running out of steam at the wrong time.

“Now it’s about being calm. It won’t change my assessment of the players,” said Pochettino after his side failed to register a single shot on target in the Premier League for the first time in his five seasons in charge in a 2-0 loss to Chelsea on Wednesday.

“We need to support them, prepare them and lift them and help them to compete on Saturday because that is the most important thing now.”

Much of the damage done in the past week will be forgotten should Spurs bounce back in the derby and open up what ought to be a decisive seven-point advantage over Arsenal.

And Pochettino was keen to point out that there is just as much pressure on their local rivals to avoid a third season without Champions League football.

“Everyone from the beginning of the season would have signed up to be in that position before playing on Saturday,” added the Argentine.

“Everyone would have signed for that eight or 10 months ago in June or July, to be, today, with the possibility of playing against Arsenal at Wembley with the gap at four points. The pressure is on them, not only us.”

– Derby win –

A thrilling 4-2 win over Tottenham in early December was the highlight so far of Unai Emery’s first season as Arsenal boss.

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Barcelona eye double triumph over Real Madrid but defensive doubts remain

Madrid (AFP) – After knocking Real Madrid out of the Copa del Rey, Barcelona now have the opportunity to send their rivals packing in the title race too.

Barca’s 3-0 victory on Wednesday means Barca will return to the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday with a spring in their step, even if Madrid were the better side and had the better opportunities until the chaotic final 30 minutes, when a Luis Suarez double and Raphael Varane own goal gave victory to the Catalans.

“They had more chances in the first half, it’s true,” said Gerard Pique. “But in the second we knew how to get at them. They left more space and in 10 to 15 minutes we scored three goals.”

A repeat this weekend in La Liga would leave Santiago Solari’s side 12 points adrift of Barcelona, who would effectively have an extra point’s advantage given their superior head-to-head record. That would be a gargantuan gap to make up with 12 games left.

Atletico Madrid are closer, seven points back, and they still have to play Barca in April, albeit at the Camp Nou, where they have not won in 18 visits. But there is no doubt bumping Real out of the chase would be a major step for the Catalans.

They should feel confident if recent form between the two sides is any guide. The Copa del Rey win was Barcelona’s fourth in six games at the Bernabeu and in each of those they have scored three or more. This season alone, their aggregate total against Real reads 9-2.

And while Madrid will take heart from the handful of golden opportunities they created, it was their opponents that showed the killer instinct, delivered by players used to producing when it matters most.

“When Luis Suarez is in the area, he is at 200 per cent,” said Valverde.

– Vulnerabilities –

The question for Barca is also what these showings against the defending European champions say about their own chances in the Champions League.

A goalless draw at Lyon in the first leg leaves their last 16 tie delicately poised ahead of the home return next month and if Barca do come through, sterner tests will lie ahead.

Suarez’s brace on Wednesday continues a timely return to form while Lionel Messi showed against Sevilla last weekend that he is ready to call upon his scintillating best when required.

It is in defence where doubts remain. The ease with which Madrid opened Barca up on the counter-attack suggests there is still a vulnerability on the break, which teams in the Champions League will be better placed to exploit.

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Lukaku revival can aid United’s top-four bid

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hopes Romelu Lukaku is ready to seize a starring role in his Manchester United revolution after the Belgium striker finally showed signs of emerging from his prolonged slump.

United extended their impressive Premier League run with a 3-1 win at Crystal Palace on Wednesday that puts a third-place finish in their sights ahead of struggling Southampton’s visit to Old Trafford on Saturday.

That is a stunning turnaround given the troubled state the club was in when Solskjaer took over from the sacked Jose Mourinho in December.

Paul Pogba has been a key figure in United’s 14-game unbeaten streak in domestic action, the France midfielder benefitting more than most from the arrival of the popular Solskjaer as interim boss.

But Lukaku is also offering evidence he can blossom under Solskjaer after destroying Palace with the return of his trademark power and predatory finishing.

The 25-year-old struggled in the first half of this season and lacked regular starts in the early days of Solskjaer’s reign.

The Norwegian has encouraged a more attacking philosophy than Mourinho and initially based his formation around the in-form Marcus Rashford as United’s central striker.

Lukaku was forced to adapt to a role off the bench as a replacement forward or as a winger, a job he performed well over his six substitute and three starting league appearances since Solskjaer took over.

– Quality finisher –

But, for the midweek win at Selhurst Park where Solskjaer’s options were limited due to injuries, Lukaku returned to his preferred number-nine position and proved he can still thrive in the new United era with two well-taken goals.

“I think you hit the nail on the head, as in, he was through the middle today, we created chances for him, he put them away well,” Solskjaer said after Lukaku’s first goals since January 5.

“He’s done loads of running up and down the line, right wing, left wing, he’s had a different role because of Rash’s form of course.

“Today he got a chance up front, two very good finishes, could have had another one as well earlier on, so very pleased for Rom, he is a quality finisher.”

Lukaku has won favour with Solskjaer by refusing to allow his lack of playing time to negatively influence his attitude or demeanour.

“He’s a professional boy, a good boy, it’s great to have him in and around the place, always happy, always working on his finishing,” Solskjaer said.

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Guardiola urges Mahrez to step up as City chase quadruple

Bournemouth (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Pep Guardiola has challenged Riyad Mahrez to play a key role in Manchester City’s quadruple bid as the club’s record signing struggles to live up to his £60 million ($79 million) price tag.

City were far from their imperious best in Wednesday’s narrow 1-0 win over West Ham, but the result kept the champions just one point behind Premier League leaders Liverpool ahead of their trip to Bournemouth on Saturday.

Guardiola has stressed his concerns over fatigue affecting his squad, with last weekend’s League Cup final win over Chelsea coming at a cost as Fernandinho and Aymeric Laporte both suffered injuries that will sideline them for several weeks.

The City boss attempted to rotate his squad against West Ham, handing Algeria winger Mahrez just his 11th league start of the season.

However, the former Leicester star turned in a sub-par performance and it was not until he and fellow wide man Leroy Sane were taken off early in the second half — replaced by Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva — that City looked anything like their best.

City have the international break in mid-March to look forward to, and a relatively kind run of domestic league fixtures either side of it.

But they also have their Champions League involvement and an FA Cup quarter-final visit to Swansea to factor in.

So Guardiola is looking for better productivity from Mahrez and all his other squad players over what could be a historic final few weeks of the season as they chase three more trophies.

“Hypothetically, we have 20 games left in the season — 10 Premier League games and if we get to the finals of the cups — and if you think we are only going to play with Bernardo and Raheem, that is not going to happen,” Guardiola said.

“They know what they have to do, train hard, compete hard, they are going to play minutes.

“With some players, it will be easy for me; but some players can’t sustain (playing) every three days. Everybody has to make their contribution then, when I see their performance, I’m going to take decisions.

“I can’t live with just Sergio Aguero, for example, we need Gabriel (Jesus) to come as quickly as possible to help us to do that.”

– Unplayable –

Jesus, out since sustaining a hamstring injury in the FA Cup win over Newport in the middle of February, is another player currently unavailable to Guardiola, although his inclusion in the Brazil squad for next month’s friendlies suggests he is not far from being available.

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Liverpool, Spurs face crucial derby showdowns

London (AFP) – As the Premier League title race gathers pace and the fight for top-four places heats up, two of English football’s biggest derbies will play a key role in the mounting drama.

At the top, leaders Liverpool, one point ahead of Manchester City going into this weekend, make the short journey across Stanley Park to face Merseyside rivals Everton.

Third-placed Tottenham, slumping after successive defeats, have to focus on maintaining their top-four berth when Arsenal arrive at Wembley for the north London derby.

Liverpool back in the groove

Georginio Wijnaldum insists Liverpool never lost belief in their ability to blow away opponents after reigniting their title bid ahead of their clash at Everton.

Questions were asked about Liverpool’s spluttering attack after four draws in five matches, including goalless stalemates with Manchester United and Bayern Munich, with suggestions they were cracking under the pressure of challenging for their first English crown since 1990.

But Jurgen Klopp’s side silenced the doubters with their biggest win in almost 12 months as Watford were demolished 5-0 at Anfield on Wednesday.

Liverpool remain one point clear of second-placed Manchester City and Reds midfielder Wijnaldum warned their rivals to expect more of the same.

“To be fair, I always have that feeling that it will click. The belief is always there. We just have to make sure that it does click,” he said.

Guardiola expects title twists

This time last season City were cruising towards a record-breaking Premier League title triumph that sucked all the drama out of the race.

But 12 months later, Pep Guardiola’s side are locked in a nail-biting sprint to the finish line with Liverpool and the City manager expects plenty more twists and turns before the trophy is lifted in May.

City travel to Bournemouth on Saturday knowing a victory would, temporarily, put them two points clear of Liverpool before the Reds take on Everton the next day.

Even a draw would put the champions top on goal difference, but Guardiola, whose team edged to a 1-0 win over West Ham in midweek, won’t be surprised if either City or Liverpool surrender points.

“We know with 10 games to go, many things are going to happen,” he said.

“I think we are going to drop points, Liverpool are going to drop points. So we are going to see, until the end.”

No fear for Spurs

Asked to survey the wreckage of Tottenham’s faltering title challenge, Mauricio Pochettino refused to condemn his team despite their latest high-stakes flop.

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Galaxy transfer Kamara to Shenzhen

Los Angeles (AFP) – Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy said Thursday they have transferred Norwegian international Ola Kamara to Shenzhen FC of the Chinese Super League for a reported fee of $3.5 million.

A brief statement from the Galaxy did not name a fee, but MLSsoccer.com, citing an anonymous source, said Shenzhen paid the Galaxy $3.5 million and that Kamara inked a three-year contract with the club.

“This decision will be mutually beneficial to both our club and Ola,” Galaxy general manager Dennis te Kloese said.

“Ola wanted to pursue opportunities elsewhere, and we worked to complete a move that will give us options to strengthen our roster moving forward.”

Kamara, 29, was acquired by the Galaxy in a trade with MLS outfit Columbus Crew prior to the 2018 season. He made 31 appearances for Los Angeles, scoring 14 goals in the regular season.

In 90 career MLS regular-season matches over three seasons he scored 48 goals.

According to the MLS Players Association, Kamara made $925,000 in 2018.

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Germany down women’s World Cup hosts France in friendly

Laval (France) (AFP) – Germany laid down a marker 100 days ahead of this year’s women’s World Cup with a 1-0 friendly victory over tournament hosts France in Laval on Thursday.

Corinne Diacre’s France will be hoping to make it a men’s and women’s double by lifting the World Cup for the first time in Lyon on July 7, but put in a flat performance in front of a large home crowd.

Lea Schueller scored the only goal just after the half-hour mark as two-time World Cup winners Germany, who hired legendary former striker Birgit Prinz as a psychologist earlier this week, dug deep to close out victory.

The Germans took the lead in the 31st minute as Schueller collected Svenja Huth’s pass and clipped a left-footed effort from just inside the area that beat France goalkeeper Sarah Bouhaddi’s dive to bounce in off the post.

The home side wasted an excellent chance to draw level on the stroke of half-time as Marie-Antoinette Katoto’s backheel opened up the visiting defence, but Paris FC forward Gaetane Thiney dragged her shot woefully wide when totally unmarked.

France continued to press early in the second period, threatening from set-pieces, but the best they could muster was a tame header wide from centre-back Wendie Renard.

Thiney ballooned a late free-kick over the crossbar, Katoto sliced wide and France failed to make the most of a couple of goalmouth scrambles, as the Germans held on.

France will open the World Cup against South Korea at the Parc des Princes in Paris on June 7 before further Group A games against Norway and Nigeria, while Germany will play China, Spain and South Africa in Group B.

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Football fans brave Venezuela’s match-night terrors

Caracas (AFP) – As dusk creeps into the streets, Caracas becomes a ghost town. But something is moving tonight in the shadow of the football stadium.

Fans float in small groups along the sidewalks. The green of the floodlit pitch gleams through gaps in the grey concrete edifice.

FC Caracas need to beat their Peruvian opponents Melgar by three goals in a second-leg game to qualify for the group stages of the Copa Libertadores.

But venturing out on match night in Caracas is about more than sporting odds and rivalries. It means braving crime and shortages.

“The situation the country is in complicates everything. Transport is difficult at night,” says Daniel Mendoza, a thin 25-year-old with curly brown hair under a beanie hat.

“Football helps you endure the situation the country is in, for a while.”

– Make some noise –

Red shirts appear in the hardcore fans’ stand behind the FC Caracas home goal in the Olympic Stadium. The drums and horns start up.

“The Red Demons, ever loyal, ever present,” reads a slogan painted on the stand, which is less than half full.

An official announces there are 3,500 fans at the game: about a tenth of the stadium’s capacity.

“There used to be more excitement, and more people,” says Mendoza.

“With the situation the country is in, people’s spirits have dropped. You don’t feel the atmosphere as much.”

For Venezuela’s most successful football team, there is more than just glory at stake in this game.

Winnings from a big club tournament would go down well in a country suffering hyperinflation.

FC Caracas used to wear kits by Adidas but had to switch to a local brand two seasons ago. Last year Venezuelan footballers complained that Adidas balls have been replaced by inferior quality ones.

Mendoza’s ticket for Tuesday’s match cost the equivalent of $2.70 — more than half the Venezuelan minimum monthly wage. As a telecoms engineer, his own salary is around $50.

“In recent years I’ve started hearing fans yelling against the government” at matches, he says.

“I’ve no doubt there are pro-government people here as well. But there aren’t enough of them to make a big noise.”

– Match-night security –

In the streets leading to the stadium, a different kind of tension reigns.

Caracas residents warn constantly of violent crime: get robbed and there will be no neighborhood police to help you. Get shot or stabbed and there are few medical supplies to put you right.

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Rodrigo sends Valencia into Copa final against Barcelona

Madrid (AFP) – Valencia set up a Copa del Rey final clash with Barcelona on Thursday as Rodrigo’s second-half goal sealed a 1-0 second-leg win over Real Betis at the Mestalla.

A 2-2 first-leg draw had given Valencia the edge as they looked to deny Betis a home final on May 25, and Marcelino’s men put in a solid performance to reach a first major final since winning the competition in 2008.

On-loan Paris Saint-Germain forward Jese Rodriguez came close to netting the crucial opening goal for Betis six minutes before the interval, but was denied by home goalkeeper Jaume Domenech.

Marcelino’s Valencia struck first in the 56th minute as Kevin Gameiro teed up Rodrigo to lash in his fourth Copa goal of the campaign after his stunning quarter-final hat-trick against Getafe.

Betis, who had let a 2-0 lead slip in the first leg, struggled to put Valencia under any pressure, with Loren’s late header wide the closest they came as the hosts ran out 3-2 aggregate winners.

On Wednesday, Barcelona moved to within one win of a record fifth successive Copa del Rey with a clinical 3-0 victory over Real Madrid in the first of two Clasicos in four days.

Real were wasteful at the Santiago Bernabeu as they looked for an aggregate lead after a 1-1 first-leg draw, and a late Luis Suarez double and Raphael Varane’s own goal made them pay.

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Sala was ‘abandoned’ by Cardiff

London (AFP) – Emiliano Sala, the footballer killed in a plane crash last month, had been “abandoned” by his new club Cardiff City, a former agent who helped his son act in the player’s transfer said on Thursday.

Willie McKay, whose son Mark McKay had a temporary mandate from Sala’s previous club Nantes to negotiate the player’s transfer to the English Premier League side, said Cardiff had “let themselves down”.

“He was abandoned in a hotel more or less to do his travel arrangements himself,” Willie McKay told the BBC in an interview alongside his son.

“Nobody in Cardiff seemed to be doing anything. I think Cardiff let themselves down badly,” he added.

“The way they’ve acted so far, they’ve been a disgrace.”

Flown by pilot David Ibbotson, the small plane carrying the 28-year-old Argentine striker came down in the Channel en route to Cardiff on January 21, two days after he completed his transfer from French side Nantes.

Cardiff had previously said that they had offered their new forward a commercial flight, but Sala instead chose to fly privately.

Willie McKay told the BBC he arranged the ill-fated flight through an experienced pilot who had flown him and many of his players “all over Europe on countless occasions”.

The former agent said the pilot, David Henderson, did not own the plane and he did not know who Henderson was going to ask to fly it.

Britain’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) said on Monday the private plane did not have a commercial licence.

However, it said the journey would have been allowed as a “private” flight in which costs are shared between pilot and passenger.

The McKays said Thursday that they have been made “scapegoats” but believe investigations will show the crash was a result of “pilot error”.

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Offer to invest $25 billion in new FIFA Club World Cup ‘discarded’

Lausanne (AFP) – An offer to invest $25 billion in an expanded Club World Cup — a project backed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino — has been rejected, various sources said on Thursday.

Infantino hopes to expand the existing, annual seven-team Club World Cup by turning it into a 24-club competition played every four years, starting in 2021.

He is expected to put forward concrete proposals for the competition at a FIFA Council meeting in Miami on March 14 and 15.

A group of investors, unnamed by world football’s governing body but from Asia and the Middle East according to different sources, had offered to invest $25 billion in the new competition and a new global Nations League.

“The investors’ offer for the expanded Club World Cup has been discarded. If plans for a new, expanded Club World Cup are adopted in Miami in March, the competition will be commercialised in the traditional way, via a tender process,” a source close to the project told AFP.

Another source added that the investors could still come back in with a new offer then.

An announcement was made on Thursday at a “stakeholders committee” meeting in Zurich, which brought together representatives of different confederations, clubs, leagues and players.

It was presided over by Victor Montagliani, the Canadian president of CONCACAF, the Confederation for North and Central America and the Caribbean. Infantino did not take part in the meeting.

Infantino initially unveiled the project last year and again at a FIFA Council meeting in the Rwandan capital Kigali in October.

Then, he stepped back from adopting the competitions due to opposition from UEFA and the European governing body’s president, Aleksander Ceferin.

According to the New York Times, the group of investors in question included Japan’s SoftBank.

“FIFA seems to be learning from its errors,” one source said.

“It wants to show good faith and place the accent on a more even distribution of revenues from an expanded Club World Cup.”

The biggest issue emerging from a new competition could be the changes required to an already saturated international calendar.

The plans are set to be put to a vote at the FIFA Council meeting in Miami, although plans for a Nations League — similar to the competition recently launched with success by UEFA — are likely to be presented at a later date.

A proposal to expand the World Cup from 32 to 48 teams in time for the 2022 tournament in Qatar could also be put to a vote in Miami.

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Ranieri axed by struggling Fulham after just four months

London (AFP) – Claudio Ranieri’s brief spell as manager of Premier League strugglers Fulham ended on Thursday when the Italian was sacked after only four months in charge.

The 67-year-old Italian, who memorably guided Leicester City to the 2016 Premier League title, failed to ignite a Fulham revival after he replaced the sacked Slavisa Jokanovic in November.

He was in charge for just 16 league games but won only three, and Wednesday’s 2-0 defeat to Southampton left them second from bottom, 10 points adrift of safety with 10 matches remaining.

That loss at St Mary’s was the final straw as Fulham’s travelling fans chanted “you don’t know what you’re doing” at Ranieri.

Former Chelsea boss Ranieri had been labelled ‘risk-free’ appointment by Fulham owner Shahid Khan.

But unhappy Fulham supporters unveiled a banner at Southampton that read: “Risk free? Are you watching Tony Khan?”, in a pointed reference to the Fulham owner’s son, who takes a major role in club policy.

“Following our discussion this afternoon, Claudio Ranieri agreed to my decision that a change was in the best interest of everyone,” Shahid Khan said in a statement.

Khan, whose investment of over £100million in new players in the close season after they were promoted to the Premier League has backfired spectacularly, said Ranieri behaved like a “perfect gentleman” during the talks.

“Claudio’s tenure at Fulham didn’t produce the outcome we anticipated and needed when I appointed him as manager in November, but be assured he is not solely to blame for the position we are in today,” said Khan.

“Claudio walked into a difficult situation, inheriting a side that gained only one point in its prior eight matches, and he provided an immediate boost by leading our club to nine points in his first eight matches as manager.

“Though we were unable to maintain that pace thereafter, I am grateful for his effort.”

– Last throw of the dice –

Ranieri, who was sacked by Leicester months after their fairytale title success, said he was sad the good start the club had made under his charge had not been maintained.

“I am obviously disappointed with the recent results and that we could not build on the good start we made following my appointment,” said Ranieri, who took over at a time when Fulham had secured just one point from their previous eight matches.

The Cottagers were promoted to the Premier League last season with a reputation for free-flowing football, but that attacking style was exposed in the top-flight, with the club’s £100 million spree on new signings failing to deliver the required quality.

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Sergio Ramos given two-game European ban for deliberate booking

Paris (AFP) – Real Madrid centre-back Sergio Ramos has been handed a two-game suspension by UEFA for deliberately getting himself booked during his team’s Champions League last 16, first leg against Ajax.

The Spaniard was booked for a tackle on Kasper Dolberg in Real’s 2-1 victory in Amsterdam on February 13, two minutes after Marco Asensio scored the winning goal.

Three yellow cards over the course of the competition bring a one-match suspension and UEFA said Ramos had been punished “for clearly receiving a yellow card on purpose”, with the aim of being clear for a potential quarter-final tie.

European football’s governing body set a precedent last season when Real full-back Dani Carvajal was suspended for two games after initially earning a booking in the group stage.

The 32-year-old Ramos said the day after the match that he did not “force the card”.

But straight after the game, he had appeared to admit that he got himself booked on purpose.

“The truth is that given the result I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t something I had in mind,” Ramos had said.

“It is not to underestimate the opponent but sometimes there is a time to make decisions and I did so.”

Real resume their bid for a fourth consecutive Champions League title in the return leg against Ajax on March 5.

Meanwhile, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body also announced fines for both Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain following incidents during their last 16, first leg at Old Trafford on February 12.

The Premier League club were fined 16,000 euros ($18,212) after their supporters blocked stairways and threw objects.

PSG, who won the game 2-0, were given a more hefty fine of 41,000 euros for crowd disturbances, throwing of objects, setting off fireworks, and “acts of damage”. They were also ordered to pay United for repairs to damaged seats.

In addition, PSG were fined a further 25,000 euros after being found responsible for the late kick-off in their 4-1 victory at Red Star Belgrade in the group stage, while coach Thomas Tuchel was given a suspended one-game ban.

Red Star were fined 64,000 euros for incidents in the same game involving their supporters, including “illicit chanting”.

However, charges against Chelsea for alleged anti-Semitic chanting during their Europa League game against Vidi in Hungary in December were dropped.

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Bundesliga relegation battle hits historic low

Berlin (AFP) – While Bayern Munich battle leaders Borussia Dortmund in a tense Bundesliga title race, down in the relegation zone, those fighting to stay up have hit an all-time low.

Not since the Bundesliga began back in 1963 have the bottom four teams in Germany’s top flight earned so few points between them.

“It’s not a snail’s race – it’s still life,” commented ex-Germany international Thomas Berthold in magazine Kicker.

After 23 rounds of matches, the bottom four clubs — Augsburg (18), VfB Stuttgart (16), Hanover (14) and Nuremberg (13) — have just 61 points.

The record for the lowest amount of points achieved by a side who managed to avoid relegation is 27 by Hamburg in 2013/14.

The bottom two teams are certain to go down but there is also no guarantee of survival for finishing 16th — where Stuttgart currently sit.

Third from bottom on May 18 when the season ends means a knife-edge two-legged relegation play-off against the team who finishes third in the second division.

“We want to win ‘pole position’ in this four-way fight and therefore our own title race,” said Stuttgart’s ex-Germany striker Mario Gomez.

– ‘Getting drunk might help’ –

Bottom side Nuremberg, who managed a goalless draw at home to leaders Dortmund ten days ago, are winless in their last 17 league games and five points from safety.

“If things go well for us, it will remain exciting until the last day of the season,” said Nuremberg’s chairman of the supervisory board Thomas Grethlein optimistically.

Amazingly for a side involved in the knock-out stages of the Champions League, Schalke are 14th, with a five-point buffer to Augsburg who face Dortmund on Friday.

Schalke face a mountain to climb in the return leg of their Champions League, last 16 tie at Manchester City on March 12 after 3-2 to Pep Guardiola’s side at home.

However, even after one of the worst league seasons in the club’s history, relegation thoughts bother only the most pessimistic of Schalke fans with the Royal Blues seven points from the bottom three.

Augsburg, who forced defending champions Bayern to equalise twice against them before losing 3-2 a fortnight ago, are hoping to also make life uncomfortable for Dortmund.

“The fans want to see that you fight and push on,” said manager Stefan Reuter.

“The crucial thing is the reaction on the pitch.”

A glance at the league table is sober reading, leaving goalkeeper Gregor Kobel to suggest an unusual approach to combat relegation tension.

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Ranieri axed by Premier League strugglers Fulham

London (AFP) – Claudio Ranieri’s short, unsuccessful spell as manager of Premier League strugglers Fulham came to an end on Thursday, the club announced.

The 67-year-old Italian, who memorably guided Leicester City to the 2016 Premier League title, failed to ignite a revival in the club after he replaced the sacked Slavisa Jokanovic in November.

He was in charge for just 16 league games but won only three, and Wednesday’s 2-0 defeat to Southampton left them second from bottom, 10 points adrift of safety with 10 matches remaining.

“Following our discussion this afternoon, Claudio Ranieri agreed to my decision that a change was in the best interest of everyone,” said Fulham chairman Shahid Khan in a statement.

Ranieri, who was sacked by Leicester months after their fairytale success, said he was sad the good start the club had made under his charge had not been maintained.

Khan added former England midfielder Scott Parker — who ended his playing career at Fulham — is to be the caretaker manager.

“Scott’s immediate assignment is merely to help us stabilise, grow and rediscover ourselves as a football club,” said Khan.

“If Scott can answer that challenge, and our players respond to the opportunity, perhaps victories will follow in the months ahead.”

Ranieri is the sixth Premier League manager to lose his job this season and comes just days after Claude Puel was sacked by Leicester — Jokanovic, Mark Hughes (Southampton), Jose Mourinho (Manchester United) and David Wagner (Huddersfield) being the other casualties.

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‘Shouldn’t have happened’ – Bayern boss Kovac reprimands Rafinha

Berlin (AFP) – Head coach Niko Kovac says defender Rafinha has apologised to the Bayern Munich team for his outburst at a lack of playing time for the defending Bundesliga champions.

The Brazilian has started just six league games this season, but Kovac insisted that there was no excuse for the 33-year-old right-back — out of contract in June — complaining about not getting “a minute of game time” after sitting out Saturday’s 1-0 win over Hertha Berlin.

“Nobody is more important than the team or the club and should not be so critical of the coach,” said Kovac on Thursday.

“He has apologised in front of the team, but something like this shouldn’t have happened.”

Rafinha complaint that “the coach doesn’t count on me” comes as Kovac faces mounting personnel problems ahead of Saturday’s crunch Bundesliga clash at Borussia Moenchengladbach.

The defending champions start the weekend in second, trailing leaders Borussia Dortmund by three points and face a Gladbach side who inflicted a shock 3-0 defeat on Bayern at the Allianz Arena in October.

However, Bayern could potentially be heading north without some big names, including goalkeeper and captain Manuel Neuer

“(Reserve goalkeeper) Sven Ulreich has trained, Mats Hummels too, Manuel Neuer hasn’t, but we hope he can train tomorrow (Friday),” said Kovac.

Bayern are already light on wingers with Arjen Robben and Kingsley Coman out injured, while Franck Ribery and left-back David Alaba are also now sidelined.

“David has a ligament injury, Franck has gastroenteritis, both are definitely out for Saturday,” added Kovac.

“(Central midfielder) Leon Goretzka has a few issues with his ankle, whether or not he can play we’ll only be able to say tomorrow.”

Kovac’s Bayern were torn apart by Gladbach’s counter-attacks in the clash in Munich, but Dieter Hecking’s Gladbach, who sit fourth in the table, crashed to 3-0 defeats against mid-table sides Hertha Berlin and Wolfsburg in recent weeks.

In contrast, Bayern travel with confidence high after winning 10 of their last 11 league games.

“At the moment, we are having a good phase and Borussia aren’t, but the results don’t necessarily mirror what the current performances are like,” said Kovac.

“It will be a tough game and the atmosphere in Gladbach is always great.”

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NBCSN dials back Premier League analysis: World Soccer Talk Podcast

World Soccer Talk is a weekly podcast about watching soccer on TV, online and apps.

In the NEW episode, number 113, Christopher Harris and co-host Kartik Krishnaiyer cover a range of topics including:

• Whether US Soccer is trying to undermine CONCACAF again,
• The details on the Women’s World Cup TV schedule,
• What the heck is going on with FOX and the Bundesliga,
• Sky Sports News is back on US television,
• Whether NBC Sports is becoming complacent with their EPL coverage,
• And we have a bunch of letters from you, the listeners, in our mailbag section.

Listen to the show via the player above or via this link.

Send in your questions, comments and feedback via e-mail web@worldsoccertalk.com, via Twitter (@worldsoccertalk) or Facebook. We’ll read them out on-air in the next episode.

Here are the different ways you can download the World Soccer Talk Podcast stream:

• Listen to all of our episodes of the World Soccer Talk Podcast on Spotify,
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Real’s Vinicius Jr earns first Brazil squad call-up

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Real Madrid’s teenage attacking sensation Vinicius Junior was called up to Tite’s Brazil squad for the first time on Thursday in the last national team gathering ahead of the Copa America.

The 18-year-old has made a huge impact at the Santiago Bernabeu since moving from home town club Flamengo at the start of the season.

Although he began this campaign in Real’s B team, Vinicius has quickly risen to an almost guaranteed first team starter since Santiago Solari replaced Julen Lopetegui.

He has not just been Real’s most dangerous attacking player since, he’s also the main reason Wales star Gareth Bale is struggling to get into the team.

Brazil will play two friendlies in March against Panama, in Portugal on the 23rd, and away to the Czech Republic three days later.

Vinicius’s inclusion will create some excitement to offset the absence of Neymar, who has a broken foot and will be out until April.

His club team-mate Marcelo finds himself dropped, though, just as he has been in Madrid.

But fellow veteran Dani Alves, currently playing alongside Neymar at Paris Saint-Germain, makes his return to the squad, as does his team-mate Thiago Silva, who replaces Bordeaux’s Pablo.

West Ham’s Filipe Anderson is rewarded for his fine Premier League form with his second ever call-up, the first coming in 2015.

The Premier League provides eight members of the squad, more than any other championship, with Liverpool trio Alisson, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino, and Manchester City’s Ederson, Danilo and Gabriel Jesus included.

Only two players, Palmeiras goalkeeper Weverton and Gremio forward Everton, ply their trade in their homeland.

Brazil won their last two friendlies in November against Uruguay and Cameroon, both 1-0.

The final squad for the Copa America will be announced in May, with hosts Brazil kicking off the tournament on June 14 against Bolivia in Sao Paulo.

The final will be at Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Maracana stadium on July 7.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool/ENG), Ederson (Manchester City/ENG), Weverton (Palmeiras)

Defenders: Alex Sandro (Juventus/ITA), Dani Alves (Paris SG/FRA), Danilo (Manchester City/ENG), Eder Militao (Porto/POR), Filipe Luis (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Marquinhos (Paris SG/FRA), Miranda (Inter Milan/ITA), Thiago Silva (Paris SG/FRA)

Midfielders: Allan (Napoli/ITA), Arthur (Barcelona/ESP), Casemiro (Real Madrid/ESP), Fabinho (Liverpool/ENG), Felipe Anderson (West Ham/ENG), Lucas Paqueta (AC Milan/ITA), Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona/ESP)

Forwards: Everton (Gremio), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool/ENG), Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City/ENG), Richarlison (Everton/ENG), Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid/ESP)

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Injury, illness hamper Bayern’s plans at Gladbach

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich coach Niko Kovac has mounting personnel problems ahead of Saturday’s crunch Bundesliga clash at Borussia Moenchengladbach.

The defending champions start the weekend in second, trailing leaders Borussia Dortmund by three points and face a tricky tie at Gladbach, who inflicted a shock 3-0 defeat on Bayern at Munich’s Allianz Arena last October.

However, Bayern could potentially be heading north without some big names, including club captain and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, in their star-studded squad.

“(Reserve goalkeeper) Sven Ulreich has trained, Mats Hummels too, Manuel Neuer hasn’t, but we hope he can train tomorrow (Friday),” said Kovac.

Bayern are already light on wingers with Arjen Robben and Kingsley Coman out with leg injuries, while Franck Ribery and left-back David Alaba are also now sidelined.

“David has a ligament injury, Franck has gastroenteritis, both are definitely out for Saturday,” added Kovac.

“(Central midfielder) Leon Goretzka has a few issues with his ankle, whether or not he can play we’ll only be able to say tomorrow.”

Kovac’s Bayern were torn apart by Gladbach’s counter-attacks last October when Alassane Plea and Lars Stindl scored early goals in Munich after Jonas Hoffmann punched holes in Bayern’s midfield before Patrick Herrmann netted a late third goal.

However, Dieter Hecking’s Gladbach, who sit fourth in the table, crashed to 3-0 defeats to both mid-table sides Hertha Berlin and Wolfsburg in recent weeks, leaving them winless in their last three league games.

In contrast, Bayern travel with confidence high in the midst of the title race after winning 10 of their last 11 league games.

“At the moment, we are having a good phase and Borussia aren’t, but the results don’t necessarily mirror what the current performances are like,” said Kovac.

“We won’t underestimate them.

“It will be a tough game and the atmosphere in Gladbach is always great.”

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Puma net global deal with Man City-owners City Football Group

Berlin (AFP) – German sports equipment and clothing company Puma scored a significant goal on Thursday by announcing a global partnership deal with City Football Group, who own Premier League champions Manchester City.

Puma will kit out the men’s, women’s and youth football teams of Pep Guardiola’s giants Man City.

Sister clubs Melbourne City FC in Australia’s A-League, Spain’s Girona FC, Club Atletico Torque in Uruguay and Chinese second-tier side Sichuan Jiuniu will also wear the Bavarian firm’s leaping-cat logo.

A spokesperson for Puma declined to tell AFP the duration or financial terms of the “long-term” contract.

“Puma’s partnership with City Football Group is the largest deal that we have ever done – both in scope and ambition,” said Bjorn Gulden, CEO of Puma.

“We are very excited to partner with City Football Group, whose success, ambition and drive for innovation has seen them setting new standards, on and off the field.”

The City Football Group is a holding company under the ownership of the Abu Dhabi United Group.

“This announcement marks the start of an exciting new chapter for City Football Group,” said Ferran Soriano, CEO of City Football Group.

“Our relationship with Puma, covering five City Football Group clubs across four continents, will reset the model for sports partnerships on a truly global scale whilst being locally relevant and authentic for fans around the world.”

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Prince William slams football clubs over mental health care

London (AFP) – Prince William has launched a withering broadside at football clubs, lambasting them for a “dereliction of duty” in their lack of care for players mental health.

Prince William, who along with younger brother Prince Harry have spoken openly about their own mental health issues, said clubs appeared to only see the players as investments not as human beings.

Prince William, who is the President of English football’s governing body the Football Association (FA), made the remarks during a meeting at Windsor Park, the home of the Irish Football Association in Belfast.

“Some clubs don’t do anything about mental health. We’ve got to change the whole way we look after players,” the 36-year-old Prince said to members of Ahead of the Game, an organisation that delivers mental health support to grassroots football clubs.

“Many players come from difficult backgrounds and may have all sorts of issues going on.

“So just to have them as a complete financial asset…it’s a dereliction of duty, I think.”

Prince William, who decried the manner in which players are “discarded” and said they should be “supported” instead of the clubs wiping their hands of them and told to “move on”, said he was in talks with the FA over the possibility of organising a “Mental Health FA Cup”.

“We’re working on something with the FA at the moment, trying potentially to get a mental health FA Cup to have a really punchy campaign we can base something around,” said the Prince, who is a noted supporter of second tier English side Aston Villa.

Prince William’s rare outspoken comments drew praise from across the football community including Michael Bennett, the Professional Footballers’ Association’s head of welfare.

It emerged last year a record number of players approached the body for support with mental health problems.

“Clearly, not everyone is earning £100,000 ($133,000) a week,” said Bennett.

“There are things you don’t see. Players could suffer an untimely death in the family or suffer a serious injury.

“Money isn’t going to stop emotional feelings surfacing,” he said.

Several former and current high profile players have spoken of their battles with mental issues including Tottenham Hotspur and England star Danny Rose, former England international Aaron Lennon and the now retired Stan Collymore.

Collymore, 48, is presently struggling admitting for the last three weeks he has been sleeping for 20 hours a day revealing his “longing never to wake” but he said the Prince’s remarks could be a game changer for the issue.

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Wednesday, 27 February 2019

Fellaini and a Korean ‘Monster’: China’s top imports for new season

Shanghai (AFP) – Spending may have slowed in the Chinese Super League, which kicks off a new season on Friday, but clubs are still splashing out on salaries to lure big-name players.

AFP Sport picks the five most significant imports during the close season:

– Marouane Fellaini (Shandong Luneng) –

The most eye-catching move of the Chinese transfer window, the towering 31-year-old ended five-and-a-half turbulent years at Manchester United by joining Shandong Luneng. The Belgian international, who can play in midfield or as an auxiliary forward, made 177 appearances and scored 22 goals at United. But he was never accepted by fans at Old Trafford, who felt his awkward style was not in keeping with United’s attacking traditions.

– Mousa Dembele (Guangzhou R&F) –

Like Fellaini, Dembele is a 31-year-old Belgian international and another high-profile acquisition from the Premier League. Dembele was immensely popular at Tottenham Hotspur and in his pomp was one of the finest midfielders in English football, but injuries have taken their toll. R&F, very much the second team in Guangzhou — behind seven-time CSL champions Guangzhou Evergrande — paid about 12 million euros to lure Dembele from London. They will be desperately hoping that they can keep him fit.

– Marek Hamsik (Dalian Yifang)

Dalian reportedly paid 20 million euros to sign Hamsik, 31, from Napoli. The Slovak international is Napoli’s record goal-scorer, hitting 121 goals in 520 appearances to overhaul the tally plundered by Diego Maradona. Hamsik was also captain at the Italian side and cultivated legendary status during his 12 years at the club. With his tattoos, mohawk hairstyle and undoubted talent, Hamsik could set the CSL alight.

– Sandro Wagner (Tianjin Teda) –

Yet another 31-year-old, the German forward was brought to struggling Tianjin Teda from Bayern Munich for a fee reported to be five million euros and a hefty salary hike. The striker had become frustrated by his lack of playing time under Bayern coach Niko Kovac. Not one to hide his opinions, Wagner retired from international duty with Germany in May last year — an angry reaction to being left out of the 2018 World Cup squad by Joachim Loew.

– Kim Min-jae (Beijing Guoan) –

South Korean international Kim “Monster” Min-jae snubbed interest from Premier League side Watford to sign for Beijing Guoan from Jeonbuk Motors. The burly 22-year-old centre-back missed last summer’s World Cup because of injury but is a stalwart for South Korea and regularly touted as one of the best defenders in Asia. The “Monster” nickname stems from his powerful physique and he will play a big part in Guoan’s title push.

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Hulk carries load as weakened Shanghai seek repeat Chinese title

Shanghai (AFP) – The departure of goal machine Wu Lei puts extra pressure on the broad shoulders of Brazilian striker Hulk as Shanghai SIPG kick off their Chinese Super League title defence on Friday.

The champions lost the league’s top-scorer to Espanyol in Spain during the off-season and have failed to replace him, despite being linked with West Ham’s Marko Arnautovic.

SIPG will badly miss the Chinese international forward, who hit 27 goals in 29 games to fire them to their first major crown.

But the club’s Portuguese coach Vitor Pereira, who masterminded the end of Guangzhou Evergrande’s seven-year reign as champions, is keen to move on.

“I believe that with hard work, team spirit and humility, and if you work as a team… as a family, we can achieve our goals and win more titles,” Pereira said on Wednesday.

He will be desperate to keep former international forward Hulk, 32, fit and firing.

The skipper, who has 51 goals in 88 matches since arriving from Zenit St. Petersburg in 2016 for a reported $60 million, missed some of last year’s title run due to injury.

SIPG, who also have the $68 million Brazilian midfielder Oscar, open their new season with a tricky cross-town trip to rivals Shanghai Shenhua.

“The secret is to keep focused and together, and to help each other,” the 50-year-old Pereira said.

“We have a lot of big challenges, starting this week.”

– Fellaini and the 31 club –

The good news for Hulk and SIPG is that the dethroned Evergrande, their nearest challengers last season, also failed to significantly strengthen in the close season.

Coach Fabio Cannavaro will again rely on another pair of Brazilians, the midfielders Paulinho and Anderson Talisca, as Evergrande attempt to wrestle back the crown.

Shandong Luneng finished third and Beijing Guoan fourth in what was a four-way title tussle until the final weeks of the campaign, when SIPG and Evergrande pulled away.

Luneng have made one of the most significant acquisitions of the Chinese transfer window, snapping up Marouane Fellaini from Manchester United.

He has been joined in China by fellow Belgian midfielder Mousa Dembele, who signed for Guangzhou R&F from Tottenham Hotspur for about $14 million.

Another high-profile arrival was Marek Hamsik, who went to Dalian Yifang after outstripping the great Diego Maradona as Napoli’s record goal-scorer.

All aged 31 and established internationals, the trio’s arrival proves that CSL clubs still have the financial muscle to lure European stars with big contracts.

from World Soccer Talk https://ift.tt/2tID4ul