Category: Football

EPL Night: City And Spurs Wins But Arsenal Loses Points

Posted on

The Premier League champions Manchester City overcame a scare from Luton in their 2-1 victory on Sunday, thanks to a goal from Jack Grealish that snapped their four-game losing streak. Elijah Adebayo’s goal late in the first half at Kenilworth Road put Pep Guardiola’s team behind, despite the absence of top scorer Erling Haaland due to injury. However, City eventually found their game after the break, scoring two goals in three minutes after missing numerous opportunities.

Grealish scored the game-winning goal after Bernardo Silva had equalized, giving City a much-needed first win in five league games.

In the North London matches Spurs won after a month against Newcastle but Arsenal lost to Aston Villa.

Spurs’ five-game winless streak came to an end at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as they defeated top-four rivals Newcastle 4-1 thanks to two goals from Richarlison.

Richarlison, making his first start since October, scored his first goal from close range after Heung-Min Son’s cross, and he added another goal in the second half when Pedro Porro’s pass looped.

Spurs had taken the lead earlier thanks to a powerful left-wing strike from defender Destiny Udogie. Son later added their fourth goal from the penalty spot after being pulled down by Newcastle keeper Martin Dubravka.

With the victory, Spurs move three points clear of sixth-place Manchester United and remain three points outside the top four. Newcastle, meanwhile, is currently in seventh place, seven points behind fourth place.

Arsenal’s lost 1-0 to Aston Villa but before the match could conclude, Mikel Arteta stormed off, furious with “clear and obvious” decisions that went against his team.

The banned Gunners manager was forced to watch from the box as John McGinn’s early hammer blow prevented the team from rising to the top of the Premier League.

Chelsea lost to Everton 2-0 and it is raising serious questions on the team’s future. On Saturday, Manchester United’s downfall made another record. They lost to Bournemouth for the first time in Old Trafford, 3-0. This humiliating loss puts Ten Hag into serious doubt and fans are panicking about what he will plan for the upcoming matches against Bayern and Liverpool.

Subrata Paul Retires From Football

Posted on

After a brilliant 16-year career, Subrata Paul, one of Indian football’s greatest players, has announced his retirement. The Arjuna Award recipient, known as the “Spiderman of India,” represented his nation in 67 games and was dubbed the best goalie in the nation.

I am experiencing a range of feelings. Paul told the-aiff.com, “I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot on this road, but I’m also a little sad to be leaving the beautiful game behind. “But above all, I’m incredibly grateful for the amazing opportunities and experiences that playing football has given me.”

Under former India coach Stephen Constantine, Subrata rose to prominence as the starting custodian and was recognized for his heroics in the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar twelve years prior.

Despite India’s lackluster performance in the group stage against South Korea, Australia, and Bahrain, Subrata was commended for his skills. He had to make 16 saves in the match against Korea, which also featured Son Heung-min, the captain of the national team and a striker for Spurs.

Throughout his career, Subrata played for teams including Mohun Bagan, East Bengal, Pune FC, Mumbai City FC, NorthEast United, Jamshedpur FC, and Hyderabad FC. His career lasted over two decades.

He joined former Danish first-division club FC Vestsjaelland in 2014, becoming the first Indian goalie to sign for a European team, although he was unable to make an impact on the starting lineup.

Subrata was a member of the Indian side that won the Tri-Nations Cup in 2017, the SAFF Suzuki Cup in 2016, the AFC Challenge Cup in 2008, and the Nehru Cup three times (in 2007, 2009, and 2012).

“When I reflect on my career, I am proud of it. It has been an immense honor to represent India at several competitions, such as the AFC Asian Cup. The trip has been an emotional rollercoaster, with highs and lows from wins and losses, but every experience has advanced both my development as a player and as a person, he told AIFF.

“My life’s defining force has been football.” It has molded me into the person I am today, given me discipline, imparted important teamwork principles, and granted me the great honour of representing my nation internationally. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without football,” he continued.

The baton was passed along to Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, the 2016 Arjuna Award recipient, who is currently the custodian for India.

Having Gurpreet and other young players as mentors has been incredibly fulfilling. I make an effort to impart my wisdom and expertise to others, guiding them through opportunities and obstacles. I feel proud of them when I see how far they have come, knowing that I played a part in their journey,” Paul remarked.

Argentina is grouped with Chile in Copa America

Posted on

Next year’s Copa América will see the defending champion Argentina take on the winner of the Canada-Trinidad and Tobago playoff on June 20 in Atlanta, and the United States will begin play against Bolivia three days later in Arlington, Texas.

Moreover, on June 25, Argentina plays Chile at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, a rematch of the 2016 finals game. Four days later, on July 14, Argentina concludes Group A against Peru at Miami Gardens, Florida, the location of the final.

The draw on Thursday night placed the United States against Uruguay in Kansas City, Missouri, on July 1 to wrap up Group C, and against Panama in Atlanta on June 27.

Group D of the 16-nation competition is led by Brazil, which will play the winner of the Costa Rica-Honduras playoffs at Inglewood, California, on June 24. Paraguay will play in Las Vegas, four days later, and Colombia will play in Santa Clara, California, on July 2.

Group B sees Mexico ranked first, with matches against Venezuela at Inglewood four days later, Ecuador at Glendale, Arizona, on June 30, and Jamaica at Houston on June 22.

Each group’s top two teams move on to the quarterfinals.

Brazil has nine titles, while Argentina and Uruguay have each won the competition fifteen times. Argentina won its first continental championship since 1993 in the 2021 Copa América in Brazil, led by captain Lionel Messi. The previous year, Argentina won its third World Cup and first since 1986.

The governing body of South American football had Ecuador scheduled to host the Copa América as part of a rotation, but Ecuador declined. The gathering was relocated to the United States and broadened to encompass six nations from the Caribbean, North and Central America.

Panama and Jamaica were also eligible. The playoff games on March 23 will decide the final two nations.

Additionally, games will be held in Orlando, Florida; Kansas City, Kansas; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Austin, Texas.

The semifinals will take place in North Carolina the next day and in New Jersey on July 9. The quarterfinals take place on July 4 in Houston, July 5 in Arlington, and July 6 in Glendale and Las Vegas.

Argentina would play the second-place team from Group B in Houston if it wins its group. A tie for second place would mean a meeting at Arlington with the winner of Group B.

The United States would play the second-place team from Group D in Las Vegas if it wins its group. The Americans would play the winner of Group D at Glendale if they place second.

After a scoreless draw, Chile defeated Argentina in the Copa América Centenario final on penalty kicks, which was hosted by the United States in 2016. In the quarterfinals, the Americans defeated Ecuador 2-1; however, they were eliminated by Argentina, losing 4-0.

The 11 American locations selected to host the 2026 World Cup include Arlington, Atlanta, East Rutherford, Houston, Inglewood, Kansas City, Missouri, and Santa Clara, which are home to seven of the Copa América stadiums.

Due to agreements with Nike that date back to 2004, Puma balls will be used for the Copa América. At draw, a new Capitán mascot made its debut.

Man U Wins 2-1 Over Chelsea: Maguire PLPM

Posted on

In a wild match on Wednesday night at Old Trafford, Manchester United defeated Chelsea 2-1 because of a brace from Scott McTominay.

Although McTominay might have easily had a hat-trick, wasting other excellent opportunities and being prevented by an incredible double save in the first half, he finished off a rebound in the first half and headed home at the back post in the second to secure his club all three points. McTominay not only won the match but also saved coach Ten Hag from being sacked overnight.

A strangely chaotic match was marked by missed opportunities, as both teams let the opposition attack plenty of space in the last half of the game.

Robert Sanchez saved Bruno Fernandes’ early penalty after VAR determined that Enzo Fernandez had fouled Antony in the box.

Additionally, United had 28 attempts throughout the 90 minutes of play, but only nine of those were on target, meaning they missed several more excellent opportunities to win the game.

A superb Cole Palmer finish after a jinking run across the edge of the box gave Chelsea the equalizer just before halftime. The Blues could have scored more goals, but Nicolas Jackson and Mykhaylo Mudryk were especially wasteful as the visitors consistently caught United on the break.

However, Erik ten Hag’s team managed to hold on for a crucial three points that lifted spirits, while Chelsea fell even further from the top of the league to the 10th position.

Although Ten Hag’s team did not play flawlessly in this victory, the manager of United must have been pleased with the effort his players made to recover from the dismal loss to Newcastle.

Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, who both could have been very dangerous in such an open game, were among Ten Hag’s four starting lineup’s benchwarmers. And in a match that United could and ought to have won by a larger margin, his choice was supported by an explosive performance.

Chelsea frequently exposed the backline’s lack of pace, and United’s midfield found it difficult to maintain control of the game or provide much cover for the defenders during transitions. However, United who were still in the down phase, this game had enough positives to offer the team optimism for better things in the future.

Chelsea has to think even more because their expensively assembled team is largely ineffective for big stretches of the match and depends mostly on a quick-witted front three when attacking.

This season, the Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay has been an incredible goal threat. On one particular occasion, he had multiple opportunities to score as he ghosted into the final third and often found dangerous pockets of space.

His first had a wonderful touch that looped up nicely, and a nice finish. His second goal was a prime example of a confident player; Scott expertly timed his move to be the first red shirt to reach a cross from Alejandro Garnacho that was just itching to be finished.

Harry Maguire has established himself as a vital member of the United defense, starting seven league games—just one less than the entire eight that he made last season—three of which came in November during Ten Hag’s team’s clean sheet victories over Fulham, Luton, and Everton.

Maguire participated in every minute of every game, earning him the title of Premier League Player of the Month. This can be considered one of the greatest moments of the game because of the bullying Maguire faced from social media and pundits. He did not break out like most others rather he continued his hustle and when he got the opportunity he smashed it.

Ter Stegen to undergo back surgery

Posted on

Marc-André ter Stegen, the custodian for Barcelona, may have to have back surgery before the European Championship, which might mean he loses his starting position with the German national side.

Barcelona announced on Tuesday that Ter Stegen would have surgery to treat lower back problems that have been affecting him lately. The duration of his anticipated absence was not disclosed by the Catalan club.

Following the World Cup, regular starter Manuel Neuer fractured his leg while skiing in December 2022. Ter Stegen participated in eight of Germany’s first nine games in 2023. Neuer is back to full strength and is a regular player for Bayern Munich.

Despite having appeared in 38 Germany games over an 11-year span, Ter Stegen has always been viewed as Neuer’s backup. Ter Stegen has not yet participated in a single match at a European Championship or World Cup. In 2024, Germany will host Euro.

With Ter Stegen out due to injury, Kevin Trapp managed Germany’s two friendlies last month. After making his Bayern debut on November 1, Neuer has appeared in all seven of the team’s games across all competitions without showing any signs of a fitness problem.

In addition to missing Barcelona’s Champions League encounter against Porto, the 31-year-old Ter Stegen also missed games against Rayo Vallecano and Atletico Madrid in the Spanish league. This season, he has participated in 17 games for the team, with 8 clean sheets and 15 goals against.

At Barcelona, Ter Stegen has been replaced by Iñaki Peña. In the team’s 1-0 victory over Atletico on Sunday, he made crucial stops.

Arsenal wins 4-3 Against Luton Town

Posted on

With a thrilling 4-3 victory over Luton Town, Arsenal went five points ahead atop the Premier League table. Declan Rice headed home the winning goal deep into stoppage time.

Gabriel Martinelli gave the Gunners the lead after 20 minutes when he tucked in a cut back from Bukayo Saka. However, Luton equalised five minutes later with a strong header from Gabriel Osho.

At the break, Mikel Arteta’s men were looking to restore their dominance when Jesus nodded them back in front.

But the hosts weren’t to be demoralised, as they shocked the flying visitors by turning the tide of the match with goals from Elijah Adebayo and Ross Barkley, who took advantage of careless mistakes made by custodian David Raya.

After excellent work from Jesus, Havertz’s goal on the hour restored parity, and the Gunners remained a serious danger in the attacking third. Luton managed to hold on for the last 20 minutes, but they suffered heartache as Rice headed in a magnificent cross from Martin Odegaard to send the visiting supporters into raptures.

With the outcome, Arsenal has now won six straight games in all competitions, and they lead second-place Liverpool by five points going into Wednesday’s trip to Sheffield United.
Although Luton is in 17th place, a victory at Newcastle on Thursday may send them into the drop zone. Next up on Saturday night is Arsenal’s visit to Aston Villa. On Sunday, Luton will play champions Man City.

Following a captivating ninety minutes, Luton supporters’ anguish and Gooners’ euphoria were the main talking points. It was the kind of thrilling, late victory that teams tend to remember as important if they go on to win the championship.

Even with the three points, though, the visitors’ goals will raise questions, and David Raya, the Gunners’ custodian, had yet another forgettable evening. The custodian has undoubtedly established himself as Arteta’s number one, but he has had a challenging start to life at The Emirates due to a number of missteps.

It was the same with this contest. After being left flapping at a corner for Luton’s second goal of the night, he somehow let Barkley’s meek, low shot go under him.

Even if his teammates were able to save him, Raya still appears flimsy, and with a player like Ramsdale on the bench, it seems odd to be obstinate, especially if it will ultimately cost the team points down the road.

Declan Rice- Even if this wasn’t the midfielder’s greatest game, he came up when The Gunners needed a hero badly and provided a header that gave them a commanding lead in the Premier League.

East Bengal Sinks NorthEast United With 5-goals

Posted on

East Bengal FC defeated NorthEast United FC 5-0 at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium last night to earn their greatest-ever Indian Super League (ISL) win.

All good things take time, and ever since head coach Carles Cuadrat took over in the summer, the Red & Gold Brigade appeared to have faith in the system being used.

It everything seemed perfect for East Bengal FC at first, with a solid start to the season and a runners-up spot in the Durand Cup. That purple patch, though, quickly ran into trouble as the club lost a string of close draws and dropped to the bottom half of the standings.

Before this encounter with the Highlanders, East Bengal FC had gone more than two months without winning a league game. But in this particular match, things got better!

The home team was perfect in their build-up and clinical in their finishing, starting with a fantastic long-range goal by Borja Herrera in the 14th minute and continuing with a beautiful brace by Cleiton Silva. Nevertheless, Nandhakumar Sekar’s two goals as a substitute tonight took center stage.

Great international coaches usually emphasize how crucial it is to develop homegrown talent in concert with producing results on the pitch to leave a lasting impression on the club.

Although Nandhakumar has always been a gifted player, Cuadrat has influenced his energy and precision this season. Although he received help from Naorem Mahesh Singh in both of his goals this season, it was again Singh who ultimately set up Nandhakumar’s two goals in this game.

That was due to a minor positional move made by Mahesh, who took on a broader role and produced precise crosses that Nandhakumar touched in at the 62nd and 81st minutes, respectively.

Nandhakumar’s movements close to the goal were almost inevitable; he detected goal-scoring possibilities early on and converted them with impressive efficiency. Furthermore, he provided an assist for Silva’s second goal, making the Brazilian joint top scorer (7) against NorthEast United FC with league heavyweights Sunil Chhetri, Marcelinho, and Mohun Bagan Super Giant standout Liston Colaco. He had earlier opened his score for the evening by nodding in a cross by Mandar Rao Dessai in the 24th minute.

Nandhakumar completed one of the most remarkable performances this season by any player coming off the bench with two goals, one assist, three crosses, and two goal-scoring opportunities.

On December 9, East Bengal FC will play host to Punjab FC, while the following day, NorthEast United FC will play Hyderabad FC in Guwahati.

Joao Felix wins it for Barcelona against Atletico

Posted on

In the fight for the La Liga title, Barcelona defeated Atletico Madrid 1-0 on Sunday thanks to a brilliant dinked finish from Joao Felix. The Portuguese striker, who is now on loan at Barcelona from Atletico, made it clear this summer that he was happy to be away from the Spanish capital and made his parent team pay at the Olympic Stadium. Before the match, Felix received criticism from a few Atletico players. Barca coach Xavi Hernandez urged him to draw motivation from those remarks, and Felix successfully complied.

Barca now trails leaders Real Madrid and second-place Girona by four points after the forward’s goal allowed them to recover third place from Atletico. “He made a difference for the team again, he gave everything, working hard, stealing the ball back, I am very happy for him,” Xavi told the media.

“I told him to be calm, this extra motivation sometimes speeds you up and you cross the line.”

Xavi praised the overall performance of his players. “We played well tonight, the team had personality, and I think it was our best, most complete game of the season.

“It’s a very positive sign of what we can and should do in every game – this is what Barca should be.”

Atletico came into the game believing that this might be the chance to break their 18-game losing record against the champions in La Liga, which dates back to 2006. Barcelona has had form and confidence issues ever since losing to Real Madrid in the Clasico at the end of October.

After 28 minutes, Felix broke the tie with a deft move to ride Nahuel Molina’s challenge and then dink the ball over Jan Oblak, the Atletico custodian, as Barcelona opened the game strongly and created chances.

Felix raised his arms in celebration and stood on the advertising hoardings in front of the incensed visiting fans, while Diego Simeone, the coach of the Rojiblancos, looked annoyed as he appeared on the big screens.

The 24-year-old striker, who set a club record in 2019 by signing for 126 million euros (137 million dollars), never adjusted to life in the capital and did not mesh well with Simeone’s style of play or management.

Felix described his celebration to Movistar, saying, “It was spontaneous… in the heat of the game and it was like a relief, for everything I lived through this summer.”

“Every week I’m talked about, whether for good or bad, I do my job, without looking at what they say or think.”

Axel Witsel was soon booked for hacking Felix to the ground shortly after, which may not have happened by coincidence. Felix nearly scored a second with a nudging attempt from Ilkay Gundogan’s cut-back, but Oblak stopped him this time.

Barcelona dominated the game as Gundogan performed well in midfield alongside the healthy-again Pedri and Frenkie de Jong. At the beginning of the second half, Raphinha clipped the post to eject Barcelona supporters from their seats.

The crowd, which was the club’s lowest of the season despite playing against elite opponents, was less than 35,000, maybe as a result of the later kickoff time and the colder winter evenings. In the second half, Atletico made some progress, but not enough to force an equalizer.

Antoine Griezmann, the Rojiblancos’ talisman, put forth a lot of effort, but he was unable to score against his former employers; in 14 meetings against Barca, he has failed to score. Another former Barcelona player, Memphis Depay, went closest for Atletico with a free kick that Inaki Pena mishandled.

Simeone conceded, “They had more personality with the ball and they started better.”

“The team improved and had the chance to equalize.”

Robert Lewandowski, who has only scored three goals in his last ten games for the team in all competitions, missed a late chance to seal Barcelona’s victory. Fourth-place Atletico leads the top two by seven points and Barca by three.

Atletico goalie Oblak told Movistar, “I don’t know what happened, but the idea was to go for the game.”

“Nobody was good in the first half, nobody wanted the ball, nobody wanted to play.”

Earlier on Sunday, 10-man Real Betis held winless bottom side Almeria 0-0 at home. Under new coach Diego Alonso, struggling Sevilla, ranked 15th, drew 1-1 with Villarreal and have lost their last 10 games in both La Liga and the Champions League.

Euro 2024: Groups announced Group B Group of Death

Posted on

England and Scotland learned their groups had automatically qualified for the finals in Germany at the draw on Saturday, December 2.

Wales, meanwhile, will participate in the play-offs in March of the following year.

The competition will be held in Germany in the summer of next year. The European Championship was last held in West Germany in 1988, however, this will be the country’s first time hosting the competition after reunification.

A total of 24 teams will be able to advance via the play-offs in March 2024 and the outcomes of the European Qualifiers, which take place until November 2023.

Just the three teams who will advance from the playoffs remain to be announced; 21 of the 24 teams are currently known.

Group A – Germany, Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland

Group B – Spain, Croatia, Italy, Albania

Group C – Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia, England

Group D – Play-off winner A (Potentially Wales), Netherlands, Austria, France

Group E – Belgium, Slovakia, Romania, Play-off winner B

Group F – Turkey, Play-off winner C, Portugal, Czech Republic

Finland will play host to Wales in the semi-finals of the Euro 2024 qualification playoffs. Cardiff City Stadium will host the game on Thursday, March 21.

If Rob Page’s team prevails in that one-leg match, they will compete for a spot in the tournament in Germany next summer against either Poland or Estonia five days later at the same location.

There are just three spots available for Euro 2024, and Wales will be trying to get through Playoff Path A.

Following Thursday’s draw at UEFA headquarters, Israel will play Iceland in the semi-final of Path B, while Ukraine will host Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In Path C, Georgia plays fellow prospective tournament newcomers Luxembourg, while in the other semi-final of same route, Kazakhstan plays 2004 European winners Greece.

The dates of the play-off semifinals and championship match are set for March 21–26, 2024.

The dates of Euro 2024 are June 14–July 14, 2024.

On Saturday, December 2, the tournament draw took place in Hamburg.

Germany is the host country and is ranked first in Group A. As such, they will play in the opening game on Friday, June 14 at the Allianz Arena in Munich.

On Sunday, July 14, the final will take place at Berlin’s Olympiastadion.

Together with the four best third-place finishers, the top two teams from each of the six final tournament groups will advance to the round of 16.

Following the quarterfinals and semifinals, the champion of Euro 2024 will be announced in Berlin on July 14.

Cristiano Ronaldo faces $1 billion lawsuit

Posted on

Cristiano Ronaldo is accused of misleading and breaking the law when promoting NFT Binance in a lawsuit that was filed in federal court in the Southern District of Florida.

Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo is facing a class-action lawsuit that aims to recover at least $1 billion for his part in endorsing “non-fungible tokens,” or NFTs, connected to cryptocurrencies that were released by the troubled cryptocurrency exchange Binance.

The lawsuit claims that Ronaldo’s endorsement of Binance was “deceptive and unlawful,” and it was filed on Monday in federal court in the Southern District of Florida. The plaintiffs contend that Binance’s affiliation with well-known individuals such as Ronaldo misled them into making risky and expensive investments.

Evidence now shows that Binance’s scam could only have reached such heights by offering and selling unregistered securities, with the cooperation and support of some of the world’s most affluent, influential, and well-known companies and celebrities—including Defendant Ronaldo—the lawsuit claims.

Ronaldo’s representatives declined to comment on Thursday. The largest cryptocurrency exchange in the world, Binance, did not quickly respond to demands for a response from The Associated Press.

Ahead of the 2022 World Cup, Ronaldo debuted his first NFT “CR7” collection with Binance in November of last year. Starting at roughly $77 to $10,000, the NFTs included seven animated figurines that represented famous moments in Ronaldo’s life, such as bicycle-kick goals and his early years in Portugal.

The lawsuit filed on Monday claims that the publicity surrounding Ronaldo’s association with Binance was “incredibly successful,” citing a 500% surge in internet searches for “Binance” following the news of the soccer player’s NFTs. According to the lawsuit, the premium-level NFTs in the collection sold out in the first week.

Since then, Ronaldo has persisted in endorsing Binance on his official website and several social media accounts. Ronaldo most recently uploaded a video from Binance on X, the previous Twitter site, and stated that he was “cooking something up” with the cryptocurrency exchange on Tuesday.

NFTs are regular digital photos that have been uploaded to a cryptocurrency blockchain along with a version number, which is what gives them the appearance of “unique” collectibles. After a brief surge, the value of NFTs has essentially declined due to market crashes and scandals plaguing the cryptocurrency sector.

In a lawsuit filed by regulators over the summer, Binance was charged with operating as an unregistered securities exchange and breaking numerous securities laws in the United States. Last week, the cryptocurrency exchange decided to pay a settlement of about $4 billion, and Changpeng Zhao, the company’s founder, resigned as CEO and entered a guilty plea to a charge connected to his negligence in preventing money laundering on the platform.

Ronaldo’s lawsuit this week is hardly the first instance of a star being sued for cryptocurrency advertising. Several celebrities and athletes, including Tom Brady and Larry David, were named as defendants in a class-action lawsuit filed against FTX last year. FTX was the second-biggest cryptocurrency exchange before to its collapse in November 2022. According to the lawsuit, the celebrities should have been held accountable for endorsing FTX’s doomed business plan.

Ronaldo is among the most well-known and affluent sportsmen in the planet. He has played for Manchester United in England, Real Madrid in Spain, Juventus in Italy, and the national team of his native Portugal. He now plays for Al Nassr, a professional team in Saudi Arabia.