Football Blog (Page 188)

[ad_1] Denmark head to the 2022 World Cup without a ‘dark horse’ tag for the first time since conquering Europe at the end of the 20th century. Kasper Hjulmand’s charges reached the semi-finals of Euro 2020 and are now one of international football’s most respected outfits heading into this winter’s showdown. With a wealth of tournament experience behind them, the Rod-Hvide make their way to Qatar as outside chances of going all the way. Here’s what to expect from Denmark at the World Cup. Hjulmand has so far named 21 players in his squad and will confirm his final five selections prior to the tournament.Read More →

[ad_1] Major League Soccer’s newest club, St. Louis CITY SC, further bolstered their inaugural roster with five picks in Friday’s Expansion Draft. The Expansion Draft is a valuable mechanism for every new MLS club to add precious experience and quality at a fraction of the usual cost. So, how did St. Louis take advantage of the opportunity? Let’s take a look at their picks: Gioacchini joins from Orlando City. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports Right off the bat, Nicholas Gioacchini stands out as one of the most eye-catching Expansion Draft picks in recent years. An eight-time US international with experience in the top twoRead More →

[ad_1] Brighton & Hove Albion star Leandro Trossard has revealed that he has not been in contact with Chelsea amid rumours linking him with the Blues. Trossard has been in exceptional form this season, scoring seven Premier League goals already and propelling Brighton up to sixth in the table. 90min understands that his former manager at Brighton, Graham Potter, is keen on a reunion at Stamford Bridge, while ex-Seagulls director Dan Ashworth would like Trossard at Newcastle. Speaking to HLN, Trossard has stated that he has not been in contact with the west London club over a proposed move. “Chelsea have in any case notRead More →

[ad_1] Mikel Arteta has called on officials to be more wary of the harsh treatment Bukayo Saka is receiving from opposition players ahead of the FIFA World Cup. It was recently feared that Saka could be set to miss the tournament entirely when he hobbled off 20 minutes in Arsenal’s thumping win over Nottingham Forest a few short weeks ago. The forward was aggressively brought down by Renan Lodi, and was subbed off with an apparent ankle injury. Thankfully that injury did not prove to be a serious one, but ahead of Arsenal’s final Premier League game before the tournament in Qatar, Arteta has statedRead More →

[ad_1] England manager Gareth Southgate has opened up on the contrasting woes of his two star forwards ahead of the start of the World Cup next week. Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling have long been the Three Lions’ most prolific attacking players under Southgate, but will head to Qatar a little out of sorts for different reasons. Kane has started all 21 games possible for club and country this season with Tottenham head coach Antonio Conte admitting he’s fatigued, while Sterling has scored five goals in 19 games since moving to Chelsea in the summer. Southgate was asked about their conditions ahead of the tournamentRead More →

[ad_1] Exclusive – French center-back Nicolas Isimat-Mirin is drawing attention from multiple MLS clubs, but remains in talks with Sporting Kansas City over a new contract, 90min understands. The 30-year-old has been with SKC since early 2020 after joining from Turkish giants Besiktas, going on to make 46 appearances across all competitions for Peter Vermes’ side so far. Isimat-Mirin became something of a key piece for Kansas City in 2022, playing over 2,200 minutes during the MLS regular season while ranking first among his teammates for clearances (102) and second for aerial duels won (43). However, the defender’s contract is due to expire next month,Read More →

[ad_1] England are one game away from going the entirety of 2022 unbeaten after a 4-0 victory over Japan in their penultimate match of the year. Goals from Rachel Daly, Chloe Kelly, Ella Toone and Jess Park saw the Lionesses to a comfortable friendly victory at the Pinitar Arena on Friday evening. England will wrap up a memorable year with an unbeaten record should they avoid defeat against Norway on Tuesday. The Lionesses were missing a number of key players through injury and illness, giving first senior starts to youngsters Niamh Charles and Esme Morgan. However, it was familiar faces in the thick of theRead More →

[ad_1] Paris Saint-Germain’s final game before the World Cup break sees them take on Auxerre at Parc des Princes. Christophe Galtier has enjoyed a relatively successful first half to his maiden season in the French capital, with PSG guaranteed to be top at Christmas and the only blip on their record coming in the Champions League having somehow finished second in their group. He’ll be hoping the superstars at his disposal won’t have one eye on jetting off to Qatar. They take on a newly promoted side in Auxerre this weekend, who currently sit two points clear of the bottom four. Here’s how you canRead More →

[ad_1] Most of the world’s top teams play with a defensive midfielder – somebody decided to stay back and do the dirty work while your creative players shine in attack. Plenty of tactics in Football Manager 2023 include a DM and so it’s important to make sure you’ve got a reliable one, and there are plenty of options out there for teams with any sort of transfer budget. Here are the best defensive midfielders to sign on FM23. David LopezGirona Comfortable both in midfield and defence, Lopez is one of a few top-tier options that you’ll find at this price tag. The 32-year-old brings 14Read More →

[ad_1] Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag appears to have all but confirmed that Anthony Martial will be his first-choice striker moving forward, as long as the Frenchman can stay fit. Martial has missed most of United’s season so far because of injury but has managed six goal contributions across his six appearances in all competitions – including a goal against Aston Villa on Thursday night in his first start since August. United lack depth up front, with Cristiano Ronaldo the only real alternative ‘number nine’ since the summer departure of Edinson Cavani. Marcus Rashford can also play centrally but is best suited and moreRead More →