Football Blog (Page 251)

[ad_1] USMNT figure Ricardo Pepi opened up about his recent time in Germany with FC Augsburg, revealing ‘it was quite a tough time’ after finding it difficult to adapt.  The striker completed the move from Major League Soccer’s FC Dallas to Augsburg in January, breaking club record with transfer fee of $20m. But the American quickly experienced a downturn in form, going from 13 goals and three assists to the bench.  “It was quite a tough time. A different country, a different culture and a different competition. It was honestly a lot at the same time,” Pepi told Voetbal International. “My feeling was that IRead More →

[ad_1] Santos Laguna goalkeeper Carlos Acevedo revealed he looks up to Liga MX and El Tri figure Guillermo Ochoa, adding ‘I know what he represents to Mexican football, and to myself as a fan’. Acevedo has faced the Club America goalkeeper on several occasions in Liga MX, but only recently began interacting with Ochoa on a national team setting.  The Santos Laguna only debuted with El Tri on December 8, 2021, become a keen option as third-choice goalkeeper for head coach Gerardo Martino in just under a year. But despite the limited timeline, Ochoa has already become a source of inspiration and guidance for Acevedo.Read More →

[ad_1] Many on the outside have given up on Charlotte FC’s MLS Cup Playoffs hopes, but those within certainly haven’t. The expansion club have enjoyed plenty of highs during their debut seasons in the league, but went into Saturday’s clash with defending champions NYCFC on a run of five defeats in their last six games. The gap between themselves and the top seven in the East was widening, but luckily, NYCFC were the last team Charlotte beat and they managed to repeat the feat thanks to Daniel Rios’ fifth-minute goal at Bank of America Stadium. Six points now separate CLTFC from the Playoffs with justRead More →

[ad_1] Tottenham are back in Champions League action on Tuesday when they travel to Sporting CP. Spurs were due to face Manchester City on Saturday but the game and the rest of English football’s schedule was postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. In their last outing, Antonio Conte’s side beat Marseille 2-0 thanks to two headed goals from Richarlison. GK: Hugo Lloris – Spurs were a nervy wreck on their return to the Champions League last week and Lloris’ display between the sticks didn’t help. Needs an assured performance as captain. CB: Cristian Romero – Surprisingly subbed off before full time last againstRead More →

[ad_1] The top 23 players in FIFA 23 have been revealed, with five players sharing the honour of being the game’s top talent. Usual suspect Lionel Messi is there at 91 overall, but this year, he is joined by Karim Benzema, Robert Lewandowski, Kylian Mbappe and Kevin De Bruyne. It’s the first time in Ultimate Team history that five players have shared the game’s highest rating and the first time since FIFA 19 that Messi hasn’t been on his own at the top of the rankings. The top players in FUT 23 / EA Sports Behind them is the 90-rated group of Mohamed Salah, VirgilRead More →

[ad_1] The 2022/23 WSL season will kick off on Friday 16 September, after the opening weekend was postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. All fixtures up and down the football pyramid were postponed between 9-11 October as a mark of respect for the long-serving monarch, who passed away in Balmoral on Thursday, The 2022/23 WSL season will now open with Arsenal vs Brighton at Borehamwood on Friday evening, kick off at 19:30 (BST). Manchester United host Reading on Saturday, before Aston Villa versus Manchester City, West Ham against Everton, Leicester versus Tottenham and Liverpool against Chelsea all take place on the Sunday. TheRead More →

[ad_1] Liverpool have suffered an injury blow ahead of their Champions League clash with Ajax with Andy Robertson expected to miss out with a knee problem. The Reds’ Champions League campaign got off to the worst possible start last week as they were well-beaten by Napoli at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Robertson played the full 90 minutes in that one, but he has since picked up a knee problem. The Scotland captain was wearing a brace on his left knee at the club’s training ground in Kirkby over the weekend and the Liverpool Echo believe it will keep him out of Tuesday’s game. KostasRead More →

[ad_1] Carlo Ancelotti says it is up to him to find a way to manage Marco Asensio after the Real Madrid star expressed his anger at a lack of playing time. The Spanish international has been restricted to just 17 minutes on the pitch so far this season, but he looked set for a run-out from the bench in the 4-1 win over Mallorca. However, despite instructing Asensio to warm-up, Ancelotti turned to Dani Carvajal, Nacho, Luka Modric and Eduardo Camavinga instead. That provoked an expression of frustration from Asensio, who tossed his training bib to the ground, kicked a cooler box and threw hisRead More →

[ad_1] Chelsea have spoken with Luis Campos as part of their search for a new sporting director, 90min understands. Former Blues chief Marina Granovskaia left the club shortly following Todd Boehly’s takeover, leaving the new co-owner to operate as interim sporting director during the summer transfer window, in which he spent close to £300m to bolster his new squad. The plan was always to find a more-experienced head to take over from Boehly once the dust from the transfer window had settled and now Chelsea are focused on sorting out their recruitment team – a process in which new manager Graham Potter will help. SourcesRead More →

[ad_1] The Manchester United squad believe Cristiano Ronaldo will push for a move away from the club in January, regardless of how Erik ten Hag’s side are performing. N’Golo Kante has rejected Chelsea‘s opening offer of a new contract. The 31-year-old wants a guaranteed three-year deal with the option for a further 12 months, but the new regime are reluctant to make such a long-term commitment. The Blues are planning a move for AC Milan forward Rafael Leao in 2023 and have been boosted by news that talks over a new contract for the Portugal international have stalled over wage demands. Liverpool and Man UtdRead More →