Blog (Page 170)

[ad_1] Cameroon came from two goals down to earn a credible 3-3 draw with Serbia on Monday morning. Both Cameroon and Serbia entered the game on the brink of elimination from the World Cup after two opening defeats, almost giving this fixture the air of a knockout game. The first big chance came after a deft flick from Serbia’s captain Dusan Tadic, with Aleksandar Mitrovic rattling the woodwork in the tenth minute. The Fulham target man had cut inside the hapless Nicolas Nkoulou and fired across goal on his left foot, he was unfortunate not to score in the end. Another glorious chance fell toRead More →

[ad_1] Gareth Southgate has insisted that Phil Foden will be play a ‘big part’ for England at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Foden is arguably the brightest young talent in the Premier League, having won the PFA Young Player of the Year in consecutive seasons, and has been in fine form for Manchester City during the current campaign – scoring seven goals in 14 league appearances. Despite this, at international level the 22-year-old has found opportunities slightly harder to come by. Foden was brought on as a sub in England’s opening game win over Iran, before not even making it off the bench inRead More →

[ad_1] After a heartbreaking miss in the Euro 2020 final last year, Marcus Rashford has insisted that he is ready to step up and take a penalty again for England. Rashford, who came off the bench to score against Iran in England’s opening game, explained that he enjoys big moments and won’t shy away if called upon. In fact, he’s even looking forward to an opportunity to redeem himself from the spot. “You never want to miss a penalty,” he said. “As an individual, I’ve always been comfortable and I enjoy being in big moments so I’m hoping that we get to take another penaltyRead More →

[ad_1] Wales midfielder Joe Allen has admitted that his side will go into Tuesday’s match with England with ‘a different game plan’ to their opening two matches in the competition, after taking a solitary point from their two World Cup matches so far. Allen returned from injury after a number of months on the sidelines with a hamstring issue against Iran, though his side conceded two late goals following his introduction. It leaves Wales bottom of the group and needing to beat England to have any chance of qualifying for the last 16. A big criticism of the Welsh team so far in Qatar hasRead More →

[ad_1] Alvaro Morata remained positive despite Spain falling to a late draw with Germany in Group E at the World Cup, insisting they faced an ‘amazing team’. Morata came off the bench to fire Spain ahead after an hour in what looked like another dominant display, but they let Germany back in late in the game and Die Mannschaft punished them through substitutions of their own. Niclas Fullkrug fired in an equaliser after 83 minutes to ensure the game finished 1-1 and increase Germany’s chances of making it to the knockout stages. Speaking to the BBC after the final whistle, Morata wasn’t concerned with hisRead More →

[ad_1] The second round of the 2022/23 FA Cup took place this weekend as teams competed to reach the third round and earn a glamorous tie against one of the Premier League’s elite. The 40 winners from the previous round competed at this stage, with Premier League and Championship clubs joining in the next round. What were the biggest upsets in the FA Cup second round? The only side remaining from the seventh tier of English football – Alvechurch – exited the competition in the second round as they were beaten by League One Forest Green Rovers 2-1. All seven sides from the sixth divisionRead More →

[ad_1] Usually, home advantage gives the nations hosting a World Cup a big boost on the pitch, but that’s not always the case. While those playing host have ended the tournament as World Champions on six occasions, others haven’t done nearly as well on home turf. Here are our five worst World Cup host nations ever. Japan couldn’t get past Turkey / Alex Livesey/GettyImages Relative to expectations, Japan didn’t do too badly in 2002, and they’re really only in our top five because of how well host nations usually perform. Having played three and lost three World Cup matches prior to the edition they hostedRead More →

[ad_1] Marcus Rashford has explained some of the differences in the England camp since Gareth Southgate became manager, focusing on the training intensity. The Manchester United forward has worked his way back into the Three Lions setup after falling out of favour after the Euro 2020 final. He came off the bench to score his first World Cup goal against Iran in matchday one, though, and has credited that sharpness to the quality of training sessions under Southgate, which didn’t exist beforehand. “Everyone is ready and I’m raring to go,” He said in a press conference, adding:  “Training has been good for the lads whoRead More →

[ad_1] Mexico fell to a 0-2 defeat by Argentina on Saturday at the Lusail Stadium, as goals from Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernandez propelled the Albiceleste to all three points.  El Tri kicked off strong in the first half, shutting down Argentina in the final third before managing three shots and one on goal. But the second 45 saw a defeated Mexico side take the field, constantly overwhelmed by Argentina before Messi and Fernandez found the back of the net.  Kevin Alvarez, who made his World Cup debut during Saturday’s game, explained the defeat. “We had been handling the first half very well, the startRead More →

[ad_1] Denmark and Australia clash on Wednesday in what is a straight shootout for second spot in Group D. France’s victory over the Danes secured Les Bleus’ spot in the last 16 of the World Cup, while the Socceroos triumphed over Tunisia to jump into second. Tunisia will need victory over France – a tall order at the best of times – to go through, but right now it’s Australia who hold the edge and avoiding defeat to Denmark would likely seal their route through to the knockout stages. Here’s what you need to know about the game ahead of kick off. Denmark vs AustraliaRead More →