Blog (Page 233)

Edson Alvarez is quickly becoming a dominant Mexican figure abroad. The midfielder first kicked off his professional career with Club America, working through the youth academy before securing a debut with the senior team in 2016. Alvarez quickly stood out, taking a defensive lead in the midfield while facilitating the attack. He scored his first career goal in the 2016 Apertura final against Tigres UANL. But it wasn’t until 2018 that his efforts earned him offensive credibility. The midfielder was given the start in the second leg of the Apertura final against Cruz Azul, replacing an injured Mateus Uribe. Alvarez embraced the responsibilities well, scoringRead More →

Spain will compete in next summer’s Nations League finals after beating Iberian rivals Portugal 1-0 late in the day on Tuesday. The Selecao only needed a point to qualify while Luis Enrique’s Roja needed all three after their shock loss to Switzerland last week, and the visitors eventually found a way through to book their spot in the final four. Portugal nearly gifted Spain an early opening Pablo Sarabia won the ball off of Joao Cancelo on the edge of the Selecao’s penalty area, but his effort was blocked and the hosts got away with it. Fernando Santos’ men created their first half-sight of goalRead More →

Australia international Garang Kuol is set to finalise a move to Newcastle United, sources have told 90min. 90min revealed earlier this month that Newcastle were in talks with his club Central Coast Mariners, and now a deal is understood to be in place with Eddie Howe’s side seeing off competition from various clubs, including German giants Borussia Dortmund. Newcastle were waiting for Kuol to complete his international duty with Australia this month before finalising the deal. The 18-year-old made his debut against New Zealand on Sunday and is now believed to be heading to Europe. Kuol and his camp have already agreed terms with NewcastleRead More →

Former Premier League winner and England international Fabian Delph has announced his retirement from football at the age of 32. The ex-midfielder was released by Everton at the end of last season and was a free agent heading into the 2022/23 campaign. But Delph confirmed on Tuesday that he is hanging his boots up for good after 16 years in the professional game. “So today I announce my retirement with nothing but happiness and gratitude for what this beautiful game has given me. Massive shout out to my family, friends, players and staff from the amazing clubs I have been fortunate enough to represent asRead More →

Harry Maguire waited in the Wembley tunnel for two hours to speak to manager Gareth Southgate following another disastrous performance in England’s 3-3 Nations League draw with Germany. The central defender, who has come under heavy scrutiny for his performances for Manchester United in recent years, gave away a penalty for Germany’s opening goal before giving the ball away for another with a careless pass. It is the latest in a series of lows for the 29-year-old, with his place in future England squads now looking in jeopardy despite excellent performances at the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2020. With Southgate unlikely to meet withRead More →

Legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has named his top five currently active shot-stoppers, with Thibaut Courtois sitting at the top of the list. Widely considered to be one of the best goalkeepers of all time, Buffon was asked to name his top five keepers while in attendance at the Festival dello Sport, an event run by Italian publication La Gazzetta dello Sport. The 44-year-old found room for his compatriot Gianluigi Donnarumma on the list, naming the Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper in second place behind the Belgian Courtois. Scott Saunders, Graeme Bailey, Toby Cudworth and Sean Walsh bring you a brand new episode of Talking Transfers. The team discuss Jude Bellingham’s future, BayernRead More →

Jesper Lindstrom has described himself as ‘insanely happy’ to be linked with a transfer to Arsenal, describing it is a ‘huge confidence boost’ that proves he is doing things right at Eintracht Frankfurt. A recent report in Germany claimed that Lindstrom, who joined Frankfurt in 2021 and helped the club win the Europa League last season, is attracting interest from the Gunners. Although the 22-year-old Denmark international insists there has been no contact from Arsenal and he is solely focused on Frankfurt, he has admitted he is flattered by the attention. “It’s a huge confidence boost. It is one of the biggest things as a footballer,Read More →

Juventus midfielder Leandro Paredes has admitted he ‘didn’t have a relationship’ with Kylian Mbappe during their time together at Paris Saint-Germain. The 28-year-old spent three years playing alongside Mbappe for the French champions, but is spending this season on loan at Juve in a bid to earn more playing time before the World Cup. Mbappe has long been rumoured to be a divisive figure in the PSG dressing room, with Brazil forward Neymar among the detractors of the 23-year-old Frenchman. “I am not the one to talk about him. I had a connection with the ones I had a relationship with,” Paredes told ESPN ArgentinaRead More →

The first half of Monday evening’s meeting between England and Germany was alright. Gareth Southgate’s men were nothing special, but there was at least a much-needed sight of some creative desire. The problem was, however, that there was still the obvious fear of conceding goals and losing games which held them back. Southgate’s side has built itself around being tough to beat. Their recent success revolved around their defence, but that mystique has crumbled this summer. England failed to win any of their six Nations League games and were deservedly relegated from the competition’s top tier. And yet, the final feeling stemming from the nightmarishRead More →

Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy has been back in training with the teammates who remained during the international break as he steps up his recovery from a knee injury. The Senegal international was rested for the final game of the Thomas Tuchel era against Dinamo Zagreb before being left out completely in Graham Potter’s debut as a result of the issue, which he is understood to have picked up in the 2-1 win over West Ham at the start of the month. Kepa Arrizabalaga has stepped in to replace Mendy in the past two games but Potter is now expected to have the option to recallRead More →