Tag: football

Wrexham aims to expand the US presence with the TST tournament, and potential friendlies

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Love it or hate it, FX’s documentary series “Welcome to Wrexham” and Wrexham AFC, the Welsh club featured in the show, have become a talking point in American soccer circles. Take last week’s FA Cup fourth round match. Wrexham, who play in the National League – the fifth tier of professional football in the United Kingdom – faced Championship side Sheffield United. without “Welcome to Wrexham,” And without Wrexham’s famous owners, Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, the match would not have been noticed in the States. But in the club’s…

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Analysis Real Madrid 2-0 Valencia: An unexpected mid-season hero emerges on a night of contrasts

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Real Madrid were on their way to a 2-0 victory over Valencia on Thursday night when Gabriel Paulista set the frigid Santiago Bernabéu on fire. In the 72nd minute, Vinicius Jr. had the ball at his feet but was in no danger on the left wing. With a hard blow from his right boot, Paulista knocked down his fellow Brazilian, which led to a melee. Eduardo Camavinga squared off to Paulista, Vinicius Jr. rose to his feet and pushed him, and the referee showed a red card to overturn Valencia’s…

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USMNT holds Colombia to a goalless draw in an international friendly

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The USA men’s national team held Colombia to a scoreless 0-0 draw Saturday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. Here’s what you need to know: This is the fourth time in their career that the USMNT has met Colombia head-to-head. Coming into Saturday, the USMNT has lost four in a row to Colombia. Colombia led on shots 12-5 but the USMNT had a shots advantage on goal 2-1. Columbia accounted for 55 percent, compared to the USMNT’s 45 percent. The USMNT finished with a loss and a…

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Why was it possible that Man United’s poor organization coming out of possession could end in tears

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If Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Manchester United on Sunday afternoon seems momentous, that’s because it was essentially two big wins combined. On the one hand, it was about Arsenal completely beating United, dominating possession and territory, and creating more chances. On the other hand, there was the drama of a late winner who provided an exhilarating final moment. But for all the spark of Arsenal’s attack, they dominated this game because they were much better organized without possession. First, here’s a situation after 90 seconds that will define the game.…

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American football should move on from Greg Berhalter, Beasley, Bucks and Foddy say

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Veteran US men’s and women’s World Cup finalists Darcus Beasley, Shannon Box and Julie Foudy said Tuesday night they believe US soccer should move on from Greg Berhalter as manager of the men’s national team. Speaking on HBO Max’s post-match showing of the US’s 4-0 friendly victory over New Zealand, Beasley, a four-time Men’s World Cup veteran and former US teammate at Berhalter, said the coach “lost the locker room, lost the confidence of the players.” “ However, Paisley tweeted on Wednesday that he was stating his “opinions” and “personally…

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USWNT is thinking about the past, and preparing for the future in New Zealand

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The USWNT’s first “work trip” is underway entirely in New Zealand, with the team now just days away from January camp in Auckland. On Tuesday, they will take a short trip to Wellington for their first friendly match against Football Ferns, before returning to Auckland for the return leg. As part of the test run for this summer’s World Cup, eight players got their first taste of local interest as part of an event put on by US Soccer to provide access to the New Zealand media. Alex Morgan, Crystal…

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‘A title that can ignite a generation’ – The Super Cup is just the beginning for Xavi Barcelona

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Being a Barcelona fan the last couple of years has been so frustrating that all anyone can really hope for is one lovely night. Xavi Hernandez won his first trophy as the club’s manager in an impressive victory and outstanding display against the Spanish champions, European champions and his club’s fiercest rivals – Real Madrid. The 3-1 final score wasn’t even a fair reversal of their dominance, as their young stars – Final MVP Gavi (18), Pedri (20) – shone in Saudi Arabia. The Spanish Super Cup may not be…

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Marcus Rashford’s reaction to the resignation underscores Erik Ten Hag’s absolute authority

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When Erik ten Hag revealed Marcus Rashford had been dropped to the bench at Manchester United for “internal disciplinary” reasons during his pre-match interview with BT Sport, those in the studio had to ask him to repeat himself. There may have been a bad streak, there was certainly a suspicion. Quietly, Tin Hag said the same two words again. It felt like the starting gun for another story of united turmoil. The last player to be sanctioned for such issues, Ten Hag, walked out of the club shortly after and…

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What Cody Jacobo brings to Liverpool: Speed, versatility and instinctive finishing

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I felt there was a growing inevitability that PSV and Netherlands striker Cody Jacobo would become a Manchester United player. Among United’s fanbase, there was much optimism that Gakpo, who has scored 55 goals and provided 50 assists for PSV in 159 appearances, would move to Old Trafford in 2023. However, in the last 24 hours that idea fell apart and the 23-year-old would join. to Liverpool. PSV’s announcement on Monday night that they had reached an agreement with Liverpool came as a surprise to many – not least because…

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Argentina succeeded by doing what few have tried at the World Cup: running backwards

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Argentina’s 3-0 win over Croatia was a curious contest. Nothing much happened in the opening half hour and I was left waiting for the match to start. Then, all of a sudden, it felt like game over. Two goals in a five-minute period put Argentina in command, and while Croatia are used to coming from behind in World Cup finals, they never looked like they had the attacking threat necessary to get back that goal. The tactical battle was fairly typical of this World Cup. Both sides focused on maintaining…

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