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USWNT beats Canada to reach W Gold Cup final, but should rain-soaked match have been played at all?

SAN DIEGO — Closer to water polo than a game of soccer, Wednesday’s Concacaf W Gold Cup semifinal win for the United States women’s national team over Canada played out as a bizarre rainy spectacle at Snapdragon Stadium. With stormy weather impacting a waterlogged field, any and all tactics immediately became irrelevant as 15,245 fans watched both sides fail to do much with a ball that became stuck every few…

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March 8, 2024

Arsenal women avg. crowd exceeds 10 PL clubs

Arsenal’s victory over rivals Tottenham at a sold-out Emirates Stadium on Sunday means that the Women’s Super League (WSL) club’s average attendance this season (34,997) is now higher than that of 10 Premier League teams. The north London club – who sit third in the WSL table, three points behind Manchester City and league leaders Chelsea – have attracted 279,974 supporters to watch the team this season and have sold…

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March 7, 2024

Barça defend equality policy after labour fine

Barcelona have rejected doubts cast on their commitment to gender equality policies after being fined an undisclosed sum by Spain’s labour ministry for not meeting workplace regulations. Spain’s vice president and labour minister Yolanda Díaz said on Wednesday that Barça — along with the Spanish Football Federation [RFEF] and two other lower-league clubs — failed to meet regulations obliging workplaces with at least 50 employees to have “equality plans” in…

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March 7, 2024

Arsenal’s rout over Sheffield United shows winnable games are becoming routine

SHEFFIELD, England — There was a time when Arsenal struggled to justify favouritism on nights like this, but it is a measure of their transformation under manager Mikel Arteta that Sheffield United were cowering in fear before kick-off. Empty seats were dotted around Bramall Lane at kick-off with many home fans presumably fearing the worst after a torrid campaign to date. They weren’t wrong. Within 15 minutes, Martin Ødegaard, a…

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March 6, 2024

Sources: Managers eye Utd amid Ten Hag doubt

Manchester United have been approached by representatives of several managers believing that Erik ten Hag could be removed from his post before the start of next season, sources have told ESPN. Ten Hag is under pressure following the 3-1 derby defeat to Manchester City on Sunday which left his team sixth on the Premier League table. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) The Dutchman has been told that…

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March 6, 2024

Meet the other Lionel Messi: An 11-year-old who plays for São Paulo

Lionel Messi had just won his fourth FIFA Ballon d’Or in Jan. 2013 in Switzerland when the son of Eduardo Aparecido Ney da Silva was born a few days later in Campinas, in the countryside of São Paulo, Brazil. Two events that, although seemingly distant, are related. This relationship became even more curious in Feb. 2013 when the 11-year-old boy appeared on the Daily Informative Bulletin (BID) of the Brazilian…

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March 5, 2024

Man United miles behind City, Real Madrid-Valencia drama, Liverpool’s late goal: Marcotti recaps the weekend

It’s been another action-packed weekend in European soccer, so let’s review. Sunday brought the Manchester derby and with it, a fresh reminder as to how far back Man United are from Pep Guardiola and Man City. Real Madrid returned to Valencia, where Vinicius was racially abused last season, and the 2-2 draw came with plenty of controversy on and off the pitch. Premier League leaders Liverpool got a late, late…

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March 5, 2024

Man City’s comeback exposed chasm in class between derby rivals

MANCHESTER, England — By the end, the 192nd Manchester derby had provided a fair idea of where the city’s two biggest clubs are. Manchester City, dominant for so much of the afternoon at the Etihad Stadium, won 3-1 to stay in the hunt for a record fourth successive Premier League title. Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, meanwhile, decided the only way his team could match their neighbours was to…

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March 4, 2024

Transfer Talk: Barca join Man United, PSG in race for Bardghji

The summer transfer window is still a way from reopening in Europe, but there are plenty of moves in the works and gossip swirling around. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals! Barcelona have joined a swathe of European giants tracking FC Copenhagen starlet Roony Bardghji, according to Mundo Deportivo. Manchester United, Juventus, Chelsea, Bayer Leverkusen, Paris Saint-Germain and Real…

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March 4, 2024

Referee robs Real on Vini’s Valencia return

Another weekend of European football action is underway, and there was no shortage of drama — particularly in Spain. There was more referee drama with Real Madrid, there were protests in Valencia, and there was vindication for Vinícius Júnior. Elsewhere on the continent, Luis Enrique stirred the pot quite considerably in Kylian Mbappé’s Paris Saint-Germain swan song, while Bayern Munich took another step toward coronating Bayer Leverkusen as Bundesliga champions.…

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March 3, 2024

Spurs’ Ange: Out of love with football over VARApril 5, 2025
Ange Postecoglou has said he is “falling out of love with football” after admitting he made a mistake in celebrating Pape Matar Sarr’s disallowed goal against Tottenham, but not because he risked a fan backlash. Spurs lost 1-0 at Chelsea on Thursday but Sarr had a second-half strike ruled out by VAR. Postecoglou’s decision to… Read more: Spurs’ Ange: Out of love with football over VAR
Fenerbahce: Mourinho provoked before nose grabApril 5, 2025
Fenerbahce have come out in defence of their coach Jose Mourinho, claiming he was provoked by his Galatasaray counterpart Okan Buruk following Wednesday’s Turkish Cup game between the sides. Mourinho, whose team lost 2-1 in the quarterfinal, was seen grabbing the nose of Buruk following a scuffle that broke out between the players on the… Read more: Fenerbahce: Mourinho provoked before nose grab
Harry Kane is on a mission to finally end his long personal trophy droughtApril 4, 2025
Harry Kane is a man on a mission. Not just for Bayern Munich but also for himself. It’s simple: the England captain finally wants to win silverware of note. Despite winning goal-scoring trophies and featuring in five finals, Kane has never tasted victory in a major competition, a run of futility that has even made… Read more: Harry Kane is on a mission to finally end his long personal trophy drought
Tottenham’s Postecoglou on thin ice with his future more uncertain than everApril 4, 2025
LONDON — Ange Postecoglou is no stranger to risk, but on Thursday, he played his most dangerous game yet. Tottenham Hotspur were midway through another insipid Premier League performance when his 64th-minute double change — introducing Pape Matar Sarr and Brennan Johnson for Lucas Bergvall and Wilson Odobert — elicited a brief but audible chant… Read more: Tottenham’s Postecoglou on thin ice with his future more uncertain than ever
City fans protest over ticket issues, miss 1st goalApril 3, 2025
Manchester City fans boycotted the opening of their Premier League fixture against Leicester City on Wednesday in protest at ticketing issues at the Etihad Stadium. Supporters gathered outside the stadium an hour before kick-off with a banner which read: “MCFC – For the love not the money.” Hundreds of fans also remained in the concourses… Read more: City fans protest over ticket issues, miss 1st goal
Carlo Ancelotti to go on trial for tax evasionApril 3, 2025
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti told a Spanish court on Wednesday that he “never thought about committing fraud” as he gave evidence in a trial in which he’s accused of failing to pay over €1 million ($1.08m) in taxes. Prosecutors have accused the veteran coach of evading paying tax on his image rights income during… Read more: Carlo Ancelotti to go on trial for tax evasion
Anthony Elanga is proof of how Man United desperately need to improve transfer strategyApril 2, 2025
NOTTINGHAM, England — Anthony Elanga chose a muted celebration after his wonderful solo goal against Manchester United, but the smile that crept over his face gave away the quiet satisfaction of scoring against his former club. Who could blame him? Man United decided Elanga wasn’t good enough when he was allowed to move to Nottingham… Read more: Anthony Elanga is proof of how Man United desperately need to improve transfer strategy
Flick: No luck to Barcelona success this seasonApril 2, 2025
Hansi Flick has said there is no luck to Barcelona success this season but he knows it is trophies that matter as he prepares for Wednesday’s “final before the final” against Atlético Madrid in the Copa del Rey. Barça and Atlético drew 4-4 in the first leg of their Copa semifinal in February and finally… Read more: Flick: No luck to Barcelona success this season
Isco on Antony: We need to crowdfund for himApril 1, 2025
Real Betis midfielder Isco has joked that crowdfunding will be needed to keep Manchester United’s loanee Antony at the club for at least next season. Antony has been a big hit in Spain since joining on loan from United after a difficult first half of the campaign at Old Trafford. However, the loan deal which… Read more: Isco on Antony: We need to crowdfund for him
Haaland’s nightmare game, Napoli back in Serie A title race, RB Leipzig chaos, moreApril 1, 2025
The international break has finished and this weekend brought us plenty to talk about as European club action returned with a bang! Manchester City advanced in the FA Cup despite a game to forget by Erling Haaland, and Napoli took a decisive step back into Serie A’s title race while simultaneously wrecking Milan’s aspirations of… Read more: Haaland’s nightmare game, Napoli back in Serie A title race, RB Leipzig chaos, more