Archive for October 2018

Too early to write off Bayern, warns Dortmund legend Kehl

October 29, 2018 Add Comment
Too early to write off Bayern, warns Dortmund legend Kehl
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Too early to write off Bayern, warns Dortmund legend Kehl
Too early to write off Bayern, warns Dortmund legend Kehl
Bayern Munich are still favourites for the Bundesliga title despite their indifferent start to the 2018-19 season, says Borussia Dortmund legend Sebastian Kehl. After four successive wins at the start of Niko Kovac's tenure, Bayern failed to win any of their next three to pile pressure on the new head coach. In that time Dortmund went from strength to strength under Lucien Favre, and league leaders Dortmund – who are two points clear of Bayern - remain unbeaten after nine matches. Bayern arrested their mini-slump with wins over Wolfsburg and Mainz to ease the pressure on Kovac, their Bundesliga successes coming either side of a 2-0 Champions League triumph over AEK Athens. And Kehl expects them to push on and re-establish themselves as title contenders in the coming months – even if Dortmund win their head-to-head meeting on November 10.  "The problems Bayern have had will not last until the end of the season," Dortmund's head of the licensed player division told Sky.  "They will fight back and continue to be favourites for the title, nothing has changed. "[There is] still a long way to go."

Helicopter of Leicester City owners crashes outside stadium

October 28, 2018 Add Comment
Helicopter of Leicester City owners crashes outside stadium
Sportsnet.ca
Helicopter of Leicester City owners crashes outside stadium
Helicopter of Leicester City owners crashes outside stadium

LEICESTER, England — A helicopter was engulfed in flames in a carpark outside English soccer club Leicester shortly after a Premier League game on Saturday.

The helicopter belonging to Leicester’s ownership took off from the center of the field at King Power Stadium more than an hour after the game against West Ham was drawn 1-1, and crashed seconds later.

But there were no immediate details about who was on board.

The team said it was assisting authorities with “a major incident” outside the stadium but no further information was provided.

The local ambulance service said in a statement: “We received a call at 8:38 p.m. this evening to reports of a helicopter crash near King Power Stadium. We sent a doctor, two paramedics in ambulance cars, a crewed ambulance and our Hazardous Area Response Team, with the first resource arriving within two minutes of the call.”

Leicester was bought in 2010 by billionaire Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who also owns Thai duty-free retail giant King Power. The team won the English Premier League at odds of 5,000-1 in 2016.

The Premier League tweeted: “Thoughts from all at the Premier League are with everyone affected by tonight’s incident.”

Leicester players Harry Maguire and Wilfred Ndidi tweeted the emoji of praying hands.

Champions League review: Juventus setting the pace early on

October 24, 2018 Add Comment
Champions League review: Juventus setting the pace early on
Sportsnet.ca
Champions League review: Juventus setting the pace early on
Champions League review: Juventus setting the pace early on

Here’s what happened on Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League, in case you missed it…

READ ALL ABOUT IT

• Roundup: Ronaldo’s return to Manchester, Bayern back on track & more
• Jose takes a stroll: Mourinho walks to Old Trafford for Juve match

SCOREBOARD

AEK Athens 0, Bayern Munich 2 || Ajax 1, Benfica 0 || Hoffenhein 3, Lyon 3 || Shakhtar Donetsk 0, Manchester City 3 || Real Madrid 2, Viktoria Plzen 1 || AS Roma 3, CSKA Moscow 0 || Young Boys 1, Valencia 1 || Manchester United 0, Juventus 1

THE MAIN STORY

Juve sets the pace early on
A lot of the pre-game narrative surrounding Tuesday’s fixtures centred on Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford as Juventus paid a visit to Manchester United. Ronaldo didn’t disappoint. The Portuguese star put in a solid shift in setting up Paulo Dybala’s winner, and if not for a fabulous save from David de Gea, he would have scored on the pitch he once called home and before the same fans who showered him with love.

But Tuesday night wasn’t about Ronaldo, nor was the game as close as the 1-0 score line in favour of the Italians suggested. This was a complete team performance from Juventus, who dominated the game from start to finish. They out-worked, out-fought and out-thought the Red Devils for 90 minutes. The hosts were forced to chase shadows for long stretches, such was Juve’s domination of possession. Jose Mourinho could only watch on helplessly from the touchline. The Manchester United manager didn’t even make a substitution – the Portuguese knew there was nothing he could do to swing the contest in his favour against Juve.

In total, the hosts managed one shot on target and just a pair of corner kicks. The Italians outmuscled the English club in midfield, constantly winning second balls and putting United on their heels. When Mourinho’s men did venture forward or have a spell of possession, they were quickly snuffed out by Juve’s twin towers of defence, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini.

After three games, Juventus is in firm control of Group H, with three wins from three games played (two of those matches were on the road), and they’ve outscored the opposition by a combined 6-0. We’re only halfway through the group stage, so it’d be silly to pick a favourite to win the competition, especially one that is as wide open as this year’s version.

But Juventus has been the class of this competition thus far, setting the pace with their flawless play and stellar in-game management.

BEST GOAL

Bayern doubled its advantage in the 63rd minute with a fabulous sequence of one-touch passing. Serge Gnabry played a clever no-look feed for Rafinha, who made a run down the left side of the box. His low cross found its way through AEK Athens’ defence, allowing Robert Lewandowski to score with a simple tap-in.

BEST MOMENT

Managers Jose Mourinho and Massimiliano Allegri shared a laugh together on the touchline after stadium stewards struggled to tackle a pitch invader at Old Trafford in the fourth minute.

BEST GAME

It didn’t have the marquee value or star power of Juventus vs. Manchester United at Old Trafford, but Hoffenheim and Lyon put on a show in Germany, combining for six goals in a game with plenty of drama, twists and turns.

HE SAID IT

“[Leonardo] Bonucci and [Giorgio] Chiellini could go to Harvard to give listens on central defending. Fantastic, absolutely fantastic.” – Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho.

SIX PACK OF STATS

• Gareth Bale made his 200th appearance in all competitions for Real Madrid on Tuesday.

• Bayern Munich has kept clean sheets in consecutive Champions League away games for the first time since 2013 when it blanked Juventus and FC Barcelona.

• Manchester City is the first English side to win away at Shakhtar Donetsk in European competition in eight games.

• Juventus’ Paulo Dybala has scored five goals in his last four Champions League games, as many as in his previous 24 appearances in the competition.

• Lyon has scored three goals or more in a Champions League away game for the first time since December 2011 when it hammered Dinamo Zagreb 7-1.

• Ajax on Tuesday scored a winning goal after 90 minutes in a Champions League match for the first time since November 2005.

Stats courtesy of Opta

THREE STARS

1) Edin Dzeko, AS Roma: Scored twice in the opening half, and assisted on the Italians’ third goal against visitors CSKA Moscow.

2) Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chielinni, Juventus: The Italian duo put on another masterclass in defending as Jose Mourinho longingly looked on.

3) Andrej Kramaric, Hoffenheim: Bagged a brace for the Germans in a wild game against Lyon.

Sarri & his Chelsea transfer plans: Why we know three in the January works

October 23, 2018 Add Comment
Sarri & his Chelsea transfer plans: Why we know three in the January works
Tribal Football - Football News, Soccer News, Transfers & Rumours
Sarri & his Chelsea transfer plans: Why we know three in the January works
Sarri & his Chelsea transfer plans: Why we know three in the January works

COMMENT: They say it comes in threes. And for Chelsea fans keen to learn Maurizio Sarri's transfer plans, it all came in a one, two, three rush last week.

Bish! Gonzalo Higuain, Sarri's former Napoli striker, admits he spoke at length with Chelsea before choosing to leave Juventus over the summer for AC Milan. Bosh! Daniele Rugani's agent, Davide Torchia, confirms Chelsea did all they could to prise the young defender away from Juve before the market shut. Bash! Kicked from pillar to post by Manchester United on Saturday, it became absolutely crystal clear that Eden Hazard needs a minder in midfield to keep his ankles safe.

Read more on Tribal Football

Whitecaps’ playoff dreams faint after loss to Sporting KC

October 18, 2018 Add Comment
Whitecaps’ playoff dreams faint after loss to Sporting KC
Sportsnet.ca
Whitecaps’ playoff dreams faint after loss to Sporting KC
Whitecaps’ playoff dreams faint after loss to Sporting KC

VANCOUVER — Russell Teibert didn’t have an explanation for the Vancouver Whitecaps’ meltdown Wednesday night, but he did have an apology.

"That was a team that gave in. And that’s not what we’re about here," the veteran midfielder said after his squad’s 4-1 loss to Sporting Kansas City (16-8-8).

The loss further dims Vancouver’s hopes of a spot in the post-season. With just two regular season games left, they currently sit in eighth place in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference, two spots out of playoff position.

"I want to apologize on behalf of the team to the people who came and watched, to the people who supported us. … It’s unacceptable."

The ‘Caps (12-13-7) were up 1-0 going into halftime, thanks to a goal by Felipe Martins. It was the 28-year-old’s first with Vancouver.

But Vancouver began to unravel around the 60th minute.

Whitecaps midfielder Jordon Mutch slipped and fell in the 62nd minute, allowing Kansas City’s Yohan Croizet to get the ball at the top of the box and rocket it into the back of the net.

Daniel Salloi added two more, and Gianluca Busio scored the first goal of his MLS career.

"I am just happy, it’s my first goal, a big step for me," the 16-year-old midfielder said after the match.

"It’s a great feeling helping the team and getting on the score sheet is one of the best feelings. It’s what you do, you work 90 minutes to score goals. I’m just so happy, and I almost missed it."

Whitecaps interim coach Craig Dalrymple said his team was in control for much of the game, frustrating their opponents.

"The fight was there for 60, 65 minutes," he said.

"In the last 15 minutes, (Sporting) altered the game plan and went after it and shape changed, some tired legs kind of crept into the game. It was a disappointing end."

Asked what happened in the game’s final third, Teibert was at a loss for words.

"It pains me to say that the team, we crumbled," the 25-year-old midfielder said.

"Sometimes things can’t be explained. But I’m telling you now, as a promise, that’s not going to happen again at this club."

Still, Dalrymple saw positives in loss, including both Martins’ and Teibert’s performances.

"Both of those players, they bleed for the shirt, and you saw it tonight," he said.

The ‘Caps were playing without several of their marquee names, including striker Yordy Reyna and captain Kendall Waston, who were both out on international duty.

Alphonso Davies and Doneil Henry returned from playing with the Canadian men’s team earlier on Wednesday and didn’t make it on to the field against Kansas City.

Teibert played 90 minutes in Canada’s 5-0 win over Dominica on Tuesday, but still subbed in for the Whitecaps in the 69th minute.

Mathematically, there’s still a chance the Whitecaps could make the playoffs after Wednesday’s loss, but the entire team needs to do some self-reflection if they’re going to have a real opportunity, Teibert said.

"All of us, that entire locker room, we need to have a long, hard look in the mirror and figure out what it is, who it is, what we’re playing for," he said.

The Whitecaps will head to California, where they’ll play LAFC on Sunday.

Only players who still trust that the club can make the playoffs will be making the trip, Dalrymple said.

"Eighteen players who believe will be on the plane to L.A., simple as that," he said.

One player who’s unlikely to make the journey is Kei Kamara. The striker was handed a red card following the final whistle on Wednesday after he put his hands in the face of Sporting’s Johnny Russell.

—

NOTES: Kansas City fullback Seth Sinovic was shown a yellow card in the second half after Vancouver’s Erik Hurtado was hauled down midfield. … Players on both clubs celebrated milestones Wednesday night. The match was the 250th regular-season game for Sporting’s Graham Zusi and the 200th regular-season start for Roger Espinoza. It was also the 100th league match for Whitecaps midfielder Nicolas Mezquida. … Vancouver fullback Jake Nerwinski marked his 24th birthday Wednesday.

Chelsea ace Hazard: Mourinho my big regret; I want to work with him again

October 13, 2018 Add Comment
Chelsea ace Hazard: Mourinho my big regret; I want to work with him again
Tribal Football - Football News, Soccer News, Transfers & Rumours
Chelsea ace Hazard: Mourinho my big regret; I want to work with him again
Chelsea ace Hazard: Mourinho my big regret; I want to work with him again

Chelsea ace Eden Hazard has declared he wants to work again with Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho.

Hazard admits the manner of Mourinho's dismissal at Chelsea in 2015 is a major career regret.

Read more on Tribal Football

Chelsea? Spartak? Why fans can be sure Aston Villa a John Terry priority

October 11, 2018 Add Comment
Chelsea? Spartak? Why fans can be sure Aston Villa a John Terry priority
Tribal Football - Football News, Soccer News, Transfers & Rumours
Chelsea? Spartak? Why fans can be sure Aston Villa a John Terry priority
Chelsea? Spartak? Why fans can be sure Aston Villa a John Terry priority

COMMENT: One thing Aston Villa fans can be sure of: this is the job John Terry wanted.

Accepting his first post in management as Dean Smith's assistant was no fallback option. Terry had playing offers - very lucrative playing offers. And it was also clear that Chelsea would make room for him to launch the next stage of his football life back 'home'.

Read more on Tribal Football

Stuttgart appoint Weinzierl as new coach

October 09, 2018 Add Comment
Stuttgart appoint Weinzierl as new coach
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Stuttgart appoint Weinzierl as new coach
Stuttgart appoint Weinzierl as new coach
Stuttgart have appointed Markus Weinzierl as their new head coach, two days after sacking Tayfun Korkut. Weinzierl, who has previously been in charge at Jahn Regensburg and Augsburg, has been out of a role since his dismissal as Schalke coach in June 2017 and has signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with the club. He replaces Korkut, who was dismissed after a run of just one win in seven matches at the start of the Bundesliga season. A 3-1 loss to fellow strugglers Hannover on Saturday saw them drop to the foot of the table, and they have just five points and a goal difference of minus seven. Weinzierl told the club's official website: "I'm really looking forward to the task. Stuttgart is a big club that is currently in a difficult situation.  "Nevertheless, I am convinced of the potential of the team and the club. I've been watching the Bundesliga intensively over the past few months and am eager to start working with my new team." Markus #Weinzierl ist neuer Cheftrainer des #VfB Stuttgart. Die Führung des VfB Stuttgart und der 43-jährige Fußballlehrer verständigten sich auf einen ab sofort gültigen Vertrag bis zum 30.06.2020. --- Zur Meldung auf https://t.co/BsTppMGcO5: https://t.co/EZA4pp1Nik pic.twitter.com/UTvZcfqo5Q — VfB Stuttgart (@VfB) October 9, 2018

Hoedt blames concentration for Southampton slow start

October 05, 2018 Add Comment
Hoedt blames concentration for Southampton slow start
Tribal Football - Football News, Soccer News, Transfers & Rumours
Hoedt blames concentration for Southampton slow start
Hoedt blames concentration for Southampton slow start

Wesley Hoedt says Southampton's lack of concentration is to blame for their poor start to the season.

The south coast club have lost points in the 90th minute to both Brighton and Leicester City so far this season.

Read more on Tribal Football

Manchester United struggle to fill Old Trafford as Jose Mourinho concern grows

October 02, 2018 Add Comment
Manchester United struggle to fill Old Trafford as Jose Mourinho concern grows
ESPN FC News
Manchester United struggle to fill Old Trafford as Jose Mourinho concern grows
As the turmoil at Manchester United continues, ESPN FC's Alejandro Moreno explains the ramifications should they win or lose against Valencia. Manchester United are struggling to sell tickets for Tuesday's Champions League clash with Valencia, taking the unusual step of giving fans the chance to pay on the door before the game.  United face the Spanish side at Old Trafford and ahead of the match, a text message alerted supporters they can buy tickets on the night. It is extremely rare for tickets at Old Trafford to go on sale to fans who are not members of the official supporters' club but between 300 and 400 are available for the...
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