Tag Futebol

In what has been a season of complete and utter inconsistency, Roy Hodgson will be hoping he is entrusted to spend over the summer in order to improve his Crystal Palace team. While the Eagles may struggle to spend like some of the other teams in the Premier League, Steve Parish has proven he can let the purse strings loose before and his former England manager certainly has earned the right to ask. 

Indeed, their form promised to take a turn when they recruited well in the January transfer window and it sure did.

Michy Batshuayi was exactly the kind of striker fans and management were all craving and his goals and overall presence has improved the team. No longer do the fans reading this have to watch Christian Benteke lumber all over the pitch. That, alone, deserves an awful lot of praise.

But with his stay at Selhurst Park only being on a loan basis, Palace will eventually have to invest in another creative type in the summer to compensate for his omission.

With that in mind, not a striker, but certainly a creative star, Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish would be an amazing option for Roy Hodgson’s side.

Grealish, (who is valued at £18 million on Transfermarkt) is a terrific talent that has started to prove exactly why he has always been dubbed as someone who could make it far in the game. The 23-year-old has managed to bag four goals and four assists this season but his overall creative contribution is what will interest Crystal Palace the most.

Even if his name isn’t on the scoresheet, you can guarantee that Grealish would have been influential for his side, as he does so well to find space, make key passes and be a general nuisance for the opposition to try and defend against. With Villa under potential financial restraint if they don’t go up this season and the hype around Grealish to have died since his failed move to Tottenham, Palace must act.

It may sound a touch ambitious – we get that – but having signed the likes of Max Meyer and kept Wilfried Zaha, the Eagles have proven they can pull that sort of deal off before.

Crystal Palace could have the likes of Zaha and Andros Townsend beside him and what an attacking trio that would be, in-behind a forward. Outside of the top six, it’s hard to see a more exciting line-up.

Crystal Palace, do you think Steve Parish has it in him to make another ambitious signing? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

[ad_pod ]

Manuel Neuer was back between the sticks for Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga clash with Augsburg on Friday night, suggesting that he will be fit to face Liverpool in the Champions League next week.

Neuer had missed Bayern’s three matches in the lead-up to the Augsburg clash with a finger injury, and it had been claimed that he could be absent for his team’s last-16 Champions League first leg at Anfield.

However, the 32-year-old was back between the sticks on Friday night.

The Liverpool fans caught wind of the team news on social media, which led to a number commenting on Neuer, in addition to Bayern in general, ahead of what is promising to be a fascinating match next week.

Neuer’s powers are perhaps not what they once were, while Bayern have also had their issues this season, which has handed the Liverpool fans confidence.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Barcelona boss Xavi addressed the rumours that he could reverse his decision to quit Barcelona at the end of the current season.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Xavi responds to rumours of him reversing decision to quitXavi set to leave Barcelona next seasonBarcelona currently third in La LigaWHAT HAPPENED?

In January, during a press conference, Xavi dropped the bombshell that he would quit Barcelona at the end of the current season. Lately, there has been speculation that suggests the Catalan coach could reverse his decision if the club end the 2023/24 on a positive note.

AdvertisementWHAT XAVI SAID

Speaking to reporters, Xavi refuted all the rumours as he said, "As of today, nothing has changed. There is no more story than that. It all remains the same and we focus on the next game."

He added, "It’s true we’ve done well recently; I see the team training great every day and the group of players is less tense than in the past. But tomorrow is a whole new story, here at Barcelona you have a challenge every day. The moment of the truth this season is coming, and we feel we have been good over the last weeks."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

In his first full season as the Blaugrana boss, the 44-year-old guided the club to La Liga title win and also helped them claim the Spanish Super Cup by beating rivals Real Madrid in the final. In the current campaign, though, the Catalan giants have struggled to find form. They failed to defend the Spanish Super Cup title as Real Madrid reclaimed the trophy and were also ousted from the Copa del Rey quarter-final after losing 4-2 to Athletic Club.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

The reigning champions, who are currently third in the league and are eight points behind Los Blancos, will next face Athletic Club on Sunday.

Timothy Weah was one of Juventus' more dangerous players, but the Italian giants were unable to overcome Bologna on Sunday.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Weah creates danger
• McKennie comes off bench
• Juve settle for 1-1 draw

It wasn't the best day for Juventus, who saw their first home game of the Serie A season spoiled by a determined Bologna. After going down a goal in the first half, Juve were able to battle back with a goal of their own, having seen one chalked off earlier for offside. However, they couldn't quite find the second goal required to earn all three points.

Weah was key for Juve, providing a very good 82 minutes before being substituted, while his U.S. men's national team teammate, Weston McKennie, once again replaced him off the bench after being named as a substitute.

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bologna jumped into a first half lead thanks to a goal from Lewis Ferguson, and you can't say they didn't deserve it. It was a relatively flat first half from Juve, who went into the dressing room deservedly trailing.

  The hosts seemingly equalized early in the second half as Dusan Vlahovic was able to find the back of the net, but the goal was called back after Adrien Rabiot was deemed to have interfered in the play from an offside position.

  Vlahovic, though, wasn't to be denied, as the Serbian headed home from a magnificent Samuel Illing-Junior cross to earn Juventus a point in their first home match.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Weah put in a solid shift, but it seems clear that he's still very much in the adjustment phase at Juventus.

  The American never really took any early opportunities to beat a man off the dribble, instead generally taking the safer options. The willingness to go at players comes with confidence, and Weah will need to build his in his new surroundings at Juve.

  He's clearly on the right track, though, as he looked like an entirely different player as the game wore on. He had a dangerous second half, creating two chances and forcing a good save as Juve chased a goal. He likely deserved a goal or assist given his efforts on the day.

  One thing to watch, though, is Weah's tendency to drift inside. He played centrally for large stretches of the match, moving into the middle of the field to receive the ball. That may have been a function of Massimiliano Allegri's tactics for the day, but it's also something to watch from a player that is generally known as a speedster able to get to the end line.

  As for Weston McKennie, it appears that, at the moment, he's a backup. Juve started with Rabiot, Manuel Locatelli and Nicolo Fagioli in midfield, with Paul Pogba coming off the bench in the second half. McKennie has spelled Weah at wingback, definitely not his natural position, but he faces a real fight to get into that midfield.

• Getty
  

  USMNT IMPACT

  Weah looks set to be an important player for Juventus this season, having now started each of the club's first two matches. He clearly has already earned the coaching staff's trust, which is great news for the USMNT.

  Heading into the upcoming international break, Weah will have every reason to be flying fairly high, having played himself into a consistent role with his club. He's never quite been a lockdown starter anywhere he's been, so it would be great for him to be exactly that at Juve.

  For the U.S., it'll be interesting to watch how Weah switches from wingback to winger and vice-versa but, overall, as long as Weah's playing, the USMNT will be thrilled.

  As for McKennie, we'll have to see how he fares in the coming days ahead of the end of the transfer window. He clearly has some part to play for Juve, but is that part big enough for a player expected to be a key starter for the USMNT? That remains to be seen.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• GOAL'S RATING

  Tim Weah (7/10):

  Pretty dangerous throughout, although far from perfect. Was definitely one of Juve's best players on the field as they struggled to breakdown Bologna for large stretches.

  Weston McKennie (N/A):

  Came on fairly late with the game level. Had one solid sequence in the 86th minute, but wasn't quite able to create the danger needed to unlock Bologna.

Here's where you can watch Nashville vs LAFC in MLS on TV or stream live.

On Saturday evening, Nashville SC will face Los Angeles FC at Geodis Park in an effort to earn their fourth victory of the MLS season.

The incumbent champions have yet to lose this year, while the hosts are currently in sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

▶ Watch every MLS match, including the playoffs, here

▶ Buy MLS tickets from Ticketmaster, here

Nashville had allowed just two goals in their first seven games of 2023, ranking first in the MLS for fewest goals conceded through seven games, but after last Saturday's 2-1 loss to New York City FC, they no longer hold that distinction.

The Music have a good seven points from their four home games thus far, despite the fact that their most recent home game ended in a disheartening 0-0 draw with Toronto FC.

As for the opposition, LAFC has had a great start to their MLS season and is continuing where they left off in 2022 as the clear frontrunner to win the title again. Steve Cherundolo's team doesn't appear to be hindered by anything, not even the demands of the CONCACAF Champions League (CCL).

Los Angeles, who has 17 points domestically after seven games and four clean sheets in their previous five games across all competitions, does not currently appear to be affected by weariness.

In addition, LAFC finished matchday eight of the MLS unblemished, placing them in second place in the Western Conference after last weekend's El Trafico triumph.

GOAL brings you everything you need to know about where to watch the game on TV and stream live online.

Nashville vs LAFC date & kick-off timeGame:Nashville vs LAFCDate:April 22, 2023Kick-off time:8:30 pm ET Venue:Geodis ParkAdvertisementWhere to watch Nashville vs LAFC on TV & live stream online

Fans in the United States & across the world can watch MLS with Apple TV MLS Season Pass.

Country TV channel Live stream

USN/AApple TV

Check out GOAL's soccer on U.S. TV guideTeam news & squadsNashville SC team news and squad

Nashville SC will once again be without Randall Leal and Nick DePuy who are both yet to feature for the Music this season.

Nashville SC possible XI: Willis; Moore, Zimmerman, Maher, Lovitz; Muyl, Godoy, Davis, Picault; Bunbury, Mukhtar

Position Players

GoalkeepersWillis, PannicoDefendersZimmerman, Maher, Lovitz, Wyke, Bauer, Longmire, MooreMidfieldersGregus, Godoy, Shaffelburg, Picault, McCarty, Muyl, Perry, Washington, HaakensonForwardsMukhtar, Zubak, BanburyLAFC team news and squad

LAFC still has Maxime Crepeau unavailable and will only expect him back towards the second half of the season. LAFC will once again lean on Denis Bouanga for goals, as he is the top scorer with six strikes to his name.

LAFC possible XI: McCarthy; Hollingshead, Murillo, Chiellini, Palacios; Sanchez; Tillman, Acosta, Cifuentes; Vela, Bouanga

Position Players

GoalkeepersMcCarthy, JakupovicDefendersChiellini, Palacios, Palencia, Murillo, Leone, Long, Maldonado, HollingsheadMidfieldersBluk, Bogusz, Cifuentes, Acosta, Tillman, Sanchez, DuenasForwardsVela, Bouanga, Opoku, TorresENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Useful links

Live soccer on U.S. TV

Stream MLS matches on Apple TV

Buy MLS tickets with Ticketmaster

The Eredivisie side will rake in big profits if they sell the rising stars, who look destined to go on to bigger and better things in the near future

GettyFrenkie de Jong

Frenkie de Jong is not happy with his reputation as the new Johan Cruyff, but the 21-year-old midfielder will just have to get used to it as he continues to excel for Ajax and Netherlands.

It seems inevitable that he will become Ajax’s biggest ever sale as Manchester City are prepared to pay €70 million (£62m/$80m) plus €20m (£18m/$23m) in bonuses in order to beat Barcelona to his services.

De Jong had been touted as a Franz Beckenbauer-esque revolutionary defender when he broke into the starting XI last year but he has now become a key component of the Ajax midfield.

He is also quickly blossoming into one of the leading figures in Netherlands’ revitalisation under Ronald Koeman, since his debut in September.

De Jong even showed up N’Golo Kante when he hunted him down to dispossess the Chelsea midfielder in Oranje’s 2-0 win over France, only offering further encouragement to those who expect the Dutchman to become one of the best players in the world.

AdvertisementGettyMatthijs de Ligt

Just a year after Virgil van Dijk became football's most expensive defender, there is already talk of him being usurped by a young compatriot.

Matthijs de Ligt may be just 19 years old but he does not look nor play like it. He is a beast, a boss and will only get better.

A mainstay in the Ajax back line and the team's captain, their only defeat this season – 3-0 to PSV – came in the one game that De Ligt has missed.

He was thrown into the deep end with the national team and endured a disastrous debut against Bulgaria in March 2017, but he emerged seemingly unscathed and has cemented his place in Ronald Koeman's starting XI.

Indeed, he now looks so solid alongside Van Dijk that Koeman and Wesley Sneijder have tipped him to break the latter's record as Oranje's most-capped player.

Barcelona and Manchester City look set to battle it out to sign him in the near future, but a few more of Europe's top sides will be sniffing around too.

Aware that they will not be able to hold on to him for too long, Ajax will listen to offers at the end of the season and will be demanding a massive fee for the potentially world-class defender.

Even if he does not smash Van Dijk's £75 million ($96m) record right away, he won't be far off it.

GettyHakim Ziyech

That the 25-year-old Hakim Ziyech is still playing in the Eredivisie is as much of a mystery as it is a blessing for the Dutch top flight.

It has been six years since he made his first appearance in the league and he soon grew into a star for Heerenveen before joining Twente and becoming a talismanic figure.

As Europe’s bigger sides hesitated, Ajax capitalised in August 2016 just before the transfer window closed and Ziyech immediately injected a creative spark they had been missing since Christian Eriksen’s 2013 departure.

Although the attacking midfielder takes too many long-range shots, he can pull off imaginative passes from almost anywhere on the pitch and has formed a super partnership with Dusan Tadic this season – both have scored seven and set up four in the league. 

Ziyech has 10 goals from 22 appearances for Morocco, too, and is guaranteed a key role at the Africa Cup of Nations.

If he maintains this form for Ajax and Morocco for the rest of the season, then big clubs in the Premier League, Serie A and Bundesliga will surely be interested.

He is tied to Ajax until 2021, however, so the club are in a good position to demand upwards of €40 million for a player they will struggle to replace.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyNicolas Tagliafico

With three goals and seven assists in all competitions so far, Nicolas Tagliafico has been a sensation at Ajax since his €4.5 million (£4m/$5m) arrival from Independiente in January.

He had already made 103 appearances for the Argentine side after impressing at Banfield, and in the second tier in Spain with Real Murcia.

Now, he has been trusted with the captain's armband by Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni three times over the last three months. 

Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Arsenal have been linked already, but more clubs are scouting him and at 26 he may see Ajax as a quick stop on his journey to bigger and better things.

Given his talent, Ajax would be in a good position to demand upwards of €25m.

South Africa batsman Hashim Amla is set to replace the injured Shaun Marsh at Kings XI Punjab, ESPNcricinfo has learnt

Arun Venugopal03-May-20162:03

Hashim Amla joins KXIP squad

South Africa batsman Hashim Amla is set to replace the injured Shaun Marsh at Kings XI Punjab, ESPNcricinfo has learnt. Marsh was ruled out of IPL 2016 on Monday due to a back injury.It is understood that clearances for Amla’s stint with the team have been obtained and ESPNcricinfo has learnt that he is expected to join the side soon.Amla, who stepped down as South Africa’s Test captain in January this year, is yet to make his IPL debut. The batsman was part of the player list for the 2016 auction in February, with a base price of INR 1 crore, but remained unsold.Overall, Amla has played 88 T20s scoring 2446 runs at an average of 31.35 and a strike rate of 125.95. He scored two fifties as an opening batsman for South Africa in the recent World T20, tallying 120 runs in four matches in the tournament at a strike rate of 134.83.Marsh reportedly picked up the injury in the game against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 19, and has been carrying a niggle since. He batted and fielded in Sunday’s game, when Kings XI beat Gujarat Lions, with some discomfort.

MatériaMais Notícias

Artilheiro do país nesta temporada, Gabriel Barbosa vai escrevendo seu nome na história do clube da Gávea com os muitos gols marcados em 2019. Com o tento marcado diante do Fortaleza, na vitória por 2 a 1 no Castelão, o atacante chegou aos 19 nesta edição do Campeonato Brasileiro, igualando a marca de Adriano em 2009, ano em que o clube foi campeão brasileiro pela última vez.

Naquele Brasileirão, Adriano disputou 30 rodadas como jogador do Flamengo. Gabriel Barbosa, por sua vez, tem um desempenho bem melhor: disputou 20 rodadas até agora, marcando, em média, 0,95 gol/jogo válido pelo Brasileirão.

> Confira a tabela do Brasileirão e simule os próximos jogos

O gol desta quarta também fez Gabigol superar uma marca pessoal: este é o Campeonato Brasileiro em que mais marcou gols. Até então, o ano de 2018 era o mais artilheiro do atacante no Brasileirão, com 18 gols. O camisa 9 ainda disputou outras edições do torneio: 2013 (1 gol), 2014 (8), 2015 (10) e 2016 (5).

RelacionadasFlamengoReinier comemora sequência no Flamengo e diz: ‘Seleção é passado’Flamengo16/10/2019FlamengoGabigol revela tontura durante a partida e exalta raça da equipeFlamengo16/10/2019FlamengoNa raça! Fla supera desfalques e bate o Fortaleza de virada fora de casaFlamengo16/10/2019

Essex’s coach Paul Grayson has predicted that the county can make a strong challenge in the NatWest Blast after securing the return of Shaun Tait, the Australian pace bowler, for England’s T20 competition.The signing could be the start of a rush of deals as the counties eye up the potentially available talent left unsold in the IPL auction.Tait previously played for Essex in 2013 when they reached Finals Day. His most notable spell came in the quarterfinal at Trent Bridge where his 4 for 29 contributed to a 47-run defeat of strongly-fancied Nottinghamshire. He has a career Twenty20 bowling average of 21.44, but during his first spell with Essex he bettered that, taking 16 wickets at an average of 17.18.Grayson hailed Tait’s return. “Shaun had such a positive impact around the club during his first spell. Not only on the pitch during the Twenty20 campaign, but he also spent time working with the younger players throughout the summer.”We believe we have an excellent chance of winning the NatWest T20 Blast this season, and Shaun will help us towards that target. Alongside Jesse Ryder, we now have two really exciting overseas players.”Essex’s stress in the Championship will focus more upon developing their own homegrown players.”In the LV= County Championship, we are intent on giving our younger players a chance, and our focus is very much on youth; in the Twenty20 competition, we want to use all our experience in this format and go all the way.”

أعرب فيرمين لوبيز، لاعب وسط فريق برشلونة، عن سعادته بالفوز الذي حققه البلوجرانا على نظيره شاختار الأوكراني في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

المباراة جمعت بين الفريقين على ملعب لويس كومبانيس، بمدينة برشلونة، وفاز البلوجرانا بثنائية مقابل هدف، شهدت تسجيل هدف رائع للاعب فيرمين لوبيز.

اللاعب الإسباني قال في تصريحات لوسائل الإعلام عقب المباراة: “لقد كان الأمر صعبًا، كلفنا ذلك كثيرًا، لكننا سعداء للغاية لأننا حققنا الفوز في النهاية”.

واضاف: “المدرب أخبرنا أن الأمر سيكون صعبًا، عانينا قليلًا، لكننا حصلنا على النقاط الثلاث، مع تشافي أشعر براحة كبيرة، سواء على اليمين أو على اليسار أو في الوسط”.

وأكمل فيرمين لوبيز: “لا زلت صغيرًا، لكنني لدي المزيد من الوقت للتعلم، ولقد حدث ذلك بالفعل، كل مباراة أتعلم فيها وأحاول أن أكون أفضل، لقد عملت طوال حياتي من أجل تلك اللحظات”.

واختتم: “سأحاول مساعدة الفريق في الكلاسيكو قدر الإمكان، إذا كان ذلك من خلال هدف أو صناعة أو أي شيء، أريد أن أساعد برشلونة في الفوز على ريال مدريد، ونحن جميعًا جاهزون لذلك”.