About the authorFreddie TaylorShare the loveHave your say Ajax defender De Ligt beats Alexander-Arnold to Golden Boy awardby Freddie Taylor10 months agoSend to a friendShare the loveAjax defender Matthijs De Ligt is this year’s Golden Boy.The youngster won the award, which is given out by Italian paper Tuttosport.The 19-year-old has been linked to big clubs in the past few months, such as Barcelona and Juventus.He finished ahead of Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold in the voting.”I’m really happy and also very proud to have won this trophy, particularly when I look at who has won it before me,” De Ligt told Tuttosport. “It’s almost incredible to see my name added to a list which includes [Paul] Pogba, Mbappe, [Lionel] Messi and [Rafael] van der Vaart. Amazing.”I know who won this prize almost by heart and to be honest, I appreciate it a lot. There are lots of very big names on the list, but if I were to name one, then Messi stands out for me. “Everybody recognises what he has done for and in football. I really like him a lot as a footballer so I’m very proud to have won the same trophy which he lifted before me, 13 years ago, when I was only six.” 
10 months agoAjax defender De Ligt beats Alexander-Arnold to Golden Boy award
October 28, 2019
TagsTransfersAbout the authorPaul VegasShare the loveHave your say Tottenham chairman Levy won’t consider Man Utd’s planned Pochettino offerby Paul Vegas10 months agoSend to a friendShare the loveTottenham chairman Daniel Levy won’t consider Manchester United’s planned offer for Mauricio Pochettino.The Times says Ed Woodward has set his sights on the Spurs boss and is prepared to stump up £40million in compensation to take the Argentinian and his backroom staff to Old Trafford.But Levy has no intention in letting his manager leave so cheaply – and will demand far more than that before allowing United to strike a deal.United’s plan is to pay off the outstanding contract value of the five-year deal Pochettino signed with Spurs earlier this year.That cost would be around £34m, with a further £6m needed to release the remainder of his coaching staff from their agreements.But there is no actual release clause in Pochettino’s contract – and Levy believes that makes it impossible for Woodward and the Old Trafford board to just buy him out. 
Borussia Dortmund winger Sancho not tempted by England returnby Paul Vegas9 months agoSend to a friendShare the loveBorussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho says he’s happy where he is.The former Manchester City midfielder has been linked with a return to England.Sancho told Goal: “I will (stay). “I just want to play football and I get the chance to do this. I’m happy now.”The language barrier worried me, but when I came here and everyone spoke English I became more comfortable. My German is not the best but I am learning. I have to learn.” TagsTransfersAbout the authorPaul VegasShare the loveHave your say
Man Utd loanee Mitchell: Boys tell me they’re loving Solskjaerby Freddie Taylor9 months agoSend to a friendShare the loveManchester United loanee Demetri Mitchell has spoken about the recent managerial change at Old Trafford.The youngster, who was given his debut by Jose Mourinho, has has mentioned how happy the players seem under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.United have won all six games since Solskjaer took over the job.Mitchell, who is on loan at Hearts, said to the Daily Record: “It’s all change at Old Trafford now and the boys are telling me they are enjoying it. Everyone has smiles on their faces and you can see that with the way they’re playing.”You can see Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford playing fluidly and smiling. It’s all good when you are playing football with a smile on your face. Ole is doing a good job.”I’m at Hearts and I’m trying to make an impact and show what I can do here as much as possible.”There are people at United who look after the players who are out on loan. They give you constructive criticism on all games. They use Wyscout and I’m sure Hearts also send them the footage as well.” About the authorFreddie TaylorShare the loveHave your say
About the authorPaul VegasShare the loveHave your say Watford midfielder Chalobah: Big positives from Spurs drawby Paul Vegas3 days agoSend to a friendShare the loveNathaniel Chalobah is adamant Watford were unlucky not to beat Spurs on Saturday.The Hornets lead for most of the match before Dele Alli scored late on.Speaking to the club website, he said: “To get a point against any of the top six is a positive thing. To come to Spurs away and get a point, you’d be chuffed with that, but we are disappointed inside as we could have got three.”We showed great character, great resilience and it’s hard to come here and try and play. Spurs are a very good team. They pressed us quite high and we showed we could get out of the press and create chances. We have to take the positives out of every situation right now.” 
ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 07: An ‘SEC’ logo is seen on an end zone pylon before the Missouri Tigers take on the Auburn Tigers during the SEC Championship Game at Georgia Dome on December 7, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)Through six weeks of the college football season, the field is wide open. Some normal powerhouses, like Auburn and Oregon, are performing way below expectations, while teams like Michigan and Utah have exploded onto the scene, and are real threats to win their leagues. There are surprises everywhere in the sport this year, and they have shifted how we view the individual conferences, and the divisions within them. The Pac-12 South, which has been competing with the SEC West for top billing in recent years, isn’t quite what we thought it’d be, while a strong Michigan does a ton to raise the profile of the Big Ten East. Which divisions have thrived this season, and which are lagging behind? Which group has the deepest and most talented roster of teams, so far in 2015? Here is our ranking of college football’s divisions this season.9. ACC CoastalDespite their last-place ranking here, the ACC Coastal could legitimately place six teams in bowls this season. The problem is, at this point, it’s hard to tell if anyone in the division is anything more than above-average on a national scale. Outside of Virginia, which is yet to beat an FBS opponent, every team looks okay, but only one is ranked.Blue Devils make their first AP appearance of the year – No. 25 this week for #Duke https://t.co/C3JZdX8k91— Duke Football (@Duke_FB) October 11, 2015Duke continues to impress under program savior David Cutcliffe. At 5-1, its only loss was against a very good Northwestern team. The signature win thus far is probably the one over Georgia Tech, which is a major problem for the division as a whole. Georgia Tech was supposed to be the standard bearer for the Coastal and a trendy pick to take down Florida State and Clemson for the ACC crown before the season. Instead, the Yellow Jackets have been extremely disappointing, opening 2-3, also losing to middling UNC and, most recently, in a blowout to Clemson. Pitt and Virginia Tech are fine, but have been ravaged by injuries to their best players, while Miami looks about as average as it usually does under Al Golden. Duke is a good team and a fine story, and outside of the Cavaliers, there are no outright bad teams here, but there are no good ones either, which is a major problem.Next: No. 8 Pac-12 North >>>Pages: Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9
Perth Glory scored three goals in the space of seven second-half minutes to snatch a dramatic 4-3 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers and restore their six-point lead at the A-League summit.The Glory were 3-1 down until the 79th minute and they completed a remarkable turnaround when Juande slotted home a contentious penalty awarded by referee Kurt Ams after Andy Keogh went down under minimal contact from Brendan Hamill.Melbourne Victory moved to within three points of leaders Perth by beating Newcastle Jets 2-1 on Saturday, but the Wanderers’ failure to hold on for a first win in six enabled the hosts to regain their cushion. Article continues below Editors’ Picks ‘There is no creativity’ – Can Solskjaer get Man Utd scoring freely again? ‘Everyone legged it on to the pitch!’ – How Foden went from Man City superfan to future superstar Emery out of jail – for now – as brilliant Pepe papers over Arsenal’s cracks What is Manchester United’s ownership situation and how would Kevin Glazer’s sale of shares affect the club? Kwame Yeboah put Western Sydney ahead in the first half and he teed up Roly Bonevacia for their second in the 67th minute, but Diego Castro halved the deficit with a header after Nick Suman kept out Scott Neville.Yeboah set up Abraham Majok to make it 3-1 in the 77th minute, only for Ivan Franjic to score on the follow up after Alex Grant’s header came back off the bar. Keogh then equalised before winning the penalty that Juande converted for an unlikely three points.FULL TIME | WOW! What a comeback from Perth Glory.Highlights: https://t.co/pigACbpF6F#PERvWSW #ALeague pic.twitter.com/pESKyH27gG— Hyundai A-League (@ALeague) January 13, 2019Sydney bounced back from their defeat to Perth last time out with a 2-1 victory over Adelaide United.Siem de Jong put Steve Corica’s team in front with an exquisite free-kick from just outside the box that flew into the top-left corner and Jacob Tratt nodded Brandon O’Neill’s corner home three minutes after half-time.George Blackwood replaced Ken Ilso at the break and won a penalty that Craig Goodwin dispatched in the 50th minute, but Adelaide were unbale to avoid defeat.
Chelsea will be looking to bounce back from their 4-0 thumping at the hands of Bournemouth, with Maurizio Sarri and his side under increasing pressure following back-to-back defeats in the league.The Blues, who are fifth in the table, had recorded two cup wins prior to the heavy loss at the Vitality Stadium, although defeat to Arsenal on January 19, coupled with the Bournemouth result, has cranked up the pressure on Sarri.It may come as a welcome relief that they face bottom-club Huddersfield Town at home in their next fixture, then, with the Terriers having recorded just two victories in the league this season. Article continues below Editors’ Picks ‘There is no creativity’ – Can Solskjaer get Man Utd scoring freely again? ‘Everyone legged it on to the pitch!’ – How Foden went from Man City superfan to future superstar Emery out of jail – for now – as brilliant Pepe papers over Arsenal’s cracks What is Manchester United’s ownership situation and how would Kevin Glazer’s sale of shares affect the club? Chelsea Injuries Sarri cast doubt over the fitness of Gonzalo Higuain after he struggled on his Premier League debut. The Italian has said that his new recruit has “back pain” and that he is not in top shape yet, meaning he could drop out against Huddersfield.Meanwhile, Chelsea have no other injuries to speak of, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Andreas Christensen having returned from their minor layoffs.Gary Cahill and Davide Zappacosta have been missing for most of January due to speculation over their future, but they could be reintroduced after the transfer window closed in England and most of Europe.
Suspensions Neither Chelsea nor Huddersfield have any suspensions to contend with ahead of Saturday’s match.Chelsea Potential Starting Line-Up Chelsea will continue to play what Sarri considers their strongest team as they aim to get out of a winter rut that has seen them score just 13 goals in their last 13 games in the league.Emerson Palmieri has appeared to have emerged as the club’s first-choice left-back, after spending his first 12 months at Chelsea behind Marcos Alonso in the pecking order for that position.Sarri’s team selections have been broadly predictable otherwise, as they line up in a 4-3-3, with N’Golo Kante, Antonio Rudiger, Cesar Azpilicueta and Kepa Arrizabalaga having started every league match.
Huddersfield Team News Aaron Mooy’s return against Everton has provided a timely boost in what has been a poor season for the Yorkshire club.Manager Jan Siewert will be without Danny Williams, while Tom Billing is also a doubt for their trip to west London.TV channel & kick-off time The match at Stamford Bridge kicks off at 3:00pm GMT (10:00am ET) on Saturday but won’t be shown on TV in the UK. In the US, the game is available on NBC Sports.Best Opta Match Facts Chelsea have lost just one of their last 16 matches against Huddersfield Town in all competitions (W11 D4), a 0-1 defeat in the League Cup third round in October 1999. Chelsea are looking to avoid three consecutive Premier League defeats for the first time since November 2015. Chelsea have failed to score in three of their last six home Premier League games, more than they had in their previous 21 combined in the competition (2). The last permanent Huddersfield Town manager to win his first away league match in charge was Neil Warnock in August 1993, a 3-2 win at Rotherham United in the third tier. Chelsea’s Eden Hazard has had a hand in nine goals in his last seven Premier League appearances against sides starting the day bottom (5 goals, 4 assists). Check out Goal’s Premier League 2019-20 fantasy football podcast for game tips, debate and rivalries.
The Asian Cup 2019 kicked off this January, marking the first major international tournament of 2019.Dark horses Qatar became first-time tournament winners when they beat front-runners and four-time champions Japan 3-1 in the final.It is the 17th edition of the AFC competition and reigning champions Australia lost their chance to defend their crown when they were eliminated from the quarter-finals at the hands of underdogs UAE. Article continues below Editors’ Picks ‘There is no creativity’ – Can Solskjaer get Man Utd scoring freely again? ‘Everyone legged it on to the pitch!’ – How Foden went from Man City superfan to future superstar Emery out of jail – for now – as brilliant Pepe papers over Arsenal’s cracks What is Manchester United’s ownership situation and how would Kevin Glazer’s sale of shares affect the club? Goal brings you the groups, fixtures, results and everything you need to know as the competition enters the final stage.Who are the Asian Cup 2019 hosts?In 2019 the Asian Cup will be held across eight different stadia in four different cities across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) .The eight venues were confirmed in 2015, directly after the last Asian Cup finals.Each of the venues will stage at least three group stage games and a knockout round tie each. The breakdown of venues and games can be seen in the table below. Games City Stadium Group stage & Round of 16 Abu Dhabi Al Nahyan Stadium Group stage & Round of 16 Al Ain Sheikh Khalifa International Stadium Group stage & Round of 16 Sharjah Sharjah Stadium Group stage & Round of 16 Dubai Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium Group stage, Round of 16 & Quarter-finals Dubai Al-Maktourn Stadium Group stage, Round of 16, Quarter-finals & Semi-finals Al Ain Hazza bin Zayed Stadium Group stage, Round of 16, Quarter-finals & Semi-finals Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium Group stage, Round of 16, Quarter-finals and Final Abu Dhabi Zayed Sports City Stadium Asian Cup 2019 final fixtures & resultsJapan will face Qatar in the final after emerging as front-runners to win the tournament following the early exits from Australia and South Korea, having beaten Iran 3-0 in the semi-finals. Date Match Time (UK) Venue February 1, 2019 Japan 1-3 Qatar 2pm Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi Asian Cup 2019 semi-final fixtures & resultsQatar managed to edge out tournament favourites South Korea in a 1-0 semi-final win, while UAE also completed a slim victory over reigning champions Australia during the last eight of the competition.The semi-final round will take place over two days from January 28 to 29, with Japan now the firm front-runners to win the tournament. Date Match Time (UK) Venue January 28, 2019 Iran 0-3 Japan 2pm Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain January 29, 2019 Qatar 4-0 UAE 2pm Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi Asian Cup 2019 quarter-final fixtures & resultsThe knockout stage of the Asian Cup is the second stage of the competition, following the group stage. It began on January 20 with the round of 16 and ends on February 1 with the final match held at the Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi.Eight teams have advanced to the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup, including hosts UAE and pre-tournament favourites Japan, Iran and South Korea. The matches are set for January 24 and 25, and will take place across venues in Dubai, Al Ain and Abu Dhabi. Date Match Time (UK) Venue January 24, 2019 Vietnam 0-1 Japan 1pm Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai January 24, 2019 China 0-3 Iran 4pm Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi January 25, 2019 South Korea 0-1 Qatar 1pm Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi January 25, 2019 UAE 1-0 Australia 4pm Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain Asian Cup 2019 last 16 fixtures & resultsbooSixteen teams (the top two teams from each group, along with the four best third-placed teams) advanced to the knockout stage to compete in a single-elimination style tournament. Date Match Time (UK) Venue January 20, 2019 Jordan 1-1 Vietnam (2-4 pens.) 11am Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai January 20, 2019 Thailand 1-2 China 2pm Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain January 20, 2019 Iran 2-0 Oman 5pm Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi January 21, 2019 Japan 1-0 Saudi Arabia 11am Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah January 21, 2019 Australia 0-0 Uzbekistan (4-2 pens.) 2pm Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain January 21, 2019 UAE 3-2 Kyrgyzstan (AET) 5pm Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi January 22, 2019 South Korea 2-1 Bahrain (AET) 1pm Rashid Stadium, Dubai January 22, 2019 Qatar 1-0 Iraq 4pm Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi Asian Cup 2019 Groups, fixtures & resultsThe draw for the 2019 Asian Cup took place on May 4, 2018 and divided the 24 qualified nations into six groups. Reigning champions Australia are in a group with Syria, Palestine and Jordan, while Qatar, who host the 2022 World Cup, will face Lebanon, North Korea and Saudi Arabia.The top two teams from each group will qualify for the last 16, with the four best third-placed teams also reaching the knockouts as was the case for Euro 2016.The last day of the group stage is January 17, with the knockout stage commencing on January 20 – the last 16 will be followed by quarter-finals, semi-final and a final in Abu Dhabi on February 1.A full list of every team that has qualified, their fixtures and their group standings is below.Group A Team Pld W D L GD Pts 1 UAE (A) 3 1 2 0 +2 5 2 Thailand (A) 3 1 1 1 -2 4 3 Bahrain (A) 3 1 1 1 0 4 4 India (E) 3 1 0 2 0 3 Date Game Time (UK) Venue January 5, 2019 UAE 1-1 Bahrain 11am Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi January 6, 2019 Thailand 1-4 India 1:30pm Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah January 10, 2019 Bahrain 0-1 Thailand 1:30pm Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi January 10, 2019 India 0-2 UAE 4pm Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai January 14, 2019 UAE 1-1 Thailand 1:30pm Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi January 14, 2019 India 0-1 Bahrain 1:30pm Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain Group B Team Pld W D L GD Pts 1 Jordan (A) 3 2 1 0 +3 7 2 Australia (A) 3 2 0 1 +3 6 3 Palestine (E) 3 0 2 1 -3 2 4 Syria (E) 3 0 1 2 -3 1 Date Game Time (UK) Venue January 6, 2019 Australia 0-1 Jordan 11am Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain January 6, 2019 Syria 0-0 Palestine 3:30pm Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah January 10, 2019 Jordan 2-0 Syria 1:30pm Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain January 11, 2019 Palestine 0-3 Australia 11am Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai January 15, 2019 Australia 3-2 Syria 1:30pm Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain January 15, 2019 Palestine 0-0 Jordan 1:30pm Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi Group C Team Pld W D L GD Pts 1 South Korea (A) 3 3 0 0 +4 9 2 China PR (A) 3 2 0 1 +2 6 3 Kyrgyzstan (A) 3 1 0 2 +0 3 4 Philippines (E) 3 0 0 3 -6 0 Date Game Time (UK) Venue January 7, 2019 China PR 2-1 Kyrgyzstan 11am Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi January 7, 2019 South Korea 1-0 Philippines 1:30pm Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah January 11, 2019 Philippines 0-3 China PR 1:30pm Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi January 11, 2019 Kyrgyzstan 0-1 South Korea 4pm Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai January 16, 2019 South Korea 2-0 China PR 1:30pm Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi January 16, 2019 Kyrgyzstan 3-1 Philippines 1:30pm Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain Group D Team Pld W D L GD Pts 1 Iran (A) 3 2 1 0 +7 7 2 Iraq (A) 3 2 1 0 +4 7 3 Vietnam (A) 3 1 0 2 -1 3 4 Yemen (E) 3 0 0 3 -10 0 Date Game Time (UK) Venue January 7, 2019 Iran 5-0 Yemen 4pm Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi January 8, 2019 Iraq 3-2 Vietnam 1:30pm Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi January 12, 2019 Vietnam 0-2 Iran 11am Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi January 12, 2019 Yemen 0-3 Iraq 1:30pm Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah January 16, 2019 Vietnam 2-0 Yemen 4pm Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain January 16, 2019 Iran 0-0 Iraq 4pm Al-Maktoum Stadium, Dubai Group E Team Pld W D L GD Pts 1 Qatar (A) 3 3 0 0 +10 9 2 Saudi Arabia (A) 3 2 0 2 +4 6 3 Lebanon (E) 3 1 0 2 -1 3 4 North Korea (E) 3 0 0 3 -13 0 Date Game Time (UK) Venue January 8, 2019 Saudi Arabia 4-0 North Korea 4pm Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai January 9, 2019 Qatar 2-0 Lebanon 4pm Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain January 12, 2019 Lebanon 0-2 Saudi Arabia 4pm Al-Maktoum Stadium, Dubai January 13, 2019 North Korea 0-6 Qatar 11am Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain January 17, 2019 Saudi Arabia 0-2 Qatar 4pm Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi January 17, 2019 Lebanon 4-1 North Korea 4pm Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah Group F Team Pld W D L GD Pts 1 Japan (A) 3 3 0 0 +3 9 2 Uzbekistan (A) 3 2 0 1 +4 6 3 Oman (A) 3 1 0 2 -0 3 4 Turkmenistan (E) 3 0 0 3 -6 0 Date Game Time (UK) Venue January 9, 2019 Japan 3-2 Turkmenistan 11am Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi January 9, 2019 Uzbekistan 2-1 Oman 1:30pm Sharjah Stadium, Sharjah January 13, 2019 Oman 0-1 Japan 1:30pm Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi January 13, 2019 Turkmenistan 0-4 Uzbekistan 4pm Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai January 17, 2019 Oman 3-1 Turkmenistan 1:30pm Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi January 17, 2019 Japan 2-1 Uzbekistan 1:30pm Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain How can I buy tickets for the Asian Cup 2019?
Early bird tickets for the Asian Cup went on sale on June 28 for corporate tickets and general sale tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster .Most tickets will be sold in advance online, but ‘last-minute’ tickets for games that have not already sold out will also be available to buy during the tournament at sales centres in the UAE.
Twitter/@MichiganOnBTNJim Harbaugh broke out the strange Michigan formation from the Wisconsin game, with all 11 Wolverines in a straight line. Once again, it led to a touchdown.Against the Badgers, Michigan had this formation go viral, solely because it looks EXTREMELY weird. In that game, Michigan ran for five yards, before punching it in for a score on the next play. Against Illinois today, Jake Butt caught a touchdown across the middle after the Wolverines reassembled into a legal formation.Like, seriously, how do you defend this?Good luck, @umichfootball foes!More video » https://t.co/Glg5NuChZL https://t.co/T71vfiUyay— Michigan On BTN (@MichiganOnBTN) October 22, 2016We’re not sure what this does, although we can see where defenders’ signals get crossed once the players reassemble, with the quick snap. The bigger part of the play here is the wide receivers running interference to get Butt open for the easy score.Michigan has been blowing out teams all year, and is doing the same in Ann Arbor this afternoon. Harbaugh’s club is up 21-0 late in the first quarter. Wilton Speight has been great today, completing 7-of-8 passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Butt’s three-yard touchdown catch is his only reception of the game.Michigan entered the game as a 39.5-point favorite at home, per OddsShark. That’s a ton of points for a Big Ten game, but it definitely seems to be in play, based on how the first quarter went.
Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti says that he is unsure whether his international team-mate Antoine Griezmann will join him at Camp Nou next season.Atletico Madrid attacker Griezmann was believed to be on the verge of completing a deal to the Spanish champions, before reports emerged last month suggesting that the move had been vetoed.The switch was also put into further doubt earlier this week when Atletico president, Enrique Cerezo, revealed he is yet to hear from Barca regarding any potential move for Griezmann. Article continues below Editors’ Picks ‘There is no creativity’ – Can Solskjaer get Man Utd scoring freely again? ‘Everyone legged it on to the pitch!’ – How Foden went from Man City superfan to future superstar Emery out of jail – for now – as brilliant Pepe papers over Arsenal’s cracks What is Manchester United’s ownership situation and how would Kevin Glazer’s sale of shares affect the club? “I don’t know where he’s going, he didn’t say,” said Cerezo. “I don’t have the slightest idea where he will go. I don’t think anyone knows. No one from Barca has contacted me,” he added.With so much speculation surrounding the Atletico man, Umtiti was asked about his countryman’s future while on international duty.”Will he be at Barcelona? That’s a very good question,” Umtiti told French outlet RTL following France’s shock 2-0 defeat to Turkey on Saturday.Asked about rumours that the transfer was vetoed by senior Barca players, Umtiti said: “The truth is, I never heard anybody talk about him in our dressing room. Maybe I wasn’t there when it happened.”It is not just Griezmann being linked with a move this summer, with speculation growing that Umtiti himself could be on the move after a disappointing campaign in 2018/19.The former Lyon man struggled with a knee injury last season and was restricted to just 14 league appearances.However, Umtiti was quick to distance himself from reports that he could be leaving Barca in the near future.“I have a contract, I feel happy in Barcelona,” said the 25 year-old. “I had a complicated season but that’s not a reason to have desires elsewhere. I will be in Barcelona next season.”Next up for Griezmann, Umtiti and their French team-mates, is the slightly less daunting task of beating Andorra on Tuesday.The world champions’ poor performance against Turkey means they sit second in their Euro 2020 qualification group, level on points with Iceland and three points behind leaders Turkey.
In honour of Juventus being named Piemonte Calcio in FIFA 20 due to the end of the partnership between the Serie A champions and EA Sports, we’ve rounded up some of the best fake football team names in Pro Evolution Soccer.Licensing deals and sponsorships mean that gaming platforms do not get naming rights for the team, forcing them to think of a different, alternate name – and some of the results are amusing, while the rest just hilariously unimaginative.
Former Manchester City striker Wilfried Bony is currently a free agent and training with League Two side Newport County.The 30-year-old was pictured in a tweet from Newport manager Mike Flynn, who said it was “great” to have the Ivory Coast international involved at the Welsh-based club.”Excellent work ethic, professionalism and standards. Boys will take a lot from this,” Flynn tweeted about Bony’s attendance at training. Article continues below Editors’ Picks Emery out of jail – for now – as brilliant Pepe papers over Arsenal’s cracks What is Manchester United’s ownership situation and how would Kevin Glazer’s sale of shares affect the club? Ox-rated! Dream night in Genk for Liverpool ace after injury nightmare Messi a man for all Champions League seasons – but will this really be Barcelona’s? It was only four years ago that Bony signed for Premier League champions Manchester City in a deal worth £28 million (€30.2m/$33.8m) during the 2015 January transfer window.He earned the move after being the English top flight’s top scorer while at Swansea City during the 2014 calendar year – with his 20 goals surpassing the tallies of Sergio Aguero, Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge.Bony never managed to settle at the Etihad while in the shadow of Aguero, scoring six goals in 36 league appearances across two seasons before he was loaned to Stoke City in 2016.After struggling to establish himself at in a season Stoke, Bony stayed in the Premier League with a return to Swansea City. However he couldn’t prevent the Welsh side from being relegated at the end of the 2017-18 campaign and then failed to fire in Championship.His last competitive side was Al Arabi Sports Club in Qatar – where he hit an impressive five goals in seven matches,In an interview in May following his release from Swansea, Bony revealed he was targeting a return to the Premier League, adamant that he is still good enough to play at the highest level.”I have the ability and the capacity to do [to play in the Premier League]. That’s my target,” Bony told BBC Sport.”I have been in the UK almost six years. I like it here so if there is an opportunity, I will speak to my agent. We will see.”Bony also played four matches during Ivory Coast’s quarter-final run at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations but only was in the starting line-up once and failed to score during the tournament.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 02: Head coach Urban Meyer of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks on as they play the Wisconsin Badgers during the second half of the the Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 2, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)A decision is coming soon for Ohio State head football coach Urban Meyer. The Buckeyes’ three-time national champion coach will soon be learning his future as the team’s head coach.Ohio State’s Board of Trustees began its meeting at 9 a.m. E.T. The meeting quickly broke into a private, executive session.Now, we wait.It doesn’t look like we’re going to have to wait that long, though.Eleven Warriors is reporting that a decision on Meyer’s future will be announced today.“Ohio State will announce their findings and decision on Urban Meyer’s status today according to two sources with knowledge of the proceedings,” they tweeted.Ohio State will announce their findings and decision on Urban Meyer’s status today according to two sources with knowledge of the proceedings.— Eleven Warriors (@11W) August 22, 2018This plays into what’s being set up at the meeting.Reporters on the scene have tweeted that it looks like a press conference is being set up for this afternoon.As others have noted, Ohio State appears to be setting up for a press conference here at the Longaberger Alumni House, where Urban Meyer’s future is being decided today.— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) August 22, 2018Stay tuned.
MIAMI GARDENS, FL – NOVEMBER 11: Brandon Wimbush #7 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish warms up during a game against the Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium on November 11, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)Notre Dame is off to a 4-0 start and ranked in the top 10 nationally. The Fighting Irish have even navigated an early-season quarterback change without issue.Brandon Wimbush, who was Notre Dame’s starter in 2017 and started the first three games this season, was benched last weekend in favor of backup Ian Book. It was a move that seemed to pay immediate dividends.Book threw for 325 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 43 yards and three more scores, leading Notre Dame to a 56-27 victory. In the process, he appears to have taken over the starting role permanently.Wimbush was a four-star recruit in the 2015 class who produced 30 total touchdowns in 2017, but his struggles as a passer ultimately led to him being benched. There’s a chance he could be needed at some point this season though, especially given Brian Kelly’s history with quarterbacks.In the meantime, his mother is encouraging him to keep plowing ahead. Heather Wimbush shared a message to her son on Twitter today.In it, she said he has already scored his most important touchdown: a Notre Dame degree.Not that this really needed to be said (for those who know Brandon Wimbush), but this is from his mother, Heather Wimbush. pic.twitter.com/UVEVXqklQH— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) September 26, 2018Wimbush already redshirted in 2016, so he isn’t eligible to do so this year, even though he’s only played in four games. However, he could go elsewhere as a grad transfer next season.Whatever he decides, Wimbush’s future is bright. Even if he’s not playing football, he’s regarded as an intelligent, well-grounded individual who has interned at KPMG and Accel while in college. He clearly has a solid family support system as well.He should be fine.
COLUMBIA, SC – NOVEMBER 02: A general view of the kickoff between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and South Carolina Gamecocks during their game at Williams-Brice Stadium on November 2, 2013 in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)The final boxscore might indicate that Clemson dominated South Carolina, but the Gamecocks showed resiliency in a hostile environment on Saturday. Now, they’ll wait for their chance to make some noise in their upcoming bowl game.South Carolina owns just a 6-5 record, but every loss came to a ranked opponent. Clearly, Will Muschamp is building the program back to where it wants to be.With bowl projections for this season already available on several sites, let’s look at what experts are saying for the Gamecocks.Jerry Palm of CBS Sports has South Carolina in the Liberty Bowl against TCU.College Football News has the Gamecocks in the Belk Bowl against the NC State Wolfpack.Eric Single of Sports Illustrated released his projection, and he also has South Carolina in the Belk Bowl, but against Duke.South Carolina has shown it can compete with some of the best programs in the country over the course of this season. The official bowl game matchups are almost here, and the Gamecocks will have an opportunity to take another step in the right direction.
LOUISVILLE, KY – NOVEMBER 07: A general view of the stadium during the Louisville Cardinals game against the Syracuse Orange at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium on November 7, 2015 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)A major college football program has been called out by one of the state’s top high school head coaches.Louisville’s new head coach, Scott Satterfield, appears to have upset one of Kentucky’s top high school head coaches.Doug Preston, the head coach at Franklin-Simpson, took to Twitter to blast Satterfield and Louisville for allegedly pulling a scholarship.“What I hate to see is our kids getting their scholarships pulled with only days to go until signing!! These kids have set their futures around what UL promised! They showed loyalty to their commitment and now they get burned! Ridiculous and no class,” he tweeted.What I hate to see is our kids getting their scholarships pulled with only days to go until signing!! These kids have set their futures around what UL promised! They showed loyalty to their commitment and now they get burned! Ridiculous and no class @UofLFootball— Doug Preston (@coachadp) December 10, 2018Preston tweeted this in response to a recruit announcing that he was parting ways with Louisville’s program.Everything happens for a reason. Respect it. pic.twitter.com/OP54SvEODt— Anthony Adkins (@anthonyadkinss) December 10, 2018One of Preston’s high school players had previously announced his decommitment from the program.Louisville had reportedly told at least two of their commits that their scholarships would not be honored, per the Courier-Journal.This is unfortunate, but not uncommon in the world of college football recruiting and coaching hires.
EAST LANSING, MI – NOVEMBER 04: Head coach James Franklin of the Penn State Nittany Lions reacts to a first half touchdown by Saeed Blacknall #13 while playing the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium on November 4, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)Any team that recruits as well as Penn State football has under James Franklin over the last few years is going to experience some attrition via the NFL Draft.The combination of the Draft plus a huge influx of possible transfers leaves the Nittany Lions in a weird place.The deadline for early entrants into the NFL Draft passed earlier this week, so we know the damage on the end for Franklin’s team.Five players will be leaving PSU early: offensive tackle Ryan Bates, defensive tackle, Kevin Givens, guard Connor McGovern, defensive end Shareef Miller, and running back Miles Sanders.As a result, ESPN named Penn State one of its “losers” of the early-entrant deadline:“This is a program that can always expect some early entries to the draft, but five seems like a high number, especially for a 9-4 team. It’s not a surprise to see Connor McGovern, Kiper’s top offensive guard prospect, make the jump, or Miles Sanders, Kiper’s No. 9 running back prospect. But the departure of defensive tackle Kevin Givens came as a surprise and, to a degree, so did offensive tackle Ryan Bates.”This is on top of the graduation of quarterback Trace McSorley, who has obviously been huge for Penn State over the last three years.On top of the NFL Draft hopefuls, Penn State football could lose up to 11 players to transfer, as of today.That is the number of players that are currently known to be in the NCAA Transfer Portal. From the York Dispatch:Safety Ayron Monroe became the latest player to announce he was transferring, with a tweet late Tuesday afternoon that explained he will switch schools after graduating in the spring. He is the 16th Penn State player this offseason who intends to leave early. Two others — offensive lineman Alex Gellerstedt and tight end Danny Dalton — were also found on the transfer portal Tuesday, per a report from 247 Sports.[…]Others who intend to transfer include linebacker Dae’lun Darien, wideout Juwan Johnson, safety Lamont Wade, cornerback Zech McPhearson, wideout Brandon Polk, offensive tackle Sterling Jenkins, safety Isaiah Humphries and linebacker Brelin Faison-Walden.Entrance into the NCAA Transfer Portal doesn’t mean a player will definitely leave, but it is definitely troubling for Penn State’s depth in 2019.Penn State’s 2019 recruiting class currently features 11 players who’ve already enrolled, and another seven signees, per 247Sports. With these departures, Penn State is definitely going to have room to add to the currently-11th ranked class in the country, and they may need to given potential depth concerns heading into next year.[York Dispatch]
ARLINGTON, TX – APRIL 26: A view of the NFL Draft theater prior to the start of the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)The NFL Scouting Combine is just around the corner, but mock drafts for the 2019 NFL Draft have been getting made for weeks now. With the recent decision by Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray to enter the draft, ESPN’s top draft analyst has updated his mock draft.On Monday, ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. revealed his new top ten in the 2019 NFL Draft. The new mock draft also included a somewhat surprising selection for the first skill position player taken.Not deviating from his previous drafts, Kiper had Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa going No. 1 overall to the Arizona Cardinals.From there, he has Kentucky pass rusher Josh Allen going second to the San Francisco 49ers, then Alabama defensive tackle Quinnen Williams to the New York Jets.It’s safe to say that T.J. Hockenson made the right decision. Mel Kiper Jr. has him going number 8 overall. #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/ImA4rlTKtY— David Eickholt (@DEickholt247) February 18, 2019Michigan defensive lineman Rashan Gary is projected to go No. 4 to the Oakland Raiders, with Mississippi State pass rusher Montez Sweat going to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.Ohio State quarterback Dwayne Haskins is projected as the first quarterback off the board at No. 6 to the New York Giants, while offensive lineman Jawaan Taylor goes to the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 7.At No. 8, Kiper has Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson going to the Detroit Lions as the first skill position player taken.It’s a bold prediction at No. 8 to be sure. If selected, Hockenson would be the highest tight end drafted since Vernon Davis was taken by the 49ers in 2006. Only seven tight ends have been drafted in the top ten in the past 40 years.The Lions also happen to be the most recent team to select a tight end in the top ten. They drafted Eric Ebron No. 10 overall in 2014.Ole Miss wide receiver D.K. Metcalf goes No. 9 to the Buffalo Bills, and LSU cornerback Greedy Williams will go to the Denver Broncos.