Page 44 - Football

AFC Asian Cup: Sunil Chhetri targets Uzbekistan tie to get important points

Talismanic Indian forward Sunil Chhetri has urged his teammates to look forward and focus on the match against Uzbekistan after the 0-2 loss to heavyweights Australia in their AFC Asian Cup opener. The Blue Tigers put up a gritty show to hold the Asian giants for a goalless stalemate in the first-half. But Australia, who were the World Cup 2022 pre-quarterfinalists, demonstrated their superiority with goals from Craig Irwine (50') and substitute Jordan Bos (73'). "There are pros and cons to this game. It's not easy to play the best team in Asia," Chhetri said in AIFF website. "We are not used to playing sides like these, as we don't play against them very often, so you never know what to expect." The Indian skipper, who began his career in 2005, failed to add to his tally of 93 goals but he said the focus is now on their match against Uzbekistan on January 18. It's a mixed bag of feelings right now. Once we watch the videos, perhaps we will gain more confidence and work on the th

India vs Australia, AFC Asian Cup Highlights: Blue Tigers go down defending

India vs Australia Highlights, AFC Asian Cup 2024: The Blue Tigers gave it their all, but two moments of chaos, one by Gurpreet Singh and another by defenders meant they lost the game 0-2 to Socceroos

Asian Cup: Bhutia feels India have the team to surprise Australia this time

The tag of favourites might be pinned on Australia, but former striker Bhaichung Bhutia insisted that India have the ammunition to surprise the world No. 25 Socceroos in their AFC Asian Cup group match in Qatar on Saturday. India are clubbed with title contenders Australia, Uzbekistan and Syria in Group B. You never know. I will not be surprised if India get a good result tomorrow, I mean we have the team to surprise them. You know, Australia is not the Australia of a decade ago. We also have made progress as a team," Bhutia told PTI on Friday. "Yes, it will be a tough match, but it is not an impossible task (to get a good result) for this side against them, said the former captain, who is in town for the Masterclass programme organised by Orchids School. So, can India reach the Round of 16 in the tournament? First thing first, we need to tackle Australia. If we can get a good result against them, who knows, said Bhutia. However, Bhutia, who played more than 100 matches for the .

City's Haaland to miss 9th straight game, Guardiola hopeful of early return

Erling Haaland has been ruled out of Manchester City's Premier League game at Newcastle on Saturday because of a foot injury, and he is likely to be out until the end of January. The Norway striker has missed the past eight games in all competitions though he's still the co-leading scorer in the league with 14 goals. Haaland hasn't played since a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa on Dec. 6. Hopefully at the end of this month he'll be ready," City manager Pep Guardiola said. "It was a little bit more than we expected in the beginning. It's the bone. It needs time. With every injury you can do whatever you want but it's a question of time. On Friday, Guardiola also confirmed that defender John Stones (ankle) won't suit up against Newcastle. Erling is out and John is out, the manager said. The 23-year-old Haaland, who has returned to training, has also scored five goals in Champions League play this campaign. Playmaking midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is set for more minutes Saturday, possibly as

The Total trinity

Footballing greats Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer leave an enduring legacy, revolutionising the game's tactics and shaping its modern era

AFC Asian Cup: India football full schedule, match timings, live streaming

The Indian football team is set to begin their campaign against Australia on January 13. Jio Cinemas will livestream AFC Asian Cup matches in India.

AFCON: Gambian soccer team makes emergency landing after plane loses oxygen

A plane carrying Gambia's national soccer team made an emergency landing after a sudden loss of oxygen during their flight to compete in the Africa Cup of Nations tournament. A chartered flight on Wednesday carrying the Scorpions returned to Gambia's capital Banjul after being airborne for nine minutes when the crew realised there were technical problems, Gambia's Football Federation said in a statement on Facebook. Upon landing, preliminary investigations indicated that there was loss of cabin pressure and oxygen, the federation said. The operating company for the flight, Air Cote d'Ivoire, is further assessing the situation to establish what caused the lack of oxygen and cabin pressure, it said. The players were on their way to compete in the Africa Cup in Ivory Coast, which begins on Saturday. This is the 34th edition of the biennial tournament, which was supposed to be played in June and July last year but was postponed to avoid Ivory Coast's tropical rainy season. Gambia's ..

Liverpool defender Alexander-Arnold to miss three weeks due to knee injury

Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold will be sidelined for three weeks because of a slightly torn knee ligament, the team said Tuesday. The right-back hyperextended his knee during Liverpool's 2-0 win over Arsenal in an FA Cup third-round game Sunday. Tests showed a little tear to the lateral ligament, assistant manager Pep Lijnders said ahead of the team's League Cup semifinal first leg against Fulham at Anfield on Wednesday. He will be out probably three weeks big blow, Lijnders said at a press conference. He was one of our most important players. Liverpool leads the Premier League by three points and was already preparing for an extended stretch without top scorer Mohamed Salah, who is on international duty with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations. Jurgen Klopp's team is also missing left-backs Andy Robertson (shoulder) and Kostas Tsimikas (collarbone), as well as central defender Joel Matip (ACL). Virgil van Dijk is available to play Wednesday after missing the Arsenal g

League Cup SF: Second-tier Middlesbrough beat Chelsea 1-0 in 1st leg

Cole Palmer missed from close range and Chelsea lost 1-0 to second-tier Middlesbrough in the first leg of their League Cup semifinal on Tuesday. Hayden Hackney scored in the 37th minute and Middlesbrough held on at Riverside Stadium against its Premier League opponent. Mauricio Pochettino's expensively assembled team has been eyeing cup trophies to make up for a disappointing Premier League campaign. They'll have work to do in the second leg at Stamford Bridge on Jan. 23. We had too many chances to score where we didn't score. That is football, Pochettino told Sky Sports. We have another 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge, and I think we need to be positive. Middlesbrough hasn't been this far in the League Cup since winning the competition in 2004. Hackney scored after sprinting past midfielder Moises Caicedo a big-money signing last summer inside the box and poking Isaiah Jones' low cross past goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic into the net. It was amazing. Great ball. I just got on the e

EPL: Tottenham signs Germany forward Timo Werner on loan from Leipzig

Tottenham signed Timo Werner on loan from Leipzig on Tuesday, giving the Germany forward another shot at the Premier League after his inconsistent stint with Chelsea. The 27-year-old Werner joined Spurs on a six-month deal that included an option to make the transfer permanent this summer. In the short term, Werner would plug a gap left by the departure of captain Son Heung-min to the Asian Cup with South Korea potentially until mid-February. The move could also boost Werner's resum ahead of the European Championship this summer in Germany. Werner played for Chelsea from 2020-22 and helped the London club win the Champions League, but it was still an underwhelming stint in English soccer. He tallied 23 goals in 89 total appearances in his time at Stamford Bridge. Werner returned to Leipzig in the summer of 2022 and scored 16 goals last season. But he's made only four starts under coach Marco Rose this campaign. The speedy Werner said he was encouraged by his discussions with Spur

Germany's Franz Beckenbauer, who won FIFA WC as player, coach, died at 78

Franz Beckenbauer, who won the World Cup both as player and coach and became one of Germany's most beloved personalities with his easygoing charm, has died, news agency dpa reported on Monday. He was 78. It is with deep sadness that we announce that my husband and our father, Franz Beckenbauer, passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday, Sunday, surrounded by his family, the family said in a statement to dpa, the German news agency. We ask that we be allowed to grieve in peace and be spared any questions. The statement did not provide a cause of death. The former Bayern Munich great had struggled with health problems in recent years. Beckenbauer was one of German soccer's central figures. As a player, he reimagined the defender's role in soccer and captained West Germany to the World Cup title in 1974 after it had lost to England in the 1966 final. He was the coach when West Germany won the tournament again in 1990, a symbolic moment for a country in the midst of reunification, .

Franz Beckenbauer, World Cup-winning captain and coach, dies aged 78

Franz Beckenbauer, the German soccer great who helped his country win the World Cup both as player and coach, has died, news agency dpa reported Monday. He was 78. It is with deep sadness that we announce that my husband and our father, Franz Beckenbauer, passed away peacefully in his sleep yesterday, Sunday, surrounded by his family, the family said in a statement to dpa, the German news agency. We ask that we be allowed grieve in peace and spared any questions. The statement did not provide a cause of death. As a player and coach, Beckenbauer did more than most to shape German soccer. He captained West Germany to the World Cup title in 1974. He also coached the national side that won the 1990 World Cup final against Argentina. In recent years the former Bayern Munich great struggled with health problems.

Kylian Mbappe transfer: What we know so far in Madrid vs EPL see-saw ?

The football transfer market once again heats up as Mbappe is now free to negotiate with whichever club he wants. Liverpool and Real Madrid are hot on their heels to persuade the Frenchman

Werner, Toney, Henderson ... Mbapp? Key players set for possible transfers

It has been a slow start to the January transfer window in the Premier League. Expect that to change pretty quickly. Deals are being mooted, speculation is starting to fly, and sought-after stars like Kylian Mbapp and Ivan Toney have chosen to talk about their future to the media. Here's a look at the situation surrounding some key players and teams: TIMO WERNER Timo Werner might have won the Champions League during his time with Chelsea from 2020-22, but it was still an underwhelming stint in English soccer for the Germany forward. It looks like he'll be returning to England to London again, too in a bid to ignite his career ahead of the European Championship. Werner is widely reported to be close to joining Tottenham from Leipzig, initially on loan, but with a view to a permanent move. In the short term, he would plug a gap left by the departure of captain Son Heung-min to the Asian Cup potentially until mid-February. It's right that Timo wants to go on loan," Leipzig coa

FA Cup: Liverpool beat Arsenal 2-0; De Bruyne back for City in 5-0 win

Three straight losses, an elimination from the FA Cup, and the ominous sight of Manchester City back in form and boosted by the return of Kevin De Bruyne. These are worrying times for Arsenal. In a heavyweight third-round matchup in the FA Cup, Arsenal's increasingly alarming problems in front of goal were further exposed in a 2-0 loss to Liverpool on Sunday. An end-to-end contest was settled by two late goals an own-goal by Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior in the 80th minute and a fierce strike by Luis Diaz in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Arsenal has now lost four of its last seven matches in all competitions, including its last three in a row. We need to reset, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. This (upcoming winter) break is good. It has come at a good time. Arsenal has had 48 shots in its last two home games taking in the 2-0 loss to West Ham in the Premier League on Dec. 28 and not scored a goal. That statistic, plus a knee injury to first-choice striker Gabriel Jesu

FA Cup 2024 - Arsenal vs Liverpool football live match time, streaming

Arsenal and Liverpool will be up against each other in the third round of the FA Cup 2023-24 on Sunday, January 7, 2024

Brazil coach Diniz fired, Sao Paulo's Dorival Junior could replace him

Brazil coach Fernando Diniz was fired by the confederation president, a day after the latter got his job back. The Brazilian Football Confederation said in a statement that president Ednaldo Rodrigues informed Diniz that he wanted to advance the process of choice of a permanent coach. Diniz was contracted to the middle of the year as Rodrigues expected Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti to take the Brazil job before the Copa America in June in the United States. However, Ancelotti recently extended his stay at Madrid. Diniz was splitting Brazil duties with coaching Fluminense, the Copa Libertadores champion. Rodrigues was returned to office by Brazil's Supreme Court on Thursday, one month after a Rio de Janeiro court ousted him and his directors and triggered an election process that was questioned by FIFA. The CBF thanks Fernando Diniz for his work, his dedication, his seriousness and for the challenge of revamping Brazil, a statement said. Neither Diniz nor Fluminense have yet .

AIFF evaluates possibility of implementing Additional Video Review System

The AIFF has written to the International Football Association Board, the body that determines the laws of the game, to explore the possibility of India participating in the trial of the Additional Video Review System' (AVRS). The VAR technology, which was first used in FIFA events in 2016-17, supports the decision-making process of the referee in four game-changing situations: goals and offences leading up to a goal, penalty decisions and offences leading up to a penalty, direct red card incidents, and mistaken identity. "Our prime objective here is to reduce the margin of error by empowering match officials with the technology to assist in their decision-making," All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Kalyan Chaubey said in a media release. "While we will continue to work to implement VAR, I feel that, to begin with, AVRS can be a great option for a country like India. "AVRS would help us study the impact of the technology, train our match officials with the new concept,

Mario Zagallo, World Cup winning player, coach for Brazil, dies at age 92

Mario Zagallo, who won two World Cups as a player, one as a coach and another as an assistant coach for Brazil, has died. He was 92. The first person to win the World Cup both as a player and a manager, Zagallo is for many Brazilian soccer fans synonymous with patriotism, grit and glory. Brazilian soccer confederation president Ednaldo Rodrigues said in a statement in the early hours of Saturday confirming Zagallo's death that Zagallo is one of the biggest legends of the sport. No cause of death was released by the federation or his family. We offer solidarity to his family members and fans in this moment of grief for the departure of this great hero of our soccer, Rodrigues said. Several Brazilian clubs where Zagallo played and coached also expressed their sorrow for his death. Zagallo's social media channels called him a dedicated father, a loving grandfather, a caring father-in-law, a loyal friend, a victorious professional and a great human being. A gigantic hero. A patriot t

Arsenal to wear all white in campaign against knife crime, youth violence

Arsenal will wear an all-white kit in its FA Cup third-round match against Liverpool on Sunday as part of its campaign against knife crime and youth violence. It will be the first time the Premier League team has worn the kit in a home game for its No More Red ' initiative. Young people face multiple challenges as they grow up in today's world and we don't have all the answers, but we are confident that by acting together and shining a light on the support network available across our community, we can make a significant contribution to the lives of our participants, said Freddie Hudson, Head of Arsenal in the Community. The campaign was launched in 2022 and this is the third season Arsenal has worn a kit drained of the club's traditional red to raise awareness. The Arsenal women's team will wear all white for the first time against Watford in the FA Cup later this month. While the kits are not for sale, a community T-shirt will be sold and Arsenal said 100% of the retail price w