General General Football Thread

[Ghazi52]

Messi scores two more as Miami win 4-1 at New England​

AFP
The Argentine star has now scored nine goals in just seven appearances this season

Lionel Messi continued his rich vein of scoring in MLS, finding the target twice as league leaders Inter Miami came from behind for a 4-1 win at the New England Revolution on Saturday.

With his brace Messi, the top scorer in MLS, took his tally to nine goals from seven appearances this season.

A crowd over 65,612 turned up at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, the stadium the Revolution share with the NFL's New England Patriots, to see the Argentine World Cup winner.

New England, who had been hit by a virus in the build-up to the game and bottom of the Eastern Conference, delighted the bumper home crowd after just 40 seconds through an Argentine of their own -- Tomas Chancalay.

Miami defender Nicolas Freire gave the ball away to Spanish midfielder Carles Gil who clipped a ball over the top to Chancalay, who spotted Drake Callender well off his line and chipped it over the stranded Miami keeper for the opening goal.

Messi got Miami back on level terms in the 32nd minute when he was found by Robert Taylor's through pass and the 36-year-old made no mistake, slotting home.

The eight-times Ballon d'Or winner struck again to put Miami ahead in the 68th minute when he collected a superb defence-splitting pass from his former Barcelona team-mate Sergio Busquets and finished with his usual ease.

Miami added two more in the final stages -- both created by Messi.

Substitute Benjamin Cremaschi made it 3-1 in the 83rd minute, pouncing after a Messi shot was parried out. Luis Suarez completed the scoring, finding the top corner after a pass inside from Messi.

Miami have won three straight games since their exit from the CONCACAF Champions Cup at the hands of Mexican club Monterrey with Messi scoring five times in that run which includes wins at Kansas City and at home to Nashville.

Coach Gerardo Martino said the team were starting to come together as he had hoped.



"The Kansas City game was a key for us, because we had just been eliminated by Monterrey and the team showed their character. Now we have three wins in a row and it is getting more solid every time," he said.

Martino said the rest of his players had now got used to playing in front of the large crowds that Messi is drawing.

"We've handled it well. That was a learning curve last season and now we are dealing with it well," he added.

New England coach Caleb Porter said he was disappointed that his defenders had allowed Messi the space for his goals but said the Argentine had shown his class in making them pay.

"You have to look at both those moments because I thought they were able to find two goals when we felt pretty good about the way we were limiting their effectiveness in creating clear chances," he said.

"But you know, that's Messi, he finds two goals out of nowhere and it exposes the detail in those moments from us.

"I don't think he had a ton of touches and effectiveness early in the game but, you know, that's kind of him -- he lulls you....we can't allow a ball to be popped through the back four and find him twice," he added.

Elsewhere, Christian Benteke scored twice for D.C. United as they enjoyed a 2-1 win at home to the Seattle Sounders.

The Sounders led 1-0 through a Leo Chu goal but had goalkeeper Stefan Frei sent off in the 28th minute after he brought down Jared Stroud in the box,

Benteke put away the penalty and then won the game with a trademark header at the back post on the stroke of half-time.

Real Salt Lake take over at the top of the Western Conference after handing the Philadelphia Union their first loss of the season with a 2-1 win in Pennsylvania.

RSL move above the Los Angeles Galaxy who fell to a 2-0 defeat at Austin while defending MLS champions Columbus Crew were held to a goalless draw at home to Montreal.

Crew coach Wilfried Nancy rotated his line-up ahead of Wednesday's CONCACAF Champions Cup semi-final second leg at Monterrey.

 

[Ghazi52]

Liverpool's Premier League title hopes suffer blow​

AFP

Klopp's impressive era seems to be concluding on a flat note with the team dropping points for the fourth time

 

[Ghazi52]

Man City's Foden wins football writers' award​

The 23-year-old is the third City player in the past four years to win football's oldest individual award

AFP
May 04, 2024

LONDON: Manchester City's Phil Foden was Friday named Footballer of the Year by the English Football Writers' Association, with the club's Khadija Shaw scooping the women's award.
England attacking midfielder Foden joins a roll call of famous names including Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, George Best and Kenny Dalglish.

Foden is the third City player in the past four years to win football's oldest individual award, following Ruben Dias in 2021 and Erling Haaland last year.

The 23-year-old Foden received 42 percent of the votes, heading off competition from Arsenal's Declan Rice and his teammate Rodri, who came third in a ballot of the FWA's near 900-strong membership.

 

[Ghazi52]

Reuters

Arsenal and Brighton remain unbeaten after a hard-fought 1-1 draw at The Emirates in Premier League clash

 

[Ghazi52]

‘Nobody has talked to me’: Liverpool star Mohamed Salah says it’s his ‘last year’ with Reds after beating Manchester United​

By Ben Morse, CNN
September 2, 2024

Liverpool players, including Mohamed Salah (second right), celebrate after scoring against Manchester United.
Nick Potts/PA
CNN —

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah said this will be his “last year” with the Reds after playing a pivotal role in his team’s 3-0 thumping of Manchester United on Sunday.

Salah, 32, scored and provided two assists as Liverpool ran riot at Old Trafford against a lackluster United.

When asked afterwards what was behind his fast start to the new Premier League campaign – the Egyptian has scored three times and provided three assists in Liverpool’s opening three matches – Salah said he came in with less pressure on his shoulders.

“I had a good summer and had a long time to myself to try to stay positive because, as you know, it’s my last year at the club,” Salah told Sky Sports.

“I just want to enjoy it and I don’t want to think about it. I feel like I’m free to play football and then we’ll see what happens next year.”

Salah’s current contract runs out at the end of the 2024/25 season. He has been at Liverpool since 2017, scoring 160 Premier League goals along the way.

Salah scores Liverpool's third goal against Manchester United.
Michael Regan/Getty Images

He has been subject to rumors of a move away from Anfield in recent years, with Liverpool reportedly rejecting a big-money offer from Saudi Arabia last year.

With questions swirling around his future, Salah said he has yet to talk to the club about a possible contract extension.

“Coming into the game, I said it could be the last time [I play here with Liverpool],” he said.

“No one at the club has spoken to me about contracts, so I’m just like, ‘OK, I’m playing my last season’ and see what happens at the end of the season.

“So far, we don’t know with which club, but so far yeah my last game here with Liverpool. It’s not up to me, but nobody talk to me about a contract with the club. We’ll see.”

When asked about Salah’s comments after the game, new Liverpool manager Arne Slot said he is focusing on the present.

“It’s a lot of ‘if’. At this moment, he is one of ours and I am really happy with him being one of ours and he played really well,” Slot told reporters, per Sky Sports.

“I don’t talk about contracts from players, but I can talk for hours about how Mo played today.”

Salah’s performance on Sunday continued his excellent record against Liverpool’s big rival, United.

He has scored 10 goals in nine appearances for Liverpool at Old Trafford, with the Reds sitting second in the Premier League, level on nine points with leader Manchester City after an unbeaten start to the season.