Reigning MLS champions New York City FC are one step closer to going back-to-back after comfortably handling Inter Miami 3-0 in the first round of the MLS Playoffs.
City were in control throughout, creating 16 shots in the first half compared to just four for Miami, but they went into halftime tied at 0-0 after hitting the woodwork three times.
In one instance, a turnover from Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender handed City s Heber a golden opportunity to break the deadlock, but his chip was cleared off the line into the crossbar, with the rebound then being hacked off the post by a second defender.
City s dominance was rewarded in the second half, with Santiago Rodriguez brilliantly working his way into the Miami penalty box before dishing it off for Gabriel Pereir…
Stoke City goalkeeper Asmir Begovic has insisted he is happy at the club amid ongoing speculation linking him with a summer exit from the Britannia Stadium.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina international, 26, has established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the English Premier League over the past two seasons and is rumoured to be attracting interest from Arsenal and Real Madrid ahead of this summer s World Cup in Brazil.
Begovic, who joined Stoke from Portsmouth for £3.25 million in the winter of 2010, has two years remaining on his current deal with the Potters and is valued at around £10 million.
It s a good place to be, it s an exciting place to be. We are trying to push forward, Begovic told .
I have two years left on my contract an…
League One side Notts County have appointed former England international Alan Smith as player-coach, .
The 33 year old has spent the last two seasons with MK Dons, having initially moved to the club on loan from Newcastle United in January 2012.
Notts manager Shaun Derry is a huge admirer of the striker-come-midfielder, labelling him the ‘best player on the pitch’ when MK Dons faced County at Meadow Lane back in March.
Smith began his career with Leeds United, turning out for them over two-hundred times before moving to Manchester United following the Yorkshire side’s relegation to the Championship.
In three years at Old Trafford, he won the Premier League title and the League Cup, while he added to his collection of silverware by landing the se…
Arda Turan s agent insists the midfielder will see out his contract at Barcelona that runs until 2020.
The 30-year-old joined Barca from Atletico Madrid in July 2015 but, after his debut was delayed for six months due to the Catalan giants serving a player registration ban, he has failed to nail down a regular starting spot.
Arda scored 13 goals in 30 appearances last season, including a Champions League hat-trick against Borussia Monchengladbach, although he was limited to 14 starts in LaLiga by two lay-offs with adductor and abductor injuries.
Arsenal have been linked with his services but Arda s representative Ahmet Bulut maintains the player wants to fight for his place under new Barca boss Ernesto Valverde.
Arda will stay at Barca, Bulut told NTV S…
Germany international Marco Reus is determined to return to form and fitness for next year s World Cup after undergoing cruciate knee ligament surgery.
The Borussia Dortmund forward suffered the injury in their DFB-Pokal final victory over Eintracht Frankfurt, having already seen his 2016-17 campaign disrupted by injury.
Reus also missed the 2014 World Cup due to an ankle problem, pulling out of the squad before his side went on to become world champions.
But, after going under the knife, the 28-year-old is on the comeback trail and is fully focusing on recovering in time to aid both Dortmund and Germany in the coming campaign.
The surgery went fine and I m already on the road to recovery, Reus wrote in a post on his Facebook and Instagram pages.
Port Vale s Tom Pope had the FA Cup impact he promised before holders Manchester City ran out 4-1 winners at the Etihad Stadium.
Pope, whose disparaging Twitter post about City defender John Stones came to light following the third-round draw, nodded in a superb 35th-minute equaliser after Oleksandr Zinchenko s deflected opener.
However, Sergio Aguero ensured the hosts went in ahead at half-time before youngsters Taylor Harwood-Bellis – inadvertently scoring his first senior goal after Stones thought he had City s third – and Phil Foden sealed the Premier League champions progress.
Nathan Smith scrambled an eighth-minute effort from Foden out of the goalmouth but fellow Vale centre-back Leon Legge was not so effective with his own last-ditch attempt – tur…
La Liga giants Sevilla are thought to be keen on Fenerbahce defender Simon Kjaer.
The Rojiblancos are looking for a direct replacement for Adil Rami who moved to Marseille this season and are believed to have identified the Denmark international as their top-choice summer target.
Kjaer moved to Turkey in 2015 in a €7.5 transfer from French side Lille and has emerged as one of the leading figures for Turkish champions over the past two seasons.
Fenerbahce have already rebuffed an offer worth €8 million from AC Milan earlier this summer and have now informed Sevilla they will have to splash out offers in excess of €10 million and higher if they want to sign the Danish defender.
The Turkish giants are holding out for a significant fee that would help …
Under-pressure Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer revealed he has spoken to the club s board but has not sought any assurances about his future.
Solskjaer s future has been the subject of widespread speculation following United s lean recent run, capped by Sunday s 5-0 home thrashing at the hands of rivals Liverpool.
Senior United officials were said to have held a Monday meeting following the Liverpool loss, with executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward joined by managing director Richard Arnold and co-chairman Joel Glazer.
I’ve had communication with the board and I don’t expect them to come and give me assurances, Solskjaer said. When you have a performance and a spell like we’ve had, that s not what I call about and say.
My job is to pu…
Romelu Lukaku needs no inspiration as Belgium prepare to face Portugal in Euro 2020, though a personal battle with Cristiano Ronaldo serves as extra motivation.
Ronaldo edged out Lukaku in the Serie A scoring charts in 2020-21, with the 36-year-old Juventus star netting 29 times in comparison to the Inter striker s tally of 24 league goals.
While Ronaldo won that tussle, Lukaku led Inter to their first Serie A crown in 11 years.
The duo will now meet up on the international stage, Belgium facing off against Portugal in Seville on Sunday with a quarter-final spot on the line.
On the personal level, yes, Lukaku told a news conference when asked if going up against Ronaldo in Serie A had improved him as a player.
As a team it was just important t…
Reigning champions Lille made a statement to the rest of Ligue 1 with a comprehensive 3-1 win over Lyon on Sunday, as PSG also won.
Rudi Garcia s side made a slow start to their title defence this season, but have now recorded three victories in succession after dispatching their latest opponents at the Stade Lille-Metropole.
Lyon, seven-time champions between 2001 and 2008, had led in the match, through Jimmy Briand s 21st-minute strike.
Set-up by Yoann Gourcuff, Briand cut in from the wing and sent a low strike under the legs of Lille goalkeeper Mickael Landreau.
Senegal striker Moussa Sow levelled in first-half stoppage time for Lille, seizing on a loose ball inside the area and netting with an inventive back-heel shot.
Marko Basa made it 2-1…