football Archives - Ination

‘A magical night’: Kylian Mbappé scores first Real Madrid goal in UEFA Super Cup victory over Atalanta

ination online — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 06:04:05 +0000

It took Kylian Mbappé just 68 minutes to open his account for Real Madrid as the French superstar helped Los Blancos to a 2-0 win over Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup final.

Widely regarded as a glorified preseason friendly, the Super Cup is contested between the winners of last season’s Champions League and Europa League.

Both sides hit the woodwork in what was an even first half, the highlight coming when a stunning fingertip save from Thibaut Courtois denied Mario Pašalić what looked a certain opening goal for the Italian side.

Real finally found the breakthrough in the 59^th minute when Federico Valverde tapped into an empty net after being set up by some brilliant play on the wing by Vinícius Jr.

Mbappé, who completed a free transfer to Real in June after letting his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expire, then ran onto Jude Bellingham’s low pass and fired his effort into the top corner to secure a record sixth Super Cup triumph for the club and for manager Carlo Ancelotti.

“It’s a magical night,” Mbappé told CBS after the game. “I’ve always dreamed about these types of night, and now, it’s a reality. Playing for this club, the best club in the world, is something crazy.

“I’m really happy to make my debut today. Of course, we won a trophy and it’s really important to win a trophy here because everybody’s won here.

“It’s a big pleasure for me to score a goal as a striker, to be there to score for my team is always a pleasure and I hope to improve to help the team more.”

Mbappé was effusive in his praise of his new teammates, calling Vinícius and Rodrygo “great players” and saying it is “easy to play with them” after some concerns about how he would fit in.

“That’s why this is Real Madrid and that’s why this is the best club in the world because we have the best players here,” he said. “It’s a pleasure to play with Rodrygo and Vinícius, also with Bellingham.”

Real Madrid won a record sixth Super Cup.

Kacper Pempel/Reuters

Ancelotti said Mbappé did “really well” on his debut and stressed the importance of his star players playing as a team.

“It was the first game, he adapted really well to the team,” he said. “He combined well with Vinícius and with Bellingham.

“Of course, we have a lot of quality, but we have to be able to play together, we did tonight and this is good for us.”

Madrid kicks off its league season away at Mallorca on Sunday.

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US women ‘here to win’ Olympic soccer gold ahead of crunch match against Brazil

ination online — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 06:01:30 +0000

Not even three months into her time as head coach of the US women’s soccer team, Emma Hayes is already going for an Olympic gold medal.

Only Brazil and the legendary Marta stand between the US and a record-extending fifth Olympic title, which would be the team’s first gold medal since 2012.

Despite her players struggling to find goals for large parts of the knockout stages, victory in Paris on Saturday would nevertheless cap off a brilliant start to Hayes’ coaching tenure.

“It’s been unbelievable … It’s honestly much better than I thought it would ever be,” Hayes told CNN Sport’s Amanda Davies about her Olympic experience so far. “I still can’t quite believe that we’re in a gold medal final, but one that I’m very excited for.”

Hayes started her role as head coach of the USWNT in May and has overseen victories against Zambia, Germany (twice), Australia and Japan at the Olympics.

An extra-time goal from forward Sophia Smith was needed to defeat Germany in the semifinals, while Trinity Rodman also struck late in extra-time to see off Japan in the quarters.

Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman celebrate during the USWNT’s win against Japan.

Agustin Marcarian/Reuters

The US is the favorite to win Saturday’s final, which kicks off at 11 a.m. ET at the Parc des Princes, but a Marta-inspired Brazil is a challenging prospect for any team.

The 38-year-old Marta, playing in a sixth and final Olympics, will return from a two-game ban for the final, determined to end her last appearance at a major international tournament on a high. She was red carded in Brazil’s final group-stage game but watched on as her side recorded unlikely victories against host France and World Cup winner Spain in the knockout rounds.

“I’m delighted for Marta,” said Hayes. “What an opportunity for her and her team. She deserves it. You could see how much it meant to the players to do that for her.”

For some of the stars of the US team, it will likely be the last time playing against one of the icons of the women’s game on one of the sport’s biggest stages.

“It goes without saying Marta has changed the game of soccer around the world,” Rodman told reporters on Thursday. “She’s such a talented soccer player but also a great human, which speaks volumes.

“I’ve always looked up to her, we all kind of do, she’s a legacy forever. But we want that gold, so I’m not going to say too much on that. I love her, but we want to win.”

The Paris Olympics have been an opportunity for this US team to start afresh after a disappointing World Cup campaign last year, which ended in a round-of-16 defeat against Sweden.

US players celebrate their late goal against Germany in the semifinal of the Olympics.

Nir Elias/Reuters

After topping Group B with three wins, the US had to display resilience and resolve to progress through the Olympic knockout rounds and continue the team’s famous legacy at this tournament.

In France, the conditions have been challenging and the matches long, but Hayes, who coached Chelsea’s women’s side for 12 years before joining the USWNT, is confident that her players will summon enough energy for one last performance.

“You’ve got plenty of time to rest after this,” she said. “We’re in the gold medal final. I’m sure everybody will dig deep in their reserves to deliver the performance. I have complete and utter faith in this group to be able to do that, so I don’t think that’ll be a problem.

“We’re here to compete, we’re here to win,” Hayes added. “It will be a chaotic game, I’m sure … I expect it to be quite a battle, quite feisty. But honestly, I’m just focusing on getting the best out of us, and I want to make sure that that we get as prepared as we can.”

The players, meanwhile, are enjoying the opportunity to play under Hayes in her first international coaching role.

Emma Hayes looks during the USWNT’s game against Australia.

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

“Emma came in so soon before this tournament,” Smith told reporters. “We knew that, obviously, that’s going to be a challenge. It’s a challenge to build trust with a new coach, let alone a few months before a world tournament, but she just came in flying.

“We absolutely love her. She has worked every day to build our trust and show us that she really, genuinely cares about us not only as players, but as people. That goes a really long way for us … Obviously, we’re a completely different team and a lot of the credit goes to Emma.”

The scrappy victory against Germany earlier this week means that at least an Olympic silver medal is guaranteed for the US, but going one step further would round off a hugely successful – if not always smooth-sailing – start to Hayes’ time in charge.

For the most storied team in women’s soccer, it would happily usher in the end of a long tournament and the start of a new era.

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Mauricio Pochettino to become new US men’s national soccer team head coach, per multiple reports

ination online — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 05:55:02 +0000

The next head coach of the US men’s national soccer team will be Mauricio Pochettino, according to reports.

Pochettino has agreed to terms with the team and will soon be announced as head coach, according to multiple reports, including The Athletic’s David Ornstein.

CNN has reached out to the USMNT to confirm.

Pochettino represents a significant get for the US and will bring a wealth of top-level coaching experience to the team.

The 52-year-old head coach most recently managed Chelsea in the English Premier League and guided the club to a sixth-place finish last season.

Pochettino has also notably been the head coach of Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain, where he led PSG to a Ligue 1 title.

This will be Pochettino’s first foray into international management and he will be tasked with guiding the US team at a World Cup on home soil in 2026.

The Argentine coach joins the US after previous head coach Gregg Berhalter was fired following a disappointing Copa América exit in July.

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Uruguayan soccer player dies days after collapsing during a game in Brazil

ination online — Wed, 28 Aug 2024 05:52:34 +0000

Uruguayan soccer player Juan Izquierdo died Tuesday at a hospital in Brazil five days after collapsing during a game at Sao Paulo. He was 27.

Hospital Albert Einstein in Sao Paulo said in a statement that the Nacional defender died at 9:38 p.m. local time following “cardiorespiratory arrest associated with his cardiac arrhythmia.”

Izquierdo was taken to the hospital after he collapsed shortly before fulltime in a Copa Libertadores soccer match at Sao Paulo’s Morumbi Stadium last Thursday.

The Uruguayan club posted a statement on social media saying Izquierdo’s death is felt “in deep pain and impact in our hearts” and “all Nacional is in grief for his irreplaceable loss.”

South American soccer’s governing body also posted a tribute. CONMEBOL President Alejandro Domínguez said he’s “deeply sorry about the early departure of Juan Izquierdo.

“South American soccer in in mourning,” he said. Other federations, including Uruguay, Brazil and Argentina, also expressed their condolences.

In a statement Monday, doctors at the hospital said Izquierdo was put into neurological critical care because of increased intracranial pressure. He had been on a ventilator since Sunday.

Uruguayan media said Izquierdo’s parents and Nacional executives were at the hospital in Sao Paulo. Izquierdo was married and had two children — the youngest, a boy, was born earlier in August.

Uruguay’s first- and second-division soccer leagues were postponed last weekend due to concerns over Izquierdo’s health. Sao Paulo players wore a shirt in support of the Uruguayan footballer before the team’s 2-1 Brazilian league win against Vitoria on Sunday.

The Brazilian club also posted a message after Izquierdo’s death.

“We had days of prayers, union and hope, and today we are in deep sadness with the news of the death of Juan Izquierdo,” Sao Paulo’s club statement said. “Our condolences to family, friends, teammates, Nacional fans and all the Uruguayan people in this moment of grief.”

Izquierdo was taken away in an ambulance during a match between Brazil’s Sao Paulo and Uruguay’s Nacional at the MorumBIS stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil on August 22, 2024.

Nelson Almeida/AFP/Getty Images

Izquierdo’s professional career began in 2018 at local club Cerro. He joined Peñarol the following year, but didn’t get much playing time.

“Peñarol is deeply sorry about the passing of Juan Manuel Izquierdo. We express our heartfelt condolences and we embrace his family, his friends and Nacional in this moment of so much pain,” Peñarol said on its social media channels.

After leaving Peñarol, Izquierdo moved to Montevideo Wanderers.

His athletic form and sharp tackles caught the attention of Mexico’s San Luís in 2021, but he quickly returned to the Montevideo Wanderers. Izquierdo was signed by Nacional in 2022, played one match and then was transferred to the local Liverpool club.

The defender was one of Liverpool’s best players in the campaign that led the team to a Uruguayan league title in 2023, the club’s first in more than a century.

Izquierdo returned to Nacional this year and was vying for a position in the starting lineup with veteran Sebastián Coates, who played for Uruguay’s national team. He played 23 matches this year and scored one goal.

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