Manchester City The resurrection of Gundogan: Man City man back to his brilliant Borussia Dortmund best Sam Lee Last updated 1 year ago 00:06 2/17/18 FacebookTwitterRedditcopy Comments(6) 
Getty Images Manchester City İ. Gündoğan Premier League Guardiola Yaya Touré Kevin De Bruyne Raheem Sterling Leroy Sané Sergio Agüero The midfielder’s progress was severely hampered by a serious knee injury but he is steadily getting back to his best, and there could be more to come Twenty games, or around 2000 minutes. That’s the amount of game time Ilkay Gundogan needed to get back to his best.Speaking at the start of December, Marti Perarnau, the author who charted Pep Guardiola’s time at Bayern Munich with incredible detail, declared that Gundogan was “not in good shape,” but that the midfielder “could arrive in March and April at a very good level” if he were to play roughly 20 matches over Christmas and beyond.AdChoices广告“He’s not fit, he’s not in good shape,” Perarnau told the 93:20 podcast. “But he understands very well the tempo of the play that the team needs at each moment, like David Silva. Article continues below Editors’ Picks Lyon treble & England heartbreak: The full story behind Lucy Bronze’s dramatic 2019 Liverpool v Man City is now the league’s biggest rivalry and the bitterness is growing Megan Rapinoe: Born & brilliant in the U.S.A. A Liverpool legend in the making: Behind Virgil van Dijk’s remarkable rise to world’s best player “I think he needs 20 more matches in his legs. He hasn’t played too many matches in the last three years.“I hope in 20 matches we will see a very good Gundogan.”He has played in 17 games since that interview, a rough total of 1,150 minutes, and the evidence suggests Perarnau was right.Gundogan’s two-goal, man-of-the-match performance against Basel in midweek was a reminder of the form he was starting to produce last season, before a serious knee injury forced him to miss roughly 10 of his 18 months as a City player.”I love to play for this club, for this manager, with these team-mates, it’s just fun,” Gundogan said after the game in Switzerland. “Every single guy understands, is feeling it, and can see it that we have a very special group, with a very special atmosphere.”
He is finally starting to play his role in that group, the role expected of him when he signed from Borussia Dortmund in 2016.After all, he was the very first signing of the Guardiola era, designed to be come in and help the Catalan impose his fast passing style in English football. As Perarnau notes, Gundogan understands the flow of a game just as David Silva does.But, thanks to his injury, in his 18 months in Manchester he has only fleetingly shown his best qualities.The German’s first period at City, between his belated debut on September 14, 2016 and injury exactly three months later, had as many highs as it did lows. Standing in for either David Silva or Kevin De Bruyne, he dovetailed well with whichever man he played alongside, helping to establish City’s possession game. He even chipped in with doubles against Barcelona and West Brom, his knack for arriving in the box at the right moment surprising even those who had watched him closely in the Bundesliga.But Guardiola, perhaps too confident in his side’s ability, was ramping up his tactical plans during this period, attempting to play all three of his creative midfielders at once, with Fernandinho and a three-man defence behind them. The Blues managed to dominate possession but as a result of failures elsewhere the experiment rarely looked convincing. In truth, none of the three midfielders looked at their best, either.So much so that when Gundogan was ruled out for the season, in the very first game after Guardiola simplified his plans after a bruising defeat at Leicester, it was seen, in the coldest terms, a blessing in disguise: with an uncomplicated back four in place, Gundogan’s injury also deprived Guardiola of the temptation to cram three creative midfielders into the same line-up.
Guardiola had worked out how to control games with just De Bruyne and Silva by the time Gundogan returned last September, and thanks to their performances and his own physical limitation, the German had to wait for his opportunities.He was handed his first start in the EFL Cup in September, but a nasty kick to the ankle hampered his progress and he did not start again for five weeks.Since then, the end of October, he has often been called upon to stand in for Silva.No City player, going back to when Silva first signed for the club in 2010, has managed to fill the Spaniard’s boots sufficiently, but Gundogan has shown that he can do a fine job; against Napoli away and Spurs at home he helped pull the strings of impressive 4-2 and 4-1 victories respectively.Those were open, fast-paced games but Gundogan also proved he can unlock tighter contests. Replacing De Bruyne, he provided two clever assists in two minutes to turn an FA Cup tie with Burnley on its head.Gundogan can suffer by being compared to his two influential team-mates – his failure to find “the last pass” in the recent draw at Burnley seemed worse because it is easily imagined that Silva would have delivered it – but he would probably walk into any other midfield in the country on current form.
And certainly when he gets those 2000 minutes under his belt. With key fixtures in all four competitions coming up in the next few weeks, he appears to be hitting form at exactly the right time.Other players are also returning from injuries and Gundogan, as predicted by Perarnau, looks set to have a key role in the final months of what could be a record-breaking season.“The team needs a very good Gundogan,” Perarnau added. “I think he can be at his highest level if he plays 20, 25 matches in December, January and February. He could arrive in March and April at a very good level. I think the team will need Gundogan.”Sources close to Guardiola’s staff have intimated this week that he is finally back to his Dortmund best, but that level of performance could merely be a temporary pit-stop; given how most of his team-mates have progressed under Guardiola’s tutelage, you get the feeling that Gundogan’s very best is still to come.
Gundogan back to his brilliant BVB bestGundogan back to his brilliant BVB best
November 14, 2019November 14, 2019
Transfers How will Man Utd line up with Fred and Dalot? Kris Voakes Man Utd Correspondent Last updated 1 year ago 22:30 6/6/18 FacebookTwitterRedditcopy Comments(1) 
Getty/Goal Transfers Manchester United Premier League The Red Devils have snapped up two players in as many days, but how might their additions change Jose Mourinho’s first XI? Manchester United have showed they mean business in the opening weeks of the summer transfer window.The Red Devils have made quick work of adding Brazilian midfielder Fred and Portuguese full-back Diogo Dalot to their ranks as they look to close the gap on Premier League champions Manchester City next season.And while more signings should be expected over the remaining two months of the window, the new duo alone are likely to change the face of United’s starting line-up. Article continues below Editors’ Picks Goalkeeper crisis! Walker to the rescue but City sweating on Ederson injury ahead of Liverpool clash Out of his depth! Emery on borrowed time after another abysmal Arsenal display Diving, tactical fouls & the emerging war of words between Guardiola & Klopp Sorry, Cristiano! Pjanic is Juventus’ most important player right now Jose Mourinho has had to rely on ageing former wingers Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young as full-backs until now, but 19-year-old Dalot gives him far greater options now.Meanwhile, £52.5 million man Fred should provide the dynamism in midfield to counter-balance Paul Pogba on the left.But both are versatile enough to give Mourinho multiple possibilities, so how exactly might United line up with them in the side?DALOT AT RIGHT-BACK
Dalot is primarily a right-back and as such he has been signed with the long-term post on that flank in mind.Valencia has been United’s first choice in that position for the last couple of years, with Matteo Darmian having failed to make the spot his own. And it should be considered that Valencia will remain the go-to man at right-back at least for the time being.While Dalot clearly has a great deal of ability, he only has seven senior appearances under his belt and will need to be eased into the first-team surroundings. Having come from a great academy at Porto, he is now at another of the great learning facilities in football and there is a lot he could take from Valencia’s example in the next year or two.Fred, meanwhile, seems likely to begin the 2018-19 season on the right of a midfield three with Pogba to the other side of Nemanja Matic. That would give the Frenchman the licence to play his own game in the opposition half safe in the knowledge that he has a more dynamic and powerful shield in behind him alongside Matic.DALOT AS LEFT-BACK
Dalot’s initial senior appearances with Porto have come as a left-back, with his versatility helping him to break into the first team earlier than might otherwise have been the case.And United’s main headache in recent times has arguably been that exact position, with Luke Shaw’s difficulties over the last few years having resulted in a variety of players being tried out on the left of defence.But just as Ashley Young and Matteo Darmian have found that playing on an unfamiliar flank can occasionally get you into trouble in the testing environment of the Premier League, Dalot may not be considered as the ideal man to be given the job on the left side.It could well be an option Mourinho turns to on occasion though, with the need to rest whoever does start the new season as United’s first-choice number three presenting further opportunities to get Dalot into the starting XI.4-2-3-1
It is not a formation Mourinho used over the final two months of United’s season, but the 4-2-3-1 has served him well at times during his Old Trafford spell.On the face of it, the 4-3-3 should allow key man Pogba to revel most, especially now that he has Fred playing a similar role to the one which Arturo Vidal filled so well in the Frenchman’s time at Juventus.But if there are teething issues with that shape, then the 4-2-3-1 may come back in with Pogba starting from a higher position.It is a system Fred has played on plenty of occasions with Shakhtar Donetsk, with the Brazilian adding a new dimension from the base of midfield, while it would also open up the possibility of featuring an extra forward in a club which is overflowing with options in the attacking department.With an extra man sitting in the centre of the park, that might also open the way up for the two full-backs to get forward more often. And that is something Dalot loves to do whichever side of the field he starts on.
It has been confirmed that Touch Football Australia (TFA) will be designing a new logo over the next 3-4 weeks.However, all referees who have uniforms with the current Touch Football Australia logo will be allowed to continue wearing this uniform at all events, both local and national.Before the new logo is introduced and sold, TFA Merchandise staff would like to sell all of the uniforms containing the current logo we have now. So we are selling all shirts, shorts, skirts, tracksuits and bags at a slightly reduced cost. This is a great opportunity for referees or associations who are not fussed if their gear has the new logo or the logo as it is now. The uniforms are still brand new as usual.Anyone who is interested in grabbing referees gear with the current logo on it, at a reduced price, can do so by using the following order form: SALE ON REFEREES GEAR
The 2009 Be Active Junior State Champs will be held at Lightning Park, Noranda, WA, from Friday 20 February to Sunday 22 February 2009.Over 25 teams will compete in 5 divisions, including 10’s, 12’s and 15’s Mixed, as well as 18’s Boys and Girls. The 15’s Boys final will also be played on Sunday, with Northern Districts taking on Tompkins Park.67 games will be played over the course of the championships, with teams from Fremantle, Tompkins Park, Peel Districts, Brighton, Northern Districts, Goldfields, Southern Districts and Perth Brothers all competing. The first games will be played on Friday at 6pm, with round games to continue on Saturday and Sunday. Finals will commence at 10.40am on Sunday, with the 12’s Mixed final, followed by the 15’s Mixed and 15’s Boys at 11.20am, the 18’s Girls at 12.10pm and the 18’s Boys at 1pm. The Under 10’s presentation will be held at 11am, with the 12’s at 11.30am and the 15’s and 18’s at the conclusion of the 18’s Boys final.For further information, visit the Junior State Champs website:http://www.juniorstatechamps.com.au
Early in 2011, Georgie and Abi Friedrichs and their family’s home, in Murphys Creek near Toowoomba, was devastated by flooding, damaging their home beyond repair. While their living situation since hasn’t been ideal, the help of their local community, including the Touch Football community, has helped the family get back to some sort of normality. And it wasn’t just support from the South West Queensland Touch Football community that helped the Friedrichs’ family, with Touch Football ACT also donating money to the cause. Earlier in the year, Touch Football ACT held a Charity Cup event after parts of Queensland were devastated by floods. They raised $4,000 from the event, and after hearing about the Touch Football-loving Friedrichs’ and their situation, decided to contribute the money to the family. For 18-year-old Abi and 16-year-old Georgie, the generosity of people, some they didn’t even know, overwhelmed the girls, who are extremely grateful for the amount of help that they’ve received. “We’ve had heaps of support from people that we don’t even know or remember, just workplaces and friends from when you were little. Our Touch friends as well, our club sides, have been really helpful, just helping you move on from what happened and actually realising that you are not exactly the same as you were so that’s been really good,” Abi said. The Friedrichs’ have been through a lot this year, but their positive outlook has held them in good stead, while they’ve also realised what is important. “It’s just figuring out what you haven’t got, like clothes, and things that you took for granted, just small things and things that you can’t get back like photos and books. You figure out what you haven’t got and figure out if you need it again because once it’s gone you realise that you didn’t really need it.”Touch Football has been a big part of the girls’ lives, with Georgie recently making the Queensland Under 16’s team that will travel to New Zealand in December. Attending the National Youth Championships is something that they both enjoy, with the opportunity to play teams from across Australia an exciting part of the event for the girls. “Being able to play against different states and different teams from different regions, you get so used to playing the regions that you are in, you get so used to seeing the same faces, it’s just good to play other teams,” Abi said. The Friedrichs’ received good news recently when they got approval to build a new house on their property, this time on higher ground.“We’ve actually been living in the house that’s been destroyed, we had some very nice people rebuild the side of the house and do the chip rocking, it’s smaller and is more open to the elements than it was but it is liveable,” Abi said. “Hopefully building starts this weekend. It took forever to get the approval but now that we’ve got it, it will hopefully be back up by Christmas.”
On behalf of the Touch Football community, Touch Football Australia wishes to extend its condolences to the family of Bronwyn Carruthers, who passed away last week. Bronwyn was a long standing member of the New South Wales Touch Association (NSWTA) and one of the early pioneers of female refereeing in the sport. Not only was Bronwyn a graded referee reaching a badge Level 5, she also administered the sport serving time with the ‘old’ Region Eight as Assistant Director and Selectors Director. Further to this Bronwyn also assisted both the NSWTA and Touch Football Australia on their Tournament Committees. She passed peacefully at Sutherland Hospital on January 31, 2014. A dearly loved wife of James (known to the Touch world as Jimmy), who will be sadly missed by all her relatives and friends. Bronwyn’s funeral will be held at the South Chapel, Woronora Crematorium, Linden Street Sutherland on Thursday, 6 February at 1.00pm. No Flowers by request, donations to Bay Babes, PO Box 447, Gymea NSW 2227. Related LinksVale Bronwyn Carruthers
Get ready for the NRL Holden Women’s State of Origin, launching in 2018.Be at North Sydney Oval at 6pm on Friday 22nd June to witness the Holden Women’s State of Origin kick off a new era in elite women’s sport.The spectacular tries, speed, passion and rivalry of Origin will all be on display. It’s the same game, our way.It’ll all start with a NSW vs Qld Women’s Touch game, where the best of the best elite female touch players will go head to head in their state colours.And it’ll be followed by a historic NRL match, the first ever Holden Women’s State of Origin.Game day infoDate: 22nd June 2018Location: North Sydney Oval, NSWRunning times:Gates open: 6:00pmNSW vs Qld Women’s Touch tap-off: 6:15pmNRL Holden Women’s State of Origin kick-off: 7:40pmTickets: $10 online (kids under 15 free); $15 at the gateBuy tickets here
TagsTransfersAbout the authorFreddie TaylorShare the loveHave your say I’ll build my Man Utd team around Pogba – Solskjaerby Freddie Taylor10 months agoSend to a friendShare the loveManchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has praised Paul Pogba’s attitude and says he will build his team around the French midfielder.Pogba endured a fractious relationship with former manager Jose Mourinho, which was well publicised over the past 18 months.However, the 25-year-old, who has been linked with a move to Juventus in recent weeks, has looked renewed in Solskjaer’s first two games in charge, scoring twice in Wednesday’s win over Huddersfield Town.”I think Paul’s a top, top player. He’s one of the best top, top players in the world,” said Solskjaer in his pre-match press conference for Sunday’s clash with Bournemouth.”Attacking wise he’s done really well but he’s a big lad, can win headers, tackles, he’s been the same as the others. The attitude has been perfect and that’s key, you should be tired towards the end of every single game he’s been top class and we’re looking to build a team around of course but there are so many quality players.” 
About the authorPaul VegasShare the loveHave your say Alex Iwobi says Arsenal win was for fansby Paul Vegas10 months agoSend to a friendShare the loveAlex Iwobi says Arsenal’s players were pleased with their 4-1 win over Fulham.The midfielder admits it was a result for the fans.He said, “It was a good performance from the team, and a great response after the defeat we had [at Liverpool] so it was a good result.”Yes, we had a few chances and with the attackers we have, we will always have those. But we were able too get four and that is enough for today!”You could see today that we played with confidence and did well.”We like to make sure our opponents are scared to come to the Emirates, and we have kept that going and it’s a great win for us and for the fans.” 
Liverpool legend Carragher: No problem being dumped from FA Cupby Paul Vegas10 months agoSend to a friendShare the loveLiverpool legend Jamie Carragher insists being dumped out of the FA Cup is no reason for concern.Carragher suggested all their focus should be on winning the Premier League title.He posted to social media:I have no problem with the @LFC selection from JK & would rather we had won but, we have the best chance we’ve had in years of winning the PL & it may be yrs before we’re in this position again. The big chance we have is not the 4 point lead but MC/THFC playing a lot more games— Jamie Carragher (@Carra23) January 7, 2019 About the authorPaul VegasShare the loveHave your say
About the authorCarlos VolcanoShare the loveHave your say Marchisio backing Juventus to win Champions Leagueby Carlos Volcano9 months agoSend to a friendShare the loveClaudio Marchisio is backing Juventus to win the Champions League this season.The midfielder left Juve for Zenit St Petersburg earlier this term.Marchisio said, “I hope this is Juve’s year for the Champions League because it would mark the end of an unstoppable cycle for them, especially for those who have been there since the first Scudetto but also for the great work everyone’s doing, from the club to the staff.“I think they deserve it, but they know that, even if they have a better chance now than in previous seasons, it’s always very difficult.“Racism is a big problem and I understand foreign players playing in Italy very well, but I’d try to be even stronger and keep playing so the idiots aren’t given any attention.” 
Wenger: My favourite Arsenal teamby Paul Vegas12 days agoSend to a friendShare the loveFormer Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says his Invincibles side was the greatest team that he managed.Wenger was in charge of some other excellent sides at Arsenal, including the double-winning teams of 1997-98 and 2001-02.Wenger is quoted by the Metro: “You would say the Invincibles – it’s an easy question to answer. “My dream was always to play a season without losing a game so I cannot go against that.”Wenger added that the defence from the 1997-98 side was of a particularly high standard. He said: “But as well I must say I inherited a team of men when I came to Arsenal – this was the team that won in 98. “Adams, Bould, Winterburn, Keown, Dixon that was the core of the team. It was branded Arsenal players who were ready to die for the club. “You could go after the game in the fight in the corridors you would know they would not leave you alone – this was the type of players I had at the start. “They were ready to go to war with you, you could be in the trenches with them.” About the authorPaul VegasShare the loveHave your say
Arsenal have taken just two points from the last 15 available away from home, but Laurent Koscielny is refusing to read too much into that run.The Gunners were struck down by a bout of travel sickness again on Saturday when suffering a 1-0 derby defeat to London rivals West Ham.Unai Emery’s side toiled for long periods during a trip to the East End, with a lack of creativity in the absence of Mesut Ozil costing them dear. 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? Struggles on the road are preventing Arsenal from forcing their way into the Premier League’s top four, but club captain Koscielny insists there is no cause for concern.The Frenchman told reporters after coming unstuck against the Hammers: “No [it is not becoming an issue], we don’t think about this.“We take it game after game, today we worked well during the week to prepare and we had the ambition to get the three points.“But in football you don’t know, you have your opponent and I think they played well with quality. We need to keep our confidence and continue to work together and the results will come.”2 – Arsenal have taken just two points from their last five away Premier League games (W0 D2 L3) – they won 13 points in the five away games prior to this run (W4 D1 L0). Reverted. #WHUARS pic.twitter.com/jd25IzEV8y— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 12, 2019Another defeat on the road has prevented Arsenal from closing on the Champions League spots, but Koscielny remains upbeat in that particular pursuit.He added: “We came here to win because for us the three points was very important, and next week as well to play against Chelsea.“We tried to play, we did well in the first half but didn’t have a lot of chances in the final third. We need to keep calmer in the final third and find the final ball, but in the second half we didn’t start well and conceded early.“After that we tried to push for the rest of the game, we had some chances and we didn’t score so it is difficult to come back with no points but we need to continue to fight to make the top four.”Arsenal mustered 11 attempts on goal against West Ham, but few of their chances were clear cut and only two efforts forced Lukasz Fabianski into action.Koscielny said of the lacking of cutting edge: “Strikers sometimes have just one opportunity and they [are expected to] score, but sometimes you do it and sometimes it is more difficult.“We are all together, it is not down [to] one or two players, we are a group and we need to stay together and to push more for the next game.”Things are not about to get any easier for Arsenal, with a visit from Chelsea next on the agenda.They are then due to face Manchester United in the fourth round of the FA Cup before tackling Cardiff on home soil and heading back out on the road to Manchester City. Check out Goal’s Premier League 2019-20 fantasy football podcast for game tips, debate and rivalries.
Unruly train passenger Paul Pogba tried to make peace with fellow commuters by offering an apology photograph – only to find out they had no idea who the Manchester United star was.Pogba and the rest of the United team were travelling from Manchester and indulging in rowdy rounds of the popular card game Uno.Aware of the disturbance being caused, the Frenchman later approached other passengers to apologise for their behaviour, but was met with puzzled blank expressions. 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? “These lads knew they were making a bit of noise, so they come up to mum and dad, and apologise, and ask if they’d like a photo,” Australian eSports commentator and son of the bemused couple Nate Patrick wrote on Twitter.”Dad is like, ‘oh, that’s nice’, and gives one of the gentlemen his phone for this stranger to take a photo of mum and dad on this train from Manchester.”The stranger looks weirdly at my dad, and says (with a French accent) ‘No, no, no, I am asking if you would like a photo with me, sir?”My dad looks at my mum like ‘who on earth does this guy think he is?’. But also my dad is mega-polite and obliges to be in the photo.IT’S PAUL BLOODY POGBA pic.twitter.com/UhFm0qZBiN— Nate Patrick (@N8NathanPatrick) 20 de enero de 2019″Having read through all of these messages, my dad sends through the photo, and asks ‘Nathan, you wouldn’t happen to know who this is?’.”My parents are on a train with entire Manchester United squad and they don’t have a clue because of course they don’t.”The noisy Uno hooligans aren’t loud university students on their way to watch a film, it’s the most famous football team on the planet you stupid, stupid gorgeously ignorant adorable stupid people that I descended directly from.”It must have been a rather uncomfortable situation for Pogba, accustomed as he is to the stardom that being one of the world’s best footballers brings – but perhaps this incident will make clear to him the dangers of going off the rails.
Zinedine Zidane insists he did not disrespect Gareth Bale when he said it would be good if he left Real Madrid sooner rather than later.Zidane caused a stir when he stated last weekend that he hoped Wales star Bale would leave the La Liga club soon, adding: “It would be best for everyone.”Bale’s agent, Jonathan Barnett, branded the Madrid head coach “a disgrace” for his remarks, as talk of an imminent move to the Chinese Super League gathered pace. 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? Zidane has now hit back at such suggestions and claims Bale himself declined to play in the 3-1 International Champions Cup defeat to Bayern Munich on Sunday because the club was trying to arrange his transfer. “I’ll try to be very clear with this, with Gareth,” he told a news conference on Monday.”Firstly, I have not disrespected anyone, least of all a player because I always said the same thing, that players are the most important thing and every time there is a player here I am always with them.”Secondly, I said the club was trying to get him out. Period.”Thirdly, the other day Gareth didn’t play because he didn’t want to. He said the club was trying to negotiate his departure he and didn’t want to play because of that.”So far, Bale hasn’t asked not to play tomorrow.When the subject of Bale was brought up again, he said: “You keep asking about this situation. Nothing will change today – he’s going to go and train now. The club is doing what it has to do.”He will train normally, and we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”Bale has been linked with Chinese Super League clubs Jiangsu Suning and Beijing Guoan, who are reportedly considering offering wages of £1million per week.Madrid face Arsenal in Maryland on Tuesday.
Josef Martinez scored in his 11th consecutive MLS match on Monday night as Atlanta United topped the Portland Timbers in an MLS Cup rematch.The Venezuelan striker scored in the 46th minute of Sunday night’s match at Mercedez-Benz Stadium, netting his 16th goal in that 11-game span.Martinez’s finish came on an assist from Julian Gressell, who found the striker at the top of the box, where he was able to fire up and over goalkeeper Steve Clarke to all but seal the 2-0 victory. 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? He won’t stop! 😡That’s 11 straight MLS games with a goal for @JosefMartinez17. #PORvATL pic.twitter.com/P2oYF2ejlP— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 19, 2019The forward’s finish was preceded by a first-half goal from Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, who was able to fire home from close range following a set-piece scramble.With Monday’s goal, Martinez set the MLS record for most consecutive matches with a goal, a record previously held by Diego Valeri and matched by Martinez himself last season.After firing 19 goals in 20 games in his debut campaign, the forward ended up scoring 31 total goals last season, an MLS record, while earning Most Valuable Player honors en route to Atlanta’s MLS Cup triumph over the Timbers in just their second season.This season, Martinez has scored 21 goals in 23 games, good for second-best in the league behind Los Angeles Football Club star Carlos Vela.The Mexican forward is on a record-setting pace as well, having scored 24 goals while providing 15 assists to break Sebastian Giovinco’s record for most goal contributions in one season with nine games remaining in the MLS season.With Monday’s win, Atlanta United sits atop the Eastern Conference, level on points with the Philadelphia Union despite having played one fewer match.Atlanta also has the Union on goal differential, having scored 15 more goals than they’ve conceded compared to the Union’s eight.New York City FC also remains in the mix, sitting four points back of the two leaders with two games in hand on Atlanta.Next up for the defending MLS Cup champions is a match with Orlando City on Friday before the attention turns towards the U.S. Open Cup finale against Minnesota United.The Five Stripes have already won a trophy this season, having topped Club America 3-2 in the Campeones Cup last week.
CHAPEL HILL, NC – OCTOBER 07: Ian Book #12 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish rolls out against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the game at Kenan Stadium on October 7, 2017 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)Notre Dame, with backup quarterback Brandon Wimbush at the helm, handled Florida State on Saturday night – prevailing 42-13 – to keep its undefeated campaign alive. But the Fighting Irish have a much tougher opponent this coming Saturday in Syracuse, and fans are wondering if they’ve have their starting signal-caller – Ian Book – back in the fold.In short, it’s looking good.Pete Sampson of The Athletic reports that “all signs” point to Book being ready for the game against the Orange. That’d be big news for a team looking to make the College Football Playoff for the first time.Book is dealing with an “upper body injury” – the school hasn’t offered much more on the exact nature of it.Asked Brian Kelly about Ian Book’s status for Syracuse. Offers a non-answer. So, we’ll see. Will be an ongoing question this week, obviously.— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) November 11, 2018Follow up on Ian Book from @timprister and Brian Kelly clarifies.All signs point to Book being ready for Syracuse, per Kelly.— Pete Sampson (@PeteSampson_) November 11, 2018Notre Dame, with a 10-0 record, has just two games left on its schedule – against Syracuse at Yankee Stadium and on the road at rival USC. It’s a solid bet that if the Fighting Irish win those two games, they’ll be afforded a chance to play for it all in the College Football Playoff.Syracuse, meanwhile, is in the midst of a resurgent season under head coach Dino Babers. The Orange are 8-2 and will likely be ranked No. 12 in the country when the two squads meet.Book’s status will likely be a hot topic as the game gets closer. We’ll keep you updated.
COLLEGE STATION, TX – OCTOBER 03: General view as Mississippi State Bulldogs kicks off to the Texas A&M Aggies in the first quarter on October 3, 2015 at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images)A new video has surfaced appearing to show what started the post-game fight between Texas A&M and LSU’s football staffs following the Aggies’ crazy overtime victory.The video, acquired by Sports Illustrated, shows the lead up to the post-game fracas in which members of both staffs went at it.From SI.com:Sports Illustrated obtained an eight-second video clip of footage shot in the immediate aftermath of last Saturday’s thriller in College Station, showing the event that triggered the physical altercation involving Fisher, LSU analyst Steve Kragthorpe, LSU director of player development Kevin Faulk and LSU safety John Battle. In the video, Dameyune Craig, a former LSU assistant who now coaches receivers for the Aggies, runs across the field toward Tigers head coach Ed Orgeron, swinging a balled fist in celebration of his team’s win over his former school and the coach who fired him in February 2017. Craig is seen shouting at Orgeron and moving within three feet of the coach before being physically restrained by Fisher, Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher’s nephew who is a student manager for the team.The video then shows Craig stalking the LSU sideline confronting other members of the LSU football team, including a close encounter with starting quarterback Joe Burrow, all the while with Fisher attempting to restrain the coach. Toward the end of the clip, Craig bumps into what appears to be a member of the team’s strength staff, prompting several staff members to surround the coach and Fisher seconds before the altercation transpires. Craig rushed across the field so quickly that he did not detach his headset device, and the headsets are clearly visible dangling near his feet, trampled over by Craig and Fisher in this mad dash.The video can be seen below:Here’s a look at the available clips from the #LSU and #Aggie postgame dust-up in a rough sequence of events, some of the video is slowed down, so all of this probably happens in 20-30 seconds or real time action. Video from @BrentZwerneman @RossDellenger reports pic.twitter.com/4S4Qz7AdmF— Michael Cauble (@Cauble) November 29, 2018The SEC is reviewing the incidents that took place following this game and punishment could be handed out to members of LSU and Texas A&M’s staffs.You can view Sports Illustrated’s full report here.
EAST LANSING, MI – SEPTEMBER 23: Head coach Brian Kelly of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish watches the warm ups prior to the start of the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium on September 23, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)ESPN and the ACC are launching the ACC Network ahead of next football season, and the league is ready to leverage its Notre Dame affiliation to aid the new channel.Notre Dame is on ESPN right now, facing Clemson in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl.Any Notre Dame game is certain to draw a strong rating. There’s a reason for the team’s lucrative deal with NBC for its home games.As part of its arrangement with the ACC, Notre Dame plays five league opponents per year, while maintaining its technical football independence.Next year, the Fighting Irish open at Louisville, and host Virginia, Virginia Tech, and rival Boston College.On November 9, Brian Kelly’s club travels down to Duke.Moments before the Notre Dame football game against Clemson, ESPN announced that the game at Duke will be on ACC Network.From the ACCN Twitter account:Mark your calendars! On November 9, @NDFootball vs. @DukeFOOTBALL will air exclusively on ACC Network. pic.twitter.com/vROGdf2OSJ— ACCN (@accnetwork) December 29, 2018Conference networks have been something of a mixed bag for college leagues. The Big Ten and SEC have done well, but the Pac-12 Network is a disaster, and ESPN’s Longhorn Network partnership with Texas is barely relevant.There are concerns about the ACC Network, as many of the fan bases aren’t as die hard as those in the Big Ten and SEC, but landing even one Notre Dame road game per year will be huge if the ACCN can do it consistently.
Rohan Sen Mount MaunganuiJanuary 25, 2019UPDATED: January 25, 2019 10:16 IST The Maori are the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand (BCCI Photo)HIGHLIGHTSTeam India received a traditional welcome at the Oval Bay from the Maori communityThe Maori are the indigenous Polynesian people who arrived in New Zealand between 1250 and 1300India, who lead the 5-match series 1-0, will face New Zealand in the 2nd ODI at the Oval Bay on January 26Team India were in for a special surprise as they reached the Oval Bay stadium in Mount Maunganui on Friday.Ahead of the second ODI against New Zealand, the whole Indian squad along with the head coach Ravi Shastri and the support staff were greeted by members of the Maori community, who welcomed Virat Kohli and his boys in a traditional ceremony.The Maori are the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand who originated with settlers from eastern Polynesia and arrived in the country in several waves of canoe voyages between 1250 and 1300.#TeamIndia received a traditional welcome at the Oval Bay from the Maori community.Full video coming up soon on https://t.co/CPALMGgLOj pic.twitter.com/FEbSuwHEZ8BCCI (@BCCI) January 25, 2019Kohli’s team is riding high on confidence after a convincing win over the hosts in the first ODI in Napier on Tuesday.The focus now shifts to the second ODI which will be played at the Oval Bay on January 26 (Saturday).Hello and welcome to the Bay Oval. Our venue for 2nd and 3rd ODI against New Zealand #NZvIND pic.twitter.com/14GaPNjvZ0BCCI (@BCCI) January 24, 2019India beat New Zealand in an ODI in New Zealand for the first time since 2009 after Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami and Yuzvendra Chahal starred with the ball in the first match.Set only 158 to win, India raced to vcitory with 14.1 overs and 8 wickets to spare. Rohit Sharma fell cheaply in a modest chase but Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan ensured India went 1-0 up in the series without much fuss.advertisementIndia’s last win had come in Hamilton way back in 2009 under MS Dhoni’s captaincy. Between Hamilton 2009 and Napier 2019, India played New Zealand in New Zealand in six ODIs and lost five of those. One was tied.Meanwhile, there is more good news in story for the team as all-rounder Hardik Pandya will soon fly out to New Zealand to join the squad for the ongoing ODIs and the T20I series.Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul were suspended for their sexist remarks on Koffee with Karan and sent back home from Australia. However, the suspension on both players has been lifted pending the appointment of an ombudsman.”Hardik Pandya will be sent to New Zealand to join the team at the earliest and KL Rahul will join the India A squad to play the last 3 one-day games against England Lions,” a BCCI media release stated on Thursday.India however, will be missing the services of captain Kohli as he has been rested for the final two ODIs and the subsequent T20Is. Rohit Sharma will lead India in Kohli’s absence and no replacement has been named.Kohli had last been rested for the Asia Cup following India’s tour of Ireland and England where he had played all five T20Is, all three ODIs and the entire five-Test series where he scored 593 runs.For sports news, updates, live scores and cricket fixtures, log on to indiatoday.in/sports. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for Sports news, scores and updates.Get real-time alerts and all the news on your phone with the all-new India Today app. Download from Post your comment Do You Like This Story? Awesome! Now share the story Too bad. Tell us what you didn’t like in the comments Posted byrohan sen Tags :Follow India vs New ZealandFollow Mount MaunganuiFollow maori peopleFollow Maori welcomeFollow India vs New Zealand 2nd ODIFollow Maori community Team India receives traditional Maori welcome in Mount Maunganui ahead of 2nd ODI vs NZIndia vs New Zealand: India lead the five-match series 1-0 after they crushed New Zealand by 8 wickets in the first ODI in Napier on Tuesday.advertisement