United States star Landon Donovan has said starting on the bench is beginning to frustrate him, ahead of the CONCACAF Gold Cup final.
The Los Angeles Galaxy forward is the country s all-time top scorer, netting 45 times in 135 internationals, but coach Bob Bradley has elected to start the 29-year-old on the bench for both the quarter-finals and semis meaning a spot in the starting line-up for the final against Mexico is in jeopardy.
Donovan said beginning on the pine was starting to wear a little thin, and was hopeful of a start in Saturday s final in Pasadena.
No competitor ever likes to start on the bench so if anyone says that, they are lying to you, Donvan said.
Fortunately I don t get paid to make those decisions but what s important for me is not…
Real Madrid captain Cristiano Ronaldo says his side are driven to break the dominance of arch-rivals Barcelona both at home and abroad.
El Clasico enemies Barca have cast a long shadow over their La Liga foes in recent years, complementing their three consecutive league titles with the 2009 and 2011 Champions League trophies.
Jose Mourinho s Real last won La Liga in the 2007/08 campaign, and Portuguese attacker Ronaldo believes the Madrid club s time to rise above Barca is now.
We have had this ambition for a couple of years. We are on the way to winning something, but the moment has not come yet, he said.
But we are working hard to make this happen. We have to have hope. We have the players, we have a great coach and now we have to have the ambition t…
Zlatan Ibrahimovic says Paris Saint-Germain must learn to be oh la la for a whole season if they are to taste Champions League glory.
PSG crashed out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage for the fourth season in a row on Tuesday, losing 1-0 at Manchester City after last week s 2-2 draw in Paris.
Ibrahimovic has won four consecutive Ligue 1 titles since moving to Parc des Princes in 2012, while also establishing himself as the club s all-time record goalscorer.
The Swede s haul of 39 goals in all competitions this season has inspired PSG to the brink of winning back-to-back domestic trebles, but it is continental success that PSG s Qatari owners really crave.
And Ibrahimovic, who is expected to leave Paris when his contract expires at the…
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has dismissed talk of a move away from the Spanish champions, insisting he is happy in the capital.
Simeone took over at the Vicente Calderon in December 2011 and has brought much success to Atleti, who won La Liga for the first time since 1996 last season.
The Argentinian also guided Atleti to the Champions League final, where they suffered a 4-1 extra-time loss to city rivals Real Madrid, in 2013-14 and has previously led them to glory in the Copa del Rey, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Super Cup.
But his exploits have understandably brought about speculation of interest from other clubs, with Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain among those said to be eager to lure him away.
However, the 44-year-old is adamant he…
Real Madrid will face Borussia Dortmund in the group stages as they attempt to win a third successive Champions League, while Neymar and big-spending Paris Saint-Germain have been paired with Bayern Munich.
Madrid shared a pair of 2-2 draws with Dortmund in the group stages last season, progressing as runners-up before plotting their route to final glory against Juventus in Cardiff.
Tottenham and outsiders APOEL join Madrid and Dortmund in a highly competitive Group H, while Premier League champions Chelsea will face Atletico Madrid in Group C.
It remains to be seen whether wantaway Blues striker Diego Costa will get his wish over a return to the Spanish capital, with Serie A runners-up Roma and competition debutants Qarabag completing that section.
Beate…
Mourinho said: Nemanja is a Manchester United player and a Jose Mourinho player. He represents everything we want in a footballer; loyalty, consistency, ambition, team player.
I would like to thank him for his desire to join us because without that, it would be impossible to have him here. I am sure our players and supporters will love him. A big welcome to our new number 31.
Matic added: I am delighted to have joined Manchester United. To work with Jose Mourinho once again was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.
I have enjoyed my time at Chelsea and would like to thank the club and the fans for their support. I cannot wait to meet my new team-mates and to start training with them.
This is a very exciting time for the club and I am looking forward …
Hugo Duro scored twice in second-half stoppage time as Atletico Madrid threw away a two-goal lead in a remarkable 3-3 draw away to Valencia on Sunday.
Atletico looked to be well on track to bouncing back from a disappointing midweek defeat to Liverpool but Valencia showed commendable spirit to peg them back right at the end.
The visitors had dominated the first half and led through Luis Suarez s sublime goal, only for Valencia to improve after the break and level through Stefan Savic s own goal.
A quick-fire double from Atletico, courtesy of Antoine Griezmann and Sime Vrsaljko, looked as though it would be enough for the champions, only for Valencia substitute Duro to clinch a late brace that incredibly rescued a point.
Atletico s early loss o…
When he left Napoli to take charge at Chelsea in 2018, Maurizio Sarri brought Jorginho from Naples to London with him. He tweaked the system to accommodate the Brazil-born Italian midfielder, most notably by shifting N Golo Kante from his favoured position ahead of the back line further up the pitch. Sarri left Stamford Bridge and took over at Juventus after only a season, and unsurprisingly, stories about Jorginho following him now to Turin sprang immediately.
However, Frank Lampard, who succeeded Sarri in the Chelsea dugout, made Jorginho his vice-captain very soon, and only captain Cezar Azpilicueta and goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga have racked up more minutes than the Italy international this season so far. Jorginho is understandably happy with the manager s treatment of him…
Henderson and Fabinho could leave Liverpool
Liverpool s midfield overhaul has potentially taken a new turn. According to multiple sources, Reds captain Jordan Henderson has accepted an offer from Al-Ettifaq, the Saudi club that recently appointed Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard as manager, and now the England international s move depends on the two clubs finding common ground on a transfer fee.
At the age of 33, Henderson is no longer a guaranteed starter for Jurgen Klopp s team, especially after the arrivals of Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton and Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig. It is believed that the financial offer made to him by the Saudi club was extremely lucrative.
On the other hand, Fabinho is still deemed a very important player for the…
England s players have not turned a blind eye to the human rights situation in Qatar, but they will not have a formal conversation about it until after they secure World Cup qualification.
Concerns over treatment of migrant workers in Qatar have sparked varying levels of protests by national teams from Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark and other countries.
While some individual England players have taken high-profile stands on social issues, defender Conor Coady said everyone s first priority for the moment is reaching next year s finals.
Group I leaders England – who face minnows San Marino – can do so with at least a point on Monday and a group discussion could soon follow.
The are in San Marino!
— England (@England)