Football Blog (Page 165)

[ad_1] Penalty shootouts and World Cups go hand in hand. Most sides practice their spot kicks for years on end in the build-up to the global tournament, but preparation can go out the window when crunch time comes. While not certain – Spain and France have won the World Cup in recent memory without being involved in a shootout – the likelihood of teams needing to win at spot kicks to reach the final is large enough. Here are the sides with the best penalty shootout records at men’s World Cups. Argentina and Germany have the best records in penalty shootouts at the World CupRead More →

[ad_1] Virgil van Dijk has claimed Liverpool will remain one of the biggest clubs in the world regardless of FSG’s potential sale. The centre-back is currently on international duty with the Netherlands at the World Cup in Qatar, helping his side safely navigate a round of 16 clash with USMNT to book a place in the quarter-finals. Speaking at the press conference after that 3-1 win over the USA, Van Dijk was asked about the news that Liverpool’s owners FSG are preparing to sell the club. “I have full trust in Liverpool that they will be fine. We are a very established club, one ofRead More →

[ad_1] Pele has issued a statement following his move to palliative care, stating that he is ‘strong with a lot of hope’. The legendary footballer was moved to receive end-of-life care on Saturday after failing to respond to chemotherapy – a treatment he has been receiving since being diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2021. Many had feared the worst after this news broke, but fears were tempered slightly by a statement from the hospital Pele is currently in which said: “Edson Arantes do Nascimento was admitted to the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein last Tuesday for a reassessment of chemotherapy therapy of the colon tumour, identifiedRead More →

[ad_1] Switzerland go head-to-head with Portugal in their World Cup round of 16 tie on Tuesday evening. When Murat Yakin announced his squad, he was so satisfied with the wealth of talent at his disposal that he said: “We were spoiled for choice.” The 26 which made the cut are now tasked with becoming the first Swiss side since 1938 to win a knockout match at the men’s World Cup. Here’s the XI Yakin may select with history on the horizon. Granit Xhaka was voted player of the match in a typically combative display against Serbia in Switzerland’s final group-stage game / Marvin Ibo GuengoerRead More →

[ad_1] Lionel Messi has admitted it was a ‘physical’ and ‘difficult’ game for Argentina as they narrowly beat Australia to secure a place in the World Cup quarter-finals. The Socceroos put up a spirited fight and frustrated their opponents for a while, but in the end Argentina’s quality shone through to seal the win. Messi was at the heart of everything good the Albiceleste produced on the pitch, rolling back the years with a stunning performance and opening the scoring with a cool finish inside the penalty area. Speaking to reporters after the game, Messi said: “We got complicated with the 2-1, because it wasRead More →

[ad_1] England midfielder Jordan Henderson says this is the best England side he has ever played in and has offered multiple reasons why that is the case. Henderson has been a senior England international since 2010 and is taking part in his sixth major tournament with the Three Lions at the World Cup in Qatar. While the 32-year-old has had to settle for a place on the bench for the majority of the World Cup so far, he is still heavily relied upon as a leader within the squad and started England’s third group game against Wales. Speaking ahead of England’s round of 16 clashRead More →

[ad_1] Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard is said to be considering retiring from international football following Belgium’s disastrous World Cup campaign. Despite it being widely acknowledged that Belgium’s so-called ‘golden generation’ was largely past its best, many still expected the Red Devils to challenge in the latter stages of the World Cup. However, despite beating Canada 1-0 in their opening game, Belgium fell short against Morocco and Croatia and crashed out of the competition at the group stage. Head coach Roberto Martinez has already announced his departure from the Belgium setup, with his contract due to expire at the end of the year anyway. AndRead More →

[ad_1] The Netherlands became the first side to qualify for the quarter-finals of this year’s World Cup after a fairly routine win over the United States. After a slow start, Louis van Gaal’s side showed their tournament pedigree with an assured display spearheaded by a top-tier performance from Denzel Dumfries. The Inter wing-back contributed two assists and a goal of his own, most likely giving Antonee Robinson nightmares for weeks to come. By the time the first half came to a close, even the USA’s own fans seemed to see the writing on the wall. My fellow patriots, this was a good run but IRead More →

[ad_1] Arsenal bounced back from their last gasp defeat to Manchester United last time out with a hard fought 1-0 win over Everton in the WSL. A stunning solo effort from Vivianne Miedema proved decisive against a stubborn Everton side, with Emily Ramsey in inspired form in the Toffees goal. Arsenal looked a little blunt going forward in a flat opening 20 minutes, with Everton’s effervescent Jess Park carrying the greatest threat for either side, creating a couple of openings for the Toffees with some fabulous feet and bursts forward from deep. It took a piece of Miedema magic to breathe life into the fixtureRead More →

[ad_1] The group stage is done and dusted and it’s now all systems go for the knockout stages. 16 teams have made it through to the next stage, and we’re already drawing up brackets and working out routes to the finals for the heavy hitters. Here’s how all 16 teams look to measure up. Stoke City’s Harry Souttar has been outstanding for Australia / Soccrates Images/GettyImages The Socceroos face an obvious talent deficit compared to every other team on this list but that hasn’t stopped them so far. Graham Arnold has fostered an impressive team spirit among his squad demonstrated by their battling, backs-to-the-wall 1-0Read More →