Garnacho’s sensational overhead kick stuns protesting Everton fans and helps Man United earn 3-0 win

Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho scores his side's first goal with a bicycle kick during their English Premier League soccer match against Everton at Goodison Park Stadium, in Liverpool, England, Sunday. (AP)
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Updated 27 November 2023
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Garnacho’s sensational overhead kick stuns protesting Everton fans and helps Man United earn 3-0 win

  • The Argentina winger produced a spectacular bicycle kick from 15 yards that sent the ball flying into the top corner and — if only briefly — muted tens of thousands of protesting Everton fans

LONDON: Manchester United needed to produce something extraordinary to quieten a home crowd at Goodison Park seething with anger and resentment.

Alejandro Garnacho did just that by scoring one of the greatest goals ever seen in the Premier League.

Leaping high in the air with his back to goal, the Argentina winger produced a spectacular bicycle kick from 15 yards that sent the ball flying into the top corner and — if only briefly — muted tens of thousands of protesting Everton fans.

The third-minute strike set United on course for a 3-0 win over Everton but the score will not be the thing people remember from this fiery, volatile occasion.

The match was played to a backdrop of protests by Everton supporters furious at what they perceived to be an over-the-top sanction — a record 10-point points deduction — for financial mismanagement issued by a disciplinary commission last week.

This was the first game since that punishment and Everton fans marched in their thousands to the stadium, holding up pink cards featuring the word “corrupt” and the logo of the Premier League, and chanting “We shall not be moved.”

On one huge banner read the message: “Where there is power, greed and money ... there is corruption.”

The protests continued inside the stadium and it was into this cauldron that United’s players walked, ahead of what would be a real test of character for Erik ten Hag’s team.

Garnacho’s goal was crucial in dampening the atmosphere somewhat, even if those pink cards stayed aloft for much of the game and there was a huge chant in the 10th minute — marking the 10 points docked — accusing the league of corruption.

Marcus Rashford — from the penalty spot — and Anthony Martial added more goals in the second half for United, who have won five of their last six Premier League games and is six points behind leader Arsenal after 13 games.

Everton, hit by the points deduction, is in next-to-last place and above Burnley only on goal difference. The team are now five points from safety and potentially destined for another season fighting relegation after only preserving its 69-year top-flight status on the final day of the 2022-23 campaign.

TOTTENHAM IMPLODING

Not so long ago, Tottenham were top of the league and playing such good soccer under Ange Postecoglou that there was talk of a potential challenge for the title.

Three straight losses later and injury-hit Spurs’ campaign is in danger of unraveling.

A 2-1 defeat at home to Aston Villa on Sunday saw Tottenham squander another 1-0 lead, suffer another injury to a key player and raise concerns about the squad’s depth and ability to sustain a bid for Champions League qualification this season.

Ollie Watkins’ seventh goal of the season won the game in the 61st minute for Villa, which climbed to fourth place and just two points off leader Arsenal in a bunched-up summit of the standings after 13 games.

Giovani Lo Celso lashed in a deflected shot from the edge of the area for the opening goal for Tottenham in the 22nd, only for Pau Torres to head in an equalizer from Douglas Luiz’s free kick.

Rodrigo Bentancur, making his first start for Tottenham after eight months out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, was forced off midway through the first half after a foul by Matty Cash. He returns to an injury list already containing Micky van de Ven, James Maddison and Richarlison while suspended center back Cristian Romero will still be missing when Tottenham travels to Man City next weekend.

The win lifted Villa above Tottenham, who dropped to fifth place having lost its previous matches to Wolverhampton and Chelsea.

VENABLES TRIBUTES

There was a minute’s applause ahead of the Tottenham-Villa game and both sets of players wore black armbands as a tribute to Terry Venables, the former England and Tottenham coach whose death was announced Sunday. He was 80.


Soccer or football, the world’s most popular sport has its own day for fans to celebrate — May 25

Updated 08 May 2024
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Soccer or football, the world’s most popular sport has its own day for fans to celebrate — May 25

  • The 193-member General Assembly adopted the resolution by consensus with a bang of the gavel by its president, Dennis Francis
  • On May 25, the resolution “invites” all nations, UN bodies, international organizations, academia, civil society and the private sector to observe World Football Day

UNITED NATIONS: Soccer fans around the world will now have a day to celebrate the world’s most popular sport every year — May 25.

The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution Tuesday proclaiming May 25 as World Football Day. The sport is called football outside of the US.

The day marks the 100th anniversary of the first international soccer tournament in history with the representation of all regions which took place on May 25, 1924 during the summer Olympic games held in Paris, according to the resolution.

The 193-member General Assembly adopted the resolution by consensus with a bang of the gavel by its president, Dennis Francis, to applause from diplomats in the assembly chamber. It was co-sponsored by more than 160 countries.

Libya’s UN Ambassador Taher El-Sonni, who introduced the resolution, told the assembly, “Football or soccer as others call it is the number one game played and followed around the globe.”

But he stressed that soccer is more than just a game played by all ages on streets, in villages, schools and courtyards for fun and in competitions.

Because of its “unparalleled position” in the world of sports, El-Sonni said, “football serves as a universal language spoken across the globe, cutting across national, cultural and socio-economic barriers.”

He said the game has become “a pivotal platform” championing gender equality and social inclusion, “a common ground where individuals from varying backgrounds converge, promoting mutual understanding, tolerance, respect and solidarity.”

The resolution acknowledges “the global reach of football and its impact in various spheres, including commerce, peace and diplomacy, and recognizing that football creates a space for cooperation.”

It also recognizes “the fundamental role” of soccer’s international governing body, FIFA, and the important role of regional and national soccer federations, as well as relevant associations, in p romoting the game.

The resolution encourages all countries to support soccer and other sports as a tool to promote peace, development and the empowerment of women and girls. And it also encourages countries to adopt policies and programs to promote football and other sports and physical activities.

On May 25, the resolution “invites” all nations, UN bodies, international organizations, academia, civil society and the private sector to observe World Football Day in line with national priorities “and to disseminate the advantages of football for all, including through educational and public awareness-raising activities.”


Hummels stuns Mbappe and PSG to take Dortmund to Champions League final

Updated 08 May 2024
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Hummels stuns Mbappe and PSG to take Dortmund to Champions League final

  • Hummels struck five minutes into the second half at the Parc des Princes and PSG were unable to muster a response
  • PSG have still never won the trophy despite all the money invested by their Qatari owners since the 2011 takeover, and there will be no dream send-off for Mbappe

PARIS: Mats Hummels headed in the only goal as Borussia Dortmund stunned Kylian Mbappe and Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League semifinal second leg on Tuesday, winning 1-0 on the night and advancing 2-0 on aggregate to next month’s final at Wembley.

Hummels struck five minutes into the second half at the Parc des Princes and PSG were unable to muster a response, the home side all out of luck as they hit the woodwork four times in total.

Dortmund, who sit fifth in the German Bundesliga, were never expected to go so far and will be underdogs in the June 1 showpiece regardless of whether they face their old rivals Bayern Munich or Real Madrid, who meet on Wednesday.

It will be their first final since 2013 when, remarkably, the match was also played at Wembley and Jurgen Klopp’s Dortmund lost to Bayern.

Hummels played in that final and here, 11 years later, he was the hero as Dortmund built on the advantage given to them by Niclas Fuellkrug’s goal in the first leg.

“It’ll take us a bit of time to realize that, but we’re looking forward to it extremely,” Dortmund coach Edin Terzic told broadcaster Amazon Prime of getting to the final.

“We did it somehow, making it to London.”

The story of this semifinal, however, is as much about PSG’s failure in another crunch knockout tie in the competition.

They have still never won the trophy despite all the money invested by their Qatari owners since the 2011 takeover, and there will be no dream send-off for Mbappe.

He will leave when his contract expires after this season and had been hoping to play his last game for the club in the June 1 final.

Instead PSG will be left to reflect on how they failed to get their hands on the biggest trophy of all during Mbappe’s seven years at his hometown team.

“We were not clinical enough. They scored two goals, one from a corner and one from a long ball. We created lots more chances, many more than them, but we didn’t take them,” PSG captain Marquinhos told Canal Plus.

“We got so close and we wanted to get to the final. But we had to win tonight and be more clinical, and we were not.”

PSG’s last two semifinal appearances both came during the pandemic, meaning this was the first time they had hosted a match at this stage of a European competition with fans in 29 years, since losing to AC Milan in 1995.

Luis Enrique’s team had won 2-0 at home against Dortmund in the group stage and were safe in the knowledge that a repeat of that performance would be enough.

The PSG coach made one major selection decision, dropping Bradley Barcola and bringing in Portuguese striker Goncalo Ramos. That meant moving Mbappe from the middle onto the left wing.

Dortmund would have been bracing themselves for an onslaught from kick-off, but that did not transpire.

Mbappe took only seven minutes to produce his first attempt, yet his volley was easily saved by Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.

The hosts had most of the possession but struggled to get Mbappe into the game, the France captain often looking isolated on the wing.

In fact it was Dortmund who had the best chance of the first half, when Karim Adeyemi led a counterattack before seeing his shot saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.

It felt as though the hosts needed to change something or risk going out with a whimper.

They should have been ahead two minutes after the restart, when Ramos touched on a ball driven into the box by Mbappe, but Warren Zaire-Emery contrived to hit the post from close range.

That was to prove crucial as Dortmund struck moments later.

PSG cheaply conceded a corner, and Julian Brandt’s delivery from the Dortmund right was headed in by Hummels.

Ramos swept a shot over on the hour mark before Nuno Mendes became the second PSG player to strike the right-hand post, this time with a powerful shot from distance.

It was starting to look as if it would not be PSG’s night, and Luis Enrique realized he had to act as he sent on Barcola and Marco Asensio for Ramos and Fabian Ruiz, moving Mbappe through the middle.

Dortmund sent on an extra defender in the hulking Niklas Suele and they withstood everything PSG threw at them while also being helped by the frame of the goal.

Kobel turned Mbappe’s shot onto the bar on 86 minutes and Vitinha also rattled the woodwork but Dortmund hung on to book their date in London.


Hummels stuns Mbappe and PSG to take Dortmund to Champions League final

Updated 08 May 2024
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Hummels stuns Mbappe and PSG to take Dortmund to Champions League final

  • Hummels struck five minutes into the second half
  • Dortmund will face Bayern Munich or Real Madrid in the final in London

Paris, May 7, 2024 Agence France Presse: Mats Hummels headed in the only goal as Borussia Dortmund stunned Kylian Mbappe and Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League semifinal second leg on Tuesday, winning 1-0 on the night and advancing 2-0 on aggregate to next month’s final at Wembley.
Hummels struck five minutes into the second half at the Parc des Princes and PSG were unable to muster a response, the home side all out of luck as they hit the woodwork four times in total.
Dortmund, who sit fifth in the German Bundesliga, were never expected to go so far and will be underdogs in the June 1 showpiece regardless of whether they face their old rivals Bayern Munich or Real Madrid, who meet on Wednesday.
It will be their first final since 2013 when, remarkably, the match was also played at Wembley and Jurgen Klopp’s Dortmund lost to Bayern.
Hummels played in that final and here, 11 years later, he was the hero as Dortmund built on the advantage given to them by Niclas Fuellkrug’s goal in the first leg.
“It’ll take us a bit of time to realize that, but we’re looking forward to it extremely,” Dortmund coach Edin Terzic told broadcaster Amazon Prime of getting to the final.
“We did it somehow, making it to London.”
The story of this semifinal, however, is as much about PSG’s failure in another crunch knockout tie in the competition.
They have still never won the trophy despite all the money invested by their Qatari owners since the 2011 takeover, and there will be no dream send-off for Mbappe.
He will leave when his contract expires after this season and had been hoping to play his last game for the club in the June 1 final.
Instead PSG will be left to reflect on how they failed to get their hands on the biggest trophy of all during Mbappe’s seven years at his hometown team.
“We were not clinical enough. They scored two goals, one from a corner and one from a long ball. We created lots more chances, many more than them, but we didn’t take them,” PSG captain Marquinhos told Canal Plus.
“We got so close and we wanted to get to the final. But we had to win tonight and be more clinical, and we were not.”
PSG’s last two semifinal appearances both came during the pandemic, meaning this was the first time they had hosted a match at this stage of a European competition with fans in 29 years, since losing to AC Milan in 1995.
Luis Enrique’s team had won 2-0 at home against Dortmund in the group stage and were safe in the knowledge that a repeat of that performance would be enough.
The PSG coach made one major selection decision, dropping Bradley Barcola and bringing in Portuguese striker Goncalo Ramos. That meant moving Mbappe from the middle onto the left wing.
Dortmund would have been bracing themselves for an onslaught from kick-off, but that did not transpire.
Mbappe took only seven minutes to produce his first attempt, yet his volley was easily saved by Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
The hosts had most of the possession but struggled to get Mbappe into the game, the France captain often looking isolated on the wing.
In fact it was Dortmund who had the best chance of the first half, when Karim Adeyemi led a counterattack before seeing his shot saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma.
It felt as though the hosts needed to change something or risk going out with a whimper.
They should have been ahead two minutes after the restart, when Ramos touched on a ball driven into the box by Mbappe, but Warren Zaire-Emery contrived to hit the post from close range.
That was to prove crucial as Dortmund struck moments later.
PSG cheaply conceded a corner, and Julian Brandt’s delivery from the Dortmund right was headed in by Hummels.
Ramos swept a shot over on the hour mark before Nuno Mendes became the second PSG player to strike the right-hand post, this time with a powerful shot from distance.
It was starting to look as if it would not be PSG’s night, and Luis Enrique realized he had to act as he sent on Barcola and Marco Asensio for Ramos and Fabian Ruiz, moving Mbappe through the middle.
Dortmund sent on an extra defender in the hulking Niklas Suele and they withstood everything PSG threw at them while also being helped by the frame of the goal.
Kobel turned Mbappe’s shot onto the bar on 86 minutes and Vitinha also rattled the woodwork but Dortmund hung on to book their date in London.


Hero Malcom assists and scores as Hilal edge closer to SPL title

Updated 07 May 2024
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Hero Malcom assists and scores as Hilal edge closer to SPL title

  • The Brazilian played starring role in the 2-1 Saudi Classico win against Al-Ahli in Jeddah

JEDDAH: Brazilian star Malcolm was the hero for Al-Hilal on Monday night when he managed an assist and a decisive goal in their 2-1 win over Al-Ahli in the latest Saudi Classico in Jeddah.

The match had been postponed from the 28th round of the Saudi Pro League due to Al-Hilal’s AFC Champions League commitments.

Malcolm set up Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic for the equalizer on 52 minutes after Saudi international Firas Al-Buraikan had given Al-Ahli the lead on the half-hour mark at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.

Malcom then brought Al-Hilal within touching distance of a record-extending 19th league title by scoring the winner in the 89th minute.

Al-Hilal signed Malcom on a four-year contract from Zenit St. Petersburg last summer. And with five matches remaining until the end of his first season, he has scored 22 goals for the club, 14 of which have come in the SPL.


Major League Soccer must attract best players to grow: Infantino

Updated 07 May 2024
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Major League Soccer must attract best players to grow: Infantino

  • Infantino said Inter Miami’s signing of Lionel Messi, and the club’s acquisition of other big-name players such as Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets, had proven the demand for top talent among US fans

LOS ANGELES: FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Monday Major League Soccer needs to sign more top players in order to boost the profile of the sport in the US.

Infantino, speaking at a conference in Los Angeles, said he told MLS officials recently that bringing in the world’s best players would take football to the next level.

“I told them you have to be a bit more bold, a bit more in the game,” Infantino said at the Milken Institute Global Conference. “Bring in the best players.”

Infantino said Inter Miami’s signing of Lionel Messi, and the club’s acquisition of other big-name players such as Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets, had proven the demand for top talent among US fans.

The FIFA chief alluded to the record 65,612 crowd who flocked to the New England Revolution’s recent home game against Miami at Gillette Stadium, home of the NFL’s New England Patriots.

“The ‘Messi effect’ if we want to call it that way, you see Messi and Inter Miami filling stadiums, and not MLS stadiums but NFL stadiums,” Infantino said.

MLS salary and roster restrictions mean that teams are unable to spend freely when it comes to signing top players.

However the league has faced growing calls — not least from broadcast partner Apple TV — to relax those rules in order to enable clubs to target more top talent.

Infantino said bringing in top talent would ultimately reap dividends at grass roots level in North America, encouraging young players to believe they could forge a career in soccer.

“We want to see the best so we need to bring them the best players, but also the best game, and the best spectacle,” Infantino said.

“For this we need to invest in the players because we want to show to the kids who play soccer when they are at school or when they are very young, that there is a path in soccer to glory to become one of these world stars.

“This is what maybe they don’t see yet. They see it in basketball, American football, in baseball and ice hockey. But in soccer, it’s still kind of far away. You have to go to Europe. And is there really a great American soccer player?“