Kerala Blasters FC put on an impeccable second-half display to beat Chennaiyin FC 3-0 to in the Indian Super League here on Sunday. Jesus Jimenez, Noah Sadaoui and Rahul KP found the back of the net in the 56th, 70th, and 90+2' minute of the match respectively as Kerala Blasters grabbed their third win of the campaign in an exciting contest. The first half of the match was a closely contested affair. Jimenez and Noah found themselves at the centre of opportunities in the 17th and the 27th minutes respectively. Both were from close distances inside the box, but they were unable to find an opening past the Chennaiyin FC defensive unit. Uruguayan attacking midfielder Adrian Luna was crucial in the initial couple of goal-scoring efforts for the home team. He orchestrated the first move by charging up ahead in the left flank before opting for the unorthodox alternative of passing the ball to Korou Singh, who was marching forward from the right flank inside the box. Korou received the ball deftly and then played the ball forward for Jimenez, who simply slotted it into the net to get the lead 11 minutes into the second half. Also Read: ISL: Mohun Bagan SG ease past Jamshedpur 3-0, claim top spot The second strike was more straightforward, with Luna picking the ball at the centre of the park and driving the attack forward. The Chennaiyin FC backline wasn't exactly organised properly, leaving Luna with plenty of space to work with. Luna could have gone for a long-ranged effort, but he delivered a pass to Sadaoui, who turned around and deposited the ball into the bottom right corner to secure a decisive two-goal lead with just 20 minutes of play left to play in the regulation time. They tripled their advantage in the added time of the second half. It was Noah who became the provider of the goal this time around, as Kerala Blasters FC broke into a quick counter attack and found themselves at a favourable position inside Chennaiyin FC's box. Noah released the ball perfectly for Rahul, whose right footed shot from the centre of the box into the bottom left corner sealed the game for once and for all in added time. Noah wrapped up the game with a goal and an assist each, completing 26 out of his 33 attempted passes, even creating four goal-scoring opportunities and making a tackle too. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
25 November,2024 08:38 AM IST | Kochi | PTIDefending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant outplayed Jamshedpur FC 3-0 at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan here and went to the top of the points table in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 season game on Saturday night. Goals from Tom Aldred, Liston Colaco, and Jamie Maclaren saw the Mariners secure their fourth win in their last five matches this season. The game began at a slow tempo but eventually came to life when Aldred steered the hosts forward in the 15th minute. The British defender was at the right spot following a frenzy around the box from a Dimitrios Petratos corner. The ball was initially cleared by the Jamshedpur FC defence, but a long-range effort from Deepak Tangri found a way to Alberto Rodriguez, who brought the ball down brilliantly for Aldred to hammer the opening goal. The goal handed Jose Molina’s men a great confidence boost and they looked more assured in attack. Jamshedpur FC’s backline led by Stephen Eze were on their toes to keep the likes of Jamie Maclaren, Petratos and Liston at bay. The next spell of play was dominated by the Mariners, with the likes of Petratos and Liston forcing a couple of saves from Albino Gomes. Mohun Bagan Super Giant’s persistent attacks finally bore fruit at the stroke of halftime when Liston attacked a pocket of space in Jamshedpur FC’s final third and from there he wriggled his way past a flurry of defenders before beating Albino with a vicious effort. The second half started with similar intensity with the hosts exerting their dominance over the Men of Steel. While Reliance Foundation Young Champs (RFYC) graduate Mohammed Sanan showed some sparks of brilliance with his darting runs, Pronay Halder looked out of sorts with a few turnovers and challenges in the middle. Molina’s men extended their dominance over Jamshedpur FC in the 75th minute when Tangri’s perfectly weighted delivery found the onrushing Manvir Singh on the right flank. The 29-year-old danced his way past Albino, who came off his lines before squaring to Maclaren who calmly slotted it into the open net to put the match results beyond doubt. In the final minutes of the game, Rei Tachikawa came up with a long-range effort in the hope of a consolation goal. However, Vishal Kaith parried it away with aplomb to secure the elusive clean sheet for the hosts. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 November,2024 11:50 AM IST | Kolkata | IANSNorthEast United FC scored a terrific 2-1 victory against Punjab FC as an early burst by their frontline paved the way for the Highlanders to grab three points from this encounter in the Indian Super League (ISL) 2024-25 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Saturday. Reduced to 10 men due to the sending off of Dinesh Singh in the added time of the first half, NorthEast United FC held their defensive line together to sail through the second essay of the game comfortably. The floodgates for the initial onslaught were laid by the industrious attacking unit of the Highlanders, who made constructive efforts towards stretching the opposition’s backline. Star striker Alaaeddine Ajaraie took the onus upon him to assume a free-flowing role and took the ball deep on the left flank, surging ahead and delivering a decisive cross inside the 18-yard box. While the ball landed in the overcrowded penalty area, Guillermo Fernandez reached the right spot at the right time to tap the pass in and secure the advantage for the Highlanders in the 15th minute. This goal flooded the Highlanders’ setup with plenty of confidence and they began exploring their goal-scoring opportunities with greater focus and vigour. Three minutes later, the duo of Buanthanglun Samte and Néstor Albiach joined hands to net the second strike of the evening. In a somewhat similar template as the first goal, Samte marched ahead on the inside channel of the left flank and lobbed in a perfectly weighted pass for Nestor who was at the centre of the 18-yard box. The attacker met the ball appropriately, volleying the strike into the top left corner to double his side’s lead and get them a considerable few steps ahead in the contest. The Highlanders’ march was halted with Dinesh receiving his second yellow card of the match just as the first-half whistle was about to be blown. It compelled head coach Juan Pedro Benali to undertake a more strategic approach in the final 45 minutes, and so his side did – narrowing the game, limiting the opposition’s flow of attacks, taking their time in building up play, and not losing possession easily. Punjab FC could find only late solace through Ivan Novoselec’s right-footed goal from inside the centre of the box in the 88th minute – but it was too little, too late for the team to take any point away from this match. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 November,2024 11:50 AM IST | New Delhi | IANSIt started as an evening of celebration for Manchester City. It ended with the four-time defending Premier League champion conceding four goals and falling to a fifth-straight loss in all competitions as it faces a deepening crisis in a season that is threatening to unravel. A 4-0 defeat to Tottenham on Saturday left City five points behind league leader Liverpool, having played a game more, and with manager Pep Guardiola questioning whether he could get its title challenge back on track. "I would say when you lose three Premier League (games) in a row, the wrong thing to say is we are going to be champion," Guardiola said. "But the reality is here, we have to do it guys. We have to break (the run), start to win games." Two goals from James Maddison inside 20 minutes at the Etihad Stadium stunned the home crowd, which had been treated to a light show before kickoff to mark midfielder Rodri winning the Ballon d'Or award for the best soccer player in the world. With Guardiola also having signed a two-year contract extension this week, there was double reason to celebrate. But City's latest loss highlighted onfield problems that he is struggling to stop. Pedro Porro scored a third for Tottenham after halftime and substitute Brennan Johnson added a fourth in the third minute of stoppage time. Defeat extended what was already Guardiola's worst losing streak in a glittering coaching career at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City. Manchester City's Norwegian striker Erling Haaland reacts during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England. Pic/AP It also handed Liverpool a perfect opportunity to tighten its grip on the title race when it plays last-place Southampton on Sunday. City plays Liverpool at Anfield next weekend. Rivals are also closing in on second-place City, with Chelsea, Arsenal and Brighton all winning on Saturday to move within a point of Guardiola's team. "If in the end we don't win (the title) it's because we don't deserve it," Guardiola said. "We won it in the past because we deserved it." Losing streakAfter losses to Tottenham, Bournemouth, Sporting Lisbon and Brighton, City was looking to get the season back on track with a win that would have closed the gap to Liverpool to two points. But a flying start from Spurs soon put the home team on course for another loss as Maddison volleyed in from close range in the 13th minute and produced a delicate finish to lift the ball over Ederson for his second in the 20th. Also Read: What’s behind Manchester City’s uncharacteristic struggles this season? Porro blasted in a third after a swift counter in the 52nd and Johnson completed City's misery with Guardiola admitting his players were "fragile" after the latest loss. Rivals close inChelsea, Arsenal and Brighton are six points behind Liverpool after taking the chance to keep the pressure on Arne Slot's team. Third-place Chelsea beat Leicester 2-1 in the early kickoff and Arsenal, in fourth, won 3-0 against Nottingham Forest. Fifth-place Brighton won 2-1 at Bournemouth to maintain its outstanding start to the season under new coach Fabian Hurzeler. Nicolas Jackson and Enzo Fernandez put Chelsea on course for victory at King Power Stadium, with Jordan Ayew scoring for Leicester with a second-half stoppage-time penalty. Jackson showed good close control in the box before firing Chelsea in front with a clever finish in the 15th minute. It was the Senegal striker's seventh goal in 13 appearances this season. Fernandez headed in Chelsea's second in the 75th after Jackson's header was saved by goalkeeper Mads Hermansen. Ayew's penalty came too late for Leicester to mount a fightback. Arteta landmarkMikel Arteta celebrated his 250th game in charge of Arsenal in style with victory against Forest. It was his 147th win in all competitions " more than any Arsenal manager after the same number of games. Club great Arsene Wenger won 136 of his first 250 games. Bukayo Saka put Arsenal ahead in the 15th at the Emirates Stadium and Thomas Partey added a second seven minutes into the second half. The 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri scored his first Premier League goal for the club in the 86th. Flying highBrighton's impressive run continued with victory at Bournemouth to keep it just outside the Champions League places on goal difference. U.S.-born Hurzeler was hired in June and has made an immediate impact. Joao Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma put Brighton 2-0 up at the Vitality Stadium, with David Brooks pulling a goal back for Bournemouth in stoppage time. Villa slidesAston Villa's winless run was extended to six games after a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace, which twice saw Unai Emery's team have to fight back from a goal down. Palace, which is third from bottom of the standings, twice led in the first half through Ismaila Sarr and Justin Devenny. Ollie Watkins and Ross Barkley leveled for Villa on each occasion. Villa's Youri Tielemans also had a penalty saved with the score at 1-1. Villa hasn't won since beating Bologna 2-0 in the Champions League on Oct. 22. It has lost four of its last six games in all competitions. Wolves comebackTrailing 1-0 at Fulham, Wolves powered back to win 4-1 at Craven Cottage and climb out of the relegation zone. Wolves is in 17th place and one point above the drop zone after its second league win of the season. Alex Iwobi put Fulham ahead, but two goals from Matheus Cunha and strikes from Joao Gomes and Goncalo Guedes saw Wolves secure back-to-back wins in the league and extend the team's unbeaten run to four games. Everton drew 0-0 with Brentford. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 November,2024 11:43 AM IST | London | AP | PTIChelsea survived a late Leicester rally to win 2-1 on Enzo Maresca’s return to the King Power Stadium on Saturday, moving just a point behind second-placed Manchester City in the Premier League. The visitors, finding their groove after the international break, hogged the ball from the kick-off and Nicolas Jackson gave them a deserved early lead. But they failed to make the most of their superiority until 15 minutes from time, when Enzo Fernandez scored to make it 2-0, before surviving a nervy few minutes after Jordan Ayew pulled a goal back for the home side. Chelsea’s win, which came after two draws, lifts them to 22 points — one behind City and three clear of fourth-placed Arsenal ahead of the later kick-offs on Saturday. Joao Felix fired wide in the 13th minute and then a minute later volleyed over from just outside the box. But moments later Chelsea got the goal they deserved when Jackson won his tussle with Leicester defender Wout Faes, who missed a number of chances to clear. The ball fell to Fernandez, who found Jackson and the Senegal forward poked home for his seventh league goal of the season. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 November,2024 08:01 AM IST | Leicester | AFPHarry Kane scored a hat trick including two penalties for Bayern Munich to beat Augsburg 3-0 in the Bundesliga on Friday. The win stretched Bayern's lead to eight points ahead of the rest of the 11th round, and Kane took his goals tally to a league-leading 14. The England forward is the fastest player to 50 goals in the Bundesliga in what was his 43rd game. However, coach Vincent Kompany should be concerned by his team's ongoing difficulty of scoring in matches it dominates. Bayern previously defeated St. Pauli and Benfica only 1-0. Kompany's team had to wait until stoppage time before Kane sealed the result with his second penalty. Two minutes later, Kane scored with a header after controlling Leon Goretzka's cross with his first touch for a flattering scoreline. "We had to be patient," Kane said. "And at halftime that's what we said, to keep doing what we're doing. We had a few chances in the first half and we just had to be a bit more clinical and obviously, thankfully, we got the penalty to kind of open the game up." Also Read: Jaiswal, Rahul's unbeaten 84-run stand puts India in strong position at tea on day two Mads Pedersen was penalized for handball following a VAR review and Kane duly broke the deadlock in the 63rd. Bayern continued as before with 80% possession, but had to wait for Keven Schlotterbeck to be penalized through VAR for a foul on Kane. Kane sealed the result in the third minute of stoppage time and there was still time for him to grab another. It's Bayern's sixth consecutive win without conceding a goal since it conceded four at Barcelona (4-1) on Oct. 23 in the Champions League. "You can see now that we have a solid defense and that's the basis, also in games like today's," Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich said. "When it's a game of patience, then it's important for us to know that sometimes one goal will have to do. Like today we added two more before the finish, but in the end you only need to score one more than the opponent." Bayern next hosts Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday, then Borussia Dortmund away in the Bundesliga next weekend, before defending champion Bayer Leverkusen visits in the third round of the German Cup. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
23 November,2024 12:57 PM IST | Berlin | AP | PTIEuropean champions Spain will play the Netherlands in the quarter-finals of the Nations League, while Friday’s draw pitted Germany against Italy in another last-eight clash. Spain won the last edition of the Nations League after beating Croatia on penalties in the final. They also finished runners-up in the 2020-21 tournament. Also Read: It's time to pep up city! In the other quarter-finals, France take on Croatia in a repeat of the 2018 World Cup final and Portugal go up against Denmark. The winners of the Spain-Netherlands tie will advance to a semi-final against either France or Croatia. Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal could await Germany or Italy in the other last-four encounter. Portugal won the inaugural edition in 2019 before France won the title two years later. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
23 November,2024 08:08 AM IST | Paris | AFPPep Guardiola’s two-year contract extension at Manchester City gives him a chance to prolong his unprecedented dominance of the English Premier League.His first priority, however, is to arrest the worst losing streak of his managerial career. Four straight losses in all competitions see four-time defending champions City trail leaders Liverpool by five points in England’s top flight. Early exit from League Cup City are out of the English League Cup and have been humbled in the Champions League 1-4 by Sporting Lisbon in one of Ruben Amorim’s final acts before taking over Manchester United. Also Read: Focus on Shami, Pandya in Mushtaq Ali Guardiola’s rule appears to be under threat. But we’ve been here before. City’s success under Guardiola — winning six of the last seven leagues and becoming the first English team to claim four in a row — has been characterised by its ability to go on remarkable winning runs that have eventually killed the challenge of rivals. Whether Guardiola’s current team — with key players aging and/or injured — has the ability to go again, is unclear. And anything other than victory against Tottenham on Saturday would raise more questions about City’s title credentials. ‘I cannot leave now’ Guardiola is determined to orchestrate yet another fightback. “I cannot leave now. Maybe the four defeats were the reason why I felt I cannot leave,” Guardiola told the club’s website after extending his contract until 2027. “Since the beginning of the season I was thinking a lot about this moment [contract extension]. I will be honest, I thought [this season] should be the last one, but as this situation comes and with the problems we have in the last month, I felt now was not the time to leave. I don’t want to let the club down. I felt the confidence from the chairman [Khaldoon Al Mubarak] and everyone, and I had the feeling I have to do it. Hopefully, we can add more trophies to the ones we’ve already won. That will be my focus,” added Guardiola. Interestingly, this is not the first time City have run into trouble in a campaign’s early stages. Losing to Aston Villa 0-1 last December marked a run of four games without a win in the league. It turned out to be the last time Guardiola’s team lost in the league all season. In February last year, City lost to Tottenham 0-1 and were five points adrift of leader Arsenal. They were then unbeaten in their next 16 league games and also went on to win the treble. A five-point gap to Liverpool in November looks far less daunting in comparison. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
23 November,2024 08:07 AM IST | Manchester | AgenciesThe I-League's 18th edition kicked off as scheduled on Friday, following a last-minute resolution to a broadcast impasse that had sparked a revolt by the participating clubs. In the opening day's fixtures, Gokulam Kerala FC secured a 3-2 away win over Sreenidi Deccan in Hyderabad while Inter Kashi emerged 1-0 winners over newly promoted SC Bengaluru after a 72nd-minute strike by Edmund Lalrindika at Kalyani, West Bengal. Martin Chaves (60'), Ignacio Abelado (84') and Tharpuia (90+5') helped Gokulam Kerala rally past Sreenidi Deccan who scored thorugh Lalromawia (40') and David Castenada Munoz (90+6') in a five-goal thriller. Budging to the demands of the 12 clubs few hours before the slated kickoff, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) said that Sony Network will broadcast the league from the second round. "All arrangements have been made to telecast in Sony from second round," a source told PTI. Also Read: 137 goals, zero bids! The clubs have agreed to pay 50 per cent of the broadcasting cost to Sony to cover the broadcast cost, apart from the Rs 7 lakh entry fee. However, the first three match days will not be televised and will instead stream on SSEN, a newly launched OTT platform by Shrachi Sports, the entity initially awarded the broadcast rights. Negotiations will now be underway between Sony and Shrachi Group to finalise a production arrangement for live telecasts. Under the banner of I-League Clubs Association, the 12 clubs on Thursday shot off a letter to the AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey, warning that they would not commence the tournament until Sony Network was confirmed as the official broadcaster of the league. The standoff began in June 2024, when the clubs, reportedly with the AIFF's approval, had engaged Sony Network to broadcast the league with a 6+2 camera setup, and later upgraded to 8+2 cameras. Collectively, the I-League clubs agreed to fund the production costs for at least 50 per cent of the matches, and this commitment was communicated to the federation on multiple occasions. However, AIFF later awarded the broadcast rights to Shrachi Sports and the clubs described it as a "hurried" tender process. Also Read: 'Crowd was rooting for us, so that helped': ICL coach Bimal Ghosh It was communicated that the I-League matches would be shown on Shrachi Sports Network -- which then did not have an Android app. "How can they be entrusted with streaming of I-League matches on an untested app that has not previously hosted or streamed any live sports content?" the clubs questioned. This led to widespread discontent, and the clubs said the sponsors were backing out due to the absence of a major broadcaster. The clubs warned the AIFF they would not play in the league unless Sony Network was confirmed as the broadcaster. Their demands were finally met hours before the kickoff, allowing the league to begin after much drama. (With agency inputs)
22 November,2024 09:43 PM IST | Kolkata | mid-day online correspondentArgentina produces some of the best footballers on the planet and has three World Cup titles. Also Read: Costa Rican club threatens to sue FIFA Off the field, though, a major power struggle is transpiring between Argentina President Javier Milei and Argentine Football Association president Claudio Tapia, who is opposing Milei’s effort to enable clubs to become sports limited companies, inspired by the English Premier League. He wants clubs to continue to belong to members. The government threatened to intervene due to alleged irregularities in Tapia’s re-election, a third term. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 November,2024 07:46 AM IST | Buenos Aires | AgenciesCosta Rican club Liga Deportiva Alajuelense are asking FIFA for a spot in next summer’s Club World Cup and will take legal action if denied. The club which has won 30 league titles, wants FIFA to enforce the rule that forbids clubs from the same ownership to participate in the tournament. Also Read: Hockey heroines! Spokesman Marco Vazquez noted that Mexican clubs Leon and Pachuca belong to the same owner, Jesus Martinez, of Grupo Pachuca. “These are rules that FIFA established — there cannot be multi-ownership,” Vazquez said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
22 November,2024 07:45 AM IST | San Jose | AFPADVERTISEMENT
