Lee Carsley claimed England’s 3-0 win over Greece showed the strength in depth that awaits Thomas Tuchel when he takes over as coach. England were hit by a rash of withdrawals before Thursday’s Nations League clash here, but Carsley’s team made light of the star absences to keep alive their hopes of promotion to the event’s top tier. Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Phil Foden were among nine players to pull out of England’s last two games of 2024 amid speculation they were encouraged by their club. England captain Harry Kane launched a scathing attack on the stay-aways, insisting international duty should come before anything else. Kane was surprisingly dropped to the bench by interim boss Carsley after his outburst, but England were unfazed. Also Read: "There was a lot more blue in the crowd than actually green": VVS Laxman on support for Team India Lee Carsley (right) with goal-scorer Curtis James Kane’s replacement Ollie Watkins gave them an early lead before Greece goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos deflected Jude Bellingham’s shot into his own net. Curtis Jones’ audacious back-flicked effort wrapped up a win that put England top of Group B2. They are guaranteed to win promotion to League A with a win over Ireland at Wembley on Sunday. Carsley spoke of the vast array of quality that former Bayern Munich boss Tuchel will inherit when he finally takes the reins on January 1. “It’s just important the players play to their strengths. We have got a lot of outstanding talent. The players who were not here, we concentrated on the ones that were. We spoke yesterday about players getting an opportunity, and we have seen that tonight. People were speaking about the inexperience within the squad, but these players play week in and week out in the Premier League at a really high level,” Carsley said. After losing to Greece for the first time ever at Wembley in October, this was a sweet moment for Carsley, who was then criticised for his tactics. Chelsea winger Noni Madueke caught the eye with an assist for Watkins’ opener, while Jones and Anthony Gordon also impressed. Assessing England’s long-term prospects, Carsley said: “It represents we are moving in the right direction. You’re now seeing quality in terms of the younger ones, that they’re more than capable. Think about the two wide players, Anthony [Gordon] and Noni [Madueke], so attacking, so direct. Curtis was outstanding tonight,” said Carsley. Italy, France book quarter-final spots LONDON: Italy ensured a quarter-final spot in the Nations League, beating Belgium on Thursday that also guaranteed France a place in the last-eight despite a goalless draw with Israel. Italy were economical as they beat Belgium 1-0 in Group A2. The visitors dominated the early stages and scored after 11 minutes. Slick play by full-back Giovanni Di Lorenzo set up Sandro Tonali for a tap in. At the Stade de France, tentative France struggled to create chances as they drew 0-0 with Israel before a sparse and grumbling crowd. The game took place under heavy security after fans from the Maccabi Tel Aviv club were attacked in Amsterdam last week following a Europa League match against Ajax. 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
16 November,2024 07:35 AM IST | Athens | AFPFrance coach Didier Deschamps said that there are both physical and psychological reasons for Kylian Mbappé’s rough patch of form. After France drew 0-0 with Israel in the Nations League, Deschamps was again asked about the reasons behind the Real Madrid striker’s absence from his squad. “It’s a fact that he is in a difficult situation,” Deschamps told broadcaster TF1. “Obviously, he is going through a period which is not the happiest of his career.” Also Read: Brazil’s Vinicius Jr misses penalty; Argentina stunned Mbappe was not included in Deschamps’ list for the match against Israel and a game in Italy later this this week. Mbappe was also absent from the previous France gathering because of a minor thigh injury. This time he is not injured. “He wanted to come,” Deschamps said. “I think it’s better for him [not to be selected] at the moment. Everybody can go through a difficult period. There is a physical element, and a psychological one.” 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
16 November,2024 07:23 AM IST | Paris | AP | PTIWorld champions Argentina suffered a 2-1 defeat to Paraguay while rivals Brazil were held to a 1-1 draw at Venezuela as South America’s big guns struggled in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying on Thursday. It started well for Lionel Scaloni’s team, also reigning Copa America champions, as they grabbed an early lead through Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez. Eight minutes later, Gustavo Velazquez whipped in a cross and Antonio Sanabria leapt in the air and fired past Emiliano Martinez with a brilliantly executed bicycle kick. Also Read: India eye good show v Malaysia today Two minutes after the interval Omar Alderete grabbed what proved to be the winner, rising at the back post to head home a cross from Inter Miami midfielder Diego Gomez. Meanwhile, Vinicius Junior missed a penalty as Brazil had to settle for a point after a superb Raphinha free-kick was cancelled out by a second half strike from Telasco Segovia. Two minutes before the interval, Brazil finally broke through with Raphinha’s free-kick flying in off in the inside off the far post. Venezuela drew level within a minute of the break — Segovia blasting in from the edge of the box after a lay off from Jefferson Savarino. 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
16 November,2024 07:21 AM IST | Montevideo | AFPThe India-Malaysia football rivalry goes a long way back. From their first meeting in 1957 friendly in Kuala Lumpur, where India emerged 3-0 winners, until last year’s Merdeka Tournament clash in which Malaysia ran out 4-2 winners. Also Read: Sinner cruises past Medvedev 6-3, 6-4 The game on Monday at the GMC Balayogi Gachibowli Stadium will be yet another addition to this historic rivalry. There’s nothing to separate India and Malaysia in terms of results. 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
16 November,2024 07:19 AM IST | Hyderabad | IANSHarry Kane has said that he is disappointed by the high number of withdrawals from the England squad this week, insisting the national team must come first. The Euro 2024 runners-up head to Greece for Thursday’s must-win UEFA Nations League match before a Wembley meeting with Ireland on Sunday. But interim boss Lee Carsley’s final camp, before the arrival of Thomas Tuchel as the new manager, has been hit by an eye-watering eight pull-outs. Also Read: "King is back in his territory": Shastri on Virat Kohli The situation has frustrated Kane, who will lead the side out at the Olympic Stadium in Athens knowing that key players are absent for a match they must win to stand a chance of automatic promotion. Asked if there was one thing former manager Gareth Southgate put in place that senior players need to ensure is not lost, the striker told ITV: “I think the joy to play for England. He brought that back. At every camp people were excited to come, at every camp people wanted to play for England and that’s the most important thing. England comes before anything. England comes before club.” The Bayern Munich forward said it was a “shame” that so many players had withdrawn. “It’s a tough period of the season and maybe that’s being taken advantage of a little bit. I don’t really like it, if I’m totally honest. I think England comes before any club situation,” he added. Eight players withdrew from Carsley’s initial 26-man squad for the Nations League double-header, including Declan Rice, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka and Cole Palmer. Jarrad Branthwaite was among five players brought into the squad but the Everton centre-back did not travel to Greece, with Liverpool’s Jarell Quansah called up in his place. 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
15 November,2024 07:28 AM IST | London | AFPIndia may still be searching for their first win under Manolo Marquez nearly four months into his tenure but goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu on Wednesday said qualifying for the next AFC Asian Cup is the team’s “minimum” target. Also Read: Vinicius Jr back for Brazil while Martinez returns for Argentina “Qualifying for the Asian Cup is something we should strive for every single time, as we’ve done in the last two editions. That should be minimum for us. It should be a no-brainer for us as a team,” said Gurpreet ahead of their friendly against Malaysia here on November 18. 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
14 November,2024 07:50 AM IST | Hyderabad | PTIArgentina and Brazil will have two of their leading stars available again as South American qualifying for the 2026 World Cup resumes with the last two rounds of games this year. Also Read: France, Italy, Portugal target quarters Emiliano Martinez Defending World champions Argentina will once again count on goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who was suspended for two international matches in October. Brazil will bring back winger Vinicius Junior, who missed the last two qualifiers through injury but has recovered. South American leaders Argentina will play at Paraguay on Thursday, shortly after fourth-place Brazil visits Venezuela. Also on Thursday, host Ecuador and Bolivia will face off in Guayaquil. Potentially the most interesting match of the 11th round will be played on Friday in Montevideo, where third-place Uruguay hosts second-place Colombia. The bottom two in the 10-team standings, Peru and Chile, will meet the same day. 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
14 November,2024 07:49 AM IST | Buenos Aires | AP | PTIFrance, Italy and Portugal lead the teams attempting to secure a place in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals, while England’s promotion hopes have been hit by a series of withdrawals. With European champions Spain and Germany already qualified for the last eight, six spots are still to be filled going into the final two rounds of group matches over the next week. Unbeaten Italy and Portugal require just a point to advance, while France are well positioned too ahead of the visit of Israel on Thursday — a game that will be played surrounded by a large police presence. The Paris fixture take places a week after clashes in Amsterdam around a match between Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dutch team Ajax. Also Read: Dont fret, just reset, says Brett Kylian Mbappe is again missing from the France squad, with coach Didier Deschamps insisting the absence of the Real Madrid superstar “is for the best”. Italy go to Belgium first knowing that anything but defeat guarantees Luciano Spalletti’s side a quarter-final berth. Portugal host Poland and then travel to Croatia in Group A1. England must beat Greece in Athens to stay in contention for promotion back to the top tier. Greece are the only nation with a perfect record in League B and won 2-1 at Wembley last month. Lee Carsley will oversee his final two fixtures as interim England boss before handing the reins to Thomas Tuchel, but he will be without Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold. 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
14 November,2024 07:46 AM IST | Paris | AFPManchester United’s Brazilian midfielder Casemiro has said that the players are hungry to learn from new manager Ruben Amorim, who is expected to arrive in Britain on Monday to start the daunting task of reviving the struggling club. Ruud van Nistelrooy’s four-match reign as interim United boss ended with a 3-0 Premier League victory against Leicester on Sunday — a third win in four matches since Erik ten Hag was sacked. Casemiro is looking forward to working with the new coach “He [Amorim] is very true, very loyal,” Casemiro said after the win against Leicester. Also Read: ‘Show your teeth’ Casemiro “We cannot ignore how he has changed Sporting [Lisbon]. We know that Sporting has won many titles. He has changed the club with titles, with trophies. He has already proved that he’s a coach that has won a lot. There is going to be a good template that everyone wants to grow, everyone wants to learn. That’s the way to first help us grow to be at the top of the table,” said Casemiro. Amorim, 39, will be unable to lead coaching sessions until his work permit is granted, but he is allowed at United’s Carrington training ground for meetings, and talks with Van Nistelrooy will be high on his agenda. Former striker Nistelrooy returned to Old Trafford in July as one of Ten Hag’s assistants on a deal until 2026 and has been open about his desire to stay. Amorim’s first match will be against Ipswich on November 24. 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
12 November,2024 07:35 AM IST | Manchester | AFPMikel Arteta urged Arsenal to “show their teeth” after his side’s “nightmare” run culminated in a 1-1 draw against Chelsea that dealt a fresh blow to their Premier League title hopes on Sunday. Arteta’s team blew the lead given to them by Gabriel Martinelli’s second-half strike as Pedro Neto’s superb long-range equaliser extended Arsenal’s winless run to four league games. With only three wins in their last nine league matches, the fourth-placed Gunners are languishing nine points behind leaders Liverpool. Arsenal’s unexpected malaise comes after two successive runners-up finishes in the title race. Also Read: Leaders Barcelona stunned as Lewandowski goal is disallowed Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta during the 1-1 draw against Chelsea on Sunday. Pics/AFP Arteta still believes they can get back in the title race, as long as they show the nastier side of their personality. Asked what Arsenal need to do to close the gap on Liverpool, the Gunners boss said: “Win, win and win. That is what we have to do. There is nothing we can change about our position right now. When it gets nasty, show your teeth and show how much you want it. When you are in Disneyland, everything is beautiful and everyone is nice to you. When it gets dark and difficult, that’s the time to show your courage.” Arteta has been hampered by injuries to Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber and Bukayo Saka among others, with a rash of red cards also unsettling his side early in the season. Odegaard has finally returned from the ankle problem that kept him out of Arteta’s starting line-up since August 31. The influential captain started against Chelsea and provided a sublime pass for Martinelli’s goal in an encouraging sign for Arteta, who is keeping his fingers crossed that everyone returns healthy from the international break. “I’m just going to pray that after the international break I have all my players available.” 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
12 November,2024 07:33 AM IST | London | AFPLa Liga leaders Barcelona fell to a 1-0 defeat at Real Sociedad on Sunday night as they had a Robert Lewandowski goal controversially disallowed, with coach Hansi Flick labelling the decision a “big mistake”. Sheraldo Becker’s 33rd-minute goal consigned Barcelona to their second league defeat of the season, leaving the Catalan giants six points clear of second-placed Real Madrid, having played an extra match. Lewandowski’s early disallowed strike led to furious debate over whether the Polish forward was offside or no. Also Read: Sangita on song as India rout Malaysia 4-0 “It was the wrong decision, clearly, it’s clear, but we have to accept it. The referee, it was not his fault, we are humans, we make mistakes and today was a big mistake,” Flick told the club’s streaming platform Barca One. Barcelona were without teenage star Lamine Yamal, who hurt his ankle in the Champions League win at Red Star Belgrade midweek and badly missed him. 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
12 November,2024 07:31 AM IST | Barcelona | PTIADVERTISEMENT
