Fabio Capello’s England side defeated Hungary 2-1 at Wembley, eventually anyway.
The team seem to have a better balance and Capello switched from his rigid 4-4-2 formation to a 4-3-3 or 4-5-1 depending on how you looked at it.
Wingers
England may have won the World Cup in 1966 with no wingers but in the modern game wingers are necessary.
Arsenal winger Theo Walcott had been left out of the World Cup squad but showed in glimpses against Hungary that he is capable of taking on a player and delivering a decent cross.
On the opposite flank was Manchester City’s Adam Johnson. Like Walcott he also missed out on the England World Cup squad and is an out and out winger. Johnson has really impressed me since his move from Middlesbrough and improved hi…
PARIS (AFP) – Bordeaux and Marseille, league champions these past two seasons in France, put poor starts to this campaign behind them at the weekend as the southern outfits secured their first league win at the third time of asking.
After Marseille defeated Lorient at the Stade Velodrome on Saturday, on Sunday it was Bordeaux s turn to kick off the summer dust though it took a goal five minutes into stoppage time from Michael Ziani to see off a stubborn Paris Saint German at the Parc des Princes.
After the Girondins ended seven years of Lyon title-winning hegemony under Laurent Blanc in 2008-2009, it appeared they would be going places not least to the likes of the Nou Camp and Old Trafford for Champions League duels.
Instead, last season saw the south western…
Landon Donovan became the MLS all-time leading goal-scorer on Sunday to complete an emotional week for the Los Angeles Galaxy forward.
Donovan struck twice in the Galaxy s 4-1 win over Philadelphia Union, while he also set up LA s opening goal, just three days after the 32-year-old missed out on a spot in the United States final squad for the FIFA World Cup.
Leonardo and Galaxy skipper Robbie Keane scored the other goals for LA, while Maurice Edu another casualty of Jurgen Klinsmann s cull on Thursday struck an 89th-minute penalty for Philadelphia.
Galaxy needed just over a minute to take the lead at the Stubhub Center with Leonardo heading Donovan s free-kick past Union goalkeeper Zac MacMath.
The home side continued their strong start with Keane producing an au…
Allan McGregor says Rangers are determined to improve on last season s woeful Champions League home form as his side prepare to face Turkish champions Bursaspor at Ibrox on Wednesday.
The Old Firm side had a torrid time in Glasgow in the last campaign as they lost all three home games, including 4-1 defeats to Romanian rookies Unirea Urziceni and Spanish side Sevilla.
Rangers have not won a European match since their run to the final of the UEFA Cup in 2008 and it has been 30 months since the Ibrox fans witnessed a victory.
However, keeper McGregor says the players are desperate to end this terrible run as they aim to build on the point picked up at Old Trafford from a resolute defensive performance against Manchester United on match day one.
If we can …
Carlo Ancelotti has revealed he did not expect to be offered the Napoli job, but had no hesitation over taking charge at Stadio San Paolo.
Having been sacked by Bayern Munich in September 2017, Ancelotti replaced Maurizio Sarri, who later joined Chelsea, in the close-season.
But the ex-Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea coach said that although a call from Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis took him by surprise, he had no concerns over whether the job would be suitable.
I didn t expect to be called by De Laurentiis, Ancelotti, who has won seven of his first nine Serie A games in charge, told II Mattino in a live Facebook broadcast ahead of Napoli s clash with Roma on Sunday.
I was expecting everything but coming here, I thought Sarri …
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp praised midfielder Fabinho for an absolutely outstanding performance against Manchester United.
Xherdan Shaqiri s second-half brace helped Liverpool past United 3-1 at Anfield on Sunday as they returned to the top of the Premier League table.
Alisson s error had allowed Jesse Lingard to cancel out Sadio Mane s opener in the first half, before Shaqiri delivered off the bench.
But Fabinho s display pleased Klopp, who brought the Brazilian to Liverpool in the off-season.
He was outstanding. Absolutely outstanding, he told a news conference.
But I don t like these questions, the thing I don t hear is that it says something about other players as well. I know you don t mean it like this.
On Tuesday, we played a…
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi insisted Kylian Mbappe will never be sold or leave on a free transfer amid ongoing links with Real Madrid.
Mbappe has long been tipped to swap Ligue 1 giants PSG for LaLiga powerhouse Madrid, while Premier League outfit Liverpool have also been linked previously.
The 22-year-old star is out of contract at the end of 2021-22, but PSG have remained defiant over Mbappe s future in the French capital.
Al-Khelaifi reiterated that stance as speculation grows heading into Euro 2020 and the off-season.
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe)
I will be clear, Al-Khelaifi told L Equipe. Mbappe is going to stay in Paris.
We will never sell I m and he will never leave on a free [transfer]. M…
The race is on to sign Borussia Dortmund forward Erling Haaland, who might be set to make a move in mid-2022.
Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are all interested in the Norwegian goal machine, but could Newcastle United also be a factor?.
Haaland netted 41 goals from 41 games last term for Dortmund and already has 13 this season.
TOP STORY – NEWCASTLE ENTER HAALAND RACE
Newcastle are the latest club to enter the race to sign Borussia Dortmund s Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, reports AS.
The report claims Real Madrid are losing their grip as favourites to sign Haaland, with Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and now Newcastle potentially in contention.
The Magpies move is said to…
Japan defender Maya Yoshida is targeting the country s best finish at a FIFA World Cup by reaching the quarter-finals in Brazil.
The Southampton man will be competing in his first World Cup after missing the 2010 tournament due to an ankle injury.
But Yoshida has been named in Alberto Zaccheroni s squad for next month s finals and is hopeful of a strong showing.
Japan s best result at a World Cup came in 2002, when the joint-hosts reached the last 16, an achievement they replicated in 2010 and one that Yoshida is looking to better this time around.
Four years ago, I felt frustrated and watch the World Cup on TV, Yoshida said. So I’m happy with I’ve got a chance to take the stage of the World Cup.
I want to do my best to get a good result better than th…
Athletico Junior continued their total domination of Group Two in the Copa Libertadores with a 2-1 away win over Oriente Petrolero.
The win was Junior s third straight this season and confirmed their place at the top of the table with maximum points.
The home loss was Oriente s third consecutive defeat and left them without a point at the bottom.
Victor Cortes gave the Colombian visitors the lead after 27 minutes and Luiz Paek made it 2-0 a minute after the half-time break.
The Bolivian club s Juan Arce pulled a goal back two minutes into stoppage time but it was too little, too late.
Penarol striker Luis Aguiar scored the only goal in the 58th minute against LDU Quito in Montevideo as the Uruguayans moved top of Group Eight.
Aguiar found…