Sports

Liverpool beat Southampton to seal FA Cup quarters

Published

10 months ago

February 29, 2024

Liverpool beat Southampton to seal FA Cup quarters

Lewis Koumas scored on his debut, and fellow 18-year-old Jayden Danns registered his first two goals as a depleted Liverpool side beat Southampton 3-0 at Anfield.

Liverpool’s victory, just three days after an exhausting 120-minute Carabao Cup final win over Chelsea, set up an FA Cup quarter-final at archrivals Manchester United.

Whether the Liverpool academy players will be required for that will depend on how fast the club can rehabilitate the 13 players currently injured in the next fortnight, but regardless, they have done their job.

Koumas, son of former Tranmere and West Brom midfielder Jason, was one of six players 21 or under in the Liverpool team.

And it was one of his fellow Liverpool academy colleagues, Bobby Clark, one year his senior and making his 10th appearance, who supplied the assist just before half-time.

Danns, the son of former Crystal Palace midfielder Neil, who only made his debut at Wembley, came off the bench to score the second in the 73rd minute, which allowed Anfield to breathe a sigh of relief.

That allowed Klopp the luxury of sending on Trey Nyoni, who, at 16 years and 243 days, became the club’s youngest player in the competition and the third youngest in the club’s history.

That was the signal for the party atmosphere to kick in with the Kop singing “We haven’t won a trophy since Sunday afternoon” just before Danns fired home his second in the 88th minute after goalkeeper Joe Lumley parried Conor Bradley’s drive.

Southampton, however, were left ruining a missed opportunity against under-strength opponents, having created enough chances in the opening half-hour to have made life difficult for their hosts.

Five of Liverpool’s Sunday starting XI—Caoimhin Kelleher, Virgil van Dijk, Harvey Elliott, Cody Gakpo, and Bradley—were retained, with three others—Ibrahim Konate, Alexis Mac Allister, and Luis Diaz—dropped to the bench.

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However, it was not all routine with defender Joe Gomez, who has been deployed all across the back four this season, asked to play the holding role in midfield alongside youngsters James McConnell and Clark.

But being asked to play a late cameo in a cup final and delivering from the off in a somewhat experimental team are two different things, and the disjointed nature of the first 40 minutes was understandable.

Southampton, fourth in the Championship and with eyes on a bigger prize than cup success to the extent they made eight changes from Saturday’s defeat to Millwall, took advantage but not enough to open the scoring, which was largely due to their decision-making in the final third.

Sekou Mara had the ball in the net after just 38 seconds but had gone too early and was flagged offside.

Kamaldeen Sulemana hit the post, and Mara forced Kelleher into two saves, with Sulemana then opting to shoot at the goalkeeper with Mara and Samuel Edozie waiting for a pass.

There was a point late in the half when Kostas Tsimikas was shouting instructions to Gakpo, only for Klopp to tell the left-back to do something different when he had the ball.

It summed up the confusion and lack of cohesion—until a moment of clarity fashioned on the training fields of Kirkby broke the deadlock.

Lumley had waited 40 minutes to make a save from Elliott’s 25-yarder, but he was undone by the quick feet of Koumas and a deflection off Jack Stephens.

Koumas started the move out on the left wing, and when Clark picked out the winger’s run, he cut onto his right foot and hit a shot that flicked off Stephens on its way past Lumley.

In a pre-planned move, Konate replaced Van Dijk for the second half to present Liverpool with a different challenge without the leadership of their inspirational captain.

The substitute assumed the mantle immediately, doing just enough to put off Mara as he tried to reach Sulemana’s cross, while at that same far post, the unmarked Shea Charles fired into the side- net with only Kelleher to beat after a corner dropped to him.

Danns showed composure, belying his age, by clipping a shot over Lumley after Will Smallbone’s errant pass went straight to Elliott before adding a late second.

Liverpool beat Southampton to seal FA Cup quarters

Sports

Real Madrid outclass Pachuca to win FIFA Intercontinental Cup

Published

3 days ago

December 19, 2024

Trends Admin

Real Madrid outclass Pachuca to win FIFA Intercontinental Cup

Kylian Mbappe’s first-half strike at Lusail Stadium – the venue where he scored a hat-trick in the World Cup final exactly two years ago – set Real Madrid on their way before Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr scored after half-time.

Mbappe gave Madrid the lead late in the first half, tapping home from close range after Vinicius had rounded Carlos Moreno in the Pachuca goal.

Rodrygo doubled Madrid’s lead seven minutes into the second half with a sublime curling striker from the edge of the box.

The goal stood following a pitchside monitor review, with referee Jesus Valenzuela deciding that Jude Bellingham had not interfered with play while standing in an offside position.

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Pachuca captain Salomon Rondon had Thibaut Courtois stretching to save a long-range free-kick, before the former West Brom and Everton striker, 35, sent a header narrowly over the crossbar.

A day after being named men’s player of the year at the Fifa Best awards, Vinicius added a third from the penalty spot after Lucas Vazquez was brought down by Oussama Idrissi.

The inaugural edition of the Intercontinental Cup – essentially a replacement for the Fifa Club World Cup, which will instead take place next summer – involved the winners of five continental club competitions taking part in a straight knockout tournament.

Pachuca, winners of the Concacaf Champions Cup, defeated Caf Champions League holders Al-Ahly of Egypt to reach the final. Uefa Champions League winners Madrid did not take part in the previous rounds.

Real Madrid outclass Pachuca to win FIFA Intercontinental Cup

Sports

Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. crowned FIFA Player of the Year

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Trends Admin

Vinicius Jr

Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. crowned FIFA Player of the Year

Vinicius Jr, the electrifying Real Madrid and Brazil winger, has soared to football’s pinnacle, clinching the coveted FIFA Men’s Player of the Year award at the prestigious ceremony in Doha.

The 24-year-old maestro, who famously skipped the recent Ballon d’Or gala after missing out to Manchester City’s midfield dynamo Rodri, turned the tide with this glittering accolade.

It’s a triumph well-earned—Vinicius dazzled in Real Madrid’s sensational Champions League and La Liga double-winning season, netting 24 goals and crafting 11 assists in the 2023-24 campaign.

Draped in glory, Vinicius reflected on his meteoric rise with heartfelt humility: “It seemed impossible when I played barefoot in the streets of São Gonçalo, and now I’m here.”

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The moment carried added sweetness for Vinicius, marking his first-ever FIFA Best award—a golden consolation following Real Madrid’s bold boycott of the Ballon d’Or.

Meanwhile, Barcelona’s midfield magician Aitana Bonmatí claimed the Women’s Player of the Year title for the second consecutive year, further cementing her dominance on the global stage.

According to BBC, The award, recognising performances from August 2023 to August 2024, was decided through a mix of votes—public input, a journalist from each country, and the captains and coaches of national teams. Each group’s vote carried equal weight, blending opinion and expertise.

Rodri, the architect of Spain’s Euro 2024 success, settled for second place, while Real Madrid’s sensational England star Jude Bellingham completed the podium in third.

Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. crowned FIFA Player of the Year

Sports

Rashford hints at Man United exit

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Trends Admin

Rashford hints at Man United exit

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford appears set to leave the club after claiming he is “ready for a new challenge.”

Rashford was controversially dropped from the squad that faced rivals Manchester City on Sunday fueling speculation over his future.

In a wide-ranging interview published on Tuesday, he told Henry Winter that “personally, I think I’m ready for a new challenge and the next steps.”

“When I leave it’s going to be ‘no hard feelings’,” he said. “You’re not going to have any negative comments from me about Manchester United. That’s me as a person.

“If I know that a situation is already bad I’m not going to make it worse. I’ve seen how other players have left in the past and I don’t want to be that person.

“When I leave I’ll make a statement and it will be from me.”

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Rashford made his senior debut in 2015 after rising through the club’s academy and has scored 138 goals in 426 appearances.

He has won two FA Cups and the Europa League for the Red Devils but his form has suffered over the past 18 months, scoring only 15 goals in all competitions since the end of the 2022/23 season.

He was also frozen out of the England squad for Euro 2024 and was reportedly put up for sale on Monday.

“I’m halfway through my career,” he added. “I don’t expect my peak to be now. I’ve had nine years so far in the Premier League and that’s taught me a lot, that’s helped me grow as a player and as a person.

“I don’t have any regrets from the last nine years. I won’t have any regrets going forward because I take things day by day and sometimes bad things happen, sometimes good things happen. I just try and keep a fine balance.”

When asked if the best is yet to come, Rashford replied: “100%. That’s my mentality.”