Sports

Coutinho set for Barcelona stay after Miami win over Napoli

Published

7 years ago

August 8, 2019

Eric

Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde claimed on Wednesday that Philippe Coutinho is set to stay at Camp Nou despite strong interest in the unsettled Brazilian from the Premier League.

The latest status update came after Croatian Ivan Rakitic scores a 79th-minute winner to see off Napoli 2-1 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Former Liverpool forward Coutinho has distanced himself from a move to Tottenham — he was also linked with Arsenal — and with the transfer window in England closing Thursday, the chances of the 27-year-old returning to England appear slim.

Former Barca forward Neymar, currently at Paris St. Germain, has also been touted to make a sensational return to the La Liga champions, although it has now been suggested that arch-rivals Real Madrid are also weighing up a move.

“The plan is to count on Coutinho,” Valverde stressed. “The transfer windows are open but we expect him to stay of course.

“And as for Neymar, the last time I came to this stadium I had to answer a load of questions about him. Two years later and it’s the same again. It’s like it’s following me. I don’t know what is going to happen.”

Croatian midfielder Rakitic struck with a crisply driven effort after an own-goal from Samuel Umtiti had cancelled out Sergio Busquet’s opener for the Spaniards.

This was the first leg of two matches between these European giants with the second encounter taking place in Michigan on Saturday.

“It was a pretty open game and we were able to give many of the squad some minutes so it was a positive outcome for us,” added Valverde, who is without the injured Lionel Messi for this US mini-tour.

Antoine Griezmann, Barcelona’s $134 million signings from Atletico Madrid, was lively from the start, linking up well with strike partner Luis Suarez.

Coutinho has travelled to the United States but wasn’t in the matchday squad having been granted extra time off following his exertions at the Copa America last month.

It was the Italians, managed by former Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, who created the more clear cut openings.

A superb move on 18 minutes saw Lorenzo Insigne denied by a brilliant point-blank save from Marc-Andre ter Stegen before Belgian Dries Mertens fired just wide.

Barcelona was struggling to find any rhythm but seven minutes before the break, captain Busquets superbly curled home, much to the delight of the pro-Barca crowd of 57,062.

Three minutes later, however, Napoli deservedly drew level, ex-Real Madrid midfielder Jose Callejon’s effort was turned past Ter Stegen by Umtiti who endured a difficult half in defence, as did new signing Junior, the full-back who was making his debut.

Suarez and Griezmann were both replaced at half-time but the game lacked the intensity of the opening exchanges with a succession of substitutions from both managers.

With 23 minutes remaining, Ousmane Dembele hit the post with a curling effort but only Napoli’s Arkadiusz Milik will know how he missed from close range a few minutes later, the Polish forward somehow putting the ball over the bar with his chest.

And the excellent Rakitic made Napoli pay by drilling in from the edge of the area to secure the win for Barcelona.

“We created a lot of opportunities and we hope to play in a similar way in the next game,” said Ancelotti, who refused to confirm reports suggesting Colombian midfielder James Rodriguez was set to join Napoli on loan from Real Madrid.

“Barcelona is a great team but I thought we competed well.”

Sports

Luka Modric’s World Cup Story Ends, Cristiano Ronaldo Gets Lifeline

Published

1 day ago

July 3, 2026

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

It was an emotional encounter as two of world’s best footballers; Luca Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo squared against each other in a bid to lay their hands on the coveted World Cup trophy when Portugal met Croatia in the round of 32. But after about 97minutes of play time, the World Cup story of Modric came to am abrupt end while Ronaldo gets a lifeline, proceeding to the Round of 16.

Both Ronaldo and Modric are not likely to feature in another World Cup tournament.

Portugal battled into the last 16 of the World Cup with a drama-filled 2-1 victory over Croatia on Thursday to set up a titanic showdown with European champions Spain.

In another nerve-shredding World Cup classic, Goncalo Ramos headed Portugal into the lead in the fourth minute of stoppage time before Croatia saw a last-gasp equaliser agonisingly ruled out for offside in Toronto.

Portugal’s 41-year-old superstar captain Cristiano Ronaldo had helped haul his team back into the contest, burying a 68th-minute penalty to cancel out Croatia’s 53rd-minute opener from Ivan Perisic.

Ronaldo later joined frenzied celebrations after Ramos glanced home a sensational header deep into injury time to give Portugal the lead.

But Ronaldo and his Portugal team-mates were left stunned when Josko Gvardiol prodded home an apparent equaliser in stoppage time.

Yet there was one final twist when the goal was chalked off for offside after a lengthy VAR review to the disbelief of Croatia’s players and their large contingent of fans at Toronto’s BMO Field.

After the final whistle, an emotional Ronaldo held up and pulled on a Portugal shirt bearing the number 21, a tribute to late team-mate Diogo Jota, the Liverpool star who tragically died in a car crash almost a year to the day from Thursday’s win, on July 3 last year.

“We knew it before the game. It was a so special moment. We speak today, our group, about that, the coincidence of life, it’s unbelievable,” Ronaldo said afterwards of the tribute to Jota.

“I was amazed because the situation of today. It means a lot to us, not only because we won the game, but the also the way we won the game. It was a difficult game, we knew it.”

The result ensures that Ronaldo’s incredible World Cup career will be extended for at least one more match when the Portuguese face Iberian rivals Spain in the last 16 in Dallas on Monday.

Ronaldo’s second-half penalty made him the oldest man to score in a World Cup knockout match.

Spain romp past Austria

Spain had advanced to that meeting with a scintillating 3-0 win over Austria in Los Angeles earlier Friday that confirmed their status as one of the favourites for the title.

Two goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and a Pedro Porro header sealed victory for the Spaniards, who produced their most complete performance of the tournament to advance to the next round.

Spain opened their World Cup campaign with a faltering 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, but have subsequently built momentum with each match.

AFP

Sports

Ronaldo Celebrates Saudi Pro League Win with Al-Nassr

Published

1 month ago

May 22, 2026

Eric

Al Nassr captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, has finally won the Saudi Pro League title.

They were confirmed champions on Thursday, thanks to a 4-2 drubbing of relegation battlers, Damac.

The title race had gone down to the final day after Al-Nassr dramatically dropped points against Al-Hilal the previous week.

Jorge Jesus’ side knew there could be no mistakes against a Damac side fighting for survival at the other end of the table.

Ronaldo was on the scoresheet, as his brace helped Al Nassr secure the title ahead of rivals Al Hilal.

Sports

FIFA Lists Six Females Among 52 Referees for 2026 World Cup

Published

3 months ago

April 10, 2026

Eric

FIFA on Thursday unveiled its list of match officials for the June 11-July 19 World Cup, including 52 referees, six of whom are women.

Football’s governing body will also take 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials, who hail from all six confederations and 50 member associations.

“The selected match officials are the very best in the world,” said Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s chief refereeing officer.

“They were part of a wider pool of officials that was identified and monitored over the past three years. They have attended seminars and officiated at FIFA tournaments.

“In addition, their performances in domestic and international matches were regularly assessed.”

The World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico will be the biggest in history, with a 48-team line-up and 104 matches to be played.

There are 41 more match officials than at Qatar four years ago, where 32 teams played 64 matches.

“The fact that six women match officials have been selected continues a trend that was started four years ago in Qatar as we aim to further develop women’s refereeing,” Collina said, with six women having already refereed in 2022.

AFP