Author: moshood

Substitute goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne’s dancing antics helped Australia claim a shootout win over Peru in an inter-continental playoff on Monday but he said he was no hero, only playing his part as they claimed a fifth straight World Cup appearance.

The 33-year-old journeyman was brought on for his third cap with three minutes to play at the end of extra time and stopped the last kick as the Socceroos won 5-4 on penalties after the match ended goalless.

“He’s a very good penalty saver and I did something that could affect them mentally,” coach Graham Arnold explained at the post-match news conference.

“They were probably asking themselves the question, ‘Why is this guy being brought on? He has to be good’.

“Maybe that was the reason they hit the post. It’s a 1% mental effort to trouble the Peru penalty takers. It was a risk but it worked out.”

Redmayne’s antics were certainly a distraction. He danced along the line, waving his arms furiously, wiggling his hips and moving from side to side at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium.

“If I could gain 1 or 2% by doing something stupid and making a fool of myself, then I was going to do it,” he told reporters.

“I only played a tiny part, I don’t think I’m a hero or anything. The boys put in a hell of a shift to run out 120 minutes against a really good opposition.”

Redmayne’s celebration after the decisive kick also caught the eye, the bearded goalkeeper running to the side of the goal and standing stock-still with eyes wide and fists clenched before his teammates mobbed him.

That, he said, was the result of instructions from the referee.

“I think he was a bit bemused about my antics, he threatened a yellow card a couple of times for trying to provoke players, I said I wasn’t doing that,” Redmayne added. “(He) said to me the last two penalties: ‘If you save this you win but don’t go running off celebrating because we need to check on VAR because you move around a lot’.”

Redmayne had trials for Arsenal as a teenager but has played his entire career in the A-League, winning the league title for Sydney FC with two saves in the shootout that decided the 2019 championship final.

He said the plan to bring him on for Mat Ryan if the playoff went to penalties had been hatched at least a month ago but had been kept secret from the rest of the squad.

Ryan had been nothing but supportive, Redmayne said.

“I’m under no illusions about where I stand in the Australian goalkeeping ranks and I’m grateful with how Matty played it,” he said.

Canada controlled the ball 62 per cent of the night Tuesday but had trouble scoring on the rain-soaked pitch, while Honduras made the best of its limited opportunities in defeating the visitors 2-1 in CONCACAF Nations League play at Estadio Olimpico.

Kevin Josue Lopez scored in the 13th minute for the home side, while teammate Kervin Arriage added an insurance marker in the 78th minute. Jonathan David scored for Canada in the 86th minute.

Canada had nine shot attempts but only two on target, while Honduras was limited to six shots with three on target. Each team received 16 fouls. Canada had one red card to Alistair Johnston in the fourth minute of injury time.

With the setback Canada slips to 1-1 in the Group C standings with three points, the same as Curacao. Honduras leads with two wins and a loss and six points.

Canada opened its Nations League campaign with a 4-0 win over Curacao last week.

The Nations League serves as the qualification tournament for the 2023 Gold Cup. It will resume in March of next year.

Canada, which is expected to schedule two final World Cup warmup games during the next international window in September, opens its tournament in Qatar against Belgium on Nov. 23.

Liverpool have agreed a deal with Benfica to sign forward Darwin Nunez for a potential club record fee, the Portuguese side have announced.

The 22-year-old Uruguay international will cost the Reds an initial £64million, with add-ons taking the potential final price to £85.5million.

That would eclipse the £75million the Merseyside club paid for Virgil van Dijk in 2018.

Liverpool will look to finalise what is understood to be a six-year contract with Nunez, whose arrival could clear the way for Sadio Mane to leave Anfield.

A statement from Benfica released in the early hours of Monday morning said the club had “reached an agreement with Liverpool FC for the sale of all rights to the player Darwin Nunez, for the amount of 75 million euros”.

It added that the “total amount of the sale could reach the amount of 100 million euros”.

Personal terms are not expected to be a problem with Nunez having expressed a desire to move to Liverpool despite reported interest from Manchester United.

He is now set to begin the formalities of a medical on Monday which could take until Wednesday to complete.

Nunez scored 26 goals in 28 league appearances for Benfica last season and scored in both legs of their Champions League quarter-final against Jurgen Klopp’s side in April.

He is effectively a replacement for Mane, who is the subject of interest from Bayern Munich and looks set to move on.

Liverpool have already rejected two offers for the 30-year-old from the Bundesliga champions which they considered derisory and are holding out for a fee in excess of £40million for a player who scored 23 times last season.

Former UEFA President and France legend Michel Platini has revealed that the 1998 World Cup draw was tampered with. Platini, who is currently under trial together with former FIFA President Sepp Blatter, has confessed that there was a scheme to ensure that hosts France, didn’t meet pre-tournament favourites Brazil until the final.

Platini was a very talented player during his days. He is one of the few players to have won the Ballon d’Or at least three times after his exploits in 1983, 1984 and 1985. After retirement, he served as the head coach of the French national team from 1988 to 1992.

France and Brazil won their groups and ended up meeting in the final as planned by Platini and his team. The hosts won convincingly by beating Brazil 3-0 in the final.

Platini and Blatter are currently fighting a myriad of corruption issues in court. The ex-UEFA boss is said to have received close to 1.35 million as a ‘disloyal payment’ from Blatter. Platini has insisted that the charges were brought against him to ensure that he doesn’t become FIFA’s President.

Arsenal have signed teenage Brazilian forward Marquinhos from Sao Paulo.

The 19-year-old has agreed a “long-term contract” with the Premier League club.

He made 33 first-team appearances during his time with Sao Paulo and was part of the squad which won the Campeonato Paulista in 2021.

Arsenal technical director Edu told the club website: “We’re delighted to have completed the transfer with Sao Paulo as Marquinhos was a player we had been watching for a while.

“At 19, he is still very young, so he is a player for the future.

“We look forward to Marquinhos now joining us for pre-season, making his new home, and continuing to grow and develop with us.”

Marquinhos, whose transfer is subject to the completion of regulatory processes, has represented his country at under-16 and under-17 level.

He will travel to London in the coming weeks to join his new team-mates for pre-season training.

Manchester City have completed the signing of Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund.

The Premier League champions announced last month they had agreed a deal with the German club after triggering the prolific Norway striker’s £51.1million release clause.

The 21-year-old has now signed a five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium and will officially join Pep Guardiola’s squad on July 1.

Haaland, whose father Alf Inge played for City from 2000-03, is regarded as one of the hottest properties in the game after scoring 86 goals in 89 games in two-and-a-half seasons with Dortmund.

Haaland said: “This is a proud day for me and my family. I have always watched City and have loved doing so in recent seasons.

“You can’t help but admire their style of play, it’s exciting and they create a lot of chances, which is perfect for a player like me.

“There are so many world-class players in this squad and Pep is one of the greatest managers of all time, so I believe I am in the right place to fulfill my ambitions.

“I want to score goals, win trophies, and improve as a footballer and I am confident I can do that here. This is a great move for me, and I can’t wait to get started in pre-season.”

The arrival of Haaland ends City’s long search for a specialist centre forward having failed in their attempts to sign Harry Kane from Tottenham last summer.

His first appearances for City could come in pre-season friendlies against Club America and Bayern Munich in the United States next month.

City then begin their next campaign when they face Liverpool in the Community Shield.

City director of football Txiki Begiristain said: “We have been monitoring Erling for several years now, so we are delighted to bring him here to Manchester City.

“He is a huge talent and has been one of the best strikers in Europe over the last few seasons. His goal scoring record is exceptional and his performances at Borussia Dortmund and in the Champions League in particular have proved he can succeed at the highest level.

“Erling has everything we want in a striker, and we are certain he will excel in this squad and this system.

“His rise has been remarkable, but he is still only 21. His best years are ahead of him, and we are confident he can get even better working with Pep. This is a very exciting signing for our club.”

Real Madrid have announced the signing of France midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni from Monaco for a reported fee of over £85million (€99 million)

Tchouameni, 22, who had been linked with Liverpool, Manchester United and Paris St Germain, has agreed a six-year deal with the Spanish champions and will undergo a medical on Tuesday.

A Real Madrid statement read: “Real Madrid CF and AS Monaco have agreed on the transfer of the player Aurelien Tchouameni, who will be linked to the club for the next six seasons.

“Next Tuesday, June 14, at 12:00 at Real Madrid City, the presentation ceremony for Aurelien Tchouameni as a new Real Madrid player will take place after the corresponding medical examination. Aurelien Tchouameni will then appear before the media.”

Tchouameni was voted young player of the year in Ligue 1 last season after making 46 appearances in all competitions for Monaco, who he helped to a third-placed finish.

He has established himself in Didier Deschamps’ France squad ahead of the World Cup finals in Qatar, starting in all three of their Nations League games this month.

Tchouameni made 95 appearances in total for Monaco during two-and-a-half seasons following his arrival from first club Bordeaux in January 2020.

Michael Obafemi marked his full debut with a stunning strike as the Republic of Ireland ended their wait for a first Nations League victory at the 13th attempt by putting Scotland to the sword.

The 21-year-old Swansea front man drilled home a 30-yard pile driver to cement a 3-0 League B Group One win at the Aviva Stadium, just Ireland’s third victory in 18 competitive games under manager Stephen Kenny.

It could have hardly come at a better time after back-to-back defeats by Armenia and Ukraine which had raised fresh questions over Kenny’s tenure and prompted a defiant response from the 50-year-old.

It is Ireland’s first competitive win in Dublin since they beat Gibraltar in a Euro 2020 qualifier in June 2019 was set up by first-half goals from Alan Browne and Troy Parrott, who doubled Ireland’s entire Nations League tally inside eight minutes, and was thoroughly deserved as the Scots wilted in Dublin.

John McGinn passed up two first-half chances for Steve Clarke’s men, but they rarely threatened to get themselves back into the game once they were behind on a dismal afternoon for the 2,500 traveling fans among a crowd of 46,947.

As expected, Kenny shuffled his pack, handing Obafemi a first senior start for his country in one of five changes to the side which lost to Ukraine in midweek, while Grant Hanley and Scott McTominay were drafted into the Scotland line-up in place of John Souttar and Stuart Armstrong.

Ireland, stung by the criticism they had received after a poor start to the campaign, started with real tempo as Jason Knight snapped into tackles and wing-backs Browne and James McClean worked their way into advanced positions.

The visitors quickly settled, however, and, with McTominay orchestrating from the middle of the field, pushed the home side back towards their own goal.

Obafemi was unable to make the most of Hanley’s early slip which looked to have put him in behind the Scottish defence, but Browne had to block Andy Robertson’s goal-bound 12th-minute strike and goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher had to get down well to field McGinn’s skidding attempt seconds later.

The Republic lacked penetration as Scotland sat back and denied space when they were in possession, in the process preventing midfielder duo Josh Cullen and Jayson Molumby from doing any meaningful damage.

But it was they who took the lead with 20 minutes gone when Shane Duffy headed McClean’s corner back across goal and Browne bundled the ball past keeper Craig Gordon.

Scotland should have been level within seven minutes, but McGinn placed his side-footed effort inches wide of Kelleher’s right post, and their misery was compounded within seconds when Obafemi clipped a delightful ball over the top for Parrott to head gleefully past the advancing Gordon and double Ireland’s advantage.

It would have been 3-0 nine minutes before the break had Gordon not tipped away Duffy’s bullet header, although the keeper was fortunate to escape after touching another McClean corner on to the far post seconds later.

Jack Hendry made way for Billy Gilmour before the restart as the visitors sought a way back into the game, but their plight worsened with six minutes when Obafemi picked up a loose ball 30 yards out, took a neat controlling touch and then blasted it mercilessly past the helpless Gordon.

Substitute Scott Hogan thought he had made it 4-0 with a 61st-minute back-post header from another McClean cross, but Hanley’s goal-line clearance was confirmed by a VAR check.

In the meantime, Duffy had picked up a booking which will rule him out of Tuesday’s return clash with Ukraine in the Polish city of Lodz, but, as time ran down, that was the only fly in the ointment for Kenny’s men, with Scottish hopes even of restoring a measure of pride coming to little.

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been voted the Professional Footballers’ Association’s men’s player of the year, with Chelsea’s Sam Kerr collecting the women’s award.

Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden retains the PFA young player of the year award, with Lauren Hemp again women’s young player, which she wins for a third consecutive season.

Voted for by PFA members, Salah topped the poll ahead of Belgian playmaker Kevin De Bruyne, who had won for the previous two years and was again an integral part of the Manchester City team which claimed the Premier League title ahead of Liverpool by just one point.

Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Tottenham striker Harry Kane had also made the shortlist, along with Salah’s Liverpool team-mates Virgil Van Dijk and Sadio Mane.

Salah takes the PFA player of the year trophy for a second time, having previously won in 2018, after helping drive Jurgen Klopp’s men to success in both the Caraboa Cup and FA Cup, as well as reaching the Champions League final, where they lost to Real Madrid.

Egypt international Salah finished as the Premier League’s joint top-scorer alongside Tottenham’s Son Heung-min with 23 goals and was announced as the PFA men’s player of the year at a virtual ceremony on June 9.

“It’s a great honour to win a trophy, individual or collective and this one is big so, very happy and very proud of that,” said Salah, who was also voted the men’s footballer of the year by the Footballer Writers’ Association.

“This one is a really good one to win, especially because it’s voted by players. It shows you that you’ve worked really hard and you get what you worked for.

“I have my room with trophies in a cabinet and I made sure that I had another space for one more. I always keep space and just try to imagine that the trophies are going to come.”

Chelsea forward Kerr scored 20 goals to be top scorer in the FA Women’s Super League, helping Emma Hayes’ team win the domestic double after beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

“It’s a massive honour I think, whenever you’re voted by your peers. I think that’s the highest honour as a player so, it’s an amazing feeling,” said Australia international Kerr, who was also named the FWA’s women’s footballer of the year.

Arsenal’s Dutch forward Vivianne Miedema and her Gunners team-mate Kim Little were also on the PFA shortlist along with Manchester City’s Alex Greenwood and Hemp as well as Chelsea’s Pernille Harder.

Manchester City midfielder Foden, 22, topped the all-England shortlist on the men’s young player award.

Arsenal midfield duo Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith-Rowe, Conor Gallagher, who spent the season on loan at Crystal Palace from Chelsea, Aston Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey and Chelsea full-back Reece James were also nominated.

“I’m really honoured to be honest, especially to win it back-to-back, it shows that I’ve come a long way this year with the consistency of my game,” Foden said.

“Hopefully I can win the main award in the future, but it’s all about taking small steps and improving.”

Hemp, meanwhile, becomes the first person to win the PFA young player of the year award four times.

Chelsea forward Lauren James, Arsenal’s Norwegian star Frida Maanum, Tottenham striker Jessica Naz, Manchester United forward Ella Toone and Brighton defender Maya Le Tissier made up the rest of the shortlist.

“It’s an honour to get this again. I think especially for it to be voted for by players that I’ve played against and come up against,” Hemp, 21, said.

“I look to many of them as role models as well so it’s an honour to be picked from them. I’m going to keep working hard for that to make sure that I continue on the right path.”

The 2022 PFA merit award saw two former England managers honoured, with Roy Hodgson and Hope Powell acknowledged for their outstanding contributions to football.

“I never won any trophies as a player unfortunately, so it is nice to be recognised by fellow professionals. It will have pride of place,” said Hodgson, 74, who left his role with Watford at the end of the season having taken over in January.

Brighton women’s manager Powell added: “I feel lucky and blessed to be in the game after many years.”