World Soccer news

• Bayern beats Celtic 3-0 on Heynckes' Champions League return

  18-10-2017 23:38 via sports.yahoo.com
  Bayern Munich returned to the Champions League on Wednesday with a familiar face in charge and comfortably defeated Celtic 3-0. Jupp Heynckes, who retired after guiding Bayern to the Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup treble in 2013, has the German powerhouse running smoothly again after taking over from Carlo Ancelotti. The Italian was fired after the side's 3-0 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain.
  
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• Jack Wilshere defends Arsenal's character ahead of Red Star Belgrade clash

  18-10-2017 23:36
  Jack Wilshere has defended the character of his Arsenal team-mates after it was called into question by Watford captain Troy Deeney. Per Mertesacker had headed the Gunners ahead before Deeney came off the bench to equalise from the penalty spot, with Tom Cleverley lashing home an added-time winner for the hosts.
  
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• Ex-Bolton and Southampton striker Kevin Davies appointed Southport manager

  18-10-2017 23:36
  The 40-year-old, whose 22-year playing career saw him make 820 appearances and score 150 goals, has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Merseyside club, who sacked Alan Lewer in September. Davies, who also played for Blackburn, Chesterfield and Preston and won one cap for England, will be assisted at Southport by former Luton, Bradford and Oxford defender John Dreyer.
  
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• Mourinho: Tactics involved targeting young Benfica backstop

  18-10-2017 23:29 via sports.yahoo.com
  Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho knew that promising Benfica backstop Mile Svilar would be facing some big nerves. The 18-year-old was making his UEFA Champions League debut, and Mourinho instructed his Red Devils to challenge the backstop at every turn.
  
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• Benfica 0 Man Utd 1: Marcus Rashford exploits callow goalkeeper in workmanlike victory

  18-10-2017 23:14 via sports.yahoo.com
  This might have once been the kind of game that the brittle Manchester United teams of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era would have failed to win, and it did not take Jose Mourinho long to go on the attack afterwards when there was even the hint of a doubt about his methods in recent days. This was a game that dragged at times as much as the goalless draw at Anfield had done and it seemed to be the reaction to that which Mourinho had been chewing on in the intervening four days. It was, all told, y
  
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• Hazard comes to Chelsea's rescue vs Roma but Conte unhappy

  18-10-2017 23:12 via usatoday.com
  LONDON (AP) — Five months after lifting the Premier League trophy with Chelsea, Antonio Conte isn't happy with his team. A two-goal lead against Roma was established and then squandered in the Champions League on Wednesday. A 3-3 draw was recovered but Chelsea's susceptibility was exposed, just as it had been in losing its last two Premier League games to high-flying Manchester City and struggling Crystal Palace. "We gave up too much tonight in terms of ball possession," said Conte, who is
  
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• Chelsea in ruins as Roma collapse shows Conte has big problems

  18-10-2017 23:12 via sports.yahoo.com
  Chelsea's problems were laid bare on Wednesday night as their 3-3 draw with Roma once again illustrated just how irreplaceable N’Golo Kante is for Antonio Conte. Pep Guardiola recently labelled Tottenham Hotspur the "Harry Kane team” but he could have described Chelsea as the "Kante team" as the Premier League champions have forgotten how to play without their Player of the Year from last season. David Luiz's performance in the middle of the park was impressive but he was forced off
  
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• Pique's clumsy red spoils Deulofeu's big night

  18-10-2017 23:10 via sports.yahoo.com
  Since being brought back to Barcelona in the summer, the Spain international has found life tough at Camp Nou and he has recently been left out in the cold by coach Ernesto Valverde. On Saturday, he was back with a point to prove and livened up Barca's attack at the Wanda Metropolitano in a bright cameo as he helped the Catalan club come from behind to claim a point against Atletico Madrid. To start with, the former Everton winger appeared all too eager to please Lionel Messi, directing almost a
  
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• Heynckes, Bayern defeat Celtic in Champions League return

  18-10-2017 23:03 via chicagotribune.com
  Bayern Munich returned to the Champions League on Wednesday with a familiar face in charge and comfortably defeated Celtic 3-0. Jupp Heynckes, who retired after guiding Bayern to the Champions League, Bundesliga and German Cup treble in 2013, has the German powerhouse running smoothly again after taking over from Carlo Ancelotti, fired after the side's 3-0 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain. Paris Saint-Germain won 4-0 at Anderlecht in the other Group B game on Wednesday and leads with nine points, t
  
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• Benfica 0-1 Manchester United: Match-winner Rashford injured

  18-10-2017 22:57 via sports.yahoo.com
  No shots on goal for BenficaUnited puts four on frameMan Utd out-passes Benfica 522-237.
  Marcus Rashford scored the lone goal of the match, then limped off injured in Manchester United’s 1-0 win over Benfica in UEFA Champions League action
  
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• 'I want to push myself': Bill Hamid won't return to D.C. United

  18-10-2017 22:56 via washingtonpost.com
  D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid, the organization’s longest-serving player who rose from the academy ranks to a U.S. national team prospect, said Wednesday that he will not return to the club next season. Hamid’s contract expires this winter and, after weighing offers from United and exploring other opportunities, he told the Insider: “I want to push myself and see how far I can go because I know I have the work ethic and the hunger to take myself very far in this game. I kno
  
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• Champions League: Roma, Chelsea trade blows, goalkeeping mistake saves Manchester United

  18-10-2017 22:53 via sports.yahoo.com
  Edin Dzeko equalized with a stunning volley, then put Roma ahead with a header, but the match at Chelsea ended 3-3. Or rather, it was Roma’s turn to mount a stunning comeback. Ex-Manchester City duo Aleksandar Kolarov and Edin Dzeko combined to erase a 2-0 deficit and propel Roma into a 3-2 lead with 20 minutes remaining.
  
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• Champions League: Roma, Chelsea play to draw

  18-10-2017 22:53 via sports.yahoo.com
  Edin Dzeko completed a wild Roma comeback, but Eden Hazard clinched Chelsea a point in a 3-3 tie in London.
  
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• Lionel Messi joins Cristiano Ronaldo in exclusive 100-goal club in Europe

  18-10-2017 22:46 via usatoday.com
  BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Lionel Messi has joined Cristiano Ronaldo in the exclusive club of players who have scored 100 goals in European competition. Messi hit the century mark in UEFA club competitions on Wednesday when he scored from a free kick to lead 10-man Barcelona to a 3-1 victory at home over Olympiakos. Messi curled his strike over the wall in the 61st minute. Goalkeeper Silvio Proto got a hand on the ball but couldn't keep it out as Messi took his career tally in the Champions L
  
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• Bill Hamid leaving D.C. United after season ends

  18-10-2017 22:13 via sports.yahoo.com
  D.C. United goalkeeper Bill Hamid will be leaving the club after the 2017 MLS season. Hamid's contract with D.C. United is set to expire this winter, and it appears all talks regarding a contract extension with the team have ended as he looks for a new opportunity in Europe.
  
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• Russian Mayor Tells Citizens Not To Beat Up Foreigners During World Cup

  18-10-2017 22:09 via sports.yahoo.com
  Root, root, root for the home team — just don't beat up the tourists. As Russia gears up to host the World Cup next year, the mayor of Kaliningrad is calling on citizens to be friendly toward foreign fans who will be in town for the world’s most important sporting event. “I urge everyone to be hospitable, kind, not to beat anyone, if you know the English language, help the tourists,” Aleksandr Yaroshuk, head of Kaliningrad, told radio station KP-Kaliningrad, according to
  
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• Report: Landon Donovan mulling U.S. Soccer presidential run

  18-10-2017 21:33 via soccer.nbcsports.com
  The gray skies over the City Football Academy would have produced a grimace from most, but a towering Brazilian goalkeeper was smiling from ear to ear. Ederson Santana de Moraes strode into the room with a wink and a smile to imitate the smiley face emoji tattooed just behind his left ear. The boy from Sao Paulo feels at home in Manchester after his $46 million move from Benfica in the summer (which made him the most expensive goalkeeper on the planet) and just over a week since he made his debu
  
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• 'The Brick Wall': Ederson solving keeper issues at Man City

  18-10-2017 21:29
  It remains to be seen if the nickname catches on but it sums up the feelings of Manchester City's players about their goalkeeper, Ederson Moraes , after his eye-catching start to life in English soccer. His performance in City's 2-1 win over Napoli in the Champions League on Tuesday might be his most telling so far.
  
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• De Bruyne tops PL player power rankings

  18-10-2017 21:25 via sports.yahoo.com
  Joe Prince-Wright takes a look at the top five players in the Premier League after Matchday 8.
  
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• Baroka FC 1-1 Golden Arrows: Bakgaga held by Abafana Bes'thende, but still remain top of the PSL log

  18-10-2017 21:25 via sports.yahoo.com
  Baroka FC remained top of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) table despite being held to a 1-1 draw by Golden Arrows in Polokwane. On Wednesday evening, the Peter Mokaba Stadium played host to an unprecedented top of the table Premier Soccer League (PSL) showdown between Baroka and Arrows. Arrows coach Clinton Larsen once again opted for his strongest starting XI as he looked to play off the break, utilising the pace of the likes Kudakwashe Mahachi and Lerato Lamola.
  
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• Follow Live: Chelsea, Manchester United in Champions League action

  18-10-2017 21:22 via sports.yahoo.com
  Two more Premier League teams, both with high aspirations, steam towards the halfway point of group stage action in the 2017/18 Champions League.[ LIVE: Champions League scores ]Manchester United hits the road to Portugal to take on Benfica. The
  
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• Wenger’s fiery response to Deeney comments: “You can’t question our character”

  18-10-2017 21:10 via sports.yahoo.com
  Arsene Wenger was none too pleased at Troy Deeney‘s comments question whether Arsenal had the “cajones” to compete at the top of the Premier League. Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of Arsenal’s Europa League match at Red Star Belgrade, Wenger launched into an attack of his own. “People try and put us down, they always have. When asked if Deeney’s comments hurt, Wenger replied, “Yes but I know who my players really are.
  
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• Montella looking for Milan 'spark' against AEK

  18-10-2017 20:57 via sports.yahoo.com
  AC Milan coach Vincenzo Montella defended blundering skipper Leonardo Bonucci and said his team just needed to find a "spark' ahead of Thursday's Europa League clash against AEK Athens. "It'll come, right now we need a flame, and we have to be good to spark it," said Montella ahead of the game in the San Siro. AC Milan lead Group D with two wins from two ahead of AEK who are unbeaten with a win and a draw.
  
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• Mathieu Debuchy to make first Arsenal start in 11 months in Red Star game

  18-10-2017 20:34 via espnfc.com
  Arsene Wenger has said Arsenal defender Mathieu Debuchy is set make his first start in nearly year on Thursday against Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League. Debuchy's only appearance last season came against Bournemouth in November, but the French right-back lasted just 15 minutes before suffering another injury. A number of setbacks have kept him sidelined since then, but Wenger confirmed that Debuchy will return to the line-up in Belgrade as he deals with a defensive crisis. "He will certain
  
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• Claudio Reyna blasts soccer in the U.S.: 'We're far too arrogant'

  18-10-2017 20:14 via espnfc.us
  Former United States captain Claudio Reyna has called U.S. soccer "arrogant" and "obnoxious" in the wake of the national team's stunning elimination from World Cup qualifying last week. The U.S. were beaten 2-1 in Trinidad and Tobago last Tuesday to ensure they'd miss out on their first World Cup finals since 1986 as they finished fifth out of six teams in the CONCACAF hexagonal table. And Reyna, who was capped 114 times for his country, told Goal.com an inflated ego and lack of respect for idea
  
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• Cavani on Neymar: “We do not need to be friends”

  18-10-2017 19:21 via sports.yahoo.com
  Paris Saint-Germain has been rocked by rumblings of locker room discontent ever since Edinson Cavani and Neymar were involved in an on-field spat regarding who would take a penalty in a 2-0 win against Lyon. Ahead of their Champions League game against Anderlecht in Group B play on Wednesday, Cavani was again asked about the situation, and again put his best foot forward to dispel any internal issues, but may have only ignited them further. “The penalty business, it is in the past,”
  
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• Lack of Pay Keeps Kyle Martino, Others From Running for U.S. Soccer President

  18-10-2017 19:19 via sports.yahoo.com
  The biggest barrier to entry for potentially qualified U.S. Soccer presidential candidates is that the job is an unpaid position. Former USMNT player and current NBC analyst Kyle Martino told SI.com the time for change is now and he seriously considered running for president, but he decided he couldn’t afford to give up his TV commentary role and take a full-time position for no money. Gulati earns money from teaching at Columbia University and his six-figure salary as a member of the FIFA
  
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• Tab Ramos Wavers Over Accepting Interim Label as USMNT Manager

  18-10-2017 19:13 via sports.yahoo.com
  Sunil Gulati said he hoped to be able to announce an interim coach for the U.S. men’s national team by the end of this week ahead of a friendly next month at Portugal. It’s expected that Gulati will continue to push for Ramos and the interim label. If Ramos doesn’t end up taking it, look for it to be offered to another coach who’s currently on the U.S. Soccer payroll.
  
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• PSG's Khelaifi to be quizzed in Swiss World Cup probe on October 25: lawyer

  18-10-2017 18:50 via sports.yahoo.com
  Paris Saint-Germain president and beIN Media chief Nasser al-Khelaifi will be questioned by Swiss prosecutors on October 25 in a World Cup media rights probe, his lawyer told AFP Wednesday. Khelaifi, a Qatari, "wanted to be heard as soon as possible by the Swiss attorney general's office", the lawyer said, adding that his client "denies any corruption" over the sale of rights for future World Cups. Swiss prosecutors revealed last week that Khelaifi, who has strong connections to Qatar's royal fa
  
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• Cristiano Ronaldo proves he’s the ultimate wingman

  18-10-2017 18:31 via nypost.com
  Cristiano Ronaldo appears to have set James Rodriguez up with stunning Instagram model Helga Lovekaty. The Real Madrid star, 32, introduced his former Los Blancos teammate to the Russian beauty at a party. Rodriguez, 26 – currently in the first season of his two-year loan stint at Bayern Munich – has since been engaging with Lovekaty on social media.
  
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• Champions League scores, highlights: Real Madrid, Spurs draw; Liverpool, City win

  18-10-2017 18:24 via cbssports.com
  Champions League matchday three is halfway over after eight fantastic matches on Tuesday that produced 31 goals, with each match seeing at least two goals. Here's everything to know. Schedule Spartak Moscow 5, Sevilla 1 RB Leipzig 3, Porto 2 Besiktas 2, Monaco 1 Real Madrid 1, Tottenham 1 APOEL 1, Borussia Dortmund 1 Manchester City 2, Napoli 1 Shakhtar Donetsk 2, Feyenoord 1 Liverpool 7, Maribor 0 Live blog Relive the action with our live blog below Liverpool's goal rush The Reds went to Maribo
  
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• Struggling sides Southampton, West Brom clash

  18-10-2017 17:55 via sports.yahoo.com
  Joe Prince-Wright looks ahead to the Round 9 match between Southampton and West Brom as both teams are in major need of points.
  
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• West Ham, Brighton kick off Matchday 9

  18-10-2017 17:53 via sports.yahoo.com
  Joe Prince-Wright previews the upcoming match between West Ham and Brighton from London Stadium.
  
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• Jose Mourinho has held Manchester United contract talks

  18-10-2017 17:44 via espnfc.com
  Jose Mourinho has held talks with Manchester United about a new contract but he is no rush to sign a new deal, sources have told ESPN FC. Mourinho is under contract at Old Trafford until 2019 after signing a three-year deal to take over from Louis van Gaal in 2016. Despite Mourinho's insistence in Lisbon on Tuesday that he is not about to "sign a new five-year contract or leave for Paris Saint-Germain," sources have told ESPN FC that preliminary talks have taken place.  However, with 20 mon
  
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• Jose Mourinho Speaks Privately to Manchester United Owners About Ed Woodward

  18-10-2017 17:36 via uk.news.yahoo.com
  Jose Mourinho has met privately with Manchester United’s owners to reassure them that his relationship with executive vice chairman Ed Woodward is amicable, according to reports. There is a suggestion that Mourinho has grown frustrated with Woodward at Old Trafford, especially after the executive's failure to bring in a fourth signing this summer. Mourinho has spoken to the Glazer family, majority owners of United since 2005, to assure them that he and Woodward have a good workin
  
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• British MP misses debate to referee Champions League game

  18-10-2017 17:34 via sports.yahoo.com
  Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May defended a member of her party on Wednesday who missed a parliamentary debate to be an assistant referee at a Champions League football match. Conservative MP Douglas Ross is due to be a linesman for the Wednesday evening game between Barcelona and Olympiakos in Spain. As a result, he missed a debate about welfare reform in the House of Commons -- an absence branded "completely unacceptable" by the main opposition Labour party.
  
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• Champions League: How di teams go do today?

  18-10-2017 17:21 via bbc.com
  Champions League match go continue today for Europe and some serious match dey. Yesterday, all di English teams wey play do very well. Tottenham Hotspur comot Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu with draw and one point. In fact, dem for win di match sef if no be di penalty wey Cristiano Ronaldo score to equalise after Harry Kane make Real defender Varane score own goal. Manchester City calm down beat Napoli 2-1 for Etihad Stadium. Di impressive way wey dem take beat Napoli, you no go know say di Ita
  
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• Oldham appoint Wellens over Scholes, Seedorf

  18-10-2017 17:01 via sports.yahoo.com
  Paul Scholes and Clarence Seedorf have both been unsuccessful in their applications to become the next Oldham Athletic manager, with interim boss Richie Wellens appointed on a full-time basis. John Sheridan left Oldham on September 25 by mutual consent after a poor start to the League One season which had seen them lose seven of their first nine games. Wellens stepped in on an interim basis and inspired an instant improvement, guiding them to four wins and a draw across all competitions in the f
  
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• FOOTBALL: Middlezoy Ladies back on track with home victory

  18-10-2017 17:00
  MIDDLEZOY Rovers Ladies got back to winning ways and went top of the Premier Division table with a hard-fought 4-2 victory against Forest Green Rovers Ladies. The hosts started well, but it was Forest Green who had the early chances, hitting the bar and then forcing Faye Edwards into a good save.
  
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• Is Abraham good enough for Chelsea? Maybe not, but when will they find out?

  18-10-2017 16:45 via espnfc.com
  Tammy Abraham might have been Chelsea's saviour -- a young forward who could have galvanised a club searching for answers as hopes of retaining last season's Premier League title fade. But he can't be. Not this season, at least. Abraham, just older than Manchester United's Marcus Rashford, is on loan at Swansea City for the 2017-18 campaign, and the 20-year-old has scored four league goals in eight matches. His parent club Chelsea, meanwhile, are praying that a hamstring problem for Alvaro Morta
  
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• Danny Rose thanks Tottenham supporters for reception in Madrid

  18-10-2017 16:43 via espnfc.us
  Danny Rose has said he had expected a negative reception from Tottenham Hotspur fans when he came on at Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday. Defender Rose, who suggested in the summer that he wanted to leave the club and criticised their transfer policy, thanked Spurs' travelling support for their backing at the Bernabeu. Speaking after the 1-1 draw with the Champions League holders, Rose, who made his first appearance since injuring his knee in January, said he wanted to focus o
  
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• Claudio Reyna eviscerates US Soccer as “arrogant” and “obnoxious”

  18-10-2017 15:50 via sports.yahoo.com
  Former USMNT captain Claudio Reyna has come out guns blazing after the Americans failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, repeatedly condemning the mentality of the coaches and players in the wake of the debacle. Speaking to Goal.com’s Ives Galarcep, the usually hushed NYCFC Sporting Director put the USMNT on blast during his lengthy chat. Reyna, who garnered 112 caps during his time with the US National Team as a midfielder, questioned the advancement of the game in the United States, lo
  
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• De Bruyne on Silva spat: “I also get into some arguments with my wife”

  18-10-2017 15:21 via soccer.nbcsports.com
  With Manchester City in total control of their Champions League match against Napoli at halftime, leading 2-0 and outshooting the visitors 11-4, it seemed all was right at the Etihad. But then, as the players went down the tunnel for the break, Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva were arguing, with the Belgian furious for some undisclosed reason. A closer inspection shows that de Bruyne actually had gone after the fourth official first, and instead, the captain Silva had stepped in, which angered de
  
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• Mauricio Pochettino masterclass: How Tottenham manager set side up perfectly for Real Madrid draw

  18-10-2017 14:35 via sports.yahoo.com
  Tottenham have been accused of lacking squad depth, but on Tuesday night they went to the home of the European champions without a host of first-team players and picked up a deserved point against Real Madrid.  So how did Mauricio Pochettino set up
  
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• Allardyce not interested in Leicester City, Dyche the early favorite

  18-10-2017 14:12 via soccer.nbcsports.com
  Amid plenty of calls for Leicester City to shoot for the moon as they search for a new manager, a more realistic name has emerged as an early frontrunner. Craig Shakespeare, the man rumored to have engineered the downfall of Claudio Ranieri at Leicester City to take the reigns himself, was canned after just 26 games in charge. That has left a managerial opening at a club that to this point nobody can quite figure out how attractive a position it truly is. There are calls for a run at top manager
  
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• Drogba still a competitor as playing career winds down

  18-10-2017 14:10 via kwese.espn.com
  Didier Drogba is still playing -- and scoring -- for second-tier Phoenix Rising in the United States, where he has embarked upon a new chapter of his life off the pitch as co-owner of what he hopes will become a Major League Soccer team. The 39-year-old former Ivory Coast international has maintained his desire to keep his boots laced, but admits he is in the final throes of what has been an incredible career, which includes a UEFA Champions League winners' medal, four English Premier League tit
  
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• Didier Drogba still a competitor as playing career winds down

  18-10-2017 14:10 via espnfc.com
  Didier Drogba is still playing -- and scoring -- for second-tier Phoenix Rising in the United States, where he has embarked upon a new chapter of his life off the pitch as co-owner of what he hopes will become a Major League Soccer team. The 39-year-old former Ivory Coast international has maintained his desire to keep his boots laced, but admits he is in the final throes of what has been an incredible career, which includes a UEFA Champions League winners' medal, four English Premier League tit
  
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• Chelsea facing lineup nightmare as they limp into Champions League play

  18-10-2017 13:51 via sports.yahoo.com
  With the 2017-18 campaign just two months old, Chelsea has been rocked by injuries, potentially ruining Antonio Conte‘s ability to piece together his famed 3-5-2 lineup that saw the Blues storm to the Premier League title last season. N'Golo Kante‘s absence thanks to a hamstring injury has seen his midfield torn apart at times, including against lowly Crystal Palace as Chelsea slumped to defeat to the then-pointless Eagles. Fellow former Fox Danny Drinkwater also sits, having yet to
  
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• Why Craig Shakespeare proves the folly of promoting an assistant to become manager

  18-10-2017 13:35 via sports.yahoo.com
  To the list of assistant managers who have failed to make the cut in the main managerial hotseat we can now add Craig Shakespeare. Just eight games into the new season, Shakespeare has been shown the door at Leicester City with the club languishing in the Premier League relegation zone. The Leicester job was Shakespeare's first taste of management (aside from a one-game caretaker role more than a decade ago) and he had grown accustomed to life as a number two behind Clau
  
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• Coutinho move to Barcelona unlikely in January

  18-10-2017 13:30 via sports.yahoo.com
  Barcelona are unlikely to sign Philippe Coutinho in the January transfer window, despite claims by the Catalans' chief executive that a deal could be done, Goal understands. The Blaugrana bid for Coutinho three times last summer, but all three offers (the last of which was for around €130 million) were turned down by the Reds, with club owners Fenway Sports Group having insisted their player is not for sale. Coutinho was keen on a move to Barca and was led to believe tha
  
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