Page 135 – The Pulse of Football

Jul

2022

Last Weekend: Derby Day in Stockholm, a rare defeat for Palmeiras and RBNY rise to the top

Although we are still a long way way from the end of the season in the summer leagues, there were some big results in the title races in Scandinavia and Brazil. Elsewhere, Liga MX’s 2022/23 season got underway, while MLS and the Argentine Liga Profesional continued to entertain. Additionally, a couple of important youth tournaments drew to a close in Europe and North America.

We will be recapping all of that in this edition of Last Weekend.

?? Sweden: Djurgården 1-0 Hammarby

We covered Hammarby’s comeback against league-leaders Häcken in the previous edition of the column and they had another big game this time out with city rivals Djurgården their next opponents at the Tele2 Arena – the Stockholm stadium that they share. Ahead of kick-off both sides were also locked on the same number of points in the table.

The match was entertaining from start to finish, as both sides looked quite dangerous when attacking, and neither seemed to back off at any point. Hammarby kept more possession (69%) but Djurgården posed a serious threat when counterattacking, which they did frequently.

There were no goals in the first half but an inspired double-substitution from Kim Bergstrand altered the course of the match. He sent Gustav Wikheim and Emmanuel Banda on in the 65th minute and shortly after the Zambian midfielder set Wikheim up to score with his first touch after coming on.

Hammarby pushed hard for an equaliser and came quite close in stoppage time when they hit the crossbar on two separate occasions. The xG scoreline of 2.19-1.53 paints a better picture of how entertaining the game was as it could easily have seen a couple more goals scored.

With these three points, Djurgården jump up to second and move ahead of their other local rivals AIK, who lost to Mjällby on Saturday. The pair are just a point behind Häcken who were held to a 1-1 draw by Elfsborg.

?? Brazil: Palmeiras 0-2 Athletico Paranaense

Back-to-back Copa Libertadores champions Palmeiras are currently one of the strongest sides in South America but they have not won their domestic league since 2018. They are however, on a mission to change that this year and they went in to the weekend sitting at the top of the Brazilian Serie A with 29 points.

It was then, something of a surprise, that they tasted defeat for just the second time this season as Athletico Paranaense beat them by two goals. The hosts were comfortably the better side as they kept over 70% of possession and outshot their opponents 35 to 13 but they simply failed to find the back of the net.

Vitor Roque and Vitor Bueno got the goals for Athletico, who are enjoying a very good season under their vastly experienced coach ‘Big’ Phil Scolari. They are now on a 13-game unbeaten run in all competitions and during the week confirmed reports that Fernandinho has rejoined his boyhood club after leaving Manchester City.

That unbeaten run has seen them climb up to second in the league with just a two-point deficit to Palmeiras, who will now be looking over their shoulder with the top-six are separated by just five points.

?? Norway: Odd 3-2 Bodø/Glimt

Bodø/Glimt have won the Eliteserien in each of its last two seasons but their title defence is in trouble less than halfway through the current campaign as they already trail league-leaders Lillestrøm by 11 points.

The gap widened this weekend after they were defeated by Odd in an exhilarating 3-2 game with both sides playing an expansive brand of football that entertained viewers throughout the match. Odd had a 2-1 lead at the hour-mark and looked on course to hold out for the win but a red card in the 84th minute spelt serious trouble and Glimt eventually equalised in the seventh minute of stoppage time. There was more drama in store for us, though, as Odd won a penalty immediately after the restart. They duly converted that chance for a 99th minute winner.

This is a very disappointing defeat for the defending champions because it comes at a time when they seemed to be getting into gear having won their previous four. The good news for them, though, is that their underlying numbers look quite healthy so it should just be a matter of time before the results follow suit.

The above scattergram shows the xG (Expected Goals) and xGA (Expected Goals Against) per game for all 16 Eliteserien teams with Bodø/Glimt highlighted and we can see they have the second-best attack and third-best defence in the league based on these metrics. Combine this with the fact that Lillestrøm are wildly overperforming relative to their xG, as we discussed last week, and you can see why things are not all bad for Glimt.

?? Mexico: Tigres 2-3 Cruz Azul

The 2022/23 Liga MX season got underway this weekend and it was back with an absolute bang! Puebla defeated Mazatlan 4-2 in the opener and Santos prevailed over Monterrey in a seven-goal thriller last night. Our focus, though, is on the winners of the inaugural Supercopa de la Liga MX Cruz Azul and their win over Tigres.

Truthfully, the hosts were the better side in this match. They controlled proceedings with close to two-thirds of possession and fired thrice as many shots as the visitors. But they still ended up losing. As the xG timeline of the match shows, Tigres consistently posed a goal threat, but Cruz Azul made the most of their limited chances to take away all three points.

If the rest of the season in Mexico is half as entertaining as this weekend then we are in for a proper treat.

?? MLS: Sporting KC 0-1 New York Red Bulls

The lead in MLS’ Eastern Conference has changed hands in the last week and the New York Red Bulls are on top for the first time since the second matchday of the season after beating Atlanta United on Thursday night and Kansas City at the weekend.

Two common denominators in those matches are that NYRB won by a one-goal margin and Lewis Morgan was on the scoresheet on both occasions. The Scottish international has entered double digits for goal involvements in MLS this season and has scored or assisted in five of his last eight matches in all competitions – with NYRB failing to score at all in the other three.

Morgan has been used as a winger, inside forward, and wing-back by Gerhard Struber as he has switched between back-four and back-three systems this season, but the ex-Celtic man has consistently delivered. His ball-carrying ability and directness have been crucial to his side’s counterattacks and he has the highest xG as well as xA tally in the squad.

Morgan cost the Red Bulls a transfer fee of just €1.1 million when he joined from Inter Miami before the start of the season and he clearly has been worth every penny.

?? Argentina: Boca Juniors 0-3 Banfield

Boca won the Copa de la Liga, the precursor to the current league season in Argentina but they have not had a good time of it since and they now sit outside the top 10 after six matchdays. That Copa win may have seen them qualify for the 2023 edition of the Copa Libertadores but they will surely struggle to lift their fourth domestic title in six years should their domestic form continue on their path.

In truth though, their focus seems to be elsewhere, as their defeat at the hands of Banfield indicates. Sebastián Battaglia put out a second-string line-up with the key men rested ahead of their Libertadores Round of 16 tie against Corinthians – which is hanging in the balance after a goalless first leg on Tuesday night.

The young centre-back pairing of Gabriel Aranda and Gastón Ávila were making their first starts of the season but they did not have a great time of it as Banfield’s first two goals came from crosses they failed to deal. And second-choice keeper Javier Hernán García ended the game with more goals conceded than saves made.

Young midfielders Cristian Medina and Aaron Molinas did perform well as they helped Boca keep 66% of the ball, creating three chances between them, but neither could summon up a goal. Both may hope to feature in that vital second leg against Corinthians but the likes of Sebastián Villa, Dario Benedetto, Exequiel Zeballos, Marcos Rojo and Frank Fabra will surely be back in the starting line-up.

? Slovakia: Israel U19 1-3 England U19

The final of the Under-19 Euro was played in Slovakia on Friday, and it featured the tournament’s surprise package Israel, who were taking on a very talented England side.

Israel certainly did not boast the best squad in the competition but they really impressed with their direct style of play marked with intense counterpressing and dangerous counterattacks.

They beat one of the favourites, France in the semi-final and were on course to repeat the feat in the final when they took the lead just before half-time. The man who scored the goal was Oscar Gloukh, arguably the standout performer of the tournament.

England had, however, come from behind in their semi-final against Italy and they did so by scoring twice from set-pieces. They used that trick again here, equalising early in the second half through Callum Doyle but that was how it stayed for the rest of the 90.

A frantic extra time period saw both sides fashion presentable scoring chances but England prevailed thanks to goals from Carney Chukwuemeka and Aaron Ramsey (no, not that one). It isn’t all bad news for Israel, though, as they have secured a spot in next year’s FIFA Under-20 World Cup alongside the other semi-finalists and Slovakia, who beat Austria in the play-off.

? Honduras: USA U20 6-0 Dominican Republic U20

Another international youth football tournament also concluded over the weekend as the final of the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship was played in Honduras.

The USA secured their third consecutive title with a rout of the Dominican Republic, scoring three goals in each half. The tournament’s MVP, Paxten Aaronson (whose brother Brandon recently secured a move to Leeds United), was the standout performer in the match as he netted twice and played a key role in the build-up to a couple of other goals.

The Dominican Republic, like Israel, will take away something from this tournament as they too have qualified for the FIFA Under-20 World Cup due to be held in Indonesia next year, as have the other semi-finalists, Honduras and Guatemala. Record champions Mexico, however, will have to leave empty-handed as they were knocked out of the quarter-finals by Guatemala.

Written by Neel Shelat.

Cover Image from IMAGO

Jul

2022

? Play FotMob’s Euro 2022 Predictor

Make your predictions, create leagues, compete against friends.

Our popular predictor game is back for UEFA Women’s EURO 2022. Predict who will get out of the groups, progress through the knockouts, and take home the trophy.

Then, create leagues and compete against friends.

You can find the Predictor in the More tab in the app, and on desktop at https://predict.fotmob.com/weuro/.

Jul

2022

This Weekend: Restart in Liga MX, the top games in MLS and Derby Day in Stockholm

The best action to follow this weekend

Saturday

?? With last weekend’s curtain-raiser between 2021 Campeón de Campeones Atlas and Cruz Azul in Mexico’s Supercopa its time for the real action to start. And both sides have a difficult assignment in the opening round of the new Liga MX season.

After the success of last year and their first league titles for 70 years Atlas must go to traditional giants Club América. And Cruz Azul, who triumphed in that Supercopa also face a tough away fixture against Tigres.

?? Fresh from the marquee signings of Giorgio Chiellini and Gareth Bale, plus the even better news that the club’s record scorer Carlos Vela has signed a contract extension, things are good for LAFC right now. Even more so when you consider that they’re top of the Western Conference, leading in the Supporters Shield and have scored more goals than anyone else across MLS. They’ll be hopping the border on Saturday evening for a game at Vancouver Whitecaps, who’s seven-game unbeaten run at home, is as good as their season has got so far.

Elsewhere there’s another Canada vs. United States clash with Toronto – who sit 12th in the East coming up against Seattle Sounders – who are looking to improve on their current position of seventh in the West.

?? In South America, the start of the knock-out stages in the continent’s premier Cup competition – the Copa Libertadores has dominated proceedings this week and the two-time defending champions Palmeiras looked in good form as they came away with a 3-0 win at Paraguayan club Cerro Porteño.

The São Paulo side have also impressed in the league and they’ll be looking to extend their three-point lead in the table at home to Big Phil Scolari’s Athletico Paranaense. Third-placed Athletico also won in mid-week and were bolstered by the news of returning hero Fernandinho following his departure from Manchester City.

For their part, Corinthians, the team currently second in the table play against Fluminense whilst there’s also the clash between classic Brazilian sides Santos and Flamengo to keep an eye on.

Sunday

?? They’re 12 rounds in to the Allsvenskan season over in Sweden and two of the three great Stockholm rivals – Djurgården and Hammarby are set to clash in the weekend’s big game. The sides sit third and fourth respectively, three points behind their other city rivals AIK, and ahead of defending champions Malmö on goal difference.

Djurgården have scored 16 goals in their last five games so should provide some entertainment whilst Hammarby managed to claw back a two-goal deficit to draw against league leaders Häcken last time out. And who doesn’t enjoy a big derby-day atmosphere?

?? In our home league, the top two in Norway’s Eliteserien both feature on Sunday. Molde, who sit second will test their nine-game winning run on the road at HamKam and hope to leapfrog leaders Lillestrøm in the process.

Lillestrøm’s unbeaten start to the campaign came to an end with defeat to Strømsgodset last weekend but they have a great opportunity to re-start their unlikely title bid with a fixture at Kristiansund – who sit bottom of the league with just one point to their name.

?? Back in MLS, Sunday’s slate of games include fixtures for some of the leading sides in the Eastern Conference where the top four are separated by a single point. New York City (4th) take on Atlanta United whilst Philadelphia Union (3rd) go to Columbus. And New York Red Bulls (2nd) will attempt to follow Thursday’s comeback win over Atlanta by picking up another three points on the road at Kansas City.

In the NWSL, the top women’s league in North America, new franchise club San Diego Wave are in pole position. On Sunday, they face 2021 champions Washington Spirit. The Spirit currently sit well off the pace in seventh and have scored just 10 goals so far. That’s one less than the Wave’s in-form striker Alex Morgan.

If you want to follow any of the games mentioned above, click on the relevant link and tap the bell icon to receive all the key match updates.

Or join us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to discuss all the important football going on this weekend!

Cover Image from IMAGO

Jun

2022

Get ready for Euro 22 with our Euros quiz

How many can you get right?

What’s your score? Let us know on Twitter!

Jun

2022

Last Weekend: Cruz Azul win the Supercopa, Häcken are held in Sweden and there’s at least three reasons to be cheerful at LAFC

With the Supercopa de la Liga MX marking the beginning of a new season in Mexico and the Swedish Allsvenskan returning after a summer break there was lots of football to keep tabs on over the weekend. We’ll cover that along with matches from Norway, Argentina, MLS and Japan in this week’s edition of Last Weekend.

?? Mexico: Atlas 2-2 Cruz Azul (3-4 on pens)

Since Atlas won both the 2021 Apertura and the 2022 Clausura in Liga MX they became the de facto Campeón de Campeones. Therefore, to mark the beginning of the new season in Mexico, the league introduced the first-ever Supercopa de la Liga MX to replace the usual Campeón de Campeones play-off. The match will occur only on such occasions where the same side won both the Apertura and Clausura with that side then pitted against the previous year’s Campeón de Campeones (stay with us here).

In this case, that meant Atlas faced 2021 Campeones Cruz Azul. And after a tight first 40 minutes Atlas took the lead when Emanuel Aguilera scored direct from a free-kick. The scoreline was level on the stroke of half-time though as Santiago Giménez equalised for Cruz Azul following a corner. Paraguayan international Ángel Romero, who set up Cruz Azul’s leveller, then went on to give his side the lead after the hour-mark. But there was still plenty of drama to come.

In stoppage-time, Atlas sent everyone, including goalkeeper Camilo Vargas, forward for a corner. Vargas was unsurprisingly unmarked and he managed to direct a free header towards goal. That was kept out by the Cruz Azul keeper but after a goalmouth scramble Julián Quiñones turned the ball home and sent the match to penalties.

The two sides were inseparable after the first eight kicks so it effectively became sudden death thereafter. Giménez held his nerve and scored for Cruz Azul but Quiñones missed the target altogether for Atlas and with that, the fate of the Supercopa was determined.

?? Sweden: Hammarby 2-2 Häcken

It was first versus third in Sunday’s headline Allsvenskan fixture as Häcken visited Hammarby with the two sides separated by just three points in the table.

The story of the match is summed up quite aptly by the xG timeline.

Hammarby posed a constant threat throughout the match but it was the visitors who raced to a two-goal lead after scoring either side of the hour mark. The league’s leading marksmen, Alexander Jeremejeff bagged his 11th of the campaign following a delightful team move before Mikkel Rygaard added the second.

The hosts continued to generate shooting opportunities and they eventually pulled one back in the 82nd minute thanks to a header from Bubacarr Trawally. Six minutes later Bjørn Paulsen netted the equaliser after another set-piece and that was the final goal of this eventful clash.

?? Norway: Strømsgodset 3-0 Lillestrøm

In the previous edition of this column we highlighted Lillestrøm’s unbeaten record in the Eliteserien. The FotMob curse has now seen that run come to an end with a comprehensive defeat for the league leaders coming at Strømsgodset.

The match was goalless at the midway point after a first half devoid of any major goal-scoring opportunities. But within ten minutes of the restart the home side took the lead through Ipalibo Jack, who headed home from a corner. Some poor decision-making at the back from Lillestrøm allowed Kristoffer Tokstad to score a second in the 76th minute. And Lars-Jørgen Salvesen put the cherry on top of the cake for Strømsgodset with a delightful strike to the top corner from outside the box.

Truthfully, this has been coming for Lillestrøm. Prior to this game they had not drawn a blank in any competitive match this season but their underlying numbers show cause for concern as they are over-performing their league xG by about 10 goals. They remain top for now but Molde are just two points behind them with a game in hand.

?? Argentina: Rosario Central 0-1 Gimnasia La Plata

Friday night was a big one in Argentine football as Carlos Tevez made his managerial debut for Rosario Central against Gimnasia, who were unbeaten since mid-April.

The ex-Manchester City striker set his side up in a 4-4-2 formation but they were asked to keep the ball and build up patiently. In the final third, a lot of their attacks ended with crosses in to the box with left-back Lautaro Blanco especially encouraged to get forward.

Although Central ended up losing after Ramon Sosa scored the only goal of the match in the 80th minute they gave a very good account of themselves. And based on the statistics, at least, looked to be the better side.

Tevez can take a lot of positives from his first outing as a manager and next up, he will have a great opportunity to notch up his first win against bottom-club Aldosivi who only have a point from their first five matches.

?? MLS: LAFC 2-0 New York Red Bulls

The atmosphere at the Banc of California Stadium was especially bubbly prior to Sunday’s early MLS kick-off between LAFC, current leaders in the Supporters’ Shield, and a somewhat depleted Red Bulls side.

The home fans had a lot to smile about – not only were they top of the table with more goals scored than any other side in the league but they had also announced a couple of huge marquee signings in recent times. First, Italian centre-back Giorgio Chiellini arrived from Juventus and then, five-time UEFA Champions League winner Gareth Bale signed following the expiration of his contract at Real Madrid. The best part about these signings was that neither took the club’s one remaining Designated Player spot on the roster. And there was yet more good news as Carlos Vela, the club’s all-time top-scorer signed a contract extension, and made the starting XI for the game.

The first half proved to be a rather cagey affair as the visitors defended resolutely but LAFC steadily increased the pressure in the second half and ultimately found the breakthrough when a poorly executed offside trap allowed substitute Cristian Arango to race on to a through ball from Vela before finishing with ease. Just three minutes later, Diego Palacios scored a second for LAFC and effectively killed the game.

?? Japan: Yokohama F. Marinos 4-0 Kashiwa Reysol

The 18th round of fixtures in the J. League kicked off with a big clash at the top of the table as league-leaders Yokohoma F. Marinos hosted fourth-placed Kashiwa Reysol. The visitors had the chance to close the gap between the two teams down to just one point and unbeaten in five – Reysol were confident of capitalising on the host’s shock midweek defeat to second-tier side Tochigi SC in the cup.

Both sides’ momentum changed quite drastically though as Marinos dominated the game, kept about two-thirds of possession, scored four goals and restricted their opponents to the same number of shots. The hosts dealt most of their damage early and had a three-goal lead by the half-hour mark so they could afford to take their foot off the pedal for the rest of the match.

Marinos have now won four league games on the spin and boast a three-point lead after both Kashima Antlers and Kawasaki Frontale dropped points over the weekend. Reysol, on the other hand, have ceded fourth spot to Sanfrecce Hiroshima.

Written by Neel Shelat.

Cover Image from IMAGO

Jun

2022

Last Weekend: Girona promoted to La Liga, score draw in the Cairo Derby and Julián Álvarez shines for River Plate

As the final loose ends of the 2021/22 season were being tied up in Europe the top leagues elsewhere began to pick up the pace. This week, we will be covering a play-off final in Spain, one of Africa’s biggest derbies, leagues from five continents in total plus the Euro U19s in Slovakia.

?? Spain: Tenerife 1-3 Girona (1-3 agg.)

Since the current play-off format was adopted for promotion to La Liga in 2010, Girona have reached six finals from seven attempts. Prior to this one, they had lost four out of five but that streak was broken on Sunday evening.

After a goalless draw in the first leg away from home, Tenerife might have fancied their chances given the fact that they had also beaten Girona in both of their meetings during the regular season. But they were outplayed in the first half and they conceded just before half-time after a handball offence in the box gifted Girona a penalty, which Cristhian Stuani converted.

Carlos Ruiz came on as a half-time substitute for the hosts and within 15 minutes he was on the scoresheet after heading home from a corner. It was anyone’s game thereafter as both sides looked threatening but ultimately the visitors prevailed thanks to a massive stroke of luck when an attempted cross deflected in off of Tenerife defender José Leon.

Arnau Martínez added a third in the 80th minute to give Girona a two-goal cushion – sealing their return to the top flight after an absence of three seasons.

?? Egypt: Al Ahly 2-2 Zamalek

Arguably the biggest derby in African club football was held in Cairo this weekend, as league-leaders Zamalek visited defeated CAF Champions League finalists Al Ahly.

The hosts got off to a quick start as Mohamed Sherif opened the scoring in the 12th minute and they held on to that lead for close to an hour. Zamalek eventually found a response in the second half when Achraf Bencharki and Shikabala scored within eight minutes of each other to turn the course of the match.

But not for long as Salah Mohsen equalised for Al Ahly in the 80th minute. Zamalek therefore dropped points against their arch-rivals but remain top of the table – for now. Al Ahly sit four points further back in third but do have the advantage of three games in hand.

?? Argentina: Unión 1-5 River Plate

River Plate finally registered their first win of the new league season in Argentina and they did so in some style against Unión Santa Fe.

Manchester City-bound forward Julián Álvarez missed the first match of the season as he was on international duty and he then drew a blank in each of the next two games. He made up for all of that in this match however – setting up his side’s first two goals with some clever passing before going on to bag two for himself.

The other goal-scorers were Braian Romero, reported Manchester United and AC Milan target Enzo Fernández and Agustín Palavecino. The final scoreline in this match was certainly a bit flattering but River will hope this result sparks a good run of form just in time for the knockout stages of the Copa Libertadores.

?? USA: New York City 1- 1 Colorado Rapids

It was the end of an era for New York City as MLS Cup-winning head coach Ronny Deila left for Standard Liège in Belgium. Former Man City Women’s coach Nick Cushing was named as his interim replacement and his tenure began with a draw against the Colorado Rapids.

The 37-year-old Englishman did not change much tactically as his side continued to play a possession-heavy brand of football in their 4-2-3-1 formation. They were comfortably the better side in this match, but the visitors scored first through Michael Barrios in the 68th minute. Teenage star Talles Magno equalised soon thereafter with a clever volley but there were no further goals to speak of.

NYCFC will certainly feel they should have come away with all three points but they have no time to rue missed chances as they need turn their attention to a midweek Hudson River Derby in the Open Cup.

?? Japan: Kashiwa Reysol 3-1 Vissel Kobe

Over in Japan, Vissel Kobe – who finished third last season are having a terrible time as we reach the midway point of the current J.League campagin.

Vissel – who can call on the experience of a certain Andrés Iniesta have not spent a single matchday outside the relegation zone and they were five points from safety going into Saturday’s round of fixtures. Things did start well for them though as Kento Hashimoto opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark. But that was as good as it got.

Within 10 minutes, Keiya Shiihashi equalised for the hosts and on the stroke of half-time, VAR awarded them a fairly contentious penalty, which Matheus Sávio duly dispatched. Substitute Yuki Moto later added insult to injury with a third for Reysol.

Looking at the match statistics, it is clear to see that this was a fairly even contest, with both sides attempting exactly the same number of shots.

Yet, Vissel were comfortably beaten in the end and that aptly sums up their season. They’ve put in some storng performances but they have rarely been rewarded with good results.

?? Brazil: Atlético Mineiro 2-0 Flamengo

Dorival Júnior had overseen his first win as the new coach of Flamengo in midweek but his side’s problematic start to the campaign continued at the weekend with defending champions Atlético Mineiro comfortably outplaying them.

Ignacio Fernández opened the scoring in the 35th minute and the hosts looked to be in control for the rest of the match. Flamengo had marginally more possession, but they simply failed to create any good goal-scoring opportunities and never put their opponents under any sustained pressure.

Ademir Santos eventually scored a second for Atlético in the 85th minute to seal a win that takes them all the way up to fourth. Flamengo will need to dust themselves down and prepare to go again as these two sides face each other again on Wednesday night in the Copa do Brasil, Round of 16!

?? Norway: Lillestrøm 3-1 Rosenborg

Surprise league-leaders Lillestrøm survived a minor scare to preserve their unbeaten record in the Eliteserien as they got back to winning ways following the international break.

Rosenborg opened the scoring with the first shot of the match in the 16th minute as Stefano Holmquist Vecchia found the bottom corner from the edge of the box. Ifeanyi Matthew equalised after another 16 minutes with an even better volley into the bottom corner and just a few minutes later Vetle Dragsnes put the home side in front after a corner.

Lillestrøm ultimately prevailed in a match of few chances, with Magnus Knudsen sealing the result in the 87th minute.

?? Slovakia: England U19 2-0 Austria U19

The final stage of the Under-19 Euro kicked off in Slovakia over the weekend with spots in the next Under-20 World Cup on offer for five of the eight competing teams.

In Group B, England took on Austria after Isreal’s draw with Serbia. Highly-rated Aston Villa talent Carney Chuckuemeka was the star of the show and he was involved in both goals. He showcased his neat footwork when he exchanged passes with Dane Scarlett before firing England in front just before half-time and then in the 65th minute he set up Tottenham youngster Alfie Devine for the second.

The matches will come thick and fast in this tournament with the group stage set to conclude by next Saturday. The Young Lions will quickly learn that there is no rest for the wicked.

Written by Neel Shelat.

Cover Image from IMAGO

Jun

2022

This Weekend: MLS, top of the table clashes in Brazil and one of Africa’s biggest Derbies

The best action to follow this weekend

Saturday

?? In simpler times we might have been enjoying a World Cup right about now but no matter – there are still plenty of leagues running around the world and there is a football fix to be found. That might well come in the form of MLS where there are a number of key games taking place in the Western Conference on Saturday.

Giorgio Chiellini’s new club, the table-topping LAFC, face a tough trip to recent Concacaf Champions League winners Seattle Sounders. The home side put four past Vancouver Whitecaps in midweek and are unbeaten in five games at Lumen Field.

Second placed Dallas welcome back the league’s top scorer Jesús Ferreira from his USMNT exploits as they now take on the Whitecaps whilst LA Galaxy face fellow perennial Play-off challengers, Portland Timbers.

?? In Japan, this weekend’s round of games will mark the halfway stage in what has been an exciting season so far. The three most recent winners of the league – Yokohama F. Marinos, Kashima Antlers and Kawasaki Frontale (who’ve won the last two) are separated by a single point at the top of the table.

Leaders Yokohama visit struggling Gamba Ozaka whilst Frontale and Kashima both have home games against mid-table opposition.

Meanwhile, Andrés Iniesta’s Vissel Kobe side sit rock bottom of the table and face fourth placed Kashiwa Reysol.

?? The Eliteserien, the top division in our home nation of Norway is what we like to think of as the best of Europe’s summer leagues. And on Saturday, the two-time defending champions Bodø/Glimt play at Kristiansund.

The North Norway side who shot to fame with their swashbuckling performances in the Europa Conference League have been a little off the pace this season but this will be a good opportunity for them to pick up that form with Kristiansund winless and sat on just one point after seven games.

Sunday

?? If you’re thinking Saturday’s schedule looks a little sparse then you would be correct but don’t worry – there should be more excitement on Sunday. Especially with a place in one of Europe’s top five leagues still up for grabs! That’s right – the second leg of the Segunda División play-off final takes place on Sunday evening with Tenerife and Girona having already played out a nervy goalless draw last weekend.

Something has to give though as both these sides will be determined to earn another shot at the big time – Girona after an absence of two seasons and Tenerife, who are looking to make their first return to the top flight since 2010.

?? Also on Sunday, there’s the first meeting of the year between Egyptian giants and Cairo clubs Al Ahly and Zamalek. The latter finally ended a five-year run of title wins by their rivals last season and its Zamalek who lead the way again – albeit by a single-point over Pyramids FC.

Al Ahly sit three points further back in third and will still be coming to terms with the loss of their continental title having recently been beaten in the final of the CAF Champions League.

The earlier game between the sides this season ended in an epic 5-3 away win for Al Ahly so if you’re after goals – this might be the match-up for you.

?? The Brasileiro campaign is 12 rounds in and defending champions Atlético Mineiro already find themselves seven points down on early pacesetters Palmeiras. Their next test comes in the form of tenth placed Flamengo at home.

The Rio side won the league in both 2019 and 2020 but are in a process of recovery after sacking Portuguese legend Paulo Sousa just four months after he oversaw his first game back in February.

With Palmeiras not playing until Tuesday, rivals Corinthians have a chance to go level on points with them at the top. They’ll be looking to extend their 14-game unbeaten home run against Goias.

?? Back in the Eliteserien, Lillestrøm – the only unbeaten side in the division take on Rosenborg. Having already picked up wins against Molde and arch-rivals Vålerenga this season this will prove to be another test of their perhaps unlikely title bid. Albeit one of the country’s most historic clubs LSK suffered relegation in 2019 before an impressive fourth placed finish on their return to the top flight in 2021.

?? A cross-conference game takes centre-stage in MLS as the weekend comes to a close with Eastern Conference leaders NYCFC facing Colorado Rapids (10th in the West) in their first game since coach Ronny Delia left for Belgian side Standard Liege.

Elsewhere, New England (6th in the East) play Minnesota (9th in the West) and Atlanta – fresh from being announced as one of the host cities for the 2026 World Cup face Phil Neville’s Inter Miami.

If you want to follow any of the games mentioned above, click on the relevant link and tap the bell icon to receive all the key match updates.

Or join us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to discuss all the important football going on this weekend!

Cover Image from IMAGO

Jun

2022

Last Weekend: Nations League Drama, four goals for Jesús Ferreira and contrasting fortunes for new managers at Charlotte and Flamengo

There was tons of action all over the world over the weekend as international tournaments were in full swing alongside leagues in the Americas. We’ll try to cover all of that in this edition of our weekly column, Last Weekend.

?? Austria: Austria 1-1 France

The UEFA Nations League has featured some pretty tight scheduling at the end of a very hectic season, and this has led to a fair bit of unpredictability in the results.

For example, no one would have expected France to be at the bottom of their group halfway through the group stage, yet they are two points adrift following their 1-1 draw against Austria.

The hosts took the lead through Andreas Weimann, who scored his first-ever international goal in the 37th minute. France were the dominant side though as they had about two-thirds of possession and drew a number of great saves out of Patrick Pentz, and they were ultimately rewarded with an equaliser in the 83rd minute. Substitutes Kylian Mbappé and Christopher Nkunku combined with the PSG star lashing his finish past the keeper.

Nonetheless, this was a very good result for Austria who have taken four points in Ralf Rangnick’s first three competitive matches and they will have the chance to go to the top of their group if they beat Denmark tonight.

Their players have quickly implemented the German tactician’s high-octane style of play and are already looking a very different side to the one Franco Foda was in charge of.

?? Ireland: Ireland 3-0 Scotland

In Division B, Ireland finally ended their long wait for a Nations League win with an emphatic display against Scotland.

They were not as dominant as the scoreline may suggest, but they were comfortably the better side in the first half. A set-piece goal from Alan Browne put them in front, after which Troy Parrott doubled their lead just before the half-hour mark as he found himself on the end of a brilliant chipped ball from Michael Obafemi.

The Spurs forward returned the favour a few minutes into the second half as Obafemi made it 3-0, allowing Ireland to coast home and register their first points of the campaign.

?? Greece: Greece 2-0 Kosovo

Greece are on the verge of promotion from Division C after they got the better of Kosovo in their fourth match of the group stage.

The home side did look the better team throughout the match but the scoreline read 0-0 until the 70th minute. Then, substitute Georgios Giakoumakis put his side in front with a very good header and Petros Mantalos made it 2-0 deep into stoppage time when the Kosovo goalkeeper came up for a set-piece and was left stranded.

Having beaten Kosovo home and away, Greece sit top of Group 2 with a perfect record of 12 points from four games with no goals conceded. They just need one point from their last two games to seal promotion. And even then, that might not be completely necessary considering the goal difference they have in the bank.

?? Andorra: Andorra 2-1 Liechtenstein

Like Ireland, Andorra finally registered their first-ever Nations League win this weekend as they got the better of Liechtenstein in Division D.

There were no goals for 75 minutes but a lot went on in the final quarter of the match. Jordi Aláez put the hosts in front from the penalty spot, after which Jesús Rubio scored an absolute wondergoal, as he found the back of the net from close to the touchline inside his own half! Livio Meier scored for Liechtenstein in stoppage time but that was nothing more than a consolation.

?? USA: USMNT 5-0 Grenada

We also have a Nations League raging in another continent as the second edition of the CONCACAF tournament recently got underway. The US played their first match this weekend and came away with a very comfortable win over Grenada.

The headlines were made by FC Dallas youngster Jesús Ferreira, who scored four goals in the match having failed to find the back of the net in any of his previous appearances for his country in 2022. The 21-year-old forward is also enjoying his best goal-scoring season in MLS even though we are less than halfway through the season. He sits top of the scoring charts with nine goals.

His underlying numbers are also quite impressive, as he is joint-third best in the league as far as xG is concerned with a tally of 7.1.

?? MLS: Charlotte 2-0 New York Red Bulls

Speaking of MLS, we did have three matches in the league this weekend. The most noteworthy of those was Charlotte FC’s comprehensive win over the New York Red Bulls, as interim manager Christian Lattanzio got his tenure off to a perfect start.

He did not change much in terms of the tactical set-up as Charlotte once again used a 4-1-4-1 formation, but their performance was a lot better as they controlled possession throughout the match. They couldn’t fashion many clear-cut chances but Ben Bender’s deflected strike gave them the lead on the stroke of half-time.

The second half followed a similar pattern as the hosts looked to be in charge but they only sealed the win in stoppage time as substitute Derrick Jones added a second goal.

This win moves Charlotte up into the play-off places for now, although a number of sides below them have played fewer games.

?? Brazil: Internacional 3-1 Flamengo

There was a new manager in Brazil too as Dorival Júnior replaced Paulo Sousa in the Flamengo dugout after a poor start to the season left the 2020 champions closer to the relegation zone than the top-four.

The 60-year-old switched to a 4-3-3 formation after Flamengo had primarily used a 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 under Sousa but his side got off to the worst possible start as they conceded in the first minute of the match. Wanderson went on to score his second goal of the game in the 22nd minute, and although a controlled volley from Andreas Pereira brought the visitors back into the match before the hour-mark, they lost out with Pedro Henrique converting a spot-kick in stoppage time for Internacional.

Although Flamengo dominated possession, they failed to create as many big chances as their opponents and that is what proved costly for them in the end.

?? Argentina: Colón 2-2 Unión

Our final match takes us to Argentina, where there was a Santa Fe clásico between rivals Colón and Unión.

The hosts were the better side early on but it was Unión who took the lead in the 20th minute thanks to a wonderful counter-attacking goal which saw Federico Vera do all the hard work before setting up Mauro Luna Diale. Things went from bad to worse for Colón just before half-time as they went down to 10 men.

Unión also saw a red card before the 60th minute, after which Colon began to dominate proceedings. Facundo Farías equalised from the spot and eventually MLS-flop Ramón Ábila put the home side in front. There was yet more drama though, as a stoppage-time penalty scored by Jonatan Álvez, meant that the spoils were shared.

Written by Neel Shelat.

Cover Image from IMAGO

Jun

2022

Last Weekend: Wales make the World Cup, Eibar’s promotion hopes are dashed & Fortaleza finally win

The 2021/22 season drew to a close in most parts of Europe at the end of May but that doesn’t mean we will be starved of football over the summer. There’s lots of international action as well as summer leagues from all over the world to keep us entertained and we at FotMob aim to highlight that in our latest weekly column: Last Weekend.

On the agenda for this week, we have the final UEFA World Cup qualification play-off, a promotion play-off from Spain, and a few fixtures from the Americas.

??????? Wales: Wales 1-0 Ukraine

The headline act in international football this weekend was the final European World Cup qualification play-off, which featured Wales and Ukraine, who had emphatically beaten Scotland in the semi-final during midweek. The winner would get a ticket to Qatar and a place in Group B alongside England, Iran and the USA.

Ukraine started very quickly and even had the ball in the back of the net in the third minute when Oleksandr Zinchenko took a quick free-kick and sent it past Wayne Hennessey, who was busy setting up his wall. The referee had not blown his whistle, though, so Wales’ blushes were spared. The visitors continued to look the more threatening side as they had over two-thirds of possession, but they went behind against the run of play in the 34th minute when Andriy Yarmolenko diverted Gareth Bale’s free-kick past his own goalkeeper, George Buschan.

Oleksandr Petrakov’s side pushed even harder for a goal thereafter and created a host of presentable opportunities, but Hennessey was equal to them all. The Welsh goalkeeper kept a clean sheet despite facing nine shots on target worth a cumulative 1.61 xGOT.

The Welsh defenders also deserve their fair share of credit for their hard work in preserving their side’s lead. Ben Davies was particularly outstanding, as he made four interceptions, two blocks and as many clearances.

So, although they were under the cosh for the majority of the match, Wales held on to their slender lead and booked a place in the World Cup for the first time in 64 years. The Ukrainian players should certainly leave with their heads held high, though, as they gave a very good account of themselves in both of their play-off matches.

?? Spain: Eibar 0-2 Girona (AET; 1-2 on aggregate)

All of Europe’s top-five leagues had concluded well before the end of May, but the season is not over in Spain as the third and final team to be promoted from the second division remains undecided. The two-legged promotion play-off semi-finals were played over the course of this week, with Eibar and Girona, and Las Palmas and Tenerife vying for the two spots in the final.

Eibar were on course for direct promotion by finishing in the top two until the 90th minute of the final matchday, when they needed just a point against bottom-club Alcorcón. They went on to concede in stoppage time, so Real Valladolid’s comfortably win against Huesca meant that they went on to steal their place.

The first leg of the play-off semi-final was held in Girona in midweek, and it was the visitors who prevailed thanks to Ager Aketxe’s incredible strike from range. That was the only goal of the match, as Eibar held on to their lead even after playing the entirety of the second half with just ten men on the pitch.

Girona threw everything they had to find an equaliser in the first leg to no avail, but less than a minute into the return leg, the tie was levelled on aggregate by Borja García, who thrashed a volley from the edge of the box in to the top corner. Eibar went on to dominate proceedings thereafter, but much like their opponents in the first leg, they could not score a goal before the full-time whistle.

Funnily enough, less than a minute into extra time, Girona put the ball in the back of the net again. The assistant referee raised his flag as he thought it was offside, but VAR found veteran striker Cristhian Stuani to have just about stayed behind the last defender, so the goal was given.

Eibar’s push for a goal remained fruitless, so they were knocked out of the promotion play-offs. In the final, Girona will face Tenerife, who prevailed over Las Palmas in a Canary Islands derby on the other side of the draw.

?? Brazil: Flamengo 1-2 Fortaleza

Over in Brazil, Fortaleza finally notched up their first victory of the league season in their ninth match, as they beat Rio giants Flamengo after scoring the winning goal in the second minute of stoppage time.

They took the lead before the half-hour mark when Jussa slipped Robson in behind with a through ball, and the striker delicately sent a chipped finish over the goalkeeper and into the net. Flamengo equalised on the stroke of half-time and had a golden opportunity to take the lead early on in the second half after VAR awarded them a penalty. Pedro, the man who won it, stepped up to take it, but he hit the post and missed. Then, right at the end of the match, the ball broke for Hércules after Flamengo’s keeper parried a shot away, and the Fortaleza substitute’s scuffed volley ended up in the net.

This was not Fortaleza’s first win of the season in all competitions, though, as they had won half of their six group stage games in the Copa Libertadores as they progressed to the knockouts in a fairly tough group that also had Argentine champions River Plate and Chilean league leaders Colo Colo.

The Libertadores’ Round of 16 kicks off at the end of this month, so Fortaleza should aim to get out of the relegation zone in the league by then, as they currently sit bottom of the table, five points away from 16th-placed Juventude.

?? MLS: Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 Real Salt Lake

There is an international break in North America currently as the second edition of the CONCACAF Nations League is underway, but there was still one match played in MLS as the Vancouver Whitecaps faced Real Salt Lake.

Ranko Veselinović opened the scoring for the Whitecaps just after the half-hour mark, but Justin Meram equalised less than ten minutes into the second half. The visitors had more chances to grab a winner thereafter, but a stoppage-time penalty converted by Scot Ryan Gauld saw the Canadian club secure all three points. After the match, Vanni Sartini conceded that his side did not deserve to win.

This result sees Vancouver move to within a point of the play-off spots in the Western Conference, as their turnaround after a dismal start to the season continues. They had won just one of their first eight league matches and were at the bottom of the table this time last month, but have only tasted defeat on one occasion since then.

Their xG trendline for the season so far makes for interesting reading.

The underlying numbers show that the Whitecaps did recover well after a dismal start to the season, but their recent performances indicate that their ongoing run of form may not be very sustainable. What this means is that while Sartini’s side should be pleased with where they are relative to the initial stages of the season, there is lots of work to be done if they are to enter the top eight.

?? Argentina: Estudiantes 1-1 Gimnasia

The Argentine top flight kicked off this weekend, and the headline fixture saw Fortaleza’s Copa Libertadores Round of 16 opponents Estudiantes host Gimnasia in the 181st edition of the Clásico de La Plata, one of the fiercest derbies in Argentine football.

Estudiantes were the clear favourites as they were undefeated in the last 20 derbies going into this one, and they duly took the lead in the 40th minute as centre-back Agustín Rogel headed in Emmanuel Mas’ cross from very close range. They took this lead into the half-time break, but the scores were level just seven minutes into the second half thanks to Cristian Tarragona, who cleverly finished Ramón Sosa’s through ball.

That is how the match finished, as Gimnasia took away a good point after delivering a very respectable performance.

Written by Neel Shelat.

Cover Image from IMAGO

Jun

2022

Last Weekend: Wales make the World Cup, Eibar’s promotion hopes are dashed & Fortaleza finally win

On the agenda for this week, we have the final UEFA World Cup qualification play-off, a promotion play-off from Spain, and a few fixtures from the Americas.

??????? Wales: Wales 1-0 Ukraine

?? Spain: Eibar 0-2 Girona (AET; 1-2 on aggregate)

?? Brazil: Flamengo 1-2 Fortaleza

?? MLS: Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 Real Salt Lake

Their xG trendline for the season so far makes for interesting reading.

?? Argentina: Estudiantes 1-1 Gimnasia

That is how the match finished, as Gimnasia took away a good point after delivering a very respectable performance.

Written by Neel Shelat.

Cover Image from IMAGO