Latest Sports Stories

Football News

Against Paraguay, the Monaco striker provided the ruthless finishing the USMNT have often missed in recent yearsEven after they conceded an early goal on Friday, Paraguay kept affording the United States ample room up the channel. As the ball reached Malik Tillman and Weston McKennie in midfield, their disoriented opponents never quite seemed to know how to station themselves to stem the tide. The US’s off-ball movement further complicated those efforts, dizzying Paraguay’s defense before it could establish an ideal structure.“I just tried to run in behind,” McKennie said after the US had completed their 4-1 victory. “I think I realized early on that they were struggling to follow my deep runs. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it. I keep trying to do it until they figure something out. I was able to find more space than usual, and it was fun. I really enjoyed to get on the ball as much as I did.”Throughout a remarkable first half, the heart of the park seemed fully in the co-hosts’ control. The spacing between Tyler Adams and the more advanced tandem of McKennie and Tillman seldom proved an issue as Paraguay struggled to position themselves in the passing lanes. In those rare moments, the US weren’t shy to recirculate, knowing the on-ball acumen of the defensive trio.Throughout the 2022 World Cup, the US at times resembled a club team, in part because of how effectively their midfield trio operated. In Qatar, Adams and McKennie were joined by Yunus Musah for an “MMA” engine room that kept the ball moving and shifted itself accordingly to be sturdy when defending. Musah’s club career has since stagnated and he was barely in contention for this summer’s World Cup, but Tillman’s progress and the emergence of others – such as Johnny Cardoso, Sebastian Berhalter, Tanner Tessmann and Aidan Morris – made Musah’s regression a non-issue for Mauricio Pochettino.While the personnel have changed, the dimensions of the field have not. The extra spaces McKennie scampered into on Friday weren’t due to some quirk concocted by this summer’s co-hosts. It’s an evolution of Pochettino’s design, built on the back of the progress of the US’s best players since Qatar.By the time the Copa América came around in 2024, the midfield seemed to be the only dependably functional facet of Gregg Berhalter’s USMNT. Teams could operate in a low-to-mid defensive block, allowing the US to advance into the attacking half where they’d quickly run out of ideas. It had become clear that the system was designed to funnel the attack through Christian Pulisic, and opponents planned accordingly.The one real boon to emerge from getting grouped at the Copa was the validation of Chris Richards’s bona fides. At that point, he had two seasons under his belt with Crystal Palace, but only became a regular starter along their backline after Oliver Glasner arrived in February 2024. Richards’s partnership with Tim Ream kept the US in games, but wasn’t enough to produce positive results against Panama and Uruguay.Richards has since evolved further. He’s become even more vital to Palace since Marc Guéhi’s departure, and logged the most minutes of any player in the club’s triumphant 2024-25 FA Cup campaign. He was similarly regular as the club captured the Uefa Conference League this past season.Richards has gained confidence from his success with Palace as well as his recovery from an ankle injury sustained late in the season, and he didn’t put a foot wrong against Paraguay. He set a World Cup record for passes with a 100% success rate (83), and worked with Adams to assess the Paraguayan structure before dishing off to Ream (to his left) or Alex Freeman (to his right) to begin the next advance upfield.“It felt good,” Richards told the Guardian in the mixed zone. “Honestly, I wasn’t second guessing myself. That was the main thing. Playing with pain’s OK as long as I’m not second-guessing myself.”Up the field was the US’s most vital newcomer of this World Cup cycle. Folarin Balogun’s commitment to the US – despite his eligibility for England and Nigeria – was a massive coup for a program that operated without a dependable striker from 2016 to 2023. Famous for his finesse, Balogun isn’t shy to outmuscle opponents and buy his teammates time to get into dangerous positions.Balogun’s upbringing in Arsenal’s academy has given him exceptional movement and excellent reading of the game. As McKennie and Tillman navigated the channels, Balogun could comfortably drift into the correct spots to get the service he needed, giving Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill plenty of practice at picking the ball out of his net.Without the gauntlet of Concacaf qualifying, and given the team’s inconsistency throughout Pochettino’s reign, there was understandable cause for concern that this group wasn’t ready for the World Cup. After several weeks refining their movement, the US were more than comfortable shunting the ball up and down their lines to keep control of the game. It didn’t take long for the fans at Los Angeles Stadium to break into the polite applause that accompanies savvy recirculation.Joining big clubs hasn’t always worked for this generation of US players. Musah’s move to Milan ultimately set back his development: he never settled into one role as the club changed coaches with regularity after his arrival in 2023. Gio Reyna’s struggles cost him precious refinement with Dortmund and Mönchengladbach.But right now, the US have the type of players they have often missed in the past. They have Richards, a defensive anchor who was vital to his club’s FA Cup and Conference League titles. And they have Balogun, a striker who, despite some dry spells, ranked fourth on Ligue 1’s goalscoring charts.Opponents have to contend with Balogun while still facing the threat of Pulisic, who led Milan in goals just a year ago and has been in rare form since the Senegal friendly at the end of May. Reyna provided a timely reminder of why the program remains so optimistic about him in spite of scarce usage at the club level. McKennie (Juventus) and Adams (Bournemouth) have established themselves as vital midfielders for Europa League qualifiers.Of course, plenty of other nations can go toe to toe with the US on talent. The US’s Group D rivals, Turkey, will arguably be the first such foe they face. The Turks have dazzling attackers who ply their trade at Real Madrid and Juventus, the brilliant Hakan Çalhanoğlu pulls the strings, and the tidy Merih Demiral is in defense. By the round of 16 the US will probably resume underdog status, and Belgium, France and Spain could fall in the same side of the bracket should the co-hosts top their group.But there’s time for the US to build a head of steam as they consider those obstacles. Fans should thank their stars for birthright citizenship – without it, the US would still be without Balogun, a striker who can stretch the field and make life easier for his teammates.

Football News

Goalkeeper repays faith shown in him with resolute displayBefore he became an instant national hero, Socceroos goalkeeper Patrick Beach had a perfect view of Nestory Irankunda’s opening goal during the 2-0 win against Turkey in Vancouver.“We know one of our threats is our pace up front,” he said. “I just saw an opportunity to get it out wide, and then within two or three passes, Nes was in the 18-yard box and having a crack on goal. And then it was absolute limbs, wasn’t it?”The goal triggered a spectacular outpouring of emotion among the Socceroos players, who crowded Irankunda and hindered his goal celebration. The 10,000-strong contingent of Australian fans in Vancouver didn’t appear to mind.“Seeing the whole crowd jump up in yellow and green, everyone just went crazy,” Beach said. “I went crazy with the crowd behind, so it was an unbelievable moment, and something that we’ll remember for sure.”Irankunda said Beach kept Australia in the game. “He’s been training extra hard and I know a lot of people weren’t expecting him to start,” the forward said. “He came out today, and he’s shown the world what he can do. He made a lot of important saves, and if it wasn’t for him, the score could have been different. But he saved us.”Irankunda’s own contribution was almost as important. His goal changed the complexion of the match, after the Socceroos struggled to get into the contest before the first drinks break.The goal was a breathtaking display of counterattacking football, after he was played in behind by Paul Okon-Engstler. “My body just started doing what it does. I didn’t control anything, it just happened,” Irankunda said.“After I scored, it was crazy. I just saw Mo [Touré] to my right, I was telling him to relax so I could do my celebration, but he was super excited as well. And at the end of the day, it was a good goal, in my opinion, and I had to dedicate the celebrations to Tim Cahill.”Irankunda boxed the corner flag, borrowing the trademark of Australia’s greatest men’s goalscorer. Twenty years ago this week, Cahill scored two of his most famous goals against Japan at the World Cup in Germany.“Timmy Cahill is my biggest inspiration in Australian football, and I look up to him and I want to be like him one day,” Irankunda said. “And you know, I’m really, really, really proud of myself to get the goal.”Beach said he found out he would start in goal instead of captain Maty Ryan only two days ago. “The boss and our keeper coach pulled me aside and told me that I’d be playing, that I have been performing well, and they have confidence in me, and they gave me all the confidence I needed to get out there and do my job.”He produced a string of saves, including one in the first half from a Abdulkerim Bardakci long shot that he tipped on to the post. “I remember the ball was coming in quickly,” he said. “One of their players hit a snap shot in between two of the boys, and I remember just getting down low to my right.”The save was the best of a half dozen stops that prevented Turkey from first equalising, and then in the dying stages from mounting a comeback. “It was amazing. This is a dream come true,” Beach said.“This is all you think about as a kid. This is the pinnacle, to play for your country on the world stage. And to get a result in the first game and against a really good opposition, it’s just one of the best nights.”Coach Tony Popovic said the victory made him proud. “As head coach, to experience this, put a smile on these people’s faces that have travelled so far to support us, and I’m just happy for a wonderful young group of men.”

Football News

The Real Madrid star was his country’s best player in their World Cup opener on Saturday. They’ll need more of the same if they are to make a deep runVinícius Júnior is not wearing the famous Brazil No 10 at this World Cup. For now, the hallowed shirt of Pelé, Zico, Rivellino, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and all the rest belongs to Neymar.Or at least it belongs to a man faintly resembling Neymar. Now 34, he showed just enough at Santos to make Carlo Ancelotti’s squad after two lucrative but mostly wasted years in Saudi Arabia. Ancelotti could have chosen João Pedro or Richarlison or Savinho or Gabriel Jesus or Igor Jesus or, hell, even Antony, but he took Neymar. Who is injured again – a calf problem this time – and whose fitness will loom over the Brazilian campaign, just as it has at some point during every one of his four World Cups.Neymar, who will loom over Vinícius Júnior, too.If Vinícius is now Brazil’s undisputed star, the 25-year-old has also yet to really make the team his own. He has turned in frustrating and often fruitless performances at major international tournaments, while scoring a mere nine goals in 49 appearances entering this, his second World Cup.He has yet to wrest top billing from Neymar, whose jersey was worn by huge swaths of the Brazilian fans in their draw with Morocco on Saturday.Neymar, visibly hobbled, ambled by the adoring Brazilian crowds before the match, confirming that he is still here, that he still matters. He sported a backwards hat, like the teenager who once dazzled us before injuries sapped his powers over the last decade. He got what he wanted: loud cheers, even though he wasn’t even in the matchday squad. Neymar, and the No 10, were there but they also were not. He attempted a bit of coaching from the sidelines during the game, trying to exert influence over a team he can help in no other way.So if ever there was a time for Vinícius to announce, or indeed confirm, that he was taking charge, this was it: the only group-stage match of this World Cup featuring two of Fifa’s top-10 teams.He did just that, under the watchful eye of Brazil legends Ronaldo, Kaká and Roberto Carlos. And he did it for his coach, Ancelotti, who oversaw Vinícius’s maturation at Real Madrid, who coaxed him from prodigy to superstar.Vinícius was man of the match – admittedly a tad generously, given the performance of Morocco’s marvelously efficient 18-year-old playmaker Ayyoub Bouaddi. And it was Vinícius’s 32nd-minute equalizer that roused Brazil from their early slumber.Several times in the first half, Brazil’s players felt compelled to wave their arms upwards at their own fans, who far outnumbered their Moroccan counterparts, demanding more support. They may as well have asked the same of themselves, stunned as they seemed that the semi-finalists at the last World Cup – a stage the Brazilians have not reached on foreign soil in nearly a quarter-century – played right through them.“The team was a bit anxious and at the beginning nerves were all over the place,” Ancelotti confessed after the match. “In the second half we did a lot better.”Yet out wide for a side still finding itself, Vinícius was a relentless danger. In the 14th minute, he hurtled up the last strip of grass in direct sunlight, beat his club – and now international – rival Achraf Hakimi, and shuffled into the shadows, unleashing a cross that Igor Thiago couldn’t quite get his head on.Later, Vinícius found a pocket of space in the Moroccan box, where Bruno Guimarães gave him a clever ball. He cut inside to improve an acute angle, turning Neil El Aynaoui inside out, and blasted his finish past Yassine Bounou. The goal canceled out Ismael Saibari’s delightful 21st-minute dink.It was the last goal of the game, from a chance that carried no more than 0.1 expected goals.“I believe I can improve a lot, I managed to score a goal, but I didn’t have 100% of my best technical part,” Vinícius said after the match.From there, Brazil settled down and Morocco set up in a deep block. Most of whatever threat Brazil still posed emanated from Vinícius’s left flank. He danced his way into space but nobody had joined him in the attack to connect with his cross – something which may well become a theme in Ancelotti’s striker-less system. Then Vinícius loped into the space behind Hakimi after being sprung again, finding Raphinha, whose finish was feckless.“When you’re up against Vinícius, it’s hard to defend,” Morocco manager Mohamed Ouahbi lamented.He was hardly perfect. Vinícius gave the ball away a lot, tried a fair few things that didn’t come off. But on the night, he was there for his nation. When Brazil needed a spark, not to mention a goal, they got it from the Real Madrid star.For now, that will suit the five-time champions just fine. And there was something fitting about a man called Vini doing the business in North Jersey.

Football News

The Real Madrid star was his country’s best player in their World Cup opener on Saturday. They’ll need more of the same if they are to make a deep runVinícius Júnior is not wearing the famous Brazil No 10 at this World Cup. For now, the hallowed shirt of Pelé, Zico, Rivellino, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and all the rest belongs to Neymar.Or at least it belongs to a man faintly resembling Neymar. Now 34, he showed just enough at Santos to make Carlo Ancelotti’s squad after two lucrative but mostly wasted years in Saudi Arabia. Ancelotti could have chosen João Pedro or Richarlison or Savinho or Gabriel Jesus or Igor Jesus or, hell, even Antony, but he took Neymar. Who is injured again – a calf problem this time – and whose fitness will loom over the Brazilian campaign, just as it has at some point during every one of his four World Cups.Neymar, who will loom over Vinícius Júnior, too.If Vinícius is now Brazil’s undisputed star, the 25-year-old has also yet to really make the team his own. He has turned in frustrating and often fruitless performances at major international tournaments, while scoring a mere nine goals in 49 appearances entering this, his second World Cup.He has yet to wrest top billing from Neymar, whose jersey was worn by huge swaths of the Brazilian fans in their draw with Morocco on Saturday.Neymar, visibly hobbled, ambled by the adoring Brazilian crowds before the match, confirming that he is still here, that he still matters. He sported a backwards hat, like the teenager who once dazzled us before injuries sapped his powers over the last decade. He got what he wanted: loud cheers, even though he wasn’t even in the matchday squad. Neymar, and the No 10, were there but they also were not. He attempted a bit of coaching from the sidelines during the game, trying to exert influence over a team he can help in no other way.So if ever there was a time for Vinícius to announce, or indeed confirm, that he was taking charge, this was it: the only group-stage match of this World Cup featuring two of Fifa’s top-10 teams.He did just that, under the watchful eye of Brazil legends Ronaldo, Kaká and Roberto Carlos. And he did it for his coach, Ancelotti, who oversaw Vinícius’s maturation at Real Madrid, who coaxed him from prodigy to superstar.Vinícius was man of the match – admittedly a tad generously, given the performance of Morocco’s marvelously efficient 18-year-old playmaker Ayyoub Bouaddi. And it was Vinícius’s 32nd-minute equalizer that roused Brazil from their early slumber.Several times in the first half, Brazil’s players felt compelled to wave their arms upwards at their own fans, who far outnumbered their Moroccan counterparts, demanding more support. They may as well have asked the same of themselves, stunned as they seemed that the semi-finalists at the last World Cup – a stage the Brazilians have not reached on foreign soil in nearly a quarter-century – played right through them.“The team was a bit anxious and at the beginning nerves were all over the place,” Ancelotti confessed after the match. “In the second half we did a lot better.”Yet out wide for a side still finding itself, Vinícius was a relentless danger. In the 14th minute, he hurtled up the last strip of grass in direct sunlight, beat his club – and now international – rival Achraf Hakimi, and shuffled into the shadows, unleashing a cross that Igor Thiago couldn’t quite get his head on.Later, Vinícius found a pocket of space in the Moroccan box, where Bruno Guimarães gave him a clever ball. He cut inside to improve an acute angle, turning Neil El Aynaoui inside out, and blasted his finish past Yassine Bounou. The goal canceled out Ismael Saibari’s delightful 21st-minute dink.It was the last goal of the game, from a chance that carried no more than 0.1 expected goals.“I believe I can improve a lot, I managed to score a goal, but I didn’t have 100% of my best technical part,” Vinícius said after the match.From there, Brazil settled down and Morocco set up in a deep block. Most of whatever threat Brazil still posed emanated from Vinícius’s left flank. He danced his way into space but nobody had joined him in the attack to connect with his cross – something which may well become a theme in Ancelotti’s striker-less system. Then Vinícius loped into the space behind Hakimi after being sprung again, finding Raphinha, whose finish was feckless.“When you’re up against Vinícius, it’s hard to defend,” Morocco manager Mohamed Ouahbi lamented.He was hardly perfect. Vinícius gave the ball away a lot, tried a fair few things that didn’t come off. But on the night, he was there for his nation. When Brazil needed a spark, not to mention a goal, they got it from the Real Madrid star.For now, that will suit the five-time champions just fine. And there was something fitting about a man called Viní doing the business in North Jersey.

Football News

The Socceroos’ future has arrived early, after Australia’s next generation delivered one of their best World Cup victories, upsetting highly-fancied Turkey 2-0 in Vancouver to start their 2026 campaign in style.They can thank a trio of young stars, all of whom were in doubt to start the match. Nestory Irankunda finished a brilliant end-to-end attack with a goal in the 27th minute, assisted by midfielder Paul Okon-Engstler. Young goalkeeper Patrick Beach – thrust into the starting side in a pre-match selection shock – pulled off a series of dazzling parries, including one in the first half that will be a contender for save of the tournament.The Socceroos sat back in the second half as Turkey pushed for an equaliser. Dangerous winger Kenan Yildiz came on at half-time on the left flank and gave his side a new level of invention. The talented Turkish players poked and prodded with short passes around the Australian penalty area but the Socceroos held firm, reaching the final drinks break with their lead intact despite a series of near misses and heroic blocks.Not long after the margin was doubled, when Connor Metcalfe smashed a left footer from the edge of the area as the counter-attacking Socceroos streamed forward. It triggered wild scenes, as the players gathered at the end of the ground marked by a huge wedge of yellow fans.Irankunda’s opening goal was a Socceroo sugar rush, cooked up by Paul Okon-Engstler. The midfielder’s lofted ball over the top was pounced upon by the scintillating forward, who took a touch inside one defender and finished coolly with a sidefooted effort, as three shirts in red and the Turkish goalkeeper converged.They only arrived in time to watch the new face of Australian football celebrate by reviving Tim Cahill’s goal celebration, going toe-to-toe with the corner flag. He was soon consumed by a crowd of Socceroos – including what seemed to be the entire bench – as the travelling fans celebrated like it was Kaiserslautern 2006.There was a shock an hour before kick-off when the Socceroos’ team was announced. Irankunda’s inclusion, and defender Cam Burgess keeping Lucas Herrington on the bench, were notable. Okon-Engstler starting in midfield rather than veteran Jackson Irvine raised eyebrows. But the jaws of the 10,000 or so Australians in Vancouver were already on the floor.Tony Popovic had selected Patrick Beach to start at goalkeeper. The 22-year-old Melbourne City player performed well against Switzerland the week before, but no Socceroo has played more World Cup matches than Ryan with 10, and the 34-year-old had been in good form for Levante in Spain’s La Liga. It meant the team, captained by 27-year-old Harry Souttar, oozed with youth. The average age was 24, and Burgess was the oldest at 30.So their tentative start might have been expected. The first 10 minutes saw Turkey enjoy 73% of possession, as Australia largely parked themselves in their own half. Their most positive moments early came through direct balls into channels, trying to find space for Touré who was being marked tightly by Abdulkerim Bardakci.Moments of indecision and miscommunication left hollow the players’ words earlier this week that they would start better than they have in recent matches. Despite the nervy performance, the Socceroos reached the first drinks break square. Popovic walked straight to Irankunda and Touré and with his arms addressed the pair like they were an orchestra, and he a conductor. Three minutes later, Irankunda delivered his stunning solo.If Popovic’s selection of the young winger was vindicated in that moment, it was the turn of Beach to repay the coach’s faith barely a minute later. The young keeper stretched and with his fingertips pushed a powerful long shot from Bardackci onto the post. The evidence wasn’t initially clear whether the keeper had made the save, but when Beach punched the air in celebration, the case was closed.Beach repeated the feat early in the second half, diving low to his right this time to save a free-kick from Arda Guler. And he delivered two more stunning second-half saves to keep Turkey at bay in a sparkling performance that signals the arrival of a new national hero.

Football News

Head coach ‘absolutely delighted’ with World Cup triumph over Haiti‘Different approach’ needed in games against Morocco and BrazilSteve Clarke suggested expectation weighed heavily on the shoulders of Scotland’s players after they laboured at times during the 1-0 win over Haiti. The game marked Scotland’s first at a World Cup since 1998 and delivered a first win since eight years earlier. The Scots top Group C after Brazil drew with Morocco. Yet with those teams, both ranked in the top 10 in the world, still to come there is an understanding Scotland will have to improve to realise their ambition of becoming the first team from the nation to reach the knockout phase of a major tournament.“I am absolutely delighted with my players,” said Clarke. “Resilience, character had to be on the pitch tonight. There is no relief. Everyone told us it was a must-win game and we won. When you win a must-win game, you have to be happy with yourselves.”On the challenges ahead, Clarke added: “We go into them with less pressure than everybody put on to us going into this game. If we defend as well as we did here, hopefully play a little bit better with the ball and create more, we will be OK. It’s not about raising the performance, it is about a different approach against a different opponent.“Towards the end, you know you are 1-0 up and have something to hang on to so that is what you do. The players deserve a lot of credit. I thought Haiti were terrific at denying us time and space, which made it difficult. So the other characteristics that get you three points come out. That is why we are sitting here with three points and Haiti are empty handed.”Clarke, who hailed the “exceptional” Lewis Ferguson in midfield, had spoken before the game about his determination to enjoy this World Cup. Scotland, also under Clarke, have toiled at the last two European Championships.“Sometimes I put myself under too much pressure but when you are in charge of a group like this, you have to appreciate what you have got,” said the 62-year-old. “They have never let me down. This for me is everything, I have always wanted to go to a World Cup with my country.”Haiti’s head coach, Sebastien Migne, was as effusive as Clarke about his own team’s performance. “We are growing, we are learning,” he said. “On one hand I am very proud of what the boys showed. We rose to the challenge but that makes it all the more frustrating that we came up short. We know that with Haiti nothing is ever easy, we have to be resilient. If we had won, we wouldn’t have succumbed to euphoria so I am not going to call this a catastrophe either.“From the beginning, we knew it was not going to be easy. Eight best third teams qualifying could have us through even with a win in the third game. Our opponents have a lot more to lose than we do.”Migne said a number of his players were discussing their claim for a second-half penalty in the Haiti dressing room. The Haitians appealed in vain for a spot kick after the ball struck the arm of the Scotland centre-back Grant Hanley.

Football News

There was nothing too complicated about the Bournemouth man’s performance but he took the fight to Haiti in a historic World Cup winThe game was about 15 minutes in and a familiar script appeared to be taking shape. After an initial flurry, Scotland were under the pump, struggling to deal with the intensity and physicality of a determined Haiti team. Passes were going astray and tackles were being missed. It seemed only a matter of time before calamity became manifest, but there was one route of escape, summarised eloquently by a cry from the crowd: “Hit it long for the wee man!”Ben Gannon-Doak, the wee man in question, did what was required of him. The balls did indeed start going long to the Bournemouth winger, and, when they did, he took the fight to the opponent. In the 17th minute he hit the byline to square the ball for a Scott McTominay effort that came back off the post. Twelve minutes later, after great hold up play from Che Adams, he again went deep, then nipped past the full-back Martin Expérience to tee up Adams for a shot that was parried away from close range. That loose ball came to John McGinn, and a deflected effort from Scotland’s No 7 eventually found the back of the net to decide the outcome of the match.Despite all the Tartan Army battalions that have flooded into Massachusetts over the past few days, despite the sea of salmon pink that filled out the Boston Stadium, giving the impression of a Scotland home game, this match was always going to be a tighter, tenser affair than anyone would have wished for. Had one of a number of Haitian half-chances gone another way it could have been a disaster to rival Peru, Costa Rica, Iran or Zaire. Not scoring any more than a solitary goal, meanwhile, could yet deny Scotland the chance to escape Group C. But they got their first World Cup goal since Craig Burley in 1998 and their first victory since Mo Johnston scored against Sweden in 1990. And in Gannon-Doak’s performance, they also had something to cling onto.Jimmy Johnstone, John Robertson, Archie Gemmill, Pat Nevin: Scotland have a tradition of tricky wingers which petered out at roughly the same time as their hopes of reaching major championships. At their last World Cup in 1998 there were no wingers, just wingbacks: Christian Dailly and Darren Jackson. The only Gemmill in the team was Scot. It might be simplifying things to suggest that Scotland need someone getting chalk on their boots for the whole thing to click, but sometimes simplicity does work.Gannon-Doak’s efforts were not complicated, particularly in the first half. When he got possession he looked to attack. When the team were hemmed in, he gave them an out ball. This is not an option Steve Clarke has had at his disposal at his past two tournaments. Perhaps it shouldn’t have proven as important as it did against Haiti, but Gannon-Doak’s pace on the counter will surely be needed in the remaining group games against Morocco and Brazil. The 20-year-old is playing with the confidence of youth, and not cowed by the fear of repeating previous failure, another plus. He wants to take a man on and has the ability to back up his ambitions. He is also a relative unknown and someone opposition coaches will not have much research material to lean on. If you’re Scotland, these are all good things.The reason for the relative enigma is that Gannon-Doak has cumulatively missed over a year of football through injury since making his debut for Liverpool in the 2022-23 season. He has had surgery on his lateral meniscus and twice on his hamstrings, one of which he described as “hanging on by a thread” after he was withdrawn on a stretcher during the ultimately jubilant qualifying victory over Denmark last November. Gannon-Doak has said he found strength through this adversity, thanks in part through a return to the Catholicism of his youth. A bit of mental steel is not a bad attribute to have in a World Cup either.What the boy from North Ayrshire can offer off the ball is something we will likely learn more about over the next two weeks as Scotland come up against far tougher challenges than the one presented by Haiti. But one final simple quality that perhaps should not be underestimated is that of the excitement Gannon-Doak, or really any winger with the wind beneath their heels, can bring to a team and their supporters. Scotland’s recent failures have been characterised not only by apparent timidity, but also prevalent dullness: safety-first football that never proved to be enough. Scotland degenerated into such play once again in the final, scratchy minutes of this match. But when Gannon-Doak, substituted with 20 minutes to go, was on the pitch there was always a flickering sense that things could change in a moment. It may well be true that it’s the hope that kills you, but surely better to die in hope than fear.

Football News

England’s squad arrived at Swope Soccer Village, their World Cup base, to find locals (and the local police) out in forceBefore Thomas Tuchel and his England players departed for the United States, there was talk about their World Cup training ground in Kansas City being too open. It was motivated, in part, by the Southampton Spygate scandal. Would England’s rivals be able to steal a glance at them? Tuchel even said that the Football Association would look to erect protective fences.The nine-pitch facility at Swope Soccer Village is certainly sprawling but here’s the thing. Nobody is getting on site without going past the armed police officers at the entrance. There was a throwaway line from a steward on Saturday as England trained on the complex’s showpiece pitch after flying in from Florida after their pre-tournament camp. “You guys see spying,” he said. “We see personal security.” The latter rather overrides the former. It was safe to say that they have it covered.The buildup to England’s arrival was further coloured by the theft of some of their kit in transit from Florida, including boots and footballs. Again, it did not feel like much of issue. Everything was recovered; two arrests have been made. “My boots?” said the goalkeeper, Dean Henderson. “I’ve got them on my feet so it’s all good. We got them all back so it’s nice.”There did not seem to be much to fret about as the players went through a light session that lasted about an hour – if training under blue skies and a blazing sun that pushed the mercury to 29C can be described as light. The second chapter of England’s summer adventure has started and if the focus is about to narrow and the intensity pick up, then the excitement has gone up a few notches, too.The opening tie against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday is edging closer and the good news is that England look to have what they need at Swope and, indeed, their hotel – the four-star, 54-room Inn at Meadowbrook, which is a 20-minute drive away.England always wanted to stay in Kansas City because of its location in the centre of the US and how it would mitigate their travel distances to matches; the plan is to fly in and out for each assignment, the FA having been clear about the benefits of a fixed base, a home.England were denied the first pick of Kansas City’s training bases and even the second one because they were not drawn to play any of their group phase games here. Argentina and the Netherlands were and the former bagged the best facility – Sporting Kansas City’s performance centre. The latter went for the training ground of the women’s team, the KC Current, which is newer than Swope, perhaps a little slicker-looking. As an aside, a fourth nation – Algeria, who have matches in Kansas City – have ended up at the University of Kansas facility.But Swope, which is home to Sporting KC’s second team and their academy sides, ticked the boxes for Tuchel and the FA. It was particularly reassuring to see the quality of the pitch they used on Saturday – in light of scare stories about that aspect of things. England will rely on a different grass surface which is around the back of the main building but the reality is that it is of the same standard. And the standard is high. Local media described all three grass pitches at Swope – the other six are astroturf – as among the best in the state. They are absolutely comparable to those that Argentina and the Netherlands will use.The FA has put a new gym in at Swope and created a lounge for the players and they are happy, too, with the intimate Inn at Meadowbrook, which they have taken over exclusively. There are a number of permanent residents that live on condos close to the site and their access to areas like the principal restaurant will be restricted while England stay there. To say thank you, Tuchel’s players will have a meet and greet with them.The training session at Swope was open to a number of local children, who were specially invited and thrilled to be there. Harry Kane felt a lot of love. “Harry, you’re better than Bellingham,” screamed one over-excited youngster. There were banks of media at one end of the pitch.What stood out for England was the warmth of the welcome. The locals were out in force with flags and signs as they drove up to the hotel – a massive police escort having helped them there from the airport. As the players walked in, they heard music from the Kansas City Chief’s band and saw the NFL team’s cheerleaders. Even the mascot, KC Wolf, was there.Kansas City was not supposed to be a host venue for matches but they got the invitation from Fifa after Chicago said no. They are overwhelmingly delighted to have been asked. It is a city of jazz music heritage, the birthplace of Charlie Parker. It is a city of fountains, with over 200 of them, some spectacular. There are 220 parks and 29 lakes. It is a city of barbecued meats, smoked ribs and burnt ends among the specialities. It is a city of charm and friendliness, which has a love affair with the heart symbol, partly because it is in the heart of the US. “We like to say that we greet people with a smile and a wink,” said one local.Most urgently, perhaps, it is a city of sporting passion, headlined by the Chiefs, who have won three of the last seven Super Bowls. Also their baseball team, the Kansas City Royals. Football is big, too, thanks to Sporting KC and the Current, whose CPKC Stadium was the first in the world to be purpose-built exclusively for a professional women’s sports team.The World Cup Fan Fest, which has been designed by the global architects’ firm Populous and holds 25,000, was rocking on Friday night as the US thrashed Paraguay in their opening World Cup tie. Fans enter it through a 65ft high heart. England intend to thrive off the positive vibes.

Football News

Brutally tough return to tournament awaits, but the stature of opposition feels less important than the fact of being here at allIt was an arrival worth more than half a century of waiting. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) players strolled into the arrivals hall of George Bush airport on Thursday kitted out in tuxedo suits and leopard-print sashes, channelling La Sape vogue for snappy dress that swept Kinshasa in the 1970s. A throng of local volunteers cheered them through and, in a climate where little can be taken for granted, their welcome to Houston was a genuinely wholesome moment.The DRC’s squad looked appreciative although perhaps they were simply relieved to see new faces. The joy of a first World Cup since 1974, when they competed as Zaire, has been complicated by the Ebola outbreak in their homeland and a 21-day isolation period imposed by the US authorities. The players and staff formed a bubble in Belgium, playing one friendly against Denmark and being forced to cancel a scheduled meeting with Chile in Cádiz.For all the precautions there were at least few of the difficulties apparently encountered by Senegal and Uzbekistan upon entering. The DRC are understood to have had temperatures screened before disembarking their flight, but made it in with no alarms and found a host venue keen to roll out the red carpet. They will be based in Houston for as long as their tournament continues, training at the compact SaberCats Stadium in the city’s south. Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo await on Wednesday; it is a brutally tough return to the top, but the stature of their opposition feels less important than the fact of being here at all.“We always dreamed of this,” said Jonathan, sitting in the stadium’s main stand on Friday afternoon. “A lot of people have been waiting a long time, but we never gave up. I believe this is our time.”He was among about 70 members of the local Congolese expat community invited to watch the team’s training session on Friday, along with a large group of local children who joined the players for photographs. Kapinga Yvette Ngandu, DRC’s ambassador to the United States, took part in a semi-formal welcome ceremony. Houston appears eager to pull out the stops and Sébastien Desabre’s side hope to ensure their hospitality extends into July.“We need to adapt,” said Desabre when asked about any ill consequences of their disrupted preparation. “We’re focused on our work, we’re professionals and sometimes the way is not easy. It’s not a problem for us.”The Real Betis forward Cédric Bakambu, a 35-year-old veteran of several qualifying near-misses, drew the most adulation from those looking on. The Congolese diaspora in Houston is thought to number about 10,000, if US-born children are counted; it remains to be seen how many have navigated the tournament’s prohibitive prices to watch the troubled country’s date with history.Jonathan, who left the DRC 17 years ago at the age of 21 and lives five minutes’ drive from SaberCats Stadium, was not giving up on witnessing it at first-hand . “I’m trying to be there, I’ve got to be there,” he said. “The tickets are crazy expensive, but we’re going to have to try and do what we can for the team.”Desabre, a Frenchman who did the rounds of 11 managerial roles in Africa before striking gold with the DRC, hopes they can do plenty for Jonathan and his local peers, as well as the millions watching back home who cannot spend the time or money on quarantining. “We are very affected [by the situation],” he said. “It’s an additional source of motivation for us to fight on the field.”A win against Colombia or Uzbekistan would give the DRC a strong shout of progressing through Group K and potentially a last-32 meeting with England, even if Portugal prove too strong. Desabre said an African World Cup winner was “just a question of time”; it would probably be the biggest shock in football history if his players achieved it, but an experienced core, including Axel Tuanzebe, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Chancel Mbemba, will not be easily rolled over.There will be no repeat of 1974, when Zaire tumbled out with a goal difference of -14 and were mocked when Mwepu Ilunga’s decision to burst from the defensive wall against Brazil, smashing the ball upfield before a free-kick could be taken, was widely misinterpreted. “We prepared well and now we want to be well represented in this group,” Desabre said. “After 52 years, it’s really a pride, a pleasure.”Joining the chants of “Mbote”, which means “welcome” in Lingala, Jonathan was a picture of both. “We have resilience and we really have faith,” he said.If their early moments in Houston are anything to go by, the DRC can also boast bucket-loads of style.