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Mathis Albert made history for the U.S. U-17s, firing a decisive 39th-minute strike to seal a 1-0 win over the Czech Republic and a perfect group-stage record – the first in program history. The victory at ASPIRE Academy in Doha capped three straight wins in Group F, sending the Americans into the knockout rounds with maximum points.

Albert's finish caps historic group stage

After entering as a halftime substitute for Jamir Johnson, Mathis Albert made an immediate impact, breaking the deadlock with a well-placed right-footed finish from inside the box following an excellent assist from Máximo Carrizo.

The 23-year-old forward, who had been threatening the Czech defense throughout the second half with multiple attempts, finally found the breakthrough that proved to be the difference in a tightly contested match. Albert's goal continued his impressive tournament form, having already showcased his technical ability with three successful dribbles in earlier group matches.

AdvertisementGettyDefensive resilience complements attacking flair

The United States' perfect group stage record represents a significant milestone for the program, which had never previously won all three group matches in any U17 World Cup appearance. Coach Michael Nsien's squad demonstrated remarkable balance throughout the group phase, with Albert's winner against the Czechs complementing earlier victories over Tajikistan and a strong European opponent in their opening matches.

Knockout round contenders

The perfect group stage record not only secures the United States a favorable position in the knockout bracket but also signals the continued development of American youth soccer on the international stage. With players like Albert and creative midfielder Nimfasha Berchimas the U.S. team has demonstrated both technical quality and tactical maturity beyond their years.

As they prepare for the Round of 16, the young Americans will look to build on their historic group stage performance and make a deeper run in the tournament than any previous U.S. U17 squad.

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Tournament success highlights promising generation

The perfect record achieved by this U17 squad provides a timely boost for U.S. Soccer's youth development pipeline as the nation prepares to co-host the 2026 World Cup. The standouts from this tournament could potentially gain future opportunities with the senior side in the years to come. 

Manchester United have been known to waste a huge amount of money in the transfer market over the last couple of years, with Casemiro arguably one of the worst signings in their history.

The 33-year-old joined the Red Devils in a £70m transfer back in the summer of 2022, arriving from Spanish giants Real Madrid with real hope and expectations of transforming the midfield.

However, his stint at Old Trafford to date has been nothing short of a disaster, with his disciplinary record undoubtedly playing a massive factor in his lack of positive success.

The Brazilian has been sent off four times in the last three years, with his latest dismissal coming against Chelsea in the Premier League just a couple of weeks ago.

However, he’s not the only first-team player to fail to deliver during his time in England, joining another player in being a complete failure and a waste of money.

Antony’s failures during his time at Man Utd

In the same window as Casemiro, United decided to fork out a fee in the region of £86m for the signature of attacker Antony from Ajax – subsequently following Erik ten Hag to the club.

Such a fee for the second-highest paid for any player in the club’s history, with such a move undoubtedly generating huge excitement within the fanbase.

However, despite scoring on his debut against Arsenal, the 25-year-old failed to deliver at Old Trafford – finding the back of the net on just 12 occasions in his 96 outings.

The 25-year-old only made nine appearances under Amorim, only two of which came from a starting position, before joining Real Betis on a season-long loan in the second half of 2024/25.

Such a move would allow the Brazilian to recapture his best form, notching 14 combined goals and assists in the second half of the 2024/25 campaign.

The board agreed to offload him for just £21.5m including add-ons, seeing the hierarchy lose over £60m on their investment and further highlighting how much of a waste of money he was.

However, despite his failures in England, one other player has also failed to deliver, further highlighting the hierarchy’s dismal business within the market over recent years.

The United star who’s the biggest waste since Antony

Since the summer of 2022, United have spent upwards of £800m on new additions, but it’s safe to say that their efforts so far have been to no avail.

The Red Devils have fallen way below the expectations of the fanbase over the last couple of seasons, even finishing the most recent campaign in a measly 15th position.

Such a standing has cranked up the pressure on Ruben Amorim over the last couple of weeks, with the 40-year-old coming under fire from the fanbase as a result of his selections.

Kobbie Mainoo has often been left out of his starting eleven, which has come as a surprise to many, given his tremendous form in the 2023/24 campaign before his arrival.

However, he’s also spoken about his admiration for first-team member Mason Mount, but the Englishman has also failed to live up to the standards many expected before his transfer to Old Trafford.

The 26-year-old joined in a £60m deal back in the summer of 2023, but he’s been restricted to just 53 appearances in his two-year spell in Manchester – with injuries massively halting his progress.

He’s suffered five separate injuries during such a period, missing a total of 52 matches in all competitions – subsequently being ruled out of 50% of games since joining the Red Devils.

However, when he’s been called upon, he’s often failed to deliver the goods within attacking areas, scoring just four times and registering only two assists for his teammates.

His lack of impact and constant injury issues, could see the manager lose faith in him, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to many to see the Englishman drop down Amorim’s pecking order in the weeks ahead.

Mount, who’s been labelled “awful” by one analyst, also earns a reported £150k-per-week at Old Trafford, subsequently pocketing over £20m on wages since his transfer a few years ago.

When coupling his wages with his mammoth transfer fee, the club have spent over £80m on his services – a staggering amount which works out at over £13m per contribution he’s made.

2023/24

Unknown

37

6

2023/24

Calf

110

21

2024/25

Hamstring

23

3

2024/25

Head

2

0

2024/25

Hamstring

75

16

2025/26

Knock

20

2

Total:

4 injuries

267

48

It’s safe to say his transfer to the club has been a disaster, with such a move yet another to forget for the hierarchy – further showcasing the mistakes they’ve made in the market.

They desperately need to cut their losses in the near future, whilst also remembering such a deal in their next attempts to improve the side in the near future.

United will certainly lose a hefty chunk of their investment, just like they did with Antony this summer, with Amorim needing to clear out the players simply not up to scratch

Not just Hojlund: Man Utd must rue selling a CF who's outperforming Mbeumo

Manchester United may have made a mistake in allowing one former player to depart Old Trafford.

ByEthan Lamb Oct 3, 2025

Benfica head coach Jose Mourinho cited the likes of Scott McTominay and Raphael Varane as proof of his "history" of working with young players and developing them into great sportsmen. The Special One, in a press conference on Friday, claimed that Benfica "will surely add one or two players who can help strengthen the squad", before adding that "if there's someone who likes to promote young players, I'm one of them."

Back where it all began – Mourinho's surprise return to Benfica

After being dismissed by Fenerbahce following their failure to qualify for this season’s Champions League 'league phase', Mourinho made an immediate return to management by taking charge of Benfica – the club where his managerial journey began back in 2000. His return to Estadio da Luz hasn't been spectacular so far. The Eagles have lost the two Champions League games that Mourinho has overseen since coming back; a 1-0 loss to former club Chelsea followed by a 3-0 defeat to Newcastle United means that Benfica have faced three successive defeats in Europe's premier club competition, jeopardising their chances of qualifying for the knockouts. 

However, Mourinho is yet to taste defeat domestically. He has won two games and drawn as many in the Liga Portugal, complemented by the 2-0 win over Chaves in the third round of the Taca de Portugal. 

Following Benfica's 0-0 draw against Porto, Mourinho claimed that a few players in the squad are "suffering from low confidence." "Right now, the team is suffering from low confidence," he said following the stalemate earlier this month. "I found three, four, five players with a self-esteem crisis. It's one thing to need tactical concentration, another to need inspiration for something more. I told the players that on the bench I felt what they felt on the field: we want to win, but we can't lose."  

AdvertisementAFPMourinho laments not getting a chance to work with Kerem Akturkoglu

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Mourinho lamented the fact that he couldn't get to work with Akturkoglu, one of the best players in the Portuguese top-flight last season. The 27-year-old Turkish attacking midfielder swapped Benfica, the club Mourinho now manages, for Fenerbahce, the club Mourinho was sacked by shortly before his return to Portugal. 

"I liked Benfica’s squad so much that I wanted to take one of their most important players," he said. "And I did everything I could to sign that key player. Perhaps one of the reasons I left Fenerbahce so early was precisely due to the frustration of not being able to bring in the Benfica player I considered fundamental to my way of thinking about the game. And it’s with great regret that, indirectly, I ended up contributing to Benfica’s squad being different. My fault. I did everything possible to have that player with me. In the end, I didn’t have him – neither at Fenerbahce nor at Benfica."      

Mourinho demands January signings to boost league hopes

The Portuguese manager publicly voiced his requests to Benfica, urging the club to invest in the upcoming winter transfer window in a bid to not only strengthen the squad, but also their hopes of winning the Liga Portugal.

"It’s true that I like Benfica’s squad and many things about the club," he said. "It’s also true that you know me – my characteristics as a coach and as a communicator. Obviously, when facing Benfica, I also wanted to take a bit of pressure off my side and put a bit more on Benfica, including in terms of history, tradition, stature, and familiarity with Champions League matches.

"But it’s also true that I believe – and so does the structure working with me at Benfica, as well as the candidates and the fans – that we are missing something. And that “something” isn’t 10, 15, or even five players, because sometimes all it takes is one player of a specific profile, or one who brings more experience, or has qualities others don’t. Often, just one or two players are enough to improve a team and its whole dynamic. 

"In January, Benfica will surely add one or two players who can help strengthen the squad. If there’s someone who likes to promote young players, I’m one of them. If there’s someone who has a history of working with players like Varane at 18, McTominay at 18, [Petr] Cech at 18 – then that’s me. In our current squad, we have this type of young players; some will reach great heights, others perhaps not as much. There’s no contradiction in that.

"I’m optimistic that, domestically, we’ll stay close to our rivals until January. Perhaps even ahead of them. Who knows? But we’ll be right there fighting for the title. And I’m absolutely convinced that once we get our first three points in the Champions League, hopefully against Bayer Leverkusen, but we also have Ajax, we’ll put ourselves in contention and fight until the end for qualification."  

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GOAL/GettyMourinho eyeing Portugal national team role?

Joao Diogo Manteigas, one of the presidential candidates ahead of the club's upcoming elections, claimed earlier this month that Mourinho had his sights set on the Portugal national team coaching job. "Mourinho isn't going to stay at Benfica for two, three, or four years. Who doesn't know that Mourinho wants to be the national team coach?" Manteigas conceded. "Who doesn't know in the industry? The other candidates may not know, but those who work in the industry, who doesn't know that Mourinho spoke with Pedro Proenca to discuss a possible appointment to the national team?"   

Roberto Martinez, the current coach of the Portuguese senior side, is tied to the job until the 2026 World Cup. Although he fired Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. to Nations League glory over the summer, failure to land the biggest prize of them all next year could see the Portuguese Football Federation opt against renewing the former Everton and Belgium national team manager's contract. Such a scenario could open the doors for Mourinho to take over the reins of Portugal. 

“I always thought I’d come back to the national team. I was thinking that one day it would happen. I think it’s a natural consequence of my career,” Mourinho said after Benfica’s 3–0 victory over AVS in his first game back in charge last month.

تحدث أحمد السيد، نجم الأهلي ومنتخب مصر السابق، عن سر أزمة دفاع الفريق الأحمر، معلقا على أداء أحمد سيد زيزو ومحمود حسن تريزيجيه.

وقال السيد في تصريحات لبرنامج “لعبة والتانية” على راديو “ميجا إف إم”:  “طريقة لعب الأهلي الهجومية في الوقت الحالي سبب رئيسي في تراجع مستوى خط الدفاع، والثنائي ياسر إبراهيم وياسين مرعي هما الأفضل لقيادته”.

طالع| سيد عبد الحفيظ يعلق على إمكانية انضمام ثنائي الزمالك وبيراميدز ومحمد صلاح لـ الأهلي

وتابع: “ييس توروب ما زال يطبق فكر عماد النحاس حتى الآن، وما زال أمامه الكثير من الوقت لاستكشاف لاعبي الفريق ومعرفة إمكانياتهم والتأقلم على الكرة المصرية”.

وأضاف: “مشاركة محمد شكري اليوم في الجانب الأيسر أمام بتروجيت اليوم مكسب فني للأهلي، واللاعب يمتلك إمكانيات كبيرة وسيقدم الكثير”.

وواصل تصريحاته: “رحيل وسام أبو علي أحدث فجوة كبيرة في الهجوم والأهلي لم يستطيع تعويضه حتى الآن، وجراديشار ومحمد شريف ليس على مستوى فريق كبير بحجم النادي الأهلي”.

واختتم: “محمود حسن تريزيجيه لم يستعيد مستواه المعروف منذ انضمامه للأهلي، وحاليا أحمد سيد زيزو تأثيره أفضل منه”.

Charli Knott also helped steady the home side after England A struck three times with a lead of 64

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Apr-2025

Rachel Trenaman backed up her first-innings 77 with an unbeaten 58, as she and Charli Knott stood firm to stumps to hamper England A’s victory hopes in the unofficial women’s Test at Cricket Central.By the close, Australia A led by 115 runs with seven wickets standing, with Trenaman and Knott (40 not out) unbeaten in a 69-run stand for the fourth wicket.Related

Trenaman anchors Australia A as Wong keeps England competitive

Scholfield, Capsey centuries make it England A's day

Earlier, England A had been bowled out for 407, a lead of 64, with Paige Scholfield converting her overnight 138 to an innings of 164 before she edged Tess Flintoff to Nicole Faltum midway through the morning session, shortly after overhauling Australia A’s first innings of 343.Jodi Grewcock had already top-edged a pull to fine leg off Maitlan Brown to fall for 32, and England pushed their total past 400 thanks to some handy contributions from the tail, not least Georgia Davis, who was last out for 23 as she drove a return catch to give Lilly Mills her second wicket of the innings.In reply, Australia A started confidently through Tahlia Wilson and Maddy Darke, who added 32 for the first wicket before Darke pulled Alexa Stonehouse to Grace Potts at fine leg for 18.Wilson then fell with Australia still in arrears, as she cut Potts to Scholfield at point, and when Anika Learoyd missed a sweep off Mady Villiers to be pinned lbw for 29, England sensed a chance to turn the screw at 110 for 3.Trenaman and Knott, however, backed up their first-innings efforts, to leave everything to play for going into the final day on Tuesday.

As their search for a striker continues, Newcastle United are now reportedly eyeing a late move to sign a want-away star who outscored Jorgen Strand Larsen last season.

Howe responds to Isak statement

When Newcastle commenced their search for a striker earlier this summer, the last thing they were looking for was the kind that Alexander Isak has become in recent weeks. But that’s the reality that they find themselves in. The Swede has done everything to leave the club, from going on strike to even taking aim at the club on social media, yet he remains a Newcastle player.

Eddie Howe, who has been left to answer several questions every week about the forward, responded to his statement on social media following the PFA awards – telling reporters:

“This has been an unfortunate situation, but there are always two sides to every story. There’s more than even I will know, because there are conversations that have taken place far away from me and my knowledge of them.”

The Newcastle boss went on to admit that there were conversations between himself and Isak towards the end of the season, but reiterated that they will remain private: “Me and Alex had conversations towards the end of last season. I am not going to deny that. But individual conversations are best off remaining private.”

Higher ceiling than Wissa: Newcastle in talks to sign £80m CF this week

Newcastle United are in talks to sign a star who has an even higher ceiling than Wissa.

By
Will Miller

Aug 23, 2025

Away from what is still a developing saga, meanwhile, Newcastle are still searching for a new striker to ease any potential Isak blow or to simply bolster their squad.

Reports recently indicated that their attention has turned towards Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Strand Larsen, but the Midlands club’s £60m+ price tag may yet force the Magpies to once again re-evaluate their options.

Newcastle eyeing late Sorloth move

According to the Daily Mail’s reliable journalist Craig Hope, Newcastle are now eyeing a late swoop to sign Alexander Sorloth, who reportedly wants to leave Atlético Madrid this summer after falling out with Diego Simeone.

The Norway international last featured in the Premier League as a struggling Crystal Palace striker from 2018 to 2020, but has since rebuilt himself into the type of clinical player that Newcastle so desperately need.

Hope revealed when speaking about Newcastle’s transfer targets:

“Alexander Sorloth at Atlético Madrid. Now, he’s available. His goal record is quite incredible when you look at the amount of goals he scored in La Liga for Atlético Madrid.

“He played at St James’ a couple of weeks ago. Absolutely in the mold of his countryman Strand Larsen as well – a big, tall, powerful centre-forward, a record of doing it in the top division. That’s the latest information to me that Sorloth is one of the names being considered.”

An experienced forward at the top level who outscored Strand Larsen last season, Sorloth could finally be the man that solves Newcastle’s striker problem if they make their move this month.

Glasgow Rangers have one foot in the play-off round of Champions League qualifiers after they hammered Viktoria Plzen 3-0 at Ibrox on Tuesday night.

Djeidi Gassama scored two goals, one on either side of a penalty from Cyriel Dessers, to take his tally to four goals in four games since his move to the Light Blues from Sheffield Wednesday.

Another new signing caught the eye, though, as central defender Nasser Djiga produced a dominant and composed performance at the heart of the defence, with our Football FanCast article explaining why he was even better than Gassama and Oliver Antman on the night.

The Wolves loanee made multiple impressive blocks and utilised his pace to mop up in behind when Plzen looked to exploit the space left by the team’s high line.

Rangers have held talks to sign new defender

Russell Martin could find a Djiga repeat to partner the right-footed colossus in defence amid an update on their pursuit of another central defender.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to Spanish outlet El Desmarque, as relayed by Sport Witness, Rangers would offer more than £1.7m in an attempt to sign Real Betis defender Nobel Mendy.

The report claims that they will likely offer more than Rayo Vallecano, who are also interested, but they have yet to officially submit a bid to the Spanish side, who are looking for around £3.4m.

It adds that the Light Blues have already held talks with the 20-year-old centre-back to discuss where he would fit in at Ibrox as part of Martin’s plans.

The outlet reveals that they have already convinced Mendy to make the move to Glasgow, but it is now down to the two clubs to agree a transfer fee.

Why Rangers should sign Nobel Mendy

The Gers should push to get a deal over the line for the left-footed defender because he could come in as Djiga 2.0 for the Scottish giants this summer.

Djiga only started one game and made five appearances in the Premier League in the second half of last season for Wolves, and Rangers swooped in to offer him a chance to play regular football and shine.

The 22-year-old star already seems to be grasping that opportunity with both hands, which is something that Mendy could also do at Ibrox for the Light Blues.

Mendy, 20, only played five first-team matches for Real Betis in the 2024/25 campaign, including two in LaLiga, two in the Conference League, and one in the Copa del Rey.

As you can see in the table above, the 6 foot 2 giant showed signs of promise in his two outings in the Spanish top-flight, particularly in his start against Real Madrid.

He ranked within the top 1% of defenders in the league with 3.36 interceptions per 90 and the top 3% with 5.89 ball recoveries per 90, which shows how impressive those defensive contributions were.

Whilst it is impossible to draw meaningful conclusions from that data, as he only started one game, it does show that he has the potential to deliver quality displays at the top level.

As was the case with Djiga in the Premier League with Wolves, Mendy was not given a run of games to prove himself by Real Betis in LaLiga last season. This is where Rangers can step in to offer him a chance to play week-in-week-out and develop as a player at first-team level.

Better than Gassama: Rangers have found new superhero & it's not Antman

Rangers have found their new superhero and it is not Oliver Antman or Djeidi Gassama.

1

By
Dan Emery

Aug 6, 2025

Therefore, the Gers could repeat their Djiga transfer by signing another physically imposing and mobile young centre-back who needs to get some games under his belt to hit his stride.

As a left-footed player, Mendy could also play alongside Djiga at the heart of the Light Blues defence and provide John Souttar with some competition for his place in the side.