Lightning strike kills player during match in Peru

Former All-Star Garvey loses U.S. Senate race

by | Nov 6, 2024 | Blog

Republican former baseball star Steve Garvey was defeated by Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff on Tuesday in the race for...

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Lozano, Giménez out for Mexico’s NL quarterfinals

by | Nov 6, 2024 | Blog

Lozano, Giménez out for Mexico’s NL quarterfinals

High-profile injured stars Santiago Giménez and Hirving “Chucky” Lozano were left out of Mexico’s 27-man roster that will take part in a two-legged Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal with Honduras on Nov. 15 and 19.

High-profile injured stars Santiago Giménez and Hirving “Chucky” Lozano were left out of Mexico’s 27-man roster that will take part in a two-legged Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal with Honduras on Nov. 15 and 19. High-profile injured stars Santiago Giménez and Hirving “Chucky” Lozano were left out of Mexico’s 27-man roster that will take part in a two-legged Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal with Honduras on Nov. 15 and 19.

High-profile injured stars Santiago Giménez and Hirving “Chucky” Lozano were left out of Mexico’s 27-man roster that will take part in a two-legged Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal with Honduras on Nov. 15 and 19.

The squad selection, released on Tuesday by Mexico manager Javier Aguirre, will extend the absences of Feyenoord’s Gimenez and PSV Eindhoven’s Lozano, who were both left out of last month’s Mexico call-up due to their ongoing injury issues.

Last week, the Mexican Football Federation contacted PSV to inquire about Lozano’s current physical condition with the intention to call him up for the upcoming matches against Honduras, but the Dutch club responded that he’s still recovering from a muscle injury sustained in September, sources told ESPN’s Mac Reséndiz.

Elsewhere in the roster, Aguirre and his staff will still be able to count on marquee names like West Ham United‘s Edson Álvarez, Fulham’s Raúl Jiménez, Genoa’s Johan Vásquez, and goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.

The upcoming Nations League quarterfinal will provide a path to not only next year’s semifinal round, but also Concacaf’s 2025 Gold Cup. Losers of the quarterfinal stage will have an additional opportunity for a Gold Cup invitation through a preliminary competition.

Cruz Azul’s Alexis Gutierrez is the lone member of the November roster that has yet to earn his senior Mexico debut. With Gutierrez as the noteworthy international newcomer, Cruz Azul have the most club representation in El Tri’s squad with a total of six call-ups.

Aguirre’s squad is his third selection after taking charge of Mexico in July. The 65-year-old also previously coached the national team in 2001-02 and 2009-10.

Following a recent 2-0 victory over Mauricio Pochettino’s United States team last month, Mexico have won both games since Aguirre took over following the departure of Jaime Lozano.

Full Mexico Squad:

Goalkeepers: Luis Angel Malagon (Club America), Guillermo Ochoa (AVS), Raul Rangel (Chivas)

Defenders: Rodrigo Huescas (FC Copenhagen), Jorge Sanchez (Cruz Azul), Jesus Orozco (Chivas), Cesar Montes (Lokomotiv Moscow), Israel Reyes (Club America), Johan Vasquez (Genoa), Jesus Angulo (Tigres), Jesus Gallardo (Toluca)

Midfielders: Edson Alvarez (West Ham), Luis Romo (Cruz Azul), Carlos Rodriguez (Cruz Azul), Orbelin Pineda (AEK Athens), Erik Lira (Cruz Azul), Alexis Gutierrez (Cruz Azul), Luis Chavez (Dynamo Moscow)

Forwards: Diego Lainez (Tigres), Ozziel Herrera (Tigres), Cesar Huerta (Pumas), Alexis Vega (Toluca), Guillermo Martinez (Pumas), Raul Jimenez (Fulham), Henry Martin (Club America), Angel Sepulveda (Cruz Azul), Julian Quiñones (Al Qadsiah FC)

www.espn.com – SOCCER

High-profile injured stars Santiago Giménez and Hirving “Chucky” Lozano were left out of Mexico’s 27-man roster that will take part in a two-legged Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal with Honduras on Nov. 15 and 19.

Real Madrid’s Mbappé project isn’t getting better; it’s getting worse

by | Nov 6, 2024 | Blog

Real Madrid’s Mbappé project isn’t getting better; it’s getting worse

Another toothless display from Kylian Mbappé and Real Madrid has the European champions staring down a surprise Champions League exit.

Another toothless display from Kylian Mbappé and Real Madrid has the European champions staring down a surprise Champions League exit. Another toothless display from Kylian Mbappé and Real Madrid has the European champions staring down a surprise Champions League exit.

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Burley: Real Madrid are an embarrassment on and off the pitch (1:15)Craig Burley rips into Real Madrid after their 3-1 defeat to AC Milan in the Champions League. (1:15)

MADRID — Ten days after losing 4-0 in El Clásico, Real Madrid did not just need to beat AC Milan on Tuesday. They needed a statement win. There needed to be proof that this team was starting to jell, that coach Carlo Ancelotti had the answers, and that the new, Kylian Mbappé-led project was headed in the right direction.

Instead, Tuesday’s 3-1 defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu was more of the same: more evidence that something has gone badly wrong for the Spanish and European champions, and another hint that the kings of Europe might just, unthinkably, struggle to progress from the Champions League 36-team phase after two losses in four games.

Madrid’s performance against Milan was reminiscent of what we saw in their 5-2 comeback win against Borussia Dortmund two weeks ago. But it was just the bad parts, with none of the good. There was another disappointing, disjointed first half, going 2-1 down. But this time, there was no spirited, Vinícius Júnior-inspired second-half fightback to emerge victorious.

Instead, the night got worse and worse. Ancelotti tried everything, making five substitutions — throwing on Eduardo Camavinga, Brahim Díaz, Dani Ceballos, Rodrygo and Fran García in the second half — in a bid to jolt the team into life. It only added to the confusion. By the end, Madrid had created plenty of chances — 23 shots, 10 of them on target — and an xG (expected goals) of 2.44, but just one goal scored.

There were moments when it felt like a different outcome was possible, that might have sparked yet another Madrid turnaround. Antonio Rüdiger had a second-half goal — which would have made it 2-3 with 10 minutes left — disallowed for offside. Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan made a late, point-blank save from Diaz’s header. But overall, this was a night to forget for Madrid.

Nothing quite came off. There were wildly, almost comically off-target shots from players as gifted as Luka Modric and Jude Bellingham. There was Mbappé, missing chance after chance. He ended the game with eight shots, but just three of them on target, and an xG of 0.54. There was frustration from the Madrid fans, in particular at some individual performances, with whistles for out-of-form midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni when he was withdrawn at half-time.

Should it really be this hard? This is a team with Vinícius and Mbappé in attack, Bellingham and Federico Valverde in midfield, Rüdiger and Éder Militão at the back. The names are elite. The team performances, at least this season, are absolutely not. And on the touchline, the pressure is growing on Ancelotti.

Madrid’s Champions League performances this campaign have all been varying degrees of unconvincing. Against VfB Stuttgart, they needed late goals from Rüdiger and Endrick to give them a 3-1 win. At Lille, they lost 1-0, having missed numerous chances. The 5-2 comeback against Dortmund was thrilling, powered by a career-best second-half display from Vinicius, but it came after an equally troubling first half.

It’s hard to ignore the impact that Mbappé’s long-anticipated arrival has had on this team, and its knock-on effect, the uncertainty it has bred in the positioning and status of Vinicius and Bellingham. Vinicius has still, largely, starred this season. Here, he won and scored a “panenka” penalty which made it 1-1, getting Madrid back into the game after Malick Thiaw‘s header had put Milan ahead.

Bellingham’s season so far is baffling. His all-round game hasn’t been bad. But by Nov. 5, 2023, in his debut season, he had scored 13 goals for Real Madrid. He has none this campaign. Ancelotti doesn’t seem sure what to do with Bellingham, returning him on Tuesday to the left-midfield berth he occupied for much of last season, having played on the right in recent weeks, including against Barcelona. Bellingham’s last goal for his club came 176 days ago.

Madrid’s defence, one of their great strengths last season, is now porous. They have shipped 10 goals in their last four games. Here, Andriy Lunin‘s goal was repeatedly left exposed, a wide-open midfield as much to blame as the backline. Milan’s Rafael Leão, in particular, enjoyed himself up against back-up right-back Lucas Vázquez.

And then there was Álvaro Morata, playing the role of archnemesis for the Bernabéu crowd, scoring against his former team — his seventh goal against Madrid, having previously found the net for Juventus and Atletico Madrid — to ensure Milan went in 2-1 up at the interval. After his goal, there was a hint of a smile, a finger to his lips, before a more traditional non-celebration against a former club. Morata worked hard for Milan, dropping deep, an all-round centre-forward, the kind of role that Mbappé has never enjoyed.

Things could have been even worse for Madrid. Lunin saved at full stretch from Leão in the 52nd minute. As Madrid looked for an equalizer, creating chances, Milan were every bit as dangerous on the counterattack. Tijjani Reijnders‘ goal on 73 minutes made it 3-1, and any comeback unlikely.

Madrid now have a long, month’s wait to play again in the Champions League, facing Premier League leaders Liverpool. Before that, there’s an international break, and games with Osasuna and Leganés in LaLiga. Winnable games, or potential banana skins? By the time they go to Anfield, the pressure building on the team and its coach might be ready to reach boiling point.

www.espn.com – SOCCER

Another toothless display from Kylian Mbappé and Real Madrid has the European champions staring down a surprise Champions League exit.

Lozano, Giménez out for Mexico’s NL quarterfinals

by | Nov 6, 2024 | Blog

Lozano, Giménez out for Mexico’s NL quarterfinals

High-profile injured stars Santiago Giménez and Hirving “Chucky” Lozano were left out of Mexico’s 27-man roster that will take part in a two-legged Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal with Honduras on Nov. 15 and 19.

High-profile injured stars Santiago Giménez and Hirving “Chucky” Lozano were left out of Mexico’s 27-man roster that will take part in a two-legged Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal with Honduras on Nov. 15 and 19. High-profile injured stars Santiago Giménez and Hirving “Chucky” Lozano were left out of Mexico’s 27-man roster that will take part in a two-legged Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal with Honduras on Nov. 15 and 19.

High-profile injured stars Santiago Giménez and Hirving “Chucky” Lozano were left out of Mexico’s 27-man roster that will take part in a two-legged Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal with Honduras on Nov. 15 and 19.

The squad selection, released on Tuesday by Mexico manager Javier Aguirre, will extend the absences of Feyenoord’s Gimenez and PSV Eindhoven’s Lozano, who were both left out of last month’s Mexico call-up due to their ongoing injury issues.

Last week, the Mexican Football Federation contacted PSV to inquire about Lozano’s current physical condition with the intention to call him up for the upcoming matches against Honduras, but the Dutch club responded that he’s still recovering from a muscle injury sustained in September, sources told ESPN’s Mac Reséndiz.

Elsewhere in the roster, Aguirre and his staff will still be able to count on marquee names like West Ham United‘s Edson Álvarez, Fulham’s Raúl Jiménez, Genoa’s Johan Vásquez, and goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa.

The upcoming Nations League quarterfinal will provide a path to not only next year’s semifinal round, but also Concacaf’s 2025 Gold Cup. Losers of the quarterfinal stage will have an additional opportunity for a Gold Cup invitation through a preliminary competition.

Cruz Azul’s Alexis Gutierrez is the lone member of the November roster that has yet to earn his senior Mexico debut. With Gutierrez as the noteworthy international newcomer, Cruz Azul have the most club representation in El Tri’s squad with a total of six call-ups.

Aguirre’s squad is his third selection after taking charge of Mexico in July. The 65-year-old also previously coached the national team in 2001-02 and 2009-10.

Following a recent 2-0 victory over Mauricio Pochettino’s United States team last month, Mexico have won both games since Aguirre took over following the departure of Jaime Lozano.

Full Mexico Squad:

Goalkeepers: Luis Angel Malagon (Club America), Guillermo Ochoa (AVS), Raul Rangel (Chivas)

Defenders: Rodrigo Huescas (FC Copenhagen), Jorge Sanchez (Cruz Azul), Jesus Orozco (Chivas), Cesar Montes (Lokomotiv Moscow), Israel Reyes (Club America), Johan Vasquez (Genoa), Jesus Angulo (Tigres), Jesus Gallardo (Toluca)

Midfielders: Edson Alvarez (West Ham), Luis Romo (Cruz Azul), Carlos Rodriguez (Cruz Azul), Orbelin Pineda (AEK Athens), Erik Lira (Cruz Azul), Alexis Gutierrez (Cruz Azul), Luis Chavez (Dynamo Moscow)

Forwards: Diego Lainez (Tigres), Ozziel Herrera (Tigres), Cesar Huerta (Pumas), Alexis Vega (Toluca), Guillermo Martinez (Pumas), Raul Jimenez (Fulham), Henry Martin (Club America), Angel Sepulveda (Cruz Azul), Julian Quiñones (Al Qadsiah FC)

www.espn.com – SOCCER

High-profile injured stars Santiago Giménez and Hirving “Chucky” Lozano were left out of Mexico’s 27-man roster that will take part in a two-legged Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal with Honduras on Nov. 15 and 19.

Lightning strike kills player during match in Peru​​

Former All-Star Garvey loses U.S. Senate race​

Ravens’ Jackson to play despite missing practice​

Lozano, Giménez out for Mexico’s NL quarterfinals​​

Real Madrid’s Mbappé project isn’t getting better; it’s getting worse​​

Lozano, Giménez out for Mexico’s NL quarterfinals​​

Former All-Star Garvey loses U.S. Senate race

Ravens’ Jackson to play despite missing practice

Lozano, Giménez out for Mexico’s NL quarterfinals

Real Madrid’s Mbappé project isn’t getting better; it’s getting worse

Lozano, Giménez out for Mexico’s NL quarterfinals