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The international break came at precisely the right time for Glasgow Rangers. The Ibrox side had progressed to the quarter-finals of the Europa League before beating Celtic at Parkhead just three days later.

Barry Ferguson will have had a few days to enjoy those results, particularly the latter while keeping an eye on several players who are away representing their national teams.

Speaking of which, what have the boys in Light Blue been up to over the last week or so?

The Rangers players on international duty

It’s been a busy week or so for those at Rangers, travelling off on the globe. Perhaps the most notable national side inclusion was Hamza Igamane. His rampant form at Ibrox earned him his first call-up to the Morocco squad, making his debut against Niger in a World Cup qualifier.

Nedim Bajrami played 63 minutes against England on Friday evening, while Ianis Hagi and Vaclav Cerny both appeared for Romania and the Czech Republic in their recent international games.

Elsewhere, Tom Lawrence and Rabbi Matondo were called up for Wales, with the latter scoring the opener against Kazakhstan during a 3-1 victory. Lawrence failed to come off the bench.

John Souttar started both games against Greece for Scotland, as the 3-1 aggregate loss sent the nation back to League B.

It was a mixed bag for the Rangers contingent, but one player certainly made the most of his first international call-up…

Performance in Numbers

Want data and stats? Football FanCast’s Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.

Nico Raskin's incredible display for Belgium

Raskin has arguably been one of the Gers’ finest performers this season, none more so than in the recent Old Firm game when he dominated the midfield and scored the opener.

This led to him being called up for the Belgium squad for their Nations League double-header against Ukraine.

He came off the bench for the final ten minutes during the first leg during the 3-1 defeat, although he did succeed with 93% of his passes and won 100% of his aerial duels despite his limited time on the field.

Having to overcome a two-goal deficit, Raskin was awarded with his first start for Belgium as they defeated Ukranian 3-0 to remain in League A for the next Nations League campaign.

Raskin’s stats for Belgium vs Ukraine
Accurate passes	75/82
Key passes	1
Touches	91
Ground duels (won)	5 (4)
Possession lost	8
Tackles	4
Via Sofascore

The Gers starlet claimed the Man of the Match award for his performance, which was outstanding to say the least. He completed 91% of his passes during the game, while also making one key pass, winning four of his five ground duels contested and making four tackles.

Deployed at the centre of a three-midfield, Raskin was one of the stars of the 3-0 win, outshining fellow players such as Hans Vanaken and even Manchester City superstar Kevin De Bruyne.

The latter was even hailed as “one of the best players in the world” by Rio Ferdinand just a few years ago and he provided an assist against Ukraine on Sunday evening.

Still, all the talk was about Raskin and how he settled into the midfield with ease, especially with pressure on the country to win by three goals or more to remain in the top division.

The 2026 World Cup starts in just 15 months. If Raskin can replicate these performances between now and then, he will surely be on the plane to North America. That’s for sure.

Rangers can find their new Igamane in 17-year-old who's "making waves"

Rangers have a talented striker who is shining out on loan.

By
Ross Kilvington

Mar 23, 2025

Australia have had the fast bowlers to dominate England and that has been no accident

Daniel Brettig in Perth18-Dec-2017In the revered Australian film , the titular character explains his practice of shooting prisoners of war by saying he enacted “Rule 303”, in reference to the .303 calibre rifle in use at the time. In this series, Australia have skated to victory in the bare minimum three matches by invoking another simple and sometimes brutal rule: “Rule 140”.There was some irony in Chris Woakes’ final dismissal by Pat Cummins, for the New South Welshman’s delivery was recorded at a speed of 130.2kph. But the wider truth of Australia’s pace advantage can be read from the overall speeds of the two bowling attacks across all three Tests in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. According to CricViz, England’s pace bowlers have clocked an average of 135.37kph over that time, a long way short of Australia’s 141.44kph.While some spells and days offered hope to the lesser velocities of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Craig Overton, the broad truth of this encounter was that in Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Cummins, Australia had the weaponry to wear down England’s batsmen while taking no little delight in terrorising their tail enders. For an example, just look at the first ball Cummins bowled to Anderson this day. Four years ago Michael Clarke had warned England’s No. 11 to “get ready for a broken f***en arm”; this time there was no verbal warning about the spitting bouncer that slammed into the earpiece of Anderson’s helmet.Australia’s instant response to this blow was sympathetic, and in the intervening years the game has been changed by the death of Phillip Hughes in November 2014. But Smith’s team has always been conscious of keeping speed and intimidation as part of their shot locker. As Smith himself put it before the series: “I still think that we have to play the game. Some people have some weaknesses to short bowling and you’ve got to use it. If they get hit, you have concern for them, but it’s still part of the game.”Australia’s Ashes celebration will haunt England•Getty ImagesFrom the perspective of the Australian coach Darren Lehmann, his desire for bowlers of top pace has been clear ever since he took the job, and was taken to an extreme when he dropped Peter Siddle in South Africa three years ago for letting his pace decline. Numerous bowlers have been sidelined for similar reasons in the past, but seldom so pointedly or publicly. Lehmann’s explanation at the time has always been his modus operandi when choosing the members of his fast bowling group.”Unlucky for Sids because he’s done a great job for us over the last few Tests but we’ve gone for the extra pace,” Lehmann had said. “He’d like some more wickets obviously but it’s the pace drop. We need him bowling 140kph and at the moment he’s averaging 131, 132. He knows that, we’ve spoken to him and I’m sure he will be back bigger and stronger.”In the previous Ashes series in England it was Australia’s reluctance to pick Siddle due to his lack of speed that actually proved costly, as he languished on the sidelines until the encounter was decided on a pair of seam-friendly pitches in Birmingham and Nottingham. Overseas, Australia have since gone on a journey of adaptability underlined by their improving displays in Asia, but they have always remained committed to a high-speed approach at home.It has been important, as well, to ensure that the pace bowlers at Smith’s disposal maintain a high level of skill. A 145kph long hop is still a long hop – Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss dispatched plenty such deliveries in Mitchell Johnson’s more wayward years – but that same speed on a disciplined line is a far more challenging prospect. Siddle, Ryan Harris and Johnson proved that in a 2013-14 series that Lehmann’s coaching staff have been so eager to recall this time around. Now the next generation have combined velocity and accuracy with similar effectiveness – credit due to the assistant coach David Saker and his predecessor Craig McDermott.

‘If the wickets are responsive to fast bowling it gives encouragement to young bowlers to bowl fast. If they don’t, well it is probably the opposite’Trevor Bayliss, England coach.

“Certainly the extra pace helps but you’ve also got to be skilful with it and put the ball in the right areas and get the ball to move, and they’ve certainly been able to do that as well,” England’s coach Trevor Bayliss said. “I think the basic conditions … if the wickets are responsive to fast bowling it gives encouragement to young bowlers to bowl fast. If they don’t, well it is probably the opposite.”One of the curious things about the series was that England, in winning all three tosses, enjoyed the better of the conditions on offer, especially when Smith declined to enforce the follow-on in Adelaide and opened up his batting order to a sharply swinging pink ball under lights.Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood were able to slog through full days of bowling on day one in both Brisbane and Perth, maintaining their speed, accuracy and fitness for long enough periods to ensure England could never quite break free. Then when the fifth wicket fell in each innings, the liberal use of bouncers ensured that the visiting lower order was quite simply not a factor.Joe Root, who has been unable to cope with the sustained barrage, was frank in conceding that he had entered the series knowing he and his bowlers needed to outsmart and out-skill the Australians, for there was no question about whether or not they could out-blast them. “We’ve got a very skilful, talented bowling unit but that’s probably one area where we haven’t got lots of resources in the side at the moment,” he said.”We had to try and out skill them and we weren’t quite able to do it in these first three games. That’ll certainly be our challenge in the last two. We certainly haven’t been able to get the ball to move as much we’d have liked, and credit to the guys they tried absolutely everything. It wasn’t due to a lack of effort, we felt like we tried every plan, different fields, bowling straight, hanging it wide, every now and again a bit of bumper warfare. It felt like we didn’t leave anything to chance.”Lacking that extra pace to mix things up meant that England were unable to pressure the Australians in general and Smith in particular after any early movement with the new ball had dissipated. Even then it was plain to see the contrast in bounce and carry when a few less kilometres of speed were behind it. At the start of Australia’s first innings, after Anderson and Stuart Broad had been made to hop around, the new ball in their hands looked like it was hitting a pudding relative to the pacy surface Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins had been operating on. No-one was better placed to exploit the difference than a ruthless Smith, with significant help from the Marsh brothers, among others.England’s No 11 James Anderson takes a blow on the helmet•Getty Images and Cricket AustraliaNews that Mitchell Starc is now nursing a bruised heel – quite often the forerunner to a stress “hot spot” or fracture – provided a reminder of the fine balance Cricket Australia’s medical staff, selectors and coaches have had to maintain to keep the pacemen fit. As was the case four years ago, they appear to have run a long-term plan that has paid off at the most important time in the team’s four-year Test match cycle.”I think here in Australia it certainly makes a difference on the flatter tracks where there isn’t much sideways movement,” Smith said. “That extra air speed can make a big difference. We’ve worked really hard to ensure we had these three big quicks on the park and ready for this series. A couple of them skipped the one-day series in India. We knew what was coming up, we were preparing for this series and we wanted those big three on the park to do what they’ve done the last three Test matches. A lot of praise has got to go to the medical staff for ensuring those guys were ready to go and also the selectors.”Starc and Hazlewood in particular have played some pretty consistent cricket for a little while now. The force that goes through their bodies bowling at 145kph plus it must take a lot out of you. I was tired after bowling a couple of overs here the other day and I don’t have any force going through the body. So I’ve got a new-found respect for the bowlers, the work they do off the park, the weights, the rehab, the fitness, everything they do to get themselves right to play Test match cricket and bowl at that pace consistently, it’s an incredible effort.”In 2013-14, of course, John, Harris and Siddle were able to stay together for all five Tests. This time around the selectors and medical staff must deliberate on Starc’s fitness to ensure he is ready for the next major assignment: four Tests in South Africa in March. Starc has already insisted to Smith that he wants to be playing come Boxing Day, but if there is anything that has been proven by the way the Australian pacemen have been brought to a peak of effectiveness at exactly the right time, it is that great talent needs to be supported by sound management. Unlike Morant’s “Rule 303”, Australia’s “Rule 140” is anything but a snap decision.

When it comes to Arsenal’s best-ever forward, there is only one answer: Thierry Henry.

The French magician joined the club in 1999 and, alongside Arsène Wenger and some other sensational players, helped to define an era of English football.

In all, the former Les Ulis-born phenom racked up a tally of 228 goals and 96 assists in 37 appearances for the Gunners, and while no striker has been able to replace him in the years since, the club have had at least a few stand-out centre-forwards.

However, Arteta might well have had his own version of Henry had Edu Gaspar and Co not sold a highly-rated youngster for what now looks like pennies on the dollar in the summer.

Arsenal's best strikers since Henry

It would be fair to say that the first seriously successful striker Arsenal had in the years after Henry’s departure was Robin Van Persie.

The Dutchman might be persona non grata at the Emirates today because of his transfer to Manchester United in 2012, but during his final two campaigns with the club, he was simply unstoppable, amassing a tally of 22 goals and seven assists in 33 games in 2010/11, and then 37 goals and 11 assists in 48 games the following year.

Following the departure of the Rotterdam-born poacher, Wenger and Co signed Olivier Giroud from Montpellier for just £12m, and while he was never as prolific as RVP, he did enjoy a reasonably successful career in North London.

For example, in 253 appearances, across five and a half seasons, the World Cup winner scored 105 goals, provided 37 assists and won three FA Cups.

However, in January 2018, the Chambéry-born marksman was sold to Chelsea to facilitate the signing of Borussia Dortmund star Pierre Emerick Aubameyang, who for some time was arguably the Gunners’ best forward since Henry.

Olivier Giroud’s Arsenal record
Appearances	253
Goals	105
Assists	37
Goal Involvements per Match	0.56
All Stats via Transfermarkt

The Gabonese international hit the ground running, becoming the fastest player in the club’s history to reach 50 Premier League goals in July 2020 and then playing a pivotal role in the club’s record 14th FA Cup triumph a month later.

However, after signing a blockbuster new deal that September, the wheels started to come off, and following lacklustre form and fallings out with the manager, he was allowed to join Barcelona for free in early 2022.

Since then, Arteta has used Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz up top, and while both players have had their moments, the former has suffered far too many injuries and the latter still hasn’t done enough to quell calls for the club to sign a new striker.

Unfortunately, Arteta might have already had his answer to those calls in a player compared to Henry had Edu and Co not sold him in the summer.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

The former Arsenal gem compared to Henry

Now, comparing a young forward to a player as sensationally gifted as Henry could be seen as unfair, but that was exactly what Sun journalist Jon Boon did with Mika Biereth in July 2021.

It was in the aftermath of Arsenal poaching the young talent from Fulham’s academy that Boon suggested he ‘might just be the next Thierry Henry.’

While that might sound a little ridiculous, he did so because, in just 27 appearances for the Cottagers’ youth sides the season prior, the young Dane had scored 22 goals and provided 13 assists, and at that point, no Arsenal forward had hit double figures for goals and assists since the great Frenchman, until Bukayo Saka did a couple of years later.

The youngster would spend the following season with the Gunners’ youth sides, and then, in the 22/23 campaign, he was sent out on loan for the first time to Dutch side RKC Waalwijk, but with just two goals in 12 appearances, it was not a successful stint.

Fortunately, last season went far better for the young forward, as, across two spells, first with Motherwell and then with Sturm Graz, he racked up a brilliant tally of 15 goals and nine assists in 37 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.54 games, and was enough to convince the Austrian side to spend £4m to make his move permanent.

The “crazy” talent, as dubbed by former GOAL reporter Robin Bairner, picked up where he left off at the start of the campaign and, by January, had already scored 14 goals and provided five assists in just 25 appearances, which tempted AS Monaco to spend £10.8m plus £1.75m in add-ons on the young Dane.

Since moving to the French Riviera, the former Arsenal prospect has gone from strength to strength and now looks like one of the most in-form strikers in European football, scoring 11 goals and providing three assists in 12 appearances, totalling 860 minutes, which works out to 1.16 goal involvements every game, or one every 61.42 minutes.

Biereth’s 24/25
Team	Sturm Graz	AS Monaco
Appearances	25	12
Minutes	1971′	860′
Goals	14	11
Assists	5	3
Goal Involvements per Match	0.76	1.16
Minutes per Goal Involvements	103.73′	61.42′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

That means the player Edu let go for a pittance in the summer has managed to score 25 goals and provide eight assists in just 37 appearances across two teams, which is a level of output that Arteta could have used this year.

Ultimately, while the club might have felt like Biereth wasn’t going to be good enough to play for Arsenal in the long term, it surely would have been a smart idea to have at least given him a chance this year, as his form at Monaco suggests he has what it takes to thrive in a top five league.

Saliba 2.0: Arsenal prepare bid for "one of the world's most talented CBs"

The incredible prospect could be a star at Arsenal.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Mar 20, 2025

David Moyes has come into the Everton hot-seat and been just the breath of fresh air needed to pull the Toffees away from relegation danger, with a draw to Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out signalling his side’s eighth straight game in the Premier League without defeat.

Whilst many faces in the Everton camp looked dejected and lost towards the end of Sean Dyche’s troubled tenure, a large portion of the Blues first team personnel now look rejuvenated under the Scotsman’s newer methods, with Beto one star very much benefitting from the inspired managerial switch-up having now scored six top-flight strikes.

But, a renewed belief is coursing throughout the team at this moment in time, with a defensive star really sticking out as another figure who has taken to the return of Moyes.

Jake O'Brien's improvements under Moyes at Everton

Whilst the Toffees weren’t exactly leaking goals for fun under the dogged managerial style of Dyche, some of the defenders at Goodison Park have shown signs of improvement already under the ex-West Ham United boss.

That is definitely the case for Jake O’Brien, with the young Irishman a regular on the bench under the previous regime, only to now be a solid first-team option.

The former Olympique Lyonnais defender even grabbed his first-ever Toffees goal on the road at Brentford to finish a sterling February on the best possible note, with that month also seeing him star against Manchester United with five duels being won, on top of a clean sheet being collected at home to Leicester City.

Therefore, it looks now as if Everton have a fantastic long-term candidate to be their right-back, with both Ashley Young and Seamus Coleman towards the end of their careers, compared to the ever-improving O’Brien who has a valuation of £13m according to Transfermarkt.

Amazingly, the breakout star at the back is now worth more than a former Toffees star who was sold for a big fee to a Premier League rival back in 2022.

The Everton "machine" now worth less than O'Brien

Everton have sold on a number of players over recent years for high fees, with Amadou Onana’s name sticking out from last summer’s bumper transfer window, having won the Merseysiders £50m when he moved onto pasture new with Aston Villa.

This isn’t the only time Villa and the Toffees have had a healthy working relationship, however, with former owner Farhad Moshiri losing French full-back Lucas Digne to the Villans in January of 2022, costing the West Midlands side £25m in the process.

The Frenchman was a beloved figure when he was strutting his stuff at Goodison, with Digne going on to notch up six goals and 20 assists across 127 appearances, before inevitably breaking hearts when a move to Villa came calling.

Whilst the 31-year-old has taken to his new challenge at Villa Park well, Everton definitely hit gold selling the ex-Barcelona “machine” – as he was once lauded by football journalist Ty Bracey – when they did.

Why? Well, his steep £25m valuation has taken a hit the more his Villans career goes on.

Digne’s numbers at Villa
Stat	Digne
Games played	130
Goals scored	4
Assists	14
Valuation when joining	£25m
Valuation now	£10m
Decrease amount	£15m
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Whilst Digne has continued to be an exciting option down the left flank with four goals and 14 assists tallied up, his valuation has slipped all the way down to a lesser £10m as per Transfermarkt, representing a £15m decrease.

He has also looked shaky at points this season for Unai Emery’s men in Premier League action, with only two clean sheets coming his way from 28 encounters a worrying statistic to chew over.

Whilst Digne is still remembered as a stellar defender throughout his time on Merseyside, Everton did cash in at the best possible time with hindsight firmly on their side, as Moyes goes about picking up more and more positive results at Goodison with his revitalised troops.

Rooney 2.0: Everton could soon unleash "incredible" 17-year-old Beto rival

Everton fans will be excited about the potential of this youngster.

By
Kelan Sarson

Mar 9, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

da spicy bet： Atual campeão brasileiro na categoria sub-20, o Palmeiras estreou a edição deste ano com derrota. No estádio Bruno José Daniel, em Santo André, as Crias da Academia perderam para o Bahia por 1 a 0. O único gol do confronto foi marcado por Patrick Verhon, de pênalti. O Alviverde vinha de uma sequência de 14 jogos de invencibilidade, com 13 vitórias e um empate.

> Revelação do Palmeiras revela inspiração em Zé Rafael: ‘Um dos melhores do Brasil’

A partida começou equilibrada, com oportunidades para os dois lados, mas o Palmeiras começou a ter mais controle do jogo, especialmente no meio de campo, com mais posse de bola e com grande volume de chances criadas. A equipe do Bahia conseguiu fazer uma forte marcação nos principais jogadores do Verdão.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasRevelação do Palmeiras revela inspiração em Zé Rafael: ‘Um dos melhores do Brasil’Palmeiras01/03/2023PalmeirasPalmeiras parabeniza Rio de Janeiro e relembra conquistas na cidade: ‘Palco de Porcopeiro’Palmeiras01/03/2023PalmeirasDupla treina com o elenco principal do Palmeiras e fica fora de jogo pelo sub-20Palmeiras01/03/2023

da pinup bet：
A defesa do Tricolor de Aço conteve o perigoso ataque alviverde, principalmente com as boas atuações dos zagueiros Nathan e Marcello. Foi uma questão de detalhe para o gol palmeirense não ter saído no primeiro tempo. Na segunda etapa, o Palmeiras continuou com dificuldades no meio-campo, não conseguindo inversões de bola com velocidade. Já o Bahia foi mais preciso, adiantando sua linha de marcação.

Aos 9 minutos do segundo tempo, pênalti marcado para o Bahia. Patrick Verhon bateu e converteu, marcando a gol da vitória do Tricolor baiano. O Verdão sentiu muito o gol, demorou para voltar a levar perigo e acabou derrotado na estreia do Brasileirão sub-20.

> Bola parada? Bola rolando? Confira o raio-x dos gols do Palmeiras em 2023

A competição conta com 20 clubes, que são divididos em dois grupos com dez equipes cada. Na primeira fase, os times se enfrentam em turno único. Na sequência, os quatro melhores classificados de cada chave avançam às quartas de final. Na fase de mata-mata, os jogos são realizados em confrontos de ida e volta, com exceção da final, disputada em partida única.

Agora, o time sub-20 do Palmeiras voltará a campo contra o Atlético-GO no próximo domingo (05), às 15h, no Estádio Antônio Accioly. O Bahia também entrará em campo no domingo, às 15h, diante do Goiás, no Estádio de Pituaçu.

Pep Guardiola has flushed out his Manchester City coaching staff as the club have confirmed the departures of Juanma Lillo & Inigo Dominguez.

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Guardiola bids farewell to Lillo & DominguezCarlos Vicens has also left the clubMan City yet to decide on replacementsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Lillo, a close confidant and long-time collaborator of Guardiola, will not be part of City’s future plans. The 58-year-old Spanish tactician originally joined the club in 2020 and was a key figure in the technical area during a dominant spell for the team. He left briefly in 2022 to manage Qatari club Al-Sadd but returned to City in 2023 for a second term as assistant coach. His contract has now expired, and both parties have opted not to renew it.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Joining Lillo through the exit door is Dominguez. Over the past two seasons, Dominguez has contributed in various support roles, working closely with the first-team players and Guardiola on a day-to-day basis. Whereas, Carlos Vicens, another key figure in Guardiola’s setup, is also moving on – this time to pursue his own managerial ambitions.

The Spaniard, who began his tenure at City in 2017, steadily rose through the ranks, starting with the youth teams and eventually earning a spot in the first-team coaching structure. Having been responsible for set-piece strategy and gaining growing influence over the squad’s tactical details, Vicens has now been appointed the head coach of Braga in Portugal.

DID YOU KNOW?

The departure of three senior coaches is not merely coincidental but part of a broader strategy orchestrated by Guardiola himself. Renowned for continuously evolving his footballing philosophies, the City boss is believed to be keen on refreshing his staff with new thinkers who can challenge and contribute to the team’s continuous tactical refinement.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

With the Club World Cup looming in mid-June, City must make new additions to the coaching team as quickly as possible. After a disappointing domestic and European campaign, City will look to salvage their season by adding a trophy to their illustrious collection on the global stage in the United States.

The striker says he still believes he can play at a World Cup after spending much of the last three years out of action

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• Dike sets sights on USMNT return
• Scored long-awaited goal this past weekend
• Has been hit with multiple injuries since moving to West Brom

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Daryl Dike has not given up his dream of representing the U.S. men's national team in a World Cup as the striker set his sights high after scoring a long-awaited goal for West Brom this past weekend.

  Dike's goal came in the Baggies' final match of the Championship season, a win over Luton Town, his first in nearly a year and a half. He'd spent most of that time with yet another Achilles injury, the latest in a long line of injury setbacks to impact him since his arrival at the club in 2022. Dike only returned to the field in February after a year out, and the 24-year-old striker was clearly overcome with emotion as the ball hit the back of the net.

  With that goal behind him, Dike can now head into the summer on a high as he looks to be fit and ready for what's to come. Notably, the striker is out to prove he can reclaim a place with the USMNT and finally put his injury hell behind him.

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• Getty Images
  

  WHAT DIKE SAID

  “I’m a football fan,” Dike said, per the Athletic. “Everyone in the squad knows I’ll watch every game, I’ll know every player. I’ll always watch, so I have dreams in football. Whether that’s playing in the Champions League, or playing at the World Cup.

  “I always tell myself that I’m only 24, so I can achieve every one of those dreams. I tell myself that, even though I’ve fallen down, I can get back up. I can still keep going, I can still keep running, and I still have the chance to prove myself and prove to everyone I can still do it and achieve those dreams.”

  He added: “That’s one of my goals. Every single player has always dreamt of playing at a World Cup. I’d love to be part of that squad. Any time you’re able to represent your country, it’s a big honor, especially on a big stage like that. Of course, I’ll be working towards that, all off-season, all season, to be able to be a part of that.”

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Dike went on to speak about the emotional toll his injuries took on him over the last several years. In total, he missed 129 games over his first four seasons with

  “You are always going to end up feeling sorry for yourself," he said. "The first time it happened, I was very upset, naturally, but I was like ‘OK, I’ll be alright.’ But the second time I was like, ‘I worked all the way to get back…and now it’s happened again.’ I’ve got to work again. That was definitely a low point, because I was so excited to be playing again. So for it to happen again, and for me to think, ‘OK, this is just the kind of condition I’m in until I’m done playing…’ You’re thinking, ‘Is it going to happen ? Am I going to be the same?’

  “But with my support group and the goals in the back of my head, I knew I’d bounce back. With training sessions like the past few months, and games like today, I can push a few of those doubts away and show I can still do it and be confident in myself.“

  In terms of the USMNT, Dike faces a big fight to get back into the picture, particularly with the wealth of options at the striker position. Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, and Josh Sargent headline the European contingent, while Mauricio Pochettino has also leaned on Patrick Agyemang, Brian White, and Brandon Vazquez as MLS-based options.

  Dike earned 10 caps for the USMNT between 2021 and 2023, scoring three goals, including a brace against Martinique at the 2021 Gold Cup.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR WEST BROM?

  West Brom finsihed ninth in the Championship this season, narrowly missing out on a chance to play in the promotion playoff. The club will remain in England's second division next season with Dike, hopefully, helping to lead the line.

Manchester United and Ruben Amorim have suffered a new injury scare, as a “monster” player is set to undergo a test following an injury he picked up against Everton on Saturday.

Man Utd fight back to claim a point at Everton

It looked like it was going to be another disappointing weekend for the Red Devils, as they went 2-0 down to Everton in the first half at Goodison Park. United put on a poor showing in the first half, but changes by Amorim transfored the game in the second half and two quick goals from Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte meant the points were shared.

Man Utd advancing to sign 2 players on free transfers after Amorim demand

Ruben Amorim could pick up two bargains for Manchester United this summer.

3 BySean Markus Clifford Feb 24, 2025

After the game, Amorim claimed his side were “soft” and gave the ball away too many times when not under pressure.

Amorim was also asked what he can do to make his United side more consistent, as that is now no win in their last three league games – the Portuguese is unsure if he can change it.

“I don’t know; if I know, I will change it. Everything we do in the week, we have to do better in the game. In this moment, we need to focus on day by day. We need to survive this season, and then we can think ahead. I don’t want to just say the negative part. In the second half, we were close to win this game.”

Man Utd suffer injury scare as “monster” set to undergo Monday scan

Amorim will have been pleased to see his side fight back to rescue a point on Saturday, but he will now be concerned about one of his key players. According to ESPN reporter Rob Dawson (relayed by mufcmpb on X), Noussair Mazraoui picked up an injury to his knee in the game against the Toffees and is set to undergo tests on Monday.

The 27-year-old went down in the second half of the game but was able to continue a little bit longer before being replaced in the 70th minute by Leny Yoro. It is unclear the severity of Mazraoui’s injury, but he is set to undergo tests before a decision is made on whether he can play against Ipswich Town on Wednesday.

Mazraoui, who has been dubbed a “monster” in the past, has been a key player for United this season, starting 24 Premier League games as well as seven in the Europa League and two in the FA Cup. The defender has failed to appear in just one game this season, and that was in the recent game against Rangers, as he missed the match through injury.

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The versatile defender, who earns £135,000 a week at Old Trafford, would complete what is fast becoming a Tottenham-level injury crisis at United. Amad Diallo is likely out for the season, Kobbie Mainoo will miss several weeks and Lisandro Martinez is facing a long spell on the sidelines with a knee injury of his own, and things wil go from bad to worse if the Moroccan’s scans come back with bad news.

After Club Leon's CAS appeal was denied, a source confirmed LAFC will host Club America for CWC berth

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CAS rules against Club Leon for CWC spotFIFA says LAFC and Club America will play for tournament placeSource: Match will be in Los Angeles on May 31Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

After Club Leon's appeal was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Tuesday, the court ruled that FIFA would thereby designate who would take the Liga MX side's spot in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. In March, FIFA President Gianni Infantino confirmed talks of a one-game playoff between MLS side LAFC and Liga MX side Club America for a berth into the tournament. FIFA confirmed the two teams would feature head-to-head for the spot on Tuesday.

A source confirmed to GOAL that the playoff between the two clubs will be held at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on May 31. reported it will effectively be a $10 million match. The victor of the match will earn a guaranteed entry fee of $9.55 million, plus an additional $2 million per group stage win, along with round-by-round prize money.

The winner will be placed in Group D of the tournament alongside Chelsea, Flamengo, and ES Tunis.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

LAFC were selected because they finished as runners-up to Leon in the 2023 CONCACAF Champions Cup, while America topped the CONCACAF coefficient ranks for the four-year cycle in question to qualify for the competition.

The 2025 Club World Cup will feature 32 of the world's best teams, with eight groups of four competing in a group stage format followed by a World Cup-style knockout round bracket. The competition will be held in the USA one year ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

DID YOU KNOW?

The 2025 tournament will be the largest version of the competition to date, with the expansion to 32 teams. The first game will be played at Hard Rock Stadium on June 14, when Inter Miami takes on Egyptian giants Al Ahly SC.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

LAFC and Club America will be preparing for their May 31 showdown, with the winner securing a large sum of prize money, but more importantly, a coveted berth into the Club World Cup.

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