Louis van Gaal is not expecting a classic World Cup encounter between the Netherlands and Argentina on Friday due to the way football has evolved .
The quarter-final at Lusail Stadium will be the sixth finals meeting between the two sides.
Those previous clashes include a dominant Netherlands win in 1974, a controversial 1978 final and Dennis Bergkamp s memorable winner at this stage in 1998.
Most recently, however, Van Gaal s Netherlands and Argentina played out a goalless draw in the semi-finals eight years ago, with La Albiceleste advancing on penalties.
Speaking at a pre-match news conference on Thursday, Van Gaal appeared to suggest a similarly tight affair was likely this time.
Explaining his new vision , the Oranje coach had a very attackin…
David Raya has joined Arsenal on a permanent basis after spending a successful season on loan from Brentford in 2023-24.
Raya joined Arsenal on a season-long loan deal last year, with the Gunners paying a £3million loan fee and agreeing a £27m option to make the move permanent.
He edged out Aaron Ramsdale to earn a starting spot and kept 16 clean sheets as Mikel Arteta s team finished as Premier League runners-up, winning the competition s Golden Glove award.
Everton s Jordan Pickford (13) was the only other goalkeeper to keep more than 10 clean sheets in the competition.
Raya did, however, concede 24 goals from 20.93 expected goals on target (xGoT) faced.
David Raya, here to stay
It’s official: last season’s Golden Glove winner ha…
With all eyes from across the continent falling on the Albanian city of Tirana, Roma claimed their first European trophy as they clinched a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Feyenoord on Wednesday night.
Lifting this season s inaugural Europa Conference League title and writing their own piece of history in doing so, it was Nicolo Zaniolo who cemented his spot in Giallorossi folklaw just after the half hour mark.
Producing a clever flick past Feyenoord s returning goalkeeper Justin Bijlow and sending Wednesday s traveling support into overdrive, there is no doubt that the party back in Italy will run into the early hours.
Overcoming a second-half rally from their Dutch opponents, we have taken a look at the main talking points as Roma lifted the Europa Conference …
Kenny McLean says Arsenal didn t have to be good to thrash beleaguered Norwich City 5-0 on Boxing Day.
Bukayo Saka scored in each half, with Kieran Tierney, Alexandre Lacazette and substitute Emile Smith Rowe also finding the net at Carrow Road as Arsenal recorded their joint-biggest margin of victory away from home in a Premier League match.
McLean, however, feels that Norwich did not make Arsenal work for their win and warned the bottom-of-the-table Canaries must make life much more difficult for opponents.
That s the worst result we have had recently for sure against a good Arsenal team who didn t have to be good, McLean said to the BBC.
We gave them everything. We need to show some character. We re not here to complain about injuries and Covid-19.…
Manchester City right-back Kyle Walker will sign a new contract with the club, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Italian journalist has reported on Twitter that Walker has told City that he is staying and does not want to leave for Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in the summer transfer window.
Romano has claimed that there is an expectation that Walker will put pen to paper on a new contract with City by the end of next week. The 33-year-old right-back has been on the books of the Citizens since 2017 and is out of contract with the Premier League champions at the end of next season. Walker helped Pep Guardiola’s side win the Premier League, the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League last season.
https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1690635930875367424
Wa…
Cristiano Ronaldo says Al-Nassr could well be the last club of his career before he retires.
Ronaldo made the move to the Saudi Pro League during the 2022-23, after he was released by Manchester United, and has since scored 74 goals in 81 games in all competitions for Al-Nassr, averaging a goal every 97 minutes.
Last season, Ronaldo broke the record for the most goals in a Saudi Pro League season, scoring 35.
At the age of 39, Ronaldo has no plans to retire just yet, but he suggested he is likely to bring the curtain down on his trophy-laden career at his current club.
He told Portuguese channel NOW: I don t know if I ll finish soon or in two or three years. But, possibly, it will be at Al-Nassr.
It s the team where I m happy, where I m good, whe…
Everton midfielder Amadou Onana will miss Belgium’s Euro 2024 qualifiers later this month with a groin problem.
The 21-year-old was scheduled to be in the squad to face Austria on June 17 and Estonia the following Tuesday.
“Amadou Onana will not feature for Belgium in upcoming internationals due to a minor groin injury and will return to Finch Farm to be treated by club medical staff,” said an Everton statement.
“He is expected to be fit for the start of Everton’s pre-season training next month.”
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Russia playmaker Alan Dzagoev has been forced to pull out of the squad for Euro 2016 due to a foot injury.
Dzagoev scored the only goal of the game as CSKA Moscow beat Rubin Kazan on Saturday to secure the Russian premier League title.
Attacking midfielder Dzagoev completed the full 90 minutes against Rubin, but complained about pain in his foot afterwards and consequently underwent further examination on Sunday, which have shown a fractured metatarsal.
National team coach Leonid Slutsky has called up Krasnodar midfielder Dmitri Torbinski as Dzagoev s replacement.
Torbinski was left out Russia s initial squad, having made 28 appearances for Russia, scoring twice in the process.
Russia begin their tournament against England on June 11, before facin…
Sporting Kansas City head coach Peter Vermes wants to see a better defensive display when they travel to Columbus Crew in the MLS on Saturday.
Sporting KC sit second from bottom in the Western Conference, having won just three of their 19 games so far.
After back-to-back losses to LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake in which they conceded four goals in both, Vermes admitted they needed to rectify the situation as soon as possible.
I can t deny the fight of the guys, but defensively, it s too soft, he said. Unfortunately, it s similar to what happens in a lot of games.
We can be fighting back in a game and give away a nothing goal. There s a ton of chances that could put us way ahead, but we can t be giving up the goals that we give up. That s it; that s the ga…
Vinicius Junior came off the bench to score one and assist another as Real Madrid battled from behind for a 4-1 fightback victory over Espanyol in LaLiga.
Madrid dominated proceedings on Saturday but fell behind in the 54th minute after a rare blunder by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who inadvertently deflected a low cross from Jofre into his own net.
Carlo Ancelotti s side found an equaliser just four minutes later, however, with a close-range strike by Dani Carvajal on the follow-up from Jude Bellingham s cross.
Vinicius worked his magic soon after, lifting a brilliant cross to Rodrygo – who netted with a 75th-minute first-time effort – before scoring himself with a tidy finish from a counter-attack only three minutes later.
Kylian Mbappe finished of…