Category: Ligue 1

USMNT defender McKenzie completes transfer to Toulouse

The 25-year-old becomes the first America to ever play for the French club

Mark McKenzie has joined Ligue 1 side Toulouse on a transfer from Genk, the clubs announced on Friday.

McKenzie, 25, spent four seasons in Belgium with Genk, making 128 appearances.

The U.S. men’s national team defender told his new club’s website that he was ready to make the next step in his career.

“I am 25 years old, I have been playing in Belgium for several seasons now and I simply wanted to move up a level in my career,” the defender said.

“I think it was the right time. Above all, I wanted to make the right choice by joining a team with a real playing identity, a project that fits with my ambitions and a way of playing that matches my profile.”

The defender had been recently linked with a move to Germany, but will instead continue his career in the French top flight.

McKenzie will become the first American to ever play for Toulouse, which has finished mid-table in Ligue 1 the past two seasons.

“It’s always special to be the first to do something, no matter what it is,” he said. “It’s an honor to represent the United States so far. It adds a little pressure, yes, but I have to raise my own standards, lead the way and maybe inspire some in America.”

McKenzie has earned 13 caps for the USMNT. He was on the team’s roster for this summer’s Copa América but did not make an appearance at the tournament.

[lawrence-related id=79970,79928,79837]

Rumored USMNT coaching candidate Vieira leaves Strasbourg

The timing of the Frenchman’s departure raised some eyebrows

Patrick Vieira has departed RC Strasbourg by mutual consent, the Ligue 1 side announced on Thursday.

Vieira served one season as Strasbourg head coach, leading the club to a 13th-place finish in 2023-24.

The timing of Vieira’s departure has raised some eyebrows, as the 48-year-old Arsenal legend has recently been mentioned as a candidate for the vacant U.S. men’s national team position.

Earlier this week, former USMNT striker Taylor Twellman said that Vieira was interested in job.

“There’s one name that I’ve said from the beginning that has a real interest in this, and that’s Patrick Vieira,” Twellman said on the Rich Eisen Show.

“He won a World Cup as a player. He loves the American player. But he also walks into that room and every single player’s tail is going to be between their legs because he doesn’t hold back on anyone.”

After Vieira left Strasbourg on Thursday, reporter Fabrizio Romano added that the Frenchman was “under consideration” for the USMNT job.

TUDN, meanwhile, went one step further and said that U.S. Soccer and Vieira were in talks over the role.

Though Strasbourg framed Vieira’s departure as mutual, L’Equipe reported that the club actually sacked the coach for not being in accordance with its project.

Vieira is seen as a strong candidate for the USMNT position because of his sterling playing career, which included a World Cup win with France and several league titles with Arsenal and Inter, as well as his coaching experience in the U.S. and abroad.

The Frenchman began his coaching career in Manchester City’s academy, and his first senior role was with New York City FC, giving him a window into the American game. Vieira departed NYCFC in 2018 and has gone on to coach Nice and Crystal Palace.

The USMNT position has been vacant since Gregg Berhalter was dismissed last week in the wake of the team’s stunning group-stage exit at the Copa América.

[lawrence-related id=78191,78158,78070]

Keylor Navas announces Costa Rica national team retirement

Arguably the greatest Costa Rica player ever has called it a career at the national team level

One of Costa Rica’s all-time greats has played his last game for the Ticos.

Goalkeeper Keylor Navas announced his international retirement on Thursday, ending a national team career that began all the way back in 2008.

Navas announced the news on Instagram, with a post captioned “We will stay united forever, thank you Costa Rica! Pura vida!”

In the video, Navas went on to say that “every moment spent with the national team has been a dream come true that I have enjoyed enormously,” before eventually admitting that “this stage of my life with the national team has come to an end.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/C7U52mFCv_x/

Navas, 37, is in the final weeks of his contract with Paris Saint-Germain, where he has spent the large part of the last five seasons (he also spent half a season on loan with Nottingham Forest in that time).

At PSG, he was first choice more often than not, but has been largely stuck behind Gianluigi Donnarumma over the past two seasons. Earlier in May, Navas announced that he would leave the French giants at season’s end, with rumors in recent weeks linking him to Inter Miami, Newcastle, or a move to Saudi Arabia.

With Costa Rica, Navas has been nothing short of a legend, amassing 114 caps (sixth-most in the country’s men’s national team’s history) and appearing in three World Cups. Navas is considered one of the best goalkeepers in Concacaf history, winning the region’s men’s Player of the Year award twice and a place on the IFFHS Concacaf Team of the Decade for 2011-20.

Costa Rica is set to participate in this summer’s Copa América, and will have to do so with an inexperienced goalkeeper. The other six options to receive call-ups since last summer have a total of 13 caps among them.

[lawrence-related id=28091,66299,68450]

PSG 2024-25 kit leak includes Eiffel Tower tribute on away shirt

Kylian Mbappe may not be wearing these, but they still look pretty nice

PSG’s three main kits for the upcoming season have leaked, which include a striking away shirt that features a tribute to the Eiffel Tower.

Footy Headlines has revealed details of the home kit, away kit and third kit that the Ligue 1 champions will wear during the 2024-25 season.

Kylian Mbappé may be heading for Real Madrid at the end of the season, but the players that remain in Paris — both on the men’s and women’s side — will have some sharp-looking kits to choose from.

The home kit will return to the famed design from Daniel Hechter that features a wide vertical red stripe down the center of the kit. The Hechter design has been a major part of PSG’s history.

The away kit, meanwhile, will include a graphic of the Eiffel Tower along with red and blue accents on a white backdrop.

Finally, the club’s third kit from Jordan Brand will feature a pink design with a black center stripe, also utilizing the Hechter design.

PSG is expected to debut its 2024-25 home kit in Sunday’s home game against Toulouse.

[lawrence-related id=67075,66033,55774]

Mbappe has no mercy for unfortunate Lorient defender

Mbappé, please! This is just unnecessarily cruel!

Woe be to any defender wandering out towards the corner flag to close down Kylian Mbappé.

Lorient defender Nathaniel Adjei suffered the particularly grim fate of trying to close off the Paris Saint-Germain star in an era where brief video clips of athletes doing remarkable things tend to spread quickly. When you’re a center back, going viral is almost never good news.

Adjei was just doing his job on the hour mark as Lorient trailed PSG 2-0, racing after an early ball over the top that picked out Mbappé.

It had already been a tough day at the office, and now this? We’ve all been there, Nathaniel.

It’s just that if you play for Lorient, your matches are televised. That surprise Friday meeting where you didn’t have time to prepare and then immediately got called on to speak by someone three levels up the org chart doesn’t get posted to social media with a music sting from the “slow, gritty hip-hop beats” part of the sample library.

And so, Adjei’s punishment for just being one of the best soccer players on earth in statistical terms, but not being quite as good as Mbappé was this: the France star first appeared to be trying to box Adjei out, only to realize he had the space to spin and face the 21-year-old defender.

Sensing the danger, Adjei threw his left foot at the ball, hoping to spare his blushes and simply concede a corner. Sadly for him, Mbappé saw that coming, dragging the ball away and meting out a terrible punishment for the attempt.

A flash of rapid touches later, and Mbappé strolled confidently away from Adjei, who was nearly falling over simply trying to keep his feet, let alone his dignity.

Just imagine the wave of Lorient fans muttering “mon dieu!” or “zut alors!” or some other French utterance of shock and dismay as this played out. They don’t want to see one of their promising young defenders done dirty like this!

But beyond shielding their eyes in the hopes of keeping the image from being too prominent in their memories, there’s nothing the fans or anyone else can do. If you look closely at the very pro-Lorient stands, you can see people put their hands over their faces as Mbappé mercilessly dances past Adjei.

Not that it’s even all that important in the grand scheme of things when compared to a move like this, but Mbappé had an assist on the play to go with two goals in a 4-1 win.

[lawrence-related id=51432,12681,59876]

Balogun back among the goals with brace as Monaco trounces Metz

It’s badly-needed good news for Balogun, who helped Monaco claim a dominant win

The good news for the U.S. men’s national team just keeps coming.

Folarin Balogun emerged from a tepid run of form to score twice as Monaco thumped Metz 5-2 in Ligue 1 on Saturday.

Balogun came off the bench to score his brace, making him the first American man in a top-five European league to do that since Charlie Davies did so for Sochaux in 2009.

The goals come on the heels of a dominant win over Mexico in the Concacaf Nations League final, and just hours after Tyler Adams came through a 90-minute match unscathed for the first time in just over a year.

For Balogun, the goals will come as a particular relief. The striker entered the match having scored just two times in his last 12 Monaco appearances, and head coach Adi Hütter removed him from penalty-taking duties after multiple high-profile misses from the spot.

That added up to a start on the bench for the 21-year-old, with Wissam Ben Yedder leading the line for the principality-based club as a lone forward. However, Hütter turned to the USMNT striker in the 65th minute, sending him on for Eliesse Ben Seghir.

With the scoreline 3-0 at the time, Balogun could have just gone through the motions, but his effort quite literally made Monaco’s fourth goal.

A spell of pressure put Metz into a bad spot, with goalkeeper Alexandre Oukidja receiving a pass as Monaco pushed numbers forward in the 76th minute.

Balogun’s hard running did the rest, allowing him to block Oukidja’s ill-advised attempt to chop the ball back from where it came, with the ball caroming off the USMNT man and over the line.

Perhaps stung through the embarrassing nature of that goal, Metz replied with two goals in short order. However, before Monaco had to truly sweat, Balogun struck again, sweeping home after Thilo Kehrer’s flick-on caught Metz out on a corner kick.

The double takes Balogun up to eight goals in 25 total appearances this season for Monaco, to go along with five assists.

Watch Balogun’s brace for Monaco

[lawrence-related id=56795,49399,55995]

Balogun responds to penalty nightmare with ruthless goal vs. Marseille

It only took one game for the USMNT forward to bounce back from a brutal outing against Nice

After a brutal game that saw him miss not one, but two penalties, Folarin Balogun produced an ideal response.

The Monaco forward bounced back from last week’s nightmare by scoring in the first half against Marseille on Saturday, leveling the score at 2-2 in just the 23rd minute at Stade Louis II.

Maghnes Akliouche received a pass and quickly found Balogun streaking in behind the Marseiile backline. From there, the USMNT forward was ruthlessly efficient, taking just two touches before slamming an overpowering low strike that beat Pau López at his near post.

It was Balogun’s second goal in four Ligue 1 games so far this season.

Akliouche would end up as the difference-maker on the night, scoring Monaco’s other two goals as the principality side won 3-2 to move into first place in Ligue 1, at least before Sunday’s game between high-flyers Brest and Nice.

The goal was a perfect way for Balogun to put the heartbreak of last week’s 1-0 defeat to Nice behind him.

Playing in his first-ever Derby de la Côte d’Azur, the 22-year-old saw penalties on either side of halftime saved by Nice goalkeeper Marcin Bułka.

After the game, Monaco manager Adi Hütter backed the summer arrival from Arsenal, saying: “Sometimes this is football in the end. We have to help him and we will.

“In the end, we have good conversations and positive communication. In the future, he will help us a lot.”

It only took a week for Balogun to prove his manager right.

[lawrence-related id=28947,28483,29649]

Nice ‘relieved everything ended well’ after player reportedly threatens suicide

The Ligue 1 club said that the player “had been taken care of”

OGC Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivère has said the club is “relieved” after a reported suicide threat from a player ended with him safe.

Multiple reports said that Nice midfielder Alexis Beka Beka sat on the edge of a bridge on Friday morning, with authorities attempting to talk him down for several hours.

Nice cancelled all of its media activities scheduled for Friday ahead of Sunday’s Ligue 1 match against Brest.

In a club statement, Rivère said: “We are above all relieved that everything has turned out well for Alexis today. He has been taken care of.

“We will continue to respect medical confidentiality and we ask everyone to do the same and respect his right to privacy. We are here to help him, as is everyone at the club.”

Beka Beka, 22, joined Nice last summer in a transfer from Lokomotiv Moscow. He made 14 Ligue 1 appearances last season and has yet to appear in a league game this term.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a trained listener, call 988. Visit 988lifeline.org for crisis chat services or for more information.

Balogun has a day to forget, missing two penalties for Monaco in 1-0 loss vs. Nice

It could have gone worse for Balogun on Friday, but not by much

Folarin Balogun will want to forget his first-ever Derby de la Côte d’Azur.

The U.S. men’s national team striker was denied on two penalty kick attempts, a disappointment compounded as Nice pounced with a stoppage-time winner to claim a 1-0 victory at Stade Louis II.

Balogun got the nod for Monaco, starting for the first time since a €40 million summer move from Arsenal, but had two spot kicks saved by Nice goalkeeper Marcin Bułka. Unfortunately for the USMNT striker, it was truly a day to forget.

Bułka denied Balogun for the first time in the 12th minute. Aleksandr Golovin was clipped after racing in behind the Nice defense, but Balogun couldn’t fool the Polish goalkeeper.

In the second half, the situation was only marginally different. Takumi Minamino won the penalty this time, but once again Balogun shot low and to Bułka’s right. This time Balogun offered more power, but Bułka was still quick enough to get down and block the shot.

Monaco’s suffering was compounded seconds into stoppage time, when Jeremie Boga curled home a stunning winner.

Monaco boss Hütter backs Balogun

On the plus side, Monaco manager Adi Hütter told reporters after the match that he still believes in Balogun.

“He was unlucky today, but we win together and we lose together. We have to help him a lot because he is frustrated too,” Hütter said. “He wanted to score the second penalty, but sometimes this is football in the end. We have to help him and we will.

“In the end, we have good conversations and positive communication. In the future, he will help us a lot. He is a young striker. This evening isn’t one of his best, but as I said, we win together, we lose together.”

Still, Balogun made some unwelcome history, becoming the first player in Ligue 1 to miss multiple penalties in a single game since Toifilou Maoulida did the same for Auxerre in 2007.

In his time in France, Balogun has missed three of his nine penalty attempts, with the other miss also coming against Nice last season while he was on loan with Reims.

[lawrence-related id=28483,28026,27222]

USMNT striker Balogun scores first Monaco goal in Lorient draw

Balo is off the mark in just his second appearance for the principality club

Folarin Balogun is off the mark at Monaco.

The U.S. men’s national team striker came off the bench in the second half against FC Lorient on Sunday and within three minutes, he gave his new team the lead.

Balogun’s goal made it 2-1 in the 69th minute and appeared like it would give the principality side all three points.

But with virtually the last kick of the game, Romain Faivre equalized to earn the home side a 2-2 draw.

Monaco still remained in first place in Ligue 1 with the result, having taken three wins and two draws from its first five league matches.

For Balogun, who arrived last month in a €40 million transfer from Arsenal, it was an encouraging start to life with his new side. The 22-year-old was prolific on loan at Reims last season, and he appears set to continue his goalscoring ways in Ligue 1.

Aleksandr Golovin found the USMNT forward in the box, and Balogun did well to quickly turn away from his man and crack a left-footed shot that beat Yvon Mvogo at his near post.

It was just the second Monaco appearance for Balogun, both of which have come of the bench.

Balogun has now scored in two straight games in all competitions, though, as he found the net with the USMNT in Tuesday’s comprehensive 4-0 win over Oman.

Watch Balogun’s first Monaco goal

[lawrence-related id=28026,27222,26732]