Tag: Aston Villa

Aston Villa USA tour 2024: Schedule, tickets, stadiums and more

The Villains will be back in the U.S. for a second straight year

Aston Villa is heading back to the United States this summer.

After playing three matches in the U.S. as part of the Premier League Summer Series in 2023, the Villains will return in 2024.

Unai Emery’s side will again play three matches this year, but its opponents will be far different than the three fellow Premier League sides it faced last year.

Villa will take on MLS champions Columbus Crew, German power RB Leipzig, and will close its tour against Liga MX giant Club América.

Here are Aston Villa’s fixtures for its 2024 summer tour of the United States, along with information on purchasing tickets.

Aston Villa USA tour 2024

July 27: Aston Villa vs. Columbus Crew — Lower.com Field, Columbus, OH. TICKETS.

July 31: Aston Villa vs. RB Leipzig — Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ.

August 3: Aston Villa vs. Club América — Soldier Field, Chicago, IL.

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Bournemouth coach Iraola rules Adams out for another game

It will be the fourth straight match Adams has missed with a back injury

Tyler Adams looks set to miss a fourth consecutive match due to back spasms, according to Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola.

Adams has been held out of three straight matches due to back trouble, and Sunday’s trip to Aston Villa appears to be too soon for the U.S. men’s national team midfielder.

Iraola gave updates on several injured Cherries players at his pre-match press conference on Friday, but did not specifically mention Adams among that group.

The coach was then asked about the remainder of his injured players, to which he replied: “Some are getting closer but I don’t expect them for the Villa game, no.”

The back injury is turning into an increasingly frustrating setback for Adams, who only returned from nearly a year out last month.

Adams was sidelined after a hamstring surgery in March 2023, and had to have a second operation after suffering a setback upon his return in September.

The 25-year-old’s start against Everton on March 30 marked his first time playing a full match in over a year.

Overall, Adams has made just three appearances for Bournemouth this season. He made an emphatic return to the USMNT in the Nations League last month, scoring a memorable long-range strike against Mexico in the final.

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Leon Bailey blasts Jamaican federation as he announces break from national team

Bailey was unsparing in his assessment of the “unprofessional” Jamaica Football Federation

Leon Bailey has declared that he will “take a break” from the Jamaican national team over issues stemming from what he called a low level of professionalism.

Ahead of the Reggae Boyz’s Concacaf Nations League semifinal against the U.S. men’s national team, the Aston Villa winger lit into the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) — long a target of criticism from players on its national teams — over basic missteps involving equipment, travel arrangements, and more.

Speaking on the Let’s Be Honest podcast, Bailey was unsparing in his criticism of the JFF.

“A lot of people don’t know that most of the time, I book my own flights to come and represent Jamaica because they are very unprofessional,” explained Bailey. “You’re getting your flight details [at] 11 p.m. to travel the next day. [The JFF] doesn’t pay us. I can’t remember the last time I received a dollar from the national team. It’s very unprofessional, in ways you can’t even imagine.”

Bailey then turned to how even being provided with team apparel to train in has been a problem.

“You’re turning up and they don’t have equipment for you. You’ll go and they’ll only have one shirt for you, and you have to find shorts,” said a bemused Bailey. “Players turn up to games and it’s a women’s shirt they print out for them to wear. It’s ridiculous and they don’t know how to operate.”

Bailey gave something of a conflicting accounting of whether he had let Jamaica know about the problems. At one point, he told host Jaii Frais he hadn’t, but later said he butts heads with the JFF in every international window.

“It’s two things I’ve always asked them for, and every time, I can’t get it. You have people booking flights for me and sending me from England to Jamaica with three different stops,” insisted Bailey. “All I ask for is a proper flight and a room by myself, and I can’t get that. If I don’t go the national team, I can go on my vacation and I can live good.”

Bailey: Jamaica’s national team ‘not doing anything for me’

Bailey wouldn’t have been available to take on the USMNT on Thursday, as head coach Heimir Hallgrímsson had suspended him over missing curfew during a November camp.

Bailey admitted that he did violate team rules, but said he took exception to how Hallgrímsson presented the news to the public.

“I did break curfew, but that’s normal. Every player does that,” said Bailey, who added that the suspension was not so much of a big deal in and of itself as it was just the last straw. “It’s just the way how it was presented that I didn’t like.

“[Hallgrímsson] did say to me that he wasn’t going to invite me to the next camp but, way before this happened, I always had it in my head that this is too much on my plate when it comes to the national team, and I was really going to take a break from it, and then [the suspension] just tipped off everything… I felt that was really harsh and it just said to me that me being in the national team right now, it really drains my energy a lot.”

Bailey won’t be alone in missing the match for Jamaica. Striker Michail Antonio withdrew from the roster for unspecified reasons, while Trivante Stewart is suspended by the team over a curfew violation last year. Ethan Pinnock and Amari’i Bell are unavailable due to injury, while Demarai Gray and Shamar Nicholson are suspended due to yellow-card accumulation.

Beyond that, the 26-year-old framed his appearances with Jamaica as a favor to the national team that he does out of pride in his country.

“Jamaica’s national team is not doing anything for me,” explained the Villa star. “Jamaica’s national team is not going to give me exposure. Playing for Jamaica is not going to make Real Madrid call me. I am shining light on the national team by playing overseas and representing as a Jamaican all the time. People know Leon Bailey everywhere in the world…

“I am Jamaican and I love my country, and hopefully one day my kids can come up and grow up in a better environment than I did. But sometimes I think about it and realize that these things were happening before I was born so, can I be the change?”

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Aston Villa players really hate their super-sweaty jerseys

“The players look like they’ve jumped in a swimming pool after about 10 minutes”

Aston Villa’s new jerseys have reportedly become a major issue at the club, with players feeling their ultra-absorbent design is having a negative impact on their performances.

The issue can clearly be seen in any Villa game. After several minutes of play the kits, manufactured by Castore, become sopping wet as players’ sweat is soaked up.

A source told The Telegraph: “The players are having to play in soaking wet t-shirts and it is a problem that needs to be solved. It cannot go on all season. The players look like they’ve jumped in a swimming pool after about 10 minutes.”

Per The Guardian, the club has approached Castore and demanded new kits. But before any new design can arrive, this weekend will see a new issue for Villa as its women’s team begins Women’s Super League play.

“This is going to be a big problem,” pundit Jacqui Oatley told the BBC.

“They’ve got four TV games coming up,” said Oatley. “Normally they’d absolutely relish those games and look forward to them. But they’re actually dreading it because they’re really conscious about how they’re going to look in this wet, clingy kit — for obvious reasons.”

The Villa women’s team has played some of its preseason matches wearing training tops, rather than its new kits.

“You can imagine, as a female athlete, you have plenty enough to think about just being the best you can be on the football field without thinking about getting sweaty and your kit clinging to you, both from a performance aspect as it is with the men but also from an aesthetic aspect,” Oatley added.

“And, as we know, women are different specimens when it comes to our bodies and it can really affect us and how we perform if we’re constantly thinking about how we look, or a top might be clinging to our breasts and also our body shapes.

“These are genuine issues for women which you would have thought somebody would have thought through before they released this kit.”

Villa signed a multi-year deal with Castore in May 2022.

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Which Premier League teams are owned by Americans?

Half of the Premier League’s 20 teams are now under majority American ownership. 

With the news of Everton’s takeover by U.S. private equity firm 777 Partners, the influence of American owners in the Premier League has never been higher.

When that deal goes through, it will mean that exactly half of the Premier League’s 20 teams are under American ownership. That includes four of the league’s biggest teams: Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool.

The English top flight has become an attractive investment for prospective owners as the league’s revenue from broadcast deals continues to skyrocket.

Here, we have listed all 10 Premier League clubs currently under American ownership. Some of the clubs include multiple owners/investors, so the American owners are italicized in those cases.

Premier League home stretch: Where things stand as season enters its final month

Some teams are having a blast, while others are going through it

The Premier League is getting down to the nitty-gritty.

The end of the season is approaching, with most teams having five or six games left to secure a trophy, a spot in Europe, or just keep themselves in the top flight for another year.

For some teams, the end of the season was expected to be a pressure-cooker, but has instead been something of a celebration. For others, it’s one last chance to fight their way to safety, or at least salvage some pride in an otherwise disappointing season.

Here’s where everyone stands heading into the last month of the 2022-23 season.

Chelsea headlines six-team Premier League Summer Series in USA

The Premier League will hold its first pre-season tournament in the USA this summer

The Premier League will hold its first preseason tournament in the USA this summer, as six teams were confirmed for the nine-game Premier League Summer Series in late July.

Chelsea will headline the event and will be joined by Aston Villa, Brentford, Brighton, Fulham and Newcastle.

Five venues will play host to the games, with Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia hosting the opener on July 22 between Chelsea and Brighton.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Red Bull Arena in New Jersey and FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland will also host games.

Though Premier League sides have been doing preseason tours of the U.S. for years, this is the first preseason tournament in America involving Premier League sides, mirroring the Premier League Asia Trophy.

“We are delighted to be bringing six clubs to the USA in July for the first-ever Premier League Summer Series,” Premier League CEO Richard Masters said in a statement.

“Our clubs have incredible supporters in the U.S., who passionately follow their teams throughout the season.

“We have seen this dedication first-hand from the tens of thousands who have attended our Mornings Live fan events and are excited to be building on this by bringing live Premier League action to five cities this summer.

“We are currently enjoying one of the most competitive Premier League seasons of all time at both ends of the table and I am sure we will see some thrilling matches during the tournament.”

Premier League Summer Series 2023 schedule (all kick-off times local)

July 22 – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Match 1: Chelsea vs. Brighton (7 p.m.)

July 23 – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
Match 2: Fulham vs. Brentford (4 p.m.)
Match 3: Newcastle vs. Aston Villa (7 p.m.)

July 26 – Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta
Match 4: Brentford vs. Brighton (5:30 p.m.)
Match 5: Chelsea vs. Newcastle (8:15 p.m.)

July 26 – Exploria Stadium, Orlando
Match 6: Fulham vs. Aston Villa (7 p.m.)

July 28 – Red Bull Arena, New Jersey
Match 7: Brighton vs. Newcastle (7:30 p.m.)

July 30 – FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland
Match 8: Aston Villa vs. Brentford (12:00 p.m.)
Match 9: Chelsea vs. Fulham (2:45 p.m.)

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Steven Gerrard out at Aston Villa following ugly Fulham defeat

Fans calling for Gerrard to go didn’t have to wait very long

Just like that, it’s over for Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa.

The former Liverpool and England midfielder was dismissed by Villa shortly after Thursday’s disastrous 3-0 loss to Fulham. The defeat left the club in 17th, with goal difference the only thing keeping them out of the relegation zone. With most clubs having played 11 matches, only Wolves (five) have scored fewer goals than Villa’s seven.

“Aston Villa Football Club can confirm that Head Coach Steven Gerrard has left the club with immediate effect,” read a terse press release from the club announcing the change. “A club spokesman said: ‘We would like to thank Steven for his hard work and commitment and wish him well for the future.'”

A clearly dispirited Gerrard, speaking after the match, admitted that  “the first half shocked me,” and that the performance on the day “was nowhere near good enough.”

Fulham took the lead through Harrison Reed in the 36th minute before an Aleksandar Mitrović penalty and a late Tyrone Mings own goal provided the final margin on a day where only one team truly turned up to play.

Villa fans that made the trip to Craven Cottage chanted for Gerrard to go as their side drifted towards a listless loss.

Gerrard was hired away from Rangers in November 2021, initially signing a contract that would have kept him at Villa until the end of the 2025 season. Gerrard helped the club to a 10W-5D-12L record from that point on, enough to finish 10 points above the drop zone after a poor start to the year.

However, Villa has posted a disappointing 2W-3D-6L record thus far this season, and showed an alarming lack of intensity as Fulham brushed them aside.

The swiftness of Villa’s move to fire Gerrard is such that the club didn’t even return from Fulham before announcing the news. That, per a report in The Athletic, meant that Gerrard was on the Villa bus heading back to Birmingham even as the world was finding out that he was no longer the team’s manager.

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Rachel Daly leaves Houston Dash, signs with Aston Villa

The Dash’s all-time leading scorer is off to the WSL

After six-and-a-half years, Rachel Daly has left the Houston Dash, signing with Aston Villa in the Women’s Super League in England.

Villa on Tuesday announced that they had signed Daly to a three-year contract, paying Houston an unspecified transfer fee to complete the deal.

“My time in Houston has been a journey. Not many people can say they have played at the same club for seven years. I am honored to have worn orange for that length of time,” Daly told the Dash team site. “I absolutely love this club and the city of Houston. I have created memories that will last a lifetime. I feel happy knowing that I am leaving this club in a much better place than when I arrived. I can’t wait to see the future success of the Houston Dash. I want to thank everyone, from the bottom of my heart.”

In a personal statement posted to her Twitter account, Daly cited a desire to be closer to her family back in England as the motivation for the move.

“It pains me to say goodbye,” wrote Daly. “This past year for myself and my family has been incredibly tough. The silver lining has been bringing football home and getting the opportunity to be around family. This made me realize this is exactly what I needed, to be home.”

Daly leaves Houston as the club’s all-time leading goalscorer, having posted 37 regular season goals. She had been Houston’s captain for years, and was named MVP of the 2020 Challenge Cup, which saw the Dash win a trophy for the first time. Recently, Daly was a starter for England as they won Euro 2022 in what could be a landmark moment for women’s soccer in the country.

“This is a big signing for us and one we’ve worked hard on completing. Rachel is a top forward and a proven goalscorer,” said Villa manager Carla Ward in a team statement announcing the move. “Having performed admirably at full-back this summer, she showed us that she is a player you simply need in your team. But for us, she is a forward and we can’t wait to see her scoring goals.”

While losing your captain and all-time leading scorer in the middle of the season is never ideal, Houston seems to already have a solution in place. With Daly away with England, the Dash traded for Ebony Salmon, who has scored six times in five games since a midseason trade from Racing Louisville.

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Man City se disculpa por el ataque del portero de Aston Villa por los fans

Manchester City se tuvo que disculpar con el portero del Aston Villa Robin Olsen, quien fue agredido por fans durante una invasión de la canche después del partido que le dio el campeonato al City. City produjo una volteta de tres goles para …

Manchester City se tuvo que disculpar con el portero del Aston Villa Robin Olsen, quien fue agredido por fans durante una invasión de la canche después del partido que le dio el campeonato al City.

City produjo una volteta de tres goles para quitarle de las manos el título de la Premier League al Liverpool, derrotando al Villa 3-2 en el Etihad Stadium.

Después del silbato final los fans entraron a la cancha para celebrar su cuarto título en cinco temporadas, resultando en escenas caóticas.

En medio del caos, el portero del Villa fue víctima de un ataque y el City ha prometido encontrar al responsable y que se hará justicia.

“Manchester City quisiera disculparse sinceramente con el portero del Aston Villa Robin Olsen, quien fue agredido después del silbato final en el juego de hoy cuando los fans entraron a la cancha,” leía una declaración del club.

“El club ha iniciado una investigación inmediata y una vez identificado, el individuo responsable recibirá un veto indefinido del estadio.”

Gerrard furioso por la agresión a Olsen.

El entrenador del Aston Villa, Steven Gerrard estaba entendiblemente molesto al ver la agresión, y lazó preguntas acerca del incidente al Man City y su entrenador Pepe Guardiola.

A Gerrard le preguntaron durante la conferencia de prensa si sus jugadores estaban sanos y salvos después de la invasión a la cancha, a lo que respondió: “La respuesta a eso es no. Mi portero fue atacado, así que considero que esa pregunta se al deberían hacer a Pep y al Manchester City.

Al ser cuestionado que tan lastimado estaba Olsen, Gerrard respondió: “Ahora vamos a ir a revisar eso.”

Traducción.- Mi potero fue agredido.

Vean la agresión a Olsen

Traducción.- Han salido imagenes impactantes del portero del Aston Villa siendo agredido en varias ocasiones al salir de la canche del Etihad