Tag: Manchester United

Wrexham coach vaguely threatens Man Utd GK after Mullin left with punctured lung

Star forward Paul Mullin had to be taken to the hospital after being cleared out by Nathan Bishop

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson was furious after a challenge from Manchester United goalkeeper Nathan Bishop left star striker Paul Mullin with a punctured lung.

The incident happened 12 minutes into Tuesday’s friendly between the two sides in San Diego. Bishop came out for a long ball and clattered into Mullin just outside the box, leaving the striker in a heap on the ground.

Mullin had to be given oxygen on the field and was taken to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a punctured lung. Wrexham would ultimately defeat a reserve-filled Man Utd squad 3-1.

After the game, Parkinson couldn’t hide his anger with Bishop and even made a vague-sounding threat toward the 23-year-old, saying “he’s probably best steering clear of us.”

“I’m fuming about it, I’ve got to be honest with you,” Parkinson told the BBC after the game. “I thought it was a clumsy, reckless, dangerous challenge.

“I haven’t seen the goalie and he’s probably best steering clear of us for the time being because we’re not very happy.

“We just got a call from the hospital to say there’s a small puncture in his lung.

“It should have been a straight red. If it’s not denying a goalscoring opportunity it’s still a dangerous challenge, so if you add the two scenarios together he should have been off the pitch.”

Bishop issued an apology to Mullin on Twitter, stating: “Just wanted to share my sincerest apologies to @PMullin7. A complete misjudgement and a genuine accident with 0 malicious intent at all! Wishing you the speediest recovery and hope to see you back scoring goals as soon as possible!”

Mullin was a vital figure in Wrexham’s 2022-23 campaign, scoring 38 league goals as the club was promoted to League Two after winning the National League.

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Edwin van der Sar stable in ICU after brain hemorrhage

The 52-year-old is in the intensive care unit at a hospital in Croatia

Legendary Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is in stable condition after suffering a brain hemorrhage while on vacation in Croatia.

The 52-year-old is in the intensive care unit after De Telegraaf reported he was rushed to the hospital by helicopter.

Van der Sar recently resigned after six years as a director at Ajax, which released a statement on his condition Friday.

“On Friday, Edwin van der Sar has had a bleeding around his brain,” Ajax said on social media. “He’s currently in hospital in the intensive care unit and is in a stable condition.

“Once there is more concrete information, an update will follow. Everyone at Ajax wishes Edwin a speedy recovery. We’re thinking of you.”

The following day, Ajax offered another update, saying Van der Sar “will remain in intensive care for the time being. His condition is stable but still concerning.”

During his playing career, Van der Sar earned 130 caps for the Netherlands while playing for Ajax, Juventus, Fulham and Manchester United, where he won the Premier League four times.

United tweeted on Friday: “Sending all our love and strength to you, Edwin.”

De Telegraaf reported that Van der Sar was on vacation with his wife Annemarie, who suffered a brain hemorrhage herself in 2009 when her husband was at Manchester United. She would go on to make a full recovery.

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Man City makes it a double, claiming FA Cup as Gundogan brace sinks Man United

Man City lifted the FA Cup, but their work in 2023 isn’t quite done

Manchester City’s pursuit of a treble is on.

The blue half of Manchester got the party they wanted at Wembley, as Man City defeated Manchester United 2-1 in the FA Cup Final on Saturday.

Finals are often tetchy and cautious, but Man City had no interest in any of that. With space and time outside the box, İlkay Gündoğan fired his side into the lead after just 13 seconds, a new FA Cup record.

Man City went hunting for a second, but were stunned after VAR caught Jack Grealish handling the ball while jumping. A lengthy check ended with Bruno Fernandes standing over a penalty, with the Man United captain equalizing with ease in the 33rd minute.

Celebrations of that goal were marred by a fan throwing an object that struck Victor Lindelof in the head. Fortunately, Lindelof was able to carry on, only leaving the game late on as part of an apparent tactical change from Erik ten Hag.

The Red Devils had done well to recover from the stunning opener, but had much more trouble getting back on their feet after a deflating second from Gündoğan.

Again, the Germany midfielder struck on the half-volley from outside the box, but this time his contact was far less clean. However, David de Gea appeared to not see the ball’s trajectory until it was nearly over the line, and the bouncing shot skipped past him to give Man City a 52nd minute lead.

It wasn’t long after that Gündoğan tapped home what would have been the first FA Cup hat trick since 1953 only for the offside flag to come up, denying his tap-in after a series of Man City shots kept resulting in friendly rebounds.

Man United offered a sporadic threat on the counter, with Alejandro Garnacho blazing inches wide moments after Gündoğan’s goal was chalked off.

They never got closer than the early seconds of stoppage time, where a desperate ball into the box somehow fell right to Scott McTominay. What followed was a wild sequence including a poor touch, Stefan Ortega deflecting a point-blank Raphaël Varane shot onto the crossbar, and McTominay’s follow-up being helped over the bar.

Man City held on, giving them a domestic double, and it keeps Pep Guardiola’s side on course for a potential three-trophy haul. That will come down to the result of the Champions League final next Saturday, where Man City will face Inter in Istanbul.

“We are in a position we will probably never be in again,” Guardiola told reporters after the match, adding to BBC One that “we can now talk about the treble… Tomorrow and the next day they can have off. We’ve then got three or four sessions to train for Inter Milan. We’ll travel on Thursday morning after training.”

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Forbes ranks 20 most valuable soccer teams in the world

Valuations of the world’s biggest clubs are sky high

Who are the most valuable soccer teams in the world?

With success being more and more tied to an ability to spend, being a “big” club — at least in financial terms — is the clearest indicator of whether a given team is going to contend for trophies in the world’s top leagues.

That said, what defines value doesn’t necessarily require a team to be in the Premier League, La Liga, the Bundesliga, or Serie A. MLS has three teams in the top 20, including LAFC becoming the first club to break the $1 billion valuation barrier.

That said, Europe is still the home of the world’s biggest clubs, and its most valuable. In particular, eight of the top 20 hail from the Premier League, which will not be a particular surprise given the league’s global reach.

Here are Forbes’ 20 most valuable teams in global soccer.

Manchester United vs. Fulham: How to watch, channel, time, lineups, live stream Premier League

How to tune in for Manchester United’s last #EPL clash against #Fulham:

Could Manchester United be on the way toward building another historic run of football?

Locking in a Champions League position next season is a nice start, which the club did on Thursday with a 4-1 thumping of Chelsea. Locking in a third-place finish would be an even nicer touch, which is exactly what the Red Devils can do against Fulham on matchday 38.

The final day of the Premier League season sees Manchester United facing the Cottagers.

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Man U vs Fulham” link=”https://imp.i305175.net/anKDxW”]

Fulham admittedly does not have anything to play for. Their season will end with a 10th place finish regardless of Sunday’s finale. But if you’re looking for momentum heading into next season? A win at United, who have second-best home record (14-3-1) this season, is a great place to start for manager Marco Silva’s side.

Meanwhile, with a single point, Manchester United wrap up the third-place position in the EPL in 2022-23 over Newcastle United as they enter Sunday with a two-point cushion.

However, it might not be so simple. Gaffer Erik Ten Hag could be without multiple players including Antony and Luke Shaw, who picked up knocks against Chelsea.

Ahead of the final game of the season for these two sides, here’s how to catch all the action:

Manchester United vs. Fulham FC:

  • When: Sunday, May 27
  • Time: 11:30 a.m. ET
  • Location: Old Trafford (Manchester)
  • Watch: Peacock

EPL starting lineups

Manchester United possible starting lineup:
De Gea; Dalot, Maguire, Lindelof, Malacia; Fernandes, Casemiro, McTominay; Sancho, Martial, Rashford

Fulham possible starting lineup:
Leno; Tete, Adarabioyo, Diop, Robinson; Reed, Palhinha; Wilson, Cairney, Willian; Mitrovic

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Man U vs Fulham” link=”https://imp.i305175.net/anKDxW”]

English Premier League odds and betting lines

Premier League odds courtesy of Fanduel. Odds were last updated Friday at 4:00 p.m. 

Manchester United (-210) vs. Fulham (+500)

Draw: (+360)

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch every EPL game on Peacock” link=”https://imp.i305175.net/anKDxW”]

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Man United seals Champions League place by beating Chelsea, like everyone does these days

The Champions League will be back at Old Trafford next year

After a year away, Manchester United is back in the Champions League, having taken their final step at poor Chelsea’s expense.

Man United stomped the Blues 4-1 on Friday, handing them their ninth loss in 13 games under caretaker coach Frank Lampard.

Erik ten Hag’s first season in England has not seen linear progress, with Liverpool humiliating them in March and Sevilla serving up a rude reminder about the standard required in Europe in April.

However, the Red Devils ended a six-year trophy drought by winning the Carabao Cup, have the FA Cup final still to play, and are now assured of a return to global soccer’s biggest club event. It hasn’t been perfect, but after descending into “banter club” territory in recent years — last year was in fact their worst-ever Premier League season — it’s major progress.

Speaking of banter clubs, Man United pounced on another woeful Chelsea showing from virtually the opening whistle. Casemiro made their strong start count, heading home a set piece just six minutes in.

Chelsea offered a bit of pushback, but Man United signed off in the first half with Casemiro and Anthony Martial tearing the Blues apart to set Jadon Sancho up for a tap-in.

Bruno Fernandes would pile on with a second-half penalty kick, and Marcus Rashford would add an exclamation point with his 30th goal in all competitions after a defensive error that was embarrassing even by Chelsea’s 2022-23 standards.

Chelsea would get a very late goal from João Félix, but it hardly slowed the celebrations down at Old Trafford.

“This club belongs in the Champions League,” ten Hag told Sky Sports after the match. “It’s not easy [to win] Premier League, so a lot compete for that. It’s massive when you get it done.”

“We’re still not where we want to be but we’re back in the Champions League, and I think that was a really important step,” added the Dutch coach, who had continental success with Ajax that included a run to the semifinals in the 2018-19 Champions League.

Like ten Hag, Fernandes was both pleased to be back in UEFA’s biggest showcase, and not satisfied with where Man United is overall.

The Portugal midfielder called being back in the Champions League merely “decent,” adding that “it’s not perfect because we want more. For what we did this season, it’s perfect… Now it’s about finishing the league well and going to [the] FA Cup.”

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Manchester United vs. Chelsea: Live stream, channel, time, lineups, how to watch Premier League

How to watch the mid-week clash between the Manchester United & Chelsea #MUFC #CFC

It’s all or nothing on Thursday between Manchester United and Chelsea.

That is, in terms of what these two sides are respectively playing for…

United are the favorites to be the final team representing the English Premier League in next season’s Champions League. Manchester City, Arsenal and Newcastle United are all locked in. Manchester United sit three points clear of Liverpool with a game in-hand.

With a win… scratch that, a point against Chelsea, it’s over. Manchester United will lock in their Champions League position.

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Manager Erik ten Hag will still have his Red Devils looking for the win, though. There’s a chance United could still finish in third ahead of Newcastle, so they’ll be a full-go… which could be bad news for the disaster that is Chelsea.

The Blues have two games remaining before Mauricio Pochettino takes over as bench boss. It’s all about pride for the 12th place side. Could that spell bad news or will this banged up Chelsea side want to show the new gaffer–who will undoubtedly be watching–that he should keep them around?

Ahead of the pivotal matchup, here is everything you need to know to stream the action:

Manchester United vs. Chelsea:

  • When: Thursday, May 25
  • Time: 3:00 p.m. EST
  • Location: Old Trafford (Manchester)
  • Watch: Peacock

EPL starting lineups

Manchester United possible starting lineup:
De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Lindelof, Shaw; Casemiro, Eriksen; Antony, Fernandes, Sancho; Rashford

Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Kepa; Chalobah, Silva, Fofana; Azpilicueta, Fernandez, Loftus-Cheek, Hall; Gallagher, Madueke; Havertz

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch Man U vs. Chelsea” link=”https://imp.i305175.net/vN2Vmy”]

English Premier League odds and betting lines

Premier League odds courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook. Odds were last updated Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. 

Manchester United (-165) vs. Chelsea (+420)

Draw: (+330)

[afflinkbutton text=”Watch every EPL game on Peacock” link=”https://imp.i305175.net/vN2Vmy”]

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Soccer Champions Tour 2023: Schedule, tickets, stadiums and more

El Clásico is coming back to the U.S.

El Clásico is coming back to the United States.

Barcelona and Real Madrid will face off on U.S. soil for the third time, with their match at the 105,000-seat AT&T Stadium in Texas highlighting this summer’s Soccer Champions Tour.

The eight-game event will include those two Spanish juggernauts — who will play four games apiece during their U.S. trip — plus Juventus, AC Milan, Arsenal, and Manchester United.

The series, which is being put on by investment firm Sixth Street, event promoter Legends, and AEG, the owners of the LA Galaxy, will be played in California, Texas, Nevada, and Florida. Seven of the eight matches will take place in NFL or college football stadiums, while Juventus will meet AC Milan at the Galaxy’s home, Dignity Health Sports Park.

Kickoff times have not yet been announced, and in a release announcing the event, it was noted that “the matches remain subject to approval by the relevant football authorities.” An exclusive pre-sale window will begin May 16, with tickets going on sale for the general public on May 19.

Here are the Soccer Champions Tour fixtures for 2023 in the United States, including how to purchase tickets.

Soccer Champions Tour 2023 (times ET)

Saturday, July 22: FC Barcelona vs. Juventus at Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif. TICKETS.

Sunday, July 23: Real Madrid vs. AC Milan at The Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, Calif. TICKETS.

Wednesday, July 26: Arsenal vs. FC Barcelona at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Calif. TICKETS.

Wednesday, July 26: Real Madrid vs. Manchester United at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas. TICKETS.

Thursday, July 27: Juventus vs. AC Milan at Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, Calif. TICKETS.

Saturday, July 29: FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas. TICKETS.

Tuesday, Aug. 1: AC Milan vs, FC Barcelona at Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, Nev. TICKETS.

Wednesday, Aug. 2: Juventus vs. Real Madrid at Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Fla. TICKETS.

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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.