Roy Krishna scored the lone goal as Odisha FC kept their third consecutive clean sheet and extended their unbeaten streak in all competitions to 10 games to secure a 1-0 victory over Punjab FC in the ISL 2023-24 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Tuesday. The Juggernauts rode on an early opener by Fijian forward Roy Krishna to take three points from this clash as the home side fell short of building upon their maiden victory in the competition that they notched last week against Chennaiyin FC in the ISL 2023-24. True to head coach Sergio Lobera’s philosophy, the visitors held the major chunk of the possession (64.7%) as they outclassed the opponents at the centre of the park to maintain their assertiveness in the flow of play across both halves. Odisha FC were unfortunately unable to break the deadlock in their goalless draw away from home against East Bengal FC. Lobera addressed that by unleashing his striker duo of Krishna and Diego Mauricio, helping the Juggernauts pile constant pressure on the ISL debutants. Ahmed Jahouh delivered a precise corner from a set-piece in the 18th minute that Krishna hammered just off target on the right side of the net. However, the fact that the incumbent Super Cup winners had put Punjab FC on the back foot helped them convert one of these opportunities, which was brought about by promising young winger Isak Vanlalruatfela three minutes later. Also Read: Pele’s son Edinho: 'Dad would have been sad at the state of Brazil team' Isak has improved significantly under Lobera’s tutelage. He set up the winner for Krishna from very close range and the former Bengaluru FC star didn’t blink twice before depositing the ball into the back of the net. That was followed by Mauricio hitting on target, as he scrapped through a tight situation to shoot from a difficult angle in the 27th minute, but the home side kept that effort at bay. Punjab FC too had their chances, with Samuel Kynshi and Madih Talal joining hands to take shots at the Odisha FC defence. However, a strong backline guarded by a seasoned goalkeeper in Amrinder Singh, who now has 44 clean sheets in his ISL career, ensured that the home team caused little damage to their winning prospects. Krishna, who scored in the 21st minute, played 38 passes, made three tackles and crosses each, in addition to netting the winner for Odisha FC. Whilst the strike in itself was very important, his overall contributions to the build-up cannot be understated either. Next-up for Odisha FC will be a home match against Jamshedpur FC on December 29, whereas for Punjab FC, the first half has come to an end with this match. (With agency inputs)
27 December,2023 09:22 AM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentNuno Espirito Santo clinched his first win in charge of Nottingham Forest as Chris Wood’s hat-trick against his former club Newcastle inspired a 3-1 victory. Wood left Newcastle to join Forest in a GBP15 million ($19 million) deal in June, but had scored only four times for his new club. The 32-year-old New Zealand international managed just two league goals for Newcastle last term, but he surpassed that meagre total with a treble in 60 minutes at St James’ Park. Also Read: Pele’s son Edinho: 'Dad would have been sad at the state of Brazil team' Alexander Isak’s first half penalty put Newcastle ahead, but Wood equalised just before the break. He struck twice more in the second half to give former Tottenham manager Nuno his maiden victory with Forest in his second game in charge after replacing the sacked Steve Cooper. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
27 December,2023 07:39 AM IST | London | AFPPele “would have been sad” at the state of the current Brazilian national team, his son Edinho has told AFP in an interview days before the first anniversary of his death on Friday. Brazil have struggled in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and presently occupy sixth place in the South American table, the last spot that affords direct qualification. The Selecao have struggled without their biggest current star, Neymar, who is a long-term injury absentee after tearing knee ligaments. “This crisis didn’t appear overnight, there are big and complex problems. There is no doubt, if [Pele] had been there this year, he would have been very sad,” said Edinho, 53, who is one of Pele’s seven children. Also Read: Fluminense midfielder Andre on Man City’s radar “We are experiencing a decline...we still have great players but in previous times we had more high-level players than we do today,” added Edinho, who was raised by his mother as Pele and her separated shortly after they moved to New York when he signed for New York Cosmos in 1975 but grew closer to him in later life. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
27 December,2023 07:36 AM IST | Sao Paulo | AFPManchester City are considering a move for Fluminense and Brazil international midfielder Andre, according to media reports in the South American country. But the reigning Premier League and European champions face competition for his signature from Barcelona and Liverpool, newspaper O Globo reported on Monday, reports Xinhua. Also Read: Man City fined Rs 1.2cr for behaviour towards ref It added that the 22-year-old impressed Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola during the FIFA Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia, which the Premier League club won by defeating Fluminense 4-0 in the final last Friday. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
27 December,2023 07:30 AM IST | Rio de Janeiro | IANSAll India Football Federation (AIFF) President Kalyan Chaubey has called for a meeting with the Referees Committee and Chief Refereeing Officer Trevor Kettle on December 31 to review the refereeing situation in the country. A team of referee assessors will also attend the meeting which will also discuss the way forward on the matter. Also Read: Jr Chess Grand Prix: Top seed Guru, Darsh set for title clash “AIFF President @kalyanchaubey is set to meet the members of the Referees Committee, AIFF Chief Refereeing Officer Trevor Kettle, and a team of Referee Assessors on December 31, 2023, to review refereeing issues and discuss a way forward,” the AIFF said. Refereeing decisions have been a hot topic of discussion in the footballing world recently, and even more so in India, after seven players were sent off in the Indian Super League (ISL) match between Mumbai City FC and Mohun Bagan. Additionally, seven yellow cards were also shown in the match won 2-1 by hosts Mumbai City on December 20. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
26 December,2023 07:40 AM IST | New Delhi | PTIFIFA warned Brazil it could suspend its national teams and clubs from international competitions if an intervention by its football body leads to the election of a new president in January. FIFA said in a letter to a Brazilian football executive that the country’s football body CBF could face suspension if it does not heed its call to wait and instead holds a swift election to replace Ednaldo Rodrigues as president regardless. The document was obtained by The Associated Press. A Rio de Janeiro court removed Rodrigues and all his appointees at CBF from office on Dec. 7 due to irregularities in his election last year. Brazil’s two highest courts upheld that ruling last week. Football’s governing body FIFA historically rejects government and third-party interference in its member associations, which ultimately could leave five-time World Cup winners Brazil out of major competitions until the crisis is solved. Also Read: ‘The players care’ The Rio court ruling also named Jose Perdiz, the head of Brazil’s top sports court, as an intervener to organise new elections for the presidency within 30 working days. FIFA said in previous letters to CBF it considers the intervention to be undue. Sunday’s letter was signed by FIFA’s Kenny Jean-Marie, its chief members’ association officer, and CONMEBOL’s deputy secretary-general, Monserrat Jimenez Garcia. FIFA and South American football body CONMEBOL also said in the letter they will form a commission to discuss the matter in Brazil on Jan. 8. “FIFA and CONMEBOL would like to strongly emphasize that, until such mission takes place, no decision affecting CBF, including any elections or call for elections, shall be taken. Should this not be respected, FIFA will have no other option but to submit the matter to its relevant decision-making body for consideration and decision, which might also include a suspension,” the letter said. “For the sake of good order, we would also like to underline that should CBF be eventually suspended by the relevant FIFA body, it would lose all of its membership rights with immediate effect and until the suspension is lifted by FIFA. “This would also mean that CBF representative and clubs teams would no longer be entitled to take part in any international competition while it is suspended,” it added. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
26 December,2023 07:30 AM IST | Rio de Janeiro | AP | PTIChelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is defending his team’s unwelcome position as the Premier League side with the most yellow cards this season. Pochettino said Chelsea’s 56 bookings in 18 league games did not show a lack of discipline but rather his players’ desire to compete. ‘We are in a big club’ “We are in a big club, you feel the pressure,” Pochettino said ahead of Chelsea’s next league game against Crystal Palace on Wednesday. “When you are frustrated, and you don’t have maybe the experience of other teams, you make a mistake.” Also Read: Shreyanka, Saika, Mannat, Titas included in ODI squad against Australia Mauricio Pochettino The team collected five bookings during the 2-1 defeat to Wolves at Molineux on Sunday, among them Cole Palmer who will now miss the Palace game after accruing five for the campaign. Raheem Sterling also saw yellow for simulation when he sought a penalty in stoppage time. “Palmer is playing for us his first season as a regular. It’s normal. The players care, they want to win, they are frustrated,” Pochettino said. “It’s not discipline. We need to have more the capacity to read the situation of the game.” Multiple suspensions seen Chelsea has already seen suspensions for Reece James, Malo Gusto and Conor Gallagher after being sent off earlier in the season, while summer signing Nicolas Jackson is only two bookings short of 10 for the campaign and a further two-match ban, having also been suspended in September. Pochettino also pointed toward injuries as a contributing factor in his team’s overall struggles, with at least eight players unfit for the meeting with Palace at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea is 10th in the league, five places higher than Palace. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
26 December,2023 07:25 AM IST | Lon | AP | PTIChelsea defender Axel Disasi was left frustrated following their 2-1 defeat at the Molineux Stadium but hailed Christopher Nkunku for scoring his first Premier League goal for the club. On Christmas Eve, Chelsea suffered a 2-1 defeat even with all the possession, Chelsea could not get past Jose Sa throughout the 90 minutes. They had chances but failed to keep their composure to finish off the opportunities. Also Read: Sarfaraz makes way for Rizwan as Pakistan announce 12-player squad for Boxing Day Test against Australia "We are very frustrated and angry after the game. We didn't win and we feel we deserved more when you see the game. We did good things and bad things. We have to address the mistakes, and when we can score, we have to score. We have to see where we can improve and keep going," Disasi said as quoted from the club's official website. "When we see this statistic and our position in the table, it's not good. We have to be more killer in front of goal. We created many chances. But it's not just about scoring, it's also about conceding less and keeping clean sheets. Every training and every game we are growing and learning, we have a lot of new players, but it's not an excuse," Disasi added. Also Read: Temba Bavuma feels India's strong bowling attack can 'nullify' Proteas' advantage After going one goal down, Chelsea pushed hard for an equalizer, with Pochettino putting five forwards in front. Wolves hit them and enjoyed a two-goal advantage. Chelsea found a consolation goal with Nkunku scoring to make the scoreline 2-1. Disasi hailed his national compatriot and expects him to help Chelsea in future by adding a different dimension to their attack. "Everyone knows the quality of Christo. He came back from a long injury, and I'm happy for him and the team he scored. He will help us for sure because he has a lot of quality," Disasi added. Chelsea will face Crystal Palace on Thursday at the Stamford Bridge. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
25 December,2023 05:38 PM IST | London | ANIWolves inflicted a fourth defeat in six matches on Chelsea on Sunday, beating the London side 2-1 in the first Christmas Eve Premier League match since 1995. Mauricio Pochettino’s men dominated possession at Molineux but wasted their chances in a captivating game, littered with careless mistakes by the visiting side. Mario Lemina and Matt Doherty put Wolves 2-0 in front but they were made to sweat when Christopher Nkunku pulled one back on his Premier League debut. The defeat means a miserable Christmas for inconsistent Chelsea, who are stuck in 10th place in the Premier League after their fourth defeat in six league games, with Wolves behind them only on goal difference. Also Read: Pakistan welcomes ITF ruling on tie against India Meanwhile, Arsenal ensured they will spent Christmas Day on top of the Premier League as they held title rivals Liverpool to a pulsating 1-1 draw at Anfield on Saturday. Mikel Arteta’s side took an early lead through Gabriel Magalhaes, but Mohamed Salah hauled Liverpool level before the interval. A draw was arguably the right result after both sides flexed their muscles to show why they have emerged as the leading contenders to win the title. Chasing a first title since 2004, Arsenal sit one point clear of second placed Liverpool heading into the festive period. The team that has topped the Premier League at Christmas has gone on to win the title in six of the past 10 seasons. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
25 December,2023 07:55 AM IST | Wolverhampton | AFPMohun Bagan Super Giant conceded their second consecutive defeat after FC Goa clinched a 4-1 victory over them in the ISL 2023-24 match at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata on Saturday. The Mariners conceded their biggest loss at home in the ISL 2023-24 after FC Goa's Noah Sadaoui and Victor Rodriguez's stupendous performance. Sadaoui made the first breakthrough of the match in the 10th minute after he converted the penalty which was given due to a handball by Manvir Singh inside the 18-yard box. Even though Mohun Bagan's goalkeeper Vishal Kaith guessed the direction of the kick right, Sadaoui's shot had enough power to give a lead them a lead in the match. The Moroccan switched sides to cut into the Mariners' defensive lineup and take shots at Kaith. Also Read: Young guns harbour big hopes Spanish midfielder Rodriguez doubled the lead in the 42nd minute, after playing one-two with Carl McHugh at the edge of the box and then launching a powerful shot. Sadaoui his brace just before the half-time whistle, after a clinical assist by Brandon Fernandes. Mohun Bagan's Dimitrios Petratos produced a stellar free-kick late in the added time of the first half to give the Mariners a chance to breathe. However, after conceding a goal FC Goa did not fail to dominate the second half. Noah came close to getting a hat-trick, but the Mariners' defence cleared it. In the 91 minutes of the game, Carlos Martinez capped off the game by scoring his second goal of the season by converting a late penalty kick. The Kolkata-based side conceded a 4-1 defeat after the final whistle. Noah Sadaoui was named the 'Player of the Match' following his brace. (With agency inputs)
24 December,2023 09:24 AM IST | Kolkata (West Bengal) | mid-day online correspondentManchester City won the Club World Cup for the first time to end 2023 with five trophies after a 4-0 win over Fluminense in Jeddah on Friday. City’s victory extended European clubs’s domination of the competition since 2012 and was never in doubt once Julian Alvarez opened the scoring inside the first minute. Nino’s first-half own goal realistically ended the Brazilians’ dreams of an upset, before Phil Foden and Alvarez rounded off the scoring in the final 20 minutes. After clinching the treble of the club’s first ever Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup last season, City also lifted the UEFA Super Cup for the first time in August. Also Read: ‘Only title we don’t have’ Pep Guardiola also made history as the first coach to lift the Club World Cup on four occasions and with three different clubs after previously winning the competition twice at Barcelona and once in charge of Bayern Munich. “To win the treble was truly special, but to win two more trophies and now hold these five major titles shows the unique mentality of this team,” said Guardiola. “As a manager it is what I am most proud of: that we are always there. No matter how much we win, no matter what trophies we lift, we are there again to fight for the next one.” City’s poor Premier League form before flying out to Saudi Arabia had raised Fluminense hopes that Guardiola’s men could be vulnerable. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
24 December,2023 07:05 AM IST | Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) | AFPADVERTISEMENT
