Lionel Messi Wins Record-Extending Seventh Ballon d’Or

Posted on November 29, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s Lucky No. 7 for Lionel Messi…

The 34-year-old Argentine professional footballer and Paris Saint-Germain forward has been awarded the prestigious Ballon d’Or for a record-extending seventh time in a ceremony at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.

Messi, who led Argentina to Copa America success in Brazil in July for their first major trophy since 1993, spent the majority of 2020 at Barcelona before his 21-year stay at the club ended when he left as a free agent in August and joined PSG soon after.

He now has two more Ballon d’Or awards than Manchester United‘s Cristiano Ronaldo, whose tally of five is two more than anyone else.

Messi added to his 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2019 trophies with the announcement on Monday.

“It’s incredible to be here again. Two years ago I thought it was the last time. Winning the Copa America was key,” Messi said. “It is a special year for me with this Copa America title. It meant a lot to win at the Maracana stadium and I was so happy to celebrate with the people from Argentina.

“I don’t know if it’s the best year of my life, I’ve had a long career, but it was a special one with the title with Argentina after the tough times and the criticism.”

Messi beat 29 other nominees for the award, including Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski, who was the favorite for last year’s prize before it was cancelled because of the lack of football during the coronavirus pandemic.

Lewandowski was nominated for the award again this year after he broke late Bayern legend Gerd Muller‘s single-season Bundesliga goal record in May after he netted 41 league times last season, as well as winning the European Golden Shoe.

Although Lewandowski didn’t win the night’s biggest prize, he was named Striker of the Year at the ceremony and finished second to Messi on the final ballot.

Chelsea midfielder Jorginho was also tipped for the award after winning last season’s Champions League with his club side before playing a crucial part in Italy’s triumph at Euro 2020.

Liverpool‘s Mohamed Salah, Real Madrid‘s Karim Benzema and PSG’s Kylian Mbappe and Neymar were also nominated for the award.

AC Milan‘s Gianluigi Donnarumma, who was also a finalist for the Ballon d’Or best player, was named Goalkeeper of the Year.

Chelsea, whose men won the UEFA Champions League in 2021 and saw their women’s side win the Women’s Super League, were named Team of the Year, with managers Thomas Tuchel and Emma Hayes accepting the award remotely because of COVID-19 restrictions.

The Ballon d’Or is awarded annually by France Football, with FIFA‘s The Best a separate honor handed out every year — Messi won that award for the first time in 2020.

Barca midfielder Pedri won the Kopa Trophy as Europe’s best young player, which comes just a week after he claimed the Golden Boy award.

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Radamel Falcao Joins Rayo Vallecano

Posted on September 4, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Radamel Falcao has found his Rayo of light…

The 35-year-old Colombian professional footballer has joined Spain’s Rayo Vallecano on a free transfer after his contract with Galatasaray was terminated.

Falcao joined Gala in 2019 and spent two seasons in Turkey but is best known for his spells with Porto, Atletico Madrid and Monaco. He also played for Manchester United and Chelsea on loan.

He is Colombia’s all-time top scorer with 35 goals in 91 appearances and has won the Europa League with Porto and Atletico, as well as winning Ligue 1 with Monaco.

Rayo, who face Levante in LaLiga play on September 10, have lost two and won one of their opening three league games of the season.

Saul Niguez Headed to Chelsea F.C. On Loan from Atletico Madrid

Posted on August 31, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Saul Niguez is headed to the United Kingdom…

Chelsea F.C. has completed a deal to sign the 26-year-old Spanish soccer player from Atletico Madrid on loan for the season, the two clubs announced on Tuesday.

The deal contains an option to buy next summer for a set fee, according to sources.

The deal was thrown into doubt as the transfer hadn’t been confirmed by either club before the midnight CET deadline.

Local media said the delay was caused by a problem with LaLiga‘s transfer registration system, however, and the documentation had been correctly submitted in time.

“We welcome Saul to the Club and believe he completes our squad as we compete for honours in five different competitions this season,” Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia said.

“He is a proven winner, a player with huge experience and we know he will be very well-suited to the challenges that face us on all fronts in the coming year.”

ESPN recently reported Chelsea were in talks with Saul, while Manchester United were also interested in the Spain midfielder, who has spent the last 13 years at Atletico after coming through the club’s youth ranks.

However, United opted against pursuing a deal, leaving the path clear for Chelsea to make their second major signing of the summer after Romelu Lukaku joined from Inter Milan in a €115 million deal.

Earlier in the summer, sources told ESPN, Saul had been offered to Barcelona in a proposed swap deal with Antoine Griezmann but the two parties were unable to agree a deal.

Pep Guardiola Named Premier League Manager of the Season

Posted on June 5, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Pep Guardiola is celebrating a premier honor…

This year’s Premier League awards have been doled out, with the 50-year-old Spanish professional football manager for Manchester City and former player taking home a trophy.

Guardiola was named Manager of the Season for the 2020-21 period.

He previously won the manager’s award in 2017-18 and again in 2018-19 when he led Man City to consecutive league titles.

Under him, City conceded the fewest goals (32) this season and kept clean sheets in half of their games (19) to finish 12 points clear of second-placed Manchester United.

Guardiola won the award ahead of fellow nominees Marcelo Bielsa (Leeds United), David Moyes (West Ham United), Brendan Rodgers (Leicester City) and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (Manchester United).

Lionel Messi Moves Past Pele to Become the New Leader in the Single Club Goal Tally

Posted on December 22, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Lionel Messi has overtaken a legend…

The 33-year-old Argentine professional soccer star has surpassed Brazil’s legendary footballer Pele to become the player to score the most goals for a single club after taking his tally to 644 on Tuesday.

The record-breaking goal came in the second half of Barca‘s 3-0 win at Valladolid, with Messi taking the ball in stride off a nifty flick from Pedri for a finish into the corner of the net.

Pele struck 643 competitive goals for Santos during an 18-year stay with the Brazilian club. He left for the New York Cosmos in 1975 and until Messi’s goal, the record had stood ever since.

Gerd Muller came closest to matching Pele’s one-club goal-scoring feat. The former Germany international netted 565 times for Bayern Munich between 1964 and 1979. The top five is completed by Fernando Peyroteo (Sporting CP 1937-49, 544 goals) and Josef Bican (Slavia Prague 1950s, 534 goals).

“When I started to play football, I never thought I would break any record. Especially not the record held by Pele that I now hold,” Messi wrote on Instagram after Tuesday’s game. “I can only give thanks to everyone that has helped me throughout the years, my teammates, my family, my friends and everyone that supports me every day.”

The only other active player still in the top 10 is Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 450 goals for Real Madrid. The Juventus striker is 10th behind Jimmy McGrory (Celtic 1922-37, 522 goals), Jimmy Jones (Glenavon 1951-62, 517 goals), Uwe Seeler (Hamburg 1953-72, 507 goals) and Eusebio (Benfica 1961-75, 473 goals).

Messi’s Barcelona goals have been spread across 16 years in the club’s first team. He scored his first professional goal in 2005 against Albacete as a 17-year-old.

Along with Ronaldo, who played for Manchester United before Madrid and Juve, Messi has taken goal scoring to new heights over the past decade. Everyone else in the top 10 has been retired for at least 40 years.

Messi reached his zenith in the 2011-12 season, Pep Guardiola‘s final year in charge of Barcelona, when he scored 73 goals in all competitions. That tally was sandwiched in between 53 the previous season and 60 the season after.

The Argentina forward has scored more than 50 goals in a season on six occasions, including 58 in 2014-15 when he won his second Treble as a Barca player.

Messi replaced Cesar Rodriguez (232 goals) as Barca’s top scorer in 2012 and overtook Telmo Zarra (251 league goals) as the record scorer in La Liga in 2014.

In addition to his 644 goals with Barca’s senior side, he scored 11 goals for the C team and the B team as a teenager.

Edinson Cavani Leads Manchester United to Come-From-Behind Win Against Southampton

Posted on November 29, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Edinson Cavani is the comeback king…

The 33-year-old Uruguayan professional footballer and Manchester United substitute inspired the team’s come back from two goals down to win 3-2 at Southampton on Sunday, scoring two goals and creating another.

Southampton led 2-0 at half-time but a Bruno Fernandes strike and Cavani double won the game for the visitors.

United goalkeeper David de Gea limped off at halftime after suffering a knee injury when attempting to save Southampton’s second goal.

United became the first side in Premier League history to come from behind to win four successive away games and they had Cavani to thank for the dramatic turnaround on the south coast.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer‘s men moved into the top half of the table with the win, up to seventh on 16 points, one point behind Southampton, who saw their seven-match unbeaten league run brought to an end.

Cavani replaced Mason Greenwood in the second half and set up Fernandes to score on the hour mark to get ManUnited back in the game.

Fernandes returned the favor 14 minutes when his shot was turned into the back of the net by a Cavani header.

United dominated the latter stages, and Cavani struck again in stoppage time, his near-post header from Marcus Rashford‘s cross earning all three points.

“Great impact of course,” United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said of Cavani. “He is always on the move, he wants to get in front of you and I am very pleased with him.

“His hunger to get on the end of things is the key for a centerforward. Sometimes it hurts and sometimes it doesn’t but to score you have to be in there.”

Edinson Cavani Nearing Two-Year Deal with Manchester United

Posted on October 3, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Edinson Cavani is thisclose to switching sides…

Manchester United and the 33-year-old Uruguayan soccer player are close to agreeing to a two-year deal, according to ESPN.

Cavani, a free agent since leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the end of last season, has been offered to every major club in Europe but United are now actively working on an agreement that could see the striker travel to England on Sunday for a medical.

Sources told ESPN that talks accelerated quickly on Saturday with final discussions scheduled for Sunday morning.

Cavani is keen to move to Old Trafford and could sign an initial one-year deal with the option for another 12 months.

He has already held talks with a number of clubs this summer. The first offer arrived from Benfica, although they weren’t able to pay as much as he was hoping to receive.

Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and Juventus also weighed up making a move but, for various reasons, dropped out of the running for his signature.

The Uruguay international scored 200 goals in 301 games for PSG following his move from Napoli in 2013.

Arsenal Sign Gabriel from Lille

Posted on September 3, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Gabriel Magalhaes has an arsenal behind him…

The 22-year-old Brazilian soccer player has been signed by Arsenal F.C. from Lille, the Premier League club has revealed.

ESPN reported last month that Gabriel, as he’s known, had agreed a deal that will cost Arsenal €30 million (£27m).

“So many fans were sending me messages asking me to join Arsenal, and that played a big part in me signing for this club,” Gabriel told Arsenal Digital.

“I know the history and traditions of this club and it is a pleasure being here. I am very happy and hope I can contribute to many titles with the Arsenal shirt.

“It was a very surreal experience, there were offers coming from a few different clubs.

“I spoke a lot with my family and my agents, I also spoke with some of Lille’s directors, but as I said, this club’s history and traditions and the team project for the next few years were very motivational for my decision to come here.

Manchester United, Everton and Napoli were all reported to be interested in the Brazil under-20 international, who has helped the French side secure Champions League football for the last two seasons.

“We welcome Gabriel to Arsenal. He has many qualities which will make us stronger as a defensive unit and as a team,” said Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta. “He has proved with Lille that he is a defender with many outstanding attributes and we are looking forward to watching him grow as an Arsenal player.”

Inter Milan Agrees to Sign Alexis Sanchez on Permanent Three Year Deal

Posted on August 5, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Alexis Sanchez is staying put in Italia…

Inter Milan have agreed to sign the 31-year-oldChilean professional footballer from Manchester United on a permanent three-year deal, the Serie A club’s CEO Giuseppe Marotta has announced.

Sanchez signed with Inter Milan on loan at the start of the 2019-20 season following a disappointing spell at United where he scored only five goals in 45 matches.

Although Sanchez scored only four league goals this season, he seemed to have rediscovered his touch in Italy, where he topped the club’s charts with eight assists as Antonio Conte‘s Inter finished runners-up behind Juventus.

“It will be official tomorrow [Thursday] in the morning,” Marotta told Sky Sports.

“The player is completely ours and we have a three-year contract with him. We think he can be a full member of our squad.”

The transfer will also allow Sanchez to play in the rest of Inter’s Europa League campaign after they advanced to the quarterfinals on Wednesday with a 2-0 win over Spanish side Getafe in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.,

Following Manchester United’s win over LASK in the Europa League, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also confirmed a deal was in place.

“We’ll announce it tomorrow [Thursday],” Solskjaer said. “He’s agreed and we’ve agreed. He enjoyed his time there and they’ve liked him. He’s a top player who we want to see playing his best football. We didn’t see the best of him for whatever reason. He’s a top professional, now we just wish him all the best.”

Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez in Talks to Transfer to LA Galaxy

Posted on January 17, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez may be heading to a new galaxy…

The LA Galaxyare in talks with the 31-year-old Mexican professional footballer, who plays as a striker for Spanish club Sevillaand the Mexico national team.

A Galaxy spokesperson told ESPN that the club continues to speak to Hernandez and Sevilla about a transfer. A report from Marcastated that Sevilla is willing to part with Hernandez for a $10 million transfer fee, which would be a Galaxy record, but the Galaxy spokesperson said no deal was in place, nor was one imminent.

Galaxy general manager Dennis Te Kloese told the Los Angeles Times about the possible acquisition of Hernandez, adding: “I think he could be good for us. We’ll give it a serious try.”

Hernandez, Mexico’s all-time leading scorer with 52 goals, is in his first season with Sevilla after moving last summer from West Ham Unitedfor $8.7 million, but he has found playing time hard to come by. Hernandez has made just 15 league and cup appearances, scoring three goals.

The Mexico legend would be tabbed to replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who, after scoring 31 league and playoff goals last season, departed the club and eventually signed for AC Milan.

Given his Mexico roots, Hernandez figures to be a massive box office draw, should he sign with the Galaxy.

After breaking in with Liga MXside Chivasin 2006 and spending four years with the club, Hernandez has spent the bulk of his career in Europe, suiting up for the likes of Manchester United, Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham and eventually Sevilla.

At club level, Hernandez has scored 156 goals in 424 club appearances. He was on two Premier League-winning sides with Manchester United in 2010-11 and 2012-13, and he won the 2006 Apertura with Chivas.

At international level, he has been part of three World Cupsquads with Mexico, making 109 appearances.

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