Andrea Pirlo, one of the key pieces to the NYCFC midfield who missed Sunday’s playoff match in Toronto with a calf injury, did not practice Wednesday. But NYCFC coach Patrick Vieira sounded as if he is expecting Pirlo to be ready for Sunday’s second leg of the series at Yankee Stadium.
Pirlo has undergone an MRI exam.
“There are some things there,” Vieira said. “We just have to keep working on him and see how he progresses day after day. Hopefully, if we follow the program well, he should be training by the end of the week.”
Vieira said midfielder Frank Lampard, who came off the bench in the second half in Toronto, is “fit’’ to play 90 minutes after recovering from a calf injury.
Vieira, however, would not divulge if Lampard would start on Sunday.
“I don’t know,” Veira said. “I don’t have my starting lineup in my head yet.’’
“I feel really good,’’ Lampard said. “I’ve been fit for a few weeks now, and I’m good to go.’’
Vieira said he was “pleased’’ with the decision by the league not to suspend NYCFC striker David Villa for an incident Sunday when it appeared he kicked Toronto’s Armando Cooper in the back of his leg.
Referee Silviu Petrescu did not a call a foul on the play, but the MLS disciplinary committee this week determined Villa should have been punished by a red card. It, however, opted not to suspend the NYCFC star.
Toronto coach Greg Vanney called for Villa to be suspended, to which Vieira said, “I think we are in a world where we can all express ourselves and I respect that. I don’t have to agree with it.’’
On his record-breaking 116th appearance for England, Wayne Rooney was once again the subject of criticism amongst football fans and the media.
Playing in a deep-lying midfield role after being told by Sam Allardyce to play where he pleased, the Manchester United ace was poor and failed to make any meaningful contribution throughout the 90 minutes.
Indeed, had Adam Lallana not spared England's blushes with a last-minute winner, Rooney's performance would have been scrutinised even further.
Whilst comfortable in possession and confident of his playmaking abilities, England's captain is no midfielder and should be further up the field trying to score goals, not playing 10-yard passes in the centre of the park.
That's the view of former professional and Times columnist Tony Cascarino, who believes Rooney is trying - and failing - to emulate Andrea Pirlo.
Paul Pogba is on the verge of becoming a new player of Manchester United. All Italian papers claim the Frenchman has already informed Juventus that he wants to return to his former club four years after leaving the Old Trafford as a free agent.
Man Utd’s opening € 101 million bid was rejected by Juventus yesterday. The Old Lady wants € 125 million at least as Pogba is entitled to get the 20% of his own transfer fee, once the deal is done.
However, Calciomercato.com has exclusively learned that Pogba and Raiola have agreed to get the 10% of income with Juventus that have accepted Manchester United's € 110 million offer.
Pogba’s leadership skills were tested last season when both Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal left Juventus after the Old Lady’s defeat in the Champions League final, which is also the club’s highest peak in the competition in the last 13 years. The French ace struggled to cope with pressure during the first months without the experienced duo at the J Stadium. Before the Sassuolo clash, which is unanimously known as Juventus’ turning point in the last campaign, Pogba had only scored 1 goal and registered two assists in ten games. His performances improved alongside those of his teammates last season. Pogba netted the opener in the following game (a beauty in the derby of Turin which was won by the Old Lady with a last-minute goal by Juan Cuadrado) and closed the girone d’andata with four goals and just as much assists. While climbing the Serie A table, looking for their fifth successive Serie A title, Juventus facedelimination from Champions League in March, when Bayern Munich knocked them out of the last 16 stage. The 23-year-old midfielder featured in each of the eight games played by the Old Lady in Europe’s elite tournament including two games against Manchester City in which he made a very positive impression despite playing against one of Europe’s best box-to-box midfielders like Yaya Toure. Pogba netted one goal and registered two assists in last years’ Champions League campaign and stats shows why he’s rightly considered one of the best modern midfielder in the world, being both able to attack and defend.
Player Ranking — Italian Serie A
#
Player
GP
Team
Total Shots (exc. blocked shots)
1
Gonzalo Higuaín
35
Napoli
144
2
Paul Pogba
35
Juventus
105
3
Lorenzo Insigne
37
Napoli
104
4
Fabio Quagliarella
32
Sampdoria
80
5
Paulo Dybala
34
Juventus
78
6
Giacomo Bonaventura
33
Milan
75
7
Antonio Candreva
30
Lazio
69
8
Edin Dzeko
31
Roma
67
9
Franco Vázquez
36
Palermo
66
10
Federico Dionisi
32
Frosinone
65
Pogba won the 88% of tackles and got the 78% of passes right in eight games, whilst he scored four goals with eight assist in the girone di ritorno. He’s only second to Gonzalo Higuain in terms of shots in the 2015-16 campaign, but he’s also the best assists man alongside Miralem Pjanic with 12 each.
Although Pogba has amazing stats for a 23-year-old player, his market value goes beyond the number of goals and assists registered during his time at the J Stadium. Age plays a vital role when it comes to closing these kind of deals. Pogba's impact may not be as devastating as everyone expects from the most expensive player in the history of football, but the French star has the potential to turn into the best midfield in the world in the short term.
The Frenchman, however, has still plenty of room to improve. Pogba failed to come to terms with a leadership role for France at EURO 2016. He only scored one goal with fans and media that hit out at the object of Manchester United’s new signing, especially after the final lost to Portugal. It is worth mentioning, however, that Didier Deschamps played Pogba as playmaker in front of defence and not giving him a box-to-box responsibility which suits more with his style.
Exactly the same kind of mistake that José Mourinho should not repeat at the Old Trafford.
JOE Hart is England’s number one goalkeeper - and a hothead when things aren’t quite going to plan.
During England’s opening Group D match against Italy in the 2014 World Cup, held in Brazil, Joe Hart took his frustration at the lethargic ball boys out on the advertising boards.
England had begun the game in typical English fashion, going 1-0 down to a fantastic long-range strike from Juventus’ Italian midfielder Claudio Marchisio.
Just two minutes later however, prolific Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge clawed the Three Lions back into the game with a tiny finish from a Wayne Rooney cross to make it 1-1.
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NOT HAPPY: Joe Hart let the ball boys know how he felt about their service
But mercurial striker Mario Balotelli, formerly of Man City, settled the tie just after half time, rounding off a neat team move to head the Azzurri into a 2-1 lead.
At the ripe age of 35, influential playmaker Andrea Pirlo should have been a passenger in the pulsating affair, played in the tropical climate of Brazil’s Amazonian rainforest.
Instead, Pirlo ran the show from start to finish, even hitting the crossbar with a dipping 25-yard free kick.
And it was after Pirlo’s free kick had rattled the woodwork that cameras accidentally caught Joe Hart’s foul-mouthed tirade at the ball boys.
“Where’s the ball?” he screams, giving the advertising boards a hefty whack with his boots.
“Give me the f****** ball!”
Roy Hodgson’s side were knocked out in the group stages after defeat to Uruguay combined with Costa Rica’s surprise victory over Italy sealed their fate.
England goalkeeper Joe Hart has shown that he does have a softer side, however.
Earlier this month, he visited a young fan who had been battling leukaemia, inviting him to Wembley to lead out the England team in a friendly against Portugal.
The love for Michael Carrick from across English football seems to be dwindling somewhat. The Manchester United man has become a weak link in an ordinary Man United team and has actually been one of the players associated with some of their worst performances this season.
Louis van Gaal’s style of play should suit Carrick’s suave, deep-lying playmaking abilities, but he has been struggling to cope with the new-wave of pressuring football that is dominating the Premier League.
A move this summer could well be on the cards for Carrick and Everton would be the ideal destination. Gareth Barry has previously taken the experienced midfielder role at Goodison Park, but the former Aston Villa man is far from the ideal player physically for modern English football and his clumsy challenges are becoming more frequent. If Roberto Martinez remains as Everton manager, there is no better player to slot in to a team that likes to pass out from the back than Carrick. As the centre-backs split, Everton could feed the ball in to Carrick, who could be used as a launchpad for the team’s attacking build-up play, his passing range being far superior to any current Toffee.
Aided by the presence of Mo Besic and James McCarthy in midfield, Carrick could play a role like Andrea Pirlo did in his final days at Juventus. Seldom making a run into the opposition third, shielding his own defence and working with the support of energetic midfield partners that allow him the freedom to dictate the game from deep. A natural – and experienced – midfielder may well help to sort the defensive calamity that Everton have been for much of this season, too. A player of Carrick’s on-the-ball ability should also enable John Stones to focus far more on his defensive responsibilities, rather than worrying about his own pressures of finding the game-changing 40-yard ping.
Manchester United may well be reluctant to let Carrick go just yet, but Everton, if he moves, are the ideal club for him. Carrick would still be seen as a star in a side of Everton’s stature and the former West Ham man would be welcomed by a fan base that is crying out for serious investment and fundamental change at their club. The balance of the midfield could be worked on and the current options in the centre of the park for Everton would complement Carrick’s game.
It would surely be the end of Barry’s time at Everton if Carrick arrived, unfortunately. Barry, although a shrewd and experienced player, does not have the same vision or technical prowess that Carrick possesses and has often looked out of place in a vibrant Everton team. Besic and McCarthy have their own flaws, but both of them would be ideal midfield partners for Carrick.
Whomever manages Everton next season, Michael Carrick is a player that must be taken under serious consideration. Even now, there are very few players in world football who are more suited to supplying Romelu Lukaku.
Not since the premature end of Owen Hargreaves’ career eight years ago have England boasted a genuine defensive midfielder of true international class
Winner: Eric Dier celebrates after scoring the third goal for England
Eric Dier had been handed the poisoned chalice of England’s holding midfield role, yet ended up sipping champagne.
On a scarcely believable night in Berlin the Spurs kid – the grandson of former FA secretary Ted Croker, brought up in the academy of Sporting Lisbon – nodded the injury-time winner as England overturned a two-goal deficit to defeated the world champions in their own backyard.
There will be no more doubting the acute killer instincts of Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy after this.
No doubts that England have found two marksman capable of dead-eye heroics even against the champions of the world.
Indeed, with Wayne Rooney injured and Daniel Sturridge on his way back, Hodgson has an embarrassment of striking riches.
Yet however heartening this result and however eye-catching some of England’s attacking player, Hodgson will be aware that the Germans carved England apart at will between the half-hour and hour marks.
Last-gasp: Dier scores the third goal for England.
At times, Dier was acting as a second skin to Thomas Muller.
At other points, he seemed keen to force himself inside the grey German kit of Mesut Ozil.
But ultimately Dier, the latest in a long line of players tasked with solving England’s problem position, was unable to keep his beach towel on the sunbed for the summer through his defensive work.
He did it with his goalscoring as he thumped home a header from an injury-time corner to cap perhaps England’s greatest ever comeback.
Not since the premature end of Owen Hargreaves’ career eight years ago have England boasted a genuine defensive midfielder of true international class.
Dier is, at heart, a central defender. Mauricio Pochettino has moved him into the anchor position with some success this season – but against the slick Germans, his ability to break up play was given its stiffest test.
He will never be an English Andrea Pirlo, pinging passes from the deep. There was some wrecking-ball tackling and a keen positional sense familiar to any Spurs fan but ultimately, this was a tough gig for a non-specialist.
Against Holland at Wembley on Tuesday, Hodgson will allow Leicester’s Danny Drinkwater an audition in the role.
The England boss has admitted that Jack Wilshere will be given as much time as possible to pass himself fit and take over in the holding position. Yet there are doubts about the Arsenal man’s defensive capabilities against the very best sides, fears that he will leave England’s back four too exposed.
For half an hour Hodgson’s men were coping well in a slow-paced match between two teams who appeared to be dressed in training kit – the Germans in grey, England wearing a red-and-blue abomination.
England had beaten their old enemy on their previous two meetings on German soil and there was some lusty airings of “Five-one even Heskey scored” as the 2001 miracle of Munich was remembered.
But as soon as the Germans clicked into gear, England often looked like Hank Marvin groupies - chasing shadows.
Here, Dier was one of four Spurs starters – the first time since 1987 that the north London club have filled so many positions for England – although Hodgson does seem to possess a season ticket at White Hart Lane these days.
He certainly owes a debt to Pochettino – a manager always ready to blood English youth - and the majority of this team have played under the Argentine either at Southampton or Spurs.
There was decent interplay between debutant left-back Danny Rose and Dele Alli, who impressed as No 10.
Fight back: Harry Kane scores the first goal for England
The sometimes telepathic understanding between Alli and Kane was scarcely evident – yet Kane still managed to illuminate the night with a brilliant turn and shot to beat Manuel Neuer on the hour.
Yet England were two down by then, a Toni Kroos missile beating an injured Jack Butland at his near post and Mario Gomez nodding a second when Emre Can was given far too much time to pick a cross.
Gomez had also had an effort wrongly ruled out for offside but that will be quickly be forgotten after a scintillating last half-hour.
First Kane’s swivel and shot, then Vardy’s audacious back-heel, then a burst of speed from the Leicester striker which teed up Alli for a glorious late chance which he somehow missed, before Dier’s extraordinary winner.
Yet looking at the other end of the pitch, if England are to have success this summer, it is going to have be with a ‘we’re-going-to-score-one-more-than-you mentality’.
Manchester City are not expected to make any big moves in the January transfer window after spending more than £150 million in the summer, bringing in the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and Nicolas Otamendi.
But with the Blues still challenging for silverware in all four competitions, Manuel Pellegrini's squad will be stretched to the limit.
They have already suffered major injury setbacks to captain Vincent Kompany and midfielder Samir Nasri while Sergio Aguero, Pablo Zabaleta and Wilfried Bony have missed large chunks of the season.
Pellegrini could bolster his numbers by taking talent from sister club New York City.
The two clubs have enjoyed a fruitful partnership that saw Frank Lampard move to the Etihad last term while young stars Shay Facey and Angelino made the opposite journey to the Bronx.
Here are five players who could make an impact in Pellegrini's squad:
David Villa
The Spanish striker was named New York City's most valuable player at the end of the season after he scored 18 goals.
City have been short of striking options with first choice forwards Aguero and Bony missing large parts of the season through injury and just young Nigerian forward Kelechi Iheanacho for back-up.
Now 34, the former Barcelona star would seem a perfect fit at the Etihad. He still has the sharpness and eye for goal which could boost City as they bid for trophies on four fronts.
And Villa may be tempted by the opportunity to team up with former teammate David Silva, who he enjoyed playing with previously at Valencia and Spain.
Khiry Shelton
Shelton is an exciting prospect and has just been called up to the United States national team's training camp. The 22-year-old striker was the No. 2 overall pick in last year's MLS SuperDraft and after being slowly incorporated into the squad, he finished the season with one goal.
Shelton's football education would certainly be enhanced by a period in Europe and mixing with the stars at City. And the young striker may be capable of making a contribution, with Pellegrini's men having to balance commitments in four competitions.
Kwadwo Poku
One of the successes in New York's debut season, Poku made 27 appearances and scored six goals. He also looked more than at home playing alongside Villa, Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo.
The midfielder is a product of Ghana's Asante Kotoko academy, which has produced the likes of former Leeds United striker Tony Yeboah and ex-Bayern Munich defender Samuel Kuffour.
After spells with Georgia Revolution and Atlanta Silverbacks, the 23-year-old has a growing reputation. Poku was one of five New York players to train at the City Football Academy ahead of the 2016 MLS season, so Pellegrini will have been able to check out his potential at close quarters.
Manchester City took advantage of their relationship with NYC FC when they landed Frank Lampard on a short-term deal last season.
Frank Lampard
The England midfielder joined Manchester City at the start of the 2014-15 season and became so vital that he extended his loan for a further five months. It caused some embarrassment for the City Football Group with the English side effectively pulling rank by holding on to one of New York's marquee signings.
Lampard made his mark with influential performances and crucial goals -- not least a late equaliser against his former club Chelsea and the winner away at Leicester City.
His homegrown status also makes the 37-year-old an attractive prospect but New York fans were slow to take to Lampard after his delayed arrival and would not be happy to see him head back to England.
Andrea Pirlo
The veteran midfielder has ruled out a return to Europe this winter after vowing to see out his contract with New York City.
But Pirlo is determined to be part of Italy's squad for Euro 2016 and his case would be enhanced by a return to Europe. His quality is unquestionable, and even at 36, the Italian is still capable of dictating the game as a deep-lying midfielder.
Pirlo has no Premier League experience but as a two-time Champions League winner, his European know-how would be invaluable.
New York City FC traded up to get a player it coveted, Philadelphia drafted touted prospects who play positions of need, and Chicago appeared to bolster its young core of players in the MLS SuperDraft.
THE FIRST TWO ROUNDSof the 2016 MLS SuperDraft are in the books but the winners and losers won’t be known for months—or maybe even years.
Still, this year’s draft class appears to be deeper and more talented overall than the 2015 iteration, and what ensued was revealing. New management at Philadelphia and Chicago took their first steps in their respective roles, while New York City FC made waves in an effort to recover from a dismal first season.
Here are five early impressions on the proceedings.
NYCFC GETS ITS MAN
Coming into the draft it was pretty clear that New York City FC was set on Wake Forest midfielder Jack Harrison—one of the youngest players in the draft and perhaps the most talented.
Chicago drafted the English-born Harrison with the top overall pick, then traded him to NYCFC a few picks later and selected Stanford left back Brandon Vincent. So both teams got the player they wanted.
But why, exactly, NYCFC so coveted Harrison is a bit of a head-scratcher. The club needs help in many areas, but midfield was the one spot where it appears to have no need for additional depth: Frank Lampard, Andrea Pirlo, and Mix Diskerud play centrally, while Patrick Mullins and Kwadwo Poku earn regular minutes on the wing and a bit further up the field.
Acquiring Harrison, the freshman who terrorized ACC defenses, makes sense only if a current NYCFC midfielder or two are on their way out. Could Diskerud be one of them?
PHILADELPHIA CHOOSES THREE
The Union has had numerous high draft picks in its history but has never been able to establish a core group that could help the franchise become a contender. With three picks in the top 10 this year, the Union was under pressure to get it right. It needed to find a Matt Hedges-type pick—a team leader it could build around in the years ahead.
In his first moves as Sporting Director, Earnie Stewart selected central defender Joshua Yaro and right back Keegan Rosenberry with the second and third overall picks. These were not terribly controversial, as both players were consensus top 10 players (although Rosenberry was not expected to go quite so high). The familiarity the two established after playing together at Georgetown University should only help with their transition.
While Philadelphia vastly improved its backline with Rosenberry and Yaro, there will be legitimate questions as to why it didn't select Brandon Vincent instead of Rosenberry. Philadelphia needed help across the backline and talented and mature left backs like Vincent are much harder to find in the draft than players in any other position. Was Rosenberry an upgrade for Philadelphia? Yes. But if Vincent's stock continues to soar, Union fans will wonder how he got away.
Depite that, Philadelphia is improved and when you throw in German forward Fabian Herbers out of Creighton, taken sixth overall, the Union have three players who will be expected to contribute from day one. With all three playing positions of need, Stewart took his first steps in helping to get this struggling team on the right path.
A YOUNG CHICAGO CORE TAKES SHAPE
New Chicago head coach Vjelko Paunovic told ASN in December that he wanted to build from the backline out, and despite passing on Yaro the team made very smart picks that were aligned with that vision.
Instead of drafting Vincent with the No. 1 pick, the Fire traded down to get him with the fourth while trading Harrison to New York for its draft pick and some allocation money. At No. 12, Chicago then added former U.S U-18 central defender Jonathan Campbell from the University of North Carolina, another player who could potentially start right away.
The result is not only a strong attempt to retool the defense but also an even larger core of young American players on the Fire’s roster, with Vincent, Campbell, Harry Shipp, and Matt Polster. Chicago has disappointed on the field in recent years, but today the club’s fans should feel optimistic for a change.
RAPIDS CONTINUE TO BEWILDER
There is no MLS team more depressing these days than the Colorado Rapids.
While Chicago and Philadelphia lost with young players last season in an effort to rebuild, Colorado lost with older athletes. Promising young talent was either benched or sold. Coach Pablo Mastroeni is back for another season—and it’s not clear where he is taking the team.
The big news out of the draft on Thursday was that Colorado was eyeing United States national team midfielder Alejandro Bedoya, and the big news later in the day was that Bedoya was out…and Tim Howard was (ambitiously) the new target. There were also reports that linked the Rapids to Mexican national team forward Alan Pulido. That would, of course, help, but depth is clearly an issue.
The draft did little to assuage those concerns. Colorado traded its second pick for general allocation money and drafted Emmanuel Appiah, a player very similar to Dillon Powers, with the 15th overall selection.
TIMBERS CONTINUE TO RELOAD
A little more than a month has passed since the Timbers won MLS Cup, but what should have its fans feeling upbeat is that despite some players leaving the club is making some shrewd moves. Jorge Villafana, Will Johnson, Maximiliano Urruti, and Gaston Fernandez may all be gone (while Rodney Wallace looks to be on his way out soon), but Portland has been proactive, adding Jack McInerney, Chris Klute, Zarek Valentin, and Jermaine Taylor.
At the draft, the Timbers might have picked up the steal of the first round with British-American forward Ben Polk, 23, whom many expected to be drafted much higher after a strong combine. While he might not start right away, it's easy to see Polk contributing and doing well in his rookie season. It would not be surprising if people later question how he was able to fall to the 20th overall pick. All told, Portland did about as well as a team in its draft situation could have.
