Nigeria arrive in Brazil, promptly make it rain goals in win over Japan

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It’s been a wild 72 hours for the Nigerian Olympic soccer team.

After finding themselves stranded at the airport in Atlanta barely 24 hours before they were to take the field in their Olympic opener against Japan, the “Super Eagles” arrived in Manaus less than seven hours before their scheduled kickoff.

They then turned up at the Arena Amazonia Manaus and promptly set about trouncing Japan 5-4 in a wild ride of a match that saw both teams score twice within the first 12 minutes.

Sadiq Umar got the goal fest underway, putting Nigeria ahead barely five minutes in. Three minutes later Japan was awarded a penalty, which Shinzo Koroki converted from the spot to level the score at 1-1. Japan had scarcely finished celebrating when Nigeria regained the lead through Oghenekaro Etebo. Two minutes later, Takumi Minamino scored again for Japan, tying the score at 2-2.

After the roller coaster ride of the first 15 minutes there came a period of relative calm until Etebo struck again three minutes before halftime, taking the jet-lagged Super Eagles into the break with a one-goal lead.

Nigeria extended the lead five minutes into the second half after Umar went down in the box and won a penalty. Subsequent replays suggested that the Roma striker had gone down under very little contact. But that made no difference to Etebo who completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot to make it 4-2, Nigeria. 

watch Etebo's highlight in the Nigeria against Japan Olympic Match

Nigeria scored again in the 66th minute after Japanese goalkeeper Masatoshi Kushibiki rushed out to shut down an attack, leaving his net unattended for a charging Etebo who promptly made it 5-2.

Etebo, who plays his club soccer in Portugal, had a particularly good night, putting five shots on goal, scoring four, and becoming the first Nigerian to score a hat-trick at the Olympics.

But Japan was far from out and struck back in the 70th through substitute Takuma Asano, who side-heeled in a cross from Hiroki Fujihara from close range to pull it back to 5-3.

Moments later Asano, who was recently signed by Premier League giants Arsenal, rocketed an effort off the post although the whistle had blown for offside.

Japan did score again in extra time through substitute Musashi Suzuki, who pulled the ball back away from the defense and slotted it to the far post past Nigeria keeper Emmanuel Daniel, settling the score at 5-4 in Nigeria’s favor.

By that time it was 11 p.m. local time, and the exhausted Nigerians had just claimed victory in what far and away has been the most entertaining match we’ve seen yet in the Rio Olympics.

Not bad for a team that had started traveling at 7 a.m. Now let’s hope these poor guys can get some sleep!

Liverpool Season Preview

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To say that Liverpool are the sort of club where every decision that is made, whether it be player movement in the transfer market or tactics implemented by the manager in-game and the results that follow, comes with a extreme level of scrutiny would be putting it mildly. The Reds are a high-profile club and, no matter what type of success they may have had in a previous season, the goal is always to reach the top and to do what they are historically supreme at - lifting trophies. In recent years, they have gone through a few different managers as they look for the right man to make them perennial contenders for the league title and regular participants in cup finals. In October of last season, they hope to have found that man in Jurgen Klopp and now Klopp is ready to put his stamp on the club this summer ahead of his first full season in charge. Last season was a bit of a honeymoon for him but this season expectations will be high, especially considering the amount of activity the Reds have been involved in during this current transfer window. They do not appear to be short on talent at this point in time, the question is whether Klopp can successfully connect the many pieces he has at his disposal to take the club to the next level.

Last Season in Brief

Brendan Rodgers began last season as manager and was sacked for Klopp following Liverpool's draw in the Merseyside Derby in early October. Rodgers did not exactly run the team into the ground. He exited with a (3W, 2L, 2D) record and, though he was criticized for some of his transfer decisions, he did manage to bring in James Milner,Nathaniel Clyne and Roberto Firmino - three players that would cement regular roles and be positive addtions to the club. Conversely, he managed to take the £35.2m the club made on the sale of Raheem Sterling and nearly spend it all (£32.5m) on Christian Benteke, who did not come close to returning on his investment. In fact, it has been the strikers Rodgers has brought in that has hurt the club the most. He cannot be blamed for Danny Ings getting injured and missing virtually the entire 2015/2016 season but he also decided bringing in the likes of Mario Baloteli and Ricky Lambert were good ideas. The transition from Rodgers to Klopp did not bring immediate success. The club hovered in the slightly-above mid-table zone for virtually the entire season, But, they did manage to finish strong in the league, with a (7W, 2L, 5D) record in their final 14 games while simultaneously making thier way to a Europa League final. Klopp managed to do this while dealing with several injuries, so, it would seem with enough depth and a little luck on the injury front, the Reds look a strong bet to finish higher than their eighth place position in the table in 2015/2016. From a fantasy perspective it was a bit of a mixed bag. Injuries and/or wavering form made it difficult to rely on stars like Philippe Coutinho or Daniel Sturridgeweek in, week out, while the defense were consistently inconsistent. Perhaps the most consistent player was Milner, who, while perhaps not capable of monster fantasy hauls in a single game, was probably their most reliable contributor over the course of the season.

The Summer So Far

Liverpool have made their share of marquee signings already this summer and they show no signs of slowing down. Perhaps the most important addition will be German goalkeeperLoris Karius. Many felt that current #1 Simon Mignolet did not meet the class necessary at the position and Karius comes in to immediately challenge for the job. After injuries and suspensions had hampered the Reds at center back a year ago, they have brought in reinforcements. Joel Matip and Ragnar Klavan each have resumes that would lead one to believe they could become regulars at some point this season. The big splash thus far though has been in the attack, where the Reds spent a combined £61m to acquire Sadio Mane from Southampton and Georginio Wijnaldum from Newcastle United. Both have already shown to be potentially explosive in this league and, if they can settle in at Anfield, could help propel the Reds into one of the more formidable attacks in the league.

Jurgen Klopp has been just as busy at trimming players from his squad this summer. Kolo Toure was released while Jordan Ibe and Martin Skrtel were sold away. It seems only a matter of time before Liverpool will get Mario Balotelli off of their books and Christian Benteke looks to be in the same position. Joe Allen just departed for Stoke City as of yesterday and fellow midfielder Lucas is thought to be close to an exit. Brad Smith looks to be on the verge of joining Ibe at AFC Bournemouth as that deal is close to becoming finalized. Jon Flanagan has the option to go out on loan to Burnley to get regular playing time but the full back has yet to state his wish.

Original post from http://sports.yahoo.com/news/liverpool-season-preview-153100955--spt.html

Neymar, Brazil get booed off the field after 0-0 draw in Rio Olympics opener

The Brazil men’s soccer team walked off the pitch with jeers ringing in its ears as the host nation suffered an embarrassing 0-0 draw against 10-man South Africa in the Summer Olympics opener for both sides on Thursday at Mane Garrincha Stadium in Brasilia.

The South Africans went down to 10 men in the 59th minute when defender Mothobi Mvala got a second yellow card for a clumsy tackle and was sent off. But rather than detail all of Brazil’s missed chances (there were many), all you need to know is that coach Rogerio Micale’s side blew a golden — well, a great opportunity to begin its gold-medal quest with three points.

Disappointment at big tournaments is becoming a disturbing trend for this once-proud footballing nation. But what’s different about this latest underachievement is that squarely in the middle is national darling Neymar.

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Neymar had the bulk of Brazil’s 20 shots and produced five of the team’s seven shots on goal. But results are what matter and the pressure has increased even more heading into Brazil’s must-win game against Iraq on Sunday.

This burden is new for the 24-year-old Barcelona star. Of Brazil’s nightmarish 7-1 demolition by Germany in the 2014 World Cup semifinals, the only members of that Selecao side who were exempt of the host country’s scorn were captain Thiago Silva and Neymar. Silva missed the embarrassing defeat due to a red-card suspension, while Neymar was ruled out for the rest of the tournament due to a back injury.

And when Brazil crashed and burned again at this summer’s Copa America Centenario, Neymar did not bear the brunt of the criticism back home because he wasn’t on the team. He was being saved for the Summer Games as Barcelona would only allow him to compete in one summer tournament.

Neymar can’t escape the blame this time. He was chosen specifically to lead the team to win the one gold medal that matters most for Brazilians at these Games.

One draw after one game is way too early to draw any conclusions. But Neymar and his teammates just got the same end-of-game reception as Solo for her Zika-fearing social media posts that were perceived to be insulting to Brazil. The American goalkeeper got booed throughout the game. More scoreless soccer would put Neymar and Brazil in the same boat.

Original post here http://sports.yahoo.com/news/brazils-tournament-woes-continue-0-000000443.html?nhp=1

Lionel Messi's bodyguard annihilated a fan who jumped out of the stands

Lionel Messi

(Nils Petter Nilsson/Ombrello/Getty) 

To be Lionel Messi is to be semi-regularly bombarded by fans, whether during warm-ups, after the final whistle, or right in the middle of a game.

Messi typically handles these pitch invaders with grace: He'll give them a hug or a high five. He'll pose for a selfie.

Last week in Dublin, after a friendly between Barcelona and Celtic, a fan jumped from the stands as Messi made his way from the field through the tunnel. This time, Messi's bodyguard hurdled himself at the fan and made a truly excellent open-field tackle.

Watch for yourself:

Lionel Messi’s security guard is on point. 🚫👏🏽 pic.twitter.com/ehXbE7h1Zk

— FourFourTweet (@FourFourTweet) August 3, 2016

Note the force and technique on display here. This is the sort of correct tackling they teach American children in youth football. The ability to recognize the fan and spring into action is also impressive. In another life, the bodyguard would be a decent linebacker.

But watch the video a second time and you'll see Messi — with his bleach-blond hair — again reach out for a high five.

Most people, it's safe to say, would not instinctively extend their hand in friendship to someone who has just jumped down practically on top of them. But then, Lionel Messi is not most people.

Original post from https://sports.yahoo.com/news/lionel-messis-bodyguard-annihilated-fan-142648187.html?nhp=1

THE ASTONISHING NUMBERS BEHIND MANCHESTER UNITED'S MEGA DEAL FOR POGBA

The France International is set to return to Old Trafford from Serie A champions Juventus as a result of a transfer involving eye-watering figures.
When it is finally completed after a saga lasting most of the summer, Paul Pogba's transfer will represent a monumental pay-out by Manchester United. The fact Juventus will receive a world-record fee is just the start of the roll call of mind-boggling numbers involved in the Frenchman's move.
Pogba is set to become a United player this week,after four years leaving Manchester United for a compensation fee after the expiry of his contract in 2012. Having seen Pogba depart from Italy without a single first team start to his name, the Red Devils surely can't have foreseen forking out over 200 million Euros for the midfielder to return to the north-west of England.

That is how much this deal will cost Manchester United when all is said and done. The 92m Euros transfer fee, which surpasses the 86m Euros Real Madrid paid Tottenham for Gareth Bale in 2013 as the most expensive ever, fails to cover even half of the total cost to Jose Mourinho's outfit.
A large reason for the protracted nature of the deal was the wrangling over which club would be expected tp pay a substantial fee to Pogba's agent, Mino Railo. In a bid to force the transfer through, United eventually accepted that it is they who will fork out the 20 pay-off to the Italo-Dutch 'super agent', taking the overall fee to 112m Euros.
And then, of course, there is the player's wages. While Pogba currently earns round 4m at the Juventus Stadium, he is set to see his salary increase manifold at Old Trafford. His 400,000 per week pre-tax earnings will see him pocket 220,000 Euros after deductions, costing United a total of 20.8m Euros per season.

OFFICIAL: WOLFBURG SIGNS BLASZCZYKOWSKI

The Poland international has become Die Wolfe's seventh summer signing ahead of the new Bundesliga campaign after inking a three-year deal at the Volkswagen Arena
Wolfsburg have announced the signing of Jakub Blaszczykowski from Borussia Dortmund for an undisclosed fee.

The Poland international has signed a three-year deal with the Bundesliga outfit, keeping him at the club until 2019.

Blaszczykowski, 30, spent last season on loan with Fiorentina and was deemed surplus to requirements on his return to Dortmund following the arrival of Andre Schurrle from Wolfsburg.

Also known as 'Kuba', the winger has become Wolfsburg's seventh signing of the summer following the earlier arrivals of Yannick Gerhardt, Jeffrey Bruma and Josip Brekalo.


Josuha Guilavogui and Daniel Didavi also joined Wolfsburg on permanent deals ahead of the new Bundesliga campaign, while Borja Mayoral has arrived on loan from Real Madrid.

“Jakub Blaszczykowski is a player that can do any team good – not just due to his footballing qualities, but also because he is a prime example of determination, willingness and passion, who always identifies with his clubs to 100 per cent,” Wolfsburg's sporting director Klaus Allofs told the club's official website.

“With that in mind, we are absolutely delighted that he will be wearing the VfL colours in the future.


Head coach Dieter Hecking added: "With him in the side, we increase our variability and penetrative power distinctly down the right flank.

“Jakub will also bring us further with his immense experience and help us to achieve our goals, such as qualifying for international football again. He is a massive win for us."

Blaszczykowski won two Bundesliga titles with Borussia Dortmund