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ISL: It's over for Mumbai

20 hours ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Football  
On Thursday, Chennaiyin FC skipper Lucian Goian said that it would be strange to play against Mumbai City FC, a team he has excelled for in the last three ISL seasons. On Friday, he was instrumental in 'booting' out his former club from the competition after his 83rd minute goal ensured Chennaiyin nudge Mumbai off the fourth playoff spot in what was the host side's last league match at the Mumbai Football Arena in Andheri. Chennai had an edgeMumbai City, who were on 26 points from 17 matches before Friday's clash, needed a win at all costs to confirm their playoff position while even a draw would suffice for Chennaiyin who have a game in hand. With so much at stake, both teams began cautiously, leading to a goalless first half. The referee gives a red card to Mumbai City FC's Sourav Das during the ISL tie against Chennaiyin FC at the Mumbai Football Arena, Andheri In the second session, Mumbai City showed some urgency but it was Chennaiyin who had the better chances. In fact, the visit..
                 

CL: Jose Mourinho uses injury woes to escape inspection of Tottenham style

yesterday  
News / Mid-Day/ Football  
London: Jose Mourinho had his excuses ready made for a 1-0 home defeat to RB Leipzig that leaves Tottenham needing to recreate their escape acts of last season to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals. Already without Harry Kane due to a long-term hamstring injury, the news that Son Heung-min could miss the rest of the season with a fractured right arm on Tuesday was a body blow to Spurs' chances of progressing. "It's like going to a gun fight without bullets, so we did what we could do," concluded Mourinho, who bristled at criticism of his set up. As the Portuguese complained about his lack of resources, it was easy to forget that Leipzig were the novices at this stage of the competition. Tottenham progressed further in the Champions League for the past three years under Mauricio Pochettino, culminating in a rollercoaster run to last season's final. A similar run this season is hard to imagine with even Mourinho questioning how his side muddles through to the end of the seas..
                 

CL: An unforgettable night, says Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone after Liverpool win

2 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Football  
Liverpool were the victims of an old-fashioned Atletico Madrid masterclass on Tuesday as Diego Simeone's side ground out a 1-0 win in Madrid to give themselves hope of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals. Saul Niguez raised the roof at a bouncing Wanda Metropolitano by scoring in the fourth minute before Atletico's defence kicked in, suffocating the European champions and denying them a single shot on target. "Tonight is one of those nights you don't forget," said Simeone. "We haven't gone through but we have beaten the best team in the world." If Alvaro Morata had not slipped at the crucial moment, Atleti might even have taken a two-goal lead to Anfield, where they can expect an onslaught next month. "We are not 5-0 down," said Jurgen Klopp. "We don't think it will be easy but as long as we can get 11 players in Liverpool shirts we will give everything we have. And for all the Liverpool fans that can get a ticket -- welcome to Anfield." If Liverpool remain favourites to go th..
                 

MSSA Football: Callous MSSA... again

3 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Football  
Rushali Jhaveri of Utpal Sanghvi School (Juhu) sustained a serious knee injury during a Mumbai Schools Sports Association (MSSA) girls' U-14 Div-II inter-school football match against Udayachal School at Cooperage on Tuesday afternoon. Shockingly, there was no doctor at the venue to treat her. Nor was even basic first aid medical kit provided by MSSA. There was no arrangement even for ice which is an essential applicant in most injuries. Except for groundsman Ravi Kahar, who was assigned by MSSA football secretary Sebastian Fernandes to conduct the matches, there was no other MSSA official present, who could decide on the course of action to treat the injured player. It was a pitiful sight to see Rushali screaming in pain, while her coach Abigail Fernandes and a staff member of the school, carried her from the ground to the school bus to be taken back to the school, in a plastic chair. It was later learnt that the Rushali has sustained an avulsion fracture to her left knee and will hav..
                 

EPL | Terry Phelan: All the other teams fear Liverpool

4 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Football  
Former English Premier League star Terry Phelan has no doubt that Liverpool will complete their grand double with the English Premier league as well as the Champions League. Irishman Phelan, who did defensives duties for some of the EPL's top clubs like Leeds United, Swansea, Wimbledon, Manchester City, Chelsea and Everton, felt Liverpool's dominance (they are 25 points ahead of second-placed City), in the EPL has given them the confidence to go all the way in the Champions League. Three top strikers "The way Liverpool are playing at the moment, they can knock any defence, with the players they've got. They put teams under pressure. They put teams in places where they want to go, and win the ball back quickly and then they've got three effective strikers. It will be a tough game against Atletico Madrid," Phelan, 52, told mid-day on the eve of Liverpool's Champions League pre-quarterfinal away clash with Diego Simeone's Atletico tonight. "I think Liverpool will just go there, do their j..
                 

EPL: Jurgen Klopp's kop top notch

5 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Football  
Liverpool: Jurgen Klopp described his team's 25-point lead at the top of the Premier League as "insane" after Sadio Mane struck to give Liverpool a 1-0 win at storm-hit Norwich on Saturday. The Reds won at Carrow Road despite blustery conditions caused by Storm Dennis. They've gone 43 matches unbeaten, just six behind Arsenal's record of 49 in 2003-04 and are sprinting towards their first EPL title in 30 years. A fine century Liverpool have earned 103 points from the past 105 available in the EPL, winning 34 of their last 35 matches. Klopp said the wind made things tricky. "I could tell in all the players' faces that they weren't nervous. They were enjoying it, and if one team was going to score it was us," he said. "It's all about these wonderful players. The gap is so insane, I don't understand it. It's outstanding. I go back into the changing room and we chat about the things and then I'm like 'oh, but congratulations. We won the game, another three points'." The win keeps Liverpool..
                 

This Week in La Liga: Barcelona Real Madrid keep pace, Dembele season over, Hatem Ben Arfa debut

10 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Football  
What's been going on in LaLiga this past week? A new milestone for Sergio Ramos, injury news out of Barcelona and a long-awaited debut for Hatem Ben Arfa. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Getafe keep up the pace at the topThe top three all won this weekend, meaning that the top of the LaLiga Santander table remains as it was with Real Madrid, who beat Osasuna 4-1, in first, Barcelona, who picked up a hard-fought 3-2 win away at Betis, in second and Getafe in third after an impressive 3-0 win over Valencia. Another injury ends Ousmane Dembele’s seasonBad news out of Barcelona this week as the club announced that Ousmane Dembele will miss the rest of the season with a hamstring tear. With Luis Suarez also out with a long-term injury, the blaugrana are short of options upfront. Another milestone for Sergio Ramos By playing in Real Madrid’s win at Osasuna, Sergio Ramos made his 440th appearance for Real Madrid in the Spanish top flight, overtaking Fernando Hierro in the club’s..
                 

EPL: Break brought welcome respite for players, says Jurgen Klopp

7 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Football  
London: The first ever Premier League mid-season break pleased Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp as it allowed the runaway leaders to rest their aches and pains following the hectic festive period. The 52-year-old German takes his players to bottom-placed Norwich on Saturday holding a 22 point lead over two-time defending champions Manchester City. Klopp said the break will have done his squad the world of good as he knew from his own playing experience. "I was a player myself. When I look back it feels like I played through 80% of the time with pain," he said at his eve of match press conference. "Nobody appreciated that because I played bad so it didn't help. Nobody asked then. It is completely normal for a professional football player to play through pain. "After that long period in December-January, there was no player in the squad who had no pain. Everybody had something." Klopp -- whose Champions League holders travel to Atletico Madrid next week in their last 16 first leg clash -- ha..
                 

Pele is pretty fragile, reveals son Edinho

10 days ago  
News / Mid-Day/ Football  
Rio de Janeiro: Football legend Pele is experiencing "a kind of depression" and barely leaves home anymore because health problems have left him unable to walk normally, his son said in an interview published on Monday. "He's pretty fragile in terms of his mobility... and that makes him suffer a kind of depression," Edinho said of his father, 79, who has had a series of health problems in recent years. "Just imagine, he's the 'King,' he was always such an imposing figure, and now he can't walk normally. He gets very shy, very embarrassed about that," his son said in an interview published on the sports news site Globoesporte.com. Pele, the pride of Brazilian football and the only player to win three World Cups (1958, 1962 and 1970), is considered by many to be the greatest footballer of all time. He has been in and out of hospital in recent years for various health issues. He never fully recovered from one of his hip operations, leaving him dependent on a walker, Edinho said. "He's doi..