Month: September 2019

A man who enjoyed a successful spell at Stamford Bridge in his playing career, and is now back as a coach, is excited by the potential in west London

Tammy Abraham is capable of being “Chelsea’s No.9 for many, many years”, says Joe Cole, with Frank Lampard proving that age is just a number when it comes to his exciting youngsters.

Faith is being shown in academy graduates under a new coaching regime at Stamford Bridge.

That is giving those who have been on the fringes of the fold, or out on loan, an opportunity to shine on the senior Premier League stage.

Abraham is among those looking to make his mark, with the 21-year-old striker – who made his Blues debut back in 2016 – finally opening his goal account in a 3-2 win over Norwich.

The England international bagged a well-taken brace at Carrow Road, with Cole tipping the promising frontman to become a mainstay in the Blues side.

The former Blues star told BT Sport: “Tammy’s got all the attributes to be a Chelsea centre forward in the long run because of his pace, strength and hold up play.

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“He just needs to keep improving because he’s a young man and there’s no reason why he can’t become Chelsea’s No.9 for many, many years. 

“He keeps defenders honest. With [Olivier] Giroud they can maybe play a high line and Tammy can learn from Giroud.”

Mason Mount was also on target for Chelsea at Norwich, with the 20-year-old midfielder having now netted in successive games.

Cole added on the highly-rated playmaker: “He brings energy and he understands what Frank wants to do, how Frank wants to play because he’s been at the club for so many years.”

Victory over the Canaries represents a first competitive success for Lampard since he returned to familiar surroundings at Chelsea.

Cole is convinced that the Blues legend will be a success and is eager to avoid putting too much emphasis on the trust being shown in youth stars.

The ex-England man said: “Frank deserves a lot of credit for picking these players, they’ve come in for a little bit of criticism but he’s stuck by them. 

“I think today was a pivotal, pivotal moment in the career for Lampard as a manager because those decisions have come to the fore today and they’ve worked very well for him.

“Those boys are in there on merit, forget the age, all good managers put that to the side, if you’re good enough, you’re old enough.”

The Uruguayan had to be replaced by Rafinha after looking to hurt his right calf in the first half at San Mames

Luis Suarez was forced off in the first half of Barcelona’s La Liga opener against Athletic Bilbao with an apparent right calf injury.

The Uruguayan striker looked to suffer the injury when taking a shot that cannoned back off the post. After he was treated on the field, Suarez was ultimately unable to continue and was taken off in the 37th minute, replaced by Rafinha. 

Barcelona released a statement during the match saying that Suarez would undergo scans on Saturday to determine the extent of the injury.

New signing Antoine Griezmann moved up front to fill the gap left by Suarez, with Rafinha taking up a place on the flank, but those changes were unable to produce any goals for the away side.

Barcelona ultimately fell to a 1-0 defeat at the San Mames thanks to an incredible scissor-kick winner from substitute Aritz Aduriz in the 89th minute. 

This is the first time Suarez has been taken off in the first half of a La Liga game since he joined the Catalan giants from Liverpool in 2014.

With Philippe Coutinho closing in on a loan move to Bayern Munich, Barcelona may be forced to step up their pursuit of former winger Neymar if Suarez is out for any length of time.

The striker joins Barca captain Lionel Messi on the sidelines, with the Argentine superstar also missing from the squad with a calf injury of his own sustained in pre-season.

The injury means Barcelona’s two top scorers last season – by some distance – are both out and the goalscoring burden will now fall on Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele, who will have replace a duo who scored a total of 76 goals across all competitions last season (51 for Messi, 25 for Suarez).

Dembele was the third highest scorer with 14, although Griezmann did net 21 in all competitions last term, with 15 in La Liga.

It temporarily eases the selection headache that Ernesto Valverde was facing, with the Barca manager needing to fit Messi, Griezmann, Suarez and Dembele into a front three in his preferred 4-3-3 formation.

Next up for Barcelona is a La Liga match against Real Betis next Sunday, before the defending champions take on Osasuna the following weekend. 

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The Blues boss got his first win back in charge of his former club after trusting youth to do the job in a tricky away test

Having named the youngest Chelsea team since February 1994 for his side’s clash with Norwich City, Frank Lampard can be forgiven for the naivety shown by his players at times at Carrow Road. 

That said, it was clear just what it meant to the new Blues boss to finally get the first win of his tenure at Stamford Bridge, and he had one of his fledgling young talents to thank for sealing all three points in Tammy Abraham.

It has not been an easy start to the season for the 21-year-old forward, with questions asked of his performance against Manchester United on opening day before he became the target of vile racist abuse after he missed the crucial penalty in Chelsea’s UEFA Super Cup shootout loss to Liverpool.

Players with lesser heart would have gone into their shells, particularly after he was then left out of the side to face Leicester City last Sunday. But Abraham has waited a long time for his chance to shine in a Chelsea shirt, and he is not about to pass it up.

Just three minutes in against the Canaries he showed just why Lampard has handed him the No.9 shirt this season with an instinctive half-volleyed finish from Cesar Azpilicueta’s cross. His celebration in running into the arms of his manager showed just how strong their relationship already is.

The England international’s second goal was perhaps even better as he cut inside on the edge of the box before beating a wrong-footed Tim Krul with a low drive. The last English player to score twice in a Premier League match for Chelsea was celebrating on the sidelines, Lampard clearly relieved following a tough first few weeks in charge in west London.

Abraham is key to the pressing game that Lampard wants to play at Chelsea, with his athleticism seen as a bonus when compared with Olivier Giroud. As such, it is clear that he must then provide the goals to go with his industry. Inspiring victory in Norfolk is the first step on that path.

The performance of Abraham will take the headlines, but the impact of Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic cannot be downplayed when analysing the dynamism Chelsea have shown in attack under Lampard.

Mount made it two goals in as many games as that Chelsea pressing saw Norwich concede possession in their own half, leading to Pulisic laying it on a plate for his fellow 20-year-old to cut inside and find the net. Such neat interplay and finishing prowess means that Chelsea will undoubtedly score a lot of goals this season, particularly when factoring in that Callum Hudson-Odoi is yet to make an appearance as yet.

Going the other way, though, there remain question marks.

The ease in which Norwich were able to get in behind central-defensive duo Andreas Christensen and Kurt Zouma would have alarmed Lampard during the first half, with Todd Cantwell and Teemu Pukki’s goals both coming from neat through-balls form playmaker Emiliano Buendia.

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Without the injured N’Golo Kante, Argentine playmaker Buendia had almost a free reign over the space between the Chelsea midfield and defence, and he made sure to make them pay. Credit to Lampard and his side that that pattern did not continue into the second half, but given the similar freedom the likes of Paul Pogba and James Maddison were allowed in previous matches, there is a concerning pattern emerging.

Kante’s return, along with that of Antonio Rudiger behind him, will help shore that up somewhat, but the Blues cannot go through a whole season knowing they need at least two or three goals to win every game. A title tilt or even a place in the top four already seems an aspiration too far, but all hope will be lost if the Blues backline cannot be relied upon for clean sheets.

For now, though, Lampard has his first win in the bag and striker in goalscoring mood. It’s not perfect, but it’s a step in the right direction.

The USWNT midfielder played an incredible role in her side’s fourth World Cup title triumph, and Goal looks into how much she is worth

Megan Rapinoe is one of the U.S. women’s national team’s most prized stars, having won the World Cup in 2015 and 2019 as well as the 2011 Olympics.

She currently captains her club Reign along with the current iteration of the USWNT, who claimed a historic fourth world title in France. She was a standout performer of that summer, winning the Golden Boot, Golden Ball and named Player of the Match for the final against the Netherlands.

The winger isn’t just an influence on the pitch, however, being an openly gay female footballer and consistently speaking out on topics such as LGBTQ+ rights and gender discrimination within sport.

But how much is Rapinoe worth, and how much does she earn? Goal takes a look.

What is Megan Rapinoe’s net worth?

Rapinoe’s net worth is placed at $2 million (£1.58m) according to Celebrity Net Worth.

How much does Megan Rapinoe earn?

Though Rapinoe is one of her country’s veteran players, she doesn’t earn anywhere near as much as the likes of her team-mates in Alex Morgan or Julie Ertz, who are some of the highest-earning female soccer players, mainly due to their various endorsement deals.

With the maximum salary in the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) being $46,200 (£36K) per year, and with Rapinoe not having as many commercial or sponsorship deals as other USWNT members, it is safe to say that she earns a great deal less than Morgan’s reported $3.5m a year.

According to Players Wiki, they estimate that she earns around $168,000 (£133,000) a year.

What sponsorships does Megan Rapinoe have?

Rapinoe has a number of endorsement deals with various brands and companies, such as Nike, and has appeared in multiple commercials.

She has also signed deals with Samsuing, as well as having appeared in advertisements for clothing company Wildfang, and has begun a partnership with medical device company DJO Global.

The USWNT star appeared in television spots and print advertisements for Vitamin Water in 2016, and also featured in a Nike commercial that same year with Cristiano Ronaldo.

She also has partnerships with Microsoft and uses her sponsorship deals to raise awareness about women’s sport, as well as being an LGBT-identifying athlete.

How many social media followers does Megan Rapinoe have?

In total, at the time of writing, the midfielder had a following of 2.2 million on her Instagram, followed by around 900,000 on her Twitter.

Her Facebook page’s reach expands to approximately 458,000.

What charity work does Megan Rapinoe do?

Rapinoe is a vocal advocate of women’s football and is an outspoken activist on issues such as the gender pay gap, LGBTQ+ awareness and gender discrimination within the sport.

The winger came out as a lesbian in 2012 and has done philanthropic work for the GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network) as well as the United States Olympic Committee. She became an ambassador for Athlete Ally, a non-profit organisation that centres on ending homophobia and transphobia in sports, in 2016.

In 2016, she became the first white athlete to kneel during the national anthem in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick, in order to draw awareness to social inequality in the United States.

Rapinoe, in 2019, along with 27 of her USWNT teammates, filed a lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation accusing it of gender discrimination, and has led the fight for equal pay between the men’s and women’s teams.

She, along with teammate Morgan, were the first female footballers to join Juan Mata’s Common Goal initiative in which they are to donate 1 per cent of their salary to soccer-related charity.

In 2019, Rapinoe stated that she would reject an invitation to visit the White House if her team were to win the World Cup, embroiling her in a spat with the United States president on Twitter.

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Though cotton has been the main fiber found in denim and T-shirts, Alkhemist by James Jeans is exploring another option: hemp. Using hemp as a sustainable alternative to create its Hemp Incorporated pieces, the fashion brand — which is a division under the Los Angeles-based licensed and certified cannabis cultivation facility Alkhemist — has created a debut collection that includes jeans, shorts, jackets, T-shirts, tank tops, cargo pants, and more.

Alkhemist pieces are currently available on the brand’s website and ranges from 56 USD to 320 USD.

Below, Alkhemist co-founder Conrad Yun discusses how Alkhemist got started, what customers can expect, and more.

Tell us about how you came up with the idea to create Alkhemist.

We were looking at using hemp as a source material for our apparel lines over the last few years. With the growing interest in hemp spurred by the passage of the Hemp Farming Act of 2018 in December last year, we felt the timing was right to launch our hemp incorporated apparel lines under the Alkhemist brand name. Under the Alkhemist brand, we are also creating other product lines that use all parts of the hemp plant, such as fashion jewelry and other consumer products made from hemp plastic and hemp paper derived from the stem of the plant as well as CBD infused edible products derived from the flower of the plant.

What have you discovered through the process of developing the hemp blend you use in your clothing?

We are making new discoveries on a regular basis since we first started looking at hemp-blended materials several years ago. We are encouraged that with the excitement around hemp since the Hemp Farming Act of 2018 was passed in December 2018, more suppliers are looking to develop higher quality hemp blended materials for use in the fashion industry as well as other industries. The technology continues to improve at a rapid pace.

How does using hemp in your clothing differ from traditional cotton and other areas of traditional clothing?

In many ways, we are hearkening back to 300 years of traditions in our country. Hemp had been an important source material for everyday items such as clothing, paper, rope, and lamp oil since the founding of our country. What makes hemp exciting now is that with the liberalization of hemp and CBD in 2018 and the rapidly changing attitudes toward cannabis (which, taxonomically speaking, is the same plant as hemp), people are becoming more intrigued by what hemp can do for the apparel industry as well as for many other industries such as agriculture, health & wellness, and construction, to name a few.

Right now, Alkhemist only offers women’s clothing, which ranges from denim to cotton shirts and loungewear — do you have any plans on expanding?

Yes, we will be expanding into additional “hempleisure” products using a variety of blended materials, as well as a line of men’s clothing.

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What can people expect when trying Alkhemist pieces for the first time?

Our customers can expect the same great fit, quality and style that has kept people coming back to buy James Jeans products for the last 15 years. All of the Alkhemist hemp incorporated pieces essentially have the same texture and feel as the cotton products but offer much improved durability, anti-microbial properties and other eco-friendly benefits of hemp.

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The ex-England international has signed a three-year deal to play in the Super Lig after being released by Liverpool at the end of the 2018-19 season

Former Liverpool and Chelsea forward Daniel Sturridge will continue his career in Turkey after signing with Trabzonspor, the club confirmed on Wednesday.

Sturridge, 29, was released by Liverpool just days after picking up a Champions League winner’s medal following his club’s victory over Tottenham in the final. 

He went on to pick up a six-week ban from footballing activities in July when the FA sanctioned him for breaking betting rules over a potential move to Sevilla. 

But he arrived in Turkey at the start of this week and has penned a deal that will run for at least the next three seasons at the Super Lig club. 

“Our company has signed a three-year contract with the free agent professional footballer Daniel Sturridge, with a one-year option,” Trabzonspor revealed in a statement published on the club’s official website. 

While Trabzonspor did not release the details of Sturridge’s salary package, Goal learned that the forward will be earning €3 million (£2.8m/$3.3m) per season – one of the biggest deals in the club’s history.

The Birmingham native began his professional career with Manchester City following spells at youth level with Aston Villa and Coventry City. 

After failing to break through at City, however, he moved to Chelsea, where he spent a total of four seasons and lifted numerous titles, including the 2009-10 Premier League crown and the Champions League in 2011-12. 

Liverpool swooped for the player in January 2013 for an undisclosed fee, and he went on to make 160 appearances for the Reds, scoring on 67 occasions. 

But the arrival of the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino, as well as a run of injuries, meant that Sturridge saw his first-team chances become ever more scarce, as he became a bit-part player under Jurgen Klopp. 

He still featured in 27 games in all competitions in the 2018-19 season, scoring four goals – including the opening strike against Paris Saint-Germain in a 3-2 Champions League victory. 

Liverpool, however, declined to renew his contract, and he left as a free agent at the end of the season along with Alberto Moreno.

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The 134-year-old club were on the brink of extinction on Friday night but could now be saved with owner Steve Dale hopeful of completing a sale

Bury have been given an extension by the Football League to complete the sale of the club and prove their financial viability, as the club attempts to save itself from extinction.

The EFL had initially set a deadline of 23:59 BST on Friday, but said it was aware of an offer being accepted by owner Steve Dale.

Dale said on BBC Radio Manchester that he had agreed to sell the League One club to analytics company C&N Sporting Risk, led by Henry Newman and Rory Campbell.

The Shakers now have until a hard deadline on 17:00 BST on Tuesday, August 27 for the takeover to be completed.

An EFL statement said: “The Board has fully considered the information that has been made available by C&N Sporting Risk and whilst no formal sale has been completed, despite reports to the contrary, enough credible information was presented to allow the Board to agree to work exclusively with the Club and C&N Sporting Risk over this Bank Holiday weekend in an attempt to finalise the change of control and achieve a positive outcome for Bury FC.

“The League cannot be in a position whereby any more of the club’s fixtures will be suspended due to the integrity of the competition, the impact on other clubs in the League and therefore has stated that matters must be concluded by 5pm on Tuesday.

“If in the event a successful outcome is not achieved by this point, then Bury FC’s share in the EFL will be withdrawn and its membership in the League will come to an end.”

Bury have missed six fixtures already this season. Sheffield Wednesday were granted a bye through the first round of the EFL Cup, while League One games with MK Dons, Accrington, Gillingham, Rotherham and Tranmere have been postponed. They are due to face Doncaster at home in their next fixture on August 31.

Bury, automatically promoted from League Two last season, were founded in 1885 and still play at their original home of Gigg Lane – one of the oldest football grounds in the world.

Current owner Dale bought the club for £1 from property developer Stewart Day in December 2018. Dale has hit back at accusations that his asset-stripping is the reason for the club’s trouble, placing the blame on the EFL.

He told Sky Sports News: “We are in a position now where clearly anything I say they don’t believe. The media, present company excluded, have made me out to be the bad guy. I saved this club.

“How can you strip from something that’s got nowt?”

If the sale doesn’t go through and the club can’t be saved, they would become the first club to be removed from the Football League since Maidstone’s liquidation in 1992. Having won the FA Cup in 1900 and 1903, they would also be the first FA Cup-winning club to be liquidated.

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Six goals were scored when the Reds last entertained the Gunners and the England full-back expects more of the same this weekend

Trent Alexander-Arnold has vowed Liverpool will be ready for an open and attacking match when unbeaten Arsenal travel to Anfield on Saturday.

Jurgen Klopp’s side face a tough test against the only team other than themselves to have won their opening two Premier League fixtures.

The Gunners have picked up narrow wins over Newcastle and Burnley, while Liverpool have seen off Norwich and Southampton.

The Reds triumphed 5-1 in their last meeting on Merseyside but Arsenal look a different prospect this season and could start with a front three of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe.

That spells danger for a Liverpool defence which has yet to keep a clean sheet this term, with an Adrian error having opened the door to Southampton in last weekend’s awkward 2-1 win at St Mary’s.

“It was tough for us but we got through that so we’re showing once again this season that we’re mentally resilient and we can win different types of football games,” Alexander-Arnold told Liverpool’s official website.

“I think Saturday is going to be a different kind of test to the one we faced last week so we’re preparing for that.

“We did well against them last year, especially at home, and we’ll be looking to do the same kind of thing.”

Liverpool fell behind in their home meeting with the Gunners in December before Roberto Firmino sparked a remarkable recovery, scoring three times in the convincing victory.

A feast of goals is expected again in a fixture which has produced an average of at least three goals per game over the last decade.

“I think over the last few seasons, especially at Anfield, we’ve always had high-scoring games [against Arsenal],” Alexander-Arnold said.

“That’s the way both teams play, in an attacking style of football, so I’m sure both teams will want to win the game and it’ll be tough for both sides.”

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The League One side, which was founded in 1885, is the first club to be expelled since 1992

Bury FC have been expelled from the Football League following the collapse of a takeover deal, the English Football League has confirmed. 

Earlier in the day on Tuesday, C&N Sporting Risk pulled out of a deal to take over the cash-strapped League One side, which led to a 5pm deadline passing without new ownership. 

With current owner Steve Dale unable to secure a buyer, the EFL announced that the “EFL Board has unanimously determined with enormous regret that Bury’s membership be withdrawn.”

Bury FC will depart the EFL after 134 years of continuous membership. 

“Today is undoubtedly one of the darkest days in the League’s recent history,” EFL executive chair Debbie Jevans said in a statement.

“The EFL has worked determinedly and tirelessly to avoid this outcome and it is with a heavy heart that this situation has been forced upon us.

“No one wanted to be in this position but following repeated missed deadlines, the suspension of five League fixtures, in addition to not receiving the evidence we required in regard to financial commitments and a possible takeover not materialising; the EFL Board has been forced to take the most difficult of decisions.”

Bury had seen all of their competitive fixtures postponed since winning promotion from League Two last season, with players and staff seeing their wages paid late. 

With Bury’s expulsion, League One will continue with 23 teams for the rest of the season and have three, rather than four teams relegated to ensure the league has its normal 24 teams for the 2020-21 season.

Meanwhile another League One side, Bolton Wanderers, are set to experience a similar fate as Bury should they not solve their financial crisis in the next 14 days. 

“Despite repeated assurances, we are extremely disappointed that we are still not in a position to reach a successful resolution with the sale of Bolton Wanderers and have therefore taken the decision to lift the suspension on the notice of withdrawal,” Jevans said. “I again urge all parties to finalise the proposed takeover.

“The reality of this action is that there are now 14 days to secure the Club’s long-term future, and I sincerely hope we can find a way through these challenging circumstances for the benefit of all those who have an association with the Club.”

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