Maresca believes Jackson will have a good final: 'He's in debt to his Chelsea team-mates'
Colwill: 'There's so much more to come' for Blues
Joe Prince-Wright catches up with Chelsea's hero Levi Colwill following his match-winning goal for the Blues against Nottingham Forest to clinch Champions League qualification.
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Racing Louisville downs the Pride 2-0 and the Current edges Angel City 1-0 in the NWSL
Arin Wright and Taylor Flint scored for Racing Louisville in a 2-0 victory over the Orlando Pride in the National Women's Soccer League on Friday night. In the only other NWSL game on Friday, the Kansas City Current narrowly beat visiting Angel City 1-0. Racing captain Wright opened the scoring by heading in a corner kick from Courtney Peterson in the 30th minute. The goal was Wright's first since she joined Louisville in 2024. Flint scored her third goal of the season to make it 2-0 from the penalty spot in the 68th minute. Referee John Matto awarded the penalty after Emily Sams pulled Sarah Weber in the box. The visiting Pride (8-4-1) dominated possession with 64% but only just edged Racing in shots 16-14. Orlandoe hit the target seven times to Louisville's three. It is only the second time the Pride have conceded multiple goals in a game this season. Pride forward Barbra Banda took eight shots herself, forcing five saves from Jordyn Bloomer in the Louisville goal. Bloomer recorded her second shutout of the season. Racing (6-5-2) now has five wins in their last seven NWSL matches, and moves up to fifth in the standings. Brazilian international Lorena saved a penalty and fellow countrywoman Bia Zaneratto scored to keep the Current perfect at home. The victory secured a sixth consecutive win for Kansas City, which remained atop the NWSL standings. The Current (11-2-0) have also won all six game at home this season. Kansas City hasn't dropped a game at home since as July 2024 loss to Orlando. With the score tied 0-0, Lorena leapt to her right to parry a spot kick by Angel City forward Alyssa Thompson in the 56th minute. The ball was tipped onto the crossbar before bobbling out for a corner kick. It was Lorena's first penalty save and Thompson's failed conversion in the NWSL. Reigning NWSL MVP Temwa Chawinga broke away on a dribble and had her low shot saved by Angel City goalkeeper Angelina Anderson, only for Zaneratto to scoop up the rebound and the tuck the ball away in the 69th minute. Zaneratto has five goals this season, tied for the second-most of any Current player behind Chawinga with eight. Angel City (5-5-3) is winless in its last five games, and has secured one tie and two losses since Alex Straus assumed the role of head coach three weeks ago.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Nicolas Jackson's red card: The most concerning part is he doesn't fully understand how it happened
It is very difficult to defend Nicolas Jackson, but that did not stop Enzo Maresca trying. Deep in the bowels of Lincoln Financial Field, in the repurposed locker room of the Philadelphia Eagles, Maresca picked the most surprising answer possible when invited to talk about Jackson's latest moment of self-destructive madness: a studs-up tackle to the ankle of Flamengo defender Ayrton Lucas near the touchline that drew an immediate red card from referee Ivan Arcides Barton Cisneros, prompted no visible protests from any of the Chelsea players or staff close enough to have a perfect view, and condemned his team to a 3-1 defeat in their second FIFA Club World Cup match. Nicolas Jackson, who was sent off in Chelsea's 2-0 defeat away at Newcastle United in May, has seen red again. The Senegalese forward is dismissed just four minutes after coming off the bench after a hideous challenge.#FIFACWC 🎥 @ — The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) June 20, 2025 'I'm not sure that it's 100 per cent a red card but the referee decided for that,' Maresca said. His stony reaction to the red card in the moment did not betray any sense of injustice. Nor did the response of Jackson, who immediately hung his head and put his hands on his knees. The Senegal international had been on the pitch for all of four minutes, having been benched on his 24th birthday for Liam Delap, the £30million signing acquired to compete for his spot. Could it have been a release of pent-up frustration? Advertisement Speaking to reporters in the mixed zone, teammate Marc Cucurella revealed that Jackson had given a different explanation when apologising to his teammates in the dressing room after the match. 'He's very sad,' he said of Jackson. 'He tried to win the ball, had the bad luck that he kicked his leg and that's it. 'He's a young player with a lot of quality but maybe needs to improve a little bit in these things. He has to learn. After the manager spoke he said sorry, he didn't do it on purpose. He's a very important player for us, we will miss him in the next game but this is football.' Jackson then further undercut the notion that his red card might not have been merited by issuing a lengthy, emotional apology statement on Instagram. 'I want to say sorry. To the club, the staff, my teammates, and all the fans watching, I let you down. Another red card… and honestly, I'm so angry at myself. 'I work hard every day to help the team, not to put us in this kind of situation. I still don't fully understand how it happened. But one thing is clear: it wasn't intentional. Just a football moment that went the wrong way. No excuses. I take full responsibility. 'I'll reflect, I'll grow, and I'll come back stronger for the badge and for everyone who believes in me. Sorry. Sorry.' The sincerity of Jackson's sorrow is easy to believe in. It was written all over his face as he left the field, and his statement does not read like a generic, cynical PR communique. But none of that lessens the damage his error has caused — to Chelsea's hopes of fighting back against Flamengo, to their broader aspirations in this tournament, and most significant of all, to his future prospects at the club. Context matters. Jackson's three-match ban for elbowing Newcastle defender Sven Botman in the head in the first half of a vital Premier League match on May 11 is not even complete; he will miss the opening game of next season against Crystal Palace. His personal Club World Cup may also be over if FIFA review his red card tackle against Flamengo and decide it merits more than the standard one-game ban. Advertisement Jackson is keenly aware of the criticism he has received during his two-year stint as Chelsea's first-choice striker. He has publicly acknowledged some of it, telling Mikel Jon Obi to 'shut your mouth' and 'don't talk s***' last August in response to the retired midfielder's repeated assertions that Maresca's team needed a better No 9. Mikel will not be shutting up anytime soon. To compound Jackson's misery, the Chelsea legend was commentating on the match for DAZN and reacted to the tackle with a rant that compelled presenter Kelly Somers to apologise for his language. 'Unbelievable. Stupid, stupid, stupid mistake,' he said. 'I don't know what was going through his head. Your team needs you and he does that! He did that at Newcastle in an important game. He got a red card. And now he's done this again. You can't keep making mistakes like this. 'I don't care what his frustration is. This is a massive football club and it's about competition (in the squad). If you're angry or p****d off, then you have to embrace it. We need competition.' That competition has been hurt by events against Flamengo, unless Marc Guiu is ready to take a developmental leap. Jackson has effectively handed Delap a golden opportunity to establish himself as the new fixture at the point of Chelsea's attack with a sustained run of minutes, both in what remains of this Club World Cup and the start of the Premier League season. Chelsea's interest in signing a right-footed left winger and an all-round attacker this summer is documented in The Athletic's most recent edition of the Transfer DealSheet. By the time Jackson is available again his path to playing time may be more perilous; it was notable that Maresca sounded unconvinced by the notion of Jackson and Delap existing in the same team, despite the Senegal international's past as a left winger at Villarreal. Advertisement Jackson has plenty of backers in football. Mauricio Pochettino frequently gushed about his potential in his brief stint at Chelsea, and Flamengo manager Filipe Luis was similarly effusive in his press conference. 'He's so good, he's young, he has all the potential, all the quality that the club needs,' he said. 'For sure he will surpass this little mistake. 'It was clear. I saw it in front of me, and for me it was a red. But it's just a small detail for a big player who can be one of the biggest strikers in the world.' To realise that outcome, Jackson must first find a way to master whatever impulse leads him to these moments. The most concerning part of his apology statement was the admission that he still does not fully understand how the Flamengo red card happened. Even taking his insistence that he had no bad intent at face value (despite the damning nature of the footage), a problem cannot be addressed if it is not understood. Jackson's career at Chelsea could depend on the success of the self-reflection that lies ahead. He will have plenty of time to do it.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Club World Cup: Is European soccer's superiority being exposed as a myth?
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — European soccer's superiority had, throughout the 21st century, become self-evident; inescapable and irreversible; extreme and presumed. It was apparent in the salaries and prices of players, in the exodus of talent from the Americas and Africa, in the prestige of the UEFA Champions League and, twice per year, on the field. At the former Club World Cup, the seven-team version played each winter, since 2007, European teams played 34 games. They lost once. So they strolled into this expanded version, the 2025 Club World Cup, as runaway favorites. They negotiated outside appearance fees. Their supporters assumed they'd waltz to the latter stages, untouched. Advertisement Instead, halfway through the group stage, they've been humbled. In six games so far against South American opposition, they've lost two, drawn three, won one. They have also dropped seven points to the Saudi Pro League, MLS and Liga MX. Their early stumbles have delighted fans from other continents. They've surprised Western pundits. And they've ignited a combustible debate: Is European club dominance a myth? Or at least exaggerated? The two sides of the Europe-South America debate On one side, there are the raw results and the performances here over the past week. Flamengo didn't just beat Chelsea 3-1 on Friday in Philadelphia; at times, it pummeled the free-spending English Premier League giants. And Fluminense — Brazil's 13th best team last year — held Borussia Dortmund to a 0-0 draw and outplayed what was, a month ago, the hottest team in Germany. Advertisement In almost every single match between South American and European foes, there was evidence that the gap is slimmer than most Europeans (and non-Hispanic Americans) realize. Botafogo's upset of PSG was a so-called 'smash-and-grab,' but even smash-and-grabs require a certain level of physical, technical and tactical quality. Boca Juniors, similarly, bellied up to Bayern Munich and snatched a second-half equalizer, before conceding late. There was also Monterrey 1, Inter Milan 1; and Al Hilal 1, Real Madrid 1, 'a very balanced match,' as Al Hilal fullback João Cancelo said afterward. On paper, per Opta, these were games between the 9th best team in the world and the 81st; between No. 15 and No. 238; No. 4 and 132; No. 7 and 131; No. 6 and 130; No. 8 and 77. On the field, they looked very different, and begged the question: Is Opta wrong? Are the assumptions of European preeminence wrong? Were we all wrong? Flamengo players celebrate during their statement win over Chelsea at the 2025 Club World Cup in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) But on the other side of the debate, there are excuses — or at least other explanations, some legitimate. Advertisement There is the timing of this tournament, which falls at the end of 10-month European seasons, but mid-campaign for clubs from Brazil, Argentina and MLS. Whereas South American teams built up to the Club World Cup, weary European bodies and minds were ready to wind down. Most got a couple weeks off before reconvening with teammates 7-10 days before their Club World Cup openers. 'There are many tournaments that they've had to play, and perhaps they'll arrive with some fatigue,' Inter Miami forward Luis Suarez predicted before the competition began. 'I think there will be some surprise results.' There is also the suffocating U.S. summer heat, which has seemed to affect European teams more than others. 'We are used to the heat,' Al Hilal's Brazilian winger Malcom said after his team hung with Real Madrid on a humid 90-degree afternoon in Miami. Atlético Madrid's Spanish midfielder Marcos Llorente, on the other hand, called an 88-degree afternoon in Southern California 'impossible.' There is travel to which the Europeans aren't accustomed. There are games that kick off after all their friends and family back home are asleep. There are all sorts of confounding variables that preclude the Club World Cup from being an accurate point of comparison. Advertisement And most of all, there is the unavoidable sense, or narrative, that the European teams just don't really care. Many players do, to be clear. But do they care, with every last ounce of their being, like some of their South American counterparts do? There has undoubtedly been an intensity gap that has neutralized the quality gap, and helped some South American sides show well. To them, these games are among the most significant in recent club history. To the Europeans, the Champions League and, in some cases, their domestic league were and are more prestigious. Public attitudes toward the Club World Cup have also colored this excuse. While European fans have stayed home, and in some cases slept through games, supporters of South American and North African clubs have filled stadiums with balloons, flags, banners and unceasing noise. They've turned Palmeiras-Porto and Boca Juniors-Benfica and Flamengo-Chelsea into quasi-home games for the South American teams. That, too, is an equalizing factor. The conclusion None of that entirely explains the upsets. But there is nuance in the conclusion that the gap is somewhat narrower than many thought — because there are also gaps within Europe and within South America. Advertisement There is a massive gulf, for example, between Bayern Munich, which ultimately outclassed Boca here on Friday night; and Porto, which finished third in the Portuguese Primeira Liga, closer to fourth-place Braga than the top two. There is also a massive gulf between Palmeiras or Flamengo, the two most powerful teams in South America's richest league, and most of the other non-European teams at this Club World Cup. What we probably overestimated was the distance between the Portos and the Inter Miamis; between the Dortmunds and the Fluminenses; between the Benficas and Bocas; between the Chelseas and the Flamengos. Most of the teams Porto and Benfica play, weekend after weekend, are probably worse than the top half of MLS — and certainly worse than Boca, River Plate and much of the Brasileirão. Some of the Brasileirão, and certainly the top two, meanwhile, could compete with the top halves of the top flights in Germany, Italy, Spain and France. Advertisement There is still, though, a distance to the tippy-top. 'There is an elite in soccer that is superior,' Flamengo coach Filipe Luis, who played for Atlético Madrid and Chelsea, said Friday. 'Brazilian clubs are competitive at the second level of European football. Flamengo will not devalue themselves against any opponent. But the squads of the elite are better. That's a fact.'
