Only six? City boss Guardiola wanted another goal against Al-Ain
ATLANTA, Georgia :Manager Pep Guardiola was a little disappointed that Manchester City were unable to get a seventh goal in their rout of Al-Ain on Sunday despite the English club securing passage to the knockout stages of the Club World Cup.
German Ilkay Gundogan scored two goals as City comfortably dispatched the Emiratis 6-0 at Mercedes-Benz stadium to draw level with Juventus on points and goal difference at the top of Group G.
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
City play Juventus in their final opening-round match on Thursday to decide who tops the group and who finishes second.
Juventus go into the clash with a slight edge as goals scored is the second tiebreaker after goal difference for teams level on points. Juve have scored nine goals to City's eight.
In the round of 16, the top team in Group G will play the second-placed team in Group H, currently Red Bull Salzburg, while the runners-up will face the top team, currently 15-times European champions Real Madrid.
KEY QUOTES
Guardiola: "We pushed and pushed to score another goal to try to finish first, but we missed by one goal. But yeah, we know what we need to do against the Italian team to finish as number one."
Guardiola on substitute Rodri's gradual return from an ACL injury: "Step-by-step. He cannot play more than 30 minutes. He still struggles a bit in the duels, still needs to be a little bit stronger, but it's normal.
"It's important he played much, much better than the previous game. We miss him a lot. Any team would miss the best player in the world."
Guardiola on goalscorer Claudio Echeverri: "It's a pity for the twisted (ankle), which is a little bit sore. It was a problem, that's why he could not continue after halftime. He's an incredible player, a big, big talent in small spaces. I'm happy for him, because it was a great goal."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
38 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Javier Mascherano urges Inter Miami to embrace ‘historical' chance
Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano (right) will be counting on talisman and Argentinian compatriot Lionel Messi to deliver in the key Club World Cup clash with Brazil's Palmeiras on June 23 (June 24, Singapore time). Avoiding defeat will see them make the last 16. PHOTO: REUTERS MIAMI – Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano said the June 23 (June 24, Singapore time) meeting with Brazil's Palmeiras in the final game of Club World Cup Group A is a historic moment for the Major League Soccer (MLS) club and says his team should relish the game. Miami's shock win over Porto, secured via a brilliant free kick from Lionel Messi, has left them with a chance of making it to the last 16 of the tournament. And while the club, who only began playing five years ago, would advance with a draw, their Argentinian coach does not want his players leaving anything to chance. 'We're facing possibly one of the most important games in the history of our club. Above all, let that fill us with enthusiasm to be able to play it, let it not be a burden but an excitement and a challenge for this group of players, who have been doing well up until now,' said Mascherano. 'It would be a big mistake if we went into it thinking about not playing it and only about the result. I think that when you think about the result, certain things can happen during the game that make it very difficult to get back into the game,' he said. 'In the end, our idea is to go and win the game like we've always done, like every time we go into a game, whether it's in the Club World Cup, MLS, the (Concacaf) Champions League, or any other competition we're involved in,' he said. But while Miami, whose form in MLS was patchy heading into the tournament, may be confident after beating Portuguese opposition in Atlanta, Mascherano also cautioned against being too gung-ho. 'We clearly want to win it through a plan. We don't go crazy, knowing that we have to minimise many of Palmeiras' strengths and try to take advantage of and expose their weaknesses' he said. Mascherano could be boosted by the return to full fitness of Spanish fullback Jordi Alba, who missed the draw against Al Ahly with injury and played the last 11 minutes against Porto. 'Physically, I feel good. Obviously, I was out for three weeks without playing, but honestly, it doesn't feel like a big gap since there was an international break during that time. I didn't really miss much. Now we'll see what the coach decides,' he said. 'Playing against elite teams only sharpens us as a team, and if we reach the knockout rounds, just imagine how high our ceiling could be. I really believe we're doing things the right way, and we have to keep it going,' he said. Elsewhere in the US, Patrick Agyemang's second-half goal led the national team to a 2-1 victory over Haiti on June 22 in Arlington, Texas, to secure the top spot in Group D of the Concacaf Gold Cup. The US will meet Costa Rica, the second-placed team in Group A, in the quarter-finals. Malik Tillman opened the scoring with his third goal of the tournament on 10th minutes, but a goalkeeping gaffe gifted Louicius Don Deedson the equaliser nine minutes later. Also reaching the quarter-finals were Saudi Arabia, who drew 1-1 with Trinidad and Tobago to finish second in the group. Firas Al-Buraikan got the all-important equaliser after Dante Sealy had opened the scoring. They will next face Group A winners and record nine-time champions Mexico. AFP, REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
Paul Pogba says he is talking to a club about comeback after ban
Paul Pogba is hoping to put three chaotic years behind him. PHOTO: REUTERS Paul Pogba says he is talking to a club about comeback after ban PARIS – Former France midfielder Paul Pogba, who wants to resume his career after a doping ban, said on French television on June 22 he is 'talking' with a club, which sources close to him said was Monaco. The 32-year-old also said he had re-established contact with his brother Mathias, sentenced to a year in prison last December for his involvement in a plot to extort €13 million (S$19.3 million) from the 2018 World Cup winner. Pogba, who played for Manchester United and Juventus, is hoping to put three chaotic years behind him. Pogba suffered through repeated injuries and patchy form that led to his departure from United in 2022. He returned for a second stint at Juventus, where his problems continued. He failed a drugs test after a game in Italy in August 2023 and was handed a four-year doping ban, which was reduced 18 months on appeal. It ended in March. 'It was very, very hard,' he said. He said he was 'talking' to a club, which multiple sources said was Ligue 1 giants Monaco. Pogba said he was determined 'to get back on the pitch, mentally ready, physically ready, it's just a matter of time'. The extortion case involving six men linked to Pogba shocked France because the perpetrators included three childhood friends and his own brother. The five other defendants were found guilty of extortion, kidnapping and detention, as well as participation in a criminal association and sentenced to up to eight years in prison. All six were also fined. Pogba said he was talking to Mathias, who is being allowed to serve his sentence wearing an electronic bracelet, rather than behind bars. 'We are in contact. We've spoken, among ourselves, with the family,' Paul Pogba said. 'It's a blood bond. There was a scar, of course. We're moving forward. Only time can give us answers.' 'All we want is to always be united as a family. That's the most important thing. It's hard. Of course, it's very hard, I'm not going to lie. I was hurt. It's not the same as before, but we're in touch,' he added. Paul Pogba was held at gunpoint in 2022 by two hooded men who demanded money. He said on June 22 that he was initially willing to pay but 'afterwards, I cracked,' he said, deciding 'to speak out, even if it meant dying' and refusing 'to throw away my money like that'. He said the ban and the court case had changed him. 'I learned a lot during this period,' Pogba said. 'I did a lot of cleaning around myself too. I am also much closer to my family, my children.' AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
South American fans light up Club World Cup, while some venues fall flat
MIAMI/NEW YORK - Partying South American fans may have set the Club World Cup alight but unfortunately for hosts the United States, that carnival-like atmosphere has not swept across the country as some matches are being contested in front of modest crowds. FIFA had hoped the expanded version of the tournament featuring many of the world's top clubs would build enthusiasm for soccer in a country historically ambivalent to the beautiful game, as the U.S. prepares to co-host the 2026 World Cup with Canada and Mexico. With some 1.5 million tickets sold only days into the tournament, a chasm remains between the "haves" and the "have-nots" of the host cities. In just two games, Boca Juniors have taken Hard Rock Stadium by storm, turning it into their own 'Bombonera' outpost, filling it with a passion unmatched at this Club World Cup. The Boca fans made up the majority of the 55,574 spectators for the game against Benfica and it was a similar story among the 63,587 supporters present for Friday's 2-1 defeat by Bayern Munich. "I've had a long career and experienced a lot. There are times I want to be a player and tonight was one of those times," Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said after the Boca game. "They (the Boca Juniors fans) are special. The crowd was hostile in the best possible way ... that's what I love about football. Many fans would pay to watch that." The atmosphere created by the Boca fans, along with the presence of Inter Miami's Lionel Messi for the opening game of the tournament and the visit of Real Madrid, has made Miami Gardens the capital of soccer in the U.S. with an average attendance of 60,626. Hard Rock Stadium, which has hosted the Super Bowl six times, has a capacity of nearly 66,000. Messi, meanwhile, was the architect of soccer history after his stunning free kick secured Inter Miami a 2-1 win over Porto on Thursday, marking the first time that a CONCACAF team had defeated a European side in an official FIFA tournament. With Botafogo pulling off a shock 1-0 win over Champions League winners Paris St Germain and Flamengo beating Chelsea 3-1, it has been a good first week for Brazilian clubs in the tournament that expanded to 32 teams from seven in the last edition. "I love when I see Botafogo, all the Brazilian teams, Argentinian teams, how they celebrate, how they are together, I love them," Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola told reporters. "I like how all the games are tight, except one or two, and people are surprised, European teams lose. Welcome to the real world. Welcome to the real world my friends." Unsurprisingly, the super-sized field has produced some lop-sided results, with Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich thrashing Auckland City, a team made up of amateur players, 10-0 in their opener. 'NOT EASY' While some host cities have had no problem getting the party started, including Los Angeles, which welcomed 80,619 to the Rose Bowl for its first match of the tournament between PSG and Atletico Madrid, others have struggled. A Tuesday match between Ulsan and Mamelodi Sundowns kicked off around 7:00 pm in Orlando in front of 3,412 fans at the 25,500-capacity Inter&Co Stadium, while a 6 p.m. match in Cincinnati on Wednesday between Pachuca and Salzburg brought in just 5,282 spectators at the 26,000-capacity TQL Stadium. "The environment was a bit strange," Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca told reporters after the Premier League team beat MLS side LAFC 2-0 in front of little more than 22,000 fans at Atlanta's 71,000-capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium. A big challenge for organisers has been filling the stands in enormous venues more often used for United States' national addiction - NFL football - with as many as four matches per day in the group stage. While smaller, soccer-specific stadiums abound in the U.S., the Club World Cup gives organisers a chance to test out some of the venues FIFA expects to be filled to the brim at the 2026 World Cup. If FIFA was hoping that locals would snap up tickets to watch a world class soccer tournament on their doorstep, the evidence suggests it will be the travelling fans, rather than Americans, who will be scrambling to secure seats for next year's World Cup. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
