Million dollar defender Naomi Girma only European-based player to face Ireland as Emma Hayes rests USA stars
The first million dollar player in women's soccer, Chelsea defender Naomi Girma will be the only European-based player in the USA squad to face Ireland in two friendlies next week.
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Irish Independent
7 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson issues passionate apology after red card in Flamengo loss
The Senegal striker was shown a straight red card – just four minutes after coming off the bench – for an aggressive studs-up challenge on Ayrton Lucas in Friday's 3-1 defeat in Philadelphia. It came amid a calamitous six-minute spell in the second period in which the Blues also conceded two goals to surrender their half-time lead. It was also Jackson's second dismissal in just four appearances having also been given his marching orders for a forearm crack on Newcastle's Sven Botman in a Premier League match last month. 'I want to say sorry,' Jackson wrote on Instagram on what was a 24th birthday to forget. '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 moment in football 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, Sorry.' We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review your details and accept them to load the content Jackson's moment of madness, in which he forcefully caught Lucas on the shin, effectively ended Chelsea's hopes of getting back into the Group D contest at Lincoln Financial Field. Enzo Maresca's side were already reeling after Pedro Neto's well-taken 14th-minute opener was cancelled out by Bruno Henrique after 62 minutes and quickly followed by another goal for veteran Danilo. Wallace Yan wrapped up the scoring seven minutes from time, putting Flamengo in charge of the group and potentially making Chelsea's route through the tournament complicated. Defender Marc Cucurella suggested discipline was an area Jackson needed to work on. The defender told DAZN: 'He is young player, he has a lot of quality, he maybe needs to improve this a little bit. We are here to improve, we are not perfect so it is part of the game.' Maresca did not deny the sending-off was damaging, though he tempered criticism by claiming it was not a clear-cut decision. Maresca said: 'Those six minutes completely changed the dynamic of the game. 'I'm not 100 per cent sure that it's a red card compared to the Newcastle one, but it can be and the referee decided it. 'It's a little bit of a bad moment for Nico in these things. He knows very well that both situations were not something good for the team.' Former Chelsea defender Filipe Luis, now the manager of Flamengo, backed Jackson to bounce back. 'It was a little mistake,' he said. 'It was a clear red for me but it is a small detail for a player who can be one of the biggest strikers in the world.' Chelsea, who now have three points from their opening two games, face ES Tunis in their final group game on Tuesday night (2am Wednesday BST).
Irish Examiner
9 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Kane helps Bayern restore a little European pride with win over Boca
Bayern Munich reignited the flickering flame of European honour at the Club World Cup, battling through a tense, fiery showdown to claim a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Boca Juniors and storm into the last 16 on Friday. Backed by a roaring sea of blue-and-yellow clad fans who turned the Hard Rock Stadium into a noisy outpost of their "Bombonera", Boca Juniors fought fiercely, but Bayern's resilience shone through in the closing stages. After Harry Kane gave the German champions an early lead, Boca equalised through Miguel Merentiel, only for Michael Olise to score a late winner that lifted Bayern to the top of Group C on six points, two ahead of Benfica. Boca, on one point, remain in contention as they face amateurs Auckland City in the last round of matches while Bayern will take on Benfica. The win marked a welcome rebound for European sides, who have faced a tough run at the tournament with Porto, Paris St Germain and Chelsea all suffering recent defeats. In a thrilling second half, Boca made Bayern fight for every ball in a match brimming with tension and bite In a thunderous atmosphere, the German side made a bright start and thought they had taken the lead when Olise's in-swinging corner flew directly into the net, only for VAR to spot a foul on Boca's goalkeeper. The pressure eventually told in the 18th minute when Harry Kane latched onto a loose clearance and toe-poked a composed finish into the bottom corner after Konrad Laimer's cross from the right for his first goal in the tournament after drawing a blank in his team's 10-0 demolition of Auckland City. Serge Gnabry scrambled the ball across the face of goal minutes later, but Kingsley Coman somehow failed to connect with what would have been a simple tap-in. Manuel Neuer had little to do in the first half, though he was called into action to make two smart saves from Kevin Zenon as Boca refused to back down. The Argentine side pressed higher after the break, showing typical grit and tenacity in the duels and slightly unsettling Bayern with their relentless aggression. Spurred on by deafening chants from their travelling support, Boca clawed their way back into the contest, forcing several anxious moments in the German defence as tempers flared and challenges flew in. In the 66th minute, Olise was harassed off the ball by three Boca players and Merentiel was fed in down the right and kept his composure to skip past Josip Stanisic before firing a shot past Neuer, sending the crowd into rapture as the whole stadium trembled. Bayern's composure eventually told as Olise bent one into the bottom corner after being set up by Kane six minutes from time. Reuters
Irish Examiner
9 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Bradley admits leaders Rovers are keen on Masterson coup
Conor Masterson would be of interest to Shamrock Rovers if the former Liverpool centre-back was to become available. Masterson (26) was in Tallaght on Friday to watch the Hoops swell their lead at the top of the table to 11 points following a 4-1 mauling of Cork City. He's just completed his season at English League Two Gillingham but is out of contract next week and yet to agree to an extension. Previously, he featured in the Championship for Queen's Park Rangers and was once part of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool first-team squad. He famously joined the Reds from his local Lucan United club in 2014 on a record package of €525,000. The defender from Celbridge has options to move up a tier to League One but both Damien Duff and Stephen Kenny are interested in bringing him to Shelbourne and St Patrick's Athletic respectively ahead of their European campaigns. Masterson was a regular during Kenny's year in charge of Ireland's U21s. Hoops boss Stephen Bradley was asked about the presence of Masterson as a club guest and while he stressed no talks have occurred he'd be open to exploring the prospect. Bradley has an embarrassment of riches in terms of squad depth, able to rest Jack Byrne, Graham Burke, Matt Healy and Lee Grace ahead from Friday with the derby against Bohemians in mind. Retaining freshness is his priority, evidenced by his strike force bolstered by the capture of Irish League sensation John McGovern from Dungannon Swifts. He'll be available after the window opens on June 1, the same date Masterson can join alternative employers. 'Look, Conor is a good player and there's no getting away from that,' admitted Bradley. 'He has been that since he was 14 years of age. We all remember that and that hasn't changed. 'We want good players here. I don't know what his plans are, I don't know anything about them and that's being genuine. 'I'm hearing that teams have offered him deals, I don't know how true it is. All I know is we haven't spoken to him. But if it's something that he was coming home, we'd obviously be interested in good players.'
