Latest news with #ClubBrugge
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Buchanan's hot foot heating up at the right time
Opinion Tajon Buchanan, explained Inter Milan's welcome message, hails 'from the frigid climate of Canada.' It was January 2024, and the Brampton-born winger had just joined the Nerazzurri from Club Brugge. A few weeks later, once the Italian giants had exhausted their tropes, he became the first Canadian to play in Serie A. In retrospect, it was the right move at the wrong time. Then-manager Simone Inzaghi was famous for playing favourites with a squad that rarely changed from week to week, and Buchanan rarely got off the bench. ETHAN CAIRNS / THE CANADIAN PRESS Canada's Tajon Buchanan celebrates his goal against Honduras at the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Tuesday. Then, at last summer's Copa America, he suffered a broken tibia that kept him off the pitch for 116 days. The injury all but ensured he'd never crack the Inter line-up. He asked to go on loan and was picked up by Villarreal. After a slow start, the 26-year-old rounded into form, scored a crucial goal against Barcelona and helped the Yellow Submarine book passage to the Champions League. In a recent sit-down with OneSoccer, he credited the Spanish outfit with rejuvenating his career. But it wasn't until earlier this month that Canadian fans got to see the revival in person. On a warm, spring night in Toronto — hardly frigid (23 C, actually) — Buchanan wasted no time reminding his Canada teammates, as well as the BMO Field faithful and a national broadcast audience, just what they'd been missing for nearly a year. Back in the XI, he assisted Jonathan David's tally in the 24th minute against Ukraine and then scored Canada's fourth and final goal of the 4-2 triumph in the 81st. It was a standout performance, and yet only a preview of what was to follow. Shortly after the restart in Canada's Gold Cup opener against Honduras on Tuesday, he made a well-timed run and clipped a wide-angle finish past the 'keeper to give his side a 3-0 lead. Seventeen minutes later he made it 4-0 when he converted Mathieu Choiniere's corner. At the final whistle, the Vancouver crowd could celebrate a convincing 6-0 win. Putting the man of the hour aside for just a moment, it is mighty impressive that the Canadian men progressed to the Copa semifinals in Buchanan's absence — that they beat the United States (twice), played Mexico to a draw and defeated Panama. Those are results a team gets when it has depth, and Canada has it in spades. That said, the 26-year-old's reintroduction has made the men's national team a completely different proposition. Suddenly, and with one of Ali Ahmed and Jacob Shaffelburg on the left-hand side, it's a line-up with weaponry on either flank. Both have to be marked by the opposition — good luck — and the ripple effect means the attackers can operate more freely, like when David played in right-back Niko Sigur on the opening goal against Honduras. Sigur, for his part, offers a smart, quick option when Alistair Johnston isn't available, and he's versatile enough to slot into midfield as well. But a fit and flying Buchanan immediately consolidates Canada's status as Gold Cup co-favourites with Mexico. He might be the flashiest player in the tournament, and he'll give Zwolle full-back Sherel Floranus all he can handle in Saturday's Group B match against Curacao (6:00 p.m., TSN & OneSoccer). Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Win, and Canada will secure first place in their bracket, setting up a likely quarterfinal with Saudi Arabia. Three points would also give head coach Jesse Marsch a chance to rest his key players on June 24, when Canada face El Savador in the group stage finale (9:00 p.m., TSN & OneSoccer). Buchanan should probably be one of them. He's still recovering from injury, after all, and is yet to hit top gear. That's a sizzling prospect for the Canadian men, and one that will make the opposition frozen — frigid, even — with fear. jerradpeters@ @
The National
9 hours ago
- Sport
- The National
Middlesbrough allocation for Rangers pre-season friendly revealed
The English Championship club will travel to Glasgow on Saturday, July 26. Rangers will first face Club Brugge. Middlesbrough's visit to Ibrox will come in between the two-legged Champions League second qualifying round tie against Panathinaikos. Now, it has been confirmed that Middlesbrough will receive 8,023 tickets for the friendly contest. A club update read: "Ticket information for Boro's trip to Rangers in pre-season. "Tickets are on general sale from 10am, Wednesday 18 June. "All tickets for this fixture will be print at home, and no physical tickets will be issued. "Full Allocation: 8,023 tickets". Read more: Rangers return for pre-season on Monday. Manager Russell Martin said: "[The aim is] to work them physically, tactically, to get them to understand what we are demanding very early on and what the team will look like, and hopefully over the next couple of weeks to add a few players to the group, and I think we're all expecting that. "I don't know [exact numbers], but I think we will have a few before the European game, that is for sure. Everyone is working extremely hard, that's what the bulk of the work has been the last week or so, identifying character and talent we want in this building that can add to this group and add to us culturally and performance-wise. I am excited about the people we are starting to look at and will hopefully add." Rangers pre-season 2025 fixtures Rangers vs Club Brugge - 2pm, Sunday, July 6 Rangers vs Middlebrough - 2pm, Saturday, July 26
The South African
3 days ago
- Sport
- The South African
Opinion: Percy Tau has passed his peak and here's why
Percy Tau once led the Bafana Bafana team for several years during his peak. Known as the 'Lion of Judah,' Tau was a joy to watch, especially while playing for Mamelodi Sundowns and Club Brugge. After winning the Golden Boot and being named PSL Player of the Season in the 2017/18 season, the 31-year-old winger transferred to Brighton & Hove Albion. At that time, Percy Tau was seen as the next big star, with many expecting him to reach the heights of legends like Benni McCarthy, Steven Pienaar, and Lucas Radebe. Unfortunately, he spent only three years in Europe before returning to Africa, where he played for Al Ahly. Tau played his best football at Sundowns, Union Saint-Gilloise, Club Brugge, and Anderlecht. He left Sundowns in 2018 after scoring 18 goals in 65 appearances for the Tshwane giants. While he wasn't at his peak yet, he was rapidly improving as a footballer. Although he could not play for Brighton initially in 2018, he was loaned out to a Belgian second division team where he excelled, securing another loan move to Belgian giants Club Brugge. In 2019, Tau performed exceptionally well with the national team, leading them to the quarter-finals. Although he did not score a goal in the tournament, his performance drew praise. He carried that form to Club Brugge, impressing in the UEFA Champions League against top teams like Real Madrid. After a successful season with Brugge, he was loaned to Anderlecht, where he continued to impress, scoring four times in 14 appearances. Brighton eventually recalled him after two and a half years on loan, but unfortunately, he played only six matches for the Seagulls in 2021. He then transferred to Al Ahly, where he spent four years. Since 2023, Percy Tau has had less impact on both club and country. He struggled in the Africa Cup of Nations last year, which adversely affected his career at Al Ahly. Earlier this year, he joined Qatar SC but only lasted a few months before leaving. Why didn't he achieve greater success in Europe? Percy Tau peaked between 2019 and 2022, but during these three years, he was mostly on loan. He wasn't given enough opportunities at Brighton, which compelled him to seek playing time elsewhere. While he improved as a player after leaving Sundowns, he did not fully realise his potential. Had he stayed at Brighton for another year or two, he could have enhanced his skills and extended his peak period. Injuries and a lack of motivation may have hindered his progress at Al Ahly. As of 2025, at 31 years old, Percy Tau is now a free agent. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Rangers Champions League draw: When is the draw, how to watch, and who Rangers could face
Rangers set to discover first match of Russell Martin era Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Russell Martin will discover who Rangers will face in the first competitive match of his tenure when the draw for the Champions League qualifiers is made this week. The Ibrox club are kick-starting a new era under their new head coach, and new owners, following the recent takeover by an American consortium led by Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Martin's first taste of life in the Rangers dugout will come in a pre-season friendly against Club Brugge at Ibrox on Sunday, July 6 before he takes his squad to St George's Park, home of the England national team, for a summer training camp. His first proper match will then follow in the second round of Champions League qualification with the first leg taking place away from home on July 22/23 before the return leg in Glasgow on July 29/30. Rangers will discover their Champions League second qualifying round opponents on Wednesday. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group) | SNS Group Here is everything you need to know ahead of the draw: When is the draw for the Champions League second qualifying round? The draw takes place on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland. The draw starts at 11am BST. How to watch the Champions League second qualifying round draw The draw will be broadcast live on and is free to watch. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Who Rangers could face in the Champions League second qualifying round and beyond Rangers are in the 'league' section of the qualifiers after finishing second in the Scottish Premiership last season. They are seeded and know that they will face either Servette (Switzerland), Panathinaikos (Greece) or Brann (Norway). A defeat would put Rangers into the Europa League third qualifying round but if they prevail, they will move on to the third qualifying round of the Champions League, where again they would be seeded and would face either Nice (France), Fenerbahce (Turkey), the winner of second qualifying round tie involving Red Bull Salzburg (Austria) or the winner of the tie involving Viktoria Plzen (Czech Republic). The draw for this round takes place on July 21, with the matches due to be played across August 5-6 and August 12. Rangers would drop into Europa League play-offs if they were to lose in the third qualifying round, while a victory puts them into the Champions League play-offs on August 19/20 and August 26/27. Rangers would be unseeded, however, and would face the winner of the ties involving Benfica (Portugal) or Club Brugge (Belgium), who they are playing in a friendly in July. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Milan to Wait for Modric, Search For More Midfield Help
Luka Modric has committed to joining Milan, but he'll put pen to paper only after the FIFA Club World Cup, which he'll play with Real Madrid. The Rossoneri won't stop there to replenish their midfield, which has lost Tijjani Reijnders, Alfredo Pedullà informs. New director Igli Tare is targeting Granit Xhaka and Ardon Jashari. The former is open to the destination and to transferring in general, but it'll depend on Bayer Leverkusen's evaluation. He's 33 and has three more years on his contract. Advertisement Instead, the Club Brugge prodigy has a €35M valuation, which might be too high for Milan. He tallied 4 goals and 6 assists in 52 matches in the recently concluded season. He has four caps with Switzerland. The Belgian team signed him from Luzern for €6M two years ago. In the other direction, the negotiation with Napoli for Yunus Musah has slowed down after the early momentum. The Rossoneri upped their request, but it's still on. Instead, Lazio are keen on Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who thrived under Maurizio Sarri at Chelsea. He could be expendable under the right circumstances. Our Take on the Milan Midfield If they get the chance to sign a proven leader like Xhaka for cheap, they should go for it, but they should stop at one veteran to avoid dynamism and stamina-related problems. The best version of the Englishman would be an ideal piece to complete their new line, but he's coming off a hellish campaign from an injury standpoint, so they might have soured on him. They should look for somebody with similar traits, but younger and more consistent. They shouldn't miss out on selling Musah for a couple of extra million.
