Latest news with #Guler
New York Times
10 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
A change in formation for Real Madrid
Real Madrid have settled for a draw in their opening match of the Club World Cup against Saudi side Al-Hilal Getty Images Getty Images 50' Real Madrid 1-1 Al-Hilal As expected, the half-time introduction of Guler has seen Real Madrid move into a back three, the favoured system of Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen. Aurelien Tchouameni has dropped into the backline alongside Dean Huijsen and Fran Garcia with Alexander-Arnold moving into a right-wing back position and Vinicius Jr staying close to the touchline on the other wing. That means Rodrygo and goalscorer Gonzalo Garcia are in a two-man attack. 47' Real Madrid 1-1 Al-Hilal What a start to the second half! Real Madrid could — and maybe should — have scored within 60 seconds of the restart. First, substitute Guler rattled the crossbar with a contested volley from the edge of the box. And Madrid recycled the ball — although were later flagged for offside — and Vinicius Jr lifted a delicate cross into Garcia in the six-yard box whose header was well kept out by Bounou. Almost the perfect start to the second half for Alonso's men. 46' Real Madrid 1-1 Al-Hilal After that quick — and much-needed — break for half-time refreshments, the ball is rolling again at Hard Rock Stadium. Not before Real Madrid make a substitution, though, with Asencio taken off for midfielder Arda Guler. The Spaniards perhaps moving to a back three with that very attacking change. Getty Images Raul Asencio has now conceded three penalties in 2025. Only one defender on a La Liga team, Getafe's Omar Alderete, has conceded more (4) this year. Getty Images HT Real Madrid 1-1 Al-Hilal Xabi Alonso's first starting XI with Real Madrid has an average age of 24 years and 300 days, which is the club's youngest in their first game with a new manager in all competitions since at least the 2009-10 season. Five of Madrid's last eight managers won their first game in all competitions with the club (D2 L1), with Zinedine Zidane achieving the biggest win of those eight with a 5-0 victory over Deportivo de La Coruna in La Liga in January 2016. HT Real Madrid 0-0 Al-Hilal Still trying to get my head around the fact that this tournament is on at the same time as the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Among the stranger club-vs-country battles in evidence here: Saudi Arabia are in the Gold Cup — not weird at all, stop looking at me like that — and play the US tomorrow, yet their best player is currently on duty for Al Hilal in Miami. Funny old world. Getty Images When Real Madrid finally started playing on their front foot late in the first half, it was Rodrygo who ensured his side would have something to show for it. The Brazilian nearly did the job himself with a curling strike that went just over the crossbar, but then completed a terrific Madrid build-up with a perfect curling pass to give Garcia his first shining moment for the club. Getty Images Few clubs outside of Europe in this competition have as many European level-caliber players as Al-Hilal, and they showed that throughout the first half. Portugal international Ruben Neves, formerly of Porto and Wolverhampton Wanderers, finally provided the Al-Hilal breakthrough with his equalizing penalty kick. Getty Images With his goal in the first half, Gonzalo Garcia (21 years, 86 days) became the fourth-youngest player Real Madrid player to score in his first start for the club since 2009-2010. The three players to have done it at a younger age? Jude Bellingham – 20 years, 44 days – 20 years, 44 days Marco Asensio – 20 years, 201 days – 20 years, 201 days Dani Ceballos – 21 years, 47 days Getty Images HT Real Madrid 1-1 Al-Hilal Put yourselves in the shoes of 21-year-old Gonzalo Garcia for a second. You're a Madrid native who's devoted his entire life to rising through the academy of your hometown club, which also happens to be one of the biggest in the world. You're suddenly picked to start on a global stage because the first-choice man, who also happens to be one of the most recognizable faces in world football, is sick. Then, you not only make some stellar runs when your team looks to push, but you score the first goal. What a moment! Getty Images HT Real Madrid 1-1 Al-Hilal Well, there hasn't been much difference between Xabi Alonso's Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti's, which shows that this new project is only a few days old. The defensive system failed, with Al-Hilal generating more danger and once again there was a lack of clarity in the build-up play and in the final metres. HT Real Madrid 1-1 Al-Hilal There goes the half-time whistle at Hard Rock Stadium. That was not the first half that many of us were expecting. Al-Hilal have been much the better team while Real Madrid have been really underwhelming. The Spaniards took the lead against the run of play but were pegged back after some lazy Asencio defending. Simone Inzaghi will be particularly impressed with what he has seen from the players. Alonso, not so much. Getty Images 45+4' Real Madrid 1-1 Al-Hilal Real Madrid are a structural mess. Their high press has been ineffective and they've been exposed defensively in transition and when Al Hilal slow the game down and progress through possession. 45+2' Real Madrid 1-1 Al-Hilal Oh, that was nearly a brilliant Al-Hilal goal. Al-Dawsari has been a real threat on the left wing and he exchanged a lovely one-two with Milinkovic-Savic inside the Madrid penalty area. His shot at the end of it was bending towards the top corner, but Asencio did well to get in front of it and deflect it beyond Courtois' far post. It's not quite making amends for his concession of the penalty, but that was a crucial block. Getty Images 45' Real Madrid 1-1 Al-Hilal As a result of the penalty, goals and cooling break, there will be five more minutes of this first half at Hard Rock Stadium. Getty Images 44' Real Madrid 1-1 Al-Hilal No real surprise to see Neves score from the penalty spot — he scored all eight that he took for Wolves in the Premier League. Getty Images 43' Real Madrid 1-1 Al-Hilal Asencio had made several very good interventions, but this penalty underlines that he continues to make mistakes that penalise the team. Undoubtedly something he needs to improve, although he does have plenty of time at the age of just 22. 42' Real Madrid 1-1 Al-Hilal Madrid's issues with refs continue — and not the first time in his short Madrid career that Raul Asencio has given away a needless penalty. The 22-year-old seemed to lose a sense of where the ball and his opponent was, and although the contact was slight, the referee was within his rights to point to the spot. 41' Real Madrid 1-1 Al-Hilal Al-Hilal have the equalising goal their first-half play has deserved! Neves is a very accomplished penalty taker and he smashes it into the back of the net as Courtois dives the other way. We're all square again on the stroke of half-time.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Xabi Alonso seriously considering starting Real Madrid youngster vs Al-Hilal
Real Madrid will play their first game of the Xabi Alonso era later tonight as they take on Al-Hilal in their first Group H game of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the USA. All eyes will be on the new manager as fans eagerly await to see how he sets up the team and the starting lineup he picks for his first game in charge. Advertisement The defensive side of things seem pretty much settled with both new signings Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen expected to start alongside Raul Asencio and Fran Garcia. The likes of Federico Valverde, Jude Bellingham, and Aurelien Tchouameni are the leading candidates to start in midfield. Kylian Mbappe's possible absence in attack due to a fever has opened up a spot in attack. Arda Guler to start? As such, AS now reports that manager Xabi Alonso is seriously considering handing a start to Arda Guler on the right flank tonight against Al-Hilal. Alonso believes in Guler. (Photo by) Advertisement With Mbappe out, Rodrygo is expected to feature at centre-forward while Vinicius Jr. will keep his place on the left. And, Guler could now be a strong candidate to take the final spot in the Real Madrid frontline tonight. It is no secret that Guler is a player Alonso admires greatly. Bayer Leverkusen have attempted to secure him on loan for the past two summers, but the youngster had closed the door firmly. During their first days working together since June 9, Alonso has taken a very close interest in the youngster. In yesterday's training session, during the 15 minutes open to the press, he was seen giving specific instructions to the Turkish prodigy. It could be a strong indicator that Guler is in line for a starting berth tonight when Real Madrid take on Al-Hilal in their Club World Cup opener. A gifted talent, Guler was unable to nail down a spot for himself in the team under Carlo Ancelotti. But he will hope that things are different with Alonso.
Arab News
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Turkiye rally for 2-1 win in friendly against US, who lose 3rd straight under Pochettino
EAST HARTFORD, Connecticut: Turkiye took advantage of a sloppy defense to beat the US 2-1 in a rainy friendly on Saturday, dealing the Americans their third straight loss as Arda Guler and Kerem Akturkoglu scored in a 2-minute, 20-second span midway through the first half. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport Jack McGlynn scored 59 seconds in for the US, who were missing many regulars as coach Mauricio Pochettino revamped his roster following a dismal performance at the CONCACAF Nations League final four in March. With a year to go before co-hosting the World Cup, the US play Switzerland on Tuesday at Nashville, Tennessee, in another friendly, then open the CONCACAF Gold Cup against Trinidad and Tobago on June 15. The Americans dropped to 5-4 under Pochettino, who took over after first-round elimination last year's Copa America led the US Soccer Federation to fire coach Gregg Berhalter. They have lost three straight for the second time in a year. Pochettino changed eight starters from the Nations League loss to Canada in March, keeping only left back Max Arfsten, winger Diego Luna and forward Patrick Agyemang. Defender Alex Freeman, a 20-year-old son of former NFL All-Pro receiver Antonio Freeman, started in his US debut. Matt Freese, a starter at Major League Soccer's New York City, made his debut in goal. Matt Turner, the usual starter since 2022, didn't play for Crystal Palace after March 1. McGlynn scored when he ran onto a pass from Malik Tilman, took several touches, cut inside and curled a left-footed shot from just outside the penalty area inside the far post for his second goal in five international appearances. It was the earliest US goal since Shaq Moore scored 20 seconds in against Canada during the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Turkiye tied it in the 24th minute when Freese tapped the ball to Johnny Cardoso, whose pass ricocheted off a leg and past Freese for Guler's fifth international goal. Then in the 27th, Miles Robinson tried to clear Oguz Aydın's shot and the ball went to Akturkoglu, who one-timed a bouncing shot past Freese for his 12th international goal and sixth in eight games. Turkiye goalkeeper Berke Ozer also made his international debut. Preparing for the start of their World Cup qualifying campaign in September, Turkiye have six wins, one loss and one draw in their last eight games.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Turkey to press allies for access to EU defence funds
By Tuvan Gumrukcu ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey will press European allies which plan to sharply ramp up their defence spending to ease restrictions that now require most of that money to be spent in the EU, Defence Minister Yasar Guler told Reuters on Wednesday ahead of a NATO meeting. In written answers to questions from Reuters, Guler also said Turkey hopes a potential meeting between Donald Trump and Tayyip Erdogan will finally yield progress in lifting U.S. sanctions that expelled Turkey from the F-35 jet programme. Guler said Turkey, which has the second biggest army in NATO after the United States, has advanced capabilities in areas such as drones, which would be valuable to its allies as they plan major new spending on defence. "Allies need to spend not only more, but also smarter – and there is a need for more cooperation than ever before," Guler said when asked about Trump's call on the alliance to ramp up defence spending to target 5% of output. Many European nations have announced plans for major increases in defence spending. The EU itself, driven by fears of a Russian attack and doubts about U.S. security commitments, has approved creating a 150 billion-euro ($170 billion) EU arms fund to boost the defence industry, labelled the SAFE scheme. But it mandates that 65% of projects are funded by firms in the bloc, the broader European Economic Area, or Ukraine. Guler said such restrictions would exclude non-EU countries like Turkey from Europe's defence and security architecture, which he said was "an issue that cannot be discussed only within the EU". Turkey wants to "build the security of the future together" with the EU, and would continue to work with "open-minded and visionary European allies within or outside SAFE," he said, specifically listing drones, air defences, naval systems, armoured vehicles and land platforms, electronic warfare and radar systems, ammunition and rocket systems. Greece, Turkey's longstanding adversary, has demanded Ankara lift a lift a 30-year old war threat over territorial waters to be permitted to access EU defence funds. Guler said such demands were a mistake, amounting to "involving multilateral platforms in bilateral disputes". Ankara's defence cooperation with its NATO allies has been hampered in recent years by U.S. sanctions imposed over a Turkish decision to buy Russian S-400 air defence systems, which resulted in Turkey's expulsion from the U.S.-led F-35 programme as both a buyer and manufacturer of the advanced jets. Erdogan has expressed confidence that Trump, with whom he has good personal ties, will find a solution that relieves Turkey's defence industry of the sanctions. A potential meeting between Erdogan and Trump, and the close ties between them, can "breathe new life" into bilateral defence ties and help lift the sanctions, Guler said. Although Ankara would not give up the S-400s, lifting the sanctions would let it consider returning to the F-35 project, he said. ($1 = 0.8792 euros) (Writing by Huseyin Hayatsever; Editing by Jonathan Spicer and Peter Graff)
The Star
04-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Turkey to press allies for access to EU defence funds
FILE PHOTO: Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler attends a signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding on establishing a mine countermeasures naval group in the Black Sea, in Istanbul, Turkey, January 11, 2024. REUTERS/Umit Bektas/File Photo ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey will press European allies which plan to sharply ramp up their defence spending to ease restrictions that now require most of that money to be spent in the EU, Defence Minister Yasar Guler told Reuters on Wednesday ahead of a NATO meeting. In written answers to questions from Reuters, Guler also said Turkey hopes a potential meeting between Donald Trump and Tayyip Erdogan will finally yield progress in lifting U.S. sanctions that expelled Turkey from the F-35 jet programme. Guler said Turkey, which has the second biggest army in NATO after the United States, has advanced capabilities in areas such as drones, which would be valuable to its allies as they plan major new spending on defence. "Allies need to spend not only more, but also smarter – and there is a need for more cooperation than ever before," Guler said when asked about Trump's call on the alliance to ramp up defence spending to target 5% of output. Many European nations have announced plans for major increases in defence spending. The EU itself, driven by fears of a Russian attack and doubts about U.S. security commitments, has approved creating a 150 billion-euro ($170 billion) EU arms fund to boost the defence industry, labelled the SAFE scheme. But it mandates that 65% of projects are funded by firms in the bloc, the broader European Economic Area, or Ukraine. Guler said such restrictions would exclude non-EU countries like Turkey from Europe's defence and security architecture, which he said was "an issue that cannot be discussed only within the EU". Turkey wants to "build the security of the future together" with the EU, and would continue to work with "open-minded and visionary European allies within or outside SAFE," he said, specifically listing drones, air defences, naval systems, armoured vehicles and land platforms, electronic warfare and radar systems, ammunition and rocket systems. Greece, Turkey's longstanding adversary, has demanded Ankara lift a lift a 30-year old war threat over territorial waters to be permitted to access EU defence funds. Guler said such demands were a mistake, amounting to "involving multilateral platforms in bilateral disputes". Ankara's defence cooperation with its NATO allies has been hampered in recent years by U.S. sanctions imposed over a Turkish decision to buy Russian S-400 air defence systems, which resulted in Turkey's expulsion from the U.S.-led F-35 programme as both a buyer and manufacturer of the advanced jets. Erdogan has expressed confidence that Trump, with whom he has good personal ties, will find a solution that relieves Turkey's defence industry of the sanctions. A potential meeting between Erdogan and Trump, and the close ties between them, can "breathe new life" into bilateral defence ties and help lift the sanctions, Guler said. Although Ankara would not give up the S-400s, lifting the sanctions would let it consider returning to the F-35 project, he said. ($1 = 0.8792 euros) (Writing by Huseyin Hayatsever; Editing by Jonathan Spicer and Peter Graff)
