Latest news with #NationalTeam
New York Times
13 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Whitecaps make offer for Canada, Fulham rising talent Luc De Fougerolles
Some Canadian national team players have arrived at the Gold Cup out of their desire to win a trophy and hopefully push themselves up the pecking order on Jesse Marsch's 2026 World Cup roster. Others, like Luc De Fougerolles? The 19-year-old won't run from the fact that he needed to come to this tournament. Advertisement A devastating knee injury kept him out of most of his season with Fulham's Under-21 squad. The mature, talented and physical center back only got his first serious run of games late in the spring. De Fougerolles accepted Marsch's call with the eagerness you'd expect. 'This season was a tough one. Whenever I was playing I felt really good,' De Fougerolles told The Athletic. 'It's great to have (Canada games) now, because otherwise I'd have just been just getting back to it and then done for offseason.' De Fougerolles has logged just five appearances for Canada, the majority of which came this month. But if the explosiveness and smarts he's shown are anything to go on, he may have a promising and impactful national team career ahead of him. His physicality and knowhow on the ball have quickly made him one of Canada's rising stars. '(De Fougerolles) is an incredibly intelligent player,' Marsch said after a standout showing against Ukraine. 'He has the right kind of behaviors and habits.' And now, playing for Canada at the Gold Cup could change De Fougerolles' career path. De Fougerolles is out of contract with Fulham at the end of the month. The Athletic has learned the Vancouver Whitecaps have made an initial offer to sign De Fougerolles to a multi-year contract. A source with knowledge of the offer said the MLS side met with De Fougerolles in Vancouver ahead of Canada's Gold Cup opener. It's believed De Fougerolles is exploring multiple offers for his future, all of which have one common thread: no more youth soccer. 'I need first-team football,' he said defiantly. The dual-national was born in England and joined Fulham's academy when he was 8. Current Canada assistant coach Mauro Biello first became aware of De Fougerolles in 2022, and Marsch has quickly given De Fougerolles opportunities to assert himself. Advertisement Continuing as one of Canada's top young players at the Gold Cup could land him his desired first-team minutes, and this summer, he's getting what's he pined for all year: a chance to play consistently. 'When you are playing with a first team, the need to win for the fans, for yourself, for the players is so high compared to Under-21s, which is more about developing,' De Fougerolles said. While some players utilize strong club seasons to propel them into the national team setup, De Fougerolles' path could be the inverse. Without a full season of games t to bolster his resume, so much of what De Fougerolles wants could be derived from his Canada performances. 'A lot of the players in my Under-21 team are great players, but they just don't have the kind of international (experience) that I have where they can play first-team games. Clubs will be looking at me seeing I've played (games for Canada),' De Fougerolles said. 'If I can play well, it'll definitely help.' De Fougerolles has proven to be a natural fit under Marsch, coming out of his shell in the process. He's not afraid to step out of the back line and is as comfortable on the ball as any modern center back must be. There is a sense of aggression in his game that undercuts his lighthearted persona and boyish grin. 'In training, I always hear (Marsch) in my ear when I'm not tight enough to a striker, not jumping on the midfield or when I should,' De Fougerolles said. 'When I'm in camp, I then I feel like I have to win more duels as well. I can go for it and I'm not worried about what's behind me. I just go and press people and I feel that when I get back to Fulham, it puts me in a really good step because a lot of the players are not really expecting it especially in training: smashing a few people and winning the ball.' Advertisement He used his time off the pitch with injury to bulk up, having constantly surprised Canada's trainers with how much size he has added between camps. And he's not afraid to lean into his physicality, as evidenced by the crunching tackles he landed against Ukraine, Ivory Coast and Honduras. The result is a player who hardly looks like a teenager for Canada. At his best, he has straddled the line between depth center back and starter. Marsch's training sessions are continually exhaustive and demanding. Within those sessions, Marsch has continually challenged his depth players to push assumed starters for more playing time. That's where De Fougerolles comes in. Moïse Bombito and Derek Cornelius remain the odds-on favorites to be Canada's starting center back tandem at the World Cup. Yet De Fougerolles' rapid progression and comfortability in a starting role suggests he could be called on immediately should one of them take a step back. Outside of the locks, Joel Waterman provides dependability in the back. Kamal Miller's game has leveled off as of late, but he's a key cog in the culture of the team and has the World Cup playing time no other Canadian center back can boast. Jamie Knight-Lebel remains full of potential, but he needs more playing time, possibly with Bristol City, to develop more confidence and aggression. Where De Fougerolles fits for Canada in 2026 remains to be seen. That he started alongside Canada's best available players against Ukraine and also started in Canada's Gold Cup opener likely slots him third on the depth chart. He wants to take the experience playing with and against full-time senior players for Canada to show he is ready for the next stage of his career – whether that's in Vancouver or elsewhere. 'I know how good I am and I know what I could be doing,' he said. 'I'm just ready to show people.' De Fougerolles admits his next step could catch him by surprise. And frankly, he's fine with that. Advertisement He formed a friendship with national team forward Liam Millar after the two roomed together at De Fougerolles' first Canada camp. Both players came up through Fulham's academy. Eventually, the two suffered similar injuries, which they traded notes on. Yet throughout their friendship, Millar has shared insight on his path, including detours into Switzerland and the pros and cons of various loan deals. 'I call and text him for advice,' De Fougerolles said. 'I'm quite interested in the different routes you can take.' Playing in MLS, should that be the avenue De Fougerolles considers, could make him familiar with his North American surroundings ahead of a pivotal World Cup on home soil. The Whitecaps trying to sign him suggests De Fougerolles could play regularly in their starting XI under a tactically strong and attack-minded head coach in Jesper Sørensen. The flip side is that for a player raised in a strong English academy, moving across the Atlantic now could make it difficult to hop back over. De Fougerolles doesn't run from the fact that he'd like to play first-team soccer in England eventually. It's worth wondering if staying in England, possibly re-upping with Fulham and going out on loan a lower-tier league, presents a more likely path for De Fougerolles to eventually crack Fulham's first-team squad. 'It's obviously not fully my decision to make,' De Fougerolles said. 'If Fulham want me around, I'll gladly stay and be around the team. But a loan would be amazing. Just to play 40 professional games, I feel like that's part of the game that maybe I'm missing with Under-21s. It's less competitive. So if I were to go to a League One or a Championship team, I think every game would be competitive and that experience would really put me on a good start.' So much of De Fougerolles' club future will be determined over the next two weeks while playing for Canada. He's keeping a level head throughout, with his sights set on something even bigger. 'Everyone's looking towards next summer and they want to have the best year possible next year,' De Fougerolles said. 'So I feel for me, to really push myself and improve I'd have to be playing first-team football somewhere, whether that's at Fulham or somewhere else definitely, because I think I would learn so much and I'd be going to the World Cup in a really good place.'
Daily Mail
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Inter president 'plots escape route' for Club World Cup player stranded in Iran as trapped star sends updates 'every few hours' amid Israel conflict
Inter Milan 's striker Mehdi Taremi is in 'constant contact' with his club while he is stuck in Iran amid the ongoing conflict with Israel, as his club try to find an exit plan for the star. Taremi, 32, was named in Inter's squad for the Club World Cup in the United States and their first fixture comes on Wednesday against Mexican side Monterrey, but was unable to join up with his side. He had flown back to his homeland to accept Iran's Footballer of the Year award and planned to then jet straight out to Los Angeles to join his club team-mates. The frontman was also in Iran to play for the national team in their World Cup qualifiers against Qatar and North Korea, and scored against the latter. However, the rapid escalation in the conflict between Israel and Iran saw Israeli missiles and jets bombard nuclear and military facilities, with Tehran targeted. Inter president Giuseppe Marotta has reportedly been in contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Italian ambassador to Tehran, Paola Amadei, in order to try to find a way to extract Taremi. However, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport there is as yet no resolution to the issue of flying Taremi out of Tehran. The only solution, the outlet claims, available to the club and player is to leave Iran by land, most likely car, and then join his team from there. Yet the Italian giants are thought to have advised Taremi against such a measure due to the high level of risk involved, with the ultimate priority being the safety and welfare of the striker and his family. Taremi himself has been in contact with his team-mates in the US on their hunt for the Club World Cup trophy, and is thought to be constantly in touch with team manager Matteo Tagliacarne. He reportedly sent them encouragement a couple of hours before their 1-1 draw with Mexican side Monterrey at the Club World Cup on Wednesday. Taremi's family, also in Iran, are not thought to be with him, and Gazzetta's report claims that he is still in good spirits, and hasn't lost his 'humour' when he talks with his team. Most importantly, he is believed to have reassured the rest of the Inter squad and hierarchy that he does not feel in danger, amid conflict between the two nations. Taremi remained on the bench during Inter's Champions League final defeat by PSG but made 43 appearances in all competitions last season, scoring three goals.
BBC News
a day ago
- Sport
- BBC News
'Fantastic' Miller's future 'not at top of my mind'
Jens Berthel Askou says "fantastic" Lennon Miller's future has "not been top of my mind" - but the Motherwell boss admits "there probably is" interest in the 18-year-old midfielder has been given extended time off after impressing in his first start for Scotland in Liechtenstein last continues to surround the future of Fir Park youth product, who has a year left to run on his Askou is unsure whether this summer is the time when Miller will "take the next step" in his career."There probably is [interest in him], but it's not been top of my mind," the new Well manager said. "I'll probably need to get that update myself. I know he's a fantastic player, he's just gone into the national team, he's a big profile for Scottish football."For sure he's going to face a fantastic international career, then we'll see over time if it's going to be this summer that he will take the next step. "I haven't met him yet because he's got a few extra days off, so I think it would be fair for me to meet him first and have some good discussions with him before I answer any specific questions about his future."
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
How Diego Luna won over Mauricio Pochettino and reset a USMNT standard
Diego Luna has called it a life-changing experience. He was on the sideline in the midst of a January camp friendly against Costa Rica. His nose was broken and bleeding. U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino went to check on him. 'Please coach, let me keep playing,' Luna said. Then he turned to the doctor and asked for the green light to continue. He got it. Luna went back onto the field, gauze stuffed up his swollen snout, and, in his first on-ball action, delivered an assist to Brian White. Advertisement The moment stood out for a few reasons. First, January camp friendlies are traditionally thought of as the least consequential of USMNT games. The month-long, mostly-domestic-based national team camps were derisively labeled 'Camp Cupcake,' because they featured fringe national team players. But that nickname misses the point. It's not about the results of the games. January camp has traditionally been a place where future national team staples are identified. It's a chance to make a lasting impression. Sometimes the only chance. And the 21-year-old Luna left an enduring mark on Pochettino. His eagerness to get out on the field – to not miss out on his opportunity, reset nose and all – stuck with the U.S. coach. As Pochettino said on the postgame broadcast that night: 'Big balls.' That moment has made Luna the sort of poster boy for what Pochettino wants from the rest of his national team pool. A willingness to give everything all of the time. To show you care about how you play and how you approach camp, and an understanding that every chance to play for a national team could be your last one. Luna personified that. He took nothing for granted. 'That experience for me I could say was life-changing, as it gave me an opportunity to come back into more camps and show the type of grit and the hunger that I have to play and represent my country,' the Real Salt Lake star said earlier this month. 'It shows Mauricio really liked that about me and really liked the fight I had. And I think it shows other players that's what's needed in this team. To fight through everything.' Luna is perceptive. Playing with a broken nose was a moment, but it represented something bigger. He couldn't rest on that one assist if he was going to stay in Pochettino's picture. Luna's mentality was given a microphone — everything he did on the field after it had to live up to the act. Advertisement In the U.S.'s dominant 5-0 victory over a surprisingly poor Trinidad and Tobago side to open play at the Concacaf Gold Cup on Sunday, the full picture of what Pochettino wants out of the man wearing the No. 10 was on display. Luna had two assists, one of which was a shot deflected into the net by a teammate. But it wasn't just the attacking part of his game that matters. Luna is relentless on the field, and his counterpressing often is what sets up his best attacking moments. On multiple occasions against T&T, Luna pressed well after the U.S. turned the ball over, winning it back and helping to create new attacks. They are the simple moments, but they're also the ones that don't go unnoticed by the coaching staff. In the 22nd minute, Luna was well ahead of the ball when Luca de la Torre lost possession. But he sprinted back to swarm the T&T player, kill a transition moment and allow the U.S. to win back possession. In the 68th minute, with the U.S. holding a 3-0 lead and well in control of the game, Luna was still showing his work rate and defensive abilities. He pressured Trinidad to slow a counter after a hard tackle on Malik Tillman, chasing the ball across the field and cutting out passing lanes to force Trinidad backward. There were other moments, of course. Luna's anticipation of a back pass allowed him to intercept the ball and set up Tillman's first goal earlier in the game. On the night, he won three of four duels and made four recoveries. This isn't a new part of his game. Luna is similarly aggressive playing for Real Salt Lake. In this clip from an RSL match, Luna is relentless to chase down multiple defenders, shift direction to cut out a pass and then eventually intercept it to put it out for a throw-in. No RSL player has regained possession in the final third more often than Luna's 16 occasions in MLS this season. The work rate complements Luna's other attributes. On the ball, Luna is clearly one of RSL's most threatening players going forward, with eight goals and four assists in 16 MLS matches thus far in 2025. His 23 chances created are second only to Alexandros Katranis (25) and he will often pull to that left side before punching balls forward or inside Similarly, only Diogo Goncalves has had more shots than Luna for RSL this season, and Luna has been efficient. He has six non-penalty goals from an expected tally closer to three. Pochettino will want plenty of those types of creative moments for the U.S. 'The coaching staff has really been honest and direct with me about what their expectations are with me and what they want,' Luna said. 'For me, it's continuing to do what I do: create and score goals and get assists. I think it's pretty simple for me. And to continue to work both sides of the ball.' Advertisement Luna's pair of assists against Trinidad, achieved with a fully healed nose, were a good start. He may not have the club pedigree of some of his more heralded international teammates, but his qualities and effort are precisely what Pochettino is seeking from every one of his players, regardless of stature. The U.S. will want to see more of that from Luna on Thursday night, when Gold Cup group play continues against Saudi Arabia in Austin, Texas.
GMA Network
3 days ago
- Sport
- GMA Network
Freddy Gonzalez steps down from leadership role in PFF
Freddy Gonzalez, the senior national teams director and men's national team manager of the Philippine Football Federation, has stepped down from his leadership role in the organization. The PFF announced the development on Tuesday. In a statement, Gonzalez said he will focus on other personal and professional opportunities. "It has been one of the biggest honors of my life to be a part of this team and I am so grateful to have been given the opportunity. This was a very difficult decision to make and one that required much reflection and introspection,' said Gonzalez. Gonzalez, a former national team player, joined PFF as its national teams director in January 2024. 'I want to thank all of the players for their sacrifices and commitment to the team. They all have changed the culture of the National Team. In such a short time, they have made a difference in Philippine football, for the better. I am looking forward to seeing them become a force in Asia, and will be rooting for them from the sidelines. It was an absolute privilege!' In Gonzalez' stint, the men's team saw a historic run in the 2024 ASEAN Championship where it reached the semifinals for the first time since 2018, and defeated Thailand for the first time in 52 years. PFF president John Gutierrez thanked Gonzalez for his service and vowed to continue the latter's framework for the national team. 'The PFF remains fully committed to building upon the foundations laid for Philippine football. We assure the players that we will continue Fred's framework for the national team, diligently ensuring our programs are well-supported and thriving. We are dedicated to providing every available resource, and with the support of football stakeholders, we look forward to continued progress and success for our national teams in the months and years ahead," said Gutierrez. Assistant manager Mikkel Paris will also be leaving his role as assistant manager. Gonzalez' departure from the team came just days after the Philippines settled for a draw against Tajikistan in the AFC Asian Cup Qualification, and weeks after former coach Albert Capellas parted ways with the team. —JKC, GMA Integrated News
