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ravenadottir · 11 months

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i started playing season 6, and i've got shit to say for the half of dozen people that are still following me in this cobweb infested blog (i apologize, i'll be explaining what's happening on a different post)

i'm only on day 2 of the season, right when it's announced that roberto is coming (which is so disappointing to me that he isn't brazilian but portuguese, like... WHEN ARE WE GETTING A GOOD BRAZILIAN CHARACTER????)

anyway, here are my thoughts:

WRITING:

i actually didn't see much of a problem with it so far. it feels on par with similar conversations we had in the past, except this time we're getting to know them a little deeper than, say, season 3.

knowing bella's family situation or roberto's is kind of refreshing because we barely learned bobby had a sister on a throwaway scene on s2, so... yeah, it's ok.

i like how they express themselves because as an litg player, i'm used to some eloquence, but as someone who sometimes watches the show i HAVE to suspend my disbelief since i know islanders from the show are just... NOT GOOD AT EXPRESSING THEMSELVES, to say the least.

i like the conversations we had so far, it felt fluid and fun, but then again i've only coupled up with jamal, because obviousoly i did, who would i go for, fucking ryan? WAKE UP.

the challenges piled up but because of how many dialogues we had in this little time i think it worked pretty well.

CHARACTERS:

grace - girl, it's been a day and ozzy is not even that hot. HAVE YOU SEEN YOURSELF? he's punching, not you. chill. (and i hate they're giving the intensity they gave hope here, feels bitterly familiar and they better fucking knock it off).

bella - FINALLY a girl i like who's available and slutty (affectionate) since the beginning. i absolutely think bella might be right there with talia when it comes to arc as an LI, but we'll see. if anyone dares stealing her or if fusebox even make the slight suggestion of a slowburn i'm burning their HQ idc

ivy - alright i see you bootleg marisol, but i don't give a shit, you're annoying, die in a hole.

amelia - i think she's putting a front and deflecting the negative attention to ivy but that's just me. also, the twist of the public choosing who she should couple up with before she could tell us is extremely dumb and unnecessary, but also a reason for her to say a different name later, maintaining her image of good sister. i don't trust her, i WILL step on her head to the finale, die in a pit you're also annoying.

jamal - i like the attention but everything with moderation gives me way more tingles than a crybaby that can't stop talking about how he wants to be with me again. we were coupled up for a few hours and only had one conversation, chill bitch. it's giving ted mosby and every himym fan knows how bad that is. i'm not sure if every guy that the public chooses to be with amelia on night 1 acts the same, but i'm slightly turned off. it's too much boy, calm down, i'm here to be a slut, calm down.

ryan - get a haircut or let it grow because looking twelve and the coolest lesbian at the same time is not the look for you. its giving hipster with a chemistry kit at the local café.. also, either you're the douchey musician or a bad poet, you can't be both, PICK A STRUGGLE.

lewie - the impersonation of being stuck in traffic. i don't care for you, die in the same hole as ivy and amelia.

ozzy - fucking pulling the noah, man. i've seen this before and i'm not interested. stop being such a coward and tell grace how you feel. i know for a fact you're gonna be drama and it's because you refuse to be honest. it's so embarrassing, bestie.

roberto - HOT. i only saw the preview but i'm excited.

PACING

it's great. i think it was kind of weird how fast and furious it was with some previous seasons (remember the last season i played was 3 and half of 4 {it was soooo tedious i gave up half way through}) but i think so far it's ok. it definitely has better cliffhangers than other times when they thought they tried their darnedest.

OBSERVATIONS WITH SCREENSHOTS:

there's no fucking way they thought these were worth diamonds. and 22 diamonds for that frufru purple shit??? it looks like something who doesn't sew would put together with a hot glue gun, stop.

ivy i might kill you like they kill one of those vampires at the end of the twilight saga, by opening your mouth so wide it cracks off your skull. SHUT - UP.

and amelia... you're irrelevant, get out.

BUDDY, YOU'RE THE MOUTHPIECE OF THE GROUP NOW, HOLY SHIT. grace has me on my knees, i can't.-

bitch, we did! i kissed you in the challenge. EXCUSE YOUR BEAUTIFUL SELF! (also, for the breasts appreciators, i feel you, boobs are great, really! but like, those... two... lines... coming out of the bikini???? yeah, that is actually what gets me. you didn't need to know but i told you anyway, because i'm happy bella is hot and cool and i don't know how to shut up when i'm love, leave me alone!) whoever designed her knew EXACTLY what they were doing.

I LOVE GRACE. I JUST DO.

i'll give ryan some cool points because 1, he burned ivy in front of everyone, and 2, he admitted and owned up to it. good for you, bestie, good luck when you take a trip to the hair salon and get rid of that... hair. also, STOP SKIPPING LEG DAY BUDDY. from the waist up it's giving "abs, hot, i go to the gym", from the waist down is giving "i'm twelve and there's a reason i go to the beach in pants".

bella and grace looking naked and glamorous but feeling threatened by this ugly ass dress is the funniest joke in the writing so far. truly. i've had mermaid costumes at 4 years of age less embarrassing than this atrocity. stop lying, bella and grace, YOU'RE BOTH NAKED AND PERFECT.

and that's what i have to say so far. i'll continue playing this season until they inevitably fuck up. i'm not being pessimistic, i'm just... well, i guess i am. but i have no reason to believe otherwise.

also, i keep forgetting ozzy is here even though it's been a day. idk why.

anyways, i'll come back with more litg brain rot in a bit.

#love island the game #litg s6 #litg bella #litg grace #litg jamal #litg lewie #litg amelia #litg ryan #litg ozzy #love island double trouble

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hellagaymccree · 5 years

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Yeah hi I ADORE your stories?! And I have a lil prompt for you: Gabe teaching Jesse Portuguese or Spanish or another language

Thank you! ^^

I wrote two because I’m 50/50 on both. The second came to mind because I’ve been wanting to write something involving that song, but leaning more to happy than sad since the song is about something sad. So I finally got it out of me.

**I’m sorry if I get something wrong in Portuguese, I just looked up simple things and used translator for the long sentence near the end.

"Again," Gabriel says, reading over a file on his desk while McCree sits across from him.

"Mei nome é Roberto," McCree says.

"Meu," Gabriel corrects.

"Meu!" McCree repeats, "nome é Roberto."

"Obrigado," Gabriel thanks him, not looking away from his work. "Como está? [How are you?]"

"Bien, y tu? [Good, and you?]" McCree asks in return with a smirk.

"No," Gabriel drops his pen. "ISH-tah."

"I know, boss." McCree waves him off and stands to go around the desk and sit on top, by Gabriel's files, who looks at him sternly.

Gabriel pinches the bridge of his nose. "This is important."

"Have I let you down before?"

"I wouldn't know, it's your first mission on your own," Gabriel reminds him. "If you hadn't stuck your foot where it didn't belong, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"I promise, darlin’, I'll be fine." The cowboy cocks his head and winks.

Gabriel hums and rolls his chair closer to the desk. "Nice to meet you."

Jesse sighs and translates, "Muito prazer em conhecê-lo."

"That's good," Gabriel says, eyes back on his work.

"I can cancel, y'know?" When Gabriel looks at him, he adds, "The date.”

"You're gonna cancel on the daughter of the president?" Gabriel asks with a scoff. "Why?"

"'Cause you seem mad."

"I'm not, why would I be?"

"I don't know," Jesse drawls as he gets off and walks back to the front of the desk and leans over it. "Ya said some things last night while drunk. And I might not know Portuguese, but I could tell ya were mad."

Gabriel frowns at him. "You imagined things."

Jesse straightens and walks around again. "What I wonder is why start rambling in Portuguese coincidently the night before my undercover mission, slash, date?"

"McCree"

"You could've spoken Spanish if ya didn't want others to listen, but instead, ya chose a language I didn't know."

"You're looking into this way too much."

"Am I?" Jesse turns the chair around so Gabriel faces him. Two years in Blackwatch haven't made his boldness faltered. If anything it had made it more devious. "I'm learning Portuguese, why not just teach me what ya said? Since we're at it."

Gabriel huffs and leans forward. McCree's eyes widen slightly as he leans back until he's standing straight, and Gabriel is in front of him. "Uma vez que você descobrir, venha até mim e eu vou despedaçá-lo até que minha cama se quebre."

Jesse swallows. The only word he understood was 'cama'. If it was like Spanish, Gabriel was talking about a bed. But the way he sounds, and his gaze looks at Jesse, it could either be thread or an invitation. And Jesse's mind is spinning too much to remember the exact words until he can look them up on a dictionary or online.

Gabriel laughs as he sits back down and looks up at Jesse. His eyes roam from down to up to meet Jesse's. "Onde é a casa-de-banho?"

Jesse raises an eyebrow, and then Gabriel mimics the action, waiting for his answer.

Jesse frowns and repeats it. "Onde é a casa-de-banho?"

"Very good, chiquito."

ii.

The room is in tones of gray and blue. An old motel, abandoned with a 'for closure' sign. Jesse stands by the dirty window as the rain pitter patters against the glass. There's paint peeled by the frame, a nail out of place, and there's a draft somewhere.

"Te sientas enfrente y ni te imaginas que llevo por ti mi falda más bonita, y al verte lanzar un bostezo al cristal se inundan mis pupilas."

Jesse looks at Gabriel laying on the bed, legs up against the wall as he bounces a stress ball against it.

"De pronto me miras, te miro y suspiras. Yo cierro los ojos, tú apartas la vista. Apenas respiro me hago pequeñita y me pongo a temblar."

Jesse approaches the bed softly as he smiles. There's something melancholic and romantic about the song. But Jesse can barely keep up or understand.

He gets on the bed, holding himself up by his hands and knees as he hovers his face above Gabriel. "Whatcha singin', jefe?"

Gabriel stops throwing the ball as he looks at Jesse. "An old song." He looks away, his gaze pensive and far off.

"Sound nice." Jesse lies beside Gabriel, head up and hands on his stomach.

Between the strong pounding of the rain, Gabriel continues, almost whispering, "Y así pasan los días, de lunes a viernes como las golondrinas del poema de Bécquer. De estación a estación, enfrente tú y yo, va y viene el silencio."

Jesse smiles again, and leans his head towards Gabriel, leaving space between them. He can't help the butterflies in his stomach, but he can control himself from getting too close. He looks at Gabriel, draws the outline of hiss profile with his eyes. The tint of blue from the room makes it look like Jesse's watching an old, sad film. It's beautiful, and makes him sigh.

"Y entonces ocurre, despiertan mis labios. Pronuncian tu nombre tartamudeando. Supongo que piensas que chica más tonta. Y me quiero morir."

Jesse looks at the ceiling when Gabriel looks at him. He swallows and his heart skips a beat before either of them talk.

"My mother used to sing it a lot when I was a kid. It was one of her favorites." A pause. "She said it was sad, but beautiful."

Jesse catches the way Gabriel's Adam's apple bobs. His jaw is perfect, and his voice is meant to recite poetry until Jesse falls asleep. Gabriel is so close Jesse can feel his warmth. But he is also a world away.

"It always brought up emotions in her, and still does."

"What does it say?" Jesse’s Spanish is really rusty after years of not putting the effort to keep it up. Sometimes, when Gabriel speaks it, he wishes he hadn't. He gave up on the language of passion and romance. A man that oozes those things might bring that desire back.

"It's not as appealing in English as it is in Spanish."

"C'mon." Jesse elbow him. "I know it said something about 'in front' at the start."

"Te sientas enfrente y ni te imaginas que llevo por ti mi falda más bonita," Gabriel repeats. "You sit in front and you can't imagine I wear my prettiest skirt for you,."

Jesse laughs, loud, and hears Gabriel do the same by his side.

Jesse says the line in Spanish, and gets it right, for the most part. But it might be because some part of him believed he would get to see Gabriel in a pretty skirt if he did.

"Y al verte lanzar un bostezo al cristal se inundan mis pupilas. And seeing you throw a yawn at the glass, my pupils flood."

"Of course ya would. I'm pretty handsome," Jesse teases.

"If you're gonna make a comment on every line--"

"I'm just kiddin'," Jesse says and clears his throat before he recite it. He can't get 'pupilas' right, making Gabriel snort.

"De pronto me miras, te miro y suspiras. Suddenly, you look at me, I look at you and you sigh," Gabriel says and looks at Jesse at the same time he looks back. Jesse's words are stuck in his throat as he loses them.

Gabriel's eyes quickly glance at Jesse's lips as they twitch. He turns on his side, and one hand moves to touch Jesse's face, bur he hesitates. "Y entonces ocurre, despiertan mis labios. And then it happens, my lips wake up."

"I..." Jesse trails off. "I don't remember the song going like that when ya sang it."

"Don't tell me how to teach," Gabriel murmurs as his fingertips touch Jesse's jaw.

Jesse's body response to Gabriel's like it always does. He leans into the touch, starved for more. Gabriel's breath clashes with his. And their eyelids are heavy. The tip of their noses rub together, for Jesse is a sign that he's closer than ever. For Gabriel, it's a moment to think it through. To back away from the trance he has fallen.

"Baez to Reyes." Both part in the blink of an eye.

"Reyes here."

"We've got eyes on the target, over."

"Copy." Gabriel stands and follows Jesse with his gaze as he heads for the door that he opens. A curtain of rain waits for them.

"Jesse," he calls. He feels like he fucked it up. Jesse probably hates him for cornering him like that. For using an old memory just to get him close and then pouring his feelings through a song that wasn't even meant for that. He was just singing the melody that randomly comes to his mind when he's bored. A habit he will have to be careful of from now on when he's around Jesse.

Instead of frowning or calling Gabriel out, Jesse smiles as he turns to him. "I wanna know how the song ends once we're back at base."

#mcreyes #mcreaper #writingramblings #ill have the other prompt up later/tomorrow

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madpicks · 7 years

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New Post has been published on https://www.madpicks.com/sports/soccer/barcelona-vs-real-madrid-final-score-3-2-la-liga-race-sensational-edition-el-clasico/

Barcelona vs. Real Madrid: Final score 3-2, La Liga race on after sensational edition of El Clásico

This edition of El Clásico was dramatic and incredible to a wildly entertaining degree, with Barcelona coming back from a late equalizer from 10-man Real Madrid to stun their hosts at the Santiago Bernabeu. A last-second winner from Lionel Messi was his second goal in the biggest of moments, in a massive 3-2 win that will change the La Liga title race.

The match started cagily but still with the frenetic energy that so often accompanies El Clásico, with Barcelona trying to settle into a new tactical shape given some of the injuries and suspensions they’re dealing with — most notably Neymar — and Real Madrid not wanting them to have the time or comfort to find their groove. Madrid definitely had the better of the early chances, but Marc-Andre ter Stegen was putting in a strong showing in goal for Barcelona despite the defense in front of him lacking their usual calm, including stonewalling a shot from Cristiano Ronaldo that the Portuguese star is much more used to scoring from.

That lack of defensive calm cost Barcelona in a bad way, though, with three Madrid players getting free right in front of ter Stegen on a set piece just before the half-hour mark thanks to a bad breakdown in Barcelona’s marking scheme. Sergio Ramos was the first man on the ball, but his shot banged off the post and ter Stegen couldn’t get back in time to stop the rebound shot from an also-unmarked Casemiro at the far post.

GOOOOAL! @Casemiro opens the scoring as @mterstegen1 wipes egg from his face. #ElClasico pic.twitter.com/wkA4zYRkrq

— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) April 23, 2017

Ter Stegen wasn’t the only Barcelona player upset at that turn of events, though, as Lionel Messi was already angered by having been left bleeding after eating a high elbow from Marcelo during a challenge for a header. That sparked the Argentine megastar into a higher level of play, the kind that sees him slalom through defenses on his own to score goals — just like he did five minutes after Real Madrid’s opener to level the scoreline for Barcelona.

BLOODY FANTASTIC!!!#Messi slaloms through the @realmadriden backline to level matters. #ElClasico pic.twitter.com/Y4eDOSOZaW

— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) April 23, 2017

The rest of the first half was a back-and-forth affair, with ter Stegen coming up big again for Barcelona and a cagey defense for Real Madrid just barely keeping their rivals at bay. The second half was much the same, but played at an even more frenetic level. Barcelona continued to lean heavily on ter Stegen to stop shots, and he responded magnificently, though Keylor Navas also came up big on what looked like a sure goal for Barcelona, stopping a Messi shot cold to keep the score even.

Barcelona were certainly getting their chances, but on a whole it generally felt like Real Madrid were the team more in control of the match, with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos creating tons of scoring chances for their team and doing a lot of work both on and off the ball. But Madrid struggled badly to convert that control into goals, a problem most typified when Marco Asensio and Cristiano Ronaldo broke clear on a counter attack, only for Ronaldo to send his shot sky-high despite having a clear chance at goal in the 67th minute.

That lack of precision cost Madrid dearly just six minutes later, because Ivan Rakitic popped up with an absolutely world-class goal to give Barcelona a 2-1 lead at the Santiago Bernabeu, and that goal left Madrid bitter and frustrated.

IVAN THE GREAT!!! @ivanrakitic cuts onto his left and launches a net-seeking missile past @NavasKeylor‘ reach! #ElClasico pic.twitter.com/EF5oSr8j7w

— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) April 23, 2017

That frustration was embodied by their captain, Sergio Ramos, who was lucky not to break Messi’s leg four minutes later with a hard and late tackle that saw him earn an easy red card from the referee.

¡ROJA! @SergioRamos expulsado de #ElClásico por falta a @TeamMessi y @realmadrid juega con 10 hombres. Intercambio con@3gerardpique pic.twitter.com/dbAm79wqvo

— beIN SPORTS Español (@ESbeINSPORTS) April 23, 2017

¡GOOOL! ¡COMO DE PELÍCULA! Entra @jamesdrodriguez a salvar al @realmadrid y empata el partido el colombiano a 5 del final. 2-2 #ElClásico pic.twitter.com/an6w0chn8X

— beIN SPORTS Español (@ESbeINSPORTS) April 23, 2017

It looked like Real Madrid were going to salvage that 2-2 draw — but a stoppage time stunner from Messi saw Barcelona scrape out a 3-2 win that will have huge title race implications in La Liga.

¡¡¡GOLAAZOOO!!! AL ÚLTIMO MINUTO DEL PARTIDO @TeamMessi LE ARREBATA EL PARTIDO AL @realmadrid EN EL BERNABÉU 2-3 @FCBarcelona_es ⚽️5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ pic.twitter.com/lEHTwrc4P4

— beIN SPORTS Español (@ESbeINSPORTS) April 23, 2017

The result brings Barcelona level with Real Madrid in the standings, and they hold every key tiebreaker over their rivals. Madrid still have a game in hand, but if Barcelona can keep up the kind of form and quality that saw them win this match, there’s little reason not to think that they can stay in the driver’s seat — the pressure is all on Real Madrid right now.

Real Madrid: Keylor Navas; Marcelo, Sergio Ramos (red 77’), Nacho, Dani Carvajal, Casemiro (Mateo Kovacic 70’), Luka Modrić, Toni Kroos, Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema (James Rodriguez 82’), Gareth Bale (Marco Asensio 39’)

Goals: Casemiro (28’), Rodriguez (86’)

Barcelona: Marc-André ter Stegen; Jordi Alba, Samuel Umtiti, Gerard Piqué, Sergi Roberto, Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitić, Andrés Iniesta, Paco Alcácer (André Gomes 70’), Luis Suárez, Lionel Messi

Goals: Messi (33’, 90’+2), Rakitic (73’)

Three things we learned

Don’t make Lionel Messi angry

Before getting clobbered by Marcelo and starting to bleed profusely from the mouth in the opening spell of the match, Messi had a fairly quiet day. After being left on the pitch with blood all over his sleeve and face — and Marcelo’s elbow — we saw a much different and much angrier Messi.

That spelled trouble for Madrid, because once Messi got mad, the Barcelona attack that had been struggling to find fluidity and form started clicking, and it was all because of the diminutive Argentine. Despite playing with a bloody rag in his mouth for the rest of the first half, he put the team on his shoulders and drove them forward, especially after Madrid scored their opening goal. In fact, his goal was practically a solo effort, taking on and beating four Real Madrid players on his own after receiving a well-placed pass from Ivan Rakitic.

He was also key for Barcelona throughout the second half, constantly driving the ball forward and creating scoring chances to keep them in the match no matter how things looked for them. His final effort at the end of the match secured a massive win for Barcelona, one that, if things work out in the last few weeks, can easily see Barcelona capture the La Liga title.

Gareth Bale should not start again until he is actually healthy

Ever since Bale came back from his original calf injury, there’s been something just not right with the Welsh winger. He’s lacked a step of pace, his explosive acceleration has been missing, and that combination has robbed him of his normal sharpness in his game. And when he has been playing of late, he’s been struggling to finish matches without breaking down despite his prodigious work rate, and that’s a huge problem for Real Madrid.

Bale’s early departure from this match after breaking down yet again makes one thing completely clear for Madrid — they have to bench him until he’s actually, completely healthy again. He can be available on the bench when Zinedine Zidane and the team’s training staff feel he can help from there, but otherwise Bale needs to focus on getting healthy and back to the player he can be. Starting matches only seems to be making things worse for him right now, and that’s leaving the team in a lurch on a far too consistent basis of late.

Bale should also take a long look at his training program and perhaps even his diet, because spells of nagging injuries like this have been far too common during his career. They’re keeping him from being the truly elite player he can be, and if he wants to take that next step he needs to figure out what has to change to better protect and maintain his body, because his body is literally the thing that makes his career. If that fails on him, so does that illustrious footballing career.

Barcelona asked a lot of Marc-Andre ter Stegen, and he delivered

Barcelona’s attack scored the goals that gave them their draw, but the Man of the Match award should go to their goalkeeper, Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Many fans were critical of him on Madrid’s opening goal of the match, but it was ter Stegen constantly being on-point with his positioning and reactions that kept Barcelona in the match for the time they needed to score.

Time and again, Barcelona’s defense was too spread out after pushing fullbacks high up the pitch or uncovered by midfielders, forcing ter Stegen to step up and make save after save from excellent scoring chances from Real Madrid. And he came up huge, stonewalling them time after time. The goals he gave up were from situations that left him helpless, with three attackers in his face on a broken set piece, then an absolutely unmarked James Rodriguez for Madrid’s equalizer. But if it wasn’t for ter Stegen doing so well for the rest of the match, those moments wouldn’t have mattered, because Real Madrid would have waltzed their way to five goals or more.

#Barcelona #el clásico #Real Madrid #Soccer

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torentialtribute · 5 years

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Joelinton is a relative unknown but Newcastle’s new £40m man has earned Firmino comparisons

Joelinton is Newcastle United signing his new £ 40 million record after being revealed alongside head coach Steve Bruce.

The 22-year-old arrives from Hoffenheim for a six-year deal and takes the legendary No. 9 sweater at St James & Park.

Sportsmail spoke with Joelinton and Bruce this week, and here we assess what the striker could bring to Newcastle and the Premier League …

] Joelinton became Newcastle's record after £ 40m move from Hoffenheim

The Brazilian attacker is the first signing of Steve Bruce & # 39; s leadership time

First of all, how did he perform during his first press conference?

He spoke through an interpreter but was calm and thoughtful, and gave fairly long answers in his native English language. He certainly did not show any nerves and even stated that he wants to be in the Brazilian national team this season. Whether that trust translates to the field, we will have to wait and see.

He was asked if he spoke English and brought back an answer that was much better than our Portuguese, declaring he speaks a little but needs more time to learn.

And I must have the honor of becoming the first South American signature of recent years, not to mention the film Goal !, in which a young Spanish player moves his dream to Newcastle.

In his press conference, he was calm and considered and gave long answers in Portuguese

Does he look physically impressive in the early photos of him in training?

Joelinton is for sure. His thighs are not as wide as those of Salomon Rondon, whose No. 9 shirt he has inherited, but he is long, thick and toned.

As Bruce said: & # 39; He is even bigger when you see it stripped & # 39 ;. Cue laughed, of course, but his meaning was that, on the training field in his set, he looked even more impressive.

A clue to his physicality camera when asked what kind of player he was.

& # 39; I argue a lot on the field and a lot of emotion – lots of running and fighting, & # 39; he said. "I can hold the ball up and bring others into play."

He was compared with fellow countryman Roberto Firmino, who also arrived in England via Hoffenheim.

But Joelinton said: & I think we are different types of players – Firmino is more a number 10 for Liverpool, but I've always been a striker since the youth team. I want to put the comparisons with Bobby on one side, and he follows his path and I have mine. & # 39;

There are comparisons between Joelinton and Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino

So where will he play in Bruce's team?

While he can operate broadly, there is little doubt that Joelinton will be used through the middle as center-forward, most likely with two wingers – or supporting forward – on either side.

So it seems that it goes straight on at the first choice, that much pressure?

Sportsmail spoke with his agent at the press conference this week and he said: & # 39; If we could replicate Joelinton's mental DNA and put it in every player, we would be very successful. & # 39;

His point was that the attacker might be the most mentally strong player. , for his age, he once worked with.

During the subsequent conversation with Joelinton, that was also very clear. There was a real atmosphere of maturity and self-confidence about him.

And that will come in handy if he runs out in front of the TV camera & # 39; s on the opening day against Arsenal.

Joelinton is considered to be very mentally strong and has a real sense of self-confidence

There is a lot of expectation, not least because of the price tag, but also because of the position and the number.

They love their center on Tyneside and they want them to be heroic, just like Rondon was last season. He was a bull of a striker that supporters would like to see again, and comparisons between the two will be drawn quickly if Joelinton doesn't shine.

However, he is aware of the potentially volatile situation that he is running.

& # 39; I am aware of the discontent (among fans) & # 39 ;, he said.

& # 39; I hope to make them happy this season and I am happy that my transfer has brought them some joy. & # 39;

& # 39; Newcastle has ambition, as I have ambition, and we hope to meet them. & # 39;

They love their striker on Tyneside and Newcastle fans want them be heroic

What did supporters make of the signing?

They are enthusiastic. And there is a lot to be excited about based on early reports – he is fast, strong and loves to dribble.

The club needed this party tent because of the unrest among the fans after the departure of Rafa Benitez.

Listen, there are many people who need more than a record purchase to convince them that everything is fine with Mike Ashley & Newcastle, and there is very little chance of attending more than 50,000 people versus Arsenal with a boycott

But there are also many fans who just want money to be invested in the team and, if Joelinton is followed through the door by two or three others, do not underestimate how much that will affect the decision of those who are still debating to stay away from St. James this season.

Although there is dissatisfaction in Newcastle, supporters seem enthusiastic about Joelinton

Bruce could make Joelinton a hit right away, what did he say about him?

Newcastle has been following the player for a year now and they tried to sign him in January, so while this is Bruce & # 39; s first signing and he has sanctioned the movement, the groundwork was already laid by scout Steve Nickson.

Bruce, however, seems genuinely excited by the young South American.

& # 39; He is aware of the No. 9 sweater and what it entails, & he said. "He needs big broad shoulders to deal with it and he has that in abundance.

" He has the potential to be a top class in the middle. I am very happy that he is my first signature.

& I saw him play for Hoffenheim against Man City. He played on the left. At that time he fell slightly outside my price range! But he was excellent that night. & # 39;

Bruce seems genuinely excited by the arrival of Joelinton for a record rate of Hoffenheim

[1945902] Do you finally support it as a success?

There is caution because of his record – seven Bundesliga goals last season – and also because Benitez didn't think he was worth £ 40 million.

But there is also optimism, especially given the insistence of the respected Nickson that he must be signed.

Crucially, he has the physical qualities needed to thrive in the Premier League and there is time for his goals to improve again. Rondon was a hero here and he delivered 11 in the top flight last season, so you don't have to score 20 or more to become a success.

So we will choose a & # 39; yes & # 39; as an answer to the question – and if he turns out to be very good, the magpies can quickly face to fight to keep him in the club.

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#Joelinton is a relative unknown but Newcastle’s new £40m man has earned Firmino comparisons"

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freebetalerts-blog · 6 years

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Champions League Tipsheet: Can anyone knock Real Madrid off their perch?

(New post on FreeBetAlerts.com) - https://freebetalerts.com/2018/09/16/champions-league-tipsheet-can-anyone-knock-real-madrid-off-their-perch/ #Football, #Freebets, #Tips

Champions League Tipsheet: Can anyone knock Real Madrid off their perch? Please share.

This season’s Champions League feels like the most open in a long time, says James Horncastle…

The Champions

The exchange fancies Man City most to be crowned Champions of Europe in Madrid next May. Trading at [5.7], the price is understandable when you consider the performance levels this team is achieving in the Premier League. But Pep Guardiola hit the same heights with Bayern Munich and that didn’t guarantee success on the continent.

Indeed it’s curious that the Catalan hasn’t reached the final of this competition since he last won it in 2011 with Barcelona.

Speaking of Pep’s old club, the Spanish champions are pitched as second favourites @ [6.8] despite consistently disappointing in recent memory. Incredibly for a team with Lionel Messi in its ranks, the Blaugrana have left the competition at the quarter-final stage in each of the last three years.

Naturally there’s a lot of expectation around Juventus now that Cristiano Ronaldo is in black and white. Finalists in two of the last four years, the Old Lady hopes the Champions League’s all-time top scorer will help her end a 23-year wait for this trophy.

The Italians are a decent price @ [9] – the same odds as PSG who look a much more dangerous proposition under Thomas Tuchel. Financial Fair Play muzzled PSG in the summer and the sales they were obliged to make have left the midfield looking thin. But only Liverpool have as devastating an attack as the Parisiens in this year’s competition.

The Reds look great value @ [12] especially after their summer in the transfer window. Nobody on the continent, perhaps with the exception of Juventus, upgraded as aggressively and as well, and Jurgen Klopp has a great record of making finals.

No one is better at winning them though than holders Real Madrid. Losing Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo explains why they are down @ [11], a little long for my liking given the know-how within the team, the potential of Marcos Asensio and Dani Ceballos, and stars like Gareth Bale who now have the chance to step out of Ronaldo’s shadow.

The Golden Boot

Cristiano Ronaldo has finished Champions League top scorer in every one of the last six seasons. However, the Portuguese isn’t the favourite to be the most prolific goal scorer in this year’s competition. That’s Lionel Messi at 4/1, hardly an out-there choice and relatively straightforward to justify for reasons that go beyond his extraordinary talent.

No longer at Real Madrid, Ronaldo needs time to get to know his new teammates at Juventus. The culture he is walking into is completely different to the one he found in Spain. While Ronaldo and Juventus share the same work ethic, his new club is uncompromising when it comes to its identity. Juventus believe in conceding one goal fewer than their opponent rather than scoring a goal more and you wonder how much of an impact this will have on CR7’s Champions League numbers.

The 33-year-old is an appetising 7/1 at this stage along with Manchester City sicario Sergio Agüero. But I’d argue there is more value to be had elsewhere.

Mo Salah is 12/1, Sadio Mane 33/1 and Roberto Firmino 50/1 which is astonishing given they scored 10 goals a piece in Liverpool’s run to the final last season. The Senegal international looks like the value pick considering how well he has started the campaign.

Sticking in Group C where the goals are expected to come thick and fast, it’s surprising to see Kylian Mbappe as long as 16/1. Perhaps it reflects PSG’s recent history of failing to get out of the Round of 16. But maybe things will be different this time around under Thomas Tuchel.

Last but not least there’s the Ronaldo-shaped hole at Real Madrid. After playing second fiddle to the five-time Ballon d’Or winner for years, pulling away defenders and creating the space for Ronaldo to do damage in with great altruism, Karim Benzema is reminding everyone that he is more than good enough to be the main man at the Bernabeu. The Frenchman has five goals in four appearances for Madrid this season and deserves serious consideration at 25/1.

The Tie of the Round

The Champions League kicks off with a bang at Anfield as last year’s runners’ up Liverpool prepare to take on Paris Saint-Germain in what everyone expects to be a shootout between the continent’s most lethal attacking tridents.

Storylines aren’t exactly in short supply as Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel square up in a meeting of minds which pits master against his pupil. Both teams boast perfect records since the start of season and begin their Champions League campaigns brimming with self-confidence.

Tuchel probably has the most to think about though in the build-up to this game. Speaking after Friday’s 4-0 deconstruction of Saint Etienne, the German confessed he is still undecided on what system to play on Merseyside.

PSG are without the suspended Marco Verratti and look threadbare in the middle after sacrificing Javier Pastore and Giovanni lo Celso on the altar of Financial Fair Play. Thiago Motta has retired, Blaise Matuidi left for Juventus a year ago and Lassana Diarra is too inconsistent to be trusted in a game of this magnitude. He was hooked at half-time on Friday night.

Tuchel has taken to moving centre-back Marquinhos into midfield but the Brazilian is still learning the ropes in a new position. Problems at left-back also impact on the composition of PSG’s midfield.

For instance, if Presnel Kimpembe moves out there, Tuchel doesn’t have another centre-back with the requisite experience to give him the assurances he needs. For all the hype around Thilo Kehrer, Marquinhos would have to drop back in.

So Tuchel has two options to cover for Layvin Kurzawa who underwent surgery on a herniated disc during the week. The first is to play deadline day signing Juan Bernat and hope he gets up to speed in a hurry. The Spaniard acquired from Bayern hasn’t played since the end of April and is lacking match fitness. The other idea is to place more faith in teenager Stanley Nsoki who featured regularly under Tuchel in pre-season.

Whoever it is will have to be on their toes because PSG’s left is where Mohamed Salah is going to be active.

Make no mistake, this game has the makings of a classic. PSG have scored three or more goals in all six of their competitive outings this season. Tuchel rested Kylian Mbappe and Neymar at the weekend but their absence wasn’t felt.

Each component of his back-up trident still managed to get on the scoresheet. Angel di Maria looks reborn under new management and one suspects the reason Tuchel is still mulling over what formation to go with has a lot to do with his desire to fit the Argentine in somewhere.

Tuchel and Klopp’s last encounter at Anfield was a seven-goal thriller in the Europa League, an extraordinary night when Liverpool came back from 2-0 and 3-1 down to beat Borussia Dortmund 4-3 in the last minute. A subtle variation of that spectacle would be very welcome indeed. As such why not back Liverpool-PSG to finish Over 6.5 goals @ [9.2].

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iliveworldnews · 6 years

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Liverpool Football Club played a Champions League knockout match for the first time in nine years on Wednesday night and boy did they show up to the party in style. The club has a magical relationship with Europe's elite domestic cup competitions having won old big ears five times, as if any of us forgot.

During those nine years the reds have had a poor European record despite the clubs long-time affiliation with winning cups on the continent, the only thing to show on any level is a Europa League Cup final defeat to Sevilla in 2017 when Liverpool surrendered a half time 1-0 lead to lose 3-1 in Basel. That was Jurgen Klopp's maiden season in Europe with Liverpool and he took no time in restoring the Merseyside clubs standing on the continent with eye catching displays against his former club Borrusia Dortmund, a quarter final against Manchester United and the semi-final win against Villareal en route to Switzerland.

Having guided Liverpool to fourth place in the Premier League in 2016/17, Klopp had engineered the return to Champions League football which the fans and club had craved. A debate still rolls on with people comparing Klopp's record to that of Brendan Rodgers with the suggestion being the club has not moved on since Rodgers was replaced by Klopp just 18 months after the Irishman almost won the league. This is where the European identity of the club must be brought into the debate when comparing the two managers time at Anfield. I can personally remember watching Liverpool in the Champions League and UEFA Cup in 2014/15 as Rodgers' Liverpool stuttered with 1 win, two draws and three defeats in the former. That year, Liverpool's first game was a 2-1 win against Ludogorets at Anfield, this was followed by a 1-0 defeat to Basel at St. Jakob-Park, next was a 3-0 hiding from Real Madrid on Merseyside with the Spanish giants winning the return fixture 1-0 at the Bernabau before drawing 2-2 away to Ludogorets and 1-1 against Basel at home leaving Liverpool 3rd place in the group group and falling into the Europa League. The displays from the team in 2014/15 seemed to be cagey at best, showing teams far too much respect it was as if the club was learning how to play in Europe for the first time ever, taking an approach to games you would expect to see from a club such as Ipswich, it was flat, dull and horrible to watch as the players played with fear of losing to teams like Ludogarets. One of my personal goals for the club after Jurgen Klopp took over was to see Liverpool restore some credibility and stature in Europe again after those painful displays under Rodgers and after this week's latest round of Klopp versus Rodgers rumblings I think it is the German who has the upper hand on this one and Wednesday night's demolition of Porto proved this to me. Liverpool are now the Champions League top scorers with 28 goals contributing to the 99 scored in all competitions by the in-form reds. Liverpool's latest champions League campaign began with a group stage qualifier in a 2-1 against Hoffenheim in Germany with Trent Alexander-Arnold's free kick sending Liverpool back on their way towards sealing qualification with the return leg at Anfield ending in a 4-2 win for Klopp's team. Next it was time for that theme song to return to Merseyside for some magic and Sevilla were travelled to the city which dares to dream. Liverpool drew 2-2 after leading 2-0 in that game with the next round confirming a slow start to the group stages for for team with a 1-1 draw away at Spartak Moscow. Liverpool found their free scoring touch in the next game at Maribor with a 7-0 win which included a first goal for new signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as well as doubles for Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah as well as a strike for Philippe Coutinho, now at Barcelona. Back at Anfield, Maribor were more resolute as Liverpool won 3-0 before a 3-3 draw in Sevilla and another 7-0 win against Spartak Moscow at Anfield secured Liverpool's passage to the next round with Porto next to come.

Liverpool had not played a Champions League knock-out game in nine years, Porto was seen as a tricky tie with the in form Portuguese unbeaten in 21 games boasting a man defence and sturdy attack, Liverpool fans travelled in hope of some European Cup romance with many swapping a night with the Mrs. for the game, lacy underwear was abandoned for laced up boots, sexy football was the order of the day.

Liverpool carried out a Valentines day massacre of Porto with a stunning 5-0 win which sent a huge message to other teams in the competition turning out another stunning display of high-octane attacking football which is becoming customary for Klopp's team, and now more people can see the work the German is doing at Anfield. Is this European identity restored? I'd say it is. The performances of the team not only in this seasons Champions League, but also on the domestic front has earned acclaim from pundits throughout the year with the football being played drawing many admirers. If we compare the jobs of Jose Mourinho and Klopp at the times they took over they both had the task of restoring the image of the clubs they had taken over, both men had taken roles they knew had a global attention placed on every move they made, each game is huge. Klopp is restoring the club and giving the fans some of the most exciting football they have ever seen, this may be a reason Klopp will have less pressure on him to win trophies maybe but we are seeing improvement all the time, can the same be said about Manchester United under Jose? The "Special One" has been more like the "Stale One" this year with his team reflecting his personality by churning out dull displays which agitate the Old Trafford faithful more so than not. Yet Klopp had energised Liverpool, invigorated the fans and pundits as well as adding a style of play which is turning heads faster than Mohamed Salah's impulse drive towards his first 30 goals for the club.

Klopp has given Liverpool fans that magic which is attributed to the club on Champions League nights, both home and away, this is the spirit of Liverpool, this is what we missed under Rodgers on European nights. Brendan Rodgers is arguably the best British manager around at the moment and nobody will forget the season we "almost" won the league. The atmosphere, the fans lining the streets to welcome the team bus before games, the season was fantastic to look back on apart from some famous slip-ups which mean it goes down in history as a Manchester City league title. But one thing not many will remember, or, I have not heard many people mention when debating who is the better Liverpool manager between Klopp and Rodgers is, the European identity of our club.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); We have won it five times and after Wednesday night in Porto Liverpool F.C is now in the driving seat towards the quarter finals and then the magic begins to get ore intense, the atmosphere gets louder, the tingles get stronger as those hairs on our arms stand up more than ever. We are back in the business end of the Champions League and with all the teams left in it opting for a mainly attacking style of play it remains to be seen if they are walking int the lions den when facing Liverpool who are ready to pounce on any defence which leaves questions for our blistering forward line to answer. There is that feeling that builds when we watch Liverpool in the latter stages of the competition and it is about to go into overdrive during the next few weeks with the fans already wondering who we will play in the quarter finals ad the question will then be can we outscore who ever we play over two legs? Would you bet against us at the minute? And this is the reason I think Klopp is the better manager for our club. #LFC | #Klopp V #Rodgers #Debate - Klopp Restores European Identity After Rodgers Demise | Via #LFC Real Talk #Betfair New Customer Offers http://ads.betfair.com/redirect.aspx?pid=3027464&bid=8142 Visit Website https://lfcrealtalk.blogspot.co.uk/ Follow On #Twitter https://twitter.com/LFCRealTalk1 Subscribe On #YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiAc7A7mr1L841HRgaKuSWw

#Liverpool FC #Liverpool #Football #LFC News #LFC Transfer News #LFC FanZone #LFC Reports #LFC Mat

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megadarkbouquettidalwavethings · 6 years

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FA Cup: Yeovil Town boss Darren Way plotting a shock win over Manchester United

Yeovil Town boss and Chelsea fan Darren Way with Jose Mourinho when the Portuguese was in charge at Stamford Bridge. Also pictured is Way’s son Mason

FA Cup fourth round: Yeovil Town v Manchester United Venue: Huish Park Date: Friday, 26 January Kick-off: 19:55 GMT Coverage: Watch live on BBC One & the BBC Sport app from 19:30 GMT, live commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sport and follow text updates on the BBC Sport website.

“I feel very fortunate to be alive today,” says Yeovil Town boss Darren Way. “I’ve had 28 operations on my injuries and I’m due to have more. I’ve got another one coming up after the Manchester United game.”

On 17 December 2008, Way, a midfielder in his third spell with the Glovers, was on his way to collect items for his new home when the van he was a passenger in was involved in a serious collision with another vehicle on the A3088 just outside Yeovil.

He was airlifted to hospital with injuries including a broken left femur, broken left kneecap, broken and dislocated right elbow and broken and dislocated left hip.

Plymouth-born Way spent most of 2009 in a wheelchair and had to learn to walk again, while coming to terms with the devastating end of his playing career at the age of 29.

Darren Way was a passenger in a white van which was involved in a serious accident and was airlifted to hospital

Nine years and one month on, the scars remain and the visits to hospital continue.

Yet Way has since forged a new career for himself in management and on Friday he has Manchester United in his sights, three years after being beaten by the Red Devils in the third round.

The 38-year-old hopes to mastermind one of the great FA Cup shocks by steering League Two Yeovil – the lowest-ranked side left in the competition – to a famous fourth round win over the 12-time winners at Huish Park, a tie you can watch live on BBC One.

“You never know what life will bring you,” Way tells BBC Sport.

‘Car crash taught me a lot’ – Way

‘Crash prepared me for management’

Way’s playing career started at Norwich City and included a stint at Swansea City under Kenny Jackett and Roberto Martinez.

Yet he has spent the most of his working life in the Somerset town of Yeovil – 17 years in total as a player, coach, number two and, for the past two years, manager.

“The only league I haven’t done with Yeovil is the Premier League,” added Way, who was part of the team that won promotion to the Football League in 2003 and first-team coach when they played in the Championship in 2013-14.

However, the Glovers have gone from the second-tier to League Two survival in the space of four years.

Way was appointed manager, following Paul Sturrock’s departure in December 2015, with Yeovil bottom of League Two, two points from safety, before leading them away from the relegation zone.

They currently sit 21st in the fourth-tier, two points above the relegation zone and 86 places below Jose Mourinho’s United on the league ladder.

Gates have dipped and finances are tight, but Way believes the mental and physical hurdles he overcame in the aftermath of his accident have helped shape him as manager.

From Top 40 singles chart to the Championship Yeovil were a Championship team as recently as 2013-14 when they finished bottom of the table after eight wins from 46 games. Defender Nathan Smith is the only Yeovil player who played in the 2-0 defeat by Manchester United in the third round of the FA Cup in 2015 who is likely to start on Friday. The Glovers entered the UK top 40 singles chart with the the song, Yeovil True, in February 2004 to mark their FA Cup third round tie with Liverpool, which they lost 2-0. Yeovil did not make it past the first round last season after losing 4-2 on penalties in a replay at non-league Solihull Moors.

“The resilience that I built after the accident certainly prepared me for football management,” he said.

“I was already quite determined and I had a strong willpower before it happened. That increased 10-fold with what I went through.

“I battled against the odds just to walk again.

“To be confined to a wheelchair and not being able to walk is not nice. To only having access to one arm is not nice.”

Darren Way had to learn how to walk again after his accident

Yeovil is a world away from the glitz and glamour of United, who have topped the table of the world’s 20 richest football clubs for the second year in a row.

Way’s squad is made up of young, hungry free transfers, swelled by youngsters on loan from Liverpool, Southampton and Bournemouth, who have yet to break into their respective teams.

Way said: “Being at Yeovil with no head of recruitment, no chief scout, no CEO, no director of football… it’s just me and the chairman doing a lot of the work to keep the club in the Football League.

“I go to work at 6:15 in the morning and I really enjoy it.

“We’re basically an under-23 team in League Two. We’re a development club. We’ve helped develop the likes of Shane Duffy, Steven Caulker, Ryan Mason and Andros Townsend… they’ve all been through our system over the last few years.”

‘A carpet of a pitch? Sanchez can forget that’

Alexis Sanchez could make his United debut at Huish Park after joining from Arsenal, in a swap deal with Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

The Chile forward, 29, has signed a four-and-a-half-year deal worth £14m a year after tax – a figure Yeovil’s players can only dream about.

A 9,000-plus crowd – around one-fifth of the town’s 45,000 population and around one-eighth the capacity of Old Trafford – is expected to fill Huish Park.

“It’s going to be a little bit different for him,” added Way when asked what Sanchez can expect should he play.

“The crowd is going to be on top of the players and he won’t be playing on a carpet, that’s for sure.”

Will Alexis Sanchez make his Manchester United debut at Yeovil?

‘No more shirt swapping arguments’

This is the third time Yeovil have hosted a Premier League club in the FA Cup since winning promotion to the Football League 15 years ago.

Way played when Liverpool beat the Glovers 2-0 in the third round in 2004 and was coach when Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United won by the same score at the same stage in 2015.

He said lessons had been learned from both ties – particularly when it came to swapping shirts with the opposition at the end.

“In both games there were one or two arguments with players about it,” Way added.

“So I’ll just be making sure our focus is on one thing. Our minimum aim is to take United back to Old Trafford for a replay.”

The club shop at Yeovil where half and half scarves are on sale ahead of the tie

Yeovil have made it to the fourth round after wins over League One Bradford City and Southend United, as well as League Two rivals Port Vale.

“Sometimes people don’t dream big enough,” said Way. “We have worked extremely hard against all odds to get this opportunity. What I don’t want my players to do is waste it.

“If we get a result this will be the biggest story ever in Yeovil’s history.”

Mourinho, helicopters and Fergie

Way says it will be a “dream come true” to pit his wits against Jose Mourinho.

The Yeovil boss and lifelong Chelsea fan has met former Blues manager Mourinho before when he and his son, Mason, were invited into the home dressing room at Stamford Bridge.

Way has also become friends with former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who sent a team to play in his testimonial match at Huish Park in 2010.

Ferguson was also in the crowd when United last visited Huish Park in 2015 after arriving by helicopter.

It’s more cider we do down here but I’ve left it with a wine connoisseur to sort a bottle for Jose

Darren Way Yeovil Town manager

“Sir Alex caught me at the lowest moment of my career and I owe him a lot,” added Way, who prepared for United’s visit by taking his Yeovil team to watch Bristol City against Manchester City in the Carabao Cup semi-final on Tuesday.

The Yeovil team stayed in a hotel in Bristol and used Championship club City’s training facilities.

Way added: “Our focus is to make sure we can put on a performance and see if we can create a cup upset.

“This opportunity may never come again in the players’ careers.”

From stacking supermarket shelves to facing Pogba

Four years ago winger Jordan Green was working night shifts at a London supermarket, stacking shelves while playing part-time for Banbury United in the seventh-tier Southern League Premier Division.

Now the 22-year-old is preparing to face the likes of Paul Pogba and Juan Mata – something that seemed a distant dream six years ago after being released by Fulham at the age of 16 for being too short.

Green stood barely five feet tall when let go but has played a key role in Yeovil’s best FA Cup run for four years after a roller-coaster career which has seen him play for nothing for Southern Counties East League side Holmesdale to landing a contract at Premier League Bournemouth.

Jordan Green was working in a supermarket stacking shelves four years ago

“I wasn’t getting paid at Holmesdale but playing for them made me see the fun in football again,” said Green.

“I went on to Banbury and my career took off. I was going from night shifts at Waitrose to playing a few hours later. It was a struggle but I ended up with a trial at Bournemouth and a contract with their under-21 side.”

Green played in the same Cherries team as defender Jack Simpson, who has gone on to play in the Premier League, and travelled with the first team to Chelsea when Glenn Murray scored the winner at Stamford Bridge in December 2015.

He left Bournemouth without playing a senior match but hopes to propel Yeovil to a shock win over United.

Since joining the Glovers in August, Green has scored two FA Cup goals – including an 89th-minute equaliser at Port Vale in the second round as a substitute.

The post FA Cup: Yeovil Town boss Darren Way plotting a shock win over Manchester United appeared first on Breaking News Top News & Latest News Headlines | Reuters.

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ngop3 · 7 years

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I’m going to start with a secret. Actually, you may learn a few secrets in this story, because I feel like I am misunderstood by many people. But let’s start with the first one.

Three months ago, when Barcelona made their incredible comeback against Paris St.-Germain in the Champions League, I was watching every moment from my couch. You might think from reading the newspapers that I was hoping my old club would lose.

But when my brother Neymar scored that beautiful free kick? I jumped up from my couch and was screaming at the television.

“Vamoooooooos!”

And when Sergi Roberto performed a miracle in the 95th minute?

Like every other Barca fan in the world, I was going absolutely crazy. Because the truth is that Barcelona is still in my blood.

Was I disrespected by the board of directors before I left the club last summer? Absolutely. That is simply how I feel, and you can never tell me any different. But you cannot play for a club for eight years, and achieve everything that we did, and not have that club in your heart forever. Managers, players and board members come and go. But Barca will never go away.

Before I went to Juventus, I made a final promise to the board at Barcelona. I said, “You’re going to miss me.”

I didn’t mean as a player. Barca have plenty of incredible players. What I meant was that they were going to miss my spirit. They were going to miss the care I had for the dressing room. They were going to miss the blood I spilled every time I put on the shirt.

When I had to play against Barca in the next round, it was a very weird feeling. Especially in the second leg at the Camp Nou, I felt like I was home again. Right before the match started, I went over to the Barca bench to say hello to my old friends, and they were saying, “Dani, come sit with us! We saved your seat!”

PHOTO BY JOAN VALLS/NURPHOTO/ZUMA PRESS

I was shaking everybody’s hand with my back to the referee. All of a sudden, I heard a whistle. I turned around and the referee had already started the match. I went sprinting back to the field, and I could hear my old manager, Luis Enrique, laughing his ass off.

It’s funny right? But that match was not a joke, especially not to me. People see me and they say, “Dani’s always joking. He’s always smiling. He’s not serious.”

I could hear my old manager, Luis Enrique, laughing his ass off.

Listen, I’ll tell you another secret. Before I go up against the best forwards in the world — Messi, Neymar, Cristiano — I study their strengths and weaknesses like an obsession, and then I plan how I am going to attack. My goal is to show the world that Dani Alves is on the same level. Maybe they will dribble past me once or twice. Sure, O.K. But I will attack them, too. I don’t want to be invisible. I want the stage. Even at 34 years old, after 34 trophies, I still feel I have to prove this every time.

But it goes even deeper than that.

Right before every match, I have same the routine. I stand in front of a mirror for five minutes and I block out everything. Then a movie begins to play in my mind. It is the movie of my life.

In the first scene, I’m 10 years old. I’m sleeping on a concrete bed at my family’s tiny home in Juazeiro, Brazil. The mattress over the bed is as thick as your little finger. The house smells of wet soil, and it is still dark outside. It’s five in the morning, and the sun has not risen, but I have to go help my father on our farm before school.

My brother and I walk out into the field, and our father is already out there working. He’s got a big, heavy tank on his back, and he’s spraying the fruits and plants with chemicals to kill the bacteria.

We’re probably too young to handle the toxins, but we help him anyway. This is just our way to survive. For hours, I compete with my brother to see who can be the hardest worker. Because the one who our father decides has helped him the most gets the rights to our only bicycle.

If I don’t win the bicycle, I have to walk the 12 miles from the farm to my school. The walk back from school is even worse, because the pickup football games in our neighborhood will start without me. So I run the 12 miles back and then just keep running right out onto the pitch.

But if I do win the bicycle? Then I can get the girls. I can pick up one of them on the road and offer them a ride to school. For 12 miles, I’m the man.

So I work my ass off.

I look at my father as I leave for school, and he’s still got the big tank on his back. He’s got a full day in the field ahead of him, and then at night he’s got a little bar that he runs to make extra money. He was a hell of a footballer when he was young, but he didn’t have the money to make it to a bigger city so he could be seen by scouts. He wants to make sure that I have that opportunity, even if it kills him.

The screen fades to black.

Now it’s Sunday, and we’re watching the football matches on our black-and-white TV. There’s steel wool wrapped around the antenna so we can pick up the signal from the city, far away. For us, this is the best day of the week. There’s a lot of joy in our house.

The screen fades to black.

Now my father is driving me to town in his old car so I can try out in front of some scouts. The car is a stick shift, and it only has two gears — slow and slower. I can smell the smoke.

My dad is a hustler. I gotta be a hustler, too.

The screen fades to black.

Now I’m 13, and I’m at this academy for young footballers in a bigger town, away from my family. There are 100 kids packed into a small dormitory. It’s kind of like a prison. The day before I left home, my father went into town and bought me a new football outfit. He doubled my wardrobe, because I only had one outfit to begin with.

After the first day of training, I hang the new kit on the line to dry. The next morning, it’s gone. Somebody has taken it. That’s when I realize that this is not the farm anymore. This is the real world, and the reason they call it the real world is because shit is real out here.

I go back to my room, and I’m starving. We train all day, and there’s not enough food at the camp. Somebody stole my clothes. I miss my family, and I’m definitely not the best player here. Out of 100, I’m maybe 51st in ability. So I make myself a promise.

I tell myself, “You are not going back to the farm until you make your father proud. You might be 51st in ability. But you are going to be No. 1 or 2 in drive. You are going to be a warrior. You are not going back home, no matter what.”

The screen fades to black.

Now I’m 18 years old, and I’m telling one of the only lies I’ve ever told in football.

I’m playing for Bahia in the Brazilian league when a big scout comes up to me and says, “Sevilla are interested in signing you.”

I say, “Sevilla! Amazing.”

The scout says, “Do you know where that is?”

I say, “Of course I know where Sevilla is. Sev-iiiillaaaaa. I love it.”

But I have no f******g idea where Sevilla is. It could be on the moon for all I know. But the way he says the name makes it sound important, so I lie.

A few days later, I start asking around, and I find out that Sevilla plays against Barcelona and Real Madrid. In Portuguese, we have an expression for this kind of moment.

I said to myself, “Agora.”

It’s like, Bang. Now. Let’s go.

The screen fades to black.

Now I’m in Sevilla, and I’m so malnourished that the coaches and other players are looking at me like I must play for the youth team. I am in the middle of the hardest six months of my life. I don’t speak the language. The manager isn’t playing me, and it’s the first time I really think about going home.

But then, for some reason, I think about the new outfit that my father bought me when I was 13. The one that got stolen. I think of him with the tank strapped to his back, spraying chemicals. And I decide that I’m going to stay and learn the language and try to make some friends, so that at least I can go back to Brazil with a new experience to share.

When the season begins, the manager instructs everyone, “At Sevilla, our defense does not go past the halfway line. Never.”

I play a few games, kicking the ball around, looking at that line. Just looking at it, like a dog who’s afraid to cross an invisible fence in his yard. Then, one game, for some reason, I just let go. I have to be me.

I say, “Agora.”

And I just go. Attack, attack, attack.

It works like magic. After that, the manager says, “O.K., Dani. New plan. At Sevilla, you attack.”

In just a few seasons, we go from being a relegation club to lifting the UEFA Cup twice.

The screen fades to black.

My phone is ringing. It’s my agent.

“Dani, Barcelona are interested in signing you.”

I do not have to lie this time. I know where Barcelona is.

PHOTO BY DAVID RAMOS/GETTY IMAGES

That is the movie that plays in my head when I stare in the mirror before every match. At the end, before I walk back to the dressing room, I always say the same thing to myself.

Shit, I came from nowhere.

I am here now.

It’s unreal, but I am here.

When I was 18, I moved across the ocean just for the opportunity to play for a club that played against Barcelona. So to have the honor of playing for Barca? It was incredible. I got to be a witness to true genius.

I remember during one training session, Messi was doing things with the ball at his feet that defied logic. Of course, that is what he did every day. Only this time, something was different.

Now, I need to remind you, this was an extremely intense training session. We were not messing around. Messi was dribbling through the defense and finishing like a killer.

And then as he’s running past me, I look down at his cleats, and I’m thinking to myself, Is this a joke?

He comes running past again, and I think, No, it’s impossible.

He comes running past again, and now I’m sure what I’m seeing.

His damn cleats are untied. Both of them.

I mean completely untied. This guy is playing against the best defenders in the world, just floating around the pitch, and he’s acting like it’s a Sunday in the park. That was the moment when I knew that I was never going to play with someone like him ever again in my life.

And then, of course, there’s Pep Guardiola.

PHOTO BY OTTO GREULE JR/GETTY IMAGES

If you turn the word computer backwards, it spells Steve Jobs.

If you turn the word football backwards, it spells Pep.

He is a genius. I’ll say it again. A genius.

Pep would tell you exactly how everything was going to happen in a match before it even happened. For example, the game against Real Madrid in 2010, when we won 5–0? Pep told us before the match, “Today, you’re going to play like the football is a ball of fire. It never stays at your feet. Not even a half second. If you do that, there will be no time for them to pressure us. We will win easily.”

The sensation when we left every one of his prematch talks was like we were already up three-nil. We were so empowered, so prepared, that it felt like we were already winning.

The funniest thing was if we came in at halftime and the game wasn’t going well. Pep would sit down and rub his forehead. You know how he rubs his head? You’ve seen it, right? Like he’s massaging his brain, searching for the genius to come to him.

He would do this right in front of us in the dressing room. Then, like magic, it would come to him.

Bang!

“I’ve got it!”

Then he would jump up and start barking out instructions, drawing maths and figures on the board.

“We will do this, this and this, and then this is how we will score.”

So we would go out, and we would do this, this and this. And that’s how we would score. It was crazy.

Pep was the first coach in my life who showed me how to play without the ball. And he wouldn’t just demand that his players change their game, he would sit us down and show us why we wanted us to change with statistics and video.

PHOTO BY DAVID RAMOS/GETTY IMAGES

Those Barca teams were pretty much unbeatable. We played by memory. We already knew what we were going to do. We didn’t have to think.

That is why, to this day, Barca is in my heart.

That is why, when we beat Barcelona in the Champions League quarterfinals, I walked up to my brother Neymar, and I gave him a hug. He was crying, and a part of me felt like crying, too.

I can imagine people reading this and asking why I am sharing these secrets.

Well, the truth is, I am 34 years old. I don’t know how much longer I will play. Maybe two or three years. And I feel as though people do not understand me, and my full story.

When I came to Juventus this season, it was like I was leaving home again. I did it when I was 13, going to the academy. I did it again at 18, going to Spain. And then I did it again at 33, going to Italy.

When I first arrived at Juve, it was like going to a completely new school. My whole life, I had loved to attack. And now I was coming to a place where they value defending above everything.

Once again, I was the dog in the yard. I was staring at the invisible fence.

Should I go?

But I did not go. At the beginning of the season, I wanted to make sure that the Juve players understood that I respected their philosophy, and their history. Once I made sure that I had their respect, I tried to show them my strengths, too.

One day, I looked at the halfway line, and I said to myself, Should I go?

… Bang. Agora.

Attack, attack, attack. (And, O.K., maybe defend a bit, too, or Buffon will be yelling at me.)

I sometimes think that life is a circle.

See, I cannot get away from these Argentinians.

At Barca, I had Messi.

At Juve, I have Dybala.

Genius follows me everywhere, I swear.

PHOTO BY DANIELE BADOLATO/LAPRESSE/ICON SPORTSWIRE

In training one day, I saw something in Dybala that I had seen before in Messi. It was not just the gift of pure talent. I have seen that many times in my life. It was the gift of pure talent combined with the will to conquer the world.

At Barca, we played by memory.

At Juve, it’s different. It’s our collective mentality that has carried us to the Champions League final. When the whistle blows, we simply find a way to win no matter what. Winning is not just a goal at Juve, it’s like an obsession. There are no excuses.

This Saturday, I have a chance to win my 35th trophy in 34 years on earth. It is a special opportunity for me, and it has nothing to do with proving to the Barcelona board that they made a mistake in letting me go.

I know that they will never admit that.

That’s not the point.

Do you remember what I told you about the moment at the academy in Brazil? When I said to myself that I would never go back to the farm until I made my father proud?

Well, my father is not a very emotional man. I never knew when I had actually made him truly proud. For most of my career, he was back home in Brazil. But in 2015, he was there in Berlin to see me win the Champions League final for the very first time in person. I remember after the trophy celebrations on the field, Barca had a special party for the families of the players. We got to hand over the trophy to the people who had helped us achieve our dreams. I remember when it was my turn I passed the trophy to my father, and we were both holding it, posing for a photo.

And he said something in Portuguese that is actually a dirty word, so I won’t translate it word for word.

But he basically said, “My son is the man now.”

And you know what? He was crying like a baby.

That was the greatest moment of my life.

On Saturday, I will have the chance to play for another Champions League trophy against a very familiar opponent. Like always, I will study Cristiano like an obsession.

Like always, I will go to the mirror before the match and play the same movie in my mind.

The screen will go black, and I will remember these things….

My concrete bed.

The smell of wet soil.

My father with the tank of chemicals on his back.

The 12 mile bike ride to school.

The new outfit.

The empty clothesline.

“Of course I know where Sevilla is.”

Shit, I came from nowhere.

I am here now.

It’s unreal, but I am here.

DANI ALVES

/ CONTRIBUTOR

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junker-town · 7 years

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Barcelona vs. Real Madrid: Final score 3-2, La Liga race on after sensational edition of El Clásico

This was an El Clásico to remember.

The match started cagily but still with the frenetic energy that so often accompanies El Clásico, with Barcelona trying to settle into a new tactical shape given some of the injuries and suspensions they’re dealing with — most notably that of Neymar — and with Real Madrid not wanting them to have the time or comfort to find their groove. Madrid definitely had the better of the early chances, but Marc Andre Ter Stegen was putting in a strong showing in goal for Barcelona despite the defense in front of him lacking their usual calm, including absolutely stonewalling a shot from Cristiano Ronaldo that the Portuguese star is much more used to scoring from.

That lack of defensive calm cost Barcelona in a bad way, though, with three Madrid players getting free right in front of Ter Stegen on a set piece just before the half hour mark thanks to a bad breakdown in Barcelona’s marking scheme. Sergio Ramos was the first man on the ball, but his shot banged off the post and Ter Stegen couldn’t get back in time to stop the rebound shot from an also-unmarked Casemiro at the far post.

The rest of the first half was a very back-and-forth affair, with Ter Stegen coming up big again for Barcelona and a cagey defense for Real Madrid just barely keeping their rivals at bay. The second half was much the same, but played at an even more frenetic level. Barcelona continued to lean heavily on Ter Stegen to stop shots, and he responded magnificently, though Keylor Navas also came up big on what looked like a sure goal for Barcelona, stopping a Messi shot cold to keep the score even.

Barcelona were certainly getting their chances, but on a whole it generally felt like Real Madrid were the team more in control of the match, with Luka Modric and Toni Kroos creating tons of scoring chances for their team and doing a lot of work both on and off the ball to keep their team in control of the match. But Madrid struggled badly to convert that control into goals, a problem most typified when Marco Asensio and Cristiano Ronaldo broke clear on a counter attack, only for Ronaldo to send his shot sky-high despite having a clear chance at goal in the 67th minute.

That lack of precision cost Madrid dearly just six minutes later, because Ivan Rakitic popped up with a massive and absolutely world-class goal to give Barcelona a 2-1 lead at the Santiago Bernabeu, and that goal left Madrid bitter and frustrated. That frustration was embodied by their captain, Sergio Ramos, who was lucky not to break Lionel Messi’s leg four minutes later with a hard and late tackle that saw him earn an easy red card from the referee.

But Real Madrid weren’t done, despite the dire straits they found themselves in. Marcelo served up a divine ball to James Rodriguez, who got through Barcelona’s defense unmarked, for a huge equalizer despite being down to ten men. It looked like Real Madrid were going to salvage that 2-2 draw — but a stoppage time stunner from Lionel Messi saw Barcelona scrape out a 3-2 win that will have huge title race implications in La Liga.

Goals: Casemiro (28’), Rodriguez (86’)

Barcelona: Marc-André ter Stegen; Jordi Alba, Samuel Umtiti, Gerard Piqué, Sergi Roberto, Sergio Busquets, Ivan Rakitić, Andrés Iniesta, Paco Alcácer, Luis Suárez, Lionel Messi

Goals: Messi (33’, 90’+2), Rakitic (73’)

Three things we learned

Don’t make Lionel Messi angry

Before getting clobbered by Marcelo and starting to bleed profusely from the mouth in the opening spell of the match, Lionel Messi had had a fairly quiet day. After being left on the pitch with blood all over his sleeve and face — and Marcelo’s elbow — though, we saw a much different and much angrier Lionel Messi.

That spelled trouble for Madrid, because once Messi got mad, the Barcelona attack that had been struggling to find fluidity and form in the final third after another tactical and formation shift before this match started clicking, and it was all because of the diminutive Argentine. Despite playing with a bloody rag in his mouth for the rest of the first half, he put the team on his shoulders and drove them forward, especially after Madrid scored their opening goal. In fact, his goal was practically a solo effort, taking on and beating four Real Madrid players on his own after receiving a well-placed pass from Ivan Rakitic.

Gareth Bale should not start again until he is actually healthy

Ever since Bale came back from his original calf injury, there’s been something just not right with the Welsh winger. He’s lacked a step of pace, his explosive acceleration has been missing, and that combination has robbed him of his normal overall sharpness in his game. And when he has been playing of late, he’s been struggling to finish matches without breaking down despite his prodigious work rate, and that’s a huge problem for Real Madrid.

Bale’s early departure from this match after breaking down yet again makes one thing completely clear for Madrid — they have to bench him until he’s actually, completely healthy again. He can be available on the bench when Zinedine Zidane and the team’s training staff feel he can help from there, but otherwise Bale needs to focus on getting healthy and back to the player he can be. Starting matches only seems to be making things worse for him right now, not better, and that’s leaving the team in a lurch on a far too consistent basis of late.

Barcelona asked a lot of Marc Andre Ter Stegen, and he delivered

Barcelona’s attack scored the goals that gave them their draw, but the Man of the Match award should go to their goalkeeper, Marc Andre Ter Stegen. Many fans were critical of him on Madrid’s opening goal of the match, but it was Ter Stegen constantly being on-point with his positioning and reactions that kept Barcelona in the match for the time they needed to score.

Time and again, Barcelona’s defense was too spread out after pushing fullbacks high up the pitch or uncovered by midfielders, forcing Ter Stegen to step up and make save after save from excellent scoring chances from Real Madrid. And time after time, he came up huge, stonewalling them time after time. The goals he gave up were from situations that left him helpless, with three attackers in his face on a broken set piece, then an absolutely unmarked James Rodriguez for Madrid’s equalizer. But if it wasn’t for Ter Stegen doing so well for the rest of the match, those moments wouldn’t have mattered, because Real Madrid would have waltzed their way to five goals or more.

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