Football
Bangladesh Championship League: NoFel SC beat Swadhinata KS 3-1
NoFel Sporting Club defeated Swadhinata Krira Sangha 3-1 in the Bangladesh Championship League (BCL) Football 2022-23 at the Birshreshtha Shaheed Shipahi Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Dhaka's Kamalapur Saturday.
Elias opened the winners' account in the 12th minute; Abid struck twice in the 40th and 47th minutes.
Sagor scored the lone goal for Swadhinata in the 70th minute.
Also Read: BCL Football: Brothers Union beat Uttara FC by 2-0 goal
In the day's other match, BFF Elite Academy outplayed Little Friends Club 3-0 at the same venue.
After a barren first half, Mirajul made a hat-trick, scoring in the 68th, 70th and 83rd minutes.
BPL Football: Bashundhara Kings continue unbeaten run beating Sheikh Russell 3-1
Defending champions Bashundhara Kings continued their unbeaten run in the eleven-team Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) Football Saturday after beating Sheikh Russell Krira Chakra 3-1 at the Bashundhara Sports Complex.
Star-studded Kings topped the league table with 21 points from seven straight matches; second-placed Dhaka Abahani earned 15 points from as many encounters.
Sheikh Russell remained in the fifth spot with 12 points from six matches.
After a goalless first half, Brazilian forward Robson Robinho put the Kings ahead in the 65th minute from a penalty (1-0); Uzbek midfielder Asror Gafurov doubled the lead in the 73rd minute (2-0).
Also Read: BPL Football: Sheikh Jamal DC beat Russell KC 3-2
Nigerian striker Sunday Udoy pulled one back for Sheikh Russell in the 82nd minute (2-1).
Robinho sealed the fate of the match by scoring his second goal for the Kings in the fifth minute of the stoppage time (3-1).
The day's other match between Bangladesh Police FC and Fortis Football Club ended in a 1-1 draw at the Muktijoddha Smriti Stadium in Rajshahi.
Sakhawat Hossain found the back of the net for Fortis in the 37th minute. Edward equalised for Police FC just three minutes later.
After the day's match, Police SC remained in the fourth spot on the table with nine points from seven matches. Fortis stayed in sixth place with seven points from six encounters.
BCL Football: Brothers Union beat Uttara FC by 2-0 goal
Once giant Brothers Union Club earned 2-0 goal victory over Uttara Football Club in Bangladesh Championship League (BCL) Football '2022-23 at the Bir Shreshtha Shaheed Shipahi Mohammad Mostafa Kamal Stadium in Kamalapur on Wednesday.
After a barren first half, Shohag put the Gopibagh outfit Brothers ahead in the 68th minute (1-0) while Jakir doubled the winners' margin in the 77th minute (2-0).
Read more: Kool-BSJA Media Cup Football moves to quarter-finals
The day's other league match between Youngmen's Club Fakirerpool and Fortis Academy Limited ended in a 1-1 draw at the same venue.
Dalim scored first for Youngmen's Club in the very 3rd minute of the match (1-0) while Jisan restored the parity for Fortis Academy in the 62nd minute (1-1).
Media Cup Football: Boishakhi TV emerge new champions beating Channel i in final
Boishakhi TV emerged new champions in the 32-team Kool-BSJA six-a-side Media Cup Football Tournament '2023 dethroning Channel i by 4-2 goals in tie breaker on Wednesday.
The keenly contested final match between two teams ended in a goalless draw in the stipulated period at the Artificial Turf of Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) in the capital.
Rakib of the champions Boishakhi TV was adjudged the best player of the final.
The champions team was awarded with a prize money of Taka 30,000 while the runners-up team Channel i received prize money of Taka 15,000.
Celebrated national footballer Sheikh Mohammad Aslam witnessed the day's final as the chief guest and distributed the trophies.
Related: Media Cup Football: Both semifinals, final on Wednesday
Head of the Marketing of the meet's sponsor Square Toiletries Dr Jasmin Zaman, BSJA President ATN Sayeduzzaman, vice president Raihan Al Mugni, joint secretary SM Sumon, Tournament secretary Rabiul Islam, among others, were present on the occasion.
Earlier in the semifinals, Boishakhi TV defeated Kalbela by 3-0 goal while Channel i beat DBC TV by 1-0 goal Wednesday morning.
Thirty-two teams of different print and electronic media, split into eight groups, initially took part in the first phase of the meet on knock out basis.
Later, eight group champions played in the quarterfinals.
Media Cup Football: Both semifinals, final on Wednesday
Both the semifinals and final of the 32-team Kool-BSJA six-a-side Media Cup Football Tournament'2023 will be held on Wednesday (January 25), the closing day of the five-day meet at the Artificial Turf of Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) here.
Boishakhi TV will play Kalbela in the first semifinal at 9:30 am while Channel i will face DBC TV in the other semifinal, also at 9:30 am on Wednesday.
Read more: Kool-BSJA Media Cup Football moves to quarter-finals
The final match will commence at 11:30 am on the same day at the same venue.
In the day's quarterfinals, Kalbela beat RTV 2-0; Boishakhi TV defeated Bangladesh Tribune 1-0; DBC eliminated Daily Star 2-0 while Channel i outplayed Jagonews 3-1 Tuesday morning.
Kool-BSJA Media Cup Football moves to quarter-finals
The Kool-BSJA six-a-side Media Cup Football Tournament 2023 advanced to quarter-final stages on the 3rd day of the five-day meet on Monday (Jan 23) at the Artificial Turf of Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) here.
Eight teams—Boishakhi TV. Channel i, RTV, DBC, Bangla Tribune, Jagonews, Daily Star and Kalbela --reached the quarter-final of the meet eliminating their rivals in the day’s matches, organized by Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association (BSJ.A)
In the day's matches, Bangla Tribune beat Shomoyer Alo 2-0; Channel i beat T-Sports 2-1; Daily Star defeated ATN Bangla 1-0; DBC beat Dhaka Tribune 2-0; Jagonews outplayed Jugantor 3-0; Boishakhi TV beat Janakantha 2-0; Kalbela beat Samakal 1-0.
In the day's other match, RTV beat Independent TV by 3-2 goals in tie breaker as the match was locked in 1-1 goals in the stipulated period.
All the four quarter-final matches of the meet will be held on Tuesday (Jan 24) at the same venue.
In Tuesday's quarterfinals, RTV will play Kalbela at 10 am; Daily Star will face DBC also at 10: am, Boishakhi TV will encounter Bangla Tribune at 11 am while Channel i will meet Jagonews also at 11 am.
Benzema keeps on scoring, Madrid stays close to Barcelona
Goal after goal, Karim Benzema keeps putting his World Cup disappointment behind him.
Benzema scored for the sixth time after being dropped from France’s World Cup squad because of an injury, leading Real Madrid to a 2-0 win at Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish league on Sunday.
“He came back with the same quality,” Madrid coach Carlos Ancelotti said. “He helps us a lot in attack.”
The goal allowed Benzema to join former Madrid great Raúl with 228 league goals with the club — second to Cristiano Ronaldo’s 311. It also helped Madrid get back within three points of league leader Barcelona, which earlier Sunday had defeated Getafe 1-0 at the Camp Nou.
Read more: Benzema posts tweet indicating international retirement
Toni Kroos sealed the victory for Madrid with a low shot from outside the area in the 90th.
Benzema’s sixth goal in six matches since the World Cup came with a left-footed volley from inside the area in the 24th minute at San Mames Stadium.
“It’s incredible. Karim has been spectacular,” Madrid defender Nacho said. “He continues to help us with his goals, just like he did last season.”
Benzema won the men's Ballon d’Or award after a great season and had high expectations heading into the World Cup, but he was dropped from France's squad because of a thigh injury sustained in training just days before the team’s debut.
The only game in which he had not scored after the World Cup was in Madrid's 3-2 come-from-behind win at Villarreal in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey on Thursday.
Eighth-place Athletic had advanced past Espanyol in the Copa but remains winless in three consecutive league games. It lost the Basque Country derby to Real Sociedad in the previous round.
Madrid had not won a league game since December.
BARCELONA'S WINS ANOTHER
Barcelona defeated relegation-threatened Getafe to extend its winning streak to three matches in all competitions.
Pedri scored a first-half winner for the Catalan club, which has won four of its last five matches, with its only setback a draw against Real Betis in the semifinals of the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, where it advanced in a penalty shootout before eventually winning the title in a final against Madrid.
“We didn't play well but it was an important victory," Barcelona coach Xavi said.
Getafe players did the guard of honor before the match at the Camp Nou because of Barcelona's Super Cup title. Captain Sergio Busquets also was honored for having surpassed 700 appearances with the Catalan club.
Barcelona defeated Getafe despite playing without suspended striker Robert Lewandowski, the league’s leading scorer. The Poland player was serving the second of a three-game suspension for disrespecting a referee in a league game last year. Forward Ferran Torres also wasn't available for Barcelona coach Xavi because of a red-card suspension.
Pedri scored the winning goal from close range after an assist from Raphinha in the 35th minute.
Getafe has lost four in a row, including three consecutive in the league. The Madrid club has only four league victories and sits in 16th place, just outside the relegation zone.
Read more: Brilliant Benzema and His Road to Ballon d’Or Glory
LATE PENALTIES FOR VILLARREAL
Villarreal converted one penalty kick and missed another in stoppage time in a 1-0 home win over Girona.
Striker Gerard Moreno had his spot kick saved four minutes into added time, but playmaker Dani Parejo converted his attempt in the final play of the game in the 111th minute.
The late win left Villarreal in fifth place, tied on points with fourth-place Atletico Madrid, which holds the final qualification spot for the Champions League.
Mid-table Girona played a man down from the 78th as defender Santiago Bueno was sent off with a second yellow card.
Villarreal was coming off a 3-2 home loss against Real Madrid in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, when it squandered a two-goal first-half lead. It had beaten Madrid 2-1 two rounds ago in the league, then drew 1-1 at Celta Vigo.
Last-place Elche drew 1-1 with seventh-place Osasuna at home to remain the only team yet to win after 18 Spanish league games this season.
Eddie Nketiah gives Arsenal 3-2 win over Man United
Arsenal’s academy products are keeping the club’s Premier League title challenge on track.
Eddie Nketiah netted twice — including a 90th-minute winner — and Bukayo Saka also scored to give Arsenal a 3-2 win over Manchester United on Sunday to maintain some breathing room atop the table.
The victory keeps Arsenal five points clear of Manchester City with a game in hand and adds another big result against a top rival for Mikel Arteta’s team this season — following wins over Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham.
This one came courtesy of two players — Nketiah and Sakah — who came out of the club’s Hale End academy and were 4 and 2 years old, respectively, when Arsenal last won the league 19 years ago.
“You could see how badly we wanted it — for us, for our fans,” Nketiah said. “We kept pushing and pushing.”
United is the only team to have beaten Arsenal this season, and — with Alex Ferguson and David Beckham both watching on in the stands — looked set to deal Arteta’s team another blow when Lisandro Martinez equalized in the 59th minute.
But Arsenal was finally rewarded for a period of relentless pressure over the last 10 minutes, with David De Gea having already denied Nketiah once from close range. The Arsenal striker, who is filling in for the injured Gabriel Jesus, was in the right place again to stick out his foot and poke in a deflect shot from Odegaard.
The celebrations were put on hold as VAR reviewed a possible offside, but the Emirates crowd erupted again when the goal was awarded.
“When you see that purple screen (for a VAR check), your heart goes a bit,” Nketiah said.
Of the many big moments in Arsenal’s season so far, that may have been the biggest.
City’s win over Wolverhampton earlier Sunday had temporarily cut the gap to just two points and Arsenal needed a response to prevent its title credentials from being questioned.
“It doesn’t get much better than that,” Arteta said. “The second half especially, the performance was incredible. To win it in that way makes it even better.”
For United, it was a first league loss since Nov. 6 and further halts the club’s momentum following a midweek draw against Crystal Palace. A great run before that had seen United put itself in position for a surprising title challenge, but Erik ten Hag’s team is now 11 points adrift of Arsenal, having played a game more.
“It’s hard to accept when you lose in the last stage of the game,” Ten Hag said. “We made mistakes with all three goals. Normally we are better in such situations. It can’t happen.”
It started well for United, as Marcus Rashford put the visitors ahead with a long-range strike in the 17th minute. Rashford forced a turnover from Thomas Partey, then dribbled past the Arsenal midfielder before unleashing a perfectly placed 25-yard strike that snuck inside the near post.
Arsenal didn’t panic, though, and responded seven minutes later.
Granit Xhaka delivered a cross from the left of the area toward Nketiah, who leaped high at the far post to head past De Gea.
In a frantic game that often featured end-to-end action and chances at both sides, Saka gave Arsenal the lead for the first time in the 53rd when he collected the ball on the left flank, drove past Christian Eriksen and then curled in a strike from 25 yards that beat De Gea at the far post.
But goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale then made a rare mistake as he collided with his own defender when trying to collect a corner, spilling the ball to Martinez — who reacted quickly to head in the equalizer.
Saka nearly executed a near-replica of his goal as Arsenal chased a winner, but his shot took a deflection off Eriksen’s leg that time and hit the post.
Arsenal’s new signing Leandro Trossard came on in the 82nd and played a part in the buildup to Arsenal’s winner, exchanging passes with the excellent Oleksandr Zinchenko before the ball fell to Odegaard in the area. The Norwegian’s shot took a deflection and may have been heading inside the far post regardless, but Nketiah stuck out his leg to make sure.
“It wasn’t our best start to a game,” Saka said. “But we showed character. ... We have to stay humble. It’s only halfway through the season.”
From Ronaldo to Rashford, how Ten Hag transformed Man United
After two games of the season Manchester United sat at the foot of the Premier League with no points and a goal difference of -5.
Roll the clock forward five months and manager Erik ten Hag has turned the club’s fortunes around to the point that a win against Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on Sunday will spark genuine belief that an unlikely title challenge is on.
It has not been an overnight success for United’s Dutch manager, who had to contend with an unsettled Cristiano Ronaldo while also trying to knit together a much-changed squad after taking over a team that finished sixth last season and 35 points off champions Manchester City.
This was supposed to be a season of transition, and after back-to-back losses at the start of the campaign United looked more likely to fight to avoid relegation rather than compete for the title. United trails Arsenal by eight points.
It might still be too soon for Ten Hag's team to mount a sustained challenge at the top, with Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace a reminder that it's a work in progress.
However, the improvement is clear — and a win against high-flying Arsenal would be further evidence of United’s title credentials.
The Associated Press looks at some of the key factors in the team’s turnaround.
RONALDO’S EXIT
Ronaldo’s departure in November removed a cloud hanging over United and an unhelpful distraction for Ten Hag at a time when he was trying to establish himself at the club.
While Ten Hag tried to make it work with the Portugal great, their relationship was only ever likely to be a temporary one of convenience, with a younger, more mobile center forward needed to implement the Dutchman’s tactics of pressing from the front.
Ten Hag gave the 37-year-old forward opportunities — playing him on 16 occasions — but Ronaldo was largely ineffective at the point of United’s attack, scoring only three goals.
More of an issue was his behavior off the pitch — leaving early during a pre-season friendly and refusing to come on as a late substitute against Tottenham in October.
His explosive interview with Piers Morgan on the eve of the World Cup was the final straw.
Managing the Ronaldo situation throughout the summer and the opening months of the season was an added challenge for Ten Hag, however, he has emerged with his authority intact.
United’s decision to terminate Ronaldo’s contract was evidence the manager has the trust of the club’s hierarchy.
Ronaldo has since signed for Saudi Arabian team Al Nassr while Ten Hag can focus on building for the future instead of trying to accommodate an aging star who is past his peak.
SELF BELIEF
It was a desperate start for Ten Hag, with the 4-0 loss to Brentford in August coming on the back of an opening home defeat against Brighton.
It raised questions about his insistence on playing out from the back with a squad unsuited to those tactics, as well as his decision to sign Lisandro Martinez, who at 5-foot-9 looked likely to struggle with the aerial side of English soccer.
It would have been easy for Ten Hag to try to adapt his methods as he settled into a new league in a new country, yet he remained convinced United could play his way.
He stuck with Martinez, dropping captain Harry Maguire instead, and the Argentine has been one of the outstanding defenders in the Premier League this season.
And while United remains a work in progress, there have been clear signs of the players embracing Ten Hag’s system and showing the bravery to take the ball in tight spaces even in their defensive third.
United appointed the former Ajax coach in part because of his commitment to his methods that saw him win three Dutch league titles and reach the semifinals of the Champions League in 2019, beating Real Madrid and Juventus on the way.
He has shown the courage to stick to his beliefs even after such a humbling start to the job and the benefits are clear to see now with United arguably producing its best soccer since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
GETTING TOUGH
Ten Hag has left United’s players in no doubt about who is the boss.
Nicknamed the “new sheriff” when he arrived, he has laid down the law when necessary.
After the defeat to Brentford he ordered his players to come in on their day off to do a punishing run during a heatwave in Britain to make up the 8.5 miles difference in ground covered between them and their opponent in that match.
He also reportedly joined in on the run as a show of solidarity and collective responsibility.
That wasn’t the only time he has had to exert his authority.
He accused his players of lacking bravery in United’s 6-3 derby loss to Manchester City in October.
Individually, he dropped Ronaldo and made the forward train away from the first team squad for refusing to come on as a substitute against Tottenham — and Marcus Rashford was also dropped to the bench against Wolverhampton last month for oversleeping and missing a team meeting.
Maguire has spent much of the season on the sidelines after struggling for form, while Luke Shaw was also dropped earlier in the campaign before establishing himself as a key figure in the team.
The message is clear: no one is too big to be left out.
CASEMIRO’S CLASS
After spending much of the summer trying to sign Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, United ultimately turned to Real Madrid’s Brazil international Casemiro.
At a cost of around $80 million, he didn’t come cheap. But he has added steel and composure to a United midfield that has been desperate for a player of his profile since Michael Carrick retired in 2018.
Arguably, United has not had a dominant midfielder of Casemiro’s type since the departure of former captain Roy Keane in 2005.
Casemiro’s authority, range of passing and anticipation to win the ball has had a transformative effect on United.
In 12 Premier League starts, he has been on the losing side only once. United has won 14 of 19 games in all competitions with him in the starting lineup.
His understanding with Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes is developing to form an imposing midfield unit.
United, however, will have do without him against Arsenal after he picked up a fifth yellow card of the season on Wednesday, which means he’s suspended for Sunday’s match.
RASHFORD RESURGENCE
United desperately needed someone to replace the goals scored by Ronaldo, who hit 24 last season.
In the absence of a top-class forward being recruited last summer, Ten Hag needed those goals to come from within his existing squad and Rashford has been the answer.
The England international underwent an intense pre-season training schedule to ensure he was in peak condition after injuries impacted his previous two campaigns — and it has paid off.
Ten Hag has also given him the opportunity to play in his favored position on the left of the attack and that settled role has seen him produce arguably the best form of his career.
His winner against City last weekend saw him score in seven-straight games — a run that came to an end against Palace.
Notably in that match against City, he shook off a first-half injury to play on and produce the decisive moment.
“He knows that in football you have to suffer and sacrifice and have painful moments,” Ten Hag said. “He is unstoppable and opponents will go tough against him but he keeps going.”
Juventus hit with 15-point penalty for false accounting
Italy's most storied soccer club, Juventus, was hit with a massive 15-point penalty for false accounting Friday following an appeal hearing at the Italian soccer federation.
The punishment could eliminate the club’s chances of playing in Europe next season. A record 36-time Italian champion, Juventus was third in Serie A and the penalty drops the Bianconeri to a midtable position — 25 points behind leader Napoli and 12 points from the Champions League places.
Juventus said it will appeal the decision to Italy’s highest sports court within the Italian Olympic Committee.
Also, former Juventus president Andrea Agnelli and former club CEO Maurizio Arrivabene were each banned for two years from soccer activities and more bans were handed out for nine other members of Juve’s staff or former board, which resigned en masse in November following an investigation by Turin public prosecutors into alleged false bookkeeping.
The longest ban of 2 ½ years was handed out to former Juventus sporting director and current Tottenham managing director Fabio Paratici, while current Juventus sporting director Federico Cherubini was given 16 months and former Juventus player turned board member Pavel Nedved was given eight months.
The bans prohibit those individuals from engaging in soccer activities in Italy, “with the request that the ban be extended to UEFA and FIFA activities.”
Juventus has denied wrongdoing and was initially cleared by the sports court in April. But an appeal was made after the federation collected papers from the Turin prosecutors.
Federation prosecutor Giuseppe Chiné had requested a nine-point penalty for Juventus earlier Friday.
Gianluca Ferrero was appointed Juventus’ new president on Wednesday, presiding over a smaller five-person board of directors. Also Wednesday, Agnelli announced that he was stepping down from all of his positions within the family businesses, including carmaker Stellantis, which controls FIAT, as well as the Exor holding company.
Agnelli was also one of the architects of the failed European Super League project.
The penalty comes 17 years after the “Calciopoli” refereeing scandal that saw Juventus demoted to Serie B and stripped of two Serie A titles.
Fines were requested for eight other clubs: Sampdoria, Pro Vercelli, Genoa, Parma, Pisa, Empoli, Pescara and Novara. But all eight other clubs were cleared.
Juventus was already eliminated from the Champions League in a horrible start to this season, which also saw it win only two of its opening nine Serie A matches. The club had since bounced back to climb into the top four.
Juventus could face further penalties from UEFA, which also opened an inquiry into the club’s finances after the Turin prosecutor’s office requested indictments for Agnelli and 10 other former board members as well as the club itself.
Juventus is listed on the Milan stock exchange, which also opens it to regulatory scrutiny by the CONSOB watchdog.
At the start of the pandemic, Juventus said 23 players agreed to reduce their salary for four months to help the club through the crisis. But prosecutors claim the players gave up only one month’s salary.
Turin prosecutors have also apparently discovered more alleged secret payments to former player Cristiano Ronaldo that were not reported by Juventus.
In September, Juventus reported a record loss of 254.3 million euros ($276 million) for the 2021-22 financial year. It was the fifth consecutive year that Juventus reported a loss, and it was 44.4 million euros ($48 million) more than in 2020-21.
A preliminary hearing for the investigation by Turin prosecturs is scheduled for March.
Juventus hosts Atalanta in the league on Sunday.