MLS commissioner discusses season shift, Messi absence before All-Star game
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Toronto Star
15 minutes ago
- Toronto Star
Chelsea striker Marc Guiu joins promoted Sunderland on loan
FILE - Chelsea's Marc Guiu during an English Premier League soccer match against Manchester City at Stamford Bridge stadium in London, England, Aug, 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland, file) SG flag wire: true flag sponsored: false article_type: : sWebsitePrimaryPublication : publications/toronto_star bHasMigratedAvatar : false :
Winnipeg Free Press
15 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Chelsea striker Marc Guiu joins promoted Sunderland on loan
SUNDERLAND, England (AP) — Newly promoted Sunderland signed 19-year-old striker Marc Guiu on a season-long loan from Chelsea on Wednesday ahead of the new Premier League campaign. Guiu made 16 appearances for Enzo Maresca's team last season and scored six goals — all in the UEFA Conference League campaign. Chelsea won the third-tier competition. Guiu became the second-youngest player (18 years, 350 days old) to score a hat trick for Chelsea. That feat came in a 5-1 victory over Shamrock Rovers. The Spaniard also played twice in Chelsea's run to the Club World Cup title. 'I see myself as a powerful striker, who can make a difference on and off the ball, and I pride myself on being a natural goalscorer,' he said in Sunderland's announcement. Guiu rose through Barcelona's youth academy and made seven appearances for the Catalan club before joining Chelsea in 2024. Sunderland hosts West Ham at the Stadium of Light on Aug. 16 in its season opener. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. ___ AP soccer:
Globe and Mail
3 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Vancouver Whitecaps officially sign former Bayern Munich star Thomas Muller
Thomas Muller says his skills speak for themselves. The main thing he wants Vancouver Whitecaps supporters to know about his transfer to the Major League Soccer club is that he's 'fully into it.' The Whitecaps pulled off the biggest signing in club history, adding the 2014 World Cup champion and longtime Bayern Munich star to a club that has spent the entire season pushing for top spot in the Western Conference. 'They (fans) can expect that I'm always 100 per cent,' Muller said in a video provided by the club. 'You can watch my skills in YouTube videos or several TV shows, but you can expect that I'm fully into it. And for me, that's the most important part.' The club announced the move Wednesday. While a dollar figure was not disclosed, Muller has signed for the remainder of the 2025 season with a Designated Player option for 2026. Muller is expected to arrive in Vancouver next Wednesday, with his first training session set for Thursday. Muller helped lead Germany to the 2014 World Cup title, scoring five goals in the tournament. He had also won the Golden Boot at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, finishing with five goals and three assists. He will occupy an international roster slot and is expected to take one of the club's vacant spots on the season-ending injury list, pending receipt of his International Transfer Certificate (ITC), visa and work permit. The 35-year-old attacking midfielder came up through Bayern Munich's academy and spent 17 years with the German Bundesliga side. He scored 250 goals for Bayern across all competitions and helped the team to 13 league championships, but his contract was not renewed after last season. 'Our approach was only going after the football player Thomas Muller, and not his big name, his brand, his famous face,' Whitecaps sporting director Axel Schuster said in a video. 'We wanted to convince him in the area that excites him the most,' Schuster added. 'He loves this game so much, and he wants to continue because he wants to play the game. 'Everything else came for us second, and we only started that after he said 'Yes, I'm in.'' Muller talked with former teammate Alphonso Davies about the club and the city after deciding to make the move to Vancouver. Davies, a star player with Bayern and captain of Canada's national team, started his career as a teenager with the Whitecaps before joining the German powerhouse in January 2019. 'He told me a lot of good things about the city and the Whitecaps,' said Muller. 'So I was a little bit pumped, but the decision was made. 'I didn't need Alphonso's opinion, but it was important for me just to double-check.' To complete the signing, the Whitecaps acquired Muller's MLS discovery rights from FC Cincinnati in exchange for up to US$400,000 in General Allocation Money. He joins a Whitecaps (13-5-6) team that has spent much of the Major League Soccer season hovering around the top of the Western Conference standings. Under first-year head coach Jesper Sorensen, the club has exceeded expectations this year, not only in league play, but by making it to the final of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, where they fell 5-0 to LIGA MX side Cruz Azul. Muller said he is looking forward to working with Sorensen. 'He has a great mindset,' Muller said. 'You feel it when you talk with him. He's very clear what he wants.' Muller is the latest international star to make the jump to MLS. Argentine forward Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami in 2023 following a long career with Barcelona and a stint at Paris Saint-Germain. The 38-year-old currently leads MLS in scoring with 18 goals on the season. English midfielder David Beckham was one of the first European stars to move to MLS. He signed with the L.A. Galaxy in 2007 after playing for top clubs such as Manchester United and Real Madrid, and won the MLS Cup in 2011 and 2012. Beckham remains involved with the league as an owner of Inter Miami.
