Latest news with #ClubWorldChampionship
The Mainichi
31-07-2025
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Football: English champions Liverpool beat Marinos on Japan return
YOKOHAMA (Kyodo) -- Liverpool came from behind to beat Yokohama F Marinos 3-1 in an international club friendly on Wednesday, claiming victory in the English Premier League champions' first game in Japan in 20 years. Their red-clad fans outnumbered those in the hosts' blue at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, the hometown of Japan captain and Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, with a packed crowd of 67,032 on hand for the Reds' first visit to the country since the 2005 Club World Championship. Prior to the game, fans gathered at a corner outside the venue to write farewell messages to Liverpool player Diogo Jota, who died along with his younger brother in a car crash on July 3 in northwestern Spain. "I was so shocked when I heard the news," said 21-year-old Genki Urata, a supporter of both Liverpool and his local club Marinos, who wore a Jota No. 20 shirt he bought two years ago. "I definitely want them to come back again next year, although I'm thinking about going to Anfield too. Today, of course I'm supporting Liverpool." Liverpool all-time top scorer Ian Rush delivered a tribute to Jota before the kick-off, followed by fans joining in a chant for the former Portugal forward. Marinos attacker Jun Amano grabbed early attention with a volley that went off target, before nutmegging Ryan Graveberch in the middle of the park, while Cody Gakpo curled a low shot onto the right post in the ninth minute for Liverpool. Fans once again paid respect to Jota by applauding in the 20th minute, in acknowledgement of his shirt number. Liverpool debutant Hugo Ekitike had a backheel saved before the best chance of the half fell to J1 strugglers Marinos, whose status as one of the only two clubs never to be relegated since the launch of the J-League in 1993, alongside Kashima Antlers, is in jeopardy this year. A two-man counter in the 40th minute saw Yan Matheus' chipped cross finding Dean David, whose stooping header drew a diving save from keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili. Asahi Uenaka and Darwin Nunez missed chances at either end early in the second half, before the Marinos attacker opened the scoring in the 55th minute, low off the post, after latching on to a fine through ball from Riku Yamane. Endo entered on the hour-mark to replace Virgil van Dijk, taking the captain's armband, and Liverpool leveled two minutes later when Curtis Jones launched a counter and provided a tiny touch off Mohamed Salah's pass to allow big summer signing Florian Wirtz to score. "I'm really happy that I could score my first goal. I hope there are more to come," said Wirtz, who joined from Bayer Leverkusen. "I'm happy we won the game, and it was an incredible atmosphere here in the stadium, so thank you." Trey Nyoni put Liverpool ahead in the 68th minute as he stretched his leg out to meet Jeremie Frimpong's cross to the far post, while a header by Endo in the 77th minute was followed by his Liverpool chant sung by Japanese fans. Sixteen-year-old Rio Ngumoha put the icing on the cake in the 87th minute when he ran the entire opposition half before slotting home low, a timely showing of his talent on the left wing following the departure of Luis Diaz. "Coming back to the city where I grew up as a Liverpool player was a special, wonderful moment," Endo said. "I knew there are lots of Liverpool fans and I'm grateful as a Japanese about their action toward the team (about Jota)." "I want to win the Premier League again and I'm sure all our players will head into the new season hoping to win the Champions League, cups, all the titles available. The manager knows me well after a year together and I think it will be a different season." "I hope to have a good season with Liverpool and head into the World Cup in the best shape possible." (By Morichika Nakamoto)
Kyodo News
30-07-2025
- Sport
- Kyodo News
Football: English champions Liverpool beat Marinos on Japan return
YOKOHAMA - Liverpool came from behind to beat Yokohama F Marinos 3-1 in an international club friendly on Wednesday, claiming victory in the English Premier League champions' first game in Japan in 20 years. Their red-clad fans outnumbered those in the hosts' blue at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, the hometown of Japan captain and Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, with a packed crowd of 67,032 on hand for the Reds' first visit to the country since the 2005 Club World Championship. Prior to the game, fans gathered at a corner outside the venue to write farewell messages to Liverpool player Diogo Jota, who died along with his younger brother in a car crash on July 3 in northwestern Spain. "I was so shocked when I heard the news," said 21-year-old Genki Urata, a supporter of both Liverpool and his local club Marinos, who wore a Jota No. 20 shirt he bought two years ago. "I definitely want them to come back again next year, although I'm thinking about going to Anfield too. Today, of course I'm supporting Liverpool." Liverpool all-time top scorer Ian Rush delivered a tribute to Jota before the kick-off, followed by fans joining in a chant for the former Portugal forward. Marinos attacker Jun Amano grabbed early attention with a volley that went off target, before nutmegging Ryan Graveberch in the middle of the park, while Cody Gakpo curled a low shot onto the right post in the ninth minute for Liverpool. Fans once again paid respect to Jota by applauding in the 20th minute, in acknowledgement of his shirt number. Liverpool debutant Hugo Ekitike had a backheel saved before the best chance of the half fell to J1 strugglers Marinos, whose status as one of the only two clubs never to be relegated since the launch of the J-League in 1993, alongside Kashima Antlers, is in jeopardy this year. A two-man counter in the 40th minute saw Yan Matheus' chipped cross finding Dean David, whose stooping header drew a diving save from keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili. Asahi Uenaka and Darwin Nunez missed chances at either end early in the second half, before the Marinos attacker opened the scoring in the 55th minute, low off the post, after latching on to a fine through ball from Riku Yamane. Endo entered on the hour-mark to replace Virgil van Dijk, taking the captain's armband, and Liverpool leveled two minutes later when Curtis Jones launched a counter and provided a tiny touch off Mohamed Salah's pass to allow big summer signing Florian Wirtz to score. Trey Nyoni put Liverpool ahead in the 68th minute as he stretched his leg out to meet Jeremie Frimpong's cross to the far post, while a header by Endo in the 77th minute was followed by his Liverpool chant sung by Japanese fans. Sixteen-year-old Rio Ngumoha put the icing on the cake in the 87th minute when he ran the entire opposition half before slotting home low, a timely showing of his talent on the left wing following the departure of Luis Diaz.
Sydney Morning Herald
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
The trouble with Taniela Tupou
Taniela Tupou's yellow card against the Force for a bizarre slide tackle is a big issue for the Wallabies. Joe Schmidt must be wondering if he can genuinely trust Tupou against the British and Irish Lions, because any such act will cost them a Test. That incident will put the Lions wind-up merchants on notice, and it doesn't take a massive stretch of the imagination to envisage players such as Ellis Genge trying to get under Tupou's skin. The shame in all of this is that Tupou appears to be a very likely player that everyone is willing to come through this rough period, but that combustibility is a big red flag ahead of a series that will be intense in every phase of play. Club World Championship will outshine Nations Cup Christmas came early for Super Rugby over the weekend with confirmation from Europe that the club world championship will finally and miraculously come into effect in 2028. Although the details are yet to be unveiled in detail, the outline of the 16-team comp is extraordinarily generous towards Super Rugby, with the top six teams at least set to be included to face that year's Champions Cup quarter finalists. It means the URC winners, or England Premiership winners, could miss out if they have a bad Champions Cup campaign, yet the door would be open for the Super Rugby outfit that finishes sixth. As a concept, this competition is far more appealing than the Nations Cup concept, and the Herald predicts that supporter interest will be through the roof, with the first edition of the quadrennial tournament to be held in Europe. This is a big moment for the game, and a brilliant deal for Super Rugby. Wallabies form team of the week Angus Bell (Waratahs) Richie Asiata (Reds) Tom Robertson (Force) Fergus Lee-Warner (Waratahs) Darcy Swain (Force) Joe Brial (Reds) Carlo Tizzano (Force) Harry Wilson (Reds) Tate McDermott (Reds) - Player of the round Jack Bowen (Waratahs) Darby Lancaster (Waratahs) Hamish Stewart (Force) Dre Pakeho (Reds) Filipo Daugunu (Reds) Jock Campbell (Reds) Tahs show grit but they can't be a yo-yo team The Waratahs deserve a heap of credit for winning a tough game against the Force in appalling conditions in Perth - especially their bench. A week after the players were called out by their own coach, the phase of play that led to Jack Bowen's game-levelling penalty typified the spirit - the initial punch by Langi Gleeson, then great carries and skills by Tom Lambert, Teddy Wilson and Ben Grant up the middle of the field. The Waratahs rode their luck at times but deserved the win against a Force team that has put a heavy workload on Jeremy Williams, Darcy Swain and Nick Champion de Crespigny and arguably ran out of battery during the past month. However, the Waratahs can't get stuck in the cycle of poor performance-public roasting by the coach-gritty comeback. That has a limited shelf life and Dan McKellar has a big job getting them up for the game against the Blues in Auckland on Saturday before addressing that issue during the off-season. How will the Lions play? Look at the Hurricanes The Reds couldn't quite match the Hurricanes' dynamism on Saturday, with an exciting game offering a real contrast in styles (losing most of the 50-50 calls didn't help the Queenslanders either). In many ways, the Hurricanes were your classic Kiwi team, plenty of ball movement and athletic loose forwards. But their coach, Clark Laidlaw, is a proud Scot who is tuned into the Six Nations and also a major admirer of the French style. He reflects the outlook of the modern European coach, too, and there is no doubt that the Lions will come here with major attacking intent. Like the Hurricanes, their backline will be serviced by a brilliant, ambitious No 9 and all eight of their pack will be genuine ball-carrying options. They're being set up to be expansive - why else would you choose Finn Russell, Fin Smith and Marcus Smith as your No 10 options?
The Age
26-05-2025
- Sport
- The Age
The trouble with Taniela Tupou
Taniela Tupou's yellow card against the Force for a bizarre slide tackle is a big issue for the Wallabies. Joe Schmidt must be wondering if he can genuinely trust Tupou against the British and Irish Lions, because any such act will cost them a Test. That incident will put the Lions wind-up merchants on notice, and it doesn't take a massive stretch of the imagination to envisage players such as Ellis Genge trying to get under Tupou's skin. The shame in all of this is that Tupou appears to be a very likely player that everyone is willing to come through this rough period, but that combustibility is a big red flag ahead of a series that will be intense in every phase of play. Club World Championship will outshine Nations Cup Christmas came early for Super Rugby over the weekend with confirmation from Europe that the club world championship will finally and miraculously come into effect in 2028. Although the details are yet to be unveiled in detail, the outline of the 16-team comp is extraordinarily generous towards Super Rugby, with the top six teams at least set to be included to face that year's Champions Cup quarter finalists. It means the URC winners, or England Premiership winners, could miss out if they have a bad Champions Cup campaign, yet the door would be open for the Super Rugby outfit that finishes sixth. As a concept, this competition is far more appealing than the Nations Cup concept, and the Herald predicts that supporter interest will be through the roof, with the first edition of the quadrennial tournament to be held in Europe. This is a big moment for the game, and a brilliant deal for Super Rugby. Wallabies form team of the week Angus Bell (Waratahs) Richie Asiata (Reds) Tom Robertson (Force) Fergus Lee-Warner (Waratahs) Darcy Swain (Force) Joe Brial (Reds) Carlo Tizzano (Force) Harry Wilson (Reds) Tate McDermott (Reds) - Player of the round Jack Bowen (Waratahs) Darby Lancaster (Waratahs) Hamish Stewart (Force) Dre Pakeho (Reds) Filipo Daugunu (Reds) Jock Campbell (Reds) Tahs show grit but they can't be a yo-yo team The Waratahs deserve a heap of credit for winning a tough game against the Force in appalling conditions in Perth - especially their bench. A week after the players were called out by their own coach, the phase of play that led to Jack Bowen's game-levelling penalty typified the spirit - the initial punch by Langi Gleeson, then great carries and skills by Tom Lambert, Teddy Wilson and Ben Grant up the middle of the field. The Waratahs rode their luck at times but deserved the win against a Force team that has put a heavy workload on Jeremy Williams, Darcy Swain and Nick Champion de Crespigny and arguably ran out of battery during the past month. However, the Waratahs can't get stuck in the cycle of poor performance-public roasting by the coach-gritty comeback. That has a limited shelf life and Dan McKellar has a big job getting them up for the game against the Blues in Auckland on Saturday before addressing that issue during the off-season. How will the Lions play? Look at the Hurricanes The Reds couldn't quite match the Hurricanes' dynamism on Saturday, with an exciting game offering a real contrast in styles (losing most of the 50-50 calls didn't help the Queenslanders either). In many ways, the Hurricanes were your classic Kiwi team, plenty of ball movement and athletic loose forwards. But their coach, Clark Laidlaw, is a proud Scot who is tuned into the Six Nations and also a major admirer of the French style. He reflects the outlook of the modern European coach, too, and there is no doubt that the Lions will come here with major attacking intent. Like the Hurricanes, their backline will be serviced by a brilliant, ambitious No 9 and all eight of their pack will be genuine ball-carrying options. They're being set up to be expansive - why else would you choose Finn Russell, Fin Smith and Marcus Smith as your No 10 options?
The Age
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Waratahs v Toulouse? Club World Championship moves a step closer
One of rugby's oldest and most tantalising questions – whether the northern or southern hemisphere is stronger – could be finally answered in 2028, as plans to hold the first rugby Club World Championship moved a step closer. The competition would consist of 16 teams, including the eight Champions Cup quarter-finalists, the top seven finishers in Super Rugby and one team from Japan, taking place every four years, most likely in June. The Times has reported that following discussions in Cardiff, the European Professional Club Rugby board has approved the concept. It has been proposed that there would be four pools of four teams leading to a semi-final and a final. However, sources with knowledge of the situation not authorised to speak publicly said Super Rugby had not confirmed its participation in the competition, although discussions remain ongoing. According to reports in Europe, the first competition in 2028 would replace the knockout stages of the Champions Cup, while the Premiership in England, the United Rugby Championship and France's Top 14 have agreed to move their domestic finals forward to allow the inaugural Club World Championship to take place. The proposed competition would present several barriers for Super Rugby teams, given the competition's finals series runs from June 7 until the final on June 21. To accommodate the world club competition, Super Rugby clubs would potentially have to start their season by late January, dealing with heat and humidity in Australia and Fiji, while also competing with the Australian Open tennis and cricket season. The other options available would be replacing the Super Rugby finals series every four years, or shortening the regular season by three rounds to accommodate finals in 2028.
