Latest news with #Mustaki
RTÉ News
09-07-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Transfers: Chloe Mustaki leaves Robins, Everton sign France U21 striker Thierno Barry
Republic of Ireland full-back Chloe Mustaki is a free agent after leaving Bristol City following three seasons at the club. Mustaki signed her first professional contract with the Robins in 2022, playing her part in their 2022/23 Championship-winning campaign. She suffered a hip injury in March 2024 that ended her season prematurely, with Bristol City suffering relegation from the Women's Super League. However Mustaki returned to action last season, and impressed in Ireland's two recent friendlies against the USA in Denver and Cincinnati. "I'd like to thank everyone at the club for making these past three years so memorable, both on and off the pitch," said Mustaki. "From signing my first professional contract to winning the Championship and experiencing WSL football, I've grown massively as a person and a player. I want to also thank the fans for their unwavering support. "My journey at Bristol City wouldn't have been the same without every single one of you." In the men's game, Everton have announced the signing of Thierno Barry on a four-year deal. The 22-year-old striker arrives on Merseyside for a fee in the region of £27m. Barry scored 11 goals in 35 La Liga appearances last season to help Villarreal finish fifth, securing their place in next season's Champions League. He began his youth career in France with Toulon and made his first-team breakthrough at Belgian club Beveren. The striker joined Swiss side Basel in 2023, scoring 10 goals in 36 appearances, before switching to Villarreal in the summer of 2024. The France Under-21 international was recently involved in this summer's European Championships, helping his side reach the semi-finals. Barry becomes Everton's second signing of the summer after Charly Alcaraz signed a permanent deal with the club. Belgian winger Chemsdine Talbi has become Sunderland's fourth summer signing, joining the Premier League side from Club Brugge. The 20-year-old has signed a five-year contract after the clubs agreed a fee understood to be in the region of £19.5m. Talbi arrived on Wearside on Tuesday and has completed a medical to join fellow new additions Enzo Le Fee, Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki as Regis Le Bris prepares for life back in the top flight.
Irish Daily Mirror
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ireland suffer second four-goal defeat to USA in stifling Cincinnati heat
A second comprehensive beating in three days and plenty to stew over ahead of the Nations League play-off. Belgium, October's opponents in the battle for top-tier football in next year's World Cup qualifiers, won't pack the same punch as the USA, long-term occupants of the number one spot in FIFA's world rankings. But they are still five places above 25th-ranked Ireland and they picked up wins against England and Portugal in their recent Nations League campaign. And they won't be intimidated by an Irish side that barely made it out of their half on Sunday in Cincinnati, against a rampant US outfit. Carla Ward will struggle to pick too many positives out of this experience, other than the fact that wave after wave of American attack didn't lead to a more humbling defeat. Fresh from the 4-0 reversal in Colorado, Ward made four changes to her starting-11, with Tyler Toland, Marissa Sheva, Saoirse Noonan and Abbie Larkin coming into the side. However, the same goalkeeper and defenders that started the first game quickly found themselves under siege once again. The hosts targeted the left side of the Irish defence and Chloe Mustaki struggled to deal with the pace and movement of Emma Hayes' world-class stars. It wasn't just Mustaki who struggled. Even after half-time, when she was replaced by Megan Connolly, the majority of US attacks came down that flank. Played in an intense 31-degree heat in front of just over 24,000 fans, not even a water break midway through each half could halt the USA's forward momentum. Having opened the scoring in the 18th minute in Colorado, they were off the mark even earlier on Sunday. It took Lynn Biyendolo just 11 minutes to score her 25th senior international goal. Emma Seers found herself in plenty of space down the right and she made no mistake in picking out the run of Biyendolo. The finish was clinical; a smooth side-footed volley from eight yards high into the left-hand corner of Courtney Brosnan's net. With the hosts camped inside Irish territory, the attacks continued at a frightening pace, with goalscorer Biyendolo coming close to connecting with a free-kick in the 16th minute. Another attack down the Irish left saw Biyendolo's effort blocked by Jessie Stapleton, but only into the path of Croix Bethune, whose first-time effort curled just wide of the upright. There was little the Irish defence could do to contain Biyendolo and she had the ball in the net again on 24 minutes, but the whistle had already gone for a foul on Stapleton in the build-up. Moments later Kyra Carusa was back helping out her defence with an important block to deny Bethune, while Mustaki then put her body between a Bethune shot and the goal. When Yazmeen Ryan was teed by by another Seers cross from the left, nine minutes before half-time, the chance was identical to the opener, but the finish was not, as the ball sailed high and wide of the target. A second goal seemed inevitable and it came in the 42nd minute, much to the dismay of Brosnan, who had just pulled off a fine save to deny Seers. However, as the ball broke loose in the Irish penalty area, Izzy Rodriguez reacted quickest to smash the ball into the unguarded net. Once again, it was all too easy for the US as Bethune and Olivia Moultrie managed to work the ball into Seers deep inside the box. Half-time came and went, with Ward making three changes, but with little effect on the direction of traffic. Biyendolo came close twice in the minutes after the break, first with a volley that she couldn't steer on target and then with a ghosting run and angled drive that was beaten away by Brosnan. Moultrie latched onto a loose pass inside by Caitlin Hayes and shot narrowly wide from 18 yards, with Ryan screaming for the ball inside her. The third goal came in the 66th minute when the outstanding Seers kept the ball in place on the right end-line, laid it back to Moultrie and her low cross was swept home by Yazmeen Ryan. With four minutes to go, the US made it a pair of 4-0 wins when substitute Alyssa Thompson raced between Stapleton and Hayes to finish past Brosnan. USA: Mandy McGlynn; Emily Sams, Jordyn Bugg, Tara McKeown, Izzy Rodriguez; Sam Meza (Rose Lavelle 87), Olivia Moultrie (Catherine Hutton 80); Emma Sears, Croix Bethune (Allyson Sentnor 63), Yazmeen Ryan (Alyssa Thompson 80); Lynn Biyendolo (Sam Coffey 63). Ireland: Courtney Brosnan; Jessie Stapleton, Anna Patten (Ruesha Littlejohn 73), Caitlin Hayes, Chloe Mustaki (Megan Connolly 46); Tyler Toland (Izzy Atkinson 84), Marissa Sheva; Emily Murphy (Hayley Nolan 46), Kyra Carusa, Abbie Larkin (Lucy Quinn 46); Saoirse Noonan (Amber Barrett 58).
RTÉ News
27-06-2025
- Climate
- RTÉ News
'I didn't know whether I'd get back playing football' - Chloe Mustaki grateful for first Ireland start in three years
Republic of Ireland international Chloe Mustaki admitted that there was a time when she did not know whether she would be back playing football, let alone representing her country again, after featuring in the first of this week's two friendly games against the USA. The Girls in Green lost 4-0 to the world number one side in Denver, Colorado in the early hours of Friday morning Irish time. But beyond the result, it was a significant night for Mustaki as the 29-year-old bridged a three-year gap since her last start which had come all the way back in April 2022. After the match, when asked by RTÉ soccer correspondent Tony O'Donoghue if she had believed that she would ever start in the green jersey again, Mustaki said: "Honestly, not really. About 15 months ago, I didn't know whether I'd get back playing football. "So it's been a big year for me personally to be honest. I have a lot of people to thank as well. But I'm just really, really grateful and hopefully there will be more to come." Mustaki, who overcame cancer earlier in her career, suffered a hip injury last year that kept her out for a number of months. Starting at left back in the absence of the rested captain Katie McCabe, Mustaki played almost the entire match before being subbed off for Izzy Atkinson in stoppage time. "First start in three years or just over three years, and first game in eight weeks so a pretty big shock to the system to be honest," said the Bristol City player. "But a great opportunity for us to learn. These are the best in the world and you can see that. Obviously (the USA) are mid-season, so they're fit, they're sharp, they're ready to go. "We've learned so much tonight and hopefully we'll learn more on Sunday as well." The game was staged at high altitude which, along with the 30 degree Celsius temperature, added to the challenge for Carla Ward's team. "It was pretty tough conditions especially in the first half but I thought we adapted pretty well," she said. "Obviously, we've been here for the guts of a week so we've been training, trying to get used to it but you can't really prepare for those conditions, so all you can do is be your best, communicate, stay tight as a unit and we did our best tonight and hopefully we can improve for Sunday as well." Ireland will have to absorb the lessons quickly with the second friendly against the USWNT to come on Sunday evening in Cincinatti, Ohio and goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan, who wore the captain's armband for the first time on her 50th Girls in Green cap, had mixed emotions given the result. "Obviously, not the result I or the team wanted so that's frustrating. But a really proud moment for myself to get my 50th cap and to lead the team out, it's a huge honour, so I'm very proud," said the New Jersey-born shot-stopper. "We knew what the game was going to be. Best team in the world, you're going to be under the cosh sometimes so I tried to step up, wish I could have saved a few more. "But it was a good effort, defensively at times from us. We switched off at times which is frustrating and disappointing for our standards and what we want but obviously we're learning from it and move onto the next one." The Everton player added: "They're the best team in the world for a reason so we know the quality that they possess but I think we know the quality we have too and we showed that at moments tonight but maybe not enough, so we have to show them respect but we also need to do what we know we're capable of on the ball and defensively as well." Caitlin Hayes also started and having had a bit-part role earlier in Ward's tenure, she relished greater involvement. "Of course, it's just good to play football. I've obviously not played that much since my move to Brighton and obviously back in international," said the Brighton & Hove Albion defender. "But I'm just grateful to play football, grateful to have an opportunity and long may it continue, fingers crossed." On the task awaiting the Irish on Sunday in Ohio after the defeat in Colorado, Hayes added: "We know we can be better. We know we can turn up and get rid of those little mistakes and hopefully we can do better with the 4-0 and take our chances maybe a little bit better. But we're a team that's ready to go, we'll work on our chances and we'll hopefully take our opportunities in the next game."
