Latest news with #PuskasAward
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Matheus Cunha called up for Brazil, ex-teammate praises him 🎥
Manchester seems to be the next destination in the career of striker Matheus Cunha, with several journalists confirming that United will sign him from Wolverhampton. But an important part of the journey to Old Trafford, including appearances for the Brazilian National Team, took place in the city of Leipzig, where the striker played for about a year and a half. Advertisement Wearing the German club's shirt, Cunha scored a stunning goal that was nominated for the Puskas Award in 2019 (watch below) and left fond memories among his teammates. "Great things are coming for him," said goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi of RB Leipzig in an interview with OneFootball during the team's visit to São Paulo for a friendly against Santos. One of these big moments could, who knows, be with the Brazil shirt, since the 26-year-old striker was included in Carlo Ancelotti's first call-up list as coach of the national team. Check out below how Gulacsi describes Matheus Cunha on and off the field: Advertisement This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here. 📸 ROBERT MICHAEL
Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Mehdi Taremi: From Iranian military to Champions League final with Inter
For one tiny fragment of time, the possibility of doing something extraordinary appears. How many opportunities do you get, in your entire career, to execute something indelible, to make the world stop and gasp? As Nanu's high, outswinging cross comes over from the right, Mehdi Taremi weighs the angles, the timing, the obstacles in front of him, and chooses to go for it. Then he launches himself into an act which is equal parts biomechanical genius and blind faith. His incredible overhead kick against the eventual champions Chelsea in the 2021 quarter-final remains the last Champions League goal to finish in the Puskas Award top three. Arguably, no one has since scored a better goal at a higher level of football. But what strikes you most, watching the video back, is the dissonance of the reaction. There is no explosion of incredulous joy. The stands are empty. No one is going out of their mind with the sheer 'Ohmygoddidyoujustseethat' of it. Taremi doesn't allow himself so much as a fist pump or a high five; he simply jogs backwards towards his own half with no expression on his face besides a faint grimace of exhaustion. There is a certain humility here: the humility of the unobserved. Most of the 40-odd footballers whose journeys will converge in the 2025 Champions League final have scarcely known life without eyes on them. Achraf Hakimi was scouted by Real Madrid when he was eight. Gianluigi Donnarumma and Warren Zaïre-Emery have been spoken of as generational prospects since they were 15 years old. Yann Bisseck made his Bundesliga debut before his 17th birthday. That it takes belief to reach the highest level of the sport has always been true. But in this age, it is also almost impossible to reach the top without gathering a retinue of believers — the social-media hype-men, the friendly journalists, the agents, the coaches, the scouts, going back to that first moment of discovery. What happens, though, if no one sees you? What if you're from one of the few places on earth the watchers don't go? Taremi was born in Bushehr, a port city on the Persian Gulf coast of Iran. He learnt to play football there on a bare, dusty pitch with a gnarled old juniper tree growing in the middle. The tree was protected and could not be cut down, Taremi told the Iranian football journalist Adel Ferdosipour in an interview three years ago, as they visited his home town, so he learnt to dribble round it, to play wall-passes with it, to find the beauty in the obstacle. Who was the first person who told you you were a talented footballer, Ferdosipour asks him? Taremi purses his lips, ums and ahs, thinks for a bit. 'I found it out myself,' he says. You might have noticed Taremi, wearing the No99 shirt, in the epic semi-final second leg against Barcelona, for his bustling hold-up play after he came on as a substitute. He supplied the assist for Davide Frattesi's winning goal. At the end, as the Barcelona players splintered into postures of individual desolation and the Inter players ran into each other's arms and the cameras followed their exuberant celebrations, quietly, in a corner of the pitch that no one was looking at, Taremi went over to Raphinha, lying face-down in the turf, peeled him up off the floor and gave him a consoling tap on the shoulder. In truth, Taremi hasn't had a great season. In 43 appearances, he's only managed three goals. He has no chance of dislodging Marcus Thuram and Lautaro Martínez from Simone Inzaghi's starting XI, and he's not likely to play a significant role in Munich. He might not even get on the field. So why write about him? Because sometimes the unlikeliness is the whole point. Because sometimes the glory is in the journey. His mother told him that his dream wouldn't lead him anywhere, that he was 'chasing after the wind'. When she left him in the care of his aunt one day, Mehdi's football was placed on a shelf too high for him to reach. He still has the scar on the back of his head from when he climbed to try to reach it, and fell to the floor. His father, who had been a footballer himself, was more encouraging, and when he was 18, Taremi joined his hometown club. Still, at an age when Martínez and Nicolò Barella and Alessandro Bastoni had already made their international debuts, Taremi was serving out his military conscription in a garrison. Eventually, he joined Persepolis, one of Iran's biggest clubs, where he found someone who believed in him: their manager, Ali Daei, the former Iran striker, once the all-time top scorer in men's international football. In his first three seasons, Taremi scored 50 goals. But he knew that in order to reach the top of the sport, he needed to leave his homeland. A move was arranged to the Turkish club Caykur Rizespor, but at the last minute Taremi, along with his team-mate Ramin Rezaeian, decided it just didn't feel right, and backed out of the transfer. For reneging on the agreement, Fifa banned the two players for four months each. In the interview with Ferdosipour for his Football360 channel, Taremi recalled that he and Rezaeian cried in each other's arms when the news came through. After one more season at Persepolis, he ended up at Al-Gharafa in the Qatari league. By now he was established in the national team, and it was this that would give him his big opportunity. The Iran manager was the Portuguese coach, Carlos Queiroz, who recommended him to Carlos Carvalhal, then the manager of Rio Ave, a small club in the Primeira Liga. It's important not to overlook this: though his story is in some ways a fairytale, Taremi had to work his connections to get himself noticed. Taking a leap of faith — and an enormous pay cut from his Qatari salary — he moved to Portugal. One 20-goal season at Rio Ave was enough to persuade Porto to sign him. He was 28 when he played in the Champions League for the first time, against Manchester City in 2020. When he moved to Inter, after four stellar seasons at Porto, last summer, he sounded like a man who had come to the end of a long odyssey. 'This is the happiest moment of my life,' he told the club website. 'It has been a very beautiful journey for me.' Little did he know that there was a Champions League final in his future. But that's the thing about Taremi's journey: the next link in the chain was never clear. He didn't plot his move to Rio Ave with Porto in his sights, and he couldn't count on interest from Serie A when he moved to Porto. He just flung himself at each opportunity, living entirely in that moment and trusting that his talent would find its own path. And now he has reached the biggest game in football. Elite club football can sometimes seem like a hermetically sealed world of privilege, where the participants are identified from a young age and groomed for greatness in academies. But it matters that you can still get from as far outside that world as you can imagine to the pinnacle of the sport. And even if Taremi doesn't play, his presence, his having got there, still feels like a kind of triumph. Champions League final
RTÉ News
07-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Rachel Graham: Louise Quinn and Niamh Fahey generation should be celebrated
Back in 2006, the Republic of Ireland women's under-19s players and coaching staff all sat down to have their headshots taken by the Inpho photo agency. Nearly 20 years on and if you look through the players in that squad, household names abound. That particular team contained future Girls in Green centurions Louise Quinn, Diane Caldwell and Áine O'Gorman, while Puskas Award nominee and 58-time Ireland cap Stephanie Zambra was another key player in the frame. Quinn called time on her playing career last week as did her long-time defensive colleague, Liverpool captain Niamh Fahey, and the duo stepping away from the scene has fuelled a sense of an era ending in Irish soccer, especially given that O'Gorman and Caldwell have already retired from international duty, Zambra is now coaching at Shamrock Rovers and Julie-Ann Russell has also stepped away from the game. Shelbourne midfielder Rachel Graham, who was part of the aforementioned Under-19s crop in the mid-2000s and went on to represent her country at senior level between 2013 and 2017, told this week's RTÉ Soccer Podcast that it was important for her former team-mates to receive due recognition for what they have done for the country over a long span of time. "These players deserve a lot of recognition for what they've done, they should be celebrated," said the 35-year-old, who helped Shels to a 3-1 win win at Treaty United in Saturday's round of SSE Airtricity Women's Premier Division action. Listen to the RTÉ Soccer podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. "They've had great careers, done great performances for Ireland, been so consistent for Ireland. "It's sad to see them go but I do think it's the right time. I just hope that they're really remembered and if they can keep them in the game, brilliant, but if not, celebrate everything that they've done and they've left the jerseys definitely in better places for the ones coming through." Reflecting back almost two decades, Graham offered an insight into the career-long commitment levels that Quinn showed in a timeframe which also saw the Wicklow-born defender establish herself at Arsenal in between spells abroad in Sweden and Italy. "I used to remember, once or twice in camp, we'd go to the pictures in the evening and we'd obviously all have popcorn and pick 'n' mix and Louise is there with her yoghurt and her fruit and her nuts," Graham recalled. "That's the side of something that people don't see. It's all these little decisions that you have to make throughout the day to make yourself the best you can be and that's what she had to do. "She couldn't cut corners, she was someone that every decision she had to make throughout the day was the right one she had to make. "So to do as well as she did, it's a real credit to her because it's something that she had to work really hard for and she made a nice comment in her retirement statement that one of the reasons she played football was to play for Ireland and you could see that in her performances that she had for Ireland. "It was body on the line or it was head on the line and whatever you needed from Louise, she'd be more than willing to do."
TimesLIVE
21-04-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Stellenbosch can beat Simba in Durban, says Barker
Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker is far from discouraged by Sunday's 1-0 Caf Confederation Cup semifinal first leg defeat to Simba, asserting they can overturn the deficit in the second leg as the Tanzanian are 'beatable'. Jean Ahoua scored the only goal in stoppage time in the first half at Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar City to give Simba an advantage ahead of the second leg at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Sunday (3pm). It is a slender advantage, though. One Barker — who has schemed a run to the semifinals in the ambitious Cape club's first foray into continental football, including a major 1-0 aggregate upset of Zamalek, beating them by that scoreline in Cairo — believes is surmountable. Despite losing to Simba in the semi-final 1st leg, Stellenbosch FC coach Steve Barker says The Reds are beatable! #SABCSportFootball #TotalEnergiesCAFCC — SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) April 20, 2025 'We were the stronger team,' Barker said. 'Obviously we were trying to get an away goal. [But] I am very confident that when we are home, we will overcome this deficit and we will be in the final. 'There's no surety we will get to the final but based on what I've seen, Simba are beatable.' In the home leg, Stellies will also hope to have No 1 goalkeeper Sage Stephens, fit after he missed the first leg because he failed a late fitness test. Stephens' absence saw second-choice, Oscarine Masuluke, get a rare start, and the 2017 Puskas Award nominee made a few great saves in Zanzibar. Masuluke, though, also allowed Ahoua's low, skidding free kick, which eluded a host of Stellies and Simba players in the box, in under his arm. Simba coach Fadlu Davids says their performance was not good enough against Stellenbosch FC despite their 1⃣➖0⃣ victory in Zanzibar! #SABCSportFootball #TotalEnergiesCAFCC — SABC Sport (@SABC_Sport) April 20, 2025 The semifinals first leg could not take place at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, Simba's home-ground fortress, as the Dar es Salaam venue was under maintenance. Zanzibar City is on the island of Zanzibar, an 80km ferry ride from Dar. The second leg is being staged at Moses Mabhida Stadium because Cape Town Stadium is hosting a United Rugby Championship game between the Stormers and Italian side Benetton on Saturday. Morocco's RS Berkane look certainties for another Confed Cup final appearance after thrashing CS Constantine of Algeria 4-0 in their semifinal first leg on Sunday. Berkane, who won a first Moroccan championship last month, have reached four Confed finals in the past six years, winning twice.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pintsman Pereira, Pusk-ass Award, Amad, and watch the football!
The best football posts on social media from the past week. Sky Sports paid tribute to one of the all-time great British comedy skits. Watch the football! It's gonna move! 😲🫵 A blockbuster weekend of football across the EFL this Easter on Sky Sports – and it starts now as Derby take on Luton! 🍿📺 — Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) April 18, 2025 David Mitchell himself couldn't help but applaud. I'm genuinely delighted to see this: — David Mitchell (@RealDMitchell) April 20, 2025 Wolves boss Vitor Pereira showed he was a man of his word when he said 'first the points, then the pints!' No coincidence that Wolves have hired a certified PINTSMAN and they're now winning every week. Yet another blow to Pep Wokeiola's plan to destroy British football. Don't need 'tactics' or 'high press' when you've got immaculate vibes… — Tom (@WiggumCharm) April 13, 2025 Pintsman Pereira is hereby crowned an honorary Barclaysman. The Don has arrived #pubwatch #vitorwatch wolf — Brett 🐺 (@13R377_K) April 13, 2025 And he's a true gentleman, too. A very special guest at Molineux 💛 Vitor meets 100 year-old Sydney Ball ahead of kick off on Sunday. — Wolves (@Wolves) April 15, 2025 There are no words that do justice to the chaotic nature of Manchester United's comeback against Lyon in the Europa League. This does a decent job of it, though: — Julian Moheim (@Mohreer) April 17, 2025 Read – Amad Diallo is a real throwback to the days before professional footballers had social media managers. UNITER WILL NEVER DIED, congrat manu for your're shit goal , fuck Garna for that miss , you gaves us pain heart 😭😭 — Amad (@Amaddiallo_19) April 17, 2025 If Stoke City defender Ben Wilmot doesn't win the Puskas Award for this goal, then what is even the point of football anymore. Pusk-ass award 2025 🏆 🤝 @sussexstokie — Stoke City FC (@stokecity) April 19, 2025 For real, though, this might be a real contender. The Winner ‼️ Jahdahn 🚀🚀🚀 IT'S WHAT WE DO 🖤🤍 — CFA Sunday (@CFASUNDAY) April 14, 2025 Hugo Ekitike – Coming back to the subject of posteriors… Photo of the season? — Baker343 (@BakerFPL343) April 19, 2025 Crystal Palace cannot escape the midtable vortex no matter what. The crystal palace cycle#bhafc #cpfc — HurzelersHat🧢 (@HurzelersHat) April 18, 2025 For all of the goals and accolades, people only think of one thing when it comes to Thierry Henry. Terry Crews and Thierry Henry – what a duo 😅😏 — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 14, 2025 Game's gone. 'Hang on mate, do you mind just waiting there whilst I get my phone out to record myself shouting at you?' — GM (@Element_M1ller) April 13, 2025 I owe the Sky Sports F1 admin an apology. I wasn't really familiar with your game. I can't believe @SkySportsF1 posted this on Steven Gerrard at the Bahrain GP 😂😂 — Anything Liverpool (@AnythingLFC_) April 13, 2025 Read – Everywhere I look, all I see are pens. me in the stationary shop — dom (@DomKnight__) April 16, 2025 Luka Modric 🦢 @lukamodric10 is a Jack! Welcome to the newest member of our ownership group. Full story 👉 — Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) April 14, 2025 The Journemouths, coming to a store near you. not the bournemouth jeans — joe 🧬 (@joegodwin_) April 19, 2025 Barcelona and Inter Milan are meeting in a Champions League semi-final, you say? That Mou Inter masterclass is like the Sun Tzu Art of War of defensive tactics. 1 shot, 0 shots on target, 14% possession, still studied in Kabul, Afganistan to this day — Martin VII (@Nedao454) April 17, 2025 Read – Meanwhile, the much anticipated Real Madrid comeback never arrived against Arsenal. Maybe the real remontada was the friends we made along the way — Jules Winnfield, PhD. (@MLGY23) April 16, 2025 Read – Memphis Depay is creating pure cinema in Brazil. Memphis Depay! 💪🏾💜 — NoteS. (@NoteSphere) April 17, 2025 Vintage Andy Townsend. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Adam Hurrey (@adamhurrey) Read – See Also – | | | |
