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Daily Record
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Record
Rangers transfer guru in a blind panic over next Celtic signing as Hotline warned a superstar is on his way
Graeme Young answers your calls as the latest move from the champions is causing alarm across the Clyde. You only know if you've made a right call over a signing until they don their new club's colours and strut their stuff on the pitch. But if Celtic were looking for reassurances over a long-term target then it came in the form of a Rangers fanatic on the other side of the pond who obsesses over transfer and has more tips than a horse racing expert on the week of Cheltenham. And this familiar Stateside voice returned to the phone-in where big opinions are welcomed. He previously pleaded with Rangers to make high-rising Wilfried Nancy their new boss but he returns with bad news for his pals in Light Blue. Tom Starr, Cleveland, Ohio, said: "I spend my time glued to watching players I think would be good fits for my Rangers and Michel Ange-Balikwisha came on my radar when Celtic were linked in the last two windows. I made a series of notes on him and the name I kept scribbling down was Scott Sinclair. "Annoyingly this looks like another sharp bit of business by them and it's causing me double the worry because this guy will be cutting in and Kieran Tierney will be bombing past Tav. Rangers need some proper signings and quick. I have a list if Kevin Thelwell would like a peek." Stephen Mulheron, Dumbarton, is desperate for a deal to be struck. He said: "I don't understand why Celtic are still haggling over a fee for Michel Ange Balkwisha after spending serious money on Idah and Engels last season. Why are we holding back this season? "A game changer is needed up front to progress in Europe Balkwisha ticks all the boxes and I'll be hugely disappointed if Celtic don't get this deal over the line." And Celtic's transfer business even had another Rangers fan wondering if those who follow the Premiership champions will ever be happy? Kenny Cosh, Old Kilpatrick, said: "Celtic fans moan when they spend big and complain when they find bargains, they slag Rangers when they look in England for bargains and hit out when we try something different. There is no pleasing a fanbase who claim they aren't bored of winning. Something is making them grumpy but only 10 months until the biggest street party in history when Russell leads the biggest team in Scotland back to their rightful summit. Regulars are sick and tired of the snash being directed the way of Celtic from a team he reckons have little to shout about. Robert McEwan, Mount Vernon, said: "How bad it must be for Hotline callers of a light blue persuasion? All they go on about is Celtic's record in Europe, their team held the record for worst team in Europe. And are miles behind there biggest rivals." Peter Lyons, Blantyre, added: "Just to remind Mr Flett and Gowers that their club are MINNOWS in Europe as they continually play in the second division of Europe. Can I remind him how his team played in the big bhoys league?. Yup, worst team ever in the Champions League." Sean McGarvey said: "Are Rangers blowhards like Allan Flett and Donald Dundas aware of the analogy of crabs in a bucket? The two of them couldn't spell Champions League yet try to lump the world's most successful club, their country's champions into the same boat as them. "Crabs in a bucket try to drag the successful crab that's escaped down to the rest of the crabs level. Ring any bells?" Hearts are the shortest price they've been in years to win the title at 16/1 and belief is palpable down Gorgie Way that something special is brewing. Ellis Wilson, Morningside, said: "I genuinely think we are going to split the gruesome twosome from Glasgow this season. Claudio Braga is a proper talent and you can tell Derek McInnes is itching to prove everyone wrong. I think we'll start fast and if Tony Bloom can conjure up some more transfer magic in January then I see no reason why the Jambos won't be in the mix until the very end."
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Columbus Crew outlast Philadelphia Union following halftime weather delay: Takeaways
The matchup between the Crew and the Philadelphia Union was ugly and physical, with the Crew barely walking away with a victory. The Crew (10-3-7) took down MLS' top team 1-0 at Field on June 29. The victory included a nearly hour-long weather delay and 17 fouls from Philadelphia. Advertisement "I did not like the game – simple as that," Crew coach Wilfried Nancy said. "It's not easy to play against this team. They don't quit, they run and they fight. We did well on that. After that, with the ball, we struggled to connect." Crew replay: Columbus Crew defeat first-place Philadelphia Union following rain delay The Union (12-4-4) set the tone of the game in the first minute when defender Alejandro Bedoya was charged with the first of their six yellow cards for a foul against midfielder Lassi Lappalainen. With Philadelphia putting its focus on fighting for every possible loose ball or forcing Crew turnovers, neither team had many scoring opportunities. Advertisement Just seven shots were taken between the two teams in the first half, with the final shot from Crew midfielder Mo Farsi during stoppage time being the lone goal of the game. Crew forward Diego Rossi fights for the ball on June 29. The Union were even more aggressive in the second half, creating five shots compared to the Crew's three. "Second half, I think just the pressure that we knew was coming affected the way that we received balls," Crew goalkeeper Evan Bush said. "We played a little bit too quick at certain times, and things that we typically do really well I think they took out of our game." A shot from Bedoya in the 67th minute was inches away from putting Philadelphia on the board, as the ball rolled along the Crew's goal line, but never crossed over. Advertisement Philadelphia's failure to capitalize on any scoring opportunity led to the Crew recording their first clean sheet since a scoreless draw against New York City FC on March 22. BLACK & GOLD: Sign up for our weekly Columbus Crew newsletter Columbus Crew, Philadelphia Union lean into physicality throughout matchup The Crew expected physicality from start to finish. "They run down everything. Everything's a battle," Crew defender Sean Zawadzki said. "They're going to be in every tackle, they're going to continue to fight through everything. So, it's if you're timid in it it's going to result in them winning (each battle), and that's what we wanted to limit. And I think they had their moments of that, but I think at the end of the day we fought." Philadelphia midfielder Cavan Sullivan (6) fights for the ball with Crew midfielder Sean Zawadzki on June 29. During the 2-2 draw at Philadelphia in May, the Crew were fouled 13 time compared to the 10 they were charged with. While the Crew were fouled four more times in this meeting, they committed six more fouls as well. Advertisement Mo Farsi's goal highlighted passing ability from Lassi Lappalainen The loan goal of the game, which also marked Farsi's first goal of the regular season, started with a cross from Lappalainen on the left side of the field. Lappalainen found Farsi making a run inside the Union's box, and after Farsi received the ball he took one touch to send his shot past goalkeeper Andre Blake. "We knew that we could have this kind of situation," Nancy said. "It was a really, really good goal. We tried to play a bit with the opposition, recognize the opening and good timing between the ball carrier (Lappalainen) and the guy getting the ball (Farsi)." Advertisement Since Lappalainen made his first start with the Crew in the 2-1 Vancouver Whitecaps victory on June 14, the 26-year-old has assisted on two of Columbus' six goal in the past three games. Columbus Crew's momentum hurt vs. Philadelphia Union following weather delay With Farsi's goal coming in the second minute of first-half stoppage time, the momentum was high for the Crew going into halftime, until the game was hit with a weather delay. Halftime lasted more than an hour rather than the standard 15 minutes due to lightning strikes in the area, and by the time play resumed Columbus' mentality was impacted. Advertisement "It's very hard to come back from a weather delay to be honest," Farsi said. "You get cold, you know. So, it was hard to come back, but at least we were good defensively. We didn't concede any goals so, proud of the guys." The Crew are riding a three-game winning streak going into a matchup at Seattle at 5 p.m. July 6. bmackay@ @brimackay15 Get more Columbus Crew content by listening to our podcast This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew defeat MLS top team Philadelphia Union: Takeaways
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Columbus Crew overcome 2-goal deficit, defeat FC Cincinnati in Hell is Real: Takeaways
CINCINNATI - When the Crew went down 2-0 in the first five minutes of their Hell is Real matchup against FC Cincinnati, coach Wilfried Nancy was confident the game was far from being a lost cause. "I want to stay humble, but I knew that we were still in the game if we scored," Nancy said. "I felt it in the middle of the first half, and again in the locker room in the way we were calm, composed and tried to be precise and concise. They did the job because they play for their teammates." Advertisement Scoring four unanswered goals, the Crew defeated Cincinnati 4-2 at TQL Stadium on July 12. It took until the 42-minute mark for the Crew to find their way onto the scoresheet with a goal from forward Diego Rossi, his team-leading 11th of the regular season. Replay: Columbus Crew defeat FC Cincinnati on the road in Hell is Real rivalry match Midfielder Max Arfsten, in his first game back with Columbus since his stint with the United States men's national team, fully swung the momentum in the Crew's favor by evening the score three minutes into first-half stoppage time. The Crew came out of halftime eager to find the tie-breaking goal, which showed in the shot forward Ibrahim Aliyu took from a few feet outside Cincinnati's box. Jul 12, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Columbus Crew forward Diego Rossi (10) celebrates after the victory over FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images Inside the box, Cincinnati defender Miles Robinson attempted to clear Aliyu's shot out of play, but instead kicked the ball past goalkeeper Roman Celentano for an own goal. Advertisement "This is so difficult to cross like this between the goalkeeper and the defender when he's running back towards his goal," Nancy said. "Well done by Ibra (Aliyu), this is good for him because he didn't start well the game, but he was able to come back." Columbus landed a final blow in the third minute of second-half stoppage time with midfielder Taha Habroune scoring his first-career MLS goal. The victory was the Crew's first over Cincinnati since the 2023 MLS Cup Eastern Conference final. It also marked the third time in their last five games that they have defeated the team at the top of the MLS standings. "This one was difficult because we went 2-0 down in five minutes," Arfsten said. "Obviously, nobody plans for that or wants that. But once again, like I've said it all year, I feel like this is the resilience this group has. ... I think it's a testament to this group and all the guys on our team and how we're able to bounce back. So, I'm proud of our guys, and there's obviously things to learn from." Advertisement What went wrong for Columbus Crew in opening 5 minutes vs FC Cincinnati Nancy looked away from the game for two seconds to grab his water bottle. When his eyes went back to the field, he saw the consequence of what he referred to as the Crew's "horrendous" kickoff execution. "We gave up possession on the right side," Arfsten said. "And then, they did well to kind of just counter and cut back. And the guy was free and made a good finish." Jul 12, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Fans celebrate after FC Cincinnati midfielder Evander (10) scores a goal against the Columbus Crew in the first half at TQL Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images Midfielder Pavel Bucha was credited with the goal, scoring off a cross pass from defender Lukas Engel. Cincinnati remained aggressive on the Crew's side of the field following Bucha's goal, displaying no hesitation in the attack. When Robinson took a shot that deflected off Crew defender Yevhen Cheberko, midfielder Evander Da Silva Ferreira capitalized with a long shot for Cincinnati's second goal. Advertisement "Evander with the volley was outstanding," Nancy said. "We know that he's able to do that. (Cincinnati) had everything in five minutes. ... It was not a good start, I cannot explain." Columbus-native Taha Habroune records first goal vs inner-state rival By the time Habroune entered the game in the 78th minute, the Crew had already secured a 3-2 advantage, and the 19-year-old knew his job was to do anything necessary to keep Columbus in front. Jul 12, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; FC Cincinnati defender Alvas Powell (2) dribbles against Columbus Crew midfielder Taha Habroune (16) in the second half at TQL Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images A prime opportunity came when Habroune beat several Cincinnati players to a loose ball. He then outran Celentano and sent his shot into the bottom-left corner of the net. Advertisement "It couldn't have been a better first goal," Habroune said. "Growing up in Columbus, I always went to the games, and I know how big the rivalry is. So, it means a lot to me to seal the game for us." The Crew go back on the road to face Nashville SC on July 17 at 7:30 p.m. bmackay@ @brimackay15 Get more Columbus Crew content by listening to our podcast This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew comeback, defeat Cincinnati in Hell is Real: Takeaways
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Stefan Frei Injury Update- First Words Revealed After Horrible Head Crash
Stefan Frei Injury Update- First Words Revealed After Horrible Head Crash originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Seattle Sounders fans were distraught after their home MLS game against the Columbus Crew, as goalkeeper Stefan Frei suffered a head and neck injury. Advertisement The worrying scenes led to the end of the game as the head coaches for both teams told the referee to end the game. The referee was set to continue the game, but Seattle Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer wanted the game to end after the injury. Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy agreed to end the game, and the referee blew the final whistle. An ambulance eventually drove onto the field to help Stefan Frei off the field, and he was alert when being transferred into the ambulance. Schmetzer spoke after the game and mentioned that Frei was feeling better. The Swiss keeper and the captain of the Seattle Sounders has finally given his first message to the worried fans after the injury he suffered. All signs suggest that he is fine and is expected to return soon. Advertisement Stefan Frei's message to the fans Stefan Frei sent a message to the fans and the people who wrote kind words on his social media pages. The goalkeeper thanked the medical staff who helped him recover quickly. Stefan Frei: "Still trying to figure out what happened at the end of the game, but I'm incredibly grateful to all the staff that looked after me and happy to be back home resting now. What resonates is all the messages, calls, and love I've received from so many of you. Thank you — truly.... It means more than I can put into words. I feel the support, and I'm thankful for every single one of you." Reports surrounding the Seattle Sounders suggest that Frei is already home recovering from the injury after spending time at the hospital. Seattle Sounders will inform of the extent of the injury the captain suffered. Schmetzer thanks Wilfried Nancy After the game, Schmetzer thanked Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy for agreeing to end the game for the safety of Stefan Frei. Schmetzer held back tears as he thanked the French coach, as the gesture was appreciated greatly. Advertisement The game was tied 1-1 at the moment of the injury and was minutes away from finishing. Brian Schmetzer: "I appreciate what he (Nancy) did, because the ref wasn't going to stop the game. And everybody knew the game should have been stopped. So good on him (Nancy), so thank you, Wilfred." Seattle Sounders' next MLS game is against Sporting KC in Kansas City. The Sounders have four MLS games after last night and one Leagues Cup game at the end of the month against Mexican side Cruz Azul. Related: Devastating Jamal Musiala Injury Left Everyone Teary-Eyed: What Happened To Bayern Munich Star? This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Swiss MLS goalie Frei resting at home after on-field collision
Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei said he was home and resting after being kneed in the head in the final moments of an MLS home draw against Columbus (JUAN MABROMATA) Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei was resting at home on Monday after suffering a head injury in a stoppage-time collision Sunday in a 1-1 MLS draw with Columbus. The 39-year-old Swiss collided with Crew midfielder Amar Sejdic in the final seconds and went down after being struck in the head by the attacker's knee, prompting medical personnel to race onto the field. Advertisement Frei was went in an ambulance and taken to a Seattle hospital for evaluation. "Still trying to figure out what happened at the end of the game," Frei posted on X. "I'm incredibly grateful to all the staff that looked after me and happy to be back home resting now. "What resonates is all the messages, calls and love I've received from so many of you. Thank you – truly. It means more than I can put into words. I feel the support and I'm thankful for every single one of you." Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer and Columbus coach Wilfried Nancy asked to halt the contest without playing the last seconds. Advertisement "Wilfried, I appreciate what he did because the ref wasn't going to stop the game," Schmetzer said. "Everybody knew that the game should have been stopped. Good on him. So thank you, Wilfried." Nancy agreed the game should be stopped. "When you see a situation like that, again, football is not the most important," he said. "We stay positive, and hopefully everything is going to be good for him." Both clubs are fighting for MLS playoff berths. The Sounders are fifth in the Western Conference with 30 points while the Crew are fourth in the Eastern Conference on 38 points. js/pb
