9/11 – Never Want to Forget & Honor those who gave their lives to save others !
I will never forget that day – my 3 year old Courtney had a doctor appt that morning so I was with her at home after the appt – eating some breakfast before taking her to daycare. I saw it all unfold live on TV. So thankful that no one I knew personally was in the Tower that day! But Karen’s cousin James worked in the 1st Tower – upper floors – and he just happened to have a breakfast meeting 4 blocks away that morning. Whew. Still heartbroken for all those who died that day and those first responders who ran into the fire to save others! For you college football fans – tonight is the Red Bandana Game at Boston College who is playing tonight at 7:30 on ESPN2. Man in the Red Bandana ESPN 30 for 30. I will be wearing my red Bandana while reffing at Colonial Christian tonight. Pretty Magical Drone Show last night. Marines Save the babies at Pentagon. Remembering Soccer Souls lost that day
NOTES
In the Scottish Premiership, four American players featured for two different teams on Wednesday. Auston Trusty and Cameron Carter-Vickers both went 90 minutes for Celtic in a 3-0 win over Aberdeen at Celtic Park. Josh Sargeant Scores Hat Trick for Toronto. Pulisic Set for Return this weekend perhaps for AC Milan? Antoine Griezmann hit the Heisman pose after scoring a brace for Orlando City in Atlanta. Barcelona’s Raphinha Goal of the day in Champions League – stop that! Sanchez Scores American Record NWSL 16th Goal of Season. The USL has agreed to a revenue-sharing model, allowing men’s professional teams to participate in the growth of the USL’s national revenues (More) |
Champions League Never Disappoints
So the teams we expected win on Match Day 1 did win but my Atletico Madrid gave Liverpool all they could handle highlights, and EPL Champs Arsenal had to dig deep to win on the road Arsenal highlights. Champions League Coach for Fernerbahce Resigns after loss. Some Spectacular Saves in Champions League this week – see more in GK section below. Match Day 2 is this week Tues/Wed Full write-ups below.
Messi On Ballon D’Or List
France Head Coach Zinedine Zidane on Lionel Messi being nominated for the Ballon d’Or: “I think people really don’t understand how crazy it is to still be among the best players in the world at 39. At that age, many footballers’ time is already gone. Honestly, I don’t even remember if I could have scored a goal at 39, not to talk of performing at this level and being considered among the best in the world. If anyone still has doubts about the GOAT debate, then honestly, that person doesn’t belong in football society. How can you watch football and not see this kind of greatness? I wouldn’t be surprised if Messi won the award. Who else in that nomination can honestly tell me they had a bigger impact than Messi this year? He carried Inter Miami on his back at 39, won the league’s best player award and dominated the entire competition. And on the biggest stage, the World Cup, he left everyone in awe. Argentina reached the final largely because of him. If I could vote 100 times, I’d vote for Messi every single time. There is simply no one I would choose over him. He has already established himself as the greatest of all time, and even at 39, he remains among the very best in the world.” Messi Assist Messi Being Messi The GOAT Messi Why was he nominated again? In case some of you are in love with 18 yo Lamaal – this was Messi at 18.
Indy 11 Ties Birmingham Stands at 7th, Indy @ New Mexico Fri 9:30 pm ESPN+, Home Tues 7 pm
Indianapolis – Indy Eleven forward Dylan Sing scored a dramatic goal in the final minute of stoppage time to give the Boys in Blue a hard-fought 2-2 draw vs. Birmingham Legion FC at Carroll Stadium. Captain Aodhan Quinn started the sequence in the 98th minute with a long service into the box. The ball deflected to Bruno Rendon, who deftly touched it from his left foot to his right to uncork a sharp-angled shot that hit the far post. Sing sprinted to use his right knee to volley the carom home for his third goal this season. The Indy Eleven attack recorded 18 shots, nine shots on target, nine corner kicks, and 27 crosses in the match. The Boys in Blue are now 10-1-3 in their last 14 USL Championship matches at Carroll Stadium, including a 7-1-3 mark this season and stand 7th in the East w/9 games left. Indy Eleven travels to New Mexico United on Friday, September 11 at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+. The next home game for the Boys in Blue is “Small Business Night” on Tuesday, September 15 at 7 p.m. vs. Brooklyn FC presented by the Indy Black Chamber of Commerce. Gates open early at 5:30 pm for Happy Hour, with $5 drafts and $3 hot dogs and popcorn all game. Discounted tickets starting at $15 are available online, with a portion of ticket sales going to the Indy Black Chamber of Commerce. Ticket options include the new Desnuda Tequila Deck, Family Four-Packs, and Flex Mini-Plans.
Ben’s BBQ Shack near Grand Park has the Best Dang Brisket you can buy in Indiana
2026 ISCA Boys & Girls Week Three Rankings
3A ISCA Girls Poll
Hamilton Southeastern
Homestead
Carmel
Center Grove
Westfield
Cathedral
Noblesville
Zionsville
Lawrence North
Crown Point
Penn
Mt. Vernon
Columbus North
Evansville North
East Central
Mishawaka Marian
Warsaw
Lawrenceburg
North Central
Avon / Brownsburg
2A ISCA Girls Poll
SB Saint Joseph
Evansville Memorial
Park Tudor
Brebeuf Jesuit
Evansville Mater Dei
Guerin Catholic
Bishop Dwenger
Bellmont
Batesville
Bishop Chatard
Tri-West
Heritage Christian
ISCA High School Boys Soccer 1A, 2A and 3A Soccer Polls – 9/7/2026
3A ISCA High School Boys Soccer Poll 9/7/2026
1. Goshen
2. Hamilton SE
3. Bloomington South
4. Castle
5. Zionsville
6. Valparaiso
7. Noblesville
8. Fishers
9. Ev. Memorial
10. FW Carroll
11. Brownsburg
12. Chesterton
13. Concord
14. Carmel
15. Ev. North
16. Penn
17. Lawrence North
18. Lawrence Central
19. WL Harrison
20. Columbus North
2A ISCA High School Boys Soccer Poll 9/7/2026
1. Guerin Catholic
2. Mishawaka Marian
3. Park Tudor
4. Bishop Noll
5. Covenant Christian (Indpls)
6. Leo
7. Illiana Christian
8. Cardinal Ritter
9. Bishop Luers
10. Heritage Hills
11. Southridge
12. Speedway
13. Brebeuf Jesuit
14. SB Saint Joseph
15. Hanover Central
16. Washington Community
17. Bishop Chatard
TV Schedule
Thurs, Sept 10
9 am FS2 Spain U20 vs New Caledonia U20 Womens WC
12 noon FS2 Colombia U20 vs Portugal U20
12:45 pm CBSN Fenerbeche vs Roma
3 pm CBSSN Como vs RB Lepzig
3 pm Para+ Bayern Munich vs Bode/Glint
3 pm Para+ Man United vs Sabah
Fri, Sept 11
2:30 pm Peacock Union Berlin vs Schalke
3 pm Para+ West Ham United vs Wrexham
3 pm ESPN+ Sevilla vs Valencia
9:30 pm ESPN+ Indy 11 @ New Mexico United
8 pm Prime KC Current vs Orlando Pride
10 pm Ion/Tubi TV Angel City (Thompson) vs Denver Summit (Heaps)
Sat, Sept 12
7:30 am CBSSN Derby County vs Birmingham City
7:30 am Para+ West Brom vs Queen Park Rangers
9 am FS1 New Zealand U20 vs US U20 Womens WC
9:30 am Peacock, Fandango Ausburg vs Bayer Leverkusen (Tilman)
10 am NBCSN Bournmouth (Adams) vs Brentford
10 am USA Chelsea vs Hull City
10 am Peacock/NBCSN2 Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Ipswich Town
10 am Peacock/NBCSN2 Liverpool vs Fulham (Robinson)
10 am Peacock Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest
10 am Para+ Middlesborough (4 US players) vs Norwich City
12 noon Para+ Lazio vs AC Milan (Musah, Pulisic)
12:30 pm NBC Tottenham vs Everton
3 pm ESPN+ Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallencano
3 pm USA Sunderland vs Arsenal
6:30 pm Ion TV San Diego Wave vs NC Courage NWSL
7:30 pm Apple Miami vs Nashville SC
7:30 pm Apple Columbus Crew v NY RB
7:30 pm Apple Cincy vs Charlotte
10:30 pm Apple LA Galaxy vs Seattle Sounders
10:45 pm Ion TV Houston Dash vs Utah Royals NWSL
11;30 pm Univision Cruz Azul vs America
Sun, Sept 13
9 am USA Coventry vs Brighton
9 am FS2 China U20 vs Spain U20 WWC
9 am CBSSN Lecce vs Monza
10:15 am ESPN+, D Levante vs Barcelona
11:30 am NBCSN Man United vs Man City
11:30 am USA Eleversberg vs Bayern Munich
12 noon CBSSN Napoli vs Bologna
12 noon FS2 Portugal U20 vs Costa Rica U20 WWC
1 pm ESPN Washington Spirit (Rodman) vs Boston Legacy NWSL
2:45 pm CBSSN Sassuolo vs Juventus (McKinney)
3 pm ESPN+ Real Sociedad vs Atletico Madrid
6:30 pm Apple Chicago Fire vs New England
7 pm Roku Portland Thorns vs Chicago Stars (Nuerer) NWSL
9 pm Apple San Diego vs Philly (Caden)
Mon, Sept 14
12:30 pm Para+ Torino vs Roma
2:45 pm Para+ Inter Milan vs Udinese
3 pm USA Leeds United (Arronson) vs Newcastle United
3 pm ESPN+, D Villareal vs Real Betis
Tues, Sept 15
3:30 pm ESPN2 Elche vs Real Madrid
7 pm ESPN+ Indy 11 vs Brooklyn FC
Wed, Sept 16 Europa League
9 am FS2 FIFA WC U20
12:30 FS2 FIFA WC U20
3 pm CBSSN AC Milan (Musah) vs Benefica
3 pm Para_+ Anderlecht vs Lyonnais
3 pm Para+ Bayer Leverkusen (Tillman) vs Celje
3 pm Para+ Sunderland vs AZ
7 pm CBSSN Columbus Crew vs Orlando City (US Open Cup)
9:30 pm CBSSN Colorado Rapids vs St Louis (US OC)
Thur, Sept 17 Europa League
9 am FS2 FIFA WC U20
12:30 FS2 FIFA WC U20
12:45 pm CBSSN Sofia vs Salzburg
3 pm CBSSN Real Sociedad vs Bournemouth (Adams)
3 pm Para+ Crystal Palace (Richards) vs Lech Poznan
3 pm Para+ Juventus (McKinney) vs NEC
Fri, Sept 18
2:30 pm Fandango Bayern Munich vs Union Berlin
3 pm USA Brentford vs Chelsea
7:30 pm Apple NYCFC vs NY Red Bulls
10 pm Prime San Diego Wave vs KC Current NWSL
Sat, Sept 19
7:30 am USA Tottenham vs Aston Villa
9 am FS2 U20 WC Quarters
10 am USA Brighton vs Arsenal
10 am Para+ Wrexham vs Southampton
10 am Para+ Birmingham City vs Middlesborough (4 Americans)
12 noon Para+ Roma vs Inter Milan
12:30 pm NBC Nottingham Forest vs Coventry City
12:30 pm FS2 U20 WC Quarters
3 pm ESPN+ Sevilla vs Barcelona
4 pm Ion TV Orlando Pride vs Portland Thorns (NWSL)
6:30 pm Ion TV NC Courage vs Gotham FC NWSL
8:30 pm Apple Houston vs Cincy
8:45 pm Ion TV Denver Summit (Heaps) vs Seattle Reign NWSL
9:30 pm Apple Nashville SC vs Chicago Fire
Sat, Sept 26
4:30 pm TNT/HBO USMNT vs Peru Orlando
Tues, Sept 29
8 pm TNT/HBO USMNT vs Chile St Louis
Sat, Oct 3
8 pm?? TNT/HBO USMNT vs Mexico Glendale
Tues, Oct 6
8 pm TNT/HBO USMNT vs Canada Minn
Sat, Oct 10
8 pm TNT. HBO USWNT vs Spain DC
Tues, Oct 13
7 pm TNT, HBO USWNT vs Spain Philly
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USMNT & USWNT
Luna, Musah and other fringe players with 2030 World Cup hopes
Pochettino outlines key points to start the 2030 cycle: YNTs, Copa, hype, and more
Poch ‘careful’ with young stars for USMNT camp
USMNT’s Dest earns draw for PSV after controversial opener
An ‘upset’ Christian Pulisic to make season debut Saturday
USMNT transfer grades: Downs gets a B for leaving Saints for St. Louis
Balogun’s failed Everton transfer sums up USMNT’s underwhelming summer window
USMNT’s Poch opens door to England job in future
Euro Notebook: Bello & Freeman make UCL debuts, Wynalda lands coaching job, Reyna impresses, & more
Italy stuns U.S. women in U20 World Cup opener
USWNT midfielder Rose Lavelle named Ballon d’Or finalist
Linda Ullmark to lead United States at U-20 World Cup
Everyone who is nominated for 2026 Ballon d’Or
MLS
Miami rallies for draw after Lewandowski goal in front of record Fire crowd
Toronto beats MLS leaders Nashville to extend unbeaten run
MLS sets record for transfer revenue in 2026
MLS Power Rankings: Griezmann catapults Orlando into the playoff picture
Cavan Sullivan, 16, breaks Freddy Adu’s MLS mark
Atlanta’s Martino: No way to neutralize Messi
Champions League
Power rankings: Where do all 36 Champions League teams stand after Matchday 1?
Champions League Team of the Week: Our Best XI
Champions League results: Manchester United, Bayern Munich start strong; Lens stuns Slavia Prague
Champions League results: Ferran Torres’ hat trick leads PSG; Barcelona, Liverpool, Arsenal victorious in League Phase openers
Ødegaard: Arsenal on ‘another level’ after CL win
Kane joins Ronaldo in elite UCL scoring club
Musiala nets milestone Bayern Munich goal weeks after seizures
Fabregas, Como rout Leipzig in dream UCL debut
Kartal Quits, Chaos Ensues
FIFA pushes back on Morocco over 2030 World Cup final site
High-stakes clashes headline NWSL slate
Ex-USWNT’s Andonovski leaves KC Current role
Sources: USWNT’s Lavelle re-signs with Gotham
Trinity Rodman headlines 2026 Donruss NWSL with new Downtown inserts
USWNT legend Sauerbrunn joins Thorns staff
Controversial rule has NWSL taking cut of player brand deals — or fining those who don’t pay up
The NWSL playoff race is picking up speed, with multiple weekend matches primed to shape both the postseason picture and the tightest Shield race in years. Sitting just two points below the cutoff line, No. 9 Angel City hosts surging No. 10 Denver tonight, after the Summit silenced No. 1 Gotham 3-0 last Sunday behind three different goal-scorers.“In this point in the season, we’re really trying to get a playoff spot, and these next games matter,” said Denver’s Ayo Oke. (See full standings)
Around the horn: Two teams grappling with front-office upheaval also take the pitch tonight, with No. 11 Orlando parting ways with coach Seb Hines before Sporting Director Vlatko Andonovski departed No. 7 Kansas City.
In Saturday’s Top 5 clash, Golden Boot leader Ashley Sanchez looks to push No. 3 North Carolina past steady No. 5 San Diego — with both clubs tied at 39 points.No. 1 Gotham and No. 2 Washington are also in the mix, as the league’s top teams look to tighten the Shield race against No. 13 Louisville and No. 14 Boston. (See full schedule)
Goalkeeping
Champions League Matchday 1: Thursday’s top saves
Champions League Matchday 1: Wednesday’s top saves
Champions League Matchday 1 saves: Tuesday’s best stops
GK Scores Twice
Mandy McGlynn GK Assist in NWSL
Sandy McGiver Save of Week
Reffing
USMNT’s Sergiño Dest salvages draw for PSV with goal in Champions League opener
Sergino Dest celebrates his goal for PSV in the Champions League Nicolas Tucat / AFP / Getty Images
By Avi Creditor Sept. 10, 2026 Updated
Sergiño Dest carried his hot start to the season with PSV Eindhoven into the Champions League, salvaging a point for his Dutch club in a 1-1 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Dest, who has had two goals and two assists in PSV’s first four Eredivisie games of the season, scored the equalizer three minutes into the second half with a clinical finish from inside the Shakhtar box. Armando Obispo had cut back a cross into space at the top of the box, and an eager Dest was the first to get to it, rifling a right-footed finisher into the back of the net to make it 1-1.
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The goal was Dest’s second career goal in the Champions League, with the first coming in 2023 for Barcelona against another Ukrainian opponent, Dynamo Kyiv.
It was a bit of a just reward for Dest, who appeared to have been fouled in the build-up to Shakhtar’s opening goal in first-half stoppage time, but no call was given. He took a crunching tackle in the center circle while attempting to recover possession off his own heavy touch, but Shakhtar capitalized as he remained on the ground, attacking the space at right back where he would have otherwise been defending to score the goal.
The Champions League this season is largely devoid of the USMNT’s top talent, with most of the core’s clubs participating in the UEFA Europa League. PSV, with Dest and Ricardo Pepi, has become the must-watch side for any U.S. fan monitoring the competition. Pepi, who has three goals in five league games so far this season, started and played 83 minutes on Thursday.
Beyond the PSV tandem, teen star Mathis Albert (Borussia Dortmund), Johnny Cardoso (Atlético Madrid), Alex Freeman (Villarreal) and the Austria-based duo of George Bello and Sam Adeniran (LASK) make up the remainder of U.S. internationals competing in the League Phase.
As for the goalscorer Dest, he is a top candidate to be included on the first post-World Cup roster that Mauricio Pochettino is due to announce next week. He started four of the USMNT’s five games during the World Cup, though he was taken off at halftime of the round-of-16 defeat to Belgium.
Christian Pulisic ‘unhappy’ with lack of Milan minutes, could start vs. Lazio – Ruben Amorim
Pulisic has missed Milan’s first few games of the season through injury. Marco Bertorello / AFP via Getty Images
By Felipe Cardenas Sept. 11, 2026 2:11 pm EDT
U.S. star Christian Pulisic could make his 2026-27 Serie A debut this weekend in a starting role for AC Milan.
Pulisic returned to training last month after sustaining a micro-fracture and bone bruise in his right leg while in action at the World Cup. However he has not played in any of Milan’s first three games of the new season, despite being named on the bench in all of them, and according to Milan head coach Ruben Amorim, the winger is unhappy with the reality of his situation.
Amorim added that Pulisic is likely to feature this weekend.
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“I think you guys are going to see Pulisic,” Amorim told reporters at his pre-match press conference on Friday. “I don’t know if he is going to start or he’s going to get on the pitch (from the bench). I think he’s going to play at least a few minutes now and I like Pulisic.
“I really like him as a player. He’s upset because he’s had zero minutes so far, and I like that in my players.”What You Should Milan face Lazio on Saturday in Rome in one of the marquee matches of the weekend. Pulisic has slipped down the depth chart while he regained his fitness and now sits behind Italian youth international Alphadjo Cisse, 19, who has scored two impressive goals from his left wing position.
Cisse is a skilled dribbler and a confident finisher who has become a breakout story in Amorim’s first season in charge. On Friday, Amorim was blunt regarding his approach to managing two good players who are competing for a place in the XI.
“I won’t remove anyone who’s doing well just to name a player,” he said. “This is my way of managing the group, and I’ll die with these principles.”
Milan are undefeated so far this season, with two wins and one draw putting the team fifth in Serie A to open the campaign.
A big moment for Pulisic
Analysis by senior soccer writer Felipe Cardenas
This could be a crossroads moment for Pulisic’s career. Amorim sees the American as a project ripe with potential. If he recovers well from the injury and follows Amorim’s non-negotiable rules, an angry and slightly spiteful Pulisic could be an asset on match day.With Pulisic, however, there seems to always be a mixture of optimism and what ifs. This season is no different. The 27-year-old has work to do to get into Amorim’s starting XI and that may be a good thing for the U.S. star. He should have plenty of opportunities to play meaningful minutes.Amorim has a plan for Pulisic and made it clear that the American winger is not completely out of favor, adding that there’s “context and history” to how he makes his decisions. Milan, undefeated to start the year, will begin Europa League play on September 16 at home against Benfica.“After the international break, there are eight weeks with three games a week,” Amorim said. “Everyone will be tired from all the playing time. Pulisic is important to me.”The U.S. men’s national team will play two September friendlies at home against Peru and Chile followed by October home dates versus Mexico and Canada. In August, head coach Mauricio Pochettino and U.S. Soccer agreed to a new contract through the 2030 World Cup. Pulisic will remain a pivotal player during Pochettino’s second stint, but a return to form could also become a grounding experience for the 27-year-old.Felipe Cardenas is a senior writer for The Athletic who covers soccer in South America, North America and more.
Analysis
Champions League briefing: Ballon d’Or contenders dazzle, a 12-minute hat-trick and a two-man canoe
Ousmane Dembele celebrates with Ferran Torres as PSG run riot against Slovan Bratislava Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images
By Stuart James Sept. 9, 2026 Updated Sept. 10, 2026 5:25 pm EDT
Two hat-tricks, including one that was scored in the space of 12 first-half minutes, tell only part of the story on a night when six Champions League matches delivered 25 goals.For Paris Saint-Germain, who have won back-to-back Champions League titles, it was business as usual. Slovan Bratislava, managed by the former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure, were hit for six in the French capital as Ferran Torres, Spain’s World Cup final hero, marked his Champions League debut for PSG with three goals. Ousmane Dembele, with two goals and two assists, didn’t perform too badly either.AdvertisementMarcos Llorente, who enjoys playing (and scoring) against Liverpool so much that he has a dog called Anfield, did it again. The Spaniard put Atletico Madrid ahead inside the first 20 minutes, but goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister (it pays to be two-footed, kids) turned the game around for Liverpool and gave Andoni Iraola his first Champions League victory.Elsewhere, Barcelona continue to score goals at an astonishing rate, putting five past Feyenoord at Camp Nou, where the miserable weather was the least of the Dutch club’s problems. Raphinha, revelling in his new role as a No 9, scored twice (pity those two Feyenoord players mocked up in a canoe), while Lamine Yamal turned the pitch into a playground for 90 minutes.In Naples, Martin Odegaard — who else? — scored again for Arsenal, taking his tally to four goals in five games this season as the Premier League champions celebrated a 1-0 victory in Italy. Odegaard for the golden boot, anyone?Indeed, Napoli were the only team not to score as Sporting CP beat Galatasaray 3-1, and Stuttgart defeated Viking by the same scoreline, courtesy of Ermedin Demirovic’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it first-half hat-trick.
Matchday 1 results on September 9
Barcelona 5-1 Feyenoord
Stuttgart 3-1 Viking
Liverpool 2-1 Atletico Madrid
Napoli 0-1 Arsenal
PSG 6-1 Slovan Bratislava
Yamal, Dembele… or Torres for the Ballon d’Or?
Did someone mention the Ballon d’Or?
Hot on the heels of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe scoring on the night Champions League football returned, three of the other contenders for the sport’s most prestigious individual prize provided a timely reminder of their own credentials.
Lamine Yamal, who finished the evening wearing the captain’s armband for Barcelona, delivered a sparkling performance that included a backheeled nutmeg, two assists, a goal direct from a free kick and some wonderful footwork that tied the Feyenoord players in knots.
Other than that, the teenager was quiet.
Lamine Yamal celebrates Barcelona’s fourth goal of the night against FeyenoordAlex Caparros/Getty Images
Last year, Yamal finished second in the Ballon d’Or vote to Ousmane Dembele, and there was an element of “anything you can do, I can do better” about the way that the Paris Saint-Germain winger responded later in the evening.With 31 minutes on the clock at Parc des Princes, Dembele already had two goals and an assist to his name as PSG raced into a three-goal lead against Yaya Toure’s Slovan Bratislava. A second assist arrived in the second half — both of them for Ferran Torres — as the Champions League holders romped to a 6-1 victory that included a hat-trick for the Spanish striker.
Torres, who came off the bench to grab the winner against Argentina in the World Cup final in July, scored his three goals in the space of 26 minutes either side of half-time, with the second — a beautifully placed shot from the edge of the penalty area — the pick of them.
Ferran Torres (right) celebrates with Ousmane Dembele, who set up two of his three goalsAnne-Christine Poujoulat/AFP via Getty Images
Although it’s easy to imagine Yamal and Dembele will be closely matched again this year in the final Ballon d’Or rankings, realistically there will be far bigger threats to the pair of them elsewhere.
Dembele, speaking to the Ballon d’Or’s official media channels, named his PSG team-mate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, France team-mate Mbappe, and England and Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane as his chosen three for the individual award.
Asked about Dembele’s remarks the day before Barcelona’s game against Feyenoord, Yamal told reporters: “He’s friends with Kylian. I don’t care. I’m happy with the year I’ve had.
“Whenever I’ve faced both of them, I’ve won. They must have taken a dislike to me for some reason. He has to put someone in; that’s normal. I get along very well with Ousmane. I’m happy with the year I’ve had.”
That year takes in 16 goals and 12 assists in La Liga, where Barcelona won the title and Yamal was named the competition’s player of the season. He also scored six goals in the Champions League, taking his tally in the tournament to 11 before he turned 19. Goal number 12 in the Champions League arrived courtesy of a free kick against Feyenoord as Barcelona ran out comfortable winners.
Ousmane Dembele set the tone for PSG against Slovan BratislavaFranco Arland/Getty Images
Mac Allister is… right-footed?
It was a goal worthy of winning any game and hit so sweetly that you had to remind yourself that Alexis Mac Allister is actually right-footed.Arrowed home from just outside the penalty area, the goal that the Argentina international scored with his “weaker” left foot against Atletico Madrid was a perfect example of the value of being totally comfortable striking a ball on either side. Mac Allister’s technique was so good that the ball exploded off his boot.
The term “weaker foot” drives football supporters crazy, and understandably so when we are talking about elite professional players who are earning hundreds of thousands of pounds a week. “How can they have a weaker foot?”Yet the reality is there are very few genuinely two-footed players at the highest level of the game, with research showing that footballers typically use one foot significantly more than the other. (Rayan Cherki and Santi Cazorla, you’re a couple of exceptions to the rule.)
In some cases it feels as though players bend over backwards to avoid swinging a leg that, so the saying goes, is just for standing on.Wac Allister, however, did not think twice about taking on a shot from 22 yards that was hit so true that it flew past the Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak.The goal was well-timed from a Liverpool perspective, but also from Mac Allister’s point of view, too, bearing in mind that he had expressed his disappointment only 24 hours earlier that the club had been unwilling to open talks over a new contract this summer.“I see Dominik (Szoboszlai) and Ryan (Gravenberch) renewing their contracts, which makes me very happy because they deserve it. But at the same time it makes me sad that I didn’t get mine,” Mac Allister told reporters. “Of course there is still time and fans don’t need to worry because I will give 100 per cent until my last day.“We will see what happens. There were options to leave but I think right now I’m in the right club.”
Alexis Mac Allister smashes Liverpool ahead with his left footJan Kruger – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images
Raphinha, Feyenoord and a two-man canoe
Torrential rain is great for making sliding tackles. But not so clever when Raphinha dribbles into the penalty area and fakes to shoot.
hat was the scene at a drenched and sodden Camp Nou as two Feyenoord players, Jeremiah St Juste and Charles Vanhoutte, sailed on by — comically so with their legs in the air (dads at a water park stuff) — as Raphinha effortlessly glided inside the pair of them.
The Brazilian took a touch — St. Juste and Vanhoutte were now in a totally different part of the penalty area from the Barcelona striker — before emphatically despatching his seventh goal of the season.
Naturally, social media was quickly doing its thing and having a field day at the expense of the two Feyenoord players, with one mocked-up image showing St. Juste and Vanhoutte in a two-man canoe with a paddle in their hands.
It was that kind of night for Feyenoord, who were up a creek of some description against a Barcelona team that is making the art of goalscoring look ridiculously easy this season. After scoring 17 times in their first four La Liga games, Barcelona added another five against Feyenoord to get their Champions League campaign off to the best possible start.
Jeremiah St. Juste and Charles Vanhoutte are helpless as Raphinha slides home Barcelona’s first goal of the nightLluis Gene/AFP via Getty Images
All of which makes you wonder why Barcelona were so desperate to sign Julian Alvarez this summer to replace Robert Lewandowski, especially when Raphinha has turned into a world-class No 9 overnight. The former Leeds winger scored twice against Feyenoord — his second after an intelligent run in behind that was a feature of his game all night — taking his tally to eight in five appearances this season.
Nowhere to be seen on the 30-man Ballon d’Or shortlist that was announced on Tuesday (last season was derailed by three separate hamstring injuries), Raphinha is showing the sort of form that made him a serious contender for the award in 2025 when he racked up 34 goals and 22 assists in 57 matches as Barcelona won three trophies.
With Lamine Yamal on one side of Raphinha and Anthony Gordon or Karim Adeyemi on the other flank, Barcelona’s new-look front line has a formidable feel right now. Adeyemi scored Barcelona’s second against Feyenoord with a curling shot, Yamal added the fourth with a free kick and there was also a first goal for Gabriel Jesus, who joined from Arsenal on deadline day.
A striker in a hurry
Ermedin Demirovic wasn’t hanging about. With little more than half an hour on the clock, the Stuttgart striker already had three goals to his name, registering the fifth earliest hat-trick in Champions League history.
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The Bosnia and Herzegovina striker, who had scored only once in his previous eight Champions League appearances for the Bundesliga club, could claim ownership of the match ball after only 32 minutes. It was a blistering start to the game against the Champions League debutants Viking, with Demirovic scoring three times in the space of 12 minutes in a 3-1 victory over the Norwegian club.
Only four players have scored a hat-trick earlier in a game, with Lewandowski holding the record after he put three past Salzburg inside 23 minutes in a last-16 second leg tie for Bayern Munich in 2022.
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