Wednesday’s Mexico-Panama Gold Cup semifinal was an ugly affair, with Mexico winning 2-1 after being the beneficiary of bogus red card and penalty calls. The refereeing was so poor that even Mexican newspapers admitted the game was a sham. This morning, CONCACAF president Alfredo Hawit released the following statement: We met with both the Referee Department leadership and referee Mark Geiger. Mr. Geiger, one of the best regarded referees in the region with vast international experience and a proven track record, accepted that officiating errors had been made during Wednesday’s match and that these impacted the outcome of the game. We at CONCACAF regret these circumstances but accept that such human errors are part of the game. The first thing to notice is the hilariously passive and blame shifting “errors had been made” construction, as if the errors hadn’t been made by referee American Mark Geiger, but by somebody else. It bears a striking resemblance to Washington, D.C.’s favorite non-apology apology: “mistakes were made.” The other thing this statement attempts to do is half-heartedly defend Geiger, before throwing him under the bus. Yes, he got two crucial calls wrong, but poor refereeing is endemic across CONCACAF. After all, Mark Geiger wasn’t the referee who called the other bullshit penalty that won Mexico a game this tournament, that was Guatemalan referee Walter López. And these are hardly the first instances of poor refereeing in important CONCACAF matches; it’s practically assumed at this point. Meanwhile, both the Costa Rican and Panamanian football federations have launched official protests, which CONCACAF promises they will look into. I wouldn’t hold your breath expecting CONCACAF to actually do anything, of course. Yesterday Panamanian Football Federation president Pedro Chaluja went farther than just alleging referee error, and raised the specter of match-fixing. Via Grant Wahl: “We perceive that this match was manipulated, and not by the Mexican federation, but there are interested third parties,” said Panama FA president Pedro Chaluja. “The bad refereeing decisions were deliberate and with the intention of protecting the third parties. These events can only be decrypted if FIFA and CONCACAF join together to carry out a thorough investigation into the development that referee Mark Geiger was so unfavorable and ended up robbing the victory and the dreams of all Panamanians.” The thing is, the idea that there would be match-fixing during the Gold Cup isn’t that crazy. In all likelihood matches were fixed at the 2011 Gold Cup, and at the 2013 edition members of the Belizean team were offered a bribe to tank against the United States. Add in the fact that former top CONCACAF execs like Chuck Blazer (plead guilty to racketeering and other charges) and Jeffrey Webb (currently facing corruption charges) took money (allegedly, in Webb’s case) for specific votes and steering contracts to certain companies, is it really so hard to believe that in one of these matches Mexico benefitted from more than just bad refereeing? E-mail or gchat the author: [email protected] | PGP key + fingerprint
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Female football supporters from Wales’ South Asian communities will watch the national team play for the first time on Friday through a new initiative designed to create a more diverse fan base.
The sold-out signs are set to go up for Wales’ Euro 2024 qualifier with Armenia at the Cardiff City Stadium with Rob Page’s side hoping to take another step towards next summer’s finals in Germany.
Among the 33,000-plus capacity crowd will be women benefiting from a partnership between Her Game Too Cymru, Amar Cymru – the group launched in 2020 to give the South Asian community a voice in the national team – and the Football Association of Wales.
We’re working with to take South Asian female fans to their first game!
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With Europe s elite once again taking center stage this weekend, we look set for another stacked schedule from across the continent. On that note, for those of you looking to stick on a Saturday acca, we have found a handful of helpful tips that are worth keeping an eye out for.
Saturday February 11th
BST 14:00 Empoli vs Spezia
Although Empoli might have been disappointed by their 2-0 loss away at Roma last weekend, the Blues have still impressed many across Italy on either side of the World Cup break. With their sights now firmly set on clinching a shock top-half finish in 2023, Saturday s hosts should be smelling the chance to make an immediate return to winning ways here. Only sat outside the top-10 thanks to their goal difference, Paolo Zanetti s men have suffere…
Alvaro Morata will spend another season with Juventus after the Serie A giants extended his loan until June 30, 2022.
The striker has agreed to stay in Turin, where he spent 2020-21 on loan from Atletico Madrid.
Morata scored 20 goals in all competitions last season, his best tally for a single campaign in his career, while also providing 11 assists.
Juve said in a statement on Tuesday: It goes without saying, Morata is in the right place, at the right time. And, of course, for another year!
Morata spent two years at Juve from 2014 to 2016 before returning to Real Madrid for the 2016-17 season.
After a difficult spell at Chelsea, he moved to Atletico initially on loan in 2019 before signing a permanent deal a year later.
In total, Morata …
Jack Grealish is unlikely to be fit for England’s friendlies against Brazil and Belgium later this month, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said.
The City midfielder suffered a recurrence of a recent groin injury in the club’s FA Cup win at Luton on Tuesday.
Grealish was substituted after just 38 minutes of the 6-2 victory at Kenilworth Road, cutting short what had been his first appearance in four games.
He has been ruled out of Sunday’s derby against Manchester United in the Premier League and Guardiola said at a press conference on Friday he was unlikely to play again before the next international break.
Guardiola said: “I don’t think so. I haven’t spoken with (England manager) Gareth (Southgate) but I don’t think he will be ready…
Bruce Arena is satisfied with New England Revolution s start to the season, though warned the opening four games of a campaign cannot be used to judge how his team will go on to perform.
The Revolution won MLS Supporters Shield in 2021 yet struggled last season, finishing 10th in the Eastern Conference.
New England have started this season strongly, however, winning three of their opening four games, albeit their sole defeat came in a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of reigning MLS Cup champions Los Angeles FC.
A 1-0 win over Nashville SC saw New England return to winning ways last week, and though Arena was not entirely happy with the performance, he cannot complain over his team s start to 2023.
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Knowing that they must pounce on a golden chance this weekend, Scotland will welcome Moldova to Hampden on Saturday night.
Scotland
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Tottenham’s record goal-scorer Harry Kane has landed in Germany to complete his move to Bayern Munich in a deal that could rise to £120million.
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Hibernian are looking for what will be their sixth manager in less than five years after sacking Lee Johnson.
Hibs confirmed Johnson had departed less than 24 hours after a 3-2 home defeat by Livingston meant they had lost their opening three cinch Premiership matches.
Chief executive Ben Kensell said on the Hibernian website: “The club has taken the tough decision to relieve Lee Johnson of his duties following a disappointing start to the domestic campaign.
“We wish Lee and his coaching staff all the best for the future and thank them for their efforts.”
Hibs confirmed that coaches Jamie McAllister and Adam Owen had also left with immediate effect.
Hibernian FC can confirm that that Lee Johnson has departed the Club as First Team Manager.
For one of England s grandest rivalries, matches between Manchester United and Liverpool have been pretty drab recently.
When these two met last season at Old Trafford, it was a game notable for a remarkable number of injuries three players went off before half-time and almost no goalscoring chances.
The two league meetings hosted by United before that ended 2-1 and 1-1, neither of which were classic encounters, while the 3-1 win for Liverpool at Anfield last December ended a sequence of 0-1, 0-0 and 0-0 in league games at Anfield.
Sunday s game also threatens to be something of a damp squib given Liverpool s imperious habit of winning and United s wretched inability to create goalscoring chances.
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Gareth Southgate and Harry Kane agree England s loss to the Czech Republic was a wake-up call for the Three Lions.
England s perfect record in Euro 2020 qualifying ended in Prague on Friday despite Kane s early penalty putting Southgate s side ahead.
Defender Jakub Brabec equalised within five minutes then, in the closing stages at Eden Arena, substitute striker Zdenek Ondrasek hit the winner on his international debut.
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