Latest news with #JurgenKlinsmann
Al Arabiya
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
US Soccer Great Tobin Heath Hoping Club World Cup Spurs More Growth for Game at Home
Tobin Heath might know something about what makes soccer resonate within the US. Her resume in part: She won NCAA titles in college at North Carolina, then went on to win two Olympic gold medals with the US women's national team and two World Cup titles as well, all of that coming after she was inspired by the 1999 Women's World Cup. And so far, she thinks the Club World Cup could have a similar effect. Heath – who is working as part of FIFA's technical study group for the tournament alongside the likes of former Arsenal coach Arsène Wenger, former German star and US men's national coach Jurgen Klinsmann, and others – said Saturday that a match she attended earlier this month between Bayern Munich and Boca Juniors, with a full and jammed stadium in South Florida playing host to that matchup, shows what could be possible in this country. 'As an American, it was one of the coolest experiences of my life to witness that passion and energy,' Heath – during a FIFA briefing with the technical group – said. 'It's something I never believed I could see in my own country. And the stadium was literally shaking. You could feel it, and the fans were absolutely incredible. So I know the power of these home competitions. … I know the power of these games in our country to change the landscape of this game in our country.' The attendance for the games in the Club World Cup has varied widely; some stadiums are jammed, some pretty much empty. With the tournament entering the knockout round and some strong matchups ahead – including Lionel Messi and Inter Miami taking on his former team Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday in Atlanta – there should be plenty of good crowds throughout the remainder of the event as FIFA looks to build momentum toward the World Cup that's coming to North America next year. 'This is a fantastic dress rehearsal for us,' Heath said. Only one US-based team made the knockout stage: Messi's Inter Miami, though some wonder if that's a club that will have a true pronounced effect on soccer in this country. Messi is the biggest name in the sport and has an enormous following everywhere, one that obviously existed long before he came to Miami two years ago. 'Messi has not the best data of this tournament, but he's certainly the most influential player of this tournament – because without him Inter Miami would never qualify,' Wenger said. The job of the technical study group is simple: watch all the matches either live or on television (with the benefit of many screens and angles), assess style of play, and determine what is making teams successful. The level of data collected from these matches is beyond deep; reports are more than 50 pages thick and measure everything from time it takes a team to recover possession after a giveaway to how hard players are sprinting at key times of a match. 'This tournament has blown me away,' Heath said. 'It's made me even more excited for the summer to come, and I couldn't be more proud of this country. It shows that football is deeply embedded and deeply personal to our country. I can't wait to see the growth.'
Associated Press
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
US soccer great Tobin Heath hoping Club World Cup spurs more growth for game at home
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Tobin Heath might know something about what makes soccer resonate within the U.S. Her resume, in part: She won NCAA titles in college at North Carolina, then went on to win two Olympic gold medals with the U.S. women's national team and two World Cup titles as well, all of that coming after she was inspired by the 1999 Women's World Cup. And so far, she thinks the Club World Cup could have a similar effect. Heath — who is working as part of FIFA's technical study group for the tournament, alongside the likes of former Arsenal coach Arsène Wenger, former German star and U.S. men's national coach Jurgen Klinsmann and others — said Saturday that a match she attended earlier this month between Bayern Munich and Boca Juniors, with a full and jammed stadium in South Florida playing host to that matchup, shows what could be possible in this country. 'As an American, it was one of the coolest experiences of my life to witness that passion and energy,' Heath — during a FIFA briefing with the technical group — said. 'It's something I never believed I could see in my own country. And the stadium was literally shaking. You could feel it, and the fans were absolutely incredible. So, I know the power of these home competitions. ... I know the power of these games in our country, to change the landscape of this game in our country.' The attendance for the games in the Club World Cup has varied widely; some stadiums are jammed, some pretty much empty. With the tournament entering the knockout round and some strong matchups ahead — including Lionel Messi and Inter Miami taking on his former team, Paris Saint-Germain, on Sunday in Atlanta — there should be plenty of good crowds throughout the remainder of the event, as FIFA looks to build momentum toward the World Cup that's coming to North America next year. 'This is a fantastic dress rehearsal for us,' Heath said. Only one U.S.-based team made the knockout stage: Messi's Inter Miami, though some wonder if that's a club that will have a true pronounced effect on soccer in this country. Messi is the biggest name in the sport and has an enormous following everywhere, one that obviously existed long before he came to Miami two years ago. 'Messi has not the best data of this tournament, but he's certainly the most influential player of this tournament — because without him Inter Miami would never qualify,' Wenger said. The job of the technical study group is simple: watch all the matches, either live or on television (with the benefit of many screens and angles), assess style of play and determine what is making teams successful. The level of data collected from these matches is beyond deep; reports are more than 50 pages thick and measure everything from time it takes a team to recover possession after a giveaway to how hard players are sprinting at key times of a match. 'This tournament has blown me away,' Heath said. 'It's made me even more excited for the summer to come, and I couldn't be more proud of this country. It shows that football is deeply embedded and deeply personal to our country. I can't wait to see the growth.' ___ AP soccer:
The Sun
18-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Premier League's greatest opening day moments – from David Beckham's halfway line lob to Jurgen Klinsmann celebration
THE Premier League fixtures have been released, with a blockbuster clash between Manchester United and Arsenal set to light up the opening weekend. Next season will kick off with a bang as under-pressure Ruben Amorim prepares his side to host the Gunners. 8 Elsewhere champions Liverpool will begin their title defence with a Friday night Bournemouth clash, before new boys Sunderland return to the Prem following eight years away by hosting West Ham. Whether bathed in August sunshine, or British summer drizzle, fans can look forward to some memorable clashes right from the word go. In years gone by there have been some remarkable opening day moments, from incredible goals to late drama. Upon today's fixture release, let's take a walk along memory lane and relive some of the amazing opening days of years gone by. 1996-97 - Beckham's halfway line goal Where else to start but with Golden Balls? Becks was already a star prior to Man Utd's trip to Selhurst Park to face Wimbledon on Saturday, 16 August 1996. But his incredible, audacious goal from the halfway line helped to catapult him into a household name all over the country. At the time, Sir Alex Ferguson gushed: "You have seen the goal of the season already. I have never seen it done before. Pele is the only one who came close to doing the same." Who are we to argue with the most decorated Prem manager of all time? 8 1994-95 - The Klinsmann dive Jurgen Klinsmann arrived in England in the summer of 1994 with the reputation of a goalscorer, diver and cheat... and perhaps not in that order. The German forward had appeared on English TV screens at the previous two World Cups, with a theatrical fall in the 1990 World Cup final to get Pedro Monzon sent off not being forgotten. Nevertheless, Klinsmann was a huge coup for Spurs, who despite finishing 15th the previous season had managed to lure one of the continent's most clinical strikers from Monaco to White Hart Lane. On his debut in a 4-3 win at Sheffield Wednesday on August 20, 1994, Klinsmann scored a sensational header to open his Tottenham account - before poking fun at his reputation by performing a celebratory dive in front of the boo boys in the home end. With the celebration quickly entering Prem folklore, Klinsmann went on to reveal: "(Teddy) Sheringham had the idea. If you score today, we'll all dive.' The wonderful thing was that the rival fans even laughed about it." 8 2016-17 - Mane's debut delight Jurgen Klopp 's first full season in charge of Liverpool began with a tricky-looking trip to Arsene Wenger 's Arsenal. And while the Reds didn't go on win the title that year, Klopp's men gave a brilliant sign of things to come as they blitzed the Gunners 4-3 on their own turf. The pick of the bunch was Sadio Mane 's sensational debut goal, with the summer arrival from Southampton burning the Arsenal defence before whacking an unstoppable left-footed shot into the net. Klopp celebrated the goal wildly, and even went on to admit that his manic response contributed to Arsenal getting back into the game. On Mane's impact at Anfield, the German boss reflected in 2022: "One of Liverpool's greatest ever players is leaving and we must acknowledge how significant this is. He leaves with our gratitude and our love." 2014-15 - Dier breaks Hammers hearts In the summer of 2014, Mauricio Pochettino took over at Tottenham - arriving from a rival Prem club to try and clear up the North Londoners' mess, sound familiar? The game got off to a less than ideal start for the Argentine, with Kyle Naughton being sent off for handling in the box on 29 minutes. Pochettino reshuffled his pack, putting 20-year-old debutant Eric Dier at right-back - and subsequently watched Mark Noble miss his spot kick. Amazingly the game finished 10v10, with James Collins sent off for the home side. Dier went on to be the unlikely hero, skipping past Adrian to score following Harry Kane 's brilliant through ball. After the game, Pochettino gushed: "It was a great goal by Eric Dier. He showed, and we showed, that we are ambitious. We played like a team and that is important." 8 2011-22 - Sergio Aguer-woah! Sergio Aguero did not take long to announce himself to English football. The Argentine superstar arrived at Manchester City from Atletico Madrid to high expectations in the summer of 2011. Aguero immediately impressed after being brought on against Swansea with his side leading 1-0. The livewire forward took just nine minutes to poke home his first of what would go on to be 260 City goals. And in stoppage time, he blasted home a beauty to cap off a brilliant 4-0 win for Roberto Mancini 's men. The result went on to be a sign of things to come, with the Billionaire Sky Blues going on to dramatically pinch the title from rivals Man Utd... Aguero scoring the all important last-gasp goal to clinch it on the final day. 8 1999-00 - Poyet's beauty Uruguayan midfielder Gus Poyet scored an iconic goal for Chelsea on the opening day of the 1999-00 season. While not scaling the heights that they would in the following decade, the Blues had grown in stature during the 1990s - largely owing to the genius of Gianfranco Zola. During this 4-0 stomping of Sunderland, Zola was in imperious form. The tricky Italian produced a sensational assist for his side's fourth goal, delicately scooping the ball into the penalty area. Poyet took it from there, finishing with an electrifying scissor kick. 2004-05 - Mourinho arrives Five years on from Poyet's brilliant opening day goal, Chelsea were welcoming new boss Jose Mourinho to Stamford Bridge. The Portuguese didn't shy away from the spotlight, to put it mildly, declaring during his opening press conference: "Please don't call me arrogant, because what I'm saying is true. I'm European champion, and I think I'm a special one." Mourinho's big statement was immediately put to the test, as he began with a tricky home assignment against Sir Alex Ferguson 's Man Utd. The Blues won the contest 1-0 thanks to Eidur Gudjohnsen's scrappy 15th minute goal, with Mourinho admitting after the game: "Mr Ferguson pushed me to make changes that normally I don't do to play a safer match - and in fact the team defended very, very, very well." Chelsea's stingy defence went on to concede just 15 times across the whole season, a record that still stands to this day, with Mourinho's Blues going on to win their first league title in 50 years. 8
France 24
12-06-2025
- Sport
- France 24
PSG's Lee pleads with S. Korea boo boys to back team at World Cup
South Korea reached next year's finals in North America without losing a game but that does not tell the whole story. The country's football association has been in the firing line, having scrambled about to find a successor after sacking the unpopular Jurgen Klinsmann in February last year. They eventually settled on Hong, the decorated former skipper who had an unsuccessful stint as coach in 2013-2014, during which they went out in the group phase of the World Cup in Brazil. The 56-year-old's return a decade later and the way the Korea Football Association (KFA) went about the dragged-out recruitment process went down badly with fans. He was booed in his first game back and the jeers continued on Tuesday even as the hosts celebrated qualification for 2026 with a convincing 4-0 win over Kuwait in Seoul. "There are people out there attacking and criticising our head coach and the KFA," the PSG midfielder Lee, who was on the scoresheet, told reporters. "But since we players are also part of the federation and the coach is our boss, people's criticism also affects us if they get out of hand. "I'd like to ask people to see the more positive side of our team. That will help us play better at the World Cup. "I hope people will help us and keep supporting us." Hong has won six and drawn four of his 10 matches in his second spell but performances have not always been convincing. With skipper Son Heung-min struggling for form and fitness, South Korea passed up the chance to seal qualification sooner with 1-1 home draws against Jordan and Oman in March. That came after a similarly flat 1-1 draw with Palestine in Amman, Jordan.
Metro
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Metro
Liverpool need to avoid Wirtz-case scenario and buck German trend
Florian Wirtz looks set to be the marquee signing of the Premier League summer but if Liverpool's intended attacking recruit is to live up to his immense potential and lofty fee he is going to be bucking a trend. Because while German football has produced multiple World Cup titles and Champions League-winning clubs and a host of elite players in every era of the game, the record of Germans in England's top flight is a sketchy one. It began with a splash with Spurs' bold signing of Jurgen Klinsmann in 1994 and continues with Liverpool's showstopping pursuit of Wirtz but the impact of German players on the Premier League barely registers on the stats sheet with, perhaps fittingly, the most successful and enduring success stories on English soil known more for their solid and dependable qualities. If you scan down the list of all-time Premier League goalscorers you'll find our first German at 155th, alongside Robbie Earle and Ayoze Perez on 45 – one shy of Jay Rodriguez. Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro's Football Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we'll send you so we can get football news tailored to you. That the player in question is Ilkay Gundogan speaks more to the Manchester City man's longevity than his attacking prowess. Gundogan, incidentally, is fourth on the all-time list for appearances by a German, behind only the prosaic talents of former Stoke and Leicester defender Robert Huth, Champions League winner Dietmar Hamann and unsung Brighton midfielder Pascal Gross. Former Arsenal schemer Mesut Ozil, with 54, has the most assists of any German but is 39th on the all-time list. By contrast there are two Spaniards (David Silva and Cesc Fabregas), a Belgian (Kevin De Bruyne) and a Dutchman (Dennis Bergkamp) in the top ten, while Argentina, Egypt and France all feature in the equivalent list of top scorers. In all, 135 players have managed 50 Premier League goals and none of them are German. Liverpool will expect Wirtz to change that and trouble Ozil's assists mark to get a good return on their investment. Jurgen Klinsmann was one of the biggest names in the game when he rocked up at Spurs, perhaps the first overseas glamour signing of the new competition. He was 30 but, with 20 goals in 41 games, the 1990 World Cup winner showed he was still in his prime and lived up to the hype. Klinsmann left after a year, only to return in his mid-30s, nine goals in 15 games helping to save Spurs from relegation and pushing his overall tally to 29 – still good for tied-fifth with Uwe Rosler (another hugely successful 1990s import) on the all-time list of German goalscorers. Wirtz is not the first wunderkind to head to England. Michael Ballack was 29 when he swapped Bayern Munich for Chelsea in 2006. The commanding midfielder had played in World Cup and Champions League finals but, despite a league title and three FA Cups there was always a suspicion Ballack left his best stuff in Bavaria. Leroy Sane was only 20 when Manchester City paid Schalke £46m for his speedy wing play in 2016 but he was back in the Bundesliga by 2020, his potential never quite fully realised. The same could not be said of Mesut Ozil, a bona-fide galactico and soon-to-be World Cup winner when Arsenal teased him away from Real Madrid in 2013. A fan favourite who more than lived up to the hype, the mercurial playmaker's eight-year stay was a game of two halves, the brilliance of the early years partly overshadowed by the diminished returns and exile of his final seasons. A decade after Ballack left and seven years after signing Andre Schurrle – who won the World Cup and Premier League as a Chelsea player but never really took off – the Blues opted for two more expensive German punts. Timo Werner, 24 at the time, cost almost £50m from RB Leipzig but returned to his former club for half the price after ten goals in 56 league games. Last season, still only 29, he could not get a game on loan at Tottenham. Later in 2020 Chelsea paid Bayer Leverkusen upwards of £60m for a 21-year-old Kai Havertz who repaid their faith with a winning goal in the Champions League final and produced a small profit when sold to Arsenal three years later. A popular and key figure at the Emirates, Havertz has nevertheless failed to top his highest tally of 17 Bundesliga goals in a season in his five years in England and remains a positional enigma. While German footballers have made a significant contribution to the Premier League, there is enough evidence to suggest the brightest young signings often struggle to fulfil their potential. More Trending Whereas Spain, France, Belgium, Brazil, the Netherlands, Argentina and Portugal have produced some of the finest players to have graced these shores, Germany ranks alongside Italy as a footballing superpower that has yet to fully crack the competition. Former Germany boss Joachim Low said this week he was surprised Wirtz, who scored his seventh goal for Germany against Portugal in midweek, has chosen Liverpool for the next step in his career and warns it will be a real test. But has no doubt the 22-year-old will be a hit. 'Liverpool is a real statement because moving to the Premier League involves a lot of adaptation and that starts with the rhythm of the game,' Low told Bild. 'Nevertheless, I have no concerns that Wirtz will prevail – no matter where he would have gone. He plays with a naturalness that can't be coached. He possesses all the skills a footballer needs to be a world-class player.' Over to you, Florian. MORE: Ivan Toney hits back at Man Utd captain Bruno Fernandes after Saudi transfer snub MORE: Luis Diaz speaks out after Liverpool reject Barcelona transfer approach MORE: Arsenal eye move for Morgan Rogers and identify cheap Leroy Sane alternative
