Latest news with #Kaiserslautern
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
'We must get to know Evan and exploit his depth' - Roma boss praises early Ferguson impact
AS Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini has urged his players to avail of Evan Ferguson's strengths after the Irishman made an explosive start to his loan spell with the Serie A giants. The striker followed up his four-goal blitz on his first outing against UniPomezia by grabbing the solitary strike in Saturday's 1-0 pre-season friendly against Kaiserslautern. Ferguson (20) displayed his poacher's instincts by forcing defender Maxwell Gyamfi and goalkeeper Julian Krahl into a muddle, allowing him to stroke the ball into an empty net at a packed Fritz-Walter-Stadion in Germany. A Kaiserslautern basta un gol di Evan ☘️ Gli highlights ▶️ — AS Roma (@OfficialASRoma) July 26, 2025 Roma face Cannes on Thursday, Lens on Saturday before two further warm-up games await in England next week against Aston Villa (Wednesday) and Everton (Saturday). The schedule has been devised by new manager Gasperini, geared towards the league opener against Bologna on August 23 at Stadio Olimpico. Gasperini is rebuilding the team in the same way he sculpted Atalanta into Europa League winners last year. His loan capture from Brighton and Hove Albion is at the centrepiece of his blueprint, heightening the necessity to utilise his natural traits of athleticism and application. 'Ferguson is a player who presses and can create these chances,' said the 67-year-old veteran boss, offering his impressions so far. 'If you win the ball high up the pitch, you have good chances of scoring. We need to get to know Evan and exploit his depth. In some situations, we could have looked for him more. 'We need to get used to involving the strikers a bit more, but that's something I'll work on during the games.' As satisfied as Gasperini was with the firepower provided by the Meath man, he's demanded additional resources to bolster his attack. All 4 goals from Evan Ferguson today 🟡🔴 — 🇮🇪 (@EireVideos) July 24, 2025 'It's just the reality, and we can't be hypocrites about this,' he said, connecting with the expectations of fans for a season competing on the domestic and European stage. "Coaches always want things done, because otherwise, why do we even prepare if half the team leaves? This concerns everyone, but that's how it is. "I hope that what we have in mind can be achieved. I know it takes more than a month, but I don't know how long because the transfer market never meets the coaches' schedule. "It would be nice to achieve what I and the club have in mind."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
🔥 Roma enjoy Ferguson's magic, Ilić and Leão score stunners 🚀 Today's friendlies ⚔️
The pre-season heats up with a Saturday full of friendlies. It's hard to keep up with everything, so here's our recap of all the matches played today by Italian teams. Watch all of Napoli's friendlies LIVE on OneFootball! Click here in the app to purchase Napoli-Stade Brestois 29. Kaiserslautern - Roma 0-1 Three out of three for Roma in pre-season, and Evan Ferguson scores again: in the 16th minute of the first half, the Irishman presses the goalkeeper high and scores a poacher's goal, confirming his scoring streak (5 goals in two friendlies). The new white and green third kit of the Roman club was on full display in front of over 35,000 spectators in Kaiserslautern. Gasperini's Roma is taking shape, showing aggressive pressing and good chemistry between the lines, even in a context with many rotations and key absences such as Dybala. Liverpool - Milan 2-4 In what is Massimiliano Allegri's summer debut, Milan conquers Hong Kong by beating English champions Liverpool 4‑2: starring Leão, who opens the scoring with a great solo effort and assists Loftus‑Cheek, and Noah Okafor with a second-half brace. Milan was solid in defense, showed great pace on the counter, and Pulisic stood out with an assist and excellent stats, while Liverpool struggled especially in transition despite Wirtz's debut. A touching tribute to Diogo Jota took place before the match. Napoli - Catanzaro 2-1 Napoli bounces back after the defeat to Arezzo, winning thanks to a lightning goal by Raspadori in the 1st minute and a penalty by Lucca in the 7th. Catanzaro pulled one back in the second half with Iemmello, but Contini preserved the lead with some good saves. Positive signs from Neres and Lang, both very dynamic on the wings; Conte rotated the squad heavily, testing several players after the training camp in Dimaro. Udinese - Qatar 3-0 Udinese defeated the Qatari national team coached by Lopetegui in their third pre-season test in Mittersill with a convincing 3-0. Goals by Keinan Davis, Iker Bravo, and Jürgen Ekkelenkamp. Excellent signs for Kosta Runjaić, with great intensity in the first 60 minutes of play. Cremonese - Torino 1-4 Torino, led by Marco Baroni, dominated the summer friendly against newly promoted Cremonese, ending their training camp with a convincing 4‑1 win: spectacular goals from Ilic (left-footed volley from outside the box), Adams doubled the lead before halftime, and in the second half Tameze headed in from a corner and Balcot finished off the Granata's four-goal haul. Cremonese pulled one back through De Luca in the first half, but never really troubled Paleari in the second half. Avellino - Lazio 0-1 Lazio struggled in the "Memorial Sandro Criscitiello": little attacking threat despite Sarri's front three of Zaccagni, Pedro, and Castellanos. The match was decided only in the 93rd minute with a penalty won by Noslin and converted by Guendouzi. Werder Bremen - Parma 0-0 Parma and Werder ended goalless: few attacking sparks, a very tight match, and little sharpness from the Crociati. The real news is the serious injury to Jacob Ondrejka: fracture of the left fibula, season compromised with a probable return only in 2026. Atalanta - Atalanta u23 1-0 Intra-squad test decided by a late goal from De Ketelaere, who walked the ball into the net on a Pašalić assist to break the deadlock in a match well controlled by the first team. Jurić—on his first test in charge of La Dea—rotated heavily, and the Under 23s held their own until almost the end of the match. Genoa - Mantova 3-2 The first half ended with Mantova ahead 1-0, but in the second half Genoa shifted gears. In the 53rd minute, Marcandalli equalized with a towering header from a corner, and in the 60th, the Grifone completed the comeback: a dangerous free kick from Stanciu, a short rebound from Festa, and Venturino pounced for the winning tap-in. In the 82nd minute, Galuppini made it 2-2 from the penalty spot after a foul on Mensah, but two minutes later Thorsby sealed the win with a precise header for the final 3-2. Hannover 96 - Cagliari 2-0 Cagliari lost 2‑0 in a nervous, foul-filled match (seven yellow cards). The German goals came from a penalty in the first half (Tomiak) and a corner in the second half (Neubauer). The Sardinians looked too experimental in the first half and only showed signs of a reaction after the break, but without offensive effectiveness. Triangular Tournament in Bolzano Mini-tournament in South Tyrol for Bologna and Sassuolo, hosted at the Druso in Bolzano by Südtirol. Italiano's team drew 0-0 with the hosts, then raised the level in the second match against Sassuolo, winning 2-1 thanks to comeback goals from Orsolini and Cambiaghi (the 1-0 for Sassuolo had been scored by Pinamonti). 1-1 draw between Sassuolo and Südtirol in the final match: both goals came within 5 minutes, with the hosts taking the lead in the 20th minute (Martini) and Sassuolo equalizing through Pierini in the 24th. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ferguson likened to an all-time great Argentina striker by Roma teammate
Evan Ferguson has been compared to one of Argentina's greatest ever strikers, who became a legend in Serie A and had a spell at Roma. Matias Soule lined out alongside the Irishman on Saturday in a pre-season friendly win away to German side Kaiserslautern - and the pair linked up well together, with Soule almost scoring off a Ferguson pass. The 22-year-old attacking midfielder, who joined Roma last summer and scored five goals in 39 appearances in all competitions, is already a big fan of the Boys in Green star. So much so that he likened Ferguson to 1990s hero Gabriel Batistuta, who was his country's top goalscorer on 56 goals before Lionel Messi smashed his record. Batistuta spent nine seasons at Fiorentina, scoring 205 goals in 331 appearances, before moving to Roma in 2000, where he scored 21 goals in 32 games in the first of three seasons in the Italian capital. He had a spell on-loan at Inter Milan during his final season at Roma. Soule also compared the Meathman's style to Gonzalo Higuain, the former Juventus and Real Madrid star, who was also prolific during his time in Italy, where he scored 157 goals in 295 games. Soule was speaking after the Kaiserslautern game when he said: 'Ferguson has had a great impact and is a great guy. 'He's technically very strong, he's powerful, and I hope he can give his best to Roma. His style reminds me of Batistuta and Higuain.' Gabriel Batistuta (left) and Vincenzo Montella of AS Roma (Image: Claudio Villa) Also commenting on Ferguson's second outing in a Roma jersey was manager Gian Piero Gasperini. He outlined what the 20-year-old would have to offer his side over the coming season. 'Ferguson is a pressing striker and can create these situations. If you win the ball that high up, it's clear you have a chance of scoring,' he said. Ferguson's 16th minute winner against Kaiserslautern was the result of his pressing style, as he forced both defender Maxwell Gyamfi and goalkeeper Julian Krahl into mistakes, before robbing the keeper and slotting the ball into an empty net. Gasperini continued: 'We need to understand him and exploit him in depth. In some situations, we could have looked for him more. 'We need to get used to letting the striker play a bit more, but that's part of the things I try to address during the match.' As for Roma's overall performance, he added: 'Am I satisfied? Yes. It's clearly a preparation match, but we played well on the pitch. The team already has its own identity, but everything can be improved, including our condition. 'We undoubtedly did some good things. A lot of players came on towards the end, and it's clear that in the second half, when the whole team changes, it becomes a different kind of match. But these guys did give us some indications. 'We can't ask for intensity now; we're only two weeks into training with the load. This was our first real match, and we played in a difficult environment. There were a lot of people, and the fans were very enthusiastic. 'We can't ask for much in that regard, but we must always have the ambition to make a few mistakes when we're close to the penalty area.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ferguson shows why he is perfect fit for Gasperini as he nets winner for Roma
Evan Ferguson has continued his blistering start to life as a Roma player by scoring the only goal in their pre-season friendly win away to Kaiserslautern. The Serie A side flew into Germany for Saturday evening's clash, as pre-season preparations intensified under new boss Gian Piero Gasperini. And it took the Ireland striker just 16 minutes to fire his new club into the lead. He won't have many easier finishes, but it was his pressing that forced the two errors that gave him the chance to slot the ball into an empty net. First up, he shadowed left-sided centre-half Maxwell Gyamfi, who feeling the Meathman breathing down his neck played a poor pass back to his goalkeeper Julian Krahl. As Ferguson chased the backpass, Krahl, stretching to keep the ball in play, took a heavy touch, allowing the on-loan Brighton man to steal possession. The 20-year-old then had the easiest of finishes, as he rolled the ball into the net. His goal would have delighted Gasperini, with the new Roma manager's philosophy on display right from the start against the 2. Bundesliga side. Gasperini's Atalanta side prided themselves on a high-octane pressure game - and that's how Roma played yesterday, with Ferguson leading the press. The goal came straight from Gasperini's tactical blueprint, with the Irishman forcing errors by not giving Gyamfi or his goalkeeper a second to settle on the ball. And he continued to harass and pressure the Kaiserslautern defence for the remainder of his time on the pitch, with Ferguson among the first batch of substitutes to be made on the hour mark. You could see from Saturday's performance why the new Roma boss made the Ireland star his top striker priority. Ferguson's aggression and energy is exactly what Gasperini is after - and if he takes his early pre-season form into the new Serie A campaign, the €40million option to buy will seem like a bargain. He came into this game on the back of a sensational debut, albeit against lowly opposition - Serie D side UniPomezia. However, his four goals and an assist, after just one training session with his new teammates, had Roma fans and Italian media gushing over the Irishman. Kaiserslautern provided a much bigger challenge, even if they are not the club they once were. Although a pre-season friendly, the game was played in front of a full-house at the Fritz-Walter Stadion, and Roma's early pressing gave the hosts plenty of early problems. The Italians continued to dominate after Ferguson's opener, and while Manu Kone headed a Matias Soule free kick onto the roof of the net, it was the Irishman who looked the most dangerous of Roma's attacking players. With his confidence sky high, he seemed to be trying to carve out shooting opportunities every time he got on the ball. On one occasion, he picked up possession to the right of the area, dribbled past one challenge, but was stopped by a second as he ran along the 18-yard line, looking for an opening. He almost got another bite at it, though, poking the ball away from the defender, but it broke kindly for the goalkeeper. Ferguson continued to sniff out potential openings, while two heavy challenges late in the first-half knocked him to the ground. He linked up well with his teammates and teed up Soule for a chance that forced a fine save from Krahl. Shortly before he was substituted, he was shown a yellow card. Kaiserslautern's Marlon Ritter smashed the ball straight into the forward, who ran across him as he prepared to take a free-kick. Ferguson reacted by shoving the Kaiserslautern captain, and both players were cautioned. It wasn't long after that Gasperini made four changes, including Ferguson, but he will be delighted with his 60-minute runout. Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Watch: Evan Ferguson scores again for Roma against Kaiserslautern
Evan Ferguson has maintained his bright start to life in Roma with the only goal in Roma's friendly win over Kaiserslautern on Saturday. The on-loan Brighton man scored four times this week in a training game win over Serie D minnows UniPomezia. Even on such a low-key stage, it was a boost for the Republic of Ireland frontman after a barren spell in front of goal for the Seagulls. He had netted just once for the club since November 2023, after a period marred by injury and loss of form as well as an unsuccessful loan to West Ham. Rome isn't built in a day but the 20-year-old continued to impress his new fans and new Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini with the only goal in Germany. Ferguson profited from a mistake by goalkeeper Julian Krahl, but it was the youngster's lively pressing that forced the gaffe, allowing him to roll the ball home from close range.
