Latest news with #ViniciusJunior
Miami Herald
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Real Madrid blank RB Salzburg, win Group H in Club World Cup
Vinicius Junior scored one goal and assisted another to lift Real Madrid to a 3-0 victory over RB Salzburg and a Group H first-place finish in the FIFA Club World Cup on Thursday night in Philadelphia. Federico Valverde added the second goal just before halftime and Gonzalo Garcia added the third in the 84th minute for Madrid (2-0-1, 7 points) in a second consecutive multi-goal win following a tournament-opening draw against Al Hilal. The five-time winners of the Club World Cup in its previous format will face Juventus in a Round of 16 clash on Tuesday in Miami Gardens, Fla. RB Salzburg (1-1-1, 4 points) were eliminated as Al Hilal held on to win their simultaneous match against CF Pachuca in Nashville, Tenn. It was Salzburg's second defeat to Real Madrid in 2025 after a 5-1 loss in Spain in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League. Madrid were more efficient than dominant. The teams had 12 shots apiece, with the victors' four attempts on goal only one more than Salzburg's three. Madrid again played without Kylian Mbappe, who has yet to feature in the tournament due to a stomach illness that left him briefly hospitalized. But Vinicius Junior did enough to compensate for the Frenchman's absence on Thursday. He failed to convert the game's first shot on target, denied on the break by Christian Zawieschitzky after Jude Bellingham had played him into a 20th-minute breakaway. But two brilliant moments over a five-minute stretch tilted the game squarely in Madrid's favor. In the 40th minute, the Brazilian ran onto another terrific ball out of the back from Bellingham, before weaving left on the dribble to evade defender Kouakou Gadou. He drove an early low finish well out of Zawieschitzky's reach and into the bottom right corner. In the 45th, he reached Arda Guler's deflected pass on the right side of the box before directing a backheel pass to a wide-open Valverde behind him for an equally clinical finish past Zawieschitzky. Bellingham had the next crucial intervention in the 66th minute, blocking Edmund Baidoo's effort off the line with Thibaut Courtois beaten. --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2025 - All Rights Reserved
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Vinicius Junior scores and assists in Real Madrid's 3-0 win over Salzburg to advance in CWC
Vinicius Junior scored a goal and assisted on another in Real Madrid 's 3-0 win over Salzburg on Thursday night that secured the Spanish powerhouse first place in the Club World Cup 's Group H and a spot in the round of 16. Vinicius gave the 64,811 soaking wet fans at Lincoln Financial Field something to cheer for by scoring on a left-footed shot right outside the penalty box in the 40th minute. Jude Bellingham left Vinicius in position to score with a breakaway pass that took advantage of the wet field conditions caused by the rain. Eight minutes later, a deflected pass by Mamady Diambou left Vinicius one-on-one against Joane Gadou inside Salzburg's penalty box. Having no angle to shoot, Vinicius delivered a backheel pass to Federico Valverde that left the Uruguayan wide open to score from 10 yards out. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Doutor: Reverter encolhimento muscular após os 50 depende deste hábito noturno Revista do Homem Saiba Mais Undo Antonio Rudiger suffered an apparent hamstring injury in the 60th minute after completing a long sprint down the right wing. He continued playing, but was subbed out six minutes later. His availability will be one to watch for Real Madrid's upcoming game as they are thin at the center back position due to multiple injuries and a suspension to Raul Asencio. Gonzalo Garcia put the game to bed in the 84th minute with a chip shot after a counterattack he initiated by stealing the ball from Gadou in midfield. Live Events With the win, Real Madrid became the ninth European team to advance to the round of 16. From the 12 European teams in the tournament, only Atletico Madrid, Porto, and Salzburg were eliminated in the group stage. Key moment Vinicius' backheel pass to set up Valverde inside the penalty box to score Madrid's second goal. Takeaways Real Madrid finished atop Group H with seven points. Madrid will face Juventus , a 5-2 loser to Manchester City, on Tuesday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. Salzburg finished third in Group H with four points. They were eliminated as Al Hilal finished with five points, one more than the Austrian team, after defeating Pachuca 2-0 on Thursday night. What they said "Vinicius is essential for us. He has the capacity to do a lot of things for the team without and with the ball. So, I'm really happy for him. We have to keep it up and so does he." - Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni "We learned a lot. We played against the best teams in the world, competed at a high level, and that's what we take out of the tournament from the experience we got. We lost, we won, and we drew. So it's a lot to learn, but it was good for us." - Salzburg defender Frans Kratzig
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Vinicius Junior offers fresh Real Madrid contract update
Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior has reiterated his desire to stay at the club beyond his current contract in the Spanish capital. The Brazil international remains consistently linked with a possible move to the Middle East despite his massive importance to Real Madrid. Advertisement Xabi Alonso will be counting on him as a vital part of his Los Blancos project moving forward but a firm commitment on a contract extension remains unclear. The financial muscle of the Saudi Pro League means they will remain on Vinicius' trail in the coming months with renewal talks set to restart in July. Vinicius Junior's Real Madrid contract update His current deal in the Spanish capital runs until 2027, with Real Madrid pushing to extend that until 2030, but no firm progress has been made at this stage. Saudi clubs are on alert over the situation, as Real Madrid seek to avoid him slipping into the final 12-18 months of his contract at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. Image via Reuters Advertisement The 24-year-old offered a brief update on the talks and confirmed his first choice is to stay. 'I hope I can stay here for many years. I've always said it's the club of my life. I'm very happy with the coach and the technical staff, I hope I can stay,' as per Mundo Deportivo. 'I have a two year contract until 2027. I want to stay for my entire career and make history with this team.' Vini to Saudi in 2025: Can it happen? Previous reports from claimed Saudi state support would back an offer in excess of €250m. That would break new transfer ground and give Real Madrid something to think about. The club have always worked towards the idea of keeping their No.7, but the incredible sums being mentioned will give Florentino Perez a dilemma, if all parties fail to agree on his next career step this summer.
New York Times
13 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Club World Cup group stage and what we learned
To anyone who managed to watch every minute of every group-stage game of the Club World Cup, we applaud you. With 48 games played across 13 days, there has been endless action to unpack. We have had shock results, extreme weather conditions, and plenty of strikes that would be worthy of winning goal of the tournament already. Advertisement For those who have not been glued to their television screens, what has caught the eye from the opening fortnight? Allow The Athletic to catch you up on some interesting themes we have spotted… There have been plenty of examples of the Club World Cup pitches not being up to standard, and it is affecting the way the players are playing in the United States. As evidenced by the change in grip and aerodynamics of the balls themselves, small details matter to professionals operating at the highest level. With players so finely tuned to the zip of a quality, well-watered pitch, a yard of distance could be the difference between an underhit pass and an assist, so you can understand why comments are being made. 'The pitches aren't great at all. It holds up the ball, the ball barely bounces,' Jude Bellingham said after Real Madrid's win against Pachuca. 'It's tough on the knees as well. Hopefully, there's someone who will look at that going into the World Cup next year.' The bounce of the ball has been particularly notable, even from television coverage, with a comical example from Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior in that Pachuca clash. Before taking a corner, the Brazil international throws the ball, expecting it to bounce back up with similar force. Instead, the ball barely reaches his knees as the turf swallows it up. 'It was a little bit dry,' said Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel after their first-game 0-0 draw against Fluminense. 'You can feel the turf beneath it, so the ball was not bouncing the way it usually bounces. It was a little bit soft. The ball didn't get the height it normally gets.' Dortmund seemingly had similar issues in their second game as they failed to read the run of the ball in Lucas Ribeiro's solo finish for Mamelodi Sundowns. Ribeiro's heavy touch forward would typically have zipped off the turf, but the ball held up as defender Ramy Bensebaini slid in, allowing Ribeiro to run through the whole Dortmund defence in a goal that looked like a glitch from a 2002 video game. Bellingham's reference to next year's World Cup feels pertinent given that little has changed in the pitch quality since the U.S. hosted the Copa America 12 months ago, with similar complaints dominating the post-match analysis among players and managers. In the interest of sticking to our analytics principles, readers might be interested to know that AI-driven turf management does exist, with a new company, Turfcoach, allowing clubs to collect data on their pitch. One of Turfcoach's research papers highlights the effects of surface and climate towards the tactics and performance of the team, meaning those who do best in this summer's tournament might be the ones who simply adapt best to the conditions. The sweltering U.S. heat — and the creative approaches teams have taken to adapt — has been one of the tournament's most eye-catching aspects. Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich housed their substitutes in the dressing room to shield them from the oppressive conditions in Cincinnati and Charlotte, while Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca cut training short, calling it 'impossible to train' under a code red heat warning. With this tournament also acting as a dry run for next summer's World Cup, it raises the question: could this be the hottest World Cup on record? While historical weather data is limited before 2010, data from the last four World Cups — sourced from weather provider Visual Crossing — suggests the U.S. edition is likely to be the warmest in modern times. How players and teams adapt to hot World Cups has always been a point of fascination, but next summer might take that challenge to another level. Unlike an international World Cup, it feels a little trickier to spot any reliable tactical trends that unite teams from the group stage of the tournament. However, have we seen a disciplinary issue at the Club World Cup? Players would be forgiven for (literally) feeling a little hot under the collar, but there have been 10 red cards across the 48 games played in the group stage. For context, that is more than each of the past three Champions League group stages after gameweek three, and more than the past two World Cup group stages combined (two in 2022 and three in 2018). Advertisement All in all, there have been seven fouls for every yellow card shown — about average compared with other tournaments listed above. However, it may be the case that two Argentine clubs are doing a lot of the heavy lifting here. River Plate's 11 yellow cards and three reds across three games were rather shocking, with Marcos Acuna's red mist particularly notable as he chased Inter's Denzel Dumfries towards the tunnel before being tackled to the ground. With 104 fouls, River were the only club to hit triple figures by this measure, nearly 40 more than Boca Juniors, who clocked up 67 fouls, five yellow cards and two reds — both against Benfica — as the Argentine contingent failed to control their emotions. Ander Herrera's dismissal did not even see him get on the pitch, as he clashed with a member of tournament staff after showing his disdain for a VAR review for a penalty incident. To balance things out, Boca's Group C opponents, Auckland City, were the only side not to receive a yellow card during the group stages. At times, you might have to do some mental gymnastics or sophisticated data modelling to accurately determine whether a player can cut it if they move to a new league. Some might be familiar with the 'Bundesliga tax', speaking to the idea that there is often an 'exchange rate' in a player's output when they transfer from one country to another. Within Europe, for example, you can determine a league's strength by looking at clubs' performances from the respective leagues in European competitions, be it the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League. Therefore, if a player goes from League A to League B, you can adjust expectations accordingly. However, aside from friendlies, we rarely get a decent calibration of this league exchange rate across continents, with previous iterations of the Club World Cup being a smaller selection of champions from the respective confederations. This summer has provided more cross-pollination than ever, with Chelsea's clash with Los Angeles FC being the first time that a club from England had played a club from the U.S. in a competitive fixture. Sure, a single game between two teams is not going to provide a robust output on the respective league strengths, but it can be a good snapshot. Advertisement There have been a fair few shocks already to help with this calibration. Inter Miami's 2-1 victory over Porto sent shockwaves through Portugal after an incredible winning free kick scored by a certain Lionel Messi. Botafogo shocked Paris Saint-Germain with a 1-0 victory and a disciplined defensive performance against the UEFA Champions League winners. Meanwhile, lowly Auckland City arguably had the result of the tournament with a 1-1 draw against Boca Juniors in their final group-stage game. For all that we can use this information, the timing of the Club World Cup means some clubs might be taking the tournament more seriously than others. European leagues have come to an end, while South American and MLS teams are in a different stage of their conditioning, being halfway through their respective domestic seasons. Still, any analysis can only work on the information it has been given, and there are positives to be taken from the fact that an intercontinental tournament has drummed up some clashes between leagues that have never faced off before. The data models will be so happy. It is not uncommon to see South American sides perform well in the Club World Cup. In the previous iteration of the tournament, CONMEBOL has been the only true competitor (four wins) to UEFA in the number of victories (16) since its inaugural year in 2000. In truth, that glory has been propped up by Brazil, who have the joint-second highest number of wins as a nation (level with England — four) across the tournament's history, behind only Spain (eight). Corinthians were the last Brazilian club to clinch the title in 2012, after Paolo Guerrero's header saw off Chelsea in a 1-0 victory. While the Argentine pair of River and Boca went into self-destruct mode, Brazilian lights are shining bright once again this summer. Advertisement Flamengo, Palmeiras, Botafogo and Fluminense have all advanced to the knockout stages, with Mexico's Monterrey (representing Concacaf) also joining the South American contingent. Just one loss between them across the group games shows that none of them are willing to roll over easily against the bullies from Europe. With Botafogo and Palmeiras facing each other on Saturday, twisted logic might mean that fans of Brazilian football should be happy that at least one club will be guaranteed to make it to the quarter-finals. Of course, supporters of either side would not take kindly to the suggestion that they could not have progressed past European opposition themselves, such is the pride, optimism and quality that the pair possess. Could a South American side go all the way this summer? European clubs remain the favourites to win the trophy on July 13, but given the fierce desire to make a dent in the tournament — coupled with favourable physical conditioning compared with other confederations — you would not bet against it.
Hans India
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Hans India
Assist to Valverde was one of the best of my career, says Vinicius Jr
New Delhi: Vinicius Junior believes his assist for Real Madrid's second goal, which was buried into the back of the net by Federico Valverde, was one of the best he has given in his career. The Brazilian winger was awarded the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the match for his goal and assist which lead Real Madrid to a comfortable 3-0 win over RB Salzburg in their final Group H match of the FIFA Club World Cup and sealed a Round of 16 clash against Juventus. 'I haven't seen the replay. But it has been a good assistance, I think one of the best I have given. Especially that it is for Valverde, who always gives me a lot of confidence. He is one of our captains and it is always good that he scores,' said Vinicius. The game was locked in a stalemate until Vinicius opened the scoring with a precise left-footed finish in the 40th minute. Madrid began their Club World Cup with a 1-1 draw against Al Hilal. They began to stamp their authority with a 3-1 win over Pahuca, despite being down to ten men after defender Raul Asencio was sent off in the seventh minute of the game. Their win over Salzburg kept the hopes alive for ending the season with a trophy. Vinicius is now ready for the 'most important part' of the tournament. "I am very happy for the goal, the assist and everything we are doing in this competition. Now comes the most important moment, what we like the most, and where we can win an important title for this club." "We have good feelings, we have played very well in the first half. The second one was a little looser, but it's normal. We have to rest for the next game, which is very important in the round of 16 and we can't miss,' he added.
