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☆ Matip header keeps Liverpool in European hunt after 2-1 win over West Ham
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) - A bullet header from Joel Matip gave Liverpool a 2-1 Premier League win over West Ham United that moved them above Tottenham Hotspur and back into the European places after a frenetic end-to-end game at the London Stadium on Wednesday. After having a shot blocked a minute earlier, Matip got the winner in the 67th minute when he powered home a close-range header from Andy Robertson's corner. "When a player lunges in the box, it's different from a slip, it's different from trying to break your fall. When you lunge in the box, your arms out, it was a penalty kick," he told BT Sport. The loss brought an end to a run that saw West Ham take seven points from three games and dropped them one spot to 14th, five points ahead of Leicester City in 18th place.

☆ Liverpool edge struggling Forest 3-2 in Anfield thriller
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LIVERPOOL, England, April 22 (Reuters) - Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah were on target as Liverpool edged Premier League strugglers Nottingham Forest 3-2 in a riveting clash at Anfield on Saturday to climb to seventh in the table. Jota restored Liverpool's lead with a sharp finish on the turn in the 55th minute but Liverpool were pegged back again when Virgil Van Dijk's clearing header fell to an unmarked Gibbs-White. Both Forest goals came from long throw-ins and Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp was pleased with the result but frustrated by his side's shaky defensive performance against a team who have the second-worst attacking record in the league. Liverpool sealed the win three minutes after Forest's second when Trent Alexander-Arnold picked out Salah with a low free kick and the Egyptian striker held off Remo Freuler before side-footing past Keylor Navas. Steve Cooper set up Forest with a flat back five, looking to contain Liverpool, and the strategy worked in the first half, though the visitors rode their luck at times.

☆ Liverpool add to Forest's misery, Leicester earn vital win
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LIVERPOOL, England, April 22 (Reuters) - Liverpool maintained their slender hopes of a top-four finish in the Premier League with a 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest whose relegation fears deepened on Saturday. Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah were on target for Liverpool in a riveting clash at Anfield as Liverpool climbed to seventh. Liverpool sealed the win three minutes after Forest's second when Trent Alexander-Arnold picked out Salah with a low free kick and the Egyptian striker side-footed past Keylor Navas. Forest substitute Brennan Johnson hit the crossbar with a delicate chip as Liverpool clung on to take all three points. Liverpool have 50 points from 31 games, six points behind fourth-placed Newcastle United who face fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

☆ SoftBank-Alibaba sale looks awkward for Prosus
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Liam Proud | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LONDON, April 13 (Reuters Breakingviews) - SoftBank Group (9984.T) and Prosus (PRX.AS) are two very different beasts. Prosus owned about 27% of the internet titan on Wednesday, based on Refinitiv data and the company’s portfolio tracker. Prosus and van Dijk, however, have a rock-solid balance sheet with more cash than debt, and no particular need to exit Tencent in a hurry. That’s down from its peak last year, when the share price was considerably less than half the company’s net asset value per share. Prosus, the Amsterdam-listed technology investor, on April 11 said it would deposit 96 million Tencent shares into the Hong Kong Central Clearing and Settlement System, a precursor to selling them.

☆ These stocks have the most upside in the second-quarter, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( Michael Bloom | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

CNBC Pro combed through the most recent quarterly research reports to find stocks with upside as the new quarter gets underway. They include: Simon Property, Spotify , Netflix , Enphase and Palo Alto Networks. Palo Alto Networks The cybersecurity company is firing on all cylinders, RBC said earlier this week in its top second-quarter picks note to clients. Hedberg believes Palo Alto has a unique opportunity to take share in a rapidly burgeoning field. ... .We view Palo Alto as well positioned to benefit from an increasingly complex security and threat landscape and as an industry leader in security."

☆ Van Dijk, Salah steer Liverpool to 2-0 win over Wolves
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LIVERPOOL, England, March 1 (Reuters) - Virgil van Dijk and forward Mohamed Salah scored second-half goals as Liverpool battled to a 2-0 Premier League home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday to boost their hopes of European football next season. Liverpool climbed into sixth spot in the table on 39 points, ahead of Fulham on goal difference and with a game in hand, but the home side were forced to work hard on a rainy night at Anfield. Van Dijk finally broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute, forcing a save with his initial header from a set-piece, before Jota put the rebound back across the goal for the Dutchman to head home from close range. Four minutes later Salah used his right thigh to steer home a cross from Kostas Tsimikas to double his side's advantage and take the wind out of the visitors' sails as Liverpool made it three wins in their last four Premier League games. Reporting by Philip O'Connor, Editing by Toby Davis and Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Klopp slams 'worst ever' Liverpool performance after Brighton defeat
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRIGHTON, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp blasted his side's effort in a humiliating 3-0 Premier League defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion that he called the worst ever in his reign. We were not good today, I can't remember a good phase or period," an irate Klopp said. Despite losing 3-1 to Brentford in their last Premier League game on Jan 2, Klopp said that he had been confident coming in to Saturday's game that his side could get a much-needed win. "There was no sign for this performance before the game, but that's probably how it is sometimes. Liverpool are eighth in the table on 28 points, seven behind fourth-placed Newcastle United, who currently occupy the last Champions League place.

☆ Liverpool beat Aston Villa 3-1 to go sixth in league
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Dec 26 (Reuters) - Liverpool beat Aston Villa 3-1 on Monday thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Stefan Bajcetic to go sixth in the Premier League during a game littered with chances. Striker Salah tapped in the visitors' opener in the fifth minute after a sublime passing move from marauding wing-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson. Goalscoring opportunities came aplenty for both teams as they peppered each other with high balls over the defences. The result left Aston Villa in 12th place on 18 points, while Liverpool are on 25 points, one behind old rivals Manchester United in fifth but a daunting 12 behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, who were playing later on Monday. Reporting by Andrew Cawthorne, editing by Pritha SarkarOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Brazil's best shooters should have taken penalties first, says Klinsmann
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Rohith Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Croatia, the 2018 runners-up, stunned Brazil 4-2 on penalties after Marquinhos and Rodrygo failed to convert. "After conceding the equaliser in the 117th minute, Brazil had no time to switch gears. From the disappointment of conceding a last minute goal to the penalty shootout, there was no time to settle and approach the shootout positively. "With Argentina, they had extra time to play, even with the shock of the (Wout) Weghorst equaliser in the last minute," Klinsmann added. At the end of the game they were far more clearer (in the head) going into the penalty shootout."

☆ The US may have lost in the World Cup, but soccer is more popular than ever in America
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Harry Enten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +36 min

The Atlas Lions made history as the first African team to reach a World Cup semifinal. They made history as the first all-female refereeing crew for a men's World Cup match. It was Morocco's first World Cup win since 1998 — and its third-ever at the tournament. Less spoken about is that they also rate better on television than the men do in the World Cup. We’ll just have to wait and see, though with the US, Canada and Mexico hosting the 2026 World Cup, soccer isn’t going away anytime soon.

☆ Argentina beat Netherlands on penalties to reach World Cup semi-finals
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Hritika Sharma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

In a scrappy half-hour of extra time with the scores level, Enzo Fernandez rattled the post in the closing seconds while Martinez and German Pezzella also had efforts blocked or parried away as Argentina desperately pushed for a winner. The Netherlands had rarely troubled Argentina during the match before substitute Wout Weghorst's header in the 83rd minute sparked them into life and he rolled the ball past goalkeeper Emi Martinez deep into stoppage time to send the game into extra time. Argentina captain Lionel Messi had superbly set up Nahuel Molina for their first-half opener, threading a sublime pass through the Dutch defence, before coolly slotting in a penalty in the 73rd minute after Denzel Dumfries fouled Marcos Acuna. Argentina will next face Croatia, who beat Brazil on penalties earlier, on Tuesday for a place in the final. Reporting by Hritika Sharma; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Argentina vs Netherlands: 'Aging genius' Lionel Messi looking to inspire La Celeste
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Lionel Messi and Argentina are three games away from winning the World Cup, but against the Netherlands they will face their toughest test of the tournament so far. Friday’s quarterfinal at the Lusail Stadium is a compelling match-up, not least because of the World Cup history between the two teams. With three goals – including a superb strike against Mexico and a well-worked move against Australia – and one assist from four games, Messi is the heartbeat of this Argentina team, even in the twilight of his career. “You can see he’s happy and, for us, that’s very important.”Yet this Argentina team is more than just Messi. “It’s not about me, or the Netherlands, against Messi, it’s about the Netherlands against Argentina,” the Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk told reporters this week, according to Reuters.

☆ Dumfries delivers as Dutch head into last eight
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Mark Gleeson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It was another Dutch performance at the Qatar World Cup that will not please their demanding supporters as they were unusually cautious at times, played at a slow tempo, and lived dangerously by allowing the Americans plenty of possession. The response from the Dutch was swift. The lively start was quickly replaced with a more languid passage of play, the Netherlands sitting back as they waited for counter-attack chances. Those misses were swiftly punished as the Dutch broke again down the right and scored a carbon copy of the first goal when Dumfries pulled back his cross for 32-year-old left back Blind to score in his 98th international. Reporting by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Angus MacSwan and Ken FerrisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ PREVIEW-Soccer-Qatar depart their party looking to avoid third successive loss
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( Mark Gleeson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

They were the first country eliminated on Friday, less than a week into the tournament, after losing 3-1 to Senegal. That followed a 2-0 defeat by Ecuador in the tournament’s opening game last Sunday where the Qataris, the Asian champions, blamed stage fright for their poor showing. Four points, though, has the Dutch level at the top of group standings with Ecuador, with Senegal one point behind. A win for the Netherlands over Qatar puts them through as Ecuador and Senegal compete their first-round programme at the same time. But it's not in our game or the way we play,” said Van Dijk after Friday’s 1-1 draw.

☆ World Cup teams abandon plan to wear 'OneLove' armbands
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

The captains of seven European nations will not wear anti-discrimination armbands in World Cup games after threats from FIFA to show yellow cards to the players. “As national federations we can’t put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions, including bookings,” the seven soccer federations said Monday in a joint statement. The climbdown after threats from FIFA came hours before England’s Harry Kane, the Netherlands’ Virgil van Dijk and Wales’ Gareth Bale were due to wear the One Love armbands in Monday’s games. The captains of Belgium, Switzerland, Germany and Denmark were also expected to wear the armbands in the coming days. “Our number one priority at the World Cup is to win the games,” the Dutch soccer federation said in a separate statement.

CNN —The captains of several European teams will not to wear “OneLove” armbands at the World Cup in Qatar due to the danger of receiving yellow cards. “FIFA [football’s global governing body] has been very clear that it will impose sporting sanctions if our captains wear the armbands on the field of play,” the joint statement read. The countries said they were “frustrated” by what they described as FIFA’s “unprecedented” decision to sanction the captains should they wear the armband. ‘Everyone is welcome’In the buildup to the World Cup, Qatar – where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by up to three years in prison – has come under criticism for its stance on LGBTQ rights. Prior to countries announcing their captains would not wear the armband in Qatar, FIFA brought forward its own “No Discrimination” campaign and said all 32 captains would have the opportunity to wear an armband linked to the campaign.

☆ Seven European World Cup captains ditch One Love arm band under FIFA pressure
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"You don't want the captain to start the match with a yellow card. "This is completely against the spirit of our sport, which unites millions of people," the KNVB said in a statement. According to FIFA rules, team equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images, and during FIFA Final Competitions, the captain of each team "must wear the captain’s armband provided by FIFA". Wales said the countries involved had been prepared to pay fines that would normally apply to breaches of kit regulations, but sporting sanctions had been a step too far. "As national federations, we can’t put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions including bookings, so we have asked the captains not to attempt to wear the armbands in FIFA World Cup games."

☆ Seven European World Cup captains ditch OneLove armband following FIFA pressure
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

FIFA has threatened to issue yellow cards to any player wearing the multi-coloured armband which was introduced to support diversity and inclusion. England captain Harry Kane spoke on Sunday of his desire to wear the armband in Monday's Group B opener against Iran. "I will not carry the confrontation created by FIFA onto the back of (Germany team captain) Manuel Neuer." FIFA launched its own captain's armband campaign ahead of the tournament to promote different causes for each round. According to FIFA rules, team equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images, and during FIFA Final Competitions, the captain of each team "must wear the captain's armband provided by FIFA".

☆ Dutch have more quality than 2014 squad, says Van Gaal
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Philip O'Connor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DOHA, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal said his side are keen to deliver like never before as they prepare for their World Cup opener against Senegal on Monday. "I believe that this group of players are well-connected to each other together, they work well together in a professional way, and I think that will always contribute to success," Van Gaal told a news conference on Sunday. "I think that we could become world champion, but there are squads that, in my view, are at a higher level than my squad ... so I'm saying we can become a world champion. Van Gaal was flanked by Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk, who will not have to face his former Liverpool team mate Sadio Mane in the opener. Van Dijk said his team were very much looking forward to the tournament getting underway.

HONG KONG, Nov 17 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Naspers (NPNJn.J) has a new Tencent (0700.HK) quandary. In June, they launched an open-ended plan to gradually sell Tencent shares and use the proceeds to repurchase stock in both companies. The problem, however, is that Tencent stock has underperformed that of Naspers and Prosus. Over the same period Naspers shares rose 6% while those of its Dutch subsidiary are down 19%. “The Naspers Board and Prosus Board reiterate their continued confidence in Tencent's long term prospects and continue to believe that the share repurchase programme is in the best interests of Prosus, Naspers and their respective shareholders," they said in a statement.

☆ Liverpool: After another Premier League defeat, what has gone wrong at Liverpool?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Aimee Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The team had won the League Cup and the FA Cup, was going toe-to-toe with Manchester City in the English Premier League, and had reached the Champions League final. Ultimately, two trophies went to Anfield instead of four, as Liverpool lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League and fell one point short in the league. For years, Liverpool has been the only team to challenge City for the league title – winning it in 2020 – yet this season Liverpool and City are worlds apart. ‘Liverpool being bullied’So, why is Liverpool struggling so badly in the league this season? “The Premier League is a really hard league to play in and is a long, difficult, sometimes physically and mentally, nine months for you.

☆ World Cup: UK foreign secretary under fire for saying LGBT soccer fans should be "respectful" at Qatar 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Amy Cassidy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly is receiving backlash for suggesting gay soccer fans should be “respectful” in Qatar when attending the FIFA World Cup set to take place in the Gulf Arab state later this year. “One of the things I would say to the football fans is you know, please do be respectful of the host nation. “Two football fans going as a couple can’t hold hands? Leon Neal/Getty ImagesOn Tuesday, British LGBTQ activist Peter Tatchell protested by himself outside the Qatar national museum ahead of the World Cup. Wearing the armband together on behalf of our teams will send a clear message when the world is watching.”

☆ Forest stun Liverpool, Manchester City and Everton get home wins
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Richard Martin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MANCHESTER, England, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Struggling Nottingham Forest pulled off a stunning 1-0 win over Liverpool to claim only their second victory of the season in the Premier League on Saturday, while champions Manchester City continued their chase of leaders Arsenal. Liverpool had gathered some momentum after a poor start to the season and arrived at the City Ground to face bottom club Forest on the back of consecutive league wins. Forest moved off the bottom with nine points and manager Steve Cooper said: "This is a big win but only a win. To win a game against someone like Liverpool, you need to have very good moments at both ends. Liverpool are seventh on 16 points after 11 matches, 11 behind leaders Arsenal, who visit Southampton on Sunday.

☆ Dutch name preliminary World Cup squad list
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AMSTERDAM, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal on Friday sprung some surprises as he named a 39-man preliminary squad for the World Cup in Qatar next month. Mitchel Bakker, Xavi Simons and Micky van de Ven were named for the first time while uncapped Sven Botman, Jeremie Frimpong and Pascal Struijk, who have received previous call-ups, were also included in a list dominated by nine players from Dutch champions Ajax Amsterdam. All World Cup-bound teams are required to select between 35 and 55 players in a preliminary list by Friday and it is from this list that they must make the final selection of 26 by 1800 GMT on Nov. 14. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe Dutch compete at the World Cup in Group A and start the tournament on Nov. 21 with a match against Senegal, followed by Ecuador and Qatar in the first round. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterWriting by Mark Gleeson in Cape TownOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Eight European countries to participate in diversity campaign during Qatar World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-21 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Ten European football teams – the Netherlands, England, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Wales – will participate in a season-long “OneLove” campaign promoting inclusion and opposing discrimination. With the OneLove band we express this message,” said Virgil van Dijk, the Netherlands captain. “I am honored to join my fellow national team captains in supporting the important OneLove campaign,” he said on Tuesday. “We continue to push for the principle of compensation for the families of migrant workers who have lost their lives or have been injured in construction projects,” the FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said. “Along with the other members of the UEFA Working Group on Human rights, we’re pushing FIFA for an update on the concept of a Migrant Workers’ Centre in Qatar, to provide advice and help for migrant workers.

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