Sportsnet.ca TFC takes care of business against Colorado in Champions League • Colorado Rapids 0, Toronto FC 0
• Toronto wins Champions League series 2-0 on aggregate
• TFC hosts 1st leg of quarter-finals versus Tigres next Wednesday.
TORONTO – Champions take nothing for granted. That’s been the mantra of Toronto FC in the build-up to the 2018 Major League Soccer season.So, it wasn’t at all a surprise when Toronto’s starting lineup came out an hour before kickoff of Tuesday’s CONCACAF Champions League match versus the Colorado Rapids.TFC coach Greg Vanney opted to use the exact same “A team” as last week’s 2-0 road win in Colorado, a sign of just how serious he was taking the second leg of this Round of 16 series, even with a two-goal advantage. Vanney could have rotated his squad, confident in the fact TFC was essentially through to the next round, while giving key starters some rest ahead of this weekend’s MLS season opener. Instead, he fielded the strongest side possible. Never let up…

Sportsnet.ca CONCACAF Gold Cup wil expand to 16 nations in 2019 MIAMI — The CONCACAF Gold Cup will expand from 12 nations to 16 for the next edition in 2019. The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football also said Monday it will explore holding the 2019 tournament outside of the United States, possibly with some games in Central America and the Caribbean. CONCACAF started the Gold Cup in 1991, and 11 of the 14 tournaments have been played entirely in the U.S. Two have been shared by the U.S. and Mexico, and one by the U.S. and Canada. The U.S. is the defending champion after winning its sixth regional title last year. Mexico has seven championships and Canada won in 2000. The 2019 tournament figures to be the first significant test for the next U.S. coach. Bruce Arena quit in October after the U.S. failed to qualify for this year’s World Cup, ending a streak of seven straight appearances in soccer’s showcase. CONCACAF said it will announce…

Football news - transfers, fixtures, scores, pictures | The Sun Manchester City stars fly home on private jet after Carabao Cup final win… but there are few fans to greet them MANCHESTER CITY players arrive back home after crushing Arsenal to win the Carabao Cup… but with barely a fan there to congratulate them.Blue barriers were set up at Manchester Airport in anticipation of supporters swarming to meet their heroes.Pep Guardiola walks through arrivals but without a fan there to congratulate himZenpix But for Pep Guardiola, Kevin De Bruyne and Co – who all wore matching black roll neck shirts with blue overcoats and grey trousers – their triumphant return was a quiet affair.Fan favourite and captain Vincent Kompany scored the second in yesterday’s 3-0 thrashing of Arsene Wenger’s sorry side.The Belgian, who has missed an astonishing 130 games for the club through injury, proudly wore his winners medal through arrivals alongside Leroy Sane.Yet it was Yaya Toure – who did not feature in …

Football news - transfers, fixtures, scores, pictures | The Sun When is the Carabao Cup final – Arsenal vs Man City, what TV channel and live stream is it on and what is the team news? ARSENAL face Premier League rivals Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final TODAY.City will be hoping to bounce back from their shock FA Cup dismissal by League One Wigan, while Arsene Wenger looks to lift the trophy for the very first time.Pep Guardiola and Arsene Wenger will be going head-to-head on the sidelinesRex Features What time is kick-off? THIS match will take place this Sunday, February 25.It will kick-off at 4.30pm.Wembley Stadium will host the showdown. Which TV channel is it on and can I live stream it? YOU can watch the action as it happens on Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event on TV and online for subscribers.Live coverage will start at 4pm.If you haven’t already, you can sign up to Sky TV here.Or if you don’t want a subscription, you can buy a Now TV Day Pass for as little as £…

Football news - transfers, fixtures, scores, pictures | The Sun Manchester United chiefs ‘increasingly annoyed with meddling’ Mino Raiola… who told Jose Mourinho where to play Paul Pogba “MEDDLING” Mino Raiola has annoyed Manchester United chiefs by telling Jose Mourinho where to play Paul Pogba, according to reports.The Times claims the superstar agent has seen his relationship with the Old Trafford club deteriorate since Mourinho dropped the £89million midfielder.Mino Raiola has reportedly angered Manchester United officialsGetty Pogba was left out of the starting XI for the third time in five matches for United’s 0-0 Champions League draw against Sevilla earlier this week.And it is believed Raiola, who counts Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Romelu Lukaku in his stable of players, took exception to Mourinho’s tactics.It is further reported that there are suggestions Raiola has been a “disruptive influence” at United’s Carrington training ground.More to follow. more info...

Sportsnet.ca Source: Toronto FC set to unveil Spanish midfielder Ager Aketxe Toronto FC has strengthened its midfield with the acquisition of Spaniard Ager Aketxe. The MLS champions have scheduled a news conference for Friday to announce a player signing. A source confirmed it was to unveil the former Athletic Bilbao midfielder. Aketxe becomes Toronto’s third major signing this season, joining Dutch international defender Gregory van der Wiel and Brazilian wingback Auro. Athletic Bilbao parted ways with Aketxe earlier this month, saying he was headed to Major League Soccer. The 24-year-old has made 12 appearances for Athletic Bilbao this season, but none since December. The former Spanish youth international spent last season on loan with second-division Cadiz. The left-footed Aketxe gives Toronto yet another dead ball specialist. Toronto kicks off its MLS regular season March 3 at home to the Columbus Crew. Next up is the Feb. 27 return leg of its CONCACAF Champions L…

Football news - transfers, fixtures, scores, pictures | The Sun David de Gea hailed by Manchester United legends for unbelievable save from Luis Muriel in Champions League game against Sevilla DAVID DE GEA was hailed by Manchester United legends for his stunning save from Luis Muriel.It left Paul Scholes in no doubt that the Spaniard is the best keeper in the world – while Rio Ferdinand celebrated like United had scored.David de Gea pulls off an incredible save from Luis Muriel’s headerREUTERS As the first half drew to a close, Colombian striker Muriel got away from United’s centre-backs as a cross came in from the right.But Muriel was left in disbelief after putting his header too close to De Gea, who flung out a right hand to claw it away.BT Sport pundit Scholes said: “He’s the best around, there’s no doubt about that. It’s a sensational save.“He must have saved the team so many points, he’s been the player of the season.”"He's outright the best goalkeeper in the world!"…

Football news - transfers, fixtures, scores, pictures | The Sun Shakhtar Donetsk vs Roma: TV channel, live stream, team news and kick-off time for the Champions League tie ROMA are preparing to face off against Shakhtar Donetsk in the knockout stages of the Champions League.Both sides managed to navigate through tough groups to reach the last-16.Edin Dzeko and his Roma team-mates travel to Shakhtar in the Champions League this weekAFP Roma finished above Chelsea to avoid Barcelona, instead landing a tie against the Ukrainians.Meanwhile, Shakhtar edged out Napoli to finish behind Manchester City in Group F.Both teams will be confident of progressing into the quarters.Here’s everything you need to know about the clash:Cengiz Under has scored four in his last three matches for RomaAFP What time is kick-off? The first-leg takes place on Wednesday, February 21.The Metalist Stadium will play host to the contest.It kicks-off at 7.45pm. LATEST FOOTBALL NEWS …

Latest Football News, Football Info, Sports News Updates - NDTVSports.com Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich: Five Key Duels In Blockbuster Clash Bayern Munich have turned things around since Carlo Ancelotti was sacked at the end of September. Borussia Dortmund, by contrast, have endured a disastrous few weeks. more info...

Latest Football News, Football Info, Sports News Updates - NDTVSports.com Lionel Messi As Great As Diego Maradona: Lothar Matthaus Germany's World Cup winning captain Lothar Matthaus prefers Lionel Messi's style of playing more than Cristiano Ronaldo. more info...

Sportsnet.ca Manchester United to play Brighton in FA Cup quarterfinals LONDON — Manchester United has been drawn against Brighton in the FA Cup quarterfinals. Last year’s beaten finalist, Chelsea, is paired with Leicester. Manchester City will face Southampton if the English Premier League leader defeats Wigan in their fifth-round match on Monday. The quarterfinals draw on Saturday: Sheffield Wednesday or Swansea vs. Rochdale or Tottenham Manchester United vs. Brighton Leicester vs. Chelsea Wigan or Manchester City vs. Southampton The matches are to be played over March 16-19. more info...

Sportsnet.ca Girona beats Leganes, continues to impress in Liga debut GIRONA, Spain — Girona continued to impress in its debut season in Spain’s first division by beating Leganes 3-0 for a fourth consecutive home win on Friday. Christian Stuani and Cristian "Portu" Portugues added to their team-leading goal tallies with strikes to decide the result before halftime. Stuani converted a penalty in the 23rd minute after Martin Mantovani used his hand to divert a cross destined for the Girona striker. Portu doubled the hosts’ advantage in the 36th after he led a solo counterattack and blasted the ball over goalkeeper Ivan Cuellar from a tight angle. Juan Ramirez claimed the last with a header at the end. Girona rose into eighth place, just two points from sixth place and the last of two Europa League spots. The goal was Stuani’s 13th, good for fourth in the league after Lionel Messi (20), Luis Suarez (16) and Celta Vigo’s Iago Aspas (15). Girona captain Eloi Am…

Latest Football News, Football Info, Sports News Updates - NDTVSports.com Invincible Pep Guardiola Ripping Up The Record Books Pep Guardiola takes his swaggering Manchester City side to the home of Italian league leaders Napoli on Wednesday knowing a win will guarantee qualification for the Champions League knockout stages with two games to spare. more info...

Football news - transfers, fixtures, scores, pictures | The Sun Tottenham to offer Mauricio Pochettino lucrative new deal as Real Madrid and PSG circle TOTTENHAM reportedly want to hand Mauricio Pochettino a big-money new deal to ward off interest from Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.The Spurs chief, 45, has caught the eye of Europe’s big guns after taking the Champions League by storm with a promising young squad.Mauricio Pochettino saw his side come back from two goals down against JuventusGetty - Contributor And the Daily Mail claims Poch will be offered a bumper contract as Daniel Levy looks to keep him for the foreseeable future.Tottenham are moving into their state-of-the-art new home next season and are hoping to usher in a new era for the club.But losing Pochettino – who is on around £5.5million per year – would be a huge blow to their ambitions.The Argie tactician signed his five-year contract in 2016 but has significantly increased in value since. Latest Tottenh…

Sportsnet.ca Champions League takeaways: A titanic tussle in Turin Here’s what happened in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, in case you missed it… READ ALL ABOUT IT • Juventus 2, Tottenham 2:Match report || Scoresheet
• Basel 0, Manchester City 4:Match report || Scoresheet WHAT STOOD OUT A titanic tussle in Turin
What looked like was going to be a complete whitewash after only a few minutes – and appeared as though the two-legged, round of 16 series was essentially over – turned out to be an incredibly entertaining affair between Juventus and Tottenham in Turin, setting up an enticing return match in London on March 7.The Serie A champions came out flying, with Gonzalo Higuain netting a brace in the opening nine minutes, including a sweet volley off a set piece that Spurs looked clueless in defending. Tottenham, though, would not be denied, as they quickly settled down and bossed the game in midfield, dominating possession, and taking advantage of Juventus uncharacteristically drop…

Sportsnet.ca Deportivo loses in new coach Clarence Seedorf’s debut MADRID — Former Netherlands midfielder Clarence Seedorf made a losing start to his latest coaching role when Deportivo La Coruna was beaten 1-0 by Real Betis on Monday. Deportivo, which has now gone eight matches without a win, dropped further into the relegation zone. Seedorf wasn’t able to bring much of an improvement and his team was jeered off at the end by the home crowd. "It’s normal. The players have to be able to accept the criticism," Seedorf said. "We have to look at the things that we did well. We were well organized and showed our competitiveness. "It was a difficult match against a team that plays very well. Everybody is disappointed with the result but we are convinced that things have changed." It was Deportivo’s sixth loss in eight games, leaving the club second from bottom in the standings with 17 points from 23 matches, three points from safety. "I thi…

Sportsnet.ca Inter ends 2-month winless streak by beating 9-man Bologna MILAN — Inter Milan ended a two-month winless streak in Serie A with a 2-1 win at home to nine-man Bologna on Sunday, thanks to teenager Yann Karamoh.Former Inter forward Rodrigo Palacio canceled out Eder’s opener but the 19-year-old Karamoh scored a fine solo goal before Bologna defender Ibrahima Mbaye was sent off.Adam Masina was also shown a straight red in stoppages for a terrible tackle on Inter debutant Lisandro Lopez.It was Inter’s first league win since Dec. 3 and saw the Nerazzurri move third in the table, a point above Roma, which leapfrogged Lazio after a 5-2 win over bottom side Benevento. Inter, which had been top before its disastrous run, is 14 points behind second-placed Juventus.“After a period of crisis we had a sort of duty to invert the trend, to continue our path to the Champions League,” Inter coach Luciano Spalletti said. “We had a really great first half of the season but that didn’t mean tha…

Latest Football News, Football Info, Sports News Updates - NDTVSports.com U-17 WC: Abel Ruiz Strikes Twice As Spain Beat Mali To Enter Final Spain has entered the final of the FIFA U-17 World Cup for the fourth time and their first appearance in the title clash after 2007. more info...

Latest Football News, Football Info, Sports News Updates - NDTVSports.com FIFA U-17 World Cup: Rhian Brewster Blasts Brazil To Put England In Final Liverpool player Rhian Brewster scored a second hat-trick to send England into their first Under-17 World Cup final. more info...

Sportsnet.ca Coutinho scores as Barcelona reach 5th straight Copa final MADRID — Another year, another Copa del Rey final for Barcelona. Philippe Coutinho scored his first goal since leaving Liverpool as Barcelona defeated Valencia 2-0 Thursday to reach the Copa final for the fifth straight season. Ivan Rakitic also scored in the second leg of the semifinals, giving Barcelona a 3-0 win on aggregate after a 1-0 victory in the opener at Camp Nou Stadium. The three-time defending champions next face Sevilla in a repeat of the 2016 final. Sevilla eliminated Leganes 3-1 on aggregate on Wednesday. "It’s not an easy feat to make it to the final this many times in a row," Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said. "We knew it wasn’t going to be easy." Valencia posed a tough challenge for Barcelona, creating some significant scoring chances at Mestalla Stadium, but the visitors opened the scoring in the 49th minute after Luis Suarez raced past a defender inside …

Sportsnet.ca Lamela’s 1st goal in 17 months helps Tottenham win in FA Cup LONDON — Erik Lamela scored his first goal in 17 injury-troubled months to help Tottenham reach the fifth round of the FA Cup with a 2-0 victory over fourth-tier side Newport on Wednesday. The south Wales club held Tottenham to a 1-1 draw at home 10 days ago but it was outclassed in the replay at Wembley Stadium. Lamela’s close-range finish in the 34th minute came after an own goal from Dan Butler. Tottenham, which hasn’t won a trophy since the 2008 League Cup, will next face third-tier northern English side Rochdale in the FA Cup. more info...