Soccer

América reached the Apertura 2024 semifinals by eliminating Toluca with a 4-0 aggregate score, keeping their dream of becoming the first three-time champions in Liga MX short tournament history alive. In the first half, the “Águilas” gave up possession to Toluca, but the home team failed to capitalize on their chances. In the second half, an own goal by Marcel Ruiz in the 49th minute and a strike by Henry Martín in the 62nd sealed América’s victory. With this result, América will face Cruz Azul in the semifinals, setting up a new edition of the “Clásico Joven.”  Also of interest: Rayados edged Pumas in the first leg of the Liga MX quarterfinals Foto de portada: X(@ClubAmerica)

Rayados won 1-0 against Pumas in the first leg of the Apertura 2024 quarterfinals, with a penalty goal by Sergio Canales in the 89th minute. The match was difficult for the “regios” as Pumas defended with a low block, limiting goal-scoring opportunities during the first half. In the second half, a goal by Jesús Manuel Corona was ruled out for offside, and despite offensive changes by Rayados, the goal finally came at the end from a penalty due to a handball by Paulo Bennevendo inside the area. With this result, Rayados has the advantage for the return leg, where a draw or a victory will guarantee their qualification to the semifinals.  Also of interest: Surprise in the Liguilla! Atlético de San Luis thrashes Tigres and moves closer to the semifinals Foto de portada: X(@LigaBBVAMX)  

Tigres is on the brink of an early elimination from the Liguilla after being thrashed 3-0 by Atlético de San Luis. Joaquim opened the scoring with an own goal in the 35th minute. In the second half, San Luis took advantage of the spaces, and after a fast break from Vitinho, Leo Bonatini scored the second. To close the match, Vitinho sealed the 3-0 victory after a great collective play. With this result, Tigres must beat San Luis by at least 3 goals if they hope to qualify for the next round. The return leg will be tomorrow, Sunday, December 1, at the Estadio Universitario.  Also of interest: América takes a big step towards the Liga MX semifinals after defeating Toluca Foto de portada: X(@LigaBBVAMX)

Barcelona celebrated their 125th anniversary with a thrilling victory over Real Madrid in a Legends Clásico, winning 4-2 on penalties after a 2-2 draw. Ronaldinho stole the show with a stunning free-kick goal, bringing nostalgia and magic to a game filled with legendary moments. FC Barcelona secured yet another Clásico victory, adding to their recent streak of wins against their Madrid rivals. This time, it was in a legends match honoring the Blaugrana’s 125 years of history. Following a 2-2 draw, the Catalan side triumphed over Real Madrid in a penalty shootout, 4-2. The victory adds to the successes achieved by both the men’s and women’s Barcelona teams in their respective encounters with Real Madrid this season.     The game, held at the Khalifa Stadium in Doha, Qatar, featured legendary players from both clubs, filling the field with the magic and quality these football icons are known for. The Lineups Barcelona’s lineup included: Vítor Baía; Fernando Navarro, De Boer, Abidal, Sorín; Trashorras, Mendieta; Giuly, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, and Villa.     Real Madrid fielded: Buyo; Núñez, Pavón, Fernando Sanz, Raúl Bravo; Milla, Seedorf, Figo, Savio, Amavisca; Congo. Ronaldinho’s Timeless Magic Barcelona opened the scoring in the 8th minute with a goal from Juampi Sorín. The second goal came from none other than Ronaldinho, whose brilliance defies time. The Brazilian legend delivered a spectacular free-kick, curling the ball into the top right corner. His iconic smile lit up the stadium as fans celebrated the breathtaking goal.     Real Madrid wasn’t about to be overshadowed, responding with a goal from Portuguese star Luís Figo, who scored with a precise cross-shot in the 58th minute. Edwin Congo equalized shortly after, capitalizing on a defensive error from Barcelona to make it 2-2. You may be interested in: El Clásico es blaugrana, Barcelona le pasó por encima al Real Madrid     Barcelona Prevails in Penalties To delight the crowd eager for a winner, Barcelona edged out Real Madrid in the penalty shootout, winning 4-2. While Barcelona claimed the victory, the true winners were the fans, who had the rare opportunity to witness these football legends grace the pitch once again. Cover photo: X (@10Ronaldinho)  

La FIFA presentó los nominados a los premios The Best 2024 donde destaca la presencia de Messi, Haaland y Mbappé. Por primera vez los aficionados podrán votar por el 11 ideal masculino y femenino del 2024. La FIFA ya anunció a todos los nominados de las diferentes categorías en los The Best FIFA Football Awards 2024. Estos galardones reconocen a lo mejor del futbol del presente año, el mejor futbolista masculino y femenina, el mejor entrenador del futbol masculino y del futbol femenino, y al mejor guardameta en las categoría varonil y femenil. La gran novedad de esta edición de los premios The Best, será que los fanáticos podrán votar por su jugador o jugadora favoritos, donde su voto, tendrá el mismo valor que el de los entrenadores nacionales y los medios de comunicación. Además de que por primera vez podrán votar por los integrantes del once ideal masculino y femenino. A continuación, te presentaremos a los nominados de todos los premios Los nominados al mejor jugador masculino Dentro de esta lista, destaca la presencia de Lionel Messi, el anterior ganador de este galardón, además de la presencia de Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé y el recién ganador del Balón de Oro, Rodri. Dani Carvajal (España, Real Madrid) Erling Haaland (Noruega, Manchester City) Federico Valverde (Uruguay, Real Madrid) Florian Wirtz (Alemania, Bayer Leverkusen) Jude Bellingham (Inglaterra, Real Madrid) Kylian Mbappé (Francia, PSG-Real Madrid) Lamine Yamal (España, Barcelona) Lionel Messi (Argentina, Inter Miami) Rodri (España, Manchester City) Toni Kroos (Alemania, Real Madrid) Vinícius Jr. (Brasil, Real Madrid) Las candidatas a ser la mejor del año Para este apartado, la clara favorita es la blaugrana Aitana Bonmatí, pues viene de ganar el recién Balón de Oro. De igual forma, el Barcelona tienen posibilidades de tener a una ganadora con Caroline Graham, Ona Batlle. Aitana Bonmatí (España, Barcelona) Barbra Banda (Zambia, Shanghái Shengli-Orlando Pride) Caroline Graham Hansen (Noruega, Barcelona) Keira Walsh (Inglaterra, Barcelona) Khadija Shaw (Jamaica, Manchester City) Lauren Hemp (Inglaterra, Manchester City) Lindsey Horan (Estados Unidos, Olympique de Lyon) Lucy Bronze (Inglaterra, Barcelona-Chelsea) Mallory Swanson (Estados Unidos, Chicago Red Stars) Mariona Caldentey (España, Barcelona-Arsenal) Naomi Girma (Estados Unidos, San Diego Wave) Ona Batlle (España, Barcelona) Salma Paralluelo (España, Barcelona) Sophia Smith (Estados Unidos, Portland Thorns) Tabitha Chawinga (Malaui, PSG-Olympique de Lyon) Trinity Rodman (Estados Unidos, Washington Spirit) Los mejores estrategas del año Sin duda tendremos un enfrentamiento de estrategas muy interesantes. Carlo Ancelotti es candidato gracias a llevar al Real Madrid a ganar la Champions League y LaLiga, Pep Guardiola es otro candidato fuerte por su título de Premier League. El “caballo negro”, como su equipo, podría ser Xabi Alonso, quien guio al Leverkusen a ganar la Bundesliga y la Copa de Alemania. Carlo Ancelotti (Italia, Real Madrid) Lionel Scaloni (Argentina, Selección de Argentina) Luis de la Fuente (España, Selección de España) Pep Guardiola (España, Manchester City) Xabi Alonso (España, Bayer Leverkusen) Pasando al futbol femenil, los claros contendientes son Emma Hayes y Jonatan Giráldez Arthur Elias (Brasil, Selección de Brasil) Elena Sadiku (Suecia, Celtic) Emma Hayes (Inglaterra, Chelsea-Estados Unidos) Futoshi Ikeda (Japón, Selección de Japón) Gareth Taylor (Inglaterra, Manchester City) Jonatan Giráldez (España, Barcelona-Washington Spirit) Sandrine Soubeyrand (Francia, París FC) Sonia Bompastor (Francia, Olympique de Lyon-Chelsea) Los mejores salvadores del año Andriy Lunin (Ucrania, Real Madrid) David Raya (España, Arsenal) Ederson (Brasil, Manchester City) Emiliano Martínez (Argentina, Aston Villa) Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italia, PSG) Mike Maignan (Francia, AC Milán) Unai Simón (España, Athletic Club) En el apartado femenil, estas son las nominadas Alyssa Naeher (Estados Unidos, Chicago Red Stars) Ann-Katrin Berger (Alemania, Chelsea-NJ-NY Gotham) Ayaka Yamashita (Japón, INAC Kobe Leonessa-Manchester City) Cata Coll (España, Barcelona) Mary Earps (Inglaterra, Manchester United-PSG) Las votaciones se cerrarán el próximo 10 de diciembre. Así mismo estas, premiaciones contarán con el Premio Puskás y la otra novedad del certamen el Premio Marta, que reconocerá al mejor gol del futbol femenino. Foto portada: X (@FCBarcelona)

FIFA has revealed the nominees for The Best FIFA Football Awards 2024, highlighting stars like Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappé. For the first time, fans can vote for the Men’s and Women’s World XI of the year. The announcement includes nominees across various categories, recognizing the year’s top achievements in football: the Best Men’s and Women’s Players, Coaches, and Goalkeepers. A significant update to this year’s awards is that fans’ votes will carry the same weight as national team coaches and media votes. Additionally, fans can now vote for their picks in the Men’s and Women’s World XI for the first time.     Men’s Player of the Year Nominees Lionel Messi, the previous winner, headlines the nominees alongside Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, and Ballon d’Or winner Rodri. Dani Carvajal (Spain, Real Madrid) Erling Haaland (Norway, Manchester City) Federico Valverde (Uruguay, Real Madrid) Florian Wirtz (Germany, Bayer Leverkusen) Jude Bellingham (England, Real Madrid) Kylian Mbappé (France, PSG-Real Madrid) Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona) Lionel Messi (Argentina, Inter Miami) Rodri (Spain, Manchester City) Toni Kroos (Germany, Real Madrid) Vinícius Jr. (Brazil, Real Madrid)   Women’s Player of the Year Nominees Aitana Bonmatí of Barcelona, the Ballon d’Or winner, is a strong favorite. Barcelona’s Caroline Graham Hansen and Ona Batlle also feature prominently. Aitana Bonmatí (Spain, Barcelona) Barbra Banda (Zambia, Shanghai Shengli-Orlando Pride) Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway, Barcelona) Keira Walsh (England, Barcelona) Khadija Shaw (Jamaica, Manchester City) Lauren Hemp (England, Manchester City) Lindsey Horan (USA, Olympique Lyon) Lucy Bronze (England, Barcelona-Chelsea) Mallory Swanson (USA, Chicago Red Stars) Mariona Caldentey (Spain, Barcelona-Arsenal) Naomi Girma (USA, San Diego Wave) Ona Batlle (Spain, Barcelona) Salma Paralluelo (Spain, Barcelona) Sophia Smith (USA, Portland Thorns) Tabitha Chawinga (Malawi, PSG-Olympique Lyon) Trinity Rodman (USA, Washington Spirit) Coaches of the Year Men’s Football A competitive race sees Carlo Ancelotti (Real Madrid) and Pep Guardiola (Manchester City) among the frontrunners, with Xabi Alonso (Bayer Leverkusen) as a dark horse. Carlo Ancelotti (Italy, Real Madrid) Lionel Scaloni (Argentina, Argentina National Team) Luis de la Fuente (Spain, Spain National Team) Pep Guardiola (Spain, Manchester City) Xabi Alonso (Spain, Bayer Leverkusen) Women’s Football Emma Hayes (Chelsea) and Jonatan Giráldez (Barcelona) are top contenders. Arthur Elias (Brazil, Brazil National Team) Elena Sadiku (Sweden, Celtic) Emma Hayes (England, Chelsea-USA) Futoshi Ikeda (Japan, Japan National Team) Gareth Taylor (England, Manchester City) Jonatan Giráldez (Spain, Barcelona-Washington Spirit) Sandrine Soubeyrand (France, Paris FC) Sonia Bompastor (France, Olympique Lyon-Chelsea)     Goalkeepers of the Year Men’s Football Andriy Lunin (Ukraine, Real Madrid) David Raya (Spain, Arsenal) Ederson (Brazil, Manchester City) Emiliano Martínez (Argentina, Aston Villa) Gianluigi Donnarumma (Italy, PSG) Mike Maignan (France, AC Milan) Unai Simón (Spain, Athletic Club) Women’s Football Alyssa Naeher (USA, Chicago Red Stars) Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany, Chelsea-NJ/NY Gotham) Ayaka Yamashita (Japan, INAC Kobe Leonessa-Manchester City) Cata Coll (Spain, Barcelona) Mary Earps (England, Manchester United-PSG) Voting closes on December 10. The event will also feature the Puskás Award and the newly introduced Marta Award, recognizing the best goal in women’s football. Cover photo: X (@FCBarcelona)

Matchday 5 of the UEFA Europa League saw Lazio, Athletic Bilbao, and Eintracht Frankfurt leading the standings with 13 points. Tottenham slipped to ninth place, Manchester United climbed the table, while Roma and Porto face playoff challenges. The UEFA Europa League, the other face of European football, wrapped up its Matchday 5 action. With the latest results, Lazio retained the top spot for the second consecutive week, holding the lead on goal difference. Athletic Bilbao and Eintracht Frankfurt closely follow, completing the Top 3 of the overall standings. All three teams boast 13 points, but Lazio holds a +9 goal difference, Athletic sits at +7, and the German side at +5.     Direct Qualification Spots Rounding out the top eight, which qualify directly for the Round of 16, are Galatasaray and Anderlecht in fourth and fifth, respectively, both with 11 points. Ajax, Lyon, and Rangers, all with 10 points, occupy the sixth through eighth positions in that order.   You may be interested in: https://titansports.mx/after-five-matchdays-the-champions-league-standings-begin-to-take-shape/ Shifts in the Playoff Positions In the 16 playoff spots, teams are battling for a chance to advance to the Round of 16. Leading this group is Tottenham, a team that just three matchdays ago topped the overall standings. However, due to a loss and a draw in their last two games, they have fallen to ninth place.     Climbing steadily are the “Red Devils.” Manchester United remains undefeated in the tournament, with two consecutive wins and three earlier draws placing them in 12th position.     Toward the lower playoff spots, two teams stand out for their struggles. Roma, with only one win and three draws, sits in 21st place with six points. Similarly, Porto, with one win and two draws, has accumulated just five points, leaving them in 23rd place in the competition. Cover photo: (@EuropaLeague)

América defeated Toluca 2-0 in the first leg of the Apertura 2024 quarterfinals, with a brace from Rodrigo Aguirre. Despite the advantage, Toluca can still advance if they equalize the aggregate score.  The Apertura 2024 tournament’s playoff began with a thrilling match between two of the top five clubs in Mexican football: América and Toluca. The home team dominated and secured a 2-0 victory, moving them one step closer to the semifinals of Liga MX.  Here’s how América defeated Toluca In the first half, América controlled the game, making Tiago Volpi, Toluca’s goalkeeper, the standout figure after several crucial saves. Despite creating several chances, the home team was unable to score until the 28th minute, when a goal was ruled out for offside, leaving the score 0-0 at halftime.  In the second half, América continued to dominate, with Rodrigo Aguirre converting their chances. First, he scored a header in the 66th minute, and then in the 82nd minute, he netted his second goal of the match, securing the victory for the “Águilas.”  Also interested: What about the top seed? Cruz Azul was thrashed by Xolos in the first leg of the Liga MX quarterfinals With this result, América heads into the second leg with an advantage, but Toluca still has the chance to come back, needing only to equalize the aggregate score to advance, thanks to their position in the standings. This is not out of the question, as in the regular season, Toluca defeated the “Águilas” 4-0 at Estadio Nemesio Díez.

After five Champions League matchdays, Liverpool leads with a perfect record, followed by Inter, Barcelona, and Dortmund. In contrast, major teams like Manchester City, Juventus, Real Madrid, and PSG are facing significant drops in the standings. Another round of UEFA Champions League action has come to an end, bringing notable shifts in the overall competition standings. After five matchdays, Liverpool’s flawless run stands out, along with Inter’s consistency and the repositioning of Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, and Bayer Leverkusen among the top spots. Meanwhile, teams like Manchester City, Juventus, and Real Madrid suffered setbacks.     The Top of the Table The top eight teams, which secure direct qualification to the Round of 16, include the aforementioned super-leader Liverpool. Behind them is the tournament’s other undefeated team, Inter, with 13 points. Barcelona and Dortmund are in third and fourth places with 12 points each. In fifth place, the surprise of the season, Atalanta, holds 11 points. Completing these spots, Bayer Leverkusen, Arsenal, and Monaco occupy sixth, seventh, and eighth places respectively, each with 10 points.     Teams Reclaiming Momentum In the middle of the standings, within the 16 playoff-qualifying positions, are clubs that have begun to pick up points and now pose a threat to the leaders. Bayern Munich sits in 13th place with 9 points, just behind Aston Villa, Sporting Lisbon, Stade Brestois, and LOSC Lille, all of whom have 10 points.     Other teams regaining their footing include Atlético Madrid and AC Milan, who are in 15th and 16th places respectively. You may be interested in: https://titansports.mx/liverpool-easily-beat-real-madrid-to-remain-leaders-in-the-champions-league/ Struggling Giants This new Champions League format has, so far, resulted in the decline of four major clubs. Manchester City has recorded a loss and a draw in their last two games, along with another draw in their opening match, leaving them in 17th place with 8 points. Further back, Juventus occupies 19th place, also with 8 points, but with a worse goal difference than City and PSV, having managed two draws and a loss in their last three matches.     Lower down are the real surprises. In the last spot for playoff contention, 24th place, is Real Madrid, with only 4 points after three losses and a draw in their last four games. Below them, in 25th place and out of contention for the next round, is PSG, who also have just 4 points but with a -3 goal difference. Cover photo: (@Inter)