Man United goalie Onana defends Garnacho over social media post
Manchester, Oct 27: Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has defended teammate Alejandro Garnacho after the winger used gorilla emojis in a social media post about him. The 19-year-old Argentina international posted a photo of players congratulating Onana for stopping a penalty late in United’s 1-0 win over Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday. Garnacho used two gorilla emojis above the photo in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. It was then deleted. Onana, who is Black, wrote on his Instagram Story that he understood what Garnacho meant. “People cannot choose what I should be offended by,” the Cameroon international wrote on Thursday. “I know exactly what (Garnacho) meant: power & strength. This matter should go no further.” The Football Association could still take action, however. Onana also posted a photo of himself and Garnacho hugging, and he added two fist-bumping emojis. (AP)
Messi named as a finalist for MLS
Newcomer of the Year award
New York, Oct 27: Lionel Messi of Inter Miami CF is a finalist for Major League Soccer’s newcomer of the year. The league announced those up for its year-end awards Thursday with the winners being named throughout the MLS Cup Playoffs. It is no surprise that Messi, Argentina’s great who joined Inter Miami this summer, would be up for the honour. The global great has created a sensation since coming to play in the United States’ top football league. He has posted 11 goals and eight assists since joining Miami for the MLS Leagues Cup competition in July. Giorgos Giakoumakis of Atlanta United and Eduard Löwen of St. Louis City SC are the other finalists for the award, which the league defined as a player with previous professional experience who made his MLS debut in 2023. The finalists for the MLS most valuable player award are FC Cincinnati midfielder Luciano “Lucho” Acosta, Atlanta United midfielder Thiago Almada and Los Angeles Football Club forward Dénis Bouanga. Those up for coach of the year are Bradley Carnell of St. Louis City SC, Pat Noonan of FC Cincinnati and Wilfried Nancy of Columbus. (AP)
Newcastle in limbo on Sandro Tonali, as midfielder banned for 10 months
Newcastle, Oct 27: Newcastle says it is “in limbo” over the status of Sandro Tonali. The midfielder was banned for 10 months by the Italian football federation for betting violations, but Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said Friday that Tonali could still play this weekend. “There’s a high chance again that he could be available for us,” Howe said ahead of Saturday’s game at Wolverhampton. “I still think there’s a few things that have to happen before the ban is imposed.” The Italian federation said Thursday that Tonali was given a ban that seemingly would rule him out of the rest of the Premier League season as well as next year’s European Championship should Italy qualify. “We haven’t had official confirmation as a football club yet,” Howe said. “We’ve heard the news, sort of the speculation statement, but we haven’t had anything from the Italian authorities at the moment, so we’re sort of in limbo really, waiting for that official confirmation to come through.” The 23-year-old Tonali, who became the second player suspended in the widening case, agreed to a plea bargain with the federation that included therapy for a gambling addiction. It’s also unclear if Tonali will be able to train with Newcastle during the ban. (AP)
Neuer set to return for Bayern 10 months after breaking his leg skiing
MUNICH, Oct 27: Bayern Munich goalkeeper and captain Manuel Neuer is in line to play Saturday for the first time since breaking his leg skiing last year, coach Thomas Tuchel said Friday. Neuer last played at the World Cup in Qatar on December 1 as Germany was eliminated in the group stage. The following week, he broke his lower leg while on vacation. Tuchel said that Neuer will play against Darmstadt “if nothing happens in training.” He added that the long recovery from injury had been a test of Neuer’s character and that “I am sure that he will get very quickly into the rhythm where he is at his best.” Bayern signed Yann Sommer as cover for Neuer but let him leave for Inter Milan. (AP)
India draw 3-3 with Pakistan
in Sultan of Johor Cup hockey
Johor Bahru (Malaysia), Oct 27: Defending champions India came from behind twice to hold arch-rivals Pakistan to a 3-3 draw in a thrilling opening match of the Sultan of Johor Cup junior men’s hockey tournament here on Friday. Goals from Amandeep Lakra (30th minute), Aditya Arjun Lalage (56th) and Uttam Singh (59’th) ensured a point for India after Arbaz Ahmad (31st, 58th) and Abdul Shahid (49th) scored for Pakistan. Both the teams lived up to the billing in the opening match of the tournament, considered as a litmus test for all participating sides ahead of the forthcoming men’s Junior World Cup to be held in Malaysia this December. (PTI)