Igor Tudor has been handed a huge boost ahead of Tottenham’s UEFA Champions League last 16 second leg clash with Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night.
As is customary for European games, the media are invited to watch 15 minutes of open training ahead of the clash and two players have been spotted back in training as Spurs look to overturn a 5-2 deficit from their first leg meeting.
Lucas Bergvall was seen training with his teammates having been out of action with an ankle injury since the middle of January. He had not been expected to be back in acrtion until after the March international break, so it is a huge boost to an ailing Spurs squad.
Not only that but club captain Cristian Romero was also on the grass training with the first team in a huge boost after suffering a head injury in the first leg with Atletico.
And the good news came in threes as there was also a return to the training pitch for Destiny Udogie, who has been out for the last five weeks with a hamstring injury. Tudor will hope to be able to call upon all three for the clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Tottenham have already made strides to improve their defensive options this summer, but Portal do Gremista reports that the Lilywhites are back in for another player in the defence.
Even with those signings in the backline, Tottenham appear to be lining up another defender, but one for the future.
Tottenham Want Defender Viery
Jorge Silva Via Reuters
Another defender on Tottenham’s radar this summer is Gremio star Viery, a young defender who is capable of playing as both a centre-back, and a left-back.
Portal do Gremista claims that Spurs have joined the race for the 21-year-old, alongside several top clubs in the Premier League and others in Europe.
Newcastle, Brighton, Nottingham Forest, and Sunderland are claimed to be in the race from England, while Roma, Juventus and Fiorentina have also been monitoring a move from the continent.
Scouts from those clubs have been watching the defender intently, with Gremio understanding that there is likely to be a battle over the star’s signature.
Newcastle and Fiorentina are claimed to have bids in the region of €12 million (£10.3 million) rejected, with a potential bidding war on the cards for those involved.
A move for Viery could prove to be an impressive one, if the young defender goes on to impress in the Premier League for Tottenham.
That said, it brings up the obvious question surrounding where he would be in the team’s pecking order, and what role he would exactly fill for the future.
If the 21-year-old is viewed as an option for the long-term, then he will have a lot of quality players ahead of him, if as expected, the centre-back ranks include the likes of Micky van de Ven, Kevin Danso, Luka Vuskovic, Senesi, and Van Hecke.
Tottenham are one of the busiest clubs ahead of the opening of the summer transfer window
If he takes up the role of promising youngster on the fringes, then it brings up doubts over Vuskovic’s future, amid links with a potential exit.
The Croatia international is keen on game time moving forward, and adding another centre-back into the conversation may only restrict either player’s chances further.
The United States of America will open their 2026 World Cup campaign with a clash against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Friday. However, Donald Trump will not be present for the match or the opening ceremony.
Mexico opened up the competition with a 2-0 victory against South Africa on Thursday night, holding their own opening ceremony before kick-off. Canada, the other co-hosts of the sporting pinnacle, will have the likes of Michael Buble and Alanis Morissette performing at their ceremony before they face Bosnia.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be in attendance for the United States’ first match at the 48-team tournament. While Paraguay president Santiago Pena will be at the event in California, his American counterpart won’t be there.
Donald Trump’s Reason For Missing US Match
There is a reason for the President’s absence. While football supporters will think the World Cup is the most important sporting event this weekend, UFC fans will strongly disagree.
UFC Freedom 250 will be held at the White House on Sunday 14 June, and Trump is expected to be in attendance. The event, which will take place on the South Lawn, will see championship fights mark 250 years of American independence.
Not only that, but it’s a big day for Trump personally, as he’ll be celebrating his 80th birthday. His responsibilities at the White House showcase are expected to keep him in Washington, D.C., according to The Athletic (per the Metro).
Run-throughs are set to begin on Friday, so the USA vs Paraguay fixture just happens to land on a bad day for the President. It remains to be seen if he will make an appearance in support of Mauricio Pochettino and his players further down the line.
Donald Trump to Present the World Cup Trophy
There appears to be no question about whether Trump will attend the World Cup final on July 19. FIFA boss Gianni Infantino handed out the role of co-presenting the winning team with the iconic trophy. He said (per USA Today):
“This trophy will be handed out on the 19th of July to the captain of the team who will win the World Cup.
“I will give it together with the President of the United States, the host country. Nobody can touch this trophy.”
Donald Trump and the United States are reportedly going against World Cup rules before a ball has been kicked.
He may not be showing up for the opening day in his country, but the 79-year-old has been heavily involved in the build-up to the sporting event. Trump has caused controversy with his travel ban list and war against Iran, who are participating in the competition. He’ll be keeping an eye out on how the on-pitch action unfolds as he claimed the USMNT can secure the trophy for the first time ever.
A damning report has revealed what happened inside the San Antonio Spurs’ locker room after their stunning Game 4 collapse against the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals on Wednesday night. Madison Square Garden had never witnessed a comeback quite like the Knicks’ 107-106 victory, and much of the attention since has centred on how the beaten Spurs have responded to such a crushing defeat.
Early in the contest, New York trailed San Antonio by 29 points before pulling off the largest comeback in NBA Finals history. Mike Brown’s side have made a habit of defying the odds, having already overturned double-digit deficits in each of the first three games of the series. They also erased a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals and battled back from multiple 20-point holes against the Boston Celtics in last year’s playoffs.
The Knicks are now just one win away from their first NBA title in 53 years, riding a wave of belief and momentum after an almost unimaginable victory. They will have the opportunity to wrap up the championship in San Antonio on Saturday night.
Inside Details of San Antonio Spurs’ Dressing Room After Game 4 Collapse
Brad Penner via IMAGN Images
For Spurs, however, the defeat was a bitter pill to swallow. Not only did they let a commanding lead slip through their fingers, but they also missed the chance to move within touching distance of winning a title on home court. Unsurprisingly, the fallout has been significant, with a new report from NBC News revealing what went down in the dressing room afterwards. It wrote:
“Back in their locker room, there was nothing but silence, players looking at their phones or staring off into space. They were trying to process what had just happened, too. The comeback had been as much about what the Spurs had done wrong as the Knicks had done right. ‘We gave this one up,’ Spurs forward Keldon Johnson said. ‘It hurts.'”
The Spurs offense, as a reference point for the idea that they ‘gave up’, only mustered 30 points in the second half. “Stopped moving the ball,” San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama said. “Stopped executing.” With 1:47 left, he had actually gone to the free throw line, with the Spurs clinging to a 1-point lead.
Spurs’ main man has reacted to the history-making collapse and he’s been honest in his reflection.
The crowd attempted to bother the 22-year-old. They had done the same thing in Game 3, with Stephon Castle at the line, and he had calmly sunk both free throws. This time, Wembanyama missed them both. “What was going through my mind? Same thing as always,” Wembanyama said. “It’s just a shot. You might work on your form for hours and hours. At the end of the day, it’s just a shot, so you need to shoot it the normal way.”
The Spurs still had a 1-point lead with 13.5 seconds left when Brunson missed a shot and the rebound happened to ricochet out to the Spurs’ De’Aaron Fox, who was ahead of the pack and racing the other way. Fox went for a layup, and was blocked by Anunoby, who had sprinted back into the play. “[We] hadn’t scored,” Fox said. “Tried to get a layup to get up three, force them to hit a three, and OG made a good block.”
Wembanyama Targeted For Intense Criticism As NYC Bedlam Ensues
A brutal night for Wembanyama continued even after he returned to his hotel on Wednesday, as he was pelted with boos from jeering Knicks fans and nearly struck by a flying egg, according to ESPN. A video shared online showed at least one egg tossed in the direction of the San Antonio Spurs superstar as he entered his hotel, flanked by security.
Meanwhile, the Knicks’ historic victory prompted scenes of bedlam and jubilation across New York City, as ecstatic fans packed the streets, set off fireworks, scaled lampposts and at times clashed with police. According to the New York Police Department, 56 people were taken into custody for charges that ranged from assault to disorderly conduct.
“Once again, there were large crowds of people who engaged in incredibly reckless and dangerous behavior last night both during and after the game,” the police department said in a statement.
