Sports
Pele Named England Genius with ‘Skills of a Brazilian’ – He Started at Only 1 World Cup
Pele summed up Brazil’s famous ‘Ginga’ style perfectly by explaining that “the head talks to the heart and the heart talks to the feet”. It is a description that captures the spellbinding way the legendary forward played the game, especially during his unforgettable performances at the 1970 World Cup.
England have also produced several thrilling attacking players who entertained crowds with their flair. Stanley Matthews was among the most graceful dribblers the sport has seen and was a footballer Pele insisted “taught us how football should be played”.
Paul Gascoigne, John Barnes and Bobby Charlton were other England stars capable of lighting up a match with the ball at their feet. However, Pele believed one Englishman in particular possessed Brazilian-style flair, while also suggesting he needed to look to Ronaldinho as an example of how to use those skills at the right moments.
Pele On Brazilian-esque England Star
Pele frequently made clear how much he admired the Premier League and claimed in 2016 that it was the “most important” league in the world. By then, England’s top division had fully grown into the global force fans recognise today, attracting the biggest audience of any league around the world.
A host of household names played their part in reshaping English football, including Eric Cantona, Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney and Kevin De Bruyne. There were also other gifted players who made a major impact during the “Barclays” era, particularly those operating in wide attacking roles.
Pele watched a number of Premier League matches in person before his death on December 29, 2022. The king of football was at Stamford Bridge in January 2006, where one Chelsea player stood out to him against Charlton Athletic. He told Sky Sports:
“The Number 10 for Chelsea, Joe Cole, is a very good player and when I saw him against Charlton he was excellent in the first half.”
Chelsea led 1-0 at the interval thanks to Eidur Gudjohnsen’s opening goal, but Joe Cole was the player who had really captured Pele’s attention. The London-born forward was midway through the third of his seven seasons at Stamford Bridge, and it proved to be the strongest campaign of his Chelsea career.
Cole played a starring role in Jose Mourinho’s side as they retained the Premier League title, while he was also named Chelsea’s Player of the Year. He had a remarkable range of tricks, but Pele warned that he had to use them wisely:
“He has the skills of a Brazilian but he needs to learn when to show the skills and when to play the simple game.”
Chelsea eventually drew 1-1 with Charlton after Ricardo Carvalho was sent off, and Pele believed Cole almost cost his team the result:
“In the second half, when the game was very close, he kept losing the ball because he was trying too hard and Chelsea nearly lost the game… The tricks are fine at 3-0 or 4-0 but not at 0-0 or 1-1. That’s why Ronaldinho is so good – he knows when to do the tricks and when to keep it simple.”
Those eye-catching displays across the 2005-06 season helped Cole earn a place in England’s squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was one of the Three Lions’ brighter performers in Germany, scoring a spectacular volley against Sweden, although that moment ultimately proved to be the peak of a slightly underwhelming international career.
Hasselbaink: Cole Wasn’t Appreciated Enough in England
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink shared a Chelsea dressing room with Cole for a year as his own time at Stamford Bridge was entering its final stages. The Dutch striker saw the English playmaker’s creativity first-hand and felt he deserved far more appreciation in his home country.
He told Sky Sports in November 2018 when Cole announced his retirement aged 37:
“I would have liked to have seen him playing more in England. I don’t think we appreciated him enough and now you are gagging for a player like him, to have that kind of creativity. You are missing somebody like him.”
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Joe Cole’s Career |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Team: |
England |
Chelsea |
West Ham |
LOSC Lille |
Liverpool |
Coventry |
Aston Villa |
|
Appearances: |
56 |
282 |
184 |
43 |
42 |
22 |
16 |
|
Goals: |
10 |
39 |
18 |
9 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
|
Assists: |
14 |
47 |
7 |
6 |
3 |
6 |
2 |
|
Major Trophies: |
0 |
8 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Cole’s only spell as a regular starter at a major international tournament came at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Outside of that competition, he was often left among the substitutes and used only sparingly across many of his 56 England appearances.
The former West Ham United favourite still had an excellent career, but injuries repeatedly disrupted his progress and may have stopped him from fully reaching his ceiling. Hasselbaink’s argument that England were “missing” a player of Cole’s type rang true for several years, although exciting talents such as Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka and Morgan Rogers have since come through.
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England World Cup Quiz
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Sports
Man Utd Waiting on Aurelien Tchouameni Decision at Real Madrid
Manchester United have been heavily linked with a move to sign Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni in the summer transfer window. GIVEMESPORT correspondent Ben Jacobs has now provided an update on the situation.
It is no secret that United are heavily pushing to bring in new midfield additions in the summer transfer window.
The Red Devils were linked with moves for both Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes, but they have now officially joined Manchester City and Tottenham, respectively.
It’s back to the drawing board for the Manchester club, but thankfully for them, they have a lengthy shortlist for the midfield position.
Tchouameni is one of the names potentially on their list, with Fabrizio Romano confirming he’s a dream target.
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Man Utd have made a formal offer.
Man Utd: Tchouameni Update
According to GIVEMESPORT correspondent Jacobs on the Market Madness podcast, Tchouameni could be one to watch for Manchester United in the remaining weeks of the summer transfer window.
Jacobs confirms that the French midfielder wants to wait to see how Madrid’s window pans out and hopes to speak to new manager Jose Mourinho.
“Aurelien Tchouameni could still be one to watch. From Manchester United’s perspective, they need to understand whether the player is going to ask to leave Real Madrid. We have no signs of that yet. I’m told that Tchouameni wants to wait, speak to Jose Mourinho, and see whether a six or an eight comes in at Real Madrid, and then decide whether the direction is a new contract or a new player to come in this position. Once he gets clarity on that, which could only come after the World Cup, he’ll have a better idea of whether Real are asking him to potentially go to create funding and squad spectacle.”
United will likely have to remain patient when it comes to Tchouameni, as his situation might not change until later in the window.
The Red Devils do have other targets alongside Tchouameni, and they need to get a move on as they keep missing out on players.
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England World Cup Quiz
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Man Utd Explore Alternative
Another option for United in the middle of the park could be Bournemouth’s Alex Scott.
GIVEMESPORT correspondent Jacobs has also confirmed that Scott is a target for United as they assess alternatives to Fernandes after they were not prepared to meet his £85m asking price.
The Red Devils have agreed a deal to sign Atalanta midfielder Ederson in the summer transfer window, but they are likely to bring in at least two midfielders.
Casemiro has already headed through the exit door following the expiration of his contract, while Manuel Ugarte could be on the sidelines for a lengthy period after picking up an injury at the World Cup.
Sports
Footage Shows What Happened After Lionel Messi’s Post-Match Interview v Cape Verde
Argentina scraped past minnows Cape Verde by the skin of their teeth in the World Cup round of 32 to set up a last-16 clash with Egypt in Atlanta on Tuesday.
Lionel Messi opened the scoring for the South American side with a stunningly taken goal inside the opening 30 minutes, before Cape Verde forced extra-time following Deroy Duarte’s second-half equaliser. The back-and-forth continued in the ensuing 30-minute period, as Lisandro Martinez’s goal was cancelled out by a sumptuous finish from left-back Sidny Lopes Cabral.
The African team’s fairy-tale story was then brought to an end when Diney Borges diverted a Messi corner into his own net nine minutes from time.
Despite crashing out, Cape Verde produced one of the iconic matches of this World Cup to date, and shared a wholesome moment with Argentina’s talisman in the mixed zone after the game.
Lionel Messi Reacts to Argentina’s Narrow Win Over Cape Verde
Argentina were handed a relatively favourable route to the semi-final with the knockout bracket, and went into this game knowing Mohamed Salah’s Egypt awaited in the next round.
The pressure of this may have got to them, as they almost squandered this opportunity to coast towards the last four. Cape Verde pushed Lionel Scaloni’s team to the death, and Messi has subsequently spoken out about his team’s struggles in Miami.
“Honestly, we already knew this was going to be a very difficult match,” he said (via the Sun).
“It wasn’t a coincidence that this team didn’t lose to Spain or Uruguay. Scoring the first goal was the hardest part, and we thought it would help us control the game and play with more calm, but the exact opposite happened.
“We lost possession at times, dropped a little too deep, and couldn’t press them the way we wanted. They took advantage of their strengths and found the equaliser. We knew this was always going to be a complicated game.
“These are knockout matches, nobody gives you anything for free. Some people might underestimate certain teams because of their names, but we knew this was never going to be an easy match.
“That’s what makes this World Cup so special. Everything is incredibly close, and every single game is extremely difficult.”
Despite some criticism levelled at his team due to the nature of Argentina’s performance, Messi revealed that he was proud of his team’s efforts.
“As always, we gave everything we had, regardless of whether we played well or didn’t produce our best football. Now the most important thing is to recover, focus on the next match, and take the positives from today’s game.”
Fans took to Reddit to salute Messi for his heroic performance and stoic post-match comments.
“Messi having so many haters always surprises me considering how he never talks badly or is arrogant and is known as a really fair player. Genuinely think the Sport couldn’t ask for a better representation,” one supporter wrote.
“Humble sportsmanship from the GOAT as usual,” another added.
Others praised Messi’s respect for Cape Verde and expressed how they couldn’t believe people dislike the Inter Miami star.
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Lionel Messi and Cape Verde Players Mixed Zone Interaction
It seems as though Messi’s respect for Cape Verde was reciprocated by the Island nation’s players.
In the mixed zone after the game, following the 39-year-old’s interview, a handful of Cape Verde players stopped the footballing great and asked for a photo.
The playmaker respectfully obliged, posing for pictures with several members of Bubista’s squad.
This wholesome footage has gone viral on social media, adding to the general outpouring of love for the tournament’s surprise package.
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha made headlines with his performance against Spain, but the dark horse’s biggest contribution at this World Cup will no doubt be their efforts against the reigning champions, producing a tie that will live long in the memories.
Sports
Arsenal Ready to Compete with Tottenham for Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi
Arsenal are ready to enter the race to beat Tottenham to one of Spurs’ top targets for the summer transfer window.
The Gunners might not have been expecting to be in a similar market to Tottenham in the summer transfer window after the difference between their two seasons.
Arsenal lifted the Premier League title and reached the Champions League final, while Spurs finished in 17th position in the top flight.
Despite that, Tottenham have been incredibly ambitious with their recruitment, already confirming five signings in the Summer Transfer window.
The North London club don’t appear to be finished there either, competing with the likes of Arsenal for some key additions over the next few weeks.
Players seem willing to sacrifice playing European football to join Tottenham, but it’ll be interesting to see if Spurs can beat Arsenal in a head-to-head race.
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Arsenal in Race for Tottenham Target
According to a report from Football London, Tottenham are targeting a move to sign Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi in the summer transfer window.
It’s claimed that the 20-year-old could cost in the region of £80m after scoring 13 goals in the Premier League last season.
Kroupi is at the top of Tottenham’s shortlist, but they do face competition for his signature.
Tottenham will now have to face competition from the North London rivals Arsenal, alongside French outfit Paris Saint-Germain.
Bournemouth are reluctant to lose Kroupi this summer, hence why they’ve slapped an £80m asking price on his head.
Whether Spurs or Arsenal will be willing to pay that remains to be seen, but the former have certainly not been afraid to splash the cash this summer.
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Kroupi Would be Smart Signing for Either Club
To score 13 Premier League goals and be Bournemouth’s top goal scorer when starting the season at the age of 19 is a phenomenal achievement for the Frenchman.
Kroupi averaged 0.7 goals per 90 minutes in the Premier League last season, which can’t be understated in his first campaign in England.
The now 20-year-old also scored 22 goals in 23 starts for Lorient at the age of 18, so he’s clearly a super talent.
Kroupi, described as world-class, would be a phenomenal signing for either Arsenal or Tottenham, as there’s no doubt he’s destined to reach lofty heights.
Who is more likely to sign him remains to be seen, but Arsenal do have Champions League football on their side.
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