Mamadou Fall has completed a permanent transfer to Barcelona from Los Angeles FC, the MLS club confirmed on Monday.
Fall initially joined the 27-time La Liga champions on loan last season, making 22 appearances for Barcelona Atletic, who play in the third tier of the Spanish league system.
The 21-year-old spent the previous campaign on loan with Villarreal s B team but made his name with the Black and Gold in the MLS.
Fall arrived from Senegal to join the Montverde Academy as part of Sport4Charity, an organisation run by former Senegal international footballer Salif Diao.
He signed a two-year contract with LAFC in 2021 and would go on to make 42 appearances in all competitions, registering six goals and one assist in that time.
Barcelona s cap…
The World Cup break is a danger for Alejandro Garnacho as the rising star s momentum could be stifled, according to Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag.
Garnacho struck a 93rd-minute winner as a second-half substitute to rescue United a 2-1 victory in Sunday s Premier League contest with Fulham at Craven Cottage.
The Argentina Under-20 international, who is not part of Lionel Scaloni s senior squad for Qatar 2022, now has two goals and two assists in his past four appearances.
While impressed by the youngster s form, Ten Hag is worried five weeks without playing a competitive match could work against Garnacho.
It is still a long way to go. He has to keep his feet on the ground – it’s the whole team now, Ten Hag said.
He has to do much mor…
Erol Bulut explained the reasoning behind his decision to keep Ollie Tanner at Cardiff after the young winger claimed South Wales derby hero status in the Bluebirds’ 2-0 win over Swansea.
Cardiff had lost the previous four derbies against their bitter rivals and were being held at bay before 21-year-old Tanner was sent on as a 70th-minute substitute.
Tanner, who was signed from Isthmian League side Lewes in July 2022 and spent the second half of last season on loan at York, scored his first Cardiff goal within 60 seconds of arriving and then won the penalty which captain Aaron Ramsey converted to seal matters.
Cardiff manager Bulut said: “He came from nothing and last season he was not here.
“When I had the pre-season, I gave everybody the chance to…
Erik ten Hag will gather Manchester United s players on Monday and give them the chance to explain the abject performance that resulted in a 7-0 thumping by Liverpool at Anfield.
After the heaviest defeat of the Dutchman s 481-game coaching career, Ten Hag suggested the immediate dressing-room debrief was all one way as he laid down a few home truths.
He repeatedly described United s display as unprofessional in interviews after the final whistle, and it was a chastening low just seven days after the high of winning the EFL Cup at Wembley.
The Red Devils have conceded 21 goals in five league games against Liverpool, and they have never lost a competitive fixture by a wider margin than seven goals, with Sunday s result sitting alongside 7-0 losses to Wolves, Aston…
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In the midst of what has been a remarkable purple patch, Romania will welcome Bulgaria to Bucharest on Tuesday night.
Romania
Starting with the hosts, making what was an almighty qualifying upset last year as they cruised their way to this summer’s European Championships, Romania are riding what has been an iconic wave of momentum. Storming their way to top spot in Group I last year and remarkably collecting 22 points from their 10 qualifying appearances, Edward Iordanescu’s men have rightfully received plenty of plaudits from across the continent. With the mood in their camp at a red-hot high, Romania will be looking to make another statement of intent here. Signing off their qualifying romp with a 1-0 victory against Switzerland,…
Nick Cushing is excited for New York City FC to welcome Lionel Messi and Inter Miami to Yankee Stadium and is looking forward to the challenge.
NYCFC are currently on an eight-match winless streak in MLS, with their last win in the competition coming back on July 4 against CF Montreal on home soil.
They were on the end of a heavy 5-1 thrashing at home in their last outing to Philadelphia Union.
Cushing s side have slipped to sixth in the Eastern Conference but are only three points behind Orlando City in fourth, and the head coach knows that a big performance against Miami would be the boost they need.
The team is very excited for the game. Obviously, knowing that there s going to be a capacity crowd is something that is really unique, Cushing told GOAL…
A Marcus Thuram double helped Inter to an emphatic 4-0 win over Atalanta on Friday, winning a second-straight home game.
The defending champions, coming off a draw at Genoa and a 2-0 win over Lecce, scored twice in the opening stages of each half to prevail and, provisionally, move top of the standings with seven points.
The hosts opened the scoring just three minutes in when Thuram s low cross deflected off Berat Djimsiti into his own net before Nicolo Barella doubled the lead with a stunning volley from the edge of the box seven minutes later.
They could have had a third just before the half-hour mark too, with Thuram ghosting past Atalanta s defence again, only to see this effort deflected off the woodwork.
Thuram scored twice in similar fashion after …
Rob Valentino questioned Atlanta United s mentality after their recent drop in form and hopes to find a solution before meeting the New York Red Bulls in MLS.
The Five Stripes are winless in their last four matches, drawing three in a row before falling to a disappointing 2-1 loss to CF Montreal in midweek.
Sitting 12th in the Eastern Conference, they can still mathematically clinch a playoff spot, but they have to win their final two matches and hope other results go their way.
Valentino was not happy with what he saw from his players against Montreal though, questioning their desire.
We should always be fighting to win the game, and you just can t give up, Valentino said.
I m not going to sugarcoat things, but at the end of the day, I also see…
Los Angeles FC head coach Steve Cherundolo is anticipating an exciting battle against derby rivals LA Galaxy on Thursday.
The two teams are locked in at the top of the Western Conference, both on 40 points, though LAFC have the slight advantage of a game in hand.
Cherundolo s side are unbeaten in nine MLS matches, winning eight of those, and have won their last two outings by an aggregate score of 9-2.
Asked how LAFC would cope with the threat the Galaxy pose, Cherundolo praised the improvement of their neighbours.
It s our rivals. They re a team that scores a lot of goals, Cherundolo said.
They have weapons, and they ve added to the transitions and got some defensive stability, so they re really a complete team this year.
They re top o…
Former Brazil midfielder Juninho says Neymar must display emotional control if he is to deliver his country s first football gold medal at Rio 2016.
Success at the Olympics is the only major football honour to elude the Selecao, with pressure ramped up to break that run on home soil when the football competition kicks off on August 4.
Selecao skipper Neymar s last international tournament ended in disgrace as he was sent off after the final whistle of Brazil s 1-0 Copa America defeat to Colombia in 2015, earning him a four-match ban which ruled him out of the remainder of the event.
Having sat out this year s Copa America to focus on the Olympic Games, former Middlesbrough star Juninho – an Olympic bronze medallist in 1996 says the Barcelona attacker must disp…