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USMNT legend Tim Howard joins Memphis soccer franchise
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USMNT legend Tim Howard joins Memphis soccer franchise

Associated PressJan 8, 2020, 10:08 PM EST
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Memphis, Tenn. (AP) Former U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard is taking a job with Memphis, the United Soccer League team in which he already has a stake as a part owner.

Memphis announced the move Wednesday. It is unclear Howard will take a paycheck.

But president Craig Unger says Howard brings knowledge and experience to the job that can’t be replicated.

[ MORE: Premier League schedule ]

Howard played 13 years in the Premier League and also had 121 appearances with the U.S. national team. He will work full-time helping pick players, while also developing approaches for both the club and technical staff. Memphis has nine players returning from its inaugural season.

“As a minority owner it’s nice to sit up there in a suite,” Howard said in a release “(But) by the nature of who I am, my competitive spirit, the goalkeeper in me, this role has given me an excitement that mimics playing.”

[ MORE: MLS discussing DP rule change ]

Memphis also named James Roeling as assistant sporting director. He spent the past six seasons with the Colorado Rapids as senior manager of team operations.

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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/apf-Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports

Watch Live: Man City v. West Ham

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By Kyle BonnFeb 19, 2020, 1:48 PM EST
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Manchester City looks for a reaction in its first match after the UEFA sanctions were announced as they host West Ham at the Etihad on Wednesday (Watch live at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN and online via NBCSports.com).

The Citizens will want to finish this season strong given the future uncertainty surrounding the club, and with Leicester City nipping at their heels, a strong performance will be imperative. Man City sits just a single point above the third-placed Foxes and a poor result could leave them vulnerable for when the two meet on Saturday.

[ STREAM LIVE: Man City v. West Ham ]

Man City’s lineup sees John Stones, Ilkay Gundogan, and Fernandinho all sat on the bench. Nicolas Otamendi partners with Aymeric Laporte at the back with Rodri covering them in midfield. Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva start in the middle with Bernardo Silva in the attacking midfield role, while Gabriel Jesus and Sergio Aguero both start up front.

The match is massively important for West Ham as well, with the Hammers sitting 18th in the Premier League table a point off safety. The Hammers counter Man City’s attacking lineup with three at the back as Declan Rice provides cover per usual and captain Mark Noble partners with Tomas Soucek in midfield.

LINEUPS

Man City: Ederson; Walker, Otamendi, Laporte, Mendy; Rodri, De Bruyne, Silva; Bernardo, Jesus, Aguero.

West Ham: Fabianski; Fredericks, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Masuaku; Rice, Soucek, Noble; Snodgrass, Antonio.

Solskjaer admits Rashford’s season may be over, Euros in jeopardy

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By Kyle BonnFeb 19, 2020, 1:07 PM EST
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted Wednesday that Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford suffered a setback in his recovery from a stress fracture in his back, and that he may not return before the end of the Premier League season. In addition, Solskjaer admitted there is a chance that Rashford’s availability for England in this summer’s Euro 2020 tournament could be in jeopardy.

Speaking ahead of United’s visit tomorrow to Club Brugge in Europa League action, Solskjaer said that he hopes Rashford can make a return, but that it’s certainly in question as he will be out “another few months definitely.”

[ MORE: McTominay, Lindelof back fit ]

“It will just be touch and go towards the end [of the season],” Solskjaer said. “Hopefully we can get through this tournament and prolong the season. It takes time, I’m not a doctor. I was hoping he would recover quicker than what it looks like he’s going to be out for.”

When asked about his potential availability for selection at the Euros this summer, Solskjaer said, “If he’s not fit enough he won’t go.”

It seems that Manchester United expected Rashford to be back “He had a scan and it was maybe more severe, that fracture, than what we hoped for and expected, he felt fine the few days before that. And I’ve never had anatomy in school, so I didn’t know it just takes that time to recover.”

[ MORE: Neymar upset with PSG for extra rest ]

News of a potential injury to Rashford cropped up during the Premier League match against Norwich City game on January 11, when he was withdrawn after 59 minutes. Solskjaer admitted later that Rashford needed rest, but decided to risk the 22-year-old England international anyways against Wolverhampton Wanderers in an FA Cup replay four days later, a decision he later came to publicly regret. Rashford came off after just 16 minutes and it was later announced that he had aggravated his injury from a single stress fracture to a double stress fracture.

After the Wolves match, Manchester United announced a 2-3 month timetable for Rashford’s return, meaning he could be back by late March or early April. Now it seems he could be done for the year, and England’s Euro adventure may suffer as well.

Braithwaite to Barcelona imminent, could debut Saturday

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By Kyle BonnFeb 19, 2020, 12:44 PM EST
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Barcelona is taking the controversial step of signing Leganes striker Martin Braithwaite outside the January transfer window, reportedly set to trigger his $19.4 million release clause. According to a report by ESPN, Braithwaite has already agreed to terms and will join the club immediately, possibly soon enough to make his debut on Saturday against Eibar.

The Catalan club was given an exception by La Liga after Ousmane Dembele was ruled out for the season, leaving the squad with just three healthy first-team forwards in Lionel Messi, Antoine Griezmann, and 17-year-old Ansu Fati. The injury to Dembele, which follows a long-term injury spell for Luis Suarez, led La Liga to allow Barcelona 15 days to sign a forward outside the window, provided it was either a free agent or a player already registered in the Spanish top flight.

Reports from all over Europe state that Barcelona attempted to negotiate with Leganes, but they held out for Braithwaite’s full release clause and Barcelona had little choice but to relent. The ESPN report states that Barcelona had come to an agreement with Getafe for Angel Rodriguez but Barcelona manager Quique Setien stepped in with a preference for Braithwaite due to his positional flexibility.

The controversial part of the situation is that Barcelona somewhat put itself in this spot by offloading forwards Abel Ruiz and Carles Perez in the January window without replacing them, and now have been saddled with an injury crisis. Many are upset that a big club like Barcelona is being bailed out by La Liga while Leganes suffers the loss of its leading scorer having already seen  Youssef En-Nesyri depart in the January window. Guillem Ballague reports that Leganes will appeal to La Liga for its own exception to sign an emergency player but as the rules stand, they cannot add a replacement for Braithwaite. The league office can authorize exceptions on a case-by-case basis, which they did for Barcelona, although policy has been to grant exceptions for long-term injuries.

The 28-year-old has scored eight goals across all competitions this season while Leganes has struggled at the bottom of the table all year long. They currently sit 19th in the La Liga table, two points clear of safety.

McTominay, Lindelof return to Man United training

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By Kyle BonnFeb 19, 2020, 11:29 AM EST
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Off the heels of a statement win at Stamford Bridge, Manchester United has more good news coming its way as both Scott McTominay and Victor Lindelof returned to Red Devils training on Wednesday.

Ahead of Thursday’s Europa League Round of 32 matchup against Club Brugge in Belgium, McTominay’s return represents a massive boost for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who has been forced to piece together a makeshift midfield for the last two months. McTominay has been missing since suffering a knee injury on Boxing Day.

The 23-year-old has been one of the Premier League’s most improved players this season, anchoring the Red Devils midfield both with and without the aid of Paul Pogba. In the seven Premier League matches without McTominay, Manchester United has lost three games and been shut out four times, although a number of other injuries to key players have likely contributed to that as well.

Lindelof missed the Chelsea win through illness but is set to make his return as well. The 25-year-old Swede is considered Manchester United’s best defender and was absent for the disappointing 2-0 loss to Burnley in late January through illness as well, but is reportedly fully recovered by now.

United has struggled with injuries all season, with the likes of Pogba, Marcus Rashford, and Mason Greenwood all sidelined at the moment. No reason was given for the latter’s absence, with Greenwood an unused substitute at Stamford Bridge over the weekend.