PARIS (AP) Paris Saint-Germain’s women’s team has signed American defender Alana Cook from Stanford University.
The 21-year-old Cook, who was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, has signed until June 2022. She was named the Pac-12 defensive player of the year this season for her performances with Stanford and has represented the U.S. at Under-20 level.
Another defender is extending his stay in Los Angeles.
USMNT center back Walker Zimmerman was a huge part of LAFC’s success as an expansion club following his arrival from FC Dallas, and was reportedly ready to test the waters of European soccer with interest from the Premier League, Ligue 1, and the Bundesliga.
But Bob Bradley pushed the right buttons and LAFC will have its 25-year-old mainstay back in the fold via a Targeted Allocation Money contract running through the 2022 season.
Finally, one of the key pieces to Toronto FC’s 2017 MLS Cup triumph is on his way out of Ontario.
Pellegrini, 22, has two goals and six assists for Roma this season, having become a regular call-up for Italy. He reportedly has a $35 million release clause in his contract, though he is cup-tied in the Champions League (Roma next faces Porto).
His 2.6 key passes per game lead Roma and only AC Milan’s Suso and Atalanta’s Alejandro Gomez average more across Serie A. Pellegrini is second on Roma in crosses with 1.5.
The report, which also links Real with interest in Roma’s Kostas Manolas and Porto’s Eder Miliato, says United remains interested in the player despite the exit of admirer Jose Mourinho.
Anything more than $97 million, the fee Liverpool paid for Virgil Van Dijk, would break the world transfer record for a defender.
The Red Bull Salzburg striker has scored half of his 20 goals in the Champions League and Europa League, and has 11 Israel caps.
The cost for Dabbur is said to be $28 million, but is there any guarantee Dabbur can produce at a level that would demand playing time. Divock Origi has three goals in six matches and can hardly get time for the Reds, and Daniel Sturridge has only found 576 minutes in the first half of the season.
Well-connected reporter Raphael Honigstein says Mislintat is frustrated by a change in recruitment policy since Ivan Gazidis left the Emirates Stadium. Gazidis hired Mislintat to use analytics and stats to find diamonds, whereas new head of football Raul Sanllehi prefers to work his own network for players.
AL AIN, United Arab Emirates (AP) Australia is through to the knockout rounds at the Asian Cup, although the defending champion hasn’t made it look pretty.
Australia needed a stoppage-time goal from Tom Rogic to beat Syria 3-2 on Tuesday after twice letting leads slip. A draw would have been enough to finish runner-up in Group B behind Jordan – which beat Australia 1-0 in their opening game – and the title holder was below its best in eliminating a resolute Syrian team, which finished last in the group.
Palestine’s 0-0 draw with Jordan in Abu Dhabi means it can still reach the round of 16 as one of the four best third-place teams in the new 24-team format.
The Palestinians have two points and will go through if enough low-ranked teams in other groups draw their games on Wednesday and Thursday.
Australia will play the Group F runner-up – 2011 champion Japan or Uzbekistan – next Monday in the first knockout round.
If Australia’s overall play was unconvincing for a team which tested eventual champion France in a 2018 World Cup group game, two of its goals were impressive.
Awer Mabil opened the scoring in the 41st minute with a curling left-foot shot from just outside the penalty area. Rogic decided the game with a powerful left-foot shot from the same distance.
In between, Chris Ikonomidi’s poked shot past Syrian goalkeeper Ibrahim Alma was judged to have crossed the line before Omro Al Midani’s attempted clearance. Without goal-line technology, or video review before the quarterfinal stage, the assistant at the touchline and fifth official beside the goal helped make the decision.
Syria first leveled though Omar Khrbin in the 43rd, and then Omar Al Soma’s 80th-minute penalty kick after he fell to the ground as a cross was swung in from the right flank.
Jordan tops the group with seven points, and next plays a third-place team – Bahrain, Vietnam or Yemen.
