Major League Soccer, once mocked as a ‘retirement home’ for European players, has grown into a competitive league, says LA Galaxy striker Robbie Keane.
Keane believes the stereotype that MLS is an easy place to end a career is outdated.
“Maybe six or seven years ago it was but it certainly isn’t now,” he said.
“The one who kicked it all off was Becks (David Beckham), he was the one that put LA Galaxy and MLS on the map and the result was that a lot of people want to come over here.
“It is a league that has grown massively. If you look at the competitive games, most of ours are played in front of full houses.”
Van Gaal not surprised by Pellè
Louis van Gaal insists he is not surprised at his former striker Graziano Pellè’s success in the Premier League – because he believes the Italian shares many of the same qualities as Robin van Persie.
Van Gaal’s Manchester United side will come up against Southampton tonight, for whom Pellè has already scored nine goals in his first season in England.
The United manager said: “I am not surprised (at his success) because I bought him at AZ as he was an attacking point.
“I’ve said about Van Persie that I like strikers who are an attacking point, not only a striker who scores goals. He is also very creative. He is always seeing the third man.”
Ajax hit 3,000th home goal
Ajax romped to a 5-0 victory over Willem II Tilburg on Saturday while captain Georginio Wijnaldum led from the front with two goals as leaders PSV Eindhoven won 3-1 at Dordrecht.
PSV have 34 points from 14 matches, one point ahead of second-placed Ajax with a game in hand.
Goals from Arkadiusz Milik (2), Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, Joel Veltman and Davy Klaassen sank 10th-placed Willem at the Amsterdam Arena.
Ajax also reached a milestone when defender Veltman finished off a superb move with an exquisite chip to score their 3,000th home goal in the league.
Toni backs Verona coach Mandorlini
Verona striker Luca Toni has sprung to the defence of under-fire coach Andrea Mandorlini ahead of today’s home game against Sampdoria.
The Verona outfit have failed to win in Serie A since October 4 and have collected only three points in that time to drop to 14th place.
“I have a great rapport with Mandorlini,” Toni told the club’s website. “He is the first to be criticised but we, the players, should be the ones to be blamed for our recent results.
“We are the ones that go out on the pitch and we know we have to do better.”
Aguero ruled out of Rome trip
Manchester City’s already slim hopes of remaining in the Champions League beyond this week suffered a devastating blow on Saturday when a tearful Sergio Aguero joined their lengthening injury list.
Aguero, the Premier League’s leading scorer with 14 goals, suffered a knee ligament injury in the opening minutes of City’s 1-0 home Premier League victory over Everton and has already been ruled out of their final group game away to Roma on Wednesday.
“It is not good news, he has problems with his knee ligament.
“He will not be with us for Roma,” City manager Manuel Pellegrini told reporters.
“He was calmer when I saw him after seeing the doctor but generally we are not sure how he is.”
Rolfes retiring at end of season
Bayer Leverkusen captain Simon Rolfes has announced he will be retiring at the end of the season.
The 32-year-old made the announcement after Leverkusen’s 1-0 defeat to Bayern Munich on Saturday evening, making his decision public now to allow his club to plan for the future without him.
“I am fit and healthy and this is a good time for me to announce the end of my career so that the club can make plans,” he said, adding that he will be leaving the game of football entirely when he hangs up his boots.
“I am going to become a freelance career manager.”
Courtois keen to bounce back
Thibaut Courtois has urged his Chelsea team-mates to put their first defeat of the season behind them to cement their place at the top of the Premier League table.
The Blues ended up on the wrong end of the scoreline for the first time in 22 games in all competitions at Newcastle on Saturday as substitute Papiss Cisse’s second-half double secured a 2-1 victory for the Magpies.
The 22-year-old Courtois told Chelsea TV: “That’s the most important, that we are still leaders and from the next game on, we will fight to keep that bonus up and make the gap bigger.
“There are only difficult games in the Premier League and we know that. The next game is in the Champions League at home (against Sporting Lisbon) and then against Hull, we have to win in front of our fans.”