Browsing: striker

Jenni Hermoso has described the tearful moment she was recalled to the Spain squad by new manager Sonia Bermudez following a year-long absence.

Spain’s all-time leading scorer with 57 goals last appeared for her country in October 2024, coming off the bench for a 15-minute run-out against Canada.

Since then, she has given evidence in the trial that resulted in the sexual assault conviction of former Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales, who kissed Hermoso on the lips without her consent after Spain’s win in the 2023 World Cup final.

Hermoso was not called up for Euro 2025, despite featuring in all six of Spain’s qualifiers, but appeared as a late substitute during their 4-0 win over Sweden in the first leg of the Women’s Nations League semi-final on Friday.

The 35-year-old replaced Mariona Caldentey in the 88th minute at Malaga’s Estadio la Rosaleda.

In the build-up to the match she had said she was “really excited” to be invited back into the squad.

“I have to admit that I cried,” the striker, who plays for Mexican club Tigres, told Radio Television Espanola.

“It was a moment that I have waited a long time for and I’ve been working for a long time for.

“To continue at this level and to be able to enjoy football with the national team is the reward for all that work.”

Hermoso became a focus of worldwide attention following Spain’s World Cup final victory over England.

Rubiales kissed her as she went to collect her winner’s medal, with Hermoso telling the former RFEF president’s trial in February 2025 that the incident “stained one of the happiest days of my life”.

Barcelona defender Mapi Leon, who last featured for her country in 2022, played the full 90 minutes against Sweden.

The second leg between Sweden and Spain will be played in Gothenburg on 28 October.

Former Spain Under-23 coach Bermudez succeeded Montse Tome in the top job when Tome’s contract with the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) was not renewed in August.

Hermoso is eyeing a fresh start, saying: “For me it’s been tireless, I haven’t stopped staying strong because I did have some pretty tough moments.

“Maybe at some point in my life, it would have been difficult for me to come back and I feel very proud of myself.”

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Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has revealed he warned striker Marc Guiu over his poor performances in training earlier this month.

The 19-year-old had a season-long loan move to Sunderland cancelled after just three appearances at the end of the summer transfer window as the Blues sought to reshuffle their squad in the wake of Liam Delap’s hamstring injury.

However, Guiu did not play for a month until a late cameo against Liverpool prior to this month’s international break.

The Spanish forward then scored his first goal of the season in Chelsea’s 5-1 Champions League thrashing of Ajax on Wednesday.

Marc Guiu was told his training performances were not good enough by Enzo Maresca. Joris Verwijst/BSR Agency/Getty Images

And ahead of Saturday’s visit of Sunderland to Stamford Bridge, Maresca said: “We had a chat with Marc two weeks ago. I told him the way he was training, I didn’t like and he needs to change.

“He changed and he gets a chance. It is like that. He was not training well, in all the ways.”

Asked why that was the case, Maresca continued: “I don’t know. That’s why young [players], they are sometimes, they are in one way, the other way, so you need to go slowly, slowly with them.

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“Since we chat, he is top, fantastic, working very good, absolutely yes, he is ready to start.

“Marc is a typical number nine, physically strong, a box player. He can improve and do many things better and we are working with him every day trying to help him and as I said already many times, he is going to play games with us.”

Guiu has previously spoken about the difficulty in joining Sunderland only to suddenly return to London.

“It was all a bit chaotic, but in the end, I’m a person who faces everything with the utmost positivity, and that’s how I faced it, now enjoying every moment, because a footballer’s career is short,” he told Spanish outlet RTVE earlier this month.

Liam Delap has been out since August when sustaining a hamstring injury against Fulham. Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images

Speculation persists that Guiu could return to the Stadium of Light in January, although Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris appeared to play down that prospect on Friday when telling reporters: “At the minute we have good strikers and we don’t need anything.”

Asked about the possibility of Guiu leaving in January, Maresca said: “We are in October. I don’t know, also because in football things can change very quick for everyone — for players, for managers, for everyone –so it is very difficult to say.”

Saturday’s game will come too soon for Delap but he returned to full training this week and Maresca suggested there is a possibility the £30million summer signing from Ipswich Town could feature in next Wednesday’s EFL Cup tie at Wolves.

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Former Liverpool and Sunderland striker Fabio Borini has joined League Two club Salford City on a contract until January.

The 34-year-old, who left Sampdoria in his native Italy in the summer, has been training with Salford for the past month.

“I came in to train to keep myself fit in this transition between contracts and Salford, the gaffer (Karl Robinson) and Alex Bruce were kind enough to allow me to use the facilities and train here,” Borini told the club website., external

He added: “I’ve never played League Two football so I need to learn as well from my team-mates the main characteristics of this league, but I will bring myself as an open book for my team-mates to use me, learn from me or help me, so I’m very open to this challenge.

“It’s a challenge that I’m embracing and I chose to embrace because I needed the real football, something that warms my heart for football, not for anything else.”

Borini made his Premier League debut for Chelsea in 2009 and he also helped Swansea win promotion to the English top flight during a loan spell in 2011, while Roma and AC Milan are among the other clubs he has played for in Italy.

During his time at Sunderland, he scored for the Black Cats in their 2014 League Cup final defeat by Manchester City at Wembley.

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Liverpool are experiencing something of an injury crisis at present, and another name has just been added to the long-term list.

Alisson is the headline absentee, with the Reds’ first-choice goalkeeper thought to be out until the end of the month, with new defender Giovanni Leoni and Wataru Endo both facing spells on the sideline.

Ibrahima Konate and Ryan Gravenberch have also had recent issues, but the pair travelled for international duty, representing France and Netherlands respectively, with the latter turning out twice, so the picture looks more positive for that duo.

Although the Reds spent a fortune on Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike this summer, options beyond that pair are limited, with no other specialist no.9s in the squad.

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Liverpool U21s manager Rob Page revealed that striker Jayden Danns is likely to face a couple of months on the sidelines.

He picked up a hamstring injury last month, taking a free-kick in a Premier League 2 game against Ipswich Town, and after a full medical exam, it seems he could be out until the New Year.

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“It could be a couple of months,” Page told the Echo. “It’s not going to be a quick fix.

“It’s a setback for him, but Dannsy is very positive about everything in life, especially football. If anybody can get through this setback, it’s him without doubt.”

Danns turned out for Liverpool’s senior side in the Carabao Cup earlier this season (Image credit: Getty Images)

In FourFourTwo’s opinion, while Liverpool are a long way off having issues up front, a couple of injuries could quickly see the likes of Danns called upon.

The 19-year-old already has 10 senior appearances to his name, with three goals scored, so could be a viable option in a crisis.

As Rio Ngumoha has shown, Arne Slot is not afraid to give young players a shot when he feels like they can add something, and the winger proved the worth of that outlook when he notched a last-minute against Newcastle United. Unfortunately, however, Danns is not going to be an option in the same way for a couple of months.

Danns is valued at €800k, according to Transfermarkt. Liverpool next face Manchester United when Premier League action returns this weekend.

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James, a 9-year-old from Jacksonville, Florida, was weaving between fields at the Roger Dean Baseball Complex, the humid air thick with chatter and the pop of distant gloves. His 13-year-old brother, Harrison, followed behind, waiting out the hours before their eldest siblingâ€s game at the Perfect Game WWBA World Championship in Jupiter.

James had one mission.

“Please,†he said again and again, tugging at his brotherâ€s patience. “I need to show you something on YouTube.â€

After enough pleading, Harrison sighed, unlocked his phone and handed it over.

“What could possibly be so important?†he asked.

James answered instantly. “Youâ€ve got to see this guy,†he said.

On the screen appeared Striker Pence, a 6-foot-6 righthander who, at just 16 years old, is already a viral fascination thanks to a fastball that reached 101 mph four times on Thursday last week.

Harrison watched as the first pitch crossed the plate and froze. He rewound the clip. Watched again.

“Holy crap,†he muttered, staring at the screen.

For Pence, that kind of reaction has become routine. Itâ€s his new normal, he told Baseball America, doing his best to hide a grin.

“In a way, itâ€s always been like this,†Pence said. “But it used to be because Iâ€m Hunter Penceâ€s nephew. And my uncle was a dog. But lately, it feels like itâ€s starting to turn into more of a Striker Pence thing than a Hunter Penceâ€s nephew thing. Iâ€m finally making a name for myself.â€

A day later, he proved it.

Pence delivered the most memorable outing of the 2025 WWBA World Championship, working two scoreless innings, allowing a hit and a walk while striking out three. His fastball climbed to 101 mph and sat 97-99, generating eight whiffs in the brief appearance. He paired it with a biting mid-to-high-80s slider that showed late teeth and a split changeup that rounded out a repertoire evaluators already believe could feature three plus weapons.

“Iâ€ve never seen anything like that,†one evaluator told Baseball America. “I think itâ€s pretty safe to say he stands in a class of his own. Weâ€ve seen velocity at the high school level before, but never this young. He has a chance to do historic things.â€

Pence is used to people watching. It comes with the radar guns, the phones, the familiar murmur that starts when he begins to throw. But that attention cuts both ways.

“Itâ€s crazy,†he said. “It feels like everything I do good is seen, but also the bad. It pushes me to be better.â€

Pence has learned to live in that space—where awe meets expectation. Itâ€s part of growing up as the nephew of an MLB all-star and World Series champion like Hunter Pence, but itâ€s also part of growing into himself. Even before the cameras showed up, he was the kid people whispered about.

By 15, Pence said he had already touched 90 mph. Then he experienced a massive growth spurt and began to throw like no one else his age ever has.

“Iâ€ve always been the little guy who threw hard,†Pence said. “Then from 13 to now, I just shot up. I hit 90 at 15, then 95, and when I finally hit 100 at Area Codes this summer, it didnâ€t even feel real. Now itâ€s 101. Maybe one day, I break a record.â€

Pence’s words come without arrogance. He grins, half-embarrassed, like someone still getting used to how others see him. Pence talks about pitching the same way most kids talk about video games—curious, self-aware and honest about what he doesnâ€t yet know.

“Itâ€s surreal,†he said. “Every mile an hour after this gets harder.â€

Pence acknowledges that there are still rough edges. His delivery can get tall, his timing can drift and every video that circulates online seems to come with a chorus of self-appointed analysts pointing it out.

He doesnâ€t disagree, though.

“Thereâ€s stuff Iâ€ve got to clean up,†he said. “But Iâ€m not trying to be perfect right now.â€

Pence is in no rush to iron out every flaw. He reminds himself—and sometimes the adults watching—that heâ€s only 16, a sophomore in high school with years left to grow into his frame and refine his craft. What others see as imperfections, he views as part of his process.

“I know Iâ€ve got time,†he said. “I just try to stay within myself, throw, hit, work out, keep getting better. If I do that, everything else will come.â€

Itâ€s an uncommon patience for someone already living under a spotlight this bright. Where others chase the next data point, the next viral clip, Pence seems intent on letting the game unfold at his pace, which has still been stunningly rapid.

“My dad always tells me to stay humble and do what I do,†Pence said. “Thatâ€s what I try to remember.â€

Pence already belongs to one of baseballâ€s most exclusive fraternities as a member of the small group of high school pitchers who have reached triple digits.

Earlier this year, Baseball America compiled a list of every officially recorded 100 mph fastball thrown at the prep level. Only 17 names made it, with just nine ever touching 101 or harder:

YEARplayerstatemax velo2014Tyler KolekTexas1022016Riley PintKansas1022017Hunter GreeneCalifornia1022021Chase PettyNew Jersey1022025Jack BauerIllinois1022025Striker PenceCalifornia1012001Colt GriffinTexas1012011Archie BradleyOklahoma1012021Roki SasakiJapan1012023Travis SykoraTexas1012011Dylan BundyOklahoma1002012Shohei OhtaniJapan1002019Daniel EspinoGeorgia1002021Chase BurnsTennessee1002022Brock PorterMichigan1002022Nazier MuleNew Jersey1002025Seth HernandezCalifornia1002025Miguel Sime Jr.New York100

Pence became the 18th member of that club this summer—and one of its youngest, too. With two full years of high school left, scouts believe he has a legitimate chance to be the first to reach at least 103 mph.

“Heâ€s still so raw and, honestly, not that efficient mechanically,†one scout said. “Heâ€s throwing 100-plus off sheer talent and natural power.â€

For all the noise around him, Pence insists the goal hasnâ€t changed. He still wants to be the best player, teammate and person he can be. And he reminds himself often that no amount of velocity guarantees anything.

“I think itâ€s crazy, all of this,†he said. “I donâ€t know if I deserve it yet. I feel like Iâ€ve still got more to prove.â€

Pence talks like someone aware that the story being written about him is still in its early chapters. There will be more radar guns, more phones, more murmurs when he takes the mound again. Thatâ€s part of it now.

Pence laughs when asked if he ever reads what people say online.

“Iâ€ve already learned—just donâ€t look at the comments,†he said. “I donâ€t care.â€

That indifference feels like another advantage. He knows the spotlight will only get brighter, but heâ€s comfortable letting it shine where it may.

“Iâ€m just another high school player until I make it to the big stage,†Pence said. “Thatâ€s when it really counts.â€

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It remains one of the most dramatic afternoons in Premier League history. On May 13, 2012, Manchester City sealed their first Premier League title with almost the final kick of the season, Sergio Aguero’s stoppage-time strike sealing a 3-2 victory over Queens Park Rangers and breaking Manchester United hearts in the process.

Following the chaos of Manchester City’s comeback, accusations and conspiracy theories have swirled. Some, including former Manchester United man Wayne Rooney, have claimed QPR had gone easy on City in the dying minutes after hearing their own safety was confirmed via results elsewhere.

“I’m not going to take this accusation any longer,” Cisse tells FourFourTwo on behalf of Poker Strategy. “I was celebrating with Samir Nasri. I didn’t celebrate with Mario Balotelli, Sergio Aguero or anybody else. I celebrated with my brother, Samir, who had been a friend of mine for 15 years.

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“I was happy for my friend and also that we managed to stay up. I don’t care about Man City. My friend finally won the Premier League after many years in England and I was happy for him and also for me. That’s all.”

Cisse’s frustration is understandable. The Frenchman, who had joined QPR midway through that season, scored six goals in just eight starts to help the club avoid relegation. On that famous day at the Etihad, QPR went 2–1 up despite being reduced to ten men after Joey Barton’s red card. For much of the second half, they defended heroically, with goalkeeper Kenny producing a string of saves as City poured forward in desperation.

Yet even as City’s comeback began in stoppage time, Cisse insists there was never any question of his side easing off.

Wayne Rooney has shown bitterness over the whole game (Image credit: Getty Images)

“Manchester United lost the Premier League title because they dropped points throughout the season,” he says. “It was nothing to do with me or QPR. What Rooney said isn’t cool. He took out his frustrations on me. It’s not my fault.

“If we had wanted Man City to win the league, would it not have been a little risky to have waited until the very last minute to let them score? We could have let them win 4–0 or 5–0 and gone home. But we played a strong team, the manager wanted to win that game. It wasn’t our reserve team.”

Indeed, QPR were fighting for survival, and results elsewhere – notably Bolton’s draw at Stoke – meant they were safe only after the final whistle. What’s more, Queen’s Park Rangers led until the 92nd minute and even threatened on the counter once City’s comeback began. Aguero’s winner was seen as a sucker punch.

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Leeds United bid farewell to long-serving striker Patrick Bamford during the summer transfer window, parting company with the experienced forward deemed surplus to requirements by first-team boss Daniel Farke.

Bamford, 32, is now on the cusp of completing a transfer to LaLiga side Getafe, according to reports in Spain.

The Madrid-based club are believed to have offered the striker a contract which is ready to be signed upon the completion of a medical.

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Bamford spent seven years at Leeds, scoring 60 goals in just over 200 appearances. The striker’s importance waned during the latter period of his Elland Road stay, featuring 18 times during last season’s Championship title-winning season for the Whites.

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