Dribble Diaries

The UEFA Nations League 2024/25 semifinals are set to deliver thrilling football action as four of Europe’s elite teams battle for supremacy. With Germany, Portugal, Spain, and France securing their spots in the final four, fans can expect high-intensity clashes filled with drama, skill, and tactical brilliance. The Road to the Semifinals The journey to the semi-finals has been nothing short of spectacular. To reach the last four, each side had to overcome a challenging group stage and a two-legged quarterfinal. Germany Germany led League A Group 3 with four wins and two draws for 14 points.   In the quarterfinals, they beat Italy 2-1 away before drawing 3-3 at home to get to the semifinals.   Tim Kleindienst has been Germany's standout player, scoring four goals and providing five assists. Portugal Portugal topped League A Group 1, going unbeaten with four victories and two draws.  Their quarter-final versus Denmark was dramatic—they lost 1-0 in the first leg b...

Alessia Russo has been ruled out of England's Nations League match against Belgium in Leuven on Tuesday due to injury. Russo played 73 minutes in Friday night's 5-0 victory over the same opponents at Ashton Gate before being replaced due to a knock. The Football Association confirmed that Russo had returned to Arsenal for further evaluation. The 26-year-old attacker failed to score against Belgium, hitting the post twice. Michelle Agyemang, an England U19s standout who is presently on loan at Brighton from Arsenal, has been called up as a replacement in her professional debut. England has seven points from a possible nine in Nations League Group A3 ahead of their return match against Belgium on Tuesday.

When an international break occurs, especially in the middle of a league season, few football fans rejoice. Club football was put on hold for over two weeks when players traveled to represent their countries in the Nations League and 2026 World Cup qualifications. While many will welcome the end of this brief hiatus, the international break provided plenty of drama and discussion points. Here are four major takeaways from the final international break of the 2024/25 season. Myles Lewis-Skelly has a dream England debut. Myles Lewis-Skelly, an Arsenal player, made an impressive start for England in their World Cup qualifying opener against Albania. The teenager opened the scoring for the Three Lions, latching onto a brilliant pass from Jude Bellingham and slotting home to become England's youngest player to score on his professional debut. Lewis-Skelly's historic 20th-minute strike also set the tone for England's 2-0 victory at Wembley Stadium, giving new manager T...

Ronald Koeman has revealed how the Netherlands want to tackle Lamine Yamal in their UEFA Nations League clash against Spain. The two teams will play off in Valencia, with the winner advancing to the June final series as Spain seeks to maintain its crown from 2023. Mikel Merino's late strike off the bench secured a 2-2 draw for Luis de la Fuente in Rotterdam, and the stakes are high at the Estadio Mestalla. Lamine Yamal had a quiet night against De Kuip, contributing to Pedri's assist for Nico Williams' opening goal, but his starting status is secure. De la Fuente has suggested starting Ferran Torres as a replacement for Alvaro Morata between Lamine Yamal and Williams. In a wide-ranging pre-match press conference, Koeman discussed his experience at Valencia and Barcelona, as well as praised Pedri's growth into one of the world's best central midfielders. However, the Dutch manager was inevitably questioned about the strategy to keep Lamine Yamal quiet again...

The United States, Canada, Mexico, and Panama are competing for a berth in the final of the Concacaf Nations League, which took place on Thursday. The hero Jimenez against Canada Mexico made their intentions against the Canadians clear right away, and they won 2-0 thanks to one guy. El Tri found the net in just 47 seconds after a bit of pinball in the area, and Raul Jimenez was fortunate to divert the ball. When facing Dayne St. Clair one-on-one, the striker scored 1-0 with ease. Canada continued to control the ball, but their failure to generate real chances in front of the goal came back to haunt them. The Canucks needed a comeback performance, but they only managed one shot on goal in ninety minutes. Later, when a VAR call went against them, Jesse Marsch and his team were furious. Derek Cornelius was booted in the leg, but no penalty was given in spite of the action being reviewed. Mexico stopped almost every Canadian threat while sticking to their inch-perfect strategy. ...

Five things to watch during the international break in preparation for important Nations League matches and qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. Who will advance to the quarterfinals of the first Nations League? Quarterfinals have been added to the UEFA Nations League for the first time. As the top eight compete for spots in this summer's finals, the two-leg matches will take place during the next break. The current winners and holders of the European championship are Spain, and La Roja is the favorite to win the title again. This month, Luis de la Fuenta's team plays the Netherlands in what is undoubtedly the best quarterfinal matchup. Rematches of the 1982 and 2018 World Cup finals are scheduled elsewhere, with Croatia playing France and Italy playing Germany. Denmark will face first-time Nations League winners Portugal in the decisive quarterfinal round. Quarterfinal matches for the UEFA Nations League First legs: March 20 France versus Croatia Portugal versus Denmar...

Luis de la Fuente, the head coach of Spain, will announce his team on Friday for their matchup with the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League quarterfinal. Although there are many questions over their squad, which will be very different from the one that won Euro 2024 this summer, La Roja is the favorite to continue attempting to retain the championship that they won in 2023. Due to ACL injuries, Rodri Hernandez and Dani Carvajal are still out for the remainder of the season, leaving De la Fuente without their services. In addition, Dani Vivian will not play due to a hamstring injury that he sustained last week, and Aymeric Laporte, another important central defender, will also be sidelined due to injury. Given that prior call-ups Robin Le Normand and Aitor Paredes have battled for form in recent months, these absences have caused issues in defense. As a result, players like Dean Huijsen of AFC Bournemouth and Raul Asencio of Real Madrid have a lot of opportunities, and de la Fu...

The players are all frustrated, the supporters are sad, and the excitement leading up to the home EUROS is at an all-time low when the game against Austria ends in a 0–2 loss in December 2023. This was the general atmosphere during Leon Goretzka's final match for Germany. Goretzka still had a lot of hope of participating in a home tournament after earning 57 caps for his country, but Nagelsmann had to make the difficult decision to leave Goretzka off of the final EUROS roster. A serious setback for the midfield player. After a few months, Goretzka is seen playing at his peak once more for his team, and his impressive play was not overlooked! His coach had some encouraging things to say about him prior to his return, and he was part of the most recent squad selection: "We primarily base our team selection on current performance. Who is worthy of being on the team at this time? In my view, Leon [Goretzka] is playing well right now, has developed and grown off the field...

Sarina Wiegman, England Women's manager, has named her squad for the upcoming Nations League matches against Portugal and Spain. The Lionesses will face Portugal in their League A Group 3 opener next Friday in Portimão. Five days later, England will host world champions Spain at Wembley Stadium in a rematch of the 2023 World Cup final. Grace Clinton is named after her heroics in the previous camp, while Alessia Russo and Beth Mead are chosen for their goals in the Women's Super League. Keira Walsh, who signed for Chelsea on deadline day earlier this month, has also been called up in midfield. England last played in December, defeating Switzerland 1-0 at Bramall Lane.

The Three Lions' Thursday loss to Greece at Wembley was a blow for Lee Carsley, who is currently serving as interim manager of England. With their first-ever victory over England at the tenth attempt, the visitors maintained their flawless start to the UEFA Nations League campaign. The outcome is a step backward for England as the Three Lions attempt to advance in the post-Gareth Southgate era, despite positive signals during September's camp. Cavalier Carsley was chastised. Prior to the match, Lee Carsley made waves with his team selection, starting England in an avant-garde formation full with attacking talent. Despite the lack of a designated center-forward in the starting lineup, the inclusion of Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Anthony Gordon, Cole Palmer, and Phil Foden in the same lineup excited the anti-Southgate crowd, as the former manager was frequently criticized for his practicality. Carsley sent the wrong statement, if that was what he meant to send. With the failu...