Football

The unnamed individual is currently asymptomatic and has been isolated, the JFF said in a brief statement today.

As per protocols set by the host, persons testing positive are isolated for 10 days after which another test is done. If a negative result emerges, persons can travel home.

Last week Thursday, the JFF said two members of the delegation – a player and a member of the technical staff – had tested positive for the virus while two other members were under observation. This latest positive is a new case that has affected the camp.

A player tested positive while the delegation was on its way to Saudi Arabia and was isolated in London and did not make the trip to the Middle East.

The Reggae Boyz are in Riyad to play two friendlies against Saudi Arabia’s national team. The Reggae Boyz lost their first of those encounters 3-0 on Saturday. The second friendly is set for Tuesday, November 17.

The Spain international tapped in from close range in the eighth minute after latching onto Jordi Alba's cutback.

His strike cancelled out Federico Valverde's opener, which had come three minutes earlier during a frantic start.

At the age of 17 years and 359 days, Fati is the youngest player to score in a meeting between Barca and Madrid in the 21st century.

It is the latest in a long list of records set by the Barca academy graduate since he made his senior debut in August 2019.

Fati is also the overall youngest goalscorer for Barca and the Spanish national team, as well as being the youngest scorer in Champions League history.

He has established himself as a regular in Barca's frontline this season ahead of Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele, who both started on the bench against Madrid.

The early equaliser was the 400th goal scored by the Catalan giants against their bitter rivals in all competitions.

The 23-year-old was a rare bright spark for England as they lost 1-0 to Brazil on Saturday night in the first of two final friendlies before Gareth Southgate names his squad for Euro 2024.

Gordon, who was named player of the tournament as England won the Under-21 European Championship last year, impressed off the left at Wembley – where Endrick’s late goal secured a narrow victory for the away side.

Southgate’s squad has been ravaged with injury before and during the current camp and, with the domestic campaign ramping up, several players who started against Brazil are expected to be rotated for the visit of Belgium on Tuesday night.

Gordon, though, is keen to don the England shirt once more and stake another claim for a spot on the plane to Germany.

“Not just Tuesday, any other day,” he replied with a smile when asked if he wanted to stay in the side to face Belgium.

“I want to play as many games for England as I possibly can. I’m quite hard on myself so I wanted to score and win. If I think like that, I can’t do myself any harm.

“I know I played well but I hope for more. It was not quite how I envisaged it. But it’s still an amazing day for me, I relished every minute of it. I’ve got a taste now so I want more.”

Southgate embraced Gordon when he was replaced by Marcus Rashford in the second half, but the former Everton player revealed it did not come with a promise of a place in his Euros squad.

Asked if the England manager had told him he was on the plane, Gordon said: “No! Hopefully he says that in a couple of months.

“He was saying, ‘fantastic’. He was really pleased for me. I think he was happy with my performance which is always a good thing.

“It was chaotic. When I came off (against Chelsea on March 11), I didn’t know what was going to happen.

“Everything was up in the air. But I was really fortunate to miss out on any injury and I got to live the best day of my life.”

The 23-year-old, who starred in the under-21s’ European Championship success last summer, scored his 10th goal of the season in Saturday’s 3-0 Premier League victory over Wolves to underline the progression he has made since his £45million switch from Everton in January 2023.

Gordon’s efforts have inevitably seen his name thrown into the conversation surrounding Gareth Southgate’s squad for this month’s friendlies against Brazil and Belgium and, beyond that, the Euro 2024 finals.

Asked how close he was to the senior squad, club boss Howe said: “I don’t know how close he is – that’s for Gareth to talk about, not me. But his form this season has been consistent and I think that is what Gareth will be looking for, consistent performances above a certain level.

“He will be looking for goals and assists from his wingers, and he’s delivered that as well. I think he’s in a really good place.

“I would say to him, don’t focus on England, focus on your club form. Keep doing the right things with us and everything else will take care of itself.

“Anthony has done that and I don’t think he’s been distracted at any time. He’s kept looking at the short term and is very motivated to play every minute of every game, which I love about him. His career is in a good place.”

Gordon arrived on Tyneside after a difficult end to his spell at Goodison Park with fans accusing him of forcing his way out of the club he had joined as a schoolboy, and found his initial months in the North East testing.

However, Howe is convinced he has learned from those experiences – and that of becoming a father – as he has matured on and off the pitch.

The head coach said: “For someone so young, he has had so many really good experiences – and that is not always positive experiences. His experience at Everton will definitely have strengthened him.

“That was difficult for him, and it was difficult year last year. He has left Liverpool, and that is a big thing for someone so young. He has just had a baby, and anyone who goes through that experience as a young man knows what effect that can have on your life and psychology.

“He has some really good things in his life which keep him stable, motivated to do well and fingers crossed, he can continue his form.”

Gordon will hope to maintain that form at Chelsea on Monday evening, a game for which Lewis Hall – who Howe revealed is close to meeting the criteria to make his £28m switch to Newcastle permanent – is ineligible under the terms of his loan agreement.

Full-back Kieran Trippier will miss out with a calf injury suffered against Wolves which is likely to sideline him for two games and rule him out of England duty.

The 23-year-old has earned his first senior call-up for the upcoming Wembley friendly double-header against Brazil and Belgium, potentially breaking into Gareth Southgate’s squad just in time for Euro 2024.

Gordon helped England to glory at the 2023 European Under-21 Championship, where he was also named as player of the tournament.

He remains available to both the Republic of Ireland and Scotland through his heritage, with the latter seemingly a possible option to get into the senior international scene and secure a spot at the Euros this summer.

Now, though, that opportunity comes with England and, for the former Everton winger, that was the only outcome he was looking for.

“It was never a thought for me,” he said when asked if he had considered it.

“That’s no disrespect to Scotland, that’s all. I’ve been tunnel-visioned on playing for England since I was five or six years old. Nothing could ever shake that off.

“I could never forgive myself if I hadn’t got to this point. Like I said, it is just a dream I’ve had from so young so nothing else has ever entered my mind at any time.”

Born in Liverpool, Gordon’s passion for one day wanting to wear the Three Lions of England stems from local boys he looked up to as a youngster.

“I think I’ve always just wanted to be at the very top of football,” he said.

“I think that’s every kid’s dream who likes football. I think as a young English kid, that is the pinnacle to play for your country so it is no extra motivation or a great story but just that.

“For me, it was always (Wayne) Rooney and (Steven) Gerrard because they were from similar areas.

“I always used to run around the garden from the youngest age I can remember and try and recreate goals, create my own types of goals. I looked up to them massively.”

Despite both captaining their country, neither Rooney nor Gerrard ever won international silverware – Gordon and the current crop are aiming to do just that and he believes tapping into the recent Under-21 success can only help.

“Most definitely because the standard of the Under-21s is so high,” he said.

“Our team was a really, really good team. A lot of them played Premier League week in, week out at some big clubs.

“Being in those environments, wanting to showcase what you can do, prepares you for this environment and I’m very thankful for all the experiences I had with the youth teams.”

Gordon will be hoping to take the step up to senior football in his stride and admits it was added motivation when Southgate had spoken just how close he had come to picking the Newcastle man in previous squads.

“(It was) very reassuring – I was performing well,” he added.

“I was working hard, the season was going well for me. Just to hear him say that I was in the thoughts and close.

“It gave me just a little boost to carry on knowing I’m not too far away and in the games, made me run just that little bit harder.”

Joshua will be a playable character in the video game's "Volta" mode – in which players are able to test their skills in a small-sided game with five-a-side rules.

Olympic gold medallist and world heavyweight champion Joshua is being introduced as a "Groundbreaker", alongside Kaka, Eric Cantona, Thierry Henry, Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, Atletico Madrid youngster Joao Felix and FIFA 21 cover star Kylian Mbappe.

Diplo, a three-time Grammy Award-winning DJ and producer, also features.

Players will be able to pit their wits against the Groundbreakers, while also being able to recruit them into their squads.

With the win, Bonaire moved to six points from three games, still three points behind leaders St Martin. The two will meet in the group finale on Tuesday, with Bonaire needing to win by a wide margin if they are to take top spot and promotion to League B.

Bonaire could not have asked for a better start, as they took the lead in a mere three minutes, as Anthony deflected a cross in from the right wing.

Anthony doubled Bonaire's lead three minutes later when he converted a penalty, after Jonathan Libania was taken down in the area.

Anguilla's defence did a nice job to deny Bonaire any further goals at that point, as they created several good chances.

At the other end, Anguilla also found some rhythm, but nothing that got past Bonaire's goalkeeper Denyor Cicilia.

Anthony was denied a hat-trick in the 64th when he was played in but was denied on the reaction save from Anguilla's custodian Jelanie Lawrence.

Anthony instead assumed the role of playmaker and crafted the third Bonaire goal by whipping in a cross from the right flank that was stabbed home by Freadyen Michiel in the 73rd to cap the win.

Such is the case for some of the Caribbean's top young players, who are provided an opportunity to take their talents beyond the shores and, by extension, bring their dreams of making it big on the global stage within reach, courtesy of the Caribbean Premier Showcase.

The Caribbean Premier Showcase, conceptualized by Jamaican-born Oniqueky Samuels in 2014, was meant to be a mere recruitment drive for universities and colleges in the United States, but has since blossomed into a developmental workshop.

The event is designed to test the mettle and skills of players from across the region under the watchful eyes of over 30 coaches from universities, colleges, clubs and academies across the world.

Having made stops in Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada over the years, Samuels, the Men’s Head coach and International Advisor at the University of Maine, Fort Kent, has opted to bring the showcase back to Jamaica, with action scheduled for Friday and Saturday starting at 9:00am.

St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) Sports Complex in Santa Cruz will be the first stop, before Samuels and team cap things off at the UWI-JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence in Kingston.

The showcase involves a number of games in the morning from which coaches will select the various players they want to see advance. In the afternoon, an All-scholastic team, selected by ISSA, will square off against an All-star team selected by the coaches. Following those engagements, the All-manning and All-daCosta Cup teams will lock horns against the All-star teams selected by the coaches.

After leaving Jamaica the Showcase will head to Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Samuels pointed out that his inspiration to launch such an initiative stemmed from his own journey, as he was awarded a scholarship to the University of Maine, Fort Kent in 2007, and has made full use of the opportunity.

The soft-spoken Samuels completed two degrees at Maine, Fort Kent, and later transitioned to Union College where he started his coaching career. After spending two seasons at Union as a graduate assistant, he was hired by Maine, Fort Kent as an academic advisor and assistant coach, before taking the reins as of his current position in 2018.

“I'm excited about how everything is manifesting. It started as just an itch to give back to young Jamaicans as soon as I got an opportunity coaching. So, I wanted to recruit you know personnel from similar background as mine and it has transitioned into this that you're seeing now,” Samuels, who is also the founder of the Samuels Soccer Foundation, shared.

“It is so satisfying, a lot of persons are hopping on board and making this an official event. That's the main objective, to make this an official annual event that can give young Caribbean players an opportunity to excel, whether you know excel in football or excel in academics because at the end of the day it started by just you know offering scholarships to universities and colleges,” he added.

According to Samuels, another key component to the Showcase is the fact that it also prepares the successful recruits mentally for their transition into a new environment.

“It helps with the want-to-do-well mindset because you want to make better for your family. So, at the end of the day, you have me that have gone through with you have Rajay [Maragh] that has gone through it, many of the personnel who are assisting and volunteering for this showcase, have gone through it. We also offer that connection and relationship with the coaches as well, so if there are issues or any kind of conversation that needs to be had, you know we're going to have those conversations. So, we kind of maintain somewhat of a relationship as a kid gets an opportunity. They're not just thrown out into wherever they land and just expected to do well,” he explained.

That said, Rajay Maragh, the Showcase’s chief operating officer, argued that it would be remiss if they didn’t stress the need to balance academics and the athletics to allow for greater success. This, he said is often an issue as some student-athletes forget that they are students first.

“That is one of the challenges we had last year too. So, we had a player who did well at the showcase, the coach is interested. We go into the system, and we pull up his profile, but the grades are not matching. These days, Colleges are not necessarily giving full scholarship like that. They'll give you an academic scholarship, and an athletic scholarship and together that would make it a full scholarship. So, you may have a coach that offers a player 60% in sports scholarship, which means the other 40 needs to come from your academic progress,” Maragh revealed.

On that note, President and founder of Value FC Emelio Williams gave insight into what the coaches will be looking for.

"Whether you play top tier college football or professional football, one of the first things is just character. You know your academics well. I'm a supporter of schools because we run two professional teams in Europe and you're a brand. The club is a brand, the team is a brand, each player is a brand. You might score 30 goals for the season, but if your actions bring the club in disrepute, it's all for nought. So, character and all the things that come with just the discipline, the commitment, the drive, being a good teammate, hard work. Those things are massively important to any college coach and to any professional organization. I would say character and then obviously your football and talents or your academic, your athletic talents are massively important," he said.

On Thursday, FIFA announced the suspension of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) from all forms of international football, following its failure to withdraw a case that was before the T&T High Court, within the prescribed deadline.

As a result, T&T has had its membership privileges revoked and as such cannot compete in any tournaments.  With the terms of the suspension hanging on just three conditions, however, the country could well rectify the situation and be reinstated before the start of the tournament next year.

In addressing the issue, Concacaf revealed it had decided, after an emergency meeting, that T&T would be included in the draw on Monday and remain a part of the competition until 5:00 pm ET on December 18, 2020.  If the suspension has not been lifted by that time, Antigua and Barbuda, as the next highest-ranked team based on their 2019 Concacaf Nations League performance, will take their place.

Trinidad and Tobago remains among 12 teams set to compete in a preliminary round competition from July 2-6, 2021 prior to the start of next year’s tournament.

The 25-year-old Stanton, also known as Taka, was a midfielder, who for the past three seasons played with Drahz Old Road FC in the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) Premier League.

According to reports, he was suffering from encephalitis and had fallen into coma days before he died at the Mount St John’s Medical Centre about 9:30 pm.

The members of the club’s executive are in shock. Sportsmax.TV was told that at team training this morning, members of the club – still in a state of disbelief- shared their memories of him and the player that he was.

They described him as being very quiet, a player who listened to instruction and who was very disciplined on and off the field.

“He always had his shirt in his pants and that was how people would identify who he was. He was also an intelligent player,” said Zita Edwards, the club’s general secretary.

Chesley Browne, Assistant Coach at Old Road, said Stanton was the player every coach wanted to have on his team.

“He was an exceptional midfield player. He was an outstanding player, a ball winner. He was very committed and left everything on the field and he didn’t like to lose,” he said.

During his time in Antigua, Stanton also played for the Villa Lions FC and Green Bay Hoppers. Hoppers’ General Secretary Troy Gibson had fond memories of him.

“He was a very good youth,” Gibson told Sportsmax.TV this morning.

Stanton, who also played for Tivoli Gardens FC in Jamaica, fell ill on August 14 when he began to suffer from severe headaches. He had a fever and he began to vomit repeatedly. His vitals had also begun to fall.

Subsequent tests indicated that he was suffering from an infection around his brain, which doctors believed caused some brain damage. About a week later, he fell into a coma and was put on a ventilator.

He remained unresponsive and eventually died on Wednesday.

“The entire football community is heavily impacted by his death,” Gibson said.

According to reports, his family is trying to raise funds to fly his body back to Jamaica for burial.

Shackiel Smek Henry (21st) put AC Port of Spain in front, but that strike was cancelled out by Sean Tomlinson (90+5), who ensured Grenades FC registered their first point of the campaign.

AC Port of Spain remain third on two points behind the Dominican Republic duo of Moca FC and Cibao FC, both on four points each. Haiti’s Ouanaminthe sit fourth on a point, while Grenades remain at the foot of the five-team standings.

With both teams coming of losses in their previous encounters, it was anybody’s guess where the points would go. However, AC Port of Spain being the more illustrious of the two, coupled with the fact that they were at home, was slightly favoured to notch their first win of the campaign.

They seemed well on their way to achieving that feat when Henry pounced on a loose ball and fired home from close range.

Though they were forced into substituting goalkeeper Denzil Smith, who was replaced by Marvin Phillip, AC Port of Spain were still in safe hands. This, as Phillip immediately impacted the contest when he denied Quinton Griffith from the penalty spot in the 53rd minute.

Duane Muckette should have doubled AC Port of Spain’s lead from the penalty spot on the hour mark, but his tame kick was kept out by Zaieem Scott in goal for Grenades FC.

That missed opportunity would later haunt them as Tomlinson injected tempo in the latter staged of the contest for Grenades. He should have pulled them level in the 85th, but muffed his effort in a one-on-one situation with Phillip, who left his line well.

However, Tomlinson made amends on the final play of the encounter as he expertly headed home Keanu Barrett’s weighted cross, giving Phillip no chance at a save in time added.

With the point set to serve as a morale booster, Grenades will be hoping to convert it to a win when they square off against Ouanaminthe FC in Dominican Republic next Tuesday, while AC Port of Spain will host Cibao FC on the same day.

The victory saw the Honest Men climb above their opponents into sixth place in the table.

The decisive moment came in the 15th minute when Anton Dowds headed home Jamie Murphy’s corner.

Rhys McCabe came closest for the visitors in the 30th minute when his free-kick was superbly tipped over the bar by Robbie Mutch.

Goals from Isaac Olaofe and Antoni Sarcevic meant Dave Challinor’s men secured a 10th straight league victory and an 11th on the spin in all competitions.

The hosts got off to a flying start at a packed Edgeley Park.

Odin Bailey threaded a perfect through ball into the path of Olaofe, and he easily slotted home his 12th goal of the season.

Kyle Wootton headed over as Stockport were in control, before the big striker was denied by goalkeeper Luke McGee’s smart save.

Rovers lost Harvey Saunders to a second yellow card minutes after the restart, before Stockport added a second goal.

Sarcevic beat McGee after playing a neat one-two with Wootton.

The goal frame then saved Rovers twice as Wootton’s follow-up hit the crossbar after skipper Ryan Croasdale’s shot had struck a post.

Rob Apter twice went close for Tranmere late on, but they slumped to a fourth straight loss and are still without a point on the road this term.

The 2021 nominees have been selected based on performance statistics and voting by expert panels consisting of former professional men’s and women’s players and football broadcasters.

The other nominees are Mexico star Hirving Lozano (Napoli), the Canadian pair Jonathan David (Lille) and Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich) and Americans Weston McKennie (Juventus) and Christian Pulisic (Chelsea).

The winner will be determined in voting by national team head coaches and captains in the region, media and fans via www.concacaf.com.

Antonio has so far scored three goals in six games for the Reggae Boyz in World Cup Qualifying and nine goals for West Ham this season, including eight in the Premier League.

 Adding to the Reggae Boyz’s challenges, defender Mason Holgate will also miss the match after receiving a red card in the first leg, which Jamaica lost 1-0 in Kingston last Thursday. Despite these setbacks, Jamaica has bolstered its squad with the return of Ravel Morrison and the inclusion of Khori Bennett, a forward for the Las Vegas Lights in the USL. Bennett, a former Wolmer’s Boys standout, could make his senior debut in this must-win encounter.

 Reflecting on the first leg, McLaren expressed disappointment with the result but remained optimistic about Jamaica’s chances. “I think we were unfortunate to come away with a defeat, albeit by just one goal,” McLaren said. “We felt we did enough to draw the game. We didn’t in the end, but we are still in the tie. Away from home, we’ve been in good form recently. This will be a completely different game altogether. We know that USA on home soil is a totally different team, so we expect another very difficult game but come here with optimism and belief.”

 Jamaica’s task is clear: overturn the 1-0 deficit and advance to the semi-finals. “We know what our goal is,” McLaren continued. “We need to score two goals or more and win the game. The first goal in this game will be very important.”

 A significant storyline heading into the match is the return of Ravel Morrison, who has been absent from the national team for over a year. He last played for Jamaica in March 2023 against Mexico. McLaren, who worked with Morrison at Derby County, is confident the creative midfielder can make a difference.

 “I am always looking out for good players and players who can make a difference, handle the ball, big game players, and Ravel has always been one of them,” McLaren said. “He’s got a great personality and unbelievable talent. He wasn’t picked before because he wasn’t playing. He is now playing very well in Dubai, scoring goals and assisting. I think this is a perfect game, a perfect opportunity for Ravel to come into the squad. Whether he starts or comes on, he is one of those players who can win a game of football.”

 Jamaica dominated much of the second half in the first leg, coming close to equalizing on multiple occasions. Demarai Gray also missed a crucial penalty after the United States took an early lead. However, McLaren is drawing confidence from the team’s away form and believes the Reggae Boyz have what it takes to pull off a result in St. Louis.

 The stakes are high as Jamaica looks to defy the odds, overcome the absence of key players, and secure a spot in the CONCACAF Nations League semi-finals.

The brother of Madrid great and honorary president Paco Gento, Antonio Gento won a LaLiga and Copa del Rey double alongside his elder sibling in the 1961-62 season.

It was his only campaign with Los Blancos and he went on to play for Levante, Racing Santander and Real Oviedo.

In a statement published following Antonio Gento's death, Madrid said: "Real Madrid wishes to extend its condolences to all his family, especially our dear Francisco Gento, his friends and loved ones, and all the clubs he represented."

Paco Gento, 87, spent 18 seasons with Madrid, winning LaLiga 12 times and the European Cup on six occasions – including five in a row from 1956 until 1960.

The burly forward returned in fine style, banging in two goals against Burnley, which gave the Hammers much-needed impetus in the race for the fourth and final Champions League spot.

Antonio’s power upfront will no doubt give the team renewed confidence heading into the final weeks of the season, and the forward himself admits he is feeling in good shape and looking to make up for the lost time.

"I trained with the boys all week so I was always in contention," Antonio told the club’s official website.

"I didn't know if I'd start or not, but I did, managed to get my two goals, and should have had more,” he added.

"I'll keep moving on to the next game and hopefully score more goals."

Antonio did, however, miss out on the perfect opportunity to secure a hat-trick after being gifted a golden chance to make it three when a Pablo Fornals shot fell to him just yards from goal, but the striker got the ball stuck under his feet with the goal gaping.

"It wasn't my day to get the hat-trick, but I got my two, and I can't be greedy."

The West Ham star, who was making just his second appearance for the Jamaica national team, after switching from England earlier this year, needed only seven minutes to get on the scoresheet against the Central Americans.

Picking up the ball midway the opposition half, Antonio charged into the area before executing a trademark dink over the El Salvador goalkeeper in the 82^nd minute.  The Jamaicans were forced to settle for a share of the points after El Salvador struck back in the 90^th minute.  Having opened his account, the player is looking for more and hoping to do so against the region’s biggest teams.

It’s always good to get off the mark quite early.  So, you can release all the pressure off yourself and keep going and get more goals.  Hopefully, now that I’ve got one, I can keep going and get more,” Antonio said.

“Right now, my performances are getting better.  So, the only way I can show it is by doing it against the better teams, the USA’s and Canadas.”

Jamaica will play against the United States in a crucial encounter on Tuesday.

The 31-year-old Antonio signed a new deal just 13 months ago, which would have kept him at the club until 2023.  The deal, however, had allowed for an extension clause that West Ham have now exercised to keep the player at the club until 2025.

Antonio has had a strong season for the Hammers so far scoring 8 times in 19 matches.  His goals have formed a crucial part of the team’s strong EPL campaign so far, which sees them currently just outside the top four.

Overall, for the club, he has scored 52 league goals in 175 appearances.  Antonio has also played his part in helping the club get to the knockout stages of the Europa League.  The forward scored the opening goal to help dispatch Dinamo Zagreb 2-0 on matchday one, a victory that ultimately helped the club top their group.

West Ham confirmed on Saturday that Antonio was in hospital in a stable condition after he was involved in a road traffic accident.

On Sunday, West Ham offered a further update, announcing that Antonio had undergone surgery on a fractured lower limb.

The 34-year-old will remain in hospital for further assessment over the coming days.

"Everyone at the club wishes Michail a speedy recovery and wishes to express its sincere gratitude to the football family at large for the overwhelming support shown since [Saturday's] news," a West Ham statement read.

"As well as extending a heartfelt thank you to the emergency services and first responders who attended to Michail in the immediate aftermath of the incident, and the medical team who continue to aid him in his recovery."

Antonio has featured in all 14 of West Ham's Premier League matches this season.

West Ham are in action against Wolves on Monday.