Diego Simeone said he spotted positives in Atletico Madrid's performance, despite the disappointing 2-2 draw at Villarreal in their LaLiga opener on Monday.
Atletico had to fight back twice in the first half to rescue a point against Villarreal, who made the most of their rivals' mistakes in defence.
Arnaut Danjuma easily beat Atletico defender Axel Witsel to score Villarreal's opener before a bad mistake by goalkeeper Jan Oblak 19 minutes later led to an own goal from captain Koke.
"We played a good game. We had individual situations that we have to improve but as a collective effort the team played well, but we conceded goals we could have avoided," Simeone told Movistar Plus.
"[The] thing is, in the few chances they had in attack we were toothless and conceded two goals in isolated plays. But I saw good things and details that make the difference throughout the year."
Simeone said he was satisfied with the debut of his blockbuster signing Julian Alvarez, who came off the bench to play the final 15 minutes of the game, though he had little impact.
The Argentinian only joined Atletico a week ago after Manchester City agreed a deal of more than €75million to part with the versatile 24-year-old forward.
"Julian is gradually getting to know the club and his teammates and understanding the system that we are going to play so we are hopeful we'll be able to [appreciate] all the great things he has to offer soon enough," Simeone said.
The manager also confirmed that Joao Felix's absence on Monday was due to "the transfer market" after British and Spanish media reported that Atletico had a deal in place to send the Portuguese forward to Chelsea.
"Soon you will know what I have already been told," Simeone said with a laugh when he was asked about Felix.
Reggae Boy Andre Blake plays PK hero as Philadelphia Union book Leagues Cup semis berth
Reggae Boyz captain and goalkeeper Andre Blake produced two stunning saves to assist Philadelphia Union to a 4-3 penalty shootout win over Liga MX side Mazatlan in the 2024 Leagues Cup quarterfinals on Saturday.
Blake’s heroics were required after Mikael Uhre’s late first-half goal was cancelled out by Alonso Escoboza just shy of the hour mark, as the teams played out a 1-1 stalemate in regulation and extra-time.
The 33-year-old Blake, who won the 2017 Concacaf Gold Cup Golden Glove, showed his class with two diving saves in the shootout to send Philadelphia Union to the semi-finals.
Interestingly, the other semi-finalists—Columbus Crew, Los Angeles FC, and Colorado Rapids—are also Major League Soccer (MLS) outfits, and with the top three Leagues Cup finishers guaranteed a spot in next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup, it means that all three qualifiers will be United States-based MLS teams.
Columbus Crew, a 2024 Champions Cup finalist, moved closer to a Champions Cup return as they too registered a close 4-3 penalty shootout win over New York City FC.
Both teams played out a 1-1 stalemate as Alonso Martinez gave New York FC a first minute lead, which was cancelled out by Cucho Hernandez. Like Blake, Columbus Crew’s custodian Patrick Schulte also produced a stop in the shootout to help secure his team’s passage.
Elsewhere, 2020 and 2023 Champions Cup finalists Los Angeles FC powered their way into the final four with a commanding 3-0 victory over the 2022 Champions Cup winners Seattle Sounders. Ryan Hollingshead and Kei Kamara logged first-half goals, before Denis Bouanga completed the win with an early second-half strike.
Meanwhile, there were plenty of thrills in the final match of the evening as Colorado Rapids slipped past seven-time Concacaf champions Club America of Mexico 9-8 on sudden-death penalties after they battled out a scoreless encounter.
The Liga MX giants were poised to win the shootout on their fifth kick, but Rapids’ goaltender Zack Steffen denied Igor Lichnovsky. The two teams then converted their next four kicks each, before Steffen scored his kick from the 12-yard spot, while his counterpart Luis Malagon hit wide and handed Colorado Rapids the victory.
'Not in this lifetime': Warner says T&T lacks necessary ingredients to qualify for another FIFA World Cup
If the words of former FIFA vice president Austin “Jack” Warner are anything to go by, then Trinidad and Tobago is basically grasping at straws where qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup is concerned.
In fact, Warner, known for his blunt personality, is of the view that the Twin Island Republic will not make another appearance at the global showpiece anytime soon, as it lacks a proper football structure and, by extension, competence from a coaching perspective.
Even with the increased opportunity opened up by United States, Canada, and Mexico securing automatic berths as hosts, Warner believes this offers very little hope for the Soca Warriors chances. Three teams will qualify directly to join the hosts as Concacaf’s representatives at the World Cup, while another two will have a second chance at qualification through an inter-confederation playoff.
Trinidad and Tobago’s lone FIFA World Cup appearance to date was in Germany in 2006.
“Let me tell you this, and who is vex well, vex. We will not see a World Cup final in football in our collective lifetime, not even for the one coming up (2026), and remember, I have told you so,” Warner told Andre Errol Baptiste on the ISports radio program last Friday.
“We have gotten more chances and more slots to qualify, but our chances will not be better but worse. First of all, we don’t have the talent at the top, and in terms of coaching, we don’t have that will to allow our football players to succeed. We don’t have the competition at the bottom. Ask the average Trinidad and Tobago footballer to name five footballers in the country. He can’t. The average Trini cannot, and something is wrong,” he added.
Former Soca Warriors Angus Eve (left), then assistant Derek King (centre), and goalkeeper coach Clayton Ince.
The recent sacking of Angus Eve and the hiring of his assistant Derek King on an interim basis, Warner said, doesn't help the situation.
“I know Derek King very well; he used to coach my club called Joe Public. I know him very well, but Derek King is out of his league. Derek King does not understand the nuances of coaching at the World Cup level, and that is the difference I am talking about. Derek King is not in Leo Beenhakker’s class, so to speak, and England got rid of Gareth Southgate, so what are we doing in terms of this?” Warner questioned.
Though it is argued that the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) lacks the adequate finances to compensate a high-calibre coach, Warner, a former Minister of National Security, alluded to the possibility of the current government shifting funds around to provide more support for sports.
“If you get the money to pay a top-class coach, you will spend less money in the judiciary and less money in national security. The money that you will save from national security, you can pump back into sports. It follows that you have to prioritise and see what is important to you, and if sport is the vehicle for national unity and development and for people’s pride, put the money where it is,” Warner argued.
“I recall where sportsmen and sportswomen had to spend their own money attending to injuries. It does not help until we get serious about sports. Nothing from nothing will leave nothing,” he noted.
While taking a swipe at corporate companies in Trinidad and Tobago that refuse to render assistance until after the fact, Warner used the Jamaica Football Federation’s (JFF) hiring of Englishman Steve McClaren to drive home his point about national pride.
“They will not get corporate support. They (corporate TT) only come at the end. They come at the end, not at the beginning, where they are badly needed,” Warner stated.
He continued: “There is no local coach that can take Trinidad and Tobago to the World Cup at this time, and I mean that sincerely, and that is not a criticism. That is a realistic statement; we don’t have it; we just don’t have it.
“Jamaica is looking for a top-class coach; they have never considered Dwight Yorke. Look where Jamaica has gone. They don’t have the energy and oil we have, but they have the pride. We don’t have that, and that is the difference.”
On another note, the former Concacaf boss expressed optimism that his legal battles regarding a 2015 indictment for corruption, will be behind him soon.
“The matter will be thrown out, but it takes time in Trinidad and Tobago. All the colleagues that have been arrested and imprisoned in the United States have since appealed based on the Supreme Court statement and judgment (that prosecutors in the US overreached their boundaries when they applied laws of the United States to groups of people, many of whom are foreign nationals).
“I am now waiting to see what will come out of these appeals, and I will take it from there, but I don’t want to say too much on that at this stage, except to say, I am very optimistic,” Warner ended.
Cajuste 'excited' by Ipswich loan move from Napoli
Jens Cajuste has joined Ipswich Town on loan from Napoli for the 2024-25 season.
The midfielder, who made 35 appearances for the Partenopei in all competitions last season, will be available for Ipswich's second Premier League outing against Manchester City.
Cajuste joined Napoli in August 2023 from Reims, signing a five-year contract in a deal reported to be worth €12million.
"This feels great, and I'm happy to be here," Cajuste told TownTV.
"It took a little while with the negotiations, but I'm finally here, and I'm very excited.
"I've had great conversations with the manager, and this seems like a very interesting project. It's an ambitious club and a team that is progressing.
"I'm a player that works hard, and I want to contribute in attack and defence. I want to play as much as possible, and I'll be looking to get some good tackles in!"
Cajuste is the ninth player to join Ipswich this transfer window, following their double transfer announcement of Sammie Szmodics and Kalvin Phillips, on loan from Manchester City, on Friday.
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