Month: January 2023

The 2024 America’s Cup is coming to the United States, and the host has officially changed!

Two years before co-hosting the World Cup, the United States will host another major soccer tournament: the redesigned 2024 Copa America.

A reformatted 2024 Copa América will be hosted by the United States

Ecuador was due to host the tournament next year but withdrew in November due to safety and infrastructure concerns.

The U.S. hosted the Centennial Special Edition in 2016, the only previous event held outside of South America.

It was also announced that the 2024 edition will feature 10 regular teams from South America, plus six teams from North and Central America and the Caribbean.

The United States, which will co-host the 2026 World Cup with Mexico and Canada, is not guaranteed a spot in the Copa America, and the U.S. national team is expected to qualify through the CONCACAF and North American Nations League, currently second in Group D.

Argentina won the postponed 2021 tournament and has since become world champions thanks to a 1-0 win over hosts Brazil at the Maracana.

Meanwhile, the USMNT remains in limbo, with head coach Greg Berhalter (whose contract effectively expired last year) being investigated over scandals involving extortion and past cases of alleged domestic violence.

New York Red Bulls sign Kyle Duncan to season-long loan

The New York Red Bulls have re-signed guard Kyle Duncan on a season-long loan from KV Ostend with an option to buy.

The right-back joined Ostend on a free transfer in January 2022 and made seven appearances for Belgium before returning to Red Bull on loan in August.

“We are delighted that Kyle [Duncan] is returning to the club after being loaned out at the end of last season,” Red Bulls sporting director Dennis Hamlet said in a statement. “He knows the club very well and has achieved a great deal here. We look forward to seeing him continue to do so this season.”

The right-back signed a first-team contract in 2018 following his break from Red Bull’s youth academy. Duncan made 81 appearances for the Red Bulls in five seasons before going abroad, scoring five goals and assisting 11 times.

“Kyle [Duncan] has shown his quality with us over the past few years and has a lot of experience in MLS,” RBNY head coach Gerhard Struber said in a release. “We are delighted to have him back with us.”

The defender is expected to start again at right-back under manager Gerhard Struber in 2023 after starting six of his nine games back at Red Bull last year. He helped the team finish fourth in the Eastern Conference standings, scoring 53 points in 34 games to make the playoffs.

But the team’s playoff run was short-lived, losing 2-1 to FC Cincinnati in the first round.

The team will return to the field when it visits the city of Orlando at Exploria Stadium on February 25.

 

We may earn a commission when you buy something from links on this page.

Vancouver Whitecaps sign guard Mathias Laborda

The Vancouver Whitecaps have signed Uruguayan defender Mathias Laborda for free using targeted allocation funds.

Mathias Laborda joins the Vancouver Whitecaps ahead of the 2023 season.

He joins the 2025 MLS season and has a club option for 2026 after playing exclusively for the Nationals in his home country.

“Mathias is the player we’ve been looking for for over a year,” Vancouver athletic director Axel Schuster said in a release.

Matias joined the team after scoring 6 goals and 1 assist in 101 games for the national team, helping Uruguay win 3 La Liga titles and the 2021 Uruguayan Super Cup.

“He’s a young, bright, tenacious defender. Mathias plays with the ball and brings a wealth of experience and growth potential. We’re delighted to welcome Mathías to Vancouver,” Schuster added.

Laborda is the second center to sign with the Vancouver Whitecaps in the offseason, along with Khalifa Yao, who was acquired through the MLS re-entry draft after leaving CF Montreal.

The duo will compete with first-choice guards Tristan Blackmon and Ranko Veselinovic for Vani Saldini’s starting 11 spot.

After a disappointing 2022 MLS season, the team entered the new season with Canada scoring 43 points in 34 games with a 12W-15L-7D record and ninth place in the Western Conference standings.

Although the team failed to make the playoffs, the Whitecaps did qualify for the 2023 Concacaf Champions League after winning the Canadian Championship.

 

We may earn a commission when you buy something from links on this page.

Why Arsenal will wear a special new kit against Oxford in the FA Cup

Arsenal will wear an all-white shirt for their upcoming FA Cup third-round tie against Oxford as part of the next chapter of their No More Red campaign to tackle knife crime and youth violence.

Arsenal will play in an all-white kit against Oxford in the FA Cup

The one-off adidas jersey features a white monochrome badge and branding.

The ‘No More Red’ campaign was first launched in the community by Arsenal in January 2022.

A statement from the club ahead of the weekend explained:

“Despite a significant drop in the number of young people who lost their lives to violent youth crime in 2022 compared to 2021, there were 11,502 knife crimes recorded in London between January 2022 and November 2022, compared with 2021 increased compared to the same period.

“We and adidas share an unwavering and long-standing commitment to creating safe spaces for young people to practice sport in the capital, providing better access to trusted role models and spotlighting talented individuals who make a positive contribution to their communities. “

As well as the men’s team wearing an all-white jersey for Monday night’s game against Oxford, the women’s team will also support No More Red in white monochromatic anthem jackets ahead of their WSL clash with Chelsea on January 15.

Arsenal are encouraging fans and members of the public to volunteer with one of the club’s many charity partners for the chance to win a special No More Red shirt and an invitation to a game at the Emirates Stadium.

The following charity partners will have 10 limited edition T-shirts distributed to volunteers: Arsenal Community, Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation, Iron Warriors, Don’t Hurt Your Future, Fight Crime, Copenhagen Youth Project, St Giles Trust, Abianda , Octopus Community Network, Ben Kinsella Trust.

These unique jerseys are not sold commercially, so are only available through donations of time.

We may earn a commission when you buy something from links on this page.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a way for websites to earn advertising revenues by advertising and linking to Amazon.com