Author: Brila

Jose Mourinho claimed that Manchester United did not lose to Tottenham Hotspur in a ‘strategic’ and ‘tactical’ sense despite their 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford on Monday night. A Harry Kane header and two Lucas Moura goals consigned United to their second defeat of the new Premier League season, which is still just three games old. United were not as poor as in their last outing, against Brighton and Hove Albion, and would have led had Romelu Lukaku not spurned his first-half attempt at an open goal. This was, nevertheless, the heaviest home defeat of Mourinho’s managerial career, even if the United manager felt…

Some players, like top-ranked Simona Halep, freely acknowledge they don’t deal well with the hustle-and-bustle of the U.S. Open and all it entails. Others, like 44th-ranked Kaia Kanepi, take to the Big Apple and its Grand Slam tournament. Put those two types at opposite ends of a court at Flushing Meadows and watch what can happen: Halep made a quick-as-can-be exit Monday, overwhelmed by the power-based game of Kanepi 6-2, 6-4 to become the first No. 1-seeded woman to lose her opening match at the U.S. Open in the half-century of the professional era. On a Day 1 that featured…

Spurs ended their drab recent record at Old Trafford with a sensational 3-0 win, heaping more misery on Jose Mourinho and Manchester United in the process. After Romelu Lukaku missed an open goal in the first half, Tottenham were clinical in a two minute spell at the start of the second half. Harry Kane grabbed his first goal at the Theatre of Dreams in five appearances with a superb header from Kieran Trippier’s corner, before Lucas Moura finished a slick counter attack to silence the home supporters yet again. The North Londoners are now on three wins…

Falconets Chief Coach Chris Musa Danjuma has uncovered the biggest drawback affecting the development of women’s Football in Nigeria and Africa. Danjuma, who led the Under-20 Falconets to the just concluded FIFA World Cup in France noted that women’s football in the Africa continent cannot be compared to other continents. The veteran tactician has identified late starting in our approach to learning & teaching as the biggest impediment bedeviling African women’s football. In a chat with www.brila.net’s Pius Idoko, Danjuma affirmed that Africa’s late approach to preparation for Mundials is almost the most deadly challenge facing women…

Former Super Eagles forward Garba Lawal has urged the senior National team under Coach Gernot Rohr to take the September AFCON qualifier against Seychelles very seriously. Lawal made the remark during a brief chat with www.brila.net’s Yinka Oyedele, citing the loss against South Africa as the lesson on why the Super Eagles should not take the Seychelles match for granted. According to Lawal the rave to be at the 2019 Africa cup of nations will be tasking for Nigeria as the Eagles will have to come from behind having lost her opening qualifier to South Africa. Lawal…

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino has cited Jose Mourinho as one of his biggest inspirations ahead of Monday Night clash with Manchester United. Pochettino and Mourinho go head-to-head on Monday night as Spurs visit Old Trafford for a game which is already being described as vital, even at this early stage of the season. All does not appear to be well at Manchester United, with Mourinho reportedly battling fall-outs with the board and key players while a 3-2 loss at Brighton last week did not help matters. The game is important for Spurs, too, as they look…

Goal scoring is a concern for Super Eagles technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr, and the German has now made scouting a prolific goal poacher a top priority as he prepares the team for the qualifying matches of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Bordeaux picked their first win of the season and understandably Les Girondins were so excited they had to celebrate.

Despite missing a penalty in Bordeaux’s 2-1 win against AS Monaco, Samuel Kalu still finished the Ligue Un clash as one of the best players on the pitch.

Arsenal recovered from a goal down to beat West Ham United 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium, seeing them get off the mark under new boss Unai Emery at the third attempt. The Gunners, beaten by Manchester City and Chelsea in their first two outings, bounced back through a Nacho Monreal strike, an Issa Diop own goal and a Danny Welbeck tap-in after Marko Arnautovic had given United a surprise lead. A failure to hold on means that the Hammers, who will feel that they were worthy of a point, have now lost their opening three league fixtures for the third time this decade.