World Cup fantasy football: 7 players in red-hot form going into Russia

Dream Team FC

World Cup fantasy football: 7 players in red-hot form going into Russia

The World Cup is just a couple of weeks away now and you can feel the excitement building among fantasy football aficionados.

And Dream Team have you covered, officially launching the Dream Team World Cup game on June 1 – but you can pre register for the game now.

DREAM TEAM WORLD CUP Click here to pre-register for this summer’s brilliant game

Dream Team World Cup

Completely free to enter £50m budget and 20 transfers throughout the tournament £175k total prizepot (for UK players only) PRE-REGISTER FOR DREAM TEAM WORLD CUP NOW

Colombia’s James Rodriguez was the breakout star last summer

Like all top managers, you want to be one step ahead of the game and have every advantage over your opposition.

having your finger on the pulse of who’s hot and who’s not going into this summer’s tournament is crucial.

Just imagine if you had stumbled across Rodriguez before the 2014 World Cup?

Here are our picks for the players whose impressive club form might have passed you by

1 Iago Aspas

Getty - Contributor We didn’t see much of this during his time in the Premier League[/caption]

Aspas has been a shadow of the player we all once saw struggling to take corners at Anfield.

The former Liverpool flop netted 22 times and assisted five goals for Celta Vigo in 34 La Liga appearances last season, and is a huge favourite in Spain.

He was the top Spanish scorer in Europe this season and could actually be preferred to pantomime villain Diego Costa.

2 Edinson Cavani

AFP or licensors We’ll be seeing this a fair bit in Russia[/caption]

Despite the big-name arrivals of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe at PSG last summer, the added competition actually brought out the best in Cavani.

The Uruguayan scored 40 goals in 48 appearances in all competitions for the French champions, chipping in with a handy 12 assists too.

Cavani is expected to partner Luis Suarez in a deadly two pronged attack this summer, with the PSG forward the more inform of the pair having outscored the Barcelona man.

3 Nabil Fekir

Getty - Contributor Could we be seeing this man in the Premier League next season?[/caption]

Fekir has been one of the best No10s in Europe this season, racking up 18 goals and seven assists in 30 league appearances for Lyon.

The exciting playmaker has been heavily linked with a transfer to Liverpool and will play a key part in France’s attempts to be crowned world champions.

Fekir scored in Le Bleus 2-0 friendly victory over the Republic of Ireland on Monday, further cementing his claim for a starting spot in Russia this summer.

4 Robert Lewandowski

AFP or licensors

Lewandowski will captain his country and the hopes of a nation will rest on his shoulders.

The Bayern man is up to task though and has been in red-hot form, scoring 41 goals in 48 appearances in all competitions last season.

With rumours of uncertainty over his future, an excellent World Cup will put Lewandowski in the shop window.

DREAM TEAM WORLD CUP Click here to pre-register for this summer’s brilliant game

5 Radamel Falcao

AFP or licensors This could be his final ever World Cup[/caption]

Despite a questionable spell in England with Man United and Chelsea, the Colombian striker has been a prolific striker.

Falcao has continued his impressive record, scoring 24 times and picking up four assists in 35 appearances in all competitions.

At 32-years-old, it’s likely be Falcao’s final world cup and he’s guaranteed to want to bow out in style.

6 Raheem Sterling

AP:Associated Press The Man City man has the speed to trouble the world’s best defences[/caption]

Sterling has been a man reborn under Pep Guardiola and is one of England’s brightest sparks going into the tournament.

The winger had his best scoring season to date, netting 18 times and assisting 15 in 33 Premier League appearances.

If Sterling can carry over his outstanding club form into Russia, then Gareth Southgate will have one of the tournament’s most inform players at his disposal.

7 Timo Werner

Getty - Contributor Werner has been compared to a German Jamie Vardy[/caption]

Werner will have much expectation placed upon him at just 22-years-old, with the striker likely to start as Germany’s lone striker.

The lightening quick forward scored 21 goals and got ten assists in 45 games in all competitions last season for Stuttgart.

Werner represented Germany throughout all their youth levels and has impressed in his 12 caps for Joachim Low’s senior side, scoring seven goals.

See you in Russia.

Dream Team World Cup has landed!

The greatest show on Earth just got that bit more exciting.

That’s because the Dream Team World Cup game is coming ahead of this summer’s tournament.

Dream Team World Cup

Completely free to enter £50m budget and 20 transfers throughout the tournament £175k total prizepot (for UK players only) PRE-REGISTER FOR DREAM TEAM WORLD CUP NOW

Can Messi finally achieve glory internationally?

The game officially launches on June 1 – but you can pre-register for the game now.

If you’re an existing Dream Team customer the World Cup game now appears in the app or you can enter here, but if you’re not follow these simple steps:

Download the Dream Team app Create an account Click on the World Cup banner below in the app and follow the pre-registration instructions

From Russia with a whole lot of love.

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Transfer news - live updates: Liverpool chase two more after Fabinho, Spurs and Manchester United want Gareth Bale plus Arsenal, Chelsea and more

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TFC notebook: Reds must get back to being ‘difficult to play against’

Sportsnet.ca

TFC notebook: Reds must get back to being ‘difficult to play against’

Toronto FC was back in training on Tuesday ahead of its road game against the Columbus Crew this weekend.

Here are some news and notes from the day’s practice.

BEING DIFFICULT TO PLAY AGAINST

Last Friday’s 1-0 home loss to FC Dallas was a huge disappointment for TFC as they outshot, out-chanced and outplayed their opponents from Texas, only to come away with nothing.

The loss was TFC’s seventh of the campaign — they only lost five times in MLS in 2017 — and it also put a little bit more pressure on the Reds in the immediate future as their next five games are all against Eastern Conference rivals, with three of them on the road.

How does Toronto plan to approach this challenging portion of the schedule?

Greg Vanney has stressed the importance of starting games with a greater sense of urgency and intensity, something his team has lacked this campaign. Toronto coughed up an early goal against Dallas, and has now conceded seven goals in the opening 15 minutes of five games across MLS and the CONCACAF Champions League in 2018. That has to change.

Towards that end, Vanney wants his side to adopt the same approach it used in the CONCACAF Champions League, which stressed being defensively sound before everything else.

“We have to approach [this five-game set] one at a time, but we also have to understand what the stretch is about. The mentality of how we approach things, the urgency, the attention to defensive details is important, especially being on the road, and the mindset of being hard to play against is an important one for us,” Vanney said.

“When we have that foundation, and that was our foundation in CONCACAF … we knew that defending was going to be real priority in this. Sometimes in MLS, I think that we think we’re just going to outplay the other team and get wins. On some days that works, but on other days it doesn’t work.

“So, we have to get back to this idea of being difficult to play against, defend well, regardless of who the opposition is, and the rest will take care of itself because we have good players to make things happen.”

[radioclip id=4059721]

MORROW ON THE MEND, INJURY UPDATES

Ailing left fullback Justin Morrow, who has been dealing with a calf strain for over two months, participated in portions of the day’s practice but is not quite ready to return to full training, and won’t be able to play in Saturday’s road game versus Columbus. That said, the fact Morrow was out with his teammates on Tuesday is a positive sign that he is making progress.

Morrow has made one MLS appearance for the Reds, starting in the season opener. He also played in both legs of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals against Mexican club Tigres in mid-March, but he’s been out of commission ever since.

“I’m feeling a lot better. I’m feeling stronger every day,” Morrow told Sportsnet. “I don’t want to say [when I’ll be able to come back] because every time I’ve told somebody, I’ve had a setback. This time, I’m just going to let it go and not jinx it.”

Defender Chris Mavinga was subbed out of the Dallas match with a hamstring issue just before halftime. He didn’t train on Tuesday, and Vanney said he wasn’t actually sure about his status going forward.

“He’s dealing with competing issues right now … We’re trying to take care of the underlying cause at the same time as keeping him healthy. I don’t really know what his timeline [to return] looks like,” Vanney admitted.

Midfielder Ager Aketxe (hip flexor) and defender Eriq Zavaleta (quad) also did not train on Tuesday. Both sat out the Dallas game. Zavaleta could return versus Columbus, but Aketxe is likely a few weeks away from returning, according to Vanney.

Canadian defender Ashtone Morgan has been absent for two games with a hamstring strain, while midfielder Nico Hasler has missed the last four MLS matches with a quad strain. Both trained on Tuesday, and Vanney hinted they could be available to play on the weekend.

Forward Jozy Altidore (foot) and defender Drew Moor (quad tear) remain out long-term.

I spoke one-on-one with Justin Morrow after practice about his lengthy injury absence and much more. Look for my story on the TFC defender on Sportsnet.ca on Wednesday.

BONO DEBUTS FOR U.S.

Starting goalkeeper Alex Bono made his international debut on Monday, earning a clean sheet for the U.S. in a 3-0 win over Bolivia in Chester, Pa.

Bono missed the Dallas game while away on international duty, but he has already returned to Toronto — he won’t travel to Europe with the U.S. team for their friendlies against Ireland (June 2 in Dublin) and France (June 9 in Lyon). Michael Bradley and fellow midfielder Marky Delgado won’t be called up by the U.S. for the two upcoming.

“It’s great for him to get his first cap. It’s a great feeling. I’m sure there was a lot of pride for him to go out there and to get a shutout,” Vanney said of Bono’s debut for the U.S.

TFC PLAYERS GET CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS

On Monday, TFC players and staff received their championship rings from winning last year’s MLS Cup final during a special ceremony held at Casa Loma.

Vanney wasn’t sporting his when speaking to reporters on Tuesday. The rings are very big, and not very practical to wear every day.

“It’s not something you can wear very often. They’re big. It sits on [my] mantle. … There’s the odd occasion where if you wanted to do some curls you could wear it. It’s sizeable and heavy,” Vanney joked.

Got a Ring !!! #mlschampions2017 #tfclive @MLS @torontofc pic.twitter.com/U1VaRf9SLL

— Chris Mavinga (@Chris_Mavinga) May 28, 2018

LOOKING AHEAD TO COLUMBUS

Toronto and Columbus have already met this year, with the Crew earning 1-0 win at BMO Field in the season opener. Saturday’s match will be the final meeting of the campaign between the two sides.

Columbus sits in second place in the Eastern Conference with a 7-3-4 record, seven spots and 15 points ahead of Toronto. The Crew are coming off a 0-0 road draw at Sporting Kansas City. It was a costly point for Columbus as star midfielder Federico Higuain picked up an red card, which means he’ll be suspended for Friday’s contest against TFC.

Higuain has had great success against Toronto over the years, scoring nine goals and adding six assists in 17 regular season matches against the Reds. Also, Crew captain and midfielder Wil Trapp and starting goalkeeper Zack Steffen have been called up by the U.S. team for the upcoming European friendlies, which means they’ll also miss Saturday’s game.

All of those key absences won’t change how TFC approaches this game, though.

“Columbus is who they are. They’ve been that team since [coach Gregg Berhalter] has been there. They’ve been a little more pragmatic this year, as much as they don’t want to admit it, and not quite as idealistic,” Vanney said.

“What Trapp does, someone else will fill in and do similar things. … I don’t think they’ll change [their approach] which means it doesn’t change a whole lot for us.”

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Ceres-Negros stays on top

Football – Inquirer Sports

Ceres-Negros stays on top

Ceres Negros went on a three-goal flurry in seven minutes as it fought back to subdue Stallion Laguna, 3-2, on Saturday to firm up its hold of top spot in the Philippines Football League (PFL) at Biñan Football Stadium in Laguna.

The post Ceres-Negros stays on top appeared first on Inquirer Sports.

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Sergio Ramos denies deliberately injuring Mo Salah but Jurgen Klopp disagrees

Dream Team FC

Sergio Ramos denies deliberately injuring Mo Salah but Jurgen Klopp disagrees

SERGIO RAMOS denied setting out to hurt Mo Salah after being accused of “wrestling” by Jurgen Klopp.

Liverpool talisman Salah, 25, could miss the World Cup with a shoulder injury after being hauled down by Ramos during last night’s Champions League final defeat in Kiev.

DREAM TEAM WORLD CUP Click here to pre-register for this summer’s brilliant game Sergio Ramos has denied setting out to injure Mo Salah in the Champions League finalAlamy Live News

Real Madrid captain Ramos, who won his fourth European title, tweeted: “Sometimes football shows you it’s good side and other times the bad. Above all, we are fellow pros #GetWellSoon @MoSalah”

Spain defender Ramos, 32, locked arms with Salah and brought him tumbling down to the floor, landing awkwardly on his shoulder.

He tried to continue but was replaced by Adam Lallana just 30 minutes into the match.

Klopp feared the worst for his winger as he left Kiev in a sling but the Egyptian FA are confident he will be fit to make the World Cup.

Sergio Ramos checks on Mo Salah after hauling him to the groundAlamy Live News Jurgen Klopp accused Sergio Ramos of ‘wrestling’ Mo SalahGetty - Contributor

The German said: “Of course it was a big moment in the game.

“I know if you say something like that after a game you lost, it sounds like you are a little bit a bad loser but it was, for me, kind of a harsh challenge.

“It’s like wrestling a little bit and it’s unlucky then that Mo fell on his shoulder.”

Ex-Egypt and Middlesbrough striker Mido blasted: “Anyone that understands football would know that Ramos injured Salah intentionally.

He added: “Any player in the world would’ve released his arm but Ramos held onto his arm and spun with it.”

German television unearthed footage of Ramos appearing to elbow calamity keeper Loris Karius just moments before his first howler.

He cleared out the stopper long after the ball had gone and looked to have smacked him in the head.

Two minutes later, Karius incredibly rolled the ball straight at Karim Benzema for him to open the scoring.

Dream Team World Cup has landed!

The greatest show on Earth just got that bit more exciting.

That’s because the Dream Team World Cup game is coming ahead of this summer’s tournament.

Dream Team World Cup

Completely free to enter £50m budget and 20 transfers throughout the tournament £175k total prizepot (for UK players only) PRE-REGISTER FOR DREAM TEAM WORLD CUP NOW

Getty Images - Getty Can Messi finally achieve glory internationally?[/caption]

The game officially launches on June 1 – but you can pre-register for the game now.

If you’re an existing Dream Team customer the World Cup game now appears in the app or you can enter here, but if you’re not follow these simple steps:

Download the Dream Team app Create an account Click on the World Cup banner below in the app and follow the pre-registration instructions

From Russia with a whole lot of love.

more info...

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Liverpool owner John Henry questions why Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho left for Barcelona to play ‘meaningless matches’

Dream Team FC

Liverpool owner John Henry questions why Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho left for Barcelona to play ‘meaningless matches’

Liverpool owner John Henry can’t understand why Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez left for Barcelona.

Henry also aimed a sly dig at the duo claiming they could have been playing in the Champions League final this weekend instead of watching on the TV.

Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho left Liverpool for BarcelonaGetty - Contributor

Jurgen Klopp’s side take on back-to-back champions Real Madrid looking to make create history in Kiev on Saturday.

The Reds flogged Suarez for £75million in 2014 and before Coutinho followed in his footsteps in a stunning £146m switch in January.

Suarez lifted the Champions League for the Catalan giants when he scored in the 3-1 victory over Juventus in 2015.

And Henry is questioning why players want to make the switch to play “meaningless matches.”

DREAM TEAM WORLD CUP Click here to pre-register for this summer’s brilliant game John Henry questioned why anyone would want to leave LiverpoolREUTERS CLAIM YOUR FREE £20 BET Sun Bets have this brilliant offer when you sign up and bet a fiver Liverpool owner John Henry questioned why the pair would want to play “meaningless matches”AP:Associated Press

He told the Associated Press: “Maybe it’s because I’m an American, but I have a difficult time understanding why anyone would want to leave Liverpool,

“It’s hard to understand why players would want to go to a league where the competition is so weak.

“They must play 30 or so meaningless matches per year waiting for Champions League matches.

“They’ll be watching this weekend and could have been playing,

“But (part owner) Mike Gordon, (sporting director) Michael Edwards and everyone in our scouting department have done a terrific job in making the best of those two difficult situations.

“You don’t want to be in the position where players want to go somewhere else, even if it is a great club like Barcelona.”

Dream Team World Cup has landed!

The greatest show on Earth just got that bit more exciting.

That’s because the Dream Team World Cup game is coming ahead of this summer’s tournament.

Dream Team World Cup

Completely free to enter £50m budget and 20 transfers throughout the tournament £175k total prizepot (for UK players only) PRE-REGISTER FOR DREAM TEAM WORLD CUP NOW

Getty Images - Getty Can Messi finally achieve glory internationally?[/caption]

The game officially launches on June 1 – but you can pre-register for the game now.

If you’re an existing Dream Team customer the World Cup game now appears in the app or you can enter here, but if you’re not follow these simple steps:

Download the Dream Team app Create an account Click on the World Cup banner below in the app and follow the pre-registration instructions

From Russia with a whole lot of love.

more info...

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Fantasy football: Who were the best players to pick on Dream Team at the last World Cup?

Dream Team FC

Fantasy football: Who were the best players to pick on Dream Team at the last World Cup?

We’re very excited for the World Cup this summer. 

And it’ll be even better with the release of Dream Team World Cup, which you can pre-register for RIGHT NOW ahead of the official launch on June 1.

Dream Team World Cup

Completely free to enter £50m budget and 20 transfers throughout the tournament £175k total prizepot (for UK players only) PRE-REGISTER FOR DREAM TEAM WORLD CUP NOW

In the meantime, we fancied taking a look back at the Dream Team heroes of the last World Cup in 2014.

Just don’t expect to see a certain Golden Ball-winning Lionel Messi among our fantasy football favourites, as the Argentinian magician failed to make our top 10.

True story.

10 Daley Blind – 53 points

Getty Images - Getty Daley Blind was a key component in Louis van Gaal’s exciting Holland side[/caption]

It might be hard to imagine now, but Blind left the last World Cup as one of the tournament’s breakout stars.

Notching two assists in Holland’s opening game against Spain, the wing-back also scored his first goal for his country in their 3–0 win over Brazil in the third-place play-off.

On the back of his and Holland’s brilliant campaign, Blind secured his move to Man United, but is seemingly on his way out of the club this summer.

9 Stefan de Vrij – 54 points

AP:Associated Press Stefan De Vrij celebrating with Leroy Fer[/caption]

De Vrij was a mainstay in Holland’s surprisingly solid three-man back-line that enjoyed a rip-roaring ride to the semi-finals.

The centre-back played in every match of their tournament and even scored in the 5-1 win over Spain.

Recently, he hit the headlines for his game-changing error in Lazio’s final game of the season against Inter, virtually gifting the Milanese side their place in the Champions League next season.

And it’s all the more awkward considering he’s rumoured to be on his way to Inter in the summer.

8 Sergio Romero – 61 points

EPA How far will Argentina go with Sergio Romero between the sticks this summer?[/caption]

Four years ago, Romero was Argentina’s first-choice shot-stopper despite his lack of game time for Monaco that season.

Priced at just £4.0m on the game, Romero proved to be a smart choice between the sticks – even earning the Man of the Match award for his penalty shootout heroics in Argentina’s semi-final win over Holland.

He might be one to consider for your Dream Team World Cup side this summer too, as he’s expected to be his country’s No 1 once again.

7 Mats Hummels – 62 points

Getty - Contributor You’ve gotta pick Mats Hummels in your fantasy football team, surely?[/caption]

Germany’s ever-reliable centre-back was one of the pricier options in defence four years ago, valued at £5.5m.

But you more than got your money’s worth, as the defender played in all-but-one of Germany’s games and even managed to score two goals on the way.

Seemingly at his peak this season and going into this summer’s tournament off the back of consecutive Bundesliga titles with Bayern, Hummels could well be one of the best players to pick on Dream Team.

6 Andre Schurrle – 62 points

Getty - Contributor Not a bad reward in the end[/caption]

What a difference four years makes.

In Brazil, Schurrle was one of Germany’s World Cup winning heroes, scoring against Algeria in the round of 16 and twice against the hosts in that infamous 7-1 win.

DREAM TEAM WORLD CUP Click here to pre-register for this summer’s brilliant game

But his biggest moment came in the final, when he provided the cross for Mario Gotze’s winning goal in extra-time.

As for this summer? Not even in the squad.

5 Manuel Neuer – 63 points

Reuters Will Manuel Neuer make Germany’s first-team at the World Cup in Russia?[/caption]

Neuer was undoubtedly the best goalkeeper in the world when Germany won the World Cup four years ago.

And he probably still is today, despite what your Man United supporting mates will tell you.

In Brazil, Neuer kept clean sheets against Portugal and the United States, as well as against France in the quarter-final.

He conceded late in the 7-1 win over Brazil, but went onto win the Golden Glove award as Germany defeated Argentina in the final.

4 Arjen Robben – 64 points

AP:Associated Press We’ll miss Arjen Robben this summer[/caption]

We really are going to miss the Dutch at the World Cup this summer, aren’t we?

Four years ago, they were the surprise package under the guidance of van Gaal and Robben was the star of the show.

The Bayern winger scored twice in their opener against Spain, as well as in their group clash with Australia.

He then won the controversial penalty in the win over Mexico in the last 16 and converted one of the penalties in the shootout win against Costa Rica.

No doubt he’ll be watching it on the tele like the rest of us.

3 Toni Kroos – 67 points

Reuters Can you name a better midfielder than Toni Kroos?[/caption]

What an insanely awesome midfielder this guy is, eh?

Four years ago, Kroos notched four assists and two goals – both against Brazil in the 7–1 win – as Germany went onto win the tournament.

Priced at a bargain £4.5m on the game, we reckon he’ll be a bit more expensive this time around having won multiple honours with Real Madrid since then.

2 Thomas Muller – 76 points

Action Images - Reuters How many goals will Thomas Muller score?[/caption]

Always one of the first names on the team-sheet whenever Germany play, Muller netted five goals in Brazil – including a hat-trick against Portugal – as they went all the way to the final to lift the trophy.

In fact, Muller has scored at least five goals in each of his first two World Cups, and will likely be one of the pricier options on the game this time around.

1 James Rodriguez – 81 points

EPA Colombia’s hero[/caption]

James was undoubtedly the breakout star of the last World Cup, leading Colombia all the way to the quarter-finals and ending up with six goals and two assists for his efforts.

Perhaps best remembered for his Puskas Award-winning volley against Uruguay, many believe James should’ve won the Golden Ball award ahead of Lionel Messi, and none of us were particularly surprised by his move to Real Madrid not long after.

AFP Even the local Brazilian wildlife liked him[/caption]

James will likely be one of the standout players in Russia this summer as well.

He joins up with Colombia following a decent loan spell at Bayern this season, but could be a little more expensive than his 2014 price of £3.5m.

Dream Team World Cup has landed!

The greatest show on Earth just got that bit more exciting.

That’s because the Dream Team World Cup game is coming ahead of this summer’s tournament.

Can Messi finally achieve glory internationally?

The game officially launches on June 1 – but you can pre-register for the game now.

If you’re an existing Dream Team customer the World Cup game now appears in the app or you can enter here, but if you’re not follow these simple steps:

Download the Dream Team app Create an account Click on the World Cup banner below in the app and follow the pre-registration instructions

From Russia with a whole lot of love.

 

more info...

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Takeaways: MLS season slipping away from Montreal Impact

Sportsnet.ca

Takeaways: MLS season slipping away from Montreal Impact

• Los Angeles Galaxy 1 (Kamara 75’), Montreal Impact 0 GAME RECAP IN A SENTENCE

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was sent off late in the first half, but the Galaxy managed to spoil the Impact’s 25th anniversary festivities with a win over a hapless Montreal side on a sunny afternoon at Stade Saputo.

MAIN TALKING POINTS

1. Season slowly slipping away from Montreal
Monday marked the 25th anniversary – to the exact date – of the first home game in Montreal Impact franchise history. What a shame that the Impact put in another dire and uninspiring effort before a sellout home crowd.

Monday’s result marked the Impact’s third straight loss, and seventh in their last eight matches. Montreal sits second last in the Eastern Conference with a 3-9-0 record and have conceded a league-high 27 goals this campaign.

Just as worrisome for the Quebec club is how the goals have dried up. The Impact’s three straight losses have all been shutouts, and they’ve gone 292 minutes without a single goal.

It’s still only May, and there are 24 games remaining on the schedule, so it’s way too early to write off Montreal’s playoff chances. Still, the Impact are every bit as bad as their anaemic record suggests, and there’s been very little that I’ve seen during this year that indicates they are underperforming or even capable of offering anything more.

No doubt, the Impact have been decimated by injuries on the defensive end. That has hurt them, as players have been asked to play out of position.

But aside from Ignacio Piatti, this team doesn’t appear to have any other dangerous attacking threats. Canadian forward Anthony Jackson-Hamel is coming off a decent 2017 but, for some reason, manager Remi Garde has sparingly used him this season.

Slowly but surely, the MLS season is slipping away from Montreal. Unless Garde can quickly light a fire under this team, especially on the attacking end, they’re going to slip even further down the table and out of the playoff race altogether.

Ignacio Piatti deserves so much better than this Impact team.

— Sam Stejskal (@samstejskal) May 21, 2018

2. Ibrahimovic sees red
MLS caught its first glimpse of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s infamous temper on Monday.

Ibrahimovic was sent off in the 41st minute for violent conduct after slapping Montreal defender Michael Petrasso in the back of the head. Petrasso stepped on Ibrahimovic’s foot as he had his back to the Swede, but there wasn’t much in it. That didn’t stop the LA Galaxy from reacting, or in this case, overreacting.

The incident escaped the attention of referee Ismail Elfath, as it happened off the ball and behind the play. Once alerted about what happened by the video assistant referee (VAR), Elfath went to the sidelines to watch a replay. He barely took any time in issuing a yellow to Petrasso and a red card to Ibrahimovic.

VAR has come under heavy criticism in MLS the season, from frustrated fans, coaches and players who aren’t quite sure what can be reviewed, and over apparent inconsistencies in its application.

In this case, though, the system worked flawlessly. The game was only interrupted for less than a minute, and Ibrahimovic deservedly saw red.

VAR has spoken.

Zlatan sees red for the first time in MLS. pic.twitter.com/cdeu9s5gpb

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 21, 2018

KEY MOMENT

75’ GOAL! Los Angeles 1, Montreal 0: LA broke the deadlock on the counter when Emmanuel Boateng flicked on a header into the path for teammate Ola Kamara. The Norwegian did well to beat Impact defender Marco Donadel to the ball, and then slip in between the recovering Donadel and defensive partner Jukka Raitala before slipping a shot through the legs of goalkeeper Evan Bush for his fifth goal of the MLS season.

BURNING QUESTION

Take Our Poll

INTERESTING STAT

Montreal has gone 32 consecutive MLS games without a draw, a stretch that dates back to June 17, 2017 when they battled to a 3-3 draw away to Orlando City.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Ola Kamara, Los Angeles: Aside from scoring the winner, the Norwegian recorded two shots on target and had an overall effective game in causing problems for Montreal’s back line.

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Why you should stop watching Netflix’s latest hit series immediately

Dream Team FC

Why you should stop watching Netflix’s latest hit series immediately

We are all slaves to Netflix.

The streaming service offers a smorgasbord of binge-worthy documentaries, series and films.

However, while their latest hit ‘Safe’ may have an engaging narrative with an army of red herrings to keep viewers guessing, we are instructing you to stop watching it immediately.

DREAM TEAM WORLD CUP Click here to pre-register for this summer’s brilliant game

Why?

Because of this abomination…

Watching "Safe" on Netflix and "safe to say" this garden party football game is in need of VAR. pic.twitter.com/yrX7STJq2i

— Il Mediano (@ilmedianofm) May 20, 2018

First things first, how has he missed from two yards out?

Any striker worth their salt should be adding to their tally in that situation — especially with the Golden Boot up for grabs.

We respect his decision to opt for an emphatic powerful finish, as everyone should when gifted an open goal under no pressure, but missing the target is inexcusable.

Ronny Rosenthal says hello

Secondly, why does he celebrate?

Mate, you’ve squandered a golden opportunity and let your team-mates down.

Is it possible he went for the Bobby Firmino no-look finish and failed to spot the ball cannoning off the post?

The only acceptable reaction in such a situation is a disbelieving hands-on-head pose, a hopeful but ultimately futile glance to the linesman, followed by an apologetic hand to the bench.

Some say he’s still celebrating

The woman sitting in the pink chair at the bottom of the shot puts her hand up in a celebratory fashion as well for some reason.

She is quite clearly a plastic fan or a day tripper borrowing somebody else’s season ticket.

The fan next to her should, really, report her to the nearest steward.

Everything that’s wrong with modern football

Now check out the midfield general in the pink dress/denim jacket combo.

She initially celebrates but is then visibly heartbroken by the glaring miss.

You can tell she’s put in the hard yards and the sudden reality of extra time was a crushing blow.

An absolute pro, she switches back on quickly and jogs over to box in the other team at the resultant throw-in.

Captain. Leader. Legend

How about the left-back in the corduroy chinos?

He too lifts his arms in anticipation of a hard-earned last-gasp winner before wheeling away in abject despair.

We’re sure the Cotswolds’ Roberto Carlos had plenty to say to his team-mate back in the dressing room.

The beautiful game can be cruel

Can we talk about the fraudulent game of swingball in the foreground as well?

Neither Nadal nor Federer make contact with their lazy swings.

Evidently, fatigue has got the better of them as the match enters the latter stages of the fifth set.

Two athletes battling it out over five and a half gruelling hours

The whole thing is a bloody farce and will surely have to be replayed at a later date.

Possibly behind closed doors.

The ultras were baying for blood

Seriously though, why did this take made the final edit?

Unfortunately, we are all now duty-bound to stop watching ‘Safe’ on all devices.

Shame, we were enjoying it.

Dream Team World Cup has landed!

The greatest show on Earth just got that bit more exciting.

That’s because the Dream Team World Cup game is coming ahead of this summer’s tournament.

Dream Team World Cup

Completely free to enter £50m budget and 20 transfers throughout the tournament £175k total prizepot (for UK players only) PRE-REGISTER FOR DREAM TEAM WORLD CUP NOW

Getty Images - Getty Can Messi finally achieve glory internationally?[/caption]

The game officially launches on June 1 – but you can pre-register for the game now.

If you’re an existing Dream Team customer the World Cup game now appears in the app or you can enter here, but if you’re not follow these simple steps:

Download the Dream Team app Create an account Click on the World Cup banner below in the app and follow the pre-registration instructions

From Russia with a whole lot of love.

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