2 months ago
Aston Villa v **** nal, August 2024. Morgan Rogers receives a pass facing his own goal and Declan Rice is immediately on his back, but the Villa midfielder takes the ball with the outside of his right foot and swivels into **** e, leaving Rice behind. The **** e is quickly filled by **** nal's midfield enforcer Thomas Partey, but Rogers knocks it past Partey and races around his back to regather the ball, leaving the Ghanaian splayed on the grass. Their tussle at least buys Rice some time to catch up, but as he lunges in to make the tackle, Rogers takes a clever touch and Rice concedes a clumsy foul.
Arsenal would go on to win but it was an afternoon full of moments like that one in which Rogers tormented his opponents. After the game, Mikel Arteta marvelled at his performance. On Sky Sports, Jamie Redknapp compared Rogers to "Jonah Lomu in his prime", and when you saw the trail of **** nal bodies left on the floor, you understood exactly what he meant.
The Lomu comparison touched on what makes Rogers rare, even unique, in world football, and perhaps helps to explain why Chelsea FC were prepared to spend £117m to sign him this summer. Rogers is a blend of football genres, a walking oxymoron, powerful and graceful, hardy and agile, heavy and light all at once, like some contorted beast with the shoulders of a buffalo and the feet of a squirrel on an errand.
Morgan Rogers has made an impressive start to life at Chelsea (Getty)
There are other robust ball-carriers at the top of the game: Antoine **** yo and Jude Bellingham come to mind; Ryan Gravenberch, Manu Kone and Rice all perform similar functions from deep. But none have Rogers' package of strength and balance, quick feet and rapid acceleration, that creative eye and subtle movement between the lines. In an increasingly **** genized world of coaching and industrialised talent production, Rogers is something of a unicorn forward.
#villa #partey
Arsenal would go on to win but it was an afternoon full of moments like that one in which Rogers tormented his opponents. After the game, Mikel Arteta marvelled at his performance. On Sky Sports, Jamie Redknapp compared Rogers to "Jonah Lomu in his prime", and when you saw the trail of **** nal bodies left on the floor, you understood exactly what he meant.
The Lomu comparison touched on what makes Rogers rare, even unique, in world football, and perhaps helps to explain why Chelsea FC were prepared to spend £117m to sign him this summer. Rogers is a blend of football genres, a walking oxymoron, powerful and graceful, hardy and agile, heavy and light all at once, like some contorted beast with the shoulders of a buffalo and the feet of a squirrel on an errand.
Morgan Rogers has made an impressive start to life at Chelsea (Getty)
There are other robust ball-carriers at the top of the game: Antoine **** yo and Jude Bellingham come to mind; Ryan Gravenberch, Manu Kone and Rice all perform similar functions from deep. But none have Rogers' package of strength and balance, quick feet and rapid acceleration, that creative eye and subtle movement between the lines. In an increasingly **** genized world of coaching and industrialised talent production, Rogers is something of a unicorn forward.
#villa #partey
4 months ago
Wasteful Colombia saw off toothless Ghana 1-0 on Friday to become the final team to qualify for the World Cup last 16.
The South Americans dominated the game at Arrowhead Stadium but ended up with just Jhon Arias's early goal to show for their superiority as they now look forward to a meeting with Switzerland in Vancouver on Tuesday.
Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey fizzed a shot just wide in the opening minute but that proved a false dawn for the African nation.
Colombia were forced into an early change when Jhon Cordoba pulled up with an apparent groin injury and was replaced by Luis Suarez.
Minutes later Ghana were forced into a change of their own when Alidu Seidu came on for the stricken Marvin Senaya.
The South Americans dominated the game at Arrowhead Stadium but ended up with just Jhon Arias's early goal to show for their superiority as they now look forward to a meeting with Switzerland in Vancouver on Tuesday.
Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey fizzed a shot just wide in the opening minute but that proved a false dawn for the African nation.
Colombia were forced into an early change when Jhon Cordoba pulled up with an apparent groin injury and was replaced by Luis Suarez.
Minutes later Ghana were forced into a change of their own when Alidu Seidu came on for the stricken Marvin Senaya.
4 months ago
Thomas Partey will make his first appearance in the 2026 World Cup when Ghana play against England on Tuesday. Partey was refused entry to Canada forcing him to miss Ghana’s opening match in Toronto, and he could be booed by spectators when he finally takes to the field in Boston.
The former ******* nal midfielder has been charged with seven counts of rape and one count of ******* ual ******* ault by London’s Metropolitan Police and is awaiting trial. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Ghana played Panama in their first game of the tournament, winning 1-0. The team and staff members travelled over the US-Canada border from their base in Rhode Island, but Partey was denied a visa and stayed behind.
Under Canadian law, foreign nationals can be found inadmissible even without a conviction. Court documents also revealed that Partey’s application for a temporary resident visa, submitted in May, did not disclose his criminal charges, falsely answering “no” to a question about whether he had “ever committed, been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of any criminal offence in any country”.
Partey’s lawyers sought an emergency appeal, which was rejected by the Federal Court in Ottawa.
The former ******* nal midfielder has been charged with seven counts of rape and one count of ******* ual ******* ault by London’s Metropolitan Police and is awaiting trial. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Ghana played Panama in their first game of the tournament, winning 1-0. The team and staff members travelled over the US-Canada border from their base in Rhode Island, but Partey was denied a visa and stayed behind.
Under Canadian law, foreign nationals can be found inadmissible even without a conviction. Court documents also revealed that Partey’s application for a temporary resident visa, submitted in May, did not disclose his criminal charges, falsely answering “no” to a question about whether he had “ever committed, been arrested for, charged with, or convicted of any criminal offence in any country”.
Partey’s lawyers sought an emergency appeal, which was rejected by the Federal Court in Ottawa.
4 months ago
Thomas Partey anticipates a "really happy" reunion with former **** nal teammates when Ghana face England at the World Cup on Tuesday.
The former Gunners midfielder is available for Ghana after missing Wednesday's 1-0 win over Panama in Toronto.
Partey was denied entry to Canada having been charged with seven counts of rape and one count of **** ual **** ault in London between 2020 and 2022.
Partey has denied all the charges and will attempt to clear his name at a trial next summer.
Ghana return to Group L action in Boston on Tuesday against an England side which includes Partey's former **** nal team-mates Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice.
The former Gunners midfielder is available for Ghana after missing Wednesday's 1-0 win over Panama in Toronto.
Partey was denied entry to Canada having been charged with seven counts of rape and one count of **** ual **** ault in London between 2020 and 2022.
Partey has denied all the charges and will attempt to clear his name at a trial next summer.
Ghana return to Group L action in Boston on Tuesday against an England side which includes Partey's former **** nal team-mates Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice.
4 months ago
Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi is part of the Atlas Lions' starting lineup for the World Cup game against Scotland at Boston Stadium on Friday.
News broke Friday morning that the Paris Saint-Germain defender will face trial on a rape charge in France. He played in Morocco's first game against Brazil. Hakimi appealed his referral to criminal court.
A French prosecutor's office opened its investigation in 2023.
Hakimi isn't he only player in the World Cup facing complications due to potential rape investigations. Ghana's Thomas Partley was denied a visa to enter Canada for the nation's World Cup opener Wednesday against Panama.
Partey, who used to play for ******* nal, has been accused of rape in London and is set to stand trial. According to the Canadian government, Partey incorrectly told officials that he had never been arrested or charged with a crime.
News broke Friday morning that the Paris Saint-Germain defender will face trial on a rape charge in France. He played in Morocco's first game against Brazil. Hakimi appealed his referral to criminal court.
A French prosecutor's office opened its investigation in 2023.
Hakimi isn't he only player in the World Cup facing complications due to potential rape investigations. Ghana's Thomas Partley was denied a visa to enter Canada for the nation's World Cup opener Wednesday against Panama.
Partey, who used to play for ******* nal, has been accused of rape in London and is set to stand trial. According to the Canadian government, Partey incorrectly told officials that he had never been arrested or charged with a crime.
4 months ago
Ghana's government has filed for a review of Canada's refusal to grant midfielder Thomas Partey a visa, with the case to be heard in court.
Partey is set to miss Ghana's World Cup opener against Panama in Toronto on Wednsday after being denied entry to Canada.
The 33-year-old's visa issues relate to ongoing criminal proceedings in the UK.
Partey pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of ******* ual ******* ault relating to allegations by four different women between 2020 and 2022 and is due to stand trial next year.
The Ghanaian government, who labelled the decision "high-handed and extremely unfair", is seeking permission for Partey to enter Canada briefly to take part in Ghana's match.
Partey is set to miss Ghana's World Cup opener against Panama in Toronto on Wednsday after being denied entry to Canada.
The 33-year-old's visa issues relate to ongoing criminal proceedings in the UK.
Partey pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of ******* ual ******* ault relating to allegations by four different women between 2020 and 2022 and is due to stand trial next year.
The Ghanaian government, who labelled the decision "high-handed and extremely unfair", is seeking permission for Partey to enter Canada briefly to take part in Ghana's match.
