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Michael Carrick’s first signing is a surprise, but the Brazil midfielder will help the team deal with Casemiro’s exitAndrey Santos moving from Chelsea to Manchester United was not on our summer transfer window bingo card, but the Brazilian has become Michael Carrick’s first signing. United desperately needed reinforcements in midfield, especially after Casemiro’s departure and Manuel Ugarte’s long-term injury, so deals for Santos and Youri Tielemans will be welcomed by fans.Tielemans looks like particularly good business – he captains Belgium, has made 244 appearances in the Premier League and was available for £35m – but Santos is a more curious choice. He was often a backup player for Chelsea last season as they finished seven places and 19 points behind United; he is not the finished article, and played for one of United’s rivals. Since Alex Ferguson retired 13 years ago, United had only signed four players from their “big six” rivals: Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic, Mason Mount (all Chelsea) and Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal).Santos feels like a signing out of left-field, but he could prove a shrewd acquisition – even at £48m. Many United fans will hope he complements Kobbie Mainoo rather than putting his role in doubt. Ruben Amorim overlooked the homegrown player time and time again but, under Carrick, only Bruno Fernandes (1,679) and Luke Shaw (1,589) played more minutes than Mainoo (1,503) among United’s outfield players.Santos may even be a more well-rounded midfielder. For all his quality on the ball, Mainoo has defensive and physical weaknesses. Santos appears to be more switched on defensively and has a greater combative streak, which should bring the midfield balance if they are paired together. Santos’s key strength, though, is his distribution. He is a confident and effective passer, capable of dictating play with short, sharp passes or getting his team on the front foot with more adventurous through balls. Santos is tidy in tight spaces and could add a greater degree of intricacy to United’s buildup play.His ability to play difficult passes is where he adds most value. Admittedly, Santos’s proportion of passes played forward (25.7%) is not extraordinary, but he has a good understanding of when to shift the ball to attack. In fact, of the midfielders who played at least 900 minutes in the Premier League last season, only three had a better pass completion rate when it came to forward passes than Santos (80%).Santos’s completion rate with passes into the final third (82.2%) is notably high as well, ranking sixth among Premier League midfielders last season. His line-breaking passes are also impressive; he averaged 8.1 per 90 minutes last season, putting him behind just 11 midfielders in the division. Of those above him, Elliot Anderson (10.2) was the only other player aged 23 or under. Santos came in just behind Bruno Guimarães (8.6) and Martin Ødegaard (8.2). It’s also worth pointing out that 14.2% of his open-play passes broke at least one line in the opposition’s setup, putting him joint 15th out of 91 midfielders to play more than 900 minutes.The Brazilian is incisive from deep positions in midfield, which was an underrated facet of Casemiro’s game. While more renowned for his destructive work, Casemiro was capable of playing killer balls and early passes over defences. United fans will hope Santos takes over where his compatriot left off.Like Mainoo, Santos also likes to exchange quick, short passes with teammates, which can be useful in getting around a press or turning up the tempo. He averaged an impressive 1.8 successful layoffs per 90 minutes in the league last season, which shows his effectiveness as a link-up player, as well as his tidiness in tight spaces. He completed 89.9% of his passes – a figure only seven regular midfielders could better.When it comes to playing in deep areas, where losing possession can be critical, he may be more reliable than Casemiro. Santos completed 86.5% of his passes when under pressure last season, putting him 21st out of 94 regular midfielders (900+ minutes) in the Premier League; Casemiro, on the other hand, ranked 67th in that group with a completion rate of 80.4%. Casemiro’s general pass completion rate of 81.3% was also some way behind Santos’s. Casemiro did play a far greater proportion of his passes forward (35.7% to 25.7%), but the evidence suggests Santos will help United elude opponents’ press.Santos will also be expected to provide United with some steel out of possession. He is not the most physically imposing player and does not zip about the pitch with great intensity, with his 53.7 pressures per 90 putting him behind 63 other midfielders last season. United probably still need to sign a powerful runner to ease worries about being caught in transition, but he tends to win his individual battles on the pitch: only three regular midfielders in the league last season had a better win rate in duels (62%).Tielemans is 29 so very much a player for the present but Santos, just 22, has plenty of potential to develop. After returning from a promising loan spell at Strasbourg – where he thrived in a box-to-box role and was voted in the Ligue 1 team of the season for 2024-25 – dislodging Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo in the Chelsea midfield was always going to be tough. He may not have been the player United fans expected to sign this season, but he looks like a smart, considered acquisition who may prove something of a coup for Carrick.

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Close40Argentina midfielder Leandro Parades says his side were playing "for our entire nation" after players celebrated the World Cup semi-final win against England with a banner in support of their country's claims to the Falkland Islands.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsFootballFollow Footballclose panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.ArgentinaFollow Argentinaclose panelYou are now following ArgentinaUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FIFA World Cup 2026Follow FIFA World Cup 2026close panelYou are now following FIFA World Cup 2026Updates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.England Men's Football TeamFollow England Men's Football Team

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The same feeling, but worse. England exit the World Cup with a 2-1 defeat just as they did twice under Gareth Southgate and in strikingly similar fashion to that semi-final defeat to Croatia eight years ago. They were leading but sat back and subsequently lost.This was different because England were supposed to have learned. Thomas Tuchel was supposed to have taught them. Instead, he is being lambasted for a series of substitutions so counterproductive that his counterpart Lionel Scaloni might have made them himself.Ezri Konsa for Anthony Gordon, England's goalscorer, will go down in folklore for all the wrong reasons. A defensive move that gave the impression of inviting pressure, robbed the team of an out-ball - and all with what turned out to be 30 minutes still left to play.Two more defenders were introduced by Tuchel prior to Argentina's late double. And the reaction of England's players to the defeat hinted that their feelings about the approach were not so far removed from the frustrations of the masses watching back home."Once we went 1-0 up we seemed to just try and hold on which at this level is just not enough," said captain Harry Kane. "We should have carried on pushing," agreed Marc Guehi. "It kind of felt like we scored and then the mentality was go back, defend.""I thought we nailed the game-plan up until we scored," said fellow defender Dan Burn. "We got a little bit passive after the goal, defended probably a little bit too deep, and the quality of chances that Argentina were creating it felt like it was a matter of time."The blame game is in full swing and what might feel like a minor detail could have significant consequences once the dust settles on this disappointment. Were Tuchel's interventions the cause of that passivity or was he just the coach left trying to cope with it?There were 17 minutes between Gordon's goal going in and the Konsa switch. Lautaro Martinez, scorer of the winning goal, identified this as the key period. "England got tired. They pressed for 60 minutes. After that, they had nothing left, then they dropped back."That was Tuchel's reading of events. "It started straight away after the goal. It is basically the reason why we lost," he explained. "The mindset shifted. We sat deep straight away after our goal, not after the substitutions. We suddenly played like we had a lot to lose."Of course, this is the mindset that Tuchel was brought in to change. "Watching the Euros, I felt tension and pressure on the shoulders of the players. It felt they were playing not to lose." That was his own verdict on watching England lurch through Euro 2024.Others saw parallels with the Euros prior to that. "It was very similar to the Euros final against Italy," said Sky Sports' Gary Neville. "It is about mentality and belief for England, and a bit of quality to keep the ball. I cannot believe how many times I have seen this."There had been glimpses of a shift. There was that brief period in the second half of England's 4-2 win over Croatia when Tuchel appeared to have infused his players with belief and Declan Rice was wowed by his words during half-time. That feels a lifetime ago now.Management is a confidence trick. When players see that what you say will happen actually happens, they become convinced. England defended resolutely against Mexico with 10 men and it worked. But when the biggest moment came, it absolutely did not.Norway was more of a qualified success, Tuchel flailing a little with his changes. The spiky disagreement with Jude Bellingham was sold as a positive. Healthy debate and all that. But the fall-out from this Argentina defeat could be far more divisive in its own way.Tactical nous is fundamental to Tuchel's appeal. His abrasive style can be indulged if it means winning the games that Southgate could not win. Any assessment of his England reign was always going to be defined by what he did in those minutes that matter most.Konsa for Gordon. Was it a logical reaction to dropping deep or a move that exacerbated the issue? Nico O'Reilly for Declan Rice. Was it an attempt to shut down Lionel Messi's space or a missed chance to add a counter-attacking threat? Maybe it was all of that.The public will have their view. Southgate has been open about his sense that when the criticism started to fly, he knew that his own England journey had to come to an end. The mood of the nation has the power to make Tuchel's future with England untenable.But what will really define what happens next is whether the players themselves think that he was responsible for this capitulation. Can Tuchel convince them that it is their mentality that needs to change and that they too have lessons still to learn from this?The narrative will ossify quickly and the fear is that if Tuchel does intend to stay on until Euro 2028 to put this right on home soil there will be precious few opportunities to convince before then. The answers will come in the knockout stages two summers from now.England just keep hoping those answers will be different.

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The Queens Classic – Kerr’s return, Lavelle’s stunner, wildfire smoke and all in between – shows how far the league has come and also where it can still improveTen years ago, a National Women’s Soccer League game at a baseball stadium was a sign of just how far the league had to go. A match during the 2016 season was played at a minor-league ballpark on a woefully small pitch, dubbed “shocking and embarrassing” by the league’s own stars.Come 2026, NWSL games at ballparks are showpiece events. Attendance records were shattered at Chicago’s Wrigley Field and San Francisco’s Oracle Park in the previous two seasons. Wednesday night added another milestone: Gotham FC’s 1-0 win over the Washington Spirit on a hot, hazy night at Citi Field, the regular home of Major League Baseball’s New York Mets, drew the second-largest crowd in league history (42,175) and set the record for the most attended women’s sporting event in the city’s history.After a month-long pause during the men’s World Cup, the NWSL resumed play on 3 July. If any match seemed fit to be a table-setter for the rest of the season, it probably was this one. San Diego still lead the league, but Wednesday’s result pushed Gotham even on points with the Spirit and the Portland Thorns. (The Spirit sit second, via the goal-differential tiebreaker.) The East Coast rivals met in last year’s final and over the past three seasons have combined for two championships (Gotham), two second-place finishes (Spirit) and three trophies in other competitions.At the same time, the match dubbed the Queens Classic was also a microcosm, full of the things that have come to define the NWSL at this point in its 14-season history: stakes, star power, sky-high ambition and still some controversy.Rose Lavelle, the standout Gotham midfielder whose goal decided last year’s final, delivered a brilliant curler in the 37th minute for the night’s lone goal. The crowd favored the home team, but the stands were scattered with the No 2 jersey of star Spirit forward Trinity Rodman, who was captivating as usual but was unable to convert any of her five shots. The loudest cheer of the night came in the 63rd minute, when Australian striker Sam Kerr earned her first minutes since signing for Gotham after six-and-a-half years at Chelsea. It was a sort of homecoming: she starred in the era when the club was known as Sky Blue, scoring the goals that would help make her the NWSL’s all-time leading scorer while navigating off-field turmoil and playing in front of crowds that barely cracked 3,000.“I feel so spoiled to play at this club, because we keep bringing in incredible players,” said Lavelle, referencing a transfer list that includes Kerr, Irish captain Denise O’Sullivan and Norwegian midfielder Guro Reiten in the past month alone. “I went up to her during a corner and said, ‘Welcome back, but chill,’” Rodman joked about Kerr’s return.When Kerr left Sky Blue in 2018, the headlines weren’t about the team’s attendance records or mega-transfers, but for their mediocre play, training grounds without running water and minimal resources. That version of the club seems light-years away from what exists now, for more than just the improved finishes, fresh colors and new leadership. Last week, Gotham announced they will relocate to New York beginning in 2028, just around the corner at the future Etihad Park. The buildup to this game involved subway advertising, promotions and even a $15 ticket offer organized by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and 70% of ticket-buyers were “new fans”.“It was really special just to see how many people were there that that was their first Gotham game,” midfielder Jaedyn Shaw said.It seemed fitting that the night’s opponent was Washington, another team who have built from the bottom and embraced ambition in a league whose structure doesn’t always encourage it.“In many ways, this is like a full-circle moment,” commissioner Jessica Berman told reporters at half-time. “We know that with investment, if you build it they will come, and this is a proof point for that.”This moment of rapid growth for the NWSL – the past 12 months have seen new attendance, TV viewership and expansion-fee records set – does not come without growing pains.Nearly 10 years to the day of the tiny-field fiasco, both teams seemed to agree that, while the pitch at Citi Field wasn’t terrible, it wasn’t the prettiest either. (“That’s showbiz, baby,” Lavelle said.) The match aired in primetime on ESPN, but the lone goal happened to occur while the screen was split for an interview, with the broadcaster and sideline reporter nearly tripping over each other in their commentary.The weather conditions Wednesday were far from ideal for playing soccer, and far from ideal for even being outside. A heatwave kept the temperatures in the 80s and 90s fahrenheit and pushed the heat index above 100. Much of New York spent the day under an air quality alert, with smoke from Canadian wildfires drifting south. The ballpark was cast in an orange-brown haze as the sun set before kick-off, and the smell of smoke lingered throughout the night.While the league has postponed games for poor air quality, it has also received criticism for going ahead with high-profile games even in adverse conditions for players and fans. The most significant incident came last year, when a marquee game between the Orlando Pride and Kansas City Current on national TV was played despite extreme heat that sent more than a dozen spectators to the hospital.In this case, the conditions did not reach the threshold for delay or postponement. Instead, with the air quality index above 150 – classified as “unhealthy” by the Environmental Protection Agency, but below the 180-200 mark for potential delay and the 200+ mark for postponement – the league instituted two hydration breaks per half. Spirit coach Adrián González was upfront with his disdain for the pauses, saying the lack of rhythm killed the game while acknowledging the necessity on the day.“I think on both sides, we were just like, ‘Damn, another break, another break, another break,’” Rodman said. “If we have to have a hydration break every 15 minutes, then we shouldn’t be playing the game, and that’s my opinion. … But at the end of the day, there’s 40,000 people, it’s a whole event. So it is really tough. I think it was a really hard situation for everybody to work around.”Wednesday night will ultimately go down as a success. Such scenes once seemed unfathomable; the Citi Field crowd more than doubled the total attendance across the 12 home matches in the home club’s debut season in 2013. But acknowledging two truths – that the league has come far, and still has a long way to go – is part of understanding this latest chapter.“It’s pretty cool when you’re out there and you realize that this is your job,” veteran Spirit midfielder Andi Sullivan said, “and that this is what your dreams looked like, or maybe what they haven’t looked like along the way.”

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Well, that's not quite how it turned out.Lionel Messi is less athletic compared to his younger self, but his footballing intelligence makes up for the physical drop-off.As England conceded control of the World Cup semi-final because of their own fatigue and Thomas Tuchel's in-game changes, veteran Messi strolled authoritatively and effectively served as Argentina's on-field coach.So how did Messi find and exploit England's weaknesses to deliver victory for Argentina in Atlanta?In the first half, England looked to press Argentina high.Wingers Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers were tasked with pressing the two Argentina central defenders – angling their body in a way that made finding the full-backs harder for goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and his centre-backs, Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez.For Argentina, it felt like the simpler passes were on through the middle of the pitch, but in playing these they fell into England's trap early on.Jude Bellingham was positioned deeper than Argentina might have expected. Rather than leading the press, he was being asked to pay close attention to Enzo Fernandez. Declan Rice did the same with Alexis Mac Allister and Elliot Anderson found himself paired up to Messi.England wanted to physically bully Argentina when the World Cup holders tried to play their famously central-focused football.The England midfield trio, showing energy early on, did well to stifle Argentina. Anderson in particular was snappy, early to his duels, smothering Messi well.But Messi, like Fernandez and Mac Allister, began to grow into the game.Argentina's captain started to take deeper positions, posing Anderson a dilemma - how far should he follow him? Messi's walking pace, a tool of great deception, came in handy here too.From almost a standing start, Messi would burst into life, darting towards the ball. With the defending side having to react to these sudden movements, the advantage was increasingly with Argentina, especially as England's press faded as tiredness began to set in.With players dropping towards the ball in this way, Argentina were able to bring the ball up the pitch as a unit and begin to gain some control.'Passive' and 'crumbled' - did Tuchel's defensive tactics cost England?Fernandez struck a brilliant equaliser in the 85th minute, after Messi picked him out near the edge of the penalty area.Lautaro Martinez then won the game in stoppage time with a header from Messi's cross.Between Gordon's goal and Argentina's equaliser, England had only 12% of the ball which meant they spent most of the second half defending in deep positions.It became a tussle of Argentina's attack versus England's defence, which lived a charmed life for a while.Argentina persisted though, with Messi exploiting weaknesses in England's structure and flaws in individual players' habits to inspire his side's comeback.After getting some joy against Messi in the early stages of the game, Anderson's front-footed approach became less effective with Messi adapting on the fly to his direct opponent's playing style.In fact, Messi began to use Anderson's aggression against him. He held the ball for as long as possible, drawing the 23-year-old out, before flicking the ball around the corner for team-mates in the knowledge there was now space to attack in the zone Anderson had vacated.For Argentina's opening goal, Messi, after playing a one-two following a short corner, took advantage of Anderson's willingness to engage in duels again.As Messi dribbled in-field, Anderson left his central position to double up on the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner.Messi cleverly delayed his pass, releasing it only after attracting players towards him, which allowed Fernandez plenty of space in which he could gather the ball, pick his target and strike decisively at goal without being challenged.England focused on blocking space centrally, looking to defend their lead and stop Argentina playing their natural game.Messi left his central position and instead stood where space emerged. Against England's deep and centrally compact shape, this space was either deep – in front of England's block – or wide on the right touchline.By moving into these empty spaces unmarked, Messi was either free to receive the ball with time and space, or he would drag players towards him, disorganising England's block and opening up space elsewhere.The positions he took up were unorthodox, but they allowed him to grasp control of the game with his familiarly impressive dribbling and passing.As great as Bellingham was in attack during the tournament, his defensive positioning on Wednesday led to situations that allowed Messi to attack dangerously.In a 4-4-2 block, the near-side striker is commonly asked to come across to help defend the wide areas. Down Argentina's right, this would have been Bellingham's job.Messi, recognising that Bellingham was often caught high up the pitch, or drawn towards the ball, would use this as a chance to hold a position in the space behind him.To be more specific, this space was towards the right and often just deep enough to make it hard for England's central midfielders to get close.This made it easy for Argentina to sustain attacks and created small-sided games that resulted in dangerous crosses into the box. Messi and a team-mate were often two against two on the right flank, but if both the winger and full-back joined Messi, there were occasions where Argentina had a three-against-two overload if Bellingham hadn't come across.Argentina committed many attackers into the box when the ball was crossed, which explains Tuchel's move to a back five – looking to gain numerical equality in the box.But the England head coach's decision to move to a 5-3-2 suited the game Messi had decided to play.With England's back five pinned deep, the three central midfielders struggled to cover the width of the pitch.Messi recognised this and was able to then play closer to goal but still in that deeper, right-sided role.Following Declan Rice's substitution and Nico O'Reilly's introduction, England moved to a 5-4-1 which provided better coverage in wide areas. The issue England had now again related to Bellingham as he was moved into an unfamiliar holding midfield role.From here, Bellingham's natural instinct was to drop closer towards his own goal before then having to make longer sprints when looking to close down Argentina's midfielders outside the box. Bellingham struggled to get close and it allowed Argentina to move the ball from the left side of the pitch to the right, where Messi could work his magic.Bellingham's deep position afforded Fernandez the time and space to get a shot off from distance – under little pressure – resulting in the corner Argentina equalised from.By flipping the roles of Fernandez and Mac Allister, giving the latter the go-ahead to attack crosses in the box, and by introducing the aerially impressive Nico Gonzalez and Lautaro Martinez and bringing on Rodrigo de Paul out wide, Argentina were suddenly looking like threatening England's goal with every attack.Head coach Lionel Scaloni and Messi had combined to create an attacking set-up that gave them easy access to the right wing, with reliable crosses and strong attackers to head the ball too – and they had this for the best part of half an hour.With England's starters battling fatigue, many out of position, and facing attacks launched largely by arguably the greatest footballer of all-time, it was no great surprise that Argentina put up what many would consider their best period of attacking football in the tournament so far.Argentina face action over Falklands bannerWhy England's loss to Argentina felt like most painful in 60 years of hurtKane unsure if he will play at next World Cup

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England's World Cup dreams are dashed once more, the wait for a first men's major trophy since 1966 goes on - and to make matters worse, they can't even get on a plane and fly home just yet.That's right, the tournament is not quite over for Thomas Tuchel's side with a third-place play-off against France to come on Saturday (22:00 BST).It probably seems like the last thing anyone wants after Wednesday's heart-breaking loss to Argentina, but maybe it won't be so bad?In fact, when you think about it, there are at least four reasons why you do, actually, want to watch it...England suffer World Cup semi-final heartbreak with loss to Argentina'The change didn't work' - England player ratingsFrance captain Kylian Mbappe has enjoyed a superb tournament and is currently level with Lionel Messi as this World Cup's joint top scorer on eight goals so far.However, the Argentina great currently has the edge thanks to his four assists to Mbappe's three.Goals in third-place play-offs do count towards the Golden Boot award, though, so Mbappe can still overtake the former Barcelona forward - albeit Messi will have the opportunity to respond in the final itself.Should Mbappe score, or provide two assists, he would follow in the footsteps of Italy's Salvatore Schillaci, who clinched the Golden Boot in 1990 by scoring in the third-place contest against... England.Of course, there is still a chance an England player might take the prize for the tournament's top scorer given both Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are just two goals behind Messi and Mbappe.Given the Three Lions pair also have fewer assists, it would likely require a hat-trick to top the charts but you never know - and seeing top attacking talents go in search of goals is always fun to watch.The ultimate prize might now be out of reach but there is still a chance for this to end as a historic tournament for England.OK, winning a third-place play-off for the first time might not be what fans were dreaming of when the World Cup began - but it would ensure this was England's best finish at the tournament for 60 years.Victory over France would mean only their 1966 triumph would rank above this year's efforts.Two previous third-place play-offs at the World Cup have ended in defeat.Sir Bobby Robson's side were beaten by hosts Italy in 1990, while Sir Gareth Southgate's men lost to Belgium in 2018.When gold and silver are off the table, you might as well try to take the bronze.After a gruelling schedule at this expanded World Cup, there is a chance both managers take the opportunity to rest some of their star players.That in turn could provide a chance for those who have sat patiently waiting to feature at the tournament.Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has yet to play a minute but with less pressure on this one, Tuchel could hand the talented youngster his World Cup debut and allow Declan Rice a breather after his recent illness.Ollie Watkins might also get a run out after playing just six minutes so far, about as many as Ivan Toney, who emerged off the bench as England searched for an equaliser in the semi-final.As for France, 2018 champion N'Golo Kante is also yet to feature and at 35, this is likely to be his last opportunity to play at World Cup.Meanwhile, Manchester City playmaker Rayan Cherki has been limited to just 85 minutes at the tournament. Might Didier Deschamps give him a go from the start?Crucially, this weekend is the last chance to watch any competitive football for a little while.After Sunday's final, it is nearly four weeks until the EFL returns on 14 August, with the Community Shield that same weekend.It is another week after that (21 August) until the Premier League is back and when in comes to England, a change in the timings of international breaks means you'll be waiting until the end of September for their next game.You can keep up-to-date with all the pre-season friendlies right here on the BBC Sport website and app during the otherwise fallow weeks ahead, but in terms of actually watching live, competitive football... you should get your fix while you can.In that sense, it can only be a good thing that there is another World Cup game between two top sides to consume this weekend.You're still thinking about the bad news, aren't you?When the World Cup finishes, the football continues on BBC SportHow to watch the World Cup on the BBC and ITV

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Goalkeeper Marius Muller hopes to "have plenty to celebrate" after joining Aberdeen from Wolfsburg.The 33-year-old has agreed a two-year deal at Pittodrie."It feels nice to be here," Muller told club media. "It's all moved very quickly, but I'm happy to be in Scotland."I hope to bring quality to the team through my experience and mentality. As a goalkeeper, you know the moments when you have to stay calm and help to lead the team."We have to be one team – the players and the supporters in the stands. I hope they will see that I will give my all. They will see that I love to celebrate with them."I want to see a lot of fireworks this season. I hope we have plenty to celebrate and we'll see what the season brings."The keeper consulted fellow German Denis Geiger about Aberdeen, with the midfielder having been on loan at Pittodrie last season.Starting his career at Kaiserslautern, also turned out for Red Bull Leipzig and Schalke in his homeland and had a four-year spell with Swiss club Luzern, where he won the Swiss Cup in 2021.And Aberdeen manager Stephen Robinson said: "Marius is an experienced goalkeeper who has consistently performed at a high level throughout his career."He'll add real competition, experience and leadership to our goalkeeping group. We believe his character and professionalism will be a real asset to the squad, both on and off the pitch."Visit our Aberdeen page for all the latest news, analysis and fan views

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BBC Sport women’s football news reporterPublished27 minutes agoNewcastle United have signed Scotland defender Rachel McLauchlan from Brighton for an undisclosed fee.The 29-year-old spent two seasons at Women’s Super League (WSL) club Brighton and made 51 appearances.She featured in the FA Cup final defeat by Manchester City this year and will bring a wealth of experience to WSL 2 side Newcastle.McLauchlan won five Scottish Women’s Premier League titles and four Scottish Cups with Rangers, Glasgow City and Hibernian.She has made 35 appearances for Scotland."I'm really excited to get started. I'm raring to go, it's a big opportunity and I'm looking forward to meeting everyone," McLauchlan said."I want to come here and help the team get promoted. [Manager] Tanya [Oxtoby] spoke so highly of what the club wants to do and that was a big motivation for me to come here."Oxtoby said: "Rachel is an experienced player at both club and international level, and understands what it takes to compete for and win league titles."She is a brilliant defender that adds versatility to the full-back position, while also possessing the ability to provide effective support to the attack."

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England are out of the World Cup after Argentina's dramatic comeback to beat them 2-1 in the semi-finals.Harry Kane and the team took the lead early in the second half in Atlanta, but could not hang on.As fans reel from the painful defeat, here are some tips for coping with the dashed hopes of a place in the final.Losing at football can cause more of a sting than in other sports, says Dr Martha Newson from the University of Greenwich."Few people are going to cry and get upset about whoever loses Wimbledon," explains the behavioural scientist."Football is different… we talk about the national team like it's us out there."For supporter Oli Portlock, an England loss feels like a "national funeral… a big grey cloud over the nation when England's been knocked out".The 27-year-old recalls the "absolute heartbreak" of England's defeat to Italy in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley. "It certainly ruined the next week in work for me."Recognising the feeling of pain is an important step, says Dr David Crepaz-Keay from the Mental Health Foundation.But don't get too worried, he says, because the emotional dip "typically fades within a couple of hours".So if you feel like you are wallowing in misery, ride it out and tell yourself it's just part of the process."For me, it's probably trying to reflect on all the great memories I've created throughout the tournament," says Oli, who followed England from his hometown of Preston to the US.Disappointed fans might lift their spirits by rewatching Harry Kane bring England back from the brink against DR Congo, or Jude Bellingham score twice in 98 seconds against Mexico to help clinch a spot in the quarter-finals.Or it might be memories of staying up that extra hour after severe storms prompted a 02:00 BST kick-off, or crowding into packed pubs during a record-breaking heatwave to catch the earlier games.Oli suggests listening to music that reminds you of the successes - Wonderwall for this year or Sweet Caroline for Euro 2020 - rather than focusing on the disappointment.England fan Jayne Howells, 54, agrees, and cautions against trying to find mistakes or ascribe blame in anger."A lot of these players… they're going to be gutted as well. It's not about knocking them down, but saying they actually did really well. That's how you make a stronger team."Crepaz-Keay advises fans to "see the funny side where you can" and remember "the things that went well".'The perfect football song': Why England fans and players love WonderwallInstead, both he and Newson say sharing your disappointment is one of the best ways to get over the hurt.The best thing to dissipate that frustration, Crepaz-Keay says, is to "talk about it, rant about it" and get through it quickly, in the right way, with the right people.Supporter Oli agrees, saying "talking with mates down the pub" helps you to remember you're "on the same page" with the sting."It does evoke disappointment," he admits, but it helps to "get it out of your system".If you find yourself reaching for the crisps or cookies, it is not all down to a lack of willpower."We do find that fans consume more calories after a loss," Newson says, probably due to an unconscious "evolutionary" desire to protect yourself after losing.Everyone has different ways of coping, she says, but the important thing is to "trust your instincts" - and being with others, resting, and opening up tend to be the best options."Getting outside and being active will help," advises Crepaz-Keay, even if that means walking and singing on your way home from a match to expend some energy.For Andy Taylor, 38, who followed England to both New York and Boston, getting back to his normal routine is what helps.He says it is the "day-to-day bits" - like walking the dog and going for a run, as well as reflecting on the positives - that help to boost his mood.His first tournament - Euro 1996, where Germany dashed England's hopes in a tense semi-final - was "devastating", but he could always look forward to another game. "England football will always be there," says Andy."Even if we don't win, I've got amazing memories to cling to. We were there and I'll never get over that."

World Cup News

Close00Mark Chapman, Wayne Rooney, Joe Hart and Micah Richards discuss why England seem unable to control big games, unlike World Cup finalists Spain.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsFIFA World Cup 2026Follow FIFA World Cup 2026close panelYou are now following FIFA World Cup 2026Updates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FootballFollow Footballclose panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.England Men's Football TeamFollow England Men's Football Teamclose panelYou are now following England Men's Football TeamUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.SpainFollow Spain

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Lawrence Shankland does not feel "too much pressure" to establish himself at Rangers as he has "always wanted to prove myself".Shankland joined Rangers from Hearts in May before representing Scotland at the World Cup.The 30-year-old is third on the Scottish Premiership's all-time scorers list with 80 across his spells at Aberdeen, Dundee United and Hearts - 12 short of former Celtic and Dundee forward Leigh Griffiths and James Tavernier, who has just left Rangers."I don't actually feel too much pressure," Shankland told assembled media in Spain, where Rangers are having a pre-season training camp."Obviously, when you go everywhere and you get a fresh start, you need to get yourself, try and make yourself the first name on the team sheet and that's what I'm going to try and do here as well. Nothing changes with that approach."I've always wanted to prove myself."I want to make the most of every opportunity I get. I'm buzzing to be here, buzzing to get started and really looking forward to it."Rangers agree deal for Partizan's Dragojevic - gossip'The manager knows what to expect from me'Shankland was regularly linked with Rangers throughout his career and revealed the closest he came to moving to Ibrox previously was while he was at Ayr United from 2017-19.Now, he is competing with Youssef Chermiti, Bojan Miovski and Ryan Naderi in Derek McInnes' new look Rangers team, with manager McInnes having followed Shankland to Ibrox this summer.McInnes was also previously Shankland's manager at Aberdeen.Chermiti, Miovski and Naderi scored 31 goals between them last season. Shankland netted 20 at Hearts."We've got four really good striking options - all goal scorers throughout their career," Shankland."The manager knows me as a player, first and foremost. He's known me for a long time. He knows what I thrive on as a player."My role probably last year was a bit different from what he had maybe seen when I was younger."The good thing is he knows what to expect from me. We're on the same page."

World Cup News

Close30Journalist Tim Vickery says Thomas Tuchel's substitutions were to blame for England's defeat by Argentina.Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsFIFA World Cup 2026Follow FIFA World Cup 2026close panelYou are now following FIFA World Cup 2026Updates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.England Men's Football TeamFollow England Men's Football Teamclose panelYou are now following England Men's Football TeamUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.ArgentinaFollow Argentina