August 14, 2022

The brief from today:

Penalty drama at PSG

PSG played their second match of the Ligue 1 season this weekend against Montpellier, coming away with a 5-2 victory. With star player Kylian Mbappe suspended for the Super Cup match two weeks prior, and subsequently also missing the league opener last week due to a minor injury, the match against Montpellier was his first official appearance this season. During the first half PSG were awarded a penalty, and despite both Messi and Neymar being on the pitch, it was Mbappe who appeared to be responsible for spot kicks. The French forward would miss his attempt, and when another penalty was awarded in the second half, this time Neymar would take, and score, the chance. Mbappe would still play a key role in the match with PSG’s first goal being a deflection of his cross, and the fourth a result of his finish at the back post. He did appear to be frustrated throughout the match, however, barely celebrating the two goals he played a part in, and also showed his anger after an attacking play where Vitinha passed to Messi instead of him. It was the penalty taking duties, however, that have caused the most conversation following the match. A big reason for this is what transpired on social media after a particular tweet was liked by Neymar. The Twitter fan account, Neymargiabr, had the following to say regarding the PSG penalty taking hierarchy: “It’s now official, Mbappe is the penalty taker at PSG. Clearly this is a contract thing, because at no club in the world that has Neymar would he be the second taker, none. It seems that because of the contract, Mbappe owns PSG.” Of course the contract being referred to is the extension Mbappe signed this summer, which along with the massive financial compensation he is set to earn, is also rumored to include increased influence/input for the player over technical decisions at the club. Neymar liking such a tweet could mean a variety of things, but one thing that’s clear is that he disagrees with being second in line when it comes to penalties. PSG coach, Galtier, was asked about the pecking order and he replied rather diplomatically saying, “For this match, the order was chosen thus. Kylian shot first, so it was logical that Neymar went next. We’ll see in the future.” This isn’t Neymar’s first squabble over penalty taking duties by the way, as during the 2017/18 there was tension between him and former PSG player, Edinson Cavani, over who should be handling those responsibilities. While there was no outright tension between Neymar and Mbappe during the match, this Twitter activity indicates something may be simmering behind closed doors.

There may be trouble brewing at PSG between Mbappe (left) and Neymar (right)

Toronto FC’s recruitment paying off

Toronto FC recorded another win following a 3-1 victory over visitors, Portland Timbers. New signings, Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi, are two key reasons the Canadian side is performing well. Since the two Italy internationals joined this summer, Insigne has 2 goals and 1 assist in 4 matches, while Bernardeschi has notched 3 goals and 1 assist also in 4 matches. The most recent match against Portland saw the match tied 1-1 until the the two Italians took matters into their hands, with Insigne scoring Toronto’s second in the 79th, and then Bernardeschi later securing the victory with the third goal in the 85th. The result now means that Toronto are unbeaten in the MLS since the two former Serie A players joined with a record of 3 wins, 0 losses, and 1 draw, a streak that further reinforces the decision making of the club’s administration.

Insigne (left) and Bernardeschi (right) have improved Toronto FC’s fortunes since joining