Dani Alves nears Pumas deal; Marcelo to Oviedo
It might not be as big as the Robert Lewandowski-to-Barcelona transfer, but the long-rumored Dani Alves-to-Pumas move appears imminent.
The 39-year-old right back – the player with the most collective honors in footballing history (47) – has reportedly agreed to terms to come to Liga MX and final details are being hammered out.
Among Alves’ many honors are three UEFA Champions League titles, two UEFA Cup titles, an Olympic gold medal, nine league titles (six with Barcelona, one with Juventus and two with Paris St. Germain).
The peripatetic Brazilian last played with Sao Paulo and is hopeful of making on Brazil’s World Cup team. As the Liga MX season is among the few leagues that conclude prior to Qatar 2022, Alves hopes that a run of a couple months in Mexico will impress Tite enough to earn him a spot on the roster.
Flores accepts loan to Real Oviedo
Arsenal will send teenage star Marcelo Flores on loan to a Spanish second-division side, a decision that may help the 18-year-old playmaker win a spot on El Tri’s World Cup side.
At the same time, Mexican fans will lament the fact that Flores’ effort to win a spot on Arsenal’s senior roster was for naught. Flores skipped the Concacaf Under-20 qualifying tournament to attend Arsenal’s preseason camp and El Tri was unceremoniously bounced out of the event by Guatemala, denying Mexico a spot in the 2023 World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Flores will join Real Oviedo, a team whose majority owner is the Liga MX-linked Grupo Pachuca. One of his new teammates will be Daniel Aceves, 21, who made the move to Oviedo two weeks ago, Aceves, a left fullback, won a starting job with the Tuzos last season and helped the team reach the Liga MX Final where they lost to Atlas.
Another El Tri team making negative headlines
In a developing story, Mexico’s Under-20 women’s team is in turmoil less than three weeks before they are set to take part in the World Cup in Costa Rica.
Coach Maribel Domínguez and her coaching staff have been separated from the team by the Mexican Soccer Federation.
No details are available at present, but reports suggest it is a delicate situation that has ripped apart the locker room. Domínguez at the coaches are under investigation for allegedly violating team and federation protocols.
Liga MX action
Matchday 4 got off to an early start Wednesday night as Guadalajara and León played to a scoreless draw.
The Chivas saw one goal annulled (in controversial fashion, naturally), botched a penalty kick just before halftime, then saw Luis Olivas red-carded after a video review revealed the defender inadvertently stamped on Joel Campbell’s ankle.
Week 4 in Liga MX continues tonight when Monterrey visits Querétaro.
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In a friendly match in Houston Wednesday night, Manchester City defeated América with Kevin De Bruyne playing the hero and Jack Grealish playing the villain. De Bruyne recorded both City goals in the first half while Grealish got into several tussles, including a scrap with goalie Memo Ochoa who was trying to help the England star after he took a tumble in the box.