Europe

MELBOURNE — Australia captain Sam Kerr will face trial in the UK accused of the racially aggravated harassment of a police officer in London over a year ago.

Chelsea forward Kerr, one of the world's most recognizable women footballers and a sporting idol in her home nation, was charged on Jan. 21, almost a year after the incident was alleged to have occurred.

"The charge relates to an incident involving a police officer who was responding to a complaint involving a taxi fare on 30 January 2023 in Twickenham," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.

FIFA is against the International Football Association Board's proposal for so-called 'blue cards', President Gianni Infantino said, adding that he was unaware of the idea before it caught the public eye.

The proposal from football's rule making body to introduce 'blue cards', which gives referees the power to send players off for 10 minutes for dissent or committing cynical fouls, was discussed with FIFA at the IFAB's Annual General Meeting in Scotland.

Gianni Infantino blue cards

Christian Pulisic is now one of Lazio fans’ most hated players after he drew two red cards against the club on Friday during AC Milan's 1-0 victory. 

The incident that the Lazio faithful are the most upset about was Pulisic drawing a second yellow card on Luca Pellegrini who wanted play to stop for an injured player. There was no whistle so Pulisic kept playing.

LONDON — Chelsea fought back to earn a point against Brentford in a 2-2 draw after defender Axel Disasi headed an 83rd-minute equalizer in the West London derby at the Brentford Community Stadium in the Premier League on Saturday.

Chelsea took the lead with a clinical header by Nicolas Jackson in the 35th minute but Brentford looked on course for a comeback win after Mads Roerslev pounced on a loose ball in the Chelsea box in the opening minutes of the second half.

Christian Pulisic was the spotlight of two hectic moments between AC Milan and Lazio players on Friday during the Rossoneri’s 1-0 victory. In the second half Pulisic got under the Lazio players’ skin and drew two red cards. 

The first incident saw the American dragged to the ground by Lazio defender Luca Pellegrini who was given a second yellow card and sent off. Pellegrini had already picked up a yellow card earlier in the game for a hard tackle on Pulisic.

Drawing defending champions Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals was the last thing Eddie Howe wanted to hear as the Newcastle United manager prepares to face last year's treble winners for a fourth time this season.

Newcastle, who last won the trophy in 1955, will visit City on March 16 for the knockout fixture.

"I was driving at the time and I almost swerved off the road! It wasn't the draw we wanted, that's for sure," Howe told reporters on Friday.

Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba's career hung in the balance on Thursday after he was handed a four-year doping ban but the France international said he would try to clear his name by appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The France international was provisionally suspended by a tribunal of Italy's national anti-doping organisation (NADO Italia) in September after testing positive for DHEA - a banned substance which naturally raises levels of testosterone.

Germany qualified for this year's Paris Olympics after a 2-0 win over the Netherlands in Heerenveen on Wednesday in the third-place playoff of the women's Nations League.

Klara Buhl's half-volley from close range in the 66th minute and Lea Schueller's header in the 78th sealed the win for Germany, Olympic gold medallists in 2016, who will return to compete at the Games after missing Tokyo 2020.

Germany goal vs. Netherlands

FIFA are launching a new series of friendly matches in one location during the international window called the FIFA Series, with a pilot project kicking off in four countries next month, world soccer's governing body said on Monday.

Although there are no trophies or prize money, the series is designed to benefit national teams that do not have the opportunity to play teams from other confederations, with FIFA set to cover travel costs.

LONDON — Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk powered home a header in extra time as his side beat Chelsea 1-0 in the League Cup final on Sunday to clinch a record-extending 10th title in the competition and crown Jürgen Klopp's final season in charge with silverware.

Van Dijk rose high above his marker to head a corner back across goal and into the far corner in the 118th minute, sparking wild celebrations among the Liverpool supporters massed at that end of Wembley stadium.

Van Dijk goal vs Chelsea Carabao Cup final