Finishing

BIRMINGHAM — A brilliant volley by Danny Ings and an Anwar El Ghazi penalty gave Aston Villa an easy 2-0 victory over a poor Newcastle United side in the Birmingham club's first home game of the Premier League season on Saturday.

A record of 12 goals in 29 Premier League games for Southampton last term prompted Villa to recruit the 29-year-old Ings for a reported 25 million pounds, and with two goals in his first two league games, the investment is already paying off.

Christian Pulisic opened his 2021/22 Chelsea scoring account in the first game of the season with a true poacher’s finish. With Chelsea leading 1-0 in the first half courtesy of a Marcos Alonso thunderbolt free kick, Pulisic made it 2-0 in the 40th minute.

Christian Pulisic Goal vs. Crystal Palace

One match, one goal for Christian Pulisic!

@peacocktv pic.twitter.com/tKYRQo6dAV

ROME - Olivier Giroud is confident he can strike up a fearsome partnership with AC Milan talisman Zlatan Ibrahimović after leaving Chelsea to join the Serie A side in what he described as a dream move.

The 34-year-old is expected to compete with Ibrahimović for one striker spot in Stefano Pioli’s side, but he is open to the idea of forming a vastly experienced front two with the 39-year-old Swede.

Rubin Kazan has one of the gems of the Russian Premier League on its hands in Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

The Tbilisi, Georgia, native moved to Kazan in 2019 after a loan spell with Lokomotiv Moscow. Two years on, those in decision-making positions at the capital club may be kicking themselves for not making that loan permanent. Kvaratskhelia has scored eight goals and assisted 13 in 53 appearances for Rubin Kazan and, still just 20 years old, has found himself linked with several clubs across Europe, most recently AC Milan. 

The 2021-22 MLS season has been a trying one thus far for Atlanta United and its supporters. 

Atlanta, which took the league by storm in its first two seasons, smashing attendances records and earning a championship, has a record of 2-8-6 this year. Head coach Gabriel Heinze, hired in December, was let go earlier this month amidst an eight-game winless streak. The Argentine coach did not help his cause much by freezing out Atlanta's and, possibly, MLS's best player. 

USA vs. Qatar

Gyasi Zardes' goal in the 86th minute sent the U.S. men's national team to the final of the CONCACAF Gold Cup after a 1-0 semifinal victory against Qatar in Austin, Texas, on Thursday.

Zardes entered the match in the 63rd minute and the Columbus Crew forward scored his 14th international goal off a counter after pressure created a turnover.