Time-wasting crackdown

GM football fans. It’s Friday, Dec. 06, and we’re covering time-wasting trials, the MLS Cup final and much more. First time reading? Sign up here.

Editor’s note: Route One’s Daily Brief is being sent from a new email address. If it doesn’t land in your inbox, please make sure to check your junk or spam folder.

PREMIER LEAGUE MW15 STATS

Everton vs Liverpool, Sat 7 Dec, 12:30 GMT / 7:30 ET. Everton have won just four of the 47 Premier League matches they have played against a side currently top of the standings. Fulham vs Arsenal, Sun 8 Dec, 14:00 GMT / 9:00 ET. While Fulham won 2-1 in the same fixture last season, Arsenal had won five games at Craven Cottage before that match, netting at least three goals on three occasions. Tottenham vs Chelsea, Sun 8 Dec, 16:30 GMT / 11:30 ET. Chelsea have scored 57 goals in 22 matches in all competitions this season, their best goals-per-game ratio in a single season in their entire history (2.6 goals-per-game). See the full list of fixtures here.

Plus…

• EPL results: Fulham 3 - 1 Brighton | Bournemouth 1 - 0 Tottenham (EPL table)

• Coppa Italia R16 results: Lazio 3 - 1 Napoli (Full bracket)

• Club World Cup draw (More)

TIMEWASTING CRACKDOWN

Football’s lawmakers trialling corner kicks if goalkeepers don’t release the ball in eight seconds

Referees will award a corner to the opposition (paywall) if a goalkeeper holds on to the ball for too long, under a new system being considered by football’s lawmakers. The proposed rule change has been successfully trialled in the Premier League’s under-21 competition. Other trials in Malta have resulted in no goalkeeper exceeding eight seconds. It’s unclear when the trials will conclude.

As it stands, if goalkeepers hold onto the ball for too long, referees have the power to award an indirect free kick. Often they’re reluctant to do so because it creates a clear goalscoring opportunity and creates further delays. Data from the Premier League’s 2022/23 campaign shows that time-wasting has been on the rise.

The International FA Board (IFAB), the game’s law-making body, is also considering changes to the offside rule. Trials are continuing for Arsene Wenger’s proposal where if any part of an attacker’s body that can score is in line with the defence then they should be judged onside. Wenger’s proposal is explained in detail here.

POLL

HEAD START

> Sheffield United is the latest club to get a US takeover. An American consortium has agreed to buy Sheffield United. The figures are yet to be disclosed. United were relegated from the top flight last season, causing its value to decline since it was for sale in 2023. They currently sit two points on top of the Championship table. The takeover is the latest US deal for an English club outside the Premier League after investments in teams like Birmingham City, Ipswich Town, Carlisle United and Norwich City. More than a third of the 92 professional teams in England’s top four leagues now have some form of American ownership.

> Long-time Man Utd receptionist, Kath, dies aged 85. Manchester United’s much-loved receptionist Kath Phipps has died at the age of 85. A lifelong fan and immensely popular figure, she joined four months after Sir Matt Busby led the club to European Cup glory in 1968. Wayne Rooney has led the tributes to Phipps, saying on Instagram: "The heart and soul of Man Utd. Everything what the club is about.” Many other Manchester United players past and present took to social media to pay condolences to Phipps.

> MLS refs claim in-game interference from PROs means they’re ‘no longer in control’. The interference of Professional Referee Organisation (PRO) members in MLS and NWSL matches has been a habitual problem this season. There were instances during the 2024 MLS season where a PRO member – someone who was not a match official for a game but could listen in to decisions – interfered in VAR’s decision-making during the game. IFAB regulations mandate that VAR decisions must be made by only the on-field officials, and so in-game decision-making should be beyond the PRO’s remit. Two unnamed referees have now expressed concerns about PRO’s involvement.

MLS CUP 2024

LA Galaxy look to reclaim MLS throne in Cup final, while Red Bulls look to cause an upset

LA Galaxy will host the New York Red Bulls for the MLS Cup championship on Saturday. LA hopes to win its sixth MLS Cup, 10 years after their last championship in 2014. 

LA Galaxy were one of the MLS’s 10 charter members when it launched in 1996 and is the league’s most successful side with a record five MLS Cup titles. The Red Bulls, despite being one of the North American league’s founding franchises, has not reached the championship match since 2008, when they lost 3-1 to Columbus Crew. 

Some analysts are favouring Red Bulls, citing Riqui Puig’s absence from LA as their main reason. But the Red Bulls are the underdogs, having been the lowest playoff seed to reach the final in league history, starting as the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The match kicks off at 4 PM ET / 9 PM GMT on Saturday 7 Dec.

AROUND THE FOOTBALL WORLD

Europe

> Barcelona is planning to sell the rights of its VIP section of its new stadium for €200mn, providing the capital to allow for player registrations (More) | Vinicius Jr has asked Javier Tebas to retract an allegation of piracy after the La Liga president claimed the Real Madrid forward watched a game illegally (More)

> The German football league will award €4.5bn broadcast revenue to the country’s 36 professional clubs over the next four years; €84mn more than the previous four-year period (More)

Americas

> Club America and Cruz Azul face off today in the first leg of the Liga MX semi-final; America is looking to win its third straight championship, while Cruz Azul has had one of the best Liga MX seasons in history (More)

> Ecuador defender Pedro Perlaza has been rescued after being kidnapped last week (More)

Rest of the World

> FIFA is open to talks about expanding the Women’s World Cup to 48 teams; the 2027 tournament is due to involve 32 countries (More / paywall)

> Oscar, former Chelsea midfielder, bids farewell to Chinese Super League side Shanghai Port after 8 years; some reports estimate he made £175mn during his time at the club (More)

ROUTER’S VOICE

Yesterday, we asked you: Should players have control over their involvement in league-led initiatives?

🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 👍 Yes... (64%)

🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 🚫 No... (35%)

⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (write in!)... (1%)

Your punditry takes:

• 👍 L.E: “Surely everyone has the right to free speech? Just because you don't agree with someone else's opinion doesn't make you wrong! That should be the start of healthy debate, not a witch hunt!”

• 👍 S.H: “The whole situation is out of control. Please can we make the football itself the only issue.”

• 🚫 J.M: “If the league or their club is doing something to raise awareness of an issue or whatever, then the players should take part in it too. If they refuse to then they should be dropped from the squad for that match.”

EXTRA TIME

AC Milan release a 125th anniversary kit.

Opta’s latest Premier League predictions.

Luke Shaw’s 1,675 days lost to injury in charts.

The best managers of the 21st century, ranked.

Simply incredible Champions League save. / via X

How TAA has the most Premier League assists of any defender in history.

Three generations of Botafogo fans celebrate their Copa win.

What is the Club World Cup and how does it work?

How Toni Kroos warmed up his boots before training. / via X

Why Arsenal are being called 'the new Stoke City'.

GAME FACE ON

Question: Six goalkeepers have scored in the Premier League. How many can you name?

Scroll below for the answer.

ON TODAY

Championship

• Burnley vs Middlesbrough (20:00)

La Liga

• Celta Vigo vs Mallorca (20:00)

Bundesliga

• Stuttgart vs Union Berlin (19:30)

Serie A

• Inter Milan vs Parma (17:30)

• Atalanta vs AC Milan (19:45)

*All time in UK. ET -5. CST -6. PST -8. MST -7. CET +1.

Answer

Peter Schmeichel, Paul Robinson, Brad Friedel, Tim Howard, Asmir Begovic, Alisson.

See the goals here.