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      Wayne Rooney named Birmingham manager after NFL icon Tom Brady lures Man Utd legend back to England

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      WAYNE ROONEY has been appointed as Birmingham City’s new manager.The Manchester United legend replaces John Eustace at St Andrews following his sacking earlier today.
      Wayne Rooney has been appointed as Birmingham managerCredit: Alamy
      Blues co-owner Brady was eager to bring him to the clubCredit: Getty
      John Eustace was sacked on MondayCredit: PA
      Birmingham co-owner and NFL legend Tom Brady had been in regular talks with Rooney over the position in recent weeks.
      The sporting icon believes he will be able to attract big names to the Blues and eventually lead them back to the Premier League.
      He has brought in Ashley Cole and former Manchester United team-mate John O’Shea as coaches.
      Both will retain their positions as coaches in their respective national teams, with Cole England’s Under-21 assistant coach and O’Shea the assistant coach of the Republic of Ireland.
      READ MORE IN SPORT
      And his first match in charge will be against another Red Devils pal, Michael Carrick, who is in charge of Middlesbrough.
      The 37-year-old is expected to take charge of his first training session tomorrow.
      A Birmingham statement said: “Birmingham City Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Wayne Rooney as Manager, agreeing terms on a three-and-a-half-year contract.”
      Birmingham chief executive Garry Cook famously tried to sign Rooney for Manchester City from Man Utd in 2010.
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      And now, 13 years on, Cook has finally got his man, albeit in a different capacity.
      On his appointment, Rooney said: “I am absolutely delighted to be joining Birmingham City Football Club at such an exciting time.

      “It is very clear that they have a plan and are committed to realising their ambition for the club. We are fully aligned on what is expected.
      “I have been building my managerial career, putting myself in challenging environments, to get me ready for this opportunity.
      “It’s a project that gives me a sense of purpose and I can’t wait to get started.”
      Cook also expressed his “excitement” at Rooney’s arrival.
      Fans will be eagerly anticipating the England legend’s first starting XI at St. Andrews and how it may progress in the coming windows.
      Rooney began his managerial career in the Championship with Derby County.
      When he took over at Pride Park in November 2020, the Rams were rock bottom of the table, but they escaped relegation at the end of the campaign under the ex-striker’s guidance.
      Rooney resigned at the end of the following campaign after Derby were relegated to League One and went on to join MLS side DC United.
      Read More on The Sun
      He was in charge of the Washington-based team for 52 games, racking up just 13 wins and 26 defeats.
      Rooney previously managed Derby in the ChampionshipCredit: Getty
      How Rooney’s Birmingham could line up in the future
      More to follow.
      THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY…The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video.Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/TheSunFootball and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball. More

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      Harry Kane reveals he may think about retirement and career as NFL kicker in just FIVE years’ time

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      HARRY KANE admits he could retire from football in five years’ time to become an NFL kicker.The England captain made the shock revelation just a month after joining Bayern Munich from Tottenham in a £104million transfer.
      Harry Kane has opened the door to an NFL switch in five years’ timeCredit: Getty
      Kane has got off to a flyer in Bavaria, netting eight goals in just six Bundesliga games.
      His latest effort came from the penalty spot as Bayern battled back for a 2-2 draw against RB Leipzig on Saturday
      But Kane, 30, is already thinking about life after he hangs up his boots.
      The World Cup Golden Boot winner is a huge fan of American football.
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      Former Spurs star Clive Allen enjoyed a late spell in the sport and has since urged Kane to follow in his footsteps.
      The Three Lions skipper previously revealed he would be interested in making the switch to NFL as a kicker.
      And Kane has now set a timeline for a move to happen, reckoning he’s got at least five more years in football before making a potential switch.
      Kane told ESPN: “Yeah the NFL thing, a lot of people have talked to me about that.
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      “I’ve said it’s something that I’d like to explore at a later date.
      “But I think it all depends on where I’m at in my career, whether I’m happy to continue playing football. There’s a lot of questions marks.
      “So it’s something that’s in the back of my mind but still a long, long way away so again it’s not something I’m thinking about right now.
      “I guess time will tell and in life sometimes things just play out how they’re supposed to play out.
      “We’ll see in five, six, seven years where I’m at and where I want to be and what I want to do and I’ll make that decision then.” More

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      in Soccer

      I’m a former Tottenham goal-machine who made it big in the NFL… Harry Kane should follow me into American Football

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      CLIVE ALLEN made it big in the NFL after ending his football career.The former England striker had an impressive career, including a prolific spell with Tottenham.
      Clive Allen played in NFL Europe after retiring from footballCredit: Getty
      Harry Kane has been urged to take up American football by AllenCredit: Getty
      Allen scored 84 goals in 135 matches for Spurs between 1984 and 1988.
      After retiring, though, he briefly transitioned to American football as a specialist goal-kicker.
      His change of sport even saw him star for the London Monarchs during the 1997 NFL Europe season.
      Allen has since urged fellow former Spurs goal-machine Harry Kane to follow in his footsteps.
      READ MORE IN SPORT
      He told the Daily Star in 2019: “Former strikers are the ones that can do it well.
      “Kane has a great interest in it and I wouldn’t be surprised if in years to come he’ll be kicking an NFL football.
      “Knowing Kane – and having worked with him – I know all about his mentality and attitude.
      “I’m sure he could adapt his style to do the job and I wouldn’t put it past him being very successful at it.
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      “It’s also not got the physical demands of soccer – kicking at least – so players can go on a little longer.”
      Kane has made no secret of his love for the NFL and has attended games in the past.
      He even revealed earlier this year that he wants to become a kicker in the league once his playing days are over.
      Speaking to Good Morning America, the Bayern Munich striker admitted: “It’s something I want to definitely explore.
      “I know it will be a lot of hard work. I’m not expecting to just walk up and start kicking field goals.
      “It would be a lot of practice, a lot of hard work. But yeah, it’s something I’d love to do.
      “The NFL is something I have been following for about 10 years now, and I love it, so I would love to give it a go.”
      Kane has expressed a desire to become an NFL kickerCredit: Reuters More

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      in Boxing

      I served four years in the military before playing American football… but I gave up my NFL dream for boxing aged 30

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      GERALD WASHINGTON left behind a life in the military and dreams of the NFL to start chasing a boxing career at the age of 30. Now 41, the former world title challenger remains a fixture in major heavyweight fight nights.
      Gerald Washington had NFL hopesCredit: Getty
      But he turned to boxing instead aged 30Credit: Getty
      He returns at the O2 Arena on Saturday night against Derek Chisora as his remarkable life tale readies for another chapter.
      Washington told SunSport: “I’ve been riding a beautiful wave of life.
      “I turned professional, worked my way up to fight for the heavyweight championship of the world.
      “Was I ever expecting that in my life, to be able to start at 30 and be able to fight for a championship? No.
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      “But I was able to and I’m still in the game, competing at the highest level.
      “I’m grateful to be here and it’s going to be an exciting fight on Saturday.”
      Washington enlisted into the US navy at 18 and served four years.
      He worked as a helicopter mechanic, stationed in San Diego, California and also served on a support and rescue squadron.
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      Washington credits his time in the military for helping pave the way for what was to come later on in his life.
      He said: “I was in during 9/11, it was a very hectic time, a lot of chaos going on.
      “It was a very disruptive time in the world in that particular time when I went in.
      “But I was able to learn a lot, take a lot of life experiences from that and I was able to apply that to my life.”
      Washington was then recruited to play college football and was an NJCAA All-American tight end. 
      From there he spent time with the Seattle Seahawks and Buffalo Bills practise NFL squads – before realising his future lied in the ring.
      He said: “After I went to college, I signed with the Buffalo Bills in 2009.
      “I was able to go over there to OTAs (organised team activities) and stuff like that.
      Gerald Washington trialled in the NFLCredit: Instagram @gwgallonegro
      “But soon after that I started boxing, doing some training and I decided that I wanted to pursue boxing instead.
      “I liked the one-man aspect of it, everything falls and ends on me on the work that I put in and I was willing to work.
      “I chose boxing, I boxed as a kid and I’m glad and grateful that I was able to grow into this beautiful body of mine, 6’6 and 250lb.”
      Washington boxed briefly as a boy with ten amateur bouts to his name but he realised his talent and passion for the sweet science in sparring.
      He revealed: “Boxing was always in my heart.
      “I played football because I was able to run fast and have fun with it. But boxing was my sport, that was always in my heart.
      “I grew up watching Julio Cesar Chavez, I watched Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson, I grew up watching a lot of the greats and I always wanted to go out there and see what I could do.
      “When I was doing football training, I started boxing, I sparred a couple of time put a couple of guys down and I felt what it felt like to be in the ring and I wanted to do it more.”
      Deontay Wilder beat Gerald Washington in 2017Credit: (AP Photo/Albert Cesare)
      Washington had four more amateur bouts before turning professional at 30, winning his 2012 debut by KO.
      Just 20 fights and five years later, he found himself challenging for Deontay Wilder’s WBC belt.
      It ended in a fifth-round stoppage loss and Washignton would go on to become one of the most recognisable faces in the division.
      He faced Jarrell Miller, Adam Kownacki and Anthony Joshua’s Saturday night opponent Robert Helenius.
      And he also sparred the likes of Wladimir Klitschko, AJ, Wilder, Oleksandr Usyk and even Chisora, who he fights on Joshua’s undercard.
      Helenius, 39, has filled in for Dillian Whyte, 35, who was taken off the bill due to a failed drug test.
      Washington was considered but later overlooked as a substitute – although the American vowed to get his chance eventually.
      He said: “We were ready to go. We’ve been working for a long time now and we was ready to go to put it together.
      “But, they chose Robert Helenius and we’ll get him next time.”
      Read More on The Sun
      Deontay Wilder with former opponent Gerald WashingtonCredit: @gwgallonegro
      Anthony Joshua with former sparring partner Gerald WashingtonCredit: @gwgallonegro
      Derek Chisora fights Gerald WashingtonCredit: Getty More

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      in Soccer

      I’m Britain’s most loyal football fan… I haven’t missed a game in 50 years & it ended my marriage – I have no regrets

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      BRITAIN’S most loyal football fan who hasn’t missed a match for 50 years says he has no regrets – despite his obsession costing him his marriage.Birmingham City supporter Rob Shannon has watched his side more than 2,300 times in a row – first going to see them beat Derby County in 1974.
      Dedicated Birmingham City fan Rob Shannon has not missed a match since 1974Credit: SWNS
      But he admits the Championship football club could be to blame for his divorce from his ex-wife, who was a fan of their West Midlands arch rivals Aston Villa.
      Rob said: “She used to say, ‘You love Blues more than me’.
      “I always joked, ‘I love Villa more than you’.”
      The dad-of-two, 64, loyally follows the Blues both home and away – having attended his first game as a four-year-old boy during the 1962-1963 season.
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      He has seen them play in all four league divisions – including several stints in the Premier League – as well as all League Cup and FA Cup games over the past half a century.
      Only the Covid-19 pandemic kept him away from their St Andrew’s home ground, when lockdown restrictions forced football clubs to play behind closed doors.
      He said: “My mum and dad took me down when I was a boy around the 62-63 season and I’ve loved going ever since.
      “It’s become a bit of an obsession – I just follow them through thick and thin, although it’s been more like thin and thin.
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      “People say you must have seen all the ups and downs and I joke it’s mostly downs for Blues.”
      Stand-up comedian Jasper Carrott, another Birmingham City fan, has previously joked: “You lose some, you draw some.”
      Yet Rob, from Sheldon in Birmingham, did get to enjoy a day of glory at Wembley for the match he says is his most cherished.
      City, then managed by ex-Scotland international Alex McLeish, clinched a surprise last-minute 2-1 victory over Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal in the 2011 Carling Cup final.
      Rob said: “My favourite game was without a doubt the Carling Cup final – it was the best day of my life, and the European games that followed were really special too.
      “But any game that we beat the Villa is also my favourite.
      “I’ve also seen a couple of wins at Anfield and Old Trafford, which doesn’t happy very often for us.”
      His favourite player was former Birmingham and England striker Trevor Francis, who became Britain’s first £1million footballer when moving to Nottingham Forest in 1979.
      Rob was saddened by Francis’s death last month at the age of 69 at his home near Marbella in Spain.
      Rob said: “I was devastated when Trevor Francis passed away.
      “I got to know him and his sons – he is still my favourite player.
      “I’m proud to now volunteer at the club as part of their Former Players Association – I get to arrange for ex-players to come back to the club for games.”
      He is also an admirer of ex-City star and England international Jude Bellingham, who came through Birmingham’s youth ranks and this summer joined La Liga giants Real Madrid for £115million from Germany’s Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund.
      Rob named his son Andrew, 32, after the club’s St Andrew’s stadium – and even once discharged himself from hospital to attend an away game at Swansea City.
      He now hopes the club can return to the Premier League having been away since relegation in 2011.
      American NFL legend Tom Brady sprang a surprise last week by revealing he has become one of the club’s joint owners.
      Brady, recently rumoured to be dating Kim Kardashian, has “entered into a partnership” with Birmingham’s new owners Knighthead Capital Management LLC.
      Rob said: “There have been some good times really but it has been a bad few years – although the new owners sound like they really mean business and are very ambitious.
      “Getting the likes of Tom Brady on board can only be a good thing so I think the future is bright and I certainly have no intentions of stopping.
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      “I’d resigned myself to the fact I would probably never see Blues in the Premier League again but hopefully we can get back there under these new owners.
      “It’s the hope and anticipation that kills you, though – but I guess that’s what being a football fan is all about.”
      Rob’s most cherished memory is of Birmingham winning the Carling Cup in 2011Credit: SWNS
      He was club mascot for a match as a seven-year-old, leading the team on to the fieldCredit: SWNS
      Rob’s home in Birmingham’s Sheldon district is packed with Blues memorabiliaCredit: SWNS
      Rob got on well with Birmingham legend Trevor Francis, who died last monthCredit: SWNS
      A more recent favourite has been England international midfielder Jude BellinghamCredit: SWNS More

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      Gisele Bundchen shows off her incredible abs as ex Tom Brady invests in Birmingham City

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      GISELE Bundchen doubles up her denim after being unveiled as the face of Colcci’s latest fashion campaign.The Brazilian model wore hot pants and a jacket with a white crop top and also showed a pair of thigh-high denim boots.
      Gisele shows she suits blue in new modelling shots for fashion firm ColcciCredit: Capture Media Agency
      Gisele’s ex Tom Brady has emerged as a shock investor in Birmingham CityCredit: Instagram @bcfc
      Gisele, 43, was unveiled as the brand’s latest big name signing yesterday after working with them on and off for over a decade.
      It was her first big job after her ex-husband, NFL player Tom Brady, revealed he was the co-owner of Birmingham City.
      Worth a reported £400million, Brady will work directly with the club’s board after “entering into a partnership” with new owner Knighthead Capital Management LLC.
      The ace, who recently retired from NFL after a stunning 23-year career and seven Super Bowl wins, admitted he has got “a lot to learn” about the English game.
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      Since their split last year, Tom, 46, has now moved on with supermodel Irina Shayk.
      Gisele said of their split: “Sometimes you grow together; sometimes you grow apart.
      “When I was 26 years old and he was 29 years old, we met, we wanted a family, we wanted things together.
      “As time goes by, we realize that we just wanted different things, and now we have a choice to make.”
      Most read in Football More

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      Everyone at Birmingham’s buzzing that Tom Brady has invested but I’m scared I’ll be kicked out of fantasy league for him

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      THE messages on the Birmingham WhatsApp group were going mad yesterday morning.Imagine this. You’re in a highly competitive workplace NFL Fantasy Football competition and there’s an announcement that Tom Brady — a seven-time Super Bowl winner and the greatest quarterback in history — has joined your company.
      Tom Brady is involved in a group that has taken over BirminghamCredit: Instagram
      Tom Brady is widely-regarded as one of the best NFL players everCredit: EPA
      Troy Deeney played for the club last seasonCredit: PA
      Because that’s exactly what’s happened for those Blues players and staff.
      I’m still in that Fantasy Football competition despite leaving my home-town club this summer and, frankly, I’m worried I’ll be kicked out of it.
      As one of the boys messaged: “Who’s going to make way for Tom Brady?”
      There are 12 of us in the competition, eight players and four staff members — and it’s great because if you choose one player in the draft then no one else can have him.
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      I don’t really want to give him any credit because he was not a gracious winner but striker Lukas Jutkiewicz won our fantasy league last season.
      And he’s so sure of himself that he probably thinks he will beat Tom Brady at it, too!
      Brady has become a minority owner of Birmingham City as well as chairman of the club’s advisory board.
      The boys are absolutely buzzing about the prospect of meeting Brady, who will apparently be passing on advice on fitness and nutrition to them as well as working on commercial projects.
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      Brady addressed Blues fans in a video, stressing he can’t wait to get excitedCredit: Instagram @bcfc
      There was already real optimism that the club would move in the right direction under the new American ownership of Tom Wagner’s Knighthead Capital Management.
      But the involvement of Brady, one of the biggest names in world sport, has added to that.
      If I tell you a little about playing for Birmingham over the past two seasons, you will understand the scale of the transformation at the club.
      It’s 100 per cent true that if Blues hadn’t had the right manager, John Eustace, we would have been relegated last season.
      Sometimes we were going into training not knowing whether the old ownership had signed off the purchase of footballs for us to  practise with.
      If you wanted an ice bath, it was often broken. Players were chipping in with their own money for things.
      On match days, two stands were closed and the playing surface was terrible because the women’s team and the Under-23s were playing all of their matches on it.
      The job Eustace did in leading the club comfortably clear of relegation was outstanding and I hope he gets the time to advance his philosophy and playing style under the new owners.
      Brady is the latest celebrity from American sports and entertainment to buy into English football, after Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney taking over Wrexham.
      Another Hollywood actor Michael B Jordan investing in Bournemouth and Major golf champions Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas joining the new ownership at Leeds.
      The success of Wrexham — promoted back to the Football League and enjoying a high-profile US Tour on the back of the club’s Disney documentary — has got a lot of Americans interested in English football at lower levels as well as the Premier League.
      For these Americans, it’s not necessarily about the wealthiest or most successful clubs, it’s about great people.
      So it would not surprise me if Birmingham have a Netflix or Amazon documentary made about them as well.
      Those projects, as well as the investment of someone like Brady, are not just PR gimmicks. They say a lot about a club’s direction.
      Some of the Leeds lads have watched the Full Swing Netflix documentary about the PGA Tour and will be excited about the involvement of Spieth and Thomas.
      It all adds glamour to the new Championship season, which starts with newly promoted Sheffield Wednesday against newly relegated Southampton.
      Playing in the Championship is relentless and unpredictable. It’s two games per week, so it’s hard work but also immense fun.I’ve experienced both ends of it.
      At Watford, we were still being run like a  Premier League club when we were promoted back to the top tier . . . staying in the best hotels, flying to away games and no expense spared with facilities.
      At Blues, it was very different . . . wondering if we had enough footballs, staying in average hotels and spending hours stuck on buses in motorway traffic jams on Friday afternoons.
      All that may change for Birmingham now but in such a competitive league, a top-half finish would still be good — but I fancy them to make the  play-offs.
      My time at my boyhood club came to an end this summer but it was a great honour to captain them for two years.
      Read More on The Sun
      And even though I’ve left, the arrival of Brady has excited me, just as it’s excited the rest of that WhatsApp group.
      Please don’t kick me out of the Fantasy Football, lads!
      Tom Brady and supermodel Gisele Bundchen were married for over 13 years before their divorce last yearCredit: Getty
      Tom Brady played for the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay BuccaneersCredit: Getty Images – Getty More

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      Barcelona thump Real Madrid 3-0 in Texas-sized El Clasico as Carlo Ancelotti critiques ‘sleeping’ stars

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      XAVI’S Barcelona has walked away from Texas with their second-straight El Clasico win on US soil.Barca and Real Madrid faced off in front of over 80,000 Texans in attendance at AT&T Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
      Dembele was one of the stars of the show on SaturdayCredit: Getty
      England star Jude Bellingham (R) hit the woodwork before being subbed for Joselu in the 73rd minuteCredit: Getty
      The game may have technically been little more than a friendly, but you would have been hard-pressed to notice as much in the first half.
      Both Xavi and Carlo Ancelotti sent out full-strength sides for the first 45 which had the feeling of a true El Clasico.
      After just three minutes, former Southampton man Oriol Romeu hit the woodwork for Barca before Real came close to taking the lead thanks to Vinicius Jr. and Rodrygo.
      After fourteen minutes Ousmane Dembele gave Barca the lead.
      Read More on Football
      This came courtesy of a well-worked free-kick routine which saw ex-Manchester City star Ilkay Gundogan clip the ball back to Pedri who slipped it in neatly for the Frenchman who snuck behind Madrid’s defense unnoticed.
      But just five minutes later, Real were handed a golden opportunity to even the odds with a penalty following a Ronald Araujo handball.
      Unfortunately for Los Blancos fans, Vinicius Jr. slammed the crossbar.
      The end-to-end game continued with tensions clearly rising as halftime drew nearer before a Frenkie De Jong foul led to a clash between players in the center of the park.
      Most read in Football
      By comparison, the second half was relatively tame, feeling far more like a prototypical friendly as the game began to slow.
      Two late goals ultimately sealed the deal for Barca with Femin Lopez netting an excellent volley in the 84th minute while Ferran Torres chipped Thibaut Courtois en route to the game’s third goal just six minutes later.
      The game was far from as one-sided as the scoreline would suggest, with Vinicius Jr. in particular having come close on multiple occasions.
      Unfortunately for him and Madrid, the woodwork was their best friend and worst enemy on the night as they failed to find that much-needed clinical finish.
      Reflecting on the loss, Ancelotti said after the game that he felt “we played really well for most of the time.”
      However, he also felt that “we were sleeping in some situations…in the free kick when we conceded the first goal, and at the end, we didn’t have the balance that we needed in that kind of situation.”
      A true El Clasico in the first half, and a relatively tame second, both have plenty of positives to take away from an enthralling afternoon in Texas.
      Both Dembele (L) and De Jong (R) impressed at AT&T StadiumCredit: AP
      Ancelotti’s response to their loss was mixedCredit: Getty More