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Lionel Messi has explained why Argentina put in a rare “ugly” performance against Venezuela and lifted the lid on his return to international action.

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Albiceleste held to draw by VenezuelaConditions did neither side any favoursAll-time great earned international cap 188Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has returned to the Albiceleste fold after recovering from the unfortunate ankle injury that he picked up in the 2024 Copa America final. Said problem forced him to sit out several matches for MLS employers Inter Miami.

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Messi was recalled by Argentina for the latest round of 2026 World Cup qualifiers, but was unable to inspire another victory as Lionel Scaloni’s side were held to a 1-1 draw in Venezuela – with said contest being delayed by a torrential rain storm.

WHAT MESSI SAID

Testing conditions made the pitch Messi and Co were gracing almost unplayable, with the all-time great telling of why the resulting contest was far from being easy on the eye: "It was very difficult, it makes for very ugly matches. We could not complete two passes in a row. In the second half we did it on the right a little more, but it is difficult to play like that. Very little football is played.

"We tied because the field didn’t help us do what we wanted, we had to do another game than the one prepared for. But we were prepared because we fought, won the battles, played with the error of the rival. We couldn’t risk much by playing with passes to the back. In the first half we made a couple passes to the back and the water would stop it, and complicated it. We did the game we could with the water."

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Messi has also revealed why he sat out Argentina’s last two games against Chile and Colombia in September, with the 37-year-old only recently being cleared to play again: "The wait was long. I was out for a long time, I missed a lot of games with my club. I'm happy to be back, to continue having continuity and to be here again. I hadn't played for a long time, I hadn't trained much. I wasn't 100 per cent physically, my ankle was bothering me. We decided that I shouldn’t be there, that it was best for me to stay and train and finish getting well."

A £2.6 million-per-year Arsenal player has admitted that he's likely to leave the Emirates Stadium this summer, coming after internal talks with the Gunners hierarchy.

Arsenal set for mini overhaul in 2024

There are many who could well be facing their final few months in north London, from bit-part players to more big-name first teamers.

Arsenal contact club for "exciting" £30 million signing and will open talks

He’s garnering a very good reputation right now.

ByEmilio Galantini May 28, 2024

The likes of Nuno Tavares, Kieran Tierney and Albert Sambi Lokonga, who all spent last season on loan deals away from Arsenal, are the likeliest departees – while both Mohamed Elneny and Cedric Soares are set to leave when their contracts expire on June 30.

The aforementioned don't appear to have a future under manager Mikel Arteta, who is also reportedly very likely to green-light a summer exit for goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale after he fell behind David Raya in the goalkeeping pecking order.

"It’s a matter of when Ramsdale leaves, not if," said journalist Charles Watts to CaughtOffside recently.

“The key thing for Arsenal is getting value for money. I saw an initial fee of £15 million mentioned in reports last week and that is quite frankly ridiculous. Arsenal signed Ramsdale for nearly £30m two years ago and he has developed into a far better keeper since then.

Bukayo Saka

7.67

Declan Rice

7.38

Martin Odegaard

7.37

Kai Havertz

7.16

Gabriel Magalhaes

6.99

“He’s still young, he’s homegrown, an established England international and has a long-term contract. Yes, interested clubs will know that Arsenal’s stance in any negotiations will be weakened somewhat given he is now clearly behind David Raya in the pecking order, but that shouldn’t mean the club should basically give him away."

Alongside the aforementioned, Thomas Partey, Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, Reiss Nelson, Emile Smith Rowe and Eddie Nketiah stand out as the other players who could be sold by Arsenal this summer – with rumours suggesting the Gunners are open to offers for them.

Lokonga admits he'll leave Arsenal this summer after talks

Lokonga has now admitted to media he'll leave Arsenal this summer after internal talks with the club. The 24-year-old, on a rumoured £2.6 million-per-year, spent last season on loan at Luton Town – making 17 top flight appearances and bagging three assists.

​​"Albert is a very intelligent player who has shown great maturity," said the Arsenal manager (via The Mirror).

"He has been coached well by Vincent Kompany and his team at Anderlecht. I know Vincent very well and he talks so highly about Albert and the positive impact he had to Anderlecht in recent seasons.

"We're confident Albert's ready for the next stage in his development and we're looking forward to welcoming a new member to our squad with his quality and presence."

Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly will be forced to sell a player they valued at £50 million for a seismic discount this summer.

Chelsea players up for sale amid PSR concerns

The west Londoners have just over a month to raise £100 million through player sales, or risk being sanctioned by the Premier League.

Talks ongoing as Chelsea ready £65 million bid to sign Real Madrid target

The west Londoners want to beat both Carlo Ancelotti and Paris-Saint Germain to his signature.

ByEmilio Galantini May 14, 2024

That is according to widespread reports, with rival clubs believing Chelsea must source £100 million by June 30 amid their worries surrounding Profit and Sustainability rules. The west Londoners announced a £90.1 million loss in their latest set of financial accounts for 2022/2023, and the Premier League only allows clubs to make a £105 million loss over a rolling three-year period.

After spending over £1 billion on new signings since the summer of 2022, Chelsea are far exceeding the limit, meaning Boehly and co may orchestrate a fire-sale of players to bring in funds.

Moises Caicedo

£115 million

Enzo Fernandez

£107 million

Mykhailo Mudryk

£88 million

Wesley Fofana

£72 million

Marc Cucurella

£58 million

Conor Gallagher and Raheem Sterling could be sold by Chelsea, with the former's contract expiring next year and the latter reportedly open to offers from other sides (Simon Phillips).

The English duo are by no means Chelsea's only big names who could be up for grabs, though, as the club have a plethora of players out on loan right now. Romelu Lukaku commands a price tag of around £39 million for interested sides, according to Fabrizio Romano, and he's apparently held talks with clubs in Saudi Arabia already (Rudy Galetti).

The Belgian has spent 2023/2024 on loan at Roma in Serie A, with young Chelsea defender Ian Maatsen also reaching the Champions League final on a temporary stint at Borussia Dortmund.

Maatsen is certain to leave Chelsea permanently this summer, according to another report by Romano, coming after his excellent campaign in the Bundesliga. The 22-year-old is flying under Edin Terzic, but the same definitely cannot be said for striker Armando Broja.

Boehly forced to sell Broja for big discount

The Albanian, who was valued at £50 million in January, has endured a torrid time on loan at Fulham – barely playing a minute behind the in-form Rodrigo Muniz.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist Ben Jacobs says Boehly could now be forced to sell Broja at a seismic Chelsea discount – which could even go as low as 50 per cent off.

"I think Chelsea would bite their hand off if a suitor offered £35 million for Amando Broja," said Jacobs.

"And very possibly now will have to consider offers between £25 and £30 million in order to get a permanent sale.

"Maybe they will consider a loan with an option or an obligation, again to bring in some short-term finances and resolve the situation, but it certainly won't be easy to get even the lower end of their original valuation for Broja just because he's not been playing he's not been scoring."

An argument over Cristiano Ronaldo's £1,000 earrings led to a complete breakdown in the star's relationship with Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.

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Ronaldo left under a cloudHas publicly slammed ten HagStory about earrings sums up relationshipWHAT HAPPENED?

Ronaldo has been public in his distaste for ten Hag, previously insisting that the club "need to rebuild everything". Now, the Manchester Evening News has shared a story which gives an insight into how frosty the pair's relationship was during their time at Old Trafford, as the Portugal superstar threw a tantrum over his earrings.

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According to the newspaper, ten Hag instructed his players not to wear jewellery during training. Ronaldo had done so under both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick but ten Hag had a separate policy. Eventually, ten Hag instructed Steve McClaren, his assistant, to deal with the matter and inform Ronaldo to take the earrings off; he responded by throwing them into a bush.

DID YOU KNOW?

Ronaldo played just 16 games under ten Hag at United, scoring three goals and laying on two assists. It is a stark contrast to his time under Solskjaer – nine goals in 13 games – and even his tenure playing under Rangnick, as he scored 12 goals in 22 games.

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United face Barnsley in the League Cup in midweek. Ronaldo will next be in action on Friday against Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia, having been forced out of Al-Nassr's squad for an AFC Champions League clash with Al Shorta through illness.

Arsenal might only be top of the Premier League table due to Manchester City's game in hand, but the Gunners are flying.

Mikel Arteta's side have recovered from their slight stumble against Bayern Munich in the Champions League and Aston Villa with three wins on the bounce, including back-to-back London derbies, which is always a great way to get fans back on the side.

The north Londoners are the league's top scorers, with 85 goals to their name. Yet following their festive period dry patch – in which they scored one goal in 63 shots – the common opinion is that they need to add a lethal striker to their ranks in the summer.

One of the names often touted for a move to the Emirates has been Newcastle United's Swedish sensation Alexander Isak, but based on recent reports, Edu Gaspar and Co could have their eyes set on someone else entirely, someone who has won favourable comparisons to Arsenal icon Thierry Henry.

Arsenal transfer news

According to recent reports from Italy – as per InterLive.it – Arsenal are interested in Inter Milan's incredibly talented striker Marcus Thuram and could potentially offer the Serie A champions a swap deal, which would see Gabriel Jesus make his way to Milan.

The report has revealed that if the Gunners did send their Brazilian star to the San Siro, they would expect to pay just €30m – £26m – for the Frenchman's signature, which could represent excellent value for Arteta's side.

The report has revealed that the Nerazzurri would be understandably reluctant to agree to this deal, but if the north Londoners can turn the 26-year-old's head and offer him a substantially higher wage than the £127k-per-week he's on now, they may find it challenging to keep him.

While spending £26m and losing Jesus in the process would represent a hefty investment from Edu and Co, it would pale compared to the supposed £100m they would have to spend to sign Isak.

How Thuram compares to Isak

It's clear that from a financial point of view, signing Thuram for £26m and losing Jesus' wages in one swoop would be a better deal for Arsenal than splashing £100m on Isak, but would that be the best footballing decision?

Would Arteta's team be improved more by signing Newcastle's number 14 or the striker Arsène Wenger described as a "very talented player" and as someone who reminded him of the great Henry?

Well, when looking at the pair's pure output this season, there is little to separate them. For example, the Frenchman's 14 goals and 13 assists in 43 games gives him an average of a goal involvement every 1.5 games, the same average the Toon ace has with his 23 goals and one assist in 36 appearances.

Appearances

43

36

Goals

14

23

Assists

13

1

Goal Involvements per Match

0.62

0.66

So what about their underlying numbers, then? Can the talented forwards be separated by what's going on under the hood? Well, it's much of the same here, as while the Swedish star slightly edges things, he's by no means clear.

For example, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the former Real Sociedad star ranks in the top 10% of forwards for progressive carries, the top 11% for successful take-ons, the top 14% for progressive passes and the top 15% for non-penalty expected goals and pass completion, all per 90.

In comparison, Inter's "physical phenomenon", as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, sits in the top 15% of forwards for assists, the top 16% for progressive carries, the top 19% for successful take-ons, the top 21% for non-penalty expected goals, and the top 22% for touches in the opposition's box, all per 90.

The one area in which there is a clear distinction between the pair is their injury record. Despite being two years younger, Isak has missed 54 games for club and country in his career. In contrast, his potential competitor has only missed 30 games and had a single season in which he missed more than ten games.

Arsenal could land the ideal Jesus upgrade in £51m ace who wants the move

The Gunners are reportedly the talented forward’s ‘preferred destination.’

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 2, 2024

Ultimately, with not much separating the two strikers regarding their ability, the fact that Thuram is less injury-prone and represents a far better financial option suggests that Arsenal are probably better off signing him over the Newcastle ace, and the fact that he has Wenger's seal of approval can only be a good thing.

Decision reached during England’s final warm-up ahead of series which had been set to start on March 19

Andrew Miller13-Mar-2020England’s Test tour of Sri Lanka has been called off at the request of the ECB, due to the growing threat of the the COVID-19 pandemic, but on the understanding that it will be rescheduled at a later date.The news came while England were playing their final four-day warm-up match, ahead of the two-Test series which had been scheduled to get underway in Galle on March 19. Play continued for a few minutes after the announcement, before the players left the field at 3.40pm local time.The match was duly abandoned with the Sri Lanka Board President’s XI on 150 for 3 in their first innings.”After overnight discussions between our teams in Sri Lanka and the SLC, the decision has been made to postpone the series and bring players and support staff home. Our aim will be to reschedule the series,” said an ECB spokesman.The ECB had been in regular contact with the Sri Lankan and British High Commissions, in addition to Sri Lanka Cricket to address a “highly evolving” situation. SLC are understood to have offered to play the series behind closed doors, but the ECB pushed for a full postponement, making the case that their players would not have been in the right frame of mind for a Test series. The decision was, said the ECB, “beyond cricket”.The spread of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka is currently less intense than in the UK, with three confirmed patients to date. However, amid the tightening or closing of borders, and the cancellation of international travel, England’s desire to get home to their families, and their concern for elderly relatives, was a key factor in the decision.”Due to the COVID-19 pandemic worsening globally, and after discussions with Sri Lanka Cricket, we have today made the decision to return our players to the UK and postpone the forthcoming Test series between Sri Lanka and England,” the ECB said.”At this time, the physical and mental wellbeing of our players and support teams is paramount. We will now look to bring them home to their families as soon as possible. These are completely unprecedented times, and decisions like this go beyond cricket.”We would like to thank our colleagues at Sri Lanka Cricket for their outstanding support and assistance throughout this situation. We look forward to returning to Sri Lanka in the very near future to fulfil this important Test series.”The postponement will be a financial setback for SLC – England tours are highly prized, not least because some 3000 fans were due to begin flying in this week. However, the hit will not be as severe as might ordinarily have been the case, because this tour falls outside the contract agreed with the host broadcaster, Sony, even though it forms part of the World Test Championship.And given the WTC points at stake, there is an increased incentive for a rescheduling. However, the exact date may not be pinned down for some time, however, largely because so much of the schedule has been thrown into chaos by the pandemic. At this stage, a potential gap in England’s crowded itinerary could come in January 2021, ahead of their five-Test tour of India.England’s next scheduled Test series is against West Indies in June, but that too is in serious doubt, with Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK’s chief scientific adviser, saying on Wednesday that the anticipated peak of the virus in the UK is “10-14 weeks away, maybe slightly longer”.The first of England’s three Tests against West Indies is scheduled for June 4 at The Oval, a date that is currently 12 weeks away, in the middle of the expected peak period. West Indies’ opening tour match is set for May 22, against England Lions at Taunton.The T20 Blast is scheduled to start on May 28, with the group stage running until July 12.”We are considering the question of banning major public events such as sporting fixtures,” Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister said, describing the virus as “the biggest public health crisis in a generation”.MCC v Essex, the Champion County – the traditional curtain-raiser to the English season – had been scheduled to take place in Galle immediately after the Test match, on March 24. However, that has now been cancelled, along with the MCC World Cricket Committee meeting in Colombo, slotted for March 28 and 29.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co have seemingly identified Manchester United's first summer signing, with internal talks being held over a move to Old Trafford at the end of the season.

Ten Hag's defensive woes continue

It has been another season to forget at the Theatre of Dreams this season. Currently sixth in the Premier League, they were lucky to escape with a point against Brentford after conceding over 30 shots in their last outing and look certain to miss out on Champions League football next season.

They also finished bottom of their Champions League group, and have turned in several dreadful performances under Erik ten Hag.

Man Utd considering summer move for “exceptional” attacking ace

The Red Devils target scored at the 2022 World Cup.

ByHenry Jackson Mar 30, 2024

However, they are in the semi-final of the FA Cup, where they will face one of Manchester City or Chelsea in the final provided they make it past Coventry City. A big issue for the Red Devils has been their backline. Tyrell Malacia hasn't featured this season, while Luke Shaw has only appeared 12 times in the Premier League.

Lisandro Martinez has also spent a significant period of the season on the sidelines, and on Monday it was revealed that both he and Victor Lindelof are expected to miss the next month after picking up injuries against the Bees.

It means that as it stands, of Ten Hag's available defenders, only Diogo Dalot has managed to play more than 50% of the Premier League minutes available this season, and much of that has been at left-back.

Manchester United's defensive woes

Player

Premier League minutes played (out of 2700)

Lisandro Martinez

582

Harry Maguire

1199

Victor Lindelof

1329

Tyrell Malacia

0

Luke Shaw

963

Diogo Dalot

2364

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

975

Raphael Varane

1302

Jonny Evans

1085

Willy Kambwala

107

Clearly then, defence has to be a priority this summer, and there are already reports of United targeting a centre-back before the new season, but they are also looking at the fullback spots.

Club in talks with Bard

Now, reliable journalist Nizaar Kinsella has revealed that the Red Devils are holding internal talks over OGC Nice left-back Melvin Bard. On the cusp of the French national team, Bard has enjoyed an impressive season with the Ligue 1 outfit, starting 25 times in the French top flight and helping Nice challenge for a spot in next season's Champions League.

Kinsella says that Manchester United are making the left-back spot a "priority" in their transfer plans, after initially planning to sign a right back, and that Bard is one of the options that is being given the most consideration, with the OId Trafford outfit 'in talks' over a move for the defender.

It is unclear how much the 23-year-old would set the Red Devils back, with Bard still having two years left to run on his Nice contract and contact 'expected over a new, improved deal in the coming months'. The defender is valued at £10m by transfermarkt.

On just £12,000 per week, his salary is unlikely to be a problem for United should they pursue a deal for the Frenchman, and given that Ratcliffe also owns Nice, it is unlikely that a move would have too much difficulty in being completed should they firm up their interest.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been spotted signing a Real Madrid shirt while on holiday with Jude Bellingham.

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• Liverpool right-back vacationing with midfielder
• Linked with Real Madrid move
• Signs shirt during trip to theme park

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Alexander-Arnold has been vacationing with Bellingham after Euro 2024, in which England finished as runners-up, once again, after a heartbreaking defeat to Spain. Real Madrid have been linked with a stunning swoop to sign the right-back from Liverpool this summer, and he has now been photographed signing a Los Blancos shirt at Six Flags in the USA.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Having put his signature to the shirt – which may well not mean anything, but is sure to spark headlines – Alexander-Arnold was also pictured riding a rollercoaster with the midfielder.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson actually made an attempt to convince Bellingham to join Liverpool, but were unable to do so. Now, Bellingham and Trent may be linking up in Spain.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The pair will finish up their lad's holiday before heading back to their respective clubs. Real face AC Milan on August 1 while Liverpool play Arsenal on the same day.

After a weekend where the club once again came within touching distance of a trophy, Chelsea need to try and find a way to end their unwanted run of cup final defeats in recent seasons.

The club have lost six consecutive cup finals since 2019, with the Blues losing their last three in a row to Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool, with the latest arguably the poorest defeat.

The Reds used seven academy products during the Carabao Cup final, with the players having an average age of just 20 years and two months – with Jayden Danns, son of former professional footballer Neil Danns, the youngster at just 18.

Klopp's side managed to find a way to win with his crop of promising youngsters, with Chelsea needing to adopt a similar approach and steer away from big-money signings in the transfer window.

In recent seasons, Chelsea have developed some brilliant talents, with Conor Gallagher and Levi Colwill just two examples within Mauricio Pochettino's side.

Joe Gomez

26

Bobby Clark

19

Kostas Tsimikas

27

James McConnell

19

Jayden Danns

18

Jarell Quansah

21

Adrian

37

Trey Nyoni

16

Lewis Koumas

18

However, there's one player within the club's academy who has impressed and should be fast-tracked into the Blues' current first-team setup.

Chelsea's next great academy talent

Despite his tender age of just 18, Leo Castledine is a player with a huge future at Stamford Bridge, with the attacking midfielder capable of making the step into Pochettino's plans.

The midfielder was part of the Cobham Academy as a youngster, before leaving the club to join lower league side AFC Wimbledon in 2013, before rejoining his boyhood club back in March 2020.

Castledine signed his Chelsea professional contract on his 17th birthday back in August 2022, with the youngster impressing for the club's academy in recent seasons.

He had featured on the bench multiple times for the Blues this season, before making his senior debut as a substitute against Middlesbrough during the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg.

The 18-year-old came on with just five minutes to go. However, he failed to make a real impact, with Chelsea already securing the victory before his introduction.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Chelsea's next Mason Mount inbound

Mason Mount was one of the last attacking players to come through Chelsea's academy, starring in loan moves to sides such as Vitesse and Derby County before making an impact on the Blues' first team.

Castledine, "who's similar to Mount" in the eyes of Chelsea’s U21s coach Mark Robinson, could benefit from a loan move to a League One or League Two side, giving him vital experience in men's football before making an impact under Pochettino.

The youngster has excelled for the Blues' U21s in Premier League 2, scoring seven times with eight assists in 14 games – with Castledine contributing to 44% of the side's goals so far this campaign.

Castledine has a huge future ahead of him, with Chelsea conducting brilliant business in bringing him back to the club in 2020.

Whilst he's still very young with a long way to go until he features within the Blues first-team, it's great to see a promising youngster coming through the ranks – with one eye ahead on the future.

Atlanta United have announced the departure of Argentina international Thiago Almada for a MLS-record transfer fee.

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• Almada joins Botafogo for MLS-record fee
• Signed for Atlanta United in 2022
• Argentine was named MLS Young Player of the Year in 2023

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 23-year-old has completed a transfer to Brazilian top division side Botafogo from Major League Soccer club Atlanta United for a league-record transfer fee. While the American side did not reveal the amount they received for the winger, it was earlier reported that Botafogo agreed to pay a fee worth $21 million (£16m) plus add-ons which could further increase the valuation of the deal to $30m (£23m).

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Argentine star joined Atlanta ahead of the MLS 2022 season and appeared in 79 matches in the league where he scored 24 goals and contributed with 34 assists. Last year, he was included in the league's Best XI and was named MLS Young Player of the Year.

• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  After announcing their star player's departure, club vice president and technical Director Carlos Bocanegra said, "We spent more than a year recruiting Thiago to join Atlanta United and during that process, we agreed that our club could provide a great platform to showcase his abilities and he would have the opportunity to continue his development until the time was right for him to move on to the next challenge.

  "We’re proud of what Thiago was able to accomplish in a short period of time, which includes debuting for the Argentine National Team, winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup and winning a pair of individual MLS awards – Newcomer of the Year and Young Player of the Year. His success is something we’re all proud of and a ton of credit is owed to our scouting department, in addition to everyone who has worked with him at the club. Our team has been prepared for this move and we will look to immediately reinvest in the team during the upcoming Summer Transfer Window."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ATLANTA UNITED?

  The Five Stripes will be next seen in action on Sunday as they take on Real Salt Lake in a MLS clash away from home.