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Kerala Blasters are enjoying a good run of form as they have picked seven points from the last nine. The Tuskers have defeated Jamshedpur FC and Bengaluru FC, two teams who are placed above them in the points ladder and shared the soils with East Bengal.

In fact, they were just a minute away before registering a win over East Bengal but a late injury-time equaliser by Bright Enobhakhare dented their hopes. However, against Bengaluru FC, Rahul Praveen scored a late winner to help Kerala pick their third win of the campaign.

Kibu Vicuna believes that his side have given a good account of themselves in each of their 12 matches in the current Indian Super League (ISL) season.

“Different emotions today, we had lost points in the last moment last time around (against East Bengal). Now (against Bengaluru FC) we won in the last action of the game. 

“We have the confidence that we are competing well. In every game, we competed well and played well in the last three games. I think the games were even every time. Some of you talk about the second half but we competed well in the first half as well, we had more possession. The objective was three points right from the start,” said Vicuna.

Kerala are up against FC Goa next on Saturday and Vicuna acknowledged that Juan Ferrando’s side play an attractive brand of football as opposed to some of the other teams they faced in their last three outings.

“Tomorrow is a difficult game versus a good team that plays good football,” he observed.

Sandeep Singh, who joined Kerala Blasters after a good season with TRAU in the I-League, gave a good account of himself in the right-back position as he kept a check on India skipper Sunil Chhetri throughout.

“I don't want to talk about individuals. I am happy that the players are playing well, they are trying to improve. We are trying to play better and work with the players,” said Vicuna.

Blasters are just four points behind fourth placed Hyderabad FC and Vicuna doesn’t want his players to think too far and instead keep their attention on the next match.

“We are happy that we are close (to the top four) after the last game but we are focusing on the next game only,” he signed off.

Yanga SC have confirmed coach Cedric Kaze will be given the opportunity to pick an assistant coach to work with at the club.

Goal exclusively reported on Thursday that the team’s assistant coach Juma Mwambusi had left the club, citing health issues.

Mwambusi is said to have tendered his resignation in Zanzibar where the team took part in Mapinduzi Cup tournament and beat rivals Simba SC 4-3 on penalties to lift the trophy.

The Jangwani giants have now come out to confirm that indeed Mwambusi has left his role at the club and it will now be upon coach Kaze to decide whether he wants to have an assistant coach to help him out.

Yanga chairman Mshindo Msolla has confirmed they will talk to Kaze on the matter and will work on his recommendations.

“For now, we will hold talks with coach Kaze to find out from him whether he can do the job alone or else he needs an assistant coach bearing in mind that he is the one who recommended for Mwambusi to be his right-hand man,” Msolla said as quoted by Daily News.

“If he says that he needs an assistant coach, then he will have to suggest whom he wishes to work with and then, as a club, will implement his recommendation.

“We even have former Yanga players with football coaching skills who can equally take up the post if he [Kaze] will be ready to have one of them on board.”

On the exit of Mwambusi, Msolla told the same publication: “We have received his letter which says doctors have recommended him to take a pause from activities which can lead him to be stressful like coaching duties.

“The letter further narrated that his doctors have requested him not to engage in actions which compel him to talk a lot and that he should spend more time at home until his status improves.”

Reports have already linked Yanga with a move for African Lyon FC’s coach Nizar Khalfan in place of Mwambusi.

Mwambusi arrived at Yanga in the 2019/20 season before the appointment of Luc Eymael who later left the club unceremoniously in July 2020.

Mwambusi acted as Yanga’s head coach when Zlatko Krmpotic left the club. The duo had worked for just 38 days before he was asked to oversee the team as the management looked for another head coach.

He left Timu ya Wananchi who are unbeaten after 18 games in the Premier League.

Two-time Chan champions DR Congo needed a late strike by Amadeau Masasi to salvage a 1-1 draw against Libya in Group B to ensure they continue leading their pool.

Captain Muetaz Husayn Almahdi scored for the opponents at Stade Omnisport de Douala on Thursday night.

DR Congo had won their first game against rivals Congo by a solitary goal, and another win would have guaranteed them early progression to the quarter-finals of the competition.

On the other hand, the Mediterranean Knights had shared the spoils with Niger as they settled to a goalless draw in their opening game of the group played last Sunday.

Libya made their intentions known as early as the fifth minute. They won a corner and the skipper, who was unmarked, rose highest to head the ball past helpless Nathan Thumu.

Moments later, Fiston Mayele had a great opportunity to score the equalizer when the defenders failed to clear a dangerous ball. The forward had only goalkeeper Ahmed Azzaqa to beat but he failed to hit the back of the net.

With both teams missing great chances to score another goal, it seemed Libya had done enough to register their first win until the inevitable happened in the fourth minute of the added time.

The Libyans failed to clear the ball from the danger zone and it fell to Masasi, whose 30-yard shot found its way past Azzaqa. While the Leopards celebrated, their opponents were reduced to tears.

In another game played at the same venue, Niger settled for a 1-1 draw with Congo.

Having lost their first game, the Red Devils were aware they had to get a positive outcome from the game to avoid elimination from the biennial competition.

Despite a low start, they eventually settled and were rewarded in the 34th minute when defender Prince Mouandza's shot, from outside the 18-yard area, found the back of the net.

It happened to be the only goal scored in the first half despite the many chances created by both nations.

With 20 minutes to go, defender Dimitri Bissiki handled the ball in the danger zone leaving the referee with no option but to hand the Mena a penalty.  

Substitute Mossi Moussa stepped up and converted the spot-kick and ensure the points were shared.

The Leopards lead the group with four points while Libya and Niger are on two points each. The Red Devils are at the bottom with a point.

On Friday, Uganda will be up against Togo while defending champions Morocco will entertain Rwanda.

Uganda captain Halid Lwaliwa has confirmed he is ready for the African Nations Championship game against Togo on Friday.

The defender missed the Group C opener against Rwanda but is now fit and stated it is upon coach Johnathan McKinstry to decide on whether he will start or not.

“I am back and training well,” the Vipers SC’s captain told Fufa’s website.

“The decision to select me for the game is in the hands of the coach.

“However, I am fit and ready to play. Our character that brought us to the Chan finals is still vibrant and intact. We shall stick to that as a team to get results.

"We didn’t get what we desired for on Monday but we also know that we must improve.”

Meanwhile, Saidi Kyeyune has stressed the need for the Cranes to remain focused especially after only drawing 0-0 against Amavubi.

“The coach has kept telling us to play as a team to get the desired result in the next game,” Kyeyune told the same portal.

“We dropped points on the first day but there is room for improvement and that is what we are doing during the training sessions. The senior players will keep guiding the young talents in the squad but they need to remain focused and take every opportunity while at this stage.

“They need to know the value of being here as it helps the team and players improve every time they are on the pitch.”

As McKinstry welcomes back Lwaliwa, he would be forced to draft a starting XI without Milton Karisa, who were injured while turning out against Rwanda.

“It is unfortunate that Karisa had to come out early in that game where we had a bright start against Rwanda,” the coach said earlier.

“He had a good run during the mini-tournament in Doula. The medical team has done a wonderful job and will monitor the situation in the next few days.

“As we welcome back our captain Lwaliwa, it is unfortunate that Karisa will not be available for selection on Friday. The medical team will keep assessing his fitness levels and report back.

“We shall miss him but it is an opportunity for others to step in and show what they can do.”

Togo, just like Uganda, will be looking for their opening win as they were beaten 1-0 by Morocco.

Supporters of naturalised or mixed-heritage players on the Malaysia national team may find this latest development slightly worrying.

On January 20, Isaac Angking, the Puerto Rican midfielder with Malaysian heritage made his debut for the Puerto Rico senior team.

The Blue Hurricane played away to the Dominican Republic on Wednesday, the first in two of their January friendly matches, preparation for their World Cup qualifying matches later in March.

Angking's side emerged winners in the encounter, with a penalty goal by Sidney Rivera in the first half injury time the only goal scored in the match. Anking's debut appearance meanwhile came on in the 80th minute.

The player who was recently released by Major League Soccer side New England Revolution will get a chance to make his second international appearance this Friday, when Puerto Rico face Guatemala, again away from home.

In March, Puerto Rico will play two World Cup qualification matches; the first against Saint Kitts and Nevis on the 24th, and then against Trinidad and Tobago four days later.

The 20-year old is reportedly also eligible for Malaysia as his mother hails from Sarawak. On top of this, he has also represented the United States at junior levels.

However, fans who want to see him put on the black and yellow of Malaysia should be relieved to know that his Puerto Rico outing this week has not deemed him ineligible for Malaysia yet.

Judging from changes to FIFA's national team eligibility regulations announced late last year, Angking can still represent Malaysia in the future due to a number of reasons; he is not yet 21, Puerto Rico's matches this week are not World Cup or confederation final tournament encounters, and he will not have played three matches for the Carribean nation yet this week.

East Bengal are yet to lose a match in 2021. After a bitter start to their Indian Super League (ISL) campaign, Robbie Fowler's men have gradually found their feet in the competition. 

The inclusion of Bright Enobakhare has provided a fresh impetus in attack while defensively Danny Fox, Scott Neville along with an in-form Debjit Majumder have been more solid at the back. Meanwhile, Matti Steinmann has effortlessly dictated proceedings in midfield which has helped East Bengal look composed and purposeful. 

But, they will be in for a stiff challenge when they lock horns against a high-flying Mumbai City FC, who have been in a league of their own after a few initial hiccups. They not only boast of scoring the maximum goals (17) but have been equally economical in defence as they have conceded the least (4). 

To churn out something from the match, it is needless to say that Robbie Fowler's men must put their best foot forward. There must be a synergy between collective and individual brilliance to triumph or at least stop the Islanders. 

Each one of the players in the defensive unit will be entrusted with specific responsibilities. The defence must contend with Adam le Fondre and also keep a watch out for midfielders like Rowllin Borges or Hugo Boumous making a late run into the box.

In the wide areas, a couple of individual battles are on the cards as Bipin Singh and CY Goddard will go up against Ankit Mukherjee and Narayan Das respectively. What makes them more dangerous is that they swap positions with the midfielders and often tend to operate more centrally, making it difficult for the opposition to mark. Like against Hyderabad in the previous match, Singh was through on goal foxing both the centre-backs and if it wasn't for a last-ditch tackle by Asish Rai, he might have scored his second. 

It is often said that most matches are won in midfield and if that holds true on Friday evening, East Bengal are set to have a long 90 minutes. The trio of Ahmed Jahouh, Rowllin Borges and Hugo Bomous is one of the best in the league and their opposite numbers must produce something extraordinary to keep them in check.

Steinmann's role will be crucial as his credentials perfectly fit the bill to fight toe-to-toe against his adversaries. Moreover, it will not be surprising if Md. Rafique is thrown into the mix as he will bring in the much-needed steel and experience which might prove vital against the likes of Borges and Jahouh. 

Guarding the final frontier

It had been a horrific 2019-20 season for East Bengal's shot-stopper Debjit Majumder. After making schoolboy errors against Churchill Brother's Willis Plaza, he was relegated to the bench by then Mohun Bagan coach Kibu Vicuna. But in this season, he has once again brought out the best and has made the most number of saves (40) in the league. 

Credit must be given to goalkeeping coach Bobby Mimms who has played an instrumental role in improving him. He has known the keeper since his time with ATK and believes that his agility is the most potent weapon in his armoury. 

"He is not going to come for crosses at the edge of the box. It is not his strength. But he will make saves around the line. The more the team and the back four play with him, they understand his strengths and weaknesses. We work together as a defensive unit," stated the goalkeeping coach in an interview with East Bengal's media team. 

Although, East Bengal have progressed in leaps and bounds their tendency to concede late continues to plague them. They have let in three goals in the last five matches and all of them have come after the hour mark. And a shrewd coach like Sergio Lobera would definitely look to exploit this chink in the armour. 

Majumder is a vocal keeper who does not shy away from shouting instructions. Hence it is imperative that he must ensure that his backline continues to remain focussed all throughout the 90 minutes, as Mumbai will look to make the most of a slip in concentration. 

Malaysia Super League side Terengganu FC have received a sponsorship of RM380,000 (around USD94,150) from Yakult (Malaysia) Pvt. Ltd., announced the club on Thursday.

In an official event held on the same day, the Turtles also announced that the Japanese sweetened probiotic milk brand will assist the club's grassroots football programmes.

The company's managing director Hiroshi Hamada was quoted on their decision to enter into the deal:

"This team has performed well in the year before to qualify for the 2021 AFC Cup. This proves that they have quality and will have an important mission this season. Yakult wants to contribute to the future success of the club."

Ahead of the coming season, the Turtles have retained the services of head coach Nafuzi Zain, but replaced almost all of their foreign players.

Yakult meanwhile has spent the last five years or so increasing its presence in Malaysian football. It has been involved to varying extents with the Malaysia national team, and Malaysia Premier League clubs Kuching City and Kelantan United.

The ATK Mohun Bagan defence had an answer to whatever Chennaiyin threw at them when the two teams met in the Indian Super League (ISL) clash on Thursday. The match was goalless for 90 minutes but then David Williams scored a late winner to hand Bagan a valuable win. 

Although the game remained goalless for 90 minutes, if somebody could score a winner, it was Bagan. Chennaiyin, without the injured Anirudh Thapa and Rafael Crivellaro, struggled to bring any rhythm to their game in the midfield, and as a result, looked lost in the final third. 

The Machans had one shot on target in the entire game. And when Enes Sipovic took advantage of an error from Arindam Bhattacharya to head the ball towards an empty net late in the second half, an alert Tiri rushed towards the goal line and cleared the danger, to effectively brush Chennaiyin out of the game. That was the closest Chennayin had come but Bagan again had an answer. 

Antonio Habas opted to begin the game with four defenders - Subhasish Bose, Tiri, Sandesh Jhingan and Pritam Kotal -  at the back. And Bagan managed to keep Chennaiyin out. After the break, he brought Sumit Rathi on in place of Bose to deal with the pace of Thoi Singh. And Bagan still managed to keep Chennaiyin in check. 

Isma Goncalves looked clueless as to how to break the Bagan defence and there was no proper support available for the striker. If there is a Chennaiyin player who deserves a bit of credit, it is goalkeeper Vishal Kaith. If it wasn't for his stunning save to keep an excellent Javier Hernandez volley out in the first half, Bagan would have probably run away with the contest. 

The next time Javier's delivery threatened, which was in added time, Bagan scored. Substitute David Williams escaped the attention of the Chennaiyin defence and headed home the match-winner. 

With the win, Bagan reduced the gap to league leaders Mumbai City to just two points, though the Islanders have a game in hand. The top two spots seemed to be more or less decided but there is still an exciting race to finish top of the league to come between these two teams. 

Habas' only concern would be the dip in form of Roy Krishna, who once again didn't look to be at his best. He has not scored in the last three games but still has six goals in 12 matches so far. 

Csaba Laszlo, however, has quite a lot of pondering to do. Without Golden Boot winner Nerijus Valskis and the midfield brain of Crivellaro, the Machans look like the ghost of the team that raced to the ISL final last season under Owen Coyle. 

It must be worth a shot for Laszlo to try and start Esma and Jakub Sylvestr together. Their habit of conceding in the second half is also a problem for Chennaiyin. 10 of the 13 goals they have conceded has been in the second half of games.

FC Vizela have confirmed the signing of Nigerian youngster Emmanuel Adeyemo from Tripple 44 Academy.

The 18-year-old will remain at the Estadio do Futebol Clube de Vizela until 2024 having penned a four-year deal with the Portuguese second division outfit for an undisclosed fee.

Adeyemo had been on the radar of Vizela since embarking on a training tour at Swedish elite division side BK Hacken in 2018.

Tripple 44 boss Samuel Olatunji-Okuku confirmed this development to Goal, while explaining why his academy settled for Vizela despite offers from Porto amongst other clubs.

“Everything has been settled and Emmanuel Adeyemo is now a player of Portuguese club FC Vizela,” Olatunji-Okuku told Goal.

“Vizela spotted him almost the same time FC Porto came calling, however, we concluded that he would join the former where he would get regular playing time that will hasten his development.

“Also, they had to wait for almost a year for Emmanuel to get a work permit and that tells you how much they wanted him.”

In the same vein, manager Carlos Cunha feels the youngster’s addition will add more bite to his team owing to his ‘remarkable’ qualities.

“Emma is no doubt a great addition to this team because of remarkable attributes,” Cunha told Goal.

“Aside from his height, he is very strong, mobile and he boasts of an uncommon ability to pass forward no matter. That is one aspect I love about his game

“He reads the game very well not forgetting the fact that he is a very hardworking lad. I look forward to working with him as well as his new teammates.”

With this move, Adeyemo joins former Nigeria U17 and U20 star Musa Yahaya in the squad that boasts of several African players like Hugues Evrard (Cote d'Ivoire), Mohamed Aidara (Cote d'Ivoire), Richard Ofori (Ghana), Ericson Silva (Cape Verde), Koffi Kouao (Cote d'Ivoire), Emmanuel Oti (Ghana) and Emmanuel Cann (Ghana).

He is unlikely make his debut when his team travel to Campo do Cevadeiro for Tuesday's league clash versus Vilafranquense.

Unbeaten in their last seven league games, Vizela are fourth in the Segunda Liga having garnered 28 points from 16 outings so far in the 2020-21 campaign.

The Finnish top tier, Veikkausliiga is perhaps not as well-known to Malaysian fans as its glitzier counterparts in the European continent. But it was no mean feat for Finnish-Malaysian attacking midfielder Nooa Laine to secure a move to a top tier club; Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho (SJK) just months after turning 18, having cut his teeth playing in the lower tiers in the past three seasons.

According to his representative, Laine will train with the SJK first team, with the one-time Veikkausliiga champions described as the club with the best facilities in Finland.

It was a journey that began since he was a boy, said the teenager in a video interview with Goal on Wednesday.

"I started [training] when I was six, with a summer team in the municipality of Jyväskylä where I was born. Little children in Finland start training at sports or football clubs around this age, and I was no different. Around that age I also played with a couple of summer teams in the summer.

"I switched to another team when I turned 12, still in Jyväskylä. It was around that time that I started wanting to do it more seriously. At 16 I signed with HJK (Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi), and now I'm at SJK," he explained.

Laine's first ever senior-level goal, scored for Jyväskylän Jalkapalloklubi in 2018

The second child among five siblings spoke briefly about the role his Malaysian father played in shaping his budding career (Laine's father declined to be identified by name for this story).
 
"My dad's the one who has always been pushing me to play football, instead of ice hockey, floorball and bandy which are also popular here. He's passionate about football and has passed down this love to me. And these father-son things tend to stick with you when they begin early in life.

"He's from a little village called Batu Laut (in Selangor). I've visited there three times actually, the first two times when I was too little to remember, but I remember our last visit vividly, because it was around the time of the 2010 World Cup! It was really nice and I had a great time," noted Laine.

His Malaysian connection is something he is definitely aware of, and it's a topic that he has admittedly discussed with his father.

"My father has shown me things on the biggest Malaysian club, JDT (Johor Darul Ta'zim) and the two of us have talked a little bit about the possibility of representing Malaysia, but it's nothing concrete.

"In football, in life, you never know what's going to happen, you know?" replied the admitted Cristiano Ronaldo fan playfully to Goal's poser.

But talks of representing of Malaysia is perhaps premature, when Laine has featured regularly for the Finland U-16 and U-17 teams. And it's perhaps worth mentioning that the Finland national team has qualified for their first ever European Championship, a feat that has seen them shot up to 54th place in the FIFA rankings.

"I've played in around 10 games with them, in non-competitive tournaments. I also attended two training camps with the U-18 team last year, but no games were played because of Covid-19."

Laine playing for Finland U-16 in 2017

The immediate focus of the teenager who has made a total of 15 full-team league appearances and scored five goals is his responsibilities towards the club he just signed with earlier this month.

"I want to use my strengths to go far at the club," said Laine. "I like to have the ball, I think I'm quite good at decision-making, dribbling and passing, and I am able to shoot well with both feet. For now I want to be in the starting eleven regularly for SJK. 

"And then of course when that happens, I have to start thinking about playing abroad. But it has to begin with me working hard to become a regular starter here."

Paul Onuachu scored his 20th goal in the Belgian First Division A as Genk settled for a 1-1 draw against Gent.

After failing to score in Genk's 2-0 loss to Royal Excel Mouscron on Saturday, the 26-year-old returned to the score sheet with the opening goal at the Luminus Arena in the seventh minute.

He benefitted from Theo Bongonda's assist but his opener was short-lived as Roman Yaremchuk drew Gent level in the stoppage-time of the first-half.

Onuachu's 20th goal on his 21st league outing of the season stretched his dominance at top of the First Division A scorers' chart.

The Nigeria international, however, did not last long on the pitch as he was replaced in the 31st minute while his compatriot Cyril Dessers and Ivory Coast's Eboue Kouassi were introduced as 85th-minute substitutes.

Also in action at the Luminus Arena were Cameroon's Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui, Angola's Nurio Fortuna, Gambia's Sulayman Marreh, Ivory Coast's Anderson Niangbo  and Ghana's Osman Bukari who all featured for Gent.

Genk remain second in the Belgian top-flight table despite the draw with 39 points from 22 games, but they trail leaders Club Brugge by nine points while Gent are 13th in the standings with 27 points.

Next up for Onuachu and Dessers' Genk is a league trip to Club Brugge on Sunday after which they host Zulte-Waregem at the Luminus Arena on January 27.

Liverpool "will start worrying about the top four" after their humbling at the hands of Burnley, according to Jamie Carragher, who says "the title is slipping away".

The Reds missed the chance to close the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester United to three points after suffering a surprise home loss to the Clarets on Thursday night.

Klopp's side were protecting a 68-game unbeaten record at Anfield , the second longest streak in top-flight history, but the visitors ended that run after an impressive performance which saw Ashley Barnes seal a 1-0 victory from the penalty spot in the latter stages of the game.

Liverpool have now gone four consecutive matches without scoring for the first time since the year 2000, having seemingly lost the spark in the final third which saw them storm to a first domestic crown in three decades last season.

The hosts had 27 shots over the course of the 90 minutes but lacked the killer touch in front of goal, with Divock Origi guilty of missing their best chance of the game when he struck the woodwork with only Nick Pope to beat late in the first half.

Carragher, who made over 500 appearances for the Reds between 1996 and 2013, is concerned that his old club will end up being drawn into the battle for Champions League qualification instead of the one for the Premier League trophy unless Klopp can oversee a swift turnaround in fortunes in the coming weeks.

"We talked about a lack of form and Jurgen Klopp has come out and defended his players and these Liverpool players have done so well for the club," the former Liverpool defender told Sky Sports post-match.

"The title is slipping away. It's going to be really difficult at this moment in time. There's six points between the top, it can still be recovered but the form they are in and the fixtures they have in the next couple of months. 

"They will start worrying about the top four rather than the title. They need to get back to winning games and scoring goals before pondering about the defence of their title. 

"They've been so poor, he (Klopp) can't believe what's happening to Liverpool in the last few weeks, from the 7-0 win at Palace. 

"So many players are out of form at the same time, how they go about it (the games). 

"There are so many teams this season challenging for the top four."

The reigning English champions will now turn their attention to a meeting with United in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday, which comes four days before they take in a must-win trip to Tottenham in the top-flight.

It wouldn't be an MLS SuperDraft without surprises, and it didn't take long for the surprises to begin on Thursday.

With the first overall pick in Thursday's draft, Austin FC opted not to select Clemson's Philip Makaya nor Wake Forest's Calvin Harris, the near-unanimously projected top two picks in the draft. Instead, the expansion side turned towards Daniel Pereira, the midfielder from Virginia Tech that became the club's first-ever draft pick as he was selected first overall on Thursday.

Pereira, a central midfielder that has typically played as a No. 8, was among those surprised to hear his name called first overall, but Austin FC boss Josh Wolff says they believe they have the draft's best player in both the short and long term.

“Danny is a very good player and has good potential," Wolff said. "He plays a number of positions in the midfield, he’s very comfortable between lines. We’ve picked up a player who is ready to come in and play in MLS but also has room to grow. He’s a hungry, humble player.”

Pereira added: “I wasn't really expecting to be No. 1 because of all the mock drafts, it’s an honor, I’m really happy. My family is crying, it’s a moment I’ll never forget.”

The now-Austin FC midfielder had six goals and six assists in 26 matches during his college career as he earned a Generation Adidas deal ahead of the draft.

Pereira, who moved to the U.S. ahead of high school as his family fled Venezuela, will now join an Austin FC midfield featuring former New York City FC captain Alex Ring, ex-New England Revolution midfielder Diego Fagundez and Costa Rican midfielder Ulises Segura.

“For the way we want to play, we felt he fit a lot of the needs we’ll expect in that part of the field," Wolff said.

With the second overall pick, FC Cincinnati turned towards Harris, who should step in and provide help in the attack. Harris, an English-born forward, scored 10 goals and set up five more during his two seasons with Wake.

Harris was seen as the most talented forward in the draft, and is a player that could develop into either a winger or a central forward.

And with that, Makaya, widely projected as a straightforward No. 1 overall pick, fell to the Colorado Rapids, who snapped up the Kenyan-born midfielder from Clemson.

Makaya was hailed as the draft's most complete midfielder all through the buildup to the draft, with the Rapids getting the chance to draft him after trading up with the Houston Dynamo earlier in the day.

“Philip is an explosive midfield talent who’s demonstrated great ability on both sides of the ball,” said Rapids general manager Padriag Smith “We’ve shown our commitment to developing young players and believe Philip has the qualities to thrive in this league.”

D.C. United rounded out the top five with back-to-back picks, selecting Clemson forward Kimarni Smith and Wake defender Michael DeShields.

Highly-rated defenders Ethan Barlow and Bret Halsey were up next, joining the Houston Dynamo and Real Salt Lake, respectively, before a string of forwards completed the top 10.

Georgetown's Derek Dodson ended up in Orlando, Akron's David Egbo will head to Vancouver to join the Whitecaps and Inter Miami added Indiana forward Josh Penn.

Jurgen Klopp took the blame for Liverpool’s shock 1-0 defeat to Burnley on Thursday night, saying: “It is always my fault”.

The Reds’ 68-game Premier League unbeaten run at Anfield was ended in dramatic fashion as Ashley Barnes’ late penalty saw the Reds stay six points behind leaders Manchester United at the top of the table.

Liverpool had 27 shots in the match, the most in any of their games this season, but are still yet to score a league goal in 2021 and are five league games without a win.

"We lost the game which is pretty impossible but we did it,” Klopp said to Sky Sports.

“That is my fault. It is my job to make sure the boys have the right feelings and confidence. That didn't work out.

“We had the ball a lot and created some situations that are OK but our final decision is not right. I said the same thing last week. When something doesn't work you must try harder, longer and more often and make better decisions. It didn't work tonight.”

Liverpool started without Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Jordan Henderson among others, but pressure is increasing on Merseyside after a string of sub-par performances.

"It is always my fault,” Klopp added. “If I make clear which movements make sense because it will hurt the opponent and we don't do that then I need to make it clearer. It is not that they don't want it. It is difficult to play against these low blocks.

“It helps if you score the first goal but we didn't. That changes the opponent. After not scoring for a long time not everybody feels confident.

"I never thought of us as free-scoring. I knew we had to work hard. It is not the first time or last time it will happen in football.

“We can only use this game for the next one. It is not because the players do not have the ability. Our decision-making is the problem. If we score in our big moments it changes things but we did not."

Liverpool will need to find their rhythm soon with a number of huge games coming up, starting with Manchester United in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday.

Jurgen Klopp has described Liverpool's defeat to Burnley as a "massive punch in the face" while admitting that they "can't imagine the title race at the moment".

The defending Premier League champions surrendered their 68-game unbeaten home record against Burnley on Thursday .

The Clarets ran out 1-0 winners at Anfield thanks to an Ashley Barnes penalty in the 83rd minute, with the final result ensuring that Liverpool have now gone four successive league games without scoring for the first time since May 2000.

Jurgen Klopp's men are also now playing catch-up in the title race having failed to close the six-point gap between themselves and pace-setters Manchester United, who they are due to come up against for the second time in the space of seven days in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday.

The Reds looked on course to retain the Premier League trophy after a 7-0 thrashing of Crystal Palace on December 19, but subsequent draws with West Brom, Newcastle and United along with a loss at Southampton allowed the chasing pack to overtake them.

Klopp concedes he is no longer even thinking about winning the title again after their latest setback, as he told BBC Sport: "Everything, all the English words, massive, massive punch in the face or whatever, it's my responsibility, that's the easy explanation. We had the ball a lot, created some and didn't finish the situations off. That keeps the game open and then they get the penalty - Alisson told me he didn't touch him, but I didn't see it back.

"It's wrong decisions in the moment, three crosses in the box, we tried to find a player, didn't, it's my job to make sure the boys are in the right position, that they feel right.

"It's a tough one, not easy to explain, These boys are not the kind of person after a 7-0 to think we'll go like this, they worked tonight hard and it didn't happen, if something doesn't work you have to try harder, more often, longer. It was not easy to lose that game and we did it.

"It's not about blaming, we have to sort it together and we will. In football you don't have a lot of time. We tried a lot, in some moments the right things and some not. That's the problem You have to break the wall down by trying, in the right mood. We had chances.

"We can't imagine the title race at the moment."

The Liverpool head coach was involved in a heated exchange with Dyche as they went down the tunnel at half-time following an on-field incident which saw Fabinho pick up a yellow card.

Klopp appeared to be berating the Burnley boss as he made his way to the dressing room, but played down the clash in his post-match press conference.

He told reporters: "If he's not talking about it, I'm not talking about it. I didn't start it. It's nothing, all good."