In a friendly game on Wednesday in Melbourne, Tottenham Hotspur drew 1-1 with Newcastle United before losing in a penalty shootout.
Ange Postecoglou’s first campaign with the north London club came to an end with the friendly match, which marked a return to the city for the Australian, who was born in Greece. Postecoglou announced the starting squad, which will probably alter for the second half, in front of an estimated 80,000 spectators inside the storied Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The match, which ended 1-1 after regular time at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in front of 78,419 spectators, had been dubbed “madness” by former England and Newcastle striker Alan Shearer.
Despite worries about the players’ mounting workload, it went forward.
Spurs’ first goal came in the 32nd minute when James Maddison, an England midfielder, took advantage of a mishandled pass by Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope to weave past the Magpies’ defense and slam the ball into the top corner.
Alexander Isak, a Swedish striker, leveled the score soon before halftime from close range.
The match immediately proceeded to penalties, with Bryan Gil’s first attempt, which was the only one missed while the other nine were converted, being saved by Mark Gillespie for the Spurs.
Newcastle’s winning penalty was scored by right-back Harrison Ashby, who was on loan at Swansea during the previous season.
Both teams fielded formidable squads for the trip: Maddison, Dutch defender Micky van de Ven, South Korea captain Son Heung-min, and England defender Kieran Trippier started for Newcastle, along with Isak and Brazil midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.
After 36 minutes, Trippier—who, like Maddison, is a member of England’s prospective Euro 2024 squad—was substituted off, a move Newcastle said was “pre-planned.”
Head coach Eddie Howe saw it as a chance to “grow the name of Newcastle” in remarks made prior to the game.
Ange Postecoglou, the manager of Spurs, recognized that the “exposure and revenue” was an important aspect of the lengthy journey, but he also said that if his team had been competing in Europe this season, he would have prevented it.
against Friday, Newcastle will take against an A-League All Star team in a second game.
This summer’s events include the European Championship, which begins in Germany on June 14 and the Copa America, which begins in the US on June 16.
‘These games are not necessary’
Critics argue that because of the emissions from the long-haul flights, these international football matches are among the least environmentally friendly.
Next, there’s the effect of fan travel, which will probably have a greater influence this summer when a number of Premier League clubs go to the US for preseason games.
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These games are not necessary and are precisely the type of emissions that should and could be avoided in any real Net Zero plan; maybe more significant than the emissions are the example it sets and the potential it has to hinder constructive climate action.
Flying has an adverse effect on the body as well, and adding extra games to an already hectic schedule is detrimental to the welfare of players. Clubs argue that they must take domestic flights in order to ensure rest, which raises questions about potential double standards.
In a sport where money is more than anything else, they have financial motivations. It is up to you to decide if the financial gain justifies the environmental cost, but teams cannot encourage supporters to take good action at home while expecting this type of behavior to go unchecked.
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