Kevin De Bruyne feels criticism of Jack Grealish is "not about football" and is so intense only because he plays for England.
Grealish joined Manchester City in a £100million British-record transfer in 2021 but has not yet produced the same output as he had at Aston Villa.
After six goals and 10 assists in 26 Premier League games for Villa in 2020-21, Grealish contributed only three goals and three assists in the same number of appearances in his debut City campaign.
The start to the 2022-23 season has again been slow, although the England winger netted his first goal in Saturday's 3-0 win at Wolves.
De Bruyne's cross teed up that early opener, and the City midfielder has come to the defence of his team-mate, whose lifestyle has also been scrutinised since signing for Pep Guardiola's side.
"It is not about football," De Bruyne said. "Outside of football, the focus is more on [England players].
"I understand because they are English and people tend to look more what is happening.
"I feel like foreign players... for instance, if you have a night out, we don't really get checked that often. Whereas I feel if an English player goes out, it is always in the media somewhere.
"I think people are taking this on board, also. What he does in his private life, he does, nobody should care, but people do."
Grealish has a different role at City, having been Villa's chief creator, crafting 81 chances in his final season at his boyhood club but only 53 last year.
And De Bruyne also points out there are contrasting expectations playing for the champions, meaning Grealish should have been given time to adapt.
"With all due respect, he was at Villa before, and if you lose a game, sometimes it is not the end of the world," De Bruyne added. "But if we lose a game, it is different.
"We have to perform every week and win games. That is different and what he has had to adjust to.
"As long as we win the games and he is doing a good job for us, that is all that matters."
Argentina 4-1 Guatemala: Messi and Martinez star as Copa America holders warm up in style
Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martinez scored twice for Argentina as they concluded their Copa America preparations with a comfortable 4-1 victory over Guatemala.
Argentina found themselves behind inside four minutes when Lisandro Martinez's own goal handed Guatemala their first-ever goal against La Albiceleste.
However, Messi, who was featuring for the 182nd time for his country, levelled the contest eight minutes later as goalkeeper Nicholas Hagen's poor clearance fell kindly into his path.
Lionel Scaloni's team were awarded a penalty just before half-time as Nicolas Samayoa fouled Valentin Carboni, with Martinez stepping from 12 yards to score.
Messi and Martinez combined for Argentina's third goal, with the latter doubling his tally after he was picked out by his team-mate in the area.
Messi put the result beyond doubt late on, lofting the ball over Hagen after latching onto a fine pass from his former Paris Saint-Germain team-mate, Angel Di Maria.
Argentina kick off their Group A campaign against Canada on June 21 before facing Chile and Peru in their quest to retain their Copa America title.
Data Debrief: Messi and Martinez make light work of minnows
Guatemala were simply no match for their illustrious opponents at FedEx Field, managing only four attempts and getting none of those on target, mustering 0.18 expected goals.
Argentina finished with 3.07 xG, with Martinez (1.47) and Messi (1.3) responsible for the majority of that figure. Between them, they had 13 shots, nine more than Guatemala managed as a team.
Colorado Rapids v Austin FC: Wolff looking to generate urgency during road trip
Josh Wolff is hoping Austin FC can regain some urgency after their mid-season break, starting with their trip to Colorado Rapids.
Austin are on a three-game winless streak, losing their last two outings, leaving them sixth in the Western Conference.
With teams below them catching up to their 23-point tally, Wolff admitted there is still room for improvement, but remained upbeat about his team’s progress this season.
"We're pleased with where we're at. There's still a long way to go, there's a lot to improve on," Wolff said.
"The second half of the season will be challenging. You've got to quickly generate urgency to get back on the field and perform. Colorado is the most important game - because it's the next one.
"I want to create urgency and focus on the things we need to keep improving on while keeping our guys healthy. We are going to put everything we can into this game."
Colorado are one of the teams closing in on Austin, sitting just one point and two places below them in the table.
The Rapids have won just one of their last five matches in the MLS, but head coach Chris Armas is confident his side can turn good performances into results.
Armas said, "We really want to get these performances to turn into points. We think we're doing alright, but we know there's room to improve so that's where all of our energy went over the break.
"We're going to get there. We've got a good group, they're hungry and they come to learn. They're giving everything. We're still a work in progress, but I still believe in this."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Colorado Rapids – Djordje Mihailovic
After failing to contribute to a goal in his first five Rapids appearances, Mihailovic has 10 goal contributions in his last 11 matches (five goals, five assists) including recording one in three straight games.
Austin FC – Alexander Ring
Austin attempted just eight shots in their defeat to Real Salt Lake on June 1 – it was the league-high 10th time Austin have attempted fewer than 10 shots in a match this season.
All those efforts came in the second half, with Ring scoring a consolation goal from the penalty spot in stoppage time.
MATCH PREDICTION: COLORADO RAPIDS WIN
The Rapids hold the slight edge in the head-to-head between the teams, winning three times to Austin’s two wins (D2). Colorado have scored in all seven meetings between the sides.
However, the Rapids have lost back-to-back matches for the first time this season following defeats at Houston Dynamo and Vancouver Whitecaps. Colorado have lost three of their last four matches (D1) after dropping only three of their previous 12 in league play dating back to the start of March (W6 D3).
Austin have lost consecutive matches for the first time since last August with defeats to Portland Timbers and Real Salt Lake. Austin had lost only three of their previous 14 matches (W6 D5) dating back to the beginning of March.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Colorado Rapids – 47.8%
Draw – 26%
Austin FC – 26.2%
Toronto FC v Chicago Fire: Johnson excited to stay on with Reds
Sean Johnson is excited to extend his stay with Toronto FC, after penning a new contract with the club.
The goalkeeper, who has been included in the United States’ squad for the Copa America, joined Toronto ahead of the 2023 season from New York City FC.
While last season was a disappointment for the Reds, Toronto are sixth in the Eastern Conference, with 24 points from their 17 games so far in 2024.
Johnson has kept four clean sheets in 12 MLS appearances, and his good form has been rewarded with a deal that will keep him with Toronto until the end of the 2026 campaign.
Ahead of Toronto’s meeting with the Chicago Fire, Johnson told club media: “I am excited to extend my time in Toronto – the fans have welcomed me with open arms since arriving.
“TFC has a rich history of success and I’m committed to giving everything to add some more special moments for the club and the city.”
“We are happy to announce that Sean has signed an extension with Toronto as he has been an integral part of our evolution both on and off the field,” said Toronto general manager Jason Hernandez.
“Sean will continue to provide us with the consistency and stability we will need in our group as we continue to push towards reaching our full potential. His leadership has been a fundamental aspect of our team’s identity, and we look forward to Sean helping our club achieve its goals in 2024 and beyond.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Toronto FC – Federico Bernardeschi
Bernardeschi had a goal and an assist in Toronto’s draw with D.C. on June 1, taking his total to 11 goal contributions (seven goals, four assists) this season, one more than any Toronto player recorded during the 2023 campaign.
Chicago Fire – Hugo Cuypers
Cuypers scored one of the Fire’s two goals in their win over the Galaxy and has been involved in a goal in three straight MLS appearances. No player has been involved in a goal in four straight games for the Fire since Robert Beric in September-October 2020 (five straight).
MATCH PREDICTION: TORONTO WIN
Chicago snapped a nine-match winless run with a 2-1 home victory over the LA Galaxy on June 1. It was the Fire’s first multi-goal performance since their previous win, a 2-1 victory over Houston on April 6.
Toronto have scored 33 goals in its last 11 matches in all competitions (W6 D2 L3). The Reds had totalled 32 goals in their previous 43 matches dating back to March 2023.
The Reds are unbeaten in 12 straight home matches against the Fire (W7 D5) with Chicago’s last win in Toronto coming in 2012. This is Toronto’s longest home unbeaten run against any opponent in their MLS history.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Toronto FC – 44.5%
Chicago Fire – 28.7%
Draw – 26.8%
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