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Shining Knight sweeps in to rescue England

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Old-school knock steers tricky chase and makes it goodnight, Bangladesh

S Sudarshanan07-Oct-20253:25

Knight to the fore as England overcome spirited Bangladesh

Heather Knight was drenched in sweat. Two days in a row. Once under lights, once under the hot, baking afternoon sun.In each of the two training sessions England had before their Women’s World Cup 2025 match against Bangladesh, Knight batted long and worked particularly hard on getting her sweep shots right. She faced a mix of throwdowns and net bowlers bowling left-arm spin, offspin and legspin. All that effort culminated in her Player-of-the-Match effort of 79 not out off 111 balls on Tuesday, which headlined England’s jailbreak.On match eve, Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana had called upon her team to “show our capabilities so that teams like England and Australia show interest in playing against us”. It was only the second time Bangladesh were playing England in an ODI. Her team-mates responded by reducing England to 78 for 5 and 103 for 6 in defence of 178. Marufa Akter once again set the tone with a fiery new-ball spell, accounting for both the English openers. She had Knight twice but the DRS came to the former captain’s aid on both occasions. Then the spinners, led by leggie Fahima Khatun, applied the squeeze.Related

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The track at the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Guwahati wasn’t the most batting-friendly. It had a darkish look to it, played a little slow and aided spinners without really turning square. In Knight’s words, it was the “inconsistency of the turn” that made life tough for the batters. The wickets were proof, in that none of the England batters actually fell for spin.Nat Sciver-Brunt shunted a full toss straight to midwicket. Sophia Dunkley played down the wrong line, was beaten on the inside and out lbw. Emma Lamb was done in by the dip and miscued one to mid-on. Alice Capsey missed her shot across the line with an angled bat and was trapped leg before.Only Knight was able to apply what she thoroughly practised. This was Knight’s first international innings after returning from a hamstring injury and first in ODIs since January. She was in at the start of the second over and, understandably, a bit slow to start off. The hallmark of her innings was that she was willing to bide her time. She was willing to go old-school since the conditions demanded. For a large part of her innings, her strike rate hovered under the 50 mark; she did not score on 24 of her first 26 balls and on 65 of her 111.Heather Knight uses the sweep against spin•Getty Images”[I] didn’t find it my most fluent [knock], particularly at the start,” Knight said. “It was just a case of trying to get through. The conditions were tricky; obviously. Marufa got a huge amount of swing at the start. She was really tricky and [I] just tried to find a method just to get through the period.”I knew that if we had a set batter that was able to bat through, I probably had to be a little bit more attritional than I would have liked. I started to find my feet and my rhythm in that middle period, which was really nice. The hardest thing sometimes coming back from injury is that the rhythm of batting in the middle can take a little bit of time to get back. Delighted that I was able to spend a little bit of time out there, get through that pressure.”Since they played Pakistan in Kuala Lumpur in 2019, England had not played an ODI in the subcontinent up until this World Cup. It was down to Knight’s experience and muscle memory: it was her 28th ODI in this part of the world. She used the sweep to telling effect to score 14 off five balls using the traditional sweep, and a four with the one reverse sweep when England were in sight of their target. A couple of fours she hit against legspinner Shorna Akter stood out – when she rolled her wrists to get the ball behind square and then when she used her reach to nail the shot in front of square. When the sweep was out of question, she charged down the track to launch the bowler in the ‘V’.”It was really hard to pierce the off-side ring,” Knight said. “[It] felt like I had to take a few risks and get the feet going. The sweep shot is obviously one that’s really strong for me and when the bowling is a little bit slower, not a huge amount of pace on the ball, it can be one that I go to. Picking what works for which bowler [matters], so some of the left-armers it felt a lot easier to go down the ground. Being really clear on what I was going to sweep, what I was going to hit down the ground and when I had to soak up pressure and trust my defence as well [was important].”England had an inkling of what to expect after flexing their spin mettle in the afternoon. Their spinners, led by Sophie Ecclestone, had picked up nine of the ten Bangladesh wickets and Knight knew it was “going to be hard work”. Yet, it came down to a good Knight knock for England to have a good night in Guwahati.

Virat Kohli is not Tendulkar, he's an all-too-human hero of a different sort

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

From a brash young upstart he has turned into a legend of the game – in a manner decidedly different from the man whose heir he is

Andrew Fidel Fernando28-Oct-2023In the last match he played, second-to-last ball of the opposition innings, Virat Kohli takes a straightforward catch at the long-on boundary, punches the air, and when the crowd clocks who the fielder is, he turns to them, springs up on his feet and thumps his chest, roaring.This is who he has always been. Always revelled in being. Balls to the wall, across all endeavours, every second of his existence.So much so that for many non-Indians (and not a few Indians) early-career Kohli was a brat. At home, this young batter of significant promise had obviously endeared himself, not least when after the 2011 World Cup final he proclaimed that Sachin Tendulkar had “carried the burden of this nation for 21 years, so it’s time we carried him”.Related

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But abroad, he was the rat who threw up a middle finger at an Australian stand, retaliated when other crowds were hostile, made it a point to celebrate wickets more animatedly than any of his team-mates, became a figure of impotent fury when India lost and a finger in the eye of opposition fans when they won.Kohli? On par with Tendulkar? One of the best ever? Get out of here. He’ll burn himself out. No one can sustain this. Let him learn to behave himself first.It is a reflection of how hot Kohli burned that the era of the sceptics was short-lived. Very quickly he was the heir of an incomparable. Even when Kohli’s greatness was only incipient, Tendulkar’s mantle was thrust upon him at home, a surprise to many of us looking on.In the years since, as India’s economy has exploded, as its space programme has made giant leaps, the Sachinification of Kohli has made more sense. Perhaps it is a vacuum that demanded to be filled. Tendulkar brought a measured, old-world sensibility to his rise, which reflected India’s newfound prominence in the world. Kohli’s advance, 20 years later, seemed to demand to be the shining centre of attention. Here was a tornado of a cricketer, blown into existence by the same winds that were rousing India’s newest transformation.

Kohli, still thumping his chest, still yelling into the night, still picking fights with opposition players, has found his own style of maturity

There was the brashness, of course, but also a refusal to back down, and an assiduous eking out of every advantage. There was also constant evolution – one poor Test tour of England in 2014 prompting a rethink of his batting strategy (going forward more, batting outside the crease, giving up a portion of his back-foot play) that emphatically reversed the suggestion that he couldn’t contend with the swinging red ball. In T20 he always had gears, but he began to move through them more proactively.Through the middle of the last decade, you began to get a sense that there was no challenge Kohli could not overcome. Rohit Sharma had his double-hundreds and Steven Smith dominated Tests. But in ODIs there was no greater mass producer of hundreds. Kohli seemed destined not just to overhaul Tendulkar’s record of 49 tons but to speed past it.Here, perhaps, is where the two are most unlike each other. Tendulkar, whose humility was chief among his non-cricketing virtues, who accepted the adulation but did not overtly rejoice in it, whose private life was largely his own, was almost divine. Kohli, who wasn’t a Test batter at 16, whose flaws were public, whose language was aggression, whose social media documented every act, and whose wife, the actor Anushka Sharma, is a massively followed public figure in her own right, was supremely human.And also a supreme human, because in pursuit of his ambitions, he changed his diet, worked out relentlessly, performed Olympic lifts, documented all of it, sold it to companies, made profits, and appeared in ads that turned his drive into rupees. Through all of this, he also scored runs, took catches, and celebrated wickets more ecstatically than the bowlers themselves, which is something his wife has publicly made fun of, much to the amusement of Kohli himself.In the latest era of Kohli, post-captaincy, post-century drought – another nod to his humanness – that coincided with the Covid pandemic, Kohli has retained almost all of the heat that made him so divisive early on, but there have also been bracing revelations. He has spoken of mental-health battles. A man whose actions radiate hyper-masculinity speaking out about the softest, most vulnerable parts of himself. In his relationship and marriage to Anushka, who is no less a superstar though from a different galaxy, Kohli has also publicly been doting, generous and gentle.Starry, starry day: Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma with Roger Federer at the Australian Open in 2019•Getty ImagesAnd whatever aspects of 21st-century India Kohli has embodied, he has never reflected a certain aspect of India. When Mohammed Shami was attacked for his religion after India lost a game to Pakistan, Kohli issued a full-throated defence of his team-mate. He called those who derided Shami for his faith not just misguided but “spineless” for doing it on social media. He called the attacking of a person (in general terms) not merely unfortunate but “pathetic” and “the lowest level of human potential that one can operate at”.”Religion is a very sacred and personal thing to every human being,” he said. “That should be left there.”Though a white-ball monster first, Kohli also brought his furious energy to the Test format. He not only raised his own red-ball batting to the dizzying standards he was setting in the shorter forms, but maintained without relent that Tests were the pinnacle. He was no less intense in the empty stadiums often seen in Test cricket.Perhaps he has not embraced late-stage statesmanship as many other great cricketers have. Ricky Ponting became almost cuddly towards the end of his career; Kumar Sangakkara had left the young, mouthy version of himself in the rear-view mirror.But Kohli, still thumping his chest, still yelling into the night, still picking fights with opposition players, has found his own style of maturity.You can be patriotic without being a rabid nationalist. You can be hyper-masculine and see your wife as an equal. If these do not seem like especially brave or admirable positions, that is to take Kohli out of his social context.He sits now on 48 centuries, one short of Tendulkar. If cricket is a religion in India, Kohli is decidedly not its god. That position has been filled and Kohli has never had those ambitions anyway. He has been human. Has tried to be the best of humans, the most productive of humans, and cricket-wise the most aggressive of humans even.This, unapologetically, is who he has always been. Always revelled in being.

Anuj Rawat is a big-hitting left-hand keeper from Uttarakhand in the Rishabh Pant mould

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The wicketkeeper-batter’s rise in cricket has mirrored that of the Delhi Capitals captain, but his consistency on the domestic circuit is yet to translate into IPL success

Vishal Dikshit02-May-20228:09

Anuj Rawat: “Changing batting positions requires a strong mindset to help cope”

On his first-
class debut, a few days shy of his 18th birthday, Anuj Rawat dislocated a finger while keeping to Delhi’s quick bowlers.Rawat, who got the opportunity because Delhi’s regular keeper, Rishabh Pant, was away on India A duty, was considering withdrawing from the next game when his team-mate and friend from their academy days together, Pulkit Narang, said to him: “Ranji [No matter what happens, even if you lose a finger, don’t turn down a game. There’s nothing bigger than Ranji].”It’s a piece of advice Rawat has tried to hold on to since: whether it has been squeezing in IPL trials just ahead of a domestic game, or being open to moving up or down the order – don’t say no.He was barely able to hold his bat because of the dislocated finger, but he did play the next game, against Railways, and he believes his 74 earned him a place in the squad for the Under-19 Asia Cup a month later in Malaysia. “Karma,” he calls it.Related

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He was retained in the Delhi side for the 2018-19 Ranji season while Pant was away on international duty, but Rawat didn’t start well, failing to go past 30 in eight straight innings.Then came a cold and foggy December morning in Delhi. Madhya Pradesh had been bowled out for 132, and as Delhi began their innings, Rawat, who usually batted at No. 6 or 7, went to grab some food. Just then MP’s Avesh Khan struck twice in the first over. Delhi coach Mithun Manhas asked Rawat to pad up and he walked in to bat at 8 for 3 in the third over.”There was hardly any time to process anything,” Rawat says, speaking ahead of the ongoing IPL season. “Like some people say, ‘You perform better when you play with a free and open mind.'”He took Delhi to 261, hitting 14 fours and four sixes in his 183-ball 134.
“Whatever I learned throughout my life, I played out there,” he says. mind [I played with an open mind].”When I went in, I was a bit nervous and Avesh was bowling, but I middled my first ball. He was swinging it and bowling quick. I just kept playing according to whatever ball I got. I brought up my century with a straight six that went into the second tier.”A year later, in December 2019, Rawat was called for IPL trials by Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders, not long after a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy innings in which he hit seven sixes in the arc between long-on and deep midwicket against a Saurashtra attack that included fast bowlers Jaydev Unadkat and Chetan Sakariya.Rawat found himself opening with captain Faf du Plessis in his first game for Royal Challengers Bangalore•BCCI”To be honest, I wasn’t even going to go for the trial because there were domestic matches at the time,” Rawat says. “[Royals] insisted I go just for a day or even a couple of hours, so I went to Nagpur. The trial went well, and I was about to leave for Ranji and then I got a call for the KKR trial. I gave that [in Thane, outside of Mumbai] and went straight to Kerala for a Ranji game the next day.”Royals bought Rawat for Rs 80 lakhs (about US$113,000), four times his base price, but he sat on the bench for the 2020 season, and when he finally got a chance to bat, in October 2021, he was out for a first-ball duck.”Obviously I was a little disappointed when I got out, but I switched off immediately because I don’t mind first-ball dismissals so much,” he says. “It would have been worse if I had taken the team close and then got out. I told myself that such things happen on the first ball.”And he was accustomed to long waits to make it into XIs. It had been hard to break into age-group sides as a keeper-batter.”At U-14 and U-16, I didn’t get picked as a wicketkeeper because those teams already had a keeper,” he says. “It was hard to replace those who were already in the team, so I thought I was not getting selected because I’m a keeper.”Rawat, now 22, moved to Delhi as an 11-year-old from a small hill town 65km from Nainital, a popular tourist destination in Uttarakhand. Ramnagar is best known for the Jim Corbett National Park, and if you walk around town early in the morning, you’re more likely to spot a tiger than a kid walking to cricket practice.Against Mumbai Indians Rawat made 66 in 47 balls in a Player-of-the-Match performance•BCCIGrowing up in a farming household, Rawat played cricket at home and in the fields nearby but didn’t watch a lot of it on TV, although he grew to like the game when he watched Adam Gilchrist or Kumar Sangakkara play. One day his parents sat their two sons down to talk careers. His older brother said he wanted to go into medicine.”I said straight away, I want to play cricket, nothing else,” Rawat recalls. His father, a local cricketer, was supportive of his younger son’s ambitions and decided to send him to Delhi, where he would have access to high-quality cricket facilities.A family friend suggested he become a keeper because every XI needs one. “A left-handed batter who could open and keep wicket was a rare combination then,” Rawat says.It was another thing he was to have in common with Pant, who is two years older and also an Uttarakhand lad who moved to Delhi for better opportunities.Rawat enrolled in former first-class player Rajkumar Sharma’s West Delhi Cricket Academy, now famous as Virat Kohli’s starting ground.It took some adjusting to, living away from home and because “the facilities and coaching were very different. It took me five-six years to play professional cricket.”One of the things he learned during that period was to be flexible. He had played in the top order for many years when he was picked in the Ranji squad as a middle-order keeper-batter. He had been taught at his academy to keep an “open mindset” about your batting position.”I used to play in the top three in age-group cricket. In Ranji and in other formats in domestic cricket, I’ve played at different positions. I must keep an open mind. It helps a lot. These things I learnt in my childhood, and they are helping me a lot now.”By the time the 2022 IPL mega-auction came around, Rawat was known in domestic cricket as a boundary-hitter.

Royal Challengers Bangalore were looking to buy a left-hand batter to complement Faf du Plessis in their top order. In one of their mock auctions, Mike Hesson, RCB’s director of cricket operations, got into a “bidding war” with head coach Sanjay Bangar, who was posing as a Punjab Kings representative, and bagged Rawat for Rs 2.8 crore ($373,000). In the actual auction, RCB eventually bagged Rawat for Rs 3.4 crore ($453,000), 17 times his base price.Rawat was yet to score a run in the IPL since his debut in the tournament last May, but unlike the previous two seasons, with RCB he got a chance to bat straightaway, opening with his captain du Plessis against Punjab Kings. Rawat showed no signs of nerves, getting off the mark by walking down the track to hit medium-pacer Sandeep Sharma for a six over long-on.Against Royals, Rawat hit fast bowler Prasidh Krishna for back-to-back fours. He saved some of his best shots for Mumbai Indians – flat-batting Unadkat for consecutive sixes on his way to 66 off 47 balls to power RCB to their third straight win.Since then he has had a string of low scores – 12, 0, 4, 0 – and finds himself out of the XI now that Kohli has moved up to open with du Plessis. But he has drawn comparisons with Pant not just for the similarities in their backgrounds but also because of their fearless approach to batting.What remains to be seen is whether Rawat can remain flexible and handle the pressures of the big stage the way Pant has all these years.

Explaining How the Japanese Posting System Works in MLB

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Another year of MLB free agency is underway and that means that, in addition to the hot stove firing up, the Japanese Posting System will once again become a topic of discussion as some of Japan's top professional baseball players take their talents stateside. One such star player, infielder Munetaka Murakami, was officially posted on Friday. But what does the term 'posted' mean? And how does the Japanese Posting System work in MLB?

What does the term posted mean?

Posting is a process that occurs when an eligible player in the Nippon Professional Baseball league would like to play in MLB. The player notifies his team's management of his desire to play in MLB, and requests that he be made available for posting during the next posting period.

When is the posting period?

While it has changed in past iterations of the posting system, the current posting period is from November 1 to December 5, meaning players can be posted anytime between those dates.

Which players are eligible to be posted?

NPB players with no more than nine years of experience are eligible to be posted. Both the player and his team must agree to the posting before the process plays out.

What is the exact process of posting?

All 30 MLB clubs have 45 days to negotiate terms of a contract with a player after he has been posted. Once a contract is agreed upon between the player and an MLB team, the MLB team must pay a release fee to the player‘s NPB team. If no contract is agreed upon between player and MLB team in the 45 days, the player will return to the NPB team for the ensuing season and cannot be posted again until the following offseason.

How do the release fees work?

The release fee amounts to a certain percentage of the agreed upon contract between player and MLB team.

Value of MLB Contract

Release Fee

$25 million or less

20% of the total guaranteed contract value

Between $25,000,001 and $50 million

20% of the first $25 million, plus 17.5% of the total guaranteed value exceeding $25 million

$50,000,001 or more

20% of the first $25 million, plus 17.5% of the next $25 million, plus 15% of the total guaranteed value exceeding $50 million

For all minor league contracts, the release fee will be 25% of the signing bonus. For minor league contracts that contain MLB terms, a supplemental fee will be owed to the NPB team if the player is added to the 25-man roster. If a posted player signs a contract that includes bonuses, salary escalators or options, a supplemental fee equal to 15% of any bonus or salary escalators earned by the player will be owed to the Japanese team and/or a 15% of any option that is exercised.

Are there any caveats to the posting system?

Yes. Unless foreign-born players are at least 25 years old and have played professionally for at least six seasons in a foreign league recognized by MLB, they will be subject to international bonus pool money restrictions. One such example occurred this past offseason, when 23-year-old Rōki Sasaki, who ultimately signed with the Dodgers, was considered an international amateur free agent.

Why was the posting system implemented?

Several players playing in Japan—most notably Hideo Nomo, Hideki Irabu and Alfonso Soriano—exploited loopholes in a prior agreement between the NPB league and MLB to play in MLB, leaving their Japanese teams with nothing following their departures. The posting system was created to allow Japanese teams to receive compensation when certain members of the club desire to play in MLB.

Who are some of the biggest names to ever be posted in MLB?

Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki, three-time MVP Shohei Ohtani, five-time All-Star Yu Darvish and two-time All-Star Masahiro Tanaka are just a few former and current stars who were posted before playing in MLB.

Konstas fails first Ashes audition as NSW slump on rain-soaked day in Perth

by csb10.top Uncategorized

Sam Konstas missed out in his first Ashes audition of the new Sheffield Shield summer as New South Wales slumped against Western Australia on a rain-shortened opening day at the WACA ground.The NSW opener, who turned 20 this week, fell for 4 off 25 balls before rain stopped play on Saturday in Perth. Team-mate Kurtis Patterson also was dismissed for 8 from 36 balls after WA won the toss and had no hesitation in sending NSW in on a moist green surface under overcast skies.Related

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Konstas’ low score came on a day when another Ashes hopeful, Tasmanian opener Jake Weatherald, made 67 from 99 balls against Queensland in Brisbane.When rain stopped play in Perth, NSW were in early strife at 35 for 3.Konstas came to Perth with a head of steam after scoring a century for Australia A in India but batting was much harder on the bowler-friendly surface at the WACA. He survived two lbw appeals, while wicketkeeper Joel Curtis dropped a tough catch off his inside edge from the bowling of Matt Kelly.But WA left-arm seamer Joel Paris was ultimately rewarded for an impressive opening spell when he trapped Konstas lbw. Paris bowled eight overs with seven maidens and has figures of 1 for 1.Cameron Gannon had Patterson caught behind and Test all-rounder Cameron Green took an outstanding catch at second slip off spinner Corey Rocchiccioli to dismiss opener Blake Nikitaras for 9 from 57 deliveries.Matthew Gilkes and Oliver Davies were trying to rebuild having come together at 23 for 3 in the 20th over but rain halted play after 25.1 overs and teams never got back on.

Vinicius Jr U-turn?! Real Madrid star ready to drop massive salary demands and moves closer to renewing contract despite Xabi Alonso tension

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Vinicius Jr has softened his stance over a blockbuster salary request and is now edging closer to accepting Real Madrid’s reduced contract proposal. The Brazilian, once determined to match Kylian Mbappe’s earnings, has shifted course just weeks after tensions with Xabi Alonso threatened to derail negotiations.

  • How contract tensions reached breaking point

    Vinicius' renewal saga has been a defining off-field story at Madrid this season. The Brazilian’s current contract runs until June 30, 2027, and talks first stalled two years ago when the club offered him around €20 million (£17m/$22m) per season, an amount he felt undervalued him at a moment when he was viewed internally as the club’s future superstar.

    Back in 2023, with Karim Benzema gone and Jude Bellingham only beginning his Madrid journey, the Brazilian believed he deserved compensation befitting the club’s attacking focal point. His camp argued he was worth closer to €30m (£25m/$33m), placing him in the same bracket as Mbappe, whose current Madrid package reaches €23m (£19m/$25m) net annually with bonuses included. Negotiations continued into this season, but progress was limited.

    The real setback came when reports claimed Vinicius informed the club he would not sign an extension “while his relationship with Alonso remains so strained.” The winger’s frustration grew as he was substituted repeatedly, omitted from starting lineups, and finished the full 90 minutes only four times all season. That, combined with Madrid’s dip in form, pushed the contract talks into a deep freeze until events in Greece shifted the mood.

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    Inside the Alonso rift and the divided Madrid dressing room

    Spanish reports suggested the tension between Vinicius and Alonso symbolised a broader split inside the squad. revealed that six players – Vinicius, Federico Valverde, Rodrygo, Brahim Diaz, Endrick and Ferland Mendy were unhappy with the coach’s tactical choices and substitutions.

    Vinicius, seen as the centre of the unrest, felt his role had been diminished. Being left out of major starting line-ups and used inconsistently only deepened his irritation. Meanwhile, the club’s marquee figures – Mbappe, Thibaut Courtois, Arda Guler, Dean Huijsen and Alvaro Carreras were said to be firmly behind Alonso.

    The flashpoint came during the last Clasico, when the 25-year-old reacted angrily after being substituted. He issued a written apology days later but pointedly left Alonso’s name out. That omission strengthened the perception of a fractured relationship.

    But according to reports , Vinicius later apologised in person to both the staff and the full squad. And when Madrid beat Olympiacos 4-3 in Greece, Vinicius walked directly to Alonso at full-time, the two embracing publicly, signalling a desire to move forward and stabilise the situation.

  • Why Vinicius is now willing to accept reduced terms

    The shift in tone off the pitch has coincided with talks reopening on the financial side. Vinicius earns €15m gross per season under his current deal, and although his initial objective was to match or surpass Mbappe’s figures, now indicate that he is prepared to accept significantly lower terms than his earlier €30m target.

    His willingness to compromise stems from several evolving factors. His form has dipped, with just 11 goals in his last 40 league and Champions League appearances, reducing the leverage he once held. At the same time, no major European club has made a concrete approach for him, despite speculative links to Manchester City, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, which has further softened his negotiating position. There is also a growing understanding within his camp that Madrid remain the club best positioned to maximise his long-term potential and keep his Ballon d’Or ambitions alive. Most importantly, the tension with Alonso appears to have cooled after recent conciliatory gestures, removing one of the biggest emotional obstacles to signing a new deal.

    Together, these developments represent the first real breakthrough in more than two years of stalling negotiations. The player and the club are now described as aligned once again, with both sides optimistic about reaching a final agreement in the coming months. It is also a crucial moment, as Vinicius would be free to negotiate with other clubs from January 2027, once he enters the final six months of his existing contract, a scenario Los Blancos are determined to avoid at all costs.

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  • Getty Images Sport

    What comes next for Madrid’s No.7?

    The Brazilian now enters a crucial stretch: the final 18 months of his contract and a pivotal moment in his Madrid career. His market value will decline with every passing month unless a renewal is sealed. The club want clarity before the summer window opens in 2026; the player wants assurances on his role and long-term project fit.

    On the pitch, he still has the opportunity to reverse his recent decline and re-establish himself as a decisive figure alongside Mbappe and Bellingham. Off it, Madrid expect discussions to accelerate before the end of the season, with both sides confident a middle ground can be reached. All eyes now turn to the negotiation table where Vinicius Jr’s future at the Bernabeu will be decided once and for all.

'If I’m a player in Europe, I’m a little worried' – Marcelo Balboa issues warning to Europe-based USMNT players after Paraguay and Uruguay wins

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Marcelo Balboa backed Mauricio Pochettino’s recent comments after the United States’ win over Uruguay, saying the coach is setting firm expectations for the squad. Balboa noted that Pochettino wants every player – including those based in Europe – to match the required intensity and compete for their place, adding that club form alone won’t guarantee a spot.

  • Getty Images Sport

    Balboa on Pochettino’s cultural reset

    Balboa framed Pochettino’s comments as an intentional cultural reset: the coach isn’t interested in protecting “regulars” or preserving reputations if players aren’t delivering the energy and standards he wants. 

    “He [Pochettino] is trying to change the culture in this country. He’s saying anytime you represent the U.S. team, that’s the best team we’re gonna put out, that’s the first team. I like that message,” Balboa told CBS Sports. “If I’m a player in Europe, I’m a little worried because I saw the standard of mentality and energy they brought to this game. 

    "There is a clear message. Like, ‘This is what you have to do. These are the parameters I want you to do it under my tactics.’"

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  • Getty

    Uruguay win strengthened the message

    Balboa suggested it will make some Europe-based players nervous about their spot if they can’t match the newly demanded work rate.

    “And if you can’t do that, there is [Sebastian] Berhalter, there is [Alex] Freeman," Balboa said. "There is [Tanner] Tessmann. There is [Max] Arfsten. There are players that can surprise you. It’s not okay anymore to have eight guys that work their ass off and two guys that relax. It doesn’t work like that anymore in international soccer. I love the message he’s sending. This is the standard of what you need to do here.”

    The United States’ emphatic five-goal win over Uruguay gave Pochettino’s message weight, as he dismissed talk of “regular players” and used both the performance and his post-match comments to underscore the standard he expects.

  • Selection, competition and the evolving USMNT identity

    Pochettino appears to be rewarding intensity, pressing, and tactical buy-in as much as name recognition or club pedigree. That raises the stakes for Europe-based Americans who aren’t producing regular minutes for their clubs, and it signals to domestic and fringe players that strong showings at club or in camp can leapfrog reputation.

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    Looking ahead

    The U.S. wrapped up their 2025 slate with a strong November camp. The team is reportedly set to play Portugal and Belgium in March, but that has yet to be confirmed by U.S. Soccer. 

How Woakes defied injury to front up in England's hour of need

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

England seamer’s heroic rearguard could yet be his final act in international cricket

Matt Roller04-Aug-2025

Ben Stokes meets Chris Woakes after his valiant effort•Getty Images

It was an extraordinary sight at the end of an extraordinary series. On Friday morning, Chris Woakes was ruled out of “any further participation” in the fifth Test at The Oval. Three days later, he walked out to the middle with his left arm in a sling, tucked underneath his jumper, preparing to face up one-handed – and wrong-sided – with England 17 runs away from victory.Woakes marched out through the dressing-room, down the stairs of the Bedser Stand, and punched gloves with Gus Atkinson. It was a rousing moment to rival Rishabh Pant’s hobble to the crease with a fractured foot in Manchester, with the sense of theatre only accentuated by the drama and tension of the final day of the match – and the series.England have not yet given official confirmation but Woakes is understood to have dislocated his shoulder while diving in the field on the opening day of this Test. He will see a specialist this week to determine the extent of the damage, but will not play again this summer and is already considered a major doubt for the first Ashes Test in Perth on November 21.Related

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Six-run thriller – India script their narrowest win in Tests

It was an act of mercy that Woakes did not have to face a ball: Prasidh Krishna yorked Josh Tongue, England’s No. 10, with the final ball of the 83rd over, and Atkinson managed the strike thereafter. But even that caused Woakes serious pain: he grimaced repeatedly after every run, and had to ask umpire Ahsan Raza for assistance after dislodging his sling while sneaking through for a bye.In any other sport, Woakes would have been substituted immediately after his injury on Thursday evening but – for better or for worse – cricket remains an outlier. Instead, he watched on from the dressing room as England’s three-man attack toiled on Saturday; as they took the chase deep into Sunday afternoon, he went down to the indoor school for an exploratory hit.Woakes initially tried to hold the bat as usual, facing some gentle throwdowns, but as soon as the pace ramped up, the pain became excruciating. He then tried again with his left arm back in a sling, facing up with a left-hand batter’s stance: it allowed him the control of a “top” hand, but more importantly, ensured his shoulder would be as far away from the ball as possible.He needed help from Ben Davies, England’s physio, to get padded up on Monday, and had to get creative with his equipment: he wore two small arm guards on his right arm, and as much protection as he could on his left, which was tucked underneath a jumper to try and keep everything in place.2:02

Harmison: Woakes put his career on the line by coming out to bat

When Woakes scrambled through for a bye at the end of his first over at the crease, Mohammed Siraj was furious. ” [didn’t you tell him?]” he asked Shubman Gill, after landing his wide yorker only to see Dhruv Jurel’s underarm throw miss the stumps. But Woakes had other things to worry about, wincing in pain and clutching his left arm.He managed to take his helmet and right glove off in order to put his left arm back in place, and then asked Raza for help on realising that he would not be able to put his glove back on alone. As he took a deep breath and prepared to stand at the non-striker’s end once again, the sold-out fifth-day crowd began to understand the extent of what he was putting himself through.Woakes was again in agony off the next ball, scampering back for two as Atkinson swung Prasidh into the leg side, and scrambled through for another single off the final ball of the over as India – bizarrely – kept nine men on the boundary. One ball later, however, Siraj pegged back Atkinson’s off stump and, after 16 minutes of anguish, Woakes’ job was done – albeit in a heartbreaking, six-run defeat.India’s fielders made a beeline for Woakes after their initial celebrations, and Brendon McCullum, England’s coach, praised his bravery. “Good on Woakesy,” he told the BBC. “He’s in an immense amount of pain after that unfortunate injury, but it was never in doubt for him that, if needed, he was going to walk down the stairs and try to get us across the line.”1:19

Sanjay Bangar picks his moment of the series

It provided a fitting finale to a dramatic series in which 32 players have had their physical and mental resilience tested to the limit across 25 days of cricket. Both teams have lost players to injuries along the way after punishing workloads, but Siraj and Woakes, the only fast bowlers to play all five Tests, battled through right until the very last ball.”He was in a lot of discomfort,” Ben Stokes said, having himself been forced to miss this Test with a shoulder injury. “We’ve had Rishabh going out to bat with a broken foot, Bash [Shoaib Bashir] going out there bowling – and batting and fielding – with a broken finger. Then we go to Chris out there today, trying to get his team over the line with a quite recently dislocated shoulder… Everyone’s left a lot out on the ground for their countries.”Woakes’ innings can be used by both sides in the ongoing debate around injury replacements: it was difficult to watch a player in such clear physical discomfort risking aggravating a serious injury, but also an incredible display of bravery and perseverance. Stokes simply doubled down on his view that substitutes are impracticable: “If someone gets injured, tough s***. Deal with it.”It could yet prove to be Woakes’ final act in an England shirt: he is no longer involved in the white-ball set-up and, at 36, his Test future will also be in doubt if the injury is severe enough to keep him out of the Ashes. If so, this would be a sad but fitting end for a player who has always given everything he has across more than 200 international appearances.

Nuno offered "world class" West Ham signing on loan and it isn't Toney or Endrick

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

West Ham boss Nuno Espírito Santo has reportedly made his feelings about recruitment crystal clear to the board ahead of January, with the Portuguese adamant that they need to strengthen multiple areas of the squad.

West Ham told by Nuno to make three signings in January

Second bottom after conceding more Premier League goals than any other side so far, losing six of their first eight matches, West Ham are staring relegation in the face if they don’t improve quickly.

Nuno is yet to win his first game as manager since taking over from Graham Potter in September, and they looked completely bereft of ideas in their last outing against Brentford at the London Stadium.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

West Ham fielded a much-changed line-up to face the Bees, which included a host of men playing out of position, and Nuno’s team selection for the 2-0 defeat certainly raised plenty of eyebrows.

They were second best all over the pitch and barely threatened the away side at all, barring a decent attempt from winger Jarrod Bowen, with the January window looking more and more like Nuno’s potential lifeline.

According to reports this week, Nuno has urged West Ham chairman David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady to sign a defender, midfielder and forward in the winter (GiveMeSport) as three key positions to address.

Defensively, Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo had a nightmare against Brentford. While Igor Julio has impressed in training lately and could be recalled to the West Ham squad to face Leeds, especially after Konstantinos Mavropanos’ injury, the need for another option is evident.

In midfield, Nuno is believed to want a box-to-box engine room technician who can inject some pace, with internal talks held over a potential move for Chelsea star Andrey Santos among others (GiveMeSport).

Out of all West Ham’s glaring weaknesses, you don’t need an expert to tell you that they’re sorely lacking a reliable number nine who they can rely on as a consistent goalscoring threat.

Niclas Füllkrug’s injury nightmare since joining from Borussia Dortmund threatens to add the German to a long list of failed West Ham striker signings, and it is believed they’re already moving for alternatives.

West Ham have reportedly spoken to Real Madrid about signing Endrick on loan, while journalist Alan Nixon reported earlier this week that the east Londoners are considering ex-Brentford star Ivan Toney on a temporary deal too.

While their goalkeeping department demands the least attention, it is now being reported that West Ham have a chance to sign yet another big-name on loan.

West Ham offered Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen on loan

That man is Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen.

FC Barcelona's Marc-AndreterStegenlifts the trophy with teammates afterwinning LaLiga

The Catalans captain has barely featured since Hansi Flick took charge in 2024, having suffered various injury problems, but ter Stegen is expected to be back around December — on the eve of the next transfer window.

With Joan Garcia now seizing the number one spot, Barça have told their club legend that he’s free to leave in January for more game time, informing ter Stegen’s camp that they should start looking for a new landing spot.

According to TBR Football and journalist Graeme Bailey, West Ham are one of the clubs who’ve been offered a chance to sign ter Stegen on loan, with intermediaries reaching out over a potential deal.

The 33-year-old is a serial winner. Boasting a Champions League winner’s medal and six La Liga titles from his time at the Camp Nou, ter Stegen would bring a champion’s mentality to Rush Green – something which has been severely lacking in the squad for quite some time.

However, given his £280,000-per-week wages, and the fact West Ham need to prioritise outfield positions, an agreement could well be out of the Hammers’ reach.

Everton messed up selling their original Tyler Dibling for just £1.5m

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Everton’s 2025/26 season has opened with a sense of both transition and promise.

After five matches, the Toffees sit in 10th place in the Premier League with seven points, though they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup this week by Wolves.

The club’s summer business has been shaped by significant departures and bold moves in the transfer market, signalling a shift in strategy under David Moyes.

Veterans Ashley Young, Abdoulaye Doucouré, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin all departed, leaving gaps in leadership and experience.

In their place, Everton turned to proven top-flight quality in Jack Grealish from Manchester City and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Chelsea.

Both players add flair and creativity to the midfield.

Perhaps more importantly, Moyes has overseen a clear push towards youth development.

Alongside 22-year-old Thierno Barry, the club added highly rated teenagers Tyler Dibling from Southampton and Adam Aznou from Bayern Munich.

Everton were also linked with the likes of Abdul Fatawu (21) and Omari Hutchinson (21), highlighting the direction of travel.

With Goodison Park increasingly becoming a platform for emerging stars, Moyes appears determined to blend youthful exuberance with established quality.

Tyler Dibling is a prime example of Everton’s youth drive

At just 19 years old, Tyler Dibling has become the poster boy for Everton’s summer recruitment.

The winger was one of Southampton’s most promising prospects last season, making 33 Premier League appearances.

Tyler Dibling – 2024/25

Matches Played

33

Minutes

1,874

Goals

2

Progressive Carries

69

Progressive Passes

64

Source: FBref

Though he scored just two goals and registered a single assist in 1,874 minutes, his impact extended beyond statistics. Dibling’s direct dribbling style drew admiration from scouts across the country.

Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham, and Bayern Munich were all credited with interest before Everton secured his signature in a deal worth up to £42m – the club’s biggest signing of the summer.

For Moyes, who had grown frustrated with the lack of activity earlier in the window, Dibling’s arrival marked a decisive statement of intent.

The England U21 international has already been trusted with minutes for the Toffees. He came on in the Merseyside derby, replacing Iliman Ndiaye – a significant moment for a player tipped to play a long-term role in Moyes’ plans.

His signing was also strategically important, filling the right-wing berth vacated by Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom.

What sets Dibling apart is his well-rounded statistical profile.

He ranks in the 92nd percentile for fouls drawn (2.49 per 90) and an incredible 98th percentile for penalty kicks won (0.10 per 90), per FBref.

Defensively, he is remarkably diligent for a teenager, ranking in the 88th percentile for tackles in the midfield third (0.86) and in the 98th percentile for percentage of dribblers tackled (61.5%).

He also excels in blocking shots (96th percentile, 0.24 per 90) and consistently challenges defenders, ranking in the 87th percentile for attempted take-ons (5.28) and 81st percentile for successful take-ons (2.16).

This blend of defensive tenacity, attacking ambition, and technical flair makes Dibling one of the most intriguing prospects Everton have invested in for years.

His presence offers fans hope that the club’s commitment to youth will produce tangible results in the seasons to come.

Kieran Dowell was the one that got away

For every Dibling, however, there is a cautionary tale.

Kieran Dowell is one name that still lingers in Evertonian memory, though not for the reasons once hoped.

A product of the club’s academy, Dowell made his debut in 2014 at just 16 years old during a Europa League group stage.

His talent was evident early on, and he became part of the U23 squad that won the inaugural Premier League 2 title. Yet Dowell’s path never truly took flight at Goodison Park.

A series of loan spells followed, including stints at Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United, as Everton searched for the right environment for his development. Ultimately, he was unable to establish himself as a first-team regular, and in 2020, he departed permanently for Norwich City for £1.5m.

Now 27, Dowell is playing for Rangers in Scotland, where he has made six appearances this season, including three in Champions League qualifying.

During his time at Norwich, though, the left-footed attacking midfielder, who has a similar profile to Dibling, had some moments of pure quality, including the wonderful link-up with Emi Buendia in the clip below.

Journalist Alex Dicken once remarked that he “offers something different in the final third,” and indeed, Dowell’s creativity has been valued previously, with that creativity also on display in that strike against Huddersfield.

He also enjoyed a strong international youth career, representing England at every level up to the U21s, for whom he made 17 appearances, his last cap coming in 2019.

The hope will be that young Dibling’s trajectory ends differently, as another talented, young, left-footed playmaker, cementing Everton’s gamble on youth as the foundation for lasting progress.

Dowell showed great potential as a youngster and went on to showcase his quality with Norwich, winning the Championship in the 2020/21 campaign, which is why the Toffees may feel that they messed up by selling him for just £1.5m in 2020.

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