All posts by n8rngtd.top

Qualification scenarios: What Sri Lanka, Ireland and South Africa need to do to gain direct entry to the 2023 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2023South Africa’s hopes of direct qualification for the ODI World Cup later this year have suffered a setback after they were docked one point from their tally in the Super League standings for maintaining a slow over-rate during their defeat to England in the third ODI in Kimberley on Wednesday.Match referee Jeff Crowe imposed the sanction, finding Temba Bavuma’s team to be one over short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration. South Africa were also fined 20% of their match fee for the offence.South Africa are currently ninth with 78 points – they had 79 before the penalty – in the ODI Super League. The top eight teams gain automatic qualification to the 2023 World Cup, while the bottom five in the Super League will have to play the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier along with five Associate teams. Two teams from that qualifier will then progress to the World Cup and complete the line-up of ten contenders.Seven of the top eight spots in the Super League have already been taken by New Zealand, India, England, Pakistan, Australia, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The only spot that is still open is presently occupied by West Indies, who have 88 points, with South Africa (78), Sri Lanka (77) and Ireland (68) in the running as well.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Qualification scenarios for the 2023 World Cup

South Africa

Two wins for South Africa will take them to 98 points (barring any further over-rate penalties). Sri Lanka can go past them if they win all three ODIs in New Zealand, which is a tall order given that New Zealand have a 17-4 win-loss in home ODIs in the last four years. With South Africa being docked a point, Ireland can also catch up with them on 98 if they win all three matches against Bangladesh. In that case, net run rate will come into play (NRR is the second tie-breaker behind wins, but in such a scenario both teams would have the same number of wins).If the South Africa-Netherlands series ends 1-1, South Africa will finish level with West Indies, while Sri Lanka can move past them with two wins (or one win and two washouts).Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka will qualify for sure if they beat New Zealand 3-0 (or if they win 2-0 with one washout). However, if they lose a game, then they will depend on other results going their way: both South Africa and Ireland can go past them if they finish on 97.Ireland

They have two series three-match ODI series against Bangladesh on their calendar. One in March which doesn’t count towards the Super League and one in May which does. A 3-0 series win in that will take Ireland to 98 points, which will be enough for qualification if Sri Lanka don’t win all three games in New Zealand, and if Ireland finish ahead of South Africa (on points or NRR).West Indies

West Indies have completed their eight bilateral series in the Super League, and can only hope that none of the other teams in contention pass 88 points. Since the first tie-breaker is wins, West Indies would finish ahead of any of South Africa, Sri Lanka and Ireland if they finished level on points.For West Indies to make it, South Africa should lose at least once to Netherlands, Ireland should win at most twice, and Sri Lanka should win no more than one game in their remaining series.February 3 1800 GMT – This piece was updated to reflect that wins are the first tie-breaker, then net run-rate.

Gerard Pique was "brought to tears" during his trial over alleged fraud and corruption regarding regarding the Supercopa de Espana deal.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Pique's role under scrutiny over Supercup tender
• Kosmos has allegedly taken commissions of €10m
• Ex-defender pleaded innocence in his statement

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The case revolves around Pique’s company, Kosmos, which played a central role in securing an agreement to relocate the tournament to Saudi Arabia in collaboration with the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). The 37-year-old football icon has been accused of fraudulent business dealings and corruption, with authorities investigating whether he unfairly profited from the contract.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  According to , Kosmos earned more than €10 million (£8m/$11m) in commissions through the agreement, with €1.6m of that sum being paid to Pique himself earlier this year. Also implicated in the case is former RFEF president Luis Rubiales, who faces additional accusations of money laundering. While under questioning, Pique strongly refuted any wrongdoing, insisting that his role as a Barcelona player at the time of the deal had no bearing on the financial compensation he received.

  However, according to Pique did acknowledge that he had personally reached out to Rubiales for assistance in securing his payment after Saudi Arabian authorities initially failed to transfer the agreed funds. In response to controversies surrounding player involvement in business ventures with the federation, the RFEF has since implemented regulations preventing active footballers from engaging in commercial agreements with the governing body.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  During his statement, Pique became visibly emotional, with reports stating that he was on the verge of tears while addressing the court. With a trembling voice, the former defender expressed the emotional toll the case has taken on him, stating that the legal battle had caused him "enormous damage" both personally and professionally. He maintained that he had negotiated the best possible contract for the RFEF and insisted that he did not deserve the negative consequences he was facing. In a particularly striking comment, Pique suggested that his contributions to football were being overlooked, saying, "In another country, I would have a statue."

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Documents further reveal that the agreement stipulated it was "essential" for the RFEF to guarantee an annual commission of €4m (£3m/$4m) – a clause that has raised legal concerns. Rubiales and former interim RFEF president Pedro Rocha are also set to provide their testimonies.

  As proceedings continue, Pique’s legal team will seek to clear his name, arguing that all transactions were conducted transparently and within legal frameworks. However, the court’s final ruling could have significant implications for both Pique and the RFEF, particularly in light of recent efforts to reform governance and financial oversight within Spanish football.

These days every player is handled particular roles. Last season, Suryakumar Yadav was performing the finisher’s role. This season it is more flexible where he has been asked to bat in the middle order and play according to the match situation

Nagraj Gollapudi09-Apr-2015Even Jacques Kallis was impressed. Having an informal discussion about their dominant victory over Mumbai Indians on Wednesday evening at Eden Gardens, Kallis, now the Kolkata Knight Riders’ mentor, singled out Suryakumar Yadav’s dashing 46 that came off 20 balls and included five sixes. “Kallis was talking about batting, and suddenly he looked towards Surya and said, ‘Man, you’ve to teach me how to play that shot.'” Vijay Dahiya, Knight Riders’ assistant coach, says.That shot was the lap shot. Suryakumar unleashed that stroke immediately on taking guard when, off the second ball he faced, he quickly moved inside the line of a fuller-length ball from Vinay Kumar and flicked it over backward square leg for a six. Suryakumar made the shot appear effortless, but it was a stroke that sent the message to the bowler: I can hit you whatever you bowl.Regardless of the match situation, struggling or dominant, Suryakumar always wears the same face mask: a combination of bravado and confidence. “His body language is a huge plus point because he gives you the impression that he is always in control of things,” Dahiya says.Knight Riders were aware of the previous instances when they had lost the match from winning position despite having wickets in the bag. On Wednesday, they adapted quickly deciding not to stretch the match to the last over just because they had more batsmen like Shakib Al Hasan and a powerful hitter in Andre Russell yet to come.Manish Pandey triggered this positive approach which was taken further by Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir who trampled on the Mumbai Indians spin pair of Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha to swing the momentum quickly into the home team’s favour. But such a bold strategy has to be laced with risk. As Pandey lofted Harbhajan into the hands of Kieron Pollard at long-on, Suryakumar walked in quickly. It was a bit of surprise to see him bat ahead of Shakib, who was their fifth-highest run-scorer last season.But the move to promote Suryakumar was part of the plan. “At that time we wanted to send somebody who could rotate the strike and has ability to hit the big fours every over. And that is what you need in the middle overs. He is a very busy sort of a player,” Dahiya points out.These days, especially in compressed format like Twenty20, every player is handled particular roles. Last season Suryakumar was performing the finisher’s role. This season it is more flexible where he has been asked to bat in the middle order and play according to the match situation.Incidentally Yadav does not bat in the nets the day before the match. Instead, he sets himself a challenge while taking throwdowns from Dahiya. “We always plan. For example you are playing last 24 balls of an innings. He sets the target, say 35-45 runs.” And that is how Suryakumar puts on the match-face in the days leading to the actual match.Understanding your role is one thing. But coaches also value players who mature over the years and start taking their own decisions. Suryakumar has improved steadily from least season in that respect. “Let us not forget about the kind of knocks [he played] for us last year. The franchise values him so much because in those crunch situations where there is so much of a pressure he would go out and take off the pressure from the other guy as well,” Dahiya says. What also helps is Suryakumar is never shy to walk up to Gambhir or the coaching staff to figure out what his role is and what the team needs, so he is aware what is needed of him.One big reason last year’s IPL was a transformative one for Suryakumar also because the Knight Riders gave him continuity•BCCIAccording to Ajit Agarkar, former Mumbai and India fast bowler, who has led Suryakumar at Mumbai in first-class cricket, there is a marked difference between the way the youngster prepares in domestic cricket compared to the IPL. So Suryakumar’s ability to adapt across formats is one big change that people, who have seen for long, point out.According to Praveen Amre, the former Mumbai coach under whom Suryakumar made his Mumbai debut, for this format he has a distinct style. “He has his own approach. Even if opposition captains put fielders to challenge him to go for the lap shot, Surya still takes them on,” Amre said recently. When Amre returned to coach Mumbai last season after a gap of three years, he immediately noticed the change in Suryakumar. “He seems more calmer now.”When Suryakumar walked in to bat on Wednesday, the asking rate was nearly nine per over with Knight Riders needing 71 runs from the last eight overs. By the time Gambhir left, 48 runs were still needed from 34 deliveries. The very next ball Suryakumar flicked Mumbai’s young pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah over long leg for his second six. He would hit Bumrah for two further sixes and when Lasith Malinga tossed a full toss, Suryakumar lustily clubbed it for a straight six to reduce the margin to four runs from the final two overs.Domestic cricket brought Suryakumar to the notice of the franchises but it is at Knight Riders where he is polishing his skills especially in terms of mental discipline which he is steadily taking back to his Mumbai cricket. He is still far from a finished product. Having started off on a confident note as Mumbai captain last seaon, Suryakumar was asked to step down from the leadership position because of disciplinary measures.Last IPL Suryakumar remained unbeaten on five occasions, the most for an uncapped player. Out of those five times, Knight Riders finished thrice as winners – twice while batting first and once while chasing. He was also the only uncapped player to score 100-plus runs in the last five overs of the innings last year.Of all his innings the most crucial one came against Rajasthan Royals in Abu Dhabi. Knight Riders were under pressure at 85 for 3 while chasing 153. Only seven overs were left. The match finished in a tie with Suryakumar making 31 from 19 balls.One big reason last year’s IPL was a transformative one for Suryakumar also because Knight Riders gave him continuity. He was part of the group of players that played all 16 matches. This was in contrast to a single match he played during his three years at Mumbai Indians. “That [continuity] gives you confidence and a sense of responsibility and you think the team is banking on me and I need to go out and execute,” Dahiya says.Players like Suryakumar now understand that one good over is what can turn a match. A few bad balls from the opponent can swing momentum in your favour. Against Mumbai, batting on 26, having hit a six on the third ball off Bumrah, Suryakumar was hit on the helmet by a well-directed bouncer. The next ball Suryakumar stayed still, and when Bumrah delivered a full toss, Suryakumar sent it into the stands behind long-on. Nothing changed. No pressure.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers will be hoping that his players come back from the international break without any major injuries or incidents that affect how they perform for the club in the weeks to come.

He has already had to deal with a blow to Adam Idah, who withdrew from the Ireland squad before any matches took place, and it remains to be seen what the severity of that is.

The likes of Alistair Johnston, Anthony Ralston, Luis Palma, who scored two for Honduras against Mexico, and Arne Engels, among others, have already competed for their countries and avoided any issues.

However, one Celtic star had a night to forget – to put it lightly – as central defender Liam Scales was left embarrassed against England at Wembley.

Liam Scales' performance against England

The Ireland international lined up on the left side of a three-man central defensive unit, as part of a back five, against the Three Lions in the Nations League on Sunday.

Scales had a very strong start to the game and won four of his five duels, including one crunching challenge on England captain Harry Kane in the middle of the park.

The left-footed defender, however, was left embarrassed by Jude Bellingham, who was signed by Real Madrid for £88m in the summer of 2023, at the start of the second half.

As you can see in the clip above, the superstar midfielder sold the centre-back a dream with his first touch and tricked the Celtic dud into tripping him up, giving away a penalty.

That resulted in his second booking of the match and a red card, after he picked up a yellow card in the first half for delaying the restart, pushing the ball away with his hand before kicking it away moments later – forcing the referee’s hand.

Scales, who was handed a player rating of 5/10 by the Independent, was embarrassed by Bellingham and let his team down in the process.

The score was 0-0 at the time, in the 51st minute, and his side went on to be thrashed 5-0 with ten men in the second half.

What this could mean for Liam Scales

This could be bad news for the Irish flop after the international break if Cameron Carter-Vickers is back fit and available for selection against Hearts.

Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty were preferred as the first-choice centre-back pairing in the games against Aberdeen in the semi-final of the League Cup and against RB Leipzig in the Champions League, before Scales came back in against Kilmarnock as the former Spurs man missed out through injury.

His naive performance against England at Wembley will do little to show Rodgers that he should be his go-to centre-back alongside either Carter-Vickers or Trusty moving forward.

It is now down to the left-footed titan to return to Glasgow this week and show the manager that he can bounce back quickly and nail down a regular starting spot ahead of his positional rivals at Parkhead.

With games against Aberdeen and Club Brugge in the weeks to come, Scales will need to show Rodgers that he is not likely to repeat his Wembley howler on the biggest stages for the Hoops.

As well as Bernabei: Three players Celtic must cash in on in January

The three players Brendan Rodgers must look to move on in the next transfer window.

1

By
Dan Emery

Nov 16, 2024

Aston Villa are now winless in their last four games in all competitions after a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Club Brugge on Wednesday night.

This was Villa’s first loss in the Champions League this season, and it will be a result that stings for Unai Emery’s men, owing to the comical nature of Brugge’s winner.

Tyrone Mings was front and centre of the Belgian side’s laughable goal in the contest, with the experienced 31-year-old lackadasically scooping the ball up after an Emiliano Martinez goal-kick, only for the referee to point to the penalty spot.

Mings' performance in numbers

It was a huge lapse in concentration from the Villa number five, who would have just been glad to be back out on the pitch getting more minutes after a serious injury layoff, away from the incident at hand.

Still, Mings’ moment of madness ultimately cost his side the game, with his entire display going down as one to forget.

Away from this freak incident, Mings struggled across the 66 minutes he was present on the Brugge turf, with only one duel being won from five attempted sticking out as a sorry statistic from his hour or so on the pitch.

Pau Torres will hope he is reinstated into Emery’s main XI for the next game Villa play away at Liverpool this coming weekend, as the West Midlands side aim to put this dire 1-0 defeat behind them as quickly as possible.

Whilst Mings’ performance stole all of the headlines for all of the wrong reasons, he wasn’t the only notable underperformer on the night, as Morgan Rogers also failed to impress out in Belgium.

Rogers' performance in numbers

Rogers was a bright spark for Villa the match before this sobering Champions League loss, with the ex-Manchester City youngster bagging his side’s only goal of the game in a demoralising 4-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur in Premier League action.

The 22-year-old midfielder couldn’t raise any brief smiles in a similar manner away in Brugge, however, as Rogers failed to ever get going for his side on their European travels, with a drab 1-0 loss the unwanted final outcome.

Looking at the table above, Rogers was nowhere near his best against Nicky Hayen’s hosts, with only 29 touches mustered up amongst other worrying numbers.

Even Martinez in-between the sticks managed to register more touches at a hefty 46, as Rogers simply let the game pass him by far too often.

Alongside a meagre 26 touches, the out-of-sorts Villa number 27 also failed to notch up a single on-target effort at Simon Mignolet’s goal, as well as only managing one successful dribble and one successful duel, as Brugge celebrated their big win come full-time whilst Rogers and Co trudged off the pitch downbeat.

Goal journalist Harry Sherlock would give the 22-year-old a low 4/10 match rating ater the game consequently, labelling his display as ‘bitterly disappointing’ when contrasted with his usually electric displays for Emery’s men.

Villa are deep into a sticky patch of form now after last night’s defeat, with Emery wanting a major response when his Villans side travel to Liverpool next, in what could end up being another defeat for his despondent side.

Aston Villa had a star on loan who then became a "world-class" £50m ace

Aston Villa did not see the best version of the ace, who was then worth £50m.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 5, 2024

Since India’s line-up comes with a reputation for piling it on, South Africa want everyone firing, and Faf du Plessis is the batsman who needs igniting

Firdose Moonda in Melbourne20-Feb-2015A South African, an Australian and a cricket pitch. You think you know where this is going, right? Wrong.The protagonists were eye to eye but only for as long as it took for Michael Hussey to adjust the grill of Faf du Plessis’ helmet. The South African No. 3 may not let many Australians get that close to his face but Hussey is different.For much of the tail end of a lengthy training session – South Africa’s third in as many days – Hussey gave du Plessis throwdowns. “Start on a good length and then we can do a bit more,” du Plessis instructed. After a few deliveries, Hussey noticed something. He stopped delivering the ball, approached du Plessis, rearranged the helmet and then seemed to explain something about du Plessis’ head falling away as he stepped into his stroke.Those little things are what Hussey is there for as South Africa prepare for a crunch clash with India where they expect the battle lines to be drawn on batting prowess. Since India’s line-up comes with a reputation for piling it on, South Africa want everyone firing and du Plessis is the batsman who needs igniting.He last scored a century 13 innings ago, in the triangular tournament in Zimbabwe and although he has managed three half-centuries since then, he had a particularly poor tour of Australia last November. He scored just 97 runs across the five matches and was out to short balls three times, a delivery which rose off a length once and a slower ball delivered by Pat Cummins in the final game. His struggles seem to be in shot selection and that was what Hussey appeared to be assisting him with.But there would have been other things Hussey would have been talking to du Plessis about too. The Australian media have dubbed Hussey South Africa’s “anti-choking” coach, whose calm demeanour and patience they hope will rub off on a team which has proved pliable under pressure in the past. Du Plessis is one of the men who have cracked before, notably at the 2011 World Cup where he was involved in the on-filed scuffle and run-out which saw South Africa’s quarter-final chase unravel and even though he has matured much since then, he has not been tested under similar heat.If anyone has the advice which will cool him down, it will be Hussey. The duo are IPL team-mates whose relationship developed from competition for the same spot and has blossomed into a friendship celebrated with wine, appreciative tweets and now, net sessions.When Hussey was unavailable for Chennai Super Kings for the first half of the 2012 season because of international commitments, du Plessis was asked to replace him at the top of the order. He exceeded expectations and struck three fifties in 12 innings which caught the eye of even the South African selectors who saw the sense in deploying du Plessis higher up the order. It took time before the No. 3 spot become permanently available in both Tests and ODIs but in that time, du Plessis established himself, both at the IPL and as international cricketer.He made his Test debut in Adelaide and on the eve of the match, Hussey presented him with a bottle of some of his country’s best. Du Plessis may have thought he’d have to use it for drowning sorrows after Australia posted a towering 550, of which Hussey contributed a century. Instead, du Plessis drank the wine in celebration of his own maiden century and a saved Test.Later that summer, Hussey retired from Test cricket and du Plessis posted this: “Mike Hussey = Mr Cricket. Enough said.” His respect for his IPL team-mate was obvious, especially over the past three days in Melbourne.Hussey spent a lot of the first session he had with the team at St Kilda Cricket Club chatting with du Plessis and a significant part of the third working with him. Should it to translate into a big score come Sunday, South Africa will have another reason to eye a trophy come March 29. And the jibe about the South African, the Australian and the cricket pitch may be made a lot more times.

Coach pleased with “attacking mindset” after 8-0 sweep of ODI and T20I series in Caribbean

Alan Gardner23-Dec-2022Jon Lewis believes England’s clean sweep of their tour of the West Indies, on which they won eight internationals out of eight, showcased the team’s new “attacking mindset” – but said the real test would come when they are asked to stick to their approach in high-pressure moments, such as at the forthcoming Women’s T20 World Cup.Lewis, who took over as head coach last month, spoke before his first assignment about encouraging a more positive style of play, and was rewarded with a series of emphatic displays, as England won the ODI series 3-0 followed by a 5-0 result in the T20Is.They began with a bang, racking up 307 for 7 in the first ODI in Antigua, followed by scores of 260 and 256 – their three highest ODI totals in the Caribbean. They also made three of their four highest T20I scores in region, and finished the tour by dismissing West Indies for 43 – their lowest total in T20Is – on the way to an eight-wicket win completed inside the powerplay.Related

• Lewis: 'You don't coach gender, you coach people'

• Capsey suffers broken collarbone in fielding accident

• Dean and Bell sparkle again as England go 4-0 up

• Knight implores administrators to invest in women's internationals to counter franchise threat

• West Indies slump to record T20I low as England complete 5-0 sweep

“The thing I’ve been most pleased about is the way the girls have attacked their cricket and the mindset they’ve tried to adapt to,” Lewis said. “I’ve talked to a lot of them over the course of the tour and you can hear loud and clear the way they’re thinking and the way they’re trying to go about their business. That’s the most pleasing thing for me, the shift that they’ve made in terms of how they’ve tried to approach cricket, in terms of putting bowlers under pressure and taking wickets at every opportunity and also working really hard in the field.”I think regardless of the actual results in the games, the way that we’ve been able to attack our cricket and try and play the way that we want to play as a group has been really, really pleasing.”England were rarely pushed during the tour, with victories by 16 and 17 runs in the second and third T20Is respectively the closest West Indies came to halting their momentum, and Lewis was able to rotate his players in a bid to find out more about them just six weeks out from the World Cup.”Whilst the challenge of this tour hasn’t been as great as we would have probably liked, there’s still been some pressure moments in games where people stood up and took responsibility to do the job. There’s obviously greater challenges ahead of us. There’s some really good teams out there in women’s cricket. It’ll be exciting to see how they how they cope with those pressures.”I said I was more than happy to lose games on this tour as long as we shifted the way we wanted to play. And that’s the thing I’m most pleased about, the way that we’ve approached cricket, the attacking mindset they’ve taken into the games. I feel like it’s a real shift from what I’ve watched in the past and the times I think they’ve played safe. But there’s been a real shift in the in the group in the way they’re talking and the way they’re trying to grow their game.”With England expected to name their World Cup squad next month, there were impressive performances from the likes of Charlie Dean – whose 18 wickets across formats made her the most-successful bowled on tour – and Lauren Bell. Injuries to Alice Capsey and Freya Kemp were less welcome, but Lewis suggested that Capsey could still return from a broken collarbone in time to be selected.”I’m getting some really positive noises actually, which is a bit of a surprise to me once I’d heard what she’d done,” he said. “I didn’t realise that those injuries could heal as quickly as they can. So there’s some really positive noises coming out but she’s still got quite a way to go to make sure that she’s going to be fit and available for a World Cup. I think probably the hardest thing for her will be when she starts hitting the ground again, diving. So that’s probably just building her confidence in the work that’s been done on her collarbone. But as far as I know, from all the information I’ve got from the medical staff, she’s progressing really well.”As for England’s chances of pushing Australia, winners of the last three global limited-overs tournaments in women’s cricket, in South Africa in February, Lewis suggested that the group needed to stand up in “close moments” if they were going to achieve the success that has eluded them since the 2017 World Cup.”I would say that the biggest challenge ahead of us is maintaining our confidence and belief in the way we’re going to play,” he said. “So when the pressure ramps up, when you get bigger games, you are put under more pressure by the opposition – then the ability to hold on to the belief and trust that the way that we’re trying to play our cricket will work. So that’s I think our biggest challenge, but that will only come with time, and probably wins and losses. Just opportunities to put themselves under more pressure in moments and games, and show how talented they actually are.”It’s really it’s interesting to think about how to judge this tour. Did West Indies play like they did because of how we played or were West Indies in that position prior to the tour anyway. What part did we play on the way West Indies played? You would like to think the pressure that we put on them made them worse. This team’s done stuff in the West Indies that no other England team has done, broken a lot of records while they’ve been out here. There’s [been] contributions from individuals that they haven’t done before. So it’s whether or not we can we can just maintain that belief and confidence in in how we want to go about business.”

The young fullback carries on his family's sporting legacy with a memorable first goal for Orlando City SC.

• Freeman nets first MLS goal in 4-2 win over Toronto FC
• 20-year-old homegrown player makes first MLS start
• Orlando City SC faces New York City FC next in the league

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games now

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED

  Alex Freeman, the 20-year-old son of former NFL receiver Antonio Freeman, scored his first Major League Soccer goal in Orlando City SC's 4-2 victory over Toronto FC on March 1. The young fullback, making his first MLS start since signing as a homegrown player in 2022, doubled Orlando's lead in the 35th minute with a well-placed shot. The goal had head coach Oscar Pareja excited at the American’s future and he believes that the 20-year-old can become one of the best full-backs he has seen.

  “It’s great news. Not just for Orlando City and our academy and the people who have developed him during his years, the coaches and family, but Alex [Freeman] today. He just demonstrated one more time something we see in the training ground, and it is that he’s ready,” Pareja said. “It is that he can become one of the best fullbacks in this country. I don’t have any doubt about that. Now scoring goals shows me that he’s not timid on playing this game for his age. I’m very pleased and very happy for Alex and I think Orlando has a bright future in that position with him.”

Advertisement

• WATCH THE CLIP

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Alex Freeman, a homegrown defender for Orlando City SC, was signed in February 2022 and has been part of Orlando's supplemental roster. He made his debut for the club in the 2023 season but played a total of only 10 minutes in the 2023 and 2024 combined. However, so far, things have changed in the 2025 season as Freeman has made a significant breakthrough, featuring in two matches so far. He played 34 minutes as a substitute in the season opener against Philadelphia Union, which ended in a 4-2 loss. His first start came in the second match against Toronto FC, where he played the full 90 minutes and even scored his first MLS goal for the club in a 4-2 win.

  “I mean, it's a dream. I couldn't think of anything better – first start, first goal. Obviously, I'm going to be in there, making runs in behind and trying to get on goal. Then, the ball just came, and when I scored, I didn't even know what to do. I was just running around like an animal so yeah it just means the world, especially that my family could be there as well," Freeman said about his goal.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT’S NEXT?

  The win over Toronto FC pushes Orlando City SC slightly up the table as they now sit in sixth place on the Eastern Conference table, three points behind leaders Philadelphia Union. The Lions go on the road next with back-to-back away games against New York City FC at the Yankee Stadium on March 9 and then the New York Red Bulls at the Sports Illustrated stadium on March 16.

Warner will be able to apply to a three-person review panel to have his lifetime leadership ban modified

Alex Malcolm21-Nov-2022David Warner can now formally apply to have his lifetime leadership ban modified after Cricket Australia’s board amended its code of conduct policy.Warner was previously unable to hold a captaincy position in Australian cricket after being handed a lifetime ban as a result of 2018’s ball-tampering scandal and under the previous code of conduct, players do not have the right to have a sanction reviewed once it has been accepted.But the CA board requested a code of conduct review at the October board meeting to be conducted by CA’s head of integrity Jacqui Partridge.CA released a statement on Monday outlining that the recommendations of that review have been accepted and granted formal approval, with Warner now able to apply to have his ban modified.Related

• Warner – 'I'm not a criminal. You should get the right of an appeal'

• Warner eyes Test retirement within a year

• Warner's captaincy ban step nearer to being overturned

“Under the changes, players and support staff can now apply to have long-term sanctions modified,” the statement said.”Any applications will be considered by a three-person Review Panel, comprising independent Code of Conduct Commissioners, which must be satisfied that exceptional circumstances exist to justify modifying a sanction.”These circumstances and considerations will include whether the subject of the sanction has demonstrated genuine remorse; the subject’s conduct and behaviour since the imposition of the sanction; whether rehabilitation programs have been completed undertaken (if applicable) and the length of time that has passed since the sanction was imposed and whether sufficient time has passed to allow for reform or rehabilitation.”The code of conduct states this process: ‘Acknowledges that Players and Player Support Personnel are capable of genuine reform or rehabilitation and is intended to provide the Player or Player Support Personnel with an opportunity to resume their previously held positions or responsibilities in specific circumstances.'”The hearing of an application is not an appeal, or a review of the original sanction imposed.”Warner, 36, has been keen on returning to a leadership role having captained in the IPL since his CA leadership ban. He spoke recently about being keen to help Sydney Thunder in a leadership capacity on his return to the BBL.Warner also hinted that he was keen to play international cricket through until the 2024 T20 World Cup, with Australia likely to need a new T20I captain for that tournament.

The relationship between Phil Parkinson and Paul Mullin is 'not right' after a 'crazy' omission of the striker, according to a former Wrexham star.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Mullin hasn't featured since January
• Can't even make the bench
• Former star claims it's 'crazy'

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Club hero Mullin has not featured for the Red Dragons since January 28, not even making the bench for five consecutive matches. The striker has scored 110 goals in 171 matches for the club on their rise from non-league to League One, and former midfielder Waynne Phillips is not impressed by Parkinson's decision to repeatedly leave him out.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Wrexham signed two strikers in January as they attempt to hunt down Wycombe and win automatic promotion from League One this season. Jay Rodriguez arrived from Burnley and Sam Smith came in from Reading, while Steven Fletcher and Jack Marriott are being preferred to Mullin on the substitutes' bench.

• WHAT PHILLIPS SAID

  Phillips, who played for Wrexham in two spells between 1989-98 and 1999-2003, said: "For me there's something not right – to not have Paul Mullin in and around the squad seems a little bit crazy. But Phil Parkinson is the manager. He has done particularly well for Wrexham over the last two or three seasons and you have to accept that he is the man who picks the side."

• Getty Images News
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Mullin has been Wrexham's superhero under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney but it appears they are aiming to win promotion without him. Parkinson's side head to Mansfield on Saturday sitting five points behind Wycombe, with leaders Birmingham likely uncatchable.