And they’ll have to balance those aims with that of winning the series which is tied after two games

The Preview by Arun Venugopal in Mohali22-Oct-20161:10

‘Goal is to win the series’ – Southee

Match facts

Sunday, October 23, 2016
Start time 1330 local (0800 GMT)Landscape-gazing from an airplane window is a fascinating exercise, mostly because the topography of each city tells its own story. While Dharamsala has gorgeously irregular shapes, with its jagged hills and silent valleys, Delhi’s tightly-packed clusters paint a chaotic visual. New Zealand’s performance in the first two ODIs mirrored these patterns.There was one big innings in between several small ones in Dharamsala. Then the bowlers banded together and found redemption in a panicky finish in Delhi. The 1-1 scoreline may offer temporary respite, but for New Zealand to pull ahead their batting needs to go beyond the twin-prongs of Tom Latham and captain Kane Williamson. Should they replicate the consistency of Chandigarh’s neatly carved, symmetric landscape in their performances, they would have done their job.India, on the other hand, won’t worry over the Delhi loss. MS Dhoni’s grouse about the absence of big partnerships may be justified, but the middle and lower-middle orders didn’t look entirely out of depth. Kedar Jadhav was very good before Hardik Pandya’s bravado, in the company of Umesh Yadav, almost took them home. India will want to win the series, but in making allowance for the younger players to make mistakes, learn from them and find their feet in their respective roles, they could also keep the bigger picture of the Champions Trophy in mind.

Form guide

India LWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
New Zealand WLWLW

In the spotlight

Kedar Jadhav has provided excellent value for money in this series. He is very new to the role of part-time bowler but has delivered wickets on order in both the games. Then he smashed a 37-ball 41 on a sluggish Kotla surface where batsmen struggled to score quickly. If Jadhav could be moulded into a finisher alongside Pandya, he would count as among India’s biggest gains from this series.Tom Latham has the most runs for New Zealand on the tour. He also has the most fifties. While he carried his bat in Dharamsala, his dismissal against the run of play in Delhi slowed down his team’s scoring rate. With the middle order not pulling its weight, Latham will be expected to bat deep into the innings again.Kedar Jadhav has been making the most of his run with the team•BCCI

Team news

India’s media manager Nishant Arora confirmed Suresh Raina, who has been recovering from a fever, wasn’t travelling with the squad. This could mean Jadhav getting an extended run in the middle order. Rohit Sharma trained with no apparent discomfort after he seemed to suffer a cramp in his left arm during the second ODI.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Ajinkya Rahane, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Manish Pandey, 5 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Amit Mishra, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Jasprit BumrahJames Neesham was seen having a long bowl in the nets. With the Mohali pitch not as dry as Delhi’s, he might come in place of Anton Devcich. Tim Southee ruled out resting Trent Boult or Matt Henry as part of New Zealand’s workload-management strategy for the rest of the series. New Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Tom Latham, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Corey Anderson, 6 Luke Ronchi (wk), 7 James Neesham/Anton Devcich, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Matt Henry

Pitch and conditions

Southee said he was pleased to see some grass on the pitch in Mohali, although not much could be read into that considering the venue has traditionally been good for batting in ODIs. In the afternoon, head curator Daljeet Singh and Dhoni were seen having a long chat, following which the light roller was used on the pitch.

Stats and trivia

• India have won three of their last four ODIs in Mohali
• MS Dhoni needs 22 runs to become the third wicketkeeper to 9000 runs in ODIs. Kumar Sangakkara and Adam Gilchrist are the other two.
• Kane Williamson has the highest aggregate (396 runs) for a New Zealand batsman in a five-match ODI series. Ross Taylor is second on the list with 375 runs. Both batsmen achieved this during New Zealand’s tour to England last year.

Quotes

Ross [Taylor] has had a difficult Test series, but he is a class batsman. Every cricketer goes through form slumps. He is obviously disappointed and he wants to leave with runs. We know there is a big score around the corner for him.
Anil [Kumble] doesn’t talk a lot about technique, but mentally he helps a lot. He talks a lot about the mental frame of mind even when you are not playing in the XI. His batting tips to tailenders, especially, have been very crucial as well.

What happens next for EA Sports following their split from FIFA? Well, the potential is 'limitless'

EA Sports FC will hit screens across the world in 2023 in what will be EA Sports' first football video game title since their split from long-standing partner FIFA in 2022.

The conclusion of a three-decade-long association sparked plenty of intrigue in the community, with fans of the famous FIFA franchise now eagerly anticipating what EA has in store.

EA Sports Vice President of Brand, David Jackson, recently spoke to the Footballco Business Podcast about what the future holds for the new game and his excitement about the "limitless" potential he feels has now opened up for them since the parting of ways with FIFA.

Here, GOAL brings you a few things we learned from the conversation.

Getty'Limitless potential' of EA Sports FC

The split from FIFA has ostensibly freed EA Sports up in a business sense and, accordingly, they are now much more flexible in terms of how they can respond to the desires and needs of the gamers who play their game. Crucially, this has facilitated a 'mindset shift' among the creative teams as they seek to expand horizons.

"We think that the growth potential there is immense," Jackson told the . "We now have limitless potential to explore new areas that some of our players are already asking for, in terms of the ability to maybe integrate broadcast highlights or content, or different access points into the game, different modes within our product is really interesting.

"But the main one – the one that we've spoken most meaningfully about with our studio team – is that it's a shift in mindset. You know, you move away from renting the farm for so long then you begin to own it and you think differently about how you curate that experience and how you build it. There are no limits on the imagination of our creative teams now and that manifests in a few ways.

"FIFA, as I said, was a fantastic partner and it authenticated and verified our platform very early on in our existence as being the de facto, authentic football experience. But, as the scope and scale of our business grows, we need to have freedom of genre, modality of play, or platform choices for our great football experience."

This means that EA Sports now has "the opportunity to explore the broadest possible dimensions of global fandom" within their game, with avenues also potentially opening up in terms of apparel, consumer goods and the realm of technology broadcast.

AdvertisementEA SportsInspiration behind new triangle logo

In any rebrand, configuring the most striking and memorable logo is a key aspect and EA Sports FC has settled on a triangular motif. So where did that particular three-pronged theme come from?

Total football, tiki-taka and Ted Lasso have all formed part of the conversation since the launch of the new logo, as Jackson explains: "Triangles are the language of the beautiful game, when you think of [Johan] Cruyff, Pep [Guardiola] and all the stuff Ted [Lasso] imagined in his weird fever dream (a reference to the tactical revelation that comes to Coach Lasso in season three).

"When we spoke to our studio team and they were talking about the triangle idea, one of the guys actually said that the very atomic unit of our game – the smallest polygon that makes up the game – they're all triangular.

"Then the very obvious one is the player indicator symbol that sits above every athlete's head in every game and that was the one that really nailed it for us. That's a symbol that is unique to our platform. Even if you put a triangle above the heads of players on a highlight reel, it would start to look like FIFA."

EA SPORTSWomen's football 'phenomenally important'

A lot more emphasis has been placed on women's football in recent iterations of FIFA and that will expand in EA Sports FC, so it is likely that we will see even more women's teams and players in the game.

Jackson said: "It's phenomenally important for us that we elevate and accelerate women's football through our platform. I think the opportunity is immense and the opportunity for us to establish a platform for women's football to grow and scale is meaningful."

He added: "There's lots of new content coming to the platform. Even in FIFA 23, we added a bunch of leagues and we'll continue to do that. People can expect that to grow and scale because we think that we can access a brand new demographic through that content and we can serve players with the content that they love and they're beginning to kind of start a lifelong love affair with those leagues."

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GettyJoin the Club

In naming the new game 'EA Sports FC', the rebrand invites players to "join the club". In essence, in a world where loyalties increasingly lie with individual players, EA is privileging a community connection.

"Interestingly, the EA Sports FC name has been with us since 2011," says Jackson. "FC is a constant in the world of football, it's a fairly universally translatable suffix for a football club. The thinking and the theory has been with us for a while."

Mushfiqur Rahim, the Bangladesh captain, said his team retained the belief they could win the second Test when England reached 100 without loss at tea

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Oct-2016Mushfiqur Rahim, the Bangladesh captain, said his team retained the belief they could win the second Test, even when England reached 100 without loss at tea. What followed was an extraordinary final session in which England lost all ten wickets for 64, offspinner Mehedi Hasan taking 6 for 77 to finish with the best match figures by a Bangladesh bowler, as they secured their most famous Test victory.Bangladesh responded immediately after the interval when Ben Duckett, who had played aggressively for a maiden Test fifty, was beaten on the back foot by Mehedi and just 22 overs later the same bowler trapped Steven Finn lbw to spark wild celebrations.”It’s a great moment for Bangladesh cricket, the Test was up and down, you didn’t know which team was going to win but the boys the really showed their character at 100 for none,” Mushfiqur said. “We believed if we got one wicket in those conditions it’s very tough for the new batsman.”The coach was a bit fired up, we didn’t bowl that well before tea, but after that they realised if they bowled in good areas rather than chasing wickets it would be better. The wicket also behaved a bit differently after the new ball.”Mehedi came into the series with a big reputation after copious success at Under-19 level, but Mushfiqur admitted his Man-of-the-Series performance exceeded all expectations “We knew he was going to shine but not like this, he’s also a good batsman but didn’t show that and hopefully he’ll be a great allrounder for Bangladesh.”Bangladesh’s next cricket is the tour of New Zealand which starts in December and includes two Test matches in the New Year. Mushfiqur acknowledged that the next stage in Bangladesh’s development is to bring the improvements seen at home over the last two years to challenges in foreign climes.”In the last two years we’ve played well at home, but our next challenge is overseas,” he said. “We have to adapt really well. You can’t get home conditions everywhere. We are getting there, hopefully if we play more Tests there will be more good results. Hopefully the ICC and other boards will send us series against the big boys. I also want to say thanks to the ECB for coming and the security teams. Now it’s party time.”While Alastair Cook was still trying to take stock of the size of England’s collapse, he was able to reflect on the bigger picture of Bangladesh’s success. “People need to come here and play cricket,” he said. “You can see their development. At home they will be a tough side to beat. They have a lot of good spinners. It’s not easy for me to say, but it’s a good win for Bangladesh cricket. Maybe some things are bigger than one game.”

Daniel Vettori, the former New Zealand spinner, has joined Middlesex on a three-year contract to serve as the club’s head coach for the T20 Blast

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Dec-2016Daniel Vettori, the former New Zealand spinner, has joined Middlesex on a three-year contract to serve as the club’s head coach for the T20 Blast.Vettori, 37, is currently head coach of Brisbane Heat in Australia’s Big Bash, and occupies the same position with Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League.He will be in charge of Middlesex T20 playing strategy and will work alongside Richard Scott, the club head coach, and Richard Johnson and David Houghton, the club’s two assistant coaches, to prepare the side for the Blast campaign.”I am very excited about the opportunity to be involved with Middlesex in their pursuit of a T20 title,” said Vettori. “Like all players I loved every opportunity to visit Lord’s and that won’t be any different as a coach but the main reason for my desire to be involved was the quality of the Middlesex playing squad. There is talent and experience in all facets of their game and I look forward to complementing their skills and all the fantastic work the current coaching staff has done.”Middlesex finished third in the South Group last season, before losing to the eventual winners, Northamptonshire, in their quarter-final at Wantage Road.”I am delighted Daniel has agreed to join us as T20 Coach and am very much looking forward to working closely with him and tapping in to his expertise,” said Scott. “At Middlesex we pride ourselves on giving all the players the best possible support to develop as cricketers and people, and this is further indication that everyone at the club is driven to back up this year’s Championship success by competing and winning on all fronts.”Angus Fraser, Middlesex CCC’s Managing Director of Cricket, said: “As a club we are always looking to improve and signing Daniel will only strengthen what is already an outstanding coaching unit. Cricket is becoming ever more specialised. The skills required by players in the different forms of the game are wide-ranging – why should coaching be any different?”We spoke to a number of people before signing Daniel and everyone was extremely positive about him not just as a coach, but as a person too. His values and outlook match those of Middlesex CCC and we are all looking forward to working with him.”

Al-Ittihad are reportedly ready to test Liverpool’s resolve with a €150 million (£129m/$162m) bid for Mohamed Salah before the summer window closes.

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• Egyptian forward wanted in Middle East
• Has a contract through to 2025
• Big-money offer about to be tabled

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Egypt international forward is tied to a contract at Anfield through to 2025 and has expressed no desire in public to walk away from that deal. There have, however, been reports of his head being turned by interest from Saudi Arabia.

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• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  According to , Al-Ittihad – who already have Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema on their books – are preparing a big-money bid for Salah. They will also put a contract proposal to the 31-year-old that would bring him in line with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar in the salary stakes.

• AND WHAT'S MORE

  Such a deal would smash the Saudi transfer record, with the bid worth £86m ($108m) in guaranteed payments and £43m ($54m) in performance-related bonuses. Liverpool have no intention of sanctioning a sale, but their hand may be forced if Salah decides that he does want to enter into talks.

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Al-Ittihad are looking to bring more marquee additions onto their books ahead of the 2023 FIFA World Club Cup – which will be staged in Saudi Arabia this December – with there also reports of them mulling over a move for former Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain defender Sergio Ramos, who remains a free agent at 37 years of age.

Yorkshire and their rugby league counterparts, Leeds Rhinos, have appealed to Leeds City Council to give the go-ahead to their Headingley development next month, in order for the clubs to benefit from the staging of the World Cup in 2019 and the Rugby League World Cup two years later.The new stand, on the rugby side of the ground, would serve both sports and is seen as essential in raising Headingley to a necessary standard to attract the sort of fixtures that will make the ground financially viable.A positive outcome in a council planning committee meeting on January 12 is deemed essential as Yorkshire press for the same level of political support in Leeds as has been displayed by other major cities in the UK including Cardiff, where backing from the Welsh Assembly has been integral to the ground’s international status, Birmingham and Manchester.Plans to replace the decrepit rugby stand, part of which is now condemned for safety reasons, were baulked when planning officers rejected two linked residential planning applications in the Leeds suburbs of Weetwood and Tingley, on land owned by Leeds Rhinos, which were contributing essential funds to the overall cost of delivering the stadium project.After emergency discussions with council chiefs, that application has now been withdrawn, pending further discussions with both the council and the community. Rhinos representatives did not help themselves when they failed to attend a community meeting after receiving confidential council advice that they would face a hostile reception.Leeds Council’s own calculations are that they need 70,000 new homes in the city by 2028.Both Yorkshire and Leeds Rugby are still hopeful that a solution to the funding requirements of the Headingley scheme can be found.Yorkshire’s chief executive, Mark Arthur, said: “It is essential that a solution is found in order to deliver international cricket to Leeds beyond 2019, and we are working tirelessly with Leeds City Council and Leeds Rhinos to that end.”The new stand is phase two of a six-stage plan known, with characteristic Yorkshire , as the Headingley Masterplan. The stand will incorporate a three-tiered seating area, which will accommodate 5060 seats, enhanced corporate facilities and a new media area.Leeds Rugby’s chief executive Gary Hetherington said: “To deliver the £39m Headingley Carnegie Stadium redevelopment, which everyone wants, we have to find a solution to the funding issue.”

West Ham United are lining up a loan move for Manchester United attacker Amad Diallo, according to a recent report from The Northern Echo.

Who is Amad Diallo?

Man United agreed a deal to sign Diallo from Atalanta for £19m back in the January of 2021, with former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer describing him as "one of the most exciting young prospects in the game."

Solksjaer also added that the 20-year-old has the "raw attributes" to become an "important player" for the Red Devils, however he has been sent out on loan to gain some first-team experience, making a name for himself at Sunderland last season.

The Ivory Coast international played a vital role for the Mackems in their unexpected push for the Championship play-offs, making a total of 37 appearances, and he has now attracted the interest of West Ham.

According to a report from The Northern Echo, the Hammers are lining up a loan move for the young forward, who could be sent out on loan again next season, in order to continue his development.

The Irons hierarchy are planning a summer overhaul of a squad that struggled in the Premier League in the 2022-23 campaign, but they are not the only club interested in the former Sunderland loanee, with Everton and Burnley also said to be keen.

The Black Cats would love to sign the youngster, however they can only offer him Championship football, which is likely to hinder their chances.

How many goals has Diallo scored?

The starlet scored 14 goals in all competitions last season, the highest number of any Sunderland player, most often being utilised on the right-wing, however he displayed his versatility by filling in at both attacking midfield and striker.

It is fair to say the £28k-per-week attacker made a positive impression on loan at Sunderland, with journalist Josh Bunting hailing him as "special", while also describing him as a "joy to witness" and "one of the best players" they've had in years.

The Man United ace is also more than capable of pitching in defensively, ranking in the 94th percentile for interceptions per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers playing at a similar level.

Having performed so well in the Championship last season, Diallo has undoubtedly earned the opportunity to test himself in the top flight, and West Ham should table an offer in the coming weeks.

Glasgow Rangers will certainly miss Alfredo Morelos, despite his sharp drop-off in the previous few seasons. The Colombian striker scored 124 goals across just 269 games for the Ibrox side, yet his final two campaigns saw him net only 30 times, looking like a shadow of his former self at times.

Michael Beale decided not to offer him an extended contract, along with Ryan Kent and three others, and in time, it could perhaps be looked upon as the best choice for both parties.

With his departure, the Light Blues will require some attacking reinforcements ahead of next term, especially with Celtic racing away with the Premiership title last season, scoring 21 more goals than the Gers, an area which needs vast improvement.

The club have been linked with a move for West Bromwich Albion striker Karlan Grant according to Mirror journalist Darren Witcoop, who tweeted: “West Brom will listen to offers for striker Karlan Grant this summer. Grant has Championship admirers while Scottish side Rangers have registered an interest. Grant signed a six-year deal when he joined the Baggies for £15m in 2020 but he can now leave Albion.”

The forward is now valued at €4.5m (£4m) by Football Transfers and with three years left on his current deal, Beale may have to pay this sort of fee to secure his signature.

Could Karlan Grant replace Alfredo Morelos at Rangers?

Like Morelos, Grant had a fairly underwhelming 2022/2023 season, scoring just five times for the Baggies across all competitions, however, this shouldn’t put Beale off a potential move.

During 2021/2022, Grant netted 18 goals and grabbed six assists across 44 Championship matches, demonstrating how effective he can be in front of goal, while ranking first in the West Brom squad for goals, scoring frequency and big chances created as well as ranking second for shots per game, clearly suggesting his attacking talents were the best in the squad and if he could replicate this sort of form in Scotland, Grant could cause havoc for opposition defenders.

Presenter Colin Murray lauded the striker for being “clutch”, such is his talent for scoring vital goals and Beale would love a forward who could arrive at Ibrox and hit the ground running straight away.

77 goals and 22 assists in 274 matches isn’t the most prolific strike rate in the world, however his ability to float between a centre-forward role and coming just off the left wing means he can offer more than just goals for this Rangers side next season, with one of his key strengths being his ability to cut inside effectively as per WhoScored.

There will likely be more than one attacking option joining the club this summer, however, signing Grant, should remain top of the priority list, especially considering Beale lured Todd Cantwell to Ibrox following a disappointing six-month spell for Norwich in the Championship and he has already shone – bagging six goals and four assists in just 16 Premiership appearances.

Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic is close to agreeing personal terms with Manchester City ahead of a summer transfer, Fabrizio Romano has revealed.

What's the latest on Mateo Kovacic?

The 29-year-old has one year left on his contract at Stamford Bridge, and the potential arrival of Manuel Ugarte, following the January signing of Enzo Fernandez, means that he has become a more expendable asset at Chelsea.

Man City first registered their interest earlier this season, and it seems that a deal to bring the Croatia international to the Etihad Stadium is progressing well.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano revealed that the midfielder and City are close to an agreement on personal terms.

"The agreement between Mateo Kovacic and Manchester City over personal terms is really close," he stated.

"More will follow in the next days, Chelsea and Man City will speak so I will keep you posted. The deal is advanced, the agreement is close between the player and Man City, waiting on the two clubs but nothing will happen today."

Should Chelsea sell Kovacic?

With one year remaining on his deal, and Chelsea need to sell players to comply with financial fair play, Kovacic is a player who may have to be sacrificed regardless of whether incoming manager Mauricio Pochettino would like to keep him.

The £100k-per-week star made 37 appearances across all competitions this season, but drew criticism from Chelsea fans for some of his performances as the Blues suffered a disastrous campaign, finishing in the bottom half of the table.

City moving for Kovacic could be an indication that midfielder Ilkay Gundogan is set to depart, and they will be landing a vastly experienced player who has won multiple Champions League titles with Real Madrid and Chelsea.

Kovacic has made 221 appearances for Chelsea since joining in 2018, and could still be a useful asset under Pochettino alongside Ugarte and Fernandez, but if there is no sign of a new contract, then a sale this summer is the best possible outcome.

The Croatian ranks in the top ninth percentile of midfielders for progressive passes as per FBref, having also attempted on average 70 passes per game.

Failing to qualify for Europe means that Chelsea need to desperately trim their squad, and given their focus on younger players in the market, selling the 29-year-old suits all parties involved, as Kovacic will be able to play in the Champions League under Pep Guardiola.

The club has built quite a foundation with three massive signings, but those signings will need complementary pieces to let them thrive.

Inter Miami have spent the last few weeks assembling the Barcelona All-Stars. David Beckham's side is collecting Camp Nou icons like Infinity Stones. The club's got three now – Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba – if they can add Luis Suarez and Andres Iniesta, they may just snap the rest of MLS out of existence.

It's an exciting prospect, of course. The players the club has signed and may sign in the weeks to come are players that have played, and won, at the highest level. They're some of the best at their respective positions in a generation. How could they not thrive in MLS?

Building a winning team isn't that simple, though. MLS is no longer a retirement league and, even when it was, the league was tough to those that treated it like it was. Several of the game's greats have struggled once arriving in North America, overwhelmed by the pace of play, travel, weather and more.

That's not to say that Inter Miami's new superheroes will struggle too. They're great players with great mindsets that appear to be arriving in MLS with the best of intentions. However, Miami's path to success may not really be determined by Messi, Busquets and Alba, but rather the pieces they put around them. This club is in last place in the Eastern Conference, after all. There's so much work to be done from top to bottom.

Miami have made the big signings – and boy, have they been big – but how they go about uplifting the rest of their squad will ultimately define this team over the next few years.

GettyA general history lesson

MLS has had a long list of stars arrive since Beckham broke the mold back in 2007. Players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thierry Henry, David Villa and Robbie Keane have dominated the league, showing why they were top stars during their time in Europe.

Others, though, have struggled, particularly in Busquets' position in midfield. Players like Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Andrea Pirlo – all icons of the game – had rough experiences after arriving in MLS at the ends of their careers.

NYCFC, who signed Villa, Lampard and Pirlo for their inaugural season, learned their lessons quickly. With Lampard and Pirlo together in midfield, the club had no legs in the center of the park. Defensively, Lampard and Pirlo simply couldn't keep up, with the former often injured, and NYCFC's midfield unit looked like a glorified traffic cone because of it.

Gerrard, meanwhile, struggled to keep up with the pace of play in the league, admitting the whole experience was tougher than he expected.

“It’s a lot better than I initially thought,” Gerrard told Eurosport International. “A lot of people talk about the MLS, about the level, but for me a lot of them are wrong. Until you come here and sample it yourself, you see how strong it is and how fit and professional the players are.

"Every single game is a different challenge. On the road, you come up against places and teams where it is very hot and very humid. Some teams play on astroturf. So, each game is very tricky and very difficult."

He added: “If people think they can come here just to have a holiday and retire, they are wrong, because they won’t perform well and they won’t do their team justice. I have had to come here and work hard and get fit, to make sure that I keep performing to play well.”

AdvertisementGettyModern times

Much has changed since Gerrard, Lampard and Pirlo left the league. MLS has only gotten younger, better and faster.

The average age of players in MLS is about 26 years old, with La Liga's being about 27. Homegrown players are popping up all over MLS, while the Designated Player rule is now often being used to target young, high-upside rising stars.

Players like Miguel Almiron, Taty Castellanos and Jhon Duran have been signed and solid for late transfer fees. Homegrown stars like Alphonso Davies, Ricardo Pepi, Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson are playing at a top level in Europe, too. Jesus Ferreira, Thiago Almada and Riqui Puig, meanwhile, are all young stars dominating in the here and now.

The league has rapidly evolved from a retirement league to a talent developer, with the league finding a new place in the global marketplace thanks to the rise of young stars like those named.

That's not to say there hasn't been a place for veteran stars. This isn't an absolute by any stretch. Familiar faces like Xherdan Shaqiri, Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez, Lorenzo Insigne and Christian Benteke are in the league, after all. At the end of the day, there are different approaches to roster building and team construction, leaving a place for teams to add strong, veteran leadership in the form of older stars.

None of those named, though, are Messi, Busquets or Alba. That trio is as decorated as it comes. Still, all three will face some challenges in Miami.

Getty ImagesA look at Messi

MLS is one of the few leagues in modern soccer that still plays with a good ole' fashioned No. 10. The league is littered with them, many of them Argentinian. Luciano Acosta, Emmanuel Reynoso and Sebastian Driussi are all excellent. Carles Gil and Lucas Zelarayan do unthinkable things from an attacking midfield position.

Messi is undoubtedly better than all of those mentioned above. None of those players are even close to the World Cup winner. Messi is, obviously, a different level of player, one that just won everything in Qatar and could take home the Ballon d'Or.

On the field, Messi should, generally, be just fine. It remains to be seen if Tata Martino plays him as a winger or centrally but, either way, he'll have license to drift. He'll have to deal with some physicality from the lesser-talented players he'll be facing, but it's nothing he hasn't dealt with before while playing for Argentina, PSG and Barcelona.

Still, Miami could run into the problems PSG faces often throughout Messi's run. With Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar leading the attack, the club got zero pressing from its front three. Argentina's team, meanwhile, was built around Messi, famously giving him a "bodyguard" in Rodrigo de Paul who would do the running for him.

That'll be key to getting the most of Messi: surrounding him with players who can run. And that leads us to Busquets…

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Getty ImagesIs Busquets the right fit?

There's no doubting Busquets quality. He's perhaps the most underrated player of his generation. As No.6s go, there are few who can go toe-to-toe with the ex-Barcelona man. There is that famous quote from Vicente del Bosque explaining his magic: "You watch the game, you do not see Busquets. You watch Busquets, you see the whole game."

The big problem, though, is that Busquets' big moments with Del Bosque came at the 2010 World Cup. In the years since, Busquets has been incredible, but time comes for us all.

Busquets is now 35 and very much on the tail end of his career. He was never known as an elite athlete, which makes his decline significantly more manageable. He was known, though, as an elite thinker, which is what has always drawn him to the brightest minds the game has to offer. That footballing intelligence won't abandon him anytime soon.

Still, there are some things you can't think your way out of. Busquets' talents can only go so far, especially with Messi offering so little defensively ahead of him. Miami will need runners if they are to survive against the athletes that tend to populate MLS midfields, and Busquets isn't that.

There are ways to counteract that. The Chicago Fire turned Bastian Schweinsteiger into a centerback in his final years, allowing him to still dictate play while hiding his lack of pace. Could that be the best way to get the most out of Busquets, maybe as the middle player in a back three? Maybe.

As a No.6, though, Busquets will face challenges, although those challenges could be made easier depending on who is played next to him. He'll need a pitbull on his side, for sure.

If Miami can get that right, though, there's no doubt what Busquets can do to impact a game. The good work he does may not be noticeable but, if Miami leave him exposed without the right pieces next to him, his decline over the coming years could be there for all to see.