World record opening stand makes light of steep chase as hosts level series at 1-1

Danyal Rasool22-Sep-2022A world record unbeaten 203-run partnership that was devastating in its brutality and yet delectable in its beauty saw Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam chase down 200 against England with three balls to spare, and without the loss of a single wicket. Babar scored his second T20I hundred, taking 62 balls to get there, while Rizwan’s unbeaten 51-ball 88 was a more than adequate supporting act.The wicket seemed to play especially slow in the first innings, so the 199 England put up looked well above par at the time. That came thanks to two contrasting innings from the England middle order, with Ben Duckett’s pragmatic shot-making setting a platform, before Moeen Ali’s furious elegance saw him caress an undefeated 55 off 23. Given Babar had said at the toss 160 would be the upper limit of what Pakistan wanted to chase, England looked invulnerable.But for all of Pakistan’s strike rate issues up the order, there has never been any evidence Babar and Rizwan aren’t at their best when chasing a total, no matter what that total might be. They did, after all, gun down 204 against South Africa in April 2021 with a 197-run partnership, and they were more than up for the relentlessly attacking cricket they would have to subject England’s bowling to. Fifty-nine came off the powerplay, and the openers simply continued in the same vein as the visitors ran out of ideas. Alex Hales grassing Rizwan in the powerplay was a sliding doors moment, as a virtually chanceless opening pairing timed the chase to perfection to seal a stunning 10-wicket win.The devastating duo
There’s really little point talking about much else. England have the better power hitters, the better middle order, and significantly more batting weapons in their arsenal, and don’t Babar and Rizwan know it. These two put together a solid opening stand in the first game, only to see their team-mates crumble under pressure, and so it appeared they recognised solid wasn’t going to cut it. They might have to do it all themselves.A couple of boundaries either side of square from Rizwan in the first over set the tone. Rizwan led the charge early on as the captain took his time bedding in, though a couple of clobbered boundaries off Sam Curran suggested Babar, too, was beginning to whirr back into form. With the pace bowlers seen to, Moeen turned to Liam Dawson’s spin, but 13 runs off the sixth over suggested Pakistan would allow the visitors no hiding place.ESPNcricinfo LtdA brief quiet spell following the powerplay saw the asking rate creep up, but when Moeen put himself on in the 13th over, the tide turned decisively. Twenty-one from the over, including three muscled sixes, put the openers in a zone few others in world cricket can reach. From thereon, they were unstoppable, England’s bowlers no impediment in the inexorable march to the target. A flurry of boundaries followed and by the time Babar brought up his century, the victory was almost a formality. It was, fittingly, a cover drive that sealed the win, a signature shot from a man who showed an ephemeral dip in form was little more than that.Duckett and Moeen’s contrasting styles
It would be hard to imagine what kind of surface you’d need to produce to ensure both Moeen and Duckett might excel, but this Karachi strip appears to be one of them. A slow surface made it difficult to play down the ground, and so Duckett resorted to playing the paddle and reverse sweep almost exclusively to great effect. A quickfire 50-run stand with Phil Salt allowed England to edge ahead, and by the time Duckett was cleaned up by Mohammad Nawaz, he had scored what looked an extremely handy 22-ball 43 in an innings where England otherwise struggled.But Moeen took over the reins thereafter, punishing every error in line and length – of which there were plenty on an off-colour day for Pakistan’s bowlers – making a mockery of the idea this pitch might not be suitable to conventional shot-making. He didn’t discriminate between spin and pace, Usman Qadir and Mohammad Hasnain both seeing the final two deliveries of their last overs sent sailing over the ropes. It was a breathtaking mix of timing, power and beauty, an all-round treat for the eyes that looked, at that time, as if it might be the point of difference.

Ipswich Town’s confidence will now feel battered and bruised after Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United convincingly put the dire Tractor Boys to the sword on Saturday.

Just before this dismal 4-0 defeat, Kieran McKenna’s men had basked in the glory of a last-gasp winner away at Molineux, only to be reminded of the gulf in quality between those near the bottom of the Premier League and the attacking might of teams such as the Magpies back at Portman Road.

It was another shaky showing from wobbly Ipswich goalkeeper Arijanet Muric, who could now find his first-team spot is up for grabs after leaking four goals to gift Newcastle a perfect away day just before Christmas.

Arijanet Muric's woes at Ipswich

Of course, the Kosovan was let down by an extremely porous back four in front of him, but the Tractor Boys ‘keeper never looked convincing in between the sticks across the 90 minutes.

Amazingly, the ex-Manchester City man was fishing the ball out of his net with barely a minute on the clock, as Alexander Isak powered an early effort home despite Muric attempting to parry the shot away.

The in-form Magpies number 14 would go on to score a blistering hat-trick in the one-sided affair, with Isak’s second of the day far too easy for the Swede to convert, who ended up simply stroking the ball past Muric after a horrendous mix-up at the back.

Off the back of such a nightmarish afternoon, McKenna could be tempted to drop his error-prone shot-stopper as games now come thick and fast in December, considering the 26-year-old also has just one paltry clean sheet next to his name from 16 Premier League outings.

Whilst he assesses the other options he has at his disposal in goal, McKenna will also be debating who his starting right-back is moving forward after Harry Clarke’s equally weak display versus Newcastle.

Clarke's performance in numbers

Only making his fourth start in the Premier League since promotion, it feels unlikely that Clarke will be handed more frequent opportunities in the senior mix if his poor showing against Howe’s men is anything to go by.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Unfortunately, the ex-Arsenal youth player has looked somewhat out of his depth when shoved into the first-team picture in the top flight, seen in his two yellow cards versus Brentford back in late October and in this horror show against the rampant Magpies.

Minutes played

90

Touches

50

Accurate passes

28/39 (72%)

Accurate crosses

0/1

Accurate long balls

0/7

Possession lost

13x

Interceptions

1

Tackles

0

Total duels won

1/5

Clarke was regularly turned inside out by the likes of Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon marauding forward for the vibrant visitors, with zero tackles tallied up by the below-par 23-year-old showing his reluctance to get stuck in to try and thwart Newcastle constantly finding an opening.

Moreover, the right-back’s wayward passing – which saw the lacklustre Tractor Boys number two squander possession 13 times – meant no real meaningful attacks could be formed out from the back courtesy of the ropey defender, who also failed to register a single accurate cross all afternoon despite a colossal seven attempts.

This could trigger another change in personnel ahead of Ipswich travelling to Arsenal on the 27th, knowing full well that another shoddy display across the back four might well result in Mikel Arteta’s men hammering the sorry Tractor Boys in North London.

With Axel Tuanzebe out injured, McKenna would have to likely call upon Ben Johnson to replace Clarke, with the ex-West Ham United man arguably an underwhelming summer buy so far, having made just five top-flight starts himself.

Still, the frustrated Ipswich boss will have to make some tough calls now after witnessing such an abject display from his downbeat troops.

He's outscoring Delap: Ipswich make contact over signing £20m monster

The incredible goalscorer would improve Ipswich’s squad.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 19, 2024

Indore and Rajkot are reportedly the frontrunners as alternative venue

Nagraj Gollapudi12-Feb-2023The third Test of the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia will not be played in Dharamsala because the venue is not ready to host the match.The BCCI is yet to finalise the new venue but Indore and Rajkot are reportedly the frontrunners. A final decision is expected to be taken soon.ESPNcricinfo has learned that the BCCI took the decision to move the fixture out of the venue in the Himalayas after an unfavourable report from the board’s inspection panel.As reported previously, the panel visited the ground on February 11 and noted several bare patches on the outfield, which was re-laid recently by the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association to install a new drainage system. Another deterrent was the fact that no cricket had been hosted in Dharamsala since the two T20Is between India and Sri Lanka last February.Dharamsala was incidentally the venue where India clinched the 2016-17 series against Australia by winning the fourth Test by eight wickets.India are up 1-0 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, after beating Australia by an innings and 132 runs inside three days in Nagpur. The second Test is in Delhi from February 17 to 21, and the third is scheduled between March 1 and 5 at a yet to be confirmed venue.

Paris Saint-Germain boss Nasser Al-Khelaifi will invite Prince William and Tom Hanks to the Parc des Princes for Aston Villa's Champions League tie.

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Prince William is a lifelong Aston Villa fanWill be invited along with Hanks by PSGTwo sides to clash in UCL next monthFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Prince William's affinity towards Aston Villa is well-known. The future King was spotted at the Villa Park earlier this month as the Villans welcomed Club Brugge in the second leg of the round of 16. The hosts secured a comfortable 3-1 victory, prompting the Prince of Wales to tell journalists, "See you in Paris," as he got into his car after the match, per the Daily Mail.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

It appears Prince William is ready to keep his promise to fellow Villa fans. According to , PSG president Al-Khelaifi is set to invite Prince William and Hollywood legend Hanks to the first leg of Villa's Champions League quarter-final at the Parc des Princes next month. The invitation comes as Al-Khelaifi marks a milestone, becoming PSG's longest-serving president with 13 years, four months, and 23 days in charge as of Wednesday. The Qatari surpasses Francis Borelli, who held the role from 1978 to 1991.

DID YOU KNOW?

Prince William is a regular at football matches with his son, Prince George, and has even confessed to losing his voice from cheering for Aston Villa. In January, he surprised Villa fans by buying a round of drinks at a Wetherspoons near Birmingham New Street Station ahead of their Premier League clash with Everton. The Prince treated eight fans to a round of beers while enjoying a pint of Bulmers cider, staying for about half an hour before catching a train back to London.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ASTON VILLA?

Although Villa are currently in ninth position in the Premier League table, they are just four points adrift of the top four. Indeed, they could yet end the season with a Champions League spot as Chelsea, in fourth, have bagged just 49 points. Their upcoming next game is an FA Cup quarter-final clash against Preston on Sunday, March 30, followed by a league encounter with in-form Brighton next Wednesday, April 2.

Travis Head has returned to Australia’s ODI squad for the series against England and Marcus Harris has been included as the spare batter for the Test matches against West Indies.Following the early exit from the T20 World Cup, a full-strength squad has been named for the three games against England in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne which will be Pat Cummins’ first series as ODI captain.Head fills the vacancy created by Aaron Finch’s one-day retirement having been unavailable for selection for the early-season series against Zimbabwe and New Zealand due to paternity leave. He has had an excellent 2022 in ODIs with 310 runs at 62 and a strike-rate of 112.72 when he faced Pakistan in Sri Lanka.In the Pakistan series, where he made 101 and 89 in consecutive matches, Head played in place of David Warner but now will open alongside him.Related

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• Australia's hometown exit: a campaign that started badly and never got going

“Our focus is to continue to build a squad with an eye to next year’s World Cup under Pat as the new ODI captain, so it’s an important series,” national selector George Bailey said.”Travis Head…has demonstrated flexibility in the types of roles he can play in our ODI line-up. Our next opportunity in the ODI format will be in India next year which will allow us to experience similar conditions as for the World Cup in October.”Sean Abbott misses out from earlier in the season despite a couple of impressive performances against New Zealand as does Josh Inglis. The multi-format quicks have all been included, along with Cameron Green, and they will then back up into the Test summer which begins in Perth on November 30.The squad for the two matches against West Indies is very stable with perhaps the only talking point the retention of Harris. After losing his place during the Ashes when Usman Khawaja’s prolific form led to a reshuffle of the order, Harris was the reserve batter in Pakistan then part of the Australia A squad in Sri Lanka either side of playing county cricket for Gloucestershire where he made 726 runs at 42.70.He has made a solid start to the domestic season with 287 runs in three Sheffield Shield matches although it is Victoria team-mate Peter Handscomb who is well ahead at the top with 518 runs.Scott Boland, who has not yet been able to add to his three Ashes Tests where he took 18 wickets at 9.55, is the extra quick in the squad behind Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood. None of that trio will play Shield cricket before the Tests, but that is a preparation that Australia have become comfortable with in recent seasons. Green’s inclusion in the ODI squad means he is unlikely to feature in any Shield cricket this year with the India Test tour due to start in early February.Australia ODI squad vs England Pat Cummins (capt), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam ZampaAustralia Test squad vs West Indies Pat Cummins (capt), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Marcus Harris, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner

Over the summer of 2023, Todd Boehly’s spending at Chelsea again was rather sizeable, splashing out a whopping £386.7m on 12 permanent signings.

In order to fund this, the Blues also made back around £231.8m in sales, with 14 players leaving the club on permanent transfers, whilst 16 left the club on loan.

The biggest deal of that window was acquiring a midfield partner for Enzo Fernández, signing Moises Caicedo from Brighton, for a fee of around £115m. The 23-year-old midfielder signed an eight-year deal with the club and has already made 61 appearances, scoring two goals and, providing six assists.

Christopher Nkunku also joined from RB Leipzig for a fee of around £52m, agreeing a deal prior to his arrival on July 1st, 2023.

But injuries affected the Frenchman’s first season at the club, as he has only been able to make 31 appearances for the Blues since joining.

Christopher Nkunku's time at Chelsea

Nkunku’s first season at the club only saw 14 appearances, having suffered a knee injury, a hamstring injury, and a hip injury, really struggling to regain and sustain fitness. In those 14 games, Nkunku managed three goals across just 516 minutes on the pitch.

However, to start this term, despite being the understudy to Nicolas Jackson so far, the 26-year-old has made 17 appearances in all competitions, scoring ten goals and supplying one assist, already more than he managed in the entirety of 2023/24.

Despite his good goal tally this time around, the former Leipzig man is far more of a number ten, someone who likes to play off of the striker, be involved in all phases of play, and arrive in the box late, rather than being the out-and-out number nine, looking to occupy the box at all times.

This could see Nkunku force a move, as he looks for more game time in his natural position, with Manchester United reportedly interested in the Frenchman. Therefore, Chelsea could move for a new striker alongside Jackson, and links are beginning to emerge for a current Premier League star striker.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Chelsea's big-money Nkunku replacement

Newcastle striker Alexander Isak, who was dubbed “The New Zlatan” by scout Jacek Kulig, is reportedly going to be available in 2025, chiefly if the Magpies fail to qualify for the Champions League, according to Graeme Bailey.

This could see the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea (noted as long-term admirers) and Liverpool all chase up their interest in the striker.

Since joining Newcastle in 2022, Isak has been a phenomenal asset to the Toon, making 78 appearances, in which he’s scored as many as 40 goals. So, how does the Swede compare with what Maresca already has at his disposal?

Both Isak and Jackson do have similar profiles, looking to help their teams in the build-up, progress play, link the ball, run the channels and then arrive in the box.

Winning more aerial duels and, of course, scoring more regularly, Isak would offer a greater box threat. His 6 foot 4 frame is frightening and would give Chelsea something they severely lack currently; height.

Considering their profiles are similar and the fact he’s been priced at a seismic £115m, perhaps developing the rawer Jackson would save them money but the Sweden international is a proven hit now in the Premier League and is waiting for his big money money.

Jackson is there already but Isak would be an amazing pickup for any Premier League top side, guaranteeing goals, and overall quality in all phases of play.

Chelsea must regret selling £35m ace who's dominated Saka like Cucurella

The former Chelsea ace has taken his career to the next level after leaving Stamford Bridge.

1

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 13, 2024

GOAL US writers break down the start of the European season and debate key questions about Americans Abroad

Now it's time for all of the hypotheticals to stop. Christian Pulisic do this. Josh Sargent play there. Johnny Cardoso be a good center midfielder. We now have some evidence, albeit in a very small sample size. Yes, the European season has started, and things are happening.

Pulisic, it seems, still remembers how to play football. Sargent is still probably a little bit too good for the Championship. Elsewhere, it's all just a bit chaotic. Cardoso hasn't settled into his new digs at Atletico Madrid yet.

Tim Weah turned in a whole lot of average for Marseille – but will surely improve in the months to come. Sergino Dest has started well, yet will surely face tougher tests as he returns from an ACL tear.

In short, there's a lot to figure out,  especially as USMNT manager Mauricio Pochettino looks to build out his World Cup roster.

GOAL US writers break it all down in the latest edition of…  The Rondo.

Getty Images SportWhich Americans Abroad have been most impressive, based on early returns?

Tom Hindle: Slim pickings, but the best is probably Pulisic. Look, this is going to be a weird season for him. Milan got markedly worse, hired a manager who doesn't really believe in scoring goals, and have now, it seems, decided that Pulisic is a No. 9. That really doesn't bode well for someone who's trying to regain favor with the USMNT fan base. This is a results-based business, and Pulisic grabbed a goal against Serie B Bari to bag a Coppa Italia win. Not exactly spellbinding stuff, but a decent start. 

Jacob Schneider: Sargent, by all accounts, has been really impressive. He's outgrown the Championship and Norwich. The player who has really stood out, though, is Dest. The fullback has been lights out for PSV in his return from injury and has been nothing short of exceptional in attacking areas for the Dutch champions. Top stuff from both players.

Alex Labidou: This one is easy. Sargent has been incredible at the start of the Championship. Yes, it might seem like empty calories, considering his well-known struggles with the national team. But there’s no disputing he’s playing at another level at the moment. Staying at Norwich won’t help his chances, but if you’re Mauricio Pochettino, you have to give him a call up to see if he can finally break his six-year goalscoring drought.

Ryan Tolmich: Definitely Dest. No knock on Sargent, who has been great, but Dest went into this season with some question marks given his injury. Those are gone as he continues to rack up goal contributions for PSV. His return to fitness is massive for club and country, especially when he’s in this kind of form.

AdvertisementAFPWhich Americans Abroad have work to do, based on early returns?

TH: Weah didn't exactly have a blinder, but the concerning one might be Cardoso. He played just one half on Sunday, got booked, and didn't do loads in Atleti's 2-1 loss to Espanyol. Diego Simeone admitted after the game that he got his tactics wrong, too. It doesn't bode well for a guy who took a big step up.

JS: Damion Downs will need to break into the Southampton lineup regularly if he wants any shot of representing the USMNT next summer, while the likes of Weah, Yunus Musah, Cameron Carter-Vickers, and Auston Trusty will need to do so, too. Meanwhile, the likes of Gio Reyna, Paxten Aaronson, Cole Campbell, and Folarin Balogun need to figure out their club situations before the close of the window.

AL: It is not encouraging to see Balogun back on the pine with another minor injury – which led him to miss Monaco’s 3-1 season-opening win against Le Havre. This is a crucial season for both him and the USMNT. As an old adage says, the best ability in sports is availability, and due to injuries and inconsistent form, Balogun has not played much for Les Rouge et Blanc. It is still early, but Monaco appear to be a team that is perfectly suited to play without the American – not something he envisioned when he joined the team in a blockbuster move just two seasons ago.  Another name to be concerned about is Brenden Aaronson. After being one of Leeds’ players of the season last year, helping them gain promotion to the Premier League, it appears that reality is hitting in the English top flight. He started on the bench for The Whites first game of the season and minutes might be hard to come by – which isn’t great considering his already loose hold on a World Cup roster spot.

RT: Too early to tell, aside from the one big one that needs a move: Reyna. We don’t have much data from this season, but we have plenty from the last few that says Reyna needs a new challenge. Here’s to him getting one before the window shuts.

Getty Images SportWho are the USMNT players to watch as Bundesliga and Serie A get started?

TH: Outside of the (potential but very unlikely) return of Reyna? It has to be Weston McKennie. Serie A tends to be a bit of a snoozefest, but Igor Tudor is a good coach, and Juventus have a real chance of winning the thing this year. McKennie is staying, Tudor seems to like him, and he will have a role to play. 

JS: Depending on how severe Kevin Paredes' injury is, he could still have a top season for Wolfsburg. But all eyes really are on Malik Tillman in the Bundesliga. The club-record signing has a lot to live up to this year. Meanwhile, a dark horse to watch is Noahkai Banks, Augsburg's highly rated teenage defender. In Italy, it's Pulisic time. One game, one goal – expectations are now on the table.

AL: This is not a flashy pick, but how about Joe Scally? He’s become a bit of a forgotten man under Pochettino, but outside of Tillman, he’s likely guaranteed the most minutes in the German top flight by an American. He’s also one of the best fullbacks in the division. That should count for something, and hopefully, he can prove himself this season. As for Serie A, Pulisic has already gotten off to a hot start for Milan and Max Allegri is utilizing him more as a striker with Rafa Leao up top. If he maximizes his fit as a drifting forward, U.S. fans could be looking at the highest scoring output of his career.

RT: Is this the season that Yunus Musah can finally figure it all out? The USMNT will hope so as Musah still finds himself as something of a tweener. Can he add goals to his game? Can he add defensive steel? Whichever it is, he needs to strengthen his game if he’s going to be counted on as a starter.

Getty ImagesWhich USMNT players have been most impressive in MLS, post Gold Cup?

TH: Alex Freeman, which is probably the least exciting pick of all time. He's a proper right back, and after continuing to impress for Orlando City, is playing himself right into the USMNT picture, and could be due for a step up in quality soon.

JS: Max Arfsten has been brilliant for the Columbus Crew, while Brian White at Vancouver and Freeman at Orlando have been exceptional, too. Diego Luna has stagnated in recent weeks, and hasn't quite been the blistering attacking force he has previously shown he can be.

AL: White has almost no shot of making the 2026 World Cup roster, but it won’t be because of his form in MLS. The Vancouver star keeps dropping goals after goals every game. Still, he’s almost 30 and plays an old school fox in the box forward. He’s clinical, but he’s not going to hold up play or press at the rate that his counterparts – who are playing in more competitive divisions – will do. Still, he’s easily in the conversation for the best striker in MLS right now and would have more goals if he weren’t on the Gold Cup roster.

RT: Small sample size here, but it’s been great to see Matt Turner back close to his best in these first games back with the Revolution. He’s looked strong and confident, which is vital for any goalkeeper with starting aspirations. He’s back in MLS to chase those, and off to a good start.

MatériaMais Notícias

da dobrowin： Chegou o grande momento para Fortaleza e LDU. As equipes decidem, neste sábado (28), o título da Copa Sul-Americana no Estádio Domingo Burgueño Miguel, na cidade de Maldonado, no Uruguai, às 17h (horário de Brasília).

RelacionadasSul-AmericanaQuanto custa o ingresso para a final da Sul-Americana?Sul-Americana27/10/2023FortalezaConheça a história de Juan Pablo Vojvoda, técnico que levou o Fortaleza à final da Sul-AmericanaFortaleza27/10/2023Lance! BizDa Série C à final da Sul-Americana: entenda a ascensão do Fortaleza por meio das finançasLance! Biz27/10/2023

da bwin： + Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

O Leão do Pici busca ser o primeiro time nordestino a conquistar um título internacional. A equipe de Vojvoda entrou na competição após ser eliminada na terceira fase da Libertadores. O Fortaleza avançou como líder do Grupo H e eliminou o Libertad, América-MG e Corinthians no mata-mata.

O volante Hércules, que se recupera de uma cirurgia no joelho, é o único desfalque do Fortaleza para a final. Com força máxima, o técnico Vojvoda ainda não definiu se vai escalar Marinho ou Yago Pikachu no time titular.

A LDU entrou na primeira fase da Sul-Americana e despachou o Delfín. O time equatoriano terminou na liderança do Grupo A, à frente do Botafogo, e eliminou o Ñublense, São Paulo e Defensa y Justicia no mata-mata.

A LDU foi campeã da Sul-Americana, em 2009 e o técnico Luis Zubeldía aposta nos atacantes Jhojan Julio e Guerrero, principais nomes da equipe, para conquistar o bicampeonato.

+ Veja tabela e simule os resultados do Brasileirão

FORTALEZA X LDU
SUL-AMERICANA – FINAL

Local:Estádio Domingo Burgueño Miguel, Maldonado, Uruguai
Data e hora:sábado, 28 de outubro de 2023, às 17h (horário de Brasília)
Árbitro:Jesús Valenzuela (VEN)
Assistentes:Jorge Urrego (VEN) e Túlio Moreno (VEN)
Árbitro de vídeo:Jorge Baliño (ARG)
Onde assistir:SBT, ESPN, Star+ e no tempo real doLance!

FORTALEZA
João Ricardo; Tinga, Brítez, Titi e Bruno Pacheco; Zé Welison e Caio Alexandre; Marinho (Pikachu), Pocchetino e Guilherme; Lucero.Técnico:Juan Pablo Vojvoda

Desfalques:Hércules (lesionado)

Pendurados:-

LDU

Alexander Domínguez; José Quintero, Ricardo Adé, Facundo Rodríguez e Leonel Quiñónez; Ezequiel Piovi e Mauricio Martínez; Renato Ibarra, Jhojan Julio e Alexander Alvarado (Sebastián González); Paulo Guerrero.Técnico:Luís Zubeldia

Desfalques:-

Pendurados:-

Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has again hit back at Barcelona boss Hansi Flick after the German accused the national team of mismanaging Lamine Yamal’s fitness. The teenager’s groin injury has sparked a public row between club and country, with De la Fuente insisting “everyone is condemned by their actions” as tensions escalate ahead of El Clasico.

Flick vs De la Fuente: Tensions boil over

The dispute began when Yamal returned to Barcelona from international duty in September with a groin injury. Flick openly accused Spain of “not taking care of the player”, suggesting that national team staff ignored his condition and overused him despite knowing he was in discomfort. His comments quickly went viral in Spain and Germany.

La Roja's manager responded strongly during an appearance on , criticising Flick for forgetting his own past as a national team manager. He doubled down, saying: “everyone is condemned by their actions”, suggesting that the 60-year-old should reflect before criticising others.

AdvertisementAFPDe la Fuente responds to Barcelona boss

Flick was unable to hide his frustration: "He went to the national team with pain and did not train. They gave him painkillers to play. They had at least a three-goal lead in each match, and he played 73 and 79 minutes, and between matches, he couldn’t train. That’s not taking care of the player. I think the Spanish national team has a great team, the best players in the world, but they haven't looked after their players and I’m very sad about this situation."

De la Fuente did not hold back when asked about Flick’s criticism, he said: "I didn't understand it, because he was also a national team coach. In the end, everyone is condemned by their actions. I also sometimes don't understand the clubs' position. All footballers want to be in the national team.

"There's a schedule where you know the number of matches you're going to be able to play. What's not fair is complaining in November and then saying everything's fine when the year starts again. There are a lot of matches, and for footballers, that's a challenge."

Records, pressure and Spain’s 2026 World Cup dream

Away from the drama, Spain are on the verge of history. Their 4-0 win over Bulgaria saw them equal the legendary 29-match unbeaten run under Vicente del Bosque. Their last defeat came in 2023 to Scotland. Since then, they’ve gone unbeaten through Euro 2024 and World Cup qualifying.

They now chase a 30th game unbeaten when they face Georgia, led by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Victory would edge Spain closer to sealing automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Spain are among the favourites heading into that tournament, De la Fuente said: "We're going to be fighting for a very beautiful dream. I think success isn't just about achieving it; the most beautiful thing is the process, the journey."

AFPYamal’s response is on the pitch

Despite the noise, Yamal has let his football speak. After returning from his groin injury, he assisted Pedri in Barcelona’s late win over Girona and played 60 minutes before being subbed off. In the Champions League, he started against Olympiacos and was outstanding, assisting Fermin Lopez’s opener before scoring a penalty in a 6-1 thrashing. It was a reminder of just how crucial he already is at 18 years old for the Catalan giants.

Yamal now prepares for the ultimate test – away at the Santiago Bernabeu in El Clasico. He scored in his last visit during Barca’s 4-0 win and will be expected to deliver again with Barcelona still battling injuries to key attackers.

Jasprit Bumrah has been rested from the ODI series but is in the T20I squad

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-20251:19

Chopra: Rohit’s place in the side will now depend on form

Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been picked in India’s ODI squad for the series in Australia starting on October 19, marking their international comebacks after last playing in the 2025 Champions Trophy final in March. The squad will be led by Shubman Gill, who has replaced Rohit as the ODI captain, with Shreyas Iyer the vice-captain.The selection panel, headed by former India fast bowler Ajit Agarkar, met on Saturday in Ahmedabad, where India won the first Test of the series against West Indies by an innings and 140 runs.There are five changes to the ODI squad from the 15 that won the Champions Trophy in the UAE in March: Ravindra Jadeja and Varun Chakravarthy are missing, Hardik Pandya is recovering from a quadriceps injury, Rishabh Pant has not yet fully recovered from the broken foot he suffered in England, and Jasprit Bumrah has been rested. They have been replaced by allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, who was injured for the Champions Trophy, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel and Yashasvi Jaiswal.Related

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“With regards to Jaddu [Jadeja], I mean look, at the moment to take two left-arm spinners to Australia is not possible. He is clearly in the scheme of things with how good he is, but there will be some competition for places,” Agarkar said. “Of course he was there in the Champions Trophy squad, because we took those extra spinners with the conditions there [in UAE]. At the moment we could only carry one and get some balance in the team with Washi [Washington Sundar] and Kuldeep there as well. I don’t think we are going to need more than that in Australia. It’s a short series, you can’t accommodate everyone and unfortunately at the moment he is missing out, but it’s nothing more than that.”Bumrah is part of the T20I squad for the five matches in Australia after the ODI series. The only change to the T20I squad that won the Asia Cup last month is Hardik being replaced by Reddy, while Washington has been added, making it a squad of 16.”We have already rested him for the one-day games. When we can manage his workload, we will do that,” Agarkar said about Bumrah. “Wherever you can give him a break, you will, because we all know how important he is, but we have also got to see what is in the interest of the team. And when we need him to play, he is always available, but we will look after [him]. Not just him, Siraj bowls a lot of overs as well. There are other guys who do play Test cricket, who will end up having a lot of bowling to do, so we will try and manage all the seamers, so that we minimise the risk of injuries.”Agarkar indicated that Gill and Rohit were likely to open in the ODIs, which means Jaiswal could miss out on a place in the starting XI. He also said Jurel was picked ahead of Sanju Samson in the ODI squad due to batting position, while KL Rahul is likely to remain the first-choice wicketkeeper.”Sanju Samson bats at the top of the order,” Agarkar said. “I think when he got a 100, I think he batted No. 3, if I am not wrong. Jurel usually bats lower down the order. KL bats there as well. You have seen how good a player Dhruv is. Again, you are looking at spots. I don’t think there is room at the top again. So, we are looking at guys who can fit in those spots. Obviously, Sanju at the moment in T20 cricket is batting there [middle order] and we are trying him there. But in one-day cricket, it’s a little bit different. So, that’s basically the thought. It’s more the position than anything else.”India play three ODIs in Australia on October 19, 23 and 25, followed by five T20Is between October 29 and November 8.

India’s ODI squad for Australia

Shubman Gill (capt), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-capt), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Yashasvi Jaiswal.

India’s T20I squad for Australia

Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (vice-capt), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar.