Tag Futebol

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras de Abel Ferreira talvez viva a sua pior fase ofensiva em quase três anos de trabalho do português no Brasil.

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+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Com apenas dois gols nos últimos cinco jogos, a paciência da torcida com a atual formação de ataque parece estar se esgotando.

Foram apenas três partidas nos últimos 22 dias, onde o técnico poderia ter testado trios e opções diferentes para o ataque, mas Abel optou por manter Mayke improvisado na ponta direita e Artur improvisado na esquerda.

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Neste mesmo período, o Verdão cruzou mais de 100 bolas na área sendo que não acertou nem um terço delas. Só na derrota para o Grêmio foram mais de 40 cruzamentos e mais uma vez um índice baixo de acerto.

Está mais do que claro que essa atual formação não está funcionando e o técnico terá o seu maior desafio para resolver no setor ofensivo em seus três anos de Brasil.

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O próximo jogo é o mais importante do ano, e o Palmeiras não pode passar por uma semifinal em La Bombonera assim como em 2018, sem dar um chute no gol do Boca Juniors.

Eu iria de Endrick, Rony e Artur, mas ele tem outras opções como Breno Lopes e as crias Kevin e Luís Guilherme. Também daria pra jogar com dois meias e aí Jhon Jhon e Richard Rios poderiam brigar por uma vaga.

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Não sei o que Abel vai fazer, só sei que o campo está mostrando que atual formação é muito inofensiva.

E apontar o dedo nessa ferida não me faz ser um corneteiro e muito menos não confiar no trabalho dele, mas sim alertar para que o Palmeiras volte a ser o o time agressivo que foi nos últimos anos.

+ De olho no Boca, Gustavo Gómez vê falta de eficácia do Palmeiras, mas diz: ‘Merecíamos mais’

Observação final: mesmo com a atual péssima fase do ataque, o Verdão segue sendo o melhor ataque da Libertadores e o terceiro melhor ataque do Brasileirão…

Mjallby AIF, based in a small fishing village, have achieved an incredible feat as they secured their first-ever Swedish league title with a 2-0 win over Goteborg on Sunday. Mjallby made history with three games to spare as they now lead second-placed Hammarby by 11 points. The club have secured an outstanding 20 wins in 27 league games and have lost just once.

Leicester-esque achievement from Mjallby

Mjallby AIF come from a small southern fishing village Hallevik, which has a population of just 1,500. With a 2-0 win over Goteborg on Monday night, the club wrote an unthinkable underdog story as they secured their first-ever Swedish top division title. In the process, they have also secured a berth in the 2026-27 Champions League (second qualifying round) for the first time in their history. Mjallby's achievement is drawing comparisons to what Leicester City achieved in the 2015-16 season when they won the Premier League, beating a 5000-1 odds. Also, it has to be noted that when the Foxes did the unthinkable in England a decade ago, Mjallby were struggling in Sweden's third tier. 

The current era in Sweden has been mostly dominated by Malmo, who won in eight out of the last 12 editions of the Allsvenskan. However, Mjallby have broken that recent dominance, managing to do so on a budget estimated to be around 15 per cent of Malmo's.

AdvertisementAFPHow have rivals described Mjallby's historic season?

Kim Hellberg, head coach of Hammarby, who have been Mjallby's closest rival in the 2025 campaign and are poised to finish as runners-up, spoke highly of the new champions.

"Mjallby are a really good side," he said. "They’ve been absolutely fantastic, they've exceeded all expectations. It's also a team that has got an exceptional amount out of what they've created. If you look at the underlying numbers, they've been overperforming quite a lot."

Who are the key figures behind Mjallby's success?

Firstly, Mjallby's head coach Anders Torstensson has to be named who has played a key role in club's historic success. 59-year-old Torstensson is assisted by Karl Marius Aksum, a tactics guru who has a PHD in 'visual perception in football'. The club have sold several of their youth players and reinvested the money judiciously for fresh signings, strictly based on data-based recruitment. This has resulted in the club signing Gambian attacker Abdoulie Manneh. 

Another key figure in their dressing is 23-year-old goalkeeper Noel Tornqvist who has had exceptional campaign with the now Swedish champions. Mjallby conceded only 17 goals throughout the season and much of that credit goes to the Swedish custodian. Tornqvist was so good at his job that he attracted interest from Como boss Cesc Fabregas, who signed the goalkeeper in the summer but loaned him back for the remainder of 2025. Tornqvist will soon head to Italy to play in Serie A from January following the conclusion of the Swedish campaign. He has also earned a call up to the national team after Sweden's long-serving No.1 Robin Olsen announced his international retirement.

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GettyMjallby's achievement a silver lining amid Sweden national team's crisis

While Mjallby's historic title win will inspire clubs across the globe, the Sweden national team's performance is at an all-time low. They are on the verge of failing to qualify for the expande 48-strong World Cup after taking just one point from their first four matches. Most recently they lost back-to-back games in the October international break against Switzerland and Kosovo. The losses meant that only a miracle can help them secure a berth in the World Cup next year.

Sweden took steps to remedy that by sacking head coach Jon Dahl Tomasson. The Dane became Sweden's first-ever foreign coach in February 2024 but his reign lasted less than two years as he was relieved of his duties last Tuesday, a day after Sweden suffered that embarrassing loss against Kosovo.

Both of Sweden's star forwards, Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak, featured in the October clashes but the high profile Premier League pair failed miserably in front of goal. Sweden next face Switzerland and Slovenia in their final two group fixtures in November. If they win those last two matches, they will at least stand a chance to progress to the World Cup play-offs next month. 

Manchester United had to react to what happened in the 2024/25 campaign after they endured a dismal end to the season under head coach Ruben Amorim.

The Red Devils lost 18 of their 38 Premier League matches, finishing 15th in the division, and lost to Tottenham Hotspur in the final of the Europa League.

Instead of opting to change manager once again, despite Amorim’s struggles and some question marks over his 3-4-2-1 system, the club opted to change things by dipping into the transfer market.

Manchester United invested in the forward line, despite a lack of European football, by signing Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko to bolster the manager’s options up front.

It is now down to Amorim to find a way to get the best out of those three exciting attacking recruits to ensure that the Red Devils do not go through another dismal season.

Mbeumo has already scored twice, against Grimsby and Burnley, since moving from Brentford, but United supporters are still waiting to see the best out of Cunha in a red shirt.

Why there is more to come from Matheus Cunha

The Brazil international has failed to score a goal or create a ‘big chance’ for the team in his three Premier League starts for United so far this season, per Sofascore, which shows that he has had an underwhelming start to his career in Manchester.

However, there is no need to panic because Cunha is a proven Premier League star who has shown that he can deliver consistent quality at the top end of the pitch, as evidenced by his form for Wolverhampton Wanderers last season.

The chart above shows that he should be a huge upgrade on Mason Mount in the number ten position when he finds his feet at Old Trafford and starts to deliver the kind of performances everyone knows that he is capable of, due to his ability to make an impact in front of goal.

Cunha, who signed for Wolves from Atletico Madrid, has proven that he can score goals and create high-quality opportunities for his teammates at an impressive rate in the Premier League.

As you can see in the table above, the Brazilian maestro scored 27 goals and created 20 ‘big chances’ in 55 appearances in the top-flight for Wolves in the last two seasons, outperforming his xG by a significant margin in both of those campaigns.

This shows that Manchester United have signed a star who is proven in the division and will deliver quality in the final third if Amorim can set the team up to get him in enough positions to make an impact at the top end of the pitch.

Therefore, there is no need to panic or rush to judgement over Cunha’s fairly slow start to life at Old Trafford, because there is plenty more to come from the Brazilian maestro, given what he has already achieved in the Premier League in the Midlands.

If the former Atletico Madrid attacking midfielder does fail to translate his Wolves form over to Manchester, though, Amorim may find the club’s own homegrown version of Cunha from the academy.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

19-year-old attacking midfielder Jack Moorhouse, who is currently on loan at Leyton Orient in League One, could emerge as Manchester United’s own Cunha in the future if he continues to develop and progress in his career.

Why Jack Moorhouse could be a homegrown Matheus Cunha

Judging young players and predicting what their ceiling is or how they will develop over time is not an exact science, which is why so many players fail to make the grade after emerging as exciting talents early on in their careers.

Moorhouse did not burst onto the scene at 16 like Lamine Yamal or score in the Premier League at 18 like Kobbie Mainoo, but he has shown some very promising signs that bode well for the future.

The teenage talent scored four goals and provided two assists in 13 starts as an attacking midfielder for the Red Devils at U18 and U21 level, per Transfermarkt, almost a goal contribution every other game.

Analyst Ben Mattinson, in the post above, was impressed by his performances for United’s academy sides, describing him as a “game-breaking ball carrier” who is “ideal” for the left-sided number ten role in Amorim’s system, which is currently occupied by Cunha.

Moorhouse’s best performance for Leyton Orient so far this season came in a 3-1 win over Peterborough United in the EFL Trophy, and his display was Cunha-esque on paper.

As you can see in the table above, the Ireland U21 international showcased his quality as a goalscorer, a creator, and a dribbler, which are Cunha’s main three attributes as a player.

You can see in the clips above that Moorhouse loves to drive forward with the ball at his feet, taking players on, and he scored an excellent goal from range with his weak foot.

Albeit against very different opposition, the goal was not too dissimilar to the one that Cunha scored against Premier League champions Liverpool earlier this year for Wolves.

Both Moorhouse and Cunha are attack-minded midfielders who can score goals and create chances for their teammates, but they are also exciting players to watch because of the way they carry the ball and take defenders on.

Therefore, Manchester United may be brewing their homegrown version of the Brazil international at Carrington and Leyton Orient, and it is now down to the Irish maestro to develop and take the next steps in his career to convince Amorim to bring him into the first-team next season.

Amorim can revive Mainoo by binning £150k-p/w flop in Man Utd system switch

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim can revive Kobbie Mainoo by changing his formation.

By
Dan Emery

Sep 7, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Autor do gol que evitou a derrota do Corinthians para o Cuiabá, na noite do último sábado (10), pelo Brasileirão, Ruan Oliveira deve ter o seu contrato de empréstimo esticado até o fim deste ano. O vínculo atual tem duração até o final deste mês, no dia 30 de junho. As conversas entre o clube alvinegro e o estafe do jogador já acontecem há alguns dias e ambas as partes estão animadas. A tendência é que a situação seja resolvida durante a pausa dos jogos que o Timão terá nos próximos 10 dias, por conta das datas Fifa. 

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– Se depender do Corinthians, já entramos em contato com o agente do atleta, passamos o nosso interesse, eles ficaram até muito felizes pela vontade do Corinthians. E espero que a partir de segunda a gente possa regularizar isso daí e ele tenha o empréstimo estendido até o fim da temporada – disse o gerente de futebol Alessandro Nunes na zona mista da Neo Química Arena no último sábado (10).

+ Ruan Oliveira entra no segundo tempo e evita derrota do Corinthians contra o Cuiabá

O meio-campista caiu nas graças do técnico Vanderlei Luxemburgo, que acompanhou a fase final de transição do jogador após quase três anos sem jogar. Ruan sofreu uma lesão no ligamento cruzado anterior do joelho direito em agosto de 2020 e, desde então, precisou passar por três cirurgias. Ele já tinha sido relacionado para o duelo contra o Independiente del Valle, do Equador, pela Libertadores, na última quarta-feira (7), mas ficou somente no banco de reservas. Já neste fim de semana, entrou no segundo tempo da partida contra o Cuiabá, pelo Brasileirão, e anotou o gol que evitou a derrota corintiana, confirmando o placar em 1 a 1. 

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– Você não descobre o jogador, ele está lá, mas aparece. Primeiro coletivo que vi esse jogador treinar, e vinha dois meses de transição para campo, eu perguntei quem era. Assim como fiz com o Danilo no Palmeiras. Eu vi o Ruan treinando e falei para o Alessandro para fazer algo com ele porque tem potencial, ambidestro. E quem faz o gol como ele fez é de quem sabe jogar bola, dar tapa com gente na frente e bola quicando – disse Luxa na entrevista coletiva após o jogo diante do Dourado.

Ruan Oliveira pertence ao Metropolitano, time de Santa Catarina, no qual ele se profissionalizou – ainda que tenha sido contratado pelo Timão, em abril de 2019, para atuar nas categorias de base. O primeiro contrato do jogador com o clube alvinegro tinha validade até fevereiro de 2021, mas foi prorrogado mais de uma vez para que o atleta se recuperasse da lesão estando no Corinthians.

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Na chegada de Ruan ao Parque São Jorge, o Time do Povo adquiriu 10% dos direitos econômicos do profissional. O restante segue do clube catarinense. No entanto, há uma opção de compra fixada em R$ 1,5 milhão (mais algumas taxas da transação, que seriam arcadas pelos corintianos) pela aquisição de mais 60%. Isso, porém, não acontecerá neste primeiro momento. A ideia é a extensão do empréstimo para avaliar uma possível sequência do meia com a camisa alvinegra e, assim, a diretoria decidir se fará a compra definitiva. A tendência é que ela ocorra no fim da temporada.

+ Todos os jogos doBrasileirãovocê encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe o seu time do coração!

– Era até importante colocá-lo para ter uma precisão a mais para negociar, estender, passar uma possibilidade que seria uma extensão do empréstimo até o fim da temporada, que seria o mais regular e justo para todos. Justo para o atleta, que passou um período muito duro e hoje teve um momento muito importante para ele, individualmente falando, então nada mais justo que ele tenha uma sequência em novos jogos – pontuou Alessandro.

Neste momento, Ruan Oliveira está à frente de nomes como Giuliano e Matheus Araújo por uma disputa na vaga do meio-campo corintiano. E isso pode ser definitivo, se o camisa 33 seguir evoluindo enquanto receber as chances através do técnico Vanderlei Luxemburgo.

MatériaMais Notícias

Embora o último jogo do São Paulo, na derrota contra o Palmeiras, tenha sido marcado por falhas defensivas – principalmente por conta dos erros de Arboleda -, o setor defensivo tricolor tem sido um dos grandes pontos fortes da temporada.

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Inclusive, alguns treinamentos estão sendo direcionados especificamente para esse setor. No treino deste sábado (17), por exemplo, uma parte das atividades foi destinada a trabalhar a organização defensiva do elenco.

Entre os times brasileiros, o São Paulo é uma das equipes que menos sofreu gols neste ano. Em 32 partidas, foram marcados 53 gols a favor e sofridos apenas 24. No entanto, ao analisar o elenco, é possível entender o motivo por trás desse desempenho. Um dos nomes que se destaca nessa questão é Rafael, o único jogador do elenco que foi titular em todos os jogos nesta temporada.

+ Lance! estreia nova marca e se reposiciona no mercado de mídia esportiva

Rafael, pelo menos com base no que foi mostrado ao longo do ano, conseguiu resolver um problema que assolava o São Paulo desde a aposentadoria de Rogério Ceni: a falta de um goleiro que pudesse se estabelecer na equipe e corresponder às expectativas.

+ Clique aqui e veja como apostar no Brasileirão

+ Todos os jogos do Brasileirão você encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe o seu time do coração!

+ Confira os jogos e classificação resultados do Brasileirão-23 na tabela do LANCE!

No Campeonato Brasileiro, Rafael é o terceiro goleiro com o maior número de defesas difíceis, de acordo com levantamentos realizados pelo FootStats. Até o momento, ele acumulou onze defesas desafiadoras. Apenas Léo Jardim, do Vasco, com 17 defesas, e Fábio, do Fluminense, com 12 defesas, estão à sua frente nesse ranking. Isso significa que, em média, o goleiro realizou aproximadamente uma defesa complicada por jogo. Também é digno de nota que Rafael não sofreu gols em metade dos 32 jogos disputados até agora.

Inclusive, Rafael está à frente de grandes rivais, como o Palmeiras, nesse quesito. É importante lembrar que em julho o São Paulo decidirá seu futuro na Copa do Brasil contra o Palmeiras. No Campeonato Brasileiro, a equipe de Abel Ferreira realizou apenas quatro defesas difíceis até o momento.

Mas o mérito não é atribuído somente a ele. Neste ano, uma dupla de zagueiros tem surpreendido, em grande parte devido à presença de um jogador formado nas categorias de base do São Paulo, que se tornou uma das grandes revelações do ano: Beraldo. Enquanto Arboleda já era uma peça confiável no elenco há algum tempo, Beraldo começou a se profissionalizar no ano passado e, nesta temporada, já é considerado um dos maiores destaques da equipe.

Isso pode ser explicado através dos números. Mesmo que Arboleda tenha sido um dos “culpados” na partida contra o Palmeiras, o São Paulo sofreu dez gols com o zagueiro em campo. Sem a presença dele, foram 14 gols sofridos. Em relação às estatísticas, Arboleda se destaca pelos desarmes, com uma média de 100% de acerto no Campeonato Brasileiro. Por outro lado, Beraldo, de acordo com o FootStats, é o jogador do elenco com o maior número de interceptações certas, totalizando seis, e também possui uma média de 100% de acerto.

Embora Arboleda seja um desfalque certo contra o Athletico-PR devido à sua convocação pela seleção do Equador, as falhas cometidas contra o Palmeiras não devem resultar na perda de seu espaço no elenco, considerando seu desempenho ao longo de toda a temporada até o momento.

Tamim Iqbal has announced his retirement from international cricket. This is the second time he has called time on his career, having previously retired in July 2023 in an emotionally charged press conference, only to reverse the decision within 24 hours after intervention from Bangladesh’s then-prime minister Sheikh Hasina.Tamim informed the Bangladesh selectors of his decision in Sylhet on Wednesday. The Gazi Ashraf Hossain-led selection panel asked him to return to the Bangladesh team for the Champions Trophy. Tamim had reportedly told them then that he would stick to his decision to retire, but after a few Bangladesh players, including captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, had requested him to reconsider, he took a day longer.”I have been away from international cricket for a long time,” he wrote on Facebook. “That distance will remain. My chapter in international cricket is over. I have been thinking about this for a long time. Now that a big event like the Champions Trophy is coming up, I do not want to be the focus of anyone’s attention, which could lead to the team losing their focus. Of course, I did not want this to happen before, too.Related

• Champions Trophy 2025: Shakib Al Hasan, and other topics on Bangladesh's selectors' plate

• Tamim reverses retirement decision

• The winter of Tamim Iqbal

• Will Tamim Iqbal return for the Champions Trophy?

“Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto sincerely asked me to return to the team. There were discussions with the selection committee too. I am grateful to them for still considering me in the team. However, I have listened to my own heart.”The deadline for announcing the Champions Trophy squads is January 12, and the BCB was willing to wait till the last minute to see if Tamim wants to play. Tamim remained in contention for his domestic form and fitness. He has not played an international game since then but continued to play domestic cricket, including winning the 2024 BPL with the Barishal franchise and finishing as the Player of the Tournament. He did well in the Dhaka Premier League, and then followed it up with more runs in the domestic NCL T20s and this BPL season too, he has been among the runs.Tamim said BCB waiting for his reply was “unnecessary” considering he opted out of central contracts for 2024 to keep himself out of Bangladesh reckoning.”I removed myself from the BCB central contract a long time ago because I did not want to return to international cricket,” he wrote. “Many have said that I have left the matter hanging. Why would anyone discuss a cricketer who is no longer in BCB’s contracted list? I voluntarily stepped down more than a year ago.”Even after that, there has been unnecessary discussion. The decision to retire or continue playing is the right of a cricketer or any professional sportsman. I have given myself time. Now I feel that the time has come.”Almost 18 months ago, Tamim announced his retirement at a press conference, breaking down a few times. After Tamim made the announcement, Hasina tracked him down, and requested him to come out of retirement the next day. Tamim obliged but then stepped down from ODI captaincy shortly afterwards. Tamim played two ODIs in September 2023 as the Minhajul Abedin-led national selectors were preparing him for the ODI World Cup.The selectors however didn’t pick him in the 15-man squad. Tamim then hit out at the BCB, claiming they created roadblocks for him in the lead-up to the squad announcement. Shakib Al Hasan, the captain at the time, even launched a scathing attack on Tamim following the incident, calling him “childish”.”What happened before the 2023 World Cup was a big shock for me, as I did not leave the team due to cricketing reasons,” Tamim said further in his post. “Even after that, many cricket fans told me that they want to see me back in the national team. I thought about their love.”I also have a fan at home. My son has never told me this directly but he has repeatedly told his mother that he wants to see his father play in the national jersey again. I am sorry for disappointing the fans. I have told my son, ‘The day you grow up, you will understand your father’.”

تحدث دييجو سيميوني مدرب أتلتيكو مدريد بعد الفوز الساحق ضد ريال مدريد بخمسة أهداف لهدفين، على ملعب واندا ميتروبوليتانو في الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم.

وقال سيميوني في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية حيث سئل حول مرور 75 عاماً دون تسجيل 5 أهداف أو أكثر في مرمى ريال مدريد: “هذا طبيعي”.

وأضاف المدرب الأرجنتيني: “ريال مدريد من أفضل فرق العالم، اليوم لعبنا مباراة رائعة منذ البداية، كنا نعرف أين يمكن أن نؤذيهم، اللاعبون أدركوا ذلك جيداً”.

وحول انفعاله بعد الهدف الرابع الذي سجله ألفاريز رد سيميوني :”هناك الكثير من الانفعالات، إنه موسم لم يبدأ بأفضل شكل، هناك الكثير من العمل، هناك عمل رائع”.

اقرأ أيضاً.. رجل مباراة ريال مدريد وأتلتيكو مدريد في الدوري الإسباني

وأكمل سيميوني عن تعافي أتلتيكو مدريد بالفوز ضد ريال مدريد: “الأهم هو الثقة والهدوء، نعرف ما نريد فعله والمواقف التي تحتاج للتحسين، نحن نتحسن منذ مباراة ليفربول”.

وأكد سيميوني أفضل شئ تعلمه من الفوز ضد ريال مدريد: “عمل الفريق وإيمانه بما نحاول القيام به وإيجاد لاعبين والعثور على سورلوث في منطقة الجزاء، لقد ترجمنا ما قمنا به بشكل جيد وجماهيرنا سعيدة للغاية وكنا أفضل اليوم”.

وأثنى سيميوني على مهاجمه الأرجنتيني جوليان ألفاريز الذي سجل هدفين في مباراة اليوم: “إنه ملتزم بالفريق والنادي، لديه إمكانيات رائعة ويعمل بجد وهذا أمر بالغ الأهمية، نحن بحاجة له وعلينا الاعتناء به وآمل أن يبقى معنا لسنوات عديدة”.

Australia have shown their depth over the first two matches and will be favourites to clinch the series in Durham

Andrew McGlashan23-Sep-2024Big PictureAustralia have played like world champions, England have played like a team that has only just come together and are trying to figure out their next style of one-day cricket. Which is exactly the position of both sides.What will (or at least should) frustrate Harry Brook and Marcus Trescothick – stand-in captain and coach – is that England have had their opportunity in both games: at Trent Bridge they were 213 for 2 in the 33rd over before falling away to Australia’s collection of spinners and at Headingley they had the visitors 161 for 6 and 221 for 9 before Alex Carey swung the momentum.Related

Could more crushing ODI failure be just what England need?

Carey takes his chance to silence hostile Headingley

In both matches, Australia have found key performances from potentially unlikely sources, firstly with Marnus Labuschagne’s three wickets then Carey’s superb 74 off 67 balls from an opening that only presented itself due to Josh Inglis’ injury.With Australia struck down by illness ahead of Trent Bridge, it always felt as though that was going to prove a big missed opportunity for England and so it proved as Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Glenn Maxwell returned at Headingley and combined to take 7 for 119. With an eye to the future, Aaron Hardie’s performance was also significant with 2 for 26.England have some of the building blocks to make their attempts at rejuvenation a success. Ben Duckett is in excellent form, Jamie Smith is a high-class batter whatever colour ball he is facing, Brydon Carse could yet replicate the Liam Plunkett role – even if Carse says it’s never been spoken about – Adil Rashid remains world-class (although replacing him is a concern) and there is a collection of quicks with genuine pace.However, at the moment they seem unable to quite find their groove, especially with the bat, with Brook’s comments about not caring whether batters are caught attempting to clear the boundary not yet carrying the weight of when Eoin Morgan backed his team’s ultra-aggressive mantra in 2015. There is time yet for the rebuild to come together; Chester-le-Street would be a good place to start to at least ensure this series remains undecided for a few more days.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)
England LLLWL
Australia WWWWW4:07

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In the spotlight: Phil Salt and Steven SmithPhil Salt appears to have the task of playing the ultra-aggressive opener but he hasn’t looked entirely convincing in the first two matches. At Trent Bridge he seemed somewhat perplexed when bowled as he gave himself room against Ben Dwarshuis then at Headingley he was given a working over by Josh Hazlewood. He survived a review for a caught behind and was dropped at slip as he flayed at Hazlewood’s relentless short-of-a-length line around off stump before edging through to Carey. He will, no doubt, be fully backed to continue in the same vein but Australia’s quick bowlers are not easy to smash off their lengths.Back home, Steven Smith is at the centre of the key debate in Australian men’s cricket – or at least as much as these things raise attention during the September football final season – about where he will bat when India arrive for the Test series. For now he’s been at No. 3 and 4 in this series and would no doubt like a decent score. He looked in good touch in the opening game before offering a return catch to Liam Livingstone then was beaten by a superb delivery from Matthew Potts at Headingley. There is a good chance of a second rematch with Jofra Archer which always makes for compelling viewing.Team news: Archer in line for return, Australia hopeful illness has passedArcher would appear likely to slot back in having been given his expected rest at Headingley. Who he replaces will be interesting: Olly Stone bowled with good pace in Leeds, Potts was excellent and Carse adds some batting depth at No. 8. England felt potentially a seamer light in the last game, but without a true pace-bowling allrounder it’s hard to squeeze another option in.England: (possible) 1 Ben Duckett, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Will Jacks, 4 Harry Brook (capt), 5 Jamie Smith (wk), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Jacob Bethell, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Matthew PottsBen Dwarshuis has flown home after picking up a pectoral injury which restricted him to just four overs on debut in Nottingham. However, other than that Australia are hopeful of having a full squad to select from for the first time in the series. If Inglis is fit it creates an interesting call to make after Carey’s success in the last match. Inglis could play as a specialist batter, but there isn’t room for that, either, unless there’s some rotation. The north of England in September may require an extra pace-bowling option with Cameron Green and Sean Abbott available.Australia: (possible) 1 Travis Head, 2 Matthew Short, 3 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 4 Steven Smith, 5 Marnus Labuschagne, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Aaron Hardie, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Adam ZampaPitch and conditionsTeams were forced to train indoors on Monday but the forecast for game day is a little better, albeit with the chance of showers. To say it will be mild might be stretching things. Overhead conditions could assist the bowlers although pitches at Chester-le-Street are usually pretty good for batting in one-day cricket.Stats and trivia Starc needs one more wicket to move into fourth spot alone in Australia’s ODI tally. He equalled Mitchell Johnson on 239 during the previous game. England have two ODI centuries in the XI which played at Trent Bridge – one apiece for Duckett and Salt – while Australia had 28. England have a 3-1 winning record at Chester-le-Street against Australia. In 2018, Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh struck centuries but England comfortably chased 311 as Jason Roy made 101 off 83 balls. Only three players from that game will likely appear this time: Carey, Travis Head and Adil RashidQuotes”There have been big changes, new batters, new bowlers. It will take time. It will always take time when it is a rebuilding process. We have got every base covered in terms of bowling, batting, keeping. Everything is there for us.”
Adil Rashid on England’s new era“There’s been a big emphasis on being flexible, being adaptable, there’s so many players who have cemented their spots – Travis at the top, Mitch [Marsh] through the middle then you’ve got Smith, Labuschagne – so it’s just about filling the roles as they pop up, whether it’s with the bat or ball, just being adaptable, jump up and down the order, and be able to contribute wherever possible.”

England opener leads charge as she admits absence from T20I squad creates unique pressure

Valkerie Baynes26-Jun-2024

England’s nine-wicket rout in the first match of New Zealand’s visit represented exactly how the hosts want to play.Having lacked a ruthless streak for much of their victorious ODI and T20I campaigns against Pakistan earlier in the home summer, England crushed the White Ferns on Wednesday, first by bowling them out for 156 in 33.3 overs thanks largely to Charlie Dean’s 4 for 38 before reeling in the target for the loss of just one wicket with a staggering 28.4 overs to spare, via brutal half-centuries from Tammy Beaumont and Maia Bouchier.Beaumont, unbeaten with 76 from 69 deliveries, and Bouchier, who had a breakout tour of New Zealand earlier this year and struck 67 off 50 balls, took England within 20 runs of victory with 137-run opening stand off just 106 deliveries. Combined with England’s spinners Dean, Sophie Ecclestone and Sarah Glenn – who took seven wickets between them – it was the sort of clinical all-round performance they had been seeking.Against Pakistan, England scrapped their way to victory in the first ODI before Nat Sciver-Brunt dominated the third, following a second-match wash-out. During the three T20Is, only Danni Wyatt’s quickfire 87 at Leeds stood out after Amy Jones and Dani Gibson rescued them from 11 for 4 in the series opener at Edgbaston and they managed to defend a modest total in the second match by bowling Pakistan out for just 79.It was those sorts of results, Beaumont said after beating New Zealand in Durham, that England had said they wanted to turn into much more dominant victories, especially given the mantra of “inspire and entertain” that has been underpinning their endeavours for the past two years.”We spoke a lot this morning about how we want to play our 50-over cricket, and what inspiring and entertaining is. At times that’s being ruthless and putting on a show like that,” Beaumont said. “To respond to that conversation and go out straight away and put it into action … in particular the bowling was absolutely ruthless.”That’s certainly the word we’ve started to use a bit more,” she added. “We want to enjoy our cricket, we want to show off, we want to show our skills and how much talent there is in that dressing-room, but actually we want to also win games of cricket and really dominate at the same time, and the two can definitely being mutually exclusive. So I think it was still a lot of fun today but still incredibly ruthless, and a bit of a statement for the start of a series.”It’s not necessarily the be-all and end-all. We still want to try and push the game forward and take the game to as many new heights as possible. But at the same time, when you’ve got the foot on the throat, we’re going to try and ram home that advantage.”England’s performance showed what they are capable of, given the talent at their disposal. Heather Knight was barely called upon after arriving with 20 runs still required, Sciver-Brunt and Wyatt went unused, while Alice Capsey and Sophia Dunkley were left out of the starting XI altogether, the latter having won back her place in the squad after a disappointing tour of New Zealand.Beaumont said that while Dunkley’s welcome return increased the competition for places, the same could be said for most spots in the side, as reflected by Ryana MacDonald-Gay’s call-up from an impressive domestic season as cover for injured seamer Kate Cross.Maia Bouchier got to fifty at well over a run a ball•PA Photos/Getty Images

Beaumont and Cross find themselves in a tough place, on the fringes of T20I selection with a World Cup just over three months away but important to England’s 50-over campaign in 2025 and, where applicable, the Test set-up too.And while hosting Pakistan and New Zealand hasn’t carried the same buzz as last year’s Women’s Ashes, Beaumont – England’s double-centurion in the Trent Bridge Test against Australia last June – said she was playing with more freedom now than she was back then, when England came back from a 6-0 points deficit after losing the Test and first T20I to draw by winning both the T20I and ODI series two games to one.”I found the Ashes quite difficult last year,” she said. “You have the high of scoring a double-hundred in a Test match and then literally an hour after the end of the Test, you get told you’re not around for the next 10 days – that kind of took the wind out of your sails a little bit. You then have 10 days of regional cricket and then rock up and you have to win every game of the Ashes to stay in. What the girls did in the T20s was incredible, but actually the pressure to come back in, be the opening batter, and keep that roll on and not be the one that messes it up and loses the Ashes, is pretty tough to deal with.”But unfortunately that’s the situation the likes of myself and Kate Cross are in. It feels like you’ve got to constantly make an impact to stay relevant, but that’s what you have to do. Both of us are good enough at sticking to our game and acknowledging that it’s tough, that’s how it is and it’s not going to get any easier. There’s nothing anyone can do really, unless they pick you in the T20s, but it doesn’t seem to happen. So yeah, that is what it is.”Related

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New Zealand have plenty of reflection and improvement ahead if they are to bounce back, having lost their home T20 and ODI series against England in March and April.Had 20-year-old opener Georgia Plimmer not been run out for 29 pressing on for a single after deflecting Melie Kerr’s shot off her boot straight to midwicket, New Zealand may have been able to forge a much-needed partnership. As it stood, only Brooke Halliday’s half-century stood out, and she was the sole White Ferns bowler to take a wicket after playing as a specialist batter during England’s tour of New Zealand while making her way back from a foot injury.”I was a little bit confused because I was just putting my kit on, but yeah, maybe one day when Georgia gets a little bit older, she’ll be able to say ‘no’ to Melie,” Halliday said. “We talked about recently trying to be in the crease a little bit tighter to the stumps to try and help get the single down at mid-on, so that came back to bite her a little bit there… it’s just unfortunate the way she got out, but good signs.”Individually everyone will probably reflect on batting, bowling and fielding and then we’ll come together as a group and see what we want to work on and how we’re going to approach the next game. We’re not going to dwell too much on it, I’m sure, but you’ve always got to reflect and take what you can out of a game like this.”

It wasn’t the most thrilling spectacle to take in for the scattered array of Chelsea supporters watching on, but the Blues did start their Club World Cup campaign with a relatively straightforward 2-0 victory over LAFC on Monday evening.

Enzo Maresca named a very strong lineup for the clash with Steve Cherundolo’s challengers, and, for the most part, it was a smooth match for the likes of Cole Palmer – who was donning the no.10 for the first time – and Moises Caicedo, among many other strong first-team personnel.

There would have been some worries in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium that the game could peter out into a dire clash with no goals scored within the first 30 minutes. Thankfully, Pedro Neto managed to raise the excitement levels when he broke the deadlock in the 34th minute.

The game was then tied up in the second half by Enzo Fernandez popping up with a goal of his own, but away from the goalscorers stealing the limelight, there were several top performers on the night, alongside others putting in slightly more subdued displays.

Chelsea's best performers vs LAFC

The most logical place to start is with Neto’s standout showing, with his blistering solo run and tricky feet resulting in the ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers winger getting Chelsea’s account underway in the competition.

Away from this sublime effort beating former Spurs captain, Hugo Lloris, Neto also fired another shot off the woodwork, with his constant livewire presence clear for all to see even more when completing a hefty five successful dribbles.

Neto wasn’t the only bright spark from Chelsea’s perspective, however, with Fernandez also sticking out in the second half when winning two duels alongside his goal. Involved in that second strike was debutant Liam Delap, who scampered down the right and delivered an inch-perfect cross for the Argentine to bury.

Starring alongside Fernandez was the ever-reliable Moises Caicedo.

He was also persistently involved in play when notching up 101 touches, but not every blue shirt trudged off at the end delighted with their efforts.

Chelsea's worst performers against LAFC

Romeo Lavia struggled to get going before Maresca hooked him off at the half-time interval, yet there was one underperformer throughout that will be worried for his Club World Cup starting spot now and his future as a regular starter at Stamford Bridge after offering very little in the Atlanta heat.

Chalkboard

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

It’s clear from the rampant transfer rumours coming out of West London that Chelsea are in the market for a new left winger figure, with Jamie Gittens one of the main targets being lined up to replace the recently departed Jadon Sancho.

After the 2-0 win over LAFC, it’s even more abundantly clear that the Blues need urgent reinforcements down the left flank, with Noni Madueke having a torrid time of things when chucked out to this unfamiliar position on the pitch.

A large portion of Chelsea supporters took to social media to voice their frustrations at Madueke’s dire showing, with the 23-year-old largely ineffective throughout when powering just one paltry on-target effort at Lloris’ goal.

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Moreover, Neto’s eye-catching trickery on the ball down the right just didn’t rub off on the out-of-sorts number 11 on the left, culminating in just one unmemorable successful dribble being registered.

Minutes played

64

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

43

Accurate passes

25/27 (93%)

Shots

2

Possession lost

10x

Total duels won

3/7

On top of those already grim statistics, Madueke also gave away possession ten times, alongside only winning a disappointing 42% of his duels.

Therefore, going forward, Maresca must not continue playing Madueke down the left, with a low 5/10 match rating handed to him by Football.London’s Bobby Vincent after the match adding insult to injury.

Tyrique George is the only other option the former Leicester City boss can rely upon on the left channel, with Chelsea needing to act fast now to add someone like Gittens to their squad.

If this were in a far more pressurised contest, Madueke could have ended up costing his side dear.

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