The former USMNT forward voiced strong criticism of the CONCACAF Gold Cup format, calling for significant changes
Durham made to battle for wickets after Robinson leads imposing first innings
ECB Reporters Network26-Jun-2023A century by Colin Ackermann against the county he will be representing next season led a solid Leicestershire response after Ollie Robinson’s career-best unbeaten 167 had set up a Durham declaration at 517 for six on day two of their LV= Insurance County Championship meeting at the Uptonsteel County Ground.Ackermann, who will move to the North East at the end of the season along with Leicestershire team-mate Callum Parkinson, is 104 not out as his current side ended the day 335 for four. The 32-year-old all-rounder shared a fifth-wicket partnership of 117 with Australian international Peter Handscomb, who made 55 after opener Sol Budinger’s 51 earlier.Matt Parkinson, the leg-spinning twin of Callum who is currently with Durham on loan from Lancashire but will play for Kent in 2024, took two for 91 on a pitch likely to favour the spinners increasingly over the last two days, and with a lead of 182 the Division Two leaders still hold the upper hand.Durham declared approximately half an hour before lunch, having added 95 to their overnight score, Robinson returning to the visitors’ dressing room to pats on the back from everyone with the possible exception of Graham Clark.Clark had looked nailed on for a second hundred in three innings only for his partner to run him out on 92, chancing a quick single off a dab into the off side only for Ackermann to swoop at point and score a direct hit with his throw as Clark tried in vain to get home. With the fifth batting point effectively in the bag, it was hardly a necessary gamble.The partnership had added 227 runs, and while Robinson initially threw back his head in disbelief at what he had done, he regained his composure to equal his previous best of 143 by driving Matt Salisbury to the cover boundary before he and Liam Trevaskis upped the tempo to blast 69 in nine overs before the wicket of Trevaskis, caught on the boundary as he swept Callum Parkinson, prompted the declaration.Parkinson’s two wickets cost 107 runs. Among the suffering seamers, Ed Barnes was the tidiest, going for what in the circumstances was a paltry three an over in his first Championship match since breaking a foot in the last week of April.The Durham seam attack, short on experience due to injuries and international call-ups, included the debutant Raymond Toole, a South African-born left-arm seamer who plays for Central Districts in New Zealand, signed in part for his experience bowling with the Kookaburra, although he has more recently seen action in the North East Premier League with Shotley Bridge.Yet he struggled to make an impression on this placid pitch, as Leicestershire openers Budinger and Rishi Patel progressed without alarm to lunch and beyond. Moments after Budinger completed his second fifty of the season, however, they were out to consecutive balls.Ben Raine, once of this parish, snared Patel, posting a short square leg to whom the batter obligingly popped up a simple catch off a miscued pull, after which Budinger, rocking back to cut the leg-spinning Parkinson, feathered the ball into the gloves of Robinson, who held it at the second attempt.It was still essentially a good pitch but there were signs now and again of deterioration. Parkinson picked up a second wicket when he drew Lewis Hill into reaching for one outside off stump that turned enough to find the edge, slip taking the catch.At 124 for three, Leicestershire’s initial target of reaching 368 to avoid the follow-on looked some way off. By tea, it was a little closer, at 203 for three after Ackermann had passed fifty for the fifth time this season.Peter Handscomb, who had the good fortune to benefit from one of Parkinson’s not infrequent no-balls when he edged to slip on three, reached the same milestone seven overs into the final session only to run out of luck moments later when his attempt to paddle-sweep Trevaskis’s left-arm spin ballooned gently off the top edge to give Robinson a simple catch behind the stumps.Ackermann’s 22nd career first-class hundred came inside the final three overs of play when he pulled Toole for his eighth boundary. Unfazed by a blow on the helmet from a short ball by Raine shortly afterwards, he and Wiaan Mulder (49) have so far added 94. Leicestershire still require another 33 to avoid being asked to follow on.
In the space of a few months Fawad Ahmed has gone from Test contender to club cricketer, but he remains confident of bouncing back in the Sheffield Shield this season
Brydon Coverdale15-Oct-2015Fawad Ahmed’s bowling figures last weekend were very impressive. In a one-day match he claimed 3 for 9 in ten overs, with seven maidens. The batsmen simply couldn’t get him away. Unfortunately for Fawad, those batsmen were playing for the Monash Tigers, and Fawad himself was bowling for Melbourne University rather than Victoria or Australia.It has been quite a step down for Fawad, who spent the winter as part of Australia’s Test squad in the West Indies and England but did not make his debut and struggled in the nets and the tour matches. He was left out of the squad for the Test series in Bangladesh, national selector Rod Marsh having declared that Fawad “didn’t bowl as well as I’m sure he would have wanted” on the tours.The cancellation of the Bangladesh series due to security concerns then created an influx of players back into state squads for the Matador Cup one-day tournament, and Fawad found himself shunted out of Victoria’s 14-man group, with Glenn Maxwell and Jon Holland the preferred spin options. It means Fawad has gone from Test contender to park cricketer in the space of a few months.Despite the demotion, Fawad remains confident that there will be a place for him in Victoria’s Sheffield Shield side when the four-day competition begins later this month. He was the competition’s leading wicket taker last summer with 48 victims at 24.85, and he believes previous experience of being dropped and coming back will help him bounce back after the disappointment of the winter tours.”I’ve started well this season playing grade cricket, unfortunately not playing for Victoria, but I feel in good rhythm and looking forward to the big season,” Fawad told ESPNcricinfo this week. “I’ve been through this situation in the past, been dropped and came back to club cricket and Futures League cricket and performed well there and made my way back into the side.”I’m looking forward to the season. I’ve started the season well, playing for Melbourne University, and I’m playing Futures League next week against WA at the WACA. That will be a stepping stone for me to make sure I’m in a good rhythm and ready to play more cricket for Victoria, and hopefully repeat how I went in the last two or three seasons.”Fawad embarked on the dual tours thinking he had a strong chance of making his Test debut against West Indies in Dominica, where the wicket was expected to suit spin. However, the selectors left him out and his only first-class matches of the winter came in tour games against the WICB President’s XI, Kent, Derbyshire and Northamptonshire.In those four outings Fawad sent down a total of 93.5 overs and collected nine wickets at 46.22; against Northamptonshire he was not introduced until the 42nd over, and his first ball was a full toss that was hit for six. Fawad said while he wanted to make no excuses for his disappointing results, he had found it challenging to have such long periods between matches.”It’s not easy when you’re playing only four games in five months,” he said. “When you’re playing one game and you know you’re not going to play the Test matches, the next game is one and a half months later … it’s not as easy as when you’re going bang, bang, bang.”In the Shield if I have an innings where I don’t bowl well, after a couple of days there’ll be another game. When you play more games you get into the rhythm. I did so much in the nets and there was a bit of concern but it was completely different conditions from home.”It wasn’t easy, and I don’t want to use that as an excuse because I have to be able to adapt to conditions, that’s what you need to do in Test cricket. It’s not an excuse, but it was an up and down period. It wasn’t meant to be, and now I’m here and I want to play more games for Victoria. I want to take more wickets and whatever happens in the future happens.”Fawad was the backup spinner to Nathan Lyon in the West Indies and England, but by the Bangladesh series he had been overtaken by Steve O’Keefe and possibly by Ashton Agar as well. However, he said having been part of previous Australian squads – he debuted in ODIs and T20 internationals in 2013 – he knew what he had to do to get back.”Go back, work hard and perform well and make your way back,” he said. “It’s not rocket science … It looks like it’s going to be a hot summer, so I think that will be perfect for me. More dry wickets and the fast bowlers are going to be a little bit cooked, so I might bowl a little bit more. I’m feeling pretty fit and strong, I had a lot of training sessions and fitness sessions while I was away, so I’m feeling really good.”
Chelsea continued their 100% record in the UEFA Conference League with a resounding 5-1 victory over Shamrock Rovers, leaving the Blues top of the Conference League table.
Chelsea once again put on an impressive attacking display, dominating 73% of possession and amassing an incredible 20 goal attempts as the Irish side were blown away with four first-half goals.
Young forward Marc Guiu was the man of the moment, scoring his first Chelsea hat-trick, but despite the youngster’s impressive Conference League form, he has only made one Premier League appearance this season.
With doubts about Christopher Nkunku’s fitness, it seems that Enzo Maresca is reliant on Nicolas Jackson to fill that number nine void ahead of a busy festive schedule. With Chelsea fighting on more than one front, the striker area may be a position that owner Todd Boehly looks to add some firepower.
Despite Jackson’s standout start to the season with 12 goal contributions in his 15 Premier League appearances and youngster Guiu finding his feet in European competitions, it seems that Chelsea are looking to add to the forward options in the upcoming January window.
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Chelsea are interested in Spartak Moscow striker Manfred Ugalde, with the 22-year-old attracting interest across a number of other Premier League clubs, including Arsenal and Manchester City.
The Costa Rica international has been in scintillating form this season, notching 15 goals in 18 games for Spartak in the Russian Premier Liga ahead of the winter break.
Clubs across the Premier League are on red alert with the young striker having a reported £25m release clause in his contract after his move from FC Twente back in January.
The signing of Ugalde, dubbed the “new [Sergio] Aguero” by one football scout, would bring even more firepower to a front line that has already been purring this season – Chelsea are the top scorers in the Premier League.
The Spartak Moscow striker has already scored more goals this season than both Jackson and Guiu and is outperforming the Chelsea pair in a number of key metrics.
Indeed, in all competitions, the in-demand talent has netted 16 times in 2024/25, while Jackson and Guiu have contributed ‘just’ 15 goals between them across all fronts.
|
Manfred Ugalde v Nicolas Jackson & Marc Guiu domestic season 24/25 |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per 90) |
Ugalde |
Jackson |
Guiu |
|
Goals |
15 |
9 |
0 |
|
Shots |
3.64 |
3.12 |
0 |
|
Shots on target |
1.82 |
1.6 |
0 |
|
Crosses |
9 |
3 |
0 |
|
Tackles won |
5 |
6 |
0 |
|
Stats via FBref |
|||
With more shots and shots on target per 90 minutes, it is clear to see why Ugalde has been so deadly this season in the Russian Premier Liga.
The hope will be that the 5 foot 8 marksman can follow in the footsteps of the aforementioned Aguero – who also stands at just 5 foot 8 – with the Argentine netting 260 goals in 390 games during his time at Manchester City.
However, it is not only Ugalde’s goalscoring ability that would bring that extra ingredient to Maresca’s side, Ugalde has also attempted more crosses than his Chelsea counterparts, proving his creative nature as well as predatory finishing.
Furthermore, Jackson, often lauded for his defensive ability and pressing from the front, has only made one more successful tackle than Ugalde – suggesting the Costa Rican can put a shift in defensively too.
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Whether Chelsea can position themselves at the front of a long queue for Ugalde remains to be seen, but it is clear the Costa Rica striker would bring something extra to this flourishing Chelsea side, and who knows, possibly fire them to a Premier League title.
Move over Guiu: 8/10 star just showed why he's the "future of Chelsea"
Chelsea extended their dominant winning run against Shamrock Rovers in the Conference League group stage.
By
Angus Sinclair
Dec 20, 2024
Arne Slot blamed first half errors for Liverpool's defeat at Fulham as he praised his team's overall performance.
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With the extent of Ruben Amorim’s task becoming clearer by the day, Manchester United are now reportedly interested in beating Liverpool to one of their priority targets in 2025.
The Red Devils very nearly made it a third-straight game without victory against Viktoria Plzen, only for Rasmus Hojlund’s late second to snatch all three points to avoid what would have been a disaster start under Amorim. The former Sporting boss has so far struggled to make an instant impact, but given the mess left behind by Erik ten Hag, United’s struggles have come as little surprise.
It doesn’t get any easier for Amorim’s side either, who square off against Manchester City in the Manchester derby this weekend in a battle between two sides growing more and more desperate to turn their recent slumps around.
Meanwhile, as the action continues on the pitch, the Red Devils have seemingly turned their attention towards potential reinforcements. According to Brazilian outlet UOL, INEOS are now interested in signing Joao Pedro ahead of Liverpool, who have reportedly made the Brighton & Hove Albion forward a priority target ahead of 2025, hoping to sign an upgrade on the struggling Darwin Nunez.
As bad as Rashford: Amorim must axe 3/10 Man Utd dud who left him dismayed
Manchester United secured a third consecutive Europa League victory last night.
By
Ethan Lamb
Dec 13, 2024
Manchester United already know all about Pedro’s quality, given that he’s scored three goals in five games against them, including a last gasp winner over the Red Devils from the penalty spot back in August. A thorn in Harry Maguire’s side, the Brazilian came away with the winning goal to his name and on the right end of five duels, whilst his defensive opponent made just one block and was hooked in the 79th minute, as per Fotmob.
Whilst Hojlund is beginning to benefit from the arrival of Amorim, the same can’t be said for Joshua Zirkzee, whose best role is yet to be defined as the rumours over a potential exit already commence. By signing Pedro, however, Manchester United would end any attacking doubts and put an end to what is a failing Zirkzee experiment at Old Trafford.
|
Premier League stats 24/25 (via FBref) |
Joao Pedro |
Joshua Zirkzee |
|---|---|---|
|
Minutes |
589 |
594 |
|
Goals |
4 |
3 |
|
Assists |
3 |
1 |
|
Expected Goals |
2.4 |
3 |
Brighton, like they have been with a number of players so often in the past, will be keen to keep hold of Pedro amid such interest, especially following Fabian Hurzeler’s recent verdict.
The Brighton boss told reporters as relayed by The Guardian after his side defeated Bournemouth: “In possession he is unbelievable. He makes the difference for us today. It’s also very important to see how he works against the ball. He invests a lot out of possession. He does a lot of work in the shadow and the work that is unseen. That’s why it is very good to have him as a leader on the pitch.”
Three of the top four quicks are currently sidelined, which left the 23-year old with undue responsibility and his inexperience was exposed
Andrew Fidel Fernando in Colombo20-Aug-20150:54
‘Wicket was getting better for batsmen’ – Prasad
In the approach to this match, there had been worries in the Sri Lanka camp that Nuwan Pradeep’s body may not be able to withstand two Tests in a row. Fair to say they were well off the mark. Pradeep’s body could barely withstand one Test in a row. Somewhere between the fourth day in Galle and the first at the P Sara, Pradeep had tweaked a hamstring. Sri Lanka have not said how the injury happened, but no one who has followed the fate of their seamers over the past decade will be surprised if it had been the vibrations from the team bus that proved too much for his thigh.Pradeep is now the third top quick to be unavailable in this series. Shaminda Eranga had spent the entire Pakistan tour on the sidelines thanks to a back complaint, then just as he seemed to be ready for India, strained a muscle in his groin. Suranga Lakmal recovered from a groin complaint himself to play one Test against Pakistan, but in the weeks since, has strained his side.Sometimes it feels like Sri Lanka seamers are on an injury carousel. They come into view briefly, have their few seconds in the spotlight, then move back into the shadows and go unseen for a few weeks at least. To suggest they are made of cardboard doesn’t quite do justice. More likely they are comprised of powder. Every time the wind blows, a little part of the pace attack is carried away with it. If the first homo sapiens had been Sri Lanka seamers, our species would have become extinct 90,000 years ago.The injuries are not the quicks’ fault, of course. Not even a little bit. Almost every bowler in the pace battery was discovered relatively late in life, and as such, had not had the chance in adolescence to prepare their bodies for the rigours of fast bowling. They are also usually from families of very limited means. Only after they arrive in the Sri Lanka team do they begin to get halfway-decent nutrition.But with three of the top four seamers out of action, it came down to 23-year-old Dushmantha Chameera to consolidate Sri Lanka’s early gains on Thursday. Tall, quite quick, and possessing a smooth action, there is plenty about him to be excited about. There is also plenty for him to learn. If the senior bowlers ahead of him had stayed fit for longer, Chameera might have had that ideal, gradual introduction to international cricket – where he would have played as the third frontline quick on the juicier tracks, before eventually taking on more substantial duties. Instead, he finds himself thrown in the deep end.
If the first homo sapiens had been Sri Lanka seamers, our species would have become extinct 90,000 years ago
On a P Sara track less helpful to seamers than Sri Lanka expected, Chameera’s first spell eased the pressure on India’s top order. Four boundaries were struck in his first 13 balls, and that first spell of four overs cost 24 runs. Later in the day, he dismissed centurion KL Rahul with the bouncer. But it doesn’t quite eclipse the fact he was largely wayward when he banged it in short and was picked off by Rahul, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.Chameera did have Rahul dropped for 11 in his very first over, and maybe his figures would have been prettier at the end of the day if that chance had been taken at gully. “Had we taken that catch off Rahul, the first session would have been different,” senior bowler Dhammika Prasad said. “We might have been able to take even more wickets, with a new batsman coming to the crease. That did cost us a bit.”As Sri Lanka seem to have introduced a dropped-catch quota of at least three per Test, Chameera might as well get used to having batsmen reprieved from his bowling. He is doing a brave job in a tough situation for now, but he will not want too many more days in which he finishes with an economy rate of 4.53.With Angelo Mathews’ removal of Rohit off the last ball, Sri Lanka have ended day one with some credit. Prasad hoped they could claim the final four India wickets before the total, currently at 319, grew to 350. Even if India get closer to 400, the match remains winnable for the home side.Loaded with undue responsibility, Chameera’s inexperience was exposed in patches. He will probably improve quicker in the national team, than he would have in Sri Lanka’s first-class system. That is unless he gets injured first.
Cricket West Indies also approved a new committee to work towards achieving equality for women’s players
ESPNcricinfo staff19-May-2023West Indies women will now fly business class for long-haul international flights and stay in single rooms for international games, bringing them level with the travel policy for the men’s teams, according to Cricket West Indies (CWI).These decisions were made at the first CWI board of directors meeting following the election of new president Kishore Shallow in March.”The women’s game in international cricket continues to evolve, and CWI must keep apace and, where possible, lead,” Shallow said. “Introducing these policies and adding a second female to the board as an independent director are monumental strides in the right direction.”CWI also approved a new committee – the Women’s Cricket Transformation Committee – to work towards achieving equality for women’s players.”The committee’s remit will include but not be limited to recommending strategies geared towards increasing the interest and participation of women and girls in the sport, as well as proposing cricket competitions, events, and pathways that foster competitive women’s and girls’ cricket,” CWI said in a statement.”We welcome this move by CWI in the quest to achieve greater equality within our work environment among our cricketers,” Wavell Hinds, the president and CEO of the West Indies Players Association, said. “We look forward to achieving similar goals in our ongoing negotiations on the renewal of our MOU for another four-year period.”West Indies women play Ireland in June and July, followed by a tour of Australia in October, where they will play three ODIs and three T20Is.
Nottingham Forest and Olympiacos owner Vangelis Marinakis is reportedly set to face trial in Greece for his alleged ties with criminal organisations.
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GOAL looks at the tiers of teams in the 2025 Club World Cup, asking who might win it all and who is just happy to be here?
What to make of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup? Certainly, the big name teams are here. Real Madrid, Man City, PSG and Bayern Munich all stand out from a fine crop of European clubs. But the tournament goes so much deeper. Legendary South American clubs such as Boca Juniors, River Plate and Palmeiras will all be playing in the U.S. this summer. A duo of sides will represent Liga MX with aplomb. A third, Leon, has been removed due to violations of multi-club ownership rules – but could re-enter after appeal, or be replaced.
And while they may not garner the kind of attention as their European counterparts, a litany of African and Asian teams are also set to get their moment in the spotlight. In that sense, this is a wonderful thing that highlights the best of world football.
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be played in 12 stadiums in 11 U.S. cities, from the opener on June 14 until the final on July 13. In the U.S., fans can stream or watch matches on DAZN or TNT. Leading up to kickoff, GOAL is providing scouting reports on each of the 32 participating teams in the expanded field.
So who's here to win it? Who's here for the money? Who's here for holiday? Who's in the spotlight? Who's going to bring the fun? GOAL US breaks it all down in the 2025 Club World Cup Tier Rankings.