A torcida do Flamengo esgotou todos os setores disponíveis para os rubro-negros para a partida de volta das outavas da Copa do Brasil, no próximo dia primeiro de junho, às 20h, no Maracanã. Com isso, restam apenas os ingressos do setor sul, que é destinado exclusivamente para os torcedores do Fluminense, que será visitante, com vendas abertas na próxima terça.
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Vale destacar que ambos os clubes utilizam-se da estratégia de abrir vendas com prioridade para socio-torcedores, quando são os mandantes. Dessa forma, apesar do clássico ter torcida mista, geralmente o mandante busca essa vantagem numérica nas arquibancadas por meio desse foco nos associados.
No jogo de volta, a venda on-line para os tricolores terá início na próxima terça, às 10h (de Brasília) e irá até às 16h do dia da partida, em junho. Por outro lado, os pontos físicos ainda não foram divulgados pelo clube.
As bilheterias abriram no último sábado para os rubro-negros para os setores Norte, Leste, Oeste e no Maracanã Mais. Ainda restam gratuidades e cortesias.
+ Flamengo encara o Fluminense tentando melhorar aproveitamento em clássicos no ano
Antes disso, Fluminense e Flamengomedem forças nesta terça, às 21h (de Brasília), no Maracanã, no jogo de ida das oitavas da Copa do Brasil. Essa é a primeira vez na história que os clube se enfrentam na competição nacional.
Don’t ban the Afghanistan men’s side from playing international cricket but do expect them to do more for the women and girls who don’t have the same rights they do. That’s the opinion of two formerly contracted Afghanistan women’s players living in exile in Australia.Firooza Amiri and Benafsha Hashimi fled Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021 and have narrated their story of escape to a new life on ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast. Both women continue to play club cricket in Australia, with hopes of representing their country someday even though that will not be possible until the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) put up a women’s team. Under Taliban rule, the ACB cannot do that because of the country’s laws, which forbid women from playing sport, studying and working.Given that Afghanistan are ICC Full Members, and that one of the conditions of that status is to have a women’s side, there has been debate over whether or not to sanction the Afghanistan’s men’s team. Both Australia and England refuse to play bilateral series against them in protest, but continue to play them at ICC events, while the other nine Full Members engage with Afghanistan, sometimes amid growing calls to boycott them. South Africa are the most recent and relevant example, given they were isolated from the 1970s to 1990s for the country’s race-based Apartheid system. While the country’s sports minister, Gayton McKenzie, recently cited gender discrimination as a reason not to play Afghanistan, Cricket South Africa believes punishing the men’s players for a situation beyond their control will not force change. Amiri and Hashimi hold similar views but it is important to know that some of the other players are known to feel differently.Related
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Human Rights Watch asks ICC to suspend Afghanistan's membership
England-Afghanistan to go ahead despite ECB speaking out over 'gender apartheid'
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Powerplay: More than just a match for Afghanistan Women's XI
“The Afghanistan men’s team brings a kind of hope. They are role models for us. I don’t want to say I’m not supporting them at all,” Amiri told ESPNcricinfo in May 2024, when we first interviewed her. “But when I cannot play for Afghanistan, what’s more heartbreaking is when you see the men can do something and the women cannot do it – which is absolutely wrong. Everything men can do, women can do as well.”Hashimi, whom ESPNcricinfo spoke to last November, has similar feelings watching the men’s team. “I can say 50-50. I was happy because my team has played very well and Afghanistan got to the semi-finals [of the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup] which is quite good for us because we haven’t been there but on the other side I was just hopeless. We have a really great men’s team but we never focus on a women’s team and it is a bit difficult to talk about. So I was happy and I was sad too. It’s a difficult feeling to describe: men having more opportunity than girls.”Australia, where Amiri and Hashimi live, refuse to play Afghanistan in bilateral cricket. This has caused Amiri to wonder whether selective shunning of the men’s team is worthwhile. “If it has an impact on our team, that we can put pressure on the Afghanistan Cricket Board to make a women’s team, then we will be happy, but only if it’s a way we can start playing cricket.”2:52
Mel Jones: Afghan women’s love for the game blew me away
Though she considered the thought of a ban, Amiri recognises that the Afghanistan men’s team has made rapid progress and its success could be more of a statement than a ban. “They are in a good position at the moment in the world and if they start supporting us, they’ll have a big impact on our team. They can be very, very helpful for us and for all the women. If women can start playing sport, women can start studying as well. It can be a pathway.”If they start supporting us, it’s going to be a way for all women. If they can hear my voice from here: Afghanistan, national players, please, please be the voice of the girls at the moment. Please do more for us. Start doing something for women. You are the voice of Afghanistan. They are the most famous people at the moment. They can be the voice of millions and millions of girls.”
Despite her plea, Amiri recognised that the men’s players may be risking their own safety if they speak out. “I know that there were always some challenges for them as well. Some of their families are still in Afghanistan. We don’t want you to be in danger.”We interviewed Amiri in November again, by which time she had also taken in Afghanistan’s semi-final showing at the T20 World Cup in June, and it had been announced that an Afghan Women’s XI will play against a Cricket Without Borders side at the Junction Oval in Melbourne on January 30, the same day as the Women’s Ashes Test starts.”The Afghanistan men’s team went on a very long journey as well. It’s never been easy for all of us. We all came through one journey and obviously because they are men, they had more opportunities than us as we are women, but they’ve come a long way. They are playing really well and they are achieving so much for Afghanistan. This is what we want too. We want to make Afghanistan proud as a men’s and women’s national team, and I could say our goals are the same.”We don’t want to make another problem by stopping them or keep talking about stopping them from playing cricket. Now we have our base, we want to play for the Afghan XI. We want to make a better future for Afghanistan women inside Afghanistan and make a change in cricket.”Firooza Amiri: ‘We want to make Afghanistan proud as a men’s and women’s national team, and I could say our goals are the same’•ESPNcricinfo Ltd
In the months since ESPNcricinfo spoke to the two players, things have regressed further in Afghanistan, with the Taliban closing down institutes for women training as nurses and midwives, effectively blocking women’s last remaining avenue to higher education in the country and putting women with medical issues at significant risk – women are not allowed to consult with male medics in Afghanistan without having a male guardian present. This prompted some of the first public reactions from the men’s team, with Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Rahmanullah Gurbaz posting on social media in support of women’s education.ESPNcricinfo also spoke to Mel Jones, who was instrumental in helping the female Afghanistan cricketers leave the country and settle in Australia. Jones agrees that campaigning for a women’s team is not as simple as banning the men’s side, but has asked the cricketing community to play its part in keeping the story of the Afghanistan women’s team alive.”It is one of the most complex pieces I’ve seen,” Jones said. “There’s nothing black and white about this at all… but I do think there’s a question around leadership. People take on positions of leadership to lead, and it’s not to say that you have to make a black and white decision about things but I think you have to stand up and be a voice and lean into some tough situations. And this is a really tough situation.Rashid Khan, in December, put out a social media post supporting women’s education in Afghanistan•ICC via Getty Images
“I think the frustration has been the lack of conversation around it. And so here’s this amazing group of women who are trying to rebuild their lives and still connect to cricket. And they’ve hardly had a conversation with our leaders right across the world. And that’s the most frustrating thing for me. We might still get to the same point and decisions that we are now regardless of those conversations. But give these women their due. Give them space… that’s probably the one piece that I would say we’ve been really bad at over the last three or four years: it’s that people turn their back on that conversation. And I would hope that if we’d learn anything from this, is that if something like this happens again, whether it’s a different country or a different group of people, if it’s a men’s team somewhere or something like that, that we just don’t turn our back on people and hope that silence will make it go away, because it just doesn’t.”Episode 2 of the ESPNcricinfo Powerplay podcast will look at where Amiri and Hashimi find themselves now as well as the practicalities and challenges of the Afghan women in exile playing as a team.
Though Lionel Messi is reportedly close to signing a multi-year contract extension to remain with Inter Miami, manager Javier Mascherano struck a cautious tone on Friday, choosing his words carefully ahead of the Herons’ matchup against D.C. United at Chase Stadium. “I’m certainly not the one who should make that announcement,” he said.
Getty Images Sport'Not going to speak about hypotheticals'
Although the prospect of a new deal for the former Barcelona star is percolating, Mascherano avoided making any announcements while hinting that positive news may be close.
“I’m not going to speak about hypotheticals, and I’m certainly not the one who should make that announcement,” Mascherano told reporters on Friday. “Hopefully it happens soon. It would be fantastic news not only for the club but for MLS and soccer in the United States as a whole. We just have to let things take their natural course and allow those who need to announce it to do so.”
AdvertisementGetty Images SportMiami can clinch a playoff berth
Inter Miami can clinch a playoff berth in Saturday's match against D.C. United under these scenarios:
+ Miami win and the New York Red Bulls lose or draw against CF Montréal.
+ Miami draw and the Red Bulls draw against Montréal.
Getty Images SportAnother trophy in sight?
Mascherano also emphasized the team’s pursuit of the Supporters’ Shield, awarded to the league’s best regular-season team, which Miami won in record fashion last year.
“When we finished the Leagues Cup, our goal was to win the nine remaining matches. Now it’s down to seven, and each one is like a final. Mathematically, we’re in the same race as Vancouver,” he said.
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Getty Images SportWarns against complacency
Despite D.C. United already being eliminated from playoff contention, Mascherano warned against complacency for his club.
“Every match has its challenges. It would be a mistake to think we’re facing a team with nothing to play for. This game is hugely important for us to get mathematically closer to the playoffs," he said.
Derby County are believed to be battling Championship rivals Swansea City for the loan signing of a “special” Premier League player this summer.
Eustace positive despite Derby defeat
It hasn’t exactly been an ideal start to the season for the Rams, who have lost their opening couple of Championship matches, losing 3-1 away to Stoke City and suffering a 5-3 hammering at home to Coventry City.
Despite this, Derby manager John Eustace found positives to Saturday’s loss against the Sky Blues, seeing enough to feel optimistic about moving forward.
“I was very happy with the attitude of the boys today. The way we stuck together when we went a goal down a couple of times, and then the character we showed to get back into the game when we went 3-2 up, was pleasing. The most disappointing thing for me is that at the moment, we’ve got a bit of a soft underbelly, and we need to get through the difficult moments.
“I appreciate that we’re probably not as up to speed as where we want to be at the moment through different scenarios. Even so, you have to defend the box better than we have been in the last couple of games.”
Derby will know that improvements are needed on the pitch, in order to avoid a relegation battle this season, and they have now been linked with a player that Rams supporters know well.
Derby in the mix to sign "special" winger
According to The Athletic, Derby are pursuing a move for Liverpool youngster Kaide Gordon this summer, with Swansea also eyeing a move for the 20-year-old. The Reds are also “considering loan approaches” for the winger, who started his career with the Rams before completing a move to Anfield in 2021.
Liverpool youngster Kaide Gordon
Gordon returning to Derby for the rest of the season could go down well, even though he hasn’t necessarily hit the huge heights many predicted, with Jurgen Klopp heaping praise on him during their time working together.
“He is a special kid, everyone knows that. He is really calm, great finisher. But he can improve he needs to get more involved in the game.”
Gordon will know that he has no real future at Liverpool, so a year away will surely appeal to him, allowing him to kick on his career and not grow stagnant.
He has now reached a point where he needs to find an extra gear, looking to add to a tally of only one Championship goal in 16 appearances, but the talent is there for him to be an excellent addition for Derby for a year. Eustace may even feel that a permanent signing could be on the cards next summer, should he impress enough.
It all feels a little inevitable, doesn’t it? A bright pre-season swiftly squashed as Manchester United fall behind to an early Viktor Gyokeres goal at Old Trafford, the camera duly panning to his former boss Ruben Amorim looking forlorn on the touchline. It’s written in the stars.
Amorim has been forced to witness his one-time Sporting CP talisman join Arsenal for a fee of around £64m this summer, despite prior claims that the Portuguese coach was keen on a reunion with a player who scored 66 goals in just 68 games under his watch in Lisbon.
Hopefully, however, it is a different number nine stealing the headlines when the two sides go head to head later this month, with speculation ramping up regarding United’s own search for a striker.
Benjamin Sesko
At present, the leading name to fill that striking void appears to long-term target, Benjamin Sesko, although would the 22-year-old RB Leipzig starlet really be the right solution?
Latest on Man Utd's move Sesko
It’s been a summer all about strikers, with Sesko right at the centre of the transfer merry-go-round.
Benjamin Sesko
Indeed, the Slovenian marksman at one stage appeared to be the leading target to join the Gunners, before Mikel Arteta and co settled on Gyokeres, having also emerged as a leading target for Newcastle United.
Identified as the man to potentially replace the wantaway Alexander Isak at St James’ Park, Sesko might be yet another high-profile target to spurn the Magpies’ advances, however, if the Red Devils get their way.
As reported this week, the Old Trafford side are also now in the mix for the striker’s signature, with United said to be working on a deal for a player who could cost in the region of £60m-£70m.
There have been differing reports over whether the former Red Bull Salzburg man would favour a move to Manchester or not, although journalist Graeme Bailey has outlined that Amorim’s side are “confident” of securing a deal.
Benjamin Sesko 2024-25 stats (timeless)
With a potential exchange involving Rasmus Hojlund also mooted, there are avenues for United to seal this switch before the season rolls around. That said, is there not a better target out there to consider?
Why Man Utd need to avoid Benjamin Sesko
Sesko has reached double figures for league goals in each of his last two seasons in Germany, although whether that form would translate to English football remains to be seen, with United having been stung by their £73m investment in a certain Jadon Sancho from the Bundesliga.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The capture of the then-Borussia Dortmund man – who has scored just 12 times in 83 games in four years in Manchester – saw the Red Devils fork out for an exciting talent with sky high potential, with Sesko’s addition likely to be with the same aim in mind.
However, at a time when Amorim’s side are still reeling after a season in which they finished 15th in the Premier League, after netting only 44 league goals collectively, perhaps a more proven, risk-averse option is required.
Enter, Ollie Watkins.
While Sesko has nudged ahead on the centre-forward shortlist, reports have suggested that Amorim’s preference would be to go for Watkins, with the England international following in the footsteps of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo as a top-flight-ready acquisition.
Although Aston Villa appear to have rebuffed any interest so far this summer, a suitable bid of around £60m may well tempt them into a sale, not least with the former Brentford man approaching 30.
There is a sense that Watkins would be a mere short-term fix due to his age, although having scored at least ten league goals in each of his five seasons in England’s top tier, he would represent one of the few guarantees on the market.
United only have to look to the past for reason for optimism, having famously plucked Dwight Yorke from Villa Park on a £12.6m deal back in the summer of 1998, following the enigmatic striker’s stunning stint in the Midlands.
2024/25
36
16
8
2023/24
37
19
13
2022/23
37
15
6
2021/22
35
11
2
2020/21
37
14
5
Total
184
75
34
Like Watkins – who boasts 87 goals in 223 games for the Villans – Yorke had been a revelation for his former side, prior to joining Alex Ferguson’s ranks, having netted 98 times in 287 games.
While he would go on to last just four years at the Theatre of Dreams, the Trinidad and Tobago sensation more than made an impact, having notably scored 29 times in all competitions during the famed treble-winning season.
Much like Yorke – who was 26 at the time of the move – Watkins is still at the peak of his powers, having registered 31 goals and assists in all competitions last time out under Unai Emery. That tally includes 14 assists, showcasing that he is as much of a provider as he is a supreme goalscorer.
Lauded as “one of the best strikers in Europe” by Emery, the 29-year-old should need no period of adaptation to life at United, with the prospect there for him to also rekindle his prior partnership with Mbeumo, following their days together at Brentford.
Sesko might be the young, glamour name, but Watkins’ brilliance has already been seen first-hand across five consistent years at Villa. As Ferguson witnessed in the case of Yorke, adding a proven Premier League striker into the mix could well be devastating.
Most important deal since Bruno: Man Utd make enquiry for "world-class" gem
Manchester United are set to make another key move within this summer’s transfer window.
Sunderland have their eyes on a move to sign a “terrifying” £50m+ star after picking up Chelsea forward Marc Guiu on a season-long loan.
Sunderland signing Marc Guiu on loan from Chelsea
The Black Cats have been extremely busy in the transfer market ahead of their Premier League return, spending more than £125m on eight new players.
Incomings
From
Fee
Habib Diarra
Strasbourg
£30.5m
Simon Adingra
Brighton
£21m
Enzo Le Fee
Roma
£19.4m
Noah Sadiki
Union Saint-Gilloise
£15m
Granit Xhaka
Bayer Leverkusen
£13m
Reinildo Mandava
Atletico Madrid
Free
Chemsdine Talbi
Club Brugge
£18m
Robin Roefs
NEC Nijmegen
£9m
Eight will soon become nine as well, with Guiu arriving in the North East on Sunday afternoon to seal his move to the Stadium of Light for the 2025/26 season.
Guiu will therefore rival Wilson Isidor and playoff final scorer Eliezer Mayenda for a starting centre-forward spot in Regis Le Bris’ side, with Sunderland’s first game against West Ham United on Saturday August 16.
After the 19-year-old, though, Sunderland are looking to bolster their attacking ranks even further and are now being linked with an ambitious move for another Bundesliga star after landing Granit Xhaka.
Sunderland keen on £50m+ Lois Openda
According to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg on Saturday, Sunderland are showing an interest in RB Leipzig striker Lois Openda.
However, with Leipzig stars Xavi Simons and Benjamin Sesko also linked with moves to the Premier League, it could be a tricky deal to persuade the Bundesliga side to sell.
Earlier in the window, it was claimed that Leipzig placed a €60m (£52m) asking price on Openda’s shoulders, with the “terrifying” forward under contract until 2028.
Arriving in 2023 from Lens, Openda, a Belgium international, has scored 41 goals in 90 appearances for his current employers. The 25-year-old was linked with a move to Tottenham last year which resulted in Spurs pundit John Wenham hailing the speedy striker.
“I watched Openda in the Champions League a couple of times this year and I was impressed. He has a real mix of pace and excellent finishing ability. He looks like someone who could also play out wide.”
A £50m+ transfer would smash Sunderland’s transfer record, which has already been broken this summer, so a move could be one to keep an eye on following Plettenberg’s update.
India will need to pull off the highest successful chase at the MCG to win the Boxing Day Test
Alagappan Muthu29-Dec-20243:36
Labuschagne on state of MCG pitch: diminishing bounce making batting harder
A see-sawing Boxing Day Test at the MCG is heading into territory rarely seen these days. A fifth-day finish and all results possible, with varying degrees of probability.Australia have earned a handsome lead – 333 with one wicket standing – after recovering from a wobble early in their second innings. India had looked in a promising position on Sunday – they had the hosts 91 for 6 – but they struggled to get through the tail and will have to break the record for the highest successful chase at the MCG to win the Test.Marnus Labuschagne, who top-scored for Australia with 70 off 139 balls, believed his team had always been ahead in the game. They took a first-innings lead of 105 and were able to build on it with crowd favourites Scott Boland and Nathan Lyon putting up a 55-run partnership for the last wicket.Related
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Boxing Day Test 2024-25 – a match to remember for the lower order
“I felt like we were probably ahead of the game just the whole way,” Labuschagne said. “I was sitting up at the top with our batting coach Michael Di Venuto and I was just watching every ball. We’re scrapping for runs, there was overthrows, leg byes, running twos, that last bit had everything. I mean we even had the game finished with a no-ball wicket into a last ball four, so I mean people that say Test cricket isn’t exciting, I mean I’m a player and I was watching and I was excited.”The natural wear and tear of the pitch as a Test match goes into the fifth day has brought a new challenge for the batters for the first time in this series.”As the game’s gone on the bounce has got less and more inconsistent,” Labuschagne said, wearing a bandage on his right arm from where an Akash Deep ball kicked up and hit him. “So we’re getting more balls hitting the stumps, more balls skidding through and we’re getting that coming through on the data. And that’s probably the major difference. The seam movement’s probably been the same [throughout the game] but just the amount of bounce is significantly lower so that makes for pretty tricky batting there. More balls are hitting the stumps from a shorter length, balls are skidding through, few balls shot up today.”India understand the challenge but prefer keeping that in the back of their mind as they look to correct the mistakes they made in the first innings, when they lost many wickets in a heap and needed to be rescued from 191 for 6 by a maiden Test century from Nitish Kumar Reddy.”About the pitch, I feel like you need to get one or two good partnerships, I feel like from the first day the movement was there off the pitch,” Reddy said. “The pitch is doing something and we can see later on the fourth day it was doing a little bit more, but we don’t need to put more pressure like the pitch is doing this or that, we need to go instantly according to the situation.”Does it help that India have a century-maker in their ranks as they prepare for a big chase? “Obviously when I come to the second-innings batting, it’s a fresh innings, I can’t start my innings from 100,” Reddy said. “So it’s a fresh innings, I have to start from starting, how I approached in the first innings, I have to be the same thing, and let’s see what the team plan, and according to that we’ll plan, and I think I have to leave the 100 behind and start the fresh innings.”We’ll come back strong in batting order, what we have done in the first innings, we’ll rectify the mistakes … we have to first take the last wicket and then we’ll plan accordingly.”
كشف عصام الحضري، مدرب حراس منتخب مصر الثاني، عن إجراء تغيير في مركز حراسة المرمى خلال مواجهة البحرين الودية، التي تقام غدًا الأحد، على حساب أحمد الشناوي الحارس الأساسي.
منتخب مصر يلاقي البحرين في المباراة الودية الثانية خلال معسكره بالمغرب في الفترة الحالية، ذلك ضمن مرحلة الإعداد للمشاركة في بطولة كأس العرب بقطر خلال الفترة من 1 إلى 18 ديسمبر 2025.
وقال عصام الحضري عبر قناة “أون سبورت”: “كل حراس المنتخب الثاني هم رقم واحد، ولا يوجد ترتيب بينهم، البطولة قوية، وقد واجهنا منتخب المغرب الذي يمتلك العديد من المحترفين”.
وتابع: “غدًا لدينا مباراة أمام البحرين، وسيشارك علي لطفي في الشوط الأول، ومحمود جاد في الشوط الثاني”.
طالع.. خاص | حسام حسن يدرس الدفع بثنائي منتخب مصر أمام غينيا بيساو
واستمر: “في حال تأهل بيراميدز للمباراة النهائية في كأس إنتركونتيننتال يوم 13، فلا بد أن يكون جميع الحراس جاهزين تحسبًا لعدم تواجد أحمد الشناوي”.
وأكمل: “تابعنا جميعًا منتخب مصر الأول، وأبارك لسيادة الرئيس، واتحاد الكرة، ووزير الرياضة، والجهاز الفني، واللاعبين على هذا الإنجاز الذي تحقق بعد سبع سنوات، والحمد لله على التأهل”.
واستطرد: “من حقهم الاحتفال بهذا النجاح، ويُحسب الإنجاز لكل الجهاز بقيادة الكابتن حسام حسن”.
وأتم: “كما أهنئ الكابتن سعفان الصغير وجميع الحراس، وأشكرهم على التزامهم وتحقيق الهدف بالتأهل إلى كأس العالم”.
An inspirational unbeaten century from Jake Lehmann in combination with a career-best 83 from Liam Scott secured South Australia their first home Sheffield Shield final since 2016 after they chased down 300 with four wickets to spare to defeat Victoria at the Junction Oval.Lehmann and Scott shared a match-defining 148-run stand to break the back of the chase having come together at 108 for 4. Henry Hunt also made a valuable early contribution of 66 and shared a 54-run stand with Lehmann. The trio withstood some brilliant spells from Scott Boland who took two late wickets to threaten to steal the game but ultimately Victoria could not sustain enough pressure with the ball.Related
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McSweeney open to possibilities in bid to earn Test recall
Queensland revive final hopes with thumping victory
South Australia are now guaranteed a home final while Victoria can still made the decider if they beat Western Australia next week and other results go their way despite losing four matches in a row.Lehmann described his 12th first-class century as one of the best of his career after also going past 5000 first-class runs.”I feel like anytime you get a hundred and it’s in a winning team, and fourth innings is probably the hardest time to make hundreds these days, so yes, definitely up there,” Lehmann told ESPNcricinfo post match. “But it’s just probably on the vibe of the boys and the way we’ve played our cricket, and the belief in the team that we were always going to be able to chase them if we got into that last couple hours of the day.”South Australia coach Ryan Harris was full of praise for both Lehmann and Scott after the match. He was particularly proud of Scott’s efforts after backing up his 4 for 49 on day three with the ball with a match-winning 83.”I think his niche is probably No. 6 in this current set-up,” Harris told ESPNcricinfo. “And his overs, my communication with him is he’s probably a holder and now he’s a wicket-taker. And he’s done that because of having game time and learning his role and progressing as a player and as a person, learning the game. That only comes with game time and he’s done it beautifully. So he’s a huge player now.”Victoria coach Chris Rogers was left to lament how his side had lost a fourth game in a row after they had a lead of 163 with eight wickets in hand midway through day three and also had South Australia four down with 192 runs to defend on the final day.”We’re just missing something a little bit at the moment,” Rogers told ESPNcricinfo. “I just said to the group there were moments in this game where I think if we’d been able to get the upper hand we would have won this game against the side that’s on top of the table.”We feel like all the games we’re right in the contest, but then we just can’t get over the line. And that probably is the biggest frustration, and we’ve got to keep asking ourselves those questions, why aren’t we winning those moments?”The game was poised on a knife’s edge in the morning session when South Australia slumped to 54 for 3. Fergus O’Neill struck twice in three balls, pinning South Australia captain Nathan McSweeney lbw with a brilliant delivery that nipped in off the seam before taking the outside edge of Jason Sangha two balls later with one that straightened the other way.Lehmann and Hunt steadied with a 54-run stand but it was full of nervy moments. Hunt passed 50 but could have been out twice to Todd Murphy in one over, scoring a boundary off the outside edge while an offbreak beat his inside edge and went over the stumps past keeper Sam Harper for four byes.Lehmann also nearly fell to Murphy with Harper unable to hold a challenging catch down the leg side. Lehmann gave another life when he sliced a thick edge low to Xavier Crone’s left in the gully off O’Neill.Victoria still appeared firmly in the game when Hunt holed out to deep square for 66 off Sam Elliott. But Lehmann and Scott thoroughly dominated the middle session as Victoria fell flat.Boland bowled a very loose spell by his standards post lunch. He dropped short on several occasions and conceded four boundaries in three overs. Murphy gave up two at the other end as Lehmann and Scott set the tone for what was about to follow.The pair scored 104 runs from 30 overs in the middle session and scarcely looked troubled. Scott stood tall and drove powerfully through the off side against both spin and pace.Lehmann rotated the strike superbly without taking any undue risks and sweated on anything short and wide. Victoria spread the field to try and slow the scoring rate before the second new ball was due. But in the last 15 overs of the session Scott and Lehmann picked off 51 runs, including 16 off two overs of part-time spin from Campbell Kellaway and Harry Dixon.The trend looked set to continue against the second new ball as Scott raced past his previous highest first-class score while Boland struggled to get his line right in his first two overs after tea.But his international class shone through to force a late twist in the game. With 44 to win, Scott edged Boland to slip to give the hosts life. He then extracted another edge from Harry Nielsen shortly after to leave South Australia still needing 42 with just four wickets in hand. But Lehmann and Ben Manenti held their nerve.Lehmann survived another chance on 80 when he smashed Murphy straight to short cover but Kellaway could not hold the hot offer. Thereafter he latched on anything fractionally short to guide his side home, reaching his century and winning the game with three consecutive boundaries.
Tottenham Hotspur kicked off the Thomas Frank era in the Premier League with a terrific 3-0 win over Burnley in front of their own supporters on Saturday.
It was an almost-perfect start to the manager’s tenure in North London, thanks to two goals from Richarlison and a neat finish from Brennan Johnson.
The former Brentford boss will be particularly pleased with the impact that new signing Mohammed Kudus made out wide, as the winger set up two of the three goals with brilliant play on the wing.
It was Richarlison who produced the standout moment in the match, however, as the Brazil international wonderfully found the back of the net with an overhead kick finish to put himself in contention for goal of the season on matchday one.
Despite the 3-0 win, Frank will know that there is plenty more work to be done to improve the team, particularly when it comes to creativity in the middle of the park.
James Maddison (seven) was the only central midfielder in the squad who managed more than two assists in the Premier League last season, which speaks to the lack of creativity in that area of the pitch.
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The Lilywhites need to bring in a new star who can provide a creative spark from a central midfield position to take the team to the next level offensively, particularly in the big games against the best teams.
In the 2024/25 campaign, Ange Postecoglou’s central midfield options simply did not create enough from midfield. Maddison, as aforementioned, was the only player who could be relied upon to create chances, and he played in attacking positions as well as in the middle of the park.
James Maddison
5.91
7
Rodrigo Bentancur
1.00
0
Lucas Bergvall
0.82
1
Pape Matar Sarr
0.79
2
Yves Bissouma
0.63
0
Archie Gray
0.20
0
As you can see in the table above, the likes of Rodrigo Bentancur, Lucas Bergvall, and Yves Bissouma offered very little when it came to creating quality opportunities for their teammates in the Premier League.
This is why the Europa League champions should be in the market to find their next Christian Eriksen before the end of the transfer window, as the Danish magician was a creative wizard during his time at the club.
The Denmark international delivered 88 assists in 305 appearances in all competitions for Spurs, per Transfermarkt, and hit double figures for assists in five seasons.
Eriksen often played as a central or attacking midfielder for Tottenham and consistently provided quality at the top end of the pitch with his inventive passing to create chances for his teammates on a regular basis.
Spurs now need to find their next version of the former Manchester United maestro, and the club are reportedly moving closer to signing a similar type of midfield talent.
Spurs closing in on Premier League midfielder
According to Miguel Delaney, Tottenham Hotspur are close to agreeing a deal to sign Crystal Palace attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze to bolster their squad.
The reporter claims that the Lilywhites are looking at a fee of around £55m, plus further add-ons, to convince the Eagles to part ways with the midfield star, but there is no agreement in place yet.
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It had been claimed by The Telegraph that the England international was set to be absent from the Palace squad for their clash with Chelsea on Sunday, but the playmaker showcased his professionalism by blocking out the noise to play for his current club.
Journalist Jack Rosser noted that talks are ‘advancing’ with Spurs over a deal to sign Eze, backing up Delaney’s claim of a move being close, but added that the midfielder wanted to play for the Eagles rather than watch on from the sidelines against the Blues.
It is now down to Tottenham to clear the final hurdle to finalise an agreement with Oliver Glasner’s side to bring the 27-year-old over to North London before the end of the window.
Why Spurs need Eberechi Eze
Eze was once described as a “magician” in midfield by pundit Micah Richards. A magician in midfield is now exactly what Spurs need to bolster their team, which is why they need to seal a deal for the Palace star.
The England international is a versatile star, who can play in central midfield, attacking midfield, or as a winger, and is a proven performer in the Premier League who could come in to hit the ground running for Frank.
Eze has hit double figures for goals in each of the last three seasons in all competitions for Palace, per Sofascore, including 14 in the 2024/25 campaign, which shows that he can make a significant impact as a goalscorer.
It is his creativity, though, that could make him Frank’s own version of Eriksen, after a haul of 12 assists and 17 ‘big chances’ created for the FA Cup winners last season.
xAG
0.22
Top 31%
Assists
0.28
Top 21%
Through balls
0.38
Top 25%
Key passes
2.02
Top 18%
Shot-creating actions
4.69
Top 11%
Successful take-ons
2.33
Top 10%
As you can see in the table above, Eze ranked highly among his positional peers in the Premier League when it came to creating chances for his teammates.
These statistics, along with his ‘big chances’ created and assist tally, show that the 27-year-old star is the kind of creative midfielder that Spurs are currently lacking, particularly with Maddison out for a significant period of time with an ACL injury.
Crystal Palace's EberechiEzereacts
He has proven that he can create chances at an impressive rate from the middle of the park in the Premier League, whilst also carrying a big threat as a goalscorer, which suggests that the quality is there for him to be Frank’s own version of Eriksen.
At the age of 27, Eze is also in the prime years of his career and Tottenham could be signing him at the perfect time, as he has found consistency in his play in the final third, as shown by his terrific output last term.
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