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In-demand player would rather join Newcastle despite offer from Barcelona

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Newcastle United are enjoying some special times under Eddie Howe and they could now beat elite competition to land an in-demand player this summer, per a report.

Newcastle United look to enjoy productive summer

The Magpies are firmly in contention for a Champions League slot and will hope to rubber-stamp a place in Europe’s premier competition to boost their scope for recruiting talent this summer.

Eddie Howe has done a tremendous job in the North East and will play in the Europa Conference League at a minimum after their EFL Cup victory over Liverpool. Still, there is plenty of work to do on Tyneside.

Heading into the window, Newcastle could launch a move to sign Bryan Mbeumo following his sensational form at Brentford, even if his £60 million price-tag means they have to take stock before fully committing to the pursuit.

On the same token, the Magpies are hopeful they can beat Real Madrid to Albacete’s Christian Kofane after making contact over a potential £4 million deal that could see the Spanish champions ousted.

Heart of Midlothian striker James Wilson is another Newcastle target, following a similar trend to Kofane in the sense that they would likely be brought in as developmental players as opposed to first-team starters.

Newcastle ready to launch move to sign lead target after year-long mission

The Magpies are ready to attack the transfer market…

By
Tom Cunningham

May 2, 2025

Clearly, there is space for both types of profile to exist at St James’ Park, with PIF’s ambition likely to attract some of the world’s best talent alongside untapped potential from lesser-known markets.

Footballing excellence can exist in all types of climates, and Newcastle are now reportedly looking to edge Barcelona to the signing of a talented youngster from the continent of Africa.

Ryder: Newcastle look to sign wonderkid Aboubacar Maiga

According to Chronicle Live journalist Lee Ryder, Newcastle United want to sign Academie Africa Foot wonderkid Aboubacar Maiga, who has been likened to global superstar Lionel Messi in his homeland of Mali.

Despite Barcelona’s offer of a pre-contract agreement for the 16-year-old, he dreams of starring in England one day and thus would prefer a move to Tyneside, though he has also been linked with Manchester City and Chelsea.

Newcastle United’s remaining fixtures in 2024/25

Brighton & Hove Albion (A)

Amex Stadium

Chelsea (H)

St James’ Park

Arsenal (A)

Emirates Stadium

Everton (H)

St James’ Park

The attacking midfielder is also the captain of Mali’s Under-16 side and could now have a shot at life at one of the world’s elite clubs should the Magpies manage to force a deal over the line.

Admittedly, it is difficult to judge the pull of clubs as a direct comparison when it comes to youth stars, but if Newcastle were able to beat Barcelona to his signature, it would say a lot about PIF’s ambitious project in the North East.

Securing developing talent is crucial to any club with aspirations of establishing themselves as a dominant force and can also save millions down the line. Now, supporters will wait patiently to see how this one plays out, with the prospect of Newcastle shoving Barcelona to one side alive and kicking.

Worth more than Yildiz: Chelsea have hit gold on "insanely consistent" star

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Chelsea have not held back in the transfer market under new owner Todd Boehly. The Blues have certainly been comfortable to splash the cash, aiming to build a new dynasty at Stamford Bridge, and particularly looking to strengthen in attack.

Over the past few seasons, they have signed several new attackers, including permanent deals for the likes of Pedro Neto from Wolverhampton Wanderers, and even a loan move for Jadon Sancho from Manchester United.

They even have three young attackers joining in the next couple of seasons, further strengthening their options in forward areas. That does not include summer targets for 2025, with Kenan Yildiz one player they are linked with.

The latest on Chelsea’s pursuit of Yildiz

It seems as though the race to sign Juventus attacker Yildiz is on this summer, with Chelsea set to go head-to-head with one of their biggest rivals, Arsenal, to bring the 19-year-old to London. Whether he moves to West or North London, however, remains to be seen.

Juventus'KenanYildiz

A recent report from Caught Offside suggests that the Blues have been ‘intensifying their efforts’ to bring the youngster to Stamford Bridge in the next few months. As well as facing competition from the Gunners, newly crowned Premier League champions Liverpool, 13-time winners Manchester United and their rivals Manchester City could all show interest.

As for why Enzo Maresca’s side want to add Yildiz to their ranks, he has been impressive for the Old Lady this term. The Turkey star has eight goals and five assists across all competitions for Juve, and has played everywhere across the frontline. They are eye-catching numbers for such a young player.

With that in mind, his price might not come as a shock, though it is certainly a high fee Juve could demand. Caught Offside report that he is worth £85.2m, if he is to depart the Allianz Stadium this summer.

Juventus' KenanYildizcelebrates

Incredibly, the Blues have an attacker worth even more than the 19-year-old sensation.

The Chelsea star worth more than Yildiz

Of all the attackers the Blues have bought, none has made the impression that Cole Palmer has. The England international has been in lean form for a few weeks, but his time at Stamford Bridge overall has been exceptional.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

The 22-year-old, who hails from Wythenshawe in Manchester, has an exceptional record in that famous Blue shirt of Chelsea.

He’s managed 39 goals and 24 assists in 85 games so far, and was crowned PFA Young Player of the Year for his 33 goals in as many Premier League games last term.

This term has been slightly slower for the former Man City star. He has managed 14 goals and nine assists in the top flight, although has now gone 12 games without a goal. In that timeframe, he has chipped in with three assists.

With that being said, his underlying stats from the past two seasons, courtesy of Sofascore, show just how talented he is. For example, the 22-year-old averaged 2.5 key passes per game last term, and a slightly better 2.6 key passes per game so far this term.

Goals and assists

1.2

0.7

Key passes

2.5

2.6

Big chances created

0.6

0.6

Dribbles completed

1.8

1.5

Expected goal involvements

0.93xGI

0.76xGI

When considering all that, it might not be a surprise to learn that Palmer is valued extremely highly by Football Transfers. They have him worth £100.2m, higher than any other player in the Chelsea squad.

Interestingly, that is around £15m more than the amount Juventus would be looking to charge for Yildiz this summer. If anything, this further highlights the importance of Palmer to the Chelsea side.

Chelsea star Cole Palmer

They certainly got lucky with Palmer when they signed him in 2023. He has proven to be a revelation, an “insanely consistent” player as Statman Dave called him. Despite his struggles in recent weeks, there is no doubt about the quality of Palmer.

He'd revive Palmer: Chelsea want to sign one of the best players in the PL

Chelsea are hunting a summer move for a Premier League star who could see Cole Palmer recapture his form.

ByEthan Lamb Apr 30, 2025

Capsey hopes behind-the-scenes work helps her shine brighter

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

England batter believes striving to be the very best will help her keep improving

Valkerie Baynes11-Jul-2025Alice Capsey’s development as an international cricketer mirrors the evolution of her England team as a work in progress.Capsey burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old with a Player-of-the-Match-winning 59 for Oval Invincibles in just her second appearance in the Women’s Hundred. Another half-century in just her third T20I innings before her 18th birthday fuelled the excitement around her talent.Almost three years on, much has changed for Capsey and England, particularly over the past 12 months.Related

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“For me it’s been a year of a lot of learning,” Capsey said. “Last year, I’ll be the first one to say it, I didn’t perform how I would have liked. Getting dropped from that T20 squad in South Africa was the best thing for me. To reflect, to take that step back and go, ‘okay, well, I know I want to be in that T20 team, what do I need to do to get there?'”Capsey became a casualty of England’s failed T20 World Cup campaign when she was dropped for the tour of South Africa in December. Having held her place in the ODI squad for that trip, she was ultimately called up as injury cover for the T20s but didn’t play a game.After England’s dire showing at the Women’s Ashes in January – where Capsey played one T20I, scoring 6 and taking 1 for 25 with her offbreaks, and three ODIs yielding 18 runs and three wickets – she returned to Australia as part of the England A tour. There, she was England A’s second-highest run-scorer across formats with 207 runs at 41.41, including a hundred and a half-century in the four-day match.”A lot of work went on during the winter and, along with a lot of communication with the ECB, decided to play in that A-series and that was probably one of the best things for me, to still be playing highly competitive games but it also not be in the complete spotlight of an international game of cricket,” Capsey said.

“It is difficult at some points. Every time you go onto the cricket pitch, for the last three or four years, there’s always been eyes on. But at the same time, that’s an amazing place to be”Alice Capsey

“Over the past three or four years, other than domestic games where you’re still that international, you need to stand up, I probably haven’t played in any games where I can just go out and bat and work on a few different things.”Capsey played just one match for Delhi Capitals during this year’s WPL but said training with the franchise in Indian conditions “was a really great experience” and she saw the benefits of facing bowlers in the nets for hours on end there when she returned for the start of the domestic season.By that time, Charlotte Edwards had replaced Jon Lewis as England Women’s head coach and mandated that all centrally contracted players be available for the first seven rounds of the one-day cup. Capsey scored 317 runs across seven innings at 45.28 with a highest score of 125 and two fifties.During Edwards’ first international series in charge, England swept both white-ball legs of West Indies’ visit but they have been comprehensively outplayed by India in three of their four T20Is so far with one to play before a three-match ODI series.Capsey was only required to bat once in the T20s against West Indies (she scored 4). She scored 60 runs and took four wickets across the three ODIs, where the first two matches were dominated by England’s openers, Tammy Beaumont and Amy Jones.Against India, she is averaging 7.50 from four innings with a highest sore of 18 batting at No. 3 having played at No. 6 in the first two games.”Deep down I know how much I’ve still got to learn, I’m nowhere near where I want to be,” Capsey said. “I want to be the best batter in the world, no doubt about it. Every player who plays international cricket will want to strive to be the best.Alice Capsey scored 317 runs from seven innings in the One-day Cup•Getty Images for Surrey CCC”If you don’t have a goal to strive for, it makes putting in the work a little bit harder. Whether it’s realistic or unrealistic, at this point it probably doesn’t really matter because if you’re striving to get better, more often than not, you’re going to get better.”With the 50-over World Cup in India just two-and-a-half months away, England have plenty of work to do. The fielding woes which let them down when West Indies knocked them out in the group stage of the T20 World Cup appeared to be improving earlier in the summer but have let them down again against India.They have one match to put that right, on Saturday at Edgbaston with India having already clinched the series, before starting afresh in the ODIs, where captain Nat Sciver-Brunt is expected to return from injury.”Our fielding has been a big talking point and we haven’t been good enough over the last 12 months and we haven’t been good enough again this series,” Capsey said. “But we are working so hard on it and no one means to drop a catch, no one means to miss a run out.”There’s no hiding away from the fact that it’s been a really tough 12 months for us and our fielding hasn’t been up to standard. We all know that. Stats don’t lie. We’ve dropped a lot of catches in really pivotal points in important games.”England are still learning how to perform on the biggest stages, but Capsey has no qualms about having grown up in the spotlight.”That’s just what I’ve known,” she said. “It’s not like I can compare. It is difficult at some points. Every time you go onto the cricket pitch, for the last three or four years, there’s always been eyes on. But at the same time, that’s an amazing place to be.””For me, it is about, being a young player, how do I manage myself through that? And how do I continue to improve? How do I continue to manage that noise? That’s half of the battle with not just being an international cricketer, but you speak to any international athlete, I think that is half the battle. It’s something that I’m learning.”If the spotlight isn’t already burning brightly on England, it will amp up in October when they face South Africa in their World Cup opener and, come this time next year at a home T20 World Cup, it will be positively blazing. They’d best get used to the heat now, and play like they don’t know any different.

Switch Hit: Ashes x Bazball

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

It’s (almost) time to burn, as Andrew McGlashan and Matt Roller join Alan Gardner ahead of the first Test at Edgbaston

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jun-2023With Australia crowned World Test Champions, the stage is now clear for the Ashes and England’s attempts to regain the urn. The teams have assembled in Birmingham ahead of the first Test, with Moeen Ali is back in the Test fold for the first time since 2021. For our Switch Hit preview Alan Gardner was joined in the studio by Matt Roller with Andrew McGlashan dialing in from the second city, to discuss Australia’s pace-bowling poser, the return of Moeen and whether Bazball can succeed against such a formidable touring line-up.

Who will fill in for Lasith Malinga, Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh in IPL?

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Finding players to perform the roles these giants did will not be an easy task for their franchises

Deivarayan Muthu05-Sep-2020

Suresh Raina
His role
Raina at No. 3 is usually set in stone for the Chennai Super Kings, and he has missed just one match during his ten seasons at the franchise. He has now gone back home to India, but hasn’t quite ruled out a return to the Super Kings camp during the course of the tournament.Back in the day, Raina was a dasher at one-drop, merrily extending his arms and launching both seamers and spinners over his favourite extra-cover region. In recent years, Raina’s form at the Super Kings had cooled off, and he might not be the force he once was, but was a key part of the Super Kings plans.Filling the gap
The Super Kings haven’t named a replacement for him yet, but Maharashtra and India A batsman Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is believed to have impressed MS Dhoni at the Chepauk camp in March earlier this year, is being talked up as a possible No. 3. If Gaikwad isn’t the preferred choice, Ambati Rayudu is likely to take up the job, with Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis set to open the innings.If teams tend to attack Super Kings’ band of right-hand batsmen with legspin, they could look to separate them by bumping Ravindra Jadeja or Sam Curran or Mitchell Santner up the order. Jadeja has actually batted at No. 3 in the past, just four times, hitting 91 runs at a strike rate of 140. Curran, too, has batted there in eight innings, making 230 runs at a strike rate of nearly 144 – and he had also opened the batting once for Kings XI Punjab last IPL. In the 2017 T20 Blast in England, Santner was also promoted up the order to No. 3 by Worcestershire.ALSO READ: Who can replace Suresh Raina at Chennai Super Kings?

Harbhajan Singh
His role
In the first qualifier against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018, Dhoni didn’t use Singh as a bowler at all. However, overall, Singh’s accuracy has been central to Super Kings’ attack in the past two seasons. He was often Dhoni’s go-to spinner in the powerplay, claiming 11 wickets in 16 innings during that phase at an economy rate of 8.40. Not to forget all the experience and consistency; he is the only bowler to have an economy rate of less than 7.5 in eight IPL seasons.Filling the gap
While the Super Kings have a variety of options to replace Raina within their squad itself, they don’t have a specialist offspinner in their roster to fill the Singh-sized hole. However, they do have legspinners Piyush Chawla and Karn Sharma, and left-arm fingerspinner R Sai Kishore in the group. Tamil Nadu spinners M Abhinav (legspinner) and Aushik Srinivas (left-arm fingerspinner) are in the net-bowling contingent, but neither of them bowl offspin. Jalaj Saxena, who was part of the Delhi Capitals last year, could be good like-for-like replacement for Singh, if the Super Kings are looking for one.Lasith Malinga is the most successful bowler in IPL history•BCCI

Lasith Malinga
His role
Mumbai have a surfeit of top-notch pace options in their set-up – Trent Boult can swing the new ball, Mitchell McClenaghan thrives on bowling in the powerplay, Jasprit Bumrah is a world beater, Hardik Pandya is working his way back from injury, and there are Nathan Coulter-Nile and Dhawal Kulkarni in the mix too. However, they are most certainly going to miss Malinga’s vast experience and big-game pedigree. The 37-year-old has stepped up for Mumbai in multiple finals and is also known as a master tactician much like his captain Rohit Sharma. Malinga usually bowls the tough overs – both in the powerplay and at the death – last delivering Mumbai an unprecedented fourth title.Filling the gap
Mumbai have signed James Pattinson as Malinga’s replacement, but the Australia quick is yet to make his IPL debut (although he has been part of the Kolkata Knight Riders before). Pattinson brings with him extra pace and hit-the-deck bustle, which could prove effective even on the traditionally sluggish tracks in the UAE. With Quinton de Kock and Kieron Pollard being certain starters among the overseas names, McClenaghan, Boult, Coulter-Nile and Pattinson will have to tussle for the other two slots.

Chris Woakes
His role
Woakes was largely used as a death-bowling allrounder by Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Knight Riders. Fourteen of his 25 wickets in the IPL have come in the last five overs. In the pre-pandemic world, Kagiso Rabada had been ruled out of the India tour earlier this year owing to injury, and might not have been available had the IPL happened at its original slot. So the Capitals would have looked at Woakes as a first XI option. Plus, being a capable batsman lower down the order, Woakes would likely have played a few matches with teams likely to rotate their players considering the heat in the UAE.Filling the gap
Rabada is now fit and the Capitals have drafted in Anrich Nortje as Woakes’ replacement. Nortje had missed IPL 2019 for the Knight Riders, and then the World Cup because of a shoulder injury, but he’s also back, and can regularly clock speeds north of 140kph. So Woakes’ absence might not be too big a setback for the Capitals.

Others to give IPL 2020 a miss
Jason Roy: He is huge for England in white-ball cricket, but would have found it hard to get in the XI for the Capitals, who have Shikhar Dhawan, Prithvi Shaw, Ajinkya Rahane and Shreyas Iyer as their Indian opening options. The team played it smart by picking up Australian left-arm quick Daniel Sams in Roy’s place.Kane Richardson: The Australian quick wanted to be home for the birth of his first child, and legspinner Adam Zampa has stepped in for Royal Challengers Bangalore. A sensible move from the team, with all matches to be played on slower pitches across the UAE.Harry Gurney: A shoulder injury has put Gurney out of action, and the Knight Riders might miss him, though they have Pat Cummins and Lockie Ferguson in their ranks. Crucially for the team, they will have Chris Green available – there were question marks over his action, but he’s bowling, and bowling very well, in the CPL.

Brewers’ Dominant Run Now Includes Greatest Hot Streak in Franchise History

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

The Milwaukee Brewers continued to show their dominance in MLB this season after notching their league-leading 69th win on Tuesday night, this time winning over the Atlanta Braves 7-2. It was the team's fifth straight win.

With the win, the Brewers made franchise history by producing their best 60-game stretch throughout their existence. Milwaukee's posted a 44-16 record over the past 60 games—impressive.

To further emphasize the Brewers' dominance, this is also the fastest season in team history in which Milwaukee's reached 25 games over .500. It took them 113 games this year, while the previous record was 119 games during the 2021 season, per MLB's Adam McCalvy.

The franchise's longest winning streak was 13 games in a row completed back in 1987. Could the 2025 squad break another franchise record by stretching out this winning streaks? We'll see how they do.

The Brewers are definitely the team to beat in MLB right now. They hold a 3.5-game lead for the first overall spot in the majors ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays. Milwaukee is four games ahead of the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central, too. The Brewers don't seem to be slowing down anytime soon either.

Ngarava and Curran lead Zimbabwe to first home Test win in 12 years

by csb10.top Uncategorized

It took Zimbabwe less than three hours on the third day to claim their first home Test win since 2013, their first innings win since 2001 and their biggest Test win. Richard Ngarava was the star, where in overcast conditions he took his first five-wicket haul in Tests. His movement through the air and off the pitch never looked exaggerated, but it was relentless enough to break the game open and leave Zimbabwe with a win by an innings and 73 runs against a listless Afghanistan batting unit.The day began with Zimbabwe’s Test squad lining up for a group photo, a clear suggestion they were keen to finish the contest on Wednesday itself. And they started with a surprise by giving the ball to Tanaka Chivanga ahead of Blessing Muzarabani.It turned out to be a good decision as Chivanga’s third over of the morning saw Rahmanullah Gurbaz flicking one down the leg side, and Tafadzwa Tsiga, alert behind the stumps, did the rest. Three overs later, Ngarava produced almost the same dismissal when Ibrahim Zadran, who had reached 42 with measured strokes, flicked another ball going down leg, and Tsiga took his second of the morning.Hashmatullah Shahidi lasted briefly. A full delivery from Ngarava drew a hard-handed push that went to Craig Ervine at slip. Bahir Shah and Afsar Zazai then gave the innings some momentum. Bahir found six boundaries but his counter-attack ended after Muzarabani cramped him with a short ball. The fend popped up and Ben Curran swooped in from short leg. Zazai followed soon after, easing a half-hearted drive to backward point to end the morning session at 127 for 6.The sun broke through after lunch but offered little relief to Afghanistan. Chivanga thought he had Ismat Alam caught, only for a front-foot no-ball to intervene. Ngarava corrected it soon after with a length ball outside off that induced a cut from Alam. Tsiga flung himself to his right and pulled off a one-handed catch that drew gasps even from the slips. Two overs later Sharafuddin Ashraf edged to second slip, giving Ngarava his fifth.Muzarabani, quiet through much of the innings, finished it off with precision. First he flattened Khalil Gurbaz’s leg stump, then beat Ziaur Rahman with a yorker that split middle stump. Those wickets gave him six for the match and ended a game Zimbabwe had controlled from the second hour of the first day.Ibrahim Zadran top-scored for Afghanistan with 42•Zimbabwe Cricket

Ngarava’s five, Chivanga’s pace, and Muzarabani’s closing spell combined for a win that was both rare and easily earned. Curran’s day-two performance of 121, which earned him a Player-of-the-Match award, and Sikandar Raza’s 65 were the other highlights of their comfortable win.After the game, Zimbabwe captain Ervine said a win in their final Test match of the year was satisfying.”I’m ecstatic. A lot of credit to the boys for fighting and winning to end a tough year of Test cricket,” Ervine said. “The way we started, in the first hour of day one wasn’t good, but the way the boys pulled things back was excellent. Then with the bat, Curran’s innings – full of composure and discipline – was outstanding.”The wicket offered something throughout, so the boys did well to put on some good partnerships. The boys have learnt with the Test cricket they’ve played in the last six-seven months to find their game. Brad [Evans] with the five-for in the first innings and Richie [Ngarava] stepped up in the second innings. TK [Chivanga] was superb and Bless [Muzarabani] was unlucky not to take a few more wickets.”Shahidi, the Afghanistan captain, rued the batting collapse on the first day when Afghanistan slid from 77 for 1 to 127 all out.”They played really good cricket, it was supporting the fast bowlers,” Shahidi said. “Ball was seaming around but overall, we didn’t play good cricket. We started the Test well with 80 for 1 [77 for 1] in the first innings, but that collapse let us down. I feel the lack of our Test-playing experience cost us since we kept losing back-to-back wickets. In Test cricket, winning the first day is very important.”The two teams now meet for the three-match T20I series starting October 29.

Lembra? Última visita de Tite no Allianz Parque teve vitória do Palmeiras em Dérbi

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras encara o Flamengo neste domingo (21), no Allianz Parque, em jogo válido pela 3ª rodada do Brasileirão 2024 e o duelo entre Abel Ferreira e Tite é um dos ingredientes principais da partida.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasPalmeiras pode não ter importante titular para encarar o Flamengo no Allianz ParquePalmeiras20/04/2024DicasPalmeiras x Flamengo: odds, estatísticas e informações para apostar na 3ª rodada do BrasileirãoDicas20/04/2024PalmeirasPalmeiras quer encerrar tabu contra o Flamengo, e Mayke avisa: ‘Gostamos de jogos assim!’Palmeiras20/04/2024

➡️ Siga o Lance! Palmeiras no WhatsApp e acompanhe todas as notícias do Verdão

O técnico do Flamengo volta a encarar o Palmeiras no Allianz Parque após oito anos e o torcedor palmeirense espera que Tite saia da casa do Verdão igual após a sua última visita no estádio: derrotado.

Comandando o Corinthians pelo Brasileirão de 2016, Tite perdeu por 1 a 0 para o Palmeiras de Cuca, que terminaria aquele Brasileiro como campeão nacional após 22 anos.

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Aquele foi o último jogo de Tite pelo maior rival do Palmeiras antes do técnico confirmar que seria o novo comandante da Seleção Brasileira, onde ele ficou por seis anos e comandou o Brasil por duas Copas do Mundo.

➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta!

Este será o segundo duelo entre Tite e Abel Ferreira na carreira dos dois treinadores. O primeiro encontro foi pelo Brasileirão de 2023, quando o Flamengo saiu vencedor no Maracanã, por 3 a 0.

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Allianz ParqueFlamengoPalmeirasTite

CPL's fiercest rivalry resumes as Knight Riders and Amazon Warriors meet in title clash

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Both teams have a potent spin attack, with Tahir, Moeen and Motie in Amazon Warriors, and Narine, Tariq and Hosein in TKR

Deivarayan Muthu20-Sep-2025Big picture: A battle of two spin attacksGuyana Amazon Warriors vs Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR). Another chapter will be added to the CPL’s fiercest rivalry when the two teams face each other at Providence in Sunday’s final.Former Amazon Warrior Nicholas Pooran is in his first season as TKR captain, leading their push for the title, with 425 runs in 12 innings. He has been peaking at the crunch, with scores of 90* and 50 in the Eliminator and Qualifier 2, respectively.Amazon Warriors and TKR have met in two finals previously. In 2018, in Tarouba, under Dwayne Bravo’s captaincy, TKR had outplayed Amazon Warriors, with Bravo later coming out and suggesting a video of Guyanese fans trampling on a Trinidad & Tobago flag was extra motivation for TKR to beat Amazon Warriors.Five years later, Amazon Warriors demolished TKR at Providence under Imran Tahir to win their maiden title. Bravo is no longer an active player; he has taken over as TKR’s head coach, while Tahir, 46, continues to light up the CPL with his variations and celebrations. Tahir has formed a potent spin combination with Moeen Ali and Gudakesh Motie, the supremely talented left-arm fingerspinner who can also bowl left-arm wristspin to left-hand batters. Having also won the Global Super League (GSL) earlier this year, Amazon Warriors will be hungry to add another title to their cabinet this year.TKR also have a deadly spin attack, with Pakistani mystery spinner Usman Tariq providing a point of difference to their bowling. Sunil Narine and his protege Akeal Hosein need no introduction to the region. The battle between the two spin attacks could have a big influence on the result.While TKR face a quick turnaround on Sunday, having just played Qualifier 2 on Friday, Amazon Warriors head into the final on the back of a three-day break.ESPNcricinfo LtdForm guideGuyana Amazon Warriors: WWWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Trinbago Knight Riders: WWLLLIn the spotlight: Shai Hope and Usman TariqOnce regarded as a Test and an ODI batter, Shai Hope has reinvented his T20 batting, earning gigs in T20 leagues around the world – including the IPL and the BBL. While the top order has been hit-or-miss for Amazon Warriors, Hope has been a stable presence at No. 3, topping the run charts this season with 479 runs in 11 innings at an average of over 50 and strike rate of over 130. While his immediate challenge will be to counter TKR’s spin trio, his form also bodes well for West Indies in the long term as they tune up for next year’s T20 World Cup.It’s not often that a spinner outshines Narine, but Usman Tariq managed to do that in both the Eliminator, against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, and Qualifier 2 against St Lucia Kings. Tariq, who is predominantly an offspinner, comes to a near-complete halt as he approaches his delivery stride, which has made it particularly difficult for batters to pick him. With a few variations in his repertoire, he has also fronted up to bowl at the death for TKR in what is his first T20 stint outside of the PSL.Team news: Amir, Shamar Joseph injuredThere is no reason for Amazon Warriors to tweak their XI, unless Shamar Joseph is fit and ready. If that’s the case, he might replace Hassan Khan. Dwaine Pretorius is also nursing a niggle, but Amazon Warriors head coach Lance Klusener expects him to be “fine” for the final.Guyana Amazon Warriors (probable): 1 Ben McDermott, 2 Quentin Sampson, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Shamarh Brooks, 5 Shimron Hetmyer, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Romario Shepherd, 8 Dwaine Pretorius, 9 Hassan Khan/Shamar Joseph 10 Gudakesh Motie, 11 Imran Tahir (capt)Usman Tariq has been terrific with the ball in his maiden CPL season•CPL T20 via Getty ImagesAhead of the playoffs, Pooran suggested that Mohammad Amir is still injured and is facing a race against time to regain fitness for the knockouts. The Pakistani left-arm quick has not played since September 1, so if he remains unavailable, expect USA’s Saurabh Netravalkar to get another game as Amir’s like-for-like replacement.Trinbago Knight Riders (probable): 1 Alex Hales, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Nicholas Pooran (capt & wk), 4 Keacy Carty, 5 Darren Bravo, 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Akeal Hosein, 9 Sunil Narine, 10 Saurabh Netravalkar, 11 Usman TariqPitch and conditionsSpin to win has been the theme at Providence, and it could well continue on Sunday. Some showers have been forecast for Sunday morning, but the weather is likely to be fine for the evening at Providence.Stats and trivia: TKR eye fifth title Amazon Warriors have faced the Trinidad franchise 14 times at Providence, winning ten, including a one-over eliminator in 2014, and losing four. The highlight of that Super Over was a maiden bowled by Narine, who was playing for Amazon Warriors at the time, to Ross Taylor and a young Pooran, who was playing for Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel then. Earlier this week, Narine (133) surpassed Bravo (129) to become the top wicket-taker in CPL history. Tahir is one strike away from 150 wickets for Amazon Warriors in all T20s. Twenty of those have come in this CPL at an average of 15.60 and economy rate of 7.09. The T&T franchise is the winningest CPL team, with four titles in their kitty so far. They last won a title in 2020, when they enjoyed an unbeaten run.Quotes”Look, it’s a great feeling to be in the final in front of our home crowd. Playing in Guyana is something very special. We have been up and down this season, but always a good feeling, and to be a champion, we need to be very hungry.”
“It’s really important to come together in a tournament like this, especially with the type of players we have in our team. The last couple of years has been challenging for us, and especially here in Guyana, it hasn’t been on our side. But this group has been really amazing.

Better than O'Neil: "Very direct" boss a main contender for Southampton job

by rastrear-estafeta.com Uncategorized

Southampton are now two wins from two in the Championship without Will Still occupying the Saints’ hot seat.

Amazingly, this is the first time the South Coast titans have won back-to-back league contests since April 2024, with a miserable bottom-of-the-table finish last season not helping this dismal record, which was then being followed up by Still, unfortunately, looking out of his depth at St. Mary’s.

Now only seven points off the Championship playoff spots, it does feel as if the Saints could mount a promotion push if they can get their next managerial appointment spot on.

All signs are pointing to Gary O’Neil being Still’s successor, as the 42-year-old attempts to put his previous Portsmouth ties to one side as a player, to potentially take over Pompey’s fierce rivals…

The latest on Southampton's manager hunt

The ex-Wolverhampton Wanderers boss is the current frontrunner for the Saints vacancy, with reports in recent days noting that they were trying to conclude a deal having established contact with O’Neil.

However, the unemployed head coach is also being considered by Southampton’s Championship rivals, Norwich City, with the Canaries previously having O’Neil on their books as a midfield star before he retired.

Southampton haven’t just been linked with O’Neil. A return for Russell Martin to the St. Mary’s dugout is also being speculated, after his disastrous time at Rangers was cut short.

Moreover, the current interim manager steering the ship steadily in Tonda Eckert shouldn’t be ruled out, either.

As the German made it two wins from two in a caretaker position, it was reported by Football Insider that he is one of the ‘main’ and ‘key’ contenders under consideration to be given the job.

It would be a risky appointment, with Eckert more used to coaching U21s football than managing in the senior game.

But, to get a disgruntled fanbase back on side, it might well be a better move than going after O’Neil’s services.

Why Eckert could be a better appointment than O'Neil

Of course, in O’Neil’s favour, he has managed at the very top of the English game and succeeded in flashes.

He managed to galvanise the Old Gold during the 2023/24 season, even as the likes of Ruben Neves and Nathan Collins jumped ship, with 13 league wins helping Wolves to a comfortable 14th spot in the unforgiving division. Could he be that same stabilising force on the South Coast that pushes Southampton out of their current mess?

However, when the going got tough at Molineux after a bright 23/24 campaign, everything unravelled at a worryingly quick pace, with just two wins from 16 games in charge the following season – which saw Wolves leak 40 goals – seeing him be unsurprisingly put out of his misery.

Chairman Jeff Shi even stated that he cut ties “too late”, with the mood around St. Mary’s no doubt souring if Southampton’s form was to fall off a cliff under his guidance, owing, again, to his strong Fratton Park loyalties.

Southampton could look to continuity instead, in bumping Eckert up to first-team managerial duties, with the 32-year-old much in the same mould as Still before him in being a new and exciting breed of head coach.

Games managed

12

Wins

7

Draws

4

Losses

1

Goals scored

26

Goals conceded

18

Said to favour a 3-4-2-1 formation, Eckert has also largely been a success at the Saints to date, away from picking up two wins from two as the interim fill-in, with five wins and four draws also collected, working closely with the rising stars coming through at Southampton in the U21 ranks.

He has also been a transformative figure for the senior players to latch on to as well, with Adam Armstrong already picking up an assist against Queens Park Rangers and a goal against the Owls under his short reign to date, with statement summer signing Finn Azaz also on the scoresheet under Eckert last match to pick up his first strike in Southampton red and white since late August.

Azaz would even publicly praise the 32-year-old after that 3-1 victory for being a “very detailed” boss, with the feel-good times hopefully continuing if he can collect more wins.

Surely, if more wins are secured, Eckert will be handed the permanent gig.

After all, the promotion-winning Martin was just a year older than Eckert when he was given his first main job at Milton Keynes Dons, with a move for O’Neil just feeling a lot more stale.

Southampton now 'looking to finalise' deal with "underrated" manager after contact

The Saints are chasing a replacement for Will Still.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 8, 2025

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