The decision to bring the ex-Liverpool captain back into the Three Lions fold has taken everyone by surprise, but maybe there's method to the madness

Four years have passed since Roy Keane questioned Jordan Henderson's presence in the England squad for Euro 2020. "I've heard people say they want him around the place – but for what?" the Irishman asked on . "Does he do card tricks? Does he have a sing-song? Does he do quizzes in the evenings?"

Here we are again, though, wondering what Henderson has done to convince new England boss Thomas Tuchel that he warranted a recall to the national team set-up at 34 years of age. At least back in 2021, it wasn't Henderson's quality that was the concern, but his fitness, as the then-Liverpool captain had only just recovered from an operation on his groin that sidelined him for nearly three months.

Now, though, there is legitimate doubt over whether Henderson can still cut it at the very highest level. After all, his legs appeared to be going even before he left Merseyside for the Middle East in the summer of 2023.

However, Henderson is the skipper of an Ajax side presently six points clear at the top of the Eredivisie, so is there some method to the apparent madness of ending the veteran midfielder's international exile at the expense of younger and more exciting options such as Conor Gallagher, Elliot Anderson, Angel Gomes and Adam Wharton?

Below, GOAL explores the most contentious call of Tuchel's first squad announcement…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  'Why boo him?'

  It was widely presumed that Henderson's move to Saudi Arabia would spell the end of his England career, but while his money-motivated transfer to Al-Ettifaq ruined his reputation as an ally of the LGBTQ+ community, it didn't damage his international prospects. Sir Gareth Southgate continued to call upon one of his most trusted lieutenants while he was playing in front of crowds of a few hundred people in Dammam.

  The then-manager even leapt to Henderson's defender after he was booed by some sections of the Wembley crowd while wearing the captain's armband during a friendly against Australia in October 2023. "I really don't understand it," Southgate said. "I know what's created it, but it defies logic that you would give a player who is playing and putting his heart and soul into playing for England… Why boo him? How is [booing] going to help him or the team?

  "He is a player with 79 caps for England. His commitment and what he has delivered for England is exceptional. His role on and off the pitch is phenomenally important. He has taken Jude Bellingham under his wing. He knitted things together on the field tonight in a team with not a lot of caps."

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  'Big miss'

  Still, Southgate welcomed Henderson's decision to bring an abrupt end to his spell in the Saudi Pro League by joining Ajax during the winter transfer window as "it's easier to assess somebody playing in a European League". It's also highly probable that he would have included Henderson in his Euro 2024 squad had the veteran not picked up a muscular injury in March of that year that kept him out of action for five weeks at a critical point of the selection process.

  "He just hasn't been able to get up to the intensity we need in the games since then," Southgate explained after leaving Henderson out of his provisional panel for Germany. "But he'll be a big miss. He's an exceptional individual, a fantastic human being and a fantastic professional. It was a difficult call to make."

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  'Leadership qualities'

  The injury certainly came as a bitter blow to Henderson, who had made an solid if unspectacular start to life in Amsterdam, where he had been welcomed with open arms by an Ajax side that were still recovering from a dreadful start to the season that had cost Maurice Steijn his job

  "We wanted an experienced midfielder with leadership qualities," Ajax boss John van 't Schip enthused after Henderson's January arrival. "Partially due to injuries in the team, we were looking for someone who could step in immediately. Jordan is that type of player."

  Van 't Schip was so taken with Henderson, in fact, that he handed him the captain's armband while regular skipper Steven Bergwijn was sidelined by a hamstring problem in February and March of last year.

  "He is a real professional, he is a leader, I think you can see it on the pitch," the interim coach told reporters. "And the boys around him, they feel that and accept that as well. He communicates with the players on and off the field. He tries to help players recover better and also takes them into the gym."

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  'Be a man and stand your ground'

  Henderson's impact on the field wasn't quite as impressive. While he was constantly lauded for his drive and determination, Ajax won just three Eredivisie games with him in the starting line-up as they ended up finishing a disappointing fifth in the table, while also suffering a humiliating 4-0 loss in the second leg of their Conference League last-16 tie with Aston Villa.

  However, after Van 't Schip was replaced at the helm by Francesco Farioli during the summer, the 35-year-old Italian concluded from his very first conversation with Henderson that there was no better man to lead his new-look Ajax side.

  The wisdom of that decision came under serious scrutiny in January, though, as Henderson gave the armband to team-mate Remko Pasveer ahead of the Europa League clash with Galatasaray to avoid any media duties amid speculation that he was on the verge of joining Monaco.

  "Jordan wanted to focus on the match and not on peripheral matters," the goalkeeper told reporters. "Jordan does not want it to be about him but about the match. It is good that I can take over from him. That way we are there for each other. What you, the media, want to make of it, is up to you. This is his feeling and then I have his back."

  Of course, there was never any chance of the temporary change of captaincy causing anything other than controversy. Frank de Boer called it "complete nonsense", while fellow Ajax legend Wesley Sneijder called on Henderson to "be a man and stand your ground".

  The former attacking midfielder added: "You play the match, you have the armband on and after the match, you say: 'Yeah, guys, I don't know yet. Something is going on. We'll see.' Right now you get speculation and you create a lot of unrest."

Alejandro Garnacho has been warned he must raise his game at Manchester United, with the winger accused of being a Cristiano Ronaldo "fanboy".

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Garnacho maturity questioned by ex-starWinger labelled a 'Ronaldo fanboy'Missed out on latest Argentina squadFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Garnacho has faced criticism for the level of his performances and has been called out for his reactions on the field amid United's struggles this season. Ruben Amorim even forced the 20-year-old to buy his team-mates a meal for his reaction to being substituted against Ipswich last month.

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Garnacho has enjoyed a recent uptick in his performances, netting a goal against Leicester last time out after getting an assist in each leg of their Europa League win against Real Sociedad this month. However, former United and England defender Paul Parker sees him as an immature player as he urged him against thinking he can be the successor to his idol Cristiano Ronaldo.

WHAT PARKER SAID

"We can't keep using the excuse that Garnacho is young. He is not young anymore, at least not in football. He turns 21 in the summer and before he knows he will be 30. He needs to understand that and start performing," he told .

"He is not playing like an adult and he is certainly not acting like an adult, and he has to have a good look in the mirror, to tell himself that he needs to stop thinking about being the next Ronaldo. He will never be that, so he has to accept the fact that he needs to work hard to get a decent career."

He added: "I liked him when he came through and he had that Argentinian fire in his belly, which he has lost completely. He has let himself and his family down. He has let his club down, because he is not taking advantage of the talent he was supposed to have. I am not seeing anything from him. The most important thing for him now is to understand what he is good at and what he is bad at.

"He can't take on people, he is not quick enough and he doesn't want to work hard. So, what is he actually good at? He needs to figure that out and show it, rather than just wanting to be the next Ronaldo. Because at the moment, to me, he just seems like a Ronaldo fanboy, who would rather make a few highlights to post them on social media rather than winning football matches and make this club great again."

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR GARNACHO?

Garnacho was left out of the Argentina squad for the current international period, meaning he will have to watch on as his compatriots take on Brazil in World Cup qualifying. The winger will likely be involved when United take on Nottingham Forest in the Premier League next week.

Senior bowlers backed for recall after new captain Ben Stokes calls for “best team”

Andrew Miller28-Apr-2022

James Anderson and Stuart Broad will be considered “available for selection” for the first Test of the summer, against New Zealand at Lord’s on June 2, according to Rob Key, the new director of the England men’s team, following their controversial omissions from the recent tour of the Caribbean.Despite their combined haul of 1177 Test wickets, the futures of both Anderson, 39, and Broad, 35, had been up in the air ever since England’s 4-0 Ashes loss, especially in light of Joe Root’s comments about the “positive” team environment that a new-look squad had fostered during their subsequent 1-0 series loss in the Caribbean.However, Key – speaking for the first time in his new role at a press conference at Lord’s – said that he had taken soundings from Root’s newly appointed successor, Ben Stokes, with both men agreeing that if Anderson and Broad are fit and in form come the start of the international season, then they will be back in the frame.Related

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Ben Stokes named England men's Test captain

“Before I was announced in this job, I rang Jimmy and Broady and said ‘For my money, you boys are available for selection for the first Test of the summer’,” Key told the BBC. “That’s fine, but I’m the managing director. What they want is the captain to go with that. One of the first things Ben Stokes said was ‘Jimmy and Broady are coming back’ and I agree. It might’ve been a different story had we not agreed. But it wasn’t up for debate.”Broad returned to action for the first time this season in Nottinghamshire’s ongoing LV= Insurance Championship fixture at Trent Bridge, claiming a wicket in his third over as Worcestershire were bowled out for 159 on the opening day. Anderson, meanwhile, took two early wickets for Lancashire against Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl, having found his groove during an innings win over Gloucestershire at Old Trafford last week.”They’ve got their plans in place,” Key added. “We don’t need to tell Jimmy and Broady what they need to do, or how they need to prepare for a Test match. If they don’t know now, no one will. And they’ve got to be right and up for selection for that first Test. And I don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t and they got a big part to play.”Speaking in the wake of his five-wicket haul at Sydney during the Ashes, Broad had voiced his frustration with the previous England regime’s tendency to plan for future engagements rather than focusing on the here-and-now – an issue about which he had been similarly outspoken in a Sky Sports interview after being dropped for the first Test of the 2020 home summer.And though Key insisted he “could not predict the future”, as regards the longevity of England’s senior pairing, he said he saw no reason to maintain the team’s recent policy of rest-and-rotation, especially now that the Covid restrictions that have dominated the last two years are being rolled back.”We’ll just see how they go,” Key said. “If they play the first Test match and if they’re bowling really well, and England are doing well, then they might play the next, and then on to the next. If they’re tired, then someone else can come in. I don’t think we have to overthink all this stuff. But what we have to do is be flexible on how we do it.Stuart Broad celebrates a wicket on his first appearance of the season•Getty Images

“They are not multi-format cricketers at the moment. With someone like Jofra Archer, it might be a bit different. When he comes back fit, there will be times where it’ll be very obvious when we want our absolute best out there, and there might be a white-ball series that we can sacrifice a bit. And that, actually, isn’t a bad thing because some other players can come in to prolong the success of the white-ball team. I just don’t think we have to overthink it.”Although the timeframes are tight, with just over a month to go until the first Test against New Zealand, Key added that he was “optimistic” that a new head coach can be appointed before the series gets underway. Simon Katich is believed to be among the frontrunners, with Graham Ford and Gary Kirsten also in consideration, but with Stokes – “the best person to lead England forward” – now installed as captain, Key is confident that the team’s new framework will take shape quickly.”There’s some good names coming in from English cricket and world cricket,” he said. “I’m trying to find out about the ones I might not know so much about. A lot of it comes not from sitting across a room asking him what sort of coach are you, but actually asking people that have worked with him.”In terms of team selection, however, Key is currently less clear about the process going forward. Though he is keen to restore the post of national selector – a role previously held by his former Kent team-mate Ed Smith until he was made redundant last year – he admitted he was unsure who to place at the helm of a network that now encompasses a scouting network and a team of data analysts, as well as the as-yet-unknown red- and white-ball head coaches.”It’s a very, very important job and we won’t rush to get that person in place,” Key said. “Until then, I’m pretty happy with the process that we’ll have in place, with the people that are already involved in selection. If you need someone to point the gun at, you can point it at me, it doesn’t really bother me. But we’ll come up with the best team that we possibly can to win the Test match, and hopefully not make bad decisions.”

Over the years, Arsenal have had some memorable Spanish players at the club. Of course, there are two in the current squad, goalkeeper David Raya and midfielder Mikel Merino who joined in the last transfer window. The pair were part of Spain’s Euro 2024 winning squad over the summer.

Of course, manager Mikel Arteta hails from Spain and made 150 appearances for the Gunners as a player back in the 2010s. Another classy Spanish midfielder to wear that famous Red shirt was Santo Cazorla, who played 180 times for the club.

In recent days, the North Londoners have been linked with another highly-rated young Spanish star.

Arsenal target Spanish starlet

The player in question here is young Barcelona winger Arnau Pradas. The 18-year-old winger is highly thought of by the La Liga giants, who have produced so many top talents from their famous academy La Masia.

However, according to a report from Spanish news outlets, they are ‘close to seeing’ the young winger ‘pack his bags and head to Arsenal’, who are believed to be holding key talks with the winger. Pradas will become a free transfer in June, with his contract set to expire, and the Gunners could try and pounce on the deal.

The report states that Arteta himself has spoken to the player. He is believed to have been ‘reportedly convinced with a very interesting and almost irresistible economic and sporting proposal’ to persuade Pradas to make the move.

Arsenal’s next Cesc Fabregas

Should the North Londoners get a deal for the youngster over the line, it could be a repeat of the deal to sign Cesc Fabregas in September 2003. He made the move from the Nou Camp to Highbury as a teenager for a reported fee of £2.25m.

It is fair to say that the midfielder became an iconic figure at Arsenal. He played 303 games for the club in total, contributing to an impressive 152 goals in that time.

Although he was at the club during the invincible season of 2003/04, he did not make an appearance in the Premier League that season. However, Fabregas was part of the FA Cup winning side in 2004/05.

He departed the Gunners in 2011, making the move from North London back to Barcelona as a 24-year-old. His boyhood club paid £35m to resign the then-Gunners skipper, although he would later break Arsenal hearts by swapping the Nou Camp for Stamford Bridge to join Chelsea after his former club did not activate a buy-back clause.

If they manage to bring Pradas to the club next summer, the Gunners would no doubt be hoping he can take to the Premier League as quickly as Fabregas did.

He is a highly-rated player, who football talent scout Jacek Kulig thinks has a “left foot made of gold”, high praise indeed.

The winger has yet to make his first-team debut, playing mainly for Barca’s under-19s in the UEFA Youth League, where he has three goals and an assist in nine games.

That includes a fantastic performance against Bayern Munich under-19s this season. As per Sofascore, he created four chances, completed four dribbles and grabbed an assist that day.

Stat

Number

Touches

62

Pass accuracy

81%

Ground duels won

5/9

Crosses completed

5/8

Dribbles completed

4/8

Key passes

4

Big chances created

1

To put into context just how good Pradas can become, he has previously been described as a “Lamine Yamal clone”, partly because they are both left-footed wingers.

The Spanish teenage sensation has risen to the top in recent months, becoming a key player for Barcelona. He has six goals and nine assists in just 18 games this term, aged just 17.

Arsenal fans must surely be excited at the prospect of signing Pradas this summer. Not only could he be their own Yamal, but if he can remotely replicate the success Fabregas had in that famous Red shirt, they will have an incredible talent on their hands.

It could be a superb addition for Arteta and his side.

Arteta has found Arsenal's new Ozil & Sanchez in unreal "future legend"

The incredible talent has a bright future at Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 6, 2024

Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Brendon McCullum has backed Venkatesh Iyer to come good again and insisted that the misfiring allrounder is still in contention to win a spot in the XI.”He didn’t get as many runs as he would have liked and we were forced to look at some other [opening] options, which is disappointing for someone who has represented India in the last seven-eight months on the back of what was a very good IPL last time in the UAE,” McCullum said after Knight Riders’ seventh loss on Saturday.After a mere 109 runs in seven innings as opener, Knight Riders moved him down to the middle order, like India did when he debuted for them last year. But that didn’t work either. With just one score above 20 – a half-century against Mumbai Indians – he had to make way.”It is frustrating for him and he is working hard in the nets and trying to get his spot back and that’ll certainly be a consideration,” McCullum said. “In a short tournament, you’ve got to be prepared to use some other guys in the squad and that’s what we had to unfortunately do with Venkatesh but he’s certainly not out of the reckoning in the games to come. He is a real talent and has a good head on his shoulders. I know he is determined to take that next step and start to perform more regularly.”Related

• Has second-season syndrome got to Venkatesh Iyer?

• No 'short' cuts: How teams have attacked KKR with the back of length deliveries and what is the way out

Venkatesh’s struggles are all the more bizarre considering he was one of the biggest contributors to the Knight Riders’ improbable run to the IPL final last year. Though he played only 10 of their 17 matches, he finished as their fourth-highest run-getter with a tally of 370. ESPNcricinfo experts Daniel Vettori, Chris Lynn and Aakash Chopra believe the allrounder may be suffering second-season syndrome. McCullum agreed. “As well with Venky’s second year, teams do a bit more scouting and homework as has historically been the case in this tournament as well as in international cricket.”Knight Riders have tried five different opening combinations this year and none of them have worked. They are averaging just 13.09 runs for the first wicket, which is the worst out of all the 10 teams. Their run-rate in the powerplay (6.53) is another low point. And they’ve been losing way too many wickets (23) in the first six overs too.”We’ve struggled in the powerplay, which has been a bit of a frustration for us right throughout the season,” McCullum said. “We’ve been good throughout the middle phase, not too bad at the death, but the powerplay, we’ve been a little stuck. We’ve got to find a method to not lose too many wickets [in the powerplay] and throw a few punches and pick up a few boundaries because at the moment we are sort of stuck in between and opposition teams are taking advantage of that.”If you look around at the other teams who sit towards the top of the table, one of their opening batsmen is also one of the highest run scorers. It’s an area where we haven’t been able to settle and unfortunately some guys haven’t been in the form that they would have liked as well. So we’re just searching for a little bit of form and sometimes in a quick tournament you do often have to change personnel. It’s been frustrating but the guys are certainly working hard and I can’t fault the effort.”Venkatesh’s second suit has also not been come to his aid, having bowled all of three overs at an economy over 12. But McCullum put that down to his not getting too many chances.”Unfortunately, Venky and (Nitish) Rana, who we’ve underutilised a little bit, they haven’t had enough opportunity to bowl and have just missed the execution (in the chances they have got). That can affect one’s confidence when they are not able to get into a game and settle into a game.”

Less than a week before the head coach’s disciplinary hearing, the board found the charges were no longer sustainable

Firdose Moonda10-May-2022Cricket South Africa has “formally and unreservedly” withdrawn the charges of gross misconduct against men’s national head coach Mark Boucher, less than a week before his disciplinary hearing was scheduled to begin. The board is no longer seeking his dismissal over the tentative findings of the Social Justice and Nation-Building (SJN) report, which concluded that Boucher may have engaged in conduct that was prejudicial on the basis of race.Following Paul Adams and Enoch Nkwe deciding to not testify at the hearings, and the outcome of former director of cricket Graeme Smith’s arbitration, which cleared him on all counts, CSA found the charges were no longer sustainable.Related

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To be meaningful, follow-up to SJN process must go beyond Graeme Smith and Mark Boucher

Graeme Smith cleared of racism charges

Boucher was facing three charges over his handling of historical and current race-based issues during his time as a national player and a coach. This included his role in singing a team song with the words “b**** s***” in it, directed at Adams during their playing days, his handling of the Black Lives Matter movement with the current squad, and his working relationship with former assistant coach Nkwe. Since the SJN report could not make definite findings on the seriousness of these incidents, CSA “was advised by external lawyers that the appropriate formal process to follow in respect of Mr Boucher was a formal disciplinary hearing in front of an independent ombudsman”. However, CSA could find no basis to sustain the charges because of a lack of witnesses.In a statement issued on Tuesday morning, CSA confirmed that Adams’ announcement on Sunday that he would not testify reiterated his initial statement that his testimony at the SJN was about the “overall culture” of the national team in the early 2000s and that he did not want to single out any player. In his oral testimony, Adams had recounted the anecdote which led to him being given the nickname “b**** s****” and it was the ombudsman’s assistant Fumisa Ngqele who then asked him, “When Mark Boucher called you “b**** s***, did you address him personally?” Adams responded: “No, well, I never addressed them personally. Mark was probably just one of the guys that did all that.” Adams’ written statement made no mention of Boucher either.Further, Boucher apologised to Adams and CSA’s lawyers have ascertained that Adams had accepted the apology, which left them with no case to make against Boucher with regards to the song.On the matter of Nkwe, the chargesheet against Boucher claimed that he had not provided “roles and responsibilities” or “meaningful key-performance indicators” for him, did not define his role or any development plans for him, and thus, “allegedly treated Mr Nkwe in a manner unbecoming of a leader in your position”. Nkwe’s unwillingness to testify meant CSA could not pursue this route either.

“It was about providing a platform for persons involved in cricket to share their personal experiences of racial and gender discrimination and to allow for a careful consideration of the systemic measures necessary to redress these issues going forward”Lawson Naidoo, CSA’s board chair, on the SJN process

There was no mention of why CSA could not sustain the charge around the handling of the BLM movement other than a comment that they had “engaged with various other potential witnesses over the last month and concluded that none of the three charges were sustainable”. While Boucher had intended to call several current players to testify on his behalf, ESPNcricinfo understands that CSA could not secure the same, and, having noted the outcome of Smith’s arbitration, felt it would not be able to make the charges against Boucher stand.In the case of Smith, who was cleared last month, CSA failed to prove that Smith’s appointment of Boucher as head coach discriminated against Nkwe on the basis of race. CSA’s shortcomings in that case, where it was also unable to prove factual causation that Smith had influenced Thami Tsolekile’s non-selection on the basis of race, and led the board to believe it would not be able to make a strong legal argument against Boucher.With Smith’s case concluded, and his tenure as director of cricket ended, and the withdrawing of the charges against Boucher, CSA’s battles with two of the most influential men in the country’s cricket have ended, and the board is eager to take a big-picture view of the anti-racist process over the last 18 months.Mark Boucher – “The last few months have been extremely difficult to endure for me and my family”•Gallo Images/Getty Images”The SJN process was never only or even mainly about the conduct of individuals. More fundamentally, it was about providing a platform for persons involved in cricket to share their personal experiences of racial and gender discrimination and to allow for a careful consideration of the systemic measures necessary to redress these issues going forward for the future,” Lawson Naidoo, CSA’s board chair, said. “The Board will in the near future announce further systemic initiatives in this regard. The systemic learnings from the SJN process will provide valuable input into the values, behaviours, culture and strategy of Cricket in South Africa going forward and we thank all participants for their contributions in this regard.”Boucher welcomed the decision and committed himself to the national team for the remainder of his contract, which runs to the end of the 2023 World Cup.”The allegations of racism which were levelled against me were unjustified and have caused me considerable hurt and anguish,” he said in a statement. “The last few months have been extremely difficult to endure for me and my family. I am glad that the process has finally come to an end and that CSA has accepted that the charges against me are unsustainable. I consider that the matter is now finalised and closed and I do not intend on making further statements on this matter. I look forward to continuing to focus on my job and to taking the Proteas men’s team to even greater heights.”Boucher continued to acknowledge the insensitivity of team culture in his playing days and maintained that the environment in the current squad has been healthy.”I stand by my apology to Paul given during the SJN process for the hurt he felt during his time as a Proteas player. As I stated in my affidavit to the SJN process, some of the things that were said and done in those days were totally inappropriate and unacceptable and in retrospect, understandably offensive,” he said. “I am proud to now be part of a team culture that is inclusive and whose objective is to be respectful to every person.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Com um time alternativo, o São Paulo venceu o Ayacucho, por 3 a 2, no Peru e começou a caminhada na Copa Sul-Americana com pé direito. No entanto, apesar da vitória, o time cometeu alguns erros, principalmente defensivos, o que poderia ter custado caro na partida.

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VEJA A TABELA DA COPA SUL-AMERICANA 2022!

Pensando na sequência desgastante da temporada, o técnico Rogério Ceni colocou em campo um time considerado reserva, mas com alguns jogadores experientes que já foram do time titular, como Volpi, Arboleda, Miranda, Reinaldo, Rigoni e Luciano.

Porém, desse sexteto considerado mais maduro, alguns não tiveram boas atuações, como Tiago Volpi, Reinaldo e Rigoni. O primeiro cometeu erros e foi bastante criticado pela torcida nas redes sociais. Já o camisa seis subia muito ao ataque, mas não conseguia recompor na defesa. Foi pelo seu setor que o Ayacucho marcou o primeiro gol.

Já Rigoni parece ter deixado o seu bom futebol para trás. Peça fundamental na equipe em 2021, o argentino não teve, mais uma vez, uma atuação boa, errando muitos passes e praticamente não levando perigo para a meta adversária. Foi presa fácil para a defesa dos peruanos.

Vale destacar as boas partidas de jovens revelados na base, como Marquinhos, Luan e Juan. O último inclusive, que não jogava desde o dia 19 de março, fez boas jogadas pelas pontas e sofreu o pênalti convertido por Luciano, que deu a vitória ao São Paulo no fim da partida.

Sendo assim, pode-se dizer que o time alternativo do São Paulo passou no teste, mas com alguns sustos. Bom para Rogério Ceni corrigir os erros e saber qual a força do seu elenco.

Leeds United are currently chasing promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking and are second in the Championship as it stands.

Their 1-1 draw with Preston North End last time out has left them three points behind Sheffield United in the title race, but ahead of Burnley in third place.

This means that the Whites are still well in contention to secure automatic promotion back to the top-flight, after they missed out in the play-offs last season.

The January transfer window officially opens for business at the start of next month and Daniel Farke may want to dip into the market to give his side a push ahead of the second half of the season.

He did utilise the winter window in his last promotion success at Championship level, signing Dimi Giannoulis on loan from PAOK for Norwich in 2021, with the Greek international going on to start 16 games in the second half of the season to help them win the title.

This shows that the German head coach knows the boost that can come from bolstering a promotion-chasing side in January, but he may have to make room for new signings by ditching one or two of his current squad.

The Leeds forward who should be sold in January

One player who should be ruthlessly ditched in the upcoming January transfer window is centre-forward Patrick Bamford, who has been

linked with an exit from Elland Road.

TEAMtalk recently reported that Genoa and Wrexham are both keeping tabs on the English attacker’s situation and could make a move for him, as a transfer away from Leeds is looking likely in 2025.

The Whites should look to take advantage of the growing interest in the former England international’s services and finally part ways with the ex-Chelsea man, who has been at the club since the summer of 2017.

Bamford is the third-choice striker in the squad, behind Joel Piroe and Mateo Joseph, and is not doing enough – with zero goals and zero assists this season – to justify Leeds fighting to keep hold of him on a reported £40k-per-week contract.

The 31-year-old centre-forward has been an unreliable player for a lot of his time in West Yorkshire, as he has failed to hit double figures for league goals in four of his six full seasons to date.

In fact, since the start of the 2017/18 campaign – one year before he joined the club – no player in Europe, or the world, in leagues with data available has underperformed their xG by more than Bamford.

Per VisualGame on X, using a table from FBref, the Leeds striker has underperformed by a whopping 23.9 goals – 4.8 more than Florian Sotoca, who has the second-worst xG conversion rate in the world over the last seven years or so.

What makes this statistic even worse is that FBref did not introduce Championship xG data until the 2018/19 campaign, so the forward, who has missed his last three penalties, still tops this list despite his form for Middlesbrough not contributing to it – with 56 league goals from 79.9 xG for Leeds.

With this, and his lack of contribution this season in comparison to his weekly wage, in mind, Farke must ditch Bamford by swooping for one of the club’s reported targets.

Leeds eyeing Premier League forward

Brighton & Hove Albion centre-forward Evan Ferguson has been linked with a temporary move to Elland Road at the start of the January transfer window.

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Former Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson, who is said to be well-connected to the club, urged the club to pursue a deal for the Ireland international next month, as he believes that the Whites need an out-and-out number nine to bolster their squad.

The retired shot-stopper, who is now a pundit, said that the links with Ferguson are not going away and that the “pest”, as he described him, would “get goals” for Leeds in the second half of the season.

Football Insider reported that Brighton are prepared to send the 20-year-old marksman out on loan to get regular game time, as he has been behind Joao Pedro and Danny Welbeck in the pecking order.

The outlet added that a number of Premier League clubs are also interested in signing him, which means that Leeds will need to convince him to drop down to the Championship.

Farke must, now, push to get a deal over the line as he could replace the worst finisher in Europe – Bamford – with an impressive finisher at Premier League level.

Why Leeds should sign Evan Ferguson

The Irish forward has failed to establish himself as a regular for Brighton in the top-flight but his record for the club in recent years suggests that the potential is there for him to be a superstar in the Championship.

Ferguson, who was described as “phenomenal” by James Milner, was unable to hit the ground running this season because of an ankle injury that kept him out for 146 days from the start of April to the end of August.

He has, therefore, only started two of his 11 appearances in the Premier League this term, but has scored one goal from 0.36 xG for Brighton.

22/23

5.67

6

+0.33

23/24

3.97

6

+2.03

24/25

0.36

1

+0.64

Total

9.99

13

+3.01

As you can see in the table above, the Ireland international, who only turned 20 in October, had scored 12 goals in the top-flight in the two previous seasons combined.

Ferguson has outperformed his xG by around three goals since his Premier League debut, which shows that the youngster is a ruthless and efficient finisher at the top level.

Whereas, Bamford has proven himself to be the worst finisher in Europe since his Leeds debut, as he has been incredibly wasteful in front of goal at both Premier League and Championship level.

Imagine him & Gnonto: Leeds keen on deal to sign "tricky" 15-goal star

Leeds United are reportedly eyeing a swoop for the promising attacker in January.

ByDan Emery Dec 17, 2024

Therefore, Farke could improve his squad for the second half of the season by ditching the struggling Englishman and signing the lethal Irish marksman.

But several logistical hurdles will need to be overcome for it to host matches

Peter Della Penna25-May-2022

Oakland Coliseum, home of Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Oakland Athletics and formerly the NFL’s Oakland Raiders, has emerged as a potential venue for the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup, to be co-hosted by the USA and the West Indies. The ICC CEO Geoff Allardice and development head Will Glenwright met with USA Cricket officials in California recently where the idea – rumoured since last year – gained traction.Though the Oakland Coliseum, which opened in 1966, lacks many of the luxury amenities found in most outdoor American stadiums built since the turn of the millennium, it has two major features which appeal to cricket administrators. The location, in the East Bay of northern California just north of the Silicon Valley, is home to a burgeoning local grassroots cricket scene as well as a deep-pocketed expatriate cricket fan base that administrators are hoping to tap into.Another attraction is that the stadium could hold up to 53,000 fans, more than twice as many as any currently available purpose-built cricket venues in the USA. Those include venues in consideration for hosting T20 World Cup games, such as Church Street Park in Morrisville, North Carolina, which is slated for an expansion to hold approximately 4,000 fans; as well as USA’s two ODI venues located in Lauderhill, Florida, and the Houston suburb of Pearland, Texas, both of which have 10,000 capacity (but which could expand to approximately 15,000-20,000 with temporary seating). Other venues which do not have ODI status but could be in consideration are Prairie View Cricket Complex – in suburban Houston – and AirHogs Stadium just outside of Dallas, which is yet to break ground on renovations since a lease was acquired in 2020.However, for the Oakland Coliseum to host matches several logistical hurdles will need to be overcome. Its location in the Pacific time zone means it would be unlikely to host an India-Pakistan match because an 8pm primetime start on TV in India would mean a 7.30 am start in California. But the venue could be an ideal choice for the late game in a double- or triple-header on a given day, which could possibly feature another heavyweight clash such as England-Australia to suit UK primetime.Another obstacle is the June slot currently scheduled for the event, which falls right in the middle of baseball season. It would mean that the Coliseum’s availability would be dependent on the Athletics and MLB agreeing to schedule a 10-14 day road trip for the Athletics around that time to allow cricket officials time to ready it for the T20 World Cup, including the installation of a drop-in pitch. That timeline would allow no more than two or three matches at the venue.This would not be the first time in recent years that a baseball stadium is utilised to host a high-profile cricket event. The Cricket All-Stars T20 exhibition tour headlined by Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne in 2015 was played using drop-in pitches at New York’s Citi Field (home of the New York Mets), Houston’s Minute Maid Park (Houston Astros) and Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Those venues were chosen to lure fans to venues which had seating capacity that far exceeded those at cricket-specific venues such as Lauderhill. All three venues are purpose-built for baseball with limited foul area territory and seats located close to the field, which consequently meant some extremely short boundaries square of the pitch.However, Oakland Coliseum’s original design as a shared baseball and football facility means that for baseball purposes, it has by far the largest foul territory in MLB with the closest seats scaled back a considerable distance from the field. For cricket purposes, it means that square boundaries would be right on the borderline of satisfying the ICC’s minimum boundary dimensions of 55 meters. If a more thorough inspection determines that the boundaries wind up just short of the ICC minimum, officials may appeal for an ICC exemption in the same manner as Auckland’s Eden Park for what would be a one-of-a-kind opportunity to host an unprecedented number of fans for a match in America.To demonstrate the viability of Oakland Coliseum, local administrators are exploring the idea of potentially hosting exhibition matches before the end of 2023. If such an exhibition were to go ahead, it would most likely be held in the October-November window following the conclusion of the baseball season, though no firm plans have been made at this stage.

England made the most of some self-destructive tendencies on New Zealand’s part to enter a tantalisingly poised final day at Trent Bridge with a chance of pressing for victory.Sparked by James Anderson’s 650th Test wicket to remove opener and stand-in captain Tom Latham cheaply, England had their visitors seven wickets down and 238 runs ahead at the close on day four of this second Test, needing some magic from first-innings leader Daryl Mitchell and with Kyle Jamieson still under an injury cloud.It was a familiar pairing who were tasked with extending New Zealand’s advantage as England made slow but ultimately steady inroads into their top order. In remarkable echoes of the first innings, Devon Conway and Will Young made starts – on this occasion both reaching fifty – before falling shortly afterwards to leave Mitchell and Tom Blundell united in a potentially match-shaping partnership for the third innings in a row, although it wasn’t to be.Conway and Young shared a century stand to overcome the early loss of Latham, who inexplicably shouldered arms to an Anderson delivery which clattered into the top of middle stump, the fifth ball of the innings. They led the recovery from 4 for 1 to 104 for 1 during a sedate middle session.But, no sooner had Conway raised his half-century with a reverse-swept four off Jack Leach than he was out. Leach, who had struggled to threaten as the duo started to pick him off, got the next ball – a wider one – to kick up just enough to find the top-edge as Conway swept and Jonny Bairstow swallowed the catch at deep square leg.Henry Nicholls survived an England review for caught behind after his attempted reverse-sweep missed the bat and, despite striking the front pad, was also missing leg stump. But he fell in the first over after tea cutting a short, wide delivery from Matthew Potts straight to Alex Lees at backward point.Related

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New Zealand were now 115 for 3 and Mitchell arrived at the crease after an eventful match so far in which he scored a pivotal 190 in the first innings and put down two simple slips catches during England’s reply before holding a gem to remove Stuart Broad on the fourth morning.Mitchell was in the thick of the action once more as Young was run out after some apparent miscommunication between the two when Young nudged Stokes to the onside and set off for a run but paused to look at his partner amid calls of “waiting!” Ollie Pope had plenty of time to assess the situation as he fired the ball back to Stokes, who broke the stumps with a diving Young well short and gone for 56.Mitchell was struck a nasty blow to the right forearm on 21 and paused to have it strapped but it was Blundell who fell a short time later. Having just struck Broad through extra cover for four, he sent the next ball – another short one – to Stokes at backward square leg ending his latest union with Mitchell on 45, paltry by their lofty standards of late.Having already hit Broad for six over backward square, debutant Michael Bracewell then took back-to-back fours off Potts, lofted down the ground and pulled through midwicket. But when he tried it again he picked out Broad at mid-on and was gone after a neat cameo of 25 from just 17 balls.Mitchell was then culpable in Tim Southee’s run out for a duck after steering Broad through backward point and turning the wrong way as he came back for the second which meant that by the time he saw Zak Crawley firing the ball back in and sent Southee back it was too late.Earlier, Trent Boult’s five-wicket haul had preserved the visitors’ first-innings lead – albeit worth just 14 runs – in a stoic display in which he and Southee had to toil hard in the absence of fellow seamer Jamieson, who left the field late on the third day with sharp pain in his lower back. New Zealand team management confirmed on Monday evening that Jamieson would bat if required, while his bowling involvement would be confirmed once MRI scan results had been assessed, with a further update expected before play on the final morning.Joe Root and Ben Foakes picked up where they had left off on the third evening to help England close the gap, having resumed the day 80 runs in arrears. But the hosts lost their last five wickets for 66 runs in 14.2 overs as they were bowled out for 539 in reply to New Zealand’s 553.The hosts began briskly, Southee conceding back-to-back fours through the off-side to Foakes, who was 24 not out overnight, before Root’s brazen reverse scoop over the fence at third man, all in the first over of the day. After five overs, England had scored seven boundaries, including Foakes’ fifth of the morning to bring up his half-century with a punch through cover off Southee, who went for 33 runs in his first three overs.Shortly after that though, Southee held onto a leading edge stooping low to his left at cover to remove Root, who mistimed his drive at a Boult slower ball and fell for 176.Broad followed and then Foakes fell for 56, run out when Potts turned a Bracewell delivery beyond short leg and called him through for a single but hesitated a couple of steps down and sent him back…. too late as Latham threw the ball back to Bracewell, who removed the bails.Boult sealed his five-for bowling Potts with an excellent inswinging yorker that pegged back leg stump, finishing with 5-106 from 33.3 overs and Bracewell had his third when he had Anderson caught behind to end with 3 for 62 from 17.2 overs. Southee, meanwhile, ended up wicketless from his 32 overs.