All posts by h716a5.icu

Glasgow Rangers secured a confidence-boosting 2-1 win at Ibrox yesterday as Philippe Clement continued his solid start to life at the club.

Hearts led until the dying embers of the match but James Tavernier scored a penalty to equalise before he set up Danilo to score the winner in the 93rd minute.

It will feel like a smash-and-grab victory, but three points is all that matters and Clement will be happy with how the Gers fought until the final whistle.

Once again, however, there were a few lacklustre performances, most notably from Cyriel Dessers and Sam Lammers.

Michael Beale’s £7.5m duo now walking a tightrope

During the summer, Beale splashed the cash on the pair in order to freshen up his attacking options. Dessers cost £4.5m from Cremonese while Lammers arrived for a fee in the region of £3m and while £7.5m for two players could be seen as excessive, the nature of the transfer market meant Beale had to spend to secure players of high quality.

So far however, Dessers and Lammers have failed to live up to their transfer fees as they have struggled to settle in at the Light Blues.

The Nigeria international has scored four goals across 18 matches while he currently ranks first across the Ibrox squad for most big chances missed (nine) in the Premiership, a telling sign of just how poor he has been in front of goal.

The Dutchman has also been underwhelming and for someone who has such impressive technical ability, he has struggled with the nature of the Scottish game, and it is clear after Sunday's performance that Clement must now jettison the 26-year-old.

Sam Lammers' days may be numbered

The warning signs surrounding the former Feyenoord forward should have been apparent to Beale, as he has netted just six goals since the start of the 2020/21 season.

Lammers may have succeeded with 100% of his dribble attempts against Hearts, yet he missed a big chance (not for the first time this term) while failing to have a shot on target during the encounter.

The 6 foot 3 liability was dribbled past on two occasions along with losing possession 14 times and it is clear his defensive attributes also need some work if he is to make it at the Light Blues.

Clement may not offer the former Atalanta forward that luxury, however. The Belgian will be able to rely on several players returning from injury shortly, while youngster Ross McCausland made more key passes in 14 minutes than Lammers did in 83.

Perhaps it is time Clement places his trust in young gems such as McCausland instead of having to rely on Lammers time and time again, as it is clearly not working out for him in Glasgow.

A trip to Dundee on Wednesday could be the ideal opportunity for the manager to experiment with a few players and see what type of reaction he can get.

It may not even be Halloween yet, but the nightmare pairing of Lammers and Dessers could soon find themselves on the Ibrox scrap heap, and they have nobody else to blame but themselves.

Kyle Walker had to be subbed off after just 20 minutes against Brazil as he picked up a suspected hamstring injury and couldn't continue.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Walker limped off during Brazil clashPicked up a supposed hamstring injuryBlow for Man City ahead of Arsenal clashGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

City full-back Walker was substituted after just 20 minutes during England's friendly against Brazil on Saturday at Wembley. Walker initially tried to run off the injury but he failed to continue for long. He was eventually forced to leave the pitch with a suspected hamstring problem as Aston Villa man Ezri Konsa replaced him.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Walker's injury comes as a huge blow for the Cityzens who are all set to take on Arsenal in a crucial Premier League fixture on March 31 once the international break is over. It is a must-win clash for Pep Guardiola's side, who are trailing league leaders Arsenal by a point.

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

The 33-year-old defender continues to remain an important member of the City squad. He has appeared in 38 games across all competitions for his club this season and provided three assists.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

WHAT NEXT FOR WALKER?

All eyes will be on Gareth Southgate after the match for an update on the England defender's condition and the gravity of his injury. It remains to be seen if he will recovery before the Three Lions' second friendly clash against Belgium on March 26.

As impressive as Afghanistan had been in the Asia Cup, they are out of the tournament having failed in their first chase, which was their second straight loss in the Super Fours

The Report by Mohammad Isam23-Sep-20181:40

Manjrekar: The temperament of Mustafizur beat Afghanistan

Mustafizur Rahman defended seven runs off the last over against Afghanistan as Bangladesh set up a virtual knockout clash against Pakistan on Wednesday. As impressive as Afghanistan had been in the Asia Cup, they are out of the tournament having failed in their first chase, which was their second straight loss in the Super Fours.After conceding two off the first ball, a cramping Mustafizur had Rashid Khan caught and bowled before Samiullah Shenwari and Gulbadin Naib managed only two leg-byes from the last four balls. When Afghanistan needed four of the last ball, Shenwari’s bat flew out of his grip as he swung and missed Mustafizur’s short ball. The key moment in the closing stages was Mohammad Nabi’s dismissal in the penultimate over as he had already struck two fours and two sixes in his 28-ball 38.While Mustafizur lived up to his billing as one of the best finishers with the ball in the world, it was Mahmudullah’s timely 74 which got Bangladesh to a competitive 249 for 7 in 50 overs. He earned the Player-of-the-Match award after he also took the crucial wicket of Mohammad Shahzad, and a great catch to dismiss Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan, who had added 78 runs for the fourth wicket with Hashmatullah Shahidi, who reached his third fifty in a row.Afghanistan had to recover from a poor start after Ihsanullah fell in the fifth over. Shakib Al Hasan then scored only Bangladesh’s third direct-hit run-out in the last 12 months as Rahmat Shah was caught short after he was sent back by Shahzad in the eighth over.Similar to Bangladesh, Afghanistan’s third-wicket pair of Shahzad and Shahidi added 63 runs to pull them out of early trouble. Shahzad, who was dropped on 9 when the skier ended up hitting Mohammad Mithun’s head after it slipped through his fingers, faced his usual problem of rotating the strike. He gave away 54 dot balls but still eked out a half-century. Mahmudullah then bowled him with an arm ball as Shahzad backed away to cut the ball, after Afghanistan had gone through without a boundary for the previous 23 balls.Mohammad Nabi plays an aggressive shot down the ground•AFPAfghan and Shahidi then focused on scoring singles rather than playing up dot balls. They broke a boundary duck of 61 balls in the 31st over, before Shahidi reached his fifty in the 36th over. He celebrated the mark with a superb pull shot off Mustafizur off the following delivery. That stand ended when Afghan, after hitting Mashrafe for a four down the leg side, top-edged to short third man for 39 with more than 10 overs left. Shahidi fell trying to lap-sweep Mashrafe in the 44th over, with his side still requiring 58 off the remaining 39 balls.Bangladesh’s innings could have gone pear-shaped like their last two matches but for the 128-run stand between Mahmudullah and Imrul Kayes, who had only flown in the previous day as a squad reinforcement. They broke the Bangladesh record for the sixth wicket, previously held by the 123-run stand between Khaled Mashud and Al Sahariar in 1999.They only struck two boundaries till the 30th over when Bangladesh’s run rate was only a tad above four an over. They continued to rely mostly on singles and doubles in the next 10 overs too, hitting only two more fours. Mahmudullah finally launched Rashid for two sixes in two overs, both slog-swept over midwicket.Kayes, who was batting at No. 6 for the first time in his international career and playing his first ODI in 11 months, also put a lot of emphasis on picking up singles rather than hitting fours. He struck only three fours in his first 82 balls but once Mahmudullah got out in the 47th over, Kayes struck three more fours as Bangladesh added 77 runs in the last 10 overs.They had earlier slipped to 87 for 5 in the 21st over, soon after Mushfiqur Rahim and Liton Das had added 63 runs for the third wicket. After Liton had moved to 41 with an inside-out shot over cover off Rashid, his attempted slog-sweep next ball ended up as an easy skied catch to slip. Later in the same over, Shakib was run-out after a mix-up with Mushfiqur, who then ran himself out after a mix-up with Kayes in Rashid’s next over; Bangladesh lost three wickets in 14 balls, from being 81 for 2 in the 19th over.But Mahmudullah, Kayes and Mustafizur made important contributions to keep their team in the competition with a last-ball win.

Glasgow Rangers know a win today will secure them a place in the League Cup final next month and that is all the motivation the squad need as Philippe Clement is set for his most important match in charge of the club so far

Hearts are the club who stand in the way of a third final appearance in the previous five seasons, but the Light Blues know they will have to improve following their last match against the Jambos last week.

They came from a goal down to win 2–1 thanks to two efforts in added time during their Premiership clash, but a more confident performance will be expected, especially following the 5-0 demolition of Dundee in midweek.

Clement could make some changes to the starting XI for the clash this afternoon however, with Scott Wright dropping to the bench.

Scott Wright’s statistics vs Dundee

The right-winger enjoyed a solid performance for once as he played almost the full match while registering three key passes and taking 51 touches, indicating how keen he was to be involved.

The Scot did look lively in spells and played a part in Danilo scoring in the second half, yet he did lose possession 16 times and delivered only one cross during the tie – which wasn’t accurate.

With just a four-day turnaround, Clement could be looking for some fresh legs and if there is anyone who should be rotated, it is Wright.

He has featured in every game since the Belgian took over, but the winger hasn’t quite shown enough to deserve a start against Hearts, giving the 49-year-old licence to unleash Todd Cantwell on the right.

Todd Cantwell’s season in numbers

The Englishman will replace Wright as Sam Lammers’ stunning display against Dundee – scoring a screamer while also grabbing an assist – ensures he will start once again in the number ten role just behind the striker.

Cantwell has played on the right this season and while it may not be his favoured position, there is no doubting his effectiveness out wide.

The 5 foot 9 dynamo scored twice and grabbed an assist from just six games on the right-hand side of the attack last term and Clement could get him firing by unleashing him this afternoon.

The former Norwich City starlet is currently ranked first across the squad for successful dribbles per game (four) in the Europa League this term, while he ranks fifth in terms of shots per game (2.3) in the Premiership.

He hasn’t had the same level of impact as last term, yet the midfielder has missed five games due to an injury suffered against Celtic in September.

Journalist Josh Bunting hailed him as a “catalyst” following his immediate impact during the second half of last season following his January move from Norwich. While he may not have hit those heights quite yet, Clement could certainly bring out the best in the 25-year-old.

He has scored once against Hearts in three previous matches against the Tynecastle outfit and with a trophy on the line, the Belgian must unleash his strongest starting XI today.

United States Women and Gotham FC star Midge Purce has been ruled out for several months after confirming an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Purce injured in first NWSL game of seasonUSWNT forward has confirmed torn ACLShe will miss the 2024 Olympics in ParisWHAT HAPPENED?

The forward was substituted after she went down during Gotham's NWSL win against Portland Thorns on Sunday. She has since confirmed the diagnosis of an ACL injury and will not be able to feature at the Paris Olympics this summer. Gotham have confirmed that Purce will have an operation in the injury.

AdvertisementWHAT PURCE SAID

"I've torn my ACL," she wrote in an Instagram post. "It's a reality I'm still struggling with and has left me with not too much to say."

She added: "I'm heartbroken to no longer be availbale for my season with Gotham FC or for Olympic selection with the USWNT – know I'm rooting for you both all year long."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Purce's injury sparked outrage from Gotham coach Juan Carlos Amoros, who blamed the USWNT's busy fixture schedule for the latest blow for his side, who are already without Rose Lavelle and Lynn Williams due to injury.

"We are paying the consequences of a tournament that shouldn’t have happened,” Amoros said of the CONCACAF W Gold Cup, which took place for the first time between February 20 and March 10 this year.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

USA Today Sports WHAT NEXT FOR PURCE?

Purce will begin her recovery from the injury while her team look to battle for the NWSL title. Gotham's 1-0 win against Portland was their first game of the season.

Phillie Phanatic and Mr & Mrs Net took over SToK Racecourse as Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney brought the famous baseball mascots to Wrexham.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Phillie Phanatic is the mascot of the Philadelphia Phillies Mr. and Mrs. Met grace the New York Mets matchesWrexham fans had a gala time with the two mascotsGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Wrex the Dragon, the official mascot for Wrexham, had friends from the United States as Phanatic and Mr & Mrs Net flew to Wales to lend their support to Phil Parkinson's men during the League Two clash against Tranmere on Saturday afternoon. Phanatic who cheers for the Philadelphia Phillies in the MLB (Major League Baseball) and Mr and Mrs Mets, whose favourite team is the New York Mets, entertained the 12,519-strong spectators throughout the match and even posed for selfies with the fans.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

However, the players gave the mascots little to cheer as Paul Mullin & Co. went down 1-0 to Tranmere. Luke Norris took just eight minutes to break the deadlock and despite having more possession and shots, Wrexham failed to turn around the game.

DID YOU KNOW?

Wrexham have one of the best home records of the competition as this was just their third loss at home this campaign in 19 matches. They have won 13 and drew on three occasions.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Wrexham will hope to return to winning ways when they face Grimsby Town on March 23 in their next League Two fixture.

BBC pundit Stewart Downing has suggested that an "amazing" player should join Arsenal for one key reason.

Who will Arsenal sign in January?

After sealing summer deals for club-record signing Declan Rice, defender Jurrien Timber, forward Kai Havertz and goalkeeper David Raya, who all cost north of £200 million in total, it is believed that the Gunners could be busy yet again in January. Indeed, reports in the media have suggested that a new striker could well be in the offing, with the likes of Brentford star Ivan Toney, Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and Feyenoord star Santiago Gimenez all linked in the last month.

Arsenal have just Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah to turn to as natural striking options, with Havertz brought in as a sort-of makeshift option from Chelsea in the summer. However, the German has scored just one league goal for Arteta so far. Injuries to both Nketiah or Jesus would arguably spel trouble for Arsenal, prompting some calls for them to sign a centre-forward.

Club legend Emmanuel Petit, speaking before deadline day, even urged them to sign Newcastle striker Alexander Isak as an alternative to Jesus and Nketiah.

"Alexander Isak is tall, aggressive and has great technique," Petit said (via The Mirror). "He wants to score every time he gets the ball but he needs to be more precise in his game. Physically and technically, he has a huge presence on the pitch.

"If one day someone can tell me that he plays like Thierry Henry, maybe I will believe them, but for the moment it’s really too soon to say that. He's a good striker and he's someone that Arsenal would be very happy to have because he brings different qualities.

"Jesus and Nketiah play in a similar way, they are different in terms of movement, but physically, technically and in their finishing they are not far apart."

As well as a new striker, Arsenal have been tipped to move for Wolves winger Pedro Neto in 2024.

Arsenal – Ivan Toney update

Speaking on the future of Toney, who has been centre to claims he's likely to depart Brentford in the new year, BBC pundit Downing has suggested to the broadcaster that he should join Arsenal to get the England international preference over Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins.

“When I was at Middlesbrough with Capello and doing alright, he was a fan of how I played,” said Downing to Five Live, as transcribed by HITC.

“He actually made a straight point to me, ‘you need to leave and play for a team that is further up the league. Europa League or Champions League’. I actually laughed at him and thought ‘that’s easier said than done. I am trying. How am I going to get them clubs?’ I know it does play a big part. If Ivan Toney does come back and say he goes to Arsenal, starts playing Champions League, winning the Premier League or threatening every season.

“Then Gareth (Southgate) will be under pressure to start him ahead of Ollie (Watkins). 100% – I am sure Ollie knows that as well. If he continues to score goals and gets Villa into them Champions League or Europa League spots, then he gives himself a hell of a chance.”

Aerial duels

Direct free-kicks

Through balls

Finishing

The future battle between Toney and Watkins will be an interesting one, especially considering Toney should be in top form when he returns from his ban. Called "amazing" by Thomas Frank, the striker netted 20 league goals last season.

It is understood that Bengaluru will host the rescheduled tournament with the league fixtures slated for August 23, 25 and 27

Shashank Kishore in Vijayawada19-Aug-2018The Quadrangular series between the A teams of India, Australia and South Africa has been shifted out of Vijayawada due to incessant rains. The change was confirmed by an Andhra Cricket Association official soon after four games were washed out without a ball bowled. ESPNcricinfo understands Bengaluru will now host the rescheduled tournament with the league fixtures slated for August 23, 25 and 27. The final will be played on August 29.Matches to be televised will likely be held at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, while the others are expected to take place at KSCA’s Alur facility on the outskirts of the city. Alur hosted the recently concluded second four-day Test between India A and South Africa A earlier this month.The ACA ground in Mulapadu, which was to host the fixtures, does not have a state-of-the-art drainage facility. Vijayawada has received intermittent rain over the past week. This forced the first set of matches to be abandoned on Friday despite there not being any rain for more than 24 hours in the build-up to the start.The ACA was confident of preparing the surface and outfield for Sunday, provided there was no rain, but there was a thunderstorm on Saturday evening. This resulted in water seepage that caused significant damage to the pitch and outfield. Sunday dawned with continuous drizzle, and although both teams made it out to the ground, they had to return to their hotel not long after making the hour-long trip.That the one indoor facility in Mangalagiri is an hour’s drive from Vijayawada has added to the players’ frustration, leaving them with little or no opportunities for match practice in the five days they’ve been in the city. They have been forced to remain indoors or undertake fitness sessions at a private gym.

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has compared England international Jude Bellingham to Brazil legend Kaka.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Ancelotti compared Bellingham to KakaBellingham better 'without the ball'Kaka played for six years under AncelottiWHAT HAPPENED?

Ancelotti has been comparing AC Milan and Real Madrid star Kaka to current Los Blancos hero Jude Bellingham ahead of his team's Champions League tie with Union Berlin. The Italian has spoken about working with both players and claimed that the England international is better 'without the ball' than the legendary Brazilian.

AdvertisementWHAT CARLO ANCELOTTI SAID

Speaking to reporters, Ancelotti said, "Kaka got into the box a lot with the ball. He didn't have as much quality to get there without the ball, like Bellingham. We play without a fixed nine and in the box there is more space to finish. With Kaka the system was different, but in general, Kaka was very good on the ball and Bellingham's movement off the ball is very effective."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The former Brazil star played under the tutelage of the Italian manager for six years at AC Milan before the duo left the club in 2009. Together in Milan, they won multiple trophies including Serie A and Champions League titles. In 2009, Kaka headed to Real Madrid while Ancelotti joined Chelsea.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

The Spanish giants will be next seen in action in the Champions League on Wednesday as they take on RB Leipzig in the second leg of their round of 16 fixture.

Glamorgan were denied their second win of the season by the Derbyshire tailenders at Swansea, where Tony Palladino and Duanne Olivier batted out the final 14.3 overs to earn a draw

ECB Reporters Network23-Jun-2018
ScorecardGlamorgan were denied their second win of the season by the Derbyshire tailenders at Swansea, where Tony Palladino – who faced 108 balls for his unbeaten 30 – and Duanne Olivier batted out the final 14.3 overs to earn the visitors a draw.When Derbyshire lost their eighth wicket, Glamorgan were favourites to win but, with stubborn resistance and some good fortune, the visitors held out.Glamorgan had resumed at their overnight score of 201 for 3, making rapid progress in the opening session as 107 runs were scored in the first hour at the rate of six runs an over. Kiran Carlson and Usman Khawaja shared a record partnership of 289 for the fourth wicket, the highest for any wicket for Glamorgan against Derbyshire, surpassing the previous record set by Mark Cosgrove and Michael Powell.Khawaja was to the first to reach his century, and he also became the first Glamorgan batsman to score successive hundreds in his fist two games for the club. Carlson reached his landmark shortly afterwards before racing to his next fifty from only 20 deliveries.Both batsmen surrendered their wickets in the quest for quick runs, and after David Lloyd had struck a brisk undefeated 43, Glamorgan declared to leave Derbyshire a target of 325 from a minimum of 63 overs.The visitors were soon in trouble as Harvey Hosein had his middle stump uprooted in Michael Hogan’s first over, then Ben Slater was lbw to Andrew Salter – also in his first over – with Derbyshire struggling at 18 for 2.Much depended on Derbyshire’s best batsmen Wayne Madsen, and he responded with some aggressive shots, notably against Salter, whom he struck for three fours in one over. However, Alex Hughes was the next to go when he edged Hogan, who had changed ends, to second slip.Derbyshire resumed after tea on 77 for 3, with 40 overs remaining, but there then followed a flurry of wickets. Ben Godleman was the first to go when he chipped Prem Sisodiya to midwicket, before the 19-year-old debutant took the vital wicket of Madsen, who was caught at backward point.When Matt Critchley became Hogan’s third victim, Derbyshire had slumped to 93 for 6, but Gary Wilson and Palladino provided stubborn resistance for 15.2 overs. Wilson faced 72 balls before he was lbw to Lukas Carey for 26, a decision he clearly didn’t agree with, as he stalked back to the pavilion.Hamidullah Qadri quickly followed for a pair in the game to give Hogan his fourth wicket – but there was further frustration for Glamorgan as Olivier joined Palladino to defend on a fourth-day pitch that offered little to the bowlers.