Weston McKennie with another strong shift! USMNT star starts at wing-back with Tim Weah out as Juventus edge Fiorentina

Weston McKennie had a solid day at wing-back as he started in a Juventus win over Fiorentina.

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McKennie startsPlays wing-back with Weah outBianconeri up to second in Serie A

With Tim Weah out of action for the time being, the Juve midfielder moved out wide into the wide role, putting in a great performance. The U.S. men's national team star carried his good form back to the position, too, making his mark on a 1-0 win at Fiorentina.

GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

It was a game that saw Juventus take the lead and never look back. The Turin side dominated, and there was nothing Fiorentina could do.

The winning strike was a special one for boyhood Juventus fan-turned-midfielder Fabio Miretti, who scored his first goal for the club he's been with since he was eight years old. The assist came from Filip Kostic, who broke through on the left before finding the Youngster. The midfielder hit a first-time finish, and Juventus took that goal and ran all the way to three big points away from home.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Juve were without the services of Tim Weah, who has been sidelined with a thigh injury. As a result, McKennie started at wingback, as he had for a spell at the start of the season.

McKennie coming in for Weah was one of two changes made by Juventus, as the goalscorer Miretti came into the midfield with the USMNT star shifting out wide. The other saw striker Dusan Vlahovic moved to the bench in favor of Italian winger Federico Chiesa.

With the win, the Bianconei remain in second place, just two points behind league-leaders Inter. Juve are also four points ahead of third-place Milan, who lost to Udinese on Saturday, as well as five points ahead of fourth-place Napoli.

GettyUSMNT IMPACT

It doesn't matter where McKennie is playing, especially if he keeps performing at a high level.

With Weah out, it was only natural that the USMNT midfielder would be shifted back to wing-back, so there's no need to panic on that front. Either way, he's been good in that spot this season, so it's not the worst thing for him. He eventually shifted into midfield, too, once Juve made second-half subs.

With the national team, McKennie will be a key piece in midfield, especially with Tyler Adams still out, so as long as he's fit and in good form, Gregg Berhalter and co. will be more than happy.

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GettyGOAL'S RATINGS

Weston McKennie (7/10):

The type of performance that shows why he's back in the team. The American did all of the hard work and showcased all the effort, making his presence known all over the field. It hasn't mattered where McKennie has played this season as he's been one of Juve's more consistent performers at wing-back and in midfield.

VP do Flamengo explica tomada de linha de crédito por parte do clube: 'Balão de oxigênio extra'

MatériaMais Notícias

Vice-Presidente de Relações Externas, Luiz Eduardo Baptista foi o convidado deste sábado do “Papo Virtual”, da FlaTV, neste sábado. O Bap, como é mais conhecido o dirigente, comentou e explicou a decisão do clube em recorrer a uma linha de crédito como resposta aos impactos da pandemia do coronavírus, a qual atingiu não apenas o quadro financeiro do Fla, mas de toda sociedade.

-É muito importante você já ter vivido outras crises. O Flamengo tomou uma linha de crédito. Não é como se o Flamengo estivesse com um problema financeiro. Em situações como essa, você precisa estar líquido. Não sabemos quanto tempo vai durar esse processo. É preciso ter, acima de tudo, dinheiro em caixa. Esse é um dos exemplos que nos fez perceber muito rapidamente que não sabíamos o que vem pela frente e tínhamos que proteger o caixa para seguir cumprindo com os compromissos na medida do possível. Foi por isso que tomamos essa decisão antes de outros clubes – disse Bap, antes de seguir:

– Muita gente achou que tomamos dinheiro pois estamos quebrados. Não. Tomamos dinheiro justamente para ter um balão de oxigênio extra e não quebrar ou tropeçar na frente. Essa é a correlação do mundo executivo com o mundo do futebol. É total, desde que você tenha vontade política e capacidade de implementá-la – analisou o atual VP de Relações Externas do Flamengo.

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Nome forte da diretoria do presidente Rodolfo Landim, Bap comentou as medidas tomadas pelo clube e a preparação para o retorno do futebol. O dirigente ressaltou o esforço feito pela direção, junto à Ferj e outros clubes, para avaliar os cenários e estarem prontos assim que for seguro e possível.

-Vivemos um momento muito ímpar na história da humanidade. Ninguém estava preparado para isso. Todo dia aprendemos um pouco. (…) Isso terá efeitos diferentes em negócios distintos. Eu, particularmente, acredito que a diferença entre o remédio e o veneno é a dose. Vemos discussões muito polarizadas e, normalmente, a posição correta está nos meios. Assim, o Flamengo tem trabalhado um dia sim e o outro também com a possibilidade da volta. A volta, é importante que se diga para todo mundo, depende de muito planejamento. Não vai ser o presidente ou o governador decretar o fim do afastamento e os clubes voltarão a jogar. É preciso ter uma planejamento prévio. São jogadores de alta performance – afirmou Bap, antes de completar:

– Não devemos ter público no primeiro momento. Terão protocolos de saúde e segurança. Não será a mesma maneira de fazer jogos na volta disso. É um problema multifacetado que precisa ser discutido enquanto estamos parados. Pois se não, no dia em que acabar o confinamento, vai demorar mais 30 dias. Estamos preparando um protocolo junto à Ferj, que tem feito um trabalho excepcional, temos trocado experiências como jamais havia sido feito, e que visa pensar como será o retorno. Temos que estar com este planejamento pronto assim que for possível. É preciso fazer uma nova pré-temporada. São várias peças se movendo e estamos trabalhando na coordenação dessas peças. Se voltaremos dia 5 de maio, 6, 12 ou 28, qualquer que seja a data possível para se voltar a jogar com segurança, nós temos que estar preparados – disse.

Abaixo, mais respostas de Luiz Eduardo Baptista, VP de Relações Externas:

Relação com o Flamengo
Você nasce Flamengo, né? Meu pai era vascaíno. Eu costumo brincar que essa é a prova mais concreta que o ser humano evolui é essa: meu pai aceitou que eu fosse rubro-negro. Vamos ficando mais velho e, evidentemente, o sentido da vida vai mudando. Por fim das contas, temos que buscarmos sermos felizes. É esse o propósito e há várias formas de realizar isso ao longo da vida. O Flamengo preenche uma parte fundamental desse amor que tenho pela vida.

Entrada na vida política do clube
Fui muito abençoado na minha vida profissional. Tudo que pude conquistar me permite hoje me dedicar ao Flamengo. Tudo que podia esperar da minha vida profissional eu conquistei. Também tenho uma família linda, muitos amigos, saúde. Então, costumava brincar que a única coisa que não dava certo na minha vida era o Flamengo. Ficava enfurecido e enlouquecido com as derrotas. Tinha um traço pessoal meu, de não aceitar de forma passiva perder. É uma característica pessoal. Por outro lado, tinha a insatisfação de ver que o mundo havia mudado muito e o Flamengo estava ficando para trás.

Resolvi me engajar em determinado momento da minha vida. Tinha um slogan: “vamos descer da arquibancada e dar em campo”. Eu resolvi dar minha contribuição. Tenho um número de amigos rubro-negros e conhecidos, do mundo profissional com posições de destaque, e comecei a tentar trazê-los ao Flamengo. Vários viraram sócios, outros apoiaram da maneira que puderam. Vivemos em uma época que troca-se até de sexo e não se diz nada, mas se trocar de time é um canalha. Todos iam ser sempre Flamengo e eu perguntava o que poderíamos fazer por esse time, pelos 40 milhões que talvez não tenham as condições que temos de contribuir o clube de coração. Participei como coadjuvante na eleição de 2009, aprendi muito, montamos um grupo importante em 2012. Fiz amigos. Criamos um slogan muito básico: “Tudo pelo Flamengo. Nada do Flamengo”. Isso explica 100% das minhas atitudes em relação ao Flamengo. Não preciso de absolutamente nada do Flamengo, mas o que puder fazer pela grandeza do Flamengo e pela alegria dos mais de 40 milhões de torcedores do Flamengo, estarei no campo de batalha para fazer. Tenho muito orgulho de ter ao meu lado rubro-negros, loucos varridos como eu, que acreditaram na causa e ajudaram ao Flamengo ter um ano como 2019. Não foi o ano perfeito pois falta ganhar tudo. É para isso que trabalhamos todo dia no Flamengo.

Pereira, Hudson-Odoi & the Premier League’s hidden gems to watch out for in 2018-19

The English top flight is packed with international superstars but which lesser-known players could make a big impact this season?

Getty Images1Rafael Camacho

Rafael Camacho is just one of several youngsters to have impressed Jurgen Klopp this summer but the Liverpool boss has been particularly taken with the Portuguese starlet on account of his remarkable versatility.

"Rafa Camacho is having a pre-season that is just fantastic," the German enthused, "and mostly as a full-back, where he'd never played before."

Indeed, while the converted winger excelled as a wing-back for Steven Gerrard's Under-18s last season, he is now proving that he has the defensive discipline and requisite intelligence to play as an orthodox right-back.

Camacho should spend the upcoming campaign with the Under-23s but Klopp would not have any doubts about utilising a character he says is full of "football joy".

AdvertisementGetty2Phil Foden

This time last year, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola was raving about Phil Foden after a performance of remarkable maturity in an International Champions Cup clash with Manchester United. 

The Catalan's hopes for the classy and versatile midfielder have only risen after a 2017-18 campaign in which the teenager became the youngest Englishman to ever start a Champions League match before then becoming the youngest ever recipient of a Premier League winners' medal.

When one considers that he was also named player of the tournament after helping his country win last October's Under-17 World Cup in India, it's clear that the prodigiously gifted Foden has both the talent and the temperament to make an even bigger impact on the English top flight this term.

Getty Images3Matteo Guendouzi

Having been plying his trade in Ligue 2 with Lorient, Matteo Guendouzi was the least known of Arsenal's summer signings. 

However, the 19-year-old defensive midfielder, who represents France at Under-20 level, has been the surprise star of the Gunners' pre-season campaign and is already beginning to look like a bargain buy at just £7 million.

Indeed, with his impressive composure and pin-point passing, the Paris Saint-Germain product is showing just why Gunners boss Unai Emery believes that Guendouzi will be "an important part" of Arsenal's first-team squad this season.

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Getty Images4Callum Hudson-Odoi

New Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has been at pains to point out that Callum Hudson-Odoi is not guaranteed first-team football this season but even the Italian couldn't help but get excited by the forward's potential on the back of his pre-season performances, admitting that the 17-year-old is going to become "very famous". 

Hudson-Odoi certainly has the pace and trickery to excel at the highest level, as underlined by the fact that the Englishman is being tracked by Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus.

Luckily for Chelsea, the Under-17 World Cup winner has already admitted that he is savouring Sarri's brand of high-energy, high-pressing football and appears to be edging closer to signing a lucrative five-year contract with the Londoners.

'WICB the most unprofessional board in the world' – Bravo

In a scathing attack on the WICB, West Indies allrounder Dwayne Bravo has called the board “most unprofessional” in the world

Nagraj Gollapudi06-Apr-20161:26

Bravo’s scathing comments on the WICB and board president Dave Cameron

In a scathing attack on the WICB, West Indies allrounder Dwayne Bravo has called the board “most unprofessional” and its president Dave Cameron an “immature”, “small-minded”, “arrogant” person, who he believes is at “personal war” with his own players. Bravo made the comments during a Skype interview with CNC3, a television network based out of Trinidad & Tobago.Bravo has had several run-ins with the WICB in the past. As ODI captain, he led West Indies’ pull-out from the India tour over player-payment issues in October 2014, and since then has not featured in the ODI squad, lost his retainer contract, and had even been removed as captain of his regional T&T team in the domestic one-day tournament. Being victimised by his own board, Bravo said, was nothing new and so he would not be surprised if West Indies’ Twenty20 captain Darren Sammy is disciplined by the WICB for being critical of the board after the team won the World T20 for the second time on Sunday evening in Kolkata.”I’m yet to hear from our own cricket board. That is very disappointing,” Sammy had said at the post-match presentation. “For today, I’m going to celebrate with these 15 men and coaching staff. I don’t know when I’m going to be playing with these guys again because we don’t get selected for one-day cricket…” Hours after that, the WICB sent out two media releases. The first one congratulated the players on their achievements, but in the second release Cameron said he would inquire into Sammy’s remarks.”No, I was not surprised [by Sammy’s comments]. We had enough as players,” Bravo told the television station. “Too much times people come down on the players. They questioned our commitment, they questioned whether we were really committed to West Indies cricket or is it just the money. A lot of people don’t understand the things we go through as players dealing with our board. It is the most unprofessional board in the world to me. Sammy spoke from his heart. There is nothing wrong with Sammy’s speech and I support Darren Sammy 100%.”The entire team supports him and it’s a matter of us as players feeling hurt and the time has come where we can’t take it anymore and someone needs to put a stop to it because the cricket is being run by people who do not have West Indies cricket’s interest at heart.”According to Bravo, the WICB has always failed to respect and communicate with the players. “The board refused to listen to what we have to say. It reached a point where we can’t take it no more and that itself encouraged us to go out there and win despite all the challenges we have. Even our own board did not think we were going to win the tournament. We are yet to hear from the president, yet to hear from the CEO, yet to hear from the director of cricket. I mean how can you represent the region, and the people who are supposed to be your bosses and in charge of you don’t even wish you well, don’t even support you.”So I was not surprised at Sammy’s speech because he spoke from his heart. And it’s something that the Caribbean people need to understand, we’re not happy with the way how our cricket is being run.”It did not help matters when, following the men’s and women’s victories, Cameron tweeted from his personal account: “When is the last time a critic paid one your bills? Always remember that when you start to give them your energy.”Bravo said: “I’m not surprised by the president’s tweet, to be honest, because it is expected of him. He is someone very immature. Two years ago when we had the problems on the India tour, [Kieron] Pollard and myself had been blatantly victimised for whatever reason. That is their way of dealing with situations. They are very small-minded people, especially the president as I said before. There is nothing much he can do again.”Bravo pointed out that even during last year’s ODI World Cup, Cameron had posted an untimely tweet when he questioned Chris Gayle’s form in the opening matches. “That tweet from the president was [during] the 50-over World Cup when Chris Gayle was struggling in the first couple of games. The president sent out a tweet: ‘It is time for Chris Gayle to buy some runs.’ It is like a personal war against his own people, his own players. The president was in India [during the World T20] and he is yet to come to the team to say congratulations or well done guys or anything like that.”In an interview with ESPNcricinfo last week, Cameron said that the reason he did not want to enter the West Indies dressing room was because he did not want the players to get affected or distracted by his presence. He called the decision “very, very deliberate”, but said that he shared a good relationship with his players.Clearly, Bravo did not agree. “Our cricket has gone to the lowest. Yes, we won the World Cup, the women won the World Cup. Also the Under-19s won the World Cup. But that doesn’t mean to say our cricket is in good hands. It is not. We definitely need help and the board needs to answer for some of the things that have been going on.”Bravo was pessimistic about a resolution being reached in the near future, keeping in mind the WICB was willing only to negotiate with the West Indies Player Association, which “90% of the players” are not part of. “It is tough times and I could only see getting worse because the board is going to retaliate with hate and anger, and they don’t think as adults and mature people with common sense. They always try to react with some kind of victimisation or trying to do something to victimise the players or take action against players.”

Yasir seven-for sets up emphatic Pakistan win

A seven-wicket haul from Yasir Shah helped Pakistan run through Sri Lanka’s second innings and romp to a 10-wicket win in Galle

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy21-Jun-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:15

Arnold: Sri Lanka’s approach after lunch was a shocker

A seven-wicket haul from Yasir Shah completed an emphatic turnaround from Pakistan, who took the Galle Test by 10 wickets after recovering from a precarious position at the start of the fourth morning. Pakistan had been five down and 182 behind Sri Lanka’s first-innings total at the time; few could have predicted then that their openers would waltz to a target of 90 at eight runs an over a day and a half later.The revival, sparked by Sarfraz Ahmed and Asad Shafiq’s sixth-wicket partnership and carried forward by Yasir’s fizzing legbreaks on the fifth afternoon, also vindicated Misbah-ul-Haq’s decision to bowl first. With the first day washed out, Pakistan’s best chance of winning lay in batting just once. As it happened, they almost pulled off an innings win; Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad only needed 11.2 overs to polish off the chase.Last year, in a Test match between the same sides at the same ground, Sri Lanka took an 82-run first innings lead. At the start of the final day, Pakistan were 4 for 1 in their second innings. A draw looked the likeliest result, but Rangana Herath spun Pakistan out for 180 before Sri Lanka galloped to their target of 99 at a run a ball, with rain lurking around the corner.Now, the circumstances were neatly reversed, and Pakistan needed someone to step up and match Herath’s performance. Yasir showed the earliest possible sign that he would be that man; his first ball of the morning was a perfectly pitched topspinner. Dilruwan Perera, the nightwatchman, didn’t pick it, and shouldered arms. It went through with the angle and pegged back his off stump.From that point until lunch, Dimuth Karunaratne and Lahiru Thirimanne dealt with Yasir’s threat comfortably enough to suggest that the turn and bounce that had been in plentiful evidence on the second and third days had slowed down considerably. But their comfort level at the crease didn’t translate into easy runs. The bowling was probing throughout, and Zulfiqar Babar and Hafeez tightened the screws by giving away only 10 runs in seven overs as lunch approached.This spell of constriction may have had something to do with the shot Thirimanne attempted as soon as Wahab Riaz came on for his second spell of the morning, an ambitious on-the-up drive that resulted in an edge to first slip. Wahab produced extra bounce with that ball, but it was still an unwise shot under the circumstances.That became a theme during the second session. There was some controversy in the manner of Angelo Mathews’ dismissal, but it was the shot selection of the younger batsmen that hurt Sri Lanka the most. Karunatne gritted it out for 173 balls before getting stumped attempting an atrocious heave against Yasir. Trying to hit himself out of the vice-like grip exerted by the spinners, Kithuruwan Vithanage holed out at deep square leg. Had they stayed in for a further 20 overs, cumulatively, and scored an extra 50 runs, Pakistan’s fourth-innings task may have been a lot more challenging.But the Mathews wicket was still pivotal, both in terms of importance and timing. Wahab had dismissed Thirimanne minutes before lunch, and had broken a 69-run fourth-wicket stand; now Mathews was facing the second ball after lunch.Mathews was done in by the limits of two-dimensional replays to determine what happened in a three-dimensional world. The ball from Yasir slid on with the angle and as Mathews pressed forward to defend, it either brushed his inside edge or slid past it, before bouncing off his front pad into short leg’s hands.Umpire Richard Illingworth gave it out, and Mathews immediately reviewed. Split-screen replays suggested Mathews might not have edged it, with the ball appearing to have passed the bat while viewed from the square-on angle when bat and ball were closest together from the front-on angle. Whether that was conclusive evidence or not is debatable; the third umpire thought not, and Illingworth’s decision stood.Sri Lanka were now 144 for 5, effectively 27 for 5. Yasir, who had looked a little flat since dismissing Dilruwan with the first ball of the day, was re-energised. The zip was back, the ball was dipping on the batsmen when they came down the track, and ripping past their edge when they pressed forward to defend.Dinesh Chandimal was finding ways to score runs at one end, defending solidly and using his feet well when the ball was tossed up, but the lower order gave him no support. Dhammika Prasad ran down the track to Zulfiqar Babar, slogged, and missed by a mile. Herath slogged Yasir straight to deep midwicket.Eventually, Yasir produced one that was too good for Chandimal, drawing him out with flight and defeating him with dip and sharp turn. Chandimal groped in front of his body and tried to whip against the turn, to no avail. Sarfraz completed his third stumping of the innings, Yasir had picked up his first seven-for in first-class cricket.

جمال علام يجتمع بمنتخب الشباب قبل مشاركته في بطولة شمال أفريقيا

عقد جمال علام، رئيس اتحاد الكرة، اجتماعا مع الجهاز الفني ولاعبي منتخب مصر للشباب، قبل السفر إلى تونس للمشاركة في بطولة شمال أفريقيا.

من المقرر أن تقام بطولة شمال أفريقيا الودية في تونس خلال الفترة من 11 حتى 22 نوفمبر الجاري، ويشارك بها مصر وتونس والمغرب والجزائر وليبيا.

طاالع| قائمة منتخب مصر لمباراتي جيبوتي وسيراليون في تصفيات كأس العالم.. ضم ثنائي الزمالك الموقوف

واجتمع جمال علام رفقة محمد أبو الوفا، عضو مجلس إدارة اتحاد الكرة، مع الجهاز الفني لمنتخب الشباب واللاعبين، وأكد رئيس اتحاد الكرة لهم علي دعم مجلس ادارة الاتحاد بالكامل لهذا الجيل الواعد الذي يعتبر مستقبل الكرة المصرية.

وأضاف رئيس اتحاد الكرة أن منتخب مصر يشارك في هذه البطولة من أجل الفوز بها، رغم أنها بطولة ودية لاعداد المنتخب، لافتا إلى أنه لا بد أن يكون جميع أعضاء الفريق علي قلب رجل واحد ويتعاهدون علي بذل كل ما لديهم من جهد للعودة من تونس بالكأس والوصول لأبعد نقطة تنتظر هذا الجيل.

وتابع علام أن كل ما يحتاجه هذا الجيل سيتم توفيره لتحقيق الأهداف المطلوبة، معربا عن ثقته الكاملة في الجهاز الفني واللاعبين لتحقيق انجاز جديد للكرة المصرية لاسيما وأن المجلس يعول كثيرا علي هذا الجيل الواعد ليكون نواة للمنتخب الأول.

طالع| فيتوريا عن ضم فتوح وصبحي لـ منتخب مصر: هل كان الزمالك سيوقفهما لو المشكلة معنا

كما حرص وائل رياض، المدير الفني لمنتخب الشباب، على تقديم الشكر لجمال علام وأبو الوفا علي الاهتمام الكبير من جانب المجلس ككل، مؤكدا أن الجميع لن يبخل بقطرة عرق واحدة من أجل العودة بكأس البطولة واسعاد الجماهير المصرية .

ويضم الجهاز الفني لمنتخب الشباب كل من وائل رياض مديرا فنيا، علاء عبده مدربا عاما، رامي عادل مدربا مساعدا، أيمن طاهر مدربا لحراس المرمي، الدكتور قاسم قدري مخطط أحمال، عادل محفوظ مديرا اداريا، كريم فهمي محلل أداء، الدكتور ماجد هاني طبيبا، الدكتور محمد محروس للعلاج الطبيعي، خالد خفاجة مدلك، عبد العزيز محمد مسئول المهمات.

 

 

Anselmo Ramon pede atenção do Vitória diante do Guarani

MatériaMais Notícias

O elenco do Vitória volta a campo neste sábado para encarar o Guarani, dentro de casa, pela Série B. De olho no triunfo rubro-negro na competição, o atacante Anselmo Ramon falou sobre as dificuldades da partida e pediu atenção máxima do Leão durante os noventa minutos.

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‘O Guarani tem uma grande equipe e precisa vencer também. Conheço o elenco deles e sei da qualidade de todos. Vamos procurar manter um ritmo forte em casa para buscarmos essa vitória, que será muito importante para todos aqui’, disse.

Ainda de acordo com o centroavante, o time rubro-negro tem tudo para se afastar do Z4 da segundona nestas próximas partidas.

‘Estamos fazendo bons jogos e buscando essa evolução. Temos que manter essa intensidade para sairmos de perto do Z4. Esse é o principal objetivo agora’, finalizou.

Smith ton sets up big Australia win

Steven Smith embarked on this tour as a key Test player without a clear role in Australia’s one-day side, but his first ODI century might change that. Smith struck 101 to set up Australia’s comfortable 93-run victory over Pakistan in the first ODI in Shar

The Report by Brydon Coverdale07-Oct-2014
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSteven Smith scored his first ODI century to set up Australia’s win•Getty Images

Steven Smith embarked on this tour as a key Test player without a clear role in Australia’s one-day side, but his first ODI century might change that. Smith struck 101 to set up Australia’s comfortable 93-run victory over Pakistan in the first ODI in Sharjah, where Nathan Lyon, another man just establishing himself in the one-day team, also made an important contribution.Smith was the only batsman from either side who passed 50 and it was thanks to his confident work against spin that Australia reached a competitive 255 for 8. Still, it was a total that Pakistan would have fancied their chances of overhauling had Lyon not struck twice in the 13th over to reduce them from 59 for 1 to 59 for 3 during an excellent spell of off-spin bowling.On a pitch that offered plenty of turn, few batsmen really got themselves in for an extended period and, perhaps surprisingly, it was the Australians who handled the conditions the better. Lyon’s first ball gripped and turned sharply and he became a different type of weapon to Mitchell Johnson, whose pace was also causing issues for Pakistan’s batsmen.Earlier in the day Pakistan’s frontline spinner, the debutant Zulfiqar Babar, had bowled well without having a major impact and Shahid Afridi picked up three wickets. But the real difference between the two sides was Smith, whose nimble footwork and ability to keep the scoreboard ticking ensured that Australia did not get bogged down.And there was a chance of that happening, for after an 86-run partnership between Smith and David Warner, who pulled a catch to midwicket off Afridi for 43, no other Australian made it past the 20s. Afridi had two catches put down off his own bowling, both off Glenn Maxwell, but took a pearler of his own running back from midwicket to remove George Bailey for 18.The drops of Maxwell, an edge behind to Sarfraz and a missed top edge by Ahmed Shehzad running back behind the wicketkeeper, were not too costly as he fell for 21, the 216-centimetre Mohammad Irfan his unlikely athletic catcher at long-off. It was the first wicket for Babar, who at 35 had become Pakistan’s second-oldest ODI debutant, but it was his also his only one.But while his partners struggled to get going, Smith kept the innings on course at the other end. It was a well-paced innings, steady early while batting with Warner, until Smith showed his willingness to go over the top by launching Anwar Ali over long-off for a cleanly struck six. He was also inventive against Irfan, walking across outside off stump to flick a boundary through midwicket.Smart stats

2 Number of Pakistan debutants over the age of 35 in ODIs. Zulfiqar Babar, 35, made his debut today; Younis Ahmed had made his ODI debut against India in 1987, aged 39.
8 Number of times, since 2001, that Australia lost a wicket off the first ball of an ODI – twice against Pakistan
68.30 David Warner’s strike rate during his 43 off 63 balls – his lowest strike rate for an ODI innings of 40 or more.
5 Number of centuries scored by Australia’s No.3 in 46 innings after Ricky Ponting’s last match in February 2012. Steven Smith’s century was the fifth. Before that, 28 of the 30 hundreds at No. 3 – going back to 1996 – were scored by Ponting.
381 Shahid Afridi’s ODI wicket tally, after his haul of 3-46 in today’s game. He began the match eighth on the all-time list, and drew level with Glenn McGrath after passing Brett Lee.
14 Number of times in the last five years that Pakistan have been bowled out for less than 200 in an ODI chase. Only Zimbabwe (15 times) have a worse record.

It was an indication that his footwork is just as effective against pace as spin. However, with captain Michael Clarke injured, Smith is clearly the best player of spin in the side, and his quick footwork was notable. He regularly advanced to the spinners and worked the ball through gaps, and a second six came when he moved down the wicket and thumped Babar straight back over the sightscreen.Smith had never so much as scored an ODI half-century before and he turned his first into a century, clipping a single through midwicket off his 115th delivery. It was not only a landmark for Smith in the one-day international side but in limited-overs cricket more generally, for his previous highest List A score was an unbeaten 99 for New South Wales.But the chance for a bigger score, and for pushing Australia to a more daunting total, disappeared when Smith sent a catch to Wahab Riaz at long off from the bowling of Afridi. That slowed Australia in their final overs, although 17 came off the 50th from Wahab as Johnson found three consecutive boundaries to lift the total past 250.It was a gettable target and even after Shehzad had edged Johnson to Smith at second slip in the third over, Pakistan looked capable. Promoted to open on his return to the side, Sarfraz Ahmed was the key early. He played some remarkable shots, most notably a slog-swept six off James Faulkner, and had motored along to 34 from 41 when he toe-edged behind off Lyon trying another sweep.Next ball came the blow that really gave Australia confidence. The captain Misbah-ul-Haq walked to the crease, Australia’s captain George Bailey conferred with Lyon and placed a leg slip, and first ball Misbah obligingly tickled a catch there. It still required a terrifically sharp catch from Warner, who thrust his right hand out while backing away, but the plan, and Lyon’s lovely flighted offbreak, was flawless.From there, things stagnated for Pakistan. Fawad Alam crawled to 7 off 25 balls, Asad Shafiq struggled to handle Johnson’s short balls and was caught behind for 13, and Afridi gave debutant Sean Abbott his maiden ODI wicket by sending a catch to deep midwicket. Umar Akmal was the only Pakistani who looked capable of steering them home, but his partners were running out.Johnson claimed a third wicket, Maxwell chipped in with a couple, and Umar was eventually bowled for 46 trying to smash Kane Richardson for six. The last pair, Irfan and Babar, had some fun by launching Maxwell for three sixes in one over, but a run-out in the next ended the ride.It was a 93-run win; Smith’s 101 meant he was more than the difference between the teams. And for the immediate future, he might just be a hard man to displace from No.3 in this ODI team.

Com mais um de Sole, Sereias goleiam o Iranduba pelo BR Feminino

MatériaMais Notícias

As Sereias da Vila venceram o Iranduba, por 5 a 0, nesta quarta-feira, na Arena da Amazônia, pela 12ª rodada do Brasileiro Feminino. Os gols do Santos foram marcados por Gi, Glaucia, Ketlen, Sochor e Sole Jaimes.

Nem mesmo a terrível noite da última terça-feira foi páreo para o Santos tropeçar. Com o voo adiantado, as Sereias tiveram que dormir no saguão de um hotel, em Manaus. A treinadora Emily Lima relatou tudo e detonou a CBF, que se retratou.

O Santos assume a liderança provisória, com 33 pontos. As Sereias torcem para o Corinthians tropeçar diante da Ferroviária, nesta quinta-feira. O rival paulista tem 30 pontos e leva a melhor sobre o Peixe pelo saldo de gols.

O próximo adversário do Santos será o Vitória-PE, no próximo sábado, às 14h, no Ulrico Mursa. A entrada é gratuita.

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Approaches to two IPL players reported to ACSU – Gavaskar

Sunil Gavaskar, the interim BCCI president for the IPL, admitted on Thursday that two cricketers were approached by bookies and the matter has been reported to ACSU officials

ESPNcricinfo staff22-May-2014Sunil Gavaskar, the interim BCCI president for the IPL, has admitted that two cricketers reported approaches this season, and that the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) officials had been alerted to it.Asked if players had been approached during this year’s IPL, Gavaskar replied: “There have been a couple and it has been reported to ACSU. They are looking into it.”He also said that issue regarding Brendon McCullum being approached by bookies is something to be concerned about. “I can assure you that the leak did not come from the IPL. I don’t know where it came from. It’s an issue to be concerned [about]. I have to say we have got an integrity officer attached with every team this time. It has made it a lot easier for players to communicate.”Sometimes players didn’t know what to do. Okay, there was a number to contact. But a lot of people [players] were thinking if you contact it, does your number come under their list. The anonymity and confidentiality aspect was something the players were not sure about.”Now with the integrity officer attached to every team, it has become a lot easier. If there has been an approach, people go and tell the officer so that he takes it forward.”Gavaskar said he has also been seeking suggestions from the legends of Indian cricket to help youngsters deal with various pressures of being a part of the IPL. “I called up four legends of the game… Sachin [Tendulkar], Anil [Kumble], VVS [Laxman] and Rahul [Dravid]. They are contemporary cricketers. They know the current pressures, tensions and situations our cricketers deal with,” Gavaskar said. “The IPL is a hugely covered event. It is way bigger than the Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy or the Vijay Hazare Trophy, so sometimes it is easy for youngsters to get carried away.”Indian cricket could end up losing these talented youngsters. Or they could end up losing valuable years till they realise that sport is a great leveller and can bring you down to earth very, very quickly. We have to take care of that situation.”Based on the suggestions from the famous quartet, Gavaskar along with his colleagues in the IPL governing council intend to formulate a plan to groom youngsters. “This is something that the IPL GC was thinking of. From here, it will go to the BCCI working committee and hopefully from there it will take wing.”The programme, once ratified by the working committee, is likely to be implemented during the off-season, when barring the touring Indian team, the other cricketers will be in India. “After the IPL, it will be an off-season for most of the cricketers apart from those who are selected to tour England and the few other players who play league cricket in England. Majority of the players will be in India and during the time we could have an ongoing programme. The BCCI will very soon have the programme under way.”Gavaskar also announced that the BCCI is in discussion with Tendulkar and Dravid to pitch in for improving the standards of cricket by interacting frequently with cricketers from smaller centres.”Sachin and Rahul are wonderful role models to help the youngsters. I think we can have them talk to youngsters and raise the standards of the sport. This matter will also be discussed in BCCI,” Gavaskar said. “Most of our cricketers come from small places. Somebody like Mahi (MS Dhoni), he’s an inspiration to budding cricketers from lesser known towns. The thing to do is to spread the net wide. That is something the BCCI must capitalise on but I’m here only for a short term… mine is really a T20 innings.”

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