Tag Futebol

A round-up of the first round of games from the Women’s World Cup Qualifiers, held on February 7, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Feb-20171:25

The ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier explained

Three of India’s top four made half-centuries – 19-year old Devika Vaidya top-scored with 89 in only her second ODI – as India beat hosts Sri Lanka by 114 runs in their first Women’s World Cup Qualifier match at P Sara Oval. Captain Mithali Raj made 70 off 62 balls while opener Deepti Sharma started the procession with 54 off 96. These were especially good returns in light of India missing opener Smriti Mandhana due to injury.Set a target of 260, Sri Lanka did well to reach 65 for 1 in the 23rd over but in an effort to push on, they lost seven wickets for 66 runs and were forced to shift their focus into playing out the 50 overs. Left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad was India’s best bowler with 10-2-19-2, and she was ably supported by fellow left-armer Ekta Bisht, who took 2 for 27.”It’s always good to start with a win,” Raj said. “We’d started slowly in the match but Devika and Deepti put up a useful partnership to help increase the run rate. It was a good pitch to bat on and we enjoyed batting out there.”A fierce half-century from No. 6 Chloe Tryon headlined South Africa’s victory over Pakistan by 63 runs. She made 79 off 69 balls with five fours and four sixes to lift the total from 129 for 5 in the 25th over to 258. “It’s never nice coming in that situation,” Tryon said after the match, “but I had to put my head down and graft a bit. And I felt like I gave myself enough time. I was very patient and I felt like I was really calm. I knew towards the end that I could pick the run rate up.”Pakistan’s reply was led by Nain Abidi’s 62 off 105 balls, but she barely had any support from the other end. The second highest score was 38 from captain Sana Mir.South Africa opted to bat at the toss but they had to deal with the loss of regular wickets ever since they lost their first in the third over. Mignon du Preez, having recently relinquished leadership of the side, made 40 at No. 3 but it wasn’t until Tryon came to the crease that they began to prosper. She strung a partnership of 89 for the sixth wicket with the new captain Dane van Niekerk.Pakistan were in much the same position as South Africa in their chase – 110 for 5 in the 29th over – but their players could not summon the same firepower as Tryon. Abidi and Mir added 70 runs in 112 balls for the sixth wicket to make sure Pakistan at least were not all out.”Our team has gone through a major transformation and the young players have done well,” Mir said. “I am overall happy with the way the team is shaping up. It was a match where we started off really well, but an excellent innings by Tryon saw South Africa through.”File photo: Fargana Hoque made her third ODI fifty•IDI/Getty Images

Bangladesh defeated Papua New Guinea by 118 runs at the Colombo Cricket Ground. Fifties from Sharmin Akhter and Fargana Hoque helped Bangladesh put on 215 for 6 after they elected to bat, and then their bowlers put in a collective effort to roll PNG over for 97.Akhter finished with 56 off 86 balls, while Hoque made 51 off 72. With those two having put on a solid platform, Bangladesh would have been looking at a larger total but PNG picked up four wickets for 39 runs to slow things down. They were unable to build on this effort though, conceding 57 runs in the final 10 overs and fared even worse when they came out to bat. Seven out of the 11 players fell for single-digit scores. Four of the five bowlers Bangladesh used took two wickets each, with Rumana Ahmed’s 2 for 13 in seven overs the most economical of them.Allrounder Kim Garth top-scored with 63, before taking 3 for 24, as Ireland defended 237 against Zimbabwe to secure a 119-run win in Colombo.Ireland were 42 for 2 in the 13th over after being put into bat, and it took a 94-run stand between Garth, who came in at No.3, and captain Laura Delany (47) to help set a platform. After Delany’s dismissal, Garth put on 52 for the fifth wicket with Clare Shillingford (30 off 20) before they fell off consecutive deliveries to medium-pacer Josephine Nkomo (2-46).Zimbabwe were bowled out for 118 in the chase. With a top score of 35 from Ashley Ndiraya and a best partnership of 32, they never stood a chance. Legspinner Ciara Metcalfe (3-38), seamer Amy Kenealy (2-19) and debutant left-arm spinner Robyn Lewis (2-7) were the wreckers-in-chief.

An update has emerged on Celtic and their plans to bolster their squad following the appointment of Brendan Rodgers as their new head coach.

What’s the latest on Marco Tilio to Celtic?

According to the Daily Record, the Hoops are closing in on a deal to sign Melbourne City winger Marco Tilio ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The report claims that the Glasgow-based side have agreed a fee with the A-League outfit and they will now discuss personal terms with the player and organise a medical in the hope of making him the second signing of the summer, following on from Odin Thiago Holm's arrival from Valerenga.

This comes after the Daily Mail reported that head of recruitment Mark Lawwell used his relationship with the City Group to target the Australian, with the Scottish giants now pursuing his signature.

Would Marco Tilio be a good signing for Celtic?

The 21-year-old ace could be a terrific addition to Rodgers’ squad as the young forward has the potential to be a big upgrade on current Hoops wide man Daizen Maeda.

In the 2022/23 Scottish Premiership campaign, the Japan international averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.78 across 35 matches and contributed in the final third with eight goals and five assists, whilst he also missed 11 ‘big chances’.

The Celtic winger created 0.8 chances per game for his teammates – which placed him 15th in the squad – something that does not suggest the 25-year-old was a regular source of creativity for Ange Postecoglou.

Tilio, on the other hand, averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.02 across 29 A-League outings, showing that the young ace has the potential to perform at a higher level week-in-week-out, and chipped in with ten goals and five assists.

The Melbourne dynamo produced 1.1 key passes per match for his fellow attackers and only missed seven ‘big chances’ himself, indicating that he would provide more creativity than the current Hoops attacker.

Their respective goal returns, and conversion rate of 'big chances', also suggest that Tilio has the quality to be more ruthless in front of goal.

Maeda was certainly wasteful with the opportunities he had in the Premiership with the forward missing more 'big chances' than he scored goals. Therefore, signing the Australia international could improve the goal output of the team from the wide positions.

With Tilio once being described as a "playmaker" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, he could well be a big upgrade on the Japanese frontman in the final third and, as a result, be an exceptional signing for Rodgers this summer.

أثنى أحمد دياب رئيس رابطة الأندية المصرية على اختيار حسام حسن مدربًا لمنتخب مصر الأول، موضحًا رأيه في كيفية تطوير الكرة المصرية.

وقال أحمد دياب في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة اون تايم سبورتس: “لم نتحدث مع حسام حسن بشأن تقليص عدد أندية الدوري المصري، وتعيين حسام وإبراهيم خطوة جاءت متأخرة جدًا”.

وأردف: “منتخب مصر منذ 2019 استبدل 7 مدربين، والأهم حاليًا أن تكون هناك خطة للكرة المصرية، وحسام وإبراهيم يمتلكان من الخبرة ما يؤهلهما لذلك”.

طالع | أحمد دياب يٌعلن تطبيق نظام جديد في الدوري المصري الموسم المقبل

وتابع: “المجلس القادم لاتحاد الكرة عليه أن يضع خطة للكرة المصرية يعمل وفق لها، نحتاج لتعديل كل المسابقات بما فيها قطاعات الناشئين، وعمل معايشات وتجهيز مدربين ككوادر للمستقبل، ونحتاج إلى خطة لمنتخبات الناشئين، وخطة للتحكيم، وخطة للعب المالي النظيف”.

وحول لماذا لا يحدث ذلك؟، أجاب: “لأن الناس (بتزعل)، لكن الناس تعتبر ذلك انتقادا، إذا كانت النية موجودة سيعملون، قد تكون النية موجودة لكن لا أعلم السبب”.

Suresh Raina has been ruled out of the second ODI in New Delhi as he still continues to recover from viral fever that kept him out of the series opener in Dharamsala

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Oct-20161:13

Suresh Raina did not get enough time to recover for the second ODI after missing the first match in Dharamsala

Illness will keep Suresh Raina out of the second ODI as well, against New Zealand in Delhi, after he missed the opening match in Dharamsala. The team’s medical staff said there was insufficient time for Raina to recover from a bout of viral fever. No replacement was named for him.Raina was also unable to bat while captaining Uttar Pradesh in the first round of the Ranji Trophy on October 6.Raina last played and ODI in October 2015, having not been picked for the ODI series in Australia and was not part of a second-string team that toured Zimbabwe. He was not chosen to play the T20Is against West Indies in Florida either. He was recalled for the home series against New Zealand on the basis of his ability to also provide some part-time spin, since R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were rested.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been linked to a starlet ahead of the summer transfer window, in a signing that could relieve the clubs’ goal-scoring woes.

The end of the season confirmed that Wolves were the lowest-scorers of the campaign, netting just 31 times in 38 Premier League games.

Despite ongoing FFP issues that will inevitably leave Julen Lopetegui with financial constraints this summer, Molineux could snatch a real talent in their latest link for extremely cheap.

What’s the latest on Adama Bojang to Wolves?

As reported by Standard Sport yesterday, Wolves have joined the race to sign The Gambia starlet Adama Bojang this summer.

The 19-year-old is rumoured to be valued at just £650k, currently representing Gambian club Steve Biko FC.

Wolves join Chelsea, Crystal Palace and a host of clubs around Europe in the pursuit of the 6 foot 3 forward, who caught the world’s attention for his role in The Gambia’s U20 African Cup of Nations run that saw them reach the final.

What could Adama Bojang bring to Wolves?

Lauded for his skills in finishing, pace and flair among a host of other attributes by U23 talent scout Antonio Mango, Bojang could be the man to finally unlock Wolves' suffering attack.

Earlier this year, the teenager was named in the U20 AFCON team of the competition for firing his country to a second-place finish, scoring four goals and assisting one in six games – as per Sofascore.

A similar feat is ongoing at the U20 World Cup, where the forward has maintained a 7.0 Sofascore match rating, scoring two goals in the opening three fixtures, and averaging a massive six shots per game.

Hailed as being an “insane talent” by Mango on Twitter, the young forward has been likened to Roma striker Tammy Abraham, who has previously had some fortune in the Midlands.

The Englishman scored 26 goals for Aston Villa in the Championship and has previously been regarded as a “goal machine”, showing the heights that young Bojang could reach so early in his career.

Having scored fewer goals than games played this season in the Premier League, Lopetegui must solve the equation that is limiting his side’s output in the final third.

With two strikers expected to depart in Diego Costa and Raul Jimenez, the Spaniard could have the perfect spot for the budding talent to develop and show his worth in the Premier League.

Wolves must recruit smartly this summer, in moves that maintain quality as well as being kind financially, investing in hungry young talent such as Bojang for less than £1m could prove to be a sensational move by Lopetegui, and one that ends their torrid striker curse.

Test cricket is “big-man cricket” and West Indies cannot use their youth and inexperience as a crutch to deflect against poor performances, according to Marlon Samuels. Two days before the second Test against India at Sabina Park, Samuels said the young players will have to keep earning their places with their performances.”Well, first and foremost, I’m not going to be here to tell you that it’s a young team,” Samuels said. “For me to say that is like finding excuses for the team. It’s a Test team, and Test cricket is big-man cricket, and the players should know that by now.”They are here, playing Test cricket. So we all have to step up to the plate, and put up a very good challenge against the Indians. The Indians are a very good team, a very good unit, so what we want to try and build right now is a team spirit, and build a stronger unit in order [to move forward]. Yes, we have new players coming in, but they still have to deliver. At the end of the day, you have to do that to keep your job here.”A string of impressive limited-overs performances won Samuels West Indies’ Cricketer of the Year award, but his Test form has been poor in recent months. Before scoring a half-century in the second innings of the first Test in Antigua, he had failed to pass 20 in his 10 Test innings.”You make a half-century, it’s a milestone,” he said. “You have to cherish it, but at the end of the day I always want more. I haven’t been getting the runs that I’m looking for in the Test arena, but I’ve been making up in the shorter versions, so it augurs well that I’m doing well for the team as well. It’s just, I need to start focusing more and putting in some big performances, so the team can benefit from my performances.”Samuels looked forward to another Test in front of his home crowd at Sabina Park, and said he wanted to show them “what they have been seeing over the years – me coming out here, playing shots and just enjoying myself in the middle”. But his main aim, he said, was to help West Indies bounce back from their innings defeat in Antigua.”It’s a great opportunity for me,” he said. “Not too many sportsmen get to play in front of their home crowd. I’ve got the opportunity more than one time, so I cherish it, playing in front of a Jamaican crowd. As I said, it’s a great opportunity, not only for me, but for the team to make a turnaround and come here and play some positive cricket and put up, not just a challenge, but a fight.”According to some media reports, Samuels has been considering Test-match retirement, and Jeffrey Dujon, the former West Indies wicketkeeper who is part of the TV commentary team for this series, had suggested on air that this might be his last Test series. Samuels did not reveal his plans, and said his only focus, for now, was to do well in this series.”Jeffrey Dujon can say anything,” Samuels said. “But what I say is, I’m here to focus on the Test series and put my best foot forward, and make a significant contribution, so that whatever I do, the team can benefit from it. So that’s my ultimate goal and that’s my focus at the moment.”

Yorkshire’s limited-overs captain Alex Lees announced his intention to drop himself barely a month into the job before the NatWest Blast tie against Nottinghamshire was abandoned because of rain

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jun-2016

Yorkshire’s limited overs captain Alex Lees announced his intention to drop himself barely a month into the job before the NatWest Blast tie against Nottinghamshire was abandoned because of rain as the wettest June for years threatens to put a dampener on the competition.Less, the youngest professional to be appointed as a full-time Yorkshire captain since Lord Hawke, called his decision “a no brainer”.He said the decision was inevitable because of the availability of Root and Bairstow coupled with the form of Adam Lyth, who struck two Royal London Cup hundreds in successive days against Northants and Lancashire earlier this week.New Zealand’s captain Kane Williamson was put in charge before steady rain at Headingley denied the North Group’s bottom two sides the chance to lift their ailing NatWest T20 Blast campaigns in a match chock a block with England stars including Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root and Notts’ Alex Hales.”For me, it was a no-brainer,” said Lees. “Obviously Rooty and Jonny come back into the team, so two had to miss out there. Adam comes into the team. You can’t not play somebody who’s just scored back-to-back hundreds off 60 balls.”It’s just a gentle reminder to everyone that nobody’s bigger than this club and going forward, we want to put out the best team that we can.”Meanwhile, Yorkshire plan to pay tribute to Jo Cox MP, who was killed by an attacker in her Batley and Spen constituency on Thursday with a minute’s silence and the players wearing black armbands in their match against Derbyshire on Sunday.

Crystal Palace are considering a move to bring Atletico Madrid defender Matt Doherty back to the Premier League, according to reports.

What's the latest on Doherty's future?

The Irishman had his contract at Tottenham Hotspur terminated in January which saw him complete a permanent move to the Metropolitano Stadium, but it’s fair to say that he hasn’t been able to make the impact that he would have hoped upon joining.

The Los Colchoneros right-back has made just one appearance since putting pen to paper and to be more specific has played just 12 minutes of competitive football, as per Transfermarkt, so is significantly out of favour under Diego Simeone.

Having only signed an initial six-month deal, the 31-year-old will be out of contract at the end of the season and will therefore be a free agent on the market in the summer should he not be offered an extension, and it appears that his possible availability has caught the eye of Roy Hodgson.

According to 90min, Crystal Palace, Wolves, Burnley and Sheffield United are all “interested” in securing the services of Doherty ahead of the 2023/24 term. The Atletico full-back is “not going to sign” fresh terms and is “set to return” to the top-flight, where he’ll have four potential suitors queuing up to land him should the Blades achieve promotion.

Should Crystal Palace sign Doherty?

Doherty is older than the profile of player Palace should be targeting if they are looking to build their long-term future, but the fact that he would cost nothing means this is a move that is relatively risk-free. He’s also already proven in the Premier League, so we feel they should definitely pursue him.

The Nike-sponsored ace has posted 28 goal contributions (17 assists and 11 goals) in 119 top-flight appearances so loves to get down the flank and make the magic happen in the final third. The Swords native also ranks in the 98th percentile for number of shots and touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 by full-backs, once again highlighting his desire to get forward.

Standing at 6 foot 1, Simeone’s defender would additionally bring fantastic versatility to SE25 having operated in five various positions throughout his career which are right-back, left-back, right midfield, left midfield and centre-back.

Doherty was hailed a “quality signing” by journalist Josh Bunting when he joined Spurs and he would be exactly that at Palace should he be convinced to put pen to paper at Selhurst Park, presumably on a low-cost and short-term deal.

Celtic are expecting Liel Abada to leave Parkhead this summer and plan to accept an offer of around £10m, Football Insider reports.

What’s the latest news on Abada’s Celtic future?

There has been plenty of speculation regarding Abada’s future in recent weeks, with pundit Alan Hutton believing the winger isn’t happy with his current role under manager Ange Postecoglou.

Reports last month claimed that Premier League side Southampton are readying a £10m offer for Abada after the player failed to agree on a new deal with the Hoops, with club officials open to offers. There have been more rumours in recent days as well, with Football Insider stating that the ‘sources close to the 21-year-old have revealed that he wants to leave Parkhead’ after rejecting a new contract offer.

Football Insider shared a further development regarding Abada in the last 48 hours. Celtic, and by extension head of recruitment Mark Lawwell, now expect the player to seal an exit over the coming months and are willing to let him leave in a deal worth between £7-10m.

Is this the right decision by Celtic?

Postecoglou described Abada as “ambitious” last month when asked about the winger’s playing time, appearing to hint over an eventual exit.

“What do you reckon would happen to players who throw their toys out of the pram, mate? He’s a really ambitious guy who wants to be at a big football club. He wants to win things and be the best he can be. That’s exactly where he is at.

“All our players, particularly the younger ones who want to go on to further opportunities, maybe to a stronger league, do you think they are going to go to a club where they are guaranteed game time? No, so it’s no different here. We are a big club. Nothing is guaranteed.”

Abada has started just ten Scottish Premiership games this season and has been used from the bench in the league on 19 occasions. He has still made an impact for the club this season, though, contributing to 19 goals in 41 appearances in all competitions, but with his head seemingly set on a move away, you could argue that it makes sense to cash in.

The Hoops would also be making a healthy profit with a sale in the region of £7-10m as reported after paying £3.6m for his services two years ago, so from a business perspective, you'd expect that a transfer would have been viewed as a success overall.

Aston Villa have little to play for in their final 11 games of the Premier League season.

Having struggled during the early portion of the campaign under Steven Gerrard, the fact that they were one of the first to sack their manager meant they essentially had first pick of the other top coaches available.

They took Unai Emery from Villarreal and moved on with minimal fuss.

Unsurprisingly, the Spaniard has steered them well away from the relegation battle, and they essentially act as a buffer between the eight teams in a fight for survival and the rest of the league.

Whilst fans would have taken that given how things started, it essentially gives them a free hit in these games, safe in the knowledge that the teams below them are of nowhere near the quality to catch up and drag them back into the mire.

As such, Emery could seek to experiment in preparation for his first full season in charge at Villa Park, namely with some of the youth talent. Such an opportunity could have arisen from this international break, as Matty Cash has now been struck down with an injury.

How long is Matty Cash out for?

Having been substituted just nine minutes into Poland's clash with the Czech Republic, it was revealed that his calf strain was far worse than first feared. The 25-year-old is expected to miss at least his club's next three fixtures, with the ex-Nottingham Forest flyer labelling it as "so so frustrating". It does now leave a vacancy on the right side of the defence.

Whilst it might seem the natural option to just slide in the experienced Calum Chambers to occupy such a role, perhaps given the lack of jeopardy remaining in this season, instead Emery could opt for someone like Kaine Kesler-Hayden from the academy.

The 20-year-old does already boast one senior appearance, but a string of games in the Premier League would certainly do wonders for his development without really compromising the team.

After all, the youngster has been starring of late back with the U21 side, having been recalled from his loan spell at Huddersfield Town in January.

That period in the Championship may have not been smooth sailing, but it showed glimpses of the offensive full-back he sought to be. His 0.7 key passes and 0.6 shots per 90 (via Sofascore) outlined him as a moderate offensive threat, but supplying the red-hot Ollie Watkins could see this tally actually built upon. The English forward has seven goal contributions in his last eight games.

It was only last year that journalist Stewart James claimed that: "Villa have got a real talent in Kaine Kesler-Hayden – confidence & ability", and this is sure to have only grown.

With Cash playing such an important role in the Villans' system, his attacking impetus being key, employing someone like Chambers in his place is sure to quell that avenue. In his limited time on the pitch this season he has managed a 6.43 average rating, where he would not manage a single key pass and accumulated just 0.1 shot per game (via Sofascore).

At 28 years old too, the youth should certainly be prioritised when a unique opportunity like this presents itself.