كشفت تقارير صحفية أن هناك عقبتين قد تحولان دون مشاركة نجم فريق إنتر ميامي، ليونيل ميسي، في أولمبياد باريس 2024، رفقة منتخب الأرجنتين الأولمبي.
كان منتخب الأرجنتين قد نجح في التأهل إلى الأولمبياد بعد الفوز على البرازيل بهدف دون رد، في نهائي بطولة أمريكا الجنوبية تحت سن 23 عامًا.
وفتح المدير الفني لمنتخب الأرجنتين الأولمبي، خافيير ماسكيرانو، الباب أمام إمكانية مشاركة ميسي في الأولمبياد ضمن اللاعبين فوق السن (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).
ولكن صحيفة “ميرور” الإنجليزية ذكرت أن ليونيل ميسي قد لا يستطيع المشاركة في أولمبياد باريس، بسبب مشكلتين كبيرتين.
وأوضحت أن ميسي سيواجه ضغوطًا من شركة آبل، الراعي الرسمي لبطولة الدوري الأمريكي، ومسؤولي المنافسة نفسها للبقاء مع ناديه.
كما تنطلق بطولة كوبا أمريكا في 21 يونيو المقبل، على أن تقام المباراة النهائية في 14 يوليو في ميامي.
وفي حالة وصول الأرجنتين إلى النهائي، سيعود ميسي بعد ذلك إلى إنتر ميامي للمشاركة في كأس الرابطة التي تنطلق في 26 يوليو.
وستبدأ مباريات كرة القدم في الألعاب الأولمبية في نفس التاريخ، مما يعني أنه من المحتمل أن لا يتمكن ميسي من المشاركة.
ويشارك إنتر ميامي في بطولة كأس الدوريات، والتي ستنطلق في نفس يوم انطلاق منافسات كرة القدم في الأولمبياد.
وستنتهي الأولمبياد في 11 أغسطس، بينما تستمر بطولة كأس الدوريات حتى 25 من الشهر نفسه، ومن ثم يمكن لـ ميسي اللعب في الألعاب الأولمبية قبل العودة إلى الأدوار الإقصائية في الكأس.
وأشارت إلى إنه بالرغم من ذلك، فإن ذلك الخيار يبدو غير مرجح، خاصة أن هناك رغبة لدى شركة آبل، الراعية لبطولة الكأس، في وجود ميسي بكافة أدوار البطولة،
ويُقال إن شركة آبل تمتلك اتفاقية لتقاسم الأرباح مع ميسي فيما يتعلق بالإيرادات من المشتركين الجدد في الخدمة، ومن ثم فإن غيابه عن مباريات إنتر ميامي هذا الصيف سيؤثر على نمو الإيرادات المحتملة خلال بطولة كأس الدوريات.
New Zealand coach Mike Hesson isn’t one bit surprised at how composed and assured Jeet Raval looked at the crease
Andrew Fidel Fernando in Christchurch21-Nov-20162:31
Best bowling performance in four-five years, says Hesson
Jeet Raval’s match-aggregate of 91 in a low-scorer has made him a possible solution to New Zealand’s opening woes, but he is a player that had piqued the selectors’ interest for some time, coach Mike Hesson said. One of the steadier hands in domestic cricket, Raval has averaged less than 40 in only one of the past eight first-class seasons. A correct batsman who favours the leg-side, Raval was an assured presence on debut, both with bat in hand, and in the slip cordon.”For Jeet to make his debut in conditions like this where he’s performed in over the last few years, was great,” Hesson said. “I thought his decision-making throughout was exceptional, especially around whether to leave or to defend. He stuck to his game plan – he’s very disciplined and knows what that is. He was challenged over, and around the wicket. He was tested with short balls and swing. He stood up to all of them. I thought against Yasir Shah he showed he could come down the wicket, pick off his pads, and lap. He never went outside his plan even when he was challenged, which is a great sign.”New Zealand’s other debutant, Colin de Grandhomme, had also been in the selectors’ sights for years. He earned his place in the Test squad after hitting a 144 not out off 147 balls, in an extraordinary chase of 373 in a first-class match, on November 1.”Colin has been a talented player for a long time, but we’ve sort of been waiting for something to click – for him to show that he’s worked out how to play at first-class level first,” Hesson said. “In the last six months we’ve seen some good signs of that, with bat and ball. It was just a matter of time really, whether it be short-form or long-form. He needed to work out his own game plan. People do mature at different stages. In this instance Colin is probably slightly a late maturer, but he’s got plenty of years left in him.”Though de Grandhomme himself admitted batting was his foremost suit, it was with the ball that he made the biggest impression, taking 7 for 64 in the Test, and sparking Pakistan’s second-day collapse which allowed New Zealand to take control of the match. New Zealand had a more experienced allrounder in James Neesham in their squad, but had surprisingly opted for de Grandhomme instead.”No one thought Colin was playing a couple of days out,” Hesson said. “But he was presented with a surface that suited his skill set. He’s been doing that in first class cricket for years, on that type of wicket. We’ve got scouts and selectors all around the country who watch a lot of cricket.”The teams now head to Hamilton, where New Zealand have the opportunity to defeat Pakistan in a Test series for the first time since 1985 – though, said Hesson, the chance to alter that particular record doesn’t necessarily motivate his side.”We’ve had a lot of series recently where if you do this, or if you do that, you could create something. We’ll wait and see. We’ve got to enjoy the last three days which have been an incredibly good performance. We’ll enjoy and suck that up for a little bit. When we get to Hamilton we’ll think about Hamilton.”Both teams are scheduled to travel on Tuesday.
With the lure of more European football at the London Stadium next season, plus plenty of money to play with should Declan Rice's expected £100m transfer go through, West Ham United supporters have every right to be excited for what the summer transfer window holds.
While some big names have been linked with the Hammers – Manchester United's Harry Maguire among them – others with a little less stature are also reported to be on David Moyes' radar.
Who is West Ham target Valentin Castellanos?
One of those who West Ham fans are perhaps not all that familiar with is Valentin Castellanos, often referred to as "Taty" Castellanos, who is back at parent club New York City FC after spending last season on loan with Girona in LaLiga.
According to TYC Sports reporter Cesar Luis Merlo, Girona are not in a financial position to purchase Castellanos permanently, and that has alerted the likes of West Ham and Sevilla.
That said, reports in Spain – via Sport Witness – have suggested that it is Benfica who leads the race for his signature, with the Irons now needing a last-ditch bid to get a move over the line.
It is claimed that an offer of around £13m will be enough to land the 24-year-old, who had never previously played in European football prior to last season.
Should West Ham move for Castellanos?
Castellanos made headlines in April when scoring all four goals for Girona in their 4-2 win against Real Madrid, making him the first player to score four times against Los Blancos in a LaLiga game since Oviedo's Esteban Echevarria in 1947.
Those were four of an impressive 13 goals scored by the former Argentina U23 international in the Spanish top flight last season – only seven players netted more.
Girona were very reliant on Castellanos for their top-half finish, with the striker scoring 22% of their 58 goals. To give that some context, it is a similar rate as Antoine Griezmann at Atletico Madrid (21%) and Karim Benzema at Real Madrid (25%).
David Moyes West Ham
Castellanos has very much proved he is capable of playing in a top European league, then, and Girona's loss could well be West Ham's gain as they seek out a player they thought Gianluca Scamacca would be when splashing out £35.5m last year.
There are obvious comparisons to be made between Castellanos and another former West Ham striker in Carlos Tevez, who also hailed from Argentina and quickly won the hearts of supporters.
Like Tevez, Castellanos is pacey and powerful, while also not afraid to get stuck in, as reflected by the 1.2 fouls committed per game in LaLiga last season. As per WhoScored, that translated to 11 yellow cards, only further highlighting his edgy side.
For comparison, Tevez was booked 24 times across 2019 Premier League appearances for West Ham, Manchester United and Manchester City, so Castellanos still has some way to go on that front.
As pointed out by former MLS reporter Chris Smith, Castellanos has a "clinical" nature to his game, which was also something Tevez prided himself on. The comparisons continue on that front, as Tevez averaged 0.37 goals per 90 minutes in the 2006-07 season at West Ham; Castellanos averaged 0.45 at Girona last season.
Tevez hit the target from 1.06 of his shots that campaign, while his compatriot did so an average of 1.11 times last season – very alike, indeed.
The early signs are certainly positive in terms of the Mendoza native's attacking game, which could hugely benefit West Ham as they look to once again compete on European and domestic fronts next season.
سجل فريق الكرة الأول بنادي الزمالك، هدفه الأول في شباك أبو سليم الليبي، مساء اليوم الأحد، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية.
تجرى المباراة على استاد 19 مايو 1956 بمدينة عنابة الجزائرية، ضمن مباريات الجولة الخامسة لدور المجموعات ببطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.
جاء هدف الزمالك الأول بعد تدرج رائع بالكرة ينتهي بتمريرة من الجهة اليسرى بأقدام عمر جابر، للهارب من الرقابة ناصر منسي، الذي سدد من لمسة واحدة في الشباك الليبية في الدقيقة الثامنة.
محمود فتح الله ينتقد سياسة الزمالك في الصفقات.. ويعلق على ضم عبد الله السعيد
المباراة تقام في الجزائر، بسبب عدم اعتماد ملعب فريق أبو سليم في ليبيا من الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف”.
ويتواجد الزمالك في المجموعة الثانية لبطولة الكونفدرالية الإفريقية، بجانب أبو سليم الليبي وسوار الغيني وساجرادا الأنجولي.
الزمالك خاض 4 مواجهات في دور المجموعات حتى الآن، فاز في الجولة الأولى أمام أبو سليم الليبي في القاهرة بهدف دون رد، وكرر الفوز أمام سوار الغيني برباعية نظيفة، وفي الجولة الثالثة انتصر على ساجرادا الأنجولي بهدف، وتعادل سلبيًا مع ساجرادا في الجولة الرابعة.
ويسعى الزمالك إلى تحقيق نتيجة إيجابية، من أجل حسم صدارة ترتيب المجموعة بعد التأهل بشكل رسمي من الجولة الماضية. هدف الزمالك الأول في شباك أبو سليم الليبي
Former South African captain Trevor Goddard died on Friday night
ESPNcricinfo staff26-Nov-2016
Trevor Goddard is congratulated by England captain Mike Smith for reaching his maiden Test century, in Johannesburg in 1965•Getty Images
Former South Africa allrounder Trevor Goddard died aged 85 on Friday night. He had been in poor health for some time.Goddard’s career spanned 41 Tests between 1955 and 1970. A left-hand opening batsman, he scored 2516 runs and took 123 wickets with his medium pace. His only century came against England in 1965, and his economy rate of 1.64 remains the third best of all time. His best figures – 6 for 53 – came in South Africa’s first win against Australia in a home Test match, in 1966-67. He was also known to be a fine all-round fielder.Goddard was a regular in the South Africa side till he briefly retired and moved to England in the early 1960s. When he returned, he resumed his international career, and captained South Africa on their tour to Australia in 1963-64, a series they drew; that series established South Africa as a force to be reckoned with in cricket. He also played in the 1969-70 series, won by South Africa at home, but his career came to an abrupt end after the third Test. By then, Goddard had announced his unavailability for the upcoming tour of England and with the series won, he was left out.”Trevor was a humble man who served the game with great distinction both on and off the field,” CSA chief executive Haroon Lorgat said.In all, Goddard played 179 first-class matches, largely for Natal, and scored 11,289 runs at an average of 40.60 and took 534 wickets at 21.65 apiece. He also had a brief spell with North-Eastern Transvaal, and coached at Maritzburg University.After his cricket career, Goddard became an evangelist priest. He was severely injured in a car crash in 1985 but recovered and continued his religious work.
أعلن المدرب البرتغالي جورجي جيسوس عن تشكيلة الهلال الأساسية لمواجهة الاتحاد مساء اليوم الثلاثاء في المباراة التي تجمع بينهما ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال آسيا.
وتقام مباراة كلاسيكو السعودية بين الهلال والاتحاد على أرضية استاد المملكة أرينا، في إطار لقاءات ربع النهائي من المسابقة القارية.
وتأهل الهلال السعودي إلى دور ربع النهائي، بعد الفوز على سباهان الإيراني بنتيجة 3-1، على أرضية استاد المملكة آرينا، في مباراة الإياب لدور الـ 16 من البطولة.
فيما اقتنص فريق الاتحاد السعودي بطاقة صعوده للدور ربع النهائي ببطولة دوري أبطال آسيا بعدما فاز على نافباخور الأوزبكي بهدفين مقابل هدف.
طالع | تشكيل الاتحاد أمام الهلال في دوري أبطال آسيا.. موقف أحمد حجازي
وكان الهلال قد فاز على الاتحاد بنتيجة (3-1) مساء يوم الجمعة الماضي في إطار الجولة 22 من الدوري السعودي موسم 2023-2024. تشكيل الهلال اليوم أمام الاتحاد في دوري أبطال آسيا
حراسة المرمي: محمد العويس.
خط الدفاع: ياسر الشهراني، كاليدو كوليبالي، علي البليهي، سعود عبدالحميد.
خط الوسط: ميلينكوفيتش سافيتش، روبن نيفيز، سلمان الفرج.
Liverpool sporting director Jorg Schmadtke is hoping to bolster their midfield with Bayern Munich ace Ryan Gravenberch this summer after failing in their seasonal goals and missing out on Champions League qualification.
What's the latest on Ryan Gravenberch to Liverpool?
That's according to prominent German outlet BILD, who claim that reports of the Reds' interest indeed ring true and manager Jurgen Klopp has maintained his interest with the summer transfer window now officially open.
There are reports that the ace is available for just £25m after failing to cement a regular starting berth with the German champions this season, signing from Ajax for €24m (£20m) one year ago.
A prospective transfer is complicated by Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel's unwillingness to allow his budding midfield machine to leave despite his lack of minutes, but if the Reds can put forth a compelling offer he could yet leave the Allianz Arena to play a central role in Liverpool's revival.
Should Liverpool sign Ryan Gravenberch?
As the adage goes: if it rains at eleven it will last til seven. Liverpool's spluttering season resulted in a failure to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in seven seasons, and was exacerbated by the unwanted news of Jude Bellingham's magnetising to Real Madrid after heavy speculation surrounding his future at Borussia Dortmund – speculation that pointed largely towards Merseyside.
It wasn't to be and the Kop have made a shrewd early move to rectify the woes by signing Alexis Mac Allister for a bargain £35m earlier this month, and considering the fact that Gravenberch has been described to be "better than Jude Bellingham" by ex-Tottenham Hotspur gem Rafael van der Vaart, Liverpool could be plying the astute work necessary to return to the top.
Having also been praised as "dominant" by his former coach, Gravenberch only started three times in the German top flight and will expect an upturn in playing time next term if he does remain with Bayern.
The 11-cap star, despite his inactivity, still ranks among the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 23% for progressive passes, the top 26% for progressive carries and the top 19% for successful take-ons per 90 as per FBref.
And provided the platform to cement a position of salience at Anfield, Gravenberch would surely only see such metrics skyrocket, becoming the club's saviour after a lacklustre year for Klopp's side.
He could be the dream alternative to Khephren Thuram, who has been of heavy attention to the Anfield side this summer, with the likes of Fabrizio Romano confirming that the Nice ace is on the shortlist as a physical presence to strengthen the robustness of the club.
Comparatively, the Frenchman ranks among the top 6% of positional peers for progressive carries and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90, which is unequivocally impressive.
Thuram is indeed a "monster" of a midfielder – as stated by Sam McGuire – but he is allegedly available for around €60m (£51m), and considering this, Gravenberch is surely the more auspicious option.
Evidently just as talented and available at a far cheaper rate, Schmadtke and co must consider such a player to bolster their ranks.
Glasgow Rangers are undergoing the rebuild which should have occurred during the summer of 2021, weeks after they claimed their 55th league title.
It didn’t, and complacency set in, allowing their Old Firm rivals to eventually win five of the next six domestic trophies.
Under Michael Beale, this arduous task finally appears as though it’s happening, with five players already departing following the expiration of their contracts, including Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent, with the likelihood of a few more players being sold, its set to be a busy summer for the Ibrox side.
One player who could raise some funds for Beale is Glen Kamara, with the midfielder being linked with a £4m move away from Ibrox in recent weeks.
An integral part of the Premiership winning team in 2020/21, Kamara saw his game time limited last season, making only 18 starts, and it is perhaps time that the £21k-per-week liability is moved on, giving Beale some funds to play with during the transfer window.
Beale could target another midfielder to come in and add some extra competition between the midfielders, as South Korean star In-beom Hwang has previously been linked with a move to the Gers.
Does Glen Kamara have a future at Rangers?
With Nicolas Raskin, John Lundstram, and Ryan Jack all able to play in the centre of midfield, plus potentially luring Jose Cifuentes to the club, Kamara looks destined to leave.
With Champions League football returning to Ibrox next term, players of a higher quality will be required and Hwang could fit in at the Light Blues well.
Indeed, last season, the Olympiacos midfielder averaged 55 passes per game – a success rate of 88% – with only Lundstram in the Rangers midfield averaging more per match than the 26-year-old, showing how important he could be if he joined the club, with his ability to regularly circulate the ball key for Beale's tactical system.
His seven goal contributions were also better than Lundstram, Jack, Raskin and Kamara while he also demonstrated his tenacious nature by making 1.4 tackles per game, ranking just behind Raskin for that metric.
It’s safe to say that with these figures, he could certainly be an improvement over certain members of the squad, especially Kamara and thus, making a move should be a no-brainer for Beale.
In-Beom Hwang
The 5 foot 9 gem was also described as a “top, top player” by journalist Konstantinos Lianos during the 2022 World Cup as he played all four matches for South Korea, including their last 16 defeat to Brazil.
This experience on the world stage must prove to Beale that he can handle the rigours and demands of Scottish football and although perhaps not a main target at the time being, if the opportunity is there, the Gers should make their move.
Captain Angelo Mathews has defended his move of bowling with the new ball even as Sri Lanka slumped to an innings defeat and a series whitewash
Andrew Fidel Fernando at the Wanderers14-Jan-2017
Angelo Mathews: “Guys like Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya are full of talent, but they need to be given a chance in these conditions”•Associated Press
Angelo Mathews has labeled the 0-3 whitewash in South Africa his worst series defeat as captain, after Sri Lanka lost by an innings and 118 runs at the Wanderers.Mathews also has two 0-2 whitewashes in New Zealand on his captaincy record, but Sri Lanka had been somewhat competitive in those series, even claiming a first-innings lead in two of those four Tests. In South Africa, however, only three Sri Lanka batsmen hit half-centuries, and first-innings deficits of 81, 282 and 295 were surrendered.”I have been part of many defeats but as captain this is certainly the worst,” Mathews said. “We kind of expected to do better than what we did. But there was no improvement.”The batters were extremely disappointing – all the batters, including myself. All of us had got starts but didn’t convert them into big ones. That is disappointing. To give the bowlers a chance we need to put the runs on the board.”The defeat, Mathews said, came in spite of extensive preparation for the conditions Sri Lanka expected to face in South Africa. Sri Lanka had had roughly 10 days in at home following the Zimbabwe tri-series to prepare for the South Africa tour, and had also played a practice match in Potchefstroom.”When it comes to preparation we did our best,” Mathews said. “We practiced on wickets with grass back in Sri Lanka too. We kind of expected we will get wickets with lot of grass. It’s not easy to prepare wickets like this in Sri Lanka, given the high humidity. Life goes on and we need to find a solution to compete well overseas. Maybe it’s an opportunity for Sri Lanka Cricket to leave bit of grass when we play domestic cricket at home.”Mathews top-scored for Sri Lanka in the series, with 178 runs, while Kusal Mendis hit 138 runs to sit at second on the team list. It was Mendis’ first trip to South Africa for any level of cricket – the same going for Dhananjaya de Silva, who was asked to move to No. 4 in the second and third Tests, after having earlier prospered lower down the order.”If you look at our squad, only three guys had played in South Africa before. Guys like Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya are full of talent, but they need to be given a chance in these conditions. Playing four seamers in these conditions wasn’t easy. They will learn I am sure. It is a tough time and we need to hang in there as a team.”Of his practice of bowling first change, or with the brand new ball, through the series, Mathews also launched a spirited defence, and suggested this was a plan hatched by the bowling coach. Mathews has had success opening the bowling in limited-overs internationals, but has 33 Test wickets at 52.66. He has averaged 64.5 for his two wickets in this series, while Lahiru Kumara and Nuwan Pradeep – bowlers he came in ahead of – have taken 11 and seven wickets respectively, at 26.45 and 43.”My kind of bowling is swing and seam. When the ball is new it’s good to come early. The coach and bowling coach told me to bowl early as I land it on the spot. I didn’t bowl for that long. Even if you bowl 60-odd overs, in these conditions, the shine is still there. Given the fact that the wicket was seaming and swinging – if you look at my economy rate and the way I beat the bat, you would understand why I bowl early.”Across the last two years, in New Zealand, England and now South Africa, Mathews has taken four wickets at an average of 72.