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Thirimanne to lead Board President's XI against West Indians

by n8rngtd.top Uncategorized

Lahiru Thirimanne will lead the Sri Lanka Cricket Board President’s XI in the three-day encounter against the West Indians, at SSC

Andrew Fidel Fernando02-Oct-2015

SLC Board President’s XI squad

Udara Jayasundera, Kusal Mendis, Lahiru Thirimanne (capt.), Minod Bhanuka (wk), Milinda Siriwardana, Angelo Jayasinghe, Sachith Pathirana, Nuwan Kulasekara, Suranga Lakmal, Vishwa Fernando, Suraj Randiv, Lahiru Milantha, Lasanda Rukmal, Kasun Madushanka, Sahan Nanayakkare

Lahiru Thirimanne will lead the Sri Lanka Cricket Board President’s XI in the three-day encounter against the West Indians, at SSC. Batting allrounder Milinda Siriwardene, and seamers Suranga Lakmal and Vishwa Fernando, all of whom are in contention for Test call-ups, have also been named. Seamer Nuwan Kulasekara, offspinner Suraj Randiv and spinning-allrounder Sachith Pathirana find places in the Board XI squad as well.With Sri Lanka’s A team overseas, a younger crop of players also feature in this squad, including Kusal Mendis, the 20-year-old batsman who recently led the Sri Lanka Under-19 team. Other recent graduates from the Under-19 side include left-arm spinner Sahan Nanayakkare and wicketkeeper-batsman Minod Bhanuka.The match begins on October 8. It is West Indies’ only warm-up match on the island. The first Test begins on October 14.

I would like to bat higher – Raina

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Suresh Raina has admitted that he would like the opportunity to bat further up the order for India

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jan-2013Suresh Raina, whose unbeaten 89 in the fourth ODI against England in Mohali sealed a series win for India, has admitted that he would like the opportunity to bat further up the order. Raina has spent the majority of his 158-match ODI career coming in at Nos. 5 or 6, and it was from a position of three wickets down that he scored his 27th half-century on Wednesday.”Definitely, I would like to bat higher up the order,” he said, ahead of the fifth ODI. “If I am given a chance, I would like to give 100% as it will also give me an opportunity to play more overs. I have enjoyed batting at five, six, seven, where you need to bat till the finish.”Yuvraj Singh has occupied the No. 4 spot for India in recent years, although Raina has an impressive record batting there – albeit in just nine innings – averaging 58.85, with four fifties and his best ODI score of 116 not out. Raina has, however, been in good form in his current slot in the line-up, scoring half-centuries in each of his three innings against England so far to make him the leading run-scorer on either side.Raina, 26, also said he hoped being able to bat for longer periods and building an innings would aid his chances of returning to the Test team. Raina’s average from 17 Tests is just 28.44 and he has made six single-figure scores – including three ducks – in his last eight innings. After a year out of the side, he played in India’s two Tests against New Zealand in August, scoring 3, 55 and 0 before being dropped in favour of the returning Yuvraj. “If you talk about my Test performance, I scored a fifty in one of my last three innings,” he said. “I believe that I can make a comeback in Tests.”An impressive performance in the Irani Cup – a one-off Indian first-class match featuring the Ranji Trophy winners and a Rest of India side – which will begin on February 6, could push him back into the selectors’ thoughts ahead of the arrival of Australia later in the month. But Raina was keen not to look too far ahead and hoped to help India secure another win over England in Dharamsala.”Yes, Irani Trophy will be very important, but at this point I want to focus on doing well in tomorrow’s match,” Raina said. “Although, we have won the series, it would be nice if we can finish with a 4-1 margin.”Preventing that from happening is the priority for the tourists and Joe Root, a rare recent success story for England’s one-day team in India, said the players were pulling in the same direction and eager to finish on a high. “We’re obviously very disappointed as a team with the way the series has gone,” he said. “It has been nice for me to score some runs and put in a few performances, but it always feels better when you’re winning.”

Matthew Wade fifty sets up Australia win

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A punishing 72 from Matthew Wade and telling cameos with bat and ball from David Hussey delivered a 31-run victory for Australia over India in the first Twenty20 international at Stadium Australia

The Report by Daniel Brettig at Stadium Australia01-Feb-2012
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMatthew Wade did his cause no harm with an innings of poise, power and some invention•Getty Images

A punishing 72 from Matthew Wade and telling cameos with bat and ball from David Hussey delivered a 31-run victory for Australia over India in the first Twenty20 international at Stadium Australia in Sydney, which hosted events during the Olympics in 2000.Watched by a crowd of 59,659, the largest ever for a cricket match in Sydney, Australia’s new Twenty20 captain George Bailey enjoyed the winner’s plaudits in his first match, just as Dave Gregory had done in the very first Test in 1877 when he was the last Australian to make his debut as captain.His ingenuity in the field rather contrasted with India’s captain, MS Dhoni. In the penultimate over, with the target well out of reach, Dhoni’s bat flew from his hands as he attempted to make a defiant swing at Brett Lee. The tour has gone the same way, and it did not improve in the format of the IPL.At the start of what amounts to a five-match Twenty20 and ODI audition for a more permanent berth behind the stumps in place of Brad Haddin, Wade did his cause no harm with an innings of poise, power and some invention after Dhoni sent the hosts in to bat.Wade and Hussey pushed Australia to 4 for 171, a steep target on a tacky pitch, before Bailey employed a trio of spinners to devastating effect. Hussey took the figures with 2 for 4 from his two overs, but the recalled 40-year-old Brad Hogg and the Twenty20 debutant Xavier Doherty also helped to sink India’s chase after they had made a promising start to be 1 for 47 in the sixth over.If the chase was to succeed, India’s pursuit likely required a sizeable score from Virender Sehwag. He managed one cut that skimmed to the backward point boundary, but the early swing gained by Lee was enough to draw an edge from a bat angled towards mid-on, and Hussey held the sharp chance at slip.

Smart stats

  • Since their seven-wicket win against Australia in October 2007, India have gone on to lose 13 of their 23 Twenty20 matches. In the same period, they have also lost all three clashes against Australia. In their only previous Twenty20 game in Australia, India lost by nine wickets after being bowled out for 74.

  • Australia improved upon their extraordinary home record in Twenty20 matches by winning their 12th match of 14 played so far. Their only defeats came against Sri Lanka (Perth in 2010) and England (Adelaide 2011).

  • Australia’s score of 171 is the sixth-highest team total in Twenty20 matches in Australia. The top seven team scores in Australia have been made by the hosts.

  • Playing his third match, Matthew Wade scored 72 off 43 balls. His score is the fifth-highest by an Australia batsman in a home Twenty20 game. His strike-rate of 167.44 is seventh on the list of the highest strike-rates for fifty-plus scores against India.

  • The score of 81 is the fourth-lowest for India at the fall of the sixth wicket. Three of their four lowest scores at the fall of the sixth wicket have come against Australia.

Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli prospered for a time, lifting the visitors to 1 for 47 in the sixth over. Bailey had brought on the spin of Doherty and Hussey to constrict the rate, and the latter made the vital break by coaxing Gambhir to drive to cover.Next over brought Hogg’s introduction and he found enough tweak and variation to cause doubts in the minds of the batsmen, despite their education by spin. Kohli tried to swing him out of the stadium, but found less of the middle of the bat than the toe, and was well held by Warner at long on.India were now slipping badly, and Hussey added to their disquiet by finding a biting off break that bowled Rohit Sharma off his pads for a golden duck. As the reserve Test batsman on tour, Rohit had waited a long time for that one delivery.Christian nipped out Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja, all the while supported by Bailey’s bright field placements and busy advice from mid-off or cover. Dhoni and Ashwin formed the most notable partnership of the innings, but it served only to decrease the margin of another defeat on tour for the visitors.Warner had a new opening partner in Wade, and together they set about making a swift start against an opening attack comprising R Ashwin’s spin and the swing of Praveen Kumar – much missed during the Test series.As he had done in Adelaide, Ashwin kept Warner quiet to begin with, the first over going for only two runs. Wade’s first boundary was a streaky edge off Praveen, and nine from the first 12 balls was a halting start.But Warner found his range in the third, starting with an outrageous “switch punch” that sailed over wide long off, or long on depending on one’s perspective. He followed up by driving a full toss to the point boundary then swinging another six over Ashwin’s head.The innings now had momentum, but Warner gave it up by miscuing Vinay Kumar and skying a catch to Raina, running back from extra cover. Warner left unhappily, but his replacement Birt was capable of hitting almost as hard. He found his stride by lofting Vinay over long off, without much apparent effort, but also played out a few dots before he drew blood from the hands of Rahul Sharma with a fearfully struck drive that was technically a dropped return catch.Birt eventually perished to Ashwin, picking out Raina at cover, but his exit appeared to rouse Wade. To that point he had played neatly for 36 from 25 balls, but his next 34 were thrashed from only 14. Twice he cleared the fence, and each blow added intrigue to his battle with Haddin for the Australia wicketkeeper’s spot.A brief rain delay did not reduce Australia’s allocation, but it did change the game’s rhythm, and Wade was out to his second ball faced on resumption, bowled when trying to cut Raina off the stumps. Hussey and Bailey struggled initially to find the boundary, but Hussey connected with one clean blow in the final over to help the hosts past 170, a total that proved to be well beyond India.

Netherlands hope to make an impact

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ESPNcricinfo previews the Netherlands’ chances in the 2011 World Cup

Andrew McGlashan14-Feb-2011For a country with the limited cricket resources of the Netherlands, making their fourth World Cup is an impressive effort. They are the least likely to cause an upset, especially with Ireland being the other minnow in their group, but they certainly won’t suffer from a lack of desire and determination.You only have to ask England about that. Remember Lord’s in 2009? It may have been Twenty20 and not 50-over cricket, but Netherlands’ final-ball victory in the opening match of the tournament was one of the biggest shocks in cricket history. And, in a neat fluke of scheduling, their first match in the World Cup is against Andrew Strauss’s team. Only one team has anything to lose in that one.However, as with the likes of Ireland, Kenya and Canada – not to mention the Associates who narrowly missed out, such as Afghanistan – this is looking like a last hurrah at this major global event. With ten teams slated for the 2015 tournament, even though TV rights say there have to be the same number of matches, the smaller nations are being pushed aside. Netherlands will be desperate not to go out with a whimper.The batting is reasonably strong – Ryan ten Doeschate is their main man; Tom Cooper plays for South Australia and Alexi Kervezee has impressed for Worcestershire – but in subcontinent conditions against the clumping bats of the major nations, the bowlers could come in for some harsh treatment. They’ll all be hoping not to go the same way as Daan van Bunge at the 2007 World Cup, when Herschelle Gibbs took him for six sixes in an over at St Kitts.World Cup PedigreeHave appeared at the 1996, 2003 and 2007 World Cups but have just two victories, against Namibia and Scotland, to show for their efforts, while the defeats have been by huge margins. Their best effort was probably against India in 2003, at Paarl, when they managed to bowl out a star-stubbed batting line-up for 204. Time de Leede took 4 for 35.Form guideThey haven’t played a one-day international since August when they lost two matches against Ireland, which doesn’t bode well for their meeting in this tournament. However, before that they upset Bangladesh with six-wicket victory, so they’ll harbour hopes that a major scalp isn’t beyond their reach.Where they are likely to finishThey won’t get out of the group, but their aim should be to cause some of the big teams uncomfortable moments. Their World Cup comes when they face Ireland on March 18 in their final group match.WatchabilityThe batting has some fine stroke-makers, led by Ryan ten Doeschate of Essex, and if he gets going, he likes to deal in boundaries. When the bowlers come up against the likes of Virender Sehwag, Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers, it could be a time to cover your eyes and wish them the best.Players in focusRyan ten Doeschate has established himself as a fine Twenty20 cricketer, so much so that he put his name into the IPL auction and was signed by Tasmania for Australia’s Big Bash. But he is more than a hit-and-hope batsman and has the ability to build long innings. His ODI average is a Bevan-esque 68.55 and his strike-rate a powerful 87. Against his Associate peers has sometimes looks a class above, so this global stage is the perfect chance for him to show he can perform against the best. Netherlands will need all the runs he can manage. His medium-pace bowling is also useful and his experience under pressure in the professional game will be vital.There are more than 15 Australian cricketers at this World Cup. Tom Cooper is part of South Australia’s squad but by virtue of his Dutch mother is plying his trade for Netherlands when opportunities arise. He brings solidity, and a bit of Aussie toughness, to the top order and will be important in seeing off any early movement from the new ball. Has good memories of facing some of the West Indian bowlers he’ll come up against after making 160 for the Prime Minister’s XI at Canberra in 2009-10.If you listen to some watchers of county cricket, Alexei Kervezee will have a career with England. His first-class average is only 37, but that’s rising after he made 1190 Championship runs in 2010. At ODI level for Netherlands he has still to fulfil his talent, with an average of 26.56 and a top score of 92. If he really harbours ambitions of an international career above Associate level, the next month is the ideal shop window.

Netherlands seal four-wicket win

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Afghanistan’s dream of a place at the World Twenty20 was placed on standby after their defeat to Netherlands at Dubai International stadium.

Cricinfo staff12-Feb-2010
Scorecard
Mark Jonkman picked up two wickets in his second over as Afghanistan were held to 128 for 9 against Netherlands•International Cricket Council

Afghanistan’s dream of a place at the World Twenty20 was placed on standby after their defeat to Netherlands at Dubai International stadium. Put in to bat in an electric atmosphere with a crowd of well over 2,500, Afghanistan were restricted to 128 for 9, with several batsmen making starts but none able to push on for a big score. Alexei Kervezee and Eric Szwarczynski got the chase off to a flier, and Netherlands weathered a late fightback from Mohammad Nabi and Hamid Hassan to register a tense four-wicket win.Afghanistan had to be on top of their game in the field after posting such a modest total, but they let themselves down with several fielding and bowling lapses to allow Netherlands to take control. Mohammad Shahzad, the wicketkeeper, put down a chance in the first over of Netherlands’ chase, and the 18 extras given away did nothing to help Afghanistan’s attempts to restrict the scoring. In the tense closing moments of the game, Shapoor Zadran’s casual attempt at a catch let Ryan ten Doeschate, the last recognised batsman at the crease, off the hook and he lofted Hassan over mid on three balls later to seal the win.Zadran’s economical opening spells have been one of the vital ingredients in Afghanistan’s success in this tournament so far. He leaked runs against Ireland, but gave away just 21 runs in eight overs against Scotland and USA. Admittedly, he would have been frustrated by the missed chance off his third ball today, but he was unforgivably wayward thereafter, giving away four boundaries in his opening spell.Kervezee provided most of the momentum as Netherlands raced to 64 in under nine overs, but when he was bowled around his legs sweeping at Nabi, Afghanistan sniffed a chance for an unlikely comeback. Nabi held on to a stinging return catch to get rid of Szwarczynski in his next over, and when Bas Zuiderent was trapped in front by Samiullah Shenwari for two, Netherlands had slipped to 74 for 3. Daan van Bunge eased the pressure with a towering six over long off, but when he was dismissed attempting to repeat the shot, the nerves set in.Hassan has been a talisman for Afghanistan bowling at the death in this format, but without the weight of runs to put pressure on the opposition’s batsmen, his effectiveness was limited in this game. As a proven wicket-taker he was also introduced a little too late, when only 39 runs were required off 48 balls. After Peter Borren’s senseless run out, Hassan rattled Atse Buurman’s stumps with a searing yorker second ball, but ten Doeschate drew on his experience – and took advantage of a dropped catch – to guide Netherlands home with seven balls to spare.ten Doeschate was named Man of the Match for his efforts, which included Nabi’s wicket when Afghanistan batted. That dismissal was the third of the innings, after a double strike by Mark Jonkman, as Afghanistan slipped from 30 without loss to 32 for 3. Jonkman has built up a reputation as one of the quickest bowlers outside the Test arena, but he also exhibited a well-disguised slower ball to bowl Nowroz Mangal for 10.Confused calling then led to Mohammad Shahzad’s run out to reduce Afghanistan to 51 for 4. Raees Ahmadzai collected two fours in his 23 – the highest score of the innings – but after his dismissal wickets fell at regular intervals as Afghanistan slipped to 92 for 7. Ashraf aimed two massive strikes over long on to lift the score in the closing overs, but it was probably 20 runs short of the total Afghanistan needed.Netherlands will be buoyed by this result, which gives them two valuable points ahead of their second encounter against Ireland tomorrow. Afghanistan carried two points into this round courtesy of their win over Ireland in the group stage, so after today’s loss have a winner-takes-all game against UAE, who lost to Ireland.

Bowlers put Vidarbha on top despite Abhimanyu Easwaran half-century

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Rajat Patidar, batting on 42, will be the key on the third day

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Oct-2025Despite Abhimanyu Easwaran’s half-century, Vidarbha’s bowlers put their side on top on the second day in the Irani Cup match against Rest of India. At stumps, Rest of India were 142 for 5, trailing Vidarbha’s first-innings total of 342 by 200. Rajat Patidar, batting on 42, will be the key going into the third day.Vidarbha resumed the day on 280 for 5 with Atharva Taide batting on 118. But their innings did not last long. Yash Thakur and Harsh Dubey fell in successive overs to leave them on 295 for 7.Darshan Nalkande hung around with Taide and the two added a crucial 37 to take the side to 332. Gurnoor Brar broke the stand by having Nalkande caught behind for 20. The end was swift as Saransh Jain picked the remaining two wickets in one over. He bowled Taide for 143 and, two balls later, had Aditya Thakare caught off Ruturaj Gaikwad.Abhimanyu and Aryan Juyal gave Rest of India a steady start of 52 before Nalkande trapped Juyal lbw. Yash Dhull came out with an attacking intent and hit two fours off Dubey, the second of those via an outside edge. But it was Dubey who had the last laugh when he had Dhull stumped for 11.Abhimanyu and Patidar took the side past 100. Abhimanyu brought up a half-century via an inside-edged four off Parth Rekhade before getting lbw in the same over. That triggered a mini-collapse. Gaikwad hit Thakur for back-to-back fours but was caught at deep-backward point off the following delivery. Ishan Kishan did not last long either, Rekhade having him lbw for 1.That left Rest of India at 124 for 5. Patidar and Manav Suthar, though, ensured there were no more setbacks till stumps.

Is it finally Christopher Nkunku time? Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino issues injury update on £52m forward and Romeo Lavia ahead of Man Utd test

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Mauricio Pochettino expects Christopher Nkunku and Romeo Lavia to be available for Chelsea in the near future.

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Blues still waiting on pair to make debutsForward and midfielder struggling with injuriesWill not be available for match against Man UtdWHAT HAPPENED?

Despite positive updates prior to the most recent international break, Nkunku and Lavia are yet to make their debuts for the Blues since joining from RB Leipzig and Southampton, respectively, in the summer. Nkunku sustained an injury during a pre-season friendly, while Lavia has been struggling with an ankle injury since his move to Stamford Bridge.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT POCHETTINO SAID

Pochettino said Nkunku would not be available for Wednesday's match against Manchester United, adding: "Hope soon. He is not involved tomorrow… I think it is like we always tell you, it's about assessing day by day. Sometimes we become excited when we see on the pitch and we want to have the player as soon as possible but I think we need to be careful and of course when he is ready he is going to be really strong."

Asked about Lavia's prospects of being named in the matchday squad, Pochettino said: "Romeo is doing well also but like Christopher is not going to be involved."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Chelsea are eagerly awaiting both players' first competitive appearances in west London after their big-money moves. Lavia was snapped up for an initial £53 million ($68m) from Southampton after he snubbed interest from Liverpool, while forward Nkunku was bought for the same price from German side Leipzig.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR NKUNKU AND LAVIA?

The pair will miss out on Chelsea's midweek trip to face United at Old Trafford and it is not yet known if they will be available when the Blues make the trip to Merseyside to take on Everton in the Premier League on Sunday.

‘Needs to understand the game better’ – Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino sets Mykhalio Mudryk challenge after 21st goalless outing from £89m winger

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Mauricio Pochettino admits that Mykhailo Mudryk “needs to understand the game better” after a 21st goalless outing for Chelsea from the Ukrainian.

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Ukrainian signed in January windowYet to score competitive goalStill learning in English footballWHAT HAPPENED?

The Blues invested £89 million ($110m) worth of faith in the jet-heeled winger back in the January transfer window when beating London rivals Arsenal to his signature and putting a big-money deal in place with Shakhtar Donetsk.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT THEY SAID

Mudryk has struggled to get to grips with the Premier League, and posted another blank in Chelsea’s goalless draw with Bournemouth, and Pochettino has told of the learning process that the 22-year-old is still going through: “He is improving. He still needs to learn in the Premier League, it's very fast. He needs to understand the game better, try to be more connected sometimes with the team. We need to give the time and tools for him to improve during the season.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Chelsea did create chances against Bournemouth, but failed to take any of them. Pochettino added on his side’s collective attacking faults: “We need to be tough in the way that we are trying. We need to prove our efficiency in front of goal. We need to be calm also but these circumstances are not always easy for the players. We cannot blame anyone. In the last 10 minutes, our full-backs and some defensive players wanted to do the jobs of the offensive players. Sometimes we couldn't risk the point. I prefer that to being relaxed and calm. They care a lot about the game and situation. The effort was really good.”

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Chelsea, who have splashed out £1 billion (£1.2bn) on new recruits over the last 12 months, have now failed to score in back-to-back Premier League games and have collected just five points from as many fixtures – leaving them 14th in the table.

The GOAT debate is over… for now! Winners and losers as Messi's Argentina overcome Mbappe's France in greatest World Cup final ever

by h716a5.icu Uncategorized

Lionel Messi scored twice while Kylian Mbappe hit a hat-trick in a breath-takingly beautiful 3-3 draw in Lusail that was decided on penalties

Quite simply the greatest game in World Cup history. Maybe the greatest game ever played. Argentina's shootout victory over France encapsulated everything we love about this sport.

Indeed, it felt fitting that Sergio Aguero was down there on the pitch celebrating with all of his former Argentina team-mates because this was 'Drink it in', 'Non ci credo!', 'Football, bloody hell' and 'Dennis Bergkamp!' all rolled into one.

It had everything you'd want from a final. And more. Even things you didn't dare imagine you might see before kick-off. It didn't just live up to its billing, it surpassed it. Spectacularly.

Lionel Messi scored twice and Kylian Mbappe hit a hat-trick in an insane 3-3 draw, but it wasn't just about the biggest names. This glorious spectacle was testament to the talent and character of every single player that set foot on the field in Lusail.

There was a demonstration in the art of wing play for an hour from Angel Di Maria, a goalkeeping masterclass from Emiliano Martinez, and then some inspired substitutions from the two coaches, Didier Deschamps and Lionel Scaloni.

And that wasn't the half of it.

GOAL runs through the winners and losers from a match that will never, ever be forgotten…

GettyWINNER: Angel Di Maria

Messi wasn't the only player in the Argentina squad with a compelling World Cup story arc stretching back to the agony of the 2014 finals in Brazil.

Angel Di Maria, remember, had suffered more than most, literally, having seen his campaign ended at the quarter-final stage by injury.

It was also feared that he'd miss this final too, having seen just eight minutes of game time in the knockout stages. Indeed, he spent the entirety of the semi-final win over Croatia sitting on the bench.

His inclusion in the starting line-up, then, caused anxiety among the Argentine press pack. They feared he might not be match fit, they suspected Scaloni would have been better served by employing a 3-5-2 formation.

They need not have worried. Di Maria was ready, willing and able to provoke panic every single time he picked up possession.

He did a number on Ousmane Dembele to win Argentina's penalty, finished off a stunning counter-attack to make it 2-0 and even threw in a nutmeg on Aurelien Tchouameni for good measure.

Messi will understandably dominate the headlines, but he'll be the first to acknowledge the role Di Maria played in winning him a Copa America and a World Cup.

Indeed, one wonders had the veteran been fit enough to finish the game, would France have even made it to extra time?…

AdvertisementGettyLOSER: The GOAT debate

It's finally over, right? Even Piers Morgan and the rest of the Cristiano Ronaldo's supporters will surely now admit that Lionel Messi is the greatest of all time?…

Probably not, actually, but who cares anymore? Messi certainly won't. If he ever did. His place at the pinnacle of his profession is now beyond dispute.

It has been for some time, of course, but there were always those annoying allegations that he'd never done it for Argentina.

Well, in the space of 18 months, he's lifted the Copa America and the World Cup, and been the best player in both.

Not only that, he's been involved in 21 World Cup goals in 26 appearances – both of those figures are records.

He's also the only man to have scored in the group stage, last 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of the same tournament. What's more, he was man of the match in every single game in the knockout stage.

He's 35, for crying out loud! This is super-human. This is Muhammad Ali in the Rumble in the Jungle. This is Michael Jordan in Game 6. This is Tiger Woods at Augusta. This is Rafael Nadal in Melbourne…

There is simply nothing left for Messi to achieve. Nothing left to say about him. He's now immortal. He's now the GOAT.

Getty ImagesWINNER: Lionel Scaloni

Lionel Scaloni found it difficult to put into words what making the final meant to him. Imagine what he's feeling now.

At 44 years of age, he's just become the youngest manager to win the World Cup since his compatriot Cesar Luis Menotti (39), and he's done it a year after leading Argentina to the Copa America – the nation's first major international trophy at senior level for 28 years.

Having Messi helps, but let's not forget how many coaches tried and failed to get the best out of the little genius. And during his peak years too.

What Scaloni has done, then, is truly remarkable. He inherited a group of players left devastated by their last-16 elimination by France at Russia 2018. On Sunday, he got the better of Didier Deschamps in an epic encounter through a combination of tactics and sheer force of will.

Penalties are obviously a lottery but Scaloni, just as he did against the Netherlands in the quarter-finals, revived his side with some crucial substitutions (particularly the introduction of Leandro Paredes) that saw the momentum shift back in Argentina's favour.

The camaraderie he has instilled in this side is truly remarkable. He has achieved that all-to-rare feat of creating a club spirit in an international set-up.

He was by no means a popular appointment four years ago; now, though, he's the second-most popular Lionel in Argentina!

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Getty ImagesLOSER: Ousmane Dembele

Gary Neville obviously disagrees, but it's hard not to feel at least some sympathy for Ousmane Dembele.

He arrived in Qatar brimming with belief thanks to a welcome renaissance at Barcelona. It was even thought that he might prove to be one of the players of the tournament, given most opposition sides would likely focus on the threat posed by France's other flying winger…

Dembele, though, underwhelmed throughout, managing just two assists in seven outings. The final proved particularly painful. Illness or injury may have played a part, but Dembele was dreadful.

He touched the ball just 17 times, entered the Argentine third just once and gifted Messi the opener from the penalty spot after clumsily bundling over Di Maria in the area, after being fooled by his fellow winger on the touchline.

His substitution on the 41st minute was manager Didier Deschamps showing him some mercy.

Dembele is still only 25, of course. There is still time for him to realise his undoubted world-class potential, but it may take him more time to recover from the mental scars from this tournament than the numerous injuries he suffered over the years.

Cano marca, e Vasco goleia o Porto Real em jogo-treino

by h79snht.top Uncategorized

MatériaMais Notícias

Na primeira atividade com bola simulando uma partida sob o comando do técnico Abel Braga, o Vasco goleou o Porto Real, da Série C do Campeonato Carioca, por 4 a 0 no CT do Amarante. Germán Cano, único reforço do Cruz-Maltino até o momento, marcou um dos gols em lance de bola rolando. Yago Pikachu, de falta, e Ribamar, duas vezes, sendo um deles de pênalti, completaram o resultado.

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A atividade foi fechada para a imprensa e o clube não divulgou a escalação utilizada por Abel. O que já se tem certeza é que Cano está fora da estreia do Carioca. O Vasco segue impedido de registrar jogadores e o nome do atleta só podia sair no Boletim Informativo Diário (BID) da CBF até esta segunda.

O Vasco segue a preparação para a temporada nesta terça-feira, com treino na parte da manhã no CT. A estreia no Carioca é no próximo domingo, às 16h, contra o Bangu, em São Januário.