Sheffield United captain Anel Ahmedhodzic has criticised Rio Ferdinand for his "clearly biased" coverage of the penalty incident against West Ham.
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Ahmedhodzic calls Ferdinand 'biased'Ferdinand believes West Ham should have had a penaltyClaims Ahmedhodzic pulls Bowen to the groundWHAT HAPPENED?
Oli McBurnie's late penalty in the 103rd minute gave the Blades a 2-2 draw with the Hammers at Bramall Lane on Sunday, and West Ham manager David Moyes was incensed with several refereeing and video assistant rulings. Essentially, it was a potential foul on Jarrod Bowen as Ahmedhodzic and the West Ham attacker grappled inside Sheffield's box. The 24-year-old Bosnian lost sight of the ball as he wrapped two hands around the England international, which caused the pair to go down. The West Ham players immediately called for a penalty, but referee Michael Salisbury decided that there was not enough in the incident to warrant a spot-kick.
TNT Sports pundits Joe Cole and Rio Ferdinand both stated that West Ham ought to have received a penalty after the game. However, Ahmedhodzic retaliated against the two last night, calling the former West Ham academy graduates "clearly biased."
AdvertisementWHAT AHMEDHODZIC SAID
In a video shared by TNT Sports on , the Blades captain said: "Clearly biased. You can see in the unedited footage where he pulls me down with him which makes me lose sight of the ball. Obviously, it’s been edited to make it look like a pen to West Ham."
GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Moyes was also left bemused when McBurnie was found to have been fouled by Alphonse Areola, even though the Hammers keeper was helped off the pitch as he sustained cuts on his nose and mouth, which allowed the Blades to equalise in the 103rd minute. For the Blades, the draw meant they breached the double-digit point-tally, becoming the last team to do so this season. West Ham, meanwhile, have fallen further behind Spurs in the battle for fifth and now sit within striking distance of Manchester United.
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DID YOU KNOW?
The goal by McBurnie was the latest on-record goal scored in the Premier League, overtaking Dirk Kuyt's penalty for Liverpool against Arsenal in April 2011 scored at 101:48 as per OptaJoe.
As part of Tottenham Hotspur's summer spending thus far, new boss Ange Postecoglou notably sanctioned the permanent capture of Sweden international, Dejan Kulusveski, with the 23-year-old signing on a £25m deal after spending the last 18 months in north London.
The wing wizard was originally snapped up by former boss Antonio Conte on loan from Juventus back in January 2022, with the Lilywhites having opted to bring the forward to England alongside teammate, Rodrigo Bentancur.
While Conte – and ex-sporting director Fabio Paratici – are no longer at the helm at N17, it looks as if the Premier League side are still scouring the Serie A market in order to find possible recruits, having already sealed a deal for Empoli goalkeeper, Guglielmo Vicario earlier in the window.
Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…
Postecoglou and co could again look to Italy to try and secure a repeat of their Kulusevski masterclass, amid reports that the club are interested in Juve full-back, Andrea Cambiaso.
Who is Andrea Cambiaso?
According to a report from Italian outlet, Tuttosport last week, Tottenham have been named alongside Nottingham Forest as the clubs who are interested in signing the 23-year-old this summer, with the former Italy U21 international having spent last season on loan at Bologna.
As per the piece, the Old Lady are looking for a fee in the region of €20m (£17m) if they are to part ways with the former Genoa ace over the coming weeks, with the emerging talent having yet to make a first-team appearance for his parent club since making the move to Turin last year.
andrea cambiaso
While Cambiaso is yet to try his hand outside of Serie A – much like Kulusveski prior to joining Spurs – the promising defender could prove to be another wise investment as far as Daniel Levy is concerned.
How good is Andrea Cambiaso?
Having splashed the cash on Kulusevski of late, the Lilywhites seemingly liked what they saw from the wide man over the last year-and-a-half, with the one-time Parma ace having warranted that strong show of faith.
Despite enduring a difficult 2022/23 campaign, the 6 foot 1 dynamo was still able to contribute a respectable haul of two goals and seven assists in 30 Premier League games, having previously registered 13 goal involvements in just 18 appearances in the competition in the tail-end of the previous season.
Lauded as "a real player" by pundit Paul Robinson, the hope will be that Kulusevski can kick on again next term now that his future is secure, with the Stockholm native having clearly shown more than just glimpses of his quality in a Tottenham shirt to date.
Dejan Kulusevski
While making the transition to life in the Premier League from Serie A may not be easy, Kulusevski has shown the benefits of looking to the Italian market, hence why snapping up Cambiaso – who has been "on fire" of late according to talent scout Jacek Kulig – could prove a wise move.
The Juve ace notably registered three assists in the league last season during his spell at Bologna as a marker of his creative threat, having also chipped in defensively after averaging 2.6 tackles and interceptions per game – a greater record than Ben Davies achieved, for instance, for Spurs (1.5 tackles and interceptions per game).
A player who is comfortable on the ball and can easily beat a man down the flanks, the £31k-per-week machine notably ranks in the top 15% among his European peers for pass completion, as well as in the top 14% for successful take-ons.
Such traits could well help the Genoa native slot in nicely into Postecoglou's attack-minded, 4-3-3 formation, with the hope being that he can replicate Kulusevski's impact at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Tom Harrison, the chief executive of the ECB, has given the clearest indication yet that Ben Stokes could be back in England’s Ashes squad sooner rather than later
Andrew Miller07-Nov-2017Tom Harrison, the chief executive of the ECB, has given the clearest indication yet that Ben Stokes could be back in England’s plans sooner rather than later, after admitting that the board was keen to “rehabilitate reputations on the field” in the wake of Stokes’ arrest in Bristol in September.With just over a fortnight to go until the first Test at Brisbane on November 23, Harrison conceded that the ECB had been forced into a “holding pattern” as it awaits news as to whether Stokes will be charged by Avon and Somerset Police for his alleged actions outside Mbargo nightclub on September 25.And though a board spokesman sought to downplay rumours, emanating from the Australian media, that a police update could come as soon as Wednesday, it seems increasingly clear that England are refusing to discount a recall for their star allrounder, who was made unavailable for selection after appearing to be caught on camera throwing punches at two men in a street brawl.”What happened was wrong, there’s no question about that,” said Harrison, speaking at the Deltatre Sport Industry Breakfast Club in London. “You don’t want to see your sport in that position and there are consequences of that. We’re in a holding pattern at the minute.”There’s a process with the police and then a disciplinary process. As you’ll appreciate, these things take time and that’s the pattern we’re in at the moment.”The question of Stokes’ availability has been made ever more pressing for England’s tour party following confirmation that his designated replacement, Steven Finn, has been ruled out of the rest of the tour after sustaining a knee injury.Finn suffered a tear to his left knee cartilage while batting on the first day of middle practice, and was unable to recover despite an injection. England have called up Tom Curran as a replacement but, along with the impending arrival of the England Lions squad to shadow the senior squad, there is still a need for clarity as they formulate their Ashes plans.With an internal ECB disciplinary process underway, but taking its lead from the police investigation, further reports suggest that – should Stokes escape police charges – he could be facing a two-Test suspension, which would make him available for the third Test at Perth, starting on December 14. However, Harrison refused to be drawn on any timeframes.”It’s complicated,” Harrison said. “We can’t go into any kind of detail about police matters, but there are serious issues that the game has to face and we have to get it right.”We have to get that balance between censure and support absolutely right. I think cricket’s response to this will show the value of the game in the best light.”Having been through a difficult moment, I think we’ll see the very best of cricket come out. We are blessed with a group of outstanding characters in the men and women’s game. They are great ambassadors for the game and this is very much an isolated incident and an aberration.”I think we will quickly recover to a place where the game is seen as doing its best to rehabilitate reputations on the field, and try to get Ben and Alex [Hales] back to a place where fans are really behind them, trying to do what they do best.”
Celtic are set for a 'crucial' period of the transfer window as Brendan Rodgers looks to acquire new talent and retain key assets at Parkhead, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
What's the latest news involving Celtic?
The Hoops have been active in the market as Rodgers looks to maintain dominance in Scotland alongside making strides in the Champions League and have brought in six arrivals in the form of Gustaf Lagerbielke, Odin Thiago Holm, Maik Nawrocki, Marco Tilio, Kwon Hyeok-kyu and Yang Hyun-jun, as per Transfermarkt.
Celtic have started the Scottish Premiership campaign in dominant fashion following their domestic clean sweep last term, defeating Ross County 4-2 and claiming a 3-1 victory over Aberdeen at Pittodrie in their opening two league matches, as per Sky Sports.
Retaining key assets will be an important part of Celtic's summer transfer business and the club have moved to open talks with Reo Hatate and Liel Abada over extending their deals at Parkhead, as per The Daily Record.
Club captain Callum McGregor, star striker Kyogo Furuhashi and Japan international Daizen Maeda have all penned extensions at the Celtic that will tie them to the club for the long-term future.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, transfer guru Romano has stated that Celtic will place importance on keeping their best players at Parkhead alongside making further inroads to secure arrivals in the latter stages of the window.
Romano stated: “The next few days and weeks are going to be important for Celtic to keep their players at the club. This is crucial, and they know that after the Starfelt deal with Celta Vigo, it’s important for them to keep the players at the club, and then we will see the next moves at the end of the window.”
Who could Celtic sign and who could leave the club this summer?
Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph has taken to Twitter X to detail that Celtic are keen on Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Daniel Podence, stating the following: "Celtic are keen on Wolves winger Daniel Podence. He has one year left on his contract & wasn’t included in the squad last night. Wolves want around £12m, but it’s understood Celtic see room for negotiation, if they make an approach."
According to The Northern Echo, the Hoops are believed to be readying a 'formal approach' for Newcastle United outcast Ryan Fraser, who is out of the picture at St James' Park alongside Republic of Ireland international Jeff Hendrick and Isaac Hayden.
Newcastle United forward Ryan Fraser.
Fraser has been training with Newcastle United's second string and Celtic boss Rodgers has identified him as a 'viable target' to strengthen the wide areas.
Nantes full-back Quentin Merlin is also on the radar at Parkhead and has been scouted by Celtic on several occasions; however, it is said that the French youth international will cost in the region of £7 million, according to Mailplus.
Tottenham Hotspur defender Eric Dier is reportedly a target for Celtic, though they will have to fend off competition from the likes of Crystal Palace, AS Monaco, Sporting Clube de Portugal and Saudi Pro League outfit Al Nassr, as per 90min.
A second ODI loss to Zimbabwe in the ongoing series, Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews conceded, has put his captaincy under significant pressure, and he hinted that he is unsure if he will lead the side in the next World Cup
Andrew Fidel Fernando09-Jul-2017Angelo Mathews is unsure whether he will be Sri Lanka’s captain at the 2019 World Cup, after leading his side to a second loss against Zimbabwe in the ongoing five-match series. The defeat, Mathews conceded, put his captaincy under significant pressure. His comments came after Zimbabwe chased down a revised target of 219 – deduced via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method – in the fourth ODI, after Sri Lanka had made 300.”There’s a lot of pressure on all of us, and as a captain there is a lot of pressure on me as well,” Mathews said after the loss in Hambantota. “In these games, where our batsmen have done well, our bowlers didn’t perform well – both in this match, and in the first one we lost. Our fielding also hasn’t been good at times. Against Zimbabwe, we need to play better than this. If we score 300 and still lose here, there is a big shortcoming.”Mathews’ record as ODI captain since the last World Cup isn’t exactly awful: the team has won 12 matches to the 15 they have lost under his watch. However, during that time, their only series wins under Mathews have been against West Indies at home, and Ireland, away. They have lost one away series apiece to England and New Zealand, and one home series to Australia and Pakistan each. Besides, there is now a risk of losing a home series to 11th-ranked Zimbabwe, who have tied the ongoing series 2-2.”I don’t know if I will be going to the 2019 World Cup as captain,” Mathews said. “Our batsmen are doing well, but sometimes there’s no consistency in our fielding – we don’t do well sometimes. But with the players that we have, we can win these matches. We lost these matches because our bowling wasn’t good. We have to solve this problem quickly.”If Sri Lanka perform poorly in the forthcoming ODIs against India (in August and September), there is also the chance of the team not being able to gain automatic entry for the 2019 World Cup. At present, Sri Lanka are on the eighth position, with 92 rating points. They must stay ahead of West Indies, who are currently on 78 rating points, in order to avoid going through a separate qualification procedure for the next World Cup.Considering this was the second instance in the series when Sri Lanka failed to defend 300 or more, Mathews was forthright in stating his discontent over the lack of sting in the performance of the bowlers.”After scoring 300, how many times can you lose a game?” You know, we had enough runs on the board. [It’s] unfortunate the rain had to intervene, but still, we had the bowling attack to defend it. The first ten overs we gave away a lot of runs, also the rain intervened and the last ten overs we didn’t bowl that well.”We actually didn’t know the rain might come in, but the wicket was extremely dry this morning. So we all thought it’s going to start slowing more and more once the day goes on. We saw in the last game also that the ball started turning after the first 20 overs, in the second half especially. So, I thought if we bat first and bat well, we have the spinners to defend it.”Mathews also made the point that Sri Lanka’s attack was a diminished one. Nuwan Pradeep, who has recently been the best bowler in the side, picked up a niggle in the third ODI, and is being rested in order to ensure he can be fit for the four Test matches over the next eight weeks. Suranga Lakmal was also made unavailable by illness.”In our bowling we are facing problems – Nuwan Pradeep and Suranga Lakmal are injured,” Mathews said. “We have to manage our bowlers’ workloads as well. We’ve got a lot of cricket coming up. We have to balance managing workloads and winning the matches in front of us.”
Jonny Bairstow made his second century of the Royal London series to help England to a resounding victory over West Indies
George Dobell at the Ageas Bowl29-Sep-2017 Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJonny Bairstow made his second century of the Royal London series to help England to a resounding victory over West Indies.Bairstow, who was promoted to open the batting following a spell of poor form that saw Jason Roy dropped, followed his maiden ODI century at Old Trafford in the first match of this series with an accomplished innings of 141 from 114 balls. It was the highest ODI score by an England batsman in an ODI against West Indies and the first time an England player has scored two centuries in the same bilateral ODI series against them.With the recalled Roy also taking his opportunity – he followed his innings of 84 at The Oval with an innings of 96 here – it suggested Alex Hales could face a prolonged period outside the team. Hales is not currently considered available for selection following a night out in Bristol.The competition for places in the England squad is more intense than anything they experienced on the pitch at the Ageas Bowl. Set a modest 289 for victory, they eased to a nine-wicket win with an eye-watering 12 overs remaining. That sealed a 4-0 series win and stretched England’s record against West Indies to 16 out of their last 17 ODIs.While Roy and Bairstow’s opening partnership of 156 in 21.2 overs will probably gain the plaudits after a disappointingly one-sided game, the key period arguably occurred much earlier. From the moment West Indies went more than 20 overs in mid-innings without hitting a boundary it became apparent they would set an inadequate total.But for a brief flurry from Chris Gayle, when he thrashed 34 in six successive deliveries from Jake Ball, West Indies were oddly passive for much of their innings bat and allowed England’s spinners – Man of the Series Moeen Ali and legspinner Adil Rashid – to bowl their 20 overs for a cost of just 78 runs. West Indies went from the final ball of the ninth over to the fifth ball of the 31st without hitting a boundary.The day had started poorly for England. With Ben Stokes’ immediate future uncertain, the importance of Chris Woakes to England has grown further. So it was far from ideal that he reported some stiffness in his lower back after the match at The Oval and was rested as a consequence. There are currently no plans for a scan but England will be anxiously monitoring his progress over the next few days.In his place, Tom Curran came into the side for an ODI debut and produced a quietly impressive performance. Most notably, he demonstrated admirable skill and composure in producing a perfectly delivered back-of-the-hand slower ball to deceive and dismiss Gayle in full flow. It will prove a memorable maiden ODI wicket in a performance that may well have propelled him above Ball when it comes to future selection.Ball found, like many before him, that bowling to Gayle in the Powerplay is no easy task. Despite starting with a maiden to Gayle, who didn’t get off the mark until his 15th ball, the final three deliveries of Ball’s third over were all thrashed – to say they were driven would hardly reflect the terrific force with which the ball was struck – for six by Gayle, while the first three of his fourth conceded two more sixes and a four to the same batsman. In all, Ball conceded six of the 10 sixes hit by West Indies during the innings.Also deserving of credit for the Gayle dismissal was Liam Plunkett. Keeping his eye on the ball while running back from mid-off, Plunkett clung on to an outstanding diving catch to capitalise on Gayle’s mistimed drive. A few overs later Plunkett took an equally good reaction chance off his own bowling – pouncing low and to his left, he clung on to a mistimed drive – to account for Kyle Hope, who came into the side in place of the injured Evin Lewis.That wicket brought Shai Hope and Samuels together. And, while the pair were rarely troubled in adding 57, the fact that it took them 16 overs played into England’s hands. Samuels’s miserable series culminated in an innings of 32 from 60 balls with just one boundary and meant he finished the series averaging 15.25 at a strike-rate of 49.19. By the time he ran past one from Moeen Ali that slid on, it was hard to gauge whether it was England or West Indies supporters who were happier.Shai Hope, at least, eventually found his form. Having not hit a boundary for the first 77 balls of his innings, he then hit three in succession as he started to anticipate Curran’s variations.Sunil Ambris, brought into the side in place of Jason Holder who returned to Barbados for the funeral of his uncle, also looked an accomplished, aggressive player. With Ashley Nurse, who hit 31 from 12 balls, he added some impetus at the end of the innings to partially compensate for the overs used up by Hope and Samuels. But, on another decent track, the West Indies total always looked a little short of par.Not for a moment did Bairstow and Roy appear troubled. And, if it was the crisp striking that was a feature of the latter part of Bairstow’s innings, it was his brilliant running between the wickets that left West Indies’ stand-in captain, Jason Mohammed, scratching his head. Joe Root completed proceedings by hitting the final ball of the match for six and, in the process, becoming the third-fastest man in history to reach 4000 ODI runs.The result completes the longest international season in England’s history. In the 147 days since May 5, England have won 18 of the international games they have played (with one no-result), including Test and ODI series victories over South Africa and West Indies. All of which sounds excellent. But the failure to win the Champions Trophy and lingering fears for the future of Stokes cast significant shadows over those results.West Indies, meanwhile, clearly have a great deal of work in front of them if they are to gain qualification to the World Cup.
Brett Lee is probably the only Australian who has welcomed the retirements of McGrath and Warne and is thriving in an environment where he is the alpha male
Ian Bell had a disastrous 2017, resigning from the Warwickshire captaincy and overlooked by England for the Ashes, but he began a new season in seductive fashion
George Dobell14-Apr-2018 ScorecardIt is centuries, not 70s, that grab the attention of selectors.But on a day when only one other man could reach 30, Ian Bell provided a reminder of his considerable qualities with an innings of charm and substance to help his side to the brink of a third batting point in testing conditions. For a side that managed only 19 such points in the 2017 season – the fewest in either division – it represents a decent effort.It is, you would have thought, too late for Bell to make a return to England’s Test side. He is 36 now and, while it is probably true that he has never been satisfactorily replaced, selectors tend to look to younger men for solutions. Whoever the new head selector turns out to be – it is understood Mick Newell is in the final two and a decision will be announced in the next few days – it will probably require a barrage of three-figure scores from Bell if he is to convince them to look beyond the likes of Joe Clarke and Liam Livingstone.But context is important. And, in conditions where the ball moved in the air and off the pitch, Bell demonstrated the technique and temperament to flourish against an attack containing India’s Ishant Sharma. Tim Ambrose, who was badly missed in the slips when he had five, was the only other man to pass 25.It is easy to be seduced by Bell in such form. The cover drives he unfurled off Stuart Whittingham, a fast bowler with a hint of Dale Steyn about him, and the on drives he pushed off Ollie Robinson were the sort to have spectators purring with pleasure. And while it is true he did not hit any of his 14 boundaries off Sharma (he took six off Robinson and five off Whittingham), Bell played him off relatively comfortably. As David Wiese put it: “He looked as if he was batting on a completely different wicket.”The selectors would have loved Bell to have given them an excuse to pick him for the Ashes tour. But a campaign that produced just 596 runs (at an average of 25.91), without a century, gave them little opportunity. He did look more fluent than at any time last year, however, and will have noted the struggles of James Vince to cement a position. It might also be noted that he started the first-class season with a century – albeit against Durham MCCU – which is more than he managed last year.Ian Bell steers through the covers•Getty ImagesPerhaps more pertinently, he also gave Warwickshire a strong platform in a game that, weather permitting, could yet prove intriguing. Despite all the talk of a new era at Edgbaston, it was notable that it was two men in their mid-30s who provide the bulk of the runs. Ambrose, out of form at the end of the season, also produced an innings of character against his old club, but was honest enough to admit afterwards that Bell’s innings was “a class above” anything else on show.But for Ambrose and Bell, Warwickshire would surely have struggled to register even a single bonus point. With Sharma bowling beautifully – hitting a nagging line and length and nipping the ball around – and Wiese jumping wide of the crease, angling the ball in and gaining sharp movement away, batting was desperately tough for the first half of the day. Will Rhodes shaped up nicely but edge to slip, Dominic Sibley was caught behind trying to withdraw the bat and Jonathan Trott was beaten by a beauty that drew the stroke and left him sharply. With Adam Hose playing across one, Sam Hain leaving another and Bell finally undone by one that drew the stroke but nipped away to take the edge, Warwickshire were 147 for six and in some trouble.But Sussex will kick themselves for their errors. Not only did the dropped chance – it was Harry Finch, at slip, who put down Ambrose off Wiese – prove crucial, but they donated 16 runs from no-balls and 12 from wides. In a low-scoring contest, that could prove defining. Both Chris Jordan, who helped bowl Warwickshire out for 87 here four years ago in similar conditions, and Jofra Archer, who are currently non-playing members of their IPL sides, were sorely missed.As it was, Ambrose led the way as Warwickshire added an unbroken 62 for the tenth-wicket with the obdurate Chris Wright. Now aged 35 and one of many Warwickshire men to find himself out of contract at the end of the season, this is a big year for Ambrose. But he has shown, again and again, that he relishes such situations and whoever Warwickshire bring in as his successor – they are sure to be in the market for another keeper – may face a year or two on the sidelines yet.
The new coach hasn't officially started yet, but there's plenty to keep an eye on in this first camp since her hiring was announced
The first U.S. women's national team camp of the Emma Hayes era is here. Well, kind of. Hayes won't actually be leading the team; she's still got a Chelsea campaign to worry about. Still, this is the first camp with some sort of direction since Vlatko Andonovski's departure and there's finally some certainty around the USWNT after the World Cup disaster.
The U.S. will face China in a pair of friendlies, with interim boss Twila Kilgore remaining in charge. She'll hold onto her post until Hayes' arrival ahead of the Olympics and, in the months until then, the USWNT will be building and building towards their new coach finally joining up.
That makes these games the first of several friendlies the U.S. will play pre-Hayes, but her fingerprints will likely be all over whatever the USWNT does. The camp is already an interesting one, with several veteran faces being left out of the squad, while several young stars have been handed opportunities to impress the new coach, wherever she'll be watching from.
But what will Hayes be looking for? What sort of things will she be keeping an eye on on her way to the Olympics? GOAL has you covered…
GettyThe goalkeeper situation
Alyssa Naeher isn't here, which is a clear signal that the USWNT is starting to plan for the future.
Naeher has been the starter since the 2019 World Cup cycle but, at 35, her time is coming to an end. The bad news is that there's no clear-cut successor, but the good news is that there are plenty of good goalkeepers in the pool.
Casey Murphy, Jane Campbell and Aubrey Kingsbury are the three called into this camp, with the first two being particularly intriguing.
The 27-year-old Murphy has gotten some experience, earning 16 total caps and going to a World Cup, but has never really been the starter. She has started three games so far this year, though, indicating that the pre-Hayes regime saw her as next up.
Campbell, meanwhile, joins the team fresh off a NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year win. Campbell was outstanding for the Houston Dash this season, nearly setting a record for fewest goals conceded, but has just seven camps to her name. She was on the roster for the 2021 Olympics but seems due for another shot after a strong season.
As for Kingsbury, at 32, she doesn't seem like she'll be a long-term successor, although she could be the bridge through the Olympics next summer. The same could be said for Naeher, though, who you wouldn't write off ahead of one last tournament.
Overall, it's an interesting position with plenty of good choices, and Hayes will be keeping a close eye on the keepers as she prepares to choose a direction to go with when it comes to her No.1.
AdvertisementGettyAn inexperienced midfield
The three most experienced midfielders in the squad have 309 caps between them. The bottom five? Just 11. Knowing that, we're going to learn something new about several key players in the pool.
We'll start with Savannah DeMelo and Sam Coffey, the two we've actually seen before. DeMelo responded to her World Cup challenge in a big way and, despite having only six caps, feels like she's a part of this group. Coffey, meanwhile, is pushing for a spot, having been ignored for long stretches last cycle. Can she be the No.6 the USWNT has been looking for?
And then the final three: Korbin Albert, Olivia Moultrie and Jenna Nighswonger.
Albert joined PSG a year ago and has started to break through, while Nighswonger is fresh off an NWSL title with Gotham FC. All eyes will be on Moultrie, though, the Portland Thorns teenage prodigy who seems destined to play a part for the U.S. sooner or later.
Which of those three can join Coffey and DeMelo to push for an Olympic spot? It's one of the more fun positional situations in the U.S. pool.
GettyAnother go for Fishel and Shaw
We saw a hell of a lot from Mia Fishel and Jaedyn Shaw last camp. Both newcomers scored goals to open their USWNT accounts, and the hope is that they were the first of many.
Now's the tough part. Can they do it again?
Fishel, of course, already has a relationship with Hayes as she plays for her at Chelsea. Hayes won't need to learn too much about Fishel's game, but she will learn about how she handles stepping into this USWNT environment. The international level is a totally different game and Fishel, who has scored goals in bunches in her young club career, has to prove she can carry that over.
As for Shaw, she faces insane competition on the wings, but can you really bet against her? The Olympics may come a bit too soon but, then again, maybe they don't. A strong camp here would put her right into contention.
Fishel and Shaw are the two youngsters with the best chance of breaking through by next summer, and both can take a big step forward with a strong camp this month.
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Getty ImagesA Morgan-less attack
Speaking of Fishel, it seems she'll get minutes as the starting striker. For years, those minutes have belonged pretty exclusively to Alex Morgan. She's not in camp though. What will that look like?
It's one of the biggest storylines of this camp, Morgan's exclusion. It doesn't mean the writing is on the wall with her, as she very well could be back in the picture by the Olympics, particularly if the young players don't prove they're ready. However, we haven't seen a USWNT without Morgan in over a decade, so it's hard to imagine what it even looks like anymore.
Her absence will leave a leadership void, particularly among the forwards. Who steps up there? Her creativity and composure, despite her goal drought, could leave a hole atop the field. Which striker can fill that?
Fishel, Sophia Smith or Ashley Hatch will be playing in that spot, and all three have different sorts of points to prove. So will Morgan, whenever she does come back into the fold.
Under new manager Vincent Kompany, Burnley were promoted back to the Premier League last season, after only one year in the Championship.
Despite being in charge for just one year the Belgian has completely revolutionised Burnley’s squad, with only seven players remaining from the side that was relegated.
Who has joined Burnley under Vincent Kompany?
Zeki-Amdouni-Burnley
Since joining Burnley in July 2022, the former centre-back has brought in 26 different players permanently, across three transfer windows and in the most recent window, he brought in 15 players.
Zeki Amdouni
£16m
James Trafford
£15m
Aaron Ramsey
£15m
Jordan Beyer
£13m
Sander Berge
£12m
Wilson Odobert
£11m
Lyle Foster
£11m
Dara O'Shea
£7m
Ameen Al-Dakhil
£5m
Benson Manuel
£4m
Anass Zaroury
£4m
Michael Obafemi
£4m
Darko Churlinov
£3.5m
Josh Cullen
£3m
Arijanet Muric
£3m
Luca Koleosho
£3m
Hannes Delcroix
£3m
Scott twine
£3m
Hjalmar Ekdal
£3m
Luke McNally
£2m
Vitinho
£1m
Samuel Bastien
£700k
Enock Agyei
£300k
CJ Egan-Riley
free
Lawrence Vigouroux
free
Nathan Redmond
free
Han-Noah Massengo
free
Prior to managing Burnley, the Manchester City legend was in charge of Belgian side Anderlecht for two years, this has led to him poaching some of his best players from his former side.
One of these players is 27-year-old midfielder Josh Cullen, and as it stands Kompany’s decision to sign the Irishman looks to be an inspired one.
How much did Burnley pay for Josh Cullen?
Burnley central midfielder Josh Cullen.
Kompany first signed Cullen for Anderlecht back in 2020 from West Ham for £500k, and during his two seasons in Belgium the midfielder would go on to make 80 appearances.
But when the four-time Premier League winner made the switch to Turf Moor, the Hammer's academy graduate was quick to follow.
Cullen became Kompany’s fourth signing and moved back to England just 11 days after his manager made the switch, for a fee of £3m including add-ons.
Since his signing last summer, the Irish international has already signed a new contract three-year contract with the Clarets.
After signing the deal, he announced he couldn't wait to continue playing for Burnley.
Speaking to Burnley he said:
“I’m really happy to extend my time here, especially off the back of last year which was a really successful year for the Club.
I can’t wait to continue my career with Burnley.
“It will be great to get back to Turf Moor this weekend and be in front of the fans again and hopefully get our first three points on the board.”
Why did Kompany sign Josh Cullen twice?
Kompany snapped up Cullen again after his excellent performances under him during the 2021/22 campaign, which saw Anderlecht finish third in the Belgian Pro League.
Per Sofascore, the English-born midfielder was his side’s third top-performing player, with an outstanding average rating of 7.20.
On top of this, he also ranked second for accurate passes per game (62.2), fourth for key passes per game (1.1), third for accurate long balls per game (4.4) and first for tackles per game (2), per Sofascore.
This shows just how integral he was to Kompany’s all-round play as his quality in many different areas allowed him to control the middle of the pitch.
Furthermore, while Cullen was on loan at Charlton from West Ham, then Irons captain Mark Noble revealed in the Evening Standard what a talented player he was.
Noble said:
“Josh has something you can’t coach,”
“He has that desire every day to improve.
“He’s a talented boy with a big heart and will enjoy a good career in football.
“It just shows you that if you’re prepared to back yourself and go out on loan, rather than staying in the comfort zone, you can do it.”
What has happened to Josh Cullen since moving to Burnley?
Soccer Football – World Cup – UEFA Qualifiers – Group A – Luxembourg v Republic of Ireland – Stade de Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg – November 14, 2021 Republic of Ireland’s Josh Cullen in action with Luxembourg’s Daniel Sinani REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol
Cullen’s top-quality form continued after moving to Turf Moor as the midfielder was able to help guide Burnley to win the Championship last season.
His form was also shown through his stats, per FBref, last season he ranked in the top 4% of all European midfielders for passes completed, per 90 minutes.
Furthermore, he ranked in the top 7% for touches, top 2% for successful take-ons and top 7% for carries, per 90 minutes.
This shows how once again he was the star of Kompany's midfield, as all play was able to go through him, and then he had the ability to move the ball successfully up the pitch into an attacking position.
This was backed up by the Belgian colossus, who last season was full of praise for Cullen.
He said:
"I can't be complimentary enough, but I think everyone can see what he does.
"The team appreciates it; his strength is that he's the ultimate player that puts the team before himself.
“Football naturally always drives you towards being selfish, it just happens that way because you've got to look after yourself, and there are only very few players, despite all of that, who decide to make a conscious choice to put the team above themselves.
"You can't really scout that, you only know it when you work with players.
“The best way to describe Josh [Cullen] is that he came to Anderlecht, from Charlton, as a squad player, and he became the most important player in my squad.
"Then he came to Burnley, back in English football in the Championship, where he was really going to help us out, and he became one of the most important players in the team."
Due to his outstanding performances, the 27-year-old has seen his value rise astronomically, per Transfermarkt he is now rated at £11.1m meaning Burnley have seen a 270% increase in his value from when they signed him only a year ago.
Cullen has backed up his Championship performances by having a strong start to life in the Premier League.
So far this season he ranks as Burnley’s seventh-best-performing player, with an average rating of 6.73, per Sofascore.
On top of this, he has ranked joint first for big chances created per game (1), fourth for accurate passes per game (46.3) and third for tackles per game (1.3).
This shows that despite making a big step up the midfielder is still able have a positive effect on his side
He has also started every game and played every minute so far this season, while also providing an assist, which means he has been involved in 33% of Burnley’s goals.