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Dempsey questioned Donovan's absence ahead of the 2014 World Cup, when the forward took a sabbatical one year out from the competition

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Dempsey criticizes Donovan on podcastBrings up 2013 sabbatical, questions former teammateChristian Pulisic's father, Mark, raised similar criticismFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Clint Dempsey criticized former U.S. men's national team member Landon Donovan for his choice to take a sabbatical away from the game in 2013. The move, which many at the time questioned, ultimately cost Donovan a spot on the 2014 World Cup roster, ex-manager Jurgen Klinsmann confirmed in 2024.

Donovan was absent for 144 days, and on his podcast , Dempsey sounded off on his former teammate.

"The analogy I use is you have the opportunity to go plant the crops, harvest the crops, and then you're sitting at the table it's time to eat, and you're showing up when it's time to eat," he said. "It's kind of like, 'Where were you when we were grinding in the sun, putting that stuff out there, the away games, your back against the wall?'

"I don't know what he was dealing with and what he was going through, but to build your teammates' trust and all that, you've got to go through the wars with them, the battles with them. You've got to be able to look and say, 'Hey, they're not going to flake on you. When your back's against the wall and you need to win, they're going to be right there with you.' So I can't say what the situation was, but that's how I looked at that."

The comments, made last week, echo a recent spotlight on Donovan after he had critcized current USMNT star Christian Pulisic for requesting to skip the Gold Cup due to fatigue.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

On a FOX broadcast Sunday, Donovan aimed a dig at Pulisic on-air while Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal were celebrating their EURO Nations League title.

“This is what it means to represent your country,” Donovan said on air. “If you don’t want to take it seriously as a professional soccer player and someone who gets the opportunity to wear the jersey, then don’t come in.”

He added, “I can’t help but think about our guys on vacation, not wanting to play in the Gold Cup. It’s p*ssing me off.”

Pulisic's father, Mark, responded to Donovan on social media Sunday, bringing up the American's 2013 sabbatical as well while telling him to "look in the mirror."

WHAT DEMPSEY ADDED

Dempsey, however, did agree with Donovan on his remarks about Pulisic's absence. The former striker claiming he "doesn't understand" why the AC Milan star would need a break due to fatigue, one year out from the World Cup.

“I’m a big fan of Christian. I think what he’s been able to do for both club and country has been amazing,” Dempsey said on the podcast. “And in terms of American players playing abroad, him and Antonee Robinson have been the most consistent and the top players in terms of flying that flag for us.

“In terms of his situation, I can’t say what it is. I don’t know the ins and outs of it. But in terms of my situation, when I played in Europe and came back, there were times where I was tired. I had to get a PRP injection in my adductor. I had to maybe rest for some of the friendly games so that I could be fit to play in the tournaments."

Dempsey is one of the most decorated players in U.S. history, winning three Gold Cups and helping the Americans finish as a runner-up in the 2009 Confederations Cup to Brazil.

“Whether it was Gold Cup, whether it was Copa [América], whether it was the Confederations Cup, whether it was the World Cup," he said. "I wasn’t gonna miss competitions. That’s just the kind of guy that I always was. So for me, I don’t understand it because that wasn’t my mentality. I always wanted to play in those games."

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

The USMNT plays in an international friendly against Switzerland Tuesday, followed by the CONCACAF Gold Cup beginning early next week.

Spin took 13 out of the 15 wickets that fell on the first day of the Dhaka Test. New Zealand sunk to 46 for five in response to Bangladesh’s 172 all out, and finished the day on 55 for five as Mehidy Hasan Miraz took three wickets and Taijul Islam two. The Bangladesh spinners gave back what their batters suffered at the hand of the New Zealand spinners.Play was called off at 4:16pm, at least 14 minutes before the scheduled end, as bad light took effect on a murky day in Dhaka. Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Philips remained unbeaten on 12 and 5 respectively after the visitors ended up losing half their side in 49 minutes.Mehidy removed Devon Conway when the left-hander left an arm ball from the offspinner. Taijul removed Tom Latham in the next over, caught behind to a delivery that kept low, caught well by wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan. Taijul struck in his next over too, when Henry Nicholls was caught at mid-on by Shoriful Islam.Related

• Sodhi backs New Zealand's 'experienced heads' to bounce back from Sylhet Test loss

• Hathurusinghe on Shanto's captaincy: 'He was commanding respect, demanding the standard'

• Why Mushfiqur Rahim was out for obstructing the field and not handling the ball

Mehidy then had two in three balls in the 12th over when Shahadat Hossain took a good catch at short-leg, to remove Kane Williamson. One ball later, Tom Blundell was trapped dead in front of the stumps.New Zealand’s spin trio had earlier led the way as Bangladesh folded for 172. Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel took eight wickets between them while Tim Southee took the other one that went to the bowlers. Mushfiqur Rahim, meanwhile, was given out obstructing the field, a dismissal that came at a critical moment for the visitors.Mushfiqur and Shahadat Hossain had only started to resurrect Bangladesh with a 57-run stand after they had fallen to 47 for four, before the 88-Test veteran had a brain-fade moment. Otherwise though, Bangladesh’s batters got out to soft shots as the visitors pounced on the mistakes.Mushfiqur Rahim had steadied Bangladesh before he was out obstructing the field•BCB

Bangladesh lost four wickets each in the day’s first two sessions. The root of the rot was in the sixth over when Bangladesh opener Mahmudul Hasan Joy tried too many things in the day’s first over of spin. Patel started off with deliveries that spun and kept low, to which Joy tried everything including a wild slog.The wicket followed soon after, when Santner had Zakir Hasan top-edging an attempted hoick towards long-on. It took a top-edge, and Williamson took the easy catch at mid-on for eight. Within four balls, Patel had Mahmudul caught at short leg, catching the inside edge with a poke. Mahmadul made 14.Mominul Haque fell caught behind attempting a near-impossible cut shot against Patel. The ball had spun back at him, stayed a tad low, as Mominul, for the second time in this Test series, was caught behind off the inside edge. Glenn Philips had got him in Sylhet, while Patel had him in the first innings in Dhaka.It was clear that batting wasn’t going to be easy on this pitch, so Najmul Hossain Shanto attempted to hit his way out of trouble. It lasted just 14 balls when his third attempt to reverse-sweep ended up in him being pinned lbw by Santner.Mushfiqur and Shahadat batted out the 13 overs before lunch with a little more ease, as Bangladesh went to lunch at 80 for four. Both batters used a bit more commonsense in their approach, which they were also expected to do after lunch.Forty-seven minutes after the break, Mushfiqur did the unthinkable. After he defended a Kyle Jamieson delivery in the 41st over, for reasons best known to him, Mushfiqur tried to pat away the ball that was already a fair distance from his stumps. New Zealand appealed immediately, and the TV umpire obliged with the obstructing the field decision.Mushfiqur made 35 off 83 balls with three fours and a slog-swept six. Shahadat followed him back to the pavilion in another 20 minutes, Phillips having him caught down the leg-side for 31. He struck two fours in his 102-ball stay.Phillips then removed Nurul for seven runs, with the bat turning in his hand as he attempted to hit out at the offspinner. Santner had Mehidy caught at slip for 20, in the over before tea. Phillips added his third when he had Taijul lbw for six, with the batter not attempting a shot.Southee, who didn’t concede a run in his first five overs, took the final wicket in his sixth over, when he had Shoriful Islam caught behind for 10. TV umpire Ahsan Raza decided that Tom Blundell took the catch cleanly after the on-field umpires couldn’t ascertain the legality of the catch.The 15 wickets that fell on Wednesday is the most on the first day of a Test in Bangladesh, while the 13 taken by spinners is the joint-highest along with the India-Australia Indore Test earlier this year.

MatériaMais Notícias

da bet nacional： Muito se falou no São Paulo após o clássico contra o Santos dos 16 prováveis desfalques da equipe, número de fato excessivo. Pois bem, nada como um adversário que não oferecia grandes resistências para que o técnico Rogério Ceni pudesse usar toda sua criatividade para superar os problemas. Deu certo. E o Tricolor amassou a Inter de Limeira por 5 a 1 na noite desta quarta-feira (15), no Morumbi, pelo Campeonato Paulista, em noite de desencantos, com dois jogadores marcando gols pela primeira vez, e golaços.

O resultado deixa o clube tricolor bem próximo de assegurar matematicamente a sua vaga nas quartas de final do Estadual. A equipe alcançou os 17 pontos, mantém a liderança no Grupo B e abre vantagem considerável para o Guarani, terceiro com 10. A Inter segue com 10 pontos, no terceiro lugar do Grupo A e, sem maiores preocupações com rebaixamento por hora, pode até sonhar com uma vaguinha no mata-mata. O Bragantino, segundo da chave, tem 14 pontos.

> ATUAÇÕES: Galoppo brilha, e São Paulo dá show em vitória com golaços no Morumbi

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da pinnacle：
Com o Departamento Médico cheio e sem o titular Luciano, suspenso, Ceni foi pragmático na montagem do time. Apostou em um 4-4-2, com Gabriel Neves ganhando nova chance nos titulares, atuando ao lado de Méndez, enfim experimentado como o volante de saída, e Nestor e Galoppo de meias.

O primeiro tempo, contudo, foi de Wellington Rato. Foi dele a cobrança de escanteio para o primeiro gol são-paulino, de Caio, marcando pela primeira vez, na sua estreia como lateral-esquerdo titular.

Depois foi o próprio Rato que marcou, também pela primeira vez com a camisa são-paulina. No segundo tempo, Galoppo, agora artilheiro de fato do Paulistão, deixou o seu e Pedrinho selou o placar elástico com um verdadeiro golaço. Ainda teve tempo para Pablo Maia mandar a bomba de fora da área e fazer mais um golaço no Morumbi, em placar elástico há muito não visto.

O JOGO

A partida com um esvaziado Morumbi (pelo menos em comparação com jogos anteriores) começou com pressão mandante do Tricolor. Logo aos 4′, Wellington Rato cobrou escanteio na primeira trave e Beraldo desviou de cabeça com veneno para ótima defesa de Léo Vieira.

Em noite de Rato, o ponta cobrou outro escanteio com perigo na primeira trave e encontrou desta vez Alan Franco, que desviou de cabeça e deixou a bola na medida para Caio, pela primeira vez jogando como lateral desde o início, completar de primeira às redes e abrir o placar, aos 14′.

ACORDA TRICOLOR

O primeiro gol parece ter freado um pouco o ímpeto são-paulino. A equipe passou a privilegiar o toque de bola, sem tanta intensidade. O problema, óbvio, era a falta de ritmo de jogo de algumas peças, como Gabriel Neves, e a pouco desenvoltura principalmente pelo lado esquerdo, onde Caio ataca, mas não defende.

Melhor para os visitantes. Aos 23′, Bill recebeu justamente por aquele lado do campo, cortou por dentro, justamente no setor de Neves, e arriscou o chute, que saiu rente à trave. Três minutos depois, o São Paulo não teve a mesma sorte. Zé Mário cobrou escanteio, Douglas dividiu com Beraldo pelo alto, ganhou e desviou para João Paulo, livre na pequena área, aproveitar a sobra e empatar.

PROMESSA DE PASMACEIRA… SÓ QUE NÃO

As coisas seguiam uma monotonia irritante para as arquibancadas. Bola para Nestor ou Galoppo, tentativa de buscar Rato e nada acontece… Foram quase 20 minutos em que a única válvula de escape de um São Paulo com campo de jogo no setor defensivo, mas com uma Inter recuada, teve.

Até aos 42′. Foi quando Nestor recuperou a bola na entrada da área e acionou Calleri. O argentino fez o pivô muito bem executado e encontrou, adivinhem, Wellington Rato que desta vez ao invés de buscar um companheiro decidiu infiltrar e finalizar firme para marcar seu primeiro gol pelo clube e deixar o Tricolor de novo à frente do marcador.

> Confira jogos, classificação e simule os resultados do Paulistão-23

GOLEADA DESENHADA

Tudo o que levava a crer que a etapa final poderia ser até certo ponto monótona como o primeiro tempo foi para o ralo logo aos 3′, quando Galoppo acionou Nestor, viu o companheiro cortar a marcação, chutar e o goleiro Léo defender. Com faro afinado para o gol, o argentino conseguiu recuperar e só finalizar para marcar o terceiro do jogo, o seu sexto no Paulistão, assumindo de vez a artilharia.

A Inter até tentava uma coisa ou outra. Aos 13′, por exemplo, Bill recebeu cruzamento, limpou toda a marcação e chutou para bela defesa de Rafael. Mas a noite era tricolor. Aos 28′, Pedrinho, que entrara pouco antes, recebeu bola na ponta-direita, deu um elástico em Rael, passou como quis, invadiu a área e chutou para marcar um gol de placa no Morumbi e encaminhar a goleada.

MAIS UM GOLAÇO E PLACAR DEFINIDO

O São Paulo até conseguiu bons lances depois, como um gol perdido por Calleri, aos 30′.

Mas, foi aos 40′ que a noite são-paulino ficou perfeita por completa.Pablo Maia carregou a bola com liberdade e soltou uma bomba de muito longe, no ângulo do goleiro Léo Vieira. Golaço para selar de vez a vitória tricolor.

PRÓXIMOS JOGOS

O São Paulo volta a campo só no dia 21 (terça-feira), depois do Carnaval, quando enfrenta o São Bento, fora de casa, às 19h30 (de Brasília). Antes disso, no sábado (18), às 16h (de Brasília), a Inter recebe o Água Santa.

FICHA TÉCNICA
SÃO PAULO 5 x 1 FERROVIÁRIA
CAMPEONATO PAULISTA – PRIMEIRA FASE – NONA RODADA

Data e horário: 15/2/2023 (quarta-feira ), às 21h35 (de Brasília)
Local: Estádio do Morumbi, em São Paulo (SP)
Árbitro: Matheus Delgado Candançan
Auxiliares: Luiz Alberto Andrini Nogueira e Amanda Pinto Matias
VAR: Thiago Duarte Peixoto
Público e renda:16.422 torcedores/R$ 473.115,00

Cartões amarelos: Douglas (Inter de Limeira)

GOLS
Caio aos 14min do 1ºT (1-0), João Paulo aos 26min do 1ºT (1-1), Wellington Rato aos 42min do 1ºT (2-1), Galoppo aos 3min do 2ºT (3-1), Pedrinho aos 28min do 2ºT (4-1) e Pablo Maia aos 42min do 2ºT (5-1)

SÃO PAULO
Rafael; Natha, Beraldo, Alan Franco (Pablo Maia, 23/2)e Caio; Gabriel Neves (Talles Costa, 32/2), Méndez (Luan, 24/2), Galoppo (Marcos Paulo, 32/2) e Nestor; Wellington Rato (Pedrinho, 14/2) e Calleri
Técnico: Rogério Ceni

INTER DE LIMEIRA
Léo Vieira; Zé Mário (Bruno Menezes, 17min/2ºT), Douglas, Leandro Silva, João Paulo e Rael; Claudinei (Djalma, no intervalo), Jean Martim (Kaio César, 29min/2ºT) e Matheus Oliveira (Chrigor, no intervalo); Bill e Jonathas (Eliandro, 17min/2ºT)
Técnico: Pintado

It’s been one of the toughest selection calls imaginable, but England have opted to axe Jason Roy from their final World Cup squad, after a protracted saga that has dominated the back-end of the international season. Here’s how the timeline unfolded.August 13
Matthew Mott, England’s white-ball coach, tells the that he hopes to convince Ben Stokes out of ODI retirement: “Jos [Buttler] will probably lead the way on that communication, but Ben’s pretty straight with all of us. We will see if he’s keen.”August 14
report that Stokes will “make a sensational U-turn” and that he has indicated to England’s management that he will be available for the World Cup.August 15
England’s selectors meet in Nottingham, where Buttler is staying ahead of a Hundred fixture. They come up with a 15-man squad for their four-match series against New Zealand, which doubles as their provisional World Cup squad. Jason Roy is pencilled in as Jonny Bairstow’s opening partner, with Dawid Malan as the spare batter.August 16
England announce their squad, with Stokes’ return squeezing Harry Brook out. “That’s the incredibly tough decision we’ve had to make,” Luke Wright, one of the selectors, says of Brook’s omission. “I’m sure he’s disappointed but unfortunately in a 15-man squad, someone’s going to have to miss out.”August 18
Brook hits 44 off 24 balls for Northern Superchargers in the Hundred, 24 hours after Malan was dropped by Trent Rockets. “Obviously it’s disappointing but I can’t do anything about it now,” Brook says. “You’ve just got to move on. I’m trying not to think about it anymore.”August 22
Brook hits 105 not out off 42 balls for Superchargers against Welsh Fire, in a team total of 158 for 7. It is the highest individual score of the men’s Hundred season, and the fastest century in the tournament’s brief history. “I had my gameplan, stuck to it, and thankfully I middled a few,” he says.Harry Brook produced an astonishing century for Northern Superchargers, soon after his World Cup omission•Getty Images

August 25
Buttler leaves the door open for Brook’s return. “There’s still a long time before everyone is meant to get on the plane, so we’ll wait and see what happens,” he says. “We all know Harry’s a fantastic player and we saw what he can do the other night. It’s not like it’s a surprise: we know what a brilliant player he is.”August 27
Roy wins the men’s Hundred with Oval Invincibles, but makes his third duck of the season in the final and finishes the tournament with 154 runs in nine innings. “It was a great moment but then you wake up the next day and you’re like, ‘Sh*t, I’ve got work to do before the World Cup,'” Roy later tells the .August 30
England cruise to victory in the first T20I against New Zealand at Chester-le-Street: Malan makes 54 off 42 balls, and Brook ends 43 not out off 27. Asked if he feels under pressure from Brook, Malan says: “I don’t know where that comparison’s come from… I bat top three and he bats No. 4, 5, 6.”September 1
In the second T20I in Manchester, Malan makes 0 off 4 and Brook whacks 67 off 36, including five fours and five sixes. “Harry played brilliantly,” Buttler says. “[There is] a lot of noise around… credit to him for how he’s handling it.”September 3
Malan scores 2 off 11 in the third T20I at Edgbaston; Brook makes 8 off 8. The publish an interview with Roy, who admits he is unlikely to play international cricket beyond the World Cup: “It’s going to be tough with the 50-over stuff and I’m not in the T20 set-up… do they want to look at the future, which is probably the right thing? Will Jacks is ripe for that job. I’m at ease with it.”Jason Roy made a duck in the Hundred final, to compound his run of low scores•Getty Images

September 5
Malan hits 26 off 21 in the final T20I at Trent Bridge, while Brook makes 4 off 8. Speaking before the game, Mott repeatedly stresses that the squad is only “provisional”, telling Sky Sports: “What I’ve been most impressed by is his response since missing out and that’s what great players do. There’s a lot to play out before we pick that first XI against New Zealand in India and we’ve always said it’s a provisional squad.”September 6
Brook is added to the squad to play New Zealand as batting cover, with Malan’s wife expecting a baby and Bairstow sustaining a shoulder niggle. He is also included in a 13-man squad to play Ireland at the end of the month.September 8
Roy suffers a back spasm in Cardiff on the morning of the first ODI. Malan and Brook open the batting together, putting on 80 in 15 overs. Malan makes 54 off 53, while Brook manages 25 off 41; Liam Livingstone, who would not have played but for Roy’s injury, hits his second ODI fifty.September 10
Malan misses the second ODI at the Ageas Bowl, the day after his son’s birth. Brook opens alongside Bairstow and makes 2 off 12, while Roy is not deemed fit enough to return. Livingstone hits his second half-century in three days to secure his World Cup place.Malan’s ODI form against New Zealand was too good for the selectors to ignore•Getty Images

September 13
Roy suffers another back spasm on the morning of the third ODI. He tries hard to shake it off in the warm-ups but is ruled out. Malan rescues England from 13 for 2 at The Oval, hitting 96 off 95 balls and sharing a stand worth 199 with Ben Stokes – whose 182 breaks Roy’s record for the highest individual ODI innings by an England batter.September 15
Roy fails to convince England that he is fit enough to play in the fourth ODI at Lord’s. “It’s a frustration, and the most frustrated person is Jason,” Buttler says. “He is not quite fit to play a game of cricket today.” Malan hits a sublime 127 off 114 balls, his fifth ODI hundred in 15 months.September 17
England name their finalised World Cup squad, with Brook replacing Roy in the only change from the provisional list.September 18
Wright explains that Malan has leapfrogged Roy as Bairstow’s opening partner, and that Brook’s versatility and fitness gave him the edge over Roy as the spare batter: “It’s been an incredibly tough decision but it shows where we’re at in English cricket, that there are so many tough decisions.”

da casino： Chelsea fell to defeat at Aston Villa last weekend but have the perfect chance to turn things around on Tuesday night as Enzo Maresca’s men host lowly Southampton in the Premier League.

da esport bet： Though the Blues started on the front foot against Unai Emery’s side and were rewarded for their initiative through Enzo Fernandez’s close-range finish – shout-out to Pedro Neto – the visitors failed to get a firm grip on the match and succumbed to second-half pressure.

Filip Jorgensen’s error in the dying embers allowed Marco Asensio to claim a brace after earlier finishing inside the area, but goalkeeping woes are not the extent of the issues Maresca is currently beset with.

Chelsea have shouldered a tonne of injuries in recent weeks but still need to restore some positive momentum with the business end of the campaign looming large. Indeed, the Blues are only four points off third-place Nottingham Forest.

Chelsea's latest injury news

Trevoh Chalobah was forced off in the early stages against Villa with an apparent back injury but Maresca has allayed fears of a long-term layoff – though Tosin Adarabioyo may have to deputise in his stead against the Saints.

However, the frontline is still going to be depleted for a while, with Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson not expected back until after the March international break and 18-year-old striker Marc Guiu also sidelined indefinitely.

Romeo Lavia and Benoit Badiashile’s respective return dates are also unknown, but star centre-back Wesley Fofana still faces up to two months on the sidelines.

The most pressing concern is who Maresca will stick at number nine against Southampton. Chelsea simply have to get three points against the Premier League’s bottom-placed team at Stamford Bridge, but Christopher Nkunku isn’t cutting it.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Expand Collapse Who Maresca should start at centre-forward

With Jackson and Guiu both sidelined, Maresca has been forced into drafting Nkunku into the focal striking role. The France international is tactically versatile and prefers to play between the lines, feeding off the centre-forward.

Admittedly, Chelsea played him off the left flank against Villa, with Neto deputising in a dynamic middle role and achieving some measure of success, but Nkunku was branded with a 4/10 match rating by GOAL after the match all the same, criticised for his anonymous performance.

Indeed, while he attempted five dribbles (completing two) and made two key passes for his teammates, Nkunku only managed to fire one shot at Emi Martinez all evening, and Maresca may now want to turn toward a more naturally suited option at number nine, even if that means conceding some experience in the process.

Nkunku – Chelsea Stats by Competition (24/25)

Competition

Apps

Goals

Assists

Premier League

22

2

1

Conference League

5

5

3

UECL Qualifiers

2

2

0

FA Cup

2

1

0

Carabao Cup

2

3

0

Stats via Transfermarkt

He’s not been nearly clinical enough in the Premier League, and with that in mind, Maresca might want to turn to the youth to spark some inspiration back into his flagging frontline.

Shumaira Mheuka is only 17 years old but he’s proven himself to be an able goalscorer for the U18s and U21s this season, posting eight goals and two assists from 22 matches (14 starts).

Moreover, the 6 foot 1 prospect was handed his professional debut during Chelsea’s Conference League match against Astana in December, coming on for roughly 13 minutes during the 3-1 away victory in Guiu’s stead.

He didn’t have much time to assert himself but the teenager did showcase some exciting physical attributes and his eye for goal, unleashing one wayward shot while winning two of his three contested ground duels and also making two tackles, as per Sofascore.

With fixtures passing Nkunku by at the moment, Chelsea may well want to consider making this tweak. No Premier League side have conceded more goals than Southampton’s 61 this term, and Mheuka’s off-the-ball movements, his link-up play, could be exactly what the Stamford Bridge side have been lacking since Jackson picked up an injury.

It would be a bold move – but one which might just pay off given the circumstances. Southampton’s threat has been negligible under Ivan Juric and indeed they have fallen to defeat in eight of their past nine Premier League contests.

Mheuka is the cream of the crop within the west Londoners’ academy set-up at centre-forward, with talent scout Jacek Kulig even hailing the teenager as one of “Cobham’s finest” as he continues to press against the first-team squad.

Maresca is seemingly open to finding alternative means to combat the club’s current injury problems and Mheuka might just fit the bill – named in the matchday squad for the first time in the Premier League during the Villa clash after indeed making his debut in the Conference League.

The natural goalscorer wouldn’t be the first to emerge from the academy and forge a name for themselves at Chelsea, and the timing and opponent up ahead couldn’t be more apt for his manager to unleash him from the outset.

If Cole Palmer can return to his finest form and bounce off the likes of Neto and Fernandez, Mheuka could find himself supplied with plenty of quality as he provides a striker’s take and maybe even pops up with a significant contribution.

Beyond Southampton, Chelsea only face Leicester City and Arsenal in the top flight before next month’s international break passes into April.

If Chelsea can weather the current storm, they will be in a good position over the final stretch of the 2024/25 campaign. And if Mheuka is given a shot and takes it, the Blues fans might be filled with quite a bit of optimism for the future.

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Veteran seamer to move into full-time coaching with Middlesex’s back-room staff

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Sep-2023

Tim Murtagh, the former Ireland seamer and stalwart of county cricket for 23 years, has announced he will retire from professional cricket at the end of the season.Murtagh, 42, has been named in Middlesex’s squad to face Warwickshire at Lord’s this week, where the club will continue their fight to stay in Division One of the County Championship, with one final match of the season to come against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.If selected against Warwickshire, the match will be the 264th first-class appearance of his career, and his 91st at Lord’s, a venue where he confirmed his enduring class earlier this season by claiming the fifth ten-wicket haul of his career – including his 1000th wicket for Middlesex – in an emphatic nine-wicket win over Kent.However, having taken up a player-coach role at the start of the 2023 season, Murtagh is now set to move into coaching full-time, with a permanent role in the Middlesex back-room staff.”I’ve had these words mulling around in my head for around ten years, but now is the time to put them onto paper,” Murtagh said in a statement released by the club.”It’s with a great deal of pride and a tinge of sadness that I announce my retirement from cricket at the end of this season. Its finally time to hang up the speed menace boots (the irony is not lost on me) after an incredible 25 years of joy playing professional sport.”It’s been an incredible honour to have played for this great club since 2007 and I am grateful to everyone who made me feel instantaneously at home here. Right up to the present management in helping me transition out of playing this year. I still hope to play a big part in keeping us in Division One these last two weeks.”Moving forward I can’t wait to help the next generation of Middlesex cricketers live out their own dreams as I move onto the coaching staff and the next phase of my life.”Murtagh’s career wickets tally currently stands at 1341, including 951 in a first-class career that began at Surrey in 2000, before his switch to Middlesex in 2007.In between whiles, he played 75 matches across formats for Ireland, for whom he qualified thanks to his Dublin-born grandfather. His finest hour came in the last of his three Test appearances, on his home ground at Lord’s, when he secured the first-morning figures of 5 for 13 to bowl England out for 85, and book himself a place on the dressing-room honours board.Alan Coleman, Middlesex’s director of cricket, added: “Players like Murts come along so rarely … he is an absolute gem of a bloke, both on and off the field.”Whilst we’re sad that we won’t be able to call upon Murts’ skills on the field anymore, we’re thrilled that he will still be around the group and playing a leading role in continuing to develop the players we have here at Middlesex.”I’ve been hugely impressed with how quickly he has taken to coaching, and the impact he has had in a short space of time, and I am looking forward to seeing him develop these skills in the next chapter of his career.”

Legspinner Danielle Gregory starred with a triple-wicket maiden to demolish Sunrisers for just 64 as South East Stars triumphed by 91 runs at Radlett to go top of the table in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy.Sunrisers looked well-placed to record a first victory against their local rivals in any format after restricting them to 151 for 9 from 29 overs in a rain-reduced game, with legspinner Abtaha Maqsood taking 4 for 23.But the Stars bowlers rose to the challenge, with medium-pacer Phoebe Franklin taking a trio of early wickets to finish with 3 for 18 while Sophia Dunkley pulled off four outfield catches, two of them outstanding.Gregory then claimed three wickets in an over, returning figures of 4 for 12 as the innings disintegrated and Sunrisers were dismissed in 17 overs for their second-lowest score in the tournament.After morning showers, play finally got under way at 12.45pm, with Sunrisers inserting their visitors in overcast conditions and gaining an early reward when Dunkley’s leg stump was sent flying by Kate Coppack.It took Stars until the fifth over to register a boundary, courtesy of Bryony Smith’s sweetly-struck on-drive, but they began to gather momentum as she and Kira Chathli capitalised on short bowling from Coppack and Eva Gray.A downpour struck with Stars 37 for 1 in the eighth over – and, when play resumed an hour later, the visitors continued to make good progress despite the loss of Smith, caught in the deep off opposite number Kelly Castle.Paige Scholfield, with two centuries already to her name in this year’s tournament, thrashed Gray for the first six of the game and followed it up with another maximum off Mady Villiers as she raced to 27 from 25 balls.But the pendulum swung towards Sunrisers as Villiers had Chathli caught at midwicket for 28 and the innings never recovered after Maqsood’s flight trapped Scholfield in front in the next over.Smart glovework behind the stumps by Amara Carr brought the spinner two more wickets, while Alice Davidson-Richards was bowled attempting to drive through the off side and Grace Scrivens’ tidy spell of 1 for 15 from five overs helped to squeeze the Stars tail.Although the target was raised by four runs to align with DLS, Sunrisers set out needing less than five and a half an over – but that assignment looked close to impossible once their top order had been blown away by Franklin.Freya Davies, a model of accuracy during her opening spell, brought one in to bowl Scrivens before opening partner Lissy MacLeod slapped a wide delivery from Franklin into the hands of the cover fielder.Leaping to her left at extra cover, Dunkley pulled off a magnificent grab to remove Villiers and, when a slower ball by Franklin deceived Saskia Horley, the fielder gobbled up a more straightforward chance.Cordelia Griffith did her best to hold Sunrisers’ innings together, hitting four boundaries in her knock of 27 from 29 until she fell victim to another impressive catch by Dunkley, running back from mid-off to take the ball over her shoulder.Gregory then collected three wickets in six deliveries, including a return catch to dismiss former team-mate Gray for a duck and although Carr and Coppack stemmed the bleeding with a stand of 20 for the ninth wicket, the damage had long since been done.

Sunderland will be playing in the Premier League next season and they know that their recruitment work this summer will need to be spot on to give them a chance of avoiding an instant relegation.

The Black Cats recently confirmed the signing of Enzo Le Fee on a permanent basis from Roma for a club-record fee of £20m as their first addition ahead of their return to the top-flight, after he spent the second half of the 2024/25 campaign on loan with Regis Le Bris’ team.

Le Fee showed quality on the ball, with 1.3 dribbles completed per game, but combined that with 2.5 tackles and interceptions per game in his 11 league starts, which suggests that he could thrive in a relegation battle where plenty of defending will be needed.

The French maestro also heads into the Premier League with plenty of experience in Europe’s major leagues, with 132 games in Ligue 1 and six matches in the Serie A, which means that he is used to playing at the top level and that is why he could be an excellent signing for the Black Cats.

Sunderland eyeing deal for Premier League defender

Sunderland could repeat the blinder that they have seemingly played with Le Fee, who is an experienced top-flight performer who is already settled in and used to playing for the club, by signing another one of their loan stars.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to the Northern Echo, the Premier League newcomers are considering a deal to bring Chris Mepham back to the Stadium of Light in the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Wales international is one of a number of defensive options being weighed up by the board at Sunderland, as they eye up a possible reunion with the Bournemouth centre-back.

It states that there was no obligation for the loan move to be turned into a permanent one this summer, which means that they would have to negotiate a fee with the Cherries.

Why Sunderland should sign Chris Mepham

The Black Cats should swoop to sign Mepham on a permanent basis in the coming weeks because it could be a repeat of their Le Fee blinder.

Like the French star, the 27-year-old colossus would not need any time to settle in because he just played 40 matches on loan at the club in the 2024/25 season.

The Welsh titan also has top-flight experience, like Le Fee, having played 61 times in the Premier League for Bournemouth, which means that he knows the division and could provide vital experience to a young team lacking games at that level.

Mepham, who was hailed as “outstanding” by pundit Carlton Palmer, also delivered solid performances for Sunderland when called upon in the Championship this season.

As you can see in the table above, the Bournemouth loanee was dominant in his duels and helped the team to keep 11 clean sheets in 38 outings in the second tier.

He also averaged the most clearances per match in the entire squad, ahead of the likes of Luke O’Nien and Dan Ballard, which may be down to his experience and know-how, as he excels at being in the right place at the right time at the heart of the defence.

Mepham was, therefore, an important player for Sunderland in the Championship and that is why they should press ahead with a deal to sign him on a permanent basis, as a star who knows the club and has Premier League experience under his belt.

Like Le Fee, the 27-year-old brute would hit the ground running on Wearside in the top-flight because of his loan spell at the Stadium of Light and because of the top-flight games that he has played.

Worse than selling Jobe: "Outstanding" Sunderland star wanted by PL clubs

This Sunderland star is being eyed up by Premier League teams, and his exit would be a bigger blow than Jobe Bellingham’s.

By
Dan Emery

Jun 4, 2025

It is now down to the club to ensure that they can strike a deal with Bournemouth to bring him back to Sunderland, to join Le Fee as their second signing.

تلقى نادي الهلال السعودي دفعة معنوية كبيرة قبل المواجهة المنتظرة أمام الغرافة القطري في إطار الجولة الرابعة من دوري أبطال آسيا للنخبة، بعد تأكد جاهزية ثلاثة من أبرز نجومه العائدين من الإصابة.

وكشفت مصادر داخل الهلال لصحيفة “الميدان الرياضي” أن الثلاثي داروين نونيز، وسيرجي سافيتش، وجواو كانسيلو باتوا في كامل الجاهزية للمشاركة، عقب تعافيهم التام من الإصابات التي حرمتهم من الظهور في الأسابيع الماضية، بما في ذلك مباراة الفريق الأخيرة في الدوري السعودي أمام الشباب، والتي انتهت بفوز الزعيم بهدف دون رد.

طالع أيضًا | صراع بين الهلال والاتحاد لخطف صفقة مميزة في الميركاتو الشتوي

ويحل الهلال ضيفًا على الغرافة مساء الإثنين المقبل في مواجهة مرتقبة يسعى من خلالها الزعيم إلى مواصلة سلسلة الانتصارات والحفاظ على صدارة مجموعته الغربية، بعدما جمع 9 نقاط كاملة من 3 مباريات، متفوقًا على الأهلي صاحب المركز الثاني بفارق نقطتين.

وتُعد عودة الثلاثي الدولي إضافة فنية ضخمة للمدرب سيموني إنزاجي، الذي يطمح لاستثمار اكتمال صفوف الفريق من أجل تعزيز الهيمنة الزرقاء آسيويًا، ومواصلة مشوار الزعيم بثبات نحو لقب البطولة القارية الذي يضعه الهلال ضمن أهدافه الكبرى هذا الموسم.

MatériaMais Notícias

da leao： O Palmeiras já está classificado para a fase mata-mata do Paulistão 2023, mas não medirá esforços para conquistar a liderança geral da competição. O técnico Abel Ferreira já afirmou que não irá poupar seus principais jogadores nas rodadas finais do estadual, visando garantir a melhor campanha geral e a liderança do grupo D. Assim, o LANCE! mostra o que é preciso para isso.

> Veja classificação e simulador do Paulistão-2023 clicando aqui
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Com a vitória diante do Red Bull Bragantino por 2 a 0 na última quarta-feira (22), o Alviverde chegou a 24 pontos e reconquistou a primeira posição do grupo.O próximo desafio é no domingo (26) contra a Ferroviária, às 18h30, novamente no Allianz Parque.

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da stake casino： A equipe do São Bernardo está na segunda colocação com 23 pontos. Logo, para conquistar a liderança geral do Campeonato Paulista e do grupo D, dois cenários são possíveis para o Verdão. O primeiro é simples: vencer os dois últimos jogos da fase de grupos contra Ferroviária e Guarani, respectivamente, isto é, fazer a sua parte para não depender de outros resultados.

O segundo bastaria uma derrota do São Bernardo diante do São Paulo no Morumbi e vitória do Alviverde já neste final de semana. Neste caso, o Palestra chegaria a 27 pontos e não conseguiria ser alcançado pelo Tigre do ABC, que ficaria quatro pontos atrás.

>Palmeiras desiste da contratação de Andrey Santos, do Chelsea

Vale ressaltar que o Tricolor, vencendo no sábado, iria a 23 pontos, mas em caso de vitória do Palmeiras, a equipe comandada por Rogério Ceni também não conseguiria a melhor campanha do Paulistão. O São Paulo enfrenta o São Bernardo neste sábado, às 18h30.

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