USMNT prospect Cade Cowell's hot start to life in Mexico continued Saturday with an emphatic cowboy celebration after a Chivas goal.
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Alex Morgan's San Diego Wave were in fine form as they returned to pre-season training in the California sunshine.
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Wave return to training with a bangAlex Morgan chest bumps team-mateUSMNT legend wins gaffer Stoney's tennis ball gameGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
The squad burst out of the changing rooms under clear blues skies, announcing their return with a series of hilarious re-introductions including a mid-air chest bump from Morgan. Manager Casey Stoney kept the vibes going with a novelty tennis ball game in which Morgan showed all of her experience, as she held her nerve for a win.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Morgan and her colleagues appear buoyant ahead of their third NWSL campaign. They've certainly had a blast so far with impressive showings in their first two seasons and making the finals of the playoffs twice.
Liverpool have submitted a bid of €30m (£26m) for Fluminense midfielder Andre, and they have now received a response from the Brazilian club, according to a report from ESPN.
What's the latest Liverpool transfer news?
The Reds have been linked with a late summer move for Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips, and The Express report Pep Guardiola has already given the green light for the midfielder to leave this summer, which means a move to Anfield could be on the cards.
However, more progress has been made in the pursuit of Ryan Gravenberch, with Liverpool already tabling a contract offer to the Bayern Munich midfielder, who they will be one of the favourites to sign if he makes it clear he wants to leave the German club.
According to Rudy Galetti, there is a quartet of targets on Jurgen Klopp's shortlist, with the journalist recently telling GiveMeSport: “Despite the surprising arrival at Liverpool of Endo, the names followed by the Reds remain substantially the same, including Gravenberch, Kone, Thuram and Amrabat."
According to ESPN, Fluminense have no interest in selling the midfielder before the end of their season, and they would not allow the player to leave, even if the Merseyside club were to submit an increased offer.
The 22-year-old is a key player for manager Fernando Diniz, having played 40 games this season, so the club are reluctant to sanction his departure, which may put an end to the Reds' interest.
Klopp's side are not expected to make an offer for the Brazilian in 2024, and they will now run the rule over other potential candidates to strengthen their midfield.
Read The Latest Liverpool Transfer News HERE
How good is Andre?
Having emerged as a key player for Fluminense, the defensive midfielder has earned his first call-up to his national side, being capped for Brazil in a friendly against Senegal back in June.
As such, it is clear the Fluminense star is thought of in very high regard internationally, and it is no surprise that Klopp was keen on signing him, considering his exceptional passing and dribbling ability.
Liverpool are set to miss out on the "high-quality roaming playmaker", but they still have a number of options available, some of which are already proven at Premier League level, including Phillips, who could be a fantastic alternative to Andre.
Although he is five years older than the Brazil international, at 27, the Man City ace already has 61 Premier League appearances under his belt, which means he would be a low-risk option, particularly if he is available on loan, as has been suggested.
It is disappointing that Liverpool have seen their bid for Andre knocked back, but it would be unwise to submit a higher offer for a player unproven outside of Brazil, particularly considering Fluminense have no plans to let him leave.
Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag has made tracks to try and bring in some competition for Andre Onana between the sticks and bolster numbers in the goalkeeping department at Old Trafford, according to reports.
Who is the goalkeeper target?
According to The Daily Mail, Manchester United have already made an approach to Benfica about goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos as they look to secure a speedy replacement between the sticks amid news that Dean Henderson is in talks with Crystal Palace over a move to Selhurst Park.
Matej Kovar has been sold to Bayer Leverkusen and Nathan Bishop has moved on to Sunderland, creating a void to be filled in the goalkeeping department at the Premier League giants.
Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has issued a further update on the permutations surrounding Vlachodimos potentially heading to Manchester United, stating on X: "Manchester United are informed on the conditions of Odysseas Vlachodimos deal, as revealed yesterday. He wasn’t in Benfica squad last week as he’s expected to leave the club by the end of the window. Deal with Man Utd could only advance if Dean Henderson leaves the club."
Benfica youngster Samuel Soares has been given the nod ahead of Vlachodimos recently, and his boss, Roger Schmidt, has admitted that he is happy to introduce some 'new energy in the goalkeeper position' at the club.
Would Vlachodimos be a good signing for Manchester United?
Manchester United definitely need to get someone into the building at Old Trafford to help with available numbers in the goalkeeping position, which has been depleted further due to veteran Tom Heaton's calf injury, as per The Manchester Evening News.
Vlachodimos is an experienced stopper with a distinguished pedigree and would help provide some calm as an alternative to Onana at the club, and could actually be a better option to having behind the Cameroon star than Henderson.
In his time at Benfica, the 29-year-old has become a fan favourite as the last line of defence, keeping 94 clean sheets in 225 appearances across all competitions for the Primeira Liga holders, as per Transfermarkt, an impressive rate.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp was quick to praise Vlachodimos in 2022 following the Reds' 3-1 victory in the Champions League over Benfica away from home at the quarter-final stage, as per BT Sport cited via Reuters, stating: "We should have scored much more. I think, mainly because of their goalkeeper, credit to him. Their goalkeeper was probably the game's best player. We played well, but he made a couple of really good saves."
Compared to his positional peers in Europe's next eight divisions below the top five leagues on the continent, Vlachodimos ranks highly with his clean sheet percentage, with 56.3% of his last 90 minutes across the previous 365 days resulting in a shut-out, as per FBRef, ranking him in the 99th percentile for that figure.
Now looking unfancied at Benfica, it looks like the chance has emerged for Manchester United to bring the Greece goalkeeper to Old Trafford before the end of the window, in what could be a shrewd if unspectacular move.
Tasmania’s captain, George Bailey, was rewarded for his persistence as the men’s domestic player of the year
Daniel Brettig12-Feb-2018Australia’s leading allrounder Ellyse Perry has joined a select group in becoming a multiple winner of the Belinda Clark award as the nation’s women’s cricketer of the year.With 116 votes, Perry finished comfortably ahead of her nearest challenger Beth Mooney, at the end of a season in which she was a pivotal part of a successful Ashes campaign against England despite a shoulder surgery ruling out captain Meg Lanning. In doing so, Perry joined Lanning, Shelley Nitschke, Lisa Sthalekar and Karen Rolton as players to have secured the award on more than one occasion.The centrepiece of Perry’s year was a monumental, undefeated 213 in the Ashes Test match at North Sydney Oval , which secured a draw and all but ensured Australia would preserve the series lead they had established during the ODI component of the contest over the final Twenty20 matches. Perry’s all-round abilities were amply demonstrated by the fact she not only led all run-makers during the voting period but also finished third behind Megan Schutt and Jess Jonassen among the bowlers.The other major women’s winner of the night was Beth Mooney, who was named the domestic player of the year for an extremely consistent contribution with the bat over the voting period. Georgia Redmayne, the 24-year-old Hobart Hurricanes representative, was handed the Betty Wilson award as the young female player of the year.Tasmania’s captain, George Bailey, was rewarded for his persistence as the men’s domestic player of the year, racking up a combined 1468 runs at 52.43 across Sheffield Shield, domestic limited overs and Big Bash League games over the voting period, including a trio of centuries. This was a significant effort in response to his dumping from the Australian limited-overs team in December 2016, and an example to other mature-aged players (Bailey is 35) trying to improve their games.In reference to his now trademark closed stance, with his front leg and backside facing the bowler, Bailey joked that it had been a case of misunderstanding. Saying he had been devastated to lose his international place, and looking for advice, Bailey said he had been told by his father to “turn the other cheek” to the selectors. The unusual batting stance, Bailey deadpanned, had been the result.
Arsenal are reported to be close to cashing in on the sale of Hale End graduate Folarin Balogun, leaving questions over whether Mikel Arteta will eye another striker.
The Spaniard has already signed versatile forward Kai Havertz this summer in attack, however with Gabriel Jesus only just nearing his return from injury, the Gunners have had to rely on Eddie Nketiah to lead the line so far this campaign.
Arteta has utilised Havertz in midfield at the Emirates, which is a plus for the German who excelled in such areas while at Bayer Leverkusen, however theoretically leaves Arsenal short in the depth of their strike department.
Who could Arsenal sign this summer?
Considering the injury blow to Jurrien Timber, it’s highly unlikely that the north Londoners will prioritise anything above signing a defender in the time remaining in the transfer window.
However, a swoop in January could come at the perfect time for one player that has been rumoured to be of interest to the Gunners.
A report from the Times has revealed that Brentford are braced for bids in the attempt to sign striker Ivan Toney in January, with Arsenal named as one of the ‘interested parties’.
The Englishman will be able to return to action in January 2024 from his eight-month ban from football due to betting breaches of the FA’s rulings, setting up a potentially exciting swoop for the north Londoners in the winter window.
It’s said that the forward is valued at £80m by the Bees, who will be reluctant to let the 27-year-old leave when he returns.
What could Ivan Toney offer to Arsenal?
Most clubs in the Premier League would be honoured to have a marksman as potent as Toney in their squad, not many more than Arsenal who are arguably a reliable goalscorer away from being in the same calibre as Manchester City.
Considering Balogun’s transfer status, it could be the ideal time for Arteta to consider a potential move for Toney, who revealed on the Diary of a CEO podcast his admiration for the Gunners.
In Balogun, the north Londoners could have had more potent goalscorer than the likes of Eddie Nketiah and Gabriel Jesus, with the American netting 21 times in Ligue 1 last season during his loan at Rennes.
On his return, it never seemed as though the 22-year-old’s future would be within Arteta’s squad, making the opportunity to cash in on him an attractive prospect for both parties.
While the Hale End graduates’ scoring streak was impressive, it was the first time he had consistently found the net at senior level, with his three goals scored on loan at Middlesbrough the season prior far from impressive.
In Toney, Arsenal could have the definition of an “extremely prolific” striker, as he was once lauded by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
Scoring 24 goals in his final campaign in League One at Peterborough before joining Brentford, where he then scored 31 goals in the Championship to fire the Bees to promotion, via Transfermarkt, there were naturally questions over whether he could do it in the top-flight.
During the two campaigns since Brentford’s promotion, the Englishman has scored on 32 occasions in the Premier League, including 20 goals last term, seeing him dubbed a “lion” by manager Thomas Frank in 2021.
Arsenal could ease the woes of Balogun’s departure by making a swift move for Toney in January, in a purchase that could make Arteta’s side forget all about the Hale End product and close the gap on City.
After the Qalandars suffered their sixth defeat in six matches this season, McCullum suggested that a leadership change might be the best way forward
Umar Farooq09-Mar-2018Brendon McCullum, the Lahore Qalandars captain, has question the execution of his bowlers, and has offered to “offload” his captaincy in a bid to change the fortunes of the side, which has lost all six of its games this season. Effectively, Thursday night’s six-wicket defeat to Islamabad United was Lahore’s eighth straight loss going back to the end of last season. One of the most popular sides in the PSL is set to finish last for the third consecutive season.Lahore have played six different starting XIs this season, with their changes having no effect on their results. The biggest chance they have had was against Islamabad, when they had 163 – their biggest total so far – to defend but ended up losing with 14 balls to spare. With four games remaining Lahore aren’t mathematically out of contention for a spot in the playoffs but their chances are bleak.”Ultimately as captain you’re responsible for the performances. I feel like I’ve done the same things that I do in any team that I’ve led, but unfortunately that hasn’t resonated,” McCullum said. “So that’s the question we’ve got to ask tonight as well – whether it’s better offloading it to someone else and seeing if we can get better results. Doesn’t matter if you’re saying the right things, but if they’re not hitting home or the instructions aren’t being followed, then you’re always going to be pushing it uphill.”Lahore’s batting pattern has been similar throughout, with the openers making solid starts, the middle order collapsing, and the bowlers looking flat. They dropped Umar Akmal, one of their platinum picks, after five successive failures, allowing Anton Devcich to make his PSL debut. He smacked 62 off 42 balls to set up a fighting total. But Islamabad chased it down easily with the help of a 41-ball 77 from Luke Ronchi and Shadab Khan’s 32 off 24. When asked if Lahore’s total was 20 runs short, McCullum shot down the idea, ruing his bowlers’ performance instead.”No, not really. We bowled very poorly,” he said. “I thought it was a very, very good batting performance, set up by Anton Devcich in his first game, and [he] showed how hungry, competitive people are able to prosper. What we did after that, I was really disappointed with, to be honest. It’s not what we’re about and I don’t mind losing, but you expect to be hard to beat. We’ve got some questions to ask tonight and that’s all the way through.”He was particularly unimpressed with the lines they bowled to Ronchi, which he said had deviated from the tactics they had discussed before the match.”You can sit in bowling meetings all you want. You spend an hour today talking about bowling away from Luke Ronchi and then you proceed to run in and bowl at him every single ball, so there’s a disconnect there,” he said. “I don’t know what that is. It’s very hard on the support staff to prepare a team if guys aren’t prepared to listen, but if that’s the case, then we’re going to have to keep making changes, because there are young, enthusiastic guys in our team, which may be an opportunity, especially now since we’re out of the competition.”
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Moises Henriques whips one to the leg side•Getty Images
An unbeaten century from Moises Henriques helped New South Wales put Tasmania to the sword on day one at the Sydney Cricket Ground.Henriques punished a tired Tigers attack in the second half of the day, having entered in the 50th over after the top four had laid a strong platform. Nick Larkin and Ed Cowan put together a 115-run stand for the second wicket. Larkin made 85 and Cowan 68. The latter fell to 17-year-old off-spinner Jarrod Freeman who was on debut.Henriques then joined Kurtis Patterson and the pair made 156 runs in less than 35 overs before Patterson was bowled by Tom Rogers for 72. Rogers picked up his third scalp, Nic Maddinson, shortly after, to finish with three wickets. Henriques and Peter Nevill will look to continue the carnage on day two.
Manchester United are about to offload a first-team player to help clear their wage bill, and Erik ten Hag has given him permission to depart Old Trafford, according to reports.
What's the latest transfer news involving Manchester United?
According to Football Insider, Manchester United are keen to bring in a midfielder and a defender before the close of play in the market, but they need to shift players out of the door in order to sanction prospective incomings.
Previously, the Red Devils hoped that selling Scott McTominay and Harry Maguire would provide the 'requisite funds' to complete their business in the window; nevertheless, both moves broke down and have left Ten Hag in a tricky position and unable to facilitate arrivals.
Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat has been earmarked as a key target by Manchester United and has been given a deadline of this Friday to determine his next steps amid interest from the Red Devils, Liverpool and Atletico Madrid, according to Corriere dello Sport via Football Italia.
Bayern Munich midfielder Ryan Gravenberch is also garnering attention from Manchester United and Liverpool, with the Netherlands international reportedly having a £22 million price tag on his head this summer, as per The Mirror.
Despite this, it remains to be seen whether Manchester United can afford moves for either target in light of their current situation. Dutch coach Ten Hag is looking to finalise a permanent exit for fringe player Donny van de Beek and any funds raised will be put towards further incomings, ESPN understand.
Now, in a report from Football Insider, Manchester United defender Brandon Williams has agreed a move to Sky Bet Championship side Ipswich Town after being left out of the squad for his employers' 2-0 defeat away to Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.
The outlet indicate that the £65k-a-week ace is set to swap Old Trafford for Portman Road on an initial loan agreement, which will likely include an option-to-buy to take him to Suffolk on a permanent basis.
Should Manchester United let go of Brandon Williams?
Despite showing promise in the infancy of his Manchester United career, it is clear that Williams' time is now up at Old Trafford and he is well down the pecking order at the club behind the likes of Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia.
Williams has made 51 appearances for the Red Devils since making his senior breakthrough, notching one goal and three assists in the process, as per Transfermarkt.
Last campaign, the 22-year-old spent the majority of time out with various injury concerns and made just one appearance for Manchester United's senior side in a five-minute cameo against Burnley in the EFL Cup.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano had detailed that negotiations are 'advancing' over Williams' impending loan switch to Ipswich Town and has claimed that a buyout clause will be present in any agreement, which more or less confirms that his time at Manchester United is on the verge of coming to a permanent end.
Finding an environment where he can play regular football looking ahead will be important for Williams and the chance to work with former Manchester United first-team coach Kieran McKenna may be the ideal scenario to get his career back on track.
Manchester City are set to bring in City Group winger Savinho at the end of the season, after he has impressed in Girona's unlikely title challenge.
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