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The competitive La Liga fixture, to be held in Miami, comes after years of conflict over a possible match outside of Europe

Welcome to the footballing apocalypse. This is the thing that Europe was so, so afraid of. As a continent, they gatekeep their sport so expertly. Soccer is for them, not for the world – at least, in person. Or many in the European game, anyway, would have you believe.

So much for that. 

What started in 2019 – and had been in gestation since far before then – has become reality. A European league will play a competitive soccer match in the United States. After years of flirtation, months of talks, and weeks of complaints, we have the details. The match will be played in Miami, between Barcelona and Villarreal, on Dec. 20. La Liga have signed off. Other parties have reluctantly agreed. 

The logistics, then, are fairly simple. Two football teams who routinely play matches overseas every summer will do so again. In one sense, this isn't particularly new. Except for one enormous caveat: this game actually matters. Three points are on the line. For Barcelona, it could be a crucial result as they look to retain the La Liga title. For Villarreal, it will surely be pivotal as they push for European football. The teams currently sit second and third in the table.

And that's where the tension lies here. The problem is not that a game between two Spanish teams is being played on American soil. The issue is that it will count. It should also be noted that La Liga isn't alone – Serie A confirmed that a fixture between AC Milan and Como will be played in Perth, Australia in early 2026, another groundbreaking moment in the sport’s globalization.

Specific to the Miami match, there are two camps: those for an American-based game, and those against. Their disagreements are fundamental and unlikely to be resolved no matter what argument either party puts forth. This raises larger questions about the soul of the game that simply cannot be answered in one fixture or even one season.

But what is clear – and perhaps far more pivotal – is what comes next. December's fixture, it would seem, could open the floodgates to something that simply cannot be stopped. The thirst for soccer in America is real. And now the game can be transplanted anywhere.

Getty ImagesThe Premier League flirts

The soccer world has been confronting this possibility for a while now. In 2008, the Premier League officially proposed playing a 39th fixture outside of England. The idea, then, was football as imperialism. Owners saw that there was a global appetite for the game, and suggested that 10 fixtures be played in a weekend in January, with staggered start times around the world. Proponents wanted individual cities to bid, and even earmarked the 2010-11 season as a potential start date. 

That notion was quickly dismissed at all levels. The managers of Liverpool and Manchester United showed a rare moment of solidarity – they joined in their opposition. Supporters' Groups were outraged, and fought back. Even Sepp Blatter, then FIFA president, looked like a good guy, earning favor with fans for suggesting that not only was the idea misguided, it could also be detrimental in England's hopes to host the 2018 World Cup (a bid they lost, anyway). 

Since then, it has simmered. The Premier League reportedly thought about it again in 2014, and chatter has remained constant about the possibility of a game being played in the U.S., especially given expanded American ownership in England's top flight.

AdvertisementAFPLa Liga gets serious

The Premier League, then, cooled its interest. The reasons are myriad. Fan pushback was serious. Owner power took over. And certainly a bumper TV deal that brings billions of dollars – and millions of eyes – onto the league every week, made an "away" game less necessary for their wallets.

But La Liga got serious. And that makes sense. This is, in many ways, a financial decision. It's supply and demand. The league and its teams know that foreign fans will pay a premium for tickets. Sell out a game at hiked-up prices in Miami, and a handsome payday will, in theory, be the result. La Liga's TV deal is tidy – every game is now carried on ESPN+ in the U.S. – but they are steps behind financially relative to the Premier League. 

This has long been a gripe of league president Javier Tebas. He has railed again and again over the Premier League's apparently unchecked financial power. And he has a point. English football's revenues massively eclipse those of Spanish sides. Transfer fees in England are massive. Mid-table clubs outspend most of La Liga's elite. 

No single game in Miami will amend that. But for La Liga, it seems a decent start. They originally tried to have a Barcelona-Girona game in Miami in 2019. Last year, they tried to play Barca-Atletico Madrid in the same city. Both of those attempts were brushed off. But the sentiment stayed alive. Tebas spoke often about wanting a game on foreign soil.  

"This is strategic for us. It is very important for us to make sure that people understand that we as La Liga are willing to be bold, are willing to be innovative, are willing to try things in a different way, and we're gonna try," Nicolas Garcia Hemme, La Liga North America Managing Director, told GOAL this week.

GettyThe lawsuit

But it all seemed a bit like flimsy attempts at manifestation. There were blockers. UEFA and FIFA's regulations around playing domestic competitions in foreign countries are pretty water-tight. And then there were the legal battles.

Relevent Sports, a match promoter that had helped organize preseason friendlies for La Liga teams, sued both FIFA and the United States Soccer Federation, claiming that the two bodies had violated antitrust laws by conspiring to bar domestic leagues from playing games abroad. What followed was a complicated legal case, with suits being dismissed and then appealed, back and forth.

But in April 2025, there was a significant breakthrough. Relevent Sports settled its antitrust lawsuit with the U.S. Soccer, a development that came a year after Relevent and FIFA reached their own settlement to drop FIFA as a co-defendant. The terms of that settlement were not disclosed, but FIFA said it would form a working group to analyze rules about how and where domestic fixtures could be played.

And you could have seen what was coming next. One-by-one, the appropriate governing bodies submitted. UEFA, FIFA, USSF, and CONCACAF all had to sign off on a U.S. match. With pressure mounting, they did so – despite some rather public reluctance. The door was open. 

Then, it was a simple question of logistics. Barca pulled out of the friendly in 2019, realizing where public sentiment was focused in the soccer hive mind. But with money on the table, and the Blaugrana still strapped for cash, they jumped in. Atletico and Real Madrid were both out. But Villarreal slotted in with glee.

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Getty ImagesMilan, Como, and Australia

And they're not alone in this effort. America isn't the only country eager to host competitive fixtures within its borders. Australia, admittedly, has been a less lucrative market for foreign clubs in preseason tours. East Asian tends to be targeted. But going down under isn't as common as it used to be. 

That hasn't stopped Serie A and Milan, though. They will face newly promoted Como in Perth in February, another fixture that UEFA admittedly reluctantly approved. Fans were admittedly furious, but Como outlined their reasoning: the league needs to do these things to stay alive: 

"Sometimes sacrifice is essential, not for individual benefit but for the greater good, for growth, and above all, for the survival of the league itself," they said in a statement. They went one further, insisting that they might lose some – if not all – of their best players if the league doesn't take advantage of their opportunities.

"We must ask ourselves honestly how we can retain our best players, build competitive teams, and attract the world's elite to Serie A if we do not adapt," the league said. 

The match officials are yet to take any immediate action as the protocol requires the on-field umpires to submit a report before any sanctions can be announced

Mohammad Isam28-May-2025

Tshepo Ntuli got into a scuffle with Ripon Mondol during a four-day match between Bangladesh Emerging Team and South Africa Emerging Team in Dhaka on Wednesday. The match officials however are yet to take any immediate action as the protocol requires the on-field umpires to submit an official report before any sanctions can be announced.The incident occurred after Ripon struck Ntuli for a straight six. As he walked over to his batting partner Mehidy Hasan, Ripon appeared to exchange glances with Ntuli, who then charged towards him.The two players first shoved each other before Ntuli pulled Ripon’s helmet. Umpire Kamruzzaman tried to intervene but Ntuli tugged at the helmet again, before the umpire managed to separate them. On-looking South Africa Emerging players didn’t stop Ntuli, with couple of the them also appearing to charge toward Ripon, who had by then removed his helmet. The scuffle drew sharp reactions from the TV commentators.”This is extreme, this is unacceptable. Normally we see verbal altercations in a cricket field but we don’t often see a scuffle. Ntuli struck Ripon’s helmet at one point,” Nabil Kaiser, one of the on-air commentators, said.Three balls after the incident, Ntuli threw the ball back at Ripon after the batter had defended it back to the bowler. Ripon managed to fend off the throw just in time.ESPNcricinfo has learned that the match referee will submit reports of the incident to both the BCB and CSA, who are expected to take action, especially as this is the final game of the tour.Tensions had already flared between the two sides during the one-day leg of the tour in Rajshahi. Andile Simelane and Jishan Alam were both suspended following incidents in the second one-day match, causing them to miss the third game.The ongoing four-day match is the second and final game of the tour for the South Africa Emerging side. They lost the one-day series 2-1, while the first four-day match in Chattogram ended in a draw.

Tactically, Mauricio Pochettino seems to have figured out the player pool – now it's about deciding who fits best in the system

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – In the hours after the U.S. men's national team's 1-1 draw with Ecuador, Mauricio Pochettino took to social media. He's not a frequent Instagram poster, but he does hop on every now and then.

"Culture eats strategy for breakfast," Pochettino posted.

A clear message, and one he's been preaching all along. Now, though, with the USMNT culture seemingly back in the right place, Pochettino is free to tweak strategy. That continues on Tuesday night against Australia.

Following the draw with Ecuador on Friday night, Pochettino told media how happy he was to be talking about tactics, formations and roles instead of passion, desire and commitment. It was a long summer of debating the latter, but Pochettino can now do what he was, ultimately, brought in to do: build for the World Cup.

Tactically, he's seemingly figured out how to get the most of his player pool. All that's left, then, is to figure out who fits best into this new system, and what tweaks he can make to maximize it by the time the USMNT kick off in Los Angeles next summer.

This Australia match is one of the final few left on the USMNT schedule before next summer's festivities. Wildly enough, there are only five left before Pochettino will really have to narrow down his World Cup roster. The clock is ticking. And the USMNT seem to bein a better place than they were even a month ago.

Can they build more momentum heading towards November? We'll find out on Tuesday as the USMNT takes its next test.

GOAL looks at five keys for the USMNT against Australia.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  The fake wingback

  Before the game against Ecuador, Tim Weah described his role as a "fake wingback." Pochettino laughed when asked about it postgame. It's true – Weah was a wingback in name only. By and large, he was a winger.

  "When I said 'fake wingback' it really just meant that I would be doing less defending because Miles [Robinson] was covering the whole time," Weah said postgame. "That was pretty much it. When we attacked, I didn't really have to track back as much."

  It's an interesting tactical wrinkle one that, ultimately, could keep Weah on the field in this 3-4-2-1 system. Weah is an accomplished wingback on the club level, yes, but there's no denying where his skill lies: bombing forward. In this setup, he can do that as much as he wants, knowing that he has that third back sliding to cover that area for whenever possession switches.

  Will this be how things look when Sergino Dest is back? Will Weah or Dest be the starter when that time comes? That is a question for another day.

  Tuesday's game is another chance to see what Pochettino does with his wingbacks. If it's Weah on that right side, you can expect more of the same. If it's Alex Freeman, he may stay a little deeper. But given his success with Orlando City, he may have freedom to bomb forward, too. 

  The system is still somewhat new, but it's one that seemingly already has a few wrinkles that can be expanded on going forward.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Options for centerback

  As Weah said, Miles Robinson did a lot of important work in that third centerback role. With Weah going forward, it was up to Robinson to keep control on that right-hand side of the field when Ecuador did get forward. However, Robinson isn't the only centerback in this squad fighting for a chance.

  Mark McKenzie remains a candidate to start for the USMNT if this three-centerback system sticks. He plays there plenty with Toulouse, making him a natural candidate to start alongside Chris Richards and Tim Ream. The former Philadelphia Union defender will be eager to get back onto the field, though, as he looks to put a tough summer behind him.

  Then there's Cameron Carter-Vickers, who is back in the team for the first time since March. A standout at Celtic for so long, Carter-Vickers still faces a fight to get into another World Cup roster after featuring in 2022. With Celtic out of European competition, that fight is even harder, and one that could really use a strong performance in defense.

  So, whether it's Robinson, McKenzie or Carter-Vickers, that third centerback spot remains one to watch as the fight for World Cup roles continues.

  "What we're looking for is the capacity to sustain what we want," Pochettino said. "We play with three central defenders sometimes. What we want is for them to adapt in different situations…The most important is communication and then can we build out being dynamic or how we play in the opposite half, depending on the opponent having one striker or two strikers? Right now, it's all about building the gameplan for every single game because the opponent is different, and then trying to find the best system for them to adapt."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Pulisic's status

  Pochettino indicated on Friday that Christian Pulisic could be ready for Tuesday. 

  "Christian didn't train yesterday. He's [been] suffering, from the preseason, a small issue in his ankle," Pochettino said at the time. "After training on Wednesday, his ankle was a little bit swollen. It's an important game, yes, but at the same time, it's important to not take risks. Of course, he's going to be on the bench, and we'll see. We will decide if maybe he can play. If not, the goal is to be ready next Tuesday."

  Pulisic, of course, did play in the draw. He came in for a few minutes off the bench, showing that the injury is nothing to be particularly worried about. Throughout his tenure as USMNT boss, Pochettino has avoided risking players. But if Friday is any indication, there doesn't seem to be any overwhelming risk to giving Pulisic some run in the attack.

  "Christian participated in the training session," Pochettino said on Monday. "I think the reaction after the 20 minutes of playing was good. He's arrived very well and, yes, we hope that tomorrow he can be available. We need to wait today and see the reaction,t oo, but I think it's much, much better than when we arrived."

  How much does he play on Tuesday? Only Pochettino knows. Obviously, the USMNT will be better if he is healthy and available.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  A free McKennie

  Both Pochettino and McKennie used the word on Friday: "Freedom." It's something that a player such as McKennie needs. He can impact a game in so many ways on both sides of the ball, so giving him the freedom to do that is vital.

  It was also interesting, though, how Pochettino described McKennie postgame, when he hinted that he sees him as more of an attacking midfielder than one competing for one of those holding spots.

  "I think we have the capacity now to throw him in a higher position to interpret and read the demands of the game," Pochettino said. "What I wanted was to provide him with a little bit of freedom in the starting position. He was playing behind the striker like another 10 with Malik [Tillman] on the left and Tim on the right. He's a player that needs that freedom because he has the capacity to help in build up, dropping in, but also arriving and scoring goals."

  That, of course, will have ramifications long-term. If he's seen as a No. 10, that means he's competing with the likes of Tillman, Diego Luna and Alex Zendejas, not Tyler Adams, Tanner Tessmann, Aidan Morris and Johnny Cardoso. He, of course, could play in either spot but, when it comes time to choose a squad, it'll be interesting to see how Pochettino weighs up McKennie's position.

  Speaking of weight, McKennie addressed his own fitness in candid fashion after Friday's match, telling TNT, "I had a long preseason with my coach back in Juventus, Igor Tudor, that really put pressure on me and said, ‘Hey, you’re getting older and your body is not going to be able to bounce back from games like you used to be able to. You need to cut down some weight. That’s the only way you’re going to be involved in this team.’

  "I put my head down, worked like I usually do, got on a diet. I don’t snack as much any more and if I do, it’s healthy snacks. And I work out more often. And a lot of running. This summer is the first summer I didn't mind taking my shirt off at the pool."

  As for the Australia game, McKennie remains one to watch as he looks to put in another good performance after missing out on the summer with Juventus in the Club World Cup. Making it all the more interesting is his position and how much freedom it comes with this time around.

On the dawn of their Premier League meeting to open their respective seasons, Manchester United and Arsenal have reportedly set their sights on the same impressive target.

Amorim: "Smart" Sesko "ready" for Man Utd debut

It’s a big weekend for Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United side. They’ve had investment this summer and excuses are running out for any potential disastrous form.

Man Utd set sights on Baleba alternative who scored stunner at Old Trafford

The Red Devils are looking at options beyond Carlos Baleba.

BySean Markus Clifford Aug 16, 2025

Whilst there’s still work to do in the transfer market, the arrivals of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko should hand the Red Devils more than enough firepower to battle their way back into the top six this season. And that could start in statement fashion against Arsenal.

If Amorim wants to see exactly where his side are at in the early days of the season, then Arsenal’s visit will certainly be welcomed. The Portuguese manager may waste no time before turning towards his fresh forwards either, having told reporters that Sesko is “ready”, despite only arriving one week ago.

On the transfer front, however, Manchester United seem far from done. After failing to negotiate a way past Brighton & Hove Albion’s £100m price tag for Carlos Baleba, those at Old Trafford could yet turn towards the likes of Angelo Stiller or others, whilst a Champions League winner is now also on their radar.

Man Utd eyeing Lee Kang-in move

According to Caught Offside, Manchester United are now eyeing a move to sign Lee Kang-in from Paris Saint-Germain this summer. The winger is free to leave amid competition for places in France and has already reportedly had direct contact from Arsenal.

In a fresh transfer battle ahead of their Premier League tie, United may already find themselves behind but, based on this summer, that may not be a problem.

Despite not having much to offer in terms of European football or a thriving project this summer, the Red Devils have still managed to lure the likes of Sesko away from rivals such as Arsenal and Newcastle United. Now, they could do the same with Lee.

Described as “brilliant” by scout Jacek Kulig in the 2022/23 campaign, and a “joy to watch”, Lee sent a timely reminder of his quality for PSG in their recent Super Cup victory over Tottenham Hotspur – scoring an excellent goal to get the Champions League holders back in the contest late on.

Now, it appears the South Korean could well leave with Gianluigi Donnarumma, as he “seriously” considers an exit before the summer deadline.

أدلى نجم الزمالك السابق، أحمد حسام ميدو، بتصريحات قوية تحدث فيها عن الأوضاع الصعبة التي تمر بها القلعة البيضاء، موجهاً رسالة إلى المسؤولين لإنقاذ النادي العريق من الانهيار الذي يشهده على مختلف المستويات.

قال ميدو في تصريحات عبر برنامج “أوضة اللبس” على قناة “النهار”: “جمهور الزمالك (هيتجنن وبيكلم نفسه) لا يفهم ما يحدث، يرى ناديه ينهار أمام عينيه، ولاعبيه لا يحصلون على مستحقاتهم، والفرق تحقق نتائج سلبية، ولاعبون ومدربون سابقون يهددون بتقديم شكاوى إلى الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم”.

وتابع: “جمهور الزمالك يطالب المسؤولين على الأقل بأن يعرفوا الموقف، ويطالبون عبر موقع تويتر رئيس الجمهورية بالتدخل لإنقاذ النادي، هل يُعقل أن نادياً بتاريخ الزمالك الكبير وجماهيره العريضة في مصر والوطن العربي يُسحب منه حقه في أرض نادي الزمالك بمدينة السادس من أكتوبر؟”.

وأضاف ميدو: “الزمالك منذ شهرين لا يوجد أحد يفهم ما يجري بداخله، النادي ينهار في كل الألعاب، واللاعبون لا يحصلون على مستحقاتهم، وفريق كرة اليد لم يشارك في بطولة إفريقيا، وفريق كرة القدم يخسر ومدربه يهدد بالرحيل، أليس من حق جماهير الزمالك أن تفهم ما الذي يحدث؟ هذا كل ما يطالب به جمهور النادي، أن تعود أرض الزمالك بما لا يخالف القانون”.

طالع أيضًا | هشام نصر يوضح حقيقة تفكير مجلس الزمالك في الاستقالة بسبب أزمة أرض أكتوبر

وواصل: “كيف نترك نادياً بحجم الزمالك يمر بهذه الظروف؟ أنا شخصياً على وشك أن أفقد صوابي لأنني لا أفهم ما الذي يحدث، إنها المرة الأولى في حياتي داخل نادي الزمالك التي لا أعرف فيها ما يجري، وحتى المسؤولون أنفسهم لا يعلمون شيئاً”.

واستكمل: “هل يوجد مسؤول في الدولة يرضى بأن يحدث ذلك في نادي الزمالك؟ أتمنى أن أرى الزمالك نادياً عادياً يعيش ظروفاً طبيعية مثل باقي الأندية”.

وأشار: “الزمالك يعاني من أخطاء إدارية، شأنه شأن جميع الأندية المصرية، لكن لا أستطيع أن أهاجم أو أُحمّل أحداً المسؤولية وهو مكبل اليدين، وهناك مسؤولون يدفعون أموالاً من جيوبهم الخاصة لمحاولة إنقاذ الموقف، وهذا أمر مؤسف أن يحدث مع نادٍ بحجم الزمالك”.

واختتم: “نادي الزمالك، الذي تأسس عام 1911، يمتلك جماهير ضخمة في مصر والعالم العربي، وأنا عندما أسافر إلى الدول العربية أجد أن معظم الناس هناك يشجعون الزمالك ويتابعون أخباره باستمرار”.

Hosts Malaysia were knocked out after finishing with three defeats in as many games

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jan-2025India finished top of Group A after beating Sri Lanka in a top-of-the-table clash on Thursday, while West Indies secured their spot in the Super Six stage of the Women’s Under-19 T20 World Cup 2025 by knocking out Malaysia.Playing the second game of the day in Kuala Lumpur, India completed their perfect group stage campaign with a resounding 60-run win over Sri Lanka, who had also come into the match on the back of two wins.Gongadi Trisha’s 44-ball 49 helped India put 118 for 9 on the board before their bowlers restricted Sri Lanka to 58 for 9.Related

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India were in trouble early when they lost two wickets in the space of four balls. But Trisha lifted them from 17 for 2 to 78 for 4. Cameos from Mithila Vinod and VJ Joshitha then took India to a formidable total in a match that followed a script similar to the one earlier in the day.Sri Lanka lost a wicket each in the first five overs as Shabnam Shakil and VJ Joshitha claimed two each and there was a run out.Rashmika Sewwandi tried to inject some impetus as Sri Lanka added 21 runs for the sixth wicket, but Parunika Sisodia and Ayushi Shukla took three wickets in three overs to put the contest to bed. Sri Lanka’s last two batting pairs did well to survive ten overs to avoid getting bowled out, but the match was decided halfway through the chase.Earlier, West Indies beat hosts Malaysia by 53 runs. Despite scoring just 112 for 7 from their 20 overs, West Indies skittled Malaysia out for 59 to finish third in Group A.Malaysia, as a result, were knocked out after finishing bottom of the group with three defeats.Erin Deane and captain Samara Ramnath shared six wickets between them•ICC/Getty ImagesCaptain Samara Ramnath starred in the virtual knockout fixture for West Indies. She was out for 5 at the top of the order, but then wreaked havoc with the ball, finishing with figures of 4 for 6 – bettered only by five-fors from India’s Vaishnavi Sharma and Scotland’s Maisie Maceira in this edition.Malaysia were 38 for 2 after ten overs chasing 113 and that’s when Ramnath started a collapse that saw the hosts lose eight wickets for 21 runs. The Malaysia batters were unable to read her as she got all four of her wickets either bowled or lbw.She got two wickets in her second over, including that of her opposite number Nur Daniya Syuhada, and then picked a third in her next.Fellow offspinners Naijanni Cumberbatch and Erin Deane then took four wickets in the next three overs before Ramnath completed the rout in the 18th over.West Indies had been put in to bat and struggled to pick up the pace, but opener Assabi Callender held the innings together with a 42-ball 30, and got them to a total that proved to be more than sufficient.

Joseph left the field a couple of times during the game after he was visibly unhappy about some things

Cameron Ponsonby07-Nov-2024Alzarri Joseph, the West Indies fast bowler, has been suspended for two matches for his unsanctioned departure from the field during the third ODI against England, in the wake of a disagreement with captain Shai Hope.Joseph issued a public apology in the aftermath of the incident, acknowledging that “my passion got the best of me”, adding that he had “personally apologised to Captain Shai Hope, my team-mates and management”.”I also extend my sincerest apologies to the West Indies fans – I understand that even a brief lapse in judgment can have a far-reaching impact, and I deeply regret any disappointment caused.”During the fourth over of the innings in Bridgetown, Joseph was unhappy with a field placement and could be seen remonstrating with Hope. Off the fourth ball, Joseph removed Jordan Cox caught behind, but did not celebrate with his team, instead immediately returning to his mark. At the end of the over, Joseph left the field unannounced and went into the dressing room, forcing West Indies to begin the fifth over with only ten fielders on the pitch.”Behaviour like that is unacceptable on my cricket field,” Daren Sammy, West Indies’ head coach said to TalkSPORT after play. “We will be friends…but in the culture I’m trying to build, that’s unacceptable. We will definitely have a chat about that.”Joseph returned to the pitch for the beginning of the sixth over, but did not resume bowling until the 12th. He bowled two more overs, before leaving the field again after two misfields off his bowling saw England gain two runs through overthrows. He returned later to bowl two more in the middle overs and his remaining three in the death.Joseph finished the match with figures of 2 for 45 from his 10 overs after dismissing Cox and Dan Mousley.”Alzarri’s behavior did not align with the core values that Cricket West Indies upholds,” Miles Bascombe, CWI Director of Cricket, said. “Such conduct cannot be overlooked, and we have taken decisive action to ensure the gravity of the situation is fully acknowledged.”Sammy, who was appointed as West Indies head coach in May 2023, is widely credited for his man-management abilities, and has convinced several players, such as Andre Russell and Evin Lewis, to return to the international game.”I pride myself on having the difficult conversations,” Sammy said. “But in a way that everybody understands what is needed to be done. To see guys going out there and slowly progressing in the right direction makes me proud.”There’s still a lot of work to be done, but it’s one that I’m quite passionate about.”West Indies won the ODI series 2-1 and the five-match T20 series begins on Saturday, with Sammy hinting that some of the star names who were absent from their recent series against Sri Lanka, such as Nicholas Pooran and Akeal Hosein, are set to return.”We’ve got a couple of senior players who were not in Sri Lanka that we expect to be back,” Sammy said. “Our T20 team is our most successful team and our most settled team. So, yes, we incorporate some new guys to give them that exposure, but our T20 team normally picks itself.”This story was updated at 12am GMT following Joseph’s suspension

Celtic’s winning start to pre-season continues.

On Tuesday evening, the Hoops beat Cork City 2-1 at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, with Luke McCowan breaking the deadlock, before young defender Colby Donovan forced home a late winner.

Next up, Brendan Rodgers’ side are in Portugal to face Estrela da Amadora behind-closed-doors on Saturday, before a green-and-white Clásico against Primeira Liga champions Sporting CP at Estádio Algarve next Wednesday.

Back at home, Peter Lawwell and the recruitment team continue to be busy in the transfer market, so could Celtic soon sign a new striker?

Celtic's search for a new striker

Fair to say, Celtic will need to add more attacking firepower in the coming weeks.

Transfer Focus

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

Kyōgo Furuhashi has not been replaced, after being sold in January, while Nicolas Kühn is on his way to Como for a reported fee of £16.3m.

Meantime, Benjamin Nygren has arrived from Nordsjælland for around £1.7m, but supporters are demanding more reinforcements, so could that be about to arrive?

Well, according to a report by Japanese outlet Hochi News, Celtic are ‘close’ to signing striker Shin Yamada from Kawasaki Frontale.

Martin McMillan of the Glasgow Times adds that a fee of £1.5m has been agreed between the two clubs.

The 25-year-old is currently representing Japan at the EAFF E-1 Football Championship, a tournament for East Asian nations, with the Samurai Blue facing China on Saturday and then hosts Korea Republic on Tuesday, after which Yamada will travel to Glasgow to finalise his move.

He will become the tenth Japanese player to represent Celtic, joining fellow new recruit Hayato Inamura, so will he be a massive success like new teammates Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate and the aforementioned Kyōgo?

How Shin Yamada will improve Celtic

Yamada began his senior football career at college side Toin University of Yokohama, before joining Kawasaki Frontale in 2022, scoring 32 goals in 121 appearances for the Sky Blue and Blacks.

The club’s biggest achievement during this period came back in April, reaching the AFC Champions League Final for the very first time, dumping out Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in the semis, before a 2-0 defeat to Al-Ahli in Jeddah, with Yamada introduced as a half-time substitute in that final.

Yamada’s own personal breakout campaign was the 2024 J League season, scoring 19 times in the league last year, bagging 21 goals throughout the calendar year across all competitions, so let’s assess his statistics.

Goals

19

3rd

Goals per 90

0.85

1st

Goals + assists per 90

0.98

1st

Shots

80

12th

Shots on target

37

5th

Shots on target %

46.3%

10th

Big chances missed

14

8th

As the table outlines, only two players, namely Brazilian duo Anderson Lopes and Leonardo, scored more J League goals than Yamada last year, with the Japanese forward averaging a goal every 105 minutes, an impressive tally for the team that finished tenth.

This form led to Ryo Nakagawara of Shogun Soccer describing him as “fantastic”, adding that he is a “natural finisher” who possesses “excellent movement” in the box, while also offering a threat in-behind due to his “quick acceleration”.

So, why might the Japanese international prove to be a better signing than Nygren?

Let’s take a look at their respective statistics.

Appearances

83

32

Minutes

4,212

2,995

Goals

26

19

Assists

8

4

Yamada was absolutely on fire last season, starring in, according to Global Football Rankings, the 23rd best league in the world, which is 20 places higher than the Scottish Premiership.

Japanese players Maeda, Kyōgo and Hatate have all arrived at Celtic and hit the ground running, and Yamada could surely do the same, considering he’s in the middle of his domestic season and currently playing at an international tournament.

Meantime, Nygren hasn’t been in action since Sweden’s 4-3 friendly win over Algeria at Nationalarenan on 10 June, so may require some time to get up to speed, while he also isn’t a guaranteed starter, if other winger targets were to arrive.

Indeed, it is centre-forward where Rodgers is truly in need of depth, amid Kyogo’s prior departure, hence why Yamada could prove to be a better and more important signing than the Swede.

Celtic could sign their new Van Dijk in a star who once silenced Gyokeres

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ByDan Emery Jul 10, 2025

Marcus Trescothick will act as England’s interim head coach in their T20I and ODI series against Australia next month, but has not yet decided whether he wants to be considered as a long-term option for the white-ball role.Trescothick, one of England’s assistant coaches, is working with the Test team during their series against Sri Lanka and will leave the team during the third Test at The Oval. He will then link up with the white-ball squads – which are due to be announced next week – at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton ahead of the first T20I on September 11.”It’s not something I’d ever thought about before, until I got this opportunity now,” Trescothick said. “I’m not necessarily thinking any further ahead than the end of the Australia series. I’ve been very much focused on the job we’re doing here [with the Test team].Related

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“You plan your winter: we’re off to Pakistan, then New Zealand. I’m so ingrained in that at the moment, I’ve not really sat down and said, ‘right, this is where I’ll try to go, this is what I’ll try to do’. I’m looking forward to the opportunity, for sure. I’m really excited about doing the job. We’ll work it out a little bit more from there.”Trescothick has never previously worked as a head coach but has expressed an interest in graduating to that role. He spent 18 months as an assistant coach at Somerset after his retirement as a player in late 2019, and has been involved in England’s staff since early 2021.He will be involved in selection and has a close relationship with Jos Buttler – who has retained the white-ball captaincy – from their time at Somerset together. Buttler returned to full training this week after a calf injury ruled him out of the Hundred, and could feature for Lancashire in their T20 Blast quarter-final against Sussex on September 4.England’s T20I series against Australia starts 24 hours after the scheduled close of play on the fifth day of their third and final Test against Sri Lanka, necessitating separate squads – though Jordan Cox may be included in the T20I squad if he is not required at The Oval. “They have a busy schedule,” Trescothick said. “The two series very closely overlap.”The ECB has yet to formally advertise the white-ball role vacated by Matthew Mott’s sacking at the start of this month, but Trescothick could become a strong contender if England perform well against Australia. Kumar Sangakkara is considered the early favourite but has not confirmed – or denied – whether he will apply.Andrew Flintoff, whose Northern Superchargers team missed out on the Hundred’s knockout stages on net run rate in his first role as head coach, could also be a contender. But he will not reprise his recent role in England’s coaching staff against Australia, with the reporting on Thursday that he has not “gelled” with Buttler.

تحدث كيليان مبابي لاعب ريال مدريد الإسباني ومنتخب فرنسا، بعد مساهمته في فوز منتخب بلاده على آيسلندا بتصفيات أوروبا المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026، وتخطيه لرقم تييري هنري نجم منتخب الديوك السابق.

وتغلبت فرنسا على آيسلندا بهدفين مقابل هدف، مساء الثلاثاء، ضمن تصفيات أوروبا المؤهلة لكأس العالم 2026.

وقال مبابي في تصريحاته على قناة “TF1” الفرنسية: “هناك العديد من الدروس التي يجب تعلمها، هذه الدروس ليست دائمًا إيجابية، لكنها تسمح لنا بالعمل، لنرى ما ينقصنا، ونعرف مواطن التحسن”.

وأضاف: “هذه مباريات جيدة دائمًا للتحليل، ما زلنا في الصدارة، وتمكنا من حصد العديد من النقاط، من حيث النقاط، النتيجة مثالية، 6 نقاط من مباراتين، لا يوجد أفضل من ذلك”.

وأردف: “الآن، فيما يتعلق بأدائنا، هناك مجال للتحسين، وهناك أمور يجب تحسينها، هناك أشياء قمنا بها بشكل جيد، وهناك العديد من الدروس التي يمكن استخلاصها من هذه المباراة”.

وأشار: “كل فوز هو خطوة للأمام، علينا اتخاذ خطوات عديدة للتأهل، كل فوز يقربنا قليلًا من كأس العالم، نحن سعداء بالفوز على منافسينا المباشرين، علينا تكرار ذلك في أكتوبر، ستكون مباراة مختلفة لأننا لعبنا العديد من المباريات مع أنديتنا، لكننا مستعدون”.

وعن هدفه الثاني والخمسين، الذي سمح له بتجاوز تييري هنري مع منتخب فرنسا، استطرد مبابي: “أخبرتكم، كنت أعرف ذلك! كنت أعرف ذلك، إنه أمر رائع، أنا سعيد للغاية”.

وأتم: “سأتحدث عن هنري مجددًا لأنه لاعب استثنائي، إنه أسطورة حية، تجاوزه أمر رائع حقًا، لكن لا يزال هناك لاعب واحد يجب تجاوزه، على ما أعتقد (جيرو، برصيد 57 هدفًا)، لذا لن أحتفل كثيرًا (يضحك)، لا يزال هناك عمل يجب القيام به”.