O São Paulo joga contra o Internacional, às 21h30, no Morumbi, nesta quarta-feira (20), buscando mais do que continuar na liderança do Campeonato Brasileiro. Uma vitória deixa o Tricolor com mais folga na ponta da competição e dá outras alegrias ao torcedor e elenco são-paulino.
Jogo pela liderança! Relembre 9 duelos marcantes entre Internacional e São Paulo
Começando pelo retrospecto nesse ano. Desde que 2021 começou, o São Paulo não sabe o que é vencer. Foram três jogos, com duas derrotas (Red Bull Bragantino e Santos), e um empate (Athletico). Essa sequência ruim deixou um ar de dúvidas sobre o momento da equipe na reta final da temporada.
SIMULE OS PRÓXIMOS JOGOS DO SÃO PAULO NO BRASILEIRÃO
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Com isso, cresceu a pressão no trabalho do técnico Fernando Diniz. Contestado por não mudar o esquema de jogo e algumas substituições equivocadas, ele vem encontrando dificuldades nos últimos jogos, como aconteceu no primeiro turno.Com a pressão de tirar o Tricolor da fila, que já dura oito anos, Diniz comentou sobre o duelo contra o Inter e tratou de tirar o peso do jogo.
– Decisão tem sido todos os jogos, que você vai somando pontos para ser campeão. Os 38 jogos são decisivos. Assim que a gente tem encarado desde quando começo. Vamos encarar como decisão, como hoje, mas não vai terminar o campeonato na quarta-feira, independentemente do resultado – afirmou em entrevista coletiva após o empate contra o Furacão.
Elenco e diretoria podem retomar confiança na reta final da temporada
Com Luciano de volta, o São Paulo pode retomar a confiança com um triunfo sobre o Colorado. Desde que o ano começou a equipe vem oscilando, com apenas três gols marcados e seis sofridos em três partidas.
A última vitória foi justamente com o camisa 11 no ataque, quando o Tricolor venceu o Fluminense por 2 a 1, no Maracanã, no dia 26 de dezembro do ano passado. Desde então, o time viu a gordura na liderança do Brasileirão cair de sete para apenas um ponto.
Caso triunfe diante do Colorado, a pressão sobre a nova diretoria do São Paulo também terá um alívio. Julio Casares assumiu a presidência do Tricolor e trouxe Muricy Ramalho como coordenador. Após a derrota no San-São, Muricy se reuniu com o elenco para uma conversa motivacional.
No último treinamento antes do jogo contra o Inter, houve nova reunião entre a diretoria, comissão técnica e jogadores.
– Para ganhar tem que querer mais que os caras. Não pode ser igual a eles, não pode ser. O próximo jogo agora é decisão, são nove decisões. E decisão é diferente, tem que se tratar de forma diferente. É sempre um pouco a mais a todo momento – discursou o técnico tricampeão brasileiro com o São Paulo.
No último treinamento antes do jogo contra o Inter, houve nova reunião entre a diretoria, comissão técnica e jogadores.
É justamente com esse pensamento que o São Paulo encara ‘o jogo do ano’ contra o Internacional. Uma coisa é certa: esse duelo pode ser encarado como um ‘divisor de águas’ para o Tricolor na temporada.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Sadeera Samarawickrama is also back in the squad, while Kaushal Silva has missed out
ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-2018Batsman Lahiru Thirimanne has been recalled into Sri Lanka’s Test squad, with wicketkeeper-batsman Sadeera Samarawickrama also picked in the 17-strong outfit heading to New Zealand for two Tests in December.Dinesh Chandimal, who missed the last two Tests of the recent series against England with a groin strain, is back to lead the side. His deputy is the opener Dimuth Karunaratne, who has been elevated to vice-captaincy ahead of fast bowler Suranga Lakmal, who led Sri Lanka in Chandimal’s absence against England.The only major omission is that of offspinner Akila Dananjaya, who is awaiting the results of his biomechanics test, having been reported for a suspect action. Also failing to find a place in the squad is opener Kaushal Silva, who produced four modest innings in the recent series against England. Danushka Gunathilaka, who also had a poor Test at the SSC, and has been in various disciplinary scrapes over the past 18 months, has been selected, however.The composition of the five-member seam-bowling contingent is largely as expected. Kasun Rajitha and Lahiru Kumara, who had both impressed in the West Indies, are in the squad. Dushmantha Chameera, who had a good tour of New Zealand in 2015, has been chosen as well. Senior seamers Lakmal and Nuwan Pradeep are in the squad as well. Pradeep has not played a Test for over a year, but that has largely been down to injury concerns rather than form reasons.Thirimanne, who had had an extended poor stretch before being dropped in 2017, makes his way back into the squad via runs for Sri Lanka A. He had been the highest scorer in the A team tour to Bangladesh in July, having scored 347 runs at an average of 173.5, across four innings. The 23-year-old Samarawickrama, meanwhile, has not been in particularly prolific form in the high-profile domestic competitions this year, but has been picked largely on potential. He had played four Tests toward the end of 2017 and made a high score of 38.Sri Lanka Test squad: Dinesh Chandimal (capt), Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Mendis, Dhananjaya de Silva, Angelo Mathews, Roshen Silva, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Danushka Gunathilaka, Lahiru Thirimanne, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Dushmantha Chameera
O Conselho do São Paulo negou o pedido do candidato à presidência do clube, Roberto Natel, de recontagem dos votos da eleição realizada no último sábado, que elegeu 100 novos conselheiros do Tricolor.
VEJA A SITUAÇÃO DO SÃO PAULO NA TABELA DO BRASILEIRÃO
A decisão foi divulgada na tarde desta sexta-feira, e assinada pelo presidente Carlos Augusto de Barros e Silva, o Leco, o presidente do Conselho Deliberativo, Marcelo Abranches e o presidente da Assembleia Geral, Marcos Tadeu Novais. O documento aponta que não houve provas de irregularidades na votação, inclusive usando prints de redes sociais onde apoiadores de Natel ressaltam que a demora para a contagem dos votos ocorreu por falha do sistema, não por algum erro na apuração.
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A assessoria do candidato à presidência do São Paulo, disse queNatel ‘se sente extremamente decepcionado com a situação, acha que essa atitude falta com a transparência e respeito, principalmente com os conselheiros que se sentem lesados com os problemas registrados na apuração. Porém, pessoalmente ele não quer e não pensa em recorrer , nem mesmo internamente. Mesmo assim conversará com suas lideranças para ouvir opiniões, e respeita a decisão tomadas’.
Natel havia protocolado o pedido devido a preocupação de que alguns conselheiros possam ter ficado de fora da votação, “por votos que se perderam em várias paralisações e problemas do sistema de apuração”.
O pedido foi protocolado na última segunda-feira (30) e foi endereçado ao atual presidente Carlos Augusto de Barros e Silva, e ao presidente do Conselho, Marcelo Pupo. No documento, Natel afirma que, caso não haja a recontagem no período de 48 horas, ele precisará tomar medidas judiciais cabíveis.
Na eleição do final de semana, a chapa de Roberto Natel elegeu a minoria dos novos conselheiros (26), contra a maioria (74) da chapa de Julio Casares, outro candidato à presidência do Tricolor.
A importância dessa votação é porque os 100 novos conselheiros, somados aos 151 conselheiros vitalícios (totalizando 251), elegerão o novo presidente por voto indireto, na primeira quinzena de dezembro. Diante dessa situação, portanto, Casares seria o favorito para assumir o cargo.
When it comes to transfer business, there's not many better than Brighton & Hove Albion. The Seagulls continuously welcome players before converting them into the next best thing in the Premier League. Even after losing the likes of Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister in the summer window, Roberto De Zerbi's side look on course for another action-packed campaign.
Now operating at a higher level than ever, Brighton have been able to welcome players such as Barcelona youngster Ansu Fati and could yet use their new-found stature to add a similarly impressive target when the January and summer transfer windows swing open.
Brighton transfer news
So far, the Seagulls' summer transfer window looks to have been another impressive showing of their transfer expertise. Joao Pedro has particularly got off to a strong start after completing his switch from Championship side Watford during the window. The forward has already found the back of the net on six occasions and assisted one other goal in 13 appearances.
De Zerbi will be hoping that any future arrivals will replicate his new striker by getting off to blistering starts. And that could include one particular target, if the Seagulls complete their move. According to Football Insider, Brighton have set their sights on a move for Matt O'Riley. The Premier League side have reportedly scouted the Celtic midfielder and have been hugely impressed by what they've seen. They're not alone in their interest, though, with a number of English sides keeping an eye on O'Riley.
Any deal may prove to be a difficult one to negotiate, too, given that the 22-year-old's contract doesn't come to an end until 2027 and Celtic reportedly see him as their prized asset. When the January transfer window opens, it will be interesting to see whether Brighton keep watching on from afar or, indeed, make their move for O'Riley.
Matt O'Riley's stats
Celtic'sMattO'Riley
O'Riley's stats have once again reflected just how talented he is. The Celtic man has scored six goals and assisted a further four to have a hand in an impressive 10 goals in 14 games in all competitions. It's no surprise then that the 22-year-old has been at the centre of praise during his time in the Scottish Premiership, including from Danish pundit Peter Kjaer, who said via The Daily Record: “I’ve seen O’Riley play, he’s a top player. I know the national coach also thinks he’s great. He spoke about him before the 2022 World Cup so he’s been following him.
"He’s doing very well at Celtic and he’s still a young guy who is improving all the time. He has a lot of qualities that I know Denmark will want to use in the future. Playing in the Champions League will also undoubtedly help him, in terms of a call-up.”
After seemingly attracting the interest of Brighton, O'Riley looks set to have an important decision to make in the near future. He could yet decide to stay put at Celtic, where he has already had great success. The Scottish giants will certainly want to keep hold of their star man, that's for sure.
Chelsea's academy has become a goldmine for producing talent on a widescale and while the likes of Reece James, Levi Colwill and Conor Gallagher have cemented their place in the first-team, others have been shipped out on loan or released as a youngster and gone on to excel elsewhere.
With a history of loaning out a whopping 41 players in 2019, it comes as no surprise to see talent slip through the Blues' net and one example of that is when they painstakingly released a 14-year-old Declan Rice.
The Englishman rose to first-team stardom in east London, amassing over 200 appearances for the club and capped his final emotional term with victory in UEFA's Europa Conference League before sealing a £105m move to Arsenal this summer.
If releasing one of the Premier League's finest prospects wasn't enough to churn the stomach, Chelsea lost an even bigger talent when Jamal Musiala was snapped up from under their noses four years ago.
Why did Chelsea let go of Jamal Musiala?
A two-window transfer ban was imposed upon Chelsea in 2019 and several of Europe's prying hands looked to steal some of their top talents. Although winger Callum Hudson-Odoi was subject to a bid from Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga giants also sought to prise Musiala away from west London, as per Sky Sports.
The German-born attacking midfielder, who was 16 years old at the time, turned down a long-term offer from Chelsea in favour of a three-year deal with Bayern.
Soccer Football – FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – Group E – Spain v Germany – Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, Qatar – November 27, 2022 Germany’s Jamal Musiala in action with Spain’s Pedri and Gavi REUTERS/Molly Darlington
During that period, it was fashionable for young English players to hone their craft in the Bundesliga with Musiala following in the footsteps of Jadon Sancho and Reiss Nelson, two players who enjoyed fruitful spells in Germany.
Chelsea did receive compensation from Bayern for taking their hottest prospect – reportedly around £170k – but he's developed into one of the best young talents in world football since leaving Stamford Bridge, nothing will cure the devastating blow of having Musiala snatched from them.
How good is Jamal Musiala now?
The "future Ballon d'Or" winner – as dubbed by teammate Alphonso Davies – has already elevated himself towards the realm of being world-class at 20 years old.
The Germany international has combined his ability to glide past defenders, his press resistance and his sharp awareness to become the complete attacking midfielder, who continues to take the world by storm.
Bayern Munich forward Jamal Musiala.
Capping off his sensational season in the Bundesliga last term by posting an impressive 12 goals and 13 assists in 33 appearances, Musiala's performances caused the footballing world to stand up and applaud as he came second to Jude Bellingham in the prestigious Golden Boy award.
Once praised by German legend Lothar Matthaus, who compared him to the great Lionel Messi for his ability to excite and entertain on the field, the youngster is delivering on the potential that his formative years promised, and some.
Similar to Messi, gliding past the opposition like they're not even there is a major hallmark of Musiala's game, backed up by how his metrics hold up against his fellow positional peers across Europe's top five leagues.
In the past year, the £83k per-week phenom has delivered a devastating impact in the final third, demonstrating his glowing technical attributes by placing within the top 1% for successful take-ons, top 2% for pass completion, top 12% for assists and top 17% for progressive passes, as per FBref.
Excelling on the domestic stage for Bayern and the international scene for Germany has seen Musiala's value rise exponentially to a whopping £129m (€150m), as per Football Observatory, with the 20-year-old continuing to carve a path to an untouchable legacy, while Chelsea are left wondering what could have been.
West Ham United boss David Moyes may opt to rest one of his key men against SC Freiburg on Thursday after he sustained a knock in the Hammers' victory over Sheffield United last weekend, according to reports.
What's the latest news involving West Ham United?
Hammers full-back Vladimir Coufal has backed his teammates Jarrod Bowen and James Ward-Prowse to be selected for England duty by Gareth Southgate for matches against Italy and Australia in light of their early season form, as per The Evening Standard.
Coufal stated: "I was really surprised they weren’t there last time. I hope for both of them. They absolutely deserve it. The manager sees it but obviously reaching the squad is very difficult because of the number of players with amazing ability. But these two deserve to be there."
West Ham saw off a stiff test against Sheffield United at the London Stadium last weekend in the Premier League, running out 2-0 winners courtesy of strikes from England international Bowen and midfielder Tomas Soucek.
Speaking after the match, West Ham playmaker Ward-Prowse expressed his delight at the Hammers' ability to secure victory against the Blades, saying: "We’re really pleased with the performance. It was a tough game on Saturday – every game in the Premier League is tough – but especially coming up against a team who had a difficult week last week."
He then added: "We knew it was going to be a tough game, but the two early goals helped us and I think we’re a little bit disappointed that we couldn’t build on that [with more goals] in the second half."
Irons starlet Dan Rigge is also set to sign a new long-term deal at the London Stadium despite interest from elsewhere in England and from La Liga.
Is Jarrod Bowen now injured?
According to popular West Ham reporter Sean Whetstone, Bowen is carrying a slight injury after being substituted late on in their victory against Sheffield United.
Taking to social media platform X, Whetstone issued an update on the permutations of Bowen's injury, stating: "Hammer Jarrod Bowen was carrying a slight limp as he was subbed on the 93rd minute at the weekend. His slight knock is not expected to be a problem, but he could be rested for the Europa League to be fresh for the London Stadium game against Newcastle United."
West Ham winger Jarrod Bowen.
The chances are that Bowen may have been rested for the tie regardless of his match fitness, though Hammers fans will be relieved to hear that the 26-year-old will only be temporarily unavailable.
In 2023/24, Bowen has made an excellent start to life in the Premier League, registering five goals and one assist in his opening seven appearances across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.
As cited by FBRef, the former Hull City attacker, who was labelled "unbelievable" by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp last year, has also been able to fashion plenty of chances for his teammates this term, successfully carrying out 20 shot-creating actions in the English top-flight.
Despite Moyes encountering an injury concern regarding Bowen, it looks as though he will be it and firing by the time Newcastle United make the long trip down to London this weekend.
With football's ever-growing popularity and commercial reach, football kits have increasingly become seen as fashion pieces as well as representations of the teams that wear them.
It's not just clubs, though; international teams will regularly release one or two new kits every year, especially when there is a tournament on the horizon, and with Euro 2024 fast approaching, expect to see a raft of shirts released in the coming months.
With that in mind, Football FanCast has created a list of the 12 best shirts ever worn at the European Championships.
12 Poland 2012
Kicking off the list is an inclusion that may surprise some: Poland's home shirt from their European Championships on home soil in 2012.
While the tournament was excellent, with Poland and Ukraine being fantastic hosts, the men in white and red didn't do much on the pitch.
They took two points from their first two games courtesy of two 1-1 draws. However, the draw against Russia on matchday two was almost seen as a win given that the visitors scored first and the fierce rivalry between the two teams. Unfortunately, a loss to the Czech Republic in their third game meant they finished rock bottom of their group, but they looked good doing it.
Poland tend to make great shirts most years, but this simple design with the rectangle across the chest, an eagle in the middle and a badge off to the side all come together to make an excellent, modern kit that wouldn't look out of place today, 11 years on.
11 West Germany 1988
Okay, we're going a little further back in time for this one.
Germany have a history of producing quality designs for international tournaments. Something about that white and black base just looks brilliant regardless of what else they do to it. That said, for our money, their 1988-1990 effort is their best to date.
The 1988 competition was staged in West Germany, and while the team made it out of their group – beating Spain and Denmark in the process – they were beaten in the semi-finals at the hands of eventual winners, the Netherlands.
The top itself is undeniably iconic. The plain white base with the German flag printed across the front in Adidas' best template is instantly recognisable, and Germany even modelled their 2018 kit on the design.
10 England 2021
The first England entry on the list, and like every other shirt here, it's a corker.
If we are being honest, England shirts can often be quite dull. You can't do much with an almost entirely white top, but for Euro 2020, Nike found a way to make it far more interesting.
The thick navy collar combined with the jagged stripes up the side gives some much-needed intricacy to the shirt, and we just love the badge's central placement – why can't all badges be central?
The tournament itself was a memorable one for the Three Lions as the cross-continent nature of the competition meant that they played most of their games at home, including a memorable round-of-16 win over Germany.
Alas, it was still England, and so it inevitably ended in penalty shootout heartbreak as Italy clinched the title in a tightly contested final at Wembley Stadium.
9 England 2022
england-fifa-womens-world-cup-2023
Back-to-back England, but the Lionesses' shirt for the 2022 European Championship deserves to be on this list.
Where the men came agonisingly close to lifting what would've been the country's first European title, the women went one better. The final was once again held at Wembley Stadium, only this time, the opposition was Germany. It was a fantastic spectacle, with England clinching it in extra time, much to the delight of a sold-out crowd.
The shirt itself was also a stunner. It didn't have the navy detailing of the men's, instead featuring a faint diamond pattern base with an iridescent Three Lions and Nike tick.
8 Sweden 1992
Much like in the domestic game, in international football, some teams are instantly recognisable from the colour of their shirts alone, and Sweden are a great example of that.
The rich yellow and royal blue colour combo is unmistakably Swedish, and it just so happens to be one of the most aesthetically pleasing combinations as well.
With so many iconic kits to choose from for the Swedes, we have opted for their 1992 home shirt. It has everything you'd want from a Sweden top: a rich yellow base, royal blue stripes that pop from a mile away, and a chunky retro collar with a perfectly placed Adidas logo at its base.
The competition itself took place in Sweden and was a relative success for the Swedes, as they made it out of their group and to the semi-finals, where they would be beaten by Germany.
7 Italy 2021
Few international football teams look as stylish as Italy, and their effort for the 2020 European Championship is no different.
When picking the best Italian shirts, you are spoilt for choice, but we reckon this is their best effort to date. The two-tone blue base looks brilliant on the pitch, and the Renaissance-inspired print just gives it that edge over some of their plainer designs, as do the collar and gold detailing.
It was also a tournament to remember for Gli Azzurri as they went in as dark horses and ended up winning it all after breaking English hearts in the final at Wembley Stadium.
6 England 1996
Okay, this is the last England shirt, we promise – but it is a beaut.
1996 is one of those years that has become mythologised in English football. It was a tournament that made people genuinely believe the team would finally lift some silverware again, and in front of a home crowd as well.
The game against Scotland and Paul Gascoigne's goal live on and are instantly recognisable for England fans – even for those who weren't around to see it – but as it always does, the tournament ended in penalty disappointment for the Three Lions, once again at the hands of the Germans.
That said, at least the team looked good, thanks to this brilliant shirt from Umbro. The incorporation of electric blue around the number and along the chunky collar really helped the shirt to pop, and a central badge always helps make a shirt look better.
5 Denmark 1992
Scandinavia's second representative on the list, Denmark, have produced some stunning kits over the years, but we reckon their home shirt for the 1992 European Championship takes the cake.
The 1986 top might get more attention, but the design and history attached to this one give it the edge. The plain red base paired with the striped red and white sleeves really makes this top stand out amongst other red and white shirts – and we just love a retro collar.
1992 is probably the greatest year in Danish football due to the fact that they – somewhat surprisingly – won the European Championship that year. It was surprising for a couple of reasons: one, for as good as they were, they were underdogs compared to teams like Germany and the Netherlands; and two, they didn't even qualify for the tournament.
The Danes only entered the competition after Yugoslavia were disqualified following the breakup of the country and the ensuing violence.
4 USSR 1988
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or the USSR, might not exist anymore. Still, when they did, they had an excellent track record in international tournaments – and an even greater record of beautiful kits.
The 1988 European Championship was the last Euros they appeared in, as they played as the Commonwealth of International States (CIS) for the 1992 edition of the tournament following the dissolution of the state.
1988 was a massively successful tournament for the team, though, as they beat England and the Netherlands in the group stage before beating Italy in the semi-final. Unfortunately, they couldn't do the double over the Dutch in the final, and they would have to settle for second at their last-ever Euros.
The shirt itself was a stunner. The base was red and white and used one of Adidas' best-ever templates, while the collar and detailing made it stand out from the others that used the same base design.
3 Croatia 1996
Now, this one might be a bit marmite in that some will love it – like us – and some will probably hate it, but you just cannot make a list like this and not include Croatia's iconic shirt, specifically the 1996 edition.
The checkerboard pattern is certainly garish; there's no getting away from that, but it's unique, eye-catching and instantly recognisable. The tricolour detailing around the collar and sleeves takes it up another level and comfortably makes it one of the three best kits ever worn at a European Championship.
The team themselves had a reasonably impressive tournament that year, with group-stage wins over Turkey and Denmark – who were then the reigning champions. However, they were ultimately knocked out in the quarter-finals by eventual champions Germany.
The opener’s 14-ball half-century led Kings XI Punjab to a six-wicket win in Mohali
The Report by Akshay Gopalakrishnan08-Apr-20182:27
Agarkar: Rahul has the game to adapt to all formats
KL Rahul blasted the IPL’s fastest half-century to give Kings XI Punjab a rousing start to their 2018 IPL campaign. Rahul razed the Daredevils attack in a brutal performance, getting to the landmark inside three overs and off just 14 balls.Incongruously, though, Kings XI ended up huffing and puffing to their target of 167. After Rahul’s dismissal, Kings XI only managed 103 runs in 84 balls. But such had been the damage inflicted by Rahul that they still ended up winning with seven balls to spare.All that after Gautam Gambhir, the Daredevils captain, celebrated his return to his hometown franchise with a fighting half-century. But Kings XI’s spin duo of R Ashwin and the 17-year old debutant Mujeeb Ur Rahman led a strong bowling performance to restrict Daredevils to a total that was just about par.Mujeeb’s instant rewardAt 17 years and 11 days, Mujeeb became the IPL’s youngest-ever player. Mujeeb has all the qualities that underline an effective limited-overs spinner: his variations keep the batsmen guessing, he can be deceptive with his trajectory, and his unusual action makes it difficult to pick him out of the hand.Colin Munro tends to struggle against spin in the Powerplay: he has fallen to them four times in 17 innings during this phase in T20s. After opening with himself, Ashwin introduced Mujeeb in the third over. Munro took zero time to try and suss out the newcomer, getting down for a switch hit to the first ball he faced from him. Mujeeb’s drift from around the stumps got Munro into a tangle, and trapped him plumb in front. Daredevils were 12 for 1 in the third over.1:47
Coach’s Diary: Kings XI need not worry about Yuvraj
Gambhir’s counter-offensiveUntil Sunday, Gambhir had faced 42 balls from Axar Patel in all T20s. His numbers against him: 36 runs at 5.14 an over. And that included just two fours. On Sunday, he doubled the tally off the first two balls he faced from the left-arm spinner, first with a flowing inside-out drive through cover, and then with a crunching sweep. He followed that up with a superbly timed chip over long-off.A typically fluent Gambhir against spin was on display. He made brilliant use of his feet and especially favoured the inside-out shot to counter the drift. In his first match back with his hometown franchise, Gambhir notched up a half-century – the 36th of his IPL career – and kept Daredevils on course for a strong total.Walking the talkAshwin followed up on his pre-season declaration of trying to be as unpredictable as possible, both with his own bowling and the manner in which he rotated his other bowlers. He began by using five different bowlers inside the Powerplay.Kings XI stacked their attack with three spinners, and each of them contributed to pulling the team back. Axar removed Shreyas Iyer to end a 42-run second-wicket stand – the best of Daredevils’ innings. Rishabh Pant’s cameo briefly swung the momentum back, before Mujeeb had him with a googly, thanks to a brilliant catch by Andrew Tye, running backwards from extra cover. Mujeeb then nailed a direct hit to account for Gambhir, run out for the 16th time – an IPL record.Ashwin tantalised with offbreaks, legbreaks, carrom balls and flippers: all of them delivered with superb control. He had Rahul Tewatia lbw on an attempted switch hit, and it looked as though Daredevils would have to settle for a below-par total.But Daredevils still had Chris Morris, a man with a smart strike rate of 241 at the death. Since the 2015 IPL, he has also been striking at 157 in the first 10 balls he faces. His unbeaten 16-ball 27, after coming in at the start of the 16th over, was just what Daredevils needed at the finish.Rampaging Rahul seals the dealThe skiddy nature of this Mohali surface meant the odd ball could keep low, and lbw was always a looming threat. The key was to stick to a fullish length and a stump-to-stump line, and you were in with a chance to pick up quick wickets.Rahul, however, came out swinging, and a wayward Daredevils attack fed him by bowling all over the place. One bowler after the other was left stunned by the ease with which Rahul played off either foot. Bowl it full, and he’d meet them with a solid stride and drive imperiously; drop it short, and he’d shift back with ease and hack them through the leg side. Each delivery was a gift that came tied with a ribbon.After Rahul fell, hometown hero Yuvraj Singh scratched and struggled, Karun Nair struck a fifty that largely went unnoticed despite coming at a strike rate of 151.51, and David Miller and Marcus Stoinis coasted to the target with an unbroken stand of 29.
During their nail-biting victory against Afghanistan, Zimbabwe were lifted by the strong support from a huge crowd in Bulawayo, especially when their spirits were down
Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo07-Mar-20180:40
WATCH – Bulawayo goes wild as Zimbabwe win thriller
“Was that stressful?” Zimbabwe captain Graeme Cremer joked to the wide-eyed gaggle of local journalists after his team’s nerve wracking two-run win over Afghanistan in Bulawayo.Queens Sports Club doesn’t have the gladiatorial grandeur of Wanderers, the storied history of Lord’s, or the spectacle of Eden Gardens, but during Zimbabwe’s backs-against-the-wall win the electric atmosphere rivalled any match to have taken place on more hallowed grounds. Zimbabwe’s victory wasn’t so much about individual performances, as it was the combined efforts of the fielders, bowlers and a broiling, festive crowd of spectators. It was high drama, and at the very end, with the tension rising to almost unbearable levels, Afghanistan blinked first.”We knew we had a score on the board,” Cremer said. “In competitions like this, it doesn’t matter how small the target is, if you have runs on the board there’s always that pressure.”It’s supposed to get tense, we’re playing for our countries – both teams – and it has to get tense,” said a breathless Sikandar Raza after the match. “We say that the team that panics first will lose. We just kept our composure. In that last over we thought ‘we’re right into it, one mistake or one bad shot … ‘ Let’s just drag it into the last over, and if they panic they’ll lose.”Defending a sub-par total, in the last over, against a team who are among the tournament favourites, Zimbabwe showed remarkable depth of character. “It’s the fact that we have friendship, we have brothers in the team, and we don’t let each other down,” Raza said. “We fight until the very end, until the game is either lost or won. And today great character was shown.”Afghanistan went into that last over – bowled by Brian Vitori – needing just four runs to win, but with only nos. 9 and 11 to do it. Dawlat Zadran and Shapoor Zadran had shown tenacity to keep Afghanistan clinging on after being 177 for 9. After missing a swipe at the final delivery of the penultimate over, Shapoor had finally let his emotion show, angrily miming the shot he should have played.When he edged the next ball he faced, Vitori’s third in the last over, the floodgates opened, with hundreds of spectators rushing onto the field. The overjoyed masses that ended up in the middle were a vital part of what had just unfolded.”They played a huge role today,” Raza said of a capacity Queens crowd. “When my head was dropping, when Nabi’s dropped catch was ringing in my head, and I wasn’t getting a breakthrough and there were a few edges that dropped short or went to the boundary, the fans never let me drop my head. And not just me, everyone who went to the ropes today, the fans were cheering them on. They were the real 12th man today.”The energy of the crowd clearly spilled onto the field, and Zimbabwe were noticeably animated – even after Raza dropped a simple chance to give Mohamad Nabi a second life. He went on to make 51 before Raza removed him – of course.”Nabi was a big fish, and I dropped him, and I kept saying to myself, and the skipper kept saying to me as well: ‘You have to get him out now, and you will get him out’,” Raza said. “And the fact that the whole team was behind me and motivating me, it gives you a bigger heart to try and get someone out and not bowl too defensively.”Raza kept tossing the ball up, and in his eighth over – the 37th of the innings – he ripped the heart out of Afghanistan’s middle order. Nabi, Sharafuddin Ashraf, and Rashid Khan were dismissed in the space of six inspired deliveries. With the third dismissal, Raza sprinted out to deep midwicket, where the crowd was most concentrated, and the team and fans celebrated together.”We took three chances, and those chances paid off in that over where we got three wickets, which certainly was quite pleasing,” Raza said. “And humbling.””I think that over from Raza, that’s what we needed,” said Cremer. “Because those guys can bat, and if they had just applied themselves they could have got that score easily. But Raza has been excellent for us. Not only with the bat, but he’s turning into the bowler with a golden arm for us. That over was the turning point in the game.”‘On a steaming hot late summer’s day, Raza’s exertions with the bat and in the field resulted in serious cramping, with the physio called onto the field and Raza eventually hobbling off for an over. But wild horses couldn’t have stopped him from coming back, still limping, for the thrilling denouement.”Skipper said to me ‘see what you can do, if you can try and spend an over here and see how your body feels, otherwise you can go out’, and I said ‘I will not leave you here. And we’ll see how far we can go.'”For his 60 runs and three wickets, Raza was named Man of the Match. He was quick to share the glory. “I thought it should have been Blessing or BT (Brendan Taylor) sitting here now with the Man of the Match because I thought those two were the real heroes.”It wasn’t just me, it was everyone together. It was the character. The way the boys showed courage and we held our composure. Most importantly the way we stayed united out there. And that helped us to win the game.”This victory should feel as sweet to the fans as it does to us. Maybe people from the outside don’t realise how many things are hinging on these qualifiers for our families, for our futures. Most importantly, there are 15 million people [in Zimbabwe] looking for something to smile about, looking for something to give them hope, looking for happiness. We’ve just got to make sure that we give each of those 15 million people something to smile and cheer about.”
Apesar de esportivamente a temporada do CRB ser satisfatória até então, o clima entre diretoria de um lado e comissão técnica/jogadores do outro não é dos melhores.
Pelo menos, foi a impressão passada pelo zagueiro Gum após a vitória por 1 a 0 sobre o Juventude na última terça-feira (22) que acabou não sendo suficiente para o time avançar na Copa do Brasil diante do revés na ida por 2 a 0 em Caxias do Sul.
Segundo relatou o experiente defensor ainda à beira do gramado do estádio Rei Pelé, houveram “algumas coisas” que acabaram desagradando comissão técnica e jogadores ao ponto de poder ser atribuída a queda de rendimento da equipe.
-Primeiramente, muito chateado, porque sabemos que nossa equipe chegou até esse momento bem. Criou uma expectativa (para) nós, diretoria e torcedores regatianos de chegar longe na Copa do Brasil. Infelizmente, contra o Paraná foi um jogo abaixo do que vínhamos apresentando. Algumas coisas aqui dentro aconteceram que chatearam o grupo. O grupo, infelizmente, com essa chateação caiu um pouco de produção dentro do campo, porque somos seres humanos, e a chateação veio de fora de dentro, infelizmente – iniciou Gum, completando:
– Nós superamos, pensamos somente em jogar por nossa família, por nós, jogadores, e os torcedores, porque os torcedores não sabem nada disso. Aí tem coisas que não podemos externar. Temos que assumir a responsabilidade aqui dentro. Nós, jogadores, comissão técnica, fechamos a boca e trabalhamos. Nós somos seres humanos, ficamos chateados porque algo aconteceu que nos chateou. Infelizmente, as pessoas não tratam (os jogadores de futebol) como seres humanos, mas como robôs. Não é assim que funcionam as coisas.
As palavras do zagueiro não caíram nada bem para a cúpula administrativa do CRB, sentimento esse que se tornou notório pelas palavras em tom claro de réplica dadas pelo presidente Marcos Barbosa a rádio ‘Maceió AM 1020’:
-Ele não só deve respeito a mim, mas também, à nação regatiana e tem que dizer o que está acontecendo, tem que ser homem e dizer. Se ele não teve coragem de dizer na frente dos jogadores e na minha frente, então ele realmente pode estar acenando que gosta muito de dinheiro. Tem que ter respeito, e ele é obrigado a fazer um vídeo e explicar à nação Regatiana o que está acontecendo, eu não estou sabendo, por que só ele está sabendo? Jogador nenhum chamou atenção de nada, só ele porque não se classificou; faz parte do jogo, uns ganham e outros perdem.Eu não estou chateado porque não me classifiquei, eu disse isso a eles. Falei para os jogadores que não poderíamos perder o jogo, pois eu não podia ser desmoralizado na minha casa. Então, a partir de hoje, nós temos que ganhar os jogos dentro da nossa casa. Classificação eu queria, todos nós queríamos.
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