Disgraced full-back Dani Alves has reportedly returned the €150,000 legal defence aid he had received from Neymar Jr.'s father.
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Jhye Richardson bagged his second five-wicket haul in as many matches as he ran through the New South Wales line-up
Alex Malcolm27-Nov-2018A career-best eight-wicket haul from Western Australia quick Jhye Richardson overshadowed Kurtis Patterson’s first Sheffield Shield century in two years on an even first day at Perth Stadium.Richardson’s figures of 8 for 47 is the joint-third best by a Western Australian bowler in Shield cricket, alongside Steve Magoffin, behind Ian Brayshaw’s 10 for 44 and Jason Behrendorff’s 9 for 37.In the first-ever Sheffield Shield match played at the venue, just a couple of weeks out from the debut Test, Richardson showed the value of pace and swing on the drop-in surface while Patterson showed that runs were possible with patience and skill.WA skipper Mitchell Marsh won the toss and elected to bowl on a surface with plenty of grass. Matt Kelly made the early breakthrough before Nick Larkin and Patterson put together a 57-run stand. Larkin enjoyed some fortune, dropped at second slip off Cameron Green, before Richardson wreaked havoc.He took three wickets in a four-over burst claiming Larkin, Moises Henriques and Jason Sangha.Patterson was then involved in another 57-run partnership with Peter Nevill, who contributed just 8, before Richardson returned again to change the game. He got Nevill and Jack Edwards in four balls to bag his second five-wicket haul in as many matches.When Trent Copeland fell, the Blues were 7 for 140 but Patterson found an ally in Sean Abbott. The pair put on a century stand, with Abbott making 69. Patterson was 95 when Kelly removed Abbott.He reached his sixth Shield century off Richardson before the tearaway claimed the last two. Nathan Lyon was out to a staggering one-handed catch from Hilton Cartwright at point.WA had to face one over before stumps and their opening duo of the season, William Bosisto and Cartwright, survived.
On the pitch, West Bromwich Albion have caught the eye this season and look likely to find themselves in the race for the Championship play-off places. Carlos Corberan's side sit as high as fifth and ten points behind Ipswich Town in the automatic promotion spot, meaning that they'll likely have to battle for a place at Wembley if they are to return to the Premier League this season.
If those at The Hawthorns saw their side's form on the pitch replicated away from it, then automatic promotion may well be a serious conversation. But that is far from the case, with current owner Lai Guochuan quickly becoming unpopular amid debt and lack of investment. There is at least some good news to come, however, with one reliable reporter providing a major update on West Brom's potential takeover.
Enduring financial troubles under Lai, who has reportedly failed to pay back £10m in loans, West Brom are in desperate need of a fresh start to match their recent run on the pitch. If Corberan can receive some form of backing to welcome reinforcements into his side, then he may well take the Baggies to a new level, given that he's already taken them into the top five under the current ownership.
He could yet get that backing too. According to Tom Collomosse, West Brom are in discussions with at least two potential buyers, including one believed to be based in the USA. Reportedly priced at £60m, the Midlands club are seemingly edging closer to a takeover.
As per Collomose, takeover specialist David Hinchcliffe, who has advised on deals for both Leeds United and Nottingham Forest, was recently in attendance in the directors' box, as West Brom defeated Hull City. Those at The Hawthorns will hope that this is the start of some good news and the beginning of the end of Lai's ownership of the club.
As the fixtures come thick and fast for Corberan's side, the ideal scenario would be for any potential takeover to reach a conclusion as soon as possible. And reports certainly suggest that things are at least heading in the right direction, albeit without an idea as to just who the new West Brom owners will eventually be.
Corberan recently addressed the potential takeover and whether it will play a part in his side's form, telling the Birmingham Mail: "I don't like to think to change the circumstances that I am working, I know I have these circumstances and what we need to do is get the best from these circumstances.
"We are here for a reason and I always say to the players this is our moment to be part of the history of West Bromwich Albion, depending on which type of history we're going to write in the club. I think when life challenges us with difficulty and football challenges us with difficulty, the only way that you have to beat the difficulty is to face it give your best, and be the most creative you can be to find solutions that you need to and have the responsibility to find.
"Because that is the only thing you can do – to take responsibility is to change the situation. You need to understand that in football and life we all like to live the best moment but sometimes in the challenging one is where you really grow and you need to be the coach you need to be."
أكد عامر حسين، رئيس لجنة المسابقات صعوبة فتح باب القيد للأندية المصرية قبل انتهاء منافسات بطولة كأس مصر عن الموسم الجاري، موضحًا موقف تعديل موعد مباراة الزمالك أمام الجونة بـ الدوري المصري.
وقال عامر حسين في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة etc: “يوجد اهتمام كبير من وزير الشباب والرياضة بـ منتخب مصر الأولمبي واتحاد الكرة موفر كل شيء لهذا المنتخب، محمد بركات يقوم بدور كبير مع المنتخب”.
وأكمل: “يجب أن نعطي ميكالي حقه، وهو يعمل مع الإمكانيات المتواجدة ويتعامل مع أي ظروف ولم يخرج منه أي مبررات، لم يحدث أن هدد ميكالي برحيله عن المنتخب قبل الأولمبياد مستحيل يفعل ذلك، وطموحه منذ البداية تحقيق ميدالية مع منتخب مصر”.
وأردف: “يوجد مشكلة مع الاتحاد الدولي أنه لن يتم فتح قيد الأندية إلا بعد انتهاء الدوري والكأس، وهذا الشرط كان متواجدًا من العام الماضي وحصلنا على استثناء من الفيفا”.
وتابع: “لا أعرف إذا كنا سنستطيع الحصول على استثناء هذا الموسم أم لا، مستحيل إقامة مباريات كأس السوبر المصري بين 4 أو 7 أكتوبر بسبب الأجندة الدولية”.
طالع | أحمد سالم يكشف حقيقة إقالة جوميز من تدريب الزمالك.. ويصرح: ما حدث مع زيزو مستفز
وأضاف: “لم يصدر قرار بإلغاء بطولة كأس مصر الأمر يرتبط بالرعاة، إلغاء البطولة سيكون خسارة مالية كبيرة، إما يتم إقامة الكأس حتى 2 سبتمبر أقصى تقدير أو سيتم الغاء البطولة، وتأجيل مباريات الكأس للموسم الجديد أصبح غير متاح”.
وبشأن تعارض موعد مباراة الزمالك والجونة مع لقاء منتخب مصر الأولمبي أمام باراجوي في أولمبياد باريس، أجاب: “أحمد دياب سيجري اتصال مع نادي الزمالك ولا يوجد لدينا أي مشكلة في تغيير موعد المباراة، ويوجد مقترح بتعديل موعد المباراة بإقامتها الساعة 5.30 أو 6 مساءً”.
Tottenham sporting director Johan Lange is reportedly a busy man behind-the-scenes as another new January target comes to light this week.
Spurs continuing new defender chase
Lilywhites head coach Ange Postecoglou got most of his transfer wishes in the summer window, but one key task Spurs failed to complete was the addition of a second left-footed central defender.
After the signing of Micky van de Ven from Wolfsburg, the north Londoners wanted to add an alternative option, leading to a deadline day swoop for Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly. A move for the Cherries star failed to materialise, though, leaving Postecoglou with just van de Ven, Cristian Romero, Eric Dier and Ashley Phillips as their natural centre-back options.
Following van de Ven's serious hamstring injury, which is set to keep him out till 2024, Spurs may be ruing the decision not to bring in another defender over the summer. As a result, it's been reported that Lange is in the market for a new centre-back this winter, leading to claims that Spurs could go back in for Kelly among other options.
Tottenham centre-back targets
Fellow names to have appeared on Tottenham's list of January targets include Uruguay defender Sebastian Caceres, Everton's Ben Godfrey, Crystal Palace ace Marc Guehi, Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah, Genoa star Radu Dragusin, Union Saint-Gilloise's Koki Machida and Benfica starlet Morato.
All appear to possess the qualities to succeed in Postecoglou's aggressive high line at Tottenham, with the likes of Godfrey and Kelly being revered for their pace.
Options from the Premier League could be pretty enticing for Spurs, as experience in Europe's most prestigious and competitive division will be a major bonus.
Spurs could move for Branthwaite
Now, according to The Daily Mail, Tottenham could move for Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite after his exceptional start to the campaign at Goodison Park.
Indeed, Branthwaite has become a target for Spurs, who could now be on the January wishlist. As per The Mail, Sean Dyche's young defensive starlet has been a "revelation" so far.
The Toffees boss recently showered Branthwaite with praise, saying the 21-year-old is working hard to improve all facets of his game behind the scenes. Dyche said to Sky Sports:
"He is working hard at his game. He is listening. He has been very open-minded and is enjoying his football."
Called "quality" by former Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti, Branthwaite has had to be patient for his chances on Merseyside, but time on loan at Eredivisie side PSV Eindhoven last season appears to have taken him up a gear.
The Englishman played 27 Dutch top-flight matches as a mainstay in former PSV manager Ruud van Nistelrooy's starting eleven (Branthwaite stats – WhoScored).
Now, he is a fixture of Dyche's Everton eleven as well, with van Nistelrooy calling him a "very complete" defender during the player's loan spell last term.
“He is a great talent," said van Nistelrooy.
"The boy is 20, but he has a future. He is good on the ball, can play on the left or the right of centre-back because he is two-footed. He has height and speed, so he is very complete.”
Leah Williamson roared that she feels "10 times stronger" in the Lionesses shirt after her first international outing in a year against Ireland.
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Williamson was handed a start against IrelandPut in an impressive shift at the backBelieves return to international action was completion of cycleWHAT HAPPENED?
In an entertaining match against Ireland in Dublin on Tuesday night, England secured their first victory in the qualifiers for the 2025 Women's Euro with a resounding 2-0 win with Williamson donning the armband. Goals from Lauren James and Alex Greenwood propelled the Lionesses to success, marking a significant rebound from their disappointing draw against Sweden earlier in the week.
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Despite the collective achievement, all eyes were on Arsenal star Williamson, whose journey back to the international stage has been nothing short of inspiring. Overcoming a devastating ACL injury sustained last April, which sidelined her for nine months and forced her to miss England's campaign in the World Cup finals in Australia, Williamson showcased incredible resilience and determination in her comeback on the international circuit.
WHAT WILLIAMSON SAID
Speaking to after the match, Williamson said: "It's been a long time coming. Honestly, I just really, really love playing for England. When I put this badge on, I feel 10 times taller, 10 times stronger. I don't know. The girls are such a great group of girls and I loved every second of that.
"I had my eyes set on this. These days, with an ACL, you come back hopefully in a healthy way but I wanted to be good enough to play for England again. The standards are so high and the players that have been here have made them higher. This was the thought so I feel like today is sort of a completion of that journey. Everyone tells me it'll take a while for my body to feel like it used to but yeah, see out the season and then hopefully just keep getting stronger."
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Williamson suffered a hamstring issue that sidelined her during the February international window. However, she forced her way into the matchday squad against Sweden on Friday but remained limited to the substitutes' bench.
One club are reportedly anticipating a Tottenham move for their "quality" centre-half, who former Spurs boss Harry Redknapp is a big fan of.
Van de Ven suffers hamstring injury
Spurs' early-season unbeaten run had to come to an end eventually, with Ange Postecoglou watching on from the sidelines as his team succumbed to a 4-1 defeat on Monday.
Tottenham performed admirably in the circumstances, boldly sticking to their high line despite a two-man disadvantage in the second half. You could make a case that the scoreline flattered Mauricio Pochettino's side, who often struggled to get past Spurs thanks in part to the exceptional performance of goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
The result was a slight dampener on what has been a truly incredible start to Postecoglou's tenure at N17. Indeed, the far more worrying aspect of this defeat is the sheer number of absentees for Spurs over the next few matches.
Both Destiny Udogie and Cristian Romero are suspended after their red cards against Chelsea, while James Maddison and Micky van de Ven were forced off through injury. The latter is awaiting results on what looks to be a very serious problem, with van de Ven being carried off the pitch clutching his hamstring.
Reports have suggested that the Dutch defender could be facing months rather than weeks on the treatment table, resulting in Spurs looking at the January transfer market for solutions.
Bournemouth anticipating Spurs move for Kelly
Indeed, it is rumoured that Tottenham have their eye on Chelsea's Trevoh Chalobah, while other media sources claim Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo is a target for Spurs too. Another centre-half to be heavily linked with a move to north London is Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly.
The Cherries captain was subject to apparent summer interest and even a deadline day bid from Postecoglou's side, but a late move didn't come to fruition.
Now, The Evening Standard back reports that Kelly is expected to be a Spurs target yet again, coming amid van de Ven's serious injury blow. They add that Bournemouth are "braced" for a move by Tottenham as we slowly approach the winter window.
Harry Redknapp and Scott Parker praise Kelly
The Englishman has been a key player at the Vitality Stadium in recent years, leading to praise from both Scott Parker and Harry Redknapp.
"I think Lloyd Kelly has got the attributes and the ability to be a top Premier League centre-half. And I think we are blessed and very, very lucky to have someone of his quality, really," said Parker on Kelly to Bournemouth's official website.
Redknapp, speaking to Bet Victor about the 25-year-old, called Kelly a "real talent" while naming him in a September team of the week after his performance against Chelsea (via Bournemouth Echo).
Holding on to the ball
Blocking the ball
Concentration
(via WhoScored)
“I thought he put in an absolutely immense performance against Chelsea and showed why he’d been linked previously with a move away from the club," said Redknapp on Kelly.
“For me he is key for the Cherries moving forward. He’s a real talent that puts his heart and soul into it for the full game and he was one of the key reasons why Bournemouth came away with a deserved point in a hard fought 0-0."
Everton boasted the second-best defence in the bottom half of the Premier League heading into Sunday's clash against Manchester United at Goodison Park. However, as a result of three goals flying past Jordan Pickford, the Toffees have now fallen below Brentford's ranking and moved into third.
While Everton created a lot of chances during the game, ending the proceedings with an xG of 2.5, Sean Dyche's side gave the visitors plenty of opportunities to punish them on the break, conceding an xG of 2.07, according to Understat.
Two of United's three goals came from the wide areas, with one defender in particular struggling to keep up with the youthful vibrancy of the opposition's forward line.
Ashley Young's stats this season
Ashley Young has proven himself to be a reliable fullback under Dyche ever since making the move from Aston Villa during the summer transfer window for free. This season, the former Man United wide-man has made 12 appearances in the Premier League in a blue shirt, starting in 92% of Everton's games so far.
Nevertheless, the 38-year-old had a disastrous game against his old side on Sunday and played a helping hand in United's first two goals.
While Alejandro Garnacho stunned the Gwladys Street End with a stunning bicycle kick to open the scoring, the Argentine wonderkid was Young's man at the back-post but could only stand and watch in horror and awe as the ball sailed past Pickford and into the net. Later in the game, Young conceded a penalty which was smashed home by Marcus Rashford, all but putting the tie to bed.
Young lost five of his eight defensive duels throughout the match, lost possession of the ball nine times, committed three fouls in total and was lucky to stay on the park after tripping Anthony Martial in the box to concede a spot-kick, having been booked in the first half for a reckless challenge on Garnacho. The Liverpool Echo ranked Young's performance as a dismal 3/10, calling his display "awful".
With just over 15 minutes remaining, the veteran was replaced by the man who should be given the nod in the future.
Nathan Patterson's stats this season
Nathan Patterson moved to Goodison Park in 2022 during Rafa Benitez's time at the club for £16m having won a Scottish Premiership title with Rangers the year prior.
However, since becoming a Toffee, the young defender has appeared just 37 times in all competitions, including 15 this season. Despite making 12 Premier League appearances this term, the 22-year-old has only been in Dyche's starting lineup in 38% of Everton's games.
Regardless, the manager still believes that Patterson is an excellent player, calling him "tremendous" after Everton smashed Brighton and Hove Albion 5-1 away from home at the end of last season.
Patterson will be champing at the bit to make the right-back berth his own and, after Young's display on Sunday, he may just get the nod from the boss at Nottingham Forest this weekend. The Scotland international has even been outperforming Young in a number of key metrics for a fullback.
Assists
0.13
0
Expected Assists
0.11
0.07
Progressive Passes
3.77
3.73
Progressive Carries
2.13
1.73
Progressive Passes Received
3.77
1.18
Key Passes
0.82
1
Passes To Final 1/3
3.61
3
Crosses To Penalty Area
0.66
0.45
Tackles
3.11
1.55
Tackles Won %
73.7%
64.7%
Stats via FBref & FotMob.
Statistically, Patterson is an improvement on Young offensively and defensively and while he may not have the experience of his counterpart, the Scot should be given a run of games by Sean Dyche to prove his long-term worth to the team.
The last time these two sides met…hang on, you don’t need reminding of that. In a quirk of scheduling, the opposition against whom Australia (albeit in a different format) suffered one of the most astonishing episodes witnessed are their first engagement on home soil since then. It’s been a long seven months and a lot has happened to Australian cricket, most of it bad.The past week has been dominated by the boardroom so, in many ways, it is a relief to now get to the on-field action. With a restructured season, this short visit by South Africa is the appetiser to the main course of India who arrive later this month. And, not just because it’s the start of trying to win back the public (if, in truth, they have been lost), it is an important tussle for Australia.They need to reinvent their one-day game which has been in a rut for close to two years now. In 2018 alone they have played 10 ODIs, all against England, and lost nine. Their last victory in a non-dead rubber ODI came against Pakistan in Sydney in January 2017. The World Cup is six months away and Australia look a long way from retaining their title.Leaving aside the enforced absence of Steven Smith and David Warner, Australia, under new captain Aaron Finch, have been able to pick what should be their strongest squad in the circumstances. Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood are fit while Chris Lynn and Glenn Maxwell should have the chance to give an insipid middle order a kick.South Africa were off the pace against the Prime Minister’s XI, but the itinerary hasn’t been the most helpful, arriving into Perth before a return cross-country trip to Canberra for the warm-up. Their batting is missing Hashim Amla and JP Duminy so is not at full strength, but they have a pace attack to rival Australia. Rarely can a one-day series have had six such quality fast bowlers on show.
Australia LLLLL
South Africa WWWLLAaron Finch with his two one-day vice-captains, Josh Hazlewood and Alex Carey•Getty Images
It seems odd to say for the World Cup holders, but Australia’s one-day batting is out of tune to how the game has developed. Warner’s absence is a massive hole, but of the players available Glenn Maxwell is the one who should be providing the x-factor. There have been plenty of mixed messages for him of late, but if he can’t find a key role in this side something has gone wrong. He played decently against England on a trip where Justin Langer lauded his work ethic, but things still didn’t feel quite right.David Miller has gone down the white-ball only route having shelved his first-class career. Part of his thinking was with the 2019 World Cup in mind, so it’s pretty important that he doesn’t let that slip through his fingers. He was rested from the recent series against Zimbabwe as South Africa assessed other names, but an on-form Miller remains a destructive option. This year, though, hasn’t been his best with one half-century in nine matches against India and Sri Lanka so a good series here would help prevent any pre-World Cup unease. He looked in decent order against the PM’s XI before finding long-on.
Finch said he knew his XI but would not reveal it until the toss. Mitchell Starc is available having overcome the hamstring problem he picked up in the UAE, but there could still be a decision to make as whether to unleash him straightaway. The balance of the attack will also pose a question.Australia (probable) 1 Aaron Finch (capt), 2 Travis Head, 3 Shaun Marsh, 4 Chris Lynn, 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Marcus Stoinis, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Mitchell Starc/Nathan Coulter-Nile, 9 Pat Cummins, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Josh HazlewoodGiven the short lead-in time, the names who featured against the Prime Minister’s XI could all play although Andile Phehlukwayo may come in for Dwaine Pretorius. Faf du Plessis said they would take another look at the surface before deciding whether to consider two spinners. The tail looks a little long, but Dale Steyn’s recent batting form has been a boost.South Africa (probable) 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Aiden Markram, 3 Reeza Hendricks, 4 Faf du Plessis (capt), 5 David Miller, 6 Farhaan Behardien, 7 Andile Phehlukwayo/Dwaine Pretorius, 8 Dale Steyn, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Imran Tahir
The Perth Stadium is still in its infancy having only hosted one international so far – the ODI between Australia and England earlier this year. The pitch to be used for this game has been played on once before when England Lions faced Western Australia. The forecast is for a dry, sunny day.
“If you start looking at the end result purely that’s when you can make some errors in judgement and fall down that way. It’s just important to keep it nice and positive and follow our processes as opposed to the full outcome.”
“Whenever you get a chance to play against Australia it feels like you’re playing against a very good cricket team.”
Stand-in captain Suranga Lakmal is “trusting” that the team’s batting will come good as Sri Lanka look to level the series in Pallekele
Andrew Fidel Fernando in Pallekele13-Nov-2018
Suranga Lakmal will captain Sri Lanka in the second Test•AFP
Sri Lanka have asked for a turning pitch – a proper one this time – and they will go in with three spinners and a lone quick again, but for the hosts to level the series, the batsmen still have to pull their weight.So said Suranga Lakmal, who has captained three Tests and won all three, thanks largely to his attack. Under his leadership, Sri Lanka’s bowlers have dismissed oppositions for scores such as 93, 73, 123 and 124. One or two batsmen – Dimuth Karunaratne in particular – have scored heavily on one or two of those occasions. But as a group, Sri Lanka’s top order has fallen short of excellence.”Unfortunately over the recent past we haven’t got what we expected from the batsmen,” Lakmal said. “But we can change that in this match. No one goes to the middle trying to make a low score. I’m trusting that a lot of things will change in this Test.”What I’d say as a captain or vice-captain is that we need to bat positively. That’s one thing we can do. If you get a good ball, any batsman can get out. Think about that and go to the middle with the intention of scoring runs. Have positive body language. That’s what I expect from our players.”One batsman who can generally be relied upon for a positive approach, although not always for runs, is Kusal Mendis. While much has been made of Mendis’ poor ODI form over the past few months, his Test output has been modest as well – he has failed to cross fifty in eight innings now. Lakmal hoped Mendis would be among those leading the batting turnaround.”Any player, bowler or batsman, fails in cricket – in that time it’s the players who are mentally strong who come out of it quickly,” Lakmal said. “In the last match Kusal scored a few runs [19 and 45], and he’s pretty good psychologically. I’m sure he’ll make a difference in this match. He backs his game plan, and I’m trusting that he’ll produce a good innings here.”On the bowling front there may never have been room in this XI for 21-year-old quick Lahiru Kumara, but that doesn’t mean the curfew-breaking antics that saw him dumped from the squad prior to the series has not caused disappointment within the side. Kumara was among those who bowled well under Lakmal in Barbados, where Sri Lanka’s bowlers helped overturn a 50-run first innings deficit. With any luck, Lakmal said, Kumara will make a comeback, and play a role in such team performances again.”There’s something called discipline in the team,” he said. “You could be a senior, or someone who is not very experienced, but if the team suffers even a little because of your indiscipline, then we have to take action. That’s what we’ve done here.”That’s not to say Lahiru Kumara will keep making that mistake, nor are we saying he’s out of the team forever. We’ve sent him a message, and hopefully he will learn from that. This can happen to any player – senior or junior. If they break the rules, we’ll take that action.”