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Last night was one to forget for Tottenham Hotspur.

Ange Postecoglou’s side had a chance to turn their season around and put a massive dent in Arsenal’s ambitions simultaneously, but ultimately gave up a 1-0 lead to pick up their 11th Premier League defeat of the campaign.

Impressively, it was the youngsters like Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall who put in the best performances for the Lilywhites, while the senior players were painfully ineffective or practically anonymous.

Even goalscorer Son Heung-min was disappointing for the majority of the game, so recent reports linking the club with a potential replacement this month shouldn’t come as much of a surprise.

Tottenham chase Son successor

According to a recent report from Football Transfers, Tottenham are one of several high-profile clubs interested in signing Manchester United star Alejandro Garnacho this month, whose sale is not off the table.

Transfer Focus

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

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In fact, the report has revealed that the Lilywhites have ‘set their sights’ on the winger, have made a ‘concrete enquiry’ about his availability and may now be prepared to test the Red Devils’ resolve with a bid in the region of €70m, which is about £59m.

However, fans shouldn’t get too carried away just yet, as the report has also named European giants Napoli and Atlético Madrid as some of the interested parties.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but given Garnacho’s current ability and the potential many believe him to possess, it’s one worth pursuing, especially as Son cannot be relied upon long-term.

How Garnacho compares to Son

Now, the first thing to say is that over the last decade or so, there have been few players as consistently brilliant as Son in the Premier League, and when he does finally hang up his boots or move on, he’ll be rightly remembered as a legend of the league.

With that said, time catches up with us all, and with him set to turn 33 in the summer, the club need to find a long-term replacement and fast, as even though he can still chip in with a goal here and there, most fans will attest to the fact that he’s having less and less impact in games with every passing campaign.

So, with that in mind, how does he stack up against the young Garnacho? From a pure output perspective, it’s a very closely fought affair.

For example, in 26 appearances totalling 1825 minutes this season, the Spurs captain has scored eight goals and provided seven assists for Postecoglou, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.73 games, or every 121.66 minutes.

In contrast, the young Argentine has scored as many goals but provided five assists in 30 appearances, totalling 1641 minutes, so he’s averaging a goal involvement every 2.30 games, or every 126.23 minutes.

So, with there being little to separate the pair with their output, how do they stack up against one another when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers?

Interestingly, while the South Korean international comes out ahead in a number of metrics, such as progressive passes, shot and goal-creating actions, passing accuracy and key passes per 90, he comes out second-best overall.

For example, the “dangerous” United gem, as dubbed by Paul Scholes, does better in a multitude of offensive metrics such as non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive carries, shots and shots on target and carries into the penalty area per 90, but also does significantly better for the defensive ones as well.

Garnacho vs Son

Statistics per 90

Garnacho

Son

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.57

0.61

Actual Non-Penalty G+As

0.71

0.69

Progressive Passes

1.99

4.75

Progressive Passes Received

12.8

11.3

Progressive Carries

5.70

3.95

Shots

3.72

2.23

Shots on Target

1.48

1.09

Passing Accuracy

77.6%

81.3%

Key Passes

1.46

2.09

Shot-Creating Actions

3.11

4.57

Goal-Creating Actions

0.27

0.56

Tackles

1.19

0.56

Tackles Won

0.87

0.40

Blocks

0.73

0.34

Interceptions

0.77

0.25

Clearances

0.53

0.68

Carries

35.4

32.8

Carries into the Penalty Area

3.05

1.58

Ball Recoveries

4.64

3.62

Aerial Duels Won

0.13

0.11

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 Season

Not only does he make and win more tackles, but he wins more aerial duels, completes more ball recoveries and makes more interceptions and blocks, also all per 90.

What makes this even more impressive is the fact that he’s so young and has years to go until he reaches his peak, which for a wide attacker is about 26, according to research carried out by The Athletic in 2021.

Ultimately, Son is a bonafide legend, but he is nearing the end of his top-flight career, and Spurs need to find a dynamic and potentially game-changing replacement, which by all accounts may well be Garnacho.

Related A big Solanke upgrade: Spurs offered one of the best forwards in the world

The incredible forward would supercharge Spurs, subsequently replacing Solanke.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 16, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Com a vacinação em massa e a desaceleração da Covid-19, o Campeonato Brasileiro deste ano é o primeiro torneio de nível nacional a ser iniciado sem restrições de público após dois dela pandemia. Mesmo assim, o torcedor não mostrou uma empolgação acima do comum pela chance de ver seu time in loco após um longo período.

RelacionadasBragantinoRed Bull Bragantino oficializa a chegada do zagueiro Kevin LomónacoBragantino13/04/2022JuventudeJuventude oficializa o retorno do zagueiro Victor MendesJuventude13/04/2022Fora de CampoJuca Kfouri se pronuncia após polêmica com o Santos e afirma que não pedirá desculpas ao clubeFora de Campo13/04/2022

Levantamento feito pelo LANCE!recorrendo aos borderôs oficiais dos dez jogos realizados na primeira rodada da competição mostram que, apesar da ótima média de 45.435 pessoas, apenas quatro duelos tiveram mais da metade da capacidade dos estádios onde foram realizados ocupados.

Na primeira rodada da edição de 2019 do certame, última vez em que todas as rodadas aconteceram sem qualquer restrição de público, a média de presentes nos estádios foi de 21.251. Somente três das partidas daquela jornada inicial tiveram uma taxa de ocupação superior a 50%.

Neste ano, 454.350 pessoas compareceram aos estádios no último final de semana para acompanhar a rodada inicial do Brasileirão. No geral, a taxa de ocupação foi de 44,2% da capacidade disponibilizada.

Média pouco superior à de 2019, quando 212.518 torcedores estiveram presentes nos duelos, gerando um índice de 37,3% de ocupação.

O destaque da rodada foi o empate em 1 a 1 entre Atlético-GO e Flamengo. O Dragão resistiu às ofertas para vender o seu mando de campo diante do rival carioca, dono de uma das maiores torcidas do país. Apostou em jogar no Estádio Antônio Accioly. E mesmo com10.496 pagantes, terceiro pior público jornada, ocupou 84% da capacidade de12.500 pessoas de sua casa.

Com uma torcida animada pelo início da gestão SAF, o Botafogo ocupou 78,8% do Engenhão ao colocar36.898 pessoas na derrota por 3 a 1 para o Corinthians.

Responsável pelo maior público da rodada, o Atlético-MG recebeu37.531 torcedores na vitória por 2 a 0 sobre o Internacional, ocupando 60,5% do Mineirão.

Fechando a lista, o Palmeiras ocupou 60,2% do Allianz Parque com os27.100 pagantes na derrota por 3 a 2 para o Ceará.

O recorde negativo da rodada foi do Juventude, que recebeu3.300 pessoas no empate em 2 a 2 com o Bragantino, lotando apenas 16,6% do Alfredo Jaconi.

Apesar do Brasileirão deste ano ter iniciado com números mais altos em relação às temporadas passadas, a competição nacional segue bem atrás das ligas domésticas mais famosas e valorosas. Na Inglaterra, a temporada 2019/20, última com dados do tipo consolidados, apresentou ocupação de 97,8% dos estádios.

Estudo apresentado pela empresa de consultoria Sports Value feito em 2021 apontou o Brasileirão em sétimo lugar no ranking das competições nacionais de futebol considerando esse critério. O país fica atrás ainda de EUA (96% de ocupação), Alemanha (92%), segunda divisão inglesa (73%), Espanha (68%), Itália (60%) e França (58%).

De acordo com o estudo, o Campeonato Brasileiro arrecada cerca de 200 milhões de dólares (cerca de R$ 765 milhões). Segundo o especialista em marketing esportivo Amir Somoggi, sócio da Sports Value, o país apresenta potencial muito grande de crescimento por ainda ter uma baixa taxa de ocupação dos estádios nas partidas do certame nacional. Em 2018, foram 380 partidas, com média de público de 18.822 pessoas – ocupação de 43%.

– Falta no Brasil inteligência no sistema de gestão de arena, que sobra no mercado internacional. Estamos praticamente com 60% dos estádios vazios e nenhuma das grandes ligas de futebol tem esse potencial inexplorado em termo de público e de serviço – disse Somoggi ao jornal ‘O Estado de S. Paulo‘.

Mesmo considerada baixa, a ocupação dos estádios brasileiros deu um grande salto desde 2003, quando as partidas tinham 82% de lugares vazios. Se apresentasse o mesmo índice das principais grandes liga do mundo, o faturamento anual com estádios no país poderia mais do que dobrar, chegando a 500 milhões de dólares (aproximadamente R$ 1,9 bilhão).

CONFIRA O PÚBLICO E TAXA DE OCUPAÇÃO DA PRIMEIRA RODADA:

Atlético-MG 2 x 0 Internacional – 37.531 / 60,5%
Fluminense 0 x 0 Santos – 22.855 / 29%
Atlético-GO 1 x 1 Flamengo – 10.496 / 84%
Palmeiras 2 x 3 Ceará 27.100 / 60,2%
Coritiba 3 x 0 Goiás – 18.600 / 42,9%
Botafogo 1 x 3 Corinthians – 36.898 / 78,8%
​Fortaleza 0 x 1 Cuiabá – 18.279 / 28,6%
​São Paulo 4 x 0 – Athletico-PR – 20.606 / 30,7%
​Avaí 1 x 0 América-MG – 5.081 / 28,5%
Juventude 2 x 2 Bragantino – 3.300 / 16,6%

PÚBLICO TOTAL: 454.350
MÉDIA DE PÚBLICO: 45.435
TAXA DE OCUPAÇÃO: 44,2%

Fonte: CBF

TABELA
> Confira e simule os resultados do seu time no Brasileirão
​> Conheça o novo aplicativo de resultados do L!

Glasgow Rangers have shown plenty of improvement in recent weeks, which has eased the pressure on Philippe Clement.

At the end of November, it looked as though it was a matter of when, not if, he would be sacked from his position at Ibrox. Fast-forward a month later and the Gers have delivered some decent performances in both the Premiership and Europa League.

The Gers drew 1-1 with Tottenham Hotspur, for example, taking the lead against the North Londoners, while coming so close to defending their League Cup trophy, losing on penalties to Celtic.

The next few games could make or break the Light Blues season. If they can win them all, then the gap to Celtic will close at the top of the league table. Could a title challenge be on the cards?

Several players have finally begun to showcase their true talents under the Belgian, including Hamza Igamane, who is now a key member of the squad.

Hamza Igamane’s Rangers stats

Eyebrows were raised during the summer when the Ibrox side spent £1.7m on signing Igamane from the African side AS FAR.

He was certainly a signing that looked like one for the future as Clement began to establish a player trading model at the club which could reap the benefits in the future.

Indeed, Igamane didn’t make an appearance for the Gers until a ten-minute cameo during the first Old Firm game of the season, enduring a baptism of fire in the process as the club slumped to a 3-0 defeat.

It has been in Europe where the young centre-forward has begun to prove just how important he is to Clement, scoring four goals in just four games for the club, including that wonderful effort against Spurs.

Across these four appearances, Igamane has also averaged 1.3 key passes and succeeded with 1.3 dribbles per game, indicating that he has been a major threat in Europe.

Even more impressive is the fact that Igamane is the highest-ranked player in the competition, according to FotMob with a rating of 8.18.

Recently, Everton sent scouts to monitor the player during the match against Spurs and if he keeps up these performances, especially on the continent, there will be plenty more suitors taking an interest, that’s for sure.

While it is inevitable that his future lies away from Ibrox, when the time comes, Rangers will be hoping to make a serious profit on the player. In recent weeks, his market valuation has risen.

Hamza Igamane’s market valuation

While £1.7m appeared to be a rather lavish fee for a player who had not played senior football outside of Africa before, this could soon turn into a bargain.

Indeed, according to Transfermarkt, Igamane has a current market value of £2m and this is only going to rise exponentially as time goes on.

Goals

4

2

Assists

1

0

Successful dribbles per game

1.3

0.9

Key passes per game

1.3

0.8

Shots per game

1.5

2.3

Imagine if he maintains his performance level until the end of the season. This value might end up skyrocketing which could allow Clement to cash in on the striker.

He isn’t the only player who has seen their valuation soar in recent weeks, however, as Nicolas Raskin has become one of the most valuable players in the first-team squad.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

The Rangers star who is worth more than Igamane

Michael Beale may have lasted just ten months at the helm of the Ibrox side, failing to win a trophy in the process, but he did sign Raskin for the club.

As the 2023 January transfer window was entering the dying embers, Beale was working hard to bring the then Standard Liege midfielder to Scotland in order to bolster his midfield.

In the end, he managed to secure his signature and during the second half of 2022/23, Raskin offered glimpses of his talents and it looked as though Beale had signed a player with a bright future indeed.

The 2023/24 campaign didn’t quite go to plan as Raskin suffered from a couple of injuries while failing to break into Clement’s starting XI as he preferred others at the heart of the midfield.

By the end of the season, his future at Ibrox was in doubt and when he suffered yet another injury setback during pre-season, it looked as though he was never going to live up to his full potential.

Six months later, the midfielder is arguably Rangers’ most consistent performer of late. In the Premiership, the Belgian gem has averaged a 90% pass success rate along with averaging 3.5 tackles per game and winning a staggering seven total duels per game – a success rate of 63% – which has enabled the midfielder to break down opposition attacks with ease.

His former boss at Standard, Luka Elsner, hailed Raskin during an interview with the Rangers Review, saying: “Nico is able to bring fire to a game by himself and always gives his best. For me, those are the qualities that stand out and make him some kind of special player.”

Nico Raskin’s market value in 2024

Due to his stunning displays for the Light Blues in recent weeks, his market value has increased as he is now worth more than twice the value of Igamane.

According to Transfermarkt, Raskin is now worth £5.4m and there is no doubt that this valuation will continue to rise between now and the end of the season, especially if he continues to impress.

Given how well Igamane has improved in the previous few weeks, having someone such as Raskin who is worth two times more proves that the club could certainly be onto a winner with the Belgian.

Clement now has a midfield trio which could become mainstays in the heart of the pitch, pushing the club towards glory before the end of the campaign.

Like Igamane, Raskin’s future will be away from Scotland, but if any club wishes to snap him up, they are going to have to pay a lavish transfer fee, that’s for sure.

Rangers could repeat Barisic masterclass with exciting January transfer

Rangers could make a move for a talented midfielder in January…

ByRoss Kilvington Dec 24, 2024

ECB dismisses ‘speculation’ about 12-team Premier League but Division Two counties in dark

Matt Roller31-Mar-2022

Stuart Broad reacts to a flurry of snow as Nottinghamshire line up for their team photo•Getty Images

It seemed a long way off when Nottinghamshire’s squad photograph was interrupted by a snowstorm at Trent Bridge on Thursday morning, but the English season starts next week with a round of eight County Championship fixtures with the competition under more scrutiny than ever.After two years in which the structure of the domestic first-class game was altered by the pandemic, the Championship reverts to two uneven divisions in 2022, with ten teams in Division One and eight in Division Two. This format was originally planned to be introduced in 2020, and finishing positions for 2019 have been honoured, much to the relief of top-tier counties who have struggled in the last two years and the irritation of second-flight teams who have punched above their weight.Notts have more right to feel aggrieved than most. They were relegated in 2019 after a winless season, but made significant strides in 2021 as they finished third, four points behind champions Warwickshire in a six-team Division One after topping their early-season conference.England must bring back selector role – Newell

England’s “red-ball reset” must include the appointment of an independent selector, according to Mick Newell, Notts’ director of cricket who spent four years in the role from 2014-18.
Ashley Giles, the ECB’s managing director of men’s cricket, handed selectorial responsibilities to head coach Chris Silverwood last year when Ed Smith was made redundant but both men have since left their roles.
“There has to be a selector, absolutely,” Newell told ESPNcricinfo. “I think it was the wrong decision. There has to be somebody making the phone calls, watching cricket, putting the time in explaining decisions to players, and doing things that the head coach shouldn’t have to do because they should be concentrating on the performance of the team.”
Newell, who was beaten to the role of managing director by Giles in 2018, said he had not applied for the vacancy this time, with Marcus North and Rob Key among the leading candidates.
Peter Moores, Notts’ head coach, said he would not categorically rule out the prospect of a third stint as England coach but that he was “pretty confident that they might not be looking my way.”

“We’ve accepted it,” Peter Moores, Notts’ head coach, told ESPNcricinfo. “We’d have liked the decision to have taken the two years after 2019 into account, but we also accept that we got relegated in 2019. Everyone’s got their head around it now and we’ve all decided that we have a job to do, which is to win that division.””We’re all disappointed that we’re in Division Two but those were the rules that they came up with, and that was the vote that was carried out,” Mick Newell, their director of cricket, added. “There’s no point blaming the ECB. It wasn’t their vote; the counties voted for this system. We feel that last year we were the third best team in the country, but we’ve got to prove it again. If we play as well as we did last year, I think we’ll be okay.”What comes next is anyone’s guess. Andrew Strauss, the ECB’s interim managing director of men’s cricket, announced earlier this month the launch of a “high-performance review” into the English game at all levels, due to be published in September so that recommendations can be implemented in time for the 2023 season, but it remains at a nascent stage.The ECB issued a statement on Thursday morning dismissing as “speculation” and “not true” newspaper reports that the Championship could be split into a 12-team ‘Premier League’ and a six-team second division. County chief executives were told the same thing in a meeting on Wednesday.Related

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Andrew Strauss says ECB to launch high-performance review of English game

Alec Stewart calls on England selectors to keep faith as he defends county 'breeding ground'

“The terms of reference for the Strauss report are not out yet,” Rob Andrew, Sussex’s chief executive, said on Thursday. “There’ll be a game-wide consultation – coaches, players, media, PCA, fans. This is going to be a massive piece of work. I understand why you want to ask questions on this but it’s all speculation.”Anybody that is writing anything in newspapers at the moment is making it up. Until this process starts and the consultation is worked through to whatever the end result is, you’re all speculating.”But for second-division counties, the lack of clarity is a frustration. Their finishing positions in 2022 will determine which division teams play in next year, but it may not become apparent until the final weeks of the season whether teams need to finish in the top one, two or three to get promoted. In the event of a radical restructure – three divisions of six, for example – it may be that no teams in this season’s Division Two are promoted at all.”Everyone will be thinking a little bit about 2023 without really knowing what they’re playing for,,” Newell said. “I’m not sure we’re going to get [clarity] very soon. But clearly, there will be that realisation that if you’re not in the top two, you will definitely not be in a Division One in 2023.”Division Two is going to be interesting. Durham are obviously coming back well; Sussex have strengthened their batting which had been a problem; Middlesex I think will be good with their new coach. Nobody is saying it’s a foregone conclusion that Notts will be in the top two, but it should be a good, competitive division.””If we won the division this year and then didn’t go into Division One, after getting more points than anyone else last year [across both phases of the season], then you’d think the system is wrong,” Moores added. “The whole idea of divisional cricket is to get the best teams in it but we’ve got to keep it really simple: we’ve got to try and win Division Two. What happens outside of that will be dictated by other people and then we’ll take it from there.”

ESPNcricinfo understands that Chahar, who suffered a quadricep tear against West Indies, could take several weeks to heal

Nagraj Gollapudi02-Mar-2022

Deepak Chahar has been with Chennai Super Kings since 2018•AFP

Chennai Super Kings, the defending champions of the IPL, have been dealt a massive blow ahead of the 2022 season, as their premier pacer Deepak Chahar is set to miss a major chunk of, if not the entire, tournament.ESPNcricinfo understands that Chahar, who suffered a quadricep tear in the third T20I against West Indies last month, is likely to take several weeks to heal, meaning he could miss the IPL which will be played between March 26 and May 29.It is understood that the Super Kings are awaiting a final assessment from the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, where Chahar is currently undergoing his rehabilitation. Chahar, 29, was the second-most expensive buy at the 2022 player auction after the Super Kings clinched him for INR 14 crore (US$1.866 million). Chahar was one of the most fiercely contested bids at the auction on the back of his success as a bowling allrounder. In his last three ODIs, Chahar showed his batting exploits with match-turning knocks: 69* (against Sri Lanka), 54 (against South Africa) and 38 (against West Indies).At the auction, Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad engaged in a bidding race for the bowler with Rajasthan Royals and the Super Kings entering late. Chahar had played for the Super Kings from 2018 but was not retained before the auction. However, the Super Kings, whose auction strategy was focussed on retaining the core group from the previous years, raised the paddle for Chahar at the INR 11-crore mark. It was the first time Super Kings had shelled out more than INR 10 crore at any auction.Chahar’s first stint in the IPL was with Rising Pune Supergiants in 2016 when, as an uncapped fast bowler, he was bought at his base price of INR 10 lakhs. In the 2018 mega auction, the Super Kings bought him for INR 80 lakhs. It would prove to be a smart buy considering Chahar was the Super Kings’ lead bowler with 58 wickets from 58 games; 42 of those wickets came in the powerplay (first six overs), which is 15 more than the next best – New Zealand fast man Trent Boult with 27 – across these four seasons.Super Kings camp in SuratAs part of their plan to get used to the conditions in Mumbai and Pune, where the league phase will be played, the Super Kings have decided to have their preparatory camp in Surat, which is on the border of Gujarat and Maharashtra. The Super Kings chief executive officer Kasi Viswanathan said the camp will commence from March 8, including an initial five-day long quarantine. “With the Chennai pitch clay-based we decided to practise on wickets that will be similar to those in Mumbai and Pune. Also the travel will be easy,” Viswanathan said.The Super Kings captain MS Dhoni along with the support staff including assistant coach Laxmipathy Balaji have already landed in Surat on Wednesday. According to Viswanathan, the overseas coaching staff led by head coach Stephen Fleming will be arriving around March 12.While the IPL is yet to release the tournament schedule, being the winner in 2021, the Super Kings will play the tournament opener. Viswanathan said Super Kings are likely to leave for Mumbai by road on March 20

MatériaMais Notícias

Classificado para as semifinais do Carioca, o Vasco fará sua estreia em outra competição nesta quarta: a Copa do Brasil. Em jogo único, o Cruz-Maltino tem a vantagem do empate diante da Ferroviária, às 21h30, na Fonte Luminosa, mas uma vitória seria essencial para resgatar a confiança. Antes de mais um clássico, desta vez contra o Flamengo, no domingo, esse novo elenco terá o primeiro desafio eliminatório da temporada.

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Caso avance para a próxima fase, o Gigante da Colina enfrentará o vencedor do confronto entreGrêmio Anápolis e Juazeirense. Para isso, Zé Ricardo não poderá contar com Léo Matos, suspenso, Vitinho e Yuri Lara, que estão no período de transição, e MT e Matías Galarza, ambos por opção técnica.Diante disto, o LANCE! listou cinco pontos importantes para o torcedor ficar de olho no Vasco contra a Locomotiva.

Ainda não é assinante do Cariocão-2022? Acesse www.cariocaoplay.com.br, preencha o cadastro e ganhe 5% de desconto com o cupom especial do LANCE!: GE-JK-FF-ZSW

+ Confira e simule a tabela da Copa do Brasil

– Reação Coletiva:Diante do Fluminense, a atuação assustou a torcida, principalmente no primeiro tempo. Apático e totalmente desorganizado, o time não teve qualquer poder de reação e só não foi goleado por causa da grande atuação do goleiro Thiago Rodrigues. Resta saber como a equipe irá reagir em uma semana decisiva na estreia da Copa do Brasil dias antes de mais um clássico, desta vez contra o Flamengo, no domingo.

– Possíveis mudanças:Na última coletiva, Zé Ricardo deixou claro que pode fazer alterações na equipe titular. Ele não citou quais serão as peças e em que setores pretende mexer, porém alguns nomes podem ter chance. Um deles é o zagueiro colombiano Juan Quintero, que foi relacionado no último jogo, mas ainda não estreou com a camisa do Vasco.

– Lado direito da defesa:A atuação do sistema defensivo no clássico assustou. No lance do gol de Cano, quatro jogadores foram envolvidos pela trama tricolor e não evitaram a finalização do argentino. O lado direito deu muito espaço para o ataque do rival. Bruno Nazário não foi efetivo na recomposição e Weverton deu espaços pelo setor.

– Nene e Bruno Nazário:Ao longo da montagem do elenco, uma dúvida veio à tona. Quem seria o substituto ideal do camisa 10, que já tem 40 anos e não pode atuar em todos os jogos. O ideal seria Bruno Nazário, que é meia de origem, porém ele tem sido escalado pelo lado e caiu de rendimento sendo questionado pela torcida. A dúvida é se Zé Ricardo irá continuar com os dois entre os onze ou fará alterações táticas e posicionais pelo setor.

– Desafio eliminatório: Acostumado a jogar o Carioca, o novo elenco do Vasco terá o primeiro jogo mata-mata desde a sua formação. Com quinze caras novas, Zé Ricardo ainda busca entrosar a equipe um mês antes da estreia na Série B. Março reserva mais jogos eliminatórios com a segunda fase da Copa do Brasil, caso elimine da Ferroviária, e as semifinais do Estadual.

كشفت تقارير صحفية عن إمكانية انتقال أحد مهاجمي فريق ليفربول الإنجليزي إلى صفوف نادي برشلونة الإسباني.

ويرتبط عدد من لاعبي ليفربول بإمكانية الرحيل خلال سوق الانتقالات الصيفي، ما بين انفتاح النادي على البيع، أو الرحيل المجاني لاقتراب انتهاء العقد.

وينتهي عقد الثلاثي محمد صلاح وفيرجيل فان دايك وترينت ألكسندر أرنولد في نهاية شهر يونيو المقبل.

كما تشير تقارير لإمكانية رحيل داروين نونيز، وكذلك الأمر للويس دياز، في ظل سعي ليفربول لتجديد دماء الفريق تحت قيادة آرني سلوت.

وأشارت تقارير عديدة إلى أن لويس دياز ووكلائه يسعون إلى تجديد عقده مع ليفربول بشروطٍ أفضل بكثير من وضعه الحالي، حيث يتقاضى الجناح الكولومبي 55 ألف جنيه إسترليني أسبوعيًا.

ويُعتقد أن ليفربول أجرى محادثاتٍ بشكل مبدئي بشأن تمديد عقد دياز، على الرغم من أن اهتمامهم منصبّ في الوقت الحالي على الثلاثي محمد صلاح وأرنولد وفان دايك.

اقرأ أيضًا | تفاؤل في ليفربول بشأن مصير محمد صلاح

وأشار خبير الانتقالات فابريزيو رومانو مؤخرًا إلى أن ليفربول يميل إلى التخلي عن لويس دياز بنهاية الموسم.

وأفاد رومانو عبر قناته على “يوتيوب”: “بالنسبة للويس دياز، الأمر غير مضمون، ولكنه احتمال وارد، هذا أمرٌ نوقش بالفعل نظرًا لاهتمام السعودية به، وقرر لويس دياز البقاء في النادي، والآن، ماذا عن برشلونة؟”.

وأكمل: “لويس دياز هو أحد الأسماء الثلاثة أو الأربعة المدرجة في قائمة برشلونة المختصرة للانتقالات الصيفية”.

وواصل: “لم يتم الاتفاق على أي شيء ولم تتم مناقشة أي شيء بعد، خاصةً من جانب النادي، لأن الوقت لا يزال مبكرًا جدًا، وسيأخذ برشلونة وقته قبل تحديد الجناح الذي يريد التعاقد معه ومقدار ما تبقى لديه من ميزانية وقواعد اللعب المالي النظيف”.

وأردف: “لذا، لا يزال أمام برشلونة عملٌ قبل أن يقول حسنًا، سنسعى للتعاقد مع هذا اللاعب.. لكن لويس دياز مدرج في القائمة”.

وأوضح: “قيل لي إن برشلونة يتمتع بعلاقة جيدة جدًا مع أشخاص مقربين من لويس دياز، وهذا عامل إيجابي للغاية، كما قيل لي إن دياز سيكون منفتحًا على خوض تجربة جديدة في إسبانيا، وفي هذه الحالة برشلونة”.

وتابع: “كرة قدم مثيرة للغاية، لاعب سريع وذو مهارات عالية سيكون مثاليًا تمامًا، لذا قد يُغري دياز بهذه الفرصة”.

واسترسل: “لكن حتى الآن، لا توجد مفاوضات ولا اتصالات مباشرة، وهناك خيارات أخرى مطروحة في برشلونة”.

وأتم: “لكن بالنسبة لدياز، فإن إمكانية الرحيل أمرٌ مؤكد، واهتمام السعودية لا يزال قائمًا، كانوا يريدونه منذ بداية يناير، وبدأت الاتصالات في نهاية ديسمبر وبداية يناير، قرر اللاعب البقاء، لكن السعودية لا تزال مهتمة به”.

Arne Slot's side were forced to hold on in the second half at Anfield, but just about did enough to earn victory

Liverpool re-established their seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League table as goals from Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah secured a nervy 2-1 win for the Reds over Wolves on Sunday.

The Reds took control early on as Diaz got on the end of Salah's deflected cross and managed to bundle the ball home with his stomach for his first goal of 2025. The Colombian then drew goalkeeper Jose Sa into a foul inside the penalty area, with Salah on hand to convert from the spot and open up a two-goal lead before half-time.

It looked likely to be a straightforward afternoon for Arne Slot's side at that point, but Wolves emerged with more attacking intent after the break, and after Alexis Mac Allister blocked a close-range effort from Matheus Cunha, Alisson Becker had to be on his toes to deny Marshall Munetsi.

At the other end, Salah had a goal ruled out for offside while VAR rescinded a penalty that Diogo Jota thought he had won, and eventually Liverpool were made to pay for not putting the game away as Cunha curled a 20-yard effort into the bottom corner.

The hosts struggled to create chances of their own in response, and substitute Jarell Quansah had to produce a superb block to keep Munetsi from scoring a late equaliser. In the end, however, there was to be no repeat of Wednesday's night's dramatic draw at Everton as the leaders held out for victory.

GOAL rates Liverpool's players from Anfield…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Alisson Becker (7/10):

Superb one-on-one save denied Munetsi early in the second half and showed good handling throughout. Had no chance with Cunha's curled finish.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (4/10):

Passing was sloppy from kick-off while he struggled defensively when Ait-Nouri came forward. Looked rusty after a couple of weeks on the sidelines, and was replaced just past the hour mark.

Ibrahima Konate (5/10):

Snuffed out a couple of early attacks, but slightly fortunate to avoid a red card after two clumsy challenges resulted in just the solitary booking. Substituted at the break so as to avoid him being sent off.

Virgil van Dijk (8/10):

Seemed to be three steps ahead of everyone else on the pitch as he put in a dominant display. Cut out counter-attacks, blocked crosses and won plenty of duels around his penalty area.

Andrew Robertson (6/10):

Posed an attacking threat, as per, but still doesn't always convince defensively.

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Ryan Gravenberch (5/10):

A presence in midfield, but couldn't have his usual influence on proceedings. Sold himself too easily for Cunha's strike.

Alexis Mac Allister (8/10):

Played his part in both Liverpool goals with fine passes forward, and kept the hosts ticking over in possession. Also made a superb block to deny Cunha immediately after half-time.

Dominik Szoboszlai (6/10):

Worked tirelessly in midfield, but only showed glimpses of his quality when in possession.

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Mohamed Salah (7/10):

Got his goal from the penalty spot and played his part on laying on the opener, but a lot of what he tried didn't quite come off. Still ended up being the match-winner, though.

Diogo Jota (7/10):

Never gave his former club a moment's peace. Superb touch and turn led to the opening goal and went close on a couple of occasions. Disappointing dive to try and win a penalty the only mark against him.

Luis Diaz (8/10):

Looked far more comfortable coming off the left than he has centrally in recent weeks, and though his goal came with some fortune, he showed good energy to bundle the ball home. Also won the penalty before being sacrificed for Endo's solidity in the final 20 minutes.

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Getty Images SportSubs & Manager

Jarell Quansah (7/10):

On at half-time and needed some time to get up to speed. Eventually found his bearings before a superb block denied Munetsi late on.

Conor Bradley (6/10):

Combined well with Salah down the right after replacing Alexander-Arnold.

Darwin Nunez (5/10):

Struggled to have much impact despite being given almost 30 minutes on the pitch.

Wataru Endo (6/10):

Did give away a couple of fouls in dangerous areas, but Wolves were far less threatening after he was introduced for the final 20 minutes.

Arne Slot (6/10):

Even if it was enforced by Gakpo's injury, moving Diaz out to the left certainly paid off. However, the way his team allowed Wolves to get back into the game will be a concern, even if his substitutions did eventually stem the tide somewhat.

The USL League One club has pieced together a truly memorable brand ahead of its debut season

It was Nov. 22, 2022, and Monument Square in Portland, Maine was packed. Some 2,500 people had gathered in the rain to watch the broadcast of a World Cup fixture between England and the United States on a giant screen. In most states, people would have stayed home. But the fans in Portland came out in droves. Perfect weather for soccer.

The scoreline? A drab 0-0, a draw that suited both teams in the group stages. But for Gabe Hoffman-Johnson, organizer of the day and founder of new USL club Portland Hearts of Pine, the goalless affair was irrelevant. That event, instead, was just one of many catalysts that helped his team get off the ground. 

This whole thing is about community, trying to encapsulate the very essence of what Maine is – something Mainers insist is not very easy – and piece together a brand that both locals and the wider soccer consciousness can be captivated by. The result is a soccer team that is simultaneously authentic and cool, sincere and hipster – and etching itself into the American sports landscape in its debut season.

“I think part of what I feel like we're building here is a lifestyle brand that just happens to be a pro soccer team,” Hoffman-Johnson explained. “There’s a recognition of that, that we’re trying to cultivate.”

• Bill Trevaskis
  

  The buzz

  The kits have gone viral. Alternating hoops of green and blue, complete with a collar. There’s an L.L. Bean sponsor on the shirt sleeve. “Lead with your heart” is etched onto the back. They were promoted with a strong social media campaign that included men and women, young and old, styling this thing. Here is a gruff man layering the jersey over a white shirt in the middle of chopping wood. There are kids hanging off a crossbar. A girl standing in a forest, posing for the camera. 

  And that marketing campaign was, of course, intentional. The design of the jersey appeals to the soccer aficionados. But the way they were presented – complete with the people wearing the kits – was intended to relate to the community. Nerds and locals alike wanted a jersey they could get behind.

  But it’s more than just something that looks cool on social media. This whole thing was started by Mainers, built from the ground up through conversations in bars and pickup games in futsal courts. These are not easy people to please, Hoffman-Johnson admits. He has spent more than five years trying to make them happy. He might just have done it. 

  “If we’re gonna adequately build the best possible lower division soccer franchise to represent our sense of place, like, it can't be coming from my f*cking head only, right?” he said. “There needs to be other people that have a seat at that table.”

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• Gabe Hoffman-Johnson
  

  The beginning

  It was 2018, and Hoffman-Johnson was tired of his job. The former college soccer and USL midfielder had spent two years of hard graft in New York City in the finance sector. He felt something new needed to happen. There were options, but he felt a true calling to Maine, a place he moved to while in middle school. Community soccer had always appealed, he said, and he identified the USL as an ideal outlet to apply his interest.

  “I was in that late 20s, ‘OK, what am I gonna do with the rest of my life?’ “ he said. “When the USL announced this new league targeting tertiary-sized cities, I moved home. And 2018 was the first time where I was like, ‘You know, Portland needs a soccer club, and I'm the person to make it happen.’ “

  So he secured the rights to a team. And that was about all he had. 

  Then, it was time for everything else. He and Burke Cherrie had been flirting with the idea of starting a club for a while. Cherrie was an accomplished designer and NYU film school graduate with a history in soccer creative content. He knew the landscape and was brimming with ideas and inspiration. His priority, though, was to create something authentic. 

  “One thing that's like, very true about Mainers is they f*cking tell you what they think,” Cherrie said. “No one’s gonna be like, ‘Oh yeah, I like your shirt.’ They’d be like ‘That's a stupid f*cking shirt’ if they don't like it. So we knew throughout this process that we had this really active community.”

• Bill Trevaskis
  

  The name

  Cherrie and Hoffman-Johnson spent the large part of three years sharing ideas back and forth over Instagram. They had color schemes in mind, points of inspiration from other USL clubs, and a shared interest in the beautiful game. 

  “I think that Gabe and I have very similar sensibilities in terms of what we like around brands,” Cherrie said. “And we talked a lot about inspiration within the league: Oakland Roots and some of these brands that have done it the right way, and basically, how do we create that same mirror to the communities and culture of Maine?”

  Hoffman-Johnson had been flirting with ideas. He put out four capsule collections that featured Maine-heavy designs. There was a buzz around it, he felt, but getting the exact name right was a real struggle. 

  “I think there was a large interest in not being a basic, boring, annoying, unoriginal, club name, which – when you're searching for novelty – can be difficult,” Hoffman-Johnson admitted. “There was a three-year time period where I was like, ‘What the hell are we gonna name this thing?’ “

  Part of the problem was they knew the locals almost too well. There was a pressure to get it right, an understanding that they couldn’t be inauthentic to the people they were marketing to.

  In the end, the name was the most deeply embedded community reference they could find. The “hearts” part is not a rip off of the Scottish club Hearts of Midlothian, Hoffman-Johnson emphasized. Instead, it’s a reference to a Valentine’s Day tradition in which a local resident – dubbed the “Valentine’s Day bandit” – used to put up hearts around the city. He passed away in 2023, but residents of Portland have upheld tradition. 

  The “pine” bit is a bit more self-explanatory – derived from the moniker of Maine, “The Pine Tree State.” But Cherrie insists there’s a deeper meaning in that, too.

  “A pine is a very soft tree, and it's got this extreme flexibility,” Cherrie said. “It's 100 degrees in the summer, and it's freezing right now, and they grow on cliffs, on tiny islands that barely have any soil. They’re a really hardy tree, even though they kind of got this, like, flexible, malleable center. So there was symbolism and storytelling just kind of running through that.”

  And making the name plural was simple. This club is for everyone.

  “The only thing we were talking about is if it should be ‘heart’ or ‘hearts.’ We ended up with Hearts of Pine because it represented the community and the collective, versus the singular,” Cherrie explained.

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• Bill Trevaskis
  

  The badge

  Football badges were getting boring. Rebrands to Premier League teams had seen dramatic scenes reduced to tiny characters. Liverpool's once included references to Anfield, the city and the famous Liverbird, all wrapped into one, had been reduced to a stylized bird. These days, Chelsea's is just a lion. That annoyed the duo.

  “The way everything now is going –  it almost feels like a stamp,” Cherrie said. “It's all a single icon. And felt it was really important to kind of represent a couple things. The way we were talking about the brand was ‘modern retro Maine.’ “

  What they came up with is a pretty compelling attempt at summarizing the essence of the place. There’s a Dirigo heart in the upper left, designed after the star on the seal of Maine. There’s water in the corner as a nod to the fishing industry. And, of course, the pine tree on the right pops.

  “We had three essential ingredients, and we couldn't do, like, the modern Chelsea badge, which is just a lion. We could have done just a heart. We experimented with all these different directions,” Cherrie said. 

  They became obsessive. The original mood board was developed in August 2023, but they couldn’t get it right. Various designers came and went before an unlikely candidate stepped in. An owner of a chain of cannabis shops had been bugging the duo for months. They finally gave in – and he provided a crucial moment of inspiration. Another designer friend of theirs, who now lives in Mexico, added the finishing touches to the badge as it appears today.

  But, perhaps predictability, that still wasn't quite enough. Cherrie and Hoffman-Johnson were tweaking colors and details a week before the badge was revealed.

  “I think there's probably still things where I'm like ‘I wish we had done that.’” Cherrie said. “But we just literally ran out of time. We're like, ‘We gotta finish this brand. We can keep molding this clay forever, but it's gonna dry.’ “

If there is one area that Newcastle United have struggled in so far this season, it is scoring goals. The Magpies have not been able to rely on their star striker, Alexander Isak, who has just one goal to his name in the Premier League and is currently injured. Harvey Barnes is currently their top scorer with three goals, followed by Anthony Gordon with two.

It is certainly a worry for Eddie Howe. His side have managed just eight goals all season, the joint-fifth lowest in the entire Premier League. As per Understat, they are drastically underachieving on their expected goals, which currently sits at 9.63xG.

A lack of goals from starters and players off the bench has left the Magpies desperate for someone who can change a game, just like Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran.

Duran’s stats so far this season

It has been a simply astronomic rise to the top for Villa’s striking sensation Duran. He has developed a reputation as the latest heroic Premier League super sub, and when he steps onto the pitch, there is a sense of expectation from Villa fans, and dread from opposition fans.

This term, the Columbian striker already has four goals in seven Premier League appearances, despite having played just 184 minutes, and having not yet started, meaning all goals have come as a substitute. In the top flight, the most minutes he has played in a single game is just 29.

German giants Bayern Munich have also been on the end of his remarkable feat off the bench. The 20-year-old found the back of the net against them as a substitute in the Champions League, a remarkable strike from halfway inside the Bayern half, lobbing the great Manuel Neuer.

The stats on FBref also show just how good the former Chicago Fire centre-forward has been this term. He has the second highest goals per game average in the Premier League this term, with 1.9, and the equal best goals per shot number, with 0.4 along with Jamie Vardy.

It has been a truly remarkable campaign for the young Columbian, who will be hoping he can continue his electric form. Indeed, he is the sort of player Newcastle could use off the bench right now, who can make a difference late in a game, having actually been linked with a move for the rising star over the summer.

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Such a deal never materialised, but the Magpies may well have someone returning from injury soon enough who can make a similar sort of impact as Duran.

Newcastle’s super sub

The player in question here is England international striker Callum Wilson. The 32-year-old striker has struggled with injury during his time at St James’ Park, although has still got a great record in that famous black and white shirt. Wilson has scored 48 goals and has 11 assists in just 108 games for the club.

Like Duran, the former Bournemouth man has a real knack for scoring goals off the bench. Over the past two seasons, Wilson has managed to do so seven times in 21 appearances from the bench.

Wilson goals off the bench in PL for Newcastle

Season

Opponent

Minute subbed on

Minute scored

2022/23

Man United

80th

88th

2022/23

Spurs

66th

67th

2022/23

Southampton

46th

54th, 81st

2023/24

Villa

68th

77th

2023/24

Brighton

58th

90th+2

2023/24

Sheffield United

66th

72nd

Stats from Transfermarkt

In the 2023/24 campaign, he averaged 0.82 goals per 90 minutes, according to Fbref. That placed him eighth among all Premier League players last term, with Duran one of those ahead of him. He also ranked joint-eighth for the number of goals per shot, coming in at 0.21. He was described as a “machine” by football statistician Statman Dave for a reason.

Frustratingly, the striker, who went to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, is yet to play this term due to an injury. However, Howe confirmed recently that he hopes to have their number nine available after the international break.

Having a player as effective as Wilson back could transform the Magpies’ season. They are currently struggling to find the back of the net, but if the Englishman can stay fit and firing, he could help them score more goals regularly, and give them a much-needed impact off the bench.

Related Isak will love him: Newcastle will look at signing elite PL winner in 2025

He could be available on a free transfer in the summer of 2025.

Posts ByJoe Nuttall Oct 8, 2024