USMNT star Brenden Aaronson is set to appear in court for two alleged driving offences, which could see him punished with disqualification.
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Tata Martino says “the work begins now for next season” at Inter Miami, with it unclear whether further risks will be taken on Lionel Messi’s fitness.
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Argentine superstar has nursed knockSeen limited game time as a resultHeading off with his country againWHAT HAPPENED?
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner may have already seen his 2023 campaign brought to a close at club level. An unfortunate injury picked up during his last trip away with the Argentina national team has limited his involvement in MLS action over recent weeks.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Messi has been included in the latest Argentina squad – despite his lack of game time – and they have two more 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Peru fast approaching. The second of those fixtures is not due to take place until October 17.
WHAT THEY SAID
Inter Miami will be back in action against Charlotte FC on October 18, before facing the same opponents in their final regular season fixture three days later. Messi would not be back for the first of those games if he stays with the Argentina squad, and would be struggling for the second. Martino has said of his plans for two games that have become dead rubbers: “Yes, we have two games left, but the work begins now for next season. We made good roster moves and progress over the summer, and we have to be very precise over the next few months about how we will approach next season.”
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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
If Messi’s domestic campaign has come to a close, then he faces a long break through to the start of the 2024 MLS season. Argentina do have more qualifiers to come in November, while Inter Miami are expected to line up friendly dates, but the all-time great is going to have plenty of time in which to focus on returning to full match fitness – if no loan transfer is agreed in January.
Aston Villa are reportedly in "advanced talks" with Liverpool's soon-to-be-out-of-contract midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Is Oxlade-Chamberlain leaving Liverpool?
The 29-year-old has spent six up-and-down years at Anfield, winning almost all there is to win in the game, including the Champions League, but also struggling to consistently be a key man.
A serious knee injury back in 2018 arguably took Oxlade-Chamberlain down in his prime, and while he still contributed positively to Liverpool overall – he scored 18 goals and registered 15 assists in 146 appearances – it has become increasingly clear that his future lies away from the club.
The £120,000-a-week former Arsenal man is out of contract with the Reds at the end of this month, and with no extension coming his way, he will then be able to join a new club on a free transfer from July onwards.
With Villa looking to make numerous key reinforcements during the summer transfer window, a fresh report suggests that Oxlade-Chamberlain could be a primary target.
Are Villa eyeing move for Oxlade-Chamberlain?
According to Football Insider, the Villans are in "advanced talks" with the Englishman over a summer move to Villa Park, with the club working on a deal to bring him in, having already locked up Youri Tielemans from Leicester City on a free.
Villa are believed to see Oxlade-Chamberlain as a "key target who is proven in the Premier League and capable of slotting straight into their team", while Unai Emery admires his "versatility, dynamism and ability to create and score goals".
The 35-cap and seven-goal England international could be a really shrewd signing by the Villans this summer, coming in as someone with a wealth of experience at the top level, and who can thrive in various positions, from central midfield to out wide.
Granted, his injury problems down the years are far from ideal, so Emery would have to accept that he is a risky signing, but the free element of the deal would make it less of an issue, should he spend too much time on the treatment table.
When fully fit and in-form, Oxlade-Chamberlain can be a real handful, with Jurgen Klopp once describing him as "spectacular", and he could bolster Villa's squad great with his versatility, especially at a time when they are preparing to play in the Premier League, UEFA Europa Conference League, FA Cup and EFL Cup next season.
Eoin Morgan has expressed “extreme frustration” with the umpiring decisions that went against England in their five-run loss in Nagpur, which levelled the series at 1-1. Morgan was particularly disappointed by Joe Root being incorrectly adjudged lbw in the last over of the chase; England needed eight runs from six balls and umpire C Shamshuddin gave the decision in India’s favour even though Root had edged the ball before it hit his pad. Although DRS has been used on England’s tour of India, there are no reviews in T20 internationals.England lost Root and Jos Buttler and could score only two runs off the last over, bowled by Jasprit Bumrah. In India’s innings, Shamshuddin also gave Virat Kohli a reprieve when he appeared to be lbw on 7. Morgan said they would mention the decisions in the feedback submitted to the match referee Andy Pycroft before the third T20 in Bangalore.”There is extreme frustration, absolutely,” Morgan said after the match. “It shifted momentum, first ball of the 20th over, losing a batsman who’s faced [almost] 40 balls on a wicket that’s not that easy to time it is quite a hammer blow. It’s proved very costly all things considered. A couple of decisions didn’t go our way and we still should have won the game and that’s a big positive for us. That we didn’t, is disappointing.”
India innings
2.2 Jordan to Kohli, no run, big appeal for lbw. Kohli looks to play a short-arm jab but the ball kept low and hit him on the pad. The keeper didn’t look all that convinced. Really, really tight. I tell you what, Kohli is lucky to hang around. That would have crashed into middle stump
England innings
19.1 Bumrah to Root, OUT, appeal for lbw, and that’s a wicket that will breathe life into the Indian camp. Looked like an optimistic appeal but the umpire raised the finger quickly. Root tried to pull across the line when he could have simply tucked it to the leg side. Looks like there was an inside-edge. Root unlucky
JE Root lbw b Bumrah 38 (38b 2×4 0x6) SR: 100.00
When asked if England would mention the umpiring in their feedback they would submit to the match referee, Morgan replied “absolutely” and added: “we have an opportunity to do that before the next game, there’s always feedback given through the match referee on our report.”Root had anchored England’s chase from the fourth over by scoring at close to a run a ball until he was dismissed for 38 from 38. The bulk of the deliveries he faced came from Amit Mishra, against whom he scored briskly, and part-timer Suresh Raina.England felt a key decision had gone against them in India’s innings, when Chris Jordan trapped Kohli right in front of the stumps in the third over but Shamshuddin ruled the India captain not out. Ball tracking later showed the ball would have gone on to hit the middle stump. Kohli proceeded to smash Tymal Mills for a six and four in the next over before Jordan returned to dismiss him off a slower ball in the fifth over, for 21 off 15.England would have benefited from reviews, if they were available, in both circumstances and Morgan said he was “a little bit” surprised at the unavailability of the DRS in the T20 format compared to the other two, saying he couldn’t see any reason why it could not be used.”Even if it’s just for World Cup games you’d accept it,” he said. “If this was a World Cup game tonight and we were out of the World Cup or lost a World Cup final we’d be spewing. The fact it’s not [available] is a concern. There is as much on the line as there is in a Test or a one-day match so no reason why it shouldn’t be used.”Morgan barely had any sympathy for the home umpires who were officiating in front of a crowd of 37,303, which makes it tougher to hear or spot edges. When asked if the noise or home support could intimidate umpires in high-pressure situations, Morgan suggested it came with the territory.”It’s difficult,” he said. “As a player, when you make your debut you’re in the same position … It’s part and parcel of the job to be able to cope with the pressure and make good decisions more often than not.”We should have won the game anyway. The fact that comes out of today’s game as a highlight is disappointing, it shouldn’t be like that. It should be a good performance by both teams and a really competitive game. We will draw a line under it tonight and move on to think about what we may come up against in Bangalore.”
Florentino Perez needs to find a new coach for 2024 – GOAL runs through the main contenders for the hotseat at Santiago Bernabeu
The cat is finally out of the bag. In confirming Fernando Diniz as the national team's interim boss on Tuesday, Brazil Football Confederation (CBF) president Ednaldo Rodrigues also revealed the Fluminense manager's successor. "Diniz's game plan is almost similar to that of the coach that will take over at Copa America – (Carlo) Ancelotti," Rodrigues said.
Even though Ancelotti still has a year to run on his current contract with Real Madrid, the news did not come as a major surprise, given Brazil have been chasing the Italian for some time now. It wasn't a question of if he would assume control of the Selecao, but when the announcement would be made.
What is less clear, though, is Madrid's succession plan. We don't yet know who will replace Ancelotti in the hot seat at Santiago Bernabeu.Several coaches have been linked with the vacancy but, as GOAL outlines below, some contenders are better-placed to take the reins next year than others…
James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, has narrowed his focus on high performance failings as a reason for the national team’s dire recent displays in Asian Test matches
Daniel Brettig31-Aug-2016James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive, has narrowed his focus on high performance failings as a reason for the national team’s dire recent displays in Asian Test matches, adding scrutiny to the roles of the team performance manager Pat Howard and the selection panel.In response to repeated questioning about Australia’s three-nil hiding at the hands of an unfancied Sri Lanka in their recent Test series – a result that cost Steven Smith’s side their No. 1 ranking in the longest format – Sutherland’s rhetoric has shifted from patience to a more urgent tone.His latest words, on the day CA announced an additional $500,000 in funding for the Growing Cricket for Girls fund, followed a raft of criticism from former players, including the ex-CA Board director Mathew Hayden and the recently retired captain Michael Clarke, about the decision to rest Smith from the latter limited overs portion of the Sri Lanka tour. While Sutherland defended that decision as a matter of necessity, he was more questioning of how Australia’s players did not appear to be adding the requisite adaptability to their games.”Are some of the fundamental things that we are doing to prepare our players to perform well and be highy competitive in subcontinental conditions passing the test?” Sutherland told “I think that’s where the review gets a little bit more meaty and challenging and more fundamental, going right down into questioning our high-performance systems as well.”To be a bonafide international cricketer in this day and age, you need to be able to adapt to conditions in Australia, conditions in England, conditions in the subcontinent … wherever you play,” he said. “And that adaptability is something that needs to be reviewed because some are adapting and some aren’t.”Speaking about the longer term, Sutherland stated that Australian cricket had to reach a point where “in 10 years’ time when we tour India there is a pool of hundreds of players that could be on that tour”. These words will not be lost on Howard, out of contract next year, or the selection chairman Rod Marsh, also with a deal due to expire in 2017. CA recently hired Graham Manou to manage the junior talent pathway.On the subject of Smith, Sutherland described the captain’s imposed rest as a product of the game’s increasingly cluttered schedule. “It’s obviously far more preferable for him to stay and see that through,” he said, “but the nature of international cricket today and the calendar is that at times we need to make decisions that are in the best interests of the individual and the team.”In coming weeks at the next round of ICC meetings, Sutherland will re-embark on a task he has championed for some time – that of changing cricket’s global structures to allow more room between matches, and greater context so each contest has an easily understandable reason for existing, and by extension greater value for fans and broadcasters.
Aston Villa's rise to become European challengers has been nothing short of meteoric, with Unai Emery the mastermind behind one of the Premier League's great success stories from this campaign.
Having started the season under Steven Gerrard, his October sacking gave way to the experienced Spaniard, whose main initial goal was just to avoid the drop.
Whilst this was expected to be a simple task for someone of his pedigree, few could have predicted just how quickly the 51-year-old would engineer a turnaround at Villa Park.
Players who had struggled under the previous regime became instant stars, and those who might have been heading for an exit were afforded crucial second chances.
With that freedom and a newfound opportunity to impress the new man, few have opted against taking that chance.
There have been standout players since that impressive appointment, with Ollie Watkins likely to steal the headlines for his fine goalscoring run. However, arguably one of the greater comeback stories given how his form has faltered in recent years, Tyrone Mings also deserves immense praise for his work in reigniting his career.
How did Tyrone Mings play vs Newcastle?
This success culminated in yesterday's unprecedented victory over Newcastle United, where every man in Claret and Blue put on a faultless display.
In a game that finished 3-0, with Watkins scoring twice, once again many rushed to laud the English forward. However, it was journalist Henry Winter who instead turned to the £80k-per-week defender as someone worthy of his praise.
He wrote on Twitter: "Mings the merciless, on the ground and in the air, AVFC defender absolutely dominated NUFC strikers. Read danger, threw his body into blocks, made clearing headers and played some neat passes to build attacks. Outstanding performance. Only Watkins was better today."
The 7.5 rating he earned from that display more than supports this glowing endorsement, as the Englishman completed six clearances, three blocks and two tackles to keep a vital clean sheet, via Sofascore.
This marked the fourth game in his last five Premier League appearances where he had earned a Sofascore rating of 7.2 or higher, truly outlining just how he had birthed such a renaissance.
Emery is deserving of widespread praise for many of his acts since moving to the Midlands, with their unlikely push for Europe sitting atop that list. But considering how only in September the 30-year-old was lambasted by Danny Mills, his work in engineering this turnaround is up there too.
The pundit had suggested: "He’s terrible. I think Maguire is better on the ball." However, with the Villans sitting at the pinnacle of the form table, and Gareth Southgate having watched over his most imperious recent performance, perhaps he is set to prove the former Leeds United defender wrong.
Jason Gillespie, the Yorkshire head coach, will not be putting himself forward for the position of Australia’s bowling coach and said he has no desire for an international role because of the time he would spend away from his family
ESPNcricinfo staff31-May-2016Jason Gillespie, the Yorkshire head coach, will not be putting himself forward for the position of Australia’s bowling coach and has said he has no desire for an international role because of the time he would spend away from his family.Gillespie met with Darren Lehmann, the Australia head coach who is in the UK for ICC Cricket Committee meetings, at Headingley over the weekend, where Lehmann gauged the interest of his former team-mate.Gillespie has now gone back to Lehmann to say that the position recently vacated by Craig McDermott, and which will be covered in a temporary capacity by Allan Donald for the tour of Sri Lanka, is not right for him.”He mentioned that there was a role coming up with Australian cricket,” Gillespie told BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra. “I want to make it very clear there was no job offer from Darren – it was merely gauging interest.”I said thanks for the chat and I would get back to [him]. I confirmed to him that I am not going to apply for a role with Cricket Australia – so we can end all the speculation right now.”Although not categorically confirming his future was with Yorkshire he repeated that a key factor in the jobs does he take is based around his young family. Currently he splits his year between county cricket and his position with Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash.”At this point in time in my life, I am not prepared to be away from my family for that length of time,” he said. “So, it is not on the radar. I am not applying for any international cricket roles.”Gillespie became Yorkshire’s head coach ahead of the 2012 season and led them back to Division One of the County Championship in his first summer, then they won back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2015. Last year he spoke with Andrew Strauss during the recruitment process for England’s new head coach before the ECB went with fellow Australian Trevor Bayliss.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has said he would have no problem with giving the TV umpire control over calling no-balls, following an incorrect and match-changing call on the first day in Wellington
Brydon Coverdale in Wellington15-Feb-20162:39
‘Credit to Voges for making umpiring decision count’ – McCullum
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum has said he would have no problem with giving the TV umpire control over calling no-balls, following an incorrect and match-changing call on the first day in Wellington. Australia won the first Test by an innings and 52 runs on the fourth day, but it was hard not to wonder what might have been but for umpire Richard Illingworth’s mistake in the last over of day one.Australia batsman Adam Voges was on 7 when he shouldered arms and was bowled by Doug Bracewell, but was reprieved by Illingworth’s no-ball call. Replays showed that a significant part of Bracewell’s heel was behind the crease but while the ICC’s regulations allow for a no-ball to be retrospectively called, they do not allow for one to be rescinded. Voges batted on, scored 239 and was Man of the Match.It was not the only such mistake in this Test. During New Zealand’s second innings, Illingworth again called a clearly incorrect no-ball, this time off the bowling of Jackson Bird, but the delivery was safely negotiated by Martin Guptill. After the match, McCullum indicated his support for handing the third umpire the responsibility for calling no-balls rather than the on-field officials.”Maybe that’s something that needs to be looked at, just to make sure you get the right decision all the time,” McCullum said. “I’m guessing it’s probably a bit easier as well for an umpire to look at the other end rather than having to look down and then look back up. But other people will make those decisions.”It was the second time in consecutive Tests against Australia that New Zealand were on the wrong end of an umpiring error that arguably turned the match. In the day-night Test in Adelaide in November, the TV umpire Nigel Llong wrongly gave Nathan Lyon not out caught upon a New Zealand review, despite Hot Spot clearly showing a mark on his bat. It would have left Australia at 9 for 118; they went on to make 224 and win the Test.”I haven’t brought it up with them,” McCullum said when asked if he had discussed the no-ball call with the umpires or match referee Chris Broad. “Richard Illingworth would be pretty disappointed with it, I’m guessing. It’s a bit of a shame but I’ve said all the way along that you’ve got to take the rough with the smooth in this game as well. Credit to Voges for making it count.”Everyone makes mistakes. Richard Illingworth is a fine umpire as I said about Nigel Llong in Adelaide and they’re allowed to make one mistake. It’s unfortunate for him that it probably had a bit of a bearing on the game. But we had our opportunities to rectify it and we didn’t do it. That [the no-ball call] is certainly not what we’re focusing on.”Had Voges been dismissed from that delivery in the last over of the first day, Australia would have been wobbling at 4 for 146 in reply to New Zealand’s 183, with a new batsman at the crease first thing on day two. Instead, Voges and Usman Khawaja added a further 153 during their partnership before Voges went on to post his second Test double-century of the summer.”We want to see the right decision made as much as possible,” Australia’s captain Steven Smith said. “Everyone makes mistakes, whether you’re a player or an umpire. Hopefully they can find a way to resolve that so that those sort of mistakes don’t happen too much in the future.”
Injury expert Ben Dinnery says that Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin could be out injured for ‘around 4-6 weeks’.
The Lowdown: Dyche update
Speaking to the media in his pre-game press conference ahead of their match away at Arsenal in the Premier League tonight, Sean Dyche has confirmed that Calvert-Lewin is still recovering from injury, and did not give a timeframe on when he could return.
He has missed their last three games in the top flight, playing last in Everton’s 1-0 victory against the Gunners at Goodison Park in early February.
The Latest: 4-6 weeks out?
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Dinnery says that the Arsenal clash will come ‘too soon’ for Calvert-Lewin, and that he could even be facing ‘around 4-6 weeks’ out with his hamstring problem:
“We’re certainly not expecting Calvert-Lewin to be involved against Arsenal, that’s probably going to come too soon.
“I think we’re potentially looking at around 4-6 weeks or so with regards to that hamstring problem.
“It’s not just this injury in particular that the club are focusing on.”
The Verdict: New striker needed
Calvert-Lewin is simply too unreliable in terms of fitness, as he has had so many injury problems in the past.
Former Premier League striker Gabby Agbonlahor has even gone as far as to rant that he is ‘made out of straw’, in that every little issue seems to affect him hugely.
Calvert-Lewin has been a reliable goalscorer in the past when he has been consistently fit, reaching embarrassing’.
Nonetheless, with only 17 goals this campaign, the Toffees are the lowest scorers in the division, and so they need to sign a more reliable striker in the summer, and perhaps even think of moving £100,000-per-week Calvert-Lewin on.