The Mexican side closed out Club World Cup campaign with a 2-0 loss to Al Hilal, ending last in Group H
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Mitchell Starc is in line to return to the Australian side for the third and final ODI against India in Rajkot. The fast bowler has been out of international action since the Ashes in July but hinted his comeback is on track as Australia try to avoid a whitewash.Starc was ruled out of the South Africa tour with groin soreness that had lingered following the Ashes. He travelled to India ahead of the first ODI but did not play the first two games as he continued to be carefully managed in the build-up to the World Cup.”It’s on track,” Starc said of his recovery. “Obviously, the priority is the World Cup so if that means we have to be mindful of tomorrow that’s one thing, but we’ll see how today goes, see how I pull up in the morning. The goal is to play tomorrow, but what that looks like depends on how today goes, the priority being the World Cup and not compromising that.”Related
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Glenn Maxwell, too, is likely to return to action after he took part in the nets session on Tuesday. Maxwell’s last competitive game was a first-class appearance for Warwickshire in July. He was set to play in the T20I series in South Africa but experienced soreness in his previously broken leg at the first training session. He was sent home early as a precaution as he was always set to miss the subsequent five-match ODI series to be home for the birth of his first child.Australia will be without Spencer Johnson (hamstring) and Nathan Ellis (groin), though. The pace duo has returned home to begin their recoveries ahead of the domestic season. While Johnson made his debut in the second ODI, Ellis did not feature in the series. Neither bowler is part of the World Cup squad.Glenn Maxwell is also in line to make a comeback•Getty Images
Maxwell played a practice match for Victoria last Wednesday but did not arrive in India until Friday. While Starc did not confirm Maxwell’s inclusion for the third ODI, he suggested the allrounder was “certainly on track for the World Cup”.”Yeah, Glenn [Maxwell] has come back as well,” Starc said. “He is on track. I am not sure about his particular timeline but no doubt he will be looking to make an impact as soon as he gets his chance.”He has got a wealth of experience over here through IPL, through multiple tours. He is certainly an X-factor no matter which team he plays in. This is his third one-day World Cup. He is an X-factor for us and certainly who can take the game on.”His ability with the ball, particularly in these conditions, adds another option in the bowling department as well. He seems in good spirits and going really well, [but] his return I am not sure what that looks like for this week but certainly on track for the World Cup.”Australia haven’t had the best of preparations in the lead-up to the World Cup. They started the five-match ODI series against South Africa with two wins but lost the final three games, each by a margin of 100-plus runs. They then lost the first two ODIs against India by five wickets and 99 runs (DLS method), respectively, leaving themselves on a five-match losing streak.While Starc admitted Australia’s form ahead of the World Cup is a bit of concern, but with one ODI and two warm-up games in hand, he is confident the five-time ODI champions will find a way back.Australia are not concerned about Steven Smith’s form•Getty Images
“Leading into the World Cup, it’s not a position that we want to be in,” he said, “but plenty to play for tomorrow in terms of what our make-up of the team looks like, what we want to take into World Cup campaign. We have two or three opportunities after this game before game one of the World Cup. Another chance to get accustomed to the conditions, to adapt to what’s been thrown at us against probably the favourites at the World Cup. Big day for both teams tomorrow.”Starc also said that the team was not concerned about Steven Smith’s form. Smith missed the South Africa series with a wrist injury and has scores of 41 and 0 so far in the two outings in India.”His numbers speak for him,” Starc said of Smith. “He is a high-class player and has been a massive part of all formats for Australia, so no concern there. It is the adjustment factor.”We have got a lot of guys with IPL experience, we know that the wickets are going to be very different through the night and day, depending on which part of India we play as well. There are not too many grounds where we play back-to-back games so, conditions are going to play a part. We just need to adjust better than what we have in the first two games.”
After returning from international duty, Aaron Hardie will be expected to take a more senior role for the defending champions
Tristan Lavalette03-Oct-2023
The production line: Liam Haskett is highly regarded around Western Australian cricket•Getty Images
Inside the famed WACA ground, traditionalists like to quip that the cricket season doesn’t really start until the Sheffield Shield gets underway.Their wish will be granted when two-time defending champions Western Australia take on rival Victoria from Wednesday. It is a rematch of the last two Shield finals, where Victoria fell short on both occasions.Those diehards on the terraces, however, might just need to pack a jacket and scarf, at least for the first couple of days.With bleak clouds above and a chilling wind wafting around, it’s a reminder that Perth is slowly emerging from the winter months.Related
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But by week’s end, in the backend of this compelling opening fixture, the temperature is set to soar past 30 degrees Celsius. It should feel reminiscent of the peak cricket summer in Perth, assuming the match has not wrapped up early.Judging by a green-tinged pitch in the middle of the WACA, standing out from afar, the Shield opener looms as a pace-bowling shootout much like the slew of low-scoring contests early last season.The expected spicy conditions appear a perfect opportunity for a youthful WA – missing numerous star players – to unleash uncapped quicks Liam Haskett and Sam Greer, who have been named in the 12-player squad.Fellow paceman Lance Morris, hostile so far in the 50-over Marsh Cup, won’t play with his workload being managed after returning from a back injury that ruled him out of the Ashes.Frontline quicks Jhye Richardson, Joel Paris and Matt Kelly are working their way back from injuries.As a towering left-arm quick renowned for generating significant bounce, Haskett appears a ready made replacement for Paris. The 22-year-old was close to selection late last season against Victoria.”He’s really exciting. It’s great to have that option as a back up left hander when Joel [Paris] is not around, ” WA allrounder Aaron Hardie told reporters on Tuesday.”He tears up the gym and is very professional at everything he does. He’s going to be very handy for a long period of time.”Aaron Hardie is back in state colours after his taste of international cricket•Getty Images
Greer, 21, is armed with a “lovely outswinger”, according to Hardie, and if selected will be tasked with helping penetrate a strong Victoria batting line-up even without fringe Test opener Marcus Harris.All eyes will be on former Test opener Will Pucovski, who returns to first-class cricket after 12 months having fought battles with concussion and mental health.”Certainly know how good he is. No matter what happens this week, it’s going to be a win for Australian cricket,” Hardie said of Pucovski.Due to the World Cup, the home Test summer starts later than usual in mid-December. But the early rounds of the Shield provide those on the fringes to make cases.The 24-year-old Hardie might appear some way off a Test debut, but he’s another talented, imposing WA allrounder following in the footsteps of Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green.His growing stature was underlined when Hardie made his international debut during Australia’s recent white-ball tour of South Africa.”The [Australian] coaches were really good at giving feedback, ” he said. “A lot of it was really basic stuff but it’s about how to take it to that next level. Now that I’ve got a taste of it I certainly want to spend as much time out there as possible.”Hardie will be relied upon to step up for a new-look WA, who should be tested first up against a Victoria team gunning to finally take them down.”It’s a great rivalry at the moment….awesome to test out your skills round one at home,” Hardie said. “Probably people from the outside might not know these names who will potentially be playing over the next week.”As squad members, we’ve seen them develop. We have full confidence they’ll be able to do really well this week.”Meanwhile, Cooper Connolly, who helped carry Perth Scorchers to the BBL title last season, has undergone surgery on a toe injury to his right foot sustained in a boating accident on Wednesday. WA said a timeframe for his return will be determined in due course.Western Australia squad Sam Whiteman (capt), Cameron Bancroft, Cameron Gannon, Jayden Goodwin, Sam Greer, Aaron Hardie, Liam Haskett, Josh Philippe, Corey Rocchiccioli, Charlie Stobo, Ashton Turner, Teague Wyllie
Who's hot, who's not? GOAL ranks all 30 teams across Major League Soccer
It's been a busy month for Major League Soccer, with three teams representing at the FIFA Club World Cup and other clubs returning from the Gold Cup break with a double matchweek. MLS players were back on the pitch after a near 10-day layoff, and there's a shakeup in the table across both conferences.
Philadelphia Union in the East and Vancouver Whitecaps in the West – conference leaders – had losses. In the West, San Diego FC and Minnesota United both had fantastic weeks and are putting pressure on the Canadian club. In the East, things are getting feisty. Just three points separate the first-place Union and fourth-place Crew, while both FC Cincinnati and Nashville SC sit between them.
Meanwhile, surprise strugglers LA Galaxy, Charlotte FC, Atlanta United, and Real Salt Lake are all still trying to find their identity as they look for a late-season surge
Who's leading the pack, and who's falling short of expectations? GOAL presents the latest 2025 MLS Power Rankings.
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Getty Images Sport30Los Angeles Galaxy
Prior Ranking: 29
Results: Lost to Colorado 2-0, drew San Jose 1-1
Ramifications: With just one win this season, the Galaxy seem to be a team without life. They appeared the better side against San Jose in the but managed just one point out of it.
Not much to take from that.
Advertisement29St. Louis CITY SC
Prior Ranking: 28
Result: Lost to Orlando 4-2, lost to Houston 1-0
Ramifications: So poor. Things went from bad to worse for CITY this week, and with it, they sit 11 points out of a playoff spot with 14 games to spare. Interim coach David Critchley is just looking to prepare for 2026, as the campaign increasingly appears to be a wash.
28D.C. United
Prior Ranking: 25
Result: DNP MD20, lost to Nashville 1-0
Ramifications: Another week and another loss for D.C. in a game in which they very much could have walked away with at least a point. With just one win in their last nine, and 10 goals conceded in their last three matches combined, D.C. continue to underperform.
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27CF Montreal
Prior Ranking: 30
Results: Lost to FCC 3-1, defeated NYCFC 1-0
Ramifications: Midweek, they fell victim to a masterful performance from Evander, but they rebounded with a top showing against NYCFC. Their second win of the month, it was just their third victory of the season, but they won't care – it was a welcome development for both players and fans.
Enzo Maresca insists that he and his Chelsea players "don't care" about coming up against future Blues star Estevao Willian in the Club World Cup.
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The allrounder is pleased to “get the shackles off and run around” following his broken leg last year
Andrew McGlashan10-Oct-20231:19
Tom Moody: Australia did not have a plan for that sort of pitch
Australia are ready to embrace the unknown when they face South Africa in Lucknow on a newly relaid surface with Glenn Maxwell confident they have the adaptability for whatever conditions they come up against despite struggle to combat India’s spinners on a tough Chennai pitch.The pitches at the Ekana International Cricket Stadium were dug up after IPL 2023, which followed the sacking of the curator in the wake of a low-scoring T20I between India and New Zealand in January. It means that some of the assumptions about the ground may not be reflected in the World Cup, although there remains an expectation that spin will play a key role.”It’s a bit of an unknown here, think they’ve ripped up the whole ground and started again after the IPL,” Maxwell said. “India also had a T20 here where they struggled to chase down, I think, 99 against the Kiwis earlier in the year. With that in mind, I think it will be a fresh start for the whole ground, turn up on the day and see how it looks.”We are prepared for whatever conditions come our way over the next few games. Suppose we are lucky to be in Lucknow for two games in a row, [so we] can have a look at these conditions.”Related
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Maxwell termed the Chennai surface they encountered against India as an “anomaly” because the spin was inconsistent and then some deliveries would slide on, but he added they had expected conditions to be tough. He also said the ball became difficult to grip in the second innings because of the dew.”You know when you come to India you will be faced with a whole heap of different conditions, whether it be flat wickets that don’t bounce or dry wickets that turn quite a bit,” he said. “We feel like we’ve been testing ourselves a fair bit in training, feel ready to face whatever challenge, we just came up against a very good bowling line-up the other day. Felt like we created enough chances with the ball.”In the field, Maxwell was used ahead of Adam Zampa and finished as comfortably the more economical of Australia’s two spinners with Virat Kohli and KL Rahul largely playing carefully against him.”Think with four fielders out and bowling to a lot of right-handers, I’m able to control the scoreboard a little easier,” he said. “Bit different with the left-handers on strike, so it has probably changed a bit in one-day cricket; bowling to a leftie you might have a better wicket opportunity but bowling to a right-hander you can shut down one side of the field and work ego to ego, see what they are trying to do and where they are trying to hit.”Maxwell also came through the exertions without any flare-up to his previously broken leg that had caused some concern in the lead-up to the tournament and raised questions about whether he could manage the workload, particularly now he is a frontline spinner with Ashton Agar not making the final squad.”A World Cup game you aren’t going to hold anything back,” he said. “Feel like I had been withholding a lot of the 100% stuff until this tournament started to make sure I didn’t flare anything up. It was nice to get the shackles off and run around.”Marcus Stoinis, who has been a Lucknow Super Giants player in the IPL, could come into contention to face South Africa having not quite recovered from a hamstring injury to be available to face India. However, it would not be a straightforward call on how to fit him into the side, with the likely routes being in place of Cameron Green or at the expense of one of the frontline quicks.Green laboured to 8 off 20 balls in Chennai and is averaging 16.16 in ODIs during 2023, but Stoinis has struggled with the bat in the format since the start of the 2019 World Cup, averaging 16.80 from 27 innings, although on occasions has proved effective as a new-ball bowler this year.”He [Stoinis] was frustrated not being able to be out there for the first game,” Maxwell said. “He’s a big energy for our team and someone who is a matchwinner and someone you need in these types of tournaments.”
George Garton has joined Warwickshire on a three-year deal after parting company with his boyhood club, Sussex.Garton, 26, will link up with the Warwickshire squad in November for pre-season testing, ahead of a stint at the Abu Dhabi T10s alongside his new club team-mate Moeen Ali.As a left-arm quick, Garton made his England debut on the T20I tour of the Caribbean in January 2022, but has yet to add to his solitary cap. His development, however, was hampered in June 2021, when – as part of England’s ODI squad to face Pakistan – he contracted long Covid, a condition that left him fatigued for more than a year.He has, however, been on the selectors’ radar for several years, and in 2017-18, aged 20, he was drafted into England’s Ashes squad as emergency cover. Previously, he had represented England at Under-19 level, claiming 72 wickets from 81 games overall including appearances at the 2016 World Cup.”I am delighted to be joining the Bears and I have the utmost respect for the club and its history,” Garton said. “The club has a tremendous record of winning trophies and I hope to contribute to winning more of them.”There is a strong playing squad and respected group of coaches at Edgbaston and I am particularly keen to work with Mark Robinson having known him for a long time.”I feel my best years as a player are ahead of me and I retain huge ambitions in the game. I can’t wait to get started ahead of the 2024 season.”Garton has joined Warwickshire with the option of playing first-class cricket, a format in which he has claimed 55 wickets in 26 appearances to date, including a dismissal with his first ball against Leeds/Bradford MCCU at Hove.However, it is his white-ball expertise that will be of greatest value to the club, given his extensive from stints in the IPL, Big Bash, SA20, and Abu Dhabi T10, alongside his domestic opportunities with Sussex and Southern Brave in the Hundred.Mark Robinson, Warwickshire’s first-team coach, was still in charge at Sussex when Garton first signed for the club in 2015.”When someone asks you would you be interested in signing a bowler who can bowl 85mph-plus, is one of the best fielders in the country and is a destructive batter, the answer wasn’t hard to give,” Robinson said.”I knew George as a young player working his way through the youth squads and he was always known as a player of huge potential.”As a left armer, he will give us variety in our attack, becoming another player who can change a game at any moment with either bat, ball or in the field.”George is very driven, hugely competitive and comes to us at the right time in a mental place determined to get back into the England team.”At the moment George wants to focus on white-ball cricket, but the door will always be open for him to return to the red ball format.”
يضع جوزيه مورينيو، مدرب فنربخشة التركي عينيه على التعاقد مع أحد لاعبي ريال مدريد المعروض في سوق الانتقالات الصيفية الحالية.
وبحسب صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية فإن جوزيه مورينيو، حدد اللاعب البرازيلي رودريجو نجم ريال مدريد كهدف رئيسي للتعاقد معه.
أقرأ أيضاً.. ريال مدريد يعلن خوض ودية وحيدة قبل انطلاق الدوري الإسباني
وطلب البرتغالي من إدارة ناديه التعاقد مع جناح ريال مدريد على سبيل الإعارة ويكثف فنربخشة جهوده لإقناع اللاعب بفكرة الانتقال إلى تركيا وسط منافسة شديدة من أندية أوروبية أخرى تسعى لضمه.
ومن المتوقع أن يبدأ النادي التركي مفاوضاته بشكل رسمي مع ريال مدريد بعد حصوله على موافقة رودريجو، ولا يزال مستقبل اللاعب غير مؤكد في سانتياجو برنابيو.
ويعتبر رودريجو أحد الركائز الأساسية لهجوم ريال مدريد ورغم ذلك فإن قدوم لاعبين بارزين مثل كيليان مبابي قد يدفع اللاعب لإعادة النظر في مستقبله وهو ما تسعى عدة أندية لاستغلاله خلال سوق الانتقالات الصيفية.
ولا يعد فنربخشة التركي هو الفريق الوحيد الذي يهتم بضم اللاعب حيث يرتبط البرازيلي بالانضمام للعب في الدوري الإنجليزي في أحد أندية آرسنال أو ليفربول أو مانشستر سيتي.
ولم يدخل رودريجو ضمن حسابات تشابي ألونسو مدرب ريال مدريد في كأس العالم للأندية، واعترف بأن اللاعب غير مناسب لخطته وأنه يفضل الاعتماد على لاعبين آخرين.
Benfica are ready to sell defender Antonio Silva, who was on the verge of joining Juventus last winter.
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Benfica ready to sell Antonio SilvaDefender witnessed a failed transfer last winterImpressed in the Club World Cup campaignFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
According to a report by , Antonio Silva, who performed extremely well in Benfica’s Club World Cup campaign, has been put up for sale, with the club trying to utilise his current performance in the USA in return for a lucrative sum.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Benfica’s Club World Cup journey ended when they suffered a 4-1 defeat to Premier League side Chelsea. However, the club will remain active in the transfer market before they commence their preparations for the upcoming season. Silva, who has been an influential figure at Benfica, had almost signed for Juventus earlier this year, only to see his parent club block the deal due to limitations inside the squad. However, with Benfica renewing Nicolas Otamendi’s contract, the Argentine will be expected to start alongside Tomas Araujo at the heart of defence next season, potentially forcing Silva out of the pecking order. Thus, now, with Silva garnering attention after his heroics in the Club World Cup, the Portuguese stalwarts are ready to offload the defender, who has two years left in his contract.
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If Silva makes a move, it will be his second-ever professional club, as he spent his youth at Benfica itself, gradually rising through the ranks to make it to the first team.
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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR SILVA?
Silva will have to wait for offers, as currently Chelsea have emerged as the only party who have shortlisted him.
Jos Buttler meanwhile is hopeful Ben Stokes pulls up fine for England’s next game against South Africa
Matt Roller16-Oct-20231:16
Jaffer: England need to adapt to Indian pitches
England travelled to Mumbai on Monday, licking their wounds from a shock 69-run defeat to Afghanistan in Delhi, which leaves them needing not only to beat South Africa on Saturday night, but to deliver the sort of performance which can reinvigorate a dejected squad.Jos Buttler, England’s captain, addressed his players in the dressing room in Delhi on Sunday evening after his media duties. And it took them more than an hour to leave the venue after Afghanistan sealed their victory as the touring party tried to clear the air.They flew south-west on Monday afternoon and will have two days off in Mumbai before tuning up for Saturday’s fixture at the Wankhede Stadium. South Africa, their opponents, will have a shorter lead-in and will not arrive in the city until Wednesday, following their fixture against Netherlands in Dharamsala.Related
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Defeats to New Zealand and to Afghanistan mean that England probably need to win five of their remaining six league fixtures to qualify for the semi-finals. But while two more points on the board will be the primary focus against South Africa, they also need to rediscover the fearless, attacking method that underpinned their success in the 2015-19 cycle.England’s players conceded that, for the second time in three matches at the tournament, they played the type of risk-averse cricket that characterised their one-day teams during the abject run of World Cup performances from 1996-2015. “With the bat and ball, I don’t think we were probably aggressive enough, or took the positive option,” Adil Rashid said after their defeat on Sunday.”That’s cricket, that happens. Not every time you go out are you going to smash sixes and fours… We’re not too concerned: it’s just a game that we lost.” Asked if England had lost their aura over the last four years, Rashid said: “I don’t think that’s fair. I think that’s pretty unfair.”1:51
Buttler on loss to Afghanistan: ‘It’s obviously a big setback’
England are the holders of both white-ball World Cup titles and in both tournaments, lost games early before going on four-match unbeaten streaks to lift the trophy. Before addressing his players, Buttler said that they could draw on similar experiences. “Everyone will be disappointed in the dressing room and let that sink in,” he said.”But there’s a lot of guys who have been through lots in their careers in there as well, and guys who have come back from tough situations and shown a lot of character and resilience. It’s a very tight-knit group, so we’ll get around each other and pick each other up, and down ourselves down and go again.”We’ve played some good cricket in all scenarios, whether we’ve been on top and front-runners and fancied, or whether we’ve had our backs against the wall. It’s a position you find yourselves in. It’s not the position you wanted to be in three games ago, but the character is excellent. There’ll always be belief.”Buttler would not be drawn on the prospect of sweeping changes for Saturday’s fixture – “it’s too early to say,” he said – but it seems increasingly likely that Ben Stokes will be available after recovering sufficiently from a left hip injury. “He wasn’t fit for this game, but we’ll see how he pulls up for the next one,” Buttler said. “He was close.”He also pushed back against the suggestion that England had “underestimated” Afghanistan, or approached the game with any complacency. “I think that’s a very unfair thing to say,” he told the . “We knew it was going to be a tough challenge. We know they are a very, very talented team – but that being said, we’re obviously disappointed.”Rashid played the defeat down: “It’s part of cricket. You win some, you lose some. You can’t win every game and today, we just lost a game. We didn’t play our best cricket with bat or ball, or in the field. We’ve still got plenty of games in hand; hopefully, we can put in some good performances and kickstart the competition.”We’re still confident; we’re still backing our players; we still have that positive frame of mind,” Rashid added. But unless they see signs of a recovery in Mumbai this weekend, England’s supporters are unlikely to share those sentiments.