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It seemed for an age that his bowling exploits were capped by physical ailments but in Manchester, the Stokes of old turned up and made things happen

Vithushan Ehantharajah24-Jul-2025

Ben Stokes celebrates his five-wicket haul•Getty Images

The raise of the ball was done with all the enthusiasm of a man lifting a plunger out of a blocked toilet.Ben Stokes’ fifth five-wicket haul, completed on day two of the fourth Test against India, means only he, Ian Botham, Garry Sobers and Jacques Kallis have taken as many alongside scoring at least 10 centuries. No cricketer should be shy of entering that kind of club. But Stokes looked a little sheepish.You could understand where Stokes was coming from to an extent. It was likely a mix of not wanting to take the glory – his modus operandi since assuming the Test captaincy – and a tinge of embarrassment that it had been a long time coming. His last five-for, against West Indies at Lord’s – came back in September 2017.Related

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A few weeks on from that career-best 6 for 22, Stokes stayed up late in Bristol and, well, you know how that one went. And that, along with plenty of other situations, many beyond the allrounder’s control, has made days like these seem further away.It seemed his bowling exploits were capped. Some of those have been physical ailments and so, by proxy, all have been mental.But this 5 for 72 has, for now, kept India to 358 and allowed England a handy run out under the sun to trail by just 133 at stumps on day two. It also puts Stokes top of the pops with 16 dismissals this series. And moreover, back in a groove that, up until the last month, had seemed lost to the annals.Three batters trimmed off. Two bumped. Always threatening. Never knowingly under-bowled. All this signposted a return to the Stokes of old. Namely the one he was across 2019 and 2020 – a period he reckons was his peak.2:17

Crawley: ‘Owe it to myself to have a few good performances’

Funnily enough, there were no five-fors during this stanza. But even that was not necessarily about the 41 dismissals at 27.70 across both years, but the skill, control and durability across 368.1 overs.There are a specific 2.2 overs at the end of the final day of the second Test against South Africa at Newlands in January 2020, that Stokes rewatched heading into this summer. Desperate to recapture the perfect rhythm, high pace and immaculate lengths distilled in that match-winning spell of 3 for 1.”I used Cape Town as a visual thing for me,” revealed Stokes in Leeds, ahead of the series opener. “To look back at and go, like, ‘what was I doing there’? Because that’s when I felt really good.”Zak Crawley was in the cordon five years ago, taking a juggling blinder to give Stokes his second of that set, and was in prime position here to admire the similarities.”There’s so many similarities to that,” Crawley said at stumps on Thursday. “He was bowling quickly back then. He’s got that pace back now. And the way he just gets that away movement from the right-hander, that zip, which is as much as anyone in the world really. He gets that bounce.”He’s a proper wicket-taker and he can make things happen and that’s certainly the case when I first came into the side back then (2020). And he seems to have got that back now, which is a phenomenal effort considering the injuries he’s had and, well, he’s a little bit older now.”This summer, Stokes’ average speed – 135.38kph – is the third-fastest he has registered in a home season since 2019. His control evident from the shift from day one to day two, earning his final three wickets for just 25 in 10 overs.Day two boasted the highest degree of swing of any day this series, so Stokes pushed his length forward. Of Wednesday’s 14 overs, 19.7% were full (within 6.25m of the stumps) and the dismissal of Shubman Gill, his opposite number, was at the shorter limit of that threshold. Thursday’s Stokes went further, with 32.2% to fashion what swing there was into a weapon. Shardul Thakur skewed his drive to a diving Ben Duckett at gully, then Anshul Kamboj played down what became the wrong line for Stokes’ fifth.Arguably the more impressive milestone for Stokes had come on day one, ticking over the most he has ever bowled in a series, currently. It will certainly be the most meaningful to him.Previous roles as an enforcer or “break glass for match winner” quick meant he was kept to cameos. But he has always had the skills. The problem soon became his body. Thankfully, we appear to be through the tunnel.0:49

What makes Crawley and Duckett click as a pair?

The light was seen by Stokes back in 2023. An overdue left knee operation after the ODI World Cup cleared up what was threatening to become a chronic mess. And though two right hamstring tears in six months followed, the lessons from that first procedure – specifically, how much easier rehabilitation was with a sleeker physique – had already been learned.The biggest benefit for Stokes has been around recovery. Not only have performances been backed up, but the speeds have been consistent. The first innings averages tell the story; 134.3kph (Headingley), 135.59kph (Edgbaston), 136.71kph (Lord’s) and 135.2kph here.The gap between Lord’s and Manchester is probably the most insightful as far as where Stokes is at right now.After bowling 44 overs in the victory at Lord’s, including 20 on day five to help bag that 201 lead, Stokes spent the next few days in bed. As such, when it came to training on Monday at Emirates Old Trafford, he was ready to get back on the grind, even if he was still feeling a little tired.Two days out from the first Test at Headingley, Stokes had wowed his team-mates by bowling a mammoth 11-over stint. And while he was not going to do the same here, he did want to get the wheels turning. Unfortunately, the Manchester weather got in the way.Instead, Stokes beasted himself on Tuesday. After a gym session in the morning, he bowled in the Trafford Cricket Centre – Lancashire’s onsite indoor nets – which is by no means the done thing for a bowler on the eve of a match because the indoor surface is unforgiving on the joints. Not only did Stokes get through that, he followed it up with a long batting stint. Then he sent down 24 of the first 114.1 overs of this match.Without question, Stokes’ renewed fitness drive has allowed him to stitch together a series like this. He sensed it himself, which is why after 11.2 overs against Zimbabwe, back in May, he felt he did not need to play for Durham or England Lions to be right for India.At the same time, all this has come with a bit of balance. Captaincy, at least from the outside, feels a little easier. Given the fear at the start of his tenure centered around marrying those duties with his all-action nature, he seems to be at his most switched on while carrying the bowling burden.It’s worth noting that on day three at Lord’s, when Brendon McCullum sent over bowling consultant Tim Southee to suggest Stokes cap a spell at seven overs, Stokes had already decided that was that. He knew he had run that particular race. That he went on to bowl 9.2- and 10-over spells two days later owed more to a sense he had the wares to crack the game open than simply indulging a hero complex. Vindication of both came with the removal of KL Rahul in the former and a belligerent Jasprit Bumrah in the latter.On the subject of balance, Stokes seems to have found a sweet spot. The graft away from the field to allow the gut-busting on it is tempered in various ways. Though he stopped drinking alcohol as he recovered from a hamstring operation at the start of the year, he sups the occasional drink as a reward following a satisfying day’s play. Everything in moderation, including moderation.At 34, you might term this all as growth, and in some ways it is. Of a man getting better attuned with his body and still developing a greater affinity for the craft of bowling.It used to be said of Stokes that it was hard to discern what kind of allrounder he was, beyond one with an appetite for big moments. Detractors would say that was down to neither-here-nor-there numbers with bat and ball.Now, entering the twilight of his career, Stokes is, emphatically, a bowling allrounder. And that’s not because the batting numbers are taking a dip, but because he has never been a more complete bowler than right now.

Past history counts for little, says coach Ratnayake, as co-hosts return to action after two-week hiatus

Madushka Balasuriya10-Oct-20251:26

‘Sri Lanka are excited about the big stage’

It’s been a longer wait than most for Sri Lanka between their first and second games this World Cup. Since playing the tournament opener on September 30, a wash-out against Australia means their match against England on Saturday comes after a near two-week gap. So unsurprisingly, they are a side that’s itching to get back out in the middle.Against England though they’ll be up against a side they’ve beaten just once in WODIs in 18 attempts. But for coach Rumesh Ratnayake, dwelling on such records makes little sense.”The last meeting will be tomorrow,” said Ratnayake on the eve of the game. “So those are the things which we will encourage them with just before the match. But in our preparation we talk of the present, and we talk of the present team and where they are and what we can do.”What our strengths will be against them, and where we are going to bowl – if it is bowling – at a particular batter at what stage. So we have broken it into three stages, that’s just an example. And even in our batting, I think what we want most is patience and discipline.””That’s what we lacked maybe against India, not deliberate, but it needs more focus so that it could be established.”Coming into this game, Sri Lanka have had a fair bit of time to ponder on that defeat to India. Having had the hosts reeling on 124 for 6, they let the game slip. But even so, a chase of a target a shade under 250 should not have been beyond them.After that game skipper Chamari Athapaththu had not held back in her assessment of her side’s shortcomings, calling on her batters to shoulder more responsibility going forward. And in the build-up to this game, plans surrounding their batting have featured heavily.Related

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“In our batting, the girls are really up to it and wanting to do well,” Ratnayake said. “That’s a huge plus because they know it’s a big stage. Sometimes we need to bring it down and say it’s just another match. But they are excited about this big stage. To capitalise on that, to maximise on that, they need to have runs on the scoreboard. They are aware of that. They are also aware that somebody, at least one or two, should bat till the end.”One of the more prevalent themes across this tournament, particularly for matches played in Colombo, has been a tendency for batting to get easier as the innings has gone on. This has left a lopsided run-scoring burden on lower order batters towards the end of an innings. For Sri Lanka, who lack any real batting prowess beyond the top seven, Ratnayake feels they will need at least one batter to take it deep to ensure they effectively exploit conditions at the tail-end of the innings.”We actually spoke about this in detail, about how those coming lower down the order – even below number seven – need to score more. Our main responsibility, is that top seven needs to score the most runs. We’re addressing it differently, because even in the last game no one scored even 50 – not that 50 would have been enough.”We’ve spoken about how you need to bat deep – at least one of the top six needs to hang around. It’s because none of those batters hung around that we were unable to chase down India’s score.”What we have learned from the spinning wickets is about those who have scored runs. Like [Beth] Mooney. Her batting discipline, her focus, and the ability to do what was needed in those situations. So we need to learn from that.”The extra preparation time leading up to this game has also allowed the Sri Lankans to extensively analyse this England side, weaning through their strengths and weaknesses and how exactly to make use of any advantages they might have over such an experienced outfit.”England is a very experienced side, even though they don’t have left-handers they are quite well equipped, so we understand their strengths, we know what they’re strong at and we’ve seen them do it all so to speak, and we believe that we are ready to sort of counter-attack that and do the best we can in the best way we could.”With our coaches, we scrutinised every batter of the English team – not just their top seven, we analysed their top nine. But the time for observing is over, now we need to take ownership of the situation, and go out there and perform.”

Celtic are spending the international break hunting for a new manager and have now found their number one candidate, someone who already has internal approval at Parkhead.

Brendan Rodgers’ departure from the Scottish Premiership champions last month provoked plenty of drama as the Bhoys languished eight points behind Heart of Midlothian in the table.

However, Martin O’Neill has steadied the ship with three victories from four matches since taking interim charge, the highlight being a 3-1 triumph over Rangers to reach the Premier Sports Cup final.

At 73 years of age, the former Aston Villa boss has been linked with an extended stay in Glasgow, and few would argue that he isn’t deserving of a run until the end of the season.

Conversely, O’Neill admitted that he will simply be at the club for as long as he is required, maintaining that he will be informed of developments concerning the Hoops’ manager search at some point during the international break.

He said after the Bhoys defeated Kilmarnock on Sunday: “I have to go back down to London again, I’m going to go into a darkened room and come out on Thursday and say, ‘has this really happened. So I should imagine at some stage or another during the course of the next week, whether it be tomorrow, whether it be Saturday or Sunday of next week, that somebody will let me know what’s happening.”

Despite the brief club football pause, Celtic supporters will be desperate to know of latest developments from Parkhead, and they may now be ready to move for a successor to O’Neill.

Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy is Celtic frontrunner

According to The Scottish Sun, Columbus Crew manager Wilfried Nancy is the shock frontrunner to take over at Celtic after the Major League Soccer outfit bowed out at the playoff stage of the competition against Cincinnati.

His strongest rival for the post is Bodo/Glimt boss Kjetil Knutsen. However, Nancy’s assistant Kwame Ampadu is a close friend of Hoops recruitment chief Paul Tisdale, and the latter even managed his son Ethan (now of Leeds United), providing Nancy with the backing in the boardroom.

Wilfried Nancy’s managerial record

Columbus Crew – MLS Cup winners (2023), Leagues Cup winners (2024)

Matches – 132 Wins – 71 Draws – 32 Losses – 33

CF Montreal – Canadian Championship winners (2021)

Matches – 79 Wins – 38 Draws – 16 Losses – 25

Ampadu Sr is said to be almost certain to go to Celtic with Nancy, who is known for his firebrand 3-4-2-1 formation which launches attacks from everywhere and has earned comparisons to Ange Postecoglou during the Bhoys’ managerial search.

Of course, there is still plenty of work to be done before a new successor is appointed, and O’Neill will hold talks with the club hierarchy in the coming days to ascertain whether he will stay on for an extended period in charge.

Celtic could sign a Premier League winner in January for £500k

Either way, there are exciting days ahead for Celtic supporters that could culminate in a permanent hire being made after a lengthy search.

Dropped catches haunt West Indies as New Zealand take a 481-run lead on third day

Shashank Kishore04-Dec-2025Centuries from Tom Latham and Rachin Ravindra underpinned New Zealand’s domination on Day 3 in Christchurch, as the hosts transformed a modest 64-run advantage into a towering lead that now feels insurmountable.The pair’s third-wicket stand of 279 ensured a potentially gripping third day went flat halfway through. West Indies merely went through the motions, sitting back and hoping for a declaration to bring them some relief from being run ragged. This was New Zealand’s highest partnership against West Indies since 1987 – surpassing Martin Crowe and John Wright’s 241-run stand.Things could’ve been a lot different had they caught better.Ravindra’s innings began under a cloud of uncertainty. On 8, Kemar Roach grassed a sumptuous flick at midwicket as he threw himself at the ball one-handed. On 14, Kavem Hodge put down a regulation catch at slip, leaving Justin Greaves to wear the frustration of being the unlucky bowler twice in two overs. The charmed streak continued when another thick outside edge flew over the slips on 17.For the first half hour after lunch, Ravindra seemed to live on borrowed time. But once he survived that turbulent spell, the tentativeness gave way to assurance, and the elegance that has come to define his best batting was out in full glory. He raced to 176, before being knocked over late in the day by an Ojay Shields yorker.By stumps, New Zealand had added 395 to lead by 481. For the record, West Indies will have to achieve the highest successful chase to win at Hagley Oval – 285 is the highest fourth-innings score chased down at this venue.Before Ravindra arrived, Devon Conway and Latham played a solid first hour, focusing on crease occupation in a bid to lay a strong platform. Latham left well early on, while Conway exhibited his artistry – playing the cover drives and on-drives – early in the innings.Rachin Ravindra hit 27 boundaries in his 185-ball stay•Getty Images

Roach moved the ball away appreciably early on to have Conway in a hint of trouble, while Jayden Seales got the ball to lift off a length to have Latham looking scratchy early on. The first 17 overs produced just 35; Latham survived a thick edge that raced between second slip and gully on 29.Conway set himself in, and was out slashing to deep point for 39 as Hodge plucked a superb catch while moving halfway in from the ropes. Initially off balance, Hodge back-pedalled to complete the catch. One wicket became two when Roach had Kane Williamson nicking behind with a perfect out-swinger.Having got off the mark with a top-edge for six off Greaves, Williamson was troubled by his late movement before Roach had him in the last over before lunch, with New Zealand effectively 164 for 2. The spell after lunch was perhaps West Indies’ best chance to get into the game as they routinely created chances, only for them to be grassed.If the first session was about the hard grind, the second was about accumulating and pressing home the advantage. Ravindra didn’t take long to march into the 40s, and even got into a bit of a scrap with Seales. The pair brought up their century stand off just 126 deliveries, with Ravindra’s enterprise allowing Latham to also open up after getting past his half-century.Latham was particularly punishing square of the wicket on both sides, with the cuts and pulls, as he pounced on a tired attack that kept pounding the ball in even as the surface appeared to have lost a lot of the venom seen on the first two days. Latham brought up his century first, while Ravindra got there with a pull through midwicket – his second successive century.After he passed a hundred, as West Indies went defensive, Latham brought out the inventive batter in him – scooping and paddling his way to a couple of boundaries. It seemed inevitable the pair would bat through, but a lapse in concentration late in the day saw them fall in back-to-back overs. But even those two wickets were no consolation for West Indies as they face an uphill battle for survival.

Perhaps to be expected of this modern-day Manchester United team, the recent five-game unbeaten run was merely a false dawn, as Ruben Amorim’s tenure reached another low on Monday evening.

That wet and miserable night at Grimsby is arguably the nadir of the Portuguese’s year in charge, although the latest loss to Everton could well run it close, following what was simply a lifeless performance from the hosts at Old Trafford.

Handed a bizarre advantage following Idrissa Gueye’s slap on ex-United man, Michael Keane, the Red Devils contrived to slip up against their ten-man opponents, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall firing in a deserved lead on the hour mark.

Despite having ample time and opportunity to get back into the game, the Red Devils barely threatened Jordan Pickford’s goal from then on, albeit with the Englishman making one notable save to deny Joshua Zirkzee’s goalbound header.

The Dutchman, to his credit, came as close as anyone to getting the home side level on the night, but that should not overshadow what was another desperate display from United’s number 11.

The 24-year-old wasn’t the only INEOS signing under the microscope against the Toffees – far from it – but his performance certainly warrants further scrutiny.

Joshua Zirkzee's dismal Everton display in numbers

On a different day, the £36.5m man might have been the hero had his well-taken header evaded the sprawling Pickford, with the striker’s last Premier League goals having actually come against the Merseysiders almost a year earlier.

As it is, Amorim is left to reflect upon a largely limp showing from Zirkzee in attack, with the ex-Bologna man’s woes only heightening the frustration regarding Benjamin Sesko’s absence.

Sesko – with just two goals for United to date – hasn’t been perfect, but even amid his struggles at Spurs, he was still a handful, a physical outlet whom Amorim’s side can look to.

Zirkzee might be a self-described ‘nine and a half’, but at 6 foot 4, he should be doing far better, notably losing the ball on 12 occasions from just 35 touches.

Far too frequently, the struggling forward dallied in possession or produced an errant touch or flick, looking distinctly uncomfortable with his back to goal.

The caveat to that, of course, is that he had featured for just 90 minutes in total this season prior to that, with there likely to be an element of ring rust for a player handed just his first league start of 2025/26.

That being said, on a wider focus, this remains a striker who has scored just three top-flight goals since signing back in the summer of 2024, with United again left looking desperately short at the top end of the pitch.

Problems at the other end also persist, however, with the backline looking particularly erratic.

Amorim must bench Man Utd's "best in the world" star

Much of the blame for Monday’s defeat lies at Amorim’s door, with the 40-year-old’s failure to release the handbrake and shuffle his system having been desperately evident, as his side toiled for an equaliser amid their second-half dominance.

In the ex-Sporting CP man’s defence, however, he must have been scratching his head at the laboured showing of those on the pitch, with Leny Yoro notably putting in a tame effort to try and prevent Dewsbury-Hall from converting.

That weak act – which was followed by another weak stop from the previously impressive Senne Lammens – came amid a largely frustrating display from the young Frenchman, with Harry Maguire’s absence felt again in the back three.

Yoro’s pace and recovery speed is a useful tool, although he has the tendency to be bullied up against a physical forward line, winning just two of his five ground duels, as per Sofascore.

Perhaps more frustrating were his woes in possession, losing the ball on ten occasions, while failing to really drive forward from his right-sided role, even with ample time and space afforded to him.

Unlike last term, when the 20-year-old was a central figure in United’s Europa League charge, he appeared hesitant to get forward, rarely attempting to burst into space to support the likes of Amad ahead of him.

There is an argument to suggest he may need to shift to a left centre-back role, having thrived there in the second half of last season, although with Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez and Ayden Heaven already in contention there, Amorim surely can’t make that switch.

Currently ranking in the bottom 2% of European centre-backs for blocks, the bottom 9% for clearances and the bottom 27% for aerial duels won per 90, as per FBref, the ex-Lille starlet certainly isn’t thriving as expected, having previously been described as the “best in the world” for his age by Rio Ferdinand.

Options at right centre-back really are quite limited – particularly in the absence of Maguire – although Amorim may have to consider relocating Noussair Mazraoui, and shifting Yoro back to the bench.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

As Ferdinand suggested, the France U21 international is a massive talent, but United and Old Trafford are yet to see the best of him.

Worse than Bruno Fernandes vs Everton: Amorim must bin Man Utd's 3/10 flop

This Man Utd star struggled in the 1-0 home defeat to Everton

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By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 25, 2025

Kvicha Kvaratskhelia has insisted that Tottenham "attack and defend well" and warned that Paris Saint-Germain face a "difficult match" in the Champions League, but his comments have sparked backlash on social media. With Spurs battered against Arsenal on Sunday and PSG pushing for a top-eight finish, fans are stunned by the Georgian winger’s assessment ahead of the high-stakes clash.

• Kvartskhelia causes stir with Tottenham comments

  Speaking before Wednesday’s showdown, Kvaratskhelia said: "Tottenham attack and defend well… It won't be easy, it will be a difficult match. But we feel good, we are really ready." He then doubled down, explaining: "We have a big match in store against Tottenham. The Champions League is always special. We've already played them this season, in the European Super Cup. It was a difficult match, but we won. Tomorrow will be different, it's a different competition, and we've had good preparation, the team is in good shape, and we're looking forward to it."

  His words come at a tense moment for both clubs, with PSG looking to secure a top-eight finish and direct knockout qualification while Tottenham arrive on the back of a humiliating 4-1 derby defeat at Arsenal. Kvaratskhelia’s insistence that Spurs remain dangerous surprised many given their domestic inconsistency, though Tottenham’s unbeaten Champions League form does support his argument that European competition has brought out a different version of the side.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Fans surprised by Kvaraskhelia's comments

  Supporters did not take long to voice disbelief at Kvaratskhelia’s comments, with many questioning whether he has watched Tottenham at all this season. @JaseL2022 wrote on X: "What the f*ck has he been watching??"

  @cowdray19 mocked Spurs' attack, posting: "We deffo don't attack to be honest, I'm sure half of em can control a football. It will be training day for PSG, the keeper, get a deck chair, put your feet up, xmas has come early for ya."

  More criticism followed, with @citycyborg22 adding: "He obviously hasn't been watching their PL games….those lots are complete jokes."

  @MacAllisterEra insisted: "They will batter Spurs."

  @ary4n117 joked about the confusion surrounding the winger’s assessment: "Is he watching the same Tottenham as me."

  The backlash reflects a growing scepticism surrounding Spurs’ domestic displays, which have been inconsistent and, at times, chaotic under Thomas Frank. Fans argue that Tottenham’s lack of attacking cohesion and vulnerability under pressure make Kvaratskhelia’s description wildly optimistic. While some acknowledge Spurs’ contrasting strength in Europe, the overwhelming sentiment online is that PSG remain overwhelming favourites and that the Georgian international may have overstated the threat.

• AFP
  

  PSG and Spurs meet for second time this season

  PSG enter this clash with the expectation of dominance but an awareness of their own recent inconsistencies, having fallen to Bayern Munich in their previous Champions League outing. Their domestic form, however, remains strong, with PSG positioned near the top of Ligue 1 and boasting one of Europe’s most dangerous forward lines despite significant injury concerns. Luis Enrique’s team has also already beaten Tottenham this season, edging them in the UEFA Super Cup, which Kvaratskhelia referenced when noting the difficulty of their previous meeting.

  Tottenham arrive in France under pressure after a painful north London derby defeat that exposed tactical and structural flaws in both attack and defence. Yet their Champions League performances have been a completely different story, with Spurs remaining unbeaten in the league phase and demonstrating a resilience that has surprised even their harshest critics. Their transition under Frank has been uneven, but their continental approach has positioned them closer to the top eight than their Premier League form would suggest.

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• Wednesday's showdown at Parc des Princes

  Both sides head into the match on Wednesday knowing the outcome will directly influence their Champions League destiny, with three fixtures remaining in the league phase after this. PSG will look to exploit home advantage at the Parc des Princes, where they rarely falter against English opposition and where their attacking depth gives them clear superiority on paper. Tottenham, meanwhile, must translate their continental resilience into a complete performance, especially after the morale-shattering derby defeat that left supporters questioning their readiness for elite opposition.

  Should PSG win, they would strengthen their grip on a top-eight finish and take a major step toward defending their European crown. If Spurs pull off an upset, they could leapfrog PSG in the standings and transform their struggling domestic narrative with another impressive European statement.

U.S. international Sebastian Berhalter delivered an impressive opening spell in the Americans’ friendly against Uruguay, scoring his first national team goal from a well-placed set piece in the 17th minute. Minutes later, he set up Alex Freeman for his first international goal, assisting on a driven header to give the U.S. an early boost.

• Getty Images
  

  Two MLS stars deliver big

  Freeman’s goal came in his 13th cap for the U.S., with Berhalter’s assist marking his third for the national team. Freeman added another in the 31st minute to complete a strong first-half showing.

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  What comes next?

  The fixture is Mauricio Pochettino and Co.'s last of 2025. They will resume action next March. 

MatériaMais Notícias

Com o contrato do Vasco com a Kappa se aproximando do seu encerramento no final do ano, o clube já começa a se movimentar para negociar com outra fornecedora. Em enquete realizada no canal Lance! Vasco no whatsapp, os cruz-maltinos elegeram a Nike como marca favorita para ser a fornecedora a partir da próxima temporada.

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A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

O mata-mata da Copa do Brasil está pegando fogo! Abra a sua conta e faça já a sua aposta no Lance! Betting

Com mais de 5 mil votos totais, a fornecedora americana que atualmente patrocina o Corinthians recebeu a preferência de mais da metade dos vascaínos. A Nike recebeu 59% dos votos, já a segunda colocada foi a alemã Puma, que ficou com 22,43% dos votos da galera. Já a Kappa, atual fornecedora, não recebeu prestígio da torcida do Vasco. A marca italiana recebeu apenas 6% dos votos. Outras empresas votadas foram a Adidas e a Umbro.

O Vasco tem como objetivo aumentar a sua receita com royaties e também, principalmente, o valor fixo acertado com a empresa que fornece os materiais. Atualmente, o Gigante da Colina recebe apenas R$ 600 mil da Kappa. Para efeito de comparação, o rival Flamengo recebe no mínimo R$ 70 milhões por ano. O clube de São Januário vê a exposição de Dimitri Payet e possivelmente de Phillippe Coutinho como trunfos para negociar um valor mais alto.

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يستهل منتخب مصر مشواره في بطولة كأس العرب 2025 بمواجهة نظيره الكويتي، في المباراة التي تجمع بينهما ضمن لقاءات البطولة الدولية.

وتقام المباراة بين مصر والكويت على أرضية استاد البيت في إطار لقاءات الجولة الأولى من مرحلة المجموعات لـ كأس العرب.

وتضم المجموعة الثالث بـ بطولة كأس العرب مصر والكويت ومعهما الإمارات والأردن، ضمن المسابقة المقامة في قطر خلال الفترة من 1 حتى 18 ديسمبر.​

ويبحث منتخب مصر عن انطلاقة قوية في البطولة العربية تحت قيادة جهازه الفني الحالي، بقيادة حلمي طولان ساعيًا لتحقيق نتائج متقدمة بالمسابقة.

طالع | تشكيل منتخب مصر المتوقع أمام الكويت اليوم في كاس العرب 2025

بينما يدخل المنتخب الكويتي اللقاء بمعنويات مرتفعة بعد عبوره من الملحق وتأهله إلى دور المجموعات، في مواجهة منتظرة جماهيريًا وإعلاميًا بين المنتخبين. موعد مباراة مصر والكويت اليوم في كأس العرب 2025

وتنطلق أحداث مباراة مصر والكويت اليوم الثلاثاء 2 ديسمبر 2025، في تمام الساعة 4:30 عصرًا بتوقيت القاهرة، 5:30 مساءً بتوقيت مكة المكرمة والكويت. القنوات الناقلة لمباراة مصر والكويت اليوم

تُنقل مباراة مصر والكويت في كأس العرب 2025، عبر قنوات، ام بي سي مصر2، و الكأس 1، و beIN Sports المفتوحة، وقناة أبو ظبي الرياضية، ودبي الرياضية، ومنصة شاشا. معلقو مباراة مصر والكويت في كأس العرب

ويتولى مهمة التعليق على أحداث مباراة السعودية وعمان، كلا من “مدحت شلبي، وفهد العتيبي، وحفيظ الدراجي، ومنتصر الأزهري وخالد الحدي”.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا

Zimbabwe, meanwhile, will be banking on their allrounders to make a difference in the two-match series

Andrew Fidel Fernando02-Sep-2025Who is going to bat in Sri Lanka’s lower-middle order?Sri Lanka are on the hunt for batters who can finish with big hits, and right now, that role is being filled by Dasun Shanaka. But are there better options in those positions? Seam-bowling allrounder Chamika Karunaratne is in the squad, as is spin-bowling allrounder Dunith Wellalage, both of whom have been working on their batting. Batting allrounder Vishen Halambage is also around. This has long been a problem area for Sri Lanka, and they will be keen to figure out their best lower-order hitters before the Asia Cup begins, in a little over a week.Related

• Taylor, Williams back in Zimbabwe's T20I squad

• Nissanka's 122 leads Sri Lanka to 2-0 series sweep

• Hasaranga fit for Sri Lanka's Asia Cup campaign

How effective will the allrounders be?Sri Lanka’s squad is packed with multi-dimensional cricketers, but Zimbabwe favours allrounders even more. With Sikandar Raza, Brad Evans, Ryan Burl, Sean Williams, Tony Munyonga and Brian Bennett all in the side, they will almost certainly have variety in their XI. In the ODIs, Sri Lanka’s batters largely prospered against Zimbabwe’s middle-overs bowling options, but on a large Harare Sports Club ground, in a more explosive format, Zimbabwe have various avenues through which to target Sri Lanka batters’ weaknesses. Both captains will have an array of bowling resources at their disposal, which means both are likely to be flexible with their bowling plans.Sikandar Raza will back himself to come good against Sri Lanka•Zimbabwe CricketWill Raza’s form hold?If it’s a series against Sri Lanka, Raza will be making runs. He’s been outstanding against this opposition in ODIs especially, but has only faced them in three T20Is so far. No one in the Zimbabwe side picks Sri Lanka’s spinners better than Raza, as evidenced by scores of 92 and 59 not out in the ODIs. With Wanindu Hasaranga out of this series through injury, Raza’s chances of succeeding in he middle overs again are higher. And while Sri Lanka will not be daunted by his bowling, he has tended to bowl plenty of cheap overs against them in the past.Can Nissanka’s good form unlock a new level to his career?Since June, Pathum Nissanka has been outstanding. He hit hundreds in each of Sri Lanka’s Tests against Bangladesh in June, and although he hadn’t been quite as good in the T20s against Bangladesh, he did clobber a 16-ball 42 in the one match Sri Lanka won in that series. He was an obvious choice for Player of the Series in the ODIs, having top-scored in both matches. If he is effective in T20s in the next six months though – in which there is an Asia Cup, and a T20 World Cup which Sri Lanka are due to co-host, he could take his career into the stratosphere.Will Matheesha Pathirana start for Sri Lanka in the T20Is?•Associated PressHow will Sri Lanka use Pathirana?</b?Although a regular for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, and one of their most-valued players over the last three seasons, Matheesha Pathirana has trouble making it into any Sri Lanka XIs. He didn't play the ODIs, and is not guaranteed to play in the T20Is either. Mostly, Sri Lanka have wanted him to prove that he is a viable wicket-taking option at the start of the innings, as well as at the death. His not having been in prime wicket-taking form this year may count against him, with Sri Lanka having plenty of other seam-bowling options – Nuwan Thushara, Binura Fernando, and Dushmantha Chameera are all in the mix.