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Varun Chakravarthy, the top-ranked T20I bowler in the world, says India head coach Gautam Gambhir has fostered a “Spartan mentality” in the team, leaving “no option of losing”. He also credited Gambhir and T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav for his international comeback, after spending nearly three years out of the team.”Definitely one thing which I can say about [Gambhir] is he brings a Spartan mentality to the team where there is no option of losing. You just have to bring your best and give everything on the ground and later on, whatever happens, happens,” Varun said on the sidelines of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai on Tuesday.”When he is around, there is no mediocrity – you can’t be mediocre in the field, that’s what I feel.”Related

• Varun Chakravarthy takes top spot in men's T20I bowling rankings

Varun made his India debut in July 2021, but after enduring a tough campaign in the 2021 T20 World Cup, he was dropped and only played for India again in October 2024.Since then, Varun has been a regular fixture in India’s T20I XI and has also made his ODI debut and played a key role in helping the team win the Champions Trophy earlier this year.”When I made my comeback again, Surya and GG [Gambhir], they spoke to me and they told me that we are looking at you as one of the wicket-takers. And they have backed me throughout. For that, I have to give them the credit.”When he is around, there is no mediocrity,” Varun says of Gautam Gambhir•Getty Images

“I was out of the team for more than three years, but I did have a consecutive good IPL. For them to recognise that and bring me into the team was great for me.”Varun, who has been left out of India’s ODI squad for the Australia tour, spoke about the things Gambhir wants him to work on to enhance his chances in one-day cricket.”Basically, the conversations were around bowling longer spells. Because in T20, you maximum bowl two overs back-to-back. But in ODIs, you have to bowl five to six overs back-to-back, which I did work on and I was able to do it in the Champions Trophy.”And he wants me to bat a little more up the order in domestic circuit and improve on my batting.”Varun was also full of praise for fellow spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who finished as the leading wicket-taker at the Asia Cup.”Kuldeep is definitely one of the most experienced bowlers right now in the pool of players that we have and he has done amazingly well,” Varun said. “I bowl at the speeds of 95kph and he bowls around 85kph, so we kind of complement each other. He has more revs and more turn, I have more speed and bounce, so till now it’s been working well for us. Hopefully, we can do the same thing in the World Cup also.”

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl has enjoyed a fairly strong start to life in the dugout at Ibrox since he arrived to take over from previous manager Russell Martin.

The German tactician, who left Sheffield Wednesday earlier this year, has won all three of his matches in the Scottish Premiership, beating Dundee 3-0 at Dens Park last time out.

Rangers, though, have also lost both of their Europa League games under the new boss and lost 3-1 to Celtic in the semi-final of the League Cup, and some players in the squad will still feel they have more to offer to Rohl.

The Rangers players who have rarely been used by Danny Rohl

Across the German head coach’s six matches in charge of the club in all competitions, the manager has been fairly consistent with his team selections overall, which has left some players by the wayside.

There are seven first-team players, or players on the fringe of the first-team, who have played in less than half of Rohl’s first six games with the Ibrox giants.

As you can see in the table above, three players, albeit one of them being the back-up goalkeeper, have yet to make a single appearance for the German boss.

Lyall Cameron’s lack of game time under the new manager is surprising after he was heralded as an impressive addition to the squad from Dundee in the summer.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

He was described as ‘one of the most influential players’ in the SPFL by the BBC’s Dundee fan writer Ethan Hampton, yet he has not had much of a look-in under Rohl.

Why Danny Rohl must finally unleash Lyall Cameron

The 23-year-old attacking midfielder should finally be unleashed by the new manager because he could be an ‘influential’ player for the Gers if given the opportunity to play regular minutes in the Premiership.

Cameron has only played four times in the league so far this season, showing that he can’t get a game at the moment, and has only played nine minutes under Rohl, which came against Kilmarnock, per Sofascore.

Last season, however, during his time with Dundee, the Scottish star started 32 of his 33 appearances in the Premiership and provided a big threat at the top end of the pitch.

As you can see in the table above, Cameron was as influential as Hampton suggested, as he produced 14 goals and assists in 32 starts as a central midfielder for his previous club.

However, he has not been given enough of an opportunity to showcase his talent in the Premiership, with just nine minutes across Rohl’s first three league games in the dugout.

This is why the former Sheffield Wednesday tactician should finally unleash Cameron from the start after the international break, because his time with Dundee suggests that there is far more to come from him in a Rangers shirt.

The Scottish whiz is not going to show the best of his abilities with nine minutes off the bench or by being an unused substitute, and now is the time to introduce him to the team to see if he can provide goals and assists on a regular basis, as he did with Dundee.

Rangers teenager was their next Igamane in the making but he left for £0

Rangers must regret losing this young star who could have been their next Hamza Igamane at Ibrox.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 18, 2025

David Alaba has rejoined Real Madrid group training and is expected to be in the squad for Sunday's La Liga match against Rayo Vallecano, providing a major boost for Xabi Alonso. The defender returns from a calf injury that has seen him miss four games, as the club continues to cope with injuries to Antonio Rudiger, Dani Carvajal and Aurelien Tchouameni.

Alaba's return provides crucial defensive relief

Madrid have received a significant defensive boost as Alaba has rejoined group training and is poised to make his return to the squad for match against Vallecano, according to a report from .

The 33-year-old defender's return provides a timely solution for manager, whose squad has been severely depleted by injuries, particularly in defence.

Alaba participated in the majority of group exercises during Friday's training session at Valdebebas, with the outlook for his recovery described as "very positive." The Austrian international is expected to complete Saturday's final session without issue and be named in Alonso's squad for the trip to Vallecas.

The comeback of the experienced centre-back is a critical development for Real Madrid, who are facing an injury crisis in their backline. Alonso remains without four key players for the upcoming league fixture.

The injury list includes starting right-back Carvajal and fellow centre-back Rudiger, whose absence has compounded Madrid's defensive woes.

Furthermore, the club is without key defensive midfielder Tchouameni, who was the latest player to be sidelined. The Frenchman is suffering from a semitendinosus muscle injury in his left leg and is not expected to reappear until after the upcoming international break. His target is reportedly the match against Elche on November 23. Youngster Franco Mastantuono also remains unavailable.

AdvertisementAFPFour-match absence follows calf strain

Alaba has been sidelined for Madrid's last four matches after sustaining a strain in his right calf muscle, identified as a soleus injury. The setback occurred at the end of the first half of the club's league match against Getafe on 19 October.

His injury, coinciding with Rudiger's spell on the treatment table, forced Alonso to field a makeshift defensive partnership. The manager has had to consolidate a centre-back pairing of Eder Militao and 20-year-old summer signing Dean Huijsen.

This pairing was further disrupted during Alaba's absence, with Spanish international Huijsen also missing the Champions League match against Juventus, highlighting the precarious lack of depth Alonso has been navigating.

A difficult start to the 2025-26 season

The injury has been a frustrating interruption for Alaba, who has had a limited impact on the 2025-26 campaign. The defender, whose contract expires in 2026, has struggled for consistent fitness and game time.

Prior to his injury, the Austrian had featured in only four matches for Madrid this season, accumulating just 145 minutes of playing time.

His involvement has been sporadic, receiving minutes from the bench against Real Sociedad and Levante in La Liga, and making one start on the second matchday of the Champions League in Almaty.

His return to fitness is therefore crucial not only for the team's immediate needs but also for Alaba himself as he looks to re-establish his role as a cornerstone of the Madrid defence.

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AFPWhat next? Vallecas test and historic Austria call-up

Provided he passes Saturday's final fitness test, Alaba will be in line for minutes in Sunday's La Liga encounter at Vallecas. Following the match against Rayo Vallecano, Alaba's immediate focus will shift to international duty. The defender has been called up by manager Ralf Rangnick for a potentially huge international break for Austria.

The Austrian national team are on the verge of securing qualification for the next World Cup, an achievement they have not managed in 28 years. The country's last appearance at the tournament was in 1998 when it was held in France.

Austria will face Cyprus on Saturday, November 15, before a match against Bosnia-Herzegovina the following Tuesday evening. Alaba's return to fitness will be a welcome sight for Rangnick, who will rely on his captain's leadership and experience as his side attempts to make history.

After a washout in their opening game, St Lucia Kings beat St Kitts and Nevis Patriots by three runs in a last-ball thriller in Basseterre to register their first win of CPL 2025. This was Patriots’ third loss in four games.After being sent in, Kings rode on the half-centuries of Johnson Charles and Roston Chase and a 23-ball 46 from Tim David to post 200 for 8. Patriots started well in their chase but had lost three wickets by the end of the powerplay. It became 66 for 4 after nine overs. At that point, ESPNcricinfo’s Forecaster gave Patriots a 5.32% chance of winning.Jason Holder kept them in the game singlehandedly, striking a 29-ball 63. After he fell, Navin Bidaisee took over and brought it down to four needed off the final delivery. David Wiese bowled a slot ball; Bidaisee swung towards long-off but could not clear David. Apart from scoring a 38-ball 61, Chase also picked up 2 for 27 from four overs and was named the Player of the Match.Earlier, Kings were 21 for 2 after three overs before Charles and Chase injected momentum into the innings by adding 50 off 26 balls for the third wicket. After Charles fell, Chase and David carried on. Chase hit Dominic Drakes for three fours in an over and, later, David smashed Holder for three sixes in his one over.Jason Holder’s valiant knock could not bring a win for Patriots•CPL T20/Getty Images

They added 80 off 50 but after they both departed, the incoming batters could not keep the momentum going and managed just 21 from the last three overs.Andre Fletcher and Kyle Mayers gave Patriots a start of 43 in 4.2 overs. But once Wiese broke that stand with Mayers’ wicket, Patriots’ chase got derailed. Khary Pierre, who had opened the bowling, removed Fletcher and Mikyle Louis in the next over to make it 49 for 3 after the powerplay. Chase dropped a tough return catch of Rilee Rossouw. It did not prove costly as Chase dismissed him in his next over. Holder came and hit Tabraiz Shamsi for 4, 6, 6 off successive balls in the tenth over to take the side to 84 for 4 at the halfway stage.Holder kept hitting and brought up his fifty with his fifth six, off Wiese and off just 23 balls. He added 77 off 40 balls for the fifth wicket with Bidaisee, in which the latter’s contribution was 9 off 11.Once Holder fell, Bidaisee opened up and dispatched Shamsi for 4, 4, 6. He hit a six in each of the next four overs and got to his fifty in 35 balls. But he could not take Patriots over the line.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s West Ham United side are showing signs of green shoots, but there is much work still to be done in the fight to stave off the threat of relegation from the Premier League.

West Ham’s inconsistencies have plunged them into the drop zone, but a glass-half-full mentality would tell you that Nuno has claimed eight points from four games and the squad’s understanding in this new system is tightening, deepening.

But this is also a precarious and anxiety-inducing position. Former technical director Tim Steidten left much to be desired on the recruitment front, and now additions are needed up top and across the backline.

West Ham need to sign a striker

Niklas Fullkrug’s £27m transfer from Borussia Dortmund to the London Stadium has not gone to plan. Injuries have been the German striker’s biggest inhibitor, but he has scored only three times across 29 matches, and a winter exit, ahead of the 2026 World Cup, looks on the cards.

The 32-year-old has indeed been slated for a January departure, probably back to his homeland, and that leaves West Ham in a sticky position, with Jarrod Bowen and Callum Wilson in need of support.

Help may arrive in the form of Santiago Gimenez, with Italian outlet Il Messaggero relaying that the Mexican forward is destined for a move to the Premier League, with the Irons one of the clubs who could put forward a bid of around €30m (equating to £26m).

Sunderland are also interested, and given that Milan would be open to selling the 24-year-old for around that price, the Londoners will need to be snappy in getting a deal done.

What Santiago Gimenez would bring to West Ham

Gimenez stands at 6 foot 1 and is a physical and imposing attacking profile. In this, he would be the perfect profile to replace Fullkrug, whose physicality and focal command in the box are among the finest in Europe.

After joining AC Milan from Feyenoord last winter, Gimenez made a positive start to life in Serie A, scoring five goals and supplying two assists across the latter half of the 2024/25 campaign, playing 14 times and starting only seven of those games.

However, he has petered out under Massimiliano Allegri’s wing this season, yet to score in the Italian top flight. Gimenez is still relatively young and has the athleticism to succeed in the Premier League, and he could be the perfect presence to dovetail into the front of Nuno’s system, having been hailed as a “machine” in the box by talent scout Jacek Kulig in the past.

His particular approach suggests he would be perfect for Nuno’s West Ham project, Chris Wood would bear testament to that, having been the spearhead of the Portuguese tactician’s incredible tenure at the Nottingham Forest helm, prolific and talismanic.

Wood is among the most physical and commanding strikers of recent years; certainly, his blend of clinical shooting, steely hold-up play and intelligent movement has allowed him to blossom into “one of the best in the Prem”, as claimed by reporter Jamie Martin.

And his time in Nuno’s system proved a match made in heaven for both. Now, Gimenez could make his mark as the new version, especially if given the trust and care that have been lacking throughout his year in Italy.

Under Espirito Santo’s stewardship, Wood enjoyed arguably the most productive spell of his career, scoring 20 goals from 36 Premier League matches as the Tricky Trees secured a place in Europe.

Sean Dyche

165

53 (0.32)

Nuno Santo

60

32 (0.53)

Garry Monk

48

30 (0.62)

Nigel Pearson

62

20 (0.32)

Kenny Jacket

19

11 (0.58)

Chris Hughton

29

11 (0.38)

Gimenez could play a similar role in this West Ham team, the catalyst for attacking change after a tough chapter in the club’s modern history.

Finishes like Bowen: West Ham offered chance to sign "insane" Wilson upgrade

The international goalscorer could be just the player to spearhead Nuno’s West Ham project.

ByJack Salveson Holmes 6 days ago

The former captain was critical of George Bailey on the day the first Ashes squad was named

AAP05-Nov-2025Steve Waugh has accused Australia’s chief selector George Bailey of rarely having the appetite to make tough calls, adamant the transition of the Test team depends on it.One of the most reserved figures from Australia’s golden era, Waugh used a rare media appearance on Wednesday to question the handling of Australia’s ageing side.Bailey then insisted he and his panel were willing to make tough calls, and asked what they were meant to do while older players were still performing.Related

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Australia’s 15-man squad for the first Ashes Test includes just one player aged under 30, with the regeneration of the team a hot topic in recent years.David Warner is the only player to have retired in recent years, with fellow opener Usman Khawaja to turn 39 next month.Quicks Mitchell Starc, Scott Boland and Josh Hazlewood will also all be 35 or older by the end of the summer, while Nathan Lyon turns 38 this month.One of Australia’s greatest ever captains, Waugh was on hand at the SCG on Tuesday to receive the MCC Waterford Crystal Ashes Trophy.Waugh retired at age 38 in 2004 before the last big transition of the Test team, with Ian Healy and Mark Waugh having been dropped in previous years.Asked how he felt the current transition of the Test side looked, Waugh said selectors needed to intervene to manage the process.”George Bailey’s going to have to make some tough calls,” Waugh said. “I think in the past he’s shown he hasn’t really had the appetite for that at times, so he’s going to have to step up to the plate with the other selectors.”The bowlers are in their 30s and some of the batsmen are getting on as well. That’s natural for every team. You just want to make sure that three or four players don’t go out at the same time. That leaves a big hole in the team. So they’ve got to just make sure that it is a transition, but not all at once.”Asked if that meant tapping players on the shoulder to suggest they retire, Waugh said the matter should be taken out of players’ hands.Steve Waugh with the crystal Ashes trophy•Getty Images”I’d like to see the selectors pick the sides, not the players,” Waugh said. “There’s been a lot of players recently picking sides and saying who should be in the team. That’s the selectors’ job.”Waugh’s comments came after Khawaja last week suggested Matt Renshaw and Marnus Labuschagne join him in Australia’s top three, which would have forced a squeeze elsewhere.Bailey on Wednesday defended players supporting their state teammates when asked questions by media, insistent those views never influenced the panel.And he maintained he and his panel of Andrew McDonald and Tony Dodemaide had found other ways to blood young talent.”My question back, is there a tipping number once a player hits an age you move them on?” Bailey said. “Is that what it should be for all the guys in the team still performing? Should that be the most important criteria?”That’s not to say you’re not aware of the age profile of the team, but we see each and every Test as being important. You have Australia A tours, getting guys across to the sub-continent … getting guys in and around Test squads, utilising one-day cricket as an entry point.”Bailey also defended the selection of Khawaja and backed his experience, with the opener’s 232 in Sri Lanka in January one of just two scores above 50 in his past 26 Test innings.Australia are also yet to settle on the role of his opening partner since Warner’s retirement, with Steven Smith first going into the position.Youngsters Nathan McSweeney and Sam Konstas were both given chances last summer, with Labuschagne or Jake Weatherald likely to open in the first Ashes Test in Perth.

Ellie Roebuck has returned to the England squad for meetings with China and Ghana, the FA has confirmed. The Aston Villa stopper replaces Manchester City goalkeeper Khiara Keating due to injury, her first time being selected by the Lionesses since shortly after the 2023 World Cup. In the intervening years, Roebuck's health issues had put her entire career in severe jeopardy.

Roebuck suffered a stroke that could have left her blind

Roebuck was a backup goalkeepr in the England squad that achieved European Championship success in 2022 and reached the World Cup final in Australia in 2023. England fell to a penalty shootout defeat to Spain two-and-a-half years ago, but six months after the showdown with La Roja, Roebuck suffered a stroke that she said should have left her blind.

"I'm lucky because I should have lost my vision," Roebuck told in February. "I should have lost my peripheral vision for sure. The majority of people that suffer a stroke [like mine] do that. So, I probably should have been blind, which is quite a miracle that that didn't happen."

Having been struck in the back of the head with a ball in training with Manchester City, the 26-year-old was treated for a concussion but further tests revealed that Roebuck had actually suffered a stroke.

"I knew it wasn't concussion," she said. "I've had concussion. I just knew something wasn't right. I said 'for my peace of mind I need a head scan, something is not right and I know it'."

Having been called back in by the club doctor, Roebuck added: "It filled me with panic, but I never had in my mind that it was a stroke. He sat me down and was like, 'you've had an infarct in your left occipital lobe'. I asked 'what's that in English?' And then he said it was a type of stroke."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportRoebuck replaces Man City's Keating in the England squad

The diagnosis came at the worst possible time for Roebuck, who two weeks previously had formalised her City exit having signed a pre-contract with Barcelona. "I was sat in A&E with all the people on a Thursday night that'd been out drinking," Roebuck added. "They'd come in with their cuts and bruises and I was just sat there [thinking] 'what is happening?' And then I got taken to the stroke ward which was something that I'd never really want to remember.

"You're in there with people that I thought were 'normal people' to have strokes – older people. It was just a crazy experience." Roebuck also added: "The nurses said you can't carry shopping for six weeks. You can't do any exercise. I thought, 'I'm a professional footballer, I can't do that'."

After a year in Spain, Roebuck went on to sign for Aston Villa coming into 2025-26, though has made only two appearances for the Villans in the WSL this season due to Sabrina D'Angelo's solid status as No. 1. Even so, with Hannah Hampton already not part of the squad through injury, England have confirmed that Roebuck has returned to the England setup, replacing Manchester City's Khiara Keating, who was forced to withdraw due to "a small groin injury" suffered in training.

AFPMoorhouse in line to make England debut

Keating's withdrawal from the England squad not only paved the way for Roebuck to return to the Lionesses squad, but means Anna Moorhouse is now line to make her England debut against China.

Moorhouse received her first call up in July 2024, but found herself behind Keating, the retired Mary Earps and the currently injured Hampton in the pecking order over the past 17 months. The 30-year-old didn't play a single minute as England successfully defended their Euros crown in Switzerland.

However, as next in line, Orlando Pride's Moorhouse is tipped to start at Wembley, while Roebuck will hope to feature in some capacity in the coming days following her return to the setup. Brighton's uncapped Sophie Baggaley is the other goalkeeper in the squad named by Sarina Wiegman.

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What comes next for the Lionesses?

After their upcoming friendlies against China and Ghana, the former of which was originally intended to mark a special farewell to Mary Earps, England are not in action again until March, when they kick off the 2027 World Cup qualifiers. The Lionesses begin their qualification campaign against Ukraine before they welcome Iceland in their Group 3 clash.

England and Spain then renew rivalries in April when the Lionesses face off against La Roja at Wembley as the duo battle to secure automatic qualification to Brazil 2027.

One debutant and another playing only the second ODI of his career shepherded the visitors’ chase to give them a 1-0 lead

Danyal Rasool08-Aug-2025An unbeaten 104-run partnership between debutant Hasan Nawaz and Hussain Talat – playing his second game – helped a nervous Pakistan overcome a stutter to chase down 281 in the penultimate over and take a 1-0 lead in the ODI series with a five-wicket win.West Indies had put up 280 through three half-centuries in the first innings, but Pakistan’s spinners contained them to keep them to a below-par score with Shaheen Shah Afridi (4 for 51) and Naseem Shah (3-55) mopping the hosts up at the death.Pakistan’s pursuit was far from convincing, struggling to pace the innings too. Babar Azam (47) and Mohammad Rizwan (53) each fell after promising, if placid, starts, and West Indies found themselves burrowing into the lower order when Rizwan fell with 101 still to get. But Nawaz overcame early struggles and briefly rode his luck with a couple of dropped chances to turn the game around with 63 not out, eventually finishing it at a canter alongside the more solid Talat, who made an unbeaten 41 in 37 balls.Much of Pakistan’s ODI success over the past year depended on Saim Ayub getting them off to a flyer, so it felt significant West Indies neutralised that threat early, Jayden Seales extracting rubber-ball bounce that took his edge and flew on command into the keeper’s gloves. While Babar took his time to settle, Abdullah Shafique looked classically pretty through an even-paced knock, but found himself undone by slightly lower bounce that excited Shamar Joseph enough to force his captain’s hand into a successful review.Initially, it appeared the worst of Babar and Rizwan was on display in that third-wicket partnership. At one point early on, they would play sixteen successive dot balls as the asking rate crept above six. They began, as they so often do, to catch up, finding regular boundaries and running a few twos, and the asking rate gradually eased back down into the fives. Whether that redeemed their slow start or made them even more culpable is by now an intractable question to answer.But West Indies trusted their pace bowlers longer than Pakistan had, only delivering one over of spin until the 20th over. But that wasn’t a commentary on Gudakesh Motie’s skills, who began to trouble the pair, ultimately sending Babar packing when he ventured out for a slog and was deceived by the turn three runs short of his half-century.Salman Ali Agha was more proactive, but threw away a decent start when he scooped a ball that gripped right back into a grateful Roston Chase’s hands. The value of Rizwan’s wicket was growing with each passing wicket, and he’d eased himself past a half-century by once more, Joseph found a way to rap him in front of the pads, this time securing the on-field decision that put West Indies on top.Nawaz and Talat, one ODI in 2019 the sum total of their 50-over international experience, seemed unlikely saviours at that point. Hasan scored just three off his first 12 balls, and looked vulnerable against spin. Shai Hope dropped him early as a nick off an attempted slog couldn’t nestle into his gloves, and with the asking rate rising, he was the one Pakistan required out there until the very end.The tide began to turn in the 39th over by which time the dew was making the ball hard to grip. Talat smacked Chase for two boundaries, before a rare errant over from Joseph saw five wides and 17 runs scored which brought the asking rate to just above seven. It was the break Pakistan needed to pace the innings on their terms, with each player finding the boundary anytime the equation became uncomfortable.With four overs to go and Nawaz on 49, Motie put down an unforgivably easy chance at short third, and as Seales went down on his knees in disbelief, the fate of the game was sealed. Talat plundered 15 off the following over, and five balls later, Nawaz had sealed the win.Evin Lewis and Keacy Carty’s 77-run stand got West Indies flowing despite losing an early wicket•AFP/Getty ImagesEarlier, West Indies were put in to bat partially because of the uncertainty of conditions both overhead and underfoot, and once they’d brushed off the customary first-over wicket Afridi tends to take so often, Evin Lewis and Keacy Carty began to set a platform in the powerplay. Shaheen and Naseem struggled to find bite with the new ball, and by the eighth over, Rizwan had turned to the spin of Ayub. On a surface that has seen just the one ODI played, no one really knew how successful that would be, but the next two and a half-hours answered that question.With the surface gripping, each of Pakistan’s three spinners – Ayub, Agha, and Sufiyan Muqim – were thrust in immediately. The following 27 overs saw just one over of seam bowled as West Indies found themselves bleeding the occasional wicket while the run-rate Lewis and Carty had helped keep around six dipped below five. It was telling that the one over of seam – from Faheem Ashraf, saw Lewis pillage a six and a four bringing up his half-century in the process.But Lewis – on 60 – felt Ayub was the spinner to target, and having dispatched him for a boundary, opted to heave the final ball of his third over into the air. Shaheen spun himself around a couple of times before improbably holding onto it. A tortured innings from Sherfane Rutherford then concluded when he spooned Agha to cover-point.Chase (53) and Hope (55) put together a stand for the fifth wicket, but with no break from the stifling spinners, the run-rate began to fall. The 64 they added came off 89 deliveries, and with just one ball after the 34th over, Shaheen and Naseem began to find reverse swing. It took them a couple of overs to find their accuracy, during which Chase brought up his half-century. But he holed out to Naseem almost immediately afterwards, and just as the ball began to reverse, West Indies’ tail was exposed.The yorkers began to land, and West Indies had no answer. Naseem and Shaheen found pinpoint accuracy, and any runs West Indies scored had luck attached to them. At one point, the matting for the stump-mic helped lift the ball over Rizwan for four byes, and the following over a 140kmph yorker from Naseem hit leg stump, but without dislodging the bails.Even so, the last three were cleaned up by Pakistan’s two frontline quicks hitting the base of the stumps, and bowling West Indies out with an over to spare. Later, Pakistan would achieve their own target with seven balls to go.

The Western Conference semifinal presents an all too rare opportunity for two world class talents to face off in a single elimination game in MLS.

There's a clip from almost exactly 10 years ago from the German cup semi-final between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. Before kickoff, Marco Reus looks across the center circle and cheekily grins at Robert Lewandowski. The Polish striker offers a smirk back. It has since become subject to the internet and memeified to death. But it is also emblematic of a dynamic, the two central figures of a big game acknowledging the fact that they are set to do battle for 90 minutes. 

It wasn't the only drama in the fixture. That was one of the final battles of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp – at least in Germany. Bayern were on the hunt for a treble. Dortmund were looking to save face after a miserable season. But the lasting image of that game was the capturing of a rivalry, a duo of transcendent talents squaring off – albeit in an amusing way. 

That's the kind of thing that MLS is missing. There are no rivalries between stars at big moments in this league, no battle of rough equals, with brands bigger than the clubs they play for, facing off at the biggest moments. Enter LAFC's Son Heung-Min and Vancouver's Thomas Muller, who will play in the Western Conference Semifinals this weekend. Ask many outside of the immediate MLS sphere, and they couldn't tell you who each player suits up for. But they would certainly recognize the names: Asia's all-time best footballer versus one of the most decorated players of his generation. 

It's a tasty matchup, one that will define an already nicely-poised game. Chances are, whoever has the better game – Son or Muller – will decide the final score. And in a league that has the biggest player in the world yet lacks consistent interest in the region, it could be a model for encapsulating the way the league can grow. MLS, in short, needs more of these.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Son, the transformative attacking presence

  Son was here first. It was pretty clear, by the end of the 2024-25 season, that he was sure to leave Tottenham. The Korean winger had been there for a decade, survived numerous iterations of the team. He had won with Harry Kane and without. And when the club didn't present him with a new contract, one of their greatest ever players decided to close a wonderful chapter in a glittering career. 

  His next move was up for debate. He was never going to put himself in a situation where he would play Tottenham. But at 33-years-old, it was tricky to see another European side picking him up. Within a few weeks of him hoisting the Europa League trophy, it became a question of which MLS side would pick him up. LAFC bit. They shelled out a league record transfer fee of $26.5 millionto bring the South Korea national team captain to Los Angeles. And it already looks like a piece of marketing and footballing genius. Much has been written about his connection to the local Asian community. But the football has been wonderful, too. He is averaging over a goal contribution per 90 minutes, and had he been in the league for more than just two short months, would surely be in the running for MLS Newcomer of the Year. 

  LAFC needed a boost, too. Manager Steve Cherundolo is soon to leave. The Olivier Giroud experiment was a disaster. Son has breathed new life into the team, and made them almost immediate Cup contenders – especially with Denis Bouanga rounding into form alongside him up front. 

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  Muller, Vancouver's transformative talisman

  Muller's influence was perhaps a little more subtle – but no less impactful. The German has offered a different kind of quality. He is, after all, a different kind of player. If Son is the final piece of a team that needs a lift, then Muller is the X-factor to make a very good side a championship-contending one. Muller dubbed himself a "space interpreter" when he was young, and he still does that. 

  Muller is older and slower than pretty much everyone he plays with. Yet he thinks quicker than everyone else combined. Muller exists mostly in spaces as they open and close. He makes the right pass, engages in the right runs. He doesn't seem to like stardom or particularly acknowledge the fact that he is, arguably, the biggest name to have played for his club in recent years. 

  "The fact that he chose to go to Vancouver tells you everything you need to know, because no really global superstars ever choose to go to the Vancouver Whitecaps," Kaylyn Kyle said.

  Muller is a dorky guy who lives a simple life and plays the game like a true purist.

  He also has seven goals and four assists in seven games, which speaks to his impact. 

• Two contrasting styles

  That contrast expands to the two teams at large. Vancouver and LAFC is perhaps the most exciting match-up, from a tactical point of view, of the four reamining MLS playoff fixtures. Vancouver, under a first-year head coach in Jesper Sorensen, and with the return of attacking midfielder Ryan Gauld, can pass you to death. They love having the ball, and with the engine of U.S. international Sebastian Berhalter in midfield, they are capable of dominating. They have shown clear championship credentials on multiple occasions, not least by battering Inter Miami in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. They didn't really Muller. He just makes them even better. 

  But that might play into LAFC's hands perfectly. There are questions to be asked about Cherundolo's tactical nous, but he has certainly figured out how to best use his talents. The solution? Strip everything down, win the ball, and hit on the break. It's a simple equation, really. Bouanga and Son are as dominant of attacking players as MLS can offer outside of Lionel Messi. Give them the ball, run forward, and terrify sides on the break. Throw in a strong spine and the smarts of another in U.S. international in Timmy Tillman just behind the duo, and LAFC are the wrong team to try and dominate.

  This, then, could be a pure shootout. Vancouver need to have the ball. LAFC are comfortable enough surrendering it. And in front of a sold-out Vancouver crowd, everything seems poised nicely.

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  Where else does this exist?

  It’s a shame, more broadly, that MLS can’t offer more of this. Global star power in the league is clustered in only three places: South Florida, Los Angeles and, somehow, the west coast of Canada. Big-name superstars, overall, are also far less common in MLS than they were a decade ago – and, in some ways, that’s a good thing. MLS should exist on its own terms, developing American players and selling on rising talent from Central and South America, not leaning on past-their-prime imports like Steven Gerrard or Kaká. If MLS were filled with 100 Cucho Hernandezes – whom Columbus flipped to La Liga last year – it would mean the system is working.

  But those aren’t the names that draw eyeballs, especially in a sports landscape where MLS is competing with the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL. The league still needs headline acts to cut through. And no other playoff fixture offers anything close. Messi and Luis Suárez lead Miami. Evander and Kevin Denkey are phenomenal players, but they aren’t global brands. Chucky Lozano moves the needle in Mexican football, but in Minnesota, he’ll be up against a team defined more by its collective than its stars.

  The same goes for NYCFC and Philadelphia, a contest between two nicely built teams – without main men who can take over a game. There is one real star-based matchup here.

تقدم فريق المصري بالهدف الثاني أمام منافسه كايزر تشيفز، في المباراة التي تجمع بينهما ضمن لقاءات بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية.

ويواجه المصري البورسعيدي نظيره كايزر تشيفز، على ملعب هيئة قناة السويس في الجولة الأولى من دور المجموعات من بطولة الكونفدرالية. 

ويقع فريق المصري ضمن المجموعة الرابعة، التي تضم معه: “الزمالك – كايزر تشيفز – زيسكو يونايتد”.

وتمكن المصري من إحراز هدف التقدم في مرمى كايزر تشيفز في الدقيقة 58 من عمر الشوط الأول، عن طريق اللاعب بونور مجيشا، بعد تسديدة قوية من داخل منطقة الجزاء.

وفي الدقيقة 66 من عمر الشوط الثاني، تمكن كايزر تشيفز من إدراك هدف التعادل في مرمى المصري، عن طريق اللاعب ديلان سولومونز.

طالع.. فيديو | المصري يتقدم وكايزر تشيفز يتعادل في الكونفدرالية

وسجل محمد هاشم الهدف الثاني للمصري، في الدقيقة 88، بعد تلقيه عرضية داخل منطقة الجزاء، حاول مدافع كايزر تشيفز تشتيت الكرة ولكنها مرت من أمامه قبل أن يسددها هاشم داخل المرمى. هدف المصري الثاني أمام كايزر تشيفز