Cricket South Africa had been trying to get SuperSport to broadcast the second season of the T20 tournament but it couldn’t be done

Liam Brickhill07-Aug-2019

The Jozi Stars team celebrates with the inaugural MSL trophy•MSL

This year’s Mzansi Super League will once again be screened on , South Africa’s public broadcaster.There had been some speculation, especially ahead of the first edition of the MSL, that Cricket South Africa might look to as broadcaster, but they have ultimately stuck with once again, despite the lack of a financial incentive to do so. Last month the secured a R3.2 billion bailout from the government, and earlier this week it was announced that the broadcaster had failed to secure the rights for the country’s Premier Soccer League as it was not commercially viable. But CSA are short of other options.List of retained players

Cape Town Blitz: Asif Ali, Janneman Malan, Anrich Nortje, Dale Steyn
Durban Heat: Kyle Abbott, Sarel Erwee, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Khaya Zondo
Jozi Stars: Dan Christian, Reeza Hendricks, Duanne Olivier, Sinethemba Qeshile, Ryan Rickelton, Rassie van der Dussen
Nelson Mandela Bay Giants: Junior Dala, Heino Kuhn, Marco Marais, Chris Morris, Jon-Jon Smuts
Paarl Rocks: Henry Davids, Cameron Delport, Bjorn Fortuin, Aiden Markram, Mangaliso Mosehle, Tabraiz Shamsi
Tshwane Spartans: Theunis de Bruyn, Tony de Zorzi, Lungi Ngidi, Lutho Sipamla

“We only have literally two broadcasters in the country who can afford to broadcast cricket, and that’s and ,” chief executive Thabang Moroe said on Tuesday. “So you can imagine that CSA does not have much room to manoeuvre in terms of making decisions.”As things stand, we are lucky to find ourselves where we are, in the sense that we can broadcast international cricket both on free-to-air as well as pay TV. Obviously because none of them have exclusivity, we do not receive the same values as we would, had we given any of them exclusivity, but that’s the pain we have to take for wanting to spread the game.”As far as restructuring of commercial and broadcast deals is concerned, it’s difficult to say yes or no to that question now, the reason being the landscape that we operate in as far as the South African economy is concerned.”The second MSL will take place in November and December this year. The date for the player draft has not been announced yet, but it is expected to be shortly, as are the various South African and international marquee players.Dale Steyn is one of several Protea cricketers who have been retained by their franchises for this year’s tournament. More than 250 cricketers, including international stars, T20 specialists and Kolpak signings have entered the draft.”This is confirmation that MSL is now an established global brand that is taking its place at the head table alongside the other Global T20 events,” Moroe said. “We have drawn interest from around the world with players applying from virtually all the top tier international countries.”This will certainly be the biggest T20 event we have hosted since the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup that was staged here in 2007 and became the fore-runner of all the global T20 events that followed. We look forward to adding yet another highlight to our home international season that will be followed by the incoming tours by England and Australia.”

Tottenham Hotspur are making progress under Ange Postecoglou but there is still much work to do before the club reaches the desired standard.

Postecoglou had caught the eye for his work in Scotland with Celtic but after acceding to the dugout in north London was faced with mountainous problems: no European football; no belief; no Harry Kane.

However, despite some stumbles along the way, Tottenham are heading into the business end of the campaign in a great position, fifth in the Premier League and nearing a fully fit and available squad.

This has scarcely been the case throughout the maiden months of the Australian's tenure, a blistering start to life severely affected by a damaging 4-1 home defeat against Chelsea, resulting in dismissals to Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie and injuries to influential signings James Maddison and Micky van de Ven.

A tough period had been presaged, and indeed table-topping Spurs fell by the wayside – four defeats and a draw from five league matches – still fighting now to cement a spot in top four.

Losing the key components of his rearguard was particularly damaging for Postecoglou, and with a threadbare backline, 18-year-old centre-back Alfie Dorrington stepped up to the first-team.

Alfie Dorrington's season in numbers

It was the start of October and Postecoglou had stated that Dorrington and dynamic attacker Jamie Donley had "stood out" for the U21s and thus had been promoted to first-team training.

The latter has now made four appearances for the Lilywhites across recent weeks and while Dorrington has yet to make his senior debut, those aforementioned blows to Van de Ven and Romero had placed him in regular matchday contention.

Indeed, the teenager has been an unused substitute in the Premier League on ten occasions this term, capturing Postecoglou's attention after his stellar showings in the Premier League 2.

At youth level, Dorrington has played 11 times in the league this season as Wayne Burnett's development squad go from strength to strength, also making three appearances in the EFL Trophy, starring in a stunning 5-0 victoy over Colchester United.

Over his three outings in the EFL Trophy, the Enfield-born defender has completed 85% of his passes, averaged 5.3 ball recoveries and 4.7 clearances per game and succeeded with an incredible 83% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.

Lauded for his "terrific" ability by football.london's Alasdair Gold, the signs certainly point toward stardom, with Dorrington boasting all the traits to succeed at the apex of English football.

Alfie Dorrington's style of play

A ball-playing centre-back with a boldness in his progression, Dorrington is a defender and will likely remain in the defensive third, so impressive in his ball retention and dispossessing ability, but he has a elegance in possession that could quite easily set him up for success in the centre of the park.

According to club insider Superhotspur, Dorrington is dynamic and has been said to have a 'commanding style of defending as well as his positivity on the ball, and ability to go on long and skilful surging forward runs out of defence.'

With such glowing natural qualities, Dorrington might even bloom into the finest player from the productive Spurs academy, Superhotspur remarking that: 'Alfie is in my opinion one of the very best footballing centre-halves that I have ever seen in the Spurs Academy set-up.'

There sure is competition for that particular crown, with 18-year-old midfielder Lucas Bergvall signed for €10m (£8m) plus add-ons from Swedish side Djurgårdens IF on deadline day, hijacking Barcelona's approach for the ace.

Bergvall has been hailed for his "generational" quality by one scout and has earned comparisons to Real Madrid phenomenon Jude Bellingham for his high-class multi-functionality in midfield.

Still, he's not the only prodigy in Tottenham's formative fold – actually joining officially in the summer – and Dorrington's success in wedging into the first-team already speaks of his talent and the trust held in his skill set by Postecoglou.

Perfect for Postecoglou

Back when Postecoglou managed Celtic, he touched upon the importance of entrusting youth with chances to make their mark, saying: “I think it’s important having players who were brought up with this club. I mean, you just have to look at our captain. It’s not just for Callum McGregor it’s for our supporters to know that one of their own has gone from the terraces to on the pitch.”

This was reflected during his time at Celtic Park and has been discernible throughout the early phase of his Tottenham career, and while moves have been made to shore up the defence in January, Radu Dragusin signing from Genoa for around £27m, Eric Dier left for Bayern Munich and so there are still not options aplenty.

Dorrington making his debut before the summer is certainly a possibility, albeit hampered by the club's sole focus in the Premier League, and given that natural ball-playing ability and 'commanding' presence in defence, he could even be Romero's understudy.

Dragusin has an aggressive disposition that makes him a menace on the pitch but he is not a pass-proficient centre-half – he's competent, sure, but that is not where is finest attributes lie.

The same does not apply to Romero, who has been described as a "Rolls-Royce" of a player by pundit Martin Keown and has established himself as one of the Premier League's standout defenders since signing from Serie A club Atalanta for £42m back in 2021.

#

Player

Club

1.

Pau Torres

Aston Villa

2.

Ezri Konsa

Aston Villa

3.

Gabriel Magalhaes

Arsenal

4.

Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool

5.

Manuel Akanji

Manchester City

Source: Football Transfers

Moreover, he ranks among the top 11% of central defenders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 15% for pass completion, the top 14% for progressive passes and the top 5% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.

For these reasons, Dorrington has the perfect mentor as he strives to take the next step in his development over these upcoming months, with Romero able to show him the many facets of the defensive trade.

Whether Postecoglou hands the teenage titan a starting berth this term remains to be seen; the gruelling nature of the fight for Champions League qualification in the Premier League could inhibit his chances.

Nonetheless, Dorrington is creeping ever closer to a prominent role at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and in a matter of years he could be the biggest talent at the club, surpassing even the likes of Donley and new recruit Bergvall.

MatériaMais Notícias

Alexandre Pato deixou o Corinthians há mais de cinco anos, mas sua passagem frustrada pelo clube ainda é assunto. Na noite da última segunda-feira, no programa “Arena SBT”, o atacante voltou a falar de seu histórico no Timão e comentou sobre a possibilidade de retornar ao Parque São Jorge. Apesar de não descartar a chance, ele admite que a rejeição pesaria contra a volta.

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> Relembre as camisas “três” mais chocantes do futebol

Aos 31 anos, recém-contratado pelo Orlando City, dos EUA, Pato chegou ao Corinthians em 2013, como a maior contratação da história do clube, mas apesar dos números e títulos naquele ano, a passagem não teve sucesso e ficou marcada pelo pênalti perdido contra o Grêmio, na Copa do Brasil, e por uma suposta negativa a uma oferta bastante vantajosa do futebol chinês.

-Outro dia eu li que em 2013 o melhor jogador do Corinthians fui eu, o que fez mais gols, o que teve mais assistências… O que aconteceu foi que eu errei mesmo, eu bati um pênalti que achei que iria fazer, mas acabei errando, mas eu vejo que tem muita coisa além do campo. Então o torcedor do Corinthians pegou uma raiva de mim, esse negócio que apareceu da China, que falaram que iriam me vender, “o Pato recebeu uma proposta de tanto milhões da China e não vai para China”, não recebi nada, a única coisa que eu recebi, que me colocaram lá, foi no Chelsea, que é uma situação que se eu soubesse que seria daquele jeito, eu não iria,mas apareceu o Chelsea e eu falei “quero jogar na Europa ainda” – afirmou o atacante brasileiro.

Por essas e outras, Pato acredita ser difícil retornar um dia para o Timão, mas como trabalhador não descarta a possibilidade de vestir novamente a camisa alvinegra. Para ele, porém, é uma situação que não depende só do jogador.

– Colocaram o pênalti errado e a proposta que eu não teria aceitado numa proporção muito grande, que hoje o corintiano não me aceitaria, mas eu sou trabalhador, por que não? Sou trabalhador, e se tivesse que jogar no Corinthians, eu jogaria, mas não dependeria só de mim – concluiu.

New Liverpool boss Arne Slot has given his reaction to Jurgen Klopp chanting his name during his emotional Anfield exit.

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Slot taking over from KloppGerman manager revealed his replacementDutchman now cannot escape new chantWHAT HAPPENED?

Klopp's parting message to the Anfield crowd was that Feyenoord boss Slot would be taking over as head coach. The charismatic German sang his name into the microphone and it has now stuck with the Liverpool fans.

Advertisement(C)GettyImagesWHAT SLOT SAID

Speaking in his first interview with the club, Slot said: "Just after it happened I got a lot of text messages from people who saw this and who were sending it to me. I don’t think it has ever happened before that the fans, let alone the former manager, are singing your name before you have even arrived.

“So, I think this says the most about him and I am hoping, hoping, that then fans will sing in the upcoming season again – maybe not my name but a little bit more for the players. But sometimes when I am in Zwolle now, where I live, people pass my house and are singing this song!"

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Slot may be feeling relaxed and welcome at Liverpool, but the mood will quickly swing if he does not hit the ground running on Merseyside. The Reds are a club who are always expected to challenge for major honours and patience in the modern game is as short as ever.

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(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR SLOT?

Slot's pre-season preparations will already be well underway as he looks to reshape his squad over the summer. Liverpool will travel to the U.S. for their tour ahead of the Premier League campaign where people will get their first glimpse of the new head coach.

Ishant Sharma’s ninth five-wicket haul in Tests put India in the driver’s seat with three more days to go

The Report by Sreshth Shah23-Aug-20192:23

Feels great that Kohli, the captain, has faith in me – Jadeja

A blazing final spell from Ishant Sharma, in which he took three wickets in two overs, broke West Indies’ resistance on the second day of the first Test in North Sound.Ishant reduced West Indies from 174 for 5 to 179 for 8, tilting a see-sawing day in India’s favour. He picked up his ninth five-wicket haul in the process, finishing the day with 5 for 42, but it wasn’t his only contribution. Ishant’s crucial 19 runs, part of a 60-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Ravindra Jadeja in the morning, helped set up India’s 297.West Indies batted two full sessions on the day – losing three wickets after lunch and a further five after tea. At stumps, they were 108 runs behind with only two wickets in hand.They began their innings positively, with John Campbell and Kraigg Brathwaite seeing off new-ball spells from Ishant and Jasprit Bumrah without much trouble, with Campbell in particular looking aggressive. He found the boundary four times in the first seven overs, which forced Virat Kohli to bring in Mohammed Shami, who struck right away, as Campbell’s inside edge dragged a yorker onto his stumps.Brathwaite and debutant Shamarh Brooks consolidated over the next ten overs, but scored only 12 runs in the period. Ishant’s inswingers kept both batsmen in check, while Jadeja’s accuracy dried up the runs. When Ishant bowled full in the 18th over, Brathwaite tried to drive him straight back, but a turning bat forced the ball to pop up, knee-high, for Ishant, who was composed enough in the follow through, to hold on.Brooks looked mature in the middle, but he fell trying to cut Jadeja shortly before the tea break. At 50 for 2, he failed to pick the arm ball and made room to cut one that was too close to him. It found the outside edge, only to lob off the wicketkeeper’s thigh to first slip. Two quick wickets brought two new batsmen – Roston Chase and Darren Bravo – in the middle and they had to rebuild.Bravo took the aggressive route despite the three early wickets. Two fours set the tone for his innings, and a lofted six over long-on made it appear that he was not going to waste balls that were there to hit. But he was trapped lbw for 18 by Bumrah, who steamed in from around the wicket and struck Bravo in front of the stumps with a wobbly length ball, as he missed the flick. Bravo asked for a review but it was unsuccessful.Chase looked the most efficient West Indies batsman on the day, finding the gaps off the fast bowlers and unafraid to take on Jadeja. He smacked the left-arm spinner over long-on and even pinched seven runs off a Bumrah over. An exquisite cover drive off Shami for four in the 42nd over was followed by an inside edge that just missed the stumps, but Chase was gone next over anyway. Trying to flick Ishant, Chase, on 48, handed a catch straight to short midwicket, where an alert KL Rahul latched on. At that stage, West Indies were 130 for 5, still trailing by 167.Ishant Sharma holds on in his follow through•Associated PressWest Indies’ long batting order – with Shimron Hetmyer at No. 7 – briefly appeared handy. Hetmyer survived a vicious over from Bumrah, where he nearly edged a catch to slip, but soon found his footing. He sliced Jadeja over mid-off for a four, while Shai Hope kept the runs ticking. Searching for a wicket, Kohli introduced part-time offspinner Hanuma Vihari, but both batsmen, who play spin well, thwarted his efforts.Following a brief rain delay, play continued but Hope was soon dismissed and that ended the 44-run sixth-wicket stand. As Hope tried to defend a length delivery from Ishant, the ball cut away from him to take the edge and Rishabh Pant did well to dive forward, with the ball dipping towards his right.Jason Holder walked in late in the evening, and together with Hetmyer looked to see the day off. But Ishant wasn’t done. Hetmyer drove a full delivery back to Ishant who dived to hold on to the shin-high catch for his second caught-and-bowled dismissal of the day.That exposed West Indies’ tail and they were further dented when Kemar Roach fell three balls later, edging Ishant’s cross-seamed delivery to Kohli at second slip. Ishant’s fifth wicket was West Indies’ eighth. He could have had a sixth when Holder top-edged in the next over in the direction of third man, but Vihari – racing in – failed to reach there in time. As play ended, it was a day of missed opportunities for West Indies. Each of their frontline batsmen went into double digits, but no one managed a fifty.Earlier in the day, Jadeja and Ishant frustrated the hosts with the bat for the majority of the first session. Their effort helped India nearly reach 300, as the visitors added 94 runs to their overnight total of 203 for 6.India lost overnight batsman Pant in the day’s third over. From around the wicket, Roach found the outside edge with a ball that left the batsman who was trying to drive, only to be caught by Holder at second slip. Thereafter, Ishant bunted the few balls that were aimed at the stumps while patiently leaving those that weren’t. Jadeja dealt in ones and twos while picking boundaries whenever he found the opportunity to free his arms.Jadeja made use of the short ball he got from Holder when he went around the wicket and then pulled Roach’s short delivery for another four.The short ball, however, was not so easy for Ishant, although he did play at them with soft hands. He was often attacked with the deliveries aimed at his midriff, and many balls from Holder came off Ishant’s glove or handle. A few even fell marginally short of square leg, before Ishant fell to Shannon Gabriel, dismissed by a slow yorker outside the off stump. Ishant tried to dig the ball out, but only managed to roll it back onto the stumps.Shami lasted just one ball, and when No. 11 Bumrah walked in, Jadeja upped the scoring rate. He slapped Gabriel past the slip cordon to stamp his intent, and with Bumrah lasting 15 balls, Jadeja completed his 11th half-century by cutting through point. Playing as the only designated spinner in the team, Jadeja played a near-chanceless innings up until his fifty. Shortly after hitting the Test’s first six, Jadeja tried to hook Holder but ended up slicing a catch to wicketkeeper Hope, who collected his fifth catch.

The boys Down Under
England went to Australia with something approaching a plan. Alastair Cook was joined at the top of the order by Mark Stoneman – the 12th opener to try and fill Andrew Strauss’ shoes – with a stylist at No. 3 in James Vince. Although that plan was quickly shown to be inadequate for regaining the Ashes, and Vince was then dropped in Auckland (where England were blown away for 58), they had a final outing in the Christchurch Test that concluded a lengthy tour of the antipodes. Vince made 76 in the second innings and finished with an average of 30.54 for the winter; England haven’t picked him in a Test since.A (brief) summer affair
After much badgering on the subject, Joe Root opted to once again move back up a spot. Stoneman only lasted one more Test, bowled in each innings against Pakistan at Lord’s, which prompted England to go back Keaton Jennings – last seen being tortured on or around off stump by Vernon Philander and co in the 2017 summer. Cook and Jennings did not really combine to any greater effect second time around, and Root’s returns tailed off after making 80 against India at Edgbaston – still, by recent standards, this was a period of stability, the top three unchanged for almost five Tests. And then…Things start to get weird…
Having been dropped in New Zealand at the end of a difficult winter (see above), Moeen Ali returned to the Test XI against India in Southampton. He made 40 at No. 7 and took 5 for 63 – so far so normal – but then appeared at the fall of the first wicket in England’s second innings, apparently at his own request. Root was only too happy to switch back to No. 4, but although Moeen made a half-century in the final Test at The Oval – where Cook rubberstamped his retirement with scores of 71 and 147 – he wasn’t long for the top order.New era, same problems
On tour without Cook anchoring the batting for the first time since 2005-06, England stuck with Jennings alongside the debutant Rory Burns. Jennings repaid some of the faith with an unbeaten 146 in Galle, were Moeen’s stint at No. 3 ended; for the Pallekele Test, Ben Stokes was asked to have a go. “Ben’s game is in good shape and he is more than capable of batting at No. 3,” Root said. “We are fortunate that many in the side could bat in that position.” Many would have to. In the second innings, Jack Leach‘s deployment at nightwatchman meant Stokes shunting down to five, below Root, and then another solution entirely presented itself in Colombo.Jonny B good (please)
Jonny Bairstow was understandably a little peeved at how things developed in Sri Lanka. An ankle injury saw Ben Foakes take the gloves, winning Man of the Match on debut, and Bairstow found his only route back in was to bat at No. 3 in Colombo. The pumped-up celebrations of his hundred – the first for England from that spot in the order since 2016 – told a story, but Bairstow’s tenure would also be short. He made a half-century in defeat in Antigua a couple of months later, before reclaiming the gloves and heading back to the middle-order at Foakes’ expense.Shuffling the deckchairs
England’s fumbling for a solution saw them drop Jennings after the first Test in the West Indies, handing a debut to Joe Denly (who hadn’t opened in first-class cricket since 2015). Denly was then moved down to replace Bairstow, while the woefully out-of-form Jennings was recalled – making scores of 8 and 23 – for the victory in St Lucia. Almost six month later, on the back of World Cup success, Jason Roy finally got the call, partnering Burns against Ireland at Lord’s, with Denly back at No. 3. Then Leach showed up everyone by making 92, Roy shone at No. 3… and when the bottle stopped spinning it was pointing at Root again.Back to the future?
While Burns locked down his spot with 133 at Edgbaston, chaos reigned at the far end: Roy made 57 runs in six innings as an opener, and was shunted down to No. 4 for Old Trafford, with Denly making the jump back to the top and Root staying put (other than one innings back at No. 4 while Craig Overton shifted up as nightwatchman). But with the first New Zealand Test looming, Root decided No. 4 “suits my game a little bit more”, so an arrow has been drawn next to his name with another one – Dom Sibley – scrawled in at the top. All that meant England fielded their most inexperienced top three at Mount Maunganui since the Ireland game, with just 20 caps between them: what could possibly go wrong?Football, bloody hell
Afflicted by a sickness bug in Centurion, and 1-0 down arriving in Cape Town, England were hoping to restart their tour on a more positive footing. Instead, it was Burns’ stumble during a game of warm-up football that forced another reshuffle at the top. With ankle ligament damage ruling him out for the rest of the series, Kent opener Zak Crawley was catapulted into the side (having made his debut at No. 6 in New Zealand a few weeks earlier) – meaning England’s opening pair went into the game at Newlands with just four caps between them. The last time they had fewer was 1963. It was also just the second time an England opening partnership had comprised two right-handers since 2002, the other occasion being Lord’s 2016 when Alastair Cook came in down the order due to injury.January 3, 2020 – This article was updated during England’s tour of South Africa

رد شقيق ووكيل جناح الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الريان، أشرف بن شرقي، على تصريحات عضو مجلس إدارة الزمالك، أحمد سليمان، عن راتبه في قطر.

وعاد أشرف بن شرقي إلى الريان مرة أخرى بعد أكثر من شهر على انتهاء عقده السابق في 30 يونيو، رغم أنه كانت هناك مفاوضات مع الزمالك.

وكان بن شرقي قريبًا للغاية من الزمالك في أول فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الحالية قبل حسم أمره بالتوقيع مرة أخرى مع الريان.

اقرأ أيضًا | أحمد سليمان: تم تحذير بوبيندزا من الانتقال لـ الزمالك.. واللاعب تحت السيطرة

وخرج سليمان يوم أمس في تصريحات عبر قناة “MBC Masr”، وقال: “لقد وافق بن شرقي على العودة إلى الريان بنصف ما كان سيتقاضاه في الزمالك وهو مليون و300 ألف دولار”.

واستمر: “كان راتب بن شرقي سيثير الكثير من المشاكل داخل غرفة خلع الملابس بين اللاعبين في الزمالك، وبالتالي، قررنا توجيه الأموال بشكل صحيح خاصة لفك القيد”.

وتواصل “btolat.com” مع شقيق بن شرقي، رشيد، للرد على تصريحات عضو مجلس إدارة الزمالك: “أحمد سليمان (بيأخد اللقطة)”.

وأضاف: “أشرف يحصل على أكثر من 2 مليون دولار كراتب سنوي في الريان بالوقت الحالي، بينما كان عرض الزمالك ربما يكسر المليون دولار بقليل”.

واستفاض: “أتحدى أحمد سليمان بأن يخرج ويقول بأن أشرف لم يكن سيضحي بمبالغ كثيرة من أجل العودة لأن جماهير الزمالك تحبه كثيرًا”.

وزاد: “أقل عرض في كل العروض كان الزمالك، ورغم هذا كان أشرف يفضل العودة”.

وأكمل: “هناك البعض أيضًا يتحدث بدون أي دليل، بن شرقي لاعب أساسي مع الريان سواء محليًا أو قاريًا، لأنني رأيت البعض يتحدث أنه لن يشارك إلا في آسيا ولكنه مهم لفريقه”.

وأتم: “ما أفسد انتقال أشرف بن شرقي إلى الزمالك أن هناك بعض السماسرة التي يديرون الصفقات الجديدة، رغم التضحيات التي كان سيقدمها للعودة”.

Ronaldinho blasted Brazil as "one of the worst teams" and insisted that he would boycott the Selecao in the upcoming Copa America.

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• Brazil held to a 1-1 draw by USA
• Had little tooth in attack
• Ronaldino frustrated by Selecao

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former Brazil star, who had an illustrious international career including winning the Copa America in 1999 and the World Cup in 2002, expressed his deep disappointment with the current crop of players through an emotional Instagram post. Ronaldinho did not hold back in his critique of the current squad as he pointed out the lack of notable leaders in the squad and the prevalence of what he termed as "average players."

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ronaldinho's harsh assessment underscores the disappointment felt by many who remember the golden eras of Brazilian football, characterised by extraordinary talent and charismatic leadership. Their performance in the two pre-Copa America friendlies has raised more questions than answers. The Selecao laboured to a 3-2 victory over Mexico, thanks to a stoppage-time winner from Endrick, but were held to a 1-1 draw by the USA – which prompted Ronaldinho to slam Dorival Jr.'s troops.

• WHAT RONALDINHO SAID

  In an Instagram post, Ronaldinho wrote: "That's it folks, I've had enough. This is a sad moment for those who love Brazilian soccer. It's getting hard to find the spirit to watch the games. This is perhaps one of the worst teams in recent years, it has no respectable leaders, only average players for the majority.

  I've been following football since I was a kid, long before I thought about becoming a player, and I've never seen a situation as bad as this. Lack of love for the shirt, lack of grit and the most important of all: football. I'll repeat, our performance has been one of the worst things I've ever seen. Such a shame. I therefore declare my resignation. I will not watch any CONMEBOL Copa America game, nor celebrate any victory."

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  Compounding Brazil’s challenges is the absence of their star player, Neymar, who is sidelined with an ACL injury. Neymar’s absence leaves a significant gap in the squad, further validating Ronaldinho's concerns about the lack of standout players and leaders as the Al-Hilal star has been a pivotal figure for the South American nation.

Rangers are on the verge of competing a new signing before the end of the January transfer window, with a deal in place to snap up a "very promising" forward player.

Rangers transfer news

The Gers have already completed some important January business, with the move to capture Fabio Silva on loan from Wolves the highlight, but many will be hoping for further reinforcements to arrive this week. Left-back continues to be a position that dominates the headlines at Ibrox, amid doubts over the future of current pair Ridvan Yilmaz and Borna Barisic, and a deal is reportedly in place to sign Fluminense defender Jefte before the month is up.

FC Twente left-back Gijs Smal is another player who has emerged as an option down the left flank, while Everton centre-back Ben Godfrey has been backed to join Rangers but is also drawing interest from Leeds United and teams in Italy, as he struggles for playing time at Goodison Park.

Now, it looks as though Gers fans could be about to get their wish when it comes to new signings, with a move seemingly on the cusp of being completed.

Rangers set to sign Oscar Cortes

According to The Daily Record, Rangers are closing in on the signing of Lens attacker Oscar Cortes, snapping him up on a loan deal before deadline day's conclusion.

"Lens winger Oscar Cortes is on his way to Rangers as Philippe Clement is on the brink of landing his third January signing… reports in South America claim an agreement has been reached to sign Cortes from French Ligue 1 outfit Lens – a 20-year-old right winger.

"There will be an option to buy according to the claims and Cortes is already said to be en route to Glasgow so he can "formalise the relationship."

This is exciting news for Rangers supporters, considering Cortes is a young player with so much potential, not turning 21 until December this year. The Rangers Journal have hailed him on X, saying he is a "very promising young winger".

Rangers' 10 most expensive signings	Total
Tore Andre Flo	£15.3m
Michael Ball	£8.3m
Mikel Arteta	£6.7m
Arthur Numan	£6.5m
Giovanni van Bronckhorst	£6.3m
Barry Ferguson	£6.18m
Bert Konterman	£6.18m
Ryan Kent	£6.14m
Michael Mols	£5.4m
Gaby Amato	£5.4m

The young Colombian has already shown that he can make his mark in his short time in European football, scoring and assisting once apiece in four appearances for Lens, and he scored 11 goals in 25 caps for Colombia's Under-20s, prior to making one appearance for his country's senior side to date.

The fact that there is reportedly an option to buy clause in Cortes' contract is an added bonus for Rangers, meaning they could look to trigger it if he comes in and hits the ground running.

Latest Rangers transfer news: Gers want PL teen; Saudi link to midfield ace

Who is Philippe Clement eyeing up in the transfer window ahead of his first full season at Ibrox?

By
Ross Kilvington

Jul 9, 2024

Granted, he is young and fairly inexperienced, so expecting too much could be unfair, but his quality and threat in the final third can give Philippe Clement a brilliant extra option in the Scottish Premiership title race.

Orlando Pride striker Barbra Banda continued her scintillating form in the NWSL as she scored a brace during her side's 6-0 rout against Utah Royals.

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Orlando Pride win 6-0 over Utah RoyalBarbra Banda scores a brace in win Overtakes Sophia Smith in Golden Boot race WHAT HAPPENED?

The Zambian striker has been in top-notch form for Seb Hines' side since her move to Orlando Pride from Chinese club Shanghai Shengli. Banda opened the scoring for the NWSL leaders and scored her second of the game in the 86th minute as she capitalized on a defensive error by the Royals' Madison Pogarch.

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The goals helped her take over the NWSL Golden Boot lead from the Portland Thorns' Sophia Smith. The USWNT star held the lead with nine goals in 11 games before the game, but Banda's brace saw her move into top spot with 10 goals in her first 10 NWSL games.

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WHAT NEXT FOR BANDA?

Banda and Orlando Pride will next be in action on Sunday, June 30 when they take on Angel City FC at the BMO Stadium as they look to extend their lead atop the NWSL standings.