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Australia’s first Boxing Day Test with New Zealand in 32 years will take place in the wake of critical talks between Cricket Australia and the ICC, aimed at resolving an impasse over global events for the next international cycle.Financial woes among the majority of Full Member countries have caused them to be increasingly reliant upon cash distributions from ICC events, pushing the global body’s new chief executive Manu Sawhney to lobby for the return of an extra event in the next cycle so that there is a men’s tournament – either a Twenty20 World Cup, 50-over World Cup or shorter, Champions Trophy style 50-over competition – every year.New Zealand’s presence on Boxing Day will be poignant to the moment, for their finances stand as a signal example. Shifting ICC distributions have caused one of cricket’s smaller boards to return financial losses of NZD 1.3 million (USD 846,000 approx) for 2018-19 (as against a projected profit of NZD 1 million) after deficits of $3.5 million in 2018 and $9.3 million in 2017. The most recent loss was all the more troubling for the fact that the 2018-19 season featured an inbound India tour.However CA, the BCCI and the ECB, cricket’s three richest boards, have indicated their hesitance about placing the extra event in the next cycle, already crushed as it is by domestic Twenty20 tournaments and the advent of Test and ODI leagues. These reservations have been expressed by the BCCI’s leadership, the ECB’s chairman Colin Graves, and CA’s chairman Earl Eddings and chief executive Kevin Roberts.”We’ve got Manu Sawhney, the ICC CEO, coming out in a couple of weeks to work through it,” Eddings told ESPNcricinfo. “We’ve got a responsibility as one of the leading countries to make the ICC strong and the countries who are part of the ICC. But we’ve also got to balance that with our own requirements around bilateral cricket. One of the challenges we have is Australia relies more on bilateral cricket than the ICC, where for a lot of countries it is the other way round. So just trying to find the balance.”You’ve got more T20 competitions spreading around the world, you’ve got the burgeoning IPL and you’ve got our bilateral cricket. More importantly, what does that mean to the players and from a player welfare perspective. So you’ve got all these challenges to try to work through. I think there’s a solution there, I don’t know what it is yet, but we’ll keep talking to the ICC and other countries to find a way to one, maximise the opportunities for the ICC and its members but also look after the needs of bilateral cricket and most importantly protect the sanctity of Test cricket.”We’re working through it with the ICC at the moment, that’s why Manu’s coming down, let’s sit down and work out what the options are, put some of the minutiae around it, so people can make a more informed decision. The ICC in concept approved it, subject to making sure it doesn’t impact on bilateral cricket, where you play, how you play it, how you bid for it.”Eddings, who has operated on a relational and trust-building platform since becoming CA chairman in 2018, is conscious of the problems affecting other boards and has proposed, among other things, that the ICC and member countries adopt a four-year financial cycle to smooth out year-on-year financial distributions to reduce cashflow issues.”During the last cycle of ICC events, there was last year (2018) when they didn’t have an event, and that had massive implications for distributions back to all of the countries,” he said. “Where that isn’t a problem for Australia, it is for others. So we’re trying to make sure you’ve got that cycle with an event every year so there’s consistency of revenue. But the challenge we have is the number of days – compared to the previous cycle when they did have an event every year, the events themselves didn’t run that long, but now the events have got bigger.”So you’ve got a lot more ICC content to fit into a smaller calendar, with all the T20 leagues around the world. So that’s the challenge now, trying to squeeze too much content into too little time.”We’ve certainly made that recommendation [for a four-year cycle] to the ICC. We’ve got the same problem [as other Full Members] only on a smaller scale, some years we make a lot of money, other years we lose a lot of money, depending on who’s travelling and your media rights. You don’t want to be up and down with your cash flows, particularly back to [CA’s member] states who rely on your funding. So we smooth it out, we look at how much money we’ve made over the four-year cycle as opposed to an up and down cycle of year by year.”The talks with Sawhney are aimed at working towards a solution before there is any danger of the game again being split along financial lines, as occurred during the infamous “big three” takeover of the ICC by the boards of India, England and Australia in 2014-15.”Not yet, it’s still early days,” Eddings said when asked about any additional details around the proposed extra tournament. “Still got to work out its context, player welfare is really important – you can’t just keep putting in more games to play, I think it’s unfair – and still need to work out where it fits in the calendar. So as a concept it’s up there, but a lot of work has got to be done on what type of event it is, how it plays out. That’s all still a work in progress.”Most of the Test playing countries play in the same season, which makes it more challenging. You’ve got a lot more time in the northern summer, so a whole range of factors need to be considered. A lot of water’s going to go under the bridge before we get that far.”We’re a long way off – this [extra event] is post 2023, so we’ve got a number of years to work through it, but you can’t do one thing without the other. To be able to work on your future tours programme, you need to know where that fits in with an ICC schedule, so you can’t just look at an ICC schedule in isolation, just as you can’t look at a bilateral or future tours programme in isolation.”

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Se no ano passado, Jean Victor foi eleito o melhor lateral-esquerdo do Carioca, com direito a gol contra o Flamengo na final de Taça Guanabara, e disputando a Série B pelo Paraná, agora a situação do jogador se encontra ainda melhor.

Mais maduro por ter adquirido experiência durante 2020, o jogador conseguiu repetir as boas atuações no Estadual. O lateral, que possui mais de 50 jogos pelo Boavista, demonstra gratidão, não cita nomes, mas projeta novo cenário em breve.

– Me sinto preparado para um desafio ainda maior na minha carreira. Pronto para alçar voos maiores em grandes equipes do futebol. Sou muito feliz no Boavista, mas chegando a proposta e se for bom para todos, vamos conversar. Não posso virar as costas para o clube que abriu as portas para mim – afirmou.

Questionado sobre seus objetivos na carreira, o lateral não traçou um campeonato que tenha preferência, clube ou Estado que queira jogar. Jean falou mais sobre sua vontade de crescer e melhorar como profissional:

– Um dos meus objetivos, é continuar evoluindo o meu futebol e trabalhar muito. Eu penso sempre o melhor pra minha carreira junto com o clube que estou defendendo, no momento o Boavista. Quero conquistar ainda mais meu espaço no cenário do futebol- ponderou.

Led by the same majority owner as NWSL side Washington Spirit and eight-time European champions Lyon, the Championship club are having a big summer

Kosovare Asllani is one of the most talented players of her generation. She has lifted the Women’s Super League title with Manchester City, represented Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and AC Milan, racked up 187 caps for Sweden and played in four major tournament semi-finals. So when a second division team set about trying to persuade her to make a shock transfer this summer, it’s no surprise to hear that she wasn’t quite sure.

Even when she was unveiled last week as the marquee signing for London City Lionesses, who play in the Women’s Championship in England, the iconic playmaker admitted that she was still “a little bit terrified” about a move she described as a “risk”. However, sitting alongside new head coach Jocelyn Precheur, who himself was lured across the channel from French giants Paris Saint-Germain, she was simultaneously keen to emphasise how “excited” she was about joining an ambitious project led by Michele Kang, who is also the majority owner of the Washington Spirit in the NWSL and eight-time European champions Lyon.

“I've been waiting for someone like Michele to come along, honestly,” Asllani said. “The reason I'm here is because of Michele. We've been waiting to get these investments into women's football and having the opportunity to work with, for me, the most powerful woman in the business at the moment is what intrigued me.”

While sat alongside two additions that probably no other team in the division could have made, and discussing news that London City had also acquired its training facilities and struck an agreement with new men’s League Two side Bromley to play home games at its Hayes Lane ground, Kang acknowledged: "Just because you spend more money doesn't mean you're going to win the Championship. I'm very cognisant of that.”

Yet, the mission is clear. London City Lionesses want to do exactly that, secure promotion to the WSL and, then, become champions of England. To achieve any of that will take a lot – and it needs the big ambition which Kang is showing.

• USA TODAY Sports
  

  Different challenge

  It’s easy to see why Kang is a revered figure for many in the women’s game. She doesn’t just talk the talk, she is a “doer” in Asllani’s words. She quite literally puts her money where her mouth is and invests and supports the teams she owns.

  There are some that are opposed to her multi-club ownership model, but Kang made it clear in just her second press conference that, across the three teams she owns a majority stake in, “the goal is to make every team the champion in each of the leagues that they play” rather than “to make one team successful, like some of the common models that you see on the men's side”.

  To get London City to the level she envisages is going to be her toughest challenge yet, though. Lyon was already established as the biggest team in Europe before her investment, and while the Spirit didn’t win a first NWSL Championship until after Kang got involved, the club has been in the U.S. top flight since its establishment in 2013. That’s not to say that Kang hasn’t done things to help both improve, but to illustrate the difference in trying to help an English second division side achieve such lofty ambitions.

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  Stumbling blocks

  Kang has experienced the obstacles such a challenge presents already, too. “Over the past six months, we approached a lot of top coaches, a lot of top players, and a lot of them told us, 'Call me when you get promoted',” she explained. “A lot of people were very nervous about joining a Championship team.”

  After all, there are implications. Asllani, whom Kang is extremely “grateful” for because of her decision to take a “risk”, will want to go to the European Championship next summer with Sweden, and dropping down to the second division could impact that. Given her experience and quality, and how proven she is, it’s possible she will still get the nod, but other players aren’t in that situation. Even though Asllani is, it remains a gamble.

• Getty
  

  Persuasive figure

  And that is where Kang’s character comes into it all. “I went with the gut and the feeling I get from Michele with her vision for women's sport,” Asllani explained. “She is someone that believes in a project, that is investing, that is a doer. That is how I feel, and the impression I got from Michele from our first meeting. I remember leaving the room feeling like, 'I want to work with her'.”

  Precheur gave similar comments. “Since I met Michele last season, I have admired her vision, her dedication for the women's game,” he added. “She is very ambitious. This is a big project. Very quickly, I decided to join Michele because I really, really wanted to support her to be part of this project.”

  It’s clear that her ambition resonates and that she is able to convey her vision in a way that persuades people to get onboard. Lyon star Ada Hegerberg told GOAL that Kang was a big reason in her decision to renew with the eight-time European champions earlier this year. Now, she’s playing a huge role in drawing elite players and coaches to the English second-tier.

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  On and off the pitch

  It's not just on the pitch that she’s making big things happen, either. Recognising the need for a top-class training environment if London City are to hit the heights desired, Kang has purchased the 23-acre training facility that the club was renting.

  “We engaged the architects who designed the Tottenham training centre,” Kang explained. “I did my research, and in my opinion, they have actually the best football training centre. We engaged with them and they have been working with us to design the state of the art training centre for women's football teams. They will be designing basically the same concept for London City, for the Spirit and for Lyon.”

  That’s on top of the decision to relocate from Princes Park, the stadium used by seventh-tier men's team Dartford FC, to Hayes Lane, the ground of newly-promoted League Two outfit Bromley. It moves the club from Kent to Greater London, which Kang believes is “important”, but most significantly gives them “a professional grade stadium” to play in.

Spain's Lamine Yamal has been setting the Euros alight, and the 16-year-old has now matched a Cristiano Ronaldo record from 2004.

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Spain win 4-1 over Georgia in last-16Yamal emulates Ronaldo after bagging assistAlso matches Zidane for special stats(C)GettyImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Spain seemed to be in trouble after an own-goal by Robin LeNormand gave Georgia the lead in their last-16 tie at Euro 2024 before Rodri's stunning long-range goal took La Roja into half-time level. Luis de la Fuente's men dominated proceedings and went ahead when a spectacular curling cross by Yamal found Fabian Ruiz for an easy finish past Giorgi Mamardashvili. The assist from the 16-year-old set Spain on their way to a 4-1 win, and saw the Barcelona man become the first teenager to assist multiple goals (2) at an edition of the European Championship since 2004, when Ronaldo achieved the feat for Portugal, as per OptaJoe.

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As per OptaJean, Yamal also become the only player other than the legendary Zinedine Zidane to create more than five chances and take more than five shots in a single European Championship game. In 2004, the French superstar created six chances and took six shots in a 2-1 group stage win over England. Against Georgia, the Catalan youngster took seven shots and created six chances.

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Yamal has quickly become an example for all wingers despite being just 16 years old. For both Barcelona and Spain, the teenage sensation has become an undroppable offensive asset. So far this season, he has played 50 matches in total including the domestic season, and has 17 goal contributions for club and country.

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Yamal will likely once again be a starter for De la Fuente's team when they take on hosts Germany in a blockbuster quarter-final encounter on Friday, July 5.

Defining innings of low scoring scrap gives opener good chance of being named in Ashes squad

Daniel Brettig at the Ageas Bowl25-Jul-2019

Cameron Bancroft’s fifty sealed victory•Getty Images

Hick XII 120 and 156 for 5 (Bancroft 93*) beat Haddin XII 105 and 170 by 6 wicketsCameron Bancroft inched his way to the defining innings of a low-scoring scrap in Southampton to give himself the best possible chance of being named in Australia’s Ashes squad on Friday, and also help the Hick XII to victory over the Haddin XII in an internal trial match played on a dicey pitch.All the qualities that saw Bancroft first picked for Australia in 2017 – dogged defence, absorption of quality bowling and a limited game around which others can blossom – were on display as he posted the highest score of the match, an undefeated 93 from 194 studious balls. David Warner, who may now be reunited with Bancroft as openers, made the only other half century, while Marnus Labuschagne’s 41 on the first day was also noteworthy.Thanks to Bancroft, the chase was negotiated effectively, as Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Jon Holland were unable to force their way through, and the Test captain Tim Paine was at the crease to help knock off the last 22 runs required. Pat Cummins, having bowled so well on the first two days, was spelled from the attack ahead of the first Test against England in Birmingham next week.Mitchell Marsh also made a useful partner for Bancroft in a stand worth 54, with scores of 29 and 23 plus 5 for 34 amounting to a significant allround contribution. Bancroft, Labuschagne, Marsh James Pattinson (4 for 35 from 23 overs for the match) and Peter Siddle (5 for 45 from 24) were the fringe players to acquit themselves best in this fixture, providing the selectors Trevor Hohns and Justin Langer with the final pieces of information for their squad deliberations.At the same time, Kurtis Patterson, Joe Burns, Matthew Wade and Pete Handscomb would have been disappointed not to make their mark in what were admittedly very difficult climes for batsmen. Any umpire marking the surface were it a formal first-class fixture would have been hard-pressed to give the pitch a passing grade. Low scores for Steven Smith and Travis Head compounded the sense that Australia’s batsmen will be undercooked for Edgbaston next week.Even so, the match figures returned by Starc (1 for 79 from 22 overs) and Hazlewood (2 for 56 from 24) will cause further contemplation by Hohns and Langer as to the best balance of the Australian bowling attack for Edgbaston. Starc, who was taken for a precautionary knee scan on Wednesday, bowled with high pace at times, but was blunted consistently by Bancroft, only taking his first wicket of the game when it was very near the finish.

Newcastle United are bang in the mix for an exciting new addition come the summer transfer window, with his currently club said to be happy for the opportunity to cash in.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies continue to be linked with new signings, even though the January transfer window has closed, with summer reinforcements now being looked at by Eddie Howe and Dan Ashworth, following a season that has been disappointing on the whole, with FFP affecting their ability to spend last month.

Hoffenheim midfielder Anton Stach is one player who has been backed to complete a move to St James' Park at the end of the season, being seen as someone who can add further influence in the middle of the park, averaging 3.1 tackles per game in the Bundesliga this season, which is more than any other Newcastle player.

Sheffield United youngster Oliver Arblaster in another player who has been mentioned as a long-term addition, with the 19-year-old spending last season on loan at Port Vale, not to mention winning a combined nine caps for England Under-20s and Under-18s.

These aren't the only Newcastle-related stories doing the rounds, however, and it looks as though an attacking ace could be on the cards, with extra depth needed amid injury problems for Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson.

Newcastle want Matias Soule

According to TuttoMercatoWeb [via Sport Witness], Juventus are pleased that Newcastle are interested in signing Matias Soule, with the Serie A giants watching with "interest and satisfaction" at his progress on loan at Frosinone this season, seeing it as a reason to cash in on him.

Both the Magpies and Crystal Palace are credited with interest in the 20-year-old, and they "could soon make concrete offers" for his services in the summer transfer window. The report says that he is valued at "at least €40m (£34.2m)", so he wouldn't be arriving on the cheap as the Old Lady look to offset some financial issues of their own.

Soule could be looked at as an excellent long-term signing by Newcastle, with his impact at Frosinone outlined by a tally of 10 goals in 21 Serie A appearances this season. Capable of playing up front, off the striker as a number ten or on either wing, he has been hailed by manager Eusebio Di Francesco, who has compared him to Italy attacker Domenico Berardi:

"In certain aspects, he resembles Berardi, but he must learn to shoot on goal more often. He doesn’t lack qualities and has excellent dribbling, but in the game, he needs to be more lucid when making his choices. My thought is that his talent should not be limited; with time and experience, he will improve in many aspects."

Matias Soule's Serie A stats this season Total

Appearances 21 Goals 10 Assists 2 Dribbles per game 3.3 Key passes per game 2.4 Tackles per game 1.3 Pass completion rate 81% Newcastle need to be in a situation where they are planning for both the present and future, and Soule ticks both of those boxes, being experienced enough to make an impact from the off, but also someone who should only get better as the years pass. Related Newcastle could now sign another top striker as PIF prepare for busy summer

The Magpies could make up for a quiet January transfer window.

Posts ByTom Cunningham Feb 3, 2024

Primarily a right-sided forward, it could even be that the Argentine is considered a direct replacement for Miguel Almiron, should the Magpies attacker move on at the end of the season.

West Bromwich Albion have been making a push for promotion back to the Premier League for the first time in three years under Carlos Corberan but the side have been quite inconsistent in recent weeks.

The fire from the Baggies' back-to-back wins over Norwich City and Leeds United over Christmas was quickly extinguished following a 1-0 away defeat against relegation-threatened Swansea City on Monday.

West Brom must unleash “perfect” 7/10 star to ease Jed Wallace injury

Carlos Corberan might well be forced to start this West Brom gem owing to fresh injury concerns at the Hawthorns.

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Kelan Sarson

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To add insult to injury, West Brom have lost a star man this week but could look to dip into the transfer market to rectify the loss and the club should definitely reignite their interest in one special attacker from Portugal.

West Bromwich Albion transfer news – Jeremy Sarmiento

It was confirmed by the club on New Year's Day that loanee Jeremy Sarmiento has returned to Brighton and Hove Albion, having spent a half-season at the Hawthorns.

It was believed that Brighton's recent injury crisis in the forward areas was the reason behind the Ecuadorian's return to the south coast, however, reports on Tuesday morning revealed that the Seagulls are willing to allow Sarmiento to go back out on loan, this time to West Brom's promotion rivals Ipswich Town.

Sarmiento's time in the Midlands didn't quite go as planned. The 21-year-old became a mere squad player under Corberan and averaged 35 minutes per game throughout the campaign. Overall, the youngster made 21 appearances for the Baggies, including 20 in the Championship, but this was spread across a total of 737 minutes in the team.

The biggest worry for the head coach will be his lack of depth in the wide areas as the experienced Matt Phillips has been ruled out until April at the earliest, while Grady Diangana will now head off on international duty with the DR Congo to compete in the African Cup of Nations.

As a result, the club must try to sign a new winger before the January window closes and one player in particular could be the perfect fit.

Tiago Gouveia's stats this season

One player West Bromwich Albion have been linked with in the past is Benfica attacker Tiago Gouveia. It was reported by The Telegraph's Mike McGrath during the summer transfer window that the Baggies were keeping tabs on Gouveia as Corberan was keen to bolster his attacking department, although a move never came to fruition.

However, given the recent loss of both Sarmiento and Diangana, reigniting interest in the 22-year-old would make a lot of sense from West Brom's perspective.

Gouveia has made eight appearances for the Liga Portugal champions this season, including three in the UEFA Champions League, but has played just 185 minutes in total for Benfica, which comes to about 23 minutes per appearance.

Nevertheless, Gouveia's career stats with Benfica and Estoril are quite impressive too as the winger, who can play on either flank, has recorded 28 goal contributions in all competitions since the beginning of the 2019/20 season. His most prolific position has been on the left wing which is the area that West Brom need to fill the most.

Tiago Gouveia's Career Stats
Position	Appearances	Goals	Assists
Right Winger	33	8	6
Left Winger	26	10	2
Right Midfielder	3	0	1
Left Midfielder	3	1	0
Second Striker	1	0	0
Stats via Transfermarkt

Furthermore, it has been reported that Tom Fellows could leave the Hawthorns this month, which could be yet another blow to Corberan and his side's hopes of promotion, but in 16 appearances this season, the Englishman has failed to register a single goal or assist. Furthermore, since the start of the 2019/20 season, Fellows has bagged 27 goal contributions for West Brom, none of which have come since taking the step up to the first team.

Gouveia could then represent something of an upgrade on the Englishman, having notably recorded 11 goals and assists in the league last season, as well as providing 11 big chances, while Fellow, meanwhile, has created just two 'big chances' since returning to the first-team fold this summer – having failed to score and bagged just two assists in League Two with Crawley Town in 2022/23.

Even if only a loan deal was possible, the £3m-rated gem could help temporarily plug a gaping hole in West Brom's forward line, buying Corberan time until next summer.

It has been over a decade since Crystal Palace so dramatically won promotion to the Premier League thanks to an extra-time penalty from Kevin Phillips, and while there have been some scares since, the Eagles have established themselves as a top-flight side.

However, following their FA Cup exit earlier this week, Roy Hodgson's men once again have little to play for over the next 18 games, as the sides below them are markedly worse, and those above are pulling away.

The biggest problem the South Londoners have is scoring goals, as their 22 goals rank as the third-worst haul in the league, ahead of only Burnley and Sheffield United.

However, with the transfer window in full swing, the club look ready to do something about this deficiency, as the latest name touted for a move to Selhurst Park could be the perfect upgrade on Jean-Philippe Mateta.

Hodgson looks west to solve Palace's goalscoring woes

According to TEAMtalk, Palace are one of several Premier League sides interested in Chelsea's Albanian striker, Armando Broja.

Alongside the Eagles, the report names Fulham, West Ham United, Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers, meaning that Hodgson and Co have an almighty battle on their hands if they want to land the dynamic attacker.

As if the interest from four other Premier League sides wasn't enough trouble, TEAMtalk also revealed that a number of sides from Spain, Italy, and Germany have their eyes on the Chelsea man.

Should Palace manage to get themselves to the front of the comically large queue, they'll have to make an offer above £35m to seal the deal, and while that is not an insignificant amount of money, it might just be worth it if Broja could reach his full potential in red and blue.

How Armando Broja compares to Jean-Philippe Mateta

Now, Mateta has not been terrible for Palace in the time he has been at the club, but he has undoubtedly been underwhelming.

In his 88 appearances for the team, he has scored just 15 goals and provided five assists, whereas while he was playing for FSV Mainz, he managed 27 goals and five assists in just 71 outings, so it would be hard not to be disappointed with the Frenchman's output.

Moreover, he is turning 27 this year, which, per The Athletic, should be the statistical peak for strikers, and it doesn't look like he'll be getting much better.

On the other hand, the "athletic and powerful" Broja, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, won't turn 23 until September, so he has much more room to grow and improve at Selhurst Park should he join. Moreover, while his goalscoring record in blue leaves a lot to be desired, his loan stint at Southampton – ten goal involvements in all competitions – showed he has what it takes to be a Premier League forward.

Additionally, when it comes to the pair's underlying numbers from this season, there isn't much competition, as in almost every meaningful metric, the more youthful "complete forward", as described by Kulig, comes out on top.

Broja

Mateta

0.50

0.42

0.20

0.11

2.20

1.11

1.20

1.22

2.58

1.34

0.50

0.17

2.60

1.56

He has produced a higher non-penalty expected goal and assists figure, scored more non-penalty goals, completed almost twice as many progressive carries, taken significantly more shots and required fewer than half as many shots on target to actually score.

In Mateta's defence, he does produce marginally more progressive passes per 90, but that is really about it.

Crystal Palace keen on £20m "super talent" who could replace Ayew

The 23-year-old could help rejuvenate the Eagle’s attack.

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Ultimately, if Palace want to push on and fight their way up the table, then signing Broja wouldn't be the worst place to start, as while it would still represent something of a gamble, their current crop of forwards aren't exactly ripping it up, and they don't look like they ever will.