All posts by h716a5.icu

Seattle's win against Toronto FC solidified the Sounders spot on LAFC's trail in Goal's MLS Power Rankings

The Seattle Sounders faced their first truly tough test of the 2019 MLS season and passed it with flying colors.

The Sounders knocked Toronto FC from the ranks of the unbeatens after Saturday's 3-2 victory at CenturyLink Field. Making the victory even more impressive was the fact it came without Peruvian striker Raul Ruidiaz, with Will Bruin stepping up to pick up the scoring slack with a pair of goals.

Seattle's victory kept the Sounders undefeated, and on the trail of Los Angeles FC, which maintained its dominating ways with a comfortable 2-0 victory against FC Cincinnati. The LA Galaxy made it four straight wins by topping the Philadelphia Union.

The Houston Dynamo continued their winning ways by beating the San Jose Earthquakes, keeping Wilmer Cabrera's side among the league's unbeatens.

Here are Goal's MLS power rankings after week seven action:

1Portland Timbers (0-5-1)Five straight losses have the Timbers in dead last in MLS, but the loss to FC Dallas felt a bit more encouraging. Of course, now the Timbers head to Colombus, where they'll face former coach Caleb Porter and the Crew in a rematch of the 2015 MLS Cup final, only with Porter now coaching the Crew.Advertisement2Vancouver Whitecaps (0-4-2)Marc Dos Santos is still searching for his first win in charge of the Whitecaps, but you can argue his team is showing signs of turning things around. Vancouver has been in every game this season, but consistency has eluded the Whitecaps. A visit to Los Angeles FC on Wednesday isn't exactly the ideal slump-buster, but Vancouver's schedule gets easier after that.3Colorado Rapids (0-5-2)The Rapids continue to generate goals, but also bleed them, making Tim Howard's farewell tour a bit of a painful one. A road swing through Chicago and Atlanta could serve as Anthony Hudson's last stand, because if the Rapids find themselves winless heading into May, there'll be no real reason to keep him around.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

4New England Revolution (1-5-1)The Revs are a mess, and they offered little in the way of real resistance against Atlanta United despite playing at home. They mustered just one shot on goal against the MLS Cup champions, and things aren't going to get any easier with the New York Red Bulls coming to town, even with New York's recent struggles.

Sam Robson continued his impressive early season with a third Championship hundred of the summer, but there was more pain for Nick Compton

Tim Wigmore at Lord's09-May-2016
ScorecardTime for a second chance? Sam Robson made his third century of the season•Getty ImagesFor those stung by failure there are two schools in how to react: doubling down on the method that earned previous success, or trying to reinvent themselves completely.Neither approach is perfect. Doubling down can be derided for arrogance and a refusal to accept reality; radically changing a previously successful method can suggest impatience and a lack of belief.After failing to notice the warning signs before the 1929 financial crash, John Maynard Keynes reconfigured his approach and ended up as one of the most influential economists in history. After being dropped by England in 2000, when he averaged 25.06 after 27 Tests, Mark Butcher enlisted the help of his father to remodel his technique, and reemerged as a far more successful Test player.Like Butcher’s first stint in Test cricket, Sam Robson’s initial returns for England – 336 runs at 30.54 apiece in the summer of 2014 – were middling, neither disastrous nor good enough to cement his place. His technique was picked apart mercilessly, although the main criticism was that he had a penchant for nicking off outside off stump, something hardly unique among opening batsmen.Just as Gary Ballance has done more recently, Robson vowed that he would resist the calls to reinvent his game. “I know what works for me and I have my way. I’ve just got to try and stick to that,” he said after those seven Tests. Robson has been as good as his words, trusting the strong foundations – above all his meticulous defence – that had earned him Test elevation in the first place.Last season Robson must have been tempted to wonder whether he should more radically change his game. In 2015 he scored a disappointing 891 Championship runs at 30.72 apiece which, even allowing for some spicy wickets, was far short of the weight of runs needed to convince the selectors that he was worth revisiting.A frustrating winter, in which he spent a couple of months injured after damaging his thumb playing grade cricket in Sydney, has been no impediment. In his opening game of the season, against Warwickshire, Robson made 231 and 106, breaking the record for the most runs in a first-class game by a Middlesex batsman. In the process he made such an impression that his skipper Adam Voges backed him to “knock the door down” and win England selection.It remains unlikely that Robson will win a recall for the first Test of the summer against Sri Lanka, but he cannot be far off after another century, chanceless and still undefeated, lifted his season’s tally at Lord’s to 451 runs at 225.50 apiece.Perhaps this was the most impressive of his three centuries so far in 2016. Robson had to confront a powerful pace attack including Stuart Broad, the world’s number No. 1 Test bowler; Jake Ball, who showed the muscular action and nagging seam movement that have him on the brink of a call-up of his own; and Harry Gurney, who seemed the quickest of the lot. There were also cloudy skies and, with Middlesex 49 for 3 in pursuit of Nottinghamshire’s 354, a perilous position for his side.It was a challenge Robson rose to with skill, composure and assurance. He produced an innings in keeping with those he played for Middlesex all summer long in 2013, when his partnership with Chris Rogers was the best in the country and helped secure Robson an England call-up. After withstanding the first spells from Nottinghamshire’s attack, Robson’s pristine hooking, delicate fine cuts, and dexterous use of his feet to flick consecutive deliveries from Samit Patel to the midwicket boundary gave the impression of an England batsman playing for Middlesex, rather than a Middlesex batsman hoping to be rekindled with England.”They’ve obviously got a really good attack so I just tried to get through the new ball and hang in there. I probably didn’t always feel quite at my fluent best but we’re in a good position as a team,” Robson said. “I’ve probably changed a couple of little things over the last six to 12 months but generally I’ve stuck to my game and just tried to do the hard work. Thankfully it’s been a decent start to the year.” Robson does not do self-aggrandisement.Nick Compton could only watch jealously on. The delivery from Brett Hutton that accounted for him seemed innocuous enough, a short-of-a-length ball on middle-and-leg of the sort Compton has clipped away thousands of time in his career. This time, though, was different: Compton missed. In the seconds after he was given out, Compton stood motionless, reflecting on how his England dream seems on the verge of dying for a second and, surely, final time. He only has 100 runs, for five times dismissed, this season: surely not enough, barring a magnificent riposte in the second innings here, to retain his cherished position as England’s No. 3.When Dawid Malan followed next ball, strangled down the legside, Nottinghamshire sensed a healthy lead. That was reckoning without John Simpson’s crisp counterpunching, which included breaking a pavilion window with a straight six off Patel. Together with Robson, Simpson built a stand worth 154 in 47.3 overs before rain brought a premature end to the day.So, after their earlier batting wobbles, Middlesex ended the day in the same spirit of contentment in which they had begun it when Toby Roland-Jones was polishing Nottinghamshire off. As he finished with 5 for 61, reward for persistence, pace, bounce and swing, it lifted his career record to 259 first-class wickets at 25.01 apiece, and prompted the thought: is there a current county bowler of higher pedigree yet to play an international?

The Spain international struggled on Sunday before straying offside just as the Blaugrana thought they'd scored a late winner

Ferran Torres proved to be an unfit replacement for the injured Robert Lewandowski as the Spaniard turned in a forgettable showing on what should have been a memorable night for Barcelona against Granada. Lamine Yamal became La Liga's youngest-ever goalscorer, but a series of scuffed half-chances and poor moments from Ferran — complete with a silly offside to have a goal ruled out in stoppage-time — saw Barca settle for a 2-2 draw.

Nineteenth-placed Granada showed few signs of fear early and struck after just 18 seconds, dispossessing Gavi before crafting an opening for Bryan Zaragoza, who found the net with a driven effort across Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The home side doubled their advantage 29 minutes later, Zaragoza bagging his second with a poked finish.

Yamal bagged his record-breaking goal to get Barca back in it on the cusp of half-time, the teenager ghosting in at the far post to turn home into an open net. From there, Barca threw everything forward in the second half, and they were rewarded for their efforts as Sergi Roberto grabbed the equaliser off the bench, turning in Alejandro Balde's low cross with five minutes remaining in normal time.

Joao Felix had the ball in the net in stoppage-time, but saw his goal disallowed after Ferran interfered in the play while marginally offside — summing up a miserable evening for the striker.

GOAL rates Barcelona's players from Los Carmenes…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Marc-Andre ter Stegen (4/10):

Really should have saved Granada's first, and was too easily sent the wrong way for the second. Saved by the post from conceding a third.

Joao Cancelo (5/10):

Didn't really get involved until late on. Some of his passing was excellent once he started to have an influence.

Jules Kounde (4/10):

Made to look silly by Zaragoza for Granada's second. Forced off with a knee injury on the stroke of half-time.

Andreas Christensen (6/10):

Shaky at the start, but much more effective when Araujo came on.

Alejandro Balde (6/10):

Not his best night, but the delivery for the Barca equaliser was a thing of beauty.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Ilkay Gundogan (5/10):

Missed a tackle entirely in the run up to the Zaragoza opener. Had a good effort denied late on. Functions more effectively with a recognised central presence.

Fermin Lopez (5/10):

Handed a well-deserved full debut, but didn't really deliver on the night. Will have to be on it when called upon again.

Gavi (5/10):

Gave the ball away before Zaragoza's first. Was otherwise lively and heavily involved — without being too effective.

Getty ImagesAttack

Lamine Yamal (7/10):

Had some difficult moments defensively, but was as dangerous as ever going forward. Finished into an open net to halve the deficit.

Ferran Torres (3/10):

His first touch was lacking, and he didn't offer much as a central presence, either. Entirely unconvincing.

Joao Felix (7/10):

Effective in the first half, and grabbed an assist for Yamal's goal. Should've had a winner, had it not been for Ferran's mistake.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Ronald Araujo (7/10):

Was presumably supposed to be rested, but forced on when Kounde picked up a knock. Almost blasted one in.

Sergi Roberto (7/10):

Scored the equaliser. Did a lot of running, and kept the ball moving.

Oriol Romeu (6/10):

Active when introduced, and passed well.

Xavi (4/10):

Made an interesting call to hand Lopez his full debut, but was otherwise full strength — given a litany of injury problems. His side only really turned it on late, and didn't deserve anything more than a draw.

Inter Miami's sporting director Chris Henderson revealed the latest update on Luis Suarez's rumored transfer to the Herons this Winter.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Suarez to Miami rumors keep popping upHeron's sporting director speaks on potential transfer for UruguayanWould be third ex-Barca teammate of Messi's in MiamiWHAT HAPPENED?

During Inter Miami's end of the year press conference, Henderson spoke on the possibility of bringing the Uruguayan stateside this winter. He admitted that the links to the club keep coming, but also addressed that he is still a Gremio player in Brazil. Him speaking on the matter gives Herons supporters a reason to be excited though, as Messi may be helping them recruit their newest striker.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Suarez and Messi played together at FC Barcelona for six years, where the Uruguayan net 198 goals for the Catalan side. The South American duo, alongside Brazilian star Neymar, formed the famed duo that haunted Europe for three years. Now, Messi is slowly recruiting his old friends in MLS, with Barca teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets already in South Beach. If Suarez were to join, he'd be the third ex-teammate to linkup with Messi in Miami.

WHAT HENDERSON SAID

“He's currently with Grêmio, so we don't want to comment on a player who's not on our roster,” Henderson said of Suárez. “He is another player that's always been linked with our team and it's great to have great players around the world connected with Inter Miami and wanting to come here.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LUIS SUAREZ?

The legendary Uruguayan striker is currently on international duty with his country, and they are coming off of a 2-0 win over Argentina last week. They take on Bolivia in their next FIFA World Cup qualifier Tuesday evening, before Suarez returns to his club Gremio. The Brazil side is back in action on Sunday against Atletico MG.

The players draft for the second edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will be held on April 3 in Kingston, Jamaica, and will include 228 players

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Mar-2014The players draft for the second edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will be held on April 3 in Kingston, Jamaica, and will include 228 players. In a release, the CPL said 121 overseas players had signed up for the draft, which is more than five times the number of overseas players in the 2013 draft.English cricketers will feature in the tournament for the first time this year, if drafted in by the franchises, the CPL said. Players from Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa and Sri Lanka have also signed up. West Indies aside, Australia will have the largest representation at the draft, with 30 players lining up, including 15 internationals.The release said: “The vast majority of Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad has also signed up. New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka are also well represented, and the draft will include several current and former international captains, leading Test stars, T20 specialists and limited-overs legends.”The full list will be made public on March 17. The tournament will be played in July and August. Jamaica Tallawahs had won the inaugural edition, ahead of Antigua Hawksbills, Barbados Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors, St. Lucia Zouks and Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel; these same six franchises which will play the 2014 competition.

Kane Williamson hopes the ODI series against Pakistan will expose his players to the pressures of 50-over matches and help build a strong squad for the World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-2014Kane Williamson, the stand-in New Zealand captain, hopes the ODI series against Pakistan will expose his players to the pressures of 50-over matches and help build a strong squad for the World Cup.”I think it’s very important that we’ve got some young players and they’re getting [to play] cricket,” Williamson said. “Heading into a World Cup, more often than not, you don’t get the team exactly how you want it. You get an injury or two and various other things can happen, so it is important that we have a variety of people or personnel playing at the highest level so when it comes to World Cup time guys have had some experiences under that sort of pressure.”It’s not so much an audition, it’s very much about workloads as well. There’s so much cricket before the World Cup so we’re very conscious of that but we also want to put out our strongest side at the time.”Seven players of the New Zealand ODI squad have played less than 20 matches each. They will be without the talismanic Brendon McCullum, and Tim Southee and Trent Boult won’t be around to grab wickets with the new ball.They will, however, have the raw pace of Adam Milne and Matt Henry. Nathan McCullum and Kyle Mills are canny limited-overs bowlers and Daniel Vettori has been something of a lucky charm for New Zealand on the tour.”We have a couple of frontline bowlers back home at the moment, Trent and Tim, saying that we’ve got some young blokes that are coming up that have a little bit of extra pace which is promising for the future mixed with some experience at the moment with Kyle Mills,” Williamson said. “Obviously, Vettori, McCullum who are all very experienced as well.”Conditions in the UAE barely mirror those the team would face in Australia and New Zealand, but Williamson explained that his side would only benefit from any experience that comes their way.”I think for us being quite a young side as well, mixed with that experience, it’s important that in any one-day game that you play, you are faced with different situations that you need to handle,” he said. “So whether they are in conditions here or back home, you’re still faced with those challenges and how we learn and develop decision-making in those will help us move forward as a one-day unit.”

Darren Sammy feared he was enduring a repeat of the dreadful India tour midway through the first Test in Dunedin

Andrew McGlashan in Dunedin07-Dec-2013Darren Sammy feared he was enduring a repeat of the dreadful India tour midway through the first Test in Dunedin. He even joked that “not many people will have expected to be sat here at 6.30 pm on Saturday,” as he reflected on what must go down as a great escape, even though rain played a vital role in the final session.West Indies were welcomed to New Zealand with lowly expectations – hardly surprising given only two of their players had played here before and half the squad had barely two days to prepare – and Sammy had noted a few references to them being the worst West Indian side to visit the country. He did not offer the forceful response some may have made to that claim, he is more understated than that, but his satisfaction at how his side improved over the second half of the Test was clear.The obvious example was Darren Bravo’s 218, but because of contributions from Kirk Edwards, Narsingh Deonarine and the captain himself, West Indies managed their fourth highest second-innings total ever. Then Shane Shillingford, who is playing with uncertainty still surrounding his action as the report from testing is awaited, gave New Zealand’s top order a scare by taking four wickets. Briefly, it was debatable which side wanted the rain more.”We came from India, where we had a miserable Test series,” Sammy said. “We came here, we had two-and-a-half days to prepare in conditions that three quarters of my side have not been in and it showed in the first two innings of the match.”Winning the toss on a grassy top with a little bit of moisture, I don’t think in the first couple of overs we put any ball in the six-metre line, we were all over the place and hence we were facing 600. Then our turn at the crease, I thought it was all India again.”When asked if the final outcome, after West Indies had batted 162.1 overs in their second innings, felt almost like a victory, Sammy said: “Yes, from the situation of being asked to follow-on with a deficit of 400, it was important that we occupy the crease for long periods and I bet on the third day nobody expected to be here at 6.30.”Credit must go to Darren Bravo. It is a morale boost for the guys, especially coming from India. I heard some commentator say this is worst West Indies team coming to New Zealand. We knew it would be difficult, so we are quite happy with the result from position we were in in the first innings.”The draw meant Bravo’s innings, which ended early on the final morning when he was bowled by a shooter from Trent Boult, was added to one of cricket’s quirkier records: there are now seven double-hundreds made in follow-ons and none have come in a defeat.”That was a real mature innings,” Sammy said. “Somebody had to put their hand up for the team and one of the youngest guys did it. He models himself on his cousin, Brian [Lara]. I guess even the great Lara would have been proud of that innings. It was a match-saving innings and we are all happy for him. It will give us more confidence going into the second Test.”Sammy, meanwhile, was hopeful he would be able to play a full part in the Wellington Test despite his glute strain, which prevented him from bowling early on the second day. “I will look at it over next two days. I’ll give it a go. I think with the combination of our squad it’s important that I am able to bowl so I’ll give it my best shot.”Kraigg Brathwaite, the opening batsman who had visa difficulties, is expected to arrive in Wellington on Monday, where he will link up with the squad although changes to West Indies’ top order are unlikely.

[ad_pod ]

Liverpool fans have been reacting on social media to a bold claim in the French media that Adrien Rabiot would prefer to join Jurgen Klopp’s side than Tottenham Hotspur.

We recently covered reaction from a cohort of Liverpool fans who were pleased to hear that Rabiot is keen to move to Merseyside – however, it appears not every Reds supporter is quite so impressed by the news.

The claim has been reported by Paris United, who revealed that Spurs are hoping to sign the midfielder, as well as the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

Are the media letting Jurgen Klopp off lightly for his lack of silverware? The Pl>ymaker FC squad have their say in the video below…

Rabiot is out of contract in the French capital come the summer, and appears more interested in leaving the club than agreeing a new deal.

Paris United are now suggesting that Tottenham are trying to win the race for his signature by offering the 6-cap Frenchman a €5million (£4.3m) signing bonus and a €7.5million (£6.4m) per year wage to move to London.

But the same PSG-focused site are also claiming that Rabiot would prefer to join the ranks at Anfield if he were to move to the Premier League.

No offer has yet been made by the Reds, and these members of the Anfield faithful were quick to remind Rabiot of that…

The pursuit of the money shot nearly cost West Indies what should have been an easy win, and it took a 10-run stand for the last wicket in front of a nervous full house

The Report by Sidharth Monga30-Jun-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Kemar Roach and Tino Best saw West Indies through in a tense finish•AFPThe pursuit of the money shot nearly cost West Indies what should have been an easy win, and it took a 10-run stand for the last wicket in front of a nervous full house to end India’s nine-match winning streak in international cricket.With balls remaining in the chase of 230 out of equation, Kemar Roach and Tino Best, who had taken two wickets each previously, showed the more accomplished batsmen how to finish the chase off – they added 10 in 4.2 overs and still had 14 balls to spare – but it can also be argued that it was the free-flowing approach that put West Indies in comfortable positions in the first place in a chase that oscillated between the ridiculously easy and the plain ridiculous.If West Indies kept India down to 229 for 7 through sustained pressure with the ball on a damp pitch, their response with the bat knew no caution: six of the nine wickets they lost were followed by boundaries immediately after, and five of their wickets were a result of extravagant shots when all they needed was 15 more minutes of sensible batting. The result was a thrilling finish where dot balls were cheered on vigorously, where three men around the bat became a regular sight, the annoying horns were almost all put away, and advice flowed freely from the engrossed crowd.The teams could do with advice: they were both missing their captains. West Indies lost Dwayne Bravo to a groin injury before the match, and Kieron Pollard left behind three former captains to make his leadership debut. MS Dhoni injured himself while batting, and didn’t take field. India’s loss turned out to be more crucial: stand-in keeper Dinesh Karthik’s gloves were visibly late to an R Ashwin offbreak with Johnson Charles stranded down the wicket.What should have been a stumping to make it 198 for 8 now went for what was adjudicated four runs. Replays didn’t show an edge, and even if there was one it was not significant enough for Karthik to be so far away from the line of the ball. It shouldn’t take away from Charles’ 97, though, who scored 60 in his last match against India.Charles is not the most orthodox batsman, but he tends to put oppositions off. He has a low back lift, and decides late, almost too late, whether to move forward or back, and which shot to play. Somehow, though, he makes the best decisions on his day, which it was today. For company for most of his effort, Charles had Darren Bravo, who can be quiet the opposite: high back lift, a certain flair, a reliance on the early picking of the length, and a tendency to get better with the length of the innings.Charles broke away early. His response to Chris Gayle’s wicket, caught at short cover in the second over, was three straight fours hit straight down the ground off Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the third over. His response to the next two wickets – Devon Smith and Marlon Samuels – in the next two overs was to cart Bhuvneshwar and Umesh Yadav for three more fours. Some time later, he took his first single. It took him to 25, and West Indies to 42 for 2 in ninth over.With the pitch easing out, India were now reliant on spin, but Charles and Bravo attacked India’s magic man, Ravindra Jadeja, immediately. Each of them hit a six in Jadeja’s first two overs, and it was down to Ashwin now, who was introduced in the 15th over. He troubled the batsmen immediately, but they both broke free, and brought up their fifties.However, in what was to become the trend, Bravo fell to Ashwin when West Indies were headed towards an impregnable position. He went to hit a short ball, was done in by the stopping of it, and ended up dragging it to leg, leaving the last six 88 to get. Charles responded with his fourth six, this one brought up with an inside-out six hit off an Ashwin carrom ball that he picked early. West Indies were now 155 for 4 in the 30th over.Johnson Charles was fluent in his 97, but he fell with the win in sight•AFPWickets kept falling at the other end, with West Indies possibly looking for a bonus point. Pollard followed one wide delivery, Denesh Ramdin swung wildly, and India had been let back in at 161 for 6. Darren Sammy now launched a counterattack – 29 off 26 laced with three sixes – but he, too, left the job unfinished when he tried to hit Ishant Sharma for a third boundary in 37th over.Soon, Charles was reprieved. He even tried to farm the strike, but on 97 with mid-off up, he couldn’t hold himself back, and left the game open once again. West Indies still needed 19 runs, India sensed the win now, but Roach and Sunil Narine knocked nine of those runs. Time, then, for another rush of blood to the head. Narine, this time, drove uppishly, and straight to mid-on. All India had to do was keep the field and hold on to their catches. West Indies were throwing this game.Not with Roach and Best, though. They batted like their lives depended on this knock, and drop by drop they took West Indies home. Looking at the celebrations from the crowd, it seemed all that preceded was forgotten. It wasn’t.West Indies crowds can be deceptive that way. They had seen a near professional performance with the ball earlier in the day. On a pitch that provided some variable tennis-ball bounce for the quicks and turn for the spinners, they bowled with hostility and aggression to keep India down. Roach and Sammy set the agenda with four wickets for 82 runs in their 20 overs, but they were aided well by the spinners, and Best, who was replacing the injured Ravi Rampaul.Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina fought hard, but both fell short of damaging their reputations. Rohit is known to not convert starts and form into runs, and here he threw his wicket away after struggling through to 60. He is yet to score an international century outside the two he did inside three days in 2010. Raina’s average, and his ability, diminish when he goes outside Asia, and just when he looked like he was en route to a special innings under pressure, he edged a wide ball for 44 of 55.Outside these two, batting seemed a long struggle for India, and they also lost Dhoni when they were looking for the big push. West Indies needed all these riches considering they were going to bat like millionaires for whom the next hour didn’t matter.

Live updates of the sixth round of the Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-2013