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Neymar's second spell at Santos has, for the most part, been a disappointment. The injury problems that have plagued the Brazilian's career followed him back home, and as a result, he has been unable to build up any proper rhythm. He only featured in 20 of Santos' 38 Serie A games in the 2025 season, scoring eight goals, and is still waiting for a recall to the Brazil national team squad after a two-year absence.

At the age of 33, there's no doubt that Neymar's best years are behind him. It's not clear where he will be playing his football in 2026 yet either, because Santos have yet to tie him to a contract extension. But if that is the case, he signed off in style. Santos only avoided immediate relegation back to Brazil's second tier after wrapping up their campaign with three victories, and Neymar's contribution was huge, playing through the pain barrier to save his boyhood club when they needed him most.

"I think a seven is a good grade," Neymar told reporters when asked to rate his year out of 10 after Santos' final-day victory over Cruzeiro. "On the field, everyone knows I can protect myself somehow, but things don't go as we want for many reasons. Now it's time to reset my mind, forget about football for about 10 days, because I need that. I need a complete reset."

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star added: "Then it's total focus on the last mission, which is the World Cup. That's our focus. God willing, everything will be alright. I'm always ready. It's not up to me."

The popular narrative around Neymar is that he never reached his full potential, which is undeniably true given how much time he has spent in the treatment room down the years. But he deserves more respect as a true legend of the modern game. His heroics at Vila Belmiro will hopefully help alter the public perception. They should not, however, lead to a romantic swansong at the 2026 World Cup.

A barely half-fit Neymar may have been a help to Santos, but he'd only be a hindrance to Carlo Ancelotti, who cannot afford to be sentimental when he picks his Brazil squad for the finals.

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  Tears and red card before contract renewal

  Neymar's final years at PSG and his entire stint in Saudi Arabia with Al-Hilal were completely overshadowed by injuries. Al-Hilal eventually terminated the enigmatic forward's contract after 18 months, and he subsequently re-joined Santos on an initial six-month contract in what was billed as a glorious homecoming. The fact was, however, that he had no other options.

  Santos quickly learned that keeping Neymar on the pitch for any significant length of time would be a huge challenge. Indeed, he missed seven of their first nine league games of 2025 with a hamstring problem. His 100th home appearance for the club against Atletico Mineiro only lasted 34 minutes, too, as he was taken off the pitch in tears by a buggy after exacerbating the issue.

  When he did play, there was the odd audacious piece of skill or killer through-ball, but he struggled to beat defenders and spent far too much time walking around aimlessly. He was also sent off for a blatant 'Hand of God' attempt in a 1-0 defeat to Botafogo, which came just before the Club World Cup-enforced break in the season and seemed to spell the end for his time at the club.

  But Santos were not ready to give up on their prized academy jewel. On June 24, Neymar signed a renewal through to the end of the campaign to "fulfil the dreams that are missing in my career" and vowed "nothing will stop me". Initially, they proved to be empty words.

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  Clashes with fans and team-mates

  When the Brazilian top-flight resumed, Neymar played seven games in a row, his best run in three years, and scored three goals, including a brilliant brace in a 3-1 win over Juventude. But that Player-of-the-Match display was an anomaly.

  Neymar clashed with supporters after damaging home losses to Internacional and Vasco da Gama, the second of which left the club just two points above the drop zone and in deep crisis. Inspired by Neymar's old Brazil team-mate Philippe Coutinho, Vasco ran out 6-0 winners to hand Santos the worst league defeat of their entire history, and frustrated fans marched to protest at the training ground.

  Then, in mid-September, Neymar damaged the rectus femoris muscle in his right thigh, and did not recover until early November. Another low point followed upon his return to the starting line up, as Santos were beaten 3-2 at Flamengo. With his side 2-0 down after 66 minutes, Neymar ran back to take a short goal-kick, instructing his team-mates to be more patient in their build-up play, only for centre-back Luan Peres to instantly hoof the ball upfield. It was another humiliating moment for Neymar that confirmed he had not yet earned the full respect of everyone in the dressing room. 

  He scored his first goal since August two weeks later as Santos played out a 1-1 draw with high-flying Mirassol, but there was no cause for celebration. He was also guilty of giving away the penalty that led to the home team's equaliser, and it was revealed after the game that he had suffered an injury to the meniscus in his left knee, the same one he tore alongside his anterior cruciate ligament during his last appearance for Brazil back in October 2023.

• Hat-trick on one leg

  Neymar sat out Santos' next fixture against Internacional and was not expected to play again this season. Club doctors advised him to stop playing immediately and undergo surgery, while revealed that any "major impact" could cause his knee to "burst". 

  But when Santos played host to Sport Recife in a massive relegation six-pointer on November 29, Neymar was named in the starting XI. He proceeded to open the scoring with a trademark finish in the 25th minute, and provided the assist for Joao Schmidt to wrap up a 3-0 victory in the second half.

  "Physically I've been doing well, I'm feeling better and better, obviously with this injury now it's sad, it's annoying, but it's nothing that will stop me from doing something, that's why I keep playing," Neymar said when quizzed on his condition. "Now it's time to think about Santos and where Santos deserves to be."

  There was only a four-day turnaround before Santos' next outing away at Juventude, but Neymar started again, and that passion continued to shine through. He scored all three goals in another thumping 3-0 win, registering his first hat-trick since starring for PSG in a Ligue 1 clash with Clermont in April 2022.

  Santos boss Juan Pablo Vojvoda hailed Neymar for putting on a "very good show", but that was an understatement; it was right up there with his most magical performances ever, and he did it on one fully functioning leg.

  "I've always been Neymar, regardless of anything," he said to in a clear message to his critics after the game. "I've never stopped trying to show my best."

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  'Christ the redeemer of Santos'

  Santos still needed a win on matchday 38 to be sure of safety, but showed no sign of nerves when third-placed Cruzeiro arrived at Vila Belmiro. Vojvoda's side scored three goals without reply for the third consecutive match to finish 12th in the table, and there were wild scenes of celebration among the relieved players, staff, and fans after the final whistle.

  Neymar didn't get on the scoresheet, but he was dubbed "Christ the Redeemer of Santos" by Spanish outlet after another standout performance that saw him post three key passes and a 90 per cent dribble completion rate. The whole stadium chanted his name in recognition of his super-human late-season efforts. "I confess that at the limit, it was with grit… But it was for you SANTOS!" the Brazilian later wrote on X.

  He also confirmed that he will go under the knife for what is classed as minor surgery to fix his latest knee injury, before deciding on his future. Should his recovery run smoothly, there's a good chance Neymar will sign another six-month extension, with the 2026 season in Brazil due to start two months earlier than usual in January.

  "We've already looked each other in the eye and agreed to schedule a meeting this week to calmly define this situation," Santos president Marcelo Teixeira has confirmed. "Alexandre Mattos and the medical department will detail when they will carry out the procedure with the athlete. We want Neymar to stay. We will adapt the contractual issues and our expectation is that Neymar will remain at Santos until the 2026 World Cup."

Liverpool’s season went from bad to worse at the weekend, with Sean Dyche’s Nottingham Forest condemning Arne Slot to a 3-0 Anfield defeat and a fifth loss in six Premier League matches.

Though FSG retain the faith in the Dutch coach, who so confidently won the league title last season, it’s clear that results and performances need to improve quickly, else the Reds will find themselves shackled to mid-table and a campaign of misery.

It’s also clear that sporting director Richard Hughes will consider making another signing this January, having overseen a summer transfer window in which Liverpool paid over £400m on new players, and Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo has been earmarked as the perfect fit.

However, Liverpool don’t have a bottomless pool of resources, and it may be the other end of the field which requires attention.

Liverpool ready to sign centre-back this winter

It almost feels absurd to think Liverpool need to spend in January after their record-breaking summer, but there’s no question that Liverpool would become threadbare if, say, Virgil van Dijk succumbed to a months-long injury setback.

Ibrahima Konate’s form has gone beyond the pale, and Liverpool’s full-back system is plumbing to imbalanced depths that were surely unfathomable after an ostensibly satisfactory spending spree.

That’s why Liverpool are considering a winter bid for Marc Guehi, having seen a deal for the Crystal Palace centre-half fall through on transfer deadline day at the start of September.

According to reports from Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Liverpool remain in pole position to sign Guehi and will be emboldened to learn that the Eagles are setting their sights on Sporting Lisbon’s Ousmane Diomande as his replacement.

Reports from Spain in the last 24 hours corroborate those claims, suggesting that things are ‘practically a done deal’ and that ‘after several months of negotiations, the agreement appears to be almost finalised’.

Guehi is out of contract at the end of the season but Palace are expected to accept offers of £35m in January should one arrive.

While FSG would be wary of paying out for a player who can be snapped up for free only months down the line, Guehi is a rare talent, and Liverpool desperately need a defender.

Why Liverpool should sign Guehi now

Liverpool have already strengthened at centre-back this year through the £27m signing of Giovanni Leoni. The former Parma defender is only 18, but he’s among the most exciting talents in the world. He is also sidelined for nearly a year after rupturing his ACL on his Reds debut.

The uncertainty around Konate’s contract, and the Frenchman’s abject performances this year, emphasise the need for more depth, and Guehi has already been profiled extensively; he’s the man for the job.

The 25-year-old has played an instrumental part in Palace’s rise under Oliver Glasner’s wing, winning the FA Cup and then the Community Shield. The Londoners are currently fifth in the Premier League, with two losses from 12 games.

Liverpool, conversely, can’t stop losing, and they are leaking goals and lacking any semblance of security at the back. Guehi would fix that. Not only is he a “monster in defence”, as has been noted by Palace reporter Bobby Manzi, but he is also among the most dynamic and intelligent modern centre-halves out there.

His range of passing is exactly what Liverpool need. Van Dijk is getting old, and Konate is hardly a convincing proponent of play-out-from-the-back football.

This is outlined by FBref’s data. According to the digital platform, the Three Lions star ranks among the top 9% of centre-backs in the Premier League this season for progressive passes and the top 3% for shot-creating actions per 90.

This underscores Guehi’s confidence on the ball, and that’s exactly what Liverpool need, with analyst Raj Chohan saying that, partnered with Conor Bradley on the right side of the defence, the “build-up combination is horrible”.

Guehi, meanwhile, is two-footed and a driver of Glasner’s progressive vision in possession. He is also proving himself to be a more stable and convincing defender.

Matches (starts)

11 (11)

12 (12)

Goals

1

0

Assists

1

0

Touches*

65.9

73.3

Accurate passes*

45.1 (87%)

54.7 (90%)

Chances created*

0.6

0.4

Ball recoveries*

3.5

2.5

Dribbles*

0.1

0.2

Tackles + interceptions*

3.3

2.0

Clearances*

5.1

5.7

Duels (won)*

5.9 (66%)

6.0 (65%)

Errors made

1

3

Though Konate remains a convincing aerial battler, his overall game has left so much to be desired, with errors rife and sure to be disabling any kind of confidence from his teammates.

He has actually been criticised by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher for being at the epicentre of all of Liverpool’s woes. Not quite, but there’s no denying he’s the weakest link in a fragile backline, and Slot cannot afford to persist with him for the duration of the campaign, not if he wishes to salvage things.

While Semenyo would be a neat addition, it’s true that Liverpool could crumble, truly, if they suffer a damaging defensive setback. Moreover, Rio Ngumoha has shown his class already this term and will be convinced that he has more to offer over the coming months.

Whether Liverpool opt to go this way or that this summer remains to be seen, but there’s no question that the Anfield side need to pull off a change or two, else they will flake away and be condemned to a truly disastrous campaign.

Guehi would ease the concerns and then some. The plan was to bring him over this summer, and the plan remains to seal his signature come the end of the season. Why not now?

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Pakistan batter Sidra Amin has been reprimanded for breaching the ICC’s code of conduct during the match against India at the Women’s World Cup in Colombo on Sunday.A statement from the ICC said that Amin breached Article 2.2, which relates to “abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an International Match.” It was her first offence in a 24-month period and she was given one demerit point for a Level 1 breach.The incident occurred when Amin forcefully hit her bat onto the pitch after being dismissed in the 40th over. She admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Shandre Fritz, so no formal hearing was needed.Related

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On-field umpires Lauren Agenbag and Nimali Perera, third umpire Kerrin Klaaste and fourth umpire Kim Cotton levelled the charge. Level 1 offences carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50% of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.Pakistan lost the match against India after they were bowled out for 159, chasing 248. Amin top-scored for Pakistan with 81 off 106 balls but it wasn’t enough. Pakistan have now lost their first two games at this World Cup and face Australia next, on Wednesday.

Like in 2022, Hazlewood is shining for RCB in the bowling attack. But this time with the new ball

Shashank Kishore09-Apr-2025Watching Josh Hazlewood train is like getting a lesson in simplicity. His sessions are short and sharp, focused on rhythm and precision – testing his full range while delivering a metronomic stream of balls.Four games in, these virtues have made Hazlewood one of the standout bowlers for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), whose absence they felt a great deal last year. A key performer in IPL 2022, with 20 wickets in RCB’s run to Qualifier 2 – their best finish since 2016 – injuries disrupted Hazlewood’s IPL 2023 campaign. RCB had planned to retain Hazlewood, if he was fit, for IPL 2024, but he opted out owing to the impending birth of his child. This meant having to rejig their bowling plans.Mohammed Siraj lacked impact, Yash Dayal was still settling in, Akash Deep and Reece Topley featured irregularly, and Lockie Ferguson proved expensive – all contributing to RCB ending with the joint-lowest powerplay wickets for pace bowlers.Related

• RCB return to Chinnaswamy to take on unbeaten DC with renewed optimism

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• RCB's winning formula comes with a distinct Indian flavour

Cut to IPL 2025, and Hazlewood’s return has been a game-changer. Signed for INR 12.5 crore, he has helped RCB record a powerplay bowling average of 26.28, behind only Gujarat Titans (GT) and Delhi Capitals (DC).Along the way, Hazlewood has fed off Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s experience too. The pair has formed a potent opening combination, troubling batters with unerring accuracy and subtle movement.What makes Hazlewood so difficult to face is his high release point, which generates extra bounce regardless of the length he bowls. In each of RCB’s three wins, Hazlewood has had a profound impact in the powerplay. And much of his success has been down to how quickly he has adapted to the conditions. On surfaces where there have been bounce and carry, like at Eden Gardens and Chepauk, his hit-the-deck mastery has been unchallenged. His dot-ball percentage of 72.92 is the highest in the powerplay among those who have bowled multiple overs in that phase this season.Against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the opening game, he troubled Quinton de Kock with rising deliveries before having him top edge the pick-up shot that reared up a tad more than de Kock expected. Against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), his twin strikes of Rahul Tripathi and Ruturaj Gaikwad in the space of five deliveries, along with nine dots, laid the foundation for RCB being able to break a 17-year jinx at the venue.2:15

Is 2025 finally going to be RCB’s year?

Against Mumbai Indians (MI) on Monday night, Hazlewood followed an early wicket of Ryan Rickelton with a succession of six dot balls to Suryakumar Yadav to help build powerplay pressure in a big chase. On surfaces where there is springy bounce, like at Wankhede, this can be a double-edged sword, like he found out later in the game when Hardik Pandya sent the ball into different pockets of the ground in the death overs.Hazlewood conceded 22 runs in that 14th over, but he responded by using the crease and angles to cramp Hardik for room and dismissing him off the first ball of his final over, the 19th, that went for just nine to land the knockout blow on MI.Hazlewood’s biggest challenge is yet to come. He has only played one game at home, in conditions where even the best fast bowlers have travelled. During his best season with RCB, in 2022, he didn’t play at home since the tournament was held entirely in Mumbai because of post-Covid restrictions. But the Chinnaswamy deck hasn’t been the usual, where batters have tended to enjoy a free-for-all buffet like last year.2:00

Bishop: Hazlewood has an important role to play

Hazlewood delivered an excellent first spell against GT in RCB’s first home game – conceding just one boundary off his first nine deliveries before Sai Sudharsan threw him off his lengths by bringing out the ramp shot, instead of trying to take him on in front of square.Jos Buttler then made it an unending nightmare by treating him with disdain, reverse-ramping him for six and setting himself up to wallop a length ball over deep midwicket. By the time Sherfane Rutherford flicked him to the leg-side boundary to seal victory, Hazlewood had run out of gas.It was an expensive spell for Hazlewood – 3.5-0-43-1 – but it was also one that he’ll take back plenty from. On Thursday, he’ll return to the Chinnaswamy Stadium against DC, fueled by confidence and adrenaline from a strong start to the season, hoping to help RCB seize momentum at home, just as he has done on the road.

Proud father’s speech caps brilliant century from England’s debutant opener

Firdose Moonda15-Dec-20241:15

Maia Bouchier: My dad’s speech made everyone cry

Maia Bouchier and her father Anthony’s daddy-daughter days involved “sitting on the couch and just watching the best players in the world bat all day,” just like they did in Bloemfontein on Sunday. Sort of.Maia was the one doing the batting – and it was only for three hours and 42 minutes, so not quite all day – while Anthony was in the stands at the Mangaung Oval. He watched as the daughter he raised around the game flicked and pulled and eventually also drove her way to a maiden Test hundred on debut. Afterwards, he got to celebrate it with her and her England team.”My dad came into the changing-room, which was really nice, and he actually made a little speech, and everyone started crying. So that was really sweet,” Bouchier said at the post-match press conference. “Let’s just say it was along the lines of, ”I’m very proud and I think it was the best day of my life.’ And that’s what got everyone.”Emotions always run high around Tests, given the sense of occasion and history attached to the format, and especially around women’s Tests because of how rare they are. In the England camp, they have a tradition of the nearest debutant presenting the next one with their Test cap, which meant Maia was capped by Danni Wyatt-Hodge, perhaps a little later in her career than she would have hoped.Since Bouchier made her white-ball debut in September 2021, England have played five Tests and she may have thought herself in line for at least one of them. In 2022, she was part of an England A side that played against the touring South Africans but could not displace Emma Lamb in the Test side. Now, on the return leg, so to speak, she was given an opportunity ahead of Sophia Dunkley and there could not have been a better country for it to happen for Maia.Maia Bouchier and her father Anthony after her Test cap presentation•Gallo Images/Getty ImagesAnthony has connections to South Africa and facilitated tours between the English club he founded, Primrose Hill Cricket Club (PHCC), and South African sides in the Western Cape. Maia remembers going on some of those tours as a child, and spending time on cricket grounds in South Africa, at a time when young girls were scarce on the cricket scene. Though Anthony never played at a professional level himself, he has been heavily involved in the business of cricket. In 2000, he was one of the principal investors who created Wisden Online, which, three years later, bought this very website (Cricinfo, as it was called then). At the time, Maia was just four years old and would have known only the basics of her father’s love of the game. As she grew older, she would also have been able to gauge his ambitions for her.”Obviously, this is very special for him because he’s waited a long time for it as well,” she said. “What I remember was us watching Test match cricket together just for five days straight, sitting on the couch and just watching the best players in the world bat for all day. I think that’s what he really wanted me to do. Obviously this is my first Test and to just go out there and play how I did, I’m super proud of myself and I know he’s proud of me. So that’s all I can hope for.”Bouchier played with none of the nerves of a newbie and raced to 43 off the first 45 balls she faced; and 40 of those runs were scored in boundaries. She took advantage of anything full and on the pads, and South Africa offered plenty of both. Then, when South Africa tightened up, she changed gears and showed the patience of a much more experienced long-format player. It took her 25 deliveries of watching and waiting to get to fifty, but then only 54 more to reach 100. By that time, she was finding scoring areas on the off-side as easily as she had earlier found them on the leg-side and her straight six off Tumi Sekhukhune, to get into the 90s, will be a shot to find the image of and frame.Related

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She paced her innings so well that, when Maia brought up her hundred, off 124 balls, she held the record for the fastest Test century scored by an England player. Less than an hour later, she had been overtaken by Nat Sciver-Brunt, who took just 96 balls to score the quickest hundred in all women’s Tests and Maia did not mind at all. “She’s a special player. I’m just so happy for her as well because she’s had a tough time and she’s had a lot going on,” she said. “I’m really proud of her as well. She’s just another level.”Maia has singled out Sciver-Brunt as the player she wants to emulate and, with a first Test century against South Africa, she has already done just that. She’s singled out her father as the person she most wants to make proud. However, she also did allow for a small moment of singling out herself and what this means to her, outside of being a dreamer or a daughter.”It’s the pinnacle,’ she said. “To make my debut and to get a hundred, is top of the charts, really.”

Mohammad Naim was the only player to fetch more than BDT 1 crore (USD 88,000 approx) at the BPL auction on Sunday, when Chittagong Royals signed him up for the upcoming season. Naim, the highest run-scorer in the BPL last season (511 runs at a strike-rate of 143.94), was incidentally the first player who went up for sale in the auction.Towhid Hridoy (USD 73,600) and Litton Das (USD 56,000) also went for big money, both signed up by Rangpur Riders.There were, however, no initial bids for veterans Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah, who were both in category B. Later in the day, after a request from BCB director and Rangpur chief executive Ishtiaque Sadeque, the auctioneer put up both players for sale again.Eventually, Rangpur took in Mahmudullah, while Rajshahi Warriors signed Mushfiqur, for their base price of BDT 35 lakh (USD 28,000 approx).Dasun Shanaka was the most expensive signing among the overseas players, going to Dhaka Capitals for USD 55,000. Angelo Mathews and Niroshan Dickwella were sold at their category A base price of USD 35,000, to Chittagong Royals and Sylhet Titans, respectively.Among the uncapped players, Habibur Rahman Sohan, who recently did well for Bangladesh A in the Asia Cup Rising Stars tournament, was taken by Noakhali Express for USD 40,000.This was the BPL’s first auction since the inaugural edition in 2012. The rest of the editions have been done through the drafting process.During the auction, there were also a few Bangladesh cricketers who sat in the bidding tables, including Nurul Hasan, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mehidy Hasan Miraz.The BPL will be contested by six teams – Dhaka Capitals, Rangpur Riders, Rajshahi Warriors, Noakhali Express, Sylhet Titans and Chittagong Royals – with the tournament likely to start on December 26.

MatériaMais Notícias

Tite concedeu entrevista coletiva após a vitória do Flamengo sobre o Atlético-GO neste domingo (14), na estreia do Brasileirão, e comentou as polêmicas de arbitragem. O duelo teve duas expulsões – além do técnico Jair Ventura -, um gol anulado e um pênalti marcado, todos contra o Dragão. Na visão do treinador do Rubro-Negro Carioca, as decisões foram corretas.

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– Vi todos os lances agora. Foram corretas. Com exceção que eu não vi, que foi da ofensa (expulsão de Jair Ventura), um jogo acidentado muito difícil de apitar. Porém, das decisões das quais eu vi pegando as imagens elas foram corretas, a favor e contra – afirmou Tite.

– Eu falei que o árbitro tem que ter um pouco mais de sensibilidade de administrar algumas situações. Porém, eu também tenho que falar a verdade, que o árbitro falou que ele foi ofendido e aí é justificado. O Jair (Ventura) pode falar mais a respeito. Se fosse só por um momento de reclamação eu poderia externar para ter um pouco mais de calma e conduzir, mas aí teve um outro incidente – completou o técnico do Flamengo, que, no momento da expulsão, saiu em defesa do treinador adversário contra a arbitragem.

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O Rubro-Negro Carioca jogou em vantagem numérica durante todo o segundo tempo. Questionado sobre a equipe ter tentado controlar a partida – e não ter conseguido – depois do intervalo, Tite negou que o objetivo era administrar o resultado e criticou o gramado do Serra Dourada.

– Quando nós chegamos no intervalo a gente sabe que a necessidade é de continuar produzindo e empurrando o adversário para trás e buscar o segundo gol. Inclusive coloquei que administrar jogo nós já tínhamos aprendido que não era dessa forma que nós agiríamos. E nós buscamos o segundo gol. Porém, tem alguns detalhes na bola: no único lance que nós erramos, em cruzamento que teve de conclusão, o Atlético-GO foi efetivo. Então tem que olhar sob esse contexto. A partir daí ela traz cenários diferentes desde o primeiro jogo que foi acidentado. O gramado dá para ser melhor para ter um espetáculo melhor. Não dá para ter um Serra Dourada… faz tempo, mas eu joguei aqui. Serra Dourada era um prazer vir aqui. Agora a bola pipoca, e a qualidade do jogo ele te trava mais.

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Confira outras declarações de Tite e do auxiliar Cléber Xavier após Atlético-GO x Flamengo, pelo Brasileirão:

Não, absolutamente não (descanso é prioridade). A recuperação não tem aspecto descanso. Coração não engessa, né? Eu não posso pensar no quarto jogo, eu vou pensar no próximo. O jogo foi muito emocionante, e volto a dizer: os mesmos três pontos que disputamos aqui são os mesmos três pontos que vão dizer onde devemos estar no fim do campeonato. Briga por campeão, Libertadores… Era a primeira de 38 decisões, temos essa consciência – disse Tite.

A questão de tomada de decisão no último terço hoje tiveram duas questões bem claras no jogo: a primeira é a condição do gramado e a segunda a forma com que o Atlético-GO se defende muito bem com sua primeira linha de quatro e seus dois volantes centrais. Não tinha muito espaço de criação – afirmou Cléber Xavier.

Reitero o que o Cleber colocou, da qualidade da marcação do Atlético-GO. Na linha defensiva, marcação baixa, são extremamente agressivos e pressionantes. Teve um lance no primeiro tempo em que nós ficamos trocando passes e os caras bloqueavam. Tocou no Arrasca, bloqueava. Tocou no Pedro, bloqueava. A qualidade do trabalho do Jair nessa fase e essa pressão no homem da bola nos dificultou muito – completou o técnico principal do Flamengo.

É uma opção entre o número de atletas que a gente tem. Como o Cleiton ficou de fora hoje, o Wesley que ainda não se recuperou… Grupo grande, a gente vai trabalhar todos eles dentro da competição que é grande, são 38 rodadas. Mas ele (Matheus Gonçalves) vem treinando muito bem – comentou Cléber Xavier.

Eu sei que vocês fazem, é a função jornalística projetar, mas a minha experiência me permite pensar jogo a jogo. A gente vai para uma segunda decisão agora. Eu não consigo pensar lá na frente. Há toda uma estrutura do Flamengo para projetar as equipes. Eu não consigo pensar, a não ser refletir nos acertos e erros que cometemos. A equipe se consolidar, crescer na competição, fazer um bom treinamento, voltar hoje, ficar com a família, retomar força, treinar, mesmo que não seja treinamento com intensidade menor, por isso falei do descanso. Há formas de treinar que a gente consegue fazer sem botar intensidade – afirmou Tite.

Uma realidade que a gente vive é: amanhã analisar o adversário, fazer as correções, as avaliações positivas aos atletas, recuperar os atletas que jogaram hoje, treinar quem não jogou, e um dia depois preparar a equipe para enfrentar o São Paulo. A gente só consegue pensar a partir de agora no São Paulo. Tem momentos que agente vai conseguir pensar dois, três jogos, mas esse momento agora é pensar no São Paulo – finalizou o auxiliar do Flamengo.

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The New York Yankees were able to power their way past the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night and one of their best moments didn't come from any of their players, but rather from one of their fans in stands.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman hammered a home run that landed in the crowd behind the right field wall. A Yankees fan was able to come up with the ball, and then he was told by a fellow Yankees fan that a young Cardinals fan sitting a few rows in front of them was celebrating his 10th birthday.

The Yankees fan then immediately gave up the ball to the young fan, giving him a birthday that he'll never forget.

Here's that awesome moment:

You gotta love baseball. And you also have to love that Yankees fan who went out of his way to do something pretty sweet for a fan of the other team.

Middlesex promotion push takes a hit as Gloucestershire No. 3 notches maiden century

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay01-Aug-2025Gloucestershire 404 for 9 dec (Phillips 136, Hammond 71, Bancroft 58) drew with Middlesex 445 (Williamson 153, Hollman 60, De Caires 58, Du Plooy 57)Gloucestershire’s Joe Phillips hit his maiden first class century as the rain-ruined Rothesay County Championship Division Two match with Middlesex ended in an inevitable draw.After the third day washout, a still wet outfield prevented any play until 1.25pm, with a minimum of 68 overs left in the game. Resuming their first innings on 54 for 1, a deficit of 391, Gloucestershire extended it to 400 for 9 by stumps, 21-year-old Cornishman Phillips making 136 from 182 balls, with 19 fours.Miles Hammond contributed an attractive 71 and Cameron Bancroft 58. But there had been too little time on a placid pitch for the teams to conjure a decisive outcome and both had to settle for 15 points.Following an early lunch at 12.45pm, Phillips and skipper Bancroft played confidently on a pitch still proving surprisingly straightforward to bat on considering it was shaved at both ends.Unbeaten on 11 at the start, Phillips had a scare on 34 when advancing down the pitch to offspinner Josh De Caires and edging between wicketkeeper and first slip for four. It was a rare moment of anxiety for Gloucestershire as Bancroft was first to his half-century, off 104 balls, with nine fours.The experienced Aussie was looking in prime form and it was a surprise when, with the total advanced to 126, he was bowled off a bottom edge aiming to pull a boundary off left-arm seamer Noah Cornwell.By then Phillips was treating the sparse crowd to a range of sweetly-timed strokes off front and back foot, a single to deep cover off Luke Hollman’s legspin taking him to fifty off 92 deliveries, with five fours. Two more boundaries followed from fierce pull shots in the same Cornwell over.Ollie Price was soon looking equally at home on the two-tone coloured surface. A glorious square drive for four off Ryan Higgins took Truro-born Phillips past his previous best first-class score of 80, made on the same ground against Worcestershire in 2023.By tea, he had moved to 96 and, with Price unbeaten on 33, Gloucestershire were 209 for 2, still trailing by 236. A looping full toss from Sam Robson gave Phillips the chance to strike the boundary that brought up his century off 145 balls. It was his 15th four and he raised a clenched fist in the air to celebrate.Price departed soon afterwards for 34, caught behind top-edging a sweep off Robson’s leg-breaks. The dismissal meant a first bowling point for Middlesex on a day their promotion hopes suffered a damaging blow with Glamorgan’s victory over Lancashire.Phillips and Hammond took Gloucestershire to 250 and a batting point. With more bonus points up for grabs, neither team wanted to shake hands on the draw.Using his feet well to attack the spinners, Phillips continued on his merry way, while Hammond also went on the attack at every opportunity. Their entertaining stand of 66 in 12.1 overs ended when Phillips holed out to long-on off Higgins.Cheltenham-born Hammond, who often flourishes at the Festival, advanced to smack a straight six off De Caires as Gloucestershire progressed to a second batting point, losing James Bracey cheaply, caught at mid-on off De Caires with the total on 299.Hollman earned Middlesex a second bowling point when having Graeme van Buuren caught at slip. But Hammond moved to a fluent half-century off 63 balls before Zaman Akhter was seventh man out, caught at backward square leg sweeping a ball from Hollman with eight overs remaining.A Hammond six off Hollman took Gloucestershire to a third batting point before he fell aiming to clear long-on off Higgins. With three overs remaining, Middlesex took the second new ball and Cornwell had Matt Taylor caught behind to give his side maximum bowling points.There was still time for a Josh Shaw six off Higgins as he and Todd Murphy helped the hosts reach 400 in the very last over. Both teams could feel happy at the end of a thoroughly entertaining final hour.

Ahmed Daniyal first defended six runs in the final over of the game before conceding just six runs in the Super Over to set up Pakistan Shaheens’ win

Ashish Pant24-Nov-2025

In a dramatic low-scoring thriller that went into a Super Over, fast bowler Ahmed Daniyal kept his composure as Pakistan Shaheens defeated Bangladesh A to lift the Asia Cup Rising Stars title in Doha, Qatar.Daniyal, defending six runs in the 20th, bowled a nerveless over to take the game into a Super Over. He then removed Abdul Gaffar Saqlain with his second ball in the Super Over and then clean bowled Jishan Alam to restrict Bangladesh A to only 6. Saad Masood and Maaz Sadaqat took just four balls to chase down the target and spark celebrations in the Shaheens camp.This, however, was a game which ebbed and flowed all the way through. Sent into bat, Shaheens lost three wickets in the powerplay, and then continued to slip to eventually be bowled out for 125. Bangladesh A started the chase rapidly, but the spin quartet of Arafat Minhas, Saad Masood, Maaz Sadaqat and Sufiyan Muqeem spun a web around the batters to derail the chase.At 53 for 7 in the 13th over, the game looked as good as done, but Rakibul Hasan (24), Saqlain (16) and Ripon Mondol (11) – Bangladesh A’s last three – staged an unlikely comeback. Mondol, however, wasn’t able to repeat his semi-final Super Over heroics in the final as Bangladesh A went down.Bangladesh A couldn’t have hoped for a better start to the game with Shaheens losing Yasir Khan first ball of the match, courtesy a stunning under-arm direct hit from Saqlain running in from mid-on. Mohammad Faiq was cleaned up by SM Meherob, while wicketkeeper-batter Ghazi Ghori was bowled by Rakibul as Shaheens slipped to 25 for 3 in the fifth over.Maaz Sadaqat struck two fours and a six in his 23, but when he fell in the seventh over, Shaheens lost their way. Captain Irfan Khan scored a sedate 9 off 22 balls, with only Masood and Minhas providing anything of note on the Shaheens’ scorecard. Mondol bowled a terrific 19th over, picking up three wickets, and the innings ended with a run out as Shaheens were bowled out in 20 overs.In reply, Bangladesh A opener Habibur Rahman Sohan was quick off the blocks, tonking Ubaid Shah for a six over deep midwicket. While Alam was trapped in front of the stumps by Minhas, Habibur kept going as he smashed Masood for a six and two fours in the fourth over. But the bowler had the last laugh when Habibur pulled a long hop straight to square leg, and the Bangladesh A middle order caved in.Minhas trapped Mahidul Islam Ankon lbw before Muqeem’s left-arm wristpin bamboozled Bangladesh A. He got Akbar Ali to chop one back onto his stumps, and then struck twice in two balls, cleaning up Mahfuzur Rahman Rabby and Mrittunjoy Chowdhury with identical wrong’uns. Rakibul went after Masood but Bangladesh A kept losing wickets, with the required rate rising.Then came another twist with Bangladesh A requiring 27 off the last two overs and only Saqlain and Mondol, the last two batters at the crease. Shahid Aziz, bowling the 19th over, missed his yorker three times and the batters smashed him for three sixes to flip the script. Daniyal, however, bowled a terrific last over, mixing his lengths to rescue Shaheens.