Emi Martinez looks increasingly likely to remain at Aston Villa this season after boss Unai Emery handed him a starting role against Brentford.
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A eliminação do Bragantino na semifinal do Campeonato Paulista foi positiva para o Palmeiras, que deseja contar com o atacante Artur ainda nesta janela de transferências, que se encerra em menos de duas semanas, no dia 4 de abril.
Nos últimos dias, o Verdão retomou as conversas com o Massa Bruta e avançou a investida pelo jogador, algo que seria difícil caso o Braga avançasse para a decisão estadual enfrentando o clube alviverde.
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+Palmeiras reencontra Água Santa: lembre o time do Verdão em goleada sofrida que ficou marcada
Ainda não houve proposta oficial apresentada pela diretoria palmeirense, mas pelo andar da situação isso deve acontecer em breve. Nas primeiras conversas entre as partes, o Bragantino sinalizou que gostaria de receber 15 milhões de euros (R$ 85,2 mi, na cotação atual) para negociar Artur. Porém, segundo informações obtidas pela reportagem do LANCE! desde o início das tratativas, uma oferta de 10 milhões de euros (R$ 56,8 mi, na cotação atua) já seria considerada vantajosa pela equipe de Bragança.
+ Fique atualizado sobre o mercado da bola no vaivém do LANCE!
O Palmeiras tem 10% dos direitos econômicos do atacante, que foi revelado na Academia de Futebol e vendido no início de 2020 por 6 milhões de euros (equivalente a aproximadamente R$ 27 milhões à época). Isso pode ser um trunfo caso o Verdão não consiga a contratação até o dia 4 de abril, pois os palmeirenses seriam notificados caso Artur receba uma outra proposta na janela do meio do ano, o que daria a possibilidade do Alviverde cobrir essa oferta, caso queira. De toda forma, o objetivo palmeirense é ter o atacante do Braga ainda no primeiro semestre.
+ Confira a tabela do Paulistão e simule os resultados das finais entre Palmeiras e Água Santa
Artur é um desejo do técnico Abel Ferreira, que gosta da possibilidade de ter um jogador versátil, que possa atuar em diferentes setores do ataque.
Arsenal are finalising Jakub Kiwior’s transfer to Porto after reigniting talks for Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Piero Hincapie.
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New Liverpool signing Alexander Isak has decided to shun all media duties while on Sweden duty after his record-breaking transfer from Newcastle.
Isak moves to Liverpool from NewcastleWent on strike to force moveNow with Sweden squad for World Cup qualifiersFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Isak has joined up with the Sweden squad after securing a deadline-day move to Liverpool for a British transfer record fee of £125 million (€144.5m/$169.3m). The forward went on strike in a bid to force his way out of St James' Park, angering Newcastle fans in the process, but eventually got his way and managed to complete a move to Anfield.
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The striker managed to send a message of gratitude to Newcastle after finally departing but that may well be the last fans hear from the striker for some time. The new Liverpool signing has now elected to snub all media duties while with the Sweden national team and wants to concentrate solely on his football, according to Footboll Skanalen.
WHAT SWEDEN SAID
Sweden press officer Petra Thorén said: "Alexander will not do any media ahead of the match against Slovenia. We are in dialogue with Alexander on this issue. But given the circumstances of his coming in late on Monday, it’s not long until the World Cup qualifiers, he wants to focus on preparations and getting started properly and preparing for the matches."
Thoren was also quizzed on whether the situation might change during the international break and added: "I don’t guarantee that he will be available to the media at any time during this period. But I also don’t rule out that it could be that way. We’re taking it day by day. It’s an ongoing dialogue. Alex’s focus and desire right now is to put all his energy into preparations for the matches."
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Isak has come in for plenty of criticism for the way he forced his way out of Newcastle and has effectively missed pre-season after deciding he did not want to play another game for the Magpies. The international break does offer Isak the chance to escape the Premier League spotlight and enjoy some much-needed game time before returning to Liverpool to make his debut.
England have been dealt a blow ahead of their upcoming World Cup qualifiers after Manchester City defender John Stones was forced to withdraw from the squad due to injury. The 31-year-old, who was back in the national setup for the first time under new head coach Thomas Tuchel, will now miss both fixtures against Andorra and Serbia. His absence continues a difficult run of fitness concerns.
Stones withdraws from England squad with muscular injuryTuchel confirms defender will miss Andorra & Serbia gamesMan City face growing defensive concerns amid fitness issuesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Stones arrived at St George’s Park carrying minor muscular issues and was monitored closely by England’s medical staff. Despite initial optimism, he failed to show the necessary progress and Tuchel made the decision not to risk him further. The Manchester City defender has not featured for England since October and this setback delays his return to international football. Tuchel has now revealed that the defender has withdrawn from the squad.
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Confirming the news, England head coach Thomas Tuchel explained: "Unfortunately, John Stones just left. He came with minor issues, muscular issues, to camp and didn’t progress as we thought and hoped he would.
"So, he left camp this morning (Friday) because we will not take the risk. Everyone else is available."
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Stones’ withdrawal comes at a difficult time for Manchester City, who are already managing several fitness issues across the squad. His recurring injuries have disrupted Pep Guardiola’s defensive plans, with Ruben Dias often left carrying the burden at the back. For England, Tuchel has confirmed that Harry Maguire will lead the squad against Andorra and Serbia.
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The 31-year-old will return to Manchester City for further assessment and treatment at the City Football Academy. Guardiola will be cautious about rushing him back given his importance in the defensive-midfield hybrid role. However, injuries to Abdukodir Khusanov and Ruben Dias may force the Catalan tactician to make tough choices.
Ruben Amorim can breathe a huge sigh of relief ahead of the Manchester derby as the Red Devils have reportedly received positive updates on Matheus Cunha. Concerns had grown when the Brazilian limped off during the Red Devils’ thrilling 3-2 victory over Burnley last weekend, sparking fears of a lengthy absence.
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Quinton de Kock buckled down and played an uncharacteristic innings of great importance to South Africa’s confidence. It was a fine effort in erasing any doubt over his place in the XI too
Firdose Moonda in Durban04-Mar-2018Quinton de Kock’s batting was not belligerent or brash, he did not play the starring role, he did not even take the game away from the opposition, but he played an innings vital to both South Africa’s cause and his own. He showed patience, restraint and resilience, traits that have not often been attached to player of his extravagant style.”A lot gets said about Quinny, that he is all [only] talent, but today he showed a lot of fight and character, which is good for the rest of the series,” Aiden Markram, who shared in a 147-run sixth-wicket stand with de Kock, said.De Kock saw off 96 dot balls, which amounted to 70% of the 138 deliveries he faced. Of those, 19 came from Nathan Lyon and 21 from Steven Smith at the end of the day when there really was nothing to bat for. Instead of brattishly throw his wicket away, the way de Kock might be expected to do and forgiven for doing, he was steadfast until the end and dragged the Test into a fifth day. He may run out of partners and time to reach a fourth Test hundred but he has done enough to keep Heinrich Klaasen at bay for now.Klaasen was included in the squad after matchwinning knocks in the pink ODI and second T20 against India, matches he played in because de Kock was injured. But de Kock was also out of form and had not scored a half-century in eight innings against India across all formats and, more relevant for this discussion, in 15 Test innings dating back to July 2017. The problem was that he was never under real pressure for his place until the selectors were forced to look at Klaasen.In fact, both captain Faf du Plessis and coach Ottis Gibson glossed over de Kock’s lean patch and publically stated de Kock was safe. They said they knew de Kock was the kind of player who would just come good; the kind of player who is all talent. They never demanded a fight from him when a fight was what South Africa so needed. De Kock has finally showed that he can provide some, which will be crucial to South Africa’s team balance and his own place in future.The same requirement – to show fight or leave his place in jeopardy – applies to Theunis de Bruyn, albeit to a lesser extent. In his four Tests so far, de Bruyn has not showed the quality of a player who dominates at first-class level – he scored 190 for the Knights early last month to ensure he was not left out of this Test squad – but he also has not had the opportunity to. Temba Bavuma is ahead of him in the reserve-batsman queue, but could not play this match because he had not completely recovered from a broken finger.After the first innings, calls for Bavuma – who has batted through some of the trickiest periods in the last 15 months for South Africa – to return were loud, but now de Bruyn has provided a glimpse of what he can do too. In an entertaining 35th over, de Bruyn edged Mitchell Starc through the gap between the wicketkeeper and slip and then drove him for four twice in the over before Starc finished the over with a no-ball and a verbal barrage. “Theunis took it to a guy like Mitchell Starc, which was probably unexpected for most out there. It showed the character in the side,” Markram said.Bavuma may be back and having him, de Bruyn, de Kock and Markram all eager to prove their worth could be the best thing for South Africa’s line-up as the series unfolds. In particular, it will please the seniors, because they own failings have only made South Africa’s job harder; now can see there are others who can bear the load. “It [this innings] does give us confidence,” Markram said. “Obviously it’s a long series and every innings is vitally important. We would have liked to have done it better in the first innings. But what’s done is done and we had to fight our way back in the second innings and I thought the guys showed a lot of fight.”
There was a fittingness about Allan Border’s moustachioed battering ram being in the crowd at Newlands to watch his svelte modern-day avatar go to work in a display that turned day one of the third Test
Daniel Brettig in Cape Town22-Mar-2018Cape Town, March 1994, and Merv Hughes plays the last of his 53 Test matches. Struggling for rhythm and still smarting from fines for abusive language during the previous match at the Wanderers, he goes wicketless in an Australian victory.This uncharacteristically subdued and ineffective display was the final exception that proved the rule so far as Hughes was concerned: for so long he had been the man to whom Allan Border threw the ball when nothing much was happening. Whether it was with a snarl, a sledge, a bouncer, or even a comical legbreak slower ball, Hughes repeatedly conjured the big and game-changing wickets his captain needed – 212 in all, often on a wonky knee.Twenty-four years on, there was a fittingness about Hughes being in the crowd at the Kelvin Grove End of Newlands to watch Pat Cummins go to work in a display that turned day one in Cape Town almost as dramatically as Kagiso Rabada had shifted things in Port Elizabeth.It was his fourth spell, amid the most friendly conditions for batting all series. In the nuggety form of Dean Elgar and the more cultured hands of AB de Villiers, South Africa looked capable of batting on endlessly, and were certainly on track to match Australia’s 331 for 3 on day one of the corresponding match at this ground in 2014, aided by Nathan Lyon’s drop of Elgar on 53 at backward point.While 34 runs had been collected in seven overs since tea, the more troubling element for Australia was the manner in which the game was getting away from them. Elgar, so often batting on the edge of his wits and his bat, looked completely at ease; de Villiers was simply maintaining the irrepressible form of his entire series, this time with top-order help. Josh Hazlewood, after a strong start, had faded, Mitchell Starc had been scattergun all day, and Lyon was sparingly used.
Umpires inspected the ball after it was trodden on by Pat Cummins on day one of the Newlands Test, but found no reason to either penalise the Australians five runs or change the ball.
Repeated television replays from the host broadcaster SuperSport showed Cummins treading on the stationary ball in mid-pitch, then immediately reacting apologetically upon doing so. Speaking after his game-changing spell in the final session, Cummins said the moment had been a “mistake” and that the umpires had found the episode more amusing than nefarious.
“It was just a mistake,” Cummins said. “Looked straight back [at the umpire] and he just had a giggle. Obviously very unintentional. He had a look [at the ball] straight away and obviously there was no issue and he passed it on.”
Cummins had already captured some attention this day, through television footage that showed him treading on the ball. Whether this contact was “inappropriate” or “deliberate” is a question for the match referee Andy Pycroft, though neither umpire took their chance to penalise the Australians five runs or change the ball. Either way, Cummins’ spells had shown a trend towards greater parsimony the older the ball got: five overs for 22, five for 25 and then three for just five in the afternoon.But it was a wicket the Australians needed, and they were not choosy about how it arrived. Steven Smith’s experience with Cummins this season has grown similar to that of Border with Hughes two decades ago, and he has increasingly looked to the 24-year-old to be his game-changer. Two examples stood out during the Ashes: Joe Root lbw on the first evening of the series at the Gabba, and then Dawid Malan bowled from around the wicket under lights at the Adelaide Oval in the fourth innings of the second.To that can now be added a third, as Cummins coaxed de Villiers into popping a gentle catch to David Warner at mid-off. The moment came as a total surprise to almost everyone at Newlands, and must have felt like manna from heaven for the Australians after their mighty struggle to remove de Villiers during the first two Tests. Certainly Cummins was alert to the opportunity he had created, and proceeded to produce a spell of unrelenting quality and shattering effectiveness, with the help of some reverse swing.Next to go was Faf du Plessis, worn down by 12 consecutive deliveries from Cummins that nagged away around his off stump and reaped a single boundary. The wicket-taker was a little shorter and a little wider, moving subtly away and tempting du Plessis to follow it, which he did right into the hands of an exultant Smith. Where de Villiers’ exit had been greeted by Australian relief, this one started to create a sense of elation.Temba Bavuma walked to the middle for the first time in this series with injury and a lack of match practice behind him. While the scoreboard still looked favourable for the Proteas, Cummins’ greeting for Bavuma underlined the high standard to which this series is being played – it is no easy thing simply to slot into the contest in midstream. Beaten twice in six balls by a hint of bounce and movement away, Bavuma could not avoid edging the seventh, which again flew obligingly to Smith. The Australians at the ground who had sat disconsolately in their seats for much of the day were now well and truly out of them.By now Cummins’ spell had passed the five-over mark, but there was a further echo of Hughes in his ability to keep going for his captain, fuelled by adrenaline and the expectation of further wickets. The reward duly came in Cummins’ seventh over, as a vacant square leg and a shortish ball on a tight line tempted Quinton de Kock into a misjudged pull shot and an under-edge, this time through to Tim Paine. Smith gave his weary paceman one more over to test out Vernon Philander, and Cummins beat the bat once more before a pull shot and a boundary finally brought a change.Nevertheless, Cummins had changed the game. His figures for the spell – 8-3-12-4 – stretched the bounds of credulity in the prevailing conditions, and spoke volumes for his heart, skill and fitness. “I quite like long spells because it normally means you’re into a rhythm,” Cummins said. “It was probably lucky it cooled down towards the end of the day, it was quite hot through the first two sessions.
With his beer gut and broad beam, Hughes was remarkably durable through the peak years of his career; after a six-year break between his first Test and his second, Cummins is now a fixture in the team, and gaining a reputation for hardiness in the game’s most physically taxing role
“I don’t think [Smith] could have got the ball out of my hand. He just kept asking if I was good for another one … it felt like I had a bit of a wind behind me and wickets always make the legs feel a bit fresher and I think by my last over I was ready to hand it over. They were two down at tea and we thought we were in for a pretty long day today and maybe into tomorrow.”It probably crossed most of our minds that the two guys who were in and had a really good partnership looked really set and the wicket wasn’t doing too much, so I felt like I could’ve been in for a long day. To get the AB breakthrough, that’s the big one, they were scoring freely, and once he was out it was like a new batsman starting against the reversing ball is always hard, and that put us right on the way. To have them 8 for 260 at the start of the day you’d have definitely taken that.”In this there was one more parallel with Hughes, despite their wildly contrasting physiques. With his beer gut and broad beam, Hughes was remarkably durable through the peak years of his career; after a six-year break between his first Test and his second, Cummins is now a fixture in the team, and gaining a reputation for hardiness in the game’s most physically taxing role.”My body at the moment is one thing I don’t have to think about anywhere near as much as I used to, so it’s brilliant,” he said. “I feel like I can just go out there and bowl as fast as I can each spell, and a four-Test series at the back of a five-match [series] is a pretty long series, but I just have to worry about staying fresh and bowling well rather than any injuries.”For the peskiness he showed around the Australian dressing room, Hughes earned the sobriquet of “fruit fly” from teammates. On this day in Cape Town, the only cricketers annoyed by Cummins’ presence were South African, and in the stands his moustachioed fast-bowling forebear could look with plenty of admiration upon a display so redolent of his game-breaking best.
It’s Lanning’s five-time champions versus Luus’ first-time finalists. Newlands, are you ready?
Valkerie Baynes25-Feb-20234:01
Moonda: A World Cup win for South Africa at home will lift the nation
Big Picture: A sellout at NewlandsAsk any South African and they will tell you they never expected this – their team in the Women’s T20 title decider, the first senior cricket side from their country to reach a World Cup final. Ask any Australian and they will tell you they expected this – their team one match away from a third straight T20I World Cup crown and sixth in all.After South Africa’s three-run defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka in the opening match of the tournament and six-wicket loss to Australia in Gqeberha, they had to defeat Bangladesh in their final group match to reach the semi-finals, which is where this World Cup truly lit up. Australia edged past a courageous India by just five runs to advance before the hosts’ stirring six-run victory over England who, like Australia, had reached the knockout phase unbeaten.
Followers in the US can watch the Women’s T20 World Cup final LIVE on ESPN+
So have South Africa played their final already? Or can they be expected to lift another level before an expected sell-out crowd – a first for a women’s sporting event in South Africa – of nearly 13,000 at Newlands? It is hard to see any dents in Australia’s armour – even in getting a scare from India they did what they so often do and found a way, thanks to a superior fielding performance, their rock-solid top four and calm death bowling from Ashleigh Gardner and Jess Jonassen.The home side, however, are riding a huge wave of emotion and confidence. Their bowling attack is supreme, as shown in their win over England and they were sharp in the field during the semi-final also – especially Tazmin Brits – showing that they can handle the pressure.Form guideSouth Africa WWLWL (all completed matches, most recent first)
Australia WWWWWSune Luus and Meg Lanning pose with the Women’s T20 World Cup trophy•ICC via Getty Images
In the spotlight: Australia’s batting vs South Africa’s bowlingAustralia’s batting line-up has been nigh on indomitable over recent years so the likes of Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney, Meg Lanning, Garnder and Ellyse Perry against Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka, Marizanne Kapp and Nonkululeko Mlaba looms as the key match-up of this final. Australia have three of the top 10 run-scorers at this tournament so far and South Africa two while each have two bowlers inside the leading 10 wicket-takers. South Africa’s batting really only began to gel in the last two games, with Brits and Laura Wolvaardt putting on opening stands of 117 and 96 so that’s an area they’ll need to fire against Australia, who have proven wicket-takers across the board.Don’t forget the home crowd. An additional 3,000 tickets were made available for the upper tiers at Newlands on Saturday morning and they had all been snapped up by mid-afternoon. Australia know what it’s like to play with a packed house behind them and now that the South African side can expect the same, there’s no telling what that could do.Team news: Jonassen over King for Australia?While it was pace duo Ismail and Khaka who did the damage in the semi-final, they have a top-class spinner in Mlaba in their midst too. South Africa played their best XI against England and are unlikely to change that winning formula for the final.South Africa (possible): 1 Tazmin Brits, 2 Laura Wolvaardt, 3 Marizanne Kapp, 4 Suné Luus (capt), 5 Chloe Tryon, 6 Anneke Bosch, 7 Nadine de Klerk, 8 Sinalo Jafta (wk), 9 Shabnim Ismail, 10 Ayabonga Khaka, 11 Nonkululeko MlabaAustralia have all players available for selection heading into the final. They replaced legspinner Alana King with left-arm spinner Jonassen for the semi-final against India and Jonassen’s bowling at the death was a key factor in Australia’s five-run victory so it would be no surprise to see her retain her place.Australia (possible): 1 Alyssa Healy (wk), 2 Beth Mooney, 3 Meg Lanning (capt), 4 Ashleigh Gardner, 5 Ellyse Perry, 6 Tahlia McGrath, 7 Grace Harris, 8 Georgia Wareham, 9 Jess Jonassen, 10 Megan Schutt, 11 Darcie BrownBig demand for tickets for the Women’s T20 World Cup final•ICC/Getty Images
Pitch and conditionsThe match will be played on the same Newlands pitch that staged both semi-finals where pace played a part, particularly early in England’s chase as Ismail unleashed her thunderbolts. But by the following day it was looking fairly brown with some cracks appearing under a baking sun and with a drying wind about. Another sunny day is forecast with temperatures of 26 degrees Celsius expected. Almost bang in the centre of the ground, the on- and off-side boundaries are pretty much equidistant.Stats and trivia Australia have won all six of the T20Is between these sides and 14 of 15 ODIs. The only time South Africa avoided defeat was in a tied game in 2016. Brits and Wolvaardt have shared 299 partnership runs between them so far. Only Healy and Mooney (352 runs in 2020) have added more runs together in an edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup. Healy has five fifties in her last 10 innings at the Women’s T20 World Cup, where she has scored 407 runs at an average of 45.22 and a strike rate of 138.43.Quotes”We know we’re probably not going to be the team that everyone’s cheering for but that’s fine, you know it’s going to be an incredible atmosphere and an incredible game at an amazing venue – so we’re pumped, we can’t wait to get out here and play and no doubt it’s going to be a great contest.”
“That is just it, my friend. It’s history, understand? Tomorrow, it’s a one-off game. You can’t be worrying about Australia and what they’re doing.”
Barcelona Femeni have confirmed their sixth-straight Liga F title after a massive 9-0 win over Real Betis, with Claudia Pina scoring a hat-trick.
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