Category Uncategorized

Match facts

Thursday, March 26, 2009
Start time 10.30am local (21.30 GMT)MS Dhoni is looking for India’s 100th Test win, and their first series triumph in New Zealand in 41 years•AFP

The Big Picture

One down with two to play, New Zealand have it all to do. So comprehensively were they outplayed in all aspects in Hamilton that a reversal of fortunes is a tall task: their top order was woefully inadequate, the fast bowlers were a distant second to Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma and Munaf Patel, and Harbhajan Singh comfortably outperformed Daniel Vettori in the spin department.The gulf was wide in the first Test, but New Zealand have been putting in the hard yards over the last four days to give themselves the best chance of bridging the gap. What they’ll hope for now is to get some early momentum at McLean Park, take the honours in the first two sessions, and hope India feel the pressure. Some quick Indian wickets with the new ball could still swing things their way, but if India survive the early exchanges, it could be another long Test for New Zealand.MS Dhoni has a superior team on paper, and proved that in the first Test, but India need to guard against complacency. While they’ve been winning more frequently overseas since 2000, series wins haven’t been that easy to come by. The last time they won the first Test of a series outside the subcontinent – against South Africa in 2006-07 – they promptly lost the next two to lose the series. However, Dhoni has plenty of incentive to ensure that this isn’t repeated: India haven’t won a series in New Zealand since 1967-68, and a victory in Napier will break that dry spell, and also bring up their 100th Test win.

Test form guide

(last five matches, most recent first)
New Zealand – LDDLL
India – WDWWD
India have beaten Australia, England and New Zealand over their last five games, while New Zealand have suffered heavy defeats against Australia and India during this period.

Watch out for …

Jesse Ryder has shown, over the course of this series, that he can mould his game according to the needs of the team. He was aggression personified in the ODIs, but he showed wonderful temperament and maturity in putting together his first Test hundred in extremely trying circumstances in Hamilton. He has a solid technique, his confidence is sky-high, and the Indians haven’t yet figured out how to bowl to him.Harbhajan Singh picked up his best overseas haul in the previous Test. With him, one good performance usually leads to another. Against an inexperienced New Zealand batting line-up lacking in quality against spin and on a pitch expected to assist slow bowlers, Harbhajan will back himself to take another bagful of wickets.

Team news

Jeetan Patel is likely to come in for the disappointing Kyle Mills, who did his cause no favours with a lacklustre performance in Hamilton – 1 for 119 in 24.2 overs. Moreover, in two previous Tests in Napier, Mills’ stats are equally mediocre – none for 128 in 44 overs. New Zealand also need to decide if Daniel Flynn has recovered from the bruising he suffered on his hand in the first Test. He practised despite a swollen hand on the eve of the Test, and a final call will only be taken after a comprehensive fitness Test on Thursday morning. If he fails to make the grade, Jamie How will take his place.New Zealand (likely): 1 Tim McIntosh, 2 Martin Guptill, 3 Daniell Flynn/Jamie How, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Jesse Ryder, 6 James Franklin, 7 Brendon McCullum (wk), 8 Daniel Vettori (capt), 9 Jeetan Patel, 10 Iain O’Brien, 11 Chris Martin.India will almost certainly play the team that won so convincingly in Hamilton. There were question-marks over the third seamer before that game, but Munaf Patel dispelled them emphatically with match figures of 5 for 120.India (likely): 1 Gautam Gambhir, 2 Virender Sehwag, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Sachin Tendulkar, 5 VVS Laxman, 6 Yuvraj Singh, 7 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk), 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Munaf Patel.

Pitch & conditions

The pitch has come in for plenty of comment in the days leading up to the Test, with reports of a fungal growth forcing the groundsmen to shift the surface. However, Phil Stoyanoff, the chief curator, denied those reports, and predicted a typical Napier track. “There is always a little bit in it in the first session, and then it pans out to be an absolute belter, and has good consistent bounce,” Stoyanoff said. “Lot of runs get scored here.”That, coupled with forecasts of sunny weather over the next four days, is good news for India’s batsmen, but not so encouraging for New Zealand. Andy Moles, the New Zealand coach, has publicly called for a pitch which offers more help to the fast bowlers, but with the home team looking to play two spinners, that looks highly unlikely.

Stats and trivia

• New Zealand haven’t yet won a Test here – in seven games they’ve lost two and drawn the rest. India’s only Test here was in 1990, which they drew.
• The only Indian from the current squad to play a Test here is Sachin Tendulkar, who missed his maiden Test century by 12 runs in 1990.
• Jeetan Patel has taken ten wickets in two Tests at McLean Park, at an average of 29.20. Vettori hasn’t been as incisive, averaging 47.75 for his eight wickets at this ground.
• The team batting second hasn’t yet won a Test here: both Sri Lanka and England won when batting first.

Quotes

“We need our batsmen to bat 120 overs, we need our bowlers to be consistent for longer, and we need to lift ourselves in the field. It’s every part of the game, and if we don’t do that we will get the same result as we did in Hamilton.”
“For us the next step is day one of the Test match. As I said a Test match goes on for five days, it’s not like it’s decided in one day. We have seen sides losing a game after having a brilliant day. It’s all about consistently doing well over a period of time.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Um dos principais motivos para que o pedido de interdição de São Januário fosse acatado é a segurança dos profissionais de imprensa durante os jogos da equipe no estádio. Nas confusões no clássico com o Flamengo, última partida disputada no local, jornalistas foram agredidos por torcedores, inclusive com invasão nas cabines que resultou em ferimento grave em um cinegrafista da TV Bandeirantes, necessitando que um repórter da RecordTV, que dividia a cabine, lutasse contra o agressor para desarmá-lo e evitar algo pior com o companheiro ferido. Visando corrigir esta situação, a Associação dos Cronistas Esportivos do Rio de Janeiro (Acerj) se reuniu com o presidente do Vasco, Eurico Miranda, na última terça-feira, e medidas foram acertadas para tanto. E o presidente cruz-maltino garantiu treinos abertos para os jornalistas, fato que não acontece desde agosto do ano passado.

Antes do encontro com Eurico Miranda, o presidente da Acerj, Eraldo Leite, e o vice da associação, Ricardo Gonzalez, se reuniram com o responsável pela comunicação do Vasco, Roberto Garófalo, e com o assessor especial da presidência, Ricardo Vasconcellos. Medidas operacionais a serem tomadas foram acertadas. Para evitar invasões nas cabines, ponto de maior perigo visto nas confusões em São Januário no jogo com o Flamengo, ficou acertada a construção de um muro no terceiro degrau da arquibancada, de cima para baixo, à frente das cabines. Atualmente, o espaço entre o último degrau e a janela da cabine é de aproximadamente um metro, o que facilita possíveis invasões, deixando em risco a segurança dos profissionais de imprensa que ficam no local.

Atualmente, os jornalistas que trabalham em jogos em São Januário precisam passar pelos torcedores para que se chegue ao local de trabalho. Uma outra medida acertada no encontro é a de buscar a aprovação da Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (CBF) para que a “imprensa passe por um pequeno trecho do gramado (não do campo de jogo) até o início do protocolo da CBF, entrando pelo vestiário da base e subindo às cabines, para que não haja o contato com o público”. A terceira medida anunciada foi a de realização de um “estudo de medida para deixar menos exposto o repórter cinematográfico que capta os impedimentos e fica no meio da torcida do Vasco (provavelmente com a colocação de dois seguranças do clube no local)”.

Os jornalistas de veículos escritos, atualmente, ficam em um camarote atrás do gol, onde no jogo com o Flamengo também teve agressão sofrida por um profissional de imprensa. Para garantir a segurança dos profissionais também deste tipo de mídia, ficou acertado “possível mudança do camarote da imprensa escrita, com pedido da Acerj para a presença de seguranças no novo local”. A Acerj também informou que “foi tratada a questão da responsabilidade sobre a segurança nos jogos do Vasco. E Ricardo Vasconcellos foi bastante claro ao informar que essa é uma atribuição do Vasco, e não da Polícia Militar. Segundo ele, o Vasco não terceiriza o serviço com uma empresa do setor, são profissionais designados pelo clube”.

Na oportunidade de reunião com o presidente Eurico Miranda, Eraldo Leite apresentou o desejo da Acerj de uma maior integração com os clubes e de maior acesso dos jornalistas a treinos e jogadores. Em nota divulgada pela entidade, “o presidente do Vasco fez críticas à abordagem de alguns temas relativos ao clube por parte da mídia, aos comentários de alguns jornalistas, mas garantiu que já autorizou a volta de alguns treinos abertos – medida que ainda está sendo viabilizada”. No fim do mês passado, o vice-presidente de futebol, Eurico Brandão, mais conhecido como Euriquinho, se reuniu com todos os setoristas do Vasco nos veículos do Rio de Janeiro, entre jornal, rádio e site, e já tinha garantido a volta gradativa do acesso aos treinos para os jornalistas, o que ainda não foi colocada em prática. Este ano, apenas um treino foi liberado para a imprensa – o primeiro de Luis Fabiano no clube. Os treinos 100% fechados acontecem diariamente desde os Jogos Olímpicos em agosto do ano passado.

Ficou debatido na pauta do encontro também a restrição a alguns órgãos de imprensa ou jornalistas a São Januário, fato que gera grande animosidade. Eurico Miranda explicou os motivos de sua irritação, mas não negou o pedido formal feito pela Acerj. Passou a questão para Roberto Garófalo e a entidade, em nota, garantiu que voltará ao tema com ele. Por fim, “a diretoria da ACERJ avaliou que o encontro foi proveitoso, na medida em que, primeiro, houve uma aproximação com o Vasco, segundo, porque medidas de segurança serão tomadas a curto prazo”. Finalizou em nota dizendo que “finalmente, ao menos nesse primeiro encontro, ficou estabelecido um canal importante com a assessoria de imprensa do clube para que sejam tratadas questões pontuais do interesse dos jornalistas na cobertura do Vasco”.

RelacionadasVascoMateus Vital abre o jogo sobre Vasco, futuro e concorrência com NenêVasco26/07/2017VascoTorcedor mirim do Vasco faz pedido sincero a Mateus Vital. Assista!Vasco25/07/2017Mais EsportesVasco anuncia mais dois reforços para próxima temporadaMais Esportes25/07/2017

Flocking to Twitter, a number of Manchester City fans have been left excited by a claim involving Paris-Saint Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe.

City have got their Premier League title defence off to a solid start despite their brief injury scares and dropped points away to Tottenham and at home to Southampton.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/man-city-latest-developments/” title=”Man City latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Indeed, the Sky Blues have just come off the back of a crucial 1-0 win away to European champions and title rivals Chelsea, with Gabriel Jesus scoring the only goal at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Now, it appears that City supporters have more to celebrate as a claim emerges involving Mbappe and Pep Guardiola’s side.

According to reporter Duncan Castles on The Transfer Window Podcast, it is said that the club have now been given a ‘mandate’ to sign the France forward and that they want him at ‘any cost’.

Flocking to this claim, many fans have been left excited by the prospect of signing the 22-year-old, who has scored 163 club career goals so far – check out some of their verdicts below.

Man City fans excited by Mbappe claim…

“IT’S HAPPENING”

Credit: @NoMoreWxrds

“Bring him to City ASAP”

Credit: @Nathan6ii

“Stop teasing me….”

Credit: @dameue3

“get him home please”

Credit: @Erlipson6

“I hope this is true”

Credit: @Dieguitocity

“Yesssssssssssssss”

Credit: @Kevin57197624

“FINALLLLLLLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY MANIFESTATION COMING TRUE!

Credit: @MichaelNana

In other news: ‘Most underrated player in our squad’…lots of Man City fans wowed by star’s ‘best performance ever, find out more here.

MatériaMais Notícias

Corinthians e Botafogo se enfrentam neste domingo, às 16h, na Arena em Itaquera, pela 11ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. O time paulista é o líder da competição, com 26 pontos. A equipe carioca, por sua vez, tem 15 pontos e ocupa o sétimo lugar na tabela. Veja abaixo as principais informações da partida:

Local: Arena Corinthians, em São Paulo (SP)
Data e horário: 2/7/2017 – 16h (de Brasília)
Árbitro: Rodolpho Toski Marques (PR-Fifa)
Assistentes: Bruno Boschilia (PR-Fifa) e Victor Hugo Imazu dos Santos (PR)
Onde acompanhar: TV Globo RJ, Premiere e em tempo real no LANCE!

CORINTHIANS (técnico: Fabio Carille)

RelacionadasCorinthiansLateral volta após dois meses, e Timão tem 23 relacionados; veja listaCorinthians01/07/2017CorinthiansRodriguinho deixa treino, mas deve jogar no Timão; Clayson será titularCorinthians01/07/2017BotafogoBotafogo tem 13 jogadores livres para pré-contratos a partir deste sábadoBotafogo01/07/2017

Desfalques do Corinthians: Vilson, Mantuan e Danilo (recuperam-se de lesão), Marciel (faz tratamento capilar com substância que pode causar doping) e Romero (suspenso).
Pendurados: Marquinhos Gabriel, Rodriguinho, Fagner e Gabriel

BOTAFOGO (técnico: Jair Ventura)

Desfalques do Botafogo: Jonas, Marcinho, Airton, Matheus Fernandes (lesionados)
Pendurados: Igor Rabello e Bruno Silva

PALPITÃO: na redação do LANCE!, 80% das pessoas acreditam na vitória do Corinthians, enquanto 20% apostam no empate. Vitória do Botafogo não recebeu votos.

A number of Liverpool supporters have been reacting to Roberto Firmino’s injury, saying the Reds must now sign another attacker in the coming days.

Jurgen Klopp’s team could only draw 1-1 at home to Chelsea on Saturday evening, in what proved to be a thrilling contest at Anfield.

Liverpool couldn’t break down their ten-man opponents for the entirety of the second half, with the Blues defending expertly and the hosts running out of ideas.

[freshpress-quiz id=“359326”]

The Reds suffered a first-half blow when Firmino had to go off with a hamstring injury, with Klopp admitting after the game that the forward will need a scan [via The Times‘ Paul Joyce on Twitter].

It looks as though the Brazilian could now be absent for a number of weeks, potentially highlighting the need for another attacker to come in before deadline day on Tuesday.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Liverpool fans call for another attacking signing

These Liverpool took to Twitter to react to the injury, calling for business to be done in the transfer market.

“Sign forward now I beg, the only good forward we have right now is Salah and Jota, idk what happened to Mane”

Credit: @dnlfc_

“If we don’t buy one more attacking option, we will end up having another trophyless season. Prove me wrong please”

Credit: @mrafihdyt

“Oh no”

Credit: @concobhar2017

“So it begins”

Credit: @rebekkarnold

“This is just the beginning. yeah we don’t need any new signings”

Credit: @CarloMarlito

“Christ we’re even more done”

Credit: @RHLFC7

In other news, some Liverpool fans are unhappy with Klopp’s recent comments. Find out why here.

Steve Howey reckons Steve Bruce is set to bolster his midfield options by welcoming Hamza Choudhury to Newcastle United.

Bruce has only been able to welcome one addition to St James’ Park during the transfer window, with Joe Willock returning to the club on a permanent basis after a £20million deal was struck with Arsenal.

Willock enjoyed a successful loan spell with Newcastle last season and displayed his goalscoring capabilities by becoming the first player since Alan Shearer to score in seven consecutive Premier League outings.

Bruce has now set his sights on clinching the services of Leicester City’s Choudhury on loan and the midfielder appears open to the switch.

Choudhury, 23, saw a loan move to Newcastle fall through at the end of the January transfer window and made just four Premier League starts last season. He did, however, play a part in Leicester’s successful FA Cup campaign, coming on in the final against Chelsea.

Former Magpies defender Howey thinks Choudhury could prove to be a good signing if they manage to get a deal over the line this time around.

He exclusively told Football FanCast: “He is a decent player but the question is whether he will play week in, week out.

“If the manager feels as though he would come into the team and contribute really well then, of course, it’s an option.”

Brett Lee has started an intense training programme ahead of the third Test amid concerns in the Australian camp that he has lost condition and his fearsome speed. Lee spent a month away from the game following his marriage break-up in August and it has left him under-prepared for the tour of India, where he has picked up four wickets at 59.25 in the first two Tests.”Because he’s been a bit underdone he’s been bowling a bit at half- and three-quarter pace at training, concentrating on his technique trying to do everything right,” the captain Ricky Ponting told the . “But by doing that he’s probably taught himself to bowl slow.”For the next week he’ll be doing that dynamic stuff. When he bowls at training he’ll be bowling off his long run to train that back into his body again.”While most of the squad has been given time off to refresh mentally and physically following the 320-run loss in Mohali, Lee will be aiming to lift his strength and his speed. Stuart Karppinen, the team’s fitness advisor, is trying to help Lee regain his spark in the five days that remain before the Delhi Test.”Because of his personal circumstances, he hasn’t done the same volume of work and we want to try to build that up,” Karppinen said. “He’s at 95% and bowling in the mid-140s [kph] but we want him to be able to crank that up. He’s lost speed and condition.”Although both Ponting and Lee played down their on-field disagreement in the Mohali Test, where Lee was not asked to bowl until after lunch on the fourth day, Ponting said it was clear Lee had taken time to find his rhythm. He said if Lee could not regain his extreme pace, his responsibilities would need to be tweaked accordingly.”We’ll have to look at how to get him to bowl in the Test if he can’t bowl express,” Ponting said. “He’ll have to play another role for us. If you look at his spells in the game it’s probably been his first-up spell that’s been his worst. When he’s come back he’s settled into a line and length.”Lee’s experience – he has nearly 300 Test wickets – took on extra importance when Stuart Clark pulled out of the Mohali game with an elbow injury. The fast-bowling line-up at Mohali featured the debutant Peter Siddle and the developing Mitchell Johnson, and with Clark’s fitness still uncertain, Ponting is desperate to have Lee firing in Delhi.”We need him bowling very well,” Ponting said. “He’s the guy everyone in our attack looks up to. He’s a senior player in the team and he’s led the attack brilliantly in the last 12 or 18 months. The rest of our bowling attack really fits in around what he does. We need him back and bowling well to be a chance of winning this series.”

Dean Windass has exclusively told The Transfer Tavern that Josh Windass could be sidelined for at least another month.

Windass, who recently committed his future to Sheffield Wednesday by signing a new contract, has missed the early parts of the campaign following a hamstring problem sustained in pre-season.

He’s since undergone surgery on his issue and has already missed the early parts of the season – keeping him out of the Owls’ impressive start to the League One campaign, which has seen Darren Moore’s men remain unbeaten and climb to the top of the standings.

Windass was asked on Twitter by a supporter on the timeframe for his return to action and revealed that he’s hoping to be back by the end of October, which could see him miss a further 13 matches across all competitions.

But his father told The Transfer Tavern that he could return by next month:

“He’s got to focus on getting fit after his hamstring injury, but it helps when his team have started so well and will be favourites to get automatic promotion.

“I spoke to him yesterday and he feels good, and he wants to get back playing as quickly as possible. I would probably say September or October, it was a bad injury.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Santos não poderá contar com Lucas Lima em três jogos do Brasileirão por causa de seu retorno à Seleção Brasileira. Dos dias 9 a 13 de junho, o camisa 10 estará servindo à CBF para disputar os amistosos contra Argentina e Austrália, em Melbourne.

Neste período, o Alvinegro enfrentaráBotafogo, Atlético-PR Palmeiras, nos dias 7, 11 e 14 de de junho, respectivamente, além da Ponte Preta, no dia 17. Para este último, no entanto, o meia ainda é dúvida por questões logísticas.

Lucas Lima havia ficado fora das últimas listas de Tite, enquanto se recuperava de lesões e tentava resgatar o melhor futebol. Nesta temporada, ele já soma dez assistências.

Para seu lugar, Dorival Júnior conta com Rafael Longuine ou Jean Mota.

RelacionadasSeleção BrasileiraTite dá folga a Neymar e enche convocação da Seleção de surpresasSeleção Brasileira19/05/2017SantosÁudio revela que Noguera foi indicado ao Santos por um garçomSantos19/05/2017SantosMarcelo Fernandes volta ao Santos e vai à CBF por ‘Licença A’ de técnicoSantos18/05/2017

Leeds United are now in advanced talks to sign Valerenga goalkeeper Kristoffer Klaesson this summer.

What’s the story?

Reports in recent days had suggested that the Whites were eyeing up a move for the 1.89m (6 foot 2) ace as they look to bolster their goalkeeping ranks following the departure of Kiko Casilla on a season-long loan.

Football Insider have now delivered an exciting update on the situation.

They claimed that a Leeds source has revealed: “Klaesson is now the top keeper target and discussions are progressing well over a potential deal. The Premier League outfit have offered a contract to the Valerenga number one and a deal is edging closer.

“Leeds have already applied for a work permit for the youngster, who is not yet a full Norway international. However, he has represented his country all the way through the age groups up to Under-21 level and United are confident of their application being successful.”

Bielsa will love it

Having given the green light for Casilla to join Elche for the upcoming season, Leeds are left short in terms of goalkeeping backup to first-choice shot-stopper Illan Meslier.

In Klaesson, the Whites can go a long way to not only securing a viable rotation option, but also someone who could potentially challenge Meslier for that number one jersey in the years to come, especially given that he’s only 20 years old.

Valerenga sporting director Jørgen Ingebrigtsen has already spoken about the kind of work Victor Orta has put in behind the scenes, saying: “The best clubs, and the best environments, work long-term with player recruitment. There, Victor is one of the brightest in the subject. Leeds arrived on the field in the summer of 2019 and have been very good. We have had a good dialogue with them.

“They obviously saw something of Kristoffer early that they liked, and have been good at updating themselves on developments.”

Not only will Bielsa love that the Whites are acting so decisively in addressing a potential concern in his squad, but Klaesson’s age makes him someone who is a perfect fit for the long-term at Elland Road.

Meanwhile, Leeds could sign their new Pablo Hernandez in this star…