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The tournament had several established stars doing well, but the new talent gave it an extra sheen

Saurabh Somani17-Sep-2021CPL 2021 ended with a pulsating final in which St Kitts and Nevis Patriots beat St Lucia Kings by three wickets off the last ball of the match. The tournament had several established stars doing well, but the sparkling new talent gave it an extra sheen. Sifting those players down to the XI who would make up the team of the tournament meant leaving some performers out, as is inevitably the case. Here is ESPNCricinfo’s CPL 2021 XI:Evin Lewis – St Kitts and Nevis PatriotsQuite simply, the best batter in CPL 2021. Evin Lewis was part of the winning team, and though he had a rare failure in the final, he did plenty to drive Patriots to that position. In the semi-final against Guyana Amazon Warriors, he made light work of an imposing target of 179, reeling off 77 not out in 39 balls as Patriots won with a massive 2.1 overs to spare. That performance had come on the back of a sizzling, unbeaten 52-ball 106 against last year’s champions Trinbago Knight Riders in Patriots’ final league game to seal their semi-final spot. Lewis ended as the second-highest run-scorer in the competition with 426 runs, and allied his consistency to big-hitting as a strike-rate of 163.21 showed. As per ESPNCricinfo’s Smart Stats, he was the highest-rated batter too and ranked first on the Smart Runs tally, with 493.68 runs.Faf du Plessis – St Lucia KingsHe brings in a solidity that could nicely complement the slew of big-hitters in the XI. While Faf du Plessis had an up-and-down tournament, two innings in particular were standouts in the league phase: 120* in 60 balls against Patriots and then 84 off 54 against Barbados Royals. He picked up a groin injury in that last game and missed Kings’ last few games, and the team, no doubt, missed his batting form and leadership. The second half of the tournament was much more productive for du Plessis after a sluggish start. The balance he brings to the batting line-up meant he was picked ahead of his closest contender Kennar Lewis, who had blasted runs at a rate comparable to Evin, but got out quicker than du Plessis. It was a close contest between the two, but on the day, du Plessis won the vote.ESPNcricinfo LtdRoston Chase – St Lucia KingsWithout a doubt, the Player of the Tournament. He has still not played a T20I, but Roston Chase was selected in West Indies’ squad for the T20 World Cup on the back of his showing in this tournament. He reached double figures in 10 out of 12 innings, and was the highest run-scorer in the tournament with 446 runs. He did it all at a strike rate of 144.33, and proved to be the perfect all-round package with his more than handy offspin, picking up 10 wickets and conceding at below 7 per over. Chase was the clear MVP on ESPNCricinfo’s Smart Stats too, with a player rating of 66.75, the highest in the tournament. While his batting was a standout, his ability to strike regularly and keep the runs down meant his bowling also proved very valuable. Chase’s T20 reinvention was stark enough to make him not just a likely starter in West Indies’ first XI, but possibly one of their most crucial men in their title defence next month.Nicholas Pooran (wk) – Guyana Amazon WarriorsHe’s not the captain in this team, and there’s a lot more batting depth, which means Nicholas Pooran can bat at a position that seems more naturally fitting for him. Of the ten times Pooran batted in CPL 2021, he batted at No. 4 only twice, spending the rest of the time trying to either shore up or finish an innings from numbers five through seven. He still ended up sixth on the run-getters list and, more impressively, third in the Smart Runs tally, behind only Lewis and Chase. The situations he batted in meant his Smart Strike Rate was 214.9, the highest in the tournament among those who played at least five innings. Pooran mostly came in to bat in the second half of an innings, and had to score quickly from the start, at which he succeeded more often than not. Given the strength of the top three, he might have to do the same in this XI, but he showed with his 75* off 39 against Jamaica Tallawahs that he could grab an innings by the scruff of its neck if he comes in earlier too. Pooran will also keep wicket.Tim David – St Lucia KingsOne of the revelations of the tournament, Tim David’s hard-hitting consistency in the middle order confirmed his growing stature in T20 cricket. He had already had success in the BBL and PSL, and made 15 off 6 in the only match he got to bat in the Hundred, which was the final. In CPL 2021, he began by smashing 56 off 28 in his first game and continued to score consistently thereafter. He batted mostly at No.6 (only three out of his 11 innings were higher, at No.5) and still ended up as the third highest run-scorer with 282 runs, a testament to how little he failed.Kieron Pollard (capt) – Trinbago Knight RidersThere was no title run this time for Kieron Pollard, but he left his stamp on the tournament nonetheless. His six-hitting ability remains undiminished, as 21 sixes in 165 balls faced show, and he was just as much of a looming presence and threat with the bat as he has always been. He was the ninth-highest run-getter with 261 runs, but his true value is brought out by his Smart Runs tally of 307.68 – the fifth highest in the competition. Pollard cut down on his bowling, never bowling more than one over whenever he did opt to take the ball. His team lost in the semi-final, but his leadership was smart as ever, and he’ll be the captain of this team.Odean Smith’s all-round prowess shone through•Getty ImagesOdean Smith – Guyana Amazon WarriorsOne of the breakout stars of the tournament, Odean Smith showed he was capable of hustling batters at 140 clicks, while also being able to muscle the ball over the boundary. Warriors started CPL 2021 by pushing Smith up to No.3, and in his very first match, he turned in a Player-of-the-Match performance with useful contributions with bat and ball. Smith had batted only four times before that game in T20 cricket, never scoring more than 10, but showed his big-hitting promise in List A and first-class cricket with strike rates in excess of 100 in both. Although Warriors didn’t persist with Smith at one-down, he did show his big-hitting prowess from lower down too, in a couple of matches. His bowling was even more impressive, and he ended as joint-second on the wickets tally with 18 scalps. On pitches that were slower, his ability to hurry batters stood out. He missed selection to the T20 World Cup, but if this tournament is any indication, he’ll not be missing out for too long.Romario Shepherd – Guyana Amazon WarriorsAlongside Smith, he was the other standout all-round performer for Warriors. Shepherd took the same number of wickets as Smith did with 18, although he played only nine games. He showed incredible bowling smarts, particularly in the Super Over win against Trinbago Knight Riders early in the tournament, not only picking up 3 for 24 despite dropped catches and misfields off his bowling, but defending just 6 in the Super Over.He had shown a brief glimpse of his big-hitting in that game, which came out fully later in the tournament against Jamaica Tallawahs, when he hit 72* off 44. He made it an all-round day to remember, by also taking 3 for 31. On ESPNCricinfo’s Smart Stats too, Shepherd was remarkable, being the third-highest rated player overall, as also the third-highest rated bowler. Like Smith, Shepherd might consider himself a tad unlucky to not make West Indies’ T20 World Cup squad. But like Smith, if he carries this batting and bowling form, it’s only a matter of time.Sunil Narine was wily as ever•CPL T20/ Getty ImagesSunil Narine – Trinbago Knight RidersNone of the old skill seems to have faded for Sunil Narine. He picked up 12 wickets in 10 games, which was a good return in itself, but he did it at a staggering economy rate of 4.37. The Smart Economy, which factors in the match situation a bowler has bowled in as also the batters facing up, was a jaw-dropping 2.51, streets and avenues ahead of anyone else. The nature of the pitches made Narine’s spin more potent than ever. That oppositions were intent on playing him out rather than taking risks is borne out by his economy, but that he still picked up 12 wickets spoke to how much of a consistent threat he posed even when batters were looking not to take risks against him. Narine’s batting wasn’t nearly as effective as it had been in the past, with teams sticking to the tried-and-tested short ball strategy against him, but it was a bowling tournament for the ages.Dominic Drakes – St Kitts and Nevis PatriotsThe hero of the final, and you suspect, of many greater moments to come in a career brimming with possibilities. Dominic Drakes had more to do with the ball than bat, but even so, he passed 20 on three of the five times he went to bat, each time at a strike rate of over 180. His most telling contribution came in the final of course, with 48* off 24, a match-winning hand. While bowling, he looked sharp when in rhythm, which he was in more matches than not, as 16 wickets – joint fourth-highest – testify. Only 23-years-old, and with cricketing lineage to boot – he said after the final that father Vasbert Drakes gets more nervous than he does before a game – there is a world of possibilities open to Dominic.Ravi Rampaul – Trinbago Knight RidersBefore CPL 2021, the last time Ravi Rampaul had bowled in a T20 game was in 2019. It turned out to be a storming comeback for the veteran seamer, as he ended the tournament at the top of the wicket charts with 19 to his name. The swing, seam and zip of old were all in evidence, and it led to another comeback, this time in West Indies’ T20 World Cup squad. Rampaul’s wicket-taking in the powerplay proved crucial for Trinbago Knight Riders.

Should Celtic re-appoint Ange Postecoglou to replace Brendan Rodgers?

Well, the Australian did enjoy great success during his two seasons in Glasgow, winning five trophies, meaning he may remain the club’s most universally popular manager of the modern era.

However, following an ill-fated 39 days stint in charge of Nottingham Forest, reports suggest that Postecoglou is not looking to jump straight back into management, while his record at Tottenham and the City Ground, Europa League triumph aside, would be causes for concern, suggesting he may not be the dream candidate some supporters believe him to be.

Instead, should they target “one of the best coaches” around in a move reminiscent of what occurred in the year 2000?

Martin O'Neill's Celtic career

On Monday evening, when news of Rodgers’ resignation was announced, Celtic also confirmed that Martin O’Neill would be placed in interim charge, working alongside Shaun Maloney.

This is the 73 year old’s first managerial position since an Ange-esque 19 game stint at Nottingham Forest in 2019 and, having been in charge of the Republic of Ireland for five years before that, he hasn’t truly been a club manager since leaving Sunderland in 2013.

He did make a winning start to life back in the dugout, overseeing a 4-0 demolition of Falkirk in the Premiership on Wednesday night, with Johnny Kenny bagging a brace, while Benjamin Nygren and Sebastian Tounekti were also on target.

Sunday’s League Cup semi-final against fierce rivals Rangers at Hampden should be a significantly tougher assignment, but O’Neill certainly has pedigree when it comes to winning Old Firm games.

The Irishman began his managerial career in the ’90s with very impressive stints in charge of Wycombe Wanderers and Leicester City, gaining promotion in charge of both, before winning two League Cups with the Foxes.

This earned him the Celtic job in 2000, viewed very much as a left-field choice at the time, but this proved to be a masterstroke.

Prior to his arrival, Rangers had won 11 of the last 12 Scottish titles, but O’Neill won the league in three of his first four seasons as well as leading Celtic to the UEFA Cup Final in 2003, ultimately defeated by José Mourinho’s Porto at the Cartuja in Seville.

Not since Jock Stein has a Celtic manager been so successful in Europe, with O’Neill also winning 13 of his 24 Old Firm games, while he also boasts the best win percentage of any permanent Hoops boss in history, before even including Wednesday’s win.

Martin O’Neill

283

75.6%

Ange Postecoglou

113

73.5%

Neil Lennon

335

70.7%

Jock Stein

761

69.6%

Brendan Rodgers

292

68.8%

Gordon Strachen

195

64.6%

Willie Maley

1,617

64.4%

Ronny Deila

118

63.6%

Billy McNeill

455

60%

David Hay

209

56.9%

Tommy Burns

140

55.7%

Liam Brady

126

54%

Jimmy McGrory

843

49.7%

Note: minimum 100 matches in charge.

O’Neill will be hoping to improve that win ratio further, for however long he remains in the dugout, although that won’t be easy, with games against Rangers and then Midtjylland in Herning next on the agenda.

So, should Celtic appoint someone who is reminiscent of when O’Neill first arrived a quarter of a century ago?

Celtic could appoint 'one of the best coaches' in England

Of all the people reportedly in contention to become Celtic manager, Nicky Hayen, Craig Bellamy, Robbie Keane, Kjetil Knutsen and others, would Kieran McKenna represent the biggest coup?

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

Sky Sports has reported that the Ipswich Town boss is a name whom the Celtic hierarchy are ‘very keen on’, although it remains to be seen if he would leave mid-season – while a reported £5m get-out clause could also prove prohibitive.

Just 39 years old, the Northern Irishman has been in coaching since 2009, employed by Tottenham and Manchester United as a youth coach and scout, before working alongside José Mourinho and then Ole Gunnar Solskjær as an assistant at Old Trafford.

Solskjær spoke glowingly about McKenna, describing him as “the most thorough and analytical… process-driven coach that I’ve worked with”, while fellow ex-Man United great Nicky Butt agrees, labelling him “one of the best coaches I’ve ever seen on the grass”.

His reputation earned him his first head coach role at Ipswich, enjoying unparalleled success in Suffolk, guiding the Tractor Boys to back-to-back promotions, leading them back into the Premier League for the first time since 2002, even if they were relegated straight away.

A mixed start to this EFL Championship campaign has the Blues 12th, but there is still firm belief that, with McKenna in charge, the East Anglian-based outfit will be promotion contenders.

In fact, despite taking a battering pretty much every week in the Premier League last season, only Mick O’Brien in the ’30s and Sir Alf Ramsey have a better win percentage of any Ipswich boss in history.

As outlined by the Coaches Voice, McKenna favours a ‘short-passing style’ with width provided by attacking full-backs, allowing wingers to drift inside, concluding that this approach should take him ‘ to the top of the game as a coach’, something that would suit how Celtic have played in the past and their current squad.

Also, as documents, McKenna’s history working with youth teams means he is more than willing to bring through younger players, helping Omari Hutchinson and others realise their true potential at Portman Road.

So, while his lack of experience, and poor Premier League record, with an admittedly weak squad, are causes for concern, the Celtic board must be bold, rather than churning through the same three of four faces.

If Neil Lennon wasn’t currently Dunfermline Athletic manager, he’d almost certainly be in the dugout; the Pars face Scott Brown’s Ayr United on Friday, winner gets the Celtic job anyone?

On a serious note, when O’Neill arrived in 2000, this was off the back of work with Wycombe and Leicester largely in the EFL, so who is to say McKenna could not do something similar, as he would certainly bring a freshness and new ideas to a club going a bit stale.

​​​​​​​

As good as Kenny: Celtic star who won 10 duels is already undroppable

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Out-of-favour Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has picked his favourite destination after as many as 12 clubs made transfer enquiries for the young English star. Mainoo is desperate for an escape route from Old Trafford after failing to accumulate enough game time under Ruben Amorim this season as the Portuguese coach prefers Bruno Fernandes in the central midfield role alongside Casemiro.

Mainoo picks favourite destination

According to the, a dozen top European clubs have shown interest in signing Mainoo on loan in the January transfer market, however, the midfielder has picked Serie A champions Napoli as his preferred next destination. The England international's move to Italy is now dependent on whether the Red Devils give the green light to the transfer in the upcoming winter window.

AdvertisementAFPNapoli a perfect destination for Mainoo to revive career

Napoli, who are currently fighting to retain their Serie A crown, have seen their midfield dismantled by a cruel run of injuries. The latest blow was the high-grade lesion to Frank Anguissa's thigh, sustained on international duty, which will keep him out for the foreseeable future. This fresh setback comes on top of the long-term absence of Manchester City legend De Bruyne, who suffered a serious muscle tear in October. 

With Stanislav Lobotka also working on his fitness issues, manager Antonio Conte is left with a skeleton crew in the middle of the park. The Italian coach is aware that relying solely on Scott McTominay and fringe players like Michael Folorunsho is not sustainable if the club are to compete on multiple fronts, making a January reinforcement an absolute necessity.

With the scarcity of quality midfielders, Mainoo will surely enjoy a lot of game time in Italy and will also benefit from playing under a seasoned head coach like Conte, which could prove to be a huge learning opportunity for the youngster.

Scholes feels Mainoo getting ruined at United

With Mainoo growing 'deeply frustrated' with his lack of game time, Amorim recently addressed the media to speaking about the 20-year-old's situation at Old Trafford as he said: "I see him as a starter like the other players. I just have to make a choice and then in the end, it's not been Kobbie. In the future, I don't know. Again, I always think the same thing with Casemiro. (He) was not playing and then he plays. I just want to win games. I don't care who is playing.

"I see it. I just want to win, I try to put the players, I don't look who it is, I don't care about that, I'm just trying to put the best players on the pitch. You have Manuel Ugarte that played two games. One of them, Casemiro, was out, Bruno Fernandes, he's always fit, he's the guy that is doing his position, so maybe it has to do with that."

In response, though, club legend Paul Scholes slammed the Portuguese as he came to Mainoo's defence and said: "Bullsh*t. The kid is being ruined, not being played in a team that can't control a game of football. Hate seeing homegrown players leave but it's probably best for him now, enough is enough."

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Getty Images SportWhat next for Mainoo?

The Africa Cup of Nations this winter will see several top African players leave to play for their respective national teams. This could be the perfect time for Mainoo to get as much game time as possible and win back Amorim's trust, but the coach has offered no guarantee of minutes.

"I don't know, I don't know," he said. "It's the same question, I don't know what is going to happen. It depends. I've seen the training. If it's the best thing for the team, I will put (him in), that is the only way I know how to respond to that. Of course, I understand, and my job is to answer, but I'm trying to answer always the same thing, and you ask me always the same thing. I understand what you are saying. You love Kobbie, he starts for England. But that doesn't mean that I need to put Kobbie in when I feel that I shouldn't put Kobbie in, so it's my decision."

Queensland quick Sam Geyer withstood an early barrage from Sam Harper to take four wickets on debut in the Sheffield Shield against Victoria.Geyer was the star of the show for Queensland on Saturday, as Victoria hit 318 for 9 declared before the home side were 15 without loss at stumps on day one of the pink-ball fixture.Crucially Matt Renshaw survived a tough final half hour under the Gabba lights to be unbeaten on two, in what could be an audition for the day-night second Ashes Test at the same venue.With questions over Usman Khawaja’s fitness and whether Travis Head will remain opener or go back to No. 5 after his Perth heroics, Renshaw has a big Sunday ahead of him in Brisbane.Saturday night’s 34-ball survival came with chief selector Tony Dodemaide in attendance, with the opener having already scored two centuries this summer.Regardless it will be Geyer who left the Gabba happiest after his 4 for 102 on debut, even if he went at more than six an over. Struck down by stress fractures in his teens, the 22-year-old paceman needed plenty of resilience after Harper took him down early at the Gabba.Harper cut the seamer’s first two balls for four on his way to 88, in a brutal welcome to first-class cricket for Geyer. But the seamer responded shortly after, having Marcus Harris well caught at slip for 18.Geyer also copped some treatment from Matt Short, but recovered to remove Mitchell Perry, Fergus O’Neill and Will Sutherland in the final session.He would have had a five-wicket haul had Tom Straker not put down a catch at fine leg to dismiss Todd Murphy.”He’s very high energy Sammy,” spinner Mitch Swepson said. “Looked like he would run through a brick wall every time I threw the ball to him. He was ready and raring to go.”Outstanding for him to get four wickets, he probably deserved five as well. He bowled brilliantly and was that spark for us.”Swepson also took two crucial wickets, getting Harper and Peter Handscomb in quick succession after the pair added 88 for the third wicket.Harper had been the chief aggressor for Victoria, bringing up his 50 in 55 balls after a series of cuts, late cuts and a big six over mid wicket off Straker.But he fell when he cut Swepson straight to backward point, before Handscomb picked out the midwicket fielder in Swepson’s next over.Veteran Gurinder Sandhu also took 2 for 55, and was arguably Queensland’s best bowler with the pressure he built with the ball.

Like all clubs of their size and with their history, Chelsea have had some incredible players represent them over the years.

Moreover, those players have often formed brilliant duos, such as Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba and John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho.

Another pairing that enjoyed immense success during their time at Stamford Bridge was Eden Hazard and Diego Costa, who played 107 matches together, averaged two points per game and won two Premier League titles.

So, fans should be excited that the club might be able to recreate a partnership similar to that one with the sensational Estêvãoand one of Cobham’s most promising gems.

Estêvão's start to his Chelsea career

There has long been plenty of hype around Estêvão and the kind of player he could develop into.

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Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

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In fact, just a few months before Chelsea signed him, respected analyst Ben Mattinson labelled the teenage phenom a “future Ballon d’Or winner.”

Of course, there is still a long way to go before that could happen, but so far this season, it would probably be fair to say that the young Brazilian has met, or even exceeded, expectations.

For example, in 17 appearances, totalling just 740 minutes, he has already scored five goals and provided one assist.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.83 games, or more importantly, every 123.33 minutes.

Furthermore, the Franca-born superstar in the making has also already shown an ability to thrive and score in the club’s biggest games.

For example, he came on against Liverpool a couple of months ago and scored the winner and then, against Barcelona this week, he scored the all-important second goal to take the game away from the Spanish side.

Finally, on top of the output, the former Palmeiras prospect also passes the eye-test with flying colours, as Hazard did; he’s a tremendously fun footballer to watch, and it feels like something is going to happen with a ball at his feet.

Now, as if one young superstar in the making wasn’t enough, Chelsea also have a goalscoring machine in the academy who could become Estêvão’s Costa.

The Cobham gem who could be Estêvão's Costa

As always seems to be the case, Chelsea have plenty of seriously exciting youngsters coming through the academy at the moment, with chief among them, and the player who could form a game-breaking partnership with Estevao, being Shumaira Mheuka.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion prospect joined the Blues’ youth setup in 2022 and, in the time since, has become one of the most promising strikers in academy football.

Now, that might sound hyperbolic, but his output over the last couple of years proves that it very much is not.

For example, despite being just 16 at the start of last season, he ended the campaign with 11 goals and three assists in 30 appearances across the u18s and u21s.

Yet, while that is an impressive return, he’s taken another massive step forward this year.

So far, the Birmingham-born monster has scored 13 goals and provided three assists in 13 appearances for the junior sides, totalling 1,067 minutes.

Mheuka’s youth record

Appearances

63

Goals

34

Assists

9

Goal Involvements per Match

0.68

All Stats via Transfermarkt

That means the prolific number nine is averaging 1.23 goal involvements every game, or one every 66.68 minutes, which is surely a rate of return that warrants him getting more first-team action this season.

It’s not just at club level where the youngster is making a name, though: in 20 appearances for England’s u19s, he has chalked up a huge tally of 14 goals and three assists.

With numbers like these, it’s not hard to see why respected talent scout Jacek Kulig has described the youngster as “the future of Chelsea and English football.”

Ultimately, while it might not happen this year, Chelsea need to play Estevao alongside Mheuka at some point, as they could end up being the club’s new Hazard and Costa.

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MatériaMais Notícias

O Vasco anunciou a contratação do lateral-esquerdo, Victor Luis. O jogador de 30 anos, assina contrato até o final da temporada, e já treina no CT Moacyr Barbosa desde a semana passada. Victor Luis rescindiu com o Coritiba, que vai manter 15% dos direitos econômicos do atleta.

continua após a publicidade

Victor Luis chega para compor elenco e ser o reserva imediato de Lucas Piton. Para a posição o Vasco conta também com os jovens da base, Julião e Leandrinho.

➡️ Tudo sobre o Gigante agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Vasco

🗣️🎙️ Tem recado do Victor Luis já vestindo a camisa do Vasco! 💢#VascoDaGama pic.twitter.com/fNptjC6e4K

— Vasco da Gama (@VascodaGama) February 5, 2024

Revelado pelo Palmeiras, Victor Luis se destacou no futebol brasileiro atuando pelo Botafogo nos anos de 2016 e 2017. O lateral-esquerdo também defendeu o Ceará antes de jogar no Coritiba. No ano passado, fez 41 jogos e marcou quatro gols.

continua após a publicidade

O lateral-esquerdo é o quinto reforço anunciado pelo Vasco. Antes de Victor Luis, o Cruz-Maltino fechou as contratações dos zagueiros João Victor e Robert Rojas, e os atacantes David e Adson, e do Keiller. O volante Galdames já se apresentou ao clube, mas ainda não foi oficializado.

Tudo sobre

VascoVictor Luis

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A Vila Belmiro e seus arredores viraram um palco de guerra após a confirmação do rebaixamento do Santos à Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro. A tensão nas arquibancadas se transformou em caos após o segundo gol do Fortaleza, marcado por Lucero.

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➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

O árbitro Leandro Pedro Vuaden encerrou a partida mais cedo, e os jogadores do Leão do Pici desceram correndo ao vestiário pois era possível escutar barulho de bombas na parte externa da Vila. Torcedores santistas arremessaram objetos em direção ao campo e tentaram invadir o gramado.

Desolados, os jogadores do Peixe permaneceram no gramado por mais tempo e escutaram protestos e xingamentos da torcida.

+ Veja como ficou a tabela do Brasileirão após a última rodada

A Polícia Militar usou gás de pimenta para tentar dispersar a confusão, e rapidamente os torcedores saíram do estádio em direção à Rua Princesa Isabel. A rua foi isolada pela Tropa de Choque da PM, mas torcedores do Santos entraram em confronto com policiais, atirando pedras e ateando fogo em quatro ônibus que estavam nos arredores da Vila Belmiro.

Com a cavalaria, a Polícia Militar conseguiu controlar e isolar a Rua Princesa Isabel. Mesmo assim, alguns torcedores permaneceram nas arquibancadas da Vila Belmiro.

Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce, a Westlake, Ohio, native and lifelong Cleveland sports fan, had his fandom levels for Cleveland sports teams questioned after he attended Game 1 of the ALCS between the Guardians and New York Yankees with his girlfriend and pop star Taylor Swift.

Fans couldn't help but notice that Kelce wasn't wearing any gear respresenting the Guardians. But Kelce, who posted an excited message on X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the Guardians' thrilling walk-off win over the Yankees in Game 3 on Thursday, also took the time to set the record straight on his Cleveland sports fandom.

Well, there you have it. Kelce, who was raised on Cleveland sports and played football at the University of Cincinnati, made it clear that it shouldn't matter if he wears Cleveland sports gear or not—anyone who knows him knows he's a true fan.

Kelce's response to the critics prompted the Guardians, clearly in a good mood following the dramatic victory, to take to X and poke fun at the Chiefs tight end with a lighthearted joke.

Now, would be one heck of a response.

Fast bowler confident he’s ready for Test comeback after coming through Sussex return unscathed

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jun-2025Jofra Archer says that the mental challenge of returning to four-day cricket after a four-year absence has been a bigger issue than the physical toil. However, he is confident that his body will be ready for Test cricket if he gets the call-up later this summer.Speaking to Sussex Cricket at Chester-le-Street after the second day’s play, where he had dismissed Emilio Gay lbw for his first first-class wicket for 1,501 days, Archer admitted the experience had been “mentally tough” on a surface that offered very little lateral movement for the bowlers.”I’m glad to just finish a day of four-day cricket,” he said. “Last time I played [against Kent at Hove in May 2021], I just made it to tea, so I’m glad to go all the way today.”When the scoreboard got to 50 overs, I was, like, ‘Jesus, time to come off now!'” he joked. “But it wasn’t too bad. Doing it session-by-session was okay, but the pitch didn’t do much.”Today could have been the longest day I’ve ever had, and not because it’s red-ball cricket,” he added. “I’ve been in the field for two-and-a-half days before, and it still didn’t feel as long as today. When the ball is moving, and you’re getting something off the pitch, it feels a bit more exciting.”However, crucially for Archer’s hopes of getting back into the Test team – for whom he last featured on the tour of India in 2020-21 – his body has so far shown no reaction to the added toil of red-ball cricket.”It felt all right today,” he said. “I’ve been playing for a year, and bowling for two years, including the build-up, so everything is fine.”There have been no restrictions on this game,” he added, when asked if the ECB had requested that he limit his workload. “Whatever I did, I did. Obviously there can’t be a limit if you’re looking at a Test match. They were in the field for a day-and-a-half [in the first Test at Headingley].Related

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“You can’t have restrictions if you’re potentially going to go in. You put your body through as much pressure, safely, as possible, to put yourself in the best position.”Archer’s return to action this summer was delayed by an injured right thumb that he sustained during the IPL. However, he classified that setback alongside the freak glass cut he received from a broken fishtank back in 2021, calling it more of an “accident than an injury” compared to the career-threatening elbow and back fractures that have chequered his recent career.”If you get cut in the kitchen with a knife, no-one’s going to call it an injury,” he said. “It’s similar with my thumb. I just got hit while batting as we do all the time, but unfortunately it got fractured. If it was my left thumb I could have carried on and no-one would know but, because it was my bowling hand, I had to give it a bit of care.”But injuries are injuries. Nobody gets injured on purpose, no one knows when they will happen … it can be in the gym, or rehab, pre-hab, or whatever. If you’re supposed to get injured, there’s nothing you can do to get away from it.”Asked if he could ever have envisaged a return to first-class cricket during his long lay-off, Archer replied: “Back then, I didn’t have the choice because I didn’t think my body could hold up to it.”Now it’s a different challenge, because I know my body can hold up to it. The mental part of the game [will be tough]. Over the next couple of days, I’m going to have to battle a bit with it, but it’s all good. It’s a new challenge, and I’ll keep trucking along.”

Arsenal star Beth Mead admits that she is "not the biggest fan" of the new Women's Champions League format. Changes have been made to elite European competition that mirror those made in the men's game. Rather than a group stage playing out, all 18 teams are now placed into one league table – with the Gunners hoping to successfully navigate that en route to defending their continental crown.

• Champions League format: Changes made in 2025-26

  The north London outfit savoured a memorable success in 2024-25, but are now taking a different path to ultimate glory. The league phase sees each team face six fixtures – three at home and three on the road – with the top four teams qualifying automatically for the quarter-finals. Those ranking between fifth and 12th enter the play-off round, while anybody finishing 13th or lower is eliminated.

  The ‘Swiss Model’ has been introduced across European competition in the men’s game, but Arsenal forward Mead – who has helped England to back-to-back Euros triumphs – is not convinced that a tweak to the Champions League format delivers obvious benefits.

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• Arsenal become a target as European title holders

  The Lionesses hero told after finding the target in the Gunners’ 2-0 victory away at Benfica: "I'm not the biggest fan, I like group football and knockout football. I think that's a beauty of football, but ultimately this is the way it's now [and] we've got to play what's in front of us."

  Mead opened the scoring for Arsenal in Portugal, with England team-mate Alessia Russo doubling their advantage in the 89th minute. Assessing a battling performance, Mead added: "It was tough, we knew we were going to come here and Benfica are a very physical team. They like to get under your skin. Obviously we like to play football and we knew that we shouldn't get involved …. It is hard, but we got the three points, got the two goals and that's how it came in."

  Arsenal have happy memories of gracing the field in Lisbon, as that was the scene of their stunning Champions League final victory over Barcelona back in May. They now have a target on their back as rivals from across Europe seek to knock them from the loftiest of perches.

  Mead said of that challenge: "Once you win it, everyone wants to beat you. And, ultimately we've got up our game again. We had an up and down Champions League season last season and obviously we don't want to play out like that again. But we're looking forward to the challenge. We've got to step up to the challenge and we've got to be even better than we were last year."

• Assess and plan: Slegers ready for international break

  Arsenal, who were beaten by Lyon in their opening European game of 2025-26, have now reached another international break. Head coach Renee Slegers will be using that to assess what has happened and plan for what is to come.

  She told the Gunners’ : "It's always a big reflection moment for us as a staff. Especially the first week, we will review both pre-season and the first block of games. And then the second week, we will preview the next block that's coming up. So it's always a good moment for us.

  "There's plenty of learning and plenty of energy is built to start the next block again. And I'm happy there's a lot of players going to international camps. We'll have a couple of players at home and everyone will do their thing, but I look forward to the start of block two."

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  Arsenal fixtures: Testing run of WSL & Champions League games

  Arsenal, who sit fifth in the WSL table, will not be in action again until taking in a trip to Leicester on November 2. They will then head into a testing run of fixtures that Slegers needs to ensure her squad are fully prepared for.

  After playing host to Chelsea, the Gunners head to Bayern Munich in the Champions League and then Tottenham for a north London derby date. A return to continental competition sees them play host to Spanish giants Real Madrid, before then tackling Liverpool on home soil.