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Aggie Beever-Jones and Keira Walsh also bagged their first senior international goals in a huge win for the reigning European champions

England's Lionesses cruised to a comfortable 5-0 win over Belgium on Friday night to rise to the top of their Women's Nations League group and continue their undefeated start to 2025. Goals from Lucy Bronze, Millie Bright, Aggie Beever-Jones, Jess Park and Keira Walsh secured all three points for Sarina Wiegman's side on an evening of dominance, with the European champions unlucky not to be victorious by an even greater margin after Alessia Russo twice hit the same post in the first half.

Belgium have caused England problems in the past, beating them in the previous edition of the Nations League after the 2023 Women's World Cup, but while they were by no means terrible on this occasion, they struggled to create much against a sturdy and locked-in Lionesses defence, which set a solid foundation for plenty of positive things further up the pitch. It was midway through the first half when Bronze deservedly broke the deadlock from a fantastic Lauren James cross and then the full-back turned provider before the break, as her header was pounced on by Bright to double that advantage.

Though in a comfortable enough lead, England's pressure didn't relent after the interval. A brilliant cross from Mead gave half-time substitute Beever-Jones the chance to really make sure of the win, with her showcasing great movement and providing a clinical finish for her first senior international goal. Jess Park, another introduction from the bench, made it four after some superb pressing and, having seen Nicky Evrard tip a fantastic effort of hers onto the post earlier, Walsh joined Beever-Jones in finding the back of the net for the first time for the Lionesses when her deflected effort put the cherry on the cake late on.

GOAL rates England's players from Ashton Gate…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

Hannah Hampton (7/10):

Had great chemistry with a back four that featured three club-mates, resulting in some good defensive efforts between them and some solid distribution. Didn't have any real saves to make.

Lucy Bronze (8/10):

Great at both ends of the pitch, covering well at the back while offering a real threat going forward. Deserved her goal.

Leah Williamson (7/10):

Moved the ball consistently well and was defensively solid throughout.

Millie Bright (7/10):

Reacted well when needed in her own box and was great in possession. Brave to throw herself at Bronze's header to get on the scoresheet.

Niamh Charles (7/10):

Brought plenty of energy and did little wrong. Made a huge block to prevent Delacauw getting Belgium back into things at 2-0.

AdvertisementAFPMidfield

Keira Walsh (8/10):

Covered well in defence, played some classy passes to kickstart promising attacks and finally got her first England goal late on, having come so close to it a few minutes earlier.

Grace Clinton (6/10):

Showcased great footwork throughout and constantly used it to get out of tight areas, while contributing some nice touches to the attack.

Ella Toone (6/10):

Showed good off the ball movement and had some nice moments.

Getty Images SportAttack

Beth Mead (8/10):

A constant threat to Belgium. Positive and direct in her play all night to get some dangerous crosses into the box and create chances.

Alessia Russo (7/10):

Pressed well, made good runs and generally just linked up nicely with those around her. Really unlucky not to get a goal.

Lauren James (6/10):

Always looked to make something happen when she got on the ball and it was her cross that allowed Bronze to break the deadlock. Off at the break, potentially with a knock.

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AFPSubs & Manager

Aggie Beever-Jones (7/10):

On at the break, taking James' place on the left. Was a really lively introduction and showed fantastic movement to get on the end of Mead's cross for a first England goal.

Jess Park (6/10):

Was relatively quiet until she pounced onto a huge opportunity to make it 4-0 and clinically took it.

Esme Morgan (N/A):

Slotted into the centre of defence for the final 15 minutes.

Nikita Parris (N/A):

Continued her international renaissance with another appearance in the latter stages.

Jess Carter (N/A):

Gave former Chelsea team-mate Bright a deserved rest for the final 10 minutes.

Sarina Wiegman (8/10):

Didn't underestimate a Belgium team that have caused England real problems in the past, choosing essentially her best XI. They delivered a top performance and her substitutes were impactful, too. A great night.

Sekhukhune, Mlaba tie down hosts on gusty day in Dublin as Goodall and Bosch breeze past target

Firdose Moonda08-Jun-2022On a day so windy that it was too dangerous for the broadcast cameras to be mounted on the stanchions, it was Ireland who were blown away in the series decider against South Africa. After Ireland took the lead in the opening match on Friday, the contest between the two sides became progressively less intense as South Africa’s bowlers adjusted to the slower, lower surfaces and proved difficult to get away.Brits receives demerit point for dissent

South Africa opener Tazmin Brits has received an official reprimand for a Level 1 breach of the ICC’s code of conduct during the third ODI against Ireland. Brits was found to have breached Article 2.8 of the code, which relates to “showing dissent at an Umpire’s decision during an International Match.”
Brits, according to an ICC release, “showed displeasure while staying on at the crease” and “expressed her dissent when she walked past the umpire” after she was adjudged caught behind for 3 in the second over of South Africa’s chase of 105.
Brits admitted to her offence and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Graham McCrea, so there was no need for a formal hearing.

Ireland made a positive start and were 64 for 2 at the halfway stage of their innings but career-best hauls from Nonkululeko Mlaba and Tumi Sekhukhune, and able support from Nadine de Klerk and Ayabonga Khaka, restricted them to 104 and bowled them out with nine deliveries left in their innings. That total included South Africa’s 11 wides, as the gusts challenged their control of the ball. Ireland were more disciplined and sent down only three wides but South Africa swatted away the score in 13.5 overs.More for Mlaba After opening the bowling in the first two matches in the series – with just one over upfront – left-arm spinner Mlaba was given a second over in the Powerplay after her first cost just two runs. One of them was a wide, and she didn’t bowl to Gaby Lewis, who had taken her on in the first two matches, so with Lewis off strike at the start of the third over, Mlaba continued. She conceded two singles and then had Mary Waldron out lbw to leave Ireland in a shaky position on 11 for 2. She even got rid of Lewis, but only when she returned in the 11th over and had Lewis caught at mid-on, and ended with career-best figures of 2 for 15.Get Gaby on strike Ireland’s stand-in captain did not face any of the first 10 balls of the innings but watched from the other end as her opening partner Leah Paul struggled against Mlaba and was then caught at wide slip off Khaka. Lewis faced two balls off Khaka but was soon back to the non-striker’s end for Mlaba’s second over. After five overs, Lewis had scored only six off 12 balls. She went on to score 23 more runs off the next 20 balls she faced, including five fours and shared in a 54-run second-wicket partnership with Shauna Kavanagh. They set Ireland up well but, as was the case in the previous two matches, Lewis was unable to bat through and her dismissal caused a mini-collapse. Ireland lost their last eight wickets for 39 runs in eight overs to fall away in the second half of their innings.Tazmin’s tirade Without many to defend, Ireland needed an early breakthrough and Jane Macguire got it. She had Tazmin Brits caught behind off her second delivery, which moved away from the right-hander and appeared to take the outside edge. All the Irish players were in celebration, when Brits’ unhappiness became clear. She stood next to the pitch, with her arms outstretched, as if to ask why she had been given out, and then left muttering. She may yet be sanctioned for her disbelief at her dismissal but it did not do too much damage to South Africa’s chances. Good, better, but not yet best Lara Goodall’s promotion to the top of the order saw her dismissed for a duck in the first match this series, score her first T20I half-century in the second and could have seen her bat South Africa to victory in the third. She was two short of fifty, and had played an aggressive knock laced with nine fours, when Anneke Bosch asked her to hustle through for a single but Lewis’ throw came in quickly to Waldron. Goodall was short of her ground when the stumps were broken and her second-wicket stand with Bosch ended on 72, but she left in good spirits. She fist-bumped Bosch before making her way off and smiled as she left the ground, leaving Bosch and Laura Wolvaardt to seal the deal. Bosch was unbeaten on 44 at the end.

In April they will clash three times – twice in the Champions Cup and once in Matchday 15 of the league

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Giménez scored 21 goals in 105 matches with Cruz Azul

He was never able to score against América

The striker has three goals in 10 matches with AC Milan

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

América and Cruz Azul have built one of the most intense rivalries in recent years, frequently facing off in thrilling finals and semifinals of Liga MX. Both teams boast strong squads and are expected to compete for the Clausura 2025 title.

In April, they will clash three times – twice in the Champions Cup and once in Matchday 15 of the league.

Santiago Giménez, a Cruz Azul academy product, shared his thoughts on the upcoming trilogy:

"They will be incredible, high-intensity matches. In the last 10 or 15 years, this has become the most important game in Mexico. Every time they play, something happens. It’s a great showdown, and I think this time will be no exception."

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

On April 1, the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinals will take place between América and Cruz Azul. This competition remains the only one missing from the trophy cabinet of the historic Águilas under André Jardine, who have won three consecutive Liga MX titles – but have yet to secure an international championship.

For Cruz Azul, this will be a big chance for revenge. They were eliminated by América in the semifinals of the Apertura 2024, and were defeated in the Clausura 2024 final by Jardine's team.

Currently, Cruz Azul is in great form in both the Champions Cup and Liga MX. They reached the quarterfinals after an impressive victory over the Seattle Sounders. In the Liga MX, they are in the fifth position with 22 points, making them strong contenders in both competitions.

The second leg of the Champions Cup quarterfinals will be played on April 8 at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario, while on April 12, América and Cruz Azul will face each other again in Matchday 15 of Liga MX at América's home stadium.

These three matches, across both tournaments, will be crucial for both teams as they continue their pursuit of titles in both international and domestic competitions.

AFPWHAT SANTIAGO GIMENEZ SAID

The striker spoke about his arrival at AC Milan and the role he has with the Rossoneri:

"I see it as a great responsibility. I try to carry Mexico’s flag as high as possible, wherever I am and against whoever I face. I believe that is the great role I feel as a Mexican playing in Europe."

GettyDID YOU KNOW?

Before going to Europe with Feyenoord, Santiago Giménez made his professional debut with Cruz Azul, a team that had been without an Liga MX title for more than 23 years. The forward played a key role in winning the Guard1anes 2021 title.

Despite being very young and not being a regular starter under coach Juan Reynoso, Giménez scored important goals in both the quarterfinals and semifinals. Cruz Azul eventually defeated Santos Laguna in the final, ending the club’s long drought without a championship.

Manchester United have been really disappointing in front of goal this season. The Red Devils are one of the lowest-scoring teams in the Premier League, and it is not an issue that seems like it will change anytime soon.

Ruben Amorim’s side have scored just 21 goals in 19 top-flight games this term. There are just four teams with fewer, all of whom are 15th or below in the league table. To make matters worse, United have missed 35 big chances.

To help with the issue, the board could splash the cash on a new striker in January.

Man United targeting new striker

The player in question here is Sporting centre-forward Viktor Gyokeres. Naturally, since Amorim made the move from the Portuguese champions to Old Trafford in November, there have been strong rumours of a move for the Swede. Those links have intensified recently.

According to a report from the Daily Star, United ‘will step up their bid’ to sign the centre-forward sooner rather than later. They were originally believed to be waiting until summer to make a move, but the reports suggest the new United manager ‘has told club bosses he cannot wait until the summer’ for the signing. Due to their previous affiliation, it’s believed the English giants are ‘favourites’ to secure his signature.

Indeed, the Sweden international will not be cheap to bring in. The striker has a reported release clause of £80m, and it is ‘understood Sporting president Frederico Varandas would hold United to the full amount’ if he leaves in the January window.

Why Gyokeres would be a good signing

There are few strikers as deadly on the planet as Gyokeres. He had a simply extraordinary year in 2024, scoring 62 goals in all competitions. The majority of those strikes came whilst Amroim was manager, under whom he has an extraordinary record.

In 68 games playing for the Portuguese manager, he scored an incredible 66 goals and grabbed 23 assists. In essence, he was phenomenal under the United boss, and it is not hard to see why he wants to bring him to Old Trafford.

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45

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7

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4

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3

5

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1

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This season has been no different for the formidable centre-forward. So far in 2024/25, he has 27 goals and six assists in 27 appearances in all competitions.

Arguably the forward’s best moment in a Sporting shirt so far was his hat-trick against Manchester City in the Champions League. He contributed three goals in a 4-1 thrashing of United’s biggest rivals.

That is certainly another reason why he might be an appealing addition to a struggling Red Devils side. He is already well-appreciated by their supporters, with journalist Alex Turk describing the Swede as a “monster”. There are certainly lots of things that make this an attractive signing.

Red Devils fans could be licking their lips at the prospect of seeing Gyokeres take to the field alongside creative winger Amad Diallo. The young Ivorian has made a real impression under Amorim so far and has two goals and five assists in 11 games playing for the Portuguese boss.

Indeed, there has not really been anyone as creative as Amad for United in the Premier League this season. According to FBref, his average of 0.47 assists per 90 minutes is the most amongst his teammates, and he averages 2.05 key passes per game, the third most in the squad.

Sadly, no one is really profiting off the chances that Amad is creating. United still seem to be lacking a true goalscorer, but that is where Gyokeres comes in. Should he make the move to Old Trafford, he could be the man the Red Devils are looking for to put the ball in the back of the net more often.

Many of the chances Amad is creating seem like they are going to waste, but a natural-born goalscorer like Gyokeres could profit off them. It could be a match made in heaven. Although it is an expensive deal to do, it could be necessary to help United score more goals and climb the table.

He's like Haaland: Man Utd could sign "monster" Rashford & Zirkzee upgrade

Manchester United desperately need reinforcements within the final third in January.

1 ByEthan Lamb Jan 1, 2025

English fans believe Gareth Southgate's side "was more entertaining" as England chugged to a 2-0 win against Albania on Thomas Tuchel's debut.

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England were made to toil for the three pointsKane and Lewis-Skelly were on target for the Three LionsFans give honest verdict on the performanceFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Tuchel had vowed to bring the excitement back to Wembley after delivering a brutal verdict on England's playing style in the Southgate era, especially in last summer's European Championship. However, the German manager got a harsh reality check on Friday evening as his side struggled to break down a determined Albanian side and was subsequently forced to admit that "we have to do better".

AdvertisementGetty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

England got their noses in front in the 20th-minute courtesy of a composed finish from Arsenal starlet Myles Lewis-Skelly. However, the Three Lions struggled for fluency and had to wait until the 70th-minute to get an insurance goal with skipper Harry Kane finding the net from close range. A routine win, but far from the bells and whistles that Tuchel expected to provide a sell-out Wembley crowd on his international managerial debut.

WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

The English fans took aim at Tuchel after the match as @MarkWalkerFord wrote: "Uninspiring start… Southgate was more entertaining 😬".

@MissLSW was a bit kinder as she wrote: "Not great but not bad."

@mvlaren echoed the sentiment: "it was not amazing but it was a solid performance vs an easy team."

Whereas, @_archiegrant6 put forward a fresh challenge and wrote: "Meh it’s alright, dominated the ball and played well but if we don’t put at least five past Latvia I’ll be disappointed."

@RealTomHoskins seconded and quipped: "I expected much better from a Thomas Tuchel team. The performance was so passive and lacking creativity. Tuchel has a lot of work to do if this lot are to compete at next years World Cup."

AFPWHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

After a sombre start to the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, England will be looking to turn up the heat against Latvia on Monday at Wembley.

After Wolves’ poor run of form continued, with a fourth consecutive Premier League loss, Gary O’Neil has been sacked as manager.

Their four losses in a row, coming against Bournemouth, Everton, West Ham and Ipswich, have proven costly, leaving them 19th in the table, and leading to O’Neil’s dismissal.

Wolves held more possession against Ipswich, having 54% of the ball, taking 16 shots (more than Ipswich’s 10), creating one big chance and generating 1.27 xG (more than Ipswich’s 1.20 xG). However, despite outperforming the Tractor Boys in certain metrics, the result is the most important, and it was yet another loss.

Plenty of factors have hurt O’Neil and his attempts to revitalise Wolves this season, losing a few key players to injury, and more importantly, losing stars such as Pedro Neto in the summer transfer window, failing to effectively replace them.

Gary O'Neil's Demise

O’Neil’s side had averaged 46.4% possession this season (14th in the division), averaged 11 shots per game (fourth lowest in the league), and averaged 14.6 shots against (sixth highest).

This was down from their possession average last campaign (48.6%), shots taken per game (11.3) and shots against (15.2), with their performance seeing a decline in all aspects.

To go along with this, Wolves only conceded ten goals from set pieces in 38 games last season, yet already this campaign, they have shipped 14 in just 16 games.

With their performances dropping off this season, alongside also acquiring a new Achilles heel, O’Neil’s time as Wolves manager has come to an end, and they could already have a Premier League legend waiting to take the reins.

Manager Focus

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

A new manager for Wolves

Reports from David Ornstein on Sunday afternoon suggested that the club were making a move to hire Vitor Pereira.

Despite those claims, there could be an alternative. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was spotted at the Molineux for Wolves 2-1 defeat against Ipswich, as pressure was mounting on O’Neil and this has led to plenty of rumours for Solskjaer to take over as the Wolves manager.

The Norwegian hasn’t been seen in management for three years now it would be a sizeable gamble, but what exactly could he bring to the Midlands?

Well, Solskjaer is best known for scoring 91 goals in 235 games in the Premier League, and also providing 41 assists in that time. However, he has also already managed multiple English sides, including Manchester United, most famously, where Bournemouth boss at the time (Eddie Howe) praised the job he was doing for the Red Devils as “excellent”.

Man Utd Reserves

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2.12

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1.85

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1.79

The 51-year-old Norwegian often deployed his Manchester United side in a 4-2-3-1, which would vastly contrast the last few managers at Wolves, who have often opted for the back-five approach. However, the squad is well suited to having three behind the striker, allowing the in-form Matheus Cunha a more free number ten role, which could get the best from him.

This would also allow the inclusion of two wingers, such as Hwang Hee-Chan, Goncalo Guedes, Carlos Borges and even Pablo Sarabia when he returns from injury.

Solskjaer could bring a well-needed change of dynamic to the club, allowing them to catch teams off guard, be more aggressive with their talented technicians such as Cunha, and start to build something slightly different to what Wolves fans have become accustomed to in recent times.

Mourinho upgrade: Wolves can land 3-5-2 boss who Fergie called "fantastic"

Wolves may make a managerial change soon

ByJoe Nuttall Dec 13, 2024

The Super Kings captain believes the Sri Lankan’s low release gives him a greater margin for error

Sidharth Monga15-May-20222:36

Vettori: Pathirana is an even more extreme version of Malinga

Lasith Malinga’s last ball in the IPL was a bewitching slower ball to trap Shardul Thakur lbw and defend one run off the final ball of an IPL final. Three years later, Baby Malinga, Matheesha Pathirana, trapped Shubman Gill lbw with his first ball in the IPL.A similar low release, accuracy with the yorker, and a slower one gave Pathirana figures of 3.1-0-24-2 on debut, which included wickets of Gill and Hardik Pandya. His captain MS Dhoni – the captain at the receiving end of Malinga’s sorcery in 2019 – was impressed with what he saw. Having faced Malinga for so long, and also Pathirana in the nets, he should know.Related

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“He is an excellent death bowler,” Dhoni told . “A bit similar to Malinga. Also what happens with his action, the margin of error for him is quite big. With a slingy action he doesn’t get a lot of bounce. Which means even if he commits an error of one yard, it is not like it will hit the middle of the bat. It wouldn’t bounce a lot.”Also with his action it is slightly difficult to pick. And he has got that slower one also. So you have to watch him very carefully. Which means when you spend those extra seconds watching the ball and he is bowling at a decent pace, it becomes quite difficult to consistently hit him.”ESPNcricinfo LtdSuper Kings coach Stephen Fleming was more reserved in his praise but excited to work with Pathirana. “We were really looking forward to him playing today,” Fleming said at the post-match press conference. “And he obviously got success immediately. He is very young. We know who he has similarities with, which is big shoes to fill. But he had a great debut. We are very pleased for him. It’s a unique skill, isn’t it? Learning to coach that and how to use that is one of the challenges. But it was great for him to get a game for us today.”Pathirana might have similarities with Malinga but his is an even more difficult action. “I think he is an even more extreme example of Malinga,” Daniel Vettori said on ESPNcricinfo’s analysis show T20 Time:Out. “He sort of reaches back and doesn’t even look like he is looking at the target. Whereas Malinga felt like he still had his eyes on what he is doing. But he obviously caught batsmen by surprise. Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya are quality players.”That surprise element still comes from the ball coming from a completely different angle to the one you are used to. His accuracy was good enough and once he adds those variations he can be the sort of bowler who disrupts the T20 game. I don’t think he is ever going to be an economical-type bowler but he can certainly come back, take wickets and put the fear of god into some tailenders.”Super Kings signed Pathirana up as a replacement for the injured Adam Milne, which means he’s currently only contracted for this season, but if Fleming is excited about working with Pathirana, there could be plans to retain him.Piyush Chawla believes it will be the right move. “To be very honest when you see one or two games, you don’t look at performance but you look at temperament and talent,” Chawla said. “He actually showed he has the talent. You can always give him more time and he can play accordingly. Just make sure he is attending those camps early and coming to play those practice matches early. So he showed the temperament and skill that yes, he belongs. Obviously with time he will improve when he adds more variation to his skills. So he will definitely be a better bowler.”‘He sort of reaches back and doesn’t even look like he is looking at the target’ – Vettori on Pathirana’s action•BCCIPathirana’s impressive debut does raise the question of whether he could have been tried sooner. Vettori certainly felt so. “The way they used [Dwaine] Pretorius for an extended period of time and then [Dwayne] Bravo had some injuries, [Chris] Jordan and Milne early on… So he was certainly the last cab off the rank. Potentially when they are out of the tournament you would have thought someone like him could have been thrown into the mix just to see what he could do. Tonight he showed he can be effective at this high level.”Vettori perhaps meant to say Pathirana could have been tried when Super Kings had only an academic chance and not when they were well and truly out. Now that they are properly out of the tournament, Super Kings have gone to the extent of giving players chances at the expense of having the ideal combination in the middle. An example of that was promoting N Jagadeesan ahead of Shivam Dube.”We could have pushed Shivam up the order but that defeats the purpose of giving Jaggi a game,” Dhoni said. “If it was a tactical decision proper, midway into the tournament, we would have pushed the left-hander up the order. But we wanted Jaggi to have some time in the middle.”We will try to give guys ample time in the middle. At times when you are at this stage you feel, oh, you want to win one more game, but at the same time you want to give a chance to guys who we haven’t been able to feature in the XI. Still try to pick a good XI. Not like we are playing a lopsided XI. But in the coming game also we will look to do that.”

Four Lads Had A Dream have paid special praise to one “excellent” Rangers player after his performance in his side’s 1-1 draw at home to Tottenham.

Rangers impress in Spurs draw

The Gers faced a big test of their European credentials on Thursday evening, as Spurs made the trip to Rangers for an important Europa League clash at Ibrox.

Philippe Clement’s Rangers side more than held their own on the night, taking the lead through Hamza Igamane, only to be pegged back by a Dejan Kulusevski’s strike with time running out. The draw leaves the Scottish Premiership giants sitting eighth in the table, remaining level on points with Spurs and still having a good chance of reaching the knockout stages.

The big games continue to come thick and fast for the Gers, whose next assignment sees them take on rivals Celtic in the Scottish League Cup final on Sunday afternoon. Victory at Hampden Park would not only earn them bragging rights, but also take some pressure off the shoulders of Clement.

There were plenty of Rangers players who shone against Spurs on Thursday, as the hosts had 15 shots compared to the Premier League side’s tally of 12, and one player has come in for particular praise.

"Excellent" Rangers player hailed v Spurs

Taking to X, Four Lads Had A Dream lauded the performance of Nicolas Raskin in Rangers’ draw with Spurs, describing him as “the player we knew he could be”.

The positive reviews coming Raskin’s way are fully deserved, with the 23-year-old producing a superb performance in the middle of the park against top-class opposition. The Rangers midfielder completed 91% of his passes at Ibrox, according to Sofascore, as well as winning six out of eight ground duels and making four interceptions to go with three clearances.

Raskin is going to be an important player for Rangers as the season goes on, both domestically and in Europe, with Kenny Miller once describing him as “excellent”.

The Belgian provides both technical quality and tenacity in midfield, as highlighted by an average of 3.3 tackles and 1.3 dribbles per match in the Scottish Premiership so far this season.

At 23, Raskin is still such a young player who is still learning his trade, having arrived from Standard Liege last year, and there is no reason why he can’t continue to mature into one of Rangers’ most important players in the coming years.

Better than Igamane: Rangers star "who could run all night" was real hero

The Rangers central midfielder was the true hero for Philippe Clement on the night.

ByDan Emery Dec 13, 2024

Gers supporters will be hoping he can produce a similar performance against Celtic this weekend, inspiring the Gers to League Cup glory in the process.

The Philadelphia Union II star kicked off his 2025 campaign in style with spectacular goal in their home opener

Sullivan scored Union II's first goal of the 2025 seasonThe 15-year-old continues to impressUnion II secured a shootout victory after a 1-1 drawWHAT HAPPENED

Cavan Sullivan, Philadelphia Union II's 15-year-old prodigy, opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a stunning left-footed free kick, marking Union II's first goal of the 2025 season. The goal came in Union II's Matchweek 2 contest Monday night against New York Red Bulls II at Subaru Park.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT SULLIVAN SAID

“Obviously it was a a pretty fast start for me, a nice free kick goal," Sullivan said after the match. "I was happy to do that. Obviously it’s not awesome losing a point at home. We’re happy obviously to win penalties, but it would have been nice to get all three.

"We know what we did wrong, obviously late in the game we had a a few missed opportunities and then some sloppy things on the defensive end, so we know what to fix up and and what to change for these next couple of weeks."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Philadelphia Union II's home opener against New York Red Bulls II ended in a 1-1 draw, with Union II winning the subsequent shootout. After Sullivan opened the scoring, Red Bulls II equalized later in the match after Union II’s Gavin Wetzel was sent off, forcing a shootout.

Despite challenging weather conditions, Union II displayed resilience to secure the shootout victory.

Jerome Miron-Imagn ImagesWHAT’S NEXT?

Philadelphia Union II face Huntsville City on March 29 in an away fixture before returning home at Subaru Park to host Atlanta United 2 on April 11.

Apart from some of the decisions, which the players didn’t agree with, they felt the match officials didn’t control the South Africans’ sledging

Mohammad Isam04-Apr-2022Bangladesh will lodge an official complaint about South Africa’s “deplorable” sledging during the Durban Test after, according to them, the umpires ignored their on-field complaints. The BCB is, in fact, planning to complain to the ICC about both the sledging as well as the overall umpiring during the game.Bangladesh have already filed one complaint – about the umpiring – during the ODI series, but want to take up some other issues that cropped up during the Test, which Bangladesh lost on the final day by 220 runs after collapsing for 53 in their second innings.Related

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Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, BCB cricket operations chief Jalal Yunus said, “We have already lodged one complaint about the umpiring after the ODI series. The match referee [Andy Pycroft] had an argument with our manager Nafees Iqbal, but then we gave him a written complaint. We will lodge another official complaint about this Test match.”Mominul Haque, the Bangladesh captain, also spoke up, joining Yunus as well as team director Khaled Mahmud, selector Habibul Bashar and Shakib Al Hasan in expressing disgruntlement with the umpiring.”Sledging is quite normal, but the umpires didn’t seem to notice it,” Mominul said after the game. “The umpiring in the match is not in our control, but I think the ICC should think about bringing back neutral umpires.”On Sunday, after the fourth day’s play, Mahmud and Bashar criticised the match officials, while Shakib, who left the tour early because of personal reasons, had also tweeted that the ICC should look at reinstating neutral umpires considering the improved Covid-19 situation in most parts of the cricketing world. At the end of the fourth day’s play, Tamim Iqbal was also seen speaking to the umpires but it is not clear what they spoke about.

“Sledging definitely took place from both sides, but when they started it and took it overboard, we complained to the umpires. It wasn’t acceptable. We properly condemn it. We have to accept the umpires’ decisions, but the ICC must reinstate neutral umpires”Jalal Yunus

Bangladesh made lbw appeals on multiple occasions during South Africa’s second innings, especially in the first two sessions on Sunday. They opted for a review when Dean Elgar was given not out on the field by umpire Marais Erasmus in the fifth over after being hit on his back leg. But he survived on umpire’s call as ball-tracking showed that the ball was only clipping off stump.Then, in the 19th over of the innings, Bangladesh successfully overturned Adrian Holdstock’s not-out decision for an lbw against Sarel Erwee. According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball commentary, it “looked so out to the naked eye and it was a surprise that the on-field call was not given despite a screeching appeal”.In the 26th over, Khaled Ahmed was denied an lbw decision against Keegan Petersen. Bangladesh didn’t take that review but replays showed that it would have hit the stumps and would have been out had the review been taken.The main indication that emotions were running high was when, on the fourth morning, Ebadot Hossain, while bowling, threw the ball back in Dean Elgar’s direction after it was hit to him, and the pair exchanged words. Umpire Holdstock had to ask the players to calm down.Yunus also went back to the issue with the sightscreens, which delayed the start of the Test. He said that Bangladesh had expected the umpires to make up for the lost time as the Test went along.Should we go up? In this case, they did, and got the wicket of Sarel Erwee•AFP/Getty Images”There hasn’t been impartial umpiring in this Test match,” he said. “It started on the first day. We were held up for half an hour at the start of the game because of the sightscreens. We were deprived of the initial advantage.”To make up this half an hour, they extended the lunch session, instead of starting early, which we usually see. It is definitely at the umpire’s discretion, but generally we see them making up for lost time by starting early. These are subtle technical things.”It is, however, understood that both the teams had agreed to the playing conditions, which includes the rule when it comes to making up for lost time, before the start of the Test.Yunus said that Bangladesh were also concerned about how the umpires treated the Bangladesh players when they complained about the sledging by the home side.”They surrounded [Mahmudul Hasan] Joy when he went out to bat,” he said. “They were saying something. He couldn’t say anything back since he is a junior player. It was deplorable. Instead of controlling the situation, the umpires warned our players whenever we made complaints against the sledging.”Sledging definitely took place from both sides, but when they started it and took it overboard, we complained to the umpires. It wasn’t acceptable. We properly condemn it. We have to accept the umpires’ decisions, but the ICC must reinstate neutral umpires.”