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Bruno Fernandes threw a pitch at Rate Field while attending the Chicago White Sox' MLB game against local rivals Chicago Cubs on Sunday. The Manchester United captain enjoyed a break from pre-season preparations as he took some of his colleagues to watch the Baseball action. Fernandes was also able to meet White Sox stars such as Miguel Vargas.

• Bruno threw first pitch for White Sox
• United stars attended MLB game
• Amorim granted players day off

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to the , Manchester United ambassador Wes Brown was supposed to throw the first pitch and had even practiced throwing. However, once Fernandes managed to gather a bunch of current United stars to visit Rate Field, the pitching duties were immediately handed over to the Red Devils skipper.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Fernandes was also gifted a customised No.8 shirt of the White Sox and met the franchise's second basemen and left fielder Miguel Vargas. The United midfielder was joined ay the game by team-mates Joshua Zirkzee and Bryan Mbeumo, with the squad having been granted some time off following their friendly win over West Ham in their first match of their U.S. tour at MetLife Stadium last week.

• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  The White Sox shared a clip of Fernandes pitching and some photographs from the United star's visit on Instagram with the caption: "Thanks for kickin’ it with us, @brunofernandes8 & @manchesterunited!"

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  Ruben Amorim's side will play their second pre-season friendly of their U.S. tour on Thursday as they take on Bournemouth at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Lyon’s rising star Malick Fofana has quickly become one of the most talked-about names in European football, with the French club setting a minimum asking price of £51.5 million (€60m/$71m) for the talented 20-year-old as several Premier League heavyweights, including Liverpool, Arsenal & Chelsea, scramble for his signature. The English sides are not alone in the chase, with Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, and Napoli also engaged in talks.

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• Fofana's stock continues to rise
• PL heavyweights battling for his signature
• Lyon put their demands on the table

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to given the high demand for Fofana, Lyon are hoping an auction-style scenario emerges, allowing them to maximise the value of the player’s sale. His meteoric rise stems from a breakthrough season at the club, during which he registered 11 goals across 41 appearances.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Fofana earned a maiden call-up to the senior Belgian national team last year. Though predominantly utilised on the wings, his ability to operate anywhere across the attacking line has added to his appeal.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Lyon’s willingness to cash in on their emerging star is partly rooted in financial necessity. The club is currently grappling with economic issues that have led to their controversial demotion from Ligue 1, a ruling they are currently appealing. Regardless of the outcome, the need to balance the books remains a pressing concern. Their Europa League spot is now under review, a consequence of their off-field troubles. This situation may prompt the club to accelerate player sales, with Fofana at the forefront of that list.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  For clubs monitoring Fofana, Lyon’s predicament offers a potential opening. While the French side will try to drive the price up, looking for at least £51.5m, they may also be pressured to reach a deal sooner rather than later. It remains to be seen whether he lands in the Premier League or elsewhere in Europe. But given the clock ticking and interest surging, a resolution might not be far off.

El Tri, which have gone 293 minutes without conceding a goal, will face Honduras Wednesday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara

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Mexico have reached the semifinals in 10 straight Gold Cups holds six wins and one draw against Saudi ArabiaMexico gone 293 minutes without conceding a goalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPTELL ME MORE

Mexico secured their place in the Gold Cup semifinals after defeating Saudi Arabia 2-0 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Goals from Alexis Vega in the 49th minute and a late own goal by Abdullah Madu sealed the win for , who will now face Honduras in the next round.

Mexico’s first-half performance echoed familiar struggles from earlier in the tournament – lacking cohesion, fluid buildup, and control in the midfield. The team failed to assert dominance over the Saudi side and only came close to scoring in stoppage time, when Vega fired a powerful shot from distance that narrowly missed the target.

The second half told a different story. Right after the restart, Vega found the net following a well-executed move, though the goal was initially ruled offside. After VAR review, however, the goal stood – putting Mexico ahead and shifting the momentum in their favor. continued to press down the flanks and use their pace to stretch the Saudi defense, eventually finding a second goal in the 81st minute via an own goal by Abdullah Madu.

With the win, Mexico advance to the semifinals for another shot at defending their 2023 Gold Cup title – and chasing a record-extending 10th championship.

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Mexico became the first national team in history to reach 200 goals in the Gold Cup. has a long-standing rivalry with Honduras, having faced them a total of 46 times, with Mexico winning 27, drawing nine, and losing 10 to

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Alexis Vega may not have been the most clinical throughout the match, but he showed why he wears the coveted No. 10 jersey for Mexico. Always eager to receive the ball, Vega leads the attack, constantly looking to be involved – sending in crosses, driving forward, and taking responsibility in the final third. While greater consistency is expected from the Toluca forward, his current form is promising. If he sharpens his finishing, he could help score more goals. On this night, he earned Man of the Match honors after netting the opening goal and further solidifying his place as a starter under Javier Aguirre.

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The big loser: the Gold Cup.

While Mexico’s matches haven’t drawn poor attendance figures, they also haven’t matched the packed stadiums seen in previous editions, when regularly played in front of sellout crowds.

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Coach Aguirre has made frequent rotations throughout the tournament, signaling that he’s using the competition to test players and shape his roster for the 2026 World Cup. That approach has affected the team’s performances, which in turn has led to underwhelming games – and fans not getting the level of entertainment they’ve come to expect.

Derbyshire chip away at 132-run deficit with unbroken opening stand

ECB Reporters Network21-Jul-2023

England fast bowler Matthew Potts paraded his batting credentials as Durham piled on the runs in the LV=Insurance County Championship match against Derbyshire at Derby.Potts scored 64 and shared an eighth-wicket stand of 110 from 113 balls with Brydon Carse who made 80 on a day of stoppages at the Incora County Ground.The Division Two leaders secured maximum batting points for the sixth time this season before they were bowled out for 575 with fast bowler Sam Conners claiming 5 for 115. That gave Durham a lead of 132 but Derbyshire responded strongly in their second innings to close on 89 without loss, 43 behind, with Luis Reece 54 not outThe prospects of a positive result on a pitch where more than 800 runs had been scored on the first two days receded further when only 47 balls were bowled in the morning because of rain.There was time for Conners to take his fourth wicket when Migael Pretorious was lbw playing back to a full-length ball but after lunch the game was held up again but this time in bizarre circumstances. A coin or a washer was found embedded in the pitch resulting in a delay of several minutes before the umpires decided it did not pose a problem and both teams agreed the match could continue.Potts and Carse took advantage but only after two excellent catches had stalled Durham’s advance towards a full house of batting points.Ollie Robinson was looking to the cover boundary when he drove Zak Chappell powerfully but Anuj Dal showed why he is rated one of the top fielders on the circuit by taking off to his right and holding a stunning one-handed grab.Graham Clark’s edged drive at Chappell was almost past Harry Came at first slip but he swooped to pull off a superb low catch. At that point, Durham were still 33 short of 450 but Potts continued to exude confidence, putting away the bad balls with crisp drives and cuts.He reached his third first-class fifty by turning Dal off his hip to the fine leg fence for his seventh four and with Carse quickly finding his range, Durham were motoring along at nearly five an over.Carse straight drove Dal for six and he also hit nine fours in a 41-ball fifty that underlined the dominance of bat over ball.The lead was 86 when Potts drove at Reece in the final over before tea and Wayne Madsen pouched his 26th catch in Championship cricket this season. But there was no respite after the interval as Carse and Ben Raine added 43 before Carse was caught behind down the leg side off Reece.Conners quickly cleaned up Matthew Parkinson to claim his fifth wicket and leave Derbyshire with 27 overs to bat until the close.Reece and Came had some anxious moments against Raine and Potts with the new ball but once they settled in, played with increasing assurance on a pitch which shows no sign of deteriorating.Reece came down the track to dispatch Parkinson for six and although Came edged Raine just over the slips, Durham could not break through and with heavy rain forecast for much of day four, a draw looks increasingly likely.

MatériaMais Notícias

Abel Ferreira tem a famosa ‘dor de cabeça’ boa quando se trata da escalação do Palmeiras. Independente de quem entre em campo, o português sabe que tem peças importantes e fundamentais para seu esquema. Apesar de ter lugar garantido no time, Rony talvez precise se provar ainda mais após a ausência.

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+Verdão copeiro: relembre os 20 jogos de invencibilidade do Palmeiras como visitante na Libertadores

Por conta de uma lesão na coxa esquerda, sofrida no empate palmeirense com o Fortaleza pelo Brasileirão, o camisa 10 esteve fora de cinco partidas da equipe. Contudo, está perto de voltar contra o Goiás, já neste final de semana.

A primeira foi a eliminação para o rival São Paulo, nos pênaltis, nas oitavas da Copa do Brasil. Apesar de sair da competição, o Verdão venceu por 2 a 1 e deu continuidade a uma ótima sequência sem derrotas.

Depois disso, duas vitórias simples. 1 a 0 contra Cuiabá e América-MG. Gabriel Veron e Gustavo Scarpa deram números aos feitos. Já diante de Internacional e Ceará, 2 a 1 no placar, com destaque para Gustavo Gómez e Menino, além de Dudu e Flaco López.

O novo reforço, inclusive, ao lado de Miguel Merentiel, teve sua estreia promovida e já iniciou o processo de busca por uma vaga concreta na linha de frente alviverde.

> Clique e confira a tabela completa e simulador do Brasileirão!

No empate em 2 a 2 com o Atlético-MG, na Libertadores, foi titular e mostrou-se bom no jogo aéreo com a bola rolando, e não somente em bolas paradas, abrindo um leque de boas opções para Abel Ferreira.

Em uma das entrevistas coletivas recentes, o comandante português afirmou que Rony tem lugar garantido na equipe. Ou seja, seu retorno é direto para a titularidade.

Podendo voltar como ponta, sua posição preferida, já que não precisa mais improvisar como o 9 tão desejado por Abel, alguém precisará ceder lugar para o camisa 10 alviverde.

Hoje, quem ocupa a faixa esquerda do campo no ataque, se revezando, são Dudu e Scarpa, dependendo da estratégia. Porém, no atual cenário da equipe, os dois não podem ser substituídos.

O camisa 14 disputou 42 jogos no ano, acumulando nove assistências, 12 grandes chances criadas, 105 passes decisivos e 104 cruzamentos corretos. Com o baixo rendimento de Veiga após lesão e contração da Covid-19, o meia é um dos principais nomes ofensivos do time.

Já o ídolo Dudu recuperou o bom desempenho técnico e vem sendo cada vez mais importante para o grupo e para a torcida, tendo provado isso ao dar uma assistência ‘achada’ para o gol de Danilo no empate com o Galo.

Apesar do time ter funcionado bem com um centroavante de origem, Flaco López terá que brigar com Rony pela vaga de titular, assim como Raphael Veiga precisará recuperar a confiança e o bom futebol para voltar a ser insubstituível, como os demais companheiros citados.

A dúvida fica entre os dois, ao que tudo indica, já que o Rústico tem cadeira cativa – por méritos – na equipe de Abel.

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MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta segunda-feira (23), o Athletico-PR se reapresentou após o compromisso do Campeonato Brasileiro contra o Botafogo pelo fato de, na próxima quarta, entrar novamente em campo (dessa vez nas quartas de final da Copa do Brasil) onde o oponente será outro time carioca, o Flamengo.

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>Quem foi o craque do 1º turno do Brasileirão 2022?

Em atividade que aconteceu no CT do Caju, o técnico Luiz Felipe Scolari seguiu o protocolo habitual de preservação de atletas onde os titulares no revés diante do Botafogo fizeram apenas uma parte inicial do treino.

Por sua vez, os atletas que não foram acionados no compromisso do Brasileirão participaram durante toda a atividade que teve enfoque em aspectos táticos, jogadas utilizandocampo reduzido e finalizações.

Na comparação com o time que jogou pelo Campeonato Brasileiro, Felipão terá uma série de caras novas em relação ao 11 inicial. Seja por atletas poupados (Pedro Henrique e Pablo), jogadores que começaram o jogo com o Botafogo no banco (Khellven, Nico Hernández e Erick) além de Cuello, suspenso pelo terceiro amarelo no jogo do Brasileirão.

Ipswich Town’s sole focus going forward rests on Premier League survival, having now exited the FA Cup at the hands of Nottingham Forest.

The FA Cup was never a top priority anyway, but there will still be some comfort taken from the fact Nuno Espirito Santo’s Forest could only knock out the Tractor Boys via a penalty shoot-out, instead of the hosts dishing out a thumping.

Whilst there are some positives to hang onto from the dramatic defeat, the ever-growing injury list at Ipswich has only increased after Monday night’s loss, with Axel Tuanzebe now annoyingly sidelined.

The latest on Ipswich's injury issues

Indeed, off the back of the Cup defeat, Ipswich now have four injury concerns heading back into the bread and butter of the Premier League, with Sammie Szmodics and Conor Chaplin both not fit enough to feature against Forest, whilst Tuanzebe and Cameron Burgess had to come off at half-time with concerns of their own.

The ex-Manchester United man now has a hamstring issue that leaves Ipswich a little light in the right-back spot moving forward, considering Championship regular defender Harry Clarke is now out on loan with Sheffield United as an alternative face in this troubled position.

McKenna won’t exactly be enthused to throw Ben Godfrey into this area of the pitch either, considering both of Godfrey’s league run-outs since joining has seen his loan side lose 6-0 and 4-1, with the attackers facing off against the ex-Everton man loving life subsequently.

Ben Johnson is another figure that could come in as a utility option, but the former West Ham United face won himself an assist in the Forest clash playing down the right wing, meaning McKenna might well fancy him more as a presence joining in with attacks over strictly defending.

Therefore, to find a fresh option in the right-back area, the Ipswich boss could be prepared to start this dependable face here, knowing he will put in determined performances.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The Ipswich "warrior" who can solve Tuanzebe blow

Ipswich’s strengths this season haven’t always centred on defensively resilient displays, considering the Suffolk underdogs have leaked a high 57 strikes in the league.

But, regardless of this growing amount of goals, Dara O’Shea has looked composed and competent for the most part at the back, especially when the usual centre-back body was chucked into the team away at Forest down the right.

Minutes played

75

Touches

44

Accurate passes

20/26 (77%)

Successful dribbles

1/1

Clearances

6

Blocked shots

1

Interceptions

1

Total duels won

5/10

Looking at the table above, O’Shea ensured Ipswich remained strong at the back to take Espirito Santo’s hosts the distance with five duels won in total, alongside six clearances being registered.

But, his composure on the ball – away from his “warrior”-like presence at the back – as he’s been praised for in the past by Valerien Ismael – lends itself well to this position on the right flank, with one successful dribble even amassed on top of his 20 accurate passes.

Yet, if the Irishman was to come in and just be a staunch option alongside his fellow defenders, keeping Johnson on the right wing would still be able to gift Ipswich an expansive presence here, with an equally daring Jaden Philogene-Bidace also at McKenna’s disposal for their next league test versus Crystal Palace after being cup-tied.

Whatever personnel he does select for this tough away trip to the Eagles, McKenna will hope a lot of fight and grit is on display, as time starts to gradually slip away from the Tractor Boys in their bid to stay up.

Fewer touches than Palmer: McKenna must axe 5/10 Ipswich ace after Forest

The talented Ipswich star did not play well enough against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 4, 2025

The January transfer window may be closed, but Chelsea are already believed to be favourites for the signing of a Premier League star this summer.

Chelsea end January window with one major signing

Enzo Maresca did get backed with his desired midfield cover, as Chelsea sealed a late deal to sign Mathis Amougou from Saint-Étienne for around £12 million, but it wasn’t exactly the window of dreams for Stamford Bridge chiefs.

Chelsea tried to sign another £80m Premier League player in record deal

His club issued brutal response to the Blues.

By
Henry Jackson

Feb 4, 2025

Chelsea were widely reported to be chasing a striker, and held rumoured talks over a few noteworthy names.

Mathys Tel was subject to negotiations over a move to Chelsea, while other reliable media sources reported that Ipswich Town starlet Liam Delap was attracting serious interest from BlueCo amid Nicolas Jackson’s torrid run of goal-scoring form.

A new centre-back was on their agenda as well, right at the beginning of January, but Chelsea ended up activating their re-call clause for Trevoh Chalobah.

There was serious talk of Chelsea potentially re-signing Marc Guehi in a deal from Crystal Palace, with Maresca’s side said to have internally discussed the possibility of a January move for the star England international before deciding on Chalobah.

Tottenham also made an audacious late £70 million swoop for Guehi, which took everyone by surprise, but the £50,000-per-week defender didn’t go anywhere despite Spurs’ club-record breaking bid, with Palace chairman Steve Parish keen to keep the man he dubbed “sensational”.

Now, journalist Dean Jones has shared who is more likely to sign the 24-year-old this summer – Chelsea or Tottenham.

Marc Guehi likely to choose Chelsea move this summer

Jones, speaking on GiveMeSport’s Market Madness podcast, via YouTube, says that Guehi is likely to choose a move to Chelsea this summer if he does leave Selhurst Park.

“I had some scepticism when I first saw they went in for him. I’d heard nothing about it. At Tottenham, I have some reasonable contacts, but it wasn’t something I’d heard before all of this,” Jones said.

“They probably sensed that this was their big chance to go and do it because the likelihood is that Marc Guehi would choose to go to Chelsea, I’ve heard that for a long time now, and that will probably still be the case if Guehi leaves Crustal Palace at the end of the season then that’s where he ends up.”

The homegrown centre-back, with just under 18 months left on his Palace contract, appears set to be one of the most sought-after centre-backs of the summer – which is no surprise given his status as an England regular and one of the top flight’s standout centre-halfs.

Moxon’s successor named after torrid year as Gough stays on as Director of Cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Nov-2022

Yorkshire have appointed as their new chief executive Stephen Vaughan, the former CEO of Wasps Group – the premiership rugby club that went into administration last month – while confirming that Darren Gough will stay on as permanent director of cricket, following their relegation to Division Two of the County Championship.Vaughan’s role will officially begin on November 7, almost exactly a year on from the resignation of his predecessor, Mark Arthur, who stood down at the height of the club’s racism scandal, prior to Azeem Rafiq’s explosive testimony at the DCMS parliamentary hearing at which he had also been due to give evidence.In his three-year stint at Wasps, Vaughan went from CEO of sports business in August 2019 to becoming Group Chief Executive in 2020, but in October he was one of 167 players, coaches and staff made redundant following the collapse of the parent company, Wasps Holdings Ltd. Prior to that, he had been managing director of Thomas Cook London 2012, where he led the company’s involvement with the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, and seven years at Gloucester Rugby.During his time at Wasps, Vaughan was responsible for the rollout of a comprehensive Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) strategy, a trait that made him attractive to Yorkshire as they seek to rebuild the club’s reputation following a damaging two years.”Yorkshire County Cricket Club is one of the most iconic sporting institutions in the world and it’s truly an honour to take up this position,” Vaughan said. “Without shying away from the significant challenges we have faced over the past year, there are many reasons to be optimistic about the future, both on and off the pitch. I had a number of offers, but the opportunity to lead this club back to the forefront of English Cricket and realise our full potential was very attractive.”The club is hugely important in the region with a massive fan base of loyal Members who want to see us get back to where we should be. Working alongside the newly installed Board I am determined to deliver sporting success at Headingley and produce exceptional results, underpinned by robust commercial foundations and our vision to make Yorkshire Cricket a place for everyone.Lord Kamlesh Patel, Yorkshire’s chair, added: “We’re delighted to welcome Stephen to the club as the outstanding candidate in a highly talented field. With years of knowledge and experience working across various disciplines within sport he will bring a huge amount of expertise to Yorkshire County Cricket Club. His proven track record and business acumen will be vital to our future success.”Stephen’s openness in dealing with challenging conditions at Wasps in the wake of Covid demonstrates the strength of character that will be vital to the ongoing transformation of the club. I look forward to working with him as we continue on our rebuilding journey”.Gough, meanwhile, has been confirmed as Yorkshire’s full-time director of cricket, having stepped into the role last year following the departure of Martyn Moxon. His first season in charge was a disappointment, however, as Yorkshire were relegated on the final day of the season following Warwickshire’s thrilling victory over Hampshire.”I have a long-established connection to the club and am very happy to be part of our future by signing a permanent contract,” Gough said. “We were all disappointed with the conclusion of the men’s XI season but we are determined to get back to the top as soon as possible and regain our Division One status.”There is much to be optimistic about, not least the exceptional young talent coming through, and I am excited about the signings we have made to improve the team. The hard work starts through the winter, and I am looking forward to working together with Ottis and the coaching team in the years ahead to bring success on the cricket field back to Yorkshire.”