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Raphinha has welcomed Marcus Rashford to Barcelona with a firm message, warning the Manchester United loanee about the fierce competition for places at the club. The Brazilian insists that increased rivalry in the squad will only push players to improve as Barca look to compete for major trophies again this season after their great debut season under Hansi Flick.

• Rashford joins Barcelona on loan from Manchester United
• Raphinha welcomes competition, says it drives improvement
• Brazilian star focused on winning Barcelona’s sixth UCL title

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rashford joined Barcelona this month on a season-long loan from Manchester United. The England international will compete with Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres in a star-studded attack. The Brazilian, who is said to be in line to be one of the captains for Barcelona for the upcoming season, has now fired a warning to Rashford about the necessity to be prepared for competition.

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  WHAT RAPHINHA SAID

  Speaking to Diario Sport, Raphinha said: "When you play with this jersey, with this club, you need to be prepared for all the competition that there is. In my opinion, the more competition we have, the better. It means that one helps the other progress and that is the most important thing if we want to win titles."

  Speaking about the only title that eluded Barcelona last season, the Brazilian added: "The Champions League is a personal challenge in my career. It's also a club goal, to win our sixth Champions League title. I, in particular, will do everything possible to make it happen. And I'm sure the players are thinking the same thing."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Raphinha is coming off his most productive season yet, with 34 goals and 25 assists across all competitions. His form in the Champions League was particularly strong, with 13 goals and nine assists. Despite Rashford’s arrival, the Brazilian has extended his contract until 2028. The Brazilian added: "I always try to find my best form in training, games, the season. I tried that last season, it was better than the previous one, and I will try for this coming season to also be better than the last."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR RASHFORD?

  Barcelona will now aim to integrate Rashford quickly into their system as they prepare for another title push. Raphinha, meanwhile, remains determined to keep improving and fighting for his place and the internal competition could prove key in Barca’s pursuit of domestic and European glory.

162 people – including players, officials, and administrators – will now go into quarantine before the tournament begins

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Aug-2020All 162 people – players, officials, and administrators – who will be involved in the Caribbean Premier League have tested negative for Covid-19 upon landing in Trinidad & Tobago. An official release from the organisers said they would now be quarantined in the “official” hotel for 14 days, during which time they would be tested regularly as the tournament braces for an August 18 start.”It has been a colossal effort by all involved to get everyone safely into Trinidad & Tobago and we would like to thank everyone for their hard work and diligence. Our main priority is the health and wellbeing of all those involved in CPL and the wider population in the host country, to have got through this first step without any cases is encouraging news, but we will remain vigilant,” said the tournament operations director Michael Hall.The release said that anyone who tests positive over the quarantine period will be placed in “further isolation” in accordance with the protocols of Trinidad & Tobago.Five people have already had to pull out the tournament so far: St Kitts & Nevis Patriots’ head coach Simon Helmot tested positive five hours before he was due to leave Melbourne for the Caribbean, whereas their assistant coach Malolan Rangarajan is tied to the Royal Challengers Bangalore, who want him with the team as the IPL begins its own countdown. Patriots also lost out on the services of left-arm spinner Dennis Bulli, who tested positive for the virus, while Jamaica Tallawahs were forced to withdraw Andre McCarthy and Jeavor Royal because they came into close contact with a player who had tested positive.The CPL will the world’s first major T20 league to be held since the pandemic brought the game to a stop, and will take place in its usual window, albeit entirely in Trinidad & Tobago. On August 5, T&T had an estimated ten new cases and is among the safer locations in the world, with the highest number of new cases for a day peaking at 41 in late March.Last week, T&T prime minister Keith Rowley had said that given the CPL’s bubble, it would be safe for the rest of the population. Rowley also said that breaching of biosecurity protocols by players and staff will strictly not be tolerated. “Don’t play you can come out from that protocol and decide to take a drink down the road or whatever, we’re not tolerating that,” he said.

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has showcased his willingness to trust and develop academy talents in his debut season with the Yorkshire-based side.

The German boss worked the likes of James Maddison, Ben Godfrey, Max Aarons, and Emiliano Buendia during his time with Norwich City, and has now provided Mateo Joseph and Archie Gray with opportunities to shine this season.

Gray, who was 17 at the start of the campaign, made his senior debut under the Whites manager this term and has racked up 36 appearances in the Championship so far.

The England U21 international is the first-choice option for Farke at right-back, whilst Joseph is currently the back-up to Patrick Bamford in the number nine position, and this shows that the tactician is prepared to bring academy gems into the team if they are good enough and ready to feature.

This bodes well for the array of talent currently occupying the U21 and U18 teams at Thorp Arch, as they know that the club have a manager who will not ignore them if they perform to a high level, in matches and in training.

Current U18s star Josh McDonald is one player who could have his eyes on a future place in the first-team, and Farke could eventually unearth him as a homegrown heir to Dan James, who has had somewhat of a revival at Elland Road this season.

Dan James' initial struggles at Leeds

In the summer of 2021, former Leeds duo Marcelo Bielsa and Victor Orta swooped to sign the Wales international from Manchester United for a reported fee of £25m.

The forward started regularly throughout the 2021/22 campaign for Bielsa, and then his replacement Jesse Marsch, but failed to deliver goals and assists at an impressive rate.

He produced four goals, with eight 'big chances' missed, and assisted four for his teammates, with 0.8 key passes per game, over 31 Premier League starts.

His less-than-impressive form at the top end of the pitch, after a big £25m move to Elland Road, led to a loan to league rivals Fulham for the 2022/23 campaign.

As you can see in the table above, James also struggled during his time with the Cottagers as he only racked up three direct goal contributions in 24 matches.

His lack of end product on the wing in the Premier League may have contributed to Fulham's decision to send him back to Elland Road last summer, instead of attempting to sign him on a permanent basis.

That did, however, provide Leeds and Farke with an opportunity to help him regain his confidence by playing regular football in the Championship this season.

Dan James' impressive form this season

The 26-year-old speedster has started 24 of his 34 appearances in the second tier for the Whites so far this season, and has showcased his quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

James has plundered an eye-catching 12 goals and seven assists in those 24 starts – a return of one goal or assist every 1.26 starts on average in the league.

Only Wilfried Gnonto (2.72) has outscored his Expected Goals by more than James (1.8) within the Leeds squad, as the electric winger has found the back of the net 12 times from an xG of 10.2.

This shows that the former Manchester United forward has been efficient in front of goal, and not wasted many opportunities to get his name on the scoresheet.

The Welsh wizard has also showcased his creativity with 12 'big chances' created and 1.5 key passes per game across his 34 league matches for Leeds this term. He ranks within the top 5% of Championship attacking midfielders and wingers for Expected Assisted Goals (0.29) per 90, and the top 8% for assists (0.30) per 90.

These statistics show that the Whites star has been an excellent operator as both a scorer and a creator of goals, whilst having the quality to operate on either the right or the left wing for Farke.

In total, James has racked up 16 goals and 12 assists in 77 appearances in all competitions since he made the move to Leeds in the summer of 2021, which is a return of 2.75 matches per game on average.

Josh McDonald's Leeds potential

Leeds swooped to sign McDonald from Scottish side Hamilton Academical in the summer of 2023, at the age of 16, amid interest from Premiership giants Glasgow Rangers.

Football Insider quoted an unnamed Scotland U18 coach as describing the talented teenager as an "exceptional" young gem, which is why he played for his country at U18 level despite being just 16 at the time.

The outlet noted the club's desire to bolster the quality of their youth teams across the board, which is why they were keen to sign the 16-year-old to add him to their U18 group.

McDonald has been playing for Leeds at that level so far this season and has caught the eye with his contributions at the top end of the pitch.

Like James, the Scottish wizard has the ability to play on either the left or the right side of the attack, rather than being restricted to one or the other, and that could help his first-team chances as he could fill in for multiple positions.

As you can see in the table below, McDonald has featured regularly for the club in the league and the cup during his debut campaign in English football.

He has racked up eight direct goal contributions in 17 appearances for the U18s this season, which is a return of one goal or assist every 2.13 outings on average – better than James' Leeds career average of one every 2.75 games.

These statistics show that McDonald, like the Wales international, can both score and create goals at a decent rate from either the right or left wing.

At the age of 17, the Scottish maestro also has plenty of time left to develop and progress over the years to come, and could be a player Farke keeps an eye on for the future as a possible long-term homegrown heir to James, who is nine years older than him.

It would be a dream scenario for Leeds and the German boss as the club would not need to splash out millions on a replacement for the Welshman, should McDonald continue to progress and emerge as a senior option.

India batter admits “things have gone wrong for the team” sometimes because of her

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jul-2020Having kicked off her ODI career with a fifty on debut against England in 2011, the knock should have given then 18-year-old Veda Krishnamurthy the required confidence to achieve greater heights. Her attacking batting style meant she was entrusted with the role of a finisher, but the early success lulled the India batter to believe she was “bigger than the game”.”The biggest mistake of my cricket career was that I thought I was the greatest player when I was 18,” Veda, now 27, said on Indian Express Facebook Live. “I thought I was bigger than the game, that nobody could be better than me.”It was only in 2014-15 when things started to fall in place for me. I realised cricket is bigger than anyone. This is true for life as well. You need to have gratitude, appreciation for what you have.”ALSO READ: ‘They used to call me Darthy – after Darth Vader’While she has scored eight half-centuries in 41 ODI innings, those knocks were interspersed with a string of low scores. She was part of the squad for the T20 World Cup in Australia earlier this year, but she was dropped from the ODI side in 2018 after several single-digit scores in a row. Veda, however, has no regrets about the way she plays.”My aggressive nature has definitely gone against me sometimes in my career. The higher the reward associated with risk, the higher is the chance of missing out. But I don’t regret any of the rash shots I played. Regrets don’t work.”I like to stick to my natural game. If it comes off, it will flip the match in such a way that the opponents cannot come back. Sometimes because of me, things have gone wrong for the team, but that’s cricket. You cannot let go off your natural instincts. I would like to say I am the nail in the coffin, either for my team or the other team, depends on how that day turns out.”Over the last ten years, Veda has represented India in 48 ODIs and 76 T20Is, and has played most of those games under or alongside Mithali Raj. There was a time in 2007 though when Veda was in awe of India’s ODI captain.”Mithali scored a double-hundred in a two-day match when I had just started playing for Karnataka. I was struck by how effortlessly she scored her runs. When I first batted with her, I called up a friend and told her, ‘Do you know who I batted with today?’ That’s the kind of influence she had on us. I have learnt a lot in the 8-9 years I have spent with her.”Mithali is very professional. We all try to learn from her how she manages to compartmentalise things, does one thing at a time. She has mastered the art of concentration.”Veda though is closer to India’s T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur in her approach to the game. When asked to compare the captaincy styles of Raj and Kaur, Veda said: “Mithali is very calm on the field. You discuss your plans beforehand, you are told what your role is, if you are not able to execute your role, she discusses it in the team meeting later.”Harmanpreet is a more on-field captain. She is more aggressive, she is always telling you what to do. Both are very good in their own ways and are doing a fantastic job in the different formats right now.”

GOAL takes a look at some of the major MLS storylines emerging ahead of Matchday 18

It is a condensed weekend in MLS, as just 10 of the league's 30 teams are in action, but there is no shortage of storylines in Matchday 18.

There are high-stakes matchups – especially for teams preparing for the FIFA Club World Cup later this month.

Inter Miami are off this weekend, with Lionel Messi and Co. turning their focus to FIFA’s marquee tournament, which begins June 14 at Hard Rock Stadium against Egyptian powerhouse Al Ahly, but for the other two MLS representatives, though, this weekend still matters.

The Seattle Sounders face a final tune-up against Cascadia rivals Vancouver Whitecaps, who are hoping to respond after a dismal loss in the Champions Cup final. For Seattle, it's a chance to build much-needed momentum before heading to the world stage.

Then, for LAFC, it's their final test ahead of the Club World Cup as they host Sporting Kansas City.

GOAL dives into all that and more in The Kickoff, a weekly preview of each MLS Matchday.Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games now

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  Seattle's moment

  The Sounders fell to Minnesota United 3-2 last weekend, capitulating defensively during an eight-minute span where they conceded all three goals. It was just their second loss since April 12 – a stretch where they found results in eight of 10 possible matches. Their only other defeat came in a 4-0 thumping to LAFC, where they heavily rotated their roster heavily due to a three-match week.

  This weekend, they'll take on the Whitecaps in a battle between two of the best in the West, as they travel to their northern rivals in another edition of the Cascadia Cup rivalry. Seattle won the last meeting, a 3-0 victory in October 2024, but in two other meetings last campaign, Vancouver shut them out once and they drew the other.

  Ahead of the Club World Cup, this is a huge opportunity for Seattle to bank some confidence while getting their players in top form for the tournament. Following a disappointing result against the last weekend, they need a positive result against the Whitecaps – even with the odds against them.

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  Vancouver's pride

  There is really no excuse for how badly Vancouver performed in the Champions Cup final last weekend. It was an embarrassing result, and now the question is: How do they respond?

  Their match against Seattle on Sunday will show how resilient they are, especially now, dealing with a slew of international call-ups. They're set to be without star players Sebastian Berhalter and Brian White, both of whom are on duty with the USMNT, as well as Samuel Adekugbe, Jayden Nelson and Ali Ahmed to Canada, Giuseppe Bovalina with Australia, Andres Cubas with Paraguay, Pedro Vite with Ecuador and defender Tate Johnson with the U-20 USMNT.

  To make matters worse? News broke Thursday evening that a "significant number" of staff and players fell ill upon their return from Mexico – and it's unknown how it will affect their match on Sunday. Down players to international duty, and now potentially down a contingent due to illness, the Whitecaps are up against the wall.

  Overall, they've been the best team in MLS this season by a wide margin, and new manager Jesper Sorensen has far surpassed early-season expectations. Yet, they're shorthanded, coming off a terrible result, and they're hosting their arch-rivals: this is Vancouver's biggest test yet.

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  LAFC's final test

  LAFC, following their berth into the Club World Cup via a playoff victory over Club America, now has just one match left ahead of the competition.

  This weekend, the host Sporting Kansas City in a clash between the two Western Conference sides.

  LAFC are unbeaten in their last eight MLS matches, and following a rocky start to the campaign, have moved up to sixth in the standings. Sporting, meanwhile, are unbeaten in their last four and are coming off a splendid 3-1 victory over the Houston Dynamo.

  The two sides met earlier this season in March, where LAFC came out with a 2-0 victory, but dating back to September 2021, the have had the upper hand against SKC. In their last 10 meetings across all competitions, Steve Cherundolo's men have won seven and drawn three, really holding the advantage heading into the match.

  Less than two weeks out from their Club World Cup debut against Chelsea in the tournament, they need all hands on deck Sunday to take three points.

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  What's trending?

  + LAFC can extend its eight-match unbeaten streak to nine games with a win or draw against SKC on Sunday

  + If St. Louis CITY SC defeats the Portland Timbers Saturday, it will be their first back-to-back victory this season

  + With a goal on Saturday against D.C. United, Chicago Fire forward Hugo Cuypers will have his 11th strike of the season, which would see him surpass his 2024 goal total of 10 that he achieved in 31 games

Manchester United are thought to be holding talks with clubs over selling one player in a deal worth more than £40m, according to a new update.

Man Utd exit rumours

With new investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe now in control of sporting decisions at Old Trafford, it could well be a busy few months off the pitch ahead of his first full season with the Red Devils.

There have already been changes higher up, with Omar Berrada appointed CEO from rivals Manchester City and Dan Ashworth wanted as sporting director after being placed on gardening leave by Newcastle United.

Ratcliffe could sell Man Utd outcast who currently earns more than Mainoo

The Man United prospect has struggled to find his feet in Spain while on loan.

By
Tom Lever

Mar 13, 2024

A new manager could also be on the cards, with reports suggesting that Ratcliffe has already decided to move on Erik ten Hag and has identified Roberto De Zerbi as a replacement after a disappointing second campaign in charge.

On the pitch, The Manchester Evening News recently shared an in-depth story looking at 21 players who could leave the club this summer. It now appears as if the Red Devils are actively looking to sell one of those players mentioned.

Mason Greenwood transfer update

One player who could end up leaving Old Trafford for good this summer is Mason Greenwood, who, as we know, is currently on a season-long loan at Getafe. He was moved on last summer on deadline day months after off-field charges against him were dropped.

Now, according to a new update from Marca, Red Devils officials have travelled to Spain to resolve the forward’s future and have already held talks with Barcelona chief Deco over a potential permanent transfer.

United officials will also speak with Getafe and want around €50m (£42.7m) for Greenwood’s services, with Atletico Madrid another possible La Liga destination for the £75,000-a-week player.

Greenwood, who is out of contract in Manchester at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, has been a regular out on loan with Getafe, playing all across the front three and contributing to a goal every other game.

Ratcliffe has also spoken out on the attacker’s future, saying last month in his first press conference: “It’s a fresh decision. I can talk about the principle. I am not going to talk about Mason. I am familiar with it. The principle is the important one. We will have other issues going forwards.

“What we need to do when we have issues like that is understand real effects, not the hype. Then we need to make a fair decision in the light of the club’s values. That’s what we need to do and that’s how we will deal with it.”

Would be “wholly inappropriate” to promote sales during crisis, says managing director

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Mar-2020Tickets for the inaugural season of the Hundred will not go on general sale as planned on April 8, the ECB has announced.Priority tickets for the new competition went on sale in a window in February, with the ECB reporting that initial sales had “surpassed expectations” as an initial allocation for men’s Finals Day tickets sold out within 24 hours.But with the coronavirus pandemic delaying the start of the English season by at least six weeks and the ability to stage the Hundred in the planned window in doubt, the ECB have decided to delay the next two ticket windows, scheduled for the start of April.ALSO READ: PCA seeks collective solutions as players face prospect of pay cuts“In the midst of an epidemic which is affecting the nation in unprecedented ways, it would be wholly inappropriate for us to promote and sell tickets to the Hundred,” said Sanjay Patel, the competition’s managing director.”We appreciate this may cause some disappointment to fans that were keen to purchase tickets in the April sales window, accessing early bird prices and securing tickets to the most in-demand games.”When it is appropriate to go back on sale, we will of course offer the same ticket offers and accessible pricing. Like the rest of the nation, we all hope that it is not far away before cricket returns to our screens, stadiums, parks and clubs.”Several counties had already taken their ticketing platforms offline due to the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, with many clubs currently operating with a skeleton staff.While Tom Harrison, the ECB’s chief executive, has signalled that the governing body’s intention is to prioritise the most lucrative competitions, i.e. the T20 Blast and the Hundred, Durham chief executive Tim Bostock suggested last week that if the season is squeezed into a two-month window, it may make sense to delay the new tournament’s first season to 2021.”It’s pretty clear international cricket comes first, then after that it’s the Blast and the Hundred.,” he told TalkSPORT. “That’s where the revenue is.”Protecting the Hundred is important, although in the conversations I’ve had with the ECB, if it ends up getting squeezed into a two-month season – which is possible – a view will be taken about whether this is really the right time to launch the Hundred.”Tom Harrison has been really pragmatic about this. I certainly get the impression if we get a two-month season the pragmatic view would be: what’s the point of launching this competition now? Let’s launch it properly next year.”

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have been informed of the “only way” that Wrexham reach the Premier League, with more investment required.

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• Hollywood co-owners calling the shots
• Funded meteoric rise into League One
• More money required to take next step

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Hollywood co-owners at SToK Racecourse boast personal fortunes that have allowed them to bankroll a surprising sporting project that was taken on back in 2021. They have also used their marketing know-how to bring considerable commercial revenue into the Welsh outfit.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Rapid progress has been made on and off the field, with back-to-back promotions lifting the club into League One, but there will come a point when a financial wall is hit. McElhenney and Reynolds have never shied away from that, with speculation suggesting that more famous faces could be brought on board.

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  WHAT TRUNDLE SAID

  Ex-Wrexham striker Lee Trundle – speaking in association with – has told GOAL when asked if another injection of funds is required, with Reynolds and McElhenney boasting ties to very powerful and considerably rich people and brands: “I think that’s what you need. I have seen it with Swansea, where you get out of League One and operate completely different to the Championship. Then you go into the Premier League and it’s completely different again. That is the only way for them, if they can go and get these other partners on board and try to challenge.

  “You are not only talking about the wages in the Championship, you are talking about fees for players as well and everything that goes along with it. Your standards go up, as I saw at Swansea. That is something I am sure they have spoken about. They have spoken about wanting to get to the Premier League and you have to have a plan behind closed doors to do that – not only on the pitch, but financially. From the National League to League One, they have got every decision right so far. They look as though they are in good hands.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Collective ambition at Wrexham has seen them taking aim at the Premier League for some time, with Trundle adding when asked if a blockbuster script in North Wales will have a happy ending: “I think that’s what they are aiming for. It’s League One now, they are doing brilliantly at the moment. I think they will be up there for the rest of the season, they will be challenging up that end of the table. The hard bit comes when you come to that next one in the Championship, because the gap is so big from League One to Championship and then Championship to the Premier League.

  “As we have seen with clubs that have gone into the Premier League coming straight back down, I think the gap is getting bigger. But with what they have got off the field, with all the momentum they have got and the money that they can make – the way that Rob and Ryan market the club is unbelievable. If you are a big company, I think it is a desirable football club to go into.”