Tag Futebol

MatériaMais Notícias

da aposte e ganhe： Depois de mais de dois anos sem atividades presenciais por causa da pandemia da Covid-19, a Taça das Favelas volta com força máxima neste mês de julho. O torneio organizado pela Central Única das Favelas (CUFA) e produzido pela InFavela celebra 10 anos de existência em 2022.

+Raphinha se aproxima do Barcelona, técnico nega saída de CR7… O Dia do Mercado!

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da dobrowin： Na próxima sexta-feira acontece a cerimônia de lançamento da edição carioca do maior campeonato de futebol entre favelas do mundo, na sede da CUFA, no Viaduto de Madureira, às 10h30.

O evento vai contar com a presença de técnicos e jogadores de todas as favelas que disputam a Taça. Além deles, autoridades, artistas e ex-jogadores estarão na celebração.

– É com muita alegria que a gente está voltando com a Taça das Favelas. É um projeto que impacta a vida de mais de meio milhão de jovens no Brasil inteiro, anualmente. E é de suma importância que o torneio retorne com força total no Rio de Janeiro, onde tudo começou há uma década – celebrou Celso Athayde, idealizador da Taça das Favelas.

Nesta Cerimônia, ainda vai ocorrer a apresentação do MC Menor MR e do Raí BG, que estão relançando a música da Taça das Favelas. O lançamento da canção da dupla foi interrompido em 2020, por conta da pandemia e agora será retomado. Esta produção é fruto de uma parceria entre a CUFA e o canal KondZilla.

Esta fase da Taça das Favelas será disputada por 107 seleções de favelas, com 28 femininas e 79 masculinas. As seleções femininas não tem idade limite, enquanto entre os meninos, são permitidos jovens de 14 a 17 anos.

A bola vai rolar no final de semana dos dias 30 e 31 de julho, no Campo do Realengo, que está sendo reformado e se tornará o Centro Desportivo Taça das Favelas Realengo. As grandes finais estão previstas para acontecer no dia 8 de outubro.

– A gente tem muito orgulho de produzir esta e iniciativa, que é mais que um campeonato de futebol e gera tantas oportunidades. Esse ano vai ser diferente de tudo. Voltamos! E vamos coroar essa volta com uma grande Taça das Favelas Brasil, no fim do ano – comemorou Elaine Caccavo, diretora de produção da CUFA e da InFavela.

A primeira edição da Taça das Favelas Brasil, o Favelão 2022, vai acontecer nos meses de outubro e novembro.

Serviço
Cerimônia de Lançamento da Taça das Favelas Rio 2022
Data: 15 de julho de 2022 (Sexta-feira)
Local: Espaço CUFA
Horário: 10h30
Endereço: Rua Francisco Batista, nº: 1 – Viaduto de Madureira, Rio de Janeiro

Plays of the day from the match between Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals in Mohali

Abhishek Purohit23-May-2014Sehwag’s start
Virender Sehwag flickers briefly these days but when he does, he is still a sight to watch. He lasted all of eight deliveries this match, but packed in plenty of entertainment in that short time. He was beaten twice in succession by Vikramjeet Malik’s away movement in the first over. He instantly made up for it. The fourth ball was lofted over mid-off for four, the fifth was slashed inches short of the third-man boundary, and the sixth was carved over backward point for four more.Vohra’s lapse
Manan Vohra was in serious touch once more, and had motored to 25 before he committed a schoolboy error. He clipped Rahul Tewatia through midwicket and turned back for what seemed a straightforward second run. It wasn’t to be, though. Vohra took it easy as he approached the crease and made no attempt to ground his bat. To his utter shock, Stuart Binny’s throw hit the stumps direct. Vohra, who was short by about a foot, walked off muttering.Tewatia’s misfortune
In the ninth over, Tewatia lured Shaun Marsh out with some flight. It was the googly, and Marsh realised that after it started to turn away from him. He was some way down the crease, and could have been easily stumped had he missed the ball. However, he managed to prod at it, and the outside edge went to slip on the bounce. The next ball was another googly. Marsh stayed back this time and guided it fine. Shane Watson at slip thought he had a chance again, but it bounced just in front of his outstretched left hand and raced to the boundary.Miller’s midwicket punch
Kings XI were looking for some big late runs after slowing down for a while. George Bailey hit James Faulkner for consecutive boundaries in the 19th over, and Miller weighed in with a fearsome blow. Faulkner bowled a high full-toss on the pads. Miller did not try to slog it. He punched it with a straight follow-through, and held the pose as the ball flew flat over deep midwicket for six. It was like a right-hander lofting the ball over extra cover.Dhawan’s double
Rishi Dhawan stunned Rajasthan Royals with two important blows in the ninth over of the chase. The first ball of the over was pitched up around off stump, and Ajinkya Rahane had a heave at it. The ball moved in a bit and hit the stumps. Dhawan angled the next one in on a good length to Shane Watson. The Royals captain came forward and tried to play with an angled bat, but it seamed in through the gate to rattle the stumps once more.

MatériaMais Notícias

da betsul： O Botafogo não conseguiu impor seu jogo diante do América-MG e viu o adversário ser mais competitivo e construir um resultado expressivo no jogo de ida das oitavas da Copa do Brasil. Na coletiva de imprensa, Luís Castro disse que a equipe cometeu ‘uma sucessão de erros’ e pediu reforços para a sequência da temporada.

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da betobet： – Eu acho que todos nós estamos de acordo de que precisamos nos reforçar. Nem que seja com os jogadores que estão fora por lesão. Hoje jogamos com equipe do ano passado, da Série B, com Sampaio e Patrick de Paula.Claro que para uma Série A normalmente não se joga só com os atletas do campeonato anterior. Claro que reforços têm que vir. Se olharmos, também nos faltam o Erison, o Lucas Fernandes, o Piazon, o Victor Cuesta, para sermos mais fortes – disse o treinador.

+ Confira e simule a tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro

Na análise de Luís Castro, o Botafogo não foi competitivo em momento algum do jogo e a bola aérea o colocou em dificuldade em diversos momentos. Com isso, o comandante explicou o que o time terá que mudar para conseguir reverter o resultado no jogo de volta, no Rio de Janeiro.

– Aquilo que vinha acontecendo com a equipe em termos defensivos sobre a bola aérea se ruiu por completo. O adversário cada vez que cruzava, nos colocava em sérias dificuldades. Nunca fomos uma equipe estável e competitiva dentro do jogo. A equipe começou mal o jogo, logo na primeira saída de bola cometemos logo um erro. A partir dali foram uma sucessão de erros que levou a um resultado volumoso e como diz o que fazer no jogo de volta – explicou, e em seguida emendou:

– A equipe terá que mudar a sua forma competitiva para reverter um resultado desses. Hoje não fomos competitivos, principalmente no primeiro tempo. O adversário foi muito mais competitivo que nós. Nós quando começamos o jogo e deixamos o América ficar por cima como ficou, normalmente uma equipe não consegue virar o jogo. Pode virar em termos táticos e estratégicos, mas em competitividade. Nós não conseguimos, e o América foi melhor que nós durante todo jogo – acrescentou.

+ATUAÇÕES: Defesa tem fraco desempenho em noite desastrosa do Botafogo pela Copa do Brasil
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O jogo de volta contra o Coelho está marcado para o dia 14 de julho, às 20h, no Nilton Santos. Antes disso, o time da estrela solitária voltará suas atenções ao Campeonato Brasileiro, e na segunda-feira encara o RB Bragantino, às 20h, no Nabi Abi Chedid. O jogo será válido pela 15ª rodada da competição nacional.

The Manchester United hierarchy believes they can sign a £10 million-a-year international regardless of Erik ten Hag’s future, according to a new report.

It has been a disappointing and frustrating start to the season for the Red Devils, as poor performances and results have led to questions being asked about the long-term future of Ten Hag. A meeting in London was conducted on Tuesday, but as of now the Dutchman remains in charge at Old Trafford.

Man Utd now tracking 22 y/o Arsenal target as new competition for Onana

Man Utd have set their sights on a new goalkeeper for 2025.

1 ByBrett Worthington Oct 9, 2024 Latest Man Utd transfer news

A lot of the talk around United is obviously about Ten Hag’s future, but even though it is only October, there has been a bit of speculation about who the club could be looking to target in 2025.

United could be in the market for a new goalkeeper in the New Year, or one that could at least provide competition for Andre Onana. A report has stated that the Red Devils are keeping a close eye on Sam Tickle of Wigan Athletic. Their recruitment team have made regular checks on the player, as they see the 22-year-old as someone who can provide cover and competition to Onana.

As well as scouting Tickle, United are keeping an eye on winger Jamie Leweling of Stuttgart. The 23-year-old has been impressive in the early parts of this season, with the Premier League side taking in Stuttgart’s recent game against Borussia Dortmund, which they won 5-1. Leweling is said to have impressed United during that game and could be a player they target to improve their wide options.

But the United chiefs are not stopping there, as they also believe they can sign an international defender to solve their left-back concerns.

Man Utd believe they can sign Ben Chilwell

According to TEAMtalk, Manchester United have made defender Ben Chilwell their top target as they look to strengthen their left-back options in January. The left-back is expected to leave Chelsea soon, with January being a strong possibility, as Enzo Maresca favours players such as Marc Cucurella, Renato Veiga, and Levi Colwill ahead of him.

The report states that teams from England and abroad are interested in signing the Englishman, who earns around £10 million a year. United continue to hold an interest in Chilwell after they looked at potentially signing him during the summer but opted against a move.

It goes on to add that United’s interest in Chilwell is regardless of what happens to Ten Hag, as they prepare to make an offer once the January transfer window comes around. The 27-year-old is considered to be at the top of their list for new left-backs, and they believe they can get their man due to his position in Maresca’s pecking order.

Apps

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The concern for United would be that they are not the only teams interested in the defender, as La Liga giants Atlético Madrid are also keen, while Juventus are also interested, and the pair have made enquiries to see about his availability.

The Ghana international will reportedly be ruled out until at least April after suffering a quad injury

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Joseph paintsil reportedly out 6-8 weeksWinger dealing with quad injuryJoins club star Riqui Puig on injury tableGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

Los Angeles Galaxy star winger Joseph Paintsil is reportedly set to be sidelined for 6-8 weeks with a quad injury.

It's not known how he sustained it, but the Ghana international will now be sidelined for the start of the 2025 MLS season. He will join LA star midfielder Riqui Puig on the bench as well, with the Spaniard currently recovering from an ACL tear suffered in the 2024 MLS Playoffs.

GiveMeSport's Tom Bogert was first to report the news.

AdvertisementUSA Today ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Paintsil had a breakout year for LA in 2024 after arriving from Belgian side Genk on a $10 million transfer.

The 27-year-old winger scored 10 goals and recorded 10 assists for LA across the regular season in 2024, where he made 29 appearances — 28 of which were starts.

In their postseason run, he contributed another four goals and one assist as the Galaxy claimed their first MLS Cup since 2014.

DID YOU KNOW?

In addition to his performances on the pitch, Paintsil is a performer off it, as well. The Ghanaian release a hit single titled ahead of the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, and the record spearheaded their championship run to lift the coveted trophy in December.

ImagnWHAT NEXT FOR LA?

The Galaxy are back in competitive action on Sunday, Feb. 23 against MLS expansion side San Diego FC as they kickoff their 2025 MLS season.

The new competition will increase the number of clubs in MLS NEXT while strengthening the player pool and coaching staff

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• MLS NEXT announces new competition tier
• Set to deepen player pool, coaching staff
• Begins in September 2025

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  MLS NEXT announced a new competition tier that is set to begin in fall 2025. Clubs who are accepted will participate in one of eight possible regional tournaments each season, in addition to age-eligible groups attending MLS NEXT Fest in December. The regional events will thereby serve as qualifying tournaments for a "championship event" at MLS NEXT Cup in 2026.

  Players competing in this new tier will also be eligible to play high school soccer.

  Operators of the competition include: National Academy League (NAL) operated by 3Step Soccer, Elite Academy League (EAL), Sporting Development League (SDL), Cobalt Sports, and Cal North Soccer Association.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  “MLS NEXT is elevating soccer across North America for players, coaches, and referees,” said MLS NEXT general manager Kyle Albrecht. “This expansion, alongside our strategic alliance with the Girls Academy, brings together top-tier resources to continue building a clear pathway across North America for more players to reach their highest potential.

  "The addition of a new tier to MLS NEXT reflects Major League Soccer’s continued dedication to growing the game at the youth level,” added MLS NEXT technical director Luis Robles. “We are excited to deepen the talent pool and welcome more players and coaches as we work with them to develop the next generation of talent who will impact the professional game and national teams.”

  MLS NEXT was launched in 2020, and prides itself on being the "most elite" platform for youth player development in North America. There are 151 total clubs across multiple age groups competing in the 2024-25 edition of the competition, including MLS NEXT Fest, the Generation Adidas Cup and two more marquee events.

• WHAT MLS NEXT PARTNERS SAID

  “We think it is wonderful that MLS NEXT has expanded its pathway to give access to more clubs and players. National Academy League has a proven record of working with MLS NEXT Elite Academies and other top clubs. We are thrilled to support MLS NEXT to unite the youth soccer landscape and enhance player development," said vice president of 3Step Soccer Ian Burgess.

  “For the last 5 years, the EA has provided clubs across the U.S. the opportunity to be a part of a national platform, and we are honored that our body of work has been recognized. The alignment with MLS NEXT allows there to be collaboration and cooperation to bring the game together," added Ryan Miller, EA Commissioner. "The EA is excited to play an important role in this new tier of MLS NEXT, while continuing to grow clubs and set standards for clubs to progress and develop within the EA.”

• USA Today Sports
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MLS NEXT?

  Applications for the new tier, beginning in 2025, are now open, with MLS NEXT encouraging eligible teams for apply for participation.

Plays of the Day from the third ODI between Zimbabwe and India in Harare

Liam Brickhill at the Harare Sports Club28-Jul-2013The catchIn the second match, Virat Kohli stood his ground after chipping a low catch to Malcolm Waller at mid-on. Though Waller claimed the catch, it took a second look from the television umpire to send Kohli on his way. Today, Kohli’s opposite number Brendan Taylor was the one to stand his ground. Taylor had attempted to clear mid-off with a lofted drive, but toe-ended the shot to present Mohammad Shami with a tough chance. The fielder managed to get a couple of fingers underneath the ball above the turf, but Taylor stayed at the wicket until several replays, from multiple angles, confirmed his dismissal.The shotZimbabwe’s No. 9 Tendai Chatara had batted twice in ODIs before this match, without ever scoring a run. Today, he was off the mark with four of them, thanks to an overthrow, and played the shot of the innings in the 40th over when he hooked an attempted bouncer from Vinay Kumar over deep square leg for six to give the home side’s supporters something to cheer about.The googlyAmit Mishra has taken nine wickets in three matches so far, and six of them have come via the googly. Brendan Taylor has suggested that his team-mates can pick the variation, though some apparently pick it better than others. Waller has fallen twice to the delivery, and today he was nipped out first ball by one that spun back in past his poking bat to strike his pads in front of middle stump. His dismissal left Mishra on a hat-trick, but for the second time in two matches an Indian bowler was denied that milestone.The debutantZimbabwe never had much chance of defending 183 on a benign surface, but debutant Michael Chinouya didn’t look like he was going to let a heavy defeat completely ruin his first day of international cricket. Chinouya was given some consolation with the wicket of Rohit Sharma, caught behind, as his first and after the edge was pouched, he set off on a John Cena-inspired celebratory run, waving four fingers in front of his face as he was mobbed by his team-mates.The white flagThe match ended in a flurry of boundaries, particularly off the bat of Virat Kohli, but it was Suresh Raina who hit the winning runs for India. Kohli had levelled the scores with a single to square leg off Tendai Chatara, who then offered Raina the friendliest of leg-stump half-volleys. If anything, Brian Vitori’s fielding effort at fine leg was even friendlier. He raised the white flag by trotting half-heartedly after the ball and escorting it to the boundary without a thought of a dive. The ball trickled over the rope, and with that the series was India’s.

ESPNcricinfo picks its team of the 2014 season, with a limit of only four foreign players in the XI

Nitin Sundar02-Jun-20147:58

Agarkar, Isa Guha pick their IPL XIs

Picking the tournament XI is among the most anticipated activities at ESPNcricinfo the end of a long tournament, and IPL 2014 was no different. Fourteen members of ESPNcricinfo’s editorial team who watched the tournament closely sent in their votes, and after the numbers were tallied, we ended up with a well-balanced and dynamic XI that ticks all the boxes, even if it has more wicketkeepers than it needs.Mohit Sharma and Suresh Raina made it to the ESPNcricinfo IPL XI for the second year running•BCCISeveral names were automatic picks – a reflection of a season where some players were consistent and impactful right through the tournament. Robin Uthappa and Sunil Narine were unanimous picks. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Suresh Raina came next, dropping just one vote each. So did Glenn Maxwell, whose slump in the latter half of the tournament would seem to have not impacted his popularity. Akshar Patel and Mohit Sharma were shoo-ins as well, with 12 votes each out of a possible 14. Wriddhiman Saha (9 votes), who capped an outstanding tournament with a century in the final was another straightforward choice in the middle order.ESPNcricinfo’s IPL XI from 2013

Chris Gayle, Michael Hussey, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni, James Faulkner, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Dale Steyn, Mohit Sharma

The last remaining specialist bowling spot went to Lasith Malinga (6 votes), who was predictably effective for Mumbai until his departure for England. That left one more overseas slot to fill. David Warner (6 votes) beat competition from Dwayne Smith and Lendl Simmons to make the grade as an opener.One spot remained, and that selection proved to be the most contentious. The side needed a finisher and it had to be an Indian player, which ruled out JP Duminy and Kieron Pollard, both of whom had only one vote each in any case. It came down to Delhi Daredevils’ Kedar Jadhav and one of the usual suspects in IPL XIs – MS Dhoni. The spot eventually went to Dhoni (4 votes), whose ability to finish off games without a fuss helped Super Kings in their march to the play-offs. Dhoni’s selection gave the team it’s third wicketkeeper, but more importantly, gave it a captain.Shakib Al Hasan is the twelfth man, and a good choice since he fields well and can replace a batsman or a bowler as required. If team balance wasn’t a criterion, he would have made the starting XI. The most notable miss was David Miller, who made a strong case for a fifth overseas spot. Harbhajan Singh and Virender Sehwag, who both showed signs of a second wind during the tournament, missed out narrowly as well, as did Sandeep Sharma.The team has six batsmen, one spinning allrounder, three seam bowlers and a mystery spinner.Team of the tournament
1. Robin Uthappa (Knight Riders) – 660 runs, average 44, strike-rate 138
2. David Warner (Sunrisers) – 528 runs, average 48, strike rate 141
3. Suresh Raina (Super Kings) – 523 runs, average 40, strike rate 146
4. Wriddhiman Saha (Kings XI) – 362 runs, average 33, strike rate 145
5. Glenn Maxwell (Kings XI) – 552 runs, average 35, strike rate 188
6. MS Dhoni (Super Kings) – 371 runs, average 74, strike rate 148
7. Akshar Patel (Kings XI) – 17 wickets, average 24, economy rate 6.13
8. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Sunrisers) – 20 wickets, average 18, economy rate 6.65
9. Mohit Sharma (Super Kings) – 23 wickets, average 20, economy rate 8.39
10. Lasith Malinga (Mumbai Indians) – 16 wickets, average 16, economy rate 6.45
11. Sunil Narine (Knight Riders) – 21 wickets, average 19, economy rate 6.35
12th man: Shakib Al Hasan (Knight Riders) – 227 runs, average 30, strike rate 149; 11 wickets, average 30, economy rate 6.68

MatériaMais Notícias

da poker： O Botafogo deu o primeiro passo para ter Victor Cuesta, mas ainda não mexeu a segunda perna. O zagueiro deu sinal verde pela possível mudança ao Rio de Janeiro, mas o Alvinegro ainda não chegou a um acordo com o Internacional, clube do zagueiro.

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da winzada777： + Forte no ataque e bom jogo contra a França: quem é Niko Hämäläinen, o finlandês que está vindo ao Botafogo

O Glorioso tem interesse em Cuesta e enviou uma proposta ao Colorado na última segunda-feira. A intenção dos cariocas é um empréstimo sem custos até o fim de 2022 arcando todos os salários. O argentino já aceitou atuar no Botafogo, mas ainda há indefinição com o clube gaúcho.

+ Veja a tabela do Brasileirão

O Internacional, contudo, quer um retorno financeiro para a liberação do zagueiro. O Alvinegro não esconde que não quer dar dinheiro pelo empréstimo de um jogador que já tem 33 anos e perdeu status de titular.

Há o impasse e os clubes tentam resolver os detalhes. O fato é que a janela fecha em seis dias e o Botafogo está no mercado em busca de um zagueiro canhoto, característica que nenhum dos defensores do elenco possui. O ponteiro está passando e o Alvinegro corre contra o tempo.

Victor Cuesta perdeu espaço no Colorado e sequer foi relacionado para a estreia da equipe na Copa Sul-Americana contra o 9 de Octubre-EQU nesta quarta-feira.

The visitors have been hampered by a new problem in this series – a lack of consistency in the middle order – and although Faf du Plessis’ outstanding start to Test cricket has offered some solace there remain plenty of issues

Firdose Moonda at the WACA30-Nov-2012Limp middle-orders used to infect South Africa’s limited-overs teams. It was the reason they failed at the 2011 World Cup and many a tournament before that, but it was not a disease that spread to the longer format. There a mixture of dynamism and dependability existed. Both those are qualities that are absent in it on this tour of Australia.Of the five innings South Africa have batted in so far, the middle order has let them down every time. In Brisbane they lost 4 for 52 in the first innings and 3 for 63 in the second. In Adelaide, the collapse was more dramatic when five wickets tumbled for 17 runs on the third day.The six overs after lunch in Perth saw three wickets fall as Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers and Dean Elgar were all dismissed for the addition of only 12 runs. It is this folding that will seem the most glaring because it resulted in a below-par score despite the later recovery.The inability to minimise risk is the root cause for the wobbles illustrated by two of the three dismissals in Perth. Amla was run-out after answering a de Villiers call that should have been more circumspect. De Villiers himself was on the receiving end of a good ball that swung away late to find his edge but then Elgar’s inexperience showed in his short selection. He played an unnecessary pull after being primed by a series of pitched up deliveries from Mitchell Johnson.Jacques Rudolph, who was dropped for this match, was guilty of exactly the same thing in the previous two Tests. His could not blame it on inexperience, though, but a technical flaw. Rudolph played Nathan Lyon in the air in both Brisbane and Adelaide to further underline his vulnerability against offspin and he was left out of the XI to play the deciding Test.Rudolph’s average in his last eight innings was 26.87 and he was an obvious weak link. Because of that South Africa have needed seven batsmen, not to lengthen the line-up as they would have us believe but to recover. In Faf du Plessis they have found an able Mr Fix It. He has the temperament and confidence of someone whose Test career is much older but even his patch-up job on the opening day here could not harden the soft middle order.Just a year ago, South Africa had players who could act as solidifying agents. With de Villiers at No.5 with Ashwell Prince at No.6 there was a combination which could be both sensational and stable. Neither are around anymore: Prince literally so and de Villiers not as we knew him.Prince was dropped after the Boxing Day Test last year, even though he scored a half-century the match before that. He was retained on national contract but has been given no indication that he will play for his country again.De Villiers has become a shadow of the batsman he once was. Although his resilience remains as both his innings in Adelaide showed, his flamboyance has gone. Despite his insistence to the contrary, becoming the full time wicketkeeper has affected his batting and he has not scored a half-century in nine innings since taking over the role.On most occasions he has managed a start but been unable to convert and it appeared to be a problem with patience. Adelaide debunked that myth. He batted for over four hours and faced 220 balls for his 33. His forward defensive made more appearances in that innings that it has done in the ten before them and it was as unbreakable as the wall he had erected around his state of mind.Du Plessis said de Villiers was so defensive in his approach it took even him by surprise. When he joined his school-friend and team-mate at the crease, he hoped they could stay positive at first but de Villiers turned down singles they would normally have run for fun. They both knew they could not present even a sliver of an opening to Australia and de Villiers took that instruction very seriously. As a result, the pair “blocked balls we could have hit for a few,” as du Plessis later said.De Villiers emerged out of that innings with proof that he had the stamina to bat for a long period and that he was able to do that without presenting the chances he had before. Not even a week has passed since that day and de Villiers has reverted back to the player who chased a short and wide Peter Siddle delivery in Brisbane.His running out of Amla and subsequent succumbing to a ball he could have got behind, albeit it a good one, left South Africa facing a paltry first innings total. While Elgar also contributed to that, he cannot be judged yet. To walk in on debut with the team in trouble is difficult. Although he had du Plessis to draw inspiration from, his duck, notable for being the first by a South Africa Test debutant since 1998, will not close his door. A player of the experience and calibre of de Villiers though, should have taken more responsibility.That could be what the South Africa middle order currently lacks most: someone to front up. With a top four that carries the heavyweight credentials of Graeme Smith, the form of Alviro Petersen who has scored three hundreds and two fifties this year and the aura of Amla and Jacques Kallis, it is easy for the rest to think they won’t have much to do.But they will and they need to be properly equipped for that. For as long as de Villiers continues to don the gloves the decision between six and seven batsmen remains unresolved, as does the identity of those players, which is far from the ideal position for solidity.