Uma das inúmeras histórias envolvendo o maior jogador de futebol de todos os tempos aconteceu quando o então árbitro colombiano Guillermo Velásquez tentou expulsar Pelé de campo e acabou ele próprio expulso para que o jogo pudesse continuar com o craque brasileiro. Isso aconteceu em partida do Santos contra a seleção sub-23 colombiana, em Bogotá, conforme exigia o público que lotava o Estádio El Campín.
O fato aconteceu no dia 17 de julho de 1968, e o Santos era a equipe mais poderosa do mundo, com Pelé no auge da forma, durante um dos inúmeros amistosos que o time disputava pelo mundo naquela época. Era comum a equipe paulista golear os adversários, mesmo os principais times do mundo, com Pelé marcando gols em quase todos os jogos.
Guillermo Velásquez era do quadro da Fifa e um dos principais árbitros do futebol mundial, que durante a carreira apitou em quatro Jogos Olímpicos e na Copa do Mundo de 1970, no México, na qual o Brasil foi tricampeão com Pelé como seu principal destaque.
Durante o jogo entre seleção colombiana sub-23 e Santos, pouco antes do final do primeiro tempo, Pelé fez uma falta violenta, por trás, no zagueiro colombiano Luis Eduardo Soto. Velásquez não hesitou: na época, não existia cartão vermelho – nem amarelo – no futebol, e o árbitro simplesmente apontou o vestiário para o craque brasileiro. Mas ele não chegou a sair de campo, e quem acabou indo embora foi o árbitro.
A expulsão de Pelé provocou a revolta do time do Santos, que partiu para cima do árbitro. Mas, pior ainda para ele, é que a torcida colombiana também começou a protestar com gritos e vaias por todo o estádio e a situação começou a se tornar perigosa para a segurança de todos. Afinal, os torcedores estavam lá e pagaram ingresso exatamente para ver Pelé jogar.
Para evitar que a situação se agravasse, a federação colombiana tomou uma atitude inédita no futebol mundial: decidiu substituir o juiz e permitir que Pelé continuasse em campo. Nos dias de hoje, seria como um autêntico cartão vermelho para o árbitro, que alegou como motivo da expulsão, além da falta praticada por Pelé, ter sido ofendido pelo jogador.
Conforme Velasquez relatou anos mais tarde, foi o assistente número 1 (ou bandeirinha), Omar Delgado, quem lhe levou o recado sobre seu afastamento da partida determinado pelos dirigentes colombianos, e a ordem para que Delgado apitasse o restante do jogo. Velasquez se conformou, deixou o gramado, e a partida continuou sem problemas, terminando com a vitória do Santos por 4 a 2, com um gol de Pelé. Velásquez morreu em 2017, aos 84 anos, em Medellín, na Colômbia.
Os cartões amarelo e vermelho no futebol, para advertir e expulsar jogadores, só foram introduzidos no futebol pela Fifa no Mundial de 1970, sendo que nenhum cartão vermelho foi aplicado durante o torneio.
After getting off to a blistering start in the Premier League this season, Aston Villa will be looking to cause plenty more shocks after the international break. Unai Emery's side currently sit fifth, just four points adrift of table-toppers Tottenham Hotspur. The greatest credit that can be given to Emery and his side, is that their start hasn't been a major surprise – it always seemed likely that we'd be talking about the Midlands club as ones to watch.
The Villans could yet get even better, too, whether that comes through the January transfer window, or next summer, when they could be in a stronger position than ever to land some key targets, including one particular Championship star.
What's the latest Aston Villa transfer news?
Much of the credit for Villa's strong start this season should go to their recruitment team, who once again worked wonders to help land the likes of Moussa Diaby and Pau Torres in the summer. By the end of the deadline, they had spent a reported €93m (£80m), and ever since then, they have not looked back, with their spending more than paying off.
Player
Price (via Transfermarkt)
Moussa Diaby
€55m (£48m)
Pau Torres
€33m (£29m)
Nicolo Zaniolo
€5m (£4m) – loan fee
Youri Tielemans
Free
Clement Lenglet
Loan
Now, Villa could be set to spend even more money, with the latest Jonathan Rowe transfer news reporting that the Premier League side are interested in the Norwich City wide player. According to TeamTalk, Villa, Brentford, Crystal Palace, Burnley, and Sheffield United are all interested in making a move for Rowe, who the Canaries are keen to secure on a long-term contract.
When the January transfer window comes around, as well as the summer window, Rowe will certainly be one to keep an eye on, especially if Norwich fail to secure promotion from the Championship, and Aston Villa come calling. Rowe's agent is also the same as Jacob Ramsey's, so the club could have a route into negotiations on the player's side too.
How has Jonathan Rowe performed this season?
To say that Rowe, who can play on either flank, has got off to an impressive start for Norwich this season would be an understatement. Rowe's goals and assists have stolen the headlines, as he has scored seven times and provided two more in 13 games in all competitions. Add in the fact that he's still just 20-years-old, and you begin to realise just how much potential he has to become a top player, whether that be at Norwich, or a club like Villa.
That form has seen him earn plenty of praise, too, including from Carlton Palmer, who told Football League World: "Norwich City sit joint-fourth in the Championship on 16 points, representing a very decent start to the season.
"One player making a lot of noise is Jonathan Rowe, Norwich's 20-year-old winger has scored five goals in nine appearances and was named EFL Young Player of the Month in August. Rowe is a product of Norwich's academy and his scintillating form has seen him earn a call-up to England's under-20 squad.
"If he can keep producing performances like he's doing then he's going to become a very hot commodity. He could be worth upwards of £20m, I'd definitely put him in the same category as Gnonto at Leeds United."
Celtic are a unique club, holding a special place in the hearts of both Scottish and Irish fans. They’re a symbol of national pride while also simply being one of the most successful clubs to come out of British football.
55 league titles and, importantly, one European Cup certainly lay the foundation for an enormous fanbase. That fanbase includes many famous names, almost always with either Scottish or Irish backgrounds.
We at Football Fancast thought we’d pick through 10 of the biggest names – but this is far from an exhaustive list. Celtic, after all, are massive.
10
Jay Baruchel
Celtic midfielder Callum McGregor.
Let’s start with an unusual one. Canadian actor Jay Baruchel has been a Celtic fan for some time now – and not in that way of simply wearing a shirt once or claiming to be a big fan while promoting a film.
Baruchel has Irish ancestry, something he’s evidently very proud of. It eventually led him to supporting Celtic in the early 2000s and he even produced a documentary on the club called ‘Celtic soul’.
“What’s not to love? For me it’s a few things,” he told the Glasgow Times. “I watched Henrik Larsson on TV and it’s had not to fall in love with him and that team.
“I was a big fan of Aiden McGeady and I followed him for years. I have a real sense of my heritage – my mum’s family are predominantly Irish and Catholic. I have a deep connection to those communities”.
9
Finn Bálor
Not too much to go on here but it does add up. WWE star Finn Bálor (no, not his real name) is an Irish wrestler who was pictured at a pub in Glasgow wearing a Celtic shirt back in 2019.
Bálor now works on a TV show watched by millions every week, but did work in Scotland before he made it big. An Irishman in Scotland, it does add up that he’d have some love for Celtic.
8
Frankie Boyle
Frankie Boyle is very openly a Celtic fan, having frequently talked about the team on Twitter – be it celebrating success or bemoaning the failures.
“On the train listening to the game on the radio,” he said during an Old Firm game in 2022. “Rangers scored when I was listening. Put if aff. Celtic scored. Now can’t put it back on in case I’m a jinx”.
Boyle comes from Glasgow, of course, and still lives there.
7
Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor is about as polarising as it gets in the world of sport. The former dual UFC champion basks in his Irish roots, though, and it shouldn’t really surprise anyone that he has affection for Celtic as a result.
He raved about the fans in 2017, while also paying tribute to John Hartson just last year when the former Celtic striker turned up at his pub. And as the Daily Record points out, McGregor has quite frequently talked up the club over the years.
6
Gerard Butler
Hollywood actor Gerard Butler has been in his fair share of blockbusters but he said back in 2011 that the real highlight of his career was playing in a charity legends game for Celtic.
He grew up a fan and was able to be a part of the squad to face a Manchester United legends side.
“I’ve had some amazing things happen to me – but that was the best,” Butler told the Daily Record at the time.
“I had the biggest, silliest smile. It made all that hard work worth it to be standing there and then kicking off with Henrik Larsson”.
Butler has been to Parkhead on occasion since, though he’s also admitted that living in America makes it very difficult to follow the club as much as he wants.
5
Kevin Bridges
Kevin Bridges has talked in the past about not wanting to include football in his stand-up shows so as to not alienate anyone. He is, however, very openly a Celtic fan and has celebrated their success on his social media channels.
Most interestingly, though, a photo recently emerged of a young Celtic fan at a game back in 2004, holding up a scarf that insulted Rangers. That fan is quite unmistakably a young Kevin Bridges. He certainly didn’t worry about alienating people in the past, then.
4
James McAvoy
McAvoy is another from Glasgow who, like Butler, has represented Celtic in a charity legends game. The actor is clearly a massive fan and has even given content to the club’s social channels, be it quiz questions or an interview.
McAvoy has also told a story about shouting praise at Neil Lennon across the street while the former midfielder was Celtic boss.
“Neil was walking down the street with his family," he said, per the Scotsman.
“Just before I opened my mouth I thought, he doesn’t want to be bothered, so I shouted ‘Neil! Love what you’re doing mate’ and then got back in the car and drove away.
“I thought he must get it all the time and I didn’t want to bother him".
3
Lewis Capaldi
Lewis Capaldi, yet another massive name from Glasgow, is again openly a Celtic fan – even if he’s previously tried not to highlight that fact at gigs.
But he’s also been seen wearing a Celtic shirt fairly regularly, while he also very recently talked about the club on Hot Ones. Capaldi discussed his favourite Celtic song.
“There is a really beautiful song called Grace,” he said.
“It’s an old Irish song but Celtic fans sing it because of the connection with Ireland. It’s a beautiful tune.”
2
Billy Connolly
It was only fairly recently that Billy Connolly stopped frequenting Celtic games, but the legendary comedian has been watching the club since the 1950s.
Connolly actually gave a pretty hefty interview on Celtic and Scottish football in general back in 2020 for the Daily Mail that is worth a read. Above all, he highlights how much it means to be a patron of the Celtic foundation.
“There is more to the club than just the team,” said Connolly. “The Celtic FC Foundation is the charity wing of the club and I am fortunate to be Patron of the Foundation.
“There is more to the club than just the players. There are a host of great people who work there behind the scenes. Ultimately, the work they do reflects on the overall image of the club. I consider myself lucky to be a tiny part of that. Their work in the wider community is to be admired, especially at Christmas when they help many needy families, and especially in the East End of Glasgow.”
1
Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart is known by everyone to be a Celtic fan but he’s not actually from Glasgow. Or Scotland. His Dad was – but he wasn’t from Glasgow, nor was he a Celtic fan.
So how, exactly, did Stewart end up as one? He explained it in an interview with talkSport a few years ago about how he didn’t actually make the decision to support the club until he was 28.
“I met Jock Stein in 1973, Kenny Dalglish, Jimmy Johnstone and Harry Hood, all knocked on my door. We just did a show with The Faces in Glasgow, and they all came to wake me and Ronnie [Wood] up to get us to go training. Ronnie didn’t get out of bed, but I went and I met Jock Stein.
“He looked at me and he laughed at my shoes. And since that day, I’ve become a Celtic supporter.
"I was so enamoured by him, you know, this huge guy was just brilliant.”
50 years later, he’s dished out the Scottish League Cup to Celtic in 2015 and is famously a fan. It’s one of the more unique ways to find your support, of course, and certainly stands out on this list.
أكد محمد طارق، عضو مجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك، أن القلعة البيضاء حاليًا تمتلك شيئًا أقوى من الأهلي، يجذب اللاعبين الجدد للانضمام للفريق الأول لكرة القدم.
وقال محمد طارق، في تصريحات عبر قناة “النهار”: “في نقطة الناس تغفل عنها، إمكانيات النادي الأهلي المالية أقوى من الزمالك، لكن الأبيض عند شيء أقوى من الأحمر، وهو الجمهور”.
وتابع: “شغف وحالة جمهور الزمالك في الفترة الأخيرة، ظهر في تصريحات ناصر ماهر وعبد الله السعيد، جمهور الزمالك مختلف، وصنع حالة غير طبيعية”.
طالع أيضًا | الزمالك يرد عبر “بطولات” على أنباء وجود أزمة في تفعيل بند شراء محمد شحاتة
وأضاف: “جمهور الزمالك يجذب لاعبين كثيرين للانضمام للنادي، جمهور الأهلي قوي بالتأكيد، لكن هناك مشاكل في مدرجات جمهور المارد الأحمر في الفترة الحالية، أتمنى أن يعود بنفس القوة التي كان عليها”.
وأشار: “جمهور الزمالك عنده اتحاد قوي ويعرفون كيف يتقدمون للأمام ويتطورون، وحتى أغانيهم أصبحت معروفة للجميع ويحفظونها، فلو الأهلي عنده قوة مالية لشراء اللاعبين الجيدين، على الناحية الأخرى الزمالك عنده قوة جماهيرية تجذب اللاعبين، وهذا واقع”.
واختتم: “أرى أن رمضان صبحي لاعب بيراميدز، يحتاج للانضمام إلى الزمالك من أجل أن يستعيد مستواه، لو انضم للأبيض سيستعيد مستواه، وبالتأكيد أن الفريق يحتاج تدعيماً في الفترة القادمة”.
Glasgow Rangers secured a solid 2-0 victory over Ross County in the pouring rain at Dingwall, setting them up nicely for the trip to Eindhoven in midweek.
Michael Beale made a few changes from the 2-2 draw against PSV at Ibrox on Tuesday, and this included a start for Kemar Roofe – his first since April 2022.
Having lost their first Premiership tie against Kilmarnock and slipping immediately behind Celtic, all three points were required, and they duly delivered.
How did Rangers perform vs Ross County?
A solid, if unspectacular performance secured another win, and Beale will be pleased by how comfortably the game went by, especially in the first half.
Captain James Tavernier led by example with yet another wonderful performance, and his goal was a sight to behold.
Striding forward with purpose, the right-back looked in a menacing mood and unleashed a stunning, dipping shot that nestled into the top corner to give the Light Blues a two-goal advantage following Kemar Roofe’s opener.
Alongside his goal, the Englishman also demonstrated how effective he is going forward by making four key passes during the tie, while also succeeding with one successful dribble and taking three shots during the game.
Defensively, he won 50% of his ground duels along with making one tackle and one interception, as well as committing just one foul, which was good enough to help his team keep a clean sheet.
Read the latest Rangers transfer news HERE…
But as good as Tavernier was, it was centre-back John Souttar who was an absolute rock at the back for Beale against the Highland side, and he was a major contributing factor to the club keeping a clean sheet.
How did John Souttar perform against Ross County?
Speaking to the media before this match, fellow defender Leon Balogun praised the Scot, saying:
“I think he’s a very strong player. Last season didn’t go the way he planned as he got injured early on. Since I’ve come back, you can see that he’s a good defender and there are a few things that I’ve wanted to copy from him.
“We’ve got really good defenders in the backline and there’s no point being sour because we have big targets this season. In order to achieve them, you need a strong squad and that’s what we have.”
John Souttar
Against County, Souttar was a rock, while also showing how comfortable he is on the ball by taking 77 touches and completing 48 passes as he looked to start attacks from the back often.
Souttar won eight of nine total duels during the match, showcasing his physicality. He also made seven clearances, three interceptions and two tackles, and wasn’t dribbled past once across the 90 minutes.
It was a commanding performance by the former Hearts defender, and he has certainly emerged as a first-choice centre-back alongside Connor Goldson.
With two tough games against PSV and Celtic to come next week, seeing the 26-year-old in this sort of form will undoubtedly please Beale ahead of tougher tasks.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAustralia’s selectors picking Shaun Marsh, and Joe Root sending Australia in to bat. If these were two of the more controversial decisions made in relation to this Ashes series, only one now appears an inspired call. On the second day at Adelaide Oval, Marsh pulled and drove his way to the fifth hundred of his Test career, while Root faced the embarrassment of seeing Australia declare in their sixth session of batting after he sent them in.Their total was 8 for 442, and they had batted for 149 overs. Root had spoken at the toss about his bowlers getting two chances with the new ball on day one, a curious mindset for a captain choosing to field. By the time Steven Smith declared, a third new ball was on the horizon. Australia’s score was only the 97th-highest total by any team having been sent in to bat in Test history, but for Root that comfort was as cold as the rainy Adelaide evening.
Marsh’s swampy innings
231 Balls faced by Shaun Marsh at No. 6 – The most by an Australia batsman in the last five years. Mike Hussey tops the overall list having faced 253 balls against India at Sydney in 2012. 5 Centuries for Marsh in Tests. This is only his second century at home in 19 innings. Previously he scored 188 against West Indies at Hobart. Marsh became the fourth centurion for Australia in day-night Tests after Usman Khawaja, Steven Smith and Peter Handscomb. 155 Average overs bowled by England in the first innings of their last seven away Tests. The least they have bowled is 129.3 overs against India at Vizag. They have lost five and drawn one during this period. 11 Instances of opposition declaring after being sent in to bat by England in Tests. The previous instance was in 2007 at Galle when Sri Lanka declared at 499 for 8. England have won only once though. 442 Australia’s highest score in a day-night Test, going past the 429 they scored against Pakistan at Brisbane. This is the fourth highest first innings score in all day-night Tests.
England progressed to 1 for 29 in their reply, having lost Mark Stoneman as well as a review to a Mitchell Starc yorker that would have crashed into leg stump. Alastair Cook was on 11 and James Vince was yet to score when the wet weather arrived and ended play for the evening. England remained 413 runs in arrears, and the Ashes were slipping ever further out of their grasp.If it was a black day for England, it was a red-letter one for Australia’s selectors. Not only did Marsh make an unbeaten 126 but the wicketkeeper Tim Paine, an even more surprising selection, had frustrated England with a breezy 57 that came at a key juncture. Paine had walked to the crease in the first over of the day, after Stuart Broad trapped Peter Handscomb lbw for 36; Australia were 5 for 209, and England could dream of a quick kill.But Paine counter-attacked against the still-new pink ball, striking early boundaries off James Anderson and putting the pressure back on to England. He survived a worrying blow to his right hand – his struggle to recover from a fractured right index finger contributed to his long absence from international cricket – and his aggressive mood meant Marsh at the other end could bide his time, adding only 29 runs to his score in a two-and-a-half-hour opening session.England’s bowlers have found the going tough on recent overseas tours•ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Both Paine and Marsh were given out lbw to Anderson by umpire Chris Gaffaney in quick succession, but on both occasions the batsmen reviewed and were reprieved by the ball-tracker showing the ball would have sailed over the top of the stumps. Paine batted on and brought up his fifty from his 91st delivery, before pulling a catch straight to Moeen Ali in the deep off Craig Overton.It meant Paine had missed out on a chance to build just the second century of his first-class career – the first one having come 11 years ago – but he had done more than enough for the Australians, who were well on their way to a position of comfort. Starc pulled a catch off Broad for 6 but Marsh soon found another quality ally as Pat Cummins joined him for what became the biggest partnership of Australia’s innings, a 99-run combination for the eighth wicket.Cummins failed to get off the mark until his 37th delivery, when he sliced a cut for four off Overton, but from then on he scored his 44 at nearly a run a ball. Marsh, though, was the key man for Australia. His calm approach spoke of an experienced head, which was one of the criteria Australia’s selectors had cited when naming him in the side. He scored productively from the pull, also driving handsomely through the off side in typical Marsh fashion.Marsh reached triple figures from his 213th delivery with a perfectly placed pull for four off Woakes, and it was his first Test hundred since the tour of Sri Lanka in August last year. It also took him past his father Geoff’s tally of Test centuries from exactly half the amount of matches. Marsh had lifted his tempo after tea, and again after dinner raised it still further as the declaration approached.England removed Cummins but not Marsh, and a life that he was given rather summed up England’s day. From the penultimate delivery before dinner, Marsh fended a Woakes bouncer into the air in the off side, where Cook at a floating second slip and Vince at gully converged, dived, and together fluffed the chance in comical fashion. It was a life for Marsh, but by then he had 102, and had already done the damage.By the close of play, Cook and Vince were together once more, and England desperately needed them to work more cohesively if their team was to get out of this self-imposed hole.
A potentially major update has surfaced for Liverpool as Jurgen Klopp and co work fervently to rectify the issues in the transfer market and secure a first-class new holding midfielder.
Who are Liverpool going to sign?
Chelsea have beat Liverpool to the signings of both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia recently in a remarkable show of strength and incisiveness, and the Reds now need to move with their own swiftness to reaffirm their own guile.
The Anfield side have compiled a shortlist of options, with Fulham's Joao Palhinha and Crystal Palace's Cheick Doucoure believed to be the most coveted names.
Read the latest Liverpool transfer news HERE…
The latter, Doucoure, is likely the primary target, with the Independent confirming on Wednesday afternoon that the Malian midfielder could be available for less than £60m, and that while the Eagles are wary of losing too many players this summer, Liverpool are stepping up their efforts to secure his signature.
How good is Cheick Doucoure?
There is much to lament about Liverpool's transfer strategy this year, and it's unequivocally true that sporting director Jorg Schmadtke could have handled the recent events with more conscientiousness.
Saudi Arabian sides swooped for defensive midfielder Fabinho and captain Jordan Henderson to compound the departures of midfield trio James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, whose contracts concluded in June.
This is not to say that such outgoings were not necessary, rather, an illustration of the smoother road that could have been taken; Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have both penned deals with the club, but the squad currently feels thin.
Crystal Palace midfielder Chieck Doucoure.
Resting on their laurels is not an option, and the powers that be must now throw the kitchen sink to secure Doucoure's services, with the 23-year-old impressing for Crystal Palace since completing an initial £18m transfer to Selhurst Park from French side RC Lens one year ago.
The £60k-per-week machine is a first-class ball-winner, ranking among the top 6% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for interceptions per 90, as per FBref – for comparison, Fabinho ranks only among the top 34% after his "awful" season, as was said by Jamie Carragher.
This strengthening of the formidability of the midfield would only improve the performances of those around, and Doucoure, who has been described as "the complete holding midfielder" by former boss Patrick Vieira, could play to £60m man Szoboszlai's qualities.
The Hungarian midfielder has been lauded as a "magician" by talent scout Jacek Kulig for his technicality and flair, and ranks among the top 15% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 10% for shot-creating actions and the top 16% for progressive passes per 90.
He also ranks among the top 5% for blocks and the top 14% for clearances per 90, which could pay dividends for Doucoure's progress on Merseyside, with such a robust and industrious midfield partner easing his workload.
Liverpool have fallen by the wayside, but the new season signifies an apt opportunity for meaningful, impactful change, and now is the time to steal a swoop for Doucoure and enhance Liverpool's midfield.
Andhra captain Hanuma Vihari (302*) slammed his maiden triple-hundred and propelled his team to 584 for 5, before declaring the innings against Odisha in Vizianagaram. Resuming on 278 for 2, Vihari put on a 208-run stand with Ricky Bhui (100) and deflated Odisha, who had to wait 43.3 overs for their first wicket of the day. During the course of his 456-ball knock, Vihari smashed 29 fours and two sixes and added 159 to his overnight score. This was Vihari’s 13th first-class ton and second consecutive score of 150 or more.Bhui, meanwhile, brought up his fourth first-class hundred before Odisha captain Govinda Poddar trapped him lbw in the 134th over. In the next over, seamer Suryakant Pradhan dismissed D Ravi Teja to pick up his second wicket, but nothing was going to stop Vihari’s march. Odisha suffered an early jolt in their first innings when left-arm spinner Bhargav Bhatt had opener Natraj Behera lbw in the fourth over. Sandeep Pattanaik and Poddar, however, ensured there was no further damage as Odisha went to stumps at 32 for 1.B Indrajith (105*) and Washington Sundar (69) mounted a rescue effort with a fifth-wicket partnership of 157 runs to lift Tamil Nadu from 69 for 4 to 239 for 5 by stumps against Mumbai. Indrajith’s sixth first-class hundred, which included 12 fours, stood out as much for its elegance as its risk-free nature. While he mostly preferred to hit down the ground, he wasn’t averse to playing the horizontal shots on either side. Giving him useful company was Sundar, who drove and cut confidently, and responded swiftly to his partner’s calls for tight singles. Sundar, however, fell with 6.2 overs left in the day, after a half-hearted pull off Dhawal Kulkarni found deep square leg.Mumbai had hit the ground running in the morning with some quick wickets after being bowled out for 374. Seamer Akash Parkar cleaned up captain Abhinav Mukund in the fourth over before M Vijay (11) was caught behind by left-arm spinner Vijay Gohil in the 11th over. Mumbai captain Aditya Tare juggled the ball on a few occasions before snaffling it.After Kaushik Gandhi fell three overs later, Vijay Shankar, who had recovered from an injury scare to pick up his fourth wicket in the morning, looked to have settled down in the company of Indrajith. However, he gave Gohil the charge in the 25th over and was stumped. Indrajith, though, remained steady and took Tamil Nadu to safety in the company of R Ashwin.A 62-run partnership between opener Bishal Ghosh (65) and Gurinder Singh, who smashed a 55-ball 57, helped Tripura finish on 220 against Madhya Pradesh in Agartala after tottering on 88 for 6 at one stage.Tripura’s bowlers then reduced Madhya Pradesh to 200 for 7 to set up an interesting battle for the first-innings lead. Ishwar Pandey and Ankit Sharma finished with three wickets each for Madhya Pradesh. In their reply, Madhya Pradesh got off to a shaky start, as they lost opener Wasim Ahmed and Shubham Sharma inside the first 10 overs. With Naman Ojha (8) and captain Devendra Bundela (3), too, falling cheaply, it was left to opener Rajat Patidar (79) and Harpreet Singh Bhatia (70) to resuscitate the innings with a 104-run alliance for the fifth wicket.However, Gurinder trapped Patidar in front with his left-arm spin in the 52nd over before Ankit Sharma and Bhatia were dismissed in quick succession.
Sri Lanka, currently ranked eighth in ODIs with 88 points, can secure direct qualification for the 2019 World Cup if they win at least two matches in the upcoming five-ODI series against India, starting August 20 in Dambulla.Winning two games will push Sri Lanka’s tally to 90 while West Indies, currently placed ninth with 78 points, can at best reach 88 even if they win their six remaining ODIs – one against Ireland and five against England – before the September 30 cut-off. The top seven sides along with hosts England gain direction qualification for the tournament.If Sri Lanka manage to win only one match in the series, however, West Indies could pip them on decimal points, provided they win each of their upcoming six ODIs. A loss against Ireland would rule West Indies out of direct qualification, even if Sri Lanka get whitewashed by India.Sri Lanka’s recent form at home isn’t encouraging: they lost 3-2 to 11th-ranked Zimbabwe last month. They have, in fact, lost seven of their last 10 completed ODIs at home.West Indies’ ODI form isn’t encouraging either: in the last five years, and among Full Members, their average of 27.20 and run-rate of 5.10 are only better than Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe.
Celtic may be on their own in the race to sign Kieran Tierney now, with The Daily Record reporting that Newcastle are no longer so keen to sign the defender.
What is Kieran Tierney worth?
The 26-year-old originally moved to Arsenal back in 2019 for £25m and went on to play 15 times in the Premier League for them in that initial campaign. A season later though, that total had increased to 27 as the Scotland man became an increasingly important member of the first-team side.
However, despite establishing himself as their first-choice left-back during this period, his gametime has since tailed off for the Gunners. In 2022/23 for example, he still played over 20 times for the club in the top flight, but only six of those were actual starts. It means that his market value now – as suggested by Transfermarkt – could be around 25 million Euros (or £21.5m). That's less than their original outlay on the defender.
His most productive spell remains his time with Celtic. He spent five seasons with the Scottish Premiership outfit, after the side gave him his SPL debut as a 17-year-old. He was turned to continually as a teen despite his youth and went on to play in over 100 league games for the Hoops during his time there.
Arsenal left-back Kieran Tierney.
With the defender potentially out of the plans in north London now and down the pecking order for Mikel Arteta, there has been interest in signing the 26-year-old this summer. Newcastle have been one of the clubs tracking Tierney, with the Toon contemplating a bid for his services this summer. The Hoops though have also been linked with a sensational swoop to bring the Arsenal man back to Scotland, although they too have yet to submit an official offer.
Are Celtic signing Kieran Tierney?
Now, according to a report from The Daily Record, the SPL outfit could have been handed a big boost in their efforts to land Tierney. That's because it seems Newcastle's interest in adding the defender to their ranks has cooled, with the report also referring to Alex Crook, who states that the interest "seems to have gone quiet".
It adds that with Harvey Barnes now joining the Toon, there is less intent from the side in adding Tierney too due to financial knock-on effects. It means that Celtic may now be the only team in the race to sign him – and the pathway has therefore opened up for the Hoops to try and get a deal done.
If they did sign him, it would be another shrewd move from Celtic. Arsenal defender Oli Zinchenko, who has played and competed with the left-back for the Gunners, called the Scot "amazing" and admitted he had watched the 26-year-old in action before they were even teammates.
Celtic then would certainly be upgrading their defensive ranks if they could get a deal done – and it would likely benefit the player, as it could also mean more playing time and a second chance at a place he was appreciated and thrived.