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Wrexham are still writing a Hollywood script in League One, with Max Cleworth proving to be the hero for them once again in a 2-1 win at Mansfield.

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• Parkinson's side battle to away win
• Remain within touching distance of top two
• Bid to book day out at Wembley up next

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  Phil Parkinson’s side were gifted a dream start at Field Mill, with Calum MacDonald inexplicably turning into his own net when trying to deal with a drilled cross from Ollie Rathbone. The creator of that goal clipped the post a few minutes later, before Jay Rodriguez fired straight at Stephen McLaughlin when presented with a sight of a net that was no longer guarded by a goalkeeper.

  MacDonald was having the most eventful day, though, and he restored parity in the 16th minute when sliding in at the back post and recording Mansfield’s first goal on home soil since January 18. The game was severally disrupted by a concerning injury picked up by Wrexham midfielder Andy Cannon, with a lengthy delay to proceedings brought to a close when he was stretchered from the field wearing an oxygen mask.

  Cleworth thought he had put the visitors back in front early in the second period but, after finding space 12 yards out, crashed a well-struck effort against the crossbar. He was not to be denied in the 58th minute when latching onto a pass on the edge of the box and drilling low into the bottom corner.

  Record signing Sam Smith came agonisingly close to adding a third for Wrexham when straining to reach a cross that only required a touch from a matter of inches, but was unable to get his head to the ball. A couple of other half chances came and went before the full-time whistle blew.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  The Red Dragons remain third in the League One table, as they continue to chase down a historic third successive promotion, but are just three points behind second-placed Wycombe. Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney provided the funds in January that helped to add greater depth to Parkinson’s squad, with an immediate return on that investment being sought.

• THE MVP

  Max Cleworth has been billed as a Premier League star of the future, and it is easy to see why. The 22-year-old can always be relied upon to give his all at both ends of the field. He has matured as a defender, while operating in a three-man centre-half unit, while also picking up a useful eye for goal. He registered his eighth effort of the season when helping to wrap up all three points against Mansfield. Cleworth finished with the aplomb of a prolific striker when thundering a first-time shot into the bottom corner from 18 yards out.

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  THE BIG LOSER

  Harsh to bill Andy Cannon as a “loser”, but he was the most unfortunate player on the pitch. He had been brought back into a League One starting XI for the first time since January 16, but saw his afternoon cut painfully short. Cannon was tended to by medics on the field for several minutes, with it clear that he had suffered a serious knock. He required oxygen before being carried away for further attention. Wrexham may be without the 28-year-old for several weeks – having already had to contend with a number of fitness problems during the 2024-25 campaign.

The Argentine and the Herons played to a second-consecutive regulation draw, with the result settled by a penalty shootout

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• Inter Miami draw Peruvian side Universitario 0-0 in preseason friendly
• Messi and Suarez both logged 71 minutes
• Tadeo Allende made debut in XI
• Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games now

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  Another friendly, another penalty shootout win for Inter Miami, who remain unbeaten in preseason under new manager Javier Mascherano.

  Inter Miami and Club Universitario couldn't separate themselves in a 0-0 draw that was ultimately decided on spot kicks in Lima, Peru – part of the MLS side's preseason tour.

  Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez were both named to the starting XI, along with Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. Meanwhile, newcomer Tadeo Allende was handed his Miami debut, being thrown into the XI from the opening whistle. Benjamin Cremaschi, who was a member of Mauricio Pochettino's January training camp with the USMNT, replaced Allende midway through the second half, with the U.S. international getting some crucial minutes off the bench as well.

  Miami's stars didn't exactly dazzle in their time on the pitch, but Suarez did put the ball in the back of the net in the first half — only for it to be called back due to an offside call in the buildup. Messi, meanwhile, ran the show in the attacking third of the pitch throughout the first 45 minutes, despite nothing coming of it.

  Universitario had their moments, too, but a lack of clinical finishing – from both teams – loomed large.

  In penalties, Universitario would rue their third attempt, with the ball skying over the net, ultimately settling the match as every other taker found the back of the net. For the second-straight match, Miami found victory in kicks from the spot after a regulation draw, with a 5-4 shootout win.

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  The won their preseason opener against Club America in a penalty shootout after a 2-2 regulation draw. Messi opened his preseason account in the match, scoring a sensational goal for Miami en-route to victory.

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  THE MVP

  The fans in attendance:

  The soccer fans who filled the stands at the Estadio Monumental created an incredible atmosphere that lasted 90 minutes long with whistles, chants, music and cheers. The noise filled the broadcast throughout the entire contest, creating a thrilling background for the affair.

  Even through the final whistle, those at the match didn't quiet down, with voices of support for both clubs. It was more inspiring than any of the action on the pitch.

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  THE BIG LOSER

  Luis Suarez: The Uruguayan forward struggled to integrate into the match from the opening whistle. At times, he didn't look up to fitness, struggling in transition — which is expected in preseason. However, his runs into space were poorly timed, and he often was standing watching rather than moving to get into the match.

  Not his best showing, but at the same time, service was limited, too.

It was well documented this summer the amount of upheaval Leeds United went through as a squad, as first-team faces such as Georginio Rutter and Crysencio Summerville left for more luxurious pastures after the club narrowly missed out on promotion from the Championship.

Whilst both Rutter and Summerville moving on obviously stung, the exit of Archie Gray in that same frantic transfer window hurt that little bit more, owing to the fact the exciting 18-year-old had risen all the way up to the first team ranks after coming through the academy structure in West Yorkshire.

The homegrown gem won himself a deserved move to Tottenham Hotspur after an excellent breakout campaign in the second tier, but it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for Gray in North London to date, as he continues to grow accustomed to the major step-up.

Gray's time at Spurs

Gray ended up costing Ange Postecoglou’s men a bumper £30m to get in through the door, with Daniel Farke’s Whites then receiving Joe Rodon for £10m as their end of the bargain.

Rodon has arguably struggled since his returning to Elland Road – giving away a penalty last time out – whilst Gray has had to make do with limited opportunities in the Premier League himself, despite costing that hefty amount to win.

So far, the teenager has only made three top-flight appearances, averaging a mere 13 minutes on the pitch in the process.

He has shone away from the tough demands of England’s top league, however, with Gray excelling against Qarabag in a recent Europa League tie.

Playing in the right back spot he grew to love at Elland Road, Gray notched up two key passes as a creative spark playing out from the back, alongside other encouraging numbers against Spurs’ opponents from Azerbaijan.

Whilst there will be some sorrow still that Gray did depart, everyone at Leeds would have been anticipating a higher-up suitor to snap him up down the line, especially after promotion had agonisingly passed the Whites by.

Whereas, with this example, Leeds let another academy product walk away for free who is making more of an impact for his new club than Gray has managed.

Max Dean's numbers since leaving Leeds

Max Dean exited the Whites without ever really making a name for himself in the senior fold, despite being known as a goal machine at youth level.

The 20-year-old centre-forward fired home 16 goals from 38 games playing for the U21s, but never made a senior appearance for his boyhood employers, before heading down the EFL to Milton Keynes Dons last year for an undisclosed fee.

Leeds U18

14

5

1

Leeds U21

38

16

1

MK Dons

43

20

5

KAA Gent

11

5

1

Dean has managed to bag an impressive 25 games from 54 games ever since leaving the comforts of Leeds behind, with his form last season for MK Dons even seeing his side reach the League Two playoff mix.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

Now, the youngster is beginning to make a name for himself in Belgium, with an electric start to life in the Pro League, netting five strikes from just 11 games to instantly fit into his new surroundings at Gent well.

Dean even has the opportunity to show to everyone what they’re missing out on in England, as his new employers take on the might of Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea in the Conference League.

Leeds will fall victim to more of these blows down the line, where they end up regretting letting an academy product leave too soon, but Farke’s men sole focus now rides on winning promotion, whilst Dean aims to improve even more playing in Belgium.

Leeds wanted to sign £46m star in the making but got Sinisterra instead

The Whites were one of the teams in the race to land the Netherlands international.

ByDan Emery Oct 3, 2024

Delhi Capitals, meanwhile, are assured of a top-two spot but are sweating on the fitness of Marcus Stoinis

Nikhil Kalro07-Oct-20211:41

Has de Villiers been underutilised by RCB?

Big picture A botched chase against a deflated Sunrisers Hyderabad team on Wednesday meant Royal Challengers Bangalore will not be able to finish in the top two this season. A result like that could prove to be an inflection point in a team’s season because the difference between finishing in the top two and the next two is so stark in the IPL.Royal Challengers will now have to be perfect in two matches in the playoffs just to make the final. Before that, they will have a dead rubber against Delhi Capitals to finalise their combination and regain their lost confidence while chasing a total.With 20 points in 13 matches, Delhi Capitals are assured of a spot in the top two, deserved reward for their consistency this season. There are still a few points to sort out ahead of the playoffs, including the form of Shreyas Iyer and the health of Marcus Stoinis. The latter is especially crucial for Capitals after recent evidence of a faltering middle order.In the previous match against Chennai Super Kings, Capitals collapsed from 71 for 2 to 99 for 6 in the space of 37 balls. Capitals’ spinners have been effective in the UAE leg of this season, using subtle changes in pace and length to rack up dot balls. Their batters have also been unable to counter that same control in the middle overs from opposition spinners. That seems to be Capitals’ only weakness in an otherwise settled line-up.Related

Bhuvneshwar ruins Royal Challengers' shot at a top-two spot

Maxwell's middle-overs maturity redefines RCB's success

In the news George Garton’s lines were errant against Sunrisers. He finished with 1 for 29 in two overs, the only bowler to have an economy rate of over 10 on a slow pitch. Royal Challengers have options for that No. 8 slot, including legspinner Wanindu Hasaranga and fast bowler Kyle Jamieson. It might make prudent sense to bring in a horses-for-courses bowler that they expect to play in the eliminator in Sharjah on Monday. At this point, that seems like Hasaranga.The only question for Capitals is the fitness of Stoinis. If he is fit, he should slot right back into No. 5 come the playoffs.Cricket on ESPN+

If you’re in the USA, sign up for ESPN+ and watch RCB vs Capitals in English or in Hindi.

Likely XIs Royal Challengers Bangalore (probable): 1 Virat Kohli (capt), 2 Devdutt Paddikal, 3 Srikar Bharat (wk), 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 Dan Christian, 7 Shahbaz Ahmed, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Mohammed SirajDelhi Capitals (probable): 1 Prithvi Shaw, 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Shreyas Iyer, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 Ripal Patel, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Axar Patel, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Avesh Khan, 11 Anrich Nortje Strategy Punt Glenn Maxwell has been at his destructive best against spin this season. Part of his success is down to his form. His template has been to give himself a few balls at the start but after he gets accustomed to the pace, or lack of, he has been using reverse or switch shots to force spinners off their lines. He has scored 237 runs at an average of 59.3 against spin and a strike rate of 163 with a boundary every 4.8 balls this season. It is a fairly logical strategic choice to hold back the raw pace of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje for Maxwell.Royal Challengers could utilise Daniel Christian and Maxwell to fill up the quota of the fifth bowler. That will allow them to play an additional batter, and more importantly, allow de Villiers the freedom to bat higher up the order instead of as a specialist finisher. Stats that matter Against R Ashwin, de Villiers has been dismissed five times while Maxwell averages 57.5 with a strike rate of over 200. Maxwell is 48 runs away from 2000 IPL runs. Prithvi Shaw is averaging 11.3 at a strike rate of 115 in the UAE leg of this IPL season. In India earlier this year, he had an average of 38.5 at a strike rate of 167.

Two nights after failing to close out a chase, the teenager delivers under pressure

Mohammad Isam25-Jul-2021

Shamim Hossain, in his second T20I, is under pressure. Three fruitless slogs in the 18th over later, Bangladesh need 25 off 15 balls. The game has wildly swung both ways until this point. Dion Myers had conceded just three off his first three balls; Sikandar Raza’s move to bowl him seemed a gamble that could pay off.Shamim is possibly thinking of his dismissal in the second T20I after he gave Bangladesh hope through his 13-ball 29. Here he was again, in a situation that was even more tricky. There was a series to be won. He simply had to strike.And strike he did. He thumped Myers for three fours: a forehand smash through covers, a reverse bunt past a diving short third man and a fierce pull over midwicket. Then, he kept his head through Blessing Muzarabani’s penultimate over to all but seal the contest. He then finished the game off by hitting the winning runs. He remained unbeaten on 31 off just 15 balls, hitting six fours, five of which came in the last three overs.”I was hungry to finish the game after being unable to do so in the previous game,” Shamim said. “I was looking for that opportunity. I am feeling really well having done that. I am happy that we won the T20I series, which happened to be my first international series. When Soumya (Sarkar) bhai and (Mahmudullah) Riyad were batting together, things were in our favour. While sitting in the dressing room, I told myself that we must win this game.”The match had already started to turn in Bangladesh’s favour during the third-wicket stand between Mahmudullah and Soumya Sarkar, but it needed a final push from the Mahmudullah-Hossain partnership, after Afif Hossain’s dismissal.”Riyad told me that we can get ten an over if we can hit a six or a four every over,” he said. “It will get us close to their target. I maintained my process during this situation.”Soumya Sarkar, whose 68 set up Bangladesh’s push towards the big chase, was impressed with Shamim’s desire. “He played an important innings,” the senior batter said. “He was very positive. I really liked how hungry he was to win the game. This was only his second international match, but finished the game very well.”Shamim made a mark during Bangladesh’s victorious Under-19 World Cup campaign last year. The senior team’s selectors and team management had a better look during this season’s Dhaka Premier League T20s. But despite doing well at these levels, Shamim said that his short crash course of international cricket during these T20Is told him what is needed at this level.”I have figured out how tough international cricket is, playing here,” he said. “I have so far played Under-19 cricket and the Dhaka Premier League, but this is different. One gets fewer bad balls. One has to hit the good balls for boundaries, but at the same time, keep sticking to your process. One has to play with more responsibility at this level.”An altogether different challenge awaits Shamim when Bangladesh take on Australia in the five T20Is from August 3 in Dhaka. The hunger can easily be replaced by a sense of accomplishment, and that’s one very critical area that Shamim needs to guard himself against.

Victory in 13 overs enables Hampshire to sneak into final last-eight spot on NRR

ECB Reporters' Network18-Jul-2021

Hampshire stormed into the quarter-finals of the Vitality Blast after a final round day of drama saw the two-time champions progress. The Hawks, who sat bottom of the South Group only a month ago, found their form at the right time, reeling off five successive wins and then saw results work in their favour on Sunday night following their thumping six-wicket win over Glamorgan at the Ageas Bowl.Hampshire started the day sitting in sixth spot in the South Group, needing to beat Glamorgan whilst bettering Surrey’s run rate then hope Gloucestershire and Sussex lost to Somerset and Kent respectively to have any hope of qualifying for the top-four.James Vince’s side held up their side of the bargain by blasting their way to a challenging 185-run target inside the 14.1 overs needed to usurp Surrey’s run rate. Although Sussex brushed aside a Kent side, who had already qualified, but had been depleted due to Covid-19, Somerset ensured James Vince’s side remain in with a chance to win a third Blast title with a 23-run victory over Gloucestershire.Vitality Blast quarter-finals

Yorkshire vs Sussex (Aug 24)

Nottinghamshire vs Hampshire (Aug 25)

Somerset vs Lancashire (Aug 26)

Kent vs Birmingham (Aug 27)

It capped off a superb week for Hampshire, who on Wednesday booked their spot in Division One of the County Championships by beating Gloucestershire before coming from nowhere to reach the last-eight of the Blast.yD’Arcy Short’s blazing 69 off 30 balls and a magnificent 43 off 13 from Joe Weatherley got the Hawks home in a match that yielded 24 sixes from both sides and included a fine knock of 78 from Glamorgan’s Australian Test batsman Marnus Labuschagne.Weatherley said belief was the key to the victory and credited the recent arrival of New Zealand allrounder Colin de Grandhomme as the catalyst to a change in mentality after the team’s T20 season looked dead and buried after a demoralising defeat to Surrey four weeks ago. de Grandhomme scored just 5 against Glamorgan and was overshadowed by Short’s brilliant knock, but Weatherley said his arrival has been a huge boost to the squad.”Colin has come in and showed us how to play and given us that confidence in the middle to go for it from ball one,” Weatherley said. “For me, one of the younger guys, I am just feeding off that and it makes things a lot easier.”It’s funny, when you are swimming against the tide it feels the hardest thing to win games and vice versa when you are going well. Of course we were going to do that today – it is that inner-confidence that at the start of the competition felt a million miles away. To have put ourselves in this position at this stage of the season is unbelievable.”We have put so much in over the last five matches and we have found a formula that works. It’s a real team effort, lots of guys have put their hands up, everyone is working hard for each other.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Com a suspensão de Gabriel, que recebeu o terceiro cartão amarelo na vitória do Corinthians por 1 a 0 sobre o Athletico-PR, no último domingo (28), e a lesão de Cantillo, que não deve mais jogar em 2021, o volante Xavier deve voltar a ser titular pelo Timão após mais de cinco meses.

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A última vez que a prata da casa corintiana começou jogando uma partida foi no dia 27 de junho, no empate em 1 a 1 contra o Fluminense, pela sétima rodada do Brasileirão. Desde então, o jogador perdeu espaço e alternou poucos minutos entrando no decorrer das partidas.

Xavier só não foi relacionado para os dois primeiros jogos do Corinthians no Brasileirão, desde então figurou pelo menos no banco de reservas em todos. Como titular foi apenas o jogo contra o Flu, mas entrou no decorrer de 14 jogos.

No último fim de semana, contra o Furacão, pela 36ª rodada do Brasileirão, o camisa 39 entrou no lugar de Gabriel aos 37 minutos do segundo tempo e atuou durante 14 minutos. O meia não entrava em campo desde a 32ª rodada, na vitória corintiana por 3 a 2 sobre o Cuiabá, na Neo Química Arena, no último dia 13 de novembro.

Xavier totaliza 225 minutos neste Campeonato Brasileiro.

O Timão iniciou nesta quarta-feira (1º) os trabalhos visando o Grêmio, e o técnico Sylvinho terá mais três treinos para escolher o substituto para Gabriel. A possibilidade de retorno de Giuliano, que iniciou transição física após lesão na coxa esquerda, abre chances para Du Queiroz atuar como primeiro volante. Du também é opção para a lateral-direita, já que o titular Fagner está suspenso e João Pedro ainda gera dúvidas, principalmente após ter falhado na estreia contra o Ceará.