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After 61 matches over two months, the Sydney Sixers came out as champions. Here’s ESPNcricinfo’s team of the tournament

Andrew McGlashan10-Feb-2020Marcus Stoinis (Melbourne Stars)The leading run-scorer in the competition, Stoinis produced one of the performances of the season with his unbeaten 147 against the Sydney Sixers at the MCG. His consistency was outstanding and his 83 off 54 balls in the Challenger helped secure a berth in the final. However, having been told to bash the door down with runs for an international recall it wasn’t enough to get back in the Australia fold as he competed with a host of top-order names. His bowling was limited by a foot injury.Josh Philippe (Sydney Sixers)This was a tight call alongside Perth Scorchers’ Josh Inglis, who played some hugely impactful innings, but Philippe’s knock in the final – and the way he timed his run in the backend of the tournament – swung it his way. There was an evolution to his batting during this year’s competition, highlighted by the way he turned around a run of low scores mid-season to end so strongly including his perfectly-paced fifty against the Melbourne Stars.ALSO READ: Josh Philippe leaves the nerves behind in Big Bash final heroicsAlex Hales (Sydney Thunder)After a somewhat up-and-down first half of the season, Hales hit his stride in magnificent style to help the Thunder reach as far as the Challenger when their run finally ended at the hands of the Stars. He struck some of the biggest blows in the tournament and looked like the international-class batsman he was before losing his chance of playing the World Cup. An England recall is probably about more than just runs for Hales, but he couldn’t have done much more to press the selectors.Beau Webster (Melbourne Renegades)It was a breakout season for Webster as he provided one of the few high points for the defending champions who had a miserable campaign to finish bottom. He started the tournament with a T20 average of 21.75 and finished it averaging 33.27 while his strike-rate climbed 10 runs higher. Having struck three sixes in his previous 15 matches, he collected 17 in 14 outings as his game evolved. How the Renegades use him as they look to rebuild will be interesting.Glenn Maxwell (Melbourne Stars, captain)Takes the captaincy of this side having led the Stars as they qualified top of the regular season with ease, then managed to pull the team back together for the Challenger when they had lost four games in a row, although another final defeat stung badly. Produced some compelling finishing – especially his 83 off 45 balls – although occasionally it could be questioned whether he should have come in higher up and his season did fade with a high score of 25 in his last eight innings. Bowled very effectively as well, often taking key powerplay overs.Jon Wells places the ball•Getty ImagesJon Wells (Adelaide Strikers)Was outstanding in the middle order, drawing comparisons with Michael Bevan in the way he could finish an innings and his ability to rotate the strike. Couldn’t quite get the Strikers over the line in the Knockout, although that was as much down to poor batting elsewhere than a failure on his part, but it has now been two impressive seasons back-to-back. He was overlooked for the Australia T20I squad to South Africa but he may yet have a set of skills worth looking at.Rashid Khan (Adelaide Strikers)He rarely fails to deliver for the Strikers and it was another very consistent season for Rashid who remained a banker. His hat-trick against the Sixers came in a losing cause but was a highlight moment of the season. Was occasionally taken to but his economy rate remained just a fraction over seven. Didn’t always feel as though the most was made of his striking power with the bat.Daniel Sams (Sydney Thunder)The leading wicket-taker in the tournament as he became the Thunder’s go-to bowler. Only three times did he go wicketless – one of those was the match where the Thunder were eventually eliminated by the Stars in the Challenger final – and he was the only bowler to deliver two maiden overs in the season (there were six in total). It was slim pickings with the bat when more was expected, but he more than made up for it.Daniel Sams has been compelling with his left-arm pace•Getty Images and Cricket AustraliaPeter Siddle (Adelaide Strikers)Once again, Siddle highlighted his evolution into a standout T20 performer with some nerveless displays at the death as a vital cog in an impressive Strikers’ attack. Unlike last season he was available throughout having slipped out of the Test squad before announcing his international retirement in January. Whether he remains with the Strikers is up in the air at the moment, but that shows how sought after he has become in the format.Adam Zampa (Melbourne Stars)He was outstanding either side of the ODI tour of India. He bolstered his wicket tally with eight in the last three matches and has been bowling with as much confidence as ever. He was allowed to operate in an attacking manner by Maxwell – but only went at a touch over seven an over – and along with Haris Rauf was the key weapon in the attack.Haris Rauf (Melbourne Stars)One of the stories of the season as he was picked up from Tasmanian grade cricket to fill the shoes of firstly Dale Steyn and then Pat Brown when the latter was ruled out of the tournament. He bowled with great pace – the high 140kph-mark on a consistent basis – but also showed a wicked slower ball with the contrasts proving too much for a host of batsmen. He took a hat-trick on the same day as Rashid Khan and has been locked in to return next season.

Steven Smith again stood alone amid the wreckage of the NSW batting

AAP12-Nov-2025Steven Smith will enter the Ashes averaging more than 100 for the summer, after his half-century couldn’t save New South Wales from a 300-run Sheffield Shield defeat to Victoria who made it four wins from four.On a dramatic third day at the SCG where both Josh Hazlewood and Sean Abbott left the ground for hamstring scans, NSW were all out for 125 chasing 425 for victory.Related

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Hazlewood cleared of injury, Abbott out of first Test after hamstring scans

Webster bags eight for the match but Tasmania lose to South Australia

Hazlewood has since been cleared for the first Test but Abbott is out of contention, with their issues just nine days out from Ashes opener in Perth overshadowing NSW’s woes.But by the end of Wednesday, NSW had still been convincingly beaten inside three days, after being bowled out twice in a combined 89.3 overs for the match.Sam Elliott picked up three wickets for Victoria to go with his maiden five-wicket haul in the first innings, while Fergus O’Neill bowled well for his 2 for 22.But what can’t be denied is the form Smith will enter next week’s first Test in, as he prepares to captain Australia in the absence of the injured Pat Cummins.Smith’s unbeaten 56 on Wednesday means he now has scores of 118, 57 and 56 not out to start the summer for NSW after returning from an extended holiday in America.While he flourished with the drive in the first innings on Tuesday, the bulk of his runs came square of the wicket and behind it as he played a lone hand on Wednesday.There was still one big six down the ground off Todd Murphy, when he lifted the fingerspinner over long off.But while Smith again looked in good shape, Sam Konstas’s 27 in the fourth innings made him the only other NSW batter to pass 20 in the match. On a pitch with plenty of variable bounce, six batters were either bowled or trapped lbwEarlier, Abbott took three wickets in six balls before suffering his injury at the end of a five-over spell. The seamer bowled Todd Murphy and Peter Handscomb in the same over, before Oliver Peake edged a ball back onto his own stumps in Abbott’s next over.Hazlewood also had Sam Harper caught on the pull shot, before reporting some tightness to Smith and leaving the field for scans.”Coming into this game, we knew it was going to be a big challenge,” Victoria coach Chris Rogers said.  “It’s almost one of those games where you’re playing against a bit of a superstar team. If you lose, that’s okay. It could be a good health check to see where you are.”But to come out and play with such a dominant performance, I think it gives our changing room such a lift.”

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O Flamengo está a um passo de conquistar o mundo mais uma vez. Mas não é um passo simples. Depois de bater o Pyramids, do Egito, por 2 a 0 na tarde deste sábado, no estádio Estádio Ahmad bin Ali, no Catar, o Rubro-Negro conquistou a Copa Challenger e se classificou para enfrentar o PSG na final do Mundial. Uma das peças fundamentais durante esse mês vitorioso do time de Filipe Luís é o lateral-direito Varela, que se consolida cada vez mais no time titular.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFlamengoCarrascal destaca força do Flamengo e não vê PSG favorito: ‘Confiança’Flamengo13/12/2025FlamengoChallenger Cup: conheça torneio que garantiu o Flamengo na final contra o PSGFlamengo13/12/2025Fora de CampoTorcida do Flamengo reage a atitude do técnico do PSG: ‘Está de brincadeira’Fora de Campo13/12/2025

➡️ Tudo sobre o Mengão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Flamengo

Depois de mais uma atuação sólida com a camisa vermelha e preta, o uruguaio afirmou que o Pyramids surpreendeu o Flamengo e já projetou a grande final contra o PSG, jogo mais esperado desta Copa Intercontinental.

— Não acabou ainda. Seguimos na luta pelo jogo mais importante. Hoje foi um duelo duro, muito desgatante. No jogo passado já foi muito desgastante. O Pyramids até nos surpreendeu em alguns aspectos. A partir de agora precisamos nos recuperar já pensando na final. Antes era jogo a jogo. Cruz Azul é um grande time, muito duro. O Pyramids também já se provou antes da final. Agora sim é pensar no PSG. Sabemos da qualidade do PSG, é o melhor time do mundo. Mas acho que nosso time tem muita vontade de seguir fazendo história — destacou Varela em entrevista ao canal GE TV.

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Os gols da partida foram marcados pelos zagueiros Léo Pereira e Danilo, ambos com assistência do meia Arrascaeta. O conterrâneo de Varela, inclusive, marcou os dois gols da partida anterior contra o Cruz Azul, que garantiu ao Flamengo o troféu Dérbi das Américas. Agora, o Mengão se prepara para enfrentar o PSG, campeão da Champions League, às 14h desta quarta-feira (horário de Brasília).

A temporada de Varela no Flamengo

Titular absoluto do time do Flamengo desde a final da Libertadores, quando, diga-se de passagem, teve uma atuação impecável em Lima, Varela ganhou a confiança de Filipe Luís e atuou os 90 minutos nos últimos quatro jogos da equipe (Palmeiras, Ceará, Cruz Azul e Pyramids). Não à toa, essa é a temporada que o uruguaio mais entrou em campo na carreira, com 50 partidas, dois gols marcados e cinco assistências.

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➡️ Veja os gols de Flamengo x Pyramids: Léo Pereira e Danilo marcam de cabeça

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Smith has recently returned from New York and will play two Sheffield Shield matches for New South Wales ahead of facing England

Andrew McGlashan21-Oct-20251:14

Mitchell Starc: Smith ‘has been a great sounding board’ for Cummins

Steven Smith had his first hit against bowlers since the Hundred finished in late August on Tuesday, but declared he was already “ready” for the Ashes after his break in New York.Smith, who is set to captain Australia in the first Test due to Pat Cummins’ back injury, returned to Sydney last week and had three nets against throwdowns before facing the New South Wales attack during training at Cricket Central as he ramps up towards the start of the Ashes.Related

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He will play two Sheffield Shield matches – against Queensland at the Gabba and Victoria at the SCG before facing England – but believed he was already good to go having in recent times found downtime from the game more profitable than endless training or extra matches.Unlike earlier in the year when he was recovering from a finger injury sustained in the World Test Championship final and left the tour of West Indies, Smith did not hunt out a baseball cage in New York and only picked up a bat on his return home.”Honestly, it takes me two hits to get sorted,” Smith said. “I feel like I’m ready to go now. I feel like I’m moving really nicely. I feel in a good place.”I’ve been training quite hard. I’ve been doing a lot of lifting, trying to get a bit stronger. And I did all my strength tests yesterday and they’re all as good as they’ve ever been. So I feel like I’m going good.”Cummins has yet to be officially ruled out of the opening Test, but time is quickly running out and Smith said on Tuesday that he had still yet to start bowling. “Things can turn around pretty quickly so we’ll see where everything lands with him,” Smith said.”He’s obviously got a few things to tick off and get into his bowling, but he was in good spirits and the team’s obviously better with him in it for sure. Hopefully he can get right and if he plays three Tests or five Tests or two Tests, as many as we can get out of him, it’s the best for the team.”Steven Smith speaks to reporters as he ramps up his Ashes preparation•Getty Images

The duo have worked well as a captain-vice captain combination with Smith standing in on six occasions since Cummins’ promotion, winning five of those Tests. His tactical nous has particularly come to the fore on the subcontinent and, although Smith himself played it down, his head-to-head with Ben Stokes looms as a fascinating aspect of the early Ashes exchanges.Even if unable to play, Cummins is expected to travel with the Australia squad and Smith was confident the change of leadership would prove smooth but added he would do things in his style.”It’s nothing out of the ordinary,” Smith said. “I know how the team operates. We’re in a good place. So if it happens, I’ll look forward to it. I think the important thing is doing it my way. I think when I get out on the field, I’ve got a certain style and the way I like to do things and I need to be authentic.”I think it’s worked well when I’ve stood in over the last few years. It’ll just be a seamless sort of transition if that comes around.”Smith has rarely had a problem with the dual responsibilities of captaincy and batting: his average when captain is 68.98 against 49.90 when in the ranks. One of the six Tests where he has filled in was during the 2021-22 Ashes when Cummins was a Covid close contact in Adelaide with Smith making 93 in the first innings.”It’s interesting how the brain works, I suppose,” Smith said when asked whether he’s aware of how the captaincy makes a difference. “I feel like I kind of go to another level and try and set a standard.”I think I’ve chilled out a lot over the last probably four or five years, just a bit more relaxed out in the middle and maybe not as cranky at times. I like to listen to people, get their opinions, and then obviously make a decision when I’m in charge.”In terms of losing Cummins’ bowling, Smith was of little doubt that Scott Boland could fill the breach. “I mean, we’ve got a pretty good replacement in Scott Boland who I think is arguably one of the best bowlers in the world,” he said. “His record in Australia is outrageous, so we’re good there.”Then the other two [Starc and Hazlewood] obviously have done a wonderful job for a long time as well. So I don’t think it disrupts too much.”

The summer transfer window has given way to a greater obstacle: the 2025/26 campaign. Newcastle United have it all to do in the Premier League after away-day blues have left Eddie Howe’s side 14th as the November international break trundles along.

It was a testing summer, and no mistake. United staked their stance regarding Alexander Isak, but then Liverpool thrashed against that post throughout August, and the Sweden striker ended up completing a British-record move to last season’s deposed Carabao Cup holders.

Nick Woltemade has been in emphatic form for club and country this season. The club-record signing has smoothly replaced Isak at number nine, but too many Magpie forwards are flattering to deceive around him.

And this struggle falls onto Howe’s desk. The tactician needs to find a solution, no matter the issues across the off-season months.

Should Newcastle fail to improve, noise concerning Howe’s future will only intensify.

Why Howe's future is a hot topic

Newcastle are in a rut, but they can certainly climb out of it. Let’s not forget that United were beaten 4-2 at Brentford a week into December 2024, and that result had the Toon down in 12th, with five wins from 15.

But this doesn’t change the fact that Newcastle need to improve. PIF are lenient when it comes to the man who has given this club glory, but that will only stretch so far after much investment.

The crux of the matter centres on the away form. Newcastle have only won once on the road all term, and that was against Belgian side Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League.

10

Games

7

7

Wins

1

0

Draws

3

3

Losses

3

20

Goals scored

7

9

Goals conceded

8

2.1

PPG

1.16

The thought of another coach in the dugout hardly bears thinking about, but Howe’s a pragmatic man, and he will know that he needs to find a solution. Tweaks are not enough here; Newcastle are in need of a reset.

Should that end up stretching over to the managerial berth, technical director Ross Wilson is bound to consider a Premier League rival who has been riding the crest of a wave.

Newcastle's dream Howe replacement

It’s important to stress that Newcastle are not actively looking to oust Howe from the hot seat. This is one of the greatest managers in the club’s history, and the struggles of recent months hardly negate the immortal 2024/25 campaign.

If Newcastle do need to bring someone new to St. James’ Park, they couldn’t do much better than Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, someone described as a “top five manager in the world” by one Premier League content creator.

Last week, the Mirror revealed that the Austrian coach is one of four names possibly available to PIF if they decide to commit to a mid-season reshuffle.

Glasner has achieved illustrious success with Palace, winning last season’s FA Cup and then beating Liverpool to lift the Community Shield in August. He is leading the Londoners through the Conference League campaign.

Hailed by analyst Pythagoras in Boots as being an “underappreciated” and “Champions League-level manager”, Glasner has done nothing over the past several years to suggest the contrary.

This is a shrewd and attractive tactician, whose typical 3-4-2-1 formation underscores an outside-the-box methodology that has only been on the money since he set foot onto English shores.

His slick attacking play could be exactly what Newcastle need. Moreover, this could give rise to Anthony Elanga and Anthony Gordon finding their footing once again, both wingers having toiled this term and yet to score or assist in the Premier League.

But the appointment would have the greatest effect on Woltemade, with the 23-year-old already clinical, already dangerous. Just look at Jean-Phillippe Mateta, who holds the joint-highest appearance tally at Glasner’s Palace, having scored 38 goals from 78 outings.

The Frenchman’s newfound fluency in the final third owes to the creative impetus. Indeed, Chelsea are the only side in the Premier League to have created more xG than the Selhurst Park side this season.

1. Chelsea

3rd

20.4

2. Crystal Palace

2nd

19.3

3. Man City

10th

19.0

4. Arsenal

1st

18.8

5. Man United

7th

18.2

12. Newcastle

14th

12.8

It is not unfair to surmise that a large degree of Newcastle’s issues in the Premier League centre around creativity.

Therefore, Woltemade’s emphatic start to life as the club’s central striker is made all the more impressive, and that’s without even considering the injury to fellow newbie Yoane Wissa, Prem-proven and yet to kick a ball in black and white.

Woltemade has already established his goal threat, six goals for Newcastle since completing a £69m move from Stuttgart in August. The 6 foot 6 striker has bagged four goals from three recent caps with Germany.

This is not to suggest that Howe doesn’t have the capacity to unlock the highest levels of Woltemade’s potential, but Glasner prioritises aggressive wide play that loops into the middle of the area, with a focus on much running and high intensity.

Woltemade is only completing one dribble every two Premier League fixtures, but his Sofascore heat map underscores a mobility that escapes many other centre-forwards.

But FBref shows that Woltemade ranks among the top 18% of positional peers in the division for progressive passes and the top 8% for carries made per 90, emphasising his technical skill and his willingness to move about.

In this, the German could be the perfect head of a new tactical system at Newcastle. We all hope that Howe finds a solution and Newcastle do not need to undergo any drastic transformation, but Glasner is worth his weight in gold and could be a fantastic and uplifting appointment for the Tynesiders.

Newcastle already have the new Anderson & he's "England's next superstar"

Eddie Howe could unearth Newcastle United’s next Elliot Anderson by starting this promising star more often.

ByKelan Sarson Nov 18, 2025

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has heaped praise on a Spurs star who was a “real handful” against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday, alongside player of the match Xavi Simons.

Spurs’ commanding 4-0 victory marked the perfect bounce back from their bitterly disappointing 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in the London derby just days earlier.

After an extremely lacklustre performance against their rivals, which was followed by Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence snubbing Frank’s attempt at a handshake after the final whistle, Spurs responded on the European stage in style.

From the off, Tottenham seized control — dominating possession and creating chances.

The team pressed Copenhagen high, denying them space and time to settle, and it wasn’t long before their pressure paid off.

One of the night’s highlights was van de Ven’s superb solo goal, which had shades of Son Heung-min’s famous Puskas winner against Burnley in 2019, and it was the perfect apology to Frank after the Dutchman’s post-Chelsea controversy.

The centre-back picked up the ball deep in Tottenham’s own half and drove forward with purpose, evading challenges and slicing through Copenhagen’s midfield before cooly slotting past the keeper in what was a world-class piece of quality and sure-fire contender for this season’s Puskas Award.

The standout performer, however, was Xavi Simons — whose man of the match display encapsulated what was a fantastic evening for the Lilywhites.

The 22-year-old has been widely criticised for his slow start to life at the club since joining Tottenham in a deal which could be worth a grand-total of £125 million, when factoring in wages, agent’s fees and other add-ons over a potential seven-year deal.

However, Simons ran the show against Copenhagen, chalking up his first assist since making his Premier League debut away to West Ham, and he could’ve had even more to show for his efforts.

Fellow summer signing Randal Kolo Muani missed a gaping free header from Simons’ exceptional cross on the half-turn which almost certainly should’ve been converted, which was after the Frenchman failed to take advantage of another close-range set-up from his teammate to make it 2-0.

Thomas Frank praises misfiring Kolo Muani after Tottenham win

That being said, Kolo Muani, after working his way back to fitness from a dead leg, is also beginning to impress.

The PSG loanee showcased why he should be considered Spurs’ new first-choice striker, at least until Dominic Solanke returns from injury, and Frank had plenty to say about Kolo Muani after the match.

Tottenham’s head coach admitted that the 26-year-old is still not ‘fully firing’ after their 4-0 rout of Copenhagen, but was adamant that Kolo Muani proved to be a “real handful” for Spurs overall.

Even if he did fail to score multiple chances that were put on a plate for him by Simons, Kolo Muani did assist Wilson Odobert with what was a phenomenal piece of composure.

The ex-Eintracht Frankfurt star took the ball down from a lofty height with deft control before laying it off to Odobert, who duly doubled the home side’s lead, and that is perhaps a sign of things to come.

Richarlison could, and perhaps should, be worried — especially after missing a last-minute penalty against Copenhagen as Solanke nears his long-awaited return.

Josh Hader failed to come through when the Houston Astros needed him the most.

Houston's high-priced closer entered a 2–2 game in the top of the eighth inning Wednesday afternoon, as his team faced elimination from the playoffs. Trailing the Detroit Tigers 1-0 in the American League wild-card series, Hader stepped to the mound with two on and two outs, needing just one out to rescue his team. He couldn't do it.

Hader walked Spencer Torkelson on four pitches to load the bases, then grooved a 1-2 sinker to Any Ibanez, who hammered it down the left field line for a bases-clearing double to give the Tigers a 5–2 lead.

Hader was able to get out of the inning without surrendering any more runs but the damage was done. Detroit closed out the game and secured a 5–2 win, earning the Tigers a matchup with the Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS.

That performance is likely not what the Astros had in mind when they handed Hader a five-year, $95 million deal in the offseason. It was the second-richest contract given to a closer in Major League Baseball history, and the 30-year-old didn't quite live up to it.

Hader finished the 2024 campaign 8–8 with a 3.80 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP and 105 strikeouts against 25 walks in 71 innings. He had 34 saves in 38 opportunities, but only produced 0.6 WAR.

And when his team needed him to step up the most, he failed to do so.

Villarreal expressed "deep displeasure" at La Liga for the decision to cancel a controversial match against Barcelona that was set to be held in Miami in December. The Yellow Submarine pointed to the league's lack of general organization for the event and said they were blindsided by Tuesday's announcement, which came during their Champions League match.

Getty Images Sport'Deep concern'

On Tuesday, La Liga canceled the Dec. 20 match between Barcelona and Villarreal in Miami, pointing to concerns from organizer Relevent on insufficient time and "uncertainty in Spain." 

Barcelona issued a statement, saying the club accepts the decision. Villarreal, however, were more critical, pointing to several logistical and organizational failures that ultimately led to the abrupt termination of the match. 

"Villarreal CF wishes to express its deep displeasure with La Liga for the poor management of the organization of the match scheduled to be played in Miami against FC Barcelona on Dec. 20, corresponding to Matchday 17, which ultimately will not be played in the United States," the club said in a statement. "Given the lack of progress in the development and organization by La Liga, Villarreal CF has repeatedly expressed its deep concern to the organization and urged it to define such basic and fundamental aspects as confirming the match time and hiring a travel agency for such a large-scale trip, which are vital to begin organizing the event.

"In fact, a meeting was scheduled for this Thursday, in which if these issues were not resolved immediately, the club would withdraw from the project due to not having the minimum conditions guaranteed for the organization. Villarreal CF regrets that La Liga, as the organizer, did not better manage the management of the match and that the La Liga match in Miami could not be held, as it believes it is a good opportunity for the growth of the clubs and La Liga internationally."

AdvertisementAFPDemands not met

According to Villarreal, the largest failure, outside of organizational issues, came from La Liga's inability to agree to key requests.

"This summer, La Liga proposed to Villarreal CF to participate and host the match, which would be played against FC Barcelona before the Christmas break," the club said. "Villarreal CF, as it has publicly stated on numerous occasions, accepted because it believes this project is very beneficial for the club's growth and, above all, for contributing to the development of the competition. However, it requires two fundamental and mandatory conditions for its implementation:

"The money allocated to this initiative by La Liga will be used to compensate Villarreal CF season ticket holders, who are the ones truly affected by this situation, for missing one of the matches already included in their season ticket. This will include free travel to Miami to watch the match or a partial refund of their season ticket.

"Neither of the participating clubs will receive any direct financial benefit from La Liga for playing the match, as the money should have been used to compensate Villarreal season ticket holders – as clarified in point one – and because it would also be unfair to the other La Liga clubs." 

AFPControversial timing

The announcement came midway through Villarreal's Champions League match against Manchester City.

"For me, it shows an absolute lack of respect to put out a statement at half-time of our game about something that was planned but will not happen," coach Marcelino García Toral told reporters. "It's a lack of respect to the directors of this club, the club itself, the professionals and the fans."

Villarreal said they learned of the cancellation just before the match on Tuesday.

"Last night, minutes before kickoff of the Champions League match between Villarreal CF and Manchester City at the Estadio de la Cerámica, the club was notified by phone by LaLiga that the match was canceled at the discretion of the sponsoring company," the club said. "However, the information was confidential and the best time would be sought to communicate it jointly, just as they had done for the confirmation of the match on Oct. 8.

"However, minutes later, and to the club's surprise, La Liga decided to issue a unilateral statement announcing the cancellation of a match involving Villarreal during a match of such importance to the club, demonstrating a complete and utter lack of respect for the club, as well as a lack of sensitivity and empathy." 

A prominent UEFA supporter-led liaison group, Football Supporters Europe, said it supported the cancellation. 

“Common sense and the rules of the game have prevailed. This is a seismic victory for European football and everyone who believes the game belongs at the heart of our communities," the group said in a statement. “La Liga’s defeat sends a clear message to the world of football: such ill-conceived projects are doomed to fail. These attempts to destabilize the foundation of the game must stop now.”

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Looking ahead

The proposed match by La Liga would have been historic, as the Spanish top flight would have been the first European league to host an official league match stateside. Despite the opportunity to grow interest in the league, it was met with large-scale disapproval from fans and players alike.

Each La Liga match had player protests last weekend and even UEFA's President Aleksander Ceferin warned matches abroad could "break" the sport. With the cancellation of the match in Miami, Villarreal will now host Barcelona on Dec. 21. 

The gaps in the bowling line up have “been really camouflaged by their great batting,” Varun Aaron says

ESPNcricinfo staff23-May-20251:47

What’s ailing Rashid Khan?

Gujarat Titans (GT) have now lost four matches in IPL 2025. In two of those, they have fallen short chasing mammoth targets – Punjab Kings (PBKS) scored 243 for 5 early on in the script, and on Thursday night, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) put up 235 for 2. The other two times, their high-powered batting line-up, in hindsight, put up below-par totals. To Varun Aaron, the issue when GT have lost has been their third (fourth) seamer, which “has been camouflaged by their great batting”.On Thursday, Mohammed Siraj, Kagiso Rabada and Prasidh Krishna were their main seamers. Arshad Khan was the fourth, and he went for 36 runs in his three overs. Only Rashid Khan was more expensive. Overall this season, Prasidh and Siraj – as well as Rashid and R Sai Kishore – have played all their 13 games, while Arshad (eight games, ER 9.21), Ishant Sharma (seven games, ER 11.18) and Kulwant Khejroliya (one game, ER 9.66) have filled in intermittently.”I think the biggest problem GT have had throughout the whole season and that’s been really camouflaged by their great batting is their third [or fourth] seamer,” Aaron said on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out show. “Ishant Sharma was in and out. He was really expensive. Arshad Khan, again, was in and out, came back in now. Khejroliya played one game. So I think teams are going to look to go really hard against that third seamer.Related

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“If they get a lot of runs against the third seamer, then Prasidh Krishna comes [in early] and goes a little searching for wickets because he has been that guy who has gotten them wickets. Exactly what happened today – the third seamer has gone for runs, and throughout the tournament that’s been a pattern.”The bigger concern for GT, seeing that they have had Prasidh and Siraj doing well, might be Rashid. Never before has he been as expensive as he has been this season, going at 9.38 for his eight wickets. Before this season, the poorest economy rate Rashid had ever recorded in the IPL was 8.40 in 2024. Between 2017 and 2022, he had never gone at more than 6.73 in a season.On Thursday, perhaps in acknowledgement of his poor returns this season, Rashid was brought into the attack only in the 12th over, when Mitchell Marsh was closing in on his century. Sai Kishore had bowled two overs by then. By the end, the two had combined returns of 5-0-70-1. The wicket – of Aiden Markram – wasn’t against Rashid’s name.2:18

Aaron: ‘GT have a problem with their third seamer pick’

“It was late. Normally you see Rashid come in when you’re in desperate need to strike. But that tells you maybe something about where the confidence is when it comes to Rashid Khan at the moment, not only from his own personal point of view, but also the captaincy’s point of view. You know, we’re not going to introduce him too early,” Tom Moody, Aaron’s co-panellist, said. “But Sai Kishore, you can’t take too much away from him. He got the nod ahead of Rashid. He’s still a very crafty bowler. But he was hit by a tidal wave today.”He [Rashid] has taken time to find his rhythm again. Any bowler, whether you are a spinner or a pace bowler, coming back from a significant back surgery, it takes time. It’s not only the mechanical side of things, it’s confidence as well, that comes with that.”Aaron appeared to have spotted a specific problem in Rashid’s bowling, caused, perhaps, by the surgery in late 2023. “If you look at his action, he’s one of those bowlers where there’s a lot of lateral flexion, and he really has to get the arm at the optimal position to bowl that fast googly. I don’t think his googly is shooting off the wicket that fast anymore, which used to really surprise batsmen.”One other puzzle about GT’s make-up on Thursday was the presence of Rabada in the XI ahead of Gerald Coetzee. Coetzee has played only two games and Rabada, who left after the first couple of games to serve a drug ban before returning recently, four. More importantly, Coetzee has an economy rate of 7.66 to Rabada’s 11.57. Even more importantly, Rabada won’t be around for the IPL playoffs. Coetzee will be.2:27

Are GT in danger of losing out on a top-two spot?

“I would have thought that was definitely worth exploring,” Moody said. “Unless there’s some injury issue that we don’t know, or illness. It would make sense that you’d have a look at him.”All said, Moody wasn’t unduly worried about GT, who are still the table-toppers, though second-placed Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who have a game in hand, are just one point behind.”I wouldn’t say they are massively off. We know Rashid Khan has taken time to get back to his best, and he’s still not there post his surgery. If I was in GT’s shoes, I wouldn’t be reading too much into this game,” Moody said. “There are some obvious areas they need to just sharpen up a little bit, but… it’s one of those situations where you’ve been playing really good cricket and if you look back too hard at a loss at this stage of a season, you could get a little lost in a negative space.”I think they are better off just trying to take positives moving forward, because we are right at the pointy end of the business and the last thing you want to be doing is over-analysing certain issues. And I am sure the likes of Rashid Khan is doing everything in his powers to recapture that consistency, which we’ve seen before, but there’s no doubt that his effectiveness, particularly against right-handers, which is normally where he has dominated, has been a real struggle.”