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Between Marsh’s brutality and Pooran’s flamboyance, LSG have found a batting axis that’s not just working, but redefining their chances this year

Sreshth Shah08-Apr-20252:04

Jaffer: Not many areas where Pooran is vulnerable

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) seem to have figured out their top three in IPL 2025 better than most teams. By putting faith in experienced and overseas batters, particularly Mitchell Marsh and Nicholas Pooran, they have ensured their explosive players get maximum time in the middle. And on a hot Tuesday evening at Eden Gardens, it was on show – not for the first time this season – as Marsh slammed 81 and Pooran hammered 87 with 13 sixes and 13 fours between them, off just 84 balls. The two innings ensured LSG had enough to win a game against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) where 472 runs were scored.The two have not only climbed the Orange Cap table to take first and second positions at this stage, but have transformed LSG’s top order into one of the most potent of the season. What makes this more remarkable is Marsh walking out to open, a role he’s rarely played. Before this season, he had opened just four times in all T20s and only twice in the IPL.But as his opening partner Aiden Markram said post-match, “Some opening pairs just happen by chance.” It also says a lot about how highly head coach Justin Langer – a fellow Western Australian – rates Marsh’s batting.Related

• Rahane steers clear of 'chaos', will discuss Eden pitch with IPL authorities

• Shardul Thakur bowls five consecutive wides in IPL's longest over

• Marsh, Pooran outgun KKR in high-scoring thriller

• Rathi dismisses idol Narine with his first ball

The transformation has taken the tournament by storm. In all IPLs before this season, Marsh had only three fifties to his name, but with bowling off the table owing to injury, he has been able to focus solely on his batting, and he has looked liberated – four fifties in five games this season must mean something. That’s the kind of form that only three others – Virat Kohli, David Warner and Chris Gayle – have matched at the start of an IPL season.On Tuesday, Marsh made his second-highest IPL score in a continuation of that run. He pulled anything back-of-a-length, drove anything full, and even stepped out to slap Sunil Narine’s wide delivery over the covers – a shift from his previously modest returns against slower bowlers. At one point, Marsh was crawling on 13 off 14 balls. But he recovered well.”I’ve never been more motivated to score runs,” he joked after the innings, referring to his role as LSG’s Impact Player. But there was a serious side to his reflection, too. “Being 14 off 14 felt like panic stations. But on a quick outfield like this, there’s always time to catch up. I’m just preparing well, trying to enjoy my cricket.”And he is. The smile has been there all season. He is delivering quotable quotes one after the other, too. At 33, Marsh is playing with the freedom of someone who’s got nothing to prove and everything to enjoy. The quicks don’t faze him – not when you’ve grown up in Perth – and his chemistry with Pooran at No. 3 has clicked.ESPNcricinfo LtdAfter Marsh, there is Pooran. A destroyer of spin, Pooran has now hit over 200 T20 sixes since the start of 2024 – comfortably more than anyone else. He is also topping the Orange Cap race, and Tuesday’s 87 was his highest IPL score. Narine, who has often troubled him, was twice launched over the short boundary as Pooran made a statement.His spot at No. 3 always made sense. Originally slotted at No. 4 or No. 5, Pooran has batted at one-drop regularly since the start of the 2023 CPL, MLC, the Hundred and the 2024 T20 World Cup. Yet, at the beginning of the season, LSG faced a dilemma: that spot was between Pooran and his captain Rishabh Pant. “It’s a position of freedom,” Pant had said after LSG’s first win, revealing how he gave up that spot for his overseas superstar.On Tuesday, Pooran wasn’t just clearing boundaries, he was manipulating the bowlers too. With one side of the square significantly longer than the other, KKR’s bowlers tried forcing him to hit towards the bigger boundary. It was a sound idea. But the combination of a good batting surface and the bowlers missing their lengths slightly made it simple for Pooran. He could anticipate the angle and line, set up for it, and unleash. In the end, LSG scored 133 runs to the longer side – 41 more than to the shorter side – largely thanks to Pooran’s muscle and method.1:15

No bowling responsibility frees up Marsh

“I practice a lot. Everything you see in the game is because I practice it,” Pooran said after being named the Player of the Match. “You understand what’s coming – full and wide balls, slower short ones. Spinners bowling straight or wide. And you work on it.”But he wasn’t taking the credit alone. “Not just today, but throughout the tournament, Mitch and Aiden have been brilliant,” he said. “They’re reading the conditions, dropping their egos, playing the team game. That’s what sets us up.”What is my role at No. 3? To get a start, carry on, and capitalise on my match-ups. I’ve been doing it the last two or three years, and I’m doing it consistently now.”Between Marsh’s brutality and Pooran’s flamboyance, LSG have found a batting axis that’s not just working, but redefining their chances this year. The season has only just begun, but if these two keep batting like this, LSG won’t just be chasing the playoffs, they’ll be storming into them.

Sri Lanka beat Bangladesh in their group-stage game and then did Bangladesh a favour by beating Afghanistan, and go into this game with momentum on their side

Mohammad Isam19-Sep-20252:22

Maharoof: Mendis a nightmare for spinners once he gets going

Big picture: A twist to the Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka tale

Bangladesh cricket fans had to put on hold their antagonistic feelings towards Sri Lanka for a couple of days – they needed Sri Lanka to beat Afghanistan to stay alive in the Asia Cup, after all. That’s how it panned out, leaving Bangladesh fans thrilled. Social media in Bangladesh has been buzzing with self-deprecating memes, all with photos of the Sri Lankan flag or Bangladeshis wearing the Sri Lanka jersey.The rivalry that has developed over the last seven years has often been full of cringe-worthy elements, but it’s also true that the players have been able to move up an extra gear whenever they’ve been in contest with each other. So there is a lot of interest in Saturday’s match, the first of the Super Four stage.Related

• Pathum Nissanka is raising his bar one notch at a time

• With goals reset, Kusal Mendis finally finds his niche

• Nasum Ahmed's bouncebackability on show again

Charith Asalanka’s side has been the more dominant in the Asia Cup. They won all three of their group games, including against Bangladesh. Curiously, Hong Kong pushed them harder than Bangladesh or Afghanistan could.Importantly for them, Kusal Mendis and Kamindu Mendis commandeered the 170-run chase against Afghanistan relieving the pressure that’s been on Pathum Nissanka. The opener has been in good form and has been crying out for support. Sri Lanka were finally able to give that to him and will take confidence from that going into the pointy end of this tournament.2:18

Maharoof: Nissanka among the best all-format openers

Bangladesh have an opportunity for course correction. Some of it is already underway, with Parvez Hossain Emon losing his place in the team. Saif Hassan, who took his spot, has looked competent but Sri Lanka will be a major test for the comeback man. Bangladesh suffered back-to-back wicket maidens to start the game when the teams last met. The balance of their bowling is another puzzle they must solve. Their fifth-bowler combination (Saif and Shamim Hossain) didn’t work in the previous game.This promises to be a closer contest than the earlier game. The stakes are higher, with the first set of points crucial. Asalanka and Litton Das will also be leading two sets of players eager to one-up each other after a brief bit of peace.

Form guide

Bangladesh WLWWW
Sri Lanka WWWWLMustafizur Rahman has been effective, but not always frugal•Associated Press

In the spotlight: Mustafizur Rahman and Kusal Mendis

Mustafizur Rahman took three wickets to help Bangladesh against Afghanistan, but the left-arm quick has been quite expensive in the Asia Cup. Especially in the group match against Sri Lanka, Mustafizur bowled his most expensive spell of the year (3-0-35-1). Bangladesh will hope the left-arm quick returns to his stingy best. Mustafizur will have the added motivation of completing 150 wickets in T20Is – he is four short of the milestone – and also overtaking Shakib Al Hasan, who has 149.Kusal Mendis carried Sri Lanka to their six-wicket win against Afghanistan with a sparkling, unbeaten 74. Mendis is also very good against Bangladesh. He is already Sri Lanka’s second-highest run-getter with four centuries across formats against them. He is undoubtedly the key wicket in the Super Four opener.2:27

Abhinav lauds Bangladesh’s spin-choke tactic

Team news: Wellalage available to play

Bangladesh could bring in either of the allrounders Mahedi Hasan and Mohammad Saifuddin to fill their fifth-bowler gap.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tanzid Hasan, 2 Saif Hassan, 3 Litton Das (capt, wk), 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Shamim Hossain, 6 Nurul Hasan, 7 Jaker Ali, 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Nasum Ahmed, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur RahmanDunith Wellalage, who flew back home following the death of his father, is set to rejoin the Sri Lankan team on the morning of the match and is available for selection.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Pathum Nissanka, 2 Kusal Mendis (wk), 3 Kamil Mishara, 4 Kusal Perera, 5 Charith Asalanka (capt), 6 Kamindu Mendis, 7 Dasun Shanaka, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Dunith Wellalage, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Nuwan Thushara

Pitch and conditions: Struggle for runs in Dubai

Batters have only gone at a strike rate of 109.26 in Dubai at this Asia Cup. Abu Dhabi, for comparison, has been slightly better – 119.50. The slow nature of Dubai’s pitches have certainly helped the spinners. The weather forecast is for a typical hot evening.

Stats and trivia: Litton on top

• With 513 runs, Litton is currently this year’s top run-getter in T20Is among Full Member sides.
• Thushara’s 4 for 18 against Afghanistan is Sri Lanka’s best figures in the Asia Cup’s T20I version.
• Jaker has shown in the last 12 months that he has a few tricks up his sleeve but in this series, his 53 runs have required 48 balls and include only three fours.

Leeds United are currently one point above the relegation zone in the Premier League after picking up 11 points from their first 11 matches of the 2025/26 campaign.

Whilst it has not been a disastrous start for the Championship champions, there are already some eyes wandering to the January transfer window with a view to the club bolstering the squad with new recruits.

Adding more goals to the team may be one of the priorities for the 49ers ahead of the window, as Daniel Farke’s side have only scored 11 goals in their 11 league matches.

Noah Okafor, Joe Rodon, and Lukas Nmecha are all currently tied on two goals in the Premier League this season, making them the club’s joint-top scorers.

As you can see in the table above, Leeds look to be on course for their first top-flight campaign without a player in double figures for goals for the first time since they were promoted under Marcelo Bielsa in 2020.

What the Whites would give to have Raphinha back at Elland Road for a second spell, as the Brazil international was a sensational signing by Victor Orta and Bielsa.

Where Raphinha ranks among Leeds signings since 2020

The left-footed forward was signed from Rennes for a fee of £18m in the summer of 2020 after Leeds had won the Championship title in the 2019/20 campaign.

It is hard to argue against Raphinha being the best signing that the club have made since their promotion in 2020, as he was a superstar for the Whites and earned them a significant profit upon his eventual departure.

The Brazilian phenomenon ranked first in the squad for ‘big chances’ created in both the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaign, with 12 in the first and ten in the second, per Sofascore, which speaks to how important he was as a creative force.

Raphinha, as shown in the statistics above, also provided a big threat as a scorer of goals, with a return of 17 strikes in 65 Premier League games for the Whites in total.

Leeds were relegated the season after he left the club and no players in the squad hit double figures for ‘big chances’ created, per Sofascore, which speaks to the impact that his exit had on the team.

His £55m move to Barcelona in 2022 was also a club-record sale for Leeds, which remains the case today, and this is another reason why he must be considered their best signing since 2020, due to his undeniable impact on the pitch and the money that his sale generated.

He was an exciting signing at the time of his arrival in 2020, as a technically brilliant Brazilian forward coming in from Ligue 1, and the club could recapture that level of excitement with one of their targets for the next window.

Leeds lining up move for Premier League star

According to MOTLeedsNews, Leeds United are lining up a potential swoop to sign Manchester United central midfielder Kobbie Mainoo in the upcoming January transfer window.

The report claims that the Whites were interested in a move for the England international in the summer window, but the Red Devils were unwilling to sanction an exit at the time.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

It states that ‘all signs’ point to a January exit from Old Trafford for Mainoo, due to his lack of game time this season, and that Leeds are keeping tabs on his situation with a view to a move for his signature.

However, MOTLeedsNews reveals that the main priority for the Whites is to sign a new number nine to bolster their attack, with any deal for the United midfielder on the back burner until they get that done.

If Leeds do land a new striker and go on to sign Mainoo on loan for the second half of the 2025/26 campaign, the central midfielder could be the most exciting signing since Raphinha.

Why Leeds should sign Kobbie Mainoo

In September, it was reported that a £79m price tag had been placed on the English starlet amid interest from Real Madrid, as United looked to scare teams off an attempt to sign him on a permanent basis.

£79m is £43.5m more than Leeds have ever spent on a player and £24m more than the club have ever sold a player for, which shows that Mainoo may be the most valuable player in the club’s history, even if he only joins on loan.

It would be an incredibly exciting signing for supporters and surely viewed as an ambitious move by neutrals, because the midfield star has made 80 appearances for Manchester United and been capped ten times by England, per Transfermarkt, despite not turning 21 until next April.

Mainoo, as explained by Ruben Amorim in the comments above, is in an unfortunate situation at Old Trafford because he has found himself behind club captain and Portuguese star Bruno Fernandes in his position because of the manager’s 3-4-2-1 system.

Before Amorim’s time at United, the English midfielder excelled in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 system under Erik ten Hag in the 2023/24 campaign, which bodes well for a potential move to Leeds, as they are Farke’s two preferred formations at Elland Road.

As you can see in the table above, Mainoo earned his place in the England team and as a regular starter for United thanks to his impressive play in possession under the Dutch coach.

The 20-year-old midfield star, who was dubbed “generational” by teammate Rasmus Hojlund, was among the best midfielders in the Premier League at creating chances and carrying his side up the pitch with his ball control and mobility, which could helpd Leeds to improve their dismal goal tally of 11 goals from 11 games.

Mainoo, as shown in the clips above, also provided quality defensively, tracking back to make vital challenges, and showed potential as a goalscorer with five goals in all competitions, per Sofascore.

Therefore, the England international should not be judged by his failure to get into the current United team, as that is almost purely down to the manager’s preferred tactics.

Bamford 2.0: Leeds chase ST with 15 goals in 25/26, he'd save Farke's job

Leeds United are interested in signing a striker who could save Daniel Farke’s job at Elland Road.

By
Dan Emery

Nov 15, 2025

Overall, Leeds fans should be incredibly excited by the prospect of signing the young star, as he could be just as exciting a signing as Raphinha was, for different reasons, despite the fact that it would only be a loan deal.

The Tigers had lost eight consecutive games entering Thursday night's matchup with the Guardians in Cleveland. Once up by 15.5 games in the American League Central, Detroit needed a win in order to get back even with the Guardians as the regular season enters its final weekend. A.J. Hinch turned to rookie Troy Melton to deliver in the biggest spot of the year and the young righthander rewarded that confidence by throwing 3 2/3 innings and surrendering a single run.

Upon getting relieved from the game, Melton savored the moment by singing along to Blink-182's "All The Small Things" as it blared throughout the stadium.

Here's that cool moment.

Detroit and Cleveland now have a three-game race to the division crown. The Guardians hold the tiebreaker so it would have been all but over had Melton not stepped in to stop the historic skid. It's a good sign for the Tigers that Melton can be this cool in such a huge moment.

And kudos to the Fan Duel Sports Detroit broadcast for catching on to what was happening.

Both teams have two points each and are looking to add to it in their push to make the knockouts

Sruthi Ravindranath19-Oct-20252:39

Preview – Sri Lanka can’t control their fate

Big picture: SL move from wet Colombo to dry Navi Mumbai

Bangladesh and Sri Lanka head into their clash with two points each, yet their campaigns couldn’t have been more different. For Sri Lanka, those two points came courtesy washed-out games in Colombo. They have now moved to hot and humid Navi Mumbai, where they will begin their final leg with an outside chance to make the top four.Bangladesh had started brightly with a win over Pakistan, but have struggled since. They have run top sides close, but have fallen short at crucial junctures. Though Bangladesh are yet to beat Sri Lanka in ODIs, they will fancy their chances, given their spin attack has troubled established batting line-ups. The loser of Monday’s fixture will be knocked out of contention for the semi-finals.The two sides have met each other four times in ODIs, with Sri Lanka winning two and the other two being washed out. It will be a long shot for Bangladesh to make the semi-finals, but they can get there if they win their next two games and hope other results go their way. Even a top-five finish will be significant for Bangladesh, their senior spinner Fahima Khatun said on the eve of the match, in what is only their second appearance at an ODI World Cup.While Bangladesh’s batting remains a concern, their bowling, led by spinners, has been their strength. But it was a different story against Australia, who razed down their target of 199 with ten wickets to spare.Sri Lanka have had similar issues. While their batters have often made promising starts, they’ve lost wickets in clusters. But the washed-out match against New Zealand, where they posted 258 before rain had the final say, showed a glimpse of what they can do. In this match, it will come down to how well they operate against Bangladesh’s spinners, while Bangladesh will want to show some of their batting capabilities in their quest for a first win against Sri Lanka in ODIs.

Form guide

Bangladesh LLLLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLLLL

In the spotlight: Harshitha Samarawickrama and Sobhana Mostary

Harshitha Samarawickrama has quickly risen through the ranks for Sri Lanka to become one of their batting mainstays. Since her 53 against India in the tri-series earlier this year, she has not scored a half-century in six innings though she’s got starts. Against England, she looked well set in the chase of 254 with a 58-run stand with Hasini Perera but lost her wicket to Sophie Ecclestone, which triggered a Sri Lanka collapse. Sri Lanka will be expecting more runs from their No. 4 as they look to finish their campaign on a high.Sobhana Mostary has been the most impressive Bangladesh batter in the tournament so far. She has two fifties, both coming against top oppositions in Australia and England. In a tournament where most other Bangladesh batters have struggled, the 23-year-old has stood out at No.5. She is adept at rotating the strike and finding the gaps. Against Australia, she was circumspect against Alana King but took on Annabel Sutherland and Darcie Brown, her 66 not out taking Bangladesh to a respectable 198.1:24

Fahima Khatun: We’ve lost games, but gained a lot of positives

Team news: Marufa Akter set to return

Fast bowler Marufa Akter, who was rested for Bangladesh’s previous match against Australia, is expected to return to the side. “Marufa is better now, she has been training hard the last couple of days and I think we will have her fully fit for the next match,” Khatun said at her press conference.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Rubya Haider, 2 Fargana Hoque, 3 Sharmin Akhter, 4 Nigar Sultana (capt & wk), 5 Sobhana Mostary, 6 Shorna Akter, 7 Fahima Khatun, 8 Rabeya Khan, 9 Ritu Moni, 10 Nishita Akter Nishi, 11 Marufa AkterVishmi Gunaratne was on 12 when she was stretchered off the field against South Africa, after being struck by the ball on her left knee while completing a run. She, however, returned to bat and finished with 34 off 33 balls. Sri Lanka head coach Rumesh Ratnayake said she was “okay for selection” against Bangladesh.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Chamari Athapaththu (capt), 2 Hasini Perera, 3 Vishmi Gunaratne, 4 Harshita Samarawickrama, 5 Kavisha Dilhari, 6 Nilakshika Silva, 7 Anushka Sanjeewani (wk), 8 Piumi Wathsala, 9 Sugandika Kumari, 10 Malki Madara, 11 Inoka RanaweeraChamari Athapaththu is one away from 4000 ODI runs•Getty Images

Pitch and conditions: DY Patil Stadium gears up to host its first ODI

This will be the first-ever ODI at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. The stadium has hosted 14 Vijay Hazare (List A) games in the last three years. The average first-innings score has been 252 with teams chasing winning nine games. Dew is expected to play a role at the ground.The forecast is clear for the entire day, with temperatures set to hit a high of 36 degrees. On the eve of the match, Bangladesh’s Khatun said she expects it to be a “sporting wicket with batters and bowlers expected to benefit from it”. Sri Lanka coach Ratnayake echoed her views.

Stats and trivia

• Chamari Athapaththu is one run away from 4000 ODI runs and four wickets away from 50 ODI wickets
• Fargana Hoque is 79 runs away from 2000 ODI runs
• Sri Lanka wicketkeeper Anushka Sanjeewani will play her 50th ODI match on Monday.

Pep Guardiola made ten changes for Tuesday night’s Champions League clash with Bayer Leverkusen, Nico González the only man to keep his place and, well, this certainly did not pay off.

Manchester City were beaten in a home group stage tie for the first time since defeat to Olympique Lyonnais in September 2018, with Leverkusen leaving the Etihad comfortable 2-0 winners.

Nico O’Reilly, Jérémy Doku and Phil Foden were all introduced at half time, with Rayan Cherki and Erling Braut Håland thrown on soon after, but they still rarely threatened die Werkself’s goal.

Thus, the Sky Blues’ top eight spot in the Champions League is now somewhat under threat, traveling to Real Madrid in a fortnight, before rounding out the league phase against Bodø/Glimt in the Arctic Circle and then Galatasaray at home in late January.

After the match, Guardiola bemoaned his lack of squad depth, so could it spark him to go into the January transfer market, potentially set to make a move to sign the “best winger in the country”?

Manchester City targeting attacking reinforcements

In January this year, Manchester City splashed around £180m, recruiting Abdukodir Khusanov, Vitor Reis, Juma Bah, the aforementioned Nico González and Omar Marmoush, thereby spending more than the other 19 Premier League clubs combined.

Well, according to reports in Spain, similar heavy investment is forecast this winter, with the Citizens having made Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo a ‘priority target’.

They add that Man City are among those ‘considering’ making a January move for the Ghanaian attacker, alongside Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and others.

Well, earlier this month, it was reported that Semenyo’s contract contains a £65m release clause that becomes active on 1 January, meaning the winger could have his pick of clubs, and Bournemouth would be powerless to prevent him departing.

So, could the 25-year-old soon swap Dorset for East Manchester?

How Antoine Semenyo would improve Manchester City

So far this season, former England international Chris Waddle has asserted that Semenyo is the “best winger in the country”, while Anantaajith Raghuraman of The Athletic took it a step further, arguing that he is ‘the best player in the Premier League right now’.

These are certainly not outrageous claims, considering the Ghanaian international has scored six goals and registered three assists already in this campaign.

More broadly, the Bournemouth attacker has been one of the stars across the whole league so far, as the table below highlights.

As the table documents, Semenyo has been one of the most outstanding players in the Premier League this season.

Only Håland, Igor Thiago and Danny Welbeck have scored more goals while, of all players who’ve mustered ten or more shots on target, Håland is the only one to boast a higher shots on target percentage, underlining his newfound clinical nature.

Lifting some of the burden on Håland would be a key benefit of signing Semenyo in January.

In the league thus far, the Norwegian already has 14 goals to his name, but the only other player to have netted more than once for the Citizens is Maxime Estève, who scored two own goals when Burnley visited the Etihad in September.

Players such as Foden, Cherki, Doku, Savinho and others have shown glimpses of brilliance, but nothing on a consistent basis on par with what Semenyo has been producing by the South Coast.

Thus, alongside Håland, he could form an unstoppable partnership that could bring the glory days back to the Etihad, as they seek to chase down Premier League leaders Arsenal once again.

4/10 Man City duo who "offer nothing" must now never start together again

This pair struggled in Man City’s 2-0 home loss to Leverkusen

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 26, 2025

No one expected Vancouver to contend MLS Cup when they were put up for sale at the start of the season, but they might be the team best equipped to win it

Vancouver wasn't supposed to be here. Some, in fact, didn't think they would get close. 

Look at the lists made by experts and fans alike, and most would have told you that the Canadian side could finish towards the bottom of the Western Conference. And even if that was harsh, this certainly didn't look like a sure-fire playoff team. There was a good reason for that. In November 2024, they fired their coach, a fan favorite in Vanni Sartini. A month later, the ownership group announced the club was up for sale. There was a chance that Vancouver might not even have an MLS club for long, with rumors of relocation. 

Vancouver’s head coaching job remained vacant for nearly two months, illustrating the level of upheaval at the club. They finally appointed Jesper Sørensen on Jan. 12 – a Danish manager with no prior MLS experience.

It all looked like a recipe for disaster. 

Yet nine months later, they are two wins from a historic milestone. A season that was expected to be mediocre has instead turned into one of steady ascent. The Whitecaps started strong, built on that foundation, and now sit within reach of the first MLS Cup in club history.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  The stats tell the real story

  There’s always an element of luck in an MLS regular season. Teams can ride a hot start, stay afloat for months, and then fall apart when the playoffs begin. St. Louis City SC in 2023 is the textbook example – an expansion team that stunned the Western Conference but whose underlying numbers raised doubts, which were confirmed when they collapsed in the first round.

  The Whitecaps have been nothing like that. Their metrics back up the eye test. They scored a conference-best 66 goals, conceded a conference-low 38, and lost fewer matches than anyone in the West. Even their draws came in useful stretches. In short, this was a team that earned its results, not one carried by momentum or good fortune.

  The underlying numbers are good – and generally reliable. Their 66 goals came on 63.1 xG, suggesting that they, like many teams that are deadly in front of goal, slightly overperformed their mark (a discrepancy of 2.9 tends to be a sign of clinical finishing rather than pure luck). And they were equally effective at the other end. Their xG conceded was 37.3. They allowed 38 goals.

  Piece it all together, and Vancouver were a very good team performing exactly how the statistics project they really should.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  CONCACAF Champions Cup run set the tone

  There were early hints the Whitecaps might be good. They opened the MLS season well and climbed to the top of the Western Conference within two months. That raised eyebrows – not least because Sørensen was a relative unknown when he was hired in mid-January. But the MLS regular season is inherently chaotic. Hot starts happen. And even with Brian White scoring regularly, there was a suspicion that Vancouver could still regress to the mean.

  What they needed was a signature run, something to prove they were more than a fast starter. Enter the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the perfect proving ground for MLS clubs. Historically, teams from the league have struggled – especially in Mexico – feeding the perception that MLS sides simply can’t win there. Vancouver shattered that narrative, earning away-goal wins in the knockouts to reach a semifinal showdown with Inter Miami.

  And at that point, the magic should’ve ended. This was Lionel Messi in knockout football, after all. Thanks for the memories – time for the big boys to take over.

  Except…

  They hosted the first leg at BC Place and stunned a full-strength Miami with a 2-0 win. Then they went to Chase Stadium and did it again, a 3-1 triumph to complete an unthinkable 5-1 aggregate rout of MLS’s best. The enchantment eventually faded – Cruz Azul, deeper and more battle-hardened, thrashed them in the final – but even that result felt surprising.

  And maybe that’s the biggest compliment you can give this Whitecaps team.

• Imagn
  

  The American influence

  The through line in this Whitecaps side is a general sense of money well spent. The Whitecaps have never been flush with cash, and have, arguably, not had a singular star player since Alphonso Davies left nearly a decade ago (and even then, he was very much a man on the rise). They have consistently been a bottom 10 spender in MLS, and have been – until recently – unable to lure any big stars to the BC Palace. 

  But to say they have been expert navigators would be inaccurate, too. They are, instead, remarkably agreeable in their business. Until now. The loss of Ryan Guald – their star man and highest earner – to a long term injury really should have derailed their campaign. Instead, the system became the star, with plenty of strong individual talents throughout. White was a surprise early Golden Boot contender and earned a well-deserved USMNT call up for doing so. Tristan Blackmon certainly has his critics, but was good value for his nod for the U.S. in September, too.

  And then, we have Sebastian Berhalter. As the story goes, the son of former U.S. manager Gregg was uncertain that he even wanted to play soccer just a few years ago. Now, he is one of Pochettino's favorites, a set-piece specialist with a wonderful engine in the middle of the park. 

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• Imagn
  

  Muller's arrival

  There was no way Thomas Muller should have gone to Vancouver. Stars don't do that. They go to Los Angeles, New York, Miami, or Chicago. Vancouver is a truly lovely city, but it is not a spot that can lure European stars, not ones that have won World Cups, multiple Champions Leagues, and 13 Bundesliga titles. 

  Except this time, they did. Muller supposedly flirted with Chicago for some time, but was sold on Vancouver. He has turned out to be the perfect midseason boost. The Whitecaps were good – very good – but championship sides tend to need a lift, especially in the slog of the MLS season. And so Muller arrived to immense fanfare. 

  He was greeted by droves of fans at the Vancouver airport, and quickly brought his trademark brand of soccer to Canada’s West Coast. Muller has done what he does best – drifting into pockets of space, making the right runs, picking the right passes, and providing a cutting edge in the final third. His quality has anchored the attack while White worked his way back from a long-term hamstring injury.

Both England batters tried to rein in their natural games but failed in different ways

Vithushan Ehantharajah10-Jul-20252:23

Pope: We’re constantly trying to get batting balance right

It was in Multan, ahead of the first Test of 2024’s tour of Pakistan, that Zak Crawley, as he presented Ollie Pope with his 50th cap, joked that the pair run Clapham, referencing their adopted south London neighbourhood. Which is funny because no one runs Clapham. The whole point of Clapham – especially if you’re in your mid-20s, like Crawley and Pope are – is to give you the impression you run Clapham.Really, Clapham runs you. Enticing you for the early years of the rest of your life – a 2021 census revealed 59% of residents are aged between 20 and 39 – as it did for Pope and Crawley. With it comes a false sense of agency and a flawed understanding of adulthood.You end up doing what you had been doing at university, but for more money. And thus the highs feel greater, making you square that you’ve held on to joy for this long so you’ll never grow old, until one day you do and the place spits you out for the next crop of wide-eyed, energy-filled vessels. Before you know it, you’re in a dogfight with the place to stay relevant. To stay young. To stay put. And only when you give in to the grind – that, maybe, you’re too old for Infernos and Café Sol, and the common is actually a great way to get your 10,000 steps – does it keep you around.Related

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On Thursday, north of the river, both SW residents were in a domain that, as vice-captain and senior opener, is very much their own. But one which was playing awkward and unreliable underfoot, squeezing them to offer more against an India attack making their beds at the Home of Cricket. Both struggling in very different ways. One by choice as a team built on their kind of stroke-making and effervescence deliberately fizzled towards a quietly respectable 251 for 4 on day one of this Lord’s Test.Test cricket has been kind and cruel to both, though crueller to Crawley than to Pope, and not without good reason. Collectively, though, they have been lucky.Both have more caps than Jonathan Trott. By the end of the series, Crawley (57 and counting) will have more than Darren Gough (58), and Pope (59) will pass Graeme Swann (60). And to already know they will leapfrog modern greats without fighting against ingrained, unflattering reputations acquired so deep into a Test career is a luxury. One afforded to an opener and a No. 3 who benefit from a never-more-forgiving England set-up. Which, all told, has only compounded the scrutiny on them and worn patience thin, even with the acceptance that they occupy challenging positions for batters in this country. Though even that makes it worse.Crawley’s 43-ball 18 was basically an AI-generated innings of a waywardly dominant player at his worst. The control percentage was 51.2 (playing a false shot to 21 of the deliveries he faced) and spoke of the Russian Roulette nature of his stay, except with bullets in three of the six chambers. By contrast, fellow opener Ben Duckett “boasted” a control percentage of 60 during his 40 balls.The sixth over of the day provided a snapshot of the wrestle between Crawley and his game that seems to have emerged since a calm 65 set England’s first Test chase in motion. Against Akash Deep from the Nursery End, he adopted four different starting points and triggers; a foot outside, a foot inside, one impulsive charge, another pre-meditated shuffle and dart which almost cost him leg stump.2:23

Pope: We’re constantly trying to get batting balance right

The positive spin on that is Crawley was trying to give Akash Deep something to think about, aiming to unsettle his rhythm, encroach on his radar. But at 1 off 18, the flailing arms were of a man trying to keep his head above water, not swimming meaningfully against the tide.There was no real consolation that he could do little about his dismissal, managing to edge a pearler down the slope from Nitish Kumar Reddy after living so charmed. Lucky to still be there, unlucky to have nicked it. The delivery justified the intent behind the approach. You’re going to get a good one, and he got a great one to end a bad, bad knock.For Pope, however, this was a peculiar riddle of guts and bunkering down sandwiched between being dropped first ball – it would have been a hell of a catch from Shubman Gill at second gully – and getting out first ball after tea, inexplicably driving at a delivery too short. That was the 17th time out of the 62 where Pope has resumed an innings at the start of a session and been dismissed in its first ten deliveries.For context, Root – unbeaten at lunch on 24, at tea at 54, and overnight on 99 – has “done a Pope” just 15 out of 126 times since Pope’s debut in August 2018. That, really, is the reliability England fans crave from their No. 3, without even yearning for the qualities of Root, who everyone accepts is now done with the role.

The dressing room will appreciate Pope’s pluck, but the public will only see another start spurned. For Crawley, however, the fight to justify his place gets a little harder. To stay, to remain. A player that has thrived off the environment no longer seems to be thriving

And yet, amid familiar twitches outside off stump where, wicket aside, he was scoreless from 17 of 19 deliveries, was clearly a bit of caution. He was only beaten by six of the 75 balls in that region. The 87 he took to reach 30 was the second-slowest after a 108-ball effort against New Zealand in December 2018. There was struggle, but it was not shirked.Restraint came to the fore in the middle session, which he and Root saw out for just 70 runs in 24 overs. During the 41st over, after Root had almost played Akash Deep on to his stumps, Pope was in the zone at the non-striker’s end shadowing a charge down the pitch. It was not all that dramatic, akin to the way one might shimmy to leap off a hill, the express intention to scare a friend by momentarily listening to the mischievous voice in your head.Three overs later, Pope tried it off Akash, failing to work a single to the leg side. Back it went in the box. Perhaps surprisingly given how often members of this team use the charge to momentarily relieve pressure, like a boxer windmilling punches when they are backed into a corner. For Pope, this was growth.”I did it once – it can mess up the lengths a little bit,” Pope said. “But for me, I think it’s something I’ve not done as much over the last year or so, mainly because I feel like I’m just trusting my defence a little bit more. I don’t feel I need to try and hit them off their lengths the whole time.”Ollie Pope was distraught after being caught behind•Getty ImagesNipping conditions curbed that enthusiasm. Even outright, he kept schtum against Bumrah, at one point facing 28 deliveries of a five-over spell in which Root faced just two. Of the 42 deliveries Bumrah bowled when both were at the crease, Pope faced 32 to Root’s ten, but only managed two more runs than Root. Not that this was the plan, of course. This was a man who usually flies too close to the sun realising his limits.”I don’t think that would be a smart conscious choice of me,” Pope joked when asked if he was shielding Root. “He just hit a pretty good area and I guess with the field up I couldn’t sneak down to the other end. Root’s good at nicking the ones like that.”You’ve just always got to be switched on, so it wasn’t a conscious choice, but I was happy to try and absorb the pressure.”It’s tempting to say this was a teaser of a new Pope, but that idea was shot to earth by a narrative-skewing dismissal that clipped England’s wings, too.Having toughed it out, he should have gone on. And there is something so typically Pope that having started the series with a century that seemed to lock in his place for this series and the Ashes to come, he is now averaging 36.40 from five innings.The dressing room will appreciate Pope’s pluck, but the public will only see another start spurned. For Crawley, however, the fight to justify his place gets a little harder. To stay, to remain. A player that has thrived off the environment no longer seems to be thriving. It might be time to move.

TORONTO —  There is a laundry list of problems the Seattle Mariners will take into Game 7 of the American League Championship Series tonight. They have struck out almost twice as many times as the Blue Jays (62–34). They don’t win when they don’t hit a home run (13–30 in 173 games this year). And they must win in the toughest place to win this year in the AL.

None of those issues are their biggest problem. The Mariners have a Vlad problem.

To go to their first World Series, they must figure out how to pitch to a smoking hot Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is having a postseason for the ages. So hot is Guerrero that the best course of action for Seattle pitchers is to swallow their pride and pitch around him in any spot with a smidgen of meaning.

No offense to Alejandro Kirk, who is swinging a hot bat behind him right now, but there is no way the Mariners can go home allowing Guerrero even a chance of beating them. You pitch to him every time in Game 7 as if there are two outs and first base open. He is that good and that hot.

In a too-easy 6–2 victory over a tight Seattle team Sunday (three errors, three double plays grounded into and 13 strikeouts), Guerrero’s night went like this:

• Popped out for only the second time this postseason.
• Grounded out on a slider on one of the seven hardest hard balls he has hit all year (116 mph).
• Ripped a curveball for a home run.
• Shot a classic “how-dare-you” look at the Mariners’ dugout upon scoring after they hit him with a pitch.
• Hit a sinker twice for a single—once as it broke his bat on the handle and again, on the carom, with his barrel.

“He came in the dugout and said, ‘I hit that twice,’” said Toronto center fielder Dalton Varsho. “That’s how hot he is. He knew he hit it twice.

“It’s amazing to watch this.  He’s hitting everything right now. It doesn’t matter where they pitch him—in, out, up or down—and what they pitch him. I mean, he’s so hot right now they flipped him a curveball out of nowhere and he’s on time and hits it out.”

The Mariners have thrown him 77 pitches in this series. Only two have been curveballs. He smoked one for a double and whacked the other for a homer to end the night of a wholly ineffective Logan Gilbert, Seattle’s Game 6 starter.

Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique has expressed his frustration after seeing his side held to a stalemate by Athletic Club at San Mames. The Spaniard claimed the French champions "deserved the victory" but were denied by an "incredible" Man of the Match performance from goalkeeper Unai Simon.

• PSG frustrated in Bilbao

  The Parisians arrived in Bilbao knowing that three points were crucial to their ambitions of securing automatic qualification for the round of 16. In the hostile cauldron of San Mames, the Ligue 1 giants produced a dominant attacking display, carving out numerous clear-cut opportunities against the Basque outfit. However, they found an impenetrable object in their path in the form of Spanish international goalkeeper Simon.

  The Athletic Club shot-stopper produced a string of world-class saves to keep the visitors at bay, frustrating the likes of Bradley Barcola and Senny Mayulu throughout a frantic 90 minutes as the French side made 18 attempts on goal though only five hit the target. The result leaves PSG still searching for the points required to cement their status in the top eight of the league phase standings, a reality that somewhat irked their manager during his post-match media duties.

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• AFP
  

  Denied by the Man of the Match

  Speaking to the press after the whistle, Luis Enrique was quick to point out the statistical anomaly of the match. For the PSG boss, the fact that the opposing goalkeeper was named the standout performer was irrefutable proof that his tactical plan had worked, even if the scoreboard did not reflect it.

  "It happened like that because goalkeeper Unai Simon was incredible, he was designated man of the match and that means we deserved the victory, I think," Luis Enrique stated. "Without a doubt, Athletic's game was of a very high level. They could have won because they had a few chances too. But on the balance, we deserved to win it.

  "It's a shame because we have to win because Unai Simon was incredible, we need more points to finish in the top eight." 

  Despite the irritation regarding the result, Luis Enrique remained complimentary about the spectacle. The intensity of the match, driven by the ferocious pressing of Ernesto Valverde's side and the raucous Basque crowd, provided a true Champions League test.

  "No frustration, I think it was a very intense match, we did the job, they pressed a lot," Luis Enrique said. "We created a lot of chances but Unai Simon was on the pitch and the atmosphere was incredible."

  He also refused to criticise his forward line, despite their inability to find the back of the net.

  "All the forwards showed a good level, they created a lot of chances to score a goal."

• Eyes on the January window

  With the Champions League group phase reaching its climax and the domestic season intensifying, attention is also turning to the upcoming January transfer window. While the immediate focus was on the dropped points in Bilbao, Luis Enrique was asked about potential reinforcements to help convert these dominant displays into victories.

  According to reports from RMC Sport, the manager remains open to strengthening his squad, provided the right opportunities arise. While he maintained that his current squad is of a very high standard—making it difficult to find players who can genuinely improve the starting XI—he did not rule out activity if the market presents a solution to their occasional lack of ruthlessness.

  "We are always open to improving the team," he noted.

• AFP
  

  What comes next?

  For now, PSG must regroup. The performance in Bilbao proved they can create chances against top-tier opposition in hostile environments, but as Luis Enrique bluntly noted, as long as goalkeepers like Unai Simon are in "incredible" form, playing well is not always enough to secure the points needed for European glory. The chase for the top eight goes down to the wire.

  PSG have 13 points with two games left to play, which come against Sporting CP and Newcastle in January. They are already sure of a play-off spot, at least, but the Spanish coach will be determined to ensure his side avoid the extra two matches by picking up the required points next month.