Mexico international Obed Vargas put his “respect” for Lionel Messi on hold when facing the Argentine GOAT in the Leagues Cup final.
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The right-back has been ridiculed for a lack of playing time for Los Blancos, but he might just have to get used to rotation under his new manager
Trent Alexander-Arnold looked a bit miffed by the end of it all. It was shortly after the full-time whistle of Real Madrid's ultimately comfortable 3-0 win over a resilient Real Oviedo, and the former Liverpool man didn't seem in the mood for any sort of celebration. Instead, he sort of walked around, a half-hearted hug here, a fist bump there.
And for good reason. The England international had played just three minutes against the newly-promoted side. He touched the ball once. His only real action was the jog he made onto the pitch, and a sprint to win a header late on. Some corners of social media found this all very funny – especially Liverpool fans, who took a certain amount of joy in seeing their former player settle for bench minutes after making such a show of his move to Spain.
But, as amusing as it might be on Merseyside, the Alexander-Arnold situation is admittedly typical, if not entirely predictable. Xabi Alonso is a master of rotation. He likes to keep his squads fresh, and run out his best line-ups for the biggest games. And as intriguing as it may be to see Alexander-Arnold come off the bench, it is likely that he may have to settle for limited minutes as the Spaniard tinkers with his system.
AFPBallon d'Or dreams
In truth, the early warning signs that Alexander-Arnold might leave Liverpool were there at the beginning of the 2024-25 season. Hindsight, of course, is 20/20. Some have pointed out, of late, that Alexander-Arnold didn't look particularly happy after the Reds beat Ipswich to open the season. There could be a number of reasons for that.
But the first big warning came in an otherwise fairly innocuous interview. He was asked by a interviewer if he would rather win the Ballon d'Or or the World Cup. Most might have said that glory with their nation is perhaps the best thing that can happen to any footballer. Alexander-Arnold took a different view. He wanted to win the Ballon d'Or.
"I believe I can. I want to be the first full-back to ever do it. "It's only the morning after you retire that you're able to look in the mirror and say, 'I gave it everything I got'," he said in October 2024.
It all sounded very Madrid-y – a Galactico-coded statement from a player who otherwise keeps a relatively low profile. Footballers who play for Liverpool, remember, do not tend to win the Ballon d'Or. It is an award reserved for the likes of Madrid, Barcelona – and perhaps now Paris Saint-Germain. In other words, Madrid is the place you go if you want to win this thing.
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And that's where some of the comedy comes from here. To win the award, you need to be on the pitch quite a bit. Alexander-Arnold started Los Blancos' first game of the season, and turned in a solid performance. He was basically just OK, Madrid as a whole were middling. They got a win. For them, this is all about systems, fluidity, and finding the right sort of combinations to ensure that the games later in the season are more easily navigable. In all honesty, they were able to Galactico their way to a 1-0 win over Osasuna.
That's exactly what they did. Alexander-Arnold pinged a few lovely passes right onto the boot of Vinicius Jr. He did some nice things with the ball. He was also left in the dust by opposing attackers on a couple of occasions. Google 'typical Trent Alexander-Arnold performance', and this is what you get.
It was widely assumed, then, that he would get the chance to build on that a little. Sure, Madrid have options all over the pitch – more on that later – but there's no way their shiny new defender would be left out. So much for that sentiment. Next time out, Alexander-Arnold had to watch from the bench as Dani Carvajal turned in a far more compelling showing on the right.
Getty ImagesAlonso, Leverkusen and Frimpong
Yet this is quite a typical Alonso thing. The Spaniard was hailed for his job as Bayer Leverkusen manager during the 2023-24 season. And with good reason. That almost-undefeated campaign is one of the finest managerial feats in recent memory. You'd be hard pressed to find a better one. They were one win away from an undefeated treble. Many made the argument that such a slate would be the best club season ever.
But that side, good as it was, relied heavily on rotation. In fact, there were very few un-droppable players. Granit Xhaka was indispensable in midfield, and played every possible minute. Alex Grimaldo, Jonathan Tah, Edmond Tapsoba and Florian Wirtz were largely the same. But around them, Alonso was happy to shuffle his pack. Fifteen players racked up more than 2,000 minutes. Victor Boniface, the star striker who bagged 20 goals in all competitions, consistently ceded his starting spot to Patrik Schick, and only completed 90 minutes 23 times out of a possible 34.
In fact, the most indicative difference during Alonso's tenure was the man who replaced Alexander-Arnold at Anfield. Jeremie Frimpong is regarded as one of the best right-backs in European football. Yet he started 52 of the 67 league games in which he was available from 2023-2025.
Alonso suggested he might do much of the same at Madrid. "It depends on what we need in terms of the game, the workload and the opposition," he said after the Real Oviedo win.
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Getty Images SportThe Carvajal problem
Part of the issue here is that Alexander-Arnold finds himself in competition with an already-excellent right-back. Carvajal might be coming off a serious knee operation, but 12 months ago he was an outside pick for the Ballon d'Or. The grizzled 33-year-old is an entirely different profile of player to Alexander-Arnold, but he does have some key advantages. He is, by pretty much all measures, a better defender – a scrappy one-on-one presence who seldom backs down from a fight or tackle. Carvajal is also more positionally disciplined in that he is far more comfortable holding width on the right – something that might be vital if Madrid continue to have problems with overcrowding on the left.
And perhaps more importantly than either is his leadership ability. Carvajal has been here for a decade. He knows what it means to play for Madrid and win with Madrid. In fact, it is the first thing that Alonso highlighted about his showing against Oviedo.
"Today he played 85 minutes very much in the Carvajal style. Competing well, communicating and taking that leadership role. Bringing a lot of sense to everything," Alonso outlined. Those comments don't bode well for Alexander-Arnold.
MatériaMais Notícias
O atacante Willian Bigode não faz mais parte do elenco do Fluminense. O jogador foi emprestado ao Athletico-PR até o final da temporada. Segundo o clube das Laranjeiras, a transferência foi um pedido do experiente jogador, de 36 anos, cujo contrato com o Tricolor é até dezembro de 2023.
Fora de campo, Willian está envolvido em uma suspeita de golpe milionário que também envolve o lateral-direito Mayke e o meia Gustavo Scarpa, companheiros do Bigode na época de Palmeiras.Após o caso vir a público, Willian veio a público e afirmou que era “vítima”.
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RelacionadasFluminenseFluminense tem maratona de jogos prevista para abril; confira!Fluminense19/03/2023FluminenseFluminense disputa final do Carioca com cenário diferente das últimas ediçõesFluminense19/03/2023Núm3ros da bol4Finalistas no Carioca, Pedro e Cano também disputam a artilharia do Brasil no anoNúm3ros da bol420/03/2023
– O Athletico Paranaense informa que o atacante Willian Bigode chegará ao clube nesta terça para a realização de exames e assinatura de contrato de empréstimo válido até o final da temporada. Multicampeão, incluindo conquistas da Conmebol Libertadores, Brasileirão e Copa do Brasil, Willian Bigode defendeu a camisa athleticana entre os anos de 2006 e 2008 – informou o Athletico.
Nos últimos dias, Willian já havia sido afastado do dia a dia tricolor enquanto resolvia problemas particulares em relação à situação das criptomoedas. O Fluminense liberou o atleta dos treinos e não forçou um retorno.
Multicampeão, incluindo conquistas da CONMEBOL Libertadores, Brasileirão e Copa do Brasil, Willian Bigode defendeu a camisa athleticana entre os anos de 2006 e 2008. #Athletico
— Athletico Paranaense (@AthleticoPR) March 20, 2023
Com 57 jogos e seis gols pelo Tricolor, Willian assinará contrato de empréstimo até o fim do ano com o clube paranaense. Boa sorte na temporada, Guerreiro!
— Fluminense F.C. (@FluminenseFC) March 20, 2023
+ Confira as movimentações do mercado da bola no Vaivém do L!
+ Fluminense na lista!Conmebol divulga ranking dos 32 clubes que estão na Libertadores 2023
Contratado pelo Fluminense em 2022, sem custos, Willian disputou 57 jogos e marcou seis gols pelo Tricolor. Na atual temporada, o atacante perdeu espaço sob comando de Fernando Diniz.Disputou apenas cinco jogos, todos saindo do banco de reservas já na parte final da partida. Os 26 minutos contra o Boavista, em 26 de janeiro, foi o maior tempo que o atacante foi a campo.
Manchester United’s decision to splash £18.2m on Antwerp goalkeeper Senne Lammens on deadline day has been met with criticism, with former Red Devils keeper Ben Foster branding the move a 'panic buy'. United had been heavily linked with Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez but ultimately settled for the Belgian shot-stopper, sparking debate among fans and pundits alike.
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Liverpool legend, Emile Heskey slammed Alexander Isak & Yoane Wissa's behaviour during the transfer window before hailing Marc Guehi as a "true professional". Sweden striker Isak finally sealed his move to Liverpool, ending a month-long standoff with Newcastle United. The forward had refused to join his Magpies teammates on their pre-season tour, effectively going on strike and publicly accusing the club of mistreatment.
Heskey slams Isak and Wissa’s transfer anticsGuehi praised as a model professional at PalaceIsak is yet to make his Anfield bowFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Wissa caused a similar stir at Brentford, forcing his move to Newcastle for £55 million after a public show of dissatisfaction. While Isak and Wissa were embroiled in standoffs, Crystal Palace captain Guehi remained calm and collected amid Liverpool’s interest. Unlike the two strikers, he led by example. Just a day before the deadline, he played a starring role in Palace’s 3-0 victory over Aston Villa, scoring the second goal and inspiring his side to the three points. And Heskey singled him out as a shining example of professionalism.
AdvertisementGetty/GOALWHAT HESKEY SAID
Speaking exclusively to the with , Heskey said: "You don’t often see this from English players. Over the years, it has mainly been foreign players who have gone on strike, where the English players just get on with their football and let it all play out and get on with their job. There have been more foreign players to go on strike, not train, to get what they want. I don’t like it all really. ou look at Guehi, a true professional and us English lads just get on with playing and doing our job as footballers.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Guehi is now set to remain at Selhurst Park until at least January. The 25-year-old’s contract runs out in the summer, and Palace may look to cash in during the winter window. If not, he will walk away as a free agent next summer, with several European giants keen to get his services.
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?
Isak and Wissa have not yet featured for their new clubs. The Swedish striker is poised to make his Liverpool debut against Burnley, while Wissa is expected to play when Newcastle face Wolves after the international break.
MatériaMais Notícias
O Corinthians terá um importante desfalque em sua estreia na Libertadores, contra o Liverpool-URU, nesta quinta-feira (6). O zagueiro Caetano, que seria titular, lesionou o músculo posterior da coxa esquerda durante o treino e não irá viajar com o elenco para Montevideo, no Uruguai.
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+ Com Barletta, Corinthians chega a 19 reforços na gestão de Duílio; relembre todos os reforços
Assim, o técnico Fernando Lázaro deverá escalar Balbuena para formar dupla de zaga com Gil. O paraguaio não vive boa fase no Timão e vinha treinando como reserva nas últimas atividades do clube.
+ Veja as movimentações do mercado da bola no LANCE!
Além de Caetano, o técnico corintiano não poderá contar com Júnior Moraes, recuperado clinicamente, mas segue em transição física, e Bruno Méndez, suspenso. Mesmo assim, o LANCE! apurou que o zagueiro uruguaio viajará com a delegação, e o clube pode se reunir com os representantes do atleta para selar a renovação contratual.
Apesar das três baixas, o Corinthians irá contar com Pedro, joia da base que teve seu contrato estendido, e Barletta, relacionado pela primeira vez.
VEJA OS RELACIONADOS DO TIMÃO PARA ESTREIA NA LIBERTADORES
Goleiros: Carlos Miguel, Cássio e Matheus Donelli
Laterais: Fábio Santos, Fagner, Matheus Bidu e Rafael Ramos
Zagueiros: Balbuena, Gil e Murillo
Meio-campistas: Cantillo, Du Queiroz, Fausto Vera, Giuliano, Matheus Araújo, Maycon, Paulinho, Renato Augusto e Roni
Atacantes: Adson, Chrystian Barletta, Pedro, Róger Guedes, Romero e Yuri Alberto
+ Veja tabela e como ficou o grupo do Timão na Libertadores
Dessa forma, Fernando Lázaro deve escalar a equipe com: Cássio; Fagner, Gil, Balbuena e Fábio Santos; Roni, Giuliano, Renato Augusto e Fausto Vera (Adson); Róger Guedes e Yuri Alberto.
Nesta quarta-feira, o técnico Fernando Lázaro organizou um treinamento tático para os últimos ajustes da equipe para a partida. Houve também um trabalho de bolas paradas com os jogadores.
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Monaco's star summer signings Paul Pogba and Ansu Fati have been named in Monaco's Champions League squad, although they could miss the initial games.
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MatériaMais Notícias
Em reta final de preparação para a estreia na Libertadores, o elenco do Corinthians foi a campo na manhã desta terça-feira (4) para o penúltimo treino antes de enfrentar o Liverpool, do Uruguai, no estádio Centenário, em Montevidéu, nesta quinta-feira (6), às 19h (de Brasília).
Recuperado de um estiramento no joelho direito, o meio-campista Renato Augusto novamente participou do treinamento com bola e tem grandes chances de ser titular. A escalação corintiana está praticamente definida pelo técnico Fernando Lázaro, com a exceção de uma vaga no meio-campo que está sendo disputada por Adson e Fausto Vera.
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+Quais clubes têm mais títulos da Libertadores? Veja o ranking
No trabalho desta manhã, a comissão técnica realizou uma atividade de organização defensiva. Ainda atletas do sub-20, o goleiro Kauê, o meia Biro, e o atacante Pedro participaram da atividade. Os dois últimos têm sido presenças constantes nos compromissos do elenco profissional – seja nos treinamentos, como também sendo relacionados e até mesmo entrando nos jogos.
+ Confira a tabela da Libertadores e veja qual o caminho do Corinthians para o bicampeonato
O Timão encerrará as suas atividades nesta quarta-feira (5), novamente pela manhã, no CT Joaquim Grava. Na parte da tarde, os relacionados viajam para a capital uruguaia. Não haverá treino de reconhecimento de gramado. Como o Timão vai desembarcar somente no período da noite, utilizará o tempo antes do jogo contra o Liverpool para descansar.
A provável escalação corintiana para estrear na Libertadores é: Cássio; Fagner, Gil, Caetano e Fábio Santos; Roni, Giuliano, Renato Augusto e Fausto Vera (Adson); Róger Guedes e Yuri Alberto.
Maybe the hosts were undercooked. Maybe they had underestimated Australia or maybe they are facing uncertainty on the administrative front
Firdose Moonda in Durban03-Mar-2018Kagiso Rabada stood mid-pitch, hands on his knees, gazing at the turf. He was close enough to the ground to whisper to it, “how?”How had the ball he had just delivered – full and swinging in – missed Tim Paine’s pad and bat? How had Australia got to 162 for 5, all of 351 runs ahead? And how many more would they get?By the close of play, the answer to the last question was known: Australia finished with a lead of 402, more than what South Africa may contemplate chasing, but the other mysteries remain.How did a contest that was supposed to be so close meander into such a one-sided affair?The short answer is that not for the first time, South Africa’s batsmen have let their bowlers down. A first-innings of deficit of 189 requires something special in response, something as dramatic as the 47 all out of 2011, something that can be produced on a pitch that is doing more than this one, by bowlers who have a little more spark and a little more luck than these.Take nothing away from the attack’s persistence, which South Africans believe is ingrained into their DNA, because they kept at it, but they were frustrated by an Australian line-up that did the same. The visitors just kept coming, in that carefree and confident way they often do, and South Africa could not stop them.Cameron Bancroft and David Warner scored at 4.3 runs an over, and seemed to face no menace against the new ball, against both pace and spin. A wicket had to come through a mistake and it did when Warner swiped one straight to mid-on. It was no surprise that Rabada took the opportunity to let off some steam. He gave Warner a send-off of sorts that the stump mics didn’t pick up and the lip-readers say did not involve any expletives. He also cleverly passed his arm over his mouth as he said whatever he did, but it was unlikely to have been, “have a nice afternoon.” And it didn’t do anything to calm Rabada down.The rest of his morning spell contained a lot of huffing and puffing – impressive movement, a beeline to off stump, pace and the short ball – but he could not blow the Australian house down. His annoyance grew, as did South Africa’ desperation.After lunch, their on-field conferences multiplied. Former captains AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla offered numerous pieces of advice to Faf du Plessis and the bowlers. They tried a few things, as much as they could, given the resources of a four-man attack, like close catchers that they thought could help Keshav Maharaj create pressure, and they did not succeed. Then, even technology deserted them.Maharaj, a sensible and stoic cricketer almost all of the time, had Steven Smith playing for turn to an arm ball that flicked the front pad and wanted a review so badly, Faf du Plessis could not say no. Initially, it looked like a good call but the replays suggested umpire’s call on impact. South Africa regarded it philosophically. “We have got faith in the technology but we were disappointed that we didn’t get the right call,” Malinbongwe Maketa, the assistant coach, said. “The technology is there and we back the technology. If it happens that you’re on the wrong side, you have to suck it up”. At least, they didn’t lose the review.Getty ImagesFive overs later, Rabada, who is usually more fired up than Maharaj, wanted a review against Shaun Marsh. He had sent a straight ball into Shaun Marsh’s pads but it had pitched outside leg. A third review didn’t go South Africa’s way either, when Maharaj beat Shaun Marsh’s inside edge with a ball that spun back into him but only returned one red on HawkEye and two on (impact and hitting) on umpire’s call, which was not out. By then, Dean Elgar had dismissed Smith and Rabada had changed ends and got rid of Mitchell Marsh, but Australia were 345 runs ahead.Two overs later, Paine missed the Rabada delivery that did everything right except make contact. And South Africa’s position became clear: they have been outgunned. Maybe because they were undercooked – only three of the top six had played competitive cricket in the last few weeks – maybe because they underestimated the challenge they would face or maybe because there are underlying issues. And it’s those that need examining.South Africa’s players have more on their minds than just this match, or even this series. Behind the scenes, Cricket South Africa is gearing up to redraft their Memorandum of Understanding with the South African Cricketers’ Association and have already floated the possibility of relooking at the revenue sharing model. One person closely connected to the discussions has told EPSNcricinfo they expect it to be the “biggest fight,” CSA and SACA have had in their 14-year acquaintance.The uncertainty does not stop there. The fate of the Global T20 League, which for many players is a deal-breaker in determining whether they continue their careers in South Africa or choose to look for greener pastures overseas, is still up in the air. Whether or not the players knew that both issues were being discussed, first by a meeting between member CEOs and presidents and CSA executive committee members and then at a board meeting, at a luxury golf estate 40 kilometres north of Kingsmead, doesn’t matter. They are issues bubbling and boiling in the background and maybe this is the series in which they are starting to spill over onto the field. Player unhappiness in administration often leads to underperformance. CSA’s suits should take note.Just as South Africa may have been wondering what else could go wrong, their opening batsman Dean Elgar dislocated a finger while taking the catch to dismiss Mitchell Starc. AB de Villiers dropped a chance he would have taken on any other day. Nathan Lyon reached for a Rabada delivery and guided it upwards of second slip. De Villiers jumped and got both hands to it but could not hold on.Rabada, expressionless, arms dangling by his side, just walked back to his mark. “How?”
Rain might have thwarted Usman Khawaja’s bid for a maiden Test double-century, while Australia’s push for a series sweep over South Africa has been made harder after day three was washed out at the SCG.Khawaja remains stuck on his highest Test score of 195, while Matt Renshaw is 5 not out in his first Test match since 2018 having tested positive for Covid-19 before play on day one.Heavy downpours lashed Sydney and negated any chance of play to continue a run of rain-affected matches at the traditional SCG New Year’s Test. Forty-nine overs were lost to rain and bad light on the opening two days.There are 196 overs remaining in the Test and Sydney’s forecast is better for Saturday with only a small amount of rain tipped before sunny conditions on Sunday.Captain Pat Cummins will need to ponder overnight whether to declare before Khawaja has a chance to reach his double ton. Australia are keen on moving the match forward in their bid for a clean sweep of the series and to book a spot in the World Test Championship final in June.”Think it would be pretty harsh to bowl straightaway, don’t think that will happen,” Khawaja said. “Will be interesting to see how the game pans out from here, there’s a few options but with only two days remaining it narrows those options for us. Time is enemy at this stage. You’ve got to decide how you will use that time. A result is very unlikely, let’s be honest, but it’s still possible so try to do best you can.”South Africa’s batting coach, Justin Sammons, was unsure what they would do. “Think if Khawaja wasn’t on 190-odd then I’d say they’d declare straightaway but it depends on how they see that situation,” he said. “I’d imagine they’ll let him go out there and try to get that double and then declare. But they could say team first, in there straightaway.”Australia’s formidable innings was built on a 209-run second-wicket partnership between Khawaja and Steven Smith. It was their 10th century partnership from just 33 innings and highest stand overtaking their 188 against England at the SCG in 2018.Having moved past Sir Don Bradman on the career Test century list with his 30th ton, Smith fell for 104 while Marnus Labschagne and Travis Head contributed half-centuries.A beleaguered South Africa have been out of answers as the spotlight shines on under-pressure captain Dean Elgar, who has seemingly been reactionary and conservative with his tactics.Other than quick Anrich Nortje, who took the only two wickets to fall on day one, South Africa’s attack has failed to penetrate with spearhead Kagiso Rabada particularly struggling. He has 1 for 119 from 28 overs to continue his underwhelming series.South Africa need an unlikely victory to keep alive their slim chances of making the World Test Championship final although rain might help them avoid a series whitewash.Sydney’s forecast is better for Saturday with only a small amount of rain tipped before sunny conditions on Sunday.The third day of the SCG Test is dedicated to Australia great Glenn McGrath’s late wife, Jane, who died of breast cancer in 2008. But the traditional pre-match ceremony, which includes pink cap presentations to both teams, was moved to day four because of the weather.