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Manchester United legend Steve Bruce slammed Marcus Rashford for his poor body language on the pitch against Newcastle United.

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Steve Bruce slams Marcus RashfordPerformed poorly against NewcastleHas scored just two goals this seasonWHAT HAPPENED?

The former United defender was unhappy with the striker's attitude on the pitch as he produced another poor performance in a 1-0 loss at Newcastle on Saturday night. The England international was deployed on the right flank by Erik ten Hag, but was subbed off just after the hour mark as he had a night to forget against the Magpies.

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Speaking to , Bruce said: "The body language of some of the players doesn’t look right. We’ve been talking now and the first one you look at is why all of a sudden Marcus Rashford, after how good he was, how good he played for England a few weeks ago, [has gone] to what you see now. Is he not happy playing on the right, what is wrong? We aren’t going to know what has happened behind the scenes if anything has happened.

"When he comes off, he shows that petulance, he is not happy. I think he needs to have a look at himself, to start with. It’s not just him, you look through the nucleus of the side and they have been blown away by Newcastle. That is the worry."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ten Hag did not publicly criticise Rashford after the game but the Dutch manager said that he would have a chat with him directly in private.

Among a series of criticisms, former Red Devils skipper Harry Maguire came to his colleague's support as he claimed that the 26-year-old is just experiencing a rough patch of form.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR MARCUS RASHFORD?

The English forward has managed to score just two goals in the 2023-24 campaign to date, in stark contrast to his brilliant run of form last season where he scored 30 goals across all competitions. Rashford is expected to be back in action on Wednesday when United face Chelsea in a crucial Premier League fixture.

Where to watch the FA Cup semi-final clash between Manchester City and Sheffield United – the team news, kick-off time and more.

Manchester City will take on Sheffield United in the semi-finals of the 2022-23 FA Cup on Saturday.

📺 Watch Man City vs Sheffield United live on ESPN+ in the US

Pep Guardiola's team have reached the FA Cup semi-finals for the fifth consecutive time and in six out of the last seven seasons but they have lost four out of five ties during this period. They have enjoyed a strong season so far and will be confident of getting a win to progress to the final.

Sheffield United are eyeing a spot in the FA Cup final for the first time since 1936. They are second and 10 points behind leaders Burnley in the Championship and have lost only once in their last seven games.

GOAL tells you all you need to know about Manchester City vs Sheffield United below – including team news, squads, kick-off time and more.

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  Kick-off time

  Manchester City vs Sheffield United kick-off time

  Date:	April 22, 2023
  Kick-off time:	11.45am EDT
  Venue:	Etihad Stadium

  The game is scheduled for Saturday April 22, 2023 at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester. It will kick off at 11.45am EDT in the USA.

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  How to watch Man City vs Sheffield United online – TV channels & live streams

  Country	TV channel	Live stream
  US	N/A	ESPN+

  In the United States (US), the match will be available on ESPN+.

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  Team news & squads

  Manchester City team news

  Phil Foden, who underwent appendix surgery recently, returned to the bench for Manchester City against Bayern Munich. He is expected to be available for selection in the semi-finals.

  Guardiola has ruled Nathan Ake out of contention as the defender has picked up an injury.

  In-form striker Erling Haaland is set to continue leading the line for the Cityzens and will make his first appearance at Wembley Stadium.

  Haaland scored a hat-trick in Man City's 6-0 quarter-final win against Burnley, making him the first ever footballer to score a hat-trick in the FA Cup, Premier League and Champions League in the same campaign.

  Man City predicted XI: Ortega; Stones, Dias, Laporte; Lewis, Rodri; Mahrez, Gundogan, De Bruyne, Grealish; Haaland

  Position	Players
  Goalkeepers:	Ederson, Carson, Ortega
  Defenders:	Dias, Akanji, Gomez, Walker, Lewis, Stones, Laporte
  Midfielders:	Rodri, Phillips, Perrone, Gundogan, Silva, Palmer., De Bruyne
  Forwards:	Grealish, Álvarez, Mahrez, Haaland, Foden

  Sheffield United team news

  Sheffield United will be without Enda Stevens, Rhys Norrington-Davies, Ben Osborn, Rhian Brewster and Jack O'Connell for their big FA Cup semi-final clash against Manchester City.

  On a positive side, goalkeeper Wes Foderingham is set to return to the lineup after serving a two-game suspension.

  Sheffield United predicted XI: Foderingham; Ahmedhodzic, Egan, Robinson; Baldock, Berge, Norwood, Fleck, Lowe; McBurnie, Ndiaye.

  Position	Players
  Goalkeepers:	Foderingham, Davies
  Defenders:	Egan, Clark, Basham, Robinson, Baldock, Bogle, Starbuck, Ahmedhodzic
  Midfielders:	Berge, McAtee, Doyle, Norwood, Fleck, Coulibaly, Lowe
  Forwards:	McBurnie, Jebbison, Sharp, Osula, Ndiaye

  Head-to-head record

  Manchester City have managed to win four out of their last five meetings against Sheffield United. The last time they were beaten by them was in a 2-1 defeat 15 years ago and that was in the FA Cup.

  Date	Result	Competition
  January 2021	Man City 1-0 Sheffield United	Premier League
  October 2020	Sheffield United 0-1 Man City	Premier League
  January 2020	Sheffield United 0-1 Man City	Premier League
  December 2019	Man City 2-0 Sheffield United	Premier League
  January 2008	Sheffield United 2-1 Man City	FA Cup

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  Useful links

  • Man City team page

  • Sheffield United team page

  • Live soccer on TV in the U.S.

The young Gunners striker has taken France by storm this season to sit top of the Ligue 1 goalscoring charts – but what does his future hold?

When Folarin Balogun opted to leave Arsenal and join Reims on loan last summer, he was sent on his way with an instruction from Mikel Arteta.

The Gunners boss, however, didn’t overload the young striker with anything tactical or set him any targets to aim for during his season on loan in France. It was all far more simple than that.

“Mikel just wanted me to develop as a man,” Balogun said. “I’m starting to learn what he meant by that. I think by the time I go back I’ll be in a better place to compete than I was before I left.”

Given what Balogun is achieving in France this season, there is no doubt he will return to Arsenal in the summer far better placed to push for a spot in Arteta’s first-team squad.

The 21-year-old has 14 goals from 18 starts for Reims and currently tops the scoring charts in Ligue 1. He’s one goal ahead of Kylian Mbappe and two clear of his former Arsenal team-mate Alexandre Lacazette, who is now back at Lyon. Lionel Messi, meanwhile, is four goals behind the England Under-21 international.

Balogun has taken France by storm, with his heroics over the past fortnight catapulting him into the headlines on both sides of the channel.

First, he scored an injury-time equaliser at Paris Saint-Germain to stun Parc des Princes and earn Reims a deserved 1-1 draw. He then helped himself to a hat-trick a few days later as Lorient were swept aside in style.

Balogun’s impressive form this season means Arsenal will have a big decision to make when it comes to his future in the summer. Do they keep him around or is this the perfect time to cash in, given his stock might never be as high again?

GOAL takes a look at all the options…

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After enjoying such a breakthrough year in France, the worst thing that could happen for Balogun next season would be to return to north London and spend the majority of the campaign sitting on the bench.

But with Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah in front of him, that is probably what would happen should he stick around and be part of Arteta’s squad.

There would be opportunities for him, but you would expect they would be few and far between, especially as Arsenal look well set to secure Champions League football next season.

So this does not feel like the best option when it comes to managing Balogun’s ongoing development. He’s had his first proper taste in senior football of playing week in, week out, and he will not want to go back to just getting the odd minute here and there off the substitutes' bench.

That scenario will not really suit anyone. It certainly won’t benefit Balogun and it won’t really benefit Arsenal either. It might give them another body in the squad, but Balogun’s value would plummet should he spend the season without having any regular playing time. 

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This would certainly be an appealing option.

Balogun has had two decent loan spells so far. His stint at Middlesbrough during the second half of last season may not have been spectacular, but it taught him a lot about what to expect from senior football. He’s clearly taken a lot from that experience into his time with Reims and has taken his game to another level.

It feels like the next step for Balogun in his development could potentially be to spend a season on loan with a Premier League club. That would be a major step up from Ligue 1 and would allow Arsenal to have a prolonged look at how the young striker deals with the demands of the English top flight.

The big issue with this option, however, is that Balogun would really need to agree to a contract extension at Arsenal before they send him out on loan again.

With his current deal due to expire in the summer of 2025, it makes little sense to send him out on loan next season if he has not agreed to extend his stay with the Gunners first.

Getty ImagesSell

This would be a difficult decision, given Balogun’s undoubted potential and the fact that he has come through the academy. But Arsenal need to get better at selling players when their stock is at their highest.

The north London club have struggled for years to bring in good money from their unwanted or under-used squad members, with a couple of notable exceptions.

One of those exceptions was Joe Willock, who the Gunners sold to Newcastle for £25 million following his exceptional loan spell at St James’ Park during the second half of the 2020-21 season.

Arteta was a fan of Willock, but he and the club decided that £25m ($33m) was an offer they couldn’t really turn down for a player who was far from guaranteed to become a regular at Arsenal.

It’s a similar scenario when it comes to Balogun. There is clearly lots of potential there, but should a big-money offer arrive on the back of his impressive exploits with Reims, it would be very tempting for the Gunners to cash in.

They know they have to start bringing in revenue from transfer fees and there are few players in the squad as sellable as Balogun right now.

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Getty ImagesThe verdict

There’s no doubt Arsenal have a dilemma on their hands when it comes to Balogun.

Of the options available to them, the worst one they could take would be to keep him around for next season and not play him. That will do him no good whatsoever and would only see his market value plummet.

It feels like the best possible scenario would be for the striker to agree to a new long-term contract and then head out on loan again, but this time to a Premier League club. He’s had experience in the Championship and also a season in one of Europe’s top leagues, but a year in the Premier League will be the acid test.

It will show Arsenal a lot in terms of his ability to perform at the very top level and would give Balogun the opportunity to develop in the world’s toughest league.

But for that to happen he would need to extend his contract first before going out.

Should he decide not to do that, then the best option for Arsenal this summer would be to cash in when he still has two years of his deal remaining and take advantage of the sensational season he has been enjoying in France.

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Entre os quatro grandes de São Paulo apenas o Tricolor do Morumbi manteve o seu treinador. Santos, Palmeiras e Corinthians, por motivos bem diversos, trilharam o caminho das mudanças e fizeram opções bem diferenciadas, cada um atirando em uma direção.

Mas comecemos pelo São Paulo. A permanência de Fernando Diniz é uma aposta, tanto quanto a chegada de novos treinadores aos rivais. Não só para o clube, mas também para o técnico. Essa talvez seja a última chance de Diniz deixar de ser uma promessa e entrar de vez para o time de ponta do futebol brasileiro. Boas ideias e conhecimento do jogo ele já mostrou que tem. Agora tem a oportunidade de montar um time desde a pré-temporada, moldando-o a sua imagem e semelhança. A falta de tempo de adaptação dos jogadores aos seus métodos não poderá mais, portanto, servir de desculpa em caso de um novo fracasso.

Entre os que mudam de comandante, o Corinthians teve a postura mais coerente. E consciente. Ao tirar Tiago Nunes do Athletico apostou todas as suas fichas diretamente em um nome e em sua capacidade de impor a renovação de práticas e de valores, repetir o projeto que se mostrou eficiente no clube paranaense. Nunes, no Furacão, fez tudo o que tinha de fazer. Agora, será testado em um ambiente onde a pressão é infinitamente maior e onde dar resultados é o único caminho para a sobrevivência.

O Santos, ao contrário do Corinthians, partiu de uma ideia para buscar um nome. O sucesso de Sampaoli nessa temporada – e o vendaval Jorge Jesus no Flamengo – fizeram com que o Peixe se predispusesse a buscar um estrangeiro, quase na linha do seja-ele-quem-for. Tentou uma cartada mais ousada – o romeno Mircea Lucescu, vencedor com o Shakhtar Donetsk da Liga Europa em 2009 – mas acabou por achar algo menos heterodoxo, o português Jesualdo Ferreira, multicampeão com o Porto e que estava no Qatar. Resta saber se os ventos da inovação lançados por Sampaoli continuarão a soprar na Vila mais famosa.

Por fim, o Palmeiras. A escolha de Luxemburgo mostrou que ali, nem nome, nem ideia, mas a falta absoluta de tudo isso norteou todo o processo de substituição de Mano Menezes no clube. Depois de procurar Sampaoli e assustar-se com as exigências do argentino – de fato absurdas e irreais, diga-se de passagem – a diretoria de Mauricio Galiotte mudou de foco e, em uma quinada de 360 graus, trocou a busca pela modernidade por um mergulho no passado – ou na tradição, para ser mais delicado.

Luxa esforçou-se na entrevista que seguiu-se a sua apresentação para afastar a pecha de ultrapassado. Contra ele, pesam os números, insignificantes resultados nos últimos anos, com passagens por uma dezena de clubes sem ganhar nada de importante. No Vasco – de onde saiu para assumir o Palestra – fez um bom trabalho, é certo, conseguiu o objetivo que era manter o time na elite depois de um início desastroso de Brasileirão e saiu inclusive no lucro, arrancando com um elenco sofrível uma vaga para a Sul-Americana. Mas serão essas credenciais suficientes para o tamanho do desafio no Verdão? O tempo – os primeiros meses de 2020, o Paulistão – é que dirá.

A sorte, enfim, está lançada para o quarteto paulista. Diniz, Tiago Nunes, Jesualdo e Luxemburgo, a filosofia de cada um, os motivos e as convicções da cartolagem que os trouxe até aqui serão postos à prova. Na máquina de triturar técnicos que é o nosso futebol não haverá espaço para ninguém titubear.

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O Flamengo vive uma grande fase no Campeonato Brasileiro e a vitória sobre o Corinthians confirmou o rubro-negro matematicamente na Copa Libertadores do ano que vem. Com isso o Volta Redonda foi diretamente beneficiado com a abertura de mais uma vaga na Copa do Brasil em 2020, complementando um calendário cheio que ainda tem o Campeonato Carioca e o Campeonato Brasileiro da Série C.

– Foi um ano que tivemos boas campanhas. Uma classificação em quinto lugar no Estadual é de se comemorar, tanto que nos rendeu a ampliação do calendário já que nós estamos sempre em buscas de aumentar os rendimentos e diminuir os gastos. Vamos agora torcer para termos um confronto mais equilibrado no sorteio da Copa do Brasil 2020, pois cada fase que passarmos irá fazer com que nosso ano seja menos desequilibrado financeiramente, principalmente no segundo semestre – declara Zada.

O Tricolor de Aço também está confirmado na Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior do ano que vem. A equipe sub-20 na última edição, passou para a segunda fase do torneio e vem mostrando força. Para Zada, esta nova oportunidade vem para coroar um trabalho.

– O sub-20 tem atualmente a mesma atenção dada a equipe principal, afinal são os futuros atletas que representarão a equipe profissional. Essa vaga nos dá ainda mais responsabilidade após um ano em que ficamos entre as oito melhores equipes da Copinha. Se não tivéssemos feito uma boa campanha no Estadual da categoria nesse ano (sexto lugar geral), isso não nos habilitaria a ter uma vaga. É a demonstração que o trabalho tem sequência e sabemos muito bem onde queremos chegar – reforça o dirigente que agradece:

– Parabéns a todos envolvidos, desde os porteiros que nos recebem todo dia na entrada do clube ao Presidente que deixa o melhor ambiente possível para desempenharmos o nosso trabalho.

Zimbabwe are to be given state guest importance during their tour of Pakistan, and can expect to see more visible security measures than usual in the country

Umar Farooq17-May-2015

Pakistan is set to host a Full Member opposition for the first time in six years, hoping to “change the perception” of the country. Zimbabwe, who confirmed the tour on Sunday, might be travelling to Lahore against the advice of the country’s Sports and Recreation Commission, but the PCB and the Punjab government have promised adequate security measures to make the series successful.Zimbabwe are to be given state guest importance, and can certainly expect to see more visible security measures than usual in the country. Over 4000 policemen will be deployed for the safety of the visitors across the city while two companies of Rangers – Pakistan’s paramilitary forces – will be on standby throughout the series.A dress rehearsal was carried out on Saturday, with police commandos escorting two empty buses from the team hotel to Gaddafi Stadium and back. The route between the hotel and stadium was cleared of traffic and shielded by armed policemen at 100m intervals. Every road leading to the stadium and hotel was patrolled.The route between the hotel and the stadium covers seven kilometers, and the team will be escorted through it with zero traffic impeding it. Helicopters will hover overhead during training and match days all over the routes and the stadium while 20 snipers will be deployed at undisclosed positions.The Inspector General of Punjab province, Mian Mushtaq Sukhera, will head the security and safety plan for the Zimbabwe team. The entire Nishtar sports complex, which houses the Gaddafi Stadium, will be under surveillance by 81 close-circuit cameras and the restaurants and shops around the outer layer of the stadium have already been vacated ahead of the series.No vehicle will be allowed within the sports complex, and public entry will be on foot from the Liberty roundabout, through extensive security layers. The complex has already been locked down ahead of the series. Journalists intending to cover the series have had to get their accreditation cleared by the law enforcement agency.The series, according to the provisional government, is a great opportunity to improve Pakistan’s image in the world. “We don’t want to waste this opportunity,” Col (retd) Shujah Khanzada, Punjab’s minister for interior, said. “After this series, the sports teams from other countries will also take inspiration from the Zimbabwe cricket team, which would definitely be a great success for Pakistan.”These are most difficult times of Pakistan, we all know this. We have to use all the means to ensure it’s safe. It will send a good message and we will build a strong image internationally. If we organise these matches successfully, there are lots of other teams, which are monitoring it and will play in Pakistan too.”The tickets for the series are already on sale with Gourmet – a Lahore-based bakery and confectionery chain – the main merchant. The advertisements for the series had not covered the northern and eastern parts of the city until Sunday but according to the PCB the entire city will be covered in the branding of the series by Monday. The hoardings around Gaddafi Stadium carry the words “Igniting a passion which brings a nation together” with the hashtag #cricketcomeshome.Gaddafi Stadium is the sole venue for the entire tour, which includes two T20s and three ODIs. Over 60,000 spectators packed the stadium for the 1996 World Cup final won by Sri Lanka, but the capacity, after renovation, has come down to around 24,000. Tickets prices for the series will range from PKR 150 to 1000 for the ODIs and between PKR 300 and 1500 for the T20s.Since the Lahore attack on Sri Lankan team – almost six years and two months ago – Pakistan have had to play their home series at offshore venues, mainly in the UAE. Before Zimbabwe, the PCB had tried to negotiate with Bangladesh for a tour but they withdrew after committing twice. The Zimbabwe tour, after lengthy talks, was confirmed by all the cricketing stakeholders, including the International Cricket Council.The tour, however, suffered an early blow when Zimbabwe initially suspended their visit following an attack on a Karachi bus by gunmen who killed at least 43 people.The Zimbabwe team, however, is set to fly from Harare with a stopover in Dubai en route to the Alama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore. The 15-man squad will land in Lahore on May 19 at 2.40am. “The tour is going ahead and we leave tonight,” Dav Whatmore, Zimbabwe’s head coach, told .

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Após o treino do São Paulo desta terça-feira, no CT da Barra Funda, Tiago Volpi foi o escolhido para conceder uma entrevista coletiva aos jornalistas presentes no local. Embora o assunto principal tenha sido a fase do time no Campeonato Brasileiro, os pontos principais da conversa foram sobre o próprio goleiro, que falou de seu bom momento na meta tricolor e de sua expectativa para ficar.

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> Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão clicando aqui

Se tem um jogador que se firmou entre as contratações de 2019, foi Volpi. Embora tenha passado por uma ou outra oscilação, o arqueiro conquistou a confiança do são-paulino e passou a ser titular incontestável da posição, com atuações decisivas e contundentes, como há muito tempo não se via. Ciente desse status que construiu nesses meses de clube, ele não quer se acomodar e diz buscar mais e mais para estar cada vez melhor.

-Na questão de evolução, eu acho que a cada dia que passa de treino, de jogo, a evolução tem sido notória. Tenho evoluído e a questão de estar contente ou não é no trabalho diário, a cada dia que passa eu vou buscar essa felicidade estando com o meu melhor desempenho dentro de campo. Estou contente, mas não satisfeito, não acomodado, eu acho que dá para fazer mais, dá para trabalhar mais, dá para continuar evoluindo. Então, a partir do momento que a gente acha que está bom, as coisas tendem a cair. Eu vou seguir trabalhando, para ficar cada dia mais contente com as atuações – analisou.

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A boa fase no gol do Tricolor já faz o torcedor criar expectativa quanto à permanência de Volpi no clube para 2020, já que ele está emprestado pelo Querétaro-MEX até dezembro deste ano e caso os são-paulinos quiserem ficar com o goleiro, terão de pagar cinco milhões de dólares (R$ 20 milhões na cotação atual) aos mexicanos. O camisa 23, no entanto, diz não estar ansioso para a definição de sua situação e espera o fim da temporada para isso.

-Ansioso zero, eu estou bem tranquilo quanto a esse assunto, porque desde quando eu cheguei, eu já sabia como iria ser, já sabia que teria uma opção de compra e que ela iria ser definida em dezembro, no contrato está dezembro, então até lá eu estou muito tranquilo – afirmou.

Veja outros trechos da entrevista coletiva de Tiago Volpi:

Ausência e falta de gols
– A gente tem confiança em todo o plantel. Se o jogador está no São Paulo é porque tem capacidade de vestir essa camisa. São três jogos sem gols, mas são coisas do futebol. Contra o Santos fizemos três gols no mesmo jogo, contra a Chapecoense conseguimos uma goleada. Agora, estamos nesta sequência, mas a confiança no grupo seque a mesma – independentemente de quem joga. A gente tem trabalhado muito para reverter essa situação. Tomara que contra o CSA no domingo, a gente possa voltar a somar os três pontos e reverter essa situação. Não tenho dúvidas de que estamos no caminho certo.

Retornos e perspectivas
– Como jogador, companheiro e amigo, queremos que todos estejam 100%. Sabemos o quanto é difícil se machucar, passar por um processo de ver os companheiros treinando, e você não.A gente tinha alguns jogadores que estavam no departamento médico e estão fazendo o trabalho de transição para o campo. Tem ainda os jogadores que estão retornando da Seleção.

Ainda na briga pelo Brasileirão
​-Tem uma coisa que eu sempre falo e eu acho que ela é muita correta, é que as coisas não são como começam, mas sim como terminam. No ano passado, o São Paulo terminou o turno líder, mas não acabou campeão, não que o fato de não estar na liderança no primeiro turno vá nos fazer campeão, mas o futebol, assim como muitas outras coisas, não é como começa, mas sim como termina.

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Depois de nomes como Charles e Elias encaminharem a sua saída do Santa Cruz em muito devido a falta de partidas oficiais até o fim de 2019, parece que o próximo dessa lista será o goleiro Anderson.

Arqueiro formado no Palmeiras (com direitos ainda ligados ao clube paulista) e com apenas 20 anos de idade, o jogador que chegou por empréstimo em 2018 criou larga identificação com a equipe pernambucana.

Tamanha foi a adaptação e em velocidade tão elevada que, em entrevista dada ao portal Superesportesjá com tom de despedida, ele agradeceu imensamente a equipe que lhe deu a primeira sequência como profissional:

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– Eu não esperava passar por um ano desses! Eu acredito que joguei em alto nível o ano inteiro, num jogo ou outro que eu deixei um pouco a desejar, acho, individualmente. Por não ter ido muito bem, ter tomado alguns gols, mas eu fiz 36 jogos, que eu me lembre, que eu coloquei em dúvida sobre os gols que eu tomei. Foi cinco a seis jogos, estourando. Que eu acho que meu rendimento foi muito alto, muito bom.

Além de fazer uma legítima declaração de amor a equipe Coral, o atleta que tem sido vinculado para ir ao Athletico-PR não confirmou a transferência, mas disse que está saindo do clube pernambucano com a ideia de retornar no futuro:

-Não tem palavras para essa torcida aqui, como que eles me acolheram, desde o primeiro jogo me passando segurança. A partir do momento quando consegui obter resultados, eu consegui ter o carinho deles, correspondido. Eu deixo claro que eu amo o Santa Cruz, o clube que me acolheu, o primeiro clube onde eu pude jogar profissionalmente, mostrar o meu trabalho, e graças a Deus deu tudo certo. Eu só tenho a agradecer, pela torcida, pelo carinho que me demonstraram aqui.E que eu volto. Eu vou, mas eu volto. O Santa Cruz vai ficar pra sempre comigo, agradeço à torcida de novo. Pelo carinho que tiveram por mim, pela paixão que tiveram por mim aqui.

ScorecardMatt Henry picked up a five-wicket haul on the opening day•Getty Images

For a short while it appeared New Zealand A may have had a bigger than anticipated impact on England’s plans. In the 17th over of the day at The Oval Hamish Bennett, the fast bowler who has played one Test and 14 ODIs, struck Jason Roy on the hand little more than an hour after he was named in England’s T20 squad, forcing the batsman to retired hurt and head to hospital.Fortunately for Roy the outcome was limited to bad bruising, but the whack on his hand – which came when Surrey were already in early trouble – was not the only damage inflicted as they tumbled to 101 all out after being put into bat. Although Bennett produced the headline delivery it was Matt Henry who did most to dismantle the home side with 5 for 18.Henry removed Rory Burns for a duck in his second over and also added Vikram Solanki before lunch. He then returned after the break to dislodge a stubborn Zafar Ansari and top-scorer Aneesh Kapil as Surrey barely made it into three figures.Jade Dernbach, captaining Surrey for this match, removed Hamish Rutherford early in New Zealand A’s reply but they reached 50 for 1 before stumbling against the pace of Matt Dunn as he took three wickets in 16 balls to leave them 65 for 4.However, Colin de Grandhomme became the first batsman to significantly dominate for the day as he carried the visitors into the lead, firstly with a 61-run partnership alongside captain BJ Watling and then a sixth-wicket stand worth 69 with Mark Craig.With three figures within sight, though, he fell late in the day to the part-time spin of Arun Harinath and there was still time for a 17th wicket in the day as Craig was lbw to Ansari.

ScorecardJim Troughton was playing his first Championship match for 12 months•Getty Images

Jim Troughton and Sam Hain had good days as Warwickshire had the better of the second day in against Northamptonshire.The former, playing his first County Championship game for 12 months due to back problems, made a good 69 and the latter registered his maiden first-class half-century as the visitors closed in on the home side’s first innings total.Warwickshire began their reply in serene fashion either side of the lunch interval and three brief interruptions for light rain.It has not been the best of campaigns for Varun Chopra but he and William Porterfield were in little trouble as they successfully countered the new ball. The pair had wiped 81 off the deficit before the breakthrough came, the result of a tight spell from Steven Crook who forced Porterfield to fend to second slip.James Middlebrook, on as early as the 20th over, had been playing an important role at the other end and he was rewarded with the wickets of Chopra and Laurie Evans in quick succession, the former caught behind and the latter stumped to make it 102 for 3.That brought in Troughton and he and Hain steadied things to the point that when the tea break arrived it was all level on points.As the evening session wore on, Warwickshire gradually turned this position on its head and when Troughton hammered Maurice Chambers through extra cover twice in succession to reach his half-century from 75 deliveries, a solid platform for advancement had been established.While the captain was the dominant partner, Hain lost little in comparison. His predominantly back-foot style suited the trueness of the surface and he visibly grew in stature as he moved towards what was a maiden half century in the first-class game, a landmark that was achieved from 115 deliveries.The duo’s partnership realised 138 before Troughton on 69, rather unnecessarily, attempted to slog-sweep Middlebrook and only succeeded in top-edging to leg slip. But that was their last success and when the close of play arrived, Hain had moved to within 13 of three figures and his side trailed by only 38.First thing in the morning, the home side had added 15 to their overnight score of 297 for 7. Olly Stone edged Chris Woakes to Porterfield at second slip and Rob Newton, in an attempt to garner a few quick runs, skied Chris Wright to long-on.Assessing where the home side stand in the game, batsman Richard Levi said: “Rob Newton played exceptionally well and 300 and a bit is not quite what we wanted but it’s not too bad.“It’s kind the wicket where not much happens then four or five wickets fall quickly and that is what we’ve got to try and do tomorrow morning. `The bowlers can get their feet up tonight as they’ve got some work to do in the morning.”