Tag Futebol

تمكن منتخب العراق من تحقيق الفوز على نظيره السودان، في إطار مباريات دور المجموعات من بطولة كاس العرب.

وواجه منتخب العراق نظيره السودان، في السادسة مساء اليوم، في الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب.

طالع.. ترتيب مجموعة الجزائر في كأس العرب بعد الفوز على البحرين

ويقع منتخب العراق في المجموعة الرابعة من بطولة كأس العرب رفقة منتخبات السودان والجزائر والبحرين. 

وحقق منتخب العراق الفوز على السودان، بهدفين نظيفين، في المباراة التي جمعت بين الفريقين، ضمن مباريات المجموعة الرابعة. 

تقدم منتخب العراق بالهدف الأول في مرمى السودان، في الدقيقة 82 من عمر الشوط الثاني عن طريق مهند علي. 

وفي الدقيقة 84، عزز منتخب العراق التقدم بالهدف الثاني في مرمى السودان، عن طريق اللاعب أمجد عطوان. 

وبهذا الفوز، رفع منتخب العراق رصيده إلى 6 نقاط، ليضمن تأهله إلى دور الـ8 بكأس العرب، في صدارة المجموعة الرابعة، بينما توقف رصيد السودان عند نقطة وحيدة.  أهداف مباراة العراق والسودان في كأس العرب 

Ahead of the 2025 MLB season, Baseball Savant, MLB's Statcast data platform and website, released a new set of stats for the public to use related to batting stances. It tracks foot placement of each batter at stance set, at pitch release and at bat-ball intercept, giving rise to an entirely new way to quantify a previously part of the game.

Now, it's easier than ever to correlate a player making stance adjustments with improved performance, and with a significant portion of the season in the rearview mirror here in mid-May, it's worth seeing the early returns of players who have come in with adjusted stances compared to last season.

To do that, we looked at stance data from the last two years where players took at least 100 swings. Then, we looked at OPS, using 100 at-bats as a qualifier. There are seven such players entering Wednesday that changed their stance by at least five degrees and have seen a season-long OPS improvement of 0.200 or greater compared to their season average from last year.

Here are those players, with all stats updated entering Wednesday.

Manchester United are reportedly inching towards recruiting rising Colombia star Cristian Orozco. The Red Devils have been looking to try and strengthen their midfield as Casemiro heads into the final years of his career, and academy product Kobbie Mainoo struggles to force his way into Ruben Amorim's plans. Now, they look set to sign the 17-year-old ahead of a switch next summer.

• Man Utd near €1m transfer

  According to Fabrizio Romano, United's next signing will be Orozco, who will be in England in the next few days to complete his Old Trafford move. He adds that the Red Devils will pay $1 million to Colombian side Fortaleza to join from June 2026. He will be able to link up with his new team then as he will have turned 18.

Advertisement

• Young recruitment drive from Man Utd

  Ever since Sir Jim Ratcliffe bought a minority stake at United in early 2024, the club have shifted their transfer priorities towards signing younger players who might have a big sell-on value. And the pursuit of this teenage defensive midfielder is the latest example of that. In addition to the Colombia Under-17 international, United raided the South American market earlier this year for 18-year-old left-back Diego Leon, and in 2024, director of football Jason Wilcox was instrumental in securing the signing of Mali midfielder Sekou Kone. 

• AFP
  

  Ratcliffe's Man Utd challenge

  One big downside of Ratcliffe's reign has been the widespread redundancies as the club bids to cut costs. Going forward, the INEOS owner has challenged the Red Devils to be as cost-effective as possible in order to ensure long-term success. 

  "I'd rather find the next [Kylian] Mbappe than spend a fortune trying to buy success," Ratcliffe told The Geraint Thomas Cycling Club Podcast last year. "It's not that clever, is it, buying Mbappe, in a way? Anyone could figure that one out. Much more challenging is to find the next Mbappe or Jude Bellingham or the next Roy Keane."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• What comes next for Man Utd?

  As this transfer heads towards its apparent conclusion, Ruben Amorim's side will look to bounce back from their disappointing 1-0 loss at home to Everton when they round off the month with a trip to Crystal Palace on Sunday. The visitors are five places behind the Eagles in 10th but could overtake the south London outfit by a point if they win at Selhurst Park this weekend.

Clive Madande has replaced the batter, who was released for personal reasons

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Sep-2025

Sean Williams has been released from the Zimbabwe squad that is currently playing the Men’s T20 World Cup Africa Region Final. The 39-year-old batter was released for personal reasons and Zimbabwe called up Clive Madande as his replacement.Related

Williams in rehab for drug addiction, will not be considered for Zimbabwe selection

Sean Williams has been around the block and then some (but he's not stopping now)

Zimbabwe, who are hosting the tournament, played their opening match on Friday, beating Uganda by five wickets. Blessing Muzarabani and Brad Evans took three wickets each and Brian Bennett scored a 44-ball 72 in their chase of 153, which they completed with 15 balls remaining. Williams did not feature in the match.Eight teams – Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe – are taking part in the tournament, from which the top two teams will qualify for the T20 World Cup that will be played in India and Sri Lanka in February-March 2026.Zimbabwe squad for T20 World Cup Africa Region FinalSikandar Raza (capt), Brian Bennett, Ryan Burl, Brad Evans, Trevor Gwandu, Clive Madande, Tadiwanashe Marumani, Wellington Masakadza, Tashinga Musekiwa, Tinotenda Maposa, Tony Munyonga, Dion Myers, Blessing Muzarabani, Richard Ngarava, Brendan Taylor.

Chelsea have discovered how much time Romeo Lavia will miss after losing the midfielder to yet another injury setback. Lavia was forced off after just four minutes of their Champions League draw against Qarabag, with manager Enzo Maresca subsequently admitting that the Blues are "ashamed" about the amount of time their big-money has spent on the sidelines since joining from Southampton in 2023.

• Lavia out for a month for Chelsea

  Chelsea will have to cope without Lavia for another month following his latest injury setback, according toThe midfielder will therefore miss games against Burnley, Arsenal, Leeds and Bournemouth in the Premier League. He's also expected to sit out the Champions League fixtures against Barcelona and Atalanta due to the quadricep problem. Lavia has been plagued by injury issues since joining the club in a £58 million transfer and those struggles have continued into the current campaign. He has made just seven appearances for the Blues so far this season, and fans will now have to wait until December to see him back in action for Maresca's side.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Maresca 'ashamed' of injury record

  Lavia has made only 29 appearances in total over two years with Chelsea, leaving Maresca to admit the club are "ashamed" by his frequent injuries. "We feel very ashamed, especially for him, because he's not able to be fit for a long, long period," Maresca said after Chelsea's clash with Qarabag. "It's not a recurrence of his hamstring problem; it looks like a quad injury. We'll need to assess him further, but it doesn't look good."

• Lavia's injury hell at Chelsea

  Lavia's injury record at Chelsea does make for dismal reading. The midfielder has sustained 10 injuries and been out for a total of 568 days, missing 88 games, since Chelsea invested heavily to bring him in from Southampton back in 2023. Rather incredibly, Lavia is still yet to complete a full 90 minutes for Chelsea and his latest injury is yet another in a long list of setbacks for the 21-year-old. Chelsea have reportedly tried to manage his workload in a bid to get him fit and featuring on a regular basis but even that does not appear to have worked, with Lavia once again on the sidelines at Stamford Bridge.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• 'My body let me down' – Lavia lifts lid on injury jinx

  Lavia has previously spoken about the injuries he's had to contend with at Chelsea and has been unable to put his finger on the problem. He told: "You're young and you want to play. You're getting to know your body as well, which is sometimes unfair because you feel like you’re doing everything right to get back but then nature sometimes decides in a different way. It was just about understanding that and growing as a person. It was frustrating but it was more in the head, and now it has helped me. Injuries can happen. I'd say that it was unlucky and I tried to catch up every time. My body let me down a couple of times because I felt like I was doing everything right. I wouldn't blame anything."

There’s no denying the last few seasons have been nothing short of an embarrassment for Manchester United – especially considering the glory days achieved under Sir Alex Ferguson.

From Carabao Cup first round exits against League Two opposition, to 15th-placed Premier League finishes, it truly has been a period to forget for the fanbase on the pitch.

However, Ruben Amorim has shown glimpses of transforming the situation over the last couple of outings in the Premier League, with key results starting to arise.

A win against Sunderland saw the Red Devils keep their first clean sheet of the 2025/26 campaign, before claiming a remarkable 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.

Such a performance saw Amorim’s side limit the defending league champions to limited opportunities throughout, with goalkeeper Senne Lammens producing the goods between the sticks.

However, it’s safe to say it’s not been a straightforward process for the manager, especially considering the failures his side suffered last campaign.

How bad United were defensively throughout 2024/25

If a side as big as United are finishing 15th in the Premier League table, there are evidently fundamental problems within certain areas of the pitch – many of which needed addressing.

The defensive department came under huge scrutiny throughout 2024/25 and rightly so, given the lack of quality that was on display for prolonged periods of the campaign.

When delving into their underlying figures, the Red Devils’ woes were truly something to behold, as seen by their tally of 46 goals conceded in just 38 outings.

Their average 1.42 goals conceded per 90 was the ninth-worst of any side in the division, with such a tally undoubtedly contributing to their demise in England’s top-flight throughout 2024/25.

Amorim’s men also produced an xG against of 55.1, a figure that was the 8th worst in the league – showcasing that other sides were easily able to create opportunities in front of goal at will.

Whilst Lammens has fixed the situation between the sticks, the manager will likely still want to improve the situation at the back to help his chances of success at Old Trafford.

However, one first-team player should remain crucial to any attempted efforts, especially if his recent showings in the Premier League under his guidance are anything to go by.

The United player who’s becoming Amorim’s best player

Despite £200m worth of new additions during the summer transfer window, very few of the funds were directed to the defensive unit – with the majority being invested into the forward line.

Bryan Mbuemo, Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha were all brought to Old Trafford, with the former of the trio already proving his worth with his strike at Anfield on Sunday.

Harry Maguire also found himself on the scoresheet in such a triumph, once again popping up with a clutch goal for the Red Devils despite his usual defensive role.

The Englishman appears to have forced himself back into the manager’s plans, but he’s not alone in doing so with the 40-year-old’s preferred three-man backline.

Matthijs de Ligt was originally brought into the club last summer for a reported £42m, with real hope of providing key experience at the back given his time at Bayern Munich and Juventus.

However, the Dutchman endured a season to forget in England, only starting 25 league outings and coming under fire for his lack of positive displays by one well respected player in England’s top-flight.

Former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher labelled the 26-year-old as “awful” – further highlighting how disappointing he was during his debut campaign at Old Trafford.

His displays in 2025/26 have been night and day, with De Ligt now becoming a crucial member of Amorim’s squad – subsequently starting all eight league games to date.

Games played

8

Minutes played

720

Pass accuracy

88%

Duels won

5.6

Aerials won

3.3

Interceptions made

1.1

Dribble success

50%

Tackles won

1.9

The centre-back’s underlying stats are just as impressive, subsequently winning 5.6 duels per 90 – a tally that ranks him within the top 20% of all players in the Premier League.

He’s also won 3.3 aerial battles and made 1.1 interceptions per 90, with such numbers undoubtedly handing the side the defensive presence they lacked last season.

De Ligt’s 6”2 stature at the back has allowed him to be a dominant presence within the defensive third, which has led to him undoubtedly being one of the Red Devils’ star performers this season.

There’s a real hope emerging at Old Trafford that he could be a vital player in any success achieved this season – but he desperately needs to stay on his current path.

If the club are to rise up the table, the Dutch international will likely be a key component, with Amorim needing to utilise him on a regular basis throughout the months ahead.

Ruben Amorim has urged his Manchester United players to keep their feet on the ground despite the momentous 2-1 victory over Liverpool. The Red Devils are in great spirits following their long-awaited victory at Anfield, but the Portuguese has called on his squad to remain calm as they look to make it three Premier League wins in a row against Brighton on Saturday.

United's precious victory at Liverpool was their first since 2016

United put years of torment to bed following their win over Liverpool last Sunday. Goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire helped the club record their first victory on their bitter rivals’ patch since 2016, when Wayne Rooney settled a tight affair under Louis van Gaal’s stewardship. United’s recent victory over Liverpool was also the first time they registered back-to-back Premier League wins under Amorim, following the 2-0 triumph over Sunderland earlier this month.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportAmorim insists United must not get carried away following the victory

However, while United are understandably in fine fettle following such an elusive win, Amorim insists it is important his players do not get carried away, reminding them that Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo – who hit the woodwork three times during the game – was desperately close to extending his side’s wait for a victory on Merseyside.

When asked about his comments after the Liverpool game, when Amorim told the media they should “carry on with their narrative” about United, and whether he and his players feed off such doubts, the former Sporting CP boss said: “No, what I mean is that we cannot change so much. I think they ask me about top four in the end of the question. So, I don't want to change so much with the difference of 20 centimetres. If [Cody] Gakpo shot 20 centimetres here, the narrative would be completely different. So, I just want to maintain some calm, some direction in what we are doing. That’s what I mean. 

“There is doubts if you are a manager in this kind of club, [and] you don't win a lot of games, people are going to doubt you. And they have reasons for that, but my point of view is that we need to be clear on our path and not changing so much because we win one game, that's all.”

Portuguese full of praise for in-form Brighton ahead of Saturday's clash

United’s quest for a third straight victory under Amorim will not be easy as Brighton head to Old Trafford in fine form themselves. The Seagulls are unbeaten in their last five games in all competitions, recording league victories over Chelsea and Newcastle alongside a Carabao Cup triumph over League One side Barnsley. Fabian Hurzeler’s men have also recorded draws against Tottenham and Wolves during that run, helping the club rise to 10th in the table and just one point behind United.

“I think it's going to be like always, but it's going to be a very difficult game,” said Amorim. “I think Brighton is a team [that is] really fun to watch. They are really good on [the] build-up. They are really strong on transitions in every aspect of the game. They are doing well in set-pieces this season. So, I think they are a team that is really complete, and we need to be really smart, and to face that game with a real focus on everything that we do, because they are a very strong team.

“You can see by the way they play the game. Really intense, the quality is there. They believe a lot in what they are doing, even under pressure. So, I'm a huge fan of Fabian.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportUnited poised to lock horns with summer transfer target Baleba

United could come up against summer transfer target Carlos Baleba when they lock horns with Brighton. Amorim’s side were keen to sign the 21-year-old but walked away from discussions after learning the south coast club valued the Cameroon international at around £115 million (€132m/$153m) – the same fee they received from Chelsea for Moises Caicedo in 2023. United are also poised to face former striker Danny Welbeck, who has been in fine form for Brighton this season. A United academy graduate, the 34-year-old has scored four goals in eight league games this term.

Former England keeper stars with bat again to take control for Surrey

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay17-May-2025Ben Foakes maintained his fine form with the bat by hitting 86 to fashion a solid Surrey lead in their Rothesay County Championship encounter with Yorkshire at the Kia Oval.Foakes, who hit a career-high 174 not out against Warwickshire earlier this week, followed it up with another vital knock to guide the home side to 384 for seven at stumps on day two, 129 in front.Australian left-hander Kurtis Patterson also sparkled on his Surrey debut with 85 but after he and Dan Lawrence fell in rapid succession, they needed Foakes – aided by the lower-middle order – to cement their advantage.Medium-pacer George Hill, fresh from recording a nine-wicket match haul in Yorkshire’s previous game at Essex, was again the pick of the visitors’ bowlers with figures of four for 58.Rory Burns and Dom Sibley resumed in the morning with a deficit of 209 and shaved off just another 10 runs before the skipper departed, nudging a Jack White delivery that left him into the hands of slip.That brought Patterson to the crease for the first time in Surrey colours, taking a while to settle before he unveiled his ruthless cover drive and dispatched both White and Jordan Buckingham to the rope.Buckingham was expensive, conceding two boundaries in quick succession to Sibley – who appeared nicely set at 29 until he failed to get forward sufficiently to Hill and was trapped leg before.However, Patterson was into his stride by then and advanced to his half-century from the penultimate ball of the morning session, ably supported by some wristy leg-side strokeplay from Dan Lawrence.Yorkshire might have removed Patterson on 60 soon after lunch, when he miscued a hook off Buckingham – but James Wharton, moving in from long leg, was unable to cling onto the catch.After receiving treatment for a back problem just before the interval, Lawrence still looked uncomfortable in the middle, but he stuck around for almost two hours helping Patterson to add 112.However, Surrey’s momentum was dented when they lost both batters in the space of three deliveries, with Ben Coad returning for his second spell of the day to pin Lawrence in front of the stumps for 31.Hill’s impact was even more immediate, removing Patterson in the same manner with the first delivery of his stint from the Vauxhall End and that left Foakes and Jason Roy to regroup as they closed in on the visitors’ total.Foakes struck the ball cleanly and crisply, particularly on the leg side, while Roy employed a greater degree of brute force, punching Jordan Thompson off the back foot for four and slamming Adam Lyth into the pavilion to secure his side’s first batting bonus point.The final say went to Lyth, who had his fellow ex-England opener pouched at slip for 26 in the first over after tea, but Foakes progressed past 50 for the fifth time this season with one of his looser shots, slashing White just past the slips for two.Yorkshire captain Jonny Bairstow handed his wicketkeeper’s gloves to Jonny Tattersall for the final session, having sustained a finger injury, but continued to direct proceedings in an outfield role.It was Tattersall who snapped up an outside edge off Foakes late in the day to provide Hill with his fourth wicket, but Jordan Clark – having almost chopped on twice early in his innings – swung the bat to reach 41 not out with a clutch of boundaries.

Rory McIlroy has named an “under-appreciated” England legend as his favourite footballer growing up.

McIlroy became the sixth man to complete a Career Grand Slam earlier this year, with the Northern Irishman finally getting his hands on The Masters back in April, and he is now gearing up for the Ryder Cup, which is due to take place from September 26th – 28th in New York.

The 36-year-old has revealed he has knocked back the opportunity to captain Europe in the past, given the difficulties of combining that role with being a player, saying: “I’ve been asked to do that and I’ve turned it down. The idea of me being a playing captain sometime soon has come up and I’ve shot it down straight away.

That said, given that the current World No. 2 is the only European player in the top five of the rankings, he will still have a huge role to play later this month.

While McIlroy ended up going to be one of the greatest ever golfers, one of his first loves growing up was football, supporting Manchester United, and he has previously described an England legend as his favourite-ever player.

Speaking on The Overlap, McIlroy said: “I loved (Wayne) Rooney, he just worked so hard and he’d run everywhere, and you just felt exhausted after watching him for 90 minutes. To be that good, but also to have that work ethic and track back when someone loses the ball or if you lose it. To me, he just looked like he loved football and I loved watching him play.”

The Grand Slam winner also suggested the Manchester United legend is still underrated, saying: “It’s amazing to think that, all the great stuff that he’s done, you would say like under-appreciated in some way.”

Rooney was a "once in a generation" player

It is perhaps surprising that McIlroy didn’t opt for Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi as his favourite player, given that the Manchester United and Barcelona legends have a whopping 13 Ballon d’Ors between them.

Wayne Rooney named the best midfielder out of Gerrard, Scholes and Lampard

The England legend has had his say…

By
Tom Cunningham

Jun 11, 2025

However, Messi himself has previously made it clear just how highly he rates Rooney, saying: “Wayne Rooney is for me a once in a generation player. One of those special players, who is not comparable to any other. There are many special players, but Rooney has exceptional quality and technical ability as well as being one of the strongest players I have faced with an exceptional work rate – there is nobody like him.”

The United legend won 17 trophies during his time at Old Trafford, while also amassing 120 caps for the Three Lions, second only to Peter Shilton on the all-time list, showcasing that he is undoubtedly one of the best players England has ever produced.

The Premier League is finally back in action this weekend, and Arsenal are in action against Nottingham Forest.

Mikel Arteta’s side may have lost last time out, but Liverpool did not outplay them, and most of the team put in a good performance.

One of the standout players for the Gunners was Noni Madueke, who is likely to start again on Saturday in the absence of Bukayo Saka.

The former Chelsea ace has looked good so far this season, and if he continues his good form, he could be the player to end someone else’s Arsenal career.

Madueke's good start to the season

It was somewhat of a surprise when it was revealed that Arsenal were interested in signing Madueke this summer, and considering the petitions, it was not necessarily a welcome one for some fans.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, while it is still early on in the campaign, the Englishman is so far proving his doubters wrong.

He hasn’t necessarily blown anyone away in the league, but against Liverpool, for example, he was undoubtedly the club’s best attacker, taking a couple of shots, completing 100% of his dribbles, and generally being a menace.

However, it’s been on international duty where we’ve been able to see the best of him.

For example, it was his cross that resulted in an own goal to open the scoring against Andorra, and then he scored his first international goal away to Serbia on Tuesday.

More than that, though, he was a constant threat on the right, utilising his blistering pace, ball-carrying ability, and quick feet to terrorise the Serbian defenders.

In all, while it is early, Madueke is looking quite dangerous this season, and while he is great cover for Saka at the moment, he could also end someone else’s Arsenal career when the Hale Ender returns.

The Arsenal star Madueke could replace

While most of Arsenal’s squad could be compared with some of the best in the league in their respective positions, the same can no longer be said of Gabriel Martinelli.

The 24-year-old winger was undoubtedly one of the most exciting attackers in the Premier League, but that was back in the 22/23 season, when he racked up a tally of 15 goals and seven assists in 46 games.

However, that was some time ago now, and in the two and a bit campaigns since, he has only gone backwards.

For example, in the 23/24 season, he mustered up eight goals and five assists in 44 games; last season, he managed ten goals and six assists in 51 games, and then so far this year, he’s failed to score or assist a goal in his two starts.

More damming than that, though, fans no longer expect him to offer much of a threat; instead, they expect to watch a winger who can no longer beat his opposite number and often halts attacks altogether.

We saw this in the game against Liverpool when he failed to play the ball into Viktor Gyokeres’ path when the Swede would have had a chance to score, leading to podcaster Phil Costa labelling him “clunky and indecisive.”

Appearances

51

Minutes

3564′

Goals

10

Assists

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.31

Minutes per Goal Involvement

222.75′

The Brazilian international may still be valued at around £48m by Transfermarkt, but it’s hard to see him maintaining his place in this team for much longer, especially with Madueke in the squad.

The Englishman might be a right-winger first, but he has played off the left already for the club against Leeds United, and while it wasn’t his finest game, he offered more than the former Ituano gem has in a long time.

Ultimately, Martinelli is still a player fans have an affinity with, but he has not been good enough for a long time, and it just feels like a matter of time until Madeueke ends his Arsenal career lest he massively improve.

Madueke upgrade: Arsenal gem who left for £0 is now "one of the best in the world"

The superstar would be an excellent rival for Saka at Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 11, 2025