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The USWNT, having never conceded in 11 previous all-time matches against Portugal, were stunned by a pair of set pieces in 2-1 loss

There was no masking the frustration. Speaking moments after her team's shocking 2-1 loss to Portugal – a team that have never beaten or even scored a goal in 11 previous all-time matches against the USWNT – manager Emma Hayes was notably irritated. She had reasons to be. The U.S. had lost in her tenure twice before, to high-caliber teams, Brazil and Japan.

They had not, however, lost in the way they did Thursday night.

"Sometimes, as a coach in this position, it feels like whack-a-mole," Hayes told TNT. "I aged 113 years on the touchline. It’s frustrating… What am I telling them for the next game? Let’s get our fundamentals right. We can’t score at the start of the game and be on back foot afterwards… We scored a goal, and we stopped playing. If the Under-23s were watching, we’ve worked on our principles and plays and if they’ve watched that tonight, they’d wonder what ours were?

"We didn’t look like a team the whole evening, on both sides of the ball. We didn’t press together, we didn’t possess together, it felt like a yard off in our brain. I could see that.”

After netting just 33 seconds into the match on a finish from Rose Lavelle, the USWNT, in Hayes' eyes, switched off. That can happen. The problem was that they never switched back on, giving up two inexcusable set-piece goals to a Portugal team that had, coming into the game, gone winless in their last eight matches.

And while much of the credit goes to Portugal for standing firm against the defending Olympic gold medalists, Hayes and the USWNT – which hadn't played since July, and bore the rust to prove it – are rightly looking in the mirror after something of a wakeup call.

"We can use that as an excuse, but I think that’s a cop out," midfielder Sam Coffey told TNT, referring to the long layoff. "We’re too good for that and ultimately, tonight was just not acceptable. It was not our standard. I think we were really individual. There’s a lot of weight that comes with wearing this jersey, and that’s the way – we take it so seriously. That’s the best responsibility in the world and I don’t think we did a good enough job honoring that tonight.

"With that being said, it's a bump in the road. And I know this team and we have to respond now in the best way possible."

That response will have to come on Sunday, when these same two teams meet again in East Hartford, Connecticut. It's clear that Hayes will expect something much different.

"I am frustrated," the USWNT boss said. "I have to do my job. I’m in this team, too. I am responsible. It’s my job to pick us up and demand the best from us.”

GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from Subaru Park.

Getty ImagesLOSER: Set pieces

So often, particularly in the modern game, set pieces make all the difference. They create moments of chaos and, ultimately, goals. Teams feast on those dead-ball moments. On Thursday, the USWNT were undone by them.

Both goals that the U.S. conceded came from set-piece situations, giving Hayes a very easy talking point after her game. Given the USWNT's talent, set pieces will often be the best way for teams to get the upper hand. That proved true in this game as the U.S. were unable to clear their lines twice.

Now, would having the injured Naomi Girma organizing help in these moments? Surely, but it's not as if the U.S. was lacking experience in this team. That's not to say that Portugal didn't earn it, mind you. They did, to their credit, play with the USWNT, unlike many other teams. The goals weren't good fortune and they weren't just USNWT mistakes; they were deserved.

That doesn't mean the U.S. doesn't need to clean up those types of moments, and they'll be frustrated to have conceded two very preventable goals.

"Disappointment is the word," Coffey told TNT after the match. "Conceding on two set pieces? We pride ourselves on defensive set pieces and we did not live up to that standard tonight."

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWINNER: Portugal

Portugal didn't arrive at Subaru Park with any sort of good form. They'd won just one of their prior 10 matches, losing to Spain and England by heavy margins this summer. They also had never beaten the USWNT. So, heading into this friendly, they seemed to be set up as a good old-fashioned confidence booster for a young U.S. group still building.

Apparently no one told Portugal, though, as they came out determined to play with the USWNT. And play they did, maintaining their share of possession while, ultimately, cashing in on the chances that decided the game.

Credit to head coach Francsco Neto, who had his team ready to play. Were they physical? Yes, and a bit too physical at certain points, to be fair. That didn't matter to Portugal, though, as they set a tone and kept a pace that the USWNT struggled to match. The U.S. had a few moments, sure, but not nearly enough. Some of that is due to sloppiness. Some of that, too, is due to Portugal.

Good luck to them, though, as they look ahead to Sunday's rematch. It seems unlikely that this Portugal team can get the USWNT twice. But with this win already in their back pocket, they plenty of reason to believe going forward.

Getty ImagesLOSER: Trinity Rodman

Rodman was, as originally planned, in attendance on Thursday. The problem? She was watching on in street clothes, not causing chaos down the right-hand side.

Despite her recent knee injury, Rodman was in the building for the match as part of the celebrations for her former teammate Alex Morgan. It was, for sure, bittersweet. On one hand, it was good to see Rodman back after several months away from the team with a back injury. On the other hand, it was a unfortunate that her return didn't allow her to play as Hayes had originally outlined.

"Obviously not ideal. I wanted to be playing in this camp," Rodman said in pregame, "but, I mean, this is amazing to be able to come to this game, to be able to support the girls. I'm always grateful, and always want to be in it, even when I, like, can't be playing. So, yeah, I'm happy and all smiles for the most part.

"I've been to one camp this year, so that sucks. Like, I was just bored. But yeah, it's important to support, even when I'm injured and, also, with so much change happening with the national team, I think just to be able to watch and to interact with them as much as I can at this stage is important."

The USWNT could have used Rodman in the loss. Rodman, surely, would have wanted to help. The U.S. could certainly use her presence on and off the field.

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Getty ImagesWINNER: Alex Morgan

It's not that anyone needed a reminder of Morgan's impact, but it was nice to get one anyway. The scenes before the opening whistle said it all: fans wearing shirts bearing her name, teammates reunited and smiling in her honor and, perhaps most notably to her, her family in attendance to share this moment.

Oh, and her own USWNT bobblehead.

"I just have so many incredible memories with this team. I really grew up with this team," she said pregame. "It’s just really special to run it back one more time."

Morgan was honored as US Soccer celebrated her list of contributions to both the USWNT and the women's game as a whole. That list, of course, goes on and on: trophies, moments, goals and, most importantly, memories. Morgan created them all and, in truth, a pregame ceremony probably isn't even enough to encapsulate her impact on the game.

“I grew up watching her. Every young girl growing up and playing is like, ‘I love Alex Morgan.’ I had a poster of her on my wall," Coffey said. "She’s an incredible player and an incredible person. She's done so much for the women's game. She deserves all the flowers in the world, and it's really exciting to be a part of the game that we get to honor her at.

"She’s like a hero for all of us and is someone that epitomizes what it means to leave something better than you found it.”

Even the frustration from the result couldn't dampen Hayes' enthusiasm when asked about Morgan.

"I mean, she's an icon, and she's done it at the highest level, again and again," Hayes said after the game. "And everybody in the locker room respects her achievements for doing it the highest stage. And just to get a number of caps she had – it was well-earned. That's the thing. You know, playing for this team isn't easy. You've got the expectations to win all of the time. And, you know, I think looking at all Alex has done is a real credit to the work she's put in."

It was nice, then, to see Morgan get her moment.

Lancashire dismissed for 264 before Rehan Ahmed and Sol Budinger race to 102 opening stand

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay19-Apr-2025

Leicestershire 120 for 1 (Rehan 61*, Budinger 41) trail Lancashire 264 (Harris 77, Scriven 5-46) by 143 runsTom Scriven collected his maiden five-wicket haul in first-class cricket as Leicestershire dominated the second day of their Rothesay County Championship match against Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford.Bowling accurately and at good pace, the Leicestershire seamer finished with 5 for 46 from 20 overs as the home side were dismissed for 263, Marcus Harris making 77 against his former team mates, his fourth score over 50 in five innings for his new county.In reply, Leicestershire were 120 for 1 after 29 overs at the close with Rehan Ahmed unbeaten on 61 after putting on 102 for the first wicket with Sol Budinger. The visitors therefore have a superb platform upon which to build a first-innings lead on the third day of this game.The brisk pace at which the Leicestershire openers scored was in notable contrast to the more guarded approach of the Lancashire batsmen, who managed to score at 2.7 runs an over against Peter Handscomb’s nagging five-man pace attack.Yet in a shortened first session, Lancashire scored 92 runs in 24 overs for the loss of Matty Hurst, who was lbw to Scriven for 46, and in the temporary absence of Luke Wells, who was forced to retire hurt on nine when in obvious pain after being struck on the left elbow by a ball from Ben Mike.Nevertheless a lunch score of 153 for 4 looked a useful score in cloudy conditions. Only Harris had batted with any certainty against Leicestershire’s quicker bowlers and even the Australian was dismissed 40 minutes into the afternoon session when he was lbw to a ball from Scriven that nipped back. Harris’s 77 meant that he has an aggregate of 360 at an average of 72 for his new county.Tom Hartley was then run out for 11 after a mix-up with George Balderson that saw the England spinner run about one and a half pitches before being beaten by Lewis Hill’s throw from wide mid-off. Wells returned and had put on an unbroken 34 with Balderson at tea, by which time Lancashire were 235 for 6 after 87 overs and Leicestershire had taken the new ball.The first half-hour of the evening session belonged to Scriven, who trapped Wells in front for 29 to collect his third lbw of the day and then bowled George Balderson for 51, two balls after the left-hander had reached his half-century, before having Anderson Phillip caught behind for three.Van Beek ended the innings when he had John Turner caught for a golden duck by first slip Louis Kimber and attention shifted to Leicestershire’s innings and Saqib Mahmood’s first red-ball match since last May.The Leicestershire openers had one slice of luck when Budinger was dropped on nought, his edge off Mahmood’s eleventh ball flying very rapidly between Michael Jones and Keaton Jennings at first and second slip.Otherwise Ahmed and Budinger put bat to ball in magnificent and sometimes contemptuous fashion. Their fifty stand came up in 61 balls and the century in 19.4 overs. Some relief came for Lancashire when Budinger, having been dropped on 31 by Josh Bohannon off Hartley, was caught by the same fielder for 41 at mid-on when he miscued a pull off Mahmood.That ended the opening partnership on 102 but Ahmed reached his fifty off 77 balls and he and Holland took their side safely to the close.

علق عصام الطالبي، نائب رئيس اتحاد طنجة، على أزمة النادي مع نظيره الزمالك بشأن مستحقات صفقة انتقال عبد الحميد معالي للأبيض.

وقال الطالبي في تصريحات لبرنامج “الكابتن” على قناة “دي إم سي”: “نحن نتأسف على وصول الأمر لهذا الحد، ما زال الباب مسدودًا وليس هناك قنوات اتصال”.

وتابع: “العقد الذي يربطنا بالأبيض ينص على أن الصفقة تسدد على دفعتين الأول في بداية شهر أغسطس والثانية في بداية أكتوبر الجاري، حتى هذه اللحظة لم نتواص كنادي بأي مبلغ من المستحقات”.

طالع | موعد والقناة الناقلة لمباراة الزمالك وديكاداها اليوم في الكونفدرالية

وأضاف: “رغم مرور المدة المحددة وكذلك رغم كل المراسلات الرسمية ولم يتم الرد علينا، المراسلات الأولى كانت بشكل رسمي مع الإدارة، وكان هناك رد ان ننتظر 10 أيام، وكانت هناك مراسلات مع رئيس النادي وجون إدوارد وبعد ذلك انقطع التواصل”.

وكشف: “نحن في اتحاد طنجة تعاملنا بكل احترام وحرصنا على الإطار يكون بشكل شفاف يخدم مصلحة اللاعب والناديين معًا، ولكن غياب التواصل من الجانب المصري وعدم التزامهم الدفع بالمتفق عليه خلق وضع غير مريح والثقة بين الطرفين”.

وبسؤاله هل اتحاد طنجة تقدم بشكوى في الفيفا؟، رد: “كلفنا يوم الإثنين الماضي محامي النادي بإنهاء كل إجراءات التقاضي في الفيفا بشأن هذا الأمر، والموضوع أخذ شكله القانوني بعد أن فشلت كل الطرق الودية”.

وأكمل: “نتواصل شخصيًا مع عبد الحميد معالي لأننا نعتبره ابن النادي، الزمالك نادي كبير ولديه قاعدة كبيرة، هذه أول تجربة لمعالي خارج المغرب وهو متواجد بمفرده، وسبق طلب تواجده أهله معه وربما المشاكل المشاكل المادية عطلت ذلك”.

واختتم: “نحن نؤمن أن العلاقة بين الأندية المصرية والمغربية تاريخية ومبنية على الاحترام، وأتمنى من إدارة الزمالك أن تبادر في أقرب وقت لحل الأزمة”.

Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma have been offered Grade A contracts

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Mar-2025Shafali Verma finds a place in BCCI’s annual retainers for 2024-25 despite having last played for the national team in October. Shafali has been placed in Grade B, whose retainer is valued at INR 30 lakh.The BCCI has awarded 16 contracts in all from the 17 they announced previously in April 2023. Contracts for the 2023-24 season weren’t made public.Like last time, only three players – Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma – have been offered Grade A contracts (50 lakh). Four of the five members, including Shafali, who were offered Grade B in 2023 remain on the list, with only left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad missing out altogether.Among the new entrants to Grade C (10 lakh) are offspinning allrounder Shreyanka Patil, seam-bowling pair of Arundhati Reddy and Titas Sadhu, allrounder Amanjot Kaur and wicketkeeper Uma Chetry.BCCI central contracts for India Women•ESPNcricinfo LtdAllrounders Sneh Rana and Pooja Vastrakar, who hasn’t played since the T20 World Cup in October last year, retained their Grade C retainers. Vastrakar continues to recover from a long-standing back injury that also forced her out of WPL 2025, while Rana hasn’t played for the national team since 2023. Yastika Bhatia too retains her spot despite having battled form and fitness concerns over the past year.Batters Harleen Deol and Pratika Rawal, and legspinner Priya Mishra are among the notable absentees. Deol returned from a long injury layoff to smash her maiden international century during the home ODIs against West Indies in January, while Rawal made a strong start to her international career.No woman has scored more in her first six innings than the 444 runs Rawal has made. Mishra, meanwhile, has featured in every single squad since making her ODI debut against New Zealand in October, and was one of the breakout Indian players at WPL 2025.The list, recommended by the women’s senior selection panel chaired by Neetu David and head coach Amol Muzumdar, is for a 12-month duration from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025.India is next set to play ODI tri-series in Sri Lanka, also featuring South Africa, in April followed by a tour of England in the summer as part of their FTP calendar, in the run-up to the 50-over World Cup they’re slated to host in September.In: Shreyanka Patil, Titas Sadhu, Arundhati Reddy, Uma Chetry, Amanjot KaurOut: Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Harleen Deol, Meghna Singh, Devika Vaidya, S Meghana, Anjali Sarvani

Cruz Azul could be ready to entertain offers for Mateusz Bogusz, according to a report from ESPN. The 24-year-old has seen his role reduced since Larcamón’s arrival, though there’s no sign of frustration from the player. The Polish attacker has struggled for minutes under Nicolás Larcamón in the Apertura 2025, where he’s logged just 346 minutes across six matches.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Europe could be Bogusz’s destination

  Cruz Azul may be willing to consider selling Bogusz as interest grows abroad. A German club is reportedly preparing an offer worth around $13 million for the Polish attacker, which the Mexican side would not dismiss outright.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Role has steadily diminished

  Bogusz has struggled to cement a place under new manager Larcamón in the Apertura 2025, playing just 346 minutes across six matches. His overall output has also been underwhelming: since arriving at , he has tallied only two goals and seven assists in 31 appearances, with both goals coming this year.

  That dip in production, combined with Larcamón’s tactical demands, has further reduced his role. Sources maintain that Bogusz has responded with professionalism. 

  The Argentine coach has repeatedly praised Bogusz’s talent, but his system prioritizes central build-up and attacking width from fullbacks, leaving fewer spaces for wingers or wide forwards. That has opened the door for prospects such as Luka Romero to take on more responsibility.

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  Not the impact he once had in MLS

  Bogusz has struggled to replicate the form he showed in MLS, the very performances that initially caught Cruz Azul’s attention and secured his move to Liga MX. During his time with LAFC, Bogusz recorded 24 goals and 19 assists across 90 appearances.

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  What’s next for Cruz Azul?

  Cruz Azul return to action on Friday against FC Juárez in Matchday 9 of the Apertura 2025. The Mexico City club currently sit second in the table with 20 points, just one behind leaders Monterrey.

Greg Barclay, the outgoing chair of the ICC, has acknowledged the game he governed for four years is “a mess” and has warned of more challenging times ahead as he gives way to Jay Shah. In an interview with the , Barclay, who had two two-year terms at the helm from 2020, also cautioned Shah against taking the game “under the yoke of India”.Barclay stepped down on December 1, in the midst of an ongoing crisis over the Champions Trophy venues, and he admitted there was so much cricket being played that he had lost track of who was playing whom. In his tenure, three more major franchise-based T20 leagues cropped up, in the USA, the UAE and South Africa, further cramming an already packed calendar. He blamed the members’ self-interest for the situation.”I reckon, gee, I’m at the apex of the game and I can’t tell you who’s playing around the world. In fact, I didn’t realise that Sri Lanka were in South Africa until I read about Marco Jansen’s seven wickets this morning,” Barclay said. “So we’ve lost perspective. It’s not great for the game at all. It’s a mess. The calendar is incredibly congested and self-interest is such that it’s almost impossible to untangle all of that, because no one’s going to give up their content.”Related

• Two-tier model for Test cricket – ECB wary, CA 'open'

• Can cricket shrink to save itself?

• The resolution of the India-Pakistan Champions Trophy standoff was a win? Not by a long shot

• Cricket Australia chair defends Afghanistan stance despite 'hypocrisy' accusation

• CA: No cricket with Afghanistan till 'a level of progress'

Barclay said he hoped Shah would be able to leverage India’s stature take the game out of the mess it was in. “I think he’s got a great opportunity to use what he’s got in his background to help India take the game to another level, but without making it sort of under the yoke of India as well,” Barclay said. “We’re really lucky to have India, they’re a massive contributor to the game across all the measures, but one country having that amount of power and influence does distort a whole lot of other outcomes, which is not necessarily helpful in terms of that global growth.”Jay has the ability to bring India into the international fold even more. There are a number of things that India could do to help unite and grow the game, including commercially helping to pool off-shore rights, using their teams to give opportunity to smaller Full Members and emerging countries, using their clout to open new territories and markets, collaborating closely with the ICC to help benefit members, as examples.”Barclay also warned of an impending financial readjustment the game might be forced to make, in the shape of its next media and commercial rights deal. The current rights deal is the most lucrative the ICC has signed, worth over US$3 billion. The bulk of that value has come from the Indian market where Disney-Star* hold the rights to broadcast ICC events until 2027. That has resulted in revenue distributions to Full Members of a size they have never seen before, and it has become particularly important for members such as the PCB, NZC, CWI, SLC and CSA for whom annual ICC revenue makes up a significant chunk of their total earnings.Barclay said the deals were ultimately “way in excess” of the actual value and that there will be, in time, a correction.”At some point, it is going to correct,” he said. “It’s a market. Is it going to be a sharp, severe correction? Or is it going to be a long, slow one? Or maybe there’s going to be an alternative broadcaster that comes to the market? But people have been saying that for 10 years now. New Zealand cricket had a deal with Amazon, but it didn’t work, so I don’t think they’re going to be the white knight that everybody is anticipating. I just think what we’ve got in front of us is what we’ve got.”I know that when we did our current deal it was way in excess of what the valuations we got before we went to market. We got £2.4 billion just out of India. The next biggest one is UK Sky. They did an eight-year deal, which was £237 million, so that’s 10% of the India deal for double the length of time. So if we go back to what the original projection was of £800 million it more than halves ICC revenue. It could even be less than that. There’s no discernible replacement for that at the moment.”One of the prominent issues that marked Barclay’s time was the Afghanistan Cricket Board not being allowed by the country’s Taliban government to field a women’s team. Fielding a women’s team and programme is a central tenet of Full Membership and despite calls to suspend membership, Barclay said the ICC had been right in not sanctioning Afghanistan’s membership status.Greg Barclay cautioned Jay Shah against taking the game “under the yoke of India”•Associated Press

“It is not the Afghanistan board’s fault. They used to have women’s cricket. I think our approach has been right,” he said. “It would be easy to kick Afghanistan out, but their board haven’t done anything wrong. They’re just working under a decree and a series of laws that says this is what you have to do. I don’t think it would make a jot of difference to the ruling party there to kick them out.”Maybe I’m a little naïve, but I think cricket is such a force for good there, and it brings a lot of joy to a lot of people. It is better to leave it there and hope that it can foster a bit of a change.”Instead, Barclay did point to the double standards of boards – such as Cricket Australia – that have cancelled multiple bilateral series with the Afghanistan men’s team as a sanction, but has played them at ICC events. “If you really want to make a political statement, don’t play them in a World Cup. Sure, it might cost you a semi-final place, but principles are principles. It’s not about having half a principle.”*

The New England Revolution parted ways with manager Caleb Porter after a 1-1 draw with Toronto FC extended the club’s winless streak to three games, the club announced Monday. Porter arrived with high expectations as a two-time MLS Cup winner with Portland and Columbus, but the Revolution never emerged as contenders during his tenure.

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  A disappointing run

  Porter, historically one of the best managers in MLS, never found his footing at the club. He had a record of just 23 wins, 39 losses and 13 draws in all competitions, and that was with New England – a historically low-budget team – opening up their checkbooks. He also clashed with both the media and his own players.

  New England will now be coached by Pablo Moreira, one of Porter's assistants. 

  Porter told GOAL at the start of the season that the failure to make the playoffs in 2024 was due to the team moving on from a previous cycle of players. He and sporting director Curt Onalfo stressed this season's goal was to reach the postseason.

  However, despite key arrivals such as Luca Langoni and U.S. international Matt Turner, the team sit 11th in the Eastern Conference and mired in a three-game winless streak. The team are 10 points back from a playoff spot with just four games remaining.

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• Onalfo thanks Porter

  Onalfo, who had hired and backed Porter during the team's struggles, acknowledged the work the manager did in rebuilding the team.

  “I am very grateful to Caleb Porter for the energy, effort, and dedication he has brought to the Revolution over the last two years,” Onalfo said in a statement. "I have the utmost respect for Caleb and all the tireless work he’s invested in the club, and we wish him the best moving forward.”

• Playoff drought

  Barring a late-season march to the postseason, New England will likely see its playoff drought extend. The last time the team was in the postseason was in 2023, when it lost in the first round.

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  Four matches remaining

  The team have four matches remaining, and the fixture list isn't easy. They face the Philadelphia Union, Atlanta United FC, Inter Miami and the Chicago Fire. 

تحدثت شبكة إنجليزية عن أداء النجم المصري محمد صلاح في مباراة فريقي ليفربول وإيفرتون، ظهر يوم السبت، في إطار منافسات بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

واستضاف ملعب “الأنفيلد” مباراة ديربي ميرسيسايد بين ليفربول وإيفرتون في الجولة الخامسة من الدوري الإنجليزي، موسم 2025/26.

وتمكن ليفربول من تحقيق فوز صعب على إيفرتون بهدفين لهدف، حيث عزز صدارته لجدول الدوري الإنجليزي برصيد 15 نقطة.

وشارك النجم المصري محمد صلاح في مباراة اليوم كأساسي وخاضها بأكملها، وتمكن من صناعة الهدف الأول ببراعة، الذي سجله ريان جرافنبيرخ بطريقة رائعة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. إيكتيكي: كنت محظوظًا بهدفي أمام إيفرتون.. وأتمنى إحداث الفارق مع لاعب ليفربول

ومنحت شبكة “thisisanfield” الإنجليزية، محمد صلاح، تقييمًا بلغ 7/10، حيث قالت: “استعاد صلاح مستواه شبه المثالي ضد أتلتيكو مدريد، وكان مصدر إزعاج كبير لـ إيفرتون يوم السبت”.

وأضافت: “مرر اللاعب البالغ من العمر 33 عامًا الكرة إلى جرافنبيرخ ليسجل هدفه، حيث وجه محمد صلاح تمريرة قصيرة مميزة داخل منطقة الجزاء، قبل أن تسنح له فرصة تسجيل هدف آخر بتسديدة اعتلت المرمى”.

وواصلت: “كان أداء محمد صلاح في الحفاظ على الكرة رائعًا في بعض الأحيان، كالعادة لم تُمنح له العديد من الركلات الحرة عند ارتكاب أخطاء ضده، ويبدو أنه يستعيد مستواه”.

England mixed it up, put it in a test tube, found themselves under pressure and still came out with a win and an unassailable 3-0 lead in their T20I series against New Zealand.Sophie Ecclestone’s four-wicket haul smothered Sophie Devine’s defiance before Alice Capsey’s T20I career-best of 67 not out saw the hosts win by six wickets with four balls to spare in Canterbury.With two matches left, the hosts could well continue their experimental approach which saw Sophia Dunkley take her chance with a 26-ball 35 returning to the top of the order and sharing a 66-run partnership with Capsey to put England in control. Two quick wickets to Fran Jonas preserved the hope that Devine had given New Zealand but Capsey’s 60-ball innings, and an cool cameo by Freya Kemp of 16 not out from eight balls saw England home as the White Ferns were left to rue a rash of missed chances in the field.

Devine intervention

From Suzie Bates’ stunning straight drive for four off the first ball of the match – bringing up her 10,000th international run – to her 52-run partnership with Amelia Kerr for the second wicket, this was more like the batting performance New Zealand had craved. At the end of the powerplay, the White Ferns were 46 for 1 and Kerr took them past the 50-mark with four off Sarah Glenn’s first delivery, a fuller one which she lifted behind square. But when Ecclestone cleaned up both in a devastating first over, Devine needed to produce the sort of innings that had so far eluded her on this tour.With Georgia Plimmer having fallen for a first-ball duck in the opening over, the spectre of New Zealand’s batting woes loomed large again and, at 63 for 3, it fell to Devine and Brooke Halliday to steady them. Devine received a life on 4 when Charlie Dean couldn’t hold a sharp return catch before Halliday spooned a Glenn delivery straight to Nat Sciver-Brunt at long-on. Devine broke a boundary drought lasting 5.4 overs when she struck Dean for two fours in four balls, swung through square leg and thundered through long-on, but as the wickets continued to fall, Devine would have to unleash if they were to turn 100 for 6 into a defendable total.Kemp made it 106 for 7 with a perfect yorker to remove Hannah Rowe but Devine slammed the first six of the match over long-on two balls later then slog-swept Ecclestone for an even bigger one over deep square leg and drove the next ball down the ground for four. Devine brought up her fifty with the first of three fours in a row off Dani Gibson, smashed down the ground, before slashing past short third and ending the innings with a heave through square leg to walk off with her first half-century of the tour.

Ecclestone’s incisions

Ecclestone came into the attack and struck with her second ball, Bates chipping straight to Sciver-Brunt at mid-off for a 27-ball 38. Kerr swung her bat in anguish after she was beaten a beauty three balls later, a flighted delivery that dipped then gripped off the pitch and sailed past the inside edge onto the top of middle stump. When Ecclestone splattered Izzy Gaze’s off stump with her arm ball, New Zealand were in all sorts of trouble. That’s when Devine shifted gears but Ecclestone claimed her fourth when Leigh Kasperek tried to match her captain’s hitting and heaved across the line, only to miss and see her middle stump rattled. It was the last ball of Ecclestone’s allocation, giving her 4 for 25, her second four-wicket haul in T20Is and bettered only by the 4 for 18 she took against New Zealand at Taunton in 2018.Alice Capsey’s half-century got England over the line•Getty Images

“What-if?” planning

England made sweeping changes in a piece of “what-if?” planning ahead of the T20 World Cup, as it was described at the toss by Sciver-Brunt, standing in as captain for Heather Knight, who sat out alongside Danni Wyatt and Lauren Bell. That made way at the top of the order for Dunkley to play her first T20I since March. Kemp returned after her unbeaten 26 and 1 for 30 playing again as an allrounder in the opening T20I in Southampton while making her comeback from a back injury. Bell made way for fellow seamer Lauren Filer in the other change, which was in keeping with a theme Knight painted ahead of the T20I series where she said England would look to try different combinations and tactics with a view to needing to adapt to changing conditions in Bangladesh.Having been dropped after England’s tour of New Zealand earlier this year, Dunkley scored 15 in her only other appearance of this visit by the White Ferns, in the third ODI in Bristol. Here she had another chance to show what she could do ahead of the T20 World Cup and the spotlight intensified here when Maia Bouchier fell on the first ball of the run-chase, pinned lbw by Rowe. In Rowe’s next over, Dunkley powered a big six over long-off, then helped herself to three fours – and 15 runs in all – off Devine’s second over, which was the last of the powerplay and ended with England comfortable on 50 for 1. But when left-arm spinner Jonas entered the attack, she had two wickets in two balls, Dunkley cramped by a full ball which drifted in and chopping onto her stumps and Sciver-Brunt to an lbw decision that would have been overturned had she reviewed with ball-tracking showed it was missing leg stump.

Capsey, Kemp get the job done

That left England needing 73 runs in 10 overs and Capsey made the most of her chance when she was pinned on the front pad attempting a reverse sweep off Kasperek and successfully reviewed, the ball shown to be going down the leg side. Amy Jones survived two dropped chances, put down on 11 by Plimmer at long-off and Devine at mid-off on 18 with England needing 28 off 17 balls. Capsey slammed Kerr over long-on for six next ball so that when Jones was run out, the equation was 22 needed from 15.Yet another chance went begging when Maddy Green failed to hold in the deep and Kemp capitalised, cleverly reversing Kasperek to the boundary through short third and smashing the next ball down the ground to leave England with five to get off the last over. They got there with four balls to spare via a streaky four by Capsey off a Jonas misfield.

Wolverhampton Wanderers managed to enjoy a comfortable end to the campaign and have now made an approach to bring a talented youngster to Molineux this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Wolves transfer rumours with Cunha set to join Man Utd

The Old Gold spent a portion of the campaign flirting with relegation from the Premier League. However, Vitor Pereira made sure that no such thoughts managed to enter their psyche in the West Midlands and secured safety with plenty of time to spare.

Thanking supporters for their crucial role in backing the team, the Portuguese boss has promised to add to his Wolves squad this summer to ensure a repeat scenario doesn’t unfold next term.

He stated: “Our supporters, they are fantastic. I’m very proud of them, very proud of my team, proud of our work, proud of our club, all the staff, all the efforts that everybody did to finish the league in the situation that we know we can build on in the future.”

Matheus Cunha may be on his way to Manchester United, though Pereira has already profiled Leicester City midfielder Bilal El Khannouss as an ideal Wolves replacement for the Brazil international.

A bid of around £22 million should be enough to entice him away from the King Power Stadium, and he is far from the only star lined up at Molineux now the window is around the corner.

Offer made: Wolves submit bid for £42m star who "never puts a foot wrong"

The Old Gold have now made a move for a defender.

ByDominic Lund May 29, 2025

Lazio defender Mario Gila could also pitch up at Wolves if they can see off competition from Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion for his signature.

Plenty of movement is underway as the Old Gold build for next season, and they have now reportedly made an approach for a highly-rated talent.

Romano: Wolves make approach for Liverpool's Kieran Morrison

Taking to social media platform X, renowned transfer specialist Romano has reported that Wolves have made an approach for “highly rated” Liverpool winger Kieran Morrison.

Said to be on their shortlist, there is also competition from around Europe for his signature as the summer window kicks off in earnest.

Capable of operating out wide or in a central role, the Northern Ireland Under-19 international has registered five goals and six assists in 27 appearances for Liverpool’s youth development squad this season.

It feels unlikely that Morrison would immediately become a first-team figure at Molineux, though his versatility and scope to develop would be an attracting commodity looking towards the future.

Under contract at Anfield until 2027, it remains to be seen what type of fee he could command if he were to leave the Merseyside giants. However, it may be worth noting that a sale would likely count as pure profit for Liverpool, indicating that a move could go through before the PSR deadline.