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Tom Smith chimes in with career-best 84 after coming in as injury replacement

ECB Reporters Network16-Jul-2019

Chris Dent drives•Getty Images

Chris Dent and Tom Smith staged an unlikely third-wicket stand of 195 in 66.1 overs as Gloucestershire forged a potentially decisive first-innings lead on day two of the Specsavers County Championship match against Leicestershire at Cheltenham.Skipper Dent posted a superb 125 and Smith raised a career-best 84 on a day when bat dominated ball for long periods, the hosts reaching the close handily placed on 275 for 6 in reply to Leicestershire’s 252.If Gloucestershire’s intention was to bat only once on a pitch that is expected to deteriorate over the course of the next two days, they were made to re-evaluate their plans when Chris Wright took three wickets in as many overs with the second new ball to redress the balance. The hosts are 23 runs ahead with four first-innings wickets in hand and bottom-of-the-table Leicestershire will feel they are still in with a chance against opponents who have lost back-to-back matches and must bat last.Only playing because of an injury to teenage all-rounder Ben Charlesworth, spin bowler Smith was enjoying his first Championship outing since September 2017. And how he made up for lost time, registering his highest red-ball total after being promoted up the order to help take the shine off the ball and protect Gloucestershire’s middle-order stroke-makers.Arriving in the middle with the score on 46 for 2 – Miles Hammond and Gareth Roderick having succumbed to Mohammad Abbas and a Neil Dexter run out respectively – Smith adopted a low-risk strategy to frustrate Leicestershire’s bowlers.Having scraped just seven runs in his first hour at the crease, the former Middlesex and Sussex man eventually attained only his third first-class 50 from 155 balls. Accelerating after tea, he eclipsed his previous highest score of 80, made against Surrey at Bristol six years earlier, entertaining Festival-goers with nine boundaries and visibly growing in confidence the longer he remained at large.Dent in particular has proved a thorn in Leicestershire flesh this summer, compiling a substantial innings of 176 in the drawn match at Grace Road last month. Initially subjected to a stern new-ball examination at the hand of Pakistan Test paceman Abbas, the Bristolian lived a charmed existence before moving up through the gears to register a patient 50 from 95 balls shortly before lunch.Taking charge of an inreasingly progressive third-wicket partnership in the afternoon, Dent raised his third hundred of the summer via 202 balls with his 14th four, despatched just backward of square leg at the expense of Callum Parkinson and eliciting a standing ovation from an appreciative Festival audience.By the time he departed midway through the final session, caught at the wicket off the bowling of Wright, Gloucestershire’s captain had faced 231 balls, harvested 16 fours and held sway for a little over five hours.Having worked so hard to build a platform, Gloucestershire were no doubt disappointed by what followed, Smith losing his off stump to a Wright in-swinger and Graeme van Buuren falling to the same bowler, held by Colin Ackerman at second slip later in the same over.Ryan Higgins was then bowled by Will Davis for 14 shortly before stumps, at which point Gloucestershire had lost four wickets for the addition of 32 runs, leaving the seventh-wicket pair of Jack Taylor and Benny Howell to negotiate the final three overs.Smith said: “It was a bit of a new role for me, one we only discussed after Ben Charlesworth went down with injury. I’d opened the batting for the second eleven a few times, but not played against this quality of bowling. My initial intention was to bat time and help screen the guys who were coming in after me. Batting became easier the longer I was out there and it was nice to score a 50. It’s been quite a long time coming.”

Carlos Corberan won't have been best pleased with his side's efforts against Wolverhampton Wanderers last match, West Bromwich Albion losing 2-0 at the Hawthorns in what was a fiery Black Country Derby.

Wolves' Premier League quality ended up shining through on the day courtesy of Pedro Neto and Matheus Cunha running rings around the hosts, the Baggies now just aspiring to join their arch-rivals in the top-flight and bridge that gap if everything goes swimmingly in the Championship promotion hunt.

But, based off that defeat in the FA Cup denting West Brom's pride somewhat, Corberan could well be tempted by some last-minute buys this transfer window with one midfielder in particular catching the eye in the West Midlands.

West Brom going after in-demand youngster

West Brom have joined what is an incredibly late race to sign Huddersfield Town starlet Brahima Diarra according to Foot Mercato, with nine second-tier sides in total allegedly sniffing around for the 20-year-old midfielder in the report.

Foot Mercato journalist Sébastien Denis has also further revealed on social media that a Ligue 1 club is 'very hot' on signing the Terriers starlet alongside West Brom, but the Championship promotion candidates will still be hopeful of securing a deal for Diarra before the close of the transfer window ahead of interest from France.

With talk earlier in the window surrounding Okay Yokuslu potentially leaving the Baggies, and Alex Mowatt lacking another midfield partner away from the combative Turkish presence, Diarra could well give the West Midlands club some more depth ahead of the crunch months to come in the ongoing promotion race.

How Diarra fits into the West Brom team

Playing with a central midfield trio last game to try and make the Baggies more compact, Yokuslu pushed back to an anchor-like role, Diarra could come in and take Nathaniel Chalobah's more advanced spot off him to complement Mowatt if this is a preferred West Brom system for the long-run.

Helping himself to three assists from 42 Championship appearances to date for the Terriers, Diarra is held in high regard in West Yorkshire and was even publically praised by Neil Warnock at the start of the season when pulling on a Huddersfield strip.

Showing signs of promise at the start of this campaign when selected led to Warnock even comparing the energetic midfielder to Victor Moses, describing him as a 'super' talent for the future.

"He just reminds me of a lad I had at Palace called Victor Moses, who was always smiling and wanting to play," the former Terriers boss admitted.

Averaging 3.27 successful take-ons over the last year per 90 minutes, bettering Yokuslu's meagre 0.59 quite significantly in comparison, Diarra would allow for West Brom to play far more on the front-foot with Mowatt beginning the attacking moves and Diarra then driving the team up the field.

Diarra also trumps Yokuslu when it comes to tackles over the same time period – coming in at 2.15 to Yokuslu's 1.99 – and so the in-demand 5 foot 9 midfielder could slot into the starting XI and perform like the Baggies number 35 with just more tenacity and aggression at his disposal.

With Yokuslu also now starting to near towards the twilight of his career at nearly 30 years of age, the time could well be right for West Brom to take a risk in the transfer market and attempt to land Diarra before the window slams shut tomorrow.

Mowatt could well see his game improve too alongside his new midfield partner, West Brom desperate to make any last-minute adjustments they can that could give them the edge in winning promotion.

The January transfer window is set to slam shut on Thursday and Celtic could be in for a busy few days of business before the deadline passes.

Brendan Rodgers watched on as his side scraped a 1-0 win over Ross County in their Scottish Premiership return on Saturday, thanks to a goal from Alistair Johnston in the first minute.

The Hoops had 70% of the ball and took 17 shots at the opposition's goal but failed to find the back of the net after that stunning start to the game, with Luis Palma's missed penalty in the 28th minute contributing to that failure.

Nicolas Kuhn, who was signed from Rapid Wien earlier this month, came off the bench to make his debut for the Bhoys but he may not be the last attacking addition to the squad before the window slams shut.

Minutes played

26

Key passes

Zero

Dribbles completed

One

Pass accuracy

69%

Football Insider previously reported that Rodgers would like to bring in another number nine to bolster his squad, along with a left-back and a goalkeeper.

Celtic's search for a striker

Celtic's search for a striker appears to be nearing a conclusion as they have identified the son of one of their former centre-forwards – Pierre van Hooijdonk – as a target.

Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph claims that Sydney van Hooijdonk is looking to move on from Serie A side Bologna before the end of the window.

The journalist adds that the Hoops have been keeping tabs on the Dutch youngster for 'some time' and that the club are in the market to bring in another striker.

However, he did state that the Scottish giants have not made contact with Bologna over a deal to sign the 23-year-old marksman at this stage.

Meanwhile, TNT commentator Paul Dempsey claimed on Saturday evening, as relayed by the Daily Record, that a move to Parkhead is "on the cards" for the young attacker.

He was on duty for Bologna's Serie A clash with AC Milan and noted that van Hooijdonk was absent from the matchday squad for the Italian side, as an apparent switch to Scotland could be on.

However, it remains to be seen how close a deal is or how much the Bhoys would be willing to pay for his services, and if it is enough to tempt the Serie A team into cashing in on him.

If Rodgers does secure a swoop for van Hooijdonk before the deadline passes on Thursday then the Northern Irish head coach could land an exciting partner for Kyogo Furuhashi, as well as competition for the Japan international, at the top end of the pitch.

Kyogo's drop-off in form under Rodgers

The 29-year-old attacker enjoyed a sensational 2022/23 campaign under Ange Postecoglou to cement himself as a star for the Scottish giants.

Kyogo racked up a staggering 27 goals and two assists in 36 Premiership appearances for the club, in 31 starts, as he showcased his goalscoring quality on a regular basis.

His sensational form in front of goal earned him the PFA Scotland Men's Player of the Year award, which shows that the striker's peers recognised and respected his quality.

He produced an eye-catching 34 goals and five assists in 50 matches in all competitions for Celtic, which is a goal every 1.47 outings on average, as they won a domestic treble under the Australian head coach.

Postecoglou moved on from Parkhead last summer and was replaced by Rodgers, for his second spell, in the dugout and that change appears to have had a negative impact on Kyogo.

The Japan international has produced 11 goals and three assists in 31 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops so far this season, which is a return of one strike every 2.82 games on average.

That is a staggering decline in form for the experienced centre-forward, who has not been able to replicate or kick on from his goalscoring exploits last term.

Appearances

36

23

Goals

27

Eight

Big chances missed

16

12

Minutes per goal

86

201

As you can see in the table above, the Hoops striker has struggled badly in comparison to his incredible performances during the 2022/23 campaign.

The signing of van Hooijdonk could help Kyogo by providing him with serious competition for his place, to drive his motivation up, and possibly a fantastic partner for him in the final third.

The stats that show why Celtic should sign van Hooijdonk

The 23-year-old whiz has struggled to make his mark in Italy this season, with one goal in 11 matches for Bologna, but has previously showcased his quality in the Netherlands.

Van Hooijdonk, who was once hailed as "prolific" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, spent 18 months on loan with Heerenveen in the Eredivisie from January 2022 through to the summer of 2023 and caught the eye in front of goal.

The Dutch finisher racked up six goals, and only missed three 'big chances', in 13 top-flight appearances during the second half of the 2021/22 campaign.

Appearances

41

16

70

Goals

35

Seven

23

Assists

Two

Zero

Four

He followed that first five months on loan up with a superb return of 16 goals, with only ten 'big chances' missed, in 30 Eredivisie starts for Heereveen over the subsequent 12 months.

Overall, van Hooijdonk produced 22 goals and only missed 13 'big chances' in 43 league starts on loan with the Dutch side, which is a return of one strike every 1.95 starts on average.

This suggests that the Celtic target has the potential to offer more in front of goal than Kyogo has so far this season, as his form for Heerenveen over that 18-month spell was more impressive than what the current Hoops ace has mustered up in the Premiership.

Van Hooijdonk could also be a fantastic partner for the Japanese dynamo as he excels where the 29-year-old struggles – in aerial contests with defenders.

He won 2.0 aerial duels per game in the Eredivisie last season, with a success rate of 45%, whilst Kyogo has won 0.2 per game, with a success rate of 20%, in the league this term.

The £7.6k-per-week striker could, therefore, provide a physical outlet at the top end of the pitch that would allow the current Celtic marksman to play off and around him without needing to worry about engaging in physical duels with towering Scottish defenders, which could free him up to focus on improving his output in front of goal.

This could make them an exciting pairing for Rodgers in the final third as well as excellent competition for each other to drive up the standards in training and on matchdays.

Sitting just five points adrift of the automatic promotion places in the Championship, Southampton could yet make an instant return to the Premier League under Russell Martin, who has more than found his feet at St Mary's this season. The Saints' most recent outing was one of their most impressive performances to date, as they eased past Swansea City to win 5-0 in front of their home fans.

As results continue to come, Southampton could yet improve even further too. Reports suggest that the Saints' transfer chief Darren Mowbray is particularly desperate to convince those at the club to move for one particular star striker at his former club.

Southampton transfer news

After suffering relegation last season, Southampton did well to keep hold of the majority of their star men. Whilst James Ward-Prowse and Romeo Lavia left for West Ham United and Chelsea respectively, the likes of Che Adams and Stuart Armstrong stayed put to hand Martin a major boost of experience in his first season in charge. Now, the former Swansea boss could turn to the January transfer window to add further additions to a side he hopes will be capable of sealing automatic promotion to the Premier League. And that could include the arrival of one star striker.

According to Daily Record, Southampton Head of Recruitment Darren Mowbray is pleading for the club to sign Aberdeen forward Bojan Miovski, who has also attracted the interest of both Celtic and Rangers ahead of the January transfer window. The striker would reportedly cost around £6.5m to match Aberdeen's record sale of Calvin Ramsay to Liverpool in what would be a hefty winter deal. When the transfer window swings open in a matter of days, Miovski could certainly be one to keep an eye on, especially if Mowbray gets his wish at St Mary's in the new year.

"Brilliant" Miovski could star in the Championship

Miovski's stats for Aberdeen this season prove that he's more than ready to make a big move to a club vying for Premier League promotion. The forward has scored 14 goals in 27 games in all competitions this season and, at 24-years-old, he looks set to get even better.

Earning plenty of praise as a result of his goalscoring exploits, Kelle Roos said, via The Press and Journal: “Bojan is brilliant. If you feed him, he will score. He always finds himself on the shoulder and Bojan always gets his body in front, Bojan can really be a threat from all angles. He can score from crosses, he has one-touch finishes.

"I have played with strikers who are also good shooters – but they don’t have anything near the mobility Bojan has. He’s a great striker and someone we all enjoy having in the team.”

Given the small margins in the Championship promotion race, the January transfer window could make all the difference for Southampton, especially if they beat others to Miovski's signature. The forward could be a game-changer for Martin, who has the job of closing the gap on Ipswich Town in England's second tier.

Jorginho revealed Mikel Arteta had been a huge admirer of him for nearly a decade and tried to get him since he was in Napoli in the mid 2010s.

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Jorginho signed an extension with ArsenalSet to stay until 2025Believes Arteta will sign an extension as wellWHAT HAPPENED?

As his contract approached its conclusion this summer, Jorginho opted to prolong his stay, penning a short-term deal believed to span 12 months, with the possibility of an additional year. The 32-year-old midfield maestro has become a mainstay in Arteta's squad as the Gunners challenge for the top crown in England. Notably, Arteta's interest in the Italian dates back to his time at Napoli between 2014 and 2018, with the Arsenal manager making multiple attempts in the past to secure his signature.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT JORGINHO SAID

"When he (Arteta) was at City and I was in Naples, that was the first time (he tried signing me) and then he tried twice when he was here and it didn't happen," Jorginho said after signing the new deal.

"But now fortunately it happened. I am here, happy, having the opportunity to work together with him and learning a lot from him."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

With one year remaining on Arteta's contract, speculation surrounding his future has been rife. However, Jorginho remains confident in Arteta's commitment to Arsenal, citing the transformative impact the coach has had on the club.

"I feel that he could stay way longer," he said.

"I feel he feels good here and I honestly don't see him going. It is really important for the club for him to stay because him with Edu and the board, the whole club, they created something special. I don't believe he wants to go as well."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR JORGINHO?

As Arsenal prepare for a crucial fixture against Manchester United on Sunday, Jorginho will aim to maintain the momentum garnered from recent successes. A victory against their rivals would bolster Arsenal's position at the top of the table, leaving Manchester City no room for error against Tottenham on Tuesday night.

Liverpool are eyeing a move for an “incredible” new centre-back in one of the next two transfer windows, according to an update from journalist Dean Jones.

Liverpool need new defender in January after Matip injury

The Reds may be sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League table currently, but they do feel in a precarious position when it comes to the defensive options at Jurgen Klopp's disposal.

Joel Matip's likely season-ending injury has acted as a hammer blow for Liverpool, especially as the 32-year-old has returned to somewhere near his best form, and it means Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate staying fit is of the utmost importance.

Granted, Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah are also good options who can fill in effectively here and there – Quansah started last Saturday's 2-1 win at Crystal Palace, for example – but the former is injury-prone and the latter remains very inexperienced at the top level.

Klopp must at least consider signing a new centre-back in the January transfer window, with Sporting CP's Goncalo Inacio one player who has been linked with a move to Liverpool a number of times. Palace defender Marc Guehi is another who has been seen as a potential target for the Merseysiders, should the manager be unhappy with his current options.

Liverpool "definitely scouting" the "incredible" Goncalo Inacio

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones claimed that Liverpool are scouting Inacio ahead of a potential move, although a January switch could be tricky.

"Yeah, centre-back is definitely an area that Liverpool are having to contemplate as we get towards the new year. Whether that will be in January, I don't know. It's probably more likely to be in the summer if they're going to go for someone like Goncalo Inacio, who is going to cost a lot of money and there's going to be a decent level of competition to sign him.

"Manchester United really like him but Liverpool are definitely scouting him as well. And if that's the sort of level of defender that they're looking to go for, then you're probably going to have to wait until the summer transfer window to make a move like that."

Inacio ticks so many boxes when it comes to being a great choice for Liverpool, with the Portuguese a young player with such a high ceiling – one who has already become a key player for Sporting.

The Reds transfer target has made 142 appearances for his current club, despite still only being 22 years of age, while journalist Moby Haque has described him as "incredible" in the past.

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Inacio is known predominantly as a centre-back, but the fact that he can also slot in as a left-back is an added bonus for Klopp, allowing him to provide sterner competition for Andy Robertson than Kostas Tsimikas currently does when the Scot is fit and available.

It does look as though Sporting will hold firm with regards to selling one of their star players in January, so Liverpool may have to wait until next summer. It is easy to imagine Klopp being happy not to make a signing next month, although it remains to be seen how big a risk that would be.

Chase saluted the efforts of his captain after helping to secure an emphatic victory over England in the first Test

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Jan-2019Roston Chase saluted the efforts of his captain and fellow Bajan Jason Holder, after helping to secure an emphatic victory over England in the first Test. Chase claimed a career-best eight-wicket haul as West Indies wrapped up a crushing win to go 1-0 up in the series, but said there was “no greater feeling” than seeing Holder score his landmark double-hundred on the third day.Holder became only the third man batting at No. 8 or lower to score a Test double-ton, as he and fellow centurion Shane Dowrich kept England toiling in the field, eventually setting them a notional target of 628, or more than six sessions to survive. Holder also claimed two wickets and three catches to be named Man of the Match in front of his home crowd.”Jason is a legend in my eyes, a long-time friend, I believe in him and he believes in himself on the field,” Chase said. “Could have been no greater feeling than to see him do that double-hundred yesterday. I thought he was going to give it away for a bit but he really showed the true character that he is, so I’m really happy for him and for my friend Shane Dowrich, who came through for the team.”While England made a decent start to their rearguard, with an opening stand of 85 between Keaton Jennings and Rory Burns, the floodgates opened late in the afternoon session. Having already bowled Burns, for 84, Chase removed Joe Root, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali in quick succession, before rounding up the tail after tea.”Looking at the wicket, I always thought I would come into play in the second innings,” he said. “The quicks set it up for us in the first innings and Mushy [bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed] told me I’m going to have to bowl 25 overs in the second innings, to get my mind ready for it, so I was always prepared to do some work, to give the pacers a rest. I started to pick up some wickets and it went from there.”I just tried to be consistent and land it my areas, despite what the batsmen were doing, put some revs on the ball and vary my pace a bit.”With West Indies having cruised into a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, Chase said that it was important for the hosts not to get carried away with victory. The teams travel to Antigua next, with plenty of questions surrounding England, who had been viewed by many as favourites coming.”It gives us big confidence for the series, because England are a higher-ranked team than ourselves,” he said. “For us to carry on from here, don’t get too big headed, continue to do what we do well, the basics and focus on our processes, we should be all right.”

Crystal Palace are keen to bolster the ranks in January and Roy Hodgson now looks to have received a boost as one of the Eagles' reported targets is open to a move to Selhurst Park, according to a report.

Crystal Palace updates

Crystal Palace have performed largely to expectation this campaign and sit 13th in the Premier League table with 15 points from their opening 13 fixtures, straddling the line between comfortable mid-table obscurity and giving themselves plenty of breathing space away from the relegation zone.

In fairness to the Eagles, they have had to contend with some notable injury absences this term, with the likes of Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze spending time on the sidelines in the earlier part of the campaign.

Eze suffered a new concern last weekend in their 2-1 defeat to Luton Town at Kenilworth Road, alongside teammate Cheick Doucoure, with both players withdrawn from the encounter in a major blow for Hodgson. Mali international Doucoure required a stretcher when he was taken off, and his issue has now been confirmed as a serious achilles injury.

Giving an update on Eze in his post-match press conference, Hodgson stated: "He didn’t exactly go down, did he? The way I saw it, he was brought down and as he was trying to get away, the player landed on him and has damaged his ankle."

Undoubtedly frustrated, the 76-year-old will need to find a way round losing two key components of his engine room sooner rather than later, with a tough test away to West Ham United awaiting the Eagles on Sunday.

Casting an eye towards January, Crystal Palace now have an eye on a player that could help to strengthen their forward line, according to a report.

Crystal Palace keen on Chuba Akpom

According to TEAMtalk, Crystal Palace have made contact with Ajax to enquire about striker Chuba Akpom, who is also attracting interest from Fulham ahead of the January transfer window.

Chuba Akpom statistics 2023/24 – all competitions (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

13

Goals

5

Assists

0

The report states that the former England Under-21 international would be open to a move to England and Ajax would consider the prospect of allowing the 28-year-old to leave on loan. Everton, Burnley, Luton Town and Sheffield United, alongside Championship clubs have also thrown their hat in the ring for his signature.

Proving his worth in the English second tier last term, Akpom, who has previously been labelled "terrific" by his old boss Michael Carrick, scored 29 goals in 42 outings, demonstrating a keen eye for goal that ended up securing himself a move to a European giant.

Nevertheless, if a move back home is on the cards, Crystal Palace could land a proven goalscorer to help boost their options in the final third ahead of the second period of the season.

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ByTom Griffin Nov 26, 2023

U.S. interim boss Twila Kilgore is thrilled with the performances of Jaedyn Shaw of late, after netting her fifth goal in five starts for the USWNT.

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U.S. clashing with Canada in SheBelieves Cup finalShaw has five goals in five startsUSWNT teen in stunning formWHAT HAPPENED?

Shaw found the back of the net in the 21st minute against Japan in the semifinals of the tournament, helping lead the U.S. to a 2-1 victory over their opponents. It was her fifth-straight start where she found the back of the net, setting a record as the youngest-ever to do so.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT TWILA KILGORE SAID

“I think Jaedyn has always been a really good goalscorer,” Kilgore said speaking at a press conference ahead of the SheBelieves Cup final. “I think finding your niche in this team and being able to score consistently is quite a feat, especially as you’re being integrated. And I would actually say even though she’s here, she’s doing a great job, we’re seeing great things from her and we’re really pleased, I’d say she’s still in the onboarding process. She is still working on all phases of her game.

“She’s open to challenges, she’s very humble, she’s hardworking, she wants to be better. And while the world is saying, ‘Yeah, she’s here and she’s arrived,’ and I agree she’s doing a great job, be patient because there’s more lot more for her," Kilgore added.

With five goals in her first five starts, Kilgore believes there are also specifics that set her apart from other attackers.

“It’s her focus, it’s her calmness, and I believe that she’s looking at beating the goalkeeper and not necessarily the person that’s right in front of her,” Kilgore said. “I think that’s almost a given at this point. And it’s more about beating the goalkeeper… She’s willing to take the risk and hit a first-time ball or even take a risk and make a well-timed run and assume the ball is going to get there as opposed to waiting for the ball. And that sets her apart from a lot of people.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

With Shaw's stupendous form, the USWNT now have a selection headache heading into the Summer Olympics in Paris. She's become a locked-down must-start player in the attack, but figuring out who to surround her with is the biggest question on the table.

From Alex Morgan and Cat Macario to Rose Lavelle, Mallory Swanson, Sophia Smith, Crystal Dunn, Lynn Williams and Trinity Rodman, the U.S. has a selection dilemma – and it's not a bad thing.

Shaw, however, is now one of the first names on the teamsheet and is the hottest-scoring attacker in the pool at the moment.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR THE USWNT?

The U.S. takes on Canada Tuesday evening in the SheBelieves Cup final. The CONCACAF duo will face off once again after going head-to-head in the CONCACAF W Gold Cup semifinals earlier this year.

كشفت تقارير صحفية أن نادي مانشستر يونايتد مستعد لاتخاذ خطوة بشأن مستقبل لاعب الفريق، أنتوني، خلال موسم الانتقالات الصيفي الحالي.

وانضم أنتوني إلى مانشستر يونايتد قادمًا من أياكس، في صيف 2022، حيث كان أبرز صفقات النادي في ذلك الوقت.

اقرأ أيضًا.. خطوة قوية من مانشستر يونايتد للظفر بصفقة مميزة قبل برشلونة وأندية الدوري الإنجليزي

ورغم ذلك، لم يقدم اللاعب البرازيلي المستوى المطلوب منه خاصة وأن سقف التوقعات كان عاليًا بالنظر إلى قيمة انتقاله إلى ملعب “الأولد ترافورد” والتي بلغت 86 مليون جنيه إسترليني.

ووفقًا لما ذكرته شبكة “إسبن” العالمية، فإن مانشستر يونايتد مستعد للسماح برحيل أنتوني هذا الصيف، على سبيل الإعارة.

وأوضحت أن موافقة مانشستر يونايتد على إعارة أنتوني مرهونة إذا كانت الأندية المهتمة بضمه مستعدة لتغطية راتبه خلال فترة لعبه معها.

ويحصل أنتوني على راتب أسبوعي في الوقت الحالي يُقدر بـ70 ألف جنيه إسترليني.

وأشارت إلى أن مانشستر يونايتد يريد من النادي الذي سيوافق على ضم أنتوني، على سبيل الإعارة، أن يتولى مسؤولية دفع راتبه الأسبوعي بالكامل.