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New Zealand tend not to do especially well in Galle. Of their five Test defeats from as many games at the ground, one has been by an innings, another by ten wickets, and one more by 202 runs. Their latest Test at the venue, which ended in a 63-run defeat to Sri Lanka on Monday, when they went into the fifth morning with an outside shot of victory – 68 more runs to win, with two wickets remaining – represents their closest result here.But two players, in particular, stuck out. In his first outing in steaming conditions, and on a dry deck, seamer Will O’Rourke was frequently menacing – often touching 140kph – while sending down short deliveries on a pitch not especially conducive to short bowling. Vitally, for a bowler in his third Test, there were also no hugely loose spells. His takings were 8 for 104. Six of those dismissals were of top- or middle-order batters. Captain Tim Southee was suitably impressed by the 23-year-old.”Will’s had a very short Test career so far, and he’s certainly announced himself,” Southee said after the match. “We saw in New Zealand how dangerous he can be. He’s got the skills to have a very good Test career. For him to come to his first Test in the subcontinent and walk away with a very impressive eight wickets for the match is nothing short of special. He’s got a great head on his shoulders, and he’s a big guy. So there’s a lot to like about Will O’Rourke.”Related

• Will O'Rourke's Canterbury Tales, ft. Peter Fulton and Brendon Donkers

• Southee hopes New Zealand 'learn and move forward' from Sri Lanka loss

• SL, NZ seek to make most of Galle conditions and prevent another collapse

• Sri Lanka look to ride on hot streak to stay in the fray for WTC final

• Asia specialist Ajaz says limited opportunities have made him hungrier

On the batting front, 24-year-old Rachin Ravindra produced his second-highest Test score – a characterful 92 on a treacherous fourth-innings pitch – as New Zealand pursued a tall 275. Ravindra is not quite so new to internationals, of course, having lit up last year’s ODI World Cup in India. But he remains a batter still finding his feet at the top level, and the clear-headed approach he took on day four – pouncing almost unnerringly on errors of length, while endeavouring to keep the score ticking – was especially impressive in his third Test in Asia.”Rachin kept us in the hunt with that chase,” Southee said. “We knew it was [a] tough ask, and that it was going to take something special, with the wicket taking a lot of turn in these last couple of days. It was a great knock in those conditions.”It’s not easy to bat – the ball was spinning, and doing all sorts [of things]. For a young guy without a lot of experience in this part of the world to go out and get 90-odd was great signs for him as well. He’s another one that’s an exceptional talent, and he’s had a little taste of international cricket as well, and done exceptionally well. He’s a great young kid with a good head on his shoulders.”Tim Southee called Rachin Ravindra an “exceptional talent” after the Galle Test•AP

For Southee, it was New Zealand’s batting collapse on the third morning that was the definitive portion of the match. They had been 255 for 4 in their first innings overnight, only 50 runs adrift of Sri Lanka’s total. But they then lost six wickets for 71 runs, as the middle and lower orders succumbed to finger spinners Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis. In the end, their lead was only 35, when it had threatened to be much more.”I guess the position where we got ourselves in, in the first innings, was good. But the last four or five fell for not many, and there was an opportunity to get a bigger first-innings lead,” he said. “We knew that that second new ball was going to be tough given the nature of the wicket and the quality of the Sri Lankan spin bowlers.”If you look at those moments, if we were able to press on and get more of a lead, things could have been different. It was still a good Test match. There’s plenty of good things we can take into the next couple of days.”

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da poker： Após ficar mais de dois meses sem balançar as redes, Raphael Veiga voltou a ser o cara do Palmeiras de Abel Ferreira em um momento muito importante da temporada. O camisa 23 mais uma vez surge como uma das grandes esperanças de gol do Palmeiras diante do  Atlético-MG, no duelo decisivo desta quarta-feira (9), no Allianz Parque.

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da doce： + Veja tabela da Libertadores-2023 clicando aqui

Autor do belo gol no Mineirão no confronto de ida das oitavas de final da Libertadores 2023, o meia já balançou as redes do Galo no Allianz Parque, e foi justamente no dia em que Abel Ferreira desembarcou no Brasil pela primeira vez.

Ainda comandado pelo interino Andrey Lopes, o Palmeiras atropelou o Atlético-MG de Sampaoli pelo Brasileirão de 2020 por 3 a 0, e Raphael Veiga, de cabeça, abriu o placar, enquanto Rony e Wesley definiram o placar.

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Na manhã daquele 2 de novembro de 2020, Abel Ferreira e sua comissão técnica havia desembarcado no terminal 3 do Aeroporto de Guarulhos e já assistiu a boa vitória alviverde de um dos camarotes do Allianz Parque.

Logo de cara, Abel Ferreira se apaixonou por Raphael Veiga e não foi à toa que o camisa 23 foi o craque do título da Copa do Brasil de 2020 e já protagonista do campeão da Libertadores de 2020.

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Em noites de Copa, Raphael Veiga só aumentou o seu protagonismo na temporada seguinte, e com gol até na grande final da Libertadores 2021, foi peça importante com gols nas oitavas, diante da Universidad Católica e também balançando as redes diante do São Paulo, nas quartas.

Já consagrado como um dos maiores meias da história do clube, o Verdão conta com o brilho de Veiga para eliminar o Atlético-MG de Luiz Felipe Scolari nesta quarta-feira (9), no Allianz Parque.

+ Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00. Bebida gelada nos 90′ de jogo do Verdão!

A um gol de igualar o ídolo Alex, Veiga já é o segundo maior artilheiro do Palmeiras neste Século XXI, com 77 gols e após 246 jogos, já levantou nove taças pelo time que torce desde criança.

Chelsea are pressing ahead with a move to sign one marquee player after they reached an agreement for the signing of Liam Delap, with Enzo Maresca’s side showing no hesitation in attacking the market after ending 2024/2025 on a major high.

Chelsea begin busy summer window with Liam Delap signing

Cole Palmer’s magical second-half attacking display helped spare Maresca’s blushes in the Europa Conference League final on Wednesday evening, with Chelsea coming back from behind to smash Real Betis 4-1 in Poland.

Chelsea submit bid to sign £42m Serie A star who's admitted he could leave

The west Londoners are in good spirits after their Conference League triumph.

1 ByEmilio Galantini May 29, 2025

Manuel Pellegrini’s side threatened to end Chelsea’s season on a sour note, but strikes from Enzo Fernández, Nicolas Jackson, Jadon Sancho and Moises Caicedo in the final 25 minutes of the 90 sealed Maresca’s first piece of major silverware since taking over from Mauricio Pochettino last summer.

Chelsea’s top five finish and subsequent qualification for the Champions League, coupled with their win at the Stadion Miejski, means Maresca’s debut season in the dugout can be deemed a real success.

Despite their damp patch midway through 2024/2025, Chelsea roared to the finish line and displayed serious intent during the latter stages of this campaign, winning six of their final nine league games and losing just one as performances took a positive turn.

Now, attention fully turns to the transfer market, with Chelsea expected to be very busy yet again this summer.

They’ll also have a mini-transfer window – open from June 1 to June 10 – to sign new recruits ahead of their Club World Cup campaign. With £97 million worth of prize money on offer if they win the tournament, Chelsea are expected to take it seriously, and it is believed they ideally want two or three of their new signings through the door before the CWC kicks off next month (Simon Phillips).

One target they’ve been seriously pursuing in the last fortnight, Ipswich Town star Delap, also had a host of other offers on the table from Man United, Newcastle and Everton – so competition was rife for his signature.

However, reports this week began emerging that Chelsea’s Champions League status put them in pole position for the Englishman, who bagged 12 league goals for Ipswich last season (talkSPORT).

Now, Chelsea are expected to seal an imminent deal for Delap, as confirmed by trusted transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano.

However, Delap’s arrival at Stamford Bridge may not be the end of their striker search. Chelsea could in fact sign two centre-forwards this summer, according to journalist Simon Phillips, and this is now being echoed by Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg.

Chelsea "pushing" to sign Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike

According to Plettenberg, “underrated” Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike remains a top target for BlueCo, regardless of their agreement with Delap.

The 22-year-old is fresh off the back of an incredible full debut season at Eintracht, having signed permanently from PSG last summer. Ekitike scored 22 goals and racked up 12 assists in 48 appearances across 24/25, leaving little wonder the Bundesliga side will demand a high asking price.

Eintracht want as much as £84 million to sell Ekitike this summer, and if Chelsea are serious about him, they’ll need to splash the cash.

Low jeopardy with Nottinghamshire safe from relegation as batter ends campaign on a high

ECB Reporters Network29-Sep-2024With all potential relegation permutations happily off the agenda at last, Warwickshire calmly settled down to avoiding defeat against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge on the final day of the 2024 Vitality County Championship. Saving the follow-on with five wickets down effectively saved the game.The draw, for which the pitch was probably intended from the start, thus duly arrived with ease, Notts taking 14 points to the visitors’ 13. Sam Hain signed off the season with an unbeaten 153 and his overnight partner Ed Barnard made 81 before Michael Burgess struck 56 from 71 balls in an eventual 373 for 7 after the resumption on 143 for 4.It was not until the 13th ball after lunch in fact that the fifth-wicket partners were finally separated after adding exactly 150. The wunderkind off-spinner Farhan Ahmed switched to bowling over the wicket for the first time in the day and Barnard, who had passed 5000 first-class runs on the way, immediately top-edged a sweep to the deep.The catch was well judged by the 21-year old substitute Sam King, yet to gain a first-class debut, with Brett Hutton briefly off the field. But only 84 more runs were then needed to avoid the follow-on, reduced to 58 by the time Hutton returned to take the new ball five overs later.In a challenging summer during which personal reasons and concussion had seen him miss six games, Hain had completed a heartening second hundred of the season from 202 balls just before lunch. As Ahmed shared the new ball, he remained the anchor while Burgess proved typically combative.The follow-on target of 333 was passed with 43 overs remaining but the match, bonus points aside, long since academic as certain to be drawn. Burgess entertained with four sixes in all until he swiped at Lyndon James 21 runs later and failed to clear mid-on. Ahmed came off next over with three for 93 from 33 overs, good figures on this pitch.A second substitute, James Hayes, also without first-class experience, then took a gentle catch at cover off Rob Lord as a loose cut undid Danny Briggs without score. After tea taken at 361 for 7, however, just four bonus-point overs remained, neither side adding to their tally. Notts brought Ahmed back on but he found no further success and bad light conveniently ended play at 3.50.Warwickshire could reflect on a season of just one win but the boon of no fewer than 33 batting points, a total bettered only by Surrey and Essex in Division One. Added to the reinstated increased reward of eight points for each of their nine draws, it served them very well.Nottinghamshire too benefited from eight draws and Lancashire would no doubt rue the fact that they arguably had a marginally better playing record than both their rivals but could muster just 15 batting points along with their four draws. They ended with three wins and six losses, compared to Notts’ two wins, four losses and Warwickshire’s one win also with four losses.

Questions have been asked about Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca during his spell in charge after being appointed as Mauricio Pochettino’s successor last summer.

The Italian led Leicester City back to the Premier League, but jumped ship to take over at Stamford Bridge, with many wondering whether he would be the right man for the job.

However, nearly 12 months on from his appointment, he’s exceeded all expectations, showcasing he’s the right man for the job based on his success to date.

The 45-year-old has secured the Blues a place in the Champions League for next season, whilst also claiming Europa Conference League glory against Real Betis on Wednesday night.

It’s been a campaign to remember for Maresca, but if he wants to continue his progress in the role, he will need added funds provided by the hierarchy to help him in his quest.

The latest on Chelsea’s hunt for new signings this summer

Over the last couple of hours, Chelsea have made huge strides in a deal to sign Liam Delap, with the 22-year-old agreeing to a move to join the Blues this summer.

It was confirmed that he has rejected offers from multiple other Premier League sides, leaving Maresca’s side to trigger his release clause and complete the formalities before announcing his move to West London.

However, despite the progress made on a deal for the Ipswich Town star, another name in the form of Viktor Gyokeres has once again entered the mix, according to Record Portugal.

The report claims that the Blues have made an enquiry to sign the 26-year-old this summer, after his stupendous record of 54 goals in just 52 matches across all competitions.

It also states that they face stern competition from Juventus for the Swedish international’s signature, with Sporting CP demanding a fee in the region of £60m to part ways with the talisman this window.

Why Chelsea’s £60m target would be a better signing than Delap

With Delap’s move appearing to be moving closer to completion, Maresca could finally be about to land the new striker that he’s been craving in recent months.

Nicolas Jackson has been his main talisman since his arrival, with the Senegalese international scoring 10 times in the Premier League during the Italian’s first year in charge.

Such a record is respectable, but if the side are to reach the next level under his guidance, they will need that proven goalscorer to fire them towards the top end of the table.

Delap has shown he’s capable of doing just that, scoring 12 times in the Premier League for the Tractor Boys, with such a record being an impressive one given their relegation this season.

However, when comparing his stats to those of Gyokeres, the Swede has showcased that his performance levels are night and day – proving that he would be a far better addition than the Englishman.

The Swede, who’s been labelled “world-class” by one analyst, has massively outscored him in 2024/25, whilst also posting a higher shot on target rate – showcasing the clinical nature he possesses.

He’s also managed to complete more of the passes he’s attempted, whilst also registering more progressive carries per 90 – having the skillset to hand other players around him the best chance of improving their own tallies.

Games played

33

37

Goals & assists

46

14

Shot-on-target accuracy

52%

43%

Pass accuracy

72%

61%

Progressive carries

4.3

2.1

Take-ons completed

1.9

1.3

Aerials won

51%

42%

Fouls won

2.5

1.7

Gyokeres has also won more of the aerials he’s entered and draws more fouls, offering Maresca that focal point he’s craved, something which Delap may struggle to provide.

Given the progress on the deal for the Ipswich talisman, the hierarchy will have to act quickly to complete a deal for Gyokeres, or they could potentially miss out on his signature.

Nothing suggests that the club may not target both talents in the coming months, handing the Blues an added dimension in forward areas that could bolster their title charge in 2025/26.

As bad as Gusto: Chelsea's 4/10 flop must never play for the club again

Chelsea secured the Europa Conference League last night, but multiple players failed to deliver.

ByEthan Lamb May 29, 2025

David Warner and Ishant Sharma will need another week to regain full fitness, Delhi Capitals’ assistant coach Pravin Amre said after the team’s ten-run win over Mumbai Indians in Delhi.Warner was hit on the finger while attempting a lap shot against Lucknow Super Giants on April 12. He missed DC’s next match, against Gujarat Titans, but played against Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 20, where he was out for 1.Since then, he has missed two more games, including the one against MI. Meanwhile, Ishant is recovering from back spasms.Related

• Takeaways: Why Fraser-McGurk and Smith missed out on T20 World Cup selection

• Monga: Jake Fraser-McGurk, the ideal T20 batter

“I think Warner will take one more week [to be fully fit] and so will Ishant,” Amre said. “Ishant had back spasms, which happened on the field two games ago. Warner had a hand injury, which is yet to heal. He had an MRI, which showed the injury for which he needed rest for two to three weeks. I feel they will be ready for selection when we return to Delhi.”DC’s next match is against Kolkata Knight Riders, in Kolkata, on April 29 before they return home to play against Rajasthan Royals on May 7.Against MI, Prithvi Shaw also sat out with illness. “Prithvi was not feeling well when we reached the ground,” Amre said. “So we decided that if he was not 100% fit, we would go with [Abishek] Porel.”

Fraser-McGurk has that X-factor – Amre

DC’s win against MI was orchestrated by Jake Fraser-McGurk’s 84 off 27 balls, which propelled them to 257 for 4. Fraser-McGurk was not part of the original squad but once Lungi Ngidi was ruled out of the tournament, DC drafted him in as a replacement player.Jake Fraser-McGurk got to his fifty off just 15 balls•BCCI

“He played three games for Dubai Capitals [in the ILT20] and our scouting team was very keen to have him [for the IPL],” Amre said. “Once we got an opportunity to have a replacement, even though we had a choice between a couple of players, we picked him.”He played just three innings [in the ILT20] before leaving to play for Australia but even in that, he played a couple of match-winning innings. Those knocks were something special. Given he is a young, exciting cricketer, we decided to back him.”Fraser-McGurk didn’t play the first five games of the season for DC, but since then has smashed 247 runs in five innings, with three half-centuries and at a strike rate of 237.50.”Yes, he had to wait for four-five games before getting a chance,” Amre said. “But even when we were watching him in the nets, he had something different, that X-factor. Even today, he just opened up the game and because of his innings we were 92 for no loss after six overs.”He is a natural. If you see his set-up, he believes in a stable base. And he has excellent hand speed. And when you are batting in the powerplay, you have only one fielder on the leg side. So that’s a good area to hit; even a mis-hit can get you a boundary.”But if you see in this game, he played smart cricket. When the bowlers bowled wide, he hit a couple of sixes on the off side also. So he has that ability too, and his shot selection is very good.”

Liverpool are likely going to be Premier League champions this season and Arne Slot has already commenced building the foundations for exciting reinforcements to arrive at Anfield in the summer.

Liverpool look to maximise appeal in the summer window

Put bluntly, there will never be a better time for players to join Liverpool as they close in their a second title of the Premier League era. Fans had to watch from afar when the Reds claimed the crown in 2020/21, but there will be no such problems come May.

Arne Slot has taken the acclaim of a support that have witnessed their rejuvenated side race into an almost unassailable lead at the summit, though the Dutchman won’t want to stop there as he aims to build a legacy on Merseyside.

Making a start on summer targets, Liverpool are eyeing an ambitious £100 million bid for Real Madrid attacker Rodrygo should Mohamed Salah complete a dramatic departure.

The Egypt international has still yet to pen new terms alongside Virgil Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, potentially creating an unwanted scenario where high-profile replacements need to be identified as contingencies should the trio move on.

With Andy Robertson not getting any younger, the Reds have Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez high on their wishlist despite Real Madrid’s reported interest in the Hungary international. Getting one over the Champions League heavyweights would likely send out a signal that Liverpool are serious about being England’s dominant force for time to come.

"World-class" £150k-a-week Liverpool player could exit Anfield this summer

The club have made their decision about his future.

By
Henry Jackson

Mar 22, 2025

Maximising appeal has to be the focus for Slot and company. Setting the bar high, the former Feyenoord boss is now ready to pay a premium to land one of Europe’s most exciting forwards once the window opens.

Liverpool ready to pay £60m+ for Atalanta's Ademola Lookman

Per a report in Spain, Liverpool are ready to strike for Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman and have intentions of offering up to €75m (£63.1m) to secure a deal for the flamboyant winger.

Born in London, the 28-year-old represents Nigeria at international level and has registered 18 goals and seven assists in 32 appearances this campaign in all competitions.

Labelled “exceptional” by former Nigeria goalkeeper Idah Peterside, Lookman is believed to hold strained relations with Gian Piero Gasperini due to his recent comments on the former Everton winger’s missed penalty for Atalanta against Club Brugge in the Champions League.

The backlash from his boss has emboldened the player to seek a new challenge this summer, alerting Liverpool alongside divisional rivals Chelsea, who are also willing to commit to a sizeable prospective transfer.

Intriguingly, Lookman and Reds stalwart Van Dijk are both members of the ROOF agency, something that could ease the process of future negotiations.

Fighting off competition for the man in question has to be a priority for Slot. Nevertheless, few would argue they are at a disadvantage given Champions League qualification is guaranteed for 2025/26.

The EFL announced the shortlists for their end-of-season awards earlier this week, and Sheffield United have one of their stars in the running for the Player of the Year award.

Dutch attacking midfielder Gustavo Hamer is one of three players up for the Player of the Year trophy, alongside Burnley’s James Trafford and Leeds United’s Dan James.

The former Coventry City star’s performances for the Blades this season have contributed to him being the most valuable player in the current squad.

Gustavo Hamer's current market value

At the time of writing (18/04/2025), as per Transfermarkt, Hamer is currently valued at £12.8m, which makes him the most valuable player at Bramall Lane, which seems fair when you consider that he is in contention to be named the best player in the Championship.

The 27-year-old dynamo has proven his worth to Chris Wilder’s team by providing quality as both a scorer and a creator at the top end of the pitch from a wide or central midfield position.

In the Championship so far this season, Hamer has scored eight goals from 4.68 xG and been rewarded with six assists from ten ‘big chances’ created, which shows that he has been clinical in front of goal and unfairly compensated as a creative force.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

There is a former Sheffield United player, however, who is currently worth even more than the Dutch wizard, having left the Blades fairly recently – Iliman Ndiaye.

Iliman Ndiaye's current market value

The club cashed in on the Senegal international in the summer of 2023 for a fee of £20m, selling him to Marseille, as they did not want to run the risk of him leaving on a free transfer in 2024.

Despite leaving Bramall Lane for a fee of up to £20m, Ndiaye’s market value on Transfermarkt has fluctuated over the last couple of seasons.

August 2023 (joined Marseille)

£20m reported fee

August 2023

£15m

June 2024

£12.8m

July 2024 (joined Everton)

£12.8m

December 2024

£15m

March 2025

£18.8m

As you can see in the table above, the Senegalese forward’s Transfermarkt value has been up and down in recent seasons but is currently at the highest point it has been in his career at £18.8m.

This means that he is currently worth even more than Championship Player of the Year nominee Hamer, thanks to his performances for Everton in the Premier League this season.

The 25-year-old attacker, who was once dubbed “unplayable” by Billy Sharp, has scored seven goals from 4.99 xG in 24 starts in the top-flight for the Toffees, helping them to push clear of the relegation battle this term.

Ndiaye has proven himself in the Premier League at Goodison Park, and Sheffield United must rue that they only got to enjoy his talents for 11 minutes in the division in the 2020/21 campaign, selling him to Marseille after their promotion in 2023.

Worth more than Ballard: Sheffield United have hit gold on "dominant" star

Sheffield United already have a dominant performer defensively in this standout star.

ByKelan Sarson Apr 16, 2025

Hopefully, Hamer can make the step up and soar in value to be on par with Ndiaye, or even more valuable than him, if the Blades achieve promotion this season.

Inter Miami are off to the Round of 16 after settling for a draw against the Brazilian giants

Lionel Messi's Inter Miami booked their spot in the knockout round of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup Monday night, drawing Brazilian giants Palmeiras 2-2 at Hard Rock Stadium in their Group Stage finale.

The Brazilian outfit finished first in the group, and Miami in second, as the two teams shared the spoils in a four-goal thriller of Group A action.

Miami opened the scoring in the first half through a blistering counterattack. Luis Suarez fed a sprinting Tadeo Allende, who, 1v1 with the goalkeeper, put the ball home to give the a 1-0 lead.

The Uruguayan forward then doubled Miami's lead himself, 20 minutes into the second half, scoring a stupendous effort to give them a 2-0 lead and what felt like a sure victory. However, the Serie A side didn't give up, and their grit and effort paid off as they secured two late goals to manage a point on the night. Midfielder Paulinho found the back of the net in the 80th minute, and 24-year-old Mauricio arrived off the bench to draw them level with two minutes to spare in regulation to make it 2-2.

Palmeiras, with momentum behind them, nearly scored a winner with the final kick of the game, but Paulinho's attempt at a brace was denied by Miami goalkeeper Oscar Ustari. Inter Miami manager Javier Mascherano bemoaned his club's missed opportunity to seal three points and a group stage top seed after going up 2-0. Still, he's proud of his team for advancing to the knockout stages after being considered an underdog in the tournament.

“Unfortunately, we had the game in our hands and it slipped away," he told DAZN after the match. "We couldn’t maintain the intensity until the final whistle against a team with real quality and depth. Overall, the squad showed they belong here. Before the tournament, we were practically the underdogs, but with discipline, fight – and above all, football – we overcame obstacles, grew as a team, and now we’re in the quarterfinals.”

With the result, both teams confirmed their spot in the Round of 16 in the tournament. Messi and will take on his former club and current reigning champions of Europe, Paris Saint-Germain, while Palmeiras will meet Brazilian rivals Botafogo in Philadelphia.

“This level of competition isn’t something we regularly encounter in our domestic league. We’ve shown we have no complexes. It’s been a huge learning experience, and we have rightfully earned the privilege to play the European champions," Mascherano said. "We’ll strive to match them, but at the end of the day, it’s still 11 against 11.”

GOAL rates Inter Miami's players from Hard Rock Stadium.

Watch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream nowAFPGoalkeeper & Defense

Oscar Ustari (6/10):

Nothing he could do about either goal, but came up with a few big stops otherwise.

Marcelo Weigandt (5/10):

Not his best performance. Struggled going forward, and in 1v1 moments, often found himself under pressure because he took too long on the ball.

Tomas Aviles (6/10):

Handed a surprising start, the Argentine defender held his own throughout the match for the most part. A promising showing.

Maxi Falcon (6/10):

So strong and composed in intense moments. Aggressive off the ball, he led the back line all night until the final 10 minutes, when their entire defense capitulated.

Noah Allen (7/10):

Filled in for Jordi Alba admirably. Struggled to maintain Estevao at times, but worked hard and stuck at it.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMidfield

Tadeo Allende (8/10):

Electric on the right flank. Took his goal brilliantly and timed his runs throughout the evening to near perfection.

Federico Redondo (6/10):

Largely ineffective outside of completing small, short passes in the center of the park. Didn't put a foot wrong, but didn't bring the forward progression Mascherano likely hoped for.

Sergio Busquets (6/10):

Solid centrally, but Palmeiras' quick press made for a few uncomfortable moments. Overall, consistent and reliable, but not at his best, either.

Telasco Segovia (7/10):

Lively in moments, but disappeared for chunks of the game, struggling to play off of Suarez in the attack. Some of his biggest moments, surprisingly, came defensively, as he helped keep the electric Estevao quiet.

AFPAttack

Lionel Messi (6/10):

Sloppy yellow on the verge of halftime, that was lucky not to go to VAR. A strangely ineffective performance from the Argentine.

Luis Suarez (8/10):

Recorded an assist on Allende's opener, intentional or not, and then followed it up in the second half with a stellar goal.

Getty Images SportSubs & Manager

Fafa Picault (N/A):

Brought in to close out the contest.

Benjamin Cremaschi (N/A):

Brought on with 15 minutes to spare, helped the midfield lock in to earn the point.

Jordi Alba (6/10):

Solid defensive performance as he helped close out the match.

Baltasar Rodriguez (N/A):

Introduced with 13 minutes to spare.

Javier Mascherano (7/10):

Through to the knockout rounds, and that's all that matters. Palmeiras were brilliant all evening, and he executed a game plan that secured them a draw. A surge of late pressure tested their defense, but for 80 minutes, the Argentine manager played his cards brilliantly.

In the age of ever-increasing exit velocities and launch angles, David Fletcher stands out. The Angels’ second baseman ranks dead last in average exit velocity among qualified major-league hitters and has the second-lowest strikeout rate in the American League. He’s also second in the AL in hits and owns the longest hitting streak of the season, doing so with a quiet confidence his manager likens to Joe Namath’s.

On a team with three-time MVP Mike Trout, two-way phenomenon and 2021’s presumptive AL MVP Shohei Ohtani, and All-Star corner infielders Anthony Rendon and Jared Walsh, it’s the 5' 9" Fletcher who has paced the lineup from the leadoff spot for most of the year. (Recently, he and Ohtani have flipped spots, with Fletcher now batting second.) The soft-spoken 27-year-old is not one to draw attention to himself, but his play this season has been impossible to ignore, and his teammates are more than happy to do the talking for him.

“Fletch is a unique type of player. He knows how to play the game. His IQ in baseball is very high,” shortstop José Iglesias said earlier this month. As if that wasn’t enough, Iglesias said Fletcher’s savvy extends from the diamond to the card table. “He teaches me about poker as well. He’s a good poker player.”

And how does Fletcher describe himself?

“I just enjoy competing in everything,” Fletcher says. “And I hate losing.”