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MatériaMais Notícias

da bet nacional： A Data Fifa começou nesta segunda-feira (5) e vai até o dia 12 de setembro. Durante o período, há uma pausa nos campeonatos nacionais para a disputa das Eliminatórias para a Copa do Mundo de 2026. Dessa forma, jogadores de vários clubes do Brasil foram convocados para representarem seus respectivos países. Das 20 equipes da Série A do Brasileirão, apenas América-MG, Cruzeiro, Cuiabá e Cuiabá não terão representantes.

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da brwin： + Eliminatórias: quantas vagas terá a América do Sul na Copa do Mundo de 2026?

O clube que mais cedeu jogadores nesta Data Fifa foi o Athletico-PR, com sete nomes ao todo, incluindo seleções principais e a pré-olímpica brasileira: Zapelli e Esquivel (Argentina), Fernando Nava (Bolívia), Arturo Vidal (Chile), Canobbio (Uruguai) e Mycael e Vitor Roque (Brasil sub-23). Confira a lista completa abaixo:

Jogos da Seleção Brasileira nesta Data Fifa:

8/9: Brasil x Bolívia – às 21h45 (de Brasília) – Estádio: Mangueirão
12/9: Peru x Brasil – às 23h (de Brasília) – Estádio: Monumental de Lima

Head coach said that rushing Williamson to India for the Mumbai Test “wasn’t worth the risk”

Deivarayan Muthu30-Oct-2024New Zealand coach Gary Stead is “very confident” of Kane Williamson returning to action for the first Test of their home summer, against England, which will be played at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch from November 28 to December 2.The New Zealand team management didn’t want to run the risk of rushing Williamson back into action for the Mumbai Test, which will begin on Friday, and will continue to adopt a cautious approach with his rehab. Williamson, 34, had suffered a groin injury on the tour of Sri Lanka last month, just before the start of the three-match Test series in India.”Yeah, very confident,” Stead said of Williamson’s availability for the first Test against England. “I mean at a push we could have got him over here [in India] immediately, but considering I guess the travel factor and making sure that you can actually recover properly when you get here, we didn’t feel though that was worth the risk. So we’re happy with having him ready and very, very confident he’ll be right for that first Test versus England.”Related

• Santner named NZ's interim captain for SL white-ball tour

• Changing of the guard: Pune 2024 a window into NZ's future

• Williamson to miss third India Test as well

Despite the absence of Williamson for the entire series in India, New Zealand found a way to win their first-ever Test series in the country. Will Young, slotted into Williamson’s No.3 spot, stood up to the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and R Ashwin in contrasting conditions in Bengaluru and Pune.”Look, it’s always disappointing when he’s not over here with us,” Stead said of Williamson. “I mean, he’s New Zealand’s greatest Test run-scorer for a reason, and I think whenever you have Kane in your side, it looks a stronger side. But the guys have gone really well.”We’ve adapted well without him here. The best thing for Kane is just to get himself completely right for England and we’re certainly looking forward to him coming back and hopefully making a difference in that Test series over there for us.”

Ben Sears likely to miss England Test series with injury

Tearaway quick Ben Sears, however, is set to miss the three-match Test series against England though Stead is hopeful of having him fit for the latter part of the home summer. Sears had also been sidelined from the entire Test series in India, with a knee injury. The 26-year-old had experienced pain in his left knee, while training in the lead-up to the two-match Test series in Sri Lanka, and underwent a minor surgery on it on Wednesday.”Unlikely to be available for the England Test series,” Stead said of Sears. “Ben is going in for a small surgery today and just on his knee. Hopefully then he’ll be able to recover in the near future. I’m very hopeful he’ll be part of the summer.Ben Sears had a good start to his Test career against Australia•Associated Press

“It’s not a big operation – he just needs a little bit of tidy up on his knee – so like hopefully by Christmas or so he’ll be back up and running again.”On his Test debut in Christchurch in March earlier this year, Sears took a match haul of five wickets against Australia and pushed himself into contention for the following six-Test tour of the subcontinent. Sears tuned up for the challenge with a four-day preparatory camp at the Super Kings Academy in Chennai before the injury relegated him to the sidelines.Sears’ absence could open up a potential Test debut for his Wellington team-mate Nathan Smith, who was added to New Zealand’s central contracts list in September. Smith, a bowling allrounder, was the top wicket-taker in the 2023-24 Plunket Shield, with 33 strikes in seven matches at an average of 17.18. He also had a stint with Worcestershire during the recent county season.

Stead hopes for a repeat of WTC 2021

New Zealand’s stunning takedown of India in Bengaluru and Pune has them dreaming of making the World Test Championship (WTC) final. If they win each of their four remaining Tests, they will finish on 64.29%. It won’t ensure qualification, but it will certainly keep them in the mix. Stead took heart from the inaugural cycle of the WTC in 2019-21, when New Zealand won six in a row on their way to securing the title.”Yeah I mean a series win in itself is incredible but what we want to do is keep trying to get better every game and we’re going to different circumstances now – the red clay [in Mumbai] is very different,” Stead said. “The way that it performs is different, so we’re going to have to adapt quickly and our next two trainings are going to be important, but for the World Test Championship itself there’s no doubt that one more win here would certainly help us.”I remember the first time we were in the situation of qualifying for the first WTC, we had to win four Tests on the bounce and managed to. So, hopefully there’s some sort of similes to that that we can lean on and say, ‘Well, we’ve done it before, here’s an opportunity to perhaps do something very special again’.”

MatériaMais Notícias

da dobrowin： A cidade de Sorocaba está prestes a receber um evento esportivo imperdível: o Jogo dos Famosos. O duelo festivo, que contará com a presença do lendário Ronaldinho Gaúcho e outros ex-jogadores ilustres, está marcado para o dia 19 de agosto, às 16h, no Estádio Municipal Walter Ribeiro. O duelo será entre a seleção de Ronaldinho e a seleção de Sorocaba, composta pelos craques locais.

da marjack bet： Além do Bruxo, a lista de confirmados inclui nomes importantes na história do futebol como Assis (ex-Grêmio e irmão de Ronaldinho) Aloísio Chulapa, Amaral, Flávio Conceição, Chicão (ex-São Paulo e Seleção Brasileira), Edilson Capetinha, Júnior (pentacampeão) e Edmar Bernardes, com passagem pelo Corinthians.

Figuras que não construíram sua carreira dentro das quatro linhas, mas que também são conhecidas do grande público, também participarão do evento. São os casos do ex-boxeador Acelino “Popó” Freitas, os humoristas Pedro Manso, Netto Tomaz e Toninho Tornado, entre outros. Além dos ex-atletas e figuras do mundo humorístico e artístico alguns “influencers” também estarão presentes.

Para o evento em questão, foram convidados também o influenciador Negrete além do cantor Felipe Araújo para participarem do jogo festivo. Entretanto, a participação de ambos ainda precisa de confirmação.

O restaurante português Vila Don Patto, do proprietário Túlio Patto, situado em São Roque (SP), marcará presença com a alimentação e vinhos para os atletas e convidados.

“Como amante do esporte, para mim será uma honra apoiar esse jogo com tantas estrelas do futebol, de outros esportes e vários segmentos”, destacou Túlio Don Patto, amante dos esportes e que é piloto da Copa HB20.

Os ingressos para assistir o jogo podem ser adquiridos através do link https://www.digitalingressos.com/event/EVT_AFEA750E56378CE3

da pinup bet： As Rangers look to commence their summer business, the 49ers are now reportedly chasing a deal to sign an international defender for a bargain price in the coming months.

Rangers could rehire Steven Gerrard

da realsbet： Top of the 49ers’ list of priorities at Ibrox will undoubtedly be finding the next Rangers manager. With the Scottish Premiership season now over, the Gers will be desperate to put an end to any speculation and appoint what they hope to be a long-term appointment. A number of names on that front have already been mentioned too, but it’s Davide Ancelotti and Steven Gerrard who are seemingly the leading candidates.

What is quite the indication that Ancelotti is among the candidates is the fact that he hasn’t joined his father, Carlo Ancelotti, at the Brazil national team as he looks to get his own managerial career underway.

Meanwhile, Gerrard needs no introduction. The Liverpool legend ended Rangers’ long wait for another league title in 2021, but then jumped ship to join Premier League side Aston Villa. Since then, however, things have only gone downhill. Sacked by Villa, who have gone on to become a side battling for European football, Gerrard then joined Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq only to face the same fate that he suffered in the Midlands.

A free agent once more, Gerrard could now have the opportunity to head back to Ibrox and make up for leaving four years ago. Whether the Scottish giants are in the mood to offer a shot at redemption is the big question, however.

It’s an appointment that Rangers cannot get wrong after Philippe Clement, but one that they must conclude sooner rather than later. What the appointment of Gerrard would at least do is hand the Gers a potential advantage in the race to sign one of their summer targets.

Rangers chasing £1m George Bello deal

According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Rangers are now chasing a deal to sign George Bello from Austrian club LASK this summer. The USA international is reportedly valued at just £1m and represents the type of deal that the Gers could afford in the coming months.

What’s more, Bello is represented by the same agency as Gerrard, John Souttar and Danilo, which could hand the 49ers an unexpected opportunity to simplify any potential contract negotiations this summer.

The left-back would certainly be an interesting addition. Having initially come through the Atlanta academy, Bello decided to join Arminia Bielefeld in 2022 before struggling to adapt in Germany. But he didn’t give up his stint in Europe from there, opting to join LASK in 2023 and getting back to his best level ever since.

A new left-back would be no bad thing for Rangers, either, with Neraysho Kasanwirjo set to return to parent club Feyenoord this summer and Jefte in need of competition down that side.

Whilst appointing a new manager – be it Gerrard, Ancelotti or another name – will be Rangers’ priority in the coming weeks, players like Bello will be ones to keep an eye on this summer.

يعد أنخيل دي ماريا النجم الأرجنتيني المخضرم واحداً من اللاعبين الذين تركوا بصمة رائعة في ريال مدريد وحقق العديد من البطولات منها دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وقد أشاد دي ماريا بمواطنه فرانكو ماستانتونو جناح ريال مدريد والذي يعد أحد الصفقات الأربع التي تعاقد معها النادي الصيف الماضي بعد مشاركته مع ريفر بليت في كأس العالم للأندية.

وأنفق ريال مدريد مبلغاً باهظاً على ضم اللاعب الأرجنتيني والذي اندمج بشكل سريع تحت قيادة المدرب تشابي ألونسو حيث أصبح لاعباً أساسياً في مركز الجناح الأيمن.

أقرأ أيضاً.. قائمة ريال مدريد لمباراة فياريال في الدوري الإسباني.. عودة مصاب

ولفتت موهبة ماستانتونو وجرأته الجميع في ظهوره الأول مع ريال مدريد ولفت انتباه دي ماريا الذي قال في تصريحات لـ”كادينا سير” الإسبانية: “كنت سعيد جداً برؤية انسجامه السريع مع زملائه، مهارته وروحه المرحة ورغبته الدائمة في تحقيق الفوز، أمر رائع وسيقدرونه تقديراً كبيراً”.

وواصل دي ماريا الذي لم يرتدي بعده من اللاعبين الأرجنتينيين قميص ريال مدريد: “أنا سعيد جداً بعودة لاعب أرجنتيني لريال مدريد وبأنه يمثلنا على أكمل وجه، بالنسبة لشاب في الثامنة عشرة من عمره فإنه يتمتع بشخصية قوية”.

ولعب ماستانتونو حتى الآن مع ريال مدريد ثماني مباريات في جميع المسابقات وسجل هدف واحد، ويعد أحد الأسماء الشابة البارزة التي يقوم ليونيل سكالوني مدرب الأرجنتين باستدعائها للمنتخب الأول.

“Surya and Hardik’s partnership was very critical for us right at that point in time,” Rohit Sharma says

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Jun-20241:18

Manjrekar: SKY showed his value on a tricky pitch

Rohit Sharma lauded Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya’s “critical” partnership for helping India ride through some choppy waters in the middle overs and set up a 47-run win over Afghanistan to begin their Super Eight campaign at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown.Suryakumar and Hardik added 60 runs off 37 balls for the fifth wicket after coming together when Shivam Dube was dismissed, leaving India 90 for 4 in the 11th over. Three of those wickets were picked up by Rashid Khan.”Surya and Hardik’s partnership was very critical for us right at that point in time,” Rohit said on the host broadcast after the game. “We kept losing wickets there, so we needed somebody to bat little deep. Surya did that well along with Hardik.Related

SKY shows no limit with tailor-made response to tricky Afghanistan assignment

Suryakumar and Bumrah give India winning start to Super Eight

“Over the last two years, we’ve come here [to the West Indies] and played some T20 cricket, so we understand the conditions a little bit, and we planned [the innings] around what the conditions offer and based our game plan accordingly. Getting 180 [181] was a great effort from our batters. We knew the class of the bowling we have to come and defend that, and they did that perfectly.”Suryakumar, who was named Player of the Match for his 28-ball 53, said that the decision to take the bowling on – Rashid in particular – was deliberate, keeping in mind the slowness of the surface.”When Hardik came into bat, I told him we need to bat with the same intent, let’s not leave it too much till the end,” he said. “It would’ve been difficult with the ball reversing. I just told him let’s keep pressing the pedal and see where we are at the end of 16 overs. Glad we got to 180.”Suryakumar hit Rashid for 16 runs off six deliveries, with two fours and a ferocious slog sweep for six.”When I play, I’m very clear in my mind what I want to do,” Suryakumar said. “When he [Rashid] bowls, it’s very difficult to pick him. I know what shots to play when I am inside. He’s the best bowler in the world, you can’t let him dominate. You have to be a step ahead.”Suryakumar’s contribution – it was his second successive half-century of the T20 World Cup – came at a strike rate of almost 190. He came in to bat at the end of the seventh over and soon saw Virat Kohli hole out to long-off to leave India 62 for 3 in the ninth.”I’ve practiced that [batting in the middle overs] and have played a lot there,” Suryakumar said. “I enjoy batting in that phase, between overs seven to 15, that’s where teams try and control the game.”I started chewing my gum even harder when he [Kohli] got out. But I knew I’ve played this phase before, and with the left-handers coming in, it became a little easier. But I just backed my game, backed my instincts, and most importantly my intent [which] should have been good at that time.”

Arsenal’s summer spending spree is seemingly set to commence.

On Saturday morning, Fabrizio Romano reported that Martín Zubimendi “has now verbally agreed” to join Arsenal, claiming that the Gunners intend to trigger his release clause, which stands at €60m (£51m).

This deal has been in the pipeline for a while, with David Ornstein of The Athletic reporting back in January that they were “pursuing a deal” to sign the Spanish international, describing him as a “long-term target”.

Nevertheless, this is set to be just the start of Mikel Arteta’s mass summer squad rebuild, so are the Gunners also close to signing another La Liga star, who’d be the club’s best value-for-money signing since Jurriën Timber?

Latest on Arsenal's transfer search

According to a report by Miguel Delaney of the Independent, Arsenal are ‘close to signing’ Espanyol goalkeeper Joan García.

As noted by James McNicholas and David Ornstein of The Athletic, Arsenal spent all of last summer pursuing the 24-year-old, having “identified” the Spaniard as the perfect player to provide competition for his compatriot David Raya, but Espanyol were unwilling to negotiate any lower than his €30m (£25m) release clause.

The bad news for Arsenal is that the Blanquiazules are on course to avoid relegation, García’s release clause would reportedly have dropped to just £12.6m had the Catalan club finished in the bottom three, but Tom Allnutt of the Times still believes the Gunners plan to finalise this deal.

So, how will García improve Arteta’s squad, and will he be their latest bargain signing?

Arsenal's best value-for-money signings

Analyst Ben Mattinson labels García an “exciting goalkeeper”, praising his “cross claiming” and “composure on the ball”.

Meantime, Sive Vishwa of Breaking the Lines describes him as “dependable and aggressive”, forecasting that he will become “one of the best goalkeepers” of his generation.

Thus, at just £25m, García looks set to prove an absolute bargain, but who are some of Arsenal’s best value-for-money signings of the Arteta-era?

David Raya

2023

£27m

93

Jurriën Timber

2023

£34m

51

Leandro Trossard

2023

£27m

121

Jorginho

2023

£12m

78

Martin Ødegaard

2021

£30m

195

Gabriel Magalhães

2020

£27m

210

Timber in particular stands out as an excellent value-for-money signing, arriving from Ajax for just £34m two summers ago.

As outlined by Alex Howell of BBC Sport, the Dutchman is in the running to be named Arsenal’s player of the season, a remarkable achievement considering he played just 147 minutes during his first campaign in North London, suffering an ACL rupture on the opening day of the season against Nottingham Forest.

So, will García prove to be the Gunners’ latest bargain?

Well, for him to become that, he’ll need to play matches, and this won’t be easy considering current number one Raya has been “really impressive” according to Arteta, so let’s compare the two Spanish shot-stoppers.

Appearances

34

52

Minutes

3,060

4,710

Cleans sheets

7

18

Goals conceded

44

47

Shots on target faced

176

170

Saves

135

119

Save %

77.3%

74.1%

Post-shot xG – goals conceded

+9.3

+4.1

Crosses stopped %

9.6%

12.1%

Penalties faced

6

12

Penalties saved

2

2

Pass completion %

70.9%

73.9%

Long passes attempted

515

723

% of accurate long passes

39.6%

36.7%

As the table outlines, García’s statistics this season do compare favourably to Raya, made all the more impressive by the fact he is playing for an Espanyol side battling to avoid relegation from La Liga, having been promoted via the Segunda División play-offs last June.

Raya’s statistics are superior when it comes to high claims and passes completed, but García’s post-shot expected goals – goals allowed figure of +9.3, meaning he’s prevented over nine more goals than expected, is certainly eye-catching.

Across Europe’s top-five leagues, of all 204 goalkeepers who have featured this season, García ranks sixth for this metric, behind only Yehvann Diouf (Reims), Yahia Fofana (Angers), Vanja Milinković-Savić (Torino), Đorđe Petrović​​​​​​​ (Strasbourg) and Donovan Léon (Auxerre), with Raya down at 131st, according to FBref.com.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

So, García will arrive in North London confident he can usurp his fellow Spaniard in the pecking order, suggesting he could prove to be fantastic value for money.

Vini & Yamal hybrid: Arsenal could sign 'one of the world's best dribblers'

The brilliant winger would be unreal for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 10, 2025

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.”

That high-level baseball acumen and renowned stoicism are traits Fletcher displayed long before arriving in the big leagues in 2018. On a middling team that shares a market with the defending champion Dodgers, his cool demeanor and understated skillset make him an anonymous star and one baseball’s best-kept secrets.