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New Zealand may have to call on their part-time bowlers as they look to hit back from two heavy defeats

Andrew McGlashan06-Mar-2021

Spin is likely to be at the forefront of the series decider•Getty Images

Big PictureThere will be more important T20 matches for these two sides to play later in the year, but a deciding contest to this series is a good opportunity for them to hone their skills in tournament-style play. Australia have been playing must-win for the last two matches, turning in impressive victories, and it feels as though while they have gathered confidence, it has ebbed away from New Zealand.New Zealand’s coach, Gary Stead, was reasonably blunt after the defeat on Friday in saying he thought his team took a backward step with the bat. There is limited scope for changes with the 13-man squad they have for this series so it would appear likely the same top order will go again, but there is pressure on Tim Seifert in what has been a disappointing series for him.Spin can be expected to play another big role and Australia have deeper options available with the trio of Ashton Agar, Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell doing an outstanding job yesterday. Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi were also impressive, but it may be that Kane Wiliamson will have to use himself this time.Straight after the match, Australia’s squad will head to Wellington airport and board their charter flight back to Sydney. Those players from states with open borders to New Zealand (excluding Auckland) won’t have to quarantine but those from places where regulations in place potentially face isolation depending on whether they go straight home.This is the last confirmed international cricket Australia’s men’s team has on the schedule for some considerable time (barring an unlikely England comeback in the final Test against India) although there could be a mid-year white-ball tour of the Caribbean ahead of the final build-up to the T20 World Cup. For New Zealand, their home season will conclude later this month with ODI and T20I series against Bangladesh.Related

Finch and spinners earn Australia series decider

RCB 'not too worried' about Jamieson despite struggles

NZ coach critical of timid approach: 'Not sure we fired a shot at them'

Form guide (last five completed matches)
New Zealand LLWWL
Australia WWLLWIn the spotlightThe trickier the surface, the more a player like Kane Williamson can become important. A captain’s innings could be what New Zealand need to overcome their batting struggles of the last two matches and Williamson’s skill could follow the template laid by Aaron Finch in batting through an innings depending how early he gets to the crease. He could also have an important part to play with the ball – he has not bowled in a T20I since February 2018 but came close to bringing himself on in the last game and another spin option may be better suited than the pace of Kyle Jamieson.While the spinners are likely to take centrestage, Kane Richardson’s cutters also proved highly effect in the fourth match as he picked up 3 for 19. He is an often unheralded part of Australia’s T20I side but before his home season was disrupted by opting out of the India series due to the restrictions of the biosecure bubble to stay with his family he had played 12 consecutive matches. He can be confident of a spot heading into the T20 World Cup even when other players return.Team newsHaving confirmed they won’t draft another spin option into the squad there is a limit to what New Zealand can do. Jamieson has had a tough series and they could, at a stretch, consider replacing him with Mark Chapman and making up overs of spin from the part-timers but that is a risky option.New Zealand (probable) 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Tim Seifert, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Devon Conway, 5 Glenn Phillips, 6 Jimmy Neesham, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Kyle Jamieson, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Ish Sodhi, 11 Trent BoultD’Arcy Short, Ben McDermott, Andrew Tye, Jason Behrendorff and Tanveer Sangha have not seen any game time on the tour (Ashton Turner has already gone home for the birth of his child) but a winning combination could be given the chance to seal the series. Short’s left-arm wristspin could come into the equation as much as his batting while the uncapped legspinner Sangha would be an exciting and brave option.Australia (probable) 1 Aaron Finch, 2 Matthew Wade (wk), 3 Josh Philippe, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Ashton Agar, 8 Jhye Richardson, 9 Kane Richardson, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Riley MeredithPitch and conditionsWhile there was an expectation that the pitch would change, both sides were surprised by how it played on Friday. It won’t have had any further use before the decider now the men’s and women’s matches have been switched so conditions are likely to be very similar. One concern is that the forecast for the morning in Wellington isn’t brilliant with the chance of showers.Stats and trivia The 11 overs of spin bowled by Australia in the fourth match was their second-most in a T20I Kyle Jamieson has conceded 175 in the series. The record is 187 held by Tim Southee although there remain a limited number of five-match series.Quotes”[Australia] adjusted very well, we were probably a bit slow to. But we know how the surface will play and it will probably be very similar. Spin and cutters were quite effective.”
“We were under the pump and it’s a nice feeling now that we are back in this series.”

Nitish Kumar Reddy complained of back stiffness which has impacted his recovery and mobility; Shivam Dube is in the XI for the first T20I

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Oct-2025

Nitish Kumar Reddy has not played a T20I since January 2025•Tanuj/UPCA

Fast-bowling allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy’s return to action has been set back by neck spasms, which has “impacted his recovery and mobility”, according to a BCCI update on Wednesday morning.Reddy, 22, had sustained a left quadriceps injury during the second ODI against Australia on October 23. He missed the following ODI in Sydney, which India won by nine wickets to cut down the series margin to 2-1.India are already without their premier allrounder Hardik Pandya, who is recovering from a quadriceps injury of his own. Without Hardik, India have looked unbalanced, but the good news for them is that Shivam Dube, the other seam-bowling allrounder in the touring party, is fit and was picked in the XI for the first T20I in Canberra after being sidelined from the opening round of the Ranji Trophy with back stiffness.Reddy has had a difficult time with injuries, especially this year. In July, he had been ruled out of the fourth and fifth Tests in England with a knee injury. He had suffered the injury while training in the gym before hurting his quadriceps in Australia.He has played 15 internationals for India so far, since making his debut in the Perth Test in November 2024.In the first T20I in Canberra, India picked three spinners in Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel, sticking to their successful template from the Asia Cup, which they won in late September.

When the first ball was kicked to start the 2024/25 campaign in the Premier League, Manchester City supporters must have been dreaming of a fifth straight top-flight title coming home to the Etihad by the end of yet another sterling season.

Although there is still time for City to right their wrongs, it looks unlikely that another title will be heading to the light blue half of Manchester come the close of the 38-game marathon, as Arne Slot’s Liverpool now sit pretty at the top of the division as the new top dogs whilst Pep Guardiola’s men unexpectedly struggle.

Indeed, City have already tasted the bitterness of defeat six times this season from 20 games, which leaves them scrambling about to save their damaged ego all the way down in sixth position.

Rodri’s injury hasn’t helped proceedings whatsoever for the usual dominant force of English football, as the Ballon d’Or winner has made just two appearances all season long, but those who have been fit week in week out who continue to underperform haven’t exactly got much credit in the bank anymore.

Main City's main underperformers this season

There have also been an alarming amount of injuries in defence for Guardiola to cope with, as John Stones and Nathan Ake have both been regularly situated in the Etihad treatment room to further ramp up City’s woes.

But, there is still arguably enough quality brimming throughout the City ranks – even when acknowledging that bad luck with injuries – to mean a sixth-place finish would be a gross underachievement, with Ilkay Gundogan one face that has been way off the pace required of him all season long.

The ex-Borussia Dortmund man is definitely a victim of his own success here, with his presence in the side previously seen as paramount, especially when he was firing home strikes like the one above to aid his team’s quest for silverware on some grand stages just last year.

The 2022/23 season saw the German midfielder pick up an impressive eight goals and five assists just in the Premier League alone, meaning his exit to Barcelona at the end of the campaign was one that was met with anguish that City had ended up losing such a top quality servant.

Now, if Gundogan was to walk away from the club shortly, there wouldn’t be that same outpouring of sadness, with the ageing midfielder only managing one weak assist in league action for 2024/25, alongside a failure to find the net.

Galatasaray are allegedly keen on landing the declining 34-year-old this summer, with City unlikely to stand in his way, considering his wages also come in at a steep £230k-per-week.

He isn’t the only high earner that Guardiola will be getting increasingly irritated over, however, with one of Gundogan’s teammates in the middle pocketing way more than even his own substantial pay packet, whilst also finding himself nearing ever closer towards the exit door.

Jack Grealish's future at Manchester City

Jack Grealish was always going to be an easy figure to attack after he made an extortionate £100m switch to City a reality back in 2021, with that wild price tag likely to bite him down the line if he wasn’t a rip-roaring success in Manchester.

Moreover, unlike his presence at boyhood employers Aston Villa where he was a constant source of entertainment as a flashy attacker, City already had a star-studded camp that could all excite and enthral on their day.

Therefore, the move has fallen somewhat flat, with Grealish never quite expressing himself in the same way he could at Villa, where outrageous moments of quality from the England international were just expected.

Instead, his minutes haven’t always been regular – with just six league starts coming his way so far this campaign – which has led to his goal contributions depleting season by season playing at the Ethiad, resulting in his £100m fee now looking like a big waste of cash.

Grealish’s PL numbers at City/Villa
Season	Games played	Goals scored	Assists
24/25	14	0	1
23/24	20	3	1
22/23	28	5	7
21/22	26	3	3
20/21 (Villa)	26	6	10
19/20 (Villa)	36	8	6
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Besides a positive 2022/23 output, Grealish has struggled to be that standout star-man at City, with his spot in the main XI at the reigning Premier League champions now handed to fresh blood in the form of Savinho.

Guardiola has even stated that the Brazilian – who does boast five more goal contributions than his ex-Villa counterpart in league action – is in ‘better shape’ away from just being more reliable in attack, with Grealish presumably nearing the end of his tether even more subsequently.

Whilst City wouldn’t be able to get rid of Grealish for anywhere near his previous £100m valuation now, at least offloading the underperforming midfielder this January would see some space on the wage bill be freed up.

Jack Grealish's wage at Manchester City

Grealish reportedly earns a bumper £300k-per-week wage in Guardiola’s camp at the moment, with only Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland earning more.

But, both of those figures – as much as Haaland has been through the wringer this season himself with some poor displays – are still regulars under the Spaniard, unlike the Birmingham-born midfielder.

Man City’s top five highest earners – 2024/25
Player	Wage per week	Wage costs over a year
1. Kevin De Bruyne	£400k-per-week	£20.8m
2. Erling Haaland	£375k-per-week	£19.5m
= 3. Jack Grealish	£300k-per-week	£15.6m
= 3. Bernando Silva	£300k-per-week	£15.6m
5. John Stones	£275k-per-week	£13m
Sourced by FootballFanCast

Unbelievably, even as he slides down the pecking order, Grealish still pockets the third joint highest salary at the club, with Phil Foden and Rodri even remarkably earning less at £225k-per-week and £220k-per-week respectively.

Whilst Foden will also be less than enthused with what he’s offered up this campaign, he can again boast more goals and assists in league action at three combined, with a goal last time out helping his improving side beat West Ham United 4-1.

Sometimes, major transfers just don’t end up working out, and in the case of Grealish, it feels as if the best decision this January would be to put the £300k-per-week man out of his misery so he can shine away from Manchester.

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Ben Gray

Jan 2, 2025

A few weeks ago, it looked as though Glasgow Rangers were going to remain in the vicious cycle which had seen three managers depart before December over the previous three years.

Philippe Clement was teetering on the edge after a dismal start to the season. Premiership defeats to Celtic, Aberdeen and Kilmarnock ensured the Gers’ title challenge was over before it really began.

Wins over Nice and Killie recently have slightly eased the pressure, but the next seven days will likely define the season. The Light Blues face Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League, before a League Cup final clash against Celtic three days later.

If Clement can somehow win both of these, he may just remain in the Ibrox hot seat beyond 2024, which seemed unthinkable a few weeks ago.

Michael Beale and Giovanni Van Bronckhorst weren’t so lucky, with the Dutchman perhaps sacked slightly too hasty.

Giovanni Van Bronckhorst’s record at Rangers

The former Feyenoord manager arrived in November 2021 following Steven Gerrard’s departure to Aston Villa.

Having spent three years at Ibrox as a player, the Dutchman knew all about the club, which was looked on as a major advantage.

Domestically, the Gers struggled in the title race, eventually blowing a lead to let Celtic sneak through and win the Premiership. They did win the Scottish Cup, but it was scant consolation.

The greatest success came in Europe. Having secured qualification from the group stages in the Europa League, Van Bronckhorst led the Light Blues to wins over Borussia Dortmund, Red Star Belgrade, Braga and RB Leipzig before succumbing to Eintracht Frankfurt in the final.

The next step was Champions League qualification, and the club got it after an aggregate win over PSV Eindhoven. They ended up finishing bottom of the group with zero wins from six games, however, and soon after, Van Bronckhorst was sacked.

He didn’t enjoy much success in the transfer market, but one of his signings has since gone on to make the breakthrough at Manchester United – Amad Diallo.

Amad Diallo’s Rangers statistics

In January 2022, the Gers made three loan signings which the manager hoped would give his side a boost during the second half of the season.

James Sands failed to make an impact, so did Aaron Ramsey, who missed a penalty in the Europa League final shootout. The final signing was that of Diallo, who arrived from Man United.

He was looked upon as a wildcard option given his tender age and lack of experience in the game. Indeed, prior to this loan spell, the former Atalanta gem had played just nine times for the Old Trafford side and a temporary move would help him secure more game time.

The youngster took just two minutes to make his mark, scoring on his debut against Ross County, and it looked like the club had a wonderful gem ready to spark their title challenge into life.

Unfortunately, this was about as good as it got for the Ivorian, as he scored just twice more for the club. Diallo did win the Scottish Cup, but failed to make it off the bench in the Europa League final.

Since then, however, the winger has gone on to make his mark at United.

Amad Diallo now looks like a £100m player

Another loan spell during 2022/23 at Sunderland saw Diallo showcase his true talents, scoring 14 goals and grabbing four assists as the Black Cats just missed out on securing a place in the Premier League.

Injury issues hampered his 2023/24 campaign, but the 22-year-old did net the winner against Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-final and this was the catalyst for the player to finally star for United this term.

Diallo has featured in 20 games for the Red Devils this term, registering eight goal contributions in all competitions, and he could go from strength to strength under Ruben Amorim, that’s for sure.

Dubbed a “superstar” earlier this year by journalist Liam Canning, Diallo looks like he is on the right path towards greatness.

Metric

Premier League

Europa League

Goals

1

2

Assists

5

0

Big chances created

5

1

Key passes per 90

1.6

1.2

Successful dribbles per 90

1.3

0.8

Not only that, but he is similar in style to one of the finest wingers on the continent in Bukayo Saka.

The Arsenal star has registered 126 goal contributions – 65 goals and 61 assists – during his time with the Gunners, proving to be one of the most consistent attacking talents in the Premier League.

This is the level that Diallo will be looking to reach, and he certainly isn’t far from it, especially after a positive start to the season. According to FBref, Saka is the seventh-most comparable player to Diallo in Europe’s top five leagues, which proves that the duo are alike in many ways.

Furthermore, the pair have registered similar statistics across a variety of metrics domestically this season with regard to assists (five vs ten), shot on target percentage (31.3% vs 37.5%), shot-creating actions per 90 (4.84 vs 6.76), goal creating actions per 90 (1.02 vs 1.77) and successful take-on percentage (46.9% vs 41.4%) which suggests these two wingers enjoy plenty of success in the final third.

Saka is in a league of his own right now, and he is currently valued at €140m (£116m) according to Transfermarkt, and this value will continue to rise as long as the winger is delivering for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta on a consistent basis.

Diallo could become a player who is valued at over £100m, as it looks like he could emerge as a key player under Amorim’s leadership.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

While he may not have enjoyed the most productive of spells at Ibrox, Diallo did manage to secure a Scottish Cup winners medal while gaining experience in a league that thrives on how physical it is.

This may well have made the winger stronger, being able to cope with a lot more on the field, which appears to be evident in his performances for United this campaign.

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Even in their current state, it’s not often that Manchester United struggle to welcome the world’s best players. Without Champions League football and off the back of finishing 15th in the Premier League, the Red Devils convinced Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Senne Lammens to join in a £200m spending spree.

Manager Ruben Amorim spoke about the attraction that Man United still have during the summer, shooting down any rumours that Cunha and Mbeumo joined the club because of the money offered.

It also almost goes without saying that the Red Devils rarely had trouble convincing players to join the club when Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge. United were at the top of the food chain in English football at that stage and even lured the likes of Rio Ferdinand from rivals Leeds United in 2002.

The iconic manager is still seen as a man with influence at the club even to this day. His opinion is arguably the most respected that anyone could find at Old Trafford.

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The history that he created is the reason why Man United are still able to welcome the likes of Cunha and Mbeumo. Amorim even admitted in one of his first interviews after stepping into the technical area that he’d like to have dinner with Ferguson.

He is, in many ways, the ace up Man United’s sleeve that has paid dividends on so many occasions. But that’s not to say it’s worked its charm every time. Not even the Premier League legend could convince one player to join the club back in 2020.

Ferguson and Cantona made Man Utd Jude Bellingham plea

As revealed by the great Bryan Robson, Ferguson and Eric Cantona both pleaded with Jude Bellingham to join Man United in 2020, before he ultimately rejected the club in favour of a £25m move to Borussia Dortmund. Given how things turned out, it’s hard to blame the midfielder for turning the Red Devils down.

Since choosing Dortmund over United, Bellingham has earned a move to Real Madrid and become one of the best midfielders in the world. His debut season for the Spanish giants proved exactly why those at Old Trafford went all out for his signature.

The England star ended the campaign with 15 goals and 15 assists from midfield in all competitions, as he showed the rest of European football that the biggest stage is exactly where he belongs.

MatériaMais Notícias

da dobrowin： A janela de transferências só abre em 10 de julho, mas os clubes já estão se movimentando no mercado. É o caso do Vasco, que apesar de estar bem encaminhado com o Cria da Colina, Philippe Coutinho, também está de olho em outras opções para reforçar o time para o resto da temporada.

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da bet vitoria： ➡️ Tudo sobre o Gigante agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Vasco

O mata-mata da Copa do Brasil está pegando fogo! Abra a sua conta e faça já a sua aposta no Lance! Betting

O Cruz-Maltino já tem alguns jogadores mapeados para investir quando o mercado abrir. Um desses nomes, é Lyanco, segundo o canal ‘Atenção, Vascaínos’. O zagueiro de 27 anos pertence ao Southampton, mas estava emprestado para o Al-Gharafa, do Qatar. Com o fim da temporada qatari, o zagueiro voltaria ao clube inglês.

O clube do Qatar fez proposta de compra para o Southampton e o clube inglês aceitou. Mas o jogador ainda quer ouvir propostas do Brasil, e existem clubes brasileiros interessados em Lyanco. O jogador pensa em jogador no Brasil e conversas estariam em andamento, segundo apuração do Lance!.

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Ainda não há a confirmação de que esse clube seria o Cruz-Maltino, mas a chegada do zagueiro seria uma ótima opção para o Vasco, que pode perder o chileno Gary Medel já nesta janela. O jogador recebeu propostas do Boca Juniors e pediu para antecipar sua saída.

Lyanco é interesse antigo do clube da Colina, que busca a contratação do jogador revelado pelo São Paulo desde 2023. O clube chegou a oficializar uma proposta, mas teve sua oferta recusada pelo Southampton. A negociação se estendeu por quase três semanas, e teve um desfecho negativo.

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With Nuno Espirito Santo being dismissed by Nottingham Forest just three games into the new campaign, Football FanCast have now taken a look at some of the harshest sackings in Premier League history.

5 Nuno Espirito Santo

Nuno’s future at The City Ground has looked uncertain for quite some time, with the 51-year-old choosing to publicly reveal that his relationship with Evangelos Marinakis has deteriorated since last season, which left the owner “baffled”.

Initially, it appeared as though the Portuguese coach was set to keep hold of his job in spite of the comments, but a 3-0 home defeat against West Ham United in his final match at The City Ground may well have sealed his fate.

The sacking seems incredibly harsh, given that Nuno was the man to lead Forest back to Europe for the first time in 30 years, making major strides last season by finishing in seventh place, after taking over a team that only narrowly avoided relegation the season prior.

However, the writing may well have been on the wall for the former Tricky Trees boss as soon as he spoke out about his relationship with Marinakis, and he has now lost his job, with the owner believed to be keen on Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner as a replacement.

Games

73

Wins

32

Draws

15

Losses

26

Points per match

1.48

4 Thomas Tuchel

Chelsea have a history of being a ‘sacking club’, which stems from the Roman Abramovich era, with the former owner known for being particularly cut-throat, although it was not the Russian who dismissed Thomas Tuchel.

BlueCo made the decision to part ways with Tuchel after a 1-0 defeat against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League, much to the German’s disappointment, saying: “I am devastated that my time at Chelsea has come to an end.

“This is a club where I felt at home, both professionally and personally. Thank you so much to all the staff, the players and the supporters for making me feel very welcome from the start.”

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The sacking felt incredibly harsh at the time, given that the 52-year-old had led the Blues to Champions League glory, while also winning the Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup, and the decision didn’t pan out how BlueCo would’ve been hoping.

Graham Potter lasted less than seven months in charge after replacing Tuchel in the dugout, with Chelsea going on to finish 12th in the Premier League table.

Games

100

Wins

60

Draws

24

Losses

16

Points per match

2.08

3 Ruud Gullit

Chelsea is a running theme on this list, with Ruud Gullit being dismissed back in February 1998, despite the west Londoners sitting second in the Premier League table at the time, having also been triumphant in the 1996 FA Cup final.

A variety of reasons have been given for Gullit’s dismissal, including the Dutchman’s alleged high wage demands, but he has since been revealed that he was at odds with the club’s hierarchy due to other issues.

Gullit said: “Later on I found out that there was a lot of money going around because all of a sudden the best players wanted to come to Chelsea and they were offering a lot of players that I didn’t want…I was a little bit in the way.

“You had people around you who took care of you and and then all of the sudden they backstabbed you. And that’s a horrible feeling.

“The worst thing of all was also my mum had breast cancer. So I had to go to Amsterdam all the time in order to support her. And then they said, ‘Yeah, but he’s never here because he’s always in Amsterdam’.”

After being sacked by Ken Bates, the now 63-year-old went on to manage Newcastle United, reaching the 1999 FA Cup final, while his replacement, Gianluca Vialli, won five trophies during his spell as Chelsea boss.

Games

83

Wins

41

Draws

18

Losses

24

Points per match

1.73

2 Carlo Ancelotti

Continuing the Chelsea theme is legendary manager Carlo Ancelotti, who was sacked by Abramovich in May 2011 after a second-place finish was deemed below the required standard by the former owner.

That is despite the fact Ancelotti enjoyed a great deal of success in his first season as manager, winning the Premier League title, alongside the FA Cup and Community Shield during the 2009-10 season.

In fairness, Abramovich’s model of regularly sacking managers certainly worked for the Blues over the years, but the Italian’s replacement, Andre Villas Boas, didn’t last long, being dismissed after just nine months in charge.

Eventually, things worked out for Chelsea, with Roberto Di Matteo leading them to a shock triumph in the 2012 Champions League final, but the decision to part ways with Ancelotti still remains baffling, having averaged over two points per match.

Games

109

Wins

67

Draws

20

Losses

22

Points per match

2.03

1 Claudio Ranieri

It will be difficult for anyone to ever top Leicester City’s achievement from the 2015-16 season, with the Foxes defying all the odds to win the Premier League title, having gone into the campaign as 5000/1 outsiders.

However, Claudio Ranieri’s side surpassed all expectations, winning the top division for the first time in the club’s at-the-time 132-year history, with the likes of Jamie Vardy, N’Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez cementing themselves as club legends.

Just nine months after one of the biggest upsets in football history, however, Ranieri was dismissed from his post, with the club statement reading: “His status as the most successful Leicester City manager of all time is without question,”

“However, domestic results in the current campaign have placed the club’s Premier League status under threat.”

Former Manchester United manager José Mourinho famously paid tribute to Ranieri in a subsequent press conference, wearing a ‘CR’ initialed polo shirt in a show of solidarity.

In fairness, things worked out in the long run, with Brendan Rodgers leading Leicester to FA Cup glory in 2021, but the decision remains hugely controversial, given the role Ranieri played in defying all the odds in the 2015-16 campaign.

Games

81

Wins

36

Draws

22

Losses

23

Points per match

1.59

MLS Decision Day lived up to expectations as teams learned their playoff fates and Messi sent a warning with a hat-trick

For about 120 seconds, it seemed as if the Colorado Rapids were on their way to the MLS postseason. Denver native Darren Yapi scored an 88th-minute goal to put them up 2-1 against LAFC, and Dick’s Sporting Goods Park erupted – with good reason.

Their Rocky Mountain rivals, Real Salt Lake, were unexpectedly trading goals with St. Louis City SC – a team that finished 13th. All Colorado had to do was hold firm. But their luck ran out in the 90th minute, when Andrew Moran and LAFC hit the Rapids on the break for a deflating equalizer. Despite a late push, the match ended 2-2 – and with it, Colorado’s season.

The cheers in Commerce City turned to boos.

That’s the magic of Decision Day. Up until midnight on the East Coast, teams in the West were fighting for playoff positions. In the Eastern Conference, Lionel Messi emphatically sealed his first MLS Golden Boot with a three-goal night against Nashville SC, while San Diego FC climbed back atop the Western Conference after edging Vancouver in their season-long duel.

GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from the 2025 MLS Decision Day.

Getty Images SportWINNER: Lionel Messi

Messi scored his first hat-trick of the 2025 campaign on the final day of the regular season to finish with 29 goals. His closest contenders for the Golden Boot – Nashville's Sam Surridge and LAFC's Denis Bouanga – each notched two hat-tricks this year. 

It was Messi's best performance of a remarkable season, and secured another first for the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner: the league's Golden Boot. Last season. Messi led the league in goals per 90 minutes at 1.08, but due to an injury at the Copa America final, he was limited to just 19 MLS appearances. He still managed 20 goals, but D.C. United's Christian Benteke finished with three more. 

Picking up his first Golden Boot in MLS could mean more history awaits the 38-year-old. He is also tied at the top of the league for assists at 19, pointing to an all-but-certain second MVP award. Miami manager Javier Mascherano is convinced.

"The reality is that Leo has been exceptional, as he usually is," he said. "I think if anyone had doubts about his regular season, he has cleared them all. He will surely be awarded the MVP."

Messi would be the first player in the league's 30-year history to win MVP in back-to-back seasons. 

AdvertisementLOSERS: Paxten Aaronson and Zack Steffen

The Rapids will rue letting a late lead slip against LAFC, especially since RSL dropping points meant they would have secured a play-in spot against the Portland Timbers. But the reality is they shouldn't have gotten to this position in the first place. 

Colorado sat in seventh place on Aug. 17, just four days before they announced their blockbuster signing of Paxten Aaronson. Since that point, the team won only one game, and that's with Aaronson putting up decent numbers. More concerningly is that this rut wasn't the result of an entirely brutal schedule.

The team dropped six points to Sporting Kansas City and the LA Galaxy, two opponents who were well out of the playoff picture. Aaronson and Steffen both played well on Saturday, with the former scoring and the latter making an impressive seven saves. Yet with the loss, the two USMNT hopefuls won't play in a club game until next February.

Getty Images SportWINNER: San Diego FC

Kudos to San Diego FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps for going back and forth in an entertaining race in the Western Conference. In the end, it was San Diego who held firm in their final game of their expansion season, demolishing another playoff team, Portland, 4-0. Much of the credit has to go to Anders Dreyer. 

The Dane didn't garner the hype Hirving "Chucky" Lozano did on his arrival in MLS this season, but he's been more impactful. Dreyer finished the season with 19 goals and 19 assists. In any other year, including Messi's MVP campaign, Dreyer likely walks away with the MVP. And on Saturday, he was at it again, scoring a brace along with an assist to power the team's win. 

San Diego are arguably MLS's most intriguing team heading into the playoffs. They topped MLS's most competitive conference in their inaugural season. In theory, they should be playing with house money at this stage, but with the top seed, this could be an unprecedented postseason for Mickey Varas' team.

Outside of Bob Bradley's upstart Chicago Fire in 1998, there hasn't been another expansion club to win MLS Cup. San Diego could change that this season. 

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Getty Images SportLOSER: Wilfried Zaha

This has been a roller coaster season for Charlotte FC's Wilfried Zaha, who has impressed in flashes but also created several controversial headlines off of it. 

Zaha finished the campaign with 10 goals and 10 assists, but won't look back fondly on his final regular season match. Zaha, who scored the opener in a 2-0 win over Philly, got into the face of a Union player and made contact. He was booked for his second yellow of night – thus a red card. 

Charlotte fought hard the entire campaign to secure a home seed in the playoffs. Now, they have to contend against a NYCFC side who have been in good form without their best player for the opening game of a three-match series.

Tottenham are reportedly now favourites to sign a “remarkable” defender this summer, with Thomas Frank’s side earmarking the addition of a centre-half as one of their key priorities before deadline day on September 1.

Levy told key condition to sign £47m Frank target as Tottenham open talks

Spurs have been informed of the requirements.

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By
Emilio Galantini

Jul 22, 2025

After Spurs triggered the obligation to buy clause in Kevin Danso’s deal, Frank currently boasts around six centre-backs in his squad right now – even if that number does include youngsters like Ashley Phillips and Luka Vuskovic.

Tottenham’s best-performing regulars in the Premier League – 2024/2025	Average match rating
Son Heung-min	7.00
James Maddison	6.98
Pedro Porro	6.95
Dominic Solanke	6.84
Dejan Kulusevski	6.83
via WhoScored

Despite this, The Telegraph and journalist Matt Law confirmed earlier this week that Tottenham are still looking into signing another central defender – with Crystal Palace stalwart Marc Guehi remaining on their agenda after Daniel Levy failed with an audacious £70 million bid for him in January.

While the focus right now appears to be finally concluding a deal for Nottingham Forest playmaker Morgan Gibbs-White, amid an ongoing legal dispute with Nuno Espirito Santo’s men over the transfer, it appears a new defender is also in Tottenham’s sights.

“Tottenham remain confident about their chances of signing the player. But, obviously, now this is a legal topic. They need to have discussions directly with Nottingham Forest to find the solution,” said Fabrizio Romano on the GMS Market Madness podcast a few days ago.

“Of course, it changes the timing of the deal. Tottenham’s perfect plan was probably to sign Kudus and Gibbs-White in 24 or 48 hours. It is now going to take a bit longer, but they remain intent on signing the player. That is still their plan, so let’s see how it continues on the legal side. But, for sure, Tottenham still want Morgan Gibbs-White.”

In terms of the defensive addition Levy could make, a lot of noise has surrounded Bournemouth star Illia Zabarnyi, despite PSG’s lengthy talks for the Ukranian which stretch back for weeks (Fabrizio Romano).

He was a mainstay in Andoni Iraola’s backline last season, helping the Cherries to their best-ever Premier League points tally, and Bournemouth will undoubtedly be reluctant to lose another star defender after Dean Huijsen.

While media sources suggest that Zabarnyi has already agreed personal terms with PSG, a new report from journalist Pete O’Rourke states that Spurs are definitely not out of the race just yet.

Tottenham emerge as "the frontrunners" to sign Illia Zabarnyi

According to O’Rourke, in a piece for Football Insider, Tottenham “have now emerged as the frontrunners” to sign Zabarnyi ahead of PSG – with Spurs said to be advancing a move for the 22-year-old.

The Lilywhites could now hijack PSG’s deal for Zabarnyi, it would seem, but Levy will have to fork out north of £60 million, as Bournemouth attempt to make a handsome profit off the £24 million they originally paid for him.

Interestingly, Sky Italia reporter Gianluca Di Marzio claimed last week that Spurs are prepared to do just that, so this could be one to keep an eye on in the coming days.

In terms of Zabarnyi’s obvious quality, there is little doubt he’d upgrade Frank’s current options, with pundit Jamie Redknapp suggesting the Euro 2024 star didn’t quite get the credit he deserved last season.

“He is probably the most underrated player,” said Redknapp.

“I also spoke with Ukrainian legend Andriy Shevchenko, and he mentioned that Illia has everything it takes to reach the next level. Everyone is talking about Dean Huijsen. Yes, he is a fantastic young player, but Zabarnyi plays very aggressively in defense as well. I was genuinely impressed by him. He shows remarkable calmness on the pitch.”

Shubman Gill has emerged as the frontrunner to replace Rohit Sharma as the full-time Test captain starting with India’s Test tour of England, a five-Test series starting on June 20 at Headingley.Gill’s ascension, it is understood, has become inevitable after it became apparent that Jasprit Bumrah, who was the vice-captain of the Test team on India’s Test tour of Australia, and led the team in the two Tests Rohit missed, is likely to miss a few Tests in the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for workload management.The squad is expected to be picked when the selection panel, led by Ajit Agarkar, meets later this month. With that series kicking off the next World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for India, it is understood that the selectors want a captain with a long-term view in mind, making Gill, 25, the preferred option.Related

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• High peaks, imperfect bookends: Rohit, the Test batter

The question of Rohit’s successor in the Test side cropped up once he announced his decision to retire from the format on Wednesday. Bumrah is the designated vice-captain of the Test team, and led in two of the five Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia, in December 2024 and January 2025, when Rohit had missed out – he was at home for the birth of his child for the first Test of the series, and “stood down” for the last.But ESPNcricinfo understands that Bumrah’s workload as the all-format spearhead of India’s fast-bowling attack as well as the fact that he has only recently returned from a stress-related discomfort in his lower back – picked up during that final Test in Australia – after missing the initial few matches of IPL 2025, has been a concern for the team management and selectors.Of the players who were part of the set-up in the Sydney Test – the last time India played in the format – KL Rahul has led in three Tests in the past, and Virat Kohli was the long-term captain before Rohit took charge.Gill has never led in Test matches or ODIs, but has led the team in five T20Is, all on a tour of Zimbabwe in mid-2024 when he was named captain of a side that missed several first-choice players following India’s victory in the preceding T20 World Cup.That Gill was being groomed for the top job has been mentioned in various circles over the past few months, and his performance as batter and captain of Gujarat Titans (GT) in the ongoing IPL season has been impressive. Gill took over the leadership of the team in 2024 after Hardik Pandya, who had led them to the title in their maiden season (2022) and the final the following year, left to rejoin Mumbai Indians (MI). IPL 2024 didn’t go well for GT, but they have been one of the best performing teams this season.Gill has been a regular in the India Test team since making his debut in Melbourne in December 2020, when he scored 45 and 35 not out against a full-strength Australia bowling attack in a Test India won by eight wickets under Ajinkya Rahane’s captaincy. He has played 32 Tests overall, scoring 1893 runs at an average of 35.05 with five centuries and seven half-centuries.