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A round-up of the first and second preliminary finals of the Ford Trophy 2011-12

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-2012Table leaders Central Districts advanced to the final of the Ford Trophy after their match against Auckland at Pukekura Park was rained out. Rain intervened after Central Districts reached 16 without loss in response to 230. Auckland were carried to that score thanks to an aggressive rearguard effort by Colin Munro and Colin de Grandhomme, who scored 60s and added 92 in just under 10 overs. They came together at 109 for 5 in the 31st over and went on the attack. Munro made 64 off 60 balls while de Grandhomme smashed seven sixes in his 35-ball 66. Marty Kain’s 4 for 46 helped Central Districts bowl out Auckland before they could bat out their 50 overs.Auckland, at second place in the points table, will have another shot at qualifying for the final when they face Otago in the third preliminary final on Wednesday.The battle between the third and fourth-placed teams in the tournament went Otago’s way in a gripping low-scorer at Dunedin’s University Oval. The hosts, Otago, were bowled out for 172 in just than 40 overs, but Canterbury, despite their strong start, collapsed to lose by 12 runs. Sam Wells top-scored for Otago with 41 at No.6 to lift them to a match-winning score. Canterbury were coasting at 93 for 1 in just under 25 overs, led by Peter Fulton’s half-century, but the wicket of Shanan Stewart triggered a collapse. Jimmy Neesham, the right-arm seamer, dismissed Fulton soon after and took three more wickets to take the game away from Canterbury. Otago claimed the last seven wickets for only 30 runs and the victory set up their virtual semi-final clash with Auckland.

On the same day he anointed Peter Siddle spearhead of Australia’s least seasoned bowling attack for 23 years, the head coach Mickey Arthur has stressed the spinner Nathan Lyon must also be prepared to play the role of a leader in the first Test against Ne

Daniel Brettig in Brisbane28-Nov-2011

On the same day he anointed Peter Siddle spearhead of Australia’s least seasoned bowling attack for 23 years, the head coach Mickey Arthur has stressed the spinner Nathan Lyon must also be prepared to play the role of a leader in the first Test against New Zealand.Siddle and Arthur spoke at length during the team’s first training session in Brisbane, the Victorian paceman accepting the critical role he must play in a bowling quartet that will feature two debutants alongside himself and Lyon. James Pattinson is favoured to take the third spot, leaving the local man Ben Cutting to duel with Mitchell Starc’s left-arm for the final place. All will get the chance to influence the captain and selector Michael Clarke when he bats in the Gabba nets on Tuesday.Having selected the most callow Australian bowling ensemble since the 1988 Pakistan tour – the last time an XI was chosen with fewer than the 126 wickets this team can boast between its members – Arthur and Clarke must decide on a practical balance.Each of Pattinson, Cutting and Starc have been commonly used as aggressors by their states and are not so familiar with the hard graft of long spells, leaving Siddle to do much of the heavy lifting. Arthur said that Lyon, who has been ushered gently into Test cricket by Clarke over his first five Tests, would now have more to do.”That’s certainly going to be a role we’re going to need,” Arthur said. “I think our spinner can play that role quite effectively, I thought he bowled beautifully today, so I’m hoping he can play that role, and then we can rotate those guys.”Bowling at the Gabba, overs 0-30 is about getting the ball up and making the ball work for you, 30-60 is the hard work, rolling the sleeves up, hitting back of a length and building pressure, and hopefully 60-80 you can get the ball to reverse. I’m hoping that overs 30-60 the young guys can stand up and build that pressure as much as we need the pressure to be built at that time.”There’s going to be four real young bowlers, Pete Siddle is going to have to lead the attack for us, there’s no doubt about that. I had a chat to him about it this morning and he’s ready for that responsibility. But it is going to be interesting, we’ve got to look at what’s going to be the best attack, and who’s bowling the best and gives us the most variation.”Lyon has never bowled at the Gabba, but can expect to profit from the bounce and occasional turn available to a spin bowler with sufficient discipline. Graeme Swann struggled for traction on the ground in last year’s Ashes Test, but later said that was more to do with bowling badly than not finding any comfort in the surface.”At the Gabba if it’s done a little bit it generally starts a little bit soft, which allows a bit of grip,” Arthur said. “And the one thing a spinner does get is bounce, and spinners thrive on bounce. So they do get bounce here. I’m really hoping he can do the job, I reckon he can.”Siddle agreed the task ahead was as daunting as it would be exciting, guiding bowlers as young and unaffected as he was on his debut against India at Mohali in 2008. Since then, Siddle has fought injuries but also refined his body shape, to be the hardiest if not flashiest member of Australia’s pace battery.”A little bit daunting, thinking these blokes are all so young and all haven’t played, so that does make it a little bit daunting, but it does make it exciting as well,” Siddle said. “To get the opportunity to play with some of these guys that obviously can be the future of Australian cricket, to go out there and hopefully lead them and show them some good things.”I’m looking forward to it … it is going to be tough and nervous for them at the start, but I’m looking forward to being a part of it with them, being able to enjoy it with them. Even last week to be involved with Patty [Cummins] and talk to him at mid off or mid on and just see how he goes about it, I’m very excited about these next few weeks.”Given his knack for away swing, Pattinson appears the most likely debutant to share the new ball, a welcome scenario for Siddle having known the younger man since he was “about 10 years old”.”I’ve played with his brother in club cricket for about 11 years now and I’ve known Jimmy since he was about 10, so he’s been like a little brother to me since I’ve moved down to Melbourne,” Siddle said. “I’ve enjoyed the times I’ve got to play with him for Victoria, so hopefully I do get the chance to get out on the park with him and better yet we could open the bowling together in a Test match, that would be quite amazing.”Among the players at Allan Border Field was a ginger-looking Shaun Marsh, who Arthur said was unlikely to be considered before the Boxing Day Test against India at the MCG.

MatériaMais Notícias

Acordo homologado na Justiça. O lateral-esquerdo, Emerson Conceição, receberá R$ 5 milhões, em 44 parcelas, do Atlético-MG. O valor se refere a direito de imagem, férias indenizadas, direitos econômicos, indenização por dano moral e multas. Foram mais de dois anos em discussão sobre a situação.

Além dos R$ 5 milhões que serão repassados a Emerson Conceição, o Atlético-MG se comprometeu a pagar aos procuradores do jogador a quantia de R$ 500 mil, em cinco parcelas, a partir de 20 de maio de 2018.

O acordo é mais uma tentativa do presidente Sérgio Sette Câmara para ajustar as finanças do Alvinegro.Emerson Conceição foi contratado pelo Atlético-MG em abril de 2014, vindo do Rennes-FRA. O lateral-esquerdo não conseguiu se firmar na equipe.Foram 27 jogos com a camisa alvinegra e nenhum gol.

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Nathan Lyon’s state coach, Darren Berry, hopes the offspinner is given an extended run in the Test side after being named in Australia’s squad to tour Sri Lanka. Lyon was the most unexpected inclusion in the 15-man group, with only four first-class matches to his name, and he will compete with Michael Beer for the spinner’s spot in the three-Test series.Although Berry, Lyon’s mentor at South Australia, was wary of rushing the inexperienced spinner, he said it was a brave selection and he was confident Lyon could make the step up to Test cricket. However, given Australia’s recent history of discarding young spinners as quickly as they’ve been chosen, Berry said it was crucial that Lyon was not treated the same way.”I think that now they’ve shown their hand and they’ve been brave enough to pick him … they’ve got to give him every chance … not one or two Test matches and then say he’s not ready,” Berry said. “They’ve picked him, it’s their responsibility now and in Australian cricket we need to embrace this young spinner and give him an extended run.””He absolutely has the tools to be successful. He’s a very, very talented offspin bowler. He does the rare thing that not many offspinners do in the current day – he hangs the ball in the air and he has wonderful flight and variation. He’s an exciting talent. That said, no doubt Nathan this morning was quite shocked, as have many been, at his selection.”Shocked was an understatement. Lyon, 23, was not included in Australia A’s first-class matches against Zimbabwe recently, and although he performed well in the one-day matches on the trip, a Test promotion was not on his radar and the call from chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch caught him off guard.”I looked down at the phone and saw Andrew’s name pop up and thought ‘geez, what is going on here’,” Lyon said. “It has certainly come out of the blue but I’m not going to knock it back, that is for sure.”The New South Wales fast bowler, Trent Copeland, was equally surprised at his call-up, which he described as “beyond belief”. He said he was looking forward to the challenge of facing Sri Lanka and he hoped that his successful Australia A tour of Zimbabwe would hold him in good stead for the possible step up to Test cricket.”Having played against Zimbabwe for the last month, and South Africa A in a few one-dayers as well, in Zimbabwean conditions which were quite flat, slow wickets, hopefully that gets us in tune for Sri Lanka, which are renowned to be quite flat as well,” Copeland said. “Not only that, we’re coming up against some top-notch cricketers.”To win a spot in Australia’s starting line-up, Copeland will have to wait for an injury or jump ahead of one of Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle or Ryan Harris, who are expected to have the front-running for the first Test in Galle. Harris had been one of Australia’s best bowlers during the Ashes until an ankle fracture ended his series, and he is keen to resume his place in the baggy green.”It’s been very frustrating getting the injuries in the first place,” Harris said. “That broken ankle came out of nowhere. I didn’t have any warning. That’s the frustrating part about it. It’s been a hard road back, but it’s been worth it. Anything’s worth it to play for Australia. It’s great to be back in there. My bowling is going well.”

The PCB has settled its dispute with Cricket Australia’s chief executive James Sutherland over his comments about the Justice Qayyum commission on match-fixing. In April, Sutherland had suggested that last year’s spot-fixing scandal – after which three Pakistan players were banned for five years – might not have occurred if the PCB had acted properly on the recommendations of the Qayyum commission in 2000.An irked Pakistan board had asked the ICC to “investigate” Sutherland’s comments but the row has now been resolved without the ICC’s intervention. “PCB chief operating officer Subhan Ahmad talked to Sutherland on the matter,” PCB spokesman Nadeem Sarwar said. “James clarified that his comments on the Qayyum inquiry were not meant to put PCB in a difficult position. Sutherland explained that it was in response to a question during an interview and not intended to criticise anyone. PCB enjoys cordial relations with CA so we have decided not to pursue the matter any further.”The Qayyum report had several recommendations for tackling match-fixing. The main ones involved banning for life players such as Salim Malik and Ata-ur-Rehman, and fining a host of others, including Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mushtaq Ahmed and Saeed Anwar. Some of these players, such as Akram, were to be prevented from holding any positions of responsibility in or around the team.Last year, soon after the spot-fixing controversy broke out, Qayyum himself had said the PCB had not been “strong enough” in implementing some recommendations in his report.

Two sparkling centuries lit up Eden Gardens, Ryan ten Doeschate propping Netherlands up with his second ton of the tournament and Paul Stirling launching Ireland’s pursuit of 306 with a 72-ball 101 in a six-wicket win

The Bulletin by Liam Brickhill18-Mar-2011
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Paul Stirling blitzes one to the boundary during his match-winning hundred•Getty ImagesTwo sparkling centuries lit up Ireland’s clash with Netherlands at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Ryan ten Doeschate propping Netherlands up with his second ton of the tournament and Paul Stirling then launching Ireland’s pursuit of 306 with a blazing, 72-ball 101. Ireland’s disciplined bowling and far superior fielding proved the difference between the two sides, and they eventually triumphed by six wickets with more than two overs to spare after a far closer finish had appeared possible.Apart from one lapse in the first over, Ireland had barely fumbled while restricting Netherlands on a benign, batting-friendly surface and closed out the innings in bizarre circumstances with four run-outs in four balls. Netherlands were nowhere near as tight in comparison, putting down three clear chances and failing to keep the pressure on in the field, their lapses repeatedly allowing Ireland to stay ahead of the game.Netherlands should have had a breakthrough as early as the third over, but Adeel Raja put down a top edge off William Porterfield’s bat at third man and Ireland were soon rocketing along at eight an over. Stirling provided the main impetus in that regard, swinging from the hip from the very start of his knock, as the first ball he faced was answered with a wild hook and a top edge that sailed straight over the wicketkeeper for six. He barely slowed down thereafter, hitting very little straight down the ground but repeatedly puncturing the field on both sides of the wicket.He plundered 19 from Bernard Loots’ second over, including a second six over deep midwicket, and shortly after brought up a 25-ball half century, the second fastest in the tournament. Porterfield was rather more circumspect but had no problems putting the bad ball away, and after 68 out of 81 runs came in boundaries in the first 10 overs Netherlands were forced to postpone their use of the bowling Powerplay simply to try and slow Ireland down.With Pieter Seelaar and ten Doeschate, Netherlands’ two most accomplished bowlers, operating in tandem, the tactic temporarily worked but when the bowling Powerplay was eventually taken in the 19th over, and the batsmen attempted to pick up the tempo once again, Netherlands put down two chances in as many overs to lose further ground.Porterfield eased past fifty in the 20th over but by then Stirling already had a hundred in his sights. Their partnership stretched to 177, a new Irish record for the opening stand in ODIs, before, in a three-ball flurry of excitement, Porterfield fell to a catch behind and Stirling brought up his century but then thumped the next ball – a long-hop – straight to the fielder on the deep-midwicket boundary. Their departures opened a window of opportunity for Netherlands but Ireland’s chase barely missed a step, with each successive batsman making a contribution and the brothers O’Brien closing out the game with an unbroken 28-run partnership at close to nine an over.While lacklustre bowling and fielding let Netherlands down, the ascendancy had swung between the two teams before lunch and Netherlands had gained in an attacking stand between ten Doeschate and captain Peter Borren. The Ireland bowlers had few answers against the pair and were hampered by an injury to young left-arm spinner George Dockrell, who appeared to dislocate his shoulder as he dived to stop the ball and had to immediately leave the field.Smart Stats

The target of 307 is the second-highest successfully chased score in ODIs in Kolkata. The highest is 316 by India against Sri Lanka in 2009.

Ryan ten Doeschate’s century is his second of the tournament and he becomes the third player after AB de Villiers and Sachin Tendulkar to score two centuries in the 2011 World Cup.

ten Doeschate has now scored five centuries and nine fifties in ODIs. Among batsmen who have scored over 1500 runs in ODIs, his average of 67.00 is the highest.

The 121-run stand between ten Doeschate and Peter Borren is the highest for the fifth wicket for Netherlands in ODIs.

Paul Stirling scored a century off just 70 balls, which is the fourth fastest in World Cups and the second fastest for an Irish batsman in World Cups. Stirling’s strike rate of 140.27 is the second highest for an Irish batsman for a score over 100 in ODIs

The 177-run stand between William Porterfield and Stirling is the third-highest opening-wicket partnership in the 2011 World Cup and the highest for Ireland in ODIs.

The 81 runs scored by Ireland in the mandatory Powerplay is their highest score in the first ten overs of an innings in the tournament.

In his absence, ten Doeschate and Borren added 121 for the fifth wicket, by far the largest stand of the innings, in quick time on a pitch that looked increasingly good for batting after the early-morning moisture had been scorched from the surface. ten Doeschate had also been involved in two other important partnerships after Netherlands lost two early wickets and then suffered a further casualty when Wesley Barresi was forced to leave the field in just the second over after being hit on the back of the head by a return throw from Kevin O’Brien.ten Doeschate kick-started his innings by adding 41 with Alexei Kervezee, who struggled to deal with the early bounce and movement and eventually gave his wicket away softly, pushing a length delivery from John Mooney straight into the hands of Kevin O’Brien. That dismissal brought Barresi back to the crease, and he immediately set about the Irish bowling. He raced into the 40s before he was pinned in front of his stumps, but Dockrell’s injury noticeably dampened Ireland’s mood and ten Doeschate and Borren quickly seized the initiative once again.ten Doeschate raised his fifty in the 27th over and with the field set back in defence, the partnership developed with plenty of running between the wickets before he opened up as he closed in on a century. Borren raced to a 56-ball half-century in the 38th over and ten Doeschate went to his own landmark soon after in the midst of another expensive over from Boyd Rankin. He celebrated by heaving Stirling over wide long-on but fell trying to repeat the shot next ball, caught at long-off by Mooney.Borren and wicketkeeper Atse Buurman didn’t allow the pitch to slow Netherlands’ momentum and continued to find the boundary – though more than once it was courtesy of outside edges and slashes past third man but the innings ended in farcical circumstances when Netherlands lost four wickets in four balls – all run out – to be bowled out for 306. That still might have been a match-winning total, but ultimately Ireland showed the value of their greater professionalism and the enhanced self-belief that has come from their positive performances in this tournament.Match Timeline

Brad Hodge has been given some hope of playing for Australia again, after being named in the preliminary 30-man squad for next year’s World Cup. Brett Lee is also in the running for Australia’s title defence, while James Pattinson is the only man in the group who hasn’t played for Australia in any format.The squad will be pruned to 15 by January 19, giving the selectors just one ODI against England to answer any remaining questions they have about their players. Lee has a strong chance of being part of the tournament, which starts in February, as he has 15 Ryobi Cup wickets at 21.73 this summer, while Hodge is the form batsman in the competition with three hundreds from seven games.”There is blend of youth and experience in this extended group with exciting young talent like David Warner, Mitchell Starc, James Pattinson and Stephen O’Keefe all pushing for inclusion in the final fifteen,” Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said. “These players have some opportunity between now and January 19 to push for a spot in the final squad of 15.”Australia is the reigning world champion and also holds the ICC Champions Trophy in the 50-over game. We’ve selected an initial squad with conditions in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in mind and expect this group to be equal to the challenge ahead.”Squad Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Doug Bollinger, Dan Christian, Xavier Doherty, Callum Ferguson, Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, John Hastings, Nathan Hauritz, Brad Hodge, James Hopes, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Shaun Marsh, Andrew McDonald, Clint McKay, Steve O’Keefe, Tim Paine, James Pattinson, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Shaun Tait, Adam Voges, David Warner, Shane Watson, Cameron White.

L Balaji’s 12th first-class four-wicket haul helped Tamil Nadu bowl Assam out for 184 on the opening day at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Assam began cautiously after TN chose to field on a pitch that had plenty of carry, and the openers had seen off 13.3 overs, adding 24 before debutant seamer Sunil Sam made the first breakthrough. Dheeraj Jadhav, Assam’s top-scorer last season, slashed and edged to the wicketkeeper. Sridharan Sriram, the left-hand batsman who hails from TN, could not make an impact against his old team-mates, and became Balaji’s first victim when he cut to gully. Parvez Aziz played offspinner R Ashwin with confidence and had moved to 36 with six boundaries. He also fought through a stream of bouncers before offering S Badrinath a catch off Balaji’s bowling. Badrinath had to dive low and to his left at second slip to take the chance. When star import Amol Muzumdar departed for a duck, nicking Balaji behind, TN sensed an opportunity to shoot Assam out for a low score. The spinners Aushik Srinivas and R Ashwin nipped three wickets between them, while a couple of run-outs added to Assam’s woes as they stumbled to a score under 200. TN’s openers Abhinav Mukund and Srikkanth Anirudha then batted with determination to take their side to 21 without loss by the close.Wasim Jaffer purred along to his 40th first-class century, while Rohit Sharma missed his ninth by seven runs as Mumbai launched their title defence by scoring 340 for 7 on the opening day at the Bandra Kurla Complex against Saurashtra. On a day that would have left both sides reasonably satisfied, there were several important individual performances that stood out. Dropping himself to No. 3 in the absence of the injured middle-order bulwark Ajinkya Rahane, Jaffer carried on his penchant for plundering domestic hundreds, after Jayesh Odedra’s double-strike. At the other end, with the selectors’ eye on his fitness and temperament, Rohit launched himself into the Saurashtra attack with typical elegance. His 93 came off 86 balls, with 14 fours and two sixes, leading Mumbai to 252 for 2 and in sight of a towering score. Then came the third most significant performance of the day, from another India hopeful. Ravindra Jadeja has had his place in the Indian questioned by all and sundry, and he responded with an incisive spell with the game threatening to run away. He dismissed Sharma, Abhishek Nayar and Ramesh Powar, leading Saurashtra’s resurgence in the evening session and left them with an opportunity to finish Mumbai’s innings early on the second day.For more on this match, click here.Opener Arindam Das’ seventh first-class century was the highlight of the opening day at the Feroz Shah Kotla as Bengal posted a dominant 313 for 2 against a Delhi attack that struggled for incisiveness. Ten months after the abandonment of an ODI due to an underprepared pitch, the Kotla track was at its benign best as Das settled down for a big innings, in Shreevats Goswami’s company. The pair raised 133 in 37.2 overs, giving the hosts a taste of what was to come before Goswami fell for 68, the first of Mithun Manhas’ two wickets. Abhishek Chowdhury was more cautious, but it did not affect Bengal’s speed of scoring as Das shifted gears upwards. Manoj Tiwary who came in at Chowdhury’s exit kept the momentum going with an unbeaten 47 off 80 balls. At the other end, Das, kicked on after reaching his ton and finished the day unbeaten on 150. His knock included 19 fours, and he looked good for more when stumps were drawn.For more on this match, click here.Yuvraj Singh managed a half-century but, like the rest of his top-order mates, was guilty of throwing away a start, as Uttar Pradesh held Punjab to 279 for 6 on the opening day at the Bhamashah Stadium in Meerut. Sarul Kanwar began in aggressive fashion after Punjab chose to bat, striking eight fours in his run-a-ball 42. However, after an opening stand worth 56, Praveen Kumar removed Kanwar and Ravi Inder Singh off successive overs, exposing Punjab’s middle order. Uday Kaul rebuilt in Yuvraj’s company, the pair raising 61 for the third wicket before a mini-collapse reduced Punjab to 143 for 5. Karan Goel rose to the occasion, and along with Vishwas Bhalla, lifted his side to respectability with a 72-run alliance. Piyush Chawla prised out Bhalla, but Harmeet Singh counterattacked with four fours and a six in his 29, taking Punjab to stumps along with Goel, who was unbeaten on 56.Gujarat‘s top order gave a good account of themselves without managing to dominate the Railways attack, leaving both sides on par at stumps on an attritional opening day at the Karnail Singh Stadium. Every Gujarat batsman got a start in a score of 234 for 4, but only one managed to reach fifty, while most bowlers gained respect without making enough entries in the wickets column. Jay Desai and Priyank Kirit Panchal ground out an opening stand of 58 in 28 overs before exiting on the same score. Niraj Patel and Parthiv Patel showed more urgency in a stand of 74, but both failed to kick on, as Gujarat found themselves unable to reap the rewards of solidity. That partnership, however, eased the pressure on the remaining batsmen. Bhavik Thaker, coming in at No. 5, did better than the top four, ensuring he crossed his half-century and remained unbeaten at stumps. His innings included two fours and a six off consecutive deliveries from Faiz Fazal. Debutant Pratharesh Parmar held up the other end with an undefeated 28 and the pair will want to push ahead on the second day. Parthiv praised his batsmen for their effort. “The wicket was green and two-paced,” he told the . “So, it was a challenge to play the first 30 overs and we did it.”Opening bowler Basanth Mohanty completed his sixth first-class five-wicket haul as Orissa bullied Baroda, reducing them to 99 for 9 on a curtailed day at the Barabati Stadium. After overnight rains delayed the start by half an hour, Orissa captain Shiv Sundar Das had no hesitation in bowling after winning the toss in damp, seamer-friendly conditions. Baroda’s batsmen, star players Yusuf Pathan and Ambati Rayudu included, had no answers against Basanth in an innings where only three batsmen managed to enter double-figures. Things could have been far worse for Baroda if not for Rakesh Solanki’s unbeaten 44. Debasis Mohanty, Alok Chandra Sahoo and Dhiraj Singh complemented Basanth’s efforts with a wicket apiece as Baroda derailed in shocking fashion.Himachal Pradesh‘s bowlers contained Haryana on the opening day, as the visitors crawled to 204 for 4 in Dharmasala. After choosing to field, the hosts started well, with seamer Jitendra Mehta removing Nitin Saini for five, but wickets were hard to come by after that. Rahul Dewan held vigil for 40 watchful overs, his 46 pushing the score to 88, before he perished against Ashok Thakur. Manav Sharma and Hemang Badani carried on in the same vein, their partnership of 74 spanning nearly 30 overs before Manav fell four short of his half-century. Badani brought up his 37th first-class fifty, and the first for Haryana, but more importantly, ensured he was unbeaten till the end.

أكد فرناندو سانتوس، المدير الفني لمنتخب البرتغال، أن مسألة مستقبل كريستيانو رونالدو خاصة بعد فسخ عقده من مانشستر يونايتد، لم تمثل موضوعًا بالنسبة لهم في معسكر كأس العالم قطر 2022.

ويلتقي منتخب البرتغال، مساء غدًا الخميس، مع خصمه غانا في الجولة الأولى من دور مجموعات كأس العالم.

تأتي تلك المباراة بعد وقت قصير من إعلان مانشستر يونايتد لفسخ عقد كريستيانو رونالدو، وهو الأمر الذي كان مسيطرًا على أسئلة الصحفيين خلال مؤتمر فرناندو سانتوس وبرونو فرنانديز اليوم.

وقال سانتوس: “إنه شيء لم نتحدث عنه حتى على أرض الملعب أو عندما نرتاح، الشيء المهم هو أن اللاعبين يركزون تمامًا على ما نريد القيام به هنا”.

وأضاف: “لدينا هدف، نحن نستعد لتوفير الفرح والمرح للشعب البرتغالي، لإسعادهم، المحادثة لم تأت في أي لحظة، ولا حتى منه (رونالدو)”.

وعن مباراة الغد، قال سانتوس: “الفوز في مثل هذه البطولة صعب للغاية لأي فريق، لأي بلد، ما عليك سوى إلقاء نظرة على المباريات القليلة الأولى لترى ذلك بوضوح، كنت أشاهد مباراة كرواتيا والمغرب، يمكنك أن ترى منافسة متكافئة للغاية”.

وأردف: “هذا لأن معظم اللاعبين في نفس الدوريات، ضد غانا، على سبيل المثال، اثنان أو ثلاثة من لاعبيهم هم خصوم برونو فرنانديز في نفس الدوري، يلعبون لفرق كبيرة وهم معتادون على القضايا التكتيكية في اللعب، في الماضي كنت ستلاحظ فرقًا، لكنك لا ترى في الوقت الحاضر، خاصة وأن جميع المدربين على مستوى عال للغاية”.

وأكد: “نحن مستعدون لمواجهة خصوم سيسببون لنا الكثير من المشاكل، غانا فريق منظم بشكل جيد للغاية، أظهرت مباراتهم ضد سويسرا ذلك، تتمتع المنتخبات الإفريقية بالكثير من المواهب، ولا يمكن التنبؤ بها، وتتحسن دائمًا من الناحية التكتيكية، اليوم هم فرق أكثر اكتمالا”.

وأوضح: “لعبت البرتغال مع منتخبات إفريقية في آخر ثلاث نسخ لكأس العالم وكانت دائمًا مباريات صعبة للغاية”، 0-0 ضد ساحل العاج عام 2010، 2-1 الفوز على غانا في 2014، الفوز 1-0 على المغرب في 2018.

واستطرد: “الفوز بالمباراة الأولى في أي منافسة مهم دائمًا، لأنه يجلب طاقة إيجابية، لكنني لعبت بطولة عندما تعادلنا في أول ثلاث مباريات وفزنا – بطولة أوروبا – وإذا تم منحنا هذا الخيار مرة أخرى، فسنتقبله جميعًا، لكننا ندرك أن هذه مخاطرة كبيرة، ونحن نعلم ذلك”.

Reliable reporter David Ornstein believes that Aston Villa may look at signing a central midfielder on deadline day.

The Athletic reporter was speaking live on Sky Sports and had many Villa fans talking on social media.

The Villans have been after a new midfielder this month following Marvelous Nakamba’s serious injury towards the end of 2021. However, so far they have had no luck, with offers for Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur being rejected by Brighton and Juventus respectively.

Marseille’s Boubacar Kamara is thought to be another player on the midfield shortlist, but there have been no significant updates on Villa and the Frenchman for over a week.

According to Ornstein [via @AVFCFaithful], who was speaking on Sky Sports News’ transfer deadline day coverage, Villa may have another nibble at a central midfielder in the final hours of the January window.

Villa fans react

Here is what these Villa supporters had to say in reply, with many excited at the possibility of a late arrival to Steven Gerrard’s squad.

“YES DAVID I LOVE YOU”

Credit: @charliepowellm1

“He’s tier 111111 please please please”

Credit: @JRamsAV

“ORNSTEINNNNN”

Credit: @_AVFCOlly

“ORNSTEINNNNNNN”

Credit: @ViIlaI_

“DAVID YOU BEAUTIFUL MAN”

Credit: @DG_Villa1

“What a tease”

Credit: @JohnCha00458074

In other news: ‘No way’ – Lots of Villa fans flock to journalist’s deadline day hint