All posts by n8rngtd.top

Manchester United’s failings in the Premier League over the last couple of years have been there for all to see, with the fans undoubtedly growing frustrated by the lack of success.

The side have now failed to win the league in each of the last 12 campaigns, with Sir Alex Ferguson the last manager in charge to lift the league title at Old Trafford.

However, Ruben Amorim will be hoping that he can be the man to end such a drought, but it’s safe to say his time in the role to date has failed to lift off in recent months.

He was only able to secure a 15th-place finish in England’s top-flight last time around, with the hierarchy already spending over £200m on new additions since his arrival.

The manager has already made some bold calls on the future of some players at the Theatre of Dreams, including one player who massively failed to deliver in 2024/25.

The stats behind Andre Onana’s struggles in 2024/25

During the 2024/25 campaign, numerous players have failed to deliver in the Premier League – but none more so than goalkeeper Andre Onana, with the shot-stopper costing the side in key moments.

The Cameroonian joined the Red Devils in a £47.2m deal back in the summer of 2023, with such a move potentially going down as one of the worst in the club’s history.

He maintained the number one shirt for the majority of the campaign, but Amorim made the decision to offload him during the recent summer transfer window.

Onana left to join Turkish side Trabzonspor on a season-long loan after the arrival of Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp, a decision that proved to be the right one given his struggles in 2024/25.

The 29-year-old featured 50 times across all competitions last campaign, but made nine direct errors that led to goals, many of which came in key moments.

He could only muster a 67% save percentage in England’s top-flight last season, whilst also failing to impress in possession – as seen by his pass accuracy of just 68%.

However, one player within the current side has taken over from the goalkeeper in terms of failing to deliver, which could leave the manager with a huge call to make in the months ahead.

Man Utd's biggest liability since Onana

Patrick Dorgu has certainly been a player who has left fans frustrated at United over the last couple of months, especially after the excitement generated around his move 11 months ago.

The Danish international arrived in a £30m deal from Italian side Lecce, with real promise that the youngster could provide a long-term solution to their left-back issues.

However, in 2025/26 alone, he’s massively struggled with the demands of the Premier League, as seen by his tally of just seven league starts out of a possible 13.

His underlying stats in and out of possession this season showcase his struggles, with the manager taking the right call to drop him from his starting eleven in recent weeks.

Dorgu has completed just 72% of passes in 2025/26, whilst also making just 3.4 ball recoveries – with both stats ranking him in the bottom 20% of players in the division.

However, despite the Dane’s struggles, fellow full-back Diogo Dalot has also been under fire as of late and rightfully so given his poor form under Amorim for the Red Devils.

The Portuguese international, who’s usually a right-sided full-back, has often been called upon to feature in a left-wing-back role, which has no doubt affected his performances.

During his seven-year stint at Old Trafford, he’s been known to be more dominant out of possession rather than with the ball at his feet – with Amorim needing to take responsibility for his continued selection.

The recent victory over Crystal Palace may have been an impressive win for the side, but it didn’t stop Dalot from being able to fall below the standards expected of him once again.

He featured for the entirety of the victory at Selhurst Park, but was unable to complete any of his attempted dribbles, whilst also failing to find a teammate with any of his crosses.

Dalot’s struggles continued in attacking areas, subsequently being unable to direct any of his two shots on target – something which he’s been unable to do all season long.

However, he also failed to deliver when trying to stop the opposition, as seen by just one tackle won and one interception made – resulting in Adam Joseph labelling him “toothless”.

It’s evident that the 26-year-old is massively unsuited to his current wing-back role, but Amorim has made no efforts to try and resolve the current situation at hand.

The first team have massively struggled for quality in wide areas since the manager’s arrival 12 months ago, with such an issue rearing its head right before the January window.

As for Dalot, he’s constantly proving to be an unreliable figure, with the defender potentially emulating Onana’s failures if no change is made in the near future.

Better than Dorgu: Man Utd plot move to sign 'the world's most coveted LB'

Manchester United look set to make yet another big-money move in the defensive department.

By
Ethan Lamb

Dec 2, 2025

Bayern Munich legends Oliver Kahn and Dietmar Hamann have delivered a damning verdict on Xabi Alonso’s tumultuous start at Real Madrid. Kahn argues the Spaniard’s tactical obsession clashes with the club’s DNA, while Hamann claims the squad are now 'untrainable' after Vinicius Jr was allowed to undermine the manager’s authority.

• 'Alonso's ideas do not fit Real Madrid'

  The pressure is mounting on Alonso at the Santiago Bernabeu, with Real Madrid struggling to replicate the dominance of previous seasons. The Spanish champions have endured a nightmare December, suffering a shock home defeat to Celta Vigo before falling to Manchester City in the Champions League midweek.

  Reports from the Spanish capital suggest the dressing room has grown weary of Alonso’s methods, with complaints emerging about "excessive" video analysis sessions and a perceived lack of creative freedom. Speaking on , former Bayern CEO Kahn suggested that these struggles were inevitable because Alonso's philosophy is fundamentally incompatible with the 'Galactico' culture.

  "It is no surprise because his idea does not fit Real Madrid," Kahn explained. "The approach Xabi pursues with this system football and positional play requires very specific players. At Real Madrid, however, completely different football is played.

  "It is about freedom and individuality; players do not want to be pressed into systems there, and that is the great misunderstanding. You need a coach who finds the best way to bring superstars together, but not one who starts explaining to them that they must play a very specific system."

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  'Vinicius feels he is bigger than the club'

  While Kahn focused on tactics, fellow pundit Hamann pinpointed a breakdown in discipline as the root cause of the crisis. Hamann believes the club's decision to boycott the Ballon d'Or ceremony in 2024 due to  Vinicius Jr not winning it created a dangerous precedent, shifting the power dynamic fatally towards the players. The Brazilian escaping any serious punishment for his reaction to being substituted against Barcelona is proof, he says, that Madrid are now "unmanageable".

  "The decline began with the FIFA Ballon d'Or, when Vini Jr. and the whole club boycotted the event," Hamann stated. "That gave Vini the feeling he is bigger than the club. Then came Barcelona, when he was substituted after 70 minutes, made a huge fuss, and received no punishment.

  "The coach was finished after that, and now this is just a consequence of what has happened in the last few months. At the moment, they are unmanageable. It took five or six months to burn the hottest stock on the coaching market, and if an Alonso can't manage it, then God have mercy on whoever follows him."

• Madrid struggling after strong start

  The comments from the two German legends highlight the unique difficulties of the Real Madrid job. Unlike other elite European clubs where the manager is the primary architect of the team's identity, recent success at the Bernabeu has historically come under managers like Carlo Ancelotti or Zinedine Zidane – figures who facilitated the talents of their stars rather than imposing complex tactical grids. Alonso arrived as the most coveted young coach in Europe, but his attempt to implement the structured 'positional play' that won him the Bundesliga appears to have alienated a dressing room accustomed to on-pitch freedom. 

  Alonso enjoyed a perfect start after joining from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer. His side won their first seven games across La Liga and the Champions League before finally going down 5-2 to Atletico Madrid. Another six straight wins followed – including a 2-1 Clasico victory – but a European loss to Liverpool kicked off their current woeful run, which has seen them win just two of their last eight. They now sit four points behind Barcelona in La Liga and are seventh in the Champions League table.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  What comes next?

  Alonso now faces a critical period leading up to the winter break to save his job. He must find a way to balance his tactical principles with the individual freedom his stars clearly demand. They return to domestic action with a game against Alaves on Sunday followed by a Copa del Rey clash in midweek.

In recent years, National Baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. has been spotted at multiple sporting events working as a photographer. His most recent gig? The 2025 MLB Home Run Derby.

Griffey Jr. was spotted at Truist Park in Atlanta on Monday night hours before the Derby began. He was seen talking with various All-Stars on the field, possibly even giving some of the participants for Monday night's event advice since he was a three-time Derby winner.

It's fitting that Griffey is back at the Home Run Derby as he holds the record for the most Derby wins (three) and appearances (eight). He is a staple of the event, and now he's back with a new gig.

The MLB legend also covered the HBCU Swingman Classic and Futures Game over the weekend as a part of the All-Star events.

Griffey went viral earlier this year during the Masters as he shot some pretty iconic photos of golfers, such as Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth.

Griffey's photography resume includes him covering some MLB games (including this year's opening series in Tokyo), NFL games, MLS games and IndyCar events. Photography has been something Griffey's been working on for years now, and his passion continues to grow for it. So, don't be surprised if you keep seeing Griffey's name attached to sports photos in the future.

Australia’s attack takes advantage of a timid batting display, but could we have expected different?

Andrew Miller11-Jun-20252:55

Hayden: Australia won day one because of SA batters’ lack of intent

The agony was palpable as Wiaan Mulder and Temba Bavuma ground their way through a third-wicket stand of six that spanned 40 interminably accurate balls.Hard length on off stump… nip, bounce, rinse, repeat. Some balls were stared down, and patted straight back whence they came. Others seared past the splice, to the oohs of a stacked cordon and the groans of a packed South Africa contingent in the stands, whose previous sense of a day well dominated was retreating with every non-shot.Despite facing 132 balls in a fraught evening session, close to 50% of South Africa’s 43 runs came from exactly five scoring shots – a trio of driven boundaries from Ryan Rickelton at the top of the order, then two more fours in consecutive deliveries at the absolute close of play, as Pat Cummins over-reached in his bid for an inswinging yorker, and gifted David Bedingham a brace of leg-stump freebies.Related

• The best of Rabada wasn't in the balls that got the wickets

• Alex Carey has another eventful outing at Lord's

• Australia's quicks follow Rabada's start as wickets tumble

Yes, there was a certain dignity in South Africa’s strokeless defiance, most particularly from the captain Bavuma, who will resume on 3 not out from 37 balls on Thursday morning with another vast burden to shoulder. And yet, in between whiles, there were four very emphatic wickets – three of them bowled, and the fourth snicked to first slip – as Australia’s magnificent seam attack, all 955 Test wickets between them before the start of the WTC final, accepted the invitation to come at their opponents and bowl their best balls without any real threat of retaliation.”I thought the guys bowled pretty well, to be fair,” Steven Smith said at the close. “It wasn’t the easiest surface to come out and wallop it. The couple of times they went at it and tried to drive the ball, we got the edges. A couple [of them] played nicely when they were late and defending under their eyes. They were difficult to get out. It’s the kind of wicket you’ve got to be solid in defence and, when you get a loose ball, you pounce on it.”Smith’s logic was sound enough, and earlier in the day, it had been borne out in his own performance – a vital 66 from 112 balls that was as composed in its compilation as Beau Webster’s 72 had been neurotic: “for his first 30 balls, it didn’t look like he could spell ‘bat’,” as Smith evocatively put it at the close. As Kagiso Rabada proved with his own magnificent five-for, this pitch has plenty to offer to the very best in the business.1:45

‘Pretty cool to have it in the home changeroom’ – Rabada on his five-for

Even so, it was an atypical day of Test cricket for the many neutrals in the stands – in other words, the regular Lord’s clientele who have got used to watching England take a radically different approach to batting in recent seasons. And there were doubtless some conflicting emotions at play as a consequence.On the one hand, it’s fair to assume that most of those neutrals would have been urging South Africa to start giving it some welly (because, let’s face it, everyone loves an underdog in these parts, especially when they aren’t Australian). But also, for those with memories that stretch back longer than three years, there might also have been a ghastly realisation: yikes, this was us once.Whether or not Bazball is an actual thing that Australians acknowledge as a tactic, Cummins’ team saw the whites of its eyes on this ground two years ago. In the 2023 Ashes, England served up perhaps the diametrically opposite performance to today’s fare, particularly, in a first innings of such self-immolating recklessness that they wrecked their own chances of victory by swinging too high, too hard, and too often. Alex Carey’s instincts in the second innings may have ignited a furious final act, but the match – and the Ashes – were lost in that blizzard of over-eager aggression.Even so, the manner of that defeat was infinitely preferable to – and, in fact, a direct consequence of – the experience England had endured in their previous encounter with the Australians in 2021-22: a trial by paralysis, of precisely the type that South Africa experienced today.The Wiaan Mulder experiment at No. 3 didn’t come off•Getty ImagesThe nadir of that series was reached in the third Test in Melbourne – a strokeless surrender in which Haseeb Hameed, not unlike Mulder today, batted to the absolute limit of his brief in making seven runs from 41 balls across two innings, as Scott Boland served up the ridiculous second-innings figures of 6 for 7.And if England, in that moment, declared “never again”, and vowed to find a different way to shape their narrative, then it needs also to be acknowledged that they did so from a position of privilege: as a Big Three nation, with the financial clout to schedule 22 Tests in a WTC cycle, compared to South Africa’s 12, and with the certainty of selection that allows their players to chase their shots with impunity. Zak Crawley’s entire Test career has been built on the premise that one false move will not bring down either his ambitions, or those of the men around them.It’s not so simple for South Africa at this delicate juncture of their evolution. Win this Test, and the team’s development might yet be self-perpetuating – amid the interest and accolades that come from being world champions. Lose, however, and maybe it’ll be back to the square minus-one that they faced at the start of this cycle, when Neil Brand (remember him?) led a scratch first-class squad to get crushed in two Tests in New Zealand, while the main characters got stuck into the first season of the SA20.So, it’s hard to argue that South Africa played their cards wrong today. “One does not simply walk into Mordor and Bazball,” as that Boromir meme might have put it, not even when you’ve recruited one of the concept’s chief architects, Stuart Broad, to impart some mindset gems.1:28

Steyn: Doing it in big games has become a habit for Starc

But what’s a team to do when faced with one of the very best attacks in Test history, on a pitch which, as Smith put it, was “doing enough all day… [with] a bit of variable bounce and a bit of sideways movement”?More of the same, presumably, when Bavuma and Bedingham resume on the second morning, with brighter sunshine in prospect, but with a dry surface already itching to bring the spinners into play – if and when they are required. For Smith didn’t anticipate any significant deterioration in the ball’s hardness until the 40th over, which was when Webster’s first-innings effort had been able to escape the pressure and develop into something meaningful.But for that to transpire in the current conditions, South Africa’s remaining batters will need to endure for the best part of the morning session without further error – and even then, as Carey showed with the ill-conceived reverse-sweep after tea that triggered Australia’s dramatic loss of five wickets for 20 runs, you’re as likely to be damned for doing as you would be for sticking to your original plan.At moments such as these, though, you’re still entitled to wonder whether it’s more reckless to roll the dice, or to dig in with such blinkered determination that you’re closing yourself off to the inevitable.

The New York Yankees haven't made a big splash ahead of Thursday's MLB trade deadline just yet. Though they've made a few minor moves in the past few days, it seems as if the Yankees' front office has been working the phones with little coming to fruition.

According to a report from MLB insider Jon Heyman, New York has been fielding calls from teams interested in acquiring standout outfield prospect Spencer Jones, but they have rebuffed any attempt by declaring they'd only be willing to move Jones, along with other pieces, for Pirates ace Paul Skenes.

Heyman indicated that teams had been dangling good players in front of the Yankees in hopes of working out a deal for Jones, but the team has been consistent in that it won't trade him for anyone other than Skenes, who is not going to be traded by Pittsburgh.

It makes sense why the front office is so hellbent on keeping Jones. Since his promotion to Triple A, Jones has hit 13 home runs in just 21 games, and he has 29 home runs in 70 games in total this year. A former first-round pick, Jones has tremendous upside, and it seems the Yankees are determined to keep him in the organization at virtually any cost.

New York still has some other attractive prospects who could potentially fetch a big name at the trade deadline, including starting pitcher Cam Schlittler, but it appears Brian Cashman & Co. aren't even entertaining the idea of letting Jones go.

Let’s scale back two years. Liverpool had completed their midfield rebuild under Jurgen Klopp and were primed for a new chapter, putting that bleak 2022/23 campaign to bed.

Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and co had gone past their sell-by dates, and FSG went full ham as they countered the midfield exodus with four interesting signings: Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch.

Those additions led Klopp’s side back into the Champions League and saw the German cap off his Anfield dynasty with one final slice of silverware, beating Chelsea against injury-hit odds in the Carabao Cup final.

Arne Slot approached the recent summer market with a similar need for change.

Well, similar insofar as much money needed to be spent, but Liverpool had just won the Premier League and were supported by the many years of Klopp’s labours. This is supposed to be a successful season for the Reds.

And it still could be, but so much has gone wrong for Slot’s tactically imbalanced team, who have lost four matches in a row and lack any sense of confidence or coherence.

We could pick at any area of the field, but the midfielders have certainly left something to be desired in recent months.

Liverpool need a new midfielder

Two years on, FSG may need to shop once again for a high-level midfielder. While the Merseysiders have talented options in the engine room, the woes of Mac Allister and Szoboszlai’s new role at right-back suggest more physicality and press resistance could be added to ease Gravenberch’s burden.

The 26-year-old Mac Allister, in particular, has been dreadful this term, lacking his typical coolness and energy on the ball, that rare ability to marry technical elegance with combative physicality.

That simply hasn’t been there, with one Premier League noting that the Argentina international is “not up to scratch” at the moment, winning only one tackle per game and losing 57% of his ground duels, as per Sofascore.

It hasn’t been good enough, and while, candidly, part of Mac Allister’s struggle is down to mismanagement, there’s a sense that an upgrade is needed to add a much-needed dimension to the midfield.

Well, that man could arrive in the form of Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga, with Spanish sources confirming this week that the France international could be on the move in 2026, an update which has certainly put Anfield’s sporting director, Richard Hughes, on alert.

Valued by Los Blancos at around €80m (equating to £69m), Camavinga is no longer considered untouchable by Xabi Alonso, and those in Spain believe an audacious January bid could be staged by the Premier League champions.

The 22-year-old has been in Madrid for over four years, but injuries and Alonso’s vision have opened the door for potential suitors. Manchester City and Manchester United both expressed interest this summer.

Why Camavinga could be an upgrade on Mac Allister

Camavinga was regarded as a wonder-kid when he first took steps onto the professional stage. Joining from Rennes for around £35m in 2021, he has since featured 186 times for the Spanish giants, winning two La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues.

Though the past year has been an effort to maintain regular fitness levels for Camavinga, he remains a world-class talent, a “duel-monster” in the words of analyst Raj Chohan, who could benefit from a change of scenery, joining a Liverpool team where he could foster his skills for many years to come.

His arrival would not knock Mac Allister from his prominent position, but it would give him competition, to be sure, and Camavinga might even come to be an upgrade down the line, with the statistics drawn from the past year certainly suggesting he has what it takes to outstrip him.

As you can see, Camavinga has played with a touch more completeness and energy than his Argentine counterpart over the past year, and that having suffered with injury problems all the while. He might actually boast a higher standard of quality than Mac Allister, and that is not to the Liverpool man’s discredit.

There is also the matter of age. Camavinga is only 22 years old, and with a wealth of elite experience at that.

He might be struggling for minutes and fluency at Real Madrid, but he’s so young and clearly such a talented midfielder, an expert on the ball and relentless in the challenge.

These are attributes shared with Liverpool’s No. 10, though there’s a case to be made that the Frenchman is even more complete in his midfield game, hailed for his “extraordinary qualities” by former Real boss Carlo Ancelotti, who went on to claim his young star could “play anywhere on the pitch”.

Similar praise have been laid at Mac Allister’s feet in the Premier League. Shortly after the South American’s £35m transfer from Brighton to Liverpool, TNT Sports pundit Joe Cole described him as a “superstar” signing for the Reds, drawing attention to his own ability to “play anywhere” his manager wants him to.

Such dynamism. Though Liverpool would want to retain Mac Allister’s services for as long as they can, it’s clear he plays a role unlike any other in the Liverpool squad. To put that another way, he provides a dimension his teammates cannot mimic.

And, with that in mind, adding Camavinga to the fold might prove a stroke of genius on Hughes’ part. Real Madrid might want something in the ballpark of £69m, but Liverpool could take advantage of his injury struggles and seat on the Santiago Bernabeu fringe over the past 12 months.

Looking at how it could all transpire in the long run, Liverpool might strike a player who could yet grow into one of the best in the world, eclipsing a star in Mac Allister, who has already provided the club with a higher brand of technical midfield play than they had been treated to in the years before his signing.

Slot can fix Konate & Leoni blow by unleashing Liverpool's 19-year-old star

Liverpool have something of a sore spot in defence this season.

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 18, 2025

Major League Baseball is set to implement an Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS) beginning in the 2026 season, the league announced on Tuesday. Each team will receive two challenges per game, and the challenges can be kept if they are successful. The challenges can only be initiated by a pitcher, catcher or batter immediately following a pitch.

Hall of Fame Baltimore Orioles infielder Cal Ripken Jr. was asked about the ABS system coming to baseball next season, and voiced strong support of it in an appearance with 106.7 's show on Thursday.

"I'm for the system," Ripken said. "I really believe the whole game can swing on one pitch. You know, it's a 2-1 count, bases loaded and a slider's gonna be down and away and they get the call—it's 2-2 as opposed to 3-1 with the hottest hitter at the plate. It changes the opportunity. Tennis does a good job, football does a good job with the technology, and we have that here. I guess the question is, 'Is two challenges enough?' So it's going to be a little bit of a learning period and a tweaking period and who knows, maybe it goes to all ABS at some point. But I like the idea."

It will certainly be a change that some fans will support and others—baseball purists—may not. But it is baseball's foray into 21st century technology and the challenge system in a sport that is difficult to officiate is long overdue.

Tottenham chiefs are believed to be assessing their options ahead of the looming January transfer window, which opens in just over a month’s time, and Thomas Frank reportedly wants to reinforce his attacking options.

On the pitch, all eyes turn towards this weekend’s looming North London derby as Frank’s side dream of their first Premier League win at the Emirates Stadium since 2011.

Frank also heads into his first derby clash as Spurs boss in testing circumstances, nursing a crippling injury crisis as he also navigates an inconsistent run of form. With as many as 11 first-team players currently sidelined, the Dane’s squad depth is pretty stretched for one of the Premier League’s most high-stakes fixtures.

His preparations took another worrying turn when midfielder Pape Sarr limped off during Senegal’s friendly against Brazil, though his international manager, Pape Thiaw, then provided a reassuring update which suggested the knock wasn’t serious.

The injury list makes for grim reading. Randal Kolo Muani, Archie Gray, Ben Davies, Radu Dragusin, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Dominic Solanke, Yves Bissouma and Kota Takai are just some of the names on Tottenham’s large absentee list, with a good few not expected back in time for the Arsenal clash.

Solanke is apparently “unlikely” to make his return against Mikel Arteta’s side as the striker continues his recovery from minor ankle surgery, while Kolo Muani fractured his jaw against Man United, and it remains to be seen how long the summer signing will be out for.

Mohammed Kudus should recover from a knock to face Arsenal, offering some attacking relief, while Lucas Bergvall could return after completing concussion protocols following his head injury against Chelsea — even if he was sent home from Sweden international duty after a ‘setback’.

Taking into account the club’s fitness issues which have plagued the Lilywhites since the start of Ange Postecoglou’s final season in charge, it is no surprise that they’re considering moves in the winter transfer market to reinforce Frank’s options.

Tottenham tried and failed to sign Man City winger Savinho in the summer, and it is believed that another wide-forward is very much still on the agenda at N17.

Takefusa Kubo could be tempted to join Tottenham in January

Real Sociedad star Takefusa Kubo is a player who’s long been linked with a move to Spurs.

Some reports even suggest that the north Londoners have made ‘several’ failed attempts to sign the Japan international, but they’ve been given some encouragement in the build up to January as it is claimed that Kubo is keen on Spurs as a landing spot.

His contract reportedly includes a £52 million release clause, and journalist Pete O’Rourke has told Football Insider that Kubo could still be intrigued by a move to Tottenham this winter amid Sociedad’s worrying form which sees them hovering just three points above the relegation zone.

O’Rourke also calls Kubo a “top player” who’d tick a lot of boxes for Frank.

The 24-year-old, who left Real Madrid after successive loan spells away to join Sociedad permanently in 2022, averaged more successful take-ons per 90 than any of his teammates in La Liga last season (WhoScored), and more than any Tottenham player managed in England that campaign too.

Predominantly a right-winger, Kubo appears unlikely to threaten Kudus’ place in the side given his exceptional start, but can operate as both a central attacking playmaker and even a second-striker, which may well appeal to Frank.

The presence of a release clause means that Spurs can bypass negotiations with Sociedad by triggering it and entering talks with the player himself.

Kubo’s signing could also open up commercial opportunities in the Asian market, something which Tottenham have missed since club legend and South Korea icon Son Heung-min departed for Los Angeles FC in the summer.

Make no mistake, this could be one to keep an eye on, and Kubo has been tipped to become an eventual superstar by those who’ve worked with him.

The Los Angeles Angels battled the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night in the second matchup in the three-game set, and fireworks came to the forefront in the top of the sixth inning, with the best player in baseball at the plate.

Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani stepped up to bat with the game tied at six and runners on first and second with nobody out. Ohtani has seen this situation plenty in his baseball career, and it's an opportunity he usually cashes in with a runner in scoring position.

Angels reliever Brock Burke reeled back on the 2–2 pitch and fired a 97 mile-per-hour fastball on the outside corner. Ohtani was all over it, lining it right back up the middle. The only issue was that Angels shortstop Zach Neto was playing in double play depth and caught the screamer right behind second base. He quickly stepped on the bag to double up pinch runner Miguel Rojas and fired to first to complete the triple play with Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing scrambling to get bag to the bag.

What a thing of beauty.

The tournament’s seventh edition is the first standalone women’s event, and likely the biggest yet

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Feb-2020