The offspinner had played in all Tasmania’s Sheffield Shield games over the last two seasons
ESPNcricinfo staff27-Jun-2024Tasmania offspinner Jarrod Freeman has taken an indefinite break from cricket to manage his mental health.Freeman, 23, has played in all Tasmania’s Sheffield Shield matches over the last two seasons, taking 40 wickets at 46.00, and was part of the side that reached the final in the 2023-24 campaign.Last October he also played a key role with the bat in a famous Tasmania win as they chased down 432 against Queensland.”Cricket Tasmania extends its support to Jarrod during this leave period and values the importance of mental health,” Cricket Tasmania said in a statement. “The organisation hopes to see him return to cricket in the future.”Cricket Tasmania continues to support all athletes with appropriate mental health training and education, acknowledging the challenges professional athletes can face throughout their careers.”Tasmania have bolstered their spin resources in the off-season with the signing of Test left-armer Matt Kuhnemann from Queensland and Australia Under-19 offspinner Raf MacMillan on a rookie contract.Kuhnemann, who was recently on standby for Australia’s T20 World Cup squad, has moved states in a bid for more red-ball cricket having only played four first-class matches (three for Durham and one for Australia A) since featuring in the Test series against India early last year.Legspinner Mitchell Swepson was Queensland’s spin option in the Sheffield Shield last season although the pair played together as a key part of Brisbane Heat’s BBL title-winning side. Kuhnemann will remain with Heat for the 2024-25 season.
Having already sealed the series, India will be hoping to give the likes of Rinku, Samson and Parag more time in the middle
Abhimanyu Bose29-Jul-2024
Kusal Perera and Pathum Nissanka put on a 54-run stand in the previous T20I•AFP/Getty Images
Big picture: Sri Lanka’s middle-order worries In the first T20I, Sri Lanka lost nine wickets for 30 runs. In the second, they lost seven for 32. This has been the theme for the hosts so far in Charith Asalanka’s first series as Sri Lanka’s full-time T20I captain. Asalanka himself managed just scores of 0 and 14 in the two games.The top three have fired in both matches, with Sri Lanka getting to scores of 140 and 80 at the fall of the second wicket. Pathum Nissanka is the leading run-scorer in the series. Kusal Perera has a half-century, while Kusal Mendis made 45 in the first match. But beyond them, it has been a bleak showing, with Kamindu Mendis’ 26 in the second T20I the highest score from the middle and lower orders.Sri Lanka will need to find a way out of their middle-order muddle and deliver on the platform being set by their top order.India would want some of their batters like Sanju Samson, Rinku Singh and Riyan Parag to get some more time in the middle, and having sealed the series with comprehensive performances, don’t have too much else they need to address.Related
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Form guideSri Lanka LLWLL (Last five completed T20Is, most recent first) India WWWWWIn the spotlight – Pathum Nissanka and Rishabh PantPathum Nissanka is the only batter to have gone past 100 runs in the series, and is striking at 154.16. He has been in sensational form in 2024, having scored 753 runs at a strike rate of 154.93 – well above his career strike rate of 123.90. He shone in the Lanka Premier League as well, and was the highest-scoring opener in the competition. With their wobbly middle order, the onus is on him now more than ever to keep producing big performances with the bat.After a life-threatening accident, Rishabh Pant made his return to competitive cricket in IPL 2024, and following a successful campaign, he was picked for the 2024 T20 World Cup. He made 42 off 31 in a low-scoring win over Pakistan, but failed to convert his starts after that, even as India went on to lift the title. In the first game of this series, Pant made 49 off 33, but he had a scratchy start and was dropped on 11. With Sanju Samson behind him in the pecking order, there is pressure on Pant to prove his credentials in the shortest format for India.Team newsSri Lanka are likely to play a similar XI to the one that turned out in the second game. However, one of Avishka Fernando or Dinesh Chandimal could come in for the misfiring Dasun Shanaka, who has three ducks in his last three T20Is. They brought in Ramesh Mendis for Dilshan Madushanka, with Asalanka claiming spin would get more help on a used surface, but in a rain curtailed game, Ramesh was not used at all. However, even though this match will be played on a fresh pitch, Sri Lanka are likely to continue with Ramesh, as he adds batting depth as well.Sri Lanka (probable XI): 1. Pathum Nissanka, 2. Kusal Mendis (wk), 3. Kusal Perera, 4. Kamindu Mendis, 5. Charith Asalanka (capt), 6. Dinesh Chandimal/Avishka Fernando, 7. Wanindu Hasaranga, 8. Ramesh Mendis, 9. Maheesh Theekshana, 10. Matheesha Pathirana, 11. Asitha FernandoHaving played two matches in two days, India may rest one of the fast bowlers, with Khaleel Ahmed waiting in the wings. Washington Sundar could get a game as well, if India continue with the trend of trying to give a match to every squad member on a tour if possible, which was prevalent in Rahul Dravid’s tenure. Shivam Dube also could come in, but with Hardik Pandya not a part of the ODI squad, India may just stick with him so as to not chop and change too much. There is also no news on Shubman Gill, who missed the second game with a neck spasm. With Gill also set to play in the ODIs, India could persist with Samson, who was out first ball in the second T20I.India (probable XI): 1. Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2. Sanju Samson, 3. Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4. Rishabh Pant (wk), 5. Riyan Parag/Washington Sundar, 6. Hardik Pandya, 7. Rinku Singh, 8. Axar Patel, 9. Ravi Bishnoi, 10. Mohammed Siraj, 11. Arshdeep Singh/Khaleel AhmedRishabh Pant will be looking to make more of his opportunities in the shortest format•Associated Press
Pitch and conditionsAfter two matches on the same pitch, this game will be played on a fresh surface in Pallekele. In the first two matches, batting conditions were the best earlier on and got tougher as the match progressed, bringing spinners into play and encouraging changes of pace from the quicks. The new pitch is not expected to play too differently.Stats and trivia Matheesha Pathirana has dismissed Suryakumar Yadav in all three T20 innings he has bowled to him. Sri Lanka could be encouraged to introduce Pathirana to the attack earlier than usual to try and target India’s skipper. Unlike in ODIs, where Sri Lanka are Mohammed Siraj’s favourite opposition, the fast bowler has struggled against them in T20Is. He averages 39 against them in the format, as opposed to 7.68 in ODIs, and has just three wickets in four matches. His lone wicket in this series was of Pathirana, and he would look to improve his numbers on Tuesday. Wanindu Hasaranga’s 15 wickets against India are the most he has taken against any opposition. In this series, he has dismissed Yashasvi Jaiswal twice, and he would be a bowler the Indians will be wary of.Quotes”The obvious thing to say is that we don’t have enough power, but that’s not true. If you look at our stats this year, we’re neck-and-neck with other teams for six-hitting. If you hit it out of the stadium or just clear the boundary, it’s still a six. More than skills, I think handling situations and sticking around in tough situations have been the problems. ”
“I’m just happy that I’ve made it this far – happy that I’ve been lucky enough to stay injury-free pretty much throughout my career”
ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jul-2024James Anderson’s Test career, spanning 188 matches over 21 years, came to an end where it had begun – at Lord’s – with a three-for in the second innings as England routed West Indies by an innings and 114 runs.”Obviously this morning was quite emotional with the two teams lined up and the reaction from the crowd was pretty special,” Anderson told Sky Cricket after the game. “But yeah, I’m still trying to hold them [tears] back now, but I think I’m just really proud of playing for 20-odd years. [It] is an incredible effort, especially for a fast bowler.”I’m just happy that I’ve made it this far. Happy that I’ve been lucky enough to stay injury-free pretty much throughout my career. And yeah, play for England. It’s the best job in the world, so I’ve been privileged to be able to do it for a long time.”Related
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Anderson’s family, including his wife and daughters, who rang the bell at the start of the Test, were with him when he was done.”Yeah, has been different emotions, been so up and down. Saw my girls ring a bell on day one. Walking out today with both teams lined up again was pretty emotional. I forgot what I was actually trying to do with the ball,” Anderson said at a press interaction after the game. “But yeah, it’s been incredible. As I said, the reaction of crowds was phenomenal. I can’t get my head around it right now.”But yeah, it’s just been an amazing 20 years. Every moment, every great sports person, there is the family, mother, father, wife, kids, who allow you to do what you’ve done for so long.”Anderson finished with 704 Test wickets and it could have been 705 if he had not dropped a dolly off Gudakesh Motie off his own bowling, which would have finished off the game.”I’m still gutted to have dropped that catch to be honest,” Anderson said. “But yeah, it’s been an amazing week. I’ve been quite overwhelmed with the reaction of the crowd and everyone around the ground and the lads as well, just proud of what I’ve achieved.”All of James Anderson’s Test team-mates•ESPNcricinfo Ltd
After starting under Nasser Hussain (also his interviewer at the end) in a team that still had the likes of Michael Vaughan and Alec Stewart to playing with debutants Gus Atkinson and Jamie Smith in his final Test, Anderson has had 109 team-mates in Test cricket.”I’ve been lucky to play with some amazing players,” Anderson said. “Some of the most talented cricketers that have ever played the game, but more importantly, some really good blokes and some friends that I’ve made for life.”And it is a really special sport. I think no other sport creates this sort of atmosphere, these sorts of friendships, and part of me is a little bit jealous of these lads [who] get to experience that for the next few years. As I said, we’ve got a young team, lots of incredible talent, and the advice I’d pass on to them is just enjoy every moment, because it’s a great ride.”
Anderson was part of 83 of England’s Test wins including the ones that won them an Away Ashes in 2010/11, after a 24-year drought, and a 2-1 series win in India in 2012 – which is the last instance of an away team beating India in India.”Winning winning series and winning Test matches,” Anderson said are the most special memories of his career, “it’s been the only thing that I’ve been interested in since I came into the England team – winning in Australia, winning in India becoming number one site in the world and contributing to those series as well. Taking wickets, they’re the things that are remembered forever; playing with some of the greats in the game as well. It’s just been really really special.”What feeling will he miss the most?”Well, I think just the feeling that we’ve got now – winning the Test match,” he said. “There’s no better feeling – everyone’s put in the graft this week. I know it looks like we’ve dominated, but we’ve had to work really hard for this win; sharing other people’s success as well.”Gus was amazing this week on debut, Jamie Smith on debut as well. Incredible. Seeing the lads go out there and show off their talent, and then you get to sit in here after a win and celebrate those sorts of performances together is an incredible sort of thing that I’ll definitely miss.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
And what will he miss the least?”Feeling like I do now,” Anderson said. “I feel about 55 after the overs I’ve bowled this week. The aches and pains that you wake up with, I think I’ll miss them. But yeah, I mean, as I said, I feel really fortunate. I’ve been able to do what I’ve done for a long time and I’m just happy that I’ve made it this far.”Anderson came in to his final Test on the back of a County Championship game, where he took 7 for 35 for Lancashire against Nottinghamshire.Asked if he will continue playing for Lancashire, at Old Trafford, from the end named after him, Anderson joked, “You let me enjoy me Guinness first ().”I think I’ve not really thought that far ahead. I’m going to stick around for the rest of the summer with these guys. Try and help the bowling group out as much as I can, and we will see where life takes is a bit after that. I’m not looked that far ahead.”
South Australia lost their first three wickets without a run on the board and the theme continued
AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2024Bowlers held sway on a chaotic 17-wicket first day of the Sheffield Shield match at Adelaide Oval. On a decidedly difficult green-tinged pitch, the ball reigned supreme as the home side were routed for 132 and Queensland struggled to 112 for 7, with out-of-form Test No.3 Marnus Labuschagne top-scoring with a 112-ball 38 in his first Shield match as captain.After a disappointing Test summer when his form came under the microscope, Labuschange defended for his life against the Redbacks in his only Shield match before the tour of New Zealand.Related
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Like most batters on day one, Labuschange looked shaky and survived multiple scares during his battling stay at the crease. He fell to Nathan McAndrew late in the day as South Australia closed in on an unlikely first-innings lead.Opener Matt Renshaw endured another failure in his last match before going on the New Zealand tour as a spare batter.Dismissed for 2 in both innings against Tasmania earlier in February, Renshaw was out for 8, caught off the outside edge by Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey off Jordan Buckingham.Renshaw’s best score from his past 12 innings in first-class cricket, domestic one-dayers and T20s is the 40 he made in last month’s BBL final.The day started as it finished – with wickets tumbling. After winning the toss, South Australia were quickly on the ropes at 0 for 3 in the fourth over.In-form Queensland quick Xavier Bartlett carried his sparkling form from the recent ODI series against the West Indies into the Shield, dismissing maverick opener Jake Fraser-McGurk and Nathan McSweeney.But Carey and captain Jake Lehmann saved the Redbacks from complete embarrassment, putting on a crucial 64-run fourth-wicket stand. Lehmann and Carey were the only South Australian batters to reach double figures in the hosts’ 40.3 over innings.In reply, Queensland stumbled to 13 for 3 and 77 for 5 before mounting some late resistance but again lost wickets towards the close.
Tottenham Hotspur “would like to sign” a “sensational” forward, who has now expressed his desire to leave his current club this summer, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.
Spurs pursuing a forward
In truth, Tottenham may feel the need to strengthen in a number of positions in the summer transfer window, after what has been a disastrous Premier League campaign, but they appear to be particularly keen on strengthening their attacking options.
West Ham United’s Mohammed Kudus has recently been revealed as a potential target, with Spurs joining Paris Saint-Germain and Al-Nassr in the race for the Ghanaian winger, who has an asking price of £74m.
A new striker is also of interest to the Lilywhites, given that Dominic Solanke and Richarlison haven’t exactly been prolific when fully-fit, and they have now held talks with Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, after the Englishman’s impressive breakout campaign.
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The Lilywhites chairman has sat down with him recently.
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Delap is expected to leave Ipswich this summer, with his side almost certain to be relegated from the Premier League, and one of Europe’s big-name wingers could also be on the move, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.
In a recent update on X, Plettenberg revealed Coman has now “internally expressed his desire to leave” Bayern Munich this summer, which has led to interest from Saudi Arabia, with multiple clubs now planning to hold talks over a deal.
Following the winger’s transfer request, Tottenham have also been named as potential suitors, but his high salary could be a stumbling block, which means they currently remain in a “waiting position”.
Arsenal could also provide competition for the 28-year-old’s signature, with a move to the Emirates Stadium viewed as “the most concrete option” in England, indicating they are currently ahead of their north London rivals in the race.
Tottenham Hotspur’s upcoming Premier League fixtures
Date
Nottingham Forest (h)
April 21st
Liverpool (a)
April 27th
West Ham United (a)
May 3rd
Crystal Palace (h)
May 10th
Aston Villa (a)
May 18th
"Sensational" Coman has track record of success
Tottenham still have a chance to make this season a success, should they prevail in the Europa League, however, they are at serious risk of missing out on yet another trophy.
As such, it could make sense to pursue new players with a track record of success this summer, and the Bayern Munich winger certainly fits the bill in that regard, having won 10 league titles, as well as the Champions League in 2020.
Bayern Munich's KingsleyComancelebrates
The Frenchman has also proven himself as a reliable source of goals and assists during his time with Bayern, having picked up 138 goal contributions in 329 appearances for the German club.
Previous reports have revealed that Coman could be available for a fee of £38m this summer, and having also been lauded as “sensational” by members of the media, there are plenty of indications he could be a fantastic signing for Tottenham.
Everton are nine games unbeaten in the Premier League. Nine. David Moyes lost his opener against Aston Villa after replacing the beleaguered Sean Dyche, but the progress has been otherwise breathtaking.
This Toffees team is a far cry from the previous version, refashioned only a few months ago with just Charly Alcaraz welcomed from the transfer gates in January.
If the 15th-placed club are to compete at a higher level over the coming years, it’s important that the market is well utilised. What Everton need is a superstar signing, comparatively speaking.
Well, The Friedkin Group certainly have a shock move lined up. You need only look over to Anfield Road to find this player’s signature.
Everton lining up move for Liverpool star
According to recent reports, via The Mirror, Everton are weighing up a move for Liverpool talent Ben Doak in what would be a shocking transfer. Doak has excelled on loan at Middlesbrough this season and Moyes is thoroughly impressed.
The Toffees are preparing to test the waters with a £25m offer, which falls into a similar ballpark as bids from Bournemouth and Crystal Palace back in January, both rebuffed by the Reds.
Dealings between the Merseyside rivals have been sparse in modern times. In fact, Abel Xavier is the last player to transfer directly between the two teams, joining Liverpool from Everton in 2002.
Everton could land their next Wayne Rooney
Let’s be honest, this would be as difficult a deal to orchestrate as any. However, saying that, Liverpool have been open to selling Doak in recent months and their ostensible interest in Jarrad Branthwaite suggests negotiations could be somewhat amenable.
Ben Doak in action for Middlesbrough
And Doak would be worth the effort. Only 19, the Scotland winger has dazzled through the maiden years of his career, so brisk and powerful and purposeful down the right flank.
On that note, with Jack Harrison and Jesper Lindstrom’s loans at Goodison Park wrapping up this summer, the urgency for a fresh right flanker is doubly important.
Across 24 Championship appearances this term (21 starts), he’s scored three goals and assisted seven more, leading former Scotland manager Craig Levein to say: “This kid could be a world-class player.”
Few teenagers carry themselves with such swagger and potency, but Doak’s certainly one of them. Moyes knows a thing or two about developing exciting prospects – he handed Wayne Rooney his professional debut, after all.
Rooney: scorer of great goals, leader of men. He’s one of the greatest footballers to do it in the Premier League, behind only Alan Shearer and Harry Kane in the division’s all-time scoring charts (with 208 goals).
Any youngster compared to the retired Three Lions captain is worth their salt, and Doak has indeed been claimed to have a stylistic semblance to Rooney, with his agent, Jackie McNamara, actually labelling him “a Scottish Wayne Rooney.”
His electric pace, his strong-limbed bursts into the danger area, do carry a hint of the former Premier League star, with Doak’s metrics from the 2024/25 campaign highlighting his barrelling style.
Goals scored
0.15
Top 69%
Assists
0.35
Top 9%
Shot-creating actions
4.15
Top 30%
Pass completion
79.1%
Top 21%
Progressive passes
2.83
Top 65%
Progressive carries
6.78
Top 1%
Successful take-ons
1.77
Top 24%
Everton need such a player, and Moyes has shown in the past that he has the tactical nous to bring the best out of such a youngster’s talent.
Now, it boils down to Liverpool and Everton’s ability to negotiate. It won’t be easy, but this could be quite the deal if pulled off.
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Everton are planning to strengthen in the transfer market this summer.
يسعى نجم فريق ريال مدريد، كيليان مبابي، لإفساد صفقة ثمينة بالنسبة لنادي ليفربول، والتي ارتبط بطل الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز بامكانية إبرامها في موسم الانتقالات الصيفي المقبل.
وكان ليفربول نشطًا بقوة في نافذة انتقالات صيف 2025، حيث تعاقد مع 9 لاعبين جدد، على رأسهم ألكسندر إيزاك، هوجو إيكتيكي، فلوريان فيرتز، ميلوس كيركز وجيريمي فريمبونج.
وذكرت تقارير صحفية منذ عدة أيام أن نادي ليفربول يتطلع إلى الحصول على خدمات نجم بايرن ميونخ، مايكل أوليس، حيث ترى الإدارة كونه خليفة المصري محمد صلاح.
ومن المقرر أن ينتهي العقد الحالي للنجم المصري صاحب الـ33 عامًا مع ليفربول في يونيو 2027، أي نهاية الموسم المقبل.
اقرأ أيضًا.. لاعب ليفربول: مبابي يتصل بي كل ساعتين للانضمام إلى ريال مدريد
ويرى مسؤولو ليفربول أن مايكل أوليس هو البديل المناسب لـ محمد صلاح، على المدى البعيد، حيث تخطط الإدارة بنظرة مستقبلية خاصة أن المصري لن يظل في “الأنفيلد” إلى الأبد.
ولكن يبدو أن خطط ليفربول ستواجه مطبًا حيث ذكرت شبكة “teamtalk” الإنجليزية، نقلًا عن “ديفينسا سنترال” الإسبانية، أن كيليان مبابي يحث مواطنه مايكل أوليس على الانتقال إلى ريال مدريد.
وأوضحت أن مبابي طرح اسم مايكل أوليز على كبير كشافي ريال مدريد، جوني كالافالات، لبحث إمكانية انتقال صاحب الـ23 عامًا إلى “سانتياجو برنابيو” في وقت لاحق لدعم الفريق.
وأفادت أن الأمر لم يقتصر على هذا، حيث طلب مبابي من أوليس، خلال معسكر منتخب فرنسا الحالي في فترة التوقف الدولي، القدوم إلى ريال مدريد.
وأشارت إلى أن مايكل أوليس لا يُعد ضمن أولويات ريال مدريد في الوقت الحالي، ولكن الأمور قد تتغير في المستقبل.
وانضم مايكل أوليس إلى بايرن ميونخ قادمًا من كريستال بالاس في صيف 2024، مقابل 60 مليون يورو، وسجل 20 هدفًا وصنع 23 في 55 مباراة بقميص البافاري في الموسم الماضي، ولعب دورًا في قيادته نحو لقب الدوري الألماني.
The Grammy award-winning artist has served as an ideal reference point for those tasked with putting on soccer's flagship tournament
There’s a complicated list of factors that go into staging a major event. It starts with the venue. Can it seat enough people? Then there’s the security. How can you get them in and out safely? And then it’s the actual, physical event itself. How do you ensure that everyone has a good time? you do that?
The good news for those United States charged with organizing the 2026 World Cup, there are familiar touchpoints – other events held at the same venues. For soccer, you’d figure that natural reference points include the 2024 Copa America, major USMNT games, or even summer friendlies.
And to an extent that’s true.
“You have to learn from every event, every major event, whether it's Copa or the you know, these big touring, touring shows, I think understanding fan behavior, understanding movement patterns and how people travel,” Pam Kramer, CEO of Kansas City’s 2026 World Cup host committee, told GOAL.
But the U.S. looks to host the first men’s World Cup in the country since 1994 – as they’re planning for the crowds, the transit, the parking, the influx of people and even the noise – it turns out that Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour most accurately resembles what hosting a global tournament event might look like.
“If you’re looking at something like the Eras Tour, that’s one of the sports entertainment events that people are traveling for,” Alex Lasry, CEO of New York/New Jersey’s World Cup committee, told GOAL.
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'The most comparable thing'
It is well documented what a global phenomenon the 14-time Grammy Award winning artist’s tour was: 21 countries, 51 cities, 149 dates spanning 21 months – with three albums released in between. You probably know multiple Swifties who attended shows, or would have seen it on social media, or heard it referenced in the day-to-day.
It was the highest-grossing tour of all time, bringing in $2B, and with good reason. This was 3.5 hours of song after song, hit after hit. In terms of attendance – each show averaged nearly 70,000 fans – and perhaps even global impact, it was as big as soccer, even if it’s hard for many fans of the beautiful game to admit.
“It is probably the most comparable thing to the World Cup,” Lasry admitted.
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'You are the only city'
But while there might be an ideological clash in that notion – devout football fans will defend the game to the end – there is a real backing to it. There are 11 U.S. cities – and five more in Canada and Mexico – hosting the World Cup, with 48 teams participating. More than 6.5 million fans are expected to attend, according to FIFA.
How can you prepare for something so massive? Most sports events in the United States are regional. The Super Bowl stadiums are flooded with corporate ticket holders and fans from the local area, more than those of the competing teams. It’s a relatively well-mannered event that happens to have a concert at half time. There are few stories of fan hysteria.
The College Football playoff is another reference point. But that, too, has its imperfections. Pockets of the country are invested – you’d imagine that last year’s National Championship game between Notre Dame and Ohio State in Atlanta had a significant midwest following, without overwhelming national attendance.
“You are the only city running that event at that time of year,… so we learn from that event, we do after actions to say what went well, what didn’t go well, and how we can improve,” Georgia O'Donoghue, CEO of Atlanta’s 2026 host committee, said.
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'Always try to learn from those'
The United States doesn’t have any matches of global scale in its yearly soccer calendar (with all due respect to the MLS and NWSL finals). This summer’s Club World Cup – running simultaneously with the CONCACAF Gold Cup – will certainly provide data points, as a test run of sorts.
But given their frequency and ubiquitous presence at venues across the country, concerts are a natural reference point for World Cup organizers – especially since tours such as Swift’s often include fans traveling internationally to attend.
“Concert businesses have had challenges at times. We as an organization always try to learn from those and incorporate them into our exercises,” Adam Fullerton, VP of stadium operations at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Atlanta, said.
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'The same way that we anticipate the World Cup guests are going to come'
Part of the challenge in planning for the 2026 World Cup has been unfamiliarity. Soccer fans interact with the sport in different ways in every single country. Dutch fans engage in a “march to the match.” Argentinians will have a pre-game asado. English fans really, really, really love pubs.
And rarely, if ever, have so many descended en masse into one area. Preparing for anything and everything is vital. The Eras Tour, for some host committees, offered an idea of what the logistics involved in a truly global event might look like – even in terms of physical movements of attendees to a given venue.
“We get good experience from a lot of the events we have, where it's a third party event, where a lot of people fly into town,” Fullerton said. “Take a Taylor Swift show. That group of people stay in the downtown corridor, and they come to the stadium in the same way that we anticipate the World Cup guests are going to come.”
It’s not just about individual behavior. The tour attracted fans from all over the globe into major cities. It became a destination, an excuse to spend time in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta – massive metropolitan areas in the United States.
Remind you of anything else?
“Taylor Swift, you're getting international travelers, people from all over the country, all coming to see her show,” Lasry said. “New people coming to a market who might not be familiar with the city or the region.”
Leeds United are flying high in the Championship this season, and seem destined for promotion. The Whites are level on points with second-place Sheffield United, who are vying with them for the league title in the second tier. The gap between Yorkshire club Leeds and their Lancashire rivals Burnley currently stands at just two points, however.
Some of Leeds’ biggest attacking threats have been on fire this season. Daniel James is in sensational form, and has ten goals and nine assists so far this term. Striker Joel Piroe has also been playing superbly, and has 15 goals and six assists.
At the opposite end of the pitch, it has been a slightly tougher season for Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier.
Meslier’s 2024/25 season
It has been a rough campaign for Leeds number one Meslier. The Frenchman, who has been capped at under-21 level for his country, has been an ever-present for the Whites in goal this season.
He has played all 35 of their games in the Championship, conceding 22 times and keeping an impressive 20 clean sheets. However, he has made some crucial mistakes, which have cost Leeds points.
Perhaps the worst of the lot came against Sunderland, a side pushing for the playoffs, back in October. In a bizarre moment with Leeds 2-1 up in stoppage time, he failed to catch the flick-on from a Black Cats attacker, simply letting the ball shoot under his body and roll into the back of the net.
Described as a “hindrance” by Lewis Deighton, a fan writer for BBC Sport, the Frenchman has statistically been one of the worst shot-stoppers in the Championship this season.
As per Sofascore, he has prevented -1.33 goals, better than only 13 goalkeepers. For context, Blades’ number one Michael Cooper has prevented 4.92 goals.
Meslier’s form has been an issue for Leeds at times this season, despite their good performances across the board. They once had someone at the club who could have been a big upgrade on him, but left Elland Road on a cheap deal.
Leeds already sold a dream Meslier upgrade
It might be frustrating for Leeds fans to see what Kasper Schmeichel has achieved since leaving the club. He spent one season in Yorkshire in the 2010/11 campaign, before departing the club and going on to achieve great things.
Where Are They Now
Indeed, the Dane, son of former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel, made 40 appearances across all competitions in a Leeds shirt 15 years ago. Admittedly, his record was not astounding. He conceded 55 goals and kept just ten clean sheets in that time.
In June 2011, the Denmark international, who now plies his trade at Scottish giants Celtic, made the move from Elland Road to the East Midlands to join Leicester City for a reported £1m fee. The rest, as they say, is history.
OGC Nice'sKasperSchmeichel
Schmeichel played 479 times for the Foxes, conceding 586 goals in that time, and managing to keep an impressive 187 clean sheets.
The highlight of his time at the club was surely winning the Premier League in 2015/16, in the most unlikely of circumstances. He also lifted the FA Cup and Community Shield in 2021.
The stats on Squawka suggest that the legendary Danish goalkeeper has been outperforming Meslier in many areas this season.
For example, Schmeichel makes 2.3 saves and concedes 0.6 goals per game, compared to 1.7 saves made and 0.7 goals conceded each game by Meslier.
Stat (per 90)
Schmeichel
Meslier
Saves
2.3
1.7
Goals conceded
0.6
0.7
Clean sheets
0.7
0.6
Save percentage
79.27%
72.15%
Pass accuracy
94.55%
78.42%
Former Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers described Schmeichel as one of the “top keepers” in the Premier League back in March 2021, and it is not hard to see why. The qualities he possessed then, and still does, could have served Leeds well.
Perhaps they wish they had kept Schmeichel around at the club beyond the 2010/11 season. They could have had a brilliant goalkeeper who would have been a long-term fit in the sticks for the club.
Not just Kristensen: 49ers must sell Leeds flop who's cost £525k-per-game
Rasmus Kristensen looks to be on his way out of Leeds United, with another player needing to follow him.
Guillermo Almada, Nicolás Larcamón, Robert Dante Siboldi, and Ignacio Ambriz are among other names being considered
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Chivas parted ways with Gerardo Espinoza
Lozano coached the Mexican national team in 2023-24
He won the Gold Cup in 2023
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Chivas are already searching for their next head coach, and according to reports, Jaime Lozano has emerged as the leading candidate to take over after Gerardo Espinoza’s dismissal. The club’s front office is reportedly interested in Lozano’s profile, given his previous experience in Liga MX and his recent success with the Mexican national team – including winning the 2023 Gold Cup.
The red and whites were eliminated from the Clausura 2025 after finishing 11th in the table. Since their last league title in 2017 under Matías Almeyda, the club has gone through 11 different managers, none of whom have been able to restore Chivas to consistent top-tier status.
The closest they came was under Veljko Paunović, who guided the team to the Clausura 2023 final, which they ultimately lost to Tigres.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Lozano has relatively little experience as a coach. In fact, the decision to appoint him as head coach of the Mexican national team after Diego Cocca’s departure was widely questioned. Before taking charge of El Tri, he had only managed Necaxa, Querétaro, the Mexican U23 team, and the Olympic squad that won the bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
In the race to take over at El Rebaño, there are candidates with much more experience at the club level, though none have coached a national team. These include Guillermo Almada, Nicolás Larcamón, Robert Dante Siboldi, and Ignacio Ambriz.
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WHAT JAVIER MIER SAID
During the news conference announcing Espinoza's dismissal, Javier Mier, the club's sporting director, outlined the criteria for the next manager.
“The project is the club, not just one person. The coach who comes in will have to enhance the project that already exists within the team," Mier said. “We want the new coach to understand the club they are coming to. We have an important core group, and we will look to strengthen the squad to get the team to where it deserves to be. The new coach must be fully immersed in the team’s planning. Choosing the next coach must be a smart decision because it marks a turning point in the project we’re looking to consolidate.”
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DID YOU KNOW?
Lozano has only managed 68 games in the top division, while Almada has 623, Larcamón 306, Siboldi 346, and Ambriz 547.