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Tottenham are closing in on the signing of Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace. Spurs are making progress in their talks with the Eagles and the two clubs are expected to reach an agreement in the next 48 hours. Eze is determined to join the North London club and the attacking midfielder is likely to remain out of Palace's matchday squad against Chelsea on Sunday as he looks to seal his move.

• Spurs closing in on signing Eze
• Talks progressing between Spurs and Palace
• Palace's demand for Eze revealed

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Eze, who starred in Crystal Palace's FA Cup triumph over Manchester City last season, is pushing for a move out of Selhurst Park as he wishes to join Tottenham this summer, having already agreed on personal terms. 

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  According to , Spurs are looking to accelerate their move for the English midfielder and are hoping to agree terms with Palace in the next 48 hours. Oliver Glasner is also likely to exclude Eze from his travelling squad to face Chelsea in their season opener at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. 

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Eze earlier had release clause worth a total of £68 million ($92m) in his contract, which has now expired. Spurs are hoping to sign him for a fee that is slightly lower than the price stipulated in the clause.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR CRYSTAL PALACE?

  Palace are also considering selling Marc Guehi to Liverpool and with the money that flows in from Eze and Guehi's transfer will be reinvested in the squad building as they eye a move for Leicester City's Bilal El Khannouss.

Tottenham's 2-0 victory over Man City means Spurs boss Thomas Frank becomes just the third manager to beat Pep Guardiola away with two different teams.

• Tottenham stunned Man City 2-0
• Frank has beaten Pep with two teams
• Man City performance was below-par

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Goals from Brennan Johnson and Joao Palhinha handed Spurs three points against a below-par Man City, and also allowed Thomas Frank to join an illustrious band of three bosses to beat Guardiola away from home with two different team. Frank joins two former Spurs managers to achieve the feat: Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte. 

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While Frank's first win was with Brentford back in November 2022, Mourinho achieved the feat of away wins over with Pep with Real Madrid and Manchester United, while Conte enjoyed his victories with Chelsea and Tottenham. 

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Tottenham are the first side ever to score the first goal in five consecutive Premier League away games at the Etihad, and only the second to do so away to Manchester City at all in the competition, since Blackburn between 1993 and 2002. 

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  WHAT NEXT?

  There will be plenty of soul searching for Guardiola who has now lost 10 times to Tottenham, a record only matched by Liverpool against the Spaniard. There will be additional players leaving the club before the window closes, but the next fixture away at Brighton feels like a must-win. 

Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres has spoken out in support of close friend Alexander Isak following his controversial transfer from Newcastle to Liverpool.

• Gyokeres congratulates Isak on Liverpool move
• Striker defends his friend after Newcastle exit
• Sweden internationals share close relationship

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Isak’s record-breaking £125m switch to Liverpool was one of the summer’s most dramatic transfer sagas, with the striker refusing to train with Newcastle in the final days before the deal went through. The saga drew heavy criticism from fans and pundits, but Isak has now been publicly backed by fellow Sweden international Gyokeres, who revealed he congratulated his friend and insisted the move was the right step for his career.

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• WHAT GYOKERES SAID

  "I haven't spoken with him too much because he's just come. I said hi to him and congratulated him for the move and not so much more," Gyokeres said when asked about Isak. "Yeah, I said earlier about my situation [leaving Sporting CP for Arsenal], it can be the same. You don't know what has been going on behind [the scenes]. I don't know in his case what has gone on exactly so it's difficult for me to speak about that.

  "When it is a player who is not wanted in that club I think it's the total opposite, He doesn't have any power, the club can literally do whatever they want with the player. It's difficult but it's how the situation is."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Gyokeres' move to Arsenal this summer followed a similar story to Isak's Anfield switch. The 27-year-old reportedly refused to return to Sporting for pre-season and insisted on a move away. He eventually got his wish, as did Isak, with the pair set to link up for their national team before battling it out for the Premier League title this season.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Isak has missed out on the chance to face compatriot Gyokeres in the Premier League until 2026, but instead they will share the pitch against Slovenia and Kosovo in two World Cup qualifiers this month.

GOAL Convo: Segares' job isn't just to win tournaments for the U.S., but to prepare up-and-comers for more World Cups ahead

It's a World Cup year for the United States, and not just for the senior team. The U.S. Under-17 men's national team is gearing up for their own moment on the big stage, one that will come in November in Qatar.

Traditionally, U17 World Cups have been more quiet affairs for the American fandom. It's one for the diehards, those keen to track the program's youngest stars before they break out. This time, it's different. This age group, the one bound for Qatar this summer, isn't filled with players waiting for their big breaks – it includes multiple players that are already headliners.

This week, U.S. U17 men's national team coach Gonzalo Segares called in 21 players for the team's penultimate camp before Qatar. The squad, bound for the Netherlands, includes Cavan Sullivan, already a household name in American soccer. It includes Mathis Albert, who joined Borussia Dortmund for the Club World Cup this summer.

Julian Hall is a mainstay for the New York Red Bulls, Nimfasha Berchimas has featured for Charlotte FC and Chase Adams earned the "Baby Haaland" moniker with a 10-goal explosion during qualifying in February. These aren't high schoolers anymore. They're players in professional environments. The game has changed.

Segares, then, is the man tasked with taking those young stars and getting them ready for what comes next. This, by all accounts, is one of the more talented U17 pools in recent memory, and the World Cup has served as the launching pad of some of the game's greats. Landon Donovan, Cesc Fabregas, Phil Foden and Toni Kroos are among this competition's previous Golden Ball winners – can one of these young Americans contend for it this time around?

For Segares, the challenge is two-fold. First, of course, is the desire to win. But, when you coach on the youth level, there's also a second target: develop players. Segares' job isn't just to win, but to prepare these up-and-comers for more World Cups ahead.

"For me, this is about giving everyone the opportunity to experience what a World Cup game is and the honor and the price that it represents," the former Chicago Fire defender, turned U17 coach, tells GOAL. "This is about playing on the big stage against the best players from around the world. That's what's going to make our players better, right? That's what's going to get them ready to be able to be challenged and improve. There's nothing like representing your country in the biggest event that there will be at the U17 level. I think we have a good enough team to be very competitive and go very far."

Segares discussed his process for developing young talent, managing a new generation of stars and expectations for the World Cup in the latest GOAL Convo, a recurring Q&A with central figures in the American game.

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  ON IDENTIFYING TALENT

  GOAL: It's so hard to project the future of a 16 or 17 year old, but that's partly what you're tasked with doing. What are the non-negotiables? What are the qualities that really make the difference?

  Segares: There are different ones, right? We have our player profiles in different positions. What do we want to see there? You can look at athleticism, but then you have to recognize early developers and late developers. You can understand that a guy has a good game understanding, but he's a late developer. So let's be patient with him and also give him an opportunity that he might not be successful in right now with where he's currently at. We know that when he grows physically, he'll be at a good level, so we have to be patient. 

  For us, it's just about getting to know a player, right? It's about strengths and then the areas they can improve. How do we challenge them? How can we create an environment where we're helping them through that process? How can we help them take extra steps and challenge in a way that also gives them autonomy at the same time? It's all about giving them opportunities that are right for them at their age. It's also about motivating and inspiring them, too. So it's important to create relationships with them, build trust and them help them along the way.

  GOAL: How do you balance the fact that these guys are all on different levels? You have some guys in academies, some in MLS and then some in Europe. How do you weigh everything and, just as importantly, how do you scout it?

  Segares: I do a lot of it myself, but I have all the support that we get from our talent ID department – and those guys are the workhorses. They put in the time to organize and we have a weekly call about player performances, reviews and reports across age groups. These guys are the ones putting in a lot of work to help us out. Whether they're playing in MLS or MLS Next Pro or wherever, we see them. When we started this group at U16, a lot of these guys were playing MLS Next. It's a big collaboration between us: the clubs and the YNT coaches. We go to GA, we go to MLS Next Pro, we go to MLS and watch. It's just a big collaboration between everyone because it's impossible to do alone.

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  ON NEXT STEPS FOR PLAYERS

  GOAL: Someone like Noahkai Banks was in your previous age group and is now in the Bundesliga. There are guys like Cavan Sullivan and Nimfasha Berchimas making their MLS debuts at young ages, or Mathis Albert going to the Club World Cup. What is it like seeing them make those steps?

  SEGARES: For me, that's very humbling. It gets me excited to see where those guys are right now… you look at Jack McGlynn and Diego Luna and how well they're doing now and get excited because, even if I didn't work with them a lot, you hope that you made a little bit of an impact on development, right? You look at Noki Banks is, and this is just the beginning. We brought him as a reserve player for World Cup qualifiers because we didn't think he was ready yet. But then he took huge strides the next couple of months and was a starter and top player at the World Cup – and then is in the first team in the Bundesliga. It's just exciting, and it's what motivates me to do this on a daily basis. 

  GOAL: How do you view those moments? Do they impact squad selection or their player profiles or anything? Does getting that early start change trajectories?

  SEGARES: With 14, 15 or 16-year-old kids, so many things can happen along the way, right? We can't predict the future and players all have different pathways. I had a different pathway, going through the college system from a different country. It was all by luck! We have opportunities now here in the U.S., but players may go through USL or through college or go internationally and come back to MLS. It's difficult to project, but you try to do your best to follow a plan and you hope that, at the end of the day, they make the best decisions. 

  Listen, even if a player isn't selected now, we also hope that's going to be fuel and a chip on their shoulder to turn things around or push even harder to be there in the future.  I'm glad you asked this question because we want to choose all the players and we want to make sure that we choose the right ones. But it's not always going to be right. We're always going to make mistakes and that's normal. Everyone does that because it's hard to predict where players are going to be a few years from now.

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  ON THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE

  GOAL: I'm glad you brought up college because the pathway has changed so much over the last few years, right? Fifteen years ago, Cavan Sullivan would be playing in high school and getting ready for college. Now, he's in an MLS academy, training with Manchester City. Same with Julian Hall and the Red Bulls.  How does that change things, especially when guys are actually important to their teams on the club level at such a young age?

  SEGARES: The first thing that we have to understand is that all of them are different and all of them go through different situations. We don't know what's happening at home. We don't know the pressure they all perform. They already have contracts and stuff like that. That's why it's so important to see the player, get to know the player. We sit down when they arrive and I get the opportunity to sit with each player and just have a chat to see how things are because that's important. What are they going through? Are they frustrated because they aren't getting minutes? Are they physically or mentally tired because they play so many games?  It's about understanding their starting point and just having, little moments of catching up with them. 

  Again, they're playing at such a young age, I can't imagine all of this at 15 or 16 years old. They're 15 or 16 and have the pressure of signing a professional contract. That means there's also pressure to perform. Guy want to perform and get minutes and I know some guys get frustrated when they don't. It's important for that to be part of the process. How do they manage it? How can they control their emotions? Part of being a coach is being a sports psychologist in a way. I went through things as a player, so I can relate with a lot of things they're going through. But for coaches, that's so important to get to know them. They're humans, they're good kids. So how can we impact their lives as a football player and as a person?

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  ON COLLABORATION

  GOAL: The senior team is preparing for a World Cup of their own, but there's always a level of collaboration between the USMNT and youth teams. There have been times where youth teams have assisted the senior team, and vice versa. What's that like with Mauricio Pochettino in this current era of the USMNT?

  SEGARES: There's a lot of excitement, to be honest with you, with the World Cup coming up. But also with the training center being built. Getting to see the facility and the pitches, the grass is growing! There's a lot of excitement with everything going on and this big buzz. We're ready and we're just happy to be a part of it. We help out the senior team with scouting. And I think that's an important collaboration so that we can see how they work and do things at that level while getting to know the staff. We had that opportunity when Gregg Berhalter was here, and I got to learn a lot from Gregg and how he managed stuff. 

  We also have our own teams to think about and run camps, so sometimes it is difficult. But when they're having camps, we're also having camps. It is a collaborative process between everyone for us to try and learn and get these opportunities to see how they work at that level. It's important because we can also improve ourselves, too. How can we get better every time? What can we use that they are doing to help us out and improve our team? That then improves their team as well.

Ruben Amorim is reportedly planning team-bonding trips to Portugal and Dubai that will help to fill the gaps in Manchester United’s schedule.

• Red Devils humbled by League Two side Grimsby
• Have no European football on their agenda
• Warm weather training camps are being lined up

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Devils will, in the wake of a humiliating Carabao Cup exit at the hands of League Two side Grimsby, play just one midweek fixture – a Premier League clash with West Ham on December 3 – before Christmas.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Collective struggles last season mean that United are not competing in Europe this term, with focus being narrowed on domestic action. One route to major silverware there has already been shut off, with inconsistency proving to be an all too familiar issue.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  According to , Amorim wants to make the most of enforced breaks in the Red Devils’ fixture list. He wants to take his squad to the Algarve or Middle East for warm weather training camps.

  The intention is to strengthen the bond in United’s ranks by taking in the odd change of scenery. Amorim is said to believe that time spent in the U.S. over the summer – when competing in the Premier League Summer Series – brought his players closer together.

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  TELL ME MORE

  Mini breaks are said to have been discussed with United chiefs, but are yet to be signed off. No trips will be sanctioned during October and November, with too many players away on international duty with their respective countries.

Although the batting unit looks weak on paper, Karachi Kings, who will have Shahid Afridi in their side this year, have a threatening bowling attack to fall back on

Umar Farooq21-Feb-2018

History

Although star-studded with the likes of Mohammad Amir, Chris Gayle, Kumar Sangakkara, Ravi Bopara, Kieron Pollard, Sohail Khan and Imad Wasim, the Karachi Kings have had mixed fortunes over the last two years. They faltered in the first season, winning just two out of eight group stage matches despite having several international stars. The series of defeats also led to a number of captaincy changes, but Karachi Kings found no respite as they finished second-last in the 2016 season.They made a decent comeback in the second edition, finishing third in the group stage after crushing title defenders Islamabad United in the eliminator. However, Peshawar Zalmi ousted them in the second qualifier.

Karachi Kings

Squad: Eoin Morgan, Lendl Simmons, Babar Azam, Khurram Manzoor, Colin Ingram, Joe Denly, Imad Wasim, Shahid Afridi, Ravi Bopara, Hasan Mohsin, David Wiese, Mohammad Taha, Mohammad Rizwan, Saifullah Bangash, Mohammad Amir, Usama Mir, Usman Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Tabish Khan, Tymal Mills
Best XI: 1. Khurrum Manzoor 2. Colin Ingram/Eoin Morgan 3. Babar Azam 4. Joe Denly 5. Ravi Bopara 6. Shahid Afridi 7. Imad Wasim (capt) 8. Mohammad Rizwan 9. Mohammad Amir 10. Usman Khan 11. Tymal Mills
Coaching staff: Mickey Arthur (head coach), Azhar Mahmood (bowling coach), Rashid Latif (mentor), Mohammad Masroor (fielding coach), Faisal Iqbal (assistant manager), Naveed Rasheed (manager)

Team overview

Karachi have rejigged their entire squad, releasing Shoaib Malik to bring in retired allrounder Shahid Afridi as their platinum player after trading with Peshawar Zalmi. He ended his two-year association with the team over reported differences with its owner Javed Afridi.Afridi had missed the final with a finger injury he picked up during the playoffs in the UAE. In 10 matches last season, he had scored 177 runs at 25.28 with a strike rate of 173.52, and had taken two wickets at an economy of 6.75. He had also captained Peshawar in the inaugural edition of the tournament, before handing over to Darren Sammy.England’s Tymal Mills has been roped in to replace Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson who had pulled out of the tournament weeks before, citing personal reasons. First choice opener Luke Wright also ruled himself out over fitness concerns forcing the side to pick another Englishman, Joe Denly. Sangakkara, Gayle, Ryan McLaren, Kashif Bhatti, Shahzaib Hasan, Pollard and Mahela Jayawardena were released to bring in new crop. Karachi also brought in wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan from Lahore Qalandars in exchange for Sohail Khan.Team-mates mob Kieron Pollard after Karachi Kings’ win•PCB/PSL

Strengths

Karachi’s best feature is their strong and refreshing blend of bowling options. They have Mohammad Amir who can lead the attack and can sign off dealing with death overs. Usman Khan is a young fast bowler can provide breakthroughs while left-arm quick Tymal Mills can trip the opposition batting with his pace. The team also has a number of spinners – veteran Shahid Afridi, Imad Wasim and legspinner Usama Mir.

Weakness

The middle order, centered around Afridi and Bopara, needs a dash of a few young and capable allrounders, as the veteran duo cannot be heavily relied on. On paper, their batting options look less threatening. They might expect their middle order to fire in case names like Babar Azam and Colin Ingram at the top fail.

Key foreign players

Eoin Morgan, Colin Ingram and Lendl Simmons are the ones who can make the difference. Morgan smacked 80 not out at 173.91 against New Zealand in Hamilton to mark his form just days before the start of PSL, while Ingram made a number of big scores at the Big Bash League. Simmons, a T20 specialist, played just four matches in the 2017 Bangladesh Premier League and made 94 runs.

Under-the-radar local lads

Hasan Mohsin finished the 2016 U-19 World Cup as the best allrounder, scoring 293 runs at 97.66 and picking up 11 wickets at 14.81. He has recently announced himself in the Grade I cricket in Pakistan domestic, where he played five first-class and nine List A games for Pakistan Television and scored a total of 356 runs and picked 18 wickets. The 20-year old started his cricket as a legspinner but later switched to medium-pace. The PSL could be a turning point in his career, especially if he fills in as the match-winner.

The Italian head coach wants to link up with former player Kaka, whom he managed at AC Milan, and recruit him in the assistant coach role for Brazil.

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• Ancelotti to leave Madrid and join Brazil this month
• Italian boss on the lookout for additions to his coaching staff
• Wants to reunite with Kaka, whom he coached at Milan

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  reports that Ancelotti wants to make Milan and Madrid legend Kaka one of his assistant coaches. The Italian coach, who is still with Real Madrid, once coached the 2002 World Cup winner at AC Milan and hopes that he will be able to communicate better with his new set of players.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ancelotti will take up his post in Brazil after this season. The big goal is to win the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

  The 65-year-old worked successfully with Kaka at Milan from 2003 to 2009. Among other things, they won the Champions League and the Scudetto in Serie A. In 2007, the attacking midfielder was awarded the Ballon d'Or.

  Kaka responded to the announcement of Ancelotti's appointment by the CBF with a post on X, in which he wrote: "Welcome, Coach Ancelotti. May God bless you."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  In 2017, Kaka ended his playing career after a spell with Orlando City in the MLS. He then obtained his coaching license.

  Ancelotti's previous assistant, his son Davide, will not be accompanying the successful coach to Brazil. Instead, he is expected to take up his first head coach position in the near future. Rumour has it that Bundesliga club RB Leipzig are interested in him, but Scottish side Rangers are said to have the best chance at the moment. However, he's expected to assist his father for next month's qualifying games.

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  WHAT'S NEXT?

  Ancelotti will manage his last game for Real Madrid on May 25 in LaLiga against Real Sociedad. He will then head straight to Brazil to take charge of his new team for the first time on June 6 in a World Cup qualifier in Ecuador.

Aston Villa's reported pursuit of Nicolas Jackson would 'immediately trigger' Chelsea making a counter offer for Morgan Rogers.

• Jackson linked with Chelsea exit
• Aston Villa credited with interest
• Any bid would trigger Morgan offer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Chelsea have reportedly been considering selling Jackson for weeks now, with the striker linked with Unai Emery's Villa, having worked with the Spanish tactician at Villarreal. Now, journalist Matt Law claims that if the Villans did make a move for the Senegal international, Chelsea would immediately lodge a counter offer for Villa Park star Rogers – who is likely to cost well over £50 million ($67m).

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• WHAT MATT LAW SAID

  He said on the London is Blue podcast: "I'm not told by anyone at Chelsea but I'm told by people on the outside that if Villa do go for Nicolas Jackson, it will immediately trigger a bid for Morgan Rogers from Chelsea. Obviously, Unai [Emery] has worked with him and kind of promoted Nicolas Jackson in many ways, didn't want to sign another striker. The only way I see Villa going for Jackson is if Ollie Watkins goes, because I just don't, with us [Villa] not in the Champions League next season, see a scenario where we carry Jackson along with Watkins."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Chelsea have signed forwards Liam Delap and Joao Pedro this summer, leading to speculation that Jackson could be sold after a disappointing end to last season. The 24-year-old worked with Emery at Villarreal in the past but as Law points out, a Champions League-less Villa may not be able to convince him to join them this term. Either way, he may struggle for game time at Stamford Bridge in 2024-25.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Jackson, who has been linked with a move to Manchester United, will head off on an abridged summer break following Chelsea's Club World Cup triumph last weekend. It remains to be seen if he will line up for the Blues next season.

“It was a bit of a headache for us to decide who it was going to be,” India captain on Axar-vs-Kuldeep debate

Alagappan Muthu24-Jan-20244:30

‘When there’s a headache to make your playing XI, that’s a good sign’ – Rohit Sharma

Kuldeep Yadav or Axar Patel? India know who they want in their XI to play the first of five Tests against England starting on Thursday, but they would prefer to keep the opposition guessing.Both players offer compelling reasons to pick them. Kuldeep has “X-factor”, India captain Rohit Sharma said on the eve of the game in Hyderabad. While Kuldeep has played only eight Tests since making his debut in March 2017, he has worked on his bowling in the recent past and showcased the very ability that India value in all their bowlers – keeping the stumps in play – even if it has been in limited-overs cricket.”Kuldeep gives you a certain X-factor with his bowling,” Rohit said. “You’ve seen how well he’s been bowling of late. Especially the wicket if it has bounce, or if it doesn’t have bounce, Kuldeep becomes a factor in those types of conditions as well because he has got superb variations.”He is also a much more mature bowler now. He has not played a lot of Test cricket in India because of [R] Ashwin and [Ravindra] Jadeja clearly. But that is what happens. Like with our middle order, all of us got an opportunity really late. But that’s the reality of it. You can’t hide from it. But Kuldeep being the bowler he is now, from what he was a couple of years back, he is much more improved and he is a very tempting option without a doubt.”Kuldeep played a Ranji Trophy match in the lead-up to this series; it was his first in over seven years and his first since becoming a Test cricketer. In that game, against Kerala, he bowled 26 overs across two innings and picked up four wickets, including the opposition’s highest scorer. The reason he is back in the picture is because Axar didn’t really go all that well in India’s last home series, against Australia in February-March 2023. Axar bowled only 13 overs each in the first three Tests, but he did end up as one of the team’s highest run-getters.Axar Patel was more impressive with the bat than the ball against Australia in February-March 2023•BCCI

“Axar with his all-round ability, giving us that batting depth, the consistency that he has shown playing in these conditions in Test cricket also is an important factor for us,” Rohit said. “It was a bit of a headache for us to decide who it was going to be. I’m not going to say who it is but it was a challenge for us to make that decision. We know we’ve got quality around our spin-bowling department, which is a good sign. When you’ve got quality around your team, when there’s a headache to make your playing XI, that’s a good sign.”Axar’s prized weapon is the ball that doesn’t turn. Exactly half of his 50 Test wickets are either bowled or lbw, and most of them involve the left-arm spinner beating the right-hander on the inside edge. The reason he kept doing that is because he was also getting the odd ball to turn. Against Australia, he seemed to have lost that a little bit. But now, after recovering from a quadriceps injury that forced him out of the ODI World Cup, Axar looks like he’s getting back to his old self. The left-arm spinner comes into these Tests having picked up ten wickets in seven T20Is against Australia and Afghanistan played over the last two months.Related

• Dravid expects Hyderabad pitch for England Test to offer turn

• Rajat Patidar added to India Test squad as Kohli's replacement

• Hartley to debut as Eng name three spinners; one quick bowler in Wood

The Hyderabad pitch will turn. Rohit, when asked about it in the pre-match press conference where he was happy to talk at length about various other topics – like the health of Test cricket, the value of blooding new players in, and the strength of his side in home conditions – gave a curt answer: “Looks good”.Rahul Dravid, on Tuesday, expected that it would take turn. England are certain to the extent that they’re going in with three frontline spinners and only one fast bowler. Kuldeep remains a prospect, especially against an opposition that will not hesitate to attack. Success in ODIs and T20Is has taught him how to cope with batters coming at him. It was just that his Test game was lacking a bit of control and he has since worked on that, getting quicker through the air without really losing any of his other assets – turn and bounce.But Axar brings that and batting ability, and with India missing Virat Kohli, they will probably want to shore up the XI with as many all-round options as possible.

The two USWNT stars engaged in an on-air debate during their appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, arguing over which position is more challenging

• Purce immediately claimed forward is the more difficult position
• Sonnett countered that defenders face higher stakes
• Meyers sided with defenders, noting goalkeepers often shift blame

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  WHAT HAPPENED

  U.S. internationals Emily Sonnett and Midge Purce appeared as guests on a July 2025 episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers, where the conversation turned competitive when Meyers questioned which position is more difficult to play. The friendly debate began when Meyers asked about position difficulty, with Purce immediately defending the forward position while Meyers expressed sympathy for defenders who often receive blame from goalkeepers when conceding goals.

  Sonnett agreed with Meyers' assessment, highlighting that defenders can play exceptionally well for an entire match but still be criticized for a single mistake

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• WHAT SETH MEYERS SAID

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  This reflects a long-standing discussion within soccer about position recognition and value. Defenders often feel underappreciated despite their crucial role in preventing goals, similar to sentiments expressed by their USWNT teammate Naomi Girma, who was notably left off a Ballon d'Or nomination list.

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  WHAT’S NEXT?

  The two Gotham FC stars will continue as key players for the NWSL side, with Gotham sitting 8th on the league table with 18 points after 13 games. They face Chicago Stars next on Aug. 1 on the road and then host the Washington Spirit on Aug. 8 at the Sports Illustrated Stadium.