The New York Mets and Seattle Mariners put on a show Sunday night at the Little League Classic. Young ballplayers competing for youth baseball's ultimate prize got a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see their favorite MLB stars up close and a tremendous amount of fun was had per usual.
The Mariners organization and its fans would have had a decidedly worse time had their cornerstone outfielder Julio Rodriguez suffered a significant injury while sledding down a hill on a piece of cardboard, which almost became a reality when a member of security took a spill and nearly landed on his ankle.
Here's the footage, which thankfully ends with everyone invovled getting up and getting on with their day.
That is too close for comfort. And you have to feel for the security person here who was simply trying to hustle to do the job and ended up losing to gravity. Before they were even able to get upright some unhelpful person is joking about a potential Rodriguez ACL injury. It's rough out there.
Rodriguez will be paramount to the Mariners' playoff hopes going forward and their ability to make a deep run if they get there. Plenty of people breathing a sigh of relief realizing this could have been worse.
Stats highlights from MI’s fifth win in a row in IPL 2025, against Lucknow Super Giants
Sampath Bandarupalli27-Apr-20253:25
Rapid Fire: Can MI finish in top 2?
2714 Number of balls taken by Suryakumar Yadav to complete 4000 runs in the IPL – the third quickest to the milestone after Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers, both of whom took 2658 balls.10 Consecutive scores of 25-plus for Suryakumar in IPL 2025, after his 54 off 28 balls against Lucknow Super Giants in Mumbai. He’s only the second batter to achieve such a streak after Robin Uthappa had ten consecutive 40-plus scores in IPL 2014.174 Wickets for Jasprit Bumrah in the IPL after his spell of 4 for 22 against LSG. He is now Mumbai Indians’ leading wicket-taker, surpassing Lasith Malinga’s tally of 170.ESPNcricinfo Ltd16-0 MI’s win-loss record while defending targets of 200-plus in the IPL. They are the only team to defend all their 200-plus totals in the IPL.150 Number of matches MI have won in the IPL, including two via a Super Over. They are the first team to register 150 wins in the IPL.ESPNcricinfo Ltd5 Consecutive matches won by MI in IPL 2025 after starting the season with only one victory in their first five games. The previous instance of MI winning five consecutive IPL matches was in 2020.5 Number of LSG bowlers to concede more than 40 runs against MI at the Wankhede – only the third such instance in IPL history, after Rajasthan Royals against Sunrisers Hyderabad and SRH against Punjab Kings earlier this season.
Tottenham Hotspur are now leading the race to sign FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, with the Portuguese club willing to cash-in for a huge fee this winter.
Tottenham have struggled in front of goal at times this season, failing to score in three of their last four matches in all competitions, and the most recent result against Chelsea is likely to be particularly concerning for Thomas Frank.
Spurs fell to a 1-0 defeat at home against their London rivals on Saturday, failing to create a single big chance across the 90 minutes, which meant Randal Kolo Muani was limited to just 16 touches of the ball before being substituted in the second half.
Kolo Muani is yet to get off the mark in front of goal, while Mathys Tel has also struggled, scoring just one Premier League goal this season, and the Frenchman clearly hasn’t impressed Frank, having lost his place in the starting XI in recent weeks.
With that in mind, it would make sense to bring in a new striker in the January transfer window, and the door could be open to sign a Liga Portugal star…
Tottenham leading race for Aghehowa
According to a report from Correio da Manha (via Sport Witness), Tottenham are now in the lead in the race for Porto striker Aghehowa, alongside Chelsea, with the London rivals potentially set to do battle for his signature.
The Portuguese club are now willing to sanction the 21-year-old’s departure for a fee of €80m (£70m) in January, despite the youngster having a €100m (£88m) release clause included in his contract.
A £70m offer is deemed ‘irresistible’, so a deal could be on the cards if Spurs are willing to eclipse the £65m fee they shelled out on Dominic Solanke and break their transfer record.
Journalist Zach Lowy believes the Spaniard, who has the same agent as Mohammed Kudus, could be destined for the very top, singling him out for very high praise on X back in June.
The Melilla-born marksman had a fantastic debut campaign in Portugal, scoring 19 goals in 30 league games, and he has since gone on to make an impressive start to the new season, finding the back of the net nine times in 11 matches in all competitions.
Aghehowa’s goal record at such a young age indicates he could have what it takes to become one of the best strikers in the world, and with Tel and Kolo Muani struggling, it would make sense for Tottenham to pursue a move this winter.
Tottenham now main contenders to sign Jonathan David Tottenham 'main contenders' to sign £188k-p/w Juventus star and it's not Vlahovic
Thomas Frank’s side have been tipped to replace Richarlison.
This is getting serious now. Liverpool’s abject run of form under Arne Slot’s management this season has been a massive concern, but one which all of a Reds persuasion have been steadfast in their belief that the blip will be overcome.
Mohamed Salah’s flaming comments at the weekend have threatened to split the Slot machine wide open, with terms such as civil war and crisis being bandied about like never before.
What sparked this latest drama in a season weighed further and further down by setbacks? Well, Liverpool blew a two-goal lead at Elland Road in the Premier League, and Salah did not get even a flash of the action.
Liverpool's implosion at Elland Road
Liverpool just can’t pull all the strings together at the moment, having blown their two-goal advantage over Leeds United to draw 3-3. Dominik Szoboszlai thought he’d salvaged a draw late, but the hosts struck deep into stoppage time to condemn the Reds to their latest in a long litany of disappointments.
The frustrating part is Liverpool were comfortable and well worth their lead until spineless, error-riddled habits crept in after the break.
It was Konate’s lunging challenge, clumsy, needless, which started the Leeds fightback, and this underlines the point that Liverpool keep putting themselves through the wringer, incapable of playing to their strengths and retaining balance and composure throughout 90 minutes.
Konate is only months away from the end of his Liverpool contract, and while FSG continue to keep a door open regarding the France star’s renewal, Spanish sources suggest they could be open to cashing in for £15m this summer.
It would possibly be unwise to sell Konate right now, given the dearth of depth across Slot’s backline. Salah, too, is a player FSG wish to keep, but there is another struggler who flattered to deceive at Leeds and should be sold first.
FSG must get rid of Liverpool's "major issue"
Two things can be true: Salah has been well out of sorts this season, and he cannot convincingly tout the undroppable status he has carried through his glittering Liverpool career on his current form; Salah has every right to feel aggrieved, with players like Cody Gakpo reprising their starting berths in spite of dire performances.
It is Gakpo who is becoming a “major issue” for the Anfield side, and in more ways than one, as has been observed by analyst Raj Chohan.
Though the Dutchman has been a moderately efficient force on the left flank this season, scoring four goals and providing three assists in the Premier League, it’s clear that he is limited in his approach, and that the Reds could do with a more dynamic left winger to replace Luis Diaz, sold to Bayern Munich in August.
Gakpo, 26, has been at Liverpool for three years, scoring 46 goals and providing 21 assists across 149 appearances. He is versatile and has played his role throughout his time on Merseyside, but the Netherlands man has been exposed as lacking dimensions as Liverpool’s main man on the left wing.
There’s no doubt that Gakpo is a naturally prolific player, but if anything, this underscores the significance of the concerns surrounding his name: thee is a lack of expansiveness about his skillset, and he is averaging just 0.4 shots on target per Premier League match this season, ranking among the bottom 4% of league forwards for percentage of shots on target per 90, as per FBref.
Mohamed Salah
39 + 26
65
Cody Gakpo
23 + 11
34
Dominik Szoboszlai
12 + 14
26
Luis Diaz
17 + 8
25
Alexis Mac Allister
8 + 8
16
Someone like Antoine Semenyo, perhaps, who is ostensibly gearing up for an exit from Bournemouth in January, with Liverpool right at the top of the shopping list.
Liverpool may need a central defender, but there is a reason Slot suggested during a presser last month that he and sporting director Richard Hughes are looking further up the pitch as a priority position to smooth out the many wrinkles in the tactical fabric.
Though it would be foolish to start thinking about selling Gakpo in January, and an upgrade on the left is desperately needed, and bringing someone like Semenyo in would solve a ‘major issue’ and help launch Slot’s squad back into the ascendancy.
Salah and Konate’s respective futures are in doubt, but it might be that getting rid of Gakpo is the move Hughes needs to make first.
Salah upgrade: Liverpool prepare British record bid to sign £131m magician
Mohamed Salah may leave Liverpool in January after an extraordinary outburst at Elland Road.
Confiança e Sergipe se enfrentam neste sábado (12), pela finalíssima do Sergipano. A bola vai rolar a partir das 16h (de Brasília), no estádio Batistão, em Aracaju, com transmissão da TV Record de Sergipe e canal do YouTube da TV Atalaia.
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FICHA TÉCNICA CONFIANÇA X SERGIPE – FINAL (VOLTA) DO CAMPEONATO SERGIPANO
Data e horário: sábado, 12 de abril de 2024, às 16h (de Brasília).
Local: Arena Batistão, em Aracaju. Onde assistir: TV Record de Sergipe e canal do YouTube da TV Atalaia. Arbitragem: Ainda sem definição até o momento desta publicação.
PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES CONFIANÇA (Técnico: Gerson Gusmão) Jeferson Souza; Júnior, Raphael, Diego Ivo e Felippe Borges; Fábio, Betinho e Ítalo; Riquelmo, Willians Santana e Rafael Furtado (Ricardo Bueno).
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SERGIPE (Técnico: Marcelo Martelotte) Igor Leonardo; Felipinho, André Penalva, Yuri e Ian Barreto; Diego Aragão, Arez, Mardley e Rafael Vila (Natan); Wallace Obina e Rafael Grampola (Tony)
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Both batters scored unbeaten centuries and posted South Africa’s third-highest partnership in women’s ODIs
ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2025Marizanne Kapp and Tazmin Brits hit centuries and put up the third-highest partnership for South Africa in women’s ODIs to brush aside Pakistan in the series opener in Lahore.South Africa were in trouble early in their chase of 256. Sadia Iqbal bowled Laura Wolvaardt in the second over and Sune Luus was out lbw by Rameen Shamim in the tenth. But from 43 for 2, the 216-run third-wicket stand lifted South Africa, and the pair finished the game off with ten balls to spare. Kapp, the No. 4, stayed unbeaten on 121 with her third ODI ton, while opener Brits scored 101 not out for her fifth ODI century.Together, they hit 22 fours and two sixes, taking down Pakistan’s experienced bowlers. Fatima Sana and Nashra Sandhu conceded 59 runs and 61 runs respectively in their ten overs while Diana Baig conceded 56 runs in eight. Rameen was the pick of the Pakistan bowlers with figures of 1 for 29 in her ten overs.A jubilant Sidra Amin after reaching her fifth ODI ton•PCB
Pakistan had posted a competitive 255 for 4 with a big partnership of their own. Sidra Amin, like Kapp, also scored an unbeaten 121 and with opener Muneeba Ali put up a 147-run stand for the second wicket.Muneeba fell for 76 in the 31st over but Aliya Riaz’s 34-ball 33 gave Pakistan some impetus approaching the death overs. However, after Riaz’s run-out in the 44th over, Pakistan could not generate enough momentum for a winning score with No. 6 Natalia Pervaiz struggling in the back-end scoring only 5 in 14 balls.Ayabonga Khaka, who took the first two Pakistan wickets, finished with 2 for 36 in nine overs. Tumi Sekhukhune had 1 for 37. Kapp conceded only 2.85 per over in her seven-over spell.The second ODI is on Friday at the same venue.
O Corinthians venceu o Nacional-PAR por 4 a 0 em partida válida pela segunda rodada da fase de grupos da Copa Sul-Americana. Romero (2x), Yuri Alberto e Pedro Raul marcaram os gols do Timão na Neo Química Arena. O paraguaio se tornou o maior artilheiro de Itaquera e o estrangeiro com mais gols pelo clube.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansJornal coloca joia do Corinthians na mira de Bayern e gigantes inglesesCorinthians06/04/2024CorinthiansTorcedores elegem craque do Corinthians no PaulistãoCorinthians08/04/2024CorinthiansEntenda como eliminação precoce no Paulistão fez patrocinador rescindir contrato com o CorinthiansCorinthians05/04/2024
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Com o resultado, o Corinthians chega a quatro pontos e assume a liderança do Grupo F da Sul-Americana. A equipe paraguaia amarga a lanterna do grupo, com zero pontos.
⚽COMO FOI A PARTIDA?
Após 15 minutos sonolentos, o Corinthians conseguiu encontrar espaços e conseguiu impor sua dominância sobre o Nacional-PAR. Após algumas chances, Romero abriu o placar no primeiro tempo. O Timão aproveitou a expulsão de Arévalo na etapa final, foi mais incisivo no ataque e ampliou a vantagem com Yuri Alberto, Romero e Pedro Raul.
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➡️A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta!
O que vem por aí?
O próximo compromisso do Corinthians será no domingo (14), contra o Atlético-MG, pela primeira rodada do Brasileirão, na Neo Química Arena. No sábado, o Nacional enfrenta o General Caballero pelo Campeonato Paraguaio.
✅ FICHA TÉCNICA CORINTHIANS 4 X 0 NACIONAL-PAR COPA SUL AMERICANA – FASE DE GRUPOS – SEGUNDA RODADA Data e horário: terça-feira, 9 de abril de 2024, às 19h (de Brasília); Local: Neo Química Arena, em São Paulo, no Brasil Árbitro: Jhon Ospina (COL)
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GOLS: Romero (2x), Yuri Alberto e Pedro Raul
➡️ Veja tabela com datas, horários dos jogos da Libertadores
⚽ ESCALAÇÕES CORINTHIANS (Técnico: António Oliveira) Cássio; Fagner, Félix Torres, Gustavo Henrique e Hugo; Raniele, Fausto Vera e Rodrigo Garro; Wesley, Romero e Yuri Alberto
NACIONAL-PAR (Técnico: Victor Bernay) Antony Silva; Blasi, Claudio Nuñez, Ojeda e Rivas; Juan Alfaro, Cáceres e Santacruz; Gaona, Arévalo e Tiago Caballero.
TORONTO — The inside story of how the Toronto Blue Jays won the American League pennant begins where most stories do about the peskiest, most annoying and toughest-to-kill team to make it to the World Series in a decade: the batting cage.
It was about two hours before Game 3 of the AL Championship Series at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. The Blue Jays trailed the Mariners two games to none, having fallen so flat in two home losses that they lost to two pitchers on short rest. Of most concern was the rare clunkiness of the swing of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., the heartbeat of the offense and, at a freshly invested $500 million, of the entire franchise.
In going 0-for-7, Guerrero grounded out six times, three times in back-to-back games for the first time all year. Toronto is 19–33 when Guerrero is held hitless.
“Time to go to work,” hitting coach David Popkins said to Guerrero.
When Guerrero is right, he wields a Lamborghini of a swing. It is long (7.5 feet), fast (76.7 mph, eighth fastest in MLB) and sleek (at 1°, he has the flattest attack angle in MLB). He shifts smoothly through many gears to get it on time: step back, bat tilt, stride and crescendo. But it kept misfiring oddly in Games 1 and 2.
On the off day before Game 3, Popkins looked at the diagnostics and discovered the problem. It wasn’t the swing. It was a timing issue. Guerrero was making contact only a few inches or so farther in front of his body than ideal, turning line drives and long flyballs into turf-hugging grounders.
What Popkins needed to do was the equivalent of replacing the timing belt, chain and tensioner. Don’t overhaul anything; just re-set the timing.
Popkins brought Guerrero into the cage to hit against the curveball machine.
“It slows him down,” Popkins says. “Let’s him get a little confidence in his path.”
After Guerrero left the shop, he hummed through the remaining five ALCS games by slashing .526/.609/1.158 to win the ALCS MVP and continue one of the most sublime hitting performances in postseason history. Guerrero is the first player to slug as many as six homers in a postseason while striking out just three times. Barry Bonds (2002) and Albert Pujols (’04) whiffed a previous-low six times while banging six homers.
The story is instructive because of how the Blue Jays play offensive baseball as designed by a hitting coach who went undrafted out of college, played six minor league seasons without reaching Triple A, including three seasons with the Wild Things (of Washington, Pa.) and the Canaries (of Sioux Falls, S.D.), and who, after being fired by the Twins, was hired by Toronto manager John Schneider after meeting him for the first time. Turning 36 next month, Popkins is two months younger than Toronto DH George Springer.
“I’m a big fight fan,” Popkins says, “and you’ve got to be able to win different ways. You’ve got to be able to wear out the body … You’ve got to be unpredictable. And that's what we pride ourselves on.
“If we were a fighter, we’d be Jon Jones or maybe Floyd Mayweather. That’s the type of offense I say I want. It’s just this dynamic fighter. And we're going to face a great challenge in L.A.”
How the Blue Jays Match Up With the Dodgers
The World Series starts Friday in Toronto, not L.A., because the Blue Jays, fighters to the finish that they are, ground out four wins in their last four games to not only seal the AL East title but also wrest homefield from the Dodgers by one game. The series is blockbuster stuff if only for whatever jaw-dropping unprecedented greatness Shohei Ohtani has in store for us, this time against the Blue Jays, the team that thought it had a shot at signing him before the Dodgers closed the deal. Ohtani loves hitting at Rogers Centre (.288/.417/.610 in 16 games) because it reminds him of the Sapporo Dome, his former home with the Nippon Ham Fighters. In his first trip to Rogers Centre after signing with Los Angeles, Ohtani, for one of the rare times, was roundly booed—to which he responded by smashing a home run.
But for a baseball aficionado, the series is a fascinating contrast—to borrow from Popkins’s love of pugilism—of fighting styles. It’s the swing-and-miss stuff of the Dodgers’ pitchers versus the feint-jab-and-slug peppering of the Blue Jays. It’s an especially delicious matchup for Popkins, who went to minor league camp in 2019 with the Dodgers and coached in the Dodgers’ minor league system in ’20 and ’21.
“It’s going to be great,” Popkins says, “You know, I love those guys. They’re great, great players, a great staff, a great organization. I love those guys over there. And it's going to be a great, great matchup.
“Still to this day I still talk to a good amount of those guys and I can’t wait. I couldn’t be more happy that it’s them. This movie could not have written itself any better than this. I can’t wait.”
The Blue Jays blitzed the Yankees in the ALDS by hitting .338 and they sent Seattle home by putting the ball in play against the Mariners’ steady diet of in-zone fastballs. Toronto struck out only 40 times in seven ALCS games while Seattle fanned 71 times.
The Game 7 sequence for Toronto that turned a 3–1 defeat into a 4–3 win in the seventh inning was vintage 2025 Blue Jays when it came to throwing combinations. Leadoff walk (Addison Barger), 0-and-2 single (Isiah Kiner-Falefa), sacrifice bunt (Andrés Giménez), earth-shaking, roof-raising, drought-killing, jaw-dropping three-run bomb by George Springer. Gnats are less irritating than the Toronto lineup.
Seattle manager Dan Wilson kept bringing in fastball-pumping strike throwers: George Kirby, Bryan Woo and Eduard Bazardo. The Mariners chucked more heaters this regular season than any team (55.5%) and they boosted that percentage in the ALCS (59%). It did not work, not against the contact-heavy, ambush-happy Toronto lineup.
After the Giménez bunt, Wilson had eight outs to cover to get the Mariners to their first World Series. He had one more at-bat each with which to navigate against Springer and Guerrero. He chose to put the lead and those at-bats not in the hands of his closer, Andrés Muñoz, but a rubber-armed Bazardo.
Putting Bazardo on Springer meant Muñoz never faced Springer in the series but Bazardo would get him for a third time. The first pitch was a sinker that missed. Bazardo had thrown Springer eight pitches in the series. Seven were sinkers. Four of those were inside sinkers. What do you think Bazardo would throw at 1-and-0 on the ninth pitch? Yep, sinker inside.
At every turn, the Mariners could not shut down innings and get off the field without stress, if not runs. The Blue Jays struck out 1,099 times this year, the fewest for a full-season World Series team since the 2017 Astros, or, if you dismiss teams that cheat to steal signs, the 2015 Royals.
Dodgers pitchers are averaging 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings this postseason. The Dodgers need only to make 17 plays in the field to win a game. They are not an elite defensive team. Their defensive efficiency (turning batted balls into outs) ranked 11th, their worst showing in a decade. They ranked below average in defensive runs saved. By putting the ball in play and turning the lineup over, the Blue Jays can pressure the Dodgers defense and the trigger of manager Dave Roberts as to when he goes to his bullpen.
The Blue Jays came back from a 2–0 series deficit to win the ALCS. / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
“I think one of the things that’s so exciting about this group,” says vice president of baseball operations Ross Atkins, “is regardless of the talent or the skill level, we have something to combat it with.
“We’ve shown that that [Seattle staff] was about as good a pitching as you're going to see, and we were able to not just put it in play, but drive it. So that would be the same approach. Really, nothing changes.”
The Positive Effects of Hitting Coach David Popkins
The Blue Jays were a bad offensive club last season. They ranked sixth in fewest strikeouts, 19th in batting average, 23rd in runs and 26th in home runs. Immediately at the conclusion of the season they fired hitting coach Guillermo Martínez. About two weeks later, they flew in four candidates to interview on the same day. Popkins was the last of the four to sit down with Schneider.
“I didn’t know him at all,” Schneider says. “All I knew was that Rocco Baldelli and Jayce Tingler had high recommendations for him.”
“At the end of the interview,” Schneider says, “I got up and walked into Ross’s office and said, ‘I think we’ve got our guy.’ He was that impressive.”
Popkins had been fired by the Twins, where Baldelli managed and Tingler was the bench coach.
Something Popkins told Schneider that day would not only impress the manager but also become the mantra of the Blue Jays’ offense: “We want to be the most creative offense in baseball. We want more ways to score runs than anybody else.”
The effects were obvious, even if Toronto ran back mostly the same lineup but for free agent acquisition Anthony Santander, who played in only 54 games because of injuries. The Jays upgraded to second fewest strikeouts, first in batting average, fourth in runs and 11th in home runs.
When it comes to facing swing-and-miss, strikeout-heavy pitching staffs, the Blue Jays are fine with punching above their weight. The Yankees ranked seventh in strikeout rate (23.7%). The Mariners ranked ninth (23.3%). The Dodgers ranked second (24.8%).
The Blue Jays will not see as many challenge fastballs as they did from the Mariners. The Dodgers swept the Brewers by throwing just 40.8% fastballs. Their four starters—Ohtani, Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow—threw just 37.5% fastballs. The World Series will turn on how Toronto can defeat, or at least withstand, the swing-and-miss spin and splitters from Dodgers pitchers.
“The guys are really about team at-bats,” Popkins says. “There's no one that’s selfish in our lineup, so it just makes it a tough one through nine. You kind of have to grind through it. Usually with a lot of lineups, you have a breather when you're a pitcher and you kind of just go through and attack them. There’s no stamina that’s wasted on a pitcher.
“But this team? You can really wear guys down mentally and their stamina breaks down. That’s when they make mistakes.”
I tell him that sounds like the line he gave Schneider in the interview about his philosophy.
“The most creative offensive team in baseball,” he says, like a proud parent.
The pitch in Colombo isn’t expected to allow free-flowing batting
Madushka Balasuriya07-Oct-20252:07
Preview – Should Australia play Megan Schutt?
Big picture: Pakistan 0, Australia 16Pakistan have never beaten Australia in any format of women’s international cricket. And if that trend continues on Wednesday, their path forward in the ODI World Cup will become very complicated given they have already lost their opening two matches to Bangladesh and India.What might be even more concerning for Pakistan is that in 16 ODIs against Australia, they’ve not even come close to victory, with the narrowest margins of defeat being 37 runs and four wickets, both way back in 2014.Pakistan’s most recent contest against Australia, a three-match rubber in 2023, had these results: eight-wicket defeat, 10-wicket defeat, 101-run defeat. And while they are also yet to beat India (12 tries) or England (15 tries) in women’s ODIs, their 16 defeats to Australia make them, statistically, the toughest opponent.Related
Ellyse Perry and Sidra Amin highlight the contrasts in Australia and Pakistan
Schutt praised for response to omission as another selection call awaits
All this is to say that Pakistan have a considerable mountain ahead of them. As for Australia, their opening game against New Zealand was an ultimately comfortable win, and their second against Sri Lanka was washed out. They are also a team in near-invincible form. In 32 matches since the last World Cup, they’ve won 27 and lost just four. Pakistan in that same period have played 34 ODIs, won 13 and lost 18.So what exactly are the straws Pakistan might look to clutch here? One, Australia haven’t played since October 1 as a result of their washout against Sri Lanka. They are also yet to play at the R Premadasa stadium, where conditions don’t necessarily seem conducive to free-flowing batting. With Pakistan already having experienced these conditions in their defeat to India, there could be an advantage to be exploited.Finally, Pakistan will be hoping the law of averages catches up and gives them the crucial win and points that they need.2:40
Australia exude an attitude of ‘we know how to win this’
Form guideAustralia WWLWW (last five ODIs most recent first) Pakistan LLWLLIn the spotlight: Sandhu and MooneySince the 2022 World Cup, no Pakistani bowler has picked up more wickets than spinner Nashra Sandhu – her 42 strikes in this period coming from 28 matches. But more interestingly her 248.1 overs are the sixth-most bowled by any bowler in the last three and a half years. This serves to highlight just how much Pakistan lean on Sandhu. This year has also been her most impactful one – she’s picked up 17 wickets in 10 games, including a six-wicket haul against South Africa. The only thing is, in her past five matches, she’s gone wicketless three times. Pakistan will need her at her best if they are to upset Australia.You’d be hard pressed to find a team Beth Mooney doesn’t like batting against, but even so, her ODI record against Pakistan is better than most. Across eight innings she’s struck 279 runs at an average of 69.75, an average that has been boosted by the fact that she’s only been dismissed four times. Mooney’s recent form too has been ominous, with a century and two fifties across her last five innings.Megan Schutt has a good record against Pakistan: 10 wickets in nine ODIs•Getty ImagesTeam news: Will Schutt get a look in?With a week’s break since their last game, Australia will be itching to get out on the field. Their biggest dilemma is down to healthy competition, as it remains to be seen if Darcie Brown continues to keep Megan Schutt out of the XI.Australia (probable): 1 Alyssa Healy (capt & wk), 2 Phoebe Litchfield, 3 Ellyse Perry, 4 Beth Mooney, 5 Annabel Sutherland, 6 Ashleigh Gardner, 7 Tahlia McGrath, 8 Sophie Molineux, 9 Alana King, 10 Kim Garth, 11 Darcie BrownOmaima Sohail was replaced at the top of the order by Sadaf Shamas last time out, but with both openers struggling Sohail might find herself back in the side.Pakistan (probable): 1 Muneeba Ali, 2 Sadaf Shamas, 3 Sidra Amin, 4 Aliya Riaz, 5 Natalia Pervaiz, 6 Fatima Sana (capt), 7 Rameen Shamim, 8 Diana Baig, 9 Sidra Nawaz (wk), 10 Nashra Sandhu, 11 Sadia IqbalPitch and conditions: Tricky batting conditionsRain has been pestering Colombo and its surrounding suburbs over the past week, but Wednesday should arrive with clear, if cloudy, tidings. The pitch at the Khettarama has stayed true to form in the first two games its hosted at this World Cup, making life tricky for batters – expect that to stay the same.Stats and trivia: Australia’s return to Colombo This will be Australia’s first women’s ODI in Colombo since 2016 Only against Ireland (17-0) do Australia hold a more dominant ODI record than the one they have against Pakistan Australia have won their last 10 completed Women’s World Cup matches Annabel Sutherland is four away from 50 WODI wicketsQuotes”We do have an edge but it all depends on what the team does with this advantage. We were unlucky to have our warmup game against Sri Lanka washed out but we’ve also played two games here and know the conditions very well.”
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has confirmed that a game will return to Spain in the foreseeable future. The Santiago Bernabeu, home of La Liga giants Real Madrid, hosted the meeting between the Miami Dolphins and the Washington Commanders on Sunday, in which Miami claimed a 16-13 overtime win in the final international game of the 2025 season.
NFL played seven international games this year
Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota was intercepted by Jack Jones in the first play of overtime at the Bernabeu on Sunday. The error, though, paved the way for Riley Patterson's match winning field goal as an entertaining match capped a historic season for the NFL.
The game was not only the first in Spain, but the seventh international match in a season as the NFL continues to expand globally. Owing to the success in Madrid, there have been talks about playing a match in Barcelona. While Spotify Camp Nou won't be completely ready until 2027, the home of the Blaugrana and their eventual 105,000 seater stadium would be the next logical step for the sport.
Barcelona will play their first game at Spotify Camp Nou since the 2023/24 season on Saturday afternoon when they host Athletic Club, albeit with the capacity capped at 45,401 as renovations continue.
The NFL's first international game of the season came in Sao Paulo in Brazil earlier in the year, while there was also games played in Dublin and Berlin for the first time, along with the customary three games in London, two of which took place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the third at Wembley.
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AFP
'We will be back, we are excited'
Goodell waxed lyrical about the Bernabeu and confirmed that the NFL will one day return to Madrid. Speaking to the Spanish media after Sunday's game, the NFL Commissioner said: "We will be back, we are excited. This has been a great opportunity for us. We always wait until we get through the games, but we want to be back here in Madrid [and] Spain. I think this is a great market for us."
Goodell added to NFL Network: "It's been spectacular. We've never played seven games, Brazil was a great start and finishing here in Madrid it just feels right. This is such a great city. The stadium is remarkable and the partners at Real Madrid and the city have just been amazing."
There are also plans in place to take the NFL further afield, with a game pencilled in for Melbourne, Australia next year, while Goodell stated earlier this year that he is keen to see a game played in Asia in 2026. "Australia is going to be a big learning and test next year," Goodell said.
"We are excited about that. I think we will be back in a lot of the markets we've been this year, but we have a couple more that we're thinking about right now. So many cities have been reaching out, and that's a great thing for us."
UEFA impressed by Bernabeu transformation
The success of the NFL game in Madrid over the weekend may have a positive impact for Real Madrid in the long run. It's been reported that UEFA were left impressed by the transformation of the stadium and that they'd one day like to see the revamped Bernabeu host a Champions League final.
Real Madrid's home has hosted the final of Europe's showpiece event four times in its history, doing so in 1957, 1969, 1980 and most recently in 2010. In addition, the Bernabeu hosted the second leg of the 2018 Copa Libertadores final between heated rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate owing to safety concerns. River would go on to win 5-3 on aggregate in the last Copa Libertadores final played across two legs.
However, one potential hiccup is that Real Madrid would need to lodge a bid to host the Champions League final, which given the strained relationship between the La Liga leaders and European football's governing body, is unlikely to be forthcoming.
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When do Real Madrid next play at home?
Real Madrid are in the midst of a lengthy run of away fixtures. Xabi Alonso's men last played in front of their fans at the start of November, as goals from Kylian Mbappe – twice – Jude Bellingham and Alvaro Carreras earned a 4-0 win over Valencia.
Since then, Los Blancos have played Liverpool at Anfield and Rayo Vallecano at the Vallecas in the Champions League and La Liga, respectively, and failed to win both. Next up for Real Madrid is a trip to Elche on Sunday before games at Olympiacos, Girona and Athletic Club.
Real Madrid then return home for the welcome of Celta Vigo on December 7.