Marizanne Kapp is heading into her fifth ODI World Cup. She and Annerie Dercksen, her young successor, talk role models, work ethic, and more

Firdose Moonda01-Oct-2025Nobody wants to be reminded of one of their worst moment but perhaps Marizanne Kapp won’t mind this one:”It was the 2017 World Cup semi-final and – I don’t know if I should say this – there was a picture of Marizanne crying on the floor. I still see that vividly in my head,” Annerie Dercksen says. “That’s probably the first women’s game I’ve ever watched. And after that, I realised there’s women’s cricket in South Africa and thought maybe I could also play.”Six years later Dercksen was in the same squad as Kapp and had to pinch herself when she was at breakfast and Kapp was there in the flesh. “In an interview, I said that I could now take water to her on the field and it was just the moment of my life. I’m still like that daily,” Dercksen says.The hero worship brings out Kapp’s sterner side. “Dercky is young. She makes me tired,” she says, only half-joking, on the same call. “She is a very playful, busy person. I have to warn her and the other young ones every second night not to have their tea parties or coffee parties close to my room. They must go to the [room of the] person that’s furthest away from my room. They like to walk up and down in the corridor at night and make a noise. I’m asleep by then.”Before the casual observation that Kapp, all of 35 years old, is starting to sound like a senior citizen can be made, Dercksen says she would like to jump in and defend herself.Related

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“I’m a little socially awkward,” she says. “And obviously with Kappie being my hero, I’ve got to think when I have to ask her a question. I’ve got to prepare it, play it in my head first, and then I’ve got to go up to her. In the last couple of years, it’s been getting a bit easier to speak to her.”I really like her. She wants to pretend that she’s more serious than she actually is. There’s a little playful side of her that we’re going to get out of her. She started taking part in our soccer warm-ups now, which is cool. We’ve been told off quite a bit for being too loud, but if maybe she can go to bed a bit later, we can invite her to the tea parties.”Is it really tea that’s being drunk? “Yes, I had to bring 200 Rooibos bags from South Africa because we can’t find them anywhere else,” Dercksen says.Will Kapp consider joining? Probably not, because the badass image she gives off on the field is not a persona; it’s who she really is when she’s in work mode.”I get so annoyed with people when they judge me on how I am on the field,” she says. “This is my job. I’m not going to smile and laugh when people hit me for six or four. I want to do well. I want to win. So if you are judging me because I’m not smiling on the field, just know that this is competition.Kapp copes with the disappointment of losing the 2017 World Cup semi-final to England by two wickets•ICC”I’m just very focused, even at training. If we’re playing around, or it’s not structured, I immediately get so annoyed because I feel like I need to get something out of this training session. I’m not just here to spend time at the field. There has to be a purpose for me, otherwise I’d rather just leave it. I’m just that way in life as well. If I can’t do something, I’d rather just leave it. But if I am good at something and I can do something, then I give it 200%.”The tears Dercksen saw in that World Cup semi-final eight years ago serve to illustrate. They came when South Africa, playing on television screens for the first time, pushed hosts and eventual champions England so hard that they came within two balls of winning the match.They ought to have scored more than 218 for 6 in 50 overs but defended those runs with tenacity. Their last-over defeat left them devastated. Kapp sat alone in the outfield and then used her hands and her shirt to cover her face as she walked off. Though no one expected South Africa, then a relatively unknown force in the women’s game and only newly professionalised at international level, to get that far, the team had a quiet belief about them.”That was probably one of the best teams we ever had,” Kapp says. Dercksen could say that she and Kapp played in one of the others: the outfit that reached the T20 World Cup final last year.In six ODI innings in the subcontinent, Dercksen has scored 280 runs at 56, with one hundred and two fifties, but she’s now trying to focus more on her bowling with Kapp as her mentor•Matthew Lewis/ICC/Getty ImagesThat they were favourites to win that match is testament to their growth since Dercksen first watched them; that they didn’t win asks questions of both their ability to perform under pressure and their depth. In Dercksen, Kapp sees an opportunity for the side to start to address the latter, especially as her own career enters its twilight phase.”In South Africa, years ago we never had someone coming in to fill a spot,” she says. “If someone left, you almost had to start again, and then you ended up further behind Australia, India and England. Now it’s getting easier. Experience is something you can’t buy, but it’s such a good thing that we have youngsters coming in and they take the field with some of the seniors, and it just speeds up the learning for them. When we started back then, there was none of that.”Kapp has played in eight of Dercksen’s 13 ODIs and 16 of her 24 T20Is. She was rested from South Africa’s tri-series in Sri Lanka, where Dercksen scored two fifties and her first ODI hundred in six matches (but only bowled 14.5 overs and took two wickets). As someone who came up as a bowling allrounder, Kapp’s concern has been with Dercksen’s progress in that second department, and it was the focus of their pre-World Cup training camp.”Kappie gave me a good talking to – not a telling off, she was nice to me and she told me the truth, which is that I haven’t been working really hard on my bowling and I need to try and contribute a bit more there,” Dercksen says. “My stats probably show that my bowling has been going through a bit of a rough patch lately. Kappie’s been telling me that I cannot bowl a different ball every ball, which is probably what I’m trying to do. She said to just try to keep it simple and to understand that I should train in that way and be hard on myself, which I wasn’t being.”No Kapp: she ain’t comin’ to your tea parties, kids•Alex Davidson/ICC/Getty ImagesSince Shabnim Ismail’s retirement, South Africa have lacked a certain aggression with ball in hand, and a lot of pace. Dercksen, with her natural athleticism and height, could look to fill that gap but it will take work.”She’s so talented and I don’t want to see that go to waste,” Kapp says. “So I just told her what I do when I structure my overs when I’m at training: nail your top-of-off-stump ball first, and then move towards working slower balls, yorkers and death bowling. I gave her a bit of advice on how to structure overs in her training so she’s a bit more focused.”Whether the results of that will show at this year’s World Cup remains to be seen. Dercksen is one of six seam options in a squad that includes Kapp, Ayabonga Khaka, Tumi Sekhukhune, Nadine de Klerk and Masabata Klaas, and she is the least experienced of them. She will also be needed to do a job with the bat in a middle order that can sometimes seem brittle.Let’s not forget that she is only 24 years old, made her debut a little over a year ago, and is playing in her first ODI World Cup. Despite having received recognition – she was the ICC’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year in 2024 – Dercksen is still learning her trade. If South Africa are to go far in this tournament, it will likely be because of those who have already travelled the distance, like Kapp.The 2025 tournament will be Kapp’s fifth ODI World Cup. Her first ODI, in 2009, was also her first World Cup match, and she has since seen South Africa go from no-hopers to two-time semi-finalists.One of Kapp’s best performances in the ODI World Cup came against England in 2022: she took 5 for 45 and then scored 32 off 42 balls in a three-wicket win, but England went on to beat South Africa in the semi-final yet again•Fiona Goodall/Getty Images”I am a bit sad that I’m this age now because these kids are so blessed with where women’s cricket is at the moment,” she says. “They can just get better and better and it’s just going to get bigger and bigger. The few of us that started way back in 2009 had nothing and played for the love of the sport. It’s been hard. I’m not going to lie, it’s been tough over the years but I’m extremely blessed to still be sitting here and still playing for South Africa.”Dercksen does not take that history for granted. “We’ve got it better than they have,” she says. “The amount of work they’ve put in from when they started, and there weren’t even contracts… They stayed in places we probably would never stay now. They flew economy. So they did the hard yards for us.”As a thank you, Dercksen and many of her younger tea-party team-mates like Sinalo Jafta would like to give their seniors what they couldn’t a year ago. “At the last World Cup, I was more sad for the senior players like Kappie and Chloe [Tryon] and Aya [Khaka] than I was for myself,” Dercksen says. “They thoroughly deserve to win a World Cup. If this is Kappie’s last one, I’m hoping we can give a little bit of an extra effort to sort of make it special for them. And for the whole of South Africa.”Will it be Kapp’s last World Cup? “I don’t know. At the next one I’ll be 39, so that’s a bit far away.”Dercksen, of course, has to have the last word. “I think Kappie still has one more left in her.”

Minus Zian Flemming’s late penalty for Burnley at St James’ Park, Newcastle United’s 2-1 win over the relegation-threatened Clarets on Saturday was rather straightforward.

Scott Parker’s men never gave in, but after Anthony Gordon stroked home his fourth penalty of the season, there was a sense of inevitability that the Magpies were going to secure a sixth Premier League victory of the campaign, especially as the away side had to play all of the second half with just ten men.

It was far from vintage, but Newcastle will be pleased that they now enter into the upcoming Tyne-Wear Derby with a confidence-boosting win under their belt.

Then, it’s a tough encounter with Chelsea in league action, before more and more clashes come their way across the bumper Christmas period.

Before you know it, Eddie Howe’s men will be concerning themselves with matters in the January transfer window, as plenty of new signings are tipped to move to Tyneside.

Newcastle's transfer latest

Away from any new arrivals, though, Yoane Wissa lining up for Howe and Co against Burnley would have felt like a fresh signing in itself, as the injury-plagued striker finally pulled on Toon black and white, after exiting Brentford in the summer.

Still, even with Wissa’s return, Newcastle have been credited as being interested in the services of Bees goal machine Igor Thiago, as Keith Andrews fears another Magpies swoop could be forthcoming.

Of course, there is also constant talk bubbling away that Elliot Anderson might well seal a Tyneside return from Nottingham Forest.

Yet, with a ludicrous £100m price tag above the England international’s head, Newcastle might well be better placed to seek out cheaper alternatives, as Hungarian sensation Alex Tóth is allegedly catching the Premier League side’s eye.

Already garnering a lot of hype in his native country for Robbie Keane’s Ferencváros TC, Football Insider has now revealed that a £13m bid could be accepted down the line for the 20-year-old’s services, with Newcastle and Bundesliga clubs eyeing up the emerging talent.

Newcastle could be tempted to land such a promising midfield gem if he is available at such a cut-price fee, with the lingering disappointment of letting Anderson go prematurely, softened somewhat by the Budapest-born star’s arrival.

How Toth could be Anderson 2.0

Newcastle must still have restless nights about the decision to sell Anderson to Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2024, after the homegrown Toon prodigy had made 55 promising appearances in the first team ranks.

He was only just getting started at St James’ Park, though, with hindsight on side, as the 23-year-old is now a regular in Thomas Tuchel’s England set-up, and for good reason.

He’s made a mind-blowing 8.4 ball recoveries per game this season in Premier League action, and won 7.8 duels per match, gifting him the label of being an “elite” performer at the very top by analyst and social media personality Statman Dave.

Likewise, journalist Bence Bocsak has tipped the Ferencváros number 64 to go to “the top” too, with a new Anderson-style project potentially on Newcastle’s hands if they land Tóth this January.

Winning four duels per fixture his season in Fizz Liga action, Tóth isn’t a million miles off the high-octane approach Anderson is known for. He even regularly lines up for Hungary, alongside Liverpool faces Milos Kerkez and Dominik Szoboszlai, off the back of these well-drilled showings, with three ground duels successfully won against the Republic of Ireland, just last month.

But, as per analyst page Football Wonderkids, it’s also his well-rounded ability to chip in with goals and assists and tidily play the ball about the pitch that makes him a “special talent” worthy of a Premier League switch, with a standout 11 goal contributions tallied up across his last two league seasons. Like Anderson, therefore, he’s got a goal involvement from the middle of the park in him too.

This has further led to the aforementioned Bocsak hailing the £13m asset as a “modern day midfielder” who is capable of everything, much like Anderson, who has three goals and seven assists for the Tricky Trees in total, yet is also known as a “warrior” for his defensive grit by Como scout Ben Mattinson.

Of course, if Tóth were to make the move to England, he wouldn’t become an Anderson-like talent overnight in his new, intimidating surroundings.

But, for just £13m, it’s surely worth the gamble that he could morph into Newcastle’s second coming of their departed midfielder in time.

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Jamie Carragher has delivered his verdict on Arsenal and their Premier League title challenge after their dramatic 2-1 loss at Aston Villa.

Arsenal suffer first defeat in 18 games as five-point lead slips

Arsenal’s agonising defeat at Villa has ended the Gunners’ 18-game unbeaten streak whilst threatening their title aspirations, with Man City’s subsequent 3-0 dismantling of Sunderland now reducing the gap to just two points.

Emiliano Buendia’s 95th minute winner highlighted familiar weaknesses that have plagued previous title challenges.

Mikel Arteta’s makeshift defence, deprived of William Saliba and Gabriel through injury, conceded soft goals that championship-winning teams simply cannot afford.

Matty Cash’s thunderous opener exploited Eberechi Eze’s defensive negligence, whilst Buendia’s late intervention punished Arsenal’s inability to clear.

Leandro Trossard’s second-half equaliser briefly sparked hope of a hard-fought victory in the Midlands, yet Arsenal ultimately succumbed to Villa’s relentless pressure.

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While Arsenal have only lost twice this campaign, Arteta will be hoping Saturday’s defeat doesn’t sap his squad’s confidence given the manner of their slip up.

Cristhian Mosquera’s ankle injury compounds their current defensive crisis, forcing 16-year-old Marli Salmon onto the bench against Villa.

Man City ruthlessly capitalised on Arsenal’s hiccup, delivering their arguable most complete performance this season against an in-form Sunderland side.

Rúben Dias opened the scoring with a spectacular 25-yard thunderbolt before Josko Gvardiol doubled the advantage through a towering header from Phil Foden’s corner.

Foden completed the scoring after 65 minutes, converting Rayan Cherki’s outrageous rabona cross for a serious highlight reel moment.

Pep Guardiola praised it as potentially City’s finest 95-minute display this season, emphasising how it is consistency rather than individual results that determines success.

The title race has dramatically intensified, with Aston Villa themselves now genuine contenders sitting third, merely three points behind Arsenal following seven consecutive wins in all competitions.

Make no mistake, it is all to play for, and Carragher is convinced that Arsenal have a ‘huge problem’ in the form of Foden.

Jamie Carragher says Phil Foden is a 'huge problem' for Arsenal

Speaking on Monday Night Football, Carragher insists that the England international, alongside Erling Haaland, poses a massive threat to Arsenal’s quest to win a first Premier League title in 22 years.

After a difficult 2024/2025, Arsenal have every right to be concerned, as Foden is now back to his imperious best.

Foden has emerged as City’s most potent attacking threat bar Haaland during their resurgent title challenge, scoring nine goals across all competitions so far this term.

The 25-year-old has also notched six Premier League goals in thirteen appearances, averaging 0.51 goals per ninety minutes whilst contributing two assists.

His recent purple patch has been particularly devastating, with five goals scored in his last three league games. His goal involvement rate of 0.69 per ninety minutes highlights his constant influence in the final third, with Guardiola praising his exceptional qualities following Saturday’s performance.

Foden already surpassed his career milestone of 100 City goals during the summer’s Club World Cup, cementing his status amongst the club’s elite scorers.

His personal renaissance couldn’t have come at a worse time for Arsenal, but luckily for Arteta, the title is still theirs to lose.

O’Neill took 4 for 53 while Bartlett and Hadley took two wickets each as Australia A romped to an innings and 127-run victory

AAP08-Dec-2025

England’s miserable Ashes tour has reached the depths of their Lions side, who were beaten by an innings and 127 runs by an Australia A team.England’s alarming lack of Ashes depth has been further emphasised, after their Lions side were thrashed by an innings and 127 runs by Australia A in Brisbane.Fresh off the tourists’ heavy loss at the Gabba on Sunday leaving them 2-0 down in the Ashes, the Lions were humiliated 10 minutes down the road at Allan Border Field on Monday.Related

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After being bowled out for 166 on Friday, England’s batting managed slightly better in their second innings before being all out for 295.Youngster Asa Tribe, who has played five ODIs for Jersey, finished unbeaten on 129, but Fergus O’Neill’s 4 for 53 for Australia A ensured there was no chance of a final-day draw.Those innings were sandwiched by Australia A’s 588 for 8 declared, with Nathan McSweeney using the match to push his Test claims with an unbeaten 226.The defeat follows a loss to a Cricket Australia XI last month, but most players featured in a first-innings win over a Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra.England’s senior side desperately need change ahead of next week’s third Ashes Test in Adelaide, but realistically their options are limited.Ollie Pope is under mounting pressure to keep his spot at No. 3, after failing to reach 50 in any of his first four innings of the series.But the man most likely to replace him, Jacob Bethell, is still yet to hit his maiden first-class hundred in a career spanning 25 matches.Bethell showed some signs of promise with a 71 against Australia A on Sunday, but his returns for the tour are now 3, 70, 44, 16, 19 and 71.Tribe’s century in the third innings in Brisbane has been the only hundred of the tour from an England Lions player, with no one sticking their hand up for selection.The bigger concern for England could be spinner Shoaib Bashir, after years of preparing him for this Ashes summer.The 22-year-old went for 0 for 115 from 25 overs against Australia A, with McSweeney pulling his first two balls for four on day one, and the match barely getting any better.Will Jacks was picked ahead of Bashir for the Gabba Test and took the wicket of Brendan Doggett, while offering some value with the bat.England’s back-up quicks Josh Tongue and Matthew Potts did not play in this Lions fixture, with Nathan Gilchrist taking 4 for 128 and Josh Hull 3 for 103.

Chelsea star Raheem Sterling has been urged to push for a sensational transfer to Wrexham and end his struggles at Stamford Bridge. The winger is part of the club's infamous 'bomb squad' and is training away from the first team in west London. Former Wales and Liverpool striker Dean Saunders says a transfer to Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac's side would be a great bit of business.

Sterling out in the cold at Chelsea

Sterling has been deemed surplus to requirements at Chelsea which has led to speculation over his future, and talk of a sensational transfer to Wrexham. The winger's last competitive appearance came back in May, at the end of his loan spell with Arsenal, and it remains to be seen when he will return to action. With the January transfer window now just weeks away, Sterling's future is likely to come under the spotlight once again. Saunders has been left baffled by Sterling's situation at Chelsea and feels a shock move to Wrexham is not out of the question.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWrexham told Sterling 'not over the hill'

Saunders told BOYLE Sports who offer the latest football betting: "Raheem Sterling to Wrexham? Why not? You might see some big players that have watched the documentary and they think, ‘I'll have a bit of that. I'd love to play for them, Wrexham.’ You might get somebody like Raheem Sterling saying that. I can't get my head around his situation. What's going on? He’s not over the hill. He's a very good player. Having said that, the Championship's not easy to play in. I've managed in the Championship and sometimes Premier League players come down and play in it and they can't believe what's going on. We're playing all the time and every game's a battle. Millwall away on a Tuesday night. When the ball's up in the air all night, some of them find it difficult."

'Everybody wants to play for Wrexham'

Saunders also feels that Wrexham is an attractive club to join following their rapid rise up the leagues under Reynolds and Mac, and the Hollywood duo's subsequent heavy investment in the first team.

"I always thought that if we could get Wrexham back in the league, I thought our team would be better than most of the League Two teams. If you get in League Two, you can go up again to League One.  Now, when you get to League One, the budgets can be five million, then you get teams like Sunderland who are in there with twenty million," he added.

"You get a few big clubs trying to go up. To get into the Championship, once you get into the Championship, I thought we could get to the Championship, but then you're competing with three Premier League teams who've just got relegated. A couple who tried to go back up but never made it, with massive playing budgets and Premier League players in it. And I thought that might be the difficult bit because you have got to put your hand in your pocket then to try and compete in the Championship. And to be fair, they have.

"I mean, I'm hearing what some of the players are earning now. You know, they've signed Josh Windass, they've signed Nathan Broadhead, Kieffer Moore. They can play at that level every day of the week and all day long and have an impact most weeks. Fair play to the manager because they've turned the players over ruthlessly so they've kept momentum.

"If Wrexham get to the Premier League I'll be delighted because it's a great club. They've got great, great supporters. And there is a massive catchment area around Wrexham, in between Wrexham and Cardiff, there's a catchment area which they're getting players through now into the academy. 

"Obviously not far the other way is Man City, Man United, Liverpool, Everton. So they normally nick the best young kids. Then you've got Stoke not far away. So they have had all the best players nicked off them, but now everybody wants to play for Wrexham, don't they? Famous all around the world. It's an incredible story."

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Getty Images SportSterling to move on in January?

Wrexham have been tipped to spend again in January as they bid to secure promotion to the Premier League. Phil Parkinson's side currently sit 10th in the table but are only three points off the final play-off place. It's not clear yet if Sterling could be tempted to head to Wales, but it certainly would be no surprise to see the 30-year-old move on in a bid to try and resurrect his career after losing his place at Chelsea.

Liverpool have now reportedly joined the race to sign a rising star who could replace Ibrahima Konate, having already sent their scouts to watch the defender in action.

What next after Salah's explosive rant?

Just when they thought it couldn’t get any worse, Mohamed Salah found himself strolling through the mixed zone towards the first microphone available. And this was no friendly catch-up. The Egyptian unleashed a sensational rant, accusing Liverpool of throwing him “under the bus” and claiming that there is no longer a relationship with manager Arne Slot.

So, where do Liverpool and Salah go next? The Egyptian has trained today and a decision is yet to be made as to whether he travels to face Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

According to The Athletic’s James Pearce, some teammates were expecting his rant and those higher up at Anfield knew it was only inevitable that the chances increased that he’d speak out with every passing week on the bench.

Slot maintains the backing of Anfield chiefs, however, who view his decision to drop Salah as a selection choice which was unlikely to be long-term.

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What’s more, as reported by the BBC’s Sami Mokbel, the relationship between Slot and Salah is genuinely broken at present and the Egyptian simply does not see a future at Liverpool whilst the Dutchman is in charge.

It’s the lowest moment of Liverpool’s season so far and one that they could certainly do without as the fixtures come thick and fast. Alas, business goes on for FSG, who have reportedly joined the race to solve another one of Slot’s glaring problems at Liverpool.

Liverpool join race to sign Jeremy Jacquet

According to Sky Sports’ Sacha Tavolieri, Liverpool have now joined the race to sign Jeremy Jacquet, who has impressed their scouts at Stade Rennais.

The Reds have already made checks on the 20-year-old defender and could welcome his arrival to replace Konate in 2026. The Frenchman is in the worst form of his Liverpool career and has already played himself out of a potential move to Real Madrid. Now, with his contract still on course to expire in the summer, he could still leave as a free agent.

Dubbed “physically imposing” by Como scout Ben Mattinson back in May and as “an insane centre-back in the making” by Jacek Kulig, Jacquet has only come on leaps and bounds ever since. At 20 years old, he’s someone that should be on the radar of several top clubs.

For Liverpool, that physicality would be key. The Reds have been bullied far too often this season with Konate at the scene of the crime all too often.

Salah replacement: Liverpool keen to sign "one of the best wingers in Europe"

LOS ANGELES — Like a Battle of Gettysburg reenactment, the visiting clubhouse of Dodger Stadium in the first hour of Tuesday morning reeked of equal parts loss, pride and discarded bandages. Just as Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora did in the same room seven years ago, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider poured salve on wounds 18 innings in the making.

“This game,” he told his players, “is not going to beat us twice.”

Said ace pitcher Kevin Gausman, “He was pretty adamant.”

The Red Sox in 2018 Game 3 lost in 18 innings on a walk-off home run. The Blue Jays lost Game 3 Monday in 18 innings on a walk-off home run. Cora in his 2018 postgame address made sure his troops honored the losing pitcher, Nathan Eovaldi, who threw 97 pitches in emergency relief work. Cora believes the Red Sox won the World Series that night because of not just how Eovaldi saved the bullpen from overuse but also the way he personified the grit of the team.

Carlos Febles, a coach with those Red Sox and these Jays, was the one person in the room on both nights of the two most grueling losses in World Series history.

“Erik Lauer,” he said to Schneider, “is our Nathan Eovaldi.”

Lauer threw 4 2/3 innings in the defeat, his longest outing in two months.

At least for one game, the Blue Jays reenacted the postscript to the original Battle of 18 Innings. They had no business winning Game 4, at least if you buy into narratives, what with Jays DH George Springer, an all-time great World Series slugger, out with an oblique injury suffered in Game 3 and the Dodgers giving the ball to Shohei Ohtani, who was unbeaten with a 1.33 ERA at Dodger Stadium in his career. The Blue Jays did not care and won 6–2.

“Really, it just started last night,” Gausman said. “It was just flushing it and moving on to the next one. Maybe that’s a little naïve, but we just kind of believe that the next guy up mentality. We’re good whatever happens, going up against anybody, whoever’s pitching on the other side.

“So, it was really just kind of hurry up and go to sleep and get ready for tomorrow and today. Yeah, I mean, it's pretty loose in here. This is the loosest team I’ve ever been on. Nothing changed today.”

Stop me if you heard this before: Vlad Guerrero Jr. hit a home run (off a hanging sweeper from Ohtani, who had allowed one homer on the pitch all year), the Jays’ fast-break offense put up four runs in a 19-pitch eyeblink in the seventh inning (without benefit of a home run), and the pitching staff worked its pitching backward postseason philosophy to exquisite results.

Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers hoped to seize control of the World Series in Game 4 but they weren't able to get it done at home, losing 6-2 to the Blue Jays. The series is now tied up at 2-2 and suddenly it looks like Los Angeles could be in trouble, partly because while Ohtani has done virtually everything he can thus far, some of his star teammates are not having the same kind of success.

The biggest name that hasn't stepped up enough in the World Series is Mookie Betts. The 2018 AL MVP is an eight-time All-Star but he hasn't been himself at the plate against the Blue Jays. He has just three hits in 19 at-bats and has yet to knock in a run.

Moments after Game 4, in which Betts went 1-for-4 with his only hit being a single in the eighth inning, Alex Rodriguez seemed to call out the Dodgers' star shortstop, saying his struggles could hurt Ohtani the rest of the series.

"When I look at that lineup, the one guy that you have to circle is the great, great Mookie Betts because if Mookie doesn’t get going that means that Shohei may not get one more at-bat for the rest of series and that’s something to watch," Rodriguez said.

David Ortiz then chimed in with what he thinks has gone wrong for the Dodgers and what the team's other stars need to do to pick up Ohtani.

"Shohei has a hard job to do because he has to pitch and he has to hit but he’s more critical because if he doesn’t hit [the Dodgers] don’t hit," Ortiz said. "It seems like every night when they get going it’s because of [Ohtani]. Now you have a lot of superstars on the ball club, you have a lot of professional hitters that until this point they haven’t been able to come through collectively."

Here's that complete conversation from Fox's postgame show.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts hinted there could be some lineup changes for Game 5, saying in his postgame press conference: “I’m going to think long and hard, and it might look a little bit different tomorrow.”

The Dodgers need their other stars to pick it up, and fast. The Blue Jays were resilient in Game 4 and if they can win Game 5 they will head home with a 3-2 lead and will only need to win one game at Rogers Centre to claim their first World Series title since 1993.

Game 5 is a crucial game for both teams. We'll have to wait and see what changes the Dodgers make, if any, and if Betts can finally get going at the plate.

لا تزال تصريحات محمد صلاح النارية تجاه مدربه آرني سلوت ونادي ليفربول تُلقي بظلالها على الإعلام الإنجليزي، الذي لم يهدأ منذ اللحظة الأولى لانفجار الأزمة.

ولم يعد الأمر مجرد خلاف فني أو غضب لاعب من جلوسه على مقاعد البدلاء، بل تحوّلت إلى ملف مفتوح تتصدره الصحف الكبرى يوميًا، مع تحليلات مستمرة حول مستقبل النجم المصري.

ورصدت صحيفة “ديلي ميل” البريطانية تقريرًا يتناول اللحظة الحالية في مسيرة محمد صلاح مع ليفربول ووضعه في مقارنة مع أساطير النادي السابقين، وجاء بعنوان: “انفجار غضب محمد صلاح يوضح لماذا من المستحيل أن ينتهي الأمر بنهاية سعيدة في ليفربول، كلمات الملك المصري تسببت في أضرار لا يمكن إصلاحها”.

تبدأ الصحيفة تقريرها بالحديث عن قائد وأسطورة ليفربول السابق ستيفن جيرارد الذي لم يحظٍ بنهاية مثالية في “آنفيلد”، القائد الذي حمل النادي على كتفيه لسنوات، لم يختتم مسيرته بكأس أو لحظة خالدة، بل بهزيمتين موجعتين وخلافات مع الإدارة.

صرّح جيرارد بعد الهزيمة في نصف النهائي أمام أستون فيلا، بعدما كان يتمنى اللقب: “كان الأمر رائعًا لدرجة يصعب تصديقها، أليس كذلك؟، الفوز بكأس الاتحاد الإنجليزي، في عيد ميلادك، في مباراتك الأخيرة؟”.

كانت آخر مباريات جيرارد مع ليفربول، هزيمة 3-1 أمام كريستال بالاس وهزيمة 6-1 أمام ستوك؛ كان ذلك بعد أن تعامل النادي مع محادثات تمديد عقده بشكل مؤسف، وتدهورت علاقته مع بريندان رودجرز.

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وقبل جيرارد كان ستيف ماكمانامان، الذي أضاء عتمة الليل في ليفربول بأدائه خلال فترة التسعينات، لكنه ترك خلفه جدلًا وغضبًا بسبب انتقاله إلى ريال مدريد، رغم أن النادي نفسه حاول بيعه قبلها دون رغبة منه.

والقصة تكررت مع لويس سواريز، الذي عاش موسمًا استثنائيًا، لكنه عاد إلى آنفيلد بقميص برشلونة محاطًا بصافرات الاستهجان.

وهناك أيضًا مايكل أوين، الذي حصل على الكرة الذهبية وقاد النادي لبطولات تاريخية، خرج بدوره من الباب الخلفي وانتقل إلى ريال مدريد، ثم انتهى به الأمر في مانشستر يونايتد، والآن يُذكر اسمه بألفاظ نابية.

وتشير “ديلي ميل” إلى أن هناك المزيد، من الماضي وحتى الآونة الأخيرة، حيث ثارت ضجة عندما بيع روبي فاولر إلى ليدز (2001) وانتقال تشابي ألونسو إلى ريال مدريد (2009).

وكان فيليب كوتينيو نجمًا ساطعًا في عهد يورجن كلوب، لكن رغبته في الانتقال إلى برشلونة، أثارت حوله موجةً من الاستهجان، وباعه ليفربول مقابل 142 مليون جنيه إسترليني، لكن الغضب من رحيله، في البداية، لا يُنسى.

وفي الآونة الأخيرة، جوردان هندرسون، قائد التتويج بالدوري بعد ثلاثين عامًا، ودّع النادي في صيف صامت وسط أعمال بناء خالية من الجماهير، وهو يكافح دموعه، بعد أن قرر الانتقال إلى نادي الاتفاق.

وتوضح “ديلي ميل” أن هذه الخلفية ليست مجرد سرد تاريخي؛ لكن هي مفتاح لفهم اللحظة التي يعيشها محمد صلاح الآن في ليفربول.

المصري حين خرج بتصريحات نارية ضد سلوت، لم يكن مجرد اختلاف في وجهات النظر، بل بدا وكأنه إعلان مواجهة مباشرة، وفتيل قنبلة يشعله، خطوة منفردة تحمل ضجيجًا سياسيًا وإعلاميًا داخل النادي، وتفتح الباب أمام أزمة يصعب التراجع عنها بسهولة.

وأفاد التقرير بأن محمد صلاح أحدث مثال على استحالة أن تكون نهاية مسيرته في ليفربول مثالية، بإلقاء نظرة على التاريخ، سنرلا العديد من الأمثلة على أبطال انتهى بهم الأمر في صراع مع النادي، أو انقلب عليهم المشجعون، أو تركوا الجماهير في خلاف مع المالكين.

وتوضح “ديلي ميل” أن صلاح يعرف جيدًا تأثير كلماته، ويعرف أكثر كيف يُحدث الضجة، وكيف تتحرك الجماهير حين يتحدث، وقبل عام فقط استخدم ردود الفعل الجماهيرية لدعم موقفه في مفاوضات العقد الجديد، لكنه هذه المرة لم يجد نفس الصدى؛ فالتوقيت حساس، والأداء محل نقاش، والعلاقة مع المدرب تمر بمرحلة دقيقة.

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ويفيد التقرير أن السيناريو الأقرب خلال الشهور الماضية كان رحيل صلاح بنهاية الموسم نحو الدوري السعودي، إلا أن ما حدث الآن وضع الجميع في مأزق.

والسؤال الآن كيف سيُعامل هدّاف تاريخي للنادي إذا اضطر المدرب إلى استبعاده؟ وفي المقابل، كيف يمكن لصلاح أن يتصرف كلاعب “منضبط” وسط هذا الكم من الضجيج؟، وكيف يمكن أن يكون صلاح في موقف يُستبعد فيه كتلميذ مشاغب؟.

كان يعتقد أن محمد صلاح سيشهد نهاية لهذه القصة حيث يغادر بحذاء ذهبي آخر وميدالية أخرى وإشادة أنفيلد ترن في أذنيه، وإذا لم يحدث هذا لجيرارد، فلن يحدث للملك المصري، الذي عانى تاجه من أضرار لا يمكن إصلاحها.

MatériaMais Notícias

O avião da Placar, de propriedade da presidente do Palmeiras, Leila Pereira, levou a Caxias do Sul (RS) cerca de 30 veterinários, além de alimentos e medicamentos para animais. A ação aconteceu nesta terça-feira (21).

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A aeronave retornou para Sorocaba (SP) com cerca de 100 animais resgatados, entre cães e gatos. Na última semana, o avião havia trazido 30 animais resgatados, depois de transportar toneladas de mantimentos para o Rio Grande do Sul. A presidente do Verdão é entusiasta da causa animal e tem 16 cães.

AÇÕES DO PALMEIRAS

Além da iniciativa de Leila Pereira, o Palmeiras tem promovido uma série de ações em prol da população que sofre com a tragédia ocorrida no Rio Grande do Sul, causada pelas intensas chuvas na região.

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O clube disponibilizou seu centro de treinamento, o Allianz Parque e a Arena Barueri para Internacional, Grêmio e Juventude utilizaram as instalações durante o período de calamidade no RS.

Além disso, o Palmeiras destinou a renda do confronto com o Athletico-PR, pelo Brasileirão, em forma de doação ao estado.

O clube também prontificou alguns postos para arrecadação de doações: o Allianz Parque (Portão A), a Academia de Futebol, as escolas de futebol e em todas as lojas Palmeiras Store.

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