Once again, McKennie is off to a rollercoaster start to the club season, but could that shift perceptions in a World Cup cycle?

Daylight Saving Time begins in March and ends in November. Somewhere in between, like clockwork, Weston McKennie is written off. You can't quite put a date on it but, year in and year out, it happens.

This year is no different. Reports are swirling that McKennie, once again, is falling out of Juventus' plans. Recent revelations, meanwhile, offered some insight as to why the midfielder may still have work to do on the road to the 2026 World Cup. Not surprising or unusual, mind you In fact, McKennie is the subject of these questions every fall.

And yet, every fall, McKennie plays his way out of it. Can he do it again?

Minutes have been thin so far at Juventus. His USMNT run, meanwhile, has been on hold since March's disastrous CONCACAF Nations League defeat. Just months out from a World Cup, McKennie seems to be on decent footing from a USMNT perspective, but things can change quickly if the midfielder doesn't play regular games in Turin.

USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino has stressed that prior achievements won't keep anyone in the team. If McKennie wants a roster spot, he has to earn it right now. So how does he do it?

By doing something that feels all too familiar: proving himself once again.

Getty ImagesJuventus situation

Stop us if you've heard this one before: McKennie isn't playing much at Juventus early in this season.

Despite serving as captain of the club at points, McKennie has had a curious start to the Serie A season. He started on the bench against both Parma and Genoa, playing just one minute late in each of the club's two Serie A games. 

Then, after starting in meaningful matches against both Inter and Borussia Dortmund, he returned to the bench against Hellas Verona.Normally, that wouldn't be anything too concerning. Early season games are notoriously chaotic as players find fitness and coaches fine-tune what tactics will look like.

Reports out of Italy, though, suggest that McKennie isn't quite in Igor Tudor's plans. He does not remain a key player in midfield, where Kephren Thuram and Manuel Locatelli are preferred. Additionally, the club has another oft-criticized midfielder, Teun Koopmeiners, also pushing for minutes.

McKennie, to his credit, has also played in that right-wingback role, where he previously competed with Tim Weah, but that spot now seemingly belongs to Joao Mario, who is making it his own early in the season. We've seen this before. This won't be the first time McKennie will have to earn his spot.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportRecent history

Last year, McKennie revealed what he walked back into when he arrived at Juventus for 2024-25 preseason. His parking spot was gone. So, too, was his locker. The message was clear: we don't want you anymore. This wasn't the first time Juventus had said exactly that, having previously loaned him to Leeds United in the middle of the 2022-23 season.

We know what happened next. McKennie, once again, became a key player for Juve, putting together the best season of his career. He scored five goals in all competitions, tied for a career high, with three of those goals coming in the Champions League. By the end of the season, he'd established himself as a mainstay and an occasional captain.

So what can McKennie learn from his past that could alter his Juventus future? Keep his head down and be patient. It's worked for him in the past, as his willingness to play all over the field ultimately won him the trust of several coaches. This one, Tudor, seemingly doesn't trust him fully yet. That can change with one or two good performances.

There is one difference this time, though. Per Tuttosport, McKennie has decided to see out the remainder of his contract with Juventus, having not signed an extension that seemed so likely just a few months ago. According to reports, Juventus' new leadership cancelled that extension, leading to a scenario in which McKennie's days at Juve could actually be numbered.

That won't impact his immediate future, so long as Juventus believes he gives them the best chance at winning. For a club such as Juve, desperate to return to the top of Italian soccer, winning trumps all. If McKennie can add to that, he'll play. If not, he won't. Simple as.

That decision, ultimately, has an impact on the USMNT as the World Cup roster comes into focus.

GettyUSMNT doubts?

It's been some time since we've seen McKennie in a USMNT shirt. Six months, in fact. He missed the Gold Cup due to Club World Cup commitments and was then left off of the September roster entirely. Mauricio Pochettino said it was because he knows what he has in McKennie. What does that mean going forward?

It's widely expected that McKennie will return to the USMNT this fall. He's too good not to. There are, however, questions, about his specific role, particularly in this new three-back system that only features two midfield spots. Tyler Adams is likely one of those, but is McKennie the other?

“Look, we know that Weston McKennie is not a perfect player,” former USMNT star Alexi Lalas said on his State of Union podcast. “We know that. I'm sure from a coaching perspective, Weston McKennie can be challenging, shall we say. But he's a gamer and he plays multiple positions and has consistently shown that he is valuable because of the fact that he is going to be there again, rarely hurt. So I'm going to knock on wood that that continues to happen."

The "challenging" part that Lalas referred to recently came to light. A report from FOX Sports revealed that McKennie came into pre-Copa America camp unfit and, despite the desires of his teammates, started all three games anyway. It's not the first time McKennie's dedication or professionalism have been a topi and, while he may or may not have seen it first hand, Pochettino is surely aware of it.

McKennie, then, is one of many players fighting for a spot at the World Cup.

"No one has a place for sure," Pochettino said. "That is my message, everyone needs to fight."

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GettyLooking ahead

The USMNT's October roster is set to be unveiled next week. It remains to be seen if McKennie is on it. Even before that, though, Juve face a crucial stretch of matches that will show who they really are this season. 

Up first is this weekend, as they take on Atalanta in Serie A. Then comes a Champions League visit to Villarreal for the Old Lady's second match of the competition, having drawn Borussia Dortmund in an eight-goal thriller in their first. 

Then, just before the international break, Juve host Milan in a clash of two of Italy's biggest and best clubs. All three matches will be massive tests. All three will be opportunities, too, for McKennie – should he see the field.

Those matches, too, could offer some insight into Tudor's thoughts on the midfielder. Perhaps he has been saving him for the big occasions, which would explain McKennie's starts against Dortmund and Inter. Perhaps he is now finding his fitness after a unique Club World Cup-hit summer. If that's the case, we'll find out soon enough.

This is seemingly a crucial stretch for McKennie, for club and country. Once again, he's a player with a point to prove and, if history is anything to go by, he certainly has the ability and mentality to do so. Will he? That's up to him.

Donny van de Beek's injury-blighted career has taken another devastating blow with reports he's suffered an Achilles injury during his first match back for Girona after five months on the sidelines. The Dutchman's time at Manchester United was hampered by a series of injuries and he was allowed to leave, but his injury luck has not improved since leaving Old Trafford.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Van de Beek's worrying injury

  Van de Beek suffered a serious injury in Girona's match against Athletic Club where the midfielder, making his first start in five months after returning from surgery, was forced off the pitch in the 33rd minute, clutching the back of his ankle, clearly in considerable pain. Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo reports he has damaged his Achilles. 

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• Dutchman's injury woes continue

  Van de Beek signed for Manchester United in 2020 for a fee of £40 million (£54m), but struggled to secure a place under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and was loaned out to Everton where he suffered a serious of injuries. Back at United, under new boss Erik ten Hag he suffered a serious knee injury against Bournemouth and was sold to Eintracht Frankfurt the following season. 

• Girona fear 'worst news' over Van de Beek

  Girona boss Sanchez, told Mundo Deportivo: "We'll see after the tests, but it could be the worst news of the match." 

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• AFP
  

  When will the Dutchman return?

  There's no update on Van de Beek's injury as yet, but the injury comes as a massive blow for the Dutchman's hopes of rebuilding his career, coming six years after he was nominated for a Ballon d'Or award, while he was playing for Ajax. 

If anything summed up how this summer has shaped up for Newcastle then it would be their opening game of the new Premier League season.

It’s been no secret that the Toon have missed out on a number of high-profile targets from Bryan Mbeumo and Joao Pedro to Hugo Ekitike and Benjamin Sesko.

It’s been quite spectacular really, but with no Alexander Isak in their squad for the time being, a 0-0 draw with ten-man Aston Villa really was no surprise.

To suggest Eddie Howe’s men were toothless would be harsh but truth be told, any team in world football would miss a player of Isak’s calibre.

So, with seemingly no end in sight to this drawn-out saga, the Magpies must press on and finally secure the services of a replacement.

Newcastle's plans to replace Isak

The most prominent rumour of the last few weeks concerns Yoane Wissa. Newcastle have earmarked the Brentford centre forward as their favourite target but a number of issues have held up the deal.

Having already sold Mbeumo to Manchester United, the Bees have understandably been reluctant to sanction Wissa’s exit. However, with a move for Bournemouth’s Dango Outtara now in their sights, it’s widely expected that it will free up the room for Brentford’s star striker to depart.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The Daily Mail’s Craig Hope expects to see a breakthrough this week but he’s not the only attacker on their radar.

Hope also suggests that Howe and Co have been given encouragement to sign Goncalo Ramos from PSG in the remaining weeks of the window.

Both spritely attackers, Newcastle could also look at further bolstering out wide.

That’s according to reports from Spain over the weekend that reveal the decision makers at St James’ Park are preparing a club-record £69m bid to sign Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth.

Newcastle are willing to offer Semenyo a large contract to join and would guarantee a position in the squad of real prominence, something that gives them confidence a deal can be agreed before the September 1st deadline.

What Semenyo would bring to Newcastle United

Newcastle need goals if Isak does indeed depart Tyneside in the upcoming weeks. Wissa and Ramos would provide them with firepower to a degree, but they’re certainly not the out-and-out replacement Howe and Co have been crying out for when lining up options like Ekitike and Sesko.

Still, Wissa, in particular, would be an excellent capture, having scored 19 goals in the Premier League last time out.

Ramos, on the other hand, might need a longer period of adaptation but he did still find the net on ten occasions in 22 Ligue 1 matches for PSG. In all competitions, he beat the goalkeeper 19 times.

Signing both would certainly go some way to replacing Isak but they’d need a supply line and in Semenyo, they’d find a quite brilliant foil.

Indeed, over the last year, the former Sunderland man has showcased himself to be one of the best wingers in the division.

During 2024/25, no player took more shots (125) in the entire Premier League. Also picking up seven assists in 2024/25, the Cherries sensation was bettered by just seven players for shot-creating actions throughout last season and there were some truly elite names on that list too.

1. Cole Palmer

202

2. Bruno Fernandes

193

3. Mo Salah

169

4. Enzo Fernandez

147

5. Bryan Mbeumo

144

6. Eberechi Eze

135

7. Bruno Guimaraes

133

8. Antoine Semenyo

132

He’s a menace, a constant threat, a nuisance to any backline. Semenyo demonstrated that on the opening night of the new campaign last Friday, putting racist abuse aside to score two stunning goals.

On the night, the Ghana international was a constant threat to the Liverpool backline, notably turning Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate inside and out for his second strike.

Picking up the ball inside his own half, the forward darted through the centre of the pitch in a way that was reminiscent to that Hatem Ben Arfa goal against Bolton all those years ago, before burying the ball past Alisson.

It proved why Semenyo is such an explosive talent. Capable of going either way on both feet, data analyst Ben Mattinson is a big fan, describing the 25-year-old as a “maverick”, highlighting that he is “unpredictable on the ball, a workhorse off the ball” and a “duel monster.”

Put it simply, but the Bournemouth star has it all and is only going from strength to strength in Cherries colours.

The winger may not be a direct Isak replacement but he’s certainly capable of picking up the Swede’s talismanic status.

He may not have scored as many as Ramos and Wissa last term either – Semenyo bagged 13 – but his explosive nature, Premier League experience and extra creativity certainly make him one of the most exciting names Newcastle have had an interest in.

Shades of Ekitike: Newcastle given "encouragement" to sign £56m striker

Newcastle United are still interested in securing a £56m deal for this striker who is similar to Hugo Ekitike.

ByKelan Sarson Aug 18, 2025

Sunrisers Hyderabad suffered another batting malfunction even though Rashid Khan went wicketless again

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Apr-20253:33

Bishop: Siraj has overtaken Shami on recent form

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) suffered another batting malfunction in IPL 2025, this time on a black-soil surface at home, managing 152 for 8 against Gujarat Titans (GT). At one point, they went 36 balls without a boundary and had to wait until the 13th over for their first six. It was Heinrich Klaasen who hit that six, and in the final over of the innings Pat Cummins (22* off nine balls) cleared the boundary to give their attack something to defend.Rashid Khan went wicketless for a third successive game and after four games this season, he has figures of 1 for 143 in 14 overs. Mohammed Siraj, though, was at his best, especially in the powerplay, and then came back in the end overs to york Aniket Verma, SRH’s last recognised batter, and Impact Player Simarjeet Singh. Hyderabad boy Siraj came away with his career-best T20 figures of 4-0-17-4.Siraj had started SRH’s slide when he dismissed both Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma in the powerplay. In the very first over on the day, he had Head chipping a catch to midwicket for 8 off five balls. Abhishek picked four fours before Siraj had him caught at mid-on in his third over of the powerplay. Abhishek became Siraj’s 100th victim in the IPL and sixth in the powerplay in IPL 2025. No other bowler has more wickets than Siraj in the first six overs this season.R Sai Kishore, the left-arm fingerspinner, then stifled SRH in the middle overs with his control and variety. He cut Klaasen’s innings short on 27 off 19 balls when he knocked him over with a quick fizzer. He went onto have Nitish Reddy holing out for 31 off 34 balls. GT had handed a franchise debut to Washington Sundar but they didn’t even need him with the ball.Captain Cummins then made a sparkling cameo to push SRH past 150. He was the only SRH batter in the top eight to have a strike rate of over 160.

Nottingham Forest admire an “unbelievable” Premier League manager, with Evangelos Marinakis looking to “move quickly” to appoint a replacement for Nuno Espirito Santo.

Nuno sacked after just three Premier League games

Trouble has been brewing at The City Ground for quite some time now, with Nuno not helping the situation when he revealed his relationship with Marinakis was no longer the same as it was in the 2024-25 campaign, saying: “I always had a very good relationship with the owner – last season we were very close and spoke on a daily basis. This season it is not so well,”

“Our relationship has changed and we are not as close. Everybody at the club should be together, but this is not the reality.”

The 51-year-old initially held onto his job, but Forest announced the decision to sack their manager on Monday night, with Marinakis sacking the Portuguese coach off the back of a 3-0 defeat at home against West Ham United.

It is a controversial decision to sack the manager who led the Tricky Trees to Europe for the first time in 30 years, which makes it even more crucial for Marinakis to get the next appointment right, with Ange Postecoglou set to be appointed.

Taking to X, Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett revealed Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner is one of the managers “admired” by the Nottingham Forest hierarchy, but Postecoglou appears to be the man set to take Forest forward.

"Underrated" 4-2-3-1 manager now open to replacing Nuno at Nottingham Forest

The Tricky Trees could be set for a managerial change at the City Ground.

1 BySean Markus Clifford Sep 5, 2025 Glasner could have been "unbelievable" appointment

It seems likely the Austrian, who plays a 3-4-2-1 system, would’ve been a popular appointment among the Forest fans, given what he has achieved since arriving at Crystal Palace, most notably leading the Eagles to FA Cup glory last season.

However, the 51-year-old would’ve been a controversial appointment from a Palace point of view, given the fact Forest replaced Glasner’s side in the Europa League this season, due to issues surrounding multi-club ownership.

Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has praised the “unbelievable” job Glasner has done, while also adding: “He loves football, always believes we can win and he instills that in his players.”

However, Postecoglou may also be an exciting appointment, given that the Australian is well-known for an attacking style of play, with the 60-year-old leading Tottenham Hotspur to Europa League glory last season.

West Ham United have now opened talks over a deal to sign a playmaker, who has the same agent as summer signing Kyle Walker-Peters.

West Ham looking to bolster attack with Paqueta's future uncertain

Karren Brady has previously made it clear that West Ham have no plans to sanction Lucas Paqueta’s departure this summer, saying: “I think he wants to stay and we definitely want him to stay. So the thing is, he’ll be staying.”

However, there have since been widespread suggestions that the Brazilian could be on the move, with the Hammers reportedly willing to consider offers of £60m, amid interest from the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa.

Cashing-in on Paqueta would be a gamble, given that there is no natural replacement for the 27-year-old in the squad, and Graham Potter is already light on options, having lost Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham earlier this summer.

As such, amid the uncertainty surrounding the Brazil international’s future, West Ham have now stepped up their pursuit of a new attacking midfielder, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.

Taking to X, Plettenberg stated that West Ham are now in ongoing “talks” over a deal to sign Werder Bremen midfielder Romano Schmid, who is also being targeted by Lille and a number of other unnamed clubs.

The Hammers are “exploring a deal” for Schmid before deadline day, and reports from elsewhere indicate that a move would not break the bank, with Werder Bremen thought to be holding out for around £13m.

West Ham now suddenly serious contenders to sign "exceptional" £25m maestro

Graham Potter is looking to improve his squad, after an extremely disappointing start to the season.

1 ByDominic Lund Aug 26, 2025

Interestingly, the 25-year-old is represented by the same agents as Walker-Peters, CAA Base, which suggests a deal could be possible, given that they helped orchestrate the right-back’s move to the London Stadium earlier this summer.

"Super" Schmid could relieve burden on Bowen

West Ham are clearly in need of new attackers, regardless of whether Paqueta leaves, given that they are clearly overreliant on Jarrod Bowen, with the 28-year-old either scoring or assisting half of their 46 Premier League goals last season.

Schmid, who has been described as “talented” by Frank Baumann, could relieve the burden on Bowen, having performed well for Werden Bremen last season, chipping in with 11 goal contributions across all competitions.

Competition

Appearances

Goal contributions

Bundesliga

32

10

DFB-Pokal

3

1

The Austrian has also established himself at international level, scoring his first goal for his country in his side’s 3-2 victory over the Netherlands at Euro 2024, before going on to impress in the UEFA Nations League.

That said, while Schmid could be an exciting addition to Potter’s squad, it is vital to keep hold of Paqueta, given that the West Ham star has already proven himself at Premier League level, and it would be a real blow to lose another key player to Spurs.

CSK’s 12 possible overs of Ashwin, Noor and Jadeja could well decide the outcome with the RCB batters happier bashing pace than spin

Sidharth Monga27-Mar-20251:32

Pujara: Kohli should utilise powerplay to set the base for RCB

Big picture: CSK vs RCB, a one-sided but high-voltage rivalryThis should be a dream match for the hype machine. Two of the three teams that have created a ferociously loyal fanbase at the grounds and on the internet. They represent capital cities of neighbouring states that share a river, often acrimoniously; whose rulers traversed boundaries repeatedly before the borders as we know them came to exist; whose people now build their lives in each other’s states. Both states are given to hero-worshipping their film stars and politicians. Now they have accepted MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli for worship even though they are neither from there nor live there.It might still not matter to the ratings, but as cricket rivalry it needs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to catch up. They are 11-22 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) overall, and 1-8 in Chennai. The last time RCB beat CSK in Chennai was in 2008, the IPL’s first year. The last time these two sides faced each other, RCB were so ecstatic at winning and making it to the playoffs that they didn’t shake hands with the opposition. Cue more storylines.Related

CSK vs RCB: The good, the bad, the silly and the ugly

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Hazlewood: 'Probably the freshest I've been in a long time'

You see, the lack of cricketing closeness doesn’t really matter to the ratings when it comes to CSK and RCB. You expect CSK to start as overwhelming favourites in home conditions, which are ignoring the memo that asks for even higher scoring rates than the last year.CSK have put together Noor Ahmad, Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin; it is no surprise they put together a game where they completed a chase of 156 in the last over. RCB have built themselves up for higher scores, which showed in their emphatic chase of 175 in the tournament opener. But the Chennai conditions are going to be as big a challenge for them in IPL 2025 as any.New loyaltiesJosh Hazlewood’s last team in the IPL before the break last year was RCB, but for some reason, you picture him in yellow when you think of the IPL. Possibly because his reinvention as a limited-overs bowler began at CSK in 2020 and 2021. He has made a great start for RCB this year with figures of 4-0-22-2.2:56

Cricinformed: Kohli, Patidar and who? Spin trial awaits RCB at Chepauk

Team news and likely XIIsCSK love their allrounders, but it won’t take long for question marks to appear over Sam Curran if he doesn’t improve drastically from his start this year where he could bowl just one over and scored 4 off 9. This is in keeping with the dip in his form overall, which has resulted in his exit from the England team. As an overseas player, he keeps out Matheesha Pathirana, although a direct switch means Dhoni has to bat at No. 7, which CSK or Dhoni don’t quite fancy.Chennai Super Kings (probable): 1 Rachin Ravindra, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Deepak Hooda, 5 Shivam Dube, 6 Sam Curran, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 MS Dhoni (wk), 9 R Ashwin, 10 Nathan Ellis, 11 Noor Ahmad, 12 Khaleel AhmedBhuvneshwar Kumar missed the previous game with a reported niggle. RCB will want him in if he is fit. They could think about legspinning allrounder Mohit Rathee or left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh if the pitch is expected to be heavily spin-friendly.Royal Challengers Bengaluru (probable): 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Rajat Patidar (capt), 4 Devdutt Padikkal/Mohit Rathee, 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 7 Tim David, 8 Krunal Pandya, 9 Rasikh Salam/Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Swapnil Singh, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Yash Dayal, 12 Suyash SharmaBig questionHow do RCB handle the possible 12 overs of Noor, Ashwin and Jadeja? Mumbai Indians (MI) went 5 for 70 in 11 overs against them. Captain Rajat Patidar will be the key because around him are batters that can be shut down by slow bowlers.In the spotlight: Noor Ahmad vs Rajat PatidarThis is the contest that could direct the whole match. Noor Ahmad has started off beautifully for CSK with figures of 4-0-18-4 against MI. RCB are a team of pace-hitters. If Rajat Patidar can attack Noor, he can set the cat among the pigeons, which could even result in Jadeja not bowling out. If Patidar gets out early, CSK could choke RCB.Pitch and conditionsChennai is one of the venues that works in synergy with the franchise. So expect the conditions to continue helping the slower bowlers.1:12

Cricinformed: Patidar, a menace for spinners

Key stats Ashwin vs Kohli is a fascinating contest between two alphas of Indian cricket. You can see neither wants to lose: only one dismissal in 147 balls but a strike rate of only 123.12. Despite being a left-hand batter, Rachin Ravindra averages 11.63 and strikes at 120.75 against orthodox left-arm spin. That makes Krunal Pandya important.Next three fixturesCSK will travel to Guwahati on Saturday and play Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Sunday before they return home for Delhi Capitals (DC) and then travel to Mullanpur to play Punjab Kings (PBKS).RCB’s next match will be their first of the season at home, against Gujarat Titans (GT). Then MI at Wankhede Stadium and DC at home. Three high-voltage and potentially high-scoring matches to follow.

Lamine Yamal went out of his way to hype up his return to the Barcelona line-up for Wednesday night's Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys. The 18-year-old posted a clip on his Instagram account from the movie 'The Devil's Advocate' in which Al Pacino's character, John Milton, discusses the effects of pressure: "Some people, you squeeze 'em, they focus; others fold. Can you summon your talent at will? Can you deliver on a deadline? Can you sleep at night?"

Yamal then posted a picture of himself from Spain's Euro 2024 triumph, accompanied by the words: "Pressure? I'm back and the mission is back too." The mission in question was Barcelona's bid to prove themselves the best team in Europe – which Yamal's team-mate Pedri insisted they already were on the eve of the game against PSG.

Admittedly, there's nothing wrong with self-belief; on the contrary, it's absolutely essential at the highest level of sport. But there's a fine line between confidence and arrogance, and the problem with big talk is that it can make you look ridiculous if you don't back it up. Wednesday night was a perfect case in point.

Getty Images SportBarca's blistering start

One can certainly understand why Barca were in high spirits ahead of the visit of PSG.

After beating Real Madrid four times during last season's domestic treble triumph, they'd made an undefeated start to their Liga title defence, taking 19 points from a possible 21 to sit top of the table after seven rounds of action, while at the same time kicking off their Champions League campaign with an impressive 2-1 win over Newcastle at a raucous St. James' Park.

They'd also achieved all of this despite being shorn of the services of Yamal, their most wondrous attacking talent, for four matches in all competitions, so even accounting for the ongoing absences of Raphinha and goalkeeper Joan Garcia, Barca were in good condition going into the midweek match at Montjuic – unlike their opponents. 

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'A great statement' from a depleted PSG

We knew well in advance that PSG would be without their captain (Marquinhos) and entire first-choice forward line (Ousmane Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Desire Doue) for the game in Catalonia. However, they also had to make do without key midfielder Joao Neves, who pulled out during the warm-up.

The net result was PSG taking to the field without six members of the starting line-up that destroyed Inter in last season's Champions League final: one by choice (Gigi Donnarumma) but five others through injury. 

Consequently, the feeling before kick-off was that Luis Enrique's side was there for the taking; that Barcelona had a glorious opportunity to make a serious statement of intent just two rounds into the new Champions League season. As Vitinha pointed out, though, it was PSG who sent a message to all of the pretenders to their throne.

"It happens sometimes," the Portuguese mused after his team came from behind to win 2-1 at Montjuic. "There are often statements made before matches, it can happen. But we don't give a damn. We don't care, we just want to play the match and we won, so we're happy about that.

"I'm proud of this team because it's happened several times before that we've turned a game around. But you had five players who normally start who aren't here, so you have some kids who play or come on and do very well. Then, other players who play less often came on and gave a great response.

"We were behind against one of the best teams in Europe away from home, and even then, you manage to come through in the second half and turn the game around. It's a great statement from our team."

For Barca, though, it was a dressing down.

Getty Images SportBarca unable to build on strong start

The Blaugrana are a scintillating sight in full flight. In fact, they're arguably an even more exciting side to watch than PSG because Hansi Flick's high-risk approach makes goals a guarantee.

It, thus, didn't come as a surprise to see them score for a club-record 45th game in a row, on Wednesday evening. They began the game brightly, too, and Yamal really did look like a man on a mission. 

Just three minutes into the game, he danced past three PSG players wide on the right flank, while he was also involved in the lead-up to the game's opening goal, which came courtesy of Ferran Torres, who tucked away a lovely first-time pass from Marcus Rashford 19 minutes in.

Barca didn't build on their strong start, though – or perhaps more accurately, they weren't allowed to, because the longer the half wore on, the stronger and indeed bolder PSG became.

As Flick conceded afterwards, despite the best efforts of Pedri and Frenkie de Jong, Vitinha & Co. took control of the contest from around the half-hour mark, and would never relinquish it.

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Getty Images SportMendes gets the better of Yamal again

Nuno Mendes winning his individual battle with Yamal was also key to PSG becoming the first team to win three consecutive games away to Barcelona. 

Just as he had during Portugal's Nations League win over Spain during the summer, the left-back frustrated the life out of the Ballon d'Or runner-up – so much so, in fact, that Yamal even tried to get the referee to give Mendes a second yellow card just after the hour mark, even though it was Fabian Ruiz who had felled the winger.

It was a classless show of weakness and reflective of the fact that Nuno was having a far bigger influence on the game – even from an offensive perspective.

Whereas Yamal failed to register either a goal or assist, Mendes created PSG's crucial equaliser just before the break with a stunning surge up the left wing and beautifully-weighted pass into the feet of goal-scorer Senny Mayulu.

“I might just announce my international retirement … then you can all go home!”We’re not even into April, and the line of questioning at Surrey’s pre-season media day is getting a touch samey, to say the least. But Dan Worrall is taking it all in his stride, much as he has done with every step of his remarkable second coming as a professional cricketer – a renaissance that could, with a fair crosswind and a bit of grass on the wicket, result in an England Test debut at the age of 33.That was certainly the impression that Rob Key, England’s director of cricket, gave in September last year, when he name-checked a bowler who had just claimed 52 wickets at 16.15 to help propel Surrey to a hat-trick of County Championship titles. “You can’t not notice Dan Worrall,” Key said. “He’s got brilliant attributes to be an international bowler.”Worrall, himself, however, could scarcely be less moved by the speculation. “There’s some things that take space in my head, but this is not one of them,” he said. “I’m just not interested about what anyone else is saying or thinking. I’m just trying to do my best for the team that I’m representing. And to be honest, with two kids under three, that keeps me busy most of the time anyway. So the other stuff doesn’t matter.”Almost nine years have now elapsed since Worrall’s first foray as an international cricketer: he played three ODIs for Australia, against Ireland and South Africa in September and October 2016. Those yielded one wicket and a sense of a box ticked in his career, as he turned his thoughts to a relocation to England and a chance to build a new life, with or without the sport at its centre.”I always thought I’d be getting the tube to work in London, but I never thought I’d be coming to a cricket ground,” Worrall said. A UK passport, courtesy of his Nottingham-born father, had encouraged him to take the plunge and uproot his young family but, after an initial haul of 43 wickets at 22.53 for Gloucestershire had confirmed the effectiveness of his fast-medium methods in English conditions, his switch to The Oval has since sent his career into overdrive.”We just thought it was a great challenge to take on, to have a bit of life experience, and challenge ourselves a little bit on the other side of the world with no family around. But, luckily, I’ve played at an amazing club, and we’ve won three championships, and the Hundred’s just come about. And being able to access leagues around the world is another benefit of moving over.”The bread-and-butter of Worrall’s new career, however, has been his red-ball form. In the space of those three triumphant seasons, he hoovered up 139 first-class wickets at 21.17, and with England having moved on last summer from James Anderson, a potential vacancy has opened up for, as he put it, “sweat-band seamer” in the Test attack – for the home series against India at the very least, if not for the tour of Australia that follows.”As a bowler, coming from Australia to England, there’s a lot more variables to play with,” he said. “You’ve got to swing it. Sometimes it bounces, sometimes it doesn’t, sometimes it’s raining … sunny, there’s grass on the pitch. There’s the Kookaburra [ball] now, so there’s a lot more variables that can make your worst day a lot worse than in Australia, I suppose.Related

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“As a professional, the feather in my cap would be getting to the point where I don’t really surprise anyone with how I perform … to get to the point where your worst day is not that much worse than your best day.”Can those attributes succeed on an Ashes tour, however? Despite the recent success of Scott Boland in Australia’s home summers, Worrall’s own assessment is candid.”You want my honest answer? Probably not!” he said. “There is a role – we saw Jimmy for 20 years go on numerous Ashes tours – but as a swing bowler, you’re not going to perform that role in every Test with the Kookaburra ball. There have been opportunities in the last couple of years in Test matches in Australia, [when it’s been] a bit more seamer friendly, but whether that happens again in an Ashes series, that’s yet to be seen. Maybe there’s a job to do as a sweat-band swinger, but we’ll wait and see.”In his former life, Worrall claimed 184 wickets at 29.03 for South Australia in the Sheffield Shield, so he clearly has the pedigree to do that job Down Under. But, whether or not he’s doing himself out of a job for the coming winter, he also has no doubts about which attributes England should be doubling down on as they seek to win a series in Australia for the first time in 15 years.”In Australia, there’s not a lot of variables to play with. It’s more about being tall or fast or accurate,” he said. “The way that England are setting up their fast-bowling cartel is the way forward to win in Australia.”We’ve seen success from Gus [Atkinson], Brydon Carse, Mark Wood, and I think they’re trying to get to Jofra [Archer] up and about for that Ashes series. There is the necessity for pace and bounce in Australia, and I don’t think that’s a secret for anyone.”The way the Australian team has taken wickets consistently for the last decade has been with the guys that are over 6 ft 2, bowl fast and don’t really miss the spot. Naturally, there’s a challenge for English bowlers going over to Australia because of that difference, but the way that the guys are setting up now, it gives them the best chance to perform.”None of that, however, means Worrall will be turning down the England call, should it end up coming at any stage this year.”Yeah, of course, I’ve said it before,” he said, when asked if he would like to play for his adopted country. “I haven’t thought about it. Everyone else keeps talking about it. I’m just going to go out and do my best for Surrey and hopefully enjoy another successful season at The Oval.”It doesn’t faze me too much. It’s just one of those things where, as a professional athlete, there’s always someone with an opinion and someone that wants to get the next headline, or they want to figure out the next thing that’s going to happen in their career.”But I think as a player, as soon as you start thinking about that and letting that enter your thinking, it just detracts from your potential as a player and a professional and as a person. So as far as I’m concerned, I’m not that bothered. Whatever happens will happen. I’ll try my best wherever I am.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Rio Grande, clube localizado no sul do país, é considerado o time de futebol mais antigo do Brasil ainda em atividade.

O Vovô (apelido da equipe gaúcha) foi fundado em 19 de julho de 1900, por um grupo de imigrantes europeus, que buscavam implementar a prática do esporte no país. Na data de sua fundação, inclusive, é comemorado o dia do futebol.

+ Veja os 20 melhores jogadores do Brasileirão no século 21 segundo o ChatGPT

DISPUTA PELO POSTO DE CLUBE MAIS ANTIGO DO BRASIL

A Ponte Preta, fundada apenas 23 dias depois da equipe gaúcha, reivindica o posto. O clube paulista sustenta que o Rio Grande interrompeu suas atividades em três ocasiões distintas: 1972, 1974 e 1976.

O Veterano levou o caso à justiça, e venceu em primeira instância uma ação movida contra a Macaca pelo uso da alcunha de “clube mais antigo do Brasil”. A decisão prevê retratação pública e pagamento de multa. A Ponte recorreu da decisão.

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Clubes fundados antes, como Flamengo, Vasco e Vitória, não foram instituídos como times de futebol, mas de outras modalidades. Germânia, Mackenzie College e SPAC interromperam suas atividades ou fecharam.

TÍTULOS DO RIO GRANDE

1x – Campeonato Gaúcho: 1936
2x – Campeonato Gaúcho 2ª Divisão: 1962 e 2014
2x – Campeonato do Interior: 1936 e 1941
1x – Torneio Centenário da Independência: 1922
2x – Torneio da Morte: 1962 e 1964