It seems like Everton are putting a real focus on reshaping their attack ahead of a historic season in 2025/26. The Toffees are set to move into the Hill Dickinson Stadium, and will be looking to build on the momentum they gathered under David Moyes at the back end of last season.

Thierno Barry will be one of their new attacking players in this new era. It has finally been confirmed that the Frenchman is now a new Everton player, following his £27m move from Villarreal. He replaces Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who left the club on a free transfer.

However, it appears that the 22-year-old will not be the only attacker to switch to the Hill Dickinson Stadium this summer.

Everton targeting new winger

As well as looking to sign a striker, in the form of Barry, Moyes’ side seems set to sign a new winger this summer. It was reported earlier this week that Real Sociedad winger Takefusa Kubo has emerged as a target, and they reportedly have someone else in their sights.

Transfer Focus

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

A recent report from Turkey suggests that the Toffees are ‘following’ the movements of Benfica winger Kerem Akturkoglu, who is wanted by a couple of teams in the Premier League.

Indeed, the winger, who has strong ties to Galatasaray and would ‘not consider’ playing for any other Turkish team, is wanted by Nottingham Forest, the first English top-flight team to contact Benfica, and newly promoted Sunderland.

If Everton are to win the race for Akturkoglu, they will need to spend £38m, which is Benfica’s asking price.

Why Akturkoglu would be a good signing

The 2024/25 campaign, Akturkoglu’s first as a Benfica player, was an incredibly impressive season. He lit up the Portuguese top flight, and it is not hard to see why Everton are looking to sign him this summer.

In 53 appearances for the Portuguese giants, Akturkoglu contributed to 16 goals and 13 assists. That included the very impressive tally of 11 goals and 11 assists in the Liga Portugal, and an assist in the final of the Taca de Portugal, helping his side lift the trophy by beating Sporting.

It is easy to see why football scout Antonio Mango described the Turkey international as a “talented” player, having previously hailed him as “unstoppable” back in Istanbul.

Indeed, it is not just at Benfica that the winger, who can play on the left or right-hand side, has performed so well. He played 179 games for Galatasaray, finding the back of the net 46 times and grabbing 42 assists.

He scored twice in the Champions League for the club, with both of those strikes coming against Manchester United, including this stunning effort. It will surely please Everton that Akturkoglu can be so effective against elite English top-flight sides.

For Barry, seeing a player with the creative nous of Akturkoglu walk through the doors at Everton after him must be a thrilling prospect. The new Toffees striker, who was born in Lyon, was on fire for Villarreal last season, with 11 goals and four assists in 37 games.

He certainly left an impression last term, showing good striker’s instinct in the penalty box, as the goal below shows. Everton have certainly missed that, with just two players bagging ten or more goals in 2024/25.

Well, Akturkoglu will certainly bring the creativity to the Toffees side, which can help make Barry unstoppable. The stats on FBref highlight some of those creative talents, with a standout number being his 0.67 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, placing him in the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Portugal.

Goals and assists

0.9

95th

Assists

0.4

94th

Expected assists

0.33xA

94th

Key passes

1.84

85th

Shot-creating actions

3.46

74th

Goal-creating actions

0.67

94th

It is stats like those which show Akturkoglu could be the man to help up the goalscoring levels of this Everton side. The 26-year-old could well become Barry’s dream winger, with the way he is able to fashion goalscoring opportunities out of nowhere.

Of course, £38m is a large asking price, but Everton have shown a willingness to invest big money into their attack, and Akturkoglu could be the man to help take that to the next level.

Ndiaye 2.0 for Moyes: £35m star 'would love' to sign for Everton

David Moyes is looking to sign another attacking player this summer at Everton.

ByRoss Kilvington Jul 8, 2025

Pre-season preparations get underway on Monday, although the transfer train has ground to a halt as far as Manchester United are concerned, with Matheus Cunha still the only senior addition this summer – excluding £7m teenager, Diego Leon.

A key crux of the issue appears to be the club’s inability to shift the ‘deadwood’, with manager Ruben Amorim reportedly frustrated at the failure to sell United’s exiled stars, namely Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony and Marcus Rashford.

That quartet, alongside Tyrell Malacia, have been granted permission to enjoy an extended break, rather than link up with the rest of the squad, with all parties still hopeful of sealing an exit ahead of next season.

Bridges appear to have been burned with almost all of those high-profile figures, none more so than Rashford, with the Englishman still seemingly dreaming of sealing a summer switch to Barcelona.

Should those raft of forwards – including the 27-year-old academy graduate – all be shipped off, it would only further heighten the need for replacements. With that in mind, a potential opening has presented itself to director of football, Jason Wilcox.

The latest on Man Utd's search for a striker

A new name emerged this week amid United’s centre-forward search, with reports indicating that contact has been made regarding a possible move for Aston Villa talisman, Ollie Watkins.

Reportedly available for £60m, the 29-year-old would prove a ready-made solution for the Red Devils, having hit double figures for goals in each of his five Premier League seasons at Villa Park.

Transfer Focus

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

As reported by The Mirror, however, the England international isn’t the only option on Wilcox’s striker shortlist, with the club also considering a move for Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku.

According to the report, United have been offered the chance to sign the 27-year-old for a knock-down price of £35m, with the former RB Leipzig man deemed to be surplus to requirements, amid the signings of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro at Stamford Bridge.

As the piece also notes, the prospect of a swap deal involving the aforementioned Garnacho had been floated, although the Blues are more likely to consider a straight sale instead as they seek to balance the books.

Why Nkunku could be another Rashford for Amorim

If United were targeting the Nkunku of two years ago, there would be undoubted excitement at Old Trafford, with the Frenchman having joined the west Londoners after registering 126 goal involvements in just 172 games at Leipzig.

The man who once hit 35 goals in all competitions in 2021/22 hasn’t been seen in English football, however, with the one-time Paris Saint-Germain man having been unable to recover from an injury-hit start to life at the Bridge.

Struck down with a knee issue during pre-season in the summer of 2023, Nkunku has since gone on to start just 11 Premier League games across the last two campaigns combined, scoring just six top-flight goals in total in that time.

A particular issue has been his inability to nail down a consistent role for himself under Mauricio Pochettino and Enzo Maresca, having operated off the left, as a number ten or as a central striker to date – all with little success.

That question mark over whether he is best out wide or centrally is one that has also plagued Rashford, with the United outcast recently stating that he is finding it “more natural” to play as a number nine, despite Amorim’s prior claim that such a role “is not the best one for him”.

2024/25*

24

7

3

2023/24

43

8

6

2022/23

56

30

11

2021/22

32

5

2

2020/21

57

21

18

Rashford is currently out in the cold under the Portuguese coach, having not featured for the Old Trafford side since sitting out the Manchester Derby back in December, with his 30-goal heroics in 2022/23 now looking like a distant memory.

Amorim, and those at United, are seemingly in need of a fresh start without the £300k-per-week man onboard, with there likely to be concern that Nkunku could provide a similarly expensive problem, considering his own £195k-per-week salary.

Interestingly too, Rashford and Nkunku were noted as statistically similar players in the Premier League in 2024/25, as per FBref, with that likeness perhaps a key reason why such a move should be avoided.

Yes, the Nkunku of 2023 would be a worthy Watkins alternative, but the same could very much be said of the Rashford of 2023, in contrast to the one of the present. For both men, it looks like their best days could already be behind them.

Worth more than Gyokeres: Man Utd face Elanga 2.0 as terms agreed for exit

Manchester United look set to offload a player who has failed to impress at Old Trafford.

ByEthan Lamb Jul 4, 2025

Bayern Munich have reportedly decided to keep teenage sensation Jonah Kusi-Asare as Harry Kane’s backup for the upcoming season, blocking all loan offers for the 18-year-old. The Swedish striker has impressed during pre-season, scoring against Tottenham and Grasshoppers, prompting Vincent Kompany to fast-track him into the senior squad.

Bayern block all loan moves for teenage striker Jonah Kusi-AsareKompany impressed by Swede’s pre-season goals and physical presenceContract extension talks are underway Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per Sky Germany, Bayern Munich have informed Kusi-Asare that he will remain with the senior squad this season as Kane’s understudy. The club has rejected all loan approaches from PSV Eindhoven, RSC Anderlecht and Rapid Vienna. The Bavarians are also said to be working on extending the striker’s current contract, which runs until 2026.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Kusi-Asare joined Bayern from AIK Solna in January 2024, initially playing for the U19s before stepping up to the reserve side. He made his Bundesliga debut last season, appearing briefly in a 3-0 win over Mainz. Standing at 1.96m (6ft 5in), the Swedish forward of Ghanaian descent has caught the eye with his physical presence and composure in front of goal.

TELL ME MORE…

Bayern have endured a quiet transfer window so far, with only three major signings – Tom Bischof, Jonathan Tah and Luis Diaz. Manager Kompany is leaning on academy talent to fill squad gaps. Kusi-Asare’s pre-season form has convinced Die Rekordmeister that the 18-year-old can contribute in a backup role while continuing his development at Allianz Arena.

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR KUSI-ASARE?

Bayern Munich will continue contract extension talks with Kusi-Asare in the coming weeks. The youngster is set to feature as a bench option in the Bundesliga and Champions League. His development will be closely monitored as the Bavarians also explore moves for Christopher Nkunku and Nick Woltemade.

The season ended less than a month ago, and so much has already changed at Tottenham Hotspur.

In the space of a week, Ange Postecoglou, who led the club to their first trophy in almost two decades this season, was fired, and his replacement all but announced.

The man to come in and try to improve the Lilywhites’ Premier League form looks set to be Brentford’s Thomas Frank.

However, to ensure the Danish coach can do that, Daniel Levy and Co have to execute this summer perfectly, which means bringing in the right players and selling those who need to be sold, such as Son Heung-min and another big name.

Why Son should be sold

There is no doubt that in the pantheon of great and iconic Tottenham Hotspur players, Son is right near the very top, as not only has he spent a decade at the club, but he was the captain for their Europa League triumph last week.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, that is one of the reasons he should be moved on this summer, as if he were to go now, he’d be leaving on an incredible high and as an unquestionable legend of the club, but were he to remain for another year, there is every chance his declining ability would see him eventually leave on something of a sour note next year.

It’s not the South Korean superstar’s fault he’s become less effective in recent years, but just an unfortunate reality of getting older, a reality supported by research carried out by The Athletic showing that wide attackers peak at 26 and see their ability to take defenders on nosedive at 30 and beyond.

Son’s recent form
Season	23/24	24/25
Appearances	36	46
Goals	17	11
Assists	10	12
Goal Involvements per Match	0.75	0.5
All Stats via Transfermarkt

We can also see this in his numbers, with the Chuncheon-born ace racking up 27 goal involvements in 36 appearances last year but just 23 in 46 games this year.

Moreover, per FBref, the 32-year-old sat in the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers for successful take-ons per 90 in the 18/19 Premier League season, but then this season, he was in the bottom 42% for the same metric.

Now, the good news is that the North Londoners can probably still get some good money for the Bayer Leverkusen star, as according to French outlet Foot Mercato, he has been approached by Saudi Pro-league side Al-Hilal, and as we’ve seen in the past few years, they can pay an awful lot for ageing stars.

In all, Son is now a bonafide legend at Spurs, but this summer feels like the right time for him to go so he can leave on a high, and the club can cash in, which is the same for another star.

The Spurs star who should be sold

While there are a few players who should be sold this summer because they simply aren’t good enough, like Yves Bissouma, we are talking about one of the co-vice captains, Cristian Romero.

Now, before the pitchforks and torches come out, we are not for one second saying the Argentine isn’t good enough to play for Spurs under Frank.

However, there are a few reasons why the North Londoners should probably be looking to cash in on him, with the first being the interest.

There has always been the odd link here and there for the World Cup winner, but it has to be said that in the last few months, said links have increased in volume and believability.

For example, Real Madrid were reportedly keen on the former Juventus ace in early April, but since then, there has been a near-constant stream of reports touting him for a move to their city rivals, Atlético Madrid.

Worse still, the Córdoba-born “monster,” dubbed by journalist Charlie Eccleshare, has reportedly already spoken to his compatriot Diego Simeone and now wants to move to the Spanish capital, which is a want likely strengthened by the sacking of Postecoglou.

The second reason is intertwined with the first and concerns the money involved in a potential move.

If the club can get upwards of £60m for the wantaway defender, as it looks like they want, then that cash can go towards new players that actually want to play for the team and that Frank personally wants in his squad.

Finally, the the £165,000-per-week defender cannot be relied upon to remain fit anymore, as he missed a whopping 27 games for club and country this season, so even if he stays this summer, he could well end up missing half of the 25/26 campaign.

Ultimately, Romero is a brilliant footballer and was important in the Europa League this year, but with him increasingly looking like he wants to leave, combined with his fitness problems, it would make sense for Spurs to cash in now and hand Franks the funds to sign his own players.

Dream Semenyo alternative: Spurs plot bid to sign "terrifying" £21m star

The dynamic attacker could represent a sensational deal for Spurs.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jun 11, 2025

Captain Niki Prasad wants to make sure team “stays on top” after a dominant display in Malaysia where India cruised unbeaten to a second Women’s U-19 World Cup title

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Feb-2025″Coming at the start of the tournament, I think I mentioned one thing that we are here to dominate, we are here to make sure that India stays on top.”Those were the words of India captain Niki Prasad after she led India to a second consecutive Women’s Under-19 World Cup title in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. And dominate is what India did throughout the tournament, winning all their games and not letting any team score more against them than the 113 for 8 that England made in the semi-finals.India had chased in four of the six games before the final, and they won all those matches comfortably, never losing more than two wickets. After South Africa won the toss and chose to bat in the title bout, India just replicated the template that served them so well through the competition, their spinners playing a pivotal role in getting the opposition out for 82.Related

• G Trisha excels with bat and ball as India become back-to-back Under-19 champions

India then chased down the target in 11.2 overs, with G Trisha – who also returned figures of 3 for 15 with the ball – scoring an unbeaten 44.”We are definitely going to create this legacy of winning ICC trophies, winning a lot of trophies for India,” Prasad said at the post-match presentation ceremony.Prasad had to put behind her the disappointment of not making the squad for the previous Under-19 World Cup, which India won under the captaincy of Shafali Verma in 2023, but she’s soaking it all in now.”I think I’m feeling really happy that I am right here standing, making sure that India stays on top. And it’s obviously a special moment that we’re playing the World Cup and doing this for India,” she said.India lost the toss and were asked to bowl. Prasad said India drew from their experience bowling first in most of their matches in the competition.”I think all of us just tried to stay calm and down-to-earth and just stick to doing what our job is,” she said.G Trisha poses with her medal after taking India to the Under-19 World Cup glory•Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

“I think if we would have won the toss we would have definitely chosen batting but you know throughout the tournament we’ve been bowling well and we’ve been bowling first [more] so nevertheless we just wanted to go out there and show what we can do.”Trisha, who was named Player of the Match and Player of the Tournament, dedicated the latter award to her father, who was in the audience.”Because of him I started playing cricket. I don’t think without him I would have been here,” said Trisha, who was also part of the team in 2023.While she played in the middle order in 2023, Trisha was pushed up to open this time around, and she ended up topping the run charts with 309 runs from seven matches with an average of 77.25. No other batter reached the 200-run mark. Her strike rate of 147.14 was also the best in the tournament.Trisha, who said she idolises Mithali Raj, has been working on her power game in recent times and credited India’s batting coach Apoorva S Desaii for giving her role clarity before the competition.”So we’ve been working on [my power game] since a while. For this tournament our batting coach Apoorva sir he has kept telling ‘you are going to open the innings and make sure you’re ready for it’,” Trisha said.Apart from her heroics with the bat, Trisha also returned seven wickets from the six games she bowled in.Parunika Sisodia struck in her first over of the Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup final•Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

India’s left-arm spin trio ‘like a family’

One of the major factors in India’s domination was their trio of left-arm spinners Vaishnavi Sharma, Aayushi Shukla and Parunika Sisodia, who were three of the four highest wicket-takers in the competition.While Vaishnavi topped the charts with 17 strikes, Shukla and Sisodia were not far behind with 14 and 10 wickets respectively.According to them, the three are close and have developed a great understanding between themselves.”I guess back in the room in the hotel, what all three we talk about is nothing related to our bowling,” Sisodia said after India’s win. “All our bowling just came and, you know, in the game coming on we just enjoyed ourselves.”We keep telling each other a little bit of, you know, what the batters are doing, helping each other [on the field].”At this point, I guess, we are just, you know, eye contacting and we are understanding each other now.”With all of them being left-arm spinners, is there competition or does this fact not affect them?”We are like the best friends,” Sisodia was quick to respond, with emphasis on the “best”. Vaishnavi, who was too overcome with emotion to speak a few minutes earlier was quick to interject: “We are like family actually. We all are family.”Asked about their plans for the future, Sisodia said: “I guess all of us… I mean, not just us [three] but the whole team, we all want to just go ahead and, you know, never look back from here.”Wicketkeeper and opener G Kamalini, who was animatedly photobombing the interview, then came in and summed up the feelings of the team in a line in Tamil: ” [We have lifted the World Cup].”

There's no better way to celebrate the start of the weekend than to sit back and cheer for a few bets across Major League Baseball. We have 14 games set to take place across the Majors and if it seems intimidating to handicap today's action, I'm here to help you out.

I'm going to go through each game and break down my pick for each one. Let's dive into it.

Twins vs. Pirates Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Pirates +106

Mitch Keller has been on fire since getting off to a slow start to the season. He has allowed no more than one run in four of his last five starts. The Twins offense has been bad of late and it's not going to get easier for them going up against Keller today.

Brewers vs. Tigers Prediction and Pick

Braves vs. Nationals Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Braves -210

No offense has been worse in Major League Baseball over the past month than the Washington Nationals, who have an OPS of .621 over that time span. Now, they have to take on Chris Sale who has an 8-1 record and a 3.06 ERA this season. Braves all day.

Orioles vs. Rays Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Orioles -116

I still think the Rays are one of the most overvalued teams in the betting market this season. The Orioles rank third in OPS over the past month while the Rays come in at 28th, while also rocking one of the worst bullpens. One top of all that, the O's are starting Cole Irvin (2.84 ERA) against the Aaron Civale (5.37 ERA). Baltimore is the obvious pick.

Dodgers vs. Yankees Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Yankees +108

The Yankees have statistically been the best team in baseball this season so I'm surprised they're this big of underdogs to the Dodgers at home on Friday night. Over the last 30 days, the Yankees have an eye-popping OPS of .825 while the Dodgers have an OPS of just .708, which ranks 14th in the Majors. I'll take New York at home.

Cubs vs. Reds Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Reds -110

After a terrible start to the season, the Reds offense is starting to wake up so it's time to buy some stock in Cincinnati. They're fifth in the Majors in OPS over the last 30 days while the Cubs are 29th in that time span.

Guardians vs. Marlins Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Guardians -126

The Marlins may have the better pitching matchup with Ryan Weathers (3.41 ERA) taking on Logan Allen (5.83 ERA), but what's more important is that both pitchers are lefties. The Guardians have been specifically better against left-handed pitchers this season, ranking sixth in OPS against lefties compared to the Marlins who are dead last in that stat with an OPS of just .589.

Giants vs. Rangers Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Giants -120

Not only do the Rangers have one of the worst bullpens in the Majors, but their offense has been terrible lately as well. They rank 25th in OPS over the last 30 days. I can't find a single reason to back the Rangers at home in this interleague showdown.

Mariners vs. Royals Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Royals +106

We have a chance to bet on the Royals, who are second in OPS over the past 30 days, as underdogs against the Mariners, who are 26th in that stat over the same time frame. Sure, Bryce Miller is on the mound for Seattle, but I can't trust this Mariners offense enough to bet on them as road favorites.

Red Sox vs. White Sox Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Red Sox -110

I'll back Boston as a pick'em in the battle of the Sox. I see now reason why the odds should be this close considering the Red Sox have had a top 10 offense in the Majors almost all season while Chicago has been one of the worst.

Rockies vs. Cardinals Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Rockies +158

Austin Gomber, despite having to pitch at Coors Field, has been fantastic this season with a 3.06 ERA. If there's any time you want to take a shot on Colorado as a big underdog, the time to do it is when Gomber's on the mound.

Astros vs. Angels Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Astros -184

The Astros' offense has woken up and now rank fourth in the Majors in OPS over the last 30 days while batting .260 over that stretch. With Framber Valdez (3.95 ERA) on the mound, the Astros have a chance to win this game running away.

Blue Jays vs. Athletics Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Athletics +136

The A's might be a better team than people think. They have one of the best bullpen ERAs in Major League Baseball, while the Blue Jays have one of the worst. Hogan Harris has also pitched well in his first handful of starts, sporting a 3.14 ERA. We should feel comfortable betting against the Blue Jays this season.

Diamondbacks vs. Padres Prediction and Pick

• Pick: Diamondbacks -102

The Diamondbacks offense has better numbers than the Padres over the last 30 days, with a .701 OPS compared to a .683 OPS for San Diego. With a game that is close to a coin flip in my opinion, I'll back the slight underdog in Arizona.

Rangers are “very keen” to sign an England international after making an approach over a transfer, according to Sky Sports.

Rangers want defenders and attackers after Cameron signing

The Gers secured the services of Dundee midfielder Lyall Cameron back in February, with the 22-year-old penning a pre-contract agreement at Ibrox.

Cameron has now been pictured in a Rangers shirt and described a move to Glasgow as a “no-brainer” earlier this week.

Martin can replace Hagi with Rangers move for "explosive" £10m "weapon"

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ByDan Emery Jun 17, 2025

“It’s amazing to walk in the door, it’s a privilege really. I have been looking forward to it for a long time. It was a no-brainer as soon as Rangers came in, I was desperate to be here. It is obviously a massive club and the history and everything about it is just amazing. Being from Scotland, I know what the club stands for, so I just wanted to jump at the chance.

“It is a new project, they are looking to build, improve and win leagues again and I really wanted to be a part of it. I want to come here, make an impression, do as well as possible and get this club back to where it belongs.”

With a new midfielder though the door, Rangers and Russell Martin are now looking to bolster the defensive and attacking ranks.

In regards to specific defensive targets, Bournemouth right-back Max Aarons is a wanted man at Ibrox, and in attack, the Gers are keen on Peterborough United’s Kwame Poku when his contract expires at the end of the month.

Rangers “very keen” to sign Leicester City’s Conor Coady after approach

As reported in Sky Sports’ live transfer blog on Tuesday evening, Rangers have made an approach to Leicester City over a deal to sign Conor Coady. The Foxes are open to selling the centre-back after their relegation from the Premier League, and those at Ibrox “are very keen” on a move.

Coady, who picks up £3.9m per year at The King Power Stadium, made 26 appearances for Leicester in all competitions last season, captaining on three occasions.

Best known for his time at Wolves, Coady has plenty of Premier League experience, has won 10 caps for England and has even played in the Europa League 12 times.

Called a player with a “real infectious personality” by Gareth Southgate, Coady is an out and out centre-back who Martin will be well aware of during his time as a player and manager in England.

Games

22

Goals

1

Pass completion %

91.5%

Clearances per 90

3.1

Blocks per 90

1.1

Average WhoScored match rating

6.17/10

A move looks like one to keep an eye on, and if Coady does move north, that may see Robin Propper seal a return to FC Twente following recent rumours.

“The biggest problem is the batters who are taking a start but are not going to play a long innings,” the head coach said

Andrew Fidel Fernando01-Feb-2025Australia’s batters were at home on Sri Lanka tracks in ways Sri Lanka’s batters weren’t. This was one of the take-aways from a Test that Australia dominated, according to head coach Sanath Jayasuriya.Sri Lanka’s batters also largely fell playing attacking strokes.”There was a serious problem with shot selections, as well as with handling situations,” Jayasuriya said. “I don’t think certain players have handled situations well. They’re experienced players, and they have to be more mature.Related

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Sri Lanka turn up, but do little else in Galle mismatch

“These players have played a lot of cricket and should know how to play. I’ve talked to them about this. But we’ve got to talk to them in detail about this now. Also, we cannot blame the wicket. Because we saw how the wicket behaved. This was a very good wicket. For a long time, we haven’t seen such a good wicket in Galle, on the third and fourth days.”The problem, Jayasuriya said, is batters not converting their starts into big scores. In Australia’s first innings of the first Test in Galle, six batters faced 50 balls or more. In Sri Lanka’s first innings, only Dinesh Chandimal faced more than 50 balls.”The biggest problem is the batters who are taking a start but are not going to play a long innings,” Jayasuriya said. “This is something I always mutter. We saw [Usman] Khawaja, [Steven] Smith and [Josh] Inglis, all three of them took a good start and they converted them to big hundreds. This conversion must be there. We’re not consistent in that. Our players should know that these are our conditions and we must make use of these conditions. There were lots of opportunities but we didn’t make use of them.”Australia’s spinners did tend to bowl faster than Sri Lanka’s, but at the time, Sri Lanka’s spinners had felt their slower pace was better suited to this surface.”They were bowling a little faster than us, but we were thinking that our pace was the best. That’s what we’ve been doing. The wicket was on the slower side and we were trying to bowl a little faster, but we ended up bowling as we usually do here.”After the third or fourth day, we saw the normal Galle wicket. What the Australia spinners did was bowl a little faster than us. That’s normally what they’re doing.”We’re used to bowling at a slower pace, but it didn’t work in this match. We need to discuss all that also.”

خسر منتخب المغرب تحت 17 عامًا، مباراته الأولى في بطولة كأس العالم للناشئين، أمام نظيره اليابان، بهدفين دون رد، في اللقاء الذي أقيم اليوم الإثنين.

منتخب المغرب التقى مع اليابان، في إطار الجولة الأولى من عمر مواجهات المجموعة الثانية لمنافسات كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا المقامة في قطر.

ويتواجد منتخب المغرب في المجموعة الثانية من بطولة كأس العالم، مع البرتغال واليابان وكاليدونيا.

طالع | منتخب المغرب يخسر أمام اليابان في افتتاح مشواره بكأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا

وبفوز منتخب اليابان، يحتل الساموراي الياباني المركز الثاني في ترتيب المجموعة، برصيد 3 نقاط، يتواجد منتخب المغرب المركز الثالث بدون نقاط.

واستكملت مباريات المجموعة الثانية لمونديال الناشئين اليوم أيضًا، حيث حقق منتخب البرتغال الفوز على كاليدونيا، بنتيجة 6-1، ليتصدر المنتخب البرتغالي ترتيب المجموعة. ترتيب مجموعة المغرب في كأس العالم للناشئين تحت 17 عامًا

1- البرتغال، 3 نقاط.

2- اليابان، 3 نقاط.

3- المغرب بدون نقاط.

4- كاليدونيا، بدون نقاط.