On Thanksgiving Thursday in the United States, Celtic supporters across the world are thankful that their side has finally won an away European match.

In the Europa League’s early kick off, despite falling behind inside 11 minutes, Martin O’Neill’s side fought back to beat Feyenoord 3-1; Yang Hyun-jun and then Reo Hatate on target in double-quick time, before substitute Benjamin Nygren lashed home a clinching third late on

Before this, the Hoops had failed to win any of their previous 16 European away matches, dating back to a 3-2 victory over Ferencváros in Budapest in November 2021; Kyōgo Furuhashi, Jota and Liel Abada the scorers for Ange Postecoglou’s side back then.

In the context of this campaign, it takes Celts’ points tally up to seven from five Europa League games, boosting their knockout phase hopes, with fixtures against Roma, Bologna and Utrecht still to come on their schedule.

By the time the current Serie A leaders visit Glasgow in a fortnight, there could well be a new face in the home dugout, so which forgotten figure staked a claim in Rotterdam to be a key figure under Wilfried Nancy?

Reo Hatate's magical night

Plenty of Celtic players deserve praise following a famous win in Rotterdam, but Hatate was the star of the show.

The Japanese midfield maestro spectacularly set up the equaliser, before cooly slotted home the vital go-ahead goal, gently passing the ball into the net having been gifted possession by goalkeeper Timon Wellenreuther, after some excellent, trademark closing down by Daizen Maeda.

Since arriving in January 2022, Hatate has been one of Celtic’s best and most beloved players throughout; scoring twice in a thumping Old Firm victory mere weeks after joining helps!

However, his position in the starting lineup has come under scrutiny, given the Celts’ do have other good central midfield options, namely Nygren, Arne Engels, Luke McCowan and Paulo Bernardo.

However, Hatate’s mercurial talent and exquisite ability makes him a dream for any manager and, based on how his Columbus Crew team like to play, Nancy will surely make the Japanese international a central figure in his team, once he does arrive.

Meanwhile, which usually less heralded figure will also surely have impressed the incoming manager with his display at De Kuip?

Celtic's "world class" talent stars vs Feyenoord

There were many heroes bedecked in green and white hoops during Thursday’s victory over Feyenoord.

Teenaged full-back Colby Donovan was immense, Luke McCowan was excellent out of position, despite his inexplicable early miss, while Daizen Maeda worked his socks off as always.

Meantime, one of the surprise starters when the team sheets dropped was Yang, chosen over Sebastian Tounekti, Nygren and Michel-Ange Balikwisha by O’Neill, but the Korea Republic international certainly repaid the manager’s

Yang lashed home Celtic’s equaliser on the half-hour mark, connecting with Hatate’s looping cross, the ball squirming in between Wellenreuther and the post.

This was only Yang’s second goal of the season, also on target against Partick Thistle in the League Cup in September beforehand, but this one was rather more important.

Overall, he was a constant threat at De Kuip.

Goals

1

1st

Attempted dribbles

3

2nd

Completed passes

25

16th

Duels contested

6

15th

Touches

43

15th

SofaScore rating

7.3

4th

Since arriving from Gangwon FC in July 2023 under Brendan Rodgers, Yang has flattered to deceive, showing glimpses of quality but only doing so on a very irregular basis.

Upon making the move, Gangwon’s then-club president Kim Byung-ji stated that he had “world class” potential, backing him to become as good as the national team’s all-time leading scorer Son Heung-min.

Speaking during commentary for TNT Sports, Joe Hart, a former teammate of Yang, said that “there’s an excellent player in there”, but that he just has to show it on a regular basis, while manager O’Neill stated that he needs to now replicate his form in training in matches.

Thus, with Nancy seemingly poised to arrive, every member of the Celtic squad will have a clean slate, which will surely be good news for Yang, looking to become a key figure under the new manager, hoping to force his way into Hong Myung-bo’s South Korea squad ahead of next summer’s World Cup.

Celtic's number 1 target: Nancy could sign £7m "finisher" to replace Maeda

With Daizen Maeda potentially set to leave Celtic in January, could possible new manager Wilfried Nancy sign a “really good finisher” to replace him?

ByBen Gray Nov 21, 2025

Liverpool are now ready to accelerate talks to sign a key defensive addition, who could put an end to Ibrahima Konate’s struggles.

Romano shares update on Slot's Liverpool future

It’s been a disastrous season for Liverpool so far. The defending champions have seen their crown go from gold to paper in a matter of 12 Premier League games. Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Anfield against Nottingham Forest turned a blip into a crisis and questions are now being asked of Arne Slot.

The Dutchman, for the first time in his Liverpool career, is under pressure to turn his side’s form around. According to Fabrizio Romano on his YouTube channel, however, the Reds are not searching for another manager just yet, even if everyone involved at the club is well aware that the current results cannot go on.

The news will come as a relief for Slot, who clearly has plenty of credit left in the bank after winning the Premier League title in his first season at the club.

There is still no denying that the Red must turn a corner sooner rather than later, though. They currently sit 12th and are on course for one of the worst title defences in Premier League history.

Having spent big in the summer, breaking their transfer record twice, those at Anfield could turn towards the January window to make further, much-needed additions.

Names such as Marc Guehi have continued to steal the headlines on that front, but reports are now claiming that Liverpool are ready to accelerate their talks to sign Goncalo Inacio.

Liverpool ready to accelerate Inacio talks

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool are ready to accelerate their move to sign Inacio from Sporting CP in 2026. The impressive central defender has a release clause worth €80m (£70m) in Portugal, but that looks unlikely to be enough to fend off the interest of those at Anfield.

Xabi Alonso makes decision about Liverpool role if he is sacked by Real Madrid

The Spaniard is also under pressure in Spain.

1 ByTom Cunningham Nov 26, 2025

By signing Inacio, Liverpool would also have the chance to rub salt in the wounds of Ruben Amorim. The Manchester United boss was a big fan of the centre-back at Sporting, telling reporters: “Gonçalo is perfect for the way we play. He can defend aggressively, step up to win the ball, and then start an attack with one pass. His ability to do both phases so well is rare.

“I’ve said it before—Gonçalo has everything to play at the highest level. His technique, his vision, his bravery. He’s brilliant, and he’s still improving every day.”

Minutes

990

976

Progressive Passes

98

45

Successful Aerial Duels

24

42

Ball Recoveries

69

30

It’s also worth noting how impressive Inacio has been compared to Konate this season. If the Frenchman does leave as a free agent next summer, then Inacio would provide Liverpool with the perfect upgrade.

Liverpool launch move to sign "perfect" right-back ahead of Arsenal

Aston Villa are now plotting a £18m bid for a “tremendous” defender, who is also being targeted by Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, with Emiliano Martinez a big fan.

Villa keen on strengthening despite resurgent form

Villa have made major improvements over the past month or so, having won six of their last seven matches in the Premier League, which has propelled them to fourth in the table, and Unai Emery has been impressed by his side’s recent performances.

After the 2-1 victory away at Leeds United last time out, the manager said: “The second half (was) better, but overall, 90 minutes, I am so happy how we competed. Even the first half, we didn’t play brilliant, but we were always trying to set our gameplan on the field, and progressively we did it.”

The Villans went 1-0 down at Elland Road, with Martinez receiving criticism for his goalkeeping in the build-up to Lukas Nmecha’s opening goal.

However, a second-half Morgan Rogers brace turned the game on its head, with the goalkeeper’s blushes being spared, and Aston Villa have now joined the race for one of the Argentinian’s international teammates.

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Villa are now plotting a €20m (£18m) opening offer for River Plate defender Lautaro Rivero, having tracked the centre-back for months, and Martinez has provided positive feedback on his compatriot.

The Villans believe the 33-year-old’s personal relationship with the River Plate star could give them the edge in the race for his signature, despite rival interest from Man City and Tottenham.

Although the Argentinian has a €100m (£88m) release clause in his contract, River Plate would be willing to sanction a departure for considerably less, and there is a belief he could make an instant impact at Villa Park.

"Tremendous" Rivero has earned big Premier League move

Hailed as “tremendous” by journalist Juan Patricio Balbi, the 22-year-old may now be ready to test himself in England, having performed very well over the past year, placing in the 93rd percentile for tackles per 90, compared to other centre-backs, courtesy of averaging 2.27.

Aston Villa make Emiliano Martinez sale decision amid Unai Emery comments

There has been a key update on Martinez’s future, following the goalkeeper pushing for a move during the summer.

By
Dominic Lund

Nov 19, 2025

Villa are arguably well-stocked at centre-back, with Pau Torres and Ezri Konsa forming a reliable partnership as of late, but Tyrone Mings has been unable to put his injury problems behind him, and is potentially in the latter stages of his career at 32-years-old.

Tyrone Mings’ injury record	Games missed
12/08/23 – 30/10/24	70
Remainder of 2024/25	7
2025-26	17

As such, Emery could do with bringing in a younger centre-back, and having recently received his first cap for Argentina, Rivero could be capable of pushing for a starting spot.

Seamer Sami got his maiden five-wicket haul after Zadran’s patient 95 and Nabi’s blazing 62* took Afghanistan to 293

Mohammad Isam14-Oct-2025Afghanistan completed their decimation of Bangladesh, wrapping up a 3-0 ODI series win with a 200-run win in the third game in Abu Dhabi. After managing to put up 293 for 9, they shot out Bangladesh for just 93. Afghanistan’s ODI series win comes by the same margin as Bangladesh’s in the T20Is.After Ibrahim Zadran and Mohammad Nabi bookended Afghanistan’s batting effort with excellent half-centuries, seamer Bilal Sami took his maiden five-wicket haul. But much of the rout came about once again due to Rashid Khan, who took three wickets in his first three overs.Bangladesh’s batters capitulated ad nauseum. They hardly any impact on the contest throughout the series, thus continuing the trend in the third game. The procession started with Mohammad Naim struggled for 23 balls before Azmatullah Omarzai had him caught at slip for 7.Leading up to his dismissal, it was only one-way traffic of runs from the other end. Bangladesh looked like they could get out of some early trouble leaning on Saif Hassan. He didn’t disappoint, scoring heavily in the powerplay with a couple of sixes and a four.However, Najmul Hossain Shanto continued his poor form in ODIs when Sami had him bowled off an inside edge. Saif tried to get Bangladesh out of trouble, but hardly had the strike.Then, as it has often happened, it was the Rashid show. Towhid Hridoy fell on his first ball, unable to read the rapid googly. In the next over, it was Saif who missed the googly by a whisker, the ball sneaking through his bat and pad. He finished as the top-scorer with 43 off 54 balls with two fours and three sixes.Ibrahim Zadran fell for 95•Afghanistan Cricket BoardSami then took his first wicket by getting Mehidy Hasan Miraz caught behind for 6, before Shamim Hossain got run-out next ball. Nurul Hasan had played the Sami delivery towards point, where Nangeyalia Kharote caught Shamim fidgeting out of his crease.Rashid took his third wicket in as many overs when he had Nurul lbw in the 21st over. Bangladesh’s procession continued when Sami added his third by having Tanvir Islam caught-and-bowled in his next over. Rishad became Sami’s fourth victim when he top-edged him to mid-on. Sami took his fifth when Hasan Mahmud holed out in the 28th over.Afghanistan had earlier set themselves up nicely for a big total. Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz sped away to add 99 runs for the first wicket. Gurbaz was, as usual, the enforcer, striking five fours and a scrumptious six in his knock of 42. Zadran wasn’t going to hang back, though, after his sedate 95 in the previous game. He reached his fifty shortly after Gurbaz got out, before adding another 74 runs for the second wicket with Sediqullah Atal.The pair gave Afghanistan the perfect launching pad at 173 for 1 in the 32nd over, but Saif upended their plans at that stage. The part-time offspinner took three wickets in four overs, as Afghanistan lost four wickets for 15 runs in the space of 25 balls.Omarzai struck three fours to keep them afloat, but Afghanistan kept slipping, until they reached 249 for 9 in 48 overs. Nabi was batting at 24 off 25 balls at that stage, but no sooner had Nahid Rana left the ground suddenly after bowling two legal balls in the 49th over that Nabi sprung into action.He struck Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who stepped up to complete Rana’s over, for three sixes in four balls, before pasting Mahmud for a six and three fours in a 19-run last over. Afghanistan picked up 44 runs in the last two overs to upend Bangladesh’s recovery with the ball.

Manchester United came from behind to secure victory over Crystal Palace as Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount emerged as match-winners for Ruben Amorim's side in a 2-1 win on Sunday. Palace led in the first half through a Jean-Philippe Mateta penalty, but the Red Devils came out for the second period a different side, and Zirkzee fired home before Mount struck the winner from the edge of the box to complete the turnaround.

United could have taken an early lead within the first minute, as Dean Henderson made a double save at the feet of Casemiro from point-blank range following a long throw-in. The Brazilian would soon come close to scoring again, too, when he glanced a header wide from a Bruno Fernandes delivery.

That would be as close as United came in the first half, as Palace soon took a strange-hold on proceedings. A defensive mix-up involving Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro saw Mateta run through on goal, only to drag the ball wide, while Senne Lammens saved from Daichi Kamada and Yoro blocked well from Yeremy Pino. But the French defender's naive challenge on fellow countryman Mateta allowed the Eagles striker to give his side the lead from the penalty spot, though it took him two attempts due to a double touch.

With seconds of first-half stoppage time remaining, De Ligt slipped and was bailed out by a last-ditch Luke Shaw block with Eddie Nketiah bearing down on goal, and that would prove to be a turning point in the game.

The Red Devils came out for the second half with purpose and captain Fernandes would be at the centre of all of it, assisting goals for both Zirkzee and Mount from free-kicks. The two finishes were outstanding, as Zirkzee swivelled to fire home from the tightest of angles before Mount struck from the edge of the box to complete the turnaround.

Palace rallied late on, but United defended strongly to see out an outstanding away victory.

GOAL rates United's players from Selhurst Park…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Senne Lammens (6/10):

  Beaten twice by Mateta from the spot but made a couple of important first-half saves to keep United in the game. 

  Leny Yoro (5/10):

  Made a brilliant block from Pino to deny a certain goal, but ruined his own good work with a clumsy challenge to concede the penalty just minutes later. Taken off by Amorim moments after the equaliser, and looked visibly distressed with his own performance on the bench.

  Matthijs de Ligt (5/10):

  Looked far from on his game, particularly during the first half. Mateta had the beating of him way too easily, while his errors presented chances to both the France striker and Nketiah. Defended more resolutely after the break.

  Luke Shaw (7/10):

  Made a great block from Nketiah, though he should not have had the chance. Defended strongly, and a yellow card was the only blot on his display.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Midfield

  Amad Diallo (6/10):

  Did not get forward as much as he would have liked, but the Ivorian continues to be a key cog in Amorim's side and works tirelessly despite his unfamiliarity with the wing-back role.

  Casemiro (6/10):

  Was afforded two big chances and should have got his name on the scoresheet with the game goalless. Struggled to prevent Palace dictating play in the first half but, like many team-mates, improved in the second. 

  Bruno Fernandes (7/10):

  United's goals were all about the finishes, but it was no surprise to see the captain laying on the opportunities. He impacted the outcome of the game and worked hard for his side at both ends of the pitch to see out the victory.

  Diogo Dalot (7/10):

  The Portuguese's long throw caused havoc within the first minute, and he did his primary job well of keeping Munoz quiet in a solid display.

• AFP
  

  Attack

  Bryan Mbeumo (6/10):

  Was not the match-winner on this occasion but always looks a threat. Could have scored on a couple of occasions, only to be foiled by Henderson in goal.

  Joshua Zirkzee (7/10):

  Was quiet in the first half but his equalising goal was outstanding. Taking the ball on his chest, the Dutchman volleyed home from the angle to get his side back in the game.

  Mason Mount (7/10):

  Stepped up when it mattered in the game's defining moment. Profiting from Fernandes' quick free-kick, Mount fired the ball through a non-existent Palace wall and into the bottom corner of the net.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Subs & Manager

  Noussair Mazraoui (6/10):

  Replaced Yoro and defended stoutly with the exception of a moment of madness, where he smashed the ball at Zirkzee and almost saw the ball bounce into the net.

  Lisandro Martinez (N/A):

  Came on in the final 10 minutes to return from a long ACL injury lay-off, and helped see out the victory.

  Kobbie Mainoo (N/A):

  The 20-year-old made a cameo in stoppage time as United secured the win.

  Patrick Dorgu (N/A):

  Came on alongside Mainoo.

  Ruben Amorim (7/10):

  His team were a different side after half-time and showed character to turn things around. His decision to start Zirkzee and Mount certainly paid off, as the pair made a rare start and were instrumental to victory.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been handed another injury doubt ahead of their looming derby clash at home to Tottenham, following the now-confirmed news that star defender Gabriel Magalhaes is set for weeks on the sidelines.

The Gunners welcome Spurs to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday brimming with confidence, as Arteta’s side look to extend their remarkable recent dominance over their fiercest rivals and strengthen their grip atop the Premier League summit.

Arsenal enter the 198th North London derby in commanding form despite a late setback at Sunderland ending their 10-match winning streak. They sit four points clear at the top of the table, and history suggests they’re well-positioned to maintain that advantage.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal have won five of their last six Premier League encounters with Spurs, including three consecutive victories – their longest winning run against Tottenham since the late 80s (The Analyst).

Home advantage has proven decisive in this fixture. Indeed, Arsenal have lost just one of their last 32 home Premier League derbies against Tottenham, winning 19 and drawing 12, with that solitary defeat coming in November 2010 (The Analyst).

The Emirates has become a fortress against their arch rivals, with Arsenal having scored in each of their last 26 home league games against Spurs, netting at least twice in the previous eight meetings.

However, Arsenal have had numerous injury doubts to contend with, as they have for most of this season.

Gabriel is now reportedly set for at least a month on the sidelines after injuring his thigh on international duty with Brazil, with Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus have all been missing recently.

Riccardo Calafiori could miss Tottenham as Arsenal dealt another injury doubt

As well as this, star left-back Riccardo Calafiori, who’s been one of Arsenal’s players of the season so far according to Ray Parlour, was nursing a hip problem on international duty with Italy.

After checks this week, Fabrizio Romano stated that Calafiori is ready to play with no injuries, just ‘overload’, so Arteta’s latest update actually comes as quite a surprising twist.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, via football.london, Arteta says that Calafiori has been unavailable, and they’ll have to wait and see if he can take part against Spurs, pending another Saturday training session.

With Gabriel already ruled out, losing Calafiori would strip Arsenal of their two most versatile defensive options in one fell swoop.

If the former Bologna star is ruled out, Myles Lewis-Skelly is poised to return at left-back, with one of Cristhian Mosquera or Piero Hincapie replacing Gabriel. Calafiori’s been in exceptional form this term, so much so that Lewis-Skelly, one of Hale End’s latest rising stars, has barely got a look-in despite his excellent end to 24/25.

The 23-year-old would be a sore miss for Arteta, who is now facing a real selection headache ahead of one of Arsenal’s biggest games of the year.

DETROIT – “What are the odds?”

Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh shook his head at the improbability. He was talking about the absurd truth that his 61st home run of the year was caught in a crowd of 41,525 people by a Mariners fan wearing a homemade “Dump 61 Here” shirt. A fan who grew up in Washington rooting for the Mariners and now works at—wait for it—a Las Vegas casino. A fan sitting 391 feet away in the opposite field, a distance the other way Raleigh had reached only three times all year.

“That,” Raleigh said, “is crazy.”

Raleigh might well have wondered “What are the odds” that Seattle, the only franchise never to make the World Series, is one win away from playing for a spot in the Fall Classic. (To be specific, at the start of the year the odds of such a thing happening were +1,100, worse than at +900 in 2024 and 2023, when they failed to make the playoffs.)

And what were the odds Raleigh would join Yankee sluggers Aaron Judge, Roger Maris and Babe Ruth as the only players to homer in the postseason after hitting 60 homers in the regular season?

And what were the odds the Mariners would win three games in one year against All-Planet pitcher Tarik Skubal, including a pivotal American League division series Game 2 on Sunday?

Mariners’ secret sauce is the oldest formula for success

It turns out, all the good karma around the Mariners these days has little to do with long odds and everything to do with one of the oldest, surest tenets of winning baseball: pitching. In a game gone crazy over spin and pitch shapes, Mariners pitchers throw more strikes (65.3%), more fastballs (55.5%) and more pitches when ahead in the count (31.2%) than any staff in the American League.

They are flat-out dominating a Detroit Tigers team that doesn’t have nearly the lineup depth or bat-to-ball skills to take on the fury of Seattle’s here-it-is-try-to-hit-it pitchers.

Seattle Game 3 starter Logan Gilbert took the baton from Luis Castillo, who took the baton from George Kirby. In an 8-4 win made close only in garbage time, Gilbert struck out seven batters over six solid innings, tying a Mariners postseason record for most strikeouts without a walk, joining Castillo and Randy Johnson.

In three games the Mariners have held the Tigers to a .165 batting average while striking out 35 batters in 29 innings. Ever since Kerry Carpenter homered in the fifth inning of Game 1, the Tigers have gone homerless in 95 consecutive plate appearances, getting outhomered 5–0. All that with the Mariners’ best starter this year, Bryan Woo, not even on the roster because of injury.

“The most impressive thing about this staff is how crazy-a– tight they are,” said Seattle center fielder Julio Rodriguez. “I mean, they share information together, they eat together, they train together, they do everything together. Listen, they’ve got good [stuff]. Start there. But the way they compete every day and push each other is what helps them to be great.”

Said Raleigh, “I know every team talks about being aggressive and controlling counts. But these guys take it to another level. It makes my job a lot easier.”

Gilbert threw only 22 fastballs, his third fewest of the year, but bamboozled Detroit hitters with a magic show of sliders and splitters so impressive you thought at any moment he would pull a quarter out of the ear of some wide-eyed Tigers hitter. He threw 20 splitters. The Tigers put none of them in play. They swung six times at his menacing butterfly and missed it five times, managing one measly foul ball.

This is a staff with the best pure stuff this side of the Dodgers. Gilbert’s splitter is the hardest single pitch to hit in baseball among starters (.115 opponents’ batting average) and has the lowest spin rate among all splitters (727 rpm). He has the longest extension in baseball (7.5 feet in front of the rubber, matching Tyler Glasnow and Jake Misiorowski).

Castillo throws the second highest percentage of fastballs in MLB (68.2%) while living up to his nickname, (The Rock), given to him years ago by an impressed Reds teammate who watched him throw one bullpen and said, “Man, you are throwing rocks!”

Woo is number one at chucking fastballs (72.8%). Kirby has the greatest strikeout-to-walk rate in history for any starter four years into their career (6.88). Closer Andres Muñoz has the single toughest pitch to hit in the sport, his slider (.103 opponents’ BA). Matt Brash throws more sliders than all but two pitchers (60.6%).

On and on it goes. The Mariners are a pure stuff factory, a staff of outliers. But everything works from a country hardball, old school perspective. No team in baseball throws more first-pitch fastballs than Seattle.

What are the odds? The Mariners are true believers in the 94% Theory: when a pitcher throws an 0–0 pitch in the strike zone, 94% of the time the batter gets out or the pitch is a strike. Get ahead, then go after chase swings. It’s a formula that the Tigers are poorly equipped to defeat with all their swing-and-miss. It’s a team that pinch-hits for its No. 3 hitter.

Raleigh’s first 2025 postseason homer lands with a friendly face

The Tigers also just don’t have the depth of elite arms that the Mariners possess. That was apparent in Game 3 when Seattle just kept tacking on runs, including the homer by Raleigh with a runner at second in the ninth.

“Honestly, I was just trying to get the guy over and I was able to get extended a little more through it,” he said.

The ball bounced in the Seattle bullpen and into the hands of Jameson Turner, a supervisor at the Fontainebleau Casino in Vegas who only the day before bought a ticket for Game 3 and flew here. He had the day off Tuesday and asked for Wednesday off as well.

Turner made his teal “Dump 61 Here” shirt himself, ironing on the vinyl graphics. He made the shirt for the last series of the regular season, when he bought a ticket in the right field seats in Seattle hoping to see Raleigh add to his 60 homers. 

He brought the shirt with him here but could only find a seat in left field.

“I’m like, ‘Okay, well maybe he'll just knock a miracle one back there,’” Turner said. “And I guess that's what happened … When he came up, maybe he saw me and hit it right to me. It was Babe Ruth there.”

When Turner caught the homer, the Mariners relievers laughed themselves upon seeing his shirt.

 “Yeah, they were loving it,” Turner said. “They were just all giving me thumbs up, like they couldn't believe it either.”

The kicker: once Turner caught No. 61, he peeled off his shirt to reveal a like one underneath, only this one read, “Dump 62 Here.” After the game, Turner got to meet his modern Babe Ruth in a hallway outside the Mariners’ clubhouse. Raleigh, clad in shorts and a T-shirt, autographed his shirt.

Major league baseball has been played in Seattle for 50 years, starting with the Pilots in 1969 and the Mariners in 1977. Never has the city seen the World Series. It is the longest drought for a city in baseball. The Mariners have not reached even the league championship series since 2001. But on nights like this, when godwinks happen like Raleigh’s 61st home run landing in the mitts of a Mariners fan wearing 61 in a sea of Tigers fans, it becomes easy for any fan of the team, not just a Vegas casino worker, to believe the odds are not so crazy.

“Well, I grew up in Washington,” Turner said. “I went to games in the Kingdome when I was a little guy and I've been following them more and more as they've been winning more and more.  So, it’s been 24 years since we got to [the ALCS], so now it's pretty exciting.”

The story of No. 61 reads like a fable or a cute bedtime story. But to understand why the Mariners are one win away from playing for the pennant requires baseball boilerplate material: to borrow from Castillo, they throw rocks.

علق آرني سلوت، المدير الفني لنادي ليفربول، على بقاء محمد صلاح كبديل، وذلك قبل لحظات من مباراة الريدز أمام ليدز يونايتد بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

ليفربول يحل ضيفًا بعد قليل على ليدز يونايتد في ملعب إيلانج رود وذلك لحساب منافسات الجولة الرابعة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز في لقاء صعب على رجال سلوت.

وشهد تشكيل ليفربول استمرار تواجد محمد صلاح على مقاعد البدلاء للمباراة الثالثة على التوالي، حيث تواجد الدولي المصري كبديل ضد سندرلاند وضد وست هام يوناتيد كذلك.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تشكيل ليفربول أمام ليدز يونايتد في الدوري الإنجليزي.. موقف محمد صلاح

واعترف سلوت في تصريحات نقلتها شبكة ”Anfield sector”، أن بقاء محمد صلاح كبديل لم يكن سهلًا بالنسبة له، لكنه اتخذ القرار الأصح لفريقه.

وقال سلوت عن بقاء محمد صلاح كبديل: “لم يكن قرارًا سهلًا أبدًا فنحن جميعًا نعرف كم هو لاعب رائع، لكن اختيار التشكيلة التي أعتقد أننا بحاجة إليها اليوم يعود لي أيضًا، لهذا السبب اتخذت هذا القرار”.

وعن الدفع بدومينيك سوبوسلاي في مركز الجناح الأيمن، وما إذا كان الدولي المجري يقدم إضافة أكبر في هذا المركز، أضاف المدرب الهولندي: “الأمر لا يتعلق بنا فقط، بل يتعلق أيضًا بالفريق الذي نواجهه، في آخر مبارياتهم التي شاهدتها صعب ليدز الأمور على مانشستر سيتي في الشوط الثاني ورأيت الأمر نفسه ضد تشيلسي، نحاول التأقلم قدر الإمكان مع قوتهم ونأمل أن نتمكن من إلحاق الهزيمة بهم”.

TORONTO — In the end, the biggest ovation of the night might have come after an out. There had been so much to cheer already as the Blue Jays pecked away at the Dodgers’ lead, their bullpen and their sense of invincibility. Rogers Centre shook after the home runs. It roared at the run-scoring singles. It rocked at the walks and the great plays and the filthy pitches. And in an 11–4 romp over Los Angeles in Canada’s first World Series game in 32 years, there were plenty of those. But it was after Daulton Varsho flied to left field to end the six-hit, nine-run, game-deciding sixth inning that the sellout crowd of 44,353 rose to its feet as one and applauded. 

“The crowd was electric tonight,” said manager John Schneider. “This is a special place to play. Everyone here in this city here, in this building, and across the country, we feel it for sure.”

The fans appreciated what was happening in the first World Series game in Canada since Joe Carter hit the biggest home run in Fall Classic history in 1993, and the first World Series game played by the defending champion since the Phillies tried and failed to make it two straight in 2009. And they appreciated how it was happening, in classic Blue Jays fashion: at-bats that felt like a test of endurance, hard contact up the middle and then devastating slug. No one struck out in the inning (and the Jays were rung up just four times all game). Everyone but Ernie Clement—who drove in the first run of the inning but was erased on a fielder’s choice—scored. Addison Barger added the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history. It marked the most runs scored in a single Fall Classic inning since 1968. Carter is scheduled to throw out the first pitch of Game 2; they should have brought him out early and let him tee off against the Dodgers’ bullpen. 

“I think overall we just played our game,” said Varsho. “We didn’t try to do anything more. Honestly, we just showed everybody what we can do as a lineup.”

Amid sport-wide consternation over whether the Dodgers and their record $329 million payroll are ruining baseball, it was easy to miss just how good a baseball team the Blue Jays are. Sure, the Dodgers’ lineup begins with three Hall of Famers—two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, self-made shortstop Mookie Betts and first baseman Freddie Freeman. (Ohtani is especially unpopular here because he spurned the Blue Jays and chose the Dodgers. This week Schneider jokingly asked him to return the Blue Jays cap and dog jacket the team had given him during the recruiting process.) But the guy hitting third in Toronto, first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., had six home runs and three strikeouts in the first three weeks of October. DH George Springer hit perhaps the second most famous three-run homer in Blue Jays history last week to help the team capture the pennant. And as a group, no one struck out less this season than Toronto. 

The Blue Jays were also enjoying a return by one of their best players: At second base was Bo Bichette, the two-time All-Star shortstop who had not played since suffering a left knee sprain on Sept. 6 and had not played second since he got eight innings there at Triple A Buffalo in 2019. 

He fought furiously to return in time to contribute to this historic run before his free agency dawns this winter, and finally, on the eve of the World Series, he told Schneider he was ready. But in deference to how well his replacement, defensive wizard Andrés Giménez has played, Bichette offered to man second. 

Asked before the game if he could estimate how close to full health he was, Bichette demurred. “I don’t know about a percentage, but I know I’m good enough to play,” Bichette said. “And I feel good enough to produce. So that’s all that matters to me.” The verdict was in soon enough: He got the green light on a 3–0 pitch in the first and singled; he made a running, spinning grab of a grounder in the fourth; and it was his sixth-inning walk that keyed the rally. 

The pitching was good enough to get them there. The Blue Jays joke about their gray-haired rotation—34-year-old Kevin Gausman, 30-year-old Shane Biever, 41-year-old Max Scherzer, 36-year-old Chris Bassitt and 31-year-old José Berríos combined for 78% of the team’s innings from starters—but on Friday it was the youngest man on the roster who took the ball. Trey Yesavage, a 22-year-old who spent more time this season with the Single A Dunedin Blue Jays than with the big club, entered October with 14 major league innings pitched. Toronto manager John Schneider vaguely remembered a “Hey, nice to meet you, kid. Welcome to the organization,” interaction in spring training; L.A. manager Dave Roberts hadn’t heard of the kid until he blanked the Yankees for 5 ⅓ innings in Game 2 of the ALDS. 

Yesavage allowed five runs in four innings against the Mariners in Game 2 of the ALCS and two in 5 ⅔ in Game 5, but Schneider liked that the Dodgers had never seen him before. Yesavage releases the ball from what feels like somewhere in the second deck—7.1 feet in the air compared to the major league average of 5.8 feet—and previous opponents lamented that it took time to adjust to the strange visual. 

It took the Dodgers an inning. Yesavage set down Ohtani, Betts and Freeman in order in the first, but Smith walked, Teoscar Hernández grounded out and Muncy singled to put runners on the corners. Kiké Hernández, as he so often does at this time of year, came through with a single up the middle to plate the first run. Schneider got the bullpen up, but Yesavage—who was navigating the most listless stuff of his young career—induced Ohtani to ground to first to end the threat. An inning later the Dodgers tacked on another on a Smith single. 

Meanwhile, Dodgers ace Blake Snell was making his own adjustments. After escaping a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the first, he tweaked his posture and filled up the strike zone. But in the fourth, he allowed a leadoff 328-foot single to the slow-footed Alejandro Kirk and a first-pitch blast to center by Daulton Varsho to tie the game. It was the first home run Snell had given up to a left-hander all season. 

It looked like it might set the stage for a classic, the sort of pitchers' duel both teams believe they are positioned to win. Instead Bichette opened the sixth inning with that walk, Kirk followed with a single and Snell hit Varsho with a pitch. Out came Roberts. 

All October, the theory had been that the Dodgers’ bullpen was its weakness. This season, the team got 3.2 WAR (ninth in baseball) from its starting pitchers. From the bullpen it got –6.4 WAR, second-worst. Almost no one tested the premise this postseason, though, because the starters pitched so exceptionally. In the two-game, 18-inning wild card series, Roberts called on his relief corps for only 4 ⅓ innings; in the four-game, 38-inning NLDS, that figure was 14 ⅓ (but five of them in Game 3, when they essentially punted); and in the four-game, 36-inning NLCS, just 7 ⅔. 

On Friday, the Blue Jays found out it was true. They handed Snell his worst outing in two years, and then they demolished everyone else who showed up. Emmet Sheehan got one out and gave up three runs. Anthony Banda got two outs and gave up three runs. Justin Wrobleski and Will Klein, the two lowest-leverage arms in the Los Angeles bullpen, each got through an inning mostly because everyone in Toronto seemed to understand that it was time to go home. Even Ohtani sprinted around the bases when he homered in the seventh. When he batted with two outs in the ninth and the game long decided, the fans serenaded him: "We don't need you."

It was true. Ohtani walked, but Betts struck out. The Dodgers will have to wait another day to ruin baseball. First they have to clean up their ruined bullpen. 

MatériaMais NotíciasVer Resumo da matéria por IANa manha desta segunda-feira (10), o Atlético apresentou Pedro Daniel, novo CEO do clube. Ele chega para substituir Bruno Muzzi, que ocupava o cargo desde 2022. Resumo supervisionado pelo jornalista!

Na manha desta segunda-feira (10), o Atlético apresentou Pedro Daniel, novo CEO do clube. Ele chega para substituir Bruno Muzzi, que ocupava o cargo desde 2022.

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Com mais de 20 anos no setor esportivo, Pedro Daniel construiu carreira como consultor, gestor e executivo, especializado em governança, sustentabilidade financeira e reestruturação de instituições esportivas.

Antes de se tornar CEO da SAF do Atlético, foi diretor-executivo de esportes da Ernst & Young na América do Sul e atuou em projetos centrais do futebol brasileiro, como o Fair Play Financeiro, o licenciamento de clubes, o PROFUT e a legislação das SAFs. Sua experiência inclui trabalhos para clubes, FIFA, CONMEBOL e CBF.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Galo agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Atlético-MG

Equilíbrio financeiro, investimentos e resultados

Questionado sobre investimentos e resultados, Pedro Daniel foi direto, e disse que é preciso equilibrar a saúde financeira do clube sem faltar com os resultados.

“Vamos buscar esse equilíbrio em termos financeiros, ser sustentável, sem perder performance. Afinal de contas, aqui é um clube de futebol, a gente vive de resultado. Estamos fazendo diversas reuniões para para entender como é que a gente consegue ser o mais eficiente possível.

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E os aportes? O novo CEO do Atlético também falou sobre os novos investimentos, no entanto apontou que as dívidas e as taxas de juros impactam diretamente nos aportes, deixando em aberto as definições sobre o tema.

“Em termos de estrutura de capital, quando você fala de aporte, a gente está discutindo todas as alternativas possíveis, sabendo que a gente mora num país que a taxa de juros é de 15%. Então a dívida, ela pega muito forte quando a gente pensa em despesa financeira e ela tira o dinheiro do futebol, a gente acaba pagando juros e perde competitividade, perde performance. “

“Então nós estamos trabalhando muito forte para nesse primeiro semestre conseguir ajustar pelo menos essa parte, e para que o futebol seja o menos afetado possível.”

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