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GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in MLS, including a star showing from Jack McGlynn

As U.S. men's national team manager Mauricio Pochettino starts to prepare for the final 10 matches his team will play in the buildup to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, he and his staff will have eyes on the player pool ahead of each FIFA international window. 

With the European season beginning this weekend, there will be a heavy focus on Americans Abroad, but here at home, there are still multiple members of the national team competing domestically in Major League Soccer.

Goalkeeper Matt Turner made his New England Revolution debut, while forward Brian White had a historic evening for the Vancouver Whitecaps, scoring a landmark goal. Then, midfielder Jack McGlynn had the performance of the weekend as he scored twice to lift the Houston Dynamo to a draw. 

Meanwhile, attacker Diego Luna was on the tail-end of a baffling refereeing decision that ultimately proved to be pivotal in the New York Red Bulls' big win over Real Salt Lake.

GOAL looks at the major takeaways from this weekend's USMNT players in MLS.

McGlynn comes up clutch

Deployed in a higher role to begin the match against their eventual 2-2 draw with Austin FC at the weekend, Jack McGlynn looked a bit uncomfortable being forced into attacking positions he was not used to. Come the second half, manager Ben Olsen moved him into a deeper-lying midfield role, and from there, he flourished.

He scored two late goals, one from the penalty spot and one from the edge of the box with his trademark left foot to secure a draw for his club, coming up big as a leader in the contest. It was a reminder of why he shouldn't be played on the wing, and a reminder that even at 22, he's a reliable playmaker in this league and a contender for the national team.

Across 90 minutes, he created eight chances, registered 21 passes across the final third, completed 54 of his 59 pass attempts, and registered five defensive ball recoveries in the match. It brought his season total to five goals this season, while in 20 regular-season appearances, he's added another five assists along the way.

The 22-year-old, following a 2025 Gold Cup selection, now has 11 caps with the USMNT, where he's bagged three goals along the way. Poch is surely watching.

AdvertisementImagnLuna bewildered

Let’s get into it. There’s a case to be made that Luna’s dismissal was warranted – there was contact from both players – but it still doesn’t sit right. In Real Salt Lake’s 2-1 loss to the New York Red Bulls, Luna picked up yellow cards in the 83rd and 85th minutes, leading to his ejection. The controversy stems from VAR later ruling the second yellow a refereeing error.

Here’s the clip.

In the 85th minute, Luna was handed his second yellow card of the match for a scuffle in the corner that saw both him and Kyle Duncan fall to the floor. After Luna's dismissal, VAR recommended that the play be looked at for serious foul play by Duncan on Luna, and after review, Duncan was handed a straight red card for the offense. However, yellow cards are not reviewable offenses, so Luna's dismissal was not reversible, despite VAR deeming it to be an error.

Now, that's not to say VAR deemed the yellow to be an error (because they can't, it's not reviewable), but they clearly stated that the foul offense for the flag being raised and the whistle being blown was due to violent conduct by Duncan.

Surely RSL will look to appeal this, but RBNY also went on to win the match in stoppage time. Any reversal now doesn't change that. 

White hits the big 100

The Vancouver Whitecaps fell to the San Jose Earthquakes over the weekend, losing 2-1 in a stoppage-time defeat, but White had himself a night up top for the Canadian side. 

The 29-year-old scored his 100th professional goal, bringing his 2025 season total for Vancouver up to 12 goals. The strike itself was nothing short of sublime. He took the ball out of the air with a world-class touch and dribbled off to his left, beating a defender, before loftily chipping the ball past the goalkeeper into the right side of the net.

White hasn't had quite the scoring streak he started the season with of late, but his influence for Vancouver has been nothing short of monumental this season. Following a Gold Cup selection, he's building off it nicely with some solid play domestically.

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Getty Images SportMoments you might have missed

+ Goalkeeper Matt Turner made his New England Revolution debut, keeping a clean sheet and making four saves.

+ U.S. youth international Zavier Gozo scored the lone goal in RSL's defeat. He is expected to be a part of the U20 World Cup roster in September.

+ Senior team defender Tim Ream logged 90 minutes and kept a clean sheet as Charlotte FC stunned FC Cincinnati and MVP candidate Evander. Ream kept a 96.4 passing percentage in the match.

+ U.S. youth international Darren Yappi scored a brace as the Colorado Rapids defeated Minnesota United 2-1 on Sunday. Yappi, a traditional striker, played in a wide role and flourished.

The highest-paid coach in world football is already under pressure after a disappointing start to the 2025-26 campaign

When Clement Lenglet came to face the press after Atletico Madrid had been cruelly knocked out of last season's Champions League on penalties by city rivals Real, the Frenchman admitted that the team-mates he'd just left behind in the dressing room at the Metropolitanto were still in a "state of shock".

However, despite the agonising nature of the last-16 elimination, Lenglet was defiant. Atleti had been the better side, winning 1-0 on the night to force a shootout that had effectively been decided by the ludicrous 'double-touch' rule that has since been changed, and he was quick to point out that Diego Simeone's side still had a Copa del Rey semi-final second leg against Barcelona to look forward to.

"We produced a massive performance from start to finish," the Frenchman told . "I think we deserved [to win] as a team, a club, for the fans and their support, which helped us a lot. But we will handle the blow to our morale in the days ahead. We have a lot of work left to do, we have important things to play for; the season doesn't end today."

In a way, though, it did. Atletico never really recovered from their desperately unfortunate Champions League elimination. And they still haven't, in fact.

Indeed, a club that once again spent big in the summer transfer window has made another slow start to their La Liga season, meaning questions are already being asked as to whether Atletico are really getting their money’s worth out of an expensively assembled squad and the world’s highest-paid coach…

AFPClub built in the coach's image

Atletico's decision to give Diego Simeone a history-making contract extension in November 2023 felt entirely logical at the time. The Argentine was – and still is – an icon at the Metropolitano, having lifted eight trophies with a club that was in total disarray when he took over in 2011.

Atleti winning the Spanish title in 2013-14 – while at the same time reaching the final of the Champions League – ranks as one of the great coaching achievements of the modern era, given the quality of the opposition. Since then, Simeone has only become even more synonymous with Atletico, so much so, in fact, that it's hard to think of another side that so perfectly personifies its coach.

At their very best, the Rojiblancos are utterly relentless, never giving anything less than 100 percent in their aggressive pursuit of success. As Antoine Griezmann said recently, it's not easy to play for Atletico because Simeone demands as much effort, pride and passion from his players as he does from himself. 

AdvertisementGetty ImagesAlvarez's arrival

It was clear even at the time of the renewal, though, that Atletico had to spend even more money on the squad than they had on re-signing Simeone. The team was ageing and lacking a cutting edge. So, an initial €75 million (£65m/$87.5m) of the €188m (£163m/$220m) spent during the summer of 2024 went towards convincing Manchester City to part company with Argentine attacker Julian Alvarez.

It was a deal that raised eyebrows all across Europe, but the World Cup winner has proven excellent value for money, scoring 30 goals in 58 appearances in all competitions. The problem for Simeone, though, is that the arrival of Alvarez hasn't solved all of Atleti's problems. 

Spain international Robin Le Normand has been a good addition to the defence, Norwegian striker Alexander Sorloth has played the role of super-sub well, while Conor Gallagher's versatility has come in useful on several occasions. Last season, though, Atletico turned out to be less than the sum of their parts.

AFP'We are close'

Things looked to have clicked midway through the season when they embarked upon a club-record, 14-game winning streak that saw them overhaul Barcelona at the top of the Liga standings. However, Atleti's form nosedived during the second half of the season and what little hope they had left of winning the title effectively ended on the night of March 16, when they blew a 2-0 lead at home to leaders Barca by conceding four times in the final 18 minutes of play.

When they lost at home again to the Catalans in the Copa del Rey on April 2, the Rojiblancos had nothing left to play for during the final six weeks of the season. The hope was that Atleti might restore some pride at the Club World Cup, but they were, as Simeone said, "doomed" to an embarrassing group-stage exit after being routed 4-0 by Paris Saint-Germain in their tournament-opener. Even then, though, he was looking on the bright side, arguing that Atleti's elimination had merely helped to illustrate the squad's shortcomings.

"We’re not in the same league as PSG and Botafogo," he claimed, rather bizarrely bringing the Brazilians into the argument, "but we got the same number of points as the Libertadores and Champions League winners and we're out.

"That's the beautiful thing about football: it tells you that we’re close, but we’re always just a little bit short. We are calm, though, because we are more than clear about what needs to be improved and this helps us to do so."

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Getty Images'Needs to take another step'

Consequently, despite the desperately disappointing nature of the trophy-less 2024-25 campaign, Atletico were more than willing to back Simeone again during this summer's transfer window.

There may not have been a statement signing made to match that of Alvarez, but the Rojiblancos have still forked out another €190m (£165m/$220m) on new players, including Alex Baena, Thiago Almada, Johnny Cardoso, David Hancko and Giacomo Raspadori – meaning Simeone was in a very positive mindset ahead of Atleti's season opener at Espanyol on Sunday.

"I'm very happy," he told reporters last week. "I'm happy where I am. I still have the energy that the position I occupy requires. I know the consequences, good, regular, and bad, of where I am.

"The team has evolved enormously, and the team needs to evolve accordingly. In recent years, the team has grown more than the club; then, the club matched the team; then, the club grew more, but the team didn't. So, now, the team needs to take another step to match the club's current position."

Sunday, though, felt like a very significant step backwards.

Sergino Dest, Tim Weah also back on the roster, but U.S. squad has several notable absences for the September matches

USMNT squad announced for upcoming friendliesPulisic leads returning starsMcKennie among those omittedFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Christian Pulisic is back in the U.S. men's national team squad for the upcoming friendlies against South Korea and Japan.

U.S. Soccer announced the latest squad on Tuesday, and it features Pulisic after the AC Milan star controversially skipped this summer's Gold Cup. The roster includes 12 players who were involved during this summer's tournament, while also including four players seeking their first caps.

That quartet includes goalkeepers Roman Celentano and Jonathan Klinsmann, son of former USMNT boss Jurgen, as well as Augsburg centerback Noahkai Banks and Vancouver Whitecaps defender Tristan Blackmon.

Also returning to the team are regulars Sergino Dest, Tim Weah and Josh Sargent, who were all out of the Gold Cup squad, while Alejandro Zendejas is also back in the attacking group for the first time in 2025.

Overall, 12 players represent MLS clubs, while 10 play at the club level in Europe. A total of 22 players have been rostered, with one addition to be confirmed. Players will begin reporting to New Jersey on Aug. 31.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesSQUAD IN FULL

GOALKEEPERS: Roman Celentano (FC Cincinnati), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Jonathan Klinsmann (Cesena/ITA) 

DEFENDERS: Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Noahkai Banks (FC Augsburg), Tristan Blackmon (Vancouver Whitecaps), Sergino Dest (PSV Eindhoven), Alex Freeman (Orlando City), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace) 

MIDFIELDERS: Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps), Luca de la Torre (San Diego FC), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo), Sean Zawadzki (Columbus Crew) 

FORWARDS: Damion Downs (Southampton), Christian Pulisic (AC Milan), Josh Sargent (Norwich), Tim Weah (Marseille), Alex Zendejas (Club America) 

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

There are several notable absences, including several due to injury. Patrick Agyemang, Gio Reyna and Malik Tillman have yet to play at the club level this season after making big transfers this summer, while Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi and Antonee Robinson only recently returned from injuries that forced absences.

Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah and Tanner Tessmann are among the notable omissions in midfield, while Joe Scally was once again left out of the team after missing the Gold Cup.

Haji Wright, among the Championship's best players this season, was also left out. Goalkeeper Matt Turner, who recently transferred back to MLS, was also excluded. The New England Revolution do play through the international break, however, which seems to be Turner's best chance at minutes at the moment.

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Getty Images SportWHAT POCHETTINO SAID

“We continue to strengthen the squad and narrow in on the pool of players who can help us achieve our goals at the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” said Pochettino. “We have a number of players just returning from injuries or who have had very limited minutes in the last couple months, so they can take this moment to continue to build fitness and sharpness for the upcoming opportunities in the fall."

Gianluigi Donnarumma has officially completed his move to Manchester City from Paris Saint-Germain for £26 million ($35m).

Italy international signs five-year contractHe replaces Fenerbahce-bound EdersonWill compete with Trafford for No. 1 spotFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Italy goalkeeper has signed a five-year contract at the Etihad Stadium with an optional extra year. The 26-year-old has big shoes to fill after Ederson departed for Fenerbahce following eight glorious years with Pep Guardiola's side and is a different profile to the type of goalkeeper the coach normally prefers. But he has a huge amount of experience, having played at the highest level for a decade and winning top titles at club and international level.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Donnarumma became the second youngest goalkeeper ever to play Serie A when he made his debut for AC Milan aged 16 years and 242 days. He played 215 matches for Milan, winning the Supercoppa Italiana in 2016, before moving to PSG in 2021. He won 10 trophies in the French capital including helping the club win the Champions League last season for the first time ever as they completed a treble.

Donnarumma is the youngest goalkeeper to play for Italy, making his debut aged 17. He has 74 caps and played a pivotal role in his country winning the European Championship in 2021, also being named Player of the Tournament and later winning the Yashin Trophy at the 2021 Ballon d’Or award ceremony.

WHAT DONNARUMMA SAID

Donnarumma told City's official website: "To have signed for Manchester City is such a special and proud moment for me. I am joining a squad packed with world-class talent and a team led by the one of the greatest managers in the history of football in Pep Guardiola. This is a club every player in world football would love to join. I have admired watching Manchester City for many years – so to now be able to play for the club is a huge honour and a privilege. I cannot wait to meet my new teammates, the staff and the fans. Playing at the Etihad Stadium will be very, very special for me. I am very excited for what lies ahead and can promise that I will give absolutely everything to try and help the Club achieve even more success."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Donnarumma, who will wear the number 99 for City, is the club's seventh signing of the summer and the third goalkeeper they have brought in after James Trafford and Marcus Bettinelli.

Fabio Silva is set to spend weeks on the sidelines as a persistent muscle injury deprived him of his Bundesliga debut last week.

Fabio Silva out for four weeks Player struggling with injuryDortmund unaware about injury's severityFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Dortmund signed Silva in a €20m (£17m/$23m) deal from Premier League side Wolves at the end of the summer window. The Portuguese striker was set to make his debut in Dortmund's win over Union Berlin but complications arose as the club found out about the severity of his injury. The 23-year-old has now been ruled out for four weeks with adductor problem, which the club was reportedly unaware of before signing him.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Silva was signed by Wolves from Porto in 2020 but was not able to make much impression under then manager Gary O'Neil and was sent out on loan to Anderlecht, PSV, Rangers and Las Palmas before his permanent switch to Germany. The Bundesliga club signed him as backup for Serhou Guirassy but this transition will now take time as Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl claims the club are unaware of his return date.

WHAT KEHL SAID

Kehl on Silva's injury crisis said: "Fabio suffered a muscle injury in the summer and is still recovering. Therefore, he and we will use the international break to get him fit enough to help us. We'll have to see how long it takes."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR DORTMUND?

According to Silva could be out for a month with the injury, meaning coach Niko Kovac will have to rely on his "life-insurance", Guirassy, and youngster Maximilian Beier to lead the attack. Dortmund are set to Heidenheim next in the league before they face Juventus in their Champions League opening fixture on September 17.  

Arsenal are reportedly in line for shows on Netflix or Apple TV, which could feature players and 'celebrity crossovers'. Gunners fans got a taste of a fly-on-the-wall documentary of how Mikel Arteta's side fared in the 2021-22 season, in which they were the youngest team in the Premier League. A few years on, more opportunities to pop up on the small screen could happen following a board reshuffle.

Big board shake-up at Arsenal

According to the, an Emirates Stadium expansion, Arsenal stars featuring in high-profile TV productions, and greater transfer spending power are on the club's agenda after a 'mighty' board shake-up 'out of the blue'. Last week, the north London team sent an internal email announcing that executive vice-chair Tim Lewis was leaving after 18 years at the club, while four new non-executive directors have come in. One of those will be looking to utilise the power of TV and marketing to elevate Arsenal's brand, which includes the potential for Netflix or Apple TV shows, featuring 'players and celebrity crossovers'.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALArsenal fans' appetite whet by Amazon show

was released on Amazon Prime Video in August 2022 and was a big hit with fans as Arteta's side began their slow ascent towards being Premier League title challengers again. Actor and Arsenal fan Daniel Kaluuya narrated the series, which featured eight episodes on the 2021-22 campaign. While supporters lapped up the extra access, not everyone at the club felt the same way, though. Indeed, captain Martin Odegaard seemingly did not enjoy having a camera put in front of him so often.

He said in 2021: "I must admit that it's not my favourite thing to have cameras everywhere. You automatically think a bit more about what you are saying when there are cameras there, but the crew is discreet."

Arteta, who was once one of Pep Guardiola's assistants at Manchester City, admitted he didn't know Arsenal would be putting on such a show.

"I experienced it a few years ago when I was at Man City and we are going to help as much as possible, for everybody to see what this club means and how things are done at the football club," he said.

Arsenal get Hollywood interest

One of those four directors who have come on board at Arsenal is Hollywood producer and director Ben Winston, who has 'stolen' the headlines. The 43-year-old was an executive producer at , the Grammy Awards, and the Friends Reunion. To many, this seems a strange choice to take on someone who does not appear to have a footballing background as Arsenal aim to end their 21-year wait for the Premier League title.

The son of professor and TV presenter Robert Winston has worked with celebrities such as Elton John, Adele, Harry Styles, Justin Bieber, and the Kardashians; plus, David Beckham and Tom Cruise are said to be among his friends.

Winston has reportedly been an Arsenal season ticket holder for 33 years, and 20 years ago, he started his British production company, Fulwell 73, in nearby Islington. The Gunners are looking to become 'more visible globally', particularly in the United States, and he could help with that. 

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AFPCrunch fixtures lie ahead for Arsenal

While Winston is said to have already had preliminary talks with co-chairman Josh Kroenke and Arteta, he will also be hoping that Arsenal can start delivering on the pitch after a start to the season where the critics are beginning to circle.

Arteta has been accused of putting the "handbrake" on when facing Liverpool and Man City this season; games they lost 1-0 and drew 1-1, respectively. First up for the Gunners is a trip to Newcastle United, a team that have beaten the north London outfit on their last four meetings at St James' Park.

After Sunday's trip to the Magpies, they return to Champions League action on Wednesday at home to Olympiacos, before entertaining lowly London neighbours West Ham on October 4 in their final game before the international break. The league games in particular may be must-win ones already, as Liverpool hold a five-point gap after just five matches.

Despite the pitch assisting spin, the legspinner came on only in the tenth over of Daredevils’ innings

Dustin Silgardo10-May-2018Why was Rashid Khan’s entry delayed?On a slow pitch that was offering some grip, Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Kane Williamson may have thought about bringing on legspinner Rashid Khan early, especially after Delhi Daredevils lost two early wickets to spin. But Rashid has made it clear that he prefers bowling to right-handers than left-handers, and the statistics tell you why. He’s been going at nearly 10 an over against left-handers, compared to just over six an over to right-handers. So, with Rishabh Pant at the crease, and the rest of the Daredevils line-up packed with right-handers, Rashid was held back till the 10th over. The Sunrisers fast bowlers were successful with their ploy of bowling wide slower balls to Pant in the first game between these sides, and were charged with doing the same again.ESPNcricinfo LtdHarshal Patel gets promotedAfter the Powerplay, it seemed like Daredevils would target a score of between 140 and 160 on the slow surface. But once they lost their third wicket, they chose to send in allrounder Harshal Patel as a pinch-hitter. Daredevils were guided, perhaps, as much by the form of their specialist batsmen as by Harshal’s abilities. Maxwell has struggled and has been shifting up and down the order. He’s been dismissed four times by spinners, so Daredevils may have wanted to use him as a specialist finisher. Vijay Shankar was the other option, but he had really struggled against spinners, managing just 25 runs off the 29 balls he’d faced. In contrast, Shankar had struck at 200-plus against pace. So, the plan was to keep Shankar and Maxwell for the death and hope Harshal could get some quick runs in the middle overs. He made 24 off 17 balls.

Mohammed Shami triggered a dramatic Australian collapse, but the target proved a challenge in Mumbai

Hemant Brar17-Mar-20232:41

Jaffer: When he’s on song, Rahul is a treat to watch

KL Rahul might have had trouble in Test cricket of late, but he once again proved his worth as an ace No. 5 batter in ODIs with a high-quality half-century in tough batting conditions to give India the series lead in Mumbai.Chasing 189 on a seamer-friendly surface at the Wankhede Stadium, India were reduced to 16 for 3 and then 39 for 4 during a near-unplayable spell of fast, swing bowling from Mitchell Starc. It soon became 83 for 5, before Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja soaked up the pressure during their unbroken stand of 108 to finish the chase in the 40th over. Rahul was unbeaten on 75 off 91, and Jadeja 45 off 69, as India extended their winning streak in ODIs to eight games and ended Australia’s run on six matches.Before the Australian quicks tested the Indian batters, Mohammed Shami had triggered a startling collapse. He took three wickets in 11 deliveries and conceded only eight runs during a three-over spell with a slightly old ball. Despite Mitchell Marsh smashing 81 off 65 balls at the top of the order, Australia crashed from 129 for 2 in the 20th over to 188 all out in the 36th.In the afternoon, Hardik Pandya, standing in as captain for Rohit Sharma who had family commitments, had asked Australia to bat in the Mumbai heat. Despite missing David Warner (elbow injury) and Alex Carey (unwell), the visitors had a long batting line-up with Marcus Stoinis at No. 8, followed by Sean Abbott and Starc.Mohammed Siraj landed the first punch in the second over of the innings. After getting beaten on the outside edge twice and cramped for room as well, Travis Head gave Siraj the charge and played on.Both Shami and Siraj found movement in the air and off the pitch but struggled with their lines, straying on to the pads and also down the leg side. Rahul, who kept wicket even though Ishan Kishan was in the XI, was impressive behind the stumps, diving full length to his left for one-handed takes on a couple of occasions.1:58

Jaffer, Tait impressed by Hardik’s risk-taking appetite as captain

While Marsh and Steven Smith did not middle every ball and were beaten a few times, they found the boundary with high frequency. In the first ten overs, there were ten fours and a six. Hardik cut short Smith’s innings on 22; a leaping Rahul catching an attempted cut with both hands.Marsh looked imperious. Returning from ankle surgery and playing this series as a specialist batter, he reached 50 off 51 balls and then decided to go even harder. He had brought up the milestone with a four off Kuldeep Yadav and celebrated it with another boundary next ball. He then deposited Jadeja beyond long-on before dishing out more punishment to Kuldeep, hitting him for a four and six off successive balls in the 19th over.Marsh hit Jadeja for another boundary in the next over before miscuing the next one to short third. Three overs later, Jadeja held on to an excellent catch, diving to his right from a squarish short third to dismiss Marnus Labuschagne off Kuldeep.Those two wickets reduced the run flow but it was Shami who changed the complexion of the game. Having bowled just three overs with the new ball, he returned in the 28th over and still got the ball to move around. And he swung the game in India’s favour by bowling a Test-match line and length.The third delivery of Shami’s second spell disappeared for a six over square leg, but he beat Josh Inglis next ball. India even wasted a review, thinking Inglis was caught behind. Shami then got his man the ball after that, when Inglis chased a wide ball with minimal footwork and chopped on.Shami’s next two overs were wicket maidens. Cameron Green was the next to fall; Shami pinging the top of off stump with a ball that moved away just enough to beat the outside edge of the forward defence.He could have had Stonis immediately too, but Shubman Gill spilled a chance at first slip. He had earlier dropped Green as well off Kuldeep – a much tougher chance, low to the right at first slip. Gill, however, made amends by plucking one to his left in Shami’s next over to get rid of Stoinis.Soon after, Jadeja had Glenn Maxwell caught at short midwicket and Siraj picked up two wickets without conceding a run off his last ten balls to wrap up Australia’s innings.Mitchell Starc dismissed Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav off successive balls•BCCIIf anyone thought India’s chase of 189 would be easy, they were in for a shock. Stoinis struck the first blow in the second over, trapping Kishan lbw to prolong his run of poor scores. From the other end, Starc showed just why he is such a force in the ODI format, swinging the ball in both directions at searing pace to rip out three wickets. Virat Kohli played around an inswinger and was lbw. Suryakumar Yadav was beaten by pace and trapped in front as well, on his first ball.Gill seemed to be living a charmed life. He was dropped on 2 by Inglis off Starc, and a couple of outside edges went past second slip. Gill kept playing on-the-up shots, and one of those off Starc was caught by Labuschagne at backward point.Only when Hardik joined Rahul in the middle did India get some stability; they added 44 runs for the fifth wicket before Hardik was caught at deep square leg off Stoinis.Australia seemed to have the upper hand at that point, but Rahul and Jadeja denied them. With the asking rate never an issue, the two could afford to take their time. Scoring mainly in singles, they took India to 150 in the 35th over. Rahul then hit Adam Zampa for a four and six in one over that also featured four wides. A few moments later, Jadeja hit Starc for two fours in three balls to seal the game.It was yet another perfect comeback for Jadeja since his knee surgery. He was the Player of the Match in the first Test in Nagpur, and now in his first white-ball game since August 2022, his all-round show – two wickets, a catch, and an unbeaten 45 – earned him yet another Player-of-the-Match award.

Five people have been handed suspended prison sentences for racially abusing Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior, say La Liga.

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Vinicius Jr racially abused at 2022 gameFive handed suspended prison sentencesSeen as a "milestone" ruling by La LigaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Brazil international appeared to receive racist abuse during a Madrid game against Real Valladolid at Jose Zorilla stadium in September 2022. BBC Sport states the Provincial Court of Valladolid gave the five offenders a one-year prison sentence, with a three-year suspended sentence. La Liga have described this as an "unprecedented milestone" in the fight against racism in sport in Spain.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT LA LIGA SAID

La Liga said in a statement: "Thanks to the efforts of La Liga, which filed the complaint and initially acted as the sole private prosecution – later joined by the player Vinicius and Real Madrid, as well as the Public Prosecutor's Office – this exemplary ruling has been achieved. This judicial decision represents an unprecedented milestone in the fight against racism in sport in Spain, where, until now, rulings had addressed conduct against moral integrity with a racial aggravating factor. The fact that this ruling explicitly refers to hate crimes associated with racist insults reinforces the message that intolerance has no place in football."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Vinicius Jr has repeatedly been the subject of racist abuse by fans in Spain over the years, with the winger saying racism is "normal" in the country's top division. But according to La Liga, this ruling shows that racist insults in a football stadium have been condemned as a hate crime in Spain for the first time, and may cause culprits of such acts to think twice.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

While Vinicius Jr prepares to play for Madrid in their final La Liga game of the season against Real Sociedad this weekend, the five offenders in the racism case are not allowed to attend any matches in the next three years.

Victory over Durham ends five-game losing streak

ECB Reporters Network04-Jun-2023Leicestershire Foxes ended a five-game losing run in the Vitality Blast to secure their first win of the campaign, beating Durham by seven wickets at Seat Unique Riverside.Josh Hull was the star of the game with the ball for the Foxes, claiming three wickets for 35 in just his second game, to help limit the home side to 168 for 9 from their 20 overs. Ollie Robinson top-scored for Durham with a career-best 69 not out and was supported by 46 from Ashton Turner, but their total appeared par at best at the halfway stage.Nick Welch and Lewis Hall provided a strong platform for the visitors to put them ahead of the rate. Durham debutant Luke Robinson threatened to drag his team back into the match with two wickets. But Louis Kimber smashed fifty from 27 balls on his way to a career-best unbeaten 55 to secure the win for Leicestershire with 12 balls to spare.The Foxes made a solid start with the ball and limited the Durham openers to only 19 from the opening three overs. Hull then arrived into the attack and made immediate inroads, bursting through Alex Lees’ defences before Graham Clark knicked off to hand the left-armer his first two T20 wickets.Robinson countered against Hull’s second over, scoring three fours in a row, to allow the hosts to move to 40 for 2 at the end of the powerplay. Michael Jones struggled for timing and in his bid to cut loose he presented Naveen-ul-Haq with his first wicket, picking out Rehan Ahmed at point.Turner provided the foil that Robinson needed to add impetus to the Durham innings, raising the run rate, with an impressive array of shots around the ground. Turner found his range to score the first six of the match, sweeping Ahmed over mid-wicket.The England man went wicketless as the Durham batters targeted the leg-spinner to move the hosts into a strong position heading into the closing overs. Robinson highlighted his excellent Blast form, scoring his third fifty in four innings. Turner and Robinson shared a partnership worth 80 before Hull returned to prise out the Australian lbw for a 25-ball knock of 46.Naveen and Shah combined to halt the Durham charge beyond 170, despite a career-best from Robinson, as the final two overs cost just 14 runs.The Foxes made a rapid start to the run chase as Hill and Nick Welch capitalised on loose bowling in the powerplay, racing to their fifty stand in the fifth over. Welch blasted 30 off 15 balls, but Wayne Parnell found his inside edge to stop the Leicestershire assault.Debutant Luke Robinson enjoyed an immediate impact, striking with his third ball to bowl Hill for 25, offering the home side a way back into the contest. The 19-year-old notched his second wicket as Rishi Patel picked out Lees to put the pressure back on the Foxes. But, the visitors responded as skipper Ackermann used his experience to find gaps in the field to move his team back in line with the required rate.Kimber joined his skipper and struck the ball cleanly to allow the Foxes to surge towards the victory total, reaching their fifty partnership in just 28 balls. Kimber took on the mantle to power his team over the line with his second T20 blast fifty, smashing three sixes, including a huge strike off Parnell into the pavilion, getting Leicestershire off the mark in the competition.