Month: August 2023

Cy Goddard has joined Odisha FC on a one-year deal as the clubs Asian signing for the upcoming season.
Born on April 2, 1997, in London, CY joined the Tottenham Hotspur Academy. He went on to spend five years at the academy focusing on his development with the U18 and U21 sides.
Goddard joined Benevento Calcio on a three-year deal in 2018 where he made his senior debut against Spezia. He later moved to Hero ISL side Mumbai City FC on a year-long loan deal where he made his debut for the Islanders against NorthEast United FC.
CY scored his first professional goal in a 6-1 win over Odisha FC. He went on to do the double with MCFC later that year. Goddard made nineteen appearances for the Islanders. 
A move to the Central Coast Mariners beckoned for CY as he completed a move to the A-League side on a 2-year deal. Post his transfer Goddard made his debut for the Mariners in their opening game against the Newcastle Jets and scored the 2nd goal of the game which ended in a 2-1 win over the Jets.
Goddard scored his second goal for the Australian side in a 2-0 win over the Western Sydney Wanderers.
In 2022, CY joined USL Championship side Detroit CIty.
The club is delighted to welcome CY to the squad and wishes him the best for the upcoming season.
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In the semi-final match of the 132nd Durand Cup, which took place on Tuesday at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan, where East Bengal overcame a two-goal deficit to defeat NorthEast United FC 5-3 on penalties and earn a spot in the final, a shameful incident took place.
East Bengal FC were thrown into disarray as news spread of a violent assault on NorthEast United FC fans. Fans of NorthEast United FC said that during the incident, which took place immediately after East Bengal FC won the semi-final, fans of the Red & Gold brigade threw things at them and shouted them racist slurs. The incident took place directly after the game.
According to multiple reports, the wave of violence is believed to have started with racial comments. The military presence who were at the game helped the NEUFC fans to exit the field soon after situations were being heated up.
Heres what the club said in their official statement regarding the matter.
NorthEast United FC are deeply disturbed by the recent incident of racism, hooliganism & violence directed towards some of our fans during the Durand Cup semi-final match against East Bengal FC at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on Tuesday. Racism has no place in football, or in any aspect of life, and we unequivocally condemn such behaviour.
Our fans are an integral part of our team, and we stand united against any form of discrimination. Wed like to thank the Indian Army and the local police officials for taking swift action against the perpetrators. We are also grateful to them for providing adequate protection to our fans and escorting them to their desired location.
NorthEast United FC is committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all fans, regardless of their background. To our fans, we want you to know that we stand by you. Your passion and unwavering support makes our club special, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that you can enjoy our matches without fear of discrimination.
After NorthEast United FCs official statement, a number of East Bengal supporters took to Twitter (X) to discuss what actually happened, pointing out that the acts of both sidesrather than those of any one of themwere what led to the creation of such circumstances.
Heres what East Bengal fans have tweeted.
Hopefully you guys also give a statement against your own fans for “Bangladeshi” racist slurs
Sayak Dipta Dey (@sayakdd28) August 30, 2023
@NEUtdFC great to see it but didn’t knowing the fact do not conduct any statement your fans showing us middle finger when 2-0 up if you showing middle finger to home ground club then you think ur fans will gesture by flowers?? At first know the behind the scene then go out .
Pritam Majumdar (@PritamM84507853) August 30, 2023
Where were you guys when your so called pure innocent fans called east bengal fans “Bangladeshi” ????
Number 5 (@souvik_stark) August 30, 2023
AIFF Secretary General Shaji Prabhakaran also tweeted regarding the matter.
Saddened to read this. We will take up this matter. We have a zero tolerance on this. We have to do everything possible to completely eliminate these kinds of issues from Indian Football. https://t.co/v6rNO31i7I
Shaji Prabhakaran (@Shaji4Football) August 30, 2023
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Shaheen Afridi had begun his Asia Cup 2023 campaign with a fiery display, putting the Nepal’s batting lineup under instant pressure by claiming two wickets in the very first over of the innings. His menacing opening spell made it difficult for the Nepal batters throughout, who were tasked with chasing a mammoth 343-run target in the opening game of the tournament in Multan. However, as the Nepal innings approached the 10-over mark, an unsettling sight unfolded for Pakistan supporters.
Shaheen Afridi in action for Pakistan(AFP)
Afridi, surrounded by the team’s doctor and physiotherapist, was seen walking off the field; while the nature of his departure was not immediately clear, the episode did raise concerns among the Pakistan fans.
Afridi had marked his return from a knee injury earlier this year during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in February. A pivotal figure in the Pakistan msquad, his presence is instrumental in the star-studded pace trio with Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf being the other two bowlers. Hence, the sight of his departure mid-match sparked apprehension, particularly with a crucial clash against arch-rivals India looming and the impending ODI World Cup adding to the stakes. A recurrence of injury, as experienced last year, could deal a significant blow to Pakistan’s aspirations.
The commentators on-air, Andy Flower and Waqar Younis also looked concerned as Afridi stood near the boundary line with the team doctor talking to him. If there’s a problem with Afridi, they shouuld take him off. He’s a valuable asset for the Pakistan side, Flower said on-air.
Waqar, meanwhile, looked more concerned about Afridi’s fitness; being a former fast bowler himself, the Pakistan legend insisted that it could indeed be a cause of concern if both, the physio and the doctor were surrounding the pacer.
I don’t mind physio around a fast bowler at third man or fine leg. But when the doctor comes, that’s when it gets a little worrying. Shaheen has both of them around him, said Waqar.
However, Shaheen did return to the field a few overs later, signifying that the pacer might have just left the play to get a breather. The left-arm pacer bowled five-successive overs in hot conditions in Multan, and may have suffered cramps.
Afridi’s tryst with injuries
This isn’t the first time injury woes have plagued Pakistan’s campaign. In the lead-up to the Asia Cup 2022, Shaheen Afridi was struggling with a knee injury that kept him out of the tournament. While he made a return in the T20 World Cup 2022, the injury resurfaced during the tournament’s decisive final. His inability to bowl more than 2.1 overs played a decisive role in England’s victory.

A buoyant Hardik Pandya had come up with an uber-confident nod before the star batter scored the winning runs for India in its famous win over arch-rivals Pakistan at the Asia Cup. With India needing 6 runs off 3 balls against Pakistan in the Asia Cup showdown last year, Pandya assured his teammate Dinesh Karthik that he got everything under control. The star batter had played the previous ball a dot in the final over against Pakistan at the time.
Hardik Pandya opted to play down the Indo-Pak hype ahead of blockbuster clash(AFP)
Finishing things in style, an on-song Pandya fired a last-over six to seal Team India’s win over Pakistan in the thrilling contest. The star all-rounder was named the Player of the Match for his all-round show. Pandya had remained unbeaten on 33 off 17 balls in the Group A match between India and Pakistan at the Asia Cup 2022. A year after propelling India to an unforgettable win over the Green Army, Pandya is returning to the Asia Cup as the vice-captain of the Indian side.
ALSO READ: Babar Azam zooms past Virat Kohli, breaks Hashim Amla’s record with 19th ODI ton in PAK vs NEP Asia Cup opener
‘A lot of emotions are attached by fans’
Speaking to Star Sports ahead of India’s Asia Cup 2023 opener against Pakistan, all-rounder Pandya opted to play down the Indo-Pak hype in the continental tournament. The 29-year-old said that players avoid getting carried away by emotions as high-profile encounters between the two teams involve making calculated decisions. A lot of emotions are attached by fans. For us, it is about playing a good team, playing a match against a very good side who has done very well in the recent past. Couple of finals theyve played and the tension between us is always there. So for me, we try to keep the outside noise outside, and we focus on how we can play good cricket,” Pandya said.
We cant get too emotional about it because
According to Pandya, India’s meetings with Pakistan will test the character and personality of the players who are on the road to the ICC World Cup. “At the end of the day, we are cricketers. We cant get too emotional about it because then certain decisions can be reckless, which I dont believe in. But, at the same point of time, its a mega event. Its an event which Ive seen how it checks your character, checks your personality, and at the same point in time, you can see in how deep waters you can swim. So for me, all these factors excite me a lot and yeah, I cant wait, Pandya added.

Ansu Fati could be about to wave goodbye to Barcelona for the season, with speculation claiming he has decided he wants to move to Tottenham.
Mundo Deportivo have an update on the situation and report that Fati has told Sevilla that he wants to play for Spurs this season.
Fatis father had been eager to see his son move to Sevilla, but the Barcelona forward has decided hed be better off in the Premier League instead.
Barcelona and Tottenham now need to agree a deal before the transfer window closes, with Fati expected to move on a season-long loan.
Fabrizio Romano also reports that Spurs and Barca are continuing to talk about Fati, although the north Londoners also want Brennan Johnson in a permanent deal.
Fati could therefore be about to join Clement Lenglet in heading to the Premier League for the season.
The two departures could help Barca register players. The Catalans still need to register Inaki Pena and Inigo Martinez and also want to bring in Joao Cancelo on on loan.

Cristiano Ronaldo is back to his goalscoring ways with Al Nassr, grabbing a brilliant hat-trick in his last league outing against Al Fateh. The Portuguese superstar etched his name onto the scoring sheet by slotting the ball into the net from the penalty spot in the ongoing fixture against Al Shabab.
Just when everyone thought that Cristiano Ronaldo had doubled his tally, however, his potential second goal of the match was disallowed under dubious circumstances. The 38-year-old forward was able to guide the ball past Kim Seung-gyu in the 18th minute, but a VAR review swiftly overturned the decision, cutting Al Nassr’s lead by half.
Cristiano Ronaldo could be seen pushing his opponent away in the build-up to the goal. But the contact seemed to be a routine one, which made led many to believe it was a harsh decision against the Portuguese international.
Fans were quick to call out the supposed error made by the SPL officials, terming it a robbery. They took to X, formerly Twitter, to express their disbelief over the call.
One fan wrote:
“American referee”
The verdict does seem to be questionable, with Ronaldo barely inflicting enough force on the opposing defender for it to be called a foul. However, the controversial disallowance of the goal has done little to hamper Ronaldo’s morale.
The former Real Madrid frontman soon gave a strong reply by netting another ball from the spot, restoring Al Nassr’s two-goal lead.
Sadio Mane joined the party two minutes later, getting a goal for himself via a Cristiano Ronaldo pass. Heading into half-time, the Knights of Najd lead their opponents by three goals to nil.
Al Nassr’s talisman announced his return to form with a bang, netting three goals as his side pummeled a clueless Al Fateh side. In the process, the 200-capped Portuguese international extended his lead at the top of the hat-trick list among active players.
Cristiano Ronaldo has netted an impressive 63 hat-tricks in his club career, with a further 10 coming in international games. The former Manchester United legend leads his Argentinian counterpart in this aspect; Lionel Messi is currently in second place with 57 career hat-tricks.
Polish super striker Robert Lewandowski comes in third place with 30 hat-tricks to his name, closely trailed by former Barcelona number nine Luis Suarez, who has netted 29 hat-tricks in his illustrious career.

‘Virat Kohli will be very dangerous against Pakistan’: Mohammad KaifThe T20 World Cup 2022 encounter between India and Pakistan witnessed a standout performance by Virat Kohli. His splendid pursuit played a pivotal role as India emerged victorious, clinching the match on the final delivery. The exceptional innings delivered by him turned the tide in India’s favor.

Rohit Sharma plays an aggressive shot against Bangladesh [X.com]
With India playing two major One-Day tournaments in Asia Cup 2023 and ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 within the next two months, the form of batters such as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli becomes extremely vital.
While Kohli has lifted himself out of a batting rut since 2022, Sharma has not looked his fluent best. The Indian captain known for his explosive and effortless batting has shifted his style into a more aggressive one, which has not yielded the best results.  
Speaking to Sportstar, the 36-year-old explained his shift in approach, which is now more risk-based which leads to more rewarding outcomes. Sharma talked about the difficulties of bearing a high strike rate and an impressive batting average in modern-day cricket.
“I wanted to take more risks, which is why my numbers are slightly different now. My career strike-rate is around 90 (89.97), but in the past couple of years, if you look at my scores and take the strike-rate into consideration, it has been around 105-110. So somewhere you had to compromise. It is not possible to have a 55 average and a 110 strike-rate,”
The five-time Indian Premier League (IPL) title winner with Mumbai Indians stated that the change in mindset was deliberated with the Team India think-tank and was not an impulsive decision. 
Talking about captaincy, Sharma spoke about being content with given responsibilities more than anything else. 
“You get a responsibility, you produce a result, and more important is if you are happy with the responsibility that you have been entrusted with,” 
Sharma-led India will be in action in Asia Cup 2023, where they start their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan in a high-voltage encounter on September 2.