China has long been described as a dormant superpower, but where cricket is concerned, it is clearly still in the deepest of slumbers

Andrew Miller10-Oct-2018

Sandeep Lamichhane bowls during his opening spell•Peter Della Penna

Nepal 29 for 0 (Bhandari 24*) beat China 26 (Lamichhane 3-4, Regmi 3-5) by ten wickets
ScorecardChina has long been described as a dormant superpower, but where cricket is concerned, it is clearly still in the deepest of slumbers.It took their next-door neighbours Nepal just 1.5 overs to hunt down a miniscule total of 26, as China slumped to their fifth defeat out of five in the ICC’s latest regional qualifier for the next World T20 in 2020.With a population of approximately 1.5 billion people, China has a burgeoning and focussed interest in global sporting prowess – from their hosting of the 2008 Olympics to the recent relaunch of the super-rich China Super League, they aim to create a GBP500 billion dollar sports industry by 2025.But where cricket is concerned, China remains way off the pace – despite the best endeavours of the former Bangladesh captain, Aminul Islam, who described himself as the “Neil Armstrong of Chinese cricket” when he was appointed by the Asian Cricket Council a decade ago oversee the growth of the game in the country.”We are putting extra effort into China, because without China, cricket is not a global sport,” Aminul told ESPNcricinfo back in 2010. On the current evidence, the sport will remain a second-class citizen for some years to come.In today’s non-contest, just one Chinese batsman, Hong Jiang Yan reached double figures – opening the batting he made 11 from 27 balls, having made scores of 1, 0, 1 and 1 in his first four outings of the tournament.Seven of their players made ducks, two of them falling to Nepal’s star of the show, the 18-year-old legspinner, Sandeep Lamichhane, who returned the stunning figures of 3 for 4 in four overs to take his tally for the tournament to 20 wickets in 17 overs at an average of 2.05.In reply, Nepal’s openers galloped to their total in an 11-ball flurry – with Binod Bhandari clobbering 24 of those in eight deliveries, with three fours and a six.Nepal have now won five games out of five, with a top-of-the-table showdown to come against Singapore on Friday. Both sides have already secured their progression to next year’s WT20 Asian finals, with Nepal sealing their berth with their 117-run win over Bhutan on Tuesday.For China, it’s back to the drawing board – although they have one last outing to come against Malaysia on Friday. And given that Malaysia themselves reduced Myanmar to 9 for 8 in another extraordinary contest on Tuesday, the portents are great.On the plus side, China still have time to get their ambitions in order before these beatings take on any official status. The ICC recently announced that all T20Is would be given full international status, but effective only from January 1, 2019.Fortunately, that edict won’t be extended to 50-over contests, in which China’s record is no better. In April 2017, they lost by 390 runs to Saudi Arabia after being bowled out for 28 in a World League Qualifier.

شهدت مباراة العراق أمام أوكرانيا إثارة كبيرة، حيث سجل الفريقان هدفين خلال 4 دقائق في أحداث الشوط الثاني من المباراة.

وتقدم منتخب أوكرانيا بالهدف الأول أمام منافسه العراق، في المباراة التي تجمع بينهما الآن ضمن منافسات أولمبياد باريس 2024.

ويلتقي منتخبا العراق وأوكرانيا مساء اليوم في إطار مواجهات الجولة الأولى من مرحلة المجموعات بمنافسات كرة القدم.

مباشر بالفيديو | مباراة العراق وأوكرانيا في أولمبياد باريس

وجاء الهدف الأول في المباراة لصالح أوكرانيا وسجله روبشسكي بعد متابعة جيدة لرأسية تصدى لها حسين حسن، معلنًا عن تقدم فريقه في الدقيقة 53. هدف أوكرانيا الأول أمام العراق في أولمبياد باريس 

بينما تعادل أيمن حسين لصالح العراق من ضربة جزاء سجلها في الدقيقة 57 من عمر المباراة. هدف تعادل العراق أمام أوكرانيا في أولمبياد باريس 

Chris Woakes and Olly Stone hobbled the Sri Lanka chase before the rains returned in Dambulla

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando13-Oct-2018
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsIncisive bowling from Chris Woakes and a rapid spell from Olly Stone uprooted four Sri Lanka wickets in the first nine overs – their collective new-ball effort outdoing Lasith Malinga’s heroics at the death, and bringing about a 31-run for England win via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method. Malinga had taken 4 for 19 in his final five overs, completing his first five-wicket haul in over four years, as England were restricted to 278 for 9 despite having seemed destined for a total in excess of 300.But although the hosts’ bowlers had performed creditably, keeping England in check for the majority of their innings, Sri Lanka’s top order failed for the third consecutive time, slumping to 31 for 4 then 74 for 5, effectively surrendering the match in those early overs. Dhananjaya de Silva and Thisara Perera forged an unbeaten 66-run partnership for the sixth wicket, but could not make up enough ground before rain cut Sri Lanka’s chase short at the end of the 29th over. Their score at the time was 140. With five wickets down, they would have needed 172 to win.Woakes, who had missed the home ODIs in the English summer through injury, delivered a tight and constricting first spell, eliciting a series of false shots from Sri Lanka’s top order batsmen, three of which resulted in wickets. Upul Tharanga was the first to depart, edging a ball angled across him in the first over. New captain Dinesh Chandimal was the second of Woakes’ wickets, under-edging into his stumps as he attempted to punch the delivery through the covers. Dasun Shanaka, batting unusually high at No. 5, then touched a seaming ball behind after facing a harried 18 deliveries. With Stone also having had Niroshan Dickwella caught off the glove with a vicious bouncer at the other end, Sri Lanka were reeling, and the middle order were left with a monumental task to get back in the game.De Silva and Thisara gave the recovery a shot, as both played aggressively against England’s spinners, and negotiated the fast bowlers much better than the men batting higher up in the order had done. The rain, though, snuffed out what little hope Sri Lanka had, giving England a 1-0 lead in the series with three ODIs to play.Lasith Malinga rolled back the years•Getty ImagesThat England got as many as they did was largely the work of senior batsmen Eoin Morgan and Joe Root, who hit 92 off 91 balls and 71 off 83 respectively – the pair batting together in a 68-run third-wicket stand. Where Root had been assured from the outset, striking crisp boundaries off the fifth and eighth deliveries that came his way, Morgan’s first 30 balls at the crease were a little more frazzled.He was flummoxed by a Lakshan Sandakan googly in his first few minutes, the ball turning sharply back at him to strike him on the pad. More plays-and-misses and miscued strokes were to follow, but eventually his innings hit a rhythm. The sweeps and reverse sweeps began to be played with more conviction, and to profitable effect. His fifty – the 40th of his career – was completed off his 57th delivery, and he accelerated upon reaching the milestone, hitting 34 off his next 23 balls.Malinga’s haul featured all the vintage dismissals. He took Morgan’s wicket in the 42nd over – the batsman chipping a tame catch back to him after failing to pick up the slower ball. Next delivery, he bowled Moeen Ali with a slower yorker, the ball diving beneath Moeen’s shot. He got the balls at either end to reverse swing as well – perhaps the only one-day bowler in the world who can still get the ball to behave this way consistently. He breached speeds of 140kph at various points through the innings, and pointed to the name on his back when he took the fifth wicket with a fast, tailing yorker that Liam Dawson was not equipped to resist.His overall figures were 5 for 44. Having been dropped from the side for over a year, he has now taken 10 wickets in four games since his return.

Arsenal had a night to forget on Wednesday evening at the London Stadium, as the Gunners were dismantled by West Ham United in the Carabao Cup, losing 3-1 to deny a place in the quarter-finals.

After defeating Brentford in the previous round, Mikel Arteta would have hoped his side could see a similar result against Premier League opposition against the Irons, however, that was far from the case.

It was far from the return Declan Rice would have wanted on his return to east London, in what was a dreary defeat for the north Londoners to end their Carabao Cup journey.

How Arsenal lost to West Ham

In a game that started well in terms of possession for Arsenal, things went down very quickly as the game fell away from the visitor’s grasp as the Irons began to test the defence.

The fixture ended with the Gunners dominating 71% of possession, however, their weaknesses were exposed as the hosts scored three from just five shots on goal, via Sofascore.

Ben White regrettably opened the scoring for David Moyes’ side in the first half, burying Jarrod Bowen’s corner beyond the reach of Aaron Ramsdale, who had a trialling night on his return between the sticks.

At the interval, Arteta’s team talk evidently failed to inspire his side, as just five minutes after the restart, Mohammed Kudus doubled West Ham’s lead in a way that left Arsenal’s defence blushing.

On the hour mark, Bowen secured the Hammers’ third and put the game way beyond the reach of the visitors, before Martin Odegaard netted a consolation goal seconds before time.

From defensive frailties to lack of cohesion in the midfield, it was not Arsenal’s night in east London, however, one player stood out as the rotten apple.

Oleksandr Zinchenko's game vs West Ham in numbers

Oleksandr Zinchenko’s performance against West Ham epitomised exactly why Arteta has opted to field Takehiro Tomiyasu ahead of the Ukrainian in recent fixtures, as the 26-year-old struggled defensively.

Blasted as “weak” by journalist Josh Bunting, the full-back was mocked by Kudus for the host’s second goal, capping off what was a worrying display from the four-time Premier League winner. Indeed, the defender was caught napping on the left-hand side as the Hammers' summer signing collected the ball delicately before wrong-footing Zinchenko.

After 57 minutes, Arteta opted to haul the £150k-per-week dud off, with his defending branded “disgraceful” by Arsenal personality Eduardo Hagn.

In the limited time that the Ukraine international featured, he failed to make a positive impact, but left a sour taste in the mouths of those watching with his abysmal individual struggles on the left side of defence.

Zinchenko lost 100% of his aerial duels, and had a failure rate of 100% for his attempted dribbles, as well as losing possession eight times to expose his weaknesses for the Hammers to exploit, via Sofascore.

Having won just one ground duel at left-back, the former Manchester City defender was handed a dreary 3/10 match rating from journalist Charles Watts via Goal, who branded the 26-year-old as defensively “suspect”.

It was an eye opener for Arsenal, who still remain unbeaten in the Premier League, and an eye opener for Arteta with reference to Zinchenko, whose days as the Gunners’ first-choice left-back could be nearing a close.

Celtic were able to head into the international break on the back of a win as they convincingly demolished Aberdeen 6-0 in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

Brendan Rodgers' side were coming off a 6-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League earlier in the week and bounced back to secure an emphatic victory against the Dons.

It was a special match for summer signing Hyun-jun Yang as the South Korean winger notched his first goal in the famous green and white with a composed header from Luis Palma's cross to make it 1-0 inside the opening ten minutes.

The 21-year-old dynamo has not enjoyed a seamless transition to Scottish football and it is interesting to see how he has fared in comparison to a player they allowed to leave on loan ahead of the 2023/24 campaign – Sead Haksabanovic.

Sead Haksabanovic's season in numbers

Rodgers allowed the 24-year-old maestro to join English Championship side Stoke City on loan for the season and he has had a solid start to life with the Potters.

The Montenegro international has produced one goal and two assists in five league starts Alex Neil's side and caught the eye with his attacking contributions from a midfield or wide position.

Appearances

Eight

Sofascore rating

7.11

Goals

One

Assists

Two

Key passes

14

Dribbles completed

Eight

As you can see in the table above, the Celtic loanee has provided a creative presence with his ability to consistently beat opposition players with the ball whilst also being able to provide a key pass for his teammates in the final third.

The 5 foot 9 wizard, who was once lauded as a "little diamond" by ex-coach Jan Jonsson, was loaned out after a return of five goals, two assists, and six 'big chances' created in 26 Premiership appearances and eight starts last term.

Hyun-jun Yang's season in numbers

Some may now question the decision to loan out Haksabanovic and sign Yang as the Stoke star has produced more goals and assists combined (three) than the South Korean starlet (two) has managed for Celtic so far.

It was a nice moment for him to score his first goal of the season against Aberdeen as, before that match, he had only produced one assist in ten Premiership outings.

This means that Yang has scored one goal and assisted one in 11 league matches for the Hoops since his summer transfer, whilst the young forward has zero goals and zero assists in three Champions League games alongside that.

Appearances

11

Sofascore rating

7.10

Goals

One

Assists

One

Key passes

Nine

Dribbles completed

17

The statistics, as shown in the table above, show that the Hoops winger has been more direct in his dribbling and willingness to beat players with the ball in comparison to Haksabanovic.

However, the former West Ham man has more goal contributions and has created more chances for his teammates in fewer appearances so far.

Hopefully, Yang will now use his goal against Aberdeen as a springboard to go on and hit his stride in a Celtic shirt to prove that they made the right decision to replace Haksabanovic with him over the summer.

Liverpool appear to be reaping the rewards following a summer of change at Anfield in the playing department, with manager Jurgen Klopp having overseen something of a mass squad overhaul after moving on notable key figures who had been the bedrock of his side in recent years.

Out went the likes of Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Fabinho, among others, as the midfield ranks, in particular, endured a seismic shake-up, with the former Borussia Dortmund boss ruthlessly wielding the axe following a disappointing campaign for the club as a whole.

Having missed out on Champions League qualification last term, the Reds look intent to atone for that underwhelming 2022/23 campaign amid what has been a rather impressive start to the new season, with the Merseyside giants currently in the mix near the top of the table.

The additions of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister, in particular, have seemingly helped to reinvigorate Klopp's men of late, with the former already arguably "one of the best players" in the side – according to Jamie Carragher – while the latter man is an undoubted "superstar", in the words of TNT Sports pundit, Joe Cole.

With promising playmaker Ryan Gravenberch also beginning to make his mark, amid comparisons to Arsenal great Patrick Vieira from Carragher, the future looks bright at Anfield in the centre of the park, yet that's not to suggest that the jigsaw is completely finished.

While Klopp did recruit experienced maestro, Wataru Endo to fill Fabinho's void in front of the back four, a more long-term solution in that role could be required, with the missing piece potentially set to be acquired in 2024.

Liverpool transfer targets – midfielder

It is fair to say that the name on everybody's lips at present is Brazilian starlet, Andre Trindade, with the 22-year-old believed to still be a leading target for Klopp and co heading into the January window, after the player previously turned down the Premier League outfit during the summer.

The indication is that Liverpool remain keen on the Copa Libertadores winner, yet they could well face competition for the midfielder's signature from rivals Arsenal, while Fulham are believed to be the 'strongest candidate in England' – according to the latest reports.

With that in mind, it would be worth the Reds not putting all their eggs in one basket, with reports earlier this week also outlining that the club do hold an interest in Monaco's Youssouf Fofana, who is currently in the final year of his contract at Stade Louis II.

As per 90min, while it is Manchester United who are looking closely at the 24-year-old, those at Anfield are also said to have the Frenchman 'on their radar', alongside the Gunners and Newcastle United.

A deep-lying midfielder by trade, Fofana could be the perfect solution for Klopp at the base of his central trio, with the one-time Strasbourg man able to follow in the footsteps of the aforementioned Fabinho by making the move from Monaco to Merseyside.

The stats that show Youssouf Fofana would be a good signing for Liverpool

Liverpool no doubt struck gold by snapping up the now-departed Fabinho from the Ligue 1 outfit back in 2018, with the Brazilian powerhouse going on to become a key cog in Klopp's relentless machine, as the club claimed Champions League and Premier League glory.

At one stage the "best" in the world in his position – according to Sky Sports' Gary Neville – the former Real Madrid maestro racked up 219 appearances for the Anfield side in all competitions prior to leaving for Saudi Arabia this summer, scoring 11 goals and contributing ten assists in that time.

Trying to fill that void is not an easy task, yet Fofana appears to have the tools to be able to do so, having established himself as a truly "magnificent player" in recent years, according to respected talent scout Jacek Kulig.

The Monaco man's quality was notably illustrated last term in France's top flight as he scored twice and contributed two assists in 36 league games – as well as creating six 'big chances' – with that ahead of what Fabinho achieved in the Premier League in 2022/23, after providing two assists and no goals, while creating four 'big chances'.

In a defensive sense, Fofana's prowess was also evident last season as he averaged a stellar 3.9 tackles and interceptions per game, with Fabinho, by contrast, averaging just 2.8 in that regard last term.

That would indicate that the 13-cap France international can more than thrive if Liverpool are to step up their interest in the winter window, with the in-demand talent – who is valued at €40m (£35m), according to CIES Football Observatory – also a worthy alternative to Andre.

How Youssouf Fofana compares to Andre

While much has been made of Liverpool's apparent interest in the Brazilian "leader" – as hailed by Kulig – turning attention toward Fofana could prove a worthwhile venture, with the duo both able to offer valuable benefits in their deep-lying berths.

Fofana

Andre

0.27

0.28

0.14

0

2.63

1.82

82.3%

93.9%

7.78

6.21

2.26

1.79

1.22

1.43

2.06

2.29

1.72

1.17

As the table above illustrates, Andre appears to be a figure who can act as a composed, midfield metronome – having also enjoyed an average pass accuracy rate of 95% in the league in 2023 – and rarely looks to squander possession for his side, although his eye-catching counterpart is perhaps more adept at impacting proceedings in the final third, as his superior record for progressive passes and progressive carries serves to showcase – with three assists to his name already in Ligue 1 in 2023/24.

Where the duo are perhaps more alike is in winning back possession for their respective clubs, with the latter man averaging three tackles and interceptions from 11 top-flight outings so far this term, while the Fluminense ace is only just ahead after averaging 3.2 in that regard from 24 Brazilian Serie A appearances.

Those respective statistics outline that Fofana would be a worthy, perhaps more attack-minded alternative to the younger man as far as Klopp is concerned, with the Paris native also potentially set to enjoy a smoother transition to life in England, amid his current experience in European football.

With the Reds having seen the benefits of taking Fabinho from Monaco in the recent past, they could well land an ideal successor to the Al-Ittihad ace with the signing of the 6 foot 1 sensation.

Nathan Coulter-Nile’s speed and Usman Qadir’s guile combined to upend Victoria and set the scene for a bonus-point victory by Western Australia in the domestic limited-overs match at the refurbished Junction Oval in Melbourne.While Victoria toasted the first match at their new home, the unseasonably early September date of the fixture made it a decidedly useful day to bowl first, an option handed to WA when the home captain Peter Handscomb chose to bat. Coulter-Nile bowled with notable swiftness opposite Jhye Richardson, and both claimed wickets with the new ball.As significant was the adrenaline rush Coulter-Nile appeared to generate with a handful of spiteful short balls, meaning that once he had pinned Nic Maddinson lbw with a late inswinger, the rest of the Victorian top order seemed intent on fighting fire with fire. Handscomb and Glenn Maxwell both fell to the hook shot, after Cameron White had been stranded when attempting to take the attack to the 25-year-old Qadir, whose mere presence in the WA XI was a tale in itself.The son of the formidable Pakistani wristspin bowler Abdul Qadir, he had trained with South Australia as long as five years ago, and was initially called up as a member of the Perth Scorchers squad for this summer’s Big Bash League. Some head-turning displays in practice matches for WA coaxed the Warriors coach Adam Voges into selecting Qadir as Ashton Agar’s replacement, and he would demonstrate his ability with an artful spell of 3 for 50 that showcased his dizzying variations and considerable accuracy.Victoria’s batting order had been the subject of some discussion before the match, and Handscomb reshuffled his deck by promoting White to open and Maddinson to No. 3, while Maxwell remained at No. 5. After the loss of three early wickets, it was up to Handscomb and Maxwell to rebuild things, but the latter was unable to contain himself after hooking Andrew Tye for a big six, top-edging an attempted repeat the very next ball to fine leg.Handscomb, following up his 89 in Sunday’s defeat of New South Wales at North Sydney Oval, was unable to go beyond 57 before falling in similar fashion, and from that point the hosts were never likely to set a significantly challenging tally in what would be the best batting conditions of the match.The Australia Under-19s product Josh Philippe, wicketkeeper Josh Inglis, D’Arcy Short and Marcus Stoinis all connected with a handful of big hits to quickly ensure a successful chase for WA, leaving the Warriors five points clear on top of the table in a competition where all six teams qualify for the finals regardless.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have benefitted from the talent from their academy in recent years, with another star looking to be the next big thing at Molineux.

The £42.5m sale of graduate Morgan Gibbs-White handed the Old Gold a financial boost last summer, earning a significant profit from the Englishman that stormed through the academy to eventually catch alight on loan.

Now, Gary O’Neil could be close to harvesting Wolves’ next young star, with 18-year-old striker Nathan Fraser on the cusp of breaking through into the first team.

Nathan Fraser’s career so far

Starting his journey with the Midlands club at the age of seven, Fraser signed his first professional contract at Molineux in 2022 after excelling on his journey through the ranks in the academy.

The Ireland U19 international made a statement in the 2021/22 campaign, where he netted ten goals and claimed two assists in 24 appearances, with one goal coming in the Premier League 2, showcasing his ability to perform at a higher level than his age suggests.

Once lauded for his “dedicated” rise to prominence in the squad at Wolves by sporting director Matt Hobbs, the teenager has become a reliable source of goals in the club’s academy.

Last season, Fraser netted seven goals in 26 appearances, prompting a promotion to even higher levels, thanks to the promise O’Neil has seen in his progression.

How Nathan Fraser’s future at Wolves could look

In September, the 18-year-old was officially promoted to the first-team squad after scoring his first senior goal on his debut in the Carabao Cup in August.

Against Blackpool, the Wolverhampton-born sensation scored and assisted to show the manager first-hand what he can offer the squad, with his scoring record in the 2023/24 campaign continuing to impress in the academy.

With five goals in eight appearances this season, the teenager has outscored O’Neil’s star man Pedro Neto this term, reinforcing how deadly he can be when given a chance in the final third.

Described as an “aggressive and strong” figure in attack by academy coach, Jonathan Hunter-Barrett, the future of Fraser at Molineux could be very bright, particularly when assessing the squad’s options to take the throne from departed goalscorer, Raul Jimenez – who joined Fulham over the summer after scoring 57 goals in 166 games for Wolves.

While Matheus Cunha’s goal-scoring ability is outweighed by his explosive nature to inspire positive passages of play, the teenager could surely battle fellow striker Fabio Silva for a place in the first team.

Nathan Fraser vs Fabio Silva 2023/24

Nathan Fraser

Fabio Silva

Age

18

21

Appearances

8

10

Goals

5

1

Assists

1

0

Figures via Transfermarkt

The Portuguese forward is still adapting to the pace and physicality of the English top flight, with his naivety in front of goal perhaps calling for another loan spell to lure him out of his shell.

With O’Neil’s support, Fraser could be in a position to become Molineux’s heir to Jimenez, with his goal-scoring prowess and suitability to the Premier League perhaps greater than that of the misfiring Silva.

U.S. women's national team midfielder Korbin Albert apologized for sharing anti-LGBTQ posts and liking videos mocking Megan Rapinoe on social media.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Albert apologizes on Instagram
• USWNT midfielder called out by Rapinoe
• U.S. set for SheBelieves Cup in April

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Albert came under fire on Thursday after it emerged that she had liked and shared several anti-LGBTQ posts on her social media accounts. Albert had posted a sermon on her TikTok account which discussed how being gay and "feeling transgender" were wrong. Additionally, Albert had shared a post of her family saying that "their pronouns were USA".

  The midfielder also liked an Instagram post that read "God taking time off performing miracles to make sure Megan Rapinoe sprains her ankle in her final ever game". Rapinoe, who wore No. 15 with the USWNT, which Albert wore in her most recent appearances, retired in the fall after suffering an injury in her final-ever match.

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• WHAT ALBERT AND RAPINOE SAID SAID

  Rapinoe took to social media to fire back at Albert, offering a scathing response that she later confirmed to the Athletic was aimed at Albert's social media posts.

  Rapinoe wrote: “To the people who want to hide behind ‘my beliefs’ I would just ask one question, are you making any time of space safer, more inclusive, more whole, any semblance of better, bringing the best out of anyone? … because if you aren’t all you believe in is hate. And Kids are literally killing themselves because of this hate. Wake TF up! Yours Truly, #15.”

  USWNT veteran Becky Sauerbrunn reposted Rapinoe's story, as did Sam Mewis, Kristie Mewis and Lynn Williams.

  Albert, meanwhile, posted on her own account after scoring for PSG in a 3-0 win over Hacken, offering an apology for her social media posts.

  Instagram

  “I’m really disappointed in myself and am deeply sorry for the hurt that I have caused to my teammates, other players, fans, friends and anyone who was offended,” she wrote. “I truly believe that everyone should feel safe and respected everywhere and on all playing fields. I know my actions have not lived up to that and for that I sincerely apologize. It’s an honor and a privilege to play this sport on the world stage and I promise to do better.”

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Albert is a rising star with the USWNT and was most recently named to Twila Kilgore's squad for the upcoming SheBelieves Cup. She earned her first cap back in December 2023 and earned her first start in February against the Dominican Republic in the Gold Cup.

  Albert started and went all 90 minutes in the Gold Cup final, which saw the U.S. take down Brazil 1-0 in a crucial tune-up for this summer's Olympics.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR ALBERT?

  It remains to be seen if Albert's USWNT status will be impacted by the incident. The U.S. are set to open the SheBelieves Cup on April 6 against Japan.

Glasgow Rangers went through a summer of change on the pitch as they sanctioned a number of arrivals and exits over the course of the transfer window.

Former Light Blues boss Michael Beale was allowed to bring in nine new signings to bolster his squad and endured a poor start to the season before being relieved of his duties at the start of this month.

Leon Balogun, Abdallah Sima, Danilo, Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers, Dujon Sterling, Kieran Dowell, Jose Cifuentes, and Jack Butland were all signed by the English tactician.

Beale's seven Premiership matches in charge this season (via Sofascore)
Opposition	Result
Kilmarnock	1-0 loss
Livingston	4-0 win
Ross County	2-0 win
Celtic	1-0 loss
St Johnstone	2-0 win
Motherwell	1-0 win
Aberdeen	3-1 loss

His signings were not enough to make the Gers a formidable force within the Scottish Premiership and the former Liverpool youth coach has since been replaced by Belgian head coach Philippe Clement.

The 49-year-old boss has arrived at Ibrox with a wealth of experience, having won four Pro League titles in Belgium, and has worked with some terrific talents during his career.

He has coached the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni, Benoit Badiashile, Noa Lang, Axel Disasi, and Leandro Trossard, among many other impressive gems.

The former Club Brugge tactician could now use the upcoming January transfer window to unearth his next version of one of those stars – Lang – by reigniting the club's interest in Sunderland forward Jack Clarke.

Were Rangers interested in Jack Clarke?

Football League World reported that the Scottish giants were one of a number of clubs interested in signing the English attacker from the Championship side.

The outlet named Everton, Burnley Crystal Palace, Brentford, and Wolves as some of the other teams who were eyeing up a possible swoop for the talented winger.

This shows that the Gers were facing serious competition to secure his signature as his performances had attracted plenty of interest from the Premier League in England.

Therefore, it could be difficult for Rangers to swoop for him during the upcoming January transfer window if those same clubs, and potentially others, are altered to his continually impressive displays at Championship level for Sunderland.

However, there is no harm in trying and that is why Clement must push for the board to reignite the interest that they had alongside Beale during the summer to strike an agreement for Clarke, if possible, as he could thrive under the new manager.

The Belgian coach has a track record of getting the best out of wingers and Lang is a prime example of that from his time with Club Brugge in his home country.

How many goals did Lang score for Clement?

He enjoyed a fantastic time in Belgium and caught the eye with 25 goals in 67 appearances across two seasons with Clement at Brugge earlier in their respective careers.

In total, the exciting winger produced 25 goals and 23 assists in those matches under the now-Rangers head coach and only managed 13 goals and 11 assists in 58 outings after the boss' move to AS Monaco at the start of 2022.

Lang showcased his ability to make a consistent impact at the top end of the pitch from a wide position, with goals and assists – rather than being limited to one or the other.

The 24-year-old wizard was able to be a difference-maker week-in-week-out for Clement and is now getting back to his best form after a summer move to PSV.

He has racked up four goals and one assist in seven Eredivisie appearances so far this season, and featured in both matches against Rangers in their 7-3 Champions League play-off victory.

How many goals has Clarke scored this season?

The Sunderland star has enjoyed an impressive start to the campaign with an eye-catching return of eight goals in 12 Championship matches.

Like Noa Lang, Clarke is capable of playing on either flank and has proven himself to be a difference-maker in the final third with his ability to score goals and create chances.

He is yet to register a league assist this season but has his teammates to blame for that as they have not made the most of his two key passes per game.

The Gers target has accumulated 2.14 xA (Expected Assists) and created three 'big chances' for his fellow attackers, as per Sofsacore, which indicates that he does not deserve to be sat on zero assists.

How many goals did Clarke score last season?

His impressive form this term comes off the back of his return of nine goals and 12 assists in 46 Championship starts for the Black Cats last season.

Clarke, who completed two dribbles per match throughout the 2022/23 campaign, has racked up 17 goals and 12 assists at league level for Sunderland since the start of last season.

This shows that the English whiz is able to make a consistent impact in the final third from a wide position, with his ability to find the back of the net whilst also being able to create for others.

These statistics also suggest that the 5 foot 10 gem, who was once dubbed an "exciting" player by ex-Leeds forward Noel Whelan, could be Lang 2.0 due to his goal contributions from the wing as a young right-footed magician.

Should Rangers sign Clarke?

Clement should, therefore, swoop for the Championship star to take Scott Wright's position in the team after the Scottish dud started the manager's first game against Hibernian.

The former Aberdeen man has been in dismal form since the start of last season and Clarke could arrive as a huge upgrade on him for the Gers.

Wright has produced zero goals and zero assists in three Scottish Premiership outings so far this term, despite starting two of those matches, and has been sent off once.

This has come off the back of the 26-year-old lightweight's zero goals and one assist in 23 league games for the Ibrox giants throughout the 2022/23 campaign.

The ex-Dons winger has not been able to provide quality on a regular basis for Rangers, as evidenced by his woeful statistics, and Clarke's form for Sunderland indicates that he has the potential to offer significantly more than him at the top end of the pitch.