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Ricky Ponting exhausted and exasperated many a bowler during his career. Four of them look back at their battles with him

Interviews by Nagraj Gollapudi03-Dec-2012Darren Gough: “He wanted to bully you”
v Ponting: Tests 9, dismissals 8, avg 32.12
You surprise me there when you say I got Ponting eight times, because I always found him really hard to bowl at. The most difficult batsman I bowled to was Adam Gilchrist, and that was purely because he would come in as No. 7, when the ball was old, and he would score so quickly. But there were two top-order batsmen I always found difficult: Michael Slater and Ponting. They wanted to bully me and I wanted to bully them. So as far as the contest goes, those two were the best. I had good duels with Mark Waugh, too, but I knew I could get him if I bowled back of a length. With Ponting and Slater, I never knew where I stood.The one thing that was always on my mind against Ponting was to try and not bowl short at him, because he was so quick on that pull shot. I knew he was the player we had to get out, because he was a batsman who could accelerate the run rate quickly. Gilchrist did that down the order but Ponting did that early on.My plan to him was quite high-risk: start with an early dose of pitching a foot outside off stump, which tempted him. In most of my dismissals, if you notice, he was caught at second slip as he was going after balls which any other guy would not have chased. But once he got in, he would murder me all day. Most people looked to bowl straight at Ponting, but I didn’t. I knew he wanted to get on with it, hit me for a four, bully the bowlers. So I just tended to bowl full and wide at him, and that is how I did him so many times – nicking it.He played some wonderful innings [against England], including his maiden Test century, which came at Headingley in 1997. It was a pretty flat pitch, but he just destroyed anybody in his sights.For a batsman to be great in my eyes, he needs to be able to score off both the front and back foot. That is vital. I knew if I bowled back of a length and shortish to some batsmen, they were never going to affect my bowling figures. But Ponting could score quickly against me. No bowler likes to go for runs, especially being hit for boundaries. Ponting was a run-getter and he got them quick. He always wanted to get on with it. He was in the top three batsmen of all time, for me.In 2005 I had the opportunity to be on the same team as Ponting during a charity match for the tsunami victims between the ICC World XI and the Asia XI. It was the first time I watched him go about his business and how he prepared. And, oh my word, what an innings he played. It was amazing to see how he prepared, compared to the other players you played with.Even at a young age he was a powerful character and that is why he became the leader he became, earning a lot of respect. Ponting was part of a great Australian batting order, but it was his attitude, his determination, that made him tower above everyone else. For someone who is quite a small guy, he carried so much power. He was an unbelievable competitor.He never smiled at you, really. You never knew whether he liked you or hated you. That just sums him up.Shoaib Akhtar: “He had no fear”
v Ponting: Tests 9, dismissals 3, average 4.66
On his day, even a demon would be scared to bowl against Ponting. This is a guy who never stepped back. I never enjoyed bowling to him because if I could not get him out in the first few overs, then he would make sure I would have to stay on the field for another 50 overs.He had no fear. The final Test of Pakistan’s tour of Australia in 1999-2000 was held in Perth, and I remember bowling at my fastest. It was a good WACA pitch and I was bowling at about 97mph consistently. Justin Langer, Ponting’s partner at the other end, was literally laughing, since Ponting could not connect. Ponting made use of my pace to let the balls go by easily. I think I bowled some of my fastest bouncers, which were flying over the wicketkeeper’s head, and Ponting just stood there. It was my most unfortunate day, I felt at the time. He took apart a bowling attack that consisted of myself, Wasim Akram and Saqlain Mushtaq and inflicted huge damage with a big century [197].He was one of the toughest batsman I bowled against. There were three or four batsmen I felt I should be scared against: Ponting, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Brian Lara and Adam Gilchrist. Ponting’s ability to finish games was amazing. But his ability to face fast bowlers like myself and score runs was equally praiseworthy. He was a batsman who could play as well as win games, no matter what the match situation was. A fearless and ruthless batsman. Always a match-winner.Chris Martin: “I would sit down and follow him bat”
v Ponting: Tests 12, dismissals 4, avg 51.50
As cricketers we don’t actually sit down and watch other players play other than when playing against them. So the ultimate compliment I will give Ponting is that even when I was not playing, he was the one batsman in the last decade I would follow on TV.He had a full array of shots, and that always put the bowler under pressure. In an Australian team full of legends he was the one man you wanted to get out, and a lot of thought went into figuring out ways to do so – not just as a bowler; as a spectator, I would watch how other people bowled at him.As a top-order batsman he was the most difficult one to bowl to. With the new ball in hand, when you have the most energy to tackle your opponent, you fancy your chances, but Ponting was always capable of picking up lengths incredibly quickly, and he tried to put me on the back foot just as quickly. Guys like Ricky and Sachin Tendulkar, and to an extent Jacques Kallis, always get the best out of the bowler when they are scoring runs. And it was fun to stand up to the task.In the Christchurch Test in 2005, the ball was reversing and I kept bowling him outswingers. I was successful in keeping him quiet for a couple of overs but I was getting heckled by Merv Hughes, the former Aussie quick, who was leading a tour group. Hughes kept saying I did not deserve to be on the same pitch as Ricky and that basically I was wasting everybody’s time. But I eventually turned the ball around and managed to bring it back sharply towards his off stump. It didn’t bowl him, but the next ball, similar in line and length, went straight through and forced an edge on its way into the gloves of the wicketkeeper.When you get someone like him out with a little bit of savvy and nous, you feel good about yourself. But that was an exception to the rule – Ponting was a batsman who definitely had the better of most of our battles.Harbhajan Singh: “The kind of cricketer, who could win matches on his own”
v Ponting: Tests 14, dismissals 10, avg 22.30, ducks 3
Ponting the batsman did not change much, at least in the first decade of his career. He was a quality batsman, but somehow I always held an edge over him.Our first duel occurred in our first series together – the 1998 Sharjah Cup ODI series. It was my debut series and I got Ponting stumped after he hit me for a six. Both of us were charged up. I made some gesture and he responded aggressively. The match referee imposed fines on both of us and I sat out a match. It was the first of our many run-ins.In the 2000-01 Test series I got him in all the three Tests, and also in the first warm-up match, in Nagpur. He went for a drive and was caught at short midwicket.In the latter part of his career, he tried to do something different compared to how he batted on his first few tours of India. In those early days he would tend to play across and get out a lot caught at short leg or other close-in positions. Later he looked to step out more and play towards the mid-on and midwicket areas rather than towards cover and mid-off, which were the areas where I wanted him to play. He was not only playing more on the front foot but had also started waiting a lot on the back foot, like in the 2008-09 Bangalore Test, where he got a fine century.Ponting will be in the top five Test batsmen I have played against. He was the kind of cricketer who could win matches on his own. He was an aggressive captain and had the ability to lift the team from difficult situations. He was the kind of batsman who played all round the wicket and scored runs quickly on any track. He developed the aura of being among the greatest because he performed consistently over the years.

For the past two decades Australia has provided the benchmark of, and framework for, success. England heeded the lessons but have now crafted a method that can lead them to the top

Sahil Dutta09-Jan-2011After racking up three innings victories and a dazzling collection of statistics over the last five Tests, England have a side that can rank, in the record books at least, alongside the best in Ashes history. Their true standing will be revealed over the next few years and though they have some distance to travel before they can claim to be world No. 1, Andrew Strauss and his team of unwavering pragmatists might just have forged a modern formula to challenge for the title.England are the golden generation without the glitter, the champions without the swagger and the Ashes heroes without the talisman. Unlike even 2005, there was no ‘Freddie’ figure in this series. Alastair Cook was no less gargantuan but, despite spending over 2000 minutes at the crease, it was difficult to remember even a single stroke. The two players most naturally suited to the starring role – Graeme Swann and Kevin Pietersen – had their moments, but never stole the show.Instead, a team built on the earthly qualities of hard work and patience quietly etched their way into history. In part, the conservatism that filters down from Strauss and Andy Flower is a response to their own resources. Good as they are, James Anderson and Swann are not yet Glenn McGrath and Warne; Chris Tremlett and Tim Bresnan hardly Joel Garner and Malcom Marshall. But it runs deeper than that. On that heady fourth evening at the SCG, with the Barmy Army in full voice and England marching to victory with an end-of-term sparkle in their step, Strauss would still not part with his mid-on run-saver. And that with Tremlett on a hat-trick and Australia’s No. 9 in his sights.In the equivalent situation it’s difficult to imagine Steve Waugh operating with much less than an eight-slip umbrella. For Waugh the show of bravado was crucial to instilling that all-important ‘aura’ of invincibility. But it’s just not England’s way. Strauss and the rest of the team have entirely bought in to the strategy of ‘bowling dry’. The gaping space between third slip and gully may infuriate former fast bowlers in the commentary box but Strauss does not waver. Suffocate, rather than intimidate, is England’s route to success.In an era where batsmen’s egos and averages have been fattened on a diet of flat pitches and fat bats, and their patience thinned on a conveyor-belt of instant cricket, England’s instinct for caution could be what separates them from the pack. Four years ago England came to Australia wanting to recreate the drama of 2005 and went looking for wickets in rush. They were dispatched at almost four runs an over (3.83) and lost five-nil. This time they’ve stacked up 178 maidens and conceded almost a run an over less (2.99). That kind of thrift demands that each bowler toes the party line (and length), shunning the self-interest of the headline ball for a greater team purpose.Fittingly it was Anderson who provided the model. As recently as a year ago he was more likely to rattle the scoreboard with boundary-balls than he was with wickets. But now he’s a poster-boy for austerity. Gone is the search for the start-leg-hit-off magic-balls and down too is his pace, which barely touched 90mph all series. In bowling within himself he protected both his economy rate and his body and it’s a formula his team-mates followed.Tremlett learned the hard way that saving his hulking frame by sacrificing fire for accuracy is a better strategy – both for surviving the congested fixture list and also for taking top-order wickets. Bresnan too has gained, finding stardom that never looked possible a year ago, simply by piling up dot balls. In doing so they have proved that winning in Australia doesn’t need mystery wrist-spin or 95mph thunderbolts. Instead common endeavour and a demon ring of cover fielders will suffice.The comparison with Australia’s bowlers is revealing. They suffered from having to chase the game and in their desperation to amend their batsmen’s mistakes leaked well over three an over (3.41). Worse still the harder they strove, the more they lost. Doug Bollinger and Ryan Harris both hared in, only to limp off with injury. The one time England were forced off their own pace – trying to recover an 81-run first-innings deficit at Perth – the bowlers disappeared for 3.59 an over.That they had the luxury of hefty scores behind them at Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney was again down more to prudence than panache. It’s notable that England’s leading run-scorers in this series – Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott – are their two most risk-averse players, both absent from the side of World Twenty20 winners. Compared with the magnetism and inspiration of the stars in past great teams – be it Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Adam Gilchrist or Matthew Hayden – England’s caution may not feel like the recipe for domination but allied to the togetherness instilled by Flower and Strauss, they have landed on a combination that will yield results.For the past two decades Australia has provided the benchmark of, and framework for, success. England heeded the lessons but have now crafted a method that can lead them to the top.

After two weeks of action and entertainment in the ICC World Twenty20, the staff at Cricinfo nominate their Twenty20 XI

Andrew McGlashan25-Sep-2007

Matthew Hayden showed no signs of rustiness as he finished the tournament as the leading run-scorer © Getty Images
Matthew Hayden
At the ICC Awards prior to the World Twenty20, Hayden collected theOne-Day Player of the Year award and, despite a five-month break from the game,continued his form in South Africa. He didn’t have to adapt his normalapproach too much and thumped the ball as hard as anyone in the game.He appeared to be sending Australia into another final with 62 off 47balls in the semi-final against India, but his dismissal was theturning point. However, he still finished as the tournament’s leadingscorer with 265 runs at an average of 88.Gautam Gambhir
A quiet achiever throughout and his superbly crafted 75 in the finalleft him in second spot overall among batsmen. Often overshadowed byhis more illustrious colleagues, Gambhir went about his task in workmanlike fashion. He played second fiddle to Virender Sehwag inblazing starts against England and New Zealand, but his most importantinnings was saved for the final. On the most sluggish Wandererssurface of the event, Gambhir held India’s innings together andensured they reached a target that proved defendable. Just.Yuvraj Singh
Produced two of the most destructive innings of the tournament and,unlike Chris Gayle’s century, both were match-winning ones. He will beremembered for hitting six sixes in an over off Stuart Broad on hisway to a 12-ball half-century in a match India had to win to keeptheir tournament alive. The shots weren’t slogs, and each maximum almost wentto a different part of the ground. Following that would be hard, butYuvraj managed it with a 30-ball 70 against Australia in thesemi-final and his celebrations in that match – and latterly the final- showed what team success meant to him.Shoaib Malik
A captain who led by example, though ultimately he couldn’t carry hisside to the title, Malik is slowly building an exciting team inpartnership with Geoff Lawson. He showed great maturity with the bat,particularly in the run chase against Australia, and rarely reverted tougly strokes. Considering he took over the captain’s job in theaftermath of the World Cup, his early performances have spoken volumesfor his character. His offspin provides a useful option and he is astrong fielder.

Misbah-ul-Haq was the surprise package, finishing as the third-highest run scorer © Getty Images
Misbah-ul-Haq
Came into the tournament under huge pressure after controversiallybeing selected ahead of Mohammad Yousuf. But, at 33, he made the mostof his recall to end as the third-highest run scorer. He struck amatch-winning, unbeaten 66 against Australia, spurring Pakistan to avictory that made them believe they could go all the way. Although histournament will be clouded by twice falling short in chases againstIndia, his team wouldn’t have got close in either the group game orthe final without him. How he must wish he could undo that lap shot.MS Dhoni
In his first significant appointment as Indian captain, one oftoughest jobs in the game, Dhoni showed himself to be an astute andcharismatic leader who instilled a self-belief in his team to playwithout fear. He finished as India’s second-highest run scorer despite atop score of 45 and played the correct innings for each, except for awild mow during the final. But we all knew what Dhoni could do withthe bat, his leadership skills were less obvious. He broughta relaxed air to the team which responded to his flair and also showedacute tactical awareness, particularly towards his death bowlers inthe crunch games against Australia and Pakistan.Shahid Afridi
It was meant to be a tournament made for Afridi’s batting, but it waswith the ball that he made the biggest impression. He bowled in anattacking vein, but was rarely taken to pieces. Tellingly, his two mostexpensive performances came against India, but his spell of 3 for 18against Sri Lanka was one of the best spells of spin bowling duringthe two weeks. However, despite earning the Man of the Tournament prize, Afridinearly lost his place in this XI after his careless batting in thesemi-final and final, which completed a disappointing time with thewillow as he made 91 runs at 15 (although the strike-rate was 197,topping that list) and Pakistan needs Afridi to contribute with batand ball.Daniel Vettori
Although Vettori said he hoped Twenty20 wouldn’t detract from thetraditional forms of the game, he was New Zealand’s stand-outperformer with the ball in his first major tournament as captain. Henever conceded more than 25 runs – finishing as the most miserlybowler – and consistently picked up wickets, using subtle changes ofpace and flight to show that guile has a place even in the shortestformat. His 4 for 20 against India, at Johannesburg, was amatch-winning spell, while he out-thought Kevin Pietersen.Umar Gul
Without Shoaib Akhtar, Pakistan needed someone to stand up and becounted. Gul proved to be a revelation, performing a new role as aspecialist death bowler in the latter half of the innings to finish asthe leading wicket taker. Despite bowling when the ball was meantto be flying to all corners, Gul finished with an economy rate of 5.60to go alongside his 13 wickets. In the semi-finals and final heproduced outstanding spells of controlled swing and didn’t deserve tofinish on the losing side.Stuart Clark
After a World Cup where he was a late inclusion and played one match, Clark showed that line and length has a place in Twenty20. Hebenefited from playing four matches in Cape Town, a wicket that suitshis back-of-length bowling, and ended Sri Lanka’s hopes with 4 for 20in the Super Eights clash. But he also showed added variety, includinga clever slower ball and a useful yorker. Clark appears ready to fillGlenn McGrath’s boots in all forms of the game.RP Singh
Followed up his impressive performances in England with an outstandingtournament, Singh’s displays in the semi-final and final proveddecisive. He didn’t go for more than 33 in any spell and showed nervesof steel against Australia in the semi-final. Then came the final,with India defending a middle-of-the-road 157 and Singh struck early withthe new ball. His 4 for 13 against South Africa, at Durban, was hismost lethal spell of left-arm swing and sent the hosts crashing out.12th man – Morne Morkel
Narrowly missed out on one of the fast-bowling slots, but Morkel’stournament confirmed his potential to be a key figure in SouthAfrica’s attack as he collected nine wickets including four againstNew Zealand.

His 206 runs during the Bangladesh series take him past Virat Kohli, Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma, among others

ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-2023Harry Tector has moved up to a career-best No. 7 spot, which is also the best for an Ireland batter, in the latest ICC men’s ODI batting rankings following his 206 runs during the three-match series against Bangladesh.Tector registered scores of 21*, 140 and 45 across three ODIs. While it wasn’t enough to prevent a 2-0 loss for Ireland, it saw him gain 72 rating points and take his tally to 722, which is also the most for an Ireland men’s batter. The previous best for them was Paul Stirling’s 697 in June 2021.Tector’s performance took him past Virat Kohli, Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma, among others, who are currently at No. 8, 9 and 10 respectively on the table. Babar Azam continues to be the top-ranked ODI batter with 886 rating points .Full rankings tables

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Since 2022, he has smashed 769 runs in 13 innings – including four centuries and as many half-centuries – at an average of 76.90 and a strike rate of 90.89. The next best tally for Ireland in this period is Paul Stirling’s 352 from 12 innings. Tector will get a chance to further improve his ranking when Ireland take part in the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe in June.Tector’s team-mate Mark Adair also made giant strides in the latest update, jumping 30 spots up to No. 31 on the bowlers’ list and 33 spots up to No. 33 on the allrounders’ list. Adair took seven wickets, and scored 40 runs from two innings, during the Bangladesh series.

Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal, who has been compared to Lionel Messi, has been told what he must do in order to hit “dizzy heights”.

Made senior Blaugrana bow at the age of 15Signed lucrative contract & taken No.10 shirtAdvised on how to fulfil exciting potentialFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The teen sensation has been likened to Argentine GOAT Messi since stepping out of the same La Masia academy system in Catalunya as the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner. Many are tipping him to go on and land Golden Balls of his own.

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Positive progress is being made down that path, with Yamal already winning La Liga and European Championship titles. He has signed a lucrative contract after turning 18 and inherited the No.10 shirt at Barca that Messi once wore with such distinction.

DID YOU KNOW?

Yamal’s every move, on and off the field, is now being dissected in minute detail. He is having to learn quickly how to handle that attention while avoiding the kind of distractions that could knock the most promising of careers off course.

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GettyWHAT DE LA FUENTE SAID

Spain boss Luis de la Fuente has told FIFA’s of Yamal’s exciting potential: “He’s earned it all through his own hard work and commitment. At the tender age of 16, the teenage sensation was already ripping it up for the senior national team. We need to give credit where credit’s due. A 16, 17, or 18-year-old player is under constant scrutiny and pressure from the media. He has to work his socks off to meet people’s expectations of him, as well as set an example both on and off the pitch and keep developing.

“He still needs our support because he’s very young. He is very mature for his age, but he still needs to develop his game and mature further. It’s all part of the process. Here, you never stop improving and developing your game. That’s why we need to be there to support him.”

De la Fuente added: “He’s an exceptional player, with bags of natural ability and extraordinary talent. He’s completely switched on, and I think it’s important to point out that he knows that without hard work and commitment, he won’t achieve the dizzy heights many people have tipped him to reach.

“The harder you work, the better you become. He works tirelessly. He puts the graft in every day to keep improving. We need to support him in his development, but he’s a clever player and latches on to things very quickly, just like the very best.”

Stuttgart have turned down an offer from Bayern Munich for the third time this summer, prompting Nick Woltemade's advisor to voice blunt criticism.

• Woltemade's advisor tears into Stuttgart
• Latest offer turned down on Wednesday
• Stuttgart now demanding €75m

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Woltemade's advisor, Danny Bachmann, was absolutely furious after Stuttgart turned down the latest offer from Bayern. Bachmann confirmed to the media that the Bundesliga champions tabled a bid worth €60 million (£52m/$70m). Stuttgart, in response, have apparently demanded €75m (£65m/$88m) to let the striker leave.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  There seems to be no end in sight in the transfer saga involving Woltemade, Stuttgart and Bayern. After seeing two bids turned down by last season's DFB-Pokal winners — with the second bid worth a reported €50m (£43m/$58m) plus €5m in bonuses — Bayern sporting director Max Eberl confirmed that a deal for the 23-year-old was "off the table." Later on, the Munich outfit were handed a deadline until this Saturday by Stuttgart if they wanted to make another approach for Woltemade. The Bavarians obliged but, as has been the case all summer, Stuttgart's stubbornness has prevented the two German sides from reaching an agreement. 

• WHAT DANNY BACHMANN SAID

  Speaking to the , Bachmann said: "The solution demanded by Mr. [Alexander] Wehrle this week within a questionable deadline was delivered today with the total package from the interested party and the player's side totaling more than €60 million plus a share of the resale.

  "The supervisory board's response regarding a demand of €75 million, which is outside the market, for a player who came on a free transfer but with a lower mid-range salary classification is not only completely unfounded – especially for a domestic transfer – but is in blatant contradiction to the aforementioned agreements.

  "In March 2024 and most recently in mid-June, VfB made a clear commitment to a solution-oriented approach as soon as the next career step is possible. In the fast-paced world of football, such a step would now be possible, becoming the German record champion and a permanent Champions League participant. For an ambitious German international, this is a tremendous opportunity."

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Stuttgart's stance on letting Woltemade leave has only toughened since the second offer from Bayern arrived in July. At the time, Die Schwaben remained adamant on not entertaining any offers less than €65 million (£56m/$75m). Interestingly, they are now demanding €75m for the player.

تعرض الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم، لضغوط متزايدة للرد، بعد أن ساعدت كلمات محمد صلاح في اكتساب الزخم بسبب تغريدة مثيرة للجدل في وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي.

وسلطت الأضواء على الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم بعد أن شكك مهاجم ليفربول علناً في تغريدة نعيهم استشهاد سليمان العبيد المعروف بـ”بيليه فلسطين” والذي استشهد في غزة يوم الأربعاء.

وكان الاتحاد الفلسطيني لكرة القدم قد أعلن أن صاحب الـ41 عاماً قد قتل برصاص قوات الاحتلال الصهيوني أثناء انتظاره في مركز إغاثة في مدينة غزة.

وأضاف الاتحاد الفلسطيني: “بلغ عدد لاعبي كرة القدم الذين قتلوا أو ماتوا جوعاً 421 بينهم 103 أطفال”.

اقرأ أيضاً.. الصحافة العالمية تسلط الضوء على صدام محمد صلاح ويويفا في استشهاد سليمان العبيد

وفي منشور عبر موقع “إكس” كتب الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم: “وداعاً سليمان العبيد بيليه فلسطين، موهبة أعادت الأمل لقلوب عدد لا يحصى من الأطفال حتى في أحلك الظروف”.

وقد أعاد صلاح التغريدة ليرد قائلاً: “هل يمكنك إخبارنا كيف وأين ولماذا مات؟”، وحصد منشور صلاح أكثر من 80 مليون مشاهدة ولفت انتباه شخصيات ورموز رياضية وعالمية.

وقد أعاد جاري لينكر مهاجم إنجلترا ونجم برشلونة السابق نشر رد محمد صلاح عبر حسابه على إنستجرام ليزيد الضغط على الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم، عبر خاصية “ستوري”، وكتب: “لا نستطيع سماعكم يا يويفا”.

بينما نال رد محمد صلاح على تغريدة الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم، إعجاب جيريمي كوربين زعيم حزب العمال البريطاني السابق والنائب المستقل الحالي ليرد على صلاح، بالقول: “أحسنت يا مو”.

Germany came from behind to record a vital win over Denmark in the European Championship group stages, albeit in controversial circumstances.

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• Schuller scored winner
• Denmark appealed for a head injury stoppage
• Germany as good as through

• TELL ME MORE

  Germany all but secured their qualification for the European Championship knockout stages as they came from behind to beat Denmark 2-1 in a tense, entertaining game that was dominated by VAR on Tuesday evening.

  Christian Wuck's side thought they had the lead after 17 minutes, as Klara Buhl fired a low effort through a group of players, but VAR ruled that Sjoeke Nusken touched the ball from an offside position as it flew into the back of the net, and it was subsequently ruled out.

  And within eight minutes, Denmark left Germany reeling by taking the lead thanks to a brilliant strike from Amalie Vangsgaard; capitalising on a loose touch in the defensive third, she unleashed a rasping drive from the edge of the box that found the bottom corner.

  Amazingly, in the 39th minute, VAR again intervened, to deny Die Nationalelf a penalty. The referee had initially given it for a handball after a cross struck the hand of Frederikke Thogersen, but the replays showed that the contact took place outside of the box, and a free-kick was awarded instead.

  After the restart, Germany finally had VAR go their way, as Linda Dallmann went down in the box under a challenge from Katrine Veje. A review followed, and after sending the referee to the screen, a penalty was given. Nusken stepped up and finished from 12 yards.

  They kept their foot on the accelerator, and had the lead in the 66th minute. Denmark attempted to clear, but ended up firing the ball into the face of Emma Snerle, who went down with a head injury. Germany played on, and Jule Brand found Lea Schuller, who finished coolly to give her side a controversial lead.

  Germany stayed solid thereafter, limiting Denmark to a handful of attacks, as they saw out a vital victory.

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  THE MVP

  Nusken was at the centre of absolutely everything good for Germany. She scored a pressure penalty, and ran her heart out in central midfield, all the while geeing up her team-mates and dragging them along when Denmark had the upper hand. A terrific midfield performance.

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  THE BIG LOSER

  Snerle was so unfortunate to be struck by the ball as she was, given Denmark were attempting to clear their lines, but it directly led to Germany's winner. The referee should have stopped the game because it was a head injury, but because she didn't, it is the only selection we can make. She will hope to recover in time to play a role in the final group game but, without her injury, maybe the Danes take a vital point. Football really is a cruel sport.

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  Germany are as good as though and will face Sweden in their final group game on Saturday. Denmark will face Poland on the same day, although they could be out by the time that game is played, if Sweden beat Poland in their fixture on Tuesday evening.

MatériaMais Notícias

Um dos confrontos responsáveis por encerrar a 28ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, na próxima quarta-feira (28), será o embate entre Internacional e Bragantino. E o compromisso a ser disputado no Beira-Rio tem o clássico contexto onde os dois times buscam metas bem diferentes na competição.

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Do lado gaúcho, a ideia é sustentar uma invencibilidade que dura exatos 100 dias (ou nove jogos) em seus domínios para encurtar a distância para o líder do Brasileirão, o Palmeiras.

Nesse momento, enquanto o Inter tem 49 unidades e está na segunda posição, o atual ponteiro possui 57 pontos e fará um jogo complexo frente ao Atlético-MG, no mesmo dia e horário, na cidade de Belo Horizonte.

Por sua vez, o Massa Bruta vive uma temporada onde a aspiração imediata não é assegurar posto em torneios continentais, mas sim tomar uma distância mais segura da temida zona de rebaixamento. Por ora, a equipe de Bragança Paulista está em 13° lugar com 34 pontos conquistados, seis a mais do que o Avaí, primeiro time dentro da zona de rebaixamento.

FICHA TÉCNICA
INTERNACIONAL x BRAGANTINO

Local:Beira-Rio, em Porto Alegre (RS)
Data e hora: 28/09/2022 – 21h45 (de Brasília)
Árbitro: Wagner do Nascimento Magalhães (RJ)
Assistentes: Thiago Henrique Neto Correa Farinha e Márcia Bezerra Lopes Caetano (ambos RJ)
VAR: Pablo Ramon Gonçalves Pinheiro (RN)
Onde assistir: Globo (apenas RS) e Premiere

INTERNACIONAL (Técnico: Mano Menezes)

Keiller; Igor Gomes, Vitão, Mercado e Renê; Gabriel, Edenilson; Pedro Henrique, Alan Patrick e Mauricio; Alexandre Alemão.

Desfalques: Daniel (lesão no olho),Bustos (suspenso) e Johnny (seleção dos Estados Unidos).

BRAGANTINO (Técnico: Mauricio Barbieri)

Cleiton; Aderlan, Léo Ortiz, Natan e Luan Candido; Raul, Evangelista e Eric Ramires; Artur, Carlos Eduardo e Helinho.

Desfalques: Alerrandro (lesão na coxa direita), Bruninho (lesão no joelho), Gabriel Novaes (lesão na coxa esquerda) e Jan Hurtado (lesão na coxa esquerda).

MatériaMais Notícias

A lei mais recorrente do futebol fica muito agradecida quando Corinthians e Internacional se enfrentam. E isso acontecerá neste domingo (4), às 16h, pela 25ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.

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Bruno Méndez e Yuri Alberto defenderam o Internacional recentemente, tendo atuado pela equipe do Beira Rio ainda nesta temporada.

O defensor uruguaio estava emprestado pelo Timão desde o segundo semestre do ano passado. O acordo se encerrou no meio desta temporada, o Corinthians até se mostrou disposto a reduzir o valor de compra fixado em 3 milhões de dólares (R$ 15,5 mi, na cotação atual), existia interesse do Internacional de permanecer com o atleta, mas as partes não chegaram a um acordo. Com isso, o zagueiro retornou ao Timão, onde tem atuado com certa regularidade no rodízio promovido pelo técnico Vítor Pereira.

Já Yuri, entrou em campo na primeira partida do Inter no ano e até chegou a marcar um dos gols da vitória colorada por 2 a 1 sobre o Juventude, pela primeira rodada do Campeonato Gaúcho. Dias depois, o atacante foi vendido ao Zenit, da Rússia, por 25 milhões de euros (R$ 128,6 mi, na cotação).

Ao fim da temporada russa, Yuri se mostrou insatisfeito e desejoso em voltar ao Brasil. O Internacional até entrou no páreo, mas o destino do centroavante foi o Timão.

Bruno deve ser reserva no duelo deste domingo (4), enquanto Yuri é provável titular e tem tudo para começar jogando.

Por fim, Carlos Miguel é o que tem passagem mais discreta pelo adversário. O goleiro de 2,04 metros fez toda formação no Inter, mas nunca teve chances no time profissional, tendo sido emprestado ao Santa Cruz e Boa Esporte.

Livre de contrato no meio do ano passado, o arqueiro foi contratado pelo Timão. Hoje ele reveza a posição de reserva imediato de Cássio com Matheus Donelli.

Por fim, Carlos Miguel é o que tem passagem mais discreta pelo adversário. O goleiro de 2,04 metros fez toda formação no Inter, mas nunca teve chances no time profissional, tendo sido emprestado ao Santa Cruz e Boa Esporte.

Livre de contrato no meio do ano passado, o arqueiro foi contratado pelo Timão. Hoje ele reveza a posição de reserva imediato de Cássio com Matheus Donelli.

NO INTERNACIONAL

O Inter possui dois atletas com passagem pelo Timão, menos do que o contrário, mas Edenílson e Gabriel contam com certa identificação com o clube do Parque São Jorge.

O primeiro passou pelo Timão em uma época grandiosa pelo clube, entre 2011 e 2014.

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O meia esteve presente em campanhas vitoriosas, como a da Libertadores e Mundial, em 2012, além do Brasileirão, no ano anterior. Ele também venceu o Campeonato Paulista de 2013 com a camisa corintiana.

Edenílson foi emprestado pelo Corinthians ao Genoa, da Itália, no início de 2014. No ano seguinte foi vendido à Udinese, outro time italiano. Atuou pelo time de Udine por uma temporada e meio, posteriormente sendo emprestado ao Genoa e depois ao Inter, onde foi comprado em definitivo em 2018 e está até hoje.

Já Gabriel, passou pelo Timão mais recentemente, chegando em 2017 e deixando o clube no início deste ano, quando rescindiu amigavelmente com o clube alvinegro para acertar com o Inter. A parte corintiana manteve 20% dos direitos econômicos do jogador, visando lucrar com uma eventual venda futura.

O volante fez parte de uma geração diferente de Edenílson, mas igualmente vitoriosa. Pelo Corinthians, o atleta foi tricampeão paulista, entre 2017 e 2019, e também conquistou um Campeonato Brasileiro, em 2017.