El Farolito, a family run restaurant and family run team, are looking to shake up the U.S. Open Cup once again
The most likable team in American soccer doesn't even have a pitch to play on. It doesn't have a regular practice time. It can't afford to host the biggest game in its history.
Well, in reality, it really isn't a soccer . It's more than that.
This is the tale of El Farolito, an amateur soccer side from San Francisco's mission district, affiliated with – and proud representative of – a very successful local Mexican restaurant. The club's monikers – "Tacqueria Team" and "Burrito Boys" – write themselves. But what from the outside seems like either a quick laugh or something designed for the deepest corners of soccer social media is, in actuality, something far more
El Farolito is a family run restaurant. It is also a family run team. They are a power of the West Coast amateur scene. And yes, every game ends with a trip to the restaurant and a good meal.
And as the semi-pro side takes on a professional opponent for the second straight year in U.S. Open Cup, they're fighting for something more. Yes, it's fun. Yes, it's rag-tag. But El Farolito deeply care about their connection to the local community, standing as evidence of the staying power of grassroots soccer. And they're not bad at this sport either.
"We hear a lot of like these nicknames – the Burrito Boys or the Taqueria Team and all that stuff," head coach Santiago Lopez told GOAL. "And the whole team knows about it, but we're just focused. It doesn't matter."
U.S. Soccer
'No attention'
For years, El Farolito were something of a local secret. They were the Mexican joint that attracted some good footballers, a burrito place that played soccer on the side. Relative anonymity – at least on a national scale – suited them. But recent successes thrust them into the spotlight.
The U.S. Open Cup is the closest thing the United States has to an amateur-pro tournament. It's not dissimilar to the FA Cup in England, or Copa del Rey in Spain. As you might expect, most sides that enter from the semi-professtional ranks are fairly easily brushed aside by a pro franchises.
But El Farolito, for two straight years, have sprung an upset. Currently members of the NPSL – essentially the fourth tier of American soccer – they have had a knack for beating those higher up in the pyramid. The first big win came in the first round in 2024, when they beat Portland Timbers 2. They went one better a few weeks later, downing Central Valley Fuego FC.
The dream ended with a loss to the nearby Oakland Roots in the third round – even though they outshot the USL Championship side on the night.
"The day after we got eliminated in the third round with Oakland, we're back to normal, and there's no attention," Lopez said.
So much for that. This year, they are back. And once again, the upsets are underway. Real Monarchs were comfortably dispatched in the first round. El Farolito came from behind to beat Monterey Bay in the second round two weeks ago. The buzz has returned.
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'We have nothing but appreciation'
But El Farolito aren't a plucky upstart with no history to speak of. Rather, this is a club engrained in the San Francisco community. Founded in 1985, "Faro" was originally comprised of former pros from overseas and employees of the restaurant chain – which now has 12 locations in the Bay Area. Salvador "Don Chava" Lopez – who passed in 2021 – started the whole thing, drawing on a love for soccer from his native Mexico.
Success came quickly. They started in the lower ends of the wonderfully-named San Francisco Soccer Football League (SFSFL), before being promoted to the top division. By the early '90s, they were regular local division champions, and had reached the final of the National Amateur Cup.
El Farolito were rebranded as Club Deportivo Mexico in 1993. Even more success followed. They won the U.S. Open Cup that year, beating teams from San Jose, Milwaukee and Philadelphia on their run. That tournament victory earned them a spot in the 1994 CONCACAF Cup Winners Cup. This club founded in a burrito restaurant in Northern California was suddenly playing against top-tier Mexican sides.
Lopez remembers the 1993 final, and was there in the stands at just eight-years-old as his Dad coached his side to a 5-0 win. Ever since then, he has felt a sense of responsibility to the brand.
"We're very privileged that he learned the bad way and the right ways in this country," Lopez said. "We have nothing but appreciation. And we're very fortunate for that, and we want to preserve that and take care of all the decades of work that my parents did."
After that, the club faded into relative irrelevance – at least on the national scale. They were still successful in the SFSFL – 11 division titles from 1995-2017 is nothing to sniff at – but Don Chava's health was declining. His children steadily took over the restaurant, while Santiago became full-time manager of El Farolito.
"We noticed that he needed some help in the business," Lopez said. "My sisters came in and we take some responsibilities away from him so he could be more focused on making some more difficult decisions. But for us, it was just the more routine stuff, like payroll management, scheduling, bills, accounting, all of that."
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'It's Open Cup, Open Cup, Open Cup'
But then, in 2017, things changed. The NPSL, founded in 2003, had always handed out automatic qualification to the U.S. Open Cup. In an homage to the club's history, Lopez insisted that El Farolito move divisions – and start thinking bigger.
"That's why we decided to go into the NPSL, because we wanted to go to a national stage. And because it has a direct qualification to the Open Cup, if you do well, that was the main intention. It's Open Cup, Open Cup, Open Cup," he explained.
That came with its own challenges, though. El Farolito had to get bigger, better, and more talented. Lopez, who was already helping out with some of the business duties at the restaurant, had to increase his scouting and coaching workload. The problem? El Farolito were – and still are – semi-pro. There is no real budget for these things.
Pedigree helps, of course. El Farolito are well known in the area. Talent has never really been a problem, with ex-pros from as far as Columbia, Honduras and Ivory Coast – as well as some talented local youngsters – all in the mix. But the pipeline is always moving.
"I'm the one who's focused with the with the soccer decisions. I go and I look for certain tournaments or certain players," Lopez said.
It gets difficult, keeping track of everything, Lopez admitted.
"I have a business to run. I have a family. I have my things to do. I want to prepare myself with coaching courses or do scrimmages and practice with the team or the group once or twice a week," he said.
Throw in the fact that Lopez and his wife have just welcomed a child, now less than a month old, and this whole thing gets even more complicated.
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'We just have to adapt'
One obvious issue: El Farolito don't always have a place to play. There are a limited number of fields in the area, Lopez said. And there's something of an arms race for permits to rent them. El Farolito regularly competes with flag football and frisbee teams for fields on which to practice. Often, there will be scrambles on a midweek night as to where, exactly, training will be the next day.
And sometimes, fields aren't available, regardless. It's not an uncommon occurrence for Lopez and Co. to show up to their scheduled field and find another group running into their allocated time slots. Warmups sometimes have to be conducted in tiny slices of turf behind a standard pitch. Daylight is also an issue; once the lights go off on a public-use pitch, then practice ends.
Lopez has a remarkable level of efficiency to it all, though. Everyone is always on time. Drills are flexible and adaptable. El Farolito has a separate goalkeeper coach and five registered goalkeepers – they always get their own area. On some nights, the team will have to accept that it won't be able to train on a full field. But that has never been a problem.
"We can't complain, because we we live in a city that that has a lot of freedom, and historically, has always been like that," he said. "So we just have to adapt to it. And I'm very fortunate the players, regardless if it's playing on a small field or on a large they're there to work and have a good time."
Após garantir vaga nas oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil, o São Paulo vira sua chave e volta suas forças agora para o Campeonato Brasileiro. O time comandado por Rogério Ceni recebe o Cuiabá neste domingo (15), às 16h, no Estádio do Morumbi, pela sexta rodada do torneio.
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Jogar diante de sua torcida tem sido um fator positivo para o Tricolor. Com 100% de aproveitamento no Morumbi nesta edição do Nacional, o time tenta manter o bom retrospecto para subir na tabela de classificação. Atualmente, o São Paulo ocupa o sétimo lugar, com oito pontos em cinco jogos.
Para o confronto em casa, a comissão técnica tem três desfalques: os meio-campistas Andrés Colorado, que se recupera de uma lesão muscular no reto femoral direito, e Gabriel Sara, que foi submetido a uma cirurgia para correção de lesão ligamentar no tornozelo direito, seguem nos trabalhos de recuperação.
Já o Cuiabá não vive um bom momento. O time foi eliminado na terceira fase da Copa do Brasil após perder uma disputa de pênaltis contra o Atlético-GO na última quarta-feira (12), que culminou na demissão do técnico Pintado . A equipe ocupa o 11º lugar na tabela do Brasileirão, com sete pontos.
SÃO PAULO X CUIABÁ
Local: Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo (SP) Data/Horário: 15/05/2022, às 16h Árbitro: Alexandre Vargas Tavares de Jesus Assistentes: Thiago Henrique Neto Correa Farinha e Thiago Rosa de Oliveira VAR: Diogo Carvalho Silva Onde acompanhar: Premiere e em Tempo Real na parceria LANCE!/Voz do Esporte
SÃO PAULO
Jandrei, Rafinha, Arboleda, Léo e Welington; Pablo Maia, Rodrigo Nestor, Igor Gomes e Alisson; Eder e Calleri. Técnico: Rogério Ceni.
Desfalques: Gabriel Sara e Andrés Colorado (lesionados) e Diego Costa (suspenso).
CUIABÁ
Walter; Walter, Marllon, João Lucas, Uendel; Rivas, Pepê, Valdivia, Alesson, Jenison; André Luis. Técnico:Luiz Fernando Iubel (interino).
With Raphael Wicky having now been ruled out of the running to take over at the Hawthorns due to a disagreement regarding his background staff, West Bromwich Albion’s priorities won’t be able to shift towards the busy transfer window just yet.
When the time comes, plenty of incomings will presumably be targeted by whoever does officially take on the Championship club’s reins as Carlos Corberan’s successor, but there will also be the added worry of some outgoings from the building, with Tom Fellows one player already being eyed up by Premier League suitors.
Tom Fellows celebrates for West Brom.
The promotion candidates will hope they can stand their ground and fend off those higher-up parties looking at their top assets, but it will be easier said than done.
The players that could soon leave West Brom
Many of West Brom’s star performers might well fancy their chances of moving straight up to the Premier League this January, over working tirelessly to get up to the promised land with the Baggies.
Fellows was reportedly being looked at by Everton, off the back of picking up ten assists this season in Championship action, with David Moyes perhaps fancying this acquisition as well now he’s taken on the Toffees job after Sean Dyche’s abrupt dismissal.
The electric 21-year-old has often linked up with West Brom sharpshooter Josh Maja to devastating effect this season, with the ex-Sunderland man also a wanted man this month, as Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur surprisingly begin to take note of his EFL goalscoring heroics.
After all, he has been deadly enough in the second tier to warrant both London giants sniffing around, with 12 strikes powered home from 26 league outings making him a target for many a club wanting to boost their firepower.
Away from individuals West Brom would be gutted to lose, there is also another senior face in the Baggies camp that looks to be heading for the exit door without his team putting up too much of a fight.
Jed Wallace's future at West Brom
Indeed, that figure is Jed Wallace, who is allegedly being looked at by the likes of Blackburn Rovers this January amidst doubts over his long-term West Brom future.
The experienced 30-year-old midfielder was a consistent first-teamer last season under Carlos Corberan with 44 league appearances under his belt, only to now be relegated to a presence on-the-fringes this campaign.
Wallace has only made three starts for this side in the Championship during 2024/25, with zero goals or assists coming his way, as the likes of the aforementioned Maja and Fellows shine as bright sparks in the team whilst the ex-Millwall man becomes a forgotten name.
Therefore, it would be a logical next step to try and move the EFL veteran out of the door at some point during this hectic month, with his high wage in the camp also a cause for concern whilst he remains glued to the substitutes bench.
1. Mason Holgate
£70k-per-week
2. Daryl Dike
£32.3k-per-week
= 3. Darnell Furlong
£25k-per-week
= 3. Jed Wallace
£25k-per-week
5. John Swift
£22.5k-per-week
Amazingly, even as he slides dramatically down the pecking order, Wallace still rakes in a hefty £25k-per-week salary, which sees him remain in the top five highest earners bracket at the Hawthorns.
On the contrary, Maja only earns £17k-per-week despite his key ongoing role in his team’s promotion story, whilst Karlan Grant – who has managed to turn around his Baggies career whilst Wallace’s own tale has gone sour – only earns £20k-per-week, despite also firing home six league strikes of his own.
Whilst the 30-year-old has proven his worth to the cause previously – with ex-Sheffield United defender Jack O’Connell even labelling the midfielder’s ability as “unbelievable” once upon a time – the West Brom number seven won’t want to overstay his welcome now, which could result in a bittersweet January departure.
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India’s shortcomings with the ball in the first two matches makes visitors favourites despite uncertainty over de Kock’s availability
Firdose Moonda13-Jun-20224:03
Did India bat poorly or did South Africa bowl really well?
Big pictureSouth Africa could finish what they travelled to India for – to win the five-T20I series – in less than a week if they win the third game on Tuesday, with two matches left to play. Conversely, it’s put India in a situation where every match is a must-win. That makes the Visakhapatnam game the most interesting so far, as this is where the series could turn.For it to start to angle towards India, they will have to find a way to be more threatening, especially with the ball. Apart from one exceptional performance, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s 4 for 13 in the second T20I, every bowler in India’s attack has been inconsistent at stages with South Africa appearing to have worked out a way to score off all of them. And they seem to have figured out how to do it under pressure.Related
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How Heinrich Klaasen tamed a tricky Cuttack pitch
Historically known for having a middle-order that crumbled when the heat was on, South Africa have found ways to win matches even when it looked like they were pinned down. They have racked up 13 victories in their last 14 T20Is, including all seven of the ones in which they have chased.Importantly, they have found runs from a variety of players and have not had to rely solely on the biggest name, Quinton de Kock, to post big scores. de Kock is in the squad but sustained what captain Temba Bavuma described as a “freak” hand injury two days before the second match and his availability for the rest of the series is unknown. That may give India one less thing to worry about but they will know they can’t take the South African side – superstars or not – lightly.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first) India LLWWW South Africa WWWWWIn the spotlightRishabh Pant’s first foray into international captaincy is throwing up some interesting questions for him after a tough IPL. He has not scored a white-ball half-century since India’s series against West Indies in February and also has to deal with the additional challenges of managing the team’s strategy on the field. Depending on how he handles the rest of the series, with India facing three crucial matches, Pant may establish himself as third in the leadership pecking order, behind Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, or a case could be made for Hardik Pandya – who led Gujarat Titans to victory in the IPL – to step into the role.It was Rassie van der Dussen in the first match and Heinrich Klaasen in the second, so it’s only natural to wonder who will emerge as South Africa’s batting hero in the third. Reeza Hendricks has reason to impress: he has fallen behind the pecking order and will likely make way once de Kock returns. Temba Bavuma played a good anchoring role in Cuttack but his strike rate remains just above 120. Dwaine Pretorius could get another opportunity to show what he can do in a pinch-hitting No.3 role and David Miller, who has been a strong supporting actor so far and is in the form of his career, could make more headlines.3:41
Steyn: It looked like Klaasen batted on a different pitch
Team newsDeepak Hooda could displace Shreyas Iyer to bolster the batting stocks and provide India with an offspin option, which could prove handy against the South African left-handers (read: David Miller). Whatever they do, India have to find a way to keep South Africa’s middle-order quiet, which may force their hand to play one of Umran Malik or Arshdeep Singh in this crucial match. Avesh Khan could find himself on the sidelines if that happens.India: (possible) 1 Ishan Kishan, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 3 Deepak Hooda/Shreyas Iyer, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt, wk), 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Dinesh Karthik, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Harshal Patel, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalAiden Markram remains unavailable as he completes his quarantine after testing positive for Covid-19 on June 9 and if de Kock needs more time to recover from his wrist niggle, South Africa could go in with an unchanged batting line-up. de Kock underwent a scan on Monday, with results expected on match day when a decision on his inclusion will be made. The spinners have been under-utilised so far and one of them may be benched in favour of an extra quick.South Africa: (possible) 1 Reeza Hendricks, 2 Temba Bavuma (capt), 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 David Miller, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 Dwaine Pretorius, 7 Wayne Parnell, 8 Kagiso Rabada, 9 Lungi Ngidi/Keshav Maharaj, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Tabraiz ShamsiPitch and conditionsThere is a small sample size of only two T20Is at this venue to tell us what we can expect from the surface. Both were low-scoring encounters, won by the chasing team. In 2016, India bowled Sri Lanka out for 82 and chased it down inside 14 overs, and in 2019, India were restricted to 126 for 7 by Australia, who won by three wickets. Both spinners and seamers were successful here, which suggests another tricky batting track. There’s rain around on the eve of the match but only a 20% chance on match day, with temperatures in the 30s and high humidity expected again.2:38
Jaffer: ‘Chahal not transferring IPL impact into international matches’
Stats and trivia If South Africa win the third match, and therefore the series, it will extend their unbeaten run in white-ball series in India to 12 years. They have not lost a rubber since the ODIs in India in 2010, and have since won one ODI and one T20I series while drawing another T20I series. Shreyas Iyer has taken on South Africa’s spinners, against whom he has a strike rate of 220, but has struggled against pace in this series, against whom his strike rate falls to 76.19. Heinrich Klaasen has faced Yuzvendra Chahal in two T20Is. In 2018, he scored 41 off 12 deliveries and added 30 off 13 balls on Sunday.Quotes”That depth is something we’re always trying to build. A freak injury with Quinny (de Kock) and his hand, and Klaasen took that opportunity with both hands. He’s a big player for us in the middle of the innings. We know what he can do. We back him 100%. We have a lot of belief in him, and he showed again why he’s a part of this team.”
They might not have been the most successful team over the last 15 years, but Tottenham Hotspur have been blessed with some ridiculously talented footballers.
For example, before his move to Bayern Munich, Harry Kane was undoubtedly the best striker in the Premier League and formed one of the best-attacking partnerships ever alongside Son Heung-min.
However, years before those two became the superstars they are, another Spurs attacker was the envy of the footballing world: Gareth Bale.
The Welsh legend was a force of nature for the Lilywhites and eventually netted the team a world record £85m, which was infamously spent on seven somewhat underwhelming signings, including one player who was supposedly more skilful than the Champions League winner, but is now struggling in the Greek Super League.
Spurs' not so magnificent seven
Yes, with the money made on Bale’s sale, Daniel Levy and Co opted to splash the cash on seven new signings that summer, and while some of them panned out okay, most did not.
Roberto Soldado
For example, while Roberto Soldado and Paulinho arrived with plenty of hype, the former due to his incredible goal record in Spain and the latter because of comparisons to Frank Lampard, neither one achieved much of anything at the club.
Likewise, while none of them were dreadful, Nacer Chadli, Etienne Capoue and Vlad Chiriches all left the North Londoners within three years, leaving little to no mark on the club whatsoever.
However, while five of the seven arrivals left arguably as flops, there were two who certainly had more of a positive impact.
The first is Christan Eriksen, who was undoubtedly the most successful of the seven and made 305 appearances for the Lilywhites, scoring 69 goals and providing 88 assists before leaving to join Inter Milan in January 2020.
The final member of the not-so-magnificent seven wasn’t as successful as the Dane, but he remained in North London for longer and certainly made his mark, although comparisons to Bale in the early days look even more ridiculous now that he’s struggling in the Greek Super League.
The former Spurs star struggling in Greece
So, with six of the seven players already covered, it should come as no surprise that the player we are talking about is Erik Lamela.
Erik Lamela
The Argentine ace joined the North Londoners for around £25.8m in late August 2013, and while he wasn’t as game-changing as Eriksen was, he was significantly more impactful than the other five players signed that summer.
In fact, to his credit, the Carapachay-born dynamo was the last man standing from the magnificent seven and ended up making 257 appearances for the club before joining Sevilla as part of a swap deal in July 2021.
Lamela’s Spurs career
Appearances
257
Minutes
13842′
Goals
37
Assists
44
Points per Game
1.79
Goal Involvements per Match
0.31
Minutes per Goal Involvement
170.88′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
In those appearances, the 32-year-old scored 37 goals, provided 44 assists and occasionally showed real glimpses of quality, such as his Puskas-winning goal in the North London Derby.
While these moments helped justify the money spent on him, he could never quite live up to the expectations people had of him when he first arrived in N17, especially after club legend Ossie Ardiles proclaimed that he was “more skilled than Bale.”
Such comments look even more outrageous today, as after three middling seasons at Sevilla, the 25-capped international joined Greek side AEK Athens, and while he’s not been woeful, he hasn’t been great either.
In 13 appearances across all competitions, the former Spurs star has failed to score a single goal and has just three assists to his name, which is not the sort of output you would expect from someone of his ability.
Ultimately, despite being a decent servant to the club, Lamela could never live up to the expectations people had of him at Spurs, and it looks like that may be happening to him again, only this time in Greece.
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أكد أحمد سالم المتحدث الرسمي باسم نادي الزمالك، عدم صحة ما تم ذكره أمس بإحدى القنوات الفضائية عن الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالقلعة البيضاء مشيراً إلى أن المهنية تفرض على العاملين في المجال الإعلامي التحلي بالدقة والمصداقية.
ويستعد الزمالك لخوض مباراة أمام سموحة غدًا الأربعاء في المواجهة التي تجمع بينهما ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس الرابطة “كأس عاصمة مصر”.
وقال أحمد سالم في تصريح للمركز الإعلامي بنادي الزمالك: “نمر بفترة هي الأصعب في الموسم الكروي الحالي بعد وصول المنافسة على قمة الدوري إلى ذروتها، وإدارة النادي حريصة على توفير الأجواء المناسبة لفريق الكرة، ومن ثم لا مجال على الإطلاق للحديث الآن عن صفقات الموسم القادم”.
طالع أيضًا | خالد الغندور يكشف كواليس مفاوضات الزمالك مع محمد شريف ومن يتحمل راتبه
وأضاف: “ما يتردد عن تعاقد الزمالك مع لاعبين جدد أو رحيل وإعارة بعض اللاعبين بالفريق عار تماماً من الصحة، ونعلم جيداً رغبة البعض في التأثير على مسيرة الفريق لتحقيق أهداف مغرضة نعلمها جيداً”.
وأوضح:”لكننا قادرون على التصدي لأي أكاذيب، ولاعبونا على درجة عالية من الوعي ويدركون جيداً نتيجة خبرات سابقة ما المقصود من تناول أخبار الزمالك بدون حيادية”.
واختتم: “نحترم حرية الرأي والتعبير ونقدر قيمة وأهمية الإعلام، ولكننا أيضاً نطالب بتحري الدقة والتعامل بمهنية ومصداقية، ونؤكد بأن الأخبار التي يتم نشرها عبر المنصات الرسمية للزمالك هي المعبرة فقط عن الموقف الرسمي بالنادي، وسنقوم بالرد المناسب لردع ومحاسبة كل من يتعمد إثارة البلبلة حول النادي عامة”.
Fazle Mahmud and Mohammad Naim dropped from Test squad; Khaled Ahmed in ODI squad
Mohammad Isam03-Mar-2022Shakib Al Hasan and Tamim Iqbal have returned to Bangladesh’s Test squad for the forthcoming series against South Africa. Tamim missed the Test leg of the New Zealand tour due to multiple thumb injuries while Shakib skipped the trip for personal reasons.Shakib’s comeback into the Test fold comes after BCB president Nazmul Hasan had said that the 34-year-old would tour South Africa even though he had initially planned to skip Test cricket for six months.”Now that he is not going to the IPL, I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t play the Test series in South Africa,” Hassan had said last Monday.” So forget about it. This is no longer in my mind. The IPL was preventing him from playing [the two Test series], but now he will play [both series].”However, Fazle Mahmud and Mohammad Naim have been dropped from the Test squad. Fazle had previously earned his place in the side on the back of chart-topping numbers in domestic first-class cricket while Naim was a left-field pick as he is more of a T20 specialist. Naim had made his debut in the second Test in Christchurch, but didn’t make much of an impression.Bangladesh stuck with the ODI squad that recently beat Afghanistan 2-0 at home. Fast bowler Khaled Ahmed, who is uncapped in ODI cricket, is the only addition to the squad. The 29-year-old has played three Tests so far, managing just one wicket.Bangladesh will play three ODIs, part of the World Cup Super League, on March 18, 20 and 23, while the two Tests, part of the World Test Championship, will start from March 31 and April 8.Test squad: Mominul Haque (capt), Tamim Iqbal, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Mushfiqur Rahim, Shakib Al Hasan, Litton Das (wk), Yasir Ali, Taijul Islam, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taskin Ahmed, Abu Jayed, Ebadot Hossain, Shoriful Islam, Shohidul Islam, Khaled Ahmed, Shadman Islam, Nurul HasanODI squad: Tamim Iqbal (capt), Litton Das, Najmul Hossain Shanto, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Afif Hossain, Mehidy Hassan Miraz, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Ebadot Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Yasir Ali, Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Khaled Ahmed
It went down to the final over, but Ireland managed to just about avoid another defeat in their rematch with USA in Florida, Lorcan Tucker’s charmed 84 making the difference in a nine-run win on Thursday night at Broward County Stadium, as the series ended 1-1.Having been asked to bat, Ireland struggled through much of their innings for the second day in a row, barring Tucker, who posted a second consecutive fifty after being dropped twice in what turned out to be a match-winning knock.Just as he did a day earlier, Tucker arrived in the second over with Ireland in trouble after Paul Stirling fell missing a sweep against Nisarg Patel to be lbw for five. And Andy Balbirnie’s déjà vu came in the form of a second dismissal at deep square-leg, pulling Saurabh Netravalkar to Sushant Modani to fall for ten as Ireland ended the second over at 20 for 2.After looking uncomfortable against the pace of Ali Khan in the last game, Tucker feasted on him this time, starting in the fourth over in a 180-degree turnaround in the wrong direction for USA’s bowling ace. Tucker clattered Khan for six and four, a portend of another key sequence to come at the tail end of the innings. Another two boundaries were taken off Netravalkar in the sixth over as Ireland finished the powerplay at 59 for 2.Related
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Ireland’s post-powerplay issues that haunted them during the T20 World Cup did not exactly cease in Florida, as Tucker ran out of partners. USA’s spinners did well to rein in the scoring rate as the teenaged duo of Yasir Mohammad and debutant Vatsal Vaghela took two wickets apiece to put Ireland under pressure.Yasir struck first with his legspin, getting Curtis Campher to slog sweep against the turn to produce a skied chance for Marty Kain at long-on for 17 in the seventh. Shane Getkate then skied a drive off Vaghela’s left-arm spin to Ritwik Behera at long-off for five, and Ireland’s promising start dissipated by the halfway stage with the score 84 for 4.Tucker was first dropped at extra cover off Yasir’s bowling by Nisarg when on 39, and Vaghela then spilt a straightforward chance off his own bowling with Tucker on 50 as a mistimed drive fluttered gently back to at knee height only to be juggled and dropped. While Tucker was reprieved, the middle-order was not, as wickets tumbled during a six-over stretch from the 11th to the 16th in which Ireland went without a boundary.Neil Rock (caught long-on for four), William McClintock (caught long-on for one) and Mark Adair (bowled for three) fell in consecutive overs as Ireland slipped to 102 for 7 in the 14th and looked in danger of not batting out their overs. That came to fruition, but not before a crucial sequence in which Tucker attacked Khan once more in the 18th. Down to their final wicket after both Simi Singh and Barry McCarthy had fallen cheaply, Khan went in search of the one perfect yorker to put the innings on ice. Instead, it backfired, as he missed his length and the result was Tucker driving him for two sixes and a four in a 17-run over. A reverse sweep off Netravalkar produced another boundary in the 19th before Tucker fell trying to repeat the shot as Ireland ended their innings with seven balls unused.Curtis Campher picked up four wickets, including three wickets in a four-ball burst•ICC via Getty
Behera opened the chase for USA in a reshuffled batting order and was lucky to be given not out first ball on a strong lbw shout to a back-of-a-length ball from Mark Adair that skidded on to hit him in front of middle stump. But Behera could not make much of the extra chance, struggling to find rhythm in an innings of 16 off 23 balls before he was caught hooking Adair in the eighth. With fellow opener Ryan Scott run-out by sharp work from Campher off his own bowling, USA were behind the eight-ball after a slow start to the chase at 42 for 2 after eight.After a 13-run opening over, USA went until the 14th before they scored another double-digit frame when Gajanand Singh finally opened up to slog sweep Ben White’s legspin over long-on, giving USA some life. But he fell to a dubious lbw decision against Campher for 22 in the next over to a ball that replays indicated was pitching comfortably outside leg despite going in the direction of off stump.At 109 for 4 after 17 and 42 needed off 18 balls, victory seemed an outlandish thought for USA before momentum shifted back and forth in a wild 18th over bowled by Campher. It started with a chest-high no-ball, which was heaved for six over midwicket by Modani. Though he missed out on the free-hit, another straight drive for six followed to bring the equation down to a very manageable 30 off 16. But Campher swung the pendulum back Ireland’s way by taking three wickets in four balls. Modani skied a drive to Tucker at sweeper cover for 27 before Marty Kain was bowled for 11 by a back-of-a-length delivery that skidded past a pull. Mohammad’s attempt at innovation failed when his attempt at a ramp over fine leg resulted in a cue shot off the toe back to Campher for a second-ball duck.USA entered the final over needing 17 to win against Adair. After conceding 23 to Kain off the 20th a day earlier in which he erred horribly with his lines, Adair redeemed himself on Thursday night by getting his wide yorkers spot on. Three dots and a bye came off the six legal deliveries in a seven-run over to clinch victory as Tucker took home both Player of the Match and Player of the Series honours.
The last five years have seen a monumental amount of change at Tottenham Hotspur.
The North Londoners have seen five permanent managers take up the job, an unsuccessful League Cup final against Manchester City and arguably their greatest-ever player leave, Harry Kane.
AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho.
On top of that, each manager has been able to sign a number of their own players to varying levels of success, and it would be fair to say José Mourinho was responsible for some poor additions, including one who earned significantly more than the man of the moment, Dominic Solanke.
Spurs' 2020 summer signings
So, before we get to the player in question, let’s look at a couple of other flops Mourinho signed that summer, including Irish full-back Matt Doherty.
Former Tottenham defender Matt Doherty.
The Dublin-born international joined the club that August from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a fee of around £14.7m and did so off the back of an impressive season with the Old Gold in which he made 50 appearances, scored seven goals and provided four assists.
However, that form did not follow him to North London, and in two and a half years in the capital, he made just 71 appearances, in which he scored three goals and provided eight assists before his contract was terminated by mutual consent.
Unfortunately for the Lilywhites, Doherty wasn’t the only full-back Mourinho signed that summer, as he also oversaw the £27m capture of the Real Madrid left-back Sergio Reguilon, who was coming off of a successful loan campaign with Sevilla, during which he scored three goals and provided five assists in 38 games.
Just like with his former teammate, the Spaniard could not show the same form he had the season prior in N17, and after two disappointing years, began a series of loan spells that has seen him play for Atlético, Manchester United and, most recently, Brentford.
However, while both full-backs have to be considered flop signings, neither one was handed a wage as large as another of the special ones’ disappointing signings from that summer.
Mourinho's costly signing
The player is Danish international Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, who was arguably Mourinho’s most successful permanent addition from the summer of 2020, but given the competition, that’s not much to shout about.
Spurs midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
The combative midfielder joined Spurs from fellow Premier League side Southampton for a fee of around £15m, which was fairly reasonable, but what wasn’t was the massive salary of £100k-per-week the club agreed to pay him.
That is £10k-per-week more than record signing Solanke is currently earning, and while he’s had a slow start to life in N17, he now has a reasonable tally of five goals and two assists in 13 appearances to his name.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
Now, as many fans will attest, the København-born ace wasn’t a terrible player, and at times, it seemed like he was the only one who cared, but in a sport where caring counts for very little compared to ability and results, it’s hard not to look at his time at the club as underwhelming.
In all, he made 184 appearances for the first team, scoring ten goals, providing 16 assists and picking up 27 yellow cards, but following a season of trying to adapt to Ange Postecoglou’s style of play last year, he moved to Marseille on a season-long loan with an option to buy this summer.
The finances of Højbjerg’s Spurs move
Transfer Fee
£15m
Wages (Total)
£100k-per-week (£20.8m)
Appearances
184
Cost per Appearance
£194k
Goals
10
Cost per Goal
£3.5m
Assists
16
Cost per Assist
£2.2m
Goal Involvements
26
Cost per Goal Involvement
£1.3m
All Stats via Transfermarkt & Wages via Capology
In all, the 29-year-old earned around £20.8m in wages during his time at the club, which brings his total cost to around £35.8m, which can be broken down to £194k-per-appearance, £3.5m-per-goal, £2.2m-per-assist or £1.3m-per-goal-involvement.
Ultimately, Højbjerg wasn’t an utter flop like some of the other players the special one signed during his tenure, but he wasn’t a roaring success either, and the financial cost is just another reminder of that.
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كشف أشرف صبحي، وزير الشباب والرياضة، عن رؤيته للأزمة التي يشهدها المشهد الكروي المصري في الفترة الأخيرة، خاصة فيما يتعلق بالجدل الدائر حول الأندية الكبرى، مشيرًا إلى أن طبيعة الرياضة تفرض دائمًا حالة من الجدل والنقاش، ليس فقط في مصر، ولكن في العالم كله.
وقال صبحي في تصريحات إذاعية عبر أثير “أون سبورت إف إم”: “هذه هي طبيعة ملف الرياضة، في إنجلترا مثلًا نرى أقوى دوري اقتصاديًا، لكن منتخبهم ضعيف، كما أن ليفربول خسر بطولتين في أسبوع واحد، ومانشستر سيتي يتراجع رغم أنه كان في قمة مستواه. الكرة أصبحت صناعة ضخمة، والاحتراف أدى إلى زيادة العوائد المالية بشكل كبير، واللاعب هو أكثر المستفيدين من ذلك. أحيانًا نجد أن بعض اللاعبين يتم بيعهم بأسعار تفوق قيمتهم الحقيقية”.
وأضاف: “اليوم أصبح لدينا عدد أكبر من المحترفين مقارنة بالماضي، حيث كان ميدو في البداية هو أول من اخترق الاحتراف بشكل واضح، ومن قبله هاني رمزي، لكن الآن لدينا 8 لاعبين محترفين في منتخب مصر يلعبون في دوريات قوية”.
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وأوضح الوزير أن هناك عدة عوامل تؤثر على الكرة المصرية، من بينها احتدام المنافسة بين الأندية وارتفاع القيم المالية للاعبين بشكل غير واقعي، قائلًا: “الدوري المصري عنيف وقوي، وكل نادٍ يتمسك بلاعبيه، عبد المنعم ومصطفى محمد مثلًا أصرا على الاحتراف، بينما في تونس والمغرب لا يكون هناك تمسك شديد باللاعبين لأن دورياتهم ليست بنفس قوة الدوري المصري، وهو ما يسهل انتقالهم للخارج”.
وتطرق الوزير إلى المشكلة الأكبر في الكرة المصرية، قائلًا: “الضغط الكبير الذي تعيشه الأندية تسبب في تضخم القيمة المالية للاعبين، والإعلام الرياضي ساهم في زيادة حالة الجدل أو كما أسميها ‘الهيصة’. المشكلة ليست في نادٍ بعينه، وإنما في أسلوب إدارة الكرة بشكل عام. عندما كتبت أن المسؤولية تقع على من يدير الأمور، لم أقصد الأهلي أو الزمالك تحديدًا، بل أتحدث عن الكرة المصرية بشكل عام”.
وأكد صبحي أن الوزارة ليست طرفًا في أي أزمة تخص الأندية، موضحًا أن “الأهلي والزمالك مؤسسات كبيرة، وكل ما يحدث داخلها من قرارات إدارية يخضع للوائح والقوانين، ولا يمكن للوزارة التدخل إلا في حدود اختصاصاتها القانونية”. كواليس التدخل في أزمة القمة
وعن تدخله في أزمة مباراة الأهلي والزمالك، قال صبحي: “لم أتدخل حتى اللحظة الأخيرة، لأن القضية كانت بين رابطة الأندية واتحاد الكرة، يوم 6 مارس أعلنت الرابطة مواعيد استكمال الدوري، ثم في 9 مارس طلبت حكامًا أجانب، وهو أمر يحق لاتحاد الكرة رفضه أو قبوله وفقًا للائحة، الأزمة تفاقمت يوم 11 مارس، وتواصلت مع أحمد دياب وهاني أبو ريدة يوم المباراة في محاولة لحلها”.
وكشف الوزير عن كواليس محاولة إحضار طاقم تحكيم أجنبي، قائلًا: “تواصلنا مع حكام من الدوري السعودي ورحبوا على الفور، وكان موعد وصولهم الساعة 12، لكن المباراة كانت مقررة في التاسعة والنصف، مما جعل الأمر غير ممكن”.
وأضاف: “في العام الماضي، الأهلي رفض قرارًا لكنه ذهب للملعب، وحافظ على حقه، والزمالك هذا العام فعل نفس الأمر. كل طرف يجب أن يتحمل مسؤولية قراره، ويجب أن نعي أن هناك مالًا عامًا وتعاقدات مرتبطة بتلك الأزمات”.
وأكد الوزير أن اللجنة الأولمبية المصرية تعمل كجهة محايدة للفصل في الأزمات، قائلًا: “لدينا لجنة أولمبية مستقلة، وهي المخولة بمراجعة اللوائح واتخاذ القرارات المناسبة. عندما تواصل معي مسؤولو الأهلي، مثل خالد مرتجي ومحمد الجارحي، أكدت لهم أن الدولة تدير الأمور بمؤسسية، وطلبت منهم التواصل مع الزمالك للوصول إلى حل”.
واختتم صبحي تصريحاته مؤكدًا أن الملف سيتم حسمه قريبًا، قائلًا: “اللجنة الأولمبية اختارت مستشارًا قانونيًا ولجنة متخصصة للعمل على هذا الملف، وسيتم الرد قبل بداية الدور الثاني من الدوري”.