Tag Futebol

Bangladesh returned to the scene of one of their finest hours, and the occasion brought out the best in two players who have been pivotal to their rise

Andrew McGlashan in Cardiff09-Jun-2017Cardiff has again been good to Bangladesh. The full worth of a remarkable chase won’t be clear until Saturday evening, but Mashrafe Mortaza may have been tempted to find the number for a local limo firm even before knowing if England or the elements do them a favour to earn a semi-final spot after one of their great one-day performances.They were taken to victory by their record ODI stand of 224 between Shakib Al Hasan, who carried Bangladesh during the fallow years and has since helped them rise, alongside Mahmudullah, a player who is inspired by global one-day tournaments. In the 2015 World Cup, Mahmudullah scored back-to-back centuries, the first against England in Adelaide, which set up the victory that put them into the quarter-finals, and the second against New Zealand. Today, he backed those up with another mighty showing.This was his first ODI hundred since that New Zealand meeting in Hamilton, and it can rank alongside the England century as his finest innings. Shakib has achieved more in his 11-year career, but his hundred – brought up with a top-edged six over fine leg – can also sit in the highest echelons of his accomplishments. A slightly shell-shocked Kane Williamson called them “unbelievable knocks”.When asked before the match how much rested on Tamim Iqbal after his scores of 128 and 95 in the first two games of the tournament, Mashrafe had been quick to remind everyone that Bangladesh’s rise up the one-day rankings has been far from a one-man show. And they had the perfect chance to show it here after Tamim was lbw to the second ball of the innings, but even Mashrafe doubted their chances from 33 for 4.”To be honest at that time, it was very difficult,” he said. “But once the partnership got to 100 I started to believe because I knew that these two can make the difference as they have a lot of times. But I never thought that they will have more than a 200 partnership. That was phenomenal.”We knew Tamim wasn’t going to get a score every day. That’s exactly what happened today. And we knew that we have some extraordinary players. I knew that Shakib and Mahmudullah could make a difference. We have the players, we knew that, and 266 we knew that it was gettable but after being 33 for 4 it was hard.”There was a small crowd, the ground less than half full, but the majority were supporting Bangladesh and as reality dawned that the chase was on, the noise grew louder. “Bangladesh, Bangladesh,” rang around this corner of Cardiff. Well before the target was hunted down, Shakib and Mahmudullah were cantering, flogging a dispirited New Zealand attack to all parts of Sophia Gardens. This was another statement. Bangladesh have not reached the ranking of No. 6 by accident.3:29

Fleming: Shakib and Mahmudullah’s composure was the key

Both needed more than a dose of fortune to survive the new ball during one of the most testing periods of bowling seen in the tournament from Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Adam Milne’s rapid early burst. The partnership will go down in Bangladesh cricket folklore, but there was little chest-thumping emotion from the pair in the middle.”There was nothing in my mind at that time,” Shakib said of the parlous scoreline he faced. “I was just thinking of batting as long as I can because there were so many overs left and not many wickets. When we had a 100-run partnership and were still in the game, then we were thinking we had a chance.”The ball was doing a bit, the first 10 overs I thought they did really well and created a lot of chances. Once it stopped swinging it became easier.”Without Shakib and Mahmudullah, Bangladesh would have been sunk, but they would have been chasing a tougher target if it had not been for a superb final 10 overs in the field when they kept New Zealand down to 62. The surprise package in that period was the offspin of Mosaddek Hossain, introduced in the 42nd over and finishing with 3 for 13, which was complemented by a series of pinpoint yorkers from Rubel Hossain and Mustafizur Rahman.Mashrafe picked out Mosaddek’s brief but starring role. “You see that most of the days he bowls maybe three overs only and can change the game. He’s a youngster and can also bat really well.”Regardless of whether Bangladesh progress, Mashrafe said that this experience will serve his younger players well ahead of the 2019 World Cup, which will also be staged in England and Wales. “We have been improving over the last three years and performances like this really help us move forward.”This was a glorious day for Bangladesh. But now all they can do is wait. A squad of 15 players, the backroom staff, and hundreds of millions of fans around the world will be supporting England or cheering the rain at Edgbaston. Still, they will once again always remember Cardiff.”It would be nice if England won, but we can’t just ask that Australia will lose that game,” Mashrafe said. “But I would like to say to both teams, best of luck. Whatever we could do, we did. That is the most important thing for us.”

On Thursday, the two-member bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice Ibrahim Kalifullah will hear the BCCI’s affidavit regarding the Lodha recommendations

Arun Venugopal02-Mar-2016What is due to happen on Thursday?The two-member bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice Ibrahim Kalifullah will hear the BCCI’s affidavit.What is the BCCI’s affidavit likely to say?It is understood that the BCCI’s affidavit is “fairly elaborate” in nature, as it seeks to impress upon the Supreme Court the “anomalies” in the Lodha committee’s recommendations and the problems in implementing them. Although the BCCI has said it has partially accepted the recommendations and put in place mechanisms to address conflict of interest by appointing an Ombudsman, it is learnt that the board is opposed to most of the recommendations.Some of the recommendations the BCCI is opposed to include doing away with ad breaks between overs in Tests and ODIs, limiting the tenure of office bearers to 70 years, barring politicians and bureaucrats to be part of the BCCI in state associations, and a tenure of a maximum of three terms of nine years each across positions.Who are the other parties that have filed objections?Many state associations – including the Mumbai Cricket Association, the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, the Karnataka State Cricket Association and Punjab Cricket Association – have filed detailed objections to several recommendations. According to reports, former India allrounder Chandu Borde has also recorded his objections, especially against the one-state-one-vote recommendation and the age-cap on office bearers.What is the court likely to do in response?A BCCI source said it was hard to second guess what the Supreme Court was thinking, but said there were quite a few likely outcomes. “Any number of things can happen. One, they can simply pass an order asking us to implement the recommendations in toto,” the source said. “Two, they [the Supreme Court bench] might take stock of the fact that many state associations have raised objections and agree to look into them in greater detail and defer the hearing for later. Three, they can ask us to go back to Lodha and run the objections by them, and adjourn the matter by a few months.”How much closer does this take us to closure? The time-frame will depend on a few factors; should the Supreme Court make it binding upon the BCCI to implement all the recommendations, the board might have only limited time and practically no elbow room in effecting the revamp. If the judges decide to defer the hearing the, wait could be longer.

Bangladesh have made consistently good starts, with bat and ball, during the ODI series against Zimbabwe. The team will hope this unusual state of affairs persists through to next year’s World Cup

Mohammad Isam27-Nov-2014Bangladesh aren’t used to dominating a series the way they have done against Zimbabwe. Consequently, players have found themselves in unfamiliar situations. So unfamiliar that Mashrafe Mortaza, Bangladesh’s ODI captain, reckoned their batting wobble in the second ODI in Chittagong – they went from 158 for 0 to 204 for 6 – came about because their middle-order batsmen were unused to walking in after such a big opening stand.”They don’t normally come out to bat in such a good situation, so maybe they got confused.”To a team with Bangladesh’s limited success, good starts with bat and ball are quite rare. With Tamim Iqbal and Anamul Haque putting on 100-plus opening stands in successive matches, and Mashrafe himself picking up early wickets in all three ODIs so far, it’s understandable Bangladesh have been as puzzled as they have been pleased.Obviously, though, Bangladesh would love such starts on a more regular basis. Six of their ten 100-plus opening stands have helped them win games while they have won 25 out of the 47 matches when their openers have put on 50 or more.It’s also important to note the paths Tamim and Anamul have traced over the last 12 months. Tamim had a wretched 2014 until he scored some runs in the Test series against West Indies. Before that, there was widespread talk of dropping him and Mushfiqur Rahim had to defend his position a number of times. Even after the Dhaka Test, when he made 0 and 5, he was severely criticised. He decided to stop speaking to the media and only broke his silence after scoring 109 in Chittagong, which was preceded by another century in the Khulna Test.Tamim has made 5, 76 and 40 in the three ODIs so far and his batting has been quite different to what we have been used to seeing. There have been moments when he has gone on the attack but he has not stayed in that mood for too long. His strike-rate has been in the 70s and 60s in the last two games, and has preferred to accumulate rather than dazzle.Anamul is Bangladesh’s top ODI run-scorer this year, and sits just above Mushfiqur. He has been unable to hold down a Test place, but is a regular in the ODI and T20 teams, and has repaid the selectors’ faith with regular runs at the top of the order.Anamul scores his runs in a different way in ODIs, and not just differently from Tamim. He also likes to accumulate steadily, and waits for boundary balls rather than picking up a lot of singles. He scores a smaller percentage of his runs in singles than many of Bangladesh’s past or current opening batsmen but he makes it up with patience for the long innings. All three of his ODI hundreds have come off more than 130 deliveries and his 95 against Zimbabwe in the third ODI took him 120 balls.With the ball in hand, Mashrafe has been tight, and has regularly given the team quick wickets. In the first ODI, he changed his pace frequently, bowling plenty of slower balls, slightly quicker than slow off-cutters. He dismissed Brendan Taylor thanks to a Mushfiqur screamer and had Elton Chigumbura hitting straight to cover. Mashrafe complained of not finding proper body balance during the first game but in the second ODI, he bowled quicker and picked up three wickets, beating Vusi Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza with pace and length and surprising Sikandar Raza with bounce and a bit of movement off the pitch, getting him to pop one to cover off the leading edge.Mashrafe’s spell of 7-2-24-2 in the third ODI was probably his best of the series. Time and again he troubled Taylor with his tight line, always on the stumps. He was lucky to get Masakadza’s wicket, the umpire ruling him caught behind when the ball came off his thigh pad, but his wicket of Vusi Sibanda came thanks to the consistent build-up of pressure that forced the batsman into a false shot.Bangladesh would love these contributions to become more frequent. Mashrafe’s fitness remains a key, leading up to the World Cup. He has had a regular spell in the side after a long time, and has bowled well against India, West Indies and now Zimbabwe. He is likely to remain the ODI captain as well, and gives an already charged-up cricketer – who missed the 2011 World Cup – enough ammunition to give it his all.With the bat, Bangladesh won’t mind the pace at which Tamim and Anamul score their runs, considering that they have a packed middle-order to accelerate later on. For now, what they will want from their openers is to keep giving them good starts. There is no alternative to starting well, not for Bangladesh at least.

The tale of how Yuvraj Singh beat cancer and came back to cricket is now the subject of a book that reveals the man behind the allrounder

Suresh Menon06-Apr-2013Towards the end of this book, Yuvraj Singh asks the question: “What if I had been any Indian sportsman but a cricketer?” And he answers thus: “There would have been a few articles in the newspapers and some stories on TV. Federation bosses would have made the right noises and everyone would have clucked in pity. After that my family and friends would have had to run around trying to get me treated… it would have been easier to walk away from the sport I loved.”Being a cricketer meant that Yuvraj was under the care of India’s richest sporting body, the BCCI. It meant that he was guaranteed the best treatment, a clear path back to his sport, and sufficient media space to tell his story. Not surprisingly, he became the best-known cancer survivor in the country, and even if the occasional tasteless advertisement capitalised on that, the larger picture was positive.During the World Cup, India’s captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, said to the media, “[Yuvraj] has been vomiting a lot.” It was seen as an anxiety reflex. In fact, Yuvraj himself said, “Yes, the anxiety can be really heavy.” Yet this wasn’t about butterflies in the stomach but a tumour, and a cancerous one at that. No one knew then, of course, and in hindsight one marvels at how Yuvraj kept playing and carrying on as if everything was normal.The story is an inspiring one, and the book tells it with the clarity and insight of a newspaper report, which is both its strength and its weakness. Had this been a Bollywood story, it might have been dismissed as fanciful and far-fetched. Yet it is all true, which is why it is not difficult to forgive the descent into heart-tugging Bollywood style, and constructions like “Water, juice, energy drinks, by this time these were all into-Yuvi, out-of-Yuvi.”Of the three strands that make up the narrative – family, cricket and cancer – each serves as a cautionary tale. Yuvraj does not shy away from speaking about his father, the India player Yograj Singh, and his obsession with making his son a star; for every Yuvraj-type success, there are possibly thousands who might be marked for life. The cricket part too hints at many what-might-have-beens.The cancer – the time wasted on alternative medicine, the denial, confirmation, and finally full recovery and return to the Indian team – forms the most crucial cautionary tale of all. “You could have died of a heart attack,” his doctor tells Yuvraj. The tumour had been pressing against an artery.The book bravely strips away the macho public image of a talented allrounder good enough to play for India at 19, and reveals a vulnerable human being unafraid to cry. Top of the world at 29, within weeks Yuvraj faced the prospect of the end, and not just of his career. The horror (and necessity) of chemotherapy is well told, the gratitude at the simple fact of being alive is a subtext.Better editing might have ensured a smoother read. Such sentences as “You reach downtown, and steam rises out of manholes, the buildings are huge, but hardly a soul to be seen” stick in the throat. The ghostwriters have attempted to speak in Yuvraj’s voice, so there are few literary flourishes. The story is compelling enough to make the many irritants seem irrelevant.The Test of My Life: From cricket to cancer and back
by Yuvraj Singh
Random House India
Hardback, 189 pages, Rs 399

Stats highlights of West Indies’ 40-run win against Pakistan in Providence

S Rajesh16-May-2011Saeed Ajmal had match figures of 11 for 111, which are the second-best in a losing cause for Pakistan•AFP The victory is West Indies’ first in 18 Tests, since they beat England by an innings and 23 runs in Kingston in February 2009. In 17 Tests during this period, West Indies lost eight and drew nine.Meanwhile, Pakistan’s win-loss since 2007 isn’t much better: 5-15 in 30 Tests, with ten draws. The defeat also means Pakistan’s record of never having won a Test series in the West Indies will stay on a little longer. The highest score in the match for West Indies was Lendl Simmons’ 49, which makes it only the fourth time since 2000 that a team has won a Test without a single half-century by any of their batsmen. It’s the second such win for West Indies during this period – they’d beaten Zimbabwe by 35 runs in March 2000 when their highest scorer had been Shivanarine Chanderpaul with 49. The previous such instance was New Zealand’s four-wicket win against India in Hamilton in December 2002, when no batsman from either team touched 40. Saeed Ajmal’s match figures of 11 for 111 are the second-best figures by a Pakistan bowler in a losing cause, only a run behind Wasim Akram’s 11 for 110 against the same opponents in Antigua in 2000; in fact, it’s almost exactly 11 years since Akram’s feat. Akram also features three times in the top four such performances for Pakistan. The best figures in a defeat remain Javagal Srinath’s 13 for 132 against Pakistan in Kolkata in February 1999. The match average of 17.90 runs per wicket is the third-lowest in Tests in the West Indies since the beginning of 2000. The lowest is 15.32, in that Test between West Indies and Zimbabwe in Port of Spain in 2000. Darren Sammy’s match figures of 7 for 45 are his second-best in Tests, after his 8 for 98 against England at Old Trafford in 2007. In 12 Tests so far, Sammy has taken 36 wickets at an impressive average of 26.25. Ravi Rampaul’s 7 for 75 are easily his best match figures; in fact, in his previous five Tests he had taken four wickets, and had gone wicketless in his previous two matches. After being reduced to 2 for 3 in their fourth-innings run-chase, Pakistan fought back valiantly with an 81-run stand for the fourth wicket, which is only the third time they’ve managed a fifty-plus stand for the fourth after being three down for less than ten. In conditions in which most bowlers enjoyed themselves, Pakistan’s premier strike bowler Umar Gul had a poor game, finishing wicketless for only the third time in 35 Tests.

Stats preview to the fourth Test between Australia and India in Adelaide

George Binoy23-Jan-2008It’s not often that a visiting team can draw confidence from a previous performance at an Australian venue, especially in recent years. But with one Test to play and the scoreline 2-1 in Australia’s favour, the series moves to Adelaide for the final Test, a venue where India scored a thrilling win in 2003-04. However, leaving that blip aside, Australia have a formidable record at the Adelaide Oval, winning 12 out of 18 Tests since 1990, and eight out of nine since the draw against South Africa in 1998. Since their defeat against India, Australia have had convincing wins against New Zealand, West Indies and England.

Matthew Hayden has recovered from a thigh injury and his return will add considerable strength to the batting order. The third Test in Perth was the first that Hayden missed since 1999 and his absence was felt as Chris Rogers and Phil Jaques added only 12 and 21 for the first wicket at the WACA. Moreover, Hayden has a splendid record in Adelaide, where he has scored 722 runs at 55.53. In fact, all of Australia’s top-order batsmen have excellent records in Adelaide: Michael Hussey averages 315 here for he’s been dismissed only once while racking up scores of 133, 30, 91 and 61.Among the Indian batsmen, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, who average 115.33 and 55.25 respectively, have performed well here, but Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly have failed. It was Dravid’s 233 and Laxman’s 148 that led India’s revival in 2003 after they were struggling at 84 for 4 in the first innings. Tendulkar, however, has managed only 122 runs from six innings while Ganguly has 117 from four.

India’s inexperienced pace attack exceeded expectations in Perth, which means it will be tough to leave out any of Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma or RP Singh to accommodate Harbhajan Singh, who could play a role on an Adelaide pitch that is expected to aid spin. In such a scenario, Wasim Jaffer could make way for Harbhajan with either Irfan Pathan or Rahul Dravid opening the batting. The table below shows the average partnership for each wicket in Adelaide since 1990 and, although Australia have higher figures, the overseas teams haven’t done too badly either. The only significant difference is for the second wicket, where Ricky Ponting, at No. 3, has been a tremendous force for the home side.

Of Australia’s bowlers, Brett Lee is the only one to have played more than one Test in Adelaide and his record isn’t flash: he’s picked up 12 wickets in three Tests at 36.75 apiece.Pathan made his Test debut in Adelaide in 2003 and had a torrid match, finishing with figures of 1 for 160 and an economy rate of 4.70 per over. Anil Kumble has nine wickets from two Tests in Adelaide but has had to labour through 126 overs for them. His average of 42.88 and strike-rate of 84 indicate a success for perseverance rather than brilliance.

There’s rain forecast for the first two days in Adelaide and the groundsman has said that the cloud cover could help the fast bowlers. However, batting first would be the way to go, for the average runs per wicket, for both Australian and visiting teams, have dipped steadily as the match progresses.

The hosts were struggling at 121 for 6 before the game was washed out in Harare

Hemant Brar13-Dec-2023No result Rain came to Zimbabwe’s rescue in Harare, forcing a washout after Ireland had reduced them to 121 for 6 in the first ODI.Zimbabwe had started aggressively after being sent in to bat, with Tinashe Kamunhukamwe smashing 28 off just 15 balls. But once he got out, the innings fell apart. The continuous rain, though, meant the match had to be called off after only 25.3 overs.Earlier, Mark Adair got the ball to nip off the seam in both directions and even bowled a maiden to Joylord Gumbie. But from the other end, Kamunhukamwe took apart Josh Little. He hit three fours in the left-arm seamer’s first over, and a four and a six off successive deliveries in the next to move to 25 off just ten balls.That forced Paul Stirling to bring on Graham Hume. Kamunhukamwe tried to attack him as well but miscued a pull and was caught at mid-on for 28. The wicket put the brakes on the scoring rate, with Zimbabwe managing only 16 from over sixth to tenth.Craig Young then bounced out Innocent Kaia to make it 48 for 2 in the 11th over. Sikandar Raza and Gumbie tried to stabilise the innings. Raza was lucky to be dropped on 10 by wicketkeeper Lorcan Tucker when he chased a full and wide delivery from Little.But Little got his man soon after with the same ploy. The only difference being this time he was bowling from around the wicket.Gumbie had occupied one end but he was struggling to keep the scoreboard moving. In the 20th over, he was run out after having a mix-up with Ryan Burl when both batters found themselves at the keeper’s end. Gumbie contributed 28 but consumed 59 balls for it.On the very next delivery, Burl also departed, under-edging Young to the keeper as Zimbabwe slipped from 79 for 2 to 81 for 5. Clive Madande and Brandon Mavuta added 40 off just 37 balls to take the side past 100 before Hume returned to castle Madande.Immediately after that, lightning forced players off the field. Soon, rain also made an appearance and brought a premature end to the contest.The second and third ODIs, to be played on Friday and Sunday, are also expected to be affected by rain.

MatériaMais Notícias

Através das redes sociais, o técnico do Grêmio, Renato Portaluppi, publicou duas mensagens em caráter de despedida para o meio-campista Thaciano, nome que está próximo de ser oficializado como reforço do Bahia.

Além de publicar uma sequência de fotos com a legenda “Perdemos um excelente jogador. Boa sorte na nova caminhada!”, Renato também apareceu nos stories, onde falou brevemente sobre o tema.

RelacionadasFutebol LatinoGrupo da morte? Presidente do River Plate analisa sorteio da LibertadoresFutebol Latino28/03/2023Futebol InternacionalJornal detona atuação da Espanha na derrota contra Escócia: ‘Desastre’Futebol Internacional28/03/2023Futebol LatinoAlgoz do Flamengo no Mundial, clube pode ficar sem treinador; entendaFutebol Latino28/03/2023

>Thiago Santos se emociona com palavras de VP de Futebol

– Fiquei muito feliz que você veio aqui no hotel me dar um abraço. Estou triste, chateado com a sua saída, mas entendo o seu lado profissional. Te desejo boa sorte e que você possa jogar toda a bola que jogou no Grêmio – afirmou o treinador do Imortal.

Vestindo a camisa gremista, Thaciano construiu uma considerável trajetória de 135 jogos, com 15 gols marcados, nove assistências e as conquistas de quatro edições consecutivas do Gauchão (2018 a 2021), além da Recopa Gaúcha no início de 2023.

Neste momento, o jogador de 27 anos de idade já está em Salvador e a tendência é que, nos próximos dias, ele faça os exames médicos antes da assinatura contratual. Para contar em definitivo com o atleta que passou pelo Bahia em 2021, o clube que pertence ao Grupo City pagaria ao Grêmio o valor de R$ 1,5 milhão.

Barcelona’s standoff with Marc-Andre ter Stegen deepens as La Liga refuse to review his injury report without the German goalkeeper’s consent.

• La Liga needs Ter Stegen’s signature
• Barcelona claim legal "loopholes" exist
• Issue impacts Joan Garcia’s registration

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , Barcelona and Ter Stegen are embroiled in a tense dispute over his injury report. The German goalkeeper has refused to sign the consent form that would allow his medical file to be shared with La Liga’s medical committee. Without his signature, the league cannot officially classify the injury as long-term. This classification is crucial for Barca, as it would free up 80 per cent of his salary and allow them to register Joan Garcia and Marcus Rashford.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Blaugrana club argue that exceptions exist in data legislation, allowing them to share the report without his approval for employment-related purposes. They also claim Ter Stegen’s refusal is harming the club financially and structurally. La Liga, however, insists on player consent, with Dr. Jordi Ardevol stating: "The player's consent is essential in the document for medical data to be processed outside the club."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The 34-year-old's refusal came as a shock to Barcelona’s squad during their return from South Korea. Joan Laporta had earlier admitted that the “most direct” way to register new signings was to use Ter Stegen’s long-term injury, but the goalkeeper declined. As a result, his decision could lead to disciplinary action and potential legal proceedings from the club.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR TER STEGEN AND BARCELONA?

  The Catalan giants have abandoned plans for a face-to-face meeting and are preparing disciplinary measures, reports. Legal services have been instructed to explore sanctions, while the club still hopes to find a way possibly through legal loopholes to submit the report. For now, tension remains high between the captain and the board, and the situation could escalate further in the coming days.

The Argentine midfielder started in Inter Miami’s 2-1 win over Atlas in the Leagues Cup.

• Played the full 90 minutes
• Partnered with Sergio Busquets in midfield
• face Necaxa on Saturday

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games now

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Inter Miami's new star addition Rodrigo De Paul believes he was able to integrate quickly due to the warm reception he received from his new teammates. The former Atletico Madrid standout started and played all 90 minutes in Inter Miami's win.

  “The reception from the guys was incredible,” said the Argentine. “Some of them I already knew — like Lionel Messi, who I play alongside with the national team, and Luis Suárez, from our days at Atlético Madrid. I just wanted to contribute in whatever role the coach needed me.”

  “I feel very comfortable and happy at Inter. Hopefully, this is just the first of many wins. Masche wants us to play, to build from the back. I have a lot of faith in this team,” he added.

  In a separate interview with CNN, De Paul made his goals for this new chapter very clear: “I came here to compete, to win titles, to play with the best player in the world, and to help shape the legacy of this club. Inter Miami is being built to become something great, to grow its fanbase across the world — and I want to be a part of that. I want to help write the most important chapters in its history.”

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  De Paul made a strong debut Wednesday night against Mexico’s Atlas, showing clear leadership and even getting into a late-game confrontation. Before kickoff, he reunited with Messi, sharing a brief embrace with his longtime teammate.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Statistically, De Paul’s impact was undeniable. He completed 54 of 58 passes, recovered eight balls, and won 3 out of 6 duels – a complete showing for the World Cup champion.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?

  will face Necaxa this Saturday, after the Mexican side defeated Atlanta United 3-1.