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Everton could now sign a new defender for just £20m this summer, having identified a target who could be a great fit for the Premier League, according to a report.

Toffees pursuing centre-back amid Branthwaite uncertainty

Speculation continues to mount about the long-term future of Jarrad Branthwaite, with Manchester United willing to shell out £50m for the defender, while Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid have also previously been linked with moves.

As such, David Moyes may be tasked with bringing in a replacement during his first summer transfer window back at Goodison Park, and the manager recently conducted a personal scouting mission to watch Burnley’s Maxime Esteve over the weekend.

Another option could be Juventus’ Federico Gatti, with the Toffees being handed fresh hope of signing the Italian defender, given that contract talks have been delayed until the end of the campaign, which could open the door for a move elsewhere.

As tall as Crouch: Everton plotting move to sign "strong" 12-goal striker

He could replace Calvert-Lewin.

ByTom Cunningham Mar 30, 2025

Gatti is not the only Serie A defender on the shortlist, however, with a report from Football Insider revealing Everton hold an interest in Koni De Winter, and there has been a positive development in their pursuit, as Genoa are now happy to sell the defender.

There is widespread interest in De Winter’s signature from the Premier League and across Europe, with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Inter Milan in the picture, but a move to Goodison Park could be on the cards, should Moyes’ side be willing to fork out £20m – £25m.

A bid in that region would be accepted by the Italian side, in news that will come as a boost for the Toffees, who are looking to sign a new centre-back regardless of whether Branthwaite moves on this summer.

The Genoa defender’s physicality could make him an ideal fit for the Premier League, and it looks like a move could now be possible for a reasonable fee.

Everton’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Liverpool (a)

April 2nd

Arsenal (h)

April 5th

Nottingham Forest (a)

April 12th

Manchester City (h)

April 19th

Chelsea (a)

April 26th

"Imperious" De Winter could be a fantastic signing

The 22-year-old has been a key player for Genoa for quite some time, having previously received high praise from journalist Sacha Tavolieri, who described him as “imperious” last season.

Tavolieri also hailed the Belgian as his nation’s “best” right-footed centre-back, and he has since gone on to establish himself at international level, receiving his second cap last month.

The 6-foot-3 colossus has used his imposing height to his advantage on many an occasion, ranking in the 93rd percentile for aerials won per 90 over the past year, while also placing in the 95th percentile for non-penalty goals, when compared to his positional peers.

With Michael Keane’s contract set to expire in the summer, it is important Moyes bolsters his defensive options this summer, and the Genoa star is showing plenty of signs that he would be a good fit at Goodison Park.

The football governing body is confident that opening CWC fixture will be played before a full Hard Rock Stadium

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Gianni Infantino guarantees that Club World Cup opener will sell outTicket sales have underwhelmed in run up to tournamentInter Miami set to face Egypt's Al Ahly in first gameFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Football's worldwide governing body has insisted that the opening game of their new flagship club tournament will be a sell out. Gianni Infantino, FIFA president, claimed that "the stadium will be full" and the atmosphere will be 'great' despite data suggesting that the game is struggling to draw attendees.

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Miami were announced as co-hosts for the tournament in November 2024 after securing the Supporters' Shield, with Infantino asserting the club would be handed the rights to host the first game. The rest of their group stage fixtures, against Porto and then Palmeiras, are also currently short of selling out – despite the expected interest around the inclusion of Lionel Messi in the tournament.

WHAT INFANTINO SAID

Infantino outlined the expectations for the tournament in an interview with :

"Yes, Hard Rock will be full. We will have a great atmosphere," he said. It will be historic. It'll be two historic teams for very different reasons. The stadium will be full. Well, as for every new venture that anyone tries to create in the world, you know, there are always discussions and you never really know what will happen

"We were lucky enough… that we got great attention from sponsors and broadcasters so that when it comes to revenues, everything is perfectly secured. But I'm sure that all those who will come, and there are still tickets available, but many will go out these days."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR INTER MIAMI?

The Herons face Al Ahly on Saturday, with kickoff set for 8 p.m. ET. After that, they take on Porto on June 19 and Palmeiras on June 23.

Mandhana, Deol fifties not enough as Bangladesh force a collapse after Fargana’s 107 set up their total

S Sudarshanan22-Jul-2023Bangladesh and India shared the ODI trophy after the deciding third match of the series ended in a dramatic tie in Mirpur. With India needing one run off the last four balls, Marufa Akter got No. 11 Meghna Singh caught behind, leaving Jemimah Rodrigues, who had held the second half of the chase together with 33 off 45 balls, stranded.The match was set up by Fargana Hoque’s 107, the first century by a Bangladesh batter in Women’s ODIs, which helped the hosts post their second-highest total in the format.India were inching steadily towards their 226-run target and were 191 for 4 in the 42nd over of the chase. Then came the moment that changed the course of the game. Harleen Deol was set on 77 – her best score in ODIs – when she tapped Nahida Akter in front of point and set off for a non-existent run. Fahima Khatun quickly got there from backward point to flick a throw to Nigar Sultana, who flung herself to take the stumps down and catch Deol, who was sent back, short.From that point on, India lost six wickets for 34 to be bowled out for 225 and share the three-match series 1-1. A Super Over, the norm in tied ODIs, was not contested since the extra time available for the tie-breaker had already elapsed by the time the 99.3 overs of the match had ended.The athletic effort from Nigar in running Deol out was a redemption of sorts for the Bangladesh wicketkeeper, who had grassed Smriti Mandhana early in the chase.The impressive fast bowler Marufa had done everything right on her first ball – angled a length ball away from Mandhana at high pace from over the wicket. The India vice-captain went for a slash without any foot work and edged, but Nigar, diving to her left, couldn’t hang on to the chance.Smriti Mandhana celebrates her fifty•BCBMandhana made Bangladesh pay with a 85-ball 59 and was involved in a 107-run partnership with Deol for the third wicket.Bangladesh drew first blood when Marufa took a stunning catch on the second attempt to dismiss Shafali Verma, who was brought in for Priya Punia. The quick intercepted an uppish drive by stretching out her right hand but, seeing the ball pop out, dived full-length to her right to pouch the rebound. Soon Sultana Khatun trapped Yastika Bhatia lbw to reduce India to 32 for 2 in the fifth overDeol came in at No. 4 ahead of Harmanpreet Kaur, and she made full use of the opportunity. She capitalised on the width provided by Marufa to thrash one through point before getting a front-foot stride out to drive one languidly through the covers. Mandhana tore into offspinner Sultana Khatun, hitting her for two fours in an over. India raced to 59 for 2 in the first powerplay.Mandhana brought up a half-century off 74 balls, and Deol soon followed her to the milestone, bringing hers up in 72 balls. Then Fahima gave Bangladesh an opening, finding extra bounce to get Mandhana slashing uppishly to backward point.Harmanpreet made 14 before falling in dramatic fashion, greeting the decision to give her out by hitting her stumps with her bat and remonstrating with the umpire while walking off. At the time she was given out, it was unclear if the umpire had ruled her out lbw or caught at slip – it was later clarified that it was the latter.Four balls after Deol was run-out, Deepti Sharma was caught short of her crease with a direct hit before Rabeya Khan trapped Amanjot Kaur lbw. Nahida then struck twice in three balls to brighten Bangladesh’s hopes further even as Rodrigues held one end up. Marufa, who went off the field briefly, clutching her ankle, after a 30-minute rain delay, then clinched the last wicket to set off cheers at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.Shamima Sultana and Fargana Hoque added 93 for the opening wicket•BCBEarlier in the day, Fargana, who is the only Bangladesh batter with over 1000 runs in ODIs, channelled her experience to propel the hosts to their second-highest score in the format after they opted to bat first. She was aided by Shamima Sultana, who struck her second ODI fifty after being brought in for the misfiring Sharmin Akhter.A couple of fours off Amanjot in the fifth over got Shamima going. She first made room to cut a shortish ball between backward point and gully before pulling one in front of square a couple of balls later. Those were the only two boundaries Bangladesh managed in their first ten overs.The introduction of spin kept the duo quiet, before Shamima hit fours in the 15th and 17th overs, sweeping offspinner Sneh Rana through square leg to bring up the half-century opening stand and belting a full-toss from Rodrigues back over her head. Shamima and Fargana added 93, the second-best opening stand in women’s ODIs for Bangladesh – before Rana had Shamima miscue to mid-off on 52.For a large part of her knock, Fargana’s strike rate hovered in the thirties. She contributed only 31 off 80 balls in the opening stand. But the entry of Nigar at No. 3 was a gear-changing moment for Fargana. Both batters used the sweep to great effect in negating the Indian spinners. They added 71 off 85 for the second wicket, with Fargana contributing 42 and passing her fifty in the process. Even Nigar’s fall with Bangladesh on 164 in the 41st over did not deter her.Despite suffering from cramps and a sore forearm through the innings, Fargana kept going, even though she had a lot of running to get through, hitting only seven fours including the cover-drive off Shafali that took her to her hundred.

Bayern Munich sporting director Max Eberl has confirmed that they are in negotiations with Tottenham over a permanent deal for Mathys Tel.

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Tel on loan at Spurs Two clubs in talks over permanent deal Spurs aiming to reduce fee Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Tel joined Spurs on loan in January and went on to make 20 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals. Spurs negotiated an option to buy the France Under-21 international, which stands at €50 million (£42m/$57m), but the club are not minded to trigger the clause at that figure.

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Instead, Spurs are said to be exploring other options, including another loan deal with an obligation to buy at the end of next season, and Eberl has now confirmed that the two parties are locked in talks. Another wrinkle is added by the fact that Ange Postecoglou, the manager who signed him, has been replaced by Thomas Frank in the Tottenham dugout.

WHAT MAX EBERL SAID

Eberl told Abendzeitung München: “Mathys was at Tottenham for six months. He wanted to play in the U21 European championship with France, and we allowed him to.

“We’re talking to Tottenham, that’s no secret. We’ll see how that pans out.”

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Tel is currently at the Under-21 European Championships with France. They are next in action against Georgia on Saturday.

Paul Pogba has been told Manchester United would "not be the right environment" for him as he seeks to rekindle his career after a doping scandal.

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Pogba free to play after doping banFrenchman looking for new clubTold to stay away from Man UtdFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Former France international Emmanuel Petit believes Pogba needs to be very careful about which club he chooses to join next after returning from a doping suspension. The midfielder has been linked with a third Red Devils stint but the former Chelsea player feels a Ligue 1 transfer would be a better option.

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He told talkSPORTBET: "A return to Manchester United would not be the right environment for Paul Pogba, he needs a good structure for his return to football because he is coming back from hell. He is trying to rebuild his name and his career so the environment is so important. He has to be very careful about the club he decides to join but he probably doesn't have a lot of offers. Clubs will still be questioning him and his ability to play at the highest level because he has missed so many games, it’s a big gamble. The fact is that he wants to come back at the highest level, he has shown great desire and has been training hard, but hasn’t had much time with a football, playing with team-mates. It could take weeks and months, I don’t think Manchester United is the right environment for him right now. He is linked to clubs in France, I think that would be a better option for him.”

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Pogba served 18 months of a doping ban before making himself available to be signed again, following his Juventus contract termination, earlier this year, and now a Monaco move is reportedly on the cards. The 2018 World Cup winner undoubtedly has quality but as Petit says, signing the 32-year-old right now is a "gamble" for a troubled United team or any side.

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It may just be a matter of time before former Juventus midfielder Pogba, who played 233 times for United over two spells between 2009-12 and 2016-22, joins a new team ahead of the 2025/26 season.

Trevaskis, Lees and Jones chime in with fifties as hosts secure second win in four games

ECB Reporters Network11-Aug-2023Durham secured their second win in four games in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, edging out Derbyshire Falcons by 27 runs at Seat Unique Riverside.Graham Clark led the way for the home side, top-scoring with 89 from 78 balls, sharing an opening partnership worth 142 with Alex Lees. However, Alex Thomson claimed 3 for 53 for the Falcons to spark a middle-order collapse before a career-best 76 from Liam Trevaskis propelled Durham to a competitive total of 333 for 8.Derbyshire threatened to chase down the total after impressive knocks from Wayne Madsen and Brooke Guest. But the visitors lost wickets at regular intervals and four strikes from Migael Pretorius allowed Durham to clinch their second win of the campaign.After being inserted, Durham made a measured start to the contest as Lees and Clark took time to settle against the new ball. Suranga Lakmal and Sam Conners controlled the early exchanges, conceding only 23 from the opening six overs.But, Clark and Lees began to find their range against the Derbyshire change bowlers to accelerate the innings. The two players took Mark Watt’s first three overs for 31 that included a flat six by Clark over the leg-side boundary.Clark secured his third List A fifty on the bounce to continue his outstanding form. Lees followed his team-mate to another score of fifty-plus, ushering the hosts past the 100-run mark in the process.But, the Falcons broke back into the game courtesy of a mix-up between Clark and Lees, which resulted in the left-hander’s dismissal run out for 62. The home side faltered from 142 without loss to 182 for four as Clark fell 11 runs shy of a deserved ton, while David Bedingham and Ben McKinney fell cheaply.Thomson allowed the visitors to control the middle overs, putting the clamps and putting pressure on the hosts. He struck twice in two balls to dismiss Jonathan Bushnell and Scott Borthwick. Trevaskis survived the hat-trick ball and began to rebuild the innings.Trevaskis and Jones combined for a seventh-wicket stand of 80 from 61 balls to propel Durham over the 300-run mark. Trevaskis scored a career-best 76 not out to ensure the hosts capitalised on their strong start to set Derbyshire a tricky chase in the afternoon.The visitors responded with early boundaries against Luke Robinson and Migael Pretorius with Harry Came setting the tone. Trevaskis broke the opening stand for 48 taking a sharp return catch to remove Luis Reece.Came caused problems with a brisk 33-ball 44 before he miscued a drive down to George Drissell at third man, while Scott Borthwick prised out David Lloyd for 30, reducing Derbyshire to 105 for three.Haider Ali joined Madsen in the middle, and added quick runs, smashing Borthwick down the ground to register two sixes. He added fifty with Madsen for the fourth wicket, but then fell lbw to George Drissell.Despite the fall of wickets, Derbyshire didn’t allow their run rate to drop after operating at above seven per over at the half-way stage.Madsen took control of the chase and eased his way to a 43-ball fifty. He and Brooke Guest appeared at ease, but in a sense of deja vu, the fifth and sixth Derbyshire wickets fell in successive deliveries as Pretorius dragged Durham back into the game. Madsen picked out Jones, while Matty McKiernan was dismissed first ball.Guest kept the chase alive and pressed the Durham bowlers with a flawless half-century. It took a brilliant diving catch from McKinney in the deep to remove him for 63 and Lees took another to dismiss Thomson for a well-made 35 to turn the game in Durham’s favour. The hosts were clinical at the death to secure a 27-run win as Pretorious and Bushnell claimed the final two Derbyshire wickets.

Lionel Messi claims Inter Miami's progression to the last 16 of the Club World Cup "means a lot" despite his reaction to the draw with Palmeiras.

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Inter Miami to play PSGMessi angry with failure to beat PalmeirasBreaks his silence on InstagramFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The 2-2 draw with the Brazilians means Miami missed out on top spot in Group A and are set to play PSG in the first knock-out round on Sunday, which Messi claims is a "historic step" for the MLS side.

Watch every game of the FIFA Club World Cup live on DAZNStream nowAdvertisementWHAT MESSI SAID

Messi wrote on Instagram: "Although we may have won yesterday, the truth is we achieve a round of 8 which means a lot to us as a club. One more historic step, both for Inter Miami and the MLS."

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Messi had appeared angry on the pitch after the Palmeiras draw, a game in which Miami threw away a 2-0 lead and the opportunity to top their group. Victory would have seen them set up a tie against Botafogo instead, and Messi was seen storming down the tunnel at full time.

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If Messi could inspire victory over the reigning European champions, his former side, on Sunday, his Miami team would then take on the winner of Flamengo and Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals of FIFA's expanded Club World Cup.

Ireland international Harry Tector adds quick-fire 86 to compound Derbyshire’s woes

ECB Reporters Network01-Aug-2023In-form Ollie Price registered his maiden List-A hundred to steer Gloucestershire to a comfortable six-wicket victory over Derbyshire in their opening Metro Bank One-Day Cup fixture at the Cheltenham Festival.Price carved out an authoritative 116 not out and shared in stands of 142 with debutant Harry Tector and 108 with Jack Taylor for the third and fifth wickets respectively as Gloucestershire chased down a target of 299 with 6.4 overs in hand.Signed for just one game, 23-year-old Ireland international Tector made the most of his only opportunity to impress a substantial Festival audience, scoring a startling 86 from 69 balls, while Taylor finished unbeaten on 51.Pakistan batter Haider Ali had earlier top-scored with 82 and opener Luis Reece hit 50 as Derbyshire posted 298 for 9 after losing the toss, Paul van Meekeren claiming 4 for 66 and Zaman Akhter 3 for 56 to enable Gloucestershire to keep a lid on things.Required to score at 5.98 an over, Gloucestershire made a poor start to their reply, Sam Connors sweeping up openers Ben Charlesworth and Chris Dent in the space of four deliveries from the College Lawn End to reduce the home side to 16 for 2 in the third over.Fresh from representing Ireland against Scotland in a T20 international in Edinburgh three days earlier, Tector took a challenging situation firmly in his stride, scoring at a run-a-ball from the outset to set a defiant tone.Taking advantage of a short boundary at the famous old College Ground, the Dubliner produced an innings of controlled aggression to raise 50 from 52 balls before tucking into Mark Watt’s slow left arm as he pressed on the accelerator.He and Price staged a 100 partnership in 92 balls and, by the time his electrifying innings was terminated by David Lloyd, who had him held at mid-on in the 23rd over, Tector had plundered eight fours and four sixes and given Gloucestershire the upper hand.With a further 141 required at 5.2 an over, Price took it upon himself to see the job through, going to his hundred from 101 balls, a landmark that elicited a standing ovation from all who witnessed it. James Bracey was bowled by Alex Thomson for 23, but Taylor remained at large for long enough to raise a 45-ball 50 and confirm his return to form.These two were still there at the end, Price having faced 115 deliveries and amassed 13 fours to continue his outstanding run of form at the College Ground.Put in to bat, Derbyshire were afforded a super-charged start by openers Reece and Harry Came, who mustered a blaze of boundaries in posting a progressive stand of 71 in 11.1 overs. Josh Shaw and Ajeet Singh Dale proved expensive with the new ball, the visitors rushing to 50 from 51 balls.Severe on anything short or wide, the openers helped themselves to 12 fours and a six, scoring 54 runs in boundaries to take the wind out of Gloucestershire sails. With runs coming too easily, the home side introduced slow left armer Zafar Gohar and experienced paceman van Meekeren in an attempt to apply the brakes.Came had raised 40 from 32 balls and had his eyes trained firmly on a half century when he was bowled by van Meekeren, who then made good the breakthrough by persuading Lloyd to chip to mid-wicket in an incisive five-over spell of 2 got 28.Reece mustered further belligerence in scoring 50 from 58 balls, with eight fours and a six, only to pull Zafar to deep backward square as the Pakistani produced a wicket maiden to reduce the visitors to 101-3 in the nineteenth over.Required to rebuild the innings, Haider and Brooke Guest advanced the score to 140 for 3 at the halfway stage, the 50 partnership occupying 53 balls. These two plundered 29 off three overs of off spin from Ollie Price to give their alliance momentum, Haider collecting a half-century in the process. Content to play a supporting role, Guest contributed a 48-ball 43 in a stand of 104 that served to put Derbyshire back on track.It was Derbyshire’s first hundred stand in any one-day match played at Cheltenham and Gloucestershire were sorely in need of relief by the time Guest pulled the returning van Meekeren to mid-wicket and Zaman Akhter removed Anuj Dal. But while Haider remained at large, anything still seemed possible for the East Midlands county.Having straight-driven and pulled Akhter for four and six in successive balls, the Pakistani international allowed complacency to creep in, chipping the same bowler to mid-wicket and departing for 80. He had faced 65 balls and accrued eight fours and three sixes and, with him, went Derbyshire’s best chance to posting a truly imposing total.Tom Wood struck 28 and Watt 22 not out as the final 10 overs yielded 69 runs, but there was a feeling that the visitors could and should have done better. For their part, Gloucestershire were indebted to van Meekeren and Zafar, who returned figures of 4 for 66 and 1 for 30 respectively, the latter sending down a remarkable 40 dot balls in his 10 overs.

Says the final four is a realistic goal and a call on who will open in Tamim’s place will be taken on the morning of the Afghanistan match

Mohammad Isam06-Oct-2023These days, a public appearance by a member of Bangladesh’s team management inevitably means a flurry of questions about the Shakib Al Hasan-Tamim Iqbal issue.It was no different for Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusinghe ahead of the team’s first World Cup game, against Afghanistan in Dharamsala. Hathurusinghe, though, deftly deflected most of these questions, saying it was his job to keep the pressure off his team.When asked whether Bangladesh would be better off without Tamim facing up to Fazalhaq Farooqi, Hathurusinghe called it a “weird question”. When asked about Shakib’s scathing attack on Tamim, Hathurusinghe just smiled.Related

Hathurusinghe: Our batting let us down with 'high expectations'

Scenic Dharamsala offers Bangladesh, Afghanistan chance to grab early points

Bangladesh's unlikely heroes step up as race for World Cup spots heat up

Tamim hits out at BCB; claims he would have been fit in time for World Cup

Shakib: Tamim 'childish' and 'not a team man'

Hathurusinghe himself had caused a stir last month when he said that people should “wake up” if they were dreaming about Bangladesh winning the World Cup. Speaking to Dhaka-based newspaper , Hathurusinghe had said: “For whatever reason, our captain [Shakib] was appointed five weeks ago. I came six months ago. This is not ideal [so close to a World Cup]. But it doesn’t mean Bangladesh can’t do anything good in the World Cup…”Bangladesh’s biggest achievement is three wins in a campaign. So if someone is dreaming that we will win the World Cup, I will tell them to ‘wake up from their sleep’. It is possible to do something better than before. We are keeping our goal big – to reach the semi-finals.”Later, when these comments were pointed out to Tamim during the New Zealand series, he expressed surprise, saying, “I definitely think we should dream. You won’t achieve it if you don’t dream. Our Under-19 team never went past the quarter-finals but because they dreamt big, they became champions [at the 2020 World Cup]. This is our seventh World Cup, so when are we going to have a dream?”The question popped up again in Dharamsala, and Hathurusinghe responded: “My job is to take the pressure off from the players. People can dream, can aim. They can have goals. We are trying to have a good World Cup, win matches. Our aim is to get into the semi-final. It can be a dream.1:43

Steyn: It will be spin vs spin, and Shakib vs Rashid

“We all want to win the World Cup. Since you asked me our realistic goal, if we can win four or five matches we can get into the semi-finals. This is our first target. We have a good enough team to do this. We have to reach the semi-finals stage.”On the actual cricket front, foremost among the big questions is who will step into Tamim’s shoes at the top of the order? Will it be young Tanzid Hasan or will Mehidy Hasan Miraz remain their preferred opening option, particularly as coach and captain believe Mehidy is effective against offspinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who is likely to take the new ball alongside Farooqi? The surface, too, will need to be taken into account, with talk of the Dharamsala pitch perhaps not aiding the spin trio of Mujeeb, Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, who have often dominated Bangladesh across formats.”We have two options [to take Tamim’s spot]. We will be in a better place to make that decision tomorrow morning,” the coach said. “We will see if we bat first or second, and then take a decision. Wicket looks really good for one-day cricket. It has a nice covering of grass. I think it will be a really good sporting wicket. We are expecting high scoring in this ground. We will decide the combination tomorrow morning.”Often, a big win has papered over many cracks for Bangladesh. This World Cup opener, against Afghanistan, is a game which Bangladesh desperately need to win, and for more than just the two points.

Three former national team stars stressed the importance of reaching the semifinals for Mauricio Pochettino's USMNT

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Donovan on competitive games ahead of World CupLalas says this is a chance for the U.S. to win back fansEdu believes winning is the most important goalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

The U.S. men's national team are just two wins away from reaching the Gold Cup final, and team icon Alexi Lalas said Sunday that the tournament is a crucial building block for Mauricio Pochettino to "battle for hearts and minds" for his squad.

"It's worth revisiting why this tournament matters and why this moment matters. It’s 347 days away from the World Cup next summer – I think what it's going to be a seminal moment in American soccer history and very, very important to these players," Lalas said on FOX Sports Sunday. "However, coming into this tournament, let's be honest, there was angst, an apathy relative to this team. So what we have here in this inexperienced new group of players that has now gotten through the group stage undefeated with three wins, is a battle for hearts and minds. It's kind of a reclamation project, if you will, a redemption project."

Lalas insisted a win Sunday against Cost Rica could go a long way.

"What you hope for is by the end of this tournament, and certainly by the end of the day, some more people are actually clapping. And at some point, maybe at the end of the tournament, maybe even some hugs," he said.

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Another U.S. legend, Landon Donovan, pointed to the fact Canada, one of the tournament's favorites, were eliminated, opening up a path for the USMNT.

"This is a warning sign for the U.S., they'll be walking out of the tunnel and saying, 'Oh my god, Guatemala. But this is also an opportunity… The U.S. now can look at Guatemala as a team the U.S. should beat, and this is a path to the final," Donovan said.

He also called the tournament a stepping stone for players such as Malik Tillman.

"Usually, the Gold Cup at this point is 100 percent only about the team advancing and winning, but the subplot here is that there are chances for all these players," he said. "Malik Tillman, this is a massive opportunity for him. The best way to keep impressing Pochettino is to play another game. and play another game. And so you need to win the game.

"But individually, Malik Tillman, if he plays three more games, the way he's played this tournament, not only is he on the roster next summer, he's going to be starting. This could be, we hope not, the last competitive game before the World Cup. So you need to give yourself another one and then another one and keep impressing Pochettino."

Getty Images SportWHAT MAURICE EDU SAID

Maurice Edu, who made 46 appearances for the USMNT, underscored the value of building confidence.

"Winning is the cure-all for everything. Winning puts smiles on our faces, winning gets us that feel-good factor in building momentum going into the World Cup next summer," Edu said. "But I've appreciated seeing players emerging. Players take an opportunity, players saying, 'Hey, not only do I want to be a part of this pool going for, but I want to be a starter.’ Chris Richards came into the tournament as a center back, saying, ‘I want more responsibility, I want to assume more leadership.

"He's done that in many ways, both in scoring goals, but more so being an anchor in leading that back line."

Edu also agreed with Donovan's sentiments about Tillman.

"The guy who's really stolen so much attention, and rightly, is Malik Tillman," he said. "The No. 10 spot is up for grabs at this national team, and Malik Tillman is coming to this tournament and said, ‘I want that position. I want to show you that I have the quality to score goals, to create goals, to do the dirty work that sometimes we don't get from attacking players.’

"But now we're going to get a chance to see how much these players are really made of."

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WHAT NEXT FOR THE USMNT?

Should the U.S. advance, they would face Guatemala Wednesday in the Gold Cup semifinals.