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The revitalised Red Devils already have one piece of silverware in the bag and they are very well placed to add three more trophies this season…

Manchester United's longest trophy drought in four decades is finally over.

After six years of frustration, mediocrity and division, Erik ten Hag brought the League Cup back to Old Trafford to cap a superb start to his spell in charge.

Fellow top-four hopefuls Newcastle were dispatched with relative ease at Wembley, with United never really needing to get out of second gear on their way to earning an efficient 2-0 victory.

Ten Hag's side were far more impressive over the two legs of their Europa League knockout play-off tie against Barcelona, as they put on a feast of free-flowing attacking football, but Sunday's League Cup success served as proof that they can also grind out a result when the stakes are at their highest.

An FA Cup fifth-round tie against West Ham is next up on Wednesday, followed by a trip to Anfield in the Premier League four days later.

Should they win both of those games, talk of a clean sweep of trophies will intensify heading into their Europa League last-16 tie against Real Betis.

United have the opportunity to make history in the final months of the season and GOAL is on hand to examine the key reasons why the quadruple is a realistic target for Ten Hag's relentless Red Devils…

GettyCasemiro: The ultimate winning machine

"Tell them I'll fix this."

Casemiro's reported message to his agent after United's 4-0 loss at Brentford at the start of the season could one day be etched into his statue outside Old Trafford.

The Brazilian joined the club from Real Madrid for £70 million ($82m) just over a week later, and that price tag has since proven to be a bargain – even for a man who turned 31 on February 23.

United's Carabao Cup triumph was a ninth successive major final win for Casemiro, who lifted five Champions League titles among a whole host of other honours at Santiago Bernabeu.

His brilliantly executed header set United on their way against Newcastle and supporters are already used to the midfielder lifting the team in the biggest matches.

"It's one more trophy for me and I always welcome it, regardless of the competition," he told TNT Sports after the final. "My history has always been about winning since I was a kid, so here it isn't any different. I'm here to help my team-mates and Manchester United."

That winning mentality has rubbed off on the rest of the squad and with Casemiro in the starting XI, United cannot be considered underdogs in any contest – he just needs to avoid any further suspensions!

AdvertisementGettyArsenal's lack of depth

Of the three trophies still available to United in 2022-23, the Premier League seems to be the most out of reach for United – but only on paper.

They are currently eight points behind current leaders Arsenal, who beat Ten Hag's side 3-2 in a thrilling top-of-the-table clash at the Emirates Stadium on January 22.

That result appeared to spell the end of United's title chances, but the Gunners subsequently suffered an alarming blip, sparked by crashing out of the FA Cup at the hands of Manchester City.

Mikel Arteta's side then lost at Everton and drew with Brentford at home before being beaten again by City on a Premier League stage, which allowed United to make up some ground.

Arsenal have bounced back by winning their last two outings against Aston Villa and Leicester, but there is a niggling sense that they are just one or two injuries away from another damaging run. Indeed, Partey's absence proved costly in their 3-1 defeat to City, and Gabriel Jesus is still yet to return from a long-term ligament issue.

The fixture list is set to pile up for Arteta and his players as they prepare for the latter stages of the Europa League, meaning a first league title since 2003-04 is still by no means sewn up. United look perfectly poised to pounce on any further mistakes.

Getty ImagesLethal weapon Rashford

Marcus Rashford hit his 25th goal in all competitions for United in the Carabao Cup final, with the Press Association confirming him as the scorer of their second goal on Monday.

The 25-year-old's deflected effort initially went down as a Sven Botman own goal, but he has benefitted from a slice of retrospective good fortune to increase his scoring tally in what has already been his best-ever individual campaign in a United shirt.

Long-term injury absentee Phil Jones, who has been a team-mate of Rashford's since 2016, was full of praise for the forward while covering the final for .

"He’s been brilliant and, on current form, he’s probably the best player in the world," he said. "You can see his body shape, he’s strengthened in the gym and worked really hard on himself. The club have worked with him really well. People don’t see the work he puts in after training. I’m delighted for him, he deserves it.”

The biggest compliment we can give Rashford is that Jones' claim does not feel too bold. The England international is now the man that United rely on to make the difference in the final third. More often than not, he delivers the spark needed to unlock defences and turn draws into wins.

In the absence of a natural No.9, with Burnley loanee Wout Weghorst adopting more of a target man-type role, Rashford has taken up the job of United's primary goalscorer, and he's proven himself against the highest standard of opposition.

He is United's main weapon, a consistent, clinical force of nature that defenders are powerless to stop. They simply cannot be written off in any game in which Rashford is on the pitch.

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Getty ImagesMan City's Champions League pressure

“People say [City should win it], but I always have the feeling it’s so difficult to do that," Pep Guardiola said before the first leg of City's round-of-16 Champions League tie against RB Leipzig. "Every season it’s more and more difficult. We want to do our best and get to the quarter-finals but what is going to happen is going to happen. At the end of the day, our destiny is already written.

"Sometimes we have been close, sometimes not. Whatever I have done personally in the past or in the future, I am going to fail. Nothing will be enough.”

These are the words of a man who is feeling the pressure to finally deliver City's maiden European crown. After six seasons of failure, they are being billed as favourites to win this season's competition, and after a 1-1 draw in Germany, they will be expected to see off Leipzig on home soil and advance to the last eight.

Guardiola's side are also only two points behind Arsenal in the title race – albeit having played a game more – but the Spaniard won't be judged on whether he delivers the club's fifth Premier League trophy since 2016.

They haven't been as consistent as usual domestically, despite the scoring prowess of summer signing Erling Haaland, and it may well be the case that Guardiola is prepared to sacrifice the title in order to win his fourth Champions League as a manager.

This inner conflict only benefits United, who seemingly have an easier end of season run than their city rivals, and could soon emerge as the main contenders to overtake Arsenal at the summit.

England and Afghanistan took huge personal strides towards their stated ambitions for the World T20, and now in a tasty afternoon tussle in Delhi, the pair go head to head in a match that promises to be fraught with danger for the favourites

The Preview by Andrew Miller in Delhi22-Mar-20161:35

Agakar: No walk in the park for England

Match factsWednesday, March 23, 2016
Start time 1500 local (0930 GMT)Big PictureIn their respective contests against South Africa in Mumbai, England and Afghanistan took huge personal strides towards their stated ambitions for the World T20 – progression to the knock-outs on the one hand, and the scalp of a major Test nation on the other. Now, in a tasty afternoon tussle at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi, the pair go head to head in a match that promises to be fraught with danger for the favourites.It is not simply that Afghanistan ran both Sri Lanka and South Africa unfeasibly close in their first two games of the Super 10s. It is also the prospect of new and uncertain conditions in Delhi – a venue for the first time in the men’s World T20 – that may alarm Eoin Morgan’s team.As they showed in their opening-round defeat to West Indies at Wankhede, England found it tough to gauge their pace when batting first in unfamiliar territory and fell some 30 runs shy of par; as Afghanistan showed in pursuing the unobtainable on Sunday, they won’t care what anyone thinks they can achieve, they’ll go out and give it some humpty anyway.Asghar Stanikzai, Afghanistan’s captain, claimed that his side’s form was “scaring” the major nations, none of whom fancy being the first to come up short. England, of course, are no strangers to doing just that at the World T20, with memorable defeats to the Netherlands in 2009 and 2014. But Morgan was adamant that the mentality among the class of 2016 is light years removed from that most recent defeat in particular, which came in the wake of England’s elimination from the tournament.”The disappointment of being knocked out of a World Cup is horrific really, so coming into this game, we’re really refreshed,” he said. “Tomorrow’s going to be about focussing on what we do and adapting to the conditions that are in front of us. If we do that, hopefully we’ll perform well.”Spin has so far played an undervalued but vital part in the challenge that both sides have put together. England’s duo, Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali, kept their heads amid the onslaught against South Africa, prising key wickets and finding a means to tourniquet the bleeding in spite of the barrage of boundaries they were being subjected to. The same has been true of Afghanistan’s slow-bowling contingent, who proved particularly tricky to dominate when they ran Sri Lanka close in Nagpur.In a fast-paced tournament, slow and steady might yet carry the day. But it’s fair to assume, given the riotous challenges we witnessed from both teams last week, that the side that wins the toss will be quite happy to ask their opponents to front up first.Form guide (last five completed games most recent first)
England WLLLW
Afghanistan LLWWWIn the spotlight He’s been quiet so far in the tournament to date, with only a low-key role in the chase at Wankhede, but Morgan’s experience has been a valuable factor in England’s progress, and tomorrow his knowhow will come in a slightly different form. As a former Ireland batsman, Morgan knows better than anyone how driven their opponents will be in this contest, and his cool head might prove particularly vital – with the bat, and in the field – as and when Afghanistan’s sluggers and spinners come into their own.Afghanistan’s super-slugger, Mohammad Shahzad, is so exuberantly in the spotlight right now that he might as well come out to bat with a top hat and cane, and tap-dancing shoes. But the man who might yet have an even more vital role to play on Wednesday is the 17-year-old legspinner, Rashid Khan. At Mumbai on Sunday, he was hit by the Churchgate Express, AB de Villiers, who carted his final over for 29 match-changing runs. But up until that point, his first three overs had cost 22 and had been instrumental in clogging up South Africa’s increasingly frustrated middle-order. He’ll be older and wiser for the experience.Team news Morgan dropped a not-so-subtle hint about the likely casualty should England opt for Liam Dawson in a three-spin attack, when he stated that his team bats down to 10 … “and sometimes 11, given the circumstances”. Given that Reece Topley, for all his promise as a left-arm seamer, is a disciple of the Devon Malcolm school of rearguards, his place is clearly on the line, and not simply because he looked all at sea during the Wankhede beanfests. Liam Plunkett could also challenge for his first start of the tournament. Alex Hales emerged as a late doubt after sitting out nets with back pain meaning James Vince is on standby.England (probable) 1 Jason Roy, 2 Alex Hales/James Vince, 3 Joe Root, 4 Jos Buttler (wk), 5 Eoin Morgan (capt), 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Adil Rashid, 9 Liam Dawson, 10 Chris Jordan, 11 David Willey.After the formidable fighting spirit shown against South Africa, there seems little need for Afghanistan to shuffle the pack. The retention of the slow left-armer, Amir Hamza, would be prudent in support Rashid and Mohammad Nabi, given the reputation of the pitch.Afghanistan (probable) 1 Mohammad Shahzad (wk), 2 Noor Ali Zadran, 3 Asghar Stanikzai (capt), 4 Mohammad Nabi, 5 Gulbadin Naib, 6 Samiullah Shenwari, 7 Najibullah Zadran, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Dawlat Zadran, 10 Amir Hamza, 11 Shapoor Zadran.Pitch and conditions The Wankhede, England’s home for the first two matches of the World T20, has been the outlier so far as the tournament’s conditions are concerned. Delhi’s surface seems far more likely to offer turn from the outset – there’s been plenty on display in the nets so far. Morgan, citing his IPL experience, also reckons it will reward bowlers who hit the deck hard and seek natural variation, which again suggests that Plunkett might be useful – not to mention Shapoor Zadran.Stats and Trivia England have played Afghanistan on two previous occasions at an ICC global event. Their first encounter came at Colombo in October 2012, during the World T20. England won by 116 runs, thanks to 99 not out from 55 balls from the long-forgotten Luke Wright. Their most recent clash was at Sydney in March 2015, in England’s final contest of their miserable World Cup campaign. In a soggy, downbeat affair, Ian Bell signed off from ODI cricket with 52 not out from 56 balls in a nine-wicket win. England lost their most recent encounter with an Associate nation at the World T20, when the Netherlands crushed them by 45 runs in Chittagong.Quotes “It’s a bit like a pump-action shotgun. You can keep loading as long as you like. If you keep missing, it’s fine. But the opportunity along the way will come. And if you have your day, you might win a game.””Definitely there will be big pressure on England looking to the last two games, so we are eager to win at least one of the next two, and that is our main ambition in the next two matches.”

Samuel Badree struck 3 for 12 to restrict Sri Lanka to 122 for 9 and an Andre Fletcher half-century thereafter sealed a seven-wicket victory for West Indies

The Report by Alagappan Muthu20-Mar-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details2:46

Jayawardene: Controlled West Indies deserved win

Samuel Badree sticks out in this West Indies team. He has a neat little side parting. He does not have rippling muscles. He celebrates a wicket almost out of courtesy. And all of his wickets tonight in Bangalore came as a result of his inviting the batsmen to make a mistake. Sri Lanka rsvp-ed like crazy. Badree’s 3 for 12 laid the foundation to a comfortable victory over the defending champions.Much of Badree’s success comes from his accuracy. So it was almost surprising to see him bowl one wide at the new batsman Lahiru Thirimanne, until Thirimanne sliced it straight to point. Chamara Kapugedera raced down the pitch too early and Badree had him stumped. Three balls later, Milinda Siriwardana nicked a googly to slip. Those were the wickets to his name. In the fifth over, Badree strung three dot balls on the trot to lead Dinesh Chandimal into running himself out.Badree finished his spell in the 10th over and Sri Lanka were 49 for 5 with very little hope of recovery. They only barely avoided getting bowled out, and their 122 for 9 was expertly run down by a man playing his first T20I in three months – Andre Fletcher. He stepped in for an injured Chris Gayle to open the innings, struck an unbeaten 84 off 64 balls and was out in the middle when the winning run was scored.West Indies may be tussling with their board, their Test team’s reputation may be in the doldrums but the shortest format always brings the best out of them. Fletcher, for example, had a T20I average of 19 before today. But he had improved his reputation via the Caribbean Premier League. He was the second-highest run-scorer in the 2015 edition, behind only his mentor Gayle.”Confidence on the field looks high,” tweeted former West Indian captain Brian Lara as the current captain Darren Sammy broke into jigs while his men celebrated each wicket with gusto. The high-fives could have poked someone’s eye out.But Angelo Mathews’ inexperienced team were at the opposite end of the spectrum. They were worried about far too many things, the reputation of a big-hitting West Indian line-up, for example.Chandimal hit straight to cover and ran because he was off put by the 11 dots he consumed. Thirimanne was facing his first ball of spin and he committed to a loft without realising Badree had tossed it too far wide to be timed properly. Kapugedera was promoted to pinch hit and came back with 6 off 10 balls.All that chaos was exploited by Badree, who read a set of nervous batsmen perfectly. Siriwardana was another Sri Lanka batsman itching to hit the ball, but Badree kept feeding him wrong ‘uns that kept turning past the bat and after two hard-handed pokes that missed the ball, the third fell into the lap of the Gayle at first slip. Badree later dedicated his performance to his two daughters, who “I haven’t seen for the better part of two months.”Thisara Perera would have hoped his 40 off 29 balls rescued Sri Lanka, but his fluency only went on to demonstrate how the rest of the line-up simply did not stand up when they needed to.Most would have expected turning pitches in the subcontinent, but perhaps the format – Twenty20s – and the showpiece event of said format – may have tempted people into hoping for batting-friendly surfaces. The M Chinnaswamy crowd has seen many a batathon through eight seasons of the IPL, but on Sunday, they had to contend themselves to a low-scoring match on a pitch that gave the spinners a lot of assistance. Not quite to the levels of Nagpur, though. It was just enough to keep the contest even and exciting.Jeffrey Vandersay, who arrived in the country only on the eve of the match, bowled a fine spell to finish with 1 for 11 off his four overs. For a 26-year old, he coped under the glare of the World T20 excellently and for a young wristspinner, his control was excellent. Rangana Herath was tidy and Siriwardana took his two wickets by deceiving Marlon Samuels and Denesh Ramdin in flight.But as well as the spinners bowled, Sri Lanka had too little on the board and they hurt themselves with a couple of dropped chances. Opener Johnson Charles was given a life when Kapugedera failed to hold on to a dolly at deep midwicket and Andre Russell was shelled by Nuwan Kulasekara in the 18th over.There were other things that went against Sri Lanka too. Their in-form batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan was adjudged lbw by umpire Johan Cloete when the ball seemed to be heading down leg. Siriwardana then fell on the wrong side of an lbw shout with umpire Aleem Dar. And the third umpire Simon Fry might well have let Fletcher off when he was on 71 after a catch behind the stumps was reviewed. The ball was dying on Chandimal even as he dived forward to try and get his gloves underneath. Multiple camera angles, lots of zooming in and several slow-motion replays only seemed to confuse the issue. The on-field call was out, but Fry overruled it.Gayle, who strained his left hamstring while fielding, had been ready to come out to bat at that time, but he was kept to loitering around in his full gear as West Indies cantered to victory without him to further establish their standing as a T20 powerhouse.

Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, has said the win in the first Test in Galle has helped his side regain confidence and got rid of the nervousness they felt ahead of the series

Umar Farooq in Colombo24-Jun-20151:24

We were nervous to begin with – Misbah

Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, has said the win in the first Test in Galle has helped his side regain confidence and got rid of the nervousness they felt ahead of the series. He also said that offspinner Mohammad Hafeez, who was reported for a suspect action in the first Test, could still have a significant role to play in Colombo.”We got a lot of confidence from the first Test and we just want to carry that momentum in the second Test here,” Misbah said. “Every series and match is on a new day and you can’t just live in the past. From two years, we were playing good cricket but we haven’t been able to win here, so with the victory in Galle all the nervousness is gone.”You can’t just change many things in just two days but regardless of anything we all know that Sri Lanka is a tough competitor at their home ground and we are not taking them lightly. There is no sense of complacency at all and we can’t even afford that. We still have a winning spirit but at the same time we have to be wary about the opponent.”Misbah said it was frustrating to see Hafeez being reported yet again though he recently cleared his action. However, he will play in Colombo before being released for the third Test in Pallekele. “The good thing is he can still bowl in this Test match and that’s the plus for us, but it’s really disappointing that he just came after clearing his test and now is again on the radar.”I mean this will go on like that if we don’t have technology to assess the bowler’s action during the game as there would be a lot of ifs and buts in the bowler’s and the team’s mind questioning what’s going on. We are again relying on the naked eye so sometimes it could be frustrating for a player being called again. But Hafeez still has a role to play and we are looking forward to it.”Until the Galle Test, Pakistan’s last win in Sri Lanka was in 2006. Last year, Rangana Herath alone outclassed them. Pakistan, though, responded well against him in the previous Test, not only by giving him just one wicket but also scoring briskly against him. But Misbah said he knew Herath could be a threat and that his team will have to guard against complacency.”We have to respect him and everybody knows that he [Herath] is a top performer,” Misbah said. “He could be a threat, it’s a new game and we have to start over again, tackling him with a more focused technique. We know that we can’t take him for granted merely on the basis of the Galle Test so we have to be careful, as we know he is capable of making a strong comeback.”The pitch at the P Sara Stadium is one of the best pitches in South Asia in terms of obtaining results over the past 20 years. Each of the last eight Tests at the venue have led to results, and only one of the past 12 matches has ended in a draw. The pitch until the eve of Test had a lot of grass on the top, appearing supportive for the seamers but likely to offer turn for the spinners as the game progresses.Pakistan’s bowlers looked threatening in the first Test with Junaid Khan being the only weak link, but Misbah said he had no confusion with the make-up of his side ahead of the match.”I haven’t had a final look at the pitch. Yesterday it looked like a good pitch and we know that it helps the seamers but it also has something for the spinners as well. But let’s see how it goes and we will take a decision after giving a final look. But at the same time there is no confusion, we are very clear what we have to do.”There is always a surprise factor when a bowler plays for the first time against any opponent. This is exactly what happened in the first Test as both Zulfiqar Babar and Yasir Shah were playing for the first time against Sri Lanka and that really made a difference.”Misbah paid tribute to his team-mate Younis Khan, who will play his 100th Test, in Colombo. “He is the backbone and a very special member of the Pakistan team. Playing 100 Tests is a huge achievement whoever you represent. He is a top batsman for Pakistan at the moment and brings a lot of value to the team. He brings a lot of good, positive energy and has given great performances for the country.”

The attacking midfielder totaled 31 goal contributions during the regular season, and could yet be a future option for Gregg Berhalter

There is no doubting who the biggest star is in MLS anymore. Lionel Messi will wear that crown for as long as he calls Inter Miami his home, drawing in massive crowds wherever he goes. He may not have been able to lift his new team into playoff contention in 2023, but as the postseason rumbles on without him, the league remains abuzz from it's first brush with 'Messi-mania'.

As well as the biggest name, Messi is almost certainly the best player in MLS right now. But despite his quite ridiculous nomination given how little he played in the league due to his injury problems, he will not be taking home the MLS MVP award for 2023. That prize is Acosta's.

Lucho Acosta has spent the past season spearheading FC Cincinnati's best-ever regular season, as they were crowned Supporters' Shield winners while also earning a place in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup, where they were beaten by Messi and Miami.

Acosta tallied 17 goals and 14 assists across all regular season competitions, and as a result, was handed the MVP honors. Actively in the process of acquiring his United States citizenship, the 29-year-old is also looking to earn eligibility to represent the U.S. men's national team, and potentially play a role in the 2026 World Cup on American soil.

What the diminutive Acosta lacks in size, he makes up for in skill, intelligence and awareness across the entire pitch. If Gregg Berhalter has the opportunity to add Acosta to his ranks, it automatically raises the standards of the USMNT.

From a failed move to Paris Saint-Germain to turmoil with D.C. United, and now MVP with FC Cincy, Acosta has adapted and continued to excel in MLS. Now, he's finally being recognized for his brilliance.

Getty ImagesWhere it all began

Acosta could barely have gotten a better footballing education as he worked his way through the youth ranks at Boca Juniors; the Argentine giants known as the club of the late, great Diego Maradona.

At just 21, Acosta made the move to the United States, joining D.C. United on loan in 2016 from his beloved Boca. He made an instant impact, with three goals and eight assists in his first season, and United turned his initial loan deal into a permanent one during his first year with the club.

Two years on, Acosta was regarded as one of the best players in MLS, and his lore only grew after D.C. added legendary Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney to their ranks. The duo even scored what might be the most famous goal in league history, while Rooney dubbed Acosta as "one of the best I've played with" during his time in the capital.

However, after a collapsed transfer to PSG, Acosta left United in 2020 on a free transfer, joining Liga MX side Atlas, but returned to MLSwith Cincinnati in 2021 as a Designated Player. Now, two years on, the Argentine has turned Cincy from cellar dwellers to MLS Cup challengers.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesParisian dreams up in smoke

In January 2019, Acosta was the darling of MLS. Flourishing alongside Rooney, he asserted himself as one of the brightest up-and-coming players in the league. Meanwhile, with Miguel Almiron having completed a $27m move from Atlanta United to Newcastle of the Premier League months prior, all eyes were on MLS for who the 'next Almiron' would be.

PSG certainly felt that Acosta fit the bill, and they pursued him like hawk late in the MLS transfer window. Per The Athletic, then-GM of D.C. United, Dave Kasper, traveled with Acosta to Paris to meet with the French giants through an 'unnamed intermediary' – but that's when the deal began to collapse.

The intermediary appeared to give false information to both parties ahead of time, and the two sides couldn't come to an agreement regarding a fee for Acosta, who United valued at $13-15m, while PSG's offer was $9.1m.

Whether Acosta would have made the grade at such an established European powerhouse is anyone's guess, but PSG's interest highlights the level of talent we are talking about here.

Getty ImagesA captain & a champion

When FC Cincinnati joined MLS as an expansion franchise in 2019, they were genuinely awful. There's no point in holding back or trying to frame it in a polite manner. They were awful, and it wasn't just one year of it; it was three-straight seasons where they finished as the worst team in MLS, managing just 14 league wins in that stretch.

Their fortunes changed in the summer of year three, though. Acosta arrived, and they built a squad around a player who had previously shown so much potential in MLS, but left due to the club refusing to build around him and provide the talent needed for him to truly succeed. Cincy didn't make that mistake.

Come 2022, Acosta's first full season with the Orange and Blue, he was named captain, and they qualified for the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Progress.

This time around, however, has been the stuff of dreams. Cincy went seven games unbeaten to start the season, and only suffered one loss through their first 22 matches in all competitions. Acosta kept scoring, assisting and leading them to glory, and the Argentine even earned the captains' honors for MLS in their 2023 All-Star game against Arsenal in July.

The 2023 regular-season campaign from Cincinnati has gone down in league history as one the best-ever, only second to the 2021 run by the New England Revolution. Acosta was named on the ballot for 2023 MVP, and is now the first-ever winner of the award for the Orange and Blue. He almost single-handedly turned the franchise around, and is now being touted as an individual who could do that on the national stage – only not with Argentina.

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Getty ImagesBerhalter's next dual-national?

The 2026 World Cup is still over two years away, but the USMNT's planning for the tournament – which America will co-host – began the minute team crashed out of the 2022 edition in the last 16.

One aspect of that planning, that admittedly began before Qatar last winter, has been the convincing of dual-nationals to commit to joining Berhalter's squad. Berhalter has been part-coach, part-recruiter over the past few years, and has secured the services of enough players to make his roster one of the world's most talented.

Christian Pulisic, Timothy Weah, Yunus Musah, Antonee Robinson, Malik Tillman, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Jesus Ferreira are just some of the high-profile names to have committed themselves to the U.S. cause in recent times, while the successful pursuit of Folarin Balogun earlier in 2023 left fans abuzz with anticipation as he rejected England's advances. Recent dual-national call-ups Kristoffer Lund, Kevin Paredes and Lennard Maloney could yet become reliable members of the squad in the build-up to 2026, too.

Next on Berhalter's radar is Acosta, who earlier this year started his American citizenship process with a dream of playing for the USMNT. In June, Acosta told that he would "obviously" accept a call-up to the squad if it arrived. The Argentine midfielder added: "It’s one reason I started (the citizenship) process."

Securing Acosta's services would offer the USMNT a veteran presence in their incredibly youthful attack, while allowing them to have an alternative to Gio Reyna at the No.10 position. Reyna's injury history is a cause for concern, and there is no clear back-up for the Borussia Dortmund youngster in the current U.S. squad. Acosta ticks every box that the USMNT need.

Perhaps Essex have spent too much time watching England recently. Serenely placed on 61 for 0, Chelmsford offered no hint of the bedlam that once again was about to engulf Essex’s batting

Tim Wigmore03-May-2015
ScorecardLiam Norwell sparked another classic Essex collapse•Getty ImagesPerhaps Essex have spent too much time watching England recently. Serenely placed on 61 for 0, Chelmsford offered no hint of the bedlam that was about to engulf Essex’s batting.Even with Ravi Bopara and Ryan ten Doeschate detained by the IPL, the sense that Essex boast a formidable batting line-up was reinforced by Dan Lawrence making 161 at The Oval this week in just his second first-class game. It only makes their propensity to collapse, most spectacularly when they were routed for 20 by Lancashire here two years ago, all the more inexplicable.And, on the evidence of the start to the summer, this unfortunate trait remains, particularly at Chelmsford. In their previous home game, Essex suffered a collapse of 51 for 7 against Kent; against Gloucestershire this time it was even worse: 45 for 8. Bafflingly, these games were sandwiched by an utterly imperious performance against Surrey, when Essex declared on 610 for 8.This time Liam Norwell was the main beneficiary. Persistent morning drizzle had delayed the start until ten to two – and given the wicket a distinctly green tinge, leading Geraint Jones to insert Essex after winning the toss between two former England wicket-keepers.Normally such conditions are an invitation to bowl full, but Jaik Mickleburgh had driven proficiently through the offside. At the suggestion of David Payne, Gloucestershire located a slightly shorter length. For Norwell, ambling in with his strawberry blond hair, the results were spectacular, as he extracted late movement from a good length.Three times in eight balls a batsman obligingly nicked him to Chris Dent, who calmly poached Dan Lawrence, James Foster and Jesse Ryder at second slip: a welcome contrast with the swathes of dropped chances that have undermined Gloucestershire’s start to 2015. With Mickleburgh already having been clean bowled, Norwell had snared four wickets for two runs in two overs.Norwell’s teammates benefited from similar virtues, pitching the ball up and allowing Essex to implode. The dismissals of Kishen Velani, trying to flick a ball on offstump to midwicket, Graham Napier, lashing his second ball to point after hitting his first there for four and Greg Smith, heaving wildly outside offstump, were particularly regrettable.To restrict Essex to 159 all out under increasingly sunny skies was quite an effort from Gloucestershire. And even that represented a partial recovery from the wreckage of 106 for 8.In the circumstances, Essex were most grateful to have a spin bowler with evident batting aptitude. That was not Monty Panesar but Adeel Malik, the younger brother of former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik. After a brief and undistinguished career in Pakistan – 14 first-class games yielding 486 runs at 21.13 and eight wickets at 43.62 – Malik has impressed in the Essex second team, and was rewarded with his first first-class match since 2010.Batting with grace and palpable intent, Malik clubbed Payne over long on for a ferocious clean six, and then smeared him down the ground for a four before Payne located a gap between his bat and pad.Malik has just signed a three-month contract, and his batting ability will make it more difficult for Panesar to return to the side. In an over of legspin before the close, he bowled with enough flight to suggest he might be a genuine wicket-taking threat, twirling his arms in a manner reminiscent of Danish Kaneria.Not that Gloucestershire will be particularly perturbed. In glorious evening sunset, Will Tavare and Dent completed a sterling day’s work. Technically proficient and an assured leaver of the ball, Tavare invites comparisons with his uncle Chris. He provides a neat contrast with his opening partner Chris Dent, a powerful left-hander adept at marmalising anything short.An emphatic pull off Ryder, judging the length early before crashing the ball to the square leg boundary, was almost contemptuous. Together Tavare and Dent added almost half of Essex’s total to leave Gloucestershire envisaging their first win at Chelmsford since 1930.

Alisha Lehmann celebrated with glee after her perfect attempt at a bottle challenge.

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Lehmann performed bottle challengeNailed it on her second attemptVilla star celebrated her successWHAT HAPPENED?

The Aston Villa and Switzerland star took on the challenge of knocking a bottle off a high railing from distance. After her first effort hit the rail, she had another crack at it and made a clean connection before wheeling away in celebration.

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The 25-year-old forward has become a social media sensation, amassing over 16.4 million followers on Instagram. The former West Ham star has attracted even more headlines recently after resuming a relationship with Aston Villa men's star Douglas Luiz as the pair shared pictures and videos of their Valentine's Day together.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LEHMANN?

Lehmann, who has started five of her eight appearances in the Women's Super League this season, will hope to be involved when her side take on Tottenham on Saturday. Villa are currently eighth in the 12-team league, while Spurs sit six points above them in sixth.

The 18-year-old was officially presented as a Real Madrid player on Friday and here, Goal looks at the biggest teenage talents to emerge from Brazil

Getty ImagesPele

Considered by most as Brazil's greatest ever player and by many as the finest footballer of all time, Pele was a World Cup winner at the age of 17 in 1958, having made his debut for Santos as a 15-year-old in 1956.

went on to score over 1,000 goals in his career, spent mostly with Santos before a short stint in the USA with the New York Cosmos. He is the only player to have won three World Cups and is still Brazil's top scorer with 77 goals from his 92 games.

AdvertisementGettyZico

Such was Zico's talent that the Flamengo forward was nicknamed "the white Pele" in his homeland. And although he never won a World Cup with Brazil, he is still regarded as one of the finest footballers ever produced by the South American nation.

Zico made his Flamengo debut as an 18-year-old and would go on to score over 400 goals for the Rio de Janeiro side, most of those in the first of two spells either side of a two-season stint with Udinese. He finished his career with Kashima Antlers in Japan and scored 48 goals for Brazil.

gettyRomario

Romario started his career with Vasco da Gama in Rio, initially just as a fan and later as a professional once he had made his debut just days after his 19th birthday. At the age of 22, he then moved to PSV Eindhoven and later to Barcelona.

Short in stature, the striker was famous for his lobbed goals in a spectacular career which saw him play until beyond his 40th birthday. He won the World Cup in 1994 with Brazil and hit 55 goals in 70 games for the Selecao overall.

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GettyRonaldo

Ronaldo made his debut for Cruzeiro at just 16 years of age and after an impressive year, he followed a similar path to Romario as he joined PSV Eindhoven and then Barcelona, before moving to Inter and Real Madrid later in his career.

Part of the 1994 World Cup-winning squad with Brazil, did not feature that year, but played in two finals and claimed the trophy as the star in 2002. He scored 62 goals in 98 games for the Selecao and despite suffering a number of injuries, is among the nation's best-ever players.

Mitchell Starc’s team-mates are confident he can transfer his incredible white-ball form to Test cricket after a World Cup in which he was named Player of the Tournament

Brydon Coverdale30-Mar-20151:53

Chappell: Starc needs to repeat ODI performances in Tests

Mitchell Starc’s team-mates are confident he can transfer his incredible white-ball form to Test cricket after a World Cup in which he was named Player of the Tournament. Starc has also rocketed up to take the No.1 ODI bowling ranking after starting the World Cup ranked seventh; in Test cricket he is well down the list at No. 31 after a summer in which he was again in and out of the side.Starc swung the white ball prodigiously throughout the World Cup and his 22 wickets at 10.18 went a long way towards securing Australia’s triumph. He has joined such past champions as Glenn McGrath, Martin Crowe, Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya as a World Cup Player of the Tournament, capping off an outstanding year of ODI cricket.His dismissal of New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum with an inswinging yorker in the first over of Sunday’s final was a pivotal moment in the game. On Monday, Starc was with his team-mates celebrating the win at a public reception at Melbourne’s Federation Square; on Tuesday he is likely to be named in the Test squad to tour the West Indies later this year.Starc’s next challenge is to consistently swing the red ball in Test cricket and prove himself a matchwinner in a format that so far has brought him 50 wickets at 35.44. Fellow left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Johnson said he believed it would not be long before Starc would be dominating Test cricket in the same way as he has one-day cricket in this World Cup.”I don’t think it’s far away, I just think he needs to play consistent Test match cricket, get out there and do it,” Johnson said. “I know what it was like when I first started, you’re trying to find your rhythm and trying to find your place. I think this has definitely given him a lot of confidence. He’s really stood up. He was criticised through that Test series last year and he’s really stood up. I’m really proud of him.”ICC ODI rankings

Top five bowlers
Mitchell Starc, 783 points
Imran Tahir, 734 points
Saeed Ajmal, 718 points
Dale Steyn, 717 points
Sunil Narine, 709 points
Top five batsmen
AB de Villiers, 902 points
Kumar Sangakkara, 860 points
Hashim Amla, 828 points
Virat Kohli, 822 points
Tillakaratne Dilshan, 793 points

Starc was the subject of criticism from Shane Warne during the Brisbane Test against India in December, when Warne questioned Starc’s body language. As has been the case throughout Starc’s three-year Test career, he spent the summer in and out of the side; not since his debut series against New Zealand in 2011-12 has he played consecutive Tests in the one series.”His confidence changed and he made a couple of adjustments in that Sydney Test match and he bowled beautifully in that Test match,” Shane Watson said. “So absolutely, he will turn that into Test match cricket as well – like he has in one-day cricket. It’s going to be very lucky for us to have him in all three formats.”It’s incredible to see how well he has bowled in this tournament against the best batsmen in the world. The pace, the swing, the control that he’s got, he’s got variations, he can bowl at the back end, bowl at the death as well. It’s amazing his skill-set – through all different phases of the game. It’s amazing to think someone so young is able to do what he has on such a big stage.”It will be incredible to see him also do that in Test cricket, because that’s very close. In Sydney, we saw him really turn it around. I’m sure it is just a continuing, building stepping stone for him for us over the next long while.”Australia’s players will continue their World Cup celebrations but attention will soon turn towards the Test tour of West Indies. The squad for the two Tests could feature as many as 16 players, and others such as Glenn Maxwell and James Faulkner have done their chances of selection no harm by having strong campaigns in the World Cup.”All you can do is score runs or take wickets in whatever format you’re playing,” captain Michael Clarke said. “I remember when I got picked for my first Test in India, that was on the back of a lot of one-day cricket because I wasn’t around to play Sheffield Shield cricket.”I don’t think it matters what format you’re playing, if you’re performing the selectors will be looking at you. There are a number of players in this team that have done everything in their power to get selected. Now it’s up to the selectors to work out what they think the best squad is for West Indies and we go from there.”

The MCG’s 20,000 square metres of turf will be replaced in October in its biggest resurfacing since the overhaul undertaken after the 2004 AFL season in preparation for the 2006 Commonwealth Games

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-2014The MCG’s 20,000 square metres of turf will be replaced in October in its biggest resurfacing since the overhaul undertaken after the 2004 AFL season in preparation for the 2006 Commonwealth Games.Beginning two days after the AFL grand final on September 27, the work will be completed in the month-long window between the AFL and cricket seasons. Around 150 truckloads of turf will reportedly be shipped out and brought in as the venue prepares to host the 2015 World Cup final in March.MCC arenas operations manager Tony Gordon said the replacement was necessary considering the ground was a “high-use” venue. “The life span of any natural turf sports surface is not infinite and, while our artificial lighting system has significantly reduced the need for turf replacement, the MCG is a high-use venue,” Gordon was quoted as saying by . “Strategic turf replacement is crucial to ensuring our playing surface is among the best in the world.”Ten portable cricket pitches will also be installed during the resurfacing, to be completed in time for the first Sheffield Shield fixture of the season between Victoria and New South Wales beginning on October 31.