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PSGare in the middle of making wholesale changes for next season. The Parisian side have had seasons full of doubt and uncertainty and they have failed to win the Champions League. They want to make a step forward this summer.

Therefore, the Sheikh has started with changing the sporting director. Luis Campos is the new man in charge. On the bench, there will also be change and Mauricio Pochettino is now history. Veteran coach Christophe Galtier will take over.

However, these reforms, will also affect the players. And not only players in general, but the senior players in the dressing room.

In recent days, there was news that the Frenchman does not want Neymar to stay at the club. The injuries and lack of focus, as well as the huge salary he receives, has reportedly led to this ending.

With Mbappe as their leader after his renewal, 'El Partidazo de COPE' mentionedanother player who was thought to be untouchable. Leo Messi, who has struggled to adapt to life in Paris. However, the Parisian club's offices know that getting rid of these two footballers will be easy or cheap.

PSG's plan is to get rid of global stars and focussing on building a good team instead.

Another area to improve is the defence. With two world class footballers in the Argentine and the Brazilian, the defence has got significantly worse. This is something that they want to change from now on and it ended up taking its toll in the knockout game against Real Madrid.

A new strategy of development and growth which PSG have foir this season. Will the Parisian side change from being a squad full of stars to a team which plays well? This story has only just begun.

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A new PSG on the horizon without Neymar and Messi - BeSoccer EN

The Lionesses pose with their third place winners medals after returning from the 2015 World Cup (Steve Parsons/PA) (PA Archive)

England Women reached a World Cup semi-final for the first time on this day in 2015 after holding on to beat tournament hosts Canada 2-1 in Vancouver.

Early first-half goals from Jodie Taylor and Lucy Bronze set the Lionesses up for a historic win, but they were forced to dig deep after Christine Sinclair pulled one back for Canada just before half-time.

It was the first time a senior England side men or women had reached the World Cups last four since 1990.

The Lionesses had won a World Cup knockout game for the first time by defeating Norway 2-1 in the round of 16 and followed it up against the Canadians in front of a crowd of 54,027 at BC Place.

Taylor gave England an 11th-minute lead when she pounced on Canada skipper Lauren Sesselmanns slip and raced on to drill a low angled finish into the bottom corner.

The Lionesses extended their lead three minutes later. Fara Williams diagonal free-kick into the penalty area picked out Bronze and the full-backs header bounced down over the goal-line after hitting the crossbar.

Canada lifted the home support by reducing the deficit three minutes before the interval when England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley failed to hold on to Ashley Lawrences cross and Sinclair turned home the rebound.

Taylor was denied a second goal after the restart as her goal-bound curling effort forced a brilliant save from Canada goalkeeper Erin McLeod.

Englands World Cup dream was halted in agonising fashion in their semi-final however, as defender Laura Bassetts stoppage-time own goal clinched a 2-1 win for Japan, who went on to lose 5-2 to the USA in the final.

The Lionesses secured a third-place finish after beating fellow semi-final losers Germany 1-0 after extra time in their play-off, thanks to Williams 108th-minute penalty.

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On this day in 2015: England Women reach World Cup semi-final for first time - Yahoo News

Last Updated on 27 Jun 2022 10:49 pm (UK Time)

Indian cricket has been on the rise since the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in 2008. The IPL is a true cricketing spectacle for fans all around the globe and has blessed the Indian National Cricket Team with the finest of cricketers for over a decade, including Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, and Ravindra Jadeja, to name a few. Indian cricket team has gone from strength to strength over the years, and more than ever now, when there is enough in the tank to send two sets of players to different parts of the world to compete in different formats. It truly is incredible the amount of talent the country is producing. Currently, the Indian team is competing in the shortest form of the game, Twenty20 against Ireland, whereas another star-studded squad is gearing up to face England in a rescheduled Test match beginning on July 1. However, India has failed to win any major ICC tournament since 2013, when they defeated England in their backyard to lift the ICC Champions Trophy.

Going into every tournament with arguably the strongest squad and as favourites, India has still failed to capitalise on it. What do we think the reason behind this is? Is it over-reliance on some players, is it captaincy, is it the pressure of winning a major tournament, is it over-exhaustion, or is it the management failing to realise their best XI on the given day due to the amount of talent at their disposal?

There is no doubt that over-exhaustion is a part of whatever the reason is, the team is failing to perform at the highest level. Team India plays the maximum number of fixtures in a calendar year solely because they generate the most revenue for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC). In 2021, as per various reports, BCCI made a whopping Rs 3730 crores in the Covid era, which is a clear indication that the cricketing boards are ready to exploit the players to generate more profit, much like the European Super League just that this is going on in cricket for several years now. It has become even more challenging in recent years due to the bio-bubble where players are isolated from their families and the outside world for an extended period until the event concludes or they are eliminated.

The BCCI will continue to receive staggering sums of money from sponsors and broadcasters, so the number of fixtures the team plays is unlikely to go down soon. Despite this, do we think the team management is missing a trick in picking their best XI for a game?

More often than not, it has been a case of one bad match in ICC events for the team. It boils down to the brilliance of former skipper Virat Kohli and current captain Rohit Sharma in white-ball cricket. The pair has been exceptional, but if India loses a few quick wickets in a knockout game all of a sudden, the middle order is exposed and cannot deal with that pressure as this is an unfamiliar situation for them. Team India needs to have a plan B as it is clear that the team lacks a clear idea whenever they lose quick wickets at the top of the order.

Also, you cannot go into a world cup not knowing who your number four batter is (2019 50-over world cup) or neglect your most successful bowler in T20 world cups like India did with Ravi Ashwin in the last edition of the T20 world cup. The team failed to read the pitches in the UAE despite playing two back-to-back IPL in these conditions. There were several other critical factors if we look back at the selections made in the last years T20 world cup, be it the exclusion of Yuzvendra Chahal or overlooking an in-form Deepak Chahar for not a fully fit Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Leg spinners like Wanindu Hasaranga, Adam Zampa, Adil Rashid and Ish Sodhi dominated the tournament, and an Indian bowling attack without Chahal lacked the X-factor. This is just one example from the recent past where the management failed to realize their best XI and paid the price for it with an early elimination from the tournament. Is this a clear-cut case of too much talent that has been thrown at the selectors and the management because of the IPL, or are we looking beyond the obvious, and this has just been a case of over-exhaustion?

The wait for Indian cricket fans has been agonizingly long, but with a new era on the rise with Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma at the helm, it will be interesting to see what tricks team India pull out to end their nine-year drought to lift an ICC trophy when they take part in the latest edition of the T20 world cup later this year in Australia.

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The Indian National Cricket Team, Depth Or Dilemma? - World in Sport

In contrast to Wales, Bale has been frozen out at Real Madrid but could be leaving the club soon.

Finally, after months of frustration on both sides, Real Madrid appears ready to offload Gareth Bale, with the Welsh winger headed for Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer. In other elite-player news, Paris Saint-Germain seems prepared to keep Neymar by offering the worlds most expensive transfer a lucrative contract extension, as it did with Kylian Mbapp not long ago. For Neymar, this would reportedly be a five-year deal.

As the big breakaway edges closer for Bale, who can soon put any troubles firmly behind him, he and Neymar seem to be taking different decisions, with one seeking a fresh challenge and the other staying put. Yet, with discontent never far away from both players, they each represent the same curious reality within super clubs today, which has been growing in relevance for a whilethat money is virtually boundless, and what it brings is never enough.

Combined, Real and PSG have spent well over 300 million ($317 million) in upfront fees for the players mentioned, plus much more in wages. In Neymars situation, no team has paid more for a recruit than PSG did for the Brazilian in 2017, whisking him away from Barcelona for 222 million ($234 million).

For all their goals and accolades, critical perceptions have continued to surface. For Bale, they have often been over his lack of game time and supposed struggles to adapt to Real. For Neymar, his brilliance has not propelled Paris Saint-Germain to a first Champions League honor, which has drawn criticism. And, of course, there is the expectation that when flush teams invest boldly, anything but the best is insufficient.

As Diario AS wrote earlier this month, a curse (Spanish) seems to have fallen over the majority of signings costing over 100 million ($106 million), of which there have been 12 so far. Neymar heads this small but presumably growing band, followed bythats right, another PSG playerstrike partner Mbapp. That cant just be a coincidence. With big bets come high pressure, scrutiny and no room for error. It practically dooms a player from the start.

Nowadays, Neymar the brand seems so far removed from the young, innocent soccer sensation who caught ... [+] the world's attention from Brazil.

Especially in Bales case, all this poses a question. What, exactly, do we expect money to bring? If trophies are the answer, Baleadmirer or nothas ticked all the boxes. Indeed, his performances have clinched final victories in the Champions League and domestic Copa del Rey, with him scoring some of the best Madrid goals ever. When he leaves, those will stay intact.

Its crazy to consider that some will be relieved to see such a player leave. Whats also crazy is how Real has gone on to win more trophies with him on the sidelines, a peripheral figure to whom they can still afford to pay high wages. Equally, the idea that Bale has gone from a hero to a problem is bizarre.

Unlike Bale, who did so for a while, Neymar has not become the ultimate game-changer many would have expected when he left Barcelona for Paris. He has brought something to PSG. But given the monopoly it has over other teams in France, not being crowned a champion of Europe has left his supreme talent somewhat hollow in output. Betting too much on one player has been a problem, and the same approach has also put unnecessary pressure on him at World Cups, which hasnt worked out.

And yet, PSG is prepared to keep shelling out to keep him. Quite simply, its because it can. But to what end? Next season, the 30-year-old is no more likely to take PSG to the next level than he was earlier in his career. His stock is no higher. But PSGs financial pull doesnt relent.

All this shows just how far removed PSG has become, both in terms of a convincing sporting project and success. As much of a fashion brand and NFT player as a soccer club, PSG will probably pick up another Ligue 1 title next year. It will also likely bow out of another European knockout game as it has during most of the last few campaigns, all while spending big to stay in the conversation. The Neymar-PSG relationship is symbiotic in how each gains something from maintaining ties, but not everything.

Bale and Neymar are expensive talents with different itineraries in the game. Perhaps their promise and costly fees have left something to be desired. As one heads to Los Angeles and the other tries again in France, this is not necessarily their puzzle to solve, but one for modern-day soccer instead.

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Gareth Bale And Neymar Have Different Plans; Both Reflect The Same Issue - Forbes

On Sunday at BC Place, the Vancouver Whitecaps face the New England Revolution in league play for the first time since 2019.

The last match played between these two teams was actually a pre-season friendly back February of 2020 at Providence Park where the Whitecaps claimed a 2-0 result with goals from Lucas Cavallini and Ali Adnan. In league play, the Revs are undefeated against the Whitecaps in their last three meetings, spanning back to August of 2017.

Evidently, a lot has changed for both teams since that most recent pre-season match. The Revolution had a standout 2021 season, taking home the Supporters Shield, while the Vancouver Whitecaps roster has undergone a significant overhaul, as well as a coaching change.

In order to learn a little bit more about what has been going on with the Revs these past couple of seasons, as well as preview the match up, we chatted with Jake Catanese, Senior Editor at The Bent Musket.

Q: For those not following the Revs closely, the biggest recent story lines from the club have been the significant player departures. How are the Revs dealing with moving on from those players, both in terms of on-pitch results and new acquisitions?

A: Well I hope that most Canada MNT fans know of Tajon Buchanans transfer to Club Brugge in Belgium last year as the winger officially joined after the end of the 2021 MLS Season. More recently, Matt Turner had his medical at Arsenal this week and that deal has been all but official between the Revs and the London side since February. Adam Buksa has also departed for FC Lens in France as the Polish international moves back to Europe ahead of the World Cup which will see Poland in Group C.

In preseason the Revs brought in a trio of LA Galaxy/USMNT veterans that have worked with Bruce Arena before in Sebastian Lletget, Jozy Altidore, and Omar Gonzalez. Lletget has been a regular starter, Jozy has played some minutes but has been working back to full fitness, and Omar has not done all that well when the Revs were extremely thin at centerback early in the year with injuries and heavy schedule congestion with the CCL and he might have even been dropped from a potential late sub/closer role off the bench as well.

Before the end of the primary MLS transfer window, the Revs did add two names that have had an immediate impact. Colombian attacker/winger Dylan Borrero was signed as a U22 Initiative Player from Brazils Atletico Minero and has done very well so far in MLS notching his first goal last week against Minnesota. In net, the Revs acquired Djordje Petrovic from Serbian side Cukaricki where he also played his youth soccer and posted a 20-7-7 record and 18 clean sheets in first full season with Cukaricki and has already notched wins in MLS and the US Open Cup for the Revs. Its been a busy year for transfers for the usually quiet Revs team especially with three high profile sales to Europe which are the clubs first since Clint Dempsey joined Fulham about 15 years ago but the Revs have been very proactive on the scouting front under Bruce Arena and now have a lot of financial resources to make a few big moves if needed immediately this summer or perhaps a handful of moves with the long term in mind after the World Cup.

Q: Other than last season where the Revs dominated the league, the club has typically been a fringe playoff team in recent years. Where are the expectations set for this season and how much did last year change how the club views itself?

The Revs history with the MLS Cup is well known and it is still a priority for the Revs to win that accursed trophy and they have a tremendous core still with current DPs Carles Gil and Gustavo Bou still on the roster and the potential to add a lot more alongside newcomers Borrero and Petrovic and mainstays like Farrell, Jones and Bye. Honestly, the next few years are crucial for the Revs because they have to continue to turn the page of a franchise that prior to hiring Bruce Arena, did not have a strong reputation financially. Being willing to spend but also sell players along with the teams brand new training ground up in Foxboro could make New England a very attractive location for young players looking to make the eventual jump to Europe. In the short term, with Carles Gil in a single elimination knockout game, the Revs have to be a threat in the playoffs and their current form is rebounding and has them in 6th in the East after a slow start. With a shield already in the trophy cabinet, this is a franchise that should be striving to compete for not just domestic titles but continental ones as well.

Q: Coming into BC Place, what kind of road results have the Revs enjoyed this year, and how do you anticipate Bruce Arena will set up his team for this fixture?

A: The Revs were a mess no matter where they played in the early part of the year with injuries and squad rotation for the CCL hampering their consistency in the first month or so. More recently, the Revs snagged late wins at Cincinnati and Kansas City thanks to goals from Tommy McNamara in the 89th and Ema Boateng in the 87th respectively in those matches. A three game road trip in July to NYCFC, Philadelphia, and Columbus could be the defining stretch of the Revs season that could see them rechallenge at the top of the East or settle into the lower playoff seeds. With New England currently in an eight game unbeaten streak (4W-4D-0L), continuing that form into and through that rough road slate could position themselves very well for the playoffs.

This week, the Revs have a specific problem and that is the injury to Matt Polster who is still out with a concussion. The Revs started Tommy Mac and Wilfrid Kaptoum as the two holding mids in the Revs reworked preferred 4-2-3-1 formation. Lletget, Henry Kessler, and Brandon Bye also missed last weeks win against Minnesota and are still listed as questionable so I dont expect a lot of changes from last weeks lineup which was:

Petrovic; Jones, Bell, Farrell, DeLaGarza; McNamara, Kaptoum; Bou, Gil, Borrero; Altidore

Changes that wouldnt surprise me would be Bou up top and maybe homegrown Damien Rivera getting a start on the wing. Ryan Spaulding could spell at left back switching DeJuan Jones to right back. Maciel could also start at either of the two holding/center mid spots behind Carles Gil. The Revs did pretty well defensively last week limiting Minnesota to only one great chance via a penalty that the Loons converted. Hopefully the more Borrero gets comfortable and involved the more the Revs offense can begin to click even without Buksa up top.

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Match Preview: Vancouver Whitecaps host NE Revolution - Eighty Six Forever