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USMNT players push back on criticism from former U.S. Soccer stars, with Weah saying 'they're really evil'

Both players acknowledge feeling misunderstoodPulisic specifically addresses criticisms from ex-players Documentary captures behind-the-scenes reactions Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

Christian Pulisic has hit back at criticism from former U.S. men’s national team players, saying recent commentary about his commitment has crossed a line.

“I'd say the most annoying thing, and for me the biggest cop out of all time is when, especially you know all pundits want to say, you know, they didn't want it,” Pulisic said in the clip posted by CBS Sports Golazo. “They didn't have the heart, you know, back in our day, we would fight and we would die on that field.”

In newly released episodes of thePULISIC documentary series, the AC Milan winger addressed what he sees as unnecessarily harsh remarks from some of the country’s past stars. Pulisic specifically pointed to recent television analysis questioning his dedication after missing this summer’s national team tournaments, calling the scrutiny unwarranted.

His teammate Tim Weah echoed the sentiment, noting that while he respects the accomplishments of those who came before, the tone of certain critiques can feel overly negative. Both players suggested that the current generation’s efforts deserve more measured and constructive feedback, particularly from those who understand the pressures of representing the U.S. on the world stage.

“I think those guys are chasing checks,” Weah said in a clip posted by CBS Sports Golazo“And for me, I just feel like they're really evil, honestly, because they've been players and they know it's like when you're getting bashed and those are the same guys, that'll turn around and shake your hand and try to be friendly with you at the end of the day.”

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The frank discussion highlights the evolving relationship between current USMNT players and the previous generation that helped establish American soccer's foundation. Pulisic and Weah represent a generation of American players facing unprecedented scrutiny while simultaneously achieving club success beyond what was possible for their predecessors.

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Both Pulisic and Weah will return to their respective clubs as the new season approaches with an eye on making the USMNT roster cut for the September international friendlies. Mauricio Pochettino’s side will face South Korea and Japan in their first international games since the Gold Cup final loss.

Ruben Amorim is putting together a squad capable of competing towards the top of the table, and adding the Cameroonian would be a game-changer

"We were the better team, but in the end if you don't score goals, you can't win matches." That was Ruben Amorim's assessment of Manchester United's defeat in the Europa League final to Tottenham. He declined, however, to state whether the Pope was Catholic or whether bears tend to go to the bathroom in woods. 

But while the coach was stating the obvious, he was also underlining United's biggest problem, and this summer the club have made solving it their biggest priority, spending more than £200 million ($269m) to give Amorim a shiny new front three of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko. If United do not manage to seriously improve on their attacking numbers this season then they will only have themselves to blame, and Amorim will have a lot of questions to answer.

Unless something goes terribly wrong, United should score a lot more goals, even if they are unlikely to be a complete team ready to take on Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal in the title race. Their free-spending has not changed the fact that they are still lacking balance and are particularly ill-equipped in midfield, arguably the most important area of all.

The club can, though, address that issue by signing Carlos Baleba from Brighton. The move would take the club's spending to a colossal £300m ($404.5m), but it would also be a game-changing transfer that could actually turn Amorim's side into Premier League title contenders. And if they are serious about returning to the elite, they need to make it happen.

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United actually scored plenty of goals in their run to last season's Europa League final, their 35 strikes making them the third-highest scoring team in the competition's history. The fact that they failed to score against Premier League opposition in Spurs, though, was no real surprise; they have struggled to make the net bulge in the domestic competition for some time, even when things are going well.

The Red Devils struck a meagre 44 times in the 2024-25 Premier League, earning them the fifth-lowest goal count in the league. It was the least amount of goals they had scored in the Premier League era and the lowest since they were relegated in 1974. But it was not exactly an anomaly. They scored just 57 goals in 2023-24, the joint-ninth-highest in the league, and even when they finished third in 2022-23 they scored only 58 times, the joint-eighth-best tally in the league along with Brentford.

United have not scored more than 60 goals in a league season since 2020-21, and heir tally from that campaign, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's last complete season and one played almost entirely without fans, is the only time they have breached the 70-goal mark since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. By contrast, they only failed to score 70 goals or more in one of the Scot's final eight seasons in charge, and they still managed to win the title that year.

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Ferguson's last season in charge also marked the last time that a United player scored 20 Premier League goals, and the club are hoping that Mbeumo will be able to break that 12-year cycle after netting 20 times for Brentford last term. Cunha, meanwhile, struck 15 goals for Wolves even though they were fighting relegation for much of the campaign.

Those two transfers met Amorim's criteria of signing players with proven track records in the Premier League, and although Sesko does not have that same experience of English football, he has been the most prolific player under the age of 23 in Europe's top-five leagues over the past two seasons. With Mbeumo and Cunha next to him, as well as Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo joining attacks to add further support, there is no reason why Sesko cannot replicate his goal feats for RB Leipzig in a red shirt. 

Having prolific scorers will make a huge difference to United as they didn't actually struggle to create chances last season, despite all their problems. Amorim's side ranked sixth in chances created while Fernandes created more goal-scoring opportunities per game than any other player in the top-flight.

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But while the attacking issues seems to have been solved, United still have big problems in midfield. Amorim wasn't shy about saying so following the team's first pre-season game of the summer against Leeds, when he lamented: "We had a lack of pace, especially in the middle of the park."

Indeed, none of United's midfielders really scream 'athleticism'. Casemiro has struggled with the Premier League's intensity for the last two seasons while Kobbie Mainoo stands out for his technical ability rather than his physical prowess. The same is true of Fernandes, even though the captain is remarkably durable and almost never misses matches through injury. Toby Collyer, who played a handful of matches last season after breaking through from the academy, is very much a work in progress.

Manuel Ugarte, meanwhile, is impressive physically and is probably United's most reliable winner of the ball, but his deficiencies in possession are becoming ever more concerning. His passing is sloppy and he has a tendency to get mugged in dangerous areas, such as when a giveaway led to Everton scoring in the club's final game of their tour of the United States. 

It says a lot that despite Amorim working with Ugarte at Sporting CP, he left him out of the team for the Europa League final. The coach has also not been convinced by Mainoo and played him in a variety of positions before he picked up an injury in February, while he only called on the England international sparingly after he returned.

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Baleba, however, has the perfect blend of physical power and technical quality that United's current midfield lacks. The Brighton ma has been working on his physique ever since he was 10 years old, when he would do 'non-stop' running drills with his father which would last for two hours. He would also sprint between truck tyres to improve his agility, and would often land on the tyres with a summersault, something which he has incorporated into his goal celebrations.

Baleba told : "It’s my dad. He said that if I learn how to do acrobatics then it will help my timing when I’m trying to read the ball or score a header. I would run up to a tyre and then jump on to it with either a front or back flip. It’s easy for me!"

Baleba was signed by Brighton in 2023 with a daunting remit to effectively replace Moises Caicedo after the Ecuadorian's £115m move to Chelsea. The Seagulls paid £23m to sign him from Lille despite him having only made 21 appearances for the French side, where he played alongside United defender Leny Yoro. He failed to initially secure a regular place in Roberto De Zerbi's starting XI either, despite the Italian describing Baleba as being "the future of Brighton".

Phil Parkinson has claimed that Wrexham have "been playing catch up" in the transfer window and has hailed Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

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Wrexham have splashed the cash this summer, breaking their transfer record to sign Nathan Broadhead from Ipswich Town in a deal that could be worth in excess of £10 million. He became their ninth summer signing in the process and Parkinson has explained that the club have had no choice but to spend big to stay competitive in the Championship. 

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Wrexham have had three successive promotions, coming out of the National League, and Parkinson believes that, in every season, they have had to lean on Reynolds and McElhenney's vast reserves of cash, and has hailed their willingness to spend as the club prepare for their first season in the second-tier since 1982. 

WHAT PARKINSON SAID

Parkinson told reporters: "The backing [from owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney] is key.

"There's a lot of spending power in the division. Really since day one, because we've moved so quickly as a club, we've always had to work hard to fast-track the quality level to the first team.

"We've always been playing catch up, even in the National League we were behind a lot of clubs development-wise — the structure, academy, players coming through.

"We had to improve the standard and that filters down. The structure behind the first team has become stronger with the formation of the academy a couple of years ago.

"We've come into this division very quickly and it's important we've brought in Championship standard players to help us on this journey. Also, to help the existing players who have do so well over the last few years."

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Wrexham face West Brom this weekend in their first home game of the campaign. 

Juventus are in talks to sign Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain, aiming to sign the forward regardless of Dusan Vlahovic's situation.

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According to , Juventus have proposed a €10 million (£9m/$11m) loan with an option to buy for €45m (£39m/$52m) for Kolo Muani, while PSG are pushing for an obligation to purchase him at the end of the season. Several Premier League sides, including Tottenham and Manchester United, reportedly showed interest but the French striker rejected them as he is determined to move to Juventus and is even willing to give up part of his salary in order to boost his hopes of returning to the Serie A side.

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Kolo Muani joined Juventus on a six month loan in January and went on to score 10 goals and provide three assists in all competitions. His performances have made him a priority target for new coach Igor Tudor. The 26-year-old joined PSG in 2023 but started just 21 games across Ligue 1 and the Champions League across his season-and-a-half in the French capital before heading to Turin.

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Juventus have been looking to offload Dusan Vlahovic, who has entered the final year of his contract. The striker’s €12m (£10m/$14m) net salary weighs heavily on the club’s balance sheet. AC Milan, now coached by Massimiliano Allegri who previously worked with Vlahovic at Juventus, have shown interest, though no move has materialised. Juventus also attempted to include Vlahovic in a swap deal for Sandro Tonali, but Newcastle rejected the proposal. At this stage there remains a strong possibility that Vlahovic will stay in Turin for the season.

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After opening the 2025-26 Serie A season with a win, Juventus are counting on the arrival of Kolo Muani to add extra firepower to their attack, while also remaining hopeful that a suitable offer arrives for Vlahovic.

Kobbie Mainoo’s future at Manchester United remains uncertain, with the 20-year-old midfielder determined to secure a loan move away from Old Trafford, despite the club's insistence that he stay and fight for his place. The England youth international has reiterated his desire to leave the club, particularly after his exclusion from the England squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, a decision made by manager Thomas Tuchel due to his lack of playing time.

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Mainoo, who was once seen as one of the brightest talents to emerge from United's academy, is now stuck in a battle for game time, with Bruno Fernandes locked in as the club's starting midfielder. The situation worsened last season when Mainoo was left out of the Europa League final against Tottenham, a significant decision that perhaps opened his eyes on any potential future at the club.

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According to Mainoo’s exclusion from the national setup has only intensified his desire to seek a loan move away from Old Trafford. He held talks with United on Thursday, expressing his eagerness to play more regularly to boost his chances of making the England squad for the upcoming World Cup. However, United have been adamant in their stance, rejecting his request to leave on loan, citing the need to find a suitable replacement first.

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While United and Mainoo verbally agreed on new terms back in February, a formal contract offer has yet to be presented. This stalemate has not gone unnoticed by clubs across Europe, who are now monitoring the situation closely. Notably, Marseille, managed by Roberto De Zerbi has shown interest in bringing Mainoo to Ligue 1, where he would join former United youth products such as Mason Greenwood and Angel Gomes. Additionally, clubs like Napoli and Real Madrid have been linked with potential moves for the young midfielder, with both clubs reportedly exploring transfer options.

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Mainoo finds himself at a career crossroads. It’s a difficult decision for him, and he would ideally like to continue his development at United. However, with the club’s refusal to let him leave and the lack of guaranteed playing time, Mainoo may have little choice but to pursue a loan move for the sake of his career. 

Poland's all-time leading scorer, Robert Lewandowski, set out to correct the record after returning to the team following a controversial absence.

Lewandowski denied quitting Poland over the captaincy issueBarcelona striker played 63 minutes in 1-1 draw with NetherlandsConfirmed readiness to face Finland in World Cup qualifyingFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After marking his return to the Polish national team in a 1-1 draw against Netherlands on Thursday, Lewandowski denied that a dispute over the captaincy was the reason for his temporary international retirement. The Barcelona striker played 63 minutes the World Cup qualifying clash and was quick to dismiss the rumours surrounding his recent absence. He insisted that the issue of the captain's armband was "greatly exaggerated" and was "never a problem" within the squad.

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The striker's return to the national team draws a line under a short but highly publicised saga that threatened his international future. The conflict ignited when former coach Michał Probierz stripped Lewandowski of the captaincy in June, handing the armband to Piotr Zielinski instead. In response, the 37-year-old announced a self-imposed exile, publicly stating he would not play for Poland again as long as Probierz remained the manager. The stalemate was broken shortly afterwards when Probierz departed, which paved the way for new coach Jan Urban to initiate contact. Urban moved swiftly and decisively to resolve the dispute, not only recalling the striker but also immediately confirming his reinstatement as team captain, with Zielinski appointed as the new vice-captain, but Lewandowski downplayed the importance of the armband.

WHAT LEWANDOWSKI SAID

"The issue of the armband is greatly exaggerated. It's a source of pride to be captain, but it was never a problem and it will never be a problem in this national team," Lewandowski said. "We talk about it within the team, and it was never a problem. For me, the important thing is to focus on how the national team plays, what we do well, and what we need to improve. Being captain is a great honor, but it shouldn't be exaggerated."

When asked if Urban's tenure feels like a new beginning for the national team, he added: "You should ask the players, because I wasn't there. But they told us we were almost starting over.

"It was a great feeling to hear my name called [from the fans] after leaving. It gave me extra motivation, and I felt my desire to return was even stronger thanks to that support. They played a huge role in my decision, and I want to thank them again."

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Poland's World Cup qualifying campaign continues with a vital home fixture against Finland on Sunday. Lewandowski has declared himself fully fit and ready to play the entire 90 minutes. 

"Yes, definitely," he said. "We don't have another game in two days, so it's different. I think I'll be ready to play at home against Finland."

The first few overs are vital, and wickets there priceless, but teams haven’t quite figured out which bowlers to use in the period

Jarrod Kimber15-Mar-2018″We need to work on our defence,” said John Wright, Derbyshire coach, after losing in the T20 Blast quarter-final last year. So many coaches now use the term defence when talking about bowling in T20. And if bowlers are defenders in this form of the game, it’s important to look at what kind of defenders.Football has two extremes with its defenders – lockdown players who barely leave the defensive half, and attacking defenders who help create goals as well as stop them. For years it didn’t seem to matter which you were – both were paid far less than midfielders and strikers. That has slowly changed. But even a cursory look at the top-paid defenders in football shows you that defenders who can create or score goals while still being quality stoppers are worth the most of the men in the back half.In cricket, you can see a similar pattern emerging. Lockdown T20 bowlers are great, as they make scoring almost impossible. But bowlers who can take wickets at the top might be even more important. You need both – five of one kind or the other of these bowlers and your attack will probably fail a lot. It’s crucial to have a balance, but the effect of top-order wickets can’t be overstated.In the fifth round of the recent CPL draft, St Lucia Stars selected Rumman Raees with the 25th pick. Of the first seven live picks, Raees was the first bowler actually chosen in the draft (others had been retained earlier by their franchises), and he went for US$70,000. CricViz had him as one of their six best picks from the draft.In top-level T20 (T20I and premier domestic tournaments) Raees has bowled 348 balls in Powerplay overs the last five years. In those, he has conceded only 5.1 runs an over, which is 2.4 runs less than the world average, and second-best anywhere after Scotland’s Alasdair Evans. Raees strikes every 19 balls (five balls fewer than the world average), is hit for a boundary every 9.4 balls (the global figure is 5.3 balls), and he averages a staggering 16 runs per wicket (13 down on the world mark).Of the bowlers who have delivered 50 or more overs in the Powerplay in the last five years, Raees, by his figures, is about as good as it gets. To be that frugal and still be striking is incredible. But of players on that list, Raees comes in at No. 124 for the percentage of his overs he bowls in the Powerplay. So though he is one of the best Powerplay bowlers on the planet, he bowls only 40% of his overs in that period.Ishant Sharma averages 50 in the Powerplay, has an economy of over eight, takes a wicket every 37 balls, and yet bowls 60% of his overs in the Powerplay.One of the most common inefficiencies in cricket is when bowlers are used. It is easy to rate Ishant as one of the worst T20 bowlers in the Powerplay. But he’s as bad, if not worse, during the rest of the match. There is no right time to bowl him in T20. In the last two years, according to Mainuddin Ahmad Jonas’ runs-above-average metric, Ishant is worth -10.6 runs a game compared to the average player in the IPL. (Jonas is a Bangladeshi computer-science student who is part of a new wave of amateur cricket analysts who are using ball-by-ball data and algorithms to work out who the best players are). If you to use Ishant, up top is perhaps the best of all the bad options you have.

One of the most common inefficiencies in cricket is when bowlers are used. It is easy to rate Ishant Sharma as one of the worst T20 bowlers in the Powerplay. But he’s as bad, if not worse, during the rest of the match

Most bowlers who have lasted a long time in T20 are good in at least one of the main three phases: Powerplay, middle, and death overs. But while you’d always like to bowl someone when they’re most useful, that’s not always possible. Raees is often one of his team’s best two bowlers. So it’s hard to use him all at the front. He has to bowl at the death because his economy there, in the PSL, is 7.7, which is extraordinary. Often, depending on match situations, he also bowls in the early-middle overs: in the PSL, his economy between overs seven and 12 is 4.6.Only the best bowlers, however, are as adaptable as Raees. Most are suited to one – and if lucky, two – parts of a T20 match. But there is a reason that a bowler like Raees, a demon in the first six overs, should bowl there more: because that is when he can do the most damage. The new-ball phase is the most critical time in T20 cricket. Joe Harris from the blog wrote a piece on optimising the first over. It contains a graph that shows how important a wicket is in the first over. A first-over wicket brings down the expected first-innings total by over 12 runs. A wicket in the last over brings down the total by 1.8 runs, which makes it virtually only as valuable as a dot ball.That’s without even acknowledging that opening batsmen are the most significant players in T20. Over half (52%) of all T20 runs are scored by the top three. Nine out of ten of the biggest individual scores are by openers. The most prominent stars – Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, Chris Lynn, Brendon McCullum, and David Warner – all open the batting.Some of this is down to cricket’s innate conservatism. Almost no T20 sides are using the most of their resources (the average number of wickets that fall per game in winning sides is dropping), and teams still coast in the middle overs far too often. But that makes the Powerplay more crucial.When you take three wickets in the Powerplay of a T20 match, you have a 67% chance of winning. In the PSL that’s 76%. The PSL is a bowler’s league. Overall scoring rates in the BBL and IPL are 8.2 and 8.4 runs per over respectively, and the PSL is at 7.6. The global average economy rate for Powerplay overs is 7.5, but in the PSL it is 6.8.There are only five bowlers in the last five years with an economy under 5.5 in the Powerplay overs. Two of them are Associate players, and the other three are PSL players (Raees, Mohammad Hafeez and Mohammad Amir). Over a third of the top 17 economy rates are of PSL bowlers. However, of the bowlers with the best strike rates, from Pakistan only Raees and Junaid Khan (striking every 18 balls) do better than once every 20 balls. That’s not to say that there is a dearth of Pakistani early strikers, just that here are no more from Pakistan than there are from other places.Bowlers like Wahab Riaz, who often get referred to as strike bowlers in T20, often aren’t. Wahab has a strike rate of 15 in the PSL, which looks great, until you dig deeper. He takes 59% of his wickets in the last four overs, where they matter the least and where bowlers take them the most. The world average is a wicket every 11.5 balls in the death overs and Wahab’s is 10. Wahab’s excellent strike rate is down to the fact that he bowls 40% of his overs at the death (the last four overs), and is superb at it, but the strikes there just aren’t worth much.Mohammad Sami strikes every 17.5 balls in the Powerplay in the PSL (globally he’s far higher). Raees strikes only every 22 balls, far slower than his overall record, but his economy is 4.7, so it’s possible teams are trying to block him out. And so they should; players like Raees can ruin your day.Jason Behrendorff: is he the best T20 strike bowler?•Getty ImagesThere is a twin effect in T20 when you lose early wickets: you lose a resource and batsmen try to consolidate, wasting deliveries. A bowler like Jason Behrendorff can ruin your match before the field spreads. Behrendorff might be the format’s best strike bowler, with a wicket every 15.5 balls (his economy is 5.8), and he is also among those who have been used best (he bowls 71% of his overs in the Powerplay). By the time he comes back at the death, where he goes for two runs more per over than the average, he has often done the damage.A lot of this comes down to who you bowl with. Behrendorff plays for Perth Scorchers, who have the best seam-bowling attack in T20. They have express pace in Nathan Coulter-Nile and Mitchell Johnson, the change-up king Andrew Tye, and quality spin from the Ashtons, Turner and Agar. They can use Behrendorff at the top and still be okay. Many teams don’t have that luxury. Most have to survive with what they have.Look at Worcestershire’s Joe Leach. He has bowled 52 overs in the Powerplay in the last five years, and those have gone for 508 runs. And yet he has still bowled 37% of all his overs in the Powerplay. And, as bad as 9.8 runs an over may sound, Leach is probably not the worst.Mohammed Shami has a Test bowling average of 28, and considering almost half his Tests are in Asia, that is amazing. In the IPL he has delivered 81 Powerplay overs, where his economy is nine per over, where he strikes every 54 balls, where he is hit for a boundary every four balls, and where he averages 81. The real questionable thing about Shami is that he still bowls 49% of his overs in the Powerplay. He is not an excellent bowler in the rest of the match, but he’s a far better bowler in the middle overs.Two teams in the IPL bid him up to US$462,000 before Delhi played their right-to-match card. His price was nearly double that of Behrendorff. It’s not like for like (Shami is fighting for one of seven spots, Behrendorff for one of four as an overseas player in the IPL), but Behrendorff has never played in a league outside Australia, or internationals, despite being a first-six-overs destroyer for years. Some of that can be explained by injury, most of it can be explained as cricket teams not identifying what is important.There are lots of theories about which bowlers are best at the top. Until recently, Samuel Badree aside, legspinners weren’t used there much, and now they seem to be the new fad. Old-school cricket brains like tall bowlers, as they think the extra bounce causes more top edges with the new ball. CricViz analysis suggests the average release point for seamers is 198cm. Bowlers above that mark strike every 23 balls in the Powerplay and go at 8.23 an over; bowlers below it go at 7.93 and strike every 24 balls. And while the ball may not swing a lot in T20, any and all swing is gold. Behrendorff is tall but then so is Ishant. Raees swings it but so does Shami. The two successful bowlers of those four are left-arm seamers, but both arms have similar numbers in the Powerplay overall – left-armers are 0.05 runs cheaper per ball, right-armers strike 0.16 of a ball more often.No one kind of bowler does well in the Powerplay, but by checking over splits, we can at least work out which individual bowlers do it best, or do it more often. With the effect of early wickets so massive, cricket needs to think a bit more about its defence.With statistical inputs from Shiva Jayaraman

Unbeaten 153 drives home first-day advantage before bowlers cement dominance

Vithushan Ehantharajah25-Feb-2023Joe Root says he “owed” England his 29th Test century after finishing unbeaten on 153 at Wellington on day two of the second Test against New Zealand.Root’s innings, the 14th time he has gone past 150 in Tests, has now put his average back above 50. It allowed England to declare on 435 for 8 and have two cracks at the New Zealand batting order before and after lunch. The hosts were reduced to 138 for 7 before the rain came to wash out the final two hours of play, for the second day in succession.This was Root’s fourth century under Ben Stokes’ and Brendon McCullum’s tenure, but it came after he had admitted to struggling to find a balance between contributing and doing so in a manner which aligns with the new attacking approach of this side. The way he went up the gears on this occasion – his last 103 runs took just 102 balls – was very much the Root of old. He credits Harry Brook, who only added two to his overnight score before being caught and bowled for 186 by Matt Henry, for bringing it out of him. The Yorkshire pair added 302 for the fourth wicket, having come together at 21 for 3.”I felt like I owed that to the group,” Root said. “It’s been a while since I made a solid contribution. To be part of such a big partnership was really pleasing and I think the best thing was I had the best seat in the house to watch Harry go about his business. It’s a joy to watch him play at the minute. He certainly made my life a lot easier out there, the way he manages to wrestle momentum in our favour and constantly put bowlers under pressure.”When he comes and plays as he does – if you slightly over-pitch he hits you over your head, if you miss short he goes midwicket, he’ll back away and hit you through the off side – it’s difficult to know where to bowl with him. When you get down the other end it just feels like there’s less pressure on you, and more opportunity to get him back on strike and down the business end.”I felt we had a really good understanding, we negated a few modes of dismissal by getting down the crease. We fed off each quite nicely and made it difficult for them to bowl one length for us.”Root also credited Stokes for the timing of the declaration, allowing James Anderson to remove Devon Conway and Kane Williamson before lunch, before the rest of the top five were dismissed with just 77 on the board. Without the weather intervening, there was a strong chance of all 10 wickets before the scheduled close of play.Related

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Harry Brook's latest exploits hand England control after stuttering start

England's past, present and future combine in Harry 'n' Joe's Shawshank-and-sledgehammer stand

James Anderson, Jack Leach share six as England capitalise on attacking declaration

“I think it was a brilliant call from Ben,” Root said. “It felt like that 40 minutes before the break, the sun was out and with 40 minutes of sun, a heavy roller and 40 minutes of sun at lunch, it might have changed the wicket.”It didn’t work out like that, it gave a better opportunity to make the most of conditions. The way we’re playing at the minute with the confidence we’ve got, seeing the ball move around with the No. 1 Test bowler, the two leading wicket-takers we’ve ever had, it just seemed a very brave and attacking option. Full credit to Ben, as you’d expect, for taking it on.”He’s just walked so naturally into the role, he’s managing the game really well and everyone is responding to it. I just think was a brilliant call from him, it would have been very easy for us to keep going and we might not be sat here with them seven-down tonight. Credit to him, he’s doing a great job.”As for the match going forward, a follow-on could be on the cards, given the likelihood of more rain interruptions and the relatively light workload of England’s bowlers so far. Either way, the result will decide whether this century ranks as one of Root’s best since the start of last summer.”Potentially,” he answered when asked whether this one was top of the four, the others having come in the opening matches of last summer, including two successful run-chases at Lord’s and Edgbaston. “We’ll see how the game turns out. You always judge how well you’ve played off the back of a result and I’m certainly sat here in this position, at the end of day two, having them seven-down with a huge lead is very satisfying right now. Hopefully we can follow through on it and continue all the good cricket we’ve played up to now.”

The reason behind Kylian Mbappe's thumb-sucking celebration after his latest goal against Sevilla has been revealed.

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Mbappe scored in Madrid's win over SevillaPulled off a thumb-sucking celebrationMbappe favourite to win La Liga Golden BootFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Mbappe starred in Madrid's latest 2-0 win over Sevilla on Sunday. He scored the opening goal of the match in the 78th minute, while Jude Bellingham added to the tally eight minutes later to save the club from yet another embarrassment.

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After breaking the deadlock late into the game, the French winger was spotted pulling off a thumb-sucking celebration, which prompted people to think that the 26-year-old might be expecting his firstborn child. However, it was later revealed that Mbappe was dedicating his goal to a staff member who is expecting a baby. The player was also spotted hugging the staff on the sidelines after the goal.

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The strike against Sevilla took Mbappe's total goals tally to 29 in La Liga as he extended his lead over Robert Lewandowski to four goals in the race for the La Liga Golden Boot award.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

Los Blancos will play their final league game on May 24 as they take on Real Sociedad at Santiago Bernabeu. It will be the farewell game for outgoing manager Carlo Ancelotti.

Visitors complete Test match preparations by chasing 232 in 42.4 overs at Chelmsford

ESPNcricinfo staff28-May-2023Ireland openers PJ Moor and James McCollum produced an unbroken double-century stand to steer their side to a ten-wicket win on day three of their tour match against Essex.Both batters scored hundreds – McCollum bringing up three figures with a six that also sealed victory – as the tourists completed their warm-up ahead of the Lord’s Test with a confidence-boosting performance, chasing down a target of 232 in just 42.4 overs. In the process, Moor and McCollum set a new Irish record for the first wicket in first-class cricket.There were runs for Mark Adair, too, playing as a member of the Essex XI, the seam-bowling allrounder crashing 85 from just 66 balls. Adair and Essex wicketkeeper Will Buttleman, who also scored a rapid half-century, put on a century stand to lift the hosts from 113 for 5, following early strikes by Graham Hume and Thomas Mayes.Buttleman and Noah Thaine cracked a further 68 in 6.5 overs to set a declaration during the afternoon, leaving Ireland 50 overs in which to get the runs.Moor and McCollum started the Ireland second innings in placid conditions against Adair and Jamal Richards, the 19-year-old on debut who had taken a five-for earlier in the match. McCollum was among Richards’ victims, one of three Ireland top-order batters to make single-figures in the first innings, and was more watchful the second time around.The pair bedded in until tea, at which point Ireland needed 184 in 37 overs. Moor then began to push on, the former Zimbabwe batter bringing up his century from 113 balls and hitting 12 fours and five sixes in total – but leaving just enough on the requirement for McCollum get his ton, too.