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England went 1-0 down to North Macedonia after VAR awarded the hosts a penalty for a Rico Lewis foul on Bojan Miovski.

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North Macedonia take 1-0 leadMacedonia given penalty for Lewis's foulLineker ridicules VAR decisionWHAT HAPPENED?

Rico Lewis' England debut was marred on Tuesday night by a contentious penalty awarded by referee Filip Glova against the Manchester City defender. The full-back grabbed a North Macedonia player with a flailing hand while leaping to head away from a long ball, causing VAR to step in and request that the incident be examined at the pitch-side monitor.

Gary Lineker reacted to the contentious call on Twitter:

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During the international break, Lewis was a last-minute addition to Gareth Southgate's squad after a number of players were forced to withdraw due to injury, giving the starting lineup many opportunities. Then, when the Three Lions faced North Macedonia at the Tose Proeski Arena, Southgate gave the 18-year-old his time to shine on the international scene by starting him at left-back.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

The Three Lions are currently trailing North Macedonia by a goal as they look to end their European Championship qualifiers.

The Welcome to Wrexham documentary has earned plenty of plaudits, but it is now being mocked for a wildly inaccurate map of British football clubs.

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Dragons star in their own showHollywood co-owners at the helmGeographical mix-up causes amusementWHAT HAPPENED?

The series, which is produced by Dragons co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, has lifted the lid on goings on in North Wales since a stunning takeover of the club was completed in the spring of 2021. It has followed Wrexham’s adventures on and off the field during a memorable era in the club’s long and distinguished history.

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Reynolds and McElhenney have often been the stars of the show – as they are most comfortable on camera – but household names have been made of the likes of star striker Paul Mullin and local pub landlord Wayne Jones.

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Welcome to Wrexham – which airs on the FX network – has helped to raise the Dragons’ profile, particularly in the United States, but “questions” are being asked of a bizarre map that has features in series two which is supposed to highlight where certain teams are based in the United Kingdom.

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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

The map in question has led Premier League outfit Brentford – who are based in west London but sit in the North East according to the Wrexham doc – to quip on social media: “We’re just a bus stop in Hexham.” The likes of Blackburn, Newcastle, Everton, Cardiff and Swansea will also be taking issue with their supposed geographical locations, with fans across the British game being given a good laugh at Wrexham’s expense.

Manchester City's do-it-all defender explains how he fought his way back into the team after being on the fringes of the squad three years ago.

It is no exaggeration to say that John Stones is an idol for Manchester City fans. Go to any game and the chant 'Jonny, Jonny Stones' is heard more than any other. He is serenaded even more than Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne – and even Pep Guardiola.

But he is more than just a cult hero. He is one of the most important players in the team, part-defender, part-midfielder, occasional scorer of jaw-dropping goals. He bossed the midfield against Liverpool and had the run of Luka Modric when City mauled Real Madrid. He was impeccable against Bayern Munich.

While he has been a bit-part player in some of City's triumphs across his seven years with the club, he has been an integral part of the Premier League title and FA Cup win.

And he is certain to start in Saturday's Champions League final against Inter Milan. Victory in Istanbul would be all the more sweeter for Stones, given that only three years ago he sunk to the lowest point of his career.

Getty'I looked into every detail'

In the 2019/20 season he was essentially a fringe player, even after Vincent Kompany had left the club. He started only 12 league games, barely featured in the domestic cups and made just a solitary appearance, as a substitute, in the Champions League.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the Champions League final, Stones is asked to go back to that dark era. It might be an uncomfortable question to kick off a discussion, but he is happy to talk about it.

"It was probably one of the hardest times in my career," he begins. "I literally went back to firstly looking at myself, being super critical of myself and what I could do better on the football pitch, and then looking into every fine detail, down to food, what food, training, what training, what extras."

He would stay at City's training ground long after training had finished and then continue to focus on specific aspects of his game at home before going to bed.

It was about "finding these small margins, put them all together to kind of break where I was at after coming back to playing" he adds. "Big learning curve for me and maybe who I am today."

AdvertisementGetty ImagesPutting a 'positive spin' on being left out

Stones played no part in the last-16 tie against Real Madrid and was an unused substitute in the quarter-final defeat to Lyon in Lisbon, losing his place to the teenage Eric Garcia.

That might have seemed like the nadir but he says being left out for any game hurt. The longer you spend out of a team, the harder it feels to fight your way back in, especially in a squad as competitive as City's.

"I think it’s not just that game. I think any game that you don't play, or feel maybe that you should be playing, every player feels like that when they don't play, especially here because we've got an incredible team, it's always difficult," Stones says.

"I really do try and put a positive spin on that and use that to motivate me and make sure that I give the manager a headache to make his team selection."

Getty Images'I never thought about leaving'

Not for the first time, Stones was linked with a move away from City, his career under Guardiola written off. Speculation grew about a return to Everton.

But according to Stones, he never seriously considered leaving. He truly believed City was his level, and it was just about returning to the best version of himself.

"No, I never thought about that. I think as soon as you accept that or have that mindset then you have killed yourself," he says. "So no, I always wanted to stay, I have stayed and I absolutely love it.

"I wanted to prove to myself, I didn’t say to anyone ‘It was because I want to prove to you’. I think, in anything, you have to prove to yourself first and foremost that you deserve to be here, you are good enough to be here, and what you bring to the team.

"Everyone's so unique here and I feel that's why we've been so successful."

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Getty Being Guardiola's project

Unique is an apt word to describe Stones. Few English players have shown the ability and confidence he has on the ball, and fewer still would continue to keep playing out from the back despite the many mistakes he made in his early days with City, when they ended their first season under Guardiola without a trophy.

The coach made an impassioned defence of Stones in an unforgettable press conference in 2017, when he told a press conference: "John Stones has more personality than all of us together in this room. More balls than anyone here, guys! I like that kind of player, I love him."

Guardiola made Stones his new project this season, first playing him as an inside right-back, dropping Kyle Walker in the process, and then giving him licence to roam into midfield, giving extra support to Rodri and also playing a big role in City's attacking play.

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O elenco do Corinthians está em férias, mas o volante Richard garante que está treinando todos os dias para estar bem fisicamente quando os campeonatos forem retomados. O volante disputou só três partidas nesta temporada e está disposto a mudar este cenário após a crise do coronavírus.

– Todo jogador busca ter uma sequência no time. Não tiro minha responsabilidade nisso, por isso tenho treinado bastante nesta pausa para voltar no meu melhor físico e buscar essa sequência – disse ele, que foi titular em todas as partidas em que atuou, mas não atua desde o fim de janeiro.

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Richard chegou do Fluminense e fez 16 partidas pelo Corinthians em 2019 antes de ser emprestado ao Vasco, onde conquistou a vaga de titular e atuou 25 vezes no segundo semestre do ano passado. Em 2020, embora Abel Braga tenha solicitado à diretoria cruz-maltina que o mantivesse em São Januário, retornou ao Timão.

O colombiano Cantillo é o titular absoluto da posição e só não atuou enquanto não esteve regularizado – justamente as três partidas em que Tiago Nunes deu chance a Richard. O outro volante tem sido Camacho, outro que dificilmente é sacado. Para esta vaga, Gabriel é o principal concorrente, mas também jogou só três vezes.

– Vim aqui para minha cidade (São Sebastião do Paraíso, em Minas) , ficar mais perto da família e me cuidar. Estou treinando todos os dias e tomando os cuidados necessários. Não sabemos quando isso irá acabar, mas não podemos relaxar na parte física e também mental. Quando voltarmos, temos de estar bem fisicamente, mesmo que a gente não esteja jogando – disse, confiando no trabalho de Tiago, apesar da crise do primeiro semestre:

– Tiago Nunes é um grande treinador, fez um trabalho magnífico no Athletico. Toda mudança requer tempo de adaptação ao novo clube, elenco… Sabemos da qualidade dele e do que ele pode entregar ao Corinthians.

The lowdown on one of football's most intriguing characters

With the eyes of the world watching, Erling Haaland showed he was the real deal after last week's disappointing Community Shield performance, scoring twice on his Premier League debut for Manchester City in the 2-0 win at West Ham.

It is hard to think of a player who has made a bigger impact both on and off the pitch in recent seasons. Since bursting onto the scene as a teenager, he has smashed records, embarrassed goalkeepers, and positioned himself alongside Kylian Mbappe as the heir apparent to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Refreshingly, as well as being a 'tremendous Nordic meat shield' when he crosses the white line, Haaland is also blessed with an infectious, quirky personality away from the field.

So, now that we're all going to be talking about him, GOAL thought it was the perfect time to give you all of the facts to share with your mates.

• Getty Images
  

  Born in Leeds – and could have played for England

  Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few seasons, you'll know that Haaland's father, Alf-Inge, was a pretty handy footballer himself, perhaps most famous for having his career pretty much ended by a vengeful Roy Keane.

  During his own career in the 1990s and early 2000s, the midfielder turned out for the likes of Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and Manchester City. It was during his time in West Yorkshire that his son Erling was born.

  Unfortunately for Gareth Southgate, the striker never showed an inkling to represent his birth nation, instead joining Norway's international setup.

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• But he was raised a City fan

  Despite being born in West Yorkshire, it was City – one of his father's other clubs – that Haaland supported as a kid.

  He confirmed as much when he signed for the club this summer, saying: "I was born in England. I have been a City fan my whole life. I know a lot about the club.

  “In the end, [deciding to sign was down to] two things. I feel at home here and I feel I can develop and get the best out of my game at City."

• Getty Images
  

  He won the genetic lottery

  Haaland was fortunate enough to be blessed with not one, but two sporting parents.

  As well as growing up around football through his father, his mother Gry Marita Braut was a champion heptathlete back in the day. And that, reader, is why he is an absolute specimen.

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• World record holder

  A huge shoutout to André Noruega for discovering this gem. We'd quite like an end of season Premier League standing jump as part of a sports day. Sprints, discus, maybe even a bit of wrestling.

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“Falavam: ‘Aquele peladeiro vai para o Goianésia e ser igual estilingue, ir e voltar'”.

Michael sabe como poucos o peso de ter que dar certo em uma profissão cruel e concorrida. A frase acima foi ouvida por ele quando engatinhava na carreira profissional e passava aperto financeiro.

Os anos anteriores de várzea estavam sobre as suas costas e, para quem o esnobava, serviam para alimentar desconfiança e chacota.

Além de seis portas fechadas nos tempos em que era para estar nas categorias de base, Michael superou as drogas e ameaças de morte para, hoje, ser o protagonista da transferência mais cara do futebol brasileiro do ano (até aqui).

E Michael segue longe de se livrar das críticas destrutivas e atreladas à sua trajetória.

Em uma ocasião, um técnico conhecido no cenário nacional confidenciou em uma roda na qual eu estava: “Todo treinador gosta de um peladeiro”. Desta vez, contudo, o termo não pendeu para o lado pejorativo. Pelo contrário, apontava justamente para as características encontradas em Michael: a do drible corajoso, e até inconsequente – cada vez mais raro em nossos gramados.

No último Campeonato Brasileiro, Michael foi quem mais tentou e quem mais acertou dribles. Tinha uma equipe que se limitava a reagir às ações adversárias e a dar campo para que o “Robozinho” fosse letal nos contra-ataques.

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🎙 Fala, Michael! 🎙

"Pesou a grandeza do clube. Qualquer atleta quer estar aqui. Sou grato. Pretendo dar o meu melhor. Meu maior sonho é ser campeão pelo Flamengo e vou dar o meu máximo pra isso."

📸: Marcelo Cortes/CRF pic.twitter.com/A3PPutVdq8

— Flamengo (@Flamengo) January 21, 2020

Agora, com a camisa do Flamengo e sob o comando de um técnico perfeccionista, terá que se adaptar a uma nova proposta de jogo e contar com a paciência de todos os envolvidos neste processo, inclusive a das arquibancadas.

Ainda é cedo para arriscarmos como Jorge Jesus o utilizará na equipe. Pode ser mais aberto, em um esquema pontual com extremos, ou até como “avançado”, ao lado de outro atacante, podendo repetir a receita de sucesso de Bruno Henrique.

Aliás, o exemplo de Bruno Henrique corrobora com o principal motivo para que eu aposte no êxito de Michael, já que o camisa 27, embora mais rodado ao chegar no Ninho do Urubu, também era ponta, sem a bagagem das categorias de base e que, nas mãos certeiras de Jorge Jesus, fez a melhor temporada de sua carreira, em outro setor do campo.

Acredito que Michael seguirá esta toada, sobretudo pelas provações já suplantadas e lucidez quanto a uma oportunidade que, como o jovem de 23 anos conhece bem, é raríssima para quem saiu de onde ele saiu.

* Lazlo Dalfovo é setorista do Flamengo desde junho de 2019

Victoria bowling coach Mick Lewis is on his last warning from the Bushrangers after being fined $2,266 for ball tampering during the Sheffield Shield final

Daniel Brettig in Adelaide28-Mar-2016

Victoria’s bowling coach Mick Lewis is on his last behavioural warning from the Bushrangers after being fined $2,266 for tampering with the ball on day three of the Sheffield Shield final against South Australia at Glenelg Oval.In the 10th over of SA’s second innings Mark Cosgrove struck a boundary, and a Cricket Australia video camera captured Lewis kicked the match ball into the gutter beyond the boundary rope before he scraped the ball across the concrete when retrieving it.When the ball was returned to the field after another boundary in the 12th over, it was inspected by the umpires, Paul Wilson and Mick Martell. They decided that the ball’s condition had been changed illegally and added five runs to South Australia’s second innings score. A substitute ball was then called for. After play Lewis admitted to his offence and the match referee Steve Bernard imposed the fine without needing to hold a code of conduct hearing.”Ball tampering is a very serious offence and simply won’t be tolerated at any level of the game,” CA head of cricket operations Sean Cary said. “Match Referee Steve Bernard addressed the matter as soon as it was brought to his attention, spoke at length to Mick Lewis about it and has handed down the subsequent penalty.”We acknowledge that he has apologised to the South Australian team and the match officials and hope the matter deters others from doing anything like this in the future.”Lewis, who had a mixed disciplinary record during his time as a pace bowler for Victoria and occasionally Australia, was also spoken to by the CV chief executive Tony Dodemaide and the chairman Russell Thomas. Dodemaide said Lewis would be in serious trouble if he transgressed again.”Cricket Victoria does not condone any action to gain an unfair advantage in any form, we’re committed to playing fair cricket in the spirit of the game,” Dodemaide said. “Myself and Cricket Victoria chairman Russell Thomas immediately spoke to Mick and he has apologised unreservedly and understands that this reflects unfairly on the Bushrangers and all of Victorian cricket.”Mick pleaded guilty to Cricket Australia’s code of behaviour breach and has also accepted a severe reprimand, imposed upon him as a Cricket Victoria employee, and assured us that actions such as this will not happen again. Mick also went personally to South Australian coach Jamie Siddons and apologised after the day’s play.”Victorian coach David Saker was extremely disappointed in Mick’s actions and also that he cost the side five runs in what could be a very close match. We believe that Mick will learn a valuable lesson from this and understands this type of behaviour will not be tolerated.”Both sides have been penalised for ball tampering in recent years. In 2010, Aaron Finch was fined and the Bushrangers penalised for an instance of tampering against South Australia at Adelaide Oval. The umpires found markings on the ball at the end of the second day’s play and initially reported the entire Victoria team before it was concluded that Finch had been responsible.In 2014, the then Redbacks captain Johan Botha was suspended for one match after he pleaded guilty to “repeated inappropriate conduct relating to the condition of the match ball” during a drawn match with New South Wales, also in Adelaide.

Australia are hopeful a well-grassed Adelaide Oval pitch will provide enough assistance for the hosts’ fast bowlers to dismantle Pakistan and thus prevent their own strong pace battery from doing likewise in the third World Cup quarter-final.The captain Michael Clarke and the national selector Rod Marsh were seen in lengthy consultation with the oval groundsman Damian Hough on match eve, Clarke having already expressed his hope that no more grass would be shaved from the surface ahead of Friday’s contest. Ground staff also watered the pitches either side of the match strip, reducing the chances of reverse-swing emanating from the abrasive parts of the square.With the possible exception of New Zealand and South Africa, the match will be a meeting of the World Cup’s two strongest fast-bowling units. Australia will choose one of Pat Cummins or Josh Hazlewood to support Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson, while Pakistan have the tournament’s fast bowler in Wahab Riaz, backed up by Sohail Khan, Rahat Ali and Ehsan Adil. Batsmen on both sides may be in for some hopping around.”Pakistan have some really good quicks in their attack and they’ve shown that throughout this series,” Clarke said. “I think the pitch has certainly got quicker over the years. I think fast bowling will play a big part tomorrow. Especially if they leave that grass on the wicket like there is now, fingers crossed. But I think both teams have good fast bowlers in their line-ups. So the batters, we’re going to have to make sure we play really well.”Two good attacks on a wicket that looks like it’s got a bit of grass on it. It’s going to be tough for the batters but Australia in general. If you do get in as a batsman it’s a wonderful place to bat, it’s just starting your innings is always difficult. I don’t care if it’s 71 plays 70 to be honest, as long as we get the 71, or it’s 350 plays 349, the numbers are irrelevant for me.”Pakistan’s captain Misbah-ul-Haq has preached aggression ever since his side’s surprise success against South Africa in Auckland, and he said this would be particularly important against Australia. As England might also be able to attest, it is impossible to just muddle through and play reactively against the team led by Clarke and the coach Darren Lehmann – they must be attacked.”Australia always plays aggressive cricket, and if you want to really be up there against them, you also need a good, aggressive cricket, good, positive cricket, and that is the key,” Misbah said. “If two teams are playing aggressive cricket, you still have a chance. It’s not like that you go with the defensive approach against Australia and you can just win the game. It’s all about aggression. It’s all about attacking cricket, and that’s, I think, what we are looking forward to.”Clarke shuffled Australia’s batting order in their final group game against Scotland to allow himself and several other players some additional time in the middle. For this match it is expected to be back to the configuration glimpsed against Sri Lanka at the SCG, with David Warner and Aaron Finch followed by Steven Smith and Clarke before Glenn Maxwell and Shane Watson are used at Nos. 5 or 6 depending on the match scenario.”Finchy and Davey will go back to opening, and then we’ll assess,” Clarke said. “I think against Sri Lanka … Maxi came in at 5, but he was down to bat at 6. It was just the situation of the game that we changed the order. I think our order is pretty flexible, so, like I said, apart from the top two that will open the batting and have done so really throughout the whole tournament apart from one game to try to give a few people a hit, the rest is very flexible.”We’ll work out the situation of the game, batting first, batting second and assess. And I think that’s one of our great strengths that we’ve got a number of guys that have batted in different positions through their career and have enjoyed some success in different positions as well. So it’s a good problem to have.”Less pleasing for Australia is the thought of elimination from their home World Cup at the earliest knockout stage. To lose to Pakistan in Adelaide would be more or less the equivalent result to 1992, when they missed the semi-finals due largely to a defeat at the hands of Imran Khan’s men in Perth. Clarke put himself through an extended fielding and catching session after his chat with Marsh, having earlier acknowledged the gravity of the occasion.”We have to treat this like a World Cup final now,” he said. “It’s a crucial game – you lose and you are sitting and watching the rest of the tournament, so we’re just focused on having success tomorrow.”

Upul Tharanga will lead a 16-man Sri Lanka A squad on a limited-overs tour of England and Ireland in July. They are slated to participate in a one-day tri-series involving England Lions and New Zealand A, before facing Ireland in a three-match bout, the last of which is on August 22. Four fifty-over games with county sides will gear them for the tour.Tharanga, who has been in and out of the Sri Lanka limited-overs outfit, was reprised as captain despite losing the three-match unofficial Test series to England Lions in February at home.Big-hitting allrounder Thisara Perera will serve as Tharanga’s deputy. Perera, along with Ashan Priyanjan, Chaturanga de Silva and Kusal Perera was part of the senior squad which defeated England 3-2 in the ODI series recently.Sri Lanka A squad Upul Tharanga (capt), Thisara Perera (vice-capt), Dushmantha Chameera, Chaturanga de Silva, Niroshan Dickwella, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Gamage, Danushka Gunathilaka, Sachith Pathirana, Kusal Perera, Priyamal Perera, Seekuge Prasanna, Ashan Priyanjan, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Ramith Rambukwella, Mahela Udawatte

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O São Paulo venceu mais uma partida no Campeonato Paulista. Dessa vez a vítima foi o Audax, na última sexta-feira, em Cotia. O placar de 1 a 0, com gol de cabeça de Alisson, não refletiu a superioridade do time da casa que, com o resultado, se manteve na liderança do Grupo 4 do estadual.

Com o domínio da partida e dono dos lances mais perigosos, o Tricolor terminou a primeira etapa tendo acertado a trave do adversário em três oportunidades: Gabriel Sara, logo no primeiro minuto de jogo, Rodrigo Nestor aos 19, e o Wellington, antes de o duelo ir para o intervalo.

Na volta, o técnico Orlando Ribeiro fez três mudanças de uma vez e por pouco a estratégia não deu resultado logo de cara. Fabinho pegou rebote e novamente a trave impediu que os são-paulinos abrissem o placar em Cotia. Pouco depois, aos 15 minutos da etapa final, Rafael acertou belo chute, porém dessa vez a bola parou em grande defesa do goleiro do Audax.

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A insistência, no entanto, deu certo. Aos 23 minutos, Alisson, que entrou logo após o intervalo, aproveitou rebote de uma bola na trave, mais uma vez, e estufou a rede com o um gol de cabeça, finalmente colocando o São Paulo em vantagem no marcador. O time mandante ainda teve outras boas chances de ampliar o placar, porém acabou confirmando a vitória simples.

O resultado levou o Tricolor aos 24 pontos em 12 jogos, garantindo mais uma rodada na liderança do Grupo 4 do Campeonato Paulista sub-20. A equipe volta a campo na próxima quarta-feira, às 15h, para enfrentar o São Bento, em Porto Feliz, no CT do Desportivo Brasil, pela 13ª Rodada da competição.