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The French bounced back from losing the Euro 2016 final by doing one better at the World Cup in Russia

France won their second World Cup title in 2018 as they beat Croatia 4-2 in the final at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

Les Bleus won six out of their seven World Cup games to be crowned champions, defeating Argentina (4-3), Uruguay (2-0) and Belgium (1-0) in the round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final respectively.

The final between France and Croatia saw the champions take the lead in the 18th minute via Mario Mandzukic’s own goal.

Croatia came back into the match with Ivan Perisic’s strike in the 28th minute, though. 

France eventually took the match away from the Croatians when Antoine Griezmann converted a penalty in the 38th minute and then Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe scored in the 59th and 65th minute respectively.

Mandzukic then scored a consolation goal for his side late on.

Who were France’s World Cup winning players and what has happened to them since?

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  Hugo Lloris – Goalkeeper

  France's No.1 has been playing for Tottenham Hotspur since 2012, having previously represented the likes of Nice and Lyon in Ligue 1.

  He has had some difficult moments in recent years at both club and international level, but remains the undisputed first-choice goalkeeper for Spurs and France.

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• Gettyimages
  

  Benjamin Pavard – Right-back

  When you say Pavard, you say wondergoal against Argentina. An absolute beauty of a strike. Period.

  The versatile defender played for Lille and Stuttgart before joining Bayern Munich in 2019, where he currently plies his trade.

  Pavard is no longer quite the undisputed starter he once was at Bayern following the arrival of Noussair Mazraoui, but remains an important first-team member at the Bundesliga giants.

  At international level, he continues to be the main man down the right, whether that's in a traditional right-back role or slightly higher up the pitch in a 3-4-3 formation.

• Raphael Varane – Centre-back

  The defender joined Real Madrid from Lens in 2011 and spent 10 seasons at the club, before he moved to Manchester United in 2021.

  After a somewhat underwhelming first season at Old Trafford, Varane is now a key figure at the back alongside Lisandro Martinez, with manager Erik ten Hag preferring him over Harry Maguire.

  Varane made his international debut for France in 2013, was an integral part of the World Cup-winning side in 2018 and remains one of the first names on the teamsheet for Didier Deschamps to date.

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• Getty
  

  Samuel Umtiti – Centre-back

  The centre-back's career had been on a bit of a downward trajectory ever since lifting the World Cup.

  He delayed knee surgery to play at the World Cup and never really recovered fully afterwards.

  Barcelona eventually managed to send him out on loan to Lecce in 2022 after repeatedly trying to get him off the books due to his excessive wages.

  There's no denying Umtiti in his prime was one of the best left-footed defenders around in the game, though.

MatériaMais Notícias

A torcida do Flamengo já sabe com quem poderá contar para que a equipe de Jorge Jesus possa superar o Botafogo, neste sábado, a partir das 18h, no Maracanã. O clube divulgou a lista de relacionados nesta tarde, a poucas horas de a bola rolar. O destaque fica para a volta de Bruno Henrique.

> Confira a tabela do Campeonato Carioca

Recém-convocado por Tite para as Eliminatórias, Bruno Henrique retorna após estar recuperado de uma lesão ligamentar no joelho direito. Ele foi ausência nos dois últimos jogos do Carioca, na estreia da Libertadores e na finalíssima da Recopa Sul-Americana. A sua última partida ocorreu no dia 12 de fevereiro, pela ida da decisão continental, diante do Independiente Del Valle.

Em contrapartida, Rafinha, Rafinha e Arrascaeta, que ainda não estão em plenas condições físicas, ficam de fora da relação. A respeito do uruguaio, o Flamengo informou que ele está “com dores no adutor da coxa esquerda” e que “segue trabalho de fortalecimento muscular visando o jogo de quarta”.

E Jorge Jesus chega com um número importante para este duelo. Até aqui, em 24 jogos, ainda não perdeu no Maracanã: são 21 vitórias e três empates. Além disso, em seis clássicos, venceu cinco e empatou um – diante do Alvinegro, triunfou nos dois encontros pelo Brasileiro do ano passado (veja mais).

A aguardar, agora, se o Mister escalará uma equipe alternativa, com maioria reserva, ou irá com os titulares disponíveis – cabe lembrar que o Fla entra em campo pela Libertadores nesta quarta-feira, contra o Barcelona-EQU, no Rio.

Confira todos os relacionados de Jorge Jesus:

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Os relacionados para o clássico contra o Botafogo. #CRF pic.twitter.com/bBF6doXDUl

— Flamengo (@Flamengo) March 7, 2020

MatériaMais Notícias

No duelo valendo as primeiras posições do Campeonato Paranaense, Cascavel e Athletico entraram em campo na tarde domingo (09), pela 6ª rodada.E o confronto foi intenso. Com a Serpente aurinegra comandando praticamente todo o segundo tempo, foi somente aos 44 que Magno fez a torcida explodir de felicidade no Estádio Olímpico Regional, marcando o único gol do jogo.

Sendo assim, o Cascavel retomou o primeiro lugar, após o Coritiba ter vencido na rodada, chegando aos 15 pontos somados. Já os visitantes caíram para a 5ª colocação, mantendo seus 10 pontos.

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PRIMEIRO TEMPO

Com ambos os times buscando a vitória para não perder o Coritiba de vista, o confronto iniciou equilibrado. No entanto, eram poucas as chances reais de gol para cada lado, mantendo o placar zerado.

Até os 20 minutos, o panorama do confronto era de total equilíbrio. Sendo assim, duas oportunidades aparecem, sendo a primeira para a equipe do Cascavel, na tentativa de Paulo Sérgio para a defesa de Anderson, e, na sequência, o Athletico deu a resposta com Breno Lopes, mas o atleta acabou chutando fraco, sem assustar a defesa rival.

Animado com a chance criada, o Furacão partiu pra cima tentando surpreender os donos da casa. Aos 19, após corte da defesa no cruzamento de Elias Carioca, Ramon arriscou um chute cruzado, obrigando o goleiro Raul a fazer grande defesa.

Com o passar do tempo, até meados dos 30 minutos, foram poucas chances reais de gol para os dois times. Em uma das raras chegadas, o time local até arriscou com Quaresma, mas a bola acabou indo para fora.

Até os minutos finais, foi o Cascavel quem quase conseguiu abrir o placar no estádio Olímpico Regional. Em uma boa chegada, aos 46, Oberdan acabou acertando a trave adversária, para lamentação da torcida, sendo esse o último lance antes do apito do árbitro encerrando a etapa.

SEGUNDO TEMPO

Iniciando o confronto na pressão, a equipe do Cascavel não deu descanso ao time visitante. Antes dos 10 minutos, Quaresma chegou a acertar a trave do goleiro Anderson, deixando a torcida na expectativa de tirar o grito de gol da garganta.

E a Serpente não queria saber de dar descanso. Até os 30 minutos, com substituições de ambos os lados, o panorama do confronto seguia igual com o Cascavel chegando a todo momento em seu campo de ataque.

Com toda a pressão colocada, o Cascavel, aos 44, finalmente conseguiu seu gol. Após boa jogada, Magno se livrou da marcação para bater bonito, dando números finais ao jogo.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após a vitória do Flamengo sobre Grêmio, por 1 a 0, neste domingo, na Arena do Tricolor gaúcho, o técnico Jorge Jesus comentou, de forma contundente, as críticas que costuma receber desde que chegou ao clube, em junho. O português afirmou que treinadores brasileiros foram bem recebidos quando foram trabalhar em Portugal e aconselhou os críticos a não terem a ‘mente fechada’.

Confira e simule a tabela do Brasileirão

—Vim ao Brasil para trabalhar. Sou treinador como eles, não vim ensinar ninguém, não vim tirar nada de ninguém, não sou melhor nem pior do que ninguém. Não vim mostrar que brasileiros têm mais ou menos valor. Quero lembrar que Portugal já trabalhou com Scolari (Luiz Felipe, o Felipão) na seleção (de 2003 a 2008). Ele tem o carinho de todos — disse o Mister, que ainda afirmou:

— Vários treinadores brasileiros trabalharam em Portugal, como Abel Braga, Sebastião Lazaroni, Paulo Autuori. Nós tentamos aprender com eles, não criticamos. Eles foram muito respeitados em Portugal. Espero que me olhem como colega de profissão, independentemente de ser estrangeiro. Se eu tenho algo a dizer a esses que criticam, digo que não se fechem.Tirem esses fantasmas da cabeça, porque o Brasil tem grandes treinadores.

O treinador, que em algum momento chegou a citar a palavra ‘inveja’, também comentou a situação de Gabigol. O autor do gol da partida acabou expulso por reclamação em Porto Alegre.

— Isso me preocupa. O Gabi é um grande jogador, mas tem problemas emocionais. Eu ainda não consegui dar esse equilíbrio a ele. Mas trata-se de um jogador muito novo, que vai melhorar com o passar do tempo.

Apesar da comemoração eufórica no vestiário, ao lado de dirigentes, o treinador manteve a calma em relação ao que o Flamengo poderá fazer no próximo fim de semana. O Mais Querido poderá ser bicampeão da Libertadores no sábado, caso supere o River Plate, da Argentina, em Lima, no Peru, e poderá ser heptacampeão brasileiro por antecipação no domingo, caso o Palmeiras não vença o Grêmio, em São Paulo.

— Demos mais um passo para o título brasileiro, mas ainda não chegamos. Já sobre o River, eu não quero comentar muito.Somos uma equipe que acredita no que temos de fazer. Acreditamos que o futebol ofensivo dá mais chance a uma equipe de ganhar títulos. É isso que faremos em Lima. Nada vai nos atrapalhar.

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India have put the Bangladesh defeat behind them and are concentrating on playing to their strengths said stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane

Liam Brickhill in Harare08-Jul-20153:06

Agarkar: Players have to impress for one or two spots

Bangladesh’s epochal series victory over India is just a few weeks old but Ajinkya Rahane, India’s stand-in captain for their trip to Zimbabwe, insisted that his team has already moved on. Given the sting that another series defeat would inflict, India won’t be taking the hosts lightly and Rahane said that they are here “to win games”.”Bangladesh is in the past now for us,” Rahane said. “We’re thinking about the present series and our plan will be to back our strengths and back our games, rather than looking at Zimbabwe’s strengths. Give our best and play to our potential. We’re here to win games.”India cruised past Zimbabwe in all of their matches on their last visit in 2013, but there is a completely different complexion to their current squad and despite limited success, Zimbabwe played positively in Pakistan in May and shouldn’t be push-overs.”We all know that Zimbabwe is a good side,” Rahane said. “They’ve been playing pretty well recently and we’re expecting a good series here. The boys are looking forward to the series and we’re not taking Zimbabwe lightly. We’re respecting them, and respecting their cricket. We’ve got to play good cricket.”Zimbabwe have got a pretty balanced side. They played pretty well in Pakistan, and they’ve good, experienced batsmen these days. Good allrounders and bowlers. And they’re getting better day by day. So we respect them, but at the same time we’ll play our own cricket.”With new playing conditions coming into effect, particularly with regard to field restrictions, this series will also give India a chance to field-test potential changes to their gameplan in the relatively safe environment of a low-key series. Rahane suggested that they would take a wait-and-see approach to any changes.”We have to wait and watch here, because it’s the first game [with the new playing conditions]. After the first game we’ll develop an idea about what sorts of strategies we need to use for the new rules. But it’s quite exciting, with new fielding restrictions and free hits off all no-balls. It is very exciting, but we have to wait and watch how these new rules will go forward.”Having been dropped from the playing XI against Bangladesh, Rahane is one of the seven batsmen in the squad who will be hoping to showcase his talent and lock down a position in the middle order. He’s also got the added responsibility of captaining the side. Although he has only led twice at senior level, he said he was looking forward to the challenge.”It’s a new challenge for me in my career. I’m looking forward to it. I normally visualise the situation when I play the game, whenever I get the opportunity to play. So I’ve brought a few ideas with me, and I’ve got my own style of captaincy, but I’ve learned a lot from Dhoni under his captaincy. So I’m looking forward to bringing this talented bunch of guys here and doing well as a captain.”In a positive way, it’s a good opportunity for all of us to express ourselves. We’re taking Zimbabwe very seriously. This is a good platform to showcase our talent here, do well at the international level. Everywhere we go, we take every opponent very seriously. We want to play our game and back our strengths.”

As Rest of India captain Manoj Tiwary walked into the media room with his entire batting gear intact, on the eve of the Irani Cup match in Bangalore, he resembled an armoured warrior. Tucking the helmet under his arm, he carefully placed his bat against a chair before occupying his seat.Before the journalists could begin with their questions, Tiwary spoke up. “First of all so sorry guys,” he said. “I was informed about the press conference a bit later. I missed my batting slot as well.”In an era of media-trained cricketers adept at saying the politically-correct things, Tiwary, by his own admission, is a straight talker. He once said there was “nothing off the record.” Tiwary, 29, was just as forthright, discussing international prospects at this stage of his career.”I see myself making into the Indian team very soon. I have that belief in myself,” he said with a confidence that betrayed little arrogance.It’s easy, even if simplistic, to use a few epithets to describe Tiwary. Earnest. Hardworking. Frank. But at the top of the list would probably be ‘unlucky’. There is a bit of John McClane from in him for invariably finding himself at the wrong place at the wrong time. His villains haven’t been as varied as McClane’s; they simply answer to the name ‘injury’.”Last injury was one of the major injuries,” Tiwary said. “It took a lot of months to make a comeback.”

Vinay’s special century

Karnataka captain Vinay Kumar, who led his side to their second consecutive Ranji Trophy title, will be playing his 100 first-class match when he faces Rest of India on Tuesday.
“I am very happy obviously. When I started playing my goal was to play in the Ranji Trophy because we had only heard about the Ranji Trophy,” Vinay said. “If you look at [my] journey…when I started from Davanagere, playing for my home team there, the United Cricket Club, then played for Neptune Cricket Club with sir [B Siddaramu], and then got a chance to play for Vijaya Bank, it has been a long route. The hard work really paid off for me. I really hope I can perform once again for the team in this match.”
Describing the high points of his career, Vinay called playing for India “a very proud moment.”
“There are a lot of good memories. It was a great experience to play for India. After making my Ranji debut in 2003-04, my next goal was to play for India. At the same time, leading Karnataka was also a very proud moment.
“Then comes winning back to back Ranji Trophy and winning the Irani Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. I can’t choose any particular one actually.”

While recurring fitness issues among cricketers aren’t rare, Tiwary has been dogged by injuries during potentially career-turning events. Like when he hurt his shoulder on the eve of what would have been his ODI debut in Bangladesh. He also missed the Ranji Trophy last season after undergoing two surgeries on his knee.”I have decided that it is no point to think of all those injuries which have happened. I just have to look hard and work on my game,” he said.Then, where he wasn’t injured, he was omitted after scoring his maiden ODI hundred against West Indies. Tiwary’s most recent international game came last year when he was part of a second-string India side that toured Bangladesh for a three-match series. Having been benched for the first two games, he was picked for the last which was washed out after India’s batting collapsed. Tiwary batted, but his innings lasted a mere six balls.Tiwary admitted to ruing his bad luck, but conceded there was little he could do about it. “At times when I see fellow team-mates against whom I have played at junior level, at India A level and at international level, you feel bad about it but you can’t help it,” he said.Tiwary then dropped a word that has a permanent place in his vocabulary: destiny. “I always believe in destiny,” he said. “If I am destined to play for India again in the future then I will, but the only thing I can do is work hard and perform, and that’s what I have been doing.”He nevertheless acknowledged he had not scored as many runs as he would have liked in the Ranji Trophy this season. “Yeah, this season I haven’t been able to score big runs as I am used to it. But I give a lot of importance to how I am batting in the nets.”I know big runs are down the line somewhere and eventually it will come. I can only think of how I can contribute to any team. Let it be state, club, India A or Rest of India.”Tiwary might not have said it, but he would be aware that leading a Rest of India side was as good a platform as any. Now for some luck to go with the preparation.

MatériaMais Notícias

Pelo menos na noite de quinta, o Cruzeiro brecou a crise que assola todas as estruturas do clube – política, financeira e esportiva. E o respiro não poderia ter vindo em melhor cenário: vitória incontestável contra o maior rival, em um torneio que a Raposa entra sem precisa bater na porta. Os 3 a 0, com gols de Pedro Rocha (uma pintura), Thiago Neves (o melhor nome do jogo) e Robinho, o time celeste não só interrompeu uma sequência de nove jogos sem vitória, como reafirmou a qualidade do seu elenco, seguramente um dos mais completos do País.

Mano Menezes acertou ao postar em Rocha para o lugar de Fred e soube armar um esquema que privilegiasse os contra-ataques, sem que isso significasse aquele time lento e previsível que se via em campo até a parada da Copa América. Do outro lado, uma enorme decepção. O Atlético não soube aproveitar a fase conturbada do adversário e praticamente não agrediu, não criou e ainda deu dois gols em erros bisonhos na saída de bola – um de Réver e outro de Elias. Não encarou o clássico com seriedade e vontade devidas. O Cruzeiro tirou da crise a força necessária para bater seu maior rival. O Galo, por sua vez, ainda não voltou das férias.

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Does a slump in batting form affect captaincy? “That’s the million dollar question,” said England’s coach Peter Moores as the entrails of England’s series defeat against Sri Lanka were examined

David Hopps25-Jun-2014Does a slump in batting form affect captaincy? “That’s the million dollar question,” said England’s coach Peter Moores as the entrails of England’s series defeat against Sri Lanka were examined. Being a million dollar question, it will probably be asked a million times. Alastair Cook’s leadership remains the hottest topic in English cricket.The million dollar question could also be turned around. “Does captaincy cause a slump in batting form?” That seems worth just as much. England, having determinedly invested in Cook as a captain are now investing in hostile questions worth a million dollars. Only success against India will prevent runaway inflation taking hold.Moores and Cook, assembled in the wake of England’s 5-0 Ashes thumping, are still feeling each other out. Moores suggested after defeat at Headingley that he has come to sense a “determined steely bloke” in Cook. His batting feats of old suggest that contrary to appearances this must be so, apart maybe from the bloke bit, because he does not seem immediately blokeish.Nor, from afar, does he seem to relish captaincy on the field: the best captains are obviously in charge whether because they seem to have been anointed from on high, like Strauss and Brearley, or because they have a bloody-minded individualism like Vaughan, Atherton and Hussain. A first home series defeat against Sri Lanka, even if both Tests did go down to the last over, is not about to alter that perception that Cook, as yet, fits neither category.Next up: India. “If he gets himself into form someone is going to pay,” said Moores. That would be England’s No. 1 wish as they seek to put an experimental side onto a firmer footing. If not? Moores’ answers were somewhat codified. Supportive to Cook, polite and responsive as he underwent the first real hounding since his return as coach, but honest enough to accept that England are in a state of flux and Cook’s position is necessarily compromised because of it.”Judgment is in the game itself,” he said.That sounded like a welcome, down-to-earth cricketing appraisal, somewhat removed from all the fond talk of Cook being a man to build a team around, a captain who needed every chance to blossom, a person who could now build a young team in his own image. The implication that Cook needed protection has surely been debilitating for him. It has certainly damaged the public perception of him as a captain and as one of England’s most prolific Test batsmen of all time, a player who deserves to be accorded colossal respect, that was some misjudgement.Fletcher gives Cook backing

India’s coach Duncan Fletcher, who first called up Alastair Cook for his Test debut in Nagpur eight years ago when he was in charge of England, has backed him to answer doubts about his captaincy. “The first thing is that I thought he was a very intelligent cricketer who understood the game,” he said. “The second thing is that he was a fey determined individual. For however long he has struggled, give me one player who hasn’t been through that period for that length of time. It might take him a little longer. But at some stage you’ll be back through it and people will be praising you again.”

More fanciful, especially for a coach not given to fancy, was the suggestion that Cook had his best day as captain on the final day at Headingley. That was a day when he sat in the dressing room all day and watched Moeen Ali fashion brilliant resistance. It is tempting to be facetious. But apparently he made an impressive rallying cry. England supporters will rather hope he did.”He wasn’t on the field today but it was one of his best days as England captain,” Moores said, “because one of the challenges at this level is that it becomes so easy to go internal when things aren’t going well, but he came in this morning with one clear view to make sure that everybody knew we were going to fight and show spirit as a team.”I’ve got to take Alastair as I find him and he’s a very determined, steely bloke. That to me is what has come across since I’ve taken the job. He’s got a clear picture of what he wants as a team and how that team should operate.”Because it doesn’t always operate like that at the start, the key here is to see it for what it is and we’re going to get to where we want to get to, and not to go away from what it is we’re trying to get to. We’ve got to keep driving that home.”Nobody more than Alastair knows what international cricket is like. He has been in it since he was 19 or whatever so he knows the script. He’ll do his work and he’ll be ready to go and he’ll be ready to play. He knows we are judged by results; that is the name of the game, be it as a captain or as a batter. He will go to what he knows best, work hard and get ready to play against India, and then the judgement is in the game itself. If you get runs, you get runs, if you don’t, you don’t.”But is Alastair the right man to take England forward long term?”Of course it’s in your mind. Where Alastair is at as a captain – he has had a very tough six or seven months. He knows that and I can only assess where is at at the moment as a person. He is still clear about what he wants, he is still driven to do the job which says something about his determination to get on and do it, so I think he is the right man.”I think we are starting to get to know each other. I knew him from before but we have to redefine that relationship and how it works best for the team. With new players coming in we have to redefine what we are as a team and how we play our cricket, so that is all going on at the moment. Two Tests in it is early, but that doesn’t mean we are not trying to drive it as fast as we can because we are.”Normally it would be rare to say ‘we’re going to pick a team and it’s going to work brilliantly straight away’. There are areas where we have got to get better. We have seen areas on our catching we need to address. The key is are we prepared to do the work, are we prepared to face up to the areas where we need to get better?”The time frame of it, you can’t put it on, but the expectation isn’t going to change because we are an England team, so we have to take that on the chin. We have got to be prepared to work hard every second of every day to work where we want to get to.”The double whammy: No runs and no wins for Alastair Cook•Getty ImagesTo the suggestion that England are not as good everybody thought they were, Moores responded that England had made no claims at all. It sounded slightly like he was reducing expectations, which is worrying because the football team tried that and all they ended up with was a goalless draw against Costa Rica and a saving on hotel bills.England have worries about the perceived weariness of their leading strike bowlers, James Anderson and Stuart Broad, but Moores suggested that “goes with the territory” of back-to-back Tests and was right to question the contention that the lack of a specialist spinner was responsible. England have switched from a regular reliance on four bowlers, Graeme Swann included, to fielding five, with Moeen Ali and Chris Jordan essentially sharing Swann’s overs.Ben Stokes will be the name on everybody’s lips; his Durham captain, Paul Collingwood was quick to praise him for his part in their victory against Sussex while England struggled at Headingley.It was suggested to Moores that it would be a difficult selection for the first Test against India with Stokes hovering, and Moeen’s brilliant rearguard action – a maiden Test century to be proud of – unlikely to silence those who are pressing for a “specialist spinner” as if the England selectors are determinedly ignoring an obvious candidate. There isn’t one.”Test match teams have never been picked on the back of one performance by anybody,” Moores said enigmatically. Did that apply to Moeen or Stokes?He added that “Moeen’s knock was great to see for English cricket.” But it is unfortunate to say the least when the two players who have produced arguably England’s two most uplifting Test innings in the past year – allrounders, too – are the ones who can be least certain that they will be in the side for the first Test against India at Trent Bridge.

New South Wales and Western Australia will compete the Sheffield Shield final, with both having battled internal politics and disciplinary issues to reach the stage

Daniel Brettig19-Mar-2014

At the close of Australian cricket’s redemption summer, it is altogether fitting that the Sheffield Shield final will be contested by New South Wales and Western Australia. This is not to say that there were not other suitable emblems of domestic rejuvenation to be seen – an appearance by South Australia would have carried similar weight – but the rapid progress made by both the Blues and the Warriors mirrors that of the national team.Both sides had fallen short of expectations created by proud histories; NSW in recent seasons, WA for a generation. Both had also been riven by internal problems of politics, discipline and the like. And now, both can glimpse the chance to claim a Shield title that would not only be proof of major progress, but also the potential starting point for years of domination. There is youth aplenty to be found in each squad, and tangible hunger for success not hard to locate in either.That yearning is there for the simple reason that each side knows how it feels to be dragged through the muck of underperformance. Last season brought messy results and plenty of changes in both states, as the management and board of each association tried to generate a more productive and constructive environment for their players. For NSW, this was something new to deal with, whereas for WA it was not. Each found a way by calling on a combination of new blood in senior management and older, wiser heads in the coaching and playing divisions.For the nation’s most populous state, a drought of five seasons without a Shield victory had caused patience to wear thin. The sense of dissatisfaction was reflected in the exits last summer of the board chairman Harry Harinath, the chief executive Dave Gilbert and the coach Anthony Stuart, plus the resignation of Steve O’Keefe as captain. The circumstances of each departure were slightly different, but all could be charted back to the stalling of the state team despite unrivaled playing resources.In the places of Harinath and Gilbert arrived an energetic new chairman in John Warn and a strategic-minded and Cricket Australia-groomed chief executive in Andrew Jones. Together, they re-enfranchised the state’s lobby of past players – a concept similar to the one taken by Darren Lehmann with Australia – and returned the coaching job to Trevor Bayliss, a widely travelled and laconic figure, commuting from Penrith but never distant from the needs and insecurities of his men. It is said that he was the only coaching candidate not to state his case via Power-point presentation.Duly freed from the captaincy that had burdened him, O’Keefe was allowed to regather himself as a slow bowling allrounder, while leadership was returned to the capable hands of Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Steve Smith and, when they were on national duty, Peter Nevill. Team selection was settled down somewhat, as batsmen and bowlers had the chance to settle into their positions. The greatest beneficiaries of this faith were the articulate Ryan Carters, once a fringe ‘keeper for Victoria but now a central plank of the Blues batting, and the swift Sean Abbott, no longer just a T20 moonlighter.A team that had been fraught with doubt, questions about management and coaching choices and not coping with frequent ins and outs from the Australian side has grown more comfortable in its own skin. Confidence has also been derived from the fact that Bayliss has been free to run the team his way, while Jones’ only major intervention – to hand David Warner a suspended sentence for missing a mandatory club fixture – seemed to light the touchpaper for the opener’s explosive season, which began with a volley of limited overs hundreds at North Sydney Oval.If Shield results were not quite stellar, they were consistent enough to keep the Blues at the top of the table. They were second at the BBL break, and first at the end of 10 rounds. Now playing the final at Manuka Oval in Canberra due to the awkward scheduling of Major League Baseball at the SCG, they will rely heavily on the spin of O’Keefe (40 wickets to date this season) and the Test spinner Nathan Lyon to support Abbott and Josh Hazlewood, while Carters will hope to crest 1,000 first-class runs for the season in his final match.Another within sight of that mark this week is Marcus North, newly crowed as the State player of the year. His resurgence, after looking very likely to have reached the end of his batting tether, sums up that of WA, a once-proud cricket state learning how to do it all again after well over a decade of profligacy. So far had the state slipped that the chief executive Christina Matthews had been forced in 2012 to commission a “cultural review” following alarming lapses in discipline and a near total collapse in the chain of command that led to the resignation of the coach Lachlan Stevens.A good and honourable man, Stevens had nonetheless been confounded by endemic problems that stretched deep into club cricket, while lacking the gravitas of a staunch playing record to call-out his pupils on their wayward tendencies. His replacement was to have few such difficulties – Justin Langer being a byword for commitment, courage and a relentless pursuit of excellence. He made decent strides in the back half of 2012-13, as the Warriors fell narrowly short of the Shield final.Those results would normally have led to several rounds celebration from players who had grown content with a cycle far more bust than boom, but it was in clamping down hard on any such notion that Langer raised the bar for his players. Demanding of them in recovery sessions that followed the final two Shield fixtures, Langer made it very clear that he was not content and nor should they be. As he said earlier this week when asked if his young side would play without knowledge of failure at Manuka: “They know the thought of failure don’t worry about that. They’ve felt it.”Numerous moves needed to be made between seasons to ensure WA had a team worthy of the name. Michael Hogan’s reliable seam and swing were retained when CA passed a rule change allowing EU passport holders to keep a foot in both England and Australia, and the priorities of the young allrounder Mitchell Marsh were also realigned, away from T20 glitz towards first-class substance that will take him to County cricket rather than the IPL during the winter.After Michael Hussey was lost to retirement and/or the Sydney Thunder relief project, Langer called on Simon Katich to add some short-term steel to the domestic limited overs side. But it was the recall of North to open the batting, and investment in the captaincy of Adam Voges, that made a major difference. Gifted but occasionally diffident figures over the years, both men bought in solidly to Langer’s ethos, pulling along younger players with them.So it was that the likes of Sam Whiteman, Jason Behrendorff and the shooting star Ashton Agar began also to flourish, alongside the perennially talented yet enigmatic Shaun Marsh. Nathan Coulter-Nile’s pace came in handy too. As with last summer, the Warriors’ final qualifying fixture ended in defeat, significantly to NSW in Canberra. Equally noteworthy however was the manner in which the match played out – bowled out for 82 on day one, they fought and scrapped to the last. Langer liked what he saw, but he will not be content with it.”Winning a Shield final would be nice. Winning five or six would be the ultimate,” Langer said. “When I took on the job I knew it wasn’t going to be a short term fix – I knew there wasn’t any magic dust. We’re looking to build a dynasty of success in West Australian cricket. It’s nice to have the opportunity to start that this weekend.”Victory in the final would not only be the end of a successful season for NSW or WA, but also the start of something new and exciting. Either way, Australian cricket will be the ultimate beneficiary.

MatériaMais Notícias

Na Gávea, Abel Braga tem em mãos um grupo repleto de boas opções para montar o time do Flamengo. No início de 2019, ainda nas fases iniciais do Estadual, o treinador adotou um revezamento, dando oportunidade a todos – ou a grande maioria, pelo menos – de atuarem. Agora, com a chegada das partidas mais importantes, a tendência é a manutenção do time considerado titular. Assim, cabe ao experiente técnico controlar o ambiente do vestiário.

Arrascaeta, Diego, Everton Ribeiro, Gabigol, Bruno Henrique, Vitinho, Uribe… Principalmente no setor ofensivo, há mais nomes à disposição do que vagas. Assim, é fato que os atletas preteridos, não estarão satisfeitos com o status de reserva, cabendo ao treinador lidar com a situação. A seu favor, Abelão conta com o currículo – já comandou elencos com estrelas outras vezes – e com a boa relação com p grupo, que o adotou como “paizão” desde o início do trabalho.

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A cobrança por resultados e o espírito competitivo imposto pelo próprio técnico no elenco, porém, provocaram duas situações que chamaram a atenção: Diego e Gabigol, ao serem sacados diante do San José-BOL, na Libertadores, e Vasco, na primeira partida da decisão do Estadual, respectivamente, deixaram o gramado demonstrando certa insatisfação.

Internamente, os casos tiveram pouca repercussão. O entendimento foi de que foram reações naturais dos jogadores que desejavam permanecer em campo, e não houve qualquer tipo de desrespeito ao treinador ou aos companheiros.

O próprio Diego comentou a situação, destacando o bom ambiente entre o elenco, do qual o camisa é um dos líderes, e a comissão técnica de Abel Braga.

– Nós queremos jogar, ainda mais quando o jogo começa a ter muitas chances, um clima bom, com o estádio cheio. Queremos jogar, é natural e comigo não é diferente. Foi simplesmente o que aconteceu (…). Existe o respeito, mas nós sempre carregamos a vontade de jogar – disse o camisa 10, após o confronto com o San José, da Bolívia, no Maracanã, na última quinta-feira, dia 11 de abril.