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The American midfielder is killing it in Spain, earning himself plenty of admirers on both sides of the Atlantic

The term 'meteoric rise' is thrown around plenty in soccer, and it could easily be used to describe Johnny Cardoso in 2024. Just a few short months ago, the midfielder completed a relatively under-the-radar move to Real Betis. Now, having dominated La Liga since his introduction, the rumor mill is already linking him to Barcelona.

It's insane how quickly Cardoso has adjusted to life in Spain. He's stepped right into one of the league's better teams and established himself as one of that team's better players. It's no fluke that Barca are taking notice – Cardoso has earned that type of attention.

But his rise has only been meteoric to those who haven't been paying attention. The 22-year-old has been a player on the U.S. men's national team radar for years. This summer, though, it looks like he could take a leap from the radar to the starting XI just in time for the Copa America.

Cardoso's reputation is growing, both at home and abroad, and it looks like his rise is only just getting started.

GettyBig move to Betis

Born in New Jersey to Brazilian parents, Cardoso spent nearly all of his life in his family's homeland. He moved back to South America at three months old, and, prior to January's big move, developed his game in one of the most competitive soccer countries on the planet.

After stints with Avai and Criciuma, Cardoso joined the academy of Internacional, rising all the way to the first team. He made his professional debut in 2019, and never really left the starting line up after properly breaking through in 2020. He played at least 22 league matches in each of his final three seasons with the club, while also featuring 11 teams in the Copa Libertadores in 2023.

Throughout that year, the American midfielder was linked with a move to Betis. A proposed summer transfer didn't come to fruition, but the Spanish side came right back in for Cardoso in January. They paid a reported fee of $6.3 million to sign the USMNT midfielder, and what a bargain that is looking like just a few months later.

AdvertisementLife in La Liga

It took no time for Cardoso to prove himself with Betis. He was named La Liga's Under-23 Player of the Month in February, and his momentum hasn't slowed down in the weeks since.

Playing under ex-Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini, Cardoso has established himself as one of the league's top midfielders. In fact, defensively, there may not be a better midfielder in Spain. He's in the 99th percentile for interceptions, 96th percentile for clearances and 95th percentile for aerials won. He's also in the 88th percentile for tackles, but he's not just limited to defending; you can find him in the 71st percentile for passing percentage, too.

In addition to his midfield work, he's also provided two assists and a goal. That goal came against Athletic Club, a stunning long-range effort in February's 3-1. win.

In all facets, Cardoso has been a revelation in La Liga, and Europe's top clubs have taken notice.

Getty ImagesBarcelona links

It seems that Cardoso could be in La Liga for a long time, but his stay with Real Betis may be short. reported that both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are chasing the USMNT midfielder, and that both clubs have reached out to his representatives in recent weeks. Cardoso reportedly has a release clause of €80m (£68m/$85m), but Betis would be willing to accept a bid of around €30m (£25m/$32m) if it arrived.

Barca and Atleti aren't the only clubs interested, though. The report adds that Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig are also looking at Cardoso, with both Bundesliga teams having also been in contact with Cardoso's entourage. Premier League clubs and teams in Serie A are also keeping an eye on Cardoso, who looks like he'll be a wanted man this summer.

A potential transfer isn't the only thing on Cardoso's agenda in the coming months, though, as the midfielder will have one eye on the USMNT squad for the Copa America.

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Getty ImagesUSMNT career so far

Cardoso has been in and around the USMNT for years. He made his debut in 2020 and, at just 22, already has 11 caps to his name. However, it's never really felt like he's gotten a consistent run of games. It's been an appearance here and there, as he he has started just twice in his grand total of 315 minutes. So, in some ways, the midfielder is still somewhat unproven at international level.

The reason Cardoso has never quite gotten a USMNT shot? The USMNT's established MMA midfielder of Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie and Tyler Adams is all but locked in when healthy. That trio were fantastic in the lead up to and during the 2022 World Cup, and it makes no sense to break up a good thing.

USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter could be forced into some changes, though, and Cardoso could certainly be the answer he's looking for.

Marc Skinner's side ran riot to secure their maiden piece of silverware, led by their Lionesses midfielder's wonder-strike

Manchester United won the first major honour in the short history of their women's team by claiming the Women's FA Cup on Sunday, with goals from Ella Toone, Rachel Williams and a brace from Lucia Garcia securing a comfortable 4-0 win over Tottenham at Wembley. It made the Red Devils the first new winners of the competition since 2005, and allowed them to avenge last year's defeat in the final to Chelsea.

The game itself might not be too memorable for anyone not associated with the two teams, with it scrappy and lacking real quality, that was until Toone stepped up in first-half stoppage-time and sent the red half of Wembley into raptures with her wonderful strike that flew into the top corner.

It was a tough time for Spurs to concede, with the first 45 minutes having been close and competitive, and even tougher was the fact they conceded two goals in quick succession just before the hour to really take the game away from them. Williams' header from Katie Zelem's free-kick had been coming, as the United captain's set-pieces had been excellent all game, and then Garcia was in the right place at the right time to pounce on an error from Becky Spencer.

Garcia wrapped things up in the final stages to really put the cherry on the cake and deliver a highly-anticipated first major trophy for United, just six years after they returned to the women's game. It was a positive way to end an otherwise disappointing season for the Red Devils, who have struggled to keep up in the Women's Super League title race and cannot secure European football for next season, either.

For Spurs, it was quite the opposite. It was a deflating afternoon for them at Wembley, but it shouldn't overshadow an excellent campaign, with head coach Robert Vilahamn admitting that his team were perhaps ahead of schedule to have reached this occasion in her first year in charge.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Wembley Stadium…

WINNER: Ella Toone

This wasn't a great game ,and it needed a moment of magic to get it going when Toone picked the ball up in the Spurs half, skipped past the sliding challenge of Eveliina Summanen and unleashed a beautiful strike from 20 yards that absolutely flew into the top corner.

It always felt like United's No.7 could make the decisive contribution in a final that was difficult to call in the build-up, and while the Red Devils did run away with it in the end, it was Toone's effort that got it all started.

That's now four goals in seven appearances for her at Wembley, and three trophies lifted out of an available four. It's not a bad record to have at one of football's most iconic grounds.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesLOSER: Bethany England

Bethany England came into this game with four goals in her last four games, having missed of the first half of the season due to hip surgery she had in the summer. It's understandably taken the Tottenham striker time to get back to her best levels after so long out, but it looked like she was nearing them just in time for this occasion.

However, England didn't get any real service in the game until Spurs were already 3-0 down. She had a shot from range that flew over the bar, when she should've passed to Celin Bizet in truth, and was unlucky to see a brilliant header crash off the bar. Those two moments came when the game was already done, though.

Tottenham couldn't afford not to get a player of her calibre and with her momentum involved if they wanted to win this final, but they struggled massively to create.

Getty ImagesWINNER: Katie Zelem

Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman was in attendance at Wembley on Sunday, and she will have surely been impressed by what she saw from Toone, but her eye will have also been caught by the efforts of Katie Zelem.

The United skipper hasn't been part of either of the Lionesses' squads in 2024, her last call-up coming in December last year. She reminded Wiegman what she can bring to the table in this final, though, as her consistently brilliant set-pieces caused Spurs so many problems. Whether it leads to a recall or not, only time will tell, but Zelem will not have harmed her chances with this display.

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LOSER: Leah Galton

Leah Galton is a fantastic footballer, an electric winger who can light up any game. Sadly, though, she didn't get the opportunity to do so on Sunday owing to an injury picked up in the first few minutes. The 29-year-old was slipped in by Toone in the opening moments and had the opportunity to break the deadlock early on, but saw her shot blocked by goalkeeper Becky Spencer before she then collided with her opponent and spent a few minutes receiving treatment.

Galton struggled to get into the game after that and was visibly devastated when she had to leave the pitch just after half-time, having tried to continue. It was a shame to see such a talented player in that moment, after she was unable to show what she was about on big stage.

Aston Villa's dreams of sitting top of the Premier League table at Christmas were dashed by a 1-1 draw with Sheffield United at Villa Park, with a 3-2 defeat away to Manchester United directly after bringing Unai Emery's men firmly back to reality with their feet definitely now planted on the ground.

It was a second-half collapse at Old Trafford from Villa that saw Erik ten Hag's men pull off an impressive comeback win at the expense of the deflated visitors from Birmingham, Emery's side feeling even more charitable during the 90 minutes to allow Rasmus Hojlund the opportunity to net his first ever top-flight goal.

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The popular Villa manager could well reshuffle his lineup majorly therefore in a bid to get back to winning ways immediately at home to Burnley tomorrow, with a possible four changes on the cards in this predicted XI…

1 GK – Emiliano Martínez

World Cup-winning Emiliano Martinez will be retained in-between the sticks for the home game against Burnley tomorrow, the Argentine shot-stopper making four saves in the contest at Old Trafford – as per Sofascore – to keep the scoreline respectable.

2 RB – Matty Cash

Matty Cash will come back into the side after serving a suspension for the Red Devils loss, walking back into the lineup to replace Ezri Konsa who filled in adequately in Cash's absence.

The Poland international's direct approach was missing at the Theatre of Dreams, Emery hoping his number two can terrorise Burnley tomorrow on the way to a much-needed three points.

3 CB – Pau Torres

A second defensive switch in Emery's lineup could come in the form of Pau Torres coming back into the team at the expense of Diego Carlos, the ex-Villarreal centre-back missing the last two games due to a slight injury knock.

Torres could be risked against Vincent Kompany's Clarets owing to Carlos' off-day last time out in Manchester, the 30-year-old only launching himself into one tackle all game as the Red Devils caused havoc in an enthralling second 45 minutes.

As a result, the Spaniard could come into the team to replace a lacklustre Carlos – the impressive centre-back always having "everything under control" ,according to his former Malaga assistant manager Alvaro Reina Gomez when speaking to Sky Sports this season.

4 CB – Clement Lenglet

Clement Lenglet won't face the same fate as his defensive teammates, retained by Emery after a measured display at Old Trafford amidst all the chaos.

The French centre-back even helped himself to an assist on the night, teeing up assisting Leander Dendoncker's goal that made it 2-0 in the opening exchanges before the Villa collapse kicked in.

5 LB – Alex Moreno

Lucas Digne will also miss out in defence for this home match with Burnley, ruled out of the contest after hobbling off with a hamstring injury in midweek.

Alex Moreno will aim to fill in competently for the ex-Everton man, the summer signing from Real Betis impressing in a 40-minute run-out in place of Digne by completing two key passes.

6 CM – Leander Dendoncker

Dendoncker will start against the Clarets at Villa Park tomorrow, the Belgian midfielder connecting with a Lenglet header to convert past Andre Onana to give Villa that early 2-0 lead.

The Villa number 32 was also important as an enforcer in a holding role, losing only two of his nine duels in the eventual defeat.

7 CM – Douglas Luiz

Douglas Luiz was second-rate throughout the loss at Old Trafford, but Emery will persist with the underwhelming Brazilian midfielder regardless, owing to a lack of options being able to come in and replace him – Youri Tielemans out for some time with an injury concern, whilst Boubacar Kamara is also still missing due to a red card picked up away at Brentford.

Still, when Luiz is on song, he's a tricky player to contain as has been seen in many Villa wins this season – the 25-year-old a wanted man as a result by the likes of Arsenal in the Premier League with five goals and three assists from midfield.

8 RW – Leon Bailey

Leon Bailey wasn't at his electric best away against United either, substituted off late into the second half after managing just two shots on Onana's goal.

Emery will want his winger to be more adventurous against a susceptible Burnley defence tomorrow, the Jamaican attacker potentially adding a sixth goal or assist to his season tally against the leaky visitors from Lancashire.

9 CAM – John McGinn

John McGinn will also want to find the back of the net against Burnley to keep up a rich vein of form, the Scottish midfielder's looping free-kick catching Onana off-guard against Man United last time out to open the scoring.

The Villa attacking midfielder could have had more than one goal next to his name on another day – hitting two efforts on target – and so will hope his shooting boots are still in-tact for the visit of Kompany's relegation-threatened side tomorrow.

10 LW – Moussa Diaby

The final tweak Emery could make to the starting eleven would be starting Moussa Diaby in a left-wing spot, an unfamiliar position for the French forward to occupy at Villa Park but one he had grown accustomed to at Bayer Leverkusen before making the switch to England.

Regularly operating down both channels in the Bundesliga, Diaby amassed 17 goals and 21 assists playing as a left winger for the German giants.

Emery could be tempted therefore to see if this positional switch would benefit Diaby, whilst dropping Jacob Ramsey out of the lineup in the process.

Ramsey was below-par on Tuesday, only accumulating a meagre 31 touches of the ball with the Red Devils nullifying the Villa academy product without a need to really exert themselves.

The Kings XI Punjab captain said his conscience was clear and that his character couldn’t be judged from his decision to run Jos Buttler out

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Apr-2019R Ashwin has defended his decision to run out Jos Buttler at the non-striker’s end during the IPL 2019 match between Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab, saying his ‘conscience was clear’.Opinion had been divided on whether Ashwin acted by the nebulous ‘Spirit of Cricket’ when he removed the bails before completing his bowling action, with Buttler having taken a few steps outside his crease. The mankading dismissal stood after being referred to the third umpire. Buttler gesticulated angrily while walking off, and said later that the law on this was ‘wishy washy’ and that he thought he shouldn’t have been given out.”There is nothing to defend,” Ashwin said, speaking to the TV channel. “As I said in the press conference that day, it happened instinctively, it was not a plan that ‘Buttler will go outside (the crease) and I have to get him’. Although he did do it four or five times. They didn’t want to take risks against my bowling that day, so what they were doing was pushing the ball on the legside and trying to take twos. I saw that he’d done it (backing up too far) four or five times, and it’s there in the rules that if the batsman goes out of his crease, you can run him out. It’s the batsman’s responsibility to stay behind the crease.ALSO READ: Jos Buttler queries ‘wishy-washy’ Law in wake of Mankading controversy”The most important thing for me is what is my conscience saying, and my conscience is clear,” Ashwin added. “Those who know me well know that I will never do something illegal. You can’t say that ‘Ashwin is a villain because of this’. Because this is not my character trait. You don’t tell someone who has hit a bowler for 30 runs in an over that he is not a good person. He will hit the bowler, that’s part of the game. And whatever rule is there in the game, I took advantage of that. I’m not denying I did that, but that’s the rule. If someone doesn’t like it, and you think it doesn’t fit into ‘sportsmanship’ in cricket, then you should remove the rule. As long as the rule is there… see our (bowlers’) foot can’t go beyond the line. Even the line belongs to the batsman. And in this rule, the only thing is the bat should stay in the crease. The batsman still gets two yards, he can be outside the crease, with his bat inside.”Ashwin, the Kings XI captain, ended the game with 1 for 20 in four overs as Royals collapsed in their chase to lose by 14 runs. Ashwin gave the analogy of a theft being wrong even if it was for one rupee, while also harking back to the Under-19 World Cup in 2016, in which Keemo Paul – currently part of Delhi Capitals – had used the tactic to win a crucial game for West Indies.”The only factor which sort of makes me uncomfortable is how the bowling community is being victimised,” Ashwin was quoted as saying by ‘s sister website , in further excerpts from his interview. “Why isn’t a bowler allowed to bowl a no-ball as a repeat offender? If I have to bowl the ball within the 22 yards, why is the batsman allowed to steal a few yards on that? I am sure there have been debates about how far he was down the ground. But, I think even one rupee is still a theft.ALSO READ: The spirit of cricket is not a substitute for the laws”Even if you look at what happened to Keemo Paul, he was victimised till the end of the Under-19 World Cup… I have to inform which side of the wicket I am bowling from, I have to bowl from behind the crease, the line belongs to the umpire, the line sometimes belongs to the batsman – the inner half of it, he can stand right-handed and hit me left-handed, he can make a switch hit and he can actually walk down the pitch and hit me too. What about the spirit of the game when it comes to bowler’s psyche?”The dismissal drew particularly sharp criticism in Buttler’s home country England, with James Anderson even putting a photo of Ashwin through a shredder as part of a talk-show programme. Ashwin, however, said the stunt hadn’t bothered him.”I was not all disturbed. Like I said, my conscience is very clear. So I decided that whether I get negative or positive opinions on this, I won’t let it affect me. Because it is their opinion, it doesn’t reflect my character or my game. Today Jimmy Anderson might feel that whatever I did was wrong, tomorrow he might end up doing it.”

Marcus Rashford has been selected to model England's Euro 2024 clothing range from Marks and Spencer, despite being left out of the squad.

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Southgate did not pick RashfordModels M&S range with Aaron Ramsdale and Conor GallagherTournament begins next monthWHAT HAPPENED?

Rashford has been pictured modelling England's Euro 2024 clothing range along with Ramsdale and Gallagher. While the Arsenal and Chelsea stars have been included in Gareth Southgate's provisional squad for the tournament, Rashford has been left out after a disappointing season for United.

AdvertisementMarks & SpencerTHE GOSSIP

M&S are long-term sponsors of the England team and Rashford modelled a beige jacket and trousers combination that is worth £150. Per the Daily Mail, the shoot took place before Southgate's squad announcement, with the retailer banking on the forward being included. He has won 60 caps for the Three Lions, scoring 17 goals.

DID YOU KNOW?

Rashford's United season was disappointing, as he only managed to score eight goals and provide five assists in 42 games in all competitions. The Red Devils' season is not over, however, as they face Manchester City in the FA Cup final this weekend.

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GettyWHAT NEXT?

Rashford will hope to prove Southgate wrong at Wembley this weekend as United go in search of a trophy to cap an underwhelming campaign. Manager Erik ten Hag has insisted that the forward is fully focussed ahead of the showpiece occasion despite his England snub.

Surrey batsman suffered shoulder dislocation that will require surgery and could see him miss most of the season

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Apr-2019England’s stock of potential batting candidates for a summer that includes the World Cup and an Ashes series has been further hit by the news that Surrey’s Ollie Pope is likely to miss most of the season after dislocating his shoulder.News that Pope will require surgery on his left shoulder follows confirmation of Sam Billings, England’s likely back-up for the World Cup, being sidelined for three-five months with a similar injury.Surrey said that the club hoped Pope would be back in action “towards the back end of the current 2019 domestic season”. Pope has not been capped in limited-overs cricket but could have been in contention for England’s Test team to face Australia.A Surrey statement said: “After suffering an injury while fielding during Tuesday’s Royal London Cup victory over Essex at the Kia Oval, the 21-year-old was confirmed to have dislocated his shoulder. Having since visited a specialist, he has been advised that surgery would be the best course of action.”It is hoped he will return to first-team cricket towards the back end of the current 2019 domestic season.”Pope made his Test debut last summer, playing twice against India, and was part of the squad that toured Sri Lanka. He was subsequently released to join up with the Lions, but began the season with a career-best 251 in Surrey’s Champion County fixture against MCC.

The January transfer window opened at the start of last week and Aston Villa have been linked with a swoop to sign an exciting young winger.

Aston Villa transfer news – Roony Bardghji

AstonVillaNews have dropped a report that states that the club are eyeing up a deal to sign Copenhagen forward Roony Bardghji before the end of the month.

The outlet claims that the Villans are in the hunt to land his signature and have sent scouts to watch him in action throughout the season already.

This comes after HITC reported earlier in the week that Villa, Brentford, and Newcastle United were among the clubs who had been spoken to about his availability, with the Danish side looking for a fee within the region of £20m.

Unai Emery could now land another exciting partner for Ollie Watkins at the top end of the pitch by bringing the talented 18-year-old whiz to Villa Park.

Ollie Watkins' season in numbers

The England international has been in sublime form in the Premier League this season as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the team.

He has plundered nine top-flight goals in 20 appearances so far this term and is currently on at least three more than any of his teammates, with Douglas Luiz's return of six in second.

The 28-year-old marksman has also provided his fellow attackers with an eye-catching eight assists, which is also at least three more than any other player in the squad – ahead of Leon Bailey's five.

These statistics show that Watkins has the quality to score and assist goals at an impressive rate, and he could be a brilliant partner for Bardghji by being able to provide the young gem with the opportunities the £20m whiz needs in front of goal.

The statistics that show why Roony Bardghji is an exciting talent

Emery could land another exciting partner for his centre-forward by signing the Copenhagen star, who has been in impressive form so far this season.

The 18-year-old wizard, who was once hailed as a "magician" and an "outstanding" talent by scout Jacek Kulig, has caught the eye in the Superliga with seven goals and two 'big chances' created in 14 starts.

Meanwhile, Watkins – as aforementioned – is the only Villa player with more than six league goals this term, which suggests that Bardghji has the potential to be a fantastic goalscoring option for the club if he can translate his form over to English football.

Appearances

Three

Starts

One

Goals

One

Dribbles completed

Five

Dribble success rate

100%

Pass accuracy

88%

As you can see in the table above, the teenage maestro has also showcased his quality on the biggest stage in the Champions League and scored against a Premier League side – Manchester United.

At the age of 18, the Villa target has plenty of time on his side to develop and improve over the years to come and could arrive as a player who could make a long-term impact for Emery, rather than a signing to hit the ground running.

If Bardghji could replicate, and even build on, his current form for Copenhagen then he could be a lethal partner for Watkins, who has the ability to create for the winger whilst also being able to score from the Swedish gem's creativity.

Rangers could lose a "special" player during the January transfer window, with a new transfer report claiming a big English club are eyeing a move for him.

Rangers transfer news

The Gers could delve into the transfer market this month, as Philippe Clement looks to further perfect his squad between now and the end of the season.

A host of different left-backs have been linked with moves to Ibrox, ahead of the possible exit of Ridvan Yilmaz, with Liverpool youngster Owen Beck and Benfica ace David Jurasek among those in the mix to come in.

That isn't the only position that is being focused on, however, with West Ham right-back Ben Johnson someone who Rangers are fighting other clubs for, as he looks increasingly likely to leave the London Stadium before the month comes to an end.

Leeds want Rangers ace Borna Barisic

According to a new update from Football Scotland's reliable reporter Mark Hendry, Leeds United are among the clubs interested in signing Rangers left-back Borna Barisic, however, a new contract at Ibrox is also not ruled out. Yilmaz's exit is also possible, ahead of a potential switch to Galatasaray.

"Borna Barisic has suitors this month in Leeds United and around Europe in France, Spain and Germany but Gers want him to sign a new contract and have put the question forward for the left-back to consider. Meanwhile another left-back, Ridvan Yilmaz, is still having his future discussed with Hellas Verona wanting the player. Galatasaray reportedly had a bid rejected as Gers look to move him on."

Barisic has been a brilliant player for Rangers over a significant period of time, racking up a total of 224 appearances for the Scottish Premiership giants, so losing him midway through the season could be a blow, given his experience of title races in the past.

The 31-year-old is also someone who was lauded by Steven Gerrard during his time as Gers manager, with the Liverpool legend hailing a brilliant goal he scored back in 2019:

"It’s a moment of magic. I always felt that it would take a moment of brilliance from one of the front men or wide men, or a really well-executed free-kick. Thankfully Borna stepped up and he deserves all the credit that he gets. I’ve seen him do that many times on the training pitch but it’s alright doing that when nobody’s there. You’ve got to do it in big moments so fair play to him."

This season, Barisic has started nine league games, invariably sharing playing time with Yilmaz, also winning an average of 1.8 aerial duels per game, and it would be better to keep hold of him for the time being, especially if his fellow left-back moves on.

Rangers now weighing up offer to sign "really good athlete"

He could be a replacement for Ridvan Yilmaz.

ByHenry Jackson Jan 14, 2024

At 31, his best days could be behind him, or may well be in the relatively near future, but he should be seen as a player who can contribute positively between now and May, potentially leaving at the end of the season instead.

Ben Tozer has been released by Wrexham as a free agent, but the ex-Dragons captain has hinted at a future Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney reunion.

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Defender moved to Wales in 2021Took on the armband at timesNow preparing for a new challengeWHAT HAPPENED?

After completing a switch to North Wales a matter of months after two Hollywood superstars completed their stunning takeover at SToK Racecourse, commanding centre-half Tozer is being allowed to move on. He has played a leading role in back-to-back promotions for Phil Parkinson’s side.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT TOZER SAID

A new challenge awaits for Tozer, at 34 years of age, but he has said of potentially returning to Wrexham at some stage and linking back up with Reynolds and McElhenney: “I have had a couple of really good chats with both of them. They have both took the time out to make the effort to speak to me which was nice. You never know what could happen in the future with the relationship we have and stuff but it is great the way they have dealt with it and dealt with me, and dealt with everyone really.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE

If his path were never to cross with Wrexham again, then Tozer still has plenty of happy memories to look back on. He added, having savoured another all-expenses-paid trip to Nevada in 2024: “To go to Las Vegas in the manner in which we have for the last two years is outrageous really with the way we were treated out there and the experiences we get. I am very grateful to have enjoyed that. You get some people who turn around to you and say 'you are going to miss that' but I say 'no, I'm just glad it happened'. I would rather look at it like that rather than I'm not going to get this or that anymore. I've had that and I'm grateful I've had that.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

Tozer is one of eight players that Wrexham have parted with at the end of the 2023-24 campaign, with Parkinson freeing up space in his squad that he hopes will be filled by summer transfers that are funded by Reynolds and McElhenney.

Babar Azam’s 112 was in vain as Afghanistan restricted Pakistan to 262 in the first innings on the back of their spin bowlers

The Report by Danyal Rasool24-May-2019The positives in defeat Pakistan appeared so intent of drawing – following the series against England – have all but fizzled out in an embarrassing performance in Bristol, with Afghanistan wrapping up a comfortable three-wicket win against their neighbours.Bowled out for 262 in the first warm-up game of the World Cup, after the captain Sarfaraz Ahmed decided to bat, they came up against a sizzling Hazratullah Zazai, who scorched Pakistan with a 28-ball 49 in the first Powerplay. From that point on, the asking rate was always in control, and in Hashmatullah Shahidi, Afghanistan had a batsman with the temperament to see his side through, finishing unbeaten on 74, completely unperturbed by a strike rate of 72.It really is hard to overstate how much mental damage this would do to Pakistan. This may not be an official ODI, but in many ways is more important than the 10 they’ve lost on the trot. Against England, whatever happened, they could come away believing the hosts were of course on another level – which they are. Against Australia in the UAE, they were resting half their side. Against Afghanistan, a week before their World Cup starts, no explanation is likely to wash.Pakistan looked out of sorts almost from the first delivery. The partnership between Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq at the top only lasted because of Afghanistan’s generosity in the field, the pair were reprieved at least four times – three dropped catches and a stumping. When Hamid Hassan finally struck, it heralded a regular supply of wickets to the bowling side, with only Babar Azam putting up any sort of resistance that Mickey Arthur and his men will look back at fondly.Mohammad Nabi got rid of Zaman and Haris Sohail in the same over with beautifully flighted offspin, suggesting this tournament may not just be about how fast any team’s quick bowlers are. Aware this was a cracker of a pitch for batting, even the quicks took the pace of the ball, denying Pakistan the ability to use the pace and score behind the wicket, and no batsman other than Babar was able to rotate the strike successfully.The lower order’s failure to kick on in the final 15 overs only highlighted the importance of Asif Ali to the side, and cast under severe scrutiny the logic of leaving him out of the preliminary squad in April. Today, his unavailability owing to the death of his daughter meant Pakistan struggled to find a man able to fill his shoes, with the next-best alternative Imad Wasim never really hitting his straps. In the end, even Babar Azam holed out after reaching a hundred, and in the frantic scramble for a big finish, Pakistan forgot the golden rule of ODI cricket: bat out the overs. They were dismissed for 262 in a game they had specifically chosen to bat first in to showcase the aggression they possessed in that department.Afghanistan immediately seized momentum after Hazratullah Zazai took Shaheen Afridi to task, scorching five boundaries off one over from the teenager, and summarily dismissing him when he approached the batsman to coyly attempt a sledge. Even when his more celebrated partner, Mohammad Shahzad, retired hurt because of what looked like a cramp, Zazai continued to take the Pakistan quicks to task, focusing his attention on Wahab Riaz soon after; that particular over would yield 18.Hazratullah Zazai waves away Shaheen Afridi in the midst of crunching five boundaries in an over•Getty ImagesIt was Shadab Khan, not introduced till after the Powerplay that he would depart, lofting the spinner’s first ball to cow corner, where Shoaib Malik took a smart catch. They might have crumbled at that point, but this isn’t the Afghanistan side that used to be grateful merely to be allowed to compete; they’re here to win. Rehmat Shah and Samiullah Shenwari kept Shahidi company, but the last three-quarters of the innings was all about the left-hander. He has previous against Pakistan; he struck an unbeaten 97 against them at the Asia Cup, and here, too, Pakistan found no way of going through his defences.He understood the value of his wicket, and never panicked even when the balls began to close in on the runs required. The odd boundary always relieved the pressure, and when, three overs from the close,m Wahab Riaz came in to send the jitters through them and their fans, it was only Shahidi who kept Afghanistan from crumbling in the face of his sustained brilliance. Rashid Khan at the other end rode his luck and put Shahidi on strike with one run left, and appropriately, Shahidi was on hand to ease the ball to third man.With minimum fuss, Pakistan had been put away. Afghanistan can look ahead to a World Cup that brims with promise, while the soul-searching in Pakistan’s dressing room will intensify before the first competitive ball is even bowled.