Arsenal have reportedly stepped up the pace in the final days of the transfer window by opening direct negotiations with Bayer Leverkusen for Ecuadorian defender Piero Hincapie. The Gunners, determined to bolster their backline before the deadline slams shut, are now thrashing out the fine print of a potential agreement after already agreeing personal terms with the 23-year-old.

Arsenal push talks for Piero HincapieDefender agrees long-term contract with GunnersSpurs beaten again in transfer chaseFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Fabrizio Romano revealed Arsenal are pushing for a loan deal with an obligation to buy, a structure that would give them financial flexibility while still guaranteeing Leverkusen a sizeable payout in the near future. Whether such a compromise can satisfy the Bundesliga club remains the biggest sticking point.

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Leverkusen’s sporting director Simon Rolfes has been quick to play hardball in public, insisting that the club have yet to receive any formal offer from Arsenal or anyone else. Speaking to and , Rolfes made it clear:  "We still haven’t received an official offer from any club, so he’s our player. That’s the status quo. He knows that we value him highly and would like to see him continue with us."

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The knock-on effect is likely to be the departure of Jakub Kiwior, who has been strongly linked with a switch to FC Porto. Reports indicate the Polish defender could leave on loan with an obligation to buy for around £25 million (€32m). That figure would offset almost half the projected cost of Hincapie, easing the financial strain on Arsenal’s transfer budget.

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With William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes already established as first-choice centre-backs, Hincapie would provide competition and cover, ensuring Arsenal avoid the defensive frailties that cost them vital points in last season’s run-in. As the window ticks down towards its September 1 closure, Arsenal find themselves in a familiar situation, scrambling to finalise deals under the pressure of the clock. The willingness of both player and club to reach an agreement is clear, but Leverkusen’s stance could drag negotiations to the wire.

Arsenal have reportedly stepped up the pace in the final days of the transfer window by opening direct negotiations with Bayer Leverkusen for Ecuadorian defender Piero Hincapie. The Gunners, determined to bolster their backline before the deadline slams shut, are now thrashing out the fine print of a potential agreement after already agreeing personal terms with the 23-year-old.

• Arsenal push talks for Piero Hincapie
• Defender agrees long-term contract with Gunners
• Spurs beaten again in transfer chase

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Fabrizio Romano revealed Arsenal are pushing for a loan deal with an obligation to buy, a structure that would give them financial flexibility while still guaranteeing Leverkusen a sizeable payout in the near future. Whether such a compromise can satisfy the Bundesliga club remains the biggest sticking point.

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  Leverkusen’s sporting director Simon Rolfes has been quick to play hardball in public, insisting that the club have yet to receive any formal offer from Arsenal or anyone else. Speaking to and , Rolfes made it clear:  "We still haven’t received an official offer from any club, so he’s our player. That’s the status quo. He knows that we value him highly and would like to see him continue with us."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The knock-on effect is likely to be the departure of Jakub Kiwior, who has been strongly linked with a switch to FC Porto. Reports indicate the Polish defender could leave on loan with an obligation to buy for around £25 million (€32m). That figure would offset almost half the projected cost of Hincapie, easing the financial strain on Arsenal’s transfer budget.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  With William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes already established as first-choice centre-backs, Hincapie would provide competition and cover, ensuring Arsenal avoid the defensive frailties that cost them vital points in last season’s run-in. As the window ticks down towards its September 1 closure, Arsenal find themselves in a familiar situation, scrambling to finalise deals under the pressure of the clock. The willingness of both player and club to reach an agreement is clear, but Leverkusen’s stance could drag negotiations to the wire.

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A 7ª rodada da Copa do Nordeste teve início nesta terça-feira com dois confrontos equilibrados: Atlético-BA x CSA e CRB x ABC.

Atlético-BA x CSA

Na Bahia, o Atlético-BA sofreu, mas conseguiu arrancar uma vitória pela vantagem mínima nos acréscimos através de Gustavo Custódio. O placar deixou o time n 6ª posição da chave A, com 6 pontos. Enquanto isso, o CSA fica de fora do G-4 no grupo B, com 7 pontos e na 6ª colocação.

CRB x ABC

No Rei Pelé, o CRB fez valer o seu mando de campo e derrubou o ABC. O gol da vitória surgiu através de Rafael Longuine, aos 43 minutos da etapa final.

Com os três pontos conquistados, o Galo aparece na vice-liderança da chave A, com 13 pontos. O ABC é o 2º colocado da chave B, com 11 pontos.

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Na próxima terça-feira (28), às 10h (de Brasília), no Campo Desportivo “Cavanis”, o Sport enfrenta o Empoli em jogo válido pelas oitavas de final do Torneo Di Viareggio, competição internacional de base disputada na Itália. Em jogo único, a equipe rubro-negra precisa da vitória para seguir na competição. Caso conquiste a classificação, o Leão volta a campo na quinta-feira (30).

Além da participação no Torneo Di Viareggio, a gestão do presidente Yuri Romão já fechou acordo para a presença do clube recifense em outras competições internacionais da modalidade. O mandatário busca dar visibilidade e oferecer oportunidades para que as joias se desenvolvam.

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>Andreas Pereira registra encontro com Neymar e aumenta rumores sobre transferência

– O Sport volta a jogar um campeonato internacional nas categorias de base depois de 30 anos e acreditamos que seja uma maneira positiva de mostrar a qualidade dos nossos jogadores da modalidade. Desde que assumimos o clube, sempre nos empenhamos em valorizar e dar prioridade para o amadurecimento dos garotos – afirmou o mandatário.

Após perder na estreia, o Leão venceu o Rappresentativa por 3 a 1 e empatou com o Imolese no último duelo da primeira fase. Com quatro pontos conquistados, o rubro-negro ficou na segunda colocação do Grupo H e está entre os 16 melhores times do certame.

Lionel Messi could play his last ever World Cup qualifier in Argentina against Venezuela but has been warned the visitors will not make life easy.

• Argentina to host Venezuela in World Cup qualifying
• Set to be special game for Messi
• Venezuela boss aims to spoil the party

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Messi is set to return to action with Argentina over the international break in what could be an emotional affair. The 38-year-old is still yet to confirm when he will finally hang up his boots but it's widely expected that La Albiceleste's next home game will be his last World Cup qualifier on home soil.

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  Argentina are due to play Venezuela in Buenos Aires, with Messi having already admitted: "It's going to be a very, very special match for me because it's the last qualifying match. I don't know if there will be friendlies or more matches after [Venezuela], but it is a very special match, so my family will be there with me: my wife, my children, my parents, my siblings."

  Venezuela boss Fernando Batista is also well aware of the weight of the occasion but insists he is determined to spoil the party as his team go for all three points in a bid to boost their hopes of qualifying for the 2026 tournament. 

• WHAT BATISTA SAID

  He told reporters: "We'll face the best team in the world. We knew privately that this could be Leo's last official match in the qualifiers in Argentina. In any case, beyond him, we're seeing the strength of a coach (Lionel Scaloni) who makes the structure work when one person leaves or another comes in. My idea is always to think about the opponent's goal; if you try to defend, it's going to go wrong in the long run. I don't know how many coaches have planned how to counter Messi. We're going to try. I'm here to ruin Messipalooza, in a good way. We respect what's possible, but we're playing for qualification or the playoffs."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Venezuela currently sit in seventh place in the standings with 18 points. Batista's side are four points off Colombia in sixth with two games left to play. The top six teams all qualify, while the team finishing in seventh will enter the intercontinental play-offs. Argentina have already booked their place at next year's tournament.

While some players not on the roster did not receive direct communication, Gomez says it is not something out of line

Gomez emphasized communication standards varyDownplayed concern about September friendly notificationsFormer striker did acknowledge Gold Cup concernsGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

Addressing questions over communication from US Soccer, former striker Herculez Gomez said there is a difference in how some players hear from head coach Mauricio Pochettino about roster spots – personal phone calls for star players, but standard emails or intermediaries for others.

Gomez said he asked both Gio Reyna and Joe Scally if they were directly told they would not be on the roster.

“They both kind of looked at each other and said, ‘No’, very blatantly," he said. 

Gomez said that players are typically informed when they make the preliminary roster and again if they’re selected for the final 23. However, he explained that it is common that there is no direct communication with those not being called up.

“Sometimes if you're a high-profile player, you may merit a phone call, you may merit a text or whatever, an explanation even though they don't owe it to you," he said. "For the majority of players, I would say the 99 percent of the pool, that doesn't apply.

"If you get a phone call that's awesome, but it's not required – the majority of players know this. So what I'm trying to say here is, don't make too big a deal of the no communication for a September friendly. Let's see if this no communication goes beyond that. That is a big deal. You want to have an environment where communication can be open."

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Gomez revisited Christian Pulisic's controversial decision to skip the Gold Cup as an example of where poor communication can be costly. He argued that if Pulisic and US Soccer had issued a joint statement, much of the fallout could have been avoided.

“I think that was the biggest fault this summer between Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, the players that didn't show up for the national team,” Gomez explained. "If US Soccer, Christian Pulisic, his camp, Mauricio Pochettino had come out with a joint communication. ‘This is the decision, we made going forward, he's not going to be part of this camp’ and just drew a line in the sand, that's it, but together, this wouldn't have happened."

Gomez said the missteps only fueled the controversy.

“And I'm not saying any of this is right, I'm just saying it was a total mess," he said. "Christian Pulisic then goes on a podcast that is on a network where his docuseries is on. This is what's going to happen. So, communication is good, it is vital, but in things like this, we may be getting a bit carried away.”

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With the World Cup less than a year away, these challenges will need to be addressed in order for the organization to reach its goals next summer. 

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The USMNT will get together when during the September international break, where Mauricio Pochettino and his side will face South Korea and Japan.

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Na vitória do Santos por 2 a 0 contra o Botafogo-SP, Lucas Lima pôde celebrar mais que a vantagem para o jogo de volta. Autor do primeiro gol Alvinegro na partida, o meia-atacante encerrou a marca incômoda de 534 dias sem balançar as redes.

Antes de anotar no jogo da terceira fase da Copa do Brasil, o último gol marcado por Lucas foi feito durante sua passagem pelo Fortaleza, no dia 23 de outubro de 2021.

+ Confira uma lista de produtos do Santos com descontos de até 70% OFF na Centauro

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+ATUAÇÕES: Lucas Lima marca primeiro gol em retorno e abre caminho para vitória do Santos

– Muito feliz (pelo gol). Sem comentários esse momento. Sempre gosto de dar assistência. Mas vim para o jogo querendo fazer um gol e Deus me abençoou – declarou o jogador após quebrar o jejum.

Desde seu retorno ao Santos, o meia-atacante deu quatro assistências. Somando com o gol anotado e dividindo pelo número de jogos realizados, Lucas Lima tem uma média de 0,625 participações em gols pelo clube da Vila Belmiro.

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O Palmeiras enfrenta o Água Santa neste domingo (09), às 16h (de Brasília), no Allianz Parque, pela partida de volta da final do Campeonato Paulista.Na ida, no último domingo (02), o Verdão foi derrotado por 2 a 1 pelo time de Diadema, na Arena Barueri.

> Palmeiras inverteu desvantagem poucas vezes em finais do Paulistão; veja o histórico

A decisão será transmitida pela Record (TV aberta), Paulistão Play (streaming), Youtube (internet), Premiere (pay per view), e HBO Max (TV fechada).

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Além dos meios citados, os torcedores de Palmeiras e Água Santa poderão acompanhar o confronto por meio do tempo real do LANCE!.

A equipe comandada pelo técnico Abel Ferreira quer virar a chave após derrota na estreia da Libertadores na última quarta (05). O Alviverde precisa vencer por um gol de diferença para levar a disputa para os pênaltis ou por dois para se consagrar bicampeão estadual, evitando as penalidades. O time de Diadema tem a vantagem do empate.

>Guia Palmeiras: veja análise dos adversários, onde assistir e tudo sobre o Verdão na Libertadores

Veja mais informações sobre o jogo:

PALMEIRAS x ÁGUA SANTA

Local: Allianz Parque, em São Paulo (SP)
Data e hora:9/4/2023, às 16h (de Brasília)
Árbitro:Raphael Claus
Assistentes:Danilo Ricardo Simon Manis e Mauro André de Freitas
VAR: Marcio Henrique de Gois
Onde assistir:Record, Paulistão Play, Youtube, Premiere, HBO Max em tempo real no LANCE!

The tourists switch back to white clothing after two months playing white-ball, with Ben Stokes in the frame and a poor Test record to try and fix

Andrew McGlashan in Hamilton11-Mar-2018England cricketers dispersed in various directions from Christchurch on Sunday. A few flew back home, a group headed for Dubai and the PSL and for some this tour goes on. Those who are also in the Test squad made the short 90-minute hop north to Hamilton, the base for preparations over the next week as white ball is replaced by pink and red.The nine Test-only players arrived in Hamilton a couple of days ago and have so far been shaking off jetlag in a variety of ways, including a spot of 10-pin bowling and a trip to Raglan beach about 45km away. Preparations for the two-Test series, which includes the first day-night Test in New Zealand at Eden Park, will go up a level on Monday ahead of four days of warm-up action against New Zealand XIs at Seddon Park starting Wednesday.Those matches will be split into two days with the pink ball using day-night conditions followed by two days with the red ball. Two New Zealand XI squads have been named, featuring those who specialise in the red-ball (such as opener Jeet Ravel), those looking to adjust after three months of white-ball cricket (Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner) and a collection of players hoping to push the selectors (Seth Rance, George Worker, Doug Bracewell). Given the nature of most warm-up matches these days, it could very quickly turn into a merry-go-round of players for both sides.New Zealand are unlikely to spring many surprises in their Test squad – they won the two Tests against West Indies, which feel like a lifetime ago at the start of the season, convincingly and have a tried and tested balance at home. For England, coming off the back of the 4-0 Ashes defeat, there are significantly more issues to tackle. Given the two-Test series is a 50-50 split between the new and traditional it could yet require two different approaches.”We’d have liked to have gone better in the Ashes but we will try to take whatever positives we can out of that series and try to put them right in this series,” Chris Woakes said. “We are going into a pink-ball Test which we all haven’t played that much of. It’s not a step into the unknown but things are happening that you don’t expect. It’s only two matches – do you go all out and attack and try to win the first game and make sure you can’t lose the series, or play it as it comes?”Ben Stokes’ return opens up a few options they could take after the problems they faced in Australia. He is a high-class batsman and very fine fourth quick. Not unexpectedly, England’s balance was off in the Ashes, a problem exacerbated by the struggles of fellow allrounders Woakes and Moeen Ali. If they had both played at the top of their games it’s just possible England could have competed: instead Moeen averaged 19.88 with the bat and 115 with the ball, Woakes 16.28 and 49.50.Woakes did not complete the series, ruled out by injury in Sydney, but though linking performance in one format to another is fraught with danger, he has since had a stellar time in one-day cricket, capped with the Man of the Series award in New Zealand. Moeen, meanwhile, has bowled nicely although the batting has been less convincing.

The most adventurous route for the Test side to take would be to use Stokes at No. 5. The batsman to make way under this scenario would be Vince

“I feel I am bowling pretty well, and that will help me swap formats,” Woakes said. “As a modern player you should be used to jumping formats, there shouldn’t be too many excuses. Generally it’s pretty similar for a bowler, as a batsman you might have to put a few shots away, but as a bowler I am in good rhythm and hopefully the transition is smooth.”It is likely that both Woakes and Moeen will feature in the Test series, meaning England will return to the allrounder-heavy option. But could Joe Root and Trevor Bayliss take the chance to mix things up? England have had a horrid run away from home since the South Africa tour in 2015-16: nine defeats, two draws and just one win.England’s Test cricket, especially overseas, needs a shot in the arm.The most adventurous route to take would be to use Stokes at No. 5, although that could be seen as a step too far on his return to the format. It is a position Bayliss has previously said he could see Stokes taking up, perhaps bowling a little less as a result. The batsman to make way under this scenario would be James Vince, who survived the axe after an unconvincing Ashes where for every cover drive there was an outside edge not far away.A new No. 3 would be needed. Root would be the obvious choice – despite his reluctance – although it could be Dawid Malan after his stellar Ashes. One by-product of Stokes replacing Vince, would be a left-handed heavy top order but, in the short term, New Zealand do not have an offspinner to replicate Nathan Lyon’s guile.This attacking-minded selection would open the door for legspinner Mason Crane to be retained. A return of 1 for 193 on debut in Sydney, followed by a chastening time on the Lions tour of West Indies where he was out-bowled but also under-bowled, does not scream for selection. But if he isn’t in consideration for selection why is he on the tour? In this scenario the attack can be four quicks and two spinners – Crane could be a luxury item, perhaps useful with the pink ball under lights when picking variations may be trickier.This is unlikely to be the route taken by England. In reality, Stokes will probably bat at No. 6, Vince will be retained at first drop, Moeen will be the spinner and Woakes will support James Anderson and Stuart Broad.Mark Wood and Craig Overton are the other two quicks in the squad. Wood had an ankle niggle during the ODIs but came through the last three games; Overton impressed in the Ashes before suffering a fractured rib.This is the final leg of a long overseas spell for England (although only Bayliss has done it all) and a two-Test series as autumn rolls around in New Zealand feels a little tokenistic, but there are enough subplots to keep things interesting. Not least whether England can get back to winning ways abroad.

Kane Williamson has stepped down as New Zealand’s Test captain after six years in charge and will be replaced by Tim Southee for the upcoming tour of Pakistan.Williamson, who led New Zealand to victory in the inaugural World Test Championship final against India at the Ageas Bowl in 2021, will continue as ODI and T20I captain and also reiterated his desire to keep playing all three formats.”Captaining the BLACKCAPS in Test cricket has been an incredibly special honour,” Williamson said. “For me, Test cricket is the pinnacle of the game and I’ve enjoyed the challenges of leading the side in the format.”Captaincy comes with an increased workload on and off the field and at this stage of my career I feel the time is right for this decision. After discussions with NZC, we felt that continuing to captain the white-ball formats was preferable with two World Cups in the next two years.”Related

• Kane Williamson opts out of New Zealand central contract for 2024-25

• Tim Southee 'was right for our environment' – New Zealand coach Gary Stead

• Williamson wants to continue playing all three formats

• Ish Sodhi gets Test call for New Zealand's tour of Pakistan

After taking over from Brendon McCullum in 2016, Williamson led New Zealand in 40 Tests: winning 22, losing ten and drawing eight games. He averaged 57 and scored 11 hundreds as captain, both of which are records for New Zealand. He now hands over the leadership to Southee, who will become New Zealand’s 31st Test captain when they play the first Test against Pakistan in Karachi on December 26.”I’m excited to support Tim as captain and Tom [Latham] as vice-captain,” Williamson said. “Having played with both of them for most of my career, I’m confident they’ll do a great job. Playing for the BLACKCAPS and contributing in all three formats is my number one priority and I’m looking forward to the cricket we have ahead.”Southee, who has previously captained in 22 T20Is and one ODI, said: “It’s been a surreal few days and it’s just a massive honour to be appointed as Test captain. I love Test cricket, it’s the ultimate challenge and I’m really excited by the opportunity to lead the team in this format. Kane’s been an outstanding Test captain and I’m looking forward to working with [coach] Gary [Stead] on how we can build on that.”New Zealand coach Gary Stead hailed Williamson’s leadership and said that Southee would bring in a fresh perspective as a bowler-captain. “Kane’s guided the Test team through an immensely successful period which is testament to his ability to bring people together and work towards a common goal.”He’s certainly led from the front with his own performances and that was very much the case during our push to win the World Test Championship. We hope by lessening his workload we can continue to see the best of Kane Williamson for longer on the international stage, and we know he will remain a key leader in this group.”Tim’s a quality leader with a good cricket brain,” Stead said. “We’ve seen his captaincy skills on display with the T20 side and I’m sure he’ll continue to bring an aggressive style, whilst still maintaining the core fundamentals of how this BLACKCAPS team operates in the Test arena. He will also come from a slightly different perspective in being a bowler which I’m sure will also bring with it new ideas and fresh thinking.”