Leeds United picked up an invaluable three points on Tuesday night away from home after a 1-0 win against Middlesbrough. It was never going to be an easy outing for Daniel Farke’s side, with Boro pushing for a playoff spot themselves.
The visitors scored the first, and only, goal of the game in just the second minute. Winger Daniel James was the goalscorer, darting into the box to get on the end of a low cross from loanee Manor Solomon.
It wasn’t the cleanest of finishes from the Welshman, but it was effective and somehow ended up in the back of the net.
Despite the scoreline, it should have been 3-0 to Leeds, although through no fault of their own. They had two goals wrongly ruled out for offside, with Ao Tanaka’s first-half strike getting chalked off and Patrick Bamford suffering the same fate in the second period.
Both players were onside, and both goals should have stood.
Regardless, the Whites held on for a crucial three points, which has swung momentum back their way in the race for automatic promotion. With Sheffield United losing at home to Milwall and Burnley drawing away to Derby County, Leeds are now top of the table again on goal difference.
There were some standout Leeds players in the important win over Boro on Tuesday,
Leeds' best players vs. Middlesborough
On a huge night for Leeds, it needed their most important players to stand up for the count. Well, one of those, Ethan Ampadu, did just that. The Whites’ skipper was excellent at the heart of their defence, continually progressing play forwards throughout the game.
In fact, Isaac Johnson, Leeds reporter for Leeds Live, was very complimentary of the Welshman at full time. He gave Ampadu a 9/10 for his efforts, describing his performance against Boro as a “proper captain’s showing”.
Ampadu was not the only Leeds player who stood out. At the other end of the pitch, it was an eye-catching display from attacking midfielder Brenden Aaronson, who looked in much better form than he has shown in recent weeks.
The United States international also received a strong post-match rating from Johnson, who gave Aaronson an 8/10 for his performance at the Riverside Stadium. The journalist said he made some “very neat touches” and that he “took on his man efficiently”.
So, it was certainly a good night at the office for the likes of Ampadu and Aaronson, who helped their side secure a vital three points. However, there were a couple of players who struggled.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
The Leeds midfielders who struggled
Despite the victory, there were times when Leeds lacked control in the middle of the park. Their pivot, made up of Tanaka and Ilia Gruev, did struggle to impart control on the game. The pair received 5/10 ratings at the end of the game from Leeds Live.
Indeed, their stats on Sofascore from the clash at the Riverside reflect those ratings. For example, Tanaka had 51 touches of the ball but lost possession seven times, and Gruev had 70 touches and lost the ball six times.
Touches
51
70
Passes completed
33/39
57/61
Duels won
5/9
3/4
Number of times ball lost
7
6
Tackles and interceptions
3
3
Leeds have struggled for fluency at times this season, and it doesn’t feel like on-pitch relationships have fully developed. There have been occasions where Aaronson and Joel Piroe, for example, have struggled to get the best out of each other. Indeed, the latter has now gone seven games without finding the net.
Well, while Tanaka has been one of the signings of the seasons, his partnership with Gruev doesn’t feel like the best for Farke in the back end of the season.
The pair, who earn £40k per week between them, have only played 14 times together, for a total of 644 minutes. They have only played a full 90 minutes as a pairing on three occasions, in which they are unbeaten, but if you contrast those numbers with Joe Rothwell, for instance, it’s safe to say that pairing is more effective.
They have played 31 times as a midfield combination and only lost on two occasions in which they have started alongside each other.
With the race for automatic promotion set to go down to the wire for Leeds this term, perhaps Farke will not want to take the risk of playing Gruev alongside Tanaka again, given they seem to lack synergy.
It is crunch time for the Yorkshire outfit. Perhaps starting a pivot who have not played much with each other is a risk that is too big to take at this stage of the season. There is no doubting Tanaka and Gruev as individual players, but as a pairing, Leeds have better options.
26 touches, 10 passes: Farke must drop Leeds dud after 2/10 display
Leeds United returned to the top of the Championship with a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough last night.
Allrounder hit his fifth century to etch his names in record books
Sampath Bandarupalli11-Feb-20245 – Hundreds by Glenn Maxwell in T20Is. He now shares the record for most centuries in the format with Rohit Sharma, who scored his fifth hundred last month.241 for 4 – Australia’s total in the second T20I against West Indies is now the highest by any team on Australian soil. Australia’s 233 for 2 was the previous highest – against Sri Lanka in 2019 – also at the Adelaide Oval.4 – Maxwell’s T20I hundreds out of five while batting at No.4. He now has the most hundreds at No.4 or lower in T20Is, going past Suryakumar Yadav’s three.Related
Magnificent Maxwell's record-equaling century sets up series win
Maxwell also holds the same record in all T20s, having scored five hundreds while batting at No.4. He surpassed David Miller, who has four T20 centuries at No. 4 or lower.120* – Maxwell’s score at the Adelaide Oval is now the highest individual score by a No. 4 in T20Is. It is also the second-highest T20I score at No. 4 or lower, only behind Shaheryar Butt of Belgium, whose 125* against Czech Republic in 2020 came at No. 6.Glenn Maxwell made another record•ESPNcricinfo Ltd1 – Maxwell’s 120* is also the highest individual score against West Indies in T20Is. The previous highest was 119 jointly held by Faf du Plessis (in Johannesburg in 2015) and Phil Salt (in Tarouba in December last year).1 – Players with a higher score in men’s T20Is in Australia than Maxwell’s 120* on Sunday. Shane Watson scored an unbeaten 124 against India at the SCG in 2016. It was Maxwell’s second T20I century at home and his fourth in all T20s in Australia, which are the most by any batter.68 – Runs scored by Australia in the death overs (17-20) are the joint-most by them in a men’s T20I during this phase. They had also scored 68 in the last four overs against Sri Lanka in Pallakele in 2016.448 – Runs aggregated at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday are the most for any T20I hosted by Australia. The previous highest was 415 runs in the first match of the ongoing series in Hobart.
Bumrah chooses to stay “stable,” and when he doesn’t have the results to show for his work, he doesn’t get too down on himself
Sidharth Monga12-Jul-20224:32
Is Jasprit Bumrah the best all-format bowler in the world?
A lot of fast bowlers build themselves a character. Curtly Ambrose never did interviews while he played, almost becoming this mythical, impenetrable figure immune to human failings. Mohammad Asif almost always sounded contemptuous of batters in his interviews, once famously ruing that AB de Villiers got out too early, thus denying him the joy of a full set up and the payoff. Most often, they are the rockstars of cricket: eccentric, individualistic and definitely not pop. They make you believe nothing is beyond them.After a point, fast bowling becomes a way of living. They don’t stop being a fast bowler after six hours of play. Like the old-time professional wrestlers who never broke kayfabe. No wonder a lot of fast bowlers like pro wrestling. Big Boss Man, this big monster heel in kayfabe, once smashed the door of his car’s boot on his hand in the presence of fans. He showed no pain. When Jake “The Snake” Roberts was a kid, his father Grizzly Smith used to tell him how he was planning to take the family out of town because his wrestling adversaries were coming after him. Then of course the Internet broke down the fourth wall to usher in the Reality Era where wrestlers hardly stay in character outside the shows.Related
Bumrah becomes No. 1 ODI bowler; Suryakumar zooms up to No. 5 among T20I batters
Bumrah takes career-best 6 for 19 as India skittle England
Fab Five fall flat as England fail test of world-beating reputation
Stats – Bumrah reaches new high as England sink to new lows
If he ever were to be a pro wrestler, Jasprit Bumrah would belong to the Reality Era. When he does well – sorry, when the result on the day is good, as Bumrah would, and others should, describe it – and when the accolades are flowing, Bumrah doesn’t add to any myth-building. Instead, he chooses to stay real – stable, in his words. When Bumrah doesn’t have the results to show for his work, he doesn’t get too down on himself.Only last Monday and Tuesday, Bumrah was part of an attack that failed to defend 377 in the fourth innings of a Test. They didn’t even come close to threatening England. He himself went at 4.35 runs an over. A week later, against the same batters, Bumrah has six wickets in a little over seven overs in an ODI. Of course, Bumrah bowled beautifully at The Oval, swinging the ball mesmerizingly and also getting seam movement from the pitch, but what he tried wasn’t much different to what he does on his worst days.”This is the beauty of cricket, isn’t it?” Bumrah said when asked how he reconciles with such wildly swinging fortunes when it comes to the results. “One day you will see everything is going in your favour. Another day you can try whatever you want, but it doesn’t work for you. That is exactly why you need to keep a stable head.”Every day is a new day. There will be days when you will get the edge first ball, there will be days you will bowl similarly all day but not get a single edge. You don’t want to get desperate in these scenarios. That is why I rate stability a lot. Because at the end of the day there is very little in your hand. Once a bowler has let the ball go, there is nothing in his control.”Sometimes you will bowl well, get the edge, but the catch will be dropped. Sometimes the ball will pass over the stumps. Sometimes a full toss will get you a wicket. That doesn’t mean you bowl more full tosses. So I only try to prepare what I can. And not think of what is not in my hand. After that whatever is the result, I accept and move on.”Jasprit Bumrah picked up career-best figures of 6 for 19•Associated PressThen it is probably not a good idea to ask Bumrah if this was as well as he has bowled. “I don’t look at end results and judge my bowling,” Bumrah said. “There have been instances when I have bowled so much better than this and not gotten wickets. But I always looked at following the same routine. Yes, today was a day where the white ball swung and there was some seam movement. So yeah, I wanted to exploit that.”When we started the innings, we saw there was some seam and swing. So [Mohammed] Shami and I had a conversation and decided we should bowl a little fuller and try and bowl the Test-match length. It was a good day that we got the wickets. And there was some help in the beginning, and the wicket was also on the softer side.”
“Today was a good day. It will bring a lot of praise. But neither do I get too happy with praise nor do I get too down with criticism.”Jasprit Bumrah
Fast bowling is a tough job but it is also an optimist’s job. You are, after all, cheating your body into performing acts it was not built to do. Accordingly, many fast bowlers internalise that they are the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be. Bumrah? He doesn’t even take it seriously when a respected pundit such as Nasser Hussain calls him the best bowler across formats today.”I don’t focus on these things,” Bumrah said. “Today was a good day. It will bring a lot of praise. But neither do I get too happy with praise nor do I get too down with criticism. I don’t look at it this way: I am here, I am very good in all formats. I enjoy every format. I try to do what I can. I respect what people say but I don’t take it seriously. Very grateful for the applause you get but I always try to keep a stable head. That’s how I will always be.”This is how cricket is, and will be. Most cricketers and fans don’t like talking about luck and conditions because of the popular perception that luck or reliance on conditions is the opposite of skill. It couldn’t be farther from the truth.This has been a weird year in England in which the Dukes Test balls have moved less and gone soft sooner than usual, but the white Kookaburra has been swinging more than it does and for longer. On top of that Bumrah got a green pitch on a muggy afternoon. That he said made his job easier: he just had to bowl line and length and let the ball do the rest as opposed to making things happen on flat ODI decks. The edges came readily, none fell short, and half chances stuck.This is a real description of the events at The Oval. And also, by extension, at Edgbaston. This is Bumrah’s description. A Reality Era description.
There has been some criticism against the opener for his strike-rate but on Tuesday he put that all to bed
Mohammad Isam03-Mar-2020By breaking his own 10-year old record, Tamim Iqbal has given another reminder that his appetite for big runs is far from over. In the last eight months, he has been sending some strong signals that he is gearing up for a new phase in his career, but not many paid attention.During a self-imposed hiatus from the game last year, Iqbal topped up his fitness under Ben Coleman, a world famous trainer, in Bangkok. He was in the frontline of the players strike last October, too, and last month, he set the national record for the highest individual first-class score with his unbeaten 334.But up until this superb 158 against Zimbabwe, his international return in January didn’t include one of his trademark big knocks. And because it is Iqbal, a noted match-winner in the Bangladesh side for a long time, criticism wasn’t too far away. The anxiety surrounding the team’s all-time highest run-getter in ODIs came to a head when batting coach Neil McKenzie had to do a deep-dive in a press conference.McKenzie explained that the questions about Iqbal’s strike-rate were unfair, and that all he needed to do was hit two extra boundaries in the Powerplay to appease the naysayers. Iqbal struck 10 in the first 10 overs in this game, and 20 in total, apart from the three sixes.ESPNcricinfo LtdIt looked like a strong riposte to the questions asked about his intent and the lack of big runs since his international comeback. Among his first 10 fours, were two shots that looked very forceful – a pull over midwicket and a chip over wide mid-on – while the rest were picked up through cover or behind square on the leg side.Then till he reached his hundred, Iqbal consolidated to make up for the loss of Mushfiqur Rahim, as he and Mahmudullah batted conservatively till the last 10 overs. Iqbal made his last 58 runs off 30 balls, with six fours and three sixes, as the fourth wicket partnership changed gear. He finished on a strike-rate of 116.17, having batted for 45.4 overs, which is no mean feat.The recent criticism of Iqbal’s batting is rooted in his cautious approach during the World Cup, where he made good starts but didn’t capitalise. He later admitted that he ‘made bad decisions’ as the pressure to perform became too much.Iqbal’s return to top level saw him making a cautious fifty against Pakistan in a T20I in Lahore. It drew criticism as Bangladesh lost the game meekly but really, wouldn’t it have been stranger if he had gone out in that game and started smashing everything knowing the rest of the batting line up was very inexperienced?Over the last five years, Iqbal has worked out three separate methods for each format, and has been a mostly successful opener. Bear in mind, Bangladesh don’t provide featherbeds at home for their batsmen, who also have to face tough conditions in away matches too.His numbers since the 2015 World Cup suggest that he has come of age, although he would have liked to score some more runs in T20Is. Nevertheless, like he had provided stability to an often volatile opening stand for Bangladesh all those years ago when he started his career, he is now providing stability in a side slowly devoid of experience.Iqbal’s hunger for runs is what should mostly matter for the Bangladesh team, and if his method works out in the end, his experience at the international level should be reason enough to give him the leeway to get things right.
O Juventude recebe o Grêmio neste sábado (30), pelo jogo de ida da final do Campeonato Gaúcho. A bola rola a partir das 16h30 (de Brasília), no Estádio Alfredo Jaconi, Caxias do Sul, com transmissão da RBS TV, SporTV 2 e Premiere.
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✅FICHA TÉCNICA Juventude x Grêmio 1º jogo da final do Campeonato Gaúcho
Data e horário: sábado, 30 de março de 2024, às 16h30 (de Brasília) Local: Estádio Alfredo Jaconi, em Caxias do Sul (RS) Onde assistir: RBS TV, SporTV e Premiere
⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES
JUVENTUDE Gabriel Vasconcellos; Pará (João Lucas), Rodrigo Sam, Zé Marcos e Alan Ruschel; Caíque, Jadson e Jean Carlos; Lucas Barbosa, Gilberto e Edson Carioca. Técnico: Roger Machado.
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GRÊMIO Caíque; João Pedro, Rodrigo Ely, Kannemann e Wesley Costa; Villasanti e Pepê; Pavon, Cristaldo e Gustavo Nunes; Diego Costa. Técnico: Renato Portaluppi.
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The Los Angeles Angels have designated Tim Anderson for assignment. ESPN's Alden Gonzalez was the first to report the news.
The former All-Star shortstop had been terrible this season, slashing .205/.258/.241, with no home runs and three RBIs in 31 games.
Anderson won the American League batting title in 2019 while playing for the Chicago White Sox when he hit .335. He looked like a future franchise cornerstone and won a Silver Slugger in 2020, before being named an All-Star in 2021 and 2022. That's when the bottom dropped out.
In 2022, Anderson only played in 79 games after a torn ligament in his hand ended his season in August. He was never the same, returning the next season, playing 123 while slashing .245/.286/.296 and finishing with a WAR of -2.0. The White Sox declined the option in his contract for 2024 and made him a free agent.
The Miami Marlins signed Anderson to a one-year deal for the 2024 season, but his struggles continued. He slashed .214/.237/.463 in 65 games and was released on July 5. The Angels signed him to a minor league contract in January, but he failed to recapture the magic from earlier in his career.
At 31, Anderson is now a free agent and has generated -3.5 WAR in the past three seasons. His story is one of the more spectacular falls from grace in recent MLB history.
Tottenham are emerging as prime contenders to sign an Inter Milan star Yann Bisseck after West Ham saw a bid rejected for the player last summer, according to a new report.
Spurs boss Thomas Frank is now just under two months away from his January at the club, and the winter is also set to mark Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange’s first transfer window as co-sporting directors.
Paratici assisted Lange, Frank, CEO Vinai Venkatesham and ex-chair Daniel Levy during the summer window in an advisory capacity, and worked regularly as an outside consultant for the club since he was forced to resign from his post as managing director in 2023.
The Italian was repeatedly linked with a return to N17 once his worldwide FIFA ban came to an end this year, but Levy’s departure briefly threatened Paratici’s Tottenham comeback given the chiefs were close allies during their time together at Spurs.
Fabio Paratici’s best Tottenham signings
Cost
1. Cristian Romero
£42.5m
2. Dejan Kulusevski
£25.5m
3. Rodrigo Bentancur
£21.5m
4. Pedro Porro
£40m
5. Djed Spence
£20m
However, Venkatesham and co elected to re-hire Paratici after all, with the 53-year-old set to partner Lange as the Lilywhites officials take on very different sporting director roles.
While Lange will mainly oversee the talent spotting, scouting, academy and data-driven recruitment side of things, Paratici is tasked as Spurs’ dealmaker to get high-profile signings over the line — using his renowned negotiating skills and extensive contact list (Sky Sports).
It’s poised to be a very intriguing January with this restructured leadership model, and reports suggest that Paratici is already “working behind the scenes” on a few key Tottenham targets like Brentford star Kevin Schade.
It is also believed by some media sources that Spurs are keen to bring in a new centre-back at the turn of the year, having reportedly considered late summer moves for the likes of Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji.
Radu Dragusin could be back in action after the November international break as he nears the end of his recovery from an ACL injury, with the Romanian unable to feature since their Europa League clash against Elfsborg last January.
Kevin Danso has impressed as a reliable deputy for Cristian Romero when needed as well, but it will be a while before Dragusin is a reliable option once again and a serious injury to star man Micky van de Ven would spell disaster.
As such, it is little surprise that the north Londoners are considering their long-term options at centre-half, and Inter’s Bisseck is apparently an option for them.
Yann Bisseck increasingly keen to join Tottenham after rejected West Ham bid
The one-cap Germany international, who has been in and out of Cristian Chivu’s starting elevens so far this season, was subject to a rejected bid from West Ham in the summer window, but a Premier League move could still be on the cards for him.
Inter Milan's Yann Bisseck
That is according to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, who report that Bisseck and his camp are growing intrigued by the prospect of joining Tottenham, with Inter pondering the defender’s sale as they look to raise transfer funds.
The towering 6 foot 4 centre-half was a regular under Simone Inzaghi last term, making 46 appearances in all competitions — even chipping in going forward with three goals and three assists.
Bisseck has a desire to test himself in England, but he’ll have to settle for playing second fiddle to the likes of Romero and van de Ven, who are currently one of the best centre-back partnerships in England.
The former Aarhus sensation has been called a “diamond” by members of the Italian press, with reports in the summer even claiming that the Nerazzurri wanted as much as £44 million to consider a sale.
Even with Tottenham’s £100 million of new injected capital via the Lewis family, which could be reinvested into the club’s recruitment strategy, it is very debatable whether Spurs would be willing to cough up such a fee on a back-up defender.
Price will be a major factor here, with the player’s willingness apparently there.
At an extravagant White House state dinner honouring Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), U.S. President Donald Trump announced the presence of football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. Acknowledging his youngest son Barron's admiration for the Al-Nassr and Portugal striker, Trump joked that the meeting had increased his son’s respect for him. Ronaldo was joined at the black-tie event by his fiancée Georgina Rodriguez, and they both posed for a selfie with Elon Musk at one stage.
Superstar guests at White House event
Ronaldo attended the high-profile event alongside a host of world business and technology leaders, including Tesla and X boss Musk. The black-tie affair was organised to deepen ties between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, and it was Ronaldo's first known appearance on American soil since 2016. His attendance with the Saudi delegation highlights his role as a public face for the kingdom's recent diplomatic and sports investments. Trump began the dinner with a speech, recognizing the gathering of "unbelievable dignitaries" such as FIFA president Gianni Infantino, a number of billionaires, and prominent business leaders.
The United States are joint-hosts of next year’s World Cup, alongside Canada and Mexico, and Portugal qualified for the event earlier this week without CR7, who sat their final game against Armenia out through suspension following his first-ever international red card during the qualifier with the Republic of Ireland. However, Trump still singled out Ronaldo with a special tribute in his speech.
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President Trump: 'Really an honour'
President Trump said: "You know, my son is a big fan of Ronaldo, wherever Ronaldo is here. And Barron got to meet him, and I think he respects his father a little bit more now, just the fact that I introduced you. So I just want to thank you both for being here. Really an honour."
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Growing friendship between Ronaldo and Trump
Ronaldo recently interacted with the President, sending him a signed jersey with the inscription, "To President Donald J. Trump, Playing for Peace". The former Manchester United and Real Madrid star said at the time: "He is one of the guys who can help to change the world. One of the most important guys is the U.S. President. If we can help each other to make this happen… He is one of the guys I wish to meet to sit and have a nice talk. If it is here, or in the U.S., wherever he wants, I know he was here in Saudi Arabia with our boss, MBS. I wish one day to meet him."
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World Cup worry for Portugal
Ronaldo was among the first to congratulate Portugal on their World Cup qualification after seeing his international colleagues complete a nine-goal rout of Armenia and will get to grace yet another major international tournament. Portugal boss Roberto Martinez faces missing his talisman for their World Cup opener when the tournament kicks off next June, because Ronaldo still has two games left to serve of his suspension for elbowing an opponent, but an appeal will reportedly be launched.
Martinez said: "After the game it’s a difficult time because emotions can be unclear. I saw his reaction to a provocation. It started at the beginning of the game, in every play in the penalty area. It even started the day before in the press conference. And it was a reaction of trying to continue playing. Others might fall to the ground and look for a penalty. It’s not a violent action, it’s not a red card for violence, but a reaction to a provocation. We need to try to show the case and prepare well. I would say it would be very unfair to impose a long suspension."
Ronaldo has already made it very clear that, at the age of 41, the 2026 World Cup will be his last.
Every year for 24 consecutive years the World Series has given us a new champion. Repeating is difficult because of the expanded postseason, a more even distribution of talent and the democracy of analytics and technology, which can level the playing field in non-monetary ways.
The bottom line is there are many ways to win a World Series—from a sixth seed last year (Texas Rangers) to a one seed this year (Los Angeles Dodgers). But there are some lessons we can learn from the 2024 World Series. For instance, the next World Series champion is likely to have elite power. The past five champions all have ranked in the top four in MLB in home runs. As hits have grown scarcer, the home run ball looms larger in deciding games.
Here is what else we learned from the 2024 World Series:
1. Spin is in
The Dodgers threw 41.2% breaking pitches against the Yankees. Since pitch tracking began in 2008, that’s the heaviest dose of spin by any of the 34 World Series teams.
Los Angeles knew the New York offense was predicated on taking pitches and creating count leverage to force pitchers into the zone with fastballs—and hammering them. The Dodgers did not let that happen.
Los Angeles kept the Yankees off balance by throwing the abundance of breaking pitches. The idea was to constantly change speeds to keep hitters uncomfortable. There was no better example than how Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Blake Treinen carved up Aaron Judge in Game 2 (0-for-4, including three strikeouts).
Judge saw 21 pitches in Game 2. He saw the same pitch a second time in a row in the same at-bat only twice—and whiffed both times. Look how Yamamoto and Treinen yo-yoed Judge with pitches as far apart as 21 mph:
MLB
The Dodgers expertly executed this back-and-forth style of pitching throughout the series. The Yankees were the No. 1 slugging team against fastballs in the regular season. They had an easy time with the Royals and Guardians in the first two rounds because those teams inexplicably threw them less spin than the Yankees saw in the regular season.
The Dodgers gave the Yankees a whole different look. They threw so much spin that when they did attack with fastballs the Yankees were not on time.
This progression of pitching plans against New York says it all: the way to get the Yankees off the fastball was with increased spin:
Yankees Hitting 2024
Spin %
Fastballs in Zone
Regular season
30.7%
.307 (2nd in MLB)
NL division series
26.1%
.347
NL championship series
27.4%
.313
World Series
41.2%*
.211 (5th lowest among past 34 WS teams)
Soto had just one RBI via a Game 2 solo home run during the World Series. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images2. The Dodgers took Juan Soto off the board.
Before Game 1, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was asked which hitters in the Yankees lineup most concerned him.
“Soto,” Roberts said. Then, looking over the New York lineup card, added, “Soto, Soto, Soto.”
Soto is the best fastball hitter on the planet. Overall in the postseason Soto hit .600 and slugged 1.300 against fastballs.
The Dodgers’ plan for Soto was brutal in its simplicity: never give him a fastball to hit in any meaningful spot. The pennant-winning home run Soto hit off a four-seamer from Hunter Gaddis of Cleveland, one of the most ridiculous pitch calls in recent memory, was fresh in their minds.
The Dodgers threw Soto:
Only 13 four-seamers in the zone out of 110 pitches in the series. Soto was 3-for-3 on those rare heaters. 65% secondary pitches, including cutters. Soto was 1-for-11 against them.58% pitches out of the zone.
Los Angeles preferred pitching to Judge. The plan worked perfectly until Jack Flaherty threw Judge a first-pitch fastball right down Broadway in Game 5.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone accommodated the Dodgers’ plan to take Soto off the board by never tweaking his lineup. He was fully committed to Gleyber Torres-Soto-Judge as the 1-2-3 hitters, a combo that worked well down the stretch. But when Torres and Judge went cold, the lineup remained the same.
Boone could have batted Judge first, with Soto behind him. The Dodgers did that with Shohei Ohtani and the Mets with Francisco Lindor. The idea is to have the whole lineup protect your best hitter, get that hitter to the plate as often as possible and, in the case of Judge just as it was for Lindor, take pressure off a cold hitter by asking him to simply get on base, not produce damage.
Boone said he did think about batting Judge leadoff for Game 4, but opted against it because he did not think it was fair to Torres. But Torres had gone cold. He took the most plate appearances for the Yankees in the series and slashed .143/.250/.333.
With Torres cold and the Dodgers flipping Soto so much spin out of the zone, Soto became a non-factor. He saw four pitches the entire series with a runner in scoring position, including one pitch in the zone. He saw just 10 pitches in the zone with a runner on base.
3. The Dodgers out-executed the Yankees
Years from now people will look at the statistical summary of the 2024 World Series and ask, “How did the Yankees not win?” New York had more hits, more home runs, more walks, more stolen bases, a higher batting average, a better on-base percentage, a lower ERA and a lower WHIP.
To understand why the Yankees lost you had to watch the games. Their fifth-inning collapse in Game 5 was historically awful. But at every turn the Dodgers made plays the Yankees did not. Here are some of the key hidden moments why Los Angeles won the series:
The Yankees were two outs away from winning Game 1, 4–3. Jake Cousins, facing the 7-8-9 hitters, had just retired Will Smith. Lux was hitless in his last 16 plate appearances. Cousins walked him on five pitches, four of which were nowhere close to the strike zone, including a wild high sinker after four straight sliders. The walk virtually assured the lineup would turn over, and when it did, Boone called on Nestor Cortes, who gave up the grand slam to Freddie Freeman.
Batting ninth, Edman drew a four-pitch walk from Clarke Schmidt leading off the third. (Yankees pitchers had some terrible walks, and the Dodgers made them pay.) Edman took off for second on his own on a 2-and-2 pitch, allowing him to reach second and stay out of a double play as Ohtani grounded out. He scored on a bloop single because he broke immediately on a perfect read rather than hesitating to see if the ball could be caught.
With runners at first and second in the fifth, Smith hit a ground ball to the right of Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe. Running from second, Hernández bowed his angle to disrupt Volpe’s throwing lane (perfectly legal). Volpe, sidearm, alligator-armed his throw into the dirt and Hernández’s running lane. Third baseman Jazz Chisholm should have been able to secure the ball on a short hop. But he did not work his glove hand through the ball and dropped it.
Kahnle threw 27 pitches in the series. Twenty-five of them were changeups. The Dodgers swung and missed only once against him.
Seeing the same pitch over and over—not a nasty swing-and-miss pitch at that—gave the Dodgers an edge. Down 6–5 and down to their last six outs, the Dodgers built their series-winning rally on Kahnle changeups: singles by Hernández and Edman on changeups left up in the zone and a walk by Smith on four changeups out of the zone.
After the Dodgers loaded the bases against Kahnle, Boone brought in Weaver to face Lux. The average MLB hitter delivers the runner from third with less than two outs 50% of the time. Lux had done so only 35% in the regular season. Only 12 hitters were worse (min. 20 PA).
This time Lux ripped a 2–2 fastball for a sacrifice fly. The key to this at-bat was that the flyball was deep enough to center field not just to score Hernandez but also to advance Edman to third base. Those 90 feet were huge because Edman scored the series-clinching run on a sacrifice fly by Betts.
The World Series exposed a huge difference between the Dodgers and Yankees: athleticism and baseball IQ. In the regular season, Los Angeles was tied with Detroit for the MLB lead in taking the extra base (49% of the time). New York was tied for last with Houston (36%).
Smith, right, was trusted with more game management responsibilities in his sixth season. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images4. The maturation of Will Smith
In past postseasons the Dodgers were a quick out while relying heavily on analytics-based scripts. “We probably stuck to scripts a little too much,” Roberts said.
This year they gave Smith more freedom behind the plate to call his own game.
“Yeah, for sure. Definitely,” Smith told me. “That was probably one of the things we talked about early in the year. Going off script. But Mark [Prior], Danny [Lehmann], Connor [McGuiness], the pitchers have been great. It's all been a lot of good communication, conversations before games, in game … trying to figure out best ways to change, or redirect, or whatever it is, or kind of stick with the same plan. It's just a lot of people coming together, talking through stuff.”
A good example: Smith freelanced to throw a 3-and-2 curve to Francisco Lindor in NLCS Game 3 with the bases loaded. Walker Buehler had thrown only six full-count curves to lefties all year. Lindor struck out. I asked Smith if that was an example where he felt more empowered to call his own game.
“Yeah, I feel super confident,” he said. “You know, I'm convicted in it. Just as long as the pitcher's convicted in whatever I put down. If they want to shake, that's fine. Just as long as they're convicted, it's fine.”
5. The Yankees pitched Shohei Ohtani tough
Ohtani’s swing in Games 3 through 5 was clearly compromised after he suffered a left shoulder subluxation. Nonetheless, give New York credit for making it difficult on Ohtani with a mix of pitches, especially down in the zone.
On pitches no higher than 25 inches off the ground—about mid-thigh high and below—Ohtani was 0-for-6 in the World Series and 1-for-17 in the postseason.
6. The ballad of Anthony Banda
The first of seven relievers Roberts called on in Game 5 was Banda, who at this time last year was coaching kids at Higley High in Gilbert, Ariz., and wondering if his professional career was over.
Banda was DFA’d last season after one month with the Nationals, his 10th team in 10 years. Nobody wanted him. At age 30, he spent the rest of the season at Triple-A Rochester, where he posted a 7.58 ERA.
“I don't know what I would have done,” he told me. “I would have probably found myself in Mexico playing ball or something. I felt after that last season, getting my butt whooped all season, it was just like, ‘Man, if I can't even get these guys out, what makes me think I can get to the big-league level and get those guys out?’”
Then one day, while working with high school kids, he had an epiphany.
“I had a moment,” Banda told me, “where I even looked to one of the assistant coaches and I was like, ‘Man, I'm telling them the things that people would tell me all the time.’ And I found myself enjoying it. Seeing the kids have fun … It made a lot more sense.
“I mean, watching the kids, the way they were asking questions and going through the practices and understanding that they could do it … and me showing them that they could do it … It was just a lot of fun, seeing all the kids light up.
“That was something where I'm like, ‘Man, this is fun. This is fun. I really love this.’ And I just started training again.”
Banda signed a minor league deal with Cleveland, his 11th team. He made 12 appearances for Triple-A Columbus and caught the eye of the Dodgers. On May 17, the Dodgers became his 12th team. They traded cash considerations for Banda.
His world was about to change immediately. You can talk all you want about all the money the Dodgers have and spend. But the secret sauce to how the Dodgers have built one of the greatest 12-year runs in baseball history is their player development, both in the minors and majors. They are expert at finding undervalued talent in the draft and on other rosters and bringing the best out of those players. Banda is another example.
Banda could always throw hard and had a good changeup, but he had trouble throwing a good breaking pitch.
“I never had a breaking ball really that was consistent enough for hitters to respect,” Banda said.
The day Banda reported to the Dodgers they had him throw a bullpen session while being recorded by a high-speed video camera known as edgertronic, which shows at thousands of frames per second how a baseball leaves a pitcher’s hand. Banda threw his slider, which he threw with a funky three-finger grip.
“Uh, they laughed at me when I showed them,” he said, “because they couldn't believe I was throwing a slider like that. They changed it right away when they saw it.”
Banda’s problem with his slider was due to the natural movement of his hand and wrist. Banda is a heavy pronator, which means his hand naturally turns outward, which is great for throwing a football or a changeup, but not for throwing a breaking pitch.
“I was always told growing up, ‘You’ve got to get the fingers to the front of the ball,’” Banda said. “I just couldn't do it. I was just like, ‘I don't know how guys do this.’”
Dodgers assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness is the King of Spin. No one in baseball better understands how spin works and how to teach it than McGuiness. He sat down with Banda and showed him edgertronic videos of the breaking pitches of other pitchers who, like him, were heavy pronators.
“They're throwing sliders and curveballs and I'm like, ‘How did they do that?’” Banda says. “They showed me the edgertronics stuff and it just showed that it works off the pronation of your hand instead of getting to the front of the ball. So that’s what really made it click for me and then after that it was just kind of like I got a new toy.
“Yeah, it was fun. It all happened May 19. I wasn't able to see the name of the guys they showed me, but it was a close-up of the hands in a similar arm slot. They have stuff where they can match it with my video. And it was mind blowing when it really, really clicked and I understood it. I was like, ‘Oh my God, this really clicked. I've been taught wrong this entire time.’”
His career was changed. Batters hit .147 against Banda’s new slider, including .125 in the postseason. He threw the pitch 53% of the time in the postseason. It was the toughest slider to hit in the postseason among those thrown at least 60 times.
Banda became one of only five pitchers to appear in four World Series wins without allowing a run (min. batters faced: 14). The others are Rollie Fingers (1972), Mariano Rivera (2009), Joe Kelly (2018) and Will Smith (2021).
World Series Fun FactsFreddie Freeman joined Lou Gehrig as the only players to hit four home runs in a World Series while striking out no more than once. Gehrig had no strikeouts in 1928.Roberts joined Tony La Russa (2011 Cardinals) as the only managers to win the World Series using five or more pitchers in each victory.Roberts is the only manager to win a nine-inning World Series game with eight pitchers, as he did in the clincher.The Dodgers in Game 5 became only the third team to win a World Series game by getting out-homered 3–0 (Blue Jays 1993 Game 4 and Yankees 1949 Game 3). They are the first team to win a clincher that way.The Dodgers are only the second team to win a World Series clincher by scoring seven runs without a homer and no more than seven hits. The other: the 1919 Pirates.Buehler became only the sixth pitcher to win a game as a starter and save the clincher. The others were Grover Alexander for the 1926 Cardinals, Bill Hallahan for the 1931 Cardinals, Gene Bearden for the 1948 Indians, Johnny Antonelli for the 1954 Giants and Madison Bumgarner for the 2014 Giants.The Dodgers hit .184 with runners in scoring position, the worst such average for a team that won the World Series since the 2008 Phillies (.167).Gerrit Cole has made 339 career starts, postseason included. Game 5 marked the first time he allowed five unearned runs. He is only the ninth pitcher to allow five or more unearned runs in a World Series game, the first since Clem Labine for Pittsburgh in 1960 World Series Game 2 and the first ever to do so facing elimination.The Yankees are the first team to lose the final game of the World Series while allowing five unearned runs. The previous high was four, set by the 1911 Giants and matched by the 1925 Senators.
تتواصل اليوم الثلاثاء الموافق 11-11-2025، منافسات بطولة كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا وسط ترقب جماهيري كبير لمجموعة من المواجهات القوية والمثيرة، حيث تسعى المنتخبات المشاركة إلى حسم بطاقات التأهل للأدوار الإقصائية، في ظل تقارب المستويات بين معظم الفرق المشاركة في البطولة.
وتشهد مباريات اليوم عددًا من اللقاءات البارزة، أبرزها مواجهة فرنسا وأوغندا التي ينتظرها عشاق الكرة الإفريقية والأوروبية، لما تحمله من صراع بين القوة البدنية والمهارة الفنية، بينما يخوض منتخب السعودية اختبارًا صعبًا أمام نظيره مالي في لقاء يحمل طابعًا تنافسيًا خاصًا بين ممثلي القارتين الآسيوية والإفريقية.
كما يلتقي منتخب التشيك مع الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، فيما يسعى منتخب أيرلندا لتأكيد صحوته عندما يواجه باراجواي في مباراة متكافئة ينتظر أن تكون حافلة بالإثارة.
وتتوزع باقي المواجهات بين منتخبات تشيلي وكندا، وأوزبكستان وبنما، وبوركينا فاسو وطاجيكستان، إضافة إلى لقاء يجمع نيوزيلندا والنمسا، ضمن الجولة الثالثة من دور المجموعات للبطولة المقامة حاليًا في قطر.
طالع أيضًا | حمزة عبد الكريم بعد الخسارة أمام إنجلترا: تعلمنا الدرس ونسعى للتركيز في المواجهات المقبلة مواعيد مباريات اليوم الثلاثاء 11-11-2025 والقنوات الناقلةمواعيد مباريات كأس العالم تحت 17 عامًا اليوم
أوغندا ضد فرنسا، الساعة 2:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 3:30 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت إكسترا 2”.
تشيلي ضد كندا، الساعة 2:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 3:30 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت إكسترا 3”.
أيرلندا ضد باراجواي، الساعة 3:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 4:30 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت إكسترا 1”.
أوزبكستان ضد بنما، الساعة 3:30 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 4:30 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت إكسترا 4”.
التشيك ضد أمريكا، الساعة 4:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 5:45 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت إكسترا 2”.
بوركينا فاسو ضد طاجيكستان، الساعة 4:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 5:45 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت إكسترا 3”.
السعودية ضد مالي، الساعة 5:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 6:45 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “بي إن سبورتس المفتوحة”.
نيوزيلندا ضد النمسا، الساعة 5:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر، 6:45 مساءً بتوقيت السعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “بي إن سبورت إكسترا 1”.
ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا