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Australia's World Cup campaign remains on a knife-edge but their convincing victory against Bangladesh was forged from their most convincing top-order display since the series against Sri Lanka last year.
The 151-run opening stand between Alyssa Healy and Beth Mooney followed two uncertain displays in the matches against India and Sri Lanka, the first of which ended in the defeat and the second which saw Australia rocking on 10 for 3 before Meg Lanning and Rachael Haynes prevented the unthinkable.
At Manuka Oval on Thursday evening, in front of a healthy crowd of 5,614, everything clicked for Healy and Mooney, albeit against a largely friendly Bangladesh attack and an opposition who had a very poor day in the field.
ALSO READ: Alyssa Healy-Beth Mooney record opening stand hands Australia big win
However, regardless of the strength of the opposition, after two matches where the highest stand among the first three wickets had been 32, the dominant return of Healy and Mooney was timely and had the basis in some honest words shared among the top order.
"As a batting group we spoke about potentially not doing our job as well as we would have liked, so to be able to go out there and put a pretty decent score on the board on a fairly low and tricky wicket in my opinion was pretty great, and hopefully that gives us some confidence moving forward," Healy said.
"I think having those honest conversations aren't easy, but this team really seems to be quite good at it and is able to call stuff out when it's happening. I think to be able to sit down as a batting group and just identify some areas that we weren't doing great and where we could be better I think was great for the group.
"All the pressure is on Australia" - @kmarty01
"Loves a bit of banter, ol' Katey Martin!" - @ahealy77The mind games have already begun ahead of #AUSvNZ on Monday at the #T20WorldCup! pic.twitter.com/WDrX2yfGl2
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) February 27, 2020
"Sometimes you know they're there, but when you say it out loud and you verbalize it, it sort of reinforces it in your own mind about your plans or what someone else might be doing, as well, to get out of your own head. I thought it was great to be able to come out tonight and sort of respond to that."
On a personal note for Healy it was another sign that she has emerged from the pre-tournament run of low scores which left her with five single-figure returns in a row for the first time in her T20I career. In the opening match against India she struck a rapid half-century, only for her dismissal to herald Australia's collapse, then she received one of the deliveries of the tournament from Sri Lanka's Udeshika Prabodhani which swung back to bowl her for a duck at the WACA.
In Canberra she raced out of the blocks with three boundaries in the opening over and never looked back with a display that put her on track for her second T20I hundred until she perished hunting another boundary. After her 83, she was the leading run-scorer of the tournament ahead of Shafali Verma and Heather Knight.
The theme throughout Healy's lean run was that it was merely a blip and the fortunes would change - both captain Meg Lanning and coach Matthew Mott said she didn't need to alter anything - but however mentally strong a player can be there is no substitute to actually seeing a score in the book.
"I think at some point I did question if I was doing the right thing," Healy said. "But at the same time, I think getting that reassurance from people that I was doing the right thing, and sometimes when you're playing the game of cricket you're not actually out there long enough to lose any form, I still felt like I was hitting the ball really well in the nets and was just sort of finding the fielder or finding some really unlucky ways to get out."
Barring a Bangladesh victory over New Zealand, a spot in the semi-final will come down to the trans-Tasman clash in Melbourne on Monday, after India secured their progression with a win over New Zealand. "We're coming up on Monday against a side that we're really familiar with, so hopefully that suits us even more," Healy said.
Anil Kumble, one of the most prominent and influential voices in world cricket, is "very clear" that a Test match has to be five days long and he does not endorse the proposal to make four-day Test cricket mandatory.
Kumble, who is the chairman of the ICC's Cricket Committee, has also countered the view expressed by many, including the ICC chairman Shashank Manohar, that Test cricket is dying. Test cricket, Kumble said, is very much alive, but he feels the viewing habits of the fans have changed, with many following it through the television and digital mediums.
Although the ICC Board itself is split on the subject, some of the key Full Member boards want the ICC to consider making four-day Test cricket mandatory from the 2023 cycle of the World Test Championships. Trimming that one day, these administrators believe, would free up space in the cricket calendar, which has been stretched to the limits.
The player fraternity, however, is split with most favouring five-day Tests. That includes India captain Virat Kohli, who said he is "not a fan of" four-day Test cricket, and former England captain Andrew Strauss. The latter, who also sits on the ICC Cricket Committee, said it should either be "an easy sell or we shouldn't be doing it."
Kumble is in the same group as Kohli and Strauss when it comes to four-day Tests. "The sense of what I think about it is the players have given that. I mean, they don't want a four-day Test," Kumble said during The Hindu's annual thought conclave, The Huddle, which was held in Bengaluru on February 23.
"Five-day Test is what it is. And a Test it is because it is five days. If it was four days, it wouldn't be a Test. I am very clear on that."
Kumble's views carry significance considering he chairs one of the most important committees in the ICC, one which recommends all things cricket, with the recommendations then ratified by the ICC Board.
Although ESPNcricinfo understands the four-day Test is not likely to feature formally on the agenda for the March round of ICC meetings in Dubai, administrators would be keen to have a discussion at some point going into the annual conference in July, scheduled in Cape Town.
According to Kumble, the ICC Cricket Committee had an initial discussion on four-day Tests two years ago but it had never thought about making it mandatory for all countries. Kumble said he was open to four-day Tests being played in bilateral tournaments against smaller countries like Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe, but nothing beyond that.
"It was discussed a couple of years ago, but I don't think there's any progress made on taking a decision of a mandatory four-day Test. I don't think it has ever been done. There was an experiment done with South Africa and Zimbabwe, where they played a four-day Test match. England played Ireland. I mean when you play Afghanistan, Ireland, Zimbabwe, maybe the boards have the wherewithal to go ahead and play a four-day Test.
But the [ICC Cricket] Committee and even within the ICC, I don't think there's any, at least in the immediate, thinking of having a four-day Test competition, which is mandatory. I don't think there's anything of that (nature), but I am really glad that the players believe that it is a five-day competition that they want."
Test cricket is "still healthy"
According to Kumble, one challenge for Test cricket was the quality of the contests, which have not always been competitive. Kumble agreed this was something the players needed to ensure to keep the fans' interest alive. "One thing that all of us as fans would want is better competition in a Test match. You want more teams to compete harder against each other. Not just last for five days, but the ability of a spinner coming in…and the match-up between a batsman playing a spinner on a fourth-day pitch, on a fifth-day pitch is something you want to see, the battle between that."
One major reason Kumble remained positive that Test cricket was safe was the balance between bat and ball was nearly equal, unlike in the past where batsmen dominated contests on most occasions. "If you see in the last 18 months or two years, results in Test cricket have been phenomenal. The runs per wicket has come down drastically from what it used to be, which means there is better balance between bat and ball. So in that sense Test cricket is certainly giving you the right feelers, of saying, yes, it is still healthy."
Kumble also disagreed that empty grounds across the world during a Test series, outside of marquee contests like the Ashes, were a clear indicator that the long-format cricket was dead due to lack of interest. Even as Kumble was speaking at the event, Kohli's India were fighting to survive in the first Test against New Zealand in Wellington.
Kumble inquired about the score and got several responses with some of those in the audience checking the scores via digital media. The responses proved his point that the fans were following the game differently, compared to when he was growing up when watching Test cricket at the venue was a habit.
"It is just that you want more people to come and watch Test cricket from the stadium. That isn't happening. But people who're sitting in this room are following what is happening in New Zealand - either through phones or messages coming through notifications. When people talk about Test cricket is dying, I don't think so. I think everybody who is sitting in this room probably [will] know the score.
"So, if we're following Test cricket why are we talking about it dying. Yes, people going to stadiums, spending five days, watching Test cricket - that may have come down. That experience needs to get better."
Kumble said getting fans to the stadium was the big challenge and administrators would have to work hard to market Test cricket. Kumble provided from his stint as president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA), when he and other administrators worked to attract crowds to M Chinnawamy Stadium in Bengaluru during a Test.
"To draw people into the stadium is a challenge. Even when we were (KSCA) administrators, when India played New Zealand in Bangalore, we threw open half the stadium to students. We brought them from their schools, we organised buses, we gave them meals during the entire day and there were 12,000 people watching Test-match cricket. That's really good."
Kumble encouraged parents to take their children to the ground, saying it was the best place to watch the sport and for some, could also prove to be the starting point of a dream. "We all got inspired of becoming a cricketer, wanting to pursue this as a career because we went to a stadium, watched Ranji Trophy - Karnataka, Tamil Nadu. It was a packed house at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
"I still remember, I had to push and nudge through where cops were asking us to stop and show our tickets. And I was only eight or ten at that time and then my cousin said 'He's a ten-year old, let him in' and we watched the match between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu at the Chinnaswamy Stadium and the stadium was packed for a Ranji Trophy game. So there is still interest, it is just a matter of harnessing that interest and making [it] accessible to people who want to come in, and that's something we need to look at."
INDIANAPOLIS -- Alabama wide receiver Henry Ruggs III flashed rare speed at the NFL's scouting combine Thursday night, but he didn't quite get the record he had hoped for at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Ruggs, considered one of the fastest players available in this year's draft, said this week he wanted to set the record for the 40-yard dash at the event.
He officially ran 4.27 in his first attempt at the 40, and followed with an unofficial 4.31.
Elite speed to be sure, but not good enough for the crown.
Former Washington wide receiver John Ross, currently with the Cincinnati Bengals, ran a 4.22-second 40-yard dash in 2017, which is considered the record in the combine's electronic timing format that began in 1999. Bo Jackson's hand-timed 4.12 in 1986 has long been considered the best combine 40 time.
Asked Tuesday what his goal was in his on-field workout, Ruggs said: "I'm trying to hit the lowest ever. So 4.22 or lower.''
Ruggs was also asked this week what his fastest 40 time had been in his predraft workouts, but he said he didn't want to know.
"I actually didn't ask for the times,'' Ruggs said. "Whenever I ran them, I ran on feel. So if it felt good, I went back to the coach and asked him, 'Did it look good?'"
Ruggs did not participate in the remainder of Thursday's drills and was seen icing his upper right quadriceps after the 40. He told NFL Network that he expects to be ready for Alabama's pro day on March 24.
Record or not, Ruggs' speed was certainly noticed by the league's talent evaluators. He also posted a 42-inch vertical jump earlier in the evening, making him the only player since 2006 to produce a vertical jump of at least 40 inches and a sub-4.3 40-yard dash, according to research by ESPN's Stats & Information.
ESPN's Mel Kiper has Ruggs going 22nd to the Bills in his latest mock draft, while Todd McShay has him going 21st to the Eagles.
Ruggs finished this past season with 40 receptions for 746 yards and seven touchdowns, playing alongside Crimson Tide teammate Jerry Jeudy, also one of the top-rated wide receivers in this draft. Ruggs averaged 18.7 yards per catch and finished his three seasons at Alabama with a career average of 17.5.
He finished with 24 touchdowns on 98 career receptions -- 24.5% of his catches. Both Ruggs and Jeudy are expected to be first-round picks.
Ruggs measured in at 5-foot-11 and weighed 188 pounds at the combine, and said he believes he could have an impact similar to that of Tyreek Hill with the Chiefs.
"He's not the biggest guy," Ruggs said. "So him being in that offense and making the plays that he's making, doing the things that he does, it gives me more confidence to show that anybody can do anything.''
A deep group of wide receivers showed off its speed as both Texas' Devin Duvernay and Memphis' Antonio Gibson had official clockings of 4.39 seconds.
Notre Dame's Chase Claypool, whom some teams see as a potential tight end because he participated at 6-foot-4½ and 238 pounds, turned heads with a 4.42 showing. It made Claypool the first receiver since Calvin Johnson at the 2007 combine to weigh at least 230 pounds and run a sub-4.45 40.
LSU's Justin Jefferson, who finished this past season with 111 catches for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns, also showed better speed than expected with a 4.43. The top two wide receivers on the board, Jeudy and CeeDee Lamb, had official clockings of 4.45 and 4.50, respectively.
Clemson's Tee Higgins, a projected first-rounder, chose to skip Thursday's on-field drills.
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HOLLY, Mich. – Must See Racing Sprint Car Series officials, in conjunction with SPEED SPORT TV, have announced live streams for two premier events this season at Lucas Oil Raceway near Indianapolis.
Both the Engine Pro Fast Car Dash on May 9 and the Indy Summer Nationals on May 20 will be streamed to a worldwide audience through SPEED SPORT TV, as a star-studded field including four-time defending series champion Jimmy McCune, Ohio veteran Charlie Schultz and more take aim at the .686-mile oval.
The Engine Pro Fast Car Dash event will be a full-points race for the Must See Racing field, featuring the series’ unique Dash format highlighting the top eight qualifiers, while the Indy Summer Nationals will be a $4,000-to-win, non-winged special event that is not a part of the season-long championship fight.
Must See Racing public address announcer Jacob Seelman will serve as the lead voice for the SPEED SPORT TV livestream broadcast, with additional voices to be named at a later date.
The May 9 event will see the Must See Racing sprint cars joined by the Midwest Compact Touring Series and Super Trucks, while the June 20 event card also features the Midwest Supermodified Series, Super Cup Stock Car Series and the Midwest Compact Touring Series.
“We’ve enjoyed a tremendously fruitful television and media partnership with SPEED SPORT through the last few seasons and to add another step in that relationship by live-streaming two of our biggest events of the year is something all of us at Must See Racing are really looking forward to,” said Must See Racing President Jim Hanks. “Our fans are among some of the most passionate in all of racing and to be able to provide them this platform to watch both of these premier events at Lucas Oil Raceway is a big moment for everyone involved as we race into a new decade.
“We look forward to both our winged stop at Lucas Oil Raceway on May 9 and our non-winged special event there on June 20, as they’ll both be shows that fans locally and watching from afar won’t want to miss!”
This year’s races mark the first time since 2012, and just the second time overall, that Must See Racing has sanctioned sprint car racing at Lucas Oil Raceway.
Brian Gerster won the previous Must See Racing winged appearance at the Clermont, Ind., facility.
As for non-winged racing, the June Must See Racing Summer Nationals special will end a nine-year drought for wingless sprint cars at the historic short track.
Bobby Santos won a USAC event at LOR in 2011, the last time non-winged sprint cars competed there.
The pair of live-streamed events mark a natural extension of Must See Racing’s successful multi-year television partnership with SPEED SPORT, which looks to continue into the new decade this season.
“After many years of working with Must See Racing at events like the Little 500, as well as many of their biggest winged races in the Midwest, to bring The World’s Fastest Short Track Cars to television viewers nationwide, we couldn’t be more excited to help showcase two of their biggest events for the upcoming season through our SPEED SPORT TV platform,” said SPEED SPORT President Ralph Sheheen. “Lucas Oil Raceway is an outstanding venue for sprint car racing and has put on great racing through the years, and we look forward to telling the stories of these two events through our SPEED SPORT TV cameras.”
Those cameras will capture and transmit the live broadcast through a variety of broadcast platforms, allowing viewers to experience the events on a platform they prefer.
Viewing platforms include watching on the SPEED SPORT TV website or through the SPEED SPORT TV app, available on iOS, Android, Roku, Amazon Fire, and Google Chromecast. Fans can watch on their computers, mobile devices or TVs.
Pricing details and special offers for the Engine Pro Fast Car Dash and Indy Summer Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway will be released in the near future.
To watch all the latest live and on-demand content from SPEED SPORT TV and its broadcast partners, visit https://speedsport.tv/.
STATESVILLE, N.C. – GMS Racing delivered a strong message to Kyle Busch on Thursday night: it’s game on in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.
The Truck Series organization has added Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson to the lineup for its No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado, with both drivers pursuing the $100,000 bounty put up by Kevin Harvick and Marcus Lemonis for a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver who can successfully beat Busch in one of his four remaining Truck Series starts this year.
Elliott will compete at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March and Kansas Speedway in May. Larson will compete at Homestead-Miami Speedway in March.
Atlanta will mark Elliott’s 13th Gander Trucks start. The Dawsonville, Ga., native has two previous starts for GMS Racing, including a top-five finish at Atlanta in 2017 and a win from the pole at Martinsville in 2017.
Elliott’s No. 24 Silverado will sport Hooters colors for Atlanta.
“Once the word got out about the challenge, we were able to put this together with Mike Beam at GMS in just a couple of days,” said Elliott. “Atlanta is one of my favorite tracks, so I’m really looking forward to getting back into a GMS truck there with Hooters on the truck and make a run for a win.”
The Team Chevy duo answered the challenge from Kevin Harvick after he tweeted “I’ll put up a $50,000 bounty for any full-time Cup driver who races a truck and can beat Kyle Busch in his next four races,” during the recent Las Vegas NASCAR weekend.
Homestead’s Gander Trucks event will be Larson’s 14th series start. Larson has three previous starts with GMS Racing in 2016, including a win at Eldora and a top-five finish at Homestead.
“When I heard about the $100,000 bounty, I wanted in!” said Larson. “I’m thankful for GMS and Chevy giving me this opportunity, Homestead is one of my favorite tracks so looking for to the challenge!”
GMS Racing currently fields four full-time Gander Trucks entries, in addition to the No. 24 as a scheduled part-time entry with long-time GMS Racing engineer Charles Denike atop the pit box.
“We are blessed with this opportunity. To have an owner that is up for the challenge and a manufacturer that will support the extra effort necessary is really special,” said Mike Beam, president of GMS Racing. “It’s great to have these two talented young men back behind the wheel for us and to have the extra attention on the truck series is great.”
Sponsorship for Larson’s Homestead entry and Elliott’s Kansas entry to be announced at a later date.
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – So, yeah, Lee Westwood still cares where his ball is going. It’s just that just doesn’t care quite as much anymore.
At 46, he isn’t as intensely invested as he was in his prime.
And that’s proving wonderfully liberating.
Just a month removed from winning the Abu Dhabi Championship for his 25th European Tour title, Westwood is in the early hunt at the Honda Classic.
A 3-under 67 left Westwood one shot behind fellow Englishman Tom Lewis and American Harris English. Notably, all three of them are playing on sponsor exemptions.
“I think when you're younger, you put a bit more pressure on yourself,” Westwood said. “You kind of forget that you're playing a sport and playing golf, and it's very unpredictable. You treat it too seriously, almost. I'm nearly 47, just out there having fun.”
Yes, Westwood is being asked about his chances of making the European Ryder Cup team for the 11th time, after failing to make the team as a player in 2018, serving instead as a vice captain, but . . .
“Winning early on in the year has obviously given me a big lift and a big confidence boost, but I've not set any goals as in I want to win the majors, I want to win the money list, I want to qualify for the Ryder Cup team, things like that,” he said. “I figure if I just keep working on my golf swing, keep improving that, hitting more good shots and less bad ones, I'm going to start scoring even lower. And if I do that, then I feel comfortable on the golf course and relaxed, then the wins are going to come and then the benefits from there come.”
Westwood highly recommends this less obsessive and intense approach.
“Everybody should play like that,” he said. “Everybody who's out here is in a privileged position with nothing to lose. We should all be having fun.”
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – Who’s going to be next?
Who’s going to follow Matthew Wolff, Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland and Joaquin Niemann as the next baby-faced PGA Tour winner?
Doc Redman would like to be the answer to that question.
“I feel like my game is getting really close,” Redman said after posting 2-under 68 on Thursday to move two shots off the first-round lead at the Honda Classic. “I came in second last summer, and I feel like my game is better than that now. I just haven’t been putting well, but I’ve been working hard on that and on my short game.”
Redman, 22, won the U.S. Amateur in 2017. The former Clemson standout won his PGA Tour card accumulating the necessary FedEx Cup points as a non-member last year. A second-place finish at the Rocket Mortgage Championship helped with that last summer.
Wolff is 20, Morikawa 23, Hovland 22 and Niemann 21.
Redman was asked if watching his young peers win is motivating him to claim his first trophy.
“I don’t think so,” Redman said. “It’s awesome to see them playing great and winning, and there’s no reason I can’t do that, but I think I would be just as motivated if they weren’t doing what they’re doing.
“I just have to give myself opportunities.”
Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was at a loss for words after his missed opportunity against Olympiakos in Europa League round-of-32 action on Thursday.
The Gabon striker scuffed on a close-range shot in the last seconds of added extra time in Arsenal's 2-1 second-leg loss to the Greek club at the Emirates, eliminating the hosts due to away goals.
What was even more heartbreaking for Aubameyang was that he had scored a spectacular aerobatic goal minutes before that seemingly saw the English side through into the last 16.
"Very, very disappointing. What can I say? It is very, very hard. It was a tough game again," the club captain told BT Sport after the match.
"I don't even know [how I missed that chance late on]. I feel very, very bad. It can happen but I do not know how I missed this chance. I was tired, I had some cramps but it is not an excuse."
Arsenal had beaten Olympiakos 1-0 in the first leg and appeared to have done enough to squeeze through when Aubameyang struck in the 113th minute to cancel out Pape Cisse's 53rd-minute header.
But the visitors had the last laugh as Youssef El Arabi struck seven minutes later to delight the noisy contingent of away fans, with Aubameyang then missing a gilt-edged chance to force another twist with the last kick of the game.
As Olympiakos celebrated the win, Aubameyang was visibly emotional and shaken as he walked dazed on the pitch.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta offered his disappointment after the match but noted the loss couldn't be pinned to Aubameyang's late miss.
"It hurts, big time. We had a lot of hope in this competition. It was a great way for us to be able to go to Europe and it is a very beautiful competition to try to win," Arteta said. "I think we did a lot of positive things in the game.
"I think we created enough chances to win the game, but if you concede two set-pieces again in a tie like this, then you put yourself in big trouble.
"This is football and sometimes it is very cruel when the emotions are [high], then in another moment they're [low]. You have to able to handle that if you want to be in this industry so now it's up to us and up to me to bring this place back in and move forward."
With Arsenal ousted from the Europa League, the team must now beat Portsmouth on Monday in FA Cup fifth-round play for any hopes of silverware this season. They have an outside shot of qualifying for Champions League next season, sitting at 37 points in the Premier League standings.
"I just want to concentrate now on lifting those players and getting back the belief, and convince them that there is still a lot to play for, and move on," Arteta said. "It's part of this sport that a big disappointment can happen and it happened tonight. We have to learn and react as a team and as a club."
The 2020 MLS season gets underway on Saturday (beginning with D.C. United vs. Colorado Rapids at 1 p.m. ET; stream live on ESPN+), and with any new season comes a whole set of questions for every team around the league.
So before you sit down on Saturday to watch your team (stream every out-of-market game live on ESPN+), Arch Bell asks the biggest question facing each club -- and promptly provides an answer.
More change came this winter for Atlanta United with the exits of Darlington Nagbe, Tito Villalba, Leandro Gonzalez-Pirez and Julian Gressel, which puts pressure on new arrivals Matheus Rossetto, Fernando Meza and Brooks Lennon to at least match what the former MLS Cup winners produced.
The Fire have a new home, new logo, new sporting director (Georg Heitz) and a new coach in Raphael Wicky. New striker Robert Beric should flourish, in MLS and Spaniard Alvaro Medran helps make for a solid midfield, but it may take a few months before Wicky has a team to his liking.
After setting a record for fewest goals scored in a season, FC Cincinnati figures to have a better Year 2. The signing of Jurgen Locadia gives them their first legitimate goal-scoring stud, while Yuya Kubo and Adrien Regattin also provide some punch.
Robin Fraser's hiring, plus a couple of trades, turned things around for the Rapids in 2019 and almost got them to the postseason. They have built a deep squad and now have a sharp-looking No. 10 with Younes Namli, which should help continue their end-of-2019 form.
The Crew splashed the cash to land attacking midfielder Lucas Zelarayan, plus have added MLS mainstays in midfielder Darlington Nagbe and striker Fanendo Adi. With flying wing-back Milton Valenzuela back from injury, a deep run in the East could be in the cards for Caleb Porter's side.
Following the Wayne Rooney era, D.C. United are opting for MLS-proven players, like Ola Kamara to serve as goal scorer and Yamil Asad and Julian Gressel as playmaking options, plus imported talent with Peruvian winger Edison Flores. Those moves should put D.C. in a good place.
The FC guys debate whether Galaxy newcomer Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez will outscore LAFC star Carlos Vela.
Franco Jara arrives on July 1 and is the central striker that FC Dallas has needed for years. The Argentine knows how to finish, plus he'll be a good mentor to rising stars Jesus Ferreira and Ricardo Pepi. FC Dallas finally has a No. 9 to complement a talented midfield.
The headline in Houston this winter was the hiring of Tab Ramos. It marks Ramos' first head-coaching job in the league, and he inherits a team that failed to reach the postseason in 2019. Outside of Darwin Quintero, there wasn't much in the way of new arrivals in Houston. Ramos has his work cut out for him.
LAFC were punched in the mouth in the playoffs by Seattle, but they will once again be a top team in the Western Conference. A new goalkeeper and midfield depth with Jose Cifuentes and Francisco Ginella give Bob Bradley everything he needs to avoid a postseason letdown.
Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez is the new big man on campus for the Galaxy, and while the Mexico international likely won't reach Zlatan Ibrahimovic's scoring totals, he'll lead one of the league's best forward lines with Cristian Pavon and Aleksandar Katai. The defense still has holes though, even with Emiliano Insua's signing.
Herculez Gomez explains why Inter Miami cannot build a successful club around Rodolfo Pizarro.
Every top player in the world has been linked with David Beckham's new team in the past two years, but it took the final weeks of preseason to land a big-time name in Rodolfo Pizarro. The injury to Julian Carranza and the lack of a playmaker in midfield could make for a rough start.
After firming up the defense in 2019, Minnesota United coach Adrian Heath needs production at the other end -- Quintero led the team with just nine goals last season. It all comes down to whether new striker Luis Amarilla can replicate the form he showed in Ecuador last year, scoring 19 goals in 24 games.
Ignacio Piatti's decision to return to Argentina makes the Impact a far less dangerous side, and so goals will be hard to come by. Romell Quioto never really flourished in Houston and now will be counted on to provide fireworks along with Bojan Krkic. It's going to be tough sledding for Thierry Henry.
Nashville at first glimpse appears to fall into the "this is going to be rough" category of expansion sides, but it will create chances through designated player Hany Mukhtar in midfield. The spine is healthy, which should put Nashville in better shape than expansion predecessors FC Cincinnati and Minnesota United.
Herculez Gomez says Chicharito is already "doing the right things" following his arrival in Los Angeles.
Bruce Arena turned New England into a playoff team by the end of 2019, and now with a full preseason, the manager has a chance to truly put his stamp on the Revs. There is good chemistry between Carles Gil and Gustavo Bou up front, while Alexander Buttner is a smart add in defense.
The team that finished first in the East is still intact, it's just up to new boss Ronny Deila to keep them in the conference's rarefied air. The midfield is still excellent, but they remained plagued by playoff failure. Deila can be fiery on the touchline, and perhaps that is the edge NYCFC need.
The Red Bulls always have a playoff team, and 2020 should be no different. If they can make up for the departures of full-backs Kemar Lawrence and Michael Murillo, young pups like Omir Fernandez and Cristian Casseres and veterans Kaku and Aaron Long can lift the Red Bulls back into the East's top two.
Things are looking up in Orlando with the arrival of new coach Oscar Pareja. Dom Dwyer is banging in goals in preseason, while Pedro Gallese is an excellent addition in goal. If Dwyer carries his preseason form into the real thing, this could be the year Orlando breaks its playoff drought.
Philadelphia bids adieu to Haris Medunjanin, Marco Fabian and Fafa Picault, who had important roles in last year's playoff squad. Now it's up to Brenden Aaronson, Mark McKenzie and Kai Wagner to take a step forward to complement midfield maestros Ilsinho and Jamiro Monteiro and striker Kacper Przybylko.
With the addition of strikers Felipe Mora and Jaroslaw Niezgoda, plus winger Yimmi Chara, to go along with Diego Valeri and Sebastian Blanco, Portland has the firepower to rival the best of the West and possibly equal the title haul of Cascadia rival Seattle.
Nick Rimando said goodbye after more than 500 appearances in MLS, most with RSL, but the boys in Utah shouldn't miss a beat on the veteran leadership front with midfielder Kyle Beckerman. He doesn't have the wheels like he used to, but Beckerman remains a key piece in the RSL midfield and will have some help in the form of new winger Justin Meram.
The San Jose defense will be better with former Chivas man Oswaldo Alanis in the fold, and attacker Cristian Espinoza was acquired on a permanent basis, but one can't help but think that Matias Almeyda has grown frustrated seeing his Western Conference rivals bulk up their attacks while San Jose has mostly stood still.
Major League Soccer has released an all-new official anthem composed by world-renowned musician Hans Zimmer.
The champions have all their primary attacking pieces back from last year's squad and have added midfielder Joao Paulo to the mix. They won't miss a beat either at center-back with Xavier Arreaga and Yeimar Gomez. You'd be foolish to bet against Seattle making another run.
It's a new day in MLS when the likes of Sporting Kansas City are dropping nearly eight figures to acquire a player. Mexico striker Alan Pulido had 12 goals in the 2019 Apertura and stands to thrive this season with the likes of Felipe Gutierrez, Johnny Russell and Daniel Salloi playing provider.
Toronto FC will be without Michael Bradley for the first three to four months, but the Reds will counter that with a forward line that has La Liga lineage in Jozy Altidore, Alejandro Pozuelo and Pablo Piatti. With most of the members of last year's team back, TFC should be able to withstand Bradley's absence.
Lucas Cavallini is the splash signing Vancouver needed, and the former Puebla man should do well in MLS. The back line has been firmed up over the winter, and last year's experience should help coach Marc Dos Santos. Midfield is a question mark, however, and it may prevent the Caps from reaching the playoffs.
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