In 2005, the Atlanta Braves were winning the National League East Division title, center fielder Andruw Jones was hitting 51 home runs, and a Braves starting pitcher was busy being born.
Atlanta is set to start pitcher Didier Fuentes on Friday against the Miami Marlins, the Braves announced Friday afternoon. Fuentes, a native of Tolu, Colombia, celebrated his 20th birthday on Tuesday.
Per Mark Bowman of MLB.com, Fuentes will be the youngest pitcher to start a game for the Braves since 19-year-old Mike McQueen started June 23, 1970, against the Los Angeles Dodgers. McQueen wound up spending five years in the major leagues with Atlanta and the Cincinnati Reds.
Fuentes is 0-7 with a 4.81 ERA in the minors in 2025, and Bowman indicated that "this will likely be just a spot start."
The Braves, recovering from a poor start to '25, are 7-3 in their last 10 games. They currently hold a 34-39 record and sit 10 games behind the first-place New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.
Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee has now decided which team he would like to join in January as he looks to leave Old Trafford ahead of the World Cup.
Zirkzee could get new opportunity at Man Utd after Sesko injury
After joining from Bologna in 2024 in a deal worth £36.5m, it is safe to say that things haven’t gone to plan for Zirkzee in Manchester.
Under both Erik ten Hag and now Ruben Amorim, the forward has failed to find the back of the net on a regular basis, scoring just seven times in 54 appearances for the Red Devils.
So far in 2025/26, Zirkzee has played 90 minutes of football in all competitions but could be in line for more appearances following the news of Benjamin Sesko’s knee injury that could see him sidelined for a month.
Talking about Sesko and Zirkzee, Fabrizio Romano has claimed that there could be an “opportunity” for the latter, who Amorim thinks can still be “very important”.
Zirkzee has also started to become a forward in demand ahead of the January window, and there have also been suggestions that the Red Devils are happy to sell the “imposter” for £35m with up to nine different clubs circling.
Aston Villa
Brighton
Everton
Sunderland
West Ham
Inter Milan
Juventus
Roma
Sevilla
Now, the 24-year-old appears to have selected his preferred destination in 2026.
Zirkzee looking to leave Man Utd for Roma
According to reports in Italy relayed by Sport Witness, Zirkzee has made it clear that he would like to leave Man Utd and join Serie A side Roma in the New Year.
It is suggested that Gian Piero Gasperini’s side are offering him a clear starting spot in the side, something which appeals to the forward as he looks to increase his chances of making the Netherlands squad ahead of the World Cup.
Roma are looking to agree a deal with Man Utd as soon as possible and have already made initial contact over a transfer.
Should a move go through, Zirkzee, who scored 11 Serie A goals in 2023/24 before his move to Manchester, would be rivalling the likes of Paulo Dybala, Artem Dovbyk and Brighton loanee Evan Ferguson for a starting spot.
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All three centre-forward options are currently injured, though, potentially explaining the reason why Roma want to land a new striker as soon as possible in the New Year.
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It is not just professional football that Harry Kane is dedicated to, with the Bayern Munich striker "braving the cold" in order to "get 18 holes in" during a winter round of golf. The England captain can often be found on the fairways and is not ready to put his clubs away just yet, despite freezing weather descending on Europe. He is wrapping up against testing conditions.
World Cup-bound: Kane fired England to another tournament
Kane has been making the most of time off towards the end of the latest international break. He has been away with England, helping to complete a faultless qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup.
He figured in meetings with Serbia and Albania, bagging a brace against the latter to seal a 2-0 win on the road. The Three Lions have reached another major tournament without dropping a point or conceding a goal.
Kane will captain them – fitness permitting – at next summer’s finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico. He will get more time in the Americas to work on his golf game, with it likely that a bag of woods and irons will make the journey with him over the Atlantic.
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Hitting the greens: Kane braves the cold
The 32-year-old never passes up the chance to hit the greens, with golf becoming his favourite pastime. Said game presents him with an opportunity to escape the stresses of his day job.
He has made a point of getting a few more rounds in before chilly conditions making playing impossible. Kane donned a woolly hat when breaking out his driver again. He posted on Instagram: "Winter golf. Anybody else been braving the cold to get 18 holes in?"
NFL or PGA Tour: Kane has not ruled out crossover
There will be a fair few joining Kane in getting more golf in before 2025 comes to a close. Some of those may fancy their chances of taking on the England skipper, with the prolific frontman revealing that he plays off a single-figure handicap of three.
He has not ruled out exploring a future on the PGA Tour once his playing days on the football field are over. Kane has told : "I’d still say ‘never say never’, because I don’t like to rule anything out. It takes such a lot of time and dedication, it would be really, really, really tough. I think sometimes people don’t appreciate how much work goes into it. You watch it on the TV and you see them doing it so effortlessly and you think ‘I could have a go at that’, but it’s really tough. I’d never say never, but I think it’s really unlikely that will happen."
While being more than competent with a club in hand, Kane has never achieved the ultimate goal in golf. He does, however, intend to right that wrong at some point in the not too distant future. He told his channel back in May: "I’ve never got a hole in one. One of my lifetime goals is to join the hole in one club!"
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Kane record: Goal tallies for Bayern and England
Kane has made a habit of hitting his targets down the years, with there seemingly nothing that he cannot do. He is able to drive the ball over 300 yards in golf, which will put him in position to grab the odd hole in one at some point.
With his clean striking of a ball with his foot also being taken into account, it has been suggested that Kane could move into American football once his soccer career is over. He is a big fan of NFL and has admitted to being keen on moving into place kicking.
For now, Kane is focused on scoring goals for Bayern and England. He has reached 108 through 113 appearances for the former, while taking his record-setting haul for the latter to 78 from 112 caps.
Bundesliga champions Bayern, who have dropped just two points through 10 fixtures in the German top-flight this season, will be back in action on Saturday when playing host to Freiburg.
O Palmeiras encara o São Paulo neste domingo (4), no Mineirão, em final única que vale o bicampeonato da Supercopa do Brasil para o Verdão.
Para conquistar mais uma importante taça para a galeria de Abel Ferreira, o Palmeiras conta com a presença decisiva de Raphael Veiga.
➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras
O camisa 23 é o jogador com mais gols em finais na história do Palmeiras, e neste ano chegou a 15 gols em clássicos, sendo cinco deles no time do Morumbi. Com 98 gols na carreira, o meia está a dois tentos de atingir a marca centenária.
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➡️ Palmeiras encaminha contratação de ex-atacante do Flamengo
Na Supercopa da temporada passada, o Palmeiras acabou ficando com o título após um jogo eletrizante diante do Flamengo, com o placar de 4 a 3, e Raphael Veiga marcando duas vezes.
A bola rola para Palmeiras x São Paulo neste domingo (4), a partir das 16h (horário de Brasília), e a Rede Globo transmite o Choque-Rei decisivo.
Patriots stuttered a little bit in their small chase against Falcons, but Alick Athanaze and Jason Holder finished the job with five overs to spare
ESPNcricinfo staff15-Aug-2025
Waqar Salamkheil ran through the Falcons middle order•Randy Brooks – CPL T20 / Getty
CPL 2025 got off to a low-scoring start in Basseterre, where St Kitts and Nevis Patriots rode on a stellar bowling performance led by Waqar Salamkheil to run out six-wicket victors over Antigua and Barbuda Falcons.After Jason Holder opted to bowl, Kyle Mayers, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Naseem Shah left Falcons at 39 for 3 inside the fifth over. Salamkheil, the Afghanistan left-arm wristspinner, came on in the eighth over and was on target off his fourth ball, pitching just outside off stump and turning it back in to hit Fabian Allen’s stumps. He went on to spin out Shakib Al Hasan, Imad Wasim and Odean Smith to end with 4 for 22 from his four overs.Fortunately for Falcons, USA batter Karima Gore was in good nick, but with no other batter making a significant contribution, he had to pretty much go it alone. Gore’s 34-ball 61 included eight fours and two sixes, and Falcons would have wanted him to bat longer than he did after having walked out in the first over itself. As it happened, Farooqi returned to get rid of Gore in the 12th over, a slower delivery sliced high for Andre Fletcher, the wicketkeeper, to take a sharp running catch.All Patriots, the CPL 2021 winners, needed to score was 122, and though they got there quite comfortably, and never really looked in danger of not being able to, there was a little stutter in between thanks to Rahkeem Cornwall.Evin Lewis took off in a flash, scoring 25 in 13, before falling to Obed McCoy in the fourth over. Patriots made it out of the powerplay with just the loss of Lewis and 55 runs on the board, but in the seventh over, Cornwall sent back both Kyle Mayers and Rilee Rossouw. And suddenly, at 56 for 3, Patriots were looking just that little bit out of sorts.But Fletcher was playing a sedate knock, and in Alick Athanaze, Patriots found just the man for the job. Fletcher fell after scoring a 26-ball 19, to Salamkheil’s compatriot AM Ghazanfar at the end of the tenth over, but Patriots had reached 76 already by then. Athanaze, with an unbeaten 28-ball 37, and Holder, with 18 in 14 balls, finished the job from there with five overs in the bank.
Tottenham Hotspur are now leading the race to sign an “intelligent” midfielder from a Champions League club, having overtaken a number of their Premier League rivals in the race for his signature.
Spurs urged to reshuffle midfield amid lack of forward passes
Sky Sports analyst Nick Wright has recently called for Tottenham to reshuffle their midfield, off the back of the poor team performance in the 0-0 draw against AS Monaco in the Champions League, as well as the 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa.
Against the French side, Spurs’ midfield duo of Rodrigo Bentancur and Joao Palhinha directed just seven of their 58 combined passes forward, picking out Richarlison on three occasions and failing to provide substitute Randal Kolo Muani with the ball once.
The creativity problems were also on display against Villa, with the duo directing 15 of 79 passes forward, which indicates Thomas Frank needs to either reshuffle his midfield options or bring in a new player in January or the summer.
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According to a report from Record (via Sport Witness), Tottenham are now leading the race for Sporting CP midfielder Morten Hjulmand, who has attracted widespread interest from the Premier League, with the likes of Man United and Manchester City also keen.
Sporting are expecting offers for Hjulmand in the January transfer window, but it may take a huge offer to get a deal over the line, given that the Portugal club plan to stick to the €80m (£70m) release clause included in his current contract.
It is unclear whether the north Londoners are willing to make an approach this winter, and Sporting remain in a strong negotiating position, considering the midfielder is contracted until 2028, but there are plenty of signs he could be worth pursuing…
"Intelligent" Hjulmand could be exactly what Frank needs
As previously mentioned, Tottenham are having a hard time progressing the ball up the pitch, but the Sporting star is an extremely impressive passer of the ball, who has a tendency to advance the ball into more advanced areas.
Statistic
Average per 90 (past year)
Passes attempted
62.70 (87th percentile)
Pass completion %
90% (95th percentile)
Progressive passes
6.51 (83rd percentile)
The pass-master has also started to prove himself at the top level this season, receiving a 7.6 SofaScore match rating in his side’s 2-1 defeat against Marseille in the Champions League earlier this month, the highest of any Sporting player.
Not only does the Denmark international excel in possession of the ball, but he is also solid from a defensive point of view, according to scout Ben Mattinson, who said: “Hjulmand is a defensively intelligent midfielder who reads the game to a high level. He has great anticipation which allows him to read the oppositions next attacking moves.”
As such, Hjulmand could be the ideal addition to Frank’s squad, with the Tottenham manager clearly in need of different options in the engine room.
He delivered 16 dots in his four-over spell to produce the joint-most economical spell in the IPL at the Wankhede Stadium
ESPNcricinfo staff22-May-20251:51
Moody: Santner a nightmare on pitches like this
Three wickets for 11 runs. An economy of 2.75. A total of 16 dot balls. These were Mitchell Santner’s returns for Mumbai Indians (MI) in match 63 of their IPL 2025 outing against Delhi Capitals (DC).It was also the most miserly figures by a spinner at the Wankhede Stadium in IPL history in yet another sublime performance for the left-arm spinner this season who now has an economy of 7.60 this season.Related
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After his spell put DC into a chokehold, Varun Aaron and Tom Moody couldn’t help but praise Santner in the post-match segment on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out show.”The moment Will Jacks bowled, I was thinking if Will Jacks is going to turn the ball this much, Santner is just going to run rigs around the batsman,” Aaron said. “Santner is a quality bowler, just one of those underutilised bowlers, underutilised players at CSK, never really got a long run, but he’s just showing what he’s worth the moment he stepped into Mumbai Indians’ colours.”Ryan Rickelton stumps Ashutosh Sharma off Mitchell Santner’s bowling•BCCISantner dismissed Sameer Rizvi and Vipraj Nigam – DC’s top-two scorers on the night – before removing Ashutosh Sharma with a beautiful delivery that left him stumped. But it wasn’t just the uncharacteristically slow Wankhede surface that made Santner so dangerous, Moody added. His variations – sometimes very subtle – played a big part too.”And the beauty of Santner is that, on a surface like that, it’s not so much the turn is the threat, it’s the pitch being slow and his ability to change the arrival of the ball at different paces without the knowledge of the batsman. That’s what makes him lethal, his subtle change of pace without any real sign or cue for the batter is his key,” Moody said. “It’s not like he’s spun the odd one, but let’s face it, Mitchell is not a big turner of the ball, he’s never been a big turner of the ball, that’s why he’s never really grabbed hold of a Test cricket and run with it.”Yes, he had a good series here recently when New Zealand beat India in a three-Test-match series. But his real skill is that sort of change of pace and when you’ve got a slow surface, that’s a batting nightmare.”Aaron also pointed to Santner’s physical attributes that add another layer of deception: “his height and his angles, he really uses the crease well. Generally, when batsmen subconsciously see a tall bowler, they just think he’s going to fire every ball in. But he actually, like Tom says, uses his pace so well.”
While success hasn’t always followed, West Ham United have had some genuine world-beaters represent the club over the years.
For example, the likes of Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst are more than just club legends; they are true icons of the English game.
Then, in the modern day, while he’s not quite matched their achievements, Jarrod Bowen is in with a real chance of being the club’s greatest ever Premier League player.
However, there is another man who might have an equal shout for that title: Dimitri Payet.
The Frenchman was utterly incredible during his time with the club, and in great news, Nuno Espírito Santo has someone in his current squad with shades of the midfielder in his game.
Payet's West Ham career
West Ham signed Payet from Marseille for a fee of around £10.7m, and while the move received little media attention at the time, it would soon be looked at as one of the best deals that summer.
It didn’t take long at all for the mercurial midfielder to make his mark, as on his debut, against Arsenal, he provided an assist for Cheikhou Kouyaté from a well-taken free-kick.
From that point onwards, the Saint-Pierre-born genius would continue to turn up for the Hammers, and by the end of the season, he had racked up a brilliant haul of 12 goals and 15 assists in 38 games, totalling 3223 minutes.
Unsurprisingly, such an incredible debut campaign for the club saw him named the Premier League Player of the Year at the 2016 London Football Awards, shortlisted for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and named West Ham United Player of the Year.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and after telling the club he didn’t want to play for them anymore, he left for £25m in January.
Payet’s West Ham record
Appearances
60
Minutes
4981′
Goals
15
Assists
22
Points per Game
1.52
All Stats via Transfermarkt
It’s hard to overstate how brilliant Payet was to watch at West Ham, and while there isn’t anyone just like him in the current squad, there is someone with shades of him in their game.
West Ham's star with shades of Payet
Now, there are a number of players in this current West Ham side who could go on to do great things at the club, as Bowen already has.
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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
However, when it comes to someone who has shades of Payet in their game, it’s hard to look past Crysencio Summerville and the potential he has.
It’s important to say the word potential, as it would be crazy to suggest that the former Leeds United star has reached the levels the Frenchman did at the club.
However, that is not the point, as this isn’t a comparison to say he will be as good as the 38-year-old; it’s to point out the elements of his game that feel Payet-esque.
One such element is his brilliant ability with the ball at his feet, specifically when it comes to dribbling and beating opponents.
This was on full display in his Man of the Match-winning display against Everton on Monday night, as the Dutchman was able to complete three of five dribbles, which was the most of anyone on the pitch, including Jack Grealish.
More than that, he utilises this ball-carrying ability to create numerous chances for his teammates, whether through winning fouls or outmanoeuvring opponents.
Summerville’s Scout Report
Statistics
Per 90
Percentile
SCA (Fouls Drawn)
0.52
Top 1%
Fouls Drawn
2.58
Top 3%
Penalty Kicks Won
0.10
Top 4%
Pass Completion % (Medium)
88.1%
Top 5%
SCA (Take-On)
0.72
Top 7%
GCA (Fouls Drawn)
0.10
Top 8%
All Stats via FBref
For example, FBref ranks him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for shot-creating actions coming from fouls won, the top 4% for penalties won, the top 7% for shot-creating actions coming from take-ons and more, all per 90.
Finally, while his output hasn’t been ideal since his move to East London, there is undoubtedly a star waiting to come out in the “unstoppable” game-changer, as dubbed by Statman Dave.
This was on show in his final campaign with Leeds, when he racked up 21 goals and ten assists in 49 games and won the Championship Player of the Year.
Ultimately, Summerville isn’t as talented as Payet, but with his ability on the ball and dynamism, there are certainly shades of the Frenchman in his game.
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Há três anos que o dia 8 de agosto ganhou um novo significado para o palmeirense. Campeão Paulista diante do maior rival no Allianz Parque, o Palmeiras celebra hoje três anos do último título antes da chegada de Abel Ferreira no Brasil.
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Apesar das arquibancadas vazias e do sofrível futebol apresentado pela equipe de Vanderlei Luxemburgo, o título significou uma espécie de revanche da polêmica final do Paulista de 2018, vencida pelo Corinthians.
O título também marcou a primeira taça conquistada pelo Palmeiras diante do maior rival na sua nova casa e trouxe a confirmação de que o clube acertava em parar de investir milhões e milhões em contratações e focar em dar mais oportunidades para as crias de sua categoria base.
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Das crias que surgiram naquele campeonato, apenas Gabriel Menino segue no clube e três anos depois de surgir como uma promessa, se consolidou e conquistou diversas taças como protagonista, incluindo as duas dessa temporada.
Patrick de Paula, o grande nome daquela decisão, ao lado de Weverton, deixou o clube dois anos depois da conquista e hoje amarga a reserva do Botafogo.
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+ Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00. Bebida gelada nos 90′ de jogo do Verdão!
Com a chegada de Abel, o Palmeiras conquistou mais duas taças do Paulista e ainda ficou com um vice estadual, em 2021.
Desde que o Allianz Parque foi inaugurado, em novembro de 2014, o Palmeiras já conquistou oito títulos em sua nova arena, sem contar as taças de categoria de base e também do feminino.
Aos 15 anos, Fernandinho pode até ser jovem, mas conhece bem o gosto de ser campeão. O volante da categoria sub-15 do Palmeiras foi um dos destaques da Marveld Cup, na qual o Verdão bateu o Barcelona e levantou o caneco internacional, na Holanda, no último final de semana.
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+ Veja tabela e classificação da Libertadores-2023 clicando aqui
– O segredo é trabalho e disciplina. Sabíamos que seria desafiador jogar com as maiores equipes do mundo. Não existe nada melhor do que vencer títulos pelo Palmeiras. Ainda mais em uma competição de nível tão alto assim, em solo internacional – celebrou.
Titular do começo ao fim da competição, Fernandinho conta que o grupo não se abalou ao saber que enfrentaria tantos adversários de peso – mas se motivou mais ainda. Ele destaca que o grupo ficou mais forte quando viu o tamanho do desafio que era participar de um torneio com Manchester United, Ajax, PSV e, o agora vice-campeão, Barcelona.
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– Só posso agradecer a Deus por essa grande conquista. Só precisamos manter o foco, disciplina e fé que tudo dá certo. Só posso agradecer ao clube pela confiança e oportunidade que nos foram dadas – agradeceu.
Fernandinho e o sub-15 do Palmeiras voltam a campo para mais uma competição internacional já neste final de semana. Na Bélgica, o jogador vai disputar a Kevin De Bruyne Cup. Campeonato em que o Palmeiras vai enfrentar gigantes do futebol mundial como Bayern de Munique, PSG, Barcelona, Manchester City, Real Madrid, entre outros.