The future of Lille midfielder Thiago Maia is unsure, with the Brazilian said to be keen on leaving his French club in this summer’s transfer window.
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Newcastle United have been strongly linked with a move, but there have been a lot of contrasting reports surrounding the defensive midfielder’s future in recent days.
Indeed, The Chronicle have claimed that Maia, who could replace Mikel Merino in the middle of the park, is not currently a target for Newcastle, but a number of publications – including Le 10 Sport – are linking the Magpies with a move for the 21-year-old.
Maia joined Lille from Brazilian outfit Santos in July 2017, and made 37 appearances in all competitions for his Ligue 1 club during the 2017-18 campaign.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”269905″ player=”12034″ title=”Football’s Coming Home The Myth Behind ‘Three Lions'”]
The midfielder has also previously been linked with a move to Liverpool, although the Reds have not been credited with an interest since April.
The Newcastle fans have been airing their views on the transfer speculation surrounding Maia, and it would be fair to say that the majority are confused when it comes to a potential deal.
A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Newcastle supporters can be seen below:
Rafa Benitez is an ambitious manager and the Toon Army is an ambitious fan base, but ahead of Newcastle United’s return to the Premier League, whether that proves to be beneficial or detrimental remains to be seen.
No question, most clubs around the world would kill to have a following as passionate as Newcastle’s, but that passion works both ways; the atmosphere at St. James’ Park can quickly turn when performances lack excitement and the club always feels like it’s swinging between irresistible highs and unprecedented lows.
To survive in an increasingly competitive Premier League next season, level-headedness and realism is needed. It’s essential to walk before you can run in the top flight and although Newcastle have plenty of experience of being there, setting targets too high can see a campaign implode spectacularly.
If even the reigning champions can finish the following campaign in tenth place, as Chelsea did two years ago, there are certainly no guarantees Newcastle will be clear of the relegation battle next season. Nonetheless, when we asked Magpies fans to predict how their club would fare next term, the majority said between 15th and 10th, whereas only five percent predicted lower.
Keeping ambitions in check should be one of the key jobs of the manager, especially at a club as idiosyncratic as Newcastle. That doesn’t mean prophesising a relegation scrap on the first day of the season as David Moyes did at Sunderland last term, but it does mean not raising expectations unnecessarily. So far this summer, however, Benitez has only played to the fan base’s ambitions, its apathy towards Mike Ashley and his own popularity as weapons in his ongoing power struggle at the Tyneside club.
“I’ve confirmed to Rafa and Lee that they can have every last penny that the club generates through promotion, player sales and other means in order to build for next season.”
Mike Ashley on Newcastle’s summer spending
Indeed, the summer transfer window hasn’t even opened yet and Benitez has already thrown his toys out of the pram twice. After Newcastle’s promotion from the Championship, he refused to confirm he’d still be in charge next season until Ashley promised a budget of up to £100million and despite the club parting with Graham Carr to increase Benitez’s autonomy over signings, reports last weekend claimed the Spaniard had grown frustrated with the Magpies’ transfer policy for the second time in a matter of weeks after missing out on Tammy Abraham and Newcastle ‘dragging their heels’ over a deal for Florian Lejeune.
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Some Newcastle fans will view the situation as typical Ashley, reluctant to spend despite promises otherwise because he knows the profit the club – and more importantly, he – would make from simply making up the numbers in the Premier League next season.
That perception may well have some truth in it, but the idea that Newcastle need to spend £100million this summer is outlandish enough, let alone Benitez losing patience with the club over a failed loan signing and a decent if unspectacular Eibar defender before the transfer window is even open.
It all further amplifies the illusion that Newcastle should be aiming unusually high next season for a club that has just been promoted from the Championship, something which the fan base already appears to believe. But once again, that’s not the reality of the situation; whether you’re Macclesfield or Manchester United, top fight survival after gaining promotion is always a good season.
To expect anything more is somewhere between naively idealistic and setting up for your own fall, and it’s quickly been forgotten that Newcastle didn’t exactly blow the Championship away last season, as much as they kept the rest of the division at a safe distance with a cool and consistent breeze.
Can this current squad really be expected to push for a 10th-place finish next term, even if Benitez does get to spend £100million? If the likes of Southampton, West Ham and West Brom are the benchmark, Newcastle are a long way off in terms of experience and quality.
Furthermore, Ashley has already made huge allowances by his own standards, excepting a quiet January transfer window – something which the Magpies’ champions’ status eventually justified – starting with a £50million spend last summer.
On average, over the last six seasons, survival has cost around £35million. Even doubling that sum, taking the Premier League’s new TV deal and consequential unprecedented spending into account, Benitez could end up spending £30million more ahead of 2017/18. Accordingly, that will only add to the fan base’s expectations of something more than a survival bid, as will Benitez’s protests about a lack of action thus far.
But at this point in Newcastle’s history, when the club will have to re-establish itself as a top-flight side, that feels incredibly irresponsible. Even with four games to go last season none of the top ten were mathematically clear of the relegation zone, which firstly shows how competitive the Premier League now is and secondly how being in a relegation battle can be as much perception as points on the board – some clubs will naturally assume they’ll pull away with a few games to spare, others will begin to fear the worst.
And thus, if Newcastle aren’t a safe distance away post-Christmas, you can already imagine the St. James’ Park crowd beginning to turn and fans asking why their club is in a relegation battle as frustration and fears of history repeating itself set in.
That expectation, that perception, that frustration and the subsequent pressure will be as much Benitez’s fault as anybody else for the way he’s behaved this summer, playing up to fans’ ambitions for political gain instead of going about his business quietly. Pressure on a team that has just come up from the Championship is never a good thing – and it certainly won’t be on new boys Brighton and Huddersfield in the same way.
It’s starting to feel like Benitez is holding the club to ransom because he’s a proven manager with huge popularity amongst the fans, in the same way Harry Redknapp often did at Tottenham. He constantly talked about a desire to make it into the top four in a bid to squeeze the funds to do so from Daniel Levy.
But whilst he managed it once and cost the Lilywhites a small fortune in transfer fees and wages in the process, often on largely average players, Mauricio Pochettino has done it twice in consecutive seasons, putting up a serious title challenge in both, predominantly using the resources that were already at his disposal. Just because Benitez is making big demands doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the right demands to make.
There are two sides to every argument and whilst Benitez may believe his actions are an effort to accelerate the evolution of a club that has the potential to be one of the Premier League’s major forces, they could also prove to be incredibly undermining for himself, for his players and the Magpies over the course of what looks set to be an incredibly tough 2017/18.
Benitez should be managing expectations, not using them as leverage ahead of a season in which, realistically, anything more than survival is a bonus.
As reported in an exclusive by The Sun, West Ham are eyeing a shock move for England international goalkeeper Joe Hart this summer.
What’s the word?
West Ham’s first choice goalkeeper Adrian’s contract expires at the end of the season, with the Hammers holding an option to extend for a further two years.
However, The Sun report that Bilic is willing to listen to reasonable offers for the Spanish goalkeeper in the summer.
The paper reckons that West Ham are seeking an elite goalkeeper to join their ranks and have put Manchester City’s Joe Hart, currently on loan at Torino is Serie A, at the top of their wishlist.
The Sun says that West Ham are willing to meet City’s £15m valuation of the shot stopper.
Football Soccer – Inter Milan v Torino – Italian Serie A – San Siro stadium, Milan, Italy- 26/10/16 – Torino’s goalkeeper Joe Hart gestures. REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo
Still good enough for the Premier League?
A lot has been said about Joe Hart over the last 18 months. A few high profile errors have coloured people’s opinion of him and there are some who reckon he might not have what it takes to either play for England or for an ambitious Premier League clubs.
Hart has been in excellent form for Torino this season. He’s helped the Italian club to 5 clean sheets this season with two of those coming in the last two fixtures.
A return home would bring a lot of media attention and speculation but if he can get back to making excellent saves again, that would soon die down.
With the future of Adrian now reported to be uncertain and Darren Randolph not an ideal long-term solution to the position, perhaps a move to West Ham would be beneficial to all parties. Joe Hart can prove he still has what it takes and West Ham get a fine international goalkeeper on their hands that is an improvement on what they have.
Philippe Coutinho. To some Liverpool fans, the club’s most important player. To some tabloids, an apparent target of European champions Barcelona. To myself, one of the Premier League’s most overrated stars whose popularity hinges upon the abbreviated and superficial nature of Match of the Day.
No doubt, Coutinho is a talented footballer, especially considering he’s still just 23 years of age. Last season he earned a place in the PFA Team of the Year and since August 2014 has been called upon regularly – eleven times to be precise – by Brazil coach Dunga, yet his talents lay in his ability to entertain rather than to win football matches.
That’s not to say the attacking midfielder has never single-handedly won a football match for Liverpool. His Goal of the Month for August claimed all three points in the dying embers of an otherwise scoreless affair with Stoke City on the opening day of the season, but that in itself illustrates the argument I’m making.
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The midfielder’s strike possessed all the quality and imagination you’d expect of a Selacao star, ripping through the air past a helpless Jack Butland, but that one worldie has come at the expense of 42 other opportunities wasted through more futile efforts; the second-most attempts at goal of any player in the Premier League and less than half of which have actually been on target.
Most fall into the category of high, wide and unhandsome and if you let virtually any Premier League player – be they Yaya Toure or John Terry – have 43 attempts from the edge of the box, one will inevitably find its way into the corner of the net and look particularly special whilst doing so. If you give a thousand monkeys a thousand typewriters, you eventually get a masterpiece.
Coutinho’s game isn’t all about scoring goals but that approach to finding the net does typify the Brazilian’s continual protrusion of style over substance. He relentlessly attempts the killer pass, the killer shot or the killer skill, seemingly failing to take into account the inevitable wastage when trying to pull off the spectacular every time he receives the ball.
Manchester City’s David Silva is the best No.10 in the Premier League because he makes goals without losing the ball. After all, that is the ultimate job of a No.10. Liverpool’s No.10, on the other hand, gifts the ball back to the opposition goalkeeper at least four times per match, is dispossessed whilst carrying 2.4 times per match and misses nearly 20% of his passes. That’s around 15 times per match he’s squandered possession this term and 135 times overall, which is hardly justified by a return of one goal and two assists.
Of course, you don’t see much of that on Match of the Day, which is why Coutinho continues to be such a popular figure with the Premier League audience. The highlights always show his moments of mild brilliance but rarely the ordinary football leading up to it. When you watch Coutinho over a full ninety minutes, however, more often than not he’s irritatingly wasteful and tends to only influence games in short bursts. He’s only actually created nine chances in nine appearances so far this season and averaged 42 passes per match. Nine Liverpool players have averaged more.
No question, Coutinho has the potential to make me eat my words at some point over the next few years. Aaron Ramsey, Ross Barkley and Christian Eriksen have all been accused of overcomplicated games in the past but are now amongst the top attacking midfielders in the division. The Premier League is particularly obsessed with dynamic match-winners possessing a knack for the occasional sublime and should the South American’s goal tally venture into double figures, many would argue the countless wild strikes into the Anfield stands are an acceptable compromise.
But right now, Coutinho isn’t producing to anywhere near that level. Match-winning displays are continually juxtaposed by underwhelming ones, just as every worldie is juxtaposed by countless shots of considerable mediocrity, so if the tabloids are accurate in claiming Barcelona will launch a bid for the 23 year-old in January, Liverpool would be well advised to bite their hand off.
Although any potential replacement might lack Coutinho’s streak of the fleeting spectacular, the chances are that they’ll be far more consistent in helping Liverpool to victory.
Thomas Muller joked that Harry Kane must be running out of room to keep his match balls after scoring another hat-trick for Bayern Munich.
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Kane scored hat-trick in Bayern win
Has netted three trebles in Germany
Team-mate Muller made joke
WHAT HAPPENED?
The English striker fired in three goals as the German giants ran out 4-0 winners against Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.
Shortly after Dayot Upamecano opened the scoring just four minutes into the clash in Dortmund, Kane doubled their advantage. He added a third after 72 minutes and then rounded off the scoring in stoppage time.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
The treble is Kane's second in a row for Bayern, having fired in three when they ran out 8-0 winners against Darmstadt last week, including an effort from his own half.
It is his third hat-trick since joining the German giants and he is the first player to score three in his first ever Klassiker match.
He is also the only Bundesliga player in history to score 15 goals in his first 10 matches.
WHAT THEY SAID
Kane's growing collection of match balls after his latest hat-trick prompted a joke from co-star Muller, who came up to him after the game and said: "Your hotel room gets smaller and smaller now, huh?"
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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Kane will hope to continue his goalscoring form on Wednesday when his side face Galatasaray in the Champions League.
Carlo Ancelotti could leave the Santiago Bernabeu at the end of the season and there are several possible replacements…
Carlo Ancelotti hasn't done much wrong as Real Madrid coach. Since arriving for the second time 18 months ago, he has won La Liga and the Champions League – and could win the latter again this season.
He has revived an ageing squad, helped Karim Benzema become a Ballon d'Or winner, and developed Vinicius Jr into a world-class winger.
But now, his job is being called into question. Barcelona are running away with La Liga and with Ancelotti increasingly linked to the Brazil national team gig, it appears his days in Spain could be numbered.
That leaves Madrid potentially looking for a new manager this summer, and they can likely get whoever they want.
Such is the pull of the club, and the relentlessness of President Florentino Perez, that Los Blancos are very hard to turn down. Still, this could be a particularly appointment to make.
In Ancelotti, Madrid had the right kind of character for the job. The famously sound man-manager has brought the team immense success on confidence alone, allowing a world-class squad to play to their own beat.
But Madrid have become predictable, and perhaps need a more astute tactical mind. The board are reportedly starting to realise this.
Indeed, the experienced squad that grinded their way to a European-domestic double is on their way out, while a wave of youth talent could still do with moulding and guidance.
The current options, though, are mixed. Thomas Tuchel was the most obvious candidate before he was snapped up by Bayern Munich last week.
Still, there are a few managers of interest on the market, including reported top candidate Mauricio Pochettino.
GOAL takes a look at who could take the helm next at the Santiago Bernabeu…
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Mauricio Pochettino
Numerous outlets are reporting that the former Tottenham and PSG man has piqued the interest of Madrid's board. And he certainly meets some of the criteria.
Pochettino's sides try to play exciting football, and he has the charisma and energy of a manager capable of leading a big side. His domestic success has been admittedly limited, but he took Tottenham to the 2019 Champions League final, and also won Ligue 1 with PSG in 2022.
At Tottenham, he worked wonders with a relatively small budget and Spurs were among the most entertaining teams in Europe on their day.
With creative players such as Dele and Christian Eriksen playing behind an ever-improving Harry Kane, Pochettino pieced together a side that finished second in the Premier League in 2016, and knocked Manchester City out of the Champions League in 2019.
It's not hard to see him doing something similar with a young squad in Madrid – especially if Los Blancos sign a certain English midfielder to bolster the ranks.
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Raul
Madrid don't mind an internal replacement. It's brought them plenty of success in the past, notably with the promotion of Zinedine Zidane from reserve side Castilla. The club legend went on to win two league titles and a trio of Champions League winners' medals at the helm.
And Raul could be next in line. Zidane's former team-mate's managerial path is remarkably similar to that of the former Madrid boss.
Raul took over the Madrid U15s in 2018, and was made manager of Madrid Castilla less than a year later. The B team have enjoyed success under the club legend's tutelage, with the academy side third, and four points behind Alcoron in the Primera Federacion.
Players such as Rodrygo, Alvaro Rodriguez and the soon-to-return Fran Garcia have all cracked into the senior side after developing under Raul, too.
Leeds were reportedly interested in hiring him, and a handful of German clubs were also sniffing around. But he spurned all interest, presumably with his eyes on a different job…
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Julian Nagelsmann
Nagelsmann was recently let go by Bayern Munich, and is reportedly determined to take a few months off before returning to management. If he's refreshed by this summer, he could be a shrewd appointment for Los Blancos.
The German was hailed as a young tactical mastermind when he was hired by Bayern 18 months ago. But he never quite worked out at the club.
Although Bayern won the league during his first season in charge – and could still do so this year – Nagelsmann had a tricky relationship with the board. Valid, but perhaps harsh concerns over the style of football and consistency of the side saw his tenure end prematurely.
But that shouldn't put other teams off. Indeed, Nagelsmann lost Robert Lewandowski, turned Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting into a top-class striker, and before his firing, had Bayen in the last eight of the Champions League. That isn't an easy thing to do.
Madrid would present a different challenge, but one Nagelsmann certainly has the brain to approach.
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Xabi Alonso
Alonso has worked wonders at Bayer Leverkusen. The German side were fighting a relegation battle when the former Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder took over. A few months later, they are fighting for a European spot.
This is no accident. Alonso has a young, energetic side playing to its full potential thanks to a number of shrewd tactical moves. He has given the talented Florian Wirtz licence to create, utilised the pace of Moussa Diaby, and reinforced what was a leaky back line.
That this is his first senior management job makes it all the more impressive.
Alonso is a product of the Madrid coaching system, taking over the U14s before moving to Real Sociedad B in 2019, and, after spending some of his best years as a player at the Santiago Bernabeu, he certainly has a strong connection to the club.
As is the case with Raul, it is largely assumed that Alonso will take the Madrid job someday. Is now the right time?
O Santos divulgou nesta segunda-feira o desligamento de 4.800 membros do programa Sócio Rei, devido a falta de identificação do CPF. O processo de recadastramento iniciou em janeiro de 2019 e identificou que aproximadamente 8.000 sócios não possuíam o documento em seu cadastro. Menos da metade dos identificados regularizaram a situação.
Apenas associados cadastrados anteriormente a 2017 foram desligados, já que a partir de 2018 o informe do CPF para novos sócios passou a ser obrigatório.
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O cancelamento dos cadastros sem CPF não significou um grande abalo financeiro ao clube, já que 95% deles eram remidos ou especiais, portanto, isentos de pagamento. Durante um ano e dois meses, o Peixe buscou algumas medidas para recadastramento desses membros, como bloqueio na entrada em dias de jogos, contato via telefone, e-mail, correspondência e até mesmo comunicado através de um jornal da região.
Foi identificado que grande parte dos sócios desligados registravam nascimento anterior a 1940, sendo alguns, inclusive, já falecidos. Além disso, muitos não tinham endereço nem telefone registrados.
A medida em ano eleitoral visa eliminar problemas como na última eleição, em 2017, como carteirinhas com “sócios fantasmas” e “laranjas” aproveitando-se da vulnerabilidade da identificação dos associados.
De volta ao comando do time sub-20 do Corinthians após uma rápida passagem pelo CT Joaquim Grava entre os meses de novembro e janeiro, o técnico Dyego Coelho divulgou a lista dos 30 atletas inscritos para a disputa da Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior do ano que vem.
TABELA >Confira como ficaram os grupos da Copa Libertadores 2020
Maior vencedor do torneio, o Corinthians vai atrás de sua 11ª conquista da Copinha em 2020. O Timãozinho está no Grupo 11, ao lado de Francana-SP, Fluminense, do Piauí, e Retrô, do Pernambuco, A estreia do Alvinegro será no dia 3 de janeiro, às 21h30, diante da equipe de Recife.
Entre os nomes chamados por Coelho destaque para o lateral Lucas Piton, que estreou como profissional no último jogo desta temporada, contra o Fluminense, e para os campeões da Copa do Mundo Sub-17: o goleiro Matheus Donelli e o meio-campista MatheusAraújo.
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Os inscritos do Timão na Copinha:
Goleiros: Guilherme, Yago e Matheus Donelli Laterais: Daniel Marcos, Lucas Piton, Gabriel Gallegos e Murillo Zagueiros: Ronald, Felipe, Léo Paraíso e Kelvin Volantes: Xavier e Du Queiroz Meias: Vitinho, Matheus Araujo, Ruan Oliveira, Rafael, Adson, Lucas Pires e Gustavo Mantuan Atacantes: Thalisson, Gabriel pereira, Léo Pereira, Sandoval, Juan David, Walisson, Caue, Pablo, Richard e John Kleber
The ICC has commenced sale of tickets on its website for the World T20 in India, with less than two weeks for the event to begin
Arun Venugopal24-Feb-2016The ICC has begun the sale of tickets for the World T20 in India on its website, with less than two weeks for the event to begin. The first phase of the sale, which went live at 12 pm IST on February 24, made tickets available for matches in Bangalore, Chennai, Dharamsala, Kolkata and Mohali, but excluded those featuring India, the semi-finals and the final of the men’s and women’s events. The second phase of the sale – for matches in Mumbai, Delhi and Nagpur – will begin at 12pm IST on February 26.Tickets for seven “highly sought after” matches – four India games, the semi-finals and the final – will be sold online through a lottery system, where buyers need to indicate their preferred match after registering themselves. They will then be moved to a draw where the winners will be chosen through an automated process following which they will receive a payment link to complete the booking. The window to register for the lottery will be open only for seven days from February 25. Only two tickets can be purchased per person for India matches, the semi-finals and the final, while for other games a maximum of six tickets per person is allowed.The BCCI appointed as the ticketing agency for the event, and said the entire ticketing process was “monitored and audited by a reputed auditing agency.”A member of the organising committee told ESPNcricinfo that the schedule for the sale of tickets over-the-counter for all matches – including India’s and the knockouts – would be announced by the respective hosting centres. He said the lottery system was to streamline the high demand for tickets.”We had to do lottery system, otherwise when a traditional ticket counter opens up, some 20,000 people queue up,” the official said. “The first 10,000 get tickets and then there is a lathi charge. We have to move away from that culture.”If you put tickets online on first-come-first-serve basis, there will be some 10,000 people who click at 12. After 12:05 pm, the entire system becomes redundant. The traffic for these high-priority games is huge, so everyone must get a fair opportunity.”When ESPNcricinfo accessed the website at 12:01 pm there was a queue of 5907 and it took our staffer 12 minutes to reach the top of the queue. After she selected her match of choice there was another queue of 931 where the waiting time was about two minutes. The whole transaction was completed in 15 minutes.While ticket sales for previous World T20s had commenced three to six months ahead of the event, the current edition has had a number of delays. The ICC had earlier refused to be drawn into any criticism of the ticketing process, stating it would be “inappropriate” to make comparisons. The organising committee member attributed the delay to a combination of factors, including the uncertainty over the status of Delhi as a venue.”The schedule was launched only on December 19 (sic December 11), and only after that our work starts,” he said. “We have to start pricing separately for women’s games, men’s games, the semi-finals and final. Once the ticketing agency is finalised you will have to do backend mapping. Delhi has obviously been a contributing factor for the delay. Till 10 days ago I didn’t know if I had to push those games to some other venue.”The official said other hosting nations in the past had been able to put tickets up for sale early because of the ICC announcing the fixtures “well in advance.” He also pointed to the logistical issues of hosting matches at eight venues – previous editions of the World T20 had only three venues. “As much as it looks like a T20 format, look at the complexity of the whole tournament. This is the first time we are doing women’s and men’s matches together, and we have double-headers,” he said. However, the last three editions of the World T20 had men’s and women’s games together.While such delays hurt the travelling fan the most, the official said ticket sales were almost entirely driven by local public. “Look at this way, India as a destination … it has always been local sale which chews up into the entire volume than people coming from outside,” he said. “That’s not a reason [for the delay], but it’s a comfort in some way.”
A round-up of matches played on the second day of the USACA T20 National Championship
Peter Della Penna05-Apr-2015
File photo – Aditya Mishra struck 57 off 40 balls to lead North West’s chase before the floodlights were shut off•Peter Della Penna
Central East Region’s surprising run in the 2015 USACA T20 National Championship fell just short of the semi-finals in bizarre circumstances after their match against North West was called off with three overs to go as the floodlights were turned off at the Central Broward Regional Park on Saturday night in Lauderhill, Florida. The match was declared a tie, leaving Central East with two wins, a loss and a tie, and putting them behind New York and USA Development XI, who each finished with three wins and one loss in Group A.Central East were restricted to 147 in their 20 overs in the final match of the day with North West offspinner Pranay Suri taking 4 for 25, his second four-wicket haul of the tournament. Aditya Mishra struck 57 off 40 balls including ten fours to lead North West’s chase but was dismissed off the second ball of the 17th over as the score became 114 for 3. North West needed another 29 off the final three overs with two new batsmen at the crease when the match was halted.The match took place on one of the artificial pitches on a satellite field adjacent to the main stadium wicket at Central Broward Regional Park. USACA first vice-president Owen Grey responded to ESPNcricinfo on Sunday and stated in an email that “a floodlight malfunction” occurred after which the match was unable to be resumed.* The umpires reviewed Duckworth-Lewis calculations which showed North West was level with the par score after 17 overs, resulting in the tie.The game began at 6:45 pm, a 45-minute delayed start due to overlapping finishes from the previous slate of games, and the floodlights went off at 10:02 pm. Tournament rules state that in the event of a tie, a super over should determine the winner but in this instance that was not possible due to the floodlights going off. If North West had one less run, they would have qualified for the semi-finals despite a loss but Central East required a win to keep pace with New York and USA Development XI after having lost to South East on the final ball earlier in the day.North West will take on USA Development XI in the first semi-final while South East’s win over Central East guaranteed them a semi-final match against New York on Sunday. Central East were bowled out for 148, Ashhar Mehdi top-scoring with 69 off 45 balls. Steven Taylor followed up figures of 4 for 26 with 51 off 32 balls to power South East’s chase on a stadium turf wicket. Japen Patel finished unbeaten on 14 off seven balls, including a boundary off the last ball of the match, to give South East a three-wicket win.South East’s only loss in group stages came earlier in the day when New York chased down their 166 for 5 by four wickets with three balls to spare. Taylor starred with the bat in this encounter as well, cracking 72 off 38, which included two fours and seven sixes. Alex Amsterdam, coming in at No.3, powered New York’s chase with 72 off 42 balls.New York needed a victory over North East in the afternoon to have a chance at the semi-finals and they did so with a 52-run victory. New York posted 202 for 6 on the back of 55 off 35 from Akeem Dodson and 40 off 22 from Amsterdam. North East’s top four all went past 20 but no one could produce a big score to get them within striking distance of New York’s total. Karanjit Singh and Anat Patel scored 37 each, but North East came up short, finishing on 150 for 5.USA Development XI won both their matches on Saturday starting with an easy 116-run win in the morning over North East on the stadium turf wicket. 2014 USACA T20 National Championship MVP Nisarg Patel set up USA Development XI’s total of 181 for 6 with an unbeaten 92 off 48. In reply, North East were bowled out for 65 with Sai Ramesh ripping through the tail to finish with figures of 4 for 2 in two overs.In the afternoon, USA Development XI outlasted Atlantic in a high-scoring shootout to secure a 26-run win. Former USA U-19 player Mrunal Patel turned in the tournament’s first century, striking an unbeaten 111 off 60 balls, as USA Development XI surged to 208 for 5. Allrounder Adil Bhatti kept Atlantic in the hunt with 108 off 49 balls including 12 sixes but got no substantial support from his team-mates with the next best score being Charan Singh’s 18 off 21 balls. Medium pacer David Pieters took 3 for 30, including the wicket of Bhatti in the final over, as Atlantic finished on 182 for 9.In a match that wound up being crucial to deciding both teams’ chances of reaching the knockouts, North West held on for a five-run win over Central West on Saturday morning. North West grafted their way to a total of 157 before being bowled out in 19.3 overs. Mishra made 30 off 28 and was supported by Saqib Saleem’s 31 off 36.Opener Ahmed Waleed gave Central West a strong start in reply with 46 off 44 balls as they reached 88 for 1 in 12 overs before spin sparked a collapse. Legspinner Rahul Singh dismissed Waleed and Dhandapani Devarasan in the space of three balls in the 13th over to turn the tide for North West. Central West entered the final over against Suri needing 21 to win with three wickets in hand and broke it down to 14 off four balls before Suri struck with the third and fifth balls to clinch the match for North West, despite a last ball six. Suri, who claimed figures of 3 for 31, is the tournament’s leading wicket-taker after the group stages with 12 scalps.Atlantic Region defeated Central West by three wickets in the evening game on the stadium wicket to keep North East the only winless team in the group stages. After having opted to bat, Central West scratched their way to 123 for 4 in 20 overs, Devarasan top-scoring with a run-a-ball 31. Charan Singh then propelled Atlantic’s chase with 38 off 30 balls and was supported by Savan Patel who made 31. Atlantic were cruising at 69 for 1 in the ninth over before losing a flurry of wickets but they managed to recover and finish the chase with five balls to spare.*This article was updated at 17:20 GMT on Sunday, April 5 to reflect Owen Grey’s response on behalf of USACA.