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Will Rangers’ busy transfer window continue?

To date, new manager Russell Martin has made seven signings, four of whom debuted during Tuesday night’s Champions League qualifier.

Nevertheless, plenty more new arrivals are forecast, with the Glasgow giants tipped to sign a centre-forward, currently available as a free agent, who has plenty of Premier League experience.

Alfredo Morelos' Rangers career

In the post-liquidation era, no Rangers striker has come close to Alfredo Morelos’ impact at Ibrox.

The Colombian international made 269 appearances for the Gers, scoring 124 goals and registering 57 assists.

Of these goals, 33 came in UEFA competition, thereby becoming the club’s all-time record goalscorer in Europe, surpassing Ally McCoist, while only Henrik Larsson, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar have scored more goals in the history of the Europa League (including qualifiers).

Then-manager Steven Gerrard stated back in 2019 that he’ll “never get bored” of praising Morelos as he “keeps providing game-changing moments”, while Jordan Campbell of the Athletic outlined his importance to the club’s success in recent years.

Meantime, Nick McPheat of BBC Sport noted how Morelos’ ‘standout performances’, particularly in the Europa League, will forever be remembered fondly, having been ‘integral’ to their continental adventures and Premiership title triumph of 2020/21.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

So now, could Rangers be about to sign their best centre-forward since the enigmatic Colombian?

The latest on Rangers' strikers

On Tuesday night, the Martin era at Rangers officially began, as his new-look side beat Panathinaikos 2-0 in a Champions League qualifier at Ibrox.

Spectacular second-half strikes from teenager Findlay Curtis, making only his second-ever start for the club, and then debutant Djeidi Gassama mean the Gers will take a decent advantage to Athens next Wednesday, albeit the job is far from complete.

Danilo led the line from the start in mid-week, before Cyriel Dessers and Hamza Igamane, who’ve both been strongly linked with a move away this summer, were introduced for the final 15 minutes, suggesting they could be on the move, leaving the club in the market for a new centre-forward.

Well, speaking on Football Insider’s podcast, former Aberdeen CEO Keith Wyness believes that Rangers should attempt to sign Dominic Calvert-Lewin, stating that the England international could “reinvent himself and be a superhero” at Ibrox.

The 28-year-old is a free agent after leaving Everton, having made 273 appearances for the Toffees, scoring 71 goals, whom he joined nigh on a decade ago.

Calvert-Lewin is purportedly on the radar of numerous clubs; Mark Critchley and Laurie Whitwell of The Athletic claim that Manchester United have ‘been offered the chance to sign’ him, while Newcastle have also been touted as potential suitors.

However, could he do a reverse Duncan Ferguson by swapping Everton for Rangers?

Well, despite his well-documented injury record, Calvert-Lewin is a proven goalscorer at Premier League level, as the table below documents.

2024/25

26

3

2023/24

32

7

2022/23

17

2

2021/22

17

5

2020/21

33

16

2019/20

36

13

2018/19

35

6

2017/18

32

4

2016/17

11

1

As the table outlines, since his peak in 2019/20 and 2020/21, Calvert-Lewin’s importance at Everton did diminish, but his ability has never come into question.

Speaking on Sky Sports, prior to the Blues’ clash with Manchester City in May 2023, Patrick Vieira praised the striker’s hold-up play, describing him as a “complete” centre-forward, while Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout simply labelled him a “pure poacher” and a “monster”.

Meantime, Patrick Boyland of the Athletic documents that, without his ‘critical goals’, Everton probably would have been relegated in recent seasons, noting that he thrives ‘on a specific type of service’ which allows him to ‘bully defenders’, forecasting that he is certainly capable of ‘rediscovering the magic of old’.

With Rangers now firm favourites to dump out Panathinaikos, thereby setting up a third qualifying round meeting with, probably, Servette, perhaps the prospect of Champions League football could entice Calvert-Lewin north of Hadrian’s Wall.

Should he do so, this would surely represent a serious game-changer for Martin, as he seeks to dethrone Celtic at the summit of Scottish football.

Worth more than Gassama: Rangers hit gold on Ibrox star who Chelsea wanted

Rangers have hit the jackpot on this star who is now worth even more than Djeidi Gassama.

ByDan Emery Jul 24, 2025

Liverpool turn their attention back to the Premier League this weekend as they travel away from Anfield to take on Fulham at Craven Cottage this afternoon.

The Reds have the chance to move level on points with Arsenal at the top of the division, although they would need a big ten-goal swing in goal difference to go ahead of them, if they pick up all three points against Marco Silva's side.

Jurgen Klopp's men, despite winning the second leg 1-0, were knocked out of the Europa League by Serie A side Atalanta on Thursday night, and must quickly move on from that disappointment to bounce back in the Premier League.

Liverpool have also failed to win in their last two domestic outings, with a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace and a 2-2 draw with Manchester United, which is why it is so important that they return to winning ways today.

Klopp may look to make some changes to the starting XI that lined up against Atalanta last time out. With this in mind, the boss must unleash Diogo Jota over Cody Gakpo.

Cody Gakpo's goalscoring form

The Netherlands international was selected to lead the line, with Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah either side of him, but he failed to register a single effort on goal.

He has only scored one goal, which came in a 3-1 win over Sheffield United, in his last seven matches for the club in all competitions, which speaks to his lack of goal threat.

The 24-year-old forward, who was signed from PSV in January of last year, has scored 21 goals in 74 appearances for Liverpool so far, but has only managed six strikes in 30 games in the Premier League this term.

Appearances

30

xG

6.33

Goals

6

Big chances missed

5

xA

1.6

Assists

3

As you can see in the table above, Gakpo is almost underperforming his xG and has been helped out by his teammates, who have scored three goals from 1.6 xA created by the former PSV star.

Quite simply, the right-footed attacker has not provided a consistent threat in the final third as either a scorer or creator of goals, whether that is down the left as a winger or through the middle as a centre-forward, in the Premier League.

The Dutch gem has not done enough to prove that he deserves to be a regular starter for the Reds through the middle of the pitch, and that is why the manager should drop him down to the bench for this clash with Fulham.

Jota must now be unleashed in his place as the Portugal international has the finishing quality to put Fulham to the sword this afternoon.

In fact, former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher claimed in January that the forward is "clinical" in the final third and a better finisher than Salah, as well as legends Luis Suarez and Robbie Fowler.

Mohamed Salah's finishing this season

The Egypt international's finishing has not been at the peak of his powers in the Premier League for the Reds so far this season, with some wasteful displays from the attacker.

Over his last four league appearances for Liverpool, Salah has had an astonishing 23 shots on goal and scored one from open play and one from the penalty spot.

The experienced star has scored 17 goals from 26 matches in the top-flight, which is a solid return, but it has come from an Expected Goals (xG) of 18.27.

Salah has missed 13 'big chances' in the division and his xG underpeformance suggests that the attacker should have more goals than he has.

Appearances

38

xG

21.68

Goals

19

Big chances created

15

Assists

12

As you can see in the table above, the 31-year-old whiz also underperformed his xG in the Premier League last season, with 19 goals from an expected tally of between 21 and 22.

These statistics show that Salah's finishing has not been impressively efficient in the league over the last two campaigns, as he has missed 30 'big chances' and scored 36 goals from an xG of 39.95.

Jota, on the other hand, has been ruthless in front of goal for Liverpool and Klopp must unleash his lethal finisher from the start ahead of Gakpo this afternoon.

Diogo Jota's big xG overperformance

The Portuguese ace scored seven goals from an xG of 6.5 in 22 appearances and 12 starts in the Premier League during the 2022/23 campaign.

He made the most of the opportunities that his teammates created for him in front of goal throughout the season, and that has been the case once again this term.

Appearances

5

Starts

2

xG

2.08

Goals

3

Big chances created

2

Assists

0

As you can see in the table above, Jota has been efficient in the Europa League this season, with three goals from 2.08 xG in five outings before the Reds were knocked out of the competition on Thursday night against Atalanta.

His finishing in the Premier League has been even more impressive. The former Wolverhampton Wanderers star has fired in nine goals from an xG of 4.91 in just 13 starts, and 20 appearances in total.

Jota, who has also recorded four assists in that time, has two goals and one assist in his last four Premier League starts for Liverpool, and must be brought back into the XI.

His exceptional finishing quality, with 16 goals from 11.41 xG in the league since the start of last season, backs up Carragher's comment on him being a better finisher than Salah, who has been wasteful during the same period.

The Portugal international has proven that he has the ability to be ruthless and effective in front of goal when his teammates create high-quality chances for him, which is something Gakpo is yet to prove.

Therefore, the £140k-per-week star should be selected to lead the line for the Reds against Fulham this afternoon, as his statistics suggest that he is Klopp's best choice to fire his team to the win against the Cottagers.

Luis Enrique has confirmed that Goncalo Ramos could miss weeks after the striker suffered a 'serious' injury in Paris Saint-Germain's season opener.

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Ramos suffered leg injury early in the gameEnrique confirmed Ramos could miss weeksPSG beat Le Havre 4-1WHAT HAPPENED?

The Portuguese striker went down in PSG's Ligue 1 clash with Le Havre after Etienne Kinkoue made a poor tackle from behind. Ramos limped off the pitch in distress in the 20th minute as Randal Kolo Muani replaced him.

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While the reigning champions eventually managed to clinch a 4-1 win courtesy of goals from Lee Kang-in, Ousmane Dembele, Bradley Barcola and Kolo Muani, manager Luis Enrique seemed tense after the game as he delivered bad news while speaking to reporters about Ramos' condition.

WHAT LUIS ENRIQUE SAID

When asked about the 23-year-old's injury, Enrique said, "I’m not a doctor but I think it looks pretty serious. I don’t know how many weeks he will be out injured but it’s serious." It has been reported that Ramos twisted his ankle, and he was pictured leaving the stadium wearing a protective boot.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR PSG?

Les Parisiens will be back in action on August 23 as they take on Montpellier in Ligue 1. Ramos, however, is likely to be sidelined.

India women return for fourth time in six summers for maiden Test at Lord’s

Matt Roller24-Jul-2025The Kia Oval will host an England Test match in June for the first time next year, but will revert to its status as the home of the final Test of the summer for the 2027 men’s Ashes, while the long-awaited maiden women’s Test at Lord’s, against India from July 10-13, has been confirmed as a four-day fixture.Surrey have traditionally hosted the last Test of the English season and will do so for the 12th time in 15 years next week when The Oval stages the finale of England’s series against India. But they will instead host New Zealand from June 17-21 in 2026 after consultation with other counties, with development projects limiting the availability of other venues.England’s men will play six Tests in the 2026 summer, three each against New Zealand (June) and Pakistan (August-September), and will also host India (July) and Sri Lanka (September) for white-ball tours. Their women’s international summer is headlined by a home T20 World Cup (June-July), with New Zealand (May), India (May-July) and Ireland (September) also touring.ESPNcricinfo LtdSome counties have raised eyebrows at the fact Lord’s will host three of England’s seven Tests next year, including its historic women’s Test against India. Robert Lawson, the MCC’s chief executive, said it was “only fitting” after strong ticket sales for its recent women’s ODI, but one county official told ESPNcricinfo: “The South always gets the cream.”Lord’s was guaranteed two men’s Tests per year as part of the ECB’s international match allocation for 2025-31, and was awarded a women’s Test as part of the board’s response to the Independent Comission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) report in 2023, which criticised the fact Lord’s had never hosted one as “truly appalling”.England, India and New Zealand were due to play a women’s T20I tri-series of four matches each, as per the initial Future Tours Programme, but will instead both play bilateral series. This will be India’s fourth women’s tour to England in six years and is split either side of the T20 World Cup, with the Test match scheduled for the week after the final.ESPNcricinfo LtdThe Hundred retains a clear window in England’s international schedule – both men’s and women’s – and is expected to run from July 21 until August 16. The 2026 season will be the tournament’s first in which the eight teams are run as privately-owned franchises, with the ECB hoping to announce imminently that deals with new investors have been finalised.Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, said that the women’s T20 World Cup will “undoubtedly” be “the highlight” of the summer. “With world-class opposition visiting iconic venues across the country, fans will have the chance to witness the very best of the men’s and women’s game,” Gould said.England men’s schedule
England women’s schedule

Former Arsenal man Jermaine Pennant has told Football FanCast that the Gunners should be prioritising the signing of another high-profile forward, if a deal for Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres falls flat.

Latest on Arsenal's pursuit of Viktor Gyokeres

Will he, won’t he? There’s been more twists and turns in this transfer saga than a Formula 1 race.

At one stage having seemingly been behind RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko on the north Londoners’ striker shortlist, Gyokeres has emerged as the leading target for Andrea Berta and co in recent weeks, amid the need to end the club’s lengthy wait for a new number nine.

After netting 97 goals in just 102 games in Lisbon, the 27-year-old Swede appears to be edging ever closer to moving to the Emirates, albeit with the situation having dragged on of late.

Indeed, while a £63.5m agreement with the Portuguese outfit is nearing completion, following Gyokeres’ public dispute with his current side, the final details have yet to be resolved.

There had even been whispers in Portugal that rival suitors Manchester United were keen to hijack the deal, amid Ruben Amorim’s desire for a reunion, although that reported interest from the Red Devils has seemingly been overblown.

Regardless, those of an Arsenal persuasion won’t rest until the former Coventry City man is signed, sealed and delivered, with it perhaps wise to still be considering alternatives – as Pennant suggested…

Pennant suggests "big-money" alternative to Gyokeres

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast on behalf of Adventure Gamers, the one-time Gunners academy graduate outlined that if his former club can’t get a deal done for Gyokeres, then a more fluid forward – in the mould of Gabriel Jesus – should well be considered, namely Real Madrid’s wantaway star, Rodrygo:

The 24-year-old wideman has been heavily linked with an exit from the Bernabeu this summer, having played a limited role at the recent Club World Cup under new boss Xabi Alonso, with Arsenal believed to be one of the clubs interested in capitalising on the uncertainty surrounding the £85m-rated talent.

2024/25

30

12

2023/24

34

15

2022/23

34

18

2021/22

33

8

2020/21

22

7

2019/20

19

2

Rodrygo wouldn’t be the only option to consider, however, with Pennant also tipping the Emirates hierarchy to renew their approach for the aforementioned Sesko:

The Slovenian is fresh off the back of the campaign in which he scored 21 times in all competitions for Leipzig, while Rodrygo scored 14 times across all fronts for Los Blancos.

Those returns fall shy of Gyokeres’ mammoth 54-goal haul in 2024/25, although as Pennant suggested, any of that trio would be a worthy addition to Mikel Arteta’s ranks.

50% duels won, only 6 passes: 5/10 Arsenal star must now be axed for Eze

Arsenal started their pre-season with a 1-0 win over AC Milan.

ByMatt Dawson Jul 23, 2025

“If you come and watch both of them train you see why they keep improving and keep getting better”, says Australian captain

Daniel Brettig05-Aug-2019Having stared down England, the chants of the Hollies Stand and their own doubts, the Australian side led by Tim Paine has still more improvement in it, the captain has claimed, not least the tourists’ most dominant forces of Edgbaston, Steven Smith and Nathan Lyon.Smith won the match award for a spine-tingling double of 144 and 142 in his first match back from the Newlands scandal ban, leaving Paine to marvel at his concentration while also admitting his tactical alertness had been of major assistance throughout the Test. However, Paine’s most telling remark about Smith and Lyon, who spun England out with a startling 6 for 49 on the final day that also took him past 350 Test wickets, was that both have shown the ability to keep building on their games as senior players.”He could get plenty. As long as he wants to go for I reckon, he doesn’t seem to have too many niggles or injuries over his career,” Paine said when asked how many more wickets Lyon might take. “The ball is coming out as well as ever. He’s a bit the same as Smithy, I feel like every Test match or series they seem to get better which is astonishing at their age. But I think if you come and watch both of them train you see why they keep improving and keep getting better and are a great example for the rest of our group.”No doubt the pitch had worn but I thought he was threatening in the first innings as well. Nathan has played on all different surfaces now and knows exactly what he is doing in all different situations. I think he bowled a bit quicker, which he tends to do over here because he doesn’t get the bounce he gets in Australia or the turn as consistently. He controlled it beautifully and he is going to be a real threat. He can take day five wickets and when you have a spinner like that it can change a game very quickly.”After bearing so much of the leadership load over the past year, Paine said he had gained a lot from the ability to delegate in this match, even if there were times when it looked as though Smith was controlling proceedings almost as much as the official captain was, while David Warner also had input. “It certainly helps. Both of those guys in particular have played a lot more cricket in England than I have,” Paine said. “They’ve played a lot more big tournaments and big series and big Tests than I have.”The same goes for all of our team – they’re not only helping me with the way they lead our group, they’re also helping … the things that Marnus Labuschagne, Mitch Marsh and Travis Head are learning from Steve Smith and Daivd Warner in our change room is stuff that cannot be taught. We’re all tapping into them whether we’re the captain, the coach, the batting coach or bowling coach. They’ve got things they’ve learned through experience that other people don’t have or don’t know. Like I said before, we’d be foolish not to tap into that. They’ve still got a huge presence in our dressing room, there’s no denying that.”ALSO READ: For Edgbaston 2019, read Headingley 1989With a tour game in Worcester beginning on Wednesday, the Australians will look to rest key players, notably the bowlers in this Test and also Smith. Nevertheless, Paine said he would not be standing in the way of allowing Smith to hit another surfeit of balls before the Lord’s Test after the way his exhaustive preparation for Birmingham played out in the middle.”I wouldn’t argue with his preparation, it seems to work for him, but there’s probably a few guys that will miss next week,” Paine said. “We’ve got some guys who haven’t played any cricket and some who have played through a World Cup and then straight into a tour game in Southampton and then into a Test match. So we’ve got to manage not just our fast bowlers but we’ve got to manage the guys who’ve been involved in the World Cup and we’ll have that conversation today or tonight and make sensible calls.”Another key Australian performer to improve across the Test was Pat Cummins, who bowled presentably in the first innings but delivered truly fiery stuff in the second, starting with a sharp lifter to dismiss Rory Burns that drew life from a pitch that had seemingly breathed its last. “I think he said he just struggled in the first innings for a little bit of rhythm, which can happen, he hasn’t played a hell of a lot with the red ball in the last six months, so I think there was a little bit of rhythm,” Paine said.After a steady first innings, Pat Cummins got better as the Test went on•Getty Images”It was also a big series and something he wanted to have a real impact on so I think there was probably a little bit of nerves as well which was totally fine. I don’t think he was on his own there, but I think he settled into the Test match beautifully and the way he set the tone for our team this morning was exactly what we want from Pat Cummins. Now he’s settled into some rhythm I think he’ll just get better and better.”One of the reasons we pick so many bowlers was because we knew this Ashes series was going to be wearing on our bowlers. Especially the guys who were at the World Cup. We’ve got two world class bowlers sat on the sidelines raring to go [Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood]. I imagine they’ll bowl in the tour game and then put their hand up for selection. We’ll look at the pitch when we get to Lord’s and then make our selections on what will be the best combination to get us 20 wickets. We think we have a lot of different options.”Paine also disagreed that the selectors needed to feel “vindicated” by the performances of Matthew Wade and Peter Siddle, pointing out that both had been good, logical selections tailored to the conditions and also out of deference for their recent performances in first-class ranks. “Matty has been the form players in Australian cricket for the last 12 months. Siddle is someone we see as a handful in these conditions,” Paine said.”Even today on a day five wicket he took no wickets but he was still a handful. He asks questions all the time and with the Dukes ball in English conditions he is a real handful. He bowls a beautiful length over here. I wouldn’t say they are punts, they were good, educated decisions from our selectors.”

USWNT star Sophia Smith collected a bizarre red card while on NWSL duty, with the Portland Thorns forward shown a second yellow for hiding the ball.

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Tight contest settled from the spotSmith converted from 12 yardsWill now have to serve a suspensionWHAT HAPPENED?

The 23-year-old netted what proved to be the only goal of the game in a keenly-fought clash with the North Carolina Courage. She held her nerve in the 79th minute when converting from the penalty spot. In the final minute of the 90, Smith was cautioned for time wasting.

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Her game-delaying tactics were not done there, though, and she would go on to see red. Smith was substituted in the seventh-minute of stoppage-time – which appeared to bring her contest to a close. There was, however, to be even later drama.

DID YOU KNOW?

In the 102nd minute, the ball rolled off the pitch and into the Thorns dugout. Smith quickly conjured up a plan to take more seconds off the clock, as she grabbed the ball and pushed it under her seat. She had a mischievous smile on her face throughout, but the match referee did not see the funny side and cautioned the United States international once again.

Seamer Lahiru Madushanka also did not a find a place in Sri Lanka’s finalised 18-man squad

Madushka Balasuriya24-Jul-2019Niroshan Dickwella, Danushka Gunathilaka, Lakshan Sandakan, Lahiru Madushanka and Amila Aponso have missed the cut, as Sri Lanka announced their finalised squad for the upcoming three-match ODI series against Bangladesh which starts on July 26.As such there will be five changes to the squad that travelled to England for the World Cup, with Shehan Jayasuriya, Wanindu Hasaranga, Akila Dananjaya and Lahiru Kumara all coming in. Dasun Shanaka, meanwhile, is set to play from the second ODI onwards as a replacement for the retiring Lasith Malinga.ALSO READ: Malinga to retire from ODIs after first match of Bangladesh seriesOf the newcomers, Jayasuriya, Kumara and Hasaranga all stand a good chance of being included in the side for the first ODI. Jayasuriya, who is also a part-time offspinner, impressed in the warm-up game with a gritty fifty, legspin-bowling-allrounder Hasaranga had a wicket to go with an impressive 28-run cameo, and pacer Lahiru Kumara was the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers in largely unhelpful bowling conditions.Dananjaya, being the only specialist spinner in the squad, will almost certainly feature.Among those who missed out, Dickwella, who was out for three-ball duck in the warm-up, and Gunathilaka, who squandered an impressive start, will rue a missed opportunity to get back into the first-team fold. Slow left-armer Aponso meanwhile had gone wicketless in the warm up game.Both Sandakan and Madushanka, though, can count themselves a touch more unfortunate. Despite being named in the original 22-man squad, Sandakan wasn’t even named in warm-up side, while Madushanka, who has impressed with the emerging team and was name-checked by captain Dimuth Karunaratne earlier this week, was available to play but featured neither as a bowler nor batsman.Sri Lanka’s finalised squad for Bangladesh ODIs: Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), Kusal Perera, Avishka Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Thirimanne, Shehan Jayasuriya, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Akila Dananjaya, Lasith Malinga, Nuwan Pradeep, Kasun Rajitha, Lahiru Kumara, Thisara Perera, Isuru Udana.

It was a frustrating evening for Luciano Spalletti as an insipid Italy were held to goalless stalemate by Turkey.

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Turkey eked out a 0-0 draw against ItalyUnimpressive display by Spalletti's menReigning champions looked nervy ahead of Euro 2024Getty ImagesTELL ME MORE

Italy looked uninspiring, dull and flat against a tame Turkey side on Tuesday evening at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara in Bologna. The reigning European champions lacked creativity and were slow off the blocks as the visitors looked content to sit back and wait for the occasional counter. Chances came at a premium and both teams created very little in attack until the final minute of first-half stoppage time.

Baris Yilmaz was allowed a free header by Italy's defence but the striker could not keep his attempt on target. Seconds later, the Azzurri got their first significant chance of the game when Bryan Cristante rose highest to get his head to a Lorenzo Pellegrini corner but his effort crashed against the woodwork.

Luciano Spalletti made two changes at half-time as he introduced Mattia Zaccagni and Andrea Cambiaso to replace Riccardo Orsolini and Federico Chiesa. Arsenal star, Jorginho, who put in a decent shift at midfield, was hooked just after the hour mark as Nicolo Fagioli made his way onto the pitch. Things started to open up in the final 10 minutes, as both sides decided to throw caution to the wind, but a lack of clinical finishing did not help their cause.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE MVP

Bryan Cristante was a bright spot in Italy's midfield. The 29-year-old defensive midfielder kept the midfield ticking along with Jorginho and, after the Gunners star was taken off, he further got the opportunity to express himself in the centre of the park. The Roma star could have got on the score sheet as well with some little luck but was denied by the post.

GettyTHE BIG LOSER

Luciano Spalletti will be a concerned manager after the insipid showing against Turkey. Despite enjoying the bulk of the possession, they had very few ideas about what to do going forwards and Turkey's defence was hardly tested. Expectations may not be high heading to Germany and this lacklustre performance will do little to change perceptions.

WHAT COMES NEXT?

Italy will return to action against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 9 in another preparatory friendly before their Euro 2024 campaign opener against Albania on June 15. Whereas, Turkey will play against Poland on June 10 before facing Georgia on June 18 in the European Championship.

Our writers debate Emma Hayes' first USWNT roster, with big names brought back into the fold

Emma Hayes' tenure as coach of the USWNT is officially underway. The former Chelsea boss worked wonders in London, but now faces a different kind of challenge on the international stage. After a disappointing World Cup showing in 2023, the USWNT will look to push back to the top of global soccer in Paris this summer at the Olympic Games.

And it all starts next month.

Hayes has picked her first roster, and there are plenty of talking points. Alex Morgan is in the fold, but Lynn Williams didn't make the cut, while Ashley Sanchez sits out, too. However, does any of that matter? This is the strongest roster the U.S. have ever bolstered, but still… there's questions over whether or not the ex-Blue will be a success stateside, on Morgan's role in this team and the June camp roster.

Piece it all together, and it adds up to an intriguing start for the new manager, who will have to battle the sky-high expectations of the most difficult job in women's soccer.

To break it all down, GOAL has enlisted global women's soccer writer Amee Ruszkai, as well as the usual cast of GOAL US writers, in the latest edition of… .

GettyPoint blank: Will Emma Hayes be a successful USWNT boss?

Amee Ruszkai: Yes. She’s a proven winner, she knows what it takes to cope with pressure and she represents a healthy balance between someone who is a breath of fresh air but who still understands all things USWNT, having spent several years at the start of her coaching journey in the United States. Hayes has spoken about how, after an exhausting season with Chelsea, this new role and the Olympics can reenergize and reinvigorate her, too, which all sounds really positive.

Ryan Tolmich: Maybe not initially. Hayes has been given a tough, tough task here. Preparing a group for the Olympics on just a few weeks' notice is almost impossible, even for a coach at Hayes' level. The U.S. will need things to bounce their way if they want gold in Paris. If they don't win in all? That's fine, too. This summer is just the start for Hayes, who is tasked with rebuilding the program from the ground up. It'll take time for us to see the fruits of that – if there are any fruits to be had – but Hayes' resume tells you not to bet against her when she's given the tools to create something special.

Jacob Schneider: Considering she’s coming from Chelsea, London’s football club, the answer is yes … Alright, jokes aside, Hayes will be an immediate hit with the U.S.

Anyone who has followed the Blues appreciates her tactics, and has witnessed the brilliance she plans out for her players on the pitch. She’s a sensational manager on the touchline and that it will transition over with the USWNT.

The record clearly speaks for itself: five FA Cups, seven WSL titles, two League Cups, one community shield and multiple brilliant European competition runs. She knows how to coach at the highest level and she’s a proven winner, which is exactly what the USWNT needs right now.

AdvertisementGettyWho has the most to prove this June camp?

AR: US Soccer and Lily Yohannes. She’s undecided on her future and while the federation and team won’t want to pressure her into an answer, as it’s her own to make in her own time, it will certainly want her to choose the USWNT (over the Netherlands).

Proving to Yohannes that the U.S. is the place to be is key and Hayes finally coming in will surely help, especially with her track record of developing young players. The U.S. has a lot of young talent coming through but — having seen what she’s done on the big stage in Europe at 16 years old — Yohannes is special so it’d be a huge boost to have her represent the USWNT.

RT: Casey Murphy feels like the answer here. With Alyssa Naeher out, at least for now, Murphy looks to be the USWNT's No. 1 goalkeeper in this camp. For a while, it looked like Naeher was going to hold on to be the Olympic starter, giving her one last tournament in a USNWT shirt. Her injury, though, makes that less clear. Can Murphy do enough to seize the No. 1 shirt? The USWNT will hope so, even if it just leads to a more interesting competition should Naeher return.

JS: It’s Alex Morgan, right? That assumes she’s healthy, of course, as Morgan has missed considerable time with an ankle injury. The USWNT has an insane amount of attacking players to work with, and Sophia Smith is in absolutely ridiculous form at the moment. It's also notable that Cat Macario and Hayes have a relationship from their time at Chelsea – odds are that chemistry doesn’t just up and vanish.

Morgan is the most experienced attacker of the lot for the USWNT, but there are more in-form and healthy players ahead of her. She needs this camp to prove to Hayes that she is still the starting striker for this team, and that she is the best choice to lead the line in Paris.

USA Today ImagesWho is the biggest snub from the USWNT roster?

AR: Lynn Williams. She offers so much to any team, in and out of possession, and she’s in great form right now. The other side of the coin, of course, is that the forward areas are just so competitive, so while it’s the biggest snub, it's also not a total shock that she’s missed out. That's just how it goes with the USWNT's attacking pool at the moment.

RT: Generally, this roster feels about right. There are a few surprises, such as newcomers Sam Staab and Hal Hershfelt but, overall, the heavy hitters are all here.

Outside of the injury absences, there's one missing player that sticks out: Olivia Moultrie. She's on the training squad, so she's involved, but won't be playing in these games. That's disappointing given how well she played in her USWNT chances.

A spot was there for her, too, given the inclusions of Hershfelt and 16-year-old starlet Yohannes. All three are longshots for the Olympics at this point, to be fair, but it would have been nice to see Moultire get much-needed minutes this camp.

JS: Going to make a case for Williams and you’re going to agree with me, alright? She recently became the NWSL’s all-time leading goalscorer, and has been in relatively good form this season. She has three goals in six appearances after starting the season on the sideline. She started the semifinal and final for the USWNT in the CONCACAF W Gold Cup in March, and turned in two very good performances.

She brings something that Morgan can’t: pace. Williams is deviously fast, and can also slot out wide, if needed. Beyond Smith, the striker options aren’t players who you can bring on to spring a blistering counter off the bench late if you need a goal. Williams can do that, and more. It feels a bit cruel to not see her with this group after her performances for club and country of late.

GettyWith a plethora of attacking options, who are the starting front-three?

AR: Smith in the 9 with Jaedyn Shaw and Trinity Rodman either side of her. Mallory Swanson has shown great things recently and can really press to start, and what Morgan brings to the table as a pure 9 is always top quality – something that will suit certain games and moments in the Olympics. However, Rodman, Smith and Shaw feels so strong. As for Macario, she might be at her best in the 10, so it will be interesting to see how Hayes uses her.
RT: This is the million-dollar question, isn't it? There are plenty of ways you can go, and the good news is that any and all of them might be right.

Assuming the U.S. plays a 4-2-3-1 with Shaw as the attacking midfielder, go with a front three of Rodman, Smith and Swanson. That trio is dynamite, with each player having the ability to open up a game at a moment's notice.

Will Hayes go with those three? Too soon to tell. There are plenty of combinations that could work. But the Rodman-Smith-Swanson trio feels like the most dynamic one on offer for the U.S.

JS: This attack is being built around Smith. She is the future of the USWNT, period. That said, the US should be playing her centrally and not placing her on the wing, like both Twila Kilgore and Vlatko Andonovski did in previous months.

Choosing who to play out wide and at the 10 is where things get difficult, but that’s all part of what makes this group so exciting. There are so many good options. On the left Swanson, and on the right will be Rodman with Rose Lavelle at the 10. It feels awful to not have Shaw in the XI, but the thought process is how to get the most out of Smith – and this group is the best supporting cast for that task.