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Video footage has shown that Portugal legend Cristiano Ronaldo probably deserved to collect the first red card of his international career after swinging an elbow in the direction of Ireland defender Dara O’Shea during a 2026 World Cup qualifier in Dublin. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was also caught on camera goading rival players and fans with a ‘crying’ gesture.

First red for Ronaldo: Sent off when winning 226th cap

On the occasion of his 226th cap, Ronaldo saw his evening cut short during a frustrating outing at the Aviva Stadium. The all-time great has spent 22 years representing his country with pride, but must now serve his first suspension.

Pent-up anger got the better of Ronaldo during a meeting with Irish opposition. Two goals from Troy Parrott had Portugal trailing at the interval of that contest and just past the hour mark, Roberto Martinez’s side were reduced to 10 men.

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Good boy: Ronaldo unable to deliver on pre-match promise

Having suggested to those around him – on the field and in the stands – that they should “cry more”, Ronaldo suddenly lost his cool. He had vowed in the build-up to the game that he would be a “good boy”, with the plan being to turn a deaf ear to any abuse that was aimed in his direction.

He was unable to deliver on that promise after interacting with the crowd and tangling with rival defenders. One of those, Ipswich star O’Shea, wound Ronaldo up to the point that he lashed out. The incident in question was not spotted by the match officials, but led to a red being brandished following a VAR review.

Ronaldo could have few complaints, as he clearly swung his right arm into the back of O’Shea – who was quick to tumble to the turf. The eyes of Irish supporters were smiling as they gave the Portuguese GOAT an unsympathetic send off as he trudged towards the tunnel and back to the dressing room.

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Portugal reaction: Martinez's take on red card incident

Portugal boss Martinez suggested afterwards that Ronaldo had been treated a little harshly, with pre-match comments from Ireland boss Heimir Hallgrimsson regarding the 40-year-old’s influence on referees potentially impacting a big decision in the heat of competitive action.

Martinez said: “The red card is just a captain that has never been sent off before in 226 games – I think that just deserves credit – and today, I thought it was a bit harsh because he cares about the team.

“He was 60 minutes or 58 minutes in the box being grabbed, being pulled, being pushed and obviously when he tries to get away from the defender. I think the action looks worse than what it actually is, I don't think it's an elbow, I think it's a full body, but from where the camera is, it looks like an elbow. But we accept it.

“The only thing that leaves a bitter taste in my mouth is at the press conference yesterday, your coach was talking about the aspect of the referees being influenced, and then a big centre-half falls on the floor so dramatically at the turn of Cristiano's body.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O Fortaleza venceu o Sport por 4 a 1 neste domingo (26), na Arena Perbambuco, pela semifinal da Copa do Nordeste. Os gols do Leão do Pici foram marcados por Moisés, três vezes, e Hércules, ainda no primeiro tempo; Gustavo Coutinho diminuiu para o Leão da Ilha. Com o resultado, o Tricolor está classificado para a decisão e encara o CRB em dois jogos.

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⚽ COMO FOI A PARTIDA?
O Fortaleza atropelou o Sport, sobretudo no primeiro tempo. Logo aos oito minutos, Moisés abriu o placar em chute rasteiro de fora da área. O atacante do Leão do Pici ainda marcou outros dois gols antes do intervalo, além de dar assistência para Hércules também balançar as redes.

No segundo tempo, o Tricolor diminuiu o ritmo e, apesar seguir criadondo as melhores chances, não conseguiu amplicar o placar. Nos minutos finais do duelo, Gustavo Coutinho descontou para o Leão da Ilha e deu números finais à partida.

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➡️ CRB derrota o Bahia nos pênaltis e está na final da Copa do Nordeste

📅 O QUE VEM POR AÍ?
O Sport visita o Goiás na Serrinha na sexta-feira (31), às 21h30, pela oitava rodada da Série B. Por sua vez, o Fortaleza recebe Sportivo Trinidense na quarta-feira (29), às 21h, pela rodada final da fase de grupos da Copa Sul-Americana.

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علق حلمي طولان، المدير الفني لـ منتخب مصر، على حديثه عن الكويت بعد نهاية المباراة التي جمعت بينهما في الجولة الأولي من بطولة كأس العرب، مشددا على أنه لم يقصد أي إساءة لهم نهائيًا.

وكان حلمي طولان، قال في تصريحات عقب مباراة مصر والكويت، أن المنتخب كان قادرًا على الفوز بـ 4 أو 5 أهداف في الشوط الأول والثاني لكن كان غير موفقا.

وقال طولان خلال المؤتمر الصحفي اليوم قبل مباراة الإمارات: “لم أقصد أي اساءة للكويت، كل الاحترام لهم، أنا حديثي فقط عن إحصائيات حجم الوصول لمرمى الكويت”.

وأضاف: “تحدثت عن عدد الفرص لمنتخب مصر في الشوط الأول الاستحواذ كان 75 % لنا، الفرص الضائعة 31 فرصة، هذا كان عددًا كبيرًا لنا وهذا القصد من حديثي، كان من الممكن أن أخسر من الفرصة الأخيرة لمنتخب الكويت كثيرة”.

طالع | محمد النني: أعرف لاعبي منتخب الإمارات.. وأخبرت زملائي بنقاط قوتهم وضعفهم

وأكمل: “منتخب الكويت له كل الاحترام، إذا هم اعتقدوا أي إساءة من حديثي فلهم كل الاعتذار”.

وعن مباراة الإمارات غدًا، أوضح: “جاهزون ومستعدون للمباراة، حيث نسعى للفوز من أجل الاقتراب من التأهل إلى الدور المقبل”.

وأضاف: “درسنا منتخب الإمارات، فريق جيد ولديه عناصر تمتاز بالسرعة خاصة الرباعى الهجومي”.

وأستمر: “حزين لإصابة كريم فؤاد في مران الأمس، ولكن لدي الثقة في باقي اللاعبين لتقديم أداء يليق باسم الكرة المصرية”.

وعن تصريح مدرب الإمارات، بالإشادة بمنتخب مصر، قال طولان: “أشكره على الإشادة بمنتخب مصر، لكن لا نكون مخدرين بهذا التصريح”.

وأتم: “سنجعل من هذا التصريح تحفيزا لنا، وأن يرى مدرب الإمارات أن الإشادة في محلها وجدرين للتقدم والفوز بالبطولة”.

ويلتقي منتخب مصر مع الإمارات، مساء غد السبت، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية لمواجهات المجموعة الثالثة من بطولة كأس العرب 2025 بقطر.

منتخب مصر كان قد تعادل أمام الكويت في مباراة الجولة الأولي 1-1، وسيختتم دور المجموعات بمواجهة الأردن يوم الثلاثاء المقبل.

As the MLB regular season winds down, the races for a playoff spot in both the AL and NL are heating up.

So, here at SI Betting, we are going to share a detailed look at the playoff picture every week so fans can see where their teams stand and bettors can potentially find some value in a team that is just outside the wild card race.

Last week, it was pretty clear where each division leader stood, but a huge winning streak by the Seattle Mariners has flipped some things in the American League.

Meanwhile, the New York Mets and New York Yankees are struggling, and the teams trailing them in the wild card picture are starting to make a real push to enter the top three.

Let’s break down the odds for every team that still has a shot to make the playoffs at this point in the MLB season. 

American League Playoff OddsDivision LeadersToronto Blue Jays: -3000Detroit Tigers: -3000Houston Astros: -1400

The AL division leaders have remained the same week over week, but the Seattle Mariners are making a real push in the AL West.

Seattle, which is -1100 to make the playoffs, has won seven games in a row and nine of its last 10 to pull within half a game of the Astros in the standings. Houston still has the inside track to a playoff spot (-1400), but it could end up in the wild card picture if it loses its early-week series with another wild card team – the Boston Red Sox.

Meanwhile, Detroit (six-game lead in the AL Central) and Toronto (four-game lead in the AL East) both have pretty comfortable margins – for now – atop their divisions. An 8-2 stretch by the Cleveland Guardians has tightened things for Detroit, which has a worse record than Toronto in the 2025 season. 

Wild Card RaceSeattle Mariners: -1100Boston Red Sox: -370New York Yankees: -330Cleveland Guardians: +200Texas Rangers: +275Kansas City Royals: +700Tampa Bay Rays: +1800Minnesota Twins: +1800Los Angeles Angels: +5000

Last week, I wrote about the Yankees fading in the AL playoff picture, and they’ve continued to do so by losing a weekend series to the Astros.

New York has a half-game cushion on the surging Guardians and just a 2.5-game cushion on the Texas Rangers in the standings. So, it’s very possible the Yankees could find themselves behind multiple teams if they don’t turn things around sooner rather than later.

Texas has lost four in a row, allowing the Guardians to leapfrog it in the standings. Cleveland may be the team to bet on right now, as it’s peaking at the right time and has a shot at both a wild card spot and the division lead. 

New York and Texas are both third in their respective divisions. 

National League Playoff OddsDivision LeadersMilwaukee Brewers: N/ALos Angeles Dodgers: -20000Philadelphia Phillies: -10000

The Milwaukee Brewers have been so good, winning nine games in a row, that their odds to make the playoffs are off the board, a sign that oddsmakers expect them to be in the playoffs no matter what.

Milwaukee could move to 30 games over .500 with a win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night. 

Meanwhile, the Dodgers’ lead in the NL West is just two games, as the San Diego Padres (7-3 in their last 10 games) are making a serious push. As of now, it seems like the team with the best record in MLB will come out of the NL, but a lot could change over the final weeks of the regular season.

Wild Card RaceChicago Cubs: -2500San Diego Padres: -1200New York Mets: -280Cincinnati Reds: +320San Francisco Giants: +550St. Louis Cardinals: +650Arizona Diamondbacks: +3000Miami Marlins: +50000

The Chicago Cubs have the best odds to make the playoffs of any wild card team, but I think the Padres may be the safest team here since they are still within striking distance of their division lead.

Chicago is six games back in the NL Central, while the Mets, who have lost seven in a row, are 5.5 games back in the NL East.

If New York continues to struggle, there is a real path for the Cincinnati Reds (1.5 games back in the wild card) to make the playoffs.

Cincy doesn’t have as talented a roster as the Mets, but it did go all in at the trade deadline by adding Ke’Bryan Hayes, Zack Littell, and others. The Reds are +320 to make the playoffs, which is good for an implied probability of 23.81 percent.

However, with the Reds just 1.5 games out of a playoff spot, they may be undervalued at this price.

No one’s taken more wickets at a single venue against India in India than Ajaz Patel’s 25 at the Wankhede

Sampath Bandarupalli03-Nov-20241 – It’s the first instance of India being whitewashed at home in a Test series of three or more matches. India were blanked in a Test series at home only twice before – 2-0 by South Africa in 2000 and 1-0 by England in 1980.This is also the first instance of India losing three Tests in a series at home since 1983. India had suffered three defeats (in longer series) five times between 1958 and 1980.1 – This is the first time New Zealand have won three matches in a Test series.31-1 – India’s win-loss record while chasing targets of 200 or fewer runs in Tests at home. The defeat in Mumbai was the first for India. The previous lowest target was 221 against Pakistan in 1987 in Bengaluru (then Bangalore).2 – This is also the second-lowest target they failed to chase down in a loss – the lowest is 120 against West Indies in 1997 in Bridgetown, where they were bowled out for 81.It is also the second-lowest target that New Zealand have defended successfully in Tests. The lowest is 137 against England in Wellington in 1978, which they won by 72 runs.ESPNcricinfo Ltd4 – Number of defeats (in ten home Tests) for India in 2024, the joint-highest for them – it also happened in 1969.Rohit Sharma now has five Test defeats at home as captain, the second-highest for India behind MAK Pataudi’s nine, which included the four losses in 1969.Ajaz Patel tops Ian Botham; unwanted record for Rohit Sharma25 – Wickets for Ajaz Patel in the two Tests he has played at the Wankhede Stadium, the most by any bowler at a venue against India in India. The previous highest was 22 for Ian Botham, also at the Wankhede.8 – Bowlers with two ten-wicket match hauls at an away venue, including Ajaz at the Wankhede. Shane Warne was the last of the previous seven; he had two ten-wicket match hauls in four Tests at The Oval.1 – Ajaz and Ravindra Jadeja combined for the first instance of four five-wicket hauls by left-arm bowlers (spinners or otherwise) in a Test match.Only once before did two left-arm bowlers have ten-wicket hauls in the same Test – Iqbal Qasim and Ray Bright in the 1980 Karachi Test between Pakistan and Australia.7.1 – The point at which India lost their fifth wicket, the earliest in a Test innings in India since 1998. The previous mark was at 8.2 overs, also against New Zealand in 1999 in Mohali.13.3 – Rohit Sharma’s batting average across ten Test innings in this home season, the second-lowest for a captain in a home Test season (minimum of eight innings in the top seven). The lowest is by Nasser Hussain, who averaged 10.22 across six home Tests in 2000.2 – India batters to complete their fifties at better than a run-a-ball in both innings of a Test match: Yashasvi Jaiswal against Bangladesh in Kanpur earlier this season, and Rishabh Pant in this Test.

The Dodgers are now one loss away from losing the World Series after falling to the Blue Jays, 6-1, in Game 5 on Wednesday night. The series now shifts back to Toronto for Game 6 on Friday night where the Blue Jays will have a great chance to win their first title since 1993.

The Dodgers' bats have gone cold at the worst possible time as they were only able to score a combined three runs in Games 4 and 5. While Shohei Ohtani has carried this team on his back, Mookie Betts, an eight-time All-Star and former AL MVP, has been lost at the plate against the Blue Jays as he has just three hits in 23 at-bats with no RBIs.

After Game 5, in which he went 0-for-4, Betts had a brutally honest take on his struggles thus far.

"I don’t want to speak on anybody else but for me personally I’ve just been terrible," Betts said. "I’ve been terrible and I wish it was from lack of effort, I really do, but it’s not so I don’t have any answers."

David Ortiz, who was teammates with Betts for a few years in Boston, spoke about those comments on Fox's post-game show.

"He hurts. He hurts," Ortiz said. "I know Mookie very well. It hurts to see him answering the question that way because to me he still is one of the best players in the game but it seems like his confidence level is pretty low right now. And of course, I don’t blame him—when you don’t see results, Kevin, you start questioning yourself. When you have already shown superstar status everybody starts questioning you when things are not going well."

Ortiz then offered some simple advice for Betts.

"Now if I’m Mookie, I would put that all behind," he said. "You remember when we used to prepare for to go to play a Little League game? You wasn’t thinking about a scouting report, you wasn’t thinking about what people say, you wasn’t thinking about what I did yesterday. When you played in Little League all you wanted to do was see the ball and try to hit it and have fun. At the end of the day that’s what the game is all about, having fun."

Derek Jeter also weighed in Betts' comments.

"I appreciate what he said because it’s the truth," Jeter said. "We’ve all been there. We’ve all sat there in front of our locker and said that we’ve been terrible. The best thing about the postseason is who cares what has happened up to a particular point? He’s going to be up In Game 6 with an opportunity to do something special and if he does something special no one will talk about his postseason prior too, that’s the way you have to look at it."

Here's that complete conversation:

Betts has a day off before Game 6. It will be interesting to see how he responds because the Dodgers will need him to step up if they want to keep their championship hopes alive.

Back in the spring, if you asked Major League Baseball fans who would win the American League's Rookie of the Year award, most would've tabbed an Athletic—shortstop Jacob Wilson.

Over the course of recent months, Wilson has remained potent. However, he has been dramatically overshadowed by a teammate.

First baseman Nick Kurtz was already gaining ground on Wilson in the AL race when he became the first rookie ever to bash four home runs in one game on July 25. In the span of one 15–3 win over the Astros, he raised his average 17 points, on-base percentage 14 points, and slugging percentage an astonishing 64 points.

The most famous Kurtz in popular culture was a madman feared by all. Fortunately for the sports world, this Kurtz is using his awe-inspiring ability for good. Welcome to this week's edition of MLB Rookie Watch.

American League

1. Nick Kurtz, first baseman, Athletics

If Kurtz and Marlon Brando's character can be said to have anything in common, it is their shared devotion to power. How many home runs has the first baseman hit since the most recent publication of this column? "Just" the four—and yet Kurtz is still pacing for over a 162-game span. It's enough to make fans forget the 22-year-old is also hitting .304 as one of the 10 youngest players in the American League.

2. Noah Cameron, pitcher, Kansas City Royals

The lefty jumps up to the No. 2 spot after a mixed bag in his last two starts. He dominated the Guardians in five shutout innings on July 27, but gave up four earned runs in a loss to the Blue Jays on Saturday. The Royals, having lost ace Kris Bubic for the season, will almost certainly continue to ask Cameron to carry their flagging playoff hopes. If he's up for the task, he towers over every other AL rookie pitcher and could win significant award support.

3. Jacob Wilson, shortstop, Athletics

On Tuesday, the Athletics put Wilson on the injured list as he deals with the effects of a left forearm fracture. That absence, combined with Kurtz's dominance, has ground the shortstop's once-thriving Rookie of the Year campaign to a screeching halt. He's played just three games since the last column, going 1-for-11 against the Rangers and Astros. Still, despite nearly a month of injury (he was hit in the hand with a pitch on July 8), his .312/.354/.439 slash line demands respect.

Honorable Mention

Roman Anthony, outfielder, Red Sox; Carlos Narvaez, catcher, Red Sox

National League

1. Caleb Durbin, third baseman, Milwaukee Brewers

Contact has been the order of the day for Durbin over the past two weeks as his Brewers have adjusted to their new lives as NL pennant contenders. He's slashed .300/.353/.333 to raise his average seven points while his on-base and slugging numbers hold steady. With 2.4 bWAR (most in the NL among rookies) and a 1.5 WPA (tied for best with Colorado Rockies pitcher Seth Halvorsen), he's impacting winning in a way his peers are not. Durbin raised minor alarm by starting two straight games on the bench this weekend, but delivered two hits in relief of fellow rookie Anthony Seigler Sunday.

2. Drake Baldwin, catcher, Atlanta Braves

Braves catcher Sean Murphy is the only 30-year-old to get regular run in this column as a frustratingly competent roadblock to the Age of Baldwin. Both catchers have largely underwhelmed over the last two weeks—Baldwin slightly less so (.235/.297/.324 against Murphy's .160/.333/.280). In the period between the submission and publication of the last Rookie Watch, Baldwin (hilariously) managed to drive in six runs in a 3-for-5 outing against the Giants. Objects in Durbin's rearview mirror are closer than they appear.

3. Heriberto Hernandez, left fielder, Miami Marlins

Here comes another obscure Marlin to replace Cardinals catcher Yohel Pozo, who bows out after a .130/.167/.217 dud over the past two weeks. The May 30 (!) debutant has played just 40 games, but owns a .291/.352/.473 slash line with five home runs and 18 RBIs. FanGraphs in particular loves the Dominican Republic native, as his .357 wOBA and 128 wRC+ attest. If you don't like the second- or third-place rookie in a given week of this year's NL race, don't worry; there'll be another one along shortly.

Honorable Mention

Isaac Collins, left fielder, Brewers; Jack Dreyer, pitcher, Dodgers; Agustin Ramirez, catcher, Marlins

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo-PB recebe o Sousa neste sábado (13), pela segunda partida da decisão do Campeonato Paraibano. A bola rola a partir das 16h30 (de Brasília), no Estádio Almeidão, em João Pessoa, com transmissão da Globo (PB).

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✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
Botafogo-PB x Sousa – Campeonato Paraibano
Final – Segunda partida

🗓️ Data e horário: sábado, 13 de abril de 2024, às 16h30 (hora de Brasília)
📍 Local: Estádio Almeidão, em João Pessoa (PB)
📺 Onde assistir: Globo (PB)
🟨 Arbitragem: Anderson Daronco (árbitro); Nailton Júnior de Sousa Oliveira e Rafael da Silva Alves (assistentes); Wagner Silveira Echevarria (quarto árbitro)

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES

BOTAFOGO-PB (Técnico: Moacir Júnior)
Dalton, Lenon, Reniê, Wendel Lomar e Bruno Cardsoso; Rodrigo, Thallyson, Lucas Siqueira e Warley Júnior; Gustavo Poffo e Pipico.

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SOUSA (Técnico: Paulo Schardong)
Bruno Fuso, Iranilson, Breno Cézar, Marcelo Duarte e Jackson; Hebert, Alexandre Aruá, Felipe Jacaré e Reinaldo; Hiago e Diego Ceará.

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Campeonato ParaibanoFutebol NacionalOnde assistir