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Goals galore for Gattuso’s Italy in World Cup qualifiers, France start with win | The Express Tribune

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Goals galore for Gattuso’s Italy in World Cup qualifiers, France start with win | The Express Tribune



PARIS:

Gennaro Gattuso enjoyed his start to life as Italy coach on Friday as his team beat Estonia 5-0 to get their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign back on track, while Kylian Mbappe struck as France began their bid with a win against Ukraine.

A World Cup winner as a combative midfielder in 2006, Gattuso was brought in as coach in June to stop Italy’s slide towards a third-consecutive missed World Cup finals.

His tenure started in style as second-half strikes by Moise Kean, Mateo Retegui — who netted twice — Giacomo Raspadori and 

Alessandro Bastoni fired Italy to three points and had fans chanting the coach’s name in Bergamo.

Italy are third in Group I after three matches, six points behind leaders Norway who have played one game more, and boast a superior goal difference.

“We played well and it was all down to the way the boys have conducted themselves this week,” said Gattuso.

“We’ve worked hard and there’s been a good atmosphere around the squad.

“When you play as attacking as we did tonight against a better team you expose yourself to risks, but today we were up against a side that had a bit les than us so it was the right thing to do to be so attack-minded.”
Three points separate Italy from second-placed Israel and the group’s play-off spot which is the likelier route for a place in next year’s finals in the USA, Canada and Mexico with only first place offering direct qualification.

Israel prepared for Monday’s meeting with Italy with a win of their own on Friday as they beat Moldova 4-0 in Chisinau.

‘Brilliant’ Olise 

In the Polish city of Wroclaw, Michael Olise’s early strike and Mbappe’s 51st goal for Les Bleus handed the 2018 World Cup winners a 2-0 victory over Ukraine as Group D got underway.

“It was an important match because of the limited number of games (to qualify) against a quality team. We could have sealed the deal in the first half because we were in control and created a lot of chances,” Deschamps said.

“We faltered for four or five minutes in the second half, but the main thing is that we got the result.”
Olise started and finished the opening goal on 10 minutes when he released Bradley Barcola down the left flank from deep.

The Bayern Munich man ghosted the length of the pitch to arrive unmarked into the Ukraine box and calmly sweep Barcola’s return ball into the bottom corner.

Olise and half-time substitute Ousmane Dembele nearly doubled the visitors’ lead either side of the break but goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin denied them impressively.

Ukraine responded by coming within inches of levelling the encounter twice inside two minutes after the hour.

Ibrahima Konate first turned a goalbound Artem Dovbyk header off his own goal-line, before new Paris

Saint-Germain signing Illia Zabarnyi struck the woodwork with a headed effort following a set-piece.

But Mbappe made the win safe for France when he raced onto a pinpoint through-ball from his Real Madrid team-mate Aurelien Tchouameni before cutting inside and rifling home on 82 minutes.

Deschamps had praise, in particular, for 23-year-old Olise after he netted his third goal in nine outings for Les Bleus.

“Michael is brilliant in everything he does, his movement, his combinations, his passing quality,” the coach said.

After the first matchday, France sit second in the four-team group behind Iceland, who beat Azerbaijan 5-0 in Reykjavik.

Elsewhere, Denmark and Scotland played out a goalless stalemate in Copenhagen as Group C started, with Greece topping the pool following their 5-1 victory at home to Belarus.

Switzerland opened Group B with a 4-0 win over Kosovo as group mates Sweden and Slovenia played out a 2-2 draw in Ljubljana.

Former World Cup runners-up Croatia struggled to a 1-0 win away to Faroe Islands to stay second in Group L.
Pool leaders Czech Republic beat third-placed Montenegro 2-0 to remain three points ahead of the Croats, although with two games in hand.

 



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Jays’ Bichette, Dodgers’ Kershaw on WS rosters

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October 24, 2025

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Jays’ Bichette, Dodgers’ Kershaw on WS rosters


  • Jorge CastilloOct 24, 2025, 11:43 AM ET

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      ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.

TORONTO — Bo Bichette, who has not played since spraining his left knee in early September, was added to the Toronto Blue Jays‘ roster for the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Blue Jays also included first baseman Ty France on their roster for the first time this postseason. Outfielder Joey Loperfido and right-handed reliever Yariel Rodriguez, who were on the American League Championship Series roster, were not included.

The question is how limited is Bichette.

A two-time All-Star shortstop, Bichette has not played in a game since injuring his knee in a collision with Yankees catcher Austin Wells on Sept. 6. He attempted to return in time for the AL Championship Series but could not run the bases without significant pain the day before the Blue Jays had to submit their roster.

Bichette worked out at second base and faced live pitching Wednesday and Thursday. Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Bichette could play second base, shortstop or serve as the team’s designated hitter. If he is the DH, George Springer would likely move to right field.

A free agent this winter, Bichette had a rebound season after posting a .598 OPS in 81 games in an injury-plagued 2024 campaign. The homegrown star, 27, finished second in the majors with a .311 batting average and hit 18 home runs with 94 RBI and an .840 OPS.

Without him, the Blue Jays have played Andres Gimenez, their regular second baseman, at shortstop in the postseason with Isiah Kiner-Falefa getting most of the starts at second base.

Los Angeles added right-handers Edgardo Henriquez and Will Klein while dropping lefty Alex Vesia and righty Ben Casparius. The Dodgers said Thursday that Vesia was not with the team in Toronto because of a family matter.

Former closer Tanner Scott was not added. The left-hander was dropped from the National League Division Series roster following surgery on Oct. 8 to remove of an abscess from an infection on his lower body.

Clayton Kershaw, who was left off the Dodgers’ wild-card series roster and did not pitch in the NL Championship Series, is on the World Series roster. Kershaw has said he plans to retire after this season.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.



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Shan Masood given additional role as Consultant International Cricket

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October 24, 2025

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Shan Masood given additional role as Consultant International Cricket


Pakistan captain Shan Masood addressing a press conference head of the first Test against England at the Multan Cricket Stadium, October 6, 2024. — APP

LAHORE: Pakistan’s Test captain Shan Masood has been appointed as Consultant International Cricket and Players’ Affairs, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Friday.

The announcement was reportedly first made by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi at a recent luncheon for the Pakistan and South Africa teams, also attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The cricket board has now made the official announcement in a brief statement; however, it did not disclose Masood’s responsibilities in the new role.

The 36-year-old has featured in 44 Tests for Pakistan, captaining the national side in 14 of those games.

Under his leadership, Pakistan defeated England 2-1 last year, their first Test series win against England on home soil since 2005.

The Pakistan Test captain’s appointment came a month after the PCB suspended its Director of International Cricket, Usman Wahla, over delays in handling a crucial communication to the International Cricket Council (ICC).

According to the sources, Wahla was removed from his post after he failed to promptly forward an official letter concerning the Asia Cup handshake controversy, which sparked heated debate across the cricketing world.

Sources said that the PCB leadership grew frustrated over the delayed response, ultimately leading to Wahla’s suspension.

The PCB had lodged a formal complaint with the ICC and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), seeking the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft from the Asia Cup 2025.

The complaint stemmed from the widely publicised incident during the Pakistan-India fixture in Dubai, where both captains skipped the traditional pre-match handshake — a move reportedly directed by Pycroft.

In its letter, the PCB argued that the referee’s decision undermined the spirit of cricket and contravened the MCC’s long-standing laws.

“No handshakes were exchanged before or after the match, which is a direct violation of the game’s traditions,” the letter read. It further alleged that Pycroft had “failed to fulfil his responsibilities as match referee” and breached the ICC Code of Conduct.

The issue was resolved after the PCB confirmed that Andy Pycroft had apologised to Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha and the team manager.





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Grateful Ducks: Oregon’s Grateful Dead uniforms top best Week 9 threads in college football

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October 24, 2025

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Grateful Ducks: Oregon’s Grateful Dead uniforms top best Week 9 threads in college football


Oregon brings the heat with its uniforms every week, but few of its many combinations have a backstory like the threads it’ll be wearing in Week 9 against Wisconsin.

On Sunday, Oregon unveiled its “Grateful Ducks” uniforms, a tribute to the famed band the Grateful Dead.

The Grateful Dead have a deep connection to the Ducks’ home city of Eugene — the band played at Autzen Stadium 10 times between 1974 and 1994. Over the summer, Oregon announced that the stadium theme — a “tie-dye out” — for the school’s Week 9 game against the Badgers would honor the band.

Fittingly, the Ducks’ uniforms this week will draw upon similar themes. At first glance, the Grateful Ducks threads look like a simple enough black-and-green Oregon combination. But the details are both plentiful and aesthetically excellent.

Most notably, the green numbers and the trademark “O” logos on the helmet contain tie-dye patterns. The jersey shoulders contain distinct patches that mix the school’s colors with the band’s “Steal Your Face” motif. Inside the collar and on the back of the helmet is a line of the Grateful Dead’s “dancing bears” — swapping in ducks for the bears.

Oregon isn’t the only school bringing out memorable threads this week, though. Here are the top uniforms from around the college football world in Week 9:

A great uniform can be elevated to another level with a memorable reveal, with New Mexico achieving such a feat this week.

The Lobos’ Week 9 throwback uniforms are aesthetically incredible — turquoise jerseys coupled with gray helmets featuring a simple red Zia emblem, which is found on the state flag of New Mexico.

But New Mexico’s reveal video was every bit as good as the uniforms themselves. Lobos coach Jason Eck and several players drove around Albuquerque in their riff of the movie “Gone in 60 seconds.”

Miami will ditch its usual color scheme of orange, green and white against Stanford for a new look: camouflage.

The Hurricanes’ “Honor and Support” threads mark a tribute to those who have served in the military. Details include a camouflage pattern on the jersey and an American flag patch on the sleeves, with pale green pants. A black helmet also features the school’s classic “U” logo in camouflage coloring.

It’s homecoming weekend for Mississippi State, and it is pulling out a slick uniform combination for the occasion.

The highlight comes on the helmets, which feature the school’s interlocking “MSU” motif on a maroon background for the first time this season. The lids will be paired with a traditional combination of jersey and pants — a maroon jersey and gray pants, with white accenting throughout.

They didn’t bring Florida International any good luck in a 45-26 loss to the Kennesaw State on Tuesday, but the Panthers’ Week 9 threads were still extremely slick.

FIU pulled out its Vice uniforms for the matchup with the Owls, a look that adds a number of bold neon highlights to a black base. The uniform’s helmets include neon pink face masks, a neon blue and pink panther logo on the helmet and a 305 area code on the front of the helmet, with the “0” represented by a panther.





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