Costa Rica · Sul-Matogrossense · Midfielder · #0 · Brazil · 32 yrs
Brutally tough return to tournament awaits, but the stature of opposition feels less important than the fact of being here at allIt was an arrival worth more than half a century of waiting. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) players strolled into the arrivals hall of George Bush airport on Thursday kitted out in tuxedo suits and leopard-print sashes, channelling La Sape vogue for snappy dress that swept Kinshasa in the 1970s. A throng of local volunteers cheered them through and, in a climate where little can be taken for granted, their welcome to Houston was a genuinely wholesome moment.The DRC’s squad looked appreciative although perhaps they were simply relieved to see new faces. The joy of a first World Cup since 1974, when they competed as Zaire, has been complicated by the Ebola outbreak in their homeland and a 21-day isolation period imposed by the US authorities. The players and staff formed a bubble in Belgium, playing one friendly against Denmark and being forced to cancel a scheduled meeting with Chile in Cádiz. Continue reading...
Houston is a host city but those gathered there for a GOP convention are far more concerned with contentious politics – and an elephantGreg Abbott, the governor of Texas, has just finished a 25-minute address and most of the hits have been played. The radical Democrats must be destroyed in November’s midterms; an Austin-style woke agenda should be avoided at all costs; it is essential the Lone Star State remains the most conservative in the US. He has provided ample fodder for about 5,000 delegates but, as the applause subsides, they have a more weighty subject matter to absorb.There is an elephant in the room. A real live elephant in the form of Paige, who is wearing a white cloak bearing the slogan “Unity drives victory”. It has long been an in-joke at the Texas Republican party convention that, one day, a pachydermal visitor might drop in; the animal has been a symbol of the GOP for 150 years. Now, at the George R Brown Convention Center on Friday afternoon, the fantasy has been made flesh. To intakes of breath, Paige is led up the vast conference hall’s central aisle, taking a break halfway up. The exit is 100 metres away but will have to wait; unfortunately for those who have rushed to marvel at her, it turns out Paige needs to urinate. Continue reading...
George: I would take Jarrod Bowen in a heartbeat and El Hadji Malick Diouf from West Ham would be really good for squad depth for seasons to come. Matt: Bowen would be ideal, but only at the right price. Mark: The obvious player would be Bowen.
Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, George Elek and Ali Maxwell after a weekend of EFL playoffs that saw Oli McBurnie take Hull City back to the Premier League for the first time in a decadeRate, review, share on Apple Podcasts and join the conversation on email.On today’s podcast: it’s a Football League special after a bank holiday of the hottest football matches since John Aldridge at USA ‘94. A lot of cramp and sweat and in the end it’s Hull City, Bolton Wanderers and Notts County who are promoted. Continue reading...
Charlie George in yellow, laying down on his back, arms outstretched, lifting his head and scruffily sideburned cheeks before he is mobbed by Arsenal team-mates after scoring the winner against Liverpool deep into extra time. You can almost sense the burning quads and cramping calf muscles through the grainy footage as George plays a one-two before lashing a strike beyond Ray Clemence from the edge of the box to seal Arsenal a league and cup double.
