All posts by h716a5.icu

Charles Coventry, Vusi Sibanda, Brian Vitori and Chris Mpofu are all expected to be recalled to the Zimbabwe squad for the upcoming series in Pakistan

Firdose Moonda07-May-2015Charles Coventry, Vusi Sibanda, Brian Vitori and Chris Mpofu are all expected to be recalled to the Zimbabwe squad for the upcoming series in Pakistan but there may be no room for Malcolm Waller, Graeme Cremer or Solomon Mire.The tour, which has been confirmed despite FICA’s independent security assessment calling the risk of any team visiting Pakistan “unacceptably high,” will be Zimbabwe’s first international outing since the 2015 World Cup, coach Dav Whatmore’s first bilateral series in charge of the team, and their first without Brendan Taylor who quit international cricket for a county career in March.Taylor’s absence has paved the way for the return of both Sibanda, who was dropped for the World Cup squad, and Coventry, who last played for Zimbabwe four years ago. Sibanda has been active in the domestic competition and scored two centuries and two half-centuries in his last six first-class games, while Coventry has come in from the wilderness. He turned down a call-up ahead of the 2014 World T20 because of Zimbabwe Cricket’s precarious financial situation and has since played club cricket in Dubai and South Africa.Zimbabwe have also had to bulk up their bowling reserves following Tendai Chatara’s leg injury, which will sideline him for six months. Chatara, who was Zimbabwe’s best bowler at the World Cup, broke his leg in two places playing football and will be replaced by Mpofu, who last played international cricket in 2013, and fit-again left-arm seamer Vitori, who was also not part of the World Cup squad.With Zimbabwe going back to many of the players they have relied on in the past, there could only be room for one new cap. Allrounder Roy Kaia, who bowls offspin, is in the mix. Zimbabwe’s other slower bowling resources will include Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza, while Prosper Utseya, who now bowls medium-pace after he was banned from bowling offspin, will also travel with the squad. Legspinner Cremer, who returned to training with the national squad, has not played any domestic cricket since quitting the sport for golf two years ago, and has not been deemed match-fit.Elton Chigumbura will continue to lead the limited-overs teams while Zimbabwe’s administrators mull a replacement for Taylor in the Test side, which will retain a core of players that includes Hamilton Masakadza, Craig Ervine and Tinashe Panyangara. Richmond Mutumbami is expected to take over as wicketkeeper from Taylor.Squad (probable): Elton Chigumbura (capt), Sikandar Raza, Charles Coventry, Chamu Chibhabha, Craig Ervine, Roy Kaia, Hamilton Masakadza, Chris Mpofu, Tawanda Mupariwa, Richmond Mutumbami, Tinashe Panyangara, Vusi Sibanda, Prosper Utseya, Brian Vitori, Sean Williams

Even as Ireland were hunting down West Indies in Nelson, in a quiet corner of quiet Manuka Oval in quiet Canberra, Bangladesh were going through a three-hour intense training session

Abhishek Purohit in Canberra16-Feb-2015Even as Ireland were hunting down West Indies in Nelson, in a quiet corner of quiet Manuka Oval in quiet Canberra, Bangladesh were going through a three-hour intense training session. Bangladesh lost both their World Cup warm-up games, one of them to Ireland, and their first opponents in the tournament are Afghanistan, who beat them in the Asia Cup last March in the only previous ODI between the two sides.Bangladesh have not played an international game for two-and-a-half months now, but going by this afternoon’s workout, they are putting in the effort in training. Barring Tamim Iqbal, who is feeling his way back from a knee injury and only faced throwdowns and some offbreaks, the other Bangladesh batsmen had long stints in the side nets just outside Manuka Oval against both pace and spin. The fast bowlers ran in hard in the heat and tested their team-mates’ techniques.The injury-prone Mashrafe Mortaza eased into his spell, bowling off a few paces at the start, and clutching his right shoulder on a few occasions as he loosened up. He was soon sprinting in from his usual run-up, although he was the slowest of the four Bangladesh pace bowlers. He also bowled the shortest spell among the four, choosing to have a short batting stint after that.’I’m challenging you, coach’

“[If] I’m out [again], I’m out. I’ll go away. I’m serious. I’m challenging you, coach.” Tamim Iqbal had just been bowled by a yorker from the sidearm device operated by Bangladesh coach Chandika Hathurusingha.
Tamim had stayed away from the nets at Manuka Oval while his team-mates sweated it out. He sauntered in quite late and sat down to have a long chat with Nasir Hossain. Finally, he prepared to face throwdowns from Hathurusingha.
And he was bowled early on. The proud batsman’s ego had been hurt. Hathurusingha tried to gently talk Tamim out of such potentially distracting challenges but the batsman was adamant.
And for the remainder of his stint, Tamim was not getting out. The faster Hathurusingha slung them in, the faster they went. Cover drives, straight drives, on-drives, pulls, cuts. “Good shots,” the coach acknowledged in the end and went on to advise the batsman about mindset and switching on and off during an innings.

Rubel Hossain seemed the quickest, sending Mahmudullah’s leg stump out of the ground with a sharp yorker. He also found some swing, while the two young ones, Taskin Ahmed and Al-Amin Hossain hit the surface hard and generated rapid bounce. The well-built Taskin, especially, was quite a sight when viewed from just behind the batsman as he pounded in.Rubel and Al-Amin bowled in tandem, while Mortaza and Taskin took charge in another net. Spinners operated in the remaining two practice nets. Team manager and former Bangladesh captain Khaled Mahmud sent down a handful of his mediums as well, even going past the outside edge a couple of times.Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Soumya Sarkar and Mahmudullah comprised the first batch of batsmen while Shakib Al Hasan, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman and Mortaza formed the second. Anamul Haque came on in the final batch along with some of the bowlers.After some initial discomfort in tackling the pace and bounce of a couple of the strongly-built local net bowlers, the short Mominul went on to play some solid pulls, picking up the lengths early and moving quickly into position.Watched by the odd group of children returning from school, Mushfiqur batted the longest, in the net just adjacent to the pavement. There were some instinctive punches on the up off the middle of the bat along with some top-edged hooks. Soon, he started batting in mock situations. Twelve needed off four balls. Fine leg up, called out Taskin before starting to run in. Mushfiqur calmly walked across and connected on the scoop off a full delivery. He did it against Mortaza too. With two needed off one, however, Taskin fired in a yorker, which Mushfiqur missed. Bangladesh will be hoping all the work prevents another misfire against Afghanistan.

While the two great No.10s have made history with the Albiceleste, the nation has been blessed with a host of incredible talents over the years

With two World Cup wins and a further three final appearances, Argentina are up there amongst the elite of international football.

Not only that, but players like Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and Gabriel Batistuta to name just three have become icons of the game, instantly recognisable the world ever. 

But who is the greatest of all? Here, Goal ranks the top 20 to have ever worn the famous Albiceleste jersey…

ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP/Getty Images20Hernan Crespo

Hernan Crespo was, at one point, the world's most expensive football player, a title that, among his compatriots, only Diego Maradona has held in the modern game.

A striker of impossible elegance and potency, he became a firm favourite thanks to his exploits with Parma, Lazio, Milan, Inter and Chelsea among others.

A veteran of three World Cups, Crespo also became the first man to score in the Champions League with five different teams, while helping Inter to three Scudetti in as many years from 2006 to 2009.

He is sometimes overlooked when putting together lists of football's best strikers but, at his most deadly, few could resist the Argentine when bearing down on goal.

AdvertisementGetty19Ricardo Bochini

You know you are not just another run of the mill player when someone of Diego Maradona's stature insists you are picked for a World Cup.

A living legend at Independiente, Ricardo Bochini was the archetype of the languid, supremely gifted Argentina No.10, playing his entire career at the Avellaneda club and helping them to four Primera titles, five Copas Libertadores and two Intercontinental Cup victories in what proved to be their most successful spell in history.

Bochini's time in the national team was understandably curtailed by the emergence of Maradona, who was nevertheless a great friend to his older team-mate.

“Come over, maestro, we've been waiting for you”, Argentina's captain famously said to him when he entered in the 1986 World Cup against Belgium for the last five minutes, his only experience of football's most-coveted trophy.

18Roberto Ayala

When it comes to Argentine football, the list of heroes is dominated by creative geniuses and prolific forwards. It is testament, then, to Roberto Ayala's supreme abilities that the former Valencia favourite is remembered among the nation's elite.

Ayala was a formidable defender in his day, playing 115 times for his nation in a career that spanned three World Cups.

He was also an integral part of Valencia's all-conquering team of the early 2000s, winning two La Liga titles as well as the UEFA Cup in Los Che's most successful spell since the 1940s.

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Gabriel Rossi17Sergio Aguero

While Sergio Aguero has often been criticised for struggling to replicate his club form on the international stage, there is no doubting his brilliance in front of the net.

Ever since he burst onto the scene as a 15-year-old wonderkid for Independiente great things have been expected from 'El Kun', and he has certainly delivered in England.

With two Premier League titles and more than 200 goals for Manchester City, fans at the Etihad Stadium at least have taken Aguero to their hearts as one of the club's all-time greats.

And, at 30, there is still plenty of time for the striker to show Argentina fans exactly what he can do at the highest level.

Tottenham are reportedly set to be left empty-handed by Dele Alli's transfer to Everton, with that deal depreciating from £40 million to nothing.

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Midfielder moved to Goodison in 2022Struggled for a sparkHeading towards free agency in 2024WHAT HAPPENED?

The ex-England international bid farewell to north London in January 2022, with a professional spark already in danger of fizzling out at that point. Dele hoped that a change of scenery would help to get him back on track, but a spell on Merseyside has turned into a disaster.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Dele has endured issues on and off the field, preventing him from recapturing the form that once made him one of the most exciting talents in English football. He has, having spent part of last season on loan at Turkish side Besiktas, taken in just 13 appearances for the Toffees.

DID YOU KNOW?

His last appearance of any kind came on February 26, 2023, with injury issues holding him back. The 27-year-old was forced to undergo groin surgery in January. He may not grace an Everton shirt again, with his contract due to expire at the end of the current campaign.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR DELE?

According to , Spurs are set to miss out on any kind of fee for Dele. His move to Everton could have been worth as much as £40m ($50m), while Tottenham would have been due £10m ($13m) once he reaches 20 appearances for the Toffees. They did try to restructure that agreement in December 2023, but were unable to do so and are now watching on helplessly as Dele heads towards free agency.

Lionel Messi's English skills are "very, very good", according to Inter Miami team-mate Julian Gressel.

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Messi clearly learning EnglishInter Miami team-mate impressedMLS season now underwayWHAT HAPPENED?

Gressel has revealed that Messi has begun speaking to his team-mates in English, instead of his native Spanish, and has been impressed with his command of a new language. He revealed that the Argentina captain made sure to pass on tactical advice to Gressel, in English, during their 4-3 friendly defeat to Al-Hilal.

Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowAdvertisementWHAT GRESSEL SAID

Speaking on the Player/Manager podcast, he said: “I think it was the first game against Al Hilal and he [Messi] came over to me and said something in English. That was the first time he spoke to me in English.

“'Now, we change. You stay and Jordi runs. Jordi goes more in behind.’ I was like okay, sounds good.”

Gressel added: “He goes, ‘English, pretty good no?’ I was like ‘Yes, very, very good, I understood everything’.”

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The 2024/25 MLS season is now underway and Inter Miami have taken four points from their opening two games. Messi and Co beat Real Salt Lake 2-0 and were held to a 1-1 draw by LA Galaxy.

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Inter Miami are next in action on Saturday against Orlando City. They will then face Nashville in the CONCACAF Champions Cup next week.

Gurinder Sandhu has been voted the Australian Cricketers’ Association Player of the Month for March

Brydon Coverdale12-Apr-2013Gurinder Sandhu began the 2012-13 season with a state rookie contract for the first time and modest goals in mind. By the end of the summer he had represented Australia A and the Prime Minister’s XI, played all three formats domestically, and won the Steve Waugh Medal as the best New South Wales player of the domestic campaign. That would be enough to satisfy anyone in their debut season.But there is one final honour heading Sandhu’s way: he has been voted the Australian Cricketers’ Association Player of the Month for March. It has been an incredibly rapid rise for Sandhu, a 19-year-old fast bowler who first emerged in the BBL in December while playing for the Sydney Thunder. Last year he was part of Australia’s Under-19 World Cup team; over the coming year a call-up to the senior side is not out of the realms of possibility.”At the start of the season I would have been happy just playing a couple of Ryobi Cup games,” Sandhu told ESPNcricinfo. “I played four of them and then a couple of Shield games at the end of the season and that topped it off even better. The Australia A games came out of nowhere, a bit like the Prime Minister’s XI game. I just ran with it all and tried to do my thing.”And Sandhu’s thing is to take wickets. In six one-day games – including two for Australia A against the England Lions – he has collected 18 wickets at 14.22 and in his two Sheffield Shield appearances he has managed 14 victims at 11.85. At 194 centimetres, Sandhu uses his height to gain bounce and he has shown that he can swing the ball both ways.”I like to keep the batsman guessing,” he said. But Sandhu knows there is plenty of room for improvement. He and another young New South Wales fast bowler, Chris Tremain, recently travelled to Perth for some sessions with Dennis Lillee and Sandhu said Lillee had helped him with some technical issues, including a tweak to the way he positions his front arm.Of course, Sandhu is of a generation that has only heard of Lillee’s exploits rather than witnessing them first hand. The men he wants to emulate are much more modern. Although he hopes to bowl in a similar style to Glenn McGrath, hitting a consistent spot and nibbling the ball around a fraction, Sandhu also sees Andrew Flintoff as another role model.”He’s a pretty big guy as well and I’m trying to work on my batting to become a bowling allrounder,” Sandhu said. “Maybe one day.”An innings of 45 against South Australia in his second Shield match showed that there is some batting potential there, although he is yet to score a half-century in first-grade cricket for Fairfield-Liverpool in Sydney. He is not the only Sandhu to have played at the top level for that club: his younger brother Harmon Sandhu made his first-grade debut this summer.”He filled in for me when I played the couple of Shield games,” Sandhu said of Harmon, who is also a fast bowler. “He played two games before the end of the season. He’s not as quick yet, he’s only 16 at the moment. Hopefully maybe this year we might play a couple of games together.”The Sandhu brothers were born in Australia after their parents Iqbal and Mukhtyar, originally from Punjab in India, moved to Sydney in the 1980s. Iqbal’s job as a taxi driver allowed him to ferry the boys around to all their junior cricket matches, a commitment that has paid off handsomely given his son’s success this season.And while Sandhu dreams of one day earning a baggy green, his ambitions for the coming year – which should feature a stint at the Centre of Excellence in Brisbane and a trip to the MRF Pace Academy in Chennai – are more grounded.”Hopefully I can cement my spot in the New South Wales team in the Ryobi Cup and the Sheffield Shield and then any higher honours are a bonus, like any more Australia A games,” Sandhu said. “One day if I could play for Australia it would be pretty nice.”Sandhu received 23.5% of the votes for the ACA’s Player of the Month award for March, ahead of Michael Hussey on 21.6% and Ryan Harris with 11.8%.

Benny Howell blasted an explosive half-century as the Hampshire Royals demolished the Northamptonshire Steelbacks by 174 runs in the Clydesdale Bank 40 Group B match at Wantage Road

26-Jul-2011
ScorecardBenny Howell blasted an explosive half-century as the Hampshire Royals demolished the Northamptonshire Steelbacks by 174 runs in the Clydesdale Bank 40 Group B match at Wantage Road.Howell smashed an unbeaten 84 runs off just 54 balls, including six fours and three sixes as the Royals piled on 307 for six from their 40 overs. Liam Dawson weighed in with 70, while David Lucas took five for 48 – his first five-wicket haul in one-day cricket.The Steelbacks were woeful in response as they collapsed to 133 all out with Ben Howgego absent hurt as Chris Wood took three for 34 and only captain Andrew Hall’s 44 not out provided any resistance. The Royals won the toss and chose to bat and they started confidently before losing James Vince for 38 off 23 balls when he chipped Lucas straight to David Willey at extra cover.Lucas then accounted for Hampshire captain Jimmy Adams for 23 when he was caught by Willey at deep extra cover before he trapped Michael Carberry leg before wicket for a single. Former Zimbabwe international Sean Ervine bludgeoned 38 off 34 deliveries before launching James Middlebrook to Willey at long-off.Dawson reached 50 off 48 balls by smashing James Middlebrook for six over midwicket before he perished by top-edging Lucas to Evans at short third man.Dimitri Mascarenhas smashed 26 off just 16 balls before giving Lucas his five-for by launching him to substitute Rob Keogh at long-on. Howell then completed his half-century off 44 balls as the hosts conceded their highest total in a 40-over match.Chasing a mammoth 308, the Steelbacks lost Mal Loye in just the third ball of their reply when he was pinned lbw by David Griffiths before Rob White (six) swept Mascarenhas to Dawson at deep square leg.The hosts’ wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien walked on 22 as he mistimed his scoop shot off Wood and was easily caught by Ervine at backward point. Rob Newton (22) was next to fall when he chipped Wood to Vince at midwicket, before the same bowler bowled Middlebrook for a six-ball duck.Chaminda Vaas (one) continued the Steelbacks’ miserable procession when he was caught by Ervine at slip off Mascarenhas. Ervine was brought on in the 17th over and he forced both Willey (one) and Lucas (four) to edge to Royals wicketkeeper Michael Bates.With Howgego not fit enough to bat, the final nail in the coffin was hammered down when Luke Evans (18) launched Imran Tahir to Wood at long-on, sealing the hosts’ second-heaviest defeat in one-day cricket.

Australia’s new pace bowling coach Craig McDermott believes empathy can be his most valuable addition to the dressing room, after a career he admits had plenty of “bad days at the office”

Daniel Brettig17-May-2011Australia’s new pace bowling coach Craig McDermott believes empathy can be his most valuable addition to the dressing room, after a career he admits had plenty of “bad days at the office”.Handed a Test debut at 19 in 1984 and then shuffled in and out of the Australian team until he re-emerged at his fittest and most incisive to make a place his own in 1990, McDermott knows very well the range of emotions and anxieties that can grip a young player. He was appointed to replace Troy Cooley as the man to guide the current crop of fast bowlers while preparing the way for the next, and is in a pivotal role for a pace battery that was made to look very ordinary indeed during the Ashes.”Everybody has a bad day at the office and I certainly had my fair share of bad days at the office when I was playing cricket,” McDermott told ESPNcricinfo. “I was dropped a number of times, re-selected a number of times and then stayed in the team for a seven-year period straight towards the end, so I’ve been through all the roller-coaster stuff and you’ve got to have a plan A, plan B and plan C.”We’ve got a number of young players in and around the team now and some young quicks who may get a guernsey over the next one or two years. So I think it’s good to have somebody there who can actually talk them through the nerves and the butterflies in the dressing room where you walk in there for the first time and you’re standing next to Ricky Ponting at 150 Tests. (For them) it’s the opposite end of the scale there by a big margin.”There’s a lot of feelings and emotions to help those younger guys through, and even guys who’ve played 10 or 15 Tests, it’s not a lot of games and they’re still settling in; there are some things off the field that you can give them advice on.”Allan Donald was the most high-profile applicant for the job, but McDermott’s coaching apprenticeship at Cricket Australia’s Centre of Excellence gave him worthwhile knowledge of Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and James Pattinson among others, all expected to push for Test spots in the near future. He has also spent time with Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Ryan Harris and Ben Hilfenhaus during the Ashes, and has “some ideas of my own” about their faltering progress during that series.”I’ve had a little bit to do with most of the guys during the Test series against England before the first Test and on a couple of other occasions on very short camps and then in Bangladesh,” said McDermott. “I’ve found it quite easy to fit back into the dressing room scene because I’ve been there before myself. It certainly has changed a little bit from when I was playing and it’s all for the positive and I really enjoyed Bangladesh with the new squad and under a new captain.”I think it’s going to be a difficult period for Australia, we’ve got tough series, Sri Lanka, South Africa and then India out here, which all adds up to a tough summer. We’ve got our work cut out, but I’m sure if we do the work and execute correctly I’ve no doubt we can come up trumps.”Truism though it might be, hard work is a key to McDermott’s coaching philosophy, because it was by that route that he pushed himself back into the Australian team and stayed there as the spearhead of the attack before Glenn McGrath emerged from Narromine. He was perhaps the first Australian cricketer to commit himself fully to the fitness regime of a professional athlete, and reaped handsome results whenever he wasn’t struck down by freak injuries: a twisted bowel ended his 1993 Ashes tour, while a badly sprained ankle culled him from Mark Taylor’s 1995 Caribbean triumph. McDermott isn’t sure Australia’s bowlers are as fit as they need to be, in order to avoid the fatigue that can blur the mind and cause the ball to be sprayed around.”That becomes part and parcel of planning, the top of end of the game is actually more in the head than in the body,” he said. “You’ve got to be physically fit no doubt, extremely fit to be a fast bowler for a long period of time, but certainly the mental side of the game, it is very important to be able to think batsmen out and spot their weaknesses, and to be able to execute your skills, being able to pursue those weaknesses in batsmen.”It’s okay putting one ball or two balls in the right spot, but you’ve got to do it 25 times in a row to build up pressure. Execution only comes with hard work and practice and being fit enough to be able to execute for long enough, you don’t want to have fatigue come into it.”I think we’ve got a number of players who can do that, we’ve just got to make sure we do the work and making sure we’re physically fit enough to execute for long enough to create problems for batsmen. Glenn McGrath was strong, fit and bowled a lot of balls in the right spot, there’s no secret to that. It’s been no secret that’s the way to get batsmen out since WG Grace.”

The 19-year-old helped inspire Boca to the Copa Libertadores final and is ready to take the plunge into European football

Manchester City pulled off one of the steals of the 21st century when they signed Julian Alvarez in January 2022. The striker was only just making a name for himself in Argentina when City struck a deal with River Plate for just £14 million ($17m), and 18 months later he had lifted every trophy imaginable, a World Cup winner with the Albiceleste and a crucial part of City's treble-winning team.

While Brazil has become a highly-competitive hunting ground for European clubs searching for young talent in the last few years, Argentina continues to be overlooked in comparison, meaning teams can get real value for money. And nearly two years after unearthing Alvarez, City are one of several clubs casting their eye over the next superstar to come out of Argentina.

Valentin Barco, 19, has emerged as one of the top players for Boca Juniors and, like Alvarez, has built his reputation in the Copa Libertadores, South America's answer to the Champions League. Barco helped the Xeneize reach the 2023 final, where they were narrowly beaten in extra-time by Fluminense at the Maracana, but is being tipped for far bigger things in the future.

In his first full year in the Buenos Aires' giants first team, the teenager has stood out in a side of veterans including Edinson Cavani, Marcos Rojo and Sergio Romero. He broke into the team as a marauding left-back but soon evolved into an attacking playmaker, showing versatility that will stand him in good stead when he eventually takes the next logical step and heads to Europe…

Boca Juniors oficialWhere it all began

Barco grew up in the town of 25 de Mayo in Buenos Aires province and shone for local side Club Atletico Sportivo as a striker. He attracted the attention of Boca's scouts and was signed by the club at the age of nine by highly-respected scout Ramon Maddoni, who discovered Carlos Tevez, Juan Roman Riquelme, Esteban Cambiasso and Fernando Redondo, among others.

Barco, though, decided to remain with his family and each day would embark on a 450-kilometre roundtrip each day from his hometown to Boca's La Candela training base in the capital. "I'd go to school in the morning and train in the afternoon and it was a three or four hour journey. I'd get home at 10 or 11 at night," he recalled.

"I'm so grateful to my family, they made huge sacrifices for me since a young age and that's why I matured quicker than normal. What they did was very difficult, they gave up everything for me. Their dream was to see me make my debut at the Bombonera and they said that once I'd done that, they could die happily."

Barco made his Boca debut in 2021 at the age of 16 against Union, becoming the fourth-youngest player in the club's history.

AdvertisementMarcelo Endelli/Getty ImagesThe big break

Barco consolidated his place in Jorge Almiron's side at the start of 2023, and he showed his quality and maturity in a Copa Libertadores group game at home to Deportivo Pereira. With their side trailing 1-0, Boca's vociferous fans were booing their side, who could barely string a pass together.

The one exception was Barco, who led the way in every statistical department, taking more touches, making more tackles, attempting more dribbles and drawing more fouls than any of his team-mates. Boca levelled in the 89th minute before Barco set up the winning goal deep in added-time with a pin-point cross for Alan Varela, who hailed his teenage team-mate as "a phenomenon".

Barco struck his first goal for Boca in another Libertadores game against Monagas, while he was the star of the show in 2-1 league win over Newell's Old Boys, scoring the first goal before setting up the second with a dinked cross for team-mate Cristian Medina.

Getty ImagesHow it's going

In the space of little more than six months, Barco went from being an impressionable teenager to Boca's most influential player and one of the spearheads of their charge to the Copa Libertadores final.

He began as a left-back, but as Almiron started to realise the true extent of his talent, he moulded him into an attacking midfield playmaker. Although he has continued to wear the number 19, Barco has taken on the prestigious role of Boca's No.10, following in the footsteps of Diego Maradona and Riquelme. He has two goals and eight assists in all competitions.

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Getty Biggest strengths

Barco is following in the fine Argentine tradition of dribbling, meaning he is frequently fouled. He is remarkably adept with both feet, as comfortable crossing with his left as he is shooting with his right. And he has developed his passing game, leading to him being used more as an attacking midfielder than a full-back, even if he prefers the latter.

"I feel comfortable in both roles and I'll play whether the coach or team needs me," he told . "A lot of people see me as a midfielder as my main quality is attacking play, but I love to play at left-back because I have the whole pitch in front of me."

The teenager also has proved to have nerves of steel in clutch moments, calmly converting decisive penalties in shootout wins over Nacional in the Libertadores and Talleres de Cordoba in the Copa Argentina.

The preview of the first semi-final of the World T20 between Sri Lanka and Pakistan in Colombo

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran03-Oct-2012Match factsOctober 4, 2012
Start time 1900 (1330 GMT)Raza Hasan has been Pakistan’s unexpected trump card•AFPBig Picture
Pakistan didn’t know until late on Tuesday night whether they’d have to keep their hotel reservations in Colombo for a few more days. But when South Africa’s Robin Peterson gloved a ball for a single to take the score to 122 against India, a roar went around the Premadasa. It sounded as though Sri Lanka were playing, but the noise was from a legion of Pakistan fans who were celebrating their team’s progress to the semi-finals on net run rate, at India’s expense. There wasn’t much separating the two sides, but Pakistan were better placed because they got their tactics right and won big against Australia earlier in the evening.Spin has been Pakistan’s strength in this tournament and their captain Mohammad Hafeez used his resources astutely. If that meant giving a rookie spinner the new ball and making the most experienced fast bowler wait till the 18th over, then so be it. The plan was to suffocate the Australians with turn on a sluggish pitch and it worked to such an extent that even Shane Watson had a rare, bad outing. The fielders made Australia’s qualifying target of 112 seem distant. As a result, Pakistan play their fourth World Twenty20 semi-final tomorrow, but unlike on Tuesday, they will not have the lion’s share of the support.Sri Lanka are familiar opponents for Pakistan. The hosts were the more dominant side when Pakistan visited in June-July. Sri Lanka looked a more settled side in the Super Eights, making heavy weather of the chase against New Zealand (which culminated in a Super Over victory) and trouncing West Indies and England. The return of Ajantha Mendis has given their spin attack more bite and the seamers, Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara don’t offer respite.It’s ironic though that the semi-final is Sri Lanka’s first game in Colombo during this World Twenty20. They love playing at the Premadasa and the pitch – not as quick as the ones Pakistan played on in June – should suit their spinners. Sri Lanka haven’t had a world title since 1996. They are two games away from breaking the drought, at home.Form guide (completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka WWWLW
Pakistan WLWWWWatch out for Spin v spin: Opening with spin has become the norm for Pakistan. Will Hafeez adopt the same tactic against Tillakaratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardene, who are fluent players of slow bowling? Hafeez, Hasan and Saeed Ajmal conceded only 53 in 12 overs and took all seven wickets that fell against Australia. The two Mendises – Ajantha and Jeevan – have played vital roles for Sri Lanka as well, and they also possess a largely unknown quantity in Akila Dananjaya.Something’s got to give for Shahid Afridi. He has looked a shadow of his old self with the ball, while as a batsman he remains unreliable. His three wickets in the tournament are at odds with his reputation for running through line-ups. Afridi still gets the odd delivery to grip and beat the bat, but Pakistan need more from him. His star value may not have diminished, but his wicket-taking and match-winning ability has.Team news Mohammad Hafeez didn’t drop any hints of team changes. Pakistan wouldn’t want to disturb their winning combination.Pakistan (probable): 1 Mohammad Hafeez (capt), 2 Imran Nazir, 3 Nasir Jamshed, 4 Kamran Akmal (wk), 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Umar Akmal, 7 Abdul Razzaq, 8 Shahid Afridi, 9 Umar Gul, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Raza Hasan.Mahela Jayawardene stopped short of saying he would captain again after Sri Lanka’s smart play-safe approach against England. He didn’t hint at team changes either.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Angelo Mathews, 5 Jeevan Mendis, 6 Lahiru Thirimanne, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Nuwan Kulasekara, 9 Lasith Malinga, 10 Akila Dananjaya, 11 Ajantha MendisStats and trivia Sri Lanka have lost all four Twenty20 matches they’ve played at the Premadasa.Of the 11 matches at the Premadasa in this tournament, only one has been won by the team winning the toss – by Australia against South Africa.Quotes
“We may not have won too many finals but getting there itself shows that we have played consistent cricket.”

“T20 is all about giving surprises every time you play. We are trying to do that, and most of the time, we are getting some success in that. I have no idea what it will be [tomorrow], but you never know.”