Category Uncategorized

The outgoing board director discusses the challenges and rewards of her role during a tumultuous time for the game

Daniel Brettig30-Oct-2020Jacquie Hey joined the Cricket Australia board on the same day as David Peever and Kevin Roberts in October 2012.Eight years later, she is the only member of the trio leaving on her own terms, after Peever was deposed as chairman in the wake of the CA’s cultural review in 2018, and Roberts found himself compelled to resign as chief executive as a series of fractured relationships in the game caught up with him in the time of Covid-19.By contrast, Hey is leaving CA with her reputation enhanced. But the rise of the women’s game on her watch ran parallel to a rise in Australian corporate circles that left her ultimately too busy to become the governing body’s first female chair. Instead, Hey is chair of Bendigo and Adelaide Banks and a director of Qantas, among other Australia Stock Exchange listed companies.There will, then, always be an imponderable about how CA might have fared if Hey had assumed a greater position of leadership in the game instead of Peever or Roberts. Speaking on the occasion of her departure, she offers an explanation of competing priorities and instincts, with an apology on behalf of women in the game that she did not choose to take on the chair.ALSO READ: Indian summer to give true insight into Covid’s ‘new normal’ for Cricket Australia funding”One part of me would’ve loved to be chair of CA, it would’ve been such a privilege, and it is a privilege for anyone who’s held that role, and particularly as a woman, one part of me desperately wanted to do it,” Hey told ESPNcricinfo. “The other, sensible side, said I’m an ASX director on three or four boards and I would’ve had to give them all up to do the job, because it’s a pretty full-on and full-time job.”So it wasn’t that I didn’t want to be, it was just that I also wanted to do everything else I’m doing and it wouldn’t have all fit. So I did go through that, two parts of my brain saying yes do it, but no you have to give up everything else you love doing. So would I love to have done it? I would’ve. Was I prepared to give up everything else that I was doing to do it? No I wasn’t, and there were other really capable candidates to do it. So I felt like that was okay. But on behalf of all women, I’m sorry.”When Hey joined the CA board, it was part of a sweeping reform that ended more than a century of representative governance by as many as 14 directors from CA’s six state association owners. Hey, Peever and Roberts were described as “captains of industry”, and from the top of the organisation she was able to help bring about a seismic shift in the women’s game. By May 2013, CA was unveiling professional contracts for the women’s national team, and the same spirit of bold steps informed the decision to shoot for a standalone T20 World Cup.

The toughest things were the Phil Hughes impact and the press conferences the three players had to give when they returned from South Africa. They were the things that brought me to tears

“I think it was about five years before that, we decided we would have the standalone women’s final, and then the next thing we were thinking about was where would we have it. Fairly quickly the board came to why wouldn’t we be able to fill the MCG,” she said. “We’ve got five years to think about it, the women’s game is growing, we’ve got great ambassadors playing the game, why not. Then of course the closer it got, the more nervous everyone got about ‘are we going to get there’ and to see that on that night, was just stunning.”To see the support for women’s sport generally and particularly for cricket, it’s hard to not see that as a highlight. The other one is the growth in kids playing cricket and the way they’re playing it, with the shorter pitches and the smaller grounds and the different rules. There’s fun back into it, they’re not being discouraged before they get to understand how great this game is, and that’s both boys and girls. They’re probably my two highlights, but sitting at the MCG on March 8 was pretty fantastic.”As much as those moves, plus the introduction of the WBBL, required decisive thinking, Hey also earned respect among fellow administrators for applying a level of humility to the game that is not always common among its largely male corridors of power. Her salient advice for any would-be directors is to do everything possible to avoid assuming you know what you’re getting into.Jacquie Hey, chair of the review sub-committee, alongside David Peever•Getty Images”I’ve loved cricket all my life, I played cricket, I’ve been to cricket, I’ve hung around at clubs, I’ve played indoor cricket, so I knew all that, but that’s not the extent of what it means to be on a board,” she said. “Being on a board you need to have all that, plus you need to understand the financial aspects of it, you need to understand what are the levers that make kids play cricket, what are the important things for high performance, how does international cricket work, there was a whole lot of learning for me.”So my personal view is anyone joining a board, should join it with a mind that says I need to learn, I need to listen, and I need to contribute, but I need to do all of those things. If anyone’s joining a board thinking they know it all, I’d say that’s a problem”That being said, Hey freely admits that the increasingly corporatised CA board had some harsh lessons of its own, starting with the pay dispute with the Australian Cricketers Association in 2016-17, in which Peever and Roberts pushed to break up the fixed revenue percentage model that underpinned the MoU with the players. Passions unleashed in that episode, as the players went out of contract for more than a month before CA backed down, have stayed in Hey’s mind.”The fantastic thing about being involved in sport is you get to deal with a whole range of people who are incredibly passionate about the subject,” she said. “But with passion comes all sorts of excitement and concerns and opinions and that is slightly, not necessarily absent from ASX boards, but I think when you get to the sporting arena it goes up a notch and that’s really part of the fun of being involved in sport and certainly cricket.”In March 2018, Hey can remember being asleep at the time the Newlands ball tampering scandal began to unfold, but rising early to take her son to junior sport, she had just enough time to take in a few headlines and videos before her phone began to ring incessantly.It did not stop while she chaired the CA subcommittee that oversaw the cultural review and led ultimately to a fiery press conference at the MCG when Hey had to step in numerous times to aid her embattled chairman Peever. Within days he had been removed via the withdrawal of the NSW chairman John Knox’s support. It’s an episode Hey deems “traumatic”, but not as hard as it was to work through the death of Phillip Hughes, or watch the tearful returns of Steven Smith, Cameron Bancroft and David Warner from South Africa.”The toughest things were the Phil Hughes impact and the press conferences the three players had to give when they returned from South Africa. They were the things that brought me to tears. The press conference was a bit traumatising, but it didn’t bring me to tears,” Hey said. “It was something I needed to do, that I wanted to do, and on behalf of cricket we had to do. I didn’t find that as traumatising or tough as some of those other things that really tugged at my heartstrings and made me feel bad.”Jacquie Hey joined CA the same day as David Peever and Kevin Roberts, but she was able to depart on her own terms•Getty ImagesLooking at the outcomes of the review, Hey said that it had equipped CA with better machinery to deal and communicate better with the states and the ACA, but also informed the attitude required behind those relationships and others.”In a federated structure we’re not always going to agree all the time, and that’s healthy too,” she says. “I think we have a much more healthy, open relationship and a much better level of trust and discussion. There are occasional things that are confidential, but they’re a lot of things that are not confidential within the game of cricket and I think we’ve been better about talking about those.”At the time Earl Eddings took up Peever’s post as chairman, Hey was talked up as a viable alternative, but by then was well on the way to chairing Bendigo and Adelaide Banks. Asked whether she thinks Eddings should get another term as chairman next year, Hey sidesteps deftly, leaving it to the board she is leaving behind. But on the subject of Peever and Roberts, she offers hope that they have not lost love for cricket by departing their custodial roles in far less amiable circumstances than she is.”I think when you get a chance to be involved in the game, there’s always the love for it that you had going on and I’m sure when you’re going out,” Hey said. “I’ll leave them to talk about it, but I’m sure they have as deep a love for the game as ever, and that’s important. We do this because we all love the game.”

Siraj, Rabada and Prasidh Krishna form a new and possibly potent pace attack at Gujarat Titans

Abhimanyu Bose18-Mar-20256:35

Chopra, Harbhajan back Gill to star for ‘strong’ GT

Where they finished last year

Gujarat Titans, after winning the IPL and reaching the final in their first two years, failed to make the playoffs for the first time in 2024. They finished eighth in the league, with five wins, seven defeats and two washouts in their last two matches.

What’s new in IPL 2025?

After the rebuild at the mega auction, Titans have a brand new pace attack spearheaded by Mohammed Siraj (INR 12.25 crore), Kagiso Rabada (INR 10.75 crore) and Prasidh Krishna (INR 9.5 crore). They also have plenty of fast-bowling depth in Gerald Coetzee, Ishant Sharma, Gurnoor Brar, and left-armers Kulwant Khejroliya and Arshad Khan.Related

• Gill wants Gujarat Titans to 'maximise the powerplay'

• Matthew Wade joins Gujarat Titans as assistant coach

• Sai Sudharsan undergoes surgery for sports hernia

• Torrent Group to buy majority stake in Gujarat Titans

Titans look set to open their batting with an exciting new partnership between Jos Buttler, bought for INR 15.75 crore, and captain Shubman Gill. Buttler had a tough time in India earlier this year, though he was England’s top-scorer in the T20I series, and also in the Champions Trophy, where his team’s group-stage exit forced him to step down as their limited-overs captain. After making 863 runs in IPL 2022, Buttler didn’t pass 400 in 2023 and 2024, but his hundred at Eden Gardens last year to chase down 224 against KKR ranks among the league’s most legendary innings.There has been an addition to Titans’ coaching team, headed by Ashish Nehra, with former Australia wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Wade, who played for Titans until last year, joining as assistant coach.

Likely best XII

1 Shubman Gill (capt), 2 Jos Buttler* (wk), 3 B Sai Sudharsan, 4 Sherfane Rutherford/Glenn Phillips*, 5 Washington Sundar, 6 Rahul Tewatia, 7 Shahrukh Khan, 8 Rashid Khan*, 9 R Sai Kishore, 10 Kagiso Rabada*, 11 Mohammed Siraj, 12 Prasidh Krishna
Full GT squad

Big question

Watch out for

When Gill made 890 runs in IPL 2023, he seemed a certainty in India’s future T20I team. But a cooling off of his form and the rise of competitors have forced him to the sidelines. Gill was not part of the squad that won the T20 World Cup 2024, where Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had opened for India, and even after Rohit and Kohli retired from the format, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson have overtaken Gill in the queue. He needs another explosive IPL to bring him back into India’s T20 plans.Rashid Khan and Kagiso Rabada: team-mates at MI Cape Town, and now at GT too•SA20While Titans have a solid top three in Gill, Buttler and Sai Sudharsan, and a finisher in Rahul Tewatia, the rest of their batting line-up lacks proven IPL pedigree. The options for the middle and lower order are Sherfane Rutherford or Glenn Phillips (who have played ten and eight IPL matches, respectively), Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, Anuj Rawat and Mahipal Lomror. Unless some of these batters surpass what they have done in the past, Titans could find themselves too top heavy this season.

Key stats

• Buttler has had success at his new home ground, the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad: he has 317 runs in eight T20s there, with two fifties and a hundred – against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2022.
• With 12 wickets each, Rabada and Rashid were the joint-highest wicket-takers in MI Cape Town’s successful run to the SA20 title this season.
• Since the end of IPL 2024, only three bowlers have taken more T20 wickets than Rashid, but none of them have a better average or economy rate. In fact, among bowlers with more than 40 wickets in this period, Rashid has the best average, and only Noor Ahmad (6.52) has a better economy rate than his 6.61.

Who’s out or in doubt?

Gujarat Titans are set to go into IPL 2025 with a fully fit squad. Sudharsan, their highest run-scorer last season, had surgery for a sports hernia last December, but is ready now. Shahrukh, who was injured for the second phase of the Ranji Trophy and most of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, is also good to go.

Brandon King’s 75 showcased an ability to adapt his white-ball prowess to Test cricket, while Jayden Seales’ double-strike exposed Sam Konstas and Usman Khawaja’s familiar frailties

Andrew McGlashan05-Jul-20250:31

Konstas chops on for a duck

Jayden Seales played his part in keeping Australia’s openers waiting for 51 minutes, uncertain when exactly their need to run off and pad up would come. Then, when it did, he struck a pair of blows that could have significant short and longer-term consequences.If West Indies’ last wicket had gone quickly, Australia’s time with the bat would have been closer to an hour-and-a-half. That does not mean events would have transpired any more favourably for them, but what they ended up with was one of those nothing-to-gain scenarios. Neither Sam Konstas nor Usman Khawaja, players at opposite ends of their careers, could make it through to the close.Konstas dragged on for a duck, his third single-figure score of the series, and looked forlorn as he made his way into the dressing room. Khawaja, yet again, was pinned lbw from around the wicket. He insists he doesn’t have a problem with that angle, but the evidence is starting to suggest otherwise.Related

• Half-centuries from Smith and Green give Australia control

• Seales' late strikes, King's 75 put Australia under pressure

• Hard work done but no pay day for Green as questions linger

In the here and now, it has meant for the second time in the series a Test is finely balanced after two days. Australia ahead by 42 on a pitch that is playing tricks, albeit not quite at the rate of Barbados, but that could well change on the third day, and the new ball is especially demanding. “Anything under 200 runs, I think we’ll be able to get that,” West Indies captain Roston Chase said.With a slightly longer lens, it has left next week’s day-night Test in Jamaica as potentially pivotal in how Australia’s top-order shapes up for the Ashes later in the year. Barring a major reversal from the selectors, Konstas will play at Sabina Park. He has two innings left to make a score substantial enough to at least quieten the debate around him.”You’re here for a reason. I guess you just trust that,” Josh Hazlewood said when asked about the challenges of being a young player in Test cricket having made his international debut as a 19-year-old.”You’re in this position because you’re a good player. Every time I’ve bowled [to] him in the last few months, he just keeps getting better and better, it feels like. He got thrown in a tough situation there. But we saw in the first innings, he played some really nice shots, put some pressure back on the bowlers. I think he’s turning in the right direction. But it’s tough at 19.”Meanwhile, if you go by the selectors’ words, Khawaja’s position is safe. His 47 in the first innings in Barbados was important (although he was dropped on 6) but the pattern of dismissals is hard to ignore.

“I think even if you’re an aggressive batsman in Test cricket, you still have to go with the ebbs and flows. There’s times when bowlers will bowl good spells and you have to battle it out especially on difficult wickets, you can’t attack right through”Brandon King to ESPN

In that regard, West Indies’ bowlers have been exceptional in keeping the pressure on the duo, albeit in favourable conditions. Plans have come together. In Barbados, Shamar Joseph twice brought the ball back at Konstas to exploit a technical weakness. Now in Grenada, clearly looking to play more positively, he has edged behind driving and dragged on looking to play through the off side.”We obviously have our plans for each and every batsman,” Chase said. “I guess that’s the area we’re trying to exploit and it’s been working for us so far.”This West Indies team is beginning a new phase under Chase, named captain after a two-year absence from the side, and coach Daren Sammy. Bowling is clearly their strength, but there were signs with the bat of the broader ideas they are trying to lay out.The most significant innings belonged to Brandon King who complied a maiden Test fifty that complimented aggression (including three sixes) with solid defence. When the squad for the series was named, Sammy explained that King, a player largely known for his white-ball exploits, had been picked for a specific role.He had been included on the back of a domestic season where he played just four first-class matches and averaged 30.25. West Indies are trying to find solutions to long-held batting problems; King’s innings was an example of striking the right balance.0:31

Seales strikes again as Khawaja burns review

The over before lunch, he collected two boundaries off Nathan Lyon. Shortly after the break, he pulled Hazlewood over the leg side for six and later twice took Lyon straight down the ground. But between the aggression, and dashes of his white-ball pedigree, was watchfulness.Carlos Braithwaite, speaking on ESPN’s , noted how bowlers will often look to bring the ball back into King, but in this innings he played with a very straight bat, the benefits of work he had done with assistant coach Floyd Reifer on his balance.”I think even if you’re an aggressive batsman in Test cricket, you still have to go with the ebbs and flows,” King told ESPN. “There’s times when bowlers will bowl good spells and you have to battle it out especially on difficult wickets, you can’t attack right through. It’s about recognising those moments as best as possible and when you feel like you’re on top and can get some runs, you continue.”Twice during the second day – at 64 for 3 and 174 for 7 – it looked like things could go wrong for West Indies. But they dug deep to keep themselves in the contest, to such an extent that Australia were the happier side to see the clock tick down as Lyon received treatment for a blow on the arm in what became the final over.”From the time you saw him get hit, you know he’s an experienced customer, we knew that that was going to be the last [over],” Chase said with a smile.West Indies couldn’t stay with Australia on the third day in Barbados. Now they have given themselves another chance.

The Washington Nationals announced they were calling up Bruce the bat dog for his MLB debut against the Miami Marlins on Saturday afternoon at Nationals Park.

Bruce, a 21-month-old golden retriever, gets his first career assignment in the big leagues after making an unforgettable impression with the Rochester Red Wings, the Nationals' Triple-A affiliate. Bruce made his professional debut for the Red Wings last September, recording countless stolen hearts and leading the league in total bats retrieved (a lot of them). He's also been a huge factor in improving dugout morale due to his natural good looks and irresistible charm.

Check out Bruce's priceless reaction to finding out he was getting promoted:

While some fans may refer to Bruce as an ace or a phenom, the tail-wagging rookie prefers the term, "good boy."

Nationals Park will host an honorary bat retrieval ceremony as well as a press conference for Bruce's major league debut this Saturday.

"Our fans and front office are always excited to see our players get promoted to the Nationals, but Bruce's promotion is a historic call-up to the big leagues that he richly deserves," said Red Wings GM Dan Mason. "He'll put on a doggone great show for Nats fans on June 14."

County set to end 20 years of exile from Division One as rivals Derbyshire are unable to close gap

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay18-Sep-2025

Derbyshire 17 for 0 trail Glamorgan 259 (Carlson 94, Reece 4-67, Dal 3-29) by 242 runs Glamorgan are celebrating a return to the top tier of domestic cricket for the first time in 20 years after the Rothesay County Championship Division Two match against Derbyshire at Derby ended in a draw.For the second day running, rain prevented any play at the Central Co-op County Ground which meant third place Derbyshire could not overtake the Welsh County in second placeMiddlesex’s subsequent draw against Lancashire at Old Trafford confirmed that Glamorgan will be playing Division One cricket next season for the first time since 2005.They went into the last day already in a strong position but once rain throughout the morning washed out the first session, it was obvious Derbyshire’s slim hopes had gone.The decision to abandon the match was taken after a brief inspection by the umpires and both captains shortly before 12.30pm with Derbyshire taking 11 points and Glamorgan nine points from a game in which play was only possible on day two.Glamorgan end the season with a home game against Lancashire while Derbyshire travel to Canterbury to play Kent.

Newcastle United are always on the lookout for exciting talent to bolster their ranks and could now be set to press ahead in their pursuit of a star loved by Lionel Messi.

Newcastle appoint Ross Wilson as Director of Football

After the international break is over, the Magpies face a trip to face Brighton & Hove Albion on the South Coast as the Premier League gets back underway following a two-week hiatus.

On the news front, Ross Wilson’s appointment as Newcastle’s new Director of Football has signalled another interesting move from PIF as they look to assemble a side capable of competing with the elite of the English game.

Opening up on conversations he has held with Eddie Howe, he told Sky Sports: “This is such a special club, and I fully understand the passion, ambition and expectations of our incredible supporters, as well as the ambition and desire of our ownership to keep developing and building an even stronger Newcastle United.

“My conversations with ownership have been extremely positive, and I’ve also been in regular contact with Eddie Howe and David Hopkinson. The trust, cohesion and alignment we’re building already feels strong, and we believe that being united as a team will be so important as we continue to move the club forward together.”

Looking to make an early mark, Wilson could look to bring Brentford striker Igor Thiago to Newcastle after his impressive early showings at the Bees this season. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if Keith Andrews will cooperate after losing Yoane Wissa to the Magpies.

With his feet now under the table, Wilson is now eyeing an exciting winger who could soon be on his way to Tyneside if recent developments are to evolve.

Newcastle keen on Spain international Ansu Fati

According to reports in Spain, Newcastle are keen to sign Spain international Ansu Fati, who is on loan at AS Monaco from parent club Barcelona.

Scoring six times in his first five matches at the Ligue 1 outfit, he could be captured permanently by Les Monégasques for around £9.5 million in the summer. Meanwhile, Barcelona have the chance to buy him back for a fee in the region of £24.5 million.

Worse than Barnes: Newcastle flop is on borrowed time after Wilson arrival

This Newcastle United flop is surely on borrowed time under Ross Wilson.

ByDan Emery Oct 12, 2025

Crystal Palace and Everton are also keen on his services and it is easy to see why, given he has already created five chances this term in the French top-flight, per Fotmob.

Praised by Lionel Messi for his rise to prominence, Fati may have had to take the long way around after falling out of favour at Barcelona, but he now seems to have rediscovered his mojo and appears well on his way to stardom.

Newcastle are on a similar upward trajectory, creating a merging of paths that could be positive for everyone at St James’ Park.

Chelsea are now preparing an offer worth over £87m to sign an “elite” new striker in a blockbuster move, it has been revealed.

Blues preparing bid for yet another new striker

The Blues made it three wins on the spin in all competitions on Saturday afternoon, with Pedro Neto particularly catching the eye, being awarded a 9.5 SofaScore match rating after chipping in with a goal and an assist.

Enzo Maresca’s side relied on their defenders to provide the other goals, with Josh Acheampong and Reece James also getting in on the act, and it was a late strike from the captain that wrapped up a 3-0 victory on the road.

Joao Pedro, on the other hand, was unable to have much of an impact on proceedings, and the Brazilian has now gone four Premier League games without a goal, after making an impressive start to the campaign.

Of course, it is still way too early to lose faith in Pedro, but the west Londoners are never shy about spending big in the transfer window, and they have now set their sights on a new striker.

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Chelsea are now preparing an offer of more than €100m (£87m) for FC Porto star Samu Omorodion, who has established himself as one of the most promising young strikers in Europe.

There is a feeling that Omorodion would be a perfect fit in the Premier League, and the Blues are now willing to spend big to get a deal done, with the striker potentially in line to become one of their most expensive signings of all-time.

The blockbuster move is being considered for next summer, rather than January, which gives the 21-year-old the remainder of the season to prove he is the right man to lead the line for Maresca’s side.

Chelsea open talks to sign "powerful" £35m forward with 15 goals in 2025

The Blues have entered discussions with the agents of a new forward, who is enjoying an impressive campaign.

ByDominic Lund Oct 19, 2025 "Elite" Omorodion has ability to be the main man for Chelsea

The Spaniard enjoyed a very impressive debut campaign in Portugal last season, and the early signs this season show that he could be capable of eclipsing his previous league goal tally, having made a fantastic start.

Season

Liga Portugal appearances

Goals

2024-25

30

19

2025-26

7

5

Scout Ben Mattinson also lauded the Porto star last season, while also suggesting he has the ability to make the step-up to one of Europe’s top leagues.

Chelsea have implemented a policy of signing and developing exciting young players since BlueCo’s arrival, and Omorodion fits the bill in that regard, with the youngster clearly talented enough to lead the line at Stamford Bridge.

Portland Hearts of Pine's jerseys went global, but their debut season on the pitch has proved they're far more than just a cool kit

The drive to Portland is long and dark for Mitchell Ketchen. It takes about an hour, all in, cutting through winding roads and sharp corners. His house is 20 minutes from the nearest shopping center, relatively cut off from the world. He lives in a place where generation after generation have stayed, a town built on basketball, football and baseball. 

There isn’t much soccer to be found. 

But get behind the wheel, and within 60 minutes, he approaches what has become a mecca of American soccer. And it isn’t even a field. Fitzpatrick Stadium is a public turf, used primarily for Portland High School. You’ve seen it thousands of times – American football goalposts at either end, a track around the edge, bleachers on either side. It could be transplanted in pretty much any town in the U.S. 

And in Portland, Maine, it is the hub of a movement, a 6,000-seat fortress of sorts that has housed numerous attendance records in USL League One. This is the home of Portland Hearts of Pine, the trendy hipster brand that turned out to be rather good at this sport. 

But more importantly, it is a club that embraced a community – and which rallied around them in return. Hearts of Pine are cool. But they’re also a model of what USL League One football can – and perhaps should – be, a team that not only understands the people it caters to, but also achieves success in the process. 

“We've built this beacon of what grassroots football can look like in the States,” Club Founder Gabe Hoffman-Johnson said. “These are all the things we set out to do.”

Bill TrevaskisMore than just cool jerseys

It was the kits that first went viral. Portland nailed them. The Internet said so in its millions of clicks and engagements.

The goal was a mixture of expression and authenticity, Hoffman-Johnson told GOAL last year. The soccer hipsters loved the long-sleeves and the hoops. The Mainers loved the ruggedness. 

Throw in a campaign that was distinctly not all that about soccer – a lasting image was a man with a chainsaw, cutting down a tree with a battered undershirt, punctuating with the kit – and they found a crossover that few in mainstream soccer could replicate. 

That was only part of the journey, Hoffman-Johnson says. 

“The jerseys have gone to every state,” he said. “They’ve gone to 40 countries. But I think there's a love of the way that we celebrate the community, the way that we uplift the community. We do the right things for the right reasons.”

AdvertisementIMAGN'A hard nosed brand of football'

More broadly, the challenge was to develop a product that fans could get behind. There’s no point in having a cool brand if the fanbase can’t enjoy the soccer. Portland doesn’t have an NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL team. But it does have a strong sporting culture, and deep ties to the beautiful game. The fans here expect success.

But many in the world of prediction-making didn’t believe. In the eyes of some, Portland were little beyond a cool badge and striking jerseys. The soccer was a bonus, and it wasn’t necessarily going to be very good. 

Ketchen, co-chair of the Hearts of Pine supporters’ group Dirigo Union, rejected that notion from day one. 

“Somebody says they're going to come in and they're going to look for good people, they're going to play a very hard-nosed brand of football that reflects the community that they're representing. I'm going to believe that,” he told GOAL. 

They were right, of course. Portland won their first playoff game over the weekend. They will face a win-or-go-home conference semifinal against Spokane Velocity – a team they battered 6-1 two weeks ago.

IMAGN'A very strong core'

Portland were assertive in their squad early on. It started with the coaching hire. Those outside of the USL sphere may not know much about Bobby Murphy. There are, of course, hundreds of coaches who have practiced their craft in all three divisions. 

But Murphy made sense for a number of reasons. The first was his MLS experience – he worked at Orlando City from 2016-18, twice serving as interim manager. But perhaps more important were the six years in between. He coached at three separate levels, most recently at St. Louis City 2 of MLS Next Pro, building a new side and carrying them to the 2024 Western Conference finals. 

Murphy, then, was a serious hire. 

“You have this insane coaching staff,” Ketchen said. “You have Bobby Murphy, who has almost three decades of professional coaching experience across every level in America.” 

Alongside him, they brought in Alex Ryan, a reliable USL League Two vet, and Yuta Nomura, an experienced goalkeeping coach. Ketchen was impressed. 

“That is a very strong core, and it's a core that understands how to develop talent, how to work with young talent, and mold young professionals,” he said. 

The squad didn't look bad either. Nathan Messer, formerly of Rhode Island FC, was a shrewd signing at fullback. Ollie Wright was a USL vet who could create and score from midfield. Jay Tee Kamara spent time in the Swedish league and brought experience. Joint top-scorer Masashi Wada played for a decade in Japanese football before being coaxed to the U.S..

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Bill Trevaskis'It goes beyond soccer'

Perhaps more important than all of that were the deep ties that the club worked within the community. Hoffman-Johnson’s journey started with the 2022 World Cup, when he saw the potential that Portland had as a soccer city during a watch party for the England-USA game. It was a miserable contest, but thousands turned out in the rain to see a scoreless draw. That was passion. And his team could tap into it. 

Ketchen and co were sold early. They founded their supporters’ group before the club even debuted. They were there in bars and pubs when USL soccer was merely a rumor. Ketchen is a lifelong fan and a stout Liverpool supporter. He used to wake up at 5 a.m. and drive down south to a bar to watch the Reds play on Saturday mornings.

There, he met Hoffman-Johnson. And they just talked about soccer. Ketchen had a podcast at the time. Hoffman-Johnson suggested that if this whole Portland thing worked out, they could perhaps help promote the team. 

“It was like, ‘Hey, the supporter group needs some help. And you guys know ball and you're excited about this, so you know, just go talk with them, see what you can do,’” Ketchen said. 

That was two years ago. The badge was released a year later, along with some merch. Last month, they added their 850th paying member. 

“It's humbling,” he said. “I'm a lifelong Mainer. It goes beyond soccer. We're very sports crazy up here, we're very competitive. We love to talk sh*t. We'll follow our teams off a cliff.”

Al-Nassr new signing Joao Felix admits he is loving playing alongside Portugal team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo for the Saudi Pro League side. Felix made the switch to the Middle East in the summer and has enjoyed a prolific start to life with his new club. The former Chelsea star says that having Ronaldo on the team helps him as defenders are often focused on the veteran instead.

• Ronaldo and Felix star as Al-Nassr hit five

  Felix only joined Al-Nassr in the summer transfer window but has already scored two hat-tricks for his new club. His second came at the weekend in an impressive 5-1 win over Al-Fateh. Ronaldo was also on target during the game, smashing home a brilliant strike just minutes after missing a penalty, but it was Felix who took home the match ball and the MVP award after stealing the show. Ronaldo now has five goals in five Saudi Pro League games this season for Al-Nassr, but he's been comfortably outscored by Felix who has eight in what's been a prolific start to life with his new club. 

Advertisement

• Felix says it's 'easy' to play with Ronaldo

  Felix has now opened up on playing with Ronaldo at club level and does feel the 40-year-old's presence on the pitch helps as defenders often leave him with more space as they are preoccupied by the Portugal icon.

  He told Canal GOAT: "Yes, playing with Cristiano… there you go… It's Cristiano. Everyone knows what he's capable of, as we saw. He misses a penalty and the next minute he scores that goal. It's easy to play with him. 

  "Sometimes it even ends up being good, because since it's Cristiano, they end up focusing more on him and then leaving the others with a bit more space. He ends up helping the forwards, both me, Mané, and Coman. And yes, playing with him on the pitch is something else.

  "I always work to give my best; sometimes things work out, sometimes they don't. Of course, this context is more favorable, because I'm in my position, which brought me into football, which made a bit of my name in the beginning. And the team, the team is doing very well. The manager's ideas are good; they benefit me, my game, the attackers in general. That's why we've been scoring so many goals, and it's partly due to that, the manager's tactics and ideas."

• Ronaldo says Felix move was a 'wise decision'

  Felix's move to Al-Nassr did attract some criticism, with the 25-year-old forward opting to leave European football after difficult spells with Barcelona, AC Milan and Chelsea. There was was talk that Felix was wanted back at Benfica, but he opted to link up with Ronaldo in the Middle East instead.

  Ronaldo feels that his Portugal international team-mate made the right decision to come to Al-Nassr even if it does mean missing out on playing in the Champions League.

  "Everyone knows Joao; he's very talented. I think he'll help us a lot in the Saudi league, which is very competitive," he told reporters. "You don't know him; you're not there, you don't show up, but we saw him at the Club World Cup. I think it was a better option for Felix than playing in the Portuguese league; just look at the number of stars there are in Saudi Arabia. Regardless of not playing in the Champions League, it was a very wise decision on his part. Calling him to convince him? I don't do that, I don't pick up the phone. It's not my job. You [journalists] said that, but my job is to train and play."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Ronaldo eyeing first trophy with Al-Nassr

  Ronaldo is famously yet to win a trophy with Al-Nassr but, having signed a two-year contract extension in the summer, will be aiming to put an end to that unwanted record in the current campaign. The team's 5-1 win over Al-Fateh last time out means they lead the way in the Saudi Pro League and sit two points clear of Al Qadsiah after the first five games of the new 2025-26 campaign. Next up for Al-Nassr is an AFC Cup clash against Goa on Wednesday. Ronaldo has not travelled with the team for the match but is expected to return to action in the Saudi Pro League against Al-Hazm on Saturday.

Returning from injury, Mayank Yadav is expected to play a pivotal part in LSG’s push for a playoffs spot

Ashish Pant18-Apr-20253:48

Ganga: Mayank Yadav is perfect for the T20 world

Big picture: RR’s problems keep getting biggerThat things haven’t quite gone to plan for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in IPL 2025 is known. Barring Yashasvi Jaiswal, their top order has underperformed, the bowlers have consistently struggled, and they are languishing in the bottom half of the points table. If that isn’t enough, they are sweating over captain Sanju Samson’s fitness as they get ready to host a resurgent Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).Samson was forced to retire after hurting his side in RR’s previous game, against Delhi Capitals (DC). Rahul Dravid confirmed at the pre-match press conference that Samson “experienced a bit of pain in the abdominal area”. He further said that Samson had undergone scans, and his availability would be decided based on the reports.If Samson does not recover in time, Riyan Parag is expected to take over the captaincy reins. Parag led RR in the first three games of the season, with Samson recovering from a finger injury. At the time, Samson had batted as an Impact Player and did not keep wicket.Related

Samson set to miss RR's game against LSG; Parag to lead again

Nitish Rana 'okay' to bat at any position for Royals

Jaffer: Pant 'needs to get better at rotating strike'

Mayank Yadav likely to play against Royals

Royals unsure if Samson will play LSG game

If he is not fit, then who replaces Samson? There is Shubham Dubey, who has been coming in as an Impact Player for RR, but he isn’t a top-order batter. Then there is Kunal Singh Rathore, the 22-year-old wicketkeeper-batter. The other option is for one of Parag or Nitish Rana, or even Dhruv Jurel, to open the batting with Dubey slotting in the middle order.RR do have a readymade opener in Vaibhav Suryavanshi, but he is only 14 and untested. Will RR risk such a young player in a game where a loss could derail their season? They have just two wins in seven games so far and a loss would mean having to do a lot of catching up for the playoffs.For LSG, who started the season without Akash Deep, Mayank Yadav, and Avesh Khan, and lost Mohsin Khan, they have held their own quite brilliantly. After seven games, they have won four and lost three and a win will take them to ten points. With Mayank back in the mix, they now also have an almost full-strength bowling unit to choose from.It didn’t seem that way when the season started, but LSG now have a solid chance to make it to the playoffs. Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh have scored 652 runs between them. The middle order has been dependable, while spinners Digvesh Rathi and Ravi Bishnoi have been more than a handful.LSG are coming into the game having suffered a defeat to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at home. They will want to make amends against a patchy RR side.2:43

Cricinformed: Nicholas Pooran, the unstoppable force

Form guideRajasthan Royals LLLWW
Lucknow Super Giants LWWWLNew loyaltiesYudhvir Singh was part of LSG in IPL 2024 and is now with RR. Avesh, who has been key in LSG’s fast-bowling lineup this season, was part of RR last year.In the spotlight: Yashasvi Jaiswal and Mayank YadavYashasvi Jaiswal’s form was always going to be critical in RR’s fortunes but with the top order misfiring, it becomes even more crucial. Jaiswal had a poor start to his season with scores of 1, 29 and 4, but has since scored three fifties in his next four innings and looks fluent.Jaiswal scored 75 the last time he was in Jaipur on what was a tacky surface. He has a handy record here – two fifties and a hundred in 11 IPL innings – and would want to step up.Mayank Yadav had a breakthrough IPL 2024 where he touched the 156.7kph mark on the speed gun and regularly breached 150 clicks. He played just four matches, in which he picked up back-to-back Player-of-the-Match awards in his first two games, and seven wickets in all. It got Mayank an India debut against Bangladesh in October last year.However, since then, he has been down first with a back injury and then a toe injury. But he is now back and expected to play a pivotal part in LSG’s push for a playoffs spot. He joined the team on Tuesday and his express pace adds a new dimension to what has already shaped up to be a more than handy bowling attack.2:51

Pujara: Parag could open the batting for Royals

Team news and likely XIIsDespite the loss against CSK, LSG are unlikely to make too many changes to their starting XI. Mayank is almost certain to make his IPL 2025 debut. He is likely to come in place of Akash Deep, who has seemed off the mark since returning from a back injury.Lucknow Super Giants: 1 Aiden Markram, 2 Mitchell Marsh, 3 Nicholas Pooran, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt, wk) , 5 Ayush Badoni, 6 David Miller, 7 Abdul Samad, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Mayank Yadav, 11 Digvesh Rathi, 12 Ravi BishnoiRR could bring in Akash Madhwal or Yudhvir in place of Tushar Deshpande, who has hardly inspired any confidence so far this season. If Samson is not fit, Jurel is likely to don the wicketkeeping gloves. Kumar Kartikeya is expected to come in as the impact sub.Rajasthan Royals: 1 Yashasvi Jaiswal, 2 Sanju Samson (capt, wk)/Vaibhav Suryavanshi/Shubham Dubey, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Riyan Parag, 5 Dhruv Jurel, 6 Shimron Hetmyer, 7 Wanindu Hasaranga, 8 Jofra Archer, 9 Maheesh Theekshana, 10 Sandeep Sharma, 11 Tushar Deshpande/Akash Madhwal, 12 Kumar KartikeyaThe big questionPitch and conditionsThere has been only one game so far this season in Jaipur – a day game – where RR went down by nine wickets against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). The pitch felt a touch two-paced but eased out as the evening progressed. The Sawai Man Singh Stadium isn’t historically a high-scoring venue. Since IPL 2023, the average first-innings score here has been 179. There is a warning in Jaipur for excessive heat, but the temperatures should drop by the time the match gets underway. Dew could be a factor later in the evening.Stats and trivia Pooran is just one away from 9000 T20 runsPooran has fallen to Jofra Archer three times in seven T20 innings and averages just 13 with a strike rate of 108 against the quick Nitish Rana has fallen to Avesh twice in five IPL innings Bishnoi has the wood over Shimron Hetmyer in T20s, having dismissed him three times in six innings – Hetmyer has an average of 8.00 and a strike rate of 65 against the legspinner RR have the third-best run rate in the powerplay (9.69) and third-worst run rate in the middle-overs (7.39) in IPL 2025Quotes”We have suffered a little bit with our death bowling. I think that is another area for us that we need to get slightly better with, working with slightly more in execution. I think our plans have been pretty good. It is just more around the execution of some of those skills. A lot of teams are going for runs, but it is those extra 15-16 runs that we seem to go for. Even if, say, for example, a 57-60 is acceptable in the last five overs, it has become almost a norm now. We seem to go for 72-77. “