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Notes on sexual consent added to NZ players' handbook

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Players’ association includes section on “good decision-making”, which offers guidelines on good communication in sexual relationships

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Oct-2018The New Zealand’s players’ handbook now includes guidelines relating to good communication when engaging in sexual relationships, with particular reference to consent.Amid growing concerns of harassment of women in the work place and by men in positions of power, brought to light through the #metoo campaign, the New Zealand Cricket Players Association (NZCPA) included a section in the players’ handbook for the first time on the importance of consent in sexual relationships.The notes, under a section titled “good decision-making”, begin by saying: “Making good decisions is important in all aspects of life. This is particularly important when relating to sexual relationships, and especially around matters of consent. No matter the situation, sexual consent is crucial.”The notes go on to point out that consent is required by law and that “if they say no, it means no“. It also talks about not pressurising a person into giving their consent, and respecting a person’s freedom to withdraw consent even after sexual relations have started.

A programme on the potential risks a cricketer faces has been run by NZCPA for about seven years, according to a report in the , but this is the first time it has been included in the players’ handbook. Sexual relationships apart, the programme on “personal development” also deals with other potential risky situations, including doping and coping with life after cricket.NZCPA chief executive Heath Mills said the handbook was updated with this information simply to make it more accessible to players all over New Zealand.”If people are making good decisions they’re aware of the risks around being a professional cricketer and are aware of the importance of respect and responsibility, then they’re going to be skills and attributes they’re going to have for life no matter what career they’re involved in,” Mills told . “There’s a whole heap of pages in here, and they’re all aspects of the personal development programme that we run. Good decision-making is one aspect to it.”

Graham Ford to take over as Ireland head coach

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The 56-year-old former South African first-class cricketer has signed a three-year deal with Cricket Ireland and will succeed John Bracewell in December

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Sep-2017Graham Ford is set to take over as Ireland’s head coach in December, when the incumbent John Bracewell’s contract comes to an end. Ford, the 56-year-old former South African first-class cricketer, has signed a three-year deal with Cricket Ireland.In June, Ford ended his second stint as Sri Lanka’s head coach, stepping down after 15 months of a tenure that was originally scheduled to stretch until the end of the 2019 World Cup. His first stint lasted from 2012 to 2014. Before that, he had served as South Africa’s head coach from 1999 to 2002. He has also worked with Dolphins (formerly Natal) in South African domestic cricket, and Kent and Surrey in England.”I am really excited to be a part of this new era in Irish cricket,” Ford said. “I have always enjoyed working with decent people and, in their attitude, character and camaraderie, the Irish cricketers have always come across as such.”With my knowledge and experience I believe I can genuinely make a difference. All my efforts will be dedicated to assisting the players to improve and achieve their full potential while playing an enjoyable brand of cricket.”

O'Keefe fined over hotel incident

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Injured spinner Steve O’Keefe has been fined $10,000 by Cricket Australia after being issued with a criminal infringement notice by New South Wales Police following an incident at a Sydney hotel on Saturday night

Brydon Coverdale08-Aug-2016Injured spinner Steve O’Keefe has been fined $10,000 by Cricket Australia after being issued with a criminal infringement notice by New South Wales Police following an incident at a Sydney hotel on Saturday night.O’Keefe, who played the first Test of Australia’s ongoing tour of Sri Lanka before being forced home due to a hamstring injury, accepted his penalty from Cricket Australia for breaching the CA Code of Behaviour.”Just before 11pm, on Saturday 6 August 2016, a 31-year-old man attempted to enter licensed premises at The Corso, Manly,” a New South Wales Police media statement said, as reported by the . “It will be alleged the man behaved offensively towards a security guard, who had refused the man entry.”The man allegedly verbally abused the security and management personnel, and refused to leave. Officers attached to Northern Beaches Local Area Command attended and the man was issued a criminal infringement notice for offensive behaviour, and excluded person remain in vicinity of licensed premises.”O’Keefe was charged by Cricket Australia with “conduct unbecoming of a player”. Cricket Australia executive general manager of team performance, Pat Howard, said CA was “extremely disappointed” by O’Keefe’s behaviour.”We take a zero-tolerance approach to this type of behaviour from players at any level in Australian cricket,” Howard said. “Steve understands our expectations and that we’re extremely disappointed this situation occurred, particularly as he is recovering from an injury.”Andrew Jones, the chief executive officer of Cricket New South Wales, said: “Steve has had a difficult couple of weeks but that is no excuse. We expect a high standard from our players on and off the field and in this case Steve failed to meet those high standards.”I have spoken to Steve and he is very disappointed with his behaviour. He has apologised to the management of The Steyne Hotel and accepts that he will be sanctioned.”O’Keefe had only recently returned from Sri Lanka, where he played the third Test of his career. He said in a statement that he took full responsibility for his actions.”I know I failed to uphold the high standards expected of a NSW and Australian cricketer and apologise to all concerned,” O’Keefe said. “I take full responsibility for my actions and accept the sanction handed to me by Cricket Australia.”

Lyth, Wood in squad for NZ Tests

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England may feel they have rid themselves of one devil having informed Kevin Pietersen he will not be considered for selection this season but they will inherit another with Adam Lyth set to become the 666th Test cricketer for England having been named in

Alex Winter14-May-20151:14

England could field two debutants in 1st Test

England may feel they have rid themselves of one devil having informed Kevin Pietersen he will not be considered for selection this season but they will inherit another when the first Test begins against New Zealand next Thursday with Adam Lyth set to become the 666th Test cricketer for England.Mark Wood, the Durham fast bowler who toured West Indies, could also debut against New Zealand after being included in the 12-man squad for the first Test of the summer against New Zealand at Lord’s.Lyth, 27, was reduced to 12th man duty in the Caribbean as Jonathan Trott was given an opportunity to revive his international career but Lyth will now get his chance as Alastair Cook’s sixth opening partner since the retirement of Andrew Strauss in 2012. Lyth enjoyed an outstanding 2014 with 1489 Championship runs at an average of 67.68 as Yorkshire won their first title since 2001.

Lyth’s devil-may-care attitude

Adam Lyth has taken a devil-may-care attitude to the expectation that he will become England’s 666th Test debutant – a number normally associated with the devil or anti-Christ.
The ECB would be open to any request from Lyth to skip a number based on some religious or superstitious concern.
Lyth, however, presumably not an addict of horror movies, was unconcerned by such outlandish notions.
“Any Test number, I’m not bothered,” he told . “A Test debut at Lord’s, walking through the Long Room with Alastair Cook to open the batting for England – it doesn’t get much better than that, does it? It will be one of the proudest moments of my life, and the same for my family.”

With Trott having retired from international cricket, Lyth will be the latest batsman to try and forge a new partnership with Cook. None of the other five players tried – Nick Compton, Joe Root, Michael Carberry, Sam Robson and Trott – have lasted more than nine Tests. Having toured the Caribbean, Lyth has only played one match in the UK this season, making 53 and 23 against Hampshire at Headingley, but a lack of cricket having been with the England squad was naturally not held against him.”I’m over the moon,” Lyth said, “I’m looking forward to opening the batting next week. It’s very exciting, I’m sure there will be a lot of nerves next week but I’m looking forward to the challenge ahead. It will be one of the proudest moments of my life. It was great to get the experience in the West Indies but now I get my chance and there’s no better place to make your debut than at Lord’s. Hopefully I can be in the side for a long period now and would love to play an Ashes series.”Alex Hales, the Nottinghamshire batsman, staked his own claim for a call up with a double century against Yorkshire at Trent Bridge and 141 and 94 at the Ageas Bowl – he is the leading run-scorer after five rounds of the County Championship – but Lyth has been given first opportunity and Hales has been called up for the knockout stages of the IPL with Mumbai Indians.”Adam Lyth has waited patiently for an opportunity with England having performed consistently for Yorkshire and England Lions in the last year,” national selector, James Whitaker, said. “He fully deserves his chance to cement a place in the side at the top of the order. Mark Wood has also impressed and his pace and style of bowling ensure the coach and captain have options in the bowling attack.”There were some positive signs during the recent Test tour and it is key that this group of players learns from the instances when the opposition was put under pressure and we were in a position to press for victory but couldn’t quite manage it. New Zealand are a very talented side and I expect a very competitive series between the two teams to start what will be an incredibly exciting summer of cricket. Good luck to Alastair, Paul Farbrace and the rest of the squad.”Wood, who played in the washed-out ODI in Dublin last week, may be the second England debutant at Lord’s if England decide to make a change to the attack that played in the Caribbean. Ben Stokes, England’s seam-bowling allrounder, is likely to be persisted with despite just three wickets at 85.33 in three Tests against West Indies. He bowled some impressive spells and also made 79 in Antigua. Chris Jordan, who took six wickets at 42.66 in the Caribbean, could make way for Wood as third seamer.Mark Wood is in contention for a Test debut at Lord’s•Getty Images

Wood, the 25-year-old Durham bowler, was fast-tracked into the England set-up and could make his Test debut after just 24 first-class matches. He impressed for Durham in 2013 with 27 scalps at 24.07 in the county’s third Championship triumph. Injury reduced him to just one warm-up match on England Lions’ tour of Sri Lanka but this winter toured South Africa with the Lions. He was also in England’s party in the Caribbean.This is the first squad of Strauss’s reign as director of England cricket. He sat in on the selection meeting led by national selector James Whitaker, whose role is the latest to come under scrutiny after Strauss’s appointment. England go into the series without a permanent coach after Peter Moores’ sacking. Paul Farbrace, the assistant coach, takes temporary charge. Alastair Cook, who made his first Test century for almost two years in Barbados, continues as captain after Strauss offered his public backing at his unveiling on Tuesday.Liam Plunkett, who also toured the Caribbean and featured for England in Test matches last summer, might have been considered but he was left out of Yorkshire’s match at Headingley this week for disciplinary reasons.England squad for first Test against New Zealand
Alastair Cook (capt, Essex), Adam Lyth (Yorkshire), Gary Ballance (Yorkshire), Ian Bell (Warwickshire), Joe Root (Yorkshire), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), Ben Stokes (Durham), Jos Buttler (wkt, Lancashire), Chris Jordan (Sussex), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Mark Wood (Durham)

Match abandoned without ball bowled

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Incessant rain and drizzle forced abandonment in the first ODI between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Pallekele, without a ball being bowled

Andrew Fernando in Pallekele01-Nov-2012
ScorecardThe covers were never removed on Thursday in Pallekele•AFP

Incessant rain and drizzle forced abandonment in the first ODI between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in Pallekele, without a ball being bowled. The covers were never removed, and match referee Andy Pycroft called off the match at 17.15 local time. The weather had also severely hampered both teams’ preparation in the lead-up to the match. Tuesday’s Twenty20 was also a washout, after only 16 overs were bowled.The action now heads to Colombo, which hosts the second and third ODIs of the five-match series. The monsoon rains have been no less prevalent there however, and more rain is forecast across the island over the next few days. The second ODI is scheduled to be played at the R Premadasa Stadium on Sunday.

Cook eager to prove T20 credentials

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Alastair Cook, England’s one-day international captain, believes he could adapt to a return to the Twenty20 international side if he was named captain for the two matches against West Indies

Andrew McGlashan13-Sep-2011Alastair Cook, England’s one-day international captain, believes he could adapt to the Twenty20 format were he to return to the international side as captain for the two matches against West Indies next week after Stuart Broad was ruled out.Broad suffered a shoulder injury during the fourth ODI against India at Lord’s, and will also miss the one-day leg of the India tour although there is hope we will be fit to resume his Twenty20 captaincy for the one-off game in Kolkata on October 29. However, before then, England are left with a tricky decision as to how to fill his vacancy because Eoin Morgan, Broad’s vice-captain, is out of action until January with his own shoulder problem.There are a couple of left-field options England could consider, such as Graeme Swann or Kevin Pietersen, which would make it five captains in a season, or they could extend Cook’s remit from his ODI role where he has had a successful summer with series victories against Sri Lanka and India.Cook’s only T20 captaincy experience came against South Africa, in Centurion, in 2009, which was his first match in charge of England. He looked lost in the field as Graeme Smith and Loots Bosman added 170 for the first wicket to set up a crushing 84-run victory for the hosts. However, Cook has had the chance to expand his leadership skills in the last 18 months, firstly captaining the tour to Bangladesh then being named the one-day captain.There have also been signs during the season that Cook has expanded his game in 50-over cricket, suggesting that he could have another crack at Twenty20 where he currently has four international caps.”It’s another step out of my comfort zone, a lot more hard work,” Cook said after being named the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year on Monday evening. “But I’ve scored runs for Essex in Twenty20, and if I get the chance to play Twenty20 [for England] I hope I can show that again. I’ve always said I want to play all three formats of the game.”Test cricket obviously comes a bit more naturally to me, and suits my style of game. In the last two years I’ve really worked hard to develop my range of shots, and it’s worked – and I think there’s huge potential still to come as those shots become more and more natural.”The problem with handing Cook the role is that it would be disruptive to the top order. Against India, at Old Trafford, England opened with Craig Kieswetter and Alex Hales so Cook would have to take the position of one of those players. Andy Flower had hoped to use the matches against West Indies – a late addition to the schedule due to TV commitments – as the first stage in planning the defence of the World Twenty20 title, in Sri Lanka next September, but without Morgan and Broad he is missing two key elements.”Obviously it’s very disappointing for Stuart to miss out,” Cook added. “It’s gutting for him, but it gives another person a chance to captain England. The selectors will make that decision. It’s not whether you’d like the job, it’s whether you’re honoured enough to be given it.”

Provident, Diamonds ease into semis

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Round-up of the thirteenth day’s action in the Karnataka Premier League

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Sep-2010Bangalore Provident (Rural) eased to a seven-wicket win against Belagavi Panthers at the Chinnaswamy Stadium to book their place in the KPL semi-final. The Panthers, asked to bat, could only muster 113 as left-arm spinner Arjun Shetty grabbed four wickets to make Provident’s task easier. Wicketkeeper Vinayak Uthappa made a run-a-ball 27 and offspinner Akshay chipped in with 20 but their effort was inadequate. Provident, in their reply, lost a couple of early wickets but Amit Verma (34) and Sunil Kumar Jain (51*) steadied the ship in a 82-run stand and victory was achieved with 3.2 overs to spare.Bangalore Brigadiers (Urban) earned a consolation win against Bijapur Bulls at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, beating them by 49 runs. Openers Syed Ibrez and Deepak Chougule added 91 for the first wicket in just 10.3 overs, laying a strong platform. Nikhil Kashyap then stepped up at the death, smashing 34 off 14 balls to propel Brigadiers to 184. The Bulls faltered at the start of their chase, losing their openers early. Stuart Binny tried hard to keep them in the hunt with a quickfire 44 which included four fours and three sixes. But once he fell in the 13th over with the score on 120, the innings fell apart. The Bulls were bowled out for 135. Left-arm medium-pacer TK Ananth and left-arm spinner Narayanan Vinu Prasad grabbed three wickets each.Shamanoor Davangere Diamonds topped the KPL table with a six-wicket win over Mysore Maharajas at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Chethan William, the Mysore captain, top scored with 37 but was short of support from the rest. The Diamonds bowlers, in a collective effort, managed to restrict Mysore to 122. In their reply, the Diamonds were boosted by a strong start by the openers. Mayank Agarwal made 27 in a first-wicket stand of 49 and Pavan Deshpande anchored the chase with a run-a-bal 51 to see his team through with eight balls to spare.

Jude Bellingham is back! Real Madrid set return date from ankle injury after seeing 20-goal midfielder miss La Liga & Champions League fixtures

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Jude Bellingham has made positive progress in his recovery from an ankle injury, with Real Madrid setting a date for his potential return to action.

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Unfortunate knocked picked up against GironaSat out domestic & continental matchesReady to resume full training in coming daysWHAT HAPPENED?

The England international picked up an unfortunate knock during a meeting with Girona on February 10. He scored two goals in that contest, but was forced from the field after less than an hour and has subsequently sat out La Liga and Champions League fixtures.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

According to , the 20-year-old midfielder has “started the countdown” ahead of rejoining Carlo Ancelotti’s plans. He is considered to be ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation and is only a matter of days away from resuming full training.

DID YOU KNOW?

He is said to have been suffering with discomfort in his ankle for several weeks before being laid low, meaning that no risks will be taken on his fitness. He will not be rushed back by the Blancos, but the expectation is that he will be ready to face Valencia at Mestalla on March 2.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR BELLINGHAM?

If Bellingham were to return to competitive action in that contest, then he would also come into contention for the second leg of a Champions League last-16 encounter with RB Leipzig at Santiago Bernabeu on March 6 – with Real currently boasting a narrow 1-0 aggregate lead in that continental contest.

Drinks with Lionel Messi & Zinedine Zidane, the world's maddest football chants & the best Roma shirt of all time – Nine reasons you should read MUNDIAL

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MUNDIAL is a 100-page magazine released four times a year that reminds you why you love football through cult heroes, weekends away, brilliant writing, forgotten goals, beautiful photography, and more. All the good stuff.

Join the MUNDIAL community todaySubscribe here!

From Sunday League and sausage and chips, to Champions League and iconic kits, we celebrate the game and the things around it that make people happy.

We think this issue is perfect for you because you love football in the same way we do… so here’s a little look at some of the things you’ll find inside Issue 27.

Getty Images1Adel Taarabt stealing souls

The idea that the streets, or anyone, could ever forget Adel Taarabt is to do him a disservice. Nobody will ever forget Adel Taarabt, and especially not the QPR fans who saw him play for the club over 150 times between 2008 and 2015.

As fan and writer James Wright says: “My abiding memory is that he used to make me sit back and laugh. He did things on the pitch with such a level of precociousness, of such an imperial footballing arrogance that I could only find exasperated laughter. He was ridiculous”.

You’ll find Adel on the left-wing in our MUNDIAL All-Stars team.

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Get MUNDIAL delivered to your doorSign up nowAdvertisementAmin Musa courtesy of Classic Football Shirts2The best Ajax shirt of all time

Ajax might be the cradle of Total Football, the home of Johan Cruyff, a talent machine that just keeps on producing players for the top shelf… but it’s also the club that could lay claim to having the best football shirts ever.

For the MUNDIAL All Stars Third Kit, we’ve chosen this Umbro away shirt from their 1989-90 team, the shirt that started the run of funky Umbro graphic shirts that defined the Bergkamp era.

A Classic Football Shirts Hall of Famer. A design masterpiece. About as grail as it gets.

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3The maddest chants from around the world

A bit like the website for song lyrics you don’t understand, we’ve gone from the sprawling cities of South America to quaint English towns to explore the ways that thousands of people in football stadiums sing insulting things together to offend opposition fans.

So, from the Scottish singing “DEEP FRY YER PIZZAS, WE’RE GONNA DEEP FRY YER PIZZAAAAS” to Southend fans singing “SOUTHEND PIER IS LONGER THAN YOURS” to other towns with piers, we’ve broken down some of the best terrace chants in the world.

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4Going for a drink with Zidane, Messi & Co

Don’t know about you, but we spend quite a lot of time thinking about what it would be like to go for a drink with some of our favourite footballers of all time. To turn that into more of a reality, we’ve written about doing that with every winner of the Ballon d’Ors, in a piece called . Get it?

Sparkling water and with Zidane, a night in the casino with R9, and waking up on a beach after capirinhas with Rivaldo.

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Higuain out, Messi or Ronaldo in? A crazy offseason awaits Inter Miami after positive strides in 2022

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The club has unprecedented flexibility to bring in big names in 2023.

The next few months will be era-defining for Inter Miami.

Since this club's inception, Miami has promised to be bigger, bolder, more ambitious than its competitors in MLS. And, as they enter the 2023 offseason, the handcuffs are ready to come off of a club that had been held back by its past missteps.

Limited by an MLS punishment in 2022, Inter Miami exceeded expectations, making a playoff run on the back of a vintage run of form from Gonzalo Higuain. The former Real Madrid and Juventus star truly lived up to his billing this year, putting the team on his back and carrying them to the postseason.

But that was the last we'll see of Higuain, who now heads into retirement on a personal high. The season ended with a loss to NYCFC, one that showed how far the team has come but also how far it needs to go.

They enter 2023, though, with the resources to reach that next level, but how will they use them? With the chance to bring in an entirely new set of stars, how high can Inter Miami aim?

GOAL takes a look back at their 2022 season, as well as what could be in 2023.

  • Getty

    Financial handicaps

    The first thing to understand when putting Miami's 2022 season in perspective is exactly what they were working with.

    Following an investigation into the club's salary cap situation, MLS found that Miami violated league rules by having five Designated Players on its roster for 2020.

    The league announced that Miami would be fined while having its available allocation money slashed in 2022 and 2023, effectively handicapping the club's ability to fill out its roster.

    Those punishments led to some difficult exits. Lewis Morgan was traded to the New York Red Bulls for a massive sum of allocation money, which helped rebuild their finances a bit, but it was hard for Miami to watch on as he emerged as a star at Red Bull Arena.

    DP Rodolfo Pizarro was loaned to Monterrey after a largely-disappointing spell, while Blaise Matuidi, whose signing was at the center of MLS' investigation, became a club ambassador. The club also lost defender Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, a veteran with an MLS Cup to his name.

    In total, the roster had 19 new players on it before the regular season even started.

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    The regular season

    If I would have told you this summer that Inter Miami would make the playoffs with Higuain emerging as arguably the best striker in MLS, you would have called me crazy.

    Higuain, of course, was at one point benched by Phil Neville. But, by the end of it all, he was the hottest goalscorer in the league, leading a surge toward the postseason while ending his illustrious career on a high.

    Higuain finished the regular season with 16 goals, 14 of which came in the final 17 games, while catapulting Miami into the playoffs.

    And it's Higuain's resurgence that truly defined Miami's season.

    Like their striker, Miami looked done and dusted this summer but, after that benching, all involved used it as a rallying point. It would have been easy for Higuain to fade away, for Miami to fold, for Neville to see it all blow up around him.

    Instead, Higuain took it as a challenge and Inter Miami became better for it. And, as Neville pointed out, it led to the type of season that defines a culture, something the club has desperately lacked since its inception.

    "I suppose it’s Gonzalo is the biggest thing that I’m proud of," Neville said. "We spoke off camera about how there’s great potential, we’ve recruited really well but we needed time. And Gonzalo that day probably mirrored how we all felt. And he had a choice: Either return as a champion or his legacy at this football club wasn’t going to be great.

    "And he promised me, assured me that [for] his legacy he wanted to be a winner. And our relationship has never, ever wavered, we’ve always had a lot of respect for each other."

    He later added: "I think we changed the way people looked at Inter Miami. There was a lot of negativity around the club and I think that changed."

  • Getty

    The postseason

    As it turns out, though, no amount of good vibes can do it all for your in the playoffs.

    Miami had all the makings of a team of destiny, with a legendary gunslinging striker retiring and looking for one last chance at glory.

    But they ran into an absolute buzzsaw at Citi Field and were dismantled by defending champions NYCFC.

    It was a match where Miami's flaws were laid bare. Their defense was horrific, starting with the centerback pairing. The midfield struggled to get any hold of the game given what was going on behind them. And Higuain, stationed up top, hardly got anything to work with (and yet still managed to score a goal that was disallowed) as NYCFC proved relentless in their first step towards defending their title.

    It was a match that showed the difference between a title contender and a playoff hopeful, and NYCFC's status as a title contender isn't exactly certain considering the departures they dealt with this year.

    But, if the regular season showed how far Inter Miami had come, their brief postseason run showed how far they have to go.

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    Who's staying on?

    Heading into 2023, the club certainly has some key pieces already in place.

    The midfield is in a good spot with Gregore and Jean Mota, while the goalkeeping position looks set for years to come with 25-year-old Drake Callender. The right back spot is also secure, with U.S. men's national team veteran DeAndre Yedlin one of the best in the league.

    Neville, too, should return, given the team's performance this year. The former England star is still very much learning how to be a head coach at this level, but you have to give him credit for how he handled the Higuain situation all year long.

    He got players to buy in and make an improbable run to the playoffs despite all of the things that held them back. In short, it was a successful season for Neville.

    But that's enough about who's coming back. Now to the part you're all here for…