Marcus Tudor scored five goals in Slingerz FC emphatic win on Alex Thomas' (inset) as head coach.
Alex Thomas made an electrifying debut as the head coach of Slingerz FC in Guyana, orchestrating a spectacular 7-0 victory over rivals Monedderlust FC in the opening match of the 2024 Elite League at the National Training Centre on Sunday night.
The star of the show was undoubtedly new signing Marcus Tudor, whose remarkable display saw him net an incredible five goals, leaving Monedderlust FC reeling from the onslaught. The emphatic win served as sweet revenge for Slingerz FC, who had suffered a 1-0 upset at the hands of Monedderlust FC in the Elite League playoffs back in January.
Despite Tudor's stellar performance, Coach Thomas was quick to commend the collective effort of his team, highlighting their adherence to the game plan and flawless execution on the field. Speaking to Sportsmax.TV in the aftermath of the resounding victory, Thomas expressed his satisfaction with the team's performance and expressed optimism for the season ahead.
"The key to the emphatic win tonight was the players sticking to the objective, sticking to the game plan and executing," remarked Thomas, visibly elated by the result. "I want to say congrats to the Slingerz team. It’s good to start out on a winning note, put our best foot forward and plan for the next one. The team was organized and patient with the ball in possession and in transition, those were the key elements."
Singling out Tudor, Coach Thomas praised the young player but emphasized that he will work to make him better as the season progresses.
"His performance was good last night. He is a youngster and I do not want to put too much pressure on him. Five goals, that is big for him but I will take him one game at a time and help build his mental and physical capacity but kudos to him. He did well for himself last night."
Thomas, 41, assumed the role of head coach at Slingerz FC just over a week prior, following the departure of Charles 'Lilly' Pollard in early February. Pollard, reflecting on his decision to step down, cited difficulties in conveying his message to the players as the primary reason for his departure.
"I think I lost the dressing room for some reason or another because it’s difficult to get my message across to the players, and that’s why I believe that I lost them," explained Pollard to Stabroek Sport. "As a coach, you have to know when to say or acknowledge that I can’t penetrate these players and need to walk away."
In light of Sunday night's dominating performance, it appears Thomas has successfully revitalized the team, with every player back to performing at their best. The victory not only marks a promising start to Thomas' coaching career in Guyana but also sets the stage for an exciting and competitive season ahead for Slingerz FC in the Elite League.
Slingerz FC will play next on March 5 when they take on F/Conquerors FC.
Leighton Levy is a journalist with 28 years’ experience covering crime, entertainment, and sports. He joined the staff at SportsMax.TV as a content editor two years ago and is enjoying the experience of developing sports content and new ideas. At SportsMax.tv he is pursuing his true passion - sports.
Barcelona 4-2 Valencia: Lewandowski hat-trick leads Barca to 4-2 win over 10-man Valencia
Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski scored a second-half hat-trick to help his side fight back to claim a hard-fought 4-2 win over Valencia, who were leading 2-1 when they were reduced to 10 men just before the break.
Fermin Lopez's header from a Raphinha cross put Barca in front after 22 minutes, but Valencia's Hugo Duro struck in the 27th and Pepelu scored from the spot after a foul by Ronald Araujo 11 minutes later to give the visitors the lead.
But after Valencia keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili saw red for a handball outside the box before the break, Xavi's side dominated and Lewandowski scored with two headers from corners in the 49th and 82nd minutes before getting his treble with a free-kick in added time.
The win postponed Real Madrid's almost inevitable LaLiga title celebrations for a couple of weeks as Carlo Ancelotti's side sit atop the standings on 84 points.
Barcelona moved back to second in LaLiga on Monday with 73 points as they leapfrogged surprise package Girona, who are third with 71. Those two teams will meet in a Catalonia derby on Saturday.
Data debrief
Barcelona conceded two goals in the first half of a home game for the second time this season, after also doing so against Girona in LaLiga in December 2023.
However, Lewandowski's goals have been invaluable to La Blaugrana this season as he's earned 17 points with his 16 goals in the league.
Kimmich ready to open Bayern Munich talks amid Barcelona speculation
Joshua Kimmich is ready to open talks with Bayern Munich over his future at the club amid speculation linking him with Barcelona.
The Germany international has spent nine years at the Allianz Arena, but he is due to become a free agent at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
Barca have been repeatedly linked with Kimmich in recent transfer windows and are said to retain an interest ahead of next season.
Speaking to Spanish outlet AS, the midfielder talked up Barca - as well as fierce rivals Real Madrid - but fell short of saying he is open to a move.
"I want to talk to Bayern. When I do that, I won't go out and talk to the press about it," he said.
"I'm not thinking about this. I will speak to Bayern first. But of course, Barcelona and Real Madrid are amazing clubs with an amazing history."
Kimmich has played 37 times in all competitions this season for Bayern, whose last remaining hope of silverware is in the Champions League.
Bayern will face Real Madrid over two legs for a place in the final, with the first match in that double-header taking place in Bavaria on Tuesday.
Thomas Tuchel will depart the dethroned Bundesliga champions at the end of the season, with Ralf Rangnick the favourite to succeed him.
The managerial uncertainty is not helping with regards to the Kimmich rumours, but he insists that will not be a deciding factor on his future.
"It's not the most important thing right now," he said. "I know that when you sign a contract you don't sign it with the coach.
"You sign it with the club. For me, the most important thing is the club, not just the coach.
"But it's also important to know what the coach thinks about you and the team. Other people in the club can worry about choosing the coach."
Desailly calls on LaLiga to do more to protect Vinicius Junior
Marcel Desailly has called on LaLiga to do more to protect Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior and other players who have been targeted by racist abuse.
Vinicius broke down at a press conference earlier this month as he opened up about the abuse he has received from the stands while representing Madrid.
The Brazil international is not alone in that regard, with team-mate Aurelien Tchouameni another example, and World Cup winner Desailly wants more to be done.
"Vinicius has spoken out, but it's not about him - it's about LaLiga and the people who can take action," he told Stats Perform.
"We have the power to change things, but we are not doing enough. Samuel Eto'o had the same issue before.
"Vinicius is one of those who is suffering because the administrative people in charge are not willing to hit harder than they are."
Vinicius has been a key player for LaLiga champions-elect Madrid once again this season with 13 goals and five assists in 23 outings.
Desailly regards Vinicius, who scored the winning goal in the 2022 Champions League final, as one of the finest players of his generation.
"He's a very ambitious player," Desailly said. "I think he's improved a lot because he is now clinical in assisting and finishing.
"When you look at someone like Ousmane Dembele, his stats are not as good.
"Then you look at Jadon Sancho, Bukayo Saka, another who has improved - there is potential for each of those to get close to Vinicius."
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