The footballing world is undergoing a lot of changes as club football winds down and World Cup 2018 makes its quick approach. One of the most talked-about topics is the squads of the favourites to win the competition.
Mexico aren’t looked upon to make a run all the way to the World Cup final, but Carlos Vela is confident that the CONCACAF Qualification leaders have what it takes to make a lot of noise in the competition. He is more than sure that El Tricolor have the quality players and the heart to take on the world’s best and win the entire competition.
Mauricio Pochettino and the NBA occupy the rest of the day’s sports news and updates. SBOBET will go in depth to discuss these trends and bits for you.
Mauricio Pochettino stays as Tottenham boss
Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed a series of successful finishes in the ever-competitive Premier League. While Harry Kane, Dele Alli and the rest of Spurs have much to do with the success, Mauricio Pochettino is also highly praised for his footballing acumen.
The Argentine boss has led Tottenham to three successive Champions League places ever since taking over the club in 2014. The past four years have been incredibly successful for the club that they have no qualms about keeping Pochettino until 2023.
Pochettino saw the two years remaining in his contract extended. His first team-coaches Jesus Perez, Miguel D’Agostino and Toni Jimenez also saw their terms prolonged.
“I am honoured to have signed a new long-term contract as we approach one of the most significant periods in the club’s history and be the manager that will lead this team into our new world-class stadium,” said Pochettino.
Now that they have secured their manager for the foreseeable future, Pochettino can now focus on building his team and finding the right men to help him topple the Manchester giants. He will be closely watching the World Cup to scour for talents he can pick up for Tottenham.
Vela: Mexico can beat Germany in World Cup 2018
Speaking of which, a lot of eyes will be on Germany. The 2014 champions will be squaring off against very strong teams, and fans will be interested to see how far the Nationalelf can go.
However, Carlos Vela warns Germany and the rest of their competition in Group F that El Tri will not just lie down and take a beating.
Mexico are far from favourites to make it through the group stages, given the quality of players Germany and Sweden have. However, Vela believes that the lads Juan Carlos Osorio called up to the squad are more than capable of beating Germany in Russia.
“[Germany is one of the best teams in the world, but Mexico has the chance to win that game,” the LAFC striker told reporters. “We have to play like [we can win] against any opponent. It doesn’t matter if it is Germany, Haiti or Portugal, we want to win and we intend to work towards that.”
Mexico definitely have the quality to back up the attacker’s words. Marco Fabian, Andres Guardado, Chicharito and Carlos Salcedo are among the players that are named by the El Tri manager for the squad. If things go their way, they could definitely see themselves escape the group stages.
James, Harden lead All-NBA First Team
The NBA released their All-NBA Awards in the midst of very competitive Conference Finals being played in the East and West.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James and Houston Rockets guard James Harden were unanimous inclusions to the team. Anthony Davis retains his spot from the previous season, and Kevin Durant returns to the First Team after only reaching the Second Team in 2016/17.
The most notable absence from the First Team is Russell Westbrook, who is relegated to the Second Team. Damian Lillard’s tremendous play for the Portland Trail Blazers earned him a spot amongst sports writers and broadcasters to the illustrious club.
LaMarcus Aldridge, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid and DeMar DeRozan join Westbrook in the Second Team, while the Third Team is comprised of Jimmy Butler, Paul George, Karl-Anthony Towns, Victor Oladipo and Stephen Curry.
The King and the Beard are probably taking the news differently. Harden is probably somewhat celebrating the honour with his team-mates after taking a commanding 3-2 lead in their Conference Finals series against Durant’s Warriors.
Meanwhile, James is probably shrugging this honor to the floor. The Cavaliers are on the brink of elimination against a Kyrie Irving-less Boston Celtics, and that definitely leaves a bad taste in his mouth. We can be sure that LeBron will carry his team to try and defy logic once more. After all, his career has been built on breaking expectations.
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