Mic'd Up: The former Canadian national team player backed Vancouver for MLS success, but says Miami might have found a groove

Kaylyn Kyle is Canadian and proud. And she finally has something to shout about in MLS. The Whitecaps were supposed to struggle this year. They fired their coach before the season started, and had their star man pick up a serious injury. There are rumors that the team could be sold – and, perhaps even relocated. 

So much for all of that. The Whitecaps are among MLS Cup favorites, and after winning the first of their best-of-three opening round series against FC Dallas, certainly look the part.

"It's such a great organization," Kyle, the Apple TV studio analyst, tells GOAL. "The ownership is amazing. The fan support is amazing. And I think that's the one thing is, they've shown up through the good, the bad and the ugly."

Thomas Muller is their star man. The former Bayern Munich forward has taken to MLS more effectively than most would have imagined. With him pulling the strings and grabbing the goals, they have a real chance. But his presence here alone is far more symbolic, Kyle argues.

"He was always going to suit Major League Soccer to perfection, and he's done just that," she says. "He's likable, and the fact that he chose to go to Vancouver tells you everything you need to know. Because no really global superstars ever choose to go to the Vancouver Whitecaps."

Of course, there will be some stiff competition here. Inter Miami made their first game look easy. LAFC will be there. FC Cincinnati look good. But this is the fun of MLS playoffs. They're chaotic. They're unpredictable. But, like with Vancouver, they can also make the unlikeliest of stories come to life. 

Kyle discussed the Whitecaps, MLS playoffs and the Canadian men's national neam in the latest edition of Mic'd Up, a recurring feature in which GOAL taps into the perspective of analysts, announcers and other pundits on the state of soccer in the U.S. and abroad. 

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  ON MLS PLAYOFFS

  GOAL: MLS playoffs, what have you made of them so far?

  KYLE: Home teams are absolutely dominating. Eight of the games that have already kicked off, all eight of the home sides have won in dominating fashion. Also the big stars stepping up in big moments. You know, we've seen Kevin Denkey, we've seen Lionel Messi, Thomas Muller. But it's been very entertaining. So it's going to be really interesting to see how these best-of-three-games series go.

  GOAL: Were you expecting that?

  KYLE: It was funny. Something like 68 percent of the teams usually win if they do have that home field advantage in the best-of-three series. And then there was an amazing stat. The top four finishers in the regular season in their conference, one of them goes on to win MLS Cup. The last time that a team outside of that was back in 2010, which is insane to think and insane to see. But this is what makes Major League Soccer so funny. Obviously, we saw Inter Miami get knocked out last year by Atlanta United. So anything can happen. But so far, the home team is looking pretty good.

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  ON MLS CUP FAVORITES

  GOAL: Let's talk favorites. Cincinnati look pretty good, but who have you got?

  KYLE: I don't think that's a bad shout. I have Vancouver, I have LAFC, and I have Inter Miami. I had an LAFC vs. Inter Miami final, but I could also see a Vancouver vs. Inter Miami final. Genuinely, the only thing with Inter Miami against Nashville – I'm interested to see how Nashville do in the second game, because they just played really scared in the opening match. Which I wasn't really ready for, because I didn't think BJ Callaghan would come up with that sort of game plan against Inter Miami. And Inter Miami's defense actually looked good for once, which was weird. I'm really interested to see how that looks going forward. 

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  ON VANCOUVER

  GOAL: Talk to me about Vancouver: Is there a little bit of national bias there?

  KYLE: It's not even national bias. It's a team that I obviously grew up with, throughout their academy. They took a chance on a small town girl from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, so they have so much love in my heart. It's such a great organization. The ownership is amazing. The fan support is amazing. And I think that's the one thing is, they've shown up through the good, the bad and the ugly.

  They win the Canadian championship, but like, they've never really had powerhouses like a Thomas Muller within their squad. Tristan Blackman winning defender of the year. Then you have Ryan Gauld, who's been out injured, but he's back fully fit now. Add Brian White, Sebastian Berhalter, and I think it's a team that finally we can say they have a deep squad. And I never thought I would be able to say those words. 

  GOAL: With Muller, did you expect him to be this good?

  KYLE: He was always going to suit Major League Soccer to perfection, and he's done just that. He's likable, and the fact that he chose to go to Vancouver tells you everything you need to know, because no really global superstars ever choose to go to the Vancouver Whitecaps. There were inklings about Chicago maybe in the mix for him and other teams in Europe, Saudi as well. And so when the news broke, I'm like, no way. 

  And just speaking with people on the ground in the city, former national team teammates, friends, colleagues, are like, "this city's transformed." And even they opened up the upper bowl, which they never do for games. You see it with the Vancouver Canucks when they've gone on big runs in the playoffs in the NHL, that it just galvanizes the city. And Canadians, we love supporting our sports teams. You look at the Toronto Blue Jays right now in the World Series. It's really, really cool to see, and I really hope they do well. Because I love the manager, I love the players, and obviously I love the city.

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  ON CANADA AND THE WORLD CUP

  GOAL: Lastly, on Canada and the World Cup? What do you make of the prep? And what are your expectations for Jesse Marsch's side?

  KYLE: It was interesting, because I've been following them around. I spoke to the manager, and he was like, "If we make it out of our group in a certain situation, we'll end up playing our next two games in Vancouver." So they'll have that home field advantage, which would be huge. I think they're well managed. I think this is the best group of Canadians that we've seen on the men's program.

  Now that they've got Qatar kind of under their belt, they have the experience of what it means to play in a World Cup, the different competitiveness of what a World Cup brings. And then obviously having Alfonso Davies back fully healthy and fit will be huge. And then you have, you know, Jonathan David, Cyle Larin, the players in that squad that have that European experience and have that World Cup experience. It's going to be brilliant for our Canadian side to see, and I really hope they make it far. 

نجح اللاعب الدولي الإسباني لامين يامال، في تسجيل هدف التعادل الثاني لصالح برشلونة أمام كلوب بروج، ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويحل برشلونة ضيفًا ثقيلًا على كلوب بروج مساء اليوم الأربعاء، وذلك ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة من مرحلة الدوري في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ونجح لامين يامال في تسجيل هدف التعادل في الدقيقة 61 ليعود بالنتيجة مرة أخرى إلى النقطة الصفر وتصبح 2/2.

وسجل لامين يامال الهدف الثاني والتعادل لصالح برشلونة بطريقة أكثر من رائعة، إذ اخترق عمق دفاع الفريق البلجيكي ومرر الكرة إلى فيرمين لوبيز، الذي مررها بكعبه إلى لامين ووضعها بيساره في المرمى.

لكن لم يهنأ برشلونة بهدف التعادل، فقد سجل فوربس الهدف الثالث لصالح كلوب بروج والثاني له في اللقاء في الدقيقة 63 من انفراد تام بالحارس تشيزني.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo-PB recebe o Paysandu neste sábado (23), às 16h (de Brasília), no Almeidão, em João Pessoa (PB). A partida é válida pela quarta rodada da segunda fase da Série C do Campeonato Brasileiro e terá transmissão do Nosso Futebol (pay-per-view) e do DAZN (streaming). As equipes se enfrentaram na última semana, com vitória do Papão por 1 a 0 no Mangueirão.

RelacionadasPalmeirasAbel Ferreira, técnico do Palmeiras, é denunciado pela Associação Brasileira de ÁrbitrosPalmeiras22/09/2023PalmeirasOpinião: ‘Abel tem uma semana para resolver pior fase do ataque do Palmeiras em sua era’Palmeiras22/09/2023CorinthiansPressionado, Luxemburgo reencontra responsável pela maior derrota do Corinthians no BrasileirãoCorinthians22/09/2023

+ Abel Ferreira, técnico do Palmeiras, é denunciado pela Associação Brasileira de Árbitros

O Belo somou apenas três pontos até o momento e está na quarta e última colocação do Grupo C. Já os visitantes lideram o grupo, com sete pontos em três partidas. Apenas os dois primeiros de cada grupo avançam para a Série B de 2024. Os líderes fazem a grande final da competição.

FICHA TÉCNICA
BOTAFOGO-PB X PAYSANDU
SÉRIE C

Data e horário: 23 de setembro de 2023, às 16h
Local: Almeidão, em João Pessoa (PB)
Árbitro: Luiz Flávio de Oliveira (SP)
Assistentes: Luiz Alberto Andrini Nogueira (SP) e Gustavo Rodrigues de Oliveira (SP)
VAR: Thiago Duarte Peixoto (SP)
Onde assistir: Nosso Futebol e DAZN

+ Condição especial para matrícula no curso Gestor de Futebol, aprovado por Dante, Petković, Léo Moura e outros craques. Saiba mais!

BOTAFOGO-PB (Técnico: Felipe Surian)
Mota; Ricardo Luz, Wesley Matos, Pedro Carrerete e Zé Mário; Wesley Dias, Netinho, Renatinho e Luisinho; Mateus Anderson e Mariotto.

PAYSANDU (Técnico: Hélio dos Anjos)
Matheus Nogueira; Edílson, Wanderson, Wellington Carvalho e Kevyn; João Vieira, Geovane, Robinho e Vinícius Leite; Nicolas Careca e Mário Sérgio.

Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals won the title, winning the final by six wickets at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jun-2025

Shreyas Iyer’s SoBo Mumbai Falcons fell short in the Mumbai T20 League final on Thursday, edged out by the Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals at the Wankhede Stadium. This marked back-to-back defeats for Iyer as captain of a T20 side, coming as it did within ten days of Punjab Kings’ (PBKS) defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the title clash of IPL 2025 in Ahmedabad.Iyer himself scored just 12 off 17 as SoBo made 157 after being put in to bat. Maratha Royals, led by Siddhesh Lad, achieved the target with four balls to spare and six wickets in hand. Iyer ended the tournament with just 62 runs in five innings, with a best of 25.”Don’t want to pinpoint any incident – overall, the boys were brilliant with their effort,” Iyer said after the final. “We just lost one game en route to the final. Just a one-off game, where you can’t single out anyone. It’s basically backstabbing [if you criticise someone], and I don’t enjoy that.”It’s pretty common to feel dejected after a final loss. It must hurt [the players]. But when they come back next year, they’ll have that extra motivation and confidence. They should be proud of their effort.”Iyer has had an excellent and highly successful time as captain. Before making the IPL 2025 final and the Mumbai T20 League final, he had led Kolkata Knight Riders to their first IPL title in a decade in 2024, and also guided Mumbai to victory in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He was part of Mumbai’s triumphant campaigns in both the Ranji Trophy 2023-24 and the subsequent Irani Cup, and in March this year, he played a pivotal role in India’s successful run to the Champions Trophy title.

Hampshire unable to hold off visitors’ chase in six-over contest on south coast

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay13-Jun-2025Max Holden stole the limelight from Lhuan-dre Pretorius’s exhilarating debut as Hampshire Hawks and Middlesex tied a DLS thriller in the Men’s Vitality Blast.South African wunderkind Pretorius hammered a 22-ball 44 as Hawks struck 63 either side of the rain delays.Middlesex needed 76 to win after DLS recalculated the score, and after Chris Wood began with a maiden, Hawks were heavy favourites. But Holden whacked 38 in 18, before Kane Williamson’s 23 and Ben Geddes’ 10 took Middlesex to the brink but both sides had to share two points.It was Hampshire’s eighth T20 tie, and Middlesex’s fourth.Pretorius only arrived in the UK on Thursday having finished an unofficial Test for South Africa A in Saint Lucia on Wednesday. Jetlag seemingly didn’t have any impact on Pretorius as he rocketed a front-foot pull to the boundary off the first ball of the match, after Middlesex had chosen to bowl first.He continued with a well-timed clip off the pads and a wristy thrash through the covers to take two further boundaries off the opening over.Hawks fans had been made to wait for Pretorius – who arrived with high expectations after leading the scoring charts in the SA20 in his homeland over the winter, including a debut unbeaten 97.Dewald Brevis’ immediate impact only whetted the appetite for the second gun Proteas’ entrance, although it was somewhat dampened by the revelation that the pair would only be available until June 20 after being called up to the Test squad to face Zimbabwe.After striking 15 off the first over, runs continued to flow off Pretorius’ bat to reach 29 off 14 balls – although James Vince was caught at cover point off Zafar Gohar.Persistent rain hit after four overs and begun a two hour and 20-minute delay. Play was almost restarted for an 11 over-a-side match but another shower forced another delay. Eventually, a six-over-a-side game was started and Pretorius got going again.In two overs, Pretorius whizzed to 44 not out from 22 deliveries, including a bullet six over deep midwicket, with Toby Albert happy to just rotate the strike. It took Hampshire to 63 for 1, with DLS turning that into a 76-run target for the visitors.Their hopes of chasing that were dented as Wood begun with a maiden over – with just a leg bye on the total.James Fuller started with another dot and leg bye before Middlesex finally kicked into gear. Holden got away with an inside edge before carting over extra cover for four, over square for six and another inside edge for four boundaries in a row to take 19 off the second over.Another 18 runs off the following over got Middlesex closer to the rate but just as Holden reached 38 off 18 balls he skied straight up in the air.A Williamson blast for six made sure the DLS par was level going into the final over, with 13 required. Scott Currie went one, two, two with a dropped catch, two, a Ben Geddes four down the ground before a final ball bye to the wicketkeeper meant the game was tied.

San Francisco Unicorns became the first team to advance to the playoffs of the MLC 2025, beating Seattle Orcas by 32 runs in Dallas on Wednesday night. They remain unbeaten in this competition, having won all six matches so far and also strengthened their position at the top of the points table. Orcas suffered their fifth straight defeat this season and continue to sit at the bottom.Captain Matthew Short and Romario Shepherd’s all-round heroics along with Haris Rauf’s four-wicket haul were the highlights for Unicorns on a day when they had to win mini-battles.Asked to bat first, Unicorns lost Finn Allen in the second over. But Jake Fraser-McGurk and Short put on a 68-run second-wicket stand that not only steadied the innings but also provided them momentum. McGurk fell for a well-made 21-ball 34 in the eighth over to left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh and this triggered a collapse as Unicorns slipped from 86 for 1 to 103 for 6. Short, who smashed seven fours and two sixes in his 29-ball stay, departed for 52 when Harmeet dismissed him and Hassan Khan in the same over.Shepherd then blasted four sixes and four fours in his 56 off 31 balls, lifting Unicorns to a competitive 176 for 8. Gerald Coetzee also chipped in with 3 for 34, including key middle-order wickets. However, this late onslaught proved more than enough with the Orcas once again denied a maiden win despite a bright start to the chase.Orcas picked up 29 runs in the first two overs, thanks to Shayan Jahangir, who looked impressive throughout his knock. He played a range of eye-catching shots to score 40 off just 22 balls. However, Shepherd provided the breakthrough by dismissing Jahangir in the seventh over.In the following over, Short struck twice, removing both David Warner and Kyle Mayers. Orcas never recovered from these early setbacks and continued to lose wickets at regular intervals. Shimron Hetmyer and Sujit Nayak attempted to rebuild the innings, but only briefly. Rauf, who had earlier dismissed Heinrich Klaasen, wrapped up the innings by removing Coetzee and Hetmyer in the 16th over and Cameron Gannon in the 18th, finishing with figures of 4 for 32.

Saturday features a loaded 16-game slate in Major League Baseball, but I’ve narrowed down my three favorite bets to help you navigate today’s slate.

With rookie sensation Paul Skenes on the mound for the Pittsburgh Pirates against the Los Angeles Dodgers, I have a pick for him as well as a trio of moneyline picks (two in a parlay) to consider on Aug. 10. 

Let’s cash some bets to kick off the weekend on a high note!

MLB Best Bets Today for Saturday, Aug. 10

• Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves Moneyline Parlay (+111)
• Paul Skenes OVER 6.5 Strikeouts (-150)
• New York Mets Moneyline (+110) vs. Seattle Mariners

Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves Moneyline Parlay (+111)

A two-team moneyline parlay to kick off the action? Why not!

Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs are in a prime spot to pick up a win over the Chicago White Sox, who snapped a lengthy losing streak earlier this week. The White Sox have since lost two in a row, and now it has Chris Flexen on the mound against Justin Steele, making this an easy bet. 

Flexen has appeared in 24 games (22 starts) for the White Sox this season. They are a brutal 2-22 in those games, making him the easiest pitcher to fade in baseball. 

Steele hasn't been as good this season as he was in 2023, but he still has a 3.33 ERA. The Cubbies should roll on Saturday. 

Atlanta Braves

Following a similar line of thinking, I’m taking the Atlanta Braves and Max Fried as road favorites against Colorado Rockies starter Dakota Hudson.

This will be Hudson’s 18th start of the season, and the Rockies are a dreadful 3-14 in his first 17 outings. With Fried (3.70 ERA) on the mound, I’d be shocked to see Atlanta lose to one of the worst teams in the NL on Saturday. 

Paul Skenes OVER 6.5 Strikeouts (-150)

If Paul Skenes is pitching, I’m betting.

After back-to-back starts with six or fewer strikeouts, Skenes’ K’s prop has dropped all the way to 6.5 for this matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team he already diced up earlier this season. 

Skenes has yet to allow more than three runs in a start all season, and he’s pitched six or more innings in 11 of his 14 outings, a great floor for the OVER on his strikeout prop. 

After punching out eight Dodgers earlier this season, I think Skenes gets back on track in the K department tonight. The Dodgers average 8.46 strikeouts per game this season, so there is a little wiggle room for Skenes with this prop sitting lower than we’ve seen it since the first few starts of his career. 

New York Mets Moneyline (+110) vs. Seattle Mariners

Seattle has one of the worst offenses in baseball, and it's going to run into a buzzsaw on Saturday with lefty Sean Manaea on the bump for the New York Mets.

Over his last three starts, Manaea has allowed just two total runs, pitching back-to-back starts with seven innings and no earned runs, allowing just eight hits. 

He's got a tough matchup against Logan Gilbert (3.05 ERA), but the M's have lost Gilbert's last four starts and are just 11-12 when he's on the bump in 2024.

With New York surging over the last two months, I think this is a great spot to jump on it as an underdog.

Back in the Premier League after a long absence, Sunderland have wasted no time in trying to establish themselves as more than just relegation candidates.

In the summer, the club spent £141.5m – the second-highest spend by a promoted side in English football history, behind only Nottingham Forest in 2022.

That money brought in Habib Diarra (Strasbourg), Simon Adingra (Brighton), Chemsdine Talbi (Club Brugge), Noah Sadiki (Union SG), Granit Xhaka (Bayer Leverkusen), and Nordi Mukiele (PSG).

Such investment has been rewarded early.

With three wins from their opening fixtures, Sunderland sit fifth in the Premier League, a position even their most optimistic supporters could not have imagined at this stage.

The challenge ahead is sustaining that form, particularly with a trip to Old Trafford looming this weekend.

For all the headline arrivals, though – alongside the headline makers like three-goal hero, Wilson Isidor – it is perhaps the least expected of their summer deals that is proving to be the most significant.

Sunderland's previous £30m sensation

Sunderland fans know better than most the importance of having a goalkeeper who can make the difference at both club and international level.

Their academy produced Jordan Pickford, who emerged from a series of loans to displace Vito Mannone in 2016/17.

That season, Pickford was so impressive that he was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year Award, a rare honour for a keeper.

When Sunderland were relegated at the end of that campaign, Pickford became a prized asset.

Everton swooped with a £30m deal, which remains one of the most lucrative sales in the club’s history.

Since then, Pickford has made 325 appearances for Everton, keeping 91 clean sheets, and has established himself as England’s undisputed No.1 with 78 caps, producing defining moments in penalty shootouts at the World Cup and European Championships.

That legacy of homegrown excellence set the bar high for any future Sunderland keeper.

While most of the focus has been on flashy outfield signings this summer, it is the man between the posts who is beginning to capture the same kind of acclaim Pickford once did.

Sunderland's next £30m star in the making

Signed quietly from NEC Nijmegen for £9m, Robin Roefs has been nothing short of outstanding in his first Premier League season.

The 22-year-old Dutch youth international, with ten U21 caps to his name, has played every minute of Sunderland’s campaign so far – 540 minutes in total – and already has three clean sheets to his name.

Described by Andy Sixsmith as having had an “excellent start” to life at Sunderland – while being dubbed “absolutely awesome” by Kevin Phillips – Roefs has shown maturity beyond his years.

While he was at fault for a goal conceded against Aston Villa – palming a shot into the roof of his own net – his response since then has highlighted his resilience and temperament.

Statistically, he has been elite: a save percentage of 82.5% (99th percentile), a clean sheet rate of 50% (99th percentile), and a cross-stopping percentage of 10% (91st percentile).

A direct comparison with Pickford’s current numbers underlines the scale of his start, with the pair deemed to be statistically similar players, as per FBref.

Last season, Roefs averaged 3.0 saves per 90 minutes, compared to Pickford’s 1.83. His save percentage of 82.6% far outstrips Pickford’s 72.2%, and he has conceded just 0.67 goals per 90 against Pickford’s 1.0.

Even in clean sheet percentage, Roefs comes out on top—50% to 33.3%.

It is no surprise, then, that Roefs has also been likened in style to Barcelona’s Joan Garcia and Arsenal’s David Raya, as per Fbref, both keepers renowned for combining strong shot-stopping with modern distribution.

For Sunderland, having a player of that calibre between the sticks provides a foundation for their survival hopes and long-term ambitions.

Supporters may have expected their big-money forwards or high-profile midfield additions to steal the spotlight, with Isidor certainly flourishing despite the step up, but it is Robin Roefs who has been their standout.

Just as Pickford’s rise once brought Sunderland significant acclaim and financial reward, there is already a sense that Roefs could follow a similar path—both in terms of on-field impact and, in time, market value.

At only 22, Sunderland may already have unearthed their most important signing of the summer.

Not Xhaka: Sunderland's "remarkable" star looks like their best signing

Sunderland sealed the best signing of their summer when landing this remarkable star.

By
Kelan Sarson

Oct 2, 2025

تمكن فريق الهلال السعودي، من تحقيق الفوز غلى نظيره النجمة، في إطار منافسات الدوري السعودي للمحترفين “دوري روشن”. 

وواجه فريق الهلال السعودي نظيره النجمة، في الساعة السابعة والنصف مساء اليوم بتوقيت القاهرة، على ملعب “النجمة”، في الجولة الثامنة من الدوري السعودي للمحترفين “دوري روشن”. 

طالع | فيديو | الهلال يفوز على الغرافة بثنائية ويواصل تصدر دوري أبطال آسيا

وحقق الهلال الفوز على النجمة، برباعية مقابل هدفين، حيث تقدم فريق النجمة بالهدف الأول في الدقيقة 3 من عمر الشوط الأول عن طريق اللاعب لازارو ماركيز. 

وفي الدقيقة 10، عادل سالم الدوسري النتيجة لصالح الهلال، قبل أن يضيف النجمة الهدف الثاني عن طريق روبن نيفيز بالخطأ في مرماه. 

وفي الدقيقة 71، عادل فريق الهلال النتيجة مرة أخرى بواسطة اللاعب ثيو هيرنانديز، قبل أن يضيف الهلال ثالث أهدافه في الدقيقة 80 عن طريق اللاعب عبد اللاه الشمري بالخطأ في مرماه، وعاد سالم الدوسري وعزز تقدم الزعيم الهلال بالهدف الرابع في الدقيقة 90. 

وبهذه النتيجة رفع فريق الهلال رصيده إلى 20 نقطة، في المركز الثالث في جدول ترتيب الدوري السعودي، بينما استمر تذيل فريق النجمة بدون أي رصيد من النقاط.  أهداف مباراة الهلال والنجمة اليوم في الدوري السعودي

Chelsea goalscorer Tyrique George says he and his young teammates were told to “have fun and really be free” before they swept aside Ajax 5-1 in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge.

The 19-year-old was one of three teenage scorers as Enzo Maresca’s side romped to a resounding victory against poor opposition, who played with 10 men from the 17th minute after captain Kenneth Taylor was dismissed.

It was the signal for a Chelsea avalanche as 19-year-old striker Marc Guiu opened the scoring a minute later before Moises Caicedo made it two via a deflection.

Brazilian winger Estevao Willian converted a penalty to become Chelsea’s youngest Champions League scorer, capping surely his best display yet since arriving from Palmeiras, after Enzo Fernandez had also netted from the spot.

George’s goal in the second half, albeit via a deflection, compounded Ajax’s humiliation and brought fulfilment of a childhood dream for the academy graduate.

Maresca's message to Chelsea's youngsters

“It was a really good night,” he said. “I’m really happy to score my first Champions League goal and it was a great win.

“We got so many goals, we played well, we had fun out there as well.

“We’re all young and having fun. We’re having fun on the pitch and that’s it. The manager tells us to have fun and really be free when we’re in attacking areas and that’s what we showed last night.’

“I was just itching to get on and try and score. That’s what I did, so I’m happy.”

George’s only previous goal this season had come against Lincoln in the Carabao Cup third round, but he is increasingly trusted by Maresca after breaking into the first team last term.

He netted one of his side’s most important goals last season – an 83rd-minute equaliser as Chelsea came from behind late to beat Fulham 2-1 at Craven Cottage in April, just when it looked like their bid to finish in the top four was fizzling out.

Maresca is now reaping the benefits of his faith in the youngster, particularly on Wednesday when he was without both of his big-money summer signings up front, the suspended Joao Pedro and long-term injury absentee Liam Delap.

“It’s an amazing feeling (to score),” said George. “I’ve wanted it ever since I was eight years old, to score in the Champions League. It’s what dreams are made of.

“I think it’s just down to working day-by-day in training. I think that’s what’s making us win, so we just need to keep going and keep going.

“We just want to keep going, keep improving and keep getting wins.”