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The U.S. men's national team allowed a late equalizer to Gareth Bale in an action-packed 1-1 draw on Monday.

For much of Monday's World Cup opener, the USMNT's young stars shined bright as could be. If the players were nervous, they didn't show it. They played like a team determined, a team more than ready for an occasion that many thought would be overwhelmed.

It never did. The Stars and Stripes never were overmatched and certainly weren't outplayed, but they dropped points anyway. So it goes at a World Cup.

And so it goes when the other team has Gareth Bale, a man for the big occasion. There are no events bigger than a World Cup, so of course Bale would make his mark.

He erased Tim Weah's first-half opener and, more importantly, erased a USMNT performance that could be categorized as dominant.

Domination doesn't equal points, though, a lesson the young USMNT learned on Monday night.

Getty ImagesThe Winners

WINNER: Wales fans

If this sport was based on passion alone, Wales would be lifting the World Cup.

What a night this was for Welsh fans. Hours before kickoff, they were loud and proud, singing, dancing, celebrating. And why wouldn't they? They've waited 64 years for this moment.

There were families in attendance, young and old scattered throughout the crowd celebrating the country's first World Cup in a generation.

The singing? Spectacular. The national anthem? Spine-tingling. The pure emotion of it all? Unmatched.

This is what the World Cup is about: a country full of people coming together to love something bigger than themselves.

And when that Bale goal hit, what a sound. They deserved the celebration. They waited long enough for it.

WINNER: Tim Weah

Take away the goal for just a second, we'll get back to that.

Let's start with Weah's overall play and how he fits with this USMNT. He knows his role so, so well and, against Wales, he executed it to perfection.

With Christian Pulisic cutting in on the other side and Sergino Dest cutting in next to him, Weah's job is to offer that downfield option and keep the defense stretched. He did that, and then got a goal for good measure. His diagonal run was picture-perfect. His finish was, too. The knee side celebration could use some work but, hey, it was his first World Cup goal.

It was also USMNT's first World Cup goal in eight years, and it sent the stadium into a frenzy. It was a deserved one from the attacker that deserved it most.

Weah had been keeping Wales honest all half and, finally, the defense folded. You couldn't ask for much more from him.

WINNER: Gareth Bale

Just when you thought it wouldn't happen, it did, in fact happen. How could anyone doubt Gareth Bale?

He'd been shackled all night, with the USMNT midfield strangling him for nearly the entire game. But then, the moment, the one he needed.

Walker Zimmerman went right through him in the box and the whole world knew what would happen next. He absolutely smashed the ball into the back of the net for the World Cup goal his country waited so long for.

He's not the old Bale by a long shot. He looked nothing like it tonight. But who cares? He's still big-game Bale, and he did it again.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesThe Losers

LOSER: Walker Zimmerman

It was all going so well.

The USMNT was seemingly on its way to victory. The team had a 1-0 lead and despite some Wales threats, the U.S. was doing just fine.

And then Zimmerman went straight through Bale and everything changed.

He had done little wrong prior, but that won't be what matters. What matters is one moment, and it ultimately decided the game.

One penalty, one goal and two points dropped. It'll be a tough one to take for Zimmerman and the USMNT.

LOSER: USMNT's hopes of advancing

It was right there for the Stars and Stripes. They seemingly had it and were well on their way to a result that would have made this all seem easier.

Now, though, the U.S. will need to grind their way out of the group.

A win would have made the road much, much easier. With England looming, the U.S. would know that a result in the final game against Iran would almost certainly be enough. Now, a result in that final game may be a necessity.

It'll all be tough to stomach for the U.S. as the road has just become a bit harder. Any points against England would be a major benefit, but you can't expect that. And that means it may all come down to Iran and, ultimately, goal differential.

Buckle up, USMNT fans. This one was a stomach-turner, but it's only the start.

LOSER: Yellow cards

For a bit, it looked like the Oprah meme.

"You get a yellow! You get a yellow! You get a yellow!"

The cautions came thick and fast for the USMNT, which now see a few key players walking the line heading into the second game. Suspensions are suddenly a real risk at several spots after a quick flurry of yellows.

Sergino Dest was the first to get booked for a slightly soft foul on Neco Williams in the 11th minute. And then the Wales fullback drew a card for Weston McKennie just two minutes later. Ream was handed one too early in the second half, putting a slight damper on an otherwise spectacular performance.

Wales wasn't exempt either, with Bale and Chris Mepham drawing cards.

Several of those cards were deserved, several weren't. The referee had a tough game overall, with several calls igniting the crowd's ire. But both teams now will see key players in a tough spot heading into their second game.

Getty ImagesUSMNT ratings: Defense

Matt Turner (6/10):

Had little to do aside from one nice save. Nothing he could do on the Bale penalty.

Antonee Robinson (6/10):

Got forward well and created. Solid performance.

Tim Ream (8/10):

An absolute rock at the back. Was close to perfect aside from the yellow.

Walker Zimmerman (5/10):

The penalty ruined the day, even if he had been playing well before it.

Sergino Dest (6/10):

Was his typical self, cutting in and keeping the defense honest. Largely mistake-free.

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Getty ImagesMidfield

Tyler Adams (6/10):

Broke up play well enough but, like the rest of the midfield, was a bit quieter in the second half as Wales pushed forward.

Weston McKennie (6/10):

Plenty of bite, but little substance. Didn't quite have that game-changing impact we all know he has.

Yunus Musah (7/10):

Showed why he can be essentially unstoppable. Was so good on the turn and put Wales in some really bad positions.

South Africa have won their last five completed T20s; they’ll want to carry that form into the World T20. Australia have lost their last five completed T20s; they’ll want to find form before the T20 showcase in India

The Preview by Firdose Moonda05-Mar-2016Match factsSunday, March 6, 2016
Start time 14.30 local (12.30GMT)Big PictureIt has reached the stage where South Africa want to time to speed up. They are on a hot streak that they will want to keep burning into the World T20 but may be secretly worried that it will fizzle out by the time they get there. They have peaked too early before.It has also reached the stage where Australia want time to slow down. They’re only just starting to figure out their plans ahead of the World T20 and they’ve still got some work to do. Who to open with? How many allrounders to field? And they’ve only got two more matches to get it right.In the middle of all that it has reached the stage where another series could be decided. South Africa are already one up and victory in Johannesburg will ensure they can add a third limited-overs trophy to their cabinet this summer. It’s not quite the cup they are really after but it will do nonetheless. Australia don’t have the same obsession with silverware – they have more than enough of it anyway – but have already lost a T20 series to India this year and are under pressure to take it to a decider in Cape Town next Wednesday.If South Africa want to give Dale Steyn reasonable game time before the World T20, they’ll have to play him in Johannesburg•Getty ImagesForm guideSouth Africa WWWWW (last five completed games, most recent first)
Australia LLLLLIn the spotlightIt’s rare for a player to be under scrutiny for two matches in a row but because Dale Steyn did not play in Durban, he will occupy the hot seat again. South Africa insisted Steyn was fit to play but the chose to bench to him to give the attack that has performed well for them over the last few months another chance and they did not disappoint. Now, Steyn has to play to determine his availability for the World T20 and it could prove more of a disruption than anything else… unless of course, Steyn is back to his destructive best.Peter Nevill made no promises about being able to offer anything more than good glovework ahead of the series and followed through with that in the first match. While he was nifty behind the stumps, he did not provide much in front of them and with Australia deep in the throes of a middle-order collapse, he only added to it. Nevill has been picked purely as a specialist wicketkeeper but the nature of T20 cricket will demand he also provides something with the bat and this could be his chance to show what that is.Team newsSouth Africa fielded what Faf du Plessis called their first-choice team in Durban and their success will make it difficult to make changes, but Russell Domingo’s request that Dale Steyn play in at least two matches in the series means they have to. Steyn could come in at Kyle Abbott’s expense. Hashim Amla could return to open the batting and Farhaan Behardien may displace one of JP Duminy or Rilee Rossouw in the middle order.South Africa (probable) 1 Hashim Amla, 2 AB de Villiers (wk), 3 Faf du Plessis (capt), 4 JP Duminy, 5 David Miller, 6 Rilee Rossouw/Farhaan Behardien, 7 Chris Morris, 8 David Wiese, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Imran TahirIf Australia insist on David Warner at one-drop, Shane Watson is lurking in the wings to open the batting with Aaron Finch. James Faulkner and Josh Hazlewood both sat out in Durban and, with the series on the line, may return to the XI. Adam Zampa’s impressive T20I debut may mean Ashton Agar has to wait for his.Australia (probable) 1 Usman Khawaja/Shane Watson, 2 Aaron Finch 3 David Warner, 4 Steven Smith (capt), 5 Glenn Maxwell, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Peter Nevill (wk), 8 John Hastings/James Faulkner, 9 Nathan Coulter-Nile, 10 Josh Hazlewood/Andrew Tye, 11 Adam ZampaPitch and conditionsWhile Durban provided an almost subcontinent experience, Johannesburg could be the complete opposite. The altitude means the ball will fly through the air faster and the surface – traditionally packed with pace, bounce, and runs – is unlikely to feature as many cracks. At least it will match much of Indian conditions for heat, with temperatures in the mid-30s with no afternoon thunderstorm to cool things down.Stats and trivia The Wanderers has hosted more of South Africa’s home T20Is than any other ground. Of the 15 fixtures they played there, South Africa have won 11 Aaron Finch needs 86 more runs to reach 1,000 T20I runsQuotes”Playing in such big grounds and around big crowds always feels like a real honour. That definitely motivates me and probably gives me another 10% to do well.”
“We’ve been criticised over the last few months over our fielding in all formats. The effort we’ve been putting in over the last couple of weeks leading up to this tour has been huge, and I think it’s showing.”

A magnificent attacking century from Jack Taylor and five wickets for Craig Miles wrapped up an unlikely Gloucestershire victory

ECB/PA09-Jul-2015
ScorecardJack Taylor was in punishing form with the bat for Gloucestershire at Cheltenham•PA PhotosA sparkling career-best 156 from Jack Taylor and a five-wicket haul for Craig Miles saw Gloucestershire wrap up victory inside two days against Northamptonshire at Cheltenham.Having gone in at No.8, off-spinner Taylor turned the game with the bat after his side had slipped to 108 for 6 in reply to Northamptonshire’s first innings 246.He faced only 125 balls, hitting 14 fours and 5 sixes before being last man out in a total of 372, having comfortably exceeded his previous best first class score of 120, made against Derbyshire at Derby earlier this season.Taylor received good support from Benny Howell (36) and Craig Miles (41) as Gloucestershire built a first innings lead of 126 against a Northants attack deprived of Steven Crook, who was injured in mid-over when hit on a knee by the ball and had to leave the field.Then Miles got to work with the ball, claiming 5 for 28 from 10.1 overs as the visitors were skittled for 160 in their second innings, only Richard Levi (64) offering significant resistance as James Fuller and Liam Norwell weighed in with two wickets apiece.That left the home side needing just 35 to win, a target they achieved in six overs for the loss of Chris Dent. Gloucestershire took 23 points from their third LV=County Championship win of the season, while Northants had to settle for four.The start of the day had seen the hosts resume on 82 for four in their first innings. The impressive Olly Stone (four for 91) took two wickets in a sharp opening burst from the College End to put them in deeper trouble.But Taylor and Howell then added 113 in 20.1 overs to turn the game on its head in exhilarating fashion. At lunch Gloucestershire were 225 for 7 and the match appeared in the balance.Taylor was 74 not out, having driven Graeme White’s left arm spin straight for his first of his sixes, with a second six coming when he hooked the returning Stone into one of the marquees at the College Lawn End.While Taylor’s aggression spearheaded the counter-attack and brought him an 86-ball century, Howell, who made 36, was not far behind his partner in terms of intent and it all made for excellent entertainment for a good-sized Festival crowd.Miles hit 7 fours, coming in at No.10. Then he and Norwell ran through the top order in the Northants second innings, sharing the wickets equally as the visitors plunged to 18 for four.Miles removed openers Stephen Peters, who bagged a pair, and Ben Duckett, while Fuller accounted for first innings centurion Alex Wakely and Rob Keogh.Levi counter-attacked with a 56-ball half-century, including 9 fours, but wickets continued to tumble at the other end.Adam Rossington holed out to Fuller at mid-on off Norwell, who also had Crook caught behind. In between those wickets, Howell weighed in with the scalp of Josh Cobb as Northants stuttered to 97 for 7, still 29 runs behind.Levi appeared relatively untroubled in moving to 64 before being last man out, with only Rory Kleindveldt (37) offering any support.

Yorkshire won comfortably on the final day against Hampshire, despite the resistance of Lewis McManus and Will Smith and further demands from England

Paul Edwards at Headingley13-May-2015
ScorecardAdil Rashid took his match haul to eight wickets as Yorkshire won comfortably on the final day•Getty ImagesFor most of this match the alders and sycamores in the vicinity of Eden Crescent and Kirkstall Hill have offered a glorious portent of summer. “The trees are coming into leaf/ Like something almost being said,” wrote Philip Larkin, and yes, so they are. But the chaotic threshing of the unresting castles in the brisk westerly wind over the past few days might also be seen as a metaphor for the curious events at the ECB, and this, of course, is something in which Yorkshiremen are taking a sharp interest.Rather like a couple planning their weekly visit to the supermarket – Costcutter perhaps? – ECB officials are regularly shopping at Headingley at the moment. “We have to get an opener and that coach needs replacing,” they might say as they get into their four-door Fiasco and head north with the names of Adam Lyth and Jason Gillespie topping their list.But then suddenly, out of a sky as blue and fleece-fringed as that which domed above Leeds this lovely Wednesday, counties themselves sometimes have the temerity to try and control events. Many people were suggesting that this match wouldn’t last till lunchtime when play resumed on the final morning with Hampshire on 37 for 4 and their victory target of 449 as distant a prospect as the golds of autumn.ECB still to contact Yorkshire over Gillespie

Yorkshire’s director of cricket, Martyn Moxon, has expressed irritation that Jason Gillespie was named as a candidate for the job of England coach without Yorkshire being informed first.
“It would be nice if you got to know these things first but it’s not easy for Andrew Strauss when he pushed on these matters and I don’t hold it against him,” Moxon said. “We’ve been assured that any if any approach happens, it will be done in the correct manner and we trust the ECB to do that.
“I think the ECB are aware that we want Jason to concentrate on his day job and they’ll respect that. We’ve got a week between our next two T20 matches, so if the ECB want to contact us regarding Jason, there’s potential for them to do that.”
Moxon also defended Yorkshire’s decision not to make Gillespie available for interview after the Hampshire game.
“It’s difficult for Jason to say anything. What we want to avoid is for him to be here saying, ‘No comment…no comment…no comment’. It’s better for him not to say anything until we’ve got something official. If Jason speaks to Andrew Strauss, we’ll then wait and see if it’s the right job for Jason or not.”
Moxon also expressed his views about the way in which the Kevin Pietersen affair had been dealt with. “Quite frankly, I think it’s bit messy,” he said. “I don’t know the ins and outs of Pietersen’s time with England or what’s been said to him but it just seems very messy and sad for the English game that we are now being seen as a bit of a laughing stock.”

When nightwatchman James Tomlinson played inside a ball from Adil Rashid and Sean Ervine nicked a good ball from Tim Bresnan to Jonny Bairstow behind the stumps, these predictions seemed good calls. Hampshire were then 67 for 6 within the first hour of play and it seemed that we were all just waiting for the last knockings. But amid all the understandable furore about Kevin, Jason and England, this game has also been notable for the quietly proficient first-class debut of Hampshire’s wicketkeeper Lewis McManus, who had already kept well and batted decently enough in the first innings.And now McManus made his finest contribution to the game as he resisted Yorkshire’s attack for 100 minutes either side of lunch. In company with Will Smith, McManus added 56 runs in 30 overs although by that stage nobody gave a fig about the runs. As Rashid bowled unchanged from the Football Stand End in the morning session, McManus resisted him with a quiet resolve and tight technique which bodes well for his future career in the game.The 20-year-old was eventually dismissed 20 minutes after lunch when he rather fished at a ball from Will Rhodes and nicked a catch to Bairstow. He had made 28 off 91 balls and given the final day of this game a fascination which few expected it would possess. Certainly his colleagues could not emulate him in the slightest. Gareth Berg and Andre Adams were removed by successive balls from Rashid, the latter well caught at backward square leg by Jack Brooks when sweeping. Then Fidel Edwards swished at Steve Patterson, edged a catch to Alex Lees at first slip and the game was done.Yorkshire move to third place in a Division One table which is assuming an interesting shape and Hampshire return south counting the cost of their avoidable bowling lapses and gifted wickets.Before long the outfield was filled with camera crews wanting to find out about national issues and great controversies. It was, perhaps, always thus. But for a few players, this match has taken on a greater significance. Rashid’s 4 for 48 in the second innings gave him match figures of 8 for 118 and suggested that his omission for the Barbados Test was, indeed, an error. Adam Lyth made 76 runs in two innings and looked in decent nick, albeit that he was roughed up by Fidel Edwards before being dismissed by the same bowler before lunch on Tuesday.Lyth will probably make his Test debut against New Zealand next week and, if he does well, his colleagues may see little more of him this summer. Perhaps, therefore, in addition to the usual songs of triumph, he might have regaled his team mates this afternoon with a chorus or two of that grand old Gracie Fields standard: “Wish Me Luck As You Wave Me Goodbye”. This is, after all, been a week of grace and Gracie in this pleasant corner of Yorkshire and if Lyth is to face Mitchell Johnson and his chums, he may need all the good fortune available to him.

Argentina U17 starlet Claudio Echeverri recreated a Lionel Messi-esque finish to complete his hat-trick against rivals Brazil in the U-17 World Cup.

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Echeverri recreated Messi's 2012 finish Both players scored a hat-trick in their respective matchesBrazil at the receiving end on both occasions WHAT HAPPENED?

The Argentine U17 starlet scored an incredible hat-trick in a win over Brazil to fire his side into the semi-finals of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Jakarta on Friday. He opened the scoring with a brilliant sole attempt just minutes before the half-hour mark and then doubled the lead in the 59th minute with a tight finish from the edge of the box. Whereas, his third goal was the cherry on the top as it not only helped him complete a hat trick but also closely resembled a 2012 finish of Messi. On both occasions, the forwards dribbled past the keeper and then pushed the ball into an empty net after latching onto a defence-splitting through ball from midfield.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIP@ArgentinaTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Echeverri's goal has some other uncanny similarities to Messi's strike over a decade back. Apart from the electric finish, both players wore the No. 10 shirt during their respective matches and Brazil found themselves at the receiving end of such a genius onslaught. In fact, Echeverri's hat trick was the first since Messi's 2012 heroics against their arch-rivals. Back in his homeland, comparisons are already being made with the 2022 World Cup winner but Echeverii believes that his style is more like Pablo Aimar who is a part of the national team staff.

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Doc. LOC WCU17/BRYWHAT NEXT FOR ECHEVERRI?

The River Plate starlet will hope to carry on with his rich vein of form in the remaining two matches of the U-17 World Cup and emulate Messi by lifting the trophy in the finale on December 2.

James Harris claimed an extraordinary haul of 9 for 34, including a spell of 7 for 21 in 8.1 overs this morning, as Middlesex made light of their batting capitulation on the third afternoon to storm to an 187-run victory

Andrew Miller at Lord's05-May-2015
Scorecard2:53

‘Been a long couple of years’ – Harris

Once upon a time, it all came so easily for James Harris. In his second Championship appearance, at the County Ground in Bristol in May 2007, he celebrated his 17th birthday with a haul of 7 for 66 for Glamorgan, a revelatory return that marked him down as a boy with an extraordinary future.Eight years later, and 11 days shy of turning 25, there’s still plenty time yet for that future to manifest itself. But with today’s career-best haul of 9 for 34 at Lord’s, Harris achieved more than simply consign his teenage precocity to the archives.”I came to Middlesex as a fairly big signing,” said Harris. “But I’ve had two lean years which have really hurt me. I expected to be doing this sort of thing straight from the off, so it’s been a long time coming and I’m delighted.”It should, by rights, have been a tense fight to the finish on the final day at Lord’s. The morning dawned with foreboding grey skies to dent Durham’s hopes of adding 235 runs to their overnight 24 for 2, but with a howling gale buffeting straight down the ground, Harris was twice forced to abort his run-up as he struggled to reach the crease.The original plan had been to come off after a couple of overs and leave Ollie Rayner to lob his spin into the breeze. But then the wickets started tumbling and suddenly Harris was walking in the air.”Once you get into a bit of a rhythm, you don’t tend to feel tired or any exterior things,” said Harris. “It didn’t swing too much, it just did a little bit off the surface which is perfect for me. I was on a bit of a roll and thankfully it kept happening.”Full and focused, with an exemplary rhythm and a little bit of movement off a length. The scorecard will suggest that the wicket became a minefield, with two completed second innings adding up to 18 runs fewer than the 178 that Sam Robson scored on the match’s first day. But not a bit of it. It was simple, old-fashioned, you-miss-I-hit hostility. And every one was a coconut.The simplicity of his performance was irresistible. Durham’s batsmen didn’t dare lay a bat on ball for fearing of nicking off to the cordon, but couldn’t risk leaving it either, as Michael Richardson discovered when he shouldered arms and found only his leg stump left standing.Callum McLeod and Paul Collingwood fell for ducks to consecutive deliveries, and when Phil Mustard and Scott Borthwick picked out second and first slip respectively, Harris had claimed five wickets for five runs in the space of 16 balls, and finished with 7 for 21 in 8.1 overs all told on the day.It was a reversion to the energetic excellence that had first brought him to the public eye and just another high-profile example of a talented young bowler shrugging off the strictures imposed by a cabal of well-meaning coaches, to do what comes naturally and reap the rewards.”They’d been trying to change things since I was very young,” said Harris, “both in the programmes at Loughborough and in bits and bobs, because every young bowler wants to bowl at 90mph-plus and swing it round corners. It’s what you need to do if you’re a seamer to get international batsmen out.”We went searching for a lot of things, we changed a lot of things, and we probably found the half a yard we needed, but it was to the detriment of skill and moving it around. I don’t care if you bowl 100mph, if you don’t move it around you’re probably not going to be too successful.”They were strong words, softly spoken. Harris added that he was grateful to have undergone the alterations, because otherwise he might always have wondered what might have been. But on the evidence of this stellar day at Lord’s, not to mention Harris’s own testimony of the dark days of soul-searching that he’s been subjected to in recent years, it’s hard not to wonder why they couldn’t have just let him be.”There were a lot of cold dark hours in Finchley indoor school,” Harris said. “My body was feeling pretty poor, my action was feeling pretty poor, I’d lost my wrist through parts of last year and there were times when I wasn’t holding it down the seam.”He ended up being loaned back to Glamorgan at the end of a 2014 season in which managed a grand total of 17 wickets in 245 overs, compared to the 13 in 34.4 that he’s ended up with in this contest.”I’d decided before I went that I was going to go back to being as natural as possible, because it was feeling horrible, the changes, the Brett Lee style different load-up that we tried to do to be faster, it really wasn’t working for me.”I tried to be better, it didn’t work, simple as that. I had to bite the bullet and go back to what I knew and what made me successful in the first place.”By the time Harris had equalled his career-best seven wickets in an innings, he was still on course to emulate his Middlesex bowling coach, Richard Johnson, whom he credited for his assistance in deconstructing his action, in claiming all ten wickets in an innings.Instead, his thunder was stolen by another man who is in the process of relearning what once came so naturally. Steven Finn, hitherto unnoticed as he ploughed a furrow from the Pavilion End, found an inside-edge off Usman Arshad that lobbed to Sam Robson in the gully, as he continued a battle to shake off the tinkering that, of recent England vintage, James Anderson and Liam Plunkett have also had to endure.”I’ve had the luck today but he is bowling beautifully and it won’t be long before he’s back in the wickets and I’m not taking them at the other end,” said Harris.But at least when that happens, you sense it will once again be on the bowlers’ own terms.

The USWNT midfielder scored a big goal as she continues to put this summer's disappointment behind her.

After deploying a super strong team in a 3-0 rout against China over the weekend, Twila Kilgore shook things up on Tuesday. In a match against the same opponent, Kilgore gave some new faces a chance, with varying success.

In the end, it resulted in a 2-1 win over China, one that saw the U.S. women's national team come from behind to seal the win. It wasn't nearly as one-sided as the first match, but it was equally impressive, as the USWNT eventually figured out China's low block to erase any frustration from a lackluster first half.

In the end, several newer faces stole the show. Both goalscorers are players that were not part of the World Cup squad, but will now have realistic Olympic dreams. Those preparations remain ongoing but, for a few players in the team, this will have been a big step forward on the road to next summer's tournament.

GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from Toyota Stadium…

GettyWINNER: Sam Coffey

In the months leading up to the World Cup, USWNT fans were all left wondering: where is Sam Coffey? When the actual World Cup started, those questions grew louder. Given the team's issues in midfield, how could Coffey be left out?

Well, Coffey is continuing to make the outside world wonder "what if". More importantly, though, she's continuing to prove that the past is the past, and that she should be part of the USWNT's present and future.

The goal was an obvious exclamation point, one that left even Coffey stunned. The smile on her face said it all and, after the match, she admitted that she couldn't even fully remember how it all happened. Coffey was as shocked as anyone after scoring her first USWNT goal.

She doesn't get many, and that's not why she's here. Coffey is with the USWNT to help run the midfield, and she's shown she can do that a bit too.

The question is if she can do it as a single No. 6. Played next to Emily Sonnett here, can Coffey hold things down in a way that allows Lindsey Horan and Rose Lavelle to bomb forward? We'll find out eventually, as it seems Coffey is here for good after being left out for far too long.

AdvertisementLOSER: Ashley Hatch

Hatch is in something of a weird spot. With a legend like Alex Morgan and young guns like Sophia Smith and Mia Fishel behind her, Hatch is a player caught between two generations, in a way.

Because of that, Hatch faces something of an uphill battle for an Olympic spot, and that battle didn't get any easier after Tuesday night. Hatch provided plenty of energy and enthusiasm, making some things happen in her 45 minutes. She couldn't quite get the goal, though, and that will be held against her once again.

Fairly or unfairly, Hatch's history shows that she hasn't quite been able to bring her NWSL goalscoring to the USWNT. She's held to a tough standard, considering those around her, and it'll take something special for her to hold off a rising star Fishel, given what we've seen. With roster spots at a premium and time running out ahead of the Olympics, Hatch will need to start 2024 on fire to keep her name in the mix for a spot up top.

GettyWINNER: Jaedyn Shaw

She may only be 19, but Shaw seems ready for whatever the USWNT can throw at her.

That's two goals for her now, both in memorable stadiums. The first came in front of her club's hometown crowd and the second came in front of her actual hometown crowd. If the World Cup final was in a city that meant something to Shaw, history shows that no one would be able to stop her!

The goal was a cool one for the youngster, who really placed her shot to win the game. It was, however, not her only moment as Shaw showed signs throughout her time on the field. In the first half, she seemed oh so close, having a few good moments just failing to come off right at the end.

It all worked out eventually, and, so far in her USWNT career, everything seems to be going Shaw's way. It won't always be that way but, despite her age, Shaw's showing she has more than enough to her game to contribute in the short term, not just the long term.

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LOSER: Emily Fox

Not a loser in the traditional sense, as Fox's stock didn't drop in the slightest. No, Fox is a loser because, physically, she's gonna feel this one for quite a while!

In a personal sense, every player on the field will have gone into this one looking to avoid injury. It's the last game of 2023, after all. After this, each of these players will go on a well-deserved vacation to get some much-needed rest ahead of a huge 2024. Fox, though, will start that vacation a bit beat up.

The fullback was fouled har several times, taking a beating throughout her 45 minutes. She nearly came out early after having her legs swiped on the edge of the box and ultimately did come out of the match at halftime due to concussion protocol.

Overall, it was a tough one for Fox, who didn't get the send-off she deserved after a fantastic 2023.

France's conveyor belt of young talent paid off in the summer as Les Bleus lifted the World Cup – but who are the stars of the future?

Getty1Timothy Weah (PSG)

It’s not easy making a breakthrough as a young player into one of the world’s biggest clubs, but Timothy Weah, son of former Ballon d’Or winner George, is threatening to do just that. He turned out three times for PSG last season, playing 122 minutes in total, and in the Trophee des Champions clash with Monaco last week he notched his first senior goal and played the full 90 minutes. The USA international, just 18, is beginning to justify the hype.

AdvertisementGetty2Martin Terrier (Lyon)

Perhaps no one has caught the eye in pre-season quite as much as Lyon attacker Martin Terrier. OL swooped to sign the 21-year-old from Strasbourg last January before loaning him immediately back to the club to finish the campaign. He impressed with Racing, scoring three times and creating four more in Ligue 1 but suffered from injuries in the second half of the season. He appears to have hit the ground running at Parc OL and should supplement the likes of Nabil Fekir, Mariano Diaz and Memphis Depay nicely.

Getty Images3Oumar Solet (Lyon)

Centre-back has been a problem position for Lyon for several seasons now and they are hopeful that 18-year-old Oumar Solet can one day grow into the player to finally act as a solution. Signed from third-tier Laval in the summer for little more than €500,000, he could prove one of the bargains of the summer. Bruno Genesio has already given him game time in pre-season, where he looked comfortable against Inter in a 1-0 friendly defeat.

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Gettyimages4Stanley N’Soki (PSG)

It’s not certain that 19-year-old Stanley N’Soki (pictured left) will still be at Paris Saint-Germain when the season begins, as the likes of Arsenal, Marseille and especially Newcastle hover. He is not yet tied down to a professional deal, but one imagines that after his impressive display against Monaco in the Trophee des Champions it has to be a top priority. He impressed down the left for the Ligue 1 champions on his full senior bow, even lending an assist, yet his more natural position is centre-back.

Zimbabwe batsman Solomon Mire’s rise has delighted his former mates in College Cricket Club in Hamilton, Victoria

Firdose Moonda18-Feb-2015There were cheers in Hamilton, New Zealand when little-known Solomon Mire smacked Morne Morkel over cow corner to ensure Zimbabwe went down in style last Sunday. There were also cheers in Hamilton, Australia.”That shot… it was just so good. That’s what Solomon can do,” Hamish Bailey, the coach of of College Cricket Club in Hamilton, Victoria, three-and-half-hours from Melbourne, told ESPNcricinfo. Bailey would know.Five years ago, a young Mire, whose only claim to fame was being at the 2008 Under-19 World Cup (his numbers there were underwhelming as he scored just 95 runs from five matches and took a single wicket), moved to Hamilton to start a new life. He came on the recommendation of Daniel Landman, another Zimbabwean age-group player, who was going to be the clubs’s overseas professional but chose UK instead, and with almost nothing but the ability to hit the ball hard.”He was really hard-working, fit and strong and better than any of us,” Bailey said. And it was not long before others saw that. Mire soon found opportunity in Melbourne, where he played premier cricket for Carlton, albeit not at the level where he could make a living.He was part of the club’s second XI, a non-paying position, and needed a step in the right direction, financially. That was where Crusaders, a wandering cricket team of which former Gray-Nicolls bat retailer Swan Richards is a co-founder. Richards, who among other things aids in the development of promising Australian cricketers, stepped in. “We helped him for between six and nine months because he needed some guidance,” he said.That assistance included equipment and help with the immigration office as Mire looked to make his life in Australia. When the Melbourne Renegades signed him as a rookie for the 2013-14 season, that could have sealed his future Down Under, but it also came with being re-noticed by a Zimbabwean administration looking to change the fortunes of their ailing team.He was picked for their tour of Bangladesh and stood out as one of the few performers on a tour of failure. Zimbabwe lost all three Tests and five ODIs, but Mire scored two half-centuries in the limited-overs leg. He was Zimbabwe’s joint second-highest run-scorer along with Hamilton Masakadza, and showed the ability to hit the ball further than Zimbabwe’s biggest hitter Elton Chigumbura. That allowed the captain to move up the order, away from the finisher’s role which Mire has now adopted.”He’s just great to watch,” Brendan Taylor said of Mire. Richards agrees. “He is an exceptional hitter of the ball, so much so that sometimes he needs to tame it. It’s difficult because how do you do that with so much natural ability?”Richards hopes that if Mire can find the balance between bludgeoning and building an innings, he can catch the attention of a T20 franchise, if only because that will allow him to turn cricket into a career. “There are truckloads of opportunities for cricketers these days. We just want Solomon to succeed,” Richards said. “And you don’t have to be a superstar to earn a few hundred thousand dollars. For most guys that is a lot of money, although for the really big guys it’s small change.”Mire may also look to another stint in the Big Bash, which will be made easier if the status of his bridging visa for Australia is changed to allow him permanent residency, and there are thoughts of him going to England to play club cricket there. But the immediate focus is the World Cup and Richards wants Mire to do well for both himself and Zimbabwe. “When it gets hard, he has to be the one to get a big score. He has got a window of opportunity here and he needs to take it.”By the time Mire got to the crease against South Africa, there were only nine overs left in the innings and Zimbabwe needed 104 more runs. Mire had seen it was possible – he bowed the over that David Miller smacked for 30 – but the South African attack were not going to let him get away with what he had gifted Miller. He tried anyway and showed his potential to become a hero for Zimbabwe when they need him to. But even if he doesn’t manage that, he is already a hero in some circles.Mire’s old team-mates at College Cricket Club, to whom he returns every Christmas, will be tracking him through parts of the tournament. Next week, a car-load of Mire’s friends will make the 10-hour trip across more than 900 kilometres from Hamilton to Canberra to watch him play against West Indies.”Zimbabwe has become all of our second team and we’re hoping they will get a game in Adelaide because that would be closer for us to go to,” Bailey said. The South Australian capital is only 500 kilometres away, which will still require a road trip, but if Zimbabwe get to play there, it means they would have qualified for a quarter-final and their opposition will be Australia.In Hamilton, Australia, they may not be cheering for the home team.

Three USA players have said they are definitely withdrawing their availability for USA’s scheduled tour to Uganda in October over safety and security concerns

Peter Della Penna02-Sep-2014Three USA players have said they are definitely withdrawing their availability for USA’s scheduled tour to Uganda in October over safety and security concerns, while three others have said they are considering pulling out depending on how the situation continues to unfold. All three players who are committed to withdrawing played for USA in 2013 and can be termed as first-choice players for the national team, while two of the three who are considering withdrawing are also key players who could expect to be picked for the tour.The development comes ahead of a USA Cricket Association (USACA) board meeting this week to decide whether USACA will approve of sending a squad to participate in the six-team ICC WCL Division Three from October 26 to November 2. The event is part of the 2019 World Cup qualifying structure and the top two teams will be promoted to WCL Division Two in January.ESPNcricinfo has communicated with 16 players about the Uganda tour, all of whom have played for the USA. Seven of the 16 rated safety and security as a major concern for touring Uganda while four stated they had received pressure from family members not to go on the tour. The majority of players felt the ICC would provide adequate security for the team if the tour went ahead, but four players felt that USA’s squad would not be provided with any additional security compared to the other teams, while two felt there would not be enough security to convince them to go.”2010, that’s the safest tour I’ve been on and I felt safe on that tour,” one player told ESPNcricinfo. The player was referencing enhanced security for the team ahead of their first-ever match against Afghanistan on the 2010 tour to the UAE for the World T20 Qualifier. Those security arrangements were specially made by then USACA chief executive Don Lockerbie.”For every two players we had one security guard. If five or six of us went out, we had at least three security guards so we could go anywhere we wanted and would feel okay and not have to worry about anything but not on the other tour.” The player said that on a subsequent tour to Dubai for another World T20 Qualifier, USA had far less security to the point where he did not feel comfortable leaving the team hotel on his own. As such, he did not feel confident about any guarantees made by tournament organisers regarding security for the team in Uganda.The player was less concerned about general safety in the country and is more worried about Ebola virus as well as USA’s players being the target of a terrorist or kidnapping plot. In particular, the player mentioned the recent murder of an American journalist carried out by ISIS militants in the Middle East as something that factored into his decision to not travel to certain countries while representing a national team.”I listen to a lot of talk radio and politics. You’re going over there to represent America. Yes it probably won’t happen but I personally think about the worst situation. Anything could happen so it’s better to be safe than sorry. You will be wearing the uniform. The flag will be there. Word starts going around. It’s kind of sad that James Foley probably had nothing to do with this whole stuff. He was just a regular journalist and he got caught up in it. That’s probably the same mindset that he had, ‘What would they want with me? All of the politics that are happening here, I don’t have anything to do with it,’ but he actually got dragged into it.”Anything to do with America, there are so many people that really don’t like us so you just have to be really careful. Once you have anything to do with America, then more than likely you will be a target. I don’t look at it as whatever they have happening in the Middle East is the only branch. I think copycats and someone who has the same beliefs that they do will try to capitalise on whatever is going on.”Another player said he had been in regular contact with several players from Nepal on the issue, including one player who could be described as a key first-choice player, and that they held concerns mainly over Ebola virus but also some security concerns. Two other USA players said they would make themselves available for selection if the tournament is moved to Singapore, Malaysia, Nepal or the USA. One of those two will not play otherwise while the other is undecided on whether he will accept a squad invite if the tournament is not moved from Uganda.Most players are in favour of a USA team going on tour whether or not they themselves wind up traveling. Only two players said that anyone from USACA had reached out to them to get their opinions on the issue while many players said they had not had any communication with USACA since USA’s last tournament in November 2013. Of the two who want the tournament moved, one said the lack of a professional contract and support structure for USA was a consideration to not go to Uganda. Taking time off from work and risking personal safety for little to no pay was not worth the trip and that if a first-choice team can’t go, then USACA should consider calling off the tour.”Everybody wants to play for the USA. You would like to have your best team participating in the tournament and you’d like to win,” the player said. “If certain players want to go anyway and the USA qualifies, I’d be happy, but I won’t go. If USA can’t select the best 14, no I don’t think they should go because at the end of the day, it’s a product. If you send a product out there and the product is no good, then it’s going to reflect badly on you. To leave my job and go over there for how long and they won’t pay me, as much as I want to represent the USA, it doesn’t make sense. It’s not worth it, not at all.”The ICC has previously said in emails sent in August to the six participating countries that “there are currently no major concerns identified or any specific threats to the tournament, teams, match officials, match venues or hotels.” ESPNcricinfo contacted the ICC in August to ask if there was any contingency plan in place should USA or any other country withdraw from the event, but a spokesperson declined to comment.