Trent Alexander-Arnold conceded he struggled in the midfield experiment with England against Andorra on Sunday.
The Liverpool star has been a key asset for Jurgen Klopp at right-back, who allows Alexander-Arnold and left-back Andrew Robertson licence to attack.
However, with Reece James, Kieran Trippier and Kyle Walker offering Gareth Southgate a wealth of depth at right-back, England opted to move Alexander-Arnold, who has registered 40 assists in all competitions since the start of 2018-19.
The 22-year-old recorded an 81 per cent passing accuracy in the first half, which increased to 87.1 per cent at the end of the game after a second-half change back to the right flank.
He also produced a game-high six crosses and two key passes – only bettered by Jude Bellingham (three) – but was uneasy when asked to reflect on his performance.
"It's a new role for me, a bit different, I think there's been a lot of questions being asked whether I can or cannot play in there and a lot of opinions being voiced over the last few weeks," Alexander-Arnold said to talkSPORT.
"It was an experiment the manager wanted to try out, but it was difficult to get on the ball for me, I found it a lot more difficult to get on the ball in those spaces.
"But whether I'm starting in there or starting [at] right-back I think naturally I just find myself drifting into midfield, getting the ball and affecting the game."
Since his debut in October 2016, Alexander-Arnold has created two chances per 90 minutes across all competitions for Liverpool.
Given he also averages 76.95 passing accuracy in that time frame, his self-assessment of the performance against Andorra perhaps seems harsh.
Those numbers increase minimally to 2.45 chances created per 90 minutes and 77.58 accuracy since his standout season in 2019-20 but the Liverpool academy graduate remained frank in his opinions of his first international midfield outing.
"The only difference was I was starting in there [in midfield] and it was a bit more difficult to really find the space that I wanted to," he continued.
"The second half we changed the system a little bit and I was able to find a lot more space and get time on the ball and get in positions that were fairly similar to playing in midfield anyway."
England cannot just focus on Robert Lewandowski in Wednesday's World Cup qualifier with Poland, Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate has warned his players.
Lewandowski scored three times across Poland's victories over Albania and San Marino last week to make it 72 goals for his country in 124 caps.
Picking up from where he left off in 2020-21, when setting a new record for the most goals ever scored in a single Bundesliga campaign (41), the prolific striker has been in fine form this term.
He has scored in all six matches he has played for club and country, and netted 10 times in total to strengthen his status as arguably the finest striker on the planet.
The Bayern Munich man was injured when Poland lost 2-1 at Wembley in March but is fit and firing for this latest encounter between Group I's top two teams.
But while acknowledging Lewandowski's quality in front of goal, Southgate insists there is more to Poland than just one player, as Paulo Sousa's men showed in the reverse fixture six months ago.
"They played at Wembley without him and they gave a very good account of themselves," he said.
"We only scored really late on in the game to win it, so of course it's no different if we didn't have Harry Kane or Raheem [Sterling], then they would be a big loss to us.
"The very top players for any team in the world are a loss if you don’t have them and every coach will feel the same way.
"But when we're preparing the team to play against Poland, we're not just looking at Lewandowski.
"We absolutely respect what he brings and we know what a threat he is, but they've got some other very dangerous players as well."
Lewandowski's run of goals includes scoring in 13 successive Bundesliga matches stretching back into last season – only the late Gerd Muller (16 in 1969-70) found the net in more consecutive league games.
The 33-year-old surpassed 300 goals for Bayern with his recent hat-trick against Hertha Berlin, reaching 301 in just his 333rd appearance for the German giants.
Again, that is a haul only bettered by Muller (566 goals in 607 matches) in Die Roten's history.
Lewandowski's goals in September's qualifiers have helped Poland to two wins from as many games, but they remain five points adrift of group leaders England at the midway point.
England have yet to drop any points and will be as good as assured of a place at Qatar 2022 should they extend that winning run in Warsaw this week.
"Clearly with Hungary's last result [losing 1-0 to Albania], Poland look like being the nearest challengers, which we probably thought when this group was drawn," Southgate said.
"It's a great incentive for us now. If we can go to Warsaw and win then we really are in control of the group."
Alfa Romeo have announced Valtteri Bottas will leave Mercedes to replace the retiring Kimi Raikkonen on a multi-year deal from next season.
Bottas has raced for Mercedes since 2017, winning nine races across that period and helping the Silver Arrows to four constructors' championships.
However, the 32-year-old's future has been the subject of much speculation in recent months and it has now been confirmed he will leave Mercedes at the end of the 2021 season.
The Finn's exit paves the way for George Russell's likely graduation to Mercedes to partner fellow Briton Lewis Hamilton from next season onwards.
Bottas will bring plenty of experience to Alfa Romeo, having twice finished as runner-up to Hamilton in the Driver Standings and also secured 53 podiums in 92 starts for Mercedes.
"A new chapter in my racing career is opening," he said in a statement on Monday.
"I'm excited to join Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN for 2022 and beyond for what is going to be a new challenge with an iconic manufacturer.
"Alfa Romeo is a brand that needs no introduction; they have written some great pages of Formula 1 history and it's going to be an honour to represent this marque.
"The potential of the setup in Hinwil is clear and I am relishing the opportunity to help lead the team forward up the grid, especially with the new regulations in 2022 giving the team a chance to make a leap in performance.
"I'm grateful for the trust the team has put in me and I cannot wait to repay their faith: I'm as hungry as ever to race for results and, when the time comes, for wins.
"I know Fred [Vasseur] well and I am looking forward to getting to know the rest of the team I am going to work with, building relationships as strong as the ones I have at Mercedes.
"I am proud of what I have achieved in Brackley and I am fully focused on finishing the job as we fight for another world championship, but I am also looking forward to the new challenges that await me next year."
The news of Bottas' arrival comes after Raikkonen announced last week he is to retire at the end of the season. Alfa Romeo have yet to announce who will partner Bottas next year.
Bottas will reunite with Alfa Romeo team principal Vasseur after the pair previously worked together at ART in F3 in 2009 and 2010, and in GP3 in 2011.
Vasseur said: "It is a pleasure to welcome Valtteri to the team and we are looking forward to our journey together. With him, we bring to Hinwil a strong team player with experience at the sharp end of the grid.
"Valtteri has been an integral part of a team that rewrote the history books and he has four constructors’ world titles to his name: he is the right driver to help Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN make a step forward towards the front of the grid."
Paul Pogba anticipates the level of quality and expectation at Manchester United will increase after Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Old Trafford.
Ronaldo's sensational return came as a shock towards the end of the transfer window, with United's neighbours Manchester City having appeared favourites to sign the Portugal captain.
The 36-year-old is in line for a second United debut on Saturday when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side face Newcastle United - the team Ronaldo netted his only Premier League hat-trick against during his first stint at the club.
And Pogba is relishing the prospect of potentially playing with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, who became the leading goalscorer in men's international football when he netted a double in Portugal's 2-1 win over the Republic of Ireland last week.
"It's always a pleasure to play with the best, it’s a plus for the players to be able to train with a great player," Pogba told Telefoot.
"He's going to raise the level of the team."
Ronaldo spent six years at Old Trafford between 2003 and 2009, scoring 118 times in 292 appearances as he collected three Premier League titles and a Champions League crown before joining Real Madrid.
It is not just in attack that United have improved, though, as Raphael Varane provides Solskjaer's defence with a World Cup-winning centre-back.
At 28, Varane is in the prime of his career. He joined from Madrid in July, with the move officially completed on August 14, making his debut in the 1-0 victory over Wolves, registering the assist for Mason Greenwood's winner.
During his time in Madrid, Varane won LaLiga three times and triumphed in the Champions League four times, while also winning the 2018 World Cup with France.
Pogba, too, was a part of the 2018 success in Russia, and he knows all about the qualities Varane brings to the table.
"Raph's [Raphael Varane] arrival is a positive for the club, we have a great relationship, we've known each other for a while," Pogba continued.
"I'm happy that he's with us at Manchester [United] to bring his experience and quality to the table."
Varane put in an accomplished performance in his United bow, making a team-high five clearances, successfully completing one tackle and winning four of the eight duels he competed for.
Panama stayed undefeated in the Final Round of Concacaf World Cup qualification for Qatar 2022 with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Jamaica on Sunday at Independence Park in Kingston.
Panama now has four points after Sunday’s win and last Thursday’s opening 0-0 home draw versus Costa Rica, while Jamaica is still searching for its first point of qualification following Sunday’s result and Thursday’s 2-1 loss to Mexico.
Panama opened the scoring in the 14th minute through an unlikely scorer. Center back Andres Andrade stepped into the centre circle and picked off a pass, but rather than find an attacker, he opted to dribble forward and fire off a shot before he got into the penalty area. The attempt surprised Jamaica goalkeeper Andre Blake, and Panama was off the mark, 1-0.
Panama looked for a second in the 35th minute, with Jose Luis Rodriguez getting the ball in the box and looking to curl a shot past Blake, but the Jamaican shot-stopper had the shot in his sights and made the stop. Two minutes later, Rodriguez turned provider, putting in a cross of his own for Rolando Blackburn, whose header also ended up in Blake’s hands.
But Blackburn used that as experience to double the lead in the 39th minute, beating Liam Moore to an Eric Davis cross and sending his header past Blake to give the Central Americans the 2-0 lead heading into the halftime break.
Jamaica manager Theodore Whitmore made a pair of changes at halftime, bringing Junior Flemmings and Devon Williams into the contest and also made another pair of subs in the 73rd minute, including inserting Shamar Nicholson, who scored in the 2-1 loss to Mexico, for Michail Antonio, who made his Jamaica debut on Sunday.
Jamaica had perhaps its best chance of the game in the 77th minute, with a shot from Nicholson forcing Panama GK Luis Mejia into action. But moments later, it was Panama on the counter-attack, and midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla played in Cecilio Waterman, who sent his finish past Blake to tie a bow on the victory for Panama.
Jamaica closes out the window with a trip to Costa Rica, while Panama will put its undefeated record on the line against Mexico in Panama City.
Pakistan head coach Misbah-ul-Haq and bowling coach Waqar Younis have resigned from their roles a little over a month before the T20 World Cup begins.
The pair were appointed in September 2019 and were under contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for another year.
However, Misbah and Waqar informed the PCB of their decision to leave on Monday ahead of the upcoming three ODIs and five T20Is against New Zealand, with the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates and Oman also on the horizon.
Saqlain Mushtaq and Abdul Razzaq have joined the Pakistan management team as interim coaches for that New Zealand series, which begins on September 17.
Misbah's decision to step down was for family reasons amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with the 47-year-old having recently spent time self-isolating in Jamaica after testing positive for COVID-19.
"The quarantine in Jamaica post the West Indies series provided me with an opportunity to reflect on the past 24 months as well as the schedule for international cricket ahead," Misbah said in a statement.
"Considering that I would have had to continue to spend considerable time away from my family and that too in a bio-secure environment, I have decided to step down from the role.
"I understand that the timing may not be ideal but I don't think I am in the right frame of mind for the upcoming challenges and it makes sense for someone fresh to step in and take the side forward.
"The past 24 months have been thoroughly enjoyable and I want to thank my team and the management for their support.
"I wish the Pakistan cricket team best of luck in the upcoming events and will continue to support them every time they will take the field to represent Pakistan."
Waqar's decision to step down was linked to Misbah's departure.
"After Misbah shared with me his decision and future plans, it was a straightforward one for me to resign as we had walked into the roles together, had worked collectively as a pair and now also step down together," Waqar said.
"Working with the Pakistan bowlers, including the youngsters, has been most satisfying as they have now started to show progress.
"Bio-secure environments in the past 16 months have had their impact, something we had never experienced during our playing days.
"The next eight months will be busy and exciting for the Pakistan team and, like in the past, I will continue to back and cheer them.
"I want to thank each and every member of the Pakistan cricket team set-up as we stayed united in good and bad days, and hope there will be brighter days ahead."
The shock double exit came two hours after Pakistan had named their squad for the T20 World Cup, as well as the warm-up internationals against New Zealand and England.
Asif Ali and Khushdil Shah were among the surprise inclusions in the 15-man selection.
Pakistan squad: Babar Azam (c), Asif Ali, Hasan Ali, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Hasnain, Azam Khan, Shadab Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, Mohammad Nawaz, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Rizwan, Khushdil Shah, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Wasim.
Carlos Alcaraz's fairytale run to the quarter-finals at the US Open is a dream come true for the Spanish teenager.
Alcaraz became the youngest men's US Open quarter-finalist in the Open Era when he ousted Peter Gojowczyk 5-7 6-1 5-7 6-2 6-0 on Sunday.
The 18-year-old, who became the youngest man to defeat a top-three player at Flushing Meadows when he beat Stefanos Tsitsipas last week, is also the most junior male player at the New York grand slam since Thomaz Koch in 1963.
Similarly, Sunday's triumph made him the youngest men's singles quarter-finalist at any grand slam since Michael Chang (18) made the last eight at the 1990 French Open.
Alcaraz will now face another rising star – Felix Auger-Aliassime – for a place in the semi-finals.
"I'm super excited to be in my first second week in the grand slam, so it's amazing for me. It's a dream come true," an ecstatic Alcaraz told reporters.
"It's really tough to play these kinds of matches, to play fifth sets. I hope to play [in] more second weeks, to play more quarter-finals of grand slams.
"I didn't expect to play in the quarter-finals here, so I think it's a really good performance from me in these matches."
Dubbed as the heir to Rafael Nadal's thrown, Alcaraz has certainly had the crowd on his side during his run.
"In the first sets I thought that I reached my limit, physically and mentally. I think the crowd was really, really important for me in this situation," Alcaraz added.
"I felt the energy of the crowd pushing me up. I think without the crowd, it couldn't be possible to be here."
Alcaraz faces a stern test in the form of world number 15 Auger-Aliassime, who has reached his second straight grand slam quarter-final.
However, the 21-year-old Canadian – who is aiming to secure a maiden appearance in the last four of a major – knows the quality Alcaraz possesses.
"He's a great player. At some point age is just a number. He already feels like a player who's established," Auger-Aliassime said of Alcaraz.
"He's playing some amazing tennis, so I think we’ll see a lot of him, a lot of us, a lot of Frances [Tiafoe] in the future."
Tottenham defender Sergio Reguilon has been called up to the Spain squad following an injury to Jose Gaya.
Valencia full-back Gaya started Sunday's 4-0 World Cup qualifying win over Georgia, scoring the opening goal in the 14th minute.
But he was unable to see out the match due to a calf problem, on which he had a scan Monday morning.
As a precaution, Gaya will return to Valencia and be unavailable for Spain's next qualifier on Wednesday as La Roja face Kosovo in Pristina.
Reguilon, 24, will be hoping to add to his five previous senior caps for Spain, with this his first call-up of 2021.
Despite a mostly satisfactory debut season in the Premier League, Reguilon fell out of favour at international level last term and subsequently missed out on Euro 2020.
Upon his return to the Spain camp, Reguilon said: "The first thing I did when they called me was to put a message to Jose Gaya to see how he was.
"I am very happy to be here and see my team-mates again after a long time. It is very nice that they took me into consideration."
Reguilon has played every minute of the new Premier League season, with Spurs the only team to win all of their first three matches.
Barbora Krejcikova explained she was hit by breathing difficulties and a spell of severe dizziness as she overcame Garbine Muguruza at the US Open.
French Open champion Krejcikova – who is making her main-draw debut at Flushing Meadows – had to hold off a fightback from former world number one Muguruza on Sunday to progress into her first US Open quarter-final with a 6-3 7-6 (7-4) victory.
However, Muguruza was left angry after Krejcikova started to take more time in between points.
After saving three set points at 4-5 down in the decider, Krejcikova went off court for medical treatment, before returning to see out the match on a tie-break.
Muguruza appeared to confront Krejcikova during the post-match handshake, and the Spaniard told the media: "I'll let you guys judge what you think about this.
"I think, between players, you know a little bit how to behave in certain moments and I wasn't very happy at the end of the match."
Krejcikova, however, explained how she had suffered during the match.
"I think I started the match really well and was playing good tennis," Krejcikova said, according to the WTA.
"The key was to start the match well. There were a lot of breaks, which was difficult, but I was happy that I won the first set 6-3. Out of nowhere I got the lead 4-0 and then things started to get complicated.
"Garbine started to raise her level and I was expecting that. At the end I was really struggling and I feel really bad right now.
"I don't really know what happened, but I couldn't breathe. I started to feel dizzy and the whole world was shaking. It never happened to me before."
Krejcikova also needed medical attention after the match and did not hold a post-match news conference.
The Czech has now won 29 of her last 32 matches and will face Aryna Sabalenka, the highest seed remaining at Flushing Meadows, in the quarter-finals.
The San Francisco Giants got the better of Walker Buehler and the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 6-4 victory as they reclaimed top spot in MLB's National League (NL) West.
It was a tough outing for Dodgers ace and Cy Young contender Buehler, who was tagged for a season-high six runs on seven hits over three innings at Oracle Park on Sunday.
Giants star Steven Duggar hit a tie-breaking two-run triple, while Brandon Belt also homered at home to the Dodgers in San Francisco.
Future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols hit his 678th career home run but it was not enough for the Dodgers as the Giants wrapped up the series.
Ray fuels streaking Jays with historic display
Robbie Ray struck out 10 batters as the Toronto Blue Jays swept the Oakland Athletics in an 8-0 rout. The Blue Jays starter became the first pitcher in team history with 10-plus strikeouts in four consecutive starts. Ray now boasts an American League (AL)-leading 2.60 ERA.
The Cleveland Indians homered for a franchise-record 19th consecutive game after taking down the Boston Red Sox 11-5. Franmil Reyes homered for the Indians.
The New York Mets topped the Washington Nationals 13-6 behind Javier Baez and Kevin Pillar. Baez went four for four with a home run, while Pillar hit a grand slam in a six-run ninth inning.
On Sunday, the Mets scored six runs in the ninth, Indians hit five runs in the ninth, Milwaukee Brewers clubbed five runs in the ninth and the Seattle Mariners tallied seven runs in the 11th. According to Stats Perform, it is the first time four teams had a five-run inning in the ninth or later on the same day since 1940.
Salvador Perez hit another home run in the Kansas City Royals' 6-0 shutout of the Chicago White Sox. Perez (41) is second for home runs this season behind two-way Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani after hitting eight homers from his last 11 outings.
Yankees blow lead
The New York Yankees are in a rut following their 8-7 defeat at home to the Baltimore Orioles. Gary Sanchez hit a grand slam and a two-run homer but the Yankees still lost, blowing leads of 4-1, 5-2 and 7-4. The Yankees have now lost sixth of their last eight games, having enjoyed their first 13-game winning streak since 1961.
Vogelbach delivers stunning walk-off slam
Daniel Vogelbach was the hero in the Brewers' 6-5 walk-off victory against the St Louis Cardinals. He hit a walk-off grand slam in the ninth inning.
Sunday's results
San Francisco Giants 6-4 Los Angeles Dodgers
Baltimore Orioles 8-7 New York Yankees
New York Mets 13-6 Washington Nationals
Toronto Blue Jays 8-0 Oakland Athletics
Cleveland Indians 11-5 Boston Red Sox
Detroit Tigers 4-1 Cincinnati Reds
Minnesota Twins 6-5 Tampa Bay Rays
Philadelphia Phillies 4-3 Miami Marlins
Kansas City Royals 6-0 Chicago White Sox
Milwaukee Brewers 6-5 St Louis Cardinals
Chicago Cubs 11-8 Pittsburgh Pirates
Atlanta Braves 9-2 Colorado Rockies
Texas Rangers 7-3 Los Angeles Angels
San Diego Padres 4-3 Houston Astros
Seattle Mariners 10-4 Arizona Diamondbacks
Blue Jays at Yankees
The high-flying Blue Jays (73-62) will continue their Wild Card push away to slumping AL East rivals the Yankees (78-58) on Monday. Blue Jays ace Ryu Hyun-jin starts as the Yankees go with Jameson Taillon.
The United States' stuttering start to World Cup qualifying continued after they were held to a 1-1 draw by rivals Canada.
Brendan Aaronson's 56th-minute opener was cancelled out within six minutes by Canada forward Cyle Larin as the USA drew consecutive games on the road to Qatar 2022.
Chelsea star Christian Pulisic returned to the starting line-up on Sunday after missing the USA's Octagonal opener against El Salvador following a positive coronavirus test.
Weston McKennie, though, was axed from the squad following a "violation of team policy", while Giovanni Reyna sat out due to a hamstring injury.
Canada made a lively start on the road in Nashville, where Larin checked his run and got on the end of Alphonso Davies' pass, but Matthew Turner somehow pushed the shot onto the crossbar in the 14th minute.
USA went close to breaking the deadlock five minutes before the break when Pulisic's shot hit the post from close-range.
CONCACAF Gold Cup champions the USA, though, did open the scoring via Aaronson, who slid onto the end of Antonee Robinson's cross 11 minutes into the second half.
The lead was short-lived however as Davies showed off his incredible pace, driving towards the penalty area before teeing up Larin for a simple tap-in just past the hour-mark.
Despite the draw, the USA extended their unbeaten streak to 11 matches across all competitions.
The United States and Canada both have two points from their opening two fixtures.
Teenage Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz made history after outlasting Peter Gojowczyk for a US Open quarter-final berth.
Alcaraz became the youngest men's US Open quarter-finalist in the Open Era thanks to Sunday's 5-7 6-1 5-7 6-2 6-0 victory at Flushing Meadows.
After stunning third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in New York, where he became the youngest man to defeat a top-three player at the US Open, the 18-year-old needed another five-setter to continue his fairytale run.
Alcaraz rallied past Gojowczyk, finishing with 35 winners – five more than the German qualifier – and 45 unforced errors, which were 39 fewer than his opponent.
Dubbed the new Rafael Nadal, Alcaraz became the youngest men's US Open quarter-finalist since Thomaz Koch (18) in the pre-Open Era in 1963.
He also became the youngest men's grand slam singles quarter-finalist since Michael Chang (18) at the 1990 French Open.
With the win, Alcaraz became the youngest men's player to earn back-to-back five-set wins at a grand slam since Chang (16) at the 1988 US Open as Felix Auger-Aliassime or Frances Tiafoe await.
Canadian sensation Leylah Fernandez said she is pinching herself after continuing her fairytale run with a shock last-16 win over Angelique Kerber at the US Open.
After stunning defending champion Naomi Osaka in a third-round boilover at Flushing Meadows, giant-slaying teenager Fernandez conquered three-time grand slam winner Kerber 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 en route to the quarter-finals.
Kerber – the 2018 US Open champion – won the opening set in New York, however 18-year-old Fernandez staged a remarkable comeback on the eve of her 19th birthday to reach her first slam quarter-final.
"I did have to pinch myself a little bit to see that it actually happened, but like I said, I knew that my tennis, my level of tennis is there," Fernandez said post-match. "It's just a moment of time, opportunity, and I'm glad that I was able to get this opportunity now and that I was able to showcase what I can do in front of these players.
"Even if I would have lost, I would have been proud of myself with the way that I played, the way that I fought. I was lucky enough to get the win today and just getting this experience.
"It's my first fourth-round quarterfinals in a grand slam. I'm just going to enjoy it at 100 per cent, and tomorrow is going to be a new day."
Fernandez, who hit 45 winners to 34 unforced errors – added: "The match was incredible. I was playing well in the first set.
"Unfortunately I did a few mistakes. Her, as a great player, great champion, she noticed and she took advantage of it. I was able to refocus and fight back for the second.
"In the third, I was just enjoying every moment of it. Honestly, the crowd has been amazing, so thanks to them I was able to win."
"I'm just super happy," she continued. "I'm going to enjoy tonight as much as I can, and then once I'm off to bed, I'll try to forget about it so that I can get ready for tomorrow."
Mexico preserved their 100 per cent record in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying after edging Costa Rica 1-0 away from home.
Orbelin Pineda converted a penalty in first-half stoppage time and it proved to be enough on Sunday as Mexico made it two wins from two games in the Octagonal section of qualifying on the road to Qatar 2022.
Mexico head coach Gerardo Martino did not travel to Costa Rica after undergoing eye surgery and assistant Jorge Teller deputised in the absence of the former Barcelona and Argentina boss.
El Tri were underwhelming in their opening 2-1 win over Jamaica and they made another timid start on the road – Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa forced into a save to deny Costa Rica captain Bryan Ruiz.
Mexico had a great chance to break the deadlock three minutes later in the 18th minute after Rogelio Funes Mori found himself in a one-on-one situation with Keylor Navas, who thwarted the forward from close range.
Visiting Mexico did draw first blood on the stroke of half-time – Pineda scoring from the spot after Bryan Oviedo was penalised for a foul on Andres Guardado.
Costa Rica continued to push numbers forward and almost salvaged a point at the death, however, Keysher Fuller's 92nd-minute effort rattled the woodwork.
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