Lionel Scaloni says he is "not here to criticise his players" after they suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Paraguay in World Cup qualifying.
Lautaro Martinez had given Argentina the lead in the 11th minute – his powerful shot past Roberto Fernandez was initially ruled out for offside before a VAR review overturned it.
However, Paraguay were soon back on level terms. Gustavo Gomez rattled the crossbar with a diving header from a corner, but they regathered possession and pulled level with a sublime overhead kick from Antonio Sanabria 19 minutes in.
Two minutes into the second half, the hosts completed the turnaround through Omar Alderete, who met Diego Gomez's precise free-kick to nod in from close range.
Rodrigo De Paul arguably should have equalised for Argentina with just over 20 minutes to go, but under pressure, sliced over from close range, with the visitors unable to salvage a point.
It was a third defeat in World Cup qualifying for the Albiceleste, who remain top of the standings with 22 points, and Scaloni chose to focus on the positives.
"I'm not here to criticise my players; I'm here to support them," Scaloni said. "We knew it was going to be a tough match. We're here to move forward.
"In the first half, we played a good game, but the first action at the start of the second half made everything more difficult. We have to congratulate the opponent, who defended very well.
"I don't know if they found the antidote [to beating Argentina]. We're hoping to get back on the positive path.
"The team always tries and stands tall. That's what's important: never giving up on the game and always having the desire to compete."
Paraguay are sixth in the table, having extended their unbeaten run to six matches, which also includes a win over Brazil.
They had to dig deep, having only 23.2% possession throughout the game, though they had eight shots to Argentina's nine and scored with both of their efforts on target.
Head coach Gustavo Alfaro is yet to lose a game since taking over Paraguay after the Copa America, and he hailed his team's resilience.
"With the rebelliousness of these players in the face of adversity, I have no doubt that we will get there. When the predisposition is so great, time is secondary," he said.
"They were fantastic points, very difficult. It is difficult to take a point from Argentina."
Trinidad and Tobago’s ace swimmer Dylan Carter headlines a three-member team that will represent the Twin Island Republic at the World Aquatics World Short Course (25m) Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
The six-day event, scheduled for December 10–15, promises exciting prospects for aquatics enthusiasts as it will feature morning heats and evening semi-finals and finals.
Carter will enter the championship in rich form following his fairly successful World Aquatics Swimming World Cup outing recently, where he pocketed two gold medals and one bronze during the three-leg competition.
The decorated 28-year-old, who is a many-time World Short Course medallist and Olympian, is scheduled to swim the men’s 50m freestyle, 100m freestyle, and 50m butterfly.
He will be joined by rising sensation Nikoli Blackman, who is currently in his sophomore year at the University of Tennessee. Blackman, a talented and versatile swimmer, will only contest the men’s 200m freestyle event.
Meanwhile, Zuri Ferguson, who paraded her skills at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, is the lone female member of the team. The University of Florida freshman will be targeting at least best times in the women’s 50m, 100m, and 200m backstroke events.
Another female swimmer, Ornella Walker, who recently shattered Trinidad and Tobago’s 50m and 100m backstroke records, also qualified to make the team but opted not to take up her spot on this occasion.
John Collins scored the last of his 28 points on a tiebreaking dunk with 6.4 seconds left to give the Utah Jazz their first home victory of the season, 115-113 over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night.
Collins also had nine rebounds and Jordan Clarkson added 20 points for the Jazz, who had lost their first five home games.
Luka Dončić had 37 points, seven rebounds and nine assists for Dallas. Quentin Grimes added 15 points and five assists while filling in for Kyrie Irving, who missed the game because of a right shoulder sprain. Klay Thompson had 17 points.
The Mavericks erased a 16-point deficit and tied it on Thompson’s 3-pointer in the final minute before Collins answered with his winner.
Dallas led at halftime and got six third-quarter baskets from Doncic. It wasn’t enough to keep the Jazz from surging ahead as the quarter progressed. Utah ripped off a 9-0 run following back-to-back baskets from Doncic and went up 90-78 on Collins’ tip-in layup.
Utah scored baskets on six straight third-quarter possessions to take an 81-73 lead. Lauri Markkanen scored three baskets himself, culminating in a step-back 3-pointer.
Saquon Barkley ran for 146 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns, Jalen Hurts ran for the go-ahead score after being evaluated for a concussion, and the Philadelphia Eagles stretched their lead in the NFC East with a 26-18 win on Thursday night over Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders.
The Eagles (8-2) won their sixth straight since their bye, although this one came with a serious scare.
Hurts’ head was spiked into the turf by linebacker Frankie Luvu in the second quarter, and the $255 million quarterback’s head bounced off the ground. Hurts rolled over, face down, and grabbed his helmet. He was examined in the sideline medical tent but stayed in the game, finishing with 221 yards passing.
With the Eagles leading 12-10 in the fourth quarter, Washington was in range for a go-ahead field goal and coach Dan Quinn elected to go for it on fourth down. Daniels scrambled and was stopped for no gain, and less than three minutes later, Barkley scored on a 23-yard run.
Jake Elliott made the extra point after missing his previous try - along with two of his four field goals - to give the Eagles a two-score lead.
Daniels, who finished 22 of 32 for 191 yards and a late touchdown pass, was intercepted by safety Reed Blankenship on Washington's next play, and 12 seconds later, Barkley finished off the Commanders (7-4) with a 39-yard touchdown run.
Saquon Barkley ran for 146 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns, Jalen Hurts ran for the go-ahead score after being evaluated for a concussion, and the Philadelphia Eagles stretched their lead in the NFC East with a 26-18 win on Thursday night over Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders.
The Eagles (8-2) won their sixth straight since their bye, although this one came with a serious scare.
Hurts' head was spiked into the turf by linebacker Frankie Luvu in the second quarter, and the $255 million quarterback's head bounced off the ground. Hurts rolled over, face down, and grabbed his helmet. He was examined in the sideline medical tent but stayed in the game, finishing with 221 yards passing.
With the Eagles leading 12-10 in the fourth quarter, Washington was in range for a go-ahead field goal and coach Dan Quinn elected to go for it on fourth down. Daniels scrambled and was stopped for no gain, and less than three minutes later, Barkley scored on a 23-yard run.
Jake Elliott made the extra point after missing his previous try - along with two of his four field goals - to give the Eagles a two-score lead.
Daniels, who finished 22 of 32 for 191 yards and a late touchdown pass, was intercepted by safety Reed Blankenship on Washington's next play, and 12 seconds later, Barkley finished off the Commanders (7-4) with a 39-yard touchdown run.
The West Indies had a batting performance to forget as England secured an unassailable 3-0 lead in their five-match T20I series with a three-wicket win at the Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet on Thursday.
The hosts made a sub-par 145-8 from their 20 overs after being put in to bat. For the second match in a row, the West Indies quickly found themselves on the back foot with the wickets of Shai Hope (4), Evin Lewis (3), Nicholas Pooran (7), Roston Chase (7) and Shimron Hetmyer (2) leaving them 37-5 in the sixth over.
Captain Rovman Powell and Romario Shepherd steadied the ship somewhat with a 73-run sixth wicket partnership before Shepherd fell for 30 at the start of the 16th over.
Powell eventually made a top score of 54 odd 41 balls while Alzarri Joseph provided some valuable lower-order runs with 21*.
Saqib Mahmood continued his excellent form with the ball in the series with 3-17 from his four overs while Jamie Overton was also brilliant, taking 3-20 from his four.
England then reached 149-7 with four balls to spare to secure the win and a series victory.
Sam Curran led the way with 41 while Liam Livingstone and Will Jacks made 39 and 32, respectively.
Akeal Hosein bowled excellently despite the loss with 4-22 from his four overs.
The fourth T20I will take place at the same venue on Saturday.
Substitute Telasco Segovia delivered the pivotal goal that saw 10-man Venezuela hold Brazil to a 1-1 draw in CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying.
The shock result leaves Brazil in third place, trailing second-placed Colombia by two points and far short of Argentina in first.
Brazil opened the scoring just before half-time as Raphinha curled a delightful free-kick over the Venezuela wall from 20 yards out to break the deadlock.
On the other side of the break, however, half-time substitute Segovia equalised just 41 seconds after the restart, striking from outside the box, having run onto Jefferson Savarino’s short lay-off.
The visitors were provided with a prime opportunity to restore their lead when Rafael Romo fouled Vinicius Junior in the box. But the Real Madrid forward was unable to capitalise on the resulting penalty, seeing his initial effort saved before firing the rebound wide.
As tensions rose, the game delivered further drama as Alexander Gonzalez received his marching orders in the 89th minute for lashing out at Vinicius after fouling Gabriel Martinelli.
In a farcical ending to the lively affair, sprinklers popped up in the pitch in added time to delay proceedings, but neither side could find a way through.
Data Debrief: Instant impact for super sub Segovia
Segovia's goal, 41 seconds after coming on, is the fastest for a player coming off the bench in the last three editions of the South American World Cup Qualifiers.
Venezuela have now scored two goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half, only Brazil (four) and Colombia (four) have scored more in the 2026 CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers.
Republic of Ireland winger Mikey Johnston said the team had always trusted Caoimhin Kelleher after he made a crucial penalty save in their 1-0 Nations League win over Finland.
Johnston's corner set up Brighton and Hove Albion striker Evan Ferguson for the decisive goal on the stroke of half-time, after Finland had twice been denied by the woodwork.
The visitors had a golden chance to level in the second half, but Liverpool goalkeeper Kelleher made a stunning save to deny Joel Pohjanpalo from 12 yards following a handball from Ferguson.
The result means Finland are relegated from Group B2, while Ireland must come through a play-off to remain in the competition's second tier.
Speaking after the game, Johnston credited Kelleher's all-important penalty save, saying: "I always trust him to go and save a penalty. He has reacted really well and stepped up in a big moment.
"We were aiming for the win. They had moments but there were a few chances we could have taken as well.
"We're happy that we've come away with the win. Sometimes in the last year we would have been on the other side of a bit of bad luck."
Ireland round off their campaign against England on Sunday, in Lee Carsley's final game in charge of the Three Lions before Thomas Tuchel takes the reins in January.
France advanced to the quarter-finals of the Nations League despite being held to a frustrating goalless draw by Israel at the Stade de France.
Israel picked up their first point in Group A2 by producing a stubborn defensive performance against a France team missing Kylian Mbappe following his omission by Didier Deschamps.
Daniel Peretz kept out Randal Kolo Muani and N'Golo Kante in the early stages as France dominated possession, before the visitors missed a glorious chance in the 37th minute.
Dor Turgeman flicked on a free-kick towards the far post, where Raz Shlomo just failed to get a decisive touch in front of a gaping goal.
Ibrahima Konate headed over the crossbar early in the second half, but clear-cut chances were few and far between for Deschamps' disjointed France side.
Their best opportunities to take three points came in stoppage time, but Marcus Thuram headed straight at Peretz before the Israel goalkeeper made a sprawling save to deny Christopher Nkunku right before the full-time whistle.
Despite their failure to find a winner, France secured safe passage to the last eight alongside Italy, with Israel remaining bottom of the group, three points behind Belgium.
Data Debrief: No Mbappe, no joy for France
Having left Mbappe out of their squad for the second successive international break, France struggled in front of goal despite dominating for long periods in Paris.
They fired off 24 shots worth 2.31 expected goals (xG) to Israel's three efforts worth 0.05 xG, hitting the target on eight occasions but failing to beat Peretz.
Interim coach Lee Carsley was delighted with the progress of his England side as they defeated Greece 3-0 in Athens to move top of their Nations League group.
Having fallen to a 2-1 defeat to Greece when they travelled to Wembley at the start of October, the Three Lions exacted revenge as Ollie Watkins opened the scoring early before an own goal and debut goal from Curtis Jones completed the rout deep in the second half.
The travelling side entered the international break without several key figures, including Cole Palmer, Bukayo Saka, Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold, after nine players withdrew with injury.
While England are set to welcome the Republic of Ireland to their home venue on Sunday, Carsley is pleased with the development he has seen so far.
"It represents that we are moving in the right direction. We won't get too carried away, we have a big game on Sunday at Wembley,” he told ITV.
"It is just important the players played to their strengths. We have a lot of outstanding talent. The players that weren't here, we concentrated on the ones who were. They took their opportunity today.”
Carsley’s team featured three debutants – Jones, Morgan Rogers and Lewis Hall – with Jones scoring an audacious backheel flick to stun the crowd.
The Liverpool midfielder capped off what was already a tremendous performance as he had the most touches from either team (86) and delivered 100% passing accuracy in the final third.
"Curtis Jones is an outstanding player. He played really well, even without his goal. With his goal it was an excellent performance,” Carsley enthused.
"People were speaking last night about the inexperience in the squad but these players are playing for their clubs at a really high level."
Jannik Sinner made it three wins from as many matches at the ATP Finals with a routine victory over Daniil Medvedev in his final group-stage outing.
Sinner topped the Ilie Nastase Group and reached the last four with a perfect 3-0 record for the second season in a row, beating Medvedev 6-3 6-4 in 75 minutes.
After a late break saw Sinner take the first set, Medvedev threatened a fightback by reeling off three straight games in the second, only to immediately concede another break.
Speaking after the win, his eighth in 15 all-time meetings with Medvedev, Sinner credited his opponent for posing a tactical challenge.
"I'm trying to find new ways to improve as a player," Sinner said. "I'm trying to win as many matches here as I can. Me and Daniil, we know each other very well.
"So, every time we step on court, we try to change something tactically. I felt like I was ready to see what he was going to do today.
"I know what I have achieved during this year, so I try to step on court with a good mindset. I have beautiful people around me who support me daily, which for me is really important."
Data Debrief: Sinner targeting exclusive club
Sinner's victory ensured smooth passage to the next round, as he bids to replicate the achievements of Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, the only previous players to win the Australian Open, US Open and ATP Finals in the same season.
The win – Sinner's ninth in a row – saw him draw level with Alexander Zverev for the most victories on the ATP Tour this year, with 68. They are the first duo to both record at least 50 in a single year since Djokovic (82) and Andy Murray (51) in 2015.
Curtis Jones’ brilliant backheel on his debut helped England win 3-0 against Greece to move top of Group B2 in the Nations League.
Lee Carsley’s men exacted revenge in Athens having been defeated 2-1 by Greece at Wembley. The result sees England overtake their opponents on goal difference with 12 points each.
England got off the mark quickly as Noni Madueke burst down the right wing, beating four players to the byline, before cutting back for Ollie Watkins to slot home from close range in the seventh minute.
Jordan Pickford was called into action to keep the scores level, first tipping over Kostas Tsimikas’ stinging shot before denying Fotis Ioannidis' effort from range after the break.
While Jude Bellingham hit the left post with a header from a corner not long into the second half, England would have to wait until the 77th minute to celebrate their second.
Bellingham was the instigator once more as he latched on to a first-time pass from debutant Morgan Rogers to charge in from the left and drive a low shot onto the left post.
The ball rebounded onto the trailing leg of the diving Odysseas Vlachodimos, who could not scramble back in time to prevent an own goal.
Jones completed the rout six minutes later as he latched onto Morgan Gibbs-White’s cross from the right to send an audacious backheel past Vlachodimos.
Data Debrief: Debut delight for Jones
Jones is the first Liverpool player to score on his England debut since Sammy Lee back in November 1982, also in an away game against Greece.
He is the ninth Jones to play for England, after Alf, Bill, Harry, Herbert, Mick, Phil, Rob and William. The only surname to provide more England players is Smith (20).
There were also debuts for Lewis Hall and Morgan Rogers. The latter became the 63rd player to make their England debut while with Aston Villa. It’s the first time they've had two in the same year (Ezri Konsa and Rogers) since 2007 (Scott Carson and Ashley Young).
At 20 years and 67 days, Hall became the youngest Newcastle United player to appear for England in a competitive international since Jock Rutherford in April 1904 against Scotland in a Home Nations match (19 years and 180 days).
Italy sealed their place in the Nations League quarter-finals and ended Belgium's hopes of advancing with a 1-0 victory in Brussels, courtesy of Sandro Tonali's goal.
Tonali – who recently returned to action after serving a 10-month ban for breaching betting rules – scored his first senior international goal in the 11th minute.
He fired home after Giovanni Di Lorenzo's cutback deflected off Zeno Debast and fell kindly into his path at close range.
Luciano Spalletti's visitors continued to enjoy the better of the play in the first half, with Nicolo Rovella going close when he fired high and wide in the 25th minute.
Mateo Retegui was denied by Koen Casteels when one-on-one after half-time, while Gianluigi Donnarumma was called into action at the other end by Debast and Lois Openda.
Belgium's best chance for an equaliser fell to defender Wout Faes seven minutes from time, but he headed against the post when left unmarked in the centre of the box, leaving the Red Devils locked in a battle with Israel to avoid finishing bottom of Group A2.
Data Debrief: Azzurri flying on the road
Italy have now won three competitive away matches in a row within the same season, beating France, Israel and Belgium.
They last achieved that feat between June and November 2019, winning five in a row in qualifying for Euro 2020.
With the longtime vision of a Carifta Artistic Gymnastics Championship set to come to fruition, Jamaica Gymnastics Association (JAGA) president Nicole Grant-Brown says it represents a transformative step toward greater regional collaboration and growth for Caribbean gymnasts.
Grant-Brown shared her views during the Championships’ launch on Thursday, as she beamed with delight about the prospects of fostering development for the next generation of gymnasts in the region through the event, which she believes will become a staple on the calendar for years to come.
Mayberry Investments and Supreme Ventures Limited will serve as main sponsors for the inaugural staging to be held at the National Indoor Sports Centre on November 29-30.
“We are excited about this and the fact that we are the host for the very first one. It's really a channel that we're going to use for development within the region. As a region, we want to develop together; we want to do things together because that is the way to go. Right now, we are behind most of the other regions in terms of the Asians, the Europeans, and the Africans; even within our own PanAm region, our small Caribbean unit is behind,” Grant-Brown told SportsMax.Tv during the launch at JAGA’s Slipe Road base.
“So we want to ensure that what we are doing will help with our development and will help to keep kids in the sport because it would mean they have something to look forward to. That is one of the drawbacks. When they get to a certain age, they don't want to do the sport anymore because there's nothing really to motivate them. So hopefully this will help to motivate and help them to work hard to be the best, so it's very important to us,” she added.
Grant-Brown stressed that the Carifta Gymnastics Championships, which will feature competitors aged 7 to 20 from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Bermuda, St Vincent and the Grenadines, the Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands, will provide young gymnasts with an unprecedented opportunity to gain experience and exposure on a larger stage.
“When Caribbean nations come together to compete, it's real competition. We compete harder against each other than we do any other nation. So expect tight competition and camaraderie because they are also friends, and I am sure they will all be competing at the highest level. But again, this championship is more than just a competition; it’s an investment in the potential of young athletes who will be able to showcase their talent and passion for gymnastics,” Grant-Brown shared.
That said, Grant-Brown expressed gratitude to the sponsors, coaches, and everyone involved in making this inaugural event a reality, as she looks to the future of the championships and the continued growth of gymnastics in the Caribbean.
“The planning phase to put this together was very short, so I must commend these countries for really committing to this aspect of the development process. I think we are doing something good, and we don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but we have sponsors that actually called us to be a part of this whole journey with us, and if they're calling, it means we are visible. It means we are doing something well, and we just want to continue,” a beaming Grant-Brown said.
“With this event, we are building a legacy for young gymnasts. This is just the beginning. The Carifta Gymnastics Championships will be a stepping stone to regional and international success, and we are proud to lay the foundation right here in Jamaica,” she noted.
Meanwhile, Desiree Wheeler, senior marketing manager at Mayberry Investments, emphasized that their involvement in the Carifta Gymnastics Championships aligns with their mission to support and promote young talent in the region.
“Mayberry has always had a long-standing relationship not only with the JOA but also the Gymnastics Association, so over the years, it's just been incredible to watch their growth. As a company, we understand the importance of nurturing young talent from an early age.
“So with this being a regional competition, it's really amazing because not only does it bring light to Jamaica as a gymnastics hub, but the sport also fosters discipline, confidence, and a strong work ethic—traits that will benefit these young athletes both on and off the mat and just further build the gymnastics community,” Wheeler stated.
For Chloleen Daley Muschett, the corporate communications and PR manager at Supreme Ventures, their involvement is an investment in youth empowerment and also in Jamaica’s role as a sports destination.
“This partnership with gymnastics actually comes through our partnership with the JOA. So, you know, we recommitted this year to supporting the JOA for another five years, and so gymnastics is one of those sports that we are definitely attaching our name to. We're very proud to be a part of this inaugural Carifta Gymnastics Championship,” she noted.
“We feel like investing in the sport locally is great, but when you bring in other countries within the region, you have an opportunity now to have real development. We are excited about what can come out of investing in grassroots events like this, and so we hope to see in the not too distant future Jamaica and other Caribbean countries participating even more consistently at the Olympics in gymnastics,” Muschett ended.
NB: The Carifta Gymnastics Championships can be seen live on SportsMax and the SportsMax App.
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