Dak Prescott does not see the Dallas Cowboys' 2024 season opener versus the Cleveland Browns on Sunday as a deadline for the team to make him an acceptable contract offer.

Prescott is set to enter the final season of the four-year, $160million contract he penned in 2021, and talks over a new deal have been ongoing for several weeks.

The ninth-year quarterback is set to hit free agency in 2025, though he has repeatedly expressed confidence his agent Todd France will reach a deal with the team.

The Cowboys begin the new campaign with a potentially tricky visit to Cleveland, but Prescott says his approach to the season will not change if his new contract is not signed before then. 

"I'd say they're working. I don't know if that's necessarily the timeline," Prescott told reporters when asked if a new deal could be announced before the game.

"I can't say, 'I'll put a timeline to Todd and [Dallas executive] Stephen [Jones] if we don't get this done, this or that'. I know they're working.

"I'm going to still be working. That's the only thing that matters to me."

Prescott's 410 completions and passer rating of 105.9 in 2023 were career-best figures, while he also played all 17 regular-season games for the first time since being drafted in the fourth round in 2016.

However, the Cowboys collapsed to a stunning 48-32 defeat to the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round of the NFL Playoffs, ensuring their wait for a record-equalling sixth Super Bowl crown will reach at least 20 years.

Roger Staubach (in 1971 and 1977) and Troy Aikman (1992, 1993 and 1995) remain the only quarterbacks to lead Dallas to Super Bowl glory, and Prescott maintains that winning it all with the Cowboys would mean more than doing so elsewhere.

"I don't think winning it any other place would be the same as winning it here," Prescott said. "That is a number one reason in wanting to be here, to be honest with you."

Star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb held out on the Cowboys' training camp to force through his own new contract during the offseason, but Prescott's team-mate expects him to show nothing but full commitment while he waits on an agreement. 

"Obviously, Dak is doing a great job of not really bringing it into the workspace, but I know personally that it can take a toll on you," Lamb said. 

"He's doing a great job of leading us in the right direction. He knows that we're rooting for him. Me, the most, for sure. 

"We need to hurry up and get this done, so we can just put this all behind us and go win more ballgames."

Jamaican World under-20 400m record holder Roshawn Clarke is pleased after securing his first win on the Diamond League circuit in Zurich on Thursday.

The former Camperdown High star produced a fast 47.49 to take the win ahead of Qatar’s Abderrahman Samba (47.58) and Estonia’s Rasmus Magi (48.02).

Thursday was Clarke’s fourth Diamond League appearance. He made his debut on the circuit at last year’s edition of the Zurich Diamond League on August 31, 2023.

“It means a lot because I came out here trying to get myself into the Diamond League final so I was trying to rack up as much points as possible and I came out with the win,” he said in a post-race interview with Citius Mag.

“I’m very pleased with my first Diamond League win and it came in Zurich. What better place?”

The 20-year-old was a finalist at the Olympic Games in Paris but unfortunately failed to finish after clipping the eighth then smashing into the ninth hurdle while in a battle with Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos for the bronze medal.

Clarke spoke about using that disappointment as motivation to finish out the season on a strong note.

“Strong-minded. I had disappointment in Paris and that has kept me pushing to make myself even better,” he said.

“I want to come back stronger. I did not finish in the final at the Olympics so I use that as motivation to keep my season going,” he added.

Speaking of finishing out the season strong, Clarke’s winning time on Thursday is the second fastest time of his young career, bettered only by his national record and world junior record 47.34 which he ran in the semi-finals at the World Championships in Budapest last year.

Running a time that fast at this stage of the season on the back of that disappointment in Paris is a sign of Clarke’s mental fortitude that should see him being a medal threat in the event for a long time.

Clarke’s mind will now shift to the Diamond League final in Brussels from September 13 to 14.

“My goal is to go out there, run my race, run as best as possible and try to come out with a personal best in my last race for the season,” he said.

 

 

Oliver Bearman will replace the suspended Kevin Magnussen for Haas at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix following his incident at Monza last weekend. 

Magnussen, who finished 10th at the Italian Grand Prix, was handed a 10-second time penalty and two penalty points after a clash with Alpine's Pierre Gasly. 

The Dane was subsequently banned for one race after reaching the maximum 12 penalty points on his Super Licence within the space of a year. 

Magnussen is the first driver since Romain Grosjean back in 2012 to recieve a ban after the Frenchman caused a multi-car incident at the Belgian Grand Prix. 

With Bearman part of Haas' all-new driver line-up next year alongside Esteban Ocon, it provides an opportunity to familiarise himself with the car he will be driving in 2025.

The 19-year-old made his Formula 1 debut earlier this year when he stood-in for the unwell Carlos Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. 

Bearman finished in seventh place, scoring points on his first start for Ferrari and is looking forward to the challenge of Baku's street circuit next week. 

“It’s definitely more of a challenge stepping in to race as a reserve driver, with limited prep-time and so on," Bearman said.

"But I’m in the fortunate position of having done it earlier in the year with Ferrari, so I can at least call on that experience.

"I’ve also had four FP1 sessions with the Haas F1 Team in the VF-24 this season, so undoubtedly, that will also prove to be valuable in tackling the full race weekend.

"The team is in good form at the moment and I’ll do my best to be prepared with the time we have available.

"The aim is to get out there and have a solid weekend in Azerbaijan.”

Team Principal Ayao Komatsu added: “I’m excited that Ollie will be driving the VF-24 alongside Nico in Baku.

"He’s already shown great promise in his FP1 outings and post-season test, and he performed very well when he drove for Scuderia Ferrari in Saudi Arabia, picking up points in the process.

"This is another excellent opportunity for both Ollie and the team to work together, this time throughout an entire race weekend, and he couldn’t ask for better teammate than Nico to provide him with a reference.”

Conor Gallagher insists his Chelsea departure was not due to him lacking the technical qualities to play Enzo Maresca's preferred possession-based style of play.

Gallagher joined Chelsea at the age of six and progressed through the ranks before making 95 senior appearances for the Blues between 2019 and 2024. 

He captained the side regularly under Mauricio Pochettino last season as skipper Reece James battled a series of injuries, only to find himself out of favour when Maresca replaced the Argentine.

Gallagher sealed a £34million move to Atletico Madrid in August, amid questions around his suitability for the patient style of play favoured by former Leicester boss Maresca.

Gallagher started 37 of Chelsea's 38 league games last season, more than any of his fellow Blues midfielders, completing 1,766 of his 1,930 attempted passes with an accuracy of 91.5%.

That latter figure was the best recorded by any Chelsea midfielder in league action, ahead of Moises Caicedo in second (90.8%). 

However, when those stats are adjusted to per 90 minute values, Gallagher ranked third among Chelsea midfielders for passes completed (50.7 per 90) and successful passes in the opposition half (28.56), and fourth for passes completed in the final third (15.67).

He does not believe the narrative that he was unable to fit into Maresca's engine room is a fair one, however, saying: "I don't think that's true.

 

"Last season I had a good season with Chelsea and you could see that by Pochettino playing me every game and showing his trust in me. 

"The fans appreciated what I did on the pitch. I'm very grateful for all of that and very thankful to the fans, and very thankful to Pochettino for giving me that platform to go and express myself and show the best version of myself at Chelsea.

"Chelsea make their own decisions and they've brought in some top players on long contracts. That wasn't the situation with me but what happened is good for everyone."

Gallagher has helped his new club make a positive start to the new campaign, with Los Colchoneros sitting third in LaLiga – level with rivals Real Madrid – with eight points from four games.

Asked about his first interactions with new boss Diego Simeone, Gallagher said: "He was very welcoming and it was, 'ready to get to work?', basically.

"That's what he's like, that's his character; he just wants everyone to work as hard as possible, to prepare for each game and to win – and that's perfect for me."

Gallagher will hope to feature for England when they take on the Republic of Ireland in their Nations League opener on Saturday, in their first game under caretaker boss Lee Carsley.

Jack Draper feels he belongs at the highest level ahead of his US Open semi-final clash with Jannik Sinner, pointing to June's Stuttgart Open success as a turning point in his career.

Draper will face Sinner for a place in the final of 2024's final grand slam on Friday, having crushed Alex de Minaur in straight sets in the last eight on Wednesday.

He could become the first British player to reach the men's singles final at Flushing Meadows since 2012, when Andy Murray beat Novak Djokovic. 

It has been a breakthrough tournament for the 22-year-old, who had never previously gone beyond the second round of a major, and he feels his maiden ATP success, which saw him beat Matteo Berrettini in the final in Germany, provided a major confidence boost.

"Winning Stuttgart was a huge moment for me," Draper told Tim Henman in an interview for Sky Sports. "I played two finals before that and both times I came up short.

"It was like I was a good enough player to do it but I just wasn't getting over the line and I think whatever level you're playing at, winning five matches and winning a tournament is an incredible achievement.

"When I won that one, it felt strange. There was a massive sigh of relief and it actually made me believe in myself a lot more. 

"It made me a lot more confident in my own skin and really made me believe that by beating the players that I beat, especially to win the tournament, I felt like I belonged a lot more at the really highest level."

Draper has only dropped 36 games at the US Open thus far. In the last 40 years (since 1985), only Djokovic (27 in 2016, 32 in 2012 and 33 in 2013) and Ivan Lendl (34 in 1987) have ever reached the men's semi-finals at the US Open while losing fewer games.

"A lot of the players know my talent and know my tennis capabilities and probably see me as a dangerous player," Draper added.

"It's been important for me to show my face on the tour most weeks and show that I'm physically robust. That mentally, I'm all in, and I'm doing all the right things, and that also gains respect from the other players."

Justin Rose has urged Jon Rahm to make sure he is eligible for the Ryder Cup next year.

The Spaniard, who plays on the LIV circuit, needs to play three events on the DP World Tour before the end of the season in November to be available for selection.

The Spanish Open looks to be the most likely solution for the two-time major winner, but he has not yet submitted an entry, which would need to be in by September 12.

If he fails to meet the requirements needed for his tour membership, Luke Donald will not be able to call on him, even for one of the wild card spots, as Europe look to defend their trophy at Bethpage next September.

Rose believes not having Rahm in the team would be a huge blow to Team Europe's chances in New York last year, but understands the Tour's need to enforce the regulations.

"No matter where the world rankings say he is or the golf that he is competing against, we know what a great player he is," Rose said, speaking after an event at Brocket Hall.

"My point is you want him on the team. There is a pathway for him to play the Ryder Cup if he wants it.

"I think that's all the DP World Tour can do, and they have their interests to protect, and I still think that it is a doable situation should the player want to choose to do it."

Patrick Mahomes has praised rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy for "opening stuff up" in the Kansas City Chiefs' win over the Baltimore Ravens.

The Chiefs began their first steps towards an unprecedented three-peat with a 27-20 win over Baltimore on Thursday but had to hang on as the Ravens had a late touchdown overturned.

Worthy scored a touchdown the first time he got the ball in an NFL game with a 21-yard rush, before getting his second in the fourth quarter, a 35-yard catch from Mahomes.

The quarterback lauded Worthy's ability after the game, noting that his touchdowns were not his biggest contributions to the team during the win.

"Just having him out there, it just opens up stuff," Mahomes said. "You saw when he's out there, they're playing shell coverages.

"It's getting guys like [Travis Kelce] and it's getting guys like [Rashee Rice] open underneath, and that's what's so great about this offense is we're able to do all of that, and that's when we're at our best.

"He's so cool, calm and collected all the time. You never even see the excitement on him, but he goes out there and makes plays.

"Obviously, we want to continue to use him more and more, but I thought he had a great day today, making big plays and big moments."

Meanwhile, the Ravens were left frustrated by a late call from the officials as Isaiah Likely was denied a touchdown on the final play of the game.

He caught Lamar Jackson's pass, but it was ruled out by the slightest of margins after initially being given onfield, with replays showing his toe was just outside the line.

"You have to live with that call," Likely said, via the team's website.

"That's on me. I just have to get both feet in. I harp on myself to catch everything and make sure everybody puts us in the best possibility, so I take responsibility. Next time, I'm going to get my feet down."

Jackson, however, was not convinced by the final call.

"I thought it was a touchdown," Jackson said. "I still think it's a touchdown."

Grenadian javelin thrower and two-time world champion Anderson Peters believes he is regaining his best form just in time for the Diamond League finals in Brussels. Peters, who claimed bronze at the Paris Olympics in August, secured victory at Thursday's Diamond League meeting in Zurich with a throw of 85.72m.

 Though not a season's best—his top mark this year being 90.61m—Peters is encouraged by his progress, especially after recovering from illness. "It still feels like I am coming back," Peters admitted. "After Lausanne, I was sick with the flu, so my body is still recovering. I have not been training, just relaxed and tried to recover. So it still feels like my body is on the way to top competition form."

 Despite the setback, Peters remains focused on finishing the season strong, with the Diamond League final in Brussels as his next target. "I was looking forward to competing here and seeing what my body can produce. I've got just one more competition for this year and I am done. Definitely, it is Brussels. It’s going to be my third time in the Diamond League final, and it will be my shot at the win."

 

Looking ahead to the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, Peters is confident in his ability to peak at the right time. The World Championships will take place later in the season, but Peters is unfazed, having previously won his world title in Doha in October. "That is something we know how to do, and it is just a matter of doing it again," he remarked.

 Peters also reflected on the unpredictable nature of javelin throwing, a quality he relishes. "The beauty of the javelin throw is that it is an unexpected event. One day you throw 90m, and another day you throw 80. It’s a little bit unpredictable, but that’s why most javelin throwers like it. You never know when you’ll get a good throw or when the world record could be broken," Peters said, referencing Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, who set an Olympic record of 92m in Paris.

 "I like competing, and that keeps me going. That’s what I live for," Peters added. He also shared that he had already returned to Grenada briefly after the Paris Olympics to celebrate his success. "After Paris, I managed to go home for three days, so I’ve already had the celebrations, and it was good."

 As Peters gears up for his final competition of the season in Brussels, the Grenadian star is eager to continue pushing his limits as he seeks another Diamond League crown.

Cristiano Ronaldo's 900th career goal sealed a 2-1 win for Portugal over Croatia in the Nations League, with Roberto Martinez hailing the "historic moment".

The 39-year-old scored the landmark goal in the 34th minute, and it eventually proved to be the winner; Diogo Dalot opened the scoring but then handed Croatia a lifeline with an own goal just before the break.

Ronaldo's close-range strike was his 131st for Portugal in 213 appearances, with both of those records for any male player on the international stage.

Martinez showed his faith by keeping Ronaldo in his squad despite an underwhelming Euro 2024 campaign in which he failed to score and was delighted to see the forward hit his latest milestone.

"It's a historic moment. 900 goals is incredible," Martinez said.

"It's not easy. He scores because he has a commitment to the national team, the work in training that no one can see, he has an energy to help the youngsters, and the commitment is an asset to the national team.

"It's a historic moment, the fans liked it, and being on the day of the tribute to Pepe is special. It's fantastic for Portuguese football, the World Cup and the national team."

Midfielder Bruno Fernandes, who also played with Ronaldo during his return to Manchester United, echoed his head coach's praise for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.

"I thought we had already stopped counting," Fernandes joked. "At least we've stopped counting, he hasn't.

"He likes to tell them, and I believe it's a very special number for him, and we are all very happy for him too because it's not just Cristiano.

"In addition to being Cristiano, he raises the name of our nation to the highest level as he has done all these years, and this is another record, another normality in his life."

Jessica Pegula is looking for "revenge" against Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open final after losing out on the title to her in Cincinnati.

Pegula will play in her first-ever grand slam final this weekend, becoming the oldest American to do so in the Open Era at 30 years and 193 days.

She had to do it the hard way though, coming from behind to beat Karolina Muchova 1-6 6-4 6-2 in a semi-final that lasted over two hours.

Pegula lost in straight sets when she faced Sabalenka in the Cincinnati Open final, but she is hopeful she can flip the script this time around.

"Playing Aryna is going to be really tough," Pegula said. 

"She showed how tough she is [in the first semi] and why she's probably the favourite to win this tournament.

"It'll be a rematch of Cincinnati, so hopefully I can get some revenge out here.

"It's kind of crazy that we're playing each other again in the finals, but I think it just shows how much great hard-court tennis we've been playing. She's going to be tough to beat, but that's what the finals are for, so I'm ready."

Sabalenka overcame another American in her semi-final, beating Emma Navarro 6-3 7-6 (7-2).

She has reached a second consecutive US Open final, having missed out on the title to Coco Gauff last year, and has reached each of the last four grand slam finals on hard courts, winning both of those in Australia. 

Having already beaten one of the home favourites, Sabalenka will be expecting another raucous atmosphere when she faces Pegula.

"Well now you're cheering for me, it's a bit too late," a Sabalenka joked after the match. 

"It really means a lot and even though you guys were supporting her, I still had goosebumps for you cheering."

Luis de la Fuente says he is "not worried" by Spain's 0-0 draw with Serbia in their opening Nations League match, comparing it to a pre-season game.

In their first match as European champions, Spain struggled to break down a resolute Serbia side, with Lamine Yamal coming the closest for them as he missed two great chances in the second half.

La Roja had 21 shots throughout the game, creating 1.39 expected goals (xG), but only tested Predrag Rajkovic five times as the goalkeeper resolutely defended his clean sheet.

Despite an underwhelming start to their Nations League defence, having won the tournament in 2022-23, De la Fuente insisted there was no need to be concerned about the result.

"We lacked mostly everything in the first half," Spain coach Luis de la Fuente told reporters.

"In the second half, we were better and much improved but lacked effectively up front. We could have done better, players were a little tired, the heat was excruciating, and we ran out of gas.

"I'm not worried, it's almost a pre-season game for us due to the circumstances, still early in the season and the calendar is busy for the players. It's a process, and we will move forward."

De la Fuente named almost the same team from their Euro 2024 final triumph, with only Rodri and Alvaro Morata missing from Thursday's line-up.

However, the head coach believes their extended tournament may have had some effect on the result, with players not having as much game time before returning to the international fold.

"At this stage of the season, there are players who participate more and others less. In October, when they have accumulated more games, we will talk about other things," De la Fuente added.

"In September there is a lack of rhythm, it's harder to recover. It's a complicated time. We have to value Serbia, who, defensively, had a lot of energy, and we lacked accuracy."

Spain’s next Nations League game in Group A4 is away to Switzerland on Sunday.

England will play their first match without Gareth Southgate in the dugout when they take on the Republic of Ireland.

Southgate quit his post in the wake of England's 2-1 defeat to Spain in the final of Euro 2024 in July.

That ended a hugely successful eight-year stint for Southgate when it came to turning around the fortunes of the Three Lions, and restoring England's pride in the national team.

Yet for all the promise and potential, England could not get over the line when it truly mattered, falling short in two Euros finals, and a World Cup semi-final.

England had endured a miserable Nations League campaign before their exploits in Germany, and in hindsight, it showed that perhaps Southgate's magic was wearing off.

Now in League B, having been relegated from League A, England's first match after Southgate sees them face an old rival, as former Ireland international Lee Carsley aims to prove his credentials to the Football Association (FA).

Having won last year's Under-21 Euros, Carsley will surely be hoping he can follow in Southgate's footsteps in transferring from the youth set up to the senior side.

Here, using Opta data, we delve into the key talking points ahead of Saturday's clash in Dublin.

What's expected?

It's always hard to fully gauge what a team will look like under a new manager, especially in international football. 

That being said, while we do not quite know what Carsley's England will look like, we can be sure that they are the favourites for this one, with Opta's supercomputer handing them a 70.4% win probability.

Ireland, on the other hand, have been given just a 13.2% win likelihood, while the threat of a draw is 16.5%.

This is England's first game without Southgate in charge since a 1-0 win over Slovakia in September 2016 in Sam Allardyce's one and only game.

Including caretakers, only four managers have lost their first game in charge of the Three Lions: Alf Ramsey (2-5 vs France in 1963), Howard Wilkinson (0-2 vs France in 1999), Peter Taylor (0-1 vs Italy in 2000) and Stuart Pearce (2-3 vs Netherlands at the 2012 Olympics when coaching Team GB).

It is fair to say Carsley, who played 40 times for Ireland between 1997 and 2008, has history on his side. Will he continue those strong records?

New blood

Carsley, as expected, freshened up his squad with some new faces. Angel Gomes, Morgan Gibbs-White, Tino Livramento and Noni Madueke all made the cut.

Gomes, Gibbs-White and Madueke made 50 appearances combined for Carsley in the U21s, so it is not a huge surprise to see the trio given a shot, while Livramento has usurped Kieran Trippier, who has now retired from international football, at Newcastle United this season.

At last year's U21 Euros, Carsley's team scored 11 goals in six games, outperforming their 8.5 expected goals (xG) and, despite not dominating possession, averaging 56.4%, they scored the most build-up goals at the tournament (seven) - a build-up goal is an open play sequence that features 10+ passes and ends in a goal.

Given England performed so poorly, relative to the quality at their disposal, in attack at Euro 2024, perhaps Carsley's approach can help get the best out of that star-studded frontline, albeit Phil Foden, Ollie Watkins and Cole Palmer have all withdrawn from the squad.

Indeed, England have scored just 13 goals in 11 games in 2024, having netted 26 in 10 games in 2023. Their 2024 average of 1.2 goals per game is their lowest in a year since 2000 (exactly one per game, 11 goals in 11 games), so Carsley has a relatively low bar to improve on.

What about the defence, though? Southgate was a pragmatic manager, and in fairness, England only allowed 7.3 xG against through their seven matches at Euro 2024.

However, they have shipped the opening goal in each of their last four matches, all in the knockout stages in Germany (W2 D1 L1). The Three Lions have not conceded the opener in five games in a row since between November 1953 and June 1954.

And going back to that U21 Euros, Carsley's side did not concede a single goal, albeit the xGA metric suggests they should have conceded at least seven.

While the fresh faces in England's squad will be looking to stake a claim, Jack Grealish has been handed a reprieve after missing out on Euro 2024. And, right at the top of the pitch, there is the experience and world-class finishing ability of Harry Kane, who is closing in on his 100th cap - should he play in Dublin, that will be appearance number 99 for his country.

 

Ireland's new era

It is not just Carsley that is making his bow in the dugout on Saturday. Heimir Hallgrimsson is Ireland's new boss, with the former Jamaica and Iceland coach having been appointed earlier in the summer.

Hallgrimsson has previous with England, of course. He was in joint charge of Iceland when they knocked Roy Hodgson's Three Lions out of Euro 2016.

The only manager to defeat England with two different nations is Bora Milutinovic, in 1985 with Mexico and in 1993 with the United States.

And what better way to start a new era than a big win over a big rival?

This is the first time Ireland will host England since a goalless draw in a friendly in June 2015. In a competitive match, it is the first time since a November 1990 European Championship qualifier, drawn 1-1 with Tony Cascarino cancelling out David Platt's opener for the Three Lions.

England also won their last meeting with Ireland in November 2020 – they have not won consecutive games against them since doing so with wins in 1980 and 1985.

Ireland last beat England in 1995, though the sides have only met each other three times since, with two draws and one win for England: that 3-0 triumph in 2020.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Republic of Ireland - Evan Ferguson

Ferguson could not quite get going last season after a bright start for Brighton, but he is still one of the Premier League's most exciting youngsters.

The striker is Ireland's big hope going forward and will be out to make his mark against one of the best teams in the world.

 

England - Harry Kane

Kane ranks 10th on the all-time list of England caps and has made 85 starts, playing 7,616 minutes, directly contributing to 83 goals (66 goals – an England record – and 17 assists). He averages 0.78 goals per 90, and 0.98 goal contributions per 90.

Indeed, Kane averages a goal every 115 minutes for his country, and he will surely be the key man for Carsley as the interim manager looks to capitalise on this audition.

Argentina cruised to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Chile in their CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier, thanks to Alexis Mac Allister, Julian Alvarez and Paulo Dybala.

In their first match since winning the Copa America in July, the Albiceleste showed no signs of missing talisman Lionel Messi, still out with an ankle injury, or the now-retired Angel Di Maria, who received a tribute pre-match.

Argentina were on top from the first whistle but struggled to find a breakthrough. However, they received a scare on the stroke of half-time, with Matias Catalan striking the post.

Just three minutes after the break, Mac Allister finally broke the deadlock, finishing off a lovely team move with a low finish.

The hosts' dominance was further rewarded in the 84th minute, with Alvarez rifling a powerful long-range shot in off the underside of the bar, giving Gabriel Arias no chance.

Paulo Dybala added some gloss to the scoreline in stoppage time, marking his return to the national team by beating the goalkeeper at his near post.

Argentina remain top of the qualifying with 18 points, while Chile sit second-from-bottom with just five. 

Data Debrief: Argentina stay on top

Argentina won all seven matches played at the Monumental during Lionel Scaloni's tenure as coach. During that time, the Albiceleste scored 14 goals and conceded none, averaging 17.7 shots per game and 69% possession.

In this game alone, Argentina had 16 shots, their highest total in World Cup qualifying so far, with eight of those on target, while they also had 65% possession.

Jessica Pegula rallied after a difficult first set in an emotional US Open semi-final against Karolina Muchova to reach her maiden grand slam final.

Pegula is the oldest American woman in the Open Era to reach her first major final, where she will play Aryna Sabalenka, but she had to do it the hard way in a 1-6 6-4 6-2 in two hours and 13 minutes.

The 30-year-old won her first service game, but Muchova's strength pushed her through the rest of the first set.

Pegula then found herself 2-0 down in the second but dug deep to go on a four-match winning streak and force a decider.

After that, Muchova had no way back, as Pegula got two more breaks in the final set, and she admitted that even she was surprised by the comeback.

"I came out flat, but she was playing unbelievable, she made me look like a beginner," Pegula said.

"I was about to burst into tears because it was embarrassing, she was destroying me.

"I don't know how I turned that around, honestly."

Data Debrief: Pegula's wait is over

It is the second year in a row that an American will play in the women's singles final, with Pegula following Coco Gauff, who won the tournament last time around.

However, by defeating Muchova at the age of 30 years and 193 days, Pegula became the oldest American in the Open Era to reach a maiden grand slam final.

She is also just the third player in the Open Era to win a women's singles semi-final at the US Open after losing the first set 6-1, after Svetlana Kuznetsova (2004) and Victoria Azarenka (2020) – excluding retirements.

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