Erling Haaland fluffed his lines as Norway were held to an underwhelming goalless draw by Kazakhstan in their Nations League opener.

Norway failed to secure promotion from League B in the last edition of the Nations League in 2022-23, and their attempt to escape Group B3 got off to a frustrating start in Almaty.

Haaland was the joint-leading goalscorer in the 2022-23 tournament (alongside Aleksandar Mitrovic) with six goals, but he was unable to find the target despite being presented with several good chances on Friday.

The Manchester City man sent a 24th-minute header spiralling over the crossbar, then dragged another effort wide from the edge of the six-yard box five minutes later.

Norway dominated possession as newly promoted Kazakhstan dug in to preserve their clean sheet after the break, and Haaland's best chance would come nine minutes after the restart.

However, the Premier League's leading scorer was unable to steer home from just a couple of yards out as Norway's winless run in competitive action stretched to three games.

Data Debrief: Contrasting fortunes for Premier League stars

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard was at the centre of everything good about Norway's performance, creating four chances for team-mates and registering the most passes in the final third (41) of every player on the pitch.

However, Norway found their main man Haaland out of form up top, the City star failing to score from four shots totalling 0.9 expected goals (xG) – a figure that represented almost half the overall total created by both teams (Kazakhstan 0.21, Norway 1.63). 

Steven Bergwijn had strong words for Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman following the 61-year-old's criticism of his move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad.

Bergwijn, who has made 35 international appearances since his debut in 2018, was a notable admission for the Oranje's upcoming Nations League fixtures. 

The 26-year-old started two games at Euro 2024 in the knockout phase of the competition but was substituted in both at the half-time interval. 

He also enjoyed an impressive season at club level last campaign, creating more chances (50) and completing more dribbles (39) than anyone in the Ajax squad, scoring 12 goals in 24 appearances in the Eredivisie.

But ahead of the Netherlands' clashes with Bosnia and Herzegovina and Germany, Koeman took a dim view of Bergwijn swapping Ajax for the riches of Saudi Arabia.

"The book is basically closed to him. He knows what I think about this," Koeman said.

"When you are 26 [years old], your main ambition should be sporting, not financial. These are choices that players make."

Bergwijn, however, had some choice words for his international manager, saying: "I am done with someone who deliberately portrays me like that in the media.

"That's not how you treat your own players. The national coach knows very well that the competition in Saudi Arabia is at a great level.

"Or are you only allowed to take such a step when you are 32?".

But Koeman has since responded to Bergwijn's comments, choosing to stick to his guns. 

"It's logical that Steven Bergwijn reacts to my words on his move to Saudi. But I stick to my words!," Koeman told NOS.

"Going to Saudi at 26, it's not a transfer based on the sporting aspect."

Ryan Gravenberch has credited Arne Slot for his brilliant start to the new season, saying the manager gives him clarity and confidence.

Gravenberch joined Liverpool from Bayern Munich last September and made 26 Premier League appearances under Jurgen Klopp, but started just 12 of those games.

Since Slot's arrival, the midfielder has been shifted into a deeper-lying midfield role, earning plaudits for his performances, having started all three of their matches as the Reds made a perfect start to the campaign.

So far, among Liverpool players, he has won the joint-most duels (17), made the most interceptions (seven), and won the joint-most tackles (six).

Gravenberch believes his performances come from the faith shown in him by Slot.

"I just feel good in my skin, to be honest," Gravenberch told ESPN Netherlands. "But does that have a reason? Yeah, things are going well at the club. I'm just doing my thing, and it's working out well now."

"He gives me confidence now. He just lets me start in the lineup. It's going pretty well.

"As a player, you obviously want to get minutes. For me, that confidence is part of it. With that confidence, I feel more comfortable, and with the minutes, it keeps getting better.

"He's a good coach. He knows what he wants. He has a clear plan. Yeah, so far, we're executing it really well. Clarity from the start is always nice for me."

Gravenberch is now hoping to translate that form to the national side, and he is part of the squad for their Nations League matches against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Germany.

The 22-year-old was also part of their Euro 2024 party but did not play a single minute in the tournament as the Oranje reached the semi-final before being knocked out by England.

While he admits that it bothered him not to feature for his country at the Euros, he is now looking to put that frustration behind him as he looks towards future tournaments.

"It did gnaw at me a little," he said. "Because, when you go to the Euros, of course, you want to play. But in the end, we have to move on. The Euros are in the past. And now we're here."

"Life goes on," he added. "The Euros are over, and now we have to focus on the Nations League. And in two years, there's the World Cup again."

New York Red Bulls coach Sandro Schwarz is demanding defensive improvements against Sporting Kansas City after seeing his team's three-month unbeaten run in MLS snapped.

The Red Bulls suffered their first loss since June 8 – when they were beaten 1-0 by the New England Revolution – last week as they went down 2-0 at home to the Philadelphia Union.

The result left the Red Bulls fourth in the Eastern Conference standings but with just a five-point advantage over the teams currently occupying the wild-card spots.

With every point of utmost importance during the run-in, Schwarz wants his team to rediscover their solidity on Saturday.

"We didn't have the best few days after the Philly game, we analysed this and it's very clear we have to improve our defence, especially against Kansas City," Schwarz said.

"It's also necessary that when you lose a game, you change a little bit the atmosphere and now we are looking forward to the game.

"We should see some more players integrated towards the end of the season and the performances every day on the training field will be important, but matchday is when you have to show your quality."

Sporting KC, meanwhile, beat Indy Eleven in the U.S. Open Cup semi-finals last time out, having also beaten Orlando City 3-0 in their last MLS game to keep their own slim playoff hopes alive.

Coach Peter Vermes was glad to have a breather last weekend and expects his team to be reenergised for their trip to Red Bull Arena.

"The week has been good. Having the break after two games in a row was actually really healthy for us," Vermes said.

"I think for the team, having some of the days off has kept the guys hungry and they're ready to go and play a big game. It's been good."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

New York Red Bulls – Lewis Morgan

As well as leading all his team-mates in the goalscoring charts with 12 strikes in 23 regular-season games this year, Morgan has been a real creative force for the Red Bulls.

Only John Tolkin has matched his 38 chances created for the team in MLS play this season.

Sporting Kansas City – Tim Melia

Sporting have kept clean sheets in back-to-back matches across all competitions, and veteran goalkeeper Melia will be desperate to remain unbeaten again here.

This is the first time they have gone consecutive matches without conceding a goal in all competitions since March 2023, while they last did so in three straight back in 2020.

MATCH PREDICTION – NEW YORK RED BULLS WIN

After meeting nine times in all competitions between 2012 and 2014, Sporting and the Red Bulls have played just eight times in the 10 seasons since Kansas City moved to the Western Conference. Sporting have won four of those eight meetings (two draws, two losses).

They approach Saturday's game in good form, too, winning six of their last 10 matches (one draw, three losses) after only winning six of their first 24 to start 2024 (five draws, 13 losses).

The Red Bulls saw their 11-match unbeaten run in MLS ended by last week's defeat to the Union, having also previously gone 17 home games without defeat – the longest such run in their history. Can they get back to winning ways on Saturday?

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New York Red Bulls – 58.3%

Sporting Kansas City – 20%

Draw – 21.7%

Houston Dynamo head coach Ben Olsen has urged his team to maintain their high level as they prepare to face Los Angeles FC for the second week running.

The Dynamo came out on top as 2-0 winners at BMO Stadium last weekend, bouncing back from their 1-0 defeat to Toronto FC.

They now sit seventh in the Western Conference as one of three teams on 40 points.

And Olsen says his team cannot let their guard down, despite already registering a vital win against LAFC.

"This is a league where you've got to move forward, and you've got to get better," Olsen said.

"We'll have to be at our best. Things happen quickly against LAFC. The focus you need to play against them is an incredibly high level.

"Alarm bells are always going off, and we coped with it well, but we'll have to be even better at it when we're back at home."

Meanwhile, LAFC are five points behind rivals LA Galaxy at the top of the table, but with three games in hand over them.

However, that home defeat was LAFC's second loss in three games (W1), having also been beaten by Columbus Crew in the Leagues Cup final.

When asked if LAFC struggled against Houston due to their similarity to Columbus, Steve Cherundolo said he could not see it, but that his team needed to be stronger in dealing with the problems they faced.

"They're different and can hurt you in other ways," he said. "They are secure in possession and combination play, and they're good at it if you let them find a rhythm.

"It's imperative to deter teams from building and combining. We just want to field a team that is mentally and physically fresh."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Houston Dynamo – Hector Herrera

Hector Herrera completed 118 passes in the Dynamo’s win over LAFC on Saturday.

Only Riqui Puig (134 on May 19 this year) has completed more in a single regular season match since the start of the 2021 season.

LAFC – Mateusz Bogusz

Mateusz Bogusz has equalled an LAFC club record by registering a goal contribution in six straight regular season away matches (Carlos Vela in 2018).

Bogusz has recorded three goals and three assists over the six matches.

MATCH PREDICTION: LOS ANGELES FC WIN

Despite the win probability favouring LAFC, they did lose to Houston last Saturday at the BMO Stadium (2-0). The teams are meeting in consecutive regular season matches for the second time in two years, also doing so in June 2023.

Houston's 2-0 win at LAFC on Saturday was their third straight regular-season victory over LAFC. Only San Jose Earthquakes (2020-21) have won four straight league meetings with the Black and Gold, though LAFC did defeat Houston in last season's Western Conference Final.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles have won five of their last six regular season away matches (D1) though the lone blemish came in Texas, a 1-1 draw at Austin on June 19. This is LAFC's best six-match span of away matches within a single regular season in club history.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Houston Dynamo – 31.6%

Draw – 25.3%

LAFC – 43.2%

St. Louis City interim head coach John Hackworth says his team have more to give, but need to find consistency, starting against New England Revolution.

St. Louis snapped a five-match winless streak in MLS last weekend, beating high-flying LA Galaxy 2-1 at home.

It was just their fifth win of the league season, and they remain second-from-bottom in the Western Conference, nine points off the playoff places.

However, Hackworth says he was waiting for a performance like the one they put in against the Galaxy, and hopes they can replicate it more often.

"We expect this [good performance]," he said. "We'd been talking about it.

"We believed we could do that, and then, the next step is to continue to do that. You have to have that belief in yourself - the players do, the staff do.

"That's what sport is. I was satisfied, but I don't think that is the end of it. We've got more."

Meanwhile, New England followed up a 5-0 thrashing of CF Montreal with a 2-0 loss to Real Salt Lake.

They sit 13th in the Eastern Conference, five points behind the playoff places, but Caleb Porter believes his team can only improve as more of his players return to the fold.

"I'm glad that those guys [Giacomo Vrioni, Ian Harkes and Dylan Borrero] are going to be close to being able to play major minutes now," Porter said.

"They needed another game. We felt they were kind of 30 to 45 minutes fit, max. Now, we feel like they will be close to 60, hopefully, with a good week of training. That gives us a lot of optimism for the next game."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New England Revolution – Carles Gil

Carles Gil has recorded an assist in each of his last two MLS home appearances and has 38 total assists in home MLS matches (incl. playoffs) since joining the league in 2019, second only to Luciano Acosta's 40 in that time.

St. Louis City – Cedric Teuchert

Germans Marcel Hartel and Cedric Teuchert scored St. Louis's goals in their 2-1 win over LA Galaxy on Sunday - it is the second time in MLS history that two German players scored for a single team in a match.

The first: Teuchert and Eduard Lowen for St. Louis the week before.

MATCH PREDICTION: NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION WIN

This is the first-ever meeting between New England and St. Louis in any competition.

After suffering their first three-match home losing streak in nearly a decade in April-May this year, New England have lost only two of their last nine matches in all competitions at Gillette Stadium (W4 D3), though three of the last four matches in Foxborough have ended in draws.

Meanwhile, St. Louis won the first three road matches in the club's history in February-March 2023. Since then, they have managed just three wins in 31 away matches in all competitions, including going winless in 16 straight away from home (D7 L9).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

New England Revolution – 41.3%

Draw – 26.7%

St. Louis City – 32%

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.

Suriname, Costa Rica and Guatemala opened their League A Concacaf Nations League accounts with victories, as did El Salvador in League B as the fourth edition of the tournament got into full swing on Thursday.

All battling for Group A honours, Suriname and Guatemala topped Guyana and Martinique 3-1, while Costa Rica blanked Guadeloupe 3-0, as all three teams sit on three points, separated only by a slight goal difference.

Meanwhile, in Group A of League B, El Salvador romped to a 4-1 win over Montserrat, while Bonaire and St Vincent and the Grenadines played out a 1-1 stalemate.

Guyana vs. Suriname

Suriname’s victory away to Guyana spoiled the Golden Jaguars League A debut at the National Track and Field Centre in Leonora.

After three seasons in League B, Guyana would have hoped to start life in League A on a positive note, but it was not to be.

Djevencio van der Kust sent Suriname in front with an 18th-minute strike. However, Omari Glasgow pulled Guyana level with a 41st-minute penalty conversion for his 11th Nations League goal to extend his tally as the nation’s leading scorer in the competition.

But Guyana’s celebrations were short-lived as Jaden Montor drove home a powerful effort from an angle in the 66th to put Suriname 2-1 up.

Virgil Misidjan then sealed the win for the Dutch-speaking Caribbean island with a tidy 83rd-minute finish.

Costa Rica vs. Guadeloupe

Costa Rica were always favoured to secure three points here and they did just that on home soil at Estadio Nacional in San José.

After a goalless first half, Costa Rica’s captain Francisco Calvo led from the front with an expert header from Joel Campbell’s weighted corner kick to put his team in front in the 50th minute.

Ariel Lassiter doubled the lead in the 77th when he tucked home a right-footer from close range.

Warren Madrigal added another in 81st to cap the win.

Guatemala vs. Martinique 

Guatemala extended their all-time unbeaten record at home to eight matches as they bettered Martinique in a first-ever meeting between the two at Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores.

Rubio Rubin fired home from Oscar Santis’ cross to give Guatemala a 3rd-minute lead.

After keeping Guatemala at bay thanks to goalkeeper Yannis Clementia, who came up big to deny Rubin and Alejandro Galindo in the 10th and 22nd minutes, respectively, Martinique pulled level in the 51st when Kevin Appin headed home.

However, Guatemala regained the lead from the penalty spot when Jose Pinto converted in the 61st.

Martinique should have been back on level terms in the 72nd, but Brighton Labeau’s penalty kick was saved by Guatemala’s custodian Nicholas Hagen.

That allowed Guatemala to capitalise as Jose Martinez fired home in the 90+5 to secure all three points.

Group A action will resume on Monday, beginning with Guadeloupe against Suriname and Martinique against Guyana. A Central American clash will conclude the day’s play as Guatemala hosts Costa Rica.

Over in League B, El Salvador will be aiming to consolidate their lead atop the group when they take on Bonaire on Sunday, while St Vincent and the Grenadines play Montserrat.

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."

After a frustrating spell on the sidelines due to injury, Reggae Boyz captain Andre Blake is back, fit, and eager to lead his team into a new era under recently appointed head coach Steve McClaren.

The talented goalkeeper, who has been a stalwart for both club and country, is ready to make his return for national duties as the Reggae Boyz prepare to open their Concacaf Nations League campaign against Cuba at the National Stadium on Friday.

Kickoff is 7:00pm.

Blake, who missed four to six weeks of action—including Jamaica’s failed Copa America campaign—after a meniscus surgery in May returned to training with his club Philadelphia Union in early July and has engaged a few games in his build up to once again sport the national colours.

He expressed his relief at being blessed with a clean bill of health and is ready to compete.

“It's always good to be back with the boys; the energy is good and the vibe is right at the camp. I've played eleven games since I've been back, quick succession games, so I guess you could say that was a test, and I've passed the test, so I'm good to go,” Blake declared.

“It was tough for me not being able to be with the boys, especially in the Copa, but I think they did well for the most part, but the game can be defined by small margins, and unfortunately, we fell short. But I think we're headed in the right direction, and Steve coming in and implementing these strategies got us excited, and we're looking forward to it, and I think there's great things to come,” he added.

Head coach Steve McClaren (left) and assistant Merron Gordon.

Blake’s return to the team couldn’t have come at a better time, with the Reggae Boyz entering a new chapter under McClaren, the experienced Englishman who recently took over from Heimir Hallgrimsson.

The 33-year-old shot stopper, who hails from Clarendon, admitted that the transition from Icelander Hallgrimsson to McClaren was bittersweet, as the players had developed a strong bond with the former coach. However, he quickly pointed out that the team is embracing the change and looking forward to McClaren’s leadership.

“It was a bittersweet moment, you know, because Heimir came in and he did a good job. You know, he definitely took us to another level, but things happened, and when we heard that Steve was coming, obviously, who didn't know him, had to do their research, and immediately we realized we were getting somebody with a great pedigree.

“So everybody was excited, as I said before, and we're all looking forward to it; now that we got a chance to meet and work together, you know, we're just excited and anticipating great things to come,” Blake shared.

McClaren, 63, a former England manager and Premier League coach, has wasted no time implementing his vision for the Reggae Boyz, which is to build on the platform established over the past two years in taking the team to a higher level.

According to Blake, the team has already bought into McClaren’s system, which emphasizes tactical discipline, hard work, and a winning mentality. Having responded positively to the new approach, Blake believes it will bring out the best in them.

“Yeah, since the first day (of camp), I said, everybody on the team is going to need to want the ball. Everybody in the team is going to have to be willing to run, defend together, and fight for each other. I have to agree with coach; if you want to be a really good team where you can go to the next level and compete and beat the US and Mexico, even the bigger teams, you have to be able to do these things and do them consistently,” Blake stated.

Reggae Boyz going through their paces.

“And as he said, if you're not willing to do it, you won't be in the room, and that's as simple as it gets. We have to set high standards and maintain them. So again, I'm really excited, and I'm just looking forward to it,” he noted.

Having placed third in the last Concacaf Nations League edition, Blake knows that a strong performance at home against Cuba is crucial to setting the tone for the tournament and, by extension, to once again establish themselves as serious contenders.

A win for the Boyz would put them in a good position to secure one of two spots from the group to the quarterfinals, as they seek to better that third-place finish.

But, beyond that, Blake highlighted the need to also continue progressing toward their ultimate goal—qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With McClaren at the helm and a talented group of players, he believes they are on the right path to achieve that feat.

“The goal is always to keep improving and building toward the World Cup,” Blake said.

“We have a great group of players, and now with Steve on board, we have the leadership to get us to the next level. We’re all focused on the same thing—winning games, growing as a team, and making Jamaica proud,” he ended.

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.

Jamaican club Frazsiers Whip were handed a second-consecutive 0-5 defeat in Group A of the 2024/25 Concacaf Women’s Champions Cup, this time at the hands of Mexico’s CF Monterrey Femenil at Estadio BBVA in Mexico on Thursday.

After losing their opening matches, both Frazsiers Whip, who lost 0-5 to Costa Rican club Alajuelense, and Monterrey, who lost 0-4 to UANL, went in search of their first three points, and it came as no surprise that the spoils went to the Mexicans.

The tournament was always expected to be a tough one for Frazsiers Whip as Jamaica’s women’s league is woefully lacking in resources and quality when compared to others in the Concacaf region.

Lucía Garcia opened the scoring for Monterrey in the 15th before Carol Cazarez added another when she headed home in the 32nd.

Still, Frazsiers Whip, the Caribbean’s lone representative in the tournament, fought on and almost pulled one back in the 34th, but Davia Richards’ well-struck free kick came back off the crossbar.

From there, the host regained their momentum and extended the lead in the 51st courtesy of Marcela Restrepo, who fired home from Jermaine Seoposenwe’s assist.

Restrepo completed her brace in the 66th when she converted from close range after being allowed too much space deep inside the 18-yard box.

Monterrey’s captain Rebeca Bernal then capped her team’s first win of the tournament in the 87th when she lashed home from Ana Martinez’s cross.

With the win, Monterrey joined fellow Mexican club UANL, Alajuelense, and NWSL side NJ/NY Gotham FC on three points, with Frazsiers Whip the only team in the group yet to get on the board.

The St Catherine-based club will next host Tigres UANL Femenil on September 18 at Jamaica’s National Stadium.

Meanwhile, Monterrey’s next challenge will be against Gotham FC on September 19 at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey.

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.

Scotland are falling short in big matches due to the finer details, said Scott McTominay after a "self-inflicted" defeat to Poland.

McTominay scored a 76th-minute equaliser at Hampden Park on Thursday, as Scotland looked all set to take a 2-2 draw from their Nations League opener.

Yet deep in stoppage time, Nicola Zalewski put away Poland's second penalty of the night to condemn Steve Clarke's team to defeat.

Scotland, who crashed out of Euro 2024 with a whimper, are now winless in their last five home games, their longest such run in 16 years.

"It's a difficult one to be honest," McTominay, who has now scored nine in his last 16 appearances for Scotland, told ITV Sport.

"I thought we were good in the game, I felt like at half-time when we were 2-0 down it was unjustified. That's football, it's cruel at times.

"We had a lot of box entries from our sides. It's disappointing but we showed great character to get back into the game and we can take belief from that. We really came back well and didn't give up.

"The goals are self-inflicted from the collective, we all know that. It's those little details that are making us fall short in bigger games. We can go back and look at little tweaks to hopefully improve.

"Every single game of football has mistakes and sometimes you get punished and sometimes you don't. It's something we as a group need to take ownership of.

"You can't do anything but do your best on the pitch and hopefully score the next goal and against Portugal [on Sunday] we can be the ones who come out winning."

Scotland went 2-0 down in the first half, with Robert Lewandowski teeing up Sebastian Szymanski's early opener before netting from the penalty spot.

Lewandowski has been involved in 10 goals in his last 10 starts for Poland (six goals, four assists), while the Barcelona forward has scored each of his last four penalties since failing to do so against Mexico at the 2022 World Cup.

Poland, meanwhile, converted two spot-kicks in a game for the first time since June 2017 in a World Cup qualifier against Romania. Though with Lewandowski off the pitch late on, the responsibility for the second fell to Zalewski.

Billy Gilmour, who, like McTominay, joined Napoli last week, got Scotland back into it just after half-time, though the comeback efforts ultimately proved fruitless.

"We're disappointed. We felt we were the better team," the midfielder said. "In the second half we felt we showed that and went for it.

"Getting two goals back and then to concede another penalty was tough. We'll go back and look at it and make it right.

"There was good stuff there as well, but ultimately the final result wasn't good.

"It's a tough one, we really felt like we should have got the win. We leave it out there all the time, we're a group of boys proud to represent our country."