Kylian Mbappe is shutting out criticism of his early-season performances for Real Madrid as he prepares to return to France duty for Nations League fixtures against Italy and Belgium.

Mbappe's arrival has not brought about a flying start to 2024-25 for Madrid, who have eight points from four games to sit four adrift of pacesetters Barcelona in LaLiga.

The former Paris Saint-Germain forward failed to score in his first three league games with his new club, only to get off the mark with a brace in Sunday's 2-0 win over Real Betis.

That made him the fourth player this century to see his first two goals for Madrid come in the form of a brace, after Ronaldo, Javier Hernandez and Dani Ceballos, while Ruud van Nistelrooy scored a hat-trick.

As Mbappe returns to France duty for their opening 2024-25 Nations League fixtures, he is ignoring his critics, having recovered from a broken nose that overshadowed his Euro 2024 campaign in Germany, where he failed to score from open play.

"I'm at a point in my life and career where I don't think too much about other people's evaluations," Mbappe told reporters on Thursday.

"I arrive, play and always try to give my best, to be the best possible version for the national team. I love this shirt. Then in football you can't satisfy everyone.

"In Madrid it's going very well, we've already won a trophy. It's getting better and better in terms of performance, I've scored goals, now I'm focused on the national team.

"My nose is no longer broken, so it's already better than at the European Championship.

"I had tests at Real Madrid and they told me that it was not necessary to have surgery, I can breathe and sleep well. Physically, mentally, I'm fine. I am happy."

Mbappe helped France win the 2020-21 edition of the Nations League, beating Spain in the final in Milan, and despite the understated reaction to that success, he is determined to lift the trophy for a second time.

"For us there is nothing more important than the French national team, we have already won this competition and there wasn't an extraordinary reaction," Mbappe said.

"We won in Milan and at the end of the game I didn't even feel like I had won a trophy. But, when we lost it, it was the end of the world."

Italy visit the Parc des Princes for France's first game in Group A2 on Friday, before Didier Deschamps' men welcome Belgium to Decines-Charpieu three days later.

Didier Deschamps is preparing for France's upcoming Nations League fixtures without Adrien Rabiot, who finds himself in an "embarrassing" situation.

Rabiot, who has made 48 appearances for France since his debut in 2016, was left out of Les Bleus' squad for their matches against Italy and Belgium having not found a new club since his Juventus exit at the end of last season. 

The 29-year-old attracted interest from Manchester United during the transfer window, but the Premier League giants have since signed Manuel Ugarte from Rabiot's former club Paris Saint-Germain. 

Serie A side Milan also expressed an interest in Rabiot, with their interest ultimately fading as Ismael Bennacer chose to remain at San Siro. 

Rabiot started all of France's fixtures at Euro 2024, but Deschamps revealed that the midfielder's failure in finding a new club resulted in his omission this time around.

"Adrien Rabiot has a somewhat embarrassing situation," Deschamps said.

"His contract was expiring and he was solicited by several teams but now he's without a team and doesn’t train in a group. 

“I hope he can quickly choose a club that can then bring him back to us."

France kick-off their Nations League campaign on Friday against Italy at the Parc des Princes, with both teams looking to improve on their underwhelming displays at Euro 2024.

Deschamps' side were knocked out in the semi-finals by eventual winners Spain. Meanwhile, the Azzurri were unable to defend their crown, crashing out in the last 16 to Switzerland. 

Even with Kylian Mbappe in their ranks, Les Bleus managed to find the back of the net once from open play in Germany, something Deschamps is keen on improving.

"Our lack of efficiency was damaging at the Euros, but we still managed to reach the semi-final," said Deschamps.

“Now there are two games in three days. These are not friendlies, but the Nations League.

"Italy too made various changes after the Euros, unfortunately there has always been criticism and our objective must always be to achieve the maximum result."

Head coach of the Jamaica Men’s National Football Team, commonly referred to as the “Reggae Boyz,” Steve McClaren, spoke glowingly of his squad’s energy and enthusiasm ahead of their 2024-25 CONCACAF Nations League opener against Cuba at the National Stadium in Kingston on Friday.

McClaren, who was most recently part of Manchester United as a first team coach, was hired by Jamaica in July to replace Heimir Hallgrimsson, who has since taken up the role as manager of the Republic of Ireland.

The 63-year-old former Newcastle United and FC Twente coach will open his stint as manager of a Reggae Boyz unit who finished third in last season’s Nations League under Hallgrimsson, their best ever finish in the competition.

“Looking forward to it,” McClaren said in a pre-match press conference on Thursday.

“It’s been a long build-up since I first came over to Jamaica,” he added.

One thing that McClaren spoke glowingly of about his players is the energy and spirit he’s seen amongst the group ahead of Friday’s game, an important factor in any winning unit.

“It was nice to get into camp, meet the players, get on the grass and lose my voice from shouting too much. It’s been great. From the first day the players came in, it’s been great energy and spirit amongst them. They’ve shown that on the training field and we need to transfer what we’ve done this week onto the field tomorrow to get a result against Cuba,” he said.

Ahead of his first game in charge of the Reggae Boyz at home, McClaren, despite his 23 years of managerial experience, is feeling the nerves as is customary with anyone starting a new job in any profession.

“Always. I like that. It means you’re ready for the game. That’s what football is all about, doesn’t matter what level. When you play, you don’t quite know what’s going to happen. It’s football,” he said.

“We can control the controllable which we’ve tried to do. We just have to keep things simple. I’m going to concentrate tomorrow on the performance. If we get the performance from the players, normally you get the win,” he added.

When questioned about the style of coaching fans can expect to see from him going forward, apart from jokingly saying a “winning” coach, McClaren emphasized a focus on the basics and building on what has been done over the last two years.

“I’m quite a flexible, adaptable coach. I like the fundamentals. I like the basics. I like people knowing and doing their jobs, working hard, having a good attitude and being hard to beat. I think that’s the platform of all performances,” he said.

“If you’re easy to beat, too stretched and can’t defend, you don’t win football matches. That is what the team have developed over the last two years and I like that. It gives us a platform. We need to build from that platform now,” he added.

Andy Robertson insists that Scotland must right their wrongs from a dismal Euro 2024 campaign to ensure they "feel the love again" from supporters. 

Robertson, who led Scotland in Germany, was powerless to stop their group stage exit as their wait for knockout football at an international tournament went on. 

After surpassing George Young's record for the most caps as Scotland captain in June, the Liverpool full-back will wear the armband for their two Nations League games.

Steve Clarke's side welcome Poland to Hampden Park on Thursday before travelling to Lisbon to face Portugal three days later. 

"The summer was a low for all of us," Robertson said. "But we have to move on from it. We have to be positive, otherwise it's pointless being here. We have to believe.

"Okay, we might have some doubters again within our country. Our country was right behind us in the summer.

"We get they're disappointed and now it's up to us to drag them along with us again.

"It's up to us to show on the pitch we're willing to fight, win games, and put in the hard yards.

"If we do that, we know our fans will come with us as well."

Robertson spoke at length with his head coach ahead of their upcoming campaign and said it was the first time a review of a camp had more negatives than positives.

Scotland proved they could compete with Europe's elite nations during their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign, finishing second behind Spain in Group A, who went on to win the tournament, losing just one of their eight qualifying matches.

They have also impressed in the Nations League, winning 10 of their 16 matches in the competition (D2 L4), with their 62.5% win ratio the best of any nation in the tournament.

Clarke has also introduced the likes of Vancouver Whitecaps attacker Ryan Gauld and Robertson's Liverpool team-mate Ben Doak, who is currently on loan at Middlesbrough for their next two fixtures.

And the 30-year-old believes those additions will help his side in the forward areas, but acknowledges they need to be more consistent against the best in the business. 

"We know that's what we need to improve - that's the next step for us," Robertson continued.

"That's us been to two tournaments now and only got two draws. We've not progressed the way we would have liked.

"We need to look at that. And in the build up when we played the stronger nations like England and France we didn't show how good we can be.

"But also not that far in the past we beat the European champions here at Hampden, we also beat a really good Denmark team. We competed against Spain away as well.

"We need to get more consistent at doing it. We've done it previously but not all the time. That's what we need to get better at, especially at tournaments."

Kyle Walker believes Lee Carsley made "the right call" leaving him out of England's party for their upcoming Nations League matches.

Carsley named his first England squad last week, with Walker one of the notable absences after being a pivotal figure under Gareth Southgate.

The right-back made 70 appearances under the previous manager, starting 64 of those, and featured in all seven of England's games at Euro 2024 as they reached the final.

However, since returning to Manchester City after an extended break, Walker has played just two minutes in the Premier League, coming off the bench in their 3-1 win over West Ham last weekend.

Walker admitted that while he was unhappy to be left out of the fold, he understood why he was not given a place.

"I'm disappointed," Walker said on his BBC podcast. "You have to accept it and just try to prove them wrong.

"With a new manager, you are always expecting a few changes. I'm disappointed because to represent your country is always the highest thing.

"But I haven't played any minutes this season, so you have to take it on the chin. I've not performed at any level since coming back from the [Euros], so I think it's the right call from him."

England start their Nations League campaign against the Republic of Ireland on Saturday before hosting Finland on Tuesday.

Troy Lesesne is only looking up as D.C. United look to continue their playoff push against the Chicago Fire on Saturday, having won three of their last four games in MLS to close on the wild-card spots.

D.C. beat Toronto FC 3-1 last time out, with Dominique Badji and Gabriel Pirani netting late on to decide a game that remained level with 88 minutes played.

Lesesne's team are now 11th in the Eastern Conference standings, three points clear of 14th-placed Chicago and two adrift of Atlanta United in the final wild-card place.

"We're not going to back down," Lesesne said. "We still realise there's a lot to play for in 2024, but while there's an opportunity, we have to make the most of it.

"When it goes 1-1 like that, you have a choice. But for us, it's never a choice. We're going to keep trying to push."

Chicago, meanwhile, saw their own playoff hopes dented by a 4-1 defeat to pacesetters Inter Miami last time out, with Luis Suarez netting twice for the Herons.

Boss Frank Klopas knows the Fire have no time to dwell on that result, saying: "We have to rebound. With the performance, we could have been better against Miami, but I just felt the mistakes we made cost us.

"We let the game get out of hand. It's just about keeping things tight, not giving up more than one goal per game, because we will always get opportunities. 

"Now every game, we've talked about the importance of it. Other than Miami every game is against someone fighting for those spots in the playoffs.

"We'll prepare well this week and make the right decisions about who we put out on the field."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Chicago Fire – Georgios Koutsias 

Koutsias came off the bench to score the Fire's lone goal in their defeat to Miami last Saturday. 

Three of Chicago's last seven MLS goals have been scored by substitutes after only one of the club's first 26 regular-season goals in 2024 were netted by substitutes.

D.C. United – Gabriel Pirani

D.C., meanwhile, had three substitutes score in their victory over Toronto last time out, including Pirani.

Pirani has three goals in MLS this season, with only Christian Benteke – the league's leading scorer with 17 – outperforming him for D.C.

MATCH PREDICTION – CHICAGO FIRE WIN

Chicago have failed to win any of their last five matches in all competitions (one draw, four losses), following their 4-1 home defeat to Miami last time out.

They have scored in each of those games, though, and might fancy their chances of a different result against a D.C. team with just three wins in 18 away league games (seven draws, eight losses), a run that dates back to early July 2023.

Chicago are unbeaten in nine straight home matches against D.C. (three wins, six draws), last losing to them on their own turf in June 2015. This is their longest active home unbeaten run against any team in regular-season play.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Chicago Fire – 44%

D.C. United – 29.2%

Draw – 26.8%

Wilfried Nancy commended his Columbus Crew players for their commitment to the cause after a hectic schedule since their Leagues Cup victory, continuing with the visit of the Seattle Sounders in the MLS this weekend.

Since beating Los Angeles FC in the final at the end of last month, the Crew returned to league action with back-to-back wins, the latest of which came in dramatic fashion against New York City FC.

Derrick Jones and Jacen Russell-Rowe struck twice in injury time to seal a 4-2 win on home soil, keeping them within touching distance of FC Cincinnati at the top of the Eastern Conference table.

And while head coach Nancy was not overly satisfied with his side’s most recent display, he acknowledged the physical impact has taken its toll on his players.

“This is another way to win. I'm really proud of that,” Nancy said. “This is what I told my players, I said, ‘Yes, I was frustrated a bit by the fact that we didn't control the game the way we wanted to do it, but we found ways to score goals.’

“Knowing that this is our seventh game in 21 days, I cannot be frustrated. This is impossible for me. I have to respect what they did.

“Yes, it's been a long time that we haven't had the possession [over the opponent]. In first half, they had the possession for 56 or 57 percent. We suffered with that, but again, we were able to go back and to be together and to be clinical. This is what we did.”

Seattle, meanwhile, lost to Portland Timbers last time out, three days after being knocked out of the US Open Cup at the semi-final stage by LAFC.

The Sounders remain on course to reach the playoffs this season, currently occupying eighth place in the Western Conference table, six points ahead of Austin FC, down in 10th.

Head coach Brian Schmetzer believes his squad’s latest setback was part of their journey this campaign and is looking forward to seeing his players bounce back against the Leagues Cup winners.

“We have got seven games left and that is life,” Schmetzer started. “When there is adversity, you are going to have to get up and pick yourself back up.

“We have a tough road trip in Columbus, then we have three home games. Then we have more road games, and we end with Portland at the end of the year.

“There is still everything to play for.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Columbus Crew – Diego Rossi

Rossi has 49 goals and 25 assists in regular-season MLS play after recording one of each on Saturday against NYCFC.

Since his MLS debut in 2019, only six players have totalled at least 50 goals and 25 assists in regular season play.

Seattle Sounders – Albert Rusnak

Rusnak created six chances during Seattle’s defeat to Portland last time out, the most by any Sounders player in a regular season match in over three years.

The last player to achieve that total was Joao Paulo against Atlanta United in May 2021.

MATCH PREDICTION: COLUMBUS CREW WIN

The Crew have lost only one of their last 38 home matches in all competitions (W26 D11) dating back to May 2023. 17 of those wins in that time have been by a margin of at least two goals.

However, the Sounders have won five of their eight regular season visits to Columbus (D1 L2). Seattle (.625) has the highest road winning percentage of any MLS team that has played at Columbus eight or more times.

But they suffered consecutive defeats in all competitions for the first time since April last time out. It’s been over two years since the Sounders lost three straight games in all competitions (July 2022).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Columbus Crew – 64.1%

Draw – 19.1%

Seattle Sounders – 16.7%

Marc-Andre ter Stegen says he is committed to Barcelona for the long term, brushing off suggestions he could return to Germany in the near future.

The goalkeeper joined Barcelona from Borussia Monchengladbach in May 2014 and has since made 417 appearances for La Blaugrana in all competitions, keeping 175 clean sheets.

In his 10 years with the Catalan giants, he has won five LaLiga titles, five Copa del Reys, a Champions League and a Club World Cup, with his current contract set to run out in 2028.

He is now set to step up as Germany's number one following Manuel Neuer's international retirement, and when asked if he could also see himself filling the 38-year-old’s shoes at Bayern Munich, Ter Stegen claimed that was not on his mind.

"Wow, I still have a long contract with my club and am very happy with my family in Catalonia," he said.

"I don't know if Germany will ever be a footballing destination for me again. We'll see about that.

"In general, I am very, very satisfied at the moment with my current contractual situation and with the club I am at right now."

Cole Palmer has been left out of Chelsea's squad for the league phase of the Europa Conference League.

Palmer enjoyed a brilliant debut campaign at Stamford Bridge in 2023-24, registering more goal involvements than any other player in the Premier League (33, 22 goals, 11 assists).

However, his efforts were not enough to guide the Blues to Champions League or Europa League qualification, as they finished sixth before seeing Manchester United take England's final Europa League spot by winning the FA Cup.

Enzo Maresca's side came through a play-off tie with Servette to reach the new league phase of the Conference League, with their first match in the competition proper coming against Gent on October 3.

They will also face Panathinaikos, Noah, Heidenheim, Astana and Shamrock Rovers before the league phase concludes in December.

On Thursday, the Blues released their 23-man squad for the next stage of the competition, with Palmer the most notable player to be excluded.

Palmer has already provided four assists and scored one goal in Chelsea's first three Premier League games in 2024-25.

He is the first player to provide four or more assists at this stage of a top-flight campaign since Paul Pogba laid on five in Manchester United's first three games of 2021-22.

New signings Jadon Sancho, Joao Felix, Marc Guiu, Pedro Neto, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Renato Veiga, Tosin Adarabioyo and Filip Jorgensen are included, with Wesley Fofana and Romeo Lavia joining Palmer in missing out.

Chelsea will be able to add Palmer to their squad in January should they reach the knockout stages, as they bid to become the competition's second English victors, after West Ham in 2022-23.

Full squad: Robert Sanchez, Filip Jorgensen, Lucas Bergstrom; Axel Disasi, Marc Cucurella, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, Reece James, Malo Gusto, Renato Veiga; Enzo Fernandez, Noni Madueke, Carney Chukwuemeka, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Moises Caicedo, Cesare Casadei; Pedro Neto, Mykhailo Mudryk, Joao Felix, Nicolas Jackson, Christopher Nkunku, Jadon Sancho, Marc Guiu.

Marc Cucurella says Chelsea "need stability" if they want to find success, comparing it to Spain's Euro 2024 triumph.

Enzo Maresca became the Blues' seventh permanent manager in the last eight years in July, taking over from Mauricio Pochettino, who only spent one season at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea began the season with a defeat to Manchester City before getting their first Premier League victory under the Italian in a 6-2 thrashing of Wolves.

While they followed that up with a draw, Maresca has already started to stamp his mark on the squad, with a blend of his new signings and the youngsters brought in by previous managers.

And Cucurella believes that keeping him for the long term will allow Chelsea to find a necessary rhythm so they can start to target silverware.

"I'm happy, I think the coach we have is very good, he has very clear ideas," Cucurella told EFE, as quoted by ESPN.

"We've come from years of changes of coaches. Let's see if we can get stability without many changes, and that the manager can transmit his ideas.

"We need stability, we have very high-level players and, hopefully, we can have that patience that is needed, that calm so that everything goes well. We need the coaches and players to be allowed to work in order to do something important.

"One of the keys to success at the Euro was the good group we had. In these tournaments you're together all day, we have to put up with each other and if we hadn't gotten along, it would have been difficult. Creating a good atmosphere comes naturally to me."

Chelsea saw a lot of outgoings in the final days of the transfer window, with Raheem Sterling, Trevoh Chalobah and Romelu Lukaku among those who left.

However, they also made 13 signings in the transfer window, including the likes of Pedro Neto, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Joao Felix and Jadon Sancho.

Joao Felix is already off the mark in his second spell in west London, netting the final goal in their win over Wolves, and Cucurella has backed him for success at Chelsea after struggling at Atletico Madrid.

"He showed a good level during the months he was there [last time]," Cucurella added.

"He was unlucky because he was sent off in his first game for an unfortunate, unintentional action, then he had many opportunities, but he's a player who can contribute a lot to us.

"In the Premier [League] there are many more spaces, he can move around, and hopefully he will help us a lot."

Anguilla and Cayman Islands began their quest for promotion on a winning note as they blanked Turks and Caicos Islands and British Virgin Islands (BVI) in contrasting manner in League C of the 2024/25 Concacaf Nations League (CNL) on Wednesday.

Anguilla’s 2-0 win over Turks and Caicos Islands represents an historic feat as it was their first-ever victory in the Concacaf Nations League, while Elijah Seymour's solitary goal in Cayman Islands’ 1-0 win over BVI also had a hint of history on it. His goal marked the 1,000th goal in the Concacaf Nations League’s five-year history.

With the wins, Anguilla and Cayman Islands assumed pole position in Groups B and C, respectively, while Group A remain evenly poised after the Bahamas and US Virgin Islands played out a 3-3 stalemate.

Anguilla vs. Turks and Caicos Islands

Germain Hughes (58^th) opened the scoring for Anguilla at TCIFA National Stadium when he pounced on a loose ball and slotted home.

Lamar Carpenter (74^th) notched the second when he drove home a left-footer from deep inside the 18-yard box.

US Virgin Islands vs. Bahamas

It was a closely contested affair at the Bethlehem Soccer Complex in Christiansted, as host US Virgin Islands fought hard for their come-from-behind stalemate.

Lesly St Fleur gave Bahamas a second-minute lead in a frantic start as he converted from the penalty spot.

US Virgin Islands were back on level terms in the 27th thanks to Naqwan Henry, who got on the end of Rakeem Joseph’s pass and slotted home.

However, Bahamas regained the lead in the 37th as Wood Julmis expertly headed home from Jordan Cheetham’s weighted cross.

Brandon Adderley added another in the 58th, with a close-range effort to put Bahamas 3-1 up.

But US Virgin Islands were in no mood to surrender the points and pulled one back through Joseph in the 77th, before Gabriel Catone-Highfield headed home in the 86th to secure the host a share of the spoils.

British Virgin Islands vs. Cayman Islands

Cayman Islands dominated proceedings for most of the way, but British Virgin Islands fought bravely to keep their hosts at bay until the 84th minute.

That was when Elijah Seymour’s all-important left-footed strike secured all three points for Cayman Islands, much to the delight of the fans at the Truman Bodden Complex.

Luis de la Fuente believes that both Rodri and Dani Carvajal have "earned the right" to win the Ballon d'Or after being named on this year's shortlist.

The duo are two of six Spain players on the list after they won a record-breaking fourth European Championship title with a 2-1 triumph over England in Berlin in July.

Rodri was named the Player of the Tournament for Euro 2024 after leading the team from midfield in all but one of their seven games, though he was forced off injured at half-time in the final.

At a domestic level, he did not taste defeat in any of his 34 Premier League games last season (27 wins, seven draws) as Manchester City won a historic fourth consecutive title, with the Citizens losing three of the four games he missed (one win).

Meanwhile, Carvajal also won LaLiga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League with Real Madrid last season, scoring the opening goal in the latter competition’s final to help them to a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund.

In doing so, he became the first defender to score in a Champions League final since Sergio Ramos in 2015-16, also for Los Blancos.

And De la Fuente says they should both be among the leading contenders to scoop up the Ballon d'Or for their achievements.

"Both Rodri and Dani Carvajal have without doubt earned the right," De la Fuente told the Guardian.

"If after everything they have done, they're not considered, it would be a huge injustice. They've done more than enough. Not just now, but everything.

"Look at Dani: six Champions Leagues?! What on earth is that? Rodri has a Champions League, more to come, and I don't know how many leagues. They're European champions.

"Do they deserve to win it? Of course. I'm championing them, asking for it for them. They've won it all."

Lamine Yamal, who was also a key figure at just 16 years old for Spain during the Euros, is also on the shortlist for the individual award.

The youngster enjoyed a breakout tournament in Germany, becoming the youngest player to appear in a Euros or World Cup final at 17, surpassing Pele's record from 1958.

He also became the youngest player to score at the European Championships, and provided four assists, the joint-most any player has ever registered at the tournament that Opta has on record (from 1980 onwards).

De la Fuente says he knew there was something special about Yamal, which is why he was not afraid to take a chance on him.

"Faith in young players isn't an act, it's a conviction," he added. "When you see talent, play them, even if they're young.

"Lamine is very good. It's true what I said: that he's touched by God's wand.

"There are players that are different. I don't want to get into those comparisons, because I know we're going to start [that], and they're different footballers, different eras. But the talent? Pfff … there's something that sets them apart.

"The super mega cracks, football geniuses, those who [made] history, all have something. At that young age, they all seemed different, older."

Spain begin their Nations League defence on Thursday against Serbia, before facing Switzerland in League A Group 4 on Sunday. 

Japan kickstarted their 2026 World Cup qualifying third-round campaign with an emphatic 7-0 victory over China PR at Saitama Stadium. 

Liverpool's Wataru Endo and Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma got themselves on the scoresheet to hand the hosts a comfortable two-goal advantage at half-time. 

But Hajime Moriyasu's side turned on the style after the break, with a brace from Takumi Minamino followed up with goals from Junya Ito, Daizen Maeda and Takefusa Kubo.

The hosts took the lead in the 12th minute as Endo headed home Kubo's inviting corner-kick, with Mitoma adding Japan's second two minutes into time added on. 

Minamino struck twice in six minutes shortly after the break, with Ito then netting his second goal in three appearances against China in the World Cup qualifiers. 

The Reims attacker would turn provider for Japan's final two finishes, first teeing up Maeda before picking out Kubo, who rifled the ball beyond Wang Dalei. 

Data Debrief: Samurai Blue show China the sword

Japan have now restricted their opponents to just one shot (none on target) in two consecutive matches in the World Cup qualifiers, with China registering an expected goals (xG) figure of just 0.03. 

Moriyasu's side dominated the contest from start to finish, accumulating 102 final-third entries to China's 33, also recording 33 touches in the opposition's box compared to their opponents' one. 

Kubo and Minamino were the pick of the bunch for Japan, recording the joint-most shots (four) and shots on target (two).

Harry Souttar's 89th minute own-goal handed Bahrain a memorable victory over Australia, emerging 1-0 victors at the Cbus Super Stadium. 

The visitors were handed the advantage late on after Kusini Yengi's straight red card, with Souttar turning home Mahdi Al Humaidan's cross after a spell of pressure.

Australia were restricted to few opportunities in the first half, with Craig Goodwin and Yengi going close in quick succession just before the interval. 

Despite registering 69.3% of possession in the opening half, the hosts managed just five shots at Ebrahim Lutfallah's net, only one of which was on target.

Graham Arnold's side struggled to penetrate Bahrain's stern defensive shape, with their task made even more difficult when Yengi was given his marching orders for a high foot on Sayed Baqer.

And there would be a further twist in the tale as Al Humaidan drove to the byline before delivering into the area, with the outstretched knee of Souttar diverting it past Mat Ryan for Bahrain's first goal against the Socceroos in 18 years. 

It marked a nightmare start for Australia in the third round of the 2026 AFC World Cup qualifiers, with both Japan and Saudi Arabia to come. 

Data Debrief: Socceroos fail to jump into gear

Australia can only blame themselves for their defeat on home soil, generating an expected goals (xG) total of 0.79 from the 11 shots they registered in the encounter. 

They also managed 20 touches in the opposition's penalty area, compared to Bahrain's four, while also ending the contest with 71% possession. 

Bahrain, meanwhile, will count their lucky stars having only managed an xG of 0.07, managing just one shot on target from the three they attempted. 

Vancouver Whitecaps' latest arrival, Stuart Armstrong, is relishing the challenge of the MLS as he aims to aid his new side’s push for the playoffs, starting with FC Dallas this weekend.

Armstrong, who arrived at BC Place as a free agent following his release from Southampton last season, provides a wealth of international and domestic experience for Vanni Sartini’s team.

The Whitecaps returned to league action last week with a win over Austin FC, leaving them fifth in the Western Conference table, four points behind Colorado Rapids with two games in hand.

And Armstrong, who will reunite with former Dundee United team-mate Ryan Gauld at the club, provided insight into what fans can expect from him for the remainder of the campaign.

"Hopefully, I can bring position play from back to front and connect the midfield to the forward line. Hopefully I can chip in with some creativity, some goals and assists too," Amstrong said.

"Every player I speak to says to me that the changing room's the best they've experienced in their career. The first player that said that to me was Ryan (Gauld) and I didn't believe him.

"Once more and more, every player says it, you begin to believe it. And having met the boys, a few boys yesterday and everyone today and a few more when they come back, I can re-affirm that everyone's a very good guy and a very good changing room to be a part of."

FC Dallas, meanwhile, were on the wrong end of a five-goal thriller against the Rapids last time out, with Darren Yapi’s 93rd minute winner sealing the victory for the away side.

The Toros twice led the encounter but were unable to build on their dramatic win over DC United in their first MLS fixture since their disappointing run in the Leagues Cup.

Interim head coach Peter Luccin acknowledged his side must improve to have a chance of reaching the playoffs as they sit 11th in the standings, identifying his team’s home form as a particular area to strengthen.

“We knew from the beginning that we had to get points on the road,” Luccin said. “Now we are doing the opposite, now we are winning on the road and losing at home.

“It would be great to now do both at the same time, but in the end, I am not saying that it was crucial today that we lost three points, but it was important.

“But the content of the game, is a concern. We have to learn, because today was not good enough.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Vancouver Whitecaps – Ryan Gauld

Gauld assisted Vancouver’s only goal against Austin last time out, his 10th assist of the season to go along with his nine goals.

The Scot, who recorded 11 goals and 12 assists last year, could become the first Whitecaps player to notch 10 goals and 10 assists in multiple MLS seasons.

FC Dallas – Petar Musa

Musa came off the bench to score for Dallas on Saturday, his fifth straight regular season appearance with a goal.

Only Jeff Cunningham (six in 2009) and Carlos Ruiz (seven in 2006) have had longer scoring streaks in FC Dallas’ MLS history.

MATCH PREDICTION: VANCOUVER WHITECAPS WIN

The Whitecaps have lost only one of their last nine meetings with FC Dallas dating back to 2019 (W5 D3), including going unbeaten at home against Dallas in that time (W3 D1).

They have also won five of their last seven regular season matches (D1 L1), including a 1-0 victory over Austin. The 1-0 win marked Vancouver’s first clean sheet in league play since a scoreless draw against the same opposition in May.

However, Dallas’ 4-3 win against DC United marked a rare away victory. The last time they recorded back-to-back triumphs on the road in the MLS was in May 2018, when they secured wins against Toronto FC and LA Galaxy.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Vancouver Whitecaps – 50.2%

Draw – 25.2%

FC Dallas – 24.6%