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• Columbus Crew 4-0 New England Revolution: Matan nets hat-trick in huge win

  The Columbus Crew ended their home regular-season campaign on a high note by thrashing the New England Revolution 4-0.

  Reigning MLS Cup champions Columbus had already sealed their playoff spot and a regular-season club-record tally of points prior to Saturday's fixture at Lower.com Field.

  Yet Wilfried Nancy's team did not let up as Alexandru Matan's hat-trick propelled them to an emphatic victory over a New England side that must lick their wounds after a dismal season.

  DeJuan Jones got the ball rolling with a sublime curler in the fourth minute, with Matan subsequently taking centre-stage.

  The Romanian drilled home a low finish in the 14th minute, before doubling his tally from close range in the 64th.

  Matan should have scored a third when he was put through one-on-one with Aljaz Ivacic, only to fire straight at the goalkeeper, but the hat-trick strike did arrive when he capitalised on a similar chance soon after.

  While New England's only target in their final game of the season is to try and move above Nashville SC at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, the Crew will aim to keep up the momentum heading into the postseason when they visit the New York Red Bulls.

  Data Debrief: Free-scoring Crew in fine form

  The Crew have now won four of their last seven MLS games, and have scored in each of their last six, netting 17 times in total (an average of 2.8 per game).

  They have also kept it tight at the back this season, with Saturday's clean sheet marking their 12th shutout of the campaign, a tally bettered only by the Seattle Sounders (13).

  New England, meanwhile, have failed to score in 10 of their 33 games in 2024. Only Nashville (11) have failed to score more often in the MLS this season.

• United States 2-0 Panama: Musah and Pepi get Pochettino off to a winning start

  Mauricio Pochettino's stint as United States boss got off to a winning start as the Stars and Stripes overcame Panama 2-0.

  Saturday's friendly in Austin represented a reunion with Panama for USA, who had lost to the central American team in this year's Copa America.

  That defeat ultimately proved crucial in paving the way for a group-stage exit, which led to Gregg Berhalter's dismissal and, eventually, Pochettino's arrival.

  Pochettino had to wait until the 49th minute in Austin to see his team score their first goal, with Yunus Musah tucking in his first USA goal from Christian Pulisic's delivery.

  Matt Turner pulled off some impressive stops to keep USA ahead, while Puma Rodriguez and Jose Fajardo both saw good chances pass them by.

  Deep in second-half stoppage time, USA substitute Pepi settled the contest, sweeping home after a fine pass from Haji Wright.

  Data Debrief: Pochettino gets the ball rolling

  Pochettino is renowned for front-foot, attacking football, and there was plenty of evidence of the shackles coming off in the first half, with seven different USA players involved in at least one shot, either by having an attempt themselves or creating a chance.

  USA finished with 1.7 expected goals (xG) from their 11 shots, and even though Panama had more attempts (13), the visitors only mustered 0.89 xG, showing Pochettino's side limited their opponents in terms of clear-cut opportunities.

  Goalscorer Musah became the second player in USA history to play over 3,000 minutes before turning 22, while Pepi once again proved decisive from the bench. He has scored six goals as a substitute in his international career, equalling Pulisic for second-most in team history, behind Eddie Johnson (seven).

  Mexico are next up for USA, so Pochettino needs to be ready for an altogether different test.

• Former Liverpool defender Matip confirms retirement after Anfield exit

  Former Liverpool defender Joel Matip has confirmed his retirement from professional football. 

  Matip, who joined Liverpool on a free transfer in 2016, has been without a club since leaving Anfield at the end of last season and has since decided to call time on his 15-year career. 

  The 33-year-old started out at Schalke, making 258 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit and helping them lift the DFB-Pokal and German Super Cup in 2011. 

  Matip was among the first signings made by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, joining in the same window as Sadio Mane, Georginio Wijnaldum and Loris Karius. 

  He helped the Reds return to the Champions League in Klopp's first full campaign in charge, making 29 Premier League appearances and keeping nine clean sheets. 

  However, his spell with the Reds was marred by repetitive injuries, sustaining 16 different issues across his eight-year spell on Merseyside. 

  The former Cameroon international's final appearance for Liverpool came in a 4-3 win over Fulham in December 2023 after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in the same game. 

  Matip made 201 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions, scoring 11 goals and winning six major honours, which included the Reds' sixth Champions League triumph.