Gustavo Alfaro has resigned as Costa Rica head coach after just nine months in charge.
The Argentine's exit was confirmed on Friday with speculation linking Alfaro as a potential successor to Daniel Garnero as Paraguay boss.
"We thank Mr Gustavo and his team for their dedication during their time leading the Costa Rica team," the Costa Rican Football Federation (FCRF) said in a short statement.
"At FCRF we will continue to build the path towards the 2026 World Cup. We will keep our fans informed and we reiterate our commitment to continue working for the development and success of national football."
The 61-year-old, who took charge of Ecuador at the 2022 World Cup, guided Costa Rice to the Copa America this year as his side were eliminated in the group stage by finishing third.
Miller, Watson bag hat-tricks as Glenmuir hammers Porus High 13-0 in DaCosta Cup
Orel Miller continued his hot scoring form to start the 2024 ISSA/WATA DaCosta Cup season after he notched up a second consecutive hat trick to lead last season’s beaten finalists Glenmuir High to a massive 13-0 trouncing of Porus High in their Zone I game at the Porus Community Centre on Wednesday.
Miller added to his three-timer scored in the team’s opening 5-0 win over Kemps Hill and was joined by Orane Watson who also scored a hat trick on Wednesday.
Dunsting Cohen and Ricardo Binns both scored braces while Nmuemonie Blackwood and Tajaun Cummings got one each with an own goal completing the tally.
Elsewhere in Zone I, Garvey Maceo defeated Vere Technical 1-0 at home.
Two other schools also moved to two wins from two games on Wednesday as Port Antonio High beat St Mary High 4-1 while Holmwood Technical outscored Bellefield High 4-3.
Kerone George scored a brace while Shaquone Hardware and Dwayne Rodgers also scored for Port Antonio High as they took over the lead in Zone M.
Holmwood Technical, who beat Alston High 4-0 in their opening game, outscored Bellefield High 4-3 in their Zone G encounter.
Green Pond High beat Maldon High 2-1 with a second half double from Garth-Dane Bromwell, who netted in the 50th and 65th minutes while Kevin Hawthorne scored a consolation goal for Maldon High in the 76th minute.
Irwin High were held 2-2 at home by St James High also in a Zone A game.
Manning’s School also got off to a positive start in Zone C, beating Black River High 2-0 thanks to goals from Jarvis Meylor and Dainton Williams.
First time quarterfinalists from last season, B.B Coke, opened their season with a 5-1 win over Newell High to take over the lead on goal-difference in Zone E.
The day’s other Zone E game saw Munro College beat Lacovia 1-0 at Lacovia.
Knox College and Paul Bogle High who lost in their opening games, bounced back to beat Alston High and St Thomas Technical 2-0 and 3-0 respectively.
Mateta has 'moved on' after Crystal Palace refused to sell
Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta has no issues with the club's refusal to sell him this past transfer window.
Mateta had a strong second half of the season at Palace, and was a key performer for Oliver Glasner.
The striker subsequently helped France win gold at the Paris Olympics.
Mateta was, however, open to leaving Palace over the summer, though with the club having rejected interest, the 27-year-old is happy to put thoughts on his future to one side.
In an interview with L'Equipe, he said: "I'm a realistic person: the club didn't want to sell me.
"Well, I'm moving on and I'm doing everything so that the team obtains better results than last year. And when it's time to ask ourselves these kinds of questions [about the future], we will ask ourselves.
"In football, you have to adapt quickly, concentrate on the upcoming deadlines and not dwell on the past."
Palace face Leicester City on Saturday, and while the Eagles have only picked up one point from their three Premier League matches so far, Mateta has full confidence Glasner's team are worthy opponents for any team.
He said: "The coach sees, as [France Olympics coach Thierry] Henry did, that I'm trying to pull everyone up, because I work hard, I encourage everyone to do the same and I constantly repeat that we can beat anyone: City, Liverpool… anyone! Anyone!
"I only had a few days of rest between the Olympics final and the resumption of the Premier League, and Glasner asks us to chase the opposing teams high, it's very different from the game we played with France at the Olympics, because we had the ball."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Crystal Palace - Jean-Philippe Mateta
Mateta has made more targeted runs into the box than any other player in the Premier League so far this season (14). However, he is yet to open his account for 2024-25.
Leicester City - Abdul Fatawu
Only Bruno Guimaraes (16) has won more fouls in the Premier League this season than Leicester's Abdul Fatawu (10), seven of which have been following an attempted take-on, more than any other player.
MATCH PREDICTION: CRYSTAL PALACE WIN
Leicester have won just two of their last 16 Premier League games in London (D3 L11), conceding 40 goals during that run (2.5 per game).
The Foxes have only opened the scoring in two of their last 24 Premier League games, conceding first in all three so far this season. Only in 1994-95 and 2001-02 have they conceded the first goal in each of their first four games in a Premier League season, being relegated in both of those campaigns.
Palace have won nine Premier League games against Leicester – against no side have they beaten more times in the competition.
Leicester lost 2-1 the last time they faced Crystal Palace in the Premier League (April 2023), having been unbeaten in their previous seven against the Eagles beforehand (W4 D3).
Since drawing consecutive home games 0-0 in September/October last season, Palace's last 16 at Selhurst Park in the Premier League have seen 59 goals scored (F34 A25, 3.7 per game). Only Chelsea (63) and Manchester City's (60) home games have seen more goals in the competition since the first game in that run.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Crystal Palace - 56.6%
Leicester City - 21%
Draw - 22.4%
Gavi returns to Barcelona training after ACL injury
Spain midfielder Gavi has returned to training with Barcelona almost 10 months after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
Gavi underwent surgery after suffering the injury during Spain's Euro 2024 qualifying win over Georgia last November, causing him to miss the rest of the season.
He also sat out Euro 2024 as La Roja won a record-breaking fourth continental crown, beating England 2-1 in the final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
On Thursday, Barcelona posted a video to social media of the 20-year-old training with his team-mates.
However, he is not expected to make his return to competitive action just yet, with Barca's next match seeing them face Catalan rivals Girona on Sunday.
Under new head coach Hansi Flick, the Blaugrana have made a perfect start to the season, with four wins from four games putting them top of LaLiga, four points ahead of defending champions Real Madrid.
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