Norway took a big step towards qualification for Euro 2025 after a thumping 4-0 victory over Northern Ireland in the first leg of their play-off qualifier.
Caroline Graham Hansen's first-half brace set them on their way to victory, netting both from inside the box after being teed up by Frida Maanum and Guro Reiten respectively.
Tuva Hansen's wonderful long-range strike was sandwiched between the two, and despite a spirited second half from the hosts, Guro Bergsvand profited from a scramble in the 67th minute to truly put them out of sight.
Norway, who beat Albania 14-0 in the first round of qualifying, look set to continue their trend of qualifying for every European Championship since 1984, while Northern Ireland have a mountain to climb next week if they want to qualify for back-to-back tournaments.
Belgium took a 2-0 lead into their second leg against Ukraine with a stoppage-time goal giving them a little more breathing space.
Ella Van Kerkhoven headed the visitors in front after just 20 minutes, and they dominated as they pushed for a second to wrap the game up.
Overall, they had 16 shots, hitting the back of the net again with their last attempt as Tessa Wullaert secured the victory in the 92nd minute, with Ukraine only mustering one attempt on target in return.
Portugal, meanwhile, fought back from a goal down in front of a record crowd to clinch a 1-1 draw with Czechia.
Katerina Svitkova gave Czechia the lead after 33 minutes, but Kika Nazareth struck just two minutes after the break to ensure they had a lifeline for their trip to Teplice on Tuesday.
Wales and the Republic of Ireland also played out a 1-1 draw in Cardiff to leave the tie in the balance.
Lily Woodham scored with the hosts' first shot, prodding home from close range, but fortune was in Ireland's favour for the equaliser as Ruesha Littlejohn's strike hit the crossbar before bouncing in off Olivia Clark's head.
Elsewhere, Poland hold a narrow advantage after the first leg thanks to their 1-0 victory over Austria.
It was a tight affair, with Poland only managing one shot on target, but like Ireland, they profited from an own goal as Marina Georgieva turned it into her own net.
And finally, Scotland played out a 0-0 draw with Finland at Easter Road as they look to reach their first major tournament under Pedro Martinez Losa.
The Tartan Army were second-best on Friday though, with Linda Sallstrom's lob forcing a good save out of Eartha Cumings, who kept Scotland's nine-game unbeaten run intact.
Reggae Girlz blank tame South Africa 3-0 in opening friendly
Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz registered their first win in over a year with a comfortable 3-0 beating of South Africa's Banyana Banyana in the first of two international friendlies at the Montego Bay Sports Complex on Friday.
Talismanic captain Khadija "Bunny" Shaw led her team with a brace in the 55th and 83rd minutes, while Siobhan Wilson, making a triumphant return from a lengthy injury layoff, marked her comeback with a stunning opener in the 43rd minute.
While it wasn't the most polished performance, the win was a special homecoming for the core players of the World Cup group, who last played in Jamaica in September 2023. It was also their first win since they defeated Panama in the group stages at last year’s World Cup.
The game began with both teams struggling to find rhythm. The first real chance for Jamaica came in the eighth minute when Deneisha Blackwood delivered a perfectly weighted cross into the box, but Atlanta Primus arrived late and couldn’t connect on an attempted header.
South Africa, though lively in patches, struggled to create clear-cut chances. In fact, they saw very little possession throughout as the Girlz controlled the tempo of the game and went close in the 28th, but Shaw’s effort was deflected out.
The resulting corner provided the breakthrough for the Reggae Girlz in spectacular fashion as Wilson, brimming with determination, delivered a sensational goal straight from a corner flag. The ball curled wickedly past a bewildered Andile Dlamini in the South African goal, igniting the home crowd.
They should have doubled their lead moments later when Jade Bailey's perfectly lofted ball sent Shaw one-on-one with Dlamini. The Manchester City striker rounded the goalkeeper but was left frustrated as her effort clattered off the upright.
With the score unchanged at the break, the Girlz gradually upped the tempo on the resumption and almost pushed further ahead two minutes in when Shaw laid off a back heel for Primus, who was let down by her first touch and allowed Dlamini to collect.
South Africa tried to play their game and had their best opportunity at goal in the 53rd minute when Linda Motlhalo's shot from the top of the 18-yard box was parried by 19-year-old Liya Brooks, making her senior debut in goal for Jamaica.
The Girlz regained control of the game and inevitably doubled the lead when Shaw, always a threat, combined brilliantly with Jody Brown in the 55th minute. Brown broke down the right and squared the ball to Shaw, who slotted home from close range.
Despite the comfortable scoreline, Jamaica occasionally lacked sharpness in the final third, as Shaw had a chance to seal her hat-trick in the 57th minute but fired the right-footed effort over the bar.
However, Shaw made amends in the latter stages of the game when Konya Plummer’s incisive through ball found her on the break. The towering striker turned her marker and buried a composed left-footed finish to put the game beyond doubt seven minutes from time.
Pareja not trying to 'interfere' with Orlando's dynamic ahead of first conference final
Oscar Pareja says he will not "interfere" with Orlando City's energy ahead of their meeting with the New York Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference final.
Orlando will play in the conference final for the first time after edging to a 1-0 victory over Atlanta United in the semifinals last Saturday.
Their impressive defensive record has carried them through the playoffs so far, with a penalty shootout defeat their only blot during the playoffs so far.
With just one game standing between them and the MLS Cup final, Pareja is confident his team have all the motivation they need to come out on top at Inter & Co Stadium on Saturday.
"We have tried this week to stay concentrated on our responsibility and the opportunity that we have," Pareja told reporters.
"We're very proud that the group has achieved this for the club and fans, but we're eager to go for much more than that. The boys are ready, so I try not to interfere too much.
"We don't need to do anything different. It's the most important [game], but I hope I can say this after the next game when there's another one that's more important.
Meanwhile, New York are playing their sixth conference final after beating local rivals New York City FC 2-0 in the semifinals last week.
The Red Bulls came from behind after losing their first playoff game to Columbus Crew at home, but they have impressed on the road, winning both games so far.
Head coach Sandro Schwarz is expecting a tough test in Orlando and is keen to cut out some of the sloppiness he has seen during the postseason.
"We have to play more clean, like the first half against NYCFC, to not think too much about the big moments," he said.
"We have to play with a more clear direction to the goal with our transition moments. That's necessary.
"We know about the quality of Orlando, and we need the same intensity and behaviour in our pressing to be strong."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Orlando City – Ramiro Enrique
Ramiro Enrique scored the lone goal in Orlando's win over Atlanta United in the conference semifinals, his ninth goal overall this season, all since the beginning of July.
Enrique and Facundo Torres (11 goals) are two of just 11 players with nine or more goals since the start of July (regular season & playoffs).
New York Red Bulls – Dante Vanzeir
Dante Vanzeir orchestrated the Red Bulls' win over rivals NYCFC in the conference semifinals, assisting Felipe Carballo's opener before scoring the second.
He has assisted 10 goals in MLS this season, more than any other player on the team.
MATCH PREDICTION: ORLANDO CITY WIN
This will be the first-ever playoff meeting between Orlando City and the Red Bulls.
Orlando have reached the conference final for the first time in the team's history after allowing just one total goal through their first four matches of the 2024 postseason. They are the fifth team in MLS history to allow just one goal over a span of four matches in a single postseason.
New York defeated Orlando 1-0 at home on June 1 to end a four-match losing streak against the Lions in all competitions.
The Red Bulls have reached the conference final for the sixth time in club history and the first since 2018. New York lost all five previous times they reached the Eastern Conference Final, with their only MLS Cup Final appearance coming in 2008 as Western Conference Champions.
The Red Bulls have won back-to-back road playoff games to reach the conference final, the third time they have won consecutive road games in a single postseason (2008, 2017). The only team to win three straight road games within a single postseason was the Chicago Fire in 1998.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Orlando City – 52.2%
Draw – 24.4%
New York Red Bulls – 23.4%
Martin: Southampton building up belief after earning first away point
Russell Martin believes Southampton have been building up their belief in recent weeks, which helped them earn a 1-1 draw with south coast rivals Brighton on Friday.
Flynn Downes scored his maiden Premier League goal to cancel out Kaoru Mitoma's first-half header to earn the Saints a first away point of the season.
They could have taken home all three points, but Cameron Archer's goal was disallowed for offside as Adam Armstrong was judged to have interfered with play from an offside position in the build-up.
Southampton remain bottom of the table, four points behind Wolves in 17th, but ended a run of nine straight Premier League away defeats.
"I liked a lot of it. I think we have been better than that and not got a point," Martin told BBC Sport.
"The second half I really liked. First half: a lack of conviction and aggression in certain moments. They responded brilliantly. Good performance against a good team.
"[Downes' goal was a] brilliant finish. A really good move from back to front. I liked the courage. We need to keep turning the screw. If they keep giving us everything, the results will change.
"They have been creeping up with belief. We've had a difficult level of opponent. We were excellent and went toe-to-toe with a team who have gone second."
Brighton sit second in the table after that result, at least temporarily ahead of the rest of the weekend's fixtures.
The Seagulls have failed to win five of the last 10 home league games where they scored the opening goal (D5), after winning each of the last nine before that.
However, Fabian Hurzeler is the first manager to avoid defeat in each of his first seven home games in the Premier League (W3 D4) since Maurizio Sarri with Chelsea in 2018-19.
The German was left frustrated, however, as his side failed to take a slew of good opportunities in the opening period.
"It was not the best game from us regarding our intensity and positional game," he told Sky Sports. "We only deserve the result like this.
"We should have finished the game in the first half, but we didn't and then we got punished.
"We had to make some changes, and we tried to get an impact on the game. We have to keep working, and it's a process, it takes time, and we have to improve for the next game.
"You have to focus on the small details if you want to win in the Premier League. We should see what the reality is. The reality is we have a lot of hard work to do."
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