Concacaf
It was a bittersweet start to life for Jamaica's new head coach Steve McClaren, as his Reggae Boyz were held to a goalless stalemate by 10-man Cuba in their opening Concacaf Nations League Group B League A encounter at the National Stadium on Friday.
There was an air of optimism surrounding the team, with fans eager to see how the former England manager would transform the Boyz, who were coming off a period of transition.
While the Boyz delivered for the most part in terms of their dominance in all aspects of the game, they failed to please where it mattered most—in the final third—as they squandered numerous chances and, as such, had to settle for a share of the spoils.
In fact, of the 21 shots taken, only seven were on target, and that, plus the fact that they had a numerical advantage after Yunior Perez was sent for an early shower in the 44th minute, underscores the Boyz's woeful presentation in the final third.
The point puts the Boyz and Cuba second behind leaders Honduras, who were 4-0 winners over Trinidad and Tobago in their contest. Only the top two finishers will progress to the quarterfinals.
From the first whistle, Jamaica looked sharper and quicker. McClaren’s tactical adjustments were evident as the Boyz played with a higher intensity, pressing the Cubans into their own half.
Kasey Palmer and Michail Antonio got off a couple warning shots in the early exchanges, and the good-sized turnout of spectators became even more expectant of at least a 3-0 victory. However, their desires were not met as they watched and roared as the Boyz strung together wave after wave of attacks, but the finishing touch eluded them.
In the 19th minute, Antonio's header from a long cross came back off the upright, while Jamal Lowe's effort on the rebound sailed wide.
The Boyz had another opportunity to break the deadlock at the half-hour mark, but Lowe was hesitant in getting the shot off from deep inside the 18-yard box, and the chance went begging.
Cuba tried to play their game and also found pockets of openings, the best of which came in the 41st minute when poor defending by Dexter Lembikisa allowed a run through on defence forcing Andre Blake to leave his line to avert the danger. Though Blake seemingly took out the attacker in his attempt to clear the ball, Cuba's appeal for a penalty was waved off.
Minutes later Lowe's slick pass sent Antonio on the break, but the West Ham United man was taken out inside the arc by Yunior Perez, who saw a straight red card from Salvadoran referee Filiberto Martinez.
The resulting freekick, a well-taken one by Demarai Gray, was equally well saved by Cuba's custodian, Raiko Arozarena, who ensured the game remained goalless at the break.
The Jamaicans again came out lively on the resumption, but for all their possession, the Boyz couldn’t put one in the back of the net and were frustrated by the resolute Cuban defence led by goalkeeper Arozarena.
In the 54th, Gray made space to get off a stinging right-footer from inside the six-yard box, but the effort was kept out by Arozarena.
Minutes later, the Cuban custodian was again called upon to deny Palmer's right-footed effort.
McClaren introduced a few fresh legs in Shamar Nicholson, Kaheim Dixon, and others with hopes that one of those might have better fortunes in front of goal. Not so.
In fact, one of the best chances in the backend of the encounter fell in the 77th to Nicholson, who at goalmouth somehow hit a right-footer over the crossbar as the fans groaned in disbelief.
For the Reggae Boyz, it was a missed opportunity to start the campaign with a win. However, the potential under McClaren’s leadership was clear, and so optimism abounds that their next fixture away to Honduras on Tuesday will turn out to be a better result.
Sherdon Cowan is a five-time award-winning journalist with 10 years' experience covering sports.
Caribbean teams face tough draws for Netball World Youth Cup
The road to the Netball World Youth Cup 2025 has officially begun, as Caribbean representatives Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados now know their opponents for the tournament, which will see 20 of the world’s top under-21 netball teams vying for supremacy on the international stage.
With 10 months to go before the September 19–28 showpiece in Gibraltar, Jamaica’s young Sunshine Girls, as well as the young Barbados Gems and Calypso Girls, will intensify preparations as they have tough draws to navigate.
Jamaica’s young Sunshine Girls have been drawn into a competitive Pool C alongside powerhouse England, Tonga, Wales, and Sri Lanka. It’s a challenging group, but one that Netball Jamaica President Tricia Robinson believes they will be well-prepared for.
“We know the quality of our opponents, especially England, who are always strong at the youth level. However, we will be ensuring that the girls preparation is very thorough, as we have every intention of possibly making a deep run in this tournament. So the focus of the preparation will be on fine-tuning strategies and sharpening the team’s physical and mental readiness in the build-up to the World Cup,” Robinson told SportsMax.Tv.
While Jamaica, having established itself as a powerhouse in senior netball, aims to carry that momentum into the youth competition. For Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, this tournament represents an opportunity to showcase their developing talent and challenge more seasoned teams on the global stage.
This, as Tuesday’s draw pitted Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados in Pool D, where they face an equally formidable lineup. They will go up against Fiji, South Africa, and Malawi—teams known for their athleticism and tactical prowess.
Meanwhile, Pool A will see host Gibraltar square off against defending champions New Zealand, Malaysia, the Cook Islands, and Zambia.
Australia, Samoa, Scotland, Singapore, and Northern Ireland will contest Pool B.
The initial pools further highlighted the global diversity of the competition, with at least three teams from each of World Netball’s five regions—Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania—represented.
Games will be played at the Europa Point Sports Complex and Tercentenary Sports Hall in Gibraltar.
World Netball President Dame Liz Nicholl, DBE, emphasized the importance of the tournament for young athletes.
“This competition is often the first time many players experience different styles of play from across the globe. The NWYC is a platform for emerging elite talent, and we are excited to see what new matchups and experiences await,” Nicholl said.
Ramos in 'final phase' of recovery, says PSG boss Luis Enrique
Luis Enrique confirmed that Paris Saint-Germain striker Goncalo Ramos is nearing a return to action after sustaining an ankle injury on the opening day of the season.
Ramos, who scored 14 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions in his debut season for PSG last year, has not featured for the Parisiens since their 4-1 win over Le Havre in August.
But despite his absence, Luis Enrique's side sit top of the Ligue 1 standings ahead of welcoming Toulouse to the Parc des Princes this Friday.
They are also the top scorers in the division, netting 33 goals in 11 matches so far, nine more than Marseille, who are second in the scoring table.
And as the hectic festive schedule kickstarts, Luis Enrique revealed Ramos has already returned to full first-team training.
"It was the 25th and that is in a few days, so it is the final phase of his recovery," Luis Enrique told reporters.
"As for when he is available (to play) we do not know. We will see in training, he is doing really well and is in full training."
Following Friday's fixture against Toulouse, PSG travel to the Allianz Arena to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League, hoping to ignite their European campaign.
The Ligue 1 champions are at risk of failing to qualify for the knockout stages of the competition having taken four points from their first four games this season.
They currently sit 25th in the new 36-team league table, and with an important week coming up, Luis Enrique insisted he would think about rotating his squad.
"You mustn't only think about the game against Toulouse but also the workload for players with their national teams," he said.
"So we will make decisions based on what we think. We want to win against Toulouse, which is our main target."
Ousmane Dembele did not feature during the international break after he left the France training camp with a hamstring issue, though he is expected to feature this Friday.
"In theory, it was nothing serious. I don't think it was a big issue and these things happen during the season," Luis Enrique said.
"It is normal with such a busy schedule, he should be available to play."
While Toulouse sit 10th in the league standings, they will provide PSG with a difficult test. They come into the game on the back of three consecutive wins, all without conceding a goal.
PSG have also not won any of their last two meetings against Toulouse (D1 L1), and could go three games without a win against the Violets for the second time in the 21st century after a winless streak between December 2007 to October 2009 (five).
Hurzeler: Brighton need to 'work to get momentum' despite Man City win
Brighton and Hove Albion boss Fabian Hurzeler believes his players need to rebuild their momentum following a two-week break after their 2-1 victory over Manchester City.
The Seagulls came back from a goal down in dramatic fashion to inflict City's fourth successive defeat in all competitions last time out.
Though the international break came at a bad time for his in-form team, Hurzeler refused to criticise the schedule ahead of their trip to the Vitality Stadium.
"You always have to work to get momentum. It's always a new game and no matter if there's a break between games or not, the game starts from zero," he told a pre-match press conference.
"You have to go into the game and do the things you can influence to the maximum.
"You can't say 'we won against Manchester City and now the momentum will keep going', it's about fighting for momentum.
"It's a new game, a different challenge and a really big challenge because Bournemouth are one of the strongest teams at the moment."
Bournemouth have also beaten City recently, with the Cherries also triumphing over Arsenal and Southampton in their last three home matches.
"They can play very intense, they run a lot, they have individual quality, they are in good shape. For me at the moment, they're one of the best teams in the league," Hurzeler said of the Cherries.
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola, meanwhile, was keen to stress that his players need to keep their concentration against Brighton. The Cherries were beaten 3-2 away to Brentford last time out, despite having taken the lead twice.
“You never want to lose the last game before the break because at the end you remember the last feeling. We will remember this week, the actions here against Brentford," he said.
"We can prepare very well for the game against Brighton, that is going to be also very demanding.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Bournemouth – Evanilson
Evanilson has scored four goals for Bournemouth since joining the club in August. He is tied with Antoine Semenyo as the club's top scorer, although his goals have come in one fewer appearance.
The Brazilian forward has found the net in three successive matches and will become the first Bournemouth player since Callum Wilson in 2019 to score in four straight top-flight games should he do so on Saturday.
Brighton – Danny Welbeck
Danny Welbeck is Brighton's leading scorer so far this season, with six league goals – a total that includes three opening goals.
He has scored two away goals so far in the current campaign, coming on the opening day at Everton and the only goal of the game at Newcastle United last month.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
Bournemouth come into this in 12th place in the Premier League on 15 points after 11 matches, having lost 3-2 to Brentford in their most recent game.
At home, though, they have taken 10 points from five matches (three wins, one draw, one loss) and come into this with three successive victories at the Vitality Stadium. They have never won four Premier League home games in a row.
Brighton have earned seven points from five away games (two wins, one draw and two losses) and, despite being six places above their hosts in the table, there are just four points between them.
While Bournemouth have won four of their five Premier League home games against Brighton, Fabian Hurzeler's side come into this in good form having won three of their last five (one draw, one loss) Premier League matches – as many victories as they managed across their previous 16 league games (six draws, seven defeats).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Bournemouth – 41.2%
Draw – 25.1%
Brighton – 33.7%
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