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• Llori Sharpe claims historic gold for Jamaica at the 2024 Elite Caribbean Cycling Championships

   Jamaican cyclist Llori Sharpe made history this weekend, powering to gold in the Elite Women’s Road Race at the 2024 Elite Caribbean Cycling Championships, marking the first time a Jamaican woman has claimed the Caribbean Champion title at the elite level in road racing.

  The two-day championship event was held in Georgetown, Guyana, and saw the Jamaican contingent, led by Coach Carlton Simmonds, deliver mixed results across several competitive races. The team comprised four riders: Sharpe, Andrew Ramsay, Obrian Madourie, and Damaine Douglas.

  Day one saw Sharpe and Madourie in action in the Individual Time Trial, covering 18km and 36km, respectively. Sharpe narrowly missed out on a podium finish, coming in fourth and missing bronze by just 30 seconds. Madourie finished seventh in his category, putting in a commendable effort.

  However, it was on day two that Sharpe cemented her place in the history books. Competing in the Elite Women’s Road Race, she bided her time before surging ahead in the final kilometre of the 67km course, distancing herself from the pack to secure the gold medal. Bermuda's Gabriella Arnold claimed silver, while Berenice Paul of Guadeloupe rounded out the podium with a bronze.

  This victory marked a remarkable improvement over Sharpe's silver-medal finish at the 2023 championships in Guadeloupe and set a new standard for Jamaican women in Caribbean road cycling.

  While Sharpe shone on day two, other members of the Jamaican team faced challenges. Douglas, competing as an under-23 rider in the grueling 155km event, was dealt a setback after a flat tyre forced him to fall behind the main peloton, finishing in 12th place. Ramsay finished 24th in the Elite Men’s event, and unfortunately, Madourie did not complete the race.

  Cory Williams of Belize won the men’s elite title, with Jesus Cespedes from the Dominican Republic and Guyana's John Briton securing second and third, respectively.

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• Dorival Junior expects Brazil to qualify for 2026 World Cup

  Dorival Junior expects to see Brazil qualify for the 2026 World Cup following their 2-1 victory over Chile, despite inconsistent form so far.

  The Selecao had lost four of their previous five qualifiers before winning this one, which had left them in fifth in the CONMEBOL table but perilously close to dropping out of the top eight.

  The three points they earned in Chile saw them move up fourth, but there is still just a three-point gap between themselves and eighth-placed Paraguay, who beat Brazil 1-0 in the previous international break.

  Given their recent form, a win in Chile was a welcome relief for Dorival despite a lacklustre performance.

  "We are moving step-by-step, with a lot to fix, but little by little finding the way," Dorival said after the game.

  "I'm happy to see the team's maturity, even though they're very young. We had balance and tranquility."

  Should Brazil fail to qualify for the World Cup, it be the first time in history that they would have been absent from the competition.

  Given that it would come after it has been expanded from 32 to 48 teams, giving CONMEBOL a further two qualification spots, would only add to the embarrassment.

  But Dorival wanted to make it clear that he has faced selection issues over the course of this campaign.

  Of the starters in Chile, only four players - Danilo, Marquinhos, Lucas Paqueta and Raphinha - started in the 2022 World Cup, while Alisson, Eder Militao and Vinicius Junior were all injured.

  "A [team] renewal is not simple," Dorival said. 

  "We don't have the structure that was set up for the previous World Cup and this ends up making the games even more difficult due to the balance between the youth of these boys and the experience of others that are there.

  "We only had four players that finished the last match of the World Cup and that has considerable weight."

  Despite the difficulties that both he and the team have faced, Dorival is of the belief that they will make it to the United States, Canada and Mexico in two years.

  "We will arrive with a strong team in two years, but we will face some difficulties," he said.

  Brazil defender Marquinhos came down on his coach's side when asked to give his thoughts after the match.

  "Seeking changes is beside the point," he said. "I'm happy with Dorival, with the work he's been doing."

  Dorival has been in the job for less than a year, having only been appointed as Brazil's head coach in January, though the Selecao also failed to impress at this year's Copa America.

  The need for patience was something that Marquinhos was quick to point out.

  "It's not easy, you have to give him time to understand the group he has in hand and use the pieces," he added.

  "We showed that we have quality, many good players. We know the coach's ability, what a great professional and person he is.

  "We are fully focused on seeking to improve and grow as a group and team."

• Chile 1-2 Brazil: Luiz Henrique late show salvages victory

  Brazil fought back from a goal down to score an 89th-minute winner that completed a 2-1 comeback win over Chile.

  The hosts went ahead in the second minute of Thursday's World Cup qualifier in Santiago when a looping header from Eduardo Vargas went past Ederson in goal, although it was an effort that should arguably have been saved.

  While Chile had chances to extend their lead and had claims for a penalty in the first half, Brazil equalised in stoppage time through a close-range header from Igor Jesus.

  The Selecao controlled much of the second half as they went in search of a winner, and they were able to find it a minute from time. Botafogo winger Luiz Henrique cut in from the right and bent a shot past the goalkeeper to earn his country three points.

  It is a victory that moves Brazil up a place to fourth in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying table, while Chile remain second-bottom, seven points behind an automatic qualification spot.

  That they were able to get the result without some key players - Alisson, Eder Militao and Vinicius Junior are all injured - will have pleased coach Dorival Junior, for whom the result will ease some of the pressure.

  Data debrief: Plenty to improve for Brazil

  Prior to their victory in Chile, Brazil had been on a run of four defeats in five matches in World Cup qualifying.

  This result leaves them three points ahead of eighth-placed Paraguay, who occupy the final elimination slot and beat Brazil 1-0 in the previous matchday.

  Although Brazil found a way to win, this was the sixth qualifier in eight that they registered three shots on target or fewer.

  Given that they have also conceded the second-most goals (nine) within the top eight, there is clearly still work to do from Dorival to get them performing at a higher level.