Cavalier SC and Mount Pleasant Academy both expressed optimism ahead of their clash to open the 2024 CONCACAF Caribbean Cup at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica on Tuesday.

The two teams most recently met in a thrilling final of the Jamaica Premier League in May which Cavalier won 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out. 

Head Coach of Cavalier, Rudolph Speid, doesn't expect that result to give his side a mental edge going into Tuesday's clash.

"The phenomenon of this clash is that every time we meet, Mount Pleasant has a new team and we have a lot of changes. It's a new game all over and we just expect to win this particular game," he said in a pre-match press conference on Monday.

The teams will compete in Group A of the ten-team tournament alongside fellow JPL outfit Arnett Gardens FC, Real Hope FC out of Haiti and Police FC out of Trinidad & Tobago.

Cavalier were runners-up in last year’s inaugural edition of the CONCACAF Caribbean Cup, losing the two-legged final by a combined score of 3-0 to Surinamese outfit Robinhood FC.

Something synonymous with Cavalier over the years is their willingness to use young players and Head Coach Rudolph Speid says this will continue to be the team’s policy going forward.

“We don’t have much new faces. Some of the younger players from our youth teams are the ones that have stepped up. That has been our policy and our motto. Every single year, Cavalier will field young players who came through our ranks.”

Despite this inexperience, Speid expects good things from his players when the time comes.

“They know what to expect. Some of them have pretty big shoes to fill and I’m confident that they will do well,” he said.

Trinidadian attacker Kaile Auvray, who joined Cavalier from Mount Pleasant recently, is hopeful that his insight on his former team will give them an added advantage tomorrow.

“Obviously being a former Mount Pleasant player, I know my former teammates very well so I’ll be sure to communicate things that can help us be successful,” he said.

On the other hand, this will be Mount Pleasant Academy’s first time competing in the CONCACAF Caribbean Cup, an achievement that is not lost on Head Coach Harold Thomas.

“It’s been a long-awaited arrival for Mount Pleasant at this level. Our preparation has been relatively smooth. Short period of time but we were able to implement all the things we wanted to. We’re happy with where we are,” he said.

“We are all excited as a club,” said Mount Pleasant skipper Sue-Lae McCalla about playing in their first CONCACAF Caribbean Cup.

“It’s a good feeling. For a new club, the first time so it’s a lot of excitement for us,” he added.

Normally, playing in a tournament of this magnitude for the first time would have a team feeling some pressure.

For Coach Thomas, however, this is not the case.

“Absolutely not,” was his response to questions about whether or not his team is feeling the pressure ahead of tomorrow’s game.

“This is what we live for. For us, it’s just a matter of getting all things right,” he said.

Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini joined an exclusive club on Monday as La Dea's 4-0 win at Lecce saw him pass the landmark of 550 Serie A points with a single club.

Marco Brescianini and Mateo Retegui both scored twice as the Europa League holders got their Serie A campaign off to a flying start at the Stadio Comunale Via del Mare.

The victory saw Gasperini – who joined Atalanta in 2016 – reach 552 points in charge of the Bergamo club, who he led to a fourth-place finish in Serie A last term.

Only four coaches had previously collected 550 or more points with a single club in Serie A: Helenio Herrera with Inter, Carlo Ancelotti with Milan (both 557), Massimiliano Allegri at Juventus (663) and Giovanni Trapattoni, who collected 770 also with the Bianconeri.

Lionel Messi has been omitted from Argentina's upcoming World Cup qualifiers as he continues to recover from an ankle injury sustained in the Copa America final.

The superstar forward limped off a little over an hour into La Albiceleste's 1-0 victory over Colombia in Miami on July 14 and has not featured since.

Messi, 37, did not play in the MLS All-Star game, with his club side Inter Miami confirming he had sustained ligament damage to his right ankle and no timeline has been put on his return.

Lionel Scaloni has the likes of Julian Alvarez, Lautaro Martinez and Nicolas Gonzales to call upon, while Lazio forward Valentin Castellanos earns a first call-up.

Argentina face Chile in Buenos Aires on September 5 before travelling to Bogota for a rematch with Colombia five days later.

Scaloni's side, who are hoping to defend their World Cup title in 2026 by qualifying for the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada, are top of CONMEBOL qualifying with five wins from six matches.

The top six nations from CONMEBOL qualify for the tournament, while seventh place goes into a play-off for an additional berth.

Ilkay Gundogan has announced his retirement from international football after captaining Germany on home soil at Euro 2024.

Gundogan captained Germany in all five of their matches as they reached the quarter-finals of their home tournament, ultimately suffering a 2-1 extra-time defeat against Spain.

The midfielder was initially handed the captain's armband by Hansi Flick in the absence of the injured Manuel Neuer last year, retaining it under new head coach Julian Nagelsmann despite Neuer's return to fitness.

Gundogan played a total of 82 games for his country, scoring 19 goals including two at major tournaments – versus Japan at the 2022 World Cup and Hungary at this year's Euros.

Amid rampant speculation over his future at club level, the Barcelona man – who has been linked with a return to former club Manchester City – confirmed his international career was over on Monday.

In a statement posted to X, Gundogan wrote: "After a few weeks of reflection, I have come to the conclusion that it is time to end my national team career. 

"I look back with great pride on 82 caps for my home country – a number I could never have dreamed of when I made my senior debut in 2011. 

"My highlight was clearly the huge honour of being able to lead the team as captain at our home European Championships this summer! 

"After all these years, we have finally succeeded in making the nation proud again – the fact that I was able to play a part in this makes me very happy. 

"But even before the tournament, I felt a certain tiredness in my body, and also in my head, which made me think, and the games at club level are not getting less. 

"I will definitely remain a fan of this national team and very much hope that the upward trend can be continued together, and there is nothing to stop us from being one of the closest title contenders at the 2026 World Cup."

Gundogan recorded one assist at Euro 2024, as well as averaging 32.8 successful passes per 90 minutes, 25.9 of which were in the opposition half. 

His international retirement comes amid reports suggesting he will be leaving Barcelona after just one season with the Catalan giants, who he joined on a free transfer in June 2023.

Gundogan is reportedly attracting interest from clubs in Turkiye and Saudi Arabia as well as City, where he won five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four EFL Cups and the Champions League between 2016 and 2023.

The former Borussia Dortmund midfielder's last domestic appearance for City saw him score twice in last year's FA Cup final victory over Manchester United, with his first goal being the fastest scored in FA Cup final history, coming just 12 seconds after kick-off. 

The Premier League is back, and it was complete with plenty of thrills and spills on the opening weekend.

Champions Manchester City began their title defence with a relatively routine 2-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, while Liverpool kick-started the Arne Slot era by beating promoted Ipswich Town by the same scoreline.

Manchester United left it late against Fulham, new Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler enjoyed a fantastic start to his tenure, though that was not the case for Julen Lopetegui at West Ham, and Arsenal were comfortable victors over Wolves. 

However, who were the lucky winners and unlucky losers based on the underlying metrics from this weekend's matches?

With the use of Opta data, let's find out.

Lucky winners: Aston Villa

Jhon Duran's cool finish got Villa over the line against West Ham, with Unai Emery's team clinching a 2-1 win at the London Stadium. The Hammers, who handed debuts to six players during the match, had cancelled out Amadou Onana's early opener when Lucas Paqueta converted a penalty.

And even though Villa got the job done, they were not exactly defensively solid, with only Ipswich (2.65) registering a higher expected goals against (xGA) than Emery's team (2.46) this weekend, albeit a large chunk (.78) of that was down to the Hammers' penalty.

That being said, Villa did face 14 shots, with Tomas Soucek squandering some big chances late on, while having 15 going the other way and accumulating 2.03 xG themselves, so a draw would have perhaps been a fair result.

Lucky winners: Newcastle United

There was plenty of drama at St James' Park, with Newcastle overcoming Fabian Schar's dismissal to beat Southampton 1-0.

Southampton created 1.77 xG, with Villa the only team to have won at the weekend while registering a higher xGA than Newcastle.

The Magpies had only three shots - the lowest figure of any team this weekend - and produced just 0.25 xG, but it is the scoreline that matters, with Joelinton's goal clinching three points.

Unlucky losers: Southampton

Naturally, with Newcastle coming in as a lucky winner, then Southampton classify as an unlucky loser.

Russell Martin's team love to have the ball, and they capitalised on their numerical advantage by having 77.8% of the possession, registering 649 passes to Newcastle's 118.

It was certainly not a case of keeping the ball for the sake of it, though. Southampton had 48 touches in Newcastle's box (going the other way, the hosts had only 14) and made 67 final-third entries, mustering 19 shots. Getting only four of those attempts on target is obviously an issue, but Martin can consider his team unfortunate.

Unlucky losers: Chelsea

Manchester City were comfortable winners at Stamford Bridge, but is there cause for some positivity for Enzo Maresca after his first competitive match in charge?

Chelsea limited City to 0.77 xG from 11 shots (0.07 per attempt), while accumulating 1.01 going the other way from 10 efforts.

Indeed, had Nicolas Jackson not needlessly strayed offside before capitalising on Ederson's first-half parry to slot home, it might have been a different story for the Blues, so there is some reason to be cheerful.

Real Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay has revealed the club will talk to Arsenal over a potential transfer for Mikel Merino, admitting the midfielder has a price.

Merino was left out of La Real's squad for their opening match of the season in LaLiga on Sunday, a 2-1 defeat at home to Rayo Vallecano.

The 28-year-old, who was part of the Spain team that won Euro 2024 last month, has made 242 appearances for La Real since joining from Newcastle United in 2018.

Reports have suggested Arsenal are working to bring him back to the Premier League in the closing days of the transfer window, with a fee of around £29.8million mooted after Merino entered the final 12 months of his contract in San Sebastian.

Aperribay has now revealed La Real are open to a sale for the right price after Merino indicated he was unwilling to renew his deal with the club.

"Merino was clear that he didn't want to say he was renewing and then leave. It wasn't a surprise to us," Aperribay told Basque Country radio station Onda Vasca.

"Unfortunately, one of the teams we didn't want to show up showed up. We will talk to Arsenal and defend the interests of La Real.

"When we consider that the offer is good, we will say yes. We know what Merino's wishes are, so we decided that he should not be called up [on Sunday]."

The sporting director of the German national team, Rudi Voller, believes “it probably makes sense” for Leon Goretzka to leave Bayern Munich in the transfer window. 

Goretzka, who has made 221 appearances for Bayern since his move from Schalke in 2018, has played a bit-part role ahead of the new Bundesliga season. 

The 29-year-old was not included in Vincent Kompany's side for their 4-0 win over German second division side Ulm in the DFB Pokal last Friday. 

He was also left out of Julian Nagelsmann's Germany squad for Euro 2024 despite featuring in four of their 10 international fixtures leading up to the tournament. 

Goretzka started in 25 of his 30 Bundesliga appearances last season, winning 23 of his 41 tackles, only ranking the sixth highest in the Bayern squad. 

And with qualifying for the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, Voller believes it is best for the midfielder to end his time with the 33-time Bundesliga champions. 

“He logically still has the quality to be part of the 2026 World Cup. It probably makes sense for him to move if he still has these aspirations," Voller

“It makes sense to play somewhere else again. But in the end he has to decide for himself.”

Stefan Effenberg, who most recently acted as sporting director for KFC Uerdingen 05, echoed Voller's comments surrounding Goretzka's future at the club. 

"The players Bayern have brought in will take Bayern to a new level," said Effenberg on the current state of the Bayern squad. 

"It's also a fact that you still have a lot of players with whom you don't want to go into the new season. There is still a need to let go of one or the other.

"There are still many question marks at Bayern, they wanted to finish planning early. They didn't succeed. 

"You won't be nominated for the European Championship, you don't play a role in pre-season and you're not even in the squad against Ulm.

"You have to be sensible enough to say, 'Wait a minute, I don't want to go to the training ground every day and know that I'm not in the squad.' That wears you down."

Harry Maguire believes he is in a "good place" and is ready to play a key role in what could be a big season for Manchester United.

Maguire started alongside Lisandro Martinez as United started their Premier League campaign with a 1-0 victory over Fulham on Friday, Joshua Zirkzee coming on to net a late winner on his Red Devils debut.

Maguire was expected to leave Old Trafford this time last year but chose to stay and fight for his place, ultimately making 22 Premier League appearances as fellow centre-backs Martinez, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof were plagued by injuries.

The England international started 18 league games last campaign, having only recorded eight starts throughout Erik ten Hag's first season at the helm in 2022-23.

A calf injury prevented Maguire from featuring for England as they finished as runners-up to Spain at Euro 2024, but he feels physically and mentally ready for his sixth season with United. 

"I feel good, I feel fit. Physically and mentally, I'm in a good place and I'm looking forward to a big season," Maguire told the club's media channels.

"There are so many games this season. I'm sure there's going to be a lot of changes to come, game to game, in the starting eleven. 

"When your turn is upon you, you need to take your chance. It's one that we'll need a big squad for. I feel fit and ready to go and I'm looking forward to the season."

United's eighth-place finish in 2023-24 was their lowest in the Premier League era, while they also conceded more league goals (58) than in any campaign since 1978-79 (63).

However, the Red Devils did finish the campaign with a 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final – a result that likely saved Ten Hag's job as the Dutchman was handed a new contract.

Maguire wants to deliver further silverware in 2024-25 but is also aware of the need for an improved league showing, adding: "Obviously, we want to be in the Champions League spots.

"We missed out for this season as we weren't good enough in the league. I think we don't really want to set any targets but I think this club demands trophies. 

"We want to win another trophy, of course, and in the Premier League we know there's large improvements that we need to make from what we did last season. 

"For sure, we've got to improve on last season and let's see where it takes us."

Leicester City have announced the signing of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Oliver Skipp ahead of the sides' Premier League encounter on Monday. 

Skipp, who made 106 appearances across five seasons with Spurs, has put pen to paper on a five-year contract for a reported £20m fee at the King Power Stadium. 

The 23-year-old featured in 21 league games under Ange Postecoglou last year, five of which were starts, totalling to 694 minutes of action. 

He enjoyed his best campaign during the 2022-23 season, making 31 appearances in all competitions and scoring his only goal for the club in a 2-0 win over Chelsea. 

During that season, Skipp completed 659 passes, bettering the likes of Son Heung-min (644), Harry Kane (613) and Dejan Kulusevski (558). 

Skipp reunites with new Foxes boss Steve Cooper, having previously worked together during the Welshman's time in the England youth set-up. 

The midfielder was also part of the Three Lions side that won the European Under-21 Championship last year, playing 17 minutes in their 1-0 win over Spain in the final. 

“I’m really excited to sign. I’ve got the feeling that it’s a good group of people and a good group of players," Skipp told Leicester's official website.

"I’m sure that we’ve got a squad capable of challenging in every game. You look around the squad and there’s lots of exciting players who have played in the Premier League and I’m really excited to see what this group can achieve.

“I had conversations with the people here and they gave me a feeling of warmth and that they were excited to have me on board.

"As a player, when you feel that excitement, that’s something you can use to develop your game.

"The staff here know me as well - Steve [Cooper], I have worked with at England, so there’s definitely a good relationship there and I’m keen to push on and show what I can do.”

Ange Postecoglou has declared his desire to “win things” during his second season as Tottenham manager.

The 58-year-old joined Spurs last summer after two seasons as Celtic boss, during which time he lifted five trophies, including the Scottish Premiership twice.

During his first season in North London, Postecoglou guided Spurs to a fifth-place finish, just two points away from Champions League qualification but 25 points adrift of champions Manchester City.

While the attention on the Australian might have lessened since his headline-grabbing start to last season, his hopes have certainly not diminished.

 "I guess I'm not the shiny new thing anymore, so there's other new managers. People can go off and discover them and their childhood and not have to speak about mine anymore,” he told Sky Sports.

"Usually in my second season I win things. That's the whole idea. First year is about establishing principles and creating a foundation. Hopefully the second year is going on to win things.

“That's always the way I've looked at it, is that the second year you should be in a position where you can push on, depending on how the first year has gone.”

Postecoglou is realistic about the challenges of achieving his goals, however. After a blistering start to last season saw Spurs top the table in late October, injuries saw them struggle.

As momentum dropped, they suffered heavy defeats to Newcastle United and Fulham later in the season.

Should Postecoglou want a chance of silverware this season, they will need to sustain their early-season form far longer.

“Of course, it's easier said than done, particularly in the Premier League and the competition we're in,” he added.

"Last year we had some really good moments, obviously we had some tough moments.

“We learnt as much from the tough moments as we did from the good stuff and hopefully that means we're in a good place. We're definitely a better-prepared team than we were last year."

Tottenham face newly-promoted Leicester City in their Premier League opener on Monday.

Thierry Henry has stepped down from his role as France Under-21's head coach after guiding his side to a silver medal at the Paris Olympics. 

Henry, who was appointed last year on a contract until June 2025, said he was moving away from the position due to reasons personal to him. 

The former Arsenal striker led Les Bleus to a first final at the Games since 1984 in Paris, but fell agonisngly short in the showpiece match against Spain. 

Two goals in extra-time from Sergio Camello secured La Roja a second gold medal after France had come from 3-1 down to force extra-time at the Parc des Princes. 

During his time in charge of the Olympic squad, Henry won eight of his 11 games in charge (two draws and one loss) while also scoring 31 goals in that time. 

His side conceded 12 times during his tenure, with five of those coming in their gold medal match against Spain at the Games. 

"I would like to thank the FFF and the president Philippe Diallo who offered me this incredible opportunity," Henry said in a statement.

"Winning the silver medal at the Olympic Games for my country will remain one of the proudest things I have ever had.

"I am incredibly grateful to the Federation, the players, the staff and the fans who have given me a magical experience."

Thierry Henry has stepped down from his role as France's Under-23 head coach after guiding his side to a silver medal at the Paris Olympics. 

Henry, who was appointed last year on a contract until June 2025, said he was moving away from the position due to reasons personal to him. 

The former Arsenal striker led Les Bleus to a first final at the Games since 1984 in Paris, but fell agonisngly short in the showpiece match against Spain. 

Two goals in extra-time from Sergio Camello secured La Roja a second gold medal after France had come from 3-1 down to force extra-time at the Parc des Princes. 

During his time in charge of the Olympic squad, Henry won eight of his 11 games in charge (two draws and one loss) while also scoring 31 goals in that time. 

His side conceded 12 times during his tenure, with five of those coming in their gold medal match to Spain at the Games. 

"I would like to thank the FFF and the president Philippe Diallo who offered me this incredible opportunity," Henry said in a statement.

"Winning the silver medal at the Olympic Games for my country will remain one of the proudest things I have ever had.

"I am incredibly grateful to the Federation, the players, the staff and the fans who have given me a magical experience."

Zlatko Dalic has named Luka Modric in Croatia's 24-man squad for their upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures next month. 

Modric, who has made 178 appearances for his nation, has been picked alongside Manchester City duo Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic to face Portugal and Poland. 

Following their group stage exit at Euro 2024, there was speculation about whether the 39-year-old midfielder would continue to play for the national side. 

Both Domagoj Vida and Marcelo Brozovic, who starred alongside Modric at recent major tournaments, announced their retirement from international football after the European Championships. 

But Dalic confirmed the Real Madrid midfielder is in his plans for their games next month as they look to build towards qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. 

"The Nations League will be a good platform for us to create a team that will start qualifying for the 2026 World Cup next year," head coach Dalic said.

"Compared to this year's Euro, we lost two senators, Vida and Brozovic, but we are all happy that the captain is still with us - Luka is our great strength on and off the field."

Modric's goal against Italy at Euro 2024 saw him become the oldest player to ever score at the finals at the age of 38 years and 289 days. 

The former Ballon d'Or winner has featured in both of Los Blancos' games this season, coming on as a substitute in both, which included claiming his 27th major honour in Madrid's Super Cup win against Atalanta. 

Yann Sommer has announced his retirement from international football after a 12-year career representing Switzerland.

The Inter goalkeeper made his international debut in 2012 and has since racked up 94 caps and kept 33 clean sheets.

Sommer was ever-present during Switzerland’s impressive run to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals in Germany, where they lost to eventual finalists England on penalties.

Euro 2024 marked his fifth major tournament with the Swiss national team having also received call-ups for Euro 2016 and 2020 and the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

The 35-year-old will now focus solely on domestic football as he continues his career in Serie A.

"After careful consideration, I have decided to end my career as a goalkeeper for the Swiss national team," Sommer posted on Instagram.

"With the conclusion of another great final round at the European Championship in our neighbouring country Germany, where I previously spent unforgettable years in the Bundesliga, the time has now come to say goodbye."

Diogo Jota is confident of flourishing as a central striker under new Liverpool head coach Arne Slot after his impressive opening day display against Ipswich Town. 

Jota netted the opening goal of Liverpool's first 2024-25 Premier League encounter on Saturday, finding the far corner in the 60th minute after he was picked out by Mohamed Salah.

Salah subsequently marked his 350th Liverpool appearance with his 300th goal involvement (212 goals and 88 assists) five minutes later to secure the win at Portman Road. 

Jota has now been involved in 10 goals in his last 10 Premier League appearances for Liverpool, scoring seven and assisting three.

The Portugal international contributed an expected goals (xG) of 0.95 to the Reds' 2.65 total against Kieran McKenna's side, the highest of any player from either team

He also recorded 11 touches in the opposition box, the joint-most in the Liverpool squad alongside Luis Diaz and Salah, while also winning six of his 13 contested duels. 

Slot spoke of his belief that Jota's best position is in the centre of the attack, with the 27-year-old agreeing with his new boss. 

"It's obviously a bit different from [Jurgen] Klopp where I maybe was useful out wide," Jota told Liverpool's official website.  

"I think here he [Slot] wants our wingers a lot more in one-v-ones and I think we have better options than myself.

"If I stay in the middle and wait for those chances to come in and score them, I think that is what I do the best so you can take that into the season."

Liverpool struggled in the first 45 minutes against Ipswich, managing just three shots on Christian Walton's goal, none of which were on target. 

But a much-improved display after the interval saw the Reds muster 15 shots, five of which were on target with 12 coming from inside the penalty area. 

And with Brentford up next in the Reds' first home game of the new season, Jota said their second-half showing has given the team a solid foundation to build on. 

"Yeah, a positive performance. Obviously, the first half was a bit harder, they were really on it [and] pressing almost man-v-man," Jota said. 

“The fans were there and we knew it was going to be a difficult first half because they would give it all – [it is] a long time since they have been in the Premier League.

“And then the second half they started giving us a little bit more space, which was enough for us to start building and start creating those spaces in behind.

"We created a lot of chances and we ended up scoring two, so in the end I think it's a deserved three points."