Emma Hayes insisted that she will seek to solve "easy fixes" from her United States players despite a resounding 3-0 victory over Zambia in their opening game at the Paris Olympics.
Trinity Rodman's 17th minute strike was followed up by a quickfire double from Mallory Swanson to ensure a winning start to Group B.
Swanson's brace came within 66 seconds of each other, netting the fastest two goals by a single player in a major tournament in the team's history.
Lindsey Horan notched two assists in Nice, becoming the fifth player in USWNT history with multiple assists in an Olympic match, joining Mia Hamm, Heather O’Reilly, Megan Rapinoe and Julie Ertz.
Plenty was made of the United States' form heading into the Games, having endured a goalless draw in their final pre-tournament fixture with Costa Rica.
However, their ruthless first-half showing saw Hayes become the first coach to win their first major tournament match in charge of the USA by a margin of three or more goals.
The former Chelsea head coach has also helped her side keep five clean sheets in her first five games in charge, a record only bettered by Greg Ryan (nine).
In spite of their strong showing, Hayes' side underperformed their expected goals (xG) by 1.96, with only eight of their 27 shots on target in the contest.
They missed a total of nine big chances, while also having 58 touches in the opposition's box compared to Zambia's 11.
But having seen other tournament favourites Spain and Germany kickstart their respective campaigns with victories, Hayes is confident her side can improve to claim a record-extending fifth gold medal.
“The first part of the first half was exceptional,” Hayes said. “To come out the way we did, the intention, the intensity, the decision-making, the execution, it should have been at least 5-0 at half-time.
"There was things within our structure I didn’t like. But that’s easy fixes.
“If we had asked me at the beginning of the game ‘would you be happy with a 3-0 winner?’ I probably would have said no.
"However, for the performance and the chances created and finding the back of the net, I don’t want to be too hard on the players.”
The United States continue their Group B campaign on Sunday where they will face Germany, before travelling to Marseille to face Australia next week.
On the back of a vintage display of power hitting from Captain Kieron Pollard and some responsible batting from Nicholas Pooran, defending champions MI New York booked a spot in the 2024 Major League Cricket Playoffs with a four-wicket win over the Los Angeles Knight Riders at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, Texas on Sunday.
Both teams entered Sunday’s clash knowing a win would be good enough for them to join the San Francisco Unicorns, Washington Freedom and Texas Super Kings in the playoffs.
After winning the toss and electing to field first, MI New York restricted the LA Knight Riders to 130 all out off 19.1 overs.
The hard-hitting Andre Russell did the bulk of the scoring for the Sunil Narine-led knight Riders with 35 while Jason Roy hit 27 at the top of the innings.
Leg-spinner Rashid Khan was the pick of the New York bowlers with 3-22 from his four overs while Nosthush Kenjige and Trent Boult supported well with two wickets, each.
MI New York then needed only 17 overs to reach 134-6 and book their spot in the playoffs after winning just one of their first six games of the season.
Nicholas Pooran led the way with 35 off 28 balls but it was Pollard’s blistering 33* off just 12 balls that sealed victory.
Pooran’s knock included two fours and as many sixes while Pollard hit two fours and three sixes.
Dewald Brevis also chipped in with a 19-ball 27.
Narine took 2-24 from his four overs for the Knight Riders.
Full Scores:
LA Knight Riders 130 all out off 19.1 overs (Andre Russell 35, Jason Roy 27, Rashid Khan 3-22, Nosthush Kenjige 2-22, Trent Boult 2-38)
MI New York 134-6 off 17 overs (Nicholas Pooran 35, Kieron Pollard 33*, Dewald Brevis 27, Sunil Narine 2-24)
Jamaica's Reggae Boyz have fallen six places in the latest FIFA global rankings, following a dismal performance in the 2024 Copa America. The recent rankings, released on Wednesday, also saw drops for other CONCACAF teams, with the USA and Mexico slipping down the order.
The Reggae Boyz, now ranked 59th globally after slipping six places, faced a string of defeats in the tournament, losing 1-0 to Mexico, 3-0 to Venezuela, and 3-1 to Mexico, finishing at the bottom of Group B. This poor showing prompted immediate repercussions, with Head Coach Heimir Hallgrímsson resigning post-tournament. Hallgrímsson has since accepted a new role as the head coach of the Republic of Ireland.
The Jamaica Football Federation are currently in an advanced stage of hiring a new head coach, who is expected to reverse the team's flagging fortunes.
Mexico, now ranked 17th, experienced a downturn as well, falling two places in the rankings after their struggles. They were defeated 1-0 by Venezuela and held to a goalless draw by Ecuador. The USA, previously the highest-ranked CONCACAF team, slipped five places to 16th. Their Copa America campaign started promisingly with a 2-0 victory over Bolivia, but subsequent losses to Panama (2-1) and Uruguay (1-0) saw them finish third in Group C, leading to the dismissal of Head Coach Gregg Berhalter.
In contrast, Canada saw a significant boost, climbing eight places to 40th after an impressive run that saw them finish fourth in the Copa America. Coached by Jesse Marsch, Canada's journey in the tournament included a second-place finish in Group A, with a win, a loss, and a draw. They advanced to the knockout stages and eliminated Venezuela 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regulation. Although they lost 2-0 to Argentina in the semi-finals and succumbed to Uruguay in the third-place playoff, their performance was enough to propel them up the rankings
Argentina are Copa America champions once again.
They were the pre-tournament favourites according to Opta's supercomputer, and they lived up to the billing in the United States, retaining their title and winning the Copa America for a record 16th time.
Lionel Scaloni's team beat Colombia 1-0 in Sunday's final, despite Lionel Messi going off injured and in tears, with Lautaro Martinez sealing victory in extra time.
Martinez was one of the standout positives from the Copa America, but who were the others, and which teams and players failed to impress?
THE TOPS
Argentina
Let's start with the champions. They won the Copa America while only conceding one goal in their six matches, with Scaloni's success built on a mean defence, rather than just the magic of Messi.
Indeed, Messi's magic was in somewhat short supply. He was a creative fulcrum in Argentina's opening win over Canada, and then scored his only goal of the tournament against Jesse Marsch's team in a semi-final reunion, but injuries plagued his campaign.
He was in tears as he made his way to the bench in Sunday's final, but nevertheless bowed out of what will surely be his final Copa America as a back-to-back champion.
Argentina were not always pretty, but with the now-retired Angel Di Maria and Golden Boot winner Martinez picking up the slack, along with Emiliano Martinez in fine form between the sticks, they got the job done.
Lautaro Martinez
Argentina's hero was not Messi in the end, but instead it was Martinez, who completed something of a redemption arc after he endured a poor World Cup on a personal level in Qatar, where he failed to convert any of his 14 attempts at goal.
Indeed, Martinez headed into the Copa America without having scored for Argentina in World Cup 2026 qualifying, and he was not going to be a regular starter.
Well, he wasn't a regular starter, playing only 221 minutes, but he scored five times to clinch the Golden Boot, matching the best tally by Argentine players at the Copa America since the turn of the century (Messi in 2016, Juan Roman Riquelme in 2007).
Martinez scored every 44 minutes on average, having 11 shots and outperforming his 3.26 xG.
James Rodriguez
Messi might have been unable to take a starring role, but James Rodriguez ensured there was one number 10 who took centre-stage at this edition of the tournament.
James was not picked for Colombia's squad in 2021, yet he has been made his team's main man again by Nestor Lorenzo, who was rewarded by some quite sensational displays.
The 33-year-old provided six assists, breaking the record Messi set in 2021 (five), while creating a tournament-leading 20 chances, six more than any other player.
James wanted the ultimate prize, but ultimately had to settle with being named the Copa America Player of the Tournament.
Marcelo Bielsa
El Loco is back in business, and even though Uruguay didn't reach the final, falling short in the semis, they are a team moulded in their coach's profile.
Bielsa has his side playing front-foot, fast-paced football, but they are also stern defenders, as they proved in a goalless draw with Brazil, which they then won on penalties despite having gone down to 10 men.
The future is bright with Bielsa at the helm.
Jesse Marsch and Canada
Not much was expected of tournament debutants Canada, but two years in advance of co-hosting the World Cup, the Reds went on a great run to the semi-finals.
Sure, they only won one match in normal time, but a penalty shoot-out victory over Venezuela in the quarters teed up a rematch against Argentina and the champions just had too much quality (again).
Jesse Marsch's stock was low after he was sacked by Leeds United, but after a spell out of the game, this job looks to be the perfect fit for the confident American.
And with Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David spearheading Canada's hopes in 2026, perhaps something special is on the cards.
THE FLOPS
Brazil
Dorival Junior, who took over as Brazil head coach in January, has asked for time and patience to complete a rebuild, having left several big names out due to a lack of form or fitness. Neymar, of course, was also absent, having missed pretty much all of last season due to injury.
But the Selecao really did flop at this Copa America.
Their only win came against Paraguay (4-1) in the group stage, and their failure to top Group D meant they went up against Uruguay in the last eight.
Vinicius Junior scored a double against Paraguay but then got himself suspended for the clash with La Celeste. If he had been available, maybe matters might have been different, but as it was, the nine-time Copa America champions crashed out.
United States
The USA were meant to go far at what was a dress rehearsal for the 2026 World Cup. Instead, they slumped out in the group stage and Gregg Berhalter was fired.
It is the first time the Stars and Stripes have failed to advance after winning their opening group-stage match of a tournament, having previously advanced all 23 times they had won their opener.
After beating Bolivia, USA lost to Panama and Uruguay in a damp squib of a campaign.
US Soccer must now try and move on from the Berhalter era. They have a talented squad at their disposal, but a golden generation could be wasted if they do not get their next appointment right.
Jurgen Klopp has reportedly been approached, and reportedly turned that offer down, too.
The organisers
From poor pitches to poor organisation, CONMEBOL did not come out of this tournament well.
Bielsa and Marsch both lambasted the governing body during their final press conferences, while Messi and Scaloni were critical of the quality of the playing surfaces.
And then, before the final, crowd trouble outside Miami's Hard Rock stadium forced the postponement of the showpiece. Oh, and there was also that matter of fighting in the stands between Uruguay players and Colombia fans.
There's work to do on that front.
Mexico
Only twice in 10 previous participations at the Copa America had Mexico gone out in the group stage, failing to win a game in back-to-back editions in 2011 and 2015.
El Tri did manage a victory this time around, beating Jamaica 1-0 in their Group B opener, but that was as good as it got as a 1-0 loss to Venezuela and a goalless draw with Ecuador saw them edged out on goal difference, finishing third in their pool.
Mexico scored just once from chances totalling 4.86 xG, their forwards letting them down as they recorded the second-worst underperformance at the tournament (behind Canada, - 4.36).
Darwin Nunez
Nunez was wasteful for Liverpool throughout the 2023-24 season, and things did not change for him at the Copa America despite Uruguay entertaining en route to the semi-finals.
His two goals, both of which came in the group stage, came from a total of 21 shots worth 2.68 xG, and only five of those efforts saw him hit the target.
His figure of 1.93 expected goals on target (xGoT), meanwhile, demonstrated the way in which his sub-par finishing made opportunities less likely to result in a goal.
Nunez's tournament then ended with the forward being involved in violent clashes with Colombia fans after La Celeste's semi-final defeat.
The San Francisco Unicorns opened up their 2024 Major League Cricket season with a dominant six-wicket win over the Los Angeles Knight Riders at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas on Sunday.
West Indian all-rounder Andre Russell hit a whirlwind 25-ball 40* to lead the Knight Riders to 165-6 from their 20 overs after being put in to bat by the Unicorns.
Russell’s innings included two fours and three sixes.
Bangladeshi all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan chipped in with 35 off 26 balls including six fours.
Pacers Brody Couch and Haris Rauf took 2-24 and 2-38 from four overs, respectively.
The Unicorns then needed just 15.2 overs to reach 166-4 thanks to 63 from man of the match, Finn Allen and 58 from Matthew Short.
New Zealand’s Allen faced 37 balls and hit five fours to go along with five sixes while Australia’s Short hit five sixes and three fours in his 26-ball knock.
Spencer Johnson took 3-36 from his four overs for the Knight Riders.
Full Scores:
LA Knight Riders 165-6 off 20 overs (Andre Russell 40*, Shakib Al Hasan 35, Jason Roy 26, Brody Couch 2-24, Haris Rauf 2-38)
San Francisco Unicorns 166-4 off 15.2 overs (Finn Allen 63, Matthew Short 58, Spencer Johnson 3-36)
Jesse Marsch believes Canada can build something special as they prepare for their Copa America quarter-final against Venezuela.
Canada are playing in their maiden Copa America and finished second in Group A behind defending champions Argentina after a win over Peru and a draw with Chile following their opening-day defeat to Albiceleste.
They now know that beating the Group B winners will set them up for a rematch against Argentina in the semi-finals if they win on Friday.
Marsch says he knew it was going to be tough when he took the job earlier this year, but has praised the “positive” support that has spurred the team forward.
"I was thinking, 'Why did I take this job with those three opponents [coming] up?'" Marsch said. "I knew when I took the job that the schedule was going to be very difficult, and by the way – put Peru and Chile in there as well – the first five opponents I knew were going to be very difficult.
"But I thought that it would give us a chance to create really high standards for how we wanted to play and that these games would show the players that we need to uphold ourselves to very high standards. I felt that if we could execute, then we could have some success.
"There's real excitement in Canada about the team and the way we've played. That comes with, I think, a real hunger to keep this thing moving forward."
"I'll tell you: I'm glad I'm here, man. Because the people that I work with and the players that I work with, the things that we know that we can achieve together, the support that we have from inside the country, the support system for this entire national team is so positive.
"So, I think it gives us a real chance to develop something and build something and be ready for a big tournament come 2026."
Canada have done better than their 2026 World Cup co-hosts USA, who crashed out in the group stage after winning just one match in Group C.
Asked about his home country's performance at the tournament, Marsch admitted he was disappointed by what he saw.
"I'd like to say that I'm only focused on what we're doing here in Canada, but obviously, I'm paying attention to the U.S. men's national team as I always do, and like you, I'm sad," he added.
"I'm disappointed with the performances, the lack of discipline. There are a lot of things that I think we've tried to embody about the game in the U.S., and we've always believed in this group of players."
The United States may have slumped out of the Copa America, but Gregg Berhalter believes he is still the right coach.
The USA's dress rehearsal for hosting the 2026 World Cup ended with a whimper as they crashed out in the group stage following Monday's 1-0 loss to Uruguay.
That loss, combined with Panama's 3-1 win over Bolivia, sent the host nation packing.
However, Berhalter insisted he is still the right coach for the job.
When asked if he felt he should stay in the role for the 2026 World Cup, he said: "Yes. You have to keep moving forward.
"It's not where you say okay, this program is doomed. That's not the case at all. It was a poor performance, we didn't get the results that we expected and we need to get better."
Mathías Olivera's goal midway through the second half was enough for Marcelo Bielsa's team, who will face the runners-up of Group D, likely to be either Brazil or Colombia, in the last eight.
The USA mustered just eight shots, getting only three of those on target and accumulating 0.56 expected goals (xG) to Uruguay's 1.4.
"We're bitterly disappointed in the results," Berhalter added.
"We know that we're capable of more and at this tournament we didn't show it. It's as simple as that."
Uruguay headed into the tournament as favourites behind Argentina and Brazil, and they have proved their worth by winning all three of their group games.
In fact, they have opened a Copa America with three consecutive victories for the first time since 1959. Additionally, this is the first time La Celeste collected 100% of the available points in an initial phase of the tournament since 1942, when they won all six of their matches and were crowned champions in Montevideo.
With another heavyweight likely to come in the next round, Uruguay assistant coach Diego Reyes said: "They are two great opponents. Colombia is living a very good moment presently. Brazil, we all know they are great, so we're going to start analysing in depth once we are sure who we are going to be against.
"I believe that after some minutes (against the USA), the team was able to find its way. This is a good thing because the upcoming matches will look a lot like this, so I think it's a good comparison point.
"There's always things to correct, and that's what we are going to try to do."
The United States crashed out of the Copa America following a 1-0 defeat by Uruguay, who advanced to the quarter-finals as Group C winners.
The defeat at Arrowsmith Stadium – coupled with Panama's 3-1 victory over bottom side Bolivia – culminated in the Stars and Stripes falling at the first hurdle in their home tournament.
Though both sides were generally lacking a creative spark in the final third, Mathias Olivera's 66th-minute strike was enough to seal the hosts' fate.
Meanwhile, Uruguay ensured a 100% record as they marched into the last eight, where a showdown with the Group D runners-up, likely to be Brazil or Colombia, awaits them in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Each side lost a player to injury during a disjointed first half in Kansas City.
Uruguay's Maximiliano Araujo was stretchered off with suspected concussion following an aerial collision with Tim Ream in the 27th minute, while Folarin Balogun limped off for the hosts four minutes before the break.
The closest either team came to breaking the deadlock was when a quickly taken Uruguay free-kick released Nahitan Nandez, whose clipped effort was cleared away by Ream.
Just after the hour mark, news filtered through from Orlando that Bolivia had equalised against Panama to move Gregg Berhalter's side back up to second place in Group C.
However, the joy was short-lived as a Uruguay free-kick saw Matt Turner parry Ronald Araujo's fierce header straight to Olivera, who just about stayed onside to tuck home the rebound from close range.
Panama regained their lead soon after to leave the Stars and Stripes needing two goals to stand any chance of progressing.
Christian Pulisic and Haji Wright both saw deflected efforts blocked on the line, but that was as close as the tournament hosts came to finding a route back into the contest, as their stubborn opponents held out to inflict the defeat that ended hopes of home glory.
Unblemished Uruguay make Copa America history
When it comes to the Copa America, you write Uruguay off at your peril.
After all, La Celeste have won the competition 15 times – the most recent of these triumphs coming in 2011. It is a tally only matched by reigning champions Argentina. They have also only failed to progress beyond the group stages once in the last 25 years (2016).
And for the first time in their history, Uruguay have now registered a 100% record in a single group stage, while they have also started a single campaign with three straight wins for the first time since 1959.
Marcelo Bielsa was serving a touchline ban, but will return to the dugout for the quarter-finals. Having led Argentina to the final of this competition in 2004, he would love to go the extra step with La Celeste two decades on and get his hands on this trophy.
Unwanted history for departing host nation
For the first time at an international tournament, the USA have failed to advance from the group stage after winning their opening match, having progressed in each of the 23 previous instances.
Despite the defeat against Panama last time out, Berhalter stuck with continuity as his only change was an enforced one with Munus replacing the suspended Timothy Weah.
It meant 10 players had started all three group games for the Stars and Stripes in a major competition for only the fourth time (the feat also occurring at the 1950 World Cup, 1994 World Cup and 2016 Copa America).
Previously unbeaten against Uruguay, they had won their final group match at each of their last six tournaments.
However, their xG of 0.58 demonstrated the lacking of a clinical edge in the final third, with just three shots on target throughout the entire contest.
And despite the best efforts of the Kansas City crowd to rally the players, the hosts just could not get going, and you could not see a route back for them once they fell behind. That proved to be the case.
USA crashed out of the Copa America following a 1-0 defeat by Uruguay, who advanced to the quarter-finals as Group C winners.
The defeat at Arrowsmith Stadium – coupled with Panama's 3-1 victory over bottom side Bolivia – culminated in the Stars and Stripes falling at the first hurdle in their own tournament.
Though both sides were generally lacking a creative spark in the final third, Mathias Olivera's 66th-minute strike was enough to seal the hosts' fate.
Meanwhile, Uruguay ensured a 100% record as they marched into the last eight, where a showdown with the Group D runners-up awaits them in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Each side lost a player to injury during a disjointed first half in Kansas City.
Uruguay's Maximiliano Araujo was stretchered off with suspected concussion following an aerial collision with Tim Ream in the 27th minute, while Folarin Balogun limped off for the hosts four minutes before the break.
The closest either team came to breaking the deadlock was on 33 minutes when a quickly taken Uruguay free-kick released Nahitan Nandez, whose clipped effort towards goal was cleared away by Ream.
Just after the hour mark, news filtered through from Orlando that Bolivia had equalised against Panama to move Gregg Berhalter's side back up to second place in Group C.
However, the joy was short-lived as a Uruguay free-kick saw Matt Turner parry Ronald Araujo's fierce header straight to Olivera, who just about stayed onside to tuck home the rebound from close range.
Panama regained their lead soon after to leave the Stars and Stripes needing two goals to stand any chance of progressing.
Christian Pulisic and Haji Wright both saw deflected efforts blocked on the line, but that was as close as the tournament hosts came to finding a route back into the contest, as their stubborn opponents held out to inflict the defeat that ended hopes of home glory.
Unblemished Uruguay make Copa America history
When it comes to the Copa America, you write Uruguay off at your peril.
After all, La Celeste have won the competition 15 times – the most recent of these triumphs coming in 2011. It is a tally only matched by reigning champions Argentina. They have also only failed to progress beyond the group stages once in the last 25 years (2016).
And for the first time in their history, Uruguay have now registered a 100% record in a single group stage, while they have also started a single campaign with three straight wins for the first time since 1959.
Marcelo Bielsa was serving a touchline ban, but will return to the dugout for the quarter-finals. Having led Argentina to the final of this competition in 2004, he would love to go the extra step with La Celeste two decades on and get his hands on this trophy.
Unwanted history for departing host nation
For the first time at an international tournament, USA have failed to advance from the group stage after winning their opening match, having progressed in each of the 23 previous instances.
Despite the defeat against Panama last time out, Berhalter stuck with continuity as his only change was an enforced one with Munus replacing the suspended Timothy Weah.
It meant 10 players had started all three group games for the Stars and Stripes in a major competition for only the fourth time (the feat also occurring at the 1950 World Cup, 1994 World Cup and 2016 Copa America).
Previously unbeaten against Uruguay, they had won their final group match at each of their last six tournaments.
However, their xG of 0.58 demonstrated the lacking of a clinical edge in the final third, with just three shots on target throughout the entire contest.
And despite the best efforts of the Kansas City crowd to rally the players, the hosts just could not get going, and you could not see a route back for them once they fell behind. That proved to be the case.
Alex Morgan has been left out of the United States Paris Olympics squad ahead of the games in July.
Morgan, who has scored 123 goals in 224 appearances for her country, has appeared at every Olympics for Team USA since Beijing 2008 and won gold at London 2012.
The two-time World Cup winner has not scored in her past eight games for San Diego Wave after recently recovering from an ankle injury.
"Today, I'm disappointed about not having the opportunity to represent my country on the Olympic stage," posted Morgan on social media. "This will always be a tournament that is close to my heart and I take immense pride an time I put on the crest.
"In less than a month I look forward to supporting this team and cheering them on alongside the rest of our country."
Former Chelsea boss Emma Hayes will take charge of her first tournament as the USA manager, and has opted for Trinity Rodman, Jaedyn Shaw, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson as her main forward options.
"It was a tough decision, especially considering Alex's history and record with this team, but I felt I wanted to go in another direction and selected other players," Hayes said.
Women's football in Paris begins on 25 July, with the gold-medal match taking place on August 10.
The United States, who won bronze at Tokyo 2020, are drawn in Group B where they will face Zambia, Germany and Australia.
For a long time, West Indies ODI skipper Shai Hope was looked at as a batsman who would struggle in the shortest form of the game because of what many described as an inability to score quickly.
Over the last couple years, however, Hope has rubbished those sentiments thanks to some destructive batting performances in the CPL as well as in leagues around the world.
His evolution as a T20 batsman was none more evident than during the West Indies’ game against the USA at the ICC T20 World Cup on Friday in his home country of Barbados.
Looking to bounce back from a loss to England in their first game of the Super 8 on Wednesday, the joint hosts dismissed their American counterparts for 128 after losing the toss at the Kensington Oval.
The West Indians then needed only 10.5 overs to reach 130-1, with Hope finishing 82* off just 39 balls. In a brilliant display of power hitting, Hope hit eight sixes and four fours on the way to his highest score in T20 Internationals.
“Clinical,” was how Hope described the team’s performance on Friday in a post-match press conference.
“Especially coming off the loss that we had a couple days ago. It's great to see the guys understood the assignment today and we played the cricket that we wanted to play. It's important for us to continue in this vein because we see what's at stake now. But yeah, very happy with the bounce back that we did today and there's a lot more cricket to play and we're looking forward to it,” he added.
On his own individual performance, Hope was happy to perform in front of his home crowd.
“Yeah, it was an amazing crowd. It's nice to see everyone came out and support us today. Something that we get in the Caribbean when we're doing well, we tend to see a lot more supporters out there. So that means we must be doing something right if you've got a solo crowd. But yeah, the crowd was rocking today,” he said.
“I thought that the support was amazing. Again, I'm from Barbados so playing in front of this lovely crowd meant a lot more to me. Scoring some runs and winning the game for the team felt even more special so I'm very happy to do that,” Hope added.
At the start of the tournament, Hope was on the outside of the XI looking in. He missed the first three games before coming into the side ahead of Roston Chase in the third game against Afghanistan where he 25 batting at number four.
The 30-year-old was then left out once again for the Super 8 opener against England. A side strain suffered by Brandon King during that game meant Hope was given an opportunity at the top of the order against the USA, an opportunity that he grabbed with both hands.
“Yeah, it's a great feeling. Again, whatever the team requires, that's me. Unfortunately, King had to leave us. Hopefully, he recovers quickly. But yeah, I had to go at the top this time around and the aim was just to get off to a good start. You see the importance of finishing the game early as well. So yeah, I had a good time in the middle, good surface and I enjoyed batting tonight,” he said.
“Just have to stay ready in a tournament like this. There's a reason why we have 15 players. All of them need to be ready whenever the time comes,” he added.
Finally, Hope issued a plea to the fans of the West Indies to continue supporting them on their journey to a third ICC T20 World Cup title.
“Keep rallying. That's our motto. We always talk about rallying around the West Indies. That's exactly what we need to keep doing. The team rallying around each other. The fans need to do the same. We're out there fighting for each and every one of us. So, you understand the importance and the magnitude of the tournament. We're playing a home World Cup, something that I'm sure a lot of cricketers over their careers may not get the opportunity to do. We understand the importance of this in particular and we know how much the fans really want us to win so we're fighting, we're doing it for them and it's great to see the support I hope that it continues for the rest of the tournament,” he said.
The West Indies will take on South Africa in their last Super 8 match on Sunday in Antigua.
West Indies hammered their fellow T20 World Cup hosts the United States by nine wickets to put themselves in the driving seat for a semi-final spot.
Having lost their opening Super 8s match to England, the Windies bounced back in style in Barbados on Friday.
Shai Hope's unbeaten 82, which came from 39 balls and included eight sixes, three of which came on the bounce, saw West Indies surpass the target of just 129 within 11 overs.
Hope was recalled to the team after an injury to Brandon King, but will be a tough drop for Rovman Powell now.
The USA had made a promising start, but slipped from 51-1 to 65-4 in the space of three overs, with Andre Russell the pick of the Windies' bowlers (3-31). Andre Gous (29) and Nitish Kumar (20) were the best scores on the board, as they were skittled out for 128.
Hope, Johnson Charles (15) and Nicholas Pooran (27 not out) then wasted little time in securing a margin of victory that sends West Indies above England in Group 2, while their net run rate is also superior to South Africa's.
The Proteas are West Indies' final opponents, while defending champions England face the USA in their last Super 8s match.
Data Debrief: Windies in fine fettle
West Indies have now won nine of their 11 T20Is in 2024, after winning eight games in each of 2022 and 2023.
Their tally of victories this year matches 2021 as their best effort in a single calendar year.
They have also won five of their last seven T20Is at Kensington Oval, and their last three in a row.
The groups and fixtures for the Super 8 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 has been confirmed with both co-hosts West Indies and USA making it through to the second stage that will see the eight teams battle for a place in the semi-finals at the biggest cricket carnival spectacle ever.
Super 8 qualifiers are:
The eight teams will be divided into two groups:
Four of the Super 8 qualifiers have won the World Cup previously, India, England, West Indies and Australia. Super 8 matches will be played across four West Indies venues: Antigua and Barbuda (four matches), Barbados (three matches), Saint Lucia (three matches) and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (two matches).
Each team will play every other team in its group once, with the top two sides in each group qualifying for the semi-finals, to be played in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana on 26 and 27 June, respectively.
The Super Eight stage commences in Antigua on Wednesday 19 June with a clash between USA and South Africa at 10h30. That same evening West Indies take on old rivals, England in Saint Lucia. The two sides have a prolific cricketing history, with the co-hosts ensuring a dominant display at home against England in recent years.
Full Fixtures (Local time)
19 June
USA v South Africa, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua (10h30)
England v West Indies, Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, St Lucia (20h30)
20 June
Afghanistan v India, Kensington Oval, Barbados (10h30)
Australia v Bangladesh, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua (20h30)
21 June
England v South Africa, Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, St Lucia (10h30)
USA v West Indies, Kensington Oval, Barbados (20h30)
22 June
India v Bangladesh, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua (10h30)
Afghanistan v Australia, Arnos Vale, St Vincent (20h30)
23 June
USA v England, Kensington Oval, Barbados (10h30)
West Indies v South Africa, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua (20h30)
24 June
Australia v India, Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, St Lucia (10h30)
Afghanistan v Bangladesh, Arnos Vale, St Vincent (20h30)
Jamaica warmed up for the 48th edition of the Copa America with back-to-back tame displays in their World Cup qualifiers. A slender 1-0 home win over Dominican Republic was followed up with an insipid 3-2 triumph in Dominica.
It is back to the drawing board for Jamaica head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson, who will be chasing regional bragging rights when the leading 16 nations from the Caribbean as well as North and South America tackle the marquee tournament.
Although his ultimate goal would be for the Reggae Boyz to lift the crown in Florida on 14 July, Jamaica need to navigate themselves out of the group phases before trying to net the top prize.
The 2024 Copa America, hosted in the US from 20 June to 14 July, will feature 10 CONMEBOL members from South America and six invited countries from the North America and Caribbean CONCACAF region.
All eyes will be on Argentina, the defending champions and FIFA World Cup winners, to make it a hat-trick of trophies.
GROUP A | Argentina, Chile, Peru, Chile
Argentina hardly ever concede goals, kick-off their campaign with a star-stunned squad that includes Angel Di Maria, the legendary Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Montiel, whose spot-kick secured the World Cup final win over France.
Argentina beat both Chile (2-1) and Peru (2-0) in 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Yet Peru, who failed to get a shot on target in their November tie with Messi and his mates, had held Argentina to three draws on the spin before their last encounter.
Chile, the Copa America 2016 champions Chile, have been off colour recently under veteran manager Jorge Fossati, and rely on veterans — like Alexis Sanchez and Eduardo Vargas — to add sparks.
Canada should be better than their results suggest under recently appointed head coach Jesse Marsh, who won two caps for the US. He has a plethora of talents — like Alphonso Davies, Tajon Buchanan and Jonathan David — keen to start matches on Canada’s Copa America
Prediction: 1st Argentina, 2nd Canada, 3rd Chile, 4th Peru
GROUP B | Mexico, Ecuador, Venezuela, Jamaica
Mexico went two-and-a-half matches without scoring at the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar. They brought in Jaime “Jimmy” Lozano as interim head coach for the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup, and after winning the top prize he was appointed on a permanent basis. Yet he is surprisingly shelving veterans for the Copa America, instead giving emerging talents an opportunity to showcase their silky skills.
This appears to be a hit and miss group with Ecuador, Jamaica and Venezuela all capable of beating understrength Mexico. However, the Mexicans will benefit from vociferous support in the stadiums.
Ecuador and Venezuela ended in a bore scoreless draw last October. Defensively-minded Ecuador have stars Moises Caicedo, Piero Hincapie and Willian Pacho. Venezuela have hit a purple patch by purring through their World Cup qualifiers.
Jamaica still have failed to produce eye-catching displays under former Iceland head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson, despite their array of English Premier League stars. The Boyz just grind out results, although tend to make good progress in tournaments mainly thanks to reliable shotstopper Andre Blake.
Prediction: 1st Mexico, 2nd Jamaica, 3rd Venezuela, 4th Ecuador
GROUP C | Uruguay, USA, Bolivia, Panama
Uruguay are a real force to be reckoned with, with stunning victories over Argentina and Brazil last year under head coach Marcelo Bielsa. Uruguay are a terrific blend of future stars and seasoned aces with names like Darwin Nunez, Luis Suarez, Manuel Ugarte and Fede Valverde enough to scare opponents.
The US will be under pressure with high expectations from their fans on home soil. Despite being FIFA’s highest-ranked CONCACAF side, there are flaws with defensive uncertainty and an inability to find the back of the net despite having an array of striking power from the likes of Folarin Balogun, Weston McKennie, Ricardo Pepi, Christian Pulisic and Haji Wright.
Panama, narrowly beaten by Mexico in the Gold Cup final, will kick themselves if they fail to reach the quarter-finals. They are brimming with confidence having hit a rich vein of form.
Bolivia are the weakest South American side, with a dreadful World Cup qualifying campaign. They are unlikely to end their 11-match run of failing to win a Copa America group stage match.
Prediction: 1st Uruguay, 2nd Panama, 3rd USA, 4th Bolivia
GROUP D | Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, Costa Rica
Colombia have become a fantastic side since hiring head coach Nestor Lorenzo last year. They arrive at the Copa Amercia as the only South American nation unbeaten in World Cup qualifiers, including a 2-1 win over Brazil last year. Striker Luis Diaz can be lethal, and will be keen to better his tally of four goals at 2021 Copa America.
Five-time World Cup winners Brazil, having tasted three World Cup qualification defeats on the bounce for their worst run since 2001 are arguably no longer the force they once were. After their 1-0 reversal to Argentina last November, their first-ever home World Cup qualifying loss, Dorival Junior was brought in as head coach. Under Junior’s tutelage they beat England and drew with Spain. Hot-shots Vinicius Junior and 17-year-old wonderkid Endrick are aiming to transform Brazil’s fortunes.
Paraguay will be aiming to shoot down Brazil, but need a solid goalscorer. They are pretty solid defensively, and could be sensational if midfield maestro Miguel Almiron and striker Julio Enciso can replicate their silky skills seen in the English Premier League. Costa Rica face an uphill task to navigate their way to the knockout stages, and there will be big boots to fill between the sticks with iconic keeper Keylor Navas recently announcing his international retirement.
Prediction: 1st Colombia, 2nd Brazil, 3rd Paraguay, 4th Costa Rica
Texas junior Ackelia Smith made history at the recently concluded NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships when she became the first Longhorn to ever sweep the horizontal jumps.
Smith first defended her title in the long-jump event on Thursday at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon with a mark of 6.79 meters, becoming the first Texas woman to win back-to-back titles in 18 years.
Two days later, the 22-year-old won the triple-jump title with a season’s best mark of 14.52m.
In an interview with CITIUS MAG after her win in the triple jump, Smith, who is now a three-time NCAA Champion, expressed her joy at winning the double.
“I am so happy that I could come out there and get both of them done for my team and for myself. I was a little mopey about the long jump but I got back to the triple definitely took it out there,” she said.
“When I got to the triple jump I just told myself ‘hey, we’re here to compete.’ I was trying to get a personal best and, even though I did not get that, I was pretty consistent with my jumps,” she added.
In the long jump competition, half of Smith’s six attempts were fouls and her three legal jumps were the winning 6.79m, 5.21m and 6.77m.
She had a much better and more consistent showing in the triple jump, producing four legal jumps that all cleared 14m.
Smith says the key in the triple jump was to embrace the nervousness a bit more.
“I re-evaluated what I did for the long jump and realized that I might’ve been a bit too comfortable so I went out there trying to be more anxious and keep that edge. That’s what pushed me through out there,” she said.
Smith is a part of a golden generation of young Jamaican jumpers and sees a bright future for the island nation in the discipline.
“Growing up I used to hear about Kimberly Williams then after Kimberly came Shanieka (Ricketts). I’ve been looking up to these ladies and it’s been great to see the Jamaican jumps growing, especially the triple because not many people do the triple,” she said.
“It’s good to see actual growth and I’ve seen a lot more Jamaicans competing here at the championships. I think it’s wonderful for the future. Even on the guys side, it definitely looks good for Jamaica in the jumps,” Smith added.
Her next goal is to make it onto Jamaica’s team to the Paris Olympics and, hopefully, find herself on the podium at those Games.
The Jamaican trials are set for June 27-30 at the National Stadium in Kingston.
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