The United States Men's National Team (USMNT) showcased their attacking prowess on Monday night in St. Louis, defeating Jamaica 4-2 in the second leg of their CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final. With a 1-0 victory in Kingston last Thursday, the Americans secured a comprehensive 5-2 aggregate win, eliminating the Reggae Boyz from the competition.

The home side wasted no time asserting dominance, with Christian Pulisic leading the charge. The AC Milan star opened the scoring in the 14th minute, converting a pinpoint cross from Weston McKennie. Pulisic doubled the lead in the 33rd minute, latching onto McKennie’s delivery and finishing off a well-worked team move.

Ricardo Pepi extended the advantage in the 42nd minute, turning sharply on the edge of the box before slotting home a precise shot past Jamaican goalkeeper Andre Blake. With a commanding 3-0 halftime lead, the USMNT were firmly in control, having enjoyed 70 per cent possession and limiting Jamaica to just two attempts in the opening 45 minutes.

Jamaica found a glimmer of hope early in the second half when Demarai Gray netted his first of two goals in the 54th minute. The former Leicester City attacker capitalized on poor defending to cut the deficit to 3-1.

However, the Americans responded just two minutes later, with Timothy Weah delivering a thunderous finish off a Yunus Musah cross to restore the three-goal cushion at 4-1. Gray struck again in the 68th minute, converting a rebound from Renaldo Cephas’ initial effort, but Jamaica struggled to mount a sustained comeback as the USMNT’s depth and tactical organization shone through.

Pulisic’s brace and McKennie’s two assists underlined the dominance of the Americans, who controlled possession and consistently tested Jamaica’s defense. The midfield duo of McKennie and Yunus Musah orchestrated play beautifully, while Timothy Weah and Ricardo Pepi added further dynamism in attack.

USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino utilized his substitutes effectively, bringing on Cade Cowell and Brandon Vazquez to maintain the intensity late in the game. Gianluca Busio and Brenden Aaronson also entered to secure the result, allowing the Americans to cruise into the semifinals.

For Jamaica, the defeat highlighted defensive lapses and an inability to sustain possession under pressure. Demarai Gray was the standout performer, scoring both goals for the Reggae Boyz, but the team was often on the back foot, particularly in the first half when they completed just 57 passes compared to the USMNT’s 277.

Jamaica’s head coach, Steve McLaren, will need to address these shortcomings as the team shifts focus to upcoming competitions. Despite their elimination, the Reggae Boyz showed glimpses of promise, particularly through Gray and Renaldo Cephas, who forced a save that led to Gray’s second goal.

The United States advances to the semifinals of the Nations League, aiming to defend their title with confidence after another dominant display. For Jamaica, the focus now turns to regrouping and building on the positives from their campaign.

Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz will be without key players Michail Antonio and Kaheim Dixon for the second leg of their CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final against the United States at Energizer Stadium in St. Louis on Monday. Both players are unavailable due to lost passports, a situation that could not be resolved in time to secure visas for their travel to the United States, Head Coach Steve McLaren explained during Sunday’s pre-match press conference.

 Adding to the Reggae Boyz’s challenges, defender Mason Holgate will also miss the match after receiving a red card in the first leg, which Jamaica lost 1-0 in Kingston last Thursday. Despite these setbacks, Jamaica has bolstered its squad with the return of Ravel Morrison and the inclusion of Khori Bennett, a forward for the Las Vegas Lights in the USL. Bennett, a former Wolmer’s Boys standout, could make his senior debut in this must-win encounter.

 Reflecting on the first leg, McLaren expressed disappointment with the result but remained optimistic about Jamaica’s chances. “I think we were unfortunate to come away with a defeat, albeit by just one goal,” McLaren said. “We felt we did enough to draw the game. We didn’t in the end, but we are still in the tie. Away from home, we’ve been in good form recently. This will be a completely different game altogether. We know that USA on home soil is a totally different team, so we expect another very difficult game but come here with optimism and belief.”

 Jamaica’s task is clear: overturn the 1-0 deficit and advance to the semi-finals. “We know what our goal is,” McLaren continued. “We need to score two goals or more and win the game. The first goal in this game will be very important.”

 A significant storyline heading into the match is the return of Ravel Morrison, who has been absent from the national team for over a year. He last played for Jamaica in March 2023 against Mexico. McLaren, who worked with Morrison at Derby County, is confident the creative midfielder can make a difference.

 “I am always looking out for good players and players who can make a difference, handle the ball, big game players, and Ravel has always been one of them,” McLaren said. “He’s got a great personality and unbelievable talent. He wasn’t picked before because he wasn’t playing. He is now playing very well in Dubai, scoring goals and assisting. I think this is a perfect game, a perfect opportunity for Ravel to come into the squad. Whether he starts or comes on, he is one of those players who can win a game of football.”

 Jamaica dominated much of the second half in the first leg, coming close to equalizing on multiple occasions. Demarai Gray also missed a crucial penalty after the United States took an early lead. However, McLaren is drawing confidence from the team’s away form and believes the Reggae Boyz have what it takes to pull off a result in St. Louis.

 The stakes are high as Jamaica looks to defy the odds, overcome the absence of key players, and secure a spot in the CONCACAF Nations League semi-finals.

Attackers Leon Bailey and Shamar Nicholson are back in the Reggae Boyz squad for their Concacaf Nations League quarter-final against defending champions the USA on November 14 and 18.

The Reggae Boyz will first host the Americans at the National Stadium in Kingston on the 14^th before travelling to St. Louis for the return leg at Energizer Park four days later.

Bailey is returning after missing the last two Reggae Boyz squads through injury while Nicholson is back after asking to be left out of the last squad to work on his match sharpness with club Spartak Moscow.

“We’ve had several conversations and really formed a good bond between us,” Reggae Boyz head coach Steve McClaren said about Bailey.

“He was so unlucky to miss the first two camps through injuries but now he’s had two or three weeks after missing the last camp where he’s got his fitness back. He’s playing 90 minutes regularly now. He’s absolutely delighted and can’t wait to come over and be part of the squad,” he added.

McClaren also offered words on Nicholson’s return.

“We kept in touch wit Shamar since the last camp and we fully understood that he wanted to stay at his club and regain his fitness. He hired a personal trainer that’s been working hard with him, He’s been getting more minutes within his club and scoring goals,” he said.

“Speaking to him this week, he’s focused and fitter. He feels ready to contribute to our team so we’re delighted to have him,” he added.

Joining Bailey and Nicholson among the forwards in the squad are Michail Antonio, Kaheim Dixon, Romario Williams, Renaldo Cephas and Demarai Gray.

Queen’s Park Rangers holding midfielder Isaac Hayden is part of the squad for the first time since committing his international future to the Reggae Boyz.

“The JFF has been chasing him for quite some time. I’ve had about two or three calls with him since I took the job. He’s desperate to play and he’s at that stage in his career where he needs to kick on and this is one of the ways that he can,” McClaren said.

The former Arsenal and Newcastle United midfielder is expected to provide some stability in the middle of the park, something that the Reggae Boyz have been lacking for some time.

"He will be a welcome addition to our squad in terms of a genuine No.6 who's played at the highest level in that position," McClaren said.

Joining him in the midfield in the are Joel Latibeaudiere, Karoy Anderson, Kasey Palmer and Tyreek Magee.

Regulars Damion Lowe and Ethan Pinnock lead a defensive unit including Richard King, Tayvon Gray, Dexter Lembikisa, Mason Holgate, Di’shon Bernard, Amari’i Bell and Greg Leigh.

Captain Andre Blake, Jahmali Waite and Shaquan Davis are the goalkeepers.

Players missing out on this trip include attacker Norman Campbell and midfielder Bobby Reid whose wife is expecting a child during the international break.

General Secretary of the Jamaica Football Federation, Dennis Chung, is hoping that Jamaicans come out in their numbers to support the Reggae Boyz during both legs of their CONCACAF Nations League Quarter-final at the National Stadium in Kingston on Thursday, November 14 and Energizer Park in St. Louis, Missouri on Monday, November 18.

The Reggae Boyz will be looking for revenge over their American counterparts after suffering defeat to them at the semi-final stage of last season’s Nations League 1-3 in extra time. The USA went on to win the whole thing with a 2-0 victory over Mexico in the final while the Reggae Boyz beat Panama 1-0 to claim third place.

If the Boyz are to get over the hump this time around, Chung understands that a massive part of it will be the energy they receive from the thousands of Jamaican fans in attendance.

“We are at the quarterfinal stage. We want to ensure that we are there in our numbers supporting the Boyz because we have to make it past the mighty USA which, after we finish with them, they won’t be so mighty,” Chung said in press conference on Monday.

As such, three support groups for Jamaican football-Reggae Boyz Supporters Club, Reggae Football Fans Club and Reggae Boyz Community, are all making it possible for fans from all over the diaspora to have an opportunity to cheer on the Reggae Boyz live and in person.

“We want to welcome this partnership because this is a way for us now to reach our fanbase. We want to ensure that everyone is involved. At the last two games we had over 17,000 people in attendance and that, for us, is very important. It’s not just about playing football. It’s about getting everybody involved,” Chung said on Monday.

Errol Walters and Louis Grant, members of the Reggae Football Fans Club, were also on hand on Monday and gave an overview of this initiative.

“It’s an honor and a pleasure to be serving our country in this way. What we’re trying to do is create an opportunity for fans in the diaspora that we use our collective bargaining power to negotiate to go to the games,” Walters said.

“There are times when I’m in London and want to go to a game and I have no one to travel with so it was always my dream to create a database to say listen, who’s going to the game from where,” Walters added.

Grant explained that this idea came about because of the desire of members of the diaspora to be a driving force behind the support of the team on their journey to the World Cup in 2026.

“This was birthed out a desire to be the proverbial 12^th man for our football teams and more so for the second iteration of the historic trip to the World Cup. We, as members of the diaspora here in the United States, think it’s only right that we play our part in drumming up support as far as leveraging air travel, accommodation, and support,”

“For example, we’ve been in touch with US Soccer with regards to the game in St. Louis. We’ve gotten a section that we can have all or most of our supporters concentrated to create that ‘Office’ vibe,”

“In my experience, we’ve gone to games in my area and you’d see our supporters and our flag sparsely across the various stadiums and we are of the opinion that if we were more concentrated in one section, it bodes well or it is a better look and feel for our team,” he added.

Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz will face a tough challenge as they go up against the United States in the 2024/25 Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals, with the first leg set for November 14. This highly anticipated showdown comes after Jamaica topped Group B of League A, setting up a clash with the third-ranked USA, who are one of the pre-seeded teams based on the Concacaf Rankings.

 Jamaica, coming off an unbeaten group stage campaign, will be looking to build on their strong performances, which included victories over Nicaragua and Honduras, as well as draws against 10-man Cuba and Honduras. The Reggae Boyz will face the USA in a home-and-away series, with the second leg scheduled for November 18. The winner on aggregate will not only advance to the Concacaf Nations League Finals, set for March 2025 at Hollywood Park and SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, but also secure a spot in next summer’s Gold Cup.

In another exciting quarterfinal, Honduras will take on top-seeded Mexico. Honduras, who finished as runners-up in Group B behind Jamaica, will be aiming to upset a formidable Mexican side that is ranked first in the region. The two-legged tie begins on November 15, with the return leg on November 19.

The third quarterfinal features second-ranked Canada going up against Suriname. Canada, who pre-qualified based on their Concacaf ranking, will face a determined Suriname team that finished second in Group A behind Costa Rica. The first leg of their matchup will be played on November 15, with the second leg scheduled for November 19.

Quarterfinal Matchups:

United States vs Jamaica (November 14, November 18)

Mexico vs Honduras (November 15, November 19)

Canada vs Suriname (November 15, November 19)

Panama vs Costa Rica (November 14, November 18)

The quarterfinal winners will move on to the 2025 Concacaf Nations League Finals, where they will compete for the championship. Additionally, the victors will automatically qualify for the 2025 Gold Cup, while the quarterfinal losers will have a second chance through the Gold Cup Prelims.

Patrons were treated to a dominant display from Barbados’ 61-member team at the 37^th annual Huntsman Senior Games at the Greater Zion Stadium on the campus of Utah Tech University.

The Caribbean nation compiled 77 medals across two sports, athletics and cycling, from Tuesday to Friday.

In athletics, the squad of 33 managed 74 medals over three days of competition, with the women leading the table on 14506, nearly doubling Utah’s 7834 in second place, and the men a commendable ninth with 2424 points. 

Ainsley Lovell alone had 13 of Barbados’ 40 gold medals, competing across multiple events in the women’s 70-74, 64+, and 70+ divisions. She won gold in the 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 3000m, long jump, and standing long jump. 

Jennifer Swanston-Jones seized victory in the women’s 65-69 50m, 100m, 200m, javelin throw, long jump, shot put, and triple jump. She also had silver in high jump and standing long jump. 

Gloria Crookendale came out on top in the women’s 75-79 and 75+ 50m, the 75-79 100m, 70-79 200m, 75-79 200m, and 75-79 standing long jump. She was a bronze medallist in discus throw as well. 

Kathy Harper-Hall, who has won over 100 medals since Barbados first competed at these games 21 years ago, added to her tally with gold in the women’s 85-89 and 80+ categories, taking the 100m, 200m, and standing long jump titles.

Janita Austin will return home with four gold medals, in the women’s 70-74 and 70-79 discus throw, the 70-74 and 70+ high Jump, and silver in the shot put, javelin throw, long jump, and standing long jump. 

Wendy Barrow-Smith captured gold in the women’s 65-69 discus throw and standing long jump, silver in the shot put, silver in the 60-69 standing long jump, and silver in the 65-69 triple jump. 

On the men’s side, Willaby Bourne was among the standouts. In the 75-79 class, he won the 400m, got silver in the 200m, and helped his team to silver in 4×100m. Atherley Burrowes was victorious in the men’s 65-69 200m and 400m. 

The four-member cycling team enjoyed their moments of glory as well, with Alan Cadogan winning bronze in the hill climb and silver in the criterium, while Ronald Harding took bronze in the latter. 

Mauricio Pochettino has named his first squad as head coach of the United States, with Timothy Weah and Weston McKennie recalled to face Panama and Mexico.

The former Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain boss, who was unveiled as Gregg Berhalter's successor last month, is gearing up for his first matches in charge of the Stars and Stripes.

Christian Pulisic retains the captain's armband with the AC Milan forward looking to build on his impressive start to the season, in which he has scored five goals and delivered two assists.

Meanwhile, the Juventus duo of Weah and McKennie are back in the fold after missing the September window, as are defenders Antonee and Miles Robinson.

Zack Steffen and Gianluca Busio also return to the squad, with the Colorado Rapids goalkeeper in line to earn his first international cap since March 2022.

The United States will face Panama at the Q2 Stadium in Austin on October 12, before travelling to Estadio Akron to take on Mexico three days later.

Full squad: Ethan Horvath, Patrick Schulte, Zack Steffen, Matt Turner; Marlon Fossey, Kristoffer Lund, Mark McKenzie, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson, Miles Robinson, Joe Scally, Auston Trusty; Brenden Aaronson, Gianluca Busio, Johnny Cardoso, Weston McKennie, Aidan Morris, Yunus Musah, Malik Tillman; Folarin Balogun, Ricardo Pepi, Christian Pulisic, Josh Sargent, Timothy Weah, Haji Wright.

Christian Pulisic hopes the arrival of new head coach Mauricio Pochettino will improve the United States' mentality and culture, following their 1-1 draw with New Zealand.

The Stars and Stripes were denied a first victory in four matches after Ben Waine's fortuitous equaliser in the 89th minute cancelled out Pulisic's opener in Cincinnati.

Pochettino was officially announced earlier in the day as the successor to Gregg Berhalter, who was dismissed following the United States' poor Copa America campaign.

The former Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea boss will pick up the baton from interim coach Mikey Varas, and Pulisic hopes the Argentine's arrival will spark the nation back into life.

"Hopefully, a culture that is willing to fight, that is willing to take risks, you know, win," the Stars and Stripes skipper said when asked what he wants Pochettino to bring to the role.

"There are a lot of things that need to change, just the mentality and the culture of the group. I think we have the quality, but hopefully that's the first thing he's going to want to change."

Pochettino will also be tasked with improving the United States' results, having now won just one of their last seven matches. And Pulisic issued a rallying cry to his team-mates.

"Obviously, [these are] difficult results for us, and it's not a great feeling," he added.

"But I think moving forward, it's time to turn a page, and we really have to pick up a level - I mean everyone that's a part of this. It feels pretty low right now, but I know there are better times ahead."

For the first time since the 2008 in Beijing, Jamaica has failed to medal in the Women’s 4x100m at an Olympic Games.

Jamaica’s quartet of Alana Reid, Kemba Nelson, Shashalee Forbes and Tia Clayton produced a season’s best 42.29 fifth in the final at the Paris Olympics at the Stade de France on Friday.

The American quartet of Melissa Jefferson, TeeTee Terry, Gabby Thomas and Sha’Carri Richardson combined to run 41.78 for gold ahead of Great Britain (Dina Asher-Smith, Imani Lansiquot, Amy Hunt) who ran 41.85.

Germany ran 41.97 in third while France were fourth in 42.23.

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."