The date is 12 April 2009. There are five minutes left to play in the Heineken Cup quarter-final between Harlequins and Leinster at Twickenham Stoop.

Dean Richards' Harlequins side trail by a point. Their goal-kicker is off the field with an injury. Their replacement kicker has just pulled his hamstring off the bone. Quins need a penalty or drop-goal to win...

What happens next, involving winger Tom Williams and a fake blood capsule, becomes one of sport's most fascinating scandals.

After four months of protracted disciplinary hearings, Richards resigned and was handed a three-year ban from all rugby.

Steph Brennan, the team physio, was struck off by the Health Professions Council before winning a High Court appeal almost two years after the incident.

Williams was banned for a year, although this was later reduced to four months. Charles Jillings, the club's co-owner, resigned as chairman.

Ten years on, this is the story of 'bloodgate' told by Williams and two team-mates on that day, Danny Care and Ugo Monye.

Williams: I was about to run on to the pitch and the physio said: 'Deano says you're coming off for blood.' That was the first I'd heard of it.

I just ran on the pitch and got on with my job. A few phases later, the physio runs on and gives me a blood capsule and I was like: 'What the hell do I do with this?' He told me to go into contact, put it in my mouth, chew it and go down. 'We'll get you off,' he said.

Care: Genuinely at the time, I had no idea what was going on. I was 22, I'd not experienced anything like it before and I only found out in the changing rooms after when someone said: 'I think we're going to be in a bit of trouble here.'

Monye: Hand on heart, I didn't have a clue what was going on at the time. But I did know blood capsules were a practice at Quins. It was common in rugby back then. You reflect on it now and it was pretty stupid, but it was easy to get away with it.

Williams: Another former player phoned me up recently and said: 'I did it a week before. I didn't put the capsule in my mouth but I just put a towel on my head which was bloodied.'

Why Tom Williams?

Monye: It just depended on who you needed to get on to the pitch. You never had conversations in the week and it wasn't a case of 'oh by the way it might be you', it was something that was just done on the hoof.

Fortunately that day, it wasn't me who was asked to do it. If Dean had asked me to do it, because it was so commonplace, I probably would've done it too. It almost became normal because we'd done it a few times and in rugby that's just what was done.

Care: Everyone would have done the same. If you get told to do it, you do it. Especially when it's Dean Richards telling you to do it.

Williams: Nothing crossed my mind when I got handed the capsule, I was doing what I was doing for the team. I was trying to impress my boss and get Quins into a semi-final of Europe.

It was about doing what I could for the team and not having thought in the slightest about the consequences. So what was I most guilty of at the time? Probably following team orders and being a naive 25-year-old who should've known better.

Why the infamous wink?

Monye: I've never asked you this, Tommy, but why the wink? You look back and you just thought: 'Tommy, come on mate.'

Williams: The wink was ironically quite innocent. It was someone asking me if I was OK and it was me saying: 'Yeah I'm fine.' That was it.

Care: That's why it looks so bad because the wink looks like it was all part of the plot, but it wasn't at all.

What happened in the changing room?

Williams: We knew we had to do something, as people wanted to come in the room to see my mouth. They were banging on the door trying to get into the changing room. Our doctor, Wendy Chapman, and myself, didn't know what to do. It was a really ridiculous time and I realise I looked like an absolute idiot.

Shane Horgan had shouted from the Leinster bench, 'It's not real blood, it's not real blood' as I was stumbling down the tunnel. So we went into the changing room, I had a conversation with the doctor and she made the cut. Logical decision making at the time, for myself and Dr Chapman, was just not there.

What happened in the aftermath?

Williams: I got a sense of how serious it was initially but the club's message to me was along the lines of: 'Don't worry. The maximum it will be is a fine and we'll cover that.'

I went to the first hearing not overly concerned. When I got given the one-year ban, I finally got in touch with the Rugby Players Association, who said: 'Hold on a minute, you're getting hung out to dry here. They're saying you masterminded the whole thing.'

Eventually my wife Alex and I went to meet the board and the chairman one night and we spent three hours going through the possible outcomes.

At about 11pm, I left - as we were going round in circles and they weren't backing me up. But Alex went back into that room and asked every single one of them: 'Who's fault is it that we're here?' I got a phone call the next morning saying: 'Dean Richards is resigning and we wholeheartedly support you.'

Monye: Everyone in the aftermath was thinking about the individual, the team and the club.

Williams: I thought long and hard about taking the fall.

Monye: What changed your mind?

Williams: I said to Alex: 'I don't think I can do this any more, I'm just going to get the hell out.' And she said: 'Well what the hell else are you going to do? You didn't go to university, you've only been a rugby player. How do you want be remembered?'

What did the other players think?

Monye: If we're speaking truthfully, the players were massively divided. There was a part of me that was like: 'Tommy, just take the hit.' He'd have been a hero among us because he'd have fallen on his sword.

We wanted to protect the reputation of the club. Selfishly we were just thinking of how we could protect everyone involved in it but it was an impossible solution and about damage limitation for us.

Care: We didn't know what blame Tommy was getting.

Williams: I knew the issue the players had. It was similar to the internal issue I had myself in terms of the wider picture. A couple of players were saying to me in passing 'loose lips sink ships' but that's just childish bullying essentially. They were very loyal to Dean and just looking after their friend's best interests.

Returning to Quins

Williams: It was a difficult situation because I wanted to play rugby but there was a little something attached to my name which made most clubs not want to employ me. I did look elsewhere but I didn't get very far down the line. My agent just said no-one was interested.

I was pretty ill during that four-month ban and these days it would probably be diagnosed as depression. I lost two stone and I thought: 'What is it that I'm playing rugby for?' I just wanted the opportunity to come back and find some pride in myself, and hopefully give some back to Quins as well.

10 years on...

Williams: That day hasn't been away from my thought process ever since that moment it happened 10 years ago. Inevitably there's a stigma that's still attached to my name now that's no longer attached to Harlequins.

Every time Harlequins are written about in the papers, it doesn't say 'bloodgate', does it? Every time I'm written about in the papers, it says 'bloodgate'. So who's got the stigma?

Yeah, I'll take that it could've been worse. But it doesn't get much worse than people turning up in vampire outfits to Twickenham the next season. It doesn't get much worse than turning up at Sale and people calling you a cheat. How much worse could that get?

Monye: 12 April 2009 was undoubtedly the darkest day in Harlequins history. We lost a lot of great women and men from that and the club's reputation was tarnished, but off the back of that we were able to find the strength to block out all the exterior noise and get back to what we were. No-one will understand how bad it was, though, more than Tommy.

I'm just glad in some ways that we got caught because it cleaned up rugby, and to my knowledge it's not been done since.

Care: It was a massive wake-up call for rugby and definitely for Harlequins. We faced an unbelievable punishment, people lost their jobs and Quins can't ever have anything like that on their name again.

For the club, the best thing was that we got caught but for Tommy, it was the worst.

Rugby Australia and the New South Wales Rugby Union say they intend to terminate Israel Folau's contract after a social media post by the full-back in which he said "hell awaits" gay people.

Folau, 30, has 73 caps and was expected to play at this year's World Cup.

"He does not speak for the game with his recent social media posts," the governing bodies said.

"In the absence of compelling mitigating factors, it is our intention to terminate his contract."

Rugby Australia and the NSW Rugby Union, which is responsible for Super Rugby side NSW Waratahs, said they have made "repeated attempts" to contact Folau and he has failed to get in touch with either organisation.

"Israel has failed to understand that the expectation of him as a Rugby Australia and NSW Waratahs employee is that he cannot share material on social media that condemns, vilifies or discriminates against people on the basis of their sexuality," the governing bodies said in a statement.

"As a code we have made it clear to Israel formally and repeatedly that any social media posts or commentary that is in any way disrespectful to people because of their sexuality will result in disciplinary action."

Australia's sponsor Qantas, whose chief executive Alan Joyce is openly gay, said Folau's post was "really disappointing".

"These comments clearly don't reflect the spirit of inclusion and diversity that we support," the airline said.

Folau, who signed a four-year deal with the Waratahs in March and had a deal with Rugby Australia until 2022, escaped punishment for similar comments last year, with Rugby Australia saying it accepted - but did not support - his "position".

On Wednesday, he posted on Instagram that "drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolaters" should "repent" because "only Jesus saves", and made similar remarks on Twitter.

He sent a tweet criticising the Tasmanian parliament, which has become the first Australian state to make it legally optional to list gender on birth certificates.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Officials from Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville announced Wednesday that the 34th running of the All American 400 has been cancelled due to a dismal weekend weather forecast.

This marks the second time the event has failed to be run in less than six months, after its original postponement last November.

The super late model crown jewel will not be rescheduled, with the other divisions on tap moved to Big Machine Record Family Night on Saturday, April 20 – now the track’s season opener. Kyle Busch was slated to compete in Sunday’s proceedings.

“The forecast is awful for this weekend and we don’t want the racers and fans to have to spend the money in travel costs to come here for nothing,” said Claire Formosa, VP of Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville, on the track’s Facebook page. “Many of the drivers were coming from a long way, so we wanted to do this early to help them out. We are now going to focus on our regular season opener next Saturday and get prepared for the 35th All American 400 this year.”

The regularly-scheduled 35th running of the All American 400 is scheduled for Nov. 2-3.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – When it comes to car culture – and especially sports car culture – Southern California is the nucleus.

In most other places around the world, seeing a Porsche 911, Corvette or an Acura NSX in the wild is rare. In SoCal? Happens a lot.

That’s one of many reasons why this weekend’s annual IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship BUBBA burger Sports Car Grand Prix at Long Beach is so important. The 100-minute race, which will be televised live on NBCSN at 5 p.m. ET Saturday, puts race car versions of the world’s great automobiles in front of many people who own and drive them regularly.

The 45-year-old race is a home game for Southern California-based Acura. So much so, in fact, that the manufacturer jumped at the chance to take over the naming rights for the overall event weekend. For the first time in 2019, the event is now known as the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Acura will be competing for the overall BUBBA burger Sports Car Grand Prix victory in the Daytona Prototype international (DPi) class, with Dane Cameron and Juan Pablo Montoya sharing the No. 6 Acura Team Penske ARX-05 DPi machine and Ricky Taylor and Helio Castroneves in the team’s No. 7 Acura DPi.

“With our U.S. headquarters nearby in Torrance, this is a true ‘home’ event for the Acura brand,” said Acura Vice President and Brand Officer Jon Ikeda. “The Grand Prix of Long Beach is one of North America’s premier motorsports events, and an institution in Southern California. Acura is delighted and proud to be associated with the Grand Prix of Long Beach, and we look forward to a long and successful partnership.”

Chevrolet is the winningest IMSA manufacturer on the streets of Long Beach with nine victories, including GT Le Mans class victories at Long Beach each of the past two years with Corvette Racing and co-drivers Tommy Milner and Oliver Gavin in the No. 4 Corvette C7.R. The team returns this year with that same car and lineup, as well as the two-time and defending GTLM champion No. 3 Corvette C7.R team and co-drivers Jan Magnussen and Antonio Garcia.

“For Chevrolet, Long Beach checks all the boxes as an important event,” said Michael Stouffer, Chevrolet Motorsports Marketing Manager for IMSA and the NTT IndyCar Series. “The crowds are always energetic, the race itself is steeped in history and the Southern California market is a target-rich environment.

“Our Corvette brand fits in perfectly with the Southern California market. That’s evident each year with a full Corvette Corral. We have a fantastic group of Corvette owners in the L.A. area and we’re proud to race in front of them each year.”

It’s a big event for Chevrolet’s Detroit rival, Ford, also. This weekend’s GTLM field includes the pair of Ford Chip Ganassi Ford GTs, the No. 66 co-driven by Joey Hand and Dirk Mueller and the No. 67 shared by Ryan Briscoe and Richard Westbrook.

The roadgoing version of the Ford GT is rare and one of the most sought-after sports cars in the world. But you’re more likely to see one on the streets or freeways in Southern California than most other places in the world.

“There’s no question that Long Beach is one of those IMSA races that every manufacturer and team wants to win,” said Ford Performance Global Director Mark Rushbrook. “Long Beach is the iconic street course race in America with a great history and a tough, unforgiving course.

“We also like it because, unlike so many of the endurance races we run, this is a sprint event that puts added emphasis on being aggressive both with strategy and with driving. We have gotten better there every year with our Ford GTs, so we hope this is the year we’re at the top of the podium.”

Porsche knows all about standing atop the Long Beach podium, as it has won eight IMSA races there in the past. The famed German marque will be represented in the GTLM class by the No. 911 Porsche 911 RSR co-driven by Patrick Pilet and Nick Tandy – who won here in 2016 – and the No. 912 RSR shared by Laurens Vanthoor and Earl Bamber.

It’s also a hometown race of sorts for Porsche.

“California has always been special for us,” said Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO of Porsche Cars North America. “From Johnny von Neumann’s Competition Motors of the early 1950s to our Porsche Experience Center (PEC) and home of Porsche Motorsport North America just down the road in Carson, the soul of Porsche has never been stronger than in Southern California. That Porsche passion is immediately visible during the Long Beach Grand Prix weekend, where IMSA competition captivates world-class teams and fans alike.”

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Sixteen-year-old Adam Lemke has begun to find his stride after an early-season hot streak with JR Motorsports in late model stock car action.

Lemke picked up his first win with the organization on March 16, starting fourth and driving to the front in the second of twin 40-lap features at historic Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway, the track where the Earnhardt family’s early name was made in motorsports.

He followed that performance up with a podium run during last weekend’s CARS Tour Old North State Nationals at Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, N.C., running third behind Lee Pulliam and Adam Lemke and beating out veteran teammate Josh Berry in the process.

It’s been a month of successes and a big boon for the California teenager after the biggest jump up in his career to-date.

“(The Hickory win) was a huge confidence booster and a big way to get myself some momentum and consistency with the team, especially with them being a new team to me,” Lemke told SPEED SPORT. “Josh coached me through that one, and to have him as an asset has been a huge help to me.

“You know, we had a wreck during practice the week before that I obviously didn’t want to have happen, but there was a good side to that happening, because I really went into the race without having to worry about points and feeling like there was no pressure,” Lemke added. “I feel like we made progress, both me as a driver and with the car, every time we hit the track. I was confident going into the race that I would have a good car and it was up to me to get the job done. Thankfully we were able to do that and come out with a big result. I definitely didn’t expect it to come this quickly, though.”

Lemke, who is part of Chevrolet’s Driver’s Edge Development program with JR Motorsports, grew up racing in pro late models and USAC Speed2 midgets in California before coming out east this season.

He pointed out that the jump from pro late models to the NASCAR-style late model stock cars has been a substantial adjustment for him, but one that he’s been excited to tackle.

“It’s a night and day difference between the late models I’m driving out here (on the East Coast) and the late models I drove back home in California,” noted Lemke. “It’s mainly tires; we ran a much smaller tire on the cars I came from, so to be able to come out here and run the 10-inch slick rather than an eight-inch treaded tire and find success has been nice for me.

“I’d almost make the comparison that it’s like driving a super late model compared to a late model stock, that’s how different the feel is between the two cars. It’s a huge difference, but I’m having fun with it.”

While for many young drivers, racing for a team like JR Motorsports might be intimidating, Lemke is relishing the opportunity and grateful to drive for one of the giants in the sport.

“It’s a big deal to be able to race for Dale. I haven’t had a lot of time to spend with him and learn from him yet, but I did have a little bit of time with him at a recent luncheon, and it’s just cool to be able to wheel a race car for him,” said Lemke. “He’s a cool guy and someone that I’ve looked up to.

“Everyone knows how much he’s meant to the sport and to be a part of that is a real honor.”

Lemke will run the remainder of the CARS Late Model Stock Tour schedule this season, as well as some of the crown-jewel late model stock car events in the region, including the Valleystar Credit Union 300 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and the Myrtle Beach 400 at Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Speedway.

With a win already under his belt, Lemke knows the bar has been raised somewhat, but he believes that his first victory is a sign of greater things to come.

“I’m out here to win every single race I go to with JRM – you have to have that kind of focus as a driver – but getting that out of the way early was a big deal for me, I feel like,” Lemke explained. “After I got the win, my goal was to finish a CARS Tour race, and we finally did that at Orange County. We just keep checking boxes one at a time, and I feel like that we’ve paced ourselves pretty well so far.

“I think we’ve started to prove now that we’re here and we’re not going away, so the next step is just continuing to build on this foundation that we’ve built and making some more things happen here.”

MANCHESTER, England -- Paul Pogba has told his Manchester United teammates they need to be "killers" at Camp Nou if they want to progress in the Champions League.

United lost their quarterfinal first leg 1-0 at Old Trafford on Wednesday but Pogba believes Barcelona will have doubts after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team staged a dramatic second-leg comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in the last round.

"We are 1-0 down and now go to the Nou Camp but we believe chances will come over there," Pogba said.

"We have to keep believing. It is a Champions League game and we know we can hurt them as well as they can hurt us. We have to avoid giving them chances and be killers in front of goal.

"Probably Paris will be in their minds for sure because they saw what we can do against PSG."

Luke Shaw's early own goal, after deflecting in Luis Suarez's header, was the difference at Old Trafford.

And although United did not manage a shot on target -- they have scored just one goal at home in five Champions League games this season -- Pogba insists they have nothing to fear next week.

"We saw a team we can beat," Pogba said.

Barcelona were eliminated at this stage last season, losing 3-0 at Roma following a 4-1 win in the first leg.

"If you don't believe that then you just let them go through. We believe we can beat them. We are Manchester United, they are Barcelona but we are Manchester United and we play in the Champions League like they do and we can go through, of course.

"It is one leg gone and now we have to give everything in the second one."

Find out when the 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup is scheduled to take place, where it is being held and all 16 qualified nations.

Jump to: Group-by-group breakdown | Daily fixtures

Who are the CONCACAF Gold Cup holders?

United States. They beat Jamaica 2-1 in the final in Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara in July 2017. Jordan Morris scored an 88th-minute winner.

Who is hosting the CONCACAF Gold Cup?

The finals are being primarily hosted by the United States, with Costa Rica and Jamaica also holding one double-header match day.

Who qualified for the CONCACAF Gold Cup?

United States
Costa Rica
Jamaica
Mexico
Panama
Honduras
Trinidad and Tobago
Haiti
Canada
Martinique
Curacao
Bermuda
Cuba
Guyana
Nicaragua
El Salvador

What are the host cities?

Through the group stage and quarterfinals, each host venue will host back-to-back double header fixtures on one day.

UNITED STATES

Group Stage

Rose Bowl, Pasadena

Broncos Stadium at Mile High, Denver

Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte

Toyota Stadium, Frisco

Red Bull Arena, Harrison

BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston

Banc of California Stadium, Los Angeles

Allianz Field, Saint Paul

FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland

Children's Mercy Park, Kansas City

Quarterfinals

NRG Stadium, Houston

Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

Semifinals

State Farm Stadium, Glendale

Nissan Stadium, Nashville

Final

Soldier Field, Chicago

COSTA RICA

Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica, San Jose (Group B)

JAMAICA

Independence Park, Kingston (Group C)

Has the group stage draw been made?

Yes, here are the groups and you can check out all CONCACAF Gold Cup fixtures here.

Group A
Mexico
Canada
Martinique
Cuba

Group B
Costa Rica
Haiti
Nicaragua
Bermuda

Group C
Honduras
Jamaica
El Salvador
Curacao

Group D
United States
Panama
Trinidad & Tobago
Guyana

When does the CONCACAF Gold Cup start?

The opening match at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena is on June 15.

Who qualifies from the group stage?

The top two teams in each of the four groups will go through to the quarterfinals.

When is the CONCACAF Gold Cup final?

The final will be held at Soldier Field in Chicago on July 7.

MORE:

CONCACAF Gold Cup index

Jump to: Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D

More: All you need to know | Full daily fixtures schedule

The draw for the CONCACAF Gold Cup did the U.S. men's national team no favors.

The 2019 tournament sees the field expanded to 16 nations for the first time. This has served to dilute the pool of teams, but the relative strength of the groups has proved to be uneven. Costa Rica should cruise through, and Mexico should have its way as well. As for the U.S., it will face Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago and Panama in arguably the most difficult group.

The Americans should progress, but having failed to qualify for the most recent World Cup, nothing can be taken for granted.

Here's how the entire draw shakes out.

GROUP A

Mexico

Mexico enters the tournament as heavy favorites, though El Tri is on the more difficult side of the bracket that includes Costa Rica. As always, being the favorite comes with pressure, though new manager Tata Martino's experience with Argentina -- and Barcelona -- makes him plenty familiar with high expectations.

Mexico's schedule:

• June 15 vs. Cuba at the Rose Bowl; Pasadena, California

• June 19 vs. Canada at Broncos Stadium at Mile High; Denver

• June 23 vs. Martinique at Bank of America Stadium; Charlotte, North Carolina

Canada

Long the region's sleeping giant, Canada could be on the brink of playing a more prominent role in the Gold Cup. The ageless Atiba Hutchinson still marshals the midfield for the Reds, but young players like LAFC midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye and Bayern Munich attacker Alphonso Davies could lead John Herdman's side to brighter days.

Martinique

Anyone who thinks Martinique is a pushover need only look back to the last edition of the tournament, when Les Matinino gave the U.S. all it could handle before falling 3-2. Martinique also impressed in CONCACAF Nations League qualifying with a perfect record. Kevin Parsemain, who scored both goals against the U.S. two years ago, remains the team's go-to striker, with Seattle Sounders defender Jordy Delem another familiar name.

Cuba

The Lions of the Caribbean have produced some impressive players during its history -- current Minnesota United midfielder Ozzie Alonso among them -- though defections have thinned their ranks. In 2019, only a 2-1 loss to Haiti marred Cuba's record, with Yordan Santa Cruz's goals proving crucial to the team's Gold Cup qualification effort.

Game you won't want to miss: Mexico vs. Canada

Canada looks to be a team on the up. That sentiment will be tested in the June 19 encounter with El Tri. Both teams will be eager to avoid a quarterfinal encounter with likely Group B winners Costa Rica.

Who will advance?

Mexico and Canada ought to have little trouble progressing.

GROUP B

Costa Rica

The generation that featured Bryan Ruiz and Celso Borges has passed the dreaded age of 30, but they still have some fuel in the tank, and new manager Gustavo Matosas has other talent at his disposal, including forward Joel Campbell as well as FC Cincinnati midfielder Allan Cruz. The Ticos likely will have to get past Mexico if they are to reach the final for the first time since 2002.

Haiti

If the recent qualifying phase for the CONCACAF Nations League is anything to go by, times may be changing for the better for Haiti. Les Grenadiers won all four of its games and finished in top spot, edging Canada on the goals-scored tiebreaker. MLS fans will recognize New York Red Bulls midfielder Derrick Etienne Jr., with St. Mirren striker Duckens Nazon another player to watch.

Nicaragua

The Blue and Whites have qualified for the Gold Cup for the second tournament running, and given the relative weakness of the group, a spot in the knockout rounds is certainly possible. Juan Barrera, who plies his trade in Guatemala with Municipal, paced Nicaragua's qualifying effort with five goals.

Bermuda

Gombey Warriors will be making their inaugural appearance at the Gold Cup after finishing fifth in CONCACAF Nations League qualifying. Former New York Red Bull and current Charleston Battery midfielder Zeiko Lewis and Queens Park Rangers forward Nahki Wells are the most recognizable names in manager Kyle Lightbourne's squad.

Game you won't want to miss: Haiti vs. Nicaragua

The battle for second place in the group is wide open, and this match between will go far in determining who claims it.

Who will advance?

Costa Rica is winning this group, no problem. What's tougher predict is who will finish second, though Haiti is likely to advance.

GROUP C

Honduras

Having fallen short of the 2018 World Cup after a playoff loss to Australia, Los Catrachos have some rebuilding to do. New manager Fabian Coito joins after considerable time spent managing Uruguay's youth national teams, and the hope is that experience will come in handy in a side led by the Houston Dynamo trio of Maynor Figueroa, Alberth Elis, and Rommel Quioto.

Jamaica

No team has been as wildly inconsistent within CONCACAF as the Reggae Boyz. Jamaica has reached the last two Gold Cup finals, but has been unable to translate that success into recent World Cup qualifying efforts, falling in the semifinal round during the 2018 cycle. Manager Theodore Whitmore can draw on a squad full of names familiar to MLS fans, including Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Andre Blake, New York Red Bulls defender Kemar Lawrence, and FC Cincinnati forward Darren Mattocks.

El Salvador

Los Cuscatlecos claimed the last qualifying spot, edging out Montserrat on goal differential. El Salvador is still feeling the effects from the damage done by a match-fixing scandal in 2013, but it did manage to reach the Gold Cup quarterfinals in 2017, where it fell to the U.S. 2-0. Oscar Ceren's goals helped lead El Salvador in qualifying, and brother Darwin of the Houston Dynamo is another notable player.

Curacao

The reigning Caribbean Cup champions, Curacao makes its second consecutive appearance at the Gold Cup after exiting the in the group stage in 2017. While the island nation boasts just 160,000 inhabitants, the team makes liberal use of its Dutch connections, including player/manager Cuco Martina, currently on loan with Feyenoord.

Game you won't want to miss: Honduras vs. El Salvador

Honduras and El Salvador engaged in the so-called Soccer War in 1969, though the conflict's roots ran much deeper than mere soccer matches. A peace treaty was signed in 1980, and the two sides have played each other numerous times since then, but the competition between the two neighbors is always intense.

Who will advance?

Jamaica's recent history in the Gold Cup has been positive, so look for the Reggae Boyz to join Honduras in the quarterfinals.

GROUP D

United States

The World Cup qualifying failure still weighs heavy, so there will pressure on this U.S. side to show that it has moved on. New manager Gregg Berhalter will get a taste of tournament intensity for the first time, as will a new generation of players, at least at senior level. And while results matter, observers will be just as concerned with how the team plays.

U.S. schedule:

• June 18 vs. Guyana at Allianz Field; St. Paul, Minnesota

• June 22 vs. Trinidad & Tobago at FirstEnergy Stadium; Cleveland

• June 26 vs. Panama at Children's Mercy Park; Kansas City, Kansas

Guyana

Guyana is another side making its Gold Cup debut following its seventh-place finish among 34 countries in CONCACAF Nations League qualifying. The team is led by Philadelphia Union midfielder Warren Creavalle and FC Cincinnati forward Emery Welshman (currently on loan with Canadian Premier League side Forge FC).

Panama

Los Canaleros' maiden voyage at the World Cup is now history. Manager Hernan Dario Gomez has departed, with former head coach Julio Dely Valdez returning on a temporary basis. With many in the aging squad having retired from international soccer, Valdez will be looking to the next generation.

Trinidad & Tobago

T&T will forever be remembered as the team that denied the U.S. a spot in the 2018 World Cup, but manager Dennis Lawrence is trying to construct a side that can do better than finishing at the bottom of the Hex. He has some experienced players in midfielder Khaleem Hyland and Daneil Cyrus, as well as former Seattle Sounders defender Joevin Jones.

Game you won't want to miss: U.S. vs. Trinidad & Tobago

The Americans' tilt with Panama likely will decide the group, but no other game will be as fraught with emotion as the match against T&T. A victory won't amount to revenge -- there's only one place where that can happen -- but the U.S. will have a point to prove.

Who will advance?

The U.S. and Panama are the favorites to progress, and a rematch in the semifinals is certainly possible.

The Champions League quarterfinals produced four patient but entertaining first legs that ended with four different scorelines: 1-0, 2-0, 1-1, 0-1. Here are four talking points from the four contests played this week...

Tottenham 1-0 Manchester City: Guardiola's UCL approach prompts more questions

We're no longer surprised when Pep Guardiola names a starting XI that doesn't quite make sense on paper -- but too often in Champions League away legs, it doesn't make sense on the pitch either.

On Tuesday, Guardiola surprisingly omitted Kevin De Bruyne, only summoning him from the bench with a couple of minutes remaining. He also left out John Stones, and City looked extremely nervous when attempting to play the ball out from defence. Meanwhile, Riyad Mahrez started ahead of Leroy Sane despite enduring a difficult couple of months. It was hard to see any logic behind the selections.

- Ogden: Spurs prove they can win without Kane

City were meek throughout. Things might have been different had Sergio Aguero converted his first-half penalty, but even that arose from a charitable VAR decision, and wasn't an outright chance that City had manufactured. They enjoyed plenty of possession, but the majority of it came in deep positions, with no one progressing the ball into the final third.

Guardiola has now heaped pressure on himself ahead of next week's second leg, where his starting XI will be even more heavily scrutinised. It seems remarkable to say this about a manager who won this trophy in two of his first three attempts, but if City are eliminated next week, it will be seven Champions League campaigns in a row for Guardiola without reaching the final, despite consistently coaching one of the favourites. It would only be right to question his approach to knockout ties, particularly in terms of tactics.

Liverpool 2-0 Porto: Conceicao's surprise system leaves midfield undermanned

Having switched between 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 for most of the campaign, it was a surprise to see Porto play with a three-man defence at Anfield. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admitted that it came as a complete surprise to him; having scouted several Porto matches, not once had they deployed that system.

Sergio Conceicao faced a barrage of questions in his postmatch news conference about the change in shape, from Portuguese journalists who seemingly found the system too defensive. The formation is generally considered 3-4-3 in attack but 5-4-1 in defence, although for long periods Porto's shape appeared somewhere in-between: 5-2-3. The wing-backs retreated quickly into a back five, but Porto's front three had little interest in tracking back when Liverpool bisected their press, which left them undermanned in midfield.

- Cox: Liverpool's new trio key to trophy hopes

Liverpool exploited this weakness well. With a new-look midfield of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Naby Keita -- the first time they've started together in a 4-3-3 -- Liverpool retained the ball in the centre of the pitch well, switching play between the channels, and working Porto's trio of Danilo and Oliver Torres hard. Torres, in particular, endured a difficult game.

Liverpool's goals were well-worked, the first after Keita pushed forward to the edge of the box and his deflected shot looped in off Torres, and the second after Henderson's disguised pass released Trent Alexander-Arnold and his ball across the face was converted by Roberto Firmino. Losing 2-0 isn't a disaster for Porto, and they had some chances, but you suspect Porto will return to a back four next week.

Ajax 1-1 Juventus: Van de Beek keeps Pjanic quiet

Before his side's contest with Juventus, Ajax manager Erik ten Hag refused to entertain any questions about how he would look to cope with Juve's individuals. The key, he said, was keeping possession. For as long as they did that, they wouldn't have to worry about Juve's attacking threat. It was an answer straight out of the Ajax playbook.

Yet of course, it doesn't entirely make sense; you can have possession for 90 percent of the game, but you've still got to plan for the other 10 percent. Ajax were equally impressive without possession, with Ten Hag effectively asking his players to man-mark in midfield. Frenkie de Jong dealt with Rodrigo Bentancur, and Lasse Schone watched Blaise Matuidi.

But the most impressive marking job was performed by Donny van de Beek, who pushed up on to Miralem Pjanic, followed him across the pitch throughout the game, and constricted Juve's key deep-lying playmaker. The Bianconeri instead were forced to hold on to the ball for long periods in defence without progressing it over the halfway line.

- Horncastle: Ajax show signs they have another shock in them

What was most impressive, though, was that Van de Beek offered something going the other way. The problem with man-marking when out of possession is that you find yourself close to your opponent at turnovers, but Van de Beek's spatial awareness and good forward running meant he continually found himself in good positions as Ajax attacked, and he narrowly curled the ball wide with the game still goalless in the first half.

The game's telling moment came in the second half, when Ajax launched a break, and Pjanic tried -- and failed -- to take out Van de Beek with a cynical foul on the break. Pjanic, and Juve, had been rattled by Ajax's youth, mobility and tactical intelligence.

Manchester United 0-1 Barcelona: Solskjaer's formation falls short

Setting up a team to shut down Lionel Messi is a thankless task, especially considering the limitations of Manchester United's defence. But, having constantly preached about playing "The United Way" and insisting upon attack-minded football, it was something of a surprise to see Ole Gunnar Solskjaer change formation for the visit of Ernesto Valverde's side, moving to a 5-3-2 formation.

It was especially surprising because this meant re-deploying Luke Shaw as a left-sided centre-back, a week after the experiment with Ashley Young as a right-sided centre-back away at Wolves ended in a red card and a United defeat. It's become increasingly common to see full-backs tucking inside to play as part of a three-man defence: Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta did it brilliantly under Antonio Conte, and Kyle Walker made the shift well for England at last summer's World Cup. Shaw, however, looked desperately uncomfortable.

- Ogden: United can still beat Barca if they dump Lukaku

Shaw was slightly unfortunate to turn the ball into his own net for Barcelona's opener, after Luis Suarez's header across goal deflected off his shoulder and bounced in, but Shaw had lost Messi in the build-up to the goal, allowing the Argentine to collect Sergio Busquets' chip over the top and then cross.

Things didn't particularly improve afterwards. He lost Suarez midway through the second half, when the Uruguayan should have done better than thumping the ball into the side-netting. A first-half booking, meanwhile, means Shaw will be unavailable for the second leg, which might be a blessing in disguise for United, if it convinces Solskjaer to name a less cautious system. Having not managed a shot on target in the first leg, it's not simply about trying to turn the tie around for United, but also about proving their attacking intent.