KOSICE, Slovakia -- Matus Sukel scored early in the first period and Slovakia went on to beat the United States 4-1 on home ice Friday night, a stunning result on the opening day of the world hockey championship.

Alex DeBrincat had a goal off assists from Patrick Kane and Jack Eichel to pull the Americans into a tie midway through the period in the Group A game, but they couldn't score again against Patrik Rybar.

Erik Cernak and Tomas Tatar put the Slovaks up 3-1 in the second period and Michal Kristof gave them a three-goal cushion in the third.

Corey Schneider made 32 saves for the Americans. They will face France on Sunday.

In Group B play in Bratislava, the Czech Republic beat Sweden 5-2. Jakub Vrana scored twice for the Czechs against the two-time defending champion Swedes.

Patric Hornqvist and Oskar Lindblom scored in the second period to give Sweden a 2-1 lead. The Czech Republic responded with four straight goals, including one into an empty net after Henrik Lundqvist was pulled to add an extra skater.

Czech goaltender Patrik Bartosak kept the Swedes scoreless in two of three periods in his world championship debut.

Earlier in Group A in Kosice, Kaapo Kakko scored twice, including an empty-net goal with 34 seconds left, to lift Finland to a 3-1 victory over Canada. Arttu Ilomaki had a tiebreaking goal early in the third period, and Kevin Lankinen finished with 20 saves for the Finns.

Canada's Jonathan Marchessault tied the game midway through the first period and Matt Murray stopped 24 shots. The Canadians, who won the world championship in 2016 and 2015, opened the tournament a day after Hockey Canada and the Toronto Maple Leafs agreed to hold John Tavares out because of his oblique injury.

In the Group B opener in Bratislava, The Russians got off to a strong start with Evgenii Dadonov scoring twice and Nikita Kucherov adding one in a 5-2 victory over Norway.

Who would have thought back in January that the St. Louis Blues would be here?

The team was a major disappointment, at one point hitting the conference basement and firing head coach Mike Yeo. Craig Berube was installed behind the bench. Rookie goalie Jordan Binnington was given an opportunity to play. That all seems like a century ago now, as Berube unlocked their potential, Binnington earned a Calder Trophy nomination, the Blues rolled up the standings into a playoff spot, and they eliminated the Winnipeg Jets (six games) and Dallas Stars (seven games) to reach the Western Conference final for the first time since 2016 -- when they lost to the San Jose Sharks.

Come to think of it, who would have thought the Sharks would have been here midway through their first-round series with the Vegas Golden Knights?

They were down 3-1 in the series. Goalie Martin Jones had been pulled twice. They looked like they were done ... until they rallied with three straight wins, including a double-overtime victory on the road in Game 6 and that infamous overtime win in Game 7 in which they were gifted a major penalty when Joe Pavelski was injured.

Pavelski missed all of their series against the Colorado Avalanche until Game 7, when he made an emotional return and an immediate impact, scoring a goal and assisting on another. More officiating randomness happened in the form of an offside review that took away a Colorado goal, and the Sharks outlasted the Avs to advance.

In some ways, these teams are similar, such as the fact that they've had almost a different hero every night in reaching this point of the playoffs. But the most similar thing is that while both organizations have played for the Stanley Cup, neither has ever captured one. The Western Conference final is all that stands in the way of one of them getting another shot.

So who has the advantage here?

First line: Lately, the Blues have been using Brayden Schenn, Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko as their top line. With eight goals in 13 games, Schwartz has been the Blues' top goal scorer. Tarasenko has five goals and no assists, with one goal in his past six games. The Sharks have two lines that could be considered their top unit, but for the purposes of this preview, we'll go with Logan Couture, Timo Meier and Gustav Nyquist, a trio that was put together when Pavelski was injured and that outplayed the Nathan MacKinnon unit in the previous round. It has generated six goals and given up just two at even strength. Advantage: Even

Depth: Ryan O'Reilly, the Blues' MVP (skater division) in the regular season, has been skating with David Perron (three goals, three assists) and 22-year-old Sammy Blais, who made quite an impression in just two games. Speaking of young players, Robert Thomas (one goal, four assists) has been one of the team's most effective forwards at just 19 years old, skating with Tyler Bozak and Game 7 standout Patrick Maroon. Oskar Sundqvist, Ivan Barbashev, Robby Fabbri and Alexander Steen are also in the mix. Pavelski's return to the Sharks bolstered their depth at forward, skating with Tomas Hertl (nine goals) and Evander Kane (two goals, five assists). The ageless Joe Thornton centers Kevin Labanc and Marcus Sorensen on an effective third line. Barclay Goodrow, Melker Karlsson and the recently returned Joonas Donskoi have their moments. Advantage: Sharks

Defense: The Blues have two outstanding defensemen in Alex Pietrangelo (11 points in 13 games, 25:43 per game), who is paired with Joel Edmundson; and Colton Parayko (seven points, 23:51), who is paired with Jay Bouwmeester (a minus-21 in shot attempts at 5-on-5). The Sharks have three of them: Brent Burns (14 points in 14 games, 29:13), who skates with another blue-line titan in Marc-Edouard Vlasic (six points in 12 games, 24:01); and Erik Karlsson (12 points in 14 games, 25:23), who looks increasingly like Erik Karlsson again, and skates with Brenden Dillon. The Blues have an advantage with Vince Dunn and Carl Gunnarsson on the bottom pairing, but the trinity of superior Sharks gives San Jose the edge. Advantage: Sharks

Goaltending: It's clear the Blues have an advantage in Binnington, who has a .915 save percentage and a 2.39 goals-against average in the postseason. He is the backbone of the team -- and in a few cases, its best player. According to Charting Hockey, he is demonstrably ahead of Jones in goals saved above average. But they're nearly identical on low-danger chances, and Jones has been a bit better on high-danger chances. The Sharks have played better in front of Jones, but Jones also has been rock-solid in critical moments, such as in the third period of Game 7 against Colorado. Jones hasn't been the liability he appeared to be earlier in the playoffs, but Binnington has been outstanding. Advantage: Blues

Health: Both teams are as healthy as can be expected right now. Caveat: Pavelski returned from that head injury but curiously did not take a faceoff in Game 7. Advantage: Even

Special teams: The Sharks are at 18.5 percent on the power play, with St. Louis right behind them at 17.1 percent. San Jose is tied for the postseason lead with 10 power-play goals, although four of them came on the same five-minute major against the Knights. The Sharks had only two power-play goals in seven games against the Avalanche. The Sharks are at 80.8 percent on the penalty kill, having done an effective job against Colorado, while the Blues are at 75.0 percent, having given up four power-play goals to Dallas in seven games. Advantage: Even

Coaching: Berube has given the Blues a lot of things, like a tenacious forecheck, more defensive responsibility and a straightforward approach that is less about psychology than it is about function. (What the Blues haven't given him yet: a contract extension.) Pete DeBoer, meanwhile, understands the psychology of his veteran locker room, including when to take the foot off the pedal. Tactically, his adjustments in the early part of the Vegas series -- including a bigger emphasis on cutting down offense off the rush from opponents -- has paid big dividends. Advantage: Sharks

Prediction: Sharks in seven

LA Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been fined for simulation/embellishment by MLS' Disciplinary Committee.

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The league did not disclose the amount of the fine.

The former Sweden international went to ground in the penalty area without being touched by onrushing Columbus Crew goalkeeper Zack Steffen in the 23rd minute of the Galaxy's 3-1 loss on Wednesday.

The defeat was the Galaxy's second straight and denied them an opportunity move ahead of LAFC atop the Western Conference.

Ibrahimovic ranks second in the league with nine goals scored in nine appearances, which is two behind LAFC's Carlos Vela. He has also contributed two assists.

The Galaxy return to action on Saturday, May 11 (ESPN) when they host NYCFC at the StubHub Center at 4 p.m. ET.

Manchester United gave up their pursuit of Matthijs de Ligt before Ajax's run to the Champions League semifinals because of concerns about his weight, sources have told ESPN FC.

The 19-year-old defender is wanted by Barcelona this summer after helping the Dutch giants to the brink of a first Champions League final since 1996 before Tottenham's stunning comeback on Wednesday night.

Even before this season, De Ligt was one of the most highly-rated young players in Europe and was discussed as a possible target by United.

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However, sources have told ESPN FC that prominent members of the recruitment team voiced worries that De Ligt, who lined up against United in the 2017 Europa League final, was vulnerable to gaining weight because of concerns about his family history, leading the club to ditch their pursuit.

While United have retained their interest, Barcelona are leading the chase for De Ligt after Ajax CEO Edwin van der Sar confirmed the teenager is likely to leave this summer.

United, meanwhile, are looking to bolster their defence with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer considering swoops for a full-back and a centre-back.

Luke Shaw, United's newly-crowned Player of the Year, has nailed down his place at left-back but Solskjaer could look for a new right-back before next season.

Club captain Antonio Valencia is set to leave Old Trafford after Sunday's final game against, Cardiff leaving Solskjaer with just 33-year-old Ashley Young and 20-year-old Diogo Dalot.

Leicester's Harry Maguire and Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly lead the list of centre-back targets.

The first priority for New Zealand coach Gary Stead ahead of the World Cup is that his players returning from the IPL spend some quality time with their families before embarking on the trip to the UK, as they attempt to win the title for the first time after the near miss in 2015.

Only five of New Zealand's World Cup 15 were in Brisbane for the unofficial three-match series against Australia over the last week, which the home side took 2-1 with a DLS victory in the decider. However, the shadow New Zealand side fared very well, almost conjuring a victory in the opening match, which Australia squeaked by one wicket, then chasing 278 comfortably in the second. Will Young was the standout performer of the trip.

The nine IPL-based players are currently making their way home as their tournaments end (Ross Taylor, playing for Middlesex, will meet the squad in England) and they have been given a few days of downtime before the party departs Auckland later in the week. Stead believes this is a very important few days before the intensity and scrutiny of a World Cup, but is also eager to try and keep everything as normal as possible during the tournament.

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"Between now and then some of our players need four or five days at home just to freshen up and see their families, feeling good about their wellbeing," Stead said. "Going to the IPL for seven or eight weeks can be tough work so reconnection with some of the families is the first thing I want to see. Then when we get over it's as intense as we want to make it.

"There's no doubt the World Cup is a massive carrot but I'm sure every team goes in with the same goals so there's no point overplaying it. In my view, all we can do is prepare as consistently as we can against every team then just play well. If you get too worried about end results you can make mistakes. We try at all times not to get too wrapped up in the result."

New Zealand coaches have become used to dealing with the clash of the IPL with demands for tournament or series preparation, with the long-standing agreement their players can make the most of the opportunity in India if selected. Stead remains relaxed about the situation although he did acknowledge that there has been a lack of game time. The most matches played by a New Zealander has been Kane Williamson's nine, with Martin Guptill and Tim Southee getting just three outings and Ish Sodhi two.

"It's disappointing some haven't played a little more cricket but that's out of my control and it's out of their control at times as well," he said. "They are professionals and have played a lot of international cricket, they know how to get themselves up. It won't take them long.

"I have 100% trust in the players over there and the coaching staff. We've looked at programs for each of our players, so I don't have a problem with that at all. I don't complain about that, I just know that's the case and we move on."

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In terms of the time in Brisbane, Stead marked it down as a "fantastic experience" for those trying to push their claims for higher honours. Young, who now faces an extended period on sidelines due to shoulder surgery, put his name up in lights with 301 runs in three innings including back-to-back centuries.

"There are some up-and-coming youngsters in the group who will really grow from this experience and understand more what international cricket is about," he said. "That's part of what we've really got out of the week, the ability for us to test and see players, in some cases who are around the A team, for them to get some experience against guys like this will be invaluable. If you talk about Will Young, I thought his composure against Starc and the like was outstanding. He showed the ability to play off both feet to pace and spin."

Henry Nicholls, one of the five players in the World Cup squad on trip, sat out the last two matches after picking up a minor hamstring injury in the opening outing. Stead confirmed the move was largely precautionary and the recovery time was expected to be around five days with no concern about him heading into the tournament.

When New Zealand arrive in the UK they have warm-up matches against India and West Indies before their first pool match against Sri Lanka on June 1 in Cardiff.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Kyler Murray's long-awaited NFL debut finally arrived Friday afternoon when he took the field for the first day of the Arizona Cardinals' rookie minicamp. But Murray didn't have the right cleats.

The reigning Heisman Trophy winner limped to the podium for his post-practice news conference after practicing in cleats that weren't broken in. The cleats Murray wanted had not been delivered to the Cardinals' practice facility by the time he took the field.

"My feet hurt a little bit," Murray said. "It's been a long time since I put cleats on. I've been running around. The cleats were pretty new."

Coach Kliff Kingsbury wasn't concerned about his prized rookie's feet and said the team will try to get the right cleats delivered by Saturday's practice. Other than his feet being sore, Murray said he felt "pretty good" after taking the field for a practice for the first time since preparing for the Orange Bowl in December.

"It was good finally touching the field again," Murray said. "A lot of this process has been just a lot of talk and evaluation and stuff like that. Just to actually be able to play football again, get out here with the guys and do what you love, it was fun."

Friday was a long time coming for both Kingsbury and Murray. Kingsbury recruited Murray as a sophomore in high school when Murray was 15. Seven years later, Kingsbury finally had a chance to coach the quarterback he's long coveted.

But Kingsbury was tempered in his initial evaluation of Murray's first practice, describing the rookie's performance as "not bad."

"It was fun," Kingsbury said. "We have a good relationship and he knows I'm going to do everything in my power to help him be the best player he can be. That's what he wants. He wants to be pushed."

Murray felt the connection on the field after just one practice. Kingsbury spent most of the practice with Murray "trying to get him comfortable." And it worked. Murray said he was "surprisingly comfortable" with the offense and the on-field communication.

"It was great," Murray said. "Obviously, it's only been Day 1, but I can already feel the rhythm going. Hopefully we can keep this thing going and do something good, do something great."

Murray's familiarity with Kingsbury's Air Raid system, which Murray ran pieces of at Oklahoma, helped him adjust quickly Friday, Kingsbury said.

"He can really throw it," Kingsbury said. "He's got a presence about himself. I liked how he operated."

Murray self-evaluated his practice with two words: "All right." But, the rookie pointed out, one practice wasn't enough to develop a familiarity with his receivers.

"It was a good day overall," Murray said. "But it's Day 1. You're not comfortable with everybody's routes. You don't know how they run certain stuff and stuff like that. With time, that'll obviously get better. We'll mesh up better. I thought it was a good first day."

Murray took the field a day after signing his rookie contract, a standard four-year deal with a fifth-year team option worth $35 million that includes a signing bonus worth roughly $23.5 million.

"It was a great feeling," Murray said. "For me, it was just kind of like another day. You get drafted and you already feel like you have it but you don't. And then you sign and you still don't have it. It's obviously a great day for me and my family and a start of something special."