SARVER, Pa. — As much as Tim McCreadie likes Lernerville Speedway, he had come up empty in the track’s premier World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series Firecracker 100.

Finally, a four-lap charge to the checkered flag in front of packed grandstands on Saturday night changed all that.

McCreadie, the 2006 series champion, started 11th and methodically worked his way forward, pacing himself perfectly over 100 laps to steal the lead in the high groove with four laps remaining to pick up the $30,000 victory over Darrell Lanigan and Brandon Sheppard.

“I had been making moves up top the whole night, so I thought, ‘What have I got to lose?’” an elated McCreadie exclaimed. “There’s no reason to do all this work and then just settle for second.”

There certainly weren’t any signs of settling aboard the K&L Rumley-owned Bilstein No. 6m on Saturday night, as “T-Mac” displayed his signature determination in the closing circuits, picking up four spots in the final 13 laps. But for the first 87 laps of the race, there was a different story unfolding with the leaders.

Sheppard grabbed the lead from the pole on the first lap and was in command through the first 61 laps. But a slip-up getting around a thick patch of lapped traffic made room for Ricky Weiss to sneak past on the inside.

Weiss, in hot pursuit of his first career World of Outlaws win, opened up a sizable advantage over Sheppard and Lanigan over the next 20 laps as the race continued caution-free. Lanigan got by Sheppard with 17 circuits remaining and began his chase on Weiss, closing the gap rapidly and nearly reaching the Sweet-Bloomquist No. 7 by lap 94.

As the leaders crossed the stripe to complete lap 95, Weiss got a bit too high and kissed the wall at the flag stand. As the sparks flew, Lanigan shot to the bottom of the track and dove underneath Weiss to take the lead away in turn one.

Weiss limped his car around the track for another lap-and-a-half, but his cut-down right-rear tire hindered his ability to drive too much to continue under green.

He took his car into the work area under the ensuing yellow flag for a tire change, but the damage to his track position had already been done.

“Our car was really good. [The top groove] wasn’t really where we wanted to run on the track at the end, but it was the fastest way around,” said a disappointed Weiss. “We were just kind of maintaining and, with five laps to go, we just ran something over.”

After 95 straight laps without a caution, Lanigan assumed the lead under the yellow and found McCreadie right on his bumper. The “Bluegrass Bandit” was only able to hold off McCreadie for two corners before McCreadie found grip on the cushion and beat Lanigan into turn three for the lead.

And that was all it took for McCreadie to score his second win for K&L Rumley Racing in another 100-lap showdown, to match their Atomic 100 victory at Atomic Speedway in April.

Lanigan came home second to score the fifth Firecracker 100 runner-up of his career.

“I really didn’t want to see that caution there at the end, but that’s part of racing I guess,” he said.

The finish:

Feature (100 Laps) – 1. 6m-Tim McCreadie [11][$30,000]; 2. 29-Darrell Lanigan [3][$15,000]; 3. 1-Brandon Sheppard [1][$7,000]; 4. 49-Jonathan Davenport [6][$6,000]; 5. 14-Josh Richards [2][$5,000]; 6. 25-Shane Clanton [12][$4,000]; 7. O2-Mike Norris [5][$3,000]; 8. 22-Chris Ferguson [14][$2,500]; 9. 2-Brandon Overton [4][$2,250]; 10. 22s-Gregg Satterlee [19][$2,000]; 11. 17M-Dale McDowell [8][$1,900]; 12. 18-Chase Junghans [23][$1,800]; 13. 8-Jacob Hawkins [10][$1,700]; 14. 9-Devin Moran [17][$1,600]; 15. 25z-Mason Zeigler [15][$1,500]; 16. 7-Ricky Weiss [7][$1,400]; 17. 28-Dennis Erb [9][$1,300]; 18. 10-Jared Miley [26][$1,200]; 19. 1x-Chub Frank [20][$1,100]; 20. 2s-Dan Stone [18][$1,000]; 21. B1-Brent Larson [21][$1,000]; 22. 97-Cade Dillard [27][$110]; 23. 99B-Boom Briggs [24][$1,000]; 24. 157-Mike Marlar [16][$1,000]; 25. 1C-Mike Pegher [13][$1,000]; 26. 6-Blake Spencer [28][$110]; 27. 29s-Ken Schaltenbrand [25][$1,000]; 28. 4s-David Scott [22][$1,000]; Hard Charger: 18-Chase Junghans[+11]

BEAVER DAM, Wis. — Brad Sweet continued his early season dominance by winning Saturday night at Beaver Dam Raceway and extending his point lead over Donny Schatz.

In the words of Brad Sweet, “the more you lead, the better you get at it.”

Almost halfway through the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series season, Sweet has made leading a habit and gotten better at it each race.

With more than 100 laps led already this season, the Grass Valley, Calif.-native added another 38 laps to that total after claiming his fifth victory of the season.

“I’m just happy we’re clicking them off and have a little bit of momentum on our side,” said Sweet, after claiming his 39th series victory.

His second victory at the Wisconsin track wasn’t earned without a few faults and lessons learned along the way.

The third-mile track was slick and technical for the 40-lap feature, he said. That meant finding the right line at the right time; a feat the Kasey Kahne Racing driver faults himself for not executing perfectly.

But before the track began to take rubber late in the race, forcing Sweet to contemplate the best line, he had to contest with DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash winner Shane Stewart for the lead.

On the initial start, Stewart jumped to the lead riding the high side of the track. Sweet chose the bottom. In two laps, the advantage proved to be Sweet’s. The NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 sped past Stewart, putting close to a second gap between them.

His newfound lead was cut short a few seconds later when Logan Schuchart brought out the first caution of the night by coming to a stop in turn three.

On the restart, Sweet returned to form. He shot to the lead, leaving the remaining 23 cars to content for second amongst themselves.

Stewart held on to the position for the next few laps before trying the low line and bicycling his car off turn four, giving Daryn Pittman an easy pass for second-place.

For the remaining 33 laps, third-place was traded among Stewart, David Gravel, Sheldon Haudenschild, Donny Schatz and Ian Madsen.

By the halfway point, Sweet caught lapped traffic and Pittman started to close in. However, navigating lap traffic — a situation Sweet has found himself in several times already this year while leading — only made him faster.

Pittman eventually transitioned to the high side and again began to close in on Sweet. But with 15 laps to go, Sweet also moved to the top and pulled away to the $20,000 victory.

“It was finesse. It was tricky,” Sweet said about the race. “I had to move around on the race track. I think the bottom caught a few guys off guard. I don’t know if they thought they should be on the bottom in (turns) three and four. I kind of had an idea. I did my warm up down there to see how much grip was down there.

“Luckily it was good down there early and I was able to get the lead. I made a couple of mistakes there. I probably stayed down there too long. But I didn’t want to follow lap guys. It’s just tricky sometimes leading and moving around.”

While Pittman’s second-place finish – his third podium finish in-a-row – was a momentum building performance with his Roth Motorsports team, he’s hungry for more.

“It just feels like it’s been a while since I won,” said Pittman, who last won in Florida in February. “I’ve gone from, how do we turn things around, to being consistent, to now dammit I want to win. We’ve still got to get a little bit better, but we’re close.”

The duel for third was won by the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 car of Gravel. In JJR’s return to Beaver Dam Raceway after Jason Johnson’s death there last year, Gravel kept the No. 41 car up front all night. He was the fast qualifier, won his Drydene Heat race and fought hard for a podium.

“We wanted to win tonight, but we’re happy with a podium,” Gravel said. “Third is good. We’ve been rolling pretty good here. Just have to keep it going.”

To see full results, turn to the next page.

LE CASTELLAT, France – Lewis Hamilton made winning the return of the French Grand Prix to Circuit Paul Ricard look like an effortless Sunday drive, because in effect, it was exactly that.

Hamilton started from the pole position, took the lead on the initial start and never gave it up again en route to his sixth Formula One victory in eight Grands Prix this season.

The five-time World Champion made his lone pit stop with 24 laps complete for a switch from the medium-compound Pirelli tires to the hard compound, and even that didn’t allow his rival Sebastian Vettel to get a momentary sniff of the lead.

Hamilton came out in front of Vettel and then pulled away from Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas over the second half of the 53-lap race, taking the checkered flag in front by 18.056 seconds.

The win was the 79th of Hamilton’s F-1 career, moving him just a dozen victories behind Michael Schumacher for the most all-time in the history of the sport.

“It just never gets old,” said Hamilton of winning races. “It’s always really tough out there and I love trying to find the edge. It’s all about bridging the gap and being on top of this machine. I couldn’t do it without an incredible team and all these guys at the race track and back at the factory. We’re creating history together and I’m so proud to be a part of that.”

Hamilton may have made his win look simple, but he attested that it was far from as easy as it looked.

“It’s a beautiful day in South France, but I was still sweating a huge amount out there,” noted Hamilton. “It’s warm still in the car, as well as very, very bumpy. This is an awesome track to drive in the race – there’s some technical areas that you can manage – but it wasn’t an easy day.

“There’s always things happening. Everything is on the edge. We had to manage a lot of things today.”

Though Bottas chased Hamilton all day, he could do nothing with his teammate even after starting on the front row. The Finn was left to settle for a distant second in the end.

“There wasn’t really that much happening from my side today,” said Bottas. “The start was really the best bet for me (to pass Hamilton), but Lewis had a really good start as well. Ultimately, he was quicker today. I couldn’t really match his pace. We’ll need to have a look at that before the next one, but I’m proud of the team and proud of our effort. He’s not unbeatable; I just have to work hard.”

Sunday’s performance was Mercedes’ 50th sweep of the top-two positions in F-1 competition, as well as their 10th consecutive race win dating back to last year.

Charles Leclerc completed the podium for Ferrari, followed by the Red Bull of Max Verstappen and the second Ferrari of Vettel, who came in with high hopes but had lackluster pace during the race.

However, Vettel did prevent Hamilton from completing a Grand Slam by stealing the fastest lap of the race at the checkered flag with a clip of 1:32.740, earning a valuable bonus point in the process.

McLaren’s Carlos Sainz crossed sixth, the final car on the lead lap, with Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo ending up seventh ahead of Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen.

The sister Renault of Nico Hulkenberg and Lando Norris’ ailing McLaren closed the points-scoring finishers in the top 10.

Norris was running seventh inside of five to go but fell back with a hydraulic issue on the final lap.

Hamilton’s points lead now sits at 36 over Bottas heading into the Austrian Grand Prix.

The finish:

Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, Carlos Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo, Kimi Raikkonen, Nico Hulkenberg, Lando Norris, Pierre Gasly, Sergio Perez, Lance Stroll, Daniil Kvyat, Alexander Albon, Antonio Giovinazzi, Kevin Magnussen, Robert Kubica, George Russell, Romain Grosjean.

Nigeria's women ended their protest over unpaid bonuses on Sunday and left their hotel in France following their elimination from the World Cup.

The players demanded payment of outstanding allowances from the Nigerian Football Federation. They told ESPN FC they were owed bonuses from two games, against Gambia and Senegal, from as far back as two years ago, amounting to 2 million Nigerian naira (about $5,600 U.S.).

- FIFA Women's World Cup: All you need to know
- Full Women's World Cup fixtures schedule

But a resolution was found after meetings with officials, where they received explanations about the payments and assurances the money would be paid.

FIFA stepped in on Sunday morning after the players missed their transport to Paris and subsequently their flights, and the NFF were advised that any further expenses incurred by the team's continued stay would be deducted from their participation fee.

NFF President Amaju Pinnick told ESPN FC the issue came down to a misunderstanding.

"As far as we are concerned that is a non-issue as the bonuses they are asking for have been paid," he said. "The problem is that the players wanted to be paid the bonuses for home matches in US dollars, but that is no longer the rule under this government.

"All transactions for home games must be paid in naira."

Nigeria reached the knockout stage of the Women's World Cup in France before losing 3-0 to Germany in the round of 16 on Saturday in Grenoble.

The players are expected to arrive in Abuja on Monday after they told ESPN they had accepted the explanation and were on their way home.

CLEVELAND -- Christian Pulisic couldn't stop smiling.

Given that the U.S. thrashed Trinidad and Tobago 6-0 in its second group-stage match at the Gold Cup, this wouldn't seem to be that unusual. But Pulisic's postgame demeanor usually shifts between stoic, if the team wins, and scowl, if the team loses.

This time, Pulisic was practically buoyant, happy to discuss all manner of topics, though the team's performance pleased him most of all.

- CONCACAF Gold Cup: All you need to know
- Full Gold Cup fixtures schedule

"We enjoyed every moment of it," he said. "Obviously the goals and everything flowed really nicely, so it looks good. We're going to have some bigger challenges ahead and we're more excited for those."

Pulisic even found time to expound on the energy levels of teammate and long-term friend, Weston McKennie.

"Besides at 8 in the morning, he has more energy than any guy I've ever met," Pulisic said of McKennie. "In the morning, don't talk to him. But after that, he's on 'go' all the time.

"A switch hits at 9:15 a.m. and he's ready. Then the whole day is just nonstop. I'm a morning person, so that time is good for me because Wes isn't always in my ear."

Pulisic also opened a bit of a window into what this game meant to him. All week, the U.S. team had insisted that revenge for the World Cup qualifying defeat to the Soca Warriors back in 2017, one that prevented them from reaching the 2018 World Cup, wasn't on its mind. The focus was on the task at hand. That went from players who played in the World Cup qualifier, like Paul Arriola, to those who didn't, like Wil Trapp.

Pulisic was different, even going so far as to say in one postgame interview that he had a chip on his shoulder regarding the match. His outlook hadn't changed by the time he made his way through the postmatch mixed zone.

"You guys know what happened against Trinidad," he said. "Obviously I wanted to win real bad today. That was it."

It showed. Pulisic and the rest of his teammates struggled to break T&T down in the first half, though that was due in part to the fact that the Soca Warriors were content to sit back, soak up pressure and try to hit the U.S. on the counter. That said, the U.S. also wasn't entirely sharp either.

But it was the Chelsea midfielder who helped break the ice with a bit of quality that came in the form of a perfectly weighted cross that Aaron Long headed home for the first of his two goals. Pulisic later set up Gyasi Zardes' second goal of the night, and was overall an attacking menace as the game opened up. After that tally, the rout was officially on, including a Pulisic goal set up by substitute Jordan Morris.

"They were very man-oriented and it was tough to break the lines, but we said you have to keep moving and finding the right spaces and we did a good job of that in the second half," he said. "Obviously when you do that the whole game and press them every time you lose the ball, it's tough for them.

"They got tired -- you could see it and we did that really well tonight."

Pulisic even drew praise from manager Gregg Berhalter for the work he put in defensively, and the midfielder could be seen sprinting back in the second half to help win the ball.

"It's not my biggest strength, but I think it's really important for me coming into this team, if we're going to play this pressing style, I'm going to try to help the team the best I can," Pulisic said. "If it means I have to work really hard, I'm going to understand how we're going to press and how we're going to do things. I worked hard tonight."

Everything about Pulisic, from his performance to his postgame mood, could be reflected in his U.S. teammates. The much-maligned Zardes scored twice and came within inches of getting a hat trick. McKennie thrived in a midfield role that saw him play a little deeper in support of Michael Bradley while also finding some of his trademark energy to get forward.

While the defense had a couple of scary moments in dealing with some T&T counterattacks -- including one in the 61st minute that ended with Levi Garcia missing the target -- it largely held up well.

Certainly there are better teams in this tournament than T&T, who finds itself eliminated after two games with a goal differential of minus-8. But prior to the tournament the Americans had difficulty looking good against just about everybody. It's worth noting that Pulisic didn't play in either of those matches, but now at least the U.S. looks like it's beginning to build some chemistry.

Arriola, scorer of the U.S. team's fifth goal, and Tyler Boyd are creating some havoc on the flanks. Bradley and McKennie looked to be in sync with their roles. The sight of Jozy Altidore making it onto the field for a 16-minute appearance was welcome.

While it no doubt helps when players around Pulisic are performing well, he remains the vital piece if the U.S. is going to actually win the tournament. For a player of Pulisic's talent, that isn't news. But there have been moments when Pulisic looked weighed down by the responsibility placed on him. The fact that the U.S. attacker is looking more comfortable in his national team skin bodes well.

"I think what we're doing is trying to put him in a position where he can [take a game over]," Berhalter said about Pulisic. "The structure around him accommodates him being flexible. He can go wide, he can come inside, he can create space for himself, we can use the striker to get him the ball bouncing it back to him. That's what we're trying to do, and the reason we're trying to do that is he has these game-changing abilities."

It is premature to say the U.S. men's national team has made a full recovery. Panama, its final group-stage opponent on Wednesday, has a habit of making life difficult for the U.S. at the Gold Cup. After all, the Canaleros are responsible for handing the U.S. its only group-stage defeat in the history of the tournament.

But with both the U.S. and Panama already through to the quarterfinals, it remains to be seen what level of intensity there will be in a game which has little riding on it.

"The first two games have been good, but it's just a start," Bradley added. "We understand that as the tournament goes on, games get harder, things get more competitive and the level from everybody has to go up."

True. But for the first time in what seems like ages, the possibility that a higher ceiling exists for this U.S. team feels more real. For a program that has been weighed down by a World Cup qualifying hangover, that is a welcome step forward.

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Mehidy Hasan is understood to be out of danger after being struck on the side of a head by a ball during a net session in Southampton. The incident occurred while Mehidy was giving an interview, on the sidelines of the practice session, on the eve of Bangladesh's match against Afghanistan. A concussion report is yet to be completed, though.

Mehidy apparently wanted to continue batting in the nets but was not allowed to, according to the Bangladesh media manager Rabeed Imam.

The injury to the offspinner is the latest concern for a Bangladesh team riddled with fitness worries. Mohammad Saifuddin and Mosaddek Hossain missed the game against Australia due to a back spasm and hurt shoulder respectively, while Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal and Mashrafe Mortaza are all carrying injuries as well.

Big Picture

If you wanted an idea of how much the nature of a pitch influences the cricket played on it, contrast Afghanistan's last two matches. Against England - not even the best players of spin - their star legspinner Rashid Khan was given a tutorial on what life is like for the less gifted on most days. The spin trio of Rashid, Mujeeb ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi collectively conceded a seemingly confidence shattering 224 in 28 overs in that match.

Fast forward to Southampton and it must have felt like waking up to a beautiful morning from a terrible nightmare. On the slower, drier pitch there, not entirely different from the Hyderabad surface they play on in the IPL, they were a beast that couldn't be tamed by one of the strongest batting line-ups in the world. For all the external factors that a disappointing campaign can be attributed to, it is really out in the middle, on unfavourable surfaces that their fate has most often been sealed. But having come within touching distance of tasting victory against India, Afghanistan will be thrilled to remain in Southampton, hoping to cause what would be on current form, an upset against Bangladesh.

Ironically, Bangladesh themselves were a conditions-dependent team for the longest time, but despite their lack of experience in the UK, they have shown to have acquired the kind of adaptability you need to not just compete in multi-team tournaments played on varied surfaces but also be legitimate contenders. A washout against Sri Lanka, a team they would have fancied their chances against, has left them in a position where even winning all three remaining games may not be enough to make the top four, but it is the minimum requirement. Each match from here is a virtual knockout, the kind of pressure situation that has made former champions like Pakistan (1992) and Australia (1999). It's the kind of situation which could transform Bangladesh from a competitive unit to one that is feared by oppositions.

Form guide

Bangladesh LWLLW (completed matches, most recent first)

Afghanistan LLLLL

In the spotlight

Bangladesh's problem has been taking wickets. They have averaged 49 with the ball, the most for any team in the World Cup so far. A major reason for that has been the impenetrability of offspinner Mehidy Hasan, particularly in the first 30 overs. In that period of the match, when the narrative takes shape, he averages 165, with one wicket in 32 overs. It must be noted that none of these - with the exception of The Oval against New Zealand which was slow - matches could said to have been played on spin-friendly surfaces, like the one he's likely to have in Southampton. However, he was struck on the side of a head by a ball during a net session on the eve of the match, and though he is understood to be out of danger, his participation in the Afghanistan clash is in doubt.

Rashid Khan came back strongly after the hammering at Old Trafford to restrict India's scoring in the middle in Southampton, before picking MS Dhoni, his only wicket, in the death. However, he has been afflicted with a similar malady as Mehidy, having struggled in his first spell throughout the World Cup. In the 20 overs that have constituted his first spell across five matches, he has gone at over six runs per over, without taking a single wicket. Against proficient players of spin, he will be tested again but on a helpful surface, Afghanistan will want more from their premier spinner.

Team news

A blow to the side of the head has put Mehidy Hasan's participation in doubt. That would be a big blow to Bangladesh on a spin-friendly surface. Mohammad Saifuddin, Bangladesh's highest wicket-taker in the tournament, sat out the last match against Australia due to a back injury he hasn't fully recovered from. Rubel Hossain, who replaced him, went for 83 in nine wicket-less overs. Bangladesh may be tempted to persist with him for his pace, particularly against Afghanistan, but also because Abu Jayed, the other option, largely relies on moving the new ball, something that hasn't been on offer in Southampton. Mosaddek Hossain, however, could be back after sufficiently recovering from a left shoulder injury. He might replace Sabbir Rahman or Mehidy, depending on the latter's availability.

Bangladesh (Probable XI): Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), Liton Das, Mahmudullah, Sabbir Rahman, Mehidy Hasan Miraz/Mosaddek Hossain, Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman

Afghanistan may persist with the same side after it gave India a run for their money.

Afghanistan (Probable XI): Hazratullah Zazai, Gulbadin Naib*, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Ikram Alikhil (wk), Rashid Khan, Aftab Alam, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Pitch and conditions

Spin has played a significant role in Southampton, although some of the quicks have used the two-paced nature of the pitch to their advantage as well. While chasing is the preferred option in ODIs, this is a venue where runs on the board can be golden. However, the chance of rain could throw all of that out of the window.

Strategy Punt

• Of all teams, Afghanistan have been the most vulnerable against short-of-a-length or short deliveries. They have lost 21 wickets to those lengths, averaging a shade over 15. Someone like Rubel Hossain could exploit that weakness.

• Mohammad Nabi, who took Afghanistan to the brink of a massive upset against India, has been excellent against spin but not so much against pace. Four of his five dismissals in the World Cup have come against pace and his strike also dips from 100 against spin to 62 against pace. It's a no brainer for Bangladesh to attack him with pace.

Stats and trivia

• Gulbadin Naib needs 43 runs for 1000 runs in ODIs

• Mashrafe Mortaza needs 2 wickets for 100 wickets as a captain in ODIs.

• Shakib Al Hasan needs 35 runs for 1000 runs in World Cups

Quotes

"Shakib al Hasan is one of the best Bangladesh players, playing alongside Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan in the IPL. He might be difficult to stop if tomorrow is his day, but equally, if it is our day, it will be very difficult for anyone, not only Shakib."

- Afghanistan captain Gulbadin Naib is unperturbed by Shakib's threat

"We all know what's in front of us. If you break it down, we only need to win five games to win the World Cup. It is one way of looking at it, if you treat it all as knockout games. It is not going to be easy, and the first step is Afghanistan. We are not looking further than them."

- Bangladesh coach Steve Rhodes on what's ahead of them in the tournament.

Given the right conditions, Afghanistan's spin attack can trouble any batting line-up in the world, says their captain Gulbadin Naib, as they seek to carry the spirit they showed in defeat against India into Monday's meeting with Bangladesh at the Hampshire Bowl.

After a series of heavy defeats in their opening encounters of the World Cup, Afghanistan finally found the fighting spirit that had carried them back from the brink in the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe last year, to run India excruciatingly close in a low-scoring thriller on Saturday.

And, having limited India's hugely vaunted batting line-up to a below-par total of 224 for 8, Gulbadin is confident that his bowlers will relish the use of the same spin-friendly track as they seek to extend their impressive head-to-head record against Bangladesh - a side whom they've beaten three times out of eight in ODIs, including a thumping 136-run win in their penultimate meeting in the Asia Cup in September.

"We've played already on this wicket, but a cricket game is dependent on the present," said Gulbadin. "[It's about] how you play, how the conditions are, especially the English conditions. We didn't know about the weather [before the tournament], but yesterday was a good day for us, a sunny day. We lost the game but we did a lot of things good."

But success in cricket is also about confidence, which is something that Afghanistan ought to have in abundance now, having finally put to one side the selection and fitness controversies that have dogged their campaign. Against India they were back to being that tenacious band of raw talents who have the ability to unsettle the very best in the world. That injection of belief could help to unlock their potential for the final three matches of their campaign.

"We will be trying to do more against Bangladesh," said Gulbadin. "They are doing really well, especially in their batting partnerships. They chased 340 [322] against West Indies, which is one of the best performances by a Bangladesh side, so praise goes to them, but we are doing better and better every day which is a good sign for Afghanistan."

If Afghanistan are to prevail against Bangladesh, and secure the win against a fellow Test nation that most observers believed was well within their grasp in this tournament, then they are sure to lean heavily once again on their most potent spin pairing, Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan - both for the allround talents that they have been able to hone with their spells in overseas leagues including the IPL, but also for the intel that they can provide on Bangladesh's most in-form matchwinner, Shakib Al Hasan.

Shakib comes into the contest in the form of his life. With 425 runs at 106.25 in his first five matches, he is vying with the likes of Joe Root, Kane Williamson and David Warner for the accolade of the tournament's leading run-scorer - but unlike those players, he is also a pivotal performer with the ball, having picked off five wickets to date, including two key scalps in the win over West Indies at Taunton.

His experience of playing alongside Nabi and Rashid at Sunrisers Hyderabad will no doubt be a factor in how he takes on their bowling on Monday, but that insight cuts both ways, with both players more intimately acquainted with Shakib's strengths and weaknesses than most opponents that he has thus far encountered.

"How Shakib is doing for his team, I think it's tremendous," said Gulbadin. "No one can say for anyone that you can stop him or them [the team as a whole]. It depends on the day. Tomorrow is a new day, it is a fresh day.

"Shakib hasn't just been playing good cricket here, he's also been playing a lot of [good] stuff in the back couple of years. So he's one of the best players of Bangladesh.

"Also, he's playing together with Nabi and Rashid in franchise cricket. He is the best. So it depends on the day. So if tomorrow is his day, so maybe he will play good cricket. So if [it is our day], maybe it's very difficult for anyone, not only Shakib."

Despite their current buoyancy, Afghanistan are under no illusions about the scale of their challenge, against one of the most impressive teams in this year's tournament - a side that ran Australia and New Zealand incredibly close in their earlier encounters, and might be a better bet for a semi-final spot had it not been for an untimely wash-out against Sri Lanka.

"I'm really impressed with the side of Bangladesh, how they're playing, how they start the tournament," said Gulbadin. "So I think now we cannot take it easy with Bangladesh. It's a good side. They proved themselves in this stage.

"But not only Bangladesh, any team [can be beaten]," he added. "Like yesterday you saw it against India - the best side, the best batting attack all over the world. But our spinners are one of the best spin attacks in the world. So if the wicket helps our spinners, maybe it's very difficult for everyone, not only Bangladesh."

In spite of their early difficulties, on and off the field, Gulbadin insisted that the spirit within the side remained unbroken, and if anything their resolve to finish the tournament on a high had been stiffened by the struggles they had encountered in earlier games.

"Everyone is just trying to do well, especially the senior players," he said. "They have pressure, but every tournament together we're discussing the small, small things. What's wrong? What do we want to do where we can do better? So then we're sitting with everyone and just discussing the issues. I think we're doing well the last two, three games.

"Inshallah, everyone wants to do well for their country and do their best for their country. Nobody wants to do bad or wrong anything. Everyone is playing for our country, they are trying to do well for the country and for the people.

"I know, inshallah, tomorrow is a new day, and it depends on the day. So we can try to do well and the right thing, so the last two games we did a lot of things good. So Inshallah, we can see tomorrow, Inshallah."

REIMS, France -- The United States will need to overcome both Spain and scheduling disadvantages when it plays its first knockout-round game Monday in the FIFA Women's World Cup.

The U.S. was the tournament's most dominant team in winning all three of its games in the group stage. The Americans set a World Cup group-stage record by scoring 18 goals while not allowing any in wins against Thailand, Chile and Sweden. But in addition to being one of only two group winners that plays a second-place finisher in the initial knockout round instead of a third-place finisher, the U.S. will play Spain with considerably less rest than its opponent.

While the U.S. played Sweden in its final group game on Thursday, Spain played its final group game against China on Monday. Both the U.S. and Spain played those games in Le Havre.

U.S. coach Jill Ellis downplayed the effects and noted that her team hosted tournaments like the annual SheBelieves Cup and Tournament of Nations with an eye toward this sort of scenario.

"We're very used to a three-day rhythm," Ellis said Sunday. "It's what we've done in certain tournaments, specifically for [that] purpose of having a consistent rhythm in what we do. And we can't control, obviously, what our opponent has."

In this year's SheBelieves Cup, for example, the U.S. played Japan on Feb. 27, England on March 2 and Brazil on March 5, traveling at least 700 miles between each game. But its opponents in that and similar tournaments had identical travel and recovery periods.

Complicating matters ahead of Monday's game, temperatures in Reims are expected to peak at 90 degrees in the hour before the 6 p.m. local kickoff, the hottest weather the U.S. has experienced in France.

"I haven't paid attention to the weather report," Ellis said. "But for us, everything has been about making sure our recovery was happening the night of the Sweden game. After the huddle, I just said to them, 'The MVP right now is going to be your recovery and your hydration and your attention to detail,' in terms of making sure they do that. I think our players are fantastic with that, in terms of knowing that the next game starts as soon as that game is over."

Four years ago, the U.S. had five days off between its final group game and first knockout-round game against Colombia, which was ranked 28th in the world at the time. Spain is currently ranked 13th.

The oldest team in this World Cup, the U.S. already faced a condensed schedule by virtue of being one of the final two teams to play its opening game. If it reaches the final in Lyon on July 7, it will play seven games in 27 days.

"I would have taken an extra day or two," Kelley O'Hara said of the Spain game. "But no, it doesn't matter. It's all about getting the job done, whoever we're playing, focus on that."

The winner of Monday's game plays again on Friday in Paris against the winner of Sunday's game between France and Brazil.