ST. LOUIS -- Minnesota Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson saw an opportunity, and he cashed in.

Gustavsson capped the Wild's 4-1 win over the St. Louis Blues with the rare goalie goal. The 26-year-old gloved a Pavel Buchnevich shot from the blue line, dropped it to his stick and lifted a shot high into the air that stayed true and slid into an empty net with 8.1 seconds left.

"They probably try and make me get a whistle and get a faceoff in our zone, and they just put it straight in the glove and I try and put it down as quick as I could," Gustavsson said. "It just laid perfect there on the ice, and I just try and shoot as hard as I could."

It was Gustavsson's first goal on any level and the first ever goalie goal in Wild franchise history.

Gustavsson was thinking about trying it after talking to teammate and fellow goalie Marc-Andre Fleury during a Blues timeout with 34 seconds left.

"Flower looked up at the board and he's like, 'Yeah, we're up two goals, you should probably try it. If you get the chance, you're shooting right?'" Gustavsson said. "I was like, yeah, maybe I should."

Gustavsson is the 15th goalie to score a goal in NHL history and the first since Pittsburgh's Tristan Jarry on Nov. 20, 2023, against Tampa Bay. It was also just the third power-play goal by a goalie following San Jose's Evgeni Nabokov (March 10, 2002) and New Jersey's Martin Brodeur (March 21, 2013).

Wild coach John Hynes witnessed Nashville's Pekka Rinne score a goalie goal against Chicago on Jan. 9, 2020, when he was the coach of the Predators.

"It was almost very similar to Gus, like, it was kind of 6-on-5 situation, kind of dumped in on the goalie, and he had time to be able to do it," Hynes said. "Both guys, you could tell they were going for it. So great to see."

Gustavsson celebrated in style with a flyby of the Wild bench.

"It was unbelievable," Wild center Jakub Lauko said. "It was amazing. It would be nicer if we'd been at home with, like, a full barn. But, you know, it's an incredible moment. I'm just happy for him."

Gustavsson, who made 27 saves against the Blues, has had a strong start to the season, improving to 2-0-1. He has stopped 91 of 96 shots he has faced for a .948 save percentage.

He has given a big boost to Minnesota, which is dealing with several key injuries while having just played the second in a season-long seven-game road trip.

"I don't think I do anything special right now," Gustavsson said. "I don't be any flashy. Obviously, I make some bigger saves, but that's usually when you're out of position. I just try to be in the right position most of the time and make boring saves. And I think that's been working very good so far."

The 2024-25 NHL season has begun, which means it's time for another set of rankings of all 32 teams' prospect pipelines -- and how the business of the offseason changed those rankings compared to April's edition.

In several cases, prospects are getting a nine-game look at the NHL level before their team must decide whether to send them back to the Canadian junior leagues. The rest have already begun their seasons there or in the NCAA or other leagues worldwide. To qualify as a prospect for this list, the player must be under 23 years old and have his rights owned by an NHL team.

Players expected to be on the NHL roster for most of the NHL season are not considered in the pipeline. Notable players fitting that description include Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Matvei Michkov, Cutter Gauthier, Shane Wright, Logan Stankoven, Brandt Clarke and Rutger McGroarty.

Head coach Mauricio Pochettino cautioned against making any harsh judgments of the United States men's national team (USMNT) after the 2-0 fall to Mexico on Tuesday in Guadalajara, reiterating his process with the federation just begun.

"Overall, I think Mexico was a little bit better than us and fully deserved the victory," Pochettino said in a news conference after the match. "But for us it's a process that we started 10 days ago and today was a great opportunity for our player to visit a very difficult place to play. I think only we can improve and learn from this experience."

U.S. Soccer announced the arrival of Pochettino in September, only a few weeks before the October international window. He led the USMNT for the first time on Oct. 12 in a 2-0 victory over Panama in Austin, before traveling to Mexico for the game against El Tricolor.

He coached the entire October roster for just a couple days before Marlon Fossey, Zack Steffen, Weston McKennie and Ricardo Pepi departed camp due to injury, while Christian Pulisic returned to AC Milan to avoid a work overload.

Pochettino admitted he felt disappointed with not having the entire squad available for the match against Mexico, given the opportunity to learn from the challenges of a game in Guadalajara.

"We all feel disappointed because I think we didn't have all the players that we wanted to have when we started," he said. "We lost some players for different reasons and we arrived a little bit short here.

"I say thank you to the players [that were here] because they were amazing, professional and the behavior was amazing. And that's it. It's only a game that we lose, of course, in Mexico.

"We wanted to win. I think we need to be positive about this type of game. We need to play more games like this to improve the knowledge that we have."

Pochettino insists that he needs more time to evaluate and study the players before making any conclusions.

"Give us time, let us evaluate all the players, have them, know them, and from there I will give you a better opinion about what is much more fundamental than what I see."

The USMNT will now shift focus to the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal series against Jamaica in the November international window.

United States men's national team striker Folarin Balogun will be sidelined for about two months with a shoulder injury, a person close to the player told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Balogun scored for a third straight game as AS Monaco won 2-1 at Rennes on Oct. 5 before leaving the match with an injury.

He suffered a dislocated shoulder, the person said. They were not authorized to speak publicly of the matter as the club did not make an official statement.

In his second season at league leader Monaco, Balogun netted the winner in the 22nd minute against Rennes but was forced off after the hour mark.

The injury led him to withdraw from the U.S. squad for matches against Panama and Mexico.

Lionel Messi turned in another vintage performance for Argentina, scoring three goals and adding two assists in a runaway win over Bolivia in South American World Cup qualifying on Tuesday night.

After the game, a 6-0 win for Argentina in front of a raucous crowd at the Monumental de Nuñez Stadium, the 2022 World Cup winner said he is trying to savor every moment with the national team and acknowledged the end of his playing days is near.

"It is very nice to play here feeling the affection of the Argentina fans," Messi said after the game. "It makes me emotional to listen how they shout my name. We all enjoy this connection with the fans and we love playing at home."

When asked about his future and whether he'd help Argentina defend their title at the 2026 World Cup, Messi was cautious and honest with his answer.

"I didn't set any date or deadline about my future," Messi said. "I'm just enjoying all this. I am more emotional than ever and taking all the love from the people because I know these can be my last games."

The superstar, who missed the two rounds of the competition in September because of a right ankle injury, played from start to finish Tuesday and added to his personal history book in the process. It was the first time Messi recorded multiple goals and assists in a single game for the national team, and the hat trick -- taking him to 112 international goals -- was his 10th, tying him with Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo for career games with a hat trick.

Messi's first goal came after a mistake by a Bolivian defender, who missed a pass and allowed the 37-year-old Messi to run freely and finish unchallenged in front of goalkeeper Billy Viscarra. Messi assisted on Lautaro Martínez's goal in the 42th minute and gave a decisive pass once again in added time on a goal by Julián Álvarez.

Argentina appeared to slow its pace after the break but scored again through Thiago Almada in the 69th minute. The striker scored from close range after a low cross by Nahuel Molina.

Messi's show had two great finishing touches from the edge of the box, the first in the 84th and the second in the 86th minute, and the joy was apparent on the 37-year-old's face as he celebrated with teammates.

"It's a joy to be present and appreciate this moment. Being surrounded by younger teammates, given my age, makes me feel like a kid again," Messi said. "I find myself doing silly things because I feel so comfortable. As long as I maintain that feeling and can continue contributing to the team, I plan to be here enjoying [the national team]."

Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni shared in the joy of watching his team's superstar and reiterated what he has said all along when asked about how long Messi would continue to play with the national team.

"The only thing I ask of him is to keep playing as long as he can," Scaloni said. "It's a joy to watch him on the soccer field. He never ceases to amaze us."

The result kept the World Cup champions as leaders of the round-robin competition with 22 points after 10 matches, three points clear of second-place Colombia, who earlier beat Chile 4-0. Uruguay is in third position with 16 points after a goalless draw with Ecuador.

Two more rounds of South American World Cup qualifying will be played in November.

The 2026 World Cup will be the first expanded version of the tournament, with 48 teams competing in the United States, Canada and Mexico for the game's biggest trophy.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this story.

GUADALAJARA, Mexico -- The first battle between Mexico manager Javier Aguirre and new United States men's national team boss Mauricio Pochettino ended in a 2-0 victory for El Tri on Tuesday, snapping a seven-game winless streak for Mexico against their northern rivals.

The USMNT, playing away from home and without a number of key figures (Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic were sent home early), struggled against the backdrop of a hostile crowd at the Estadio Akron. By the 22nd minute, that pressure grew significantly after Fulham striker Raúl Jiménez continued his rich vein of form to put the home side up 1-0 with a mesmerizing free kick.

Despite a couple of substitutions at halftime, the USMNT found itself in an even deeper hole shortly after the start of the second half. Thanks to a 49th-minute goal from César Huerta, which was assisted by Jiménez, the hosts doubled their lead and sent the Estadio Akron crowd into a frenzy. In response, the USMNT had little to offer.

With both coaches recently kicking off tenures with their respective national teams, the result marks a step forward for Aguirre, who now has a 2W-2D-0L record in his third spell in charge. Pochettino, on the other hand, is 1W-0D-1L in his start with the USMNT. -- Cesar Hernandez

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No stars, just stripes for the USMNT

Realistically speaking, this wasn't the best USMNT that was sent to Mexico. Injured stars such as Tyler Adams, Sergiño Dest, Giovanni Reyna and Chris Richards were all unavailable for selection.

Then, over the weekend, news emerged that Christian Pulisic, Ricardo Pepi, Weston McKennie, Marlon Fossey and Zack Steffen would all return to their clubs early, missing the Mexico game. While Pulisic was dealing with load management, the other four were recovering from slight injuries.

All that said, even in Mexico, the USMNT were expected to be more competitive. Throughout the match, El Tri was asking nearly all of the questions as it amped up attacking pressure and amassed 12 shots within the first half alone. As for the USMNT, its first shot on target didn't arrive until the 64th minute.

Barring the highly unlikely scenario that Pochettino will be able to consistently rely on a fully fit squad, Tuesday's match showcased the work that's needed to uplift and motivate a number of alternatives that were poor against Mexico. -- Hernandez

Pep was right: Jiménez is back

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was ahead of the curve when he warned that "Raúl is back" after the recent 3-2 win over Fulham in the Premier League. His performance on Tuesday against the United States undoubtedly confirms that.

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers striker guided Mexico toward its first win over its biggest rival in five years and gave Pochettino his first blemish as USMNT boss. In the process, he earned postmatch praise from Coach Aguirre for being a "leader" and "a very important player" for his team.

Jiménez did a bit of everything on Tuesday. Not only did he score for the first time in over a year with El Tri, but he also showed off his entire repertoire on the Estadio Akron pitch: a bicycle-kick attempt, plenty of dribbles, flair when attempting passes and a flashy assist.

It was more than enough to help Mexico defeat the United States by the most damning of scorelines within the rivalry: dos a cero. -- Omar Flores

Dos a Cero strikes again

The United States continuously mocks Mexico with the "Dos a Cero" chant, referencing the various times the Stars and Stripes have triumphed over their rivals with that scoreline.

The story began in 2002, when the American team famously eliminated El Tri from the FIFA World Cup in the round of 16 with a 2-0 victory. Aguirre cited that match as one of only two times he had ever cried in football, labeling it one of his worst moments in his career as a coach.

Since that night, the United States has gone on to beat Mexico 2-0 on several occasions to keep the lore of the chant alive, but on Tuesday night in Guadalajara, Mexico flipped the script for the first time since 1997. -- Lizzy Becherano

Guardado gets a hometown goodbye

Mexico's legendary midfielder got a perfect night on which to say goodbye to international football in his hometown on Tuesday, exiting after 18 minutes in a clear ode to his preferred jersey number.

Andrés Guardado first burst onto the scene as a lanky 19-year-old in 2005, brought on by eagle-eyed Ricardo La Volpe, Mexico's manager at the time, as a talented wide player who famously held his own in the 2006 World Cup finals against Argentina. Over the course of two decades, Guardado has turned into the Mexican embodiment of Total Football, a multifaceted player who has taken on several roles and positions during his illustrious career.

For 17 straight years, El Principito carried his country's flag across European pitches as one of Mexican soccer's most well-known ambassadors. A respected figure for Deportivo La Coruña, PSV Eindhoven, and Real Betis, Guardado -- now with León in Liga MX -- is also well-respected among Mexican fans for resisting the urge to exit Europe in favor of MLS. It was only fitting that Guardado close the book on his national career against the United States, his nation's biggest rival and a team he helped defeat in two Gold Cup finals and the 2015 Concacaf Cup.

At 38, Guardado could very well keep going at the international level, a testament to both his evergreen talent and Mexico's fraught present as they look to remain competitive ahead of the 2026 World Cup. -- Eric Gomez

Mexico's roadshow of stadiums working a treat

The Mexican national team returned to Guadalajara for the first time in 14 years on Tuesday. El Tri usually hosts international matches at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, rarely exploring different parts of the country. But while the iconic Azteca undergoes refurbishments ahead of the 2026 World Cup, the Mexican Football Federation sought to play the October friendlies in Puebla and Guadalajara in hopes to reconnect with the fan base. And it worked on Tuesday night.

From the opening kickoff, fans inside the Estadio Akron established a vibrant atmosphere. As the United States starting lineup echoed throughout the stadium, fans booed each passing name. But when the Mexican names rang, the cheering and chanting almost drowned out the announcer. By the initial whistle, the "Mexico, Mexico" song consumed supporters. The Mexican national team has gone through various changes since last playing in Guadalajara in September 2014, losing tournaments, failing during the 2024 Copa America and getting knocked out of multiple World Cups, yet the fans were clearly prepared to welcome the team back with open arms.

In the 22nd minute, as Jiménez's free kick found the back of the net, the stadium exploded into a frenzy. From the criticized "silent" nights at the Estadio Azteca to Tuesday's electric night at the Estadio Akron, it seems the fan base has not yet abandoned El Tri as many have suggested. -- Becherano

Cheers (and jeers) for Mexico in Guadalajara

Pochettino and his staff were left rightfully wondering why, in the second half, there were ample boos for Mexico midfielder Alexis Vega as he entered the field of play. The crowd in Guadalajara was there for El Tri, but they definitely kept their soft spot intact for usual home team Chivas. Vega, a former Chivas player who exited the club acrimoniously, was not the only target of Estadio Akron's ire over the course of the match.

Club América and USMNT attacker Alejandro Zendejas was targeted as he entered in the second half. The Mexican players seemed to respond in kind to Zendejas, a scuffle involving him and Tigres defender Jesús Angulo was probably the most excitement the crowd experienced during a listless latter half of the match.

The infamous anti-gay chant that has gotten Mexico in trouble over the past decade or so was also heard, though it was quickly quelled once Jiménez scored his free kick.

Jiménez, once a mainstay for América during his Liga MX days, was spared by the pro-Chivas crowd, given that he also provided Huerta with an assist for Mexico's second.

Despite all this, the crowd was subdued compared to other editions of the Mexico vs. USA rivalry -- the fact that the pro-Mexican crowd experienced El Tri's first victory over the United States in five years definitely helped. -- Gomez

Malagón jumps ahead of Ochoa as Mexico's No. 1

Who would start in goal for Mexico was perhaps Aguirre's best-kept secret in the lead up to Tuesday's match. El Vasco held his cards close to his chest right up until starters were announced, and eventually Luis Ángel Malagón got the nod to start against the USMNT in favor of Guillermo Ochoa -- a decision that might prove key ahead of the team's next matches.

Ochoa was absent from the September friendlies as Aguirre had requested that every single player on his radar have a club -- a prerequisite the former Sevilla man did not fulfill at that particular time. Ochoa's absence was taken advantage of by Malagón, who won over Aguirre's trust and received the opportunity to start against the United States, a game in which he contributed with a key save.

Aguirre had said prior to Tuesday's match that this would be the last audition for players on the Mexican national team's radar, as November will present El Tri with the Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal matches against Honduras. Ochoa, who has since joined AVS in the Portuguese Primeira Liga, appears to have lost his starting job and must now await his turn from the bench in the beginning of the latest Aguirre era. -- Flores

Early insight into how Poch's USMNT will play

Scoreline aside, one major takeaway was what Pochettino is trying to build with his new national team.

Similar to the match against Panama, there was a clear attempt to defend in a 4-4-2 and then move forward in attack through a 3-4-3 that relied on the agile Antonee Robinson to cover an immense amount of ground on the left flank.

The attack was fluid, and yet they couldn't break down Mexico's backline enough. Throughout the start to the game, the USMNT were also mistiming tackles and not winning as many second goals or recovering as much as Mexico.

On the sideline, Pochettino looked quietly exasperated, trying to figure out a way to crack the code of the USMNT's team that was missing key figures. The good news is that things did seem to improve in the second half. With some fresh faces introduced via substitutions, the passing was quicker as they made more of an effort to keep the ball more in Mexico's half of the pitch.

It's all still a work in progress though for Pochettino. Whether he keeps his 4-4-2 to 3-4-3 or mixes things up going forward, he'll still need to test and tinker in the early days of his new national team role. -- Hernandez

Former India seamer Paras Mhambrey has been appointed Mumbai Indians' bowling coach ahead of IPL 2025. Mhambrey, who had served as MI's assistant coach previously, will work alongside current bowling coach Lasith Malinga under newly appointed head coach Mahela Jayawardene.

Mhambrey served as India's bowling coach from 2021 till August this year under Rahul Dravid and was part of the T20 World Cup-winning side in the Caribbean. He was also part of the MI set-up when the team won the IPL in 2013 and the Champions League T20 in 2011 and 2013.

He also has experience coaching in Indian domestic cricket, having overseen the India A team and having helped Bengal to successive Ranji Trophy finals in 2005-06 and 2006-07. He played two Tests and three ODIs for India between 1996 and 1998. He represented Mumbai in domestic cricket, taking 284 wickets in 91 first-class games and 111 wickets in 83 List A games.

On Sunday, MI had announced the return of former Sri Lanka captain Jayawardene as their head coach ahead of the new season. The coaching staff's first task will be to finalise Mumbai's retentions ahead of the deadline on October 31.

MI finished at the bottom of the table in IPL 2024 with just four wins in 14 games under new captain Hardik Pandya.

Head, who formed a swashbuckling partnership with Abhishek at the top of the order, was fourth on the overall run-getters list, with 567 runs in 15 innings at a strike rate of 191.55. Twenty-one-year-old seam-bowling allrounder Reddy - who debuted for India in the recently concluded T20I series against Bangladesh, smashing 74 off 34 in his second game - had proven a reliable support act for Sunrisers' last season, with 303 runs scored at 142.92 and three wickets.