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Poch wants U.S. to emulate mentality of Argentina
United States coach Mauricio Pochettino said players must see soccer as more than just a game when competing in order to be successful during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
He used the mental approach taken by a team he is very familiar with as an example: Argentina, for whom Pochettino played during his career.
"When we are seeing different national teams, today we talked about Argentina because it's the [world] champion and they have very good players," Pochettino told ESPN. "But for me the most important difference it's the mentality, how they compete as a group and the belief that they have and when they go to the pitch, they go to war and to defend your badge, your flag and that is what we need to create.
"We need to translate to our players that its not only going to be a soccer game, we need to go one step forward to compete better."
Since taking the role as manager of the U.S. on Sept. 10, Pochettino has won three games and lost one, to rivals Mexico in a friendly. Though he's seen early success with the team, Pochettino continues to strive for more on the road to the World Cup.
"[Right now] the mentality is really good, I think we have a very good mentality, a very good culture," he said. "Sometimes there's a moment when you go up and down, the most important is to be consistent, to keep your capacity and your mentality."
The United States face a unique road to the 2026 tournament as co-hosts, automatically earning a ticket and avoiding any Concacaf qualifiers. The limited amount of competition is a double-edged sword, but one positive is it allows Pochettino to test out different players for the Gold Cup, Nations League and upcoming friendlies.
"For me, the most important factor [in calling up a player] is how they are performing in their club. It's true that we have different situations in which maybe they don't play too much in their club" said Pochettino. "But we consider it before calling them up because they are important for the group. They perform here, even if they don't play too much.
"We always analyze things differently, with different ways for different players. We don't use the same standard of rules to assess players in the same way."
The USMNT is set to kick off 2025 with a game against Venezuela at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Jan. 18, and then Costa Rica four days later at Inter&Co Stadium in Orlando with some new faces on the roster like Brian Gutierrez and Patrick Agyemang.
Spurs' Bentancur stretchered off after collapsing
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur was carried off on a stretcher in the 14th minute of his team's Carabao Cup semifinal against Liverpool on Wednesday after falling to the ground at a corner.
Medical staff immediately ran onto the field as the Uruguay international lay face down on the turf, with players from both teams looking concerned.
Spurs posted on X at half-time to say that Bentancur "is conscious, talking and will go to hospital for further checks."
Asked about the incident after the game, Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou said: "I don't want to speculate because I don't really know [what happened to Bentancur] either.
"All I know is he was conscious when he came off. Obviously it was some sort of head injury, but he was conscious when he was coming off the field.
"And he's been taken to the hospital for observation. But I'm not really clear on how it happened. Unless I get a doctor out here, I'm not going to speculate because it's just not fair on people around him.
"But it was a head injury. And there was concern from players out there so obviously there was something going on."
Bentancur, 27, had tried to head a ball that had been curled in from the right in the sixth minute.
Fans applauded as he was carried off the field, and Bentancur gave a thumbs up to the Spurs bench on his way off.
The injury happened with the score tied at 0-0 at the time in the first-leg match. Spurs went on to win 1-0 after a late goal from 18-year-old Lucas Bergvall.
Carabao Cup offers lifeline for Postecoglou and Spurs to cling to
LONDON -- Ange Postecoglou needed this. Wednesday's 1-0 win over Liverpool may not be enough to reach the Carabao Cup Final given the semifinal's second leg at Anfield awaits, but it buys him precious time to steer Tottenham Hotspur's season back on track.
The irony is that this vital result comes in a competition the 59-year-old manager has not particularly targeted, and through a performance which represents something of a departure from the high-risk style which has tested the locals' faith in this part of north London.
It was nothing like a complete abandonment of Postecoglou's principles, but more of a compromise than we're used to seeing.
Tottenham's average possession start was 31.6 meters from goal, their fifth lowest this season in all competitions. Their season average is 35.8 meters. And the hosts made just 44 passes in their attacking third, compared with 83 against the same opposition last month and 77 in the previous round against Manchester United.
Perhaps Rodrigo Bentancur's early head injury knocked them off stride, stretchered off and taken to hospital in what Postecoglou described as "a quite distressing sight" afterwards. Spurs later confirmed he was conscious and talking.
A line-up depleted through injury and the calibre of their opponents were undoubtedly also contributing factors. The first half was, atypically for Spurs, fairly dull. Postecoglou's demeanour was also notable departure from the norm too; unusually expressive on the sideline, sinking to his knees when Pedro Porro failed to capitalise on an early second-half mistake from Alisson Becker.
Dominic Solanke's 77th-minute goal, ruled out on VAR review for offside and a chance to debut in-stadium refereeing announcements confirming that, yes, the man who might have been offside when he ran through and scored was, in fact, offside when he ran through and scored, prompting furious headshaking.
Lucas Bergvall's match-winning goal nine minutes later sparked jubilant celebrations which were resumed after the final whistle as Postecoglou blew kisses to loved ones and revelled in the party atmosphere which greeted a result that takes Spurs a step closer to their first trophy since 2008.
Postecoglou is usually a stoic figure but a recent run of four wins from 15 games has placed him under significant pressure.
"It has been an emotional time, mate," he explained. "I keep saying: I am a human being. Like all of us, we're in these roles of managers and I understand we have got positions of responsibility, but we are still human beings at our core and we react to things.
"I don't like the fact that people who are working really hard for this club, on and off the field, have not had that feeling of victory. I don't feel great about our supporters not having that feeling of victory.
"It weighs heavily on me. It is my responsibility. So yeah, I am a little bit more emotional than I usually am but that also probably means I do care, and I think that's still important."
This was only Liverpool's second defeat under Arne Slot and Spurs achieved that with another patchwork team featuring a debutant, Antonin Kinsky, in goal, a teenage right-back at centre-back in Archie Gray and out-of-favour Djed Spence, respectively. The latter coped much better with Mohamed Salah than in the 6-3 Premier League defeat here 17 days earlier.
It felt as though an element of pragmatism had crept into Tottenham's approach, but Postecoglou suggested that was more through circumstance than design.
"People said my midfield setup was a little bit more conservative today but that's because I only had three midfielders to choose," he said. "The others weren't available. We certainly went about it the same way. Liverpool don't allow you go about it the same way as other teams do, and our players every three days are playing a game without rest.
"You saw Liverpool at the end, they put on some significant talent, some really good footballers. I couldn't do the same. And yet, the guys out there are consistently doing it. Maybe we are not as dominant as we want to be but there's good reason, not through the lack of trying or different intent."
Liverpool rotated before kick-off but Slot introduced Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Díaz and Darwin Núñez among his five substitutes in an effort to secure a first-leg advantage. Alexander-Arnold had a shot cleared off the line and Núñez twice went close, but it was Spurs who struck late on, benefitting from a dubious call by Stuart Attwell to allow Bergvall to go unpunished with what looked like a clear second yellow card for a late tackle on Kostas Tsimikas.
To compound the situation, Tsimikas was waiting to come back on the field when Solanke turned expertly and fed Bergvall, who slotted a fine low finish past Alisson.
"I don't think there is any debate about that," Slot said on whether Bergvall should have been dismissed.
Given Liverpool's buoyancy under the Dutchman, they will hold high hopes of overturning the deficit on Feb. 6.
Both teams have seven games between now and then. Liverpool have their Premier League title push to focus on while Tottenham's run includes the north London derby at Arsenal and tricky trips to Everton and Brentford, all while what feels like a pivotal transfer window remains open.
But for Postecoglou, there is now a fixed point of optimism on the horizon: a second leg in which they hold a pre-existing, if narrow, advantage, to shine as a beacon through a challenging month. It will require another mammoth effort to complete the job and reach Wembley but Postecoglou, for one, will feel reinvigorated for the fight.
Martin Guptill confirms retirement from international cricket
Guptill is currently in action for Auckland in the Super Smash, New Zealand's domestic T20 competition, and has also signed up for the PSL draft, where Islamabad United have the option to retain him.
Guptill also played 47 Tests from 2009 to 2016, though he didn't have as much success in the longest format, scoring 2586 runs at 29.38.
"As a young kid it was always my dream to play for New Zealand and I feel incredibly lucky and proud to have played 367 games for my country," Guptill said in an NZC statement. "I will forever cherish the memories made wearing the silver fern alongside a great group of guys.
"I want to say a huge thanks to all my team-mates and coaching staff over the years, in particular Mark O'Donnell who has coached me since the Under-19 level and been a source of ongoing support and wisdom over my career.
"To my wife Laura and our beautiful children Harley and Teddy - thank you. Thank you Laura for the sacrifices you have made for me and our family. You've been my biggest supporter, my rock and my counsel through all of the ups and downs that come with the game. I am eternally grateful.
"Finally, I'd like to thank all the cricket fans, here in NZ and around the world for all their support throughout the years."
Guptill was then part of the New Zealand team that had progressed to the T20 World Cup final in Dubai in 2021. Guptill was also part of the T20 World Cup squad in Australia in 2022 but did not get to play as Finn Allen was preferred over him.
In November 2022, Guptill gave up his New Zealand central contract to become a freelancer. Since then, he has played in Australia's Big Bash League, the Pakistan Super League, the Caribbean Premier League, the UAE's ILT20 and the Nepal Premier League.
"On his day, Gup was world-class and his crisp ball-striking and timing could take down the best bowling attacks in the world," Latham said. "His numbers speak for themselves, but it was the matches he helped us win that I'll remember, along with the way he set the standard in the field. I wish him all the best for what the future holds and hope to see him around a cricket ground soon."
Guptill's glittering Black Caps career will be acknowledged during the team's third ODI against Sri Lanka at Eden Park on January 11.
Will Tamim Iqbal return for the Champions Trophy? BCB puts the question to him
"We held a primary discussion with Tamim," Gazi Ashraf Hossain said. "We have to announce the Champions Trophy team by January 12, so we have a bit of time. We want to let him take time, not be in a hurry to decide. We have spoken to him on behalf of the board. The player has to come to a decision after speaking to his family, friends and well-wishers. He is also in the middle of a tournament so he will need a bit of time.
"We have four days left [before announcing the squad]. We have done our homework, so we know how things will shape up. We pay respect to a cricketer like Tamim Iqbal, so he can take his time before informing us. I think it's fair enough. The board is fine with this, so everyone now has to be patient."
"We have to announce the Champions Trophy team by January 12, so we have a bit of time. We want to let him take time, not be in a hurry to decide. We have spoken to him on behalf of the board. The player has to come to a decision after speaking to his family, friends and well-wishers."
Chief selector Gazi Ashraf Hossain
Gazi Ashraf said that showed Tamim is match fit, though he will have to take a call himself if he can make the step up to international cricket. "There's a huge gap between domestic and international cricket. A player who is at a crucial juncture in his career, he has to consider a lot of things. I think it will be hasty for everyone to take a call in just one meeting, given that Tamim hasn't been around international cricket for quite some time.
"He is playing the BPL. He played in the NCL T20s. There's no question about his ability. We are all waiting for his return to the Bangladesh team. He is most welcome from our side. You just have to wait. Let there be suspense."
Shastri wants Rohit and Kohli to return to domestic cricket to rediscover form
"I think fitness is very important," Shastri told the ICC Review. "That's more important than anything else. There's no substitute for experience. But for me, current form and fitness are very important as well. So the next six months, I know there's a lot of one-day cricket, but when there's an experienced player playing, just seeing the way he's batting, you get a fair idea if we can jump on to that Test cricket bandwagon straightaway.
"So, I'll be watching very closely all the one-day games that are played, the Champions Trophy that is played, a little bit of the IPL as well. And if possible, if there's a gap for them, I think they should go back and play some domestic cricket and see how it is, because when you play Test cricket for that length of time, it's important to play domestic cricket."
Shastri's suggestion may seem logical on the face of it, but the packed cricket calendar leaves both players with a very slim window to play any first-class cricket. The white-ball leg of India's domestic season runs until the third week of January before the focus shifts to the back end of the Ranji Trophy. But with Kohli and Rohit likely to be part of India's home ODIs against England in the run-up to the Champions Trophy, they will potentially have just one Ranji game to feature in, beginning on January 23.
The other option, albeit unrealistic, is for them to try and feature in the county championships in the early part of the English summer. However, this seems nigh impossible given both players are massive draws for their respective IPL franchises. In Kohli's case, he is also in the running to once again captain Royal Challengers Bengaluru, a job he gave up in 2020.
Ponting: 'Kohli still has the skill, needs time away'
"The way he is getting out, you can see he doesn't want to be playing at those balls," Ponting said. "He's trying not to do it, but there's some mental block that's making him feel for that one outside the off stump. And remember, it's been going on for a while now. He had a mental break, didn't he, maybe 12 months ago, 18 months ago where he stepped away for a while and then came back and re-found the love for the game again.
"So right now, it just seems like that real love of the game for him is not there because he's making it too hard to enjoy. So if he wants to continue playing Test cricket, he might just need to have a little spell for a while, find the love for the game again, but there's no doubt that the skill and the talent is still there. But sometimes you just need to get away, lock up your kit bag for a little while, spend some time with the family, and think about how hard the game can be."
Leagues like ILT20 'not good for the game' - Graeme Smith
"We see ourselves as very different to the ILT20. We're a South African league, with a majority of South African players and our ultimate goal is to benefit South African players," he said at the captain's day press conference in Cape Town. "We've been built up against ILT20, so it's very difficult for me to not come across like I'm bad-mouthing them, but I do feel like a league like that is not good for the game; that there's that many international players required to build a team; there's no investment back into local cricket. That is a challenge for the world game and something that needs to be managed going forward."
While the SA20 follows an IPL-style model that allows for teams to field four internationals per XI, the ILT20 allows a maximum of nine internationals. All six SA20 squads are restricted to 19 players, must contain a minimum of 11 South African players and international places in the squads are limited to seven. They are also required to contract a rookie player, a South African under the age of 22 who has not been contracted to the tournament before. The ILT20 requires that at least two UAE players are included in the playing XI and four in the squad overall, and that squads contract two players from Associate nations, who do not get any special provision in the SA20.
For Smith, the SA20's focus is on developing as much local talent as possible while also offering international players the opportunity for tough competition. "We're a Full Member nation. Our priority is to put on a global league, but to benefit South African cricket. That's important for us," he said. "What we have focused on is building the SA20 to the point where we are now being recognised as one of the biggest leagues outside the IPL. That's important for us, and that's the feedback we're getting. And what we've seen from a player group is that this is where players want to play because it's competitive, there's good crowds, the standard of cricket is good, and this is the place to come and challenge yourself."
"There's a lot of really cool grassroots programmes that we're putting in place that hopefully will unearth some incredible talent on both the girls and boys side," Smith said. "Our franchises are also starting to build academies and scouts and do things on the ground which will really benefit the ecosystem. We're hoping in the next coming two to three years that you'll really see the impact of SA20 at the grassroots level."
For Smith, public support for the SA20 is one of the standout features which makes the competition "an established product now that has elevated itself to probably the biggest league outside of the IPL." "I'll never forget seeing you know the fan bases and the colours of each team being supported," he said. "The feedback we get globally is when people tune in, they see a happy South Africa in summer with full stadiums and incredible cricket."
Connolly, McSweeney, Kuhnemann included for Sri Lanka tour
"Sri Lanka is a challenging and exciting place to tour given the different conditions the players may experience," chair of selectors George Bailey said. "This squad provides several ways to structure the XI depending on what type of wickets they may encounter in each match.
"We are excited about the opportunity ahead for the squad members who are at the start of their Test careers to continue to grow their games in subcontinent conditions where we have a number of important tours in coming years."
McSweeney was dropped after the third Test against India when the selectors wanted to "throw something different" at India which led to Konstas' dramatic debut. But at the time Bailey said they remained confident that McSweeney had the game for Test cricket.
Connolly, the 21-year-old Western Australia left hander and left-arm spinner, provides another all-round option in the squad for the two Tests. His inclusion all-but ends Glenn Maxwell's chances of adding to his seven Test caps.
Maxwell had long held out hope of being included for the tour having come very close to being include in the XI on the last tour of Sri Lanka in 2022.
Konstas and Webster had a significant impact on the final two Tests against India. Konstas made 60 off 65 balls at the MCG while Webster made a half-century on debut in Sydney as well as contributing with the ball.
Webster's success, plus the likely availability of Cameron Green later in the year following back surgery, led former captain Aaron Finch to believe it will be tough for Marsh to return to the format.
"I think it'll be really difficult for Mitch to get back into the side now," Aaron Finch said on ESPN's Around the Wicket. "There is not a huge amount of cricket left in this summer to force a case, with Cameron Green coming back in early March. For me, it'll be unlikely."
There are just three specialist quicks travelling with incumbents Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland joined by Sean Abbott.
The first Test begins on January 29 with the squad first heading to the UAE for a training camp.
Australia squad vs Sri Lanka
Steven Smith, Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Nathan McSweeney, Todd Murphy, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster
49ers motivated to get Purdy's deal done quickly
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- With their season over, the San Francisco 49ers and quarterback Brock Purdy are, for the first time in his young career, eligible to discuss a lucrative long-term contract extension.
And while those talks haven't begun just yet, Niners general manager John Lynch, coach Kyle Shanahan and Purdy have made it clear that they intend to reach an agreement with the hope that it will be done sooner than later.
"I think what we know about Brock is that he's our guy," Lynch said Wednesday. "We have interest in Brock being around here for a long, long time. He's done so much for our organization; he's won big games and had a little tougher task as we all did this year with some of the things that happened throughout the course of the year. We just never could string games where we were all together and through that, he continued to lead, he continued to play at a high level, so we have every interest in him being around.
"We'll have some time here in the coming weeks to sit together and put our whole plan together. That's obviously a priority, that position, and we'll give it that attention."
"I plan on being with Brock here the whole time I'm here. Brock's been a stud. He's a guy I've got a lot of confidence in just as a human, but it starts with what he's done on the field these last two and a half years. We're capable of winning the Super Bowl with him. He just almost did, and I know he's capable of getting the Niners a Super Bowl in the future." Kyle Shanahan, on Brock Purdy
As the last pick in the 2022 NFL draft, Purdy played his first three years on one of the cheapest contracts in the NFL, a four-year rookie deal worth an average annual value of $934,253. He has one year left on that pact and is slated to count $1.119 million against the cap in 2025.
That number is all but certain to rise this offseason as the Niners are prepared to pay him in line with some of the top-paid passers in the league, though it remains to be seen just how high they're willing to go. The Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott is the current highest-paid quarterback in terms of average annual value at $60 million per season.
Monday, Purdy said he's "not really sure" whether topping that number is of importance to him, but he did make it clear that he wants to get something done as fast as possible so he can be in the fold when the Niners begin organized team activities in April.
"More than anything for me, I want to be able to handle business the right way and do it in a respectable manner and get back to my team as fast as I can to get going," Purdy said. "That's my mindset, my focus. And obviously I want to help the team across the board with all the other guys who need to get their deals done, but everybody will handle it the right way and how they need to."
Following a 2023 campaign in which he earned Pro Bowl honors and finished fourth in Most Valuable Player voting, Purdy's statistical production dipped in 2024 as injuries ravaged his supporting cast. Despite missing running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles, knee) and receiver Brandon Aiyuk (knee) for most of the season and playing without left tackle Trent Williams, tight end George Kittle and receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. for other, shorter stretches, Purdy finished seventh in the NFL in QBR (68.0), 10th in passing yards (3,864) and third in yards per attempt (8.5) in his 15 games.
But Purdy also struggled in a handful of bad weather games and was unable to lead fourth-quarter comebacks in some close and late situations as the Niners tumbled to 6-11. His 1.7 touchdowns per interception was tied for 23rd in the NFL and a significant drop-off from the 2.8 he posted in 2023.
Still, Shanahan's belief in Purdy only increased as he watched Purdy grow into a larger leadership role and continue battling despite the difficult situation around him.
"Brock is the leader of our team," Shanahan said. "I've loved these three years with Brock. I plan on being with Brock here the whole time I'm here. Brock's been a stud. He's a guy I've got a lot of confidence in just as a human, but it starts with what he's done on the field these last two and a half years. We're capable of winning the Super Bowl with him. He just almost did, and I know he's capable of getting the Niners a Super Bowl in the future."
Lynch and Shanahan spent the past couple of days doing exit meetings and going through player and coaching staff evaluations, which is why any Purdy extension talks have yet to begin in earnest.
While the 49ers have a history of allowing important contract talks to linger deep into August and even September, as they did with Aiyuk and Williams last offseason, the approach at quarterback figures to be a bit different.
For one, Purdy's contract will involve such a significant raise that it will play a role in how much money the team is able to spend to add to the roster and/or keeping some of its current players. It would behoove the Niners to get a deal done quickly as other top quarterbacks could renegotiate or sign contracts that could alter the market. Also, the 49ers would prefer not to have any spring or training camp practice time without the starting quarterback.
How fast might a deal get done? Well, Shanahan and Lynch do have at least some experience negotiating with a quarterback signing a market-setting deal. In 2018, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo signed a five-year, $137.5 million deal on Feb. 8.
That negotiation was a bit different because Garoppolo was going to become a free agent in March while Purdy is under contract, but it's instructive in the urgency all sides feel to get something done.
"I want to be in San Francisco and play my football career here," Purdy said. "I love it here and I want to do whatever it takes to be here. ... I'm not really sure what it all is going to look like or entail, but I know that I'm the guy for this organization and that I can do what it takes to help lead us where we want to go."
Sources: Belichick, UNC get UConn transfer Yates
UConn defensive lineman Pryce Yates signed with North Carolina on Tuesday, sources told ESPN, joining the Tar Heels' growing transfer portal class under new coach Bill Belichick.
Yates will play for the Tar Heels next season after shining against them in the Fenway Bowl, recording a sack and three tackles for loss to earn defensive MVP honors after UConn's 27-14 victory. Now he's switching sides to finish his career in the ACC.
Yates, a redshirt junior from San Antonio, initially entered the portal Dec. 13 before withdrawing eight days later and announcing on social media he intended to return for the 2025 season. Following his bowl game performance, Yates reentered the portal Dec. 30.
Hours before Yates put his name back in the portal, UConn coach Jim Mora posted on X that he planned to "pursue all avenues" against teams that tamper with his players and recruit them off the Huskies' roster.
"A simple note to the schools and coaches that have blatantly broken @NCAAFootball rules by tampering with our players in the last 24 hours," Mora wrote on X. "We do know who you are, we will pursue all avenues to hold you accountable. We are excited that we've built a program where coaches have to cheat to beat us and we will protect that program. Think hard before you tamper with our players."
Mora later added that he doesn't know how to fix the tampering issue in college football, but that "we will expose any program and coach that violates" NCAA rules. He added: "I'm 100 percent against grown men cheating the rules and teaching players horrible life lessons."
Yates appeared in seven games due to injury but recorded 21 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks for the Huskies during a 9-4 season, the program's most wins since 2007.
North Carolina has picked up commitments from 13 transfers since the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach took over the program Dec. 11.
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