The Houston Rockets feel no pressure to trade James Harden or Russell Westbrook regardless of the superstars' strong desire for fresh starts with different franchises and are "willing to get uncomfortable" as training camp opens and the season begins, sources told ESPN.

The Rockets front office, led by recently promoted general manager Rafael Stone, remains adamant that neither player will be traded unless a team meets their asking price.

The Rockets have no issue with going into training camp and the start of the season with Harden and Westbrook on the roster even if the superstars are unhappy with the situation.

A source confirmed that the Rockets and Washington Wizards have discussed a Westbrook-for-John Wall deal, as first reported by The Athletic, but Houston wants assets in addition to Wall, a former All-Star point guard who is coming off a ruptured Achilles tendon.

The Rockets consider time to be on their side due to both superstars being under contract for at least two more seasons. Harden and Westbrook both have $133 million over three years -- including player options in the final season -- remaining on their contracts.

The Rockets are demanding an especially steep return for Harden, a perennial MVP candidate who has led the NBA in scoring the last three seasons: a proven, young star as a centerpiece along with a massive picks package, according to sources. Houston does not feel obligated to deliver Harden to the Brooklyn Nets, his preferred destination, sources said.

The Rockets also understand that Westbrook, whom Houston gave up Chris Paul, two first-round picks and two pick swaps to get last summer at Harden's urging, would not command the same type of trade return as Harden. However, Houston is unwilling to deal Westbrook without receiving assets such as young talent or first-round picks.

Houston is hesitant to sell low on Westbrook, a third-team All-NBA selection last season who struggled during the NBA's restart in the bubble, when he was working his way into shape after recovering from coronavirus and strained his right quadriceps, causing him to miss several games and play injured during the playoffs.

The Rockets believe the 32-year-old Westbrook -- who averaged 31.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.8 assists while shooting 52.6% from the floor over two and half months before the pandemic halted the season -- can restore his value with a strong start to the season, sources said. They have no concerns that unhappiness could impact the effort of Westbrook, who has a reputation as one of the league's most relentless competitors.

In the meantime, the Rockets have already begun stockpiling assets that can help the franchise in the future after the eventual departure of both superstars.

The Rockets agreed Monday night to trade forward Robert Covington to the Portland Trail Blazers for the No. 16 pick in Wednesday's draft, a future first-round pick and forward Trevor Ariza, a veteran who can contribute if Houston is competitive this season or be a valuable trade chip as an expiring contract.

Sources said the Rockets also hope to buy a pick -- either late in the first round or early in the second round -- in Wednesday's draft.

ROSSBURG, Ohio – Officials from the Rumble in Fort Wayne and the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum and Expo Center have jointly announced the cancelation of the 23rd Rumble in Fort Wayne.

The event was scheduled for Dec. 18-19.

The decision comes after Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb retracted the Stage 5 status of the state’s reopening plan. That, combined with new guidelines announced by the Allen County Department of Health, made it impossible for the event to go forward.

“Our top priority is that of the well-being of our participants, staff and event attendees,” said Rumble in Fort Wayne Promoter Larry Boos. “We all share the disappointment of this announcement, particularly at this late moment, but as we have said all along, some things are just beyond our control. Right now our focus needs to be on working together to get this unprecedented virus under control. Truthfully, we would be selfish to think any other way. This year, the actual race is going to be that of a collaborative effort to reach a victory of health and safety for all.

“The entire Rumble staff, as well as the ACWMW team appreciates the support and efforts extended this year under these unusual circumstances and looks forward to seeing the enthusiasm carry over to next year,” Boos said.

Boos has already announced that the 2021 edition of the event will be held on Dec. 17-18, 2021.

Every day at 6 a.m., Minnesota United manager Adrian Heath wakes up, and the first thing he does is look at his phone. Did the latest COVID-19 tests for players and staff come in? Did anyone test positive? With four positive tests in his team since the start of October, his tension is palpable.

"You've got the anxiety before the day's even started," Heath told ESPN. "And if I get a call, it's like, 'Oh my god,' and your stomach sinks again.

"Every other day we get tested, and you keep your fingers crossed, and go, 'Can we go another week? Can we survive another week without somebody else going down?' And then the sort of, 'Have we got them isolated quick enough?' So it's very stressful for everybody concerned."

With the MLS Cup playoffs set to begin on Friday, the apprehension isn't going to ease for Heath -- whose Loons host the Colorado Rapids on Sunday (7:30 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN) -- and the 17 other managers of playoff teams. The same is true at MLS headquarters, where the question is: Can the league get through the postseason without a team having to forfeit a match due to a COVID-19 outbreak? Such a scenario would place a giant asterisk on a season full of them.

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Outwardly, the league is projecting a confident front, and there are legitimate reasons for optimism.

In many respects, MLS has done well to make it this far. It has touted the fact that it managed to get in more than 97% of its scheduled games. But the numbers can also tell a different story.

That 97% is derived from the fact that MLS reduced its regular-season schedule from 34 games to 23 for each team, and still didn't get all of its games in. Since Sept. 25, there were 130 matches scheduled and 12 matches were either canceled or postponed, which amounts to one out of every 12. While the regular season allowed for some wiggle room to reschedule matches, there is precious little slack built into the postseason schedule: 17 games are set to take place in the next 22 days.

MLS has yet to release its protocols for the postseason, but it's likely they will contain specifications in which a team with multiple positive tests for COVID-19 will have to be removed from the playoffs. The league declined to comment for this article.

"Not sure there are any realistic opportunities to make games up once the postseason starts," said one MLS GM who asked not to be identified because the protocols haven't been finalized.

Most sobering of all is the state of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. According to the New York Times, the seven-day moving average of new cases reached more than 145,000 on Nov. 14, the highest it has ever been in the U.S. MLS hasn't been immune. According to the league's press releases regarding its COVID-19 testing, from Aug. 27 to now, 42 players and 19 staff from its 26 clubs have tested positive.

"There's simply no way, short of testing people every 12 hours, to completely protect a team," said Dr. Josh Schiffer, who is an associate professor in the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division at the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center in Seattle, and whose duties include treating COVID-19 patients. "No matter what the strategy is, I think there is some risk of a team [having to withdraw from] the playoffs.

"The likelihood that that will happen is directly proportional to the number of cases circulating in the population. And right now, we're in a terrible place really, almost across the board. Some states are worse than others. Particularly relevant to MLS, Minnesota and Colorado are getting hit very hard. Really across the country, the cases are growing exponentially. So the likelihood that a player will get infected in the community is much higher than it was a month ago. There's a little bit of good luck or bad luck that could be involved here, but just the probability that things could go wrong is higher than it was a month ago, and could go higher still."

Given the risks involved, one lingering question is why MLS didn't make plans to return to a bubble format, which worked so well at the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando back in July.

"All of these strategies have some chance of failure," Schiffer said. "I think the bubble has the smallest risk of failure, and by failure, I mean a team having to drop out [of the playoffs]. It's just really worth considering. The second you have young guys who are free to go out in the community, all bets are off."

Last month, MLS deputy commissioner Mark Abbott indicated that the league wasn't considering a bubble. A source with knowledge of the situation said that the league's thinking hasn't changed, citing the requirement of a quarantine period to set up the bubble as well as the cost involved, even for a modified bubble like the one Major League Baseball used in its playoffs. Another reason cited by the source was the fact that "there wasn't a lot of appetite" to return to the bubble given how much time players have had to spend apart from loved ones.

That thinking was echoed by Heath, even with the recent positive tests within his own team. When asked if the Loons might institute their own bubble in a bid to stay free of COVID-19, Heath said that they wouldn't.

"The bubble works," he said. "I just think, on the back of [six months] of testing and everything, it would be an awful lot for us to go, 'Right, let's go again for a little bit,' for another two, three, four weeks, whatever it would be. I think we all hope that the players are responsible enough to adhere to all the rules."

With the end of the season in sight, there has been renewed emphasis on adhering to the protocols. No one wants to be the person who ends up ruining the season for their club. One player from a playoff team said they recently had an organization-wide Zoom call to drive home that point.

Heath is even more blunt. He's doubling down on his message to his players that they follow the protocols even as they go about their daily lives.

"Once they're away from you, you're in the lap of the gods to see if you can get through again," he said in reference to his players. "So there's not a day that goes by that someone doesn't make mention about, 'We've been [battling COVID-19] since like, February. We're in the final bend. Let's not f--- it up by not being as professional and as diligent as we have been.'"

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Perry Minasian had never been interviewed for a general manager job before he joined the field of 40 candidates hoping to take over the Los Angeles Angels last month.

The 40-year-old Braves assistant GM went through several rounds of lengthy interviews and emerged as a finalist. After more lengthy conversations with owner Arte Moreno and the Angels' top brass, Minasian landed the responsibility to build a big-budget roster that can finally get Mike Trout's first playoff victory.

During his formal introduction at Angel Stadium on Tuesday, Minasian described the Halos' audition process as "grueling, to some extent.''

That's not a negative to a baseball lifer who has been waiting for this chance since he was an 8-year-old batboy for the Texas Rangers.

"You start asking me baseball questions, you'd better take a seat and get comfortable,'' Minasian said.

The Angels' 13th general manager already has strong opinions about the immediate prospects for the Angels, who are coming off five consecutive losing seasons and their worst two-year stretch by winning percentage in nearly three decades. Los Angeles finished last season 26-34 under manager Joe Maddon and failed to make even the eight-team AL playoff field, leading Moreno to fire GM Billy Eppler two months after giving him a contract extension.

Where some might see a franchise in disarray, Minasian sees opportunity.

"One of things that makes this job so intriguing is this is not a 100-loss team,'' Minasian said. "This is not a 5-, 7-, 10-year rebuild. This is going to be a competitive club. I think it's an outstanding mix of veteran players with some youth on the horizon, and obviously, the manager speaks for himself. I think he's one of the best managers in baseball. This whole organization is on the cusp of doing some really great things.''

The Angels' offensive talent base is obvious: Trout and Anthony Rendon are two of baseball's best players, and they're complemented by veterans Justin Upton and Shohei Ohtani alongside rising youngsters David Fletcher, Jared Walsh and Jo Adell. Trout is signed through 2030, and Moreno consulted his $426 million superstar before hiring Minasian.

But Los Angeles' pitching hasn't been good enough to win consistently during Trout's tenure, and Eppler's inability to solidify the staff was by far the biggest problem of his half-decade in charge. The Angels' 5.09 ERA last season was the third-worst in the AL, while the combined ERA of the Halos' starters was the second-worst in baseball.

"Pitching is first and foremost" in the Angels' plans for the winter, Minasian said. While he praised Dylan Bundy and Andrew Heaney as solid starters, he plans to "look at all avenues'' to improve.

"Pitching is a necessity,'' Minasian said. "We need to develop pitching, and we need to add pitching to this big-league roster. We know that. We will turn over every rock to find the right guys.''

Minasian also praised Angels pitching coach Mickey Callaway, who played for the Rangers while Minasian cleaned the clubhouse bathrooms, among other duties.

"I think they've made people better in their short time here,'' Minasian said of Callaway and bullpen coach Matt Wise. "And there will be some opportunities to grab some arms that maybe have struggled in different places.''

The Angels have made one playoff appearance since 2009, and Moreno is hoping his fourth GM hire can end the disappointment from the Halos' lost decade of foolhardy veteran contracts and poor player development. As ever, Moreno plans to put his fortune behind his team, saying Los Angeles' payroll is "not going down.''

"We don't look at it like we need to remodel the whole team,'' Moreno said. "We need to add some pieces that are going to give us a chance to compete at the highest level.''

Minasian also had encouraging words for the two-way dreams of Ohtani, who has barely pitched for the past two seasons because of arm injuries. The 2018 AL Rookie of the Year is facing increased speculation about the possibility of continuing his career as just a hitter, but Minasian isn't ready for that.

"He's beyond talented," said Minasian, who scouted Ohtani in Japan. "He can do things on a baseball field that 99% of the people can't, and he's a young player who's going through the ups and downs of it early in his career. ... I think he's going to be a huge part of this club. I think he's going to help us win games in a lot of different ways, and I can't wait to meet him.''

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger underwent surgery Tuesday to repair the right shoulder he dislocated celebrating a home run in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series, sources told ESPN.

Bellinger is expected to miss 10 weeks, which would put him on track to return by spring training, sources told ESPN.

His shoulder popped out of place when he bashed forearms in celebration with teammate Kike Hernandez after hitting a seventh-inning home run -- one of four he hit during the postseason -- in the Dodgers' 4-3, series-clinching win against the Atlanta Braves.

Bellinger, 25, said team doctors popped it back into place "real quick" and he returned to center field to finish the game. He did not miss any games and played in the World Series as the Dodgers won the championship against the Tampa Bay Rays.

He hit 12 home runs this season, finishing with a .239 batting average and 30 RBIs.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Ryan Hunter-Reay’s overall victory in Saturday’s Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring gave the 2012 NTT IndyCar Series champion and 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner another tremendous career accomplishment.

Although he was part of the LMP2 class winning team at Sebring in 2011, that lower division entry finished 20th overall that year in the endurance classic.

Last Saturday in the 68th running of America’s famed sports car race in central Florida, Hunter-Reay was on the team that was first to pass under the checkered flag.

The NTT IndyCar Series star for Andretti Autosport was one of three drivers in the No. 55 Mazda Motorsports entry that also included Jonathan Bomarito and Harry Tincknell.

“It was a career-long goal,” Hunter-Reay told SPEED SPORT. “That’s my home race – the 12 Hours of Sebring. I’ve always wanted to win that one, even winning the class win 2011 was pretty cool, but winning overall is what really matters. That was a big one checked off the list.

“The 12 Hours of Sebring is one of the big sports car races in the world. That’s one I really wanted to notch. The Daytona 24 is a big one as well. I’ve been second there a few times, but Saturday night was a big race to win.”

One of the most unique aspects of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is the various classes of cars all compete in the same race. When a driver is in one of the lower classifications of race cars, he or she is actually competing against the other cars in the same class while trying to stay out of the way of the faster cars from the other classes.

“I’ve driven GT Le Mans, I’ve driven LMP2 and then this era of IMSA, the prototypes are the fastest,” Hunter-Reay explained. “My preferred class is always looking ahead instead of looking in your mirrors. The GT cars and the LMP2 cars have it difficult. You have to drive ahead of you, and you have to drive in your mirrors and that is especially difficult at night with the blinding lights and the mirrors.

“I’ve had my fair share of experiences in each. The overall win was the ultimate goal and it’s really nice to have that. The only thing that was missing is 2020 and COVID, the whole family was there, but nobody was allowed in the paddock, the IMSA bubble, to celebrate with us.”

The 12 Hours of Sebring normally takes place in mid-March, but with COVID-19 shutting down the sports world earlier this year, it was moved to November. That created a unique situation with nearly half of the race being held in darkness because of Daylight Savings Time in March and the switch to Standard Time in the fall.

“It was definitely different,” Hunter-Reay recalled. “The temps were a bit higher than we would expect in March and the humidity was higher, so for most people it was pretty welcome for that sun to go down. But Sebring at night is genuinely dark. It’s definitely a challenge. It all comes at you so fast in those cars because of the bumps and all the traffic, it’s an awesome experience.”

The race weekend itself was a unique experience for the winning team. The No. 55 Mazda team had to overcome some early struggles at the start of the weekend and stay within striking distance of the lead group late in the race.

“We had some issues in practice with setup and didn’t have the pace,” Hunter-Reay explained. “We found some pace in qualifying. But the experience we have on this team, the race changes so much. It’s not about who is leading in the first two hours. You have to keep in it. Keep your head in it. Keep the pace up at all times and you will have a shot at it in the end.

“That was our whole goal, to be there at the end. We wanted to fight in the last two hours. I got into the car in P5, got out of the car in P2 and handed it over to Jonathan Bomarito. He held it in P2, and Harry got in. We were there to pounce on it. That was our goal, to be there for the last two hours because crazy things happen in those races. It’s not really endurance racing any more, it’s a 12-hour sprint race. It’s action packed.

“Everything you thought would happen, then it suddenly changed.”

Hunter-Reay was one of numerous current and former IndyCar Series drivers that were part of the storyline at Sebring. That included three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves, who finally won a series driving championship in Acura Team Penske’s final IMSA race. Castroneves’ was part of the championship winning No. 6 Acura team that also included Ricky Taylor. The extra driver in the endurance race was IndyCar star and winner of the 100th Indianapolis 500, Alexander Rossi, Hunter-Reay’s teammate at Andretti Autosport.

“I talked to Helio after the race and I’m very happy for him and Ricky Taylor to grab a championship,” Hunter-Reay said. “To get it in his last race for Team Penske, is pretty amazing. It’s well deserved. It was a nail-biting experience for that team and Helio for sure. It was a special race and great to share that with them as well.

“It’s great he is coming back. He’s got the fire and he is as fast as ever. Age is only a number. It comes down to your motivation, your desire and talent level. He has all of those boxes checked off.”

Although this was one of IMSA’s biggest races, it helped showcase the incredible versatility of IndyCar’s best drivers.

“The driving talent in IMSA is exceptional, especially in the Prototype and GTLM categories,” Hunter-Reay said. “It’s great to see that crossover. That’s always been a big part of my career, doing the open wheel side of it with IndyCar and supplementing that in with IMSA, Grand-Am, ALMS, I’ve always made that a big priority. I really enjoy it. It makes you a more rounded driver. It’s a discipline of racing that I really enjoy. It’s something you have to adapt to and come out of your comfort level where the team is molded and focused on you. You have to share the car with other drivers and a different way of going racing.

“The IndyCar drivers certainly showed well. It was a great showing for IndyCar.

“There isn’t any question that IndyCar drivers are diverse. That would be safe to say. Hopefully, we’ll have more shots at it.”

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – After his most difficult season to date in the NASCAR Cup Series, two-time series champion Kyle Busch will have a new crew chief when the new season begins in February at Daytona Int’l Speedway.

Joe Gibbs Racing announced that Ben Beshore, who previously served as an engineer on the No. 18 Toyota driven by Busch, has been promoted to crew chief. Busch’s former crew chief, Adam Stevens, has been assigned to the No. 20 Toyota that will be driven by Christopher Bell next year.

Chris Gabehart and James Small will continue to serve as crew chief for the No. 11 and No. 19 teams respectively.

“We go through a process at the conclusion of every season that includes evaluating each of our teams,” said Joe Gibbs, Owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. “We believe our crew chief lineup for 2021 will best position each team and driver for success across both series.”

In six seasons together, Busch and Stevens won 28 races and two NASCAR Cup Series championships. However, this year the pair struggled and were eliminated from the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs in the second round.

The pair managed just one victory, which came in the 34th race of the season at Texas Motor Speedway, along with 14 top-five and 19 top-10 finishes. Busch finished the season eighth in the NASCAR Cup Series standings after winning the series championship in 2019.

In addition, Joe Gibbs Racing officials also announced changes to the team’s NASCAR Xfinity Series program.

Jason Ratcliff will return to the organization as crew chief for the No. 20 Toyota Supra driven by Harrison Burton, while Dave Rogers will work with newly-named Joe Gibbs Racing driver Daniel Hemric in the No. 18 Toyota Supra. Jeff Meendering will continue to serve as the crew chief with Brandon Jones, who returns behind the wheel of the No. 19 Toyota Supra.

The team also plans to field a fourth NASCAR Xfinity Series entry in 2021, appointing Chris Gayle to lead the No. 54 Toyota Supra team, which will be driven by a team of all-star caliber drivers. The driver lineup and race schedule for the No. 54 Toyota Supra will be announced at a later date.

“We take a lot of pride in our depth of talent across our entire organization,” Gibbs said. “All of our crew chiefs are proven winners. We are also looking forward to bringing the No. 54 Toyota Supra back to the track in 2021 with an exciting team of drivers.”

BARRE, Vt. – The schedule for the upcoming season at Barre’s Thunder Road is now set, with track officials revealing a 19-event campaign from mid-May to early-October.

The 62nd season atop Quarry Hill begins Saturday, May 15 and Sunday, May 16. The annual Thunder Road Car Show is tentatively scheduled for 9 a.m. on May 15, although it is dependent on the Vermont state health and safety guidelines in place come this time. Open practice for all local divisions will be held that afternoon.

The racing season gets underway Sunday, May 16 at 1:30 p.m. with the 23rdCommunity Bank N.A. 150 for the American-Canadian Tour. The Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers and Miles Street Stocks open their championship seasons that day with the Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors rounding out the card.

The Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models begin the King of the Road chase on Sunday, May 30 at the 58th Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic. After a one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Memorial Day Classic returns this year with the format originally planned for 2020. The Late Models open their point-counting season in a special 125-lap event while the Flying Tigers kick off the Myers Container Service Triple Crown Series with a 100-lap showdown.

Weekly night racing then goes green on Friday, June 11 with a full card of championship action plus the annual visit from the New England Antique Racers. Thursday night action gets underway the following week on June 17 once local schools are out for the summer. The weekly racing schedule runs through Aug. 26.

During that time, a variety of special events are planned. The annual Independence Day Spectacular will take place on Thursday, July 1, making Thunder Road one of the first places in the region to celebrate the holiday. The second round of the Triple Crown Series is set for Thursday, July 8 with the championship round on Thursday, Aug. 5.

The month of July also includes the 42nd Vermont Governor’s Cup on July 15, the double-point Midseason Championships on July 22, and the annual Port-a-Potty Grand Prix on July 29. The 37th annual Bolduc Metal Recycling Enduro 200 opens the month of August on Sunday, Aug. 1. The Street Stocks run their annual 50-lap special that same night and have the annual Marvin Johnson Memorial First-Time Winner’s Race on June 24.

The Road Warriors go 50 laps as well in the third annual Road Warrior Challenge on August 12. Overall, the Warriors are scheduled to run most of the 2021 events, with nights off on June 11, July 15, and Aug. 5. The finale of the weekly racing season on Aug. 26 includes the annual Run-What-U-Brung Spectator Races.

Once weekly racing concludes, three huge events remain. The 43rd Optical Expressions Berlin Labor Day Classic 200 on Sunday, Sept. 5 brings back the ACT Late Model Tour for their second visit of the year. All division champions, including the King of the Road will be crowned at Barre Granite Association Championship Night on Friday, Sept. 17.

The season wraps up with Vermont Milk Bowl Weekend from Friday, Oct. 1 through Sunday, Oct. 3. Milk Bowl Friday is headlined by the Prelude to the Milk Bowl 150 for the Pro All Stars Series Super Late Models plus the North East Mini Stock Tour. The Milk Bowl field will be set at Booth Bros./H.P. Hood Qualifying Day on Saturday, Oct. 2 with the 59th Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank on Sunday, Oct. 3. Following the conclusion of local and regional racing, Thunder Road will host its second annual Automotive Flea Market & Swap Meet on Saturday, Oct. 30.

Thunder Road’s schedule remains subject to change based on the trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic at a local, regional, and national level. Certain special events and activities, such as the Kid’s Rides slated for June 17, the Driver Autograph session on July 22, and the Kid’s Poster Contest on Aug. 19, could also be rescheduled or modified based on whatever health requirements are in place.

Raul Jimenez and Hirving Lozano scored a goal apiece as Mexico overcame a difficult first half to defeat Japan 2-0 on Tuesday, in El Tri's final game of 2020.

Japan had been the better side in the first half in Graz, Austria, with Guillermo Ochoa making two important saves to keep the scores level going into the break.

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Mexico coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino brought off Jesus Gallardo and Carlos Rodriguez for Luis Rodriguez and Edson Alvarez at half-time, injecting more defensive balance to the Mexican side.

Wolves striker Jimenez touched the ball only nine times in the first half, but was on hand to score from a tight angle with the outside of his right foot in the 63rd minute to give Mexico the lead.

Mexico extended its lead five minutes later when substitute Henry Martin split the Japanese defense with a through ball that Lozano latched onto and finished past keeper Daniel Schmidt.

The first 45 minutes firmly belonged to Japan, who stopped Mexico from having a single shot on target, while causing problems at the other end.

Ochoa made an outstanding save in the 12th, stretching out his left arm to tip Genki Haraguchi's long-range shot over the crossbar.

The Mexican captain was forced into a double save three minutes later, as he smothered Musashi Suzuki's effort from inside the box and also stopped Junya Ito's follow-up.

Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu left Liverpool's Takumi Minamino on the bench until the 57th, with Valencia's Takefusa Kubo not seeing the field.

Mexico defeated Korea Republic 3-2 last Saturday, meaning Martino's record with the Mexican national team after almost two years in charge is now 19 wins from 22 games, with only one defeat.

Real Madrid are facing a defensive crisis after both first-choice centre backs Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane went off with suspected injuries playing for their countries on Tuesday.

Ramos was substituted in the 43rd minute of Spain's 6-0 win over Germany in Seville in the UEFA Nations League.

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A brief statement from the Spanish football federation said that the defender was suffering from "severe discomfort in his right hamstring."

Varane was replaced at half time of France's 4-2 victory over Sweden in Paris, also seemingly with a hamstring issue.

"I had to take Raphael off because he had a little problem," Les Bleus coach Didier Deschamps said.

The extent of Ramos' injury will be assessed on Wednesday, when the 34-year-old will undergo further tests.

Spain's medical team want to see how the injury evolves overnight before making a definitive diagnosis.

Ramos -- who became the most capped European player ever on Saturday, breaking Italy keeper Gianluigi Buffon's record -- was featuring in his 178th international.

The Real Madrid and Spain captain now looks certain to miss his club's La Liga match with Villarreal on Saturday.

He would then face a race to be fit for a crucial Champions League clash away at Internazionale next Wednesday.

As well as Ramos and Varane, Madrid are also currently without third-choice centre back Eder Militao, who tested positive for the coronavirus on Nov. 2.

If the absence of all three is confirmed, that would leave Nacho Fernandez -- only just back from injury himself -- as the club's only available senior central defender this weekend.