Former England goalkeeper Mary Earps has lifted the lid on her dramatic last few months with the Lionesses and the explosive exchanges with boss Sarina Wiegman which led to her departure from the team just weeks before this summer's successful European Championship defence, following the decision to recall Chelsea goalkeeper Hannah Hampton.

• High drama ahead of Euros

  Earps has revealed details of her exit from the international scene in her new autobiography 'All In', where she claims fellow 'keeper Hampton's poor conduct during the Euro 2022 campaign "frequently risked derailing training sessions and team resources". Earps claims she told Lionesses coach Wiegman that "bad behaviour is being rewarded" when the Chelsea goalkeeper was reinstated to the squad and the situation came to a head when the England boss named Hampton as her new number one, which prompted Earps' shock international retirement.

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  Stunning revelations over 'disruptive' behaviour

  The Paris Saint-Germain keeper addressed Hampton being dropped from the international squad after Euro 2022, citing her rivals' negative effect on the camp. The players were brought together after the landing the European crown at Wembley and were asked for their feedback – and Hampton's behaviour was singled out.

  In an extract from her book published in , Earps said: "The only negative that each group reported back on was that behaviour, which was overwhelmingly considered disruptive and unreliable, with a risk of being destructive, taking energy and time from coaches who needed to work with the rest of the team on set-pieces, mentality and of course goalkeeping sessions. 

  "It affected us all in a domino effect to an extent that was extremely unusual in a successful elite team environment. It also completely contradicted my professional values, which included preserving everything I had, mentally and physically, for performance and for a goalkeeper union where everyone, whatever their role, had the space and support to be great at their job."

• Breakdown in relationship explained

  But in April 2024, Earps was asked to join a meeting with Wiegman and goalkeeper coach Darren Ward where they revealed that Hampton was going to be reintegrated into the starting XI for a Euro 2025 qualifier. It was a decision which left Earps devastated. 

  Speaking to Wiegman, Earps said: "I don’t get it. It’s a qualifier match. And bad behaviour is being rewarded."

  Earps continued: "Now this felt unjust. My eyes welled with tears. It was a choice that went against my core values. I couldn’t get my head around it because when my values were compromised, the strain always felt heavy enough to keep me up at night. When this kind of a decision compromised my football, I was sleepless. The affinity I had for Sarina and this job – one I’d given every last cell of myself to – was being destroyed, the trust and respect evaporating.

  She added: "I wasn’t entitled to keep my place if Sarina didn’t want me to but I was entitled to decide what happened next. I could do what other people do if they’re no longer enjoying their job: I could leave, I could retire."

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  Final showdown ended Euro hopes

  The crunch meeting came the following year at England’s St George's Park training base where it was revealed Hampton would be the Lionesses' No.1 for the forthcoming European Championship in Switzerland. 

  Earps revealed: "I had 30 seconds to say my piece. I told her (Wiegman) I wasn’t surprised by what she’d just said, that it had been a long time coming, but I felt extremely disappointed, nonetheless. Then I said: 'I just think you could have been more direct and honest from the jump.' She wasn’t happy with that 'No, I don’t think that’s fair. I always communicate openly. We’ve only just made this decision,' she cut in."

  Earps added: "That sounded like bullsh*t to me."

43-year-old and 17-year-old the standout picks ahead of next month’s tournament

Matt Roller15-Jul-2025James Anderson will play in the Hundred for the first time this summer after earning a ‘wildcard’ contract with Manchester Originals, while 17-year-old Rocky Flintoff has been picked by his father Andrew’s Northern Superchargers despite never having played a professional T20 match.Anderson, who turns 43 this month, returned to T20 cricket this year after an 11-year absence and has taken 14 wickets in eight appearances for Lancashire in the Vitality Blast, operating as a new-ball specialist. He initially went unselected in March’s Hundred draft but will now play for the Originals in August after he was picked up in Tuesday’s ‘wildcard’ draft on a £31,000 deal.Flintoff’s selection will raise eyebrows given he is yet to play in the Blast and his father is Superchargers head coach. But he has already shown his obvious promise with a century for England Lions in Australia this winter and a recent hundred for England’s Under-19s against India.Rocky Flintoff will play under his father Andrew at Northern Superchargers•ECB via Getty ImagesElsewhere, Southern Brave became the first team to sign an overseas player as a wildcard – Australia’s Hilton Cartwright – after replacing Faf du Plessis with Jason Roy last week. They have also picked up the young Hampshire batter Toby Albert, who could keep wicket for them amid injury concerns around Finn Allen and Laurie Evans.Ben Kellaway, the Glamorgan allrounder and ambidextrous spinner, has signed for Welsh Fire after a breakout season at county level, while Ben Sanderson, who has enjoyed his best-ever T20 season for Northamptonshire this year, will play for Trent Rockets.The Rockets took left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson with the first draft pick and have also signed Dillon Pennington as a replacement for the injured John Turner.Yorkshire’s James Wharton and Will Luxton were both overlooked despite their form in the T20 Blast.Esmae MacGregor has signed for Manchester Originals•Getty ImagesIn the women’s wildcard draft, Esmae MacGregor earned a deal with Manchester Originals after taking 21 Blast wickets for Essex, while Hampshire’s Mary Taylor joins her twin sister Millie at Birmingham Phoenix.The Hundred runs from August 5-31, opening with London Spirit’s double-header against Oval Invincibles at Lord’s.Men’s Hundred wildcards (all £31,000):Trent Rockets: Callum Parkinson, Ben Sanderson
Birmingham Phoenix: Liam Patterson-White, Louis Kimber
Welsh Fire: Ajeet Singh Dale, Ben Kellaway
Northern Superchargers: James Fuller, Rocky Flintoff
Manchester Originals: James Anderson, Marchant de Lange
London Spirit: Sean Dickson, Ryan Higgins
Oval Invincibles: George Scrimshaw, Zafar Gohar
Southern Brave: Toby Albert, Hilton CartwrightWomen’s Hundred wildcards (all £10,000):Birmingham Phoenix: Mary Taylor, Phoebe Brett
London Spirit: Abi Norgrove, Kate Coppack
Manchester Originals: Esmae MacGregor, Darcey Carter
Northern Superchargers: Katherine Fraser, Sophia Turner
Oval Invincibles: Daisy Gibb, Rebecca Odgers
Southern Brave: Phoebe Turner, Amara Carr
Trent Rockets: Grace Thompson, Sophie Morris
Welsh Fire: Charley Phillips, Alex Griffiths.

Wiaan Mulder had a shot at overhauling Brian Lara’s world-record 400* when he went to lunch at 367* on day two of the second Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. Mulder, the stand-in captain, though, declared the innings at the break, and stopped short of the record because he felt “Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be”.”Well, first things first, I thought we’ve got enough, we need to bowl. And secondly, Brian Lara is a legend, let’s be real,” Mulder told Shaun Pollock during the post-day interview with SuperSport. “He got 401 [400*] or whatever it was against England. And for someone of that stature to keep that record is pretty special. I think if I get the chance again, I’d probably do the same thing. I know I was speaking to Shuks [coach Shukri Conrad].”He kind of said to me as well, like ‘listen, let the legends keep the really big scores’. You never know what’s my fate or whatever you want to call it, what’s destined for me. But I think Brian Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be.”Related

• Mulder: Lara told me I should have gone for the record

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• Mulder's 367* headlines SA's day of domination

Mulder, though, broke a number of other records and Zimbabwe’s attack on the day. He became only the second South Africa player after Hashim Amla to score a triple-hundred went on to surpass Amla’s 311*. And he did it while humming away to himself.”I mean, there was a lot of thoughts,” Mulder said. “In the end, it’s just singing my song between balls and trying to keep myself natural and trying to keep myself present. Kept feeling my shoes, that type of thing, to make sure I’m in the moment and not too far ahead.”And, to be honest, when I went past Hash’s score, I didn’t really notice what actually happened until I looked up. I was on 312. I was like, ‘oh, wow! I was just on 300’. I don’t know how I got there, but yeah, it was truly special.”In Bangladesh, it was an Afrikaans song that I got to my hundred with and I lost it a little bit along the way. And in this song, in this game, it was by The Cranberries. So I just sing .”Mulder had made his international debut for South Africa in an ODI in 2017, when he felt that he wasn’t well-equipped to deal with the pressure and ruthlessness of top-flight cricket. He has since evolved as an allrounder, thanks to playing three seasons of county cricket at Leicestershire.”I think when I started playing with South Africa, I was nowhere near good enough, to be honest with you,” Mulder told Pollock. “It did offer me a lot of opportunities to learn from great players who have retired now, and some guys are still playing. But going to England really gave me a chance to understand what type of batter I want to be as well and figure out some technical things.”I think I came across the ball for a very large portion of my career. And in England, if your front pad’s in the way, you kind of get exposed quickly. So those were lessons. I mean, there’s many more I can name, but those were lessons that I continuously kept learning in England as well as in South Africa.”Batting at the Wanderers is pretty difficult. So, yeah, I think it’s all put me in a good place. The head coach, Justin Sammons of Zimbabwe, played a massive role in my batting. In particular, playing the short ball. So, I mean, there’s a lot of growth that’s happened over the last couple of years.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

All of those lessons helped Mulder dictate terms against Zimbabwe in the second Test and put South Africa on the path to an innings win. In response to South Africa’s 626 for 5 declared, Zimbabwe folded for 170 in their first innings and went to stumps on 51 for 1 in their second after being asked to follow-on.”Yeah, it’s pretty special,” Mulder said. “I’ve never even dreamt of getting a double-hundred, never mind a triple hundred, but super special. The most important thing is to put the team in a good position to hopefully win this Test.”South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad was full of praise for Mulder’s knock.”Wiaan’s innings was nothing short of extraordinary,” Conrad said in a CSA statement. “Being the captain, then batting at No. 3, where he had to absorb early pressure and face the new ball, which he did with immense composure and control – it was unbelievable.”The way he constructed his innings, session by session, was a masterclass in temperament and shot selection. It’s the kind of performance that anchors a team and sets the tone for the entire match. We’re incredibly proud of what he’s achieved today.”

Lancashire set to be without Liam Livingstone after hamstring injury sustained while playing twice in 24 hours

Matt Roller08-Jul-2025

Lancashire coach Steven Croft believes a “stupid” schedule contributed to a hamstring injury that will sideline Liam Livingstone for the rest of the T20 Blast group stages, as counties weigh up a potential reduction in the volume of cricket that they play for 2026.Livingstone pulled his hamstring during Lancashire’s win over Derbyshire on Saturday afternoon, their second T20 fixture in the space of 24 hours after winning at Northamptonshire on Friday. Their team bus only arrived back in Manchester at 3.30am on Saturday morning due to traffic on the M1, and they were back on the field at 3pm later that day.Saqib Mahmood also left the field during Saturday’s game, and Croft – who took over from Dale Benkenstein on an interim basis in May – said that the schedule was “a bit of a mess”. He told LancsTV: “They’re some of the world’s best players out there… It feels pretty stupid and silly, and is putting the players at risk. We saw two players walk off the field through injury.”Related

Counties agree to cut in men's Vitality Blast games for 2026

On Livingstone, Croft said: “It might have gone at any time, but getting minimal sleep and such a quick turnaround to play elite sport is a tough one… I probably wouldn’t say it’s all down to the schedule – it might be – but it’s not helped one bit for that player who’s walked off, and looks like it might be a bit of a lengthy time on the sidelines.”It is something that seriously needs to be looked at… We’re aware that we’ve got four competitions in the country, so you can’t really extend the season any more. That is the county grind, as people say… You feel like if something doesn’t happen, we’re not going to get the best players on the park.”The Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) has lobbied for a reduction in back-to-back T20 fixtures, where the same team plays twice on consecutive days. But they are still commonplace in the Blast, in which the majority of fixtures are played from Thursday to Sunday, and there are signs that any changes to the men’s domestic schedule for 2026 will only be incremental.The Blast appears set to return to three groups of six – rather than two groups of nine – next year, with each team playing 12 matches (including two inter-group fixtures) rather than 14. The quarter-finals and Finals Day will also be brought forward to July from September, meaning the competition will finish before the Hundred rather than being split in half by it.There is less clarity on the future of the County Championship: counties are discussing a handful of options for next year’s format, some of which involve a reduction to 12 matches per team while others maintain the existing number of 14. Somerset and Surrey have both publicly backed a 14-match season, with an eight-team Division One and a ten-team Division Two.”There is so much potential for the competition to grow its fanbase,” Surrey’s chair, Oli Slipper, and chief executive, Steve Elworthy, said in a joint statement, noting the strong attendances at The Oval this year. “The red-ball game needs all the counties to get behind it, to prioritise it and to promote it. It is a unique and historic sporting competition, and we should embrace it for the benefit of the whole game.”The review into county scheduling is being run by the Professional Game Committee, a subcommittee authorised by the ECB board and chaired by Warwickshire chair Mark McCafferty. A decision on the 2026 schedule is anticipated later this month, and any changes would require the support of 12 out of the 18 first-class counties.

Celtic are considering appointing Nicky Hayen as their next manager and a new update has now emerged regarding their pursuit of the Belgian.

Hayen has been mentioned as one of the leading contenders to replace Brendan Rodgers at Parkhead, with the Northern Irishman departing last week. The 45-year-old has been very open about potentially leaving his role in charge of Brugge, hinting that he would be keen on coming in as the new Celtic boss.

Hayen is far from the only option for Celtic, however, with Martin O’Neill thought to be open to the idea of staying in charge of the Hoops for the remainder of the 2025/26 season, should the club’s owners like that idea.

The likes of Lee Carsley, Kieran McKenna and Damien Duff have all been linked with the job, too, as the Scottish Premiership champions look to nail their appointment and claw back the deficit on Hearts in the title race.

Celtic willing to offer Hayen big wages

According to Voetbal Nieuws [via Sport Witness], Celtic will try to “lure” Hayen away from Brugge with a high salary, and have knocked on his door. The Hoops are trying to use “money, prestige, and the lure of Glasgow” to bring him to Parkhead, with his current club hesitant to allow him to leave without receiving plenty of compensation.

It is easy to see why Hayen is a leading contender to be Celtic’s next manager, with the Belgian averaging 2.03 points per game across 80 matches in charge of Brugge. He also won the league title with them in 2023/24, and the Belgian Cup last season, showing that the Hoops would be bringing in a manager who knows how to win trophies.

Hayen’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation isn’t dissimilar to Rodgers’ 4-3-3 system, meaning Celtic’s players shouldn’t find it too difficult to make the adjustment, and at 45, he is still a young manager who would bring vibrancy to Parkhead.

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There may be a temptation to give O’Neill the job until the end of the season, but if Hayen makes himself available very soon, he should be looked at as a great option.

Celtic are looking at hiring "box-office" alternative to Nicky Hayen

Lamine Yamal believes that "special nights" are coming ahead of Barcelona's long-awaited return to Camp Nou. The teenager has become a Blaugrana sensation in recent years and he has done that while barely playing at the Catalan outfit's iconic stadium. But the countdown to being back at their hallowed home ground has very much begun, and the Spaniard is clearly very excited.

Yamal excited for Camp Nou return

In May 2023, Barcelona said goodbye to Camp Nou as the stadium began a huge redevelopment initiative. After many delays and some controversies involving workers, the giant ground is preparing for a staggered reopening later this month. The defending La Liga champions have been given the light by the local council to host around 23,000 fans when competitive games return to this venue, which has already seen 23,000 supporters watch an open training session earlier this month. Incidentally, Yamal has played just a handful of times at Camp Nou after making his first-team Barca debut in April 2023. Now, the 18-year-old has taken to social media to express his delight about playing at this famous stadium.

In an Instagram story, he wrote: "Special nights are coming," before zooming in on Camp Nou with his phone camera.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWhen will Barcelona play at Camp Nou again?

For much of the past two years, while the Camp Nou works have gone on, Barcelona have played at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, which holds upwards of 50,000 fans. Reports suggest that Barca are waiting for a 1B license to be granted to them, which will allow them to open up another stand and host 45,401 supporters at Camp Nou. Now, Barcelona executive Joan Sentelles says he is hopeful they can play at their iconic home, with its reduced capacity of under 30,000, against Athletic Club on November 22 in La Liga.

He told Esport3: "Our goal is to have it ready in time for the match against Athletic Club. As soon as we obtain the 1B license, we’ll open the Lateral Stand, which will already give us a capacity similar to the Olympic Stadium. At that point, it wouldn’t make sense to continue playing there – all our matches will be here."

Sentelles added that they hope to nearly triple their current limit by the end of 2025.

"The goal is to have the entire stadium open to 62,000 spectators before the end of the year," he revealed.

Yamal an injury concern

While it will be an emotional return to Camp Nou for Barcelona players and fans alike, there is no guarantee that Yamal will line up for this upcoming fixture. The youngster has been suffering with a groin problem known as pubalgia, something he has played through for club and country for a while now. There has been a war of words between Barca boss Hansi Flick and Spain manager Luis de la Fuente over Yamal's playing time, with the former concerned about him being overplayed. Moreover, in the past week, the Spanish Football Association (RFEF) expressed its "surprise and dismay" at seeing Yamal undergo an "invasive procedure" that led to his withdrawal from the latest La Roja squad. 

After he was released from the national squad ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Georgia and Turkey, the RFEF said: "The Medical Services of the RFEF wish to express their surprise and discomfort after learning at 13:47 on Monday, November 10, the day of the start of the official training camp with the national team, that player Lamine Yamal had undergone an invasive radiofrequency procedure for the treatment of his pubic discomfort that same morning. This procedure was carried out without prior communication to the medical staff of the National Team, with knowledge of the details only through a report received at 22:40 last night, which indicated the medical recommendation of rest for 7-10 days. Given this situation, and prioritising at all times the health, safety and well-being of the player, the Royal Spanish Football Federation has made the decision to release the athlete from the current call-up. We are confident that he will recover well and wish him a speedy and full recovery."

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(C)GettyImagesWhat comes next for Yamal and Barcelona?

Meanwhile, De la Fuente said Yamal was "very sad" to not take part in these games for his country.

"Lamine is sad. He’s a player deeply committed to the national team and very well-liked," he said. "He left very sad; he was looking forward to playing these matches. He wants to have a great season with his club, and he also has the Finalissima and the World Cup etched in his memory. He’s the one who suffers the most. He always wants to come. He left sad and hurt. Anyone who says otherwise is lying or has bad intentions. I spoke with him. When we received the report last night, we let him rest. We went to his room and I spoke with him. I told him it was the first news he'd heard from the national team; I don't know if he had any information about Barcelona. He was incredibly sad and hurt. He was fine when he arrived. We didn't know anything until last night."

When the international break ends, Barcelona take on Athletic Club, Chelsea, and Alaves in the space of a week to round off the month. It is hoped that Yamal will feature in those encounters despite his ongoing pubalgia issues.

Crystal Palace are now genuine contenders to sign Nathan Ake, with an eye-catching raid of Manchester City now being planned.

Palace’s interest in a new centre-back stems from Marc Guehi’s contract situation, with the England international now poised to leave on a free transfer upon the expiration of his current deal next summer, and there are plenty of clubs waiting in the wings.

Liverpool remain keen on the 25-year-old, having come close to getting a deal done on deadline day in the summer, but Arne Slot’s side may now be set to face competition from the likes of Real Madrid and Chelsea.

Steve Parish will, of course, be disappointed to have missed out on a transfer fee for the defender, unless he chooses to cash-in in January, although doing so could harm the Eagles in their quest to compete on all fronts, with the maiden European campaign likely to be of key importance.

Oliver Glasner’s side may not have to worry about bringing in a Guehi replacement until next summer, but they have already started identifying potential options, and Ake has now emerged as a target for the end of the season.

Crystal Palace genuine contenders to sign Ake

That is according to a report from TEAMtalk, which reveals Crystal Palace are now genuine contenders to sign the Man City defender, with their Premier League rivals giving serious consideration to cashing-in.

As such, the door could be open for Palace to get a deal done, with an eye-catching raid to sign the Dutchman being considered once again, having identified him as a target during the summer transfer window.

The Eagles are making sure they are prepared for Guehi’s departure, as it is considered almost a foregone conclusion that he will move on in the summer, with Bayern Munich named as one of the top clubs chasing the Englishman’s signature.

Once lauded as “incredible” by Man City manager Pep Guardiola, the centre-back has found game time hard to come by in the Premier League this season, often being benched or utilised as a substitute.

Crucially, the former AFC Bournemouth man is vastly experienced in the Premier League, having amassed 240 appearances in the competition, and he certainly knows what it takes to win, lifting 14 major honours in what has been a hugely successful career.

At 30-years-old, the City ace is likely to want to play regular first-team football, so it could make sense to seek pastures new in the summer, and there are signs he could be a solid replacement for Guehi.

The only negative is the fact the Netherlands international is over five years older than Guehi and set to turn 31 in February, which means he is unlikely to be a long-term replacement, although he should certainly have a few more years at the top level.

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O Pacaembu está próximo de ser reaberto após cerca de três anos de reformas. A intenção é que o complexo esportivo, localizado na zona oeste de São Paulo, tenha reinaugurações em fases, sendo partidas do Santos e a final da Copinha 2024 como os principais atrativos.

A intenção inicial da Allegra Pacaembu, empresa que detém a concessão do local, é que a decisão da Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior aconteça no estádio.

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

O próprio presidente da Federação Paulista de Futebol (FPF), Reinaldo Carneiro Bastos, anunciou que o local está pronto para receber a final da Copinha, em cerimônia realizada em novembro.

Também há interesse mútuo com o Peixe para o clube se tornar a “estrela” do local. Inclusive, Marcelo Teixeira, presidente eleito do Alvinegro, visitou as obras do complexo no dia 1º de dezembro, durante sua campanha.

COPINHA

A Allegra garante que o campo do Pacaembu estará preparado para receber a final da Copinha.No entanto, a decisão sobre o local da partida cabe à FPF. Além disso, os interesses dos clubes futuramente envolvidos na decisão também terão peso. A última final da competição de categorias de base foi disputada entre Palmeiras e América-MG, no Canindé.Para o Pacaembu receber a decisão da Copa São Paulo, também restam as autorizações do poder público do Estado. O aval deve acontecer em um período mais próximo da final.A Copinha seria a “primeira reinauguração” de diversas atrações que protagonizarão a reabertura do Pacaembu. O estádio voltará a funcionar em fases. Por exemplo, é possível que a final da Copa São Paulo não tenha todos os setores do local em pleno funcionamento.

SANTOS COMO ESTRELA

Santos e Allegra mantêm contatos frequentes. O novo presidente do clube, Marcelo Teixeira, tem muito interesse em migrar os jogos do Alvinegro para o local.A ideia da gestão santista é que haja a grande reinauguração do Pacaembu com um jogo do Peixe, no dia 27 de abril, data de aniversário do estádio. Porém, a realização deste evento ainda não está totalmente confirmada.O Pacaembu deve se tornar a casa do Santos durante as obras da Vila Belmiro, que se transformará em Arena.

– Queremos dar entrada na prefeitura para que isso saia do papel. Independente de onde o Santos estiver, seja Paulista, Série B, Série A, Sul-Americana ou Libertadores, nós tiraremos a Vila Belmiro para jogar, como já temos a carta de intenção, no Pacaembu. Há essa intenção, assim como também em outras arenas espalhadas pelo Brasil – disse Marcelo Teixeira, em coletiva após vitória nas eleições.

Southern Brave 109 for 4 (Bouchier 42, Devine 41*) beat Trent Rockets 106 (Gordon 32, Corteen-Coleman 4-13) by six wicketsA dominant bowling performance followed by a measured if not nervy run chase saw the Southern Brave to a six-wicket win over Trent Rockets in The Hundred women’s competition at Trent Bridge.Electing to bowl first, Georgia Adams’ decision was justified almost immediately when 17-year-old Tilly Corteen-Coleman struck two huge blows in her opening set, removing Bryony Smith caught off a leading-edge and Nat Sciver-Brunt brilliantly stumped by Rhianna Southby.Despite a 16-ball 25 from captain Ash Gardner, the Rockets top order faltered miserably. From 36 for 2 at the conclusion of the powerplay, it was complete Brave dominance as Rockets collapsed to 55 for 8.Left-arm spinner Corteen-Coleman bowled brilliantly, also dismissing Heather Graham and Emma Jones – the former another stumping by the impressive Southby – on the way to brilliant figures of 4 for 13. Lauren Bell returned to strike twice in three balls, becoming the first woman to take 50 wickets in the Hundred in the process, finishing her 20 balls with 3 for 16.Alana King and Kirstie Gordon then staged a recovery to keep their side in the game. They shared a record tenth-wicket stand of 50 from 44 deliveries to help the Rockets to 106 and give them something to bowl at.In the run chase, Rockets struck early – Danni Wyatt-Hodge run out by King after a miscommunication with Maia Bouchier. Laura Wolvaardt was then caught by Sciver-Brunt off Gordon to see the score 10 for 2 with two in-form batters back in the shed.Bouchier and Sophie Devine played cautiously against probing bowling from King and Gardner, steadily chipping away at the target as the Brave reached 52 for 2 at halfway with 55 runs still required.Bouchier began to open her shoulders as Brave approached their target, but she targeted King one time too many, running past a wide one to be stumped for 43.Devine was joined by Freya Kemp who, after cracking a huge six off Gordon, went caught on the boundary with eight still required from seven balls. But Devine stayed calm, striking a crucial boundary off Graham as the Brave got home with two balls to spare.Meerkat Match Hero, Corteen-Coleman, said: “It’s been fantastic, such a great team performance. Good to get another win on the board. There’s a bit of a track record of Trent Bridge being a bit slow and having a bit of turn so I thought I might be in the game.”I can’t complain, it’s been a great day. We’re a great group. We’ve been working really hard and obviously off the back of last year I feel like we’ve got a lot to prove and we’re on our way to doing that.”

Balogun and Reyna shone brightly, but there were plenty of other aspects of the USMNT that Mauricio Pochettino will be encouraged by following their win over Paraguay.

CHESTER, Pa. – This summer, leading up to and during the Gold Cup, Mauricio Pochettino challenged the U.S. Men's National Team. It wasn't a full-strength group, but that didn't lessen his expectations. He challenged them to build a culture, a brotherhood, and a belief. More than anything, he challenged them to fight, for each other, for their badge and, ultimately, for their own World Cup places.

That fight, on Saturday night against Paraguay, got a bit literal. There was a late-game scrap, not unlike previous ones against Costa Rica and Australia. That fight, ultimately, wasn't the one that made Pochettino happy. No, he had already seen everything he needed to see between the lines prior to that. When the ball was in play, Pochettino saw a team that, once again, proved that they can and will fight for each other in the right ways, too.

"The good thing was that this was a team performing," Pochettino said following the USMNT's 2-1 win over Paraguay. "This was a team with intensity going to press. It wasn't individual actions with intensity. Sometimes there are individual actions with intensity and players walking, or some focused and some concentrating. I think the good thing today was the harmony. That is what we want to establish. That is what we've tried to find in the past. 

"It takes time, but after one year, I think today, yes, was a big test for us, and this was a good test. We need to be happy, but it's not enough. We need to be pushing, and we need to keep improving."

The U.S. has been steadily improving. After effectively hitting the reset button this summer, Pochettino's group has built through the fall. The win over Paraguay, headlined by goals from Gio Reyna and Folarin Balogun, was the USMNT's third in four matches – with the Americans being undefeated in that span. Players have shuffled in and out while injuries have robbed Pochettino of some of his big stars like Christian Pulisic and Antonee Robinson. It hasn't hurt the team, though. That, ultimately, is exactly what Pochettino is looking for.

"We need to show that it is not about the name; it's about the team," Pochettino said. "It's about the collective. It's about the idea that they are all together…Our fans need to think that this team is the most important. Who is the hero? The team needs to be the hero. If we are capable of attracting our fans to support us, we can create a very good bond between the fans and us right up to the World Cup."

With Saturday's victory, the USMNT is now one step closer. Individual battles remain, and they'll go right up until the World Cup, but, at the moment, the team is humming in ways that seemed so distant just a few short months ago.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from Subaru Park…

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  WINNER: Gio Reyna

  All week long, USMNT players spoke of a new Reyna. He’s more focused now, more mature. As it turns out, though, the end result is the same. When Reyna plays for the USMNT, no matter what version of him it is, goals tend to follow. 

  "In that moment, I was just happy," he said of his goal. "Honestly, it's been a while since I scored for the national team, so yeah, it was just excitement and happiness. It's just great to be back."

  This game was a perfect audition for Reyna, who is still very much fighting for a World Cup spot. He showed that, even when at less-than-full fitness, he can still change games. Even when he’s not quite at his best, he can still be better than most. 

  "Probably 80-85 percent," Reyna said when asked about his fitness level. "It's hard to say, but I'm not far. I'm definitely getting there. I feel really good. It was nice to feel 75 minutes in the legs tonight with no problems at all. I was able to push through the whole 75 minutes, so I just need to keep going, but yeah, I'm almost there."

  There are still questions surrounding Reyna’s trajectory. How quickly can he reach full fitness? Can this performance serve as a springboard after an inconsistent stretch of appearances for club and country? And how will Pochettino evaluate what was, despite its promise, still just one game? The questions are shifting – and Reyna, finally, appears to be shifting with them.

  "He scored and I think he did a very good job," Pochettino said. "I am so happy with him, and he showed why he started. He confirmed that he's a player who needs to improve, because he needs to play more in his club, but we can see today that he was great. He scored, he assisted, and his capacity to read the game and find space between the lines, it was a nightmare for Paraguay. He did a very good job."

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  LOSER: Paraguay

  The visitors had one moment of magic, and magic it was. Miguel Almiron busted loose, Álex Arce slipped through, and bang, it was 1-1. From that point on, though? Crickets. 

  The Paraguay attack never really got going. The most fight they showed came at the very end, and it came in all the wrong ways. This was an opportunity for them, too. Facing a shorthanded USMNT team, this could have been a good confidence booster on the road to the World Cup. They beat Argentina and Brazil to book their place; surely they could threaten this version of the USMNT, right? 

  Wrong. They’ll now go back to the drawing board after a night with one positive moment and a whole bunch of silence otherwise.

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  WINNER: Folarin Balogun

  Three goals in three starts for Balogun – is there anything more to ask from a striker? Not really, in truth. That's why the Monaco striker, for now, remains the guy up top for the USMNT.

  Balogun’s goal was the kind of finish expected from a No. 9 in form. Limited mostly to initiating the press for long stretches, he got one clear look – and buried it. Reyna broke through on the left and sent a ball across the box that deflected off a defender and fell straight to Balogun, who made no mistake. One chance, one goal, and another big moment for a striker who continues to justify his status as the team’s first-choice option.

  "He was decisive," Pochettino said. "He scored the winning goal and, if you are looking at the World Cup, for me, that was fantastic. It wasn't easy to find anything against the centerbacks of Paraguay. They were very good and very competitive. South American centerbacks – I was one many years ago – and we know how to defend and be difficult, so this was a massive lesson for him."

  Pochettino stressed that, despite the match being a friendly, he does not minimize the expectations placed on his players and remains encouraged by his lead striker’s steady improvement.

  "These are not friendly games, and that is so important. For Flo, I think he's improving day by day, week by week, and he needs to be consistent."

  Balogun has been exactly that lately. As long as that continues, he’ll likely maintain his grip on the top spot in the No. 9 depth chart.

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  LOSER: Ricardo Pepi

  If Pepi was in his top form, firing and fit, he'd have buried it. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't, and when his big chance came to him in the second half, there was the slightest bit of hesitation.

  It’s understandable. Back with the national team for the first time in a while and given only a brief window to work in place of Balogun, Pepi likely had some nerves. So when the ball fell to him late on, he took an extra touch – just enough for Paraguay’s defenders to recover and clear the effort off the line, denying him another international goal.

  If Pepi returns to full sharpness, that moment won’t define anything, and he didn’t play poorly otherwise. He found a dangerous spot, as he often does, and on most nights you’d expect him to be sprinting toward the corner flag in celebration from a chance like that.