While the rest of the world's major teams competed in friendlies yesterday, CONCACAF got its World Cup qualifying under way with a series of first-round matches among the region's smallest countries.
The campaign began on Saturday with Bermuda being held to a 1-1 draw at home by the Cayman Islands. Six more games were set for yesterday involving nine Caribbean sides and three Central American teams.
In all, 11 teams will advance to another round of two-leg matches, where the region's perennial powers -- Mexico and the US -- join the fray in June. From that, 12 teams will emerge that will enter the group phase.
Except locally, most matches will get little attention with South American powers Brazil and Argentina and European counterparts Germany, Italy, Spain and England engaged in friendlies.
Within the region, Mexico were to face the US in Houston in what has become an annual grudge match.
El Salvador, who qualified for the World Cup in 1970 and 1982, are the biggest fish of the minnows required to fight their way from the opening round. They host 198th-ranked Anguilla in San Salvador and begin as prohibitive favorites.
"Anguilla might be an easy team, but we can't be overconfident," El Salvador coach Carlos de los Cobos said.
The winners of the two-leg series advance to play Central American championship runners-up Panama, who were eliminated from last year's Gold Cup by the US in the quarter-finals.
Honduras also reached the Gold Cup quarter-finals before being beaten by Guadeloupe.
Tallon Griekspoor on Friday stunned top seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/4) in the second round at Indian Wells, avenging a devastating loss to the German at Roland Garros last year. Zverev, the world No. 2 who is heading the field of the prestigious ATP Masters event with No. 1 Jannik Sinner serving a three-month drugs ban, is the first Indian Wells men’s top seed to lose his opening match since Andy Murray in 2017. It was a cherished win for Griekspoor, who had lost five straight matches — including four last year — to the German. That included a five-setter
Donovan Mitchell on Wednesday scored 26 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers punched their ticket to the NBA playoffs with a hard-fought 112-107 victory over the Miami Heat. A seesaw battle in Cleveland saw the Heat threaten to end the Cavs’ 11-game unbeaten streak after opening up a seven-point lead late in the fourth quarter, but the Cavs clawed back the deficit in the closing minutes to seal their 12th straight victory and a place in the post-season. The Cavaliers improved to 52-10, maintaining their stranglehold on the Eastern Conference with 20 games of the regular season remaining. Mitchell was one of six Cleveland
Five-time champion Novak Djokovic on Saturday tumbled out of the Indian Wells ATP Masters, falling in his first match to lucky loser Botic van de Zandschulp as two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz advanced. “No excuses for a poor performance,” 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic said after 37 unforced errors in a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 defeat. “It doesn’t feel great when you play this way on the court,” he said. “But congratulations to my opponent — just a bad day in the office, I guess, for me.” Djokovic is just the latest in Van de Zandschulp’s string of superstar victims. He
Manchester United on Thursday settled for a 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad in the first leg of their Europa League round-of-16 tie. United led on Joshua Zirkzee’s goal in the 58th minute, but the hosts equalized 12 minutes later after Bruno Fernandes’ hand ball and Mikel Oyarzabal sent Andre Onana the wrong way from the penalty spot. The Europa League could be a way for United to finish the season with a trophy after crashing out of the FA Cup on Sunday. A spot in the quarter-finals is to be on the line at Old Trafford in the second leg on Thursday next
RSS