South African cricket is searching for a silver lining after the dark clouds of a disappointing World Cup, a humbling tour of India, and, back home, an administration facing multiple legal battles and millions of rands of debt. Dale Steyn and JP Duminy might have spotted one such bright spot: next month's Mzansi Super League (MSL), which, they believe, could prompt a revival for the flagging domestic game and mine the depths of what looks like a shallow talent pool to prop up the national side.

"It's huge for domestic cricket in South Africa. If you look back two, three or maybe even five years, domestic cricket was on a downward spiral," Duminy, who will play for Paarl Rocks, said at a launch event for the second edition of the MSL in Cape Town. "The revival of the T20 game and the model of the MSL is something I am quite excited about. You have international cricketers moulded with young talent and that's going only going to leave us in good stead."

While Cape Town Blitz's Steyn acknowledged that the MSL cannot be compared to its bigger and more established brothers, especially the IPL, he said it is gaining ground. "The IPL is one of those untouchable leagues because it seems like in every IPL team, they have got at least five international Indian players as well as four overseas (stars), so there's a lot of high-quality international experience in the IPL teams. In the MSL, you maybe get three or four (internationals), but it's still good. From last year when we played, it didn't feel easy so that means there is some quality," he said.

"It's been Monday to Friday training and trying to stay fit. If you get off that wheel, you lose your fitness, you lose your competitive edge and it's something that I've tried to hold on to" Dale Steyn

Steyn looked at the MSL as a way for franchise hopefuls to force their way into the national reckoning. He singled out Rassie van der Dussen, the top scorer in the inaugural event and one of the brightest sparks in an otherwise dismal World Cup, as a player who used the tournament to make a case for selection.

"I don't think many people knew who Rassie van der Dussen was before the MSL last year and he ended up becoming player of the tournament," Steyn said. "He is putting up his hand for Test selection now. Dreams do come true if you take the opportunities. Whoever is young and up and coming, there is a great opportunity."

The tournament is also a chance for some of South Africa's more established players to rediscover their form and confidence in an environment, which Steyn said didn't present "as much pressure as international cricket", but still demanded a high standard. "Some of the senior players are also going to be enjoyable to watch and it's an opportunity for those guys to show that we are international players and this is why we belong here," he said.

Steyn put himself firmly in that category of players. Though he retired from red-ball cricket in August and has not played a competitive fixture since May, he remains available for white-ball selection and has his sights set on next year's T20 World Cup. Steyn was ruled out of the World Cup with a shoulder injury and was not considered for South Africa's T20s in India after CSA's medical team deemed him unfit, but after spending the winter working on his fitness, he said he was ready to go.

"Everyone looks at you and thinks that the last time they saw you was a certain injury but I'm fine. I'm excited to get back on the park and play cricket again," he said. "I haven't played much since the World Cup because there hasn't been much happening. But there's no rest. It's been Monday to Friday training and trying to stay fit. If you get off that wheel, you lose your fitness, you lose your competitive edge and it's something that I've tried to hold on to."

For Steyn, the quality of the quicks are the biggest drawcard the MSL will offer, not just in his squad, which includes recent Test debutant Anrich Nortje and Pakistan international Wahab Riaz, but across the board. Kyle Abbott will play for Durban Heat, Kagiso Rabada for Jozi Stars, Beuran Hendricks for Nelson Mandela Bay Giants, Hardus Viljoen for the Rocks, and Lungi Ngidi and Lutho Sipamla for Tshwane Spartans.

"I love fast bowlers. They get me excited. Anrich, last year, bowled rapid and set the tone for how I wanted to play the tournament. You want to outdo your team-mate in some sense. If you've got all these quicks in one team, one guy is trying to bowl 140, the next guy is trying to bowl 145, the next guy is trying to bowl 150, it's good for the team," Steyn remarked.

England's build-up towards the 2020 T20 World Cup will begin in earnest this week, with the start of their five-match series against New Zealand, and Jonny Bairstow hopes the squad can channel the momentum of 50-over success into next year's campaign in Australia.

England lifted the World Cup for the first time in July, having overhauled their ODI cricket under the captaincy of Eoin Morgan. Although there has been less of a focus on T20 cricket, England did reach the World T20 final in 2016 and the core personnel in the white-ball teams is largely the same.

In New Zealand, Morgan will oversee a squad featuring several new faces looking to make a mark. Bairstow is one of the senior batsmen on the tour, with Jason Roy, Joe Root, Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali all rested, and after top-scoring in England's warm-up victory in Lincoln on Sunday, he was excited about the challenge ahead.

"I think it does feel like the start of that journey towards the T20 World Cup," Bairstow said. "It's going to come around thick and fast. Seeing guys who've played county cricket taking the step up to international cricket is going to be fascinating. That, coupled with the guys that are not on this tour but will come back into the team, there's going to be competition for places.

"The cycle for the 50-over World Cup started four years ago. Hopefully we're fortunate enough that the way we've played our 50-over cricket will lead us well into our T20 cricket.

"It's a fascinating period to be playing cricket for England. There's some very, very talented guys that have played a lot of cricket now for England that are all together and have the experience of going through the ups, the downs and everything in between."

While the T20I format tends to lose context between major global tournaments - England's last outing, against Pakistan in May, saw Ben Duckett open the batting and Ben Foakes take the gloves - there is now a clear 12-month run-in for teams to hone their approach. Bairstow is one of a number of England players to have benefited from the ECB hierarchy relaxing its stance on IPL participation, and he suggested the Hundred could also increase Morgan's options.

"You've got guys playing T20 in competitions around the world whether that be the Indian Premier League, Big Bash or whatever it may be, so I'm not too sure it's going to make too much of a difference," Bairstow said.

"Then you've got the Hundred that's starting next year so that's an even shorter format that will allow people to put their skills on show to potentially push for that squad.''

The tour will also bring together many of the same players that contested the 50-over World Cup final during the English summer, on an emotionally draining day at Lord's. New Zealand's defeat on boundary countback is likely to gain a mention, even if there are no ODIs scheduled, and Bairstow said they were wary of the hosts' qualities - despite captain Kane Williamson missing the series through injury.

"They're dangerous no matter what," he said. "We'll be expecting a very tough challenge and that's every time you play against New Zealand because they've got quality all the way through. They are a great bunch of fellas but naturally what happened at Lord's is going to be quite tough for those guys and there will be a fire in their belly and a hunger to put things right.''

England could also draw inspiration from watching the rugby team see off the All Blacks in Japan on Saturday morning, setting up the possibility of more World Cup glory at New Zealand's expense.

"We all watched it at the team hotel and it was amazing to see," Bairstow said. "To say you've watched the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand when England were playing New Zealand is pretty cool. Two England World Cup-winning teams in one year would be special, wouldn't it?"

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James tweeted early Monday morning that he and his family has had to evacuate their house due to the wildfires that are blazing throughout California.

Man these LA ? aren't no joke. Had to emergency evacuate my house and I've been driving around with my family trying to get rooms. No luck so far! ??‍♂️

— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 28, 2019

Finally found a place to accommodate us! Crazy night man!

— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 28, 2019

I ?? for all the families in the area that could be affected by these ???????????? now! Pretty please get to safety ASAP

— LeBron James (@KingJames) October 28, 2019

Early Monday, a brush fire broke out along the west side of Interstate 405, north of Sunset Boulevard and near the Getty Center in Southern California. It had grown to more than 70 acres by 4 a.m. and was moving west and south, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The fire is threatening the Brentwood neighborhood where James bought a house when he joined the Lakers in 2018.

The LAFD called the fire "a very dynamic situation due to high winds'' and issued mandatory evacuation orders for people living between the freeway and Mandeville Canyon.

Fire conditions statewide made California "a tinderbox,'' said Jonathan Cox, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Of the state's 58 counties, 43 were under red flag warnings for high fire danger Sunday.

Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in response to the wildfires, powered by gusts that reached more than 102 mph.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

We're just one week into the regular season, and we've already seen some historic debuts, an overtime buzzer-beater, plenty of coach's challenges ... and, of course, the unraveling of the Golden State dynasty before our very eyes.

Throughout the regular season, our panel (ESPN's Tim MacMahon, Andre' Snellings, Royce Young and Bobby Marks, and The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears) is ranking all 30 teams from top to bottom, taking stock of which teams are playing the best basketball now and which are looking most like title contenders.

Previous rankings: Week 1 | Training camp | Free agency | Post-Finals

1. LA Clippers
Record: 2-1
Week 1 ranking: 1

The opening-night win over the Lakers felt like a statement beyond just general NBA contendership terms, but one localized directly at the supposed big brother across the hall. And to follow it up by a demolition of the Warriors, the Clippers were sending messages in bold. Perhaps that's the justification for the slip to the Suns, but it's also a reminder that while the Clippers are high-octane, they also have more yet to come as they await Paul George's debut. -- Young

This week: CHA, @UTAH, SA, UTAH

2. Philadelphia 76ers
Record: 2-0
Week 1 ranking: 3

It is only a two-game sample, but there is a sense of a mental toughness developing in Philadelphia. In the two wins against Boston and Detroit, the 76ers have outscored opponents by a combined 22 points in the second half. The win against the Pistons also showed how valuable the addition of Al Horford is to this team. Without injured Joel Embiid, Horford moved to the center position to score 23 points, grab nine rebounds and hold Detroit's Andre Drummond to a pedestrian 13 points. -- Marks

This week: @ATL, MIN, @POR

3. Milwaukee Bucks
Record: 1-1
Week 1 ranking: 2

The Bucks produced the best record and scoring margin in the NBA last season, and entered this season as the favorite in the Eastern Conference. They started with a tough win on the road in Houston and a surprising loss to the Heat at home, with Giannis Antetokounmpo producing monster numbers but fouling out of both games. Once they find their rhythm and Antetokounmpo gets the fouls under control, the Bucks project to be dominant on both offense and defense again this season. -- Snellings

This week: CLE, @BOS, @ORL, TOR

4. Denver Nuggets
Record: 2-0
Week 1 ranking: 4

The Nuggets don't have the luxury of sneaking up on anyone anymore but still handled their business opening week. A small taste of revenge against the Trail Blazers, where the offense hummed and shots dropped, and then the opposite where Denver overcame an off night to hold off the scrappy Suns in overtime. Denver is now one of the West's hunted teams, but with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray already in form, they look ready to embrace it. -- Young

This week: @SAC, DAL, @NO, @ORL

5. Los Angeles Lakers
Record: 2-1
Week 1 ranking: 5

Dwight Howard might have secured his much-needed breakthrough game with the Lakers, proving he can still be a force in the NBA. The journeyman eight-time All-Star had a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds while making all eight of his field goal attempts and blocking four shots -- he was plus-23 in 23 minutes -- during a win over Charlotte on Sunday night. Howard averaged 6.5 points and 2.5 rebounds over the first two games this season. -- Spears

This week: MEM, @DAL, @SA

6. Houston Rockets
Record: 1-1
Week 1 ranking: 6

Russell Westbrook (26 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists per game) lived up to high expectations as the Rockets split their first two games. James Harden hasn't played up to his standards so far this season, making only 3 of 26 3-point attempts. "He's just lost his rhythm a little bit," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "Nothing to worry about. There's no way it's going to last this way. He's fine." -- MacMahon

This week: OKC, @WAS, @BKN, @MIA

7. Utah Jazz
Record: 2-1
Week 1 ranking: 7

Mike Conley's first two games in a Jazz uniform couldn't have been much uglier, as he misfired on all but four of his 27 field goal attempts and had almost as many turnovers (six) as assists (eight). Not that anyone with the Jazz was worried about the point guard's fit in Utah at that point. Conley looked like himself in Saturday's blowout of the Kings, when he had 12 points and eight assists. The Jazz hoped that Conley's arrival would benefit Donovan Mitchell, and the early returns on that are positive, with the young star guard averaging an efficient 23.7 points (68.1 true shooting percentage) in the first week. -- MacMahon

This week: @PHX, LAC, @SAC, @LAC

8. Boston Celtics
Record: 2-1
Week 1 ranking: 11

Chalk up Kemba Walker's 4-for-18 performance in a loss to Philadelphia to opening-night jitters. Since the loss, Walker has shot 19-for-39 from the field, 9-for-20 from 3 and averaged 27 points in back-to-back wins against Toronto and New York. -- Marks

This week: MIL, NY

9. San Antonio Spurs
Record: 2-0
Week 1 ranking: 15

The four-year, $64 million extension signed by Dejounte Murray might turn out to be quite the team-friendly deal. Murray, 23, who missed all of last season because of a knee injury, has already proven himself as one of the NBA's premier defensive point guards. He's looked like a drastically improved all-around player during the Spurs' 2-0 start. He has been smooth offensively, averaging 5.0 assists and 18.5 points on 60% shooting in only 23.4 minutes per game. -- MacMahon

This week: POR, @LAC, @GS, LAL

10. Portland Trail Blazers
Record: 2-1
Week 1 ranking: 8

After going the distance in last season's playoffs, "Game 8" between the Nuggets and Blazers didn't go Portland's way, as Denver made plays and hit shots down the stretch. A convincing bounce-back over the shaky Kings and a clutch time win over the Mavs, however, is the kind of thing the Blazers do. It's why they keep making the playoffs, it's why they're always around 50 wins. Though if Zach Collins misses extended time because of a dislocated left shoulder, it'll be an early test for this Blazers' front line. -- Young

This week: @SA, @OKC, PHI

11. Toronto Raptors
Record: 2-1
Week 1 ranking: 13

The defending champs have started the season by winning two of their first three games, led by reigning NBA Most Improved Player Pascal Siakam. Siakam is looking to make another leap, and is averaging just under 29 points and 11 rebounds for the first week of the season. Sporting a deep and veteran cast, the Raptors could be poised for a stronger-than-predicted defense of their championship this season. -- Snellings

This week: ORL, DET, @MIL

12. Miami Heat
Record: 2-1
Week 1 ranking: 14

Beating Memphis on opening night with a dominant fourth quarter? Not all that notable. Beating Giannis and Milwaukee in overtime (on the road) after a dominant fourth-quarter comeback? Very notable. And this was without Jimmy Butler, by the way, who has been away from the team following the birth of his daughter. In the top-heavy East, there's a lot of room in the middle, and the Heat haven't generated much chatter. That might start changing with more weeks like this one. -- Young

This week: ATL, @ATL, HOU

13. Dallas Mavericks
Record: 2-1
Week 1 ranking: 16

Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis definitely haven't done anything to diminish the hope that the Mavs' young franchise cornerstones can develop into one of the league's elite duos in the not-too-distant future. They are the only pair of teammates to both rank among the NBA's top 10 scorers at this early stage, with Doncic averaging 29.3 points and Porzingis putting up 26.3. And you can see the chemistry starting to form between them: After assisting on only one Porzingis bucket in the first two games, Doncic had five dimes to the big man during Porzingis' 32-point performance Sunday. -- MacMahon

This week: @DEN, LAL, @CLE

14. Brooklyn Nets
Record: 1-2
Week 1 ranking: 9

Kyrie Irving's efforts late in the fourth quarter against the Knicks salvaged a split for the Nets mini-two game homestand to start the season. If there is a concern moving forward, it's the turnover to assist ratio in Brooklyn: In those two games, Brooklyn averaged 20 assists to 21 turnovers, including 26 turnovers against New York. Last season, the Nets topped 20 turnovers only eight times, with a season-high 23 against Boston in early January. Another early Achilles heel for Brooklyn? The inability to close out games: The Nets blew fourth-quarter leads in all three games, eventually losing in OT to Minnesota and Memphis. -- Marks

This week: IND, HOU, @DET

15. Minnesota Timberwolves
Record: 3-0
Week 1 ranking: 21

The undefeated Timberwolves have achieved their early success with a balanced team effort around transcendent superstar Karl-Anthony Towns, who has put up dominant numbers to start his fifth season (32.0 points, 13.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.0 blocks, 3.0 steals per game). Towns will turn 24 in November, and will look to carry the Timberwolves to their second playoffs appearance in the past three seasons. -- Snellings

This week: @PHI, @WAS

16. Atlanta Hawks
Record: 2-0
Week 1 ranking: 23

Trae Young has been living up to his nickname "Ice Trae" so far. Young averaged 38.5 points in 36.5 minutes over his first two contests, while shooting 70.7% from the field and 55% from 3-point range. But a big test comes early this week for Young and the undefeated Hawks: Philadelphia comes to town Monday night. -- Spears

This week: PHI, @MIA, MIA

17. Golden State Warriors
Record: 0-2
Week 1 ranking: 10

Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston are gone. Klay Thompson is out indefinitely because of a knee injury. Newcomers Willie Cauley-Stein and Alec Burks and veteran forward Kevon Looney are injured and out. Add the Warriors' youth, and their horrible start -- including 28-point blowout loss Sunday in Oklahoma City -- makes sense. -- Spears

This week: @NO, PHX, SA, CHA

18. Orlando Magic
Record: 1-1
Week 1 ranking: 18

Point guard has been a position of need for the Magic for years, and Markelle Fultz has played two solid games off the bench thus far to give them some hope for the position moving forward. The former No. 1 overall pick, who has struggled to find his shot since entering the league with Philly in 2017, has scored 12 points in each game, even adding his first two 3-pointers of the season Saturday night in Atlanta. -- Snellings

This week: @TOR, NY, MIL, DEN

19. Indiana Pacers
Record: 0-2
Week 1 ranking: 12

The Pacers went winless during the first week of the season as they have tried to acclimate three new starters around their foundation of Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner, who are averaging a combined 39.5 points and 19 rebounds. New point guard Malcolm Brogdon was the star of the first week while averaging a strong double-double of 26 points and 10.5 assists. The Pacers will try to remain in the playoff hunt until injured star Victor Oladipo is able to return from injury. -- Snellings

This week: @DET, @BKN, CLE, CHI

20. Oklahoma City Thunder
Record: 1-2
Week 1 ranking: 19

It's no big surprise the post-Westbrook era started with some bumps, with OKC's first two games featuring a cumbersome offense that ranked last in the league. But a blowout of the defenseless Warriors showed signs of what the Thunder are trying to move toward without a high-usage, ball-dominant player -- more passing, more cutting, more moving. Over the past four seasons, the Thunder were last in the league in passes per game, but are 17th so far this season, averaging about 36.5 more per game, according to Second Spectrum. -- Young

This week: @HOU, POR, NO

21. New Orleans Pelicans
Record: 0-3
Week 1 ranking: 17

It has been a bummer of a start for the Pelicans, particularly because of the knee surgery that will sideline No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson for six to eight weeks. But Brandon Ingram has been a major bright spot, averaging 27.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists through three games, displaying the talent level that led the Lakers to select him with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2016 draft. -- MacMahon

This week: GS, DEN, @OKC

22. Phoenix Suns
Record: 2-1
Week 1 ranking: 26

Suns fans probably couldn't have predicted a 2-1 start, which included handing the Clippers their first loss of the season. Devin Booker is averaging 23.3 points and 8.3 assists, but hats off to new head coach Monty Williams for getting his team off to the stunning start. Excitement in Phoenix is tempered, however, after the NBA announced Thursday that Deandre Ayton -- the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft -- has been suspended 25 games for a violation of the NBA's anti-drug policy after testing positive for a banned diuretic. -- Spears

This week: UTAH, @GS, @MEM

23. Detroit Pistons
Record: 1-2
Week 1 ranking: 22

The Pistons won their opener in Indiana but have since lost to the Hawks and Joel Embiid-less 76ers. They have struggled on defense, giving up at least 117 points in each game on a combined 49% shooting that is near the bottom of the league. The Pistons have been playing without the injured Blake Griffin, but new addition Derrick Rose has already earned some "M-V-P" chants from the home crowd while averaging 25.3 points through the first week. -- Snellings

This week: IND, @TOR, @CHI, BKN

24. Chicago Bulls
Record: 1-2
Week 1 ranking: 24

Lauri Markkanen has opened the season averaging a double-double -- 17.7 points and 11.7 rebounds the first two games -- but could have averaged over 20-plus if he were shooting from deep the way he had previously. The 7-footer shot over 35% from 3-point range his first two seasons but missed 18 of 21 in his first three games this season. -- Spears

This week: @NY, @CLE, DET, @IND

25. Memphis Grizzlies
Record: 1-2
Week 1 ranking: 27

Memphis' overtime win Sunday over Brooklyn might be a game that Grizzlies fans talk about for a long time. It was a coming-out party for No. 2 overall pick Ja Morant, who displayed a phenomenal blend of athleticism and competitiveness in a duel with perennial All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving. Morant scored 17 of his 30 points during the fourth quarter, when the Grizzlies came back from an eight-point deficit. He also blocked Irving's shot at the buzzer to send the game into OT. Morant's ninth assist was to Jae Crowder for the winning 3 at the buzzer. -- MacMahon

This week: @LAL, PHX

26. Washington Wizards
Record: 1-2
Week 1 ranking: 25

The Wizards started the season banged up and cobbled together a second unit of Who He Play For All-Stars, but they play hard and they play together -- basically the opposite of last season's team. And with it, Rui Hachimura has the look of an intriguing rookie who might be even better than the already optimistic expectations. Which, if that's the case, the outlook for the Wizards, previously one of the darkest in the league, might be a bit brighter. -- Young

This week: HOU, MIN

27. Charlotte Hornets
Record: 1-2
Week 1 ranking: 30

Despite a 1-2 start, there is something to like about the Hornets after Week 1: Head coach James Borrego has made a concerted effort to focus on their young players, primarily PJ Washington, Dwayne Bacon, Miles Bridges and Devonte' Graham. The four each logged over 20 minutes in the first two games. -- Marks

This week: @LAC, @SAC, @GS

28. Cleveland Cavaliers
Record: 1-1
Week 1 ranking: 29

The Cavaliers turned back the clock in their home opener against Indiana. The 11-point win saw veterans Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson combine for 46 points and 26 rebounds (Thompson also made his first NBA 3-pointer!). The challenge for new head coach John Beilein will be continuing to find the right mix of minutes for a roster that is focused on player development but heavily laden with veterans on expiring deals. The Cavaliers have six players in the last year of their contract. -- Marks

This week: @MIL, CHI, @IND, DAL

29. Sacramento Kings
Record: 0-3
Week 1 ranking: 20

The Kings lost their first two road games by an average of 30.5 points, and new Sacramento coach Luke Walton pulled his starters with 8:39 left in the third quarter at Utah on Saturday night after they fell behind by 32. The Kings' offense is a work in progress: They've shot under 40% in two of their three games. -- Spears

This week: DEN, CHA, UTAH, @NY

30. New York Knicks
Record: 0-3
Week 1 ranking: 28

We would give the Knicks the benefit of the doubt if the lackluster second-half performance against Boston could be attributed to youth. That is not the case as veterans Julius Randle, Elfrid Payton, Bobby Portis and Marcus Morris Sr. played a combined 20 minutes when New York was outscored 36-19 in the fourth quarter. The lone bright spot? The play of No. 3 overall pick RJ Barrett: In the Knicks' three losses, Barrett has averaged 21.0 points while shooting 53.8% from deep. -- Marks

This week: CHI, @ORL, @BOS, SAC

CARY, N.C. -- Debinha scored in the fourth minute and the North Carolina Courage went on to beat the Chicago Red Stars 4-0 on Sunday for their second straight National Women's Soccer League title.

Jessica McDonald, Crystal Dunn and Sam Mewis added goals for the Courage, which won the NWSL Shield for the third straight year with a league-best 15-5-4 regular-season record. The Courage beat Reign FC 4-1 in extra time in the semifinals.

The Red Stars had a six-game winning streak heading into the final, including a 1-0 victory over the Portland Thorns in the semifinal.

Debinha's rebound shot got past Red Stars goal keeper Alyssa Naeher to open scoring early before McDonald's header off a feed from Lynn Williams in the 26th minute. After Dunn scored in first-half stoppage time, Mewis added a goal off a long ball from Abby Dahlkemper in the 61st.

- Hays: Courage leave no doubt with NWSL championship rout

North Carolina's four goals were the most in an NWSL title match.

It was the third time the Courage and Red Stars had met in the playoffs. The Courage also won the first two and did not give up any goals.

Debinha was named the game's MVP, the first Brazilian to win it.

The game capped an eventful week for the league.

Chicago's Sam Kerr was named the league's Most Valuable Player for this season after scoring a record 18 goals in just 21 games. The Australian forward was absent for part of the season because of the Women's World Cup.

It was Kerr's second league MVP award, she also won in 2017 while with Sky Blue.

"Eighteen goals doesn't just come from one player so thank you to my teammates. I love playing for Chicago," Kerr said. "I love the girls, I love the team, and they allow me to be the best player I can be."

The Reign's Vlatko Andonovski was named the league's Coach of the Year after leading the Reign to the playoffs after a spate of injuries and the World Cup absences of several key players, including U.S. star Megan Rapinoe.

Andonovski is expected to be named the new coach of the U.S. national team at a news conference on Monday in New York. He replaces Jill Ellis, who led the United States to back-to-back World Cup titles.

The league this week also announced an expansion team in Louisville, Kentucky, to start play in 2021, as rumors swirled about additional expansion in the nine-team NWSL for next season.

Sunday's game was the last for Courage midfielder Heather O'Reilly. The former national team star is retiring from pro soccer and joining the staff of the women's team at North Carolina.

O'Reilly retired from the national team back in 2016, finishing with 231 caps and 47 goals, along with the 2015 World Cup trophy and three Olympic gold medals. She's also got an FA Cup from her time with Arsenal and two College Cup trophies from her time at North Carolina.

A sellout crowd of 10,227 attended the championship at Sahlen's Stadium.

Another wild weekend in the Premier League saw Arsenal's failings on and off the field laid bare, Liverpool's title credentials enhanced yet again and Leicester show they're the real deal after scoring nine at Southampton. We get you caught up on the action with the Weekend Review.

JUMP TO: The end of Emery and Xhaka? | VAR getting worse | Liverpool's mentality monsters | Tottenham's right-back problem | Lampard right on Pulisic | Southampton got away with 9-0 | Leicester title contenders? | Martial lets United focus on midfield | Norwich's injury woes | Luckiest moment of the weekend

Is this the end of Emery and Xhaka?

The margins are fine in football. Unai Emery was one abysmal VAR decision (on which, more later) from a second win in a row, a hard-fought and restorative three points to follow the win against Vitoria Guimaraes in the Europa League, after the horribly limp loss to Sheffield United last Monday. It's also easy to forget that Arsenal didn't actually lose to Crystal Palace.

But Sunday's 2-2 draw felt like the day something snapped among the Arsenal fans, of course not helped by Granit Xhaka. Everyone realises that being booed by your own supporters is unpleasant, humiliating and in an ideal world wouldn't happen at all. But Xhaka's reaction was absurd, immature and self-defeating.

It's not so much the cupped ear or the expletives as he stalked off down the tunnel that are objectionable. Those could be understandable, if not really excusable. But deliberately slowing down as he walked off, when his team had let a two-goal lead slip and were chasing the game, was unforgivable and suggested he was more concerned with making a petty point against some people who were being mean to him, than his own team winning.

- Arsenal ratings: Captain Xhaka 4/10 for tantrum
- Emery: Dropping Ozil backed by club

This comes back to Emery, too. He did, after all, appoint Xhaka as the first of his five captains, the fifth of whom was Mesut Ozil, now ostracised from the first team.

More tangible than who he chooses for a ceremonial role are results. Arsenal have won two of their last eight, and stretching back to the dreadful end of last season which cost them a Champions League spot, they have won six of their last 17 and taken 23 points from an available 51.

Which would just about be acceptable if there was any sense of a style coming through, of progress being made, a new identity forged. But there's none of that. It wouldn't be a surprise if Emery is dismissed in the next couple of weeks.

VAR: worse than anyone imagined

It's pretty remarkable just how much of a mess the Premier League have managed to make of VAR. It was bad -- really bad -- before this weekend, but now it's gone completely haywire. After some of the decisions overturned this weekend, the "high bar" we were told that would be applied has now been lowered to shoelace level: it feels a bit like a restaurant dress code suddenly changing from white tie and tails to Speedos and slippers.

Over the games this weekend we've seen Everton, heading for victory against Brighton, penalised because Michael Keane might have trodden on Aaron Connolly's foot; Norwich concede a spot kick against Manchester United that even Ole Gunnar Solskjaer didn't think was a penalty; and Arsenal lose out on three points when Calum Chambers was seemingly punished for being fouled.

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It almost feels like VAR is a truculent child, who after being told it wasn't changing enough decisions, suddenly just said: "Well, let's see how you like THIS."

As it's being applied at the moment, VAR has turned English football into a chaotic farce, impossible to have any faith in, virtually unwatchable because this malevolent cloud is hanging over everything.

The stated aim at the start of the season was for VAR to improve the ratio of correct refereeing decisions from 82% to 95%. The question then was whether the potential disruption would be worth the extra 13%, but now not only does that figure feel like ludicrous optimism, we're going the other way.

Liverpool's mentality monsters do it again

The encouraging thing for anyone who wants Liverpool to win the league is the variety of ways they're winning games. It felt like they took conceding that first goal against Spurs as a personal affront, which they aggressively kicked back against: it's arguably Tottenham's best achievement of the season that they held out against the siege (for the most part thanks to Paulo Gazzaniga) until the 52nd minute when Jordan Henderson equalised, and then only lost via a penalty.

"Twenty-eight points is good but you only have to think what would have happened if we had lost today, what the question would have been," said Jurgen Klopp afterwards. "We have to be focused on all the games, next one Arsenal, then Aston Villa, then Genk, then Manchester City."

That City game is only two weeks away now. Can't wait.

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Right-back is Tottenham's latest big problem

It's an indication of how bad their season has been so far that a 2-1 defeat counts as progress, but Tottenham did seem much better against Liverpool than they have been over recent weeks. This despite some curious selection decisions (not starting Tanguy Ndombele and picking Danny Rose over Ben Davies were the primary head-scratchers) and the ongoing calamity that is Serge Aurier.

It was very "on brand" of Aurier to win the ball off Sadio Mane -- twice -- and then clumsily give away a penalty, and it further emphasised that not signing a right-back was one of the biggest mistakes Spurs made in the summer. Their options in that position are Aurier, always liable to pull this sort of stunt, the lightweight Kyle Walker-Peters and Juan Foyth, a centre-back shoe-horned onto the flank.

Lampard vindicated in Pulisic treatment

As it turns out, Frank Lampard knew what he was doing in his management of Christian Pulisic. The USMNT's golden boy looked increasingly despondent with every game he wasn't in the starting XI in recent weeks, but his grin after the hat trick in the 4-2 win at Burnley was wide and heart-warming.

"He had a week's break this summer," said Lampard. "He arrived for a big price and wanted to come straight back in, but at the same time, why am I going to throw him in?"

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Why indeed. Pulisic will be smart enough to know this won't cement his place in the side for the rest of the season, though: the beauty of this Chelsea squad is they have four top-class wingers, ensuring that rotation doesn't necessarily mean weakening his side.

For that to work it requires players being flexible enough to adapt to not playing every week: if Pedro, Willian and Callum Hudson-Odoi all follow Pulisic's lead, this could be a sensational season for Chelsea, who have now won seven straight in all competitions.

Did Southampton get away with only losing 9-0?

It could've been worse. It feels absurd to suggest that a team losing 9-0 actually got away relatively lightly, but Leicester took 25 shots at St Mary's on Friday night, 15 of which were on target, which doesn't even take into account the low cross that Jonny Evans narrowly missed with his toe, open goal waiting, in the closing stages.

Statistically, that's a little better than how many shots on target it usually takes Leicester to score a goal this season (before the game they had 16 from 31 on target), but statistics don't take into account the mental state of a team that is 5-0 down at half-time and is staring down the barrel of double figures by the hour mark.

And that's the real danger of this result. The driving rain didn't help, but as this monsoon of goals swept into the Southampton net, Ralph Hasenhuttl looked genuinely traumatised, slightly unable to comprehend a) what was happening in front of him and b) that ultimately it was his fault. He did take responsibility afterwards, and by all accounts his position is not in danger, but he has an immense task on his hands to just get his players' heads right now.

If anyone was in doubt whether the Saints were in a relegation battle before, they surely aren't now.

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Are Leicester title contenders?

What of Leicester, though? They finish the weekend in third, and while Liverpool and Manchester City are probably too strong for them to be genuine title contenders, Brendan Rodgers' side aren't far off. He's done a sensational job since arriving in March and at the moment it would probably be a surprise if they didn't take one of the Champions League spots.

Martial's form means United can turn to their midfield

Manchester United need another forward in January, but if Anthony Martial can stay fit then suddenly that drops down their list of priorities. Midfield help is probably more urgent: even if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer praised Fred, Andreas Pereira and Scott McTominay after the 3-1 win over Norwich, but the latter gave away a goal after carelessly losing possession and the former nearly did the same with a slack pass in the first-half.

Paul Pogba will be out until December and his ankle problem has now flared up enough times for it to be a longer term concern, while who knows whether they will even want Nemanja Matic back in the team when he returns to fitness.

Even if Martial can avoid injury they need at least one more forward, but a combination of him scoring goals and the frailty in the middle means it's not United's biggest concern at present.

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Norwich's injury woes get worse

Norwich will laugh at United's injury problems, though. Daniel Farke's side were already without six players before Sunday's game, but four more were struck down during it, with at least two of Emi Buendia, Tim Krul and Ibrahim Amadou only finishing the game because all three substitutes had been used, while Jamaal Lewis went off having complained of illness and a high temperature.

They already had a tough task trying to stay in the Premier League, but to try it without half their squad makes it almost impossible.

Luckiest moment of the weekend

"The decision and why that happened is very difficult to understand. We were in control at that moment and it completely changed the game."

Usually it's wise to dismiss any suggestion from a manager that a single refereeing decision cost his team the game, but in this case you can't disagree with Marco Silva, after Everton were denied at least two, probably three points, depending on how much you blame them for conceding another after the penalty awarded to Brighton.

"Maybe we got a bit lucky," said Graham Potter, which translated from manager speak actually means "boy, did we get away with one there."

Five days after the truce between the BCB and the striking players, not everything seems to be right in Bangladesh cricket, especially when it comes to Shakib Al Hasan. After leading the strike, Shakib hasn't turned up for the national team's training sessions on two out of three days so far.

The BCB hasn't offered much by way of explanation for Shakib's absence, except conveying coach Russell Domingo's message that Shakib had been left out of Sunday's practice match as he wanted to look at other players. But Shakib's name was, reportedly, in the list of players expected to attend.

In any case, that isn't all there is to the story.

In an interview with Bengali daily Prothom Alo, BCB president Nazmul Hassan has said that some players - he named Shakib specifically - could skip the upcoming India tour, for which the team is scheduled to leave on Wednesday. Mohammad Saifuddin has already been ruled out due to a back injury while Tamim Iqbal has opted out to be with his pregnant wife.

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"I am quite sure that they [the players] won't go, and they will only inform us when we have nothing to do about it," Hassan said in the interview. "I don't know. I have called Shakib today. Let's see what he says. It might be others too. I don't know. But I had information that they won't go.

"Now things have quickly changed [vis-a-vis the strike]. They didn't think it would all change so quickly. I am not saying this after hearing it from a trusted source. If they say on October 30 that they won't go, what will we do? We have to change the entire combination. Where will I get a captain from? You tell me what will I do with them?"

To complicate matters further, the BCB has called Shakib's recent sponsorship deal with Grameenphone "unlawful". Hassan has said that the board had specifically told the players not to sign contracts with any telecom company. "We told the players not to do any deals with telecom companies, so that they can participate in the tender [for team sponsorship] next year. Can Shakib do this unlawful thing knowing everything? Should I allow them to do just about anything?

"Look at the timing too. I won't get the telecom companies in the January tender. Even if they do come, it will be for a lower price. Who is getting hurt in this? Only one player is profiting, but what about my team?"

Shakib has been sent a show-cause notice to explain his side of the story, and there might be an update later today when the Bangladesh squad attends its final training session in Mirpur, where they will play a practice match among themselves. Will Shakib be around for that?

Mitchell Starc is set to miss the second T20I against Sri Lanka at the Gabba on Wednesday, having opted out of the contest to attend his brother Brandon's wedding. Queensland's Billy Stanlake has emerged as the frontrunner to replace him at his home venue. However, hot on his heels is New South Wales quick Sean Abbott, who joined the squad in Brisbane as a replacement for the injured Andrew Tye.

If Abbott does get the nod over Stanlake, it's his death-bowling skills that might tilt the balance in his favour.

"Billy Stanlake's been in the squad here (in Brisbane), home ground, he might get first crack," pace spearhead Pat Cummins said at an event after Australia thrashed Sri Lanka by 135 runs in Adelaide. "Or else you go for the more death-bowling option of Sean Abbott."

Stanlake, who has taken 25 wickets in 17 T20Is, debuted in the format in early 2018, impressing the then assistant coach Ricky Ponting, who reckoned the 6ft 7in pacer had the potential to be "one of the all-time great fast bowlers". In the ongoing domestic one-dayers, he has five wickets in five matches for Queensland with an impressive economy rate of 4.84.

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Abbott hasn't played for Australia since 2014, all his four international appearances coming that year, but had finished the List-A leg of Australia A's UK tour as the highest wicket-taker recently. He was the second highest wicket-taker in the BBL last year, finishing two wickets behind Kane Richardson with 22.

"I'm really happy for Seany to get his chance," Cummins said. "I haven't seen a lot of him over the last 12 months but everything I keep hearing not only from the New South Wales boys but from his Aussie A tour over in England was just how well he's been bowling; really good rhythm, really good control and you've seen in the Big Bash the last few years his variations.

"So he's a big inclusion for the squad and hopefully he gets a chance - the good thing is he's in great form, so he'll be ready if picked."

Australia won the first T20I of the Sri Lanka series on Sunday, so they have the opportunity to wrap up the three-match series in Brisbane.