The overreactions to the first games in a new NHL season are always quite comical. When there's a four-game losing streak in the middle of December, it's a bump in the road. When it happens at the start of the season, it's like watching a large boulder roll down a snowy hill and expecting the whole season to tumble down after it.

So in keeping with the hyperbolic nature of first impressions, this week's NHL Power Rankings deal with those one-week revelations. Some are obviously trends that will be bucked. Others are perhaps a little more insightful as to how this is all going to pan out.

How we rank: The ESPN hockey editorial staff submits polls ranking teams 1-31, and those results are tabulated to the list featured here. Teams are rated through Tuesday night's games, taking into account overall record, recent success and other factors such as injuries. Previous ranking refers to the team's spot in the offseason edition of our Power Rankings.

1. Boston Bruins

Previous ranking: 2

The Bruins are once again stingy. With the holy trinity of Patrice Bergeron at center, Zdeno Chara on defense and either Tuukka Rask or Jaroslav Halak in goal, the Bruins are going to be good defensively. They were third in goal suppression in the NHL last season, at 2.59 allowed per game. They've gotten off the blocks this season giving up 1.33 per game, including a win over an offensive juggernaut in Vegas.

2. Vegas Golden Knights

Previous ranking: 4

Mark Stone's gonna win the Selke Trophy ... and the Hart. We're optimistic that Stone has gained enough renown that he can win best defensive forward as a winger. But with six points in three games for what's going to be the best team in the West, he could collect a little more hardware, too.

3. Carolina Hurricanes

Previous ranking: 12

It's the Hurricanes' world, we just live in it. The Canes are undefeated, at 4-0-0. They're averaging four goals per game. They're giving up just 2.75 goals per game. They held the Lightning without a shot for an entire period, and a total of two shots through two periods and an overtime. They're still "a bunch of jerks," doing their Storm Surge postgame celebration. But they're also the best team in the NHL in the first week of the season.

4. Toronto Maple Leafs

Previous ranking: 3

The Leafs are going to have win every playoff game 8-7 to win the Cup. Over the past two seasons, it hass become apparent that the Leafs are an offensively superior club whose idea of defense is "eh, Freddie will figure it out." Through four games this season, they're averaging four goals scored and three surrendered per game. Frederik Andersen is going to stay busy.

5. Washington Capitals

Previous ranking: 7

Might John Carlson get his Norris? The easiest path to the Norris Trophy, or at least a nomination, is for a defenseman to lead the NHL in scoring. Carlson was tied for the league lead in scoring for a defenseman (five points) through four games. The Capitals' defenseman has finished fifth and fourth in the voting in the past two seasons. So, following that pattern -- at least a finalist?

6. St. Louis Blues

Previous ranking: 6

The Blues might win back-to-back Cups. The champs are here, and they've picked up where they left off (and picked up Justin Faulk, in the process). And by that we mean Ryan O'Reilly playing at a point-per-game pace and Jordan Binnington rocking a .928 save percentage. They're not playing "Gloria," but they're singing the same tune in St. Louis.

7. Tampa Bay Lightning

Previous ranking: 1

They've learned nothing. The Lightning were swept by the Blue Jackets last postseason because they thought they could skill their way to a win. Captain Steven Stamkos sees the same issues in their stumbling start this season: "[We're a] freewheeling team that thinks we can come into games and win because we're skilled." The Lightning started the season getting 40.4% of the shot attempts at 5-on-5, last in the NHL. They were ninth in shot attempt differential last season (51.59). Of course, it doesn't help when one goes two periods and an overtime generating two shots on goal, as the Bolts did against Carolina.

8. Colorado Avalanche

Previous ranking: 10

Cale Makar is going to devour power-play points. The rookie sensation has been tasked with orchestrating one of the most talented power plays in the NHL, and has two points on the man advantage in two games. This is like graduating from UMass and immediately getting hired as a CEO.

9. Nashville Predators

Previous ranking: 5

Matt Duchene equals flexibility. The idea of breaking up one of the best lines in hockey -- Filip Forsberg, Ryan Johansen and Viktor Arvidsson -- used to be as blasphemous in Nashville as getting your hot chicken cooked mild. But after acquiring Duchene as a free agent, coach Peter Laviolette has felt comfortable enough to drop Forsberg down to Duchene's line and move Craig Smith up to the top line. So far, so good: They're averaging 4.33 goals per game as a team.

10. Calgary Flames

Previous ranking: 9

Johnny Gaudreau hasn't fallen off. The Flames star has followed his 1.21 points per game last season with six points in his first three games, including two goals on five shots. A shooting percentage of 40 is sustainable, right?

11. New York Rangers

Previous ranking: 14

Mika Zibanejad is going to win the Art Ross. The Rangers' center went from good to great in 2018-19, hitting 30 goals and 74 points last season. With Artemi Panarin now on his wing, through two games Zibanejad is on pace for ... 320 points. Is that good?

12. Winnipeg Jets

Previous ranking: 11

Maybe NHL-level defensemen are overrated? The Jets saw Tyler Myers, Jacob Trouba and Ben Chiarot move on in the offseason. They saw Dustin Byfuglien and Dmitry Kulikov take leaves of absence. Josh Morrissey has been injured. Their defense has been reduced to Neal Pionk and "who?" And yet, they're 2-2 with a minus-2 goal differential. Not great, but not the disaster they appeared to be on paper.

13. Florida Panthers

Previous ranking: 16

Sergei Bobrovsky's mobility is hindered by the weight of his contract. The free-agent prize has given up 11 goals in three games, to the tune of an .859 save percentage and a 4.77 goals-against average. Not great, Bob!

14. Pittsburgh Penguins

Previous ranking: 15

Is the window closed? It happened to the Blackhawks. It happened to the Kings. It happens to nearly every team that goes on a multiple-season run of Stanley Cup success; eventually, the returns diminish even if the core remains intact. The Penguins are still the team of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang (when healthy). But the supporting cast is the weakest they've had in a decade, and the team has looked far too uninspired and underwhelming thus far this season. Is it the injuries? Or is it the end?

15. Montreal Canadiens

Previous ranking: 17

Jeff Petry's going to play more than Shea Weber. Through two games, Petry (26:56) has more average ice time than Weber (25:31), and has quietly become their go-to defenseman.

16. Buffalo Sabres

Previous ranking: 27

Ralph Krueger has this all figured out. The Sabres are scoring at will and with considerably more depth than they have on paper. They're a top-7 possession team at 5-on-5, and the fifth-best defensive team through three games. Is this for real? Obviously. It's not as if Buffalo has ever gotten off to a torrid start and then had it all come crashing down by December, right?

17. Dallas Stars

Previous ranking: 13

Roope Hintz has arrived. Playing with offensive import Joe Pavelski, the 22-year-old center has four goals in four games after scoring nine in 58 games last season. Congrats to you fantasy owners who took the Hintz and roped in Roope.

18. Philadelphia Flyers

Previous ranking: 20

Alain Vigneault is a great Year 1 coach. It's the smallest of small sample sizes, but the Flyers immediately look more cohesive and effective than last season. Vigneault has made the playoffs in his first season in each previous NHL stop: Montreal, Vancouver and the Rangers. Will the trend continue?

19. New York Islanders

Previous ranking: 18

Picking Semyon Varlamov over Robin Lehner is terrible karma. Varlamov is 0-2-0 with an .872 save percentage and a 4.11 goals-against average, obviously for the sole reason that Lou Lamoriello did Robin Lehner dirty during free agency.

20. Edmonton Oilers

Previous ranking: 26

James Neal will take the Rocket Richard to Calgary and spike it. With six goals in three games, Neal is leading the NHL in that category. He has rediscovered his offense, he plays with Connor McDavid and he's fueled by the disrespect from his season in Calgary. The "Real Deal," indeed.

21. San Jose Sharks

Previous ranking: 8

Is Peter DeBoer the next change to be fired? The Sharks are off to a nightmarish start, going 0-4-0 and scoring five goals in four games. GM Doug Wilson already pushed one panic button, signing Patrick Marleau to bolster his lineup of not-exactly-ready-for-prime-time youngsters and underperforming vets. Martin Jones, who has an .854 save percentage in three games, is signed through 2024 with a $5.75 million cap hit and a no-trade clause. DeBoer is in the first year of a new contract. But if things spiral, is he safe?

22. Chicago Blackhawks

Previous ranking: 21

Alexander Nylander is the next Stan Bowman reclamation. How's this for a hasty reaction? With a goal on opening night, obviously the Sabres' castoff will become the next Dylan Strome/Drake Caggiula type for Bowman's Blackhawks.

23. Anaheim Ducks

Previous ranking: 28

John Gibson is the best player on the team. He's 3-0-0 in three games and has stopped 98 of 101 shots on goal. Just like last season, he's carrying the Ducks to wins they might not otherwise deserve.

24. Detroit Red Wings

Previous ranking: 29

The top line is straight fire. The Wings have themselves something with Tyler Bertuzzi, Anthony Mantha and Dylan Larkin as their No. 1 forward unit. No, Mantha's five goals in three games isn't exactly what you'd call a sustainable pace. But no matter where the numbers end up, GM Steve Yzerman has to be thrilled with the way this trio plays.

25. Arizona Coyotes

Previous ranking: 19

They're still offense challenged. The Coyotes have scored one goal in two games, which wouldn't be a concern if Arizona wasn't 28th in the NHL last season in offense (2.55). But no worries: Our dear sweet Phil Kessel simply hasn't gotten it going yet.

26. Columbus Blue Jackets

Previous ranking: 22

The goaltending will be the end of them. Joonas Korpisalo (.851) and Elvis Merzlikins (.825) are both among the bottom four netminders in the NHL at the start of the season. GM Jarmo Kekalainen indicated there might be an early-season audition before he figures out if the position needs to be addressed. He might want to reach out to some new actors.

27. Vancouver Canucks

Previous ranking: 24

Quinn Hughes might get more Calder love than Jack. Hughes looked as if he belonged in the NHL the moment he stepped on the ice, and the Canucks' rookie looks as if he's ready to establish himself as an essential piece of their young core. He looks as adjusted to the big leagues as brother Jack has looked a little baffled at times with the Devils.

28. New Jersey Devils

Previous ranking: 23

Can this team ever figure itself out? Even when the Devils were up 4-0 over the Jets -- a lead and a game they'd blow on opening night at home -- Taylor Hall lamented that they weren't playing the game the right way. Is this a symptom of a young team struggling, or something more systemic?

29. Minnesota Wild

Previous ranking: 25

Mats Zuccarello might have a rough season. The free-agent signee, on former GM Paul Fenton's watch, said he's "been terrible" to start the season with the Wild. "It's simple plays that I normally do that right now are difficult for me. Just think positive and have confidence and make the play when it's there," he told TwinCities.com. The confidence should return. The question is if there's enough offense on this roster for it to make a difference.

30. Los Angeles Kings

Previous ranking: 30

At least Drew Doughty is having fun. The Kings probably aren't going to be a factor this season, but between Doughty's four points in two games and shenanigans with Matthew Tkachuk -- not to mention a game-winner in overtime against Calgary -- Doughty looks like his difference-making self again.

31. Ottawa Senators

Previous ranking: 31

Yeah, it's a long, long season. The Senators are 0-2-0 with a minus-5 goal differential and an offense that lacks pop. They're going to be bad. They should be bad. They will be bad.

Jeongeun Lee6 has officially clinched the LPGA’s Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award.

It marks the fifth consecutive season a player from South Korea has won the honor, the eighth time in the last 11 years and the 13^th time overall.

With her tie for eighth at the Volunteers of America Classic last weekend, Lee6 can’t be caught in the Rolex Rookie of the Year points race.

“I’m part of that [South Korean awards] list, and I am so proud and honored,” Lee6 said. “This is all thanks to those players who came before me, who have all given me so much advice. Since the season is almost over, I want to finish strong for the rest of our tournaments and perform well.”

After taking LPGA Q-Series medalist honors late last year, Lee6 broke through to make her first LPGA title a major championship this year, winning the U.S. Women’s Open in June. She also has three runner-up finishes among her 10 top-10 finishes this season.

Lee6 is second in the Rolex Player of the Year points race and also second on the LPGA money-winning list, trailing Jin Young Ko in both categories. However, Ko has almost locked up both those honors. With five tournaments left this season, Ko leads Lee6 by 114 points in the Rolex POY race and by $719,055 on the money-winning list. An LPGA victory is worth 30 POY points in each of the final five events.

Other South Korean winners of the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year Award are Jin Young Ko (2018), Sung Hyun Park (2017), In Gee Chun (2016), Sei Young Kim (2015), So Yeon Ryu (2012), Hee Kyung Seo (2011), Jiyai Shin (2009), Seon Hwa Lee (2006), Shi Hyun Ahn (2004), Hee-Won Han (2001), Mi Hyun Kim (1999) and Se Ri Pak (1998).

Lee6 has amassed 1,273 ROY points. American Kristen Gillman is second with 517 points. A victory is worth 150 points in each of the final five events.

Manchester City midfielder Rodri has told ESPN FC his side will have to overcome the "best team in England and in Europe" in Liverpool if they are to win the Premier League this season.

Jurgen Klopp's side finished just a point behind City last season and then went on to win the Champions League. And they have started this campaign in superb form with eight wins from eight in the Premier League.

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City, meanwhile, have lost twice and draw once already, which means they sit eight points behind table-topping Liverpool.

Asked whether Manchester United or Liverpool were now City's main rivals, Rodri told ESPN FC: "I don't know, I had never been in the city before, I don't know how people in the city feel.

"But the team to beat is Liverpool now and that has been seen the last two seasons. They are the champions of Europe so everyone wants to beat them, not just us.

"They're a great team, they have improved a lot of things, they're a very good team, and they're the best team in England and in Europe."

Rodri, 23, also said he is relishing the responsibility of playing in such an important role and is constantly learning since moving to the Etihad.

"I think it's a big challenge for me because I never used to play this position particularly," Rodri added. "I didn't have this exact role in the team.

"We have lots of offensive players and many other teams try to counterattack you and a lot of the time you're alone but it's good for me.

"I am learning new things, how to go, when to stay, when I have to do a tactical foul, when I have to jump. It's good for me to learn these things. And for the team it's good because we need those offensive players to be able to play our game."

Christian Pulisic has said he won't let his benching with Chelsea affect his confidence for the U.S. national team as it prepares to face Cuba, and insisted he is in peak form despite a lack of playing time of late.

"I feel the best I ever have. I feel very confident in my game. I'm not going to let any of that affect me," Pulisic said on Wednesday. "I feel very strong, and I'm really looking forward to this game Friday."

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The 21-year-old midfielder has been mostly a spectator in his first season in the Premier League, limited to two appearances since August: a League Cup start against fourth-tier Grimsby Town on Sept. 25 and a 10-minute substitute stint versus Southampton in the Premier League on Sunday during which he contributed an assist. Pulisic arrived at Chelsea from Borussia Dortmund in the summer for $73 million.

Pulisic has previously voiced frustration with his playing time under Chelsea manager Frank Lampard but declined to elaborate on those feelings.

"I'm here now to be focused with the U.S. national team, so that's really all that's on my mind right now," Pulisic added.

The United States will play Cuba on Friday in Washington and then visit Canada in Toronto on Tuesday in their opening two matches of the CONCACAF Nations League.

While he's been a bit-part player with Chelsea, Pulisic is the undisputed star of the rebuilding U.S. team, which is trying to recover from its failure to qualify for last year's World Cup in Russia. He said he's looking forward to seeing what 18-year-old midfielder Brenden Aaronson, who was added to the roster last week, can bring to the squad.

"It's fun to play with these younger guys," Pulisic said. "He's younger than me, right? Yeah, he's much younger. ... I don't see myself as young anymore, but whatever."

Oct. 2 was quite a day for Sergino Dest. First, Ajax's 18-year-old Dutch-American right-back was unexpectedly missing from the U.S. men's roster announced for the upcoming games against Cuba and Canada. These are competitive matches, in the CONCACAF Nations League, so if Dest had played, he would have been bound to the USMNT rather than the Netherlands for his career. That evening, he played all 90 minutes in Ajax's 0-3 triumph at Valencia in the Champions League. After the game, he appeared on Dutch TV.

Dutch fans hoped he would announce that he had decided to play for their national team. Instead, he said he hadn't chosen either country yet. "I still need to think longer about both options ... It is a decision I have to make for the rest of my life and I want to handle that carefully."

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He said he hoped to have a decision by next month. Gregg Berhalter, the U.S. coach, who had previously found Dest "enthusiastic" about playing for the USMNT, now sounded guarded. "I've had conversations with Sergino. The conversations were positive, and the content of these conversations is going to remain private," Berhalter told the Washington Post.

The cautious conclusion must be that the Netherlands are favorites to win this race. Certainly, they would be the rational choice for Dest. And though it's far too early to tell, he may prove a prize worth having for the next 15 years.

Dest was born and raised in Almere, a working-class town just outside Amsterdam, with a Dutch mother and a Surinamese-American father from Brooklyn. The first time he set foot in the U.S., on a visit to his dad's hometown, was in 2014. "At home in Almere we just spoke Dutch," Dest told the Ajax website. "In fact, a couple of years ago my English was still very mediocre. And I wasn't thinking about my American roots [until] I started to play in U.S. youth teams. From then on my English improved, and I kept feeling more American. I realised: hey, this is my nationality too. And the U.S. passport is one of the most beautiful in the world."

Dest had arrived at Ajax from Almere City as a child winger in 2012, and gradually transformed into an attacking right-back. Other Dutch boys' teams enduring the ritual humiliation at Ajax's youth complex, De Toekomst in those days, recall him flashing down the touchline, while his teammates queued in the box shouting "Serra," each begging Dest to grant them the final touch. After every cross, Dest would trot tirelessly back to position and resume his tackling, dribbles and "pannas" (Dutch-Surinamese slang for nutmegs). He was the Everywhere Back, sometimes popping up at center-forward, but for all his activity he made few mistakes, despite being a year younger than his teammates.

Yet the Dutch federation didn't pick Dest for its national youth teams. "I never got a chance," he says. The U.S. Soccer Federation pounced after Dutchman Dave van den Bergh, then one of the federation's youth coaches, heard from Ajax about the boy's American passport. Dest represented the U.S. in the Under-17 World Cup in 2017 (Ajax didn't wanted him to go) and excelled in the team's run to the quarterfinals of this summer's Under-20 World Cup.

For a long time, Ajax seemed ambivalent about Dest, possibly because although he's dedicated, he was also rather headstrong. Even last fall, when he was already 18, he looked headed for the exit in Amsterdam. Only in December did Ajax finally come through with a professional contract.

This summer, his career took off. After the Under-20 World Cup, Ajax head coach, Erik ten Hag, requested that Dest be given just 10 days holiday. Ten Hag had plans for him. Dest made his first-team debut in late July, and since then has become a regular, usually as a starter.

You can see why, because he is the full-back that a high-pressing modern side needs. Ten Hag says, "A back at Ajax has to be able to function as a midfielder and winger, too. It's a very dynamic role. We want to introduce a lot of variation into our game, to surprise opponents."

That's Dest's way. He told Amsterdam's Het Parool newspaper, "I think of myself [as someone who has] a good technique. I don't get frightened when I get the ball -- also not when under pressure, or on the opponents' half."

His high-risk game gives Ajax an attacking threat from right-back that they lacked even in their extraordinary last season. "Maybe in the past, when I first got into a higher team, I'd take it easy," Dest says. "But I've stopped doing that. Now I show at once what I can do."

In Ajax's opening Champions League game in September, a 3-0 win over Lille, he produced a roulette through two opponents from the full-back position -- a showboating move that Ten Hag may not have enjoyed as much as the fans did. Dest also has the good fortune that his partner on Ajax's right wing is Hakim Ziyech, a world-class player whose continued presence in the humble Dutch league is a mystery.

Dest's main shortcoming, for now, is that for a defender, he isn't great at defending. Being the speediest member of Ajax's back four, he's essential in snuffing out counter attacks, but he sometimes gets caught out of position. (Ajax's opening two clean sheets in the Champions League are above all down to keeper Andre Onana, surely headed for a giant club next summer.) Ajax demands that players "defend forward," that is, charge into challenges to try to win the ball back fast rather than sit back and cover space. Dest has yet to master this difficult art.

The consensus in the Netherlands is that he isn't ready for Oranje. Still, the Dutch federation knows it has to act fast. In September, Berhalter gave him his debut for the USMNT, starting him against Mexico and Uruguay. But these were non-binding friendly games; Dest retains the option to switch to the Netherlands. The Dutch would like to give him a full cap in a competitive match to claim him for life, then let him mature in the under-21s side.

The Dutch federation still laments missing out on Ziyech, who trained with Oranje in 2015 before choosing Morocco. It's determined not to make that mistake again. It is focused on recruiting Dest and the possibly even more talented 17-year-old Dutch-Moroccan Mohamed Ihattaren, PSV Eindhoven's playmaker who is tearing up the Dutch league.

Like the U.S., the Netherlands is short a top-class right-back: PSV's Denzel Dumfries, who has been filling the role with Oranje, lacks the technique for international level. Netherlands' coach, Ronald Koeman, and the Dutch FA's director of "topvoetbal," Nico-Jan Hoogma, sat down with Dest in September. Hoogma reported afterwards: "You can't promise someone a first-team place, but you can indicate who their rivals are. Based on our story, Dest has to make a decision."

Koeman said, "I'm not promising anyone anything, but I indicated to him that I see a future for him with the Dutch team. He decided to take his time. That he hasn't travelled to the U.S. now shows that the issue isn't decided for him."

The Dutch have a good story to tell. Since the U.S. returned to World Cups, in 1990, the Americans have progressed further than Oranje at a tournament only once, in 2002. (Of course, both countries failed to qualify for 2018 in Russia.) Moreover, if Dest chooses the Netherlands, he won't have to spend his career making disruptive exhausting trips to play second-rate national teams from the CONCACAF region.

On the other hand, Dest has an emotional attachment to the U.S., and the USSF was good to him at youth level when the Dutch FA ignored him. The Americans have a chance. But as battles for binationals become the norm in international soccer, the Dest case ought to be a prompt for the U.S. to ask itself: Why does the tiny fraction of American passport-holders raised in western Europe still produce such a disproportionate share of this giant country's best players?

Meanwhile, in a joint interview on the Ajax website with the U.S.-Mexican Alex Mendez, who plays for Ajax's reserves, the conflicted Dest turned to Mendez and asked: "What would you do if you were in my shoes?"

These decisions are always in part matters of the heart, but the betting must be that Dest chooses Oranje.

Prague is one of the most picturesque cities in Europe, a great place to enjoy a weekend away, but from the perspective of the man charged with policing English football supporters, this Friday is most certainly not the time nor the place to stage an England Euro 2020 qualifier against the Czech Republic.

The Czech Republic capital is the latest city having to brace itself for a visit from England's sizeable travelling contingent for the next round of Euro 2020 qualifying (Stream live in U.S.: Friday, 2.45 p.m. ET, ESPN+). The prospect of more than 5,000 English fans according to FA sources -- with 3,700 tickets have been sold through official channels -- massing in a city that has become synonymous with alcohol-fuelled "stag dos" arriving on low-cost flights from the United Kingdom is one that has caused considerable alarm within the English FA.

"I wrote to UEFA asking them to reconsider the Friday night kick-off," said Mark Roberts, the national lead police officer for football in England. "That's not something we've been able to do.

"I think it's unfortunate because you can foresee the risk. We'd much rather prevent a situation developing than try to manage it on the night and regret it afterwards."

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"I have been to Prague three times now over the past 6-8 months to discuss this [security] operation and I'm concerned. I'd say I'm extremely concerned," Tony Conniford, the FA's Head of Team and Corporate Security, told ESPN FC.

"Prague has all the elements. Amsterdam on a Friday night [in 2018] was probably worse, but every England overseas match is a risk because it can go wrong. That is what history has taught me."

In June, children in the Portuguese city of Guimaraes were given an unexpected day off school during the UEFA Nations League tournament, but the decision had nothing to do with watching Cristiano Ronaldo play for Portugal. The children of Guimaraes were told to stay at home because England were in town or, more specifically, England football fans.

During the two nights before the Nations League semifinal between England and the Netherlands at Estadio D. Afonso Henriques, English football supporters clashed with riot police in nearby Porto. It's just the latest chapter to the story of disorder and destruction in whichever European city is unfortunate enough to host a group of people who have become an embarrassment not only to the English Football Association, but also to the country they claim to represent.

Outbreaks of trouble when England play abroad -- games in central and Western Europe are the biggest flash points due to ease of travel -- have become a regular occurrence. There were widespread battles with police and Russia fans in Marseille at Euro 2016. In March 2018, before a friendly against the Netherlands, bicycles were thrown into Amsterdam canals and tourists on boats were pelted with bottles from bridges as Dutch police detained over 100 English supporters following outbreaks of disorder. Twelve months earlier, in Dortmund, England fans sang about the Second World War and the Royal Air Force "shooting down German bombers" as Lukas Podolski, playing in his final international game, was jeered by the visiting contingent during a friendly against Germany.

The latter is no big deal, perhaps, as football fans routinely jeer opposing players. But considering that the game was staged specifically as a celebration of Podolski's international career, the boorish behaviour of the England supporters stood out. But this is the vibe that comes with England away days: songs insulting the Pope, racially motivated chanting and taunts directed at the Taliban and Irish Republican Army [IRA] are often heard in the stadiums and bars of any city hosting England supporters. Songs about the players or the team? Not so much.

What was once described as the "English disease" (hooliganism connected to English football teams) has changed over the years from organised fighting into groups of young men, travelling in small groups, mixing obnoxious behaviour with heavy drinking, but it is a stain on the English game all the same.

The scourge of organised hooliganism has largely been eradicated, but the problem now is one of English fans exporting the "laddish" Friday night antics seen in town centres throughout the country -- binge drinking, fighting and damage to bars, cars and property -- to continental cities. The Football Association are desperate to eradicate it, but even those charged with doing that don't have all the answers.

Finding a solution is the biggest challenge facing the FA and Conniford, who liaise closely with the police and supporters' groups in an attempt to minimise what has become a resurgent problem, albeit one that has ebbed and flowed over the years.

The Premier League, the shop window of English football, offers a slick, safe and inclusive image to the world. Violence and disorder within Premier League stadia has now been largely eradicated due to all-seater stadia, investment in stewarding, the use of CCTV cameras and the strong action by the courts. If you run onto a pitch, throw an object or engage in discriminatory chanting at a Premier League stadium, there is a very good chance you will be caught on camera and arrested.

During the 1970s and 1980s, however, hooliganism in English football led to running battles at stadiums, on trains and in towns and cities, between groups attached to clubs, such as the Chelsea Headhunters, the Inter City Firm (West Ham) and the Gremlins (Newcastle United). England games were also marred by hooliganism during this period, with hundreds going on the rampage in Luxembourg in November 1983 following an international fixture in the country. When 39 Juventus supporters died at the 1985 European Cup final at Heysel Stadium in Brussels, after a wall collapsed under the weight of Italians attempting to escape charging Liverpool fans, English clubs were banned from European competition for five years due to the repeated outbreaks of violence that accompanied their teams' fixtures on the continent.

The abandonment of a friendly international in Dublin between the Republic of Ireland and England in February 1995, when English supporters ripped out seats and hurled them at Irish fans below, highlighted that the problem had not gone away since Heysel, but Conniford says he believes that today's issues are different from those of more than 20 years ago.

"I've been doing this since 1996, working with the National Criminal Intelligence Service, and back in those days, you had the hardcore hooligan groups," Conniford said. "They were recognised, police spotting intelligence teams followed them around the country and it was very well-managed, intelligence-wise. But after Euro 2000, when there were big problems in Charleroi [Belgium], we had politicians saying 'enough is enough, we are going to do something.'

"That's when we got the Football Disorder Act, which brought about the banning orders that allow the authorities to take away a person's passport to prevent them attending games overseas. That Act took the sting out of those groups. We could immediately identify the ringleaders and they all got banning orders. We saw a sea-change starting to happen because we had about 3,000 people on banning orders, so there was a huge group that had been taken out of the mix who had previously followed England."

But after seeing the success of the football banning orders in the early part of the last decade, when a more diverse, inclusive crowd of supporters followed England abroad, the scene has now regressed.

If you go back to Euro 2004, you will see loads of women and kids [in the crowd]," Conniford said. "Now dig out a similar crowd for an away fixture and what you will see is a group of mainly white, middle-aged or teenage men. We get people now, the older types who followed England in the bad old days, coming up to us saying, 'You need to sort that lot out, they don't care.' We have ended up with a group that doesn't seem to have any cut-off point as to what is or isn't acceptable.

"But look at what is happening in football and tell me it's not happening everywhere in this country. Horse racing, for instance. I have lost count the number of times I have watched the news and seen fights at horse racing through drinking.

"It just seems to be a melting pot for young groups of lads, very similar to football, who get tanked up and anything goes."

Flags at England fixtures rarely link fans to the big Premier League clubs or major cities. While some parties travel, most of the representation is for clubs from the lower leagues or towns where following England overseas is the only realistic opportunity to see football away from home. Within that, there is also the chance to feel part of something exciting and, perversely, patriotic.

"They think they are representing their country," Conniford said. "When they are in a group, that gives them strength.

"Monday to Friday, you could be most insignificant person on the planet, but when you come together, nobody cares what job you do, who you're married to, how many kids you have, how much money you have, you are one of the lads. Being in a group makes them feel like they are part of something.

"We hear lots of chants about the Taliban, about the IRA, but half of these people weren't even born during The Troubles, so they don't even know what they are singing about. But they are chanting about stuff because they think they are representing England overseas. They suddenly see themselves almost like soldiers, because they think they are representing the country."

Perhaps echoing Conniford's claim that many travelling England supporters see themselves as "soldiers," flags and banners have begun to appear carrying symbols such as regimental logos, the RAF roundel and the poppy, the latter a non-political symbol of remembrance for those killed in conflict. When it comes to following the England national team, the lines are worryingly blurred.

"The poppy is a sign of remembrance and hope for a peaceful future," a spokesperson for the Royal British Legion told ESPN FC. "If it is being used in this spirit, then we regard it as appropriate. If it is being used to promote some other message, then we would ask for it to be stopped."

For the law-abiding England supporter, travelling to an away game comes at the cost of having to look over their shoulder for potential trouble, being prepared for heavy-handed policing and having to steer clear of city centres, just in case.

"At the World Cup in Russia, we had a brilliant time," Harpreet Robinson, Head of England Supporters Travel Club [ESTC], told ESPN FC. "There were no issues because those who might go looking for trouble stayed away.

"But with Portugal in the summer, and now Prague, there are obviously concerns. The vast majority of fans who travel to watch England just do not want to be associated with the trouble that some elements cause. Sometimes, though, you have to manage your trips in a different way, be sensible with your plans and stay outside the city, at the same time as trying to enjoy the country you are visiting."

The ESTC, run by the Football Association, now has 15,000 members, all of whom must submit themselves to police checks before being allowed to join.

"If you have a conviction for any football-related criminality, you won't join our club," Conniford said.

The big problem for the FA, however, is that fans cannot be stopped from travelling unless they have a conviction that has led to a banning order. They can impose tough measures on members of the ESTC, but fans who just to go to a foreign city, drink, cause trouble and watch the game in a bar? They slip through the net.

"We can't stop someone travelling who thinks, 'I'm not bothered if I go to the game or not because I'm with my mates in Prague or Lisbon and getting [drunk], I couldn't care what the FA do,'" Conniford said.

Even those detained while causing trouble abroad can escape a banning order if the local police fail to use their powers to the full.

Prior to the Nations League finals, a campaign called "Don't Be That Idiot" was promoted by the FA with the aim of persuading those intent on trouble to think again. Harry Maguire, the England defender who watched Euro 2016 among the travelling supporters, added his backing to the initiative, telling fans it was "time for them to show off the pitch, and us to show on the pitch, that we're a country moving forward."

Day 1, stumps India 273 for 3 (Agarwal 108, Kohli 63*, Rahane 18*, Rabada 3-48) v South Africa

Mayank Agarwal came back to the site of his first-class resurgence to score a second successive Test hundred that sent India into a position of strength once again. Cheteshwar Pujara supported him with his second successive half-century, and Virat Kohli loomed large with an unbeaten 63 of his own.

South Africa will be disappointed they took just the three wickets on surface that didn't completely eliminate their fast bowlers. It was a pitch on which Kagiso Rabada managed to take three wickets with a mode of attack straight out of South Africa: bowling in a channel outside off, getting outside edges that carried.

Remember the wry smile of resignation when Faf du Plessis lost the toss in Visakhapatnam? This time Virat Kohli smiled in slight embarrassment after he had won yet another toss. This time du Plessis wasn't as deflated because there was some moisture in the surface from the rains in the lead-up to the Test. Pune is also a pitch known for its bounce, so South Africa had something to work with.

Agarwal went through that tough period, not without some fortune but nothing that might count as undue luck for an opening batsman. He and Pujara added 138 for the second wicket after the early fall of Rohit Sharma before Kohli took over with a winters' afternoon stroll of a half-century.

The first hour was full of frustration for South Africa with edges eluding fielders, mistimed hooks falling short of fielders, an umpire's call going Agarwal's way on an lbw shout, and quite a few plays and misses. India were in control of fewer than 75% of the deliveries they faced in the first 15 overs. A touring side can't ask for more help in away conditions in this age of cricket. And yet, they had only Rohit's wicket - off a length ball that held its line - to show.

Apart from some ordinary luck, South Africa's lengths were either too full or too short. A ball after debutant Anrich Nortje, playing ahead of the extra spinner, clocked him on the head, Agarwal was good enough to cover-drive a full ball for four. As Nortje went fuller searching for assistance, Agarwal drove him for three fours in another over.

Pujara didn't even provide South Africa a look-in despite taking 13 balls to get off the mark. He kept skipping down to spin, and kept finding the gaps. His stumbling block in the last Test was his failure to cover the seam movement away from him in both the innings. So it was natural South Africa attacked his stumps trying to take the ball away. It wasn't clear if his front foot strode further but he did seem to cover the movement better. A delivery that looked like an action replay - again from Vernon Philnader - of his second-innings lbw was comfortable worked away for a single to leg.

Agarwal's bursts of scoring continued as the lone specialist spinner Keshav Maharaj kept providing India the loose balls. Two fours off Maharaj in the 28th over took him into the 40s, another square cut brought up a fifty. This was during a period that he had to face a short-ball barrage from Nortje, which momentarily brought the run rate under three but couldn't cause further damage.

It was instructive that Rabada was now able to achieve the rarest of feats: get Pujara out nicking after he had brought up a fifty on a home pitch. Not only did the pitch have the movement to allow him to do so, it also had the bounce to make sure it carried to Faf du Plessis at slip.

And yet, South Africa failed to capitalise on yet another dismissal. Agarwal and Kohli were kept honest but Agarwal broke the shackles with two sixes in one over off Maharaj. The second of those took him into the 90s, and in the next over he got a thick outside edge, fine of the only catcher behind the wicket, a gully.

Pune is the ground where he was on the verge of being dropped from the Ranji side, but he scored a triple given that extra chance. That was the beginning of his 1000-runs month, which sent him to Australia, after which he has made the opening slot his own.

Rabada again drew an outside edge with a 61-over-old ball, which tells you what a missed opportunity it was for South Africa. In India, where the home side has been beaten only once in the last seven years, you don't get many windows once you lose the toss. That is just the sheer quality of their Test team. Here they had that window, but sometimes they lacked the quality and sometimes it was the depth.

Kohli cashed in on a lack of depth. Maharaj seemed to be in his best rhythm when Kohli just walked out. He turned a couple past his outside edge. Nortje bowled a seriously quick spell. Kohli began watchfully, respecting Nortje's pace and playing Maharaj watchfully. He was fortunate that an attempted pull brushed the glove and flew wide of Quinton de Kock. Ajinkya Rahane at the other end seemed less comfortable. So, in fading light, Kohli batted with utmost care. Until South Africa went to Dean Elgar and Senuram Muthusamy as they waited for the second new ball.

You wouldn't even have noticed but after scoring 27 off the first 73 balls he faced, Kohli plundered 26 in the next 19 balls without one shot in anger. Then he has back to respecting the second new ball when the umpires called the play off early because of bad light.

Between October 11 to 13, the Indian Cricketers Association (ICA) will conduct its inaugural election. The ICA came into being in July after the BCCI recognised the players body on the condition that it was meant only for retired cricketers - men and women - and that it would be a non-profit organization. The BCCI said the ICA was meant for conserving the welfare of former players.

On Wednesday, the ICA released a final list of eligible members that could vote for the various positions. Here is an explainer on the ICA elections and why they matter.

How will the members cast their votes?

Through e-voting.

When will the results be announced?

On October 15.

Why is the ICA election significant?

In addition to picking the office bearers, the ICA members will also elect three representatives that will be part of the two powerful decision-making bodies in the BCCI administration. As per new BCCI constitution, one male and one female ICA representative will be part of the board's nine-member Apex Council, while one other ICA representative will be the part of the seven-member IPL Governing Council.

The Lodha Committee, the backbone of BCCI's structural reforms, had recommended that having players on the two key committees would allow their interests to be represented and guarded.

According to the final electoral roll, former Delhi batsman Surinder Khanna will be the ICA representative on the IPL Governing Council as he was the sole nominee. Similarly, former India women captain Shanta Rangaswamy, who recently quit the ad-hoc Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) and stepped down as ICA director, will sit on the Apex Council, being the only nominee.

The key contest would be for the male ICA representative on the Apex Council with three members in fray. The former Indian batting pair of Anshuman Gaekwad and Kirti Azad will vie for the post, alongside former Gujarat and Vidarbha allrounder Rakesh Dhurv.

What other positions are up for grabs?

The ICA members will vote to elect a secretary and treasurer. Also the former India and Bengal batsman Ashok Malhotra is set to take charge as the ICA president considering he is the sole nominee for the position.

How many ICA members are there in total?

The final electoral roll comprises 1207 members - 764 male and 443 female. The list includes names such as Kapil Dev, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Virender Sehwag, and former women's captain Shubhangi Kulkarni. Some of the notable missing names include Bishan Singh Bedi, Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar.

Winning back the Ashes in Australia is top of Chris Silverwood's to-do list in his role as England's new head coach.

Speaking to the media for the first time since the ECB announced his elevation from the position of bowling coach to head coach across all formats on Monday, Silverwood said his priority was to work with Test captain Joe Root in driving the success of his team, which is ranked No. 4 in the world and saw Australia retain the Ashes in England for the first time in 18 years after a drawn series last month.

"Job No. 1 would be helping Joe, putting a lot of support around Joe, making sure that the Test team starts moving forward and we keep moving forward, but in two years' time when we go back to Australia, we can make a real impact out there," Silverwood said.

"The relationships certainly between myself and the two captains is key but equally I've got strong relationships now with all the players and all the backroom staff. I understand how the system works and how the team works as well, so I think the continuity from me as a person to the players is key."

Silverwood, who emerged as the frontrunner for the job last week after Alec Stewart pulled out of the recruitment process and Gary Kirsten was also interviewed, said he was comfortable with the increased responsibility of his new role, not least of which will be addressing concerns over England's unsettled Test batting line-up.

"The step up, obviously there's going to be a lot more responsibility, obviously I've got to deal with you guys [the media] a lot more, which is fine, that is something I will feel my way into, but from a relationship point of view, not a lot will change," he said. "I will have to step back a little bit, but equally, I want them [players] to know I am available and accessible to them as well.

"I've already got some very good coaches around me, which is key for me as well, and some good people out there to give advice, but equally we'll be looking to put the right people in the right places in that batting line-up and push the Test team forward."

Managing Director of England's Men's Cricket Ashley Giles said Silverwood would have a strong support network, including batting coach Graham Thorpe and Paul Collingwood, who has worked with the team as a contractor over the past year and is poised to be added to the coaching staff full-time. Giles also remained steadfast in his belief that there should be one coach across all three formats.

"I think one man should lead," Giles said. "The important thing around that one man is having the diversity in thought in the individuals who support him. So he'll have a good group of coaches working under him. We are crossing the t's and dotting the i's on, hopefully, Paul Collingwood joining us full-time and Graham Thorpe is obviously there, has been there for some time.

"Those two guys will offer Chris a huge amount of support and knowledge and knowledge of different experiences. The bowling coach position is obviously now vacant. I would like Chris to have a massive say in who that person is."

The 44-year-old Silverwood became England's full-time fast bowling coach at the end of 2017. After his retirement from playing, Silverwood joined the coaching staff at Essex in 2010. He was appointed head coach ahead of the 2016 season, leading them to promotion that year and then on to the Championship title in 2017. Essex won the Championship again in 2019 with Anthony McGrath as head coach.

On announcing the appointment, the ECB cited Silverwood's intimate knowledge of the current England set-up along with his strong relationships within the county system, forged largely during his time at Essex, and Giles emphasised those credentials.

"He's a winner," Giles said. "He could only prove that where he's been able to prove it and that's in the domestic game but the job he did at Essex was fantastic and we're still seeing the legacy of that now. The sign of a good coach or a good manager is leaving a team in a better state than you found it and that team is still moving on without him at the helm.

"No disrespect to Anthony McGrath or anyone else at the club right now but that's his work still in action. His relationships and his knowledge of what we're doing is really important but I think next to me here we have an exceptional bloke who cares deeply about what we're doing and is a very good coach.

"You can only be tested within the environments you've worked and he couldn't have worked in a more pressurised environment, whether he was head coach or assistant coach, this summer, as a World Cup and an Ashes summer, and he's proven he can deal with that."

Silverwood's first competitive series at the helm will be England's tour of New Zealand, which includes a five-match IT20 series starting on November 1 in Christchurch and two Tests against the Black Caps from November 21.

The BCCI's electoral officer has upheld the decision taken by the Committee of the Administrators (CoA) to disqualify three key state associations from participating in the BCCI elections, scheduled for October 23. On Thursday N Gopalswami, the board's electoral officer, removed Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Maharashtra from the final electoral roll, thus taking away their voting rights.

In another significant move, Gopalswami also disqualified Rajeev Shukla and Rajkumar Imo Singh, the nominated representatives of Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) and Manipur Cricket Association respectively.

Shukla had met Gopalswami in person on Wednesday, but the electoral officer disqualified his nomination because he had not undertaken the mandatory three-year cooling off period since wrapping up as the IPL chairman in August 2018. Shukla had already served 11 years as a UPCA office bearer before taking up the IPL job in 2016.

Imo Singh, meanwhile, is a Member of the Manipur Legislative Assembly and politicians can no longer be administrators or an office bearers thanks to the changes made in the BCCI constitution last year.

The draft electoral roll, which was announced on October 4, had 38 members including three government-funded institutions: Services, Indian Railways and Association of Indian Universities. All three institutions had originally nominated a representative to participate in the board elections, but as per the new BCCI constitution only their player associations are allowed to nominate a person.

While announcing the election process, Gopalswami had made it clear that if the nominated person was disqualified, the state association could not appoint a replacement. This was a CoA directive as well. So all five of the UPCA, Manipur Cricket Association, Services, Railways and Universities have also lost their voting rights and will not be allowed to attend the BCCI AGM that takes place on the day of the elections.

What happens now?

As they indicated on Wednesday, the TNCA will approach the Supreme Court on October 14, nine days before the BCCI elections, to challenge their disqualification. It is unclear whether Haryana and Maharashtra will follow suit.

If the court upholds the CoA and electoral officer's verdicts, then the BCCI elections will take place on October 23 and will be contested among the nominated representatives that feature in the final electoral roll.

The representatives can list out which posts they will be contesting on October 11, 12 and 14. On October 16, a week before the elections, the final list of candidates will be released.

More to follow