CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Mexico coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino believes sooner or later a Copa America involving the whole American continent will become a reality.

The Argentine was questioned about the travel and distances in the Gold Cup in the United States this summer and was reluctant to give his opinion on what should change, although he did hint he believes there will eventually be a united Copa America.

"The Gold Cup has been played for a long time, I'm the new face at this Gold Cup," said Martino. "I'm not the person to change the format. The people that analyze the format these tournament should be played [in] are the specialists, I'm not.

"It seems to me that in time, one way or the other, we will get closer to a Copa America that is played between all the continent.

"When I say all the continent, I mean all the American continent."

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Martino has previously stressed he'd like Mexico to be involved in the 2020 Copa America, although Australia and Qatar will be the invited non-CONMEBOL guests next summer. The 2016 Copa America Centenario was held between CONMEBOL and CONCACAF teams in the United States, but negotiations to create something similar in 2020 broke down.

Mexico has been involved in all the Copa Americas since 1993, but missed out this year.

Martino's former Newell's Old Boys teammate and Paraguay manager Eduardo Berizzo suggested last week that guest countries shouldn't come from outside the continent.

"If we played [the Copa America] between American teams it would be logical," said Berizzo in a press conference after Paraguay's 2-2 draw with Qatar. "We should imagine a Copa America integrating with Central and North America.

"I've never seen a European Championship where they invite South American teams. It sounds hostile to say it today, with our opponent being Qatar, but I firmly believe that the Copa America should be played with American teams."

Martino also demanded that his Mexico side does not ease off against Martinique on Sunday in Bank of America Stadium. El Tri defeated Cuba 7-0 in its first match in Group A and overcame Canada 3-1 to take control of Group A in the Gold Cup.

"What you have to do is go into every game imagining we are playing the best," said Martino. "That's the point we're most trying to respect; playing against Cuba and Martinique in the same way we'd do so against Canada, Panama or the United States."

Midfielder Erick Gutierrez will be out of the game for Mexico with a right hamstring injury that will sideline him for two weeks, according to a Mexican federation statement, although there was confirmation from Martino that previous injury concerns Rodolfo Pizarro, Hector Moreno and Carlos Salcedo will all be available.

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- United States manager Gregg Berhalter praised his side's patience and the diversity of the Americans' attack in its 6-0 demolition of Trinidad and Tobago in the group stage of the 2019 Gold Cup.

The U.S. took a 1-0 lead into half-time thanks to Aaron Long's 41st minute header, but then exploded with five goals in the second half. Gyasi Zardes scored twice in a three-minute span starting in the 66th minute. Christian Pulisic and Paul Arriola scored five minutes apart beginning in the 73rd before Long added his second on the night in the 90th minute. Pulisic and substitute Jordan Morris each had two assists. The victory clinched a spot in the quarterfinals, and the U.S. now needs to either beat or tie Panama in the group stage finale in order to claim top spot in Group D.

"I think the diversity in our game showed today," Berhalter said in his post-match news conference.

"We hit a couple of good offensive transitions, we had some good buildup, so I liked that we played with that diversity which in a tournament is important."

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Berhalter added that revenge wasn't on the minds of his players given that it was Trinidad and Tobago that eliminated the U.S. from qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.

"Our focus was prepare for this game, knowing that if we won, we go to the next round," he said.

"That was the focus of the group. Trinidad was in our way and we were focused on advancing to the next round of this tournament and we did that."

The U.S. looked a little sluggish in the first half, though that was due in part to the Soca Warriors setting up in a low block defensively, and challenging the home side to play through them. Long's goal, set up by Pulisic, gave the U.S. some momentum heading into half-time, at which point Berhalter encouraged his charges to keep playing the same way.

"We talked to the group about just being patient. We felt that over time we would get more breakthroughs," he said.

Berhalter added that a half-time adjustment also aided the U.S. attack.

"I think it was the first half set up the second half pretty nicely," he said. "We wanted to have a high tempo, we wanted to keep them moving.

"We felt that our fitness could have an effect on them. And then a slight adjustment that we made in the second half was dropping our right winger down into the space. Their man rotated into the midfield and we needed to create an extra man, and when we dropped the midfielder down it had a positive effect on match.

"We moved our right-back up to keep [Cordell] Cato from transitioning, and it pinned him back, but then it created space in the midfield."

Pulisic was the biggest beneficiary. He set up the second of Zardes goals and thrived in the additional space that came as Trinidad and Tobago were forced to take more risks.

"I think what we're doing is trying to put him in a position where he can [take a game over]," said Berhalter about Pulisic. "The structure around him accommodates him being flexible.

"He can go wide, he can come inside, he can create space for himself, we can use the striker to get him the ball bouncing it back to him. That's what we're trying to do and the reason we're trying to do that is he has these game-changing abilities.

"It's something that you see tonight; very fluid with his movement, dynamic, able to take players on, good ball security. And then today was great in that the final product was there also which is always important for attacking players."

It was also a big night for Zardes, who has come under plenty of criticism playing as the lone forward in the U.S. manager's setup, especially given the fact that Josh Sargent was left off the roster. But Berhalter, who coached Zardes when the two were with the Columbus Crew, was pleased to see the forward deliver.

"We work as a group, we support each other, and Gyasi is a guy that you know exactly what you're going to get from him," he said.

"I've said that all along. You need in your squad of 23 players, you need a majority of guys that can give what you're asking of them. Gyasi is a guy like that. So we're proud of him. We're proud of his effort.

"We know that he has good ability, he's a tremendous worker, and it's nice to have him in the squad."

Berhalter now has the luxury of resting some players in the Panama game, though he said he's not sure how exactly he'll approach the match.

"I don't have experience with that," he said about handling the last group stage game. "This is the first time we're going through it, so we'll have to figure it out.

"We know that the tournament is a lot of games in a short time, so there will have to be some balancing, but part of it was getting some guys off today to give them some rest. But that's going to be an interesting problem that we're going to have to solve."

Dani Alves announced he was leaving Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday, just hours after captaining Brazil to a 5-0 win over Peru in the Copa America and chipping in with a goal.

The flamboyant full-back joined the French club in 2017 after spells at Sevilla, Barcelona and Juventus, but he did not say what his next move would be after leaving Paris.

"Another cycle in my life ends today, a victorious cycle, one of learning and experiences," Alves, 36, wrote on Instagram.

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Hoje fecho mais um ciclo na minha vida, um ciclo de vitória, de aprendizados e de experiências. Gostaria de agradecer a família PSG pela oportunidade de juntos construir uma página na história desse clube. Gostaria de agradecer a todos e sobre tudo ao staff pelo carinho, pelo respeito, pela cumplicidade demostrada desde o primeiro dia... vocês fazem esse clube um pouco mais especial. Foram dois anos de resiliência e reinventares contínuos para cumprir com a minha missão, porém na vida tudo tem um começo, um meio, um final e hoje chegou o momento de colocar esse ponto final aqui. Peço-lhes desculpas se em algum momento não estive a altura, peço-lhes desculpas se em algum momento cometir alguma falha, apenas tentavam dá o meu melhor. Obrigado a todos os companheiros pelos momentos vividos, pelas risadas juntos, pelos enfados também que vossos espíritos preguiçosos me fizeram passar.?? Se vocês um dia me recordarem, que seja como o GOOD CRAZY de cada dia, com um belo sorriso no rosto, com uma energia pura de alma, como um profissional trabalhador e compromissado com os objetivos.... como alguém que apenas quis que vocês fossem melhores a cada dia e que tentou fazê-los entender o verdadeiro significado da palavra equipe. "Um grande abraço a todos e espero que não sintam muita falta das minhas loucuras???" Com muito carinho GoodCrazy!! #GoodCrazyMood?

A post shared by DanialvesD2 My Twitter (@danialves) on Jun 22, 2019 at 8:02pm PDT

"I would like to thank the PSG family for the opportunity we had together to build a page in the club's history."

Alves, who replaced club mate Neymar as Brazil captain for the Copa America last month, won two Ligue 1 titles and one French Cup in his two seasons at Parc des Princes.

The United States faced a step up in competition in its second group-stage match in the Gold Cup on Saturday night and responded to the challenge with a convincing 6-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago in Cleveland. The possibility of getting revenge against the team that knocked the U.S. out of World Cup qualifying two years ago dominated discussion heading into the game, although the emphatic nature of the win was more about reclaiming confidence following the intervening period of stagnation.

Positives

Ruthlessness. It took a while for the Americans to get going, and the 1-0 halftime lead did not feel comfortable. But an explosion of goals in the second half -- including four in a 12-minute period -- showed a killer instinct the U.S. has not shown, nor been capable of, for almost two years. The confidence earned from the win is crucial to any chances the Americans have of springing a surprise defense of their title.

Negatives

The second-half run of goals distracts from a slow start in which the Americans struggled to create chances and failed to use a massive possession advantage effectively. Moves that started as promising attacks broke down following poor touches or poor decisions in the final third. T&T's inability to capitalize on a small number of counterattacking opportunities bailed out a back line that looked vulnerable.

Manager rating out of 10

8 -- Gregg Berhalter's decision to start Gyasi Zardes ahead of Jozy Altidore raised eyebrows, but following Zardes' two-goal performance, the U.S. boss deserves credit for getting a strong performance out of the striker. Berhalter's tactical plan worked well in terms of chance creation and did not allow a T&T goal. Substitute Jordan Morris made a massive impact, setting up two U.S. goals after coming on for Tyler Boyd.

Player ratings (1-10; 10=best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Zack Steffen, 8 -- Made the saves required, including a pair of tricky stops in the second half. Distributed the ball without issue as the Americans worked to build out of the back.

DF Nick Lima, 6 -- Set up the second goal of the night with an excellent headed cross to Zardes. Made some questionable decisions up the field and was caught out defensively on one notable occasion.

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DF Aaron Long, 7 -- Scored twice. Had a couple of dodgy moments at the back but recovered well.

DF Walker Zimmerman, 6 -- Shaky on an early cross that nearly put the U.S. behind. Passed the ball well from the back. Scrambled back effectively to slow T&T counters.

DF Tim Ream, 5 -- Caught inside on a T&T counter in the first half. Passive in one-on-one situations in the second half.

MF Michael Bradley, 6 -- Provided occasionally brilliant service, particularly with chipped balls in behind. Turned the ball over a handful of times but otherwise served as a calm presence.

MF Tyler Boyd, 6 -- Mobile and active in a little more than an hour. Able to create multiple shooting opportunities but didn't find the net.

MF Weston McKennie, 7 -- Played with an aggressive edge that bordered on irresponsible in the first half. Covered plenty of ground and linked up well in midfield.

MF Christian Pulisic, 9 -- Provided the perfect pass to create the American breakthrough, then turned it on in the second half. Aggressive, intelligent and influential.

MF Paul Arriola, 6 -- Active up and down the wing, helping with ball recovery and popping up in space on the left side. Rewarded with a goal for good work in the attack.

FW Gyasi Zardes, 8 -- Struggled to provide angles with holdup play in the first half but improved as the game went along. Scored twice, with the second one coming on a very good finish.

Substitutes

MF Jordan Morris, N/R -- Two assists in a little less than half an hour. Quick and aggressive.

FW Jozy Altidore, N/R -- Mixed bag with touch and passing, but showed quality with a ball that led to Arriola's goal a pass later.

MF Reggie Cannon, N/R -- No notable moments for a young player making his competitive U.S. debut.

An hour before the match on Saturday, Jasprit Bumrah was bowling at the spring rubber stumps on one of the practice strips. There was no batsman, the stumps his only target. Bumrah was practising the yorkers.

One of the first balls he delivered pitched inches in front of the leg stump and missed. A whiff of dust rose from the Hampshire Bowl surface like steam from a kettle. It showed how hard and fast Bumrah had pitched the delivery. Immediately Bumrah walked to the exact spot where the ball had pitched and smoothed the turf. The next ball, and a few more after that, Bumrah would pitch accurately and bend the stumps back.

This art of bowling a yorker at will is something that makes Bumrah such a dangerous bowler. He is also a dangerous bowler because he keeps improving every spell, every match, every testing situation. That yorker came in handy against Afghanistan as Bumrah saved India from the biggest upset on the biggest stage. If Afghanistan had beaten India it would have been one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history.

India entered the tournament with the tag of not just the No.2 ranked ODI country and one of the tournament favourites. They also had the most complete and dangerous bowling attack. In Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav India contain three bowlers that can determine the fate of the opponent in a matter of deliveries.

WATCH on Hotstar (India only) - Bumrah's double wicket maiden

No other team in this tournament carries three strike bowlers who are as gifted and dangerous as these three men. Not Australia the defending champions. Not England, the hosts, the No.1 ODI team and the initial favorites. Not New Zealand, the perennial bridesmaids.

No other captain in this tournament has the luxury to indulge in such bowling riches as Virat Kohli. Against Afghanistan, Kohli needed his three musketeers to hit bullseye. And they did. Kuldeep might not have taken wickets, but his 10-over spell was effective because he kept the Afghanistan batsmen guessing with his left-arm wrist spin.

But it was Bumrah and Chahal who Kohli turned to frequently each time he found the match on a knife edge - which was virtually throughout the Afghanistan innings. Defending a small total on a big ground with a fast outfield meant the room for error was bare minimal.

Mohammed Shami and Bumrah bowled fierce spells from either end leaving Hazratullah Zazai and Gulbadin Naib restless. Zazai, one of the most powerful hitters in world cricket, buckled under pressure as he went for a mighty swing against Shami's angled delivery.

However, Naib in the company of Rahmat Shah, Afghanistan's best Test batsman, showed composure. They even attacked Hardik Pandya in taking 20 runs in his first 2 overs. However, Chahal and Kuldeep got into the act swiftly, posing difficult questions for the batsmen who were tentative to charge the spinners.

Kohli brought back Hardik, who hit hard lengths into the body of Naib before he eventually top edged. Hardik then challenged new man Hashmatullah Shahidi by bowling a tight line and pitching on lengths where the batsman had to play. Hardik would end up bowling a maiden.

Kohli rotated the bowlers cleverly as the asking rate climbed to nearly six an over at the halfway stage with Afghanistan needing a further 134 runs. Surely not insurmountable. But could Rahmat and Shahidi sustain the growing pressure? Their partnership was steadily inching towards the 40-run mark when Bumrah returned.

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In the past matches Kohli has also turned to Bumrah to deliver a mini two-over spell in the middle overs as a shock treatment against opposition. Bumrah bowled the first half of his second over back with a length and angle that was fuller. But then he bowled shorter to Rahmat, who top edged while attempting a pull. Two balls later Bumrah pitched a sharp short-of-a-length delivery measuring 87mph to surprise Shahidi who offered a meek return catch. The match suddenly turned on its head.

Two new batsmen at the crease meant Afghanistan had to restart. They once again had to find the resolve and the skills to keep rotating the strike. India were aware of the danger of Mohammad Nabi posed. Nabi has the experience and the patience as well as the power to hit the big strokes. However, India were aware as long as the run flow was slow, the pressure would always remain on Afghanistan.

With 40 runs needed from the last five overs, Kohli asked Chahal to bowl his final over. Rashid Khan reverse swept Chahal for a four, giving India a fright. But the next ball, Chahal spun a perfect leg break that started on a middle-stump line, urged Rashid to play and then drifted away nicely. It was 50mph. Having committed to the push Rashid found himself over balancing and beaten by the turn, giving enough time for MS Dhoni to whip off the bails. On a pitch where he had seen Rashid and the other two Afghan spinners bowl slower and slower, Chahal himself varied his pace to pose questions for the batsmen.

Kohli had worked out the plan accurately with Dhoni which involved Bumrah returning to finish his remaining two overs including bowling the penultimate over of the match. "In the end the communication was to finish him [Bumrah] off at 49 so that Shami has enough runs to defend in the last over. The plan worked out well today," Kohli said at the post-match presentation.

Bumrah, who was swung for a huge leg-side six by Nabi in the 47th over, would end up conceding just five runs in his final over, leaving Shami to defend 16 runs off the last. Shami was playing his first World Cup match but his opening spell, Kohli said, was the best by any of the bowlers on the day as he was relentless with that upright seam. He would seal Afghanistan's fate with three deliveries that would put him in history books with a hat-trick.

Yet it was Bumrah's three spells that denied Afghanistan a fairytale finish. Bumrah summed up succinctly the vital difference in India pipping Afghanistan. "What we wanted was to create pressure by taking the run rate high," he said. "As soon as the run rate goes up they'll create chances. That was the plan. And it was a good day. It worked.

"The wicket was getting slower and slower so with the older ball it was necessary to be accurate and bowl stump-to-stump. There is a bit of reverse swing as well so you rely on your yorkers. It was a tight game and I was backing my yorkers."

The beauty about Bumrah or Shami or Chahal, or even Hardik and Kuldeep, was they believed collectively and bowled accurately. When it mattered they proved India have the most dangerous bowling attack this World Cup.

The things we remember.

Carlos Brathwaite lives with the burden of three words spoken more than three years ago. "Remember the name," screamed - justifiably - Ian Bishop into the microphone as Brathwaite hit Ben Stokes for four straight sixes in the final over of the World T20 final in Kolkata to win a lost title.

Three years later, at Old Trafford, Brathwaite is facing Matt Henry, whose World Cup so far reads: 42.2 overs, two maidens, 211 runs and eight wickets. That is an economy of just under five and an average of 26.38. Tonight has been an off night for him. He has gone for 51 in his eight.

Brathwaite - 74 off 70 - has a No. 11 for company. There is 33 required off the last three overs. Brathwaite gets a top edge for two, but then unleashes mayhem. Three straight sixes. Three morale-crushing, soul-destroying sixes for the bowlers. Henry is trying to execute a plan. A short-of-a-length ball has flown over long-on. A wide yorker - slightly off the mark - has flown over point. By the next one Henry is a wreck and offers a full toss.

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Stokes is reminded of that night three years ago by his mentions, but Brathwaite is not reminded of it. He is thinking of his struggling team, his coach - who is remembered as the captain who led them to a series defeat against Bangladesh and now needs this win as coach, his own fledgling career. Since that Kolkata final, he has played 158 innings in official cricket - all first-class, List A and T20 cricket - and has reached fifty only five times. There is no innings in the last three years to remember him by.

First it was Virat now it's @TridentSportsX is clogging up my mentions,I wonder why???that was a unbelievable innings Carlos thought it was going to be a repeat of 2016 in Kolkata...how good was that game by the way

— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) June 22, 2019

"Remember the name" has become a bit of a joke whenever Brathwaite's name comes up. That match is the last thing he remembers right now. He remembers the defeat to Afghanistan that came before the win in the final. Bet you don't. Bet you don't believe this ever happened to him. West Indies need 10, seven balls to get, tail for company. Brathwaite taps a full toss for a single to leave himself nine to get in the last over. He fails.

Brathwaite remembers his dismissal to Mitchell Starc this World Cup. They need 47 off 28, and he is trying to be responsible. He lobs up a full toss from Starc instead of smacking him. He can't clear mid-on. It haunts him. This is what happens in cricket. You fail more often than you succeed. You can end up remembering failure more than success.

So it is these things that have gone through Brathwaite's mind as Jimmy Neesham bowls an over full of bouncers. West Indies need six off seven. He still has a No. 11 for company. He has to decide whether to look for one or hit a six. If he misses with the big hit, does he trust Oshane Thomas to get him back on strike? In a 41-run stand, Thomas hasn't scored a run. All he has had to do is get bat on ball. Just stay there. Somehow not get out. Does he take a single, repeat what he has done and failed before, or does he go for the big hit and then risk having Thomas on strike if he misses or if he even hits a four?

Brathwaite remembers what happened when he didn't go for the six. He tells Thomas to be on the "high alert" for the single, but if it is in his zone, he is going for the six. "Stay still, react to the ball; don't premeditate; if it is not in your zone, get single; if it is, maximise and get a six."

Same man Bishop is on air, Brathwaite is still in his stance, bat held high, ready to pounce on an error, Neesham continues with the short ball, Brathwaite gives it all he has got. The ball goes up in the air towards the long-on fence.

**

So you enjoyed the game? The chaos. The nerves. The possibilities. The glory. The heartbreak. You felt emotions. Raw emotions. You loved and hated cricket at the same time. Now it is time to appreciate how deliberate and precise these extraordinary cricketers can be in such tense, nervous, chaotic, emotional times.

Brathwaite has lost No. 10 Sheldon Cottrell to a beauty from Lockie Ferguson, who has been amping the pace up all tournament. This is the end of the 45th over, West Indies still have 47 to get. Brathwaite meets Thomas and tells him the next two overs are going to be bowled by Trent Boult and Ferguson. They are also going to be their last overs. If they can survive that, they can target the last three. Brathwaite tells him to forget about scoring. Just defend your wicket with your life. He tells Thomas if they can bat through those two overs, they will need around 30 off the last three overs. They need 33.

Brathwaite makes sure Thomas faces only four of these 12 balls. He has planned everything out perfectly. He believes he can now do it is sixes, and he has started to do it.

The man bowling the 49th over, Neesham, almost gave up cricket. He was in a funk over many issues, one of which was coming to terms with not getting results that match your effort. In other jobs there is usually a tangible result. In cricket, you need to be philosophical about the outcome because of the luck and many other variables involved. He has come back at peace with results. This is a time when you do with the newfound philosophical attitude, but that doesn't mean you leave it to luck. You plan the hell out of it.

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The plan then is: if you try a yorker, forget about the game. Brathwaite needs eight off 12, and these modern batsmen spend hours trying to hit low full tosses or full balls for sixes. Brathwaite has already shown bowling full is a no-go. Neesham has one advantage Henry didn't: from this end, the leg-side boundary is big. So he and Williamson talk. Nothing in the wheelhouse. Not even on a length. Stack the leg-side field and make him pull or hook.

Now there is a fine line between a good bouncer and a wide ball on height. And you can bowl only two of those above the shoulder. You are taking inches here. Neesham knows he has another advantage here. Brathwaite is close to six-and-a-half-feet tall. So he tells himself he is going to try to get it as high as he can, which at his pace might only be to the shoulder and the chin. He has mid-on and mid-off up; he reckons there could be a catch there.

The first ball is slightly off, but it is still short enough to not let Brathwaite get under it. He can't drive it, he can't hook it, but this only draws a defensive shot. The next two are proper bouncers. One of them is called one for the over, Neesham thinks. Some feel neither of them is. Be that as it may, New Zealand now feel they have done too much of the same thing. The line for all three is outside off, and that is the plan. To make him drag it across and hopefully top-edge. These three balls have gone exactly according to a pin-point plan. Just as Brathwaite has gone with his.

Now they bring the cover up, and send long-on back. They are telling Brathwaite if he plays the inside-out shot over the covers, he is the better man and deserves the win. But they also covering the long-on fence because he might be lining him up. And with the field change, Neesham changes the line, moving it towards the stumps. There is no error. Only precision. Brathwaite gets the better of the first one, pulling it to deep midwicket, where Martin Guptill is not at his absolute best and lets Brathwaite steal the strike again.

The couple allows a momentary break in the tension. Brathwaite celebrates his hundred, New Zealand wicketkeeper Tom Latham even claps him, and it is back to business again. Now Neesham is back to the bouncer. He rolls his wrist on this one. Beats Brathwaite. He looks nervously at the umpire for a signal that he believes could bar him from bowling another bouncer. The umpires show they are extremely precise too. They see the slower bouncer has dipped enough when crossing the batsman for it to not be called one for the over. Replays back them up. Everybody is on top of his game here.

Neesham now knows he has a bouncer in the tank. He is going to bowl it. Brathwaite, waiting for any change-up, knows deep within it is going to be a bouncer. Neesham knows he has had some success at making Brathwaite make more decisions than he wants to, but he doesn't know of the demons inside Brathwaite's head. He still believes Brathwaite is going to go for a six because as a batsman he knows when you are striking so cleanly and you are just one shot away, it is tempting to back yourself to do that one more time.

Same man Bishop is on air, Brathwaite is still in his stance, bat held high, ready to pounce on an error, Neesham continues with the short ball, Brathwaite gives it all he has got. The ball goes up in the air towards the long-on fence.

Neesham knows this is not sweetly connected. "There is a pretty distinct sound when the West Indies boys connect." Imagine the intimidation when you know the hits sound different. This one, though, is not out of the screws, but Neesham also knows Brathwaite doesn't need to nail it to get it over the fielder.

**

If he doesn't do anything else the rest of his cricketing life, Boult can retire with a perfectly acceptable and exciting highlight reel of stunning - ridiculous, really - catches. He has failed to add to it this evening. Running back, keeping an eye on the ball as he does, diving full length, but failing to latch on to a top edge from Chris Gayle. Gayle has unleashed carnage after that. If Boult had added to the highlight reel, we wouldn't have come down to this.

But we have come down to this. Boult is the man sent back to the long-on fence on the fourth ball of the 49th over. They are expecting Brathwaite to take that man on if he wants to go for a six. That man, though, is expecting Brathwaite to tap it for one and take on five off the last over. Boult doesn't even know who is going to bowl the 50th over if that happens. Perhaps even captain Kane Williamson doesn't.

Brathwaite doesn't wait for it, though. This one is not short enough to a proper bouncer, and Brathwaite feels this is his ball. The line is straighter than earlier, which cramps him up a touch, which means he doesn't time it sweetly, but remember he doesn't need to. He can mis-hit sixes, but these are not small boundaries. Okay the straight one is shorter than the square ones, but Old Trafford is not a small playing field.

Boult thinks it is going to land "quite a way inside the rope", but he is surprised by the power Brathwaite has got on it. He back-tracks a little, and parks himself near the rope, but you can see he is not on the edge because of the slight initial misjudgement. He times his jump perfectly, overhead and to his right, both hands to it, and looks immediately at the rope. He is ready to do the old trick of lobbing it up, stepping out and coming back in to take the catch. Guptill, from deep midwicket, has come around in case Boult wants a relay catch. As it turns out he is well in - well it is only a couple of metres, but in this precise environment it is a comfortable margin.

Same man Bishop is on air. "The dream is diminished for Carlos Brathwaite," he screams.

**

Could Brathwaite have taken the single off the last ball? Could Klusener have waited another ball all those years ago? Could Steyn have bowled a yorker or a bouncer instead of length in the semi-final four years ago?

These are questions we on the outside will debate more than those who make them. Or at least that should be the case. For often, there are no right or wrong decisions at such times. Both have equal merit. What matters is how clearly you execute the decision you make. Most professional dressing rooms analyse these situations that way. Brathwaite's dressing room too. He is not going to beat himself up over choosing to go for it. Nor should he.

**

Brathwaite is down on his knees. You wonder what he is thinking in that moment. Is he at all? He says he is not even aware of his senses enough to register the congratulations and commiserations from the graceful New Zealand players. Ross Taylor is the first one to go to him. He is on his knees at this time, his sinking head kept afloat only by his bat handle. We are humans too, Taylor says. We felt sorry for him. Brathwaite is honest enough to admit it didn't mean much at all at that time, but he knows New Zealanders are "some of the best people" to be opponents or team-mates with.

Brathwaite is more honest about his feelings about the century. It is a cliché to say it doesn't mean anything if it doesn't result in a win, he says. This one has taken a lot of pressure off him. To know he can bat, to know how he should bat, but not having done it for a long time has been killing him. "It is a result of all the hard work I put in. It is finally good to see it come to fruition."

And yet, the dream is diminished. The things we will remember.

Carlos Brathwaite was dropped for West Indies' last match. There is a good chance he wouldn't have been playing at Old Trafford had Andre Russell not been unfit. It wouldn't have been a particularly harsh decision because Brathwaite had scored only five half-centuries in 158 innings since his sensational four sixes to win West Indies a lost World Twenty20 final back in 2016.

Yet, with the World Cup dream all but over, Brathwaite reignited West Indies' hopes with a scarcely believable century to bring them within five runs of New Zealand's total. He was caught on the boundary trying to clear long-on off the last ball of the 49th over. After the knock, a shattered Brathwaite was honest in saying the knock meant him a lot even if it left him feeling bittersweet.

WATCH on Hotstar (India only) - Brathwaite breathes fire with 101

"It is a cliché to say that it doesn't matter if you don't win, but for me personally, for my confidence, it is a result of all the hard work that I put in," Brathwaite said of his first international century. "It is finally good that it has come to fruition. I continue to work hard. Obviously heartbreaking to not get over the line but I give thanks for the performance and being able to get the team in the position that I was able to."

Brathwaite came in to bat at 142 for 4, and scored 101 of the remaining 144 runs that West Indies managed. With a stunning 25-run assault against Matt Henry in the 48th over, he brought the equation down to eight runs required off the two overs.

"When I lost [Sheldon] Cottrell, then Lockie [Ferguson] had one over to go and [Trent] Boult had one to go," Brathwaite said. "And the thinking was if we see them off, we can get 30 in three overs."

Now the equation was manageable, but he had only the No. 11 Oshane Thomas, who was yet to score a run, for company. Jimmy Neesham, bowling the 49th over, said they wanted Brathwaite to make more decisions now. The final - as it turned out - decision was whether to look for a single last ball of the 49th over or a six. If he got a single, he would have retained strike with five to get in the final over. If he missed while going for a six - or even if he got four - New Zealand would be able to have a crack at Thomas.

As it turned out, Brathwaite went for a six, and was caught a few metres inside the long-on boundary. "I did tell Oshane about it [the possibility of a single]," Brathwaite said. "Told him we remain positive. We are one hit away. Probably memories came back of 2016 when I played a game against Afghanistan [in the 2016 World T20] and patted a full toss for a single instead of hitting it for a six. My thinking was still: watch the ball, still react, and if it is not a ball that I can get a six off, I try to get a single. He was on high alert, but if it came in my area I try and finish the game in that ball, which I did."

Brathwaite came very close, though. "I thought I had enough bat on it," he said. "Unfortunately it didn't. Also it went to probably one of the better fielders in the world as well. So, yeah, it is what is. A game of margins. One or two yards more, we could be victorious."

Brathwaite said it should not be too difficult to move on from the decision he made. "The best dressing rooms create a culture where when you pinpoint any incident, any game, there is [talk around] planning and execution," Brathwaite said. "The plan was right: obviously stay, reacting to the ball, don't premeditate, if it is not in your zone, get single; if it is, maximise and get a six. And the execution was off. In the game against Australia as well, I got out to a slow full toss from Starc, kind of haunted me as well. Again it is execution. Back to the drawing board. Probably get some other options to similar ball. I am not going to beat myself up because the ball should have gone for six, and we should have won."

It was "heartbreaking" that it didn't end West Indies' way, but there was also personal relief. "I know I can [bat well], I know I should," Brathwaite said. "I never stopped working, I kept working hard. It's great to see hard work pay off. At the end of the day it is a century in a losing cause, which is bittersweet."

His captain Jason Holder wasn't surprised he delivered the runs. "His work ethic is really good," Holder said of Brathwaite. "He's not one to shy away from his responsibilities. And he puts in really good effort into his preparation. And that's one thing that I credit him for. The knock that he played today is not surprising to me.

"I guess everybody could sit here and agree that we'd love to see that a little bit more often. But that's the general feeling within the entire group. I think as a team we just need to be a lot more consistent. But seeing Carlos play the way he did doesn't really surprise me. Just a matter for us to bring it together more often."

The feeling of awe was on both sides. New Zealand didn't waste any time in going to congratulate and commiserate with Brathwaite moments after the win was sealed. "New Zealanders are some of the best people in the world to share a dressing room with or to play against," Brathwaite said. "I obviously socialise with them at franchise tournaments and am good friends with a few of the boys. I guess it didn't mean much at that point in time because you are just getting over watching Boult take the catch and losing. In hindsight it was good sportsmanship on their behalf. I appreciate the mutual respect the opposition had."

As Mohammed Shami ran in to deliver the hat-trick ball in the final over against Afghanistan, he had MS Dhoni's words in mind. Afghanistan had begun that over needing 16 with three wickets in hand, and were now nine down, needing 12. Only one Indian - Chetan Sharma - had taken a World Cup hat-trick earlier, in 1987. This was Shami's chance to join an elite club. And he did it by nailing a perfect yorker on the base of leg stump. Mujeeb Ur Rahman backed away and swung blindly, only to miss it, and saw the stumps flattened.

"The fewer you have to defend, the more issues you face in executing, but knowing I had Jasprit Bumrah bowling [the 49th over] from the other end was good," Shami said soon after the match. "The hat-trick feels very special, that too getting it in a World Cup is a big deal. Before I bowled the last ball, I had MS Dhoni's advice in my mind. He told me, 'World Cup hat-tricks are rare, just bowl a yorker. This is your chance.' That's what I did."

WATCH on Hotstar (India only) - Fall of wickets

It was a moment Shami may have not envisaged a year ago. In June 2018, his central contract was withheld amid allegations of domestic violence by his wife. Then, there was a battle with his own body owing to niggles, even in the aftermath of an ankle surgery that saw him spend nearly a year on the sidelines.

When he finally regained fitness, he had put on a few kilos and even failed the mandatory yo-yo test. His pace dropped and he wasn't on the selectors' radar as far as one-day selection was concerned. There were question marks over his immediate future.

Shami hit the gym and focused on his diet in an effort to reduce weight. Gradually over time, the selectors brought him back into the mix for the ODIs against West Indies at home in October. Since then, there has been no looking back.

In March this year, Shami's improved fitness and work ethic even had Kohli awe-struck. "The way Shami has come back into the white-ball set-up after his Test performances, have never seen him so lean before. He has lost five-six kilos. He's running in and bowling so well," he said at the time. "He's hungry for wickets."

Looking back, Shami reflected on his improved diet as a big factor in his bowling rejuvenation. "This journey towards fitness has taken me two years," he said on Sunday after taking the hat-trick. "I was heavy after the injury, I used to feel tightness in my knee after long spells, so I knew I had to do something extra if I had to play for a longer time.

"I have cut down on my food, I follow a diet and people laugh about it when I tell them that. It's not strict but I avoid stuff doctors tell me to. I don't eat sweets or bread, it has helped me a lot."

On Saturday, his four-wicket haul and his bowling partnership with Bumrah was pivotal in India's 11-run win over Afghanistan that helped them remain unbeaten in the competition.

"I had 16 to defend thanks to your efforts," he told interviewer Bumrah in a chat on BCCI.tv. "I knew it gave me a chance to do something. It was also after a long time that we were bowling in tandem."

The start of Shami's final over seemed nervy as Mohammad Nabi clubbed him to the long-on boundary. Then with 12 to defend off five balls, he first had half-centurion Nabi, whose innings he described as "irritating", hole out to long-on before nailing two perfect yorkers to get rid of Aftab Alam and Mujeeb to seal victory.

"I felt the irritation when Nabi was batting, but we knew if we got him out, the match was ours," Shami said. "He was the only one capable [of winning it in the final over]. We didn't want to show our weakness in the face of his irritation. We just wanted to be aggressive and show intent."

Shami later revealed that bowling short to Afghanistan in the middle-overs had been part of India's plan, one that fetched them the key wickets of Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi, who fell to Bumrah. "It was a much better wicket in the first innings compared to the second," he observed. "The plan was to not bowl too full. They were a little doubtful with the bouncers, so the plan was to mix up our lengths with bouncers."

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After a meandering first 45 minutes, the United States made it two wins from two in the Gold Cup group stage, defeating Trinidad and Tobago 6-0 on Saturday night in Cleveland.

It had been 620 days since the U.S. was denied a place at the 2018 World Cup by the Caribbean nation, when the Americans were defeated 2-1 on the final day of qualifying for the competition. U.S. players this week played down the notion that they'd be seeking revenge for that loss, but their victory was physical throughout and occasionally tempers flared.

"Every time we step on the field we want to make a statement," said U.S. forward Gyasi Zardes, who scored twice and barely missed a third. "We're trying to change the way the world views American soccer."

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Zack Steffen was the first goalkeeper to be seriously tested, when he was forced to punch away a rasping drive from Trinidad's Khaleem Hyland nine minutes into the contest. But it was Hyland who came off worst, pulling up lame after his shot and would be unable to continue, subbed off for Kevin Molino barely a quarter hour into the game.

The two sides exchanged chances throughout the first 40 minutes, though neither truly had an edge before Aaron Long broke the deadlock with four minutes to go in the first half. He got his head on the end of a whipped cross from Christian Pulisic, sneaking his effort underneath goalkeeper Marvin Phillip in his first of two goals on the night.

And much like the the group-stage win over Guyana on Tuesday, Gregg Berhalter's men struggled to dictate the terms of the contest in the first half, only to gain momentum after the interval.

Twenty-one minutes into the second half, Zardes scored his second goal of the Gold Cup, when Nick Lima's header across the box fell to the Columbus Crew forward to tap in. He added his second of the night three minutes later, shaping a shot past the outstretched arms of Phillip and into the top corner.

Barely three minutes later, he was denied his hat trick twice in quick succession, first striking the woodwork and then having a header kept out by a point-blank save from Phillip.

Pulisic made it 4-0 on 73 minutes, passing the ball into the far corner after substitute Jordan Morris picked him out in acres of space inside the area. Morris added another assist five minutes later, sending a ball across the six-yard box that Paul Arriola tapped in to make it a 5-0 lead.

Long wrapped up the scoring in the 90th minute, beating Phillip to a loose ball in the six-yard box and chesting into a gaping net.

"For us, we advance to the next round," Berhalter said. "That's important. Our focus was to prepare for this game knowing that if we'd be able to go to the next round. That was the focus of the group. Trinidad was in our way."