HAMPTON, Ga. — The Thunder Ring sprang to life on Wednesday night for the second round of Thursday Thunder presented by Papa John’s Pizza as a handful of drivers collected their first victory in their respective divisions.

The Racing Radios Rookie Bandoleros opened up the round two action with Kerbi Mueller posting her first career win at the Thunder Ring during Thursday Thunder.  Mueller held off Bailey Buchanan, who finished second, and Baylor O’Neil, who was third, for the victory.

In the Associates Group Young Lions feature race, Lucas Ruark won his second consecutive feature race of the year and extended his lead in the division point standings. Ruark started on the inside of the second row and jumped door to door with pole sitter Ashton Whitener on the opening lap of the race.  Whitener got tangled up with Austin MacDonald on lap six and fell to the back of the pack allowing Ruark to pull away from the field for the win.

Carson Ramsey earned the win in a heated Racing Radios Outlaws feature.  Ramsey started fifth, but was able to move to the front of the field by the fourth lap.  Two laps later, Trevor Wester got past Ramsey for the lead. Glued to the back bumper of Wester for eight laps, Ramsey made a last lap pass to take the the checkered flag.

In the Wallace Electric Masters feature, Bill Plemons held off Robbie Woodall over the final two laps to earn his second consecutive feature win of the season.  Plemons started on the outside of the front row and was able to slide down in front of Tony Armbruster who was on the point on the first lap to take the lead.  A late caution helped Woodall move up to second and set up the two lap shootout between the top two finishers in the division from a year ago.

Last year’s Young Lion’s champion Ryan Rackley notched his first win the VP Racing Fuels Pro Division in just his second start amongst the best competition in Legend cars.  Bumping and banging with Joshua Hicks on the white flag lap, Rackley was able to slide to the inside of Hicks coming out of turn four and won the drag race down the frontstrch for the win.

“We qualified so bad,” said an excited Rackley after the victory, “and we started ninth and we were able to drive through the field and get the win. I was going to be happy getting a top five and then everybody was getting shoved out and I was just filling in and filling in. Then the top two started racing each other hard and I just filled in the gap and passed them.”

Rackley qualified seventh and ended up on the inside of row five in the ninth position following the Pro Qualifying pick.  Taylor Jorgensen started on the pole and dominated the early part of the race and was vying for the win until she got shuffled out of the lead with three laps left and couldn’t get past the front runners of Rackely and Hicks.

Max Brady was the beneficiary of a last lap caution to help him earn his first career win at the Thunder Ring in the CMS Group Environmental Services Semi-Pro feature.

“This is my first ever Thursday Thunder win,” said and excited Brady. “I’ve been racing here for four years and I’ve gone through a lot of struggles with these things and this just means a lot. I just don’t know what to say.”

Brady was chasing Audrie Ruark, who led every lap of the race until she got spun exiting turn four on the final lap of the feature.  DJ Canipe came home second and Rickey Springer was third while Ruark finished ninth.

The Racing Radios Bandits closed out the action with the final feature race of night as Lucas Vera dominated the action leading all 20 laps for the win.  Vera outgunned Jacob Brindley from the outside pole to take an early lead on lap one and never looked back as he claimed his first win of the season. Cody King, Carson Ruark, Garrett Gumm and Kaleb Brandley battled hard for third with three wide racing across the strip with three laps to go.  It was King who earned the podium finish as he pull ahead of the trio and crossed the strip in third.

LAWTON, Okla. — A podium finish the night before was bettered by two spots Wednesday at Lawton Speedway as Sam Hafertepe Jr. picked up his fourth victory of the season with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network during round three of ASCS Sizzlin’ Summer Speedweek.

“Our team right now is clicking better than I’ve ever had a team click in my entire career,” said Hafertepe. “Having the right people behind me and in the right places, we’ve been able to win a lot of races so I’m very fortunate to be the monkey driving the car sometimes. This is a hell of a team. We’ve been building it over the course of five years now and we get better every night.”

Racing to the lead from second starting spot, Hafertepe held off all challenges the first half of the race with a pair of cautions working lap two and lap 15.

Back to the 14th lap on the restart, that is where the Heidbreder Foundation No. 15h was challenged for the lead. Moving off the cushion of the first two turns, Hafertepe surrendered the point to Scott Bogucki down the back straightaway.

Driving 20-foot deeper into turn three to pitch the car across the fourth turn, Hafertepe snagged the top spot with the pair again trading the position through turns one and two. Exchanging another round of slide jobs coming to lap 16, Hafertepe broke the momentum of the Sawblade.com No. 28 to begin pulling away until the red lights blinked on with 21 laps complete for Roger Crockett who slammed into the wall off the second turn.

“I shouldn’t have moved off the top,” Hafertepe said. “We were able to get him back, but I just second guessed myself and should have just stayed on the cushion on the restart, but at least it made it interesting for the fans”

Keeping the pack at bay on the restart, the race for second picked up as Wayne Johnson flew past Bogucki on the cushion in turns three and four.

In pursuit of the No. 15h, Johnson was unable to keep pace with Hafertepe. Bogucki held on for third with Jordon Mallett posting his first top-five finish of the season in fourth. John Caney II picked up a pair of spots to cross fifth.

The finish:

Feature (25 Laps): 1. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr, [2]; 2. 2C-Wayne Johnson, [5]; 3. 28-Scott Bogucki, [3]; 4. 14-Jordon Mallett, [6]; 5. J2-John Carney II, [7]; 6. 03-Joe Wood Jr, [13]; 7. 17W-Harli White, [12]; 8. 95-Matt Covington, [15]; 9. 12H-Tony Bruce Jr, [16]; 10. 92-Jordan Weaver, [1]; 11. 52-Blake Hahn, [4]; 12. 5J-Jamie Ball, [9]; 13. 74B-Jake Bubak, [14]; 14. 21P-Robbie Price, [8]; 15. 23X-Grady Chandler, [20]; 16. 2X-Tucker Doughty, [17]; 17. 77X-Alex Hill, [11]; 18. 90-Lance Norick, [19]; 19. (DNF) 11-Roger Crockett, [10]; 20. (DNF) 10K-Kyle Ezell, [18]; 21. (DNF) 22X-Steven Shebester, [21]

LEXINGTON, Ohio – J.R. Hildebrand will join a four-car Dreyer & Reinbold Racing ARX2 Rallycross team this weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in the Americas Rallycross season opener.

Hildebrand, a nine-time Indianapolis 500 starter from Boulder, Colo., will drive the No. 48 WIX Filters ARX2 machine in the ARX2 doubleheader weekends at Mid-Ohio and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway in Madison, Ill., on July 13-14.  The 2011 Indianapolis 500 runner-up and Rookie of the Year will team with his DRR Indianapolis 500 teammate Sage Karam, ARX2 young star Cole Keatts and teenage female sensation Gray Leadbetter in the four-car DRR assault at Mid-Ohio.

This weekend at Mid-Ohio will be Hildebrand’s ARX2 debut but the 31-year-old California native is no stranger to various forms of motorsports including competing in the Pikes Peak Int’l Hill Climb, Formula Drift action as well as the American Le Mans Series sports cars. In his open-wheel career, Hildebrand captured the F2000 series and the Indy Lights series championships.

For the past two Indianapolis 500 races, Hildebrand has driven for Dreyer & Reinbold Racing with Salesforce partnership and placed 11th and 20th. Hildebrand began his IndyCar Series career driving for DRR in 2010 with races at Mid-Ohio and Sonoma.

“Can’t wait to jump in the ARX2 car with DRR,” said Hildebrand. “I had a lot of fun briefly testing the car after the Indy test a couple months ago and am excited to learn as much as I can this weekend in Mid Ohio. DRR’s track record is extremely good in these cars, so I’m looking forward to tackling it with them.”

Reinbold has been very excited about Hildebrand and Karam’s ARX2 appearances in the twin WIX Filters cars. Both Indy 500 veterans are debuting in ARX2 this weekend at Mid-Ohio.

“We were very pleased with the feedback and performance of JR in the ARX2 test last month in Indy,” said Reinbold, whose ARX2 team won the 2016 series title. “He has driven a variety of racing machinery over his career and we feel the ARX2 series will be very competitive this year and especially with the new Mid-Ohio ARX course. Having J.R. team up with Sage in the two WIX Filters cars will be a great season opener for our team and partners. Plus, the two youngsters, Cole Keatts and Gray Leadbetter, figure to be right in the mix this weekend too.”

Hildebrand will campaign the No. 48 WIX Filters with Mecum Auctions car at Mid-Ohio, while Karam will drive the No. 24 WIX Filters with ISMI Springs vehicle. Keatts will handle the No. 53 Black Rifle Coffee Company ARX2 car and Leadbetter, the 14-year-old female competitor, will pilot the No. 28 Oil2Soil machine.

Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final is scheduled for Thursday night between the Boston Bruins and the St. Louis Blues at TD Garden, with the series tied 2-2 after the Blues' 4-2 home win against Boston on Monday night. What can we expect in this critical matchup in Boston?

Here's a little primer in this edition of Stanley Cup Playoffs Daily.

So is Zdeno Chara going to play or what?

That's the 6-foot-9 question looming over Game 5. The Bruins captain broke his jaw -- the team is a calling it a "facial injury" -- when a Brayden Schenn shot deflected off Chara's stick and the puck hit him in the face. He returned to the bench in a full-shield helmet in the third period, but did not play.

The Bruins haven't ruled him out, with coach Bruce Cassidy saying that he'd know more on Thursday morning, but adding after their practice Wednesday: "Obviously Zee's not here, didn't skate, so it makes it a little more difficult for him. I've always said that: The guys that are skating are obviously a little closer."

If anyone is going to come back and play after an injury like that, it's Chara. The question is whether that'll be in Game 5, Game 6 or if at all this series.

If Chara doesn't go, what's the contingency plan?

Two main options. There's Steven Kampfer, a journeyman defenseman who played 35 games with the Bruins in the regular season and two more in the playoffs. But more intriguing is the potential return of Matt Grzelcyk, the defenseman the Bruins lost in Game 2 on that Oskar Sundqvist hit that earned the latter a suspension. Grzelcyk skated in a noncontact jersey Wednesday as he's still in the concussion protocol, but a return to the ice is a good sign. So in theory, the Bruins could replace one injured defenseman with the return of another.

Is Kampfer ready for this?

As he explained to reporters, he's the kind of defenseman who's always on call. Sometimes it's an injury in the previous game, sometimes it's someone feeling ill after lunch. He's always ready. "You've got to move your feet quick. You've got to make the simple play and I think it comes a lot with transition and getting back on it," he said. "They come down hard, they come down fast, and you've got to make sure that you're ready for everything."

Is Urho Vaakanainen an option?

As a last resort. "That was an option if both guys were out, we've kind of went through them all," Cassidy said. "We're getting into a little bit of hearsay or speculation. That would be a big ask. A real big ask."

Chara or no Chara, what's the game plan for the Bruins?

They have to be remarkably better at 5-on-5. The Blues had the shot attempt advantage in every period of Game 4, with a 49-30 overall advantage. The team that has controlled the tempo on the forecheck has won each game. The Bruins are at their best when they're creating offense off the rush, which the Blues have done a good job limiting in the past two games.

But the real key is not to have one-and-done trips into the St. Louis zone. "Getting the puck to the net, getting inside, rebounds. There'll be some rebounds there if we get there if we have traffic. It sounds cliche, but it's the truth," Cassidy said.

What will the Blues try to do?

Another dose of that formula from Game 4: Big hits, big scoring chances at the net and keeping the penalty box empty as they find their rhythm at 5-on-5. "We just gotta keep doing the same thing," Patrick Maroon said. "Our team's not flashy at all. It's north/south. Dumping it in. Wearing teams down. When we don't do that, their defense is effective in moving up in the play. Odd-man rushes. The D can jump higher. When we're doing well, we're limiting their time and space. We're wearing them down. It makes it difficult for the D to jump into the play."

Are the Blues wearing down the Bruins physically?

They think they are when they roll four lines. "I think we can see it throughout games and throughout the series. It's tough minutes to play against our forward lines when they're playing the way they can," Alex Pietrangelo said. "You you can see the momentum we create by our line changes in the offensive zone, we're just using all four lines. If I was a defenseman, that would be tough to defend against."

Speaking of Pietrangelo, he called former teammate and current Bruins forward David Backes "Buffalo Head" on a recent episode of "In The Crease." What's up with that?

"That's an old nickname," he said Wednesday, and said he might it explain its origins "on another day." Cryptic!

Any lineup changes for the Blues?

If appears Robert Bortuzzo will slot in for Joel Edmundson, who has been rather underwhelming this series. Bortuzzo will play with Vince Dunn, who returned in Game 4.

"We've used everybody, that's what you need to do in the playoffs. It's a good competition. I think all the guys realize it," coach Craig Berube said. "You don't have to be happy about it but you still have to be a good teammate and they have been very good that way. It's great to have the depth."

Is there any chance they can stay out of the penalty box again?

Game 4 marked the first time in the series the Blues killed off fewer than four power plays, and the first time they didn't take at least two penalties in the first period. "We learned our lesson enough times to not be giving them four or five power plays a game. That's just something we touched on," forward Jaden Schwartz said. "We did a good job of that throughout the playoffs, but I think in the first few games, we got away a little bit from that. It's something that you want to pay attention to."

How great are the Blues on the road?

Very. The Blues are 6-0 on road when trailing or tied in series this postseason (excluding Game 1s). That's tied for the most such wins in a single postseason all time. The teams that had the most wins without a loss in this situation were the 2002 Red Wings and 2000 Devils, both of whom went on to win the Stanley Cup.

How much do the Bruins need their stars to step up?

Very much. Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk have yet to record an even-strength point in the series. (Marchand's goal in Game 1 was an empty-netter.)

"You always want to play the game that's in front of you. I think last game, there was more 5-on-5 and we need to find ways to generate more offensively," Bergeron said.

ST. LOUIS -- Perhaps you saw Barclay when he made his home debut in December. Then just 3 months old, the yellow Labrador retriever was frolicking around the ice with the St. Louis Blues at practice, chasing and gnawing on Brayden Schenn's stick, carrying a puck in his teeth and, yes, slipping just a little without the proper footwear.

Or maybe you saw him on the news (his adorable exploits made SportsCenter, CNN, Fox News, TSN and TMZ). Or you began following him on Instagram (his feed, @stlouisbluespup, has 65,000 followers). Or you saw him cuddling with former Blues player Bobby Plager or flopping on the lap of NBC play-by-play man Doc Emrick in a video that was widely circulated.

Or perhaps you haven't been introduced to him yet.

In that case, meet the good little guy whom the St. Louis Blues consider their good luck charm in a historic season that has led them to their first Stanley Cup Final in 49 years.

A cynic might wonder if Barclay is a marketing ploy. After all, in December, the Blues were reaching their nadir, sinking to last place in the NHL despite high expectations (they have obviously since turned their season around). But the Blues decided to adopt Barclay before the season, and he's around for a greater purpose.

Barclay was born in September and taken in by the Blues when he was 3 months old. The idea to add a dog to the team? That came from Blues broadcaster John Kelly's sister, who is a puppy raiser. She saw that the New York Rangers had brought in a dog that would eventually work with people with autism.

"And we're an organization that likes to go all-in," said Randy Girsch, the Blues' VP of community partnership, who has the lucky job of bringing Barclay home at night. The Islanders, Senators and Canadiens are among the teams that have since followed suit and brought in office dogs.

The Blues agreed to be puppy raisers for the organization Duo, a not-for-profit in St. Louis that trains service dogs. From the moment he was born, Barclay has been around a human 24 hours a day. Duo comes in once a week to provide training assistance, but besides that, it's up to Blues employees to train Barclay.

"Our main goal with Barclay is to acclimate him to all social situations," Girsch said. "We need to make sure he's really comfortable around people."

Barclay -- whose name was chosen by a fan vote, in honor of former Blues player and coach Barclay Plager -- will be with the team for 18 months before he graduates. Depending on his temperament, Barclay will work as a service dog for someone with a disability or serve as a courtroom dog, sitting for hours with children who are testifying in cases in which they were physically, sexually or mentally abused. Children in those situations typically have a difficult time opening up to adults -- especially prosecutors -- so the presence of a dog can help them open up "because dogs don't judge anyone," Girsch said.

To get ready for his adult role, Barclay often walks the concourse during games -- if a puppy can handle an NHL game environment, let's face it, he can face almost anything -- and mingles with players in the locker room.

Barclay has his own space carved out in the Blues' offices at the Enterprise Center. It is essentially a pen extending from Girsch's office door. Girsch has gotten used to having quite a few unexpected visitors throughout the day. Barclay is usually a very good boy, and he hasn't gotten into any garbage or done anything too naughty, though he does have a penchant for eating plants.

The Blues feel good about the fact that they're giving back, but they know Barclay has provided just as much fulfillment for them.

"If I ever have a bad day, it's really nice to see him," forward Ivan Barbashev said. Added Girsch: "When the players see him, they always stop to greet him. They really, really do love him."

Over the past eight weeks of the NHL playoffs, Barclay hasn't been around the team as much as he usually is, but it's probably a good bet that if the Blues win two of the next three games, Barclay will be back on the ice to celebrate the franchise's first Stanley Cup.

Manchester United are braced for a bid from Paris Saint-Germain for David De Gea after the French side announced Gianluigi Buffon will leave the club this summer, sources have told ESPN FC.

De Gea has a year left on his contract and negotiations over a new long-term deal have stalled. United have privately insisted they will not cash in this summer but there are fears their resolve will be severely tested by a big-money move from PSG.

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Buffon will leave the Ligue 1 champions a year after arriving from Juventus, leaving coach Thomas Tuchel with just Alphonse Areola as his senior goalkeeper. Buffon and Areola shared goalkeeping duties last season.

De Gea has also been linked with Juventus and Real Madrid but sources have told ESPN FC that United fear PSG pose the most serious threat. There are doubts about whether Juventus could afford the deal while there is a belief at Old Trafford that Real Madrid's transfer priorities lie elsewhere.

PSG, who are also interested in Keylor Navas, have the funds to tempt United with a large fee and offer De Gea a lucrative wage packet while giving the 28-year-old the chance to win trophies and challenge for the Champions League.

United have been in contract talks with Spain's No.1, whose form dipped sharply during the second half of the season, for more than a year but terms have not been agreed and he could walk away for free next summer.

De Gea, who is open to staying at the club, has been offered a five-year deal worth £350,000-a-week but an agreement is yet to be reached.

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He also entered the last year of his deal in 2015 and was on the brink of joining Real Madrid before the transfer broke down at the last minute.

Sources have told ESPN FC that Atletico Madrid's Jan Oblak and AC Milan's Gianluigi Donnarumma are on United's radar if they decide to sell De Gea.

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would also be open to handing Sergio Romero the No.1 spot while there are also high hopes for 22-year-old Dean Henderson, who helped Sheffield United secure promotion to the Premier League during a loan spell at Bramall Lane last season.

WASHINGTON -- U.S. men's national team manager Gregg Berhalter said his side's 1-0 friendly defeat to Jamaica was "really something to learn from" though he admitted that "we performed poorly tonight."

Jamaica was full value for its victory, with Shamar Nicholson scoring the game's only goal in the 60th minute following a U.S. turnover in its own defensive third. U.S. forward Joshua Sargent had a late chance to equalize, but his effort was saved by Jamaica keeper Andre Blake.

"What I would say is that the guys tried," he said. "We gave a decent effort. We didn't play well, and you're going to have nights when you don't play well."

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With most of the roster having just arrived into camp last weekend, the U.S. was playing without much of its first-choice lineup. That reality was exacerbated by the fact that LA Galaxy midfielder Sebastian Lletget has been ruled out of the Gold Cup with a hamstring injury. So Berhalter also trotted out what he called a 3-4-2-1 formation, one that saw Cristian Roldan and Djordje Mihailovic play as attacking midfielders in support of lone striker Sargent.

But even with those factors, this was a performance to forget for the Americans. The first 20 minutes started brightly enough, with the U.S. getting behind the Jamaican defense on several occasions. The Reggae Boyz soon tightened up their defense and began to find some chances on the counter. With Jamaica ratcheting up its defensive pressure in the second half, the U.S. struggled, and the visitors soon got the goal it needed through Nicholson.

The night's action left Berhalter defending his choice of formation and personnel. The U.S. manager wanted to make sure he had an alternative alignment that was familiar to his players when the Gold Cup arrives.

"One of the objectives of this first camp was to play an alternate formation, so we achieved that," he said. "I think there's tweaks we can make to that formation better, make it function better. But overall, that was positive. The negative was that we lacked speed. We lacked aggression in the final third. When you talk about when the ball is wide, there should be four guys in the penalty box, and we only had two most of the time. Even when we won the ball in good positions, now it's time to counter, now it's time to really force ourselves on the opponent. We didn't do that."

Berhalter also said that the fact that the U.S. will name its final 23-man Gold Cup roster later tonight had a negative effect on some players.

"The roster was pretty much intact from our point of view," he said. "But when there's a deadline, when you're naming a roster, it weighs on people. I think we saw some of that. I don't think any of those guys will make excuses. I'm not going to make excuses. We know we need to improve. We know we need to get better. We know we need to be I think more aggressive in the final third. We had one shot on goal today. That's pretty poor, and we know that."

The fact that Berhalter had so little of his first-choice lineup wasn't a deterrent, especially with the experience he had at his disposal in the back.

"It's guys that are full internationals, you're talking about Tim Ream, Matt Miazga and Omar [Gonzalez]. With them in particular we wanted to see how that would work with the center-backs. When you throw a guy like Antonee Robinson, who has that ability I think to be a wing-back with his speed and his aggression and his crossing ability, we had enough pieces in the camp the week before to give it a try."

The result will do little to placate a fanbase whose emotions are still raw form the failure to qualify for the last World Cup. But Berhalter is undaunted.

"I'm not sure it should be that volatile that you turn against a team after one poor performance," he said. "There's going to be more, especially as time goes on, there will be more poor performances when I'm coach. I guarantee it. That's part of it. Are the guys bought in? Are they working hard? Are we executing the kind of soccer we're trying to execute? We're getting there."

ORANGEBURG, N.Y. -- Whether it is on the training ground or following a match, Maxime Chanot always leaves the field the same way. The New York City FC center-back, one of the longest-tenured players on the team, drops to one knee and lifts his eyes toward the heavens. What follows for Chanot is an intricate ritual that lasts several minutes, a prayer in which he thanks God not just for the game of soccer but for the path it paved for him to escape poverty.

NYCFC in turn should be thankful for Chanot, a fixture of its defense who has played every minute of this season and turned in several dominating performances so far.

The 29-year-old's rugged defending and crisp distribution in transition haven't grabbed the headlines of the former face of NYCFC, David Villa. Now in his fourth season in MLS, Chanot has become a constant at the club -- even serving as captain last year when Villa was injured -- and his emergence this season as one of the league's best center-backs has helped propel NYCFC in recent weeks.

A team once known for fielding stars is now effectively navigating MLS via its back line, and the Luxembourg international is the centerpiece of a very solid defensive group. It's working, too: New York City's 15 goals conceded are the fourth fewest in the league.

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Familiarity has been a key component to that success, with Chanot and central defensive partner Alexander Callens now in their third season together. Their understanding is paving the way: NYCFC is unbeaten in its past nine games and has conceded just seven goals in that span. After a rough start to the year, it's back among the Eastern Conference playoff places where it belong.

When asked about his form, Chanot is quick to credit his teammates and the stability of the back line, but he also talks about how MLS has forced him to become a more complete player, growing beyond simply man-marking and winning balls.

"I have to be honest with myself and improve on the ball since I've been in New York," Chanot told ESPN FC. "If I compare myself this season in 2019 and compare them before I came here ... I'm more comfortable with the ball. It makes me better as a football player."

That a player capped 32 times by his country has experienced growth in MLS runs counter to the narrative that it's a retirement league. Chanot embraces the idea that Major League Soccer has aided his development as a player. Having played in the first or second divisions in England, France and Belgium prior to his move to the U.S., Chanot points to MLS as the place where he began to grow beyond simply defending.

In Belgium, Chanot was told by a coach that "defending is hard, so just focus on defending." Playing in a system in which the center-backs are expected to be a part of the possession meant that Chanot had to not just adapt but evolve.

"At this club, we like to play out of the back. You need to not only be a good defender but be a good attacker, if I can say, with the ball," Chanot said. "It's a little bit tougher than over in Europe, because in Europe, I only focused on my defending side. In New York, we have to do both.

"I'm happy to play the game the way we do in New York, and it makes me improve myself."

More than his fitness in 2019 -- Chanot has yet to play more than 19 matches in his three full seasons in MLS, but he'll likely eclipse his MLS single-season bests in matches and minutes played by July -- is his versatility that's helping NYCFC. Head coach Domenec Torrent lauds his ability to play three different spots along a three- or four-man back line. Torrent calls Chanot "a leader" who with Callens "are maybe the best center-backs in the league ... that's my opinion."

"For me, [Chanot] is much better than last year," Torrent said. "[Last year] he had a lot of problems. He had pain in the back all the time. He's not 100 percent sometimes, but when his back is better, he has more confidence."

Chanot also feels "at home" with this club, turning down offers from Europe to stay in MLS.

"It was a move forward for me, from Belgium to MLS," Chanot said. "I am very happy with this league, with the way that I've grown."

"What initially drew Chanot to NYCFC in 2016 was the opportunity to play alongside the likes of Villa and Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard. None of those three are still with the club, but Chanot has been an anchor amid plenty of change as the team has shifted away from being built upon superstar signings.

"I have [had] the chance to play in the Premier League and a championship team in England with Sheffield [United]. I had the chance to play in France with a first- and second-division team. I had a chance to play in Belgium. From Belgium, I think MLS is better."

PORTO -- When you haven't won a major trophy of any description since 1966, literally anything will do to end that barren run. So England will certainly celebrate success in the inaugural UEFA Nations League if Gareth Southgate's team emerge as winners in Portugal this week.

It may feel like international football's version of the Community Shield or UEFA Super Cup -- nobody would suggest the Nations League will become a rival to the World Cup or European Championship as a trophy that really matters for Europe's major nations -- but you have to be in it to win it, and England's presence alongside Switzerland, Netherlands and hosts Portugal is another sign of their progress as an emerging force.

England's disastrous Euro 2016 campaign, which ended with elimination at the hands of minnows Iceland in the round of 16, seems a long time ago. Now, 12 months on from reaching the World Cup semifinals in Russia when they were eliminated by Croatia, England face another semi when they meet the Dutch in Guimaraes on Thursday (live on ESPN2 at 7.45 BST/2.45 ET) determined to win the competition and use it as a staging post for their Euro 2020 campaign and assault on the next World Cup in Qatar in 2022.

Simply being in the Nations League's final four is a sign of England's development towards becoming a team to be feared on the global stage once again.

Southgate's players topped a group containing Spain and Croatia to make it to the finals, winning impressively against Spain in Seville before securing qualification with a cathartic 2-1 victory at home to the Croatians in November, which went some way to avenging the defeat in Moscow four months earlier.

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Beating Spain and Croatia in competitive fixtures were big moments for this England team and they ensured the feelgood factor generated in Russia was extended to this summer.

"It's a new tournament, but it's still a chance to win a trophy in an England shirt," England captain Harry Kane, who is fit to play after recovering from injury at the end of the season, told UEFA.com. "1966 was a long time ago, so we're going to try and take full advantage. We all want to win trophies and have the experience of sharing that with the group and the fans, so it's a huge incentive.

"If we go on and win, it will be another stepping stone to go on to achieve big things in the future. Winning trophies breeds that mentality to go on to do more and more, so it's a chance for us to start early and try to achieve that."

However, despite reaching the semifinals in Russia, England still have some way to go. The World Cup brought an end to a series of hugely disappointing campaigns at major tournaments -- it was the first time England had won a knockout fixture since the 2006 World Cup -- but there was also a sense that Southgate's players fell short against the first top team they faced (Croatia) after navigating a soft route through the latter stages.

Overall though, the campaign in Russia was one of progress and helped to instil a newfound confidence in the side. England now have genuine hopes of success at Euro 2020 and Qatar 2022 on the back of last summer, which is why the Nations League is so important to Southgate's team.

Netherlands, with the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Kevin Strootman and Daley Blind adding experience to the emerging talents of Matthijs de Ligt, Frenkie de Jong and Donny van de Beek, will pose a tough first hurdle, but England are now stronger than a year ago.

Fifteen players remain from the World Cup squad, and the bulk of them will still be young enough to form the nucleus of Southgate's squad in Qatar.

Kane returned from Russia with the Golden Boot as top scorer, Raheem Sterling has become a contender for this year's Ballon d'Or with his performances for Manchester City and England this season, while 20-year-old Trent Alexander-Arnold travels to Portugal having just played his second Champions League final in a row with Liverpool, emerging with a winners' medal this time around.

Experience is growing within the squad and Southgate's players are becoming accustomed to performing, and winning, on the biggest stage -- seven of England's Nations League squad played in the Champions League final between Liverpool and Tottenham.

There is also a batch of exciting new talent within Southgate's squad: Jadon Sancho (19), Declan Rice (20) and Ben Chilwell (22) have all made the cut for Portugal, while Marcus Rashford (21) plays in his third summer tournament for England.

A win against the Dutch would set up a final against Portugal in Porto on Sunday (live on ESPN at 8.45 p.m. BST/3.45 p.m. ET) and give England the opportunity to end their 53-year wait for international success. And while it won't truly sate the appetite for a major honour, success would be a huge moment for this England team as they prepare for greater challenges ahead.

AB de Villiers made a remarkable last-ditch offer to come out of international retirement for this summer's World Cup, but it was turned down by the South Africa team management on the eve of their final squad announcement. Their thinking was that a recall would, among other things, be unfair to the squad that had been together for the past year since de Villiers announced his retirement.

ESPNcricinfo understands that the offer was made in April, just 24 hours before South Africa's selectors unveiled their final 15-man squad for the World Cup. De Villiers did not want to comment on the story, but said he was "wholly focussed" on supporting the South Africa team*. He reiterated his support for South Africa in a tweet.

All that's important is that we should all focus on supporting the team at the World Cup. There is a long way to go and I believe the boys can still go all the way #ProteaFire

— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) June 6, 2019

De Villiers is believed to have approached South Africa's captain Faf du Plessis, head coach Ottis Gibson and convener of selectors Linda Zondi, expressing his desire to reverse his retirement, but was told that this would not be possible. According to people privy to the talks, de Villiers' request was "not even considered".

It is understood that there were two main reasons behind the team management and selectors' decision. Primarily, de Villiers had retired in May 2018, exactly a year before the World Cup was scheduled. Thereafter, he did not fulfil the selection criteria, which included playing South African domestic cricket or international cricket in the intervening months.

It was also felt that a recall for de Villiers would have been unfair on the players who have been performing in his absence, men such as Rassie van der Dussen, who made three fifties in his first four ODI innings after making his debut against Pakistan in January.

Zondi later responded to the news, confirming that the above were the reasons why de Villiers was turned down.

The revelation comes amid a calamitous start to South Africa's World Cup campaign, which has featured three defeats in a row - including Wednesday's six-wicket loss to India at the Hampshire Bowl - in addition to the loss of another of their all-time great players, Dale Steyn, who withdrew from the squad this week due to a shoulder injury.

South Africa may now need to win all six of its remaining group fixtures, starting with Monday's clash against West Indies in Southampton, just to give themselves a chance of reaching the World Cup semi-finals.

The situation has led many South African fans to demand an emergency recall for de Villiers, who made 9577 runs at 53.50 in his ODI career, including a world-record 31-ball hundred against West Indies in January 2015. The fact that he could indeed have been available to his country will add to the impression of a squad in the throes of another World Cup crisis.

Last year, in a video posted on Twitter, de Villiers called time on his 14-year international career with immediate effect, stating that he was "tired" and "running out of gas".

"For me, in green and gold, it must be everything or nothing," he said. "I will always be grateful to my team-mates, the coaches and the staff of Cricket South Africa for their support through all these years."

Although he turned 35 in February, he demonstrated his enduring class with 442 runs at 44.20 for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the recent IPL, and he is due to link up with Middlesex in the T20 Blast immediately after the World Cup.

More recently, however, de Villiers has been dropping hints that he would be willing to renege on his decision. Speaking on Indian TV in May, around the time of his World Cup offer, he stated: "I was keen to play in the World Cup, but I left, I retired.

"It was a very sensitive situation," he added. "For the last three years of my career, I was labelled as a guy who is picking and choosing when I was playing and when not. So I got quite a lot of criticism from back home, which also played a role in me retiring.

"And it was difficult for me to then go 'Hey, but I'll still play the World Cup'. It's that picking and choosing thing again, and it's quite arrogant to do something like that. But as they say, you can't have your bread buttered on both sides."

Around the same time, in May this year, speaking to Live Mint, de Villiers had also compared the IPL and the World Cup, saying the IPL was the better tournament. "Nothing comes close to the IPL, to be honest," de Villiers had said. "I know I am sitting in India and busy playing in the IPL, so it's easy to say. But I have played in quite a few (tournaments) now across the world. I think it's better than the World Cup.

"It's the most incredible tournament to be part of... It's so intense, so fast, and the following is just incredible."

*June 6, 0822 GMT. The article was updated to include a reaction from AB de Villiers