Mauricio Pochettino went to great lengths to get his Tottenham team to deal with their "fears" ahead of the Champions League final in Madrid on Saturday.

With the assistance of his friend and motivational coach Xesco Espar, Pochettino had Spurs players go through several exercises to help them overcome fears including walking on hot coals in a training session on Wednesday.

It may sound crazy, but the Tottenham manager, who did the same exercise with Southampton players when he was with Saints, said there is a method to the madness.

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"The thing that's important to say is we all have fear. People without fears don't exist," Pochettino told reporters. "It's not that the players are not going to fear anything, but they are going to be free to work [through them]. There are people that freeze with fear. Successful people have the same fears -- it's just that they take them on.

"The players have learned a lot in these three weeks because we've had the capacity to work in a different way, to create a different plan. When you have only one objective and three weeks to prepare, it's easier than when you play every three days.

"We are going to arrive in a perfect condition and the most important thing is that the players have enjoyed the journey over these three weeks. They'll always remember it. It's been an amazing time to share all together.

"And if you build something special, it is going to be remembered forever. If we win the Champions League, it's going to be a massive example for football -- I think forever."

Pochettino wouldn't be drawn on whether or not Harry Kane would start or play in the final and the Spurs boss faces some tough decisions with Kane back to fitness after seven weeks out and his replacement Lucas Moura having scored a hat trick in the remarkable semifinal win against Ajax.

Pochettino said he would not take any decision on whether to start with Kane or his other selection choices until after Friday's training.

"It's difficult to put yourself in my place," he said. "It's not going to be easy to take a decision tomorrow and every game you need to take a decision. Tomorrow we will have all the information and we will take the best decision to try to win.

"You can use only 11 players from the beginning -- that is the most painful situation. The whole squad will be on the pitch before the game tomorrow.

"Tomorrow is to show togetherness. Tomorrow will show football is a collective sport, the energy even from the players who do not play in the dressing room will be decisive."

Meanwhile, Spurs captain Hugo Lloris said the final was a game where the entire squad would have a role.

"We are going to need everyone," he said. "It's a good mix in the changing room with experienced players and young players. Then you follow the leader, the manager. Every player is important at this stage of the competition. Any player can be decisive."

Lloris said the comeback win in Amsterdam showed the strength of Spurs as a collective unit.

"It was the togetherness -- players with the staff, with the chairman, with the fans. It was one of the best moments in my career," said the French World Cup winning goalkeeper.

"And obviously we want a better moment after the game tomorrow. We know football is a collective sport and we spend so much time together."

Information from Reuters was used in this story.

The Gabba has been locked in for the opening Test of the 2021-22 Ashes but there has been no similar guarantee made for next year's visit by India who did not play at Australia's stronghold on their tour last season.

Australia's Test team are unbeaten in Brisbane in 30 years and it has traditionally been the starting point for the Test summer, but last season the first match against India was played in Adelaide much to the frustration of the players and management.

Instead, Australia played Sri Lanka in a day-night Test in late January which struggled to attract fans and was over well inside three days. Last month it was confirmed that the ground would regain the opening Test for the 2019-20 season against Pakistan with the interests of the Australia players at the forefront but, at the time, there was no confirmation of future years.

The Ashes commitment to the Gabba comes on the back of Queensland Cricket getting state funding for an AUS$35 million upgrade of facilities at the ground and while it is unusual for a fixture confirmation so far ahead of time it was a simpler decision with the traditional five Ashes Tests.

India's next tour in 2020-21 will again consist of four Tests which means one of the big five venues will miss out hosting them. Afghanistan are the other Test visitors that season for their maiden match against Australia.

Outside of Ashes Tests crowd numbers have been a challenge for the Gabba putting its standing as one of the premier venues under threat and it was accepted that significant investment was needed to improve facilities for players and spectators. The former has already been invested in, with the fan experience now key to the ground's future after this funding boost.

The aim is to have the improvements completed in time for the Men's T20 World Cup in late 2020 when Brisbane hosts four matches during that tournament before Afghanistan's brief visit ahead of India's tour. The following season then includes the next Ashes series on Australian soil.

Kevin Roberts, the Cricket Australia CEO, said: "Nothing excites Australian cricket fans like an Ashes series on home soil and the upgrades to the Gabba will ensure that in hosting the first Test of the Ashes series in 2021-22, fans in Queensland will get the first opportunity to enjoy world-class cricket while experiencing the upgraded facilities."

The 2019-2020 men's season includes a two-Test series against Pakistan and three against New Zealand.

Marcus Rashford. Wilfried Zaha. Sane.

Trent is rattling off opponents that have been the most menacing before he zeros in on the tormentor-in-chief. "I played away against Eden Hazard this season for the first time directly and that was incredibly difficult," he says. "I thought he was the most talented winger I've come up against -- special, unbelievable strength and acceleration. He is very hard to keep quiet.

"In the Premier League, most of the time when you're lining up, the opposition's best players are their wingers with a few exceptions. They're the fastest, the most dangerous. Robbo [Andy Robertson] and I always joke that we're fortunate to have Mo [Salah] and Sadio [Mane] on the same team as us, because they can keep full-backs up at night.

"Jordi Alba was really hard to defend against too. In the first half, he just wouldn't stop going, his running was relentless. I've never played against a full-back like that before -- he just kept wanting to go past me and was getting back. It's good to know what makes me feel uncomfortable, so I can use it against other full-backs."

Extended time in Alexander-Arnold's company reinforces Klopp's assertion that he encapsulates the "we're never gonna stop" line in Liverpool's Allez, Allez, Allez Champions League anthem. While his dimpled, soft face still shows the boy, his mindset speaks to his maturity. Trent is engaged, thoughtfully mapping his answers and there is already an intensity about him that could be felt in similar settings with Steven Gerrard. He is serious with a steely determination that drips through every facet of his life.

He doesn't dwell on high points, instead digging through the kind of contests most would want to permanently delete in order to extract lessons from them.

"It's important to realise what you've done well in your good games and hold onto that, but what really shapes you as a player is what you take away from the nightmare matches," he says. "[Academy director] Alex Inglethorpe told me once that the real mistake is not learning from your mistake. If you understand your error and work on it, you gain a strength.

"When I have a bad game, I dissect it in every detail. What did I do during the preparation? What was my mindset going into it?

"It's important for me to understand what works well in terms of routines and how I condition my mind. I'm learning to personalise and perfect my preparation."

Alexander-Arnold's function as a right-back has often been discussed by fans and former players as a short-term solution before he reverts to the centre of the pitch.

But given his excellence on the defensive flank, would he want to remain there and try to become the world's undisputed best in the position?

"I just want to win trophies more than anything and it doesn't matter where I am on the pitch," he says. "Playing for the club I love is more important than any position. I'm a right-back now and I want to be the best at it.

"Just as Ashley Cole did when I was growing up, I want to change the way full-backs are thought of along with Robbo. We want to show that full-backs often influence a game a lot more than positions that are traditionally thought of as the most prestigious. It's a valuable role as Klopp and Guardiola have both said and it's certainly one of the most demanding. We are measured equally by how we attack and how we defend more than any other position. You've got to get assists, you've got to keep clean sheets.

"We have the obligation to get forward and it's non-negotiable to get back -- you have to do both equally well. I hope we can help change the idea that no kids want to grow up and be a fullback."

While the rain stubbornly bucketed down in Kowloon during the preseason tour of Hong Kong in 2017, Klopp issued a challenge to Alexander-Arnold that he privately acknowledged the youngster would weather.

"Trent, what potential!," the 51-year-old said. "He has to improve on his defending now though, that is the aim. Yes, he is a kid, but the moment he can defend like a man, he can play regularly in the Premier League. As long as he defends like a kid and attacks like a man, then you have only half of this amazing talent.

"I cannot change this -- only he can. He knows and is excited about the improvement he can make." Fast forward to 2019 and Alexander-Arnold, who now holds the Premier League assist record for a defender with 12 this season, was part of the meanest rearguard in England's top flight.

"The manager has got so much out of me," he says. "He is demanding and never allows you to get comfortable. He expects to consistently see more from his players, which suits me because I want to go beyond my limits."

Liverpool's backroom team enthuse about Alexander-Arnold's knowledge of when and how to defend on the front foot in midfield areas, jumping tight with a wide man or full-back and protecting the half space -- the areas on the pitch between the wide and central zones that teams in possession look to exploit. They've observed a continual upward trend in how he defends against the ball and closes the last line.

His offensive might is crucial weaponry in Klopp's aggressive blueprint, as is his ability to operate with direction and take responsibility on the pitch.

"I've definitely progressed defensively and I've spent a lot of time working through all the situations I know I can get better in," Alexander-Arnold says. "Playing against some of the best players in the world on a daily basis in training is massive for me, because I'm pushing myself to the maximum in every session. We've got a group that are constantly searching for improvement so I go into training knowing it's an opportunity to get better. I tell myself 'don't waste a day.'

"The senior players have given me the same message -- Milly [James Milner] especially. He always says I should make the most of my talent and get everything out of the game that I can because it all goes so quickly.

"I don't want to look back with regrets. I don't want to think I could have been a better player, that I could've put in more effort."

The Scouser, who finally has a fan chant that references his local heritage, speaks with such authority on the responsibility he feels to win. Having repeatedly declared his ambition to captain his boyhood club in the future, such comments offer a snapshot of someone who is capable, too. "We're at a place where we demand silverware from ourselves," he says. "It's not something we shy away from or are scared of: we're one of the best sides in the world. We can't put too much pressure on our first major season of competing on two big fronts, but ultimately, it's the objective we're striving towards.

"If we don't win a lot of silverware over the next few years then something has gone massively wrong, because with this manager, with the way the team is looking, with the way that we've been playing -- it's just incredible and we will keep going and going and going. That will be rewarded."

As a 6-year-old then already tied to Liverpool's Academy, Alexander-Arnold watched the magic of Istanbul -- "a night no one will forget and that showed the character of Liverpool, the team and the city" -- unfold in the family home, two minutes from Melwood. He remembers the intoxication of the victory parade, after Liverpool's comeback from 3-0 down against Milan, with the Reds winning on penalties, snaking past his three-bedroom duplex and for the first time in this interview, the "An Hour for Others" ambassador allows himself to drink in just how far he has come and how rapidly that has happened.

It is clear that he is not glowing on an individual level, but for the people he gets to share these experiences with. His mother, Diane, has been an "extension of Liverpool's coaching staff," while his father, Michael, has preached education, preparation and strategy. Older brother Tyler, four years his senior, is Alexander-Arnold's "deep-thinking, intelligent" manager. Marcell, three years his junior, was his roommate at the West Derby house, which they only moved out of when he was 17.

"I wouldn't be the person and player I am today without them," Alexander-Arnold says. "I'd be a million miles away from it. They've been so supportive and influential -- and this is no exaggeration -- they have sacrificed everything for me. They have sacrificed themselves: their dreams and their hopes so they could make mine a reality. They've been there for me when times have been hard, when I've been down. And they've celebrated the happiest moments with me as well.

"I never want that to change. I absolutely love going home to them and just being Trent."

Alexander-Arnold thinks about "his people" too. The ones who, like him, devote themselves to Liverpool -- albeit on the terraces. He is fiercely proud of being Scouse and relishes representing his city on a worldwide stage. "There's a difference to this place," he says. "People who aren't from Liverpool probably think we're over the top, but that's because we're really passionate about the things we love. We stand united on important issues and we fight for what we believe in with everything we've got."

He has a tight bond with those who flock to Anfield, realising they possess the power to lift Liverpool and act as kryptonite even to the game's greatest teams and players.

"Without the fans, what we did against Barcelona would have been an impossible task to pull off," Alexander-Arnold says. "The performance was a thank you to them, to show them they are special, that they do make a difference. It was appreciation for every single individual that comes to watch us, that gives up their time and their money to support us around the country and the continent, that love this club and believe in it even during tough times. And for the supporters who can't get to the matches, but wake up at strange times and go out of their way to follow us throughout a season."

The biggest show of gratitude would be Liverpool turning almost into an absolute in Madrid, soaked in champagne and confetti as they pass around the European Cup.

"This time we know what it's all about, we understand everything around the game so we'll be more prepared in that respect," Alexander-Arnold says.

"We're a more complete team. During the course of this season, we've shown a variety of ways to win and to conduct ourselves. When we score first, we're very hard to break down. If we need a late goal, we can produce it. If we need to manage a period of a game and take the sting out of it, we know what to do.

"If we're not at 100 percent, Spurs can hurt us. But we will be leaving everything we've got on that pitch."

MADRID -- The only thing left to settle for the European club season before the summer is the Champions League, and much like the Europa League final, it's an all-English affair in Madrid as Liverpool take on Tottenham. Who will begin their holidays with a trophy and who will spend the offseason wondering what could have been?

Here is what you need to know ahead of Saturday's game, which kicks off at 3 p.m. ET (8 p.m. BST) and is set to be played in hot temperatures.

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BACKSTORY: Liverpool arrive with the greater pedigree. They've won the European Cup five times; only Milan and Real Madrid have more. They reached the final only last season, when they were beaten by Real Madrid in Kiev, Ukraine, and they finished this season a single point off the pace in the Premier League behind Manchester City.

Contrast this with Tottenham. Only Michel Vorm, their third-choice goalkeeper, was even born the most recent time they were in a European final of any kind: the 1984 UEFA Cup final. That was also the most recent time they went beyond the quarterfinals in Europe. Spurs finished fourth in the Premier League and lost 2-1 both times they faced Liverpool this season, though the second clash, at Anfield, was a particularly tight, hard-fought affair that could have gone either way.

CARDIAC COMEBACKS, LIVERPOOL EDITION: If it wasn't for a dramatic victory over Napoli in their final group-stage game in December -- which saw them advance thanks to a tiebreaker -- Liverpool's Champions League quest would have ended before the knockout rounds. Plus, they pulled off the most dramatic of turnarounds at Anfield in the semifinal against Barcelona, winning 4-0 to wipe out a 3-0 first leg defeat.

CARDIAC COMEBACKS, TOTTENHAM EDITION: Tottenham were also headed out of the competition in December until Lucas Moura's goal, with five minutes to go away to Barcelona at the Camp Nou, in the final group game. Even then they only advanced thanks to the tiebreaker as well. Moura, of course, would prove decisive again in the semifinal second-leg comeback against Ajax, notching a hat trick including that buzzer-beater of a winner in injury time. Oh, and in the quarterfinal against heavily favored Manchester City, a dramatic Fernando Llorente deflected goal with minutes to go saw Spurs advance in a seesaw match.

NO SILVERWARE, NO PROBLEM: Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino famously said that trophies "build egos" but league finishes and year-on-year improvement build clubs. While Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp hasn't quite gone that far, he too is living proof that a manager's popularity rests on far more than delivering silverware. Both are immensely loved by their fan bases, yet Pochettino has never won a trophy in his managerial career and Klopp's last major title was in 2012, when he led Borussia Dortmund to the Bundesliga title. His record in finals isn't great, either, having lost six of seven.

Obviously, that will change for one of these two men Saturday ...

TACTICAL CONTRAST: Both managers believe in pressing, directness, high lines and speedy forwards, but Pochettino has been, often by necessity, the more pragmatic and shape-shifting of the two. Where Liverpool's lineup has been relatively settled for much of the season, Tottenham have been hammered by injuries at various stages. As a result, Pochettino has played a variety of lineups and schemes, and going into this game, it's hard to predict how Tottenham will take the field.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO FOLLOWING A DEFEAT, LIVERPOOL: They will be dealt a crushing psychological blow and folks start to murmur that, for all his touchy-feely, cult-of-personality schtick, maybe Klopp really does have issues in getting a team over the line. To miss out on the Premier League by one point and then to fail in Madrid after losing in last season's Champions League final, ending another season empty-handed ... it's a grim thought the players and fans will not want to entertain.

WORST-CASE SCENARIO FOLLOWING A DEFEAT, TOTTENHAM: Given Liverpool are huge favorites, a loss for Spurs wouldn't be a big deal. But there's intrigue here, too. Pochettino says he's taken Tottenham as far as he possibly can and demands further investment in the side in the summer. If it doesn't come -- and, in fact, contract malcontents Christian Eriksen and Toby Alderweireld leave -- Pochettino resigns, too. Not the best way to end a season filled with so much hope.

CENTER-FORWARD CONUNDRUM, LIVERPOOL: Roberto Firmino is an atypical central striker whose contribution is less about goals and more about his movement, passing and work off the ball. He is invaluable to Liverpool's system but suffered muscular injuries late in the season. Klopp says he's fit for the final, but you wonder how a layoff of nearly six weeks since his most recent start is going to affect him.

CENTER-FORWARD CONUNDRUM, TOTTENHAM: Spurs born and bred, Tottenham fans sing that their captain, Harry Kane, is "one of their own." He undoubtedly is, and what's more, he's one of the best center-forwards in the world, having scored 90 goals in the past three years in all competitions. While it appears he's fit again, his most recent appearance for the club was way back on April 9, so rust is bound to be a factor.

Kane's return also poses a dilemma for Pochettino: Does he leave out either Son Heung-Min or Moura, who were heroic in getting Spurs this far, or does he try to cram all three into his starting XI? On paper, it's a risky thing to do ... then again, he's done it five times in the Premier League this season. And each time, Spurs have won.

STAR MAN, LIVERPOOL: Mohamed Salah took Liverpool by storm last season, when he scored 44 goals after joining from Roma, and many expected him to regress to the mean this season. But while his numbers are down (he has 26 this campaign), he's still a constant scoring threat.

STAR MAN, TOTTENHAM: Christian Eriksen is the sort of player soccer connoisseurs love. Neither particularly quick nor athletic, he's hugely clever in finding space and unlocking opposition defenses and is always a threat from long range.

WHERE THE GAME WILL BE WON OR LOST: Both teams love to exploit the flanks, and Liverpool in particular have devastating fullback-winger combinations in Andy Robertson with Sadio Mane on the left and Trent Alexander-Arnold with Salah on the right. How Pochettino defends them will be key since both his full-backs (Kieran Trippier and Danny Rose) are more attack-minded. He might resort to a back three or, more likely, demand more work off the ball from his wide attacking players.

(Side note: Keep your eye on Robertson -- arguably the best crosser of the ball, he could place the ball on a dime in the most dangerous of attacking positions.)

X FACTOR, LIVERPOOL: Liverpool's style means that Virgil Van Dijk is often asked to do a lot of open-field defending. He's one of the best center-backs in the world, and how well he marshals the back four will have a huge impact; so too will the threat he poses at the other end on set pieces.

X FACTOR, TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR: Son has scored more key goals than you can shake a stick at this season, and his combination of strength, tactical nous and energy makes him both a nuisance (for opponents when in possession) and a threat to run behind (when opponents lose possession).

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LIVERPOOL WILL WIN BECAUSE ... They simply have more top-to-bottom quality in the lineup, and two key Spurs players are returning from injury (not just Kane but Harry Winks, too). Many of the matchups favor them in different areas of the pitch, particularly out wide. What's more, they have a distinct edge in dead-ball situations -- their goal difference in the Premier League in this department was plus-15, to Spurs' plus-5 -- and that can be decisive in a one-off match.

TOTTENHAM WILL WIN BECAUSE ... Pochettino knows how to be pragmatic, and in a final, the old standby of soaking up pressure and hitting on the counter works well. There's also more pressure on the opposition, and Pochettino is a master at spinning the underdog tale to motivate his players.

PREDICTION: Liverpool 3-1 Tottenham

There's a reason why these two clubs were separated by 26 points in the Premier League this season. Liverpool have more of an edge to them this season -- witness Robertson tackling Lionel Messi at Anfield -- and Klopp has more tactical Plan B options, like Xherdan Shaqiri off the bench or Gini Wijnaldum ghosting into the front three, than he did last season.

ST. LOUIS -- Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon didn't hold back in his criticism of plate umpire Laz Diaz after what he thought was a missed strike-three call in the 10th inning of Friday night's 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

With a runner on second base and one out, Cubs reliever Dillon Maples threw a 3-2 slider against the Cardinals' Harrison Bader that appeared to land in the strike zone. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, the pitch is called a strike 92 percent of the time.

"Here's a guy ascending to the major leagues as a relief pitcher, doing a wonderful job, does his job, and doesn't get rewarded for it," Maddon said of Maples. "That's what kind of pisses me off, quite frankly."

Maples was a bit more subdued when he discussed the call afterward.

"I just made a close pitch and obviously didn't get the call I wanted," he said. "So I was a little upset, but you have to move on."

Unfortunately for Maples, he wasn't able to. He walked the next batter on four pitches to load the bases before being pulled. Steve Cishek came on in relief, but two pitches later, the game was over on a bases-loaded bloop single to the left-field corner by Matt Carpenter.

Maddon said he was most concerned with his pitcher's psyche after the missed call.

"That's the kind of thing that bums me out," he said. "To have pitches taken away from him in a crucial moment. ... Now my guy has to go home and feel bad about himself tonight. And it wasn't even a borderline pitch. It was a strike."

Maddon has never been in favor of robot umpires, and didn't waver Friday, even after losing a game on what potentially was a missed call.

"I'm still not advocating an electronic strike zone," Maddon said. "I'm advocating, 'Let's go, you cannot miss that pitch in that situation.'

"He gets that fellow right there, I think it's a pretty high percentage chance he gets the next one, too."

Maddon was also critical of the Cubs' offense, which is mired in an 0-for-25 slump with runners in scoring position, including 0-for-8 on Friday. According to ESPN Stats & Info research, the Cubs are the only team in baseball this season with multiple streaks of 0-for-25 or worse with runners in scoring position. Earlier in May, the team went 0-for-28.

"That stinks," Chicago third baseman Kris Bryant said. "We have to do something to turn it around. It would be nice if this was something we didn't have to talk about."

One thing Bryant couldn't avoid discussing was getting booed all night at Busch Stadium. Cardinals fans let him have it after Bryant called the city of St. Louis "boring" during a comedy sketch last winter.

The Cubs' star expected the boos -- but not necessarily from his own team. Led by first baseman Anthony Rizzo, Bryant's teammates decided to boo right along with the fans when Bryant came to the plate for the first time.

"It was pretty funny," Bryant said. "I wanted to look and see all who was doing it. ... I think he told the bullpen guys to get in on it."

Said Maddon: "I don't think I've ever roundly booed one of my own guys before. I can check that off the list."

As the night went on, the boos became louder each time Bryant batted -- not from the Cubs' dugout, of course, but from the stands.

"They were into it, for sure," Bryant said of Cardinals fans. "It was impressive."

Bryant has maintained he was joking when he called St. Louis boring, though he hesitated when asked what he did on his day off in the city Thursday.

"Do I have to answer that?" Bryant said, smiling. "I didn't do much. I rested. I recovered."

Bryant indicated there were no hard feelings, and that he appreciated Cardinals fans for sticking up for their team and city.

"The stuff I heard wasn't personal," Bryant said. "It was booing. That's what it should be about."

DETROIT – Tony Buffomante claimed the pole for the Trans-Am Series TA2 Muscle Car Challenge at Belle Isle Park on Friday afternoon.

Buffomante and Rafa Matos traded fast times lap after lap during the 30-minute qualifying session for Saturday’s race, as Matos put his newly wrapped No. 88 Lear 3Dimensional Services Group Chevrolet Camaro into qualifying service looking to claim pole.

After pulling in to allow his Pirelli tires to cool, the Illinois-native dropped to mid-pack in the quickly moving session. With a cleaner track and cooler tires, Buffomante’s Mustang turned rocket ship, as he flew back to the top in the final minutes to challenge Matos.

Buffomante set the fastest lap of the day at 1:35.492 seconds, only .288 of a second ahead of the reigning TA2 champion Matos. In 2018, Buffomante drove flag to flag in the Detroit Grand Prix opening TA2 round after winning the pole.

“It’s good to be back,” said Buffomante. “I haven’t raced since Sebring, so I was a little bit rusty, but these Mike Cope Racing guys continued to work on the cars, making them better each round. We went out those last few laps and did what we could do! A driver has to have a good handling car here and be confident in it, because those walls will come out and bite you. It will be an interesting race tomorrow. I’ll be uber-aggressive, since we’re going for wins so we’ll see how things shake out.”

Rookie driver Lawless Alan experienced his best qualifying so far this season. After a troubling couple of practice sessions earlier in the day, Alan finally adapted to the 2.35-mile circuit, sliding into a third-place start for Saturday’s 60-minute feature. This is the 18-year-old’s first time turning laps on a street course.

“The first two sessions, I didn’t have a clue, and I knew I needed to figure out something for qualifying,” said Alan. “I talked to my teammate Tony Buffomante about gearing and how he was picking up some of the corners, and I decided to modify what I was doing to fit that more closely. I picked up a lot of time from that, so I appreciate his help, though I think I could have gone even faster. Coming from short tracks, I’m all too familiar with the wall – and occasionally finding it – so once I got used to how the car handled on this bumpy track, the walls weren’t that much of an issue. As long as I knew I was going to missed them, I didn’t care how close I got.”

MALTA, N.Y. – For the third week in a row, the winning pass was made late in Albany-Saratoga Speedway’s DIRTcar modified feature.

This pass was for the win was the latest yet, as the starter was waving the checkered flag Friday night when Marc Johnson edged ahead of longtime leader Rocky Warner by inches.

Warner had led since lap five after charging from the third row to shoot down polesitter Matt Pupelo.  His journey to the lead was slowed by a red flag for a hard flip by John Bellinger, subbing for son Bodie, on lap two and a backstretch melee two laps later.

Once the green stayed out, Warner blew by Pupelo and ran off to nearly a half track lead, leaving Pupello and Neil Stratton to battle for second.

By halfway in the 35-lapper, the 11th starting Johnson had clawed his way to second and began taking huge bites out of Warner’s lead as they both worked through heavy traffic.

By lap 25 he was a turn behind and as the lapped counter hit 30, he was four car lengths behind the leader.  With the crowd up and roaring, Johnson lost ground in traffic, then got it back to draw even at the flagstand as they received the white flag.

Headed to turn three, Warner had the advantage again but a lapped car slowed his entry to the turn just enough that Johnson got alongside again.  They hit the frontstretch even but Johnson managed to pull the win out by inches as they hit the stripe.

“That was a hell of a race,” quipped the normally laid back Johnson. “The laps were ticking off and I didn’t know if I’d make it.  Rocky and I are good friends and I love seeing him win, but not tonight.”

Stratton was third ahead of 15th-starting Stewart Friesen, Pupelo, CG Morey, Kris Vernold, Matt DeLorenzo, Keith Flach and Brett Hearn.

Derek Bornt claimed the $1,000 Sportsman feature win, followed by Justin Buff and Connor Cleveland.  Pro Stock action saw Robbie Yetman, subbing for Chuckie Dumblewski, drive to the lead from deep in the pack to best Josh Coonradt and Dan Older.

Esperance of Tunisia retained their African Champions League crown amid bizarre scenes on Friday when Wydad Casablanca refused to play on after having a goal disallowed and then walked off the pitch when the decision was not referred to the Video Assistant Referee.

With Esperance leading 2-1 on aggregate, Wydad thought they had equalised in the 59th minute when Ismail El Haddad had the ball in the back of the net.

However, referee Bakary Gassama disallowed the goal due to an infringement in the build-up and opted not to consult the VAR to check the decision.

That led to a stoppage as the Moroccan club's players protested, with their reserves and coaching staff storming onto the pitch to harangue the referee, while Esperance supporters hurled objects at the Wydad bench.

Once tempers settled down, Wydad then refused to get the game back underway, continuing to argue with officials while the referee, from the Gambia, and the home side waited with the game suspended.

Confusion reigned as Confederation of African Football officials consulted with the referee with no one prepared to take a decision about whether to continue with the game.

Eventually CAF President Ahmad came down to the pitch with the respective club bosses but the debate continued without resolution and with the delay continuing past 30 minutes Ahmad went onto the pitch to talk to the referee.

Gassama then handed Wydad a warning to continue and a time limit to resume the game but the Moroccans refused, their players sitting on the bench or kicking a ball on the side of the field.

After a total delay of one hour and 25 minutes, Gassama blew his whistle to indicate the match had been abandoned and Esperance were declared champions.

The game kicked off at 10 p.m. local time to allow players and fans to break their fast during the Moslem holy month of Ramadan and the confusion continued early into Saturday morning.

At the time of the stoppage, Esperance were leading through Youcef Belaili's 41st minute goal.

The striker curled in a strike from the edge of the area after a defence-splitting pass from talented wide man Aymen Ben Mohamed, who was born in London to an Irish mother and Tunisian father.

Esperance had held a 10-man Wydad to a 1-1 draw away in the first leg last Friday, where there were several contentious VAR decisions,

They are only the fourth club in the more than 50-year history of the competition to retain the title. The victory is their fourth in the continent's top club competition after previous success in 1994, 2011 and last year.

Esperance celebrated the club's centenary with an undefeated Champions League campaign, winning eight games and drawing four en route to the winners' podium in a triumph for their 37-year-old coach Moine Chaabani.

ST. LOUIS -- Chicago Cubs outfielder Albert Almora Jr. is hopeful the young girl who was struck by a foul ball off his bat on Wednesday night will make a "full recovery."

Speaking about the incident Friday before the Cubs played the St. Louis Cardinals, he joined in on a chorus of people calling for the MLB to do more to protect fans.

"I hope this never happens again. So whatever the league has to do to make that happen. ... I don't think any kid that goes to a baseball game with their parents or loved one should worry about making out unhealthy," Almora said. "I don't think that should ever cross their mind. So whatever the league needs to do to do that, that should be in place."

Almora was visibly shaken several different times during the game at Minute Maid Park in Houston on Wednesday, eventually letting his emotions come out in a huge hug with a security guard near where the fan was hit. By Friday, the 25-year-old was processing the moment much better.

"I've had a great support group around me, from my family back home and I can't speak enough about my teammates," he said. "This has been something I'll never forget in the way my support system is around me and how many people actually care.

"Everyone can be happy and jolly when things are going well but, excuse my language, when the s--- hits the fan, and people are around and show up, that's when it counts."

Asked how he was dealing with the whole incident, Almora responded: "I thought I was going to be a lot worse but this isn't about me. I'm not in the hospital."

On Wednesday, after the game, Almora committed to having a lifelong relationship with the fan. He's anxious to do that once the family feels it's time.

"Hopefully all is well and she's going to make a full recovery, God willing, but it's something I'll never forget for the rest of my life," Almora said. "When they're ready, I'll do whatever I can do to put a smile on that little girl's face."