WATERBURY, Vt. – The best of the American-Canadian Tour is ready to head north this weekend.

The Claude Leclerc 150 at Quebec’s Autodrome Chaudiere on Saturday and the Jean-Paul Cabana 125 at Circuit Riverside Speedway Ste-Croix on Sunday are shaping up as a triumphant return to la belle province for the region’s premier late model racing series.

The biggest U.S. stars of the ACT Tour will be at Autodrome Chaudiere this Saturday racing for the $5,000 (USD) top prize, including two-time defending champion Scott Payea, current point leader Rich Dubeau, previous Canada winner Jimmy Hebert and top rookie Stephen Donahue.

Others such as former ACT Rookie of the Year Brandon Atkins, defending Seekonk Speedway champion Ryan Kuhn, and rising star Christopher Pelkey are making the trek for the first point-counting ACT Tour event in Canada since 2015.

While the Jean-Paul Cabana 125 the following day does not count for points, many U.S. drivers are expected to stay over and fire up the engines once again on Sunday. That event pays $5,000 (CAD) to win, meaning it could be a lucrative trip abroad for one or more racers.

“The doubleheader part of it is pretty cool,” Atkins said. “We’re looking forward to doing a two-race Saturday-Sunday deal. We’ve never done that in the same car. We did that a couple years ago with the Modified and Late Model at Airborne and Thunder Road, but we’ve never done two big races in the same weekend back-to-back. It’s an old-school sort of thing. I remember hearing about the Tour doing that back in the day, but it hasn’t happened for quite a while.”

For some, more than just money is on the line. The point battle is already looking like it will once again come down to the final laps. Dubeau and Hebert sit one-two in the standings as both chase their first touring championship. But Payea is just 26 points out of first after winning the Spring Green at White Mountain Motorsports Park. Donahue and Chip Grenier, Mathieu Kingsbury and Dylan Payea are among the others who could put themselves in title contention with a strong performance on Saturday.

In the end, winning is still the main thing. The doubleheader will be two of the biggest stock car racing events of the year in Quebec – and for ACT late models as a whole. For drivers such as Dubeau, Atkins, Donahue, Pelkey, Dylan Payea and Kuhn who are still seeking their first ACT-sanctioned win, capturing it on such a huge stage would be an even bigger deal.

“That would be awesome,” Atkins said. “We’ve had really good cars at both places. At Ste-Croix, we’ve never really had good luck – we’ve been caught up in some skirmishes, and sometimes, finishing is the first goal. But at Chaudiere, we had a really good car when we raced there (in 2015). We finished seventh, and we’d never even seen the place before that race. So we have some good notes to start with. To get our first ACT-sanctioned win anywhere would be really cool, but doing it up there would be excellent – especially if it was night number one. I can’t think of a better momentum-builder for a second race than a win on the first night.”

Of course, the U.S. racers must beat out some stout Canadian competition on their home turf. Patrick Laperle, one of the most accomplished late model racers in Quebec history, headlines their side of the entry list. Claude Leclerc will attempt to qualify for his namesake race as will Kingsbury and former Série ACT champion Jonathan Bouvrette. Jean-Francois Dery, another former ACT Quebec champion, will be at Sunday’s Jean-Paul Cabana 125.

Many of Autodrome Chaudiere’s weekly NASCAR late model runners, who run under ACT rules, have also entered the Claude Leclerc 150. They include defending track champion Samuel Charland, top runners Jeff Cote and Christophe Paquet, and youngster Alexendre Tardif. Add in former Série ACT racers like Marc-Andre Cliché who are dusting off their Late Models, and the two events could see some of the biggest car counts of the year for ACT.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic told reporters he eats criticism of him for "breakfast ... and then for lunch" following the LA Galaxy's 2-0 win over Sporting KC on Wednesday night.

Ibrahimovic, 37, scored and assisted in the win in his first match back since serving a two-game suspension for an altercation with goalkeeper Sean Johnson in the Galaxy's 2-0 loss to New York City FC on May 11.

The incident came on the heels of Ibrahimovic being fined for diving in a loss to the Columbus Crew, while he also was the subject of some negative press for alleged verbal threats and a post-match confrontation with Real Salt Lake defender Nedum Onuoha.

However, the former Sweden international said of his critics: "Criticism is everywhere. I like it. I eat it for breakfast ... and then for lunch."

The win was the Galaxy's second in a row, but it came on the back of a four game skid that saw them lose touch with local rivals LAFC atop Major League Soccer's Western Conference, though they remain in second place on 28 points following recent victories.

"We had a good run with the six games in a row and then we had a bad week and a half, losing four in a row," Ibrahimovic said. "That shouldn't have happened. Our target is not top four. Our target is No. 1. I don't care about seven [playoff places], I care about one. That's what we are playing for."

Ibrahimovic set up Favio Alvarez for the Galaxy's first goal against SKC and was on the receiving end of a pinpoint Uriel Antuna cross as he scored the second, a sign he's developing chemistry with the two new arrivals at StubHub Center.

"It was good," Ibrahimovic said. "We played with two strikers in the first half and we created good chances. I think we should have scored one or two goals.

"In the second half we changed the system again and it helped because we could close the spaces more because Kansas plays good football. They have a good system.

"You need to have patience against them and then punish them when you steal the ball or they make a mistake."

The Galaxy return home to host the New England Revolution on June 2 (live at 10:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+) in a match that could see former manager Bruce Arena in the opposing dugout after he took over as sporting director and coach of the struggling Eastern Conference team on May 14 following the sacking of Brad Friedel.

England 311 for 8 (Stokes 89, Morgan 57, Roy 54, Root 51, Ngidi 3-66) beat South Africa 207 (de Kock 68, van der Dussen 50, Archer 3-27) by 104 runs
As it happened

Ambles in like Bambi. Hunts wickets like a zombie. Jofra Archer is a #BambiZombie. And the opening match of the 2019 World Cup was all the richer for it.

By the end of the game - which England won by 104 runs - the mood at The Oval was well beyond festive. They'd found a match-winner. Across formats. For years to come. And they'd seen their firestarter up to his old tricks.

Ben Stokes was the top scorer of the day. But that wasn't his most eye-catching contribution. Scroll down the scorecard to Andile Phehlukwayo's dismissal. Doesn't say much, does it? Caught Stokes bowled Rashid. Yawn.

WATCH (India only): Highlights of Ben Stokes' innings against South Africa

Now trawl through the internet - go into its darkest corners if necessary - and watch as the allrounder tracks a brutally hit slog-sweep on the midwicket boundary. Marvel as he never takes his eyes off it. And gasp as he times his jump perfectly. Then brace yourself for about half an hour's disbelief as he sticks his right hand up over his head, and behind him, to come away with a catch that will be talked about for ages. Just like the #OhMyBroad one.

South Africa, at that point, were 180 for 7. They'd given the chase of 312 a proper go, with Quinton de Kock announcing his claim to be part of the next generation's Fab Four with a half-century that was highlighted by his maturity in respecting the bowling when it was difficult and punishing it when it gave him the slightest chance. A lofted cover drive for six off Liam Plunkett was a particularly ringing endorsement of his monster talent.

WATCH (India only): Highlights of Eoin Morgan's half-century

But even he had to be shoved into the background as Archer burst onto the stage and demanded everyone's attention. Especially the other eight oppositions'.

As England's batting revolution was waving bye-bye to uncharted territory and bounding into the never-before-imagined, there has been fear that the bowling wouldn't keep up. Their seam attack felt samey. It needed something different; something radical. Archer is exactly that.

He generates pace out of nowhere; 90 mph of it. A bouncer in the fourth over of the chase hit Hashim Amla flush on the grille. It was too quick for him. Too quick for an all-time legend. And made him retire hurt. Then Archer sprung the same trap on the South African captain. A short ball surprised Faf du Plessis and had him caught at long leg. After decades of being decimated by raw pace - Allan Donald, Mitchell Johnson, Michael Holding - England now have their own bonafide speed demon.

Archer finished with 3 for 27 in seven overs, including a maiden.

Now, the other match-winner's work didn't particularly come to light until everything had ended. In fact, while Stokes was at the crease, it seemed like South Africa were on top. Having won the toss and decided to bowl, they went nearly 30 overs before realising that taking the pace off was the way to go.

Sure, they surprised England, opening the innings with Imran Tahir. At 10.30 am. In early summer. On a green pitch. In England. And they got Jonny Bairstow out. That's genius. That's maximum lolz. That's the bear you don't notice in that Youtube video.

But their fast bowlers took ages to realise that hitting the deck with offcutters was messing with the batsman's timing. Stokes spent much of the innings dinking the ball around the field. Fifty-three of his 89 runs came in ones and twos. At the time, it seemed like he was being stifled, that his power game had been taken out by South Africa's tactics.

And while that was true, it almost escaped notice that Stokes was getting into rhythm.

He got to his half-century with an audacious reverse-scoop off the bowling of Dwaine Pretorius, almost entirely because the wicketkeeper and third man had come up. There was a gap in the field and he exploited it. Batting 101. Four of England's batsmen made fifties on one of the biggest days of the 50-over cricket calendar: Jason Roy (a punchy 54), Joe Root (a smooth 51) and Eoin Morgan (a ridiculously fluent 57 in his 200th ODI) were the others. But Stokes was the only one able to push on. And that was essentially because he'd understood the pitch was offering a bit of grip to the slower balls. In those situations, you can aim lower. You can defend 300. South Africa were bowled out for 207.

England were billed as pre-tournament favourites because of their unrelenting batting line-up and that reputation should now grow because they have shown they can adapt to conditions when they aren't 500-ish.

Pakistan batsmen have scored nine centuries this year in 15 ODIs. That is the most by any team. Yet, stunningly, all those hundreds have come in defeats. And that might well be down to the pace at which those runs have come. The numbers suggest so. What might hurt Pakistan further is that they don't seem to have identified their slow scoring rate as an issue.

Since the 2015 World Cup, in terms of the combined strike rate for the top three, Pakistan are seventh among the ten teams taking part in the 2019 event. Imam-ul-Haq features among the top ten for batsmen with the lowest strike rates (with at least 1000 runs since the 2015 World Cup); Mohammad Hafeez is in there too.

Of those nine centuries, four were scored by the top-order trio of Imam (two), Fakhar Zaman and Babar Azam. The three of them were integral to Pakistan scoring 300-plus totals consistently in the recent ODI series in England, but they lost that series 4-0.

One of the talking points in that series was around the Trent Bridge ODI, where England hunted down a target of 341 with three balls to spare. Babar scored 115 in that match, but at a strike rate of 102.67. In contrast, Jason Roy's match-winning 114 took 23 balls fewer (89), and came at a robust strike rate of 128.08.

In the previous ODI, in Bristol, Imam helped Pakistan to what seemed a formidable total of 358 for 9. He hit 151 at a brisk pace, off just 131 balls. But that seemed sluggish when England chased down the target with more than five overs to spare, with openers Jonny Bairstow and Roy blasting the Pakistan bowling to ransack 159 runs in the first 17.3 overs (105 balls).

As for Fakhar, in his first 18 ODIs, he had a strike rate of 101 and an average of 76. In his last 18 matches, the strike rate has dropped to 91 and the average to 32.

In the last three years, Babar and Imam have scored a number of centuries, but the average balls taken by the pair are 107 and 108 respectively. The top two in that list, Bairstow and Roy, have taken 75 and 83 balls on an average for their three-figure scores respectively.

In a World Cup where big hitting and big scores are expected to be the norm, this could be a problem, but do Pakistan even recognise it? Before leaving for England, Babar responded to a question on him chasing milestones by pointing to his No. 1 rank among T20I batsmen (he is also No. 7 in ODIs). "If I can be No. 1 in the world without power-hitting, then I don't need power-hitting," he said.

Even Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed was reluctant to concede that there was an issue.

"As far as a strike rate is concerned, I don't think it matters a lot," Sarfaraz said on the eve of Pakistan's World Cup opener against West Indies at Trent Bridge. "If England played at 140 (in that ODI series), our batsmen played at a strike rate of 120. Both teams scored similar runs: If they made 370, we also made 360 and 340," he said. "Their playing style is different, ours is different. We will try and play as far as possible according to the situation.

"If we have to hit at a strike rate of 130, we will do that. We will play as per the requirements of the scoreboard."

To be fair to Pakistan, they batted first in all but one of those games against England, but 'situational awareness' is not just a fancy term that coaches like to spew. T20 cricket has forced think tanks to mine deep data on every player. The importance of instinct can never be undermined, but Pakistan would be foolish to ignore the fact that metrics have a place in modern cricket, and their opponents will be aware that Pakistan fail to up the ante as the game progresses.

In overs 11 to 40 since the last World Cup, Pakistan's run rate of 5.35 is a mid-table figure among the ten teams playing in this World Cup. Their batsmen take 13 balls per boundary, which is three more than England, who are perched at the top. Even in the last ten overs, Pakistan have struggled, hitting at 7.54 runs per over, which is sixth among the top ten teams.

Pakistan's first two opponents at the World Cup are West Indies and England, and both matches are at Trent Bridge, which is likely to be sunny and warm and, in any case, often makes batting look easy. Andre Russell has already warned that West Indies will target scores in the region of 400, and England are - unofficially - targeting 500 at some point in the tournament. Can Pakistan match them?

NEW YORK -- What a difference a year can make.

Not only has the Yankees' exhaustive, unenviable list of injuries been a change from last season, but the Red Sox overall haven't been the same team that ended 2018 hoisting the championship trophy. Slow offensive starts and pitching inadequacies have the defending World Series champions more than a half-dozen games behind a surprising, mostly patchwork group of Yankees in the AL East race.

This weekend, the teams meet for a second time this season (New York swept an early two-game series in the Bronx). As they square off in a four-game set at Yankee Stadium, we look at what has defined each of their seasons to this point.

1. The Red Sox rotation is waking up

After a 17-2 start last year, the champs struggled out of the gate this season; Boston didn't go over .500 in 2019 until May 10. Ace Chris Sale was particularly rough, with a ghastly 0-5 record and a 6.30 ERA in his first six starts. The injury bug struck the starting rotation when Nathan Eovaldi went on the injured list and underwent surgeries to remove loose bodies from his right elbow. Lefty David Price spent a short stint on the IL, too, with elbow tendinitis.

But those early-season rotation concerns seem to be fading into the background. Since April 14, Red Sox starters have posted a 3.44 ERA, the fifth-best mark in baseball. Sale has a 2.23 ERA in May, and Rick Porcello has sported a 2.91 ERA over his past seven starts. The Sox are also striking out a lot of hitters, setting down 9.5 batters per nine innings this month, good for the fifth-best mark in the majors. -- Joon Lee

2. Pinstripe production is coming from unexpected places

No Aaron Judge. No Didi Gregorius. No Giancarlo Stanton. No Miguel Andujar. No Luis Severino. No Dellin Betances. If we'd known at the onset of spring training that the Yankees would be missing a large collection of their stars for virtually all of the first half, it would have been hard to envision them winning a division title this season. Yet here they are, currently leading the AL East with the core of an All-Star team languishing on their 14-man injured list.

Because of what they've been missing throughout the year, the No. 1 storyline surrounding these stunningly strong Yankees is the production they've gotten from a bevy of unexpected heroes. From Gio Urshela's clutch hitting and smooth defending at third base to Domingo German's savvy ace-like pitching to Thairo Estrada's steady, consistent play, the Yankees have benefited from performances few saw coming.

Eighteen players have spent time on the Yankees' IL this year, and, since the final days of spring training, the team has called up 14 players from Triple-A and pulled off three trades to stay afloat. -- Coley Harvey

3. Devers and Chavis are breaking through in Boston

When Rafael Devers reached the majors two years ago, it was natural to wonder what the Red Sox ultimately would do with 2014 first-round pick -- and fellow third baseman -- Michael Chavis. Losing Dustin Pedroia to the IL for the third straight season this year, the answer became clear: Just have them mash in the same lineup by moving Chavis over to second base. Through the first two months of the season, Devers (2.0) and Chavis (1.2) rank third and fifth among Red Sox position players in wins above replacement.

Devers, who's more than a full year younger than Chavis, came into the season facing increased expectations. Assistant hitting coach Andy Barkett said the third baseman was pressing through the first month of the season while trying to match the hype, but has since settled in, hitting .360/.393/.640 with seven homers in 100 at-bats in the month of May.

Chavis, meanwhile, has become the everyday second baseman, occasionally hitting leadoff in manager Alex Cora's lineup. When the Red Sox struggled to put runs together through much of May, the 23-year-old provided a jolt, smashing 10 homers in 33 games while hitting .280/.379/.536. He's also the clubhouse runaway leader in dropping "Dude" during news conferences with reporters. -- Lee

4. Yankees keep making all the right moves

Including players who have been called up or sent down multiple times, the Yankees have made nearly 40 transactions since acquiring outfielder Mike Tauchman on the penultimate day of spring training. It has been a dizzying set of roster moves. But based upon the way this team has played amid all of them, they've clearly been the right ones.

As much as Tauchman's acquisition in a trade with Colorado for prized young southpaw Phillip Diehl raised eyebrows in late March, it paid off. Tauchman isn't currently with the big league club, but he gave the Yankees just enough outfield depth -- with his occasional power -- through the first month of the season. And even while the .204-hitting Tyler Wade added little at the plate while he was on the major league roster, his speed contributed to a few timely runs in wins that helped spark the Yankees. Since Wade scored a ninth-inning, eventual game-winning run April 24 in Anaheim, the Yankees are 22-9.

One of the savviest moves the Yankees made early this season came during that same series in Anaheim. With a few late-night calls on the East Coast after Clint Frazier was forced to make a brief IL stint with an ankle injury, general manager Brian Cashman worked out a deal with Cleveland that brought Cameron Maybin to New York. Grateful for a chance to be back in the big leagues, and happy about finally playing in pinstripes at Yankee Stadium -- site of his first career homer -- the 32-year-old Maybin has taken full advantage. Through 27 games, he is batting .282 with a .386 on-base percentage, 12 runs scored and one memorable home-run robbery.

There has seldom been a peep made about Aaron Boone's in-game management this season. He has brought in pinch hitters in situations where he might not have a year ago. Instead of giving Gleyber Torres and Gary Sanchez full days off last Thursday in Baltimore, for example, he had both of them come off the bench with two outs in the ninth inning. The duo sparked a rally that ultimately led to a Yankees win. And then there's the bullpen: Boone has more expertly navigated pitching changes than he did in his rookie season as skipper. His relievers lead all bullpens with 10.67 strikeouts per nine innings. -- Harvey

5. Boston's bullpen remains a question mark

Complaining about the state of the bullpen is an easy thing to do, especially when considering how fickle relievers can be. When Boston let Craig Kimbrel sit in free agency this offseason, questions arose about whether the team would go out and find a closer or name one of the current relievers the man to finish off games. Instead, the team has done neither. Five relievers -- Ryan Brasier (six saves), Matt Barnes (three saves), Heath Hembree, Brandon Workman and Marcus Walden (one save apiece) -- have finished off wins for Boston this season, and Cora has not shown any indications the team will deviate from that plan in the near future.

The relieving crew has been a strong group collectively this season, striking out 10.22 batters per nine innings (fourth in MLB) while leaving 76.3 percent of runners on base, good for sixth in the majors. But the team ranks fifth in the American League in blown saves with eight. If the Red Sox really wanted to sign Kimbrel, a deal would have been worked out by now; the former Boston closer awaits the 2019 draft, when he will no longer be tied to draft pick compensation. Boston could add a relieving piece at the deadline, and the Yankees series could serve as a barometer for whether this relief crew can work through the rigors and stakes of October baseball. -- Lee

6. The schedule has helped the battered Bombers

The Yankees' schedule has been quite favorable in the early going. The moves they've made and the production they've gotten while going through their injury storm have been key, but a comparatively smooth path while riding out the storm has helped.

Entering Wednesday's series finale victory against San Diego, the Yankees had the third-most favorable strength of schedule in the majors. Their opponents had a combined .479 winning percentage. Only the White Sox and A's have had it easier.

Through their first 55 games, the Yankees have played 36 times against teams that currently have sub-.500 records. The whopping dozen games they've played against lowly Baltimore helps tip that scale, as do the seven they've already had against last-place Kansas City. Despite some early struggles against the Orioles, Tigers and White Sox at the very beginning of the season, the Yankees have gone 26-10 in games against some of baseball's worst teams. -- Harvey

7. This weekend: The momentum is on New York's side ... for now

We might have to wait until next month in London to get the sort of division-defining battle we saw between the teams at times last year. Although the Red Sox have shown glimpses of late that they might be awakening from their early-season slumber, they do still trail the Yankees by a hefty margin. Plus, beginning with their last series against the Red Sox, the Bronx Bombers have won 16 of their past 21 games at Yankee Stadium, and each of their last nine series (of at least three games) there. Expect them to add to that total. -- Harvey

This series and beyond, it'll be exciting to watch all of the new major contributors factor into the rivalry. For Boston, Chavis will get his first glimpse of the Yankee Stadium spotlight. The Red Sox bullpen will face another test in the Yankees lineup, and, along with the Astros series, this could serve as a measuring stick for the state of the relief corps. Between Torres and Frazier, the Yankees are bringing a lot of emerging power to the table. The intensity in the rivalry hasn't come close to the astronomical highs of 2003 and 2004, and might not for a long time. But the rivalry continues to evolve, especially with a new generation of stars leading the way. -- Lee

Manchester United have told Inter Milan it will take £80 million to sign Romelu Lukaku, sources have told ESPN FC, as the striker is the top summer target for Antonio Conte, who is set to be announced as Inter's new manager imminently.

Luciano Spalletti was sacked by the Serie A side on Thursday.

Conte has asked Inter to pursue Lukaku this summer after failing to land the Belgium international in 2017 when he was in charge of Chelsea.

Inter, who will play Champions League football next season, have expressed their interest in taking the 26-year-old on loan next season with an obligation to buy in 12 months, but he is not a player Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is actively looking to sell and United will demand a large fee before allowing him to leave.

Lukaku arrived at Old Trafford from Everton for an initial £75m in 2017 but that has since risen to closer to £90m after a series of add-on clauses were met.

United are under no pressure to sell because he is under contract until at least 2022. Lukaku is open to a move after failing behind Marcus Rashford in the pecking order since Solskjaer replaced Jose Mourinho in December.

Lukaku has scored 42 goals in 96 games during two seasons at United but was left out by Solskjaer for key games including the Champions League quarterfinal second leg with Barcelona and the derby with Manchester City in April.

His season ended early after suffering a hamstring injury during the 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Apr. 28.

Real Madrid Sergio Ramos has ended speculation regarding his future after he said he wants to "retire" at the Bernabeu during an impromptu news conference on Thursday.

Club president Florentino Perez recently said Ramos had asked to leave Madrid after receiving an offer from a Chinese Super League side, but that request was turned down.

And Ramos has said he will not be leaving the club he joined in 2005 from Sevilla.

"There was an offer, but I wouldn't leave Madrid for a transfer fee or for free. I love this club and I want to retire here," Ramos said.

"I don't want to leave Real Madrid, I always said my dream was to retire here. A lot of stories have come out about me, so I wanted to clear up any doubts about my situation."

At Madrid, Ramos has won four La Liga titles, the Champions League on four occasions -- having scored in two finals -- and numerous other domestic and European honours.

They are on the cusp of winning the biggest prize in club football, but Tottenham Hotspur might also be on the brink of losing the man who made it all possible.

Mauricio Pochettino has had plenty of opportunities to ease the fears of chairman Daniel Levy and every Spurs supporter that Saturday's Champions League final against Liverpool in Madrid will be his last game as manager. But so far, he has skilfully avoided doing so. One thing for certain is that Pochettino knows what his future holds. After all, he's been laying down markers for his next chapter for longer than many would acknowledge.

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Pochettino was quick to talk up his Italian ancestry when he was preparing to take his Tottenham team to face Juventus in February 2018. The Argentine's great-great-grandfather emigrated to South America from the Piedmont region of Italy in the early 19th century, and Pochettino, who was discussing the prospect of an "amazing game" against Juve, didn't hide his excitement that he would finally "get to breathe the Turin air." He repeated his admiration of Juventus and sense of feeling at home during the prematch news conference in Turin. Perhaps he was merely being polite to his audience, but that would risk underestimating the 47-year-old's awareness of his reputation as the next big thing in coaching at the elite end of the game.

He has also spoken positively about Real Madrid and Manchester United in the past, with only Barcelona prompting a "not for me" response from him due to his time as a player with Espanyol. But by talking so effusively about his connection to Turin, Pochettino was making an investment in his future. If Juventus ever needed a new coach, well, he was almost one of their own.

"Mauricio has given everything to Tottenham and that has been obvious over the past five years," a source who knows the Spurs manager told ESPN FC. "But he's also extremely ambitious and he knows he would could walk into virtually any job in the world after what he has done at Spurs.

"No matter what happens against Liverpool in the Champions League final, he will be at the top of every club's wanted list and he knows that. He's very smart."

Juventus are now looking for a new coach following Massimiliano Allegri's departure earlier this month and Pochettino's name is up there alongside those of Maurizio Sarri and Jose Mourinho in the list of leading candidates for the job. With a Champions League final on the horizon, Pochettino could kill the speculation instantly by insisting that he is committed to Tottenham but instead, the only message coming from the Spurs boss has been that of a man who is keeping his options open.

"Today, nothing is more important than the game we have ahead," Pochettino said on Monday, when asked whether his future was 100 percent committed to Tottenham. "To think about individual things is a little bit embarrassing and a shame. I am not important.

"It is not important what happens in the future with me. I think we have bigger things ahead to think about. I am not important more than the Champions League or the possibility to win a trophy. Rumours are rumours.

"After the final, we will have time to talk, but today, my commitment with Tottenham is 100 percent."

Having guided Spurs to their first Champions League final this season, Pochettino is in a position of strength that enables him to play the guessing game. He's consistently guided the club to a top-four finish in the Premier League since arriving from Southampton in 2014 and, although he has not yet been able to win a trophy with Spurs, his success in moulding a young team into one of Europe's best has been his real achievement.

Due to the rocketing costs of financing the club's new stadium -- it's now reportedly costing in excess of £1 billion, having initially been priced at £400m -- Spurs have been massively outspent by their domestic rivals and have not even signed a player since acquiring Lucas Moura from Paris Saint-Germain in January 2018. Pochettino has had to turn Spurs into a force, and keep them competitive, with his hands tied in the transfer market. His ability to succeed regardless is what has caught the eye of Europe's top clubs such as Juventus, United and Real.

Pochettino was on a three-man shortlist, alongside Mourinho and Ryan Giggs, when United searched for a replacement for Louis van Gaal three years ago -- the Spurs boss was photographed having lunch with Sir Alex Ferguson in London just a week before Van Gaal was dismissed -- and he'd been the only candidate to succeed Mourinho when he was sacked last December.

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But the freakishly good start by caretaker-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer prompted United to hand the Norwegian a permanent three-year contract rather than stick to Plan A of recruiting Pochettino. It remains to be seen whether or not that decision will return to haunt the Old Trafford hierarchy.

Yet even though he is contracted to Spurs until the end of the 2022-23 season, the Champions League final is beginning to look like a crossroads moment for Pochettino. His recent comments have more than hinted at a sense of disillusionment with the financial restrictions that come with managing Tottenham and, win or lose this weekend, it's difficult to escape the sense that this is as good as it can get for Spurs at a time when paying for the stadium will impinge on his determination to improve the squad.

Is now the time to stick or twist? Pochettino appears to be torn by that dilemma. His detractors would suggest that he has yet to win a trophy and that his teams always seem to fall short when the pressure is on or a prize is within reach. But one former player told ESPN FC that Pochettino -- who was ranked No. 7 among the world's managers in last year's ESPN FC 100 -- cannot be judged on trophies alone.

"He makes players better, it's as simple as that," the ex-player said. "Top players want coaches to improve them and he has done that with virtually every player he has worked with at Spurs, and prior to that, at Southampton.

"He is similar to Jurgen Klopp in that. And also like Klopp, he is a positive character and players love to play for managers who don't spend all their moaning and complaining."

But for all of Pochettino's qualities, a trophy would not go amiss on his CV and there is no bigger prize in club football than the European Cup. He is just 90 minutes away from lifting it with Tottenham. If that happens, he knows he can choose what happens next and whether his future is in North London and Turin, Manchester or Madrid.

Pochettino already knows he is on to a good thing, no matter what happens. His reputation has been forged by what he has done to this point -- the question now is who he is with when he takes his place in the next level.