Highlights

There was every reason for Dutch stress on Tuesday evening: The ghost of the failed 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign; Saturday’s calamitous draw with 73rd-ranked Montenegro despite leading 2-0 with less than 10 minutes to play; Louis van Gaal’s bike accident on Sunday and fractured hip, forcing him to watch this key clash against Norway from a wheelchair in a box seat; an empty De Kuip in Rotterdam after the country entered a three-week lockdown period with Covid-19 cases soaring.   

BELFAST, Northern Ireland — Italy missed out on automatic qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar four months on from their Euro 2020 triumph after they were held to a 0-0 draw by Northern Ireland on Monday.

The Azzurri went into their final Group C qualification clash knowing they needed to win by enough goals to stay ahead of Switzerland to claim a place at next year's finals in Qatar.

After a period of dominance that yielded every trophy (2020 Fall Series, 2021 Challenge Cup, 2021 Women’s ICC, 2021 Shield) apart from the one that really matters, the top-seeded Portland Thorns suffered heartbreak on Sunday in the NWSL playoff semifinals to the Chicago Red Stars, despite the underdogs missing Mal Pugh, Casey Krueger, Kayla Sharples and losing Kealia Watt to injury in the 29th-minute. 

It was Watt’s substitute — Katie Johnson — who gave the Red Stars the advantage in the 37th minute with a shot from an impossible angle that caught Bella Bixby napping. 

LISBON - Serbia clinched an automatic berth in the 2022 World Cup finals after a 90th-minute header by halftime substitute Aleksandar Mitrović gave them a comeback 2-1 win over Portugal in their Group A qualifier on Sunday.

The result lifted Serbia into top spot on 20 points, three more than second-placed Portugal who only needed a draw to finish top on goal difference and qualify but will now head into the March playoffs.

SPLIT, Croatia - Croatia clinched an automatic berth in next year's World Cup finals in dramatic fashion as a late Fyodor Kudryashov own goal gave them a 1-0 home win over Russia in their crunch Group D qualifier on Sunday.

Croatia, the 2018 World Cup runners-up, jumped above Russia to top the standings on 23 points from 10 games, one more than the second-placed Russians who will head into the March playoffs.

PARIS - Kylian Mbappé continued his meteoric rise on Saturday with another jaw-dropping performance as France qualified for next year's World Cup with an 8-0 demolition of Kazakhstan.

The Paris Saint-Germain striker became the first player to score four goals for France in a single game since Just Fontaine against Sweden at the 1958 World Cup.

Five weeks before his 23rd birthday, Mbappé has scored 23 international goals from 52 caps — bettering the marks of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at the same age.

LONDON — Arsenal's Vivianne Miedema grabbed a stoppage-time equalizer as the Women's Super League leaders salvaged a 1-1 draw at north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

Spurs had looked on course to hand Arsenal their first defeat of the season but were denied by Netherlands international Miedema, who towered above the defence to head home from a corner in the 92nd minute.

It just had to be…

The USMNT had an iconic 2-0 victory against Mexico Friday night with Christian Pulisic scoring the game’s opening goal. During Captain America’s celebration he revealed a message written on his undershirt that had fans asking: “What did Pulisic’s shirt say?”

Pulisic pulled out one of the most badass undershirt reveals since Mario Balotelli’s “Why always me?” shirt.