SEATTLE (AP) — Sebastian Driussi scored for River Plate but was injured in the process, Marcos Acuña recorded two assists and the Argentine club beat the Urawa Red Diamonds 3-1 in the Club World Cup at Lumen Field on Tuesday.
Driussi's goal three minutes into the second half made it 2-0, but he collided with goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa and fell to the ground in pain, grabbing his ankle. He limped off the field with assistance and was replaced by Miguel Borja. Coach Marcelo Gallardo said after the game that Driussi will undergo testing on the ankle.
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River Plate's Facundo Colidio (11) celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Club World Cup group E soccer match between River Plate and Urawa Red Diamonds in Seattle, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Urawa Red Diamonds' Yusuke Matsuo, second from left, scores his side's first goal from the penalty spot during the Club World Cup group E soccer match between River Plate and Urawa Red Diamonds in Seattle, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
River Plate's Sebastian Driussi (15) is helped off the field after he was injured scoring his side's second goal during the Club World Cup group E soccer match between River Plate and Urawa Red Diamonds in Seattle, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
River Plate's Sebastian Driussi (15) scores with his head past Urawa Red Diamonds' Shusaku Nishikawa during the Club World Cup group E soccer match between River Plate and Urawa Red Diamonds in Seattle, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
River Plate's Maximiliano Meza (8) celebrates after scoring his side's third goal with German Pezzella (6) during the Club World Cup group E soccer match between River Plate and Urawa Red Diamonds in Seattle, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Facundo Colidio and Maximiliano Meza also scored for River Plate.
Yusuke Matsuo converted a penalty for the Japanese club in the 58th minute. Takuro Kaneko drew the foul and yellow card on Acuña. The kick was delayed by pushing and shoving at the penalty box’s edge, resulting in a yellow for German Pezzella.
Colidio scored in the 12th minute on a header off a cross from Acuña, and Meza restored River Plate’s two-goal advantage in the 73rd minute off Acuña’s corner kick service.
Franco Armani saved a strong shot from the center of the box by Thiago Santana in the 90th minute to preserve River Plate's two-goal advantage.
Attendance for the noon kickoff was announced at 11,974. Lumen Field has a capacity of 68,740. But both teams had a significant fan presence for their Club World Cup opener.
“Urawa fans are fantastic. And even though we are so far away from Japan, they supported us in a fantastic way, and we very much regret that we were not able to satisfy them today and to bring them the joy that they expected. ... However, the tournament goes on. We still have two games to play, and we want to show ourselves from a much better side than what you were able to see today.” — Urawa Red Diamonds coach Maciej Skorza.
“I am extremely happy. Very happy with the win, with the way we handled the match. We had to start out in this way, and now we keep our eyes on the next match.” — Colidio.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
River Plate's Facundo Colidio (11) celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Club World Cup group E soccer match between River Plate and Urawa Red Diamonds in Seattle, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Urawa Red Diamonds' Yusuke Matsuo, second from left, scores his side's first goal from the penalty spot during the Club World Cup group E soccer match between River Plate and Urawa Red Diamonds in Seattle, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
River Plate's Sebastian Driussi (15) is helped off the field after he was injured scoring his side's second goal during the Club World Cup group E soccer match between River Plate and Urawa Red Diamonds in Seattle, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
River Plate's Sebastian Driussi (15) scores with his head past Urawa Red Diamonds' Shusaku Nishikawa during the Club World Cup group E soccer match between River Plate and Urawa Red Diamonds in Seattle, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
River Plate's Maximiliano Meza (8) celebrates after scoring his side's third goal with German Pezzella (6) during the Club World Cup group E soccer match between River Plate and Urawa Red Diamonds in Seattle, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Managerless Manchester United crashed out of the FA Cup with a 2-1 defeat to Brighton on Sunday.
At the end of a week that saw the storied Premier League team fire head coach Ruben Amorim, the loss at Old Trafford has likely consigned United to another trophyless season and was greeted with loud jeers from the home crowd.
Interim coach Darren Fletcher admitted the 20-time English champion was “not in a good moment,” but said it was too soon to write the season off with Champions League qualification still achievable.
“It’s probably not what fans want to hear about Manchester United because they've been winning cups and challenging for the Premier League,” he said. “Don't waste the season. That would be the challenge that I would set. That’s the challenge that probably the players feel like they need to achieve this year.”
Former United striker Danny Welbeck scored what proved the decisive goal in the 64th minute, and Benjamin Sesko's late header was only a consolation for the hosts in the third-round match.
United has exited both domestic knockout competitions at the earliest possible stage this season, following the humbling loss to fourth-tier Grimsby in the English League Cup. The latest defeat means United will play the bare minimum of 40 competitive games for a top division team this season.
Its only chance of silverware this term is the Premier League, which would require a remarkable turnaround with United currently seventh in the standings and 17 points behind leader Arsenal with 17 games left.
A trophyless campaign would be back-to-back seasons in which United has ended up empty-handed.
The club's hierarchy hope an interim coach will be able to salvage the season by securing Champions League qualification. United has spoken to former players Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick about taking on the role until the summer. Fletcher, who has taken charge of the two games since Amorim's departure, is also a contender, as well as former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.
The loss to Brighton underlined the challenge facing the interim coach.
“Any time you come in at Manchester United, it’s a massive job,” Fletcher said. “It’s not about a manager, it’s not about directors. It’s about everyone and the players have to group together, take responsibility, find a way of improving quickly and taking on the challenge for the rest of the season.”
Brajan Gruda fired Brighton ahead in the 12th, with Welbeck doubling the advantage after the break. Sesko scored his third goal in two games in the 85th, but substitute Shea Lacey was sent off four minutes later and United could not force an equalizer to take the game to extra time.
“I gave it my best and ultimately I’m disappointed to not be able to win a game or to get a result today,” said Fletcher, who drew his other game in charge 2-2 with relegation-fighting Burnley.
Arsenal advanced earlier Sunday with Gabriel Martinelli scoring a hat trick in a 4-1 win at Portsmouth.
Martinelli's treble helped the Premier League leader come back from going a goal down to the second-tier Championship team inside three minutes.
Colby Bishop stunned Arsenal with the opening goal at Fratton Park, but the lead only lasted five minutes after Andre Dozzell scored an own-goal.
Martinelli put the visitors ahead with a flicked header in the 25th. He slid in for his second six minutes after the break and headed in his hat-trick goal in the 72nd. It was the first time the Brazilian had scored a hat trick for Arsenal.
Victory could have been even more emphatic if Noni Madueke had converted from the penalty spot in the first half.
“It’s always tough to go into these places, especially in the manner that we started the game, conceding the early goal, but we managed to turn things around so I’m very happy,” said manager Mikel Arteta.
Record 14-time FA Cup winner Arsenal last lifted the trophy in Arteta’s first season in charge in 2020. It was the last major honor the London club won, but victory against Portsmouth maintains its four-pronged trophy pursuit along with the Premier League title, the Champions League and the English League Cup.
“I think we are very privileged to be where we are, and the games that we have to play, which means that we are in every competition,” Arteta said.
Top-flight Leeds was also behind to Championship opposition, but recovered from 1-0 down to beat Derby 3-1 at Pride Park.
Third-tier Mansfield pulled off an upset to beat Championship side Sheffield United 4-3 and Norwich routed Walsall 5-1, with Jovon Makama scoring a hat trick. Norwich head coach Philippe Clement later said that U.S. international Josh Sargent refused to play in the game.
Relegation-fighting West Ham needed extra time to beat QPR 2-1. Valentin ‘Taty’ Castellanos’ goal saw Nuno Espirito Santo’s team end a 10-match winless run.
West Bromwich Albion beat Swansea 6-5 on penalties following a 2-2 draw after extra time. Hull won 4-3 against Blackburn on penalties after a 0-0 draw.
James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli scores during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Portsmouth and Arsenal in Portsmouth, England, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Brighton's Danny Welbeck celebrates after scoring during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Manchester United and Brighton in Manchester, England, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Manchester United's Matheus Cunha reacts during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Manchester United and Brighton in Manchester, England, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Jon Super)
Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli scores during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Portsmouth and Arsenal in Portsmouth, England, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke celebrate after a goal during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Portsmouth and Arsenal in Portsmouth, England, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
Leeds United's James Justin scores their side's third goal of the game during the Emirates FA Cup third round match between Derby County and Leeds United, in Derby, England, Sunday Jan. 11, 2026. (David Davies/PA via AP)
Leeds United's Ao Tanaka, right, celebrates with Wilfried Gnonto after scoring their side's second goal of the game during the Emirates FA Cup third round match between Derby County and Leeds United, in Derby, England, Sunday Jan. 11, 2026. (David Davies/PA via AP)
Arsenal players celebrate after a goal during the FA Cup third round soccer match between Portsmouth and Arsenal in Portsmouth, England, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
