The tension at the top of Saudi soccer is beginning to feel personal. With Cristiano Ronaldo driving one charge and Karim Benzema leading the response, even voices from inside the latter’s dressing room, like Pablo Mari, are adding new layers to a title race that refuses to settle.

For both Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal, the stakes stretch beyond silverware, with pride and legacy now tightly intertwined. The conversation around the title has intensified in recent days, with a particular admission surfacing from within Benzema’s camp.

Al-Nassr currently sits at the summit with 76 points from 29 matches, holding what appears to be a commanding advantage. Its record of 25 wins, one draw, and just three defeats highlights a campaign built on consistency and attacking firepower.

Ronaldo remains central to that success, contributing heavily with goals and leadership even deep into his career. The team’s 79 goals scored underline a ruthless edge, one that has often turned tight contests into decisive victories.

Meanwhile, Al-Hilal continues to apply pressure in a very different way. The Blue Waves remain unbeaten after 28 matches, with 20 wins and eight draws, showcasing resilience rather than dominance.

What did Pablo Mari say?

On paper, the gap between the two sides stands at eight points, but the reality is more nuanced. Al-Hilal has a game in hand, meaning the difference could shrink to just five points, keeping the title race alive heading into the final stretch.

It is in this context that Pablo Mari’s comments begin to resonate more deeply. The Al-Hilal defender offered a candid perspective on both the rivalry and the figure at its center. “We will fight to win the league,” he stated in a recent interview shared on social media; a clear message that Al-Hilal has not conceded anything yet.

His words reflect a squad still convinced that the gap can be closed. But perhaps more striking was his admiration for the opponent. “I would love to play with Cristiano Ronaldo,” he admitted, highlighting the respect the forward commands even from direct rivals.

Respect for elite players often crosses rivalry lines, and the Spaniard’s words reflected that reality. In a season filled with tension, it was a reminder of Ronaldo’s standing across world soccer.

Pressure builds as the finish line nears

As the season moves into its decisive phase, both sides understand the margins are shrinking. Al-Nassr needs to maintain its relentless pace, knowing a single slip could reopen the race.

For Al-Hilal, the equation is equally clear. Turning draws into victories is essential, especially with the opportunity to reduce the gap still within reach. The psychological aspect is beginning to matter just as much as the tactical one.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Felix are central to Al-Nassr’s latest continental challenge, but fresh uncertainty has emerged just before the decisive AFC Champions League Two clash with Al-Wasl. The Portuguese pair headline a star-filled squad, yet Felix’s absence from group training has raised concern ahead of one of the club’s most important matches of the season.

The stage is set at Zabeel Stadium, where a one-leg quarter-final will decide who advances to the semi-finals. For Al-Nassr, the match represents another step toward a long-awaited continental title, one that has so far eluded the club. It topped its group with a perfect 18 points and navigated the round of 16 with back-to-back 1-0 wins, showing both consistency and control.

What’s more, the Riyadh outfit enters the match in formidable form. A remarkable winning streak, stretching beyond 17 matches across competitions, has turned Jorge Jesus’ side into one of Asia’s most feared sides.

A star-studded attack has been the driving force behind that run. Between Ronaldo, Felix, Sadio Mane, and others, the team has produced a staggering number of goal contributions, underlining their depth and firepower.

Al-Wasl, meanwhile, arrives with a different kind of urgency. With domestic hopes fading, this competition stands as its final opportunity for silverware, adding extra intensity to the encounter.

The reason why Joao Felix missed training

Joao Felix has been one of Al-Nassr’s most productive players this season. Since arriving permanently in 2025, the forward has delivered 21 goals and 14 assists in 37 appearances across competitions, making him a crucial figure in the attack.

His versatility, movement, and technical quality have helped complement Cristiano Ronaldo and the wider frontline. That is why his missing group session created immediate concern around availability and readiness.

Reports from Al Youm and Arriyadiyah later clarified the situation. The technical staff preferred to rest him due to fatigue, rather than any serious injury issue. “Joao Felix skipped group training… and instead completed individual gym exercises,” the reports stated.

The decision was precautionary, aimed at ensuring he remains available for selection rather than risking a setback. The Portuguese winger still trained individually, signaling that his involvement in the match remains possible.

Jorge Jesus faces a key decision: Will Joao Felix play?

The biggest question now is whether Felix starts, appears from the bench, or is protected further. It appears that Jorge Jesus will make the final decision in a pre-match meeting, balancing immediate need with player condition.

If Felix is unavailable from the opening whistle, alternatives such as Sadio Mane or Kingsley Coman can shoulder more responsibility. Few teams in Asia can match Al-Nassr’s attacking depth. Another option is that Jorge Jesus could be forced to change formations with Ronaldo and another centre-forward ahead.

Antonio Conte has managed to impress with his performances at SSC Napoli, winning the 2025–26 Serie A and the 2025–26 Italian Super Cup. Following his impact, he has emerged as the favourite candidate to coach Italy amid their rebuilt. Despite having a contract until 2027, he is moving closer to the national team role, as president Aurelio De Laurentiis is reportedly considering dismissing him at the end of the season.

According to Paolo Bargiggia, via AreaNapoli, the future of Antonio Conte at SSC Napoli is not entirely secure, as president Aurelio De Laurentiis is not fully convinced by his performance this season. As a result, he is reportedly open to facilitating the coach’s departure to the Italy national team, as it would represent an ideal solution by avoiding the need to pay a costly dismissal.

Following the departure of Gennaro Gattuso, the Italian Soccer Federation (FIGC) is planning a significant overhaul of their project. In the search for a leader, Conte has emerged as a strong option, having previously managed the Azzurri and possessing extensive knowledge of Serie A. Additionally, Napoli would reportedly be willing to ease his exit—something that would not be the case with Massimiliano Allegri, who remains a key figure at AC Milan.

While Napoli have remained one of the top teams in Serie A, they have failed to get involved in the race for the league title. Trailing AC Milan by 12 points, they have yet to find their best form, highlighting the decline of Antonio Conte and his project. Furthermore, the Italian side is coming off a tough loss to Lazio, which exposed the team’s major problems and leaves Conte on the brink of leaving at the end of the season—either to another Italian club or out of a job.

Conte may be an immediate solution, but not an ideal one for Italy

After missing three consecutive World Cup editions, the Italy do not need continuity—they need a full reset. This means committing to younger players and driving a necessary generational overhaul to rebuild the national team. With that in mind, Antonio Conte may not be the ideal fit, as he represents more of a short-term solution for a project that requires a long-term vision and sustainable development.

Antonio Conte is one of Italy’s most successful coaches and a global figure in the sport. However, he is not typically known for investing in young players or long-term projects, having had short tenures at every team he has managed. As a result, players like Francesco Camarda, Pietro Comuzzo, Michael Kyode, Samuele Inacio, and others could be left out, cutting short their development, as he tends to rely on veteran, proven players.

In pursuit of a full rebuild, FIGC may need a more attack-minded coach who is willing to trust young players, making Pep Guardiola one of the most ideal candidates. Turning again to profiles like Roberto Mancini, Massimiliano Allegri, or Antonio Conte would mean continuing a sporting project that has not delivered results and clearly requires renewal—potentially representing a step backward rather than forward.

Following the disappointing start of the 2026 MLS season, Javier Mascherano stepped down from Inter Miami, leaving head coach Guillermo Hoyos in charge of the team. Shortly after his departure, they now face Colorado Rapids, seeking a victory to end their negative run. While they have been dominated, Messi has already put them ahead, scoring a key penalty to open the scoring in the first minutes of the game.

After a foul on Yannick Bright, the Herons strongly appealed for a penalty, prompting the referee to consult VAR. Following the review, the foul was awarded inside the box, with Joshua Atencio shown a yellow card. Taking responsibility from the spot, Messi struck a well-placed shot to score the opening goal and give his side the early advantage, beating Colorado Rapids‘ Zack Steffen.

Despite trailing, Colorado Rapids have shown an impressive attacking presence, emerging as the more proactive side in possession and consistently posing a forward threat. They have applied a high press and demonstrated a well-developed connection. As a result, Inter Miami continue to struggle against an opponent that appears capable of finding an equalizer and exposing the team’s ongoing issues.

After conceding two goals to the Colorado Rapids in the second half, the Herons managed to turn the game around, thanks once again to Lionel Messi. Following a pass from Rodrigo De Paul from midfield, the veteran received the ball on the right wing, dribbled past three defenders, and fired a powerful shot past Zack Steffen once again.

Germán Berterame struggles to adapt with Messi at Inter Miami

At the start of 2026, Inter Miami CF pursued the signing of Germán Berterame, aiming for him to replace Luis Suárez in the short term. After paying €12.6M to CF Monterrey from Liga MX, the Mexican forward arrived in MLS with high expectations. While he managed to score an important header against Colorado Rapids, he has yet to fully adapt to playing alongside Lionel Messi, exposing a clear lack of understanding on the pitch.

Alongside Luis Suárez, Mateo Silvetti, and Tadeo Allende, Lionel Messi has developed strong on-field chemistry, showing fluidity and consistently creating space for one another. However, Germán Berterame has managed just two goals and one assist in 10 matches for Inter Miami CF, lacking a clear connection with the Argentine. As a result, he has struggled to find space and contribute to the team’s collective play.

Far from there being any issue between them, Lionel Messi has shown himself to be highly supportive of Germán Berterame, meaning their on-field connection could improve over time. After investing a significant fee in the Mexican, head coach Guillermo Hoyos now faces the key task of developing that chemistry and establishing them as the new attacking partnership, as Luis Suárez under contract only until December 2026 and expected to move on.

Match Overview

With the regular season winding down in Liga MX, the stakes couldn’t be more different as Toluca and Club America square off in a matchup loaded with urgency. Toluca enter the contest sitting on 27 points, chasing Chivas by four and running out of runway, making every remaining fixture critical if they hope to close the gap at the top.

On the other sideline, America are coming off a derby stalemate against Cruz Azul that kept them inside the playoff picture—for now—but with their top-eight position far from secure, anything less than three points here could put their postseason hopes in real danger.

has recalled the pre-fight routine which, in his view, contributed to him retiring from the sport. At the start of the decade, the Filipino was coming off a pair of points victories over Keith Thurman and Adrien Broner, successfully defending his WBA world title on both occasions. In doing so, he was widely regarded as […]

The post Manny Pacquiao reflects on reason behind the loss that sent him into retirement appeared first on Boxing News.

James Toney has predicted a devastating outcome for one half of vs , questioning what the result would mean for his future in the sport. The pair will collide for Zayas’ WBO and WBA world super-welterweight titles on June 27, headlining a card at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn. Despite him being a unified champion, many […]

The post James Toney predicts Jaron Ennis vs Xander Zayas: “He’s about to get ruined” appeared first on Boxing News.

San Sebastyanın “Real Sosyedad” komandası futbol üzrə İspaniya Kubokunda 2025/2026-cı illər mövsümünün qalibi olub.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, sözügedən komanda finalda Madrid “Atletiko”su ilə üz-üzə gəlib.

“Estadio de La Kartuxa”da qarşılaşmış komandaların həlledici görüşündə əsas vaxt 2:2 hesabıyla yekunlaşıb. Əlavə vaxtda hesab dəyişməz qaldığı üçün penaltilər seriyasına ehtiyac duyulub. 11 metrlik zərbələri daha dəqiq yerinə yetirmiş basklar kubokun qalibi olublar.

Qeyd edək ki, San Sebastyan təmsilçisi tarixində 3-cü dəfə İspaniya Kubokunun qalibi olur. Sözügedən komanda daha öncə 1986/1987 və 1999/2000-ci illər mövsümlərində də oxşar uğura imza atmışdı.

İspaniya Kubokunda ən çox (32) titul qazanmış komanda isə “Barselona”dır. Kataloniya təmsilçisini “Atletik” (24) və “Real” (20) izləyirlər.

İspaniya Kuboku
Final
18 aprel

Atletiko – Real Sosyedad 2:2 (penaltilər 3:4)
Qollar: Ademola Lukman, 18. Xulian Alvares, 83 – Ander Barreneçea, 1. Mikel Oyarsabal, 45+1-pen.

İspaniya Kubokunun qalibi məlum olub.

Futbolpress.az xəbər verir ki, həlledici görüşdə “Real Sosyedad” və “Atletiko” komandaları üz-üzə gəlib. Əsas və əlavə vaxtı bərabərliklə başa çatan görüşün qalibi penaltilər seriyasından sonra müəyyənləşib.

Son zərbələrdə dəqiq olan “Real Sosyedad” kuboku qazanıb.

İspaniya Kuboku
Final

18 aprel

Atletiko – Real Sosyedad 2:2 (penaltilər 3:4)
Qollar: A.Lukman, 19, Y.Alvares, 83 – A.Barreneça, 1, M.Oyarsabal, 45 (pen.)

Gian Piero Gasperini gave a very open-ended reply when asked about his Roma future. ‘This has been an extraordinary experience for me, we’ll discuss it at the end of the season.’

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The Giallorossi went behind to Atalanta at the first opportunity on home turf, as Nikola Krstovic blasted in from the edge of the area, with Mario Hermoso’s volley drawing level on the stroke of half-time.

Although the hosts had the best chances to win it, forcing saves from Serie A Man of the Match Marco Carnesecchi and clipping the crossbar, they were unable to get more than a 1-1 draw.

Gasperini won’t commit future to Roma

“Carnesecchi made several great saves, Svilar too on one occasion, but we certainly tried to win it more than Atalanta,” Gasperini told Sky Sport Italia.

“The first half was very entertaining, after the break a bit of fatigue set in, so there were a few more errors, but we always tried to get the full result to the final whistle.”

This had been a big chance to leapfrog Como into fifth place after Cesc Fabregas and his team lost to Sassuolo yesterday, but instead they only catch the Lariani on 58 points, and risk falling further behind Juventus in fourth.

Roma’s dismal record in the big matches continues, scraping only seven points in matches against the other teams in the top seven.

“Sometimes like against Juventus and Napoli, we were in the lead, we did well against Milan, then at Como were down to 10 men, but the only one we lost in the second half of the season was against Inter, who are a step above. More often than not, we were closest to the victory.”

Matias Soulé and Gianluca Mancini were still visibly not at 100 per cent, while Devyne Rensch went off with a muscular problem.

“Until mid-December, we had a consistency in our line-up that allowed us to defend very well. When Malen arrived in January, we vastly improved our attack, but at the same time got weaker in defence. It was a remarkable defensive record at the start that we would’ve struggled to maintain for long,” insisted Gasperini.

It has been a difficult few days for Roma, as Gasperini and director Claudio Ranieri engaged in a very public war of words, prompting many fans to take sides and assume they cannot work together next season.

There was also some tension at the final whistle with some jeers from the crowd. He was asked outright, will the club have to choose between the coach and Ranieri?

“I was dragged into this thing, people have talked about nothing else for a week. I never replied, I will continue to not reply, as I don’t think it is a very pleasant thing for all the people in the stadium,” replied Gasperini.

“There are five games to go, we are still challenging for some important targets, and if we are four points clear of an Atalanta side who were third last season, that shows we’ve done something right. We are close to Como and Juve, we saw today Napoli lost, so I am concentrated on this situation.

“We need to end the season well, because this has been an extraordinary experience for me, having arrived here with a lot of scepticism around me, and a little rivalry.

“There is a team that continues to follow me, I am grateful to them and always will be, just as I am to the fans for what they have given me so far. As for what happens after that, these are things we will discuss at the end of the season.”

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has sent a simple three-word message to his players ahead of Sunday’s huge game away to Manchester City.

When asked in his pre-match press conference if he had a “final message” for his players, Arteta stated simply that he wants them to “go for it” at the Etihad Stadium.

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“Go for it, let’s be ourselves and go for it,” Arteta said. “Put everything we have on that pitch.

“Huge belief, huge conviction, and go for it, because we are more than capable of doing it.”

MORE: Manchester City vs Arsenal match preview and team news

? What's your final message to your players?

Mikel Arteta: "Go for it!" ?? pic.twitter.com/xEHTi8Hkw0

— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) April 18, 2026

He added: “This is exactly where we want to be. This brings a lot of positive things, and I don’t see anything that has to hold you, because this is where you want to be … playing against an opponent that requires the best of you.”

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Can Arsenal players find their belief in potential title-decider vs Man City?

As much as Arteta talks a good game, it will be interesting to see if Arsenal’s players really play like they believe in themselves on Sunday.

There have been times this season when the Gunners have had the opportunity to run away with the league, and they’ve failed to really capitalise.

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This has allowed City back into the title race, and many Arsenal fans will feel it’s closer than it should have been.

This game will be a huge opportunity for Arteta’s side as they surely have to use this six-pointer as the moment to stamp their authority on this title race.

The post Mikel Arteta’s three-word “final message” to Arsenal players ahead of Man City game appeared first on CaughtOffside.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell has more support on the Cleveland Cavaliers roster going into this year's postseason run.

But even with the deeper roster, Mitchell still has the mentality of delivering the statement in the first game of a series.

The All-Star guard did that again Saturday afternoon with a game-high 32 points in the Cavaliers' 126-113 victory over the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

It is an NBA-record nine straight games in which Mitchell has scored at least 30 points in a series opener.

“It’s not something like I’m searching for,” said Mitchell of trying to put up at least 30 to start a series. “It’s just something that I’m playing my game. Just trying to set a tone of aggression by getting downhill, taking the open shots, taking what’s given to me and obviously making the defense have to react.”

Mitchell’s streak began with the Utah Jazz during the 2020 playoffs — held at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, during the COVID-19 pandemic — when he scored 57 points against the Denver Nuggets. That remains a Jazz playoff record and the third-highest-scoring performance in NBA postseason history.

Mitchell is 5-4 during this run in series openers, including 3-3 with Cleveland since coming over in a trade from Utah in September 2022.

James Harden, who was acquired from the LA Clippers in a trade-deadline shocker, helped settle the Cavaliers during a close first half, but it was Mitchell and Max Strus who helped deliver the knockout blows to the Raptors in the second half.

Mitchell had 13 points in the first half to Harden's 15 as the Cavaliers were up 61-54 at halftime. Mitchell scored 11 and Strus added eight as Cleveland dominated the third quarter and were up by 21 going into the final 12 minutes.

“That’s his job. That’s what he gets paid the big bucks for being aggressive, taking shots and doing his thing. We understand that, so our job is to just go out there and fulfill the roles and do other things to impact the game,” Harden said. “I think for me, it's trying to get more assists and trying to get into the paint. We've got shooting, we've got bigs who are versatile and athletic. My job is to get them the ball.”

Harden finished with 22 points and 10 assists that led to 23 points. Six of the assists went to center Jarrett Allen and forward Evan Mobley.

Mitchell's 30th point came on a driving layup with 9:28 remaining to extend Cleveland's lead to 106-84. The nine-year veteran shot 7 of 13 from inside the paint, which is something that pleased coach Kenny Atkinson.

“I said that before the game, how we’ve changed our mindset where we’ve become more rim- and paint-oriented. Don, he can try to do those pirouette 3s, but I think he was locked in on getting to the rim and made some really good decisions," Atkinson said.

Mitchell is averaging 33.1 points in series openers, second-highest in NBA history for a player who has taken part in at least 10 postseason series. His playoff average of 28.4 points is tied with LeBron James for sixth-best among players with at least 50 games.

“I thought we handled the environment and the crowd pretty well. They had a lot of guys scoring at a high rate and they got a lot of easy shots, getting to the rim and dunks," said Toronto's Scottie Barnes, who scored 21 points.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

This article originally appeared on PGHHockeyNOW.com.

A pair of underdogs, supposed to be in the throes of rebuilding, surprised everyone and finished second and third in the Metro Division.

The Pittsburgh Penguins claimed second place and their first playoff appearance since 2022, while the Philadelphia Flyers surged to third place and their first playoff appearance since 2020.

The Penguins are 3-4 all-time in a postseason series against the Flyers, but the Penguins have advanced to at least the second round of the playoffs eight times in the 16 playoff runs they’ve had with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in the lineup. In five of the 16 runs, the Penguins have gone to at least the Conference Final.

The Penguins have four players who will make their Stanley Cup Playoffs debut: Egor Chinakhov, Ben Kindel, Elmer Soderblom, and Ryan Shea.

The Penguins scored seven power-play goals on 18 opportunities (38.9%) during the regular season against the Flyers.

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FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Oklahoma senior Faith Torrez drilled the final routine of her career, delivering a steely and near-perfect performance on floor exercise as the last competitor on the final rotation to help the Sooners win the NCAA women's gymnastics championships Saturday.

Torrez, who won the NCAA all-around title Thursday, scored a 9.950 to give the Sooners a team total of 198.1625, just ahead of LSU at 198.0750. Florida was third while Minnesota closed the best season in program history by finishing fourth.

“It means everything, I'm so proud of this team,” Torrez said. “To do it with them, I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else.”

Oklahoma's second straight title, fourth in five years, and eighth since 2014 did not come easy. LSU surged to the front through three rotations thanks in part to a perfect 10 on vault by Kailin Chio, the first perfect score awarded at the national championships since 2023.

The Tigers finished on the balance beam while the Sooners went to floor exercise. At NCAA competitions, six gymnasts compete on each event, with the lowest score being dropped and the top five scores added together to produce the team total.

LSU's slim 0.0750 lead left them little margin for error. A fall by Lexi Zeiss on the beam — one that came after Zeiss was forced to endure a prolonged wait as the judges worked on teammate Kylie Coen's score — opened the door just enough for the Sooners to push through.

The Tigers rebounded behind Konnor McClain — the 2022 US Gymnastics national champion — and Chio.

The meet came down to the final two competitors, Torrez on floor and Chio on beam.

Torrez — who battled injuries all season and didn't even compete in the all-around until nationals — put together a dynamic 90-second performance, forcing Chio to be perfect for the Tigers to win.

Chio, who had 13 perfect 10s during the season, was dazzling, but her score of 9.900 was not quite enough to derail Oklahoma's dynasty.

___

AP Sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports

The second-most expensive roster in MLB isn’t paying off so far this season.

With a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, the New York Mets’ losing streak reached 10 games and lowed their record to 7-14, tied for the worst mark in all of baseball. It is their first double-digit losing streak since 2004.

New York had some reason for hope entering the game, with top starting pitcher Freddy Peralta, acquired at significant expense via trade over the winter, taking the mound at Wrigley Field. They took a 1-0 lead in the second inning off a Mark Vientos solo homer and then, well, the usual stuff happened.

Cubs outfielder Ian Happ tied the game in the bottom of the frame with a homer off Peralta, then Cubs catcher Carson Kelly continued a hot start to the season with a pinch-hit, three-run homer in the sixth off Brooks Raley, who had inherited two baserunners from Peralta.

Peralta’s final line: 5 2/3 innings, 3 hits, 3 earned runs, 2 walks and 3 strikeouts. Which isn’t horrific, but also not enough to overcome a day in which the Mets offense went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

The current state of the Mets offense is offensive underperformance across the board outside of catcher Francisco Alvarez. Francisco Lindor is slashing .214/.305/.321. High-priced addition Bo Bichette is slashing .227/.266/.295. Trade acquisition Marcus Semien is slashing .216/.280/.297. And Juan Soto has been out since April 4 with a calf strain.

Bichette said he didn’t have many answers while speaking with reporters after the game, via SNY:

"I don’t really wrap my mind around it. It’s tough right now," Bo Bichette said of the team's losing streak after the game. "If we knew the answer, we’d do it. But we’ll keep working to try and figure it out."

Overall, the Mets are tied for dead last in runs scored through Saturday, with the worst on-base percentage in baseball. By comparison, their pitching has been merely mediocre, but nothing has been what you would want from a team with an estimated $370 million payroll this season.

Since July 28 of last year, New York is 28-49, which works out to a full-season pace of 59-103. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, whose seat is getting plenty hot right now, said he understood their fans’ emotions these days:

"I understand how they're feeling. I'd be pissed too if I'm a fan. I'm pissed. They're pissed."

The good news for the Mets is that as much as their talent has so far underperformed, it’s still talent. They are just in the unenviable position of needing a complete reset after a month of play. They are also staring down the barrel of the club’s worst losing streak since 1980, when they lost 13 in a row. Their record for consecutive losses remains 17 in 1962, but let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.

New York has one game remaining against the Cubs on Sunday, with David Peterson and Javier Assad expected to pitch, before returning home for a series against the Minnesota Twins next week.

Manchester United caretaker manager Michael Carrick paid tribute to Casemiro ahead of the 1-0 win over Chelsea. The Brazilian is in the final months of his contract and will leave Old Trafford at the end of this season as a free agent.

Casemiro became a household name during his time at Real Madrid, where he won five Champions League trophies along with a host of other silverware. Alongside Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, the Brazilian formed one of the greatest midfield trios in the modern game.

The Red Devils managed a coup by convincing the player to leave the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2022 and move to the Theatre of Dreams. Casemiro helped United win the EFL Cup in his debut campaign, before things went south in his second campaign.

The veteran midfielder, though, fought his way back and has been in spectacular form this season. Not only has the Brazilian managed to snuff out danger, but he has also been prolific in the final third and is enjoying the best goalscoring form of his career.

Casemiro’s 2025/26 Season

Throughout his career, Casemiro made a name for himself as a destroyer, but he did contribute in front of goal as well. His previous best return in a season was seven goals, a tally he achieved twice with Real Madrid and also managed to touch in 51 games in his debut campaign with United.

This season, however, the 34 year old has already found the back of the net eight times from 32 games in all competitions, all but two of which have been starts.

Casemiro Stats: 2025/26 Season

Source: Transfermarkt.

His superb form, especially under Carrick, initially sparked talk of a possible extension at Old Trafford. However, the player was quick to curb those rumours, and recent reports suggest that he could team up with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami this summer.

Nevertheless, Casemiro’s impressive goalscoring numbers have now earned him special praise from United’s caretaker manager.

Carrick hails Casemiro’s sixth sense

Speaking to MUTV, Carrick said that Casemiro has a sixth sense that has worked to United’s benefit this season. He said: “He’s certainly got the knack and the feeling, and that sense in and around the box. He’s got that sixth sense, in some ways that you can’t necessarily coach or you can’t necessarily always give the perfect moment or the action or the run to fit the cross.”

“You’ve got to put yourself in positions and sense the space and then, obviously, on top of that, to finish it and show the composure. I think he’s certainly done that this season.”

Casemiro also scored United’s only goal in the 2-1 defeat to Leeds United earlier this weekend. While the Brazilian’s goalscoring form has made headlines of late, Carrick pointed out that the player has been scoring important goals for United since arriving at Old Trafford. He said: “He’s always scored important goals.”

“He’s always found himself there at certain times. He’s scored good goals for us, important goals, [just] this season alone. Unfortunately, that one [against Leeds] just wasn’t quite enough for us to get back in the game.”

Final Thoughts

While United’s decision not to extend Casemiro’s stay is understandable, fans will be sad to see the player leave this summer. The Brazilian will also be eager to leave a lasting impression, and few would bet against him adding to his tally in the final five games of the season.

Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images

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The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social

Four home runs — including one from a rehabbing Royce Lewis — were not enough to save St. Paul from losing to Lehigh Valley on a blustery Saturday afternoon at CHS Field. The Saints’ three-game winning streak came to a close in a 10-6 loss to the IronPigs.

After the visitors took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, Lewis leveled the score with a two-run blast that also plated Walter Jenkins.

The Saints took their only lead of the game at 3-2 on a solo homer by Tanner Schobel in the fourth, however the IronPigs retaliated promptly by hanging a 4-spot on the board in the top of the fifth.

Three more solo home runs over their final five turns at the plate — coming off the bats of Emmanuel Rodriguez, Orlando Arcia and Aaron Sabato — were not enough to overcome Lehigh Valley, which scored a run in the eighth before putting the game out of reach with three more in the ninth to claim the four-run victory.

Raul Brito, who came on in relief of starter Andrew Bash, took the loss after allowing three runs on four hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings.

The Saints and IronPigs close out their series at 2:07 p.m. Sunday, with John Klein (1-0, 7.94 ERA, 13 K) getting the start for St. Paul.

Related Articles

• Saints down IronPigs for third straight victory
• Saints finally get a home win, beating Lehigh Valley
• Saints lose series opener to Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs
• Saints bounce back with 4-3 win against Mud Hens in Toledo
• John Klein has better outing, but Saints lose in Toledo

Flint Town United survived the Cymru Premier relegation battle as Bala Town's 17-year stint in the top flight ended in a dramatic finale to the campaign.

The Lakesiders were in 11th spot and two points adrift ahead of their final game against Briton Ferry Llansawel.

Their hopes of survival looked promising when Jacob Tarasenko gave them the lead while Flint had been reduced to nine men at Cardiff Met.

But Briton Ferry struck back with two late goals to win 2-1 and condemn Bala to join Llanelli in the relegation zone.

That result meant Flint's 2-2 draw was irrelevant as they Flint shook off their Welsh Cup Final disappointment to remain in the top flight.

Briton Ferry's win was also not enough to claim seventh place - the final play-off spot - as Haverfordwest thrashed bottom side Llanelli 6-0 which included a hat-trick by Dan Hawkins.

It was a miserable end for Llanelli who have confirmed Terry Boyle as their permanent manager.

Cymru Premier round-up

Saturday, 18 April

Championship Conference

Barry Town United 0-1 The New Saints: Barry Town finished third despite defeat by champions TNS to secure a home play-off semi-final against seventh-place Haverfordwest. Saints ended the season 22 points clear of second place Nomads having already wrapped up their 18th title with Ryan Brobbel scoring their first-half winner in south Wales.

Caernarfon Town 2-0 Penybont: Caernarfon went into the game having secured Europa Conference League qualification last weekend following their JD Welsh Cup final win. Penybont were looking to repeat their phase one result when they won 2-1 away to Caernarfon. But the hosts took the spoils with Adriian Cieslewicz and Rio Owen finding the target in the opening quarter.

Connah's Quay Nomads 1-1 Colwyn Bay: Nomads had already secured their European place next season with a second place finish, but but both teams had to settle for a draw with Callum West hitting the opener for the hosts from the penalty spot and Jamie Cumming doing likewise in response. Bay ended the season fifth.

• Trefelin, Cambrian and Ammanford rise to Cymru Premier

WWE via Getty Images

IShowSpeed shined bright to start WrestleMania 42, Night 1 in Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, despite losing his debut match with The Vision — Logan Paul and Austin Theory — to The Usos and LA Knight. In what was mostly a quick tone-setter for the weekend, Speed was the expected focus of the match.

The Usos superkicked The Vision out of the ring as soon as the match started, leaving Speed and Knight to start the action. This was an immediate showcase of the celebrity inclusion, and Speed displayed his natural athleticism with a backflip off the top rope before eating a clothesline. Speed followed it up with a scoop slam on Knight, which the "Megastar" no-sold. Paul and Theory quickly got back into the action and overwhelmed the opponents to get Speed back involved — only to take a suplex from Jimmy Uso and tag back out.

Jey Uso eventually found his moments to shine, hitting a big Spear on Theory before Paul broke up the pin. Speed got back into the mix afterward, as the match began feeling more and more focused on him. Knight sought a BFT on the rookie, but Speed fought it off to knock Paul off the apron. That exchange got Theory heated with Speed, which distracted him enough for Knight to crash them into each other and plant Theory with a BFT for the win. Easy does it for the face squad.

Paul snapped on Speed after the match, punching him for "costing me my 'Mania". Speed was tossed out of the ring, and Paul wanted to make a moment, cleaning off the announce table for a Paul From Grace. Instead, the winning team returned to the ring to take out Paul with a 1D and help out Speed.

To start off the weekend, Paul was hit with a role reversal, as Knight positioned him for a dive from Speed. He went to the top ring post and destroyed Speed with a huge Frog Splash.

Check out the highlights below.

It’s a Brasileirão night at Mineirão. 

Cruzeiro and Grêmio face off starting at 8:30 p.m. (Brasília time) this Saturday (18). 

The match is valid for the 12th round of the competition. 

Raphael Claus (FIFA-SP) will referee the match. 

Premiere, Record and CazéTV will broadcast it. 

Cruzeiro 🦊

Raposa starts the round in 17th place with ten points.

They were coming off a win over Red Bull Bragantino in the league, but the defeat to Católica put pressure back on the squad. 

Arthur Jorge starts Fagner, Jonathan Jesus and Arroyo among the 11 again.

The big return is Kaio Jorge, who has recovered from pain in the pubic area.

Matheus Cunha keeps his place. 

William is not even on the bench. 

The medical department has Cássio and Marquinhos. 

Grêmio 🇪🇪

Tricolor responded in the Copa Sudamericana, but is looking to bounce back in the Brasileirão.

It has been four games without a win. They started the round in 12th place with 13 points.

Viery is suspended and Wagner Leonardo returns to the starting lineup.

Kannemann, who would have been an option, is injured. 

Tetê has lost his starting spot. 

Willian, Villasanti, João Pedro and Marlon are recovering. 

Photo: Reprodução/Cruzeiro 

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic will be watching the team’s series against the Houston Rockets from the sidelines to start off with.

However, Lakers insider Jovan Buha has revealed that he may return before the end of the Rockets series.

“So the Lakers are preparing to not have either one of them in their first-round series against the Houston Rockets. Right now, Austin Reaves had a four-to-six-week timetable,” Buha said on CNN.

“This was as of April 2nd, so we’re a couple weeks into that. So if he returns, it would be the end of the first round, if not potentially into the second round, if the Lakers are able to advance.”

Doncic’s hamstring injury, which he picked up during a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, ruled him out for the rest of the regular season, and, timeline-wise, he would miss the start of the Rockets series.

While getting him back sooner would be ideal for the team and Doncic, Buha warned that the Lakers will be careful with their franchise player, especially since hamstrings are complicated.

“With Luka, they’ve not given an official timetable. They just said he was out for the regular season, then he went overseas to Spain to get some treatment that maybe isn’t given in the US,” Buha explained.

“Not legal here in the United States. We’ll say. And then, so he just came back to LA today, rejoined the team, and will be there tomorrow for game one. So with him, typically, a grade two hamstring is about three to six weeks. So there’s a chance, maybe he comes back in the middle of the series, but also with hamstring strains, you’ve got to be careful.”

The Lakers are also missing Austin Reaves due to an oblique injury, meaning LeBron James is left as the sole star on the team. If possible, they will need Doncic, Reaves, or both as soon as possible.

The post Lakers Could Get Luka Doncic Back During Rockets Series: Report appeared first on LA Sports Report.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Tyler Reddick will start from a NASCAR Cup Series pole on Sunday for the fourth time this season, and try to reach victory lane for the fifth time, after the 23XI Racing driver turned the fastest lap in qualifying at Kansas Speedway.

Reddick's lap of 185.300 mph on a cold, blustery Saturday edged his team owner Denny Hamlin, who will start alongside him in an all-Toyota front row. It's the second pole at Kansas for Reddick as he tries to become only the fourth driver in NASCAR history to win five of the first nine races in a season, and the first since Dale Earnhardt in 1987.

“We came here a year ago and really struggled all weekend long. That was a tough pill to swallow, for sure. We had felt like this had kind of been our playground for a number of years," Reddick said. “We came back here last fall, it was a huge emphasis for us. We just wanted to come back here with something better, and we didn't lead a lot of laps with the car we had, but it was much more the direction we needed to be. We kind of used that as our starting point coming back here.”

Turned out to be quite the starting point. It’s the fifth pole in the last six Kansas races for Toyota, and the second there for Reddick, whose 5.5 average finish through eight races is the best in a season since 2021, when Hamlin had seven top-5s — but no victories.

As for Hamlin, he has long considered Kansas Speedway one of his best tracks. He has four wins at the mile-and-a-half oval, one more than Kyle Larson and Joey Logano, and his runner-up finish last fall was his fourth second-place run.

“We were all kind of wide open there, the last few guys,” Hamlin said of his qualifying effort. “The track got good for us.”

Ty Gibbs will start third after picking up his first career win last week at Bristol. Larson will be alongside him in Row 2, while Chase Briscoe and Carson Hocevar — who set the early quick time — will make up the third row.

All of them will be chasing Reddick, though, just like they have so often this season.

“It's one week at a time. I think that really helps. If you get too far ahead of yourself (you) let one bad moment snowball into a series of bad moments,” Reddick said. “The start we've had is great. I feel like we're in a really great spot to — hopefully with performances like today translating to tomorrow — continue growing the points lead.”

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

The San Diego Padres saw their win streak finally come to an end against Los Angeles Angels’ ace José Soriano last night. It was an unfortunate end to the winning streak, but not entirely unexpected.

With the best pitcher in baseball so far this season on the mound for Los Angeles versus knuckleballer Matt Waldron, it wasn’t much of a pitching duel from the get-go. That became increasingly clear as the Friars were shutout for the first time this season.

It’s easy to be worried, but it’s not an indictment of the San Diego offense. It’s merely a showcase of the absolute ace that Soriano is becoming for the Halos. The real verdict will come if San Diego can’t put up enough runs tonight.

Taking the mound

Yusei Kikuchi (LAA) v. Germán Márquez (SD)

The reason for that verdict is due to Kikuchi being a downright awful pitcher. If he was on just about any other team, he’d be sent to the minors. But he’s on the Angels, and they need the pitching.

What Kikuchi lacks in stuff he makes up for in mostly – serviceable innings. He pitched a career-high 33 starts with Los Angeles last year and was their “ace” (though that’s not a word I would use to describe him).

If the Friars can’t get to Kikuchi, it’s a bad omen of a serious departure from the recent slugfest that has been San Diego. Their only problem will be scoring enough to make up for Márquez.

Here’s the thing, Márquez hasn’t been as bad as some worried. But he also hasn’t been good enough to justify a spot in the rotation if not for injuries on the Padres’ roster.

Márquez seemed to turn around his early slump with a scoreless five innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates. But he shortly followed that up with a rough five innings against the Colorado Rockies in which he gave up four runs. He earned his first win with San Diego in that outing because their offense outpaced Colorado’s, but it’s still disheartening.

That being said, if Márquez can turn it around against anybody, it’s the Angels. Despite the fact that they’re top 10 in MLB in on-base (.338) and slugging percentage (.414), they’re 20th in batting average (.231). And the only reason that they’re high in OBP is because they’ve been issued an MLB-leading 98 walks.

Márquez has limited his free passes well this year, giving up only five across four starts. So long as he can limit hard contact, he should have a decent outing.

Batter up!

Leadoff man Ramón Laureano was out of the lineup yesterday as part of manager Craig Stammen’s constant rest philosophy. It’s boded well so far for San Diego, and Laureano’s presence in the lineup likely wouldn’t have changed much in the Friars’ 8-0 loss.

That being said, Laureano will be back in the top spot tonight. Not only is he the obvious option, he has a career batting average of .308 against Kikuchi (26 at-bats). In fact, the Padres have a combined .337 average against the left-hander.

That means the lineup will likely be business as usual. Except for a few things: Jackson Merrill has played a lot lately, and Miguel Andujar has been raking (and does so especially against lefties). The latter will probably slot into the lineup, while the former sits the bench for a rest day:

1. Ramón Laureano, LF
2. Fernando Tatis Jr., RF
3. Manny Machado, 3B
4. Xander Bogaerts, SS
5. Gavin Sheets, 1B
6. Miguel Andujar, DH
7. Bryce Johnson, CF
8. Luis Campusano, C
9. Jake Cronenwroth, 2B

Cronenworth took the leadoff spot in last night’s game and has continued to disappoint. He lowered his batting average to an unfortunate .138 mark.

Campusano will likely continue his stretch as the lone backstop with Freddy Fermin still being dealt with cautiously after his concussion scare.

Relief corps

With Waldron only managing to pitch 3 2/3 innings, the ‘pen was relied on heavily. David Morgan gave up his first runs of the year on a two-run shot. Wandy Peralta, Bradgley Rodriguez and Kyle Hart pitched a clean 3 2/3 to finish out the game.

After some trouble lately, Rodriguez looked especially sharp, striking out all three batters faced. He lowered his ERA to 0.84 to start the year and has been on a tear lately. If not for a guy named Mason Miller, he might be viewed as the best reliever in this group.

Speaking of, the dominant closer will hopefully emerge from the bullpen for the bottom of the ninth tomorrow. He’ll be available after getting plenty of rest yesterday. Also available out of the ‘pen are Jason Adam, Ron Marinaccio and Adrian Morejon.

All four represent high-leverage options for Stammen to pick from, though he’ll likely tab Marinaccio if the Padres have a sizable lead when Márquez exits.

Once again, Oklahoma has won the 2026 NCAA women’s gymnastics championship, lifting the trophy for the fourth time in the past five years. The Sooners finished Saturday’s final with a score of 198.1625, surpassing runner-up LSU by 0.0875 after a tense final rotation.

Saturday’s competition, which featured finalists No. 1 Oklahoma, No.2 LSU, No. 3 Florida and No. 13 Minnesota, came down to the wire. After the Sooners led through the first two rotations, the Tigers took the lead after the third following some struggles from Oklahoma on beam.

LSU’s chances to hold their narrow one-tenth lead quickly narrowed after a fall from sophomore Lexi Zeiss, who finished with 9.2375 on beam despite the mistake. That raised the pressure for the rest of the Tigers: With six gymnasts per school competing in each rotation, the top five scores are counted — meaning that the rest of the LSU gymnasts had to put up strong routines in order to keep the team’s championship hopes alive.

But on the other side of the meet, Oklahoma put up one stellar performance after another on floor, ending with senior Faith Torrez — who won the All-Around competition on Thursday — in the anchor spot.

LSU chances all came down to star Kailin Chio, who anchored the Tigers on beam. Chio had already picked up a perfect 10 earlier in the day on vault — her 13th 10 of the season.

With Torrez earning a meet-high 9.9500 on floor, Chio needed a near-perfect score to give LSU the lead. Instead, she earned a 9.9000 — respectable, but not enough to dethrone the Sooners, who become back-to-back champions.

The win continues Oklahoma’s reign over women’s gymnastics, marking their eighth title in school history, with all eight championships coming since 2014. Sooner head coach K.J. Kindler, who took over the program in 2006 and built it into a dynasty, has taken the team to the finals 14 times in her tenure.

The biggest WWE event of the year is underway in Las Vegas, and as host John Cena alluded to in his intro on Saturday night, it's now time for WWE's biggest stars to shift the attention from the "polarizing buildup" to eyeball-popping performances in Allegiant Stadium.

We'll be updating you with results, recap, and grades for every match.

Match 1: IShowSpeed, Austin Theory and Logan Paul vs. Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso and LA Knight

Following an entrance by WrestleMania host John Cena, the first match of the night is the six-man tag. An interesting choice by WWE, after WrestleMania 41 kicked off each night with a championship bout.

For IShowSpeed's effective ring debut, the influencer-turned wrestler did an adequate job, showing off his acrobatic ability with a few entertaining spots. He's no Bad Bunny - or even Logan Paul - but in the annals of celebrity wrestling, it was better than expected.

.@RealLAKnight and @WWEUsos pick up the WIN at #WrestleMania! 😤#WrestleMania is streaming LIVE on the @espn App with the first hour streaming LIVE on ESPN2!

➡️ https://t.co/jKAIj8nxxtpic.twitter.com/bzPPhC4byt

— WWE (@WWE) April 18, 2026

After LA Knight scored the victory, Paul attacked Speed in the ring, accusing him of ruining his WrestleMania. Paul set up Speed on the announce table outside the ring, but before he could launch from the turnbuckle, the Usos and Knight returned to the ring and hit him with a 1D. Paul was set up on the announce table, and Speed hit a massive "IShowSplash" from the ring post, putting Paul through the table.

ISHOWSPLASH!!!! 🔝@ishowspeedsuipic.twitter.com/Wjh04T1PGJ

— WWE (@WWE) April 18, 2026

A quick match that won't go down as a WrestleMania classic, but the after-the-bell chaos made for a high-energy WrestleMania opener.

Winners: LA Knight and the Usos

Grade: 3/5 stars.

Matches left on the Night 1 WrestleMania card:

• Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre in an unsanctioned match.
• Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Liv Morgan for the Women's World Championship
• AJ Lee (c) vs. Becky Lynch for the WWE Women's Intercontinental Championship
• Nia Jax and Lash Legend (c) vs. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria vs. The Bella Twins in a fatal four-way for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship
• Seth Rollins vs. Gunther
• Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton (with Pat McAfee) for the Undisputed WWE Championship

How to watch WrestleMania Night 1:

The first hour of WrestleMania 42 – the first two matches – will air on ESPN2 and ESPN's streaming service.

Afterward, WrestleMania 42 will stream exclusively on ESPN's streaming service. Viewers can sign up for a subscription to the site here, which starts at $29.99 a month.

ESPN's service is available through select cable and TV packages, including:

• DIRECTV
• Fubo TV
• Hulu + Live TV
• Spectrum
• Verizon FiOS
• U-verse
• Cox
• Comcast Xfinity

This article originally appeared on For The Win: WrestleMania match grades: Reviewing Night 1

Alex Wilcox: Nuggets take Game 1, 116-105 over Minnesota. Jamal Murray leads the way with 30 pts, including 16-16 from the line Nikola Jokic notches another triple double - 25 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists

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This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Nuggets take Game 1 over Wolves behind Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic’s performances

Scott Agness: Tyrese Haliburton — a @WWE fanatic — is in Las Vegas and will be ringside tonight for their annual showcase event, WrestleMania.

Twitter

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Tyrese Haliburton — a @WWE fanatic — is in Las Vegas …

The most anticipated news of the UConn men’s basketball offseason came Saturday as star Braylon Mullins announced his decision on social media to put off the NBA Draft for a second year in Storrs. Mullins was projected to be picked anywhere from late lottery to the mid-20s in the first round of the draft after averaging 12.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game in his freshman season with the Huskies.

Hartford Courant

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Projected first-round pick Braylon Mullins returns to UConn

WWE WrestleMania 42 On ESPN 2 (April 18, 2026) Key Points

• WWE WrestleMania 42 Night 1 aired two matches for free on ESPN 2.
• LA Knight pinned Austin Theory in the opening match. After Logan Paul turned on IShowSpeed, the babyfaces came to his aid as he hit a frog splash on Paul through the table.

WWE WrestleMania 42 Results On ESPN 2 (April 18, 2026)

• The Usos and LA Knight def. The Vision and IShowSpeed
• Jacob Fatu vs. Drew McIntyre | Unsanctioned Match

WWE WrestleMania 42 Ticket Sales On April 18, 2026

• WWE WrestleMania 42 Venue: Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas, Nev.)
• WWE WrestleMania 42 Ticket Sales: 50,386

WWE WrestleMania 42 On ESPN | Results, Winners And Highlights

John Cena Kicks Off WrestleMania 42

• Fans went wild for John Cena, who wore a suit and casually walked to the ring as opposed to a sprint. Cena introduced himself as a longtime wrestler and a first-time host.
• Cena said the road to WrestleMania has been “chaotic” and “polarizing.” He said this is the moment he loves the most because “the time to talk is up. The time to deliver is now.”
• Cena formally welcomed Las Vegas to WrestleMania as the Usos made their entrance through the crowd.

The Usos And LA Knight Vs. The Vision And IShowSpeed

• IShowSpeed wore a red, latex Superman cape to the ring and donned full gear with long tights an kickpads. The match started with the Usos superkicking Logan Paul and Austin Theory, leaving IShow Speed to contend for himself. Speed locked in a headlock on LA Knight, who picked him up with no hands Speed hit a moonsault and landed on his feet, much to the chagrin of out-of-touch reporter Dave Meltzer.
• Speed hit an impressive body slam on LA Knight before tagging LA Knight. The babyfaces worked over Paul, including 10-count Yeet punches. It was all Usos and Knight to begin ESPN’s first WrestleMania match.
• Theory tagged in and too control as he grounded-and-pounded Jimmy Uso. Speed tagged in. He tried a suplex on Jimmy before it was quickly reversed. Logan Paul tagged in and retook control for the heels, but Jimmy came back with a Whisper in the Wind to a standing Logan Paul.
• Jey made the hot tag and rand wild. He hit a Spear on Austin for the nearfall. Suddenly, Speed found himself alone with Jimmy Uso, but Speed hit an impressive tilt-a-whirl on Jimmy to a big pop for the pseudo-heel. Speed accidentally bumped into Theory, who ran into a BFT as LA Knight scored the winning pinfall.
• The Usos and LA Knight celebrated as Logan Paul berated IShowSpeed. Paul knocked out Speed as fans booed vociferously and chanted “Logan sucks!” Paul dumped speed out of the ring and cleared the Spanish announce table. Paul attempted a flying elbow, but the babyfaces made the save.
• The Usos hit an off-target 1D on Paul as Knight saved Speed. The Usos put Paul on the table and gassed up Speed to hit an elbow drop of his own through the table. Fans were with it, chanting “Speed!” Speed did Ronaldo’s “sui!" celebration and hit a frog splash as fans chanted “holy s—t!”

Match Grade: B-

This article was originally published on Forbes.com

In the first time in 13 years, Atletico de Madrid lined up in a Copa del Rey final. In front of 72,000 fans in Sevilla, the Rojiblancos battled against a potent Real Sociedad, but fell short and lost in a penalty shootout.

The match started with the fastest Copa del Rey final goal ever, as Ander Barrenetxea bounced a header past Juan Musso after just 14 seconds. Ademola Lookman was able to pull the game back to level in the 19th minute, but Real Sociedad regained the advantage with a Mikel Oyarzabal penalty in first-half stoppage time. Late in the second half, a miracle strike from Julián Alvarez sent the game into extra time, and then into penalties. Misses from Alvarez and Alexander Sørloth were the final nail in the coffin, and Atleti’s domestic trophy drought has extended to five years.

After a soul-crushing final, let’s take a look at the ratings:

Starting XI:

Musso

The goalkeeper couldn’t have asked for a worse start to the final as his outstretched dive was unable to prevent Barrenetxea’s bouncing header from going in. Things went from bad to worse after Musso collided into the Portuguese talisman Gonçalo Guedes and gave away a penalty. From the spot, Oyarzabal scored easily. In the shootout, Musso made a save against Orri Óskarsson, but it wasn’t enough to come away with the trophy. A tough game for a keeper who has been so strong this season. 3

Ruggeri

A poor outing for the Italian, who had done so well earlier in the week against Lamine Yamal and FC Barcelona. Ruggeri lost his aerial battle against Barrenetxea which led to Real’s opening goal and he lost the ball far too easily on multiple occasions as the match went on, gifting attacks for the opposing side. 3

Le Normand

Put in more than one careless foul, including a yellow for an attempt to stop a Barrenetxea drive through the middle. But he did do well to help sweep up potential chances for Real Sociedad with his clearances and willingness to put pressure on the ball. 4.5

Pubill

The 22-year-old consistently thwarted the opposition’s attacks through the center and floated wide to help Nahuel Molina whenever Guedes got the best of him. His four interceptions and five clearances were certainly needed. 5.5

Molina

Had trouble against the in-form Guedes, who hugged the end line and utilized his dribbling to get the better of the Argentinian fullback. Offensively, Molina did his best to supply crosses into the area, but he struggled to connect down the sideline with Antoine Griezmann and Giuliano Simeone. 4.5

Lookman

Lookman often provided the only spark in an otherwise-quiet Atlético attack. His goal from Griezmann’s pass in the 19th minute, an arrowed left-footed strike into the bottom corner, brought the game level. The Nigerian’s efforts were admirable and he continues to show just how important he is to the team. 7

Koke

Even with some passes that were out of tune, Koke played the role of the orchestrator in a grueling 120 minutes that will particularly irk him given the final result. He did well to receive the ball in open play and keep possession with quick passes to teammates. As the only player to have been in the team in its last Copa del Rey final in 2013, his experience was evident whenever the camera panned to the veteran midfielder. He always looked to be urging for others to stay calm, hoping to instill some poise into the team. 6

Llorente

Looked as eager as ever to make an impact, using his stamina to drop back on defense throughout the match and getting the occasional breakthrough out wide to swing a dangerous ball into the final third. 6

G. Simeone

Misjudged the bouncing ball that led to the opponent’s opening goal. Was otherwise nonexistent on the right as the match went on. 3

Alvarez

La Araña brought the game to 2-2 in the 83rd minute after a quality back-heel flick and then a thunderous shot into the top corner of the net. The striker did enough to claw Atleti into extra time, but failed to convert on his attempt in penalties. 6.5

Griezmann

Picked up an assist after he supplied Lookman for the forward’s 19th-minute equalizer. Had moments of excellence with quick touches on the ball or passes out wide. Was taken off for Almada in the second half. 5.5

Substitutes:

Nico Gonzalez

Brought on as a pure left-back in a revamp to the left side after Lookman was subbed off. His crosses into the box didn’t directly result in a goal, but they did force Real Sociedad to push defenders out wide to deal with them. In penalties, Nico looked calm as he slotted his shot into the back of the net. 5

Sørloth

Hoping to use his large stature to get on the end of a cross, Sørloth actively worked to cause havoc for Duje Ćaleta-Car and Jon Martín. His efforts were admirable, but not enough to get his name on the scoresheet. Was the first player up to take his shot in the shootout but Marrero kept out his tame effort. 4.5

Baena

Skied his look in front of net after a cross in from Llorente and struggled to make his mark in the squad’s buildup play. In penalties, Baena at least was able to put his attempt away. 4

Almada

Assisted Alvarez late in the second half to push the game into extra time. Never made a similar impact after that, though he did convert his penalty. 5

Cardoso

Came on for Molina in the 78th minute and found himself through on goal after a pass from Alvarez late in the second half. That miss will go down as one of the game’s biggest “what if?” moments. 4

Lenglet

Replaced Llorente in the 99th minute. Made no serious mistakes. 5

Renger van der Zande held steady through multiple late restarts to give Acura Meyer Shank Racing the home race victory in the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. 

The Dutchman, driving the #93 Acura ARX-06, was undeterred despite Frederick Vesti (#31 Whelen Cadillac V-Series.R) applying consistent pressure on the restarts, taking the checkered flag by 0.818s on the 1.968-mile, 11-turn temporary street circuit. It marks the first win for Acura at Long Beach since 2009 under the American Le Mans Series banner. Additionally, it is van der Zande’s third IMSA win at the iconic street circuit, having won it previously in 2022 and 2024 with Cadillac.

Porsche Penske Motorsport’s #6 Porsche 963 of Laurens Vanthoor finished third, ahead of teammate Felipe Nasr in the #7 sistercar. BMW M Team WRT’s Sheldon van der Linde ended up fifth.

The GTD class was won by Vasser Sullivan’s #12 Lexus RC F GT3 of Aaron Telitz and Benjamin Pedersen, ahead of Turner Motorsport’s Robby Foley and Patrick Gallegher in second, with Conquest Racing’s Albert Costa and Manny Franco in the final podium spot in third.

The Race

Nick Yelloly leads the field from pole in a split start for GTP and GTD, which was led by Robert Wickens (DXDT Racing).

A few moments later, however, the yellow flagged waved for debris following a spin by the #81 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R of Henrik Hedman (DragonSpeed) into the Turn 6 tire barriers. 

The restart came with roughly 1h33m remaining, with Yelloly leading but the first bit of strategy coming into play as JDC-Miller MotorSports, already at the rear of GTP, elected to come in and do a driver change, swapping Tijmen van der Helm for Porsche factory specialist Lauren Heinrich in the #5 Porsche 963.

There was a change for second, though, as Jack Aitken (Cadillac Whelen) took over the spot from Marco Wittman (BMW M Team WRT. Additionally, there was a change for second in the GTD class as Russell Ward (Winward Racing) got by Danny Formal (Wayne Taylor Racing) on the front straightaway just 14m into the race. Formal dove to pit lane shortly after.

Aitken began applying the pressure on Yelloly, as the pair were up by 3s on third-place Wittman. As the pair began catching GTD traffic, Aitken got by Yelloly, who was held up by the 13 Autosport Corvette, for the race lead with 1h23m left. Aitken was able to stretch out to a 3.5s lead over the next three minutes. 

Despite starting last after their pole time was disallowed for ground clearance in qualifying, the #89 Vasser Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3, with Jack Hawksworth at the helm, was already up to sixth in a GTD class of 17 entrants just 20m into the race. 

With 1h8m left, Ward was black flagged by Race Control for failure to adhere to tire operational requirements, leading him to come into the pits for repairs but unable to make a driver change during the stop.

Kevin Estre brought Porsche Penske Motorsport’s #6 Porsche 963, which had slight left front damage, to pit lane for energy and a driver change to Laurens Vanthoor. The team did not elect to change tires. The stop, which came with 1h7m remaining, started a run of stops for GTD as Aiken and others came down pit lane, with Frederick Vesti now in the #31 Whelen Cadillac. Yelloly stayed out and assumed the race lead. 

Wickens pitted from the lead with 1h3m left, with a driver change also taking place as Mason Filippi took over. 

As Yelloly dove to pit lane with 1h1m left, with van der Zande taking over, Heinrich and Phillip Eng appeared to make slight contact and Eng’s #25 BMW into the Turn 8 tire barrier. Eng was able to get back to pit lane, but the incident left his challenger damaged and debris littered across the track and brought out the yellow. 

The #40 Cadillac of Louis Deletraz took over the lead, but had not pitted yet and was caught out by the caution. Hawksworth also took over the top spot in GTD, with Filippi in second. When the pits opened up, the likes of Deletraz, Heinrich and Tom Blomqvist (Acura Meyer Shank Racing), among others, pitted, which elevated van der Zande to the overall lead, with Vesti in second and Vanthoor in third. 

The race started with 47m remaining, with van der Zande jumping off to a good gap over Vesti. The push into Turn 1 saw contact as the #24 BMW of Sheldon van der Linde made a late dive under Roman De Angelis (Aston Martin THOR Team), which stuffed the latter into the tire barriers and returned the yellow flag. 

A restart with 42m left saw a similar jump by van der Zande. Vesti continued to stalk the race leader, hanging 0.5s behind. 

Hawksworth was up against his maximum drive time and forced to pit from the lead with under 39m remaining, with Frankie Montecalvo, who qualified the car, taking over. The stop put teammate Telitz, in the #12 sister car for Vasser Sullivan, to the race lead, with Filippi in second. 

After a lengthy review, Race Control determined the #25 BMW of Eng was in the wrong for his part in the incident with Heinrich, handing him a stop plus 60 penalty. 

The fight for second in GTD heated up, with Robby Foley getting his Turner Motorsport machine past Filippi with a tight pass that led to the latter’s left side getting into the wall before getting in the back of the former and ripping part of the bumper of the #96 BMW M4 GT3 EVO. Filippi eventually fell down the running order to sixth in class. 

With 27m to go, Telitz built up a 7s lead over Foley. 

The fight for second overall was on as Vanthoor was on the rear wing of Vesti, with both more than 3.7s behind van der Zande. 

A full course caution came out with just under 25m left as the #10 Cadillac V-Series.R of Ricky Taylor (Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing) found the tire barrier in Turn 6 after clipping the inside curbing. 

Another restart with just over 17m left saw van der Zande continue the theme of jumping out front, with the rest of the field remaining straightforward. 

Vesti stayed right on the rear wing of van der Zande, remaining in his shadow with 10m left. The gap closed and widened like an accordion between the corners and straights between the two. 

Despite the close racing, another full course yellow came out with just under nine minutes to go as the #66 of Corey Lewis (Gradient Racing) was hit with heavy damage coming out of the final corner hairpin, ripping off the nose of his Ford Mustang GT3 and dragging debris down the front straightaway.

Courtesy of a quick cleanup by the safety crew, the race restarted just three minutes later and saw van der Zande holding steady out front once more. In GTD, Telitz remained out front over Foley. 

Vesti began to close on van der Zande, who was catching traffic, with over three minutes to go. 

Despite the pressure, van der Zande remained out front over Vesti to take the win. Telitz carried off the GTD class victory for Vasser Sullivan. 

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Blue Jays' John Schneider pushes back on Eric Lauer 'hate' of opener role originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

There was a bit of conflict out of Toronto after Friday's game -- Eric Lauer acknowledged that he has "hate" for the bulk role he was used in during his loss following an opener.

It was quite the bold comment from Lauer, really, and so Blue Jays manager John Schneider was asked about it on Saturday.

For a refresher, Lauer said: 

“To be real blunt, I hate it. I can’t stand it... Hopefully it’s not something that we will continue doing, but that’s above my pay grade."

Schneider said this to reporters, via MLB.com's Keegan Matheson:

“I respect everyone’s opinion. I know the end of his quote was ‘It’s above my pay grade’, and it’s definitely above his pay grade how we use him. We’re trying to win.”

Schneider added this:

“He’s aware of that and he knows that. Anyone who’s bounced around a little bit, he wants to start. He’s on board with us trying to win. Go out and execute until we take the ball from you, big fella.”

MORE: This Blue Jays prospect is related to an NBA Hall of Famer

Lauer wasn't expected to be in the starting rotation this year, but injuries have given him this chance.

It makes sense that after a so-so outing, he wasn't feeling great.

It's also fair for Schneider not to want Lauer saying quite as blunt of things going forward.

We'll have to see if the Blue Jays use an opener in front of Lauer again his next time out.

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To pinch hit for Moisés Ballesteros, or not to pinch hit for him? That’s increasingly a more difficult question for Cubs manager Craig Counsell to answer.

On one hand, the 22-year-old Ballesteros is proving to be every bit the hitting machine that he was projected to be throughout his fast rise through the Cubs’ farm system. In 42 at-bats so far this season, Ballesteros has a 1.032 OPS while spraying the ball to all fields.

His baseball acumen is already winning praise from Counsell, who said Ballesteros is one of the more instinctual young players he’s ever worked with. Counsell said Ballesteros, despite his age and level of major league experience, will offer insights in advance meetings.

“This is a tough group,” Counsell said. “If I was a young player, this is a group that’s a pretty high baseball IQ group, and he’s able to add to that conversation. And that’s impressive.”

And yet, when a left-handed reliever comes into the game, Counsell is more often than not going to pinch hit for Ballesteros. There’s a balance to be struck when it comes to Ballesteros and his personal development as a hitter, and that’s at some point going to have to involve facing lefties on a regular basis.

But at the same time, Counsell has to consider the team as a whole. The ultimate goal is to win, and that is going to mean Ballesteros takes his bat to the dugout when a southpaw comes in.

“This is a team. We’re going to put the players […] in positions to have success,” Counsell said. “And that trumps the other thing. Now, at some point, if the team doesn’t provide a better option, then maybe we do something different.”

Counsell has the luxury this season of having a bench that’s deep with quality hitters. Case in point, in Saturday’s 4-2 win over the Mets, Ballesteros’ spot in the lineup came up with the sixth inning with the game locked in a 1-1 tie. With two outs and runners on first and second, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza pulled starter Freddy Peralta for left-handed reliever Brooks Raley. Counsell countered with pinch-hitter Carson Kelly for Ballesteros.

It took one pitch for Kelly to illustrate Counsell’s point about finding the right spots for his players to be successful.

With his two at-bats on Saturday, Ballesteros has 40 against right-handed pitchers versus just two against lefties this season. He’s doing plenty of damage against the right-handers he’s facing, but the balance that Counsell has to strike is when to let Ballesteros get looks against lefties for the sake of his development as a hitter and when to let the game dictate that it’s time to go to his bench for a right-handed bat.

For his part, Ballesteros said he feels equally comfortable facing left-handed pitchers and no matter the situation he’s always just trying to drive the ball up the middle. As the season progresses, Counsell will be presented with situations where he’s going to leave Ballesteros in to face a lefty.

In moments like the sixth inning of Saturday’s game, Counsell’s focus is on getting runs on the board and winning a ballgame. That is going to mean pinch-hitting for guys like Ballesteros later in games. A part of a team’s long-term success comes from every guy understanding his role and being willing to put the group above the self.

“I’m here for a winner,” Ballesteros told CHGO. “I’m not here for my numbers. I’m not here for anything [for myself]. I’m here for winners, and I’m here for a good team, and [being] a good teammate.”

A situation like Saturday’s — when Kelly pinch-hits and crushes the first pitch he sees for a three run homer that gives the Cubs a lead — makes it easy on a guy in Counsell’s position. Like so many other decisions he makes during a game, Counsell is a genius when they work.

“A pinch-hit, three run homer, that’s a good day for the manager,” Ian Happ quipped.

The time will eventually come, the Cubs hope, when Ballesteros is a less obvious choice to get removed for a pinch-hitter, but he’s still very early in his career. And for the team as a whole, the National League Central is off to a very tight start, so each win seems to carry a little more weight. It’s still very early, but going into Saturday’s game, every team in the division was above .500, and the Cubs were in last place with just 1.5 games separating them from the top of the Central.

It’s expected that teams like the Cardinals will probably start fading as the season goes on, and the Reds’ negative run differential suggests that they won’t continue winning at their current pace. But that still leaves the Brewers and Pirates, and both teams are looking like legit contenders a month into the season. That’s expected from Milwaukee, given how they’ve done the past half dozen years, but the Pirates might be a sleeper in the division.

To some extent, a player’s development is his responsibility. He has the offseason and spring training to work on things, but once opening day comes, it’s time to produce. A manager still has some opportunity to lean into development opportunities that arise during the season, of course, but his main job is winning games.

Now in his third season in charge of the Cubs, Counsell has taken the group forward. They won 83 games and missed the playoffs in his first year, but in 2025 they improved by nine wins and advanced to within a game of the National League Championship Series. Most fans would agree that Counsell’s primary job is to get the Cubs back to the top of the division, a place they haven’t been in a full season since 2017, and to go even deeper in the playoffs than last year.

But right now it’s just April. And Ballesteros is one of Counsell’s hottest bats. He’s done an effective job of communicating the mission to his team, enough so that Ballesteros understands being pinch-hit for and doesn’t need the reasoning spelled out for him every time. Especially in a game like Saturday’s.

“He’s been doing a great job. It’s been working,” Ballesteros said of Counsell. “We’ve been winning and getting good results.”

Saturday's loss to the Cubs had the same result as every other game the Mets have played over the last week and change, but the journey was different.

Yes, the Mets' 4-2 loss in Chicago had their losing streak reach 10 games, a feat the franchise hasn't seen in over 20 years, but it's the way they lost that has shades of the Twilight Zone.

The Mets have lost in a myriad of ways during this stretch. They've been shut out, they've lost slugfests, the bullpen has imploded, and defensive errors and miscues have cost them games. But Saturday showed something new. This time, a pinch-hitter took one swing and delivered the winning blow. 

"Just haven’t been able to play a complete game," manager Carlos Mendoza said after the loss. "It’s either the offense… starting pitching. Not making a pitch, not making a play. Not getting the big hit. Just having a hard time playing a complete game right now." 

The Mets have been outscored 60-18 during the 10-game losing streak. And while the offense is not the only reason for this stretch, it's the biggest. Mendoza and the players have said multiple times that there are always discussions among them and that no meeting or player needs to stand up in front of the team to get the ship righted, but the message among them continues to be to move on to the next day and get the win then.

"It’s frustrating to lose baseball games. Any time you lose, no matter how long the streak is, it compounds," Marcus Semien said after the game. "This is a big boy league. There’s no time to dwell on tonight; tomorrow is a new day."

Semien is part of a group of newcomers to the Mets acquired this offseason. He, along with Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco, was brought in to give the offense more consistency with their contact-first approach. So far, it hasn't worked, although the lineup has picked it up a bit over the last few games -- outhitting or tying in hits three of their last four games.

"Every game has been different. Obviously, we want to win as an offense. We’ve lost a lot of different ways. There’s no pointing the finger," he said. "Just coming out with a win. If it takes a 12-10 victory, a 1-0 victory, we have to do something to get the win to come."

And for Semien, who has played in the league for 13 seasons, he's been a part of a lot of streaks, both winning and losing. In his experience, the only cure for these trying times is to find that one win that can steer them in the right direction. 

The veteran infielder was asked question after question regarding the losing streak and how they can turn it around. He often chuckled, almost defiantly, when answering what the answer to breaking the streak is or how challenging it is for the team.

"It’s not. It’s not [challenging]. It’s as simple as showing up tomorrow with a good attitude," Semien said. "That’s how I’m going to approach it as a veteran on this team. Hopefully, other guys see the smile on my face when I show up. I understand the game does not owe you a thing. The game does not owe you any wins. We have to go out and get it.

Semien added, "Just winning the game. It's hard to win a big league game. It always has been. Right now, it hasn't gone our way. If we had a magical way to win every single game, we would definitely be doing it. I think that at the end of the day, everybody in here has enough talent to get a win tomorrow and that's how we're going to approach tomorrow."

"We haven't been playing good baseball. That's the bottom line," Mendoza said. "When you look at it, you've got five-and-a-half months ahead of you. You have an opportunity to write our own story. We're putting ourselves in a big hole right now, but there's only one way to do it - come back tomorrow ready to go."

The Mets will hope to salvage a win Sunday when they take on the Cubs before heading back home.

Celtic are reportedly keen on making Roberto Martinez their next manager. It is expected that Martinez will leave his post as Portugal manager after this summer’s World Cup, leaving the path clear for Celtic to make him their next manager.

The Spaniard will be fully focused on taking Portugal to the World Cup in USA, Canada and Mexico; however, it has been reported that Celtic want the ex-Everton manager to become the club’s next permanent manager.

According to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Celtic are interested in Martinez, a move that would make sense given his connection to influential Hoops figure Shaun Maloney.

“Obviously, I think right now all his focus is with Portugal ahead of the upcoming World Cup.

“But after that, if he wants to make a return to club management, I’m sure if there’s any chance that Celtic could get him, it’s something they would definitely look into.

“If Martinez is interested in a move to Celtic, they really have to do everything they can to try and convince him to make that move.”

Maloney was Martinez’s Assistant Head Coach with Belgium, with the winger playing under Martinez at Wigan Athletic. Maloney is currently playing a prominent role behind the scenes at Celtic Park, meaning that he could have significant sway in the decision to bring the next manager in.

Martinez first gained notice at Swansea City, guiding them to the 2008 League One title with a possession-based approach rare in the lower leagues. He followed that by keeping Wigan Athletic in the Premier League and famously winning the 2013 FA Cup, defeating Manchester City—though relegation came days later.

At Everton, Martínez delivered a 72-point season in 2013–14, the club’s highest Premier League tally, but defensive frailties saw a decline and eventual dismissal. After leaving Goodison, Martinez transitioned into international management with Belgium. The Belgians reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, finishing third—the nation’s best-ever result but there has always been a feeling that they underachieved with a number of players in their primes.

A move to Celtic has been suggested before, with Martinez heavily linked after Gordon Strachan’s departure in 2009. Martinez is believed to have turned down an approach after interviewing for the Hoops job. The move isn’t unrealistic as Martinez’s wife is from North Lanarkshire, with the pair meeting during his Motherwell days.

Celtic need a manager to hit the ground running and oversee a sizeable rebuild. Wilfried Nancy’s appointment was a huge gamble by the Celtic Board, which resulted in an awful run of form that Martin O’Neill, Maloney and Fozzy have had to try rectify. Hopefully MON can close off this season with some silverware.

RB Leipzig starlet Yan Diomande has once again left Bundesliga audiences scrapping their jaws of the floor. In Saturday evening’s 1-3 away win over Eintracht Frankfurt, the 19-year-old opened up the scoring with a scintillating solo run and finish. Diomande’s literally dusted off three direct Eintracht markers en route to his 12th goal of the season.

Leipzig head coach Ole Werner – reviewing a scene on a monitor while conducting an interview with Sky Germany – noted that he felt Diomande slalomed past up to seven players on his way toward goal. The Ivorian remains one of the most celebrated players in the Bundesliga. Incredibly, the teenage talent wasn’t even playing top flight football until this year.

Diomande’s atypical professional journey took him to many different locales. Last season, the now nine-times-capped Cote d’Ivoire international was playing for CD Leganes in the Spanish Segunda. Early on in his Bundesliga career, Diomande’s lack of punctuality when reporting to training and matches was something that Ole Werner had to directly address.

Ole Werner’s current thoughts on Diomande

“He’s spectacular, sharp, and basically unstoppable,” Werner remarked in his Sky Germany interview. “What’s really special about him is that he doesn’t really need fancy moves. He just relies on his timing, ball control, and speed. At 19, he has a good understanding of the game and knows where spaces open up..He can go far if he keeps working just as hard as he has been and doesn’t get too big for hisboots.“

Will Diomande be sold this summer?

Where will Diomande play next season? It stands to reason that the now €75m-valued winger (assuming he remains fit) will be off to greener pastures this summer. Leipzig paid €20m to acquire Diomande from the Spanish Segunda outfit this past summer despite the fact that transfermarkt.de assessed the youngster to be valued only €1.5m at the time. 

German journalists scouting Leipzig’s summer training camp quickly got the idea. Transfermarkt quickly raised his estimated market value up to €20m by October. Some reports suggest the German Red Bulls hope to command up to €100m for him this summer. Several Premier League clubs will be willing to pay that amount or more.

Werner speaks on transfer rumors

“That’s not a big issue right now,” Werner answered when asked by Sky about where Diomande will be headed. “It’s an issue that affects every club in Germany except perhaps Bayern Munich. All other clubs have to make transfers time and again. It’s also part of our DNA to develop young players and perhaps prepare them for even bigger clubs. As ”But that doesn’t really concern him much at the moment:

“We’ve managed to replace other players quite well this season,” Werner said with obvious reference to the summer exodus of players like Xavi Simons or Loïs Openda. “People don’t talk much anymore about the players who’ve left. We’ve done a good job with scouting there. As a result we’re quite happy with where we stand and are on course for the Champions League.“

Yan Diomande jokes about his lateness

“It was different in Spain,” the player himself said in the mixed zone. “This is a different culture. Now they call me ‘the German’.“

GGFN | Peter Weis

Manchester City take on Arsenal on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium. The match is a huge fixture that sees the Premier League leaders in Arsenal take on their closest title rivals in City. City sit six points behind Arsenal on the Premier League table, with a game in hand, and it seems like this season’s title race could hinge on Sunday’s result. Ahead of Sunday’s huge match, Pep Guardiola has pointed out a situation that Arsenal are contending with in the title race that City aren’t facing. It does seem that subtly, Pep Guardiola has placed pressure onto Arsenal heading into Sunday’s top-of-the-table Premier League clash.

Pep Guardiola has made a point of singling out how long it has been since Arsenal have won the Premier League.

Speaking during his pre-game press conference ahead of Manchester City’s huge Premier League fixture against Arsenal, Pep Guardiola pointed out that Arsenal haven’t won the Premier League in 22 years. The Manchester City manager said that this is an element of this season’s title race that his team cannot contend with. He explained: “I enjoy watching them (Arsenal), I learn a lot for many things and what people want is to win. We fight an aspect that is really important that we cannot fight against – that is 22 years without winning the Premier League. We cannot fight that aspect, they have something that is unique.”

There is pressure on both teams entering Sunday’s match, but the weight of history is on Arsenal’s shoulders.

The ramifications in Sunday’s top-of-the-table Premier League clash between Manchester City and Arsenal are huge for both teams. A win for Arsenal or a draw will see Mikel Arteta’s side maintain control of their destiny in this season’s Premier League title race. If City can beat Arsenal, they’ll move within three points of the Gunners at the top of the Premier League table, with a game in hand on Arsenal and with real momentum behind their title charge. Both teams know what is at stake at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

However, as Pep Guardiola has pointed out, Arsenal haven’t won the Premier League since the 2003/04 season. Mikel Arteta’s side has also finished second in the league in the past three seasons. It has also seemed that Arsenal are feeling the weight of pressure on their shoulders recently. Their performance in their 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth last weekend was that of a side who seem to be struggling with the weight of closing the deal in a title race and fatigue after a long season. Pep Guardiola seems to have subtly reminded Arsenal of the weight of history that they are looking to change. Whether or not Mikel Arteta’s side can deal with that pressure remains to be seen, but Guardiola hasn’t missed an opportunity to remind Arsenal of the situation they are facing.

Final thoughts.

Pep Guardiola has reminded Arsenal of how long it has been since they won the Premier League title. Whether or not he meant to, it does seem that the Manchester City manager has seemingly ramped up the pressure on Mikel Arteta’s side ahead of Sunday’s match and in the title race. Whether or not Arsenal can handle the pressure in the title race and Sunday’s match is another interesting subplot heading into a massive match and a pivotal stage of the season.

From ecstasy to agony in under 20 minutes.

The emotional rollercoaster experienced by Tottenham Hotspur fans in the closing stages of Saturday's draw with Brighton likely hinted at what is yet to come.

Xavi Simons had led his team-mates in joyous celebration, the Spurs supporters joining in a collective release of pent-up emotion, after the 22-year-old's wonderful strike put Roberto de Zerbi's side on course for a first Premier League win since 28 December.

But those scenes proved premature when, in the fifth minute of eight added for stoppage time, Brighton's Georginio Rutter delivered a devastating sucker-punch.

It left Spurs still one point adrift of safety with just five games remaining - a situation which could worsen with relegation rivals Nottingham Forest and West Ham yet to play - increasing their fears of a first top-flight relegation since 1977.

"It's like a defeat because we conceded a goal in extra time, but we played a great game," Tottenham head coach De Zerbi told BBC Sport.

"It's tough to accept. We have to be stronger than this moment we are going through. We have to move on and prepare for the next game."

Former Spurs striker Les Ferdinand told Sky Sports: "If that was the 90th minute I could understand it, but there was a lot of football still to be played.

"The reaction should be to keep it tight, instead they jumped into the crowd."

But ex-Premier League defender Ashley Williams told BBC Sport he had "no issue" with Spurs' celebrations.

"The goal was so important at that point in time. I know there were still minutes to be played, but with the reaction and the emotion you could see what it meant to the players," Williams said.

Despite the overwhelming sense of disappointment at full-time, De Zerbi has seen enough to believe his players can escape their perilous situation.

"This team is able to win five games in a row," the Italian told the media.

On the surface, that faith would appear entirely unfounded.

Spurs' winless run in the league now stands at 15 matches, just one short of the club's worst-ever winless league run set 91 years ago.

It is bottom club Wolves - who will be relegated if West Ham earn at least a point against Crystal Palace on Monday - against whom Spurs will seek to avoid equalling that streak endured between 1934 and 1935.

"I believe in my players and they have to believe in me. We can't think in the past. We have enough time, we have enough quality," De Zerbi said.

"I don't like people who cry or think too negatively."

Tottenham defender Pedro Porro told BBC Sport: "I think after the game we don't have time for the disappointment. For me and my team-mates, the best thing is keep pushing, keep going.

"I think the team today was very good. The most important thing now is staying positive."

Only the Championship's rock-bottom club Sheffield Wednesday have picked up fewer points (four) than Spurs (six) across English football's top four tiers in 2026.

De Zerbi has been clear that his immediate attention is on restoring confidence in a group of players who have now failed to win each of their last five Premier League games in which they have led.

There were signs of encouragement for the former Seagulls boss in that regard, as his players demonstrated the fight they must show over their remaining games in going toe-to-toe with the league's form team.

There was cause for optimism on the team sheet, too, as long-term absentees Rodrigo Bentancur and James Maddison were fit enough to start and make the bench respectively.

De Zerbi also praised the fans, whom he will hope can recreate the same atmosphere in the club's final home fixtures against Leeds and Everton.

"We have to say thanks to our fans. They were fantastic, they helped the players a lot before, during and at the end of the game," said De Zerbi.

"The players have to feel lucky because it's not normal that a stadium is like this if you are fighting relegation."

And while De Zerbi has put emphasis on being a "father-figure" to his players at this time, rather than overloading them with tactical information, there are already signs that the team is beginning to mould to his style.

Speaking on BBC Match of the Day, Joe Hart said: "The way Spurs pressed was really impressive and it's not something we've seen from them this season.

"It was a relentless press. The whole stadium was rocking as well. Two goals from high turnovers today - and only four overall this season."

Former Spurs defender Michael Dawson, speaking on Sky Sports, said: "They have to take the positives. This will feel like a loss, it was a chance to turn their fortunes around.

"That is something they will have to deal with. I saw the hunger, desire and commitment. De Zerbi was passionate on the touchline.

"I saw something in that game - it has restored some belief, but this is a starting block."

Spurs travel to Wolves next weekend, then face difficult trips to European hopefuls Aston Villa and Chelsea in search of crucial points.

The task for De Zerbi now is lifting his players after coming within only a few minutes of achieving a momentous victory, the devastation evident on his players' faces at the full-time whistle.

On what he said to his players after the game, De Zerbi told Sky Sports: "I said to be strong, to follow me again because I want to help them.

"They can change the mentality, that is the most important part. Now it's too easy to think negatively, but we have to be focused and work to find the condition to win again.

"Until the end we will fight in every game and give our best. If we are able to give our best, it's not finished yet.

"Today I saw signs. I saw blood, character, qualities, organisation with and without the ball. Everything to reach our target."

Spurs' challenge could yet become greater before they next kick a ball, however, with Nottingham Forest hosting Burnley and West Ham taking on Crystal Palace over the next two days.

"Now they have to sit nervously and watch Nottingham Forest and West Ham play," former Premier League midfielder Andy Reid told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"If both of those teams get wins, this point turns out to be not so great. It is an anxious couple of days ahead."

• Latest Tottenham news, analysis and fan views
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Mets 10-game losing streak shows they almost have no chance to make the playoffs originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The New York Mets lost to the Chicago Cubs on Saturday, April 18th. That loss was a close 4-2 defeat, and dropped the Mets to a 7-14 record.

It's only 21 games into the regular season, and the Mets are in desperation mode. But, even worse than this record already indicates is how the Mets got here. This Cubs loss was their 10th in a row.

As ESPN's Jeff Passan highlighted following the Mets' loss, teams that lose 10 games in a row in MLB history typically do not make the playoffs. If history repeats itself, as it often does, the Mets are going to miss the postseason for the second year in a row.

Mets' 10-game losing streak is horrible news for postseason odds

"Four teams in MLB history have lost 10 or more games in a row and made the playoffs," Passan shared. "The last was the Guardians in 2025. Only one of those teams had a skid in April and still made the postseason: the 1951 Giants, who lost 11 consecutive.. The New York Mets have lost 10 straight."

The Mets are in the middle of a major losing streak, dropping 10 straight games, only 21 games into the regular season. A few weeks ago, they were 7-4; now they're 7-14 and in danger of missing the playoffs already.

Of course, it's still incredibly early. And just last year, the Cleveland Guardians proved that losing 10 in a row isn't the end of the Mets' chances to make the postseason. But it's a huge hurdle to clear, especially with how bad the offense looks.

Things could turn around once Juan Soto comes back. But, even then, the Mets need Francisco Lindor, Bo Bichette, and plenty of others to start turning things around this season.

More: Mets didn’t want to trade Brett Baty while White Sox didn’t want Mark Vientos in Luis Robert Jr. trade

The Mets of 2026 Opening Day feel long gone. From chasing Paul Skenes out of the game in less than an inning, to a 10-game losing streak by mid-April. This has been a strange and brutal start to the season for the Mets.

There's one more game against the Cubs on Sunday, where Chicago will send David Peterson to face Javier Assad. If the Mets cannot win, they will go back to New York with a very real chance to turn things around, as they face the Minnesota Twins.

But if the Mets continue to lose, dropping a game or two to the Twins, things might need drastic changing before the Mets even make it to May.

Even if they start winning again, history is not on their side after this brutal 10-game losing streak. MLB history is very long, and the Mets would be just the fifth team ever to make the postseason after losing 10 straight if they climb back this year.

More MLB news:

• Braves predicted to trade Bryce Elder for Lars Nootbaar
• Jacob DeGrom is only 149 strikeouts from 2,000 for his career
• Three ways Pirates' Paul Skenes could lose NL Cy Young Award
• Red Sox never close on Astros’ Isaac Paredes trade
• Shohei Ohtani deemed more valuable than Aaron Judge in recent ESPN discussion piece

We are now inside of a week until the 2026 NFL Draft. That means the last mock drafts are coming out, some of which are the seven-round variety. Which means all 257 picks. The latest is Chad Reuter at NFL.com.

The Raiders have ten picks currently in this year's draft. Here are the picks Reuter has the Raiders taking with those picks in his seven-round mock.

• Round 1, pick 1 -- Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
• Round 2, pick 36 -- Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
• Round 3, pick 67 -- Chris Bell, WR, Louisville
• Round 4, pick 102 -- Robert Spears-Jennings, S, Oklahoma
• Round 4, pick 117 -- Devin Moore, CB, Florida
• Round 4, pick 134 -- Demond Claiborne, RB, Wake Forest
• Round 5, pick 175 -- Markel Bell, OT, Miami
• Round 6, pick 185 -- Drew Stevens, K, Iowa
• Round 6, pick 208 -- Eric Gentry, LB, USC
• Round 7, pick 219 -- Beau Stevens, G, Iowa

Reuter does well to cover all the Raiders needs with these picks. The one small thing that seems to stand out to me is the seeming unlikelihood that many of these players will still be on the board when the Raiders pick.

Woods is arguably the top three-tech DT in this draft, which would figure to have him come off the board in the first round. Chris Bell is viewed as a second round pick. Otherwise, his picks seem as possible as any mock drafts I've seen. And even then, Reuter thinks those players will still be there at which point they'd be pretty good value picks, right?

I will be coming out with my seven-round mock draft on Monday, and then by next Saturday we will all get to see just how close we all were in predicting who the Raiders take this year.

This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: All 10 Raiders picks in NFL media's 7-round mock draft

Since hiring John Tortorella as head coach with eight games left in the regular season, the Vegas Golden Knights have gone undefeated in regulation.

As the first-round playoff opponent of the Golden Knights, the Utah Mammoth have their work cut out for them, but ahead of his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut as a head coach, the Mammoth’s André Tourigny feels ready for the challenge.

“We are where we were expecting to be, where we wanted to be, and now it’s time for us to meet the expectation we have of ourselves,” he said.

Facing a team with a brand new coach presents an extra challenge for the Mammoth. A new coach brings new ways of doing things, and there isn’t necessarily loads of video revealing them.

That said, having come in so late in the season, Tortorella opted to keep the main systems the same, tweaking things as he saw fit. For that reason, Tourigny and his staff feel they can rely on the book they already had on the Golden Knights while also paying attention to the eight games since Tortorella’s arrival.

“The difference is really the mindset,” Tourigny said. “They want to be more aggressive in certain situations. We saw it a few of them. We’ll figure it out after the puck drops.”

While the Golden Knights played their best hockey of the season down the stretch, the Mammoth have shown some minor struggles, losing three of their final four games and dealing with the league’s seventh-worst goaltending in that stretch, as defined by save percentage.

But you don’t get to the postseason without elite capabilities, and the Mammoth are focusing on the things that got them to this position.

“We have speed, we have depth, we have pace in our game, we have aggression, we’re good defensively, we’re a possession team offensively and so on and so forth,” Tourigny said.

He also talked about the importance of veteran players who have been through all types of situations before. One of those guys is 2025 Stanley Cup champion Nate Schmidt, who offered his advice.

“You’re not gonna go 16-0 (in the playoffs). That’s not going to happen. I don’t think it’s ever happened. I’m not an NHL historian, but I’m pretty positive it’s never happened, so you’re going to lose games. You’re gonna make mistakes,” he said.

“And once you kind of go into the game knowing that that’s going to happen, that you’re gonna make a mistake, ... you realize it’s a game that you’ve played your whole life and you should be able to have some fun with it.”

No "Wild Bill" William Karlsson for Vegas to start the playoffs.

He's been out since early November. https://t.co/TJqW9sFZUR

— Brogan Houston (@houston_brogan) April 17, 2026

On the flip side, the Mammoth have 10 players who have yet to dress for a Stanley Cup Playoff game and three more whose only experience came in the COVID-19 bubble with no fans in the stands.

“I’m sure there’s going to be some learning moments, but at the end of the day, it’s a battle,” said Logan Cooley, who is set to make his playoff debut on Sunday.

“The playoffs are a different breed and you can expect it to be real physical, fast tempo, not a lot of room out there, so you’ve got to find ways to still create offense and make sure we’re doing it right on the defensive side, too.”

Cooley has had great individual success against the Golden Knights this season — namely a four-goal, five-point game in November.

The first game of the series is on Sunday, beginning at 8 p.m. MT. It will be aired on SEG+, Utah 16 and ESPN.

Dana Altman might not have been able to secure commits from two talented guards who recently visited, but he did pick up a former top prospect.

Kentucky transfer guard Jasper Johnson announced his commitment to the Oregon Ducks on Saturday. Johnson was the No. 25 prospect in the 2025 class, per Rivals Industry Ranking, and is another combo guard the Ducks can work with. 247Sports’ Travis Branham first reported Johnson’s commitment. He was the highest-rated recruit under Kentucky head coach Mark Pope.

Johnson averaged 4.9 points, 1.6 assists and 1.1 rebounds in 35 games off the bench for the Wildcats, but his minutes were inconsistent. In a new role with the Ducks, possibly as a valuable scorer off the bench, he could flourish into a dependable piece.

Standing at 6-foot-5 and 180 pounds, Johnson has enough size and power to be a weapon no matter how Altman chooses to deploy him. The Ducks are still looking for a primary point guard after Preston Edmead chose to go to NC State instead of Oregon, but Altman is still trying to stack as many scorers as possible, it seems.

The southpaw shooter dropped 22 points against NCCU in December and showcases some impressive catch-and-shoot ability from 3-point range down the stretch of the season. Due to injuries in the backcourt for Kentucky, Johnson was pushed into a backup point guard role that didn't fully fit his strengths. In Eugene, the Ducks could really open the floor for him.

Johnson is able to create his own shot when he needs to and shoot across the floor. It makes sense for Altman and the Ducks to take a swing at the former elite prospect, especially given the uncertainty around the current roster. Johnson won’t have as many restrictions offensively as he did at Kentucky, and the Ducks could find a way to make him a dominant ball-handler if they wind up short on point guards.

Oregon is going to have to continue to be creative with who they bring aboard, but Johnson is a very minimal risk with potentially huge upside and is in line for a breakout campaign in Eugene.

Contact/Follow @Ducks_Wire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.

This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Oregon lands former top prospect in transfer portal from Kentucky

CUMBERLAND — It was a war of attrition at Rowan Field on Friday, and Calvary, with just nine players, won out over Bishop Walsh.

Dana Baker delivered a hat trick, and Millie Buckingham provided the go-ahead goal to power Calvary to a 4-3 victory over Bishop Walsh in Mason-Dixon Christian Conference action at Brother Stephen F. Paul Spartan Stadium.

“It’s a big win for us because we were playing with nine,” Calvary head coach Scott Weeks said. “Really proud of the girls. That should be impossible to win, but we did. We pulled it off.

“We were down early, and we came back, tried to encourage the girls to fight hard. It’s tough when you only have three up front and a lot of the green field in between.”

Calvary (4-3) trailed 1-0 at the half, with a goal by Bishop Walsh’s Aerianna Jackson with 7:33 remaining the lone tally on the scoreboard.

Baker broke free in transition for an equalizer 1:08 into the second half, and she gave the Eagles their first lead with a similar strike — this time a putback after an initial save by Cara Daniel — in the 50th minute.

Jackson leveled the margin again with 22:51 to play, taking advantage of an open goal after Calvary keeper Selah Livengood was knocked down in the box during the buildup of play.

That opened the door for Buckingham to play the role of hero. The eighth-grader chipped a shot from the edge of the box into the corner to give Calvary a 3-2 edge with 6:19 remaining.

“Millie is a very humble girl, very quiet girl,” Weeks said. “And she’s an eighth-grader, so that’s very special. This is her second goal of the season. She’s very reserved and quiet. Just a sweet girl, so that was really special for us.”

Baker found her hat trick in the 78th minute, and it came in handy when Bishop Walsh’s Hannah Wharton brought the Spartans to within one in the final minute.

That’s as close as the Spartans would get before the final whistle.

“Hats off to Calvary,” Bishop Walsh head coach James DeCarlo said. “From our experience from when we last had a fall season, we often played with nine or 10. Their goalkeeper was absolutely outstanding.”

Bishop Walsh rosters 10 freshmen and sophomores, and the Spartans were without three girls, leaving them with no bench.

Calvary was down to nine due to an injury to defender Elena Turley and another absence via a player on vacation.

The result was a contest that tested the clubs’ conditioning with the sun beating down on a warm evening and minimal wind, a rare occurrence atop Haystack Mountain.

“This was our fourth game of the week, so we are tired out,” Weeks said. “We played a couple of those down a player, so they’re coming into this game already tired. And I told them that the girls who were most in shape were going to win this game.”

Calvary finished with a 15-12 edge in shots and both teams had nine shots on goal. The Spartans had more corner kicks, 5-4.

Livengood made six stops in goal for Calvary, and Daniel had five.

“Hats off to our goalkeeper Cara,” DeCarlo said. “She played in the second half a little bit yesterday. It’s her first time playing goal. We’re fortunate that she’s a gamer.”

Calvary is at Heritage on Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

Bishop Walsh heads to Grace on Monday at 5:15 p.m.

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — Northern’s pitching staff struggled with command, walking 11 batters in Friday’s 15-1 loss to East Fairmont at the McDonald’s Classic.

“I thought we had very good discipline at the plate today,” East Fairmont manager Joe Price said. “We put some good swings on the ball. When we had that opportunity, our guys ran the bases extremely well.”

The top of the second was the difference, as the Bees (10-6) scored five runs off five free passes and two hits.

“It was sloppy for us,” Northern skipper Phil Carr said. “We walked 11 guys and you can’t do that. We were throwing some guys that haven’t thrown. We didn’t get a good start out of (Jake) Wampler, which we had the last two times.”

Wampler was charged with six runs (all earned) on three hits and five walks across 1 2/3 innings for Northern.

East Fairmont earned three consecutive free trips to load the bases.

After a fielder’s choice and wild pitch scored two runs, Jackson Waskis (West Liberty commit) sent a 3-0 pitch to right for an RBI knock.

Three batters later, Carter McKnight drove in a pair on a base hit to center.

In the top of the third, East Fairmont added six to its lead.

Case Linn, Brody Bledsoe and River McClain drove in runs off singles while Waskis scored one on a double.

“Depending on what team shows up, that’s the team we like to see that’s aggressive in the box,” Price said. “That attacks those fastballs. Their pitches got behind a little bit too, and that’s tough on them because now they’re straight fastballs, our guy’s are sitting dead red. You can’t defend a walk, I’ve been on the other side of it.”

Linn finished 3 for 4 with two RBIs.

A groundout and wild pitch concluded the scoring in the frame.

“Sometimes when you’re not throwing strikes, your defense kinda relaxes a little bit,” Carr said. “We didn’t have a ton of errors, but we had some mental errors where we didn’t throw the ball to the right base.”

The Huskies (7-3) broke up the shutout in the bottom half on an opposite field knock from Blake Spiker.

East Fairmont added one in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by McClain and two in the fifth off walks from Linn and Waskis.

“It seemed like our guys were selectively aggressive,” Price said. “That’s kinda contradictory, but they were. When they got their pitches, they put them in play. They hit the ball hard, hit them where they weren’t.”

The Bees opened the scoring in the first on a double from McKnight.

Waskis got the win, allowing one run on five hits and a walk with five punchouts.

“He kept our defense in the game,” Price said. “He works quick, changes speeds and locates. So he kept that defense in the game and hats off to Brody Bledsoe at third base. He played lights out. He knocked so many doubles down on the line.”

Landon Yoder, Hunter Livengood, Elliott Meyers-Shirer, Caleb Hinebaugh and Spiker recorded the five Husky hits.

“We had some good at-bats against him,” Carr said of facing Waskis. We hit some balls right at him. When you’re facing a kid like that, you can’t give up very many runs.”

The Huskies lost 7-4 to Fairmont Senior Friday evening to conclude its stay at the McDonald’s Classic.

It was a balanced area hoops season, which was exemplified by the 10 schools occupying the 13 spots on the 2025-26 All-Area boys basketball team.

Fort Hill, Frankfort and Southern led the way with two selections each, and Allegany, East Hardy, Keyser, Mountain Ridge, Northern, Petersburg and Union had one apiece.

Coaches were asked to submit nominations from their teams for consideration, and the All-Area team was decided at a coaches meeting last week. Fourteen coaches submitted nominations and seven attended the meeting.

The first team was highlighted by Allegany’s Chris Manherz, the Area Player of the Year, whose season is detailed in a separate story in Saturday’s Times-News.

He’s joined on the first unit by a pair of Frostburg State commits in Jeremy Phillips of Frankfort and Cameron Breighner of Mountain Ridge, along with fellow seniors Jacob Brown (Southern) and Liam Hamilton (Fort Hill).

A pair of Potomac Valley Conference juniors, Union’s Braylon Ward and East Hardy’s Gideon Good, round out the top team.

Landing on the second team were seniors Jayden McNally (Northern), Kaleb Kuhn (Petersburg) and Braylon McGreevy (Keyser), juniors Kycin Waites (Frankfort) and Jameson Powell-Morris (Fort Hill), and sophomore Graham Harvey (Southern).

There were also 14 honorable mentions named. That list is at the bottom of this story.

First Team Jeremy Phillips, Frankfort, Sr.

Phillips will go down as one of the best, if not the best, scorers in Frankfort basketball history.

The 6-foot guard finished his career with a school-record 1,448 points, and he led the area this winter in points (594), 3s (78) and 3-pointers per game (3.12), and he was third in scoring average (23.8 points per game).

He made 102 of 141 free throws for a 72.3% clip, good for a tie for 12th locally.

Phillips, a Frostburg State commit, was a repeat member of the All-Area first team and has won back-to-back Potomac Valley Conference Division 1 Player of the Year honors.

He also appeared on the West Virginia Class AA All-State first team, a first at Frankfort since 2001 and the second time it’s occurred in school history.

The senior helped guide Frankfort to the Class AA state tournament, ending the Falcons’ 16-year drought.

“It was a great season for Jeremy,” Frankfort head coach Scott Slider said. “He’s quite an offensive player. He’s really, really highly skilled, shoots the ball extremely well. Hit a lot of key buckets for us in some of our wins this year.

“He shoots the ball from 3 very well. He can create space even with guys face-guarding him. Many nights he saw that. ... Other times he could draw a guy to him and be able to get around him and get to the bucket, pull up, hitting some mid-range shots, as well as getting to the basket and finishing with a layup.”

Jacob Brown, Southern, Sr.

Brown had big shoes to fill with the graduation of Player of the Year Jared Haskiell and second-teamer Brayden Upole, and the senior did so admirably.

The 6-foot guard finished tied for 11th in the area averaging 15.3 points and ninth in assists at 3.4 a night, and his 73 3-pointers were third locally and 3.04 3s per game were second.

Brown also continued the tradition of Southern’s foul shooting excellence, making 76 of 91 free throws to lead the area at 83.5%.

An All-Western Maryland Athletic Conference first-team performer, Brown was nearly unstoppable when he heated up front deep. The senior made at least four 3-pointers in nine games.

Brown has offers to continue his career at Waynesburg and Juniata.

“Jacob was our team leader,” Southern head coach Hunter Broadwater said. “He put a lot of work in during the offseason to become our point guard since he has been a guard off the ball the past two seasons. He worked hard to increase his scoring ability. We are excited to see him continue his career at the next level.”

Braylon Ward, Union, Jr.

It’s hard to imagine a player who meant more to their team than Ward did to Union, a school with fewer than 100 high school-aged kids.

Ward, a 6-foot-1 guard, finished in the top 10 locally in every statistical category, posting averages of 24.8 points (second), 3.9 assists (tied for fifth), 7.6 rebounds (10th), 2.1 steals (10th) and 1.87 3-pointers (10th) per game.

His 570 points ranked third, his 147 for 179 effort at the foul line, good for 82.1%, was second, and his 34.7% 3-point shooting percentage was fourth.

Ward, who was honorable mention All-Area last year, appeared on the Class A All-State first team and All-PVC Division 3 squad.

“He is the type of player who makes every player around him better,” Union head coach Walt Ward said. “He can see the floor, has great court vision. He’s got a nasty mid-range shot. He improved his 3-point shooting from last year to this year, and he’s continuing to work on that.

“He’s also one of the hardest-working kids that I’ve ever been around. We’ll have a two-hour practice, and then he sticks around for an hour shooting on the machine, or we may leave, and two hours later, we’re back in the gym. He’s putting up shots, constantly working on his ball handling.”

Liam Hamilton, Fort Hill, Sr.

Above all else, Hamilton will be remembered at Fort Hill as a winner.

The 6-foot-4 forward won two region titles, made a Final Four berth and went 49-22 in three seasons in the Fort Hill starting lineup.

A point forward, Hamilton was second in assists locally at 4.3 per game and added 13.9 points (17th in area), 7.1 rebounds (tied for 11th) and 2.0 steals (tied for 13th) a night.

The senior also established a reputation for being one of the area’s top defenders.

Hamilton is a repeat member of the All-Area and All-WestMAC first teams, and he is a back-to-back All-City performer.

“Liam had a great career at Fort Hill. If you look at how much we won the last three years, it speaks highly about his involvement and his impact on the game,” Fort Hill head coach Thad Burner said.

“His size and his athleticism, his speed. Liam’s really good at getting downhill. He could beat his man one-on-one a lot. But I think Liam is a much better passer than he gets credit for.

“He’s the best defensive player in the area, and I don’t think it’s really close.”

Gideon Good, East Hardy, Jr.

The 6-foot-7 big man was a model of consistency for East Hardy, which advanced to its third straight Class A state semifinal with Good in the lineup.

Good posted 22 double-figure games in 26 outings and 16 double-doubles, including a 21-point, 11-rebound, 11-block triple-double against Tucker County on Jan. 31.

Good averaged a double-double at 17 points and 11.7 boards a night, figures that ranked 10th and third, respectively. His 5 blocks per game were an area-high.

An honorable mention All-Area player last year, Good was selected Class A first-team All-State and All-PVC Division 3.

“Gideon had a tremendous year,” East Hardy head coach Chris Hahn said. “He got so much bigger and stronger. When I say bigger, he played bigger. He just got really skilled off the ball.

“His ability to stretch defenses was really helpful this year. We were able to get him kind of moving at the basket rather than just playing with his back to the basket. He did a really good job of staying on the court this year, not getting in foul trouble.

“He was dominant all season and definitely drew everybody’s best defenders every night. We rarely saw a night where he got to play straight up against somebody one-on-one.”

Cam Breighner, Mtn. Ridge, Sr.

A skilled forward who was a matchup nightmare with a perimeter game at 6-foot-7, the future Frostburg State Bobcat made the All-Area first team for a second consecutive campaign.

Breighner averaged 14.8 points (14th locally) and 5.7 rebounds (tied for 22nd) and shot 62.5% from the charity stripe.

The senior also finished his high school career with a pair of All-WestMAC first-team appearances.

“Cam was a strong player for us. He was kind of the foundation for us,” Mountain Ridge head coach Tim Nightengale said. “He used his height well. He could play inside or out. He worked on his game continuously, and he was a great leader for us.

“He worked on his outside game, worked on his mid-range game. Really developed into a player who could really attack the rim from the outside, could take smaller guys into the paint and score in paint and score well around the basket.”

Second Team Jayden McNally, Northern, Sr.

The do-it-all McNally was in the top 10 in the area in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and 3-point shooting.

McNally, a 6-foot-1 senior guard, was fourth in 3s per game (2.45), fifth in 3-point percentage (34.5%), fifth in scoring average (21.1 points per game), sixth in stealing average (2.7 spg), seventh in rebounding average (8.3 rpg) and 10th in assists average (3.2 apg).

McNally was also voted to the All-WestMAC first team.

“Jayden really tried to transform his game this season,” Northern head coach Jeremy Johnson said. “For so long he was needed to be the sole scorer. We wanted him to use all his tools, and he really did that. Started to pass the ball more, focused on getting rebounds, playing harder defense. Proud of him for trying to develop into a more rounded player.”

Kaleb Kuhn, Petersburg, Sr.

When Kuhn caught fire, there was little opponents could do to stop him.

The 6-foot senior guard poured in an area-best 49 points in one game against Pendleton County on March 2, and he finished his career with 1,255 points.

Kuhn was fifth locally in points (504) and averaged 21 points (sixth), 6.5 rebounds (16th), 3 steals (second), 2.7 assists (tied for 14th) and 2 3-pointers (eighth) per game. He made 74 of 104 free throws, and his 71.2% ranks 15th.

Kuhn was also an All-Area second-teamer as a sophomore, and he made the All-PVC Division 2 squad.

“Kaleb’s been a kid throughout his career that always wants to take the last shot,” Petersburg head coach Stacey Berg said. “He’s a competitor. His court awareness, understanding the situation of the game, knowing what’s going on (is what sets him apart).

“Kaleb was the kind of kid that if he saw one go in, look out, there could be five go in real quick. And one of the things that we worked through his career was understanding that when it’s not going in, we’ve got to take a step back and try and get something simple.”

Kycin Waites, Frankfort, Jr.

Waites took a significant step from his sophomore season, becoming one of the area’s top players on both ends of the floor as an upperclassman.

The 6-foot-2 junior guard was seventh in points (430) and eighth in points per game (17.2). He added 6.5 rebounds (16th), 2.0 assists (tied for 28th) and 1.64 3-pointers (13th) per game.

Waites made 87 of 124 foul shots, and his 70.2% was 18th locally.

Waites was also selected to the All-PVC Division 1 squad.

“Excited for him because we still have another year for him to improve and get even better,” Slider said. “His game has improved tremendously, gets to the basket extremely well, could go against bigger defenders and get to the basket, as well as even shoot the ball pretty well from the perimeter.

“He could break the defense down, get around them, get to the bucket. Not only was he strong offensively, but defensively, he could step up and guard the other team’s No. 1 or No. 2 offensive player any given night.”

Jameson Powell-Morris, Fort Hill, Jr.

Powell-Morris was a steadying force on a Fort Hill squad that struggled offensively for stretches this year, scoring double figures in 20 of 22 games.

A 6-foot-2 guard, Powell-Morris averaged 15 points (13th locally), 5.7 rebounds (tied for 22nd), 2.2 assists (tied for 24th) and 1.27 3s (19th) locally.

The junior was also All-City and All-WestMAC first team.

“Jameson showed a lot of maturity this year,” Burner said. “He had some really, really good games. His ability to attack the basket has greatly improved. His shot greatly improved. He made some big shots for us this year throughout the season.

“I thought his mid-range game got a lot better. And a lot of times he might have been drawing the team’s best defender. ... I think we’re in store for some more improvement again next year. We’re excited about the things that Jameson did, and we’re really excited about ... how much more he can grow.”

Graham Harvey, Southern, So.

The sky is the limit for the lone underclassman voted to the All-Area squad.

The 6-foot-6 sophomore guard/forward showcased his skill around the perimeter and athleticism throwing down dunks, and his passing acumen allowed him to finish seventh locally at 3.8 per game.

Harvey posted averages of 14.6 points (15th), 6.3 rebounds (tied for 19th), 1.6 blocks (tied for fifth) and 1.58 3-pointers (15th). His 71.3% free-throw shooting mark (82-115) ranked 14th.

Harvey, who was also voted to the All-WestMAC first team, was an All-Area honorable mention last year.

“He was great for us this year,” Broadwater said of Harvey. “He led us in every category except for points. We are excited for his future with us. He worked hard last offseason to increase his offensive production, becoming a better shooter from 3 and from the free-throw line.”

Braylon McGreevy, Keyser, Sr.

McGreevy established himself firmly in the conversation for the area’s premier forward.

He was a consistent scorer, garnering 18 double-figure games, and his 15.3 ppg tied for 11th locally, 8.0 rpg tied for eighth and 1.9 blocks were good for fourth.

The 6-foot-5 senior, who was All-Area honorable mention last year, was named to the All-PVC Division 1 unit.

“Braylon is the type of player that coaches dream of,” Keyser head coach Scott Furey said. “He loves and studies the game. His size is an obvious benefit, but our style requires him to run the floor like no other big has to. He and we both benefit from his willingness to just outwork his competition. He will be sorely missed.”

Honorable Mention

Landon Holliday (Allegany), Evan Hamilton (East Hardy), Matt Medina (Hampshire), Trey Dawson (Keyser), Taylor Carder (Paw Paw), Payton Metheny, Caden Ours (Petersburg), Braden Lucas (Southern), Corbin Streets (Union).

CUMBERLAND — Allegany and Fort Hill placed three on the seven-player All-City boys basketball squad.

While there was no Cumberland City League because Fort Hill and Bishop Walsh did not play, All-City spots were were determined by head-to-head city results.

Because Fort Hill and Allegany split during the regular season, the Sentinels and Campers were both rewarded with three selections, and Bishop Walsh, 0-2 against Alco, nabbed the other.

Chris Manherz, Landon Holliday and Owen Rice made the team from Allegany, Liam Hamilton, Jameson Powell-Morris and Neek Taylor did so from Fort Hill, and Carson Hamelin was given the nod from Bishop Walsh.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Vegas and Utah head into their first-round meeting playing well at just the right time, and while some elements could carry over, the way games play out in the NHL playoffs are far different from the regular season.

Matchups often become much more important than whatever supposed momentum a club takes into the postseason.

The Pacific Division champion Golden Knights, (minus)-190 favorites according to oddsdmakers, host the Western Conference No. 1 wild-card Mammoth in Game 1 on Sunday night in their best-of-seven series.

Vegas closed the season by going 7-0-1 under coach John Tortorella after he replaced Bruce Cassidy on March 29.

“I'm not really a big believer in momentum,” Golden Knights center Jack Eichel said. “I think every game and shift has a life history of its own. I think you can take some things away from the way we've been playing for sure and what's made us successful. But that's the beautiful thing about the playoffs. Everyone's slate is completely clean, and every night you have to prove yourself.”

Utah went 6-2 before ending the regular season with a 5-3 loss to St. Louis, a game played after the Mammoth's playoff seeding and matchup were decided.

“We’re a very confident team right now," Mammoth wing Clayton Keller said. "I think it’s going to be a lot of fun, lots of excitement, and great for our group to get into the playoffs and feel that.”

Andersson's comfort level grows

Rasmus Andersson spent his first nine-plus seasons in Calgary, so he had to get used to a lot of change when the Golden Knights traded for him in January.

And it showed.

He scored one goal in his first 17 games.

Andersson then began to show why the Golden Knights made the move. He ended the regular season with six goals in 16 games.

“That's what happens with time, right?” Andersson said. “It gets better and better. You get to learn your teammates more. You feel more and more comfortable with each day.”

Reuniting with his former defensive partner, Noah Hanifin, eased the transition. They were often paired together in their six seasons as Flames teammates, and have been matched up next to each 23 times with the Golden Knights, according to SinBin.vegas.

“He was probably the first guy to call after the trade,” Andersson said. “Just the familiarity is there. It obviously took us a few games to kind of get to know each other again, and he was used to something different here. The last 10 or 15 games, I think we've played well with one another.”

Schmidt excited in return to Vegas

Mammoth defenseman Nate Schmidt is used to be in this position, having helped Florida win its second straight Stanley Cup last season.

The gregarious veteran also was a fan favorite in Vegas as a member of the Golden Knights' first three teams that included the inaugural one in the 2017-18 season that made the Stanley Cup Final.

Schmidt laughed when saying there is no preparing for the kind of atmosphere that is expected to greet the Mammoth in Las Vegas, but noted he and his teammates “deserve to be here.”

“I played there in the playoffs,” Schmidt said. "I played for that team in the playoffs. It's a rowdy atmosphere. It's fun. It's exciting. I look at it like a positive. It's so much fun to be a part of. You want that. You'd much rather it be deafeningly loud than be quiet. It's going to be a fun Game 1.

"The guys are going to be looking around and the bench is going to be rumbling. The music will be playing in warmups and all the stuff they've got going on. It's a show. They do a great job."

Golden Knights could go with big-name top line

Tortorella has practiced this week a No. 1 line that includes Eichel, Mitch Marner and Mark Stone — the Golden Knights' three leading points producers. Eichel has centered a top line with Stone and Ivan Barbashev much of the season, with Marner often playing center or wing on the second line.

“I'm not sure if it works,” Tortorella said. “I'm not sure if I stay with it. I'd like to see it work. Do we start with it tomorrow? I don't know. Very intelligent players. Sometimes when you put big-point guys together, they forget about the other side of the puck. I don’t have to worry about that for a second with these guys.”

Keller making teammates better

Keller has registered an assist in his final 10 games of the regular season to join Minnesota’s Quinn Hughes and the New York Rangers’ Artemi Panarin with such a streak

Keller’s 16 assists over that 10-game span are the most in the NHL, giving him a career-high 62 this season.

___

AP freelance writer John Coon in Salt Lake City contributed to this report.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — Northern's pitchers cut down on walks compared to its opener at the McDonald's Classic, but three costly errors bit the Huskies in a 7-4 loss to Fairmont Senior on Friday evening.

The Huskies (7-4) walked 11 in the opener, a 15-1 loss to East Fairmont.

"Not much of a bounceback for us," Northern manager Phil Carr said. "We couldn't hold onto a lead. We got a lead early and gave it up and got it back. Didn't have too many timely hits today."

Northern reduced the base on balls to five, but went from one error to three.

Two of the three led to runs scoring.

"We rebounded pretty big after the first game," Fairmont Senior head coach Bubby Caputo said of a 9-1 loss to Herbert Hoover earlier on Friday. "Our guys didn't have a lot of energy in that game. We were down, and just being able to bounce back like that in a grind out game like that is huge for us."

Trailing 2-1 midway through the fourth inning, the Huskies took a 4-2 lead with three runs in the bottom half.

A sacrifice fly from Caleb Hinebaugh, a Gavin Maust single up the middle and a dropped third strike scored Maust from third.

Maust led the Huskies going 3 for 4 with three singles, but was the only hitter with more than one of Northern's eight hits.

"Their soft left-handed kids kept us off balance pretty good today," Carr said. "I thought we did a better job offensively in the first game against the kid that's going to college than the couple young lefties they threw."

Carr referenced East Fairmont's Jackson Waskis, a West Liberty commit who allowed one run on five hits and a walk with five strikeouts in the earlier game.

The Polar Bears (2-11) answered with a three-run top of the fifth to take the lead for good.

After a strikeout to open the frame, Fairmont Senior's next five batters reached base.

Cole Sammons drove in a run on a double deep to center, then Xavier Marino-Garcia and Markus Izdepski worked walks to load the bases.

Evan Robbins hit a fly ball over the center fielder on what was ruled a two-run error that put the Polar Bears ahead 5-4.

"Their outfielders made plays, and our outfielders didn't," Carr said. "I think the name of this game is our outfielders didn't catch three balls that cost us runs. I know it cost us at least three runs, if not four runs, of the seven. They weren't balls that we dropped, we just misplayed them."

Fairmont Senior added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh on an error at second and a Noah Pethtel sacrifice fly.

The Huskies' Jacob Chambers opened the scoring with a sac fly in the bottom of the first.

Sammons singled in the third to even the score before Savion Huggins put the Polar Bears ahead 2-1 on a double in the fourth.

Sammons, Izdepski, Huggins and Braxton Painter each had two hits for Fairmont Senior.

"They weren't swinging at things outside of the zone like we were in the first few innings," Caputo said. "I think that kind of hurt us. We try to preach ground balls or line drives. A lot of those were lazy swings just popping out. We just turned around, started hitting line drives and it opened up some holes."

Braeden Sharps got the win in 3 1/3 shutout innings of relief, allowing two hits and three walks with eight strikeouts.

"He's our only senior," Caputo said. "He got to pitch some for us last year, not a lot. But for him to come in and do that, it's huge for him."

Hunter Beitzel was charged with five runs (two earned) across 4 1/3 frames, allowing five hits and three walks with a pair of punch outs.

The Polar Bears are a year removed from falling to Frankfort at last year's Class AAA semifinals, but lost seven seniors and head coach David Ricer, who retired after 11 seasons.

Caputo said Pethtel and Sammons started as freshmen last season and are the two returning starters.

"Our first two games got cancelled, and they would've been easier opponents," Caputo said. "Then we just ran into some really good pitching. We saw two of the best pitchers in the state our third and fourth games, and it just put us in a slump."

Northern begins a stretch of five games in seven days at home on Monday at 4:30 p.m. against Meyersdale (8-3).

"Just not a good day for Northern baseball," Carr said. "Just not what we're used to seeing."

Why Rory McIlroy's friend Shane Lowry missed his celebration for 2026 Masters originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Rory McIlroy won his second Masters over the weekend, but his best friend Shane Lowry was not in the mood to celebrate his win.

Lowry, who also competed in the Masters tournament April 6–12, 2026, and finished in a tie for 30th place, revealed that his own performance in the tournament weighed in his decision. 

“I was feeling a bit down and dejected a little bit, so I just stayed at home with my crew, but I’ll see him in a couple of weeks in Florida,” Lowry told Golf Monthly in a story published Friday, April 17. “I texted him on Sunday night, and I said, ‘Honestly, I’m so happy for you, but I don’t have it in me tonight to go over and celebrate.’”

Although Lowry ended up in 30th place, he started the tournament off strong and, even on the last day, was only two strokes behind McIlroy. 

While the Masters didn't end in Lowry's favor, McIlroy's path to his second Green Jacket was not easy. McIlroy had to fight off Scottie Scheffler, who finished in second and was 11-under. 

McIlroy is the fourth-ever pro golfer to win a Masters back-to-back since Tiger Woods in 2003. He shared how proud of himself he was and that he kept believing in himself. 

"This feels incredible. It’s my 17th time here, and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time," he told the PGA. "I think the last 10 years of coming here with the burden of the Grand Slam on my shoulders, it weighed on me, and I'm sort of wondering what we're going to talk about going into next year's Masters! I'm absolutely honored and thrilled, and so proud to be able to call myself a Masters champion."

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I guess Marquette wasn’t really bothered by having two weeks off between games.

On Saturday, Marquette women’s lacrosse wrapped up their home portion of the Big East schedule with a 20-6 win over Butler. Sure, it’s Butler, which is now 3-12 on the year and 0-5 in the Big East. Odds are Marquette was going to win anyway, but there was very little doubt as to what was going to happen here.

It was 4-0 Marquette before the clock hit the midway mark of the first quarter, and the Golden Eagles had scored on their first, fourth, five, and sixth shots of the game. The fourth goal was probably the mean one, as Tess Osburn tallied just 18 seconds after Eileen Dooley had made it 3-0.

Between the pass from Dani Serrano and the spin move, yeah, pretty mean.

Butler scored the next two goals of the game, and for a moment here, you could almost start to see BU having a chance. 4-2, six minutes left in the first quarter, Bulldogs scored on their second and third shots, both of them free position attempts, if MU keeps doing them favors with fouls…. hmmmmm…. but Hanna Bodner and Tess Osburn scored before 90 seconds went by, 6-2 Marquette.

It was 6-3 at the start of the second quarter, and Ella Mautz’s goal at the 10:38 mark was the start of the end for Butler. As it turns out, the Mautz goal was technically the game winner, since it was MU’s seventh goal of the game. It was also the first of six unanswered in the second quarter, and with Osburn’s goal to start the scoring in the third period, the first of seven straight for Marquette. 12-3 at halftime, 13-3 and the running clock rolling along just 50 seconds into the second half.

Butler got a couple of goals to turn the running clock off, but that was just prolonging the inevitable. Osburn’s fifth and final goal of the day got the clock running again at 15-5, and goals by Bodner and Julia Evens kept it there.

Tess Osburn’s five goals led Marquette in that department, and Hanna Bodner was the only other Golden Eagle with a hat trick, which kinda means that they spread 20 goals out pretty well. However, both women do not get high point honors for the day, as that goes to Dani Serrano. The freshman finished with two goals and a whopping seven assists, giving her nine points. That’s more than Butler had as a team!! It is, however, only tied for the fourth best game in Marquette history, as there have been three double digit outings in the past.

Jillian Howell gets the win after departing at halftime, although she only made two saves while allowing three goals. Then again, Butler only took eight shots in the first half, and two of the goals allowed were on free position attempts anyway. Mikayla Yang played all of the third quarter and about half of the fourth, allowing three goals on five shots on frame, and Zoey Gottlieb got in for the final eight minutes and handed Butler one last stop.

Up Next: One last regular season contest, and I think it still matters for the Big East tournament. At 3-2 in the league, the Golden Eagles control their own destiny as they head to visit UConn. First draw against the 2-3 Huskies on Saturday, April 25, is set for 10:30am Central time. A Marquette loss combined with a Villanova win over Butler next week would move MU, VU, and UConn into a three-way tie at 3-3, and with everyone going 1-1 against the other two (I misspoke in the preview, sorry), it’s hard to say who would come out ahead of the tiebreaker with everyone also going 0-2 against Denver and Georgetown and 2-0 against Xavier and Butler. So, y’know, just beat UConn, just to be safe.

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CUMBERLAND — It will be some time before a player like Chris Manherz graces the area again.

The senior overcame his size standing at 5-foot-8 to average more than 23 points per game and eclipse 1,000 for his career, all in pursuit of a region championship — something Allegany achieved for the first time since 2017.

The lightning-quick Manherz was rewarded for his efforts by being voted area boys basketball Player of the Year in a landslide.

“First I want to thank God for putting me in this position,” Manherz said. “I’m really grateful for my coaches and the entire coaching staff for believing in me and pushing me all season.

“My teammates mean a lot to me too. They trusted me and we all worked for each other every night. I also want to thank my family and friends for always supporting me. Not just this year but over the years.”

The award was decided at a meeting of the area’s head coaches last week. Seven voted and Manherz received five nods.

East Hardy’s Gideon Good, Fort Hill’s Liam Hamilton, Frankfort’s Jeremy Phillips, Northern’s Jayden McNally, Petersburg’s Kaleb Kuhn and Union’s Braylon Ward were also finalists.

Manherz, who was also voted Western Maryland Athletic Conference Player of the Year by the league’s coaches, was fourth in the area in points (540) and points per game (23.5).

He was more than a scorer, however, and his 4.6 assists a night were an area-best mark.

“It’s very well deserved,” Allegany head coach Brandon Reed said. “For him to do what he was able to do in terms of being high up there with the leaders in the area in scoring, and then also leading the area in assists. It speaks to what type of player he is.

“We asked him to kind of go outside of his comfort zone and be a scorer for us when he’d probably rather be a facilitator. He’s just the ultimate competitor. He wants to do whatever it takes to win.”

Manherz rarely left the floor. The Allegany offense ran through him, and he was tasked with scrambling around on defense when the Campers pressed.

In Allegany’s 59-35 upset of Southern on the road in the Class 1A West Region I semifinals, Manherz moved to the top of the Campers’ zone, sacrificing his legs on offense to slow the favored Rams.

“He’s an incredible soccer player,” Reed said of Manherz, who is a multi-time first-team All-Area performer on the pitch. “He came in with what (Allegany soccer) coach (Blake) Geatz requires of them, and we’re very fortunate to have Sean Rhodes with us this year, who’s a personal trainer.

“Chris was big on making sure we were in shape to play the style we wanted to play and make sure we bring it on the defensive end each and every time.”

Manherz — who was first-team All-WestMAC last year and All-City the past two seasons — was also third locally averaging 2.9 steals per night.

The senior finished his career with 1,036 points. He had five 30-point games this year, scored 29 three other times and eclipsed 20 in 16 games.

Manherz’s 2.39 3-pointers per game were fifth-best locally, and he ranked 13th in 3-point percentage at 30.4%. He made 99 of 136 foul shots for 72.3%, tied for the 12th-best mark in the area.

More important than the numbers, however, was Allegany’s region championship, something that looked unlikely when the fourth-seeded Campers entered the postseason losers in five of seven games.

Three playoff wins later, Allegany cut down the nets on its home floor following a 57-46 victory against Mountain Ridge for the region title.

“This is a season I’ll never forget,” Manherz said. “There are a lot of moments that will stick with me, winning our (Bill Bowers) Christmas tournament, getting our first win at our crosstown rival (Fort Hill) under coach Reed, winning in a tough playoff environment at Southern, and being able to cut down the nets at home with our fans there supporting us.

“Then the community send-off meant a lot. Really just thankful for everything and everyone who was part of it.

Manherz is the record 14th Allegany boys basketball player to record the honor and the first since 2018.

He joins the ranks of Justin Copman (2018, shared with Southern’s Tyler Rodeheaver), Rhodes (2017), Jason Copman (2016), Darquel Jessie (2015), Trenton Eirich (2014), Casey Roberts (2009-10), Donavin Vinson (2005-06), Ian Grady (2004), Michael Fields (1996) and D.J. Jessie (1993-94) as Alco winners.

“He went out there every day and played like he was bigger than he is,” Reed said. “He never shied away. He was so impressive on the defensive end this year for us, and that was a big reason for our success.

“He wanted to guard every team’s best player, and he was giving up in some cases a foot. He does some stuff that makes you just kind of ooh and ahh.

“I’m not so sure we’ll see too many more players like him in terms of that talent and that size.”

Duke Basketball receives good news in transfer portal battle for top-5 player originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Duke Blue Devils haven't made a lot of noise in the transfer portal during this cycle. But there have been clear targets for Jon Scheyer and his staff over the greater part of the past two weeks. One of them is Wisconsin transfer guard John Blackwell.

One of the top-five players available in the portal has reportedly been between Illinois and Duke, with UCLA still in the mix. There's a clear reason why the Fighting Illini were firmly in the conversation for Blackwell this time around. His father, Glynn Blackwell, played for Illinois in the 1980s, and the recent success of the program has put them in contention for top talent.

However, Blackwell won't be a legacy recruit. "It sounds like Illinois is likely now out of the race for Blackwell, with Andrej Stojakovic announcing his return to the program," according to On3's Joe Tipton. "Currently, sources believe Duke and UCLA have the best chances of landing him."

This is great news for Scheyer and the Blue Devils, as UCLA doesn't have near the resources or family ties for Blackwell. The location of southern California might be attractive, but Mick Cronin and the Bruins aren't put together like what's happening in Durham.

More: Cayden Boozer's return to Duke heats up transfer portal recruiting

Blackwell averaged 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game last season at Wisconsin. The soon-to-be senior would fill a gap for Duke and bring leadership to the table. This is a rare quality coming out of the portal with many underclassmen looking for a restart. 

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Real Sociedad edged Atletico Madrid 4-3 on penalties to win the Copa del Rey for a fourth time in the club's history after a 2-2 draw in a gripping final on Saturday in Seville.

After Alexander Sorloth and Julian Alvarez missed from the spot for Diego Simeone's Atletico, Pablo Marin smashed home his kick to claim victory for the Basque side.

Ander Barrenetxea had headed Real Sociedad ahead after just 14 seconds, with Ademola Lookman levelling for Atletico.

Mikel Oyarzabal put the Basque side ahead from the penalty spot before the break but Alvarez rescued Atletico and forced extra time and ultimately penalties with a superb strike.

La Real's season seemed set to be one of struggle until American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo was appointed in December, and he resuscitated their campaign.

"It's a moment to enjoy, to dream and to believe... the kid who dreamed of this... has done it," said Real Sociedad goalkeeper Unai Marrero, who saved two penalties.

Champions League semi-finalists Atletico, 10-time winners of the cup, were left to lick their wounds and rue mistakes.

"We did everything we could, we had to row against the current from the start," said Atletico captain Koke. 

"We had some chances before the end of the 90 minutes that if we had scored would have changed the story.

"We have to congratulate La Real, that's life. It hurts but we have to continue."

At La Cartuja stadium it was a battle between two teams that often attack fast and direct, and Real Sociedad certainly did that, netting the quickest ever goal scored in a Copa del Rey final.

Goncalo Guedes scampered away down the left on to a long ball, crossing for Barrenetxea to head beyond Juan Musso before the Rojiblancos had even touched the ball.

Simeone's side, who last won the competition back in 2013 near the start of his 14-year reign, wrestled their way back level through Lookman.

Antoine Griezmann laid off the ball to him on the edge of the box and without much on, the Nigeria international spied a route to goal and drilled into the bottom corner.

Lookman almost created a goal for Griezmann but Real Sociedad scrambled to block the 35-year-old French forward, who is leaving Atletico at the end of the season for MLS side Orlando City.

Atletico goalkeeper Musso, chosen ahead of the fit-again Jan Oblak after he impressed during the Slovenian's recent injury absence, handed La Real the lead again just before the break.

Musso clumsily clattered Guedes fists first as the Portuguese leapt for a header and the Basque side were awarded a penalty.

Oyarzabal, who scored from the spot when they won the 2020 edition, without their fans present because of the global pandemic, sent Musso the wrong way.

After a first half in which they struggled, Atletico began to build some pressure after the interval.

Griezmann lashed over and Lookman whipped a shot high and wide as La Real tried to stave off the Rojiblancos, who dominated the ball.

Simeone called for his battering ram, sending on Norwegian target man Sorloth to try and force a way through.

Eventually the goal they craved came from the guile of former Manchester City striker Alvarez instead.

The Argentina forward took a neat touch to spin on the edge of the box and then another to plant the ball in the top corner for his 19th goal of the season.

- Blown chances -

With La Real caving Johnny Cardoso should have won it for Atletico in stoppage time. The American fired a golden opening wide of the far post with just goalkeeper Unai Marrero to beat.

Musso made a fine save to thwart Icelandic striker Orri Oskarsson as he tried to turn home a rebound in extra time.

At the other end Alvarez crashed a shot off the crossbar from long range, with both teams creating enough opportunities to win it before penalties.

Marrero denied both Sorloth and Alvarez on Atletico's first two penalties, with Musso stopping one from Oskarsson to give Atletico a chance.

However Marin made no mistake with Real Sociedad's fifth penalty to spark wild celebrations.

Atletico's last realistic chance of silverware this season, and something for Griezmann to celebrate on his departure, is in Europe where they face Arsenal.

"We have a beautiful challenge -- we want the Champions League, we will do everything we can to win it, but this is a sad night," added Koke.

rbs/mw

DENVER — The defensive end was largely effective for the Timberwolves in Game 1 of their Western Conference opener on Saturday afteroon.

The Nuggets, for a change, couldn’t hit water if they fell out of a boat, the NBA’s best 3-point shooting team good on only 28% of its shots from beyond the arc. In addition, the Wolves forced 14 turnovers that led to 17 points the other way.

But the end of the floor the Timberwolves weren’t concerned about going into this series was a struggle. The Timberwolves’ offense ran dry in the second half, and the Nuggets took a 1-0 series lead with a 116-105 victory at Ball Arena.

Game 2 is Monday at 9:30 p.m. CT in Denver.

The Wolves came out hot, racing to an early 12-point lead. But Denver repeatedly got to the free-throw line over the first two quarters to stem the tide and went to the break tied 62-62.

That’s when Minnesota’s offense unraveled. The Wolves made just 2 of their first 16 shots in the third quarter as Denver built a 15-point advantage.

Largely thanks to their defense, the Wolves forged their way back into the contest in the fourth, getting back to within two on an Ayo Dosunmu bucket. But Minnesota went scoreless for another two minutes from there.

Jamal Murray finished with 30 points, going 16 for 16 from the free-throw line on an otherwise poor shooting day.

Rudy Gobert finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds for Minnesota, while Anthony Edwards added 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

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The Oklahoma Sooners are NCAA Gymnastics National Champions – again. For the eighth time in 11 years and fourth title in five, K.J. Kindler’s unbreakable squad cemented its status as the best gymnastics team in the land.

With back-to-back titles and unmistakable dominance over the last decade, the Sooners didn’t just win another title – they cemented a dynasty. With the win, Kindler is now the most efficient coach in NCAA Gymnastics history, averaging more than one title every three seasons.

The Sooners fought off a formidable late-meet push from the LSU Tigers, who surged into the lead after a stellar bars rotation. The Tigers finish second for the third time in program history, falling just short of the program’s second title.

Though the Florida Gators came in as the hottest team in the nation, the stacked lineup struggled to find its rhythm all day, falling into third place and continuing the program’s 11-year title drought.

The Cinderella team, Minnesota, finished fourth after another strong effort. Though the Gophers entered the final rotation ahead of the No. 3 Gators, a subpar vault rotation dropped Minnesota to fourth. Nonetheless, the team’s fourth-place finish is historic, passing their previous sixth-place finish from 2022.

Final Results

1. Oklahoma Sooners: 198.1625
2. LSU Tigers: 198.075
3. Florida Gators: 197.6875
4. Minnesota Golden Gophers: 197.375

Fort Worth Play-by-Play

Rotation One: Oklahoma Rocks the House on Vault

The Sooners started their title push on vault, the event where they posted a staggering 49.750 in the semifinal round. Though the Sooners only found two stuck landings today – instead of four – they posted the highest rotation of the field to start. Sophomore Lily Pederson nabbed a career high 9.9875 to lead the Sooners.

Like Oklahoma, Florida followed the same rotation order as Thursday’s semifinals, starting on the balance beam. The Gators also started on beam in their victorious SEC Championship effort, and hoped the same outcome would translate here. Though Florida saw strong hits from Selena Harris-Miranda and Skye Blakely, the scores could not match the near-perfect results from OU. After a fall in the anchor spot, the Gators had to count a sub-par 9.8 score for a below-average beam total.

Over on floor, the LSU Tigers looked for an emphatic start on their best event. Though the scores began modestly, the Tigers saw key 9.9+ efforts from the star-studded backend of their lineup. Amari Drayton and Kaliya Lincoln delivered back-to-back 9.9375 marks to keep the Tigers just behind the Sooners.

Starting on bars – the event where they finished in Thursday’s semifinal – the Golden Gophers were less precise than their semifinal effort. However, the team saw a clutch 9.900 routine from freshman Arianna Ostrum.

After One: Oklahoma: 49.600, LSU: 49.5125, Florida: 49.3875, Minnesota: 49.2625

MORE FROM FORBESJordan Chiles’ Collegiate Career Ends In Elite Eight With NCAA Floor TitleBy Caroline Price

Rotation Two: Kailin Chio Brings Her Best

In the second rotation, an all-out battle unfolded. The Sooners struggled to find their bars dismounts in the semifinal round, and that same struggle carried into half of their lineup on Saturday. Freshmen stars Ella Murphy, Mackenzie Estep, and Caitlin Smith redeemed the effort, nabbing three scores of 9.9+.

The Gators needed to move past their shaky beam rotation with power and finesse on floor. Though the Gators looked confident and precise in their routines, scores remained tight through the end of the rotation. All-around bronze medalist eMjae Frazier hit a stellar floor routine, but scored nearly .050 below a similar effort from Thursday. Nonetheless, the Gators finished the rotation with a strong hit from Selena Harris-Miranda.

After a tentative start on vault with no sticks, sophomore star Kailin Chio brought the arena to its feet in the anchor spot. Chio stuck her 14th vault of the season, making a 87.5% stick-rate on the year. The judges awarded Chio with an outright perfect 10.0, her 13th of the season. With the score, the Tigers stayed close behind the Sooners.

On beam, Minnesota needed a huge effort on their best event: the balance beam. Despite a fluke mishap in the penultimate routine, the Gophers delivered once more, posting a huge 49.450. Newly-crowned NCAA Beam Champion Brooklyn Rowray and junior Jordyn Lyden both earned key scores of 9.9+.

After Two: Oklahoma: 99.0625, LSU: 98.9875, Florida: 98.8000, Minnesota: 98.7125

Rotation Three: LSU Sticks, Florida Sinks

Heading into the second half of the meet, the Sooners maintained their lead, but it was tight. They now headed to the balance beam, one of the team’s strongest events. However, the tide turned for the Sooners.

After the injured Addison Fatta scored just a 9.7375 in the leadoff, Keira Wells fell off the beam in the second spot and the pressure was on for K.J. Kindler’s team. Freshman Ella Murphy responded without hesitation, nailing a spectacular 9.9375 in the next spot. The Sooners continued to respond, closing the rotation with a massive 9.95 from all-around champion Faith Torrez. Though they gave up the lead, the Sooners powered through to salvage another hit rotation.

Entering the rotation in third, Florida faced its biggest weakness: vault. That reality continued on Saturday in Fort Worth, with the lineup producing zero stuck landings across six vaults. Though they entered the third rotation in contention, Jenny Rowland’s team may have vaulted themselves out of the national title.

Now on the floor, Minnesota rebounded from a sub-9.8 in the leadoff spot to surge onto the podium over Florida. Jenny Hansen’s team recorded a strong 49.3875 behind a trio of 9.9+ scores from the backend of the lineup. While Florida struggled on vault, the Gophers climbed into the third-place spot with one rotation to go.

After recording their lowest bars score all season on Thursday, the LSU Tigers needed to dial in on bars, and the Tigers delivered. Lexi Zeiss was spectacular in the leadoff, opening the rotation with a huge 9.925. The big scores and stuck dismounts kept coming, with junior Konnor McClain closing the rotation with a huge 9.95. Just like that, the Tigers took the lead.

After Three: LSU: 148.600, Oklahoma: 148.525, Minnesota: 148.100, Florida: 148.0875.

Rotation Four: Tigers vs. Sooners for the Title

With Minnesota and Florida over a half-point behind, the meet turned into a two-team race between the LSU Tigers and Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners went to the floor while the Tigers went to the beam, and only the smallest of margins separated the two programs.

Kylie Coen led off the Tigers with a spectacular hit, shifting the momentum towards LSU. However, that momentum quickly changed after a minutes-long judges conference iced out sophomore Lexi Zeiss. Zeiss fell off the beam in the second spot, putting the Tigers at a significant disadvantage.

While the Tigers worked to avoid counting a fall, the Sooners powered forward to five scores of 9.90 or higher. All-around champion Faith Torrez closed the rotation with another 9.95, closing the door on Jay Clark’s Tigers.

After Four: Oklahoma: 198.1625, LSU: 198.075, Florida: 197.6875, Minnesota: 197.375

MORE FROM FORBESFaith Torrez Defies Odds To Capture All-Around National ChampionshipBy Caroline Price

This article was originally published on Forbes.com

A mere two points separated Ottawa and New York when the puck was dropped on this afternoon's matchup, but it was the Charge who, following their 6-2 loss in their last meeting on March 8, flipped the script and scored five unanswered to win 5-1 and move five points up on the Sirens and Toronto Sceptres for the final playoff spot with two games left to go on the season.

"This is huge. It's almost like you're in the playoffs," Jocelyne Larocque said. "So we see that as a playoff win. That's how important it is. These points are important, and it was a huge team win."

It wasn't that the Charge "found a way to win" this game, or that they were merely beneficiaries of puck luck. Quite the contrary, in fact. They created every chance on their own, dictated the play at both ends of the ice from puck drop to the final buzzer, and were physical throughout, playing "Charge" hockey along the way.

"Tonight's game, Ottawa deserves a lot of credit for how they played and how they handled us," New York head coach Greg Fargo said. "We had a harder time establishing our game in the offensive zone, and they deserve a lot of credit for that, too. Ottawa wanted this one too, and they deserve the credit."

The Charge find themselves playing their best hockey when it matters the most. Sure, there were chances at both ends of the ice throughout this game, making this feel every bit like a playoff game. But the chances Ottawa generated, the way they exited their zone, the way defenders helped break up plays on the back check, and the way they boxed New York out in front of Gwyneth Philips felt different in this game. Philips, who made 23 saves in this game, eclipsed the 700 save total on the season.

"We have some great veteran leadership in our room," interim head coach Haley Irwin said. "For those who have been here in past seasons, we understand the importance of this time of year. It's about composure, being able to push, and managing times in the game."

Ottawa, which has struggled at times this season with special teams, used it to their advantage in this one. Larocque and Peyton Hemp would each score second-period jailbreak goals, while Brianne Jenner capped off the game with a third-period power-play goal. 

"I don't even know what I was thinking," Hemp said of her goal. "It's been drilled into our heads to drive the net every day at practice, so I feel that was all I was trying to do, just get to the back post. I didn't know if I was going to beat them, but I was skating as hard as I could."

The Charge will have to wait until Wednesday for their next game and a matchup against the Boston Fleet. That game falls after both New York and Toronto play, and with the regular season dwindling, one could expect that, much like fans, the players may be keeping an eye on the score clock with two games left.

No other competitor on the market makes affordable Wi-Fi 7 routers like TP-Link, making it a suitable choice to upgrade your home’s or work’s wireless networks with some affordable access points, granting incredible speed, range, and reliability, all in a single package. The Archer BE230 is one such offering that you can get immediately without worrying about the bill, because, at $87 on Amazon, it is an excellent gateway to help you experience the new wireless standard. With its dual-band support, the Archer BE230 can reach cumulative speeds of 3.6Gbps, not to mention covering up to 2,000 square feet of […]

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The launch of the MacBook Neo couldn’t have materialized at a better time, because it’s not just the attractive $599 starting price that’s going to encourage buyers to upgrade, but it’s also a key decision that Apple will make later this year, with its intentions made clear from before. During the Platforms State of the Union segment at WWDC 2025, the Cupertino firm revealed that macOS 26 is going to be the latest major operating system supported by Intel-powered Macs. You know what this means for macOS 27? With macOS 27 only compatible with the MacBook Neo or an M-series Mac, […]

Read full article at https://wccftech.com/apple-has-a-master-plan-to-force-old-mac-owners-to-upgrade-to-macbook-neo/

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OnePlus is expected to launch its budget-friendly TWS buds called Buds Ace 3 sometime this month, succeeding the Buds Ace 2 that debuted in late 2024. So in a sense, the Buds Ace 3 are a bit overdue. OnePlus Buds Ace 3 Ahead of the near release, OnePlus teased the headphones on Weibo, revealing key details and a press render. The headphones are also up on the Chinese Oppo online store, confirming the imminent launch. It looks like the Ace 3 brings the most upgrades in two departments - battery life and noise cancellation capabilities. The new buds are rated at up to 55 dB of...

At Inter Miami, the spotlight once again falls on Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano after a sudden managerial departure that few saw coming. The club, still riding the momentum of recent success, now faces renewed scrutiny as speculation swirls around what truly led to the Argentine coach stepping down.

The Argentine coach’s resignation came shortly after a turbulent period for the club, which included inconsistent results and growing pressure on the squad. While early reports pointed to “personal reasons,” the timing and context have led to deeper scrutiny of what actually unfolded inside the dressing room.

The Herons confirmed Javier Mascherano’s resignation through an official statement, where he said: “I want to let everyone know that, for personal reasons, I have decided to end my tenure as head coach of Inter Miami CF.” He also added, “I will always carry with me the memory of our first star.”

The coach left with an impressive 1.93 points-per-game average, the highest in club history, and just months after leading the club to its first MLS Cup title. Despite that success, the team’s recent form, including elimination from the Concacaf Champions Cup, created a more unstable atmosphere.

The real reason behind the exit amid tensions talk

While official messaging pointed to a clean departure, reports later suggested a more complex situation. A locker room argument after the 2-2 draw against the New York Red Bulls is believed to have been the final trigger behind Mascherano’s exit, according to sources briefed on the situation.

The Athletic earlier reported that tensions had been building for weeks, particularly after the club’s Concacaf Champions Cup elimination. The frustration reportedly grew internally, creating an increasingly difficult environment.

However, despite speculation, a Daily Mail insider dismissed the idea of a Messi-related fallout. “When they come, it’s ‘because he is Messi’s friend’. When they leave, it’s ‘because he is not Messi’s friend’,” the source said, pushing back on the narrative.

The Messi and Mascherano dynamic

Messi and Mascherano share a long history together, having played for both Argentina and Barcelona. That relationship carried into Miami, where both were seen as central figures in the club’s identity and leadership structure.

Mascherano publicly described his exit as personal, but the lack of detail quickly sparked speculation. The same phrasing had been used in previous managerial changes at the club, which only added to doubts about the official explanation.

The Daily Mail added that Mascherano had privately felt that his cycle at the club had naturally reached its end after winning major silverware, rather than being forced out abruptly. This version of events suggests a gradual decision rather than a sudden fallout.

At Milan, the spotlight has once again shifted toward Christian Pulisic, with uncertainty surrounding his situation ahead of a crucial clash against Hellas Verona. The Serie A club finds itself in a delicate moment, where form, confidence, and attacking output are all under scrutiny.

Its attacking unit, once considered a strength, has instead become a growing concern. With key figures, including Pulisic and Rafael Leao, struggling simultaneously, the sense around the Rossoneri is that something deeper than simple poor form is affecting performances. The numbers paint a troubling picture for Milan’s frontline in 2026. 

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the team’s attackers have managed just eight goals since the turn of the year despite producing 93 total shots and 34 on target. This decline has had a direct impact on results, as goals have become increasingly difficult to come by. Compared to rivals like Inter, which requires far fewer chances to score, Massimiliano Allegri’s players’ struggles stand out even more.

Much of the focus has naturally fallen on Pulisic, whose season has followed a dramatic split. After recording eight goals and two assists in the first half of the campaign, he has failed to score in 2026, adding just one assist to his tally.

His last goal came in late December, coincidentally against Verona, a moment that now feels distant. Since then, injuries and inconsistency have disrupted his rhythm, leaving the forward searching for answers in front of the goal.

Pulisic’s status for the crucial Verona test emerges

Despite the concerns, multiple outlets such as Corriere dello Sport and Gazzetta dello Sport suggest that Pulisic is still expected to start against Verona, a decision that underlines the trust placed in him by Massimiliano Allegri. The coach appears willing to rely on his experienced attackers rather than turn to alternatives during this difficult phase.

The American winger has previously delivered strong performances at the Bentegodi, including a goal in a 3-1 win during the 2023-24 season. That history is seen as a potential spark for a player searching for rhythm.

Tactical reset offers a familiar solution

Massimiliano Allegri has repeatedly altered Milan’s attacking structure in search of a solution. Experiments with different forward combinations, including a front three, have failed to deliver stability or goals.

After the disappointing system change against Udinese, Allegri is expected to revert to a 3-5-2 formation with Pulisic and Leao leading the line together. The coach believes familiarity between the two attackers could restore some balance in the final third.

Despite recent struggles, Allegri is still backing both players to start against Verona, hoping the matchup can trigger a turnaround in form. The partnership between Pulisic and Leao has produced mixed outcomes this season. When the two started together, the Rossoneri scored just eight goals, averaging less than one per game.

Confidence also appears to be a factor, with both players struggling mentally as well as physically. The pressure of expectation, combined with recent poor results, has created a tense atmosphere within the squad.

Kylian Mbappé has enjoyed an outstanding individual season, scoring 40 goals and playing a key role in the attack. Despite this, Real Madrid endured a disappointing campaign, being eliminated from the UEFA Champions League and sitting second in LaLiga. In response, 1998 World Cup winner Emmanuel Petit has delivered a strong critique of the 27-year-old striker, highlighting what he sees as a growing problem within the dressing room.

“It’s not only Kylian Mbappé’s fault, but his arrival has filled the Real Madrid locker room with selfishness. It’s a fiasco, and time is running out for him,” Emmanuel Petit said, via RMC Sport. Moreover, he strongly criticizes Eduardo Camavinga, defending the French striker: “If someone has to be blamed, it’s him. His entrance was catastrophic. At that moment in the match, that red card is very harsh, but the referee is simply applying the rules.”

Far from blaming the lack of specific profiles in the squad, Emmanuel Petit made it clear that Real Madrid’s issues do not necessarily stem from the sporting side. Alongside these remarks, concerns over Vinícius Jr.’s contract renewal have also emerged, as he is reportedly seeking a salary equal to that of Kylian Mbappé. With this, and the reported dressing room tensions involving Xabi Alonso, Los Blancos seem to be facing a significant internal problem.

Despite these reported ego issues, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Jr. have made it clear on multiple occasions that there are no problems between them, even stating that they share a close relationship. However, Real Madrid’s inconsistent performances this season have raised serious concerns, with fans expressing worries that there is no collective identity, but rather a focus on individual priorities.

Mbappé joined a Real Madrid team led by Vinícius Jr.

Real Madrid have managed to remain one of the best teams in the world, with Vinícius Jr. standing out as a difference-maker. The Brazilian has not only delivered in terms of goals, but has also been key in two UEFA Champions League titles. As a result, Kylian Mbappé’s arrival significantly shook up the squad, as the scoring responsibility and spotlight are now shared, forcing both players to adjust their roles on the pitch—something that has yet to fully click.

While Kylian Mbappé has thrived in his best goalscoring form, Vinícius Jr. has struggled to fully adapt, drawing criticism after managing just 17 goals—well below his peak level. Neither Xabi Alonso nor Álvaro Arbeloa have been able to properly integrate both players on the pitch, as when one shines, the other tends to fade into the background. Feeling that the system no longer benefits him, the Brazilian has already hinted that he is not entirely comfortable.

Real Madrid’s current problems may stem from the midfield

While many point to ego clashes and similar issues, Real Madrid could address their problems by reinforcing one key area: The midfield. Following the departures of Toni Kroos and Luka Modrić, Los Blancos have lost structure in their play, leaving Vinícius Jr. and Kylian Mbappé at times looking disconnected on the pitch. As a result, they reportedly have a clear priority: Signing a controlling midfielder.

According to Francisco José Delgado via Cadena SER, Nico Paz will make a comeback to los Blancos, paying €9 million to Como 1907. While the Argentinean plays in a more offensive role, he could be a key to organize the game. To achieve that, los Blancos are reportedly open to sell Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Ceballos. For that reason, they could still chase another organizative reinforcement.

With a player capable of dictating the tempo, Vinícius Jr. and Kylian Mbappé could benefit significantly, as they would receive better service and more scoring opportunities. This would give Real Madrid a more structured style of play, helping them build a stronger on-field connection. A similar dynamic was seen with Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, and Cristiano Ronaldo, who thrived with a solid midfield supporting them.

Trendyol Süper Lig'in 30. haftasında Galatasaray'a 2-1 yenilen Natura Dünyası Gençlerbirliği'nin teknik direktörü Volkan Demirel, 32 puanın ligde kalmaya yeteceğini tahmin ettiğini ve bunu başaracaklarına inandığını söyledi.

Eryaman Stadı'nda oynanan karşılaşmanın ardından düzenlenen basın toplantısında konuşan Demirel, "Çok basit goller yediğimizi düşünüyorum. Sonrasında tabii ki zor oldu. Galatasaray bu ligin lideri. İlk 60 dakikayı gol yemeden, skoru uzatabilseydik zaten Galatasaray'ın 60'tan sonra bu şekilde bize pozisyon vereceği belliydi. Zaten ikinci yarıda da oyunun hakimi bizdik. İkinci yediğimiz golle üçüncü ofsayttan yediğimiz gol hemen hemen birbirinin kopyası ki bu sene bu tarz golleri çok yedik. Sadece ben buradayken değil, önceki zamanlarda da bu vardı. Bugün bir puan alabilsek, galip gelsek çok iyi olabilirdi. Şimdi önümüzde kupa maçı var, sonrasında ligde olan 4 maç bizim durumumuzu belirleyecek." değerlendirmesinde bulundu.

Takımına ilk günden beri inandığını vurgulayan Demirel, "Tabii inanmakla sahadaki oyunun birbirini tutması lazım. Mesela ikinci yarıdaki reaksiyon da benim aslında takıma olan güvenimi daha da yükseltiyor. Ligin liderine karşı 2-0 iken maç 3 olabilir, 4 olabilir ama takımım reaksiyon gösterdi. Ben takımımdan memnunum. Herhangi bir sıkıntımız yok ama dediğim gibi puan alamadığımız için biraz endişe, kaygı başlıyor. İnşallah önümüzdeki 4 haftada ligde kalacak puanı toplayacağımızı düşünüyorum." ifadelerini kullandı.

25 puanı bulunan başkent ekibinin ligde kalmak için ne kadar puan toplaması gerektiği sorulan Demirel, "Ben 32 demiştim zaten. Bunu 4-5 hafta önce söylemiştim. Bence 32 puan bizi ligde tutacaktır." dedi.

Demirel, ligde 7 maç sonra gol attıklarının hatırlatılması üzerine "Ben geldiğimden beri 5 hafta, benden önce de 2 hafta vardı. 7 haftadır gol atamıyor takım. Bugün gol atması güzel oldu. Evet mücadeleden memnunum ama ben daha fazlasını istiyorum. O da beni üzüyor. Tabii ki kendi içimde fazla da yansıtmamaya çalışıyorum ama bu takımın buralarda olmaması lazım. Yani bizim takımımız aslında kötü bir takım değil. 10-12'nci sıradan aşağıya baktığım zaman bizim takımımız aslında bireysel olarak da çok iyi bir takım. Ama geçen dönemden bu dönem arasında tabii oyunculara da hak veriyorum; birçok şey değişti burada. O yüzden onların da tekrardan konsantre olması, tekrardan bir şeye adapte olması kolay değil ama oyuncu grubuna çok inanıyorum, güveniyorum. İnşallah ligde kalacağız." yorumunu yaptı.

- "İvedilikle sonuç almamız gerekiyor"

Son 2 haftadır erken goller yemelerinin konsantrasyon bozukluğuna bağlı olup olmadığı sorulan Demirel, "Konsantrasyon bozukluğu da diyebilirsin. Yani dediğim gibi aslında hiç gol yememek benim için en doğrusu ama tabii ki bunun karşılığını sahada bir şekilde alıyorsunuz ya da alamıyorsunuz. Hem geçen haftaki Başakşehir maçı ki Başakşehir maçında da bence ilk yarı yediğimiz gol haricinde ikinci golü yiyene kadar oyunun ve topun hakimi bizdik. Ama işte ne çok pas yapana puan veriyorlar ne de topun yüzdesi sende kalmış ona puan veriyorlar. Önemli olan sonuç. Bizim de şu an bir an önce, ivedilikle sonuç almamız gerekiyor. Ben şu an ne desem ne anlatsam hem sizi kandırırım hem burada boş muhabbet etmiş olurum. Benim derdim bu takımı ligde tutmak. Ligde tutabilirsem gerçekten çok mutlu olacağım ve ondan sonra seneye daha akıllı, daha planlı, daha organize bir Gençlerbirliği yaratmaya çalışacağım." yanıtını verdi.

Göztepe'ye 2-0 yenilmelerinden 2 hafta sonra maçlarını bir kez daha yöneten hakem Batuhan Kolak hakkında, "Batuhan hoca skora etki etti desem yanlış olur. Ama Göztepe maçında etti." diye konuşan Demirel, Pereira'nın sakatlığı ve Zuzic'in cezalı duruma düşmesine ilişkin ise şunları kaydetti:

"Pedro evet aslında kanaması vardı. Herhangi bir yırtığı yok, fasyada bir kanaması var. Oynatırsak daha kötü olacağını bildiğimiz için çünkü hedef maçlarımız hep söylüyorum 4 maç. O maçlarda eksik kalmaması adına biz onu koruduk. Zan bizim için çok değerli. Hem defansta hem bazen 6 numarada kullandık. Gerçekten hani bana bu sezonun puanlamasını yapsanız Zan'ı birinci sıraya koyarım. Çünkü gerçekten özveriyle çok iyi mücadele ediyor, ne desek yapmaya çalışıyor. Onun eksikliğini görebiliriz ama Pedro benim tahminim Kocaeli maçında oynayacak."

Trendyol Süper Lig'in 30. haftasında deplasmanda Kocaelispor ile 1-1 berabere kalan Göztepe'nin teknik direktörü Stanimir Stoilov, "Oyunun geneline baktığımda bugünkü oyun şeklimizden memnun değilim. Çünkü bizim oyun tarzımız kesinlikle bu değil." dedi.

Stoilov, maçın ardından düzenlenen basın toplantısında, kendileri adına zor bir rakibe karşı oynadıklarını söyledi.

Maçın sonlarında kazanmaya çok yaklaştıklarını belirten Stoilov, "Oyunun geneline baktığımda bugünkü oyun şeklimizden memnun değilim. Çünkü bizim oyun tarzımız kesinlikle bu değil. Organizasyon, öz güven, hırs... Tüm bunlarda çok daha iyi olmamız gerekiyordu." ifadelerini kullandı.

Stoilov, buldukları erken gol sebebiyle maçın ilerleyen dakikalarında skoru koruma içgüdüsüyle hareket etmiş olabileceklerine değinerek, "Maçın ikinci yarısında yakaladığımız 1 gol pozisyonu var. Bizim oyun tarzımız bu değil. Kocaeli daha sonra baskılı oynadı ve maçın sonunda beraberliği yakaladı. Aslında daha önce oynadığımız maçlara baktığımızda çok daha iyi seviyeler gördük, iyi şeyler sergiledik ve başarılı oyunlarla galibiyetler aldık. O yüzden bir an önce bu seviyeye geri dönmemiz gerekiyor. Yensek de yenilsek de bir oyun tarzımız var ve bunu sahada sergilemeliyiz." diye konuştu.

Bir basın mensubunun penaltı kararlarıyla ilgili ne düşündüğünü sorması üzerine Stoilov, hakem kararlarının kulüplerin geleceğini belirlediğini kaydetti.

Stoilov, bu tarz konularla ilgili konuşması gereken kişilerin değerlendirmede bulunması gerektiğine dikkati çekerek, şu görüşleri paylaştı:

"Bu kesinlikle benim işim değil. Ama biz orada bu kararın verilmesinde belki de bir bahane, neden sunmuş olduk. Hakemlerin, verdikleri her kararın, kulüpler adına, kulüplerin gelecekleri adına ne kadar belirleyici ve önemli olduğunu bilmeleri ve kararlarını verirken de yüzde 100 emin olmaları gerektiğini düşünüyorum."

Trendyol Süper Lig'in 30. haftasında sahasında Göztepe ile 1-1 berabere kalan Kocaelispor'un teknik direktörü Selçuk İnan, oyuncularının performansından memnun olduğunu söyledi.

Maçın ardından düzenlenen basın toplantısında konuşan İnan, son üç haftada zorlu karşılaşmalar oynadıklarını belirterek, oyuncularını mücadelelerinden dolayı tebrik etti.

Bu süreçte oynanan Başakşehir, Galatasaray ve Göztepe maçlarında iyi performans ortaya koyduklarını ifade eden İnan, şöyle konuştu:

"Bir yerde çok mutluyum, futbolcularımın göstermiş olduğu performans ve gelecek adına bize fazlasıyla umut vermelerinden dolayı. Bunlar tabii çok önemli şeyler. Çok mutluyum onların adına, bir yanda da biraz üzgünüm. Çünkü üç tane maçı da kazanmaya yakın taraftık. Kazanmayı da hak ettik diyebilirim. Olmadı. Bugünün özelinde Göztepe, ligin en dirençli, en güçlü takımlarından biri. Bunu biliyoruz. Teknik olarak sahada top rakipteyken ve top bizdeyken ne çalıştıysak sahaya hepsini yansıttı oyuncularımız. Galibiyeti hak eden taraftık diye düşünüyorum. Son dakikada da olsa bir puanını aldığımız için 'kötünün iyisi' diye mutlu olduk. Ama futbol böyle güzel."

İnan, bir gazetecinin taktiksel değişikliklerine yönelik yorum yapması üzerine, oyuncuların farklı pozisyonlarda değerlendirilmesinin planlı bir tercih olduğunu, bu kararın risk değil, maç öncesi analizlere dayalı bir uygulama olduğunu kaydetti.

Penaltı pozisyonuna ilişkin değerlendirmede bulunmak istemediğini dile getiren İnan, pozisyonu henüz izlemediğini söyledi.

Galatasaray Kulübü İkinci Başkanı Metin Öztürk, Trendyol Süper Lig'in 30. haftasında deplasmanda Natura Dünyası Gençlerbirliği'ni 2-1 yendikleri için mutlu olduklarını belirterek, "Bu ekonomik koşullarda ve yüksek bilet fiyatlarına rağmen takımını yalnız bırakmayan taraftarımıza büyük bir şükran borçluyuz. Deplasmanda değil, adeta kendi sahamızda oynadık. Yağmurda, karda, her şartta yanımızdalar." dedi.

Karşılaşmanın ardından gazetecilere açıklamada bulunan Öztürk, şampiyonluk yolunda önemli bir engeli daha aştıklarını aktardı.

Sarı-kırmızılı taraftarlara teşekkür eden Öztürk, "Ligde 4 maçımız kaldı, 12 puan. Bir rakibimizle aramızda 4 puan fark var. Diğerlerinin durumuna bakmıyoruz. Önümüzdeki maçları kazanarak yolumuza devam edeceğiz." ifadelerini kullandı.

Şampiyonluk hedeflerine inandıklarını vurgulayan Öztürk, "Başkanımız Dursun Özbek’in liderliğinde, teknik direktörümüz ve futbolcularımızla birlikte bu sezon da şampiyon olacağımıza inanıyoruz." diye konuştu.

Hakem kararlarına da tepki gösteren Öztürk, bazı pozisyonların kendilerini üzdüğünü dile getirerek, şunları kaydetti:

"Takımımızın önemli oyuncularından birine faul olmayan pozisyonda sarı kart gösterildi. Bu kararın oyunun düzenini etkilediğini düşünüyoruz. Ayrıca attığımız üçüncü golün ofsayt gerekçesiyle iptal edilmesini anlamakta zorlanıyoruz. VAR incelemesine rağmen net bir çizim göremedik. Benzer pozisyonlarda farklı kararlar verilmesi soru işaretleri oluşturuyor."

Öztürk, federasyona da çağrıda bulunarak, ofsayt uygulamalarındaki tartışmaların giderilmesi gerektiğini belirtti.

Ligde kalan maçlara odaklandıklarını ifade eden Öztürk, "Kimin ikinci ya da üçüncü olacağıyla ilgilenmiyoruz. Biz sadece kendi maçlarımızı kazanarak şampiyonluğa ulaşmak istiyoruz." değerlendirmesinde bulundu.

Bu gün futbol üzrə Fransa çempionatında (Liqa 1) 2025/2026-cı illər mövsümünün 30-cu turunun növbəti oyunları keçirilib.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, ikinci oyun günündə üç qarşılaşma baş tutub.

“Lill” – “Nitsa” matçında qapılara qol vurulmayıb. İki qolun qeydə alındığı “Anje” – “Havr” görüşündə də qalib müəyyənləşməyib. “Loryan” isə Marsel “Olimpik”i ilə ev oyunundan inamlı qələbə ilə ayrılıb.

Qeyd edək ki, 30-cu turun qalan görüşləri bazar gününə təsadüf edəcək.

Fransa, Liqa 1
30-cu tur
17 aprel

Lans – Tuluza 3:2
Qollar: S.Abdulhamid, 61. Tomasson, 67. Qaniu, 90+1 – Kasseres, 6. Kumbassa, 13.

18 aprel

Loryan – Olimpik (Marsel) 2:0
Qollar: Katseris, 28. Dienq, 58.

Anje – Havr 1:1
Qollar: Peter, 28 – Bufal, 13.

Lill – Nitsa 0:0

19 aprel

17:00. Monako – Oser
19:15. Mets – Paris
19:15. Nant – Brest
19:15. Strasburq – Renn
22:45. PSJ – Olimpik (Lion)

Bu gün futbol üzrə İngiltərə çempionatında (Premyer Liqa) 2025/2026-cı illər mövsümünün 33-cü turuna start verilib.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, ilk oyun günündə beş qarşılaşma baş tutub.

Dörd qolun qeydə alındığı “Tottenhem” – “Brayton” matçında qalib müəyyənləşməyib. “Brentford” – “Fulhem” görüşü də qolsuz yekunlaşıb.

“Lids” “Vulverhempton”u darmadağınla yola salıbsa, “Nyukasl” doğma meydanda “Bornmut”a, “Çelsi” “Mançester Yunayted”ə məğlub olub.

Turun qalan görüşləri aprelin 19-da və 20-də keçiriləcək.

İngiltərə, Premyer Liqa
33-cü tur
18 aprel

Brentford – Fulhem 0:0

Tottenhem – Brayton 2:2
Qollar: Porro, 39. X.Simons, 77 – Mitoma, 45+3. Rutter, 90+5.

Lids – Vulverhempton 3:0
Qollar: Castin, 18. Okafor, 20. Kalvert-Lyuin, 90+5-pen.

Nyukasl – Bornmut 1:2
Qollar: Osula, 68 – Tavernye, 32. Truffert, 85.

Çelsi – Mançester Yunayted 0:1
Qol: Kunya, 43.

19 aprel

17:00. Aston Villa – Sanderlend
17:00. Everton – Liverpul
17:00. Nottingem Forest – Börnli
19:30. Mançester Siti – Arsenal

20 aprel

23:00. Kristal Pelas – Vest Hem

Bu gün futbol üzrə İtaliya çempionatında (A Seriyası) 2025/2026-cı illər mövsümünün 33-cü turunun növbəti oyunları keçirilib.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, ikinci oyun günündə üç qarşılaşma baş tutub.

“Udineze” doğma meydanda “Parma”ya, “Napoli” isə “Latsio”ya məğlub olub. İki qolun qeydə alındığı “Roma” – “Atalanta” matçında da qalib müəyyənləşməyib.

Qeyd edək ki, 33-cü turun qalan görüşləri aprelin 19-da və 20-də keçiriləcək.

İtaliya, A Seriyası
33-cü tur
17 aprel

Sassuolo – Komo 2:1
Qollar: Volpato, 42. Nzola, 44 – N.Pas, 45+2.

İnter – Kalyari 3:0
Qollar: Türam, 52. Barella, 56. Zelinski, 90+2.

18 aprel

Udineze – Parma 0:1
Qol: Elfeqe, 51.

Napoli – Latsio 0:2
Qollar: Kanselyeri, 6. Basiç, 57.

Roma – Atalanta 1:1
Qollar: Hermoso, 45 – Krstoviç, 12.

19 aprel

14:30. Kremoneze – Torino
17:00. Verona – Milan
20:00. Piza – Cenoa
22:45. Yuventus – Bolonya

20 aprel

22:45. Leççe – Fiorentina

Bu gün futzal üzrə Azərbaycan Kubokunda 2025/2026 mövsümünün yarımfinal mərhələsinin oyunları keçirilib.

Arena.az xəbər verir ki, hər iki oyun eyni günə təsadüf edib.

Əvvəlcə, mövsümü qızıl dublla başa vurmağı hədəfləmiş “Neftçi” Birinci Liqanın iddialılarından olan “Baku Fire-2” ilə gücünü sınayıb. Yüksək Liqa təmsilçisi istəyinə darmadağınla nail olub.

Növbəti görüşdə isə ötən ilin finalçıları üz-üzə gəliblər. Belə ki, PFL “Araz-Naxçıvan” ilə münasibətlərinə aydınlıq gətirib. Son ölkə çempionu da darmadağına imza ataraq finala yüksələn tərəf olub.

Qeyd edək ki, hər iki qarşılaşma “Olimpik Star”da təşkil edilib.

Beləliklə həlledici matçda “Neftçi” İK və “Araz-Naxçıvan” qarşılaşacaqlar. Oyun mayın 21-də keçiriləcək.

Futzal, Azərbaycan Kuboku
Yarımfinal
18 aprel

Baku Fire-2 – Neftçi İK 1:9
Hakimlər: Hikmət Qafarlı, Hidayət Feyzullayev, Vüsal Balaşov.
Hakim-inspektor: Azad Hüseynov.
Bakı. “Olimpik Star”. Saat 17:00.

PFL – Araz-Naxçıvan 3:20
Hakimlər: Əli Cəbrayılov, İmran Məhərrəmov, Kənan Məlikov.
Hakim-inspektor: Murad Məmmədov.
Bakı. “Olimpik Star”. Saat 19:00.

Raffaele Palladino ‘enjoyed myself’ watching Atalanta’s 1-1 draw with Roma, feeling either team could win it, but the Coppa Italia semi-final is ‘the most important match of the season.’

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La Dea knew that this was their last real chance to challenge for a Champions League spot, and they had taken the lead at the Stadio Olimpico with the first Nikola Krstovic effort on goal.

However, Mario Hermoso’s acrobatic volley cancelled it out on the stroke of half-time, and the defender almost got a second when his header bounced off the crossbar.

Marco Carnesecchi made several big saves and was named Lega Serie A Man of the Match, but this point was not the birthday present Palladino had hoped for.

Palladino relishing Atalanta performances

“It was a good game of football played between two teams who wanted to win, playing with intensity, courage and quality. I’ll be honest, I enjoyed myself tonight,” Palladino told Sky Sport Italia.

“We took on a team that was eager to beat us, especially as we beat them earlier this season. Coming here into this atmosphere with such spirit was not easy, so I congratulated my players.

“It was an open match and frankly either side could’ve won it, as we had the chances to go 2-0 up, and then they had opportunities in the second half. We take this point and feel it is probably the right result.”

This result means Atalanta remain in seventh place and four points adrift of Roma in sixth, so it will be a struggle to make up that ground now.

Winning the Coppa Italia could therefore be their best chance of qualifying for the Europa League, and they host Lazio in Wednesday’s semi-final, after the first leg ended 2-2.

“I won’t say this was a wasted opportunity, as we closed one point from Como and stayed at the same distance from Roma. We won’t give up to the last game, I think against Juventus and Roma they were two really good performances, showing we’ll fight it out with anyone,” noted Palladino.

“Now the semi-final of the Coppa Italia is probably our most important match of the season so far, we really want to get into the Final.”

Atalanta made three changes at half-time, two of them in defence, so what was behind that decision?

“Giorgio Scalvini had a knock to the hip and was struggling to keep up the pace of the game, while Kolasinac had a slight muscular twinge and we will need to evaluate it over the next few days. With an eye on Wednesday, I didn’t want to take any risks.

“Charles De Ketelaere wasn’t sharp today, as he had flu earlier this week and didn’t have his usual energy. We had trouble with our defenders in the first half, but they were largely physical issues.”

Gianluca Scamacca was expected to start this evening, but Krstovic got the nod and scored the opening goal. Could they play together?

“I have faith in both strikers, they will prove themselves when given the chance. I needed players with different characteristics today, as Nikola can attack the space more, whereas Gianluca tends to connect with the midfield. Whether they can play together next season, I don’t know, we’ve got time to think about that.”

Roberto De Zerbi’s wait for a first victory as Tottenham head coach goes on after a maddening 2-2 draw with Brighton at a packed stadium, a result that felt like a defeat given the manner in which the points were conceded, with goals for the visitors arriving in the final moments of both halves to deny Spurs what would have been a crucial win in their battle against relegation.

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Despite the frustration, De Zerbi refused to allow negativity to take hold, delivering a characteristically passionate and defiant assessment of where his side stand with five games remaining.

“I’m very proud because the players gave their best, with the right mentality, the right blood, the right character,” he said, with quotes via Football.London.

“I’m disappointed only for the result, for my players and for the fans, because the atmosphere was incredible. In a very tough situation, the stadium was amazing.”

De Zerbi: ‘Spurs can win five games in a row’

On Danso’s error that led to Brighton’s late equaliser, De Zerbi was protective of his player.

“I prefer to make mistakes with the personality to play than to concede a goal without personality or courage,” he said. “Now we need courage. To win games we have to be positive and play football.”

His ambition for what remains of the season may have raised eyebrows, but it was delivered with total conviction.

“This team is able to win five games in a row,” he said. “Now it is difficult to hear my words, but if you analyse the level of these players, we have the quality to fight and win games consecutively.”

His message to any player tempted to feel sorry for themselves was equally direct.

“They have to come to the training ground on Monday with a smile, otherwise they go home. I have no time for negative people or sad players. We are lucky to be working at a big club in the Premier League. Be positive. Stop.”

Roma and Atalanta were both left frustrated with a point apiece in this showdown for European places, as Mario Hermoso cancelled out the Nikola Krstovic opener.

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This was a pure head-to-head for European ambitions, but also an emotional reunion for Gian Piero Gasperini with his former club, and protégé Raffaele Palladino. Paulo Dybala, Manu Koné, Wesley, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Artem Dovbyk and Evan Ferguson were still out of action, with Nicolò Pisilli and Gianluca Mancini not at 100 per cent either.

La Dea had to prepare for Wednesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final against Lazio, though Isak Hien and Kamaldeen Sulemana were injured, so Giacomo Raspadori started against the club he turned down in January.

Atalanta had a remarkable recent record against the Giallorossi, unbeaten since March 2022 with six wins and a draw going into this game.

See how it all unfolded on the Liveblog.

The visitors scored with the first chance of the game, as Marten de Roon robbed Mario Hermoso in midfield and sent Nikola Krstovic through the middle, the striker’s ferocious right-foot finish beating Mile Svilar.

Matias Soulé cut inside for a curler from the edge of the area that was deflected over by Berat Djimsiti, then in a similar position forced the low one-handed Marco Carnesecchi save.

Carnesecchi did even better when rushing off his line for a desperate block on Donyell Malen’s tap-in from seven yards, when Stephan El Shaarawy had rolled across.

Malen also tested the Atalanta goalkeeper at the near post on the counter-attack, while Mile Svilar denied Ederson one-on-one moments later after the midfielder had left El Aynaoui in his wake.

Roma equalised on the stroke of half-time, as Devyne Rensch nodded down the Zeki Celik cross for an acrobatic Hermoso left-foot volley from eight yards into the roof of the net.

Atalanta made a triple change at half-time, including ex-Roma youth product Nicola Zalewski, who immediately blasted wide from distance.

El Shaarawy stung Carnesecchi’s gloves at the near post with a volley from a tricky angle, as did Malen from a very similar position, while the goalkeeper was ready for a Hermoso header.

Lorenzo Venturino’s strike was deflected over, but on the resulting corner a Hermoso looping header bounced off the top of the crossbar.

Devyne Rensch hobbled off with a muscular problem, while Robinio Vaz couldn’t take advantage of Carnesecchi fumbling a Venturino cross.

Roma 1-1 Atalanta

Krstovic 12 (A), Hermoso 45 (R)

18-04-2026 19:45

MatchDay 33

Stadio Olimpico

Roma

Atalanta

1 - 1

Player statistic

1st half

		12'		Nikola Krstovic (Assist: Marten de Roon)
Mario Hermoso (Assist: Devyne Rensch)		45'

2nd half

		65'		Éderson
Niccolò Pisilli		75'
		90+1'		Berat Djimsiti

Match statistic

53

Possession %

47

19

Total shots

8

9

Shots on target

2

4

Shots off target

3

6

Blocked shots

3

7

Corners

6

1

Offsides

3

4

Fouls

14

Roma

Atalanta

Starting lineups

99

Mile Svilar

Goalkeeper

2

Devyne Rensch

Defender

78'

5

Evan Ndicka

Defender

23

Gianluca Mancini

Defender

60'

22

Mario Hermoso

Defender

19

Zeki Celik

Defender

4

Bryan Cristante

Midfielder

8

Neil El Aynaoui

Midfielder

60'

14

Donyell Malen

Attacker

18

Matìas Soulé

Attacker

71'

92

Stephan El Shaarawy

Attacker

60'

29

Marco Carnesecchi

Goalkeeper

19

Berat Djimsiti

Defender

77

Davide Zappacosta

Defender

42

Giorgio Scalvini

Defender

46'

16

Raoul Bellanova

Defender

23

Sead Kolasinac

Defender

46'

13

Éderson

Midfielder

80'

15

Marten de Roon

Midfielder

17

Charles De Ketelaere

Attacker

46'

18

Giacomo Raspadori

Attacker

90

Nikola Krstovic

Attacker

Substitutes

3

Angeliño

Defender

95

Pierluigi Gollini

Goalkeeper

24

Jan Ziolkowski

Defender

97

Bryan Zaragoza

Attacker

70

Giorgio De Marzi

Goalkeeper

61

Niccolò Pisilli

Midfielder

60'

87

Daniele Ghilardi

Defender

60'

20

Lorenzo Venturino

Attacker

60'

78

Robinio Vaz

Attacker

71'

12

Konstantinos Tsimikas

Defender

78'

10

Lazar Samardžić

Midfielder

57

Marco Sportiello

Goalkeeper

9

Gianluca Scamacca

Attacker

5

Mitchel Bakker

Defender

7

Kamaldeen Sulemana

Midfielder

6

Yunus Musah

Midfielder

59

Nicola Zalewski

Midfielder

46'

3

Odilon Kossounou

Defender

46'

69

Honest Ahanor

Defender

46'

8

Mario Pasalic

Midfielder

80'

The numbers tell a remarkable story. With Matteo Cancellieri and Toma Basic finding the net on Saturday evening, Lazio completed a fourth consecutive away victory at the Maradona, making them the first team in Serie A history to achieve that feat against Napoli.

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It is also the best run of consecutive victories Lazio have ever recorded at the ground.

The sequence began with Matias Vecino’s solitary goal on 3 March 2023, continued with a 2-1 win in September of that year courtesy of Luis Alberto and Daichi Kamada, was extended by Gustav Isaksen’s winner in December 2024 and has now reached its most historic chapter.

To find a comparable period of Lazio dominance at the ground you must go back generations, a nine-game unbeaten run between 1939 and 1951 and another of six between 1998 and 2009, though neither produced four consecutive victories.

Napoli home unbeaten run grinds to a halt against Lazio

Perhaps equally striking is the wider context for Napoli.

Saturday’s defeat ended a run of 495 days unbeaten at home in Serie A, their last domestic defeat at the Maradona had been, fittingly, a 1-0 loss to this same Lazio side back in December 2024.

Beyond the statistics, the result has effectively ended Napoli’s Scudetto aspirations with five games to play.

Antonio Conte has been characteristically pragmatic, noting that second, third and fourth place all deliver the same reward, Champions League football, but the manner of the defeat will sting.

Without sufficient motivational fuel, Napoli looked flat, slow and predictable, their performance raising broader questions about whether this squad, even at full strength, retains the hunger and intensity that defined Conte’s first season at the club.

The returns of De Bruyne and Anguissa have added quality but not yet restored the collective grit that made Napoli so formidable. With 66 points and a comfortable cushion above fifth place, their Champions League berth looks secure, but in a season that promised so much more, almost is a deeply unsatisfying place to finish.

Mason Mount was not exactly Mr Popular as he returned to his former club Chelsea with Manchester United in Saturday evening’s Premier League clash.

The England international was once a real fan-favourite at Stamford Bridge, but he has clearly soured his relationship with Blues supporters since leaving to join Man Utd back in 2023.

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Mount did not get a friendly reception upon his return to Chelsea tonight, and it seems the player himself couldn’t resist a little dig back at the home crowd.

See below as Fabrizio Romano shared an image of the moment Mount decided to shush the Chelsea fans as the game neared full time…

Mason Mount at Stamford Bridge. ? pic.twitter.com/uRSDAozSWb

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 18, 2026

Mount will likely have enjoyed that, with the 27-year-old also on the winning side today in what could end up being a crucial result in this season’s race for Champions League qualification.

Manchester United dent Chelsea’s Champions League hopes

United won 1-0 at Stamford Bridge thanks to a first half goal from Matheus Cunha, and it’s a result that surely secures their place at Europe’s top table next season.

The Red Devils are now ten points clear of Chelsea, who sit just outside the top five after an awful run of form that will likely now see them have to settle for Europa League football next term.

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United really needed a big improvement and they’ve got it under interim manager Michael Carrick this season, with the club looking in much better shape since sacking previous manager Ruben Amorim.

Chelsea, by contrast, only seem to have got even worse since replacing Enzo Maresca with Liam Rosenior, with this youthful squad once again struggling for consistency.

The post Chelsea fans will be furious at Mason Mount gesture during Man United win at Stamford Bridge appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Liverpool are understood to still be keen on a potential transfer deal for Bradley Barcola this summer, with the French winger stalling on signing a new contract with Paris Saint-Germain.

The Reds urgently need to strengthen in attack this summer after a difficult season, with Mohamed Salah recently confirming he’ll be leaving the club at the end of the season.

We recently reported that Liverpool are looking at Michael Olise and Yan Diomande as potential Salah replacements, but Barcola is another option under consideration.

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Olise and Diomande, like Salah, are primarily right-sided players who favour their left foot, so would be more direct replacements for the legendary Egyptian.

Barcola, however, could also be targeted to give LFC that extra goal threat and spark from the left flank, as an upgrade on the inconsistent Cody Gakpo.

Bradley Barcola surely set for transfer away from PSG

Barcola has an impressive total of 13 goals and eight assists in all competitions for club and country this season, but he hasn’t always established himself as a regular starter for PSG.

The 23-year-old is clearly a fine talent who deserves more playing time, and there’ll be plenty of clubs ready to give him that.

Bradley Barcola to Liverpool Transfer Fit rating – find out how these are calculated here!

That would likely explain why Barcola is yet to move any closer towards an agreement over a new PSG contract, as sources confirmed to us this evening.

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“No progress for PSG on Barcola’s contract,” our source said. “Nothing advanced with any club, but he could leave. Liverpool have liked him for some time, and this development could lead to concrete talks soon.”

It remains to be seen if LFC will definitely make Barcola a priority, but with others like Olise and Diomande perhaps less realistic and more expensive, it could be a sensible option for the Reds to explore.

There is not yet any indication of PSG being ready to let the player go, so it’s hard to know what kind of price could tempt them, but this is something that could develop and gather pace in the weeks ahead.

The post Sources: Liverpool remain keen on 21 G/A star who’s not signing new contract with current club appeared first on CaughtOffside.

This is the big one – it’s Manchester City vs Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium this Sunday in what increasingly feels like winner-takes-all in this season’s Premier League title race.

The Gunners go into the game top of the table, albeit only with a slender lead that Man City can cut into, while Pep Guardiola’s side also have a game in hand over their rivals.

Bukayo Saka will miss out, Martin Odegaard’s fitness is not yet certain, while Erling Haaland’s form will be one key detail to watch.

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They met in the Carabao Cup final just a few weeks ago but this game arguably feels even bigger, as it’s almost a cup final for the Premier League title itself, whilst potentially also giving Arsenal a springboard to compete for the Champions League.

Read on as we identify the six main things to watch out for in this Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash…

Arsenal may have to play for a draw, but is it enough?

While there’s in some way more pressure on Arsenal going into this game due to the fact that they’re chasing a first title in 22 years, it’s worth remembering that City actually arguably need the win more or their title hopes would likely be over.

In which case, we may see Arsenal play for a draw, as it might suit them to rely more on their strong defensive record, particularly while they have so many key attacking players like Bukayo Saka, and potentially also Martin Odegaard, out injured for this game.

And yet, it feels like the one thing Arsenal have lacked in recent title challenges is that statement victory away from home. They’ve drawn their last two visits to the Etihad, which is some progress since that highly damaging 4-1 loss in 2022/23, but a bit more ambition in that 0-0 draw late on the following season would have seen the title go to north London instead of Manchester.

? "If somebody offered you a draw today, would you take it?"

Mikel Arteta's answer…? pic.twitter.com/VpHgnwTFgD

— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) April 17, 2026

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It’s important not to let emotions get the better of Arsenal, though, and Mikel Arteta will surely know that a point keeps City a decent distance behind, with the destination of the trophy out of their hands.

How will the Carabao Cup final will impact the psychology of the game?

We know these two met very recently in another big game, and on that occasion it was City who came out on top, lifting the Carabao Cup after a 2-0 win over Arsenal at Wembley.

In many ways, it’s the perfect test for Arsenal’s players, who stayed and watched City lifting the cup and celebrating in front of them – can you respond? Can you learn from the mistakes of that day? Or will that defeat only inhibit your performance?

City are the far more experienced side in terms of getting over the line and winning major trophies, so one imagines that will only boost their confidence for this match. Winning tends to beget more winning, though of course this hasn’t exactly been a vintage City side this season, so could some complacency also kick in?

What to make of Arsenal’s big-game record?

Until defeats against Liverpool and Manchester United this season, Arsenal were on a lengthy unbeaten run against the so-called ‘big six’ sides in league matches.

Arteta tends to know how to get something extra from his players in these important games, but the catch is that City, particularly away from home, have been a bit of an exception to that rule.

Arsenal have drawn their last two games at the Etihad, and were only a matter of seconds away from winning with just ten men last season, but it’s undoubtedly a difficult ground for them, with the north Londoners failing to win there since all the way back in 2015.

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Given that Arsenal aren’t in great form right now, while City have picked up, this is probably not the fixture they’d ideally pick if they could, but it’s also true that they don’t have to be perfect – a draw there for a third season in a row would not be a bad result by any means.

How will injuries impact things?

Another worry for Arsenal is the sheer number of injuries they’ve had, with Bukayo Saka confirmed as missing this game, while it’s not yet clear if Martin Odegaard, Jurrien Timber, and Riccardo Calafiori will return. Even if they do, they’re unlikely to be at peak fitness or form.

City mainly have a clean bill of health, though, with Pep Guardiola confirming that Nico O’Reilly will be back, though Ruben Dias is still out and that’s a pretty big loss, while Josko Gvardiol also remains a long-term absentee.

The issue for Arsenal is that their main injuries are in attack, which is already the main area of weakness in their current squad. Noni Madueke is really no substitute for a fully fit and in-form Saka, and even if Eberechi Eze being back is a big boost, there’s no one else who offers quite the same ability to dictate a game as Odegaard does.

Eze was missed in the Carabao Cup final, so he can provide a bit of spark in the final third for Arsenal, but for the most part this current situation probably only adds to the north Londoners’ need to set up quite defensively.

Can Erling Haaland return to form?

"I don't know if there's any friction…" ? pic.twitter.com/2Ka6XYxJuT

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 17, 2026

Strangely, it’s gone a little unnoticed, but Erling Haaland really hasn’t been in great form for a while now.

The Norway international has a good record against the Gunners, scoring home and away against them last season, as well as in their encounter at the Emirates earlier on in this campaign.

In total, Haaland has 33 goals in 45 games this season, but in his last 13 league games he has just three goals, two of which came from the penalty spot.

Of course, it would be unwise to ignore the fact that he recently scored a hat-trick in the FA Cup win against Liverpool. It’s possible that we’re about to see him get back to his best form, though at the moment he doesn’t look like someone who’s going to have a lot of joy against William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.

Can Arsenal respond to bottler tag?

We’ve all seen it by now, so surely the Arsenal players have as well.

We’re talking, of course, about this viral clip from last weekend when City won 3-0 way to Chelsea just a day after Arsenal’s slip-up in the 2-1 defeat at home to Bournemouth.

?? pic.twitter.com/jdd2tGily4

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 12, 2026

This kind of thing surely has to fire Arsenal up to prove their critics wrong. This a club that has been mocked and ridiculed as bottlers for far too long. They may never get a better chance to finally change people’s perspectives.

How do you see this game going, and who do you ultimately expect to go on and win the league? Let us know your thoughts and predictions in the comments!

The post Manchester City vs Arsenal: Six things to watch in winner-takes-all title race showdown appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester United earn three massive points at Stamford Bridge thanks to a 44th minute combination from Matheus Cunha and Bruno Fernandes, completing the league double over Chelsea.

The match also marked the first clean sheet for the Reds in nearly two months.

Manchester United spent the second half of the match under siege by Chelsea as the hosts dominated possession, shots, corners, and touches in the opposition area.

Twice, Chelsea were denied by the woodwork, first in the 56th minute and again in the 67th minute. Both attempts were similar as a whipped-in ball from the right side would find the the waiting heads of Liam Delap and Wesley Fofana, respectively.

Meanwhile, United did not offer much in the attacking end, seemingly satisfied to just defend.

On the counter in the 52nd minute, Cunha played a clever backheel to Fernandes who ran onto the ball before hitting a curling shot outside of the penalty area. The Chelsea keeper dived for it, but the ball would go wide of the far post.

United nearly doubled their advantage with the help of friendly fire from Chelsea. A forced a turnover in the 65th minute saw Fernandes with the ball at the top of the box. He played a pass in the direction of Cunha that was deflected by a Chelsea defender toward goal. The ball hung precariously in the air with spin, forcing an unexpected save by the Chelsea keeper.

The Reds entered the first half with the advantage thanks to Bruno Fernandes setting up Matheus Cunha for the opening strike. The goal marked Fernandes’ 18th assist of the season and Cunha’s 10th goal involvement of the season.

After Fofana had to come off the field temporarily to receive treatment, United pressed the opportunity in the 44th minute. Bryan Mbeumo flicked a ball to Fernandes up the right wing, and the midfielder carried the ball to the touchline. Fernandes ripped a cross back into the box that Cunha ran onto.

Unlike a similar opportunity in the 25th minute that saw Cunha take a heavy touch and upend a goal-scoring opportunity, Cunha one-timed a laser of a shot to break the stalemate.

Chelsea had the lion’s share of the ball in the first half with 57 percent possession, and they had their moments to make the match uncomfortable for United.

In the 10th minute, Cole Palmer got to the ball first at the top of United’s penalty area as Ayden Heaven and Luke Shaw both made contact with the attacker. VAR took a look but it was ruled that no foul occurred in the penalty area.

United were lucky not to be down a goal in the 33rd minute after Enzo Fernandez was able to keep possession in the box following a challenge. He had enough space to quickly curl a shot that beat Senne Lammens but mercifully went just wide of the far post.

Fernandez had another opportunity five minutes later, taking a shot from outside of the box that was saved by Lammens but deflected off the keeper’s hands. Palmer collected the ball and squared it to Liam Delap who tapped the ball into the net. However, the sideline referee negated the score as Palmer was ruled offside when Fernandez took the initial shot.

United return home on Monday, April 27, to host seventh-place Brentford, who are on an interesting run of form with five straight draws. The match will be pivotal for both squads as they vie for their places in European competitions next season.

The 2026 Cleveland Browns’ DBN Big Board finished its voting for the next round. The 36-40 slots for the Browns’ DBN Big Board are as follows:

36. CB Brandon Cisse – 132 total points
37. QB Ty Simpson – 113 total points
38. WR Germie Bernard – 105 total points
39. CB Chris Johnson – 102 total points
40. EDGE Zion Young – 92 total points

We’re going to try building our big board into the Top 50 this year, so that means two more rounds of voting. Therefore, I added a couple new players in this round of voting, to help offer some more positional consideration. As for the round of voting that just completed, Ty Simpson finally entered the conversation as a quarterback to consider if he’s still around when the Browns are on the clock in the second round. Also on the board now are CB Brandon Cisse, WR Germie Bernard, CB Chris Johnson, and EDGE Zion Young.

Remember that you are supposed to weigh a combination of talent, need, character, positional value, etc. for each player you vote for in relation to how they would fit with the Browns.

Cumulative Browns Big Board So Far

1. WR Carnell Tate
2. QB Fernando Mendoza
3. S Caleb Downs
4. LB Arvell Reese
5. OT Monroe Freeling
6. OT Francis Mauigoa
7. LB Sonny Styles
8. EDGE David Bailey
9. OT Spencer Fano
10. RB Jeremiyah Love
11. WR Jordyn Tyson
12. WR Makai Lemon
13. OT Caleb Lomu
14. EDGE Rueben Bain
15. OT Kadyn Proctor
16. OG Vega Ioane
17. CB Mansoor Delane
18. WR Denzel Boston
19. TE Kenyon Sadiq
20. WR Omar Cooper
21. S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
22. S Dillon Thieneman
23. WR KC Concepcion
24. OT Blake Miller
25. OT Max Iheanachor
26. EDGE Akheem Mesidor
27. WR Chris Bell
28. OG Chase Bisontis
29. CB D’Angelo Ponds
30. CB Jermod McCoy
31. CB Avieon Terrell
32. DT Kayden McDonald
33. CB Colton Hood
34. LB Jacob Rodriguez
35. EDGE Keldric Faulk
36. CB Brandon Cisse
37. QB Ty Simpson
38. WR Germie Bernard
39. CB Chris Johnson
40. EDGE Zion Young

Compiling the Big Board: 41-45 Slots

Now it’s time to vote for the players who will be in the 41-45 slots on the Browns’ DBN Big Board. Remember that you are supposed to weigh a combination of talent, need, character, positional value, etc. for each player you vote for in relation to how they would fit with the Browns.

If there are any players you wanted to vote for but who were missing from the list, please let us know in the comments section so we can include them in the next round. Please vote only once, and let us know in the comments below what you picked as your next 5 players, in order.

Celtics Reveal Injury Status Ahead Of Game One Vs. 76ers originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Celtics are set to kick off their playoff journey on Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers. As everyone gears up for the game, the big question has been about player availability, and now the answer is finally clear.

Boston announced its injury report on Saturday afternoon, and there were no players listed as injured. The report indicated that everything was clear.

The Celtics have faced several injuries this season, the most significant being Jayson Tatum missing a large part of the season due to a torn Achilles tendon. Fortunately, he returned in early March. Tatum wasn't the only one dealing with injury issues; Jaylen Brown also missed a few games due to Achilles tendinitis, and center Nikola Vučević also missed about a month with a hand injury.

Boston will now have a chance to field its full squad, and it will be interesting to see how the Celtics perform at full strength.

If the Celtics can stay healthy throughout the playoffs, they should be the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. However, it's more important to take one series at a time, starting with eliminating the 76ers.

More NBA: Doc Rivers Drops Bombshell Announcement About Uncertain NBA Future

Mark Pope is working overtime to piece together a Kentucky Basketball roster that currently looks alarmingly bare.

With only Zoom Diallo, Reece Potter, Kam Williams, and Trent Noah officially locked in for next season, and Malachi Moreno exploring the draft while Braydon Hawthorne’s status remains unofficial (he told the Herald-Leader he’d be back a month ago, but no announcement from the school), the Wildcats desperately needed a jolt of offensive firepower.

They just got it. Furman standout Alex Wilkins has officially committed to Kentucky, bringing a high-upside scoring punch to a roster that needed it. On3’s Joe Tipton broke the news first.

One of the top mid-major players in college basketball, Wilkins will now likely become part of Kentucky’s revamped starting backcourt next season alongside Diallo.

Alex Wilkins had a national arrival

If you didn’t know the name Alex Wilkins during the regular season, you probably learned it in March. The 6-5 freshman guard put the country on notice by dropping 21 points in Furman’s thrilling upset bid against the UConn Huskies.

While the Paladins ultimately fell short, Wilkins displayed a natural, unteachable scoring ability that immediately made him a high-priority target for power conference programs.

Wilkins is far more than just a volume shooter, though. At 6-foot-5, he has fantastic positional size for a primary ball-handler, and he uses it to generate offense for his teammates. He finished his freshman campaign averaging an impressive 17.8 points and 4.7 assists across 35 games.

In Mark Pope’s system, having a tall guard who can read the floor and facilitate is a big bonus that Kentucky didn’t have last year. Aberdeen led the team in assists, and he was under 4 a game.

The freshman red flags

While the potential to be a star is obvious, there are two glaring holes in Wilkins’ game that need immediate development:

• The Shooting: He shot 82.4% from the free-throw line, but struggled from deep, hitting just 32.8% of his three-point attempts. In a system built on spacing, that number has to climb, especially with a lot of other Kentucky targets shooting under 35%.
• The Turnovers: This is the scary part. Wilkins averaged a concerning 3.8 turnovers per game. While that is somewhat expected for a high-usage freshman guard, that has to be at least halved. That is a huge jump, but it has to happen.

Landing Wilkins is a massive step in the right direction for a staff that needed to stack wins. He possesses the unteachable offensive ceiling that Kentucky desperately lacked when the offense bogged down last year. Yes, the turnovers are scary, and yes, the jumper needs work.

But if Mark Pope can harness that raw talent and help him mature into a reliable decision-maker, Wilkins has the potential to be an absolute star in Lexington. This is exactly the kind of gamble a rebuilding roster has to take.

Be sure to go add us to your “Preferred Sources” on Google for more Kentucky Wildcats news and views! And Go CATS!!

Training session held this Saturday (18)Credits: Nelson Terme / CBF

Brazil’s U-17 National Team wrapped up its preparations for the match against Ecuador this Saturday (18) with a training session at Carfem, in Ypané, Paraguay.

First, the players watched a video featuring highlights of their opponent. Afterwards, the group took part in a ball activation drill.

In the final part of the session, Carlos Eduardo Patetuci outlined the starting lineup and led a tactical training session. The players also practiced penalty kicks.

Brazil and Ecuador face off on Sunday (19) at 5 p.m. at Ameliano Villeta Stadium, in Villeta, Paraguay, in the third-place playoff of the South American U-17 Championship.

Training took place at Carfem, in Ypané, ParaguayCredits: Nelson Terme / CBF

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.

Now that Mohamed Salah is leaving Liverpool, it's clear that Arne Slot is going to have a completely new-look team next season.

The Reds' performances this season have been awful with the club currently fighting to stay in the top five of the Premier League.

Indeed, finishing in fifth place would still earn them a Champions League spot but, after winning the top flight title last season, it's a massive fall from grace.

This has resulted in many players being linked with Anfield switches ahead of the summer transfer window and now, it looks like the Reds could be going toe-to-toe with Manchester United for yet another signing.

Liverpool and Manchester United have sent scouts to watch AS Monaco's Maghnes Akliouche

Liverpool's attack is in dire need of reinforcement this summer.

Not only is Salah exiting but Hugo Ekitike is also going to be out of action for the next nine to 12 months.

Each of these problems, coupled with the fact that Cody Gakpo and Alexander Isak have failed to live up to the standards expected of them, have made it almost impossible for fans to be even be excited about any sort of attack that Arne Slot lines up with.

This is why several players such as Anthony Gordon, Yan Diomande and Bazoumana Toure have all been linked with an Anfield switch.

And, despite Liverpool's interest in the aforementioned trio, yet another player has emerged as a potential target.

That is, according to a report from Sports Boom who state that Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United all sent scouts to watch AS Monaco's Maghnes Akliouche.

Man United view the Frenchman as a 'strategic target' ahead of the summer transfer window whereas Liverpool see him as a potential replacement for Salah.

The fee to prise the right-winger away from Monaco would be around £43.5 million, which, for a player who has contributed to 15 goals across all competitions seems like a decent deal.

Liverpool need to figure out who their best options to revamp their attack are

Over the last few years, Liverpool's attacking line has always been a sight to behold.

The era of Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino could arguably be some fans' best memories of football.

And, even though the Egyptian King was in top form last term, it's clear that his time as a world-class Premier League player has reached its natural end.

This is exactly why Slot and Richard Hughes are exploring young attacking options so that they can build for the future.

And, the fact that Akliouche has been described as a "magic" player this season means that the Reds certainly have a lot to think about.

Ligue 1 McDonald’s, Match 30, 18/04/2026

Lille OSC were held to a goalless draw at home to OGC Nice. The hosts had been hoping to open a four-point buffer between themselves and Olympique de Marseille in fourth, while the visitors were looking to avoid defeat as they looked to go five points clear of AJ Auxerre and the relegation playoff spot. 

The Match

There was little surprise that Lille dominated the ball, while Nice looked to shut down their hosts with a low block and then hit them in transition. There was not too much quality in front of goal for either side in the first half. 

Romain Perraud’s strike from distance forced Yehvan Diouf into a spectacular fingertip save when his shot took a wicked deflection off Antoine Mendy. The goalkeeper wasn’t kept busy, but his interventions were vital, as he later denied Matias Fernandez-Pardo’s whipped shot at the near post. 

Nice managed to put the ball in the back of the net when Elye Wahi was released into space by Mohamed Ali Cho’s surging run. However, the striker mistimed his run by a fraction of a second, and the goal was ruled out as offside by VAR. 

The game threatened to burst into life early in the second half when Wahi was threaded through on goal by Melvin Bard. Aïssa Mandi went to ground early with a sliding challenge, but his mistake wasn’t capitalised on as Wahi slowed his run with a series of step overs that allowed the centre-back to recover and pick his pocket. 

A minute later, and Chancel Mbemba should have scored down the other end when he headed Thomas Meunier’s cross onto the post. The rebound was picked up by Hákon Arnar Haraldsson, but he poked his shot wide. 

Lille believed that they had finally unlocked the Nice defence when Perraud was bundled over in the box by Mendy, but after consulting the pitchside monitor, the referee overturned his decision, with the centre-back making contact with the ball before taking down the Lille man. 

The hosts were missing a moment of quality to break their guests down. Bruno Génésio threw on Olivier Giroud, Ethan Mbappé, Osame Sahraoui, and Gaëtan Perrin, but to no avail as Nice held on to a valuable point in their fight to avoid relegation. 

Lille Player Ratings

Berke Özer, 5

Romain Perraud, 5

Spent much of the game as high as possible. He provided an attacking threat from deep, but often his positioning left acres of space for Jonathan Clauss to run into… he was somewhat fortunate the wing-back couldn’t capitalise. 

Aïssa Mandi, 6

So often impressive for Lille. He’s been head and shoulders their best defender across the season. Tonight was no different, making interventions when necessary, even if he wasn’t tested too often. 

Chancel Mbemba, 5

Thomas Meunier, 6

Benjamin André, 5

Ayyoub Bouaddi, 5

Fortunate that Elye Wahi’s goal was overturned, he was left for dead by Mohamed Ali Cho’s bursting run in the build-up. He was fine on the ball, doing well in the build-up, but struggled to do much in advanced areas. 

Félix Correia, 4

Hákon Arnar Haraldsson, 4

Ngal’ayel Mukau, 3

Matias Fernandez-Pardo, 4

OGC Nice Player Ratings

Yehvann Diouf, 7

Kojo Peprah Oppong, 6

Juma Bah, 6

Antoine Mendy, 5