It's official! The NFL Super Bowl Experience is officially open to the public from Tuesday until Saturday.
When fans first walk inside Moscone Center, they will be greeted by all the helmets of the 32 NFL teams. On the right-hand side, there is 40-yard dash where people can time themselves running. The NFL record is 4.2 seconds.
More than 90,000 people are expected to travel to the Bay Area for the Super Bowl and all the fun before it. We met the first people in line at Moscone Center.
"It's in my backyard. Last time it was here, I wasn't able to check it out so I put it in my bucket list," said Kevin Gaines, an Oakland resident.
The College Football Playoff released its schedule for the next two postseason runs on Tuesday, laying out when and where the quarterfinals and semifinals will go down.
The CFP Management Committee already locked in the 12-team format for 2026-27, though conference officials are still hashing out whether the field should get bigger after that.
Orange Bowl (Hard Rock Stadium — Miami Gardens, Florida)
Friday, Jan. 14, 2028:
Cotton Bowl (AT&T Stadium — Arlington, Texas)
Upcoming College Football Playoff dates for the quarterfinals and semi-finals the next two years. This includes a near two-week break between the quarterfinals and semi-finals the next two years. pic.twitter.com/8E7lNBDW85
The biggest shift is moving that first quarterfinal to Dec. 30 in 2026 instead of New Year’s Eve. Dec. 31 falls on a Thursday that year, which would put the playoff in direct competition with NFL games. The Rose Bowl got what it wanted with a Jan. 1 spot, so it won’t be part of the semifinal rotation these next two years.
The other change worth noting is the gap between rounds. Teams will get two weeks off between the quarterfinals and semis instead of one. That pushes the timeline out, creating at least a 24-day window from the first round to the semifinals in 2026-27.
Kickoff times and broadcast info will come out later in 2026.
Japan's J. League has ambitions of one day becoming as big as England's Premier League (STR)
Japan's J. League can one day compete with England's Premier League if a calendar switch helps clubs bring in bigger transfer fees, its chairman told AFP ahead of the new season.
Japanese teams have sold a steady stream of players to Europe, including Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma, but the sums involved are only a fraction of the billions sloshing around the global transfer market.
J. League chairman Yoshikazu Nonomura wants to change that and he believes he has taken the first step by ditching the traditional February-to-December season to align with Europe.
A shortened interim competition lasting until June begins on Friday, before a full league campaign kicks off after the World Cup.
Nonomura believes that will allow J. League clubs to take full advantage of European summer spending sprees and make up ground on the world's top leagues.
"If we do well on the business side, it wouldn't be a surprise if 20 years from now there was a different situation to what we have now, where the five biggest leagues are all in Europe," he said.
"We're always laying the groundwork for Japan to be part of a global market, and it could be alongside, say, England, Spain, Germany and the US."
Mitoma joined Brighton from Kawasaki Frontale for just £2.5 million in 2021 and his value skyrocketed after arriving in the Premier League.
Nonomura believes the calendar switch means Japanese clubs can start demanding "the proper amount" for their players.
"To make us conscious of competing and growing in the global market, it's very important to operate under the same conditions, aligning transfer windows, maximising transfer fees from Europe and going all out to beat them whenever we meet on the pitch," he said.
- Power play -
More Japanese players are moving to Europe at an early age, preferring to learn their trade in Belgium, the Netherlands and Portugal instead of the J. League.
Nonomura wants to "convince players that they can develop here", and believes switching the calendar to avoid Japan's punishingly hot summers will help.
He is also hopeful that bigger revenue can attract overseas stars to the J. League, which has been devoid of big names since Spanish World Cup winner Andres Iniesta left in 2023.
"What we're trying to do is raise our top-line revenue to a level comparable with the Premier League, Barcelona and Real Madrid in Spain, and Germany," said Nonomura.
"If we can raise our top-line revenue and become a league of that financial scale, good players will naturally come to us."
The J. League quickly became one of Asia's strongest leagues when it launched in 1993 but its spending power has been eclipsed by Saudi Arabia, which has signed a host of top players from Europe.
That has brought the Saudis success on the field, with three of last season's Asian Champions League semi-finalists coming from the desert kingdom.
- Solid foundations -
Kawasaki Frontale were the only non-Saudi team in the last four and they went on to reach the final, giving Nonomura hope that Japanese teams can remain competitive in Asia.
"A Japanese team has reached the final for the last three years, so it's not like we have no chance of winning," he said.
"Even if things carry on the way they are, Japanese teams have the quality to compete. And if we are able to bring in more money, the gap on the pitch will shrink."
Saudi investment has changed the Asian football landscape but there was a similar shift when Chinese clubs started spending big money in the 2010s.
Stars such as Carlos Tevez and Didier Drogba had lucrative stints there but it all came crashing down when team owners went bust as the Chinese economy fizzled.
Nonomura says the J. League's stability is its strength.
"Japanese clubs don't invest as much as Saudi clubs do but they have a very solid base," he said.
"The overall attendance in the J. League last season was the biggest ever. Our fundamentals are more solid than any other country in Asia so I don't think the J. League is going to decline."
Longtime Dr. Phillips (Fla.) head football coach Rodney Wells has decided its time to hang up the whistle at his alma mater.
According to an announcement by Wells via his personal Facebook page, the Panthers’ lead man is stepping down as head football coach of Dr. Phillips after 15 seasons at the helm. Wells led the Panthers to the Class 7A, Region 4 final, falling to state finalist Vero Beach.
“After so many blessed seasons, memories and relationships I am stepping away from the game I love,” Wells said in the social media post. “Coaching at DP, My Alma Mater, has always been about the young men who trusted me, showed up every day, and gave everything they had. To my players, Thank you for your extreme effort, your resilience, and for allowing me to be a small part of your journey. You are champions on and off the field and I am proud of each of you.”
Congrats to Rodney Wells on an amazing head football coaching career at Dr. Phillips. Quite a run for him and the Panthers. Bummer to see so many familiar faces stepping away from the game in recent years. pic.twitter.com/RcM9oS65OB
Wells took over the program in 2011 and found immediate success at Dr. Phillips, putting together seven double-digit win seasons and accumulating an overall record of 136-50 from 2011-2025.
Dr. Phillips High School, located in Orlando, FL, is renowned for both academic excellence and a strong athletics program. The Panthers, with their vibrant royal blue and black colors, have a rich tradition in sports, particularly in football and basketball, where they have gained statewide recognition. The school’s commitment to fostering well-rounded students is evident in its diverse extracurricular offerings and competitive sports teams that regularly compete at the highest levels in Florida.
How to Follow Florida High School Football
For Florida high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the Sunshine State, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the state, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the Florida high school football excitement across the state.
Mason Greenwood (10) who had scored earlier as Marseille beat Rennes in the French Cp, celebrates with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after setting up a goal for the Gabon striker (MIGUEL MEDINA)
Marseille scored in the opening minutes of each half to book a place in the quarter-finals of the French Cup with a scrappy, at times fractious, 3-0 victory over visiting Rennes on Tuesday.
Marseille, who had crashed out of the Champions League in unlikely fashion last week, and then thrown away a two-goal lead at Paris FC in Ligue 1 on Saturday, calmed their nerves in the second minute on Tuesday.
Rennes midfielder Quentin Merlin dallied deep in his own area and was ambushed by Timothy Weah who passed to Amine Gouiri. The striker scuffed the ball home from close range. The quality did not improve in an error-strewn, foul-filled first half.
It took Marseille 75 seconds to score at the start; it took them just 31 seconds to double their lead after the restart.
As the home team sprung forward from midfield, Gouri found Mason Greenwood racing through an undefended inside-right channel. The English attacker advanced into the box and slotted into the far corner.
New Liverpool recruit Jeremy Jacquet, who had been caught upfield, gestured in bewilderment at his fellow Rennes defenders.
Rennes did not learn. In the 82nd minute of a scrappy match, Greenwood again found a huge space in the same area. This time he squared to substitute Pierre-Emeric Aubameyang who scored.
Marseille advanced to the last eight as they chase their first French Cup since 1989.
Paris FC, who eliminated holders and city rivals Paris Saint-Germain, travel to Lorient on Wednesday when high-flying Lens visit Troyes.
“It has been an honor and the privilege of a lifetime to serve as the Head Football Coach of my alma mater. Servite High School is a uniquely special place because of the authentic relationships and bonds forged. I am grateful for the opportunity to have led such tremendous young men on their journey to becoming faith-filled leaders while simultaneously developing as football players. I will remember fondly the way we served our players, teaching life lessons and helping them compete on the gridiron. I am proud of the progress that we have made in the Servite football program, and I believe the future is very bright.”
Across his three seasons at the helm, Reinert led Servite to a 20-16 record. He quickly rejuvenated the program in his first season in charge in 2023, as the Friars won eight games and made a run to the Division II state championship game, ultimately falling to Mission Viejo.
The last two seasons have seen Servite finish with a 6-5 record. In 2025, it still ended last season as the No. 10 team in California, according to the Rivals Composite Rankings.
The Anaheim program now becomes one of the top available openings in the Golden State. The 2025 roster featured seven ranked prospects, per Rivals. It remains to be seen if the departure of Reinert will cause any form of shakeup to the Friars’ roster, but the likes of four-star interior offensive lineman Elisha Mueller, three-star linebacker Isaiah Leilua, four-star offensive tackle Drew Fielder and three-star wide receiver Benjamin Harris are expected back for the 2026 season.
It remains to be seen what’s next for Reinert. Before coming back to his alma mater, he spent time as an assistant with multiple Power Four college programs, including UCLA, Arizona State and Colorado.
This is the latest big piece of coaching news to rock California not long after the conclusion of the 2025 season. On Monday, it was announced that Rod Sherman was out as head coach of Orange Lutheran, another one of the state’s top programs. Rivals’ Andy Villamarzo has more on the departure of Sherman here.
How to Follow California High School Football
For California high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Golden State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across California.
Another one of Connecticut high school football’s most winningest programs is now searching for a head coach.
According to a Bloomfield Public School District job posting as of February 2, Bloomfield (Conn.) is actively searching for a new head football coach. The Warhawks have won 10 Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) football state championships dating back to 1980.
The job summary for the now vacant position reads: Bloomfield is seeking a motivated, student-centered High School Football Coach to lead and develop our football program. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong leadership, a commitment to sportsmanship, and a passion for mentoring student-athletes both on and off the field. This position is responsible for fostering athletic excellence, academic accountability, and personal growth in alignment with school and district values.
Bloomfield has won CIAC football state championships in 2023 (Class S), 2018, 2015, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994 and 1980.
With Bloomfield now on the search for a new lead man of their football program, that means it would be the end of the tenure for Ty Outlaw, who led the program to the 2023 title. Outlaw led the Warhawks for 16 seasons, dating back to 2010 when he took over the team.
The longtime Bloomfield head coach compiled an overall record of 138-39 over the span of 16 years between 2010-2025.
Bloomfield High School, located in Bloomfield, Connecticut, is a vibrant learning community dedicated to academic excellence and student growth. Known for its commitment to fostering leadership, creativity, and critical thinking, BHS offers a wide range of extracurricular activities and athletics, including sports teams that compete at the highest levels. The Warhawks pride themselves on fostering an inclusive, supportive environment for all students.
How to Follow Connecticut High School Football
For Connecticut high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Constitution State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the Connecticut high school scores and football rankings.
Germany goalkeeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen has been hit with another injury setback. (Tobias SCHWARZ)
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann on Tuesday backed Marc-Andre Ter Stegen in his bid to regain fitness ahead of the 2026 World Cup, after the goalkeeper's latest injury setback.
Playing his second match for Girona on Saturday, having joined on a six-month loan from Barcelona in hope of more playing time ahead of the showpiece tournament, the 33-year-old suffered a muscle injury in his thigh.
Girona said Ter Stegen will "undergo further tests" but the goalkeeper looks set to miss several months with injury, including Germany's two March friendlies against Switzerland and Ghana.
"This is unbelievably cruel," Nagelsmann told AFP subsidiary SID on Monday. "Marc had just returned and was on a good path. We were very much awaiting his return in the national team.
"Right now all that matters is that he gets healthy in peace, without any additional pressure. We're all behind him."
Long Germany's number two behind World Cup winner Manuel Neuer, Ter Stegen took over between the sticks after the former's retirement in 2024, but has suffered a series of injury setbacks.
He missed much of last campaign with a knee injury and was sidelined this season with a back complaint.
His injury woes have contributed to him being forced out of Barcelona, where the 2015 Champions League winner became third choice behind Joan Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny.
Nagelsmann and German FA (DFB) sporting director Rudi Voeller have continually reaffirmed Ter Stegen remains Germany's number one option if fit, but emphasised the need for match practice ahead of the tournament.
In Ter Stegen's absence, Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann has filled in, but calls for Neuer's return to the side have grown louder.
A veteran of four World Cup campaigns including victory in the 2014 event in Brazil, Neuer will be 40 by the time the tournament starts in the United States, Canada and Mexico on June 11.
Neuer remains captain of club side Bayern Munich and has played 16 of the club's 20 Bundesliga matches this season.
The Whitecaps enjoyed raucous crowds during their 2025 playoff run at BC Place, which will also host 2026 World Cup games. Photograph: Elizabeth Ruiz Ruiz/Getty Images
On the surface, Vancouver Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster’s press conference last week would have felt familiar to almost any North American sports fan. Once again, a team was agitating for more money or a better stadium. Once again, local governments were at least partially to blame.
Some of his comments, though, felt more alien, and raised a question that seemed unfathomable just a couple of months ago: are the Vancouver Whitecaps about to die?
The Whitecaps were among Major League Soccer’s most competitive sides in 2025, eliminating Inter Miami from the Concacaf Champions Cup early in the year and losing to Miami, the eventual champions, in MLS Cup. They feature a global superstar in Thomas Müller and are just weeks away from their home opener. Lingering in the background, though, the club is for sale, with their financial state and their inability to find a new home cited as the primary reasons.
That situation, Schuster revealed last week, has only bleakened.
Schuster said the Whitecaps generate less revenue than any other franchise in the league. Indeed, some reports say that on matchdays, they are entitled to as little as 12% of the take at BC Place, the multipurpose stadium they’ve called home since entering MLS in 2011. The stadium has bona fides, having hosted the 2015 Women’s World Cup final, with two Canada games to come at this summer’s men’s World Cup. However, it’s also very popular. The Whitecaps are one tenant among many, and the terms of their lease have not materially changed in the 15 years they’ve been in operation. Negotiations for better terms with PavCO, the province-owned operators of the stadium, have proved fruitless, said Schuster. The city and Whitecaps have a one-year “memorandum of understanding” to explore other stadium options, but as of now, nothing viable has come of it.
More striking than any of this, though, were Schuster’s comments about the club’s search for new investors. The club was publicly put up for sale in late 2024. Since then, Schuster revealed, “almost 40” groups entered into non-disclosure agreements with the Whitecaps and were given a look at the club’s financial data.
“As of now, at this moment, no one, not one single one, is interested in buying even 1% of this club,” Schuster told reporters, “because all of them think that our setup here and the market and the situation we are in is not something where you can invest in as long as [things don’t change completely].”
It’s a level of transparency that feels uncommon in situations like these, where businesses more often than not strive to present themselves in the rosiest terms possible while they search for a buyer. Schuster’s comments felt at times more like the league, and Whitecaps, are laying the groundwork for a relocation, or even some form of contraction.
A league statement, released concurrently, mirrored much of Schuster’s commentary.
“Operational constraints around scheduling and venue access have intensified in 2026, creating untenable conditions for a major league club, with no clear path forward to resolving these challenges in future years,” the statement read in part. “This is not fair to the club or its fans … meaningful progress is urgently required to establish a sustainable path forward.”
Like any professional sports league in North America, MLS has a history of franchise relocation and contraction. The league eliminated two of its original franchises, the Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion, less than a half-decade after its founding. The San Jose Earthquakes moved to Houston in 2005 before restarting in 2008. In 2014, the Chivas USA folded, with MLS eventually selling the franchise rights to the current-day owners of LAFC.
The one case since then was especially fraught: In 2017, MLS very nearly approved the relocation of a league original, the Columbus Crew, before a grassroots effort helped save the team. Anthony Precourt, the Crew’s owner, was tapped to own expansion side Austin FC instead.
MLS is a fundamentally different place than it was in 2011, when the Whitecaps were founded. It is no longer a collection of largely unprofitable clubs who appeal to a small niche of American sports fans. . In 2013, NYC FC entered the league for $100m. San Diego FC, the league’s most recent franchise, paid five times that sum a decade later. Most recently, Sporting Kansas City sold to a new majority owner at a $700m valuation. At this point, it feels more like big business.
After decades of rapid expansion, MLS Commissioner Don Garber has declined, for now, to outline any of the league’s plans for adding additional franchises. With that door theoretically closed, potential MLS markets like Sacramento, or Detroit, or more recently Indianapolis, would likely clamor at the opportunity to lure an existing franchise like the Whitecaps, or buy the rights to one from the league.
The Whitecaps are not entirely without value to an investor who wants to keep them local, though. Far from it. For a modern MLS team, they have a strong brand identity, one steeped in a history that dates back to the team’s original incarnation in the 1970s and one that’s still deeply meaningful in-market. They’ve showed ambition at times, as they did with the signing of Müller, and they are well-supported even during rough patches. Though sometimes lost in the shuffle with their Cascadian neighbors in Seattle and Portland, Vancouver remain an important part of that important trio of rivals.
Yet maybe more than any other club in MLS, the Whitecaps face a laundry list of scheduling challenges, with BC Place frequently booked for other events (the Whitecaps nearly lost hosting rights for a playoff game due to a scheduling conflict with a motocross event at their home stadium last year). Those conflicts will only increase in 2026, when the coming men’s World Cup visits BC Place. The Whitecaps have their full slate of regular season matches and will also take part in Concacaf Champions League, Leagues Cup and Canadian Cup play as well.
None of these issues, though, are as insurmountable as the bare fact that the Whitecaps do not own the stadium they call home. This type of arrangement used to be commonplace in MLS but faded with the advent of soccer specific stadiums. Vancouver’s arrangement feels a bit like the one DC United navigated until 2018. Unable to broker a stadium deal with the District of Columbia, United languished at RFK Stadium for years under a lease agreement with the city that gave them little no matchday revenue outside of ticket sales.
MLS – and DC United – had strong words for the District government, even leveraging nebulous interest from nearby Maryland and Virginia. United eventually got its downtown stadium, but has struggled mightily to claw its way back to relevance after a decade or so out of the spotlight.
In Vancouver, opinions on the club’s ownership group – majority owner Greg Kerfoot and a handful of smaller investors, which includes former NBA legend Steve Nash – skews negative, with more than a handful of fans placing the blame for the club’s current financial state and lack of a stadium plan squarely on their shoulders.
It’s perhaps the most frustrating thing about North American sports: a strong brand identity, strong local support and even results on the field are often not enough without the backing of a billionaire. That holds particularly true in MLS, where some teams still operate at a loss and franchise valuations, even while they skyrocket, sometimes don’t justify absorbing decades of losses.
Many of the club’s longtime fans will be understandably hopeful that the Whitecaps can find a way to stay in the city of Vancouver. Based on the comments of the club’s CEO – and the league – it feels more likely that the end of the road may be drawing near.
The debate that is raging on from state-to-state around the country is that of public vs. private schools when it comes to high school sports and whether they should be bundled together or separated.
Subjective to whomever you talk to when it comes to this topic, many around the country are feeling some kind of way about how public vs. privates should be handled.
One state that recently decided to make a historic move towards separating the two as Alabama’s AHSAA for the first time in its 104-year existence decided via a 13-2 vote that they will be splitting up the private and public schools when it comes to athletics championships.
This topic has brought different views varying from that private schools will always have the never-ending flow of resources at their disposal compared to publics. In some and maybe most bases, this is true.
Private schools have seen plenty of success in many states around the country that intermingle the two together in classifications and one example is Florida. The Sunshine State has held 100 state championships for high school football since 2015, with private schools winning 44 of those titles.
St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) is the standard for Sunshine State high school football as the Raiders have won 17 state championships, currently with seven straight, and are almost an annual visitor to the title game.
Now many might look at that number, 44 out of 100, and think of it as really more as a 50/50 chance a private school could really win a state championship. That’s because in a state like Florida where the lenient state-level “school choice” laws, where student-athletes are able to freely move based on the district’s approval they’re heading to. Some much more merciful than others.
“It’s gone from, you grew up in a school district, and you had to go to a school. Now with school choice, you can go to any school as long as there are seats available in that school,” Influencer Counsel athlete agent Dan LaForest said via a FOX 35 Sports report.
“It’s tough on a high school coach. They have to create an environment that kids want to play. It’s not x’s and o’s anymore. I think x’s and o’s are a piece of it.”
What might be the biggest driver of causing high school football coaches up the wall when it comes to every off-season is the constant flow of transfers happening like free-agent signings, ranging from commitment posts to their next school or even posting a number of high schools an athlete may be choosing from.
In a state like California, where transferring has become a way of life, looking for ways to curb the problem is a daily task that the Golden State takes head on regularly.
“Transfer rules are cyclical,” CIF Southern Section assistant commissioner Thom Simmons said via a High School On SI report in the spring of 2025. “When I started in 1997, there was a rule for student-athletes to get one free transfer. But since then, the rule has changed into something else and that has changed into something else again — now here we are talking about it again. Transfer rules is a living, breathing thing. It’s always being talked about at the state level.”
As the drive to compete for state championships and even mythical national titles begin to heat up year in and year out, programs are looking to continue to keep up with each other and not lose a step. That has caused an imbalance, in many opinions, when looking at private vs. public school success rates.
In many cases, there’s private and public schools that vacuum up much of the area’s talent, leaving other programs left struggling for talent. At the end of the day, both sides have a case and there’s problems from transferring leniency with state associations to no multiplier when it comes down to schools that accumulate a number of transfers in an off-season.
Not all public schools, though, are created equal as they’re are plenty of examples around the country when it comes to programs competing on a national level and having arguably as much talent as any private school teams.
Taking a look at a team like Buford out of Georgia, the Wolves were the 2025 consensus high school football national champion by many media outlets and its not just because of the great coaching and tough practice habits. It’s also because they were pretty loaded compared to many teams throughout the Peach State.
Buford featured 20 three-star or above high school football prospects on their 2025 roster, with 11 others that are receiving Division I interest. It’s no secret that you need the per se Jimmy’s and Joe’s to keep up, along with knowing the X’s and O’s of the game.
Mount Carmel(IL), like the aforementioned St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders of Florida, had just defeatedOswego, 20-3, back in December to notch the program’s 17th state championship.
That reoccurring result has heated up the debate throughout the Prairie State on whether the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) should look towards splitting up the private and public schools into separate classifications.
Caravan head coach Jordan Lynch, a former Northern Illinois star quarterback, sounded off back during the 2025 season about the evergreen public/private debate within his own state.
‘‘Everyone has it tough,’’ Lynch said via a report. ‘‘There are pros and cons to every school. At the end of the day, look at yourself in the mirror. If you didn’t win or you are just not good enough, accept that. Stop looking for excuses. It’s kind of getting exhausting.’’
Is it really just all about stop making excuses and do better or is there an advantage at a private school over a public one? Realistically, all over the country, this topic can create the argument for one side over the other because of the resources the alum, community or donors decide to give a high school towards their overall athletics.
Alabama decided to take a new stance towards private/public and do something unprecedented.
Now other high schools are starting at their state associations in the face and wondering if they’ll do the same and follow suit.
This private/public debate continues to capture the attention of everyone around the nation because of the fact that there’s advantages that look one-sided. Reality is there is programs on both sides that have advantages over others and that goes up the food chain of schools in every state, almost no matter where you go.
How to Follow National High School Football
For national high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals National High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the state, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals National High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the gridiron excitement across the country.
Fifa’s ruling executive and European football’s governing body Uefa imposed a global ban on Russia at the start of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when other European nations said they would refuse to play or host Russia’s matches.
Four years later, Vladimir Putin shows no signs of backing down and the war is still raging, but Infantino has signalled his intention to bring Russia back into the fold, saying the ban has been a failure.
“We have to [look at readmitting Russia]. Definitely,” Infantino told Sky Sports. “This ban has not achieved anything; it has just created more frustration and hatred.
“Having girls and boys from Russia being able to play football games in other parts of Europe would help.”
Infantino also insisted Fifa should “actually never ban any country from playing football because of the acts of their political leaders” and claimed “somebody needs to keep the ties open”.
Infantino wants to bring Russia back into the fold, saying the ban on the country has been ineffective (Reuters)
This proclamation has been met with fury from Ukraine, as sports minister Matvii Bidnyi – who said over 100 footballers are among more than 650 Ukrainian athletes and coaches killed by Russians – hit out at the Fifa president.
“Gianni Infantino’s words sound irresponsible – not to say infantile,” Bidnyi said to Sky News. “They detach football from the reality in which children are being killed.
“War is a crime, not politics. It is Russia that politicises sport and uses it to justify aggression. I share the position of the Ukrainian Association of Football, which also warns against Russias return to international competitions.
“As long as Russians continue killing Ukrainians and politicising sport, their flag and national symbols have no place among people who respect values such as justice, integrity, and fair play.”
Potentially readmitting Russia is not the only geopolitical intervention for which Infantino has come under fire. He was heavily criticised for the decision to award US president Donald Trump the inaugural Fifa peace prize at December’s World Cup draw in Washington DC.
Infantino awarded Donald Trump the inaugural Fifa peace prize last year (Getty)
Arsenal will hope to stave off a Chelsea comeback as they bid to book their place in the Carabao Cup final and keep their quadruple hopes alive.
The Gunners go into their semi-final second leg with the advantage after sealing a narrow 3-2 victory at Stamford Bridge in the first meeting, though Alejandro Garnacho’s brace that night means Liam Rosenior’s side are still very much in this tie.
Mikel Arteta’s side bounced back from that blow by thrashing Leeds on the weekend and will hope to make easy work of their London rivals in their pursuit of silverware.
Here’s everything you need to know.
When is Arsenal vs Chelsea?
Arsenal’s clash with Chelsea kicks off at 8pm on Tuesday 3 February at the Emirates Stadium in London.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the UK can watch the game on Sky Sports Main Event as well as ITV1. Fans can also stream the game on Sky Go, if you have a subscription, and ITVX.
Team news
Arsenal are without Mikel Merino, who was ruled out for the rest of the season, while Bukayo Saka is a doubt. Max Dowman remains out due to an ankle problem.
Chelsea will likely reward Joao Pedro and Marc Cucurella starts after making a big impact off the bench against West Ham, while Tosin Adarabioyo, Romeo Lavia and Jamie Gittens are injured. Levi Colwill remains sidelined with a long-term injury. Estevao is missing on compassionate leave.
LSU has resolved its inquiry from the College Sports Commission related to athletes not reporting NIL deals, the school said in a statement to Ross Dellenger. Dellenger had previously reported that several programs have received similar letters over the last couple weeks with many having already been resolved.
“The CSC inquiry into non-reporting has been resolved with no disciplinary action, and any deals that require submission to NIL Go have been submitted,” the statement read. “We appreciate the CSC’s prompt review and resolution.”
Rennes' French defender Jeremy Jacquet (R) is set to join Liverpool (Lou BENOIST)
Liverpool won the race to sign Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet on a quiet final day of the Premier League transfer window, while Crystal Palace swooped for Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen despite the collapse of Jean-Philippe Mateta's move to AC Milan.
The Reds agreed a reported fee of up to £60 million ($82 million) for the highly-rated Jacquet before the window closed at 1900 GMT.
But the 20-year-old will not join the Premier League champions until the summer despite Liverpool's need for defensive reinforcements.
Jacquet had been linked with a transfer to Chelsea earlier this month but was reportedly put off the move by the competition for places at centre-back in the Blues' bloated squad.
Liverpool, by contrast, are short on centre-back options, with Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni sidelined by injury.
French under-21 international Jacquet has only made 31 appearances for Rennes, but Liverpool will reportedly pay an initial £55 million with a further £5 million contingent on add-ons.
"Liverpool have reached an agreement for the transfer of Jeremy Jacquet from Stade Rennais, with the defender set to join the club ahead of the 2026-27 season, subject to a work permit and international clearance," a statement on the club's website said.
"The Reds have secured a deal for the 20-year-old that will see him complete the remainder of the current campaign in Ligue 1 and move to Anfield in the summer on a long-term contract."
On a day of few noteworthy moves, Palace completed the club-record £48 million signing of Norway forward Strand Larsen on a four and a half year contract
Palace moved for Strand Larsen after believing Mateta was about to leave the club.
The France striker was left out of Palace's squad for their Premier League draw at Nottingham Forest on Sunday, in anticipation of a transfer to AC Milan.
Mateta's proposed switch to Serie A fell through on Monday after medical concerns over a knee injury, but Palace still brought in Strand Larsen.
"AC Milan requested further tests on his knee, and they did not provide the necessary assurances to finalise the transfer," a source told AFP.
"The decision had been made to bring his arrival forward by six months. The move has now been abandoned."
- Chelsea shuffle their pack -
Bottom of the table Wolves signed Southampton striker Adam Armstrong for £7 million to replace Strand Larsen.
Everton signed Chelsea's 19-year-old winger Tyrique George on loan for the rest of the season, with the option to make a permanent move in the close-season.
Chelsea recalled Mamadou Sarr from his loan spell at Strasbourg to be reunited with Blues boss Liam Rosenior, who managed him at the French club earlier this season.
Senegal centre-back Sarr made 18 appearances for Strasbourg and has played just once for Chelsea, appearing off the bench against Esperance at the Club World Cup in July.
Chelsea defender Axel Disasi was due to have a medical at West Ham ahead of moving to the London Stadium on loan for the rest of the season.
The 27-year-old had been training separately from the Blues' first team for most of this season and last played for Chelsea in January 2025.
Manchester City midfielder Kalvin Phillips joined Championship side Sheffield United on loan for the rest of the season.
Phillips, who last played for England in 2023, has featured for City just once this season, as a late substitute in their League Cup win at Huddersfield in September.
Tottenham signed 18-year-old striker James Wilson on loan from Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts.
The north Londoners have an option to buy Wilson, the youngest man to represent Scotland when he appeared against Greece last year.
Nottingham Forest signed Borussia Monchengladbach left-back Luca Netz on a four and a half year deal.
Sunderland landed Ecuador winger Nilson Angulo from Anderlecht in a deal worth £17.5 million, while their winger Simon Adingra joined Monaco on loan with a view to a permanent move.
Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar has filed a lawsuit against the NCAA in Knox County Chancery Court, seeking an additional season of Division I eligibility, according to Adam Sparks of the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Aguilar transferred to the Tennessee ahead of the 2025 season and argues that the NCAA is improperly counting his junior college seasons toward his Division I eligibility limit.
“After a breakout season as the Volunteers’ quarterback in 2025, the NCAA is blocking Aguilar from playing a fourth year of Division I football — depriving Tennessee of a gifted quarterback and robbing Aguilar of millions in compensation,” the complaint states.
Aguilar played his fifth season of college football in 2025, but his first two seasons came at Diablo Valley Community College in California. Thus he's shooting for a sixth year, if the suit is won. His attorney is Knoxville-based lawyer Cam Norris, who previously represented Donald Trump before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022.
Tennessee ended the 2025 season with an 8-5 record. Aguilar threw for 3,565 yards with 24 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while adding four rushing scores. Prior to Tennessee, Aguilar appeared in 25 games at Appalachian State, totaling 6,760 passing yards, 56 touchdowns and 24 interceptions.
The Vols open the 2026 season on Sept. 5 vs. Furman.
Jeremy Jacquet is set to move to Liverpool next season (DAMIEN MEYER)
Liverpool beat off competition from Chelsea to sign Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet for a reported fee of up to £60 million ($82 million) on Monday.
However, the 20-year-old is not set to move to Anfield until the end of the season despite Liverpool's need for defensive reinforcements.
Jacquet had been linked with a transfer to Chelsea earlier this month but was reportedly put off the move by the competition for places at centre-back in the Blues' bloated squad.
Liverpool, by contrast, are desperately short on centre-back options.
Captain Virgil van Dijk, 34, and Ibrahima Konate, who is out of contract at the end of the season, are the only two options currently available to Arne Slot with Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni sidelined by injury.
Liverpool will reportedly pay an initial £55 million with a further £5 million contingent on add-ons.
"Liverpool have reached an agreement for the transfer of Jeremy Jacquet from Stade Rennais, with the defender set to join the club ahead of the 2026-27 season, subject to a work permit and international clearance," a statement on the club's official website said.
"The Reds have secured a deal for the 20-year-old that will see him complete the remainder of the current campaign in Ligue 1 and move to Anfield in the summer on a long-term contract."
Jacquet, who has five caps for France Under-21s, has made 18 appearances for Rennes so far this season.
He has featured on 31 occasions for Rennes since making his debut in January 2024.
Jacquet also gained Ligue 1 experience during a loan spell with Clermont Foot.
In 2024, Jacquet helped France to the final of the U19 European Championship, during which he was named in the Team of the Tournament.
Everton have signed winger Tyrique George on loan from Chelsea for the rest of the season.
The Merseyside club will have the option to buy the 19-year-old in the summer but in the short term, George gives Everton a replacement for Jack Grealish, who is out for the remainder of the campaign with a foot injury.
George, who almost joined Fulham at the end of the summer transfer window, struggled to get first-team football at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea brought in three wingers – Alejandro Garnacho, Jamie Gittens and Estevao – last summer.
The England Under-21 international has only started one Premier League game but made 12 appearances in Chelsea’s Conference League-winning campaign last season and scored against Ajax in the Champions League in October.
Everton manager David Moyes sees George as an option on either flank, saying: “Tyrique is a versatile forward who can play all across the front line. I hope he will settle quickly into our squad, and the support from our fans will definitely help him feel at home. We are looking forward to working with him.”
George will be eligible to make his Everton debut against Fulham on Saturday and said: “I feel ready, ready to make an impact. I’m going to attack this new challenge. I want to hit the ground running as quickly as possible and hopefully I can do that.
“I’m really excited to be here and to enjoy this massive club. I just can’t wait to get started. The fans here are exceptional. I know Evertonians are really passionate. They like hard work – and that’s what I’m going to show. I want to be exciting and I want to impress them.
"The gaffer – David Moyes – was another reason [I wanted to join]. He’s an amazing manager who has coached so many players, like Wayne Rooney, and players like that. I've had a brief conversation with him and he's an amazing person as well. I just want to enjoy it, learn under him and improve."
Deion Sanders became one of the highest-paid coaches in college football this offseason. The five-year, $54 million deal came off a 9-4 season in 2024, including a brutal loss to BYU in the Alamo Bowl.
Colorado started the 2025 season with a 27-20 loss to Georgia Tech. Coach Prime's team bounced back with a 31-7 win over first-year FBS contender Delaware, before struggling in the Big 12 opener with Houston, along with losses against BYU, TCU, and a 46-point loss at Utah. The Buffaloes ended the season at 3-9, which is the worst mark in Sanders' tenure.
Given the turbulent play to end the season, including all three quarterbacks being in rotation, here's the details of Sanders' contract, including a formal buyout agreement that decreases each year he stays in Boulder.
Deion Sanders buyout terms
According to Sportico, Sanders would owe Colorado $10 million in "liquidated damages" if he terminates his new contract on or before Dec. 31, 2026. Every year, Coach Prime's buyout figure drops.
$6 million before Dec. 31, 2027
$4 million before Dec. 31, 2028
$3 million before Dec. 31, 2029
Sanders' old contract buyout was set at $8 million, if he left Colorado before the conclusion of 2025. The buyout would only come into play if Sanders accepts "alternate employment as a coach at the collegiate or at the non-amateur level." The new contract also allows a potential new employer to pay the buyout on behalf of Sanders. This works both ways for college football coaches' contracts and helps the school mitigate losses in case of sudden departure.
However, if Colorado fired Sanders without cause he would be owed $26.6 million before December 31, 2026, according to USA TODAY Sports.
Deion Sanders bonuses
Coach Prime's original contract at Colorado includes a wealth of monetary incentives for potential team achievements. He would receive a $450,000 bonus if Colorado is invited to a New Year’s six bowl game, and $750,000 if the Buffs somehow won a national championship.
$150,000: Colorado wins six games in a season and reaches bowl eligibility $100,000: Each additional win beyond the first six $150,000: Colorado wins the Big 12 $75,000: Colorado plays in a Big 12 Championship game $150,000: Sanders is named National Coach of the Year $75,000: Sanders is named Big 12 Coach of the Year $50,000: Colorado attains a team APR of at least 965
Here was Colorado athletic director Rick George's statement when Sanders inked his new deal.
"Coach Prime has revolutionized college football and in doing so, has restored CU football to our rightful place as a national power," George said. "This extension not only recognizes Coach's incredible accomplishments transforming our program on and off the field, it keeps him in Boulder to compete for conference and national championships in the years to come."
Sanders said he was "excited for the opportunity to continue building something special" and added "It's not just about football; it's about developing young men who are ready to take on the world."
According to Fabrizio Romano on X, Spurs now have a deal in place to sign the 18-year-old, with the Italian journalist giving the move his trademark “here we go!” to suggest it’s all but done.
“James Wilson to Tottenham, here we go! Deal in place for Scottish 18 year old striker to join #THFC project. Arsenal were offering a trial while Spurs offer loan deal with buy option clause now agreed with Hearts. Medical happening now with formal steps next,” Romano said.
It seems Spurs’ offer was key here, with Wilson surely looking like he was better off choosing them for his career development.
Arsenal’s offer was more of a trial, whereas there seems to be a bit more security with his loan to Tottenham.
Rod Sherman is officially out as Orange Lutheran (Calif.) head football coach, according to Eric Sondheimer of the Los Angeles Times. He compiled an overall record of 33-29 during his time at Orange Lutheran.
Sherman’s wife, Kristen, is also the school’s girls flag football head coach.
This past season was an up-and-down campaign for Orange Lutheran as the Lancers went from 4-4 to 2-6, having to forfeit their first two wins of the season against Miami Northwestern, a 17-13 victory on the field, and a 27-24 decision over Rancho Cucamonga due to use of an ineligible player.
A student-athlete had transferred to Orange Lutheran before the 2025-26 school year, which the unnamed player was cleared to play with his residency was deemed valid. Under further review, however, it was later discovered that the change of residency was not valid, thus making the player ineligible after the fact.
Before returning to Orange Lutheran, Sherman went to Colorado to coach at Valor Christian in 2012. There, Sherman was the head coach from 2012-2017 and compiled a 57-11 record, winning three CHSAA state championships. Sherman also was the head football coach at Arapohoe (CO).
In 2024, Sherman notched 100 wins for his high school football head coaching career.
Orange Lutheran High School, located in Orange, California, is a distinguished private Christian school known for its rigorous academics, strong athletics, and vibrant extracurriculars. Offering a range of AP and honors courses, the school prepares students for higher education and future success. Orange Lutheran’s athletic teams are highly competitive, frequently achieving state-level success. Emphasizing leadership, faith, and community service, the school ensures students are well-rounded and ready for future challenges.
How to Follow California High School Football
For California high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Golden State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across the state of California.
Get full access to Inside Football for just £1 for three months during our transfer window offer. The deadline day edition lands at a moment when the stakes – and scrutiny – are at their highest.
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As opposition coaches analyse Manchester City, they believe they have seen something shift. It may even fit with the volatility of the Premier League right now.
Put simply – and unlike for much of the last decade – if you can stay in a game with City, you now have a chance. The team of two years ago would, after all, probably have blown that Tottenham Hotspur side away in the first half.
The bare statistics are telling enough. In first halves of Premier League games this season, City have scored 27 goals and conceded six. In second halves, they have scored 22 and conceded 16. Sunday’s 2–2 draw at Spurs was the third time in 2026 alone that they have led a league match and failed to win – from just six Premier League games.
That is not the all-powerful force the competition has grown accustomed to. Newcastle United may therefore feel a flicker of hope ahead of this week’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg, despite trailing 1–0.
The numbers only tell part of the story, though. For opposition coaches, the underlying cause lies in the “unseen” game discussed in this newsletter two weeks ago – something that was flagged with City much earlier in the season. It is the pressing system.
In admirably trying to keep his tactical ideology fresh through the appointment of different assistants, Guardiola may have ensured his side are now undergoing a longer period of adaptation than anticipated.
Former Jürgen Klopp assistant Pep Lijnders has introduced a more intensive approach, involving a far more vertical game. At times, that allows City to resemble the City of old, producing intimidating bursts, particularly at the start of matches.
The issue is that the squad remains largely built for a steadier, possession-based style, creating a disconnect. By the second half – as Chelsea discovered in the 1–1 draw at the start of the year – City simply do not press with the same intensity. Gaps begin to appear.
It may yet prove an influential factor in deciding this season’s major positions – if it were not for the Premier League itself being so changeable. Just consider the last week alone.
Arsenal have gone from enduring what felt like a potentially definitive meltdown to apparently having the title secured again, opening up a six-point lead once more. All within six days. Nobody at London Colney believes anything is won, of course. That message carries even more weight for Arteta after a key point he made on Monday: when the squad felt it was in a “pressure bubble”, the reminder was that nothing is won yet – so you cannot actually have lost anything.
Their 4–0 win over Leeds United was crucial in restoring a sense of purpose that had only dipped a few weeks earlier; that vital balance of mindset Arteta believes is essential to winning. You want edge, but not so much that it tips into panic. Hence the methodical nature of the approach that led to 2–0, before they finally began to enjoy themselves – just as Arteta had implored – in the second half.
Arteta is keen to re-establish that spirit properly. Just as relevant in the context of the league’s volatility, this was only the sixth win of the 2025–26 season by a margin of four or more goals. Two of those six have been Arsenal victories against Leeds United.
Their 3–2 Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg lead over Chelsea may prove just as significant for the campaign’s momentum. Next comes a relatively forgiving home fixture against Sunderland, who have a dismal record in London, the day before Manchester City travel to Liverpool.
The title race is already developing a familiar back-and-forth rhythm. A problem for City is how Liverpool have very suddenly begun to feel resurgent.
They still have clear defensive issues, but scoring 10 goals in two games does wonders for belief – and for removing a previously inhibiting doubt.
There has been change there, too. Florian Wirtz has clearly started to adapt, while Hugo Ekitike is developing at the striking rate that made him the most valued forward of the summer window outside Alexander Isak. The smoothness of his movement, already likened to a peak Fernando Torres, has been much noted.
That could be key over the medium term. In a season dominated by pressing systems and set-pieces – or, in the modern nomenclature, solutions from “restarts” – Liverpool are finally seeing the influence of individual inspiration they calculated could prove a crucial differentiator.
How Aston Villa could do with that spark now. Every time they look capable of achieving something more, they seem to be checked back. The performance in the 1–0 home defeat to Brentford was not as poor as against Everton, but that arguably made it more exasperating.
This is not really something they should be criticised for. Villa have been drastically overperforming to sit third, and that description would still apply even if they finished in the top five.
The frustration lies in the promise of more.
The concern now is the gap beginning to close.
Liverpool’s meeting with City will reveal plenty. Manchester United, meanwhile, suddenly look as though they are enjoying a release, the players genuinely having fun. The experiment of Ruben Amorim obstinately placing players in unfamiliar positions now feels all the more bizarre. Or, as senior figures in the hierarchy said to each other just before deciding to sack him: “What exactly are we doing here?”
That is without European football, too, meaning United should be fresh for every game. Then there was the nature of Benjamin Sesko’s stoppage-time winner against Fulham and everything around it, including what it could do for the striker’s confidence. Chelsea enjoyed something similar against West Ham United, at a crucial formative stage of Liam Rosenior’s tenure.
Jonathan Wilson newsletter - Pep Guardiola, Erling Haaland, Victor Gyokeres.Composite: Getty Images
The focus had been on Arsenal. They had not won in three Premier League games before this weekend and it was reasonable to ask how secure their position at the top of the table was. But the impact of their wobble was not that their lead was eaten into, but that they missed opportunities to extend it, because those in the chasing pack were also dropping points.
In their six league games since the New Year fixtures, Arsenal have dropped seven points. But City in the same period have dropped 11, as have Aston Villa and Liverpool. Fulham have dropped 10, Everton have dropped nine, Manchester United, Brentford and Newcastle have dropped eight and Chelsea seven; nobody currently in the top half of the table has closed the gap on Arsenal at all, which is why, after Saturday’s comfortable win at Leeds, their lead remains at six points.
It’s those squandered points for City that are the most striking. The fear for Arsenal as they have kept glancing back over their shoulders has been that City were about to go on a run, as they had before in previous title races. But it feels like the days when they were capable of suddenly wining 10 or 15 games in a row are over. In 2017-18 they won the title with 100 points, dropping only 14 points all season; this season, even if they won all remaining 14 games, they would only get to 89.
Arsenal must still play at Man City in April and, given their goal difference is only three superior to City’s, that effectively means they are still only one slip-up in another game from being caught. But that relies on the idea that something of the old relentless engine remains in City, and there is very little evidence of that. They led 1-0 at half-time against Chelsea but conceded an injury-time equaliser. They led 1-0 at half-time against Brighton but conceded an equaliser on the hour. They were drawing 0-0 at half-time against Manchester United but conceded twice in the second half. They were 2-0 up against Tottenham on Sunday, but conceded to Spurs’ Dominic Solanke in the 53rd and 70th minutes. That’s seven points lost in 2026 alone to second-half goals.
And it’s not that this trait has come from nowhere. At Newcastle in November, a 0-0 half-time scoreline became a 2-0 defeat. Since then, Fulham scored three against them in the second half and Leeds got two, although both still lost. Nottingham Forest and Wolves also put City under unexpected second-half pressure despite losing.
What lies behind these second-half drop-offs?
The obvious answer is fatigue. Tiredness stalks everybody in modern football. That may in part still be a result of the contortions of the calendar necessitated by the Covid lockdown and the Qatar World Cup, but it’s more to do with the expansion of tournaments: the Champions League, the World Cup, the Euros, the Africa Cup of Nations and the Copa América have all expanded in the past decade. Extra games now effectively serve as a handicapping system, with richer teams weighed down by having to play more football. More specifically for City, they played in Gianni Infantino’s bloated Club World Cup last summer, a disadvantage suffered by only Chelsea among other Premier League clubs.
But there is also a tactical issue. Although all Pep Guardiola teams have been capable of an intense press – it’s crucial to Total Football, which remains fundamental to his conception of the game – City had always been quick, if possession once lost was not quickly regained, to fall back into defensive shape. But last season, not particularly convincingly, they began pushing out to play an offside trap and then, in the summer, brought in the former Liverpool assistant coach Pep Lijnders. His football has always been based on an aggressive and high press and his influence is clear.
Quite apart from the challenges posed by implementing any new style, this one is a physically and mentally demanding way to play. The sense of control has gone. Whether that alone can account for City’s second half drop-offs is perhaps questionable, but it can’t be helping. If games ended at half-time this season, City would be leading the title race by 12 points, having lost just twice. If they started at half-time, City would be eighth, 13 points off the top. Their second halves are 19 points worse than their first.
If City had those seven points they have dropped this year from second-half concessions, they would be on top of the league. There would then be real pressure on Arsenal, particularly given the way City outlasted them in title races in 2022-23 and 2023-24. As it is, City feel at least as likely to slip up as Arsenal.
This is an extract from Soccer with Jonathan Wilson, a weekly look from the Guardian US at the game in Europe and beyond. Subscribe for free here. Have a question for Jonathan? Email soccerwithjw@theguardian.com, and he’ll answer the best in a future edition.
Nijeria McClain and Devon Witherspoon have been dating since they were high school juniors, several years before he was drafted into the NFL in 2023
When Witherspoon moved to Seattle to play for the Seahawks, McClain joined him, and she admits there was an adjustment period as they settled into the new city
This is Witherspoon's third season with the team, and on Feb. 8, they will play the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX
Devon Witherspoon moved his entire life across the country when he signed a contract to play in the NFL, but he didn't do it alone. The talented cornerback was joined by his high school sweetheart, Nijeria McClain.
Three seasons with the Seattle Seahawks later, McClain, 24, tells PEOPLE that they've truly settled in to life in Washington, despite being thousands of miles away from their home state of Florida. Now they're getting ready to head to Northern California, where the Seahawks will face off against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX on Sunday, Feb. 8.
Witherspoon, 25, was selected by the Seattle Seahawks as a fifth overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, and the timing turned out to work out perfectly for McClain as well. She had just wrapped up her associate's degree and was ready to transfer elsewhere to further her education. Her boyfriend was heading to the Pacific Northwest, and she ended up enrolling at Seattle University.
Nijeria McClain with her fellow Seahawks WAGs.
Courtesy of Nijeria McClain
"I feel like it was right on time for me. Things just aligned so perfectly," she shares, adding of her longtime partner, "It was his rookie year, so he was still kind of learning the ropes of things, and we were just trying to figure it out. I think it was just this fresh, new, fun chapter."
The exciting adventure also brought about some challenges, too. McClain said it took her some time to adjust to her new environment (and climate).
"My first year here, I didn't really know anyone, so it was kind of lonely. I was new to the Seattle weather, so there was a lot of seasonal depression with no sun being out. You're just locked down for nine months out of the year," she recalls.
This season has been quite different, says McClain, and that's only partially due to the Seahawks success on the field. She nods to her community of other players' partners as a big reason why she's felt more at home in Seattle.
"This year is different. I think it kind of started last year, where the girls were meeting each other and kind of hanging out," she shares. "I think it's the best year I've ever been here for sure."
The women in McClain's NFL orbit have become her close friends, and she appreciates their diverse perspectives and life experiences. She especially appreciates how they've been able to come together and connect despite anything that sets them apart.
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"We're all in different phases of our lives, different ages, we're doing different things, but when we come together, it's so fun," McClain tells PEOPLE. "We can just relate and connect and talk about whatever."
She adds, "I love that about women, especially the women here this year ... It's like we've known each other forever. The chemistry is just unmatched."
Wilson is not the biggest name, so some fans might be disappointed if this ends up being the full extent of their club’s business today.
Still, the 18-year-old has already played regularly for Hearts and at senior international level with Scotland, so he could be someone with a very bright future in the game.
James Wilson transfer: Where will the Arsenal and Tottenham target end up?
We should know before too long if Wilson ends up leaning towards Arsenal or Tottenham.
James Wilson applauds the Hearts fans
As per BBC Sport‘s information as well, the young forward is not considered a first-team signing, so even if the deal goes through it could be a while before his new fans get to see him play.
Wilson may well be tempted by Arsenal as they’re the bigger name and clearly heading in a more positive direction at the moment.
The Gunners also have a famously strong academy, so that could factor into his thinking.
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — In their Morgan State college dorm in the mid-1990’s, Daronte Jones and Melvin Coleman stayed busy.
“We did a lot of battles in Madden,” Coleman told DC News Now. “I’d be in the bed asleep it would be a Saturday and [Daronte] would walk and grab the controller and put the controller by my bed and soon I’d wake up and he’d jump back in like I don’t see him and be like, ‘oh so what you calling me out?”
In January, three decades after his Madden battles as a college football player with his roommate, and many professional and college football coaching stops, Jones has been hired as the Washington Commanders new defensive coordinator.
Daronte Jones, right, and Melvin Coleman, left, during their college days at Morgan State. (Melvin Coleman)
For Jones – it’s a homecoming. He hails from Prince George’s County, where he attended Bishop McNamara high school in Forestville, Maryland.
It’s not just his college friends and teammates who remember the Madden matchups. His good friend and teammate from Bishop McNamara Mike Jones also took part in the legendary video games matchups – though he didn’t know at the time he was facing a defensive mastermind.
“He’s definitely the reason why I stopped playing Madden,” Mike said. “Cause he’s reading all your plays and this was the time when he was early in his coaching career… I’m like dude I’m playing for leisure.”
During his college career, Daronte suffered a neck injury that kept him off the field. Coleman said Daronte would spend more time in the play calling booth during games and was earning a bigger grasp of the game. He said it showed in Madden too.
“That kind of helped us being coaches and our playing careers were done,” Coleman said. “We learned how to think on the run, think quick, make adjustments quick.”
You could call Daronte’s coaching career the Daronte Jones World Tour.
It started in 2001 as a graduate assistant at Division II Lenoir-Rhyne. Coleman said Daronte conducted an interview with the school before they went on their spring break trip senior year. The following years took Jones to Nicholls State (then Division I-AA) as safeties coach, defensive coordinator jobs at high schools in Louisiana and his first return to the DMV where he served as Bowie State’s assistant head coach and defensive coordinator from 2005 to 2009.
Jones bounced around more after that. He was cornerbacks coach at UCLA in 2010, defensive backs coach for the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League in 2011, Hawaii’s secondary coach in 2012-14 and Wisconsin’s defensive backs coach in 2015.
Then, Jones made the jump to the NFL — first as the Miami Dolphins assistant defensive backs coach, then the Cincinnati Bengals cornerbacks coach, then the Minnesota Vikings defensive backs coach. After a brief stint as LSU’s defensive coordinator in 2021 where he coached star cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., Jones returned to the Vikings, where he stayed until this offseason.
“For most people who think that this is a person who’s coming out of nowhere, that’s not true,” Mike Jones said. “This guy has been grinding close to over 20 years. He’s been grinding and getting information from the best minds in football.”
For Mike and Coleman, watching Daronte flourish in the football world has been meaningful, but they’ve also seen his growth as a coach.
Daronte Jones and Melvin Coleman. (Melvin Coleman)
“Secondary wise, pass defense wise, everywhere he’s gone they’ve gotten better,” Coleman, who is now the safeties coach at Morgan State said. “Somebody is doing well, somebody is probably making the pro bowl. Somebody is probably making all-conference. So the proof is in the work.”
Since 2023, Daronte had worked directly under Brian Flores in Minnesota. Coleman said that Daronte’s coaching influences and style comes from several different legendary coaching trees.
“With him being around [Vic] Fangio, Marvin Lewis, [Mike] Zimmer, Vance Joseph and now Flores,” Coleman said. “He’s got a lot work from them. He got a lot of tape to take from them.”
In recent seasons, with Daronte serving as the team’s defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator, the Vikings’ defense has played aggressively, focusing on trying to force turnovers and blitzing at some of the highest rates in the NFL.
Daronte’s high school teammate Mike Jones, who is now a counselor at Bishop McNamara says the way he played was pretty similar to how his defenses play.
“He was always in the right spot… When we look at those old films when we get together, he pops on film,” Mike said. “He’s always going all out.”
Mike said Daronte earned the nickname “Crow” because “he made crow sounds in the backfield.”
“He would make these crow sounds like he’s lurking in the secondary,” Mike said. “He would take on the biggest person on the team in practice even though he was gonna get knocked down… He’s not scared.”
According to his friends, Daronte’s days at McNamara mean a lot to him. Several years ago, Daronte donated to the Bishop McNamara football program. His contributions provide student athletes with scholarship assistance. Daronte’s name is now etched on a plaque in the McNamara locker room, noted him as a 1996 graduate and that year’s male athlete of the year. Daronte played football, wrestling and track & field at McNamara.
“He’s been able to come back and give back to the community itself in terms of the program and the school,” Bishop McNamara football head coach Greg Calhoun said. “But he’s also been able to take advantage of the opportunities to give back.”
Calhoun told DC News Now that he referenced Daronte as inspiration and motivation for his players and as an example to potential recruits.
“I actually just had a set of recruits come through and we just showed his locker again as we always do,” Calhoun said. “A lot of great coaches out here in the world but for him to be selected for that job and that opportunity in this community, is huge.”
Daronte Jones’ locker plaque in Bishop McNamara high school’s locker room. (Alex Flum)
Bishop McNamara plays in one of, if not the best high school football conferences in the country, the WCAC. The Mustangs last won a WCAC championship in 1990. Since, the conference has been dominated by blue blood programs DeMatha, Gonzaga, St. John’s and Good Counsel.
But in 2025, months before Daronte being hired by the Commanders, a few seasons into his tenure in Forestville, Calhoun helped his team take a massive step forward. The Mustangs beat their rival Gonzaga, 21-0 on October 11. Gonzaga was the eventual WCAC runners-up.
The following week, McNamara fell just short to eventual undefeated WCAC champion DeMatha, 12-7. They were one of two teams to come within five points or less of the Stags all season long. It was also DeMatha’s second lowest scoring output of the season.
“We’re not always the first names mentioned in that league,” Mike said. “Now we have something that we can definitely hang our hat on in conversations… Now we have the defensive coordinator of our local team.”
Calhoun believes that an esteemed alum calling plays down the road, could further fuel his players.
“Just knowing that you have somebody of that magnitude at that level kind of puts that pressure on you obviously as the current student in that process, just letting you know you have some big shoes to fill,” Calhoun told DC News Now. “You have some expectations, you have some standards and that’s something that we work to build here in this process and our guys take pride and value in that.”
And while Daronte rises in the football coaching ranks, he’s still a boy from Prince George’s County, Maryland.
“I know growing up, everybody was like DC, DC, DC, but now it’s like PG County,” Coleman said. “We’ve got players, we’ve got ballers, we’ve got good thinkers and I think it’s just you’re proud to represent where you’re from.”
As for what Commanders fans should expects going forward, Coleman said Daronte is “a guy that’s going to be on a mission to be great. To not lose.”
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The end of the 2025 college football season concluded year three for eight power four college football coaches. Kenny Dillingham-Arizona State, Hugh Freeze-Auburn, Scott Satterfield-Cincinnati, Deion Sanders-Colorado, Brent Key-Georgia Tech, Jeff Brohm-Louisville, Matt Rhule-Nebraska and Luke Fickell-Wisconsin.
CBS Sports compiled grades for those eight coaches. Within their grades, these coaches can be placed on three tiers. Doing a good job, on the hot seat, and fired.
All eight coaches have varying degrees of notoriety, hype and expectation. Based on those factors vs the on-field results play into the letter grades. However, the grades and order might be less than predictable.
Third year coaching grades: Doing a Good Job
No. 1 Kenny Dillingham – Grade A
Coach Dillingham is the only coach on this list of third year coaches with hardware. In 2024, Dillingham’s Sun Devils secured a Big 12 conference championship. Despite an early 3-9 start to his ASU coaching tenure, Dillingham has been an unconditional success at his alma mater.
Since joining the Big 12, Arizona State has 13-5 record vs conference opponents. In addition to the Big 12 championship, Dillingham led the Sun Devils to a college football playoff berth and a top 10 finish in 2024.
Dillingham has a signature win against a top 10 ranked Texas Tech team, as well as a 6-2 record against ranked opponents in the last two seasons.
No. 2 Brent Key – Grade: A
Key at Georgia Tech is another example of a former player at the helm. A former Yellow Jackets offensive lineman has done an admirable job bringing Georgia Tech back into the national conversation.
The Yellow Jackets under Key have been bowl eligible each year under his watch and the win total peaked in 2025 reaching nine. Falling just short of making the college football playoff.
In three short seasons, Key has made Georgia Tech a contender in the ACC. Key has a 20-11 record against conference opponents. He also has signature wins against Miami and Clemson. The only ACC teams to make a national championship game in the playoff era.
No. 3 Jeff Brohm – Grade: A
The final “A” goes to Louisville coach Brohm. Brohm saw success in Louisville immediately. The Cardinals in 2023 were in the ACC Championship game and finished that season with a top 20 ranking.
The former Louisville quarterback took the head coaching job in 2023 and has quickly compiled double nine-win seasons (2024, 2025). Brohm has 28 wins in three seasons. Giving him the best winning percentage on this list.
Brohm’s record against conference opponents has been inconsistent, due in some part to a late season losing streak in 2025. Regardless of where the wins come from, Brohm earns a spot on the top tier with the best win total of the group.
Third year coaching grades: On the hot seat
No. 4 Deion Sanders – Grade: C+
Objectively, this feels a little high. More than any other coach on this list, Sanders capitalized on hype. With his Louis Luggage following him to Boulder, 2023 had some high points but was an objectively unsuccessful season.
After beating TCU after their title game appearance in 2022, Sanders’ Buffs would jump out to a 3-0 record. Overnight Colorado became must see tv. In week four they were beat convincingly by Oregon and lost a close game to USC shortly thereafter.
In 2024 Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders led a pass happy offense to a 9-3 regular season record. They also played in the Alamo Bowl. Colorado was in the Big 12 title game hunt until week 11.
Despite trending in the right direction in 2024, the Buffaloes had their worst season under Sanders in 2025. Sanders faced significant medical concerns during the offseason and recruiting calendar of 2025. Since then, Sanders has promised changes and overhauled the roster again. Sanders is the highest ranked coach on this list with a losing record.
No. 5 Matt Rhule – Grade: C
Rhule at five when Sanders is at four is slightly confusing. However, that could be a comparison of where those respective programs are compared to where they used to be. While Sanders has returned excitement to Colorado, Rhule has yet to meet expectations.
A program once viewed as a national contender is coming off two bowl eligible seasons and the first postseason win in almost a decade. Bowl eligible just simply is not the expectation.
Rhule has the Cornhuskers as better than they were, but 10-17 record vs conference opponents is far ‘doing a good job’. In three seasons, Rhule does not possess a quality win over an AP top 25 ranked opponent.
No 6 Scott Satterfield – Grade: C-
Technically, the Cincinnati Bearcats are trending in the right direction under Satterfield, just not as quickly as fans might have hoped. In 2023, Satterfield and the Bearcats were a 3-9 football team, with a 1-8 conference record.
In 2024 they improved to 5-7 (3-6 in conference), before finishing 7-6 (5-4 in conference) in 2025. In 2025, they finished in the top half of division 1 for the first time under Satterfield.
In 2025, Cincinnati was very active in the transfer portal. Bringing in 20 new players, mostly 3-stars from varying levels, while losing 19. The biggest loss being 5-star quarterback Brendan Sorsby to Texas Tech.
No. 7 Luke Fickell – Grade: C-
Fickell had become a big name after some success with Cincinnati. When Fickell was hired at Wisconsin, it was celebrated by college football viewers. The results have simply been less than expected.
Fickell’s Badgers made a bowl game in 2023 and the on-field production has regressed since. Fickell’s 17-21 record has led to considerable speculation on his future with the program.
Surprisingly, Fickell survived the 2025 hot seat. A name that was on many short lists of coaches who could be fired in 2025. Joe Thomas, one of the greatest Badgers of all time, said firing Fickell is not the answer, in a radio interview late last year.
Fickell will likely begin the 2026 season where he spent the 2025 season. On the hot seat.
Third year coaching grades: Fired
No. 8 Hugh Freeze – Grade: F
In three years, Coach Freeze led the Auburn Tigers to one bowl game, coming off a 6-7 record. That season, Auburn did not finish in the top half of division 1 (71st of 133).
2024 and 2025 resulted in double 5-7 records. The conference record paints an even more scathing picture. Auburn, once believed to be a college football power and a leading SEC team has only three conference wins in the last two seasons.
A 6-16 record against SEC teams overall in three years falls decidedly below expectations.
Before the end of the 2025 season, Auburn decided to part ways with Hugh Freeze. Alex Golesh from South Florida took over in December. Since then, the Tigers have flipped more than 39 of the players on the 2025 roster.
Before Marcus Jones was taking it to the house at Gillette Stadium, he was using his razor-sharp skills to cut through defenders at the Coogs' House.
Who could forget the moment in 2021 that rocked TDECU stadium?
With less than a minute to go, game tied at 37, Jones took it the distance and helped UH knock off undefeated SMU.
It was a night that cemented Jones as an all-time Cougar great - one he won't ever forget.
"All I did was follow my blockers, and I see a kicker, and I was just like, 'I can't get tackled by the kicker.' So I kept running. And then, whenever I got near the end zone, man, I was just excited because I knew the hard work and the dedication when it came down to that game," Jones said.
And that dedication to his craft started long before he touched-down at TDECU stadium in 2019.
Jones transferred from Troy University in 2019 because he felt the path to the NFL started on Cullen Boulevard.
"Whenever we were out there at practice, like it was really, like, no days off, and you got to be able to take advantage of every opportunity you get."
But those opportunities didn't come as fast as Jones' moves on the field. Due to NCAA rules, he had to sit out for a year.
In 2020, the Coogs had a shortened season because of the pandemic.
He didn't let the uncontrollable sideline his NFL dreams, and he took every moment to master the cornerback position, like covering his former UH teammate and current Texans wide-receiver Tank Dell.
"Me and Tank, we always used to go at it at practice and everything. He'll make a play. I'll make a play. So us going back and forth and everything was really good."
With his first full season at U of H, Jones shined in 2021 with five interceptions and led the NCAA with two punt return touchdowns, getting the attention of NFL scouts.
In 2022, Jones finally got the call so many collegiate athletes work for.
He was drafted in the third round by the Patriots
"I'd seen the Boston, Massachusetts. And I was just like, bro, I'm having to bring a jacket, for sure, because for sure, because it's going to be cold out there. So no, it was unbelievable experience."
Just like the distance from Houston to Foxborough, the journey to the NFL was a long one. But he's grateful to have set foot in TDECU stadium on the way.
"Like, I don't know how my life would have been if I hadn't gone to, UH. So, you know, my main thing is, I'm definitely thankful for them. It's always 'Go Coogs' for me."
The Women's Asian Cup trophy is seen opposite the Sydney Opera House. The tournament, hosted by Australia, beginson March 1 (DAVID GRAY)
South Korea football bosses said on Monday they were in talks with players to avert a boycott of next month's Women's Asian Cup and expected the national team to train for the tournament as scheduled.
The country's women's side last year complained of poor and "discriminatory conditions" provided by the Korea Football Association (KFA) compared to their male counterparts.
A team statement from September, made public in January, said that players faced gruelling long journeys on buses and economy-class flights, and were forced to stay in "inadequate" accommodation far from training grounds.
A KFA official told AFP: "We are continuing talks with the players to resolve the matter and plan to proceed with our training schedule."
The governing body will call in the players for a pre-tournament training camp in mid-February, she added.
Players complained that they were required to pay for their own airport transfers and training kit.
The players' statement said they would "suspend participation in all training related to the upcoming 2026 AFC Women's Asian Cup" and refuse to play matches if the KFA did not respond by October 17.
It added there were "clear and undeniable differences" from the conditions enjoyed by the men's national team.
An internal KFA document, seen by AFP, showed that less than 10 percent of the annual national teams' budget of US$1.3 million was allocated to the women in 2025.
The 12-team Women's Asian Cup will be held in Australia from March 1 to 21.
South Korea have been drawn in a first-round group with the hosts, Iran and the Philippines.
Midfielder Ji So-yun, who spent eight years at English club Chelsea, said recently: "It feels as though the players are not being treated in a manner befitting national team members.
"With a heavy heart I believe action is necessary to bring about change," she added in comments reported by Yonhap news agency.
Arsenal were crowned the inaugural Women's Champions Cup winners after substitute Caitlin Foord scored to inspire the Gunners to a 3-2 extra-time victory over Brazilian side Corinthians.
The new FIFA club competition's final was played out under drenched conditions at the Emirates Stadium, where the north Londonders also secured 2.3 million US dollars (£1.67million) in prize money.
Corinthians captain Gabi Zanotti cancelled out Olivia Smith's 15th-minute opener in the first half before Lotte Wubben-Moy nodded Arsenal back in front after the break.
Arsenal were moments from victory but conceded a stoppage-time penalty - scored by Vic Albuquerque - before battling back under the downpour in the first period of extra time.
Vic Albuquerque scored a stoppage-time penalty to force extra time (Getty Images)
Celebrations were subdued, however, after Arsenal goalkeeper Anneke Borbe went down in a collision late in the second period of extra time and was removed from the pitch on a stretcher, after a lengthy pause to receive treatment on the pitch.
Corinthians keeper Leticia was able to keep out a sharp effort from Stina Blackstenius, but could do little to stop Smith's opener after the rebound fell in the path of the Canada international, who nestled it home.
The visitors equalised from a corner nodded home in the 21st minute by Zanotti, whose header bounced off Kim Little, leading to a goalmouth scramble before referee Katia Garcia made clear the ball had crossed the line.
Arsenal were back in front after Wubben-Moy rose to meet Emily Fox's cross, whipping it past Leticia in the 58th minute.
Lotte Wubben Moy celebrates Arsenal's second goal (John Walton/PA Wire)
Just as it appeared the trophy presentation would be imminent, Katie McCabe conceded a penalty - confirmed by VAR - for her challenge from behind and through the legs of Gisela Robledo.
Up stepped Albuquerque, who fired down the middle past a diving Borbe to force extra time.
There were chances for both sides early on but it was Arsenal who finally made one count on a counter-attack initiated by Maanum, who drove through midfield before feeding Foord, who fooled Leticia and snuck the winner past her near post.
Tammy Abraham's return to Aston Villa ended in defeat against Brentford (Darren Staples)
Manchester City's Premier League title challenge hit a fresh stumbling block as Dominic Solanke's acrobatic strike salvaged a 2-2 draw for struggling Tottenham on Sunday, while Benjamin Sesko secured another thrilling 3-2 win for Manchester United over Fulham.
City were cruising towards what would have been another damaging defeat for Spurs boss Thomas Frank as they led 2-0 at half-time.
But Solanke scored twice in the second half to leave Pep Guardiola's men six points adrift of leaders Arsenal.
City have won just one of their six league games in 2026 to allow the Gunners to move closer to a first title in 22 years.
Rayan Cherki fired the visitors into an early lead and was only denied a spectacular second by a brilliant Guglielmo Vicario save.
Antoine Semenyo did double City's advantage before the break to spark uproar from the furious Spurs support at half-time.
However, Tottenham flipped the script in the second period to give Frank some breathing space.
Solanke's absence for most of the season due to injury has played a major part in Spurs' struggles.
The England international's finish from close range halved the deficit before he produced a stunning moment of athleticism to hook the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma with a scorpion kick.
- Sesko rides to Man Utd rescue -
A third consecutive win since Michael Carrick took the reins at Old Trafford propelled United back into the top four at the expense of Chelsea and Liverpool.
A week on from a 3-2 win at Arsenal, it was another throwback to United's glory days during Carrick's playing career as they snatched victory in dramatic fashion after a Fulham fightback.
Goals from Casemiro and Matheus Cunha either side of half-time put United in command.
Just a second defeat in nine league games dealt a blow to Fulham's own hopes of European football next season.
The visitors showed plenty of fight as Raul Jimenez's penalty five minutes from time began a frantic finale before Kevin's spectacular strike looked to have salvaged a point.
But United went straight down the other end and Sesko spun onto Bruno Fernandes' pass before blasting into the top corner.
"It's the best feeling I have to say," Carrick said.
"Some of the best moments I've been part of here, you can dissect performances and there are plusses and not, and then you get a moment of elation and excitement like that."
- Villa's title dreams fade -
To cap a fine day for Arsenal, third-placed Aston Villa were beaten 1-0 at home by 10-man Brentford to remain seven points off the top.
Kevin Schade was sent off for kicking out at Matty Cash on 42 minutes.
But in first-half stoppage time, the Bees took the lead when Dango Ouattara blasted in from a narrow angle.
Villa laid seige to the Brentford goal after the break but lacked the invention to break the visitors down.
Tammy Abraham did have the ball in the net but was denied a debut goal on his return to Villa after a VAR review found the ball had gone out of play in the build-up.
Crystal Palace also failed to make the most of a man advantage in a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest.
Morgan Gibbs-White's early strike put Forest in front, but Neco Williams' decision to punch the ball clear off his own goal-line just before half-time was the break the visitors needed.
Ismaila Sarr netted from the penalty spot after Williams was shown a red card.
However, Palace failed to end their 12-game wait for a win and remain just three points above Forest and nine clear of the bottom three.
Many have advocated, pushed for it and now it’s coming to fruition: Two of New York’s top high school football teams will be squaring off this upcoming 2026 season.
The Brothers finished 2025 as one of the state’s best teams after winning the 2025 NYSPHSAA Class AA championship in a 41-12 rout of Saratoga Springs. The Gaels had a similar finish to their respective campaign as they won the 2025 NYCHSFL AA state title in a 42-21 romp of St. Francis.
Iona Preparatory School, located in New Rochelle, NY, is a premier all-boys Catholic institution that offers a rigorous college-preparatory education rooted in the Christian Brothers tradition. Known for its strong academic programs, character development, and commitment to service, Iona Prep fosters leadership and integrity in its students. With a proud Gaels athletic tradition and a vibrant community, IPS prepares young men for lifelong success in college and beyond.
How to Follow New York High School Football
For New York high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the Empire State, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the state, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across the country.
Stuttgart striker Ermedin Demirovic celebrates with Deniz Undav after his late goal gave the hosts victory over Freiburg (THOMAS KIENZLE)
Serhou Guirassy scored twice in the second half as Borussia Dortmund came from behind to beat last-placed Heidenheim 3-2 at home on Sunday and move six points behind Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich.
Waldemar Anton put the nervy hosts in front but Julian Niehues scored either side of half-time to give Heidenheim the lead.
Guirassy had scored just one Bundesliga goal in 10 games since October but grabbed two inside a minute to put Dortmund back in front.
Guirassy missed a late penalty but Dortmund, who were 11 points behind Bayern at Christmas, held on to drag themselves back into the title race. Dortmund host Bayern in late February.
Dortmund looked fearful despite facing last-placed Heidenheim. Anton put the hosts in front in scrappy fashion, tapping in after Heidenheim goalie Diant Ramaj spilled a corner.
The hosts switched off and Heidenheim pounced, Niehues tapping in after a failed Dortmund clearance deep into first-half stoppage time.
Niehues struck once more after half-time, blasting a long-range shot into the far corner.
Dortmund were handed a lifeline when VAR found a Niklas Dorsch handball in the box.
With first-choice penalty taker Emre Can out with illness, Dortmund captain Nico Schlotterbeck handed the ball to Guirassy, who snuck his shot inside the post.
With a taste for goal, Guirassy put Dortmund in front with a low shot at the near post a minute later.
Guirassy had a chance to make it a hat-trick when called to the penalty spot again with five minutes remaining but he chipped well over the crossbar.
- Stuttgart go fourth -
Ermedin Demirovic unleashed a thunderbolt in the 90th minute to send Stuttgart into the top four with a 1-0 home win over Freiburg in the Bundesliga.
RB Leipzig's home defeat by Mainz on Saturday left the door open for the German Cup holders climb into the Champions League places.
Stuttgart were in complete control but were kept at bay until the final minute, when substitute Demirovic latched onto a Deniz Undav pass and hit a dipping effort just under the bar.
The win takes Stuttgart, who were drawn to face Scottish champions Celtic in the knockout play-off round of the Europa League on Friday, three points clear of Leipzig in fourth spot.
"What can you say?" Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeness told DAZN about Demirovic's goal. "It was beautiful. There were some other nice things, but the goal was simply world-class."
Stuttgart peppered Freiburg's goal in the opening half but somehow failed to break through.
Undav had a shot cleared off the line by defender Matthias Ginter before the half-hour and blasted wide minutes later with just goalkeeper Noah Atubolu to beat.
Atubolu kept Bilal El Khannouss out after the break while one-on-one with the Moroccan.
Demirovic, brought off the bench with 13 minutes remaining, took a touch from an Undav pass and fired Stuttgart in front. The goal was Demirovic's 50th in the Bundesliga but his first from outside the box.
Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nuebel ensured the hosts claimed all three points with a superb reflex save from Bruno Ogbus in stoppage time.
Liverpool are in talks about a loan move for Lutsharel Geertruida as they look for a solution to their right-back injury crisis.
The Netherlands international, who played for head coach Arne Slot at Feyenoord, is currently at Sunderland.
And arranging a deal in the last 36 hours of the transfer window would have complications as it would require ending his loan at the Stadium of Light, striking a deal with RB Leipzig to take the defender to Anfield and getting Geertruida to agree to it.
Geertruida is one of a number of options Liverpool are considering, with his Netherlands teammate Denzel Dumfries thought to have been discussed.
Liverpool are without both of their senior specialist right-backs, with Conor Bradley ruled out for the season and Jeremie Frimpong absent for several weeks with a groin problem.
Midfielder Wataru Endo spent 86 minutes of the Champions League win over Qarabag at right-back before Dominik Szoboszlai filled in there in Saturday’s 4-1 win over Newcastle.
Afterwards, the Hungary captain said he wanted to revert to midfield when he said his spell at right-back was “not long-term, not even medium-term in my head”.
Slot said after the Newcastle game that Liverpool did not want to let Curtis Jones join Inter Milan and were hoping to bolster their options.
“We are trying to strengthen the squad and not trying to weaken it,” he said. “But let us see where the window ends up.”
Geertruida joined Leipzig for €20m in 2024 but was then loaned to Sunderland a year later, making 17 appearances so far for the promoted club.
He played for Feyenoord throughout Slot’s time at the Rotterdam club, helping them win the Eredivisie in 2023.
Hundreds of Manchester United supporters, many wearing clown masks, marched on Old Trafford on Sunday to protest against the club’s ownership, likening its management under the Glazer family and Sir Jim Ratcliffe to a circus.
The Glazer family has faced sustained fan fury since their controversial takeover of the Red Devils in 2005, with various supporter groups orchestrating protests against the American owners for years.
The 1958 fan group organised the latest anti-ownership demonstration ahead of Sunday afternoon’s Premier League clash against Fulham, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who became co-owner in February 2024, also a target of their intensified criticism.
The group recently claimed that United is "being dragged through chaos by clown ownership" and is being "run like a circus", a sentiment visually reinforced by numerous members donning clown masks during the march.
Protesters chanted against the owners and displayed banners as smoke from flares filled the air, accompanying their procession down Sir Matt Busby Way to the stadium forecourt.
Fans took aim at Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazers
Greater Manchester Police estimated between 500 and 600 protesters were present, confirming that no arrests were made.
Steve Crompton, spokesperson for the 1958, told the Press Association: "It is a protest now about this partnership with Ineos and the Glazers that, just for me, isn’t working.
“The last two games have been fantastic and there’s been an upturn in what we’re seeing on the pitch, but what we do has never been about what happens on the pitch."
Since his arrival, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has overseen a series of contentious changes, with ticket pricing and availability sparking particular anger among the fanbase.
"We want our football club back," Mr Crompton asserted. "Everything that’s happening. We’ve got over 95,000 members that follow us. Over 50 per cent of them are matchgoing fans and what’s happening to matchgoing fans is just getting ridiculous. Fans are getting priced out of coming.
“I had a look this morning for the Villa game, and they’re selling tickets all over the stadium minimum of £300 as hospitality. There’s no tickets available to members to buy just as a standard ticket, so how do these fans to get to games anymore? It’s becoming unaffordable. That affects exactly what we want in the ground, which is a great atmosphere created by fans."
The protest took place before Sunday’s game against Fulham
The protest, announced 24 days prior, was explicitly stated to be independent of on-field results, despite United’s recent upturn in form.
"This is never about the manager or the players," Mr Crompton added. "We’ll support them through thick and thin. And, let’s be honest, it’s been pretty thick for quite a while now.
“We’ll always back the team. That’s what you do as a supporter. But, you know, let’s not punish these supporters that want to back the team for a quick buck, which is where we’re at with it."
The Gunners’ 4-0 hammering of Leeds yesterday means that City begin the day seven points behind Mikel Arteta’s side, with Guardiola’s men hoping for a big result against a struggling Spurs side ahead of matches against Liverpool and Newcastle in coming weeks.
While Spurs are currently languishing in 14th in the table, they have consistently been a bogey side for Pep Guardiola over the course of his time in England tenure, and while the visitors will head in as heavy favourites, Spurs’ 2-0 win in the reverse fixture proves that they are capable of denting City’s title hopes this afternoon.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.
When is Tottenham vs Man City?
The match will take place on Sunday, 1 February at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with kick-off set for 4.30pm.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the UK can watch the match live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event, with coverage starting at 4pm. Subscribers can also stream the action online via NOWTV.
Thomas Frank’s main concern is the fitness of Micky van de Ven, who missed the game against Frankfurt and will face a late fitness test.
James Maddison, Rodrigo Bentancur, Mohammed Kudus, Ben Davies, Lucas Bergvall and Dejan Kulusevski are all sidelined for the foreseeable future for Spurs, and while Richarlison and Pedro Porro are nearing returns, they won’t be back until later in February.
For City, Jeremy Doku will likely miss this match after being forced off in the first half against Galatasaray, though the extent of his problem is not yet clear.
Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic are the long-term absentees, though John Stones, Ruben Dias and Savio won’t be returning until later next month.
Predicted line-ups
Tottenham XI: Vicario; Spence, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie; Gray, Palhinha; Odobert, Sarr, Simons; Solanke.
Man City XI: Donnarumma; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O’Reilly; Rodri; Cherki, Silva, Foden, Marmoush; Haaland.
The visitors were able to frustrate United at Craven Cottage earlier in the season and with star man Harry Wilson in fine form, they’ll present a stern test as they look to cut the gap to the hosts to just one point.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the match.
When is Man Utd vs Fulham?
The match will take place on Sunday, 1 February at Old Trafford, with kick-off set for 2pm.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the UK can watch the match live on Sky Sports Main Event, with coverage starting at 1pm. Subscribers can also stream the action online via NOWTV.
The hosts will be without Patrick Dorgu for the foreseeable future after it was confirmed that the Dane’s hamstring issue would keep him out of action for around 10 weeks. However, Matthijs de Ligt and Joshua Zirkzee are the only other names on the treatment table, with both expected back in early February.
Kenny Tete could be back in the matchday squad after returning to training last week, though Rodrigo Muniz will not return until next week at the earliest and Sasa Lukic will be out until later in February.
Lamine Yamal rounded Inaki Pena to fire Barcelona ahead against Elche as his team won the La Liga clash on Saturday (JOSE JORDAN)
Barcelona eased to a 3-1 win at Elche to move four points clear at the top of La Liga on Saturday, with goals from Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres and Marcus Rashford.
Hansi Flick's side created several more clear chances in an entertaining clash but the woodwork and some profligate finishing stopped them from securing a far bigger victory.
Alvaro Arbeloa's Real Madrid, second, host Rayo Vallecano on Sunday aiming to restore the gap back to one point.
Elche, 12th, have impressed this season and created good chances of their own at the Martinez Valero stadium, but Barca were too strong for them.
Teenage star Yamal opened the scoring after six minutes after Dani Olmo sent him through on goal.
The 18-year-old coolly rounded goalkeeper Inaki Pena, a former Barca player, and slotted home. Olmo came close to doubling Barca's lead but clipped the top of the crossbar with a shot from the edge of the box.
After a groin issue troubled Yamal during the first half of the campaign, in recent weeks he has returned to his top level.
Elche equalised with a well-worked move to get Alvaro Rodriguez in behind Barca's high line and he fired past Joan Garcia.
Torres should have restored the Catalans' advantage but, in a comical moment, hit the crossbar from point blank range and then immediately diverted the rebound against the post.
The Spain international made amends by smashing home after fine work by Frenkie de Jong, who drew Pena out and then found Torres, who was left with the simple task of finishing.
Fermin Lopez, Raphinha and Torres all spurned good chances for more goals as Barca created danger at will, with Elche coach Eder Sarabia, a former Barca assistant under Quique Setien, sticking with his open style.
Rashford was also guilty of missing a good chance after he came on for Raphinha at half-time, curling past the post as he ran through.
The English winger, on loan from Manchester United, did score Barca's third, his 10th of the season across all competitions, after Yamal's cross was blocked and fell nicely to him.
Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz shone for Liverpool (Paul ELLIS)
Liverpool ended their wait for a Premier League win in 2026 as Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz starred in a 4-1 win over Newcastle on Saturday.
The English champions had slipped to sixth after a run of five league games without a win and fell behind to Anthony Gordon's strike for Newcastle.
But two goals in two minutes from Ekitike completely changed the atmosphere around Anfield just before half-time.
Wirtz continued his fine goalscoring form in the second half before an emotional Ibrahima Konate rounded off the scoring.
Victory lifts Liverpool up to fifth, which will almost certainly be enough for a place in next season's Champions League thanks to the strong performance of English sides in European competitions.
Alexander Isak's absence due to a leg break removed some of the simmering bad blood between the clubs over the Swede's British transfer record move to Anfield in September.
Isak was watching on the from the sidelines and could only glance admiringly towards Ekitike's role in turning the game around.
The Frenchman had been a target for Newcastle as a potential Isak replacement until Liverpool swooped in to secure his signing from Eintracht Frankfurt for £69 million ($95 million).
Ekitike's quickfire double papered over the cracks of another concerning first half performance for Arne Slot.
The Magpies dominated the majority of the opening 45 minutes and deservedly took the lead when Gordon fired in his first Premier League goal from open play for over a year.
Despite the doom and gloom surrounding Liverpool's start 2026, there have been flashes of Ekitike and Wirtz coming good on their huge transfer fees.
The two combined brilliantly to level just five minutes after going behind.
Wirtz waltzed through a pack of Newcastle defenders and squared for Ekitike to prod past Nick Pope.
Moments later, Ektike showed his blistering pace to race onto a long ball from Milos Kerkez and fire into the far corner.
Newcastle remain without a win in their last 30 league trips to Anfield and another damaging defeat on the road sees them slip further off the pace in the battle for a Champions League place next season.
Eddie Howe's men slip to 10th, six points adrift of Liverpool.
Newcastle's exertions in securing a 1-1 draw away to European champions Paris Saint-Germain in midweek, while Liverpool cruised to a 6-0 win over Qarabag at home in the Champions League, showed after the break.
Ekitike missed a glorious chance to secure his first ever hat-trick when he skewed wide with just Pope to beat.
Mohamed Salah was again a shadow of his former self, but the Egyptian did at least play a part in Wirtz's goal which secured a much-needed three points from Slot.
Wirtz had not scored in his first 22 appearance for the Reds after his £100 million move from Bayern Leverkusen.
The 22-year-old now has six goals in the 10 matches after steering Salah's pass into the bottom corner with a sweet strike.
The roles should have been reversed momens later when Salah shot into the side-netting from Wirtz's through ball.
Instead it was Konate who rounded off the scoring in his first match since returning from compassionate leave after the death of his father.
The French international was reduced to tears after pouncing on a Pope error to roll into an unguarded net.
Roberto De Zerbi watched Marseille throw away a 2-0 lead at Paris FC and have to settle for a point (Alain JOCARD)
Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi said he is "ready to go to war" with the club's season in danger of unravelling as a late collapse in a 2-2 draw at Paris FC on Saturday rounded off a dreadful week.
Mason Greenwood converted a first-half penalty for his league-best 13th goal of the season and supplied the pass for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to double Marseille's lead early in the second half.
But with the pain still fresh from their excruciating Champions League exit, Marseille blew a two-goal lead as Jonathan Ikone's header brought Paris FC back into the game and Ilan Kebbal levelled with an injury-time spot-kick.
Three days after crashing out of Europe in improbable fashion, Marseille found another way to make a bad week even worse.
Marseille lost 3-0 at Club Brugge on Wednesday but it took a last-gasp header from Benfica's goalkeeper in a win over Real Madrid to knock De Zerbi's side out of the competition.
De Zerbi dismissed reports he was stepping down in the wake of the defeat in Belgium after he missed a training session the next day, revealing he had held talks with club officials to determine the best way to move on from the Champions League disappointment.
"Don't worry about me," De Zerbi told reporters on Saturday when asked about his motivation after Marseille's latest setback.
"I'm ready to go to war tomorrow, the day after tomorrow. I come from the very bottom, I come from nothing, I'm used to fighting all the time."
De Zerbi admitted seeing his team drop points in the French capital was difficult to accept.
"We dominated so much... but in the last 10 minutes, everything switched off," he said.
"I'm struggling to explain it, other than to say matches last 100 minutes. And you have to be hungry. The first thing is to be hungry - I'm telling you this because I told the players. What we're putting in isn't enough."
Lorient extended their unbeaten run in Ligue 1 to nine matches later on Saturday with a 2-1 victory over Nantes.
Arsene Kouassi bagged a late winner after Nantes forward Matthis Abline cancelled out the opening goal from Bamba Dieng.
Lens moved back above Paris Saint-Germain into top spot on Friday after a Ruben Aguilar goal secured a 1-0 win at home to struggling Le Havre.
Luis Enrique's team will be able to reclaim first place by avoiding defeat at Strasbourg on Sunday.
Harry Kane scored his 22nd Bundesliga goal of the season but Bayern dropped points for the second week in a row (IBRAHIM OT)
Bayern Munich dropped points for the second straight week in the Bundesliga as they were held to a 2-2 draw at Hamburg on Saturday.
Borussia Dortmund have a chance to revive a dormant title race with a win at home to bottom club Heidenheim on Sunday, which would draw them to within six points.
Hamburg had lost 17 and drawn three of their past 20 games with Bayern but put up a fight, taking the lead with a Fabio Vieira penalty after 32 minutes.
The defending champions hit back when Harry Kane and Luis Diaz scored either side of half-time, but the hosts swiftly equalised through Luka Vuskovic.
Hamburg had a chance to win it late with Manuel Neuer well outside his box, but Alphonso Davies denied Vieira and saved Bayern with a desperation clearance.
An "dissatisfied" Neuer told Sky: "the draw feels like a defeat. We wanted more today, but when you look in the faces of our team, it's a good sign for next week that we want to attack again."
Bayern sporting director Max Eberl directed his ire at the match officials, saying: "the referee was a bit overwhelmed."
It was the first time Hamburg avoided defeat against Bayern since 2014, a run of nine straight defeats with 39 goals conceded.
Arsenal loanee Vieira tucked a penalty under Neuer's outstretched hand to give Hamburg the lead, their first goal against Bayern in seven matches dating back to 2016.
Kane brought the visitors level just before the break, scoring on the spin from a rebound with a classic poacher's finish.
Half-time substitute Diaz gave Bayern the lead 90 seconds into the second period, guiding a Michael Olise pass in from close range.
The visitors levelled minutes later though as Vuskovic headed a cross past Neuer and just inside the post, before holding on to nab a valuable point.
Andrej Kramaric scored twice as Hoffenheim extended their strong run with a 3-1 home win over Union Berlin.
Hoffenheim narrowly escaped relegation last season but have picked up 19 of a possible 21 points in their past seven games to move level with second-placed Dortmund.
Hoffenheim play at Bayern next Sunday and Kramaric told Sky Germany: "We're up for it -- it'll be a great test. If we keep up the performances we've had in the past few weeks, we won't leave empty-handed."
Union's steely resistance was broken when defender Leopold Querfeld clipped Hoffenheim's Fisnik Asllani in the box after 42 minutes.
Kramaric converted from the spot with a cool chipped finish. The Croatia forward headed in a second from a Bazoumana Toure cross just before half-time.
Another Toure cross enabled the hosts to seal victory just after the break, as Union's Diogo Leite scuffed the ball into his own net with Kramaric lurking.
- Leverkusen ease past Frankfurt -
Bayer Leverkusen moved a point behind fourth-placed Leipzig with a 3-1 win at free-falling Eintracht Frankfurt, without a coach until surprise appointment Albert Riera takes over next week.
"We'll be starting from zero," Frankfurt's Mario Goetze said.
Arthur gave Leverkusen the lead, his first Bundesliga goal, after a clever Alejandro Grimaldo backheel.
Malik Tillman made the most of some poor positioning from Frankfurt goalkeeper Kaua Santos moments later to double the lead.
Frankfurt's Robin Koch scored after half-time but Ellyes Skhiri picked up two yellow cards in three second-half minutes to dash comeback hopes.
Frankfurt have won just one of their past 13 games in all competitions.
Elsewhere, RB Leipzig became the latest victim of resurgent Mainz, going down 2-1 at home.
Conrad Harder put the hosts in front but Leipzig captain David Raum gave away a penalty for the second time in two games, allowing Germany midfielder Nadiem Amiri to level from the spot.
Silas gave Mainz the lead early in the second half. Mainz have lost just once in nine games since Urs Fischer took over as coach in December.
Elsewhere, Augsburg beat St Pauli 2-1 and Werder Bremen's Keke Topp snatched a point with a splendid late goal at home in a 1-1 draw with Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Everton celebrate Beto's late equaliser at Brighton (Glyn KIRK)
Everton manager David Moyes blasted the killjoy rules that earned him a booking for sprinting onto the pitch to celebrate Beto's last-gasp equaliser in Saturday's 1-1 draw against Brighton.
Moyes was unable to contain his emotions at the Amex Stadium when Beto struck in the seventh minute of stoppage-time to cancel out Pascal Gross' 73rd-minute opener.
The Scot's delirious dash forced referee Chris Kavanagh to show him a yellow card for leaving the managers' technical area on the touchline.
Moyes' joyful pitch invasion was reminiscent of David Pleat dancing on to the Maine Road pitch after his Luton side avoided relegation from the top-flight on the final day of the 1982-83 season with a win against Manchester City.
Moyes briefly contemplated capping his memorable celebration with a knee slide.
And although the 62-year-old thought better of that idea in the end, he insisted the yellow card will not curb his enthusiasm in future.
"I hope you're not going to call me 'Pleaty' going forward," Moyes said.
"The difference is David Pleat doesn't get booked for it, they think it's OK and everybody enjoys seeing the celebrations.
"We're killing it that the managers can't come out of their technical area to celebrate a goal, knee sliding, do things which give you people quite a bit to talk about."
Asked if he would do it again, Moyes replied: "I bloody will do it again!
"Actually, if I'd been a bit more mobile, I might have done a knee slide. That would only have got me a yellow as well, so I might as well have gone the whole hog."
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