European football is experiencing a day of contrasts marked by resilience and uncertainty.

While Arbeloa’s Real Madrid achieved an agonizing victory at Balaídos thanks to their youth academy, Luis Enrique’s PSG is staring into the abyss after a resounding defeat in France just before their European fixture. The competitive tension now shifts to the benches of Athletic and Barça, in a league that allows no respite.

Beyond the pitch, current sports news intertwines with the complex geopolitical situation in the Mediterranean. The Spanish Women’s National Team faces a crucial World Cup qualifier in Turkey, under strict security protocols due to the conflict in the Middle East.

Valverde saves Madrid at Balaídos

Álvaro Arbeloa’s Real Madrid showed last night that commitment is on the rise. Despite injuries and doubts about their play, Los Blancos conquered Balaídos (1-2) thanks to a fortunate goal by Fede Valverde in stoppage time. The starring role of the youth players and the refereeing controversy involving Díaz de Mera defined a match that keeps the title race alive.

Flick’s Barça looks for breathing room

After the blow in the Copa, FC Barcelona has no margin for error. Hansi Flick will have to manage rotations against Athletic, with Real Madrid just one point away. Meanwhile, at the Metropolitano, Atlético hosts Real Sociedad with Antoine Griezmann under the spotlight; the Frenchman is at the center of the rojiblanco ecosystem despite rumors about his departure.

Spanish women play amid tensions

Spain faces Turkey in Antalya in a climate of high geopolitical sensitivity. This is the second World Cup qualifying match, marked by the conflict in the Middle East and the exile of the Ukrainian team on Turkish soil. The Spanish delegation traveled after receiving full security guarantees to focus on the sporting side.

PSG disaster before Europe

Alarm bells are ringing in Paris. PSG suffered a painful defeat (1-3) against Monaco just before hosting Chelsea in the Champions League. Luis Enrique’s team showed worrying defensive frailty and will go into Wednesday’s European clash with many tactical doubts and a crisis of confidence that could prove decisive.

Bayern steps on the gas

In the Bundesliga, the Bavarian machine shows no mercy. Bayern Munich thrashed Mönchengladbach 4-1 and takes the opportunity to widen the gap at the top of the table. With this level of efficiency, the league title already seems to have a clear owner, consolidating a dominance that no one in Germany has been able to stop this season.

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Formula One has reportedly postponed a decision on whether to cancel its April races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, as regional tensions escalate.

Both countries have been targeted in retaliatory strikes from Iran, following attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel, casting doubt over the events.

The Bahrain Grand Prix is scheduled for April 12, with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah set for April 19.

Media reports had previously indicated a decision was expected during this weekend's season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

Formula 1 officials met on Friday at Albert Park in Melbourne, and Racing Bulls chief executive Peter Bayer said no decision had been made and there is no deadline in place.

“What we said is, first of all, it’s still a month to go,” Bayer said. “Secondly, it’s also difficult to talk about it because I’m really sorry for the people and the situation (in the Middle East). But I also have to say that we are so focused on (racing) here, which is, for us now, really what matters at the moment.

"And I know Stefano (Domenicali, F1’s president and CEO), and the FIA, they’re monitoring the situation. And I trust they make the right decision for us as a team.”

Bahrain had already hosted two preseason F1 tests this season before the attacks were launched on Iran. A smaller-scale test of wet-weather tires was called off in the immediate aftermath of those strikes.

F1’s governing body, the FIA, has already postponed the Qatar curtain raiser for top sportscar category, the World Endurance Championship, that was slated to be held on March 26-28.

The last time a scheduled F1 race was canceled was in 2023, when the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in northern Italy was called off at short notice due to deadly floods in the area.

In 2022, F1 continued with its race weekend in Saudi Arabia even after Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked an oil depot during a practice session, with black smoke visible from the Jeddah circuit.

The same year, F1 canceled the Russian Grand Prix’s contract after Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine.

Pumas added another great result to their run in the Clausura 2026 by defeating Necaxa in an away match that ended with a 1-0 score. Pumas was the better team thru the 90 minutes but a lot of problems in the final third made it so the match could have ended with a tie before a late goal gave them the key three points. Pumas now climbs temporarily to third place in Liga MX but they will have a tough match next week when they face off against their rivals and current Liga MX leaders, Cruz Azul. Necaxa will have to travel and face off against Puebla.

The 1st half started with Pumas coming out once again their same starting 11 from past matches. A left footed shot from Pedro Vite would be easily saved by Necaxa’s goalkeeper, Ezequiel Unsain. A shot from outside the area from Vite was deflected into the path of Nathan, who from close range got off a right footed shot that was blocked by Unsain in what was more a bad miss than a great save from the goalkeeper. Defender Alexis Peña looked to have hurt himself and had to leave the match. Emilio Lara was subbed in his place. Franco Rossano got the ball in the area and got off a left footed shot that was saved by Pumas’ goalkeeper, Keylor Navas. A shot in the area from Juninho was blocked into the path of Robert Morales, whose right footed shot was brilliantly saved by Unsain. A cross into the area would find Nathan who would send his volley well wide in another bad miss. A shot from outside the area from Rodrigo Lopez would go just wide. A great cross from Adalberto Carrasquilla would find a wide open Juninho but his header went well wide in another terrible miss. A right footed shot from outside the area from Loreno Faravelli went well wide. It was the last chance of the match as the score ended 0-0 although Pumas deserved to have gone to the break with the lead.

The 2nd half started with neither team making a change at halftime break. Off a corner kick, a wide open Tomas Bodaloni looked to have headed the ball from close range and past Navas, who cleared after it went off past the line. The Necaxa players asked for the goal but the referee ruled that he had handled the ball and waved off the goal. From outside the area, Jordan Carrillo got off a great right footed shot that forced a wonderful save from Unsain. Necaxa subbed out Javier Ruiz for Ricardo Monreal. A great combination play ended with Carrillo’s getting off shot that was deflected and then cleared. A cross into the area was headed by Badaloni but Navas would make a good save on it. Pumas subbed out Juninho for Uriel Antuna. A great chance was wasted when a wide open Angulo and Carrillo both crashed into each other and the ball went wide. Pumas subbed out Jordan Carrillo for Guillermo Martinez. Off a free kick, a great cross from Carrasquilla would find Guillermo Martinez, who headed the ball past Unsain to score and give Pumas the deserved 1-0 lead. Pumas subbed out Alan Medina and Robert Morales for Pablo Bennevendo and Cesar Garza. Necaxa subbed out Kevin Gutierrez and Franco Rossano for Israel Tello and Bryan Casas. From outside the area, Vite got off a great left footed shot that was saved by Unsain but the ref failed to give up a corner kick. A cross into the area was headed wide by Agustin Oliveros. It was the last chance and Pumas held on to get a very important victory.

Pumas got another important result after defeating Necaxa by a 1-0 score. Pumas was the better team from the start but wasted key chances and it looked like the match was going to end with a scoreless tie before the key headed goal from Martinez. After losing their undefeated record on Tuesday, Pumas got back on track with the win but they will have two extremely tough match against their city rivals. Pumas will face off next week against Cruz Azul and then face their biggest regular season match when they face off against Club America. They have the benefit of hosting both matches and that America seems to be struggling but they will be a tough matchup especially after losing their toughest matchup so far in the season against Toluca, even when they gave a good performance. On the other hand Necaxa keeps struggling under new coach Martin Varini but they will have a chance to bounce back when they visit Puebla in a week.

Max Verstappen’s 2026 season got off to a rough start as he crashed out in Q1 of the Australian Grand Prix without putting together a lap.

Verstappen brought out the first surprise of the year when he lost control at Turn 1 on his opening flying lap. The rear axle locked up under braking, sending him into the barriers and ending his session before it really began.

It was the first time in a decade that Verstappen had exited Q1 due to a qualifying crash, with his previous incident occurring at the 2016 Monaco Grand Prix. Since then, any early exits had been down to either speed or reliability problems.

He is now expected to line up 20th on the grid, although Red Bull could still decide to move him to a pit-lane start instead.

Priestley believes Red Bull’s energy system caught Verstappen off guard

Verstappen’s crash was the main talking point of a session that saw George Russell take pole position for Mercedes. While there were suggestions Verstappen may have had a gearbox issue, Marc Priestley said it looked like an error on the Dutchman’s part.

Priestley believes Verstappen was caught out by the energy harvesting demands of the 2026 regulations. Red Bull are running their first-ever in-house engine this season after Honda left to join Aston Martin.

“Max Verstappen locked the rear wheels under braking going into Turn 1,” Priestley said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

“I think what happens is he gets caught out by the massive energy harvesting, the braking that is being done on the rear axle alone by the electric motors. A lot of people have been caught out by this in the new cars.”

Max Verstappen Expected to Benefit from F1’s New Energy Management Rules in 2026

The 2026 F1 season brought significant changes to the sport, with new engine regulations putting a much greater focus on energy management. The latest power units now balance electrical and combustion output at nearly a 50/50 split, up from the previous 20/80 ratio that had been in place since 2014.

The removal of the costly MGU-H has shifted more responsibility to the MGU-K for energy harvesting, and early signs suggested Verstappen was adapting well during pre-season testing in Bahrain. He quickly took to a high-revving approach through corners, using lower gears to maximise energy recovery – a technique that even caught the attention of Toto Wolff, who estimated it gave Red Bull around a second per lap.

Many observers expected Verstappen to excel under these new rules. Former Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko was among those who predicted he would benefit significantly from the increased emphasis on energy management. So seeing him make an error so early in the season came as something of a surprise.

Read more:

Former Premier League footballer Stan Collymore has said Alejandro Garnacho is the best winger he’s watched live this season, and claimed Chelsea can challenge Arsenal for the title next season.

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The Blues responded from defeat to Arsenal last weekend with a resounding 4-1 win at Villa Park as Joao Pedro scored a hat-trick.

Cole Palmer also got on the scoresheet as Chelsea moved back above Liverpool into fifth place, and just three points behind Manchester United and Villa in third and fourth respectively.

Stan Collymore praises Alejandro Garnacho

Whilst Pedro stole the headlines, Garnacho put in arguably his best performance since arriving from United for £40m last summer.

Chelsea will be looking for the Argentine to produce that level on a more consistent basis, and Collymore said it was the best live performance he’s seen from a winger this season.

“You had Garnacho down the left-hand side, the best wide man performance I’ve seen in the flesh this season,” he told talkSPORT.

“[Malo] Gusto overlapping Reece James down the right, the movement of Joao Pedro, the calm of the midfield enforcer [Moises] Caicedo. It really was a top-drawer performance.”

Liam Rosenior was also impressed with Garnacho, who’s scored six goals in 31 appearances, and he could find himself back in the starting line-up against Wrexham in the FA Cup on Saturday.

Chelsea to challenge for the title next season?

Whilst the Blues are embroiled in a fierce battle for a top five finish, Collymore has claimed Chelsea could challenge for the title next season.

“So I’m not getting carried away, I think Arsenal will win the title this season,” he added.

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“As I’ve said, Arsenal can win the title in whatever way they see fit, and only Arsenal fans will care in terms of the way they’re playing.

“But if Chelsea can keep everyone together and they can continue this forward momentum and get some crucial consistency, I think they could be an exceptional team moving forward.”

Check out the latest edition of Simon Phillips’ SPTC podcast here:

George Russell took an imposing pole position as Mercedes dominated the first qualifying session of a new era of Formula 1 at the Australian Grand Prix.

The Briton led team-mate Kimi Antonelli by 0.363 seconds and was 0.785secs clear of Red Bull's Isack Hadjar in third place.

Max Verstappen crashed on his first lap to leave a degree of doubt as to the extent of Mercedes' superiority, but it was an impressive start to a new period of regulations by the former champions.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was fourth fastest, with the McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris separating him from his team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

Briton Arvid Lindblad, 18, made an impressive start to his F1 career but a final lap that did not live up the standards he had set until then in the weekend left him behind Racing Bulls team-mate Liam Lawson in ninth place.

"All weekend we have been quite competitive, I was trying to not get too excited after yesterday because we didn't know if other teams had more in the pocket but I kind of knew we're fast and I just needed to focus on my job," said Lindblad.

"It's really impressive to have two cars in Q3. I'm extremely happy and just can't wait for tomorrow."

Aston Martin, who had been the story of the weekend for all the wrong reasons amid a litany of unreliability, eventually salvaged some respect with Fernando Alonso qualifying 17th.

But there is a mountain to climb for the team, especially on the power-unit side by partner Honda, before they can get to where they aspire to be.

• Russell 'elite' and a 'leader' - now he may have car to challenge for title

Russell imperious as Antonelli has incident-packed day

Russell had looked the most likely to deliver pole all weekend and he was imperious all session.

He said: "A lot of simple things in the past, like race starts and pit stops, are a hell of a lot more challenging with these new cars. I said: 'Let's just have a clean session because who knows what's going to happen to tomorrow.' But we're in the best place we can be."

Antonelli had an incident-packed day, starting with a heavy crash in final practice that left his team working against time to get his car ready for qualifying.

There was also a team error in sending him out for the final session with both cooling fans still in his sidepods.

They fell out at the first corner and one was hit by Norris, leaving the track strewn with debris and causing the session to be stopped.

But after looking erratic in his driving for most of the session, Antonelli composed himself for his final run and put the car where it deserved to be on the front row.

Hadjar steps up and improvement for Aston Martin

Frenchman Hadjar said he was surprised to be third, expecting Ferrari to be ahead of him, but on his debut for the Red Bull team he did what so many of his predecessors could not and delivered when Verstappen hit trouble.

The four-time champion spun off and crashed at Turn One on his first lap of the session when his rear axle locked, catching him by surprise.

He was shaking his hands after he climbed out of the car, because he had held on to the steering wheel on impact, but said nothing was broken.

"I have no idea (what happened)," he said. "I just arrived to Turn One and the rear axle just completely locked up out of the blue while hitting the pedal, so this is something very weird that I've never experienced in F1 before. So just need to understand what went wrong."

He will start 20th, ahead only of the Williams of Carlos Sainz and Aston Martin of Lance Stroll, neither of whom were able to take part in the session after reliability problems in final practice.

Behind the Racing Bulls, the new Audi team had a strong session with Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg taking 10th and 11th places, with the Haas cars of Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon 12th and 13th.

Bortoleto missed a chance to start higher because his car broke down on the way back to the pits after the second knockout session.

Alonso took the opportunity to underline how much difference finally managing to complete some laps had made to a team that were five seconds off the pace on Friday by reducing that to 2.5secs in qualifying.

"The whole winter has been a little bit with that feeling that there is much more to come, especially on the chassis side," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"We feel more or less OK in the corners and we feel we could be in the top 10 easily and then we cannot put laps together in the winter.

"Here, thanks to a more normal second and third practice, we found two seconds easily just because we ran.

"It is a matter of continuing to do laps and stay united. There is no secret that the main problem is the PU (power unit). We are down power and reliability. We didn't manage many laps in the winter and now we are short on stock for the batteries, we cannot do many laps or we are short on parts. We need to fix the power units and Aston Martin is trying to help as much as possible with Honda."

• The 'rare combination' behind Britain's youngest F1 driver

Top 10

1. George Russell (Mercedes) - 1:18.518

2. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +0.293

3. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +0.785

4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.809

5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +0.862

6. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.957

7. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.960

8. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) +1.476

9. Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) +2.729

10. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) no time set

• Full qualifying results

• How to follow Australian Grand Prix on the BBC
• All you need to know about new F1 cars
• New era of Formula 1 - what is changing in 2026?
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• 'Drive to Survive got me into F1 - now I work at Williams'
• Cadillac and Audi - the same ambition but two very different projects
• How to follow 2026 F1 season on BBC
• F1 2026 Preview: New Rules & a Four-Way Title Fight?
• Arvid Lindblad: How far can Formula 1's youngest driver go?

Manchester United have had several key players in form at youth level this season.

Positive season for youth

The Under-18s booked their place in the final of the Premier League Cup with a 3-1 win over West Ham United during the week.

What’s more, they also find themselves in the quarter-final of the FA Youth Cup, where they will face Sunderland later this month.

JJ Gabriel has been the standout performer, but the likes of Kai Rooney have also been impressive.

The Under-21s have also had a decent season, sitting third in the league table.

Chido Obi

One player who has had another good season is Danish strikerChido Obi.

Obi broke through into the first team last year and played seven times for the senior side.

United invested heavily in their attack in the summer, so Obi has remained at youth team level to develop his all-round game, and he is now starting to show his true potential.

As a demonstration of his talent, the club’s official website reports that, “Chido Obi is competing to win the Premier League 2 Player of the Month award for February.”

The lethal striker bagged four goals in one game against Leicester City towards the end of the month.

The site also adds that, “Obi has also been a key part of our Under-18s’ bid for FA Youth Cup glory, scoring in the most recent outing in the competition, at Oxford United.”

The young striker was injured against Chelsea, though, and everyone at the club will be wishing him a speedy recovery.

The 18-year-old has a total of 14 goals and four assists in 26 youth matches this season.

Chido Obi season stats

Source: transfermarkt.comFeatured image Justin Setterfield via Getty Images

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Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has admitted his relief after a strong Saturday from his drivers as he celebrated the end of the ground effect era. This comes after a commanding pole position from George Russell for the Australian Grand Prix.

Following a dominant Saturday session in Melbourne where Russell placed his Mercedes at the front of the grid ahead of team-mate Kimi Antonelli, Wolff spoke openly to Sky Sports F1 about the team's strong start to the weekend and the intense behind-the-scenes effort required to get both cars out on track today.

Reflecting on the new regulations and the departure from the challenging ground effect aerodynamics, Wolff did not hide his satisfaction. "I'm so happy that those messy ground effect cars are gone and finally we do what we are best at," Wolff admitted.

Despite the inherent loss of downforce under the new 2026 ruleset, Russell appeared remarkably comfortable, threading his car precisely between the white lines of the Albert Park circuit. Wolff credited this to both the machinery and the British driver's maturing talent.

"George, as a person, has made another step in seniority and confidence in driving the car. And I think it's just how he likes it," Wolff explained. "I mean those cars have lost downforce but when you look at the aerodynamic and mechanical side the car looks like it's on rails, at least today.

"And when the driver has confidence in the car, then this is what you can do and it's just driver-car combination and power unit. Today, everything works together to put it on pole."

While the pace of the W17 caught the attention of the paddock, the Austrian was quick to dismiss any suggestions of deliberate sandbagging during testing and practice.

"You can't really sandbag, or at least we don't, we can't do that because you never know where the car is," he added. "So we're surprised by the gap, but I'm taking it."

George Russell, Mercedes

The qualifying result was nearly derailed earlier in the day following a big crash by Mercedes youngster Antonelli, who is now entering his second season in the championship. The Italian’s incident forced the Brackley squad into a pressured but impressive rebuild.

"That car looked like a Lego Formula 1 car that was thrown on the floor like literally two hours before, and I said to them that five minutes before the start of the session we wouldn't make it," Wolff revealed, praising his mechanics. A red flag caused by Max Verstappen ultimately bought the garage the extra time they needed.

"It's a miracle that not only the car was put together but also that lap that he did. I mean there was no setup on the car, we were never able to really measure it."

Despite Antonelli’s blinding raw pace, Wolff moved to manage expectations regarding an inter-team championship battle this season.

"I think in pure speed terms, he's absolutely there," Wolff said of the Italian. "He's in his second year of Formula 1, George is nine or ten. All around you need experience so, I think it would be early days for Kimi to compare himself to George."

With a front-row start secured, Mercedes now looks to convert its Saturday dominance into its first win at the season-opening grand prix.

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Arnold Palmer Invitational - second-round leaderboard

-13 D Berger (US); -8 A Bhatia (US); -7 S Theegala (US), L Aberg (Swe), C Morikawa (US); -6 R Fowler (US); -5 X Schauffele (US), R Henley (US)

Selected others: -4 R McIlroy (NI); -3 S Scheffler (US); -2 H Hall (Eng) -1 J Spieth (US); E R MacIntyre (Sco), M Fitzpatrick (Eng); +1 T Fleetwood

Full leaderboard

Daniel Berger extended his lead to five shots at the Arnold Palmer Invitational as Rory McIlroy rallied in the second round.

American Berger, 32, followed up his superb opening nine-under-par 63 - one short of the Bay Hill course record - by shooting a 68 on Friday.

Compatriot Akshay Bhatia is in second on eight under after carding a 66, the lowest round of the day in Orlando.

Northern Irishman McIlroy went round in 68 to move to four under and a share of ninth place.

"I played the last 10 holes really, really well," said McIlroy, who birdied four of the first seven holes on the back nine.

"Overall I am really pleased. I played a very sort of controlled, patient round of golf, which you need to do around here."

The most recent of Berger's four PGA Tour titles came in 2021.

American world number one Scottie Scheffler bogeyed the 18th in a round of 71 that left him three under.

England's Tommy Fleetwood, who was four over after the first round, shot three birdies on the back nine in a second-round 69 to make the cut on one over.

Liverpool managed to get revenge on Wolves as they beat them 3-1 on Friday night.

The two teams faced one another earlier in the week during a Premier League clash where Rob Edwards' men beat the Anfield outfit 2-1.

Most of the Reds' fans were left embarrassed by the poor outing from their team and, even though they advanced into the next round of the FA Cup on Friday, there's still a lot more that needs to come from some members of their team.

Indeed, the FA Cup isn't going to be on top of the Reds' priority list at the moment but if they can add another piece of silverware to their trophy cabinet it would certainly make the 2025-26 season sweeter.

However, if they want to do this, some tough decisions will need to be made by Arne Slot that could cause a bit of a stir.

Rio Ngumoha must start every Liverpool game over Cody Gakpo after his performance vs Wolves

Ever since the 2025-26 season first kicked off, fans were begging Slot to give Rio Ngumoha a chance to start a game.

And, even though the 17-year-old has been given more and more opportunities over the last few weeks, Friday night was the first time the Englishman was given a start for a long while.

Ngumoha was used in Cody Gakpo's usual position with the Dutchman being moved into the number nine role.

Some thought that Gakpo would thrive as Liverpool's number nine, especially after the numbers he put out last term.

But, in Friday's game against Wolves, the Dutchman looked like a deer in headlights.

However, Ngumoha took his chance to start by the horns and proved why Slot should be playing him more often.

And now, after Friday's outing, it's hard to see a way back into the team for Gakpo, especially if Ngumoha can continue performing to that standard.

Rio Ngumoha left Cody Gakpo red-faced

Although Slot may have taken Ngumoha off in the 69th minute, his time on the pitch will be well remembered.

Throughout the entirety of the first half he was the Reds' best player and, up until the second 45 minutes, he seemed like the only Liverpool player who wanted to win.

As per Sofascore, during his 69 minutes on the pitch, he got two of his four shots on target with one of them even being blocked.

The 17-year-old also maintained a 91 per cent pass accuracy with one of them even being a key pass.

A player as young as Ngumoha putting out performances to this standard is unheard of in England's top flight.

And, the scary thing is that since he's still so young, there's so much more room for him to grow and develop into an even better player.

If Slot is serious about trying to finish in the Champions League spots this season, he has to put more trust into Ngumoha and drop Gakpo, especially since he's recently been dubbed an "average" player.

Otherwise, Liverpool could end up going back to square one and ending up worse off than they currently find themselves which would be rather embarrassing.

Barcelona will travel to Bilbao as they get set to take on Athletic Club at San Mames in Matchday 27 of La Liga.

Following that, there has been a change to their itinerary as Barça will remain in Bilbao overnight before flying directly to England. Instead of returning to Catalonia after the match, the club has decided that the team will depart from Bilbao Airport for Newcastle on Sunday.

Once in England, the Barça delegation will spend two nights in the city before playing the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 on Tuesday at St James’ Park. Immediately after the match, the team will fly back to Barcelona.

Because of this unusual travel schedule, Hansi Flick will use a single squad list for both matches. The players selected for the trip to Bilbao will remain with the group and continue on to Newcastle.

Xavi Espart, Alvaro Cortes to be called up

Now, according to SPORT, two academy players are expected to be part of the Barcelona travelling delegation: Xavi Espart and Alvaro Cortes.

Espart trained with the Barça first team on Wednesday, the day after the Copa del Rey match against Atletico Madrid. He continued training with Flick’s group on Thursday and Friday.

Cortes joined the first-team training group on Thursday and continued on the eve of the game against Athletic Club.

Alvaro Cortes (L) set to be called up by Flick. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

And, now, both Espart and Cortes are expected to be called up for tonight’s game and consequently travel for the match against Newcastle United as well.

Both academy players have previously been included in Barça matchday squads, although neither has yet made their official debut with the first team.

Cover for injured players

Flick is counting on the young defenders largely because of the injuries to Jules Koundé and Alejandro Balde.

Both defenders suffered hamstring injuries during the Copa del Rey clash with Atletico Madrid and are expected to be sidelined for more than a month.

Xavi Espart is a dynamic right-back known for his ability to play both inside and outside in possession phases. He combines attacking impetus with solid defensive balance. He will serve as a direct cover at right-back.

Alvaro Cortes, meanwhile, is a left-footed centre-back with strong physical presence, leadership qualities, and reliable ball distribution from the back. His presence in the squad will free up Gerard Martin to operate in his natural position at left-back.

It wasn’t a great week for the Arizona Wildcats in their matchups against their in-state rivals from Arizona State. The Sun Devils women’s basketball team beat UA for the third time to start the week. Then, the Wildcats’ beach volleyball team lost to ASU 3-2 earlier on Friday afternoon. The week wasn’t over, though.

The GymCats had an opportunity to get some glory back for their school on Friday evening. They took advantage with a 196.400 to 196.000 victory in McKale Center.

“I was just very happy with the end result,” said Arizona head coach John Court. “Of course, getting the Territorial Cut point, that’s important. I told [the gymnasts]…the season hasn’t gone the way I want it to go. I said, I’m not going to be shy about that, but I said there’s one thing that everyone in this zip code understands. They understand when Arizona beats Arizona State. That’s what everyone understands.”

It’s the only thing sophomore Aubrey Krohnfeldt has ever known since the GymCats have come out on top the past two years, but juniors Sophie Derr and Abigayle Martin know what it feels like. They lost to ASU in Tempe their freshman year.

“That was the worse feeling ever,” Martin said.

“I don’t want to feel that way,” Krohnfeldt added.

“Aubrey, you don’t want to,” Martin assured her. “We won’t.”

At least this year they didn’t, anyway. The GymCats were steady all evening, scoring 49 or more in each rotation. They had just one missed routine and they were able to drop that.

That miss came in the final rotation when Derr sat down one of her tumbling passes on floor exercise. It could have been devastating. The highly entertaining routine can score very well. Derr typically sells it at a very high level and it’s incredibly fun to watch.

She scored below 9.800 for just the second time this season. The other sub-9.8 was a 9.775 on Jan. 23, 2026. This time, it was a 9.150.

Arizona had difficulty with floor last week when both Martin and Riley Carman had falls on the event. Both helped lift Derr this week. Carman earned a 9.800 earlier in the rotation. Martin came up just after Derr and scored a 9.825.

Martin’s teammates began to jump and cheer as her routine ended. She joined them. It was a huge relief for a number of reasons.

“I think having that fall last week was really disappointing for me, and especially after Riley’s fall,” Martin said. “That is truly the worst feeling in the world when you can’t have their back. And so I went into the gym more motivated than ever, and I was really excited to prove that I was going to have Sophie’s back tonight. And I knew at the end of that routine, like no matter what I was feeling in that moment, fatigue, like to put it all out of mind. Out of sight and out of mind, and just focus on the task at hand. So maybe not my best routine that I’ve ever done, but I honestly think that it is one of the routines that I’m most proud of at this point in the season.”

After Martin’s routine, ASU was done performing on beam. The Sun Devils had a final score of 196.000. The GymCats had one floor routine to go. It was by Emma Strom. She needed to score a 9.550 to tie ASU.

Strom had performed nine floor routines this season. She had only scored below 9.900 twice. Her lowest score of the season was a 9.725 in Arizona’s second meet of the season.

The senior came through again. She matched her career high for the second time this season with a 9.950.

“I just want it so bad for this group, and when I looked back at Abby and Emma, I had 100 percent confidence that they were going to have my back and do what needed to be done for the team,” Derr said.

It was a close meet, but it also felt like it was comfortably in Arizona’s hand all night long. That was likely because of how they staked their claim from the first vault of the night.

ASU performs three vaults with 10.0 start values. Arizona doesn’t perform any with the highest start values. So, if both teams perform perfect vaults, the best the GymCats can score is 49.750 while the Sun Devils could conceivably score 49.900.

Arizona wasn’t perfect, but it scored over 49 on vault for just the fourth time this season. Liz LaRusso started things out with a lovely vault with a stuck landing. That got a 9.825. Derr had another strong vault and stuck landing to get a 9.850. Strom followed with a stuck landing and a 9.825.

“The first three vaults were just incredible,” Court said. “Next three were okay, but the first three really did their job.”

Court was especially impressed by Derr, who has begun performing all-around for the team. The junior came into the program know as a bars specialist, but she and Martin now contribute 8 of the team’s 24 routines every meet.

Arizona’s lead grew after each of the first three rotations. After one, the lead was 0.025.

Next was bars, where Krohnfeldt went in the anchor spot and matched her career high with a 9.900. As a team, Arizona scored 49.150.

The GymCats combined for a 98.175 halfway through the meet. Their rivals had scored 98.000. It was close, but Arizona was increasing its lead with each rotation.

ASU went to floor exercise while Arizona started the second half on balance beam. The GymCats didn’t keep a score lower than 9.800 on the beam. Their drop score was a 9.750.

Over on floor exercise, ASU was not as consistent. They kept two scores in the 9.700 range. The Devils needed to come up big on balance beam, especially anchor Kimberly Smith.

“I said, this meet’s gonna come down to Kim Smith and Emma Strom,” Court said. “Emma’s anchor on floor, Kim is going to anchor balance beam. And I said, that’s what this meet’s going to come down to, and that is exactly what it came down to.”

The two teams will likely meet again in the postseason. ASU is hosting regionals. Since Arizona is within 400 miles of Tempe, the NCAA will send the GymCats up I-10 if they qualify for the postseason.

France could retain the Six Nations title with a round to spare as they take on Scotland at Murrayfield.

The defending champions have been a class apart so far in the competition, following up a significant opening-round win over Ireland with successes against Wales and Italy.

Three bonus-point wins thus far have left them top of the table with 15 points, and another victory by four tries or more would make certain of the title.

Ireland’s hard-fought win over Wales last night has left them on 14 competition points and thus unable to reach more than 19, while Scotland sit in third on 11 points as they host the defending champions.

Even a high-scoring, narrow defeat for Scotland, and banking two bonus points, would not be enough to keep their hopes alive if France still win with a bonus point.

France host England in Paris on Six Nations “Super Saturday” as the final round of fixtures is held next weekend.

A championship success would be their eighth since the addition of Italy to the tournament in 2000, moving clear of England as the outright most successful side in that period.

It would be a 28th crown for France overall in the competition’s long lineage. They will not lift the trophy in Edinburgh, though, even if the title is secure; the presentation will take place on the final weekend.

Big East tournament bracket: Full TV schedule, channels, scores for 2026 men's basketball championships originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

This is March. 

Postseason play has arrived in college basketball, with conference tournaments heating up across the country ahead of the NCAA Tournament. 

In the Big East, all the action will be at Madison Square Garden for the 44th year in a row. Teams like UConn, St. John's and Villanova will soon be looking to cap strong seasons with a conference title, with an automatic March Madness bid also on the line.

Here's everything you need to know for the Big East Tournament, from TV to streaming options.

Big East basketball tournament bracket 2026

The current seeding, bracket, and regular-season records for the 2026 Big East men's basketball tournament is listed in the table below. 

Where to watch Big East men's basketball tournament

• TV channel: FS1, Fox
• Live stream: DirecTV, Peacock

The opening round games, featuring seeds No. 6-11, of the 2026 Big East tournament will all be streaming on Peacock. 

In the quarterfinals, Game 4 (No. 1 seed vs. No. 8/9 seed) and Game 5 (No. 4 vs. No. 5 seed) will also both be streaming exclusively on Peacock. However, Game 6 (No. 2 seed vs. No. 7/10 seed) and Game 7 (No. 3 vs. No. 6/11 seed) will be airing on FS1.

Both semifinals games can be watched nationally on Fox channels, with the first being on Fox, and the second being on FS1. Finally, the championship game will air nationally on Fox.

Viewers can stream the action from the Big East Tournament through DirecTV, which carries Fox channels, while Peacock will be the home of the first few games of the bracket. 

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Big East men's basketball tournament schedule 2026

• Dates: Wednesday, March 11–Saturday, March 14
• Location: Madison Square Garden, New York City

The 2026 Big East men's basketball tournament begins on Wednesday, March 11, and concludes with the championship game on Saturday, March 14.

All games will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Wednesday, March 11: First Round

Thursday, March 12: Quarterfinals

Friday, March 13: Semifinals

Saturday, March 14: Championship

Big East men's tournament radio coverage 2026

• Radio station: SiriusXM

You can listen to the Big East men's basketball tournament live with SiriusXM.

Get SiriusXM for free for your first month. Listen to live NBA, NFL, MLB, and NHL games, plus NASCAR, college sports, and more. Stay updated with all the news and get all the analysis on multiple sport-specific channels, including dedicated coverage of mid-major conference tournaments on SiriusXM College Sports Radio.

Related Links

• Latest college basketball news
• Full men's college basketball schedule 2024-25
• Updated men’s conference standings

Nico O’Reilly was missed by Manchester City in 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest at the Etihad on Wednesday night. Pep Guardiola’s side missed O’Reilly’s physical presence and ability to get forward against a plucky Forest side. Nico O’Reilly was ruled out of Manchester City’s match against Forest due to an ankle injury that he sustained in City’s 1-nil win over Leeds United at Elland Road. Up next for City is a FA Cup fifth-round tie against Newcastle United at St. James’ Park tonight. It has been revealed that Nico O’Reilly could potentially return for tonight’s match which would be huge for City.

Nico O’Reilly is a chance of returning for Manchester City against Newcastle United tonight.

Pep Guardiola revealed during his pre-game press conference yesterday that Nico O’Reilly is feeling better after the ankle injury he sustained against Leeds. Guardiola added that a decision on Nico O’Reilly’s availability for tonight’s match was due to be made after the Manchester City squad trained yesterday. Speaking on O’Reilly’s status, Guardiola said: “Yesterday he felt better – we will see today.”

Nico O’Reilly will have a vital role to play for City across the back end of this season.

It is good news to learn that Nico O’Reilly could return for Manchester City for today’s FA fifth-round tie against Newcastle. The young midfielder has become a key player for Pep Guardiola’s side and it can be argued that O’Reilly’s rise as a midfielder began against Newcastle. Nico O’Reilly started in midfield in Manchester City’s 2-nil win over Newcastle in the first-leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final tie. He thrived under the physical pressure provided by Newcastle midfielder Joelinton and that game was a big moment in Nico O’Reilly’s rise as a midfielder.

As Manchester City begin to contend with a congested and trying fixture list, they will need Nico O’Reilly back fit and in midfield. O’Reilly offers strength in duels, quality going forward, and his physical attributes are completely different from any other City midfielders. It is hoped that O’Reilly is now over the ankle injury he recently sustained.

Pep Guardiola’s update on Nico O’Reilly is positive news. Hopefully, the England international can return tonight. City may well need his physical presence against Newcastle. More importantly, City will need Nico O’Reilly back as soon as possible. He is a key part of Pep Guardiola’s side. His growth has been impressive this season. He is a player who offers a different quality to the City midfield. That quality will be needed across the final stages of the 25/26 season.

Rob Edwards commented on one big difference in Liverpool’s performance against Wolves on Friday night compared to the teams’ previous meeting earlier in the week.

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Having gone down to an insipid 2-1 defeat at Molineux in the Premier League on Tuesday, the Reds made amends three nights later with a 3-1 victory which has taken them into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

In his post-match press conference, the Old Gold head coach praised the Merseysiders’ pressing intensity as ‘elite’ and noted how they improved vastly in that regard from the top-flight meeting just days earlier.

Edwards full of praise for ‘elite’ Liverpool

Edwards said (via Liverpool World): “Their counter-pressing and intensity was better. There were moments on Tuesday when we got through them. It was hard to get through or around them tonight.

“It was really tough. When we won it back, a few people took too many touches and it allowed them to go and nail us. Sometimes it wasn’t our fault; it was just brilliant counter-pressing from them. It was almost like they were swarming us.

“Their intensity was very, very good. [There were] a few turnovers when we could have been better, a lot where I thought, ‘That’s the level’. What they showed is the level, an incredibly elite level.”

Liverpool were so much better last night compared to midweek

Having been ‘shambolic’ against Wolves on Tuesday (in the words of James Pearce), Liverpool managed to raise their levels a few gears in the second half last night, with Rio Ngumoha turning in a starring display after being handed a rare senior start.

Edwards’ comments about the Reds’ intensity are backed up by their statistics out of possession across the two matches this week. They made six more recoveries than their opponents on Friday compared to one fewer in midweek, while also increasing their duel success rate from 45% to 52% (Sofascore).

The counter-pressing of which the Wolves boss spoke hasn’t always been evident in Arne Slot’s team this season, although it was more reminiscent of the Jurgen Klopp era when LFC became famed for that particular trait.

Liverpool’s attitude last night was considerably better than on Tuesday, even though it took until after half-time to find that all-important piece of ingenuity to break the deadlock, and that’s what they now need to bring into a daunting Champions League clash away to Galatasaray next week.

Edwards was gracious in defeat, and he can be very pleased with his team’s efforts over their past few games as they attempt to save face on what has been a chastening campaign at Molineux.

Liam Rosenior has revealed Liam Delap will have opportunities to play in big games, and is confident he’ll make the most of them.

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Delap has struggled following his £30m move from Ipswich last summer, and has scored two goals in 27 appearances in all competitions.

The England under-21 international has had some injury problems, but when he’s been on the pitch he simply hasn’t performed to the level required.

Liam Rosenior confirms Liam Delap will get opportunities in big games

With Joao Pedro on fire following the arrival of Rosenior, Delap has seen his opportunities limited and hasn’t started since the win against Hull in the FA Cup last month.

Jamie Carragher believes the move from Ipswich was too big a step for Delap, but with Chelsea facing Wrexham on Saturday in the FA Cup fifth round an opportunity could present itself.

Jason Cundy feels a loan could be a good option for Delap, but his main focus will be on finishing the season strongly, and Rosenior has confirmed he will get opportunities in big games.

“Liam’s last game he got three assists. He was in a good place. You need a group. You need a group,” he told his pre match press conference.

“Joao is on fire. But that’s nothing on Liam. That’s Joao’s performances. That’s the level that we need to have.

“I expect Liam, when he does get his opportunity to take it, to show his qualities. You’re not comparing players, you’re respecting them for their each individual strength.

“Liam will have his opportunities to play in big games. It’s up to him to take it and I’m confident that he will.”

Joao Pedro looking to emulate Diego Costa

Whilst Delap has struggled this season, Pedro has been one of the signings of the season, and scored his first Chelsea hat-trick against Aston Villa.

The Brazilian has now scored 14 league goals this season, and eight in eight league games since Rosenior took over.

More Stories / Latest News

“I expect Liam” – Liam Rosenior sends message to Delap amid brilliant Joao Pedro form

7th Mar 2026, 07:15am

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7th Mar 2026, 06:45am

Rosenior explains how he helped turn Joao Pedro into goal machine after Maresca struggles

6th Mar 2026, 08:00pm

Pedro now needs six goals in the last nine games to become the first Chelsea striker to score 20 league goals in a season since Diego Costa, and on current form you wouldn’t bet against him.

Check out the latest edition of Simon Phillips’ SPTC podcast here:

As the dust settles on another chaotic round of fixtures, FPL managers are left picking up the pieces of a week defined by unexpected absences and tactical shifts.

From injury scares to goalkeeper dilemmas, the Lessons from Game Week 29 of the EPL provide a critical roadmap for navigating the final stretch of the season.

Whether you are dealing with a red-carded defender or a blanking superstar, understanding the underlying shifts in this round is vital for your Gameweek 30 planning.

Key Injury Updates and Player Availability

One of the most significant Lessons from Game Week 29 of the EPL is that the “wait and see” approach remains the best strategy.

Harry Wilson missed out on GW-29 due to a minor ankle twist, but he could return for GW-30. Similarly,

William Saliba was sidelined with an ankle injury during Arsenal’s win over Brighton; he is expected to be back for the clash against Everton, but his absence proved that Arsenal can still grind out clean sheets without their main man.

In the mid-tier, Fulham’s Joachim Andersen missed out due to illness, while Crystal Palace defender Daniel Munoz is a major doubt for next week after picking up a shoulder injury against Spurs.

These forced changes serve as a reminder to always have a strong first bench option.

Tactical Shifts and Emerging Trends

We saw some fascinating tactical Lessons from Game Week 29 of the EPL regarding player positioning. Once again, Anthony Gordon led the line as a number 9 for Newcastle, proving his value as an out-of-position (OOP) asset.

Meanwhile, Joao Pedro has officially become the form forward of the league. With his recent hat-trick against Aston Villa, only Erling Haaland has more total points than the Chelsea striker among forwards this season.

In the keeper department, Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez was benched in favor of Filip Jorgensen. Liam Rosenior has explicitly stated he has no “clear favorite,” making the Chelsea goal a high-risk zone for FPL managers.

The Haaland and Rogers Dilemma

Is it time to worry about the robot? One of the toughest Lessons from Game Week 29 of the EPL to swallow is Erling Haaland’s lack of explosive returns.

Since Gameweek 17, the Norwegian has recorded only one double-digit haul. While selling him feels like heresy, the data shows he is no longer the “perma-captain” lock he once was.

On the budget side, Morgan Rogers blanked again, frustrating his owners. However, with the heavy rotation expected in the coming weeks, holding onto him until the Gameweek 31 blank is likely the smartest move to avoid wasting precious transfers.

Disciplinary and Squad Notes

• Micky van de Ven is suspended for the upcoming match against Liverpool after receiving a direct red card against Palace.
• Ismaila Sarr appears to have secured penalty duties for Crystal Palace, stepping up in the absence of Mateta.
• Benjamin Sesko has now started back-to-back games for Manchester United, though he remains a prime candidate for an early substitution.
• Nico O’Reilly was absent from the Manchester City squad due to an ankle injury; we are still waiting for a definitive update from Pep Guardiola.

The most important takeaway from this round is to avoid making early transfers. With the FA Cup matches scheduled for this weekend, the landscape of Gameweek 31 could change dramatically.

For instance, if Newcastle manages to defeat Manchester City in the cup, the postponed City vs. Crystal Palace fixture could be moved back into the GW-31 window, removing the “blank” for both sides.

Stay patient, watch the injury reports, and use these Lessons from Game Week 29 of the EPL to stay one step ahead of your rivals.

LOS ANGELES — There are nights when the offense runs smoothly, nights when the ball moves, and nights when everything feels under control. And then there are nights like Friday at Crypto.com Arena, when Luka Dončić turns the entire building into his personal stage.

The Los Angeles Lakers rode a breathtaking performance from Dončić to a 128–117 win over the Indiana Pacers, but the final score barely captures the story of the night. This one was decided long before the final buzzer.

It was, simply put, the Luka Show.

A First-Quarter Avalanche

With LeBron James held out Friday night, the offensive responsibility fell squarely on Dončić and Austin Reaves.

Dončić wasted no time accepting the assignment.

He scored 22 points in the opening quarter, playing all 12 minutes and drilling five three-pointers without a miss. Every time the Pacers seemed to settle defensively, Dončić found another gear — a step-back here, a deep pull-up there, and even a banked triple for good measure. It was the fifth time this season Dončić has scored 20 or more points in the first quarter, the most by any player in a season since play-by-play tracking began in 1996–97.

And yes, his former coach noticed.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, who coached Dončić earlier in his career, spoke glowingly before the game.

“He’s gonna be an MVP,” Carlisle said. “Luka is the extra special of the most extra special in terms of what he can do on a basketball court.”

By the end of the night, it looked less like praise and more like prophecy.

Historic Shot-Making

By halftime, Dončić had already crossed into statistical territory rarely seen.

According to the Lakers, he became the only player this season to record at least 29 points, six made threes, six rebounds and three assists in a single half — and remarkably, he’s now done it four times, something no player has accomplished multiple times in the past 30 seasons.

Still, he wasn’t finished.

Dončić erupted again in the third quarter, pouring in 15 more points as the Pacers continued searching — unsuccessfully — for an answer. Every defensive look failed. Traps, switches, drop coverage — none of it mattered.

“He just really imposed his will and took control of the game early,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said afterward.

Redick summed up Dončić’s shooting display with a grin.

“He can make every shot. He can make a step-back left-wing bank shot that line-drives and barely goes above the rim.”

Reaves Keeps It Rolling

By the time Dončić sat down for good, the outcome was already settled. Reaves made sure of it early in the fourth quarter. With Dončić resting, Reaves scored seven straight points, pushing the Lakers’ lead to 23 and effectively ending any hopes of a Pacers comeback. He finished with 19 points and five assists, continuing his steady production alongside Dončić.

Reaves even joked about one of Dončić’s circus shots.

“That shot he made at the end of the third off the glass,” Reaves said. “He gets bored and tries stuff. Good player.”

Supporting Cast Steps In

Several Lakers filled their roles around the superstar performance. Rui Hachimura, starting in place of James, added 13 points in 23 minutes, while Luke Kennard provided a scoring boost off the bench with 15 points, hitting three of five from beyond the arc.

“I don’t think he gets enough credit for what he can do out there,” Kennard said of Dončić. “It’s fun to watch, but it’s another thing to be a part of it.”

With Deandre Ayton sidelined by knee soreness, Jaxson Hayes started at center and chipped in nine points and four rebounds, while Marcus Smart added 11 points as Redick carefully managed minutes after Thursday’s back-to-back in Denver.

Jordan Teller - The Sporting Tribune

Jaxson Hayes #11 of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks the ball during an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers, Friday March 6, 2026 in Los Angeles, Calif.

More Than Just Offense

Dončić’s stat line — 44 points, nine rebounds, five assists in 32 minutes — was spectacular enough. But he also delivered defensively, finishing with three steals and two blocks.

“I know people are not gonna talk about it, never,” Dončić said about his defense with a smile. “Just trying to do my job. Be more aggressive, more engaged. Just trying to be better on the defensive end.”

He didn’t even need the fourth quarter.

The performance marked his 10th 40-point game of the season, and it came just one night after he picked up his 15th technical foul in Denver — meaning the next one will trigger a suspension.

Redick was pleased with how Dončić handled himself Friday.

“He had very pleasant conversations with the officials tonight,” Redick said.

Jordan Teller - The Sporting Tribune

Luka Dončić #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots a three pointer during an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers, Friday March 6, 2026 in Los Angeles, Calif.

Managing that competitive fire, however, is not something Redick wants extinguished.

“He’s a special kind of player. He’s a special kind of person. He’s a special kind of competitor,” Redick said. “I would much rather have someone who’s trying to go out every night and kill than someone you have to literally revive with a defibrillator every other day.”

With the win, the Lakers improved to 38–25, moving within half a game of the Denver Nuggets for fifth place in the Western Conference. The team will take Saturday off before hosting the New York Knicks Sunday afternoon back at Crypto.com Arena.

HOUSTON — Baseball is rarely easy to predict, and so Lucas Ramirez has made a habit of the next best thing.

In the months leading up to his World Baseball Classic debut for Team Brazil against Team USA, the outfielder ritually practiced affirmations and visualizations to prepare for his entry onto baseball’s international scene.

“Ever since the (WBC) qualifiers, I was envisioning that first at-bat bomb,” Ramirez said. “And it’s crazy that it actually happened. For five months, I’ve been – every time before I go to bed after I pray, I visualize it. And it happened.”  

So when Ramirez rounded the bases at Daikin Park on Friday night after he delivered a leadoff home run in Brazil’s first at-bat of the tournament – one of two solo home runs he hit in the game – he screamed, “I told you!”

“I say go out there with confidence (and) you can do anything you speak,” Ramirez said later. “If you say it out loud, it’ll happen. I’m telling you. It will happen.”

Although Team USA broke the game open in the late innings for a 15-5 win over Brazil, two of Brazil’s youngest players provided the team’s brightest moments.

At 20 years and 49 days old, Ramirez is the youngest player in WBC history with a multi-homer game. His teammate, Brazil pitcher Joseph Contreras, the youngest player in the tournament at 17 years and 291 days old, got USA captain Aaron Judge to ground into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded.

When asked how that moment ranked in his career, Contreras, a senior at Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in the Atlanta suburbs, said, “That has to be up there. That’s definitely like a top two moment. I would say the first one obviously was winning the state championship back home. There’s nothing better than winning it all.”

Both players represent Brazil because of their mothers’ heritage and are the sons of MLB legends. Ramirez’s father Manny won two World Series titles with the Red Sox and was a 12-time All-Star. Contreras’ father José was a World Series champion with the White Sox in 2005 and an All-Star in 2006.

Both fathers were in the stands at Daikin Park on Friday to watch their sons’ WBC debuts. The performances the sons delivered were proof that they can create their own legacies.

“Having Manny Ramirez as my father is obviously a good thing and a bad thing,” Lucas Ramirez said. “It’s a little hard. Everybody expects so much. That’s why, maybe, I visualize and say things, I guess – because I got to paint my own picture. I got to be Lucas Ramirez, and I got my own path.”

He wasted little time. Judge’s two-run shot in the top of the first inning gave the USA an early 2-0 lead that was halved a short time later.

Leading off the game for Brazil against San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb, Ramirez deposited a low inside-corner fastball over the wall in right-center field. Feet from where the ball landed, the Brazilian contingent in the home bullpen went berserk, with one reliever even hanging over the fence.  

Lucas Ramirez smashes one over the right field wall ⚾️ #WorldBaseballClassicpic.twitter.com/KEHTbQPA5z

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2026

Besides thinking about hitting a bomb, Ramirez said another thought crossed his mind right before he went up to the plate.

“I’m gonna go out there and give it my all, and I’m just gonna have fun,” he said. “Too many people work on the field and they make baseball their whole life. They have a bad game, and they’re going to have a bad attitude the whole rest of their day. Like, this is temporary. We’re here temporarily, and we’re gonna go out there and have fun and be in life.”

In the top of the second inning, Contreras took over for Brazil starter Bo Takahashi and exacted revenge against Judge, but not before getting into a jam.

After retiring the first batter he faced, Contreras gave up a hard-hit double to Brice Turang and surrendered back-to-back walks to Bobby Witt Jr. and Bryce Harper to load the bases for Team USA’s captain.

Contreras got to a 1-1 count against Judge and threw a two-seamer on the inside of the plate. Judge grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning. Osvaldo Carvalho, Brazil’s first baseman, pumped his fist wildly while Contreras walked to the dugout and collected high-fives and pats on the back.

“It was just a surreal experience,” Contreras said. “I tried to visualize on that and make sure keep breathing, but as soon as the lights came on and I was on the mound, it was like ‘Alright, now you got to face Byron Buxton. OK, now it’s real.’ Game sped up on me a little bit but now I know for the next time.”

Expect everything.

17-year-old high school senior Joseph Contreras gets Aaron Judge to hit into a bases-loaded double play to end the ending 😮 pic.twitter.com/R0qH0kODQr

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2026

Following his scoreless frame, Contreras allowed two of the next three batters he faced to reach base before Kyle Schwarber scored on a wild pitch and knocked the teenager out of the game with Brazil trailing 3-1. Still, Team USA came away impressed by Contreras’ outing.

“Impressive. I know I wasn't doing that at that age, that's for sure,” Judge said. “Just great stuff. I know he had some poise on the mound. He's throwing up to 100 miles an hour. He's facing Team USA, a lot of guys he has seen on TV or different things like that. It was just impressive seeing him control himself out there and get out of a big jam.”

In the eighth inning, Ramirez blasted another home run on a one-out pitch from USA reliever Gabe Speier, making the score 8-5.

When Ramirez and Team Brazil manager Yuichi Matsumoto exited the interview room after the game, a Team USA contingent was waiting in the hallway for their turn. USA manager Mark DeRosa told Ramirez, “Way to swing the bat!” Judge shook hands with Ramirez, who in turn asked the three-time American League MVP to take a selfie with him.

Ramirez plays in the Los Angeles Angels organization and spent the 2025 season at the High-A level. Contreras will graduate from high school this spring and is committed to play college ball at Vanderbilt, if he is not drafted by an MLB organization.

Neither has made it to the majors yet, though each inherited certain traits from their dads.

Ramirez mirrors his father’s swing mechanics, though he was taught to hit lefty instead of righthanded. The 20-year-old was drafted in the 17th round in 2024 and last March helped Brazil qualify for the WBC.

The first pitch Contreras learned how to throw was his father’s infamous forkball. The son is 6-foot-4, tall and lanky like his father, and possesses the same quiet confidence.

“Oh man, that kid is something special,” Ramirez said. “Obviously, he comes from a father who plays baseball as well, so that’s been great. That kid’s going to be lights out one day.”

Ramirez regularly takes Christmastime trips to Brazil to visit his grandmother and grandfather, who own a livestock farm there. He said playing for Team Brazil has only strengthened his connection to the country. Ramirez, who speaks fluent Spanish as well as some Portuguese, has asked older players about Brazil’s lone prior WBC appearance in 2013 and been taught by some teammates how to dance to Brazilian funk music.

Friday night’s loss to the USA in pool play left Brazil still searching for its first WBC win after going 0-3 in the 2013 tournament. Brazil is scheduled to play remaining pool games against Italy, Mexico and Great Britain in Houston.

The final scoreline could have been worse, but Team USA’s offense was more junk than juggernaut. Despite Brazil’s pitchers walking 17 batters, hitting two more batters and incurring three pitch clock violations, the Americans hit 5-for-21 with runners in scoring position and stranded 13 baserunners.

What most fans will remember about the night, however, is how two burgeoning stars stole the spotlight from the tournament favorite.

Certainly, Ramirez and Contreras will never forget it. And next time Ramirez goes to visualize his success, he can close his eyes and picture those moments again and again.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Manny Ramirez's son a star for Brazil in WBC game vs USA

Indiana Pacers (15-48, 15th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (30-34, 10th in the Western Conference)

Portland, Oregon; Sunday, 9 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Indiana is looking to stop its eight-game slide with a win against Portland.

The Trail Blazers have gone 16-15 at home. Portland ranks eighth in the league with 45.7 rebounds led by Donovan Clingan averaging 11.5.

The Pacers are 5-26 on the road. Indiana is 6-5 in games decided by less than 4 points.

The Trail Blazers are shooting 45.0% from the field this season, 4.0 percentage points lower than the 49.0% the Pacers allow to opponents. The Trail Blazers average 111.4 points per game, 6.7 fewer points than the 118.1 the Trail Blazers give up.

TOP PERFORMERS: Deni Avdija is shooting 46.3% and averaging 24.4 points for the Trail Blazers. Jrue Holiday is averaging 3.1 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Jarace Walker is scoring 11.1 points per game and averaging 5.0 rebounds for the Pacers. Micah Potter is averaging 14.1 points and 5.9 rebounds over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Trail Blazers: 4-6, averaging 109.6 points, 44.7 rebounds, 24.5 assists, 8.9 steals and 6.5 blocks per game while shooting 44.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.6 points per game.

Pacers: 2-8, averaging 115.8 points, 40.1 rebounds, 29.3 assists, 7.6 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 127.2 points.

INJURIES: Trail Blazers: Kris Murray: day to day (illness), Deni Avdija: day to day (back), Shaedon Sharpe: out (calf), Damian Lillard: out for season (achilles).

Pacers: Johnny Furphy: out for season (knee), Ivica Zubac: out (ankle), Tyrese Haliburton: out for season (achilles).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

New York Knicks (41-23, third in the Eastern Conference) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (38-25, sixth in the Western Conference)

Los Angeles; Sunday, 3:30 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Los Angeles hosts the New York Knicks after Luka Doncic scored 44 points in the Los Angeles Lakers' 128-117 win against the Indiana Pacers.

The Lakers have gone 19-12 at home. Los Angeles is fifth in the Western Conference with 51.6 points per game in the paint led by LeBron James averaging 11.2.

The Knicks are 18-14 on the road. New York scores 117.2 points and has outscored opponents by 6.6 points per game.

The Lakers make 49.9% of their shots from the field this season, which is 4.2 percentage points higher than the Knicks have allowed to their opponents (45.7%). The Knicks are shooting 47.3% from the field, 1.1% lower than the 48.4% the Lakers' opponents have shot this season.

The teams play for the second time this season. The Knicks won the last meeting 112-100 on Feb. 2, with OG Anunoby scoring 25 points in the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Doncic is averaging 32.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 1.5 steals for the Lakers. Austin Reaves is averaging 17.4 points over the last 10 games.

Karl-Anthony Towns is scoring 19.7 points per game and averaging 11.9 rebounds for the Knicks. Anunoby is averaging 2.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Lakers: 6-4, averaging 116.5 points, 40.0 rebounds, 27.5 assists, 8.2 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 50.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.3 points per game.

Knicks: 7-3, averaging 115.0 points, 45.1 rebounds, 30.0 assists, 9.5 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 48.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 101.7 points.

INJURIES: Lakers: LeBron James: out (elbow), Maxi Kleber: out (back), Deandre Ayton: out (knee).

Knicks: Miles McBride: out (ankle).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – How in the world do these Anaheim Ducks keep pulling this off?

With the top-two comeback win teams facing off on Friday, both had their chances to add to their total. The Montreal Canadiens overcame the first goal of the game. Anaheim overturned a 2-1 deficit. Even when the Ducks seemingly took hold at 4-2, the Habs fired back with three goals in five minutes to lead in the third period.

Anaheim then responded with its own brand of magic: a Chris Kreider final-minute deflection, the shootout and home ice.

Kreider tied the game with his career-best-tying fourth point of the night with 42 seconds remaining, Alex Killorn scored a sixth-round shootout tiebreaker and Lukáš Dostál locked it down again, as the Ducks beat Montreal, 6-5, at Honda Center.

“That's one of those games coaches don't enjoy but the fans do, right?” Kreider said. “I don't really know what to say about the games right now, to be honest, because they've been kind of chaotic, kind of crazy. Again, very entertaining, I think.”

Anaheim has now won five of six games on this homestand, all in comeback fashion to tie Montreal with an NHL-high 19 comeback victories. The Ducks are also far and away the league’s shootout leaders with a perfect 8-0 record in the tiebreaker.

The Ducks have won seven of their last eight games overall and 10 of their last 11 home games with a 14-3-0 record in their last 17 games. Anaheim is 22-9-1 at home.

“Pretty high event, I'd say,” Jacob Trouba said. “Find a way to win games. That's what's important.”

Trouba earned two assists, including the game-tying assist on the shot deflected in by Kreider. The game-tying goal was the Ducks league-leading fifth final-minute goal of the season.

Cutter Gauthier scored for the fourth straight game to open the contest with his seventh goal in six games since the restart and ninth goal in the last eight games overall.

Radko Gudas, Jackson LaCombe and Leo Carlsson all scored in this wild, back-and-forth affair.

Dostál made 23 saves and stopped five of six Montreal shootout attempts.

“We did what we wanted to do at the start of the year, and we kind of did what we did at the start of the year coming out of the break,” Ducks coach Joel Quenneville said, “but we wanted to have a positive beginning again, that could put us in a spot at the end. We've had about four of these games, like today, that you could say, hey, we're fortunate in ways, but we find a way to compete, right to the end, and we have some guys that could put the puck in the net, and we have some goalies that make big saves at big times.”

For the first time since Dec. 22, Anaheim (35-24-3, 73 points) jumped into first place in the Pacific Division, leapfrogging Vegas (29-20-14, 71 points), which lost in Minnesota on Friday. The Ducks still have one game in hand on the Knights with 20 games to play.

This is the latest Anaheim has held first place in the division since 2017, the last time the Ducks captured a Pacific Division title. Anaheim's 35 wins also matches its full 82-game total from last season in just 62 games.

Edmonton (30-25-8, 68 points) is now five points back of Anaheim after losing in Carolina tonight. The Ducks have one game in hand on the Oilers, as well.

Seattle (29-23-9, 67 points) fell to six points behind Anaheim in the second wild card with one fewer game played.

The Ducks close out this season-long seven-game homestand against St. Louis on Sunday.

Trade Deadline Round-Up

It’s been a busy couple days off the ice in Anaheim leading up to Friday's noon Pacific trade deadline. Catch up with the all the latest:

• Ducks GM Pat Verbeek: “Worth it” to finally trade collected assets, make playoff push

• Ducks acquire veteran defenseman John Carlson from Washington

• The 36-year-old Carlson is “not near done,” “thrilled” to join Anaheim in deadline deal

• Ryan Strome ends four-year run with Ducks, traded to Calgary at deadline

• Ryan Poehling signs four-year contract extension

Big 12 tournament bracket: Full TV schedule, channels, scores for 2026 men's basketball championships originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

After the SEC's dominance last season, the Big 12 has staked its claim as the nation's best conference in 2025-26. 

Arizona, Houston, Iowa State, Texas Tech and Kansas all appear headed for top-four seeds in the NCAA Tournament, while BYU, UCF and TCU have all positioned themselves for bids despite less steady seasons. 

Whether the Big 12's depth can compete with the group of elite teams at the top is perhaps the biggest question entering the tournament in Kansas City. Cincinnati has been on the rise of late, while Arizona State picked up a win over Kansas in the final week of the regular season and Scott Drew's Baylor team is always a tough out. Those teams could be capable of making a run, but Arizona and Houston will be enormously difficult to knock off at the top of the Big 12.

Here's a complete guide to the 2026 Big 12 tournament, including the bracket, scores and how to watch. 

Big 12 basketball tournament bracket 2026

The current seeding, bracket, and regular-season records for the 2026 Big 12 basketball tournament is listed in the table below. 

Where to watch Big 12 men's basketball tournament

• TV channel: ESPN, ESPN2
• Live stream:ESPN App

The Big 12 men's basketball tournament will be broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2 and on the ESPN App. The ESPN app is the exclusive home of the first round and two games in the second round, while the rest of the tournament will air on either ESPN or ESPN2, depending on the game.

The semifinals will air on ESPN2, while the championship will air nationally on ESPN on Saturday, March 14. These games can also be streamed via the ESPN app by logging in with a television provider.

Now you can watch ESPN without cable. Stream live NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, college sports, plus SportsCenter, First Take, and all your favorite ESPN shows—anytime, anywhere—only in the new ESPN app.

Big 12 men's basketball tournament schedule 2026

• Dates: Tuesday, March 10–Saturday, March 14
• Location: T-Mobile Center, Kansas City, Missouri

The 2026 Big 12 men's basketball tournament will begin on Tuesday, March 10 and run through Saturday, March 14. All games will be played at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.

Tuesday, March 10: First Round

Wednesday, March 11: Second Round

Thursday, March 12: Quarterfinals

Sunday, March 8: Semifinals

Tuesday, March 10: Championship

Big 12 men's tournament radio coverage 2026

• Radio station: SiriusXM

You can listen to the Big 12 men's basketball tournament live with SiriusXM.

Get SiriusXM for free for your first month. Listen to live NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL games, plus NASCAR, college sports and more. Stay updated with all the news and get all the analysis on multiple sport-specific channels, including dedicated coverage of the Big 12 on SiriusXM College Sports Radio.

Related Links

• Latest college basketball news
• Full men's college basketball schedule 2024-25
• Updated men’s conference standings

Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr. takes major shot at Ozzie Albies after Venezuela beats Netherlands originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Atlanta Braves are hoping the 2025 season was simply a fluke and that they can move forward in 2026. However, early setbacks — including pitchers already dealing with injuries and Jurickson Profar receiving a season-long suspension — have made it feel like déjà vu.

“Atlanta Braves designated hitter Jurickson Profar is facing a 162-game suspension after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug for the second time in the last year, sources told ESPN on Tuesday. Profar, 33, is the sixth player to receive a 162-game ban for PED use since Major League Baseball increased the penalty for two-time offenders to a full season in 2014. He will forfeit the entirety of his $15 million salary,” Jeff Passan wrote.

The outfield will once again be led by Ronald Acuña Jr., whose long-term future in Atlanta continues to be a topic of discussion.

“The Braves must also account for future extensions for other core players, making payroll allocation a delicate exercise. Retaining Acuña long term is a priority, but accomplishing it will not be easy. Bellinger pulled in $162 million despite his up-and-down career thus far. Signing Acuña will almost certainly require more, both in total dollars and years,” HTHB’s Chase Owens wrote. “With each big-money contract we see like Bellinger or Kyle Tucker or Bo Bichette, it feels increasingly likely that Ronald would have no trouble finding a deal worth at least $300 million if not significantly more.”

That decision is still likely a few years away. For now, the focus shifts to the World Baseball Classic, where Acuña is representing Venezuela. In the opening game, he faced his Braves teammate Ozzie Albies and the Netherlands. Venezuela came away with the victory, and Acuña quickly took a playful jab at his teammate afterward.

“I have a signed shirt for you, brother. Ozzie YOU CAN’T BEAT ME DAWG,” Acuna posted.

The two have been close friends since arriving in Atlanta, but the World Baseball Classic always adds a layer of competition. Venezuela earned a convincing 6–2 win in the matchup, with Acuña contributing at the plate while Albies struggled to find a hit. 

The tournament brings together the best players in the world and showcases baseball on a global stage. For now, Acuña has the bragging rights over his Braves teammate. While he got the first laugh, anything can happen as the World Baseball Classic continues.

More MLB news:

• Yankees reportedly missed out on $325M 'match-made-in-heaven' MVP, World Series champion

• Braves predicted to trade Dylan Lee, Didier Fuentes for Yankees' $5.1M phenom with elite bat speed

• Braves predicted to trade for $5M World Baseball Classic champion with elite plate discipline

• Braves predicted to part ways with $42M NL Silver Slugger, All-Star before Opening Day

• Braves reportedly outbid by Rangers for $1M MVP, Gold Glove winner as Jurickson Profar replacement

• Braves predicted to sign $4M Gold Glove finalist, durable veteran with 149 career home runs

• Braves urged to sign $5M former MVP, 5-time All-Star, Gold Glove winner to replace Jurickson Profar

• Braves' Chris Sale delivers honest reaction to Jurickson Profar's 162-game suspension

• Braves urged to make emergency trade for $100M Gold Glover, Silver Slugger to replace Jurickson Profar

• Braves predicted to replace Jurickson Profar with $5M MVP, 4-time Silver Slugger, 5-time All-Star

Red Bull Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen emerged unscathed from his accident in Australian Grand Prix qualifying, which an X-ray performed on his hands confirmed.

Verstappen was on his very first flying lap in qualifying when the RB22’s rear wheels locked as he braked ahead of Turn 1, sending the four-time world champion into a high-speed spin.

F1 Australian GP: George Russell takes pole by 0.3s as Max Verstappen crashes out

The subsequent impact with the wall was substantial and ended Verstappen’s session. Even though he seemed to be uninjured, the Dutchman still had X-rays performed to make sure his hands were okay; the track’s medical centre is staffed by professionals from the nearby Albert hospital, which is located a few hundred yards away from Turn 10.

Asked how he was feeling in the post-qualifying media pen, Verstappen said: “Yeah, all good. I mean, I just had to get some X-rays done to see if my hands were OK, but nothing was broken.”

Regarding the accident and how it occurred, the Red Bull driver was none the wiser as he hadn’t had a chance to speak to his team yet.

“Yeah, I mean, I just hit the pedal and the whole rear axle just completely locked, which is, especially with these Formula 1 cars, very weird,” he pondered. “I mean, I've never experienced that in my whole life.”

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing crash

However, Verstappen refrained from openly engaging in further criticism of the 2026 regulations with regards to his crash, when it was suggested to him that the way the rear axle locked ‘is kind of symptomatic of this new era of cars’.

“I mean, I don't know,” he replied. “There are so many things that we need to look at, I think, in general as a sport. Yeah, what can I say?”

Verstappen is set to start the Australian Grand Prix from 20th on the grid, with Carlos Sainz and Lance Stroll sharing the back row on Sunday as they failed to take part in qualifying at all.

Red Bull team-mate Isack Hadjar qualified third, but was nearly eight tenths slower than polesetter George Russell.

Photos from Australian GP - Saturday

George Russell, Mercedes

Joe Portlock / Getty Images

Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls

Anni Graf - Formula 1 via Getty Images

Fans

Quinn Rooney / Getty Images

Guenther Steiner

Kym Illman / Getty Images

Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images

Alexandra Leclerc, wife of Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari, walks in the paddock with model and girlfriend of Carlos Sainz of Spain and Williams, Rebecca Donldsonduring

Kym Illman / Getty Images

Alexander Albon, Williams, Carlos Sainz, Williams

Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images

Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls

Jayce Illman / Getty Images

Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls

Anni Graf - Formula 1 via Getty Images

Jackie Stewart

Jayce Illman / Getty Images

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team

Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Quinn Rooney / Getty Images

Flavio Briatore, Alpine, Ayao Komatsu, Haas F1 Team

Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing

Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team

Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

Fans of George Russell, Mercedes

Anni Graf - Formula 1 via Getty Images

Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Team

Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

Lando Norris, McLaren

Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Team

Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Carmen Larbalestier

Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images

Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Team

Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing

Lars Baron / Getty Images

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team

Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

George Russell, Mercedes

Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images

Lando Norris, McLaren

Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing

Lars Baron / Getty Images

Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Team

Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Lando Norris, McLaren

Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing

Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes crash

Paul Crock / AFP via Getty Images

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Pierre Gasly, Alpine

Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team

Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

Carlos Sainz, Williams

Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images

Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Lando Norris, McLaren

Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images

Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

George Russell, Mercedes

Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls, Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing

Anni Graf - Formula 1 via Getty Images

Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Joe Portlock / Getty Images

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Anni Graf - Formula 1 via Getty Images

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing crash

Paul Crock / AFP via Getty Images

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing crash

Paul Crock / AFP via Getty Images

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images

George Russell, Mercedes

Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images

George Russell, Mercedes

Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Joe Portlock / Getty Images

George Russell, Mercedes

Martin Keep / AFP via Getty Images

George Russell, Mercedes, Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

William West / AFP via Getty Images

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

ONTARIO, CA. -- Martin Chromiak’s game-winning shootout goal brings the Ontario Reign to their sixth straight victory as they defeated the Henderson Silver Knights 4-3 in overtime Friday night at Toyota Arena.

“It was a hard fought game,” Andre Lee said in postgame interviews. “We stuck to a structure though and never gave up. And I’m happy we got the win.”

Ontario goalie Pheonix Copley finished with 33 saves on 30 shots, not allowing a single goal in overtime.

“We got a great group,” Lee said. “We know what to expect from each other every night and today I felt like you could see it out there. We were physical, we were shooting, we were skating with speed. And then (Copley) back there, he saved us a lot of times there so a lot of credit to him, that kept us in the game.”

Jakub Brabenec scored the first and only goal in the opening period to put the Silver Knights on the board with help from Mitch McLain and Joe Fleming.

Jared Wright was once again recalled to the Los Angeles Kings Thursday afternoon.

Ontario called up two forwards, Kenta Isogai and Keaton Mastrodonato from ECHL Greenville Swamp Rabbits earlier today, and Isogai made sure to make his name known.

Isogai scored the game-tying goal with assists from Angus Booth and Kirill Kirsanov with 14:40 remaining in the second period.

This was Isogai’s second goal with the Reign this season.

Chromiak found the back of the net for the 19th time this season, a solo shot straight past Henderson goalie Carl Lindbom to give Ontario its first lead of the night.

Matyas Sapovaliv scored a power-play goal 30 seconds into the final period, tying the game once again.

Lee scored his 23rd goal of the season with assists from Angus Booth and Cole Guttman, giving the Reign the lead before Henderson would add an extra attacker in the last remaining minutes of the game.

And it worked exactly the way the Silver Knights wanted as Raphael Lavoie tied the game 18:12 into the third period, sending the matchup to overtime.

Copley’s stellar night at the goal extended into overtime, and Chromiak’s shootout goal sent everyone home smiling.

Ontario went 0-for-1 on the power play and Henderson went 1-for-4.

Up next:

Ontario Reign (37-16-1-1; 76 points; 1st place) at Henderson Silver Knights (24-18-6-4; 58; 7th place) Sunday at 3 p.m at Lee's Family Forum in Henderson, NV.

George Russell powered to pole position Saturday for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix ahead of Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli, but there was disaster for Max Verstappen who crashed out.

On a fine day at Melbourne's Albert Park, Verstappen's Red Bull partner Isack Hadjar came third in chaotic qualifying as the pecking order became clearer after the biggest regulation shake-up the sport has seen in years.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc will keep Hadjar company on the second row with McLaren's Oscar Piastri and world champion teammate Lando Norris starting from fifth and sixth.

Russell eclipsed his rivals with a flying lap of one minute 18.518 seconds on soft tyres, 0.293 ahead of Antonelli.

"A great day. We knew there was a lot of potential in the car," said the Briton. 

"Really happy to have Kimi here next to me as well, as the team did an amazing job in the garage today."

Incredibly, Antonelli showed up after crashing heavily in final practice earlier in the day and writing off his Silver Arrow.

The 19-year-old left the car in a mess but his mechanics miraculously managed to stitch it back together and he got on track with just three minutes left of Q1 to stay alive.

"It has been a very, very stressful day. The mechanics today were the heroes. We couldn't even set up the car, we just went out," said the Italian. "It was not easy, I needed to dig deep."

- Fantastic -

It was a nightmare for four-time world champion Verstappen -- the 2023 and 2024 pole sitter -- who slammed into the barriers at Turn 1 of his first flying lap in Q1.

"The car just locked on the rear axle. Fantastic," said the Dutchman, whose hopes of a second win in Australia after his 2023 victory appear to be over.

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton will start in seventh alongside the Racing Bull of Liam Lawson, with rookie Arvid Lindblad in the other Racing Bull and Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto filling out the top 10.

Brazilian Bortoleto's car stopped in the pit entry after Q2 and he was unable to take part in Q3, which was red-flagged with only Piastri lapping.

Antonelli's car was released with the cooling fan still attached, which fell out and Norris ran over it, leaving debris sprawled across the track. 

Antonelli will likely face a penalty of some sort.

It was the first qualifying session at full throttle under the sport's radical new engine and chassis regulations. 

With a greater reliance on electrical energy in the hybrid power units, drivers had to grapple with better management of their batteries.

The challenge of Albert Park is its long sweeping straights, which deplete batteries, and relatively few twisty turns to brake and charge it up again.

"It was a very smooth qualifying," said Hadjar. 

"We kind of built up to it, and it was a very good last lap. I want to keep my position, as a second podium would be good."

Alpine pair Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly failed to get through Q2, as did Williams' Alex Albon and Haas drivers Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman. Nico Hulkenberg in his Audi joined them.

Along with Verstappen, Williams' Carlos Sainz was eliminated in Q1. The Spaniard's car broke down in third practice and he failed to appear for qualifying.

Aston Martin's Lance Stroll was another no-show as the team continue to deal with extreme vibration in their Honda power unit.

Also out at the first hurdle was his teammate Fernando Alonso in 17th along with both Cadillac drivers Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez in the team's maiden Grand Prix.

mp/pst

Real Madrid returned to winning ways in La Liga as they scraped through a last-ditch 2-1 victory over Celta Vigo last night away at Balaidos.

Aurelien Tchouameni gave the Merengues an early lead in the 11th minute, but not long after, Celta Vigo equalised through Borja Iglesias.

Real Madrid struggled to break open the hosts’ defence from thereon in what was another largely dull performance, but in stoppage time, captain Federico Valverde found the back of the net to secure three points for his team.

The result sees Real Madrid move to within one point of leaders Barcelona, who take on Athletic Club tonight at San Mames.

Arbeloa speaks out

Addressing the media after the match, Real Madrid manager Alvaro Arbeloa made sure to highlight the performance of Thiago Pitarch, who started his second consecutive match, while also praising Valverde and Ferland Mendy.

“There’s no better way to celebrate these 124 years of history of the best club in the world than this,” he said in the mixed zone after the game.

“The way Real Madrid do it: fighting… against everything, against everyone. In a match we came into with so many difficulties, so many players out. I think we have to celebrate it for how it unfolded. And for how the players fought.”

Talking about the emotional impact of the victory, he added: “We all know how tough an opponent they are. Every time I’ve come here as a player, to Balaidos, it’s always been very, very, very difficult.

Because of how they were playing, because of the confidence they had, and I’ll say it again: with all the injuries, with all the young players who came in.

“We really need to highlight the quality of our youth academy, the quality of all the players, and the character they showed. We’re very, very happy. Despite everything that happened in the match, I think we deserved to win.”

The manager then went on to highlight what Valverde means to this team, saying: “I’ve said it before. He is… he is… everything a Real Madrid player should be, he is Federico Valverde. He has that ‘Juanito spirit’.

“That quality that the great players who have been part of our history have. And that… he is everything a Real Madrid player should be. Today he carried the team on his shoulders again. And I’m very happy for him, because he deserves it so much.”

Real Madrid take on Manchester City next in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16. And Arbeloa asked for fans to be fully behind the team at the Santiago Bernabeu for the game.

“We need them, we need them on Wednesday, and they know it better than anyone. It’s a Champions League night against a very tough opponent; one of the biggest clubs in the world of football right now,” he said.

“And… well, playing at home, we know we’re much stronger when the Madrid fans are on our side.”

Arbeloa’s press conference

Upon arriving at the press conference, the first question Arbeloa was asked was about the game-plan of the team on the night, to which he replied:

“To win the game, that’s what Real Madrid plays for. That’s what we want and the objective we had today.”

Arbeloa then went on to praise the performance of young Thiago Pitarch, saying: “We have to give a lot of credit to what he’s done, and today, Thiago, once again.

“With his personality, effort, that ability to press once, twice, three times in a row; the way he wants the ball, how he doesn’t lose it when under pressure, how he always tries to find the best option… he’s a player who passes and moves, makes himself available.”

Much-needed win for Arbeloa and Real Madrid. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images)

At the same time, he also highlighted other young talents from academy who played a part on the night, such as Cesar Palacios, Manuel Angel, and Gonzalo Garcia.

“Well, today we have to highlight the great game Thiago played. How Palacios came on, how Manuel Ángel came on later, with that interception he made, how Gonzalo came on… I think we have a youth academy that we have to value more.

“That we have to give a lot of credit to. That… obviously, the best players in the world come here, but we have academy players of very high quality, and the game they all played today is great news.”

Ferland Mendy played his first game under Arbeloa last night, starting at left-back in the absence of Alvaro Carreras. Explaining the decision and the Frenchman’s lack of minutes so far, he stated:

“He’s coming off a long break, many months without competing. Obviously, we took a risk because playing 90 minutes after so long isn’t something I, as the coach, enjoy, nor is it what I would have wanted; it’s not the ideal scenario.

“But given how the match unfolded, the way it played out, I think it was necessary. Ferland Mendy’s quality… he’s a player who, since arriving here, has always shown that whenever he’s on the pitch, it’s easier for Real Madrid to win.”

Continuing, he added: “I’m very happy for him. For how he works and trains. Because he’s a guy who always has a smile… and that’s not easy when you’re not playing.

“We need players like that. Players who want to push every day, who know how to wait for their opportunity. And perform like he did when he had it.”

Explaining his decision to take Arda Guler off, which seemingly did not go down well with the player, Arbeloa remarked:

“No, no, no… honestly, Arda, well, I don’t know if there’s any other coach who’s given Arda Guler more minutes than I have. I’d like to know, I have my doubts, and… I think the answer is no. I’ve been the coach who’s trusted him the most since I arrived.

“I think he’s a crucial player. And if I brought Palacios on, it’s because I think he was more used to playing the role Arda was playing than Arda was. But I’m very happy with him, I’ve always said that.

“The way he works, the quality he has. And obviously… we have to keep going, keep pushing. Today we all won.”

On whether Thiago can be considered one of the biggest positives for Real Madrid in recent weeks, he replied:

“It’s excellent news. It’s been a long time since a youth player has come up from Castilla and established himself.

“The last ones were Gonzalo, Asensio… and it’s always good news when an 18-year-old – well, maybe Raul and Gonzalo were a bit more mature -establishes himself in the first team. When he plays. Thiago is earning his minutes on his own merits.

“The truth is, it’s not a matter of my confidence in him, but rather his football. I think he also fits the mold perfectly of what a Real Madrid player should be. Because of how he plays, because of his work ethic, effort… I think he’s a ‘Real Madrid brand’ player.”

Finally, on whether the win against Celta Vigo could be a turning point for Real Madrid this season, he said:

“I hope so, I really hope so. I hope it’s true. For me, it’s a very important win, if only because it gives you a different perspective on Wednesday’s match, a very tough one. It helps guide us a bit on the path we want to follow in every game.

“That’s what Real Madrid is all about: fighting until the end, believing, battling. I’m sure we can do many things better, but the personality we showed today, the character… I hope it’s a turning point and from here on out, everything goes much better.”

Source: AS

Union Berlin

Union Berlin are in a weird spot going into this contest. 

They currently sit in 10th, right smack in the middle of the Bundesliga standings. There’s still hope of a potential European push, as Die Eisernen are six points behind 7th place Eintracht Frankfurt. Then again, they’re not completely safe from relegation, with six points separating them from the relegation-playoff position, currently held by Werder Bremen.

That puts real pressure on Berlin on both fronts. The last few weeks have been quite inconsistent, which explains their current situation. Two games ago they defeated Bayer Leverkusen at home, which is an impressive result. The problem is that the game was sandwiched by two away losses to teams in the bottom parts of the table, Hamburg and Borussia Mönchengladbach.

One contest sees five goals between the two sides, and then the next two matches both end with a 1-0 scoreline. You never quite know what you’re going to get with Berlin. What feels like the safest bet is that they will probably end the campaign where they are now, comfortably in midtable. 

The contests still have to be played, though. Union has the talent to go on a run, with a solid backline and attackers who can make a difference on any given day. Ilyas Ansah is someone to keep an eye out for, as even though he hasn’t featured much recently, he was a real bright spot in the early stages of the campaign. If he gets a chance, he might kick-start the attack.

There will also be two talents facing their employers of last year. Both Oliver Burke and Derrick Koln were Bremen players, with the former leaving on a free and the latter not having his loan deal made permanent. They ended up in the capital, and have made an impact in stages. While the reverse fixture was uneventful, Burke and Koln will have another chance for some revenge on this occasion.

Another loss for Union, however, could see them dragged too close to the relegation fight.

Team news

Berlin will be without a few key players, namely Diogo Leite, Robert Skov, and Tom Rothe.

Predicted lineups

Ronnow, Doekhi, Querfeld, N’Soki, Trimmel, Khedira, Kemlein, Koln, Schafer, Burke, Ansah

Werder Bremen

If Werder Bremen are to stay up this season, their victory last weekend will prove to be the start of their run to secure safety.

In one of the club’s biggest games in years, Bremen showed up when it mattered most. They defeated last-place FC Heidenheim at the Weserstadion, and they were deserved winners by the end of the afternoon. Dominant in the first-half, they failed to jump in front, and supporters were expecting that to cost them by full-time.

However, Werder kept up the pressure, and finally found the goal they needed in the 57th minute. Romano Schmid whipped in a lovely ball into the box, and loanee Jovan Milosevic rose up to head home from a tight angle. There were some moments where the backline had to survive and keep the opposition at bay, but a second goal with the final kick of the match sealed three massive points.

The good news is the Green-Whites did play well for extended periods. Their best asset was their pressing, as they pushed high up the field and forced the Heidenheim midfield into a number of turnovers. There was a real fight from the players, which is incredibly important. If the guys on the field give up during a relegation fight, then the club is as good as gone.

Things looked better going forward, too, with some nice passing moves and attacks toward goal. Bremen really should have been up at least 2-0 going into the break, and they could’ve scored more in the second half too. While it’s still concerning to see how wasteful they are in the final third, at least they’re creating opportunities for themselves. You’ll score eventually.

The only uncertainty about this showing was who it was against. Heidenheim came out the blocks flat, and they never really got going during the contest. There was a five-to-ten minute stretch where they controlled proceedings, but that was it. They let themselves down, and made it easy for their opponents.

Werder will have a much tougher test ahead of them this time around, as Berlin are not going to gift them any major chances. If the away side is going to score any more goals, they are going to have to earn them. They cannot afford to be wasteful.

Another win here would not only be huge for their momentum and self-belief, it’d most importantly prove to be a major boost in the league standings. There’s a lot of teams packed together down there, so three points could vault them over a few others. If anything, they might put more distance between themselves and Wolfsburg in 17th.

Team news

Life is only getting tougher on the injury front. The likes of Mitchell Weiser, Felix Agu, Maximilian Wöber, Amos Pieper, Karim Coulibaly, Victor Boniface, and Samuel Mbangula are still out, while Jovan Milosevic is a real doubt for the match.

Predicted lineups

Backhaus, Sugawara, Stark, Friedl, Deman, Puertas, Lynen, Stage, Grull, Njinmah, Schmid 

Manchester United had two players in loan action on Friday evening.

To find out where all of Manchester United’s loanees are plying their trade this season, click here.

Rasmus Hojlund

The Dane has been an ever-present in SSC Napoli’s side this season, playing in a total of 35 matches for his new side.

Hojlund has also scored 13 goals in all competitions, with nine coming in the league. He is currently joint second in the Serie A goalscoring charts, five behind AC Milan’s Rafael Leao.

Last time out, he scored a crucial goal versus Hellas Verona to help give his team a 2-1 victory away from home.

Last night, his side beat Torino 2-1, extending their lead over fourth-placed AS Roma to five points.

Match performance

Hojlund was unable to score for his side but did create some danger for the southern Italian side.

He played 84 minutes and had three shots on goal during his time on the pitch.

One of his efforts was on target but the other two failed to be between the three posts. One chance was classified as a big chance missed for his team.

He did not complete any dribbles or crosses but did manage to make three key passes.

Hojlund also won 100% of his aerial duels in the match but only one of four ground duels was successfully completed.

SSC Napoli and Hojlund will next be in action when they face Lecce on Saturday, 14th March.

Rasmus Hojlund stats vs Torino

Ethan Williams

In the autumn, Williams was a key player for Falkirk but, since Christmas, his influence has been dwindling in Scotland. He has not started a game since 27th December, for example.

He came on in the 90th minute as Falkirk beat Dundee United 2-1 in the Scottish Cup.

The Scottish side are now safely into the semi-final stage of the competition.

Williams and Falkirk will next be in action against Aberdeen on Saturday, 14th March.

Featured image Francesco Pecoraro via Getty Images

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Mercedes was summoned to the stewards after sending the car of Kimi Antonelli out on track in an “unsafe condition” during qualifying for the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver caused an early red flag in Q3 after cooling fans were left on his W17, with one flying away in the Turn 1 braking zone and the other coming off approaching Turn 3.

It was the second fan that caused the biggest problem because it bounced back onto the track and reigning world champion Lando Norris subsequently ran over it and destroyed the fan. 

The McLaren driver therefore asked his team to check damage on his front left, but all seemed okay and the session resumed with 10 minutes remaining at Albert Park.

A stewards report read: “Alleged breach of Article B1.6.2 b) i) of the FIA F1 regulations: releasing an F1 car from a garage in an unsafe condition.”

It is unsure what the precise punishment for the Silver Arrows may be, but it is likely to be a financial one, thus keeping its dominant 1-2 at the season opener with George Russell leading Antonelli.

George Russell, Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Russell claimed pole by 0.293s with his teenage team-mate 0.492s ahead of the next fastest car, which was the Red Bull of Isack Hadjar - who is joined on the second row by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

This represented a remarkable turnaround for Antonelli because his big crash at Turn 1 in final practice left him in doubt for qualifying, but Max Verstappen’s crash at the same chicane aided the repair effort of Mercedes.

That’s because the four-time world champion’s incident caused a red flag early in Q1, giving time for Antonelli to go out in his repaired car and claim his second front row start for a grand prix - second in Brazil last year being the other.

“It’s been a very, very stressful day,” said the F1 sophomore. “Unfortunately in FP3 I went into the wall, but the guys, the mechanics, today were the heroes to put the car back on track.

“We couldn’t even set up the car, we just went out and just managed to put it on the front row. So I’m really happy with that.”

Stewards were also investigating Antonelli for a separate Q1 incident after he entered the fast lane in the pits, before a team member pushed his car back to avoid hindering other drivers. No further action was the decision.

Photos from Australian GP - Saturday

George Russell, Mercedes

Joe Portlock / Getty Images

Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls

Anni Graf - Formula 1 via Getty Images

Fans

Quinn Rooney / Getty Images

Guenther Steiner

Kym Illman / Getty Images

Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images

Alexandra Leclerc, wife of Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari, walks in the paddock with model and girlfriend of Carlos Sainz of Spain and Williams, Rebecca Donldsonduring

Kym Illman / Getty Images

Alexander Albon, Williams, Carlos Sainz, Williams

Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images

Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls

Jayce Illman / Getty Images

Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls

Anni Graf - Formula 1 via Getty Images

Jackie Stewart

Jayce Illman / Getty Images

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team

Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Quinn Rooney / Getty Images

Flavio Briatore, Alpine, Ayao Komatsu, Haas F1 Team

Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing

Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team

Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

Fans of George Russell, Mercedes

Anni Graf - Formula 1 via Getty Images

Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Team

Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

Lando Norris, McLaren

Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Team

Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Carmen Larbalestier

Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images

Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team

Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Team

Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing

Lars Baron / Getty Images

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team

Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

George Russell, Mercedes

Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images

Lando Norris, McLaren

Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing

Lars Baron / Getty Images

Nico Hulkenberg, Audi F1 Team

Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Lando Norris, McLaren

Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing

Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes crash

Paul Crock / AFP via Getty Images

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, Pierre Gasly, Alpine

Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images

Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team

Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images

Carlos Sainz, Williams

Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images

Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Lando Norris, McLaren

Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images

Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images

George Russell, Mercedes

Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls, Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing

Anni Graf - Formula 1 via Getty Images

Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Joe Portlock / Getty Images

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Anni Graf - Formula 1 via Getty Images

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing crash

Paul Crock / AFP via Getty Images

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing crash

Paul Crock / AFP via Getty Images

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images

George Russell, Mercedes

Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images

George Russell, Mercedes

Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images

Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

Mark Thompson / Getty Images

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Joe Portlock / Getty Images

George Russell, Mercedes

Martin Keep / AFP via Getty Images

George Russell, Mercedes, Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing

William West / AFP via Getty Images

Fernando Alonso reveals when Aston Martin should retire from F1 Australian GP

Five quick takeaways from the first F1 qualifying session of 2026

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Early in the week during the NFL’s annual scouting combine, a high-ranking AFC executive kicked off a clandestine lunch meeting with an interesting question about Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the prospective No. 1 pick in the forthcoming draft.

The executive is tasked with his team’s cross-checks on the 2026 quarterback class which is a position of long-term need for his franchise. Naturally, he arrived in Indianapolis at the end of last month eager to get into interviews with players like Mendoza, Alabama’s Ty Simpson and others, as well as take in the passing workouts from those who chose to take part. But even before the week’s events kicked off, he had started drilling down on Mendoza’s standing as a potential franchise quarterback.

“I’m not saying he’s not going to be a good player, but it’s not like there aren’t some things [to question],” he said. “He’s tough as s***. I can’t deny that. He’s really tough mentally and he made some big throws in big games. But he had a really strong running game [at Indiana]. He was throwing to three wide receivers [Omar Cooper Jr., Elijah Sarratt and Charlie Becker] that could all end up being taken in the top 60 picks by the time they get drafted. His offensive line was good. His defense was good. And they were one of the best coached teams in the country.”

South Florida Sun-Sentinel via Getty Images

He went on, noting Mendoza essentially operated out of shotgun his entire college career; his passable-but-not-great athleticism; his lack of elite passing production in the middle of the field; a reliance on back-shoulder throws; and a suggestion that Mendoza’s tape from his 2023 and 2024 seasons at Cal was also good but not great. And then he pointed at Indiana’s 2024 starting quarterback, Kurtis Rourke, who put up his own banner college football season after transferring to the Hoosiers for that season.

After making the Rourke reference, the executive asked, “What if it’s a scheme and coaching that helps produce great quarterback stats?”

The layered point was that there’s a chance that someday we look back at Mendoza’s 2025 season and recognize that he caught far more green lights with the Hoosiers than we might have realized in the moment. It’s also a point that comes with a caveat: This AFC executive — like every other QB-needy organization not holding the first pick in the draft — won’t have a chance to select Mendoza in April. So, admittedly, there may be some motivation to view these views with a heavy dose of skepticism.

​​[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2026 MLB season]

In all of this, though, there was another underlying current. One that was strongly suggestive about the Las Vegas Raiders, who are poised to take Mendoza with the top pick. Something along the lines of:

Before and after the Raiders take Mendoza at the top of the draft, the organization shoulders the monumental task of rebuilding the entire team around him. First and foremost with an offensive line that doesn’t allow him to get destroyed as a developing player — which is not something the Raiders have done well in recent seasons.

That’s what should have been on the minds of Raiders fans Friday night, when Las Vegas deftly squeezed two first-round picks out of the Baltimore Ravens for star defensive end Maxx Crosby. Picks that will fall at No. 14 overall in this year’s draft, and then in the first round of what is expected to be an exceptionally talented 2027 pool of prospects. It’s a trade that, by all accounts, was leveraged against interest from the Dallas Cowboys, laying the foundation for a ramped-up rebuild around Mendoza.

Make no mistake, the Crosby trade was officially the first cannon shot signaling the start of this effort. It now gives the Raiders the flexibility to add multiple offensive linemen in the next two drafts — with four picks in the top 67 (Nos. 1, 14, 36 and 67) in 2026, and at least three picks in the top 64 (two first-rounders and one second-rounder) in 2027. Now accentuate that reality with the Raiders currently projecting to have hundreds of millions in salary cap space over the next two offseasons, two budding stars in tight end Brock Bowers and running back Ashton Jeanty, and an offensive-minded head coach in Klint Kubiak taking the controls.

While nothing is guaranteed, this certainly has the potential to engage the lasting pivot point the Raiders have been chasing for more than two decades — if not the past 40+ years. It also takes at least some stink off a recent report that the Raiders are again riding the very fine edge of being a monumental mess under the occasionally watchful eye of minority owner Tom Brady and his organizational consigliere/mole/wellness coordinator Alex Guerrero.

It was the kind of trade that set the league on fire Friday night. Not only did it bring into focus the Ravens making an all-in commitment to at least the final two years of Lamar Jackson’s contract (which currently runs through 2027), but it also showcased that the Cowboys, who reportedly finished as the second bidder for Crosby, are serious about adding some other major pieces this offseason. Apparently lending some credence to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones suggesting he’d “bust the budget” this offseason to maximize whatever window Dallas currently has.

That’s all interesting context for a wider vantage of the NFL as it edges closer to free agency Monday. But none of it is more meaningful than what the Raiders are setting up to do. Their intentions were signaled first with the future release of 2025 starter Geno Smith, who will have his bridge quarterback role for the Raiders absorbed by another cheaper veteran free agent (with some starting experience) this offseason. Then next with the expected release of veteran guard Alex Cappa, who was part of a woefully underperforming offensive line last season. And finally, the cannon shot on Friday night, which adds momentum into the turn toward Mendoza.

It was a moment that one NFC talent evaluator noted late Friday, remarking the Raiders’ haul over the next two drafts.

“A lot of [draft] choices,” he said. “ They just have to make the right picks. That’s where the pressure comes into play.”

Before and after Mendoza is chosen No. 1 overall in April.

Atletico Madrid captain Koke Resurreccion and Barcelona midfielder Pedri Gonzalez engaged in an almighty battle in the middle of the pitch earlier this week, as Los Colchoneros escaped Camp Nou with a ticket to the Copa del Rey final in Seville. The pair share plenty of mutual respect for each other though.

Pedri was a central part of a monumental effort from Barcelona to make a comeback from four goals down at Camp Nou, having been put to the sword by Atletico in the first leg at the Metropolitano. Going up 3-0 with 20 minutes to go, Los Rojiblancos held onto their advantage in the closing stages to return to the Copa final for the first time in 13 years.

Koke’s wife thanks Pedri for treatment

The day after the game, Koke’s wife revealed that the respect between the Atletico captain and Pedri went beyond the pitch. Beatriz Espejel posted the following on her Instagram story.

We want to give thanks especially to Pedri and his family for taking such good care of Leo [Koke’s son] and me yesterday in Barcelona, and for the presents. We love you family.

It seems that Pedri gifted his boots to Koke’s son, writing the message “With affection, for Leo,” signing the boots too.

Koke pays tribute to Pedri after the game

Before he did so, Koke already had kind words for the Spain international. El Desmarque carried his comments from his post-match interview with Movistar.

“Pedri is a machine. We’re lucky he’s Spanish… he’s the present and future of Spain. He’ll bring a lot of joy to Barca and the national team. Besides being a great footballer, he’s a spectacular guy.”

As an exhausted Pedri mourned the defeat on the pitch after the game, Koke was also captured doing his best to cheer up the Canary Islander.

The pair will meet again on the 4th/5th of April at the Metropolitano during the return fixture in La Liga. Atletico and Barcelona could be in for a 5th and 6th meeting of the season too, if both progress to the Champions League quarter-final.

What do the Vegas Golden Knights have in common with someone taking blood thinners? Once the bleeding starts, it can be difficult to stop. 

All season, the Golden Knights have encountered an uncharacteristic problem: they tend to spiral after allowing a goal. That’s exactly what happened when they hosted the Minnesota Wild at T-Mobile Arena on Friday. The Wild scored three quick goals in the second period, which proved to be too much for the Golden Knights to overcome in a 4-2 loss.  

The first period was evenly matched. The Golden Knights started well, killed off a Minnesota power play, and outshot the Wild 8-6. Colton Sissons ended up with two breakaway opportunities, but Filip Gustavsson shut the door both times. 

With the exception of a three-minute stretch early on, the Golden Knights were the better team in the second period. They outshot the Wild 10-7 and generated five high-danger scoring chances while only allowing one. 

The problem is that during that 3:07 exception, Minnesota scored three times. 

The Wild broke the ice at 5:18 in the second period. Noah Hanifin couldn’t connect with Mitch Marner on a no-look backhander, and Mats Zuccarello hustled to the loose puck. Zuccarello slipped through Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson, moved in all alone, and finished the breakaway.

The Wild doubled their lead at 8:25 in the second. Yakov Trenin held the puck behind the goal and found Danial Yurov for a one-timer. Akira Schmid made the save, but the rebound trickled to Zach Bogosian above the right circle, and the defenseman rocketed a shot home. 

Just 18 seconds later, the Wild added to their lead. Brock Faber wristed a shot from the point, and Michael McCarron redirected it home. 

After McCarron’s goal, the Golden Knights finally managed to stop the bleeding and not dig their hole deeper. They renewed their attack, but Filip Gustavsson was exceptional. 

As has often been the case this season, the Golden Knights finally broke through in the third. Pavel Dorofeyev drew a penalty just 1:22 into the period, sending his team to their first power play of the night. 

The Golden Knights struck less than a minute into the power play at 2:17 in the third. Jack Eichel fired a pass through the middle and found Pavel Dorofeyev for the winger’s 30th goal of the season. 

Solving Filip Gustavsson did wonders for the team’s confidence, and the Golden Knights continued their assault. They recorded 14 shots and generated 13 scoring chances in the third period; however, their desperate offense resulted in 10 scoring chances for the Wild. 

The Wild capitalized on one of those scoring chances and restored their two-goal lead at 15:42 in the third. Michael McCarron chipped the puck out for Vladimir Tarasenko, who raced up ice on a 3-on-1 with Yakov Trenin and Jared Spurgeon. Tarasenko entered the zone, played catch with Spurgeon, and fired off a shot that snuck past Akira Schmid short-side. 

The Golden Knights refused to go quietly and responded with 3:05 remaining in regulation. Tomáš Hertl pressured Kirill Kaprizov below the goal line and forced a turnover. Pavel Dorofeyev sent a centering pass to Mitch Marner, who redirected it past Filip Gustavsson. 

Despite pulling Akira Schmid for the extra attacker, the Golden Knights failed to generate the looks they needed and fell 4-2.

“It’s a lot of the same,” said head coach Bruce Cassidy following the team’s loss. “We get behind. We have a bad stretch, and one becomes two becomes three… It should be better now, with more of a veteran group.”

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Boston Celtics (42-21, second in the Eastern Conference) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (39-24, fourth in the Eastern Conference)

Cleveland; Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Cleveland hosts Boston looking to prolong its seven-game home winning streak.

The Cavaliers have gone 25-15 against Eastern Conference teams. Cleveland ranks eighth in the NBA with 28.4 assists per game. James Harden leads the Cavaliers averaging 8.1.

The Celtics are 27-14 in conference matchups. Boston is at the bottom of the NBA scoring 11.7 fast break points per game.

The 119.1 points per game the Cavaliers average are 12.1 more points than the Celtics allow (107.0). The Celtics average 114.5 points per game, 0.4 fewer than the 114.9 the Cavaliers allow.

The teams square off for the third time this season. In the last matchup on Nov. 30 the Celtics won 117-115 led by 42 points from Payton Pritchard, while Evan Mobley scored 27 points for the Cavaliers.

TOP PERFORMERS: Donovan Mitchell is shooting 48.3% and averaging 28.5 points for the Cavaliers. Sam Merrill is averaging 3.4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Jaylen Brown is scoring 28.8 points per game with 7.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists for the Celtics. Derrick White is averaging 17.3 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 41.3% over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Cavaliers: 7-3, averaging 116.3 points, 43.4 rebounds, 26.9 assists, 8.5 steals and 5.6 blocks per game while shooting 48.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.3 points per game.

Celtics: 8-2, averaging 111.6 points, 51.6 rebounds, 27.9 assists, 5.7 steals and 6.7 blocks per game while shooting 46.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 99.6 points.

INJURIES: Cavaliers: Donovan Mitchell: day to day (groin), Max Strus: out (foot), Dean Wade: day to day (ankle), Jarrett Allen: day to day (knee).

Celtics: Nikola Vucevic: day to day (finger), Jordan Walsh: day to day (illness).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Los Angeles Clippers (30-32, ninth in the Western Conference) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (23-38, 11th in the Western Conference)

Memphis, Tennessee; Saturday, 8 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Clippers -6; over/under is 226.5

BOTTOM LINE: Memphis hosts Los Angeles looking to break its three-game home losing streak.

The Grizzlies are 18-25 in Western Conference games. Memphis averages 14.7 turnovers per game and is 12-16 when it turns the ball over less than its opponents.

The Clippers are 19-19 against conference opponents. Los Angeles ranks fourth in the Western Conference shooting 36.1% from 3-point range.

The Grizzlies average 115.6 points per game, 3.5 more points than the 112.1 the Clippers give up. The Clippers are shooting 48.1% from the field, 0.9% higher than the 47.2% the Grizzlies' opponents have shot this season.

The two teams square off for the fourth time this season. The Grizzlies defeated the Clippers 121-103 in their last meeting on Dec. 16. Cam Spencer led the Grizzlies with 27 points, and Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 21 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Cedric Coward is averaging 13.3 points and 6.1 rebounds for the Grizzlies. GG Jackson is averaging 17.0 points over the last 10 games.

Leonard is averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and two steals for the Clippers. Brook Lopez is averaging 1.7 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Grizzlies: 3-7, averaging 117.1 points, 37.1 rebounds, 29.2 assists, 12.4 steals and 5.4 blocks per game while shooting 48.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.2 points per game.

Clippers: 5-5, averaging 112.7 points, 42.5 rebounds, 23.3 assists, 9.7 steals and 5.2 blocks per game while shooting 48.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.9 points.

INJURIES: Grizzlies: Santi Aldama: out (injury management), Taj Gibson: out (reconditioning), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: out for season (finger), Ja Morant: out (elbow), Zach Edey: out for season (ankle), Brandon Clarke: out (calf).

Clippers: Yanic Konan Niederhauser: out for season (foot), Bradley Beal: out for season (hip), John Collins: out (arm), Darius Garland: out (toe).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Houston Rockets (39-23, fourth in the Western Conference) vs. San Antonio Spurs (46-17, second in the Western Conference)

San Antonio; Sunday, 8 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: San Antonio heads into a matchup against Houston as winners of three consecutive games.

The Spurs have gone 10-3 against division opponents. San Antonio ranks seventh in the league allowing only 111.4 points per game while holding opponents to 45.0% shooting.

The Rockets are 6-5 against division opponents. Houston ranks third in the Western Conference shooting 36.9% from 3-point range.

The Spurs average 13.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.0 more made shot on average than the 12.3 per game the Rockets allow. The Rockets average 114.5 points per game, 3.1 more than the 111.4 the Spurs allow.

The teams play for the fourth time this season. The Spurs won the last matchup 111-99 on Jan. 29, with Victor Wembanyama scoring 28 points in the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: Wembanyama is scoring 23.8 points per game with 11.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists for the Spurs. De'Aaron Fox is averaging 17.0 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 50.7% over the past 10 games.

Kevin Durant is scoring 26.1 points per game and averaging 5.5 rebounds for the Rockets. Reed Sheppard is averaging 4.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Spurs: 9-1, averaging 119.3 points, 46.6 rebounds, 30.7 assists, 7.7 steals and 7.3 blocks per game while shooting 48.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.2 points per game.

Rockets: 6-4, averaging 112.6 points, 46.5 rebounds, 25.1 assists, 8.2 steals and 6.6 blocks per game while shooting 49.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.1 points.

INJURIES: Spurs: David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle), Harrison Barnes: out (ankle), Mason Plumlee: out (reconditioning).

Rockets: Jae'Sean Tate: out (knee), Jabari Smith Jr.: day to day (ankle), Fred VanVleet: out for season (acl), Steven Adams: out for season (ankle).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Chicago Bulls (26-37, 12th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Sacramento Kings (14-50, 15th in the Western Conference)

Sacramento, California; Sunday, 9 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Sacramento aims to end its three-game skid when the Kings play Chicago.

The Kings are 9-22 in home games. Sacramento ranks last in the Western Conference shooting 33.4% from 3-point range.

The Bulls are 10-19 on the road. Chicago is ninth in the NBA with 44.7 rebounds per game led by Jalen Smith averaging 7.0.

The Kings average 10.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 3.9 fewer makes per game than the Bulls allow (13.9). The Bulls average 14.6 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.4 more made shots on average than the 13.2 per game the Kings allow.

The teams meet for the second time this season. In the last meeting on Oct. 30 the Bulls won 126-113 led by 27 points from Matas Buzelis, while Zach LaVine scored 30 points for the Kings.

TOP PERFORMERS: DeMar DeRozan is averaging 18.2 points and 3.9 assists for the Kings. Malik Monk is averaging 1.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Josh Giddey is scoring 17.7 points per game and averaging 8.2 rebounds for the Bulls. Buzelis is averaging 2.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Kings: 2-8, averaging 108.3 points, 44.3 rebounds, 26.3 assists, 9.0 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 44.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 124.9 points per game.

Bulls: 2-8, averaging 107.4 points, 43.6 rebounds, 25.1 assists, 8.8 steals and 5.2 blocks per game while shooting 45.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.6 points.

INJURIES: Kings: Domantas Sabonis: out for season (back), Dylan Cardwell: out (ankle), De'Andre Hunter: out for season (eye), Zach LaVine: out for season (finger), Keegan Murray: out (ankle).

Bulls: Anfernee Simons: day to day (wrist), Josh Giddey: day to day (ankle), Noa Essengue: out for season (shoulder), Matas Buzelis: day to day (ankle), Jaden Ivey: out (knee), Patrick Williams: day to day (quadriceps), Zach Collins: out for season (toe), Jalen Smith: day to day (calf).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Washington Wizards (16-46, 13th in the Eastern Conference) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (20-45, 13th in the Western Conference)

New Orleans; Sunday, 7 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Washington comes into the matchup against New Orleans after losing seven straight games.

The Pelicans are 11-21 in home games. New Orleans leads the NBA with 57.5 points in the paint. Zion Williamson leads the Pelicans averaging 15.8.

The Wizards are 5-24 on the road. Washington averages 15.1 turnovers per game and is 9-9 when committing fewer turnovers than opponents.

The Pelicans are shooting 46.3% from the field this season, 1.6 percentage points lower than the 47.9% the Wizards allow to opponents. The Pelicans average 112.2 points per game, 8.0 fewer points than the 120.2 the Pelicans allow.

The two teams match up for the second time this season. The Pelicans defeated the Wizards 128-107 in their last meeting on Jan. 10. Trey Murphy III led the Pelicans with 35 points, and Kyshawn George led the Wizards with 15 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Derik Queen is shooting 48.3% and averaging 11.9 points for the Pelicans. Saddiq Bey is averaging 21.1 points over the last 10 games.

George is scoring 14.8 points per game with 5.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists for the Wizards. Bilal Coulibaly is averaging 13.3 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting 50.0% over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Pelicans: 5-5, averaging 117.9 points, 45.9 rebounds, 25.9 assists, 8.3 steals and 6.5 blocks per game while shooting 47.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.3 points per game.

Wizards: 2-8, averaging 112.6 points, 40.3 rebounds, 24.4 assists, 9.3 steals and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 46.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 124.0 points.

INJURIES: Pelicans: None listed.

Wizards: Jamir Watkins: day to day (foot), Anthony Davis: out (finger), Tristan Vukcevic: day to day (thigh), Cam Whitmore: out for season (shoulder), Kyshawn George: day to day (elbow), D'Angelo Russell: day to day (not injury related), Alex Sarr: out (hamstring).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Charlotte Hornets (32-32, 10th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Phoenix Suns (36-27, seventh in the Western Conference)

Phoenix; Sunday, 10 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Charlotte hits the road against Phoenix aiming to prolong its 10-game road winning streak.

The Suns are 21-13 in home games. Phoenix is 7-7 in games decided by 3 points or fewer.

The Hornets are 18-15 in road games. Charlotte is fifth in the Eastern Conference allowing only 112.5 points while holding opponents to 46.9% shooting.

The Suns average 14.7 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.9 more made shots on average than the 12.8 per game the Hornets give up. The Hornets average 5.0 more points per game (116.2) than the Suns give up to opponents (111.2).

TOP PERFORMERS: Devin Booker is averaging 24.8 points and six assists for the Suns. Collin Gillespie is averaging 3.1 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Kon Knueppel is averaging 19.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists for the Hornets. LaMelo Ball is averaging 4.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Suns: 5-5, averaging 104.2 points, 46.1 rebounds, 23.8 assists, 8.4 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 41.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.1 points per game.

Hornets: 7-3, averaging 118.1 points, 48.1 rebounds, 27.1 assists, 9.1 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 45.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 105.0 points.

INJURIES: Suns: Jordan Goodwin: out (calf), Dillon Brooks: out (hand), Mark Williams: out (foot).

Hornets: Tidjane Salaun: day to day (knee).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Dallas Mavericks (21-42, 12th in the Western Conference) vs. Toronto Raptors (35-27, fifth in the Eastern Conference)

Toronto; Sunday, 6 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Dallas will aim to break its three-game road slide when the Mavericks take on Toronto.

The Raptors are 16-16 on their home court. Toronto is the league leader with 18.8 fast break points per game led by RJ Barrett averaging 3.9.

The Mavericks are 7-23 on the road. Dallas ranks fourth in the NBA scoring 17.9 fast break points per game. Cooper Flagg leads the Mavericks averaging 3.5.

The Raptors score 113.5 points per game, 4.2 fewer points than the 117.7 the Mavericks give up. The Mavericks average 113.3 points per game, 1.3 more than the 112.0 the Raptors allow.

The teams square off for the second time this season. The Mavericks won the last meeting 139-129 on Oct. 26. Flagg scored 22 points to help lead the Mavericks to the win.

TOP PERFORMERS: Scottie Barnes is averaging 18.9 points, eight rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.6 blocks for the Raptors. Brandon Ingram is averaging 21.6 points and 4.2 assists over the past 10 games.

Flagg is scoring 20.3 points per game with 6.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the Mavericks. Brandon Williams is averaging 13.9 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 50.0% over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Raptors: 5-5, averaging 112.2 points, 40.2 rebounds, 26.7 assists, 9.1 steals and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 47.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.6 points per game.

Mavericks: 2-8, averaging 108.9 points, 43.0 rebounds, 23.5 assists, 6.2 steals and 3.6 blocks per game while shooting 46.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.6 points.

INJURIES: Raptors: Collin Murray-Boyles: day to day (thumb).

Mavericks: Dereck Lively II: out for season (foot), Kyrie Irving: out for season (knee), Daniel Gafford: day to day (ankle), Marvin Bagley III: day to day (neck).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Lakers' JJ Redick gives encouraging injury updates on LeBron James, Deandre Ayton, Maxi Kleber originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Los Angeles Lakers are having a successful season from a record standpoint, but there is still a belief that the team could be performing at a higher level. One of the main priorities right now is keeping their stars satisfied, particularly LeBron James, who wants to be on a legitimate championship contender.

“LeBron wants to compete for a championship,” Rich Paul told ESPN. “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we've had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”

On Thursday night, James set the record for the most field goals made in regular-season history. However, the milestone night also came with a scare after he was injured on a play in the fourth quarter.

“Another record-setting night for LeBron James ended painfully, as he hurt his elbow in a hard fall during the fourth quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the Denver Nuggets. James drove and hit a layup with just over 4 minutes to go, but he came down hard and immediately grasped at his elbow,” Jace Evans wrote for USA Today.

James was ruled out for Friday’s game against the Indiana Pacers. Deandre Ayton and Maxi Kleber were also ruled out. Head coach JJ Redick provided updates before the game.

“JJ Redick says the Lakers believe LeBron James will be available Sunday with his elbow contusion. Kleber got imaging on his back and is day to day. Ayton is also day to day,” Dan Woike of The Athletic wrote.

The Lakers will need to get healthy for the final stretch of the season. Los Angeles is doing everything it can to stay out of the Play-In Tournament, making health and depth critical in the closing weeks.

While James is the focal point during crunch time, Kleber and Ayton provide valuable minutes when available. Fortunately for the Lakers, their injury issues appear to be relatively minor and could be resolved in the coming games.

When Manuel Baum stepped in as coach at FC Augsburg on December 1, he was really only supposed to bring one thing to the club: calm. Nothing more. No major tactical revolutions, no wild experiments. Just buy time until a new coach arrives. But Baum didn’t just buy time—he also won games. The question now is whether this wave of success will suddenly come to an abrupt halt?

It hadn’t been as nervous in Bavarian Swabia for a long time as it was in the previous months. Under Sandro Wagner, uncertainty reigned. With just ten points from twelve games, Augsburg was in 14th place, with a clear downward trend. The heavy defeats against Leipzig (0:6) and Hoffenheim (0:3) in particular set off all the alarm bells.

Baum’s mission was therefore initially to stabilize the team in the short term and get them to the winter break in reasonably good order. But under him, FCA suddenly appeared much more stable. In three games, the team conceded only one goal and collected important points—including against runners-up Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Baum is therefore allowed to remain head coach until the end of the season.

Even this news was probably a personal highlight for the 46-year-old. Because, in fact, he had long since written off working as a Bundesliga coach.

📸 Selim Sudheimer - 2026 Getty Images

A coach who was already written off

Baum knows Augsburg inside out. Between December 2016 and April 2019, he already sat on the FCA bench and led the club through several comparatively stable Bundesliga years. But after that, his coaching career became bumpy. You could also say suboptimal.

His stint at FC Schalke in 2020 turned into a rather unfortunate chapter. After just three months and only four points from ten games, it was over, and Schalke were relegated at the end of the season. Keyword: Arenaring.

After that, it seemed as if Baum had finally closed the Bundesliga chapter for good. A small detail shows how little he himself believed in a return: He had once promised his daughter a horse once he reached 100 Bundesliga games as a coach. Baum was close to that mark at the time, but apparently assumed he would never reach it.

Instead, he later worked as sporting director at RB Leipzig’s youth academy. At the start of this season, he finally returned to FCA and took over as Head of Development and Football Innovation.

He only stepped in as interim coach because his beloved club was suddenly in acute relegation danger. And because he was assured that he could return to his original position afterwards. What followed probably surprised even Baum himself—and earned his daughter a pony.

“Keep it simple”

What’s particularly remarkable is how Baum managed this turnaround. He used to be considered the prototype of the somewhat overthinking “laptop coach,” who analyzed football down to the smallest detail and sometimes overcomplicated things. Today, he follows a much simpler motto: “Keep it simple.”

An anecdote perfectly describes this change. If he had written a football book in the past, Baum once said with a smile, it would probably have been 200 pages long. Today, it would likely be just five.

📸 Sebastian Widmann - 2026 Getty Images

This very reduction to the essentials seems to be doing Augsburg good. Baum has given the team back its classic core virtues. Some would also say that the typical Augsburg nastiness is back.

FCA defends compactly, knows exactly what it can and cannot do, and has no problem making games unattractive if necessary. The main thing is to get points in the end.

In this way, Baum’s approach is practically the opposite of his predecessor Wagner’s idea. The extroverted former assistant to national coach Julian Nagelsmann wanted to turn Augsburg into a possession-based team and brought in many complex concepts. Baum, on the other hand, simply reset FCA’s playing style to factory settings.

Perhaps the most surprising run of the season

After twelve games in charge, the coach now boasts a remarkable average of 1.75 points per game. Projected over a full season, that would be nearly 60 points. With that tally, you’re usually in the running for the Champions League.

If you look only at the second half of the season’s table, Augsburg is actually right there: on a Champions League spot. Only FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund have been more successful in this period.

Recently, FCA has won five of its last six games. That even included a win against Bayern at the Allianz Arena. For a club that was deep in the relegation battle just a few months ago, that’s a pretty spectacular turnaround.

Suddenly, Augsburg is only three points behind a European competition spot. Eighth place, which might qualify for the Conference League, is even just two points away. Anything other than another contract extension for Baum would be a surprise.

Euphoria with a small asterisk

The high-flying run, however, cannot be judged without some caveats. In recent weeks, Augsburg has played exclusively against direct competitors from the lower third of the table. The upcoming challenges will be much tougher. Of the next seven opponents, six are currently in a European competition spot. So it’s quite possible that the current upward trend will come to an end soon.

But even if it does: Baum has already achieved everything he was originally brought in for—and much more.

He calmed the turbulent Wagner-era FCA, stabilized the team, and ensured that survival in the league is practically certain after just 24 matchdays. The few points Augsburg theoretically still needs, the team will almost certainly collect. And probably in the typical Augsburg way: unattractive, tough, and pretty annoying for many opponents.

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

Iditarod mushers, map, distance and more: Everything to know about the 2026 dog sled race originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The annual Iditarod dog-sled race is almost here.

On the first Saturday of March, racers travel to Anchorage in hopes of successfully traversing the snowy Alaska wilderness and finishing in Nome.

Before the dogs have even embarked on "The Last Great Race on Earth," history has already been made. This year's race includes a new racing class that one of the racers, Kjell Rokke, has classified as an expedition musher.

Here is everything you need to know about this year's Iditarod.

MORE: Final Results of 2025 Iditarod

What is the Iditarod?

The Iditarod is the most popular dog sled race in the world. Teams of one musher and 12–14 dogs race nearly 1,000 miles, traveling northwest across Alaska from Anchorage to Nome. The 2026 race will be the event's 54th annual competition.

Depending on weather conditions, races tend to take 8–15 days to complete. The fastest time ever recorded was seven days, 14 hours, 8 minutes and 57 seconds (Dallas Seavey, 2021), and the longest winning time was 20 days, 15 hours, 1 minute and 7 seconds (Carl Huntington, 1974).

MORE: Is the movie Cool Running based on a true story?

When does the Iditarod start and end?

• Saturday, March 7 (ceremonial start)

The Iditarod begins on the first Saturday in March every year. The starting line is in downtown Anchorage, Alaska, a city located in the south-central portion of the state.

The Saturday start in Anchorage is only a ceremonial start and does not count in a competitor's overall time. Mushers line up for a restart in Willow, Alaska, the next day, leaving the starting line in two-minute intervals. The difference in starting times is ‘made up’ on a musher’s 24-hour mandatory layover.

Heavy snow, whiteouts and blizzards are hazards that can slow down a sled team.

Iditarod mushers 2026

There are 36 mushers participating in the 2026 Iditarod. A majority of the competitors are from Alaska, with 27 hailing from in-state. There are three mushers from other states and six international participants. This year, 12 rookies will compete in this year's competition. 

For the first time ever, a new style of participation will debut at this year's Iditarod. Norwegian billionaire Kjell Rokke will participate as an "expedition musher" and will be allowed to compete with outside assistance. Rokke added $100,000 to next year’s race purse and pledged $10,000 each to 17 villages along the race’s route, along with halving musher registration costs. Rokke will still be required to complete the entire race on the sled to officially finish and become the first human in the world to earn the Expedition Class Finishers Buckle.

Here's a full list of competitors:

2026 Iditarod mushers

Five mushers have withdrawn from the 2026 Iditarod:

Iditarod trail map

There are two trails for the Iditarod dog race. The northern trail is used in even years, and the southern trail is used in odd years. The 2026 Iditarod will take place on the northern route, which can be seen below.

Northern Route

Southern Route

How many miles is the Iditarod?

The exact distance of the Iditarod varies based on which route the teams take.

During the 2026 race, as an even year, teams will travel 975 miles. In odd years, teams will travel 998 miles.

Iditarod winners history

In 2025, Jessie Holmes won his first-ever Iditarod title with a winning time of 10 days, 14 hours, 55 minutes and 41 seconds.

This year, Holmes will look to become the first back-to-back champion since Dallas Seavey three-peated from 2014-16.

There have been 26 different winners in the history of "The Last Great Race on Earth."

Here are the year-by-year champions of the Iditarod, from its inception in 1973 to 2025.

Wrexham stadium name, cost, capacity and expansion plans as Ryan Reynolds club aims for Premier League originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Wrexham's rise from non-league obscurity to the chase for Premier League promotion has been beguiling.

For fans of one of the oldest football club's in the world, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny's ownership has been a blessing. The investment has helped to lift Wrexham out of profound difficulties and propel them towards playing Premier League football for the very first time.

It has also brought a renewed interest in the city and surrounding region. The hugely popular Welcome To Wrexham documentary has charted the team's progress since the 2020 takeover and found engagement from a much wider audience, which means more people than ever want to go to watch the team play.

That is why Wrexham plan to develop their famous old stadium and create both a top-class sports facility and tourist destination — one that will highlight "the key role the football club can play in the rejuvenation and redevelopment of the city".

MORE:How much did Reynolds. McElhenny pay for Wrexham?

Wrexham stadium name

Wrexham's stadium is officially called STōK Cae Ras Stadium due to a sponsorship agreement with STōK, a cold-brew coffee.

It is commonly known in English as the Racecourse Ground, which has been its name since the club was founded in the 1860s. "Cae Ras" is Welsh for "Racecourse".

The Racecourse Ground takes its name from its former use as a horse-racing venue in the early 19th century, before being solely used for football following Wrexham's formation.

The stadium has held a number of eye-catching historical records since it began hosting football matches in 1864.

It is the world's oldest international football arena that still hosts international matches, with more Wales games played there than any other stadium in the country. It was last used by the men's Wales national team for a friendly against Gibraltar in 2023. The Wales women's team played a UEFA Nations League group game against Sweden at the Racecourse in February 2025.

MORE:Ryan Reynolds net worth

Wrexham stadium capacity

Prior to the 2008 closure of the Kop, the Racecourse Ground could hold 20,000 fans across seated and standing areas.

The closed area significantly reduced the standing space at the stadium, with a minor upgrade in 2013 bringing the capacity up to 10,771.

"For the times, they are a-changin..."

🔴⚪ #WxmAFCpic.twitter.com/gIJ4j7Diio

— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) January 9, 2023

The proposed expansion of the Kop and redevelopment of the overall stadium is designed to increase the capacity to 18,000.

Speaking in April of 2024, the Hollywood stars admitted they believe the stadium could get to over 50,000 at some point in the future.

"We have a plan in place that would work from stand to stand so, eventually, you get all four sides," McElhenney told the U.S. entertainment website Collider. "We think we could get between 45,000 and 55,000 people in there."

Expansion plans for Wrexham stadium 

Reynolds and McElhenney have prioritised a stadium upgrade since their arrival in North Wales in 2021 with a capacity upgrade a key requirement for competing in the EFL — and to make it Premier League-ready.

The redevelopment will also allow the stadium to be declared a UEFA Category 4 venue, which would allow it to continue to host international matches, specifically the European Under-19 Championship that takes place in Wales in 2026.

Of the 18,000 spectators the upgraded venue will be able to hold upon completion during the 2026/27 season, 7,750 seats will be made available in the new Kop stand. A planning application for that increase was submitted in July 2025.

The Kop's exterior brick facade will, according to the club, "pays homage to the city's 'Terracottapolis' nickname" with the colours and textures inspired by the Ruabon brick from the local area.

We are incredibly proud to unveil the designs for the new Kop Stand at the STōK Cae Ras.

Designed by renowned sports architects Populous, the new Kop Stand marks a special moment in the history of our stadium, restoring its traditional four-sided enclosure.

🔴⚪ #WxmAFC

— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) February 3, 2025

It is hoped that the construction work will be completed at some point in the 2026/27 season, although some of the wider infrastructure may take longer to finish. The stadium upgrade is part of the Wrexham Gateway project, which also includes new office builds and improvement to transport networks.

"When we submitted the revised designs for the new Kop Stand earlier this year, the intention was always to future proof the SToK Cae Ras so that it could hold international matches for many years to come, thus remaining true to its legacy as the oldest international ground still in use," said CEO Michael Williamson in 2025.

"With the additional seats that were planned into the revised designs, we intend to maximise the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop a new and iconic Kop Stand that can accommodate a maximum number of fans for years to come."

How much will the expansion cost?

The estimated overall cost of the Racecourse Ground expansion and redevelopment is £90-90 million ($99-112 million) with 50% of the project financed by public funding.

The Welsh Government reportedly pledged £25m ($31.2m) to the funding pot, which will also redevelop the area around the stadium and transport links from Wrexham General train station.

Gameweek 29 in the Premier League delivered another action-packed gameweek filled with surprises, dramatic moments, and performances that could have a major impact on how the rest of the season unfolds.

Some of the league’s biggest sides dropped valuable points in unexpected games, while others seized the opportunity to strengthen their standing in the table.

With the round of fixtures now complete, here are five key things we learned from Gameweek 29.

1. Chelsea are emerging as strong Champions League contenders

Chelsea delivered one of the standout performances of the matchday with an emphatic 4–1 win away at Aston Villa. The result served as a clear statement to the other teams competing for a place in the top four.

João Pedro stole the spotlight with a brilliant hat-trick, while Cole Palmer continued his strong attacking form.

Chelsea looked composed, energetic, and clinical in front of goal — qualities that are crucial during this decisive stage of the campaign.

If they can keep producing performances like this, Chelsea could become one of the most serious threats in the race for Champions League qualification.

2. The title race is far from settled

Just as it seemed the leading teams were building momentum, Gameweek 29 introduced fresh uncertainty.

Manchester City were held to a frustrating home draw against Nottingham Forest, while Arsenal managed to secure a 1-0 win over Brighton at the Amex Stadium.

Results like these show that the teams fighting for the title cannot afford any slip-ups. At this stage of the season, even a single dropped point can make a huge difference.

Gameweek 29 proved that the race for the Premier League crown is still very much open.

3. Crystal Palace are becoming a serious threat

Crystal Palace continued their impressive form with a convincing 3–1 victory away at Tottenham Hotspur. Their performances in recent weeks suggest they are developing into a very dangerous side again.

Midfielder Adam Wharton was influential in the win, registering two assists and dictating the tempo of the game from midfield. Palace looked well-organized, creative, and efficient in the attacking third.

Performances like this indicate that Palace could play a significant role in shaping both the European qualification race and the battle to avoid relegation.

4. Tottenham’s struggles are deepening

Tottenham’s home defeat to Crystal Palace only increased the pressure surrounding the club. Defensively they looked vulnerable, and once they fell behind, they struggled to mount a convincing response.

Results like this have dragged Spurs closer to the middle of the table and raised fresh concerns about their inconsistency. The attacking confidence that once defined their style of play now appears to be fading.

If Tottenham do not turn things around quickly, the closing weeks of the season could become very challenging for them.

5. Late drama remains a defining feature of the Premier League

Gameweek 29 once again demonstrated that Premier League matches are rarely settled until the final moments.

Wolves secured a thrilling 2–1 win over Liverpool thanks to a stoppage-time goal from André — a strike that completely changed the outcome of the match. Moments like this highlight how quickly the balance of a game can shift.

With teams battling for the title, European qualification, and survival, every minute is crucial. Gameweek 29 reminded us that the drama in the Premier League is far from finished.

What other observations did you make from Gameweek 29? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

SAN ANTONIO -- There are bad losses, and then there is what happened to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night at Frost Bank Center.

The Clippers held a 25-point lead in the second half and completely fell apart down the stretch, as Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs stormed back for a 117-112 victory that will sting for a long time.

Kawhi Leonard poured in a game-high 30 points on 10-for-20 shooting to go along with nine rebounds and three steals, but it was not enough to prevent one of the worst collapses of the season for Los Angeles.

Brook Lopez added 26 points on an efficient 11-for-19 from the field and knocked down four threes, while also contributing six rebounds and four steals in one of his best outings of the year.

Clippers Cruise Early, Then Hit a Wall

The Clippers looked like a completely different team in the first half, shooting the ball well and building a comfortable 66-46 lead at the break.

It was the biggest halftime deficit of the season for San Antonio, a team that had led at halftime in 42 of their 63 games coming into Friday.

Lopez set the tone early with nine first-quarter points on a mix of floaters, fadeaways, and step-back jumpers, and Los Angeles pushed the lead to as many as 25 points when they went up 75-50 in the third quarter.

Everything was working, and it felt like the Clippers were in total control of the game.

San Antonio Flips the Script

Then the fourth quarter happened.

The Spurs opened the final period with an 18-5 run that completely erased the massive deficit and gave them their first lead since the opening minutes of the game.

Wembanyama was the engine behind the comeback, finishing with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and four blocks while playing with the kind of force that has made him one of the most dominant young players in the league.

He swatted a Kris Dunn reverse layup that created a fast break, which ended with an alley-oop dunk by Carter Bryant, and Devin Vassell followed with a three-pointer to give the Spurs a 99-97 lead.

Julian Champagnie was outstanding off the bench with 20 points and nine rebounds, shooting 5-for-8 from three-point range, and De'Aaron Fox chipped in 19 points and nine assists to fuel the attack.

An Unbelievable Finish

The final minute was a rollercoaster.

Leonard sank two free throws to give the Clippers a 109-108 lead with 1:17 remaining, but Wembanyama answered with a clutch three-pointer to put San Antonio back on top 111-109 with 54.7 seconds left.

After Leonard missed a three-pointer in the closing seconds, Wembanyama broke free for an uncontested dunk that pushed the lead to 113-112 with 16 seconds left.

The Clippers had one more chance, but Nicolas Batum turned the ball over on the inbound play when his foot crossed the boundary line, and that was essentially the ball game.

Stephon Castle put the finishing touches on the win by rebounding his own missed free throw and converting a layup with just one second remaining on the clock.

The loss drops the Clippers to 30-32 on the season and snaps a three-game winning streak as they continue to fight for play-in positioning in the Western Conference.

San Antonio improves to 46-17 and has now won 14 of their last 15 games, sitting in second place in the West behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Clippers will look to bounce back quickly when they visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night.

The Premier League always brings plenty of talking points, and Gameweek 29 was no exception. Across the weekend, there were strong performances, surprising results and a few disappointing displays that caught the attention of fans and Fantasy Premier League managers.

Some players stepped up and made a real difference for their teams, delivering goals, assists and important moments. At the same time, a few others struggled to make an impact and left supporters expecting more..

With that in mind, here are three winners and three losers from Premier League Gameweek 29.

Winners

Arsenal

Arsenal were one of the big winners in Gameweek 29 after securing another important victory. Bukayo Saka delivered the key moment, scoring the winning goal in the 1–0 win over Brighton.

The result takes the Gunner’s seven points ahead of Manchester City at the top of the table, giving them more control in the title race.

Chelsea

Chelsea were one of the standout teams in Gameweek 29 after a strong 4–1 victory over Aston Villa. Joao Pedro was the star of the match, scoring a hat-trick and showing great movement and finishing in front of goal.

His performance played a huge role in the win and helped increase his goal tally for the season.

With their goal still focused on qualifying for the Champions League, results like this boost their confidence and keep them firmly in the race for a top-four finish.

Everton

Everton enjoyed a positive Gameweek after securing an important win and showing strong defensive discipline. They controlled key moments of the game and limited their opponents’ chances, which helped them collect three valuable points.

Jordan Pickford produced a solid performance in the 2-0 win over Burnley.

With goals from Tarkowski and Dewsbury-Hall contributing to the result, Everton remained compact at the back and managed to secure a clean sheet.

It was Pickford’s 10th shutout of the Premier League season, keeping him firmly in the race for the Golden Glove.

Losers

Aston Villa

Aston Villa endured a difficult Gameweek after conceding four goals in their home defeat to Chelsea.

They struggled to deal with Chelsea’s attacking movement and were unable to respond after falling behind. The defensive performance lacked stability, and the result slowed their progress in the league.

Liverpool

Liverpool suffered a setback after losing 2–1 to Wolves at Molineux in a match they were expected to control.

Despite creating chances and pushing for an equaliser, they conceded a late goal and failed to take points from the game.

The defeat makes their push for Champions League qualification more challenging as they continue to drop important points.

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham’s poor run of form continued with a 3–1 defeat to Crystal Palace. The result extended their winless streak and increased pressure on their league position.

Defensive inconsistencies and struggles in key moments have left them closer to the lower half of the table, raising concerns about potential relegation pressure if results do not improve quickly.

Gameweek 29 brought clear winners and losers across the Premier League, with results shaping the table as teams move forward.

Attention now turns to Gameweek 30, where teams will look to build on their momentum or bounce back from disappointment.

FA Cup shocks are woven into Wrexham's history.

What might concern Chelsea this fifth round weekend, is that manager Phil Parkinson has a back catalogue of upsets all of his own.

Including being the most recent manager of a side from a lower division to knock out the big-spending west London side.

Back in 2015, Chelsea were clear at the top of the Premier League on their way to the title in the second Jose Mourinho era.

Drogba, Hazard, Fabregas and their talented team-mates should have had no problem against third-tier Bradford City, especially having gone 2-0 up at Stamford Bridge.

"I can remember at the start of the second half looking at Mourinho," said 58-year-old Parkinson.

"You could almost see it in his eyes, thinking 'wow' because his team had switched off and he couldn't get them going again."

With three minutes to go - and Bradford now 3-2 up - Mourinho reached over to shake Parkinson's hand before the final whistle. Parkinson ignored it and watched as his side scored a fourth. They would be the only team to beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge that season.

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"I was actually thinking about the game this week, how we led into it, the build-up and preparations," said Parkinson, who also revealed he has been exchanging messages with one of the Bantams' goalscorers that day, Jon Stead.

"I don't think I've changed much as a manager since then. We like the team to play with the same principles and reflect what the team is about as an area, which is similar here to Bradford.

"There was no expectancy on us at all and the underdog fighting spirit has got to be there because of the talent of the team we're up against."

In the 11 years since, Chelsea have played 24 FA Cup opponents from below the Premier League without suffering the same embarrassment, one Mourinho labelled a disgrace, but also saw him go into the Bradford changing room to acknowledge the significance of the scoreline and pay tribute to Parkinson.

He has recalled the "surreal" feeling of being applauded off by the Chelsea fans.

A memorable FA Cup experience, but it's far from the only reference point Parkinson has.

While his time at Wrexham has seen him break promotion records as part of the north Wales club's Hollywood rise, with their position in the Championship play-offs suggesting a fourth is a possibility, he knows all too well what a cup run can mean.

When Wrexham were still aiming to end a 15-year exile in non-league, Championship Coventry were beaten in 2023. Nottingham Forest were beaten on penalties in this year's third round.

But before being persuaded by the Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac project, Parkinson also took his fourth-tier Bradford side to the 2013 League Cup final via wins over Wigan, Arsenal and Aston Villa.

"Like a lot of people I was brought up watching the FA Cup and you have a duty to really respect the club you're managing and their history," said Parkinson.

"When you go around the Wrexham area, the game most supporters will still talk about is that Arsenal game with Mickey Thomas all those years ago, and the highlights will often be on the TV when the FA Cup comes back around again.

"But I said to the players before the Forest game this is our chance now to make more memories. We did that and have earned the right for this, so can we make some more memories on Saturday evening?"

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Wrexham, of course, are not the bottom tier side they were when champions Arsenal were upset in 1992.

There are only 20 places between the two sides as Wrexham push to join the Premier League, but they were still a non-league side three years ago.

And Parkinson was in the stands to acknowledge the gap that needs to be bridged when he watched Liam Rosenior's side dismantle Aston Villa in midweek.

He says there will have to be discipline out of possession – which could be great swathes of the game – and good organisation, but it is the belief that will matter most.

"If not we might as well not turn up," he added. "But we will and we will have an understanding of what boxes we have to tick to make this as difficult as possible for Chelsea.

"And I look at Saturday night as an opportunity for our players to write themselves into the history book. Like Mickey Thomas has done, and like those Bradford lads did on that day. "

Jesse Lingard’s post-Manchester United career has taken another surprising turn.

The former Carrington graduate has officially joined Corinthians, with the Brazilian side announcing the deal on Friday.

He joins for the 2026 season, with Corinthians having the option to trigger an automatic extension if they are happy with the player’s performance.

Jesse Lingard will sport the number 77 shirt at his new club, as he becomes the first Englishman to play in the Brazilian top division.

Corinthians sign Jesse Lingard

“JESSE LINGARD IS THE NEW SIGNING FOR CORINTHIANS!

“The English striker joins Timão on a contract until the end of this year, with the possibility of automatic renewal until the end of 2027 if performance targets outlined in the document are met!,” the club announced on social media.

After leaving Old Trafford, the 33-year-old joined Premier League side Nottingham Forest, but injuries meant he never truly hit his stride at the City Ground.

Surprisingly, the Englishman then opted to join FC Seoul in South Korea, where he stayed for two years and was even named skipper.

Links up with Memphis Depay

The former England international then decided to leave mutually part ways just before the January window, with the versatile attacker attracting interest from England, Spain, and the Netherlands.

Major League Soccer clubs were also eyeing a move for the free agent, while rumours emerged that Brazilian Serie B side Clube do Remo were close to sealing a shock deal.

However, he chose to join Corinthians, who are currently third in Serie A after four matches.

Jesse Lingard will unite with former United flop, Memphis Depay. The duo shared the Old Trafford dressing room between 2015 and 2017, frequently sharing the pitch under the tutelage of former manager Louis van Gaal.

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We’ve talked before about how Duke and UNC tend to parallel each other in strange and unusual ways. They’re like the ying and yang of college basketball, and if it rains in Chapel Hill, it’s probably going to rain in Durham, too.

UNC got some seriously bad weather between Thursday and Friday. Caleb Wilson had been sort of promoted as questionable for the Duke game, but anyone who pays any attention to how UNC basketball has worked for the last 50-60 years knows the drill: a key player gets hurt. He’ll be out forever! Well, maybe not forever.

He’s really, really hurt! Actually, it’s not that bad.

They’ve done this for decades, and were about to do it again when Wilson hurt his right hand in practice Thursday. On Friday, it got X-rayed, and turns out he has a broken thumb and is done for the year.

Enter the latest Duke-UNC parallel: Pat Ngongba is questionable for Saturday’s game with an apparent foot injury.

It’s probably a bigger blow for UNC than it is for Duke. They’ve won without Wilson, but were hoping to get him back for the game in Cameron. The psychology is interesting here. Is it deflating? Or will it just piss them off?

As for Duke, Maliq Brown can fill in for Ngongba, and while he’s not exactly a big man, Nik Khamenia is a really hard-nosed kid who can help out too.

But if Ngongba can’t go, then Duke’s margin of error goes down.

It’s the second-to-last batch of Minnesota Vikings rumor mill before free agency, which starts on Monday with the “legal tampering” process. There is no shortage of hearsay regarding the purple team.

Three Vikings storylines gained steam before free agency opened.

This week, it’s all about Kyler Murray and a couple of Vikings pass-catchers.

Minnesota’s Quarterback, Receiver, and Tight End Buzz — Intensified

The Purple Rumor Mill for March 7th, 2026.

Rumor: The Vikings are the odds-on favorite to land Kyler Murray.

Sportsbooks offer odds on nearly everything in 2026, and Murray’s next destination has entered that mix.

NBC Sports’ Mike Florio wrote on Wednesday, “The Cardinals will release quarterback Kyler Murray next week. Where will he land? DraftKings has the Vikings as the early favorites to sign the first overall pick in the 2019 draft, at -110. The Jets are next at +175, with the Dolphins at +320 and the Browns at +450.”

“The Falcons, at +500, are one of the most intriguing options, given their talent elsewhere on offense. As mentioned over the weekend, however, new president of football operations Matt Ryan (a 6’5″ former quarterback) will have to be content to ride with an undersized signal caller.”

At the moment, Minnesota sits in the pole position to land Murray, likely via a one-year prove-it arrangement at the league minimum.

The Vikings also lead the way in other betting markets like Kalshi, and they do so overwhelmingly. Murray to Minnesota — probably sometime next week — is no longer a hot take. It’s probably going to happen.

Rumor: Jalen Nailor will have a robust free-agent market.

When the calendar flipped to January, Vikings fans had little clarity on Nailor’s free agency outlook. One path involved a modest return to Minnesota for roughly $4 million per season. Another involved a crowded market. As early March unfolds, the latter scenario appears likely.

The Athletic’s Alec Lewis scribed Tuesday, “More than 10 teams are eyeing Vikings receiver Jalen Nailor, according to league sources. Nailor recently turned 27 and will be one of the more coveted free-agent wide receivers next week. Even though he has caught only 69 NFL passes and never reached 450 yards in a season, multiple evaluators think he has the potential to become a priority signing.”

“The Vikings don’t want to lose Nailor. The coaches — especially receivers coach Keenan McCardell — have watched him progress into one of their best developmental stories. He can absorb a complex playbook. He is a willing run blocker. He possesses vertical speed, and he displays separation ability, too. One NFC executive posited that he could see Nailor producing an 80-catch season in the near future.”

That blurb points toward a player approaching a meaningful payday.

Lewis added, “Nailor’s contract will match that level of production. He could be in line for a three-year deal worth an average annual value of between $12 million and $15 million, league sources said.”

“By comparison, Giants receiver Darius Slayton signed a three-year contract worth $36 million a couple of seasons ago. Minnesota isn’t likely to spend big at receiver, given that it has plenty of other needs.”

Nailor’s days in Minnesota feel numbered.

Rumor: T.J. Hockenson will accept a paycut.

Lewis also chimed in on Minnesota’s broader free-agency outlook, including a potential adjustment to Hockenson’s contract.

“The Vikings are prepared to make difficult decisions to alleviate their salary-cap concerns. Don’t expect a big-name free-agent splurge like last year. The Vikings are $40-plus million over the cap, and while that isn’t dire, it is significant. Pay cuts: Minnesota wants to lower the cap number for tight end T.J. Hockenson. He is amenable to lowering it, but the outcome is largely a matter of how low the Vikings want to go,” he wrote.

Before news of a potential pay cut emerged, Hockenson was widely expected to be traded, released, or undergo a standard restructure that would involve salary shifts without reducing his overall pay. Now, an outright pay cut is on the table.

Beyond Hockenson, Minnesota has Josh Oliver, Gavin Bartholomew, Ben Yurosek, and Bryson Nesbit under contract at tight end through 2026.

Realistically, none of these players seems ready to be a TE1 this season unless they show significant improvement during training camp. This situation could lead Minnesota to explore free agent options such as Isaiah Likely, Darren Waller, or Cade Otton.

The upcoming NFL draft in April also offers an opportunity to find a solution. Several intriguing tight end prospects are expected to be available in the early rounds, with Kenyon Sadiq from Oregon and Eli Stowers from Vanderbilt having impressed scouts at the NFL Combine last week.

A source told VikingsTerritory this week that Minnesota “will rip up” Hockenson’s contract and totally redo it, suggesting the paycut is on the way.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

For the first time in five years, a Division I college basketball team will enter the postseason with an undefeated record. It was close on Friday, though.

No. 19 Miami (Ohio) improved its record to 31-0 on Friday in its regular season finale, surviving a clash with in-state rival Ohio in overtime, 110-108. They are the first team to post an undefeated regular season since 2020-21 Gonzaga.

The RedHawks’ final obstacle was their most persistent pain point. Their last road win against Ohio had been in 2011. Their last road win against Ohio in regulation was in 2006.

It was clear from the start that reversing history wouldn’t be easy, with the lead staying in single digits until late in the first half. The Miami lead reached as high as 11, but Ohio spent the entire second half bringing that down until it was a tie game with 40 seconds left.

Ohio came perilously close to ending it before overtime.

Overtime was similarly close, ultimately hinging on a pair of free throws by Peter Suder with 12 seconds left. A would-be game-winning, buzzer-beating 3-point clanked away for Ohio, and the Miami players began celebrating.

They also made sure to let the Ohio crowd know it, and the Bobcat fans responded in kind.

Things escalated to the point of fans throwing trash onto the court in the direction of Miami players. And Ohio’s Aidan Hadaway had to be nudged off the court after he apparently wasn’t happy with Miami’s antics.

The task for Miami now turns to the MAC tournament, where it will be the No. 1 seed. They face No. 8 seed UMass on Thursday.

Then comes the NCAA tournament. We don’t know who needs to hear this, but Miami was likely already in regardless of how Friday went. So much has been made about their soft schedule — which, as is the case with many competitive mid-majors, not their fault — but it’s hard to imagine the committee icing out a 30-2 team, no matter whom they play.

Of course, Miami now has a chance to give them a 34-0 a team to consider on Selection Sunday.

Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka got her injury return off to a solid start on Friday, punching her ticket to the third round at Indian Wells with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over qualifier Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva.

The Japanese superstar said she didn't know what to expect from her 97th-ranked opponent in their first meeting.

But more importantly she wasn't too sure what to expect from herself in her first match since she pulled out before her Australian Open third-round contest with an abdominal injury.

"It wasn't, like, too positive," she said of her build up to Indian Wells.

"I was really disappointed (at the Australian Open), because it's something that I have done to myself before, and I feel like every year I go through that specific injury.

"Every year I can kind of feel it starting to happen. I was just really disappointed in myself, and then ironically, we were training and I injured myself -- I did another injury.

"Hopefully, that's enough injuries for the whole year," Osaka said. "I'm just grateful to be out here and be playing."

Osaka got off to a strong start, winning the first four games on the way to a 5-1 lead. But Jimenez Kasintseva won the next three games, breaking Osaka twice to level the set before the 16th-ranked star regrouped.

Despite the hiccups, Osaka was pleased to have improved on a disappointing first-round loss to Camila Osorio in the California desert last year in a match she dejectedly called the "worst match I've ever played in my life".

"Last year I didn't do too well here, so I think I already exceeded the previous year. So I just hope that I can keep going," she said.

To do so she'll have to get past Colombia's Osorio, who saved three match points in a 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 victory over American Iva Jovic.

bb/rcw

Vic Halom is one of those players from our 1973 FA Cup winning team that fans of the time still get misty-eyed about.

Born in Swadlincote and raised in Burton-upon-Trent, he actually began and spent the first years of his professional career in London, starting as an apprentice at Charlton and making his league debut for them before moving to Leyton Orient in 1967 and then Fulham in 1968.  

Three years at Craven Cottage helped mould him into the centre-forward that he became, and when Luton Town were looking for a replacement for Malcolm McDonald — who’d moved to Newcastle — they brought Halom ‘north’ from London to Kenilworth Road.

Playing in the Second Division, Halom established himself as one of the better up-and-coming centre forwards at that level and boasted a strike rate of around a goal in every three games — as he did throughout his career.

Meanwhile at Sunderland, Bob Stokoe had inherited a side that was struggling near the foot of the Second Division during the winter of 1972/1973.

Looking to bring in a forward to lead the attack of his side, Stokoe had signed John Hughes from Crystal Palace in January 1973 for £35,000. Hughes had been a huge player in his day for the Celtic team that ended up winning the European Cup — and was the brother of Sunderland forward Billy.

Sunderland themselves had begun a turnaround in form when Hughes arrived, winning their third-round FA Cup tie against Notts County after a replay, but they were still in eighteenth place in the table when Hughes came to make his debut against Milwall on 27 January 1973.

Cruel fate played a part in bringing Halom to Roker Park, for although Sunderland won the match 2-0l, Hughes suffered what would turn out to be a career-ending knee injury in the opening minutes of the game.

Billy Hughes recounted that his brother went running past him and shouting “My knee’s knackered”, but tried to play on, saying nothing at half time before having to go off in the second half.

Thus, Sunderland got through their fourth-round FA Cup tie and replay before Stokoe had signed Halom for £30,000 from Luton, with the forward making his debut in the league against Sheffield Wednesday.

Halom was a big, strong and aggressive centre forward who was a complete handful for opposition centre halves, not allowing them to settle and not unlike Brian Brobbey in that respect. When asked what his new signing would bring to the Sunderland team, Stokoe thought for a moment, possibly searching for one of those Cantona-like quotes of the future, and said, “We’ll go like a bomb!”

Indeed, Sunderland did go “like a bomb”.

In seventeenth place when he made his debut, Sunderland had risen to sixth by the time the league season came to an end a few months later.

Halom scored on his home debut (a 4-0 win over Middlesborough), while the next game was a 2-2 draw against Manchester City in the fifth round of the cup. The replay at Roker Park brought in a crowd of over 51,000, contrasting against crowds of just over 12,000 just before Christmas.  In one of the most famous games played at our old ground, Halom opened the scoring with a cracking goal — which you can see below — in a 3-1 win.

He got another huge goal in the semi-final win over Arsenal where he terrorised the gunners defence throughout, finished the season with seven goals in all competitions and became one of the eleven club legends who lined up to win the FA Cup final against Leeds in May.

1973/1974 saw Halom on top of his game for Sunderland.

The club competed in European competition and he scored twenty one goals in all competitions, including a League Cup hat trick against Derby County — one of the top clubs in England at the time.

He added a further nine goals in 1974/1975 as Sunderland knocked on the door of promotion, but by the time the club did achieve promotion in 1975/1976, he began to suffer from a series of niggling injuries which affected his contribution.

Halom then moved to Oldham, where he did recapture his old form for the next four years before finishing his career with Rotherham United.

As we look forward to the fifth round of the FA Cup, it’s fitting to commemorate a key player in one of our best wins at this stage of the competition — a cup legend and a great player for Sunderland.

As I detailed in a previous article, I am unusual in being an adopted Mackem who grew up in the Potteries and caught the Sunderland bug watching the Lads in a Fifth Round FA Cup tie at Stoke in 1976.

Now, fifty years later, Sunderland are contesting their first Fifth Round tie in a decade and are back in the Five Towns. I am delighted that Port Vale are our opponents, not least because it allows me to revisit my favourite personal footballing story, involving my great uncle and a Sunderland legend who also happened to hail from Stoke.

I have known for many years that two of my relations played for the Vale. One was goalkeeper John Poole, who was a stand-in for Ken Hancock, a star in Vale’s surprise FA Cup replay win over the Lads in 1962. Forty years earlier, my great uncle, Tom Davis, played 20-odd games at centre-half for the Valiants, and when I delved further into the archives a while back, I was astonished to discover that his home debut in November 1923 coincided with an improbable playing comeback of one of Sunderland’s finest talents of yesteryear, Arthur Bridgett.

Bridgett was one of a famous Staffordshire footballing family who earned 11 England caps in their 12-year stay on Wearside. Predominantly a winger, he nevertheless racked up a remarkable 116 goals in his 348 appearances for the Lads between 1903–12, including two in the famous 9–1 derby triumph of 1908.

By the time of my great uncle’s debut, Bridgett was 42 years old and back in the Potteries helping out with the reserves at the Vale when an injury crisis meant he took the field against Clapton Orient in November 1923, having not played competitively for 11 years.

Rolling back the years, he received the ball within the first two minutes, ran at a retreating defence and smoothly netted what proved to be the only goal of the game. Vale’s home at the time, the Old Recreation Ground in Hanley, is long gone, but the church of St John, which overlooked the ground, remains.

I was christened there, and I was amused to learn that it was apparently used by players during the games to see how much time was left. I can imagine Uncle Tom glancing up nervously as the game drew to a close and maybe enjoying a craic with the legendary match-winner at full-time.

Sadly I never met Tom, but at least I maintained the family footballing tradition, albeit my particular efforts at centre-half were comfortably outshone by my off-the-field enthusiasms for watching and researching the beautiful game.

Sunderland played only once at the ‘Old Rec’, a 2–0 defeat in a Third Round replay in 1936. That was a major upset considering the Lads were top of the old Division One (today’s PL) at the time and would go on to secure the title, whereas Vale were second bottom of Division Two (today’s Championship) and would be relegated at the end of the season. The North Mail described Sunderland’s defence on the day as ‘resolute as melting butter’, and the press were equally damning after our defeat at Vale Park in 1962.

Although we finally secured an FA Cup win at Vale at the third attempt in 2018, helped by a 38-second opening goal by George Honeyman, the warnings from history are clear and despite my origins and family connections my allegiance is unequivocal so here’s hoping the Lads’ full focus and application is present on Sunday and a first Sixth Round tie since 2012 can be secured!

The 1984/85 season was a very strange affair indeed. One where we reached our first Wembley final since that glorious day in 1973, but we also suffered relegation down to the ‘Canon Division 2’.

The history books will show that despite beating our Milk Marketing Board League Cup rivals Norwich City 3–1 only a week earlier, we lost that ‘friendly final’ 1–0, Clive Walker penalty miss et al.

Indeed, in what was otherwise a poor season, after that final, we only won one of our remaining 12 fixtures. We would end the season on 40 points.

But it was the semi-final on 4 March away at Stamford Bridge which urged complaints to the F.A. on two fronts. Both were documented in the Sunderland Daily Echo on Thursday 7 March. The Mayor at the time, Coun. George Elliot, was scathing of the organisation of the fans on the evening.

Sunderland fans were spread thinly, surrounded by Chelsea fans, and they were subjected to coins and even bricks being thrown at them. Chelsea fans also entered the pitch, and the Mayor was full of praise for the travelling fans, who didn’t respond to the goading. In what he referred to as a ‘night of terror’, he said ‘Not one Sunderland fan went onto the pitch, and but for the efforts of the police, I shudder to think what might have happened.’ He also took aim at the then Chelsea chairman, a certain Ken Bates, who criticised Sunderland in his match-day programme notes. He claimed some Chelsea fans had been turned away at the turnstiles at the previous leg at Roker Park (one in which The Lads had won 2–0 thanks to a brace from Colin West). Bates also took grievance with some coach companies, who had refused to take Chelsea fans to the Sunderland away leg. This in itself only serves to underline the reputation that Chelsea fans had at that time.

Following on from the Mayor’s comments, a Sunderland Supporters’ Association official made a formal complaint to the F.A. about the violence that had marred the semi-final. The F.A., as it was, were already in the process of carrying out their own investigation into the game.

Steven Woolston, who was secretary of the London branch of the SAFC supporters association, said he had never been so scared, or seen such bad organisation, as he had witnessed that night. He added that he would never encourage anyone to travel to Stamford Bridge ever again. ‘The whole evening, instead of being one of the most memorable for football, turned out to be one of the most frightening.’

Another tale of the violence that night was when a brick hit one fan, who had to be hospitalised and received 14 stitches. Unfortunately, this made him miss the supporters club bus! But in a show of unity and compassion, a phone call from The Echo to Chelsea FC brought personal assurances from the London club that they’d give the Sunderland fan the funds to return home. As it turned out – those funds weren’t forthcoming, and a hospital social worker made it his own business to make sure the injured fan was able to get back to the North East.

The F.A. did indeed investigate the chaotic scenes, leading to a ‘severe reprimand’ for the Stamford Bridge club – whatever a severe reprimand was in those times. You can be sure that scenes of such violence and fear and pitch invasions today would see a club punished in a much harsher fashion. I guess it was a sign of the times that violence described in some reports, and the horror described, was almost par for the course in the 70s and 80s.

The violence and poor organisation reported and highlighted on 7 March threw up two ‘characters’ of the game in the 80s – namely Ken Bates, the Chelsea owner, and Ted Croker, effectively the Chief Executive of the F.A. Both of these gentlemen bring my late dad to mind, as he described them both whenever they appeared on TV as ‘bums’. I think you could rightly call them both ‘dinosaurs’ in today’s parlance. The aforementioned Bates, blamed by some as stoking the violence in the first place, was certainly a marmite personality. He purchased Chelsea in 1982 for £1 – and sold it to Abramovich in 2003 for £18m. Although he did leave a debt burden of £80 million! He certainly didn’t sit on the fence, and was once quoted as saying, ‘I shall not rest until Leeds United are kicked out of the football league. Their fans are the scum of the earth – absolute animals.’ Say it how you feel Ken! Strange that he went on to purchase Leeds United after selling Chelsea. At one time he had wanted to erect an electric perimeter fence around Stamford Bridge, but it was dismantled when the council refused him permission to turn the electricity on! Can you imagine such discussions in this day and age!?

Ted Croker was just a typical F.A. ‘man in a suit’. He was effectively in charge from 1973–1989. Much of his time was dogged by problems, namely the Heysel Stadium disaster and the demise of the Home International Championship. The P.L. still don’t get a lot right, but I’ve a feeling if Croker and his cronies were around today, current incidents like the abuse Romaine Mundle recently received might just have brought a ‘severe reprimand’!

When rumours of an injury to Robin Roefs began to gather pace, ahead of Tuesday’s match against Leeds, I could almost hear the cries of disappointment from Wearside in my adopted home in Yorkshire.

The calm, phlegmatic young Dutchman is arguably competing with Granit Xhaka, Nordi Mukiele and Omar Alderete as the most influential of the summer signings. If that argument doesn’t work for you, alongside Noah Sadiki, he is definitely one of the young prospects whose stock, and consequent value, has risen most sharply this season. He and Sadiki are both on a very different trajectory compared to the other young players with potential who stepped through the doors of the Academy of Light last summer.

When the season ends and the transfer window opens, Europe’s elite clubs will be lighting up Florent Ghisolfi’s phone and Roefs, Sadiki and Dan Ballard will undoubtedly be at the top of their wanted lists.

It is an ill wind that blows nobody any good, and the opportunity that Roefs’ hamstring injury affords to Melker Ellborg may benefit both the young Swede and the club hierarchy in the near future. Ellborg performed admirably on his Premier League debut in a difficult fixture, where the defence and midfield in front of him had been disrupted by injuries.

Apart from an early scare, where he delivered a poor clearance whilst being closed down under pressure, the former Malmö keeper grew in confidence, turning aside a fiercely struck free-kick. He went on to deal confidently with a series of crosses, punching them well clear, and showed that his early discomfort with the ball at his feet was simply an understandable early aberration.

In a tight game in a hostile atmosphere, Ellborg carried himself with the attitude of a player who has already played European football, and who can handle the pressure of the Premier League.

In his post-match interviews, he came across as a humble individual, with an understanding of the significance of playing in England’s top tier, recognising the impact of fellow countrymen such as Seb Larsson and Zlatan Ibrahimović. It was telling that his disappointment was that his inclusion in the team came too late for his family to travel from Sweden to watch his Premier League debut in person.

With Roefs sidelined for a couple of weeks, Ellborg now has the opportunity to show that he has both the ability and the temperament to be Sunderland’s last line of defence. If the timeline for Roefs’ injury is accurate, Ellborg will be lining up between the sticks in the FA Cup tie against Port Vale. Again he will have a makeshift defence, ravaged by injuries and suspension, in front of him.

After that, he will be making his home debut against Brighton at the Stadium of Light. With Sunderland having already hit the magic 40-point mark, it is a fixture which has less pressure than it might have done but the Seagulls are a team who are equally rivalling the Black Cats for an unlikely European qualification.

Whether Roefs will regain fitness in time for the trip to ‘the Visitors’ remains to be seen, and Ellborg may well find himself lining up in what is the biggest Premier League fixture still to play.

It may not be an ideal scenario but, if the summer brings an offer for Roefs that is simply too big to refuse, the club will have had the opportunity to have a thorough assessment of Ellborg to determine if the Dutchman’s successor is already in the building.

There is never a good time to have an injury to an established and important first-team player but Roefs’ absence may not prove to be wholly detrimental, when the bigger picture of Sunderland’s overall progression is considered.

SATURDAY

BASEBALL

10a Pittsburgh at Detroit MLB Net

Noon Texas at Giants NBCSBA MLB Net (680, 104.5)

Noon Angels at A's (ss), in Las Vegas (960)

5p Colorado at L.A. Dodgers MLB Net

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Men

9a Georgia Tech at Clemson ACC Net

9a Virginia Tech at Virginia KRON (4)

9a Houston at Oklahoma State KPIX (5) KOVR (13) KION (46)

9a Arkansas at Missouri ESPN

9a Xavier at Villanova TNT TruTV

9a Butler at DePaul FS1

9a Davidson at St. Bonaventure USA  

9a Notre Dame at Boston College ESPNU

9:30a UConn at Marquette KTVU (2) KTXL (40) (1050)

10a South Carolina at Mississippi SEC Net

11a SMU at Florida State ACC Net

11a Kansas State at Kansas KPIX (5) KOVR (13) KION (46)

11aVanderbilt at Tennessee ESPN

11a Cincinnati at TCU TNT TruTV

11a Arizona State at Iowa State FS1

11a Louisville at Miami ESPNU

11a George Washington at Loyola (Chicago) USA

11:15a Stanford at NC State KRON (4)

12:30p Georgia at Mississippi State SEC Net

12:30p MVC tournament semifinals: Teams TBA CBSSN

1p Cal at Wake Forest ACC Net (810)

1p Wisconsin at Purdue KPIX (5) KOVR (13) KION (46)

1p Florida at Kentucky ESPN

1p St. Louis at George Mason USA

1p Florida Atlantic at Wichita State ESPNU

1:30p Pittsburgh at Syracuse KRON (4)

2p Utah at Baylor NBCSN Peacock

2p Wyoming at San Jose State Mountain West Net (860)

2:30p Indiana at Ohio State KTVU (2) KTXL (40)

3p Texas A&M at LSU SEC Net

3p MVC tournament semifinals: Teams TBA CBSSN

3p Providence at Georgetown TruTV

3:30p North Carolina at Duke ESPN

5p Summit League tournament semifinals: Teams TBA CBSSN

5p UC Davis at UC Irvine ESPNU

5:30p Oklahoma at Texas SEC Net

5:30p Auburn at Alabama ESPN

6p OVC tournament championship: Teams TBA ESPN2

6p UCLA at USC FS1

6p Northwestern at Minnesota Big Ten

6pWCC: USF vs. TBA ESPN+ (1050)

7:30p Texas Tech at BYU ESPN

7:30p Summit League tournament semifinals: Teams TBA CBSSN

8p Arizona at Colorado ESPN2

8p Washington at Oregon FS1

8:30p WCC: Pacific vs. TBA ESPN+

Women

Conference tournaments

8a Atlantic 10 semifinals: Davidson vs. Rhode Island CBSSN

9a Big East: Georgetown vs. UConn NBCSN Peacock

9a ACC semifinal: Duke vs. Notre Dame ESPN2

10:30a Atlantic 10 semifinals: Teams TBA CBSSN

11a Big Ten semifinals: Ohio State vs. UCLA Big Ten

11:30a Big East: Creighton vs. Marquette NBCSN Peacock

11:30a ACC semifinals: Teams TBA ESPN2

Noon WCC: Portland vs. TBA ESPN+

Noon Mountain West: Air Force vs. Wyoming Mountain West Net

1:30p SEC semifinals: South Carolina vs. TBA ESPN2

1:30p Big Ten semifinals: Teams TBA Big Ten

2:30p WCC: Pepperdine vs. TBA ESPN+  

2:30p Mountain West: San Jose State vs. Boise State Mountain West Net

4p Big East: Providence vs. Villanova NBCSN Peacock

4p SEC semifinals: Teams TBA ESPN2

5p Mountain West: Nevada vs. Fresno State Mountain West Net

6:30p Big East: TBA vs. Seton Hall NBCSN Peacock

7:30p Mountain West: Utah State vs. Grand Canyon Mountain West Net

GOLF

9:30a PGA: Arnold Palmer Invitational Golf Ch.

11:30a PGA: Arnold Palmer Invitational KNTV (11) KCRA (3) KSBW (8)

11:30a PGA: Puerto Rico Open Golf Ch.

8p LPGA: Blue Bay LPGA Golf Ch.

10p LIV: Hong Kong FS1

1a Sun DP World Tour: Joburg Open Golf Ch.

HORSE RACING

11a America's Day at the Races FS2

MOTOR SPORTS

9a NASCAR Cup: Straight Talk Wireless 500 practice Prime Video

10:10a NASCAR Cup: Straight Talk Wireless 500 qualifying Prime Video

Noon IndyCar: Good Ranchers 250 KTVU (2) KTXL (40)

1p NHRA: Top Fuel All-Star Callout FS1

4:30p NASCAR O'Reilly Series: GOVX 200 KRON (4)

6:50p F1: Australian Grand Prix Apple TV

NBA

Noon Orlando at Minnesota Prime Video

3p Philadelphia at Atlanta NBA TV

5:30p Warriors at Oklahoma City KGO (7) KXTV (10) (95.7)

NHL

9:30aWashington at Boston KGO (7) KXTV (10)  

Noon N.Y. Rangers at New Jersey KGO (7) KXTV (10)

4p Tampa Bay at Toronto NHL Net

7p N.Y. Islanders at Sharks NBCSCA

PARALYMPICS

7:15a Alpine skiing: men's & women's downhill CNBC

8:05a Hockey: United States vs. Italy CNBC

1a Sun Biathlon: men's & women's 12.5km individual, sitting CNBC

SOCCER

4a FA Cup: Mansfield Town vs. Arsenal ESPN2

4:30a Women's World Cup qualifying: England vs. Iceland CBSSN

9:30a SheBelieves Cup: Canada vs. Argentina TruTV

12:30p SheBelieves Cup: U.S. vs. Colombia TBS TruTV

4:30p MLS: Earthquakes at Philadelphia Apple TV (810)

7p USL: Oakland Roots at Monterey Bay KTVU+ (36)

SWIMMING

10a Pro Swim Series: Westmont KNTV (11) KCRA (3) KSBW (8)

TENNIS

10a BNP Paribas Open Tennis Ch.

11a BNP Paribas Open T2

7pBNP Paribas Open Tennis Ch. T2

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC

8a Colombia vs. Canada FS2

3p Panama vs. Puerto Rico FS1

4p Israel vs. Venezuela FS2

5p Great Britain vs. United States KTVU (2) KTXL (40)

7p Chinese Taipei vs. Czechia FS2

3a Sun Australia vs. Japan FS1

SUNDAY

BOWLING

1p PBA: U.S. Open KRON (4)

BASEBALL

Spring training

10a N.Y. Yankees at N.Y. Mets MLB Net

1p A's vs. Angels, in Las Vegas (960)

1p Giants at Chicago Cubs NBCSBA MLB Net (680, 104.5)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Men

9a MVC tournament championship: Teams TBA KPIX (5) KOVR (13) KION (46)

9a Big South tournament championship: Teams TBA ESPN2

9a Patriot League tournament semifinals: Teams TBA CBSSN

9a Penn State at Rutgers Big Ten

11a Atlantic Sun tournament championship: Teams TBA ESPN2

11a Patriot League tournament semifinals: Teams TBA CBSSN

Noon Illinois at Maryland KTVU (2) KTXL (40)

1p SoCon tournament semifinals: Teams TBA ESPNU

1:30p Michigan State at Michigan KPIX (5) KOVR (13) KION (46)

2p Iowa at Nebraska KTVU (2) KTXL (40)

3:30p SoCon tournament semifinals: Teams TBA ESPNU

5:30p WCC tournament: TBA vs. Oregon State ESPN2

6p Summit League tournament championship: Teams TBA CBSSN

8p WCC tournament: TBA vs. Santa Clara ESPN2

Women

Conference tournaments

9a SoCon championship: Teams TBA ESPNU

10a ACC championship: Teams TBA ESPN

11a Big Ten championship: Teams TBA KPIX (5) KOVR (13) KION (46)

11:30a Big East semifinals: Teams TBA NBCSN Peacock

11:30a WCC: Oregon State vs. TBA ESPN+  

Noon SEC championship: Teams TBA ESPN

Noon Mountain West quarterfinals: San Diego State vs. TBA Mountain West Net

1p Atlantic 10 championship: Teams TBA ESPN2

1p Summit League championship: Teams TBA CBSSN

2p Big East semifinals: Teams TBA NBCSN Peacock

2p Big 12 championship: Teams TBA ESPN

2p WCC: Santa Clara vs. TBA ESPN+

2:30p Mountain West quarterfinals: Teams TBA Mountain West Net

3p Big South championship: Teams TBA ESPN2

5p Mountain West quarterfinals: Teams TBA Mountain West Net

7:30p Mountain West quarterfinals: Teams TBA Mountain West Net

CYCLING

7a UCI WorldTour: Paris-Nice, stage 1 NBCSN Peacock

COLLEGE SOFTBALL

9a Texas at South Carolina SEC Net

10a St. Mary's at San Jose State NBCSCA

11a LSU at Tennessee SEC Net

1p Missouri at Florida SEC Net

GOLF

9:30a PGA: Arnold Palmer Invitational Golf Ch.

11:30a PGA: Arnold Palmer Invitational KNTV (11) KCRA (3) KSBW (8)

11:30a PGA: Puerto Rico Open Golf Ch.

HORSE RACING

Noon America's Day at the Races FS2

MOTOR SPORTS

9a NHRA: Gatornationals FS1

12:30p NASCAR Cup: Straight Talk Wireless 500 FS1

NBA

10a Boston at Cleveland KGO (7) KXTV (10)

12:30p New York at L.A. Lakers KGO (7) KXTV (10)

5p Houston at San Antonio KNTV (11) KCRA (3) KSBW (8)

5p G League: South Bay at Santa Cruz Warriors NBCSBA  

5p Charlotte at Phoenix NBCSN Peacock

NHL

11a Minnesota at Colorado TNT TruTV

1:30p Boston at Pittsburgh TNT TruTV

4p Detroit at New Jersey ESPN

6:30p Edmonton at Vegas ESPN

PARALYMPICS

3:20a Men's & women's para snowboard cross finals CNBC

4:55a   Biathlon: men's & women's 12.5km individual, standing/vision impaired CNBC

6:45a Wheelchair curling, Mixed Doubles: United States vs. Italy CNBC

9:30a Paralympics Coverage KNTV (11) KCRA (3) KSBW (8)

2a Mon Alpine skiing: men's & women's Super-G USA

SOCCER

4:30a FA Cup: Fulham vs. Southampton ESPN2

TENNIS

10a BNP Paribas Open Tennis Ch.

11a BNP Paribas Open T2

7p BNP Paribas Open Tennis Ch. T2

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC

9a Colombia vs. Cuba FS2

9a Netherlands vs. Dominican Republic KTVU (2) KTXL (40)

4p Panama vs. Canada FS2

5p Brazil vs. Mexico FS1

3a Mon South Korea vs. Australia FS1

WRESTLING

1p Ivy League tournament ESPNews

1:30p Big Ten tournament Big Ten

5p ACC championships ACC Net

This article originally published at Bay Area sports calendar, March 7-8.

Sunderland beat Leeds 1–0 midweek with what many called a depleted team. The trip to Elland Road was not without its dramas: a Leeds disallowed goal jangled the nerves somewhat before Habib Diarra struck from the spot to take Sunderland to the much-coveted 40-point mark. Yet the highlight of the story has to be Luke O’Nien’s involvement. Named captain on his first Premier League start, Luke played a blinder and won the Man of the Match gong as a reward for his efforts.

In his post-match Instagram post, Luke spoke about how tough and long the road to this moment was. As a player, he has pretty much seen it all. He’s played in every one of the English Football Leagues, as well as a spell in non-league football. O’Nien has seen everything English football has to offer, and he’s dealt with it marvellously.

O’Nien’s Sunderland story began in 2018, with the club newly relegated to League One. Sunderland’s number 13 has since admitted that he felt he had a complete stinker in his first match. O’Nien, then a midfielder, was played alongside another young player in Bali Mumba but was hooked at half-time.

The next time we saw him was at right back, a position he allegedly lied about having played in before just so Jack Ross would put him back in the side. The lie worked; O’Nien performed well enough to become Ross’s choice at right back going forward.

From then on, O’Nien became known as a utility player. Happy to be played in any position and give it his all, we’ve seen Luke grace the midfield, the wing, the full-back, and the centre-half positions in his career in red and white.

This has often led to an unfair reputation being placed on O’Nien. Many have perceived him as a jack of all trades whilst others have been harsher and constantly belittled his talent and wondered how he kept getting into the side.

Those who wondered how he keeps getting into this Sunderland side are often those who misunderstand O’Nien’s influence on this side. There is a reason why manager after manager after manager has kept selecting O’Nien. There is a reason why he was selected as first-team captain and then later club captain. It is because O’Nien is an incredibly talented player. A skilled player yes, but his mindset is perhaps his greatest asset.

O’Nien has a wonderful ability to dust himself off after disappointment. In fact, failure fears Luke because the man simply picks himself up and works even harder after every setback. The club captain has suffered agonising defeats at Wembley twice, sat through years of the club underachieving and yet has helped pull us through each time. There probably couldn’t be a better role model for children looking to play the sport; O’Nien is very candid about times he has lapsed in confidence, yet he also talks just as candidly about how hard he worked to come back from that.

Furthermore, many Sunderland fans have greatly underestimated quite how talented a player needs to be to not only play in four different positions but play in them competently. As previously mentioned, Luke has taken to each position he’s been asked to play with aplomb. Whilst it may not have been glorious and flashy each time, the importance of having someone in your team who can do that is not to be understated.

His standout performances against Leeds and against Oxford a few weeks ago show a talented defender. He is a workhorse but also a keen tactician. He can see the game well and is often a perfect blend of defender and midfielder, a player just as comfortable at winning the ball as he is recycling it with a pinpoint pass. He’s a trusted performer, hence why he has over 300 Sunderland appearances to his name.

It takes an inconceivably great tactical understanding of the game to be able to reassign your position regularly and play to a high quality each time. Luke has managed this every time as evidenced by the fact that (until this season) he was a regular starter week in, week out under every manager Sunderland have had since he joined the club. This is also bolstered by the fact that he is a born leader. People follow O’Nien’s example, they admire his work ethic, and they also like him for who he is. O’Nien has gone from a young lad who doubted himself after a poor start to a seasoned professional boasting an impressive list of achievements.

Luke’s likeability is also incredibly refreshing. He quickly became my favourite player when he joined because he brought so much energy. In a world where players are almost robotic thanks to hard hours of media training, Luke is resolutely authentic in the way he approaches both playing and being interviewed.

From playing creative yet devious mischief-maker on the pitch to the astonishingly honest interviews he gives off it, O’Nien represents a rare breed of player in the modern game. He has something about him; he is a player that you can just as well perceive as a normal person as well as a football player. He is down to earth and accessible in a way that many footballers simply are not nowadays.

Ultimately, Luke O’Nien represents something that I doubt Sunderland AFC will have again in a very long time. It is inconceivable to think that we may stumble on a player as committed and passionate about the club as he has been. It is just as inconceivable that we will find someone as adept at leadership and as personable too. Simply, Luke is one in a million and it is time that we accepted as much.

The moniker of Mr Sunderland is exactly what it says on the tin; he is an excellent ambassador for the club. One of the reasons he is my favourite Sunderland player is likely that we share a history of not being from Wearside but falling in love with the area just the same. With advocates like Luke who are clearly proud to play at the club and love the area and its people too, the name of our great city and its club are in safe hands.

A brand new era of Formula 1 begins this weekend with the traditional season-opener - the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

Lando Norris is riding high, having claimed his first F1 world championship last season, pipping four-time champion Max Verstappen by two points in a tense season finale in Abu Dhabi.

FOLLOW LIVE: F1 Australian GP latest updates

Yet with new engine and chassis regulations, and a new team in Cadillac, McLaren are not the frontrunners ahead of the new campaign. Instead, Mercedes’s engine prowess puts them top of the list, with British driver George Russell the favourite with the bookies.

And what about Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton? The seven-time world champion endured a terrible debut year at the Scuderia, failing even to register a podium. However, the 41-year-old and teammate Charles Leclerc looked strong in pre-season testing and are right in contention this weekend.

Here’s everything you need to know about the season-opener.

What is the starting grid?

Top-10: TBC

11) Nico Hulkenberg

12) Ollie Bearman

13) Esteban Ocon

14) Pierre Gasly

15) Alex Albon

16) Franco Colapinto

17) Fernando Alonso

18) Sergio Perez

19) Valtteri Bottas

20) Max Verstappen

21) Carlos Sainz

22) Lance Stroll

When is the Australian Grand Prix?

All times GMT

Saturday 7 March

• Qualifying: 5am

Sunday 8 March

• Race: 4am

How can I watch it online and on TV?

The Australian Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom. Sky’s coverage of Sunday’s race starts at 2:30am (GMT).

Sky Sports subscribers can watch all the action in Melbourne on the Sky Go app. If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the Australian Grand Prix then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help.

What is the driver line-up for 2026?

McLAREN

Lando Norris

Oscar Piastri

FERRARI

Charles Leclerc

Lewis Hamilton

RED BULL

Max Verstappen

Isack Hadjar

MERCEDES

George Russell

Kimi Antonelli

ASTON MARTIN

Fernando Alonso

Lance Stroll

ALPINE

Pierre Gasly

Franco Colapinto

HAAS

Esteban Ocon

Ollie Bearman

RACING BULLS

Liam Lawson

Arvid Lindblad

WILLIAMS

Alex Albon

Carlos Sainz

SAUBER

Nico Hulkenberg

Gabriel Bortoleto

CADILLAC (New Team)

Sergio Perez

Valtteri Bottas

NOTE: italics represent new seat

What is the 2026 race calendar?

ROUND 1 - AUSTRALIA

Albert Park, Melbourne - 6-8 March

ROUND 2 - CHINA (sprint weekend)

Shanghai International Circuit, 13-15 March

ROUND 3 - JAPAN

Suzuka International Racing Course - 27-29 March

ROUND 4 - BAHRAIN

Bahrain International Circuit - 10-12 April

ROUND 5 - SAUDI ARABIA

Jeddah Corniche Circuit - 17-19 April

ROUND 6 - MIAMI (sprint weekend)

Miami International Autodrome, Hard Rock Stadium - 1-3 May

ROUND 7 - CANADA (sprint weekend)

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal - 22-24 May

ROUND 8 - MONACO

Circuit de Monaco - 5-7 June

ROUND 9 - SPAIN (Barcelona)

Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya - 12-14 June

ROUND 10 - AUSTRIA

Red Bull Ring, Spielberg - 26-28 June

ROUND 11 - GREAT BRITAIN (sprint weekend)

Silverstone Circuit - 3-5 July

ROUND 12 - BELGIUM

Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps - 17-19 July

ROUND 13 - HUNGARY

Hungaroring, Budapest - 24-26 July

ROUND 14 - NETHERLANDS (sprint weekend)

Circuit Zandvoort - 21-23 August

ROUND 15 - ITALY

Monza Circuit - 4-6 September

ROUND 16 - SPAIN (Madrid)

Circuito de Madring - 11-13 September

ROUND 17 - AZERBAIJAN

Baku City Circuit - 25-27 September

ROUND 18 - SINGAPORE (sprint weekend)

Marina Bay Street Circuit - 9-11 October

ROUND 19 - UNITED STATES

Circuit of the Americas, Austin - 23-25 October

ROUND 20 - MEXICO

Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexico City - 30 October-1 November

ROUND 21 - BRAZIL

Interlagos Circuit, Sao Paulo - 6-8 November

ROUND 22 - LAS VEGAS

Las Vegas Street Circuit - 19-21 November

ROUND 23 - QATAR

Lusail International Circuit - 27-29 November

ROUND 24 - ABU DHABI

Yas Marina Circuit - 4-6 December

Mark Stone’s latest injury may come as a shock, but the Vegas Golden Knights say it’s not as serious as feared.

Stone has been sidelined due to an upper-body injury, but general manager Kelly McCrimmon emphasized Friday that the situation is under control and does not anticipate a lengthy absence.

The 33-year-old Stone was placed on injured reserve Thursday after sustaining the injury in Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The incident occurred when Penguins defenseman Kris Letang lightly checked Stone, causing him to fall to one knee before skating slowly to the bench.

Friday marked Stone’s third consecutive missed game, this time against the Minnesota Wild. He is also set to sit out Sunday’s home matchup against the Edmonton Oilers but will be eligible to return afterward.

When pressed about whether the injury might be related to Stone’s previously surgically repaired back, McCrimmon declined to confirm but maintained a reassuring tone. “I think we’re really comfortable that it’s manageable,” he said. “We’re not alarmed by the injury that he has.”

Meanwhile, coach Bruce Cassidy reported that the Golden Knights captain was receiving treatment at City National Arena and remained in high spirits.

This represents the best possible outcome for Stone, who had been on pace for a career season despite missing 16 games earlier in the year due to a broken finger in October.

Unfortunately for the Golden Knights, they suffered a 4-2 defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Wild on Friday. 

The Wild exploded for three goals in just over three minutes during the second period to pull away for a 4-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night.

Minnesota, third in the Central Division, has now gone 3-2 since the Olympic break, while Vegas remains second in the Pacific.

Mats Zuccarello sparked the scoring spree with a precise wrist shot at 5:18 of the second. Zach Bogosian followed with a blistering slap shot at 8:07, and newcomer Michael McCarron tipped in a third just 18 seconds later. Vladimir Tarasenko added an insurance goal with 4:18 left in the third, assisted by McCarron in his Wild debut.

Vegas answered with third-period goals from Pavel Dorofeyev and Mitch Marner. Dorofeyev’s power-play tally at 2:17 marked his 30th of the season and ended Gustavsson’s bid for a shutout. Goaltender Akira Schmid finished with 20 saves.

Friday also featured several notable debuts for Minnesota, including Robby Fabbri, Bobby Brink, and Nick Foligno, who joins younger brother Marcus following his trade from Chicago. Vegas debuted Nic Dowd and Cole Smith, with Dowd acquired earlier that day from Washington. Meanwhile, Vegas placed forward Mark Stone on injured reserve Thursday due to an upper-body injury.

LAS VEGAS – On the first day of the rest of the season for the new-look Minnesota Wild, they came to the desert and started a winning streak.

Versus a Vegas team that had ended their season a year ago, the Wild put three of their new acquisitions on the ice and put together and lineup that was good for a 4-2 win on Friday at T-Mobile Arena.

Minnesota got goals from Mats Zuccarello, Zach Bogosian, Vladimir Tarasenko and newcomer Michael McCarron in a span of just over three minutes in the middle frame on the way to their second win of the week. In the other end of the rink, goalie Filip Gustavsson was outstanding, turning away 30 of 32 Golden Knights shots as the Wild swept the season series with Vegas.

Both goalies were busy early, with Gustavsson stopping a Colton Scissons breakaway in the opening minutes, and Kaprizov blasting a shot off the goalpost near the midway point of the first.

Minnesota had the only power play of the opening 20 minutes, and needed about one more second to get the game’s first goal, as Matt Boldy poked a rebound past the Knights’ goalie just an instant after the first period clock expired.

The heat turned up in the second, with a few post-whistle scrums, then a full-on fight between Wild defenseman Jake Middleton and Knights winger Keegan Kolesar which earned each of them a five-minute timeout.

A Knights mistake finally opened the door for the Wild to get on the board, when Vegas defenseman Noah Hanafin made a blind pass at the blue line that spring Zuccarello for a breakaway goal. Then the roof caved in on Vegas over the next three minutes.

Minnesota doubled the lead quickly when Bogosian blasted a shot from the top of the circle through a crowd and in. Just 18 seconds later it was 3-0, when McCarron’s long shot sailed past the Vegas goalie’s blocker.

It was the sixth goal of the season for McCarron, and his first in a Wild uniform since being acquired from Nashville earlier in the week.

Vegas spoiled Gustavsson’s shutout bid early in the third with a Pavel Dorofeyev goal on their first power play of the game. Tarasenko countered with the Wild’s final score of the game at 15:42, with Mitch Marner adding one more for the hosts just over a minute later.

Minnesota was without second line winger Marcus Johansson, who was hurt in their Tuesday night home win versus Tampa Bay. He did not make the trip and is day to day with an upper body injury. Brink took Johansson’s place with Joel Eriksson Ek at center and Matt Boldy on the other wing.

The Wild visit Colorado on Sunday for a 1 p.m. CT opening faceoff versus the Avalanche.

Briefly

This was the Knights’ first home game since the three-week Olympic break, so they took a moment to honor their players that had competed in Milan. While honoring Vegas gold medal winner Jack Eichel from Team USA, they also acknowledged the Wild’s three American players along with Wild coach John Hynes and general manager Bill Guerin.

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• Mizutani: Bill Guerin isn’t thinking about the future. Neither should Wild fans

Following on from 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night, Manchester City return to action tonight. Up next for Pep Guardiola’s side is an FA Cup fifth-round tie against Newcastle United at St. James’ Park. Tonight’s match will be the fifth meeting of the season between the two teams, so they will both know the challenge that lies ahead. City have beaten Newcastle United three times this season, with Newcastle United winning the first meeting between the two teams this season in November.

Here is the latest Manchester City injury news and my predicted City starting lineup for tonight’s FA Cup tie.

Latest Manchester City injury news.

Josko Gvardiol will miss tonight’s match due to being out with a broken leg. Pep Guardiola told the media yesterday that the Croatian international is recovering well but Guardiola is unsure when he will return to the pitch.

It was also revealed by Guardiola that Mateo Kovacic continues to train in his comeback bid. Guardiola added that while Kovacic is training, he needs time to return to full fitness. It was also revealed by the City manager that Rico Lewis has been sidelined with an ankle injury. He told the media that Lewis’ ankle is swollen, but he is getting close to a return to the pitch.

Lastly, Pep Guardiola revealed that Nico O’Reilly is feeling better. The England international missed Manchester City’s 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest due to the ankle injury he sustained against Leeds. A decision on O’Reilly’s availability for tonight’s match was set to be made after the City squad trained yesterday.

Predicted City starting lineup.

The Michigan State hockey program battled with Minnesota again on Mar. 6, just one day after drubbing the Gophers 7-1 to clinch the Big Ten regular season title for the third straight season.

This time around, the Spartans and Gophers battled to a 3-3 tie, with Minnesota earning the, albeit meaningless, extra point in the Big Ten standings with a 2-1 shootout win.

"Overall, I thought we gave ourselves a chance to win in a tough game, and we can talk about being mentally tough and playing through it and we did a good job of that," MSU coach Adam Nightingale said. "There was a lot of emotion from yesterday to reset. Minnesota was hungry and competitive at the puck and I thought we matched that."

Freshman goaltender Melvin Strahl got his third career start, posting 32 saves on the evening. Former MSU now Minnesota goaltender Luca Di Pasquo stopped 31 Spartan shots, with two more coming in the shootout round.

Minnesota took a 1-0 lead in the first period, but the Spartans would respnd with two goals in the opening frame to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.

Freshman forward Cayden Lindstrom, who prior to facing Minnesota hadn't recorded a goal since the second series of the season against Boston University, had his second goal in as many nights to start MSU off. Junior forward Tommi Mannisto would also find the back of the net for his 12th goal of the campaign.

Second goal of the weekend for Cayden Lindstrom who gets the rebound! pic.twitter.com/YR6C4Afhsp

— Michigan State Hockey (@MSU_Hockey) March 7, 2026

Senior forward Daniel Russell would put the Spartans up 3-1 early in the second period, but Minnesota's Beckett Hendrickson would respond shortly thereafter to bring the Gophers' deficit back to one. Forward Mason Moe would find the equalizing goal late in the second, and both sides skated through a scoreless third and overtime session.

Forwards Porter Martone, Charlie Stramel, Tiernan Shoudy, Griffin Jurecki, and Shane Vansaghi, as well as defenseman Colin Ralph, all recorded one assist for the Spartans.

MSU now will wait to host the lowest remaining seed in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals on Mar. 14 at Munn Ice Arena. The quarterfinals, which take place on Mar. 11 at the campus sites of the higher seeds, will be No. 2 Michigan against No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 3 Penn State hosting No. 6 Minnesota, and No.4 Wisconsin will play No. 5 Ohio State.

Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on X @Nathaniel_Bott

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Spartans tie Minnesota in regular season finale, await Big Ten Tournament opponent

The Los Angeles Kings are dealing with a wave of injuries in their forward group at a critical point of the season. Kevin Fiala will miss the remainder of the year, Andrei Kuzmenko is done for the regular season following knee surgery, and Joel Armia is expected to be sidelined for another three to four weeks, according to Kings general manager Ken Holland.

Fiala is done until next season.

Kuzmenko is done for the regular season.

Armia will likely miss 3-4 weeks total.

Byfield is a maybe for tomorrow night. That impacts Connors/Wright playing time.

Per Ken Holland #GoKingsGo

— The Mayor | Team MM (@mayorNHL) March 6, 2026

There was some optimism that if the Kings make the playoffs, Fiala would be back in time to suit up for the postseason.  But now it's confirmed that Fiala won't return until before training camp for the 2026-27 campaign. It's definitely a blow to the season for the Kings, losing one of their top forwards this season, especially while fighting for a playoff spot. 

This is the first time that Fiala has suffered this type of significant injury in his career, as in the last two seasons, he's played 81 and 82 games, respectively. The 29-year-old was having a good start in the 56 games he played, finishing the year with 18 goals, 22 assists, and 40 points. 

The good news about the Kings' injury report is that Armia will be back in a few weeks, and Kuzmenko will be available to return for the playoffs if the Kings can get there. 

Kuzmenko and Armia were also having solid seasons, Armia with 10 goals, 10 assists, and 20 points, while Kuzmenko finished the regular season with 13 goals, 12 assists, and 25 points. 

The one positive for the Kings losing Fiala, Armia, and Kuzmenko is that they still have enough depth on offense to carry them into the playoffs, especially with the pickup of Artemi Panarin, and still have Adrian Kempe, Quinton Byfield, Alex Laferriere available to them, but it won't be a slouch for them down the stretch.  

In the short term, for the Kings, they have to go several weeks relying on the rest of their forwards to fill the offensive gap and on their depth more heavily during the stretch run. With a playoff spot on the line, this should give the Kings momentum heading into the postseason. 

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Duke rode a big second quarter to overpower Clemson, winning 60-46 in the quarterfinals of the ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament.

The Blue Devils had a 24-5 run between the second and third quarters and also forced 21 turnovers and held the Tigers to 25% on threes and 35% overall.

Toby Fournier had a nice double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. She also had 4 blocks.

Delaney Thomas had 14 points and 6 rebounds while Taina Mair kicked in 11.

With the win, Duke moves on to the semifinals, where Notre Dame awaits in what should be a much more challenging game.

• No. 1-seed Duke women’s basketball defeats Clemson 60-46 in ACC Tournament quarterfinal
• No. 13 Duke Bounces Clemson, 60-46, in ACC Quarterfinals
• Box Score
• Duke 60-46 Clemson (Mar 6, 2026) Final Scor
• Overwhelmed: Duke blows out Clemson in ACC Quarterfinal
• Duke women’s basketball advances to ACC Tournament semifinals: Score, highlights
• Clemson women’s basketball falls to Duke in ACC Tournament
• Duke women leave no doubt in resounding ACC Women’s Tournament win over Clemson
• ACC tournament roundup: Toby Fournier helps Duke top Clemson in quarterfinals
• Duke Takes on Notre Dame in ACC Tournament Semifinals Saturday
• Clemson Falls to Duke, Eliminated from ACC Tournament in Quarterfinals

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Filip Gustavsson made 30 saves and the Minnesota Wild scored three goals in a 3:07 span in the second period in a 4-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night.

Third in the Central Division, Minnesota improved to 3-2 since the Olympic break. Vegas is second in the Pacific Division.

Mats Zuccarello opened the second-period scoring spree at 5:18 on a wrist shot. Zach Bogosian followed with a slap shot at 8:07, and newcomer Michael McCarron had a tip-in at 8:25. Vladimir Tarasenko scored with 4:18 left in the third, with McCarron assisting in his Wild debut.

Pavel Dorofeyev and Mitch Marner had third-period goals for Vegas, and Akira Schmid stopped 20 shots. Dorofeyev scored his 30th of the season, ending Gustavsson's shutout bid with a power-play goal at 2:17.

Robby Fabbri and Bobby Brink also made their Wild debuts following trades. Minnesota also acquired Nick Foligno from Chicago at the trade deadline. He'll join younger brother Marcus with the Wild.

Nic Dowd and Cole Smith made their Vegas debuts. Dowd came over Friday from Washington. The Golden Knights placed forward Mark Stone on injured reserve Thursday because of an upper-body injury.

Up next

Wild: At Colorado on Sunday.

Golden Knights: Host Edmonton on Sunday night.

___

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

METAIRIE, La. – No. 3 Country Day basketball topped St. Louis Catholic 74-53 in the Division III Select quarterfinals. With the win, the Cajuns punched their ticket to their second consecutive semifinals appearance.

Country Day got off to a strong start early and didn’t look back, leading St. Louis Catholic 26-10 at the end of the first. Freshman Rhys Diley had a career-high 26 points. Curtis McAllister had 17 and junior KB Brewer finished with 15 points.

The Cajuns will face No. 2 Dunham in Lake Charles in the semifinals – A 2025 semifinals rematch (that Country Day won 54-53).

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGNO.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Robert Thomas scored his second goal of the game 54 seconds into overtime and the St. Louis Blues beat the San Jose Sharks 3-2 on Friday night, just hours after trading captain Brayden Schenn.

Thomas scored on a rebound of a shot by Philip Broberg, giving him four goals in three games since returning from an injury.

The Blues entered trade deadline day near the bottom of the Western Conference standings and are looking to the future having traded away Schenn to the New York Islanders and defenseman Justin Faulk to Detroit.

That left St. Louis undermanned with only five healthy defensemen against the Sharks, but the Blues still managed to pull out their third straight win. Jimmy Snuggerud also scored and Jordan Binnington made 23 saves.

Kiefer Sherwood had tied it in the third period for San Jose when he beat Binnington with a one-timer from the circle. This has been an eventful week for Sherwood, who scored the winner on Tuesday against Montreal for his first goal with the Sharks and then signed a five-year, $28.75 million extension on Wednesday.

Macklin Celebrini also scored for the Sharks.

Alex Nedeljkovic made 11 saves after signing a two-year $6 million extension earlier in the day.

There were two fights in the first period, but not much other action as the Blues opened the scoring with Snuggerud's 11th goal of the season and most of the rest of the period played in the St. Louis end.

The Sharks got the equalizer in the second when Celebrini beat Binnington just after a power play expired for his 31st goal of the season.

But St. Louis went back on top late in the period after Snuggerud won a puck battle with John Klingberg on a forecheck and set up Thomas.

Up next

Blues: At Anaheim on Sunday night.

Sharks: Host the New York Islanders on Saturday night.

___

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

METAIRIE, La. — No. 2 St. Martin’s defeated No. 7 Delhi Charter, 53-40, Friday night in the quarterfinal round of the Division IV Select playoffs.

The Saints are headed back to Lake Charles for the first time since 2024, when they were awarded the state championship trophy.

St. Martin’s will face Southern Lab in the semi-final round. For the full Division IV Select bracket, click here.

Here are the highlights featured on the edition of WGNO’s Friday Night Sports.

Coverage from Marsh Madness will continue next week on WGNO News at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGNO.

BOSTON — A Gatorade towel wrapped around his neck, soaking up his sweat, Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum made the trek from the TD Garden parquet to the locker room, walking hand in hand with his young son, Deuce, as they had done so often.

Tatum’s work for the night was done. Another near triple-double. Another Celtics victory. Only this time was different. This time he was returning from a 10-month layoff, having ruptured his right Achilles tendon in the second round of the 2025 playoffs.

There was a time he was not sure he would ever make that walk with his son again.

“There were a range of thoughts in that moment,” Tatum said of the injury. “I wasn’t sure what the future was going to hold. … There was a lot of uncertainty for me. I didn’t know what was next. There was a lot of doubt that crept in my mind at that time.”

Maddie Meyer via Getty Images

Within hours of suffering the torn tendon, before swelling even settled into his Achilles, Tatum was under the knife from New York’s Dr. Martin O’Malley. It was the fastest time on record for a surgery of that kind, or so the medical staff contends, something everyone in the process hoped would expedite Tatum’s eventual recovery.

He has attacked his rehab every day since. Nobody took notice more than Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, who wanted to be there for every momentous occasion of the rehabilitation. He even watched Tatum’s first post-surgery steps like a proud father.

“We always knew he was coming back this year,” announced Mazzulla. “I knew that when he decided to have the surgery within a 16-hour span or whatever the case was.”

The rest of us did not know. There were months of speculation about whether Tatum would return at all this season. Even he had misgivings in recent weeks and months.

All of that went out the window over the past 48 hours, when the Celtics upgraded Tatum from “out” on the injury report to “questionable” on Thursday and “available” on Friday. By the time the TD Garden doors opened in the hours before tipoff, a horde of fans awaited its chance to welcome its superstar back from 298 days on a shelf.

The fans filled the stands well before usual. Kids and adults alike dressed in Tatum jerseys. Signs everywhere. Murmurs became cheers when Tatum emerged from a concourse for pregame warmups. Cheers became a roar when at the end of starting-lineup introductions came the announcement: “From Duke, No. 0, Jaaysooon Taaatuuuum.”

He felt anxiety in the moment. So much work had gone into getting back here, but as each reminder from a nine-year career came back to him, he grew comfortable again.

“It was really split down the middle. It was a surreal feeling,” said Tatum, “but then it just kind of felt normal. So, that was really promising for me. Not even just when the game started. Driving to the game, starting my routine, doing my pregame shooting, I knew it was a big moment, but everything started to feel really normal again.”

He was tight to start, though. Tatum missed his first six shots, front-rimming most of them and even coming up short on his first dunk attempt. He picked up a handful of rebounds and assists in the meantime, and finally, with 1:13 remaining in the first half, Tatum made sure he did not miss his seventh attempt, dunking home a put-back.

“It helped me relax a lot,” Tatum said. “As a basketball player, when you take an extended period of time off, you’re anxious. You want it really bad. And, obviously, I wanted to make every shot I took, but I really was kind of grateful [to make one]. I had a real sense of gratitude of just being back on the floor and playing basketball again.”

And play basketball he did. He set picks and popped. He fought through screens on defense. He kept the ball moving on offense. He did, plainly, a lot of what he did before.

A few seconds after his first basket, Tatum drilled a sidestep 3-pointer from the corner to put the Celtics on top, 55-53, looking very much like the Tatum of old. He added seven points in the third quarter, as Boston pulled away, and he punctuated his night with another 3 in the fourth, finishing with 15 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists.

“Many great athletes have went through ups and downs in their careers,” said Tatum, “but it’s another thing to live it. The things that I want to accomplish are still in front of me, but how you get there looks different for everybody. It’s been tough. Obviously, I can talk about it all day, but I’m really just happy I even got to this point.”

We are here now. The return is behind him. So, now what? Can he actually contribute to more winning this season, catapulting a team that maintained a second-place standing in the Eastern Conference without him to one that can contend with him?

“Yeah,” Tatum said with a smile. “Yeah, we’ve got a plan.”

With that, Tatum rejoined his son, exiting TD Garden as he had done so many times before, only now with a renewed lease on life. The hero’s return was a triumphant one.

Midfielder Ana Vitória turned 26 this Friday (6). The player celebrated her birthday alongside her teammates from the Brazilian National Team and the coaching staff.

Born in Rondonópolis, Mato Grosso, Ana Vitória built an important part of her career abroad, playing for clubs such as Benfica, PSG, and Atlético de Madrid. In January of this year, she was announced by Corinthians, the club she played for before pursuing an international career. With the Brazilian National Team, the midfielder won a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics and has accumulated extensive experience wearing the Amarelinha.

Ana Vitória celebrates her birthday with the Brazilian National TeamCredits: Lívia Villas Boas/Staff Images/CBF

Ana Vitória was cut from the Copa América due to an injury and, since then, had not returned to the Brazilian National Team. In an interview with CBF TV on February 26, the midfielder celebrated the opportunity to wear the Amarelinha again.

“It is always a happy moment when we have the opportunity to be here with the Brazilian National Team. This has been all of our dream since we were children. I am here again and I am very happy about it,” she said.

Ana Vitória celebrates her birthday with the Brazilian National TeamCredits: Lívia Villas Boas/Staff Images/CBF

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

SAN DIEGO  – The San Diego State Aztecs defeated the UNLV Runnin' Rebels, 89-86, at Viejas Arena on March 6, 2026. The Sporting Tribune’s Brandon Pollard was there to capture the following TST Images.

Brandon Pollard - The Sporting Tribune

San Diego State guard Reese Dixon-Waters (39) takes a shot during an NCAA Basketball game between UNLV and San Diego State, Friday March 6, 2026 at Viejas Arena in San Diego, Calif.

Brandon Pollard - The Sporting Tribune

San Diego State fans wear white during an NCAA Basketball game between UNLV and San Diego State, Friday March 6, 2026 at Viejas Arena in San Diego, Calif.

Brandon Pollard - The Sporting Tribune

San Diego State guard BJ Davis (10) attempts a layup during an NCAA Basketball game between UNLV and San Diego State, Friday March 6, 2026 at Viejas Arena in San Diego, Calif.

Brandon Pollard - The Sporting Tribune

San Diego State guard Sean Newman Jr. (4) is introduced before an NCAA Basketball game between UNLV and San Diego State, Friday March 6, 2026 at Viejas Arena in San Diego, Calif.

Brandon Pollard - The Sporting Tribune

San Diego State forward Tae Simmons (8) tries to save the ball during an NCAA Basketball game between UNLV and San Diego State, Friday March 6, 2026 at Viejas Arena in San Diego, Calif.

Brandon Pollard - The Sporting Tribune

San Diego State fans attempt to distract UNLV forward Tyrin Jones (6) during an NCAA Basketball game between UNLV and San Diego State, Friday March 6, 2026 at Viejas Arena in San Diego, Calif.

Brandon Pollard - The Sporting Tribune

San Diego State guard Miles Byrd (21) attempts a layup during an NCAA Basketball game between UNLV and San Diego State, Friday March 6, 2026 at Viejas Arena in San Diego, Calif.

Brandon Pollard - The Sporting Tribune

San Diego State guard Taj DeGourville (24) puts his arm around guard BJ Davis (10) during an NCAA Basketball game between UNLV and San Diego State, Friday March 6, 2026 at Viejas Arena in San Diego, Calif.

Brandon Pollard - The Sporting Tribune

San Diego State guard Taj DeGourville (24) turns to the fans during an NCAA Basketball game between UNLV and San Diego State, Friday March 6, 2026 at Viejas Arena in San Diego, Calif.

Brandon Pollard - The Sporting Tribune

San Diego State guard Reese Dixon-Waters (39) saves the ball during an NCAA Basketball game between UNLV and San Diego State, Friday March 6, 2026 at Viejas Arena in San Diego, Calif.

Brandon Pollard - The Sporting Tribune

San Diego State guard Miles Byrd (21) dunks after winning an NCAA Basketball game between UNLV and San Diego State, Friday March 6, 2026 at Viejas Arena in San Diego, Calif.

Boston College at Miami — ACCNX

Boston University at Navy — CBSSN

Boston at Pittsburgh — NESN, SportsNet Pittsburgh, ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited, Fubo Sports, MLB.TV, NESN360

Boston at Cleveland — ABC

Boston at Pittsburgh — TNT, truTV, HBO Max, Sling TV, TNT WEB

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive TV listings provided by LiveSportsOnTV.

Michigan State at Nebraska — Big Ten Plus

Central Michigan at Ball State — ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited, Fubo Sports

Michigan State at Michigan — CBS, CBS Los Angeles, WBZ-TV, WIVB 4, WUSA 9, Paramount+

Detroit at Miami — FDSN Detroit, FDSN Sun, NBA League Pass

Detroit at New Jersey — ESPN, ESPN app, ESPN Unlimited, Fubo Sports

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive TV listings provided by LiveSportsOnTV.

Just when it seems like the Carolina Hurricanes nearly have their roster back in top shape, another injury rolls in.

Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere was the victim of what appeared to have been a skate blade mishap, which resulted in his departure from the game against the Edmonton Oilers with a lower-body injury.

With 12:55 remaining in the first period, Gostisbehere landed a hit on debuting Oilers Colton Dach. As Dach fought gravity in an attempt to remain on his feet, his skate came up and hit Gostisbehere between the legs.

Gostisbehere proceeded toward the bench in discomfort and soon went down the tunnel to the dressing rooms.

With 12:06 left in the first, he returned to join the power play K’Andre Miller drew, and even scored at 11:20. However, soon after he returned to the shadows of the visitors’ tunnel from whence he came and did not touch the ice again.

Shayne Gostisbehere ties thing up with a DANG FINE shot after a DANG FINE pass from Seth Jarvis
FINE AS WINE, YOU MIGHT SAY#CarolinaCulture#LetsGoOilers#NHLpic.twitter.com/MpUPOBRfc2

— Queen of the Puck (@rbarkleyhockey) March 7, 2026

He only logged five shifts and just 4:01 of time on ice.

Following the game, Rod Brind’Amour was asked for an update on Ghostisbehere.

“I don’t really have one,” he told the media. “I mean, it’s obviously not good. You know, he’s kind of been dealing with stuff, I feel like all year, and just when he kind of gets rolling, he keeps getting nicked up. So I don’t really have an update at this time.”

Throughout the season, Ghostisbehere has missed a total of 17 games with the Hurricanes due to a recurring groin injury. Despite this, he has still managed 11 goals and 32 assists for 43 points, leading all Hurricanes defensemen in offensive generation.

Related Headlines

• ‘We Have a Lot of Faith in This Roster’: Tulsky Speaks on Hurricanes Trade Deadline
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Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech — ACCNX

UMBC at Pennsylvania — ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited, Fubo Sports

Boston University at Navy — CBSSN

Illinois at Maryland — FOX

Virginia at North Carolina — ACCNX

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive TV listings provided by LiveSportsOnTV.

La Salle at Clemson — ACCNX, ESPN Unlimited

Lafayette at NC State — ACCNX, ESPN Unlimited

UMBC at Pennsylvania — ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited, Fubo Sports

Lehigh at Davidson — ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited, Fubo Sports

Penn State at Texas Tech — ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited, Fubo Sports

Penn State at Rutgers — BTN

Colgate at Lehigh — CBSSN, Fubo Sports

Temple at Tulsa — ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited

Pittsburgh at Stanford — ACCNX

Philadelphia at Minnesota — GTV, NBCS Philadelphia, ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited, Fubo Sports, MLB.TV, Twins.TV

Boston at Pittsburgh — NESN, SportsNet Pittsburgh, ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited, Fubo Sports, MLB.TV, NESN360

Boston at Pittsburgh — TNT, truTV, HBO Max, Sling TV, TNT WEB

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive TV listings provided by LiveSportsOnTV.

Qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix has been red-flagged after four-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen crashed into the barriers at the first corner.

As he hit the brakes, the rear axle locked, leaving the Dutchman helpless as the car spun before it skidded over the gravel and crashed into the wall. Thankfully, the Red Bull driver was able to exit the car unassisted.

"Yep," he confirmed to Red Bull when asked if he was OK. "The car just ******* locked on the rear axles. Fantastic." 

Although Verstappen confirmed he was OK to his race engineer, he was seen shaking his hand and wrist. Replays showed that he did not take his hands off the steering wheel at the time of the impact. He will likely visit the medical centre as a precaution.

Max Verstappen is OUT of Qualifying, with no time set! 😳

This is the moment where the Red Bull driver spins into the wall at Turn 1 👇#F1#AusGPpic.twitter.com/M2XKoapEMl

— Formula 1 (@F1) March 7, 2026

Former driver and Sky Sports F1 analyst Martin Brundle explained that it was not driver error that caused the crash. 

"That's not a driver error," the Briton said. "I was going to say 'how often do you see Max Verstappen just make a fundamental error?' He's hit the brakes and it has just locked the rear axle. You can't pull handbrakes on anymore in modern cars, in older ones you could."

While the crash was clearly the last thing that Verstappen needed, the delay meant that Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli was able to get out for the remaining seven minutes of Q1. After suffering a violent crash during FP3 earlier today, it looked unlikely that the Brackley outfit would get the Italian's car repaired in time.

While speaking to the media after the first two practice sessions in Melbourne, Verstappen was positive but explained that Red Bull still had "quite a bit of work to do".

"Yeah, I mean we had quite a decent pre-season," he said. "It's been, I think, a big learning curve but we've been running well, we've been doing a lot of laps so there's actually not really a lot that we could have wished for that could have gone better.

"But in terms of performance, I don't know, I think we still have quite a bit of work to do to be up front but this is also something that I had already planned, for it to be like that."

To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.

Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s weekly review of "WWE SmackDown," the show that sometimes gives us Drew McIntyre winning the WWE Championship from Cody Rhodes and sometimes switches things up and gives us Cody Rhodes winning the WWE Championship from Drew McIntyre! Yes, the WrestleMania picture has been well and truly shaken up, as it will now be Rhodes vs. Randy Orton at "The Showcase of the Immortals" — but that's far from the only thing that happened this week on the blue brand! There was also a tag team turmoil match to determine new No. 1 contenders, a women's tag team match that wasn't technically a No. 1 contender's match but probably should have been, and also Danhausen was here!

We'll cover all that and more here in the column, though there are some things — like Carmelo Hayes' latest open challenge — that we will not cover, because they didn't grab our attention in an overly positive or negative way. For a comprehensive look at everything that went down, check out our "SmackDown" results page. For our opinions and analysis of the stuff that stood out, this is the place to be! Here are three things we hated and three things we loved about the 3/6/26 episode of "WWE SmackDown!"

Read more: How Did Cody's 'The List' Pan Out For Everyone Else?

Hated: What should have been a No. 1 contender's match

I'm going to be real honest: I was totally under the assumption that the match between Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss and Giulia and Kiana James was indeed a Number One Contenders Match for the Women's Tag Team Championship without even thinking about it. Given that Nia Jax and Lash Legend had outright said they were ready for any and all challengers just moments before this match, it made total sense to me that these two teams who have been eyeing the Women's Tag team Championship would be fighting for the right to become the next challengers.

You can imagine my shock when I found out AFTER the match that this hadn't been billed as an official Number One Contenders Match between Flair and Bliss and Giulia and James seeing as Nick Aldis didn't clearly state that it was. All four women have had some combination of matches with one another over the past several weeks in both singles and tag team matches, so it feels like it's about time to do something to increase the stakes of their matches even if it's as simple as adding a Women's Tag Team Championship Number One Contenders stipulation. It all fell a little bit flat for me, and was far from my favourite part of this episode of "SmackDown" on the whole.

Written by Olivia Quinlan

Loved: Consider my fist raised

Can we get Fraxiom and the Motor City Machine Guns (MCMG) in the ring again, please? Like, expeditiously?

Friday's episode of "WWE SmackDown" was one filled to the brim with championship implications. Carmelo Hayes bested El Hijo de Dr. Wagner Jr., Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss somehow earned the right to challenge for Nia Jax and Lash Legend's WWE Women's Tag Team Championships in a non-Number One Contender match, and a new WWE Undisputed Champion was crowned, for crying out loud! In a card so stacked with title talk and championship matches, it would've been very easy for Friday's Tag Team Turmoil match to fade into the background, to not hold a candle to the rest of the evening. Then, Nathan Frazer, Axiom, Alex Shelley, and Chris Sabin made their entrances.

If you frequent these columns, then you'll know I'm a fan of "flippy" wrestling. It's not for everybody, from both a viewer and a wrestler standpoint: not everyone finds the crescendo of adrenaline that comes with this style exciting (even though this kind of athleticism is what sets wrestling apart from, say, MMA or UFC), and not every wrestler can perform these twists and turns without being obnoxious about it (if at all). However, when the stars align, and you get a receptive viewer in front of some true flippy wrestling masters and their in-ring art? This is what wrestling is about.

I somewhat dismissed technical, combat sports-oriented wrestlers with the aforementioned UFC/MMA comparison, but allow me to applaud Fraxiom and MCMG for their technique. These four are absolute masters of the ring. They're doing these insanely complicated sequences like it's just another Tuesday at the office. Fraxiom moved like rushing water in a river when they nailed MCMG with a DDT/Dropkick combo. Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin's Crossface/Dropkick combo altered my brain chemistry. These men didn't miss a single beat in this match, and somehow, in the individualistic art of professional wrestling, looked even better working together than they ever did apart.

I know people have reservations about the not-so-hidden secret of slapping. Some promotions will entirely blacklist you from their future shows if you dare slap your leg mid-Superkick. To a point, I understand. It's a very public pulling-back-the-curtain move that threatens the sanctity of kayfabe — it threatens to lift the veil between industry secrets and the idealistic dreams of a crowd. Fraxiom and MCMG were not shy with their slaps, and for me...it added to the experience. This is wrestling ASMR to me.

Fraxiom and MCMG's Tag Team Turmoil performance is an acquired taste, but as a sommelier of said taste, it was incredible. The rest of the match? I don't want to talk about it...

Written by Angeline Phu

Hated: A fake tag team is the No. 1 contender over actual tag teams

Since MFT defeated Wyatt Sicks for the tag titles in January, the "SmackDown" tag division hasn't been very active. They had one tag team end when Tommaso Ciampa left the company. The last few weeks, various tag teams have been in backstage segments to ask what was wrong with Johnny Gargano, what's in the crate?, and learn how to watch a PLE on the ESPN Unlimited app. An excellent use of your division.

During a backstage segment with Nick Aldis, we learned that R-Truth and Damien Priest would be teaming up to compete in a tag team turmoil match that involved actual tag teams. The match started off promising with MCMG facing Fraxiom (which my talented colleague just discussed). Then there was a botch that led to MCMG getting eliminated; a mistake a veteran tag team shouldn't be making. It wouldn't be WWE without match interference and tonight it was courtesy of one half of the tag champions, Tama Tonga and his brother, Tanga Loa. This led to the Wyatt Sicks being eliminated. In the end, Priest and Truth becoming Number 1 contenders because of course they are. Why would an actual tag team get the opportunity on "The Road to WrestleMania?"

It's frustrating (and really annoying) that WWE has wasted so many talented teams for weeks only to have Faux DIY win. If they wanted to make it exciting, they could've brought back Street Profits to be in the match and had them win. But, no. We're making Priest a comedy act and while it won't be as bad as Braun and Nicholas, Priest & Truth will probably beat MFT for the titles and defend them at Mania, while MCMG and Street Profits get left off the card for the second consecutive year. A few weeks ago in this very column, I lamented about WWE wasting five talented men. They're continuing to do so. This is not a slight at Truth or Priest, but rather wasting actual tag teams. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Written by Samantha Schipman

Loved: Mizhausen

It should really come as no surprise that Danhausen has already become one of the more entertaining aspects of this week's shows, with a general off-the-cuff hilarity that just works. What is a surprise, however, is how excited I was left for the pairing of The Miz and Danhausen.

Danhausen appeared on Friday to give Nick Aldis a fright and, like he had done with Adam Pearce on Monday, a list of demands. Much like Pearce had done, Aldis looked around desperately to find someone to offload the little demon onto, settling on The Miz. Now, at first I really didn't want to see Danhausen become the next victim of the Miz-Vortex, a la Carmelo Hayes. But, and it happens more often than I would like to admit, I was wrong. What a really entertaining pair these guys are.

Danhausen recognized the star power behind the name Miz, which makes him a lot more complimentary than half of the roster, and Miz took himself as seriously as he normally does, turning down an opportunity to mentor the future WWE Champion.

Emboldened by his curse on Dominik Mysterio, resulting in him losing the Intercontinental title to Penta on Monday, Danhausen threatened much the same upon Miz. Though one isn't quite sure how Miz being cursed will effect his prospects, considering he hasn't won a singles match on broadcast since February 2024.

Nevertheless, Danhausen and Miz is a really great pairing, they had a really funny yet short segment, and Danhausen continues to be a bright spot of fun on three-hour shows that otherwise feel like scraping the bottom of the barrel. Look, obviously Danhausen is a comedy attraction for the most part. He can wrestle, but he's not a world-beater and isn't going to be staging five-star classics (unless the Performance Center really is that good).

But what he does do is entertain, and like it or not that is a core difference with WWE and other wrestling promotions. Whether it's for five seconds or a few minutes, you can't really go wrong with a segment involving him. In many ways, I just described the Miz down to a tee. So it literally is the perfect pairing. Well, for now. Time will tell whether or not it continues. Until then, great stuff. Love that Danhausen.

Written by Max Everett

Hated: Johnny Gargano dies wearing skinny jeans

He's not actually dead, but with the way he was pimped out to Oba Femi, Johnny Gargano might as well be.

I can't imagine how Friday night felt if you were a fan of Paul "Triple H" Levesque's critically-acclaimed Black and Gold era of "NXT:" the one that featured Johnny Wrestling as its golden boy. I can't imagine how you would feel if you were Johnny Wrestling himself, a man who was touted as the next big star in Black and Gold "NXT," just to be released from WWE following a poor main roster port — just to be brought back to WWE by the man who booked you spectacularly in Black and Gold "NXT," just to be betrayed by him. No toxic situationship could do anything that would compare to the emotional rollercoaster Gargano, and all Gargano fans, must be feeling right now. Judas Iscariot could not have come up with the level of betrayal Triple H has.

After an abysmal time on "SmackDown," between taking loss after loss to losing his friend and career partner Tommaso Ciampa to falling into a deep, unglamorous depressive state, Gargano marched out to the ring Friday following a pep talk from his wife, Candice LeRae. He challenged anyone in the back to come out and lock up with the infamous Johnny Wrestling, and, I'll be honest, I saw a glimmer of hope. I thought that we were about to see the rise of the Black and Gold Gargano the ancient texts spoke of — of what our ancestors heralded him to be. You know what we got? We got Femi strutting to the ring and Gargano practically wetting himself as he was pummeled to a pulp in the corner — all while wearing a T-Shirt and grey skinny jeans. They killed Johnny Gargano on live television while he wore some Hollister-grade skinny jeans. Can you imagine being Gargano right now?

Jokes aside, this is not how you build up wrestlers. Like, even for Femi, this doesn't look great. Yes, Gargano is a legend in the eyes of wrestling fans, but beating a very weakened, shell-of-himself version of such a legend sires no infamy. Femi isn't a big dog for beating a Gargano who couldn't even be bothered to put pomade in his hair this evening. This does nothing for Femi, it strips Johnny Wrestling of any credibility he might have left, and I was left feeling more heartbroken than any break-up I've experienced has ever left me.

I try to stray away from hard-and-fast doctrines about wrestling, because, famously, anything can happen. Squash matches, however, tend to be the one thing I just cannot enjoy. This is no exception. RIP Johnny, we hardly knew you.

Written by Angeline Phu

Loved: Cody Rhodes regains Undisputed WWE Championship with little assistance

I'm always going to love a major title change on an episode of television, even when it's Cody Rhodes getting the Undisputed WWE Championship back once again, something I'm sure a lot of us figured was going to happen. This match went a lot differently than I expected, and while I certainly did not love all the crazy referee bump nonsense that went on, this was actually a lot less messy than I expected.

After all my theorizing in recent days of how this might go down for the Undisputed WWE Championship match at WrestleMania to become a multi-man match involving both Rhodes, McIntyre, Orton, Jacob Fatu, and maybe even Sami Zayn, we didn't get much outside interference here at all. I don't even know how much Fatu counts, as he just took a chair out of McIntyre's hands and got out of the ring. He didn't beat McIntyre down. He didn't help Rhodes get the victory.

In the end, Rhodes hit the super Cody Cutter off the top rope, followed by a Cross Rhodes for the victory, and now, we have Rhodes vs. Randy Orton at WrestleMania. It kind of feels like, especially with Orton's backstage segment with Sami Zayn tonight where Zayn asked him "how he does it," Orton is turning heel for the match. That would make things even more interesting, but I can't say I'm mad about this 'Mania bout, especially if it means we get McIntyre vs. Fatu. I think everyone pretty much assumed this was happening tonight, but I liked it because it didn't have a crazy amount of interference. If ref bumps had to do some heavy lifting here, so be it.

While technically, sure, McIntyre and Fatu could be added into the title match on the "Grandest Stage of Them All," it makes even less sense now, and I just don't see it anymore. I think WWE is finally streamlining things to get their WrestleMania tickets sold, and as someone who likes to know things well in advance, that is fine by me. I also grew up a huge fan of Orton, and I really hope to see him get to world title number 15. While that could have been accomplished with McIntyre as champion, I get why WWE wanted Rhodes in both the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber, and now, as champ at 'Mania. I'm all for Orton beating Rhodes next month, and I'm interested to see how their story plays out going into Las Vegas.

Written by Daisy Ruth

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Read the original article on Wrestling Inc.

WEST HAVEN - Friday night's conference final had been circled on the calendars of just about every boys hockey player at Cheshire since late December, when East Haven handed the Rams their only loss of the regular season.

Fast forward two months, and the Rams finally got their revenge.

Behind 36 saves from senior goaltender Ryan Miller, top-seeded Cheshire shut out second-seeded East Haven 3-0 in the SCC/SWC Division II hockey final at the Edward L. Bennett Rink.

"I wasn't playing in that game, but it still hurts to see my team lose a perfect season," said Miller after he was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. "It's good to be back and get back in the win column against them."

The meeting in the SCC title game was the third between the two teams, the first two won by East Haven in 1997 and 1998. The Rams and Yellowjackets have also met in the last two CIAC Division II championships, with each winning once.

"East Haven-Cheshire the last few years has been back and forth," Cheshire coach Anthony Giusto said after his team improved to 21-1 and won its fifth SCC title. "Two years ago, we took them down in the state final. Last year, they got the better of us a couple of times, and even early in the year this year, they got the better of us. It's always nice to put a banner on the wall, and it's nice to beat East Haven when you are doing that."

The story of this game was special teams, Cheshire's defense, and the play of Miller in goal. The Rams scored a shorthanded and a power play goal, rotated seven defensemen, and rode the play of Miller, who made 14 saves in the second period and 15 more in the third.

"I've got seven defensemen who play regular shifts and they're all one better than the other," Miller said. "I just love all of them. They really help me out here."

Mark Laskin got things going for Cheshire just 1:07 seconds into the second period when he beat East Haven goaltender Brian McGovern off an assist from Jake Soderlund for a shorthanded goal and a 1-0 lead.

The Rams, ranked fifth in the GameTimeCT Top 10 poll, increased the lead to 2-0 when Aidan Amatruda sent Dylan Kozlowski in on a breakaway and Kozlowski scored between the pads of McGovern with 2:02 left in the second.

In between the two goals, it was Miller time. The senior goalie denied East Haven's Preston Cantele twice within a minute to open the period, stopped Cantele again on a 2-on-1 break with 4:10 remaining in the period, and denied Dante Garea off the right wing 30 seconds later.

"He was dialed in," Giusto said of Miller. "You could tell from the drop of the puck he was seeing the puck real well. You get a performance like that from him, and you score a few timely goals, you feel pretty good in a game. He's been that way all year. His stats speak for themselves this year. He gives us a chance to win every single game."  

Cheshire capitalized on special teams again, this time with a power play goal to open the third period. Zachary Hooper scored from in front off assists from Colin Dempsey and Luca Ocone-Krause 4:21 into the third period, making it 3-0.

Miller again rose to the occasion in the final eight minutes of the game to preserve the shutout as he turned aside Garea from in front with a pad save, Cantele twice from the point, and made a magnificent pad save on a blast from the slot by Garea with 4:50 remaining.

"He played a great game," East Haven coach Lou Pane said of Miller. "I think we outshot them for the game. In that third period, he made some outstanding stops. All the credit to him. He played really well. Cheshire played really well as a team. We couldn't finish some of our chances."

McGovern finished with 26 saves in the loss for East Haven as the seventh-ranked Yellowjackets fell to 18-3-1.  

Player of the Game

Ryan Miller, Cheshire:The star goalie was stellar in net, making 36 saves, including 15 in the final period.

Quotable

"Honestly, we are going to keep it the same. We have been winning, so whatever we have been doing has been working, so we're just going to keep doing that."

- Cheshire goalie Ryan Miller on the upcoming CIAC tournament.

Cheshire 3, East Haven 0

EAST HAVEN   0 0 0-0
CHESHIRE       0 2 1-3

C-Mark Laskin (Jake Soderlund), 13:53
C-Dylan Kozlowski (Aidan Amatruda), 2:02
C-Zachary Hooper (Colin Dempsey, Luca Ocone-Krause), 10:39

Shots:East Haven 36, Cheshire 29.
Saves: East Haven-Brian McGovern 26, C-Ryan Miller 36.
Team records:East Haven 18-3-1, Cheshire 21-1.

This article originally published at Cheshire boys hockey avenges only loss this season with win over East Haven in SCC D-II final.

Max Verstappen crashed out of Australian GP qualifying in a shock start to the 2026 F1 season.

The four-time world champion lost control of his Red Bull car at the start of his first flying lap in Q1, spinning off the track at turn one and careering into the barrier.

FOLLOW LIVE: F1 Australian GP latest updates

Verstappen remarked over team radio: “Yeah the car just f****** locked on the rear axles, fantastic.”

It means the Dutchman will start towards the back of the grid in P20, given Carlos Sainz and Lance Stroll did not make it out for qualifying.

Verstappen was also shaking his hands out after the crash, with his steering wheel potentially bouncing around his wrist when the crash occurred.

More to follow…

Max Verstappen finds himself in the wall in Q1 of Formula 1's season opener in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday morning.

The first season under vastly new restrictions starts with problems across the board, including the 2021-2024 champion Max Verstappen hitting the wall on his first qualifying lap.

Verstappen surprisingly locked up ahead of a corner, and when he hit the brakes, he turned drastically, crashing into the Albert Park wall. The champion has had complaints about the new generation of Red Bull, and it seems the loss of energy stems from a similar issue across the board.

With the break following Verstappen's hit, Mercedes and Kimi Antonelli were gifted an unexpected moment of grace, as, after Antonelli's late FP3 crash at full power, the team was able to make it out to place a Q1 effort. The Mercedes' sophomore placed his rebuilt car in the top 10, easily making it to Q2.

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Jackson Blake scored twice, Carolina survived the potent Edmonton Power Play, and the Hurricanes took their second straight on their Pacific Road Trip defeating Connor McDavid and the Oilers 6-3.

It was the first game for Carolina since a quiet deadline day that saw the Hurricanes involved, per reports, in several discussions but ultimately settling to not make a big move at the deadline for the first time since 2023.

The Oilers were able to get on the board first thanks to a misplay by Mark Jankowski, reinserted into the lineup after a night to let Jesperi Kotkaniemi play before the trade deadline. Jankowski had a rush down the ice with Jordan Martinook, however instead of shooting he tried a pass. Connor McDavid was able to get the puck off the muffed pass, and fed a beautiful feed to Zach Hyman. Hyman got between the defense, staked all alone, and flipped the puck past Frederik Anderesen.

However, Carolina didn’t take long to recover. The Hurricanes would score just 37 seconds later—while the arena PA was still reading off the notes of Hyman’s goal—when Rod Brind’Amour sent out the Sebastian Aho line for the bump up shift. Aho and Seth Jarvis drew several Oilers over to the far wall, and when Jarvis started to skate towards the goal they tried to compress on him. He was able to feed a great pass to Shayne Gostisbehere who immediately fired it on net, past a leaning Tristan Jarry to knot the score at one.

Then 46 seconds after that, the next bump up shift led by the Jordan Stall line got it into the offensive zone again, and some hard work by Jalen Chatfield got the puck over to Nikolaj Ehlers, who blasted it past Jarry for his 20th on the season and a quick 2-1 lead not even 90 seconds after Edmonton put them down 1-0.

The Canes had to weather the dangerous Edmonton Power Play at the end of the period thanks to a questionable call against Taylor Hall, but they held the Oilers to zero shots on the whole two minutes, and ended the period up 2-1 with an 8-3 shot advantage.

Carolina started the second period quickly, as 1:37 in they were able to get the puck in deep. Ehlers picked up his second point of the night as he feathered a perfect pass over to Jordan Martinook. Martinook wasn’t able to get the full power on his first shot but stuck with it and was able to push a second attempt past Jarry to give Carolina a 3-1 lead.

It looked like Carolina was firmly in control, but just two minutes later Vasily Podkolzin just willed a goal into existence thanks to some poor play by Sean Walker, bad goal coverage by Andersen, and an insane shot. Edmonton was able to get the puck in deep, but Jackson Blake was able to grab it to try and get it out of the zone. Walker, however, misread where the puck was going and the puck was left where Blake had tried to pass it. Podkolzin closed in on Walker as he tried to recover, got the puck and skated toward Andersen. Alexander Nikishin recovered to push Podkolzin to the side, and Podkolzin put the puck on net from near the goal line. Andersen didn’t close the gap between himself and the post, and the puck found that gab to close the score to 3-2.

Andersen would recover for the rest of the period to keep the score at 3-2, and while the Canes were able to pepper the former Penguin Jarry with 18 shots to only nine by Edmonton, the second ended with the gap the same as the first. One negative from the period was how early on Gostisbehere took a harder check to the boards, left the ice, and didn’t return forcing the the Canes to play with five defensemen for the rest of the game. This was after he took a skate blade to the face in the first before his goal.

Carolina started the third on a power play when officials called a tripping call on Connor McDavid, but the Canes were unsuccessful in it. The ice started to tilt to Edmonton, but then the Logan Stankoven/Taylor Hall/Jackson Blake line struck for the first time since their torrid performance last week. The sequence started with a little luck as the Oilers just missed a goal by hitting a post, and then the Canes were able to rush the puck in the opposite direction. Sebastian Aho sped down the ice drawing a penalty, but the Canes were able to keep possession and set up 6-on-5. Carolina would keep it in the zone for over a minute without an Edmonton skater gaining possession, and eventually Blake would get a great feed by K’Andre Miller, and blast a shot by Jarry to take a 4-2 lead.

The officials would eventually apologize to McDavid by calling a dubious tripping call on Miller a few minutes later, and the Edmonton Power Play wouldn’t be denied. Hyman would get his second on the night wide open in front of the net to make the score 4-3. From there, though, the Canes would shut down the Oilers. Jarry would leave the net, but eventually Jordan Staal was able to fly out of the zone and take another pass by Miller to pot it into the empty net.

Edmonton wouldn’t pull Jarry again even though there was about a minute left, however, the Stankoven line went back out on the ice, set up in the zone, and Jackson Blake once again did what he had been told to do more of—shoot the puck. His goal would erase any doubt about this game, setting the final 6-3 score.

The goal was Blake’s 19th which sets a new bar for a career high in his second full season. Miller also stood strong on a night all five defensemen remaining had to work by getting three points, all on assists, and Jalen Chatfield had one of his strongest games as a Hurricane.

The Canes head to the other part of Alberta for the last game of this road trip Saturday night, facing a Calgary team that waived the white flag and traded Nazem Kadri right at the deadline to Colorado. Brandon Bussi will get the start, what remains to be seen is how severe Gostisbehere’s injury is and how long it might keep him out. As the Canes now are 11 points up on Pittsburgh for the Metropolitan lead, expect the team to be careful with any injury from here on out.

Following a monumental trade deadline which saw the return of Nazem Kadri, the Colorado Avalanche still had a game to play. One of the most important Central Division games was on tap this Friday evening in Dallas against the Stars. Ultimately the Avalanche would win 5-4 in a shootout after numerous last second goals in a comeback affair.

The Game

After a whirlwind of a day, the evening matchup between the league’s two best teams didn’t disappoint. At first the Avalanche got on the board with a Cale Makar power play goal but the lead didn’t last long as Miro Heiskanen got Dallas their own score on the man advantage.

From there the Stars proceeded to add to their lead. First from Wyatt Johnston who walk around the defense and picked a corner on Mackenzie Blackwood. It would be the Colorado goaltender who misplayed the puck behind the net which allowed the Dallas fourth line in Justin Hryckowian to take advantage and put the Stars up by two.

The first period wasn’t over yet, however, as the Avalanche got one last power play opportunity and Nathan MacKinnon put the puck past Jake Oettinger with one second left on the clock to cut the Dallas lead to 3-2 by the end of the first 20 minutes of play.

That momentum didn’t carry on for Colorado as Dallas struck first in the middle frame. Josh Manson lost a board battle and Jamie Benn was left alone in front to put Dallas up 4-2. That was the end of Blackwood’s night as Scott Wedgewood took the crease in relief.

Colorado still wouldn’t give up, though, and Martin Nečas cut the Stars’ lead in half again. That’s how the second period would conclude with the Stars holding a 4-3 advantage heading into the final frame.

A big moment happened midway through the third period as the Avalanche killed off a Stars 5-on-3. Another missed opportunity for Dallas was when Benn could have sealed the game but missed the cage on an empty net shot. The Avalanche had new life and naturally tied the game with 13 seconds left from none other than Val Nichushkin. With a 4-4 tie the game headed to overtime.

Despite the Avalanche having a few early good looks it was the Stars who held much of the possession in the extra frame. But still, nobody could get a puck past Wedgewood. And a shootout was needed to decide this game.

Colorado went with the hot hand in Nichushkin and it paid off as he used his long reach to poke the puck past Oettinger. Nečas took that inspiration and netted a goal doing the same. Wedgewood stopped both shots he faced and the Avalanche walked away with a 5-4 victory.

Takeaways

Colorado clearly wants to give Blackwood the net but Wedgewood has stepped up time and time again, this time not allowing a single goal, including in the shootout, if relief. He more than earned this win, his 23rd on the season. It might make sense to keep an open mind on a goalie rotation in the playoffs since that’s what’s worked for the Avalanche thus far.

Upcoming

Another big game in a rematch with the Minnesota Wild in a matinee affair at 12 p.m. MT on Sunday, March 8th nationally televised on TNT. Perhaps the return debut of Nazem Kadri on national television?

Logan Webb took the mound tonight, just not for our humble San Francisco Giants, but for Team USA in their World Baseball Classic opener. His second pitch for the Stars and Stripes got blasted nearly 400 feet. He went on to retire the next dozen batters, discarding half of them by way of the K. My patriotism levels are admittedly very low right now, my Giants pride is through the roof, so… Good show, Logan! Way to bring it to those Brazilians!    

Meanwhile, the boys scrapping it up back in camp improved to 10-2 in a 6-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds. 

RHP Tyler Mahle made his second start of the Cactus League and wrestled with command over his two innings. Three walks put Mahle in the weeds, but he bushwhacked out of trouble with four strikeouts and minimal contact meant stranded runners and a scoreless outing. The live-play workload has been minimal so far for the veteran, who is returning from a clipped 2025 campaign thanks to shoulder fatigue, but fans got a taste of an effective mix that leans heavily on a rise-and-ride four-seamer and split-finger. 

RHP Trevor McDonald took the ball in the 3rd and put together another convincing roster audition over the next three frames. He managed some traffic in the 3rd and stranded Tyler Stephenson at second, after a very loud double, in the 5th with the help of six groundouts. The uptick in velocity has turned heads, but a sustained success for McDonald lies on his ability to do what he did this afternoon: work efficiently by dictating contact into the ground. 

Competition for the fourth outfield spot stayed hot after positive days from top contenders and peripheral candidates.

While long-shot for the role due to his non-roster invitee status, Jared Oliva started in centerfield and batted lead-off. After getting plunked by Red starter Andrew Abbott, he promptly swiped two bases and scored on another NRI Victor Bericoto’s sacrifice fly. Bericoto would double in his next at-bat (9-for-18), setting up Matt Chapman’s 454-foot homer, his second of spring. 

But it was Luis Matos who was loudest with the bat today. Option-less and backed into a corner, Matos bears the burden of proof. If he believes he should be in the San Francisco clubhouse in two weeks, he needs to supply evidence to back up his claims. He can’t beat around the bush anymore, he needs to be emphatic — an apt word to describe the kind of exit-velocity and distance he generated with his bat Friday afternoon.

A first inning double off the wall in center would’ve been a homer in every Major League Park. The knock easily scored Bryce Eldridge after his triple. Matos followed his second double with his second homer of spring off right-handed reliever Yunior Marte in the 6th.

Matos has 9 hits in 20 at-bats so far in Arizona and has yet to strike-out. Impressive, while not totally surprising given his known bat-to-ball skills. What comes as a bit more of a shockis Grant McCray, the 40% K-rate Kid, has kept his free-swingin’ ways in check. He’s struck out just twice so far in 20 trips to the plate and worked 6 walks. Another base-on-balls to go along with a bunt single this afternoon, and McCray had a productive game checking-off items on his To-Do list. If he makes this a habit, and pairs some plate discipline with his raw athleticism, he might find his way on the Opening Day roster.

The same can’t be said for Jerar Encarnacion. As a PH-DH, he went 0-for-2 today and is now just 4-for-23 with no walks, no extra base-hits, no RBIs. Now Spring Training performances aren’t everything, but considering how the likes of Matos and McCray are playing right now, the big man is in serious danger of getting left behind.

John Tedesco turned Thursday night into his personal strikeout showcase.

The Claremore left-hander fanned 13 batters and kept Victory Christian off balance all evening, leading the Zebras to a 2-1 nondistrict victory in a tightly contested pitchers’ duel.

Tedesco allowed just 2 hits and 1 run over 5 innings while walking 2, repeatedly overpowering hitters.

Claremore’s bullpen preserved the slim lead the rest of the way, with Lucas Dupont and Brayden Floyd each delivering scoreless relief innings.

The Zebras [3-0] didn’t take the lead until late in the game, finally breaking a 1-all tie in the sixth inning when a passed ball allowed the go-ahead run to cross the plate.

The Conquerors [2-1] struck first in the second inning, though.

After Sean Kester reached with a single and advanced on a wild pitch, Sam Harris delivered a double to left field that brought the runner home to give the visitors a 1-0 advantage.

Tedesco quickly settled in after that.

The southpaw struck out the side in the first inning and continued to pile up strikeouts throughout the outing, finishing the fifth with another pair of punchouts to end his night with 13.

Claremore answered in the bottom of the third.

Tedesco helped start the rally with a double to left field before courtesy runner Dupont moved into scoring position. After Jax Van Valkenburg reached on catcher’s interference, Floyd delivered an RBI single down the left-field line that scored Dupont and tied the game at 1.

The Zebras threatened again in the inning when Kellen Gaede drew a walk to load the bases, but Victory Christian escaped further damage.

However, Claremore finally pushed across the decisive run in the sixth.

Evan Jameson worked a two-out walk and moved to second on a throwing error by the pitcher. Bo Wolf followed with a walk, and during Luke Roberts’ at-bat, a balk advanced both runners.

Moments later, a passed ball allowed Jameson to score and put the Zebras ahead 2-1.

Dupont took over on the mound in the sixth and retired the side in order, striking out 1.

Floyd handled the seventh inning and closed the door despite a two-out walk and a balk that moved the tying run into scoring position. The right-hander finished the game with back-to-back strikeouts before inducing a game-ending popout.

Floyd led Claremore with an RBI, while Van Valkenburg, Tedesco, Tyler Osgood and Floyd each recorded a hit.

Kester and Harris accounted for the Conquerors' 2 hits, with Harris driving in the team’s lone run.

The Zebras will look to carry the momentum into its next matchup when they travel to Grove for a 1 p.m. game Saturday.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Desiree Wooten had 21 points, Zyanna Walker scored 19 and Colorado upset No. 20 Baylor 62-53 in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Conference Tournament on Friday night.

No. 6 seed Colorado will play 15th-ranked West Virginia, the No. 2 seed, in a semifinal matchup on Saturday. No. 1 seed TCU plays No. 12 seed Kansas State in the other semi after the Wildcats upset No. 4 seed Oklahoma State 74-73 in the day’s first quarterfinal.

Wooten came off the bench to make 8 of 16 shots with three 3-pointers for the Buffaloes (22-10), who advanced to a conference semifinal for the first time in 11 years. She added five rebounds and three assists. Reserve Logyn Greer had nine points and four boards.

Taliah Scott scored 14 points to pace the third-seeded Lady Bears (24-8). Darianna Littlepage-Buggs had 10 points and 10 rebounds, while reserve Kyla Abraham added 10 points and six boards.

Tabitha Betson and Wooten hit back-to-back 3-pointers to cap a 10-0 run, Wooten followed with another 3 and the Buffaloes led 20-10 after one quarter.

Walker connected from beyond the arc to give Colorado its largest lead at 31-14 with six minutes left in the second period before settling for a 37-25 advantage at halftime.

Walker had seven points and Colorado maintained a double-digit lead through the third quarter, leading 54-40. The Buffaloes never let Baylor within two possessions in the final period.

Colorado, which has won two straight and seven of nine, avenged a 56-52 road loss to then-No. 16 Baylor on Jan. 8. The Lady Bears have lost two straight and four of seven.

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Indianapolis – The Michigan women’s basketball team set a program record for regular-season wins and Big Ten wins, and now the eighth-ranked Wolverines want to set another bar by reaching the Big Ten Tournament final.

Michigan, the No. 3 seed, took another step toward that goal by reaching its third-straight tournament semifinals after defeating No. 11 Oregon, 80-58, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in the Big Ten Tournament’s late quarterfinal Friday night.

Downtown Macy Brown#GoBluepic.twitter.com/bzJJ6z6IWs

— Michigan Women’s Basketball (@umichwbball) March 7, 2026

The Wolverines, ranked No. 8 nationally, are now 25-5 overall, 16-3 Big Ten. They went 2-0 against Oregon this season, including a 92-87 double overtime win at Oregon on Dec. 29. The Wolverines defeated Oregon in double overtime, 92-87, on Dec. 29 in Eugene, Ore.

Late in the third quarter, it was clear that Oregon, playing its third game in three days and coming off a thrilling second-round upset of No. 6 Maryland, 73-68, in which there were 11 lead changes and 10 ties, had run out of steam. That's when Michigan took advantage. The Ducks are now 22-12, 8-11 Big Ten.

Syla Swords led the Wolverines with 17 points and eight rebounds, Olivia Olson had 16 points, Ashley Sofilkanich added 14 and Kendall Dudley 10. Mila Holloway had 10 assists.

The Wolverines, who had a two-round bye, will next face ninth-ranked Iowa (25-5) on Saturday. The Hawkeyes advanced after beating Illinois, 64-58, Friday night, their seventh straight win heading into the semis.

Iowa and Michigan finished tied for second in the conference, but the Hawkeyes earned the No. 2 seed because they won the only meeting between the teams, 62-44, in Iowa City on Feb. 22. That was Michigan’s only loss in a tough four-game stretch against four top-15 opponents at the end of the regular season.

The Wolverines took over the game in the third quarter against Oregon thanks to two runs and never looked back. It helped having Olson on the court the full 10 minutes, considering two early game fouls limited her playing time in the first half. Michigan led by as many as 17 and closed out the quarter, 56-43. The Ducks had come out of halftime scoring the first two baskets to cut its deficit to four, but Michigan responded with a 6-0 run. With 4:22 left, the Wolverines went on a 7-0 run while Oregon’s shooting went cold as the Ducks made only 1 of 8 shots.

Olson, Michigan’s leading scorer who was hit with two personal fouls in the first quarter, played only eight minutes in the first half and her production clearly was missed. Despite her absence and some struggles offensively, the Wolverines led 33-24 at halftime.

Michigan shot 37.1% from the field and were 2 of 10 from the 3-point line. Swords had eight points and made both of the Wolverines’ 3-pointers. Holloway also had two early fouls and was 0 of 6 from the field. The Wolverines outrebounded Oregon, 24-16.

Michigan held an 18-13 at the end of the first quarter but Olson and Hollway each had two fouls. The Wolverines dominated the boards, outrebounding Oregon, 13-8. In the first six minutes of the game, the Wolverines were shooting 57% from the field but that dropped to 41.2% by the end of the quarter.

achengelis@detroitnews.com

@chengelis

This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan women off to Big Ten Tournament semifinal with win over Oregon